ABC/Eric LiebowitzOh, American Idol: how can we miss you if you won't go away?

On April 7, 2016, the history-making reality singing competition went off the air after 15 seasons on Fox. But in May of 2017, following weeks of rumors, it was confirmed: American Idol would be back...on ABC. While critics -- and some Idol alumni -- said it was too soon to bring the show back, ABC moved full steam ahead with plans for the reboot.

First came the news that Katy Perry had signed on as a judge, for a reported $25 million. But hopes that Kelly Clarkson would return to the show as a judge were dashed when, just days later, she announced she'd be joining NBC's The Voice for season 14. That same week, another notable American Idol alum, Jennifer Hudson, confirmed that she'd be joining The Voice for the show's 13th season.

Then came the rumors of Ryan Seacrest's involvement in the reboot. Shortly before ABC announced American Idol's return, Ryan had relocated to New York City to take a job as Kelly Ripa's co-host on Live with Kelly, but said in interviews that he'd still be willing to host Idol by flying back and forth to LA.

Then came a report that Ryan was ready to sign, but wanted more money -- and the show's producers tried to lowball him because they were paying Katy so much. Ryan was so upset, went the report, that his reps asked that his name be withdrawn from consideration. ABC, which allegedly didn't know about this, freaked out, begged for another chance, and coughed up the money. Ryan finally confirmed he'd host the show in July.

Auditions got underway in August, as did weeks of speculation as to who the other two judges would be. Names including Charlie Puth, Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, Keith Urban and Lionel Richie all came up, and at the end of September, Lionel and country superstar Luke Bryan were confirmed as judges.

In November, a March 11, 2018 premiere date for the show was announced. Also that month, footage of three contestants who hadn't made it to Hollywood was shown during the American Music Awards, and viewers voted on which one of them should get a Golden Ticket after all.

So far, there are no details on whether or not American Idol's format will be different on ABC.

Meanwhile, Fox moved to counter the loss of Idol to ABC by announcing a new singing competition, The Four, with guest judges Meghan Trainor, Diddy and DJ Khaled, and host Fergie. That show premieres January 4.

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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.
Deshawn Marquez Credle, 20, of Clinton, Md. (Booking photo via CCSO)

LA PLATA, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(December 28, 2017)The Charles County Sheriff's Office released the following incident and arrest reports.MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE DRUGS: On December 16 at 1:53 p.m., officers responded to a car crash in the 1200 block of Bannister Circle in Waldorf. Upon arrival, Pfc. P. Sadie observed a man running from one of the vehicles involved in the crash. A look out was broadcast and Officer B. Chambers, who was sitting stationary in the area of Bannister Circle and St. Ignatius Drive, observed a subject matching the description fleeing towards Hunt Place. Upon making contact with the subject, officers detected a strong odor of marijuana. They found 115 grams of marijuana, two scales, packaging material, and a loaded 9mm handgun (which was reported stolen in Prince Georges County) in a bag the suspect was carrying., was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute illegal drugs and possession of a firearm. Officer Chambers investigated.TRIPLE FATAL CAR CRASH: Members of the Charles County Sheriff's Office Traffic Operations Unit are investigating a single vehicle car crash that killed three people. On December 26 at 12:54 a.m., a Mercedes-Benz passenger car was traveling southbound on Rosehill Road just past Hawthorne Road in La Plata when the driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree, causing the car to catch on fire. A man and his 15-year-old son were traveling on a nearby road and observed the fire, which was about 30 feet in the woods. They drove to the area to investigate. When they realized the fire was the result of a crash, they immediately got out of their car to help. They observed the driver on the ground outside of the car and pulled him toward the roadway, away from the fully engulfed car. Firefighters extinguished the flames and discovered two passengers deceased inside the vehicle. The driver, Eric La Mont Moss, 28, of La Plata, was flown to Med Star Hospital Center, but died as a result of his injuries. Investigators are working to positively identify the passengers. Cpl. K. Syvertsen of the Traffic Operations Unit is investigating.HOME INVASION, SHOOTING: On December 26 at 7:41 p.m., officers responded to the 2700 block of Marshall Hall Road in Bryans Road for the report of a burglary in progress. The homeowner reported two male suspects kicked open his front door and, at gunpoint, demanded money. A male occupant of the house heard the robbery, grabbed a gun, and hid in a nearby room. The suspects entered the room and pointed the gun at the man who then fired shots at the suspect with the gun. Both suspects fled and were subsequently located nearby. One of the suspects had a gunshot wound to his neck. He was transported to a hospital and treated for an injury that was not life threatening. Investigators did determine the house was targeted and this was not a random burglary. Charges are pending against the male with the gunshot wound and detectives arrested the other suspecta 17-year-old male. He was charged with attempted robbery, burglary and other related charges. Detective B. Long is investigating.THEFTS FROM AUTOS: On December 22, during the overnight hours, unknown suspect(s) broke out the windows of several cars parked on Amber Leaf Drive and St. Thomas Drive in Waldorf and stole after-market radios. They also stole the tires from one of the cars. PFC S. Chandler is investigating.THEFTS FROM AUTOS: On December 21 between 5 a.m.8 p.m., unknown suspect(s) pried open the hoods of several cars parked at the Park and Ride at 3720 Old Washington Road in Waldorf and stole car batteries. PFC W. DeBoe is investigating.VEHICLE LEFT RUNNING STOLEN AT GAS STATION: On December 13 at 3:07 a.m., the victim left his car running and unattended at a gas station in the 11500 block of Berry Road in Waldorf. As he went inside to make a purchase, the suspect got in the victim's car and fled. The vehicle was found a short distance away, abandoned in the middle of the roadway not far from where several officers were assisting a citizen in an unrelated event. PFC J. Plunkett is investigating.DETECTIVES ARREST SUSPECT IN BURGLARIES: On December 12, a search warrant was conducted in the 2700 block of Hadley Drive in Waldorf in reference to several burglaries that occurred in the Holly Station neighborhood. The suspect in the burglariesa 17-year-old malewas arrested and charged with burglary, theft and other related charges. Det. C. Gilroy investigated.
Jimmy Stone, 26, of North Carolina Lauren Ragan, 24, of Prince Frederick Nicholas Schisler, 37, of Lothian Richard Stevens, 40, of North Carolina Previous Next

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(December 28, 2017)The Calvert County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.WEEKLY SUMMARY: During the week of December 18 through December 24, deputies responded to 1,179 calls for service throughout the community.CDS: On December 18, Deputy T. Buckler responded to the area of Dory Brooks Road and Dalrymple Road for a check welfare for a male subject who appeared to be passed out behind the wheel. Deputy Buckler observed the vehicle matching the description and approached the vehicle. After several attempts to wake the male subject, later identified as, Dep. Buckler determined that Schisler might be under the effects of narcotics. Schisler was asked to step out of the vehicle so a search of his person and the vehicle could be completed. The search resulted in paraphernalia and Schisler was placed under arrest. Schisler was transported to the Calvert County Detention Center and charged with CDS: Possession of Paraphernalia.CDS, WEAPON: On December 20, Deputy Trigg was conducting a random commercial motor vehicle safety inspection in the parking lot of Lord Calvert Bowling in Huntingtown. While making contact with the driver, later identified as, Deputy Trigg observed a large hunting knife near the center of the vehicle. While speaking with Stevens there was a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. All occupants of the vehicle were asked to step out of the vehicle for a search to be conducted. The search revealed narcotics along with a loaded handgun, magazines, and ammunition. Stevens was transported to the Calvert County Detention Center and charged with Firearm Possession with Felony Conviction, Regulated Firearm: Illegal Possession, Illegal Possession Ammunition, Handgun in Vehicle, CDS: Possession Marijuana 10 Grams +. Another occupant of the vehicle, later identified as, was transported to the Calvert County Detention Center and charged with CDS: Possession Marijuana 10 Grams+.CDS: On December 21, Deputy Trigg responded to the Calvert County Health Department in Prince Frederick for the report of a check welfare for a female in a vehicle who appeared to be passed out. Other deputies on scene with the female, who was later identified as, advised that the female was awake and talking with them. A search of the vehicle and Ragan was completed and narcotics were located. Ragan was placed under arrest and transported to the Calvert County Detention Center where she was charges with CDS: Possession-not Marijuana (Oxycodone Hydrochloride).BURGLARY 17-66406: On December 22, Deputy Spalding responded to Anchor Lane in Lusby for the report of a burglary. The victim stated that sometime between December 15th at 8:00am ad December 22nd at 10:30am an unknown suspect(s) attempted to enter their residence through the front door and also a rear door to the garage. It appeared the unknown suspect(s) used a tool to attempt to pry the locks on the door however were unsuccessful. The estimated value of damaged property is $112.DAMAGED PROPERTY 17-66385: On December 22, Deputy Beisel responded to Pine Boulevard in Lusby for the report of damaged property. The victim stated that sometime between 6:30am and 2:30pm on December 21st an unknown suspect(s) broke a double pane window in the rear of the residence. The estimated value of damaged property is $400.THEFT 17-65659: On December 18, Deputy Beisel responded to Bayside Auto Group in Prince Frederick for the report of a theft. The victim stated that sometime between December 1st at 8:00am and December 18th at 3:30pm an unknown suspect(s) stole a dealer registration plate. The value of stolen property is $160.THEFT 17-65794: On December 19, Deputy Migliaccio responded to Daniels Gussie Way in Huntingtown for the report of a theft. The victim stated that their mail had been tampered with, and the envelope containing new registration stickers had been partially opened and the new stickers had been removed. The value of the stolen property is $50.THEFT 17-66153: On December 21, Deputy Williamson responded to West Mount Harmony Road in Owings for the report of a theft. The victim stated that sometime between December 19th at 3:00pm and December 20th at 9:30am an unknown suspect(s) stole their black Bri-Mar dump trailer. The value of the stolen property is $5,800.THEFT 17-66689: On December 24, Deputy Spalding responded to Six Gun Circle in Lusby for the report of a theft. The victim stated that sometime between December 23rd at 3:00pm and December 24th at 8:30am an unknown suspect(s) stole their fourteen foot red canoe with black lettering on the side that says Explorer II and three wooden oars. The value of the stolen property is $880.
Healthy waters are dependent on healthy land. Healthy land is dependent on big, healthy forests. And healthy forests, in turn, depend not only on sun and rain and fertile soil, but also on a broad array of wildlifeanimals that, when allowed to roam throughout their natural habitat, perform much of the unseen heavy lifting in a thriving forest ecosystem.



Yet today, on the mountainous slopes that feed the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay, these important balances are threatened. Development, mineral extraction and poor forest management have combined to eat into and isolate great swaths of the critical wilderness that are important to the entrapment of sediment and the sequestration of nutrientscreating serious questions about what the great deciduous woodlands of the mid-Atlantic will look like, or if they will even exist, in the centuries ahead.



In 2011 environmentalist John Davis, co-founder of the Wildlands Network and former editor of Wild Earth, trekked 7,600 miles over 280 daysby foot, bicycle and canoefrom the Florida Everglades to the tip of Quebec, taking inventory of the remaining wilderness areas along the Eastern Seaboard. His subsequent book, Big, Wild and Connected, explores the benefits of what Davis has termed an "Eastern wildway"an unbroken chain (emphasis on unbroken) of protected forestlands. This vast stretch of connected wilderness would, in time, restore a natural balance of insects, amphibians and mammals and go far toward protecting the woods and waters of the East Coast.



Indeed, the benefits would extend far beyond the wildway itself. "An old-growth forest is one of the best things you can do for the Bay," Davis said in a recent interview. "It reduces pollution going into the watershed, captures more of the nutrients and reduces sedimentation."



There are patches of old-growth forest up and down the East Coast, but a wildway would join them with forestlandprotected both through public acquisition and incentives for proper stewardship of privately owned lands. It would broaden the canopy and also allow for predators at the top of the food chain to wander and breed in lands where they were once plentiful.



More wolves and big cats, of course, would reduce and scatter the outsized and destructive populations of white-tailed deer in the region, sparing the forest understory. When deer eat the seedlings of oak, hickory and maple, Davis said, the forest floor is denuded, habitat is destroyed and the forest's very existence is threatened. "[That] is bad news for the songbirds, bad news for the salamanders and bad for the forest itself," he wrote. It has also led to the spread of diseases, most notably the recent explosion of lyme disease.



Joining the forests in an Eastern wildway, Davis acknowledged, will be difficult and time-consuming. And to be politically viable, he said, it will need advocates from all walks of environmental lifenot least the people and organizations that are already working for a healthier Chesapeake Bay. Two important parts of the potential Eastern wildway lie at the outer edge of the Bay's watershed in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.



West Virginia, notwithstanding its reputation for mutilated and lopped-off mountaintops, has much to contribute. "[It is ] one of the most intact states in the East," Davis said. "It's critical to an Eastern wildway." With most of the coal mining in the western and southern parts of the state, the West Virginia's eastern forests in the Potomac Highlands already have a degree of protection through the Monongahela National Forest and various state parks and recreational sites, including the popular Seneca Rocks, Lost River, Canaan Valley and Spruce Knob.



Momentum for an all-encompassing, half-million-acre High Allegheny National Park has, unsurprisingly, stalled under the Trump administration, but Davis said that a more modest Headwaters of the Nation national monument (a designation for federal parkland that has cultural or historic significance) could at least help to protect the Potomac River watershed.



Pennsylvania is more problematic. As drivers on Interstate 81 have no doubt noticed, the state's forests have been hit hard by gas, oil and coal extraction. Saplings struggle for a toehold in mountains of mineral wastes. Much of this high-sediment land remains in private hands, which is why Davis said he believes there must be incentives for landowners to allow for the return of wild forests.



Properly done, an Eastern wildway would not be cheap, nor should we expect it to be. In addition to the land set-asides, wildways require infrastructuresafe crossings for animals and amphibians under or over the high-traffic roads that are deadly to wandering wildlife. But a wildway should be considered as an investment. Not just a boon for wildlife, it would also protect economically important fisheries, absorb the ill effects of climate change and wall off diseases that multiply when natural predators are denied their traditional migration patterns and hunting grounds.



Wildways are not a pipe dream; they have been developed and proven to work. In New England, for example, a moose can wander across a frozen Lake Champlain from Vermont to New York, then nibble its way unmolested for miles along the Split Rock Wildway into the heart of the Adirondack Mountainsand by doing so reclaim its ancestral stomping grounds.



It is true that, in this political atmosphere, environmental gains of national significance cannot be expected. But these spirited times are quite simply the death throes of an outdated era. Rather than fret, we should be using this time to organize, plan and support land conservancies. A new day will be here before we know it, and what better way to celebrate than with a national wilderness corridor that will protect all living creatures, from grasshoppers to human beings, for generations and centuries to come?



Tim Rowland, author of the Strange and Obscure Stories series and other books, is a columnist for the Herald-Mail Co. in Hagerstown, Md. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Bay Journal.
Three local Democratic groups issued a joint statement condemning President Donald Trumps alleged statements on Haitian and Nigerian immigrants.

Dolphin Democrats of Broward County, the Haitian American Democratic Club of Broward and Broward County Democratic Black Caucus spoke out against Trumps comments, which according to The Hill included saying all Haitians have AIDS. Members of the Dolphin Democrats said in the statement the words brought back the same feeling as the 1980s discrimination against LGBT people due to AIDS.

In words and actions, the president and his administration continue to disparage people of color, immigrants, and those requiring health care," President of the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus Terry Fleming said. "He seems intent on dividing us instead of bringing us together. That's especially disheartening at this time of year. We expect better from our elected leaders."

The statement also calls for congressmen and women to act on articles of impeachment because of his unethical misconduct and his Administrations discrimination on the bases of Veteran Status, Race, Religion, Disability and National Origin of everyday American Citizens and guests of our great Country.

According to the statement, Dolphin Democrats president Scott Herman reached out to the Haitian American Democratic Club and Broward County Democratic Black Caucus to make the joint statement. All three organizations presidents signed the statement, including Haitian American Democratic Clubs Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas and Broward County Democratic Black Caucus Janet Burnett.
The citys Christmas tree is still up, but Wilton Manors resident Jaclyn St. James is already thinking about making next years tree better.

St. James has started a GoFundMe page to raise $1,000 to overhaul the decorations and come up with a new theme. So far, about $780 has been raised. Visit gofundme.com/wilton-manor-christmas-tree-decor to donate.

Ive heard so many people complain about the tree. They say oh, it looks the same and its boring. So, I just kind of took the initiative to make the change. Im from New York and decorations up there are always grand.

St. James originally tried to raise the money for this years tree but decided there wasnt enough time. It just kind of went from there . . . I might as well start fundraising for it now [so it will be nice for next year].

In response to the GoFundMe page and a meeting city staff had with St. James, Leisure Services Department Director Patrick Cann said the city is working with St. James on the tree. Theyve had good communication. Our staff did add decorations after speaking with her . . . some of the old ones need to be replaced.

But St. James isnt just looking for money. Volunteers are also wanted. Already Ive got 20 people willing to donate their time. It doesnt have to be money it can be their time and effort. Were not just looking for money, were looking for people willing to help. Its going to be a community effort.

To volunteer, email St. James at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Twenty-four horses have perished as a result of an overnight barn fire, and the tragic event has left the proprietor of the farm heartbroken.

According to an article by NEWS 8 WTNH.com, fire crews responded to a blaze at Folly Farm in Simsbury, Connecticut at roughly 7:00 local time this morning (Thursday, December 28).

The report states that the fire was extinguished within minutes, as more than 30 firefighters rushed to put out the blaze at the Hunter/Jumper barn.

Although, the farms general manager, Alison Patricelli, DVM, DACVS, has conveyed via social media that 24 of the facilitys horses perished in the incident due to smoke inhalation.

The fire department is still working to determine the cause of the fire, Patricelli has said. Tragically, 24 horses housed in our metal arena barn died of smoke inhalation. Most of these horses were part of our Riding School and our Polo School, and three were privately owned. These gentle souls taught hundreds of children and adults how to ride, to play polo, and to love through the years. They were the heart and soul of Folly Farm and of our lives. The 19 horses housed in other barns were not affected. We appreciate all of the love and support we have received from horse lovers across the country.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to all of those affected by the barn fire.

(With files from NEWS 8 WTNH.com)
On December 24, Pam P. Miller, 75, passed away after a three-year battle with dementia and cancer.

She is survived by her brother, Bruce (Jean) Patterson; son, Peter; and grandchildren, Jennifer Miller, Shane Angier, and Daniela Angier. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Miller; mother, Maxine Patterson; father, Harland (Ish) Patterson; and many nieces and nephews.

Pam was in harness racing her entire life, most notably as program director for 15 years at Freehold Raceway. She also worked at Pompano Park, Wheeling Downs, Los Alamitos, and retired from Raceway Park after 16 years in 2008.

She was in the care of Hospice of NW Ohio.

Her wishes were for no services; she will be laid to rest in the family plot in Farmington, Maine.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Pam Miller.

(USTA)
Top-Rated Catholic Show No Longer on Relevant Radio

Contact: Richael Lucero, Catholic Answers , 619-387-7200SAN DIEGO, Dec. 28, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- As of January 1, 2018, radio stations owned by Relevant Radio will no longer carry Catholic Answers Live, for years the top-rated Catholic radio show in the U.S.In 2017, Relevant Radio merged with the West Coast-based Immaculate Heart Radio, a network that had carried the two-hour call-in show live 3-5 p.m. Pacific Time. Catholic Answers, which for twenty years has produced Catholic Answers Live, could not come to an agreement with Relevant Radio, which sought exclusive broadcast and branding rights for the popular franchise.As a result, the show will no longer be available over the airwaves in the U.S. West, the home turf of the San Diego-based show."Both parties worked at length in good faith to find a way to cooperate in the Lord's vineyard," said Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers. "For the time being, we have not been successful."Catholic Answers Live will continue to air live on more than 350 EWTN-affiliated radio stations and SiriusXM satellite radio, as well as via the Catholic Answers Live app and live-streaming video via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Periscope."We are hopeful that in the future we will be able to work hand-in-hand with (Relevant Radio Executive Director/CEO) Fr. Francis Hoffman and the good folks at Relevant to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ," Check said.Catholic Answers Live listeners in the areas of the U.S. within the broadcast reach of Relevant Radio can still listen to or watch the program live weekdays 3-5 p.m. Pacific Time (6-8 p.m. Eastern) at:Website: www.catholic.com/audio/listen-live Catholic Answers Live app: www.catholic.com/audio/app Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/catholicanswers/ YouTube Live: www.youtube.com/user/catholiccom Twitter/Periscope: twitter.com/catholiccom Catholic Answers is the largest lay-run Catholic apologetics and evangelization organization in the U.S. Through mediaincluding radio; Catholic.com and Catholic Answers Forums, the world's largest online discussion community; the printed word, including books, pamphlets, and a national magazine; free online videos and for-sale DVDs; live conferences and seminars; and one-on-one contact via email and phoneit works to help Catholics grow in their faith, bring former Catholics home, and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the truth.
Mira Costa became the first team this season to win a set against Cathedral Catholic, but the Mustangs eventually fell in four sets in the CIF SoCal Regional final Tuesday night.
The officials from Washington and Oregon have released the spring Chinook projections for Drano Lake, the Wind River, and the Klickitat River. A total of 17,500 spring Chinook adults are expected to return to these three very popular fisheries in 2018.

The three systems beat their projections in 2017 when 16,600 spring Chinook, or springers as they are often called, came back instead of the 13,200 that were expected.

In Drano Lake, 10,200 springers are expected to enter at the mouth of the Little White Salmon River in 2018. Last years return of 8,900 adults surpassed the forecast of 7,500. However, the run came in late according to Jim Stahl of NW Fishing Guides.

Last year the run was much later than usual, Stahl said. Many fishermen gave up. By the time it got good there were only eight to ten boats on the lake fishing.

He reports that those anglers that stuck with it did very well around the end of May and early June.

The fishery has changed since the days when anglers trolled plugs and exclusively targeted the toilet bowl, a tight circular troll pattern right at the mouth of the lake.

Stahl reports that anglers now fish a variety of methods, and are regularly taking springers from other parts of the lake.

According to Stahl, fishing with Pro-Troll flashers and Brads Super Bait plugs has been very effective. The other two methods that have proven effective are trolling with prawn spinners or regular spinners.

The best time to fish Drano Lake is usually from the last week of April through the first two weeks of May.

The lake is located along Washington State Highway 14 between the Wind and White Salmon rivers.

Stahl said anglers should watch the daily counts at Bonneville Dam, and when they start topping 1,000 Chinook a day, its time to start fishing Drano Lake.

The actual return to the Wind River in 2017 was 5,400 adults, which beat the preseason forecast of 3,600. This year 5,300 adults are expected back to the Wind.

The Klickitat River saw a return of 2,300 spring Chinook last year, beating the projection of 2,100. 2,000 spring Chinook should return to the Klickitat this year.

Always check the regulations before fishing any water.

NW Fishing Guides with Jim and Jennifer Stahl: (425) 347-1615, www.nwfishingguides.net/
Are five former Mint Valley Elementary School students telling the truth?

Thats one of the first questions eight jurors will need to determine in deciding whether to award the students families millions of dollars in a federal lawsuit against the Longview School District.

With closing arguments expected to conclude in the three-week trial Thursday, the case will likely be in jurors hands by Friday. After U.S. District Court Robert J. Bryan issues instructions, the jury could then take a few hours or several days to reach a verdict.

The childrens families are claiming the kids pre-existing disabilities were aggravated when former special education teacher Jerry Stein allegedly placed them inside a 4-by-4-foot padded isolation booth. They are now entitled to damages stemming from their traumatic experiences in the booth, plaintiffs lawyers argue.

Photos of the booth posted to Facebook on Nov. 26, 2012 by an angry parent sparked a social media firestorm, prompting the district to destroy the structure five days later. The viral post caused several of the students parents, who are also named as plaintiffs in the suit, to ask their children if they were ever placed inside the windowless structure.

Stein and the district are now the sole defendants after Judge Bryan dismissed several claims against former Longview School District Superintendent Suzanne Cusick and former Mint Valley Elementary Principal Patrick Kelley, ruling Friday that its too much a of a stretch to hold them liable.

The trial has occasionally focused on arcane questions about rules governing the use of restraint and isolation for general education students and special education students with individual education plans (IEPs). But at the center of the suit is the fundamental question of whether the kids are telling the truth.

Four of the students are now 12 years old, while another former student recently turned 16. The alleged events occurred during the 2009-2010 school year and in the fall of 2012, according to court documents.

On the stand

Trial transcripts reviewed by The Daily News offer a glimpse into the questions jury members will wrestle with in their deliberations.

All of the former students testified that they were placed inside the booth, according to court documents. In addition, they accurately described the booths interior and exterior in taped depositions and testimony.

However, the children  who have been diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders  also struggled to recall specific details about the alleged events. And the districts defense team also used the childrens relatively brief testimony to highlight conflicts with earlier statements about the alleged events.

For example, a girl identified as J.B. in court records said Stein placed her inside the booth twice  once in the first grade and again in the second grade. Upon direct questioning by one of the plaintiffs lawyers, she estimated that she was in the booth for nine minutes the first time and five minutes the second time.

But the defense team played a clip from her deposition (pretrial testimony taken under oath) where she remembers being in the booth slightly longer on the second occasion.

Another student, identified as J.D., said he takes medication for ADHD and autism. He doesnt remember any of his first through third grade teachers, but he remembers his fourth grade teacher, who was previously named as a defendant in the suit. (Plaintiffs moved to drop her due to a lack of evidence.)

In his testimony, J.D. said a man came to his fourth-grade classroom and escorted him to Steins room, where he was prompted to go in the booth and went inside willingly. J.D. said he remembers the same man forcibly placing him inside the booth on a different occasion after his teacher got angry at him for smearing a birthday cupcake on his face.

But the defenses lawyers also played a clip of J.D. saying in his deposition that he remembered a female placing him inside the booth.

A student identified as W.L. testified that he was placed inside the booth three different times. W.L. said he was carried into the booth the first time, but he had difficulty remembering details about the second or third time. On cross-examination, the student also said he still thought Stein was nice despite allegedly placing him in the booth.

Meanwhile, a student identified as A.L. said he used to take breaks in Steins classroom and initially liked him as a teacher. Then Stein allegedly told him to go inside the box after teachers thought he pushed another student down while the kids were playing tag at recess, A.L. said.

Defense lawyers noted that in his deposition, A.L. appeared to say that he and W.L. were in the box together at one point.

My brain was all mushy, the boy said after the clip played.

In his deposition, A.L. also said there was a seat inside the booth.

To be honest, I have no clue why I said that. There was no seat, he said after the clip played.

Expert vs. expert

To explain the childrens memory lapses and conflicting statements, the families lawyers turned to Dr. Stewart Newman, an award-winning certified forensic psychologist in Oregon.

Plaintiffs have argued that Newmans forensic certification is significant because the goal of forensic psychiatry is to inform the legal system. Their lawyers hired Newman to evaluate each of the children individually and examine their previous school and medical records.

Newman found that there was sufficient evidence to diagnose each of the children with a trauma syndrome related to their alleged experiences inside the booth. One of the children met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder, he concluded. In his testimony, Newman said that placing a child inside the isolation booth would qualify as a traumatic event.

A single episode of short duration can be sufficient to cause a trauma syndrome in an individual, he said.

Newman also said that he found no evidence to suggest that the children were exaggerating or faking their symptoms. But Dr. Hower Kwon, a Bellevue-based psychologist hired by the districts team, disagreed with Newmans assessment in his own evaluations written in July and November of this year. Kwon is not certified in forensic psychology, according to court records.

Kwon concluded that the kids alleged placements inside the booth were not enough for a trauma diagnosis and said Newman failed to identify other sources of stress in the kids lives.

Kwons analysis essentially dovetails with the districts defense, which is that the children had pre-existing disorders that have persisted throughout their childhood and its impossible to tell whether the booth had any influence.

But in his diagnosis, Newman said the childrens pre-existing conditions made them even more vulnerable to trauma.

They have very little resilience, he said, according to transcripts. A traumatic event takes so much more away from them.
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BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia appeared before the special court in the city\'s Bakshi Bazar on Thursday on two cases filed against her by Anti-Corruption Commission.
List of 100,000 Rohingya returnees prepared

Bangladesh is working to finalise a draft on the physical arrangement to begin the repatriation of Rohingyas living in Cox's Bazar district through an effective and efficient way.

The National Taskforce on Implementation of Strategy on Myanmar Refugees and Undocumented Myanmar Nationals with an accompanying Inter-Ministerial Meeting is scheduled to be held here on Thursday which will also discuss the repatriation issues, an official said.

The meetings will discuss in details to finalise the draft of the Physical Arrangement.

Around 1 million Rohingyas are now living in Bangladesh including 655000 new arrivals sinceAugust 25, officials said.

Bangladesh is expected to handover the first list of 100,000 forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in the upcoming joint working group (JWG) meeting to be held in Myanmar capital.

The physical arrangement will have the detailed guideline for repatriation and rehabilitation of Rohingyas who fled Myanmar and took shelter in Bangladesh amid persecution which the UN, US and other bodies termed "textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

As per the agreement signed on November 23, Myanmar has agreed to take necessary measures to halt the outflow of its residents to Bangladesh, to restore normalcy in Northern Rakhine and to encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households and original places of residence or to a safe and secure place nearest to it of their choice.

Under the agreement, Myanmar will take back those people, who entered Bangladesh after October 9 last year and August 25 this year.

Repatriation of those who took shelter in Bangladesh before October 9 last year would also be considered separately after conclusion of the present arrangement, the minister told journalists.

Officials said the government has prepared a database containing the names of 850,000 Rohingyas who took shelter in Bangladesh.

In the first phase, Dhaka will give Myanmar with a list of 100,000 displaced Rohingyas.

Meanwhile, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi avoided discussing reports of Rohingya women and girls being raped by Myanmar troops and police when she met a senior UN official, according to an internal memo seen by the Guardian.

Pramila Patten, the special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, travelled to the country for a four-day visit in mid-December to raise the crisis with government officials.

But she said, Aung San Suu Kyi, a state counsellor in the Myanmar government, refused to engage in "any substantive discussion" of reports that soldiers, border guard police and Rakhine Buddhist militias carried out "widespread and systematic" sexual violence in northern Rakhine state.
Trump will fail against Iran as did "smarter" Reagan: Khamenei

Trump warned he might terminate the agreement with Tehran as its not complying to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Reuters, Dubai :

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump would fail in his hardened stance towards Iran, saying Tehran was stronger than during the time of the "more powerful and smarter" Ronald Reagan.

"Reagan was more powerful and smarter than Trump, and he was a better actor in making threats, and he also moved against us and they shot down our plane," Khamenei said in a speech carried on state television.

In 1988, a U.S. warship shot down an Iranian passenger plane over the Gulf, killing all 290 aboard, in an incident which Washington said was a mistake. Tehran said it was a deliberate attack on Iran, then at war with neighbouring Iraq.

"But Reagan is gone and, according to out beliefs, he now faces God's retribution ... while Iran has made great advances in all areas since Reagan's time," Khamenei added.

"This trend will continue under the current American president and any hopes on their part that the Islamic Republic would back off or weaken is futile." Trump refused in October to certify that Tehran is complying with its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and warned he might ultimately terminate the agreement. He announced the shift in U.S. policy in a speech in which he detailed a more aggressive approach to Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its support for militant groups in the Middle East.
Fake Indian rupee making factory busted in city

RAB forces unearthed a fake Indian currency making factory and arrested two men along with fake Indian currency worth Tk 10 lakh from Dakkhin Keraniganj on the outskirts of the capital on Thursday.

Staff Reporter :

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) unearthed a fake Indian currency making factory and arrested two men in this connection at Shubhadya in Dakkhin Keraniganj on the outskirts of the capital on Wednesday night.

The accused are Liakat Ali, 35, and Md Jahangir Alam, 40. RAB also recovered Rs 10 lakh fake Indian currency, equipment and other materials used to make the fake currency.

A team of RAB-3 conducted the drive at Uttarpara of Shubhadya on the 2nd floor of a building at 3:00 am on the night and arrested them.

"We conducted the drive after getting secret information about the fake currency factory," said, Lt. Colonel Imranul Hasan, the Commander of RAB-3 in a press briefing at The RAB's Media Center in Karwan Bazar on Thursday noon.

He said, "Liakat Ali is the main accused, who has been making fake Indian currency for last 15 years."

"The accused earned Tk three lakh monthly from this illegal business. Some of his gang used to sell those fake currency in the border areas and to money exchanging agencies," the RAB-3 chief said.

Liakat Ali was involved to make fake Bangladeshi Taka also. But later he gave up that fearing arrest.

He learned the tricks of fake currency making from Sagir Master once involved in Stock market business.

"Liakat was selling one lakh Rupees to his wholesalers for 12,000 Taka," Imranul Hasan, the Chief of RAB-3 said.

He said that the investigation is on the card about the money exchange agencies, other wholesalers and assistances of the main accused.
Agora boss Niaz Rahim gets bail

Court Correspondent :

Chairman of Agora Super Shop Niaz Rahim secured bail yesterday hours after he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in two cases filed for selling adulterated ghee in 2008.

Mehedi Pavel Sweet, Special Magistrate of Pure Food Court of Dhaka granted bail to Niaz Rahim in both cases on condition that he will appeal against the conviction and sentence within 30 days.

Niaz, who is one of the directors of business group Rahimafrooz, was granted bail after he filed two petitions seeking bail in the cases. Later, he was released from the custody.

Earlier in the day, another special magistrate of the court handed down the sentence to Niaz Rahim and ordered to send him to the prison. The court also fined him Tk 50,000 in each case, in default of which he will serve two months' more in the prison.

Now Niaz Rahim can appeal to the Metropolitan Sessions judge's Court against the conviction and sentence handed by the Pure Food Court under the section 41C of the Pure Food Ordinance, 1959. The section says, "An appeal against the judgement of a Pure Food Court shall lie to the Sessions Judge or to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge, within 30 (Thirty) days as the case may be."

According to the case statement, Health Inspector Fakhruddin Mobarok of Dhaka City Corporation seized adulterated ghee from Agora Super Shop of Maghbazar area in the capital on August 18, 2008 and lodged two separate cases against him with the court.

After taking into cognizance of the charges in the cases, the court framed charges against Agora Chairman on November 10 in 2008.

During the trial proceedings, the court recorded statements of four prosecution witnesses and five defence witnesses. The sample of adulterated ghee was seized from Agora's Moghbazar outlet.
US cuts funding $285m to UN

CNN:

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Sunday touted a quarter billion dollar cut to the UN's annual budget, capping off a contentious year between the Trump administration and the international body.

"We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked," Haley said the US had negotiated a $285 million reduction of the UN budget for 2018-2019 compared to the budget for 2016-2017. Her announced total was $85 million more than the $200 million cut that a UN news article said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres backed in October.

The UN's two-year budget is roughly $5.5 billion, and the total US contribution to the UN is more than any other nation. Haley's statement did not mention how or if the US contribution will be altered.

Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Guterres, confirmed in a statement that the UN General Assembly on Sunday morning had approved cuts for the 2018-2019 period that would total about $286 million below the level for the last two years and touted support for a trial proposal to move to annual budgets.

A US official told CNN that the UN's administrative and budget committee "agreed on a range of issues related to the UN's regular budget, peacekeeping budget, oversight and management matters and reform initiatives."

Among the points of agreement, the official said, included cuts with a "focus on bloated management and support functions and rationalizing services," and adjusting budget levels for Darfur and Haiti. Earlier in the year, the UN reduced its peacekeeping role in Darfur, which caused concern among some human rights activists.

The US official said the agreement secured funding for political missions in Libya, Yemen, Colombia, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, as well as creating a special envoy for Myanmar. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last month said actions by Myanmar's government against the Asian nation's Rohingya Muslim minority amounted to "ethnic cleansing."

Haley's Christmas Eve announcement on cuts to the UN budget for 2018-2019 came days after the US exercised its first veto in years at the UN Security Council. Every other member of the body, including US allies, voted in favor of a proposal affirming international opposition to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, days after President Donald Trump did so and declared the US would one day move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested holy city.

The UN General Assembly went on to vote on the same issue, passing a non-binding resolution disapproving of the Trump administration's decision.

Ahead of the general assembly vote, Haley announced the US was "taking names" of those voting against the US, and afterward, she held a party where the only countries invited were nations that did not support the resolution on Jerusalem.

Trump praised Haley's actions before he left the White House for Christmas.

"Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care," Trump said.

Trump campaigned in part on a pledge to reduce US commitments abroad, and Haley entered her post questioning the value of the US' funding of the UN.

Earlier this year, Haley cheered cuts to the UN's peacekeeping budget, and Sunday's announcement on further reductions to the UN's overall budget included a vow by the ambassador for the "America First" administration to seek further reductions for the UN budget.

"You can be sure we'll continue to look at ways to increase the UN's efficiency while protecting our interests," Haley said Sunday.
China, Russia must oppose HR abuses in Myanmar

SEOUL (Reuters) :

The United Nations' independent investigator into human rights in Myanmar has called for international pressure on China and Russia to try to get them to oppose human rights abuses in Myanmar.

Rohingya refugee children carry supplies through Balukhali refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, October 23, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

U.N. special rapporteur Yanghee Lee, who was last week barred by the Myanmar government from visiting the country, singled out China and Russia because they had failed to back some moves in the U.N. aimed at trying to halt the Myanmar military's crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine province.

"I'd like to ask the international community to continue to work with China and Russia to persuade them to stand on the side of human rights," Lee told Reuters in an interview.

Neither has joined the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in condemning the crackdown that has led to the exodus of what aid agencies estimate to be 655,000 refugees into Bangladesh.

In response to Lee, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that "external actors" adding pressure over human rights will not help to resolve the issue, and may make it more complicated.

This would not be in the interests of Myanmar, its neighbors or the international community, she said at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday. "We hope that countries or individuals external to the issue can create a positive environment that is more conducive to Myanmar resolving the issue for themselves," Hua added. The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The Russian government has previously warned against interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs. Russia's ambassador to Myanmar, Nikolay Listopadov has said it is "against excessive intervention, because it won't lead to any constructive results."

The Myanmar armed forces are accused by members of the Rohingya community and human rights advocates of carrying out killings, rapes and village burnings, in what top officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing.

The Russian and Chinese stance is particularly important because either of them can block the U.N. Security Council from referring allegations of crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The ICC cannot act against Myanmar without a referral because Myanmar is not an ICC member.

Myanmar has denied human rights abuses, saying its military is engaged in a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The military exonerated itself of all accusations of atrocities in an internal investigation, which published its findings on Nov. 13.

Myanmar's foreign affairs ministry has said Lee was not objective or impartial in a report she issued in July, and it wanted a fair investigator. Lee said there had to be a fair, partial and independent investigation.

"The families of the victims have a right to know what happened, and I think the people of Myanmar need to know what happened, because we're seeing, in front of our eyes, the worst humanitarian crisis."

Surveys of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres have shown at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine State in the month after violence flared in late August, the aid group said last week. The special rapporteur also criticized recent government crackdowns on media in Myanmar, including the arrest this month of two Reuters journalists who had reported on the crisis in Rakhine.

She said that the authorities were creating "a national gag" that would prevent journalists from reporting what they see. "That will have consequences on the general public too - people will not be able to speak as freely."

Myanmar has said the reporters "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media."
Dairy farm revolution in Keraniganj

A dairy farm in Balurchar of South Keraniganj, where many farms are growing in the area.

Reza Mahmud :

Fifty-two years old Aminul Islam plunged into financial crisis when the Dhaka Jute Mills was handed over to the private sector few years ago.

He had to maintain a family of five members and still does it.

But he improved his financial position gradually by farming cows. He started his new voyage with just one Australian cow. Now he is the owner of 12 cows and 12 calves, and built a dairy farm in Keraniganj upazila.

"I reared one cow of home species and sell its milk. As I lost my mills job, the cow milk selling earnings become my major source of income beside working as a day labourer. In that situation, with my little savings and sale proceeds of the home species cow, I bought an Australian cow," Aminul said to The New Nation at his dairy farm in Ikuria, South Keraniganj, in Dhaka district.

"After buying the cow, fortunes began to smile. The cow gives 20 liters of milk everyday, enough to bear my family's daily needs," Aminul said.

He said that his family had become solvent. He can save a good amount of money in the bank.



Gradually he bought more Australian cows from same species.

He took loan from the Bangladesh Krishi Bank on easy terms which helped him boost the dairy farm.

Another farmer, 49 years old Abdul Jabbar, from Hasnabad, South Keraniganj also has become a dairy farm owner. His farm has six cows and five calves.

"I was an agriculture farmer. I used to cultivate ordinary crops like paddy, wheat and jute. My family members did not know what to do in extreme poverty," said Abdul Jabbar.

"In such circumstances, I bought an Australian cow with my savings," he said.

"The cow delivered a calf within a year. The cow started to give us more than 20 liters of milk everyday. I began to sell the milk and earned a good amount of money. Thus, my family members began to smile," he said.

There are many more small and medium size dairy farms owned by Amin Munshi at Hasnabad, Nurul Islam at Ikuria, Mahmudul Haque at Korergaon, Nasiruddin at Abdullahpur, Abdul Khalique at Mirerbag, Deen Islam at Balur Char, Abdul Haque at Muslim Nagar. Farmers from other villages in Keraniganj and South Keraniganj upazila changed themselves starting dairy farms.

Some dairy farms have its names like Haque Dairy Farm and Tasin Dairy Farm, some are running without any name.

But most of the farmers cannot take loans from banks on easy and comfortable terms. Most of them take loans from NGO's with hard conditions which was not helpful to boost the farms.

Dairy farmer Deen Islam said, "If the government initiate easy terms loan, the dairy farms will be expanded rapidly here."

Dairy farmers Abdul Haque and Abdul Jabbar said they are selling their milk in Hasnabad Housing areas.

The other dairy farmers are selling their products to other traders or sweetmeat industries.

The dairy farms are creating multiple ways of employments and boosting economy.

Those farms are supplying nutrition to the people of the capital city providing pure milk. Their milk is enriched with vitamin-D as they used to take cows under sun ray in nearby fields everyday for grazing.

The city families are able to give their babies pure milk everyday buying from those farmers.

Many youths are now trading with cow milk in the capital and adjacent areas buying from those farms.

The sweetmeat business in the capital and adjacent areas is expanding as fresh milk is easily available.

There are some readymade sweetmeat hubs are also created in nearby Abdullhapur and Rajendrapur. The sweetmeat traders prepare and sell different kinds of sweetmeats, Ghee, Butter and Cheese as wholesalers to shop owners in the capital and adjacent areas.


Saudi-led strikes 'kill 68 civilians in one day'

BBC Online

The United Nations says two air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen's civil war killed at least 68 civilians in a single day this week.

Humanitarian co-ordinator Jamie McGoldrick said Tuesday's first raid, on a busy market in Taiz province, left 54 people dead.

The second, in Hudaydah province, killed 14 members of the same family.

Mr McGoldrick said the incidents proved the "complete disregard for human life" by all parties to this "absurd war". More than 8,750 people have been killed and 50,000 injured

since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in the conflict between forces loyal to Yemen's government and the rebel Houthi movement in March 2015, according to the UN.

The fighting and a blockade by the coalition has also left 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is thought to have killed 2,227 people since April. Media captionAfter 1,000 days of civil war in Yemen, 8m people are at risk of starvation.

Mr McGoldrick said on Thursday that he was deeply disturbed by the mounting civilian casualties caused by "escalated and indiscriminate attacks". Initial reports from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights indicated that eight children were among the 54 people killed in Tuesday's strike on the "crowded popular market" in the al-Hayma sub-district of Taizz, he said.
Israel to set up fund for poor states to gain support

Al Jazeera News :

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to establish a $50m fund to support development in poorer countries and get the country diplomatic backing, according to Israeli media reports.

If the report by Israel's Channel 2 and other outlets is confirmed, the move comes just a week after the UN General Assembly

voted overwhelmingly to reject the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Just eight states voted with Israel against the resolution, with 35 abstentions and 128 states voting in favour of the motion, which was authored by Turkey and Yemen.

The fund would seek to utilise Israeli expertise in agriculture, leadership development, and technology, the Times of Israel reported. Regions targeted in the diplomatic push include Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa.
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ULLIN  Binoculars, spotting scopes and bird guides in hand, Karen Mangan, a biologist at Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, and Kim Rohling of Marion, a volunteer at the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge Christmas Bird Count, headed for Bellrose Waterfowl Reserve.

Nine volunteers fanned out over an eight-mile circle emanating from refuge headquarters at Shawnee Community College. Over the next 12 hours or so, the birders would record the number and species of birds calling that corner of Southern Illinois home on Dec. 18.

A total of 87 species were identified during the day.

The tradition of Christmas Bird Counts began in 1900. And, this is the 26th year of the Cypress Creek event. For Mangan, this is her 14th at Cypress Creek. Each year she has focused on the waterfowl holding at the Bellrose Reserve.

For Mangan and Rohling, the count began well before they reached the closed part of the refuge  thousands of snow geese were grazing in a field just east of the refuge. And, the tornado-like pattern of snow geese landing seemed never-ending.

Meanwhile, just across the road in the flooded areas of the refuge, ducks  thousands of them  fed casually: mallards, gadwall, green-winged teal, widgeon, northern shovelers and pintails. In corners of the flooded fields, little was visible except the brilliant green heads of mallard drakes.

Despite the impressive appearance, this was not a banner year at the refuge.

This was a pretty slow year, Mangan said. We were missing all our diving ducks. I think its because its been so dry. We dont have as much water out there this year as we normally do.

This time of year is usually about our peak. Weve had years weve had 18 to 20,000 ducks out there during the Christmas Bird Count. It just hasnt really picked up this year like it usually does.

While the totals might not have been as impressive as in years past, mallards seemed to hold in virtually every puddle of water deep enough to float a duck.

But, in addition to counting waterfowl, Mangan and Rohling counted a couple dozen bald eagles, hundreds of robins and crows, cardinals, juncos, woodpeckers and hawks of nearly every persuasion.

At the end of the day, the duo tabulated the numbers from all the volunteers. The data from this count, and thousands of others throughout the United States, is sent to the Audubon Society.

I enjoy participating in Christmas Bird Count because you have a chance to add to a data set that has been ongoing for about 120 years, Rohling said. Here, its about the 25th to 26th year, so all of that data helps us get a better picture for these snapshots in time of abundance of birds. And, you can probably look at climate change with that, and Im probably most interested in that aspect.

And, although Mangan and Rohling failed to uncover any unusual species, they were treated to a close-up view of about a dozen common snipe.

I loved seeing those snipe, Rohling said. Its really special to see them up close because usually they are so cryptic and hiding in the mats of vegetation that you dont really get to see them. We got to see them up close. And, even though they are snow geese and people complain about them, just to see that many birds in the air or on the ground at one time is pretty remarkable.

The Cypress Creek count is held annually the Monday before Christmas. One of the things Mangan hopes to count next year is more volunteers.

Our participation has really dwindled, she said. I think they used to have a lot more people. We used to get some folks from the Illinois Natural History Survey. Most of the people participating have been Audubon members. That group is getting older and older.
PINCKNEYVILLE  David Pirsein, president of First National Bank in Pinckneyville, said as news about the early morning fire on Dec. 23 that destroyed the Grecian Steak House spread, people were sad, but also expressed a desire to help the Sandravelis family and their employees.

The Pinckneyville Chamber of Commerce has set up a fund at First National Bank and Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Co. so that desire to help can be realized.

Its an initiative that the chamber is coordinating for the community. Theres been a lot of interest in reaching out to help the Grecian, especially the families who were working at the Grecian, Pirsein said. The chamber was gracious enough to agree to coordinate those efforts.

Deposits can be made at First National Bank and Murphy-Wall State Bank locations in Pinckneyville, Murphysboro and Elkville. The chamber will distribute funds directly to the Grecian Steak House.

We, being a business, thought it was a great idea to do this. We decided we would match the first $1,000 of donations, Pirsein said.

Pirsein dreaded his first conversation with Grecian owner Angelos Sandravelis because he knew it would be emotional.

I know Angelos was very emotional about his employees. He said he has good employees and his first concern was that his employees could survive this as well, Pirsein said.

He also said he knows how much Angelos and Chrisoula Sandravelis have done for the community.

Angelos has always been very good about helping, Pirsein said. He feeds the community at Thanksgiving for free. He does a lot of things that most people do not know about. People (who know of his charitable acts) appreciate what he does and the quality of food and service, Pirsein said.

According to posts on the Grecian Steak House Facebook page, the restaurant offered free meals to veterans on Veterans Day and to seniors at Thanksgiving.

We are all going to miss the Grecian. Whether it is someone celebrating a birthday or having a business meeting, Angelo is the first person we think about. We are going to miss him for a while," Pirsein said.

Angelos Sandravelis said the community is good to his family and his restaurant family.

We are going to rebuild the place, as soon as we are allowed to go in and clean up, Sandravelis said. We have a lot of support here in Pinckneyville. We are very thankful for that.

For now, what is left of the popular restaurant is in the hands of the Illinois State Fire Marshall and insurance companies. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

The restaurant was undergoing a renovation and expansion, and it was nearly complete when the fire broke out.

We remodeled and fixed up the place to make it better than it was, but we didnt get to finish it, Sandravelis said.

He says that is in the past. For now, the family is focusing on the future.

There are a lot of people from all over Southern Illinois who are very sad, Claudia Choate, vice president of marketing at Murphy-Wall State Bank, said.

Pirsein said a good percentage of his business comes from other towns.

I have been in contact with the owner and he is planning on rebuilding, Pinckneyville Mayor Robert Spencer said.

He added that the city is 100 percent behind Sandravelis and will assist him as much as possible as soon as his plan comes together.

Our sympathy goes out to the owner and their family. We are glad that no one got hurt, Spencer said.
An Anna man has been sentenced to to time in an Illinois prison for aggravated sexual abuse.

According to a news release from Union County States Attorney Tyler Edmonds' office, Edward L. Whitford, 44, was sentenced to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony.

The release states that in February, Whitford committed an act of sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 13. He was arrested in September after an investigation by the Illinois State Police.

Whitford will also serve two years of mandatory supervised release and must register as a sex offender for life.

 The Southern
A Jonesboro man will serve time in Illinois prison for grabbing the buttocks of someone in public  the second time the man had been accused of a similar offense.

According to a news release from the office of Tyler Edmonds, Union Countys states attorney, LaCharles M. Jones, 21, was sentenced to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections with the recommendation of impact incarceration after he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony.

The release states Jones slapped the buttocks of a customer in a Jonesboro business in November and was arrested the same month after an investigation by the Anna Police Department.

Jones was sentenced to probation after a similar offense in 2015; Jones was arrested then after touching the buttocks of a customer in an Anna business. Jones will also serve a concurrent four-year sentence in IDOC after admitting to a petition for revocation of probation for the original offense of aggravated battery, the release states.

He will serve one year of mandatory supervised release.

 The Southern
CARBONDALE  Despite its name, the AIDS Holiday Project is a year-round affair.

Wally Paynter, the projects chairman, has been involved in helping low-income people who have been diagnosed with HIV and AIDS at the holidays for the last 26 years. He said while they do most of their giving during the holiday months, he has to work every day to keep the projects agenda moving forward. He said the group's primary effort is to provide grocery gift cards to applicants and  when they are able  gifts for those in eligible households.

Paynter said the application period begins in September and ends in late October. Once this process is complete, Paynter said he and his team tally up how much money they have and split it among the different families. This year, he said every person who applied within the given time frame was able to receive help. He said applications are handled through HIV specialists or caseworkers.

He said there are requests that come late or throughout the year. He said some qualifying households move to the area after the deadline has passed or, Paynter said, some may not make it to the holiday, so they try to help before a person dies.

Paynter said he knows there are a lot more people living with the virus than they serve  150 households last year in Southern Illinois, but the project also serves northern Kentucky and southwestern Indiana. The group focuses on those living at or below the poverty line. He also noted that for many, a diagnosis was another factor keeping them from moving out of poverty.

A lot of people that started out in poverty and when you are adding poverty plus disability, plus stigma and then you add a couple kids on top of that, it's hard to make ends meet, he said.

Paynter said the AIDS Holiday Project, like so many charities, gets most of its funds during the holidays as well as during its annual AIDS Walk. He said he tries to do something every day to move even a step closer to the goal of providing a better holiday for in-need families; but the group also does its best to raise awareness throughout the year.

Paynter works full-time for the Evansville, Indiana, Health Department as a disease intervention specialist. He tracks all new HIV/AIDS cases in his designated counties, and works through the concentric circles of those affected by new diagnoses. He pointed out that he has lived through the beginning of the AIDS crisis and said the conversation has died down about the disease, but said this couldnt be blamed on any particular reason.

I think we are dealing with human nature. I think we are dealing with things they dont want to talk about, he said, adding that many think HIV and AIDS are problems somewhere else.

They think HIV and AIDS is something thats in bigger cities and its not here, he said.

Another facet of the projects holiday work is helping provide gifts for the same families who are in need. However, Paynter said they do their best to put 100 percent of their donations to providing food and work the rest of the year to get families sponsored by donors. For example, one Madison County, Kentucky, church takes on 114 households and helps with their deliveries. This means one to two gifts per adult in the household and three to four gifts per child  he said the gifts focus on need as opposed to want. A toy and clothing are good examples of what might be given to children.

Paynter said he believes the holidays should be happy not just for those who can afford it, but for everyone.

A kid should get a toy at Christmas at least, he said.

He said sponsorship can be as little as $50 for a household of one.

As the new year approaches, work begins on next year's holiday project and Marchs AIDS Walk at The Newman Center on the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus.

We literally start the project all over again. Its not just a one-month project, Paynter said.

It is also time to begin gathering their roster of volunteers for the coming year. The first meeting for volunteers will be 7 p.m. Jan. 24 at Pagliais in Carbondale.

Paynter noted that the most basic way someone can extend a hand is actually by liking on Facebook the Southern Illinois AIDS Coalition or Southern Illinois AIDS Volunteers pages.
SPRINGFIELD  An Illinois judge dealt a blow to anti-abortion groups Thursday, dismissing a lawsuit aimed at stopping a law that's about to take effect that would expand Medicaid and state-employee group health insurance to cover abortions.

Associate Circuit Judge Jennifer Ascher ruled that the judiciary should not intervene in "political questions" in the General Assembly, such as a law's effective date or whether there's an appropriation to fund it.

Those are the pillars of the lawsuit seeking to stop the law from taking effect Monday. It was filed by the Catholic Thomas More Society on behalf of 11 conservative and Christian groups and a dozen legislators.

Southern Illinois senators part of group challenging Illinois abortion-coverage expansion with lawsuit More than a dozen groups and lawmakers  including two state senators from Southern Illinois  who oppose abortion have filed a lawsuit challe

State Rep. Peter Breen, a Republican from Lombard and special counsel to the Thomas More Society, said he will appeal the ruling on Friday in Springfield's 4th District Appellate Court and seek the same injunction he sought from Ascher.

Breen argued that lawmakers passed the measure too late in the year for it to take effect Jan. 1 and that they didn't appropriate funding to cover the cost of the abortions through the publicly funded insurance plans. Despite the ruling, he remained upbeat after the hearing.

"After today's argument, I'm more confident than ever in the truth and the correctness of our position," Breen said. "I heard nothing today ... that caused me to think that somehow, the General Assembly has done its job any more than it had a few days ago."

John Wolfsmith, an assistant attorney general representing the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and other defendants, claimed Breen's clients are simply trying to buy time by delaying the law's implementation to June 1.

The law, signed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in September, expands Medicaid and state group health insurance plans to cover abortions.

Illinois governor agrees to allow Medicaid for abortions CHICAGO  Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner ended months of speculation Thursday and signed legislation allowing state health insurance and Medicaid 

Breen contends that taxpayers will be billed for 30,000 elective abortions annually in Illinois. They will cost $1.8 million, according to the state health care agency.

Democrats in the General Assembly initially sold the measure as a way to keep abortion legal in Illinois if a U.S. Supreme Court, bolstered by anti-abortion justices President Donald Trump has promised to appoint, reverses the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

After Roe, Illinois restricted public funding for abortions under the 1977 Hyde Amendment  named for Illinois Congressman Henry Hyde  to women who were victims of rape or incest or in cases where pregnancy endangers a mother's life.

More than two dozen states follow the Hyde Amendment, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group supporting abortion rights. But a state can use the state portion of Medicaid state-federal program funding for women seeking abortions for other reasons. Seventeen states do that, 13 because of a court order.

The issue generated a subplot when Rauner signed the plan in September. The private equity investor ran for governor in 2014 supporting abortion rights and maintaining that he had no social agenda. But after signaling last spring that he would veto it, his signature so infuriated conservatives that he invited a primary challenge from state Rep. Jeanne Ives, a Republican from Wheaton who is a plaintiff in the abortion-funding case.

Illinois' GOP governor faces challenge from right in 2018 CHICAGO  Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has so infuriated some far-right members of his Republican party with his actions on abortion, immigratio
To the Editor:

The Williamson County Shriners had its 17th annual Holiday Party last week for sheltered and fostered children and their families and guardians. There was a bunch of kids, all dressed up and enjoying turkey, ham, and of course, hot dogs (a holiday favorite). After cake, Santa also showed up and everybody received gifts.

Shriners have fundraisers all year to support their hospitals (our closest ones are in St. Louis and Cincinnati). Children who are in need from our area are transported to these facilities by the Shriner's and treated at no cost.

The annual Holiday party is the culmination of another years hard work helping burned, sick and injured children from southern Illinois. I had the opportunity to volunteer for a little while yesterday and the bright smiles and happy children I observed were a testament to tireless work the men and women of the Williamson County Shriner's Club do.

Thanks for the wonderful time.

Bill O'Shea

West Frankfort
Orangeburg County was a prime location for an event people called magical, spectacular and once in a lifetime.

On Monday, Aug. 21, at about 2:40 p.m., people witnessed the first total eclipse to sweep across the entire country, from coast to coast, since 1918.

The last time Orangeburg sat directly in the path of totality for a solar eclipse was on March 7, 1970.

For nearly three minutes during one of the hottest parts of the day, darkness completely covered Orangeburg and travelers from all across the country and world came here to watch it happen.

The 91-room Quality Inn and Suites was completely sold out for the occasion.

Front Desk Supervisor Jessica Lovern said travelers, were coming all the way from Canada.

Courtesy Management Vice President of Operations Barry Hood said, I dont think that there was a hotel room within a 200-mile radius.

Trissta Glover, front desk manager at the Fairfield Inn, said, We were extremely busy.

Glover said the hotel started getting calls for room reservations about six months before eclipse day and in less than a month, the 64-room hotel was completely booked.

Stateside travelers from Florida, New York and even California gathered in Orangeburg County with eclipse chasers from Germany and other parts of Europe.

One of the countys most popular spots for travelers was the town of Santee.

Santee Mayor Donnie Hilliard said the town had no major disturbances, not much litter and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Santee does plan to establish exit routes for other major events. When it was time to leave, the town became gridlocked and traffic took hours to remedy itself.

A lot of gridlock came about because the people were trying to go separate directions, Hilliard said. It took six hours to clear the town.

Santee ran out of all its hotel rooms six months in advance.

Despite the lack of rooms, travelers still came to rent spaces for their cars to pitch tents.

A lot of folks slept outside, Hilliard said.

He noted that around 5,000 people gathered behind the town hall to view the eclipse, but they estimate that 10,000 tourists in all came to Santee that weekend.

It was one of the most successful events that weve had in Santee, Hilliard said. It was a wonderful thing.

He believes the event generated about $100,000 for just that one day.

I wish we could have something like that every year, he said laughing.

Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce President Melinda Jackson said the eclipse brought in an estimated 50,000 people based on traffic reports, hotel stays and counts from sites that hosted events.

The Chamber of Commerce partnered with South Carolina State University and held an eclipse-related event at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

Jackson said the event brought people together.

It was the biggest display of unity that we have seen in decades, she said.

She also said the eclipse was a great learning opportunity.

In retrospect, if we had the wonderful opportunity to do it again, we would be sure to distribute maps to local businesses for dissemination that clearly define places to visit and eat, Jackson said. We also would have put more energy into providing free beverages as it was one of the hottest days of the year.
Authorities are seeking an escaped Georgia inmate near Olar, his hometown.

Christopher Nicholas Carroll broke through a brick wall, climbed through a hole in a fence and escaped from the Lamar County Jail in Barnesville on Wednesday, according to local authorities.

Carroll, 37, of 14854 Low Country Highway, is accused of driving away in a county-owned vehicle, which was later found in Allendale County.

Carroll is a white male weighing 165 pounds, standing 5-foot-9 with short blond hair and a blond beard.

According to Lamar County Jail records, authorities arrested Carroll on Oct. 30 and charged him with one count of theft by receiving property stolen in another state and three counts of obstruction of law enforcement officers.

All four charges are felonies.

Bamberg County Sheriff Ed Darnell said Carroll is no stranger to law enforcement.

We know him quite well. He aint nothing but a thug, Darnell said.

Darnell said someone reported seeing Carroll jump into a swamp in Allendale County, only a few miles from Olar.

Darnell said Carroll likely spent Wednesday night in the swamp.

As of 2 p.m. on Thursday, authorities had not yet apprehended him.

Darnell said Carroll stole the Lamar County-owned vehicle around 1:30 a.m. and then abandoned it in Allendale County.

We believe hes trying to get to his home in Olar, Darnell said.

On Wednesday, the following agencies began searching for him: Bamberg County Sheriffs Office, Allendale County Sheriffs Office, Hampton County Sheriffs Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

We are assisting the local authorities. Our fugitive team is working with officers from the other agencies. Helicopter and dogs assisted yesterday, SLED spokesperson Thom Berry said.

Darnell said this is Carrolls third time escaping from jail while driving a stolen vehicle.

Carroll has several convictions in Bamberg County. He was last convicted there in 2014 for pointing a firearm at another person on Fourth Street in Olar.

If anyone comes into contact with Carroll, we hope theyre going to do the right thing, Darnell said.

He warned if anyone is caught harboring a fugitive or puts him up, they could face the felony charge of harboring a fugitive from justice.

If anyone has information about Carrolls whereabouts, they are asked to call 803-245-3000 or 803-245-3018 or 911. Callers may remain anonymous.
By Trend





Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has received Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Azerbaijan Beibit Issabayev, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.

At the meeting it was noted that the relations between the people of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are based on common history, ethnic and cultural roots, and sincere friendship and high-level dialogue between the leaders of the two countries gave a significant boost to the development of comprehensive partnership.

In this regard, the visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to Azerbaijan and the documents signed within his visit were particularly emphasized.



At the meeting, the importance of the East-West transport corridor was highlighted and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to this end was praised. The sides also exchanged views on cooperation within international organizations.

At the meeting, Issabayev presented The 25th Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan medal upon the decree of President Nazarbayev to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov for his contributions to the development of bilateral relations and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Azerbaijan.



Mammadyarov expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for the award.








Dubai-based Arenco Real Estate, part of A A Al Moosa Enterprises, was honoured as the Iconic Real Estate Company of the Year 2017 by the Middle East Excellence Awards Institute.



The award was handed to the team by Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita, CEO of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) during a property summit held at Burj Al Arab where Arenco was selected amongst the GCCs Top 25 Property Development Executive Leaders.



Arenco was recognised for its outstanding contribution to the UAEs real estate sector for more than 40 years.



Mohammad Khoori, director, Arenco Real Estate said: Arenco Real Estate has set the standard of excellent services and built its reputation for superior quality since its foundation in 1975, and we are honoured of being ranked among the nine property developments which were only selected and met the standards of the Top 25 Property Development Executive Leaders award. This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of Arenco Real Estate creators.



Arenco Real Estate has a vast inventory of apartment units, offices and showrooms, villas, warehouses and buildings for staff accommodation across Dubai. Arenco also owns prestigious hotel names in the region which are managed by Hilton, Starwood, Marriott, Taj, Wyndham and IHG.  TradeArabia News Service
Taleem real estate investment fund (REIT) said it has reached an agreement with top Saudi investment company Al Rajhi United to acquire a 30,000-sq-m educational real estate located in Al Nuzha district of the capital Riyadh.



The fund will acquire the 30,000-sq-m property by issuing 22.5 million new units of Taleem REIT Fund to Al Rajhi United, said Taleem in a statement to the Saudi bourse Tadawul.



The property, located in close proximity to Abi Bakr As Siddiq Road, King Abdullah Road and Hail Street, has a built-up area of 48281 sq m, it stated.



It is currently leased to Al Rowad International Schools for a period of 30 years ending in December 2041 (remaining contract life of 24 years) with an estimated remaining contract value of SR498.14 to SR553.49 million ($133 million to $148 million).



After completing due diligence, the fund manager will seek the approval of the fund board, unit holders at the unit holders meeting and the CMA to conclude the deal, said the statement.



The MoU is valid for 45 days and is extendable at mutual consent of both parties, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
UAE-based Arada said it has secured a syndicated loan of Dh1 billion ($272 million) from two major local banks that will help finance the development of Sharjahs largest mixed-use megaproject, Aljada.



The Islamic facility was arranged with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) and Dubai Islamic Bank as joint mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners.



Aljada, a master-planned destination with a sales value of Dh24 billion that is set to transform the future of Sharjah, was unveiled by HH Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, during an exclusive ceremony in early September.



Since that date, and helped by Aradas first appearance at the Cityscape Global real estate showpiece, the 24 million sq ft project has become Sharjahs fastest-selling residential community.



On the finance deal, Arada Chairman Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said: "We are pleased to have secured this funding facility, which is a critical milestone on our journey to deliver this fantastic project."



The financing agreement caps a busy few months for Aljada and its developer.

In November, Arada broke a record for the number of units sold by a developer in Sharjah in a single day, after all 115 homes in Areej 5, an apartment block in Aljadas Phase 1, were snapped up by buyers on the day they were released.



That followed the announcement of a partnership with Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA), which will power the mega development, and the October launch of the Anber Community, a collection of 84 exceptionally designed villas and townhouses ideally located near the heart of Aljada.

Delivered in phases starting in 2019, construction on Aljada will begin in the first quarter of next year and the entire project is expected to be completed by 2025.



Dubai Islamic Bank CEO Dr Adnan Chilwan said: "We are delighted to offer support to the development of Aljada, an impressive initiative that is important to the future of Sharjah."



"This arrangement once again highlights DIBs strong positioning within the banking sector across all seven emirates and our commitment to the advancement of and development of the country as a whole," he added.



Saoud Al Jassem, the head of government clients division at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, said: We are very pleased to be collaborating with Arada over one of the UAEs landmark megaprojects."

"Our team quickly recognised the value of this development and has worked hard to deliver an extremely competitive financing transaction for our client," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has revealed that Brazils fertiliser imports from Arab states grew 38 per cent from January to November 2017 compared to same period last year.



ABCC lauded the continuously growing economic ties between Brazil and Arab countries after recent statistics released by the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services showed the vast South American country importing 5.9 million tonnes of fertiliser during the same period.



In November this year, reports said Brazil purchased 626,830 tonnes of fertiliser from Arab states, up 20.7 per cent from the same period last year, it said.



Morocco and Saudi Arabia are Brazils major Arab markets, with other sources include the UAE, Egypt, Oman, Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan. Importing most of the fertilizer it uses, Brazils output has reached 7.57 million tonnes so far this year, it added.



The number accounted for 24.4 per cent of Brazils total global fertiliser imports of 24.2 million tonnes as per the figures released by national industry association Associacao Nacional para Difusao de Adubos (Anda), said a statement..



The countrys global fertiliser imports were up 8.2 per cent, it added.



Dr Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO of ABCC, said: According to the numbers supplied by the Brazilian Ministry and compiled by the ABCC, Brazils fertiliser imports from the Arab nations rose 38 per cent year-on-year.



This strongly indicates their robust bilateral relations and we expect that this will carry on through 2018, he said.



For our part, we will continuously look for new ways to further facilitate and optimise their increasing trade activities to further drive growth and ensure the attainment of common socio-economic development goals and agenda, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the Bahrain-based international aluminium smelter, today (December 28) marked the Bahraini Womens Day, at the Oasis Hall in Alba.



The celebration was headed by Albas deputy chief executive officer Ali Al Baqali and was attended by Albas executive management, directors and managers, the celebration and luncheon hosted over 100 female employees of the company, said a statement from Alba.



Applauding the companys female employees, Al Baqali said: It is well-known that Bahraini women have set extraordinary examples for their counterparts in all fields not just in Bahrain but also the GCC.



Our company is extremely proud of its female employees. This celebration is a significant opportunity for us to recognise our women workforce and thank them for their hard work and dedication that have played a major role in our success.



Every year, Bahraini Womens Day is celebrated on the December 1 as part of an initiative by HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) to honour the achievements, valuable insights and contributions made by Bahraini women towards the development and progress of Bahrain.



Alba is reputed to be a leader in offering training and career development opportunities for women in Bahrain, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), a leading provider of wind power products and solutions to customers around the globe, has received orders for two new onshore wind projects in southern Italy.



The company is set to deliver 13 SWT-3.0-113 direct-drive units to European Energys 39 MW project in Tolve and 10 G97-2.0 MW turbines to a further 20 MW project near Capoiazzo, both wind farms are located in the Basilicata Region in the south of Italy, said a statement.



The orders include long term service agreements including advanced remote monitoring and diagnostics, it said.



The first wind project is located close to Tolve community eastern to the Italian city of Potenza. The project, owned by the Danish company European Energy, will consist of 13 SWT-3.0-113 wind turbines.



The turbines will be delivered in the third quarter of 2018. These machines  each rated at 3 megawatts and featuring a 113-meter rotor  provide a highly reliable and flexible solution in the demanding wind conditions of the Basilicata province.



Ten units of the G97-2.0 MW wind turbine will be installed at another project site in the Municipality of Capoiazzo in the north-west of Potenza.



Owner of the project is a global leader in the renewable energy sector, which already collaborated with Siemens Gamesa in the past.



The ordered G97 wind turbines, rated at 2 MW, are equipped with 97 meter rotors and offer an increased power production at an optimal LCoE (levelised cost of energy) under the specific conditions of the site at the south Italian peninsula. The turbines will be delivered in the third quarter of the next year.



Italy, a wind energy market with large growth potential, recently issued the new energy strategy for the period 2020-2030 (Strategia Energetica Nazionale  SEN).



It is expected to boost the development of renewable energies in the next decade. Overall, the Italian government expects the share of renewables to increase from around 17.5 per cent currently to 27 per cent in 2030.



Siemens Gamesa is a major OEM in this market with already nearly 1,600 wind turbines installed with a total rating of over 2 GW, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
US-based Emerson, a global technology and engineering company, has announced it has completed the purchase of Paradigm, a leading provider of software solutions to the oil and gas industry.



The combination of Paradigm with Emersons Roxar software business creates a comprehensive Exploration & Production (E&P) software portfolio offering.



Emerson is positioned to meet customers demand for an independent, global provider of comprehensive E&P software solutions, said Emerson chairman and chief executive officer David N Farr.



Paradigm and Roxar together can better help customers achieve Top Quartile Performance by increasing efficiency, reducing costs and improving their return on investment within new and established reservoirs.



Paradigm is headquartered in Houston, USA and has more than 500 employees globally. The company provides an array of tools that enable customers to gain deeper insight into the subsurface, reduce uncertainty and support responsible asset management.  TradeArabia News Service
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has banned poultry meat imports from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, following the outbreak of H5N8 Bird Flu strain in a Riyadh market.

According to a statement, the ban covers import of all kinds of domestic and wild live birds, ornamental birds, chicks, hatching eggs and non-heat-treated wastes from Saudi Arabia, as well as a ban on the import of poultry meat, non-heat-treated products and table eggs from the affected area, Riyadh, said a Wam news agency report.

The ministry also explained that the entry of consignments of untreated products from the affected provinces - if any - that were shipped prior to December 1 are permitted following a verification of the accompanying certificates. Thermally treated poultry products - meat and eggs - are cleared for import from Saudi Arabia, it added.

Bird flu strains have hit poultry flocks in several countries across the world in recent years, with some types of the disease also causing human infections and deaths.
Alesayi Motors, official distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Saudi Arabia, recently hosted a ceremony launching the Mitsubishi Attrage, a new eco-friendly compact Sedan.



The ceremony was held in the presence of Masahiko Takahashi, president of Mitsubishi Motors Middle East & Africa FZE (MMMEA), said a statement.



Bandar Saeed Alesayi, CEO of Alesayi Motors, said: The Attrage is a compact eco-friendly car, currently manufactured at the Mitsubishi Motors operation in Thailand.



Along with its very lightweight components and distinguished design, it boasts a frugal and efficient performance, which amounts to a combined class-leading fuel consumption of 22km/l, he added.



Thanks to its distinctive features in the compact car range, the new model is aptly positioned to achieve unprecedented success in the Saudi market for consumers looking to buy a car with such high-quality specifications under the Mitsubishi brand, he continued.



The Attrage features a short nose, which delivers an outstanding forward field of view; it also enjoys superior manoeuvrability, with a class leading minimum turning radius of 4.8m making it easy to make U-turns & cut corners on tight and narrow road conditions.



The vehicle features well designed flowing side proportions, which balance aerodynamics and interior space are among the most generous in its class, as well as sleek aerodynamics, with a dynamic character line, which kicks up towards the rear.



Takahashi said: The new Attrages lightweight and solid RISE body constructed with high tensile steel enhances driving safety, by effectively absorbing and dispersing crash energy.



Power comes from a responsive 1.2-litre three-cylinder MIVEC petrol engine that produces 78 hp, which is coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox or an automatic continuously variable transmission, which maintains optimal rpm for high performance and fuel economy, with a top speed of 170 km/hr, he added.



It is noteworthy that Mitsubishi celebrates its centennial year as being the first Japanese automotive brand having introduced its first mass-production car in Japanese history in 1917.



Towards the end of the ceremony, Takahashi lauded Alesayi Motors efforts to enhance consumers confidence in Mitsubishi vehicles in the Saudi market, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Etisalat Digital, a business unit of UAE-based telco Etisalat, has partnered with Cars Taxi to implement smart surveillance solutions and analytics across its fleet of 2180 taxis in Dubai, UAE.



The move will enable Cars Taxi manage and conduct real-time monitoring of all the taxis bringing in efficiency and improving customer experience and safety.



This end-to-end automotive surveillance solution is implemented in compliance with RTAs (Road and Transport Authority) directive to deploy CCTV cameras in taxis in order to enhance customer safety. In addition to Etisalats M2M connectivity, the solution makes use of Etisalat Digitals state-of-the-art Internet of Things (IoT) platforms and supported by latest IOT Command Center.



Salvador Anglada, chief business officer, Etisalat said: We are proud to be associated with Cars Taxi on this prestigious project as one of the key initiatives that contributes to digitizing the public transport industry. I would like to congratulate RTA for such initiatives that will enhance customer experience, improve safety and provide operational visibility in the management of the public transport system. This is just the beginning of this relationship as we plan to further strengthen our automotive portfolio to enable digital transformation of the public transportation industry.



Abdulla Sultan Al Sabbagh, CEO, Cars Taxi Group and chairman UITP Taxi platform said: Todays partnership with Etisalat is significant as it will enhance public transport giving our customers a digital experience and keep them secure. As we move into the digital future, Etisalat is an ideal partner to enhance the role of digital urban mobility.



Cars Taxi Services was established in the year 2000 under the strategic vision of Government of Dubai in regulating franchised Taxi operation system and the first franchise company starting their operations in 2000. The company has expanded its operations across UAE operating with a current fleet strength of 5271 taxis and over 8,500 workforce.  TradeArabia News Service
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has celebrated the graduation of 23 Emirati engineers including five females, who successfully completed Enecs rigorous Nuclear Fuel Design Energy Pioneers training programme.



Held in partnership with Enecs Joint Venture partner and Prime Contractor, the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), the three-year programme in South Korea provides the foundation for UAE Nationals to become the nations future nuclear fuel experts.



To successfully deliver the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, one of our top priorities from the very beginning was the development of a highly-skilled Emirati workforce to ensure the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is efficiently operated in adherence with the highest international standards of quality and safety, said Eng. Mohamed Al Hammadi, Enec CEO.



I am proud of the commitment and passion for excellence the Energy Pioneers graduates have demonstrated, while joining the process of developing a sector of great strategic importance to our nation. In line with the Abu Dhabi Plan and UAE Energy Plan 2050, safe, sustainable and clean nuclear energy will play a key and vital role in the nations future, driving long-term social and economic growth while supporting the nations energy diversification and energy security plans, concluded Al Hammadi.



Enecs Energy Pioneers Scholarship Program, of which the Nuclear Fuel Design Energy Pioneer Training Program is a component of, was set up in 2009 to develop human capacity within the UAE nuclear energy sector. Under the Program, students receive training of the highest international standards from the industrys leading global experts. To date, around 450 UAE nationals are Energy Pioneers graduates, with a further 289 currently in the programme. - TradeArabia News Service



Steady progress is being made at Enecs Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The overall percentage completion of the project is more than 85 per cent. Once all four units are operational, they will deliver clean, efficient and reliable electricity to the UAE grid, and will save up to 21 million tons of carbon emissions each year. - TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) have signed an agreement to become sister airports, thus strengthening the co-operation and ties between the two international aviation hubs.



As per the deal, the airports will look to collaborate in areas such as staff training across all aspects of airport operations and management including terminal operations, airside management, route development, and commercial management, said statement from Abu Dhabi Airports.



It also allows for co-operation on joint projects that will have positive returns on both entities such as hub development, airport planning, and service quality evaluation, it added.



The MoU sets the stage for mutually beneficial collaboration between both airports through knowledge and experience sharing, remarked Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, the acting chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports after signing the deal with Liu Xuesong, the chairman of BCIA at the company headquarters in Beijing.



"We are excited to be collaborating with a globally leading aviation partner. This MoU will be the base for an ongoing strategic partnership and future collaboration with BCIA," he stated.



It will enable the sharing of best practices, exploring challenges, and working together with the aim of elevating the quality of services and facilities in both international hubs," said Al Khoori at the signing ceremony which was also attended by UAE Ambassador to China Dr Ali Al Dhaheri.



To date, Abu Dhabi Airports has signed sister airport agreements with two other international airports; Chicago Airport and Narita Airport, with the purpose of driving the growth and development of the aviation industry locally and internationally, he added.



On the tieup, Xuesong said: "Both the airports possess state-of-the art infrastructure and have accumulated profound knowledge in airport operation and management.



"We welcome the opportunity to working together with our colleagues at AUH to share information and expertise, to improve passenger experience, and to strengthen the relationship between Beijing and Abu Dhabi," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A bill introduced for the upcoming legislative session would make it easier for wrongfully convicted people to present evidence in hopes of exoneration. A similar bill that would have relaxed restrictions on how wrongly convicted people could seek to have their convictions overturned failed in the face of opposition from the Wyoming Attorney Generals office last spring.

This time, however, the attorney general is on board.

The legislation proposed by the Joint Judiciary Committee will be heard in a House committee when the Legislature convenes in 2018 for its budget session.

In Wyoming, people convicted of crimes have a two-year window in which they can present non-DNA evidence in an effort to have their conviction overturned.

After that time period, the only evidence they can introduce to fight their conviction is DNA evidence.

If the new bill passes into law, that two-year window will be abolished.

The time limit is problematic, said Michelle Feldman of the Innocence Project, a nonprofit that provides legal help to wrongfully convicted people and seeks to reform laws nationwide to make the path to exoneration easier for innocent people.

Wrongful conviction cases usually take far more than two years to assemble, said Feldman, who worked on the bill. She cited the case of DeMarlo Berry, a Las Vegas man who was exonerated by non-DNA evidence two decades after being convicted for murder.

To overturn a wrongful conviction, lawyers have to assemble a puzzle of newly discovered evidence, Feldman said.

Its rarely that theres a smoking gun, she said.

The bill was written by a coalition of interested parties  including representatives of the Attorney General  in the office of Rep. Charles Pelkey, D-Laramie, who wrote last sessions iteration of the bill.

The 2017 bill passed the House unanimously. But it failed in a Senate committee under opposition from a representative from the attorney generals office who said the bill could be abused by guilty people and waste judges time.

After the discussion, Pelkey was approached by a representative of the Attorney Generals office, he said. The representative told Pelkey the attorney general wasnt opposed to the concept but didnt like the way the bill was structured.

The judiciary committee, which met in Thermopolis in April, began resurrecting the bill shortly after it failed in the Senate committee. The judiciary committee asked an attorney generals representative to work with Pelkey and members of innocence groups to come to a compromise.

So over the course of a sweltering summer day, Pelkey packed representatives from the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, the attorney generals staff and the Innocence Project into his office and worked out the bills language, Pelkey said.

The bill draws heavily upon 2008 Utah legislation, which Pelkey said has not been prone to abuse in the past nine years.

Although last years bill would have cleared the way for convicted people to ask for a new trial, the new bill would allow them to ask the court directly to declare them innocent.

At the committees November meeting in Wheatland, representatives from the offices of the attorney general, the state public defender and the Sheridan County prosecuting attorney as well as the Rocky Mountain Innocence Project spoke in favor of the legislation.

Chief Deputy Attorney General John Knepper spoke in favor of the legislation before the judiciary committee in November but was unavailable to comment on Wednesday. Tina Olson, who spoke in favor of the bill on behalf of State Public Defenders office in November, also could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Prosecutors charged two Wyomingites and a Coloradan with a total of 11 felonies following a three-month investigation that culminated in arrests outside of a Casper fast-food restaurant.

Prosecutors allege that law enforcement found Michael Williams of Evansville, Cindy Williams of Casper and Julio Gasca-Nieto of Northglenn, Colorado, while the three were conducting a drug deal for nearly 3 pounds of methamphetamine outside of Hardees on southeast Wyoming Boulevard. Two children were present during the transaction, according to law enforcement.

The two Williams appeared in Natrona County Circuit Court Wednesday for their initial hearings. Gasca-Nieto appeared Thursday afternoon. On Wednesday, Prosecutor Trevor Schenk said Gasca-Nietos hearing was delayed to provide a translator.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation began looking into a drug trafficking organization operating in Wyoming and Colorado as early as September, court documents show.

After DCI agents watched a methamphetamine seller make an apparent buy at Cindy Williams house, they arrested the seller. She told investigators she had bought meth from Cindy Williams multiple times and that Williams traveled to Denver to procure the drug, according to the documents.

Another informant told agents on Tuesday that Cindy Williams had pooled money to buy about 2.5 pounds of the drug from Gasca-Nieto, according to the documents. As Gasca-Nieto was driving the drug to Casper, a judge issued a search warrant for Williams.

When agents saw Cindy Williams leave in a truck with Michael Williams, they followed the two to the restaurant, where they met Gasca-Nieto and began conducting hand-to-hand transactions, according to the documents.

As law enforcement moved in, Michael Williams attempted to drive away but was hemmed in, according to the documents. Michael Williams tried to run, but a DCI agent tackled and arrested him with the help of other agents and a concerned citizen.

Both Williams along with Gasca-Nieto and his wife were taken into custody. Staff of the Department of Family Services took the children, who were found in Gasca-Nietos vehicle, into protective custody.

After searching the two vehicles, law enforcement found 2.9 pounds of methamphetamine, a pistol concealed in a Hardees bag and $13,000 in cash. Michael Williams was also carrying a gun when he was arrested, according to the documents.

In interviews with law enforcement, Gasca-Nieto and both Williams admitted to participating in the drug deal, according to the documents. Gasca-Nietos wife said she did not know about the methamphetamine and was later released.

Michael Williams faces charges of conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. Cindy Williams is facing charges of conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, delivery of methamphetamine and child endangerment. Gasca-Nieto is facing charges of conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, delivery of methamphetamine and two charges of child endangerment.

In Natrona County Circuit Court on Thursday, Schenk cited Gasca-Nietos illegal immigration status and called the man a severe flight risk, in asking for bond to be set at $100,000, cash only. Judge Steven Brown granted Schenks request.

Bond for both of the Williams was set at $50,000 on Wednesday.
CHEYENNE  Gov. Matt Mead's budget proposal includes the incorporation of $66 million worth of legislative moves on education funding.

Mead is recommending the state Legislature provide $1.76 billion to the Wyoming Department of Educations school finance department for the 2019-20 biennium.

Thats $65.9 million less than the $1.83 billion the department received for the 2017-18 biennium.

A large portion of that would be allocated to the states 48 school districts through the education block grant model, but department officials have not yet calculated the amount.

Jed Cicarelli, supervisor of the Department of Educations school foundation program, said they will determine those allocations in March or April.

Kari Eakins, communications director for the Department of Education, said part of the $65.9 million recommended decrease is due to state laws changed in Enrolled Act 125, which passed during the 2017 legislative session. She said in an email that the act reduced money for schools by $36 million, which amounts to 2.4 percent of K-12 funding.

The remainder is because of an increase in anticipated county revenue across the state, she said.

Eakins said the recommendations did not mean the governor nor the department were calling for cuts to education. They instead signaled Mead's incorporation of moves made by the Legislature in March. Indeed, his budget proposal may change, depending on what happens in the upcoming legislative session.

She explained that the school finance budget shows the Legislature how much money it needs to provide to schools based on state law.

The (school finance) budget is letting the legislators know how much the state must provide to fulfill its constitutional obligation to fund schools, she said.

The Department of Educations finance department staff analyzes how much money each county can provide toward local education and compares that to how much is needed to pay for education equally for all students, as the state constitution requires.

Eakins explained that the Department of Education then tells the Legislature how much is needed to fill that gap between what counties can provide and what is needed.

The finance department staff uses revenue projections from the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) to help make those determinations.

That group releases revenue forecasts in October and January each year, with updates in April and July.

Meads recommendation for the school finance budget is $4.7 million higher than the amount the Department of Education originally anticipated needing.

Eakins said thats because the CREG forecast in October showed a small anticipated increase in county revenue.

Local county revenue used to cover 60 percent of that amount, and the state would pay for roughly 40 percent of that amount. Now, local county revenue is covering less than 45 percent of that amount, so the state is on the hook for more, she said.

Another CREG forecast is expected in January and could change all these numbers again.

Eakins added that the Legislature might change the states education funding laws, which might also affect the amount of required funding in the school finance budget.

She said in an email that, The final amount of money going to schools will not be determined until the 2018 legislative session, when legislators take up the recommendations from the (Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration) and pass a budget bill.

The school finance budget is separate from the Wyoming Department of Educations budget, which Eakins said covers the departments staff, state and federal education programs, and federal funds the department receives.

The governor is recommending about $275.6 million to fund the Wyoming Department of Education.

The departments 2019-20 budget request includes an exception of about $4.4 million more than the department received for the 2017-18 biennium.

Trent Carroll, the Department of Educations division director of finance and administration, said $3.7 million of that is in federal funds. The Legislature must authorize the Department of Education to disperse the money to districts.

Jillian Balow, state superintendent of public instruction, on Dec. 14 spoke about the departments budget to members of the Legislatures Joint Appropriations Committee.

She said, Our exception requests (in this budget) come as a result of discussion with the governors office about our concerns over cutting some of the programs out of existence.

She explained that the additional money to the anti-bullying unit, Teacher of the Year program and National Board Certification program would be a restoration of funding that previously was cut.

Those were choices that we made as a senior leadership team and a budget team in conjunction with the governors office based on the importance of those programs, both at the local level and at the state level, Balow said.
BOISE, Idaho  A federal appeals court has dismissed an effort to allow the sterilization of a herd of wild horses in Idaho.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month granted a request by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to stop the effort.

Documents filed by BLM seeking the dismissal of its own appeal didnt include a reason.

This case threatened to set a dangerous precedent for the sterilization of wild horses throughout the West, said Nick Lawton, an attorney representing American Wild Horse Campaign and other groups.

The BLM in 2015 released a plan to sterilize horses in the Saylor Creek Herd Management Area and replenish the herd with wild horses captured elsewhere to maintain a herd of 50 to 200 horses.

The American Wild Horse Campaign, The Cloud Foundation and Return to Freedom sued in 2016, fearing the case could set a precedent. A U.S. District Court in Idaho ruled in September that the herd had to be able to produce healthy foals, and the BLM appealed last month.

Federal officials didnt immediately return calls from The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Lawton said federal agencies sometimes file appeals to extend the time they have to decide whether to mount a challenge. At any rate, he said, its all over.

The federal court in the September ruling said the BLM plan violated a requirement that the herd be able to produce healthy foals. The federal judge also ruled that the BLM didnt consider the significant impacts its decision may have on the free-roaming nature of the herd nor explain why its decision is appropriate despite those impacts.

The BLM says the range can support 50 horses. The herd twice since 2006 has been rounded up and held in the agencys Boise Wild Horse Corrals after wildfires destroyed rangeland forage.

The agency has said the most recent capture involved 195 horses following a wildfire in August 2010. The BLM in September 2011 released 30 of those horses  13 females and 17 males  back onto the range. The agency said a count this spring found the herd had nearly tripled with 71 adults and 12 foals.

Wild horses far exceed U.S. government population goals, and officials say the free-roaming horses that number about 73,000 can face starvation. Captured horses are offered for adoption, but 46,000 are being held at government corrals and pastures costing taxpayers $50 million annually.

Wild horse advocate groups have questioned federal population goals for wild horses as being on the low side.

Suzanne Roy, executive director of American Wild Horse Campaign, said that sterilizing the Idaho herd could have led to the sterilization of herds in other states. Her group and the others had planned to battle in the appeals court, but thats no longer necessary with the BLM withdrawing its appeal.

This is a very important decision from our perspective, Roy said. It affirmed that the BLM has a legal mandate to manage wild, viable herds.
Despite President Donald Trumps budget request last spring to eliminate subsidized air service to Cody and Laramie, it appears that both airports will continue to have the cost of commercial flights covered in part by the federal government.

U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week that United Airlines had won a bid to provide winter flights to Cody under the Essential Air Service program, and Laramie airport manager Jack Skinner said he expects Laramie to continuing receiving subsidized service when its contract comes up for renewal, likely in the spring.

Were always leery and trying to stay on top of whats happening back there in Washington, Skinner said. But we believe theyre going to continue it because its been a good program for rural communities like Laramie.

Trumps budget request to Congress last March sought to eliminate the Essential Air Service program, which subsidizes commercial flights to rural communities across the United States. But Congress has final say over federal spending and did not choose to eliminate the program.

Thats good news for Laramie, which has all of its flights subsidized, as well as Cody, which requires a subsidy only for commercial flights during winter months when the tourism industry slows.

Theres always proposed reductions or cuts to the Essential Air Service but Cody has performed exceptionally well, said Bob Hooper, manager of the Yellowstone Regional Airport.

He cited the airports relatively low per-passenger subsidy, saying that it hovered in the $20 to $40 range, whereas some Wyoming airports, like Worland, are theoretically eligible for subsidies of up to $1,000 per passenger.

Only Cody and Laramie are currently served by the EAS program.

Uniteds new contract to provide service to Cody guarantees the airline an annual payment of $850,000 to provide 14 nonstop trips each week from Cody to Denver between October and May.

Hooper said the federal transportation department handles EAS contract renewals so he did not know when Laramies contract would be put out to bid or what the terms would be. SkyWest currently serves the university town for $2.18 million per year.

Economic benefit

While year-round commercial air services is an obvious boon to Cody and Laramie  Hooper said an official estimate pegged the benefit to Cody at $40 million per year  it also ties into Wyomings larger efforts to diversify its economy.

Gov. Matt Meads Endow economic diversification initiative has identified reliable air service throughout the state to be an important foundation for moving Wyoming away from a natural resource-focused economy.

Commercial air service is a significantly limiting factor, Endows Jerimiah Reiman said earlier this year. Theres a lack of air service particularly to global destinations.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation presented an ambitious fix to the states reliance on commercial air carriers, who can currently decide whether and when to provide service  allowing the fortunes of Cowboy State communities to rise and fall based on the whims of national corporations.

WYDOT proposed effectively creating its own airline, determining which communities would receive service as well as schedules, ensuring, for example, that it was possible for business people to catch an early morning flight into Casper or Rock Springs.

The state would contract with the same regional providers, like SkyWest or GoJet, that United and Delta Air Lines use on branded flights to connect relatively small communities, like those in Wyoming, with major hubs in Denver and Salt Lake City. These arrangements are known as capacity purchase agreements.

This idea of capacity purchase agreements, for decades, has worked very well for airlines, WYDOT director Bill Panos told lawmakers last summer.

Air service obstacles

Commercial air service in Wyoming has been battered over the last decade as federal safety regulations have starved regional carriers of pilots and shattered historic business models. More, as airlines phase out older and generally smaller jets, they are replacing them with larger planes that are harder to fill on flights to and from small communities.

Lawmakers decided in October not to move forward with WYDOTs air service proposal, choosing to maintain the current system under which all air service in Wyoming outside of Casper is subsidized either by the federal government or by the state.

Wyoming offers revenue guarantees to several airlines flying in and out of some smaller cities such as Riverton.

WYDOT had requested $29.5 million to $37.2 million over 10 years to implement the new air service program, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Transportation committee co-chair Rep. Mike Greear, R-Worland, said at the time that while the proposal was not ready for approval he remained interested in the issue.

The issue is not dead, and I think its going to keep coming up, Greear said.
2017 has been an eventful year in Wyoming and the Star-Tribunes most-read political stories offer a reminder of all thats happened over the last 12 months. They also show what stories have captured your attention  often political intrigue and scandal. Below are the 10 most popular Wyoming politics articles of the year based on unique page views.

This was the first overview of how the governors race for next year is shaping up. Since the article was published in April, weve learned a lot more about the race including who is running and, more importantly, who isnt (namely Cynthia Lummis). But the articles popularity shows that the state is interested in what is expected to be a raucous Republican primary next year in the race to win outgoing Gov. Matt Meads seat.

Follow ups:

Secretary of State Ed Murray added Wyoming to a list of dozens of states, including several Republican ones, that rejected the White Houses request for detailed information about registered voters for its federal inquiry into supposed voter fraud.

Public lands and Liz Cheney both elicit strong opinions from many Wyoming residents and this story had both of them. Cheneys vote was actually on a package of rules, including one that would ease the transfer of federal land to states. While understanding that the rule she was voting on was part of a rules package, I would hope that Congresswoman Cheney would side with the majority of Wyoming citizens and vote no on any future transfer legislation, Casper sportsman Jeff Muratore told the Star-Tribune at the time.

Obviously the states struggling economy was a big story throughout 2017. This was also the year that data started trickling in showing that the Cowboy State was shedding residents at a rate unseen since the oil bust of the 1980s. This March article was only the first in a series showing that the states population was declining.

Follow-ups:

The allegation that Murray sexually assaulted a recent high school graduate when the two were working at a Cheyenne law firm in 1982 spurred strong reactions from those who were outraged at Murray and those who were appalled that anyone would believe a claim from decades ago. Murray strenuously denied the accusation by the woman, Tatiana Maxwell, and declined to answer specific questions about the alleged incident.

Many political articles are a little dry and focus on sometimes-arcane policy. Not this one, which told the story of Casper Fire Captain Jeff Atkinson, who died of testicular cancer, which his family believed to be caused by his work. Atkinsons death spurred a group of fellow firefighters to advocate for new legislation to allow easier access to workers compensation for firefighters diagnosed with a disease linked to their profession.

This was one of two Wyoming political stories that went viral this year, being picked up by national media outlets that linked back to the Star-Tribune. Reproductive rights advocates were outraged that Senate President Eli Bebout, R-Riverton, assigned abortion bills to an apparently random committee: agriculture. Activists seized on the poor political optics, much to the chagrin of Bebout and Republican lawmakers. The clear message that seems to be resonating around the Capitol is, are women livestock? Aimee Van Cleave, then-executive director of the Wyoming Democratic Party, said at the time.

The other article that went viral was this one from April, about Wyoming U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi telling a group of high school students in Greybull that he knew a cross-dressing man in Wyoming who got in frequent fights at bars. He kind of asks for it a little bit, Enzi said. Thats the way he winds up with that kind of problem. The story underlined the old line that Wyoming is one town with very long streets, as a Douglas man named Sissy came forward to say he was who Enzi was referring to. Enzi later called Sissy and apologized.

The Democratic Party in Wyoming doesnt get much press given Republican dominance of state politics. But readers apparently enjoy drama and inter-party fights, with this article about Wyoming Democrats decision to elect a new party chair, Joe Barbuto, who backed Bernie Sanders in last years presidential primary. Party membership rejected two leaders who had supported Hillary Clinton.

Setting viral stories and tales of political drama aside, the most popular Wyoming politics story of the year was, fittingly, one about public lands. While Bebout has been supportive of securing state control of federal lands in the past, he announced a decision last January to kill a constitutional amendment that would have made it easier for Wyoming to take over federal lands. One sign of how much Wyomingites care about this issue? The article took the number one slot for the year despite coming out on the same day that President Donald Trump was inaugurated.
Doors at the states largest prison dont always lock. Sometimes they hang off kilter, or stop functioning altogether if their electrical parts are compromised as the buildings shift. Windows crack slowly, shattering in slow motion as the walls move. Walls separate along their seams, leaving behind inches of space and chips of sharp concrete.

The Wyoming State Penitentiary needs tens of millions in repairs, or nearly $180 million to be rebuilt, but money is short in Wyomings coffers. Throughout 2017, Wyoming lawmakers continued to weigh their options in fixing the structural issues facing the prison due to unstable soils.

In July, members of the legislatures Joint Appropriations Committee recommended that the governor immediately fund repairs to the facilitys drainage issues and replace cracked windows. Engineers from two separate firms recommended that the drainage issues be fixed as moisture was causing the soils beneath the facility to shift, damaging the foundation.

The decision was a partial solution. During that meeting in July, lawmakers weighed whether to complete a more thorough (and expensive) repair to the 682-bed facility or to build a new building altogether. The partial fix was more than $70 million cheaper than the full repair and lawmakers hoped it would fix most of the issues plaguing the buildings.

Officials first started monitoring damage to the states high security prison in 2011. During a tour of the Rawlins facility in July, Department of Corrections officials showed reporters the issues that require daily maintenance to keep the buildings operational. Some of the electric doors have been temporarily disabled due to the issues. Offices sat unused because they were deemed unsafe. In December 2016, prison staff restricted 525 inmates to their cells for nearly 42 hours while workers repaired doors.

The state built the penitentiary in 2001, less than a mile from the previous facility after the U.S. Department of Justice ordered that the older building be abandoned due to structural issues. State officials expected the current buildings to last at least 50 years.

It remains unclear who is responsible for the structural problems with the facility. The Wyoming Attorney Generals Office continues to investigate the question but has not made any findings public. One of the engineering firms hired to evaluate the prisons issues found that not all recommendations were followed during construction.

Workers completing the limited repairs authorized by the appropriations committee in July discovered further construction issues. They found leaking pipes and other faulty plumbing where construction plans were not followed. They also found that the roof was leaking and some insulation was soaked with water.

Lawmakers will reevaluate the status of the prison after the limited repairs are complete. If the work effectively solves the drainage issues and stop or slows the shifting of the soils, lawmakers may be finished with extensive fixes. If not, they will have to consider more expansive and costly repairs during the 2018 legislative session.
The election of Donald Trump signaled strongly that the Affordable Care Act was in for an even bumpier ride than it had already been on.

As a candidate, Trump had railed against Obamacare  as former President Barack Obamas massive health care overhaul is often known. He promised to do what a Republican-controlled Congress had been vainly attempting to do for years: repeal and replace the bill.

First came the American Health Care Act, a House measure released in March. Blasted from both the right and the left, the bill was eventually pulled from a vote by Speaker Paul Ryan, who told the president that he lacked the support to get it passed. Among other things, the bill would have eliminated the individual mandate, charged more for those who purchased insurance outside of the open enrollment period, and pegged tax subsidies to age rather than income.

Although Trump suggested the vote was the only chance for lawmakers to repeal Obamacare, a new AHCA was unveiled by the House in May. It kept several pieces of the original bill, but it changed others. For instance, it would have allowed insurance companies to charge people with pre-existing conditions more. It passed narrowly, 217-213, with every Democrat and 20 Republicans voting no. Health care officials in Wyoming were alarmed by the bill, warning that it would causes prices to jump and would adversely affect old and sicker Americans.

The ball, then, was in the Senates chamber. A small group of Senate lawmakers began crafting its version of the ACA replacement bill in secret, finally revealing what became known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act. Like the Houses bill, the BCRA would eliminate the individual mandate. It would also roll back ACA taxes and change how Medicaid dollars are distributed to the states. It would also allow states to opt out of offering essential health benefits  like maternity care and prescription drugs.

That measure  written and praised by Wyomings senators  also drew condemnation from the states health care officials.

But that, too, failed. So, did a number of subsequent efforts that were introduced in the Senate between July and September. Because Republicans held a slim majority in the chamber, they could afford only a handful of defections. And in the face of uniform Democratic opposition, the decisive no votes came from the right.

By October, the Congress was preparing to move onto tax reform legislation. Repeal efforts had failed repeatedly. Costs had jumped amid the uncertainty emanating from Washington, but the ACA had largely survived the first 10 months of 2017.

But while Republican leaders had failed to deliver a knockout blow, they began peppering Obamacare with jabs. One of the more sizable hits came in October, when the president made two moves: One eased insurance rules and the other cut off payments to insurance companies, intended to offset costs incurred by the insurers for giving subsidized plans to lower-income Americans.

(Intended or not, the latter change actually helped a number of Americans purchased cheaper insurance.)

Next, and more crucially, came the tax bills. Congress passed, and Trump signed, a tax bill that included a provision to repeal the individual mandate. The Congressional Budget Office has said this will result in 13 million fewer people having health insurance.

Any other future moves made against the Affordable Care Act remain up in the air.
A Montana judge has temporarily restricted wolf hunting and trapping near Yellowstone and Glacier national parks and imposed tighter statewide limits on killing the predators. Wildlife advocates sued last month claiming that looser hunting rules adopted in the Republican-controlled state could harm wolf populations. State District Court Judge Christopher Abbott on Tuesday ordered officials to reimpose rules from 2020 that allow the killing of only five wolves per person, instead of 20, and forbid the use of snares for trapping. Abbott also limited hunting and trapping near the national parks. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte criticized the ruling, saying he thinks the judge overstepped his bounds. But state wildlife officials have pledged to comply with the order.
Will 2018 be the year when I finally stomp out my footwear malfunctions?

Perhaps I can even inspire others. A quick Google search reveals a distressing number of people are vexed and perplexed by shoelaces that suddenly, repeatedly unravel at inopportune times.

I often find myself gazing skyward and pleading for an answer to the question, Why, oh why can I go six weeks without a slip-up and then have the same shoelaces fall apart twelve times in a single day?

I have literally walked across a room and experienced freshly re-tied shoestrings coming undone. Its like I have my own 12 Steps program. (My name is Danny and I am really sorry I tripped and made you spill your alcohol.)

Im self-conscious about the subject because my mother thinks unkempt shoestrings are one sign of being slouchy, and I know that like-minded bystanders have a sixth sense for smugly announcing, Hey, your shoe is untied! just as Im about to tend to it myself.

I feel that these people are judging me. I just know they are making unjustified extrapolations, such as If you traipse around with untamed shoestrings, you must also lie about flossing, abuse the passing lane, eat endangered species and suffer from a low sperm count. These nosey losers probably also have the mistaken notion that Im paranoid.

Uncooperative shoelaces have remained a mystery for 5,500 years; but more recently, mechanical engineers at the University of California (Berkeley) have been using accelerometers and slow-motion video to study the combination of swing and impact that supposedly causes the problem. More power to them; but Im skeptical, partly because they have arrived at no explanation for the randomness of the malfunctions. (Duh, its Tuesday, so Id better suddenly start tying my shoelaces wrong. And forks are supposed to be stored in electrical outlets, arent they?)

I also balk at research showing that shoelace knots experience more g-force than a rollercoaster. (Look out! My Air Jordans are gonna hurl!) Although, admittedly, my shirt buttons do experience something akin to an intercontinental ballistic missiles reentry after Ive hit a Golden Corral buffet.

Surely there must be other explanations for the rebellious shoestrings. According to folklore, a shoestring coming untied means you are in the thoughts of a friend. Hey, friends, dont think of me unless you see a post of me in flip flops on the beach!

I dont want to question the physicists, but maybe its gremlins performing the mischief. I can just imagine William Shatner screaming, Stewardess, theres something on the tongue of those wingtips!

Maybe its a Velcro conspiracy. Then again, one retail clerk confided in me, I told you to get the extended warranty.

I guess Im really looking for sympathy/empathy and an all-encompassing explanation rather than a practical workaround. Video tutorials certainly abound, showing how much the squared off reef knot surpasses the granny knot and how retraining your brain to use the former will solve your knot problems, cure cancer and persuade Pres. Trump to have his pronouncements handled exclusively by monks with quill pens.

Im trying not to have a meltdown over this. This is not the time for taking names and kicking derrieres. Thats mostly because Im afraid my size 14 would go sailing through the air. (Uh, could you please return my sneaker...lets see, its here on the list...Nathan?)
MEXICO CITY  The environmental group Sea Shepherd said fishermen fired 25 shots at one of its night-vision drones in Mexicos Gulf of California, bringing it down.

Various drones have been employed to patrol the Gulf, also known as the Sea of Cortez, to combat illegal fishing and save the critically endangered vaquita marina, the worlds smallest porpoise.

Poachers often set out at night to set nets for totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is prized in China. But vaquitas often get caught in totoaba nets, causing the population to plunge to less than 30.

Sea Shepherd has been the target of demonstrations by fishermen in the past but said the Christmas Eve shooting represented a new level of violence.

The group said Tuesday that its drone had located four small boats illegally fishing for totoaba.

Men on three of the boats were observed firing at the device until its camera shut off.

The drone was then listed as disconnected, indicating it went down.

In the past, fishermen have thrown rocks and bricks at drones, staged demonstrations demanding that Sea Shepherd boats be expelled, burned vehicles and patrol boats, and beat inspectors from the office of environmental protection, but this is the first time they fired guns.

In other parts of the world, Sea Shepherd vessels have rammed into whaling ships to deter illegal activities.

But in the Gulf, the group has peacefully patrolled the waters, looking for vaquitas dead or alive and gill nets, which it removes.

The patrol effort has been welcomed by the Mexican government, which has had a difficult time enforcing a ban on gill net fishing because fishermen use fast boats and lead vessels on hours-long chases.

Sometimes, pickup trucks drop boat trailers onto beaches and haul off small fishing crafts before authorities arrive.
WASHINGTON  When President Trump fired James Comey in May, he said he was acting on the recommendation of Justice Department leaders who had faulted the FBI director for releasing derogatory information about Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of the email server investigation months earlier.

Yet with each tweet about the Clinton probe, Trump seems to be further undermining his administrations stated rationale for a termination thats now central to special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation.

The disconnect between Trumps attacks on Comeys handling of the email investigation and the criticism of Comey by his own Justice Department could muddy the explanation for exactly why Comey was fired, and may complicate efforts by the presidents legal team to present a coherent narrative as Mueller and his prosecutors examine whether the dismissal could support obstruction-of-justice allegations.

Trump has complained for months about the FBIs decision not to pursue criminal charges against Clinton, his Democratic opponent in the 2016 presidential election, for her use of a personal email server. He has suggested the criminal investigation was rigged in her favor, claiming in one October tweet that Comey totally protected her.

He recently seized on the revelation of politically charged text messages from an FBI agent who worked on that probe to again deride the investigation. And in a Saturday tweet that appeared to suggest Clinton should have been prosecuted, Trump caustically referred to 33,000 illegally deleted emails.

Yet those attacks are increasingly hard to square with a Justice Department memo that the White House held up as justification for firing Comey.

That document, authored by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, cited an unusual July 2016 news conference in which Comey described Clinton and her aides as extremely careless as well as Comeys notification to Congress, days before the election, that the investigation was being revisited because of the sudden discovery of additional emails.

From the beginning theres always been serious doubt that the memo from the deputy attorney general was the actual reason the president fired the FBI director, said Scott Fredericksen, a Washington criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor. These tweets, he added, probably dont help the president in that regard.

A lawyer for Trump did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Muellers team has been interested for months in the circumstances of Comeys firing, with prosecutors obtaining an initial White House memo, drafted but never released, that purported to lay out a basis for Comeys removal.

The final memo the White House released on May 9, signed by Rosenstein, castigated Comey for announcing that criminal charges were not warranted against Clinton even though such determinations are generally left to Justice Department prosecutors.

He also faulted Comey for comments made during that news conference, which Rosenstein said broke with Justice Department protocol by issuing derogatory information about someone who was investigated but never charged.

Though he did not explicitly say it, his assessment seemed in line with that of Clinton and her supporters  that Comeys statements and actions during the investigation had harmed her election prospects.

The Director laid out his version of the facts for the news media as if it were a closing argument, but without a trial, Rosenstein wrote. It is a textbook example of what federal prosecutors and agents are taught not to do.

In a single-page letter to Comey released alongside Rosensteins memo, Trump said he had accepted the Justice Departments recommendation for termination.

From the start, though, that explanation has been tough to reconcile with Trumps blistering attacks on Clinton, and his repeated assertions on the campaign trail and as president that she should have been prosecuted.

He returned to that theme days after Mueller revealed a plea deal with Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser, by tweeting: Many people in our Country are asking what the Justice Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and acid washed 33,000 Emails? No justice!
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Dec. 28 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
The man federal authorities accused of fleeing an immigration checkpoint in Amado and firing at Border Patrol agents was identified as Roberto Ramirez, a 21-year-old Tucson resident.

Border Patrol agents arrested Ramirez after a high-speed chase on Interstate 19 that ended when Ramirez lost control of his vehicle and crashed on the side of the highway north of Amado, according to a criminal complaint filed by a Homeland Security Investigations agent in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

The chase began after Ramirez pulled into the checkpoint with two suspected illegal immigrants in a 2005 Ford Escape, according to the complaint. He handed a Border Patrol agent his drivers license, but fled when the agent told him to pull over for further inspection.

Agents said Ramirez drove about 90 mph, tried to ram Border Patrol vehicles and fired at two different Border Patrol vehicles.

One of the passengers was ejected from the Escape when the SUV flipped multiple times. The man landed about 20 yards away from the vehicle and broke his collarbone and shoulder, among other serious injuries, according to the complaint.

Ramirez and the two men were taken to a hospital and released, Customs and Border Protection officials said in a news release. The two passengers were processed for immigration violations.

Ramirez, a U.S. citizen, was charged in the complaint with five counts of assaulting a federal officer, three counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, and one count each of human smuggling resulting in serious bodily injury and fleeing an immigration checkpoint at a high rate of speed.

Several of the charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release.

One of the two men Ramirez is accused of trying to smuggle through the checkpoint told agents he paid $7,000 to be smuggled to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he planned to work at a stable.

The man told agents that as Ramirez sped away from the checkpoint Ramirez said This time they are not going to catch me, according to the complaint.

Ramirez took out the pistol, which agents said was a .38-caliber revolver reported stolen by Tucson police, and shot out the window before firing at the agents.

The man said he and the other passenger were telling Ramirez to stop. Both passengers told agents Ramirez was trying to reload the revolver when he crashed the vehicle.

Ramirez reportedly told agents he expected to be paid $1,000 to drive the men to Phoenix. He said he bought the gun two days earlier to kill his father, according to the complaint. Ramirez also said he was working off a debt his father owed a drug cartel.

In fiscal year 2017, there were 93 assaults on Tucson Sector agents, and 786 assaults nationwide on Border Patrol agents, the CBP said.
The man federal authorities accused of fleeing an immigration checkpoint in Amado and firing at Border Patrol agents was identified as Roberto Ramirez, a 21-year-old Tucson resident.

Border Patrol agents arrested Ramirez after a high-speed chase on Interstate 19 that ended when Ramirez lost control of his vehicle and crashed on the side of the highway north of Amado, according to a criminal complaint filed by a Homeland Security Investigations agent in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

The chase began after Ramirez pulled into the checkpoint with two suspected illegal immigrants in a 2005 Ford Escape, according to the complaint. He handed a Border Patrol agent his drivers license, but fled when the agent told him to pull over for further inspection.

Agents said Ramirez drove about 90 miles per hour, tried to ram Border Patrol vehicles, and fired at two different Border Patrol vehicles.

One of the passengers was ejected from the Escape when the SUV flipped multiple times. The man landed about 20 yards away from the vehicle and broke his collarbone and shoulder, among other serious injuries, according to the complaint.

Ramirez and the two men were taken to a hospital and released, Customs and Border Protection officials said in a news release. The two passengers were processed for immigration violations.

Ramirez, who is a U.S. citizen, was charged in the complaint with five counts of assaulting a federal officer, three counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, and one count each of human smuggling resulting in serious bodily injury and fleeing an immigration checkpoint at a high rate of speed.

Several of the charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release.

One of the two men Ramirez is accused of trying to smuggle through the checkpoint told agents he paid $7,000 to be smuggled to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he planned to work at a stable.

The man told agents that as Ramirez sped away from the checkpoint Ramirez said "This time they are not going to catch me," according to the complaint.

Ramirez took out the pistol, which agents said was a .38-caliber Charter Arms Bulldog revolver reported stolen by Tucson police, and shot out the window before firing at the Border Patrol agents.

The man said he and the other passenger were telling Ramirez to stop. Both passengers told agents Ramirez was trying to reload the revolver when he crashed the vehicle.

Ramirez reportedly told agents he expected to be paid $1,000 to drive the men to Phoenix. He said he bought the gun two days earlier to kill his father, according to the complaint. Ramirez also said he was working off a debt his father owed a drug cartel.

In fiscal year 2017, there were 93 assaults on Tucson Sector agents, and 786 assaults nationwide on Border Patrol agents, the CBP said.
Tucson firefighters responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a Christmas tree on fire inside a south-side home Wednesday night, authorities said.

Shortly after 8 p.m., firefighters arrived at a house in the 300 block of West Pennsylvania Drive and saw smoke coming from the eaves, and smoke and flames in the front room of the house, said Capt. Andy Skaggs, a Tucson Fire Department spokesman.

Firefighters forced their way into the house and the fire was put out in 21 minutes, said Skaggs. It took 24 firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

The fire was contained to the front of the house, but heavy smoke caused damage throughout the house, Skaggs said.

He said it appears the Christmas tree was the first item to ignite. Investigators were working to determine the cause of the fire. A damage estimate had not been determined.

No one was home during the fire. A woman and her son were displaced by the blaze.

Skaggs said Christmas trees are the leading cause of fires at homes during the holiday season. He said these fires can be avoided by disposing of trees soon after Christmas.
PHOENIX  Declaring the law unconstitutional, a federal judge on Wednesday permanently blocked the state Department of Education from restricting "ethnic studies'' programs in the Tucson Unified School District  or even demanding information from the school officials about what is being taught.

But it remains to be seen what changes the school board might enact now that the district has been freed from state oversight.

Judge Wallace Tashima said state lawmakers acted illegally in 2010 in making it illegal for any schools to have courses that promote the overthrow of the federal government, promote resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group, or "advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.''

The judge not only barred state education officials from enforcing the law but said they cannot threaten to withhold state funds for noncompliance. It was precisely that threatened loss of more than $14 million that caused the district to scrap the original program and replace it with what it calls "culturally relevant curricula.''

More to the point, Tashima told Diane Douglas, the current state Superintendent of Public Instruction she cannot conduct "any inspections or audits of any program, curriculum or course'' at the district to verify compliance with the 2010 law.

For the moment, that is an academic victory.

In 2015, shortly after taking office, Douglas declared that what replaced Mexican American Studies complies with the 2010 law. And Douglas spokesman Dan Godzich said Wednesday his boss is not now requiring any sort of reports.

And while there appear not to be the votes to reinstate the original program, Tashima's ruling opens the door to the governing board reinserting some of the elements into what is now being taught.

There also is some question of whether Wednesday's order is the last word. A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said no decision has been made whether to appeal.

The program, dating back to the late 1990s, was designed to provide culturally relevant curriculum for students by incorporating historical and contemporary Mexican-American contributions into classroom studies.

It came under fire in 2007 when a group of students walked out on a speech by Margaret Dugan, then the deputy state school chief. She was responding to a controversial speech where labor activist Dolores Huerta told students that "Republicans hate Latinos.''

That got the attention of Tom Horne, then her boss, who pushed for the 2010 law. John Huppenthal, who followed Horne as schools chief, subsequently declared the Tucson program in violation of law and threatened to withhold aid.

Parents responded by filing this lawsuit.

In an initial ruling earlier this year, Tashima said the law violated the rights of students "because both enactment and enforcement were motivated by racial animus.'' But he left it until Tuesday to issue the injunction.
PHOENIX  Declaring the law unconstitutional, a federal judge permanently blocked the state Education Department from restricting ethnic studies programs in Tucson Unified School District  and from demanding information from district officials about what is being taught.

But it remains to be seen what changes the TUSD board might enact now that it has been freed from state oversight.

Judge Wallace Tashima said state lawmakers acted illegally in 2010 in making it illegal for any schools to have courses that promote the overthrow of the federal government, promote resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group, or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.

The judge not only barred state education officials from enforcing the law but said they cannot threaten to withhold state funds for noncompliance. It was precisely that threatened loss of more than $14 million that caused the district to scrap the original program and replace it with what it calls culturally relevant curricula.

Tashima told Diane Douglas, the current state superintendent of public instruction, that she cannot conduct any inspections or audits of any program, curriculum or course at the district to verify compliance with the 2010 law.

For the moment, that is an academic victory.

In 2015, shortly after taking office, Douglas declared that what replaced Mexican American Studies at TUSD complies with the 2010 law. And Douglas spokesman Dan Godzich said Wednesday that his boss is not now requiring any sort of reports.

And while there appear not to be the votes on the school board to reinstate the original program, Tashimas ruling opens the door to the Governing Board reinserting some of the previous elements into what is now being taught.

There also is some question of whether the order is the last word. A spokesman for the Attorney Generals Office said no decision has been made whether to appeal the latest ruling.

The program, dating to the late 1990s, was designed to provide culturally relevant curriculum for students by incorporating historical and contemporary Mexican-American contributions into classroom studies.

It came under fire in 2007 when a group of students walked out on a speech by Margaret Dugan, then the deputy state school chief. She was responding to a controversial speech where labor activist Dolores Huerta told students that Republicans hate Latinos.

That got the attention of Tom Horne, then her boss, who pushed for the 2010 law. John Huppenthal, who followed Horne as schools chief, subsequently declared the Tucson program in violation of law and threatened to withhold aid.

Parents responded by filing this lawsuit.

In an initial ruling earlier this year, Tashima said the law violated the rights of students because both enactment and enforcement were motivated by racial animus.
For two years, Arizonas prison system has been under court order to improve health care for inmates.

The Arizona Department of Corrections has treated the order as optional.

Its been so bad that in October, U.S. magistrate judge David Duncan threatened to hold the department in contempt of court and fine it $1,000 for each time it broke the terms of the 2015 settlement. He described the state as having pervasive and intractable failures to comply.

Then came a bombshell KJZZ radio report on Dec. 18. It cited new cases, including that of an inmate who died of a treatable skin cancer that was allowed to penetrate his skull. A doctor who worked in the prisons for health-care contractor Corizon spoke to a reporter at the station about how the company was avoiding the monitors of the prison settlement.

In a hearing Dec. 20, Duncan stood and delivered a rebuke to the department and Corizon, questioning whether they are corrupt, and saying Ive used words like shocked and flabbergasted, but I have run out of words.

Coincidentally, in October I received a letter containing a paper written by Aaron Wamsley, an inmate from Tucson at the local prison complexs Catalina Unit. He wrote it for a class hes taking through Rio Salado College, about his treatment for bipolar disorder. Wamsley, 33, is serving a five-year sentence for methamphetamine-related crimes in Pima County.

His mother, Janet Wollerman, forwarded me the paper on Wamsleys behalf, and it seemed to bring up the kind of problems the judge is so upset about. Here, Im reprinting a slightly edited version thats broken into shorter paragraphs:

As it stands today, the mental health treatment provided in prison is counter-therapeutic, devoid of privacy and shows no signs of improvement on the horizon.

Arizona prison inmates with a serious mental illness have one chance every three months to converse with a doctor. Each meeting is likely to produce a doctor that the inmate is meeting for the first time. The doctors do not introduce themselves to, nor do they perform any psychological evaluations on the inmates.

The average appointment happens within three minutes. The doctor asks the inmate to describe their current symptoms, and then proceeds to stop, start, increase or decrease medications based on how they interpret those symptoms.

Being that a different doctor is used for each visit, the medications and treatment plans can be dramatically changed from visit to visit. There is no opportunity to build doctor-patient trust in this setting. There is also no way to establish or maintain doctor-patient rapport, which, in my opinion, is an essential component of meaningful therapy.

Imagine a private citizen seeking mental health treatment having to see a different doctor every time they had an appointment. Would a reasonable person feel comfortable discussing their most intimate problems with a total stranger? How about a room full of strangers?

Just outside of the room where these doctor visits take place sit at least a dozen inmates waiting for their appointment. There is approximately ten feet of space between the front door of the medical building and the room used for doctor visits. All ten feet is used to cram inmates shoulder-to-shoulder as they wait to be seen by whichever doctor showed up that day.

These doctor visits are done over the Skype application, so no doctor is actually physically present. In the struggle to be heard as well as hear what is being said, the doctor visit becomes a very loud ordeal. So loud, in fact, that along with the prison inmates waiting by the door, everyone within the eight-hundred square foot medical building is privy to the conversation the doctor and inmate are having.

As for doctor-patient confidentiality, there isnt any. These doctor visits are overtly scrutinized by multiple non-medical parties without the consent of the patient, but rather as a consequence of the environment in which the doctor visit occurs.

Surely, the Department of Corrections would seek to improve upon this flawed process, wouldnt they?

For the more than two years that I have been in the custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections, I have had ten doctor visits over Skype with eight different doctors. The crowd of inmates waiting outside of the doctor visits has only increased in size since my first appointment. More and more often these days, I hear other inmates jokingly discussing amongst themselves what they overheard during my doctor visit.

How then do I, or any inmate for that matter, expect to get any therapeutic benefit from attending these should-be-private doctor visits turned group therapy sessions?

The prison officials I posed that same question to merely reminded me that I was in prison. They also stated that I gave up the right to privacy when I broke the law. So, what does the future look like for mentally ill prison inmates in Arizona if the people responsible for administrating mental health treatment for the facility fail to view any of this as problematic?

If Arizona continues to direct more funding towards its Corrections budget than it does for treatment of the drug-addicted and mentally ill, the situation will grow increasingly worse. Currently, prison inmates who have issues that cannot be solved in their quarterly, three minute doctor visit are simply taken to suicide watch.

Once there, the inmate is stripped naked and thrown into a room, in which the only furnishing is a cold, hard cement floor. That is where they will stay also, until they are no longer having the psychological disturbances that brought them to suicide watch.

On more than one occasion, I was told by prison officials that I may need to go to suicide watch after I brought up some concerns I had about the mental health care provided in prison.

So in conclusion, the best step for an inmate to take is one towards silent acceptance of the circumstances they find themselves in. For example, I accept that during my next doctor visit I will be forced to Skype with a doctor I have never met before while a building full of strangers listens in.

I accept that I am not a patient being seen by a doctor but rather a box needing to be checked by the state.

I accept that I am being medicated by a doctor who has put zero effort into diagnosing my condition.

I also accept and constantly remind myself that if I make too much of a fuss about what I am forced to accept, I may wind up naked in a dark room without windows for the rest of my sentence.

Silent acceptance of the circumstances is a much better alternative. Still I wonder, if other inmates take this same approach and never raise these issues, are we making it possible for the Department of Corrections to provide mental health treatment that is counter-therapeutic and devoid of privacy?

Does our silence ensure that there will never be any improvement?
Tucson police arrested an Oro Valley man accused of impersonating a cop to apparently score drugs.

The man's name is being withheld because the investigation is ongoing and Counter Narcotics Alliance detectives are searching for more victims, said Officer Chris Hawkins, a Tucson Police Department spokesman, on Wednesday.

The suspect, who is in his 30s, was booked into the Pima County jail on charges of kidnapping and impersonating a law enforcement officer, Hawkins said. He said additional charges are pending.

"Detectives believe there are more victims out there, and want them to independently recognize the suspect," said Hawkins, explaining why his name and mug shot were not released.

On Dec. 19, officers responded to a suspicious activity call where a man, who was impersonating and undercover cop, stopped and searched three young men. One of the men was handcuffed, Hawkins said.

The incident happened in the area of West 40th Street and South 10th Avenue.

When the cop impersonator realized he did not have the key to the handcuffs, he asked the men if they had a device to cut the cuffs off. They did not and he instructed them to go to the main police station downtown where the cuffs could be removed, said Hawkins.

The impersonator gave the men his name, and they wrote down his vehicle's license plate number, which they turned over to police. Detectives were able to track down the vehicle and where the suspect lived through the name, Hawkins said.

A search warrant was served at the suspect's home, and detectives found the vehicle used in the illegal stop. Inside the white four-door sedan, detectives found a forward-facing dashboard camera. The stop reported to police was documented on that video, said Hawkins. Detectives also found illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia in the car.

The impersonator's car also had a red-and-blue flashing visor light, Hawkins said.

In addition, several other incidents that occurred earlier in the day were also recorded. The suspect was involved in four incidents, said Hawkins. He said all were in the area of 40th Street and 10th Avenue. In some of the instances, the suspect walked up to victims who were sitting in their parked vehicles. He did not initiate traffic stops.

Hawkins said the police impersonator asked the victims in all instances for narcotics. He carried a handheld scanner on his belt, a radio earpiece, and an expandable baton, said Hawkins. He said flashing lights in the car were installed near the visor of the front windshield.

Hawkins said police did not see a gun on the impersonator or find a gun during the search of his home and vehicle.

Police released a video that documented part of the incidents from Dec. 19. Detectives do not know if the suspect impersonated a cop and made other illegal stops, searches or confiscated drugs from people prior to Dec. 19.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have been stopped or pulled over by a similar unmarked vehicle to call 719-2002, ext. 723.

Hawkins said TPD does have plainclothes officers working in unmarked vehicles, and they do occasionally conduct traffic stops. Persons can call 911 if they do not believe that they are being stopped by a legitimate police officer.

All officers carry a badge and police identification. A 911 operator can verify the name and badge number of the officer, Hawkins said.
Tucson is a caring, tight knit community with people that come together in times of crisis like what happened on Jan. 8, 2011, in times requiring compassion, like our communitys caring response to Central American refugees.

We take pride in our blessed community. Rightly so, since we see all the good that takes place here every day. People of all faiths and backgrounds work together to make a difference, and our community thrives in many ways.

Yet there is much more we need to address as a community. Issues that are very complex and do not admit of easy solutions. Yet they need our attention and action.

Education: Our children underperform academically. Too many students drop out of high school. We struggle to find the best teachers, or enough teachers and schools  public and charter  struggle with inadequate funding. What would happen if we all made education in our public, charter and private schools a priority where no child is left behind, where adequate resources were made available? Our kids must matter most.

Poverty: How many of our children are seriously undernourished? How many families lack adequate resources to purchase food, or even to travel to food distribution centers in our community? How many live hand to mouth? What would happen if we all came together to provide job training and pathways out of poverty? Many in our community provide immediate and critical assistance, but we need to help people find and build bridges and steps out of poverty.

Homelessness: So many people wander around aimlessly in our parks and neighborhoods. Many of our homeless clearly are mentally ill and in need of care, without the ability to think through the hurdles of finding and obtaining help. Many of our homeless are able to live on the street or in desert washes only because of Tucsons accommodating climate; still these people need places to maintain hygiene, to receive food and to receive health and other services. Despite heroic efforts to address this issue, real solutions and funding remain elusive. Clearly more needs to be done.

Opiate Addiction: People of all walks of life in our community find themselves deprived of their dignity and health, weighed down by addictions that began often with the need for prescription drugs, but that then eroded into an endless cycle of painkillers and other drugs that cause a horrible downward cycle into despair, poverty and death. How do we stem this trend of addiction among people in all walks of life? What can we all do together to help?

I have witnessed what can happen when religious, civic, political, business, social service and educational leaders including all spheres of our community come together to address a community concern. It makes a difference. Progress happens.

These issues are not easily addressed. But as St. Teresa of Kolkata once said, The whole effort is like a drop in the ocean. But if you dont put your drop in, the ocean remains one drop less.

When we bring people together, poco a poco, we can make an impact on these thorny issues. Less happens when we seek to resolve issues in isolation.

We have seen what happens when Tucsonans come together, pull in the same direction. As we begin a new year, let us make these issues of utmost concern to all of us and explore ways together to make an impact on them.

With all of us working together Tucson can become an even more wonderful place to live and in which to raise a family.
A story ran Dec.13 in this newspaper under the headline Crisis mode: As boomers age, a shortage of caregivers. But the story is old news; this situation has been brewing for decades, until now, like the Titanic, weve run right into the iceberg. Its too late to say, What a surprise! Who knew?

First, a recap: 10,000 baby boomers reach age 65 every day and usually want to age in place, in their own homes. For most, thats a very good idea. Living at home is more healthful  both mentally and physically  and less expensive than an assisted-living facility. But to live at home safely, many seniors need help with the basics of daily life such as hygiene, shopping, transportation, preparing meals and so on. They need caregivers, possibly full time but often for only a few hours a week.

But despite their awesome responsibilities, home caregivers enjoy the same status (but often less pay) as burger-flippers and babysitters. According to PHI, a research organization focused on direct-care issues, home caregivers in the U.S. earn a median wage of $10.49 an hour. Thats the median, so half earn even less.

For underpaid, undertrained and underappreciated caregivers, work is a revolving door as they switch to less-demanding and better-paying jobs. Home-care agencies already operate on thin profit margins, so its not enough to say, pay your workers more. We need big, bold, systemic thinking, not finger-pointing.

Family caregivers provide vital support, but theyre not always feasible. Ideally, our national leaders should spearhead a drive to boost the training, pay, and professionalism of the caregiving workforce. Maybe add coverage for long-term care to Medicare? (Its often a nasty surprise when seniors discover only Medicaid  or our state version, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System  pays for long-term care. Medicare doesnt.) Maybe a federal subsidy to enhance caregiver wages? But dont hold your breath: Our leaders seem more inclined to shred the safety net than to find effective, compassionate solutions.

Its time to think local. Rather than wait for state or federal help that may never come, theres much we can do right here, at the community level. Heres a look at just a few local initiatives and resources.

Volunteer-staffed neighbor helping neighbor programs are a big step in the right direction. Youll find them across the country; in Tucson the Neighbors Care Alliance is coordinated by the Pima Council on Aging. NCA programs are a way for neighborhood associations, large mobile home parks and other tightknit communities to help their most vulnerable members. PCOA supports seniors with a host of programs, and donations to the organization qualify for an Arizona charitable tax credit. Couples filing jointly can reduce their state taxes by up to $800; individuals can claim up to $400.

Tucson-based CareGiver Training Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization founded in 2001, trains caregivers and certified nursing assistants. Gifts to CGTI are tax-deductible and qualify for Arizonas working poor tax credit, which allows up to $400 per couple ($200 per individual) to be claimed as a credit on your state income tax.

Finally, a long-term-care benefit is available to limited-asset veterans who served in wartime. Spouses are covered too. Contact the Veterans Administration for more information.

Building a robust home-caregiving culture isnt impossible. Our identity as a humane society demands no less. Sure, press your elected officials for action, but local efforts can yield quicker results. Weve already hit the iceberg; its time to get the lifeboats in the water.
Our students in special education deserve highly trained teachers with the expertise needed to teach children with learning challenges. As a speech therapist for the public schools, I am alarmed at the implementation of SB 1317. This devastating policy ignores the realities of special education by allowing any certified teacher to provide specialized instruction for students with disabilities. This issue becomes even more damaging when we consider the fact that in Arizona you no longer need a teaching degree to become a certified teacher.

It is no secret that our public schools in Arizona are severely underfunded, including special education departments. As a result of inadequate funding, many school districts stretch their budgets as far as possible and it is still not enough. Take for instance the Peoria Unified School District, where I teach, which spends $10 million more for students with special needs than they receive from the state every year.

To make matters worse, special-ed teachers are in high demand across the state and the position is considered one of the most difficult to fill. With insufficient funding and dwindling numbers of qualified staff due to Arizonas teacher crisis, no one is surprised that district administrators have lobbied the legislature for more flexibility. However, this solution is harmful for the students I serve. They have complicated and distinctive needs, which must be met in order for them to be have a chance to be successful in the classroom. This can only be provided by a highly-trained and qualified special-education teacher.

Students in special education face daily challenges that are best served by teachers with advanced training in working with students with disabilities. For example, one of my former second-grade students, Landon, was diagnosed with autism and was reading at a kindergarten level. Our special education teacher had her masters degree in Special Education and years of experience in the field. Her training was not only in reading instruction, but how to work with the social and behavioral challenges associated with autism. Because of her advanced training, my colleague had a tool belt full of strategies to trial, such as a motivational reward system and a picture schedule of daily activities. Additionally, she provided training for staff in order to share her expertise and make sure that Landon was successful in every class. Without this teachers advanced training, Landons robust education and the successes that resulted from it would be unimaginable. For children like Landon, tremendous damage is done by policies such as SB 1317.

It is concerning when the lines between special education and general education are blurred and important, responsible regulations are eased in this way. While many children benefit from inclusive programs (i.e. integration or mainstreaming into general education classrooms), most teachers are simply not equipped to create an alternative, specialized curriculum. And, with ever increasing demands upon their time and resources, huge class sizes, and numerous professional responsibilities, most teachers simply do not have the time to provide the individualized education that these students need and deserve.

Rather than eliminating the need for teacher qualifications, we need to address the teacher crisis by increasing salaries, offering advanced training and coordinating teacher mentors for professional and emotional supports. To specifically address the shortage of special education teachers, the most effective strategy for administrators is to cultivate an environment of respect and collaboration while also recognizing the unique challenges of working in special education. Only when we treat teachers with the respect and compensation that they deserve as highly trained professionals will we be able to address Arizonas teaching crisis once and for all.

Students with disabilities and their families need us to be their advocates and demand an alternative solution to SB 1317.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter

Over the past few years, Alwar has emerged as a hotbed of attacks on Muslims by right-wing goons calling themselves Gau Rakshaks. Taking note of the same, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the chief Islamic body of Muslims in India, has issued an advisory for cattle transporters of the region asking them to transport animals only during the day. Jamiat has also asked the transporters to travel with cattle with proper documentation only, otherwise, the community will not be able to help them.

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The leaders from Jamiat and other Islamic clerics organised a meeting with the cattle traders in Alwars Shivaji Park on Tuesday. Jamiat leaders from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh participated in the meet. Jamiat leaders said that anyone transporting cows at night will be termed cow smuggler.

The Islamic body has asked dairy farmers and cattle owners to manage transportation of their animals between 8 am to 5 pm. Those buying cattle from any sort of fair have been advised to manage transportation of their cattle during day-time only.

Maulana Karimi, a leader from Mewat area, said, People transport cattle during night time to save money and time. However, things are very much different than what the transporters have been thinking. So they have been advised to move during the day-time.

However, in case of death of or violence with any innocent, Jamiat has promised to fight for the victim until justice is served. Jamiat has also made it clear that it will not support anyone found involved in illegal cattle trade or transport.

The year of 2017 was jolted by the series of violent incidents in the Alwar as well as Mewat region of the Rajasthan and Haryana, which started with the gruesome lynching of the Pehlu Khan, a 55-year-old cattle trader.

Jamiats initiative to train and advise the cattle traders hailing or working from these states is yet to receive the nod from the Jamiats president Mahmood Madani. Maulana Hakimuddin Qasmi, the Jamiat secretary, told News18, A committee will be formed that can go door to door and clear suspicion over cattle trade. We are planning to hold it soon. We will be inviting non-Muslims as well and clear their suspicion about Muslims. Many of them think Muslims are into cow smuggling, but Muslims also sell milk.
No one said leaving the EU was going to be easy. The Government's performance in the Brexit negotiations has been criticised across all media platforms, including Blasting News. But if LSE academic Simeon Djankov's Brexit Readiness Scores are to be taken literally, there is still a lot to be optimistic about.

"The Government has made rapid progress in these areas"

Brexit began badly following this year's general election. With the DUP propping up a minority Conservative administration, leaving the EU seemed doomed. Progress in the talks have been stifled by the size of the divorce bill, the Irish border and EU citizens' rights.

In regards to the latter issues, Mr. Djankov has demonstrated the Government has made rapid achievements in these areas. The mainstream media has failed to praise the Prime Minister's efforts in securing the UK's continued cooperation in the Erasmus programme post-Brexit.

Mr. Djankov's Brexit Readiness Scores show the Government is gradually making progress on ensuring London's status as a financial magnet is protected once Britain leaves the EU too.

There are many components the UK and the EU must proceed with making strides in, like the European Court of Justice's jurisdiction over EU citizens until 2029, despite the Prime Minister's request this ends following April 2019. Britain's participation in European science programmes seems uncertain, but this cannot be resolved until the second phase of negotiations commence.

"The Conservatives are completing Brexit, while Labour implodes over the process"

There is adequate time left for the Government to ensure an orderly Brexit is completed, but Mr. Djankov's scores prove substantial progress has been made in these negotiations since September. The Conservatives are completing Brexit, while Labour implodes over the process.

70 Labour councillors have written to the party's leadership, requesting a change in policy position. Labour has failed to provide an adequate response to the open letter, showing they cannot commit to a single Brexit policy because of how contentious this process is for the party. Labour cannot be trusted with leaving the EU.

As long as the Tories remain in power, they must ensure the opposition is never elected to manage Britain's EU exit. Conservative divisions over Brexit have played into Brussels' hands enough. An incoherent policy from a Labour government intent on retaining our Single Market and Customs Union membership whilst publicly advocating a hard Brexit would leave this nation at a disadvantage.

This is the Government's opportunity to play on Labour divisions and deliver the Brexit most voters want now, instead of allowing a Marxist administration to ruin it.
A civil war has erupted in the Labour Party over Brexit, as members have written an open letter to the Labour leadership demanding a position change.

70 Labour councillors from south London have signed a letter to shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer pleading for a change in the party's Brexit policy.

When asked to comment on this story by Blasting News, a Labour spokesperson refused to comment, demonstrating the party's inaction over the issue.

"Support for Brexit is increasing in the polls"

The news comes as support for Brexit is increasing in the polls, with a YouGov survey discovering 48 per cent of adults prefer that the UK leaves the EU.

This is compared to 39 per cent, marking a 9 per cent lead for leaving in the polls.

The letter does not explicitly request a second referendum, but states the electorate's mind on leaving the EU could change.

The councillors originate from Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham.

Many Labour MPs have hinted their support for a second referendum, despite shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott's insistence the party does not favour one.

The YouGov survey demonstrated that 54 per cent of British adults would prefer the UK to remain in the trading bloc until the negotiations are completed, as opposed to 30 per cent who want Britain to leave immediately.

Support for Martin Schulz's idea of a federal Europe stands at 10 per cent, as opposed to 43 per cent who totally oppose the idea.

However, 67 per cent of people believe the EU has the upper hand in the negotiations, as opposed to 10 per cent who suggest the UK does.
A leading academic has claimed the possibility of an orderly Brexit is gradually increasing.

Simeon Djankov, Executive Director of the London School of Economics' (LSE) Financial Markets Group, updated his Brexit Readiness Score for this quarter and discovered the UK's current readiness stands at 22 out of 100.

This is a rapid increase from September, where he scored Britain's Brexit preparations at 9 out of 100.

He tracked the Government's progress in the negotiations from 0 to 100 in ten components.

The news comes as 25 Labour rebels seek to derail the Government's Brexit strategy by demanding Chancellor Philip Hammond reveals public documents outlining the impact leaving the European Union (EU) will have on the economy.

Mr. Djankov praised the deal the UK and the EU reached on protecting "EU professionals and self-sufficient citizens." This component explored Brexit's impact on visas and work requirements for EU nationals. The Government suggested stay-at-home parents and students have private health insurance or comprehensive sickness insurance.

"He scored the Government's progress with 6 out of 10, an increase from 2 out of 10 in September"

In this area, he scored the Government's progress with 6 out 10, an increase from 2 out of 10 in September.

He increased his Brexit Readiness Score here because of the December deal Britain and the EU reached to ensure EU citizens would enjoy the same rights as they did before Brexit.

The Government also removed the requirement for EU citizens to buy sickness insurance.

On the financial settlement the UK and the EU were meant to reach before proceeding with trade talks, Mr. Djankov gave the Government a score of 5 out of 10. He said they have achieved substantial progress in this area because of the Prime Minister's commitment to pay what it owes the trading bloc over a period of seven years.

He improved the Government's Brexit Readiness Score from 1 to 2 out of 10 in regard to the City of London. This component examines regulatory revisions necessary to guarantee the capital can adjust to a post-Brexit environment by changing operations involving passporting.

"Many banks feel less pressured to relocate abroad"

Mr.

Djankov said many banks feel less pressured to relocate abroad because of the assurance that there would be a transition period after April 2019, the date Britain is due to leave the EU. The banking community feared a lack of a transition phase would disrupt their operations.

The academic increased the Government's Brexit Readiness Score from 0 to 3 points in his Erasmus Programme component. This scheme is designed to provide British students with the chance to gain work experience in the EU and reciprocate those rights in return.

He said the Government has improved its position here because of Theresa May's commitment in December to retain the UK's involvement in Erasmus.

On customs, ports and border points, the academic scored the Government with a 1, with no change since September.

He said this is because of the issue of a hard Irish border causing delays.

"Mr. Djankov gave the Government a 0 in each area"

In all other components like access to European markets, tax, the European Court of Justice and the EU Science Exchange, Mr. Djankov gave the Government a 0 in each area.

He said progress with negotiations over the European Court of Justice are being thwarted by the Prime Minister's insistence that its rulings cease after April 2019.

Mr. Djankov stressed the UK's involvement in European science programmes like Horizon 2020 will not be discussed until the second phase of negotiations begin.

Labour MP Chuka Umuna tweeted that he was one of the rebels involved in the letter to the Chancellor requesting an examination of public documents on Brexit.

The 25 MPs told The Guardian that the public have a right to know what leaving the EU will mean for families across the country.

This move follows Brexit Secretary David Davis' suggestion that his department carries out 58 sectoral analyses, despite informing Parliament they never existed.
58-year-old Mary Horomanski was shocked when she opened her Electric Bill this month. The Pennsylvania woman told the Erie-Times news that "[her] eyes just about popped out of [her] head" when she discovered that her monthly bill had gone up to an astonishing $284,460,000,000.

There is a silver lining to her extremely high electric bill - the full amount isn't due until November of 2018, with only $28,156 due for December. That leaves plenty of time for her family to pull together $284 billion, right?

Was it the Christmas lights?

Horomanski was in total shock when she checked her bill online.

Her husband and one of her five sons were concerned as they watched her jaw drop and the color drain from her face.

Mrs. Horomanski told the local paper, "When you see something like that, your heart starts beating, you break out into a little sweat, like 'What on earth just happened?'" She thought back to the new Christmas lights they recently put up and wondered if maybe they had set them up incorrectly. Surely there's no way to get your electric bill up into the billions simply from a few holiday decorations.

Mary texted a picture of the bill to her son, who contacted Penelec Electric Company. They quickly assured the family that it was nothing more than an error. The actual amount due was $284.86.

Decimal placement makes all the difference. Horomanski took the story to Erie-Times News, where it has since gone viral.

All Mary could think about afterward was what would have happened if the bill had automatically been taken out of her account. Talk about stressful! Thankfully it was nothing more than a simple error, and her bill was only about $100 more than usual.

There's no better way to make someone feel thankful for their electric bill than to scare them with a $284 billion bill before telling them what the actual cost will be.

All this mom wants for Christmas is...

After this whole mishap, Mary told her son all she wants for Christmas is a heart monitor. I can't say I blame her, after getting the scare of a lifetime.

Mark Durbin, a spokesman for the parent company that owns Penelec Electric told the local paper that he's never seen a bill that high, and he's thankful for Horomanski's willingness to reach out about the error. Most people would reach out for something like that, but it's nice that she has a sense of humor about the whole thing.

What a story to tell! I know one thing's for sure - Mary Horomanski will surely be staying away from auto-pay for her electric company for a while.
In the first 10 months of his administration, Donald Trump has made it a point to roll-back as much legislation as possible that was passed during the Obama years. While this has been the case, Trump doesn't mind taking the credit for the improved economy.

Trump on economy

When Barack Obama was sworn into office back in January 2009, the country was just months removed from the start of the financial crisis that rocked the entire economy. The stock market dropped to record lows, unemployment and gas prices increased as panic occurred on Wall Street and Main Street.

Taking on the responsibilities of the economic meltdown was Barack Obama, the young senator from Chicago who pushed a message of "Hope and Change" during his presidential campaign. Over the course of the next eight years, Obama put various polices in place, doing what he could to maneuver around Republicans in Congress who did their best to block as much as legislation as possible. While not all of Obama's plans worked out as planned, he left office in January of this year with an employment rate that was more than cut in half, a stock-market that had doubled, and renewed confidence among many in the workforce. Fast forward to present day and Republicans and the right-wing media have attributed recent economic success to the presidency of Donald Trump, despite no legislation actually being passed in order for the president to be properly credited.

As seen on his Twitter account on November 27, Trump decided to brag about recent economic news.

New home sales reach a 10 year high. Stock Market has more record gains. Hopefully Republican Senators will give us the much needed Tax Cuts to keep it all going! Democrats want big Tax Increases.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2017

Taking to his Twitter feed on Monday night, Donald Trump cited some recent economic news to help promote his controversial tax plan.

"New home sales reach a 10 year high. Stock Market has more record gains," Trump tweeted out.

The Tax Cut Bill is coming along very well, great support. With just a few changes, some mathematical, the middle class and job producers can get even more in actual dollars and savings and the pass through provision becomes simpler and really works well!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2017

Not stopping there, Donald Trump decided to throw some shade at Democrats in Congress.

"Hopefully Republican Senators will give us the much needed Tax Cuts to keep it all going!" he tweeted, before adding, "Democrats want big Tax Increases." Trump's tweet comes hours after posting another message on social media where he continued to push for his tax bill.

Twitter reacts

After sending out his latest tweet, Donald Trump was hit with backlash from his critics. "You can thank Obama for this economy!" one tweet read.

The economy started the recovery 8 years ago and the GOP acted like the economy sucked until you took office.  Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) November 28, 2017

Stop expecting a rational reason for anything this criminal does.



Only thing this tax bill does is give Drumpf more money. And his criminal kids.  Jedi Master Dre (@JediMasterDre) November 28, 2017

1. This is Obama's economy.



2. Your tax cut gives 80% of its benefits to the wealthiest 1% and RAISES taxes on the middle class.



3. This will HURT the economy.



4. You are LYING. pic.twitter.com/Tpj4hBs0wB  Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) November 28, 2017

"1.

This is Obama's economy. 2. Your tax cut gives 80% of its benefits to the wealthiest 1% and RAISES taxes on the middle class. 3. This will HURT the economy. 4. You are LYING," Mikel Jollett tweeted back. "This makes no fuc*ing sense. If things are great NOW, how will throwing our taxation system into compete chaos continue the success?" another tweet wondered.

Amazing what 8 years of realistic financial regulation and a competent administration can do. Try not to fuck it up.  Mark Sanders (@msandersparham) November 28, 2017

Any alleged tax cuts will be spent by taxpayers to fund upcoming ISP ripoffs thanks to death of net neutrality.  Randy Penn (@RandyPenn) November 28, 2017

"Any alleged tax cuts will be spent by taxpayers to fund upcoming ISP ripoffs thanks to death of net neutrality," one Twitter user started.

"Amazing what 8 years of realistic financial regulation and a competent administration can do. Try not to fu*k it up," an additional tweet noted. As the negative reaction continued, those who oppose Donald Trump didn't show any signs of taking their foot off the gas.
It is now general knowledge that North Korea possesses both nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the mainland United States. While this prospect alone is terrifying, there still remains much mystery about Pyongyang's chemical weapon capabilities.

A recent report regarding a defector who was vaccinated against anthrax is alarming officials in Seoul and Washington.

The report doesn't indicate if the defector was one of four soldiers who have defected this year or if they were referring to a random civilian. It is hard to believe though that a normal civilian would be vaccinated against biological weapons when most civilians don't even get enough food in the country.

Is Kim Jong Un making bioweapons?

There have already been reports in 2017 of Kim's desire to attach chemical weapons to his intercontinental missiles. While the prospect of an explosion that also releases a bioweapon is enticing to the dear leader, the ability to do so remains in doubt. The main issue that scientists were discussing is if they had the proper technology to protect the chemicals from the intense heat from reentry into the atmosphere.

The issue seemed benign enough that not many have given it too much thought. People also thought that North Korea would never be able to develop a nuclear weapon or ICBM so doubt at your own risk.

The real question isn't if North Korea has bioweapons, but rather what is their intentions.

A likely scenario would see these weapons hurled at Seoul should war break out. It wouldn't appear that the mainland U.S. or other far away targets would be at risk, yet.

Why would a defector be vaccinated?

The best idea for why this defector was vaccinated at all would be due to his military service. It is believed that the higher ranks within Kim's regime have been vaccinated, but it is unlikely that common soldiers or civilians would receive the same luxury.

Most likely, this soldier was working directly with the chemical weapons, giving him a need to be vaccinated.

This is also a big deal for South Korea as they continue to interrogate the recent defectors. If this person was working directly with the weapons, they may be able to share some insight into the otherwise reclusive nation.

South Korea currently only carries a limited number of Anthrax vaccines. Their strategy is to treat those infected as opposed to mass vaccination to prevent it in the first place. U.S. military personnel have vaccinated their soldiers in the region and continue to do so as per normal protocol.

This type of wait and see approach from Seoul could be disastrous if the North does launch any type of chemical attack on their enemies to the South.
Despite no longer being president, Barack Obama is still viewed in a positive light by many Americans. After gallup announced that Obama was the winner of their most admired man award, supporters of Donald Trump were not happy.

Obama over Trump

For eight years Barack Obama was commander in chief of the United States, becoming the first African-American do so in the country's history. Despite taking over the job just months after the financial collapse of the Great Recession, Obama was able to put enough policies in place to have the economy bounce back, while passing key legislation on issues dealing with health care, civil rights, and more.

Since Obama's departure from the White House last January, Donald Trump has taken over as president, but hasn't received the best feedback in return. Recent polls show Trump's approval rating down to less than 35 percent, making his favorability numbers the worst of any president after their first year in office. According to Gallup on December 27, Trump became the runner-up for "Most Admired Man in America," with Obama taking the top spot.

In a report released by Gallup on Wednesday, Barack Obama was voted the "Most Admired Man in America" for the 10th year in a row, with 17 percent of the vote total.

In second place was Donald Trump, bringing in 14 percent. The third and fourth spots went to religious leaders in Pope Francis and controversial Rev. Billy Graham. Other names on the list were Arizona Sen. John McCain, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Bill Gates.

In addition, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won "Most Admired Woman" for the 16th straight year, beating out former First Lady Michelle Obama in a tight vote, nine percent to seven percent.

Other women on the list included Oprah Winfrey, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Twitter celebrates

Following the release of the Gallup poll results, supporters of Donald Trump lost there cool on social media. "Who took the poll, Islamic refugees?" one tweet asked.

Who you been asking?

Just cause you say something doesn't make it so. See CNN

Libtardation is an airborne illness you catch it from watching CNN  Cory (@thatOCshow) December 27, 2017

Yep.....  Joan M Weaver (@joansigns) December 27, 2017

"Like Bonnie and Clyde, I guess people admire criminals who keep getting away with committing crime.

Hopefully justice finds all criminals regardless of their popularity," another Twitter user stated. "Must be the same poll that had Hillary winning by a landslide," a follow-up tweet pointed out.

Oh Gallup, proving the National Enquirer more credible than you, again.  ManoBrow (@realmanobrow) December 27, 2017

Survey polled only upper level employee's of FBI, CIA and DOJ  Let's Start Inditing Liberals Now!!! (@immike22) December 27, 2017

I now know that #GallupNews posts fake news.  Deplorable DavidHill (@dwarfFrandguy) December 27, 2017

"Unbelievable mustve polled only liberals," a tweet read. "Oh Gallup, proving the National Enquirer more credible than you, again," yet another tweet stated. The negative reaction by right-wing Americans continued as the battle between the news media and the president moved forward.
After Vanity Fair posted a satire video about what Hillary Clinton could do in 2018, the magazine came under fire for its alleged "sexist" stance. Following the publication's apology, Donald Trump decided to give his thoughts, but made a careless error with his criticism.

Trump on Hillary

Heading into the 2016 general election, the consensus was that Hillary Clinton would easily defeat Donald Trump and become the first female President of the United States. Despite the polls doubling down on the feelings of most Americans, the former host of "The Apprentice" was able to pull off the upset and walk out the winner, thought his victory has been marred by allegations of being in cahoots with Russia as they hacked the Democratic National Committee.

Since then, Trump has spent the last year taking sporadic shots at the former Secretary of State, as Clinton herself released a book titled "What Happened," explaining her view on how her campaign went wrong. Last week, Vanity Fair posted a video to their social media page that gave Clinton six humorous suggestions for 2018, including taking up knitting to pass the time. The magazine was forced to release an apology, which didn't go over well with the president, as seen in a tweet on December 28 that included an embarrassing blunder.

Vanity Fair, which looks like it is on its last legs, is bending over backwards in apologizing for the minor hit they took at Crooked H. Anna Wintour, who was all set to be Amb to Court of St Jamess & a big fundraiser for CH, is beside herself in grief & begging for forgiveness!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017

Taking to Twitter on Thursday morning, Donald Trump appeared disgusted with Vanity Fair for walking back their piece on Hillary Clinton.

"Vanity Fair, which looks like it is on its last legs, is bending over backwards in apologizing for the minor hit they took at Crooked H," Trump tweeted.

Maybe it's time for Hillary Clinton to take up a new hobby in 2018 pic.twitter.com/sbE78rA5At  VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) December 23, 2017

"Anna Wintour, who was all set to be Amb to Court of St Jamess & a big fundraiser for CH, is beside herself in grief & begging for forgiveness!" Donald Trump concluded.

However, Trump was incorrect with his tweet, as Anna Wintour is the editor-in-chief of Vogue, not Vanity Fair.

Twitter reacts

After Donald Trump tweeted out about Vanity Fair, critics were quick to point out his mistake. "Um.. Anna Wintour is at Vogue, not Vanity Fair. Trump with FAKE NEWS once again," Dani Bostick wrote.

Um  Anna Wintour is at Vogue not Vanity Fair...Majorly embarrassing mistake, Donnie.  TR Simon (@trsimon_2) December 28, 2017

Congratulations to Anna #Wintour on editing both Vogue AND Vanity Fair, that must be a hard job but she gets it done! #WhoRunsTheWorld  Lee Perry (@likeleeperry) December 28, 2017

Does @realDonaldTrump realize that Anna Wintour is editor of Vogue - not Vanity Fair????? #TrumpspreadsFAKENEWS  Silver Eagle (@SandDollar04) December 28, 2017

"Vanity Fair and Vogue (of which Anna Wintour is Editor in Chief) are two separate publications.

Even the most basic of tweets you get the facts wrong," another tweet added. "Congratulations to Anna #Wintour on editing both Vogue AND VF, that must be a hard job but she gets it done!" a follow-up tweet read with humor.

Mistaking Anna Wintour as the EIC of Vanity Fair makes this the most offensive tweet of 2017. #DevilWearsPrada #DevilDoesNotWearAllBlackEver https://t.co/xrCc8ZXxPi  Aaron Costa Ganis (@aaroncostaganis) December 28, 2017

I have a feeling Anna Wintour is just fine. It probably helps that she's the editor-in-chief for Vogue, not Vanity Fair.. But we don't care about facts, now do we?  Jessica Shifflett (@Rigaruu) December 28, 2017

Anna Wintour not being the CEO of Conde Nast has nothing to do with Vanity Fair. Shes the editor of Vogue. Therefore does not need to beg for forgiveness.  ahsan1 (@ahsan1) December 28, 2017

"And it should be noted, Anna Wintour isnt the editor of VF, but Vogue. Then again, fats really arent your strong suit are they?" yet another tweet noted. "Mistaking Anna Wintour as the EIC of Vanity Fair makes this the most offensive tweet of 2017," a tweet stated.
As North Korea makes its mark in the world of nuclear powers, it will have to learn how to handle nuclear power for peaceful purposes. Sanctions do not pave the way for dialog. They just isolate a country. In the past UN had imposed sanctions against Afghanistan and Iraq. Both countries ended up with American boots on the ground. However, the current situation is very different from the past.

North Korea crisis - current situation

North Korea tests ICBM with nuclear warheads and long-range missiles which are capable of reaching the Pacific Ocean. It aims to create one with a range which will reach the US mainland .

tests ICBM with nuclear warheads and long-range missiles which are capable of reaching the Pacific Ocean. It aims to create one with a range which will reach the . US, Japan, S Korea and China react in a hostile manner.

react in a hostile manner. United Nations Security Council passed a second resolution with more sanctions against North Korea. According to Nikki Haley , the second round of "sanctions will strangle" energy supplies with a near-total blockade of essential resources. A threat to impose more sanctions is also mentioned in the resolution.

against North Korea. According to , the second round of "sanctions will strangle" energy supplies with a near-total blockade of essential resources. A threat to impose more sanctions is also mentioned in the resolution. Pyongyang regards the fresh sanctions as an act of war.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, unlike the other two, is a nuclear power.

Boots on the ground is not an option whether they are American, Chinese or Russian. The idea is to persuade Pyongyang to a dialogue. The Nuclear Tests are correctly condemned, yet every sovereign country has a right to self defense.

Its high time that all the concerned parties should start the six-party talks again. These talks, when in progress, involved North Korea, China, Russia, US, Japan and South Korea. Its time that another country such as Norway, Sweden or Uruguay or even an Arab power got involved in these talks. Obviously, the six-party has found no solution. No one in the world can afford to ignore the DPRK.

Way to peace in the Korean peninsula

Both the United States and North Korea have to stop their belligerent talk.

Both countries are behaving with arrogance produced by ignorance along with unnecessary pride, which does not create the atmosphere needed for talks. Nations should determine to find a peaceful solution, which will come after they stop practicing Machiavellian politics.

American foreign policy and even the Korean statement to a large extent is characteristic of flashing maximum military might.

The United States in its key strategic security document states North Korea is a threat. The key purpose of national security for the United States is to protect its homeland.

If foreign policies do not go beyond creating a comfortable domestic environment then they are not really looking to create a peaceful international environment.

Give and take exists, and some of it is completely palatable to the nationalistic pride as it involves a compromise  a compromise which actually achieves the agenda of protecting the homeland.

Conflict resolution and Korea

The point reached at this time is that of conflict resolution. The purpose for both nations is to resolve the conflict and not escalate it. This conflict has arisen after perceived threats from North Korea post-nuclear tests. It is about dealing with perception. Perceptions that lead to the thinking that North Korea will attack.

Somewhere the DPRK has to realize that it is a puny nation with needs of welfare and growth. Its belligerence has side-tracked it into building its military might instead.

Similarly, the US has to understand that this conflict cannot be resolved by imposing its superiority but must involve regional players and they should treat North Korea with a certain parity and respect to its sovereignty.

There are several points where North Korea needs help in areas like humanitarian measures, medical and food aid as well as energy aid. If Pyongyang were to see positive outreach from the rest of the world, then there is little doubt that peace will prevail. There is no current solution and only sanctions is not an option. The world does not want to witness an all-out annihilation war such as in the final episode of "Star Trek." The world wants to witness the healing and peace that Michael Jackson once sang for us.
The folks at Netflix thought it would be a "bright" idea to release an original movie right in time for the holidays. Having Will Smith on board seemed like a coup. All that was needed was a plot, some interesting characters, and a dope soundtrack. Two out of three isn't bad, right?

Netflix's reputation has original content creators has suffered in recent months, with quality being replaced by quantity. "Bright" might accelerate the demise of the streaming service, at least in this particular sector.

About 'Bright'

"Bright" is Netflix's first foray into original fantasy films.

Directed by David Ayer ("Suicide Squad"), the movie was released on to the streaming service on December 22, 2017.

In Los Angeles, humans, orcs, and elves live side-by-side, though not always peacefully. A veteran police officer is forced to team up with a rookie orc cop who has already failed him in the past, leading to the veteran getting shot. When a magic wand and its holder are exposed, the two officers must decide between protecting themselves and protecting everyone around them while contending with the politics of the city. They also must protect a 'bright,' which has the ability to conduct magic.

Netflix flops

The premise of "Bright" shows some promise. Humans and creatures trying to live side-by-side and the inherent tension that brings.

Exploring those dynamics beyond a surface-level look would've added a sense of intrigue to the movie.

But the analogy to the real world's current class and racial system is made almost immediately. The orcs are clearly one demographic, while the elves are another - "Bright" hits the audience over the head again and again in regards to this analogy.

No audience likes to be drilled with the same information repeatedly for two hours - it wears on you.

Another thing that gets old quickly? Darkness. For a film called "Bright," there sure are a lot of scenes shot under the guise of darkness, where the action moves become indecipherable. If there's no budget to shoot an action movie, don't make an action movie and try to hide its flaws under the dark of night.

The sudden shifts to light are jarring, a perfect way to alienate an audience.

Will Smith can't save this movie, just like he couldn't save "Suicide Squad." His performance as Officer Ward isn't bad, it just isn't memorable in the slightest. The motivations of the character were hard to hold. They were even more unclear for his orc partner, played by Joel Edgerton.

Speaking of "Suicide Squad," director David Ayer has to share the brunt of the blame for "Bright." He seems to have sold his creative soul to be part of supernatural lore, particularly the darkness that generates it all. Because of it, every movie he makes feels imbalanced between darkness and light. That trend is likely to continue with his "Suicide Squad" spin-off, featuring Harley Quinn.

Shine bright like a diamond

There were some decent scenes in the movie. The banter between Officer Ward and Officer Jakoby at the end of the film takes on the right tenor. The bit characters that fill up the universe are believable. Some of the stunts are cool.

Additionally, there is a roaring soundtrack to the film, much like "Suicide Squad." Rag'n'Bone Man and Logic provide the anthem to "Bright" with the film's opener, "Broken People." Bastille, Migos, even Snoop Dogg show up for the soundtrack.

But moments of levity are torn apart by worse banter for the rest of the film that makes someone want to scratch their eardrums. Some of the characters, like the immoral cops, are just annoying. Some of the action - like the scene where Officer Ward goes all "Matrix" on his fellow cops - is superfluous and silly.

And that awesome soundtrack? It's barely touched after the first scenes of the movie until the credits roll over, at which point nobody is interested. What a missed opportunity.

Final thoughts

Netflix completely dropped the ball on "Bright." A premise with intrigue and a soundtrack with pizzazz faded into darkness, obscured by bad acting, bad action, and terrible character/plot development. There are few redeemable qualities about this movie.

The fact that Netflix has already ordered a sequel to "Bright" suggests they're either tone-deaf or sabotaging their own business.

Rating: D-
The opinions expressed by "Don Quixote" are strictly his own and do not represent the opinions of Vernon Council!

Because I value your thoughtful opinions, I encourage you to add a comment to this discussion. Don't be offended if I edit your comments for clarity or to keep out questionable matters, however, and I may even delete off-topic comments.

Bob Spiers Vernon City Councillor
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HCM CITY  Next year is likely to be a fiercely competitive one for real-estate companies in HCM City since scores of new projects are set to hit the market, analysts said.

Following a successful 2017, many developers have already announced plans for next year.

Nguyen inh Trung, general director of HungThinh Corp, said 2018 plans were discussed and finalised in the middle of the previous year.

He told the Vietnam Investment Review that the plans had acquired dynamism after the companys 10 mergers and acquisitions in 2017.

The companys plans include expanding to the north and starting to sell its products in 2018. It opened a representative office in Ha Noi this year.

Vietcomreal said it considered 2018 an important year for its business.

According to the Vietnam Investment Review, the company will increase its land holdings by bidding for properties sold by privatised companies, especially in HCM City.

Phat at Company will sell units in two apartment projects in District 7 and develop the River City.

Singaporean-owned Keppel Land will develop Palm City and The View.

Talking about the market next year Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the HCM City Real Estate Association, said next year the market would change to balance demand and supply in the various segments, and become stable, he said.

He predicted there would be intensive investment at the low end, where there is plenty of actual demand for housing.

The city is considering converting one third of all agriculture lands into urban lands to use for industry and services and build the smart urban area, he said.

The market would continue to develop next year thanks to foreign investors and overseas Vietnamese, he added.

Economist Can Van Luc said many new companies in property development and trading were incorporated this year.

Many real estate projects are waiting for licences, and so 2018 could be a tough year for the companies in the sector, he said.

Nguyen Nam Hien, general director of HungThinh Land said next year there would also be intense competition between transaction centres because many new ones were established this year.  VNS
HCM CITY  Viet Nam holds great potential for organic farming as more consumers, particularly those with high incomes, have demand for such products, experts have said.

Speaking at the First National Forum on Organic Agricultural Development held on December 27, Vu Kim Hanh, chairwoman of the High Quality Vietnamese Product Business Association, said demand for organic products has increased significantly both in Viet Nam and globally, and this offers great potential for farmers and businesses investing in the field.

Hanh said that global organic product revenues (food and beverages) had surged from US$15.2 billion in 1999 to $28.7 in 2004, and more than $81.6 billion in 2015, with the US, Germany and France the largest markets for organic products.

Organic market revenue in Viet Nam is estimated to be at VN3 trillion ($132.15 million) a year, with spending for such products in the north higher than that in the south, she said.

Organic products are sold in supermarkets like Co.opmart and Lotte Mart, shops, websites and on Facebook.

Most organic products are imported while most locally made organic products are mainly food and spices, she said.

Vo Hoang Anh, private label director at Saigon Co.op, which supplies USDA certified organic vegetables, rice, shrimp and fish, said "There is great demand for organic products."

Noting that the supermarket has been short of organic fruits, vegetables and rice, he said: Saigon Co.op would to like to tie up with other producers that have organic certificates to ensure supply and good prices.

According to the Viet Nam Organic Agriculture Association (VOAA), the organic farming area in Viet Nam has been increasing, reaching about 77,000 hectares in 2016, 3.6 times higher than it was in 2010.

Currently, 33 out of the countrys 63 provinces and cities have organic farming models, with many offering high economic efficiency and higher incomes for farmers, contributing to agricultural restructuring.

Though it is modest compared to the total farming area, businesses and organisations are applying international organic standards and certified organic products are being exported to many markets, including the US and EU.

Organic agriculture offers advantages such as no pesticide residue, higher value of the products, and greater likelihood of being accepted in choosy markets.

But companies in the field also face challenges, including high investment costs. In addition, there is no domestic certification organisation for organic products and growers have to depend on foreign organisations.

New policies, standards

Vietnamese standards for organic products should be developed, participants said.

Hanh said the Government should have new policies to promote the development of organic farming and should support brand and market development for products.

The Government should also offer incentives for businesses to invest in producing organic fertiliser, bio-fertiliser, microorganisms and biological botanical products, she said.

Le Quoc Phong, deputy chairman of the VOAA and general director of Binh ien Fertiliser Joint Stock Company, head of the forums organisation board, said: Organic farming needs large scale and stable land areas to help producers feel secure about investing in improving soil and infrastructure development.

The Government should have a zoning plan for organic farming for certain priority products, and also a suitable land allocation policy, he said.

Organic farming requires a large amount of organic fertilisers to meet nutritional demands of plants. There is an urgent demand for technology that produces high quality and "clean" organic fertilisers, Phong said.

Participants at the meeting recommended policies that would encourage organisations and individuals to become involved in organic production.

These include exemption or reduction of income taxes and incentives in land leases, all of which would reduce production costs.

They agreed that a roadmap is needed to shift from existing agricultural practices to organic farming with strict standards, although non-organic farming would continue to play a key role in ensuring food security.

A joint effort from the Government, businesses and farmers is also necessary, they said.

Organised by the Viet Nam Organic Agriculture Association and Binh ien Fertiliser JSC, the forum also included discussions on raw materials and harvesting, preservation and processing of organic farm produce.  VNS
HA NOI  The Peoples Committee of central Nghe An Province on Thursday opened the first Orange Fair 2017 in Vinh City to promote the Vinh orange.

Tran Quoc Thanh, director of the Nghe An Province Department of Science and Technology, said that the Vinh orange was the first farming product of the province, which was successfully developed with geographical indication.

The Vinh orange is now a national brand and is protected nationwide, Thanh said.

The Vinh orange is known for its good taste and quality, and in the 1960s, it was exported to several East European markets.

The geographical indication of the Vinh orange, which indicates the geographical origin of this fruit in Vinh City, was developed since 2007. The orange is grown in seven districts, namely Quy Hop, Nghia an, Con Cuong and Nghi Loc, as well as Thanh Chuong, Tan Ky and Yen Thanh.

Thanh said that the brand helped increase the value of the fruit. However, the problem was that oranges grown in different localities were wrongly labelled as Vinh oranges, he said.

He said that an enhanced market watch, together with the promotion of the Vinh orange brand would help prevent this.

Vinh oranges were displayed at more than 40 kiosks at the three-day fair.

The fair also aimed at promoting the sales of the Vinh orange in domestic and international markets.  VNS
HA NOI  The Government has issued two new decrees over the operation mechanism of the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC).

The decrees prevent the SCIC from investing in companies of relatives but allow it to found subsidiary companies.

Under Decree No 147/2017/N-CP, SCIC is not allowed to pump capital into buying stakes at enterprises, where the managers are related to the corporations chairman, members of the Management Board, controllers and general director, as well as deputy general director and chief accountant.

The relatives include spouses, natural parents, adoptive parents and natural son/daughter, as well as adoptive son/daughter, natural brother, natural sister, brother-in law and sister-in-law.

SCIC will not be allowed to contribute capital with its subsidiary companies to found joint stock companies, limited liability companies or implement business co-operation contracts.

The Decree No 148/2017/N-CP allowed SCIC to found and contribute capital to subsidiary companies, including fund management companies, following the established laws.

The two decrees were issued and took effect early this week.

SCIC had a charter capital of VN50 trillion (US$2.2 billion). It was founded in 2005 and officially began operation in 2006, with an aim to enhance the efficiency of State capital at enterprises.

SCIC planned to earn a revenue of VN11.2 trillion and a pre-tax profit of VN8.3 trillion in 2017.

Its business report in the first half of this year, the latest one available on its official website, showed that SCIC earned a revenue of VN2.67 trillion in the period, dropping by VN3 trillion over the same period last year. The pre-tax profit also dropped by more than VN2 trillion to VN2.5 trillion.

As of June 30, SCICs total assets reached VN60.8 trillion.

SCIC was managing State capitals worth VN18 trillion in book value at 144 enterprises.  VNS
Piu Piu will host a celebration on New Years Eve from 8pm at 97 Hai Ba Trung Street in District 1.

The first part of the show will start at 8pm with a three-hour performances of rapper Tao and hip hop artist DC Gang with support from DJ Ivy Phi. Entrance fee for the first show is VN280,000.

The second part of the show will feature the two founders of Yeti Out DJ collective, twin brothers Thomas and Arthur Bray.

Founded in 2010, the company has presented several artists in Asian clubs. Although Tom Bray is based in Shanghai and his brother in Hong Kong, they have performed together across Asia, as well as in London and Vancouver.

The show, which will take place from 11 pm to late, will feature resident DJs Demon Slayer, Boody D and Scarry Potter, among others. The entrance fee is VN180,000.  VNS
LOS ANGELES  Cable channel FX said on Wednesday it had green-lit Glee creator Ryan Murphys Pose, a dance-musical series featuring the largest transgender regular cast in US television history.

The series will star Evan Peters (American Horror Story) and Kate Mara (The Martian, House of Cards) as a New Jersey couple who get sucked into the glamour and intrigue of New York City in the 1980s.

Through their story, the series will chronicle life and society in New York and the downtown social and literary scene, FX said.

Murphy said in a statement he expected the show to be "a game changer" about the "universal quest for identity, family and respect," adding that it would also feature 50-plus LGBTQ characters - another record.

"I cant wait for people to see this incredibly talented, passionate cast," he said.

The series will be co-written and produced by Murphy, his longtime collaborator Brad Falchuk and relative newcomer Steven Canals, with Murphy directing the first two episodes.

The 52-year-old is best known as the multiple Emmy Award-winning creator, producer or writer of numerous hit shows including Glee, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Feud.

FX did not reveal how many transgender actors would appear in Pose but did say they included MJ Rodriguez (Nurse Jackie,), Dominique Jackson (Strut), Indya Moore (Saturday Church), Hailie Sahar (Mr. Robot) and Angelica Ross (Transparent).

"In the 15 years weve worked with Ryan, he has demonstrated time and again that every persons story is joyful, illuminating, and must to be told," said FX chief John Landgraf.

"With Pose, Ryan and his producing partners... introduce us to a new group of characters whose talent, life force, and self-made community is greater than the daunting obstacles created by a society that can be threatened by their native identities."

FX has ordered eight episodes for season one, which is scheduled to begin production in February in New York and premiere on FX, which is carried in 91 million homes, next summer.  AFP
Founder of Soul Rich Women (SRW) network and former Miss Singapore, Genecia Alluora Luo, tells Viet Nam News reporter Phuong Uyen that her mega mission to empower Southeast Asian women to succeed in business has a simple aim: change their lives for the better.

How did Soul Rich Women and female entrepreneur empowerment in Southeast Asia happen?

Back in 2012, I had begun to run my own multinational cafe chain, and I knew that going into the retail business means you have to go online for recognition and effective management. And though I wanted to, I honestly did not know how.

Since this involved a lot of trial and error, without a business mentor or a comprehensive source of helpful information, I felt the need to do something about it, and SRW was born. The aim was not just to help established female entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia, but also those were still working a 9-5 job but desiring to do something on the side.

In the information age, to get in touch with customers, gain market share and arrange inventory, I suggest the women make the most of social media networking, online shopping and delivery platforms. And by giving women entrepreneurs more access to capital, resources and investment opportunities, we can accelerate economic growth in the region, Viet Nam included.

With SRW, my mostly female team and I run mentoring programmes, offering more than 10,000 hours of online training in various business aspects and other forms of community support. I hope to encourage more and more women to advance and continue helping others run a business successfully and make extra income, no matter how big or small.

Why Southeast Asia, and what are the ways in which you plan to help women in the region?

Ive noticed many women in SEA tend to place themselves behind family and children, becoming housewives with little skill and a lot of fear. That is why I believe having a trusting and guiding community for such women is important, for them to become better in life and successful in business.

So, for example, I met an Indonesian businesswoman and mother of five who went from giving out flyers to leveraging social media to expand her furniture selling firm, thanks to SRWs help. Better yet, she will continue to share her experience with others like her in her own locality, thus expanding our support community to reach many more women.

I can see that the Southeast Asian region is going to welcome the next big wave of ecommerce. Regardless, the level of entrepreneur environment maturity differs by country. The best that businesswomen in this part of the world can do is to invest in themselves, become more aware of online opportunities and think outside the box with the correct knowhow.

By going slowly from starting a part-time business alongside full time employment, to a full time business, and finally to scaling and automating the business, female entrepreneurs, especially small and medium sized ones, can facilitate their own growth one step at time.

What are your objectives here in Viet Nam?

As Viet Nam tops the list of ASEAN countries for the highest number of female CEOs, I think Vietnamese women are business-minded, though they might find themselves limited in terms of business models and strategy, and still mostly confined to the domestic market.

So our focus for Vietnamese businesswomen now is to help them establish an online presence internationally, or at least regionally. One such case is the owner of a boutique chain called Lamy, who has already built herself a recognised brand and has come to us with hope of expanding regionally and internationally via the SRW network.

Having delivered some talks in Ha Noi and HCM City, I can see that the older female entrepreneurs see no need to expand their business using online platforms because they are well established and in a comfortable position in the market, while the younger generation is eager to engage with going online.

I can safely say that using automated technology can help these women scale up their business and manage operations across countries, achieving standardised retail structures through integrated software and ecommerce platforms.

Our partners such Shopify, Lean In Vietnam or even Facebook, can help these budding Vietnamese women grow their business selling internationally through drop shipping, point of sale system, and other ecommerce or advertisement tools, to build a commercial network beyond personal connections and word of mouth.

Any advice for dabbling novices and seasoned businesswomen based on your own experiences?

When I was 14 years old, our family was not financially sound and I, being the eldest sister, had to work to support myself through school and to put food on the table, despite being located in economically developed Singapore. With my mothers motivation, I have chosen not to be a victim of my circumstances, and make a difference on my way, which is something I suggest we all strive to do.

The biggest fight is within the women and their own inert mindset, not their technical skills. Lots of women in Asia have a deep rooted fear of failure and a sense of comfort in their secure day jobs, while the education system does not equip them with the level of innovation and motivation needed to break free and act on their own.

I can say that all these women need a sense of hope to build a business and begin to grow, so they can utilise the tools we give them, enhance their lives and the lives of others like them and around them. I dont expect them to change the world, but to change their own lives for the better, be happier.  VNS
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) receives Cameroon Foreign Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella in Ha Noi on Wednesday.  VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang

HA NOI  Cameroon Foreign Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella has affirmed that Cameroon hopes to bolster co-operation with Viet Nam in trade, investment, agriculture, education, green energy and telecommunications.

During talks on Wednesday with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Pham Binh Minh as part of his on-going visit to Viet Nam from December 27-30, Mbella Mbella said that his country is willing to help bridge collaboration between Viet Nam and members of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).

He lauded the effectiveness of Vietnamese-invested projects in Cameroon, including a joint venture between the military telecommunications group Viettel and a local firm, which he described as a symbol of successful co-operation between the two countries.

He proposed greater coordination among localities of the two countries, as well as the organisation of trade promotion programmes and the exchange of training courses and scholarships.

The Cameroon Ministry of External Affairs will ask the President to approve the countrys Ambassador to China to also cover relations with Viet Nam. The ministry will also seek the appointment of a honourary ambassador of Viet Nam in Cameroon, and create favourable conditions for the implementation of joint rice development projects in the form of public-private partnerships.

Minh suggested the two foreign ministries work closely together to accelerate a Viet Nam visit by the Cameroon President in 2018 and conclude negotiations for agreements on investment encouragement and protection and double-tax avoidance, and another deal on co-operation in industry and promoting Viet Nams exports to Cameroon.

Minh asked Cameroon to back Vietnamese investors in the country.

Mbella Mbella also met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who affirmed that Viet Nam is willing to share experience in wet rice cultivation and other fields with Cameroon.

Phuc said that Cameroons offering of optimal conditions for Vietnamese firms has helped facilitate Vietnamese investment in the country.

Expressing delight at the growing ties between Viet Nam and Cameroon, he declared that Viet Nam always treasures the traditional friendship with the African country and hopes to broaden economic collaboration to match their sound political relations.

For his part, Mbella Mbella said that his country pays special attention to expanding ties with Viet Nam, which is why he visited.

He said that along with agricultural development, Cameroon is focusing on upgrading infrastructure such as roads, ports and airports. The country is also keen on developing energy, information technology and the digital economy, he said, expressing hope that it can partner with Viet Nam in these fields.

Cameroon currently ranks 12th out of 72 destinations for Vietnamese investors, with four projects totalling US$270 million. Two-way trade between the two sides has reached about $200 million, mostly from Viet Nams imports.

During Mbella Mbellas stay, the two countries signed a framework agreement in bilateral co-operation, another on a visa exemption for those holding diplomatic and official passports and a memorandum of understanding on co-operation between the two foreign ministries.  VNS
Luc Tung

KIEN GIANG  Most people know now that HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted easily.

They know that it cannot spread by merely touching or talking to an infected person.

However, the ostracism of people with HIV/AIDS has persisted in Vietnamese society, despite many awareness campaigns, as people adopt a better safe than sorry attitude.

Not only do such people decide its better to stay as far away from the doomed people, they are even wary of those who interact normally with HIV/AIDS infected people.

The fear and ostracism is even more difficult to overcome in rural areas where misunderstandings and fear continue to surround the condition.

Danh Truong Danh, a Khmer solider, is an exception.

The resident of the Mekong Delta Province of Kien Giang has braved all the ostracism and fears, adopting two children, one with HIV, of a comrade who succumbed to the dreaded disease.

Not only has Danh adopted the children, he has lavished as much care on them as his own offspring, if not more.

The Khmer border guard looks older than his 50-something years, the tough life having taken its toll, but a smile never deserts his face.

He happily introduces the joys of his life, the two adopted orphans, the boy, Quoc Bao, and the younger girl, K.C.  to anyone visiting his humble home.

K.C. is in 9th grade, and Quoc Bao has grown into quite a beefy man. He now works with the military command of Ganh Dau Commune.

It is hard for anyone to believe that the healthy-looking secondary school student was at deaths door 14 years ago, with everyone assuming she had no chance to survive.

The whole thing started in 2004. I adopted the children after my comrade died of AIDS. At my commanding officers suggestion, I got blood tests done at the provincial hospital. It was very painful to learn that K.C. was in the final stage of AIDS.

At the final stage of the disease of the century where the bodys immune system is heavily compromised - boils, scabs, swellings and wounds oozing blood and yellow puss start to pop up more frequently and do not heal. Danh was not put off. He still bathed her, washed her clothes, taught her, took her to school, and hugged her tightly to calm her down during nights when her body was racked by searing pain.

Reminiscing about those difficult days, Danh said be believes his love and unwavering care for his child carried her through. It was not just taking care of her daily needs, medicines or treatment, it was giving her the will to live, though love.

Overcoming discrimination

One must really understand the social context and Danhs own family situation back then to fully appreciate the silent sacrifices Danh has made, said Major Duong Thanh Hoang, deputy political commissar of the border post and Danhs colleague.

In the rural community they are based in, understanding of HIV/AIDS was really limited.

In addition, just four days before K.C.s biological father breathed his last, Danhs own first-born son, Danh Truong Quoc, 12 years old then, drowned in a stream on his way home. Danhs wife, Le Thi Ngoc Bich, was also expecting, and the child was just a few months away.

In the midst of such a tragedy, no one would have Danh to keep a promise he made to his dying comrade, and have the children, whod also lost their mother to AIDS, cared for by an orphanage.

Danh, however, welcomed the two children into his family despite his personal grief.

Of course, bringing up two additional children began a period of serious struggle for me, Danh said.

Since depending on support from relatives on both his and his wifes side was not a long-term solution, since nobody was very well off, the couple decided to open a small groceries store.

After K.C. tested positive for HIV/AIDS, Danh had to seek support from colleagues to cover medical treatment for the little girl. But misfortune never comes singly. When word got around that the adopted daughter was an HIV/AIDS patient, people in the area practically shunned the couples store.

Witnessing Danhs struggle, many advised him to send K.C. to an HIV/AIDS centre, where she would be cared for by professional medical workers and the burden on his family would be lifted.

Danh confessed that at first, he thought it was actually a sound idea, and did some preparations. But, in the end, he changed his mind.

Seeing her own relatives, my relatives, the community at large, all shunning her, I felt like I was the last emotional support for her. If I failed her, no medicine could possibly help her, Danh said.

So he continued to tirelessly do his official work and take care of the girl. Countless times Danh had to cross the forest in the middle of night to get from Ganh Dau post to the provincial hospital when K.C. caught raging fevers.

Promise to a dying comrade

Its comradeship that pulled me through, Danh said.

Born to a working Khmer family in Go Quao District of Kien Gaing Province, Danh easily made friends with other officers, the majority of whom shared his poor background.

When one of them, D.T.G., was on his deathbed, he pleaded with Danh to take care of Quoc Bao and K.C., and the friend followed through the promise, even managing to convince his wife and biological children to help him care for the two adopted ones.

When his biological daughter grew up and K.C.s health started to stabilise after gaining access to ARV therapy under the national HIV/AIDS care and treatment programme, Danhs wife Bich could go work for an aquaculture company. When the fishing season ended, she took up all sorts of odds-and-ends jobs, including opening up a makeshift daycare centre right at her home to care for local children, to share the financial burden with Danh.

Fortunately, since K.C.s health has gotten better, locals are no longer shunning the family. Danhs family is still poor and barely making ends meet, but a certain sense of reassuring stability has come.

However, the future is still rife with uncertainties. As Viet Nam has entered the middle-income group of countries, international support for HIV/AIDS treatment, which has allowed patients to enjoy free medicines  has started to dwindle. Now, treatment and medicines will be available only through the government-sponsored health insurance starting from 2018, which would require monthly premiums that may be too much for struggling families like Danhs.

The Health Ministry has said that it is revising regulations to make sure that HIV/AIDS patients in the country are given health insurance cards, and thus be eligible for heavily subsidised medicines.

Today, Major Danh Truong Danh, deputy head of Ganh Dau border post, is clear about on thing, no matter what the situation is with government support.

My wife and I will still carry on, until we are no longer able to do so.

I have never thought of what I have been doing as an achievement, although I have been praised a lot by people. I believe that raising orphaned children of comrades is what any solider would do if they were in my shoes.  VNS
HA NOI  The Police Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security is investigating two cases of deliberate violations of State regulations.

These violations led to serious economic consequences for Viet Nam Social Insurance and Vietnam Debt and Asset Trading Corporation.

The police has launched criminal investigation into Nguyen Phuoc Tuong, former head of the Planning and Finance Section of Vietnam Social Insurance, for the same crime, placing him under house arrest.

Previously, in November 2013, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection issued a warning to Tuong for his shortcomings during his tenure at Viet Nam Social Insurance.

The decision was made after the police conducted a deeper investigation into the case of Vu Quoc Hao, former general director of Finance Leasing Company 2, under the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, and the companys compliance with regulations.

In 2015, Hao was sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption and deliberately violating State regulations, leading to serious economic consequences. Hao caused the loss of VN285 billion (US$12.5 million) for the State.

The police is conducting a further investigation into the two cases to reclaim the States property.  VNS
More than 22,500 units in Ha Noi were found to have violated food safety regulations this year after inspectors examined 110,930 units, according to the citys Health Department.  Photo giadinhmoi

HA NOI  More than 22,500 units in Ha Noi were found to have violated food safety regulations this year after inspectors examined 110,930 units, according to the citys Health Department.

Of the violators, more than 7,200 units had to pay fines exceeding a total of VN37 billion (US$1.6 million) and had their unsafe food destroyed.

In 2016, the city examined more than 100,000 units, detected violations at about 16,000 units and collected fines of about VN28 billion.

As many as 11 methanol poisoning cases with 37 people involved were reported in the city in 2017.

Ten of the 37 people died of methanol poisoning or alcohol intoxication.

During a month-long campaign against methanol poisoning starting in mid-March, the health department tested more than 3,550 samples of alcohol across the city. After testing 112 samples, five samples were found to have methanol concentration beyond permitted levels.

The campaign was part of the citys response to an increase in cases of methanol poisoning cases. Between February 22 and March, 14, as many as 25 methanol poisoning cases were reported, claiming three lives.

Other responses included programmes to promote supply chains of safe food and projects to improve management capacity in food safety.

The department plans to tighten inspections, especially unannounced ones on food producers and traders, and to strictly punish violators.  VNS
HA NOI  Airlines, until Tuesday, had registered to increase nearly 3,000 flights and 582,000 seats on 22 routes from and to 18 domestic airports.

This was being done in order to satisfy the rising travel demands during the Tet (Vietnamese New Year) Holiday.

Flight routes with additional flights and seats include Ha Nois Noi Bai Airport to HCM Citys Tan Son Nhat Airport (790 flights/158,000 seats), Tan Son Nhat Airport to Thua Thien  Hue Provinces Phu Bai Airport (335 flights/67,000 seats), Tan Son Nhat Airport to Khanh Hoa Provinces Cam Ranh Airport (324 flights/66,000 seats) and Tan Son Nhat Airport to a Nang Airport (262 flights/51,000 seats), as well as Tan Son Nhat Airport to Nghe An Provinces Vinh Airport (185 flights/36,000 seats) and Tan Son Nhat Airport to Thanh Hoa Provinces Tho Xuan Airport (182 flights/37,000 seats).

From January 30 to February 4, 2018 (December 14 - January 17 in the lunar calendar), airlines will operate 22,300 domestic flights with 4.1 million seats and increase 15 per cent of flights and 19 per cent of seats, as compared to the same period last year.

According to Viet Nam Aviation Administration (VAA), 70 per cent of seats on domestic flights during the Tet holiday are still available. Therefore, the agency recommended that passengers access information regarding flights and tickets via the airlines authorised offices.

Airlines asked to reduce delayed, cancelled flights

In another development, the punctuality rate of airlines in Viet Nam was 87.7 per cent in 2017, higher than the worlds average percentage of 75 to 79 per cent.

The information was released at a conference on solutions to flight delays and cancellations during the Tet Holiday, hosted by VAA on Wednesday.

Speaking at the event, Bui Minh ang, deputy head of the Transportation Department under VAA, cited airports poor facilities, flight management systems and the weather as the main reasons for delays and cancellations.

Moreover, the agencys data shows that 67 to 68 per cent of delayed and cancelled flights were due to the late arrival of the previous flights.

All airports have their own services quality management departments to monitor carriers operations and service supplies. Therefore, they can identify causes of delayed and cancelled flights based on flight schedules, he said.

Trinh Ngoc Thanh, deputy director of Vietnam Airlines, stressed on punctuality and prices as important factors of a carrier, besides safety and service quality.

Vietnam Airlines is committed to not cancelling flights because of commercial purposes. Flights are delayed or cancelled only due to safety requirements, he said.

Le inh Tho, deputy minister of Transport, emphasised the significance of passengers rights assurance in case of delays or cancellations. He also asked airlines and related agencies, by all means, to reduce delayed and cancelled flights, especially during the Tet holiday.

Carriers have to improve their operation, flight management and human resources to reduce delayed and cancelled flights due to subjective reasons, he added.  VNS
HUNG YEN  Police in this northern province have detained a physician for allegedly violating regulations on medical examinations and treatment and the production, distribution and sale of medicine or other medical services.

Colonel ao Trong Bang, head of the provincial Police Departments Criminal Police Unit, said a preliminary investigation showed that physician Hoang Thi Hien, owner of a private health clinic in Khoai Chau Districts Da Trach Commune, had conducted a medical procedure on the foreskin of 37 boys using a pair of scissors infected with human papilloma virus (HPV).

As a result, all the boys developed genital warts, a symptom of a contagious sexually transmitted disease caused by strains of HPV.

The provincial health departments inspection in July found that the health clinic was not licensed for operation. Hien had conducted circumcisions beyond her permitted practice as a physician. She was also found to be illegally selling medicine at her clinic.

Hiens clinic was forced to shut down, and she was not permitted to use her professional certificate to perform any medical practice for 12 months pending the results of the investigation.

In July, the Ministry of Health urged the provincial Department of Health to quickly verify the news that many boys in Khoai Chau District were infected with HPV after being treated at a local health clinic.

The patients, all under 15 years of age, were admitted to the National Hospital of Dermatology between May 1 and July 17 after developing genital warts.

The patients families revealed they had taken their children to Hiens health clinic for circumcision.  VNS
Its rare for anyone to find and then fly the aircraft they made their first military flight in as a pilot a half century or so after the event, let alone on the anniversary of that feat, but this article by Harry Ballance describes just such a moment. Here is the story about retired naval aviator Robert F. Lindley and his aerial reunion with T-34B Bu.140720.



You Can Go Home Again, Sort Of: Robert F. Lindleys Fifty Second Anniversary Flight

words: Harry Ballance photos: Gerhard Frenz

December 7th means different things to a lot of people. For those of a certain age, it is most often associated with Pearl Harbor Day; the seminal event that drew the United States into the Second World War. However, for Bob Lindley, it means more than that. It was the date he first flew a U.S. Navy airplane.

Bob was raised in bucolic Sapulta , Oklahoma , and always had an eye towards the sky. He soloed a J-3 Cub when he was sixteen, and always knew, from that time forward, that his life would be intrinsically wedded to airplanes. During his college years, Bob also met, and subsequently married, the love of his life, Anna. When Bob graduated from Northeastern University , he had already amassed some four hundred flight hours, working around the local airport, and befriending those who had airplanes and were willing fort him to fly them. The writer has always maintained that if a young person has a passion for airplanes, it will show through and become obvious to those further down the track, which generally enables the former to be mentored by the latter. And so it was with Bob.

Bob was accepted into the Naval Aviation Officer Candidate program and became an Ensign after some fourteen weeks of intensive study and low grade harassment, all designed to show that he had what it takes to be a naval officer and pilot. After commissioning, he began ground school at Naval Air Station Pensacola to learn about the Navy way of flying as well as the systems and operation of the Beech T-34B Mentor.

On December 7th, 1965, Bob walked onto the flight line at NAS Saufley Field in Pensacola and began a studied preflight of the airplane that was to be the first Navy airplane he had ever flown; a gleaming white T-34B, Bu.140720. Bob went on to fly this airplane several more times before he moved on to the T-2, but he always had a soft spot in his heart for it. During his career as a Naval Aviator, Bob flew the A-4 Skyhawk and A-7 Corsair II, including two tours in Vietnam where people were shooting at him!

With such impressive credentials, Bob was employed by Delta Air Lines as a pilot in 1970, where he flew, among other airplanes, the Douglas DC-9, DC-8, McDonnell Douglas MD-88 , Lockheed L-1011 , Boeing 727, 757 and 767. He retired in 2003, after some thirty three years of service, as a Boeing 777 Captain. For Bob, flying airliners for a living was more than a job; it was a calling. He was the ultimate professional.

During these years, Bob and Anna raised two children, Sarah and Rob, while continuously owning and operating vintage airplanes. Bob restored a Stinson SR-8 Reliant, which won the Reserve Grand Champion Antique Award at Oshkosh in 1991, which he couldnt have achieved without the willing enthusiasm of his wife.

Their son, Rob, soloed a T-33 sailplane at the age of fourteen and a Citabria at age sixteen. He graduated form Georgia Tech and was commissioned, like his father, an Ensign after having matriculated through Naval ROTC. He went on to make a career in the U.S. Navy, concluding his active duty as a flight instructor on the T-45 Goshawk. Rob, continuing in the footsteps of his father, went on to become a Delta Airlines pilot, and is currently a Boeing 757/767 Captain and Flight Instructor. Like his father, he continues to fly light airplanes.

Fast forward to the Summer of 2017. Every Saturday morning at the Peach State  aka Ron Alexander Memorial  Airport, just South of Atlanta, a group of pilots, affectionately known as The Geezers, gather for breakfast, which sometimes stretches into a lunch event. The same people turn up, but always with different and interesting stories. The participants are a diverse group; active duty airline pilots, retired airline pilots, A&P mechanics, light airplane pilots, and about anyone else who is interested in airplanes. The common bond is a passion for mostly vintage airplanes. One of the regulars, Harry Ballance, had just purchased a T-34B, and conversation evolved around the table as to whether or not any of the former Naval Aviators present had ever flown the airplane. It turned out that Bob, after a check of his Navy logbooks, had made his first flight as a Naval Aviator in this very airplane!

From this point onward, it was determined that Bob and Rob should fly the airplane on December 7th to commemorate the fifty second Anniversary of Bobs first flight in this airplane. It is not very often in ones life that an airplane can re-enter it some fifty two years later! The plan, in its infancy, looked like a great idea. However, there were several significant defects with the airplane that were not disclosed in the pre-buy inspection. Harry flew the airplane to New Smyrna Beach , Florida to have it sanitized by Curtis Boulware and Tim Morris, both acknowledged T-34 gurus. There were some pretty extensive areas of neglect that needed attention, and there was some doubt whether the repairs could be completed in time for the airplane to make it back to Atlanta before the anniversary arrived. But the guys in New Smyrna had the Mentor ready by December 6th. However, there was a line of bad weather that day extending on an east-west line right at the border between Georgia and Florida. After a whole lot of bobbin and weavin, and some great weather avoidance vectors by Air Traffic Control, the T-34 returned to Atlanta that evening in sufficient time for Bob and Rob to make their epochal flight on the morning of December 7th. Gerhard Frenz was the designated camera man, and Leo Roberson, another Navy and Delta alumni, flew the camera ship. As Bob, Rob and #720 were tucked in pretty close to the camera ship, the grin on Bobs face said it all. To loosely paraphrase Thomas Wolff, You cant go home again; perhaps true, but this was even better.



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WarbirdsNews wishes to thank Harry Ballance and Gerhard Frenz for the words and images in this article!
CEDAR RAPIDS -- Two eastern Iowa fires that killed a combined nine people, including four children, within five days made 2017 the deadliest year in more than a decade for fire deaths in Iowa.

The State Fire Marshals Office reported 38 confirmed fire deaths as of Wednesday, with another 13 expected to go on the list, said Ron Humphrey, special agent in charge of the Offices Arson and Explosives Bureau.

Were tentatively at 51 for the year, Humphrey said. There have been several multi-fatality cases. Those start to add up pretty quickly.

On Wednesday, investigators had yet to release the names of four family members who died in an early Christmas Day house fire in Blue Grass, a small bedroom community a few miles west of Davenport.

Theres a whole lot as a community we have to take in, said Blue Grass Mayor Tim Brandenburg. Its bad enough to lose one family member, but here there were four. And to have it happen on Christmas Day.

Blue Grass Police Sgt. Garrett Jahns said officials are waiting for the medical examiner to confirm the causes of death for the four family members killed by the blaze reported shortly after midnight Dec. 25. One of the occupants was able to flee the burning house and was transported to the hospital, but later died, police reported. The other three family members died inside.

The death toll from a Dec. 21 fire in Davenport went up to five earlier this week when two children transported to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after the blaze died from their injuries, officials said.

They are gone, said the childrens great-grandmother, Sue Wilson, 78, of Davenport, in a phone interview. They are all with their mommy.

Kelsey Clain, 23, and two of her children, Jayden Smead, 5, and Carson Smead, 2, were killed when their mobile home caught fire late Dec. 21. Skylar Smead, 4, and Isabella Smead, 9 months, were taken to the UI hospital with critical injuries. Isabella was taken off life support on Sunday and Skylar on Tuesday, Wilson said.

Skylars heart and liver were donated, she said.

Interim Davenport Fire Marshal Jim Morris confirmed Isabella and Skylar both had died.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, Morris said. Evidence at the scene didnt pinpoint a cause, and we had nobody to talk to who was involved, he said.

There were no working smoke detectors present to allow for early notification of the residents, Morris said.

The mobile home was owner-occupied and therefore did not fall under the Fire Departments inspection of rental properties, he said.

Theres no way for us to enforce use of smoke detectors other than public service announcements like this one, he said.

In addition to 2017 setting a record in recent years for Iowa fire fatalities, its been nearly four years since five or more people died in one fire in the state. The last time that happened, according to State Fire Marshal records, was Jan. 24, 2014, when three adults and two children were killed in a house fire in Arlington.

Four people died in a May 25 apartment fire in Des Moines. A 16-year-old girl and a bus driver died in a school bus fire Dec. 12 near Oakland in western Iowa.

Memorials have been established for both families affected by the recent fire deaths. Clains family has a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral expenses and hospital bills for Isabella and Skylar, the site says.

Brandenburg said an account has been set up at the Blue Grass Savings Bank for the family that died in the Dec. 25 Blue Grass fire. The banks phone number is (563) 381-1732.
CEDAR RAPIDS  A former federal prosecutor said it makes no sense President Donald Trump chose to commute the sentence of former Agriprocessors executive officer Sholom Rubashkin, whom the one-time prosecutor called one of the biggest employers of illegal immigrants.

He was building a fortune on the backs of illegal workers and then laundering money through charitable organizations, Bob Teig, retired assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, said. The president got bad advice. The legislators supporting him got fooled.

I doubt they know the details of the case.

President Donald Trump on Dec. 20 commuted the 27-year prison term for Rubashkin, 57, who was convicted in 2009 on 86 federal counts of bank, mail and wire fraud, money laundering and failure to pay livestock providers in a timely manner.

The charges stemmed from a 2008 immigration raid at Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville.

The raid was at the time the largest at a single workplace site.

There were 389 undocumented workers charged in that raid. Of those convicted, the majority were given five-month prison terms for identify theft and other charges related to false documents and deported.

Rubashkin, sentenced in 2010 to 27 years, served eight years in prison before being released from Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, N.Y., on Dec. 22  the last night of Hanukkah.

He now is at his home in Monsey, Rockland County, N.Y., according to Lower Hudson Valleys Journal News. The newspaper and CNN reported people stood out in the hamlets streets to welcome him home.

The White House on Dec. 22 noted the commutation is not a pardon, and Rubashkin still will serve five months of supervised release and make restitution. He was ordered to pay more than $26 million to a livestock supplier and two banks.

Theres no public filing of what offenders owe or have paid in public court records.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Morfitt said the U.S. Attorneys Office doesnt comment on pardons or commutations.

Rubashkin also had been charged in state court with 67 misdemeanor child labor law violations in 2010 stemming from the immigration raid. But a jury acquitted him after his lawyers argued he shouldnt be held liable for employing teens who tricked the company by using fake documents.

Allegations arose during the trial that some Agriprocessors supervisors harassed and had sex with female workers in a storage room at the plant.

The sentence wasnt based on a judges whim, said Teig, who worked on the case in the beginning. Then-U.S. Chief Judge Linda Reade followed the guidelines authorized by Congress. Her sentencing was based on the amount of loss  $26.8 million  for the banks and livestock supplier.

I dont know if hes paid back restitution to the victims, Teig said. Where is his public apology? He never admitted any wrongdoing, which is the first step towards rehabilitation.

According to a White House statement Wednesday, the presidents decision to commute Rubashkins sentence was based on expressions of support from members of Congress and a broad cross-section of the legal community

A bipartisan group of more than 100 former high-ranking and Department of Justice officials, prosecutors, judges and legal scholars said they had concerns about this case and the severity of his sentence, according to the White House.

In addition, more than 30 current members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, have written letters in support of a review of Rubashkins case.

According to a data from the Center for Responsive Politics at OpenSecrets.org, Rubashkin, Agriprocessors and members of the Rubashkin family before and after his conviction were contributors to mostly Republican political candidates and committees.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley is the recipient of some of those donations, but they were made in 2004. And Grassleys spokesperson said the senator did not recommend any action be taken on Rubashkins behalf.

The White House, in its statement, also noted many have called (Rubashkins sentence) excessive in light of its disparity with sentences imposed for similar crimes.

Teig said Rubashkin and the other Agriprocessors supervisors cant say they didnt know they were hiring undocumented workers; it was proven at Rubashkins trial and in the other supervisors convictions. Testimony showed Rubashkin and the other supervisors helped workers acquire false documents and shredded incriminating documents.

During Rubashkins trial, prosecutors also presented evidence he fabricated fake collateral for loans, ordered employees to create false invoices and directed millions of dollars to be laundered through what was described as a secret bank account  Torah Education  causing more than $26 million in losses to banks.

Prosecutors didnt pursue immigration charges they initially brought against Rubashkin after he was convicted on the fraud charges

The commutation, Teig said, sends the message if you have political influence, you can get around the law. You only follow the law if its convenient. I guess it might be a deterrence to get eight years.
BETTENDORF -- Planned Parenthood of the Heartland announced Wednesday its Bettendorf clinic will close Friday after 18 years.

The clinic is one of four Planned Parenthood said in May it would close as a result of the state's decision to cut off family planning funds for organizations that provide abortions.

Republicans in the Legislature approved the change during the last legislative session, and former Gov. Terry Branstad signed it into law.

Planned Parenthood already closed the other three clinics -- in Keokuk, Burlington and Sioux City -- at the end of June. The Bettendorf clinic stopped providing family planning care at that time, but still offered abortion services pending the sale of its building.

Becca Lee, a spokeswoman, said Wednesday the building has been sold. She did not identify the buyer.

Planned Parenthood still has eight centers in Iowa. Proponents of the change to the state's family planning network say there are ample alternatives for women. But the organization's president rejected that claim Wednesday.

"It is absurd that politicians have forced women to travel hours out of their way in order to access basic health care. They attempted to feed Iowans this lie that there are plenty of other places to go for the same care  but women know the truth," Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President and CEO Suzanna de Baca said in a statement.

Brenna Smith, a spokesperson for Gov. Kim Reynolds, responded Wednesday, saying: "The governor is proud to have worked with the Iowa Legislature to expand access to womens health care through a state-run family planning program that disallows abortion providers from receiving taxpayer dollars."

Republicans who gained control of the Statehouse after the 2016 election gave up Medicaid funding for its family planning network and instead substituted state funds, allowing it to prohibit funding from going to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. About a week after the budget that included the change was signed, Planned Parenthood said it would close the four clinics.

At the time, it said the move would affect 14,676 people who had received services there in the previous three years.

Planned Parenthood opened its Bettendorf clinic in 1999 after a lengthy political and legal battle with abortion opponents.

Abortion opponents opened their own facility in 2002 across the street, called the Women's Choice Center.
WATERLOO -- A man police have suspected in two different holdups in 2015 was finally arrested this week.

Julius Jewel Jones, 29, of Waterloo, was arrested Dec. 27 at the Black Hawk County Jail and charged with two counts of first-degree robbery.

Jones was suspected of being involved with two robberies in June of 2015. The first happened on June 11, where two males armed with a handgun robbed the 5 Star Snacks and More on Sullivan Avenue of cash. The second happened June 14, where two males armed with a handgun robbed the Neighborhood Mart on Lafayette Street of cash, cigarettes and cigarellos.

Police found Jones in Oklahoma City on June 24, 2015, where they interviewed him at the Oklahoma County Jail.

Jones was returned to Waterloo in January of 2017 on a gun robbery charge from June 2015, where he arranged to have his friend held up at gunpoint, according to Courier reports.
The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune.

In the annals of President Donald Trumps odd dealings with Russias Vladimir Putin, give Trump credit for making a straightforward decision to defy Putin by supplying arms to Ukraine.

The State Department says the U.S. will provide Ukraine with enhanced defensive capabilities to protect itself against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. What this means, according to news reports, is the U.S. is finally prepared to help Ukraines military punch back in a murky conflict cooked up by Putin. American weapons going to Ukraine will include Javelin anti-tank missiles and sniper rifles.

You may be surprised to learn there still is a conflict in eastern Ukraine. Indeed, there is, with reports of intensified shelling in recent days, though an ostensible cease-fire has been in place for more than two years. Violence there has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014 and driven 1.5 million people from their homes.

Putin is the scheming villain responsible for splintering Ukraine as part of his ambition to reassert Russian power. In 2014, he waltzed into Crimea (there is no better verb to describe his actions). Putin seized and annexed that vital region of Ukraine in the wake of Ukrainian political upheaval. He followed up by orchestrating the uprising in eastern Ukraine, intentionally destabilizing a country that had dreams of joining the European Union and NATO.

President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia but did little else after Putin took the Crimean Peninsula in what was the first big European land grab since World War II. Obama decided that providing lethal weapons to Ukraine would accomplish little but antagonize Putin. Yet refusing to arm Ukraine had the opposite effect: It emboldened Putin. Obamas hesitance is one reason why Russia-backed rebels control eastern Ukraine today.

Trump, who generally sees himself as an active defender of U.S. interests, has his own problems figuring out Putin. The president at times sounds strangely enamored with the Russian strongman. Certainly Trumps not the first American leader to underestimate Putin, but hes the first to sound admiring of a foreign aggressor whose government meddled in an American election.

U.S. officials have been signaling new support for providing Ukraine with arms. The point is not to encourage an escalation of fighting or draw Russia into direct confrontation with the United States but to make Russian interference in Ukraine more costly. Defensive weapons are not provocative unless you are an aggressor, and clearly Ukraine is not an aggressor since it is their own territory where the fighting is happening, Defense Secretary James Mattis said in Kiev in August.

Javelin missiles are tank killers. The separatists possess Russian armored vehicles. Are Russian soldiers fighting alongside the separatists? The Russian government insists it is not directly involved, but its interesting to hear the concerned tone of Moscows reaction to America providing arms. The American weapons can lead to more victims in the neighboring country, and we couldnt stay indifferent to that, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Will that Russian reaction translate into a more lethal conflict? Yes. But war in Ukraine is a reality, and a West that flinches from the prolonged Russian incursion only will please Putin.

The bottom line is Putins meddling in the affairs of other states wont stop unless he is challenged. Trump has done that. Ukraines ability to fight back against the separatists has been hampered by a lack of firepower. Now it will get some. Now Ukraine can punch back.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 27, 2017 | 08:05 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A convicted felon who was one of five people wanted as part of a large drug round-up that began in November has been arrested and now faces additional charges.At 3:38 am Sunday, dispatchers told Paducah Police officers that 35-year-old Mauricus Haynes of Clinton was at a restaurant and recording studio on Oscar Cross Boulevard.When they arrived at the scene, police say Haynes was walking down the street and ran from police when confronted. During the foot pursuit, police say they saw Haynes discard a handgun, and another officer recovered a loaded 38-caliber revolver. Haynes was caught and arrested, and taken to McCracken County Jail.Haynes was arrested on warrants and a summons charging him with two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (PCP), trafficking in synthetic drugs and two counts of being a persistent felon. He was also charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.In 2014, Haynes was arrested on a murder charge related to the death of 34-year-old Nathanial Cody. He was convicted of reckless homicide in 2015, which is a felony.A months-long investigation into illegal activity in this neighborhood resulted in charges against fourteen people on November 29, and five more arrests in early December. Several suspects are still being sought, and the investigation is continuing.

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Dec 28, 2017 | By Tess

A team from the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University in China has demonstrated the ability to 3D print a complex 1:1 liver model for surgical planning purposes for less that $90. The team, led by Professor Cheng Shujie, claims the patient-specific 3D printed liver models will help to improve hepatic surgery planning.

In the medical field, patient-specific 3D printed anatomical models are becoming more and more prevalent, as they can offer doctors a precise and tangible understanding of a particular patients case and can better a patients understanding of their own condition.

In recent years, weve seen some pretty impressive 3D printed models, the most advanced of which are multi-colored and sometimes even multi-textured. These advanced models, however, are often produced on expensive 3D printing systems and with expensive materials which makes them less accessible. An accurate 1:1 3D printed liver model, for instance, can cost anywhere between $3,000 and $4,500 to produce on a multi-color system.

In an effort to make highly accurate surgical models available to more people, the Hebei University team has developed a method for 3D printing complex liver models at a much cheaper cost than before.

Using two high-speed LCD-SLA 3D printers with liquid cooling systems, the medical team has additively manufactured what could very well be the most complex liver models weve seen to date. In manufacturing the pictured models, the researchers used two UNIZ SLA 3D printers, though they specify that any SLA 3D printers could be used.

Made from photosensitive resins in a variety of different colors, the 3D printed models reportedly represent the livers three-system hepatic vascular network, while existing 3D printed liver models only represent two of the livers vascular systems.

This added level of detail to the 3D printed model can offer a more in depth understanding of the patients anatomy and can lead to more effective surgical procedures, reduced risk of hemorrhaging, and fewer postoperative complications.

The liver models vascular networks are 3D printed using photosensitive resin with a layer thickness of 0.1 mm and an accuracy of 0.7 mm. To complete the livers shape, the vascular model is then cast in a highly transparent resin. The result is a 3D printed liver with fully visible internal components, including vein networks and tumors.

Not only has this 3D printing method cut back on the cost of 3D printing liver models for surgical planning, but it has also greatly reduced the printing time for said models. Currently, the print time for a model's internal structure is only about four hours. Still, as Professor Cheng Shujie points out, there is always room for improvement as the 3D printed liver models currently require about 30 hours of post-production time.

After repeated and thorough verifications, Professor Cheng Shujie considers that the manufacturing method, currently developed by the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, of transparent, full-colored and high accuracy pre-surgery planning liver model is qualified in aiding a series of extremely difficult, accurate and personalized hepatic surgeries, said the research team in a statement.

It adds that the 3D printing method could also be used to produce other, equally complex surgical models in fields such as orthopedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, gynecology, plastic surgery, and stomatology. For liver-related applications, the Chinese doctors believe their 3D printed models can be used in as many as 80% of hepatic surgical cases.

In addition to surgical planning, the China-based researchers say the 3D printed anatomical models could also have applications in medical training, and could be adapted for batch production. In fact, if they are used for training purposes, the team says that the manufacturing time can be reduced further for the models as the post-processing molding step could be circumvented.

Ultimately, the Hebei University researchers hope that their low cost 3D printing method will offer the medical field (and hepatic surgeons in particular) an alternative to expensive and time consuming multi-nozzle 3D printing technologies. The research team, informed by previous research efforts at the Zhujiang Hospital in China, the Tsukuba University in Japan, and the Jagiellonian University in Poland, is currently working on improving and advancing its novel process for even higher accuracy.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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zhaobaohui wrote at 12/29/2017 8:04:22 PM:niubility




Susan Lindquist in Phys.Org:

For patients with mild cognitive impairment, don't be surprised if your health care provider prescribes exercise rather than medication. A new guideline for medical practitioners says they should recommend twice-weekly exercise to people with mild cognitive impairment to improve memory and thinking. The recommendation is part of an updated guideline for mild cognitive impairment published in the Dec. 27 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Regular physical exercise has long been shown to have heart health benefits, and now we can say exercise also may help improve memory for people with mild cognitive impairment," says Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., lead author, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mayo Clinic, and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. "What's good for your heart can be good for your brain." Dr. Petersen is the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research.
San Franciscans don't need an excuse to celebrate. But give us a good one, and watch out.

As we get ready to bid adieu to 2017 and welcome the new year, let's take a frolic down memory lane to see how the city partied it up on New Year's Eve in the past.
Traveling minister Fredrick Mendez has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Gofundme.com for the people of Ethiopia who are need of food and resources. He along with Apostle Guillermo Maldonado will be ministering from King Jesus Ministry to take a trip to Ethiopia in February 2018 for spreading the word of God. The funds raised from the campaign will also cover the cost of traveling and misc. expenses.

Fredrick and Apostle will be traveling to Ethiopia for bringing healing and deliverance to the people as well as provide a hand of support to those in need. Apostle has previously delivered his speeches in Ethiopia and millions of people joined the gathering. Through his channel, The supernatural Now, he covered the whole event which showed how the people who attended the session experienced healing, supernatural encounters, and miracles in their lives. The idea to take the word of God to Ethiopia was born in Miami, Florida where the members of King Jesus Ministry planned to deliver the healing power of Jesus to the entire community in Ethiopia. A team of experts strategically designed a sound system that would allow millions of people to listen to the conferences clearly.

The previous event in Ethiopia witnessed 1.3 million people who joined and listened to the word of God along with 370 documented testimonies, 650,000 salvations and 1 million people baptized in the Holy Spirit. Now its time again for people in Ethiopia to witness the same miracles again in the February of 2018. Fredrick and Apostle expect more number of people joining the event to gain unlimited advantages from it. The ministry invites generous individuals from around the globe to contribute to the campaign and enable the two along with the ministry team to go to Ethiopia and offer healing and deliverance to the people. The contributors will be investing in millions of souls that will give their lives to Christ.

Ethiopia has been struggling with the yoke of bondage for many years and the ministry now provides them the opportunity to be freed from the shackles and live their lives in a better way. The event is aimed to bring them peace, powerful teachings, and healing that will transform their lives.

More information about the campaign and a video of the supernatural encounter by people is available on gofundme.com.

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The government has withdrawn its decision to raise LPG prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month as the move was seen contrary to its Ujjwala scheme of providing free cooking gas connections to the poor.

The government had previously ordered public sector oil marketing companies to raise domestic cooking gas (LPG) prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month beginning June 2016 with a view to eliminating subsidies.

The order was, however, withdrawn in October, a top source said.

Subsequently, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) have not raised LPG prices from October.

Previously, the oil firms were authorised to increase price of subsidised domestic LPG cylinder by Rs 2 per 14.2-kg cylinder per month (excluding VAT) with effect from July 1, 2016. Oil companies had hiked LPG rates on 10 occasions since that go-ahead.

Every household is entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rates in a year. Any requirement beyond that is to be purchased at market price.

The quantum of hike was doubled through an order dated May 30, 2017. That order authorised the state-owned firms to continue to increase the effective price of subsidised domestic LPG by Rs 4 per cylinder effective June 1, 2017, per month (excluding VAT) till the reduction of government subsidy to nil or March 2018 or further orders, whichever is earlier.

The source said it was felt that raising prices was giving a contrary signal to users. On the one hand, the government was pushing for giving free cooking gas connections to the poor, but on the other, it was raising prices every month.

To correct this, the order was withdrawn, he said.

He also said there have been increase in price of subsidised LPG even after October mainly because of taxation issues.

The taxation issue arose after implementation of the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme in which consumers are paid subsidy amount directly in their bank accounts, which is supposed to be used to buy market-priced LPG.
Guatemalas recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital leaves President Jimmy Morales closer to the United States at a time his stock has fallen at home due to corruption allegations raised by U.N.-backed investigators.

Defying overwhelming international rejection of President Donald Trumps decision to move his embassy to Jerusalem, Guatemala and Honduras were the only nations in the Americas to back him in a U.N. General Assembly vote last week.

Increasingly isolated at home, Morales won friends in Washington by aligning himself with Trump, although he runs the risk of backlash from Arab countries, which import the costly spice cardamom from Guatemala.

Morales on Christmas Eve said he would follow Trump in moving Guatemalas embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

This is a pretty low-cost way for Morales to make sure the Trump administration is on his side, said Michael Shifter, head of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank.

Morales is no stranger to international controversy.

In August, the former TV comedian came under fire from the United Nations, the European Union and the U.S. ambassador in Guatemala for attempting to expel a U.N.-backed prosecutor seeking to put him on trial for alleged corruption.

The investigation into allegations of illicit campaign financing  which followed separate graft probes into members of the presidents family  had threatened to condemn Morales to impeachment.

Morales escaped that fate but he had to back down over a bid to eject the head of the U.N.-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, and his authority has been seriously undermined.

Morales, an evangelical Christian, says the Israel policy is a principled stand in the tradition of Guatemalas longstanding support of Israel.

Even though there were only nine of us in the whole world who backed (Trumps position) were totally sure this is the right path, Morales said of the U.N. vote. Eight other nations opposed the resolution condemning the United States for recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital and 128 voted for it.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to any Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their own state.
The government on Thursday slammed Pakistan for the discourteous behaviour meted out to the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav in Islamabad where they had gone to meet the Indian national who is in custody there.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in the name of security, Pakistani authorities forced his mother and wife to change clothes and take off their jewellery, including the mangalsutra, and bindi.

Swaraj said the Pakistani claim that there was a device in the shoes of Jadhavs wife is absurdity beyond measure as she travelled through Dubai airport security and their own security to reach Islamabad.

The government, she said, had earlier successfully stalled Jadhavs death sentence through a farcical trial.

She also expressed lament that authorities there allowed media to come close to Jadhavs family members despite agreement that they would not do so.

In response, leaders of all political parties in the House condemned the Pakistani attitude.

Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the entire House calls upon the government to take steps for the safe, secure release of Jadhav.

He said the House also urges the international community to condemn Pakistans attitude.
By Susan Swagler

Good things come in threes. Add another, and it's even better.

Recently, not one but four books on Alabama history came across my desk. I received "Alabama: The Making of an American State" by Edwin C. Bridges, and I wrote about this comprehensive history--from stone age to space age--in Birmingham magazine's November issue. I got "1865 Alabama: From Civil War to Uncivil Peace" by Christopher Lyle McIlwain, Sr., who has spent the past quarter century researching nineteenth-century Alabama. Next, I opened a package containing "These Rugged Days" by John S. Sledge, which details Alabama's role in the Civil War.

And finally, I received a fabulous coloring book about our state. "Amazing Alabama," written and cleverly illustrated by Laura Murray, is a coloring-book trip to each of our 67 counties. Like the more serious, straight-up history books, it's well-researched with both iconic and lesser-known sites. The Elmore County page honors the Creek Indians who first settled the area. It also includes Wetumpka's beautiful Bibb Graves Bridge, which was featured in the movie adaptation of "Big Fish," and it details the asteroid that hit this part of the state 83 million years ago creating a crater 4.7 miles wide.

I turned to that page first, since I grew up there, but looking further into the book, I saw Olympian Jesse Owens on the Lawrence County page; the wintering ducks at Wheeler Wildlife Refugee in Morgan County; the boll weevil monument in Coffee County; and one of the Tuskegee Airmen planes on the Macon County page.

I put all of these books into my "Alabama stack," knowing that we are a third of the way through a three-year celebration of our state's bicentennial, and I'm sure I'll need them soon.

The stack is going to grow. I know it will, actually, because I'm serving on the book-selection committee for the biggest Big Read our state has ever seen. It's part of ALABAMA 200, and we're looking at a lot of great books for readers of all ages and interests.

Alabama Reads 200 (the name, at the time of this writing, is still tentative) won't feature just one book, which is what we've seen in the past. In 2008, the Jefferson County Library Cooperative promoted a countywide Big Read of "To Kill a Mockingbird," encouraging readers to pass the book along when they were done. (I still remember giving mine to a friend who was visiting from Turkey, so I know the reach of this project went far beyond our little corner of the world.) In 2010, everyone in the state was invited to read "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," and libraries and communities throughout Alabama held fun, informative events centered on this book.

This time, with an even broader statewide read, we'll have fiction and nonfiction, including books for adults, young adults, pre-teens, and children--plus a couple books never seen before.

The larger ALABAMA 200 celebration started earlier this year--coinciding with Alabama's territorial bicentennial--with the focus on "Discovering Our Places." Since then, educational, inspirational, and simply entertaining events have been happening all over our state--in each of the 67 counties and in cities large and small. These efforts celebrate the people, places, and events that are uniquely ours. They chart Alabama's path to statehood and focus on our shared--sometimes undeniably hard--history. Go to alabama200.org and click on the calendar for an ongoing list of events that includes cemetery strolls; art exhibitions; dance performances and concerts; museum tours; festivals and fairs; parades; farm days; and (happening now) Christmas open houses and tours.

We're about to enter a year of "Honoring Our People," highlighting the shared experiences of all Alabamians. I'm excited about the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee happening during the first weekend of March 2018. Also, beginning in March of 2018 and continuing until November of 2019, "Making Alabama: A Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit" will visit each county to spotlight our state's history, culture, and geography with interactive displays.

The final year of celebration, 2019, will center on "Sharing Our Stories," and that's when the statewide read will begin. We'll be announcing the chosen books soon. Each genre also will have a long list of companion books to further everyone's reading beyond the books being celebrated. This is going to be a carefully considered reading list that can keep us busy long after the bicentennial celebration is over.

I can't wait to share the fun, exciting ways this will play out.

Historically-Based Reads

A variety of books addressing history and real-life issues.

The Muralist by B. A. Shapiro (Algonquin Books)

In her new novel, The New York Times bestselling author of "The Art Forger" again explores the idea of what it means to be an artist, and she does so deftly within a page-turning, historical thriller. Alizee Benoit was a Jewish-American painter working for the Works Progress Administration when she vanished in New York City in 1940. Her family living in German-occupied France never found out what happened to her. Her patron, Eleanor Roosevelt, had no idea, nor did her artist friends Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Lee Krasner. Then, seventy years later, Alizee's great-niece, Danielle Abrams, is working at Christie's Auction House in New York when she uncovers paintings hidden behind those of the now-famous Abstract Expressionists. The newly-discovered paintings are mysteries to be sure, but they also might be tied to the mystery of her aunt's disappearance.

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Five-Carat Soul by James McBride (Riverhead Books)

This is the first new fiction from McBride since his National Book Award-winning historical novel, "The Good Lord Bird," which was about John Brown's unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry. "Five-Carat Soul" is a collection of never-before-published short stories about race and identity and history and understanding. Fans will recognize McBride's insightful, humorous style and his ability to create remarkably lifelike characters. These stories are all over the place. Consider the antiques dealer who discovers a legendary toy commissioned by General Robert E. Lee in the home of a black minister in Queens. In another story, an American president gets inspiration from a conversation he overhears in a stable. Members of The Five-Carat Soul Bottom Bone Band share their own hilarious and poignant histories. McBride was at Alabama Booksmith a couple months ago. You might still find a gift-ready signed, first edition of "Five-Carat Soul" there. Or ask for signed copies of "Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for the Real James Brown and the American Soul" or "The Color of Water" or "The Good Lord Bird."

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Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (Random House)

This book won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, it was one of The New York Times' 100 Notable Books, it landed on numerous 2016 "Best Book of the Year" lists, and it even was an Oprah pick. A work of literary fiction about race, class, immigration, and the American dream, it couldn't be timelier. Jende Jonga has emigrated from Cameroon to make a better life for his family in the United States. He and his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son live in Harlem. Jende has a great, if demanding, job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark's wife, Cindy, even hires Neni to work at their summer home in the Hamptons. With their lives linked to those of their privileged, powerful employers, Jende and Neni work steadily toward a brighter future. But then Lehman Brothers collapses, and the lives of both couples change forever.

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The Code Book by Simon Singh (Anchor)



The subtitle of this national bestseller--"The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography"--reveals some of what you'll find inside. It is, in fact, a comprehensive history of encryption. Some of the information here will be familiar, like the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allies win WWII; and British code breaker Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician who gave up his career to help his country only to later be punished by the state for his homosexuality; and Mary, Queen of Scots, who was undone by the secret code she used to communicate with her conspirators against her cousin Queen Elizabeth. Secrets, Singh points out, have always been used to change the course of history. The book is written in a highly readable, accessible way and includes various ciphers and stories of those who created them. Singh explores writings of ancient Greek military espionage, and he also considers the ever-increasing concerns about privacy in our modern times. This book was published several years ago, is available in holiday-travel-ready paperback, and remains fascinating for readers of

all interests

This story appears in Birmingham magazine's December 2017 issue. Subscribe today!
Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

2017 was a year of possibility and promise for Alabama. It saw the state solidify its positions in automotive manufacturing and aerospace, and gain a little hope for some continued gains in the future. There were rumblings of big projects and smaller ones, still ambitious and important to their communities. It was a year, as Gov. Kay Ivey said many times, when the state showed it was "open for business." These are the state's top 20 business stories of the past year:

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20. Blockbuster Birmingham Deal

Orchestra Partners, through subsidiary Avondale Holdings, announced in October that it purchased several east Birmingham properties on a block along the Spring Street corridor. The names were familiar, including Avondale Brewery, Post Office Pies, Saw's Soul Kitchen, Avondale Common House, Wasabi Juan's and The Sour Room. Avondale Brewing Company, LLC was also included in the transaction.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

19. A high-rising project

A $40 million, 17-story high rise apartment project was announced in June for Five Points South. The Opus Group, a Rosemont, Illinois-based developer, is planning it. Myefski Architects is the architect on the project, which will be located at 1001 20th Street.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

18. Alabama cities court Amazon HQ2

Amazon's surprise announcement in September that it is looking to build a $5 billion second headquarters set off a stampede among North American cities, including Birmingham and Huntsville. According to Amazon, this second headquarters will employ up to 50,000 full-time employees, with an average annual total compensation exceeding $100,000 over the next ten to fifteen years. Scottsboro even got in on the act.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

17. A high-flying addition

This month the U.S. Air Force's decided to locate the new F-35A fighter jet program in Montgomery, which Mayor Todd Strange compared to Hyundai's decision in 2002 to locate its only manufacturing plant in North America in Montgomery. The 187th Fighter Wing will receive the latest fighter aircraft to replace its F-16 jets, the culmination of a two-year recruiting process. The project means $3 billion in investment and the addition of 1,000 jobs in the coming years. The Air Force expects the F-35As to begin arriving at Truax Field in early 2023 and at Dannelly Field later that year.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

16. Strong materials

Georgia-Pacific announced a $100 million lumber production facility in Talladega in September. It will employ more than 100 full-time employees and generate an annual payroll estimated at $5 million. The 300,000-square-foot plant is scheduled to begin production in late 2018.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

15. More auto suppliers for Alabama

Alabama has quickly become home to many major auto supply companies. Bocar in Huntsville, Hanwha in Opelika, Bolta in Tuscaloosa, and SAS Automotive Systems in Tuscaloosa were among several announcements and openings this year.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

14. A possible boon for the Black Belt

In March, Leonardo DRS announced it will build the T-100 jet at Moton Field if it wins a contract from the U.S. Air Force, creating 750 direct jobs and an initial net investment of $200 million to $250 million. The company would build 350 of the jets over an estimated 20 years, and the overall project could have a transformational effect on the entire region, officials say. A decision is expected in the spring.

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Kelly Poe

13. Birmingham builds big

Autocar announced a planned $120 million facility for Birmingham in September. The project will reuse old buildings on more than 1 million square feet on property in both Birmingham and Center Point in the currently vacant Meadowcraft Complex at the intersection of Carson Road and Highway 79, employing 746 people full-time and requiring a $120 million investment.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

12. Honda continues to grow

In March, Honda announced an $85 million expansion at its Lincoln manufacturing plant, to be completed by 2018. Site prep began at the first of the year for "a multi-phase project to improve vehicle manufacturing flexibility, strengthen the logistic efficiency for future models and prepare for future technologies," the company said.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

11. Toyota plans for more, or much, much more?

In September, Toyota announced a $106 million investment at its Huntsville plant which will create 50 jobs. It's the fifth upgrade of the Huntsville plant by Toyota since the 2001 groundbreaking. One-third of all American-built Toyota engines are produced at the Huntsville plant. But a larger Toyota project may figure in Alabama's future.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

10. Aerospace advances accelerate in Mobile

Continental Motors announced in March that it would spend more than $60 million dollars on a new facility at the Brookley Aeroplex. The project should be fully operational by the end of 2019.

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9. A 'Hardie' addition to central Alabama

Building materials company James Hardie announced in May it will build a $220 million manufacturing plant in Prattville, which could be up and running by next year and employing more than 200.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

8. A merger means more for Mobile

In early October, Airbus and Canadian company Bombardier announced a partnership in which Airbus will take a majority stake in the C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership (CSALP) and a new assembly line will be built in Mobile, leveraging Airbus' experience establishing a Final Assembly Line there for its own A320 family.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

7. Blue Origin rockets into Huntsville

Aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin, a privately funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, announced back in June it is coming to Huntsville. The company will make up to 30 engines per year for a nearby ULA plant in Decatur and for Blue's New Glenn rocket. It will employ up to 350 with an average salary of $75,000 a year.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

6. Amazon sets up shop in Alabama

Amazon's "sortation center" is a $30 million project being built in an industrial park off I-10 Exit 13 in Theodore. Such centers are designed to give the company more control over its shipping and deliveries, allowing for improved service in the surrounding region. It's expected to employ several hundred people, including many part-time and seasonal jobs.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

5. Mercedes moves mean big things for Bibb County

Mercedes broke ground in neighboring Bibb County on two huge projects in Woodstock - a new Global Logistics Center and an after-sales North American hub in Bibb County. The Global Logistics Center will cover 800,000-square-feet and supply overseas assembly plants with car kits and is expected to open in 2019. The 1.3 million square foot after-sales hub, located next door to the logistic center, will provide spare parts for overseas markets. It is expected to begin operations by the end of 2020.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

4. Huntsville's MidCity takes shape

Huntsville's $350 million MidCity development took its first steps, as the $20 million Topgolf, opened this month, while the Camp at MidCity, an entertainment venue, opened in August. The first phase of the multi-use entertainment and residential complex expected to be completed by the end of next year. It is one of the largest commercial property development projects in the U.S.

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Eric Schultz

3. Toyota-Mazda speculation

A North Alabama megasite is among the spots being considered for a Toyota/Mazda plant. Toyota and Mazda first announced their plans in August for the manufacturing facility, which is projected to be operational by 2021 and employ about 4,000. Toyota will build the Corolla there, while Mazda is expected to produce crossovers. Both companies reportedly want an incentive package of at least $1 billion to get the sought-after factory.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

2. Target buys Shipt

In December, Target announced it was acquiring Birmingham-based online delivery platform Shipt for $550 million in cash. Shipt founder Bill Smith will remain with the company as CEO.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

1. Mercedes makes a big move.

Twenty years after Mercedes began making vehicles in Alabama, the company made another big announcement - it plans to spend $1 billion at its Tuscaloosa manufacturing plant making SUVs for the company's EQ electric brand. The company is expected to hire another 600 people.
Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

16 children died in homicides in 2017

2017 was a particularly tragic year for the youth of Jefferson County. There were 16 children under the age of 18 whose deaths were ruled homicides by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office, though not all of them were deemed criminal acts that yielded formal charges. By definition, a homicide is when one person kills another whether intentional or not.

The tally as of Dec. 28 is more than double the number of children under the age of 18 killed in 2016 and the highest number in 10 years. Here is a year-by-year look at those numbers:

2017-16

2016 - 6

2015 - 13

2014 - 2

2013 - 9

2012 - 7

2011 - 6

2010 - 12

2009 - 4

2008 - 12

2007 - 6

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Tyron Bennett

Tyron Bennett, a 17-year-old Fairfield High Preparatory School sophomore, was gunned down outside his best friend's home on Jan. 17 as the two prepared to walk to school.

The shooting happened sometime around 8:20 a.m. in the 800 block of Valley Road. Neighbors heard two shots and a car pull off. When the gunfire was over, Tyron Bennett collapsed on his back on the walkway in front of his friend's house. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Bennett was the oldest of four siblings who lived with their mother on Valley Road. Each morning, he would walk to his friend's house two doors down to get his best friend and they stop back by his own house to pick up his sister. The three would then continue on to school. Neighbors said Bennett was a rare young man for his age. He cut grass, raked lawns, washed cars and ran errands for the elderly. He also had a job sweeping at the local barber shop.

"He was an upcoming entrepreneur,'' said the Rev. LaJuan Lewis of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church and a family friend. "He swept the floors at the barber shop to make money. He didn't get out in these streets and sell drugs to make money. He did it the right way. I respected him, and so did many others in the community."

No one was arrested in Bennetts death.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Juzahris Webb

Juzahris Webb, 17, was fatally shot in Birmingham on Jan. 31 while he and a friend were walking home from school.

The shooting happened just before 4 p.m. in the 3200 block of Cedar Avenue Southwest, just out of eyesight of Wenohah High School, where Webb was a student. Webb and his friend were walking to the friend's grandmother's house on Hemlock Avenue when a car passed them at an intersection.

It appears the car turned around, and drove back by the teens.Someone inside the vehicle opened fire, and Webb was shot in the stomach.

After the shooting, the two teens ran back to the nearby Coleman Auto Parts and Sales, with Webb clutching his abdomen. The victim collapsed on the floor just behind the counter, telling shop employees, "Somebody shot me. Call the police."

"He was a real kind person,'' said Webb's father, Chris Major. "Everybody loved him."

Three teens were arrested in connection with his death. Dequerius Tyrell Fair, 17, and Monsure Davis, 18, were both charged with capital murder. Sha Quon Edwards, 18, was charged with first-degree theft of property in connection with a stolen car the teens were in during the shooting.

The shooting reportedly stemmed from a disagreement over a girl. The charges are capital because the shots that killed Webb were fired from a vehicle.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Isaiah Johnson

Isaiah Johnson, a 17-year-old Wenonah High School student, was shot to death Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017 on Second Avenue South downtown Birmingham. Police Chief A.C. Roper said the teen was shot while he was trying to buy a gun in a deal brokered on Facebook.

The shooting happened about 2:50 p.m. on Second Avenue South at 18th Street. in front of the Railroad Square office building. The victim was 17-year-old Isaiah Johnson, and was there to exchange guns and buy an additional gun in a deal that was brokered on Facebook.

They met in a nearby alley and one of the young men opened fire from a vehicle, striking Johnson. The suspects fled the scene.

"It is so unfortunate that some of our young people are making poor decisions and losing their lives,'' Birmingham police Chief A.C. Roper told Al.com. "For example, this victim and his group planned to buy a gun from this other group so they met in an alley. The transaction was coordinated over Facebook and the victim knew the suspects."

The shooter - whose name has not and will not be released - agreed to trade a rifle to 17-year-old Isaiah Johnson and his friend, and that's not a crime, officials said. The shooting was ruled justifiable because he acted in self-defense after Johnson pulled a weapon on him first. Thats why the shooter wasnt charged.

Police said Johnsons friend was charged with murder because the killing happened while the pair was trying to rob the man who ultimately shot and killed Johnson.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Nassir Battle

Nassir Battle, 11, was found unresponsive in his bed in his 80th Street South home on Friday, March 3, 2017.

Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said police responded about 5 p.m. March 3 to a home in the 800 block of 80th Street South. When they arrived on the scene, they found the 11-year-old unresponsive with only a shallow pulse. He was taken to Children's of Alabama where he was pronounced dead at 7:36 p.m.

"He was very outgoing,'' said Robin Battle, Nassir's grandfather. "He was a fun-loving kid."

"He liked to dance and play video games,'' Battle said.

His mothers boyfriend, 35-year-old Tracy Dickerson, was charged with capital murder in Nassirs death.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Kayla Mendenhall

Kayla Mendenhall, 12, was shot to death during a family gathering in Leeds on April 30.

The shooting happened at 8:16 p.m. at a home in the 4100 block of Oak Trail Way. Authorities said Kayla and an adult family member were playing around and wrestling. The adult family member, whose name and relationship hasn't yet been released - was wearing a gun and that gun discharged.

Kayla was struck in the upper leg. She was taken to Children's of Alabama, where she was pronounced dead at 9:26 p.m. The Jefferson County Coroners Office ruled Kaylas death a homicide because she died at the hands of someone else, but the shooting was also deemed accidental so no criminal charges were filed.

Kayla was in the 6th grade at Leeds Middle School. Superintendent John Moore said she was a wonderful student who played trombone in the school band. "She had never been in trouble day of her life in school,'' Moore said. "She was a wonderful student, always had a smile. She was just clearly a ray of sunshine."

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

La-Corey Thomas

La-Corey Thomas, 15, was killed in a shootout on June 2, 2017 in Birmingham's Smithfield neighborhood.

The shooting happened at 3:19 p.m. that Friday at Center Street and 9th Avenue West. When Birmingham police and fire medics arrived on the scene, they found La-Corey in the front passenger's seat of a silver Kia Optima. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said two other teens were believed to be in the Kia with La-Corey. They were driving north on Center Street when two to three black males opened fire on their vehicle. Those inside of the vehicle returned fire as they attempted to flee the scene. "They were all into it,'' Edwards said. " "It's apparent they were shooting as well, so we had everybody shooting back and forth at each other."

Investigators found at least eight shell casings a half block away, and Edwards said they believe the shooting happened there and then the car stopped where it was later found by police. "There might have been a pursuit after the shooting,'' Edwards said. "The two individuals in the vehicle might have exited the vehicle and started a pursuit but they all vanished once the police got here."

No arrests were made in his death.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Ta'Leayah Stafford

Ta'leayah Stafford, 4 died July 12 after she was shot in Birmingham's Kingston community.

The shooting happened about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 9, on 47th Street North in the Kingston community. A dispute erupted, though police have not confirmed what they were arguing about.

Authorities said Antonio Fowler and the girl's father returned to the scene of the dispute, bringing the 4-year-old girl with them, said Lt. Sean Edwards. Fowler and the father got out of their vehicle, leaving the little girl inside the vehicle. Fowler apparently pulled a gun and gunfire erupted between him and the other man, who has since claimed self-defense under Alabama's Stand Your Ground law.

The little girl in the vehicle was shot in the head. She was driven by private vehicle to St. Vincent's Hospital. She was then transferred to Children's of Alabama in critical condition, where she died three days later. A 68-year-old woman and her 11-year-old granddaughter were driving through the area when at least one bullet entered their car, striking the grandmother in the neck. She drove herself to a nearby fire station and ultimately was transferred to UAB Hospital.

Fowler was charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of first-degree assault. Court records do not indicate that a murder charge has been filed against him.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Ron'Narius "Duke" Austin

Ron-Narius "Duke" Austin, 2 was shot in the head and killed on Aug. 5, 2017 while riding in a vehicle with his parents and another man. His mother was shot in the arm, and the other victim was shot in the back. Duke's father was not injured.

Birmingham police responded to the Avondale district just before 11:30 p.m. that Saturday where they found the three wounded victims. Duke was shot in the head. His mother was hit multiple times in the arm and the unnamed driver of the vehicle was shot in the back. Ronald Austin was in the back seat with his son, and was not injured. He was holding Duke when police arrived on the scene.

Police said the shooting happened at least a block away, but they stopped next to the Chevron across the street from Avondale Common House. Officers patrolling the area- a popular night spot - heard what they described as multiple, rapid shots fired and rushed to the scene. The actual gunfire erupted in the alley in the 4200 block of Fourth Avenue South. A vehicle with at least four people in it was at some point involved in a shootout with someone inside the victims' vehicle. After the shooting, he said, the suspect vehicle left the scene. A gun was found in the back seat of the victims' vehicle.

Duke was his parents' only child. "He was a happy baby, and he was so smart,'' said his grandmother, Cheryl Irby. "He had an iPad and he didn't need us to tell him how to work it."

Duke loved cartoons, especially Mickey Mouse. "Mickey Mouse, that was his thing,'' Irby said. "He was just so bubbly."

Birmingham police announced capital murder charges against Tyrone Smith, 18, D'Marco Harris, 21, Mykahl Harris, 20 and Joshua Carpenter, 21. All charges against Carpenter, now 22, were dismissed last month by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Virginia Vinson.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Antonio Foster

Antonio Foster, 16, died Aug. 19 after he was shot in the face inside a Birmingham apartment.

The shooting happened Aug. 15 inside an apartment in the Tom Brown Village housing authority. Police received a call from the 4100 block of Messer Airport Highway about the teen victim around 10:39 p.m. that night. Initially police said it appeared the teen accidentally shot himself, but coroners officials said he and a family member were playing with a gun they didnt realize was loaded and it went off while in the hands of the family member.

Antonio was taken to Children's of Alabama where he was pronounced dead. Though the Jefferson County Coroners Office ruled the shooting a homicide because Antonio died at the hands of someone else, it was also deemed accidental and no criminal charges were filed.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Terrius Hilliard

Terrius Hilliard, 15, was fatally shot on Sept. 6, 2017.

The shooting happened at 5:14 p.m. Authorities said Terrius, a Jackson-Olin High School student, and another young man were walking along Ensley Avenue toward the recreation center when a white Dodge Charger drove by them at the intersection of Ensley Avenue and 15th Street and someone opened fire. Lt. Sean Edwards said police found multiple shell casings in the street.

Terrius was shot in the chest. He tried to flee and collapsed in the 1800 block of Ensley Avenue. He was taken to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:44 p.m.

Two teens - Jhontaye Cobb, 17, and Aubrey King, 18, - were charged with capital murder in Hilliards death, but those charges were dismissed in late October. Both still face felony charges in unrelated incidents.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Levi Pointer

Levi Ellise Pointer, 2, died Sept. 21, 2017, and her mother's boyfriend was charged a week later.

Hoover police responded at 3:49 p.m. on Sept. 21 to a 911 call from The Retreat at Rocky Ridge apartments, said Capt. Gregg Rector. The call was placed by Melton, describing an unknown medical issue involving Levi. Firefighters arrived on the scene within four minutes, and found Levi in severe distress, Rector said. Hoover police detectives immediately responded to the hospital and launched their investigation. Melton, who was the sole caregiver of Levi that day, could not provide any explanation as to what may have caused the child to be in distress. She was rushed to Children's of Alabama where she was pronounced dead six hours later, at 9:45 p.m. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office, Rector said, determined that Levi suffered a significant skull fracture.

Derrick Pointer, Levi's father, said he is heartbroken at the loss of his only child. "She was just a joy to be around,'' Pointer said. "She was happy all of the time. She put a smile on everybody's face."

Dlonta Khalil Melton, 19, is charged with murder.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Ta'Leah Burke

Ta'Leah Nicole Alexander-Burke, 18 months, died Sept. 26, 2017 at Children's of Alabama from blunt force trauma.

The toddler girl was taken unresponsive to Children's of Alabama late that Tuesday afternoon. The girl's 21-year-old mother told officers she left the child with her 19-year-old boyfriend while she ran to the store and arrived home to find her daughter unresponsive.

Police and firefighters were dispatched to Tempest Drive. They arrived to find the mother running down the street with Ta'Leah in her arms yelling for help. From there, the child was taken by ambulance to Children's, where she was pronounced dead at 4:25 p.m.

During questioning, the mothers boyfriend said he and Ta'Leah's mother had been in an off-and-on relationship for about seven months. Edwards said the mother left the home earlier in the day, and had been gone for at least several hours.

He told police he got out of the shower to find Ta'Leah unresponsive. In October, police charged the boyfriend - 19-year-old Fredrich Earl Williams- with capital murder.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Miracle McNeal

Miracle McNeal, 15, was killed Nov. 7, 2017 when up to 50 rifle rounds peppered the southwest Birmingham home where Miracle was in bed. Miracle was in her bed inside her home at 330 12th Street S.W. Her phone was plugged up next to her. It was about 11: 45 p.m. when a gunman or gunmen fired off dozens of bullets into the house. At least one of those tunneled through Miracle's headboard.

Police and family believe the Midfield High School sophomore started running for her life when one of those bullets struck her. Initially it appeared she was shot in the head, but an autopsy showed the bullet hit the girl in the left scapula and traverse across her chest.

There were five other people in the house at the time of the shooting - three young children, Miracle's adopted grandmother and a male relative. The grandmother, Bobbie Towns, was in her bedroom with a 2-year-old boy. The other two children were in their beds upstairs. The male family member was in the bathroom, having just arrived home from work and the store.

Miracle was on the A Honor Roll. "She was outgoing, so even though she was just a sophomore, she was friends with everybody in every grade,'' said Keith Hearon, assistant principal. "She was always smiling, laughing and joking. She was a good kid."

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Pervis "PJ" Polk

Pervis Andre "PJ" Polk, 17, was one of two people fatally shot on Nov. 16, 2017.

Polk and 51-year-old Jocklyn Manley were killed in an east Birmingham neighborhood. Manley lived in Ensley, and Polk on the city's eastside. Neither lived where the shooting happened.

Birmingham police responded about 8:30 a.m. that Thursday to the 200 block of 51st Street North. Once on the scene, police found both wounded. They said Polk was standing outside of the vehicle talking to Manley in a silver Mustang. It wasn't immediately clear whether they knew each other. Manley was pronounced dead on the scene at 8:50 a.m. Polk was rushed to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:06 a.m. Someone in a vehicle, police said, had approached the pair and opened fire. The suspect vehicle then fled the scene.

No arrests have been made.

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Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

D'Mario Hall

D'Mario Hall, 3 months, died Dec. 7, 2017 at Children's of Alabama.

He was injured Dec. 4 during a fight at his familys home. Police responded about 10 a.m. that Monday to the attie Gill Jackson Gardens public housing community. Police and medics were called to the apartment after a domestic dispute erupted there, said Fairfield Police Chief Nick Dyer.

When they arrived on the scene, they found D'Mario unresponsive. He was rushed to Children's of Alabama where he was declared brain dead that day. He remained on life support until he was officially pronounced dead at 2:15 p.m. three days later.

Authorities said the boy's father was holding the baby when Smith fought him and caused him to drop the baby onto the concrete floor. She then picked up D'Mario by his clothing and shook him and swung him, according to an affidavit in the case. D'Mario suffered a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain and retinal damage.

D'Mario's mother, 31-year-old Ratunda Smith, is charged with aggravated child abuse.

Don't Edit

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Reynold Bonner III

Reynold Bonner III, 14, a freshman at Jackson-Olin High School, died Friday, Dec. 23, when multiple shots were fired outside KM Food Mart, also known as "Lambs," on 12th Street West, not far from Rickwood Field.

The shooting happened about 1:48 p.m. Multiple shots were fired, and Reynold was struck in the chest. A bystander performed CPR on the young teen, while police demanded a rush on the medics, according to video shot at the scene. At least one gun was recovered from the parking lot. Police recovered at least one gun from the store parking lot.

Reynold was taken to Children's of Alabama, where he died a short time later. Sgt. Bryan Shelton said the preliminary investigation uncovered two possible motives for the shooting. Investigators first received information that Bonner was shot in a drug transaction gone wrong. They later learned that Bonner may have been shot trying to rob another man. The alleged shooter voluntarily spoke with police, and has not been formally charged with any crime.

His sister, Jackie Patton, said they don't know all of the details that led up to the shooting, but said police and the media shouldn't be quick to judge, especially when the victim is someone's child. "Whenever you see a young black male passing and it has something to do with violence, the police always assume it's negative,'' she said. "I feel Reynold was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't seem him as being a troubled child."

"He was raised with both parents,'' she said. "However, I do know sometimes when you trust people whom you call friends, you end up in situations that become life-changing."
Police are asking for the public's help identifying a man suspected of robbing a Birmingham bank on Wednesday afternoon.

The holdup happened about 1 p.m. at Wells Fargo on the corner of Third Avenue South and 18th Street South. The suspect entered the bank and handed a note to the teller demanding money.

After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect fled the bank on foot. There were no reported injuries.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Construction at Vulcan Park is ongoing in this image from November. Work includes renovation of the lower piazza entrance and building steps for walking access from the north side to the statue itself. (Brasfield & Gorrie)

The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham-funded improvements to Vulcan Park and Museum, including a multi-colored light show, is expected to be complete in February.

"We are very excited and think this is going to be a tremendous addition to all of the other great things going on in Birmingham," said Tom Thagard, past president of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham.

As part of the club's 100th anniversary, the Kiwanis Club announced the $4.66 million Vulcan Park improvement project in November 2016 and launched a capital fund drive, which will take place over the next five years.

Construction on the Kiwanis Centennial Park at Vulcan Park and Museum started in May.

Due to some additional lightshow components, the project is now expected to cost $5 million, Thagard said.

"We are installing state-of-the-art colored LED lights that are run by computer," he said. "It is going to be very dynamic. We can make the lights do whatever we want to. For Christmas, we can turn Vulcan red and green if we wanted to."

Thagard said the club has about $1 million left to raise. He said the funds have been raised "by individual Kiwanis members and very generous corporate and civic benefactors and foundations."

The Kiwanis Centennial Park Project is being completed in cooperation with Vulcan Park and Museum and Freshwater Land Trust. The project has three components:

* Reconnect Vulcan to downtown Birmingham physically as the north side of the park is currently in disrepair. Work will include landscaping the north side of the park, renovation of the lower piazza entrance and building steps for walking access from the north side to the statue itself. This municipal/event space will be known as Kiwanis Centennial Park.

* Construction of a two-mile jogging and biking trail that will extend to Green Springs Highway and serve as the future hub for the planned 750 miles of Birmingham's Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System.

* A dynamic, multi-colored light show designed by Schuler Shook and projected onto Vulcan each night to enhance and project the image of Birmingham's icon.

Thagard said residents should have already noticed that trees around Vulcan's pedestal have been cleared allowing a better view of the 56-foot cast iron statue.

A grand opening ceremony is expected to happen in March, he said.
Bissau, Guinea Bissau  For a decade after its independence in 1974, the residents and business owners in Guinea Bissaus capital city  especially the area known as Bissau Velho (Old Bissau), were required by law to repaint the facades of their buildings each December.

But then the civil war of the 1980s tore through the country, and though the law remained on the books, the practice of painting the colonial-era buildings at the end of every year faded, along with the colourful paint on the buildings lining the former Portuguese colonys roads on the seaside city.

With the passing of time, governments changed hands, but most of Bissau Velhos roads are still lined with buildings that were there when the Portuguese colonial powers imposed their will.

The buildings speak of the countrys past  and the political tug-of-war standstill of its present.

The building edifices are the history of each country, says Guinea-Bissauan architect Djamila Gomes, as she drives around the streets of Bissaus downtown area, reeling off the history of many of the citys oldest buildings.

Bissau was named the capital by the Portuguese in 1939, and much of the citys structures were built in the early forties.

Today, especially in Bissau Velho, many of these structures are abandoned and crumbling, much to the dismay of Gomes.

Its not just about things you learn in school  the history must be visible and something everything can see, she says.

At one end of the downtown area sits the presidential palace, where todays leaders are mostly from the ruling PAIGC party, which fought for independence and was founded by Amilcar Cabral. They are still ruling the country more than 40 years later, but the president and parliament are locked in a political battle over who should be named prime minister.

The parliament has not met in over two years, but the countrys workers grind on  selling cashews (the countrys number one export), oysters and fish in the shadows of historical buildings.

The road that leads from the presidency to the port is named after independence hero Cabral, and along this street buzzing with Bissaus signature blue taxis, Joao Arlene da Costa is busy restoring his colonial-era home to its original state.

Before independence, Da Costa worked at Casa Gouveia, a Portuguese-owned export business where he was paid less than his Portuguese counterparts.

It was a strike by Guinea-Bissauan dock workers against the company that was one of the sparks that ignited the fight for independence. After the more than decade-long war was won by Guinea Bissau, the country nationalised the Portuguese company and gave some of the workers homes that had belonged to the Portuguese.

That is how Da Costa received his home on Amilcar Cabral Avenue. Now he wants to restore it to its former glory, keeping intact its painful history.

For me, the independence was everything  to have an independent Guinea Bissau. Whatever arrives afterwards is something else. But for me independence was everything, he says.

Sometimes it feels as if the neglected buildings along the roads echo the sentiments of this older generation, but does the next generation long for something more? In 2015, international donors pledged more than one billion euros in aid to help Guinea Bissau realise a ten-year development plan.

But that money has been stalled since August of that year when President Mario Jose Vaz removed then-Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira. At the time of his ouster, Pereiras government had launched a plan to restore the architecture of three important historical cities. Those plans were abandoned once he was fired.

Amid Guinea Bissaus peaceful political uncertainty, the facades of its historical buildings are visibly neglected, but they  along with the country  still stand and declare their own style of beauty.
In 2018 Iraq will have its first elections after the defeat of ISIL. How will that change the Iraqi political scene?

With the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) now forced underground, and the Kurdish secessionist movement tempered for now, Iraqs next round of challenges will be mainly political. The May 2018 parliamentary elections will lead to a confrontation between two major camps, each with their own distinct narrative and vision for the future Iraqi state.

Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is currently planning a major challenge against current Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The two camps present two totally different narratives: the first broadly conciliatory and forward-looking, and the other deliberately confrontational and spiteful.

However, now that the war against ISIL is essentially over, any alliance of fighters and confrontational politicians is likely to have only limited appeal in the 2018 elections. After so many years of loss and state failure, comparatively small numbers of voters are likely to be interested in yet more conflict. The coalitions popular support will likely also be hindered by Malikis record as prime minister, which very many Iraqis consider to have been an utter failure.

On the other side, Abadi will lead an alliance that will try to capitalise as much as possible on the states victory against ISIL. He will likely also be supported by Moqtada al-Sadr, leader of the powerful Sadrist movement, which has now reinvented itself as a supporter of state authority and the rule of law.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the outcome should be no contest. What is far less certain, however, is whether the elections results will have any long-term implications on Iraqi politics and on the states capacity to function.

As part of his state building programme, Abadi has recently declared that his government will now lead a war against corruption. But everything about his plan is unoriginal: the same terminology has been used practically on a yearly basis since 2005, and its inevitable failure will be a repetition of past efforts as well.

Without major changes to Iraqs political system, any effort to reform corruption will depend on parliamentary approval. Given that parliament is populated by some of the most corrupt individuals in the state, that approval will not be forthcoming.

In addition, even if some progress against corruption is made, over the long run, without major economic reform, ordinary Iraqis will remain unimpressed given how precarious their prospects have become.

Abadis other long-term problem is that his governments policy prescriptions remain embarrassingly simplistic. Iraqs 2017 national security strategy is the recent depressing example of this phenomena: It satisfies itself with repeating the same type of wishlists that all its predecessors since 2005 also provided for with only slight changes in terminology and wording.

If the Abadi camp and the Sadrists really want to distinguish themselves from their political rivals and achieve something for ordinary Iraqis, then they will have to make a quantum leap in their policy-making efforts.

The first step in that direction is to redefine Iraqs politics and government as a vehicle to achieve specific policy objectives. As obvious as that sounds, government does not currently function on that basis. Government exists to allow for a sufficient number of political groups to occupy lucrative ministerial positions, which they then use to enrich themselves and finance their patronage networks, which they need in order to guarantee their government positions.

The result is that ministers are often the last people to participate in serious policy discussions, and that whatever progress is made in living standards is painfully slow and limited in scope. Even the war against ISIL was led on that basis: The conclusion was never in doubt, and government practice made the effort unnecessarily complicated and wasteful.

Some Iraqis, the Sadrists included, argue that the solution is to form a technocratic government, which is to say a government that is run by experts and technicians rather than politicians. But that is to misunderstand the problem and diagnoses the wrong solution.

The problem is not that government is run by politicians, but first that it is run by the wrong type of politicians and second that ministers do not come close to sharing a particular vision for how the government should function.

The first step to remedying government performance would be for the Sadists and others to participate in and encourage a prioritisation of policies that they and sufficient numbers of political groups can support.

By way of example, one possibility would be to dedicate the next governments tenure towards making massive progress in both education and healthcare.

Second, the Sadrists and Abadis coalition should support the appointment not of technocratic ministers, but of politicians who agree with the government programme and who have sufficient-know how to advance it as a coherent group.

Considering the failures of the past, a successful selection approach would have to involving look to a new generation of Iraqis to lead this effort and not to rely on the same tired former exiles would have been dominating the Iraqi state since 2003.

If that approach were followed, it could reopen the possibility of amending Iraqs failed 2005 constitution, which is a necessary precondition for any effort to modernise and streamline the Iraqi state.

Without constitutional reform, vital state institutions including the judiciary will always have their hands tied and will not be able to play their natural role and exercise the type of oversight that is needed.

After the disaster of 2014, and the debacle in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, Iraqis are eager for major reform efforts. But they need and deserve much more than what is currently on offer. The countrys main political alliances should recognise that and make whatever effort is necessary to satisfy the legitimate desires or ordinary Iraqis.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Ahed Tamimi, a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, was recently arrested in a night-time raid on her home. The Israeli authorities accuse her of assaulting an Israeli soldier and an officer. A day earlier she had confronted Israeli soldiers who had entered her familys backyard. The incident happened shortly after a soldier shot her 14-year-old cousin in the head with a rubber bullet, and fired tear-gas canisters directly at their home, breaking windows.

Her mother and cousin were arrested later as well. All three remain in detention.

There has been a curious lack of support for Ahed from Western feminist groups, human rights advocates and state officials who otherwise present themselves as the purveyors of human rights and champions of girls empowerment.

Ahed, like Malala, has a substantial history of standing up against injustices. by

Their campaigns on empowering girls in the global South are innumerable: Girl Up, Girl Rising, G(irls)20 Summit, Because I am a Girl, Let Girls Learn, Girl Declaration.

When 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a member of Tehrik-e-Taliban, the reaction was starkly different. Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, issued a petition entitled I am Malala. The UNESCO launched Stand Up For Malala.

Malala was invited to meet then President Barack Obama, as well as the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and addressed the UN General Assembly. She received numerous accolades from being named one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine and Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine to being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, and again in 2014 when she won.

State representatives such as Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard as well as prominent journalists such as Nicholas Kristof spoke up in support of her. There is even a Malala Day!

But we see no #IamAhed or #StandUpForAhed campaigns making headlines. None of the usual feminist and rights groups or political figures has issued statements supporting her or reprimanding the Israeli state. No one has declared an Ahed Day. In fact, the US in the past has even denied her a visa for a speaking tour.

Ahed, like Malala, has a substantial history of standing up against injustices. She has been protesting the theft of land and water by Israeli settlers. She has endured personal sacrifice, having lost an uncle and a cousin to the occupation. Her parents and brother have been arrested time and again. Her mother has been shot in the leg. Two years ago, another video featuring her went viral  this time she was trying to protect her little brother from being taken by a soldier.

Why isnt Ahed a beneficiary of the same international outcry as Malala? Why has the reaction to Ahed been so different?

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There are multiple reasons for this deafening silence. First among them is the widespread acceptance of state-sanctioned violence as legitimate. Whereas hostile actions of non-state actors such as the Taliban or Boko Haram fighters are viewed as unlawful, similar aggression by the state is often deemed appropriate.

This not only includes overt forms of violence such as drone attacks, unlawful arrests, and police brutality, but also less obvious assaults such as the allocation of resources, including land and water. The state justifies these actions by presenting the victims of its injustices as a threat to the functioning of the state.

Once declared a threat, the individual is easily reduced to bare life  a life without political value. Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben has described this as a time/place sanctioned by sovereign power where laws can be suspended; this individual can therefore now be made a target of sovereign violence. Terrorists often fall within this category. Thus, the execution of suspected terrorists through drone attacks without due judicial process ensues without much public uproar.

The Israeli police have deployed a similar strategy here. They have argued for extendingAheds detention because she poses a danger to soldiers (state representatives) and could obstruct the functioning of the state (the investigation).

Casting unarmed Palestinians like Ahed  who was simply exercising her right to protect her familys wellbeing with all the might of her 16-year-old hand  in the same light as a terrorist is unfathomable. Such framings open the way for authorising excessive torture  Israels education minister Naftali Bennett, for instance, wants Ahed and her family to finish their lives in prison.

Aheds suffering also exposes the Wests selective humanitarianism, whereby only particular bodies and causes are deemed worthy of intervention.

Anthropologist Miriam Ticktin argues that while the language of morality to alleviate bodily suffering has become dominant in humanitarian agencies today, only particular kinds of suffering bodies are read as worthy of this care.This includes the exceptionally violated female body and the pathologically diseased body.

Such a notion of suffering normalises labouring and exploited bodies: these are not the exception, but the rule, and hence are disqualified.

Issues of unemployment, hunger, threat of violence, police brutality, and denigration of cultures are thus often not considered deserving of humanitarian intervention. Such forms of suffering are seen as necessary and even inevitable. Ahed, therefore, does not fit the ideal victim-subject for transnational advocacy.

Relatedly, girls like Ahed who critique settler colonialism and articulate visions of communal care are not the empowered femininity that the West wants to valourise. She seeks justice against oppression, rather than empowerment that benefits only herself.

Her feminism is political, rather than one centred on commodities and sex. Her girl power threatens to reveal the ugly face of settler-colonialism, and hence is marked as dangerous. Her courage and fearlessness vividly render all that is wrong with this occupation.

Aheds plight should prompt us to interrogate our selective humanitarianism. Individuals who are victims of state violence, whose activism unveils the viciousness of power, or whose rights advocacy centres communal care, deserve to be included in our vision of justice.

Even if we dont launch campaigns for Ahed, it is impossible for us to escape her call to witness the mass debilitation, displacement and dispossession of her people. As Nelson Mandela said, We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Apple and Amazon are in licensing discussions with Riyadh on investing in Saudi Arabia.

Apple and Amazon are in licensing discussions with Riyadh on investing in Saudi Arabia, two sources told Reuters news agency.

Both companies already sell products in Saudi Arabia via third parties but they and other global tech giants have yet to establish a direct presence.

According to Alexa internet rankings, Amazon.com is the 23rd most visited website in Saudi Arabia as of December.

Amazons discussions are being led by cloud computing division Amazon Web Services (AWS), which would introduce stiff competition in a market currently dominated by smaller local providers like STC and Mobily.

Riyadh has been easing regulatory impediments for the past two years, including limits on foreign ownership which had long kept investors away, since falling crude prices highlighted the need to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

Saudi Arabias young and relatively affluent market boasts some of the highest internet and smartphone use in the world.

About 70 percent of the Saudi population is under 30 and frequently glued to social media.

Amazons talks are in earlier stages and no specific date has been set for investment plans, Reuters sources said.

Amazon acquired Dubai-based online retailer Souq.com earlier in 2017, opening access for Amazon retail goods to be sold in the kingdom.

Saudi investments

During an official visit to the United States last year Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met executives at Facebook, Microsoft and Uber, in which the sovereign wealth fund he chairs later took a $3.5bn stake.

Since then, he has also set up a $45bn technology investment fund with Japans SoftBank and announced plans to create a futuristic $500bn mega-city with more robots than humans.

Apple and Amazon have both been on a Saudi priority list of foreign firms which officials hope to attract to further their reforms, one of the sources said.

Many tech multinationals now in Saudi Arabia are either vendors to the Saudi government or, in the case of Uber, have benefited from a sizable Saudi investment, said Sam Blatteis, who heads Dubai-based tech advisory MENA Catalysts Inc.

Founder, chairman and CEO of #Amazon Jeff Bezos was in Saudi Arabia this week! (Saudi Press Agency photo) pic.twitter.com/RStefRmk8g  Layan Damanhouri (@layanzd) November 10, 2016

Cloud market

For Amazon, the move underscores how AWS is looking to take an early lead in selling data storage and computing services to customers in the Middle East.

AWS, the worlds biggest cloud business by revenue, has embarked on a slower global expansion than Number two Microsoft, which now offers cloud services in twice as many regions.

However, Microsoft has yet to announce plans for data centres in the Middle East, with three regions in India serving as its closest operations.

AWS said in September it would set up data centres for the region in neighbouring Bahrain.

The kingdom has been streamlining its many overlapping laws which could apply to cloud computing for more than a year in order to attract service providers.

If completed, a cloud deal could pave the way for an expansion of Amazon retail warehouses in Saudi Arabia.
Islamabad, Pakistan  An impassioned Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf of being responsible for his mother Benazir Bhuttos murder.

Speaking at a rally to mark the tenth anniversary of Bhuttos murder in the southern Pakistani town of Garhi Khuda Bux on Wednesday, Bilawal led a crowd of thousands in a chant declaring Musharraf a murderer.

Benazir Bhutto, who was twice elected as Pakistans prime minister, was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack shortly after addressing a political rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi while campaigning for elections in 2007.





In August, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court exonerated five men accused of involvement in the attack, while convicting and sentencing two senior police officers for willful negligence and tampering with evidence during the investigation into the murder.

The five men, accused of being members of the Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, remain in custody pending a prosecution appeal.

Musharraf, who denies any involvement in the murder, was declared a fugitive by the same court for failing to appear during hearings.

He has not been convicted on any charges as of yet.

We did not get justice

Flanked by his sisters Bakhtawar and Aseefa, who wiped away tears at points during the speech, Bilawal told the crowd he was disappointed in the courts decision but would continue to fight for the independence of the judiciary.

The judiciary whose independence you fought for  we did not get justice from it, your esteemed father did not get justice from it, I did not get justice from it.

Speaking to the BBC in an interview released on Wednesday, Musharraf denied any responsibility for the murder but said he could not rule out the involvement of rogue elements within the Pakistani military.

[It is a] possibility. Yes indeed, he said. Because the society is polarised on religious lines.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has succeeded his mother as chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, which was led for the last several years by Asif Ali Zardari, Benazirs widower.

In the last year, however, Bilawal has stepped up to take more responsibilities, and will be leading the PPPs election campaign for a general parliamentary poll to be held in mid-2018.
Here are a few of the traditional banks and exchange operators that allow you to buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

While bitcoin is actively traded on dedicated exchange websites and apps, a few traditional banks and exchange operators have also started to sell cryptocurrencies.

But other countries are considering a ban on trading with virtual cryptocurrency operators that are not regulated by local authorities. On January 30, South Korea banned anonymous trading.

Here are some of the traditional banks and exchange operators that allow you to buy bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Switzerland

In August 2017, the Falcon Private Bank announced that it was the first Swiss private bank to provide blockchain asset management for its clients.

The Swiss bank, headquartered in Zurich, allows its clients to trade in Bitcoin (XBT), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH).

The Swissquote bank , based in Gland, also started trading in cryptocurrencies in 2017.

Customers of the bank can trade in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple (XRP) and Bitcoin Cash.

IG Bank started trading with cryptocurrencies in 2017. Customers can use it to buy Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.

Tiberius Group plans to launch the Tiberius coin (tcoin), which would be the first digital currency to be backed by physically deliverable metals such as aluminium and copper.

The ability to take $1M or $100M on a plane undetected and walk into a Swiss or Lichtenstein bank and deposit it is worth a ton of $$. So, dont tell me Bitcoin is worthless.  Villi  (@villi) December 16, 2017

United States

In December 2017, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) became the first US-based exchange to offer bitcoin Futures, based on the bitcoin price on the Gemini virtual exchange.

As described by CBOE, bitcoin futures are legal agreements that stipulate the price at which parties will trade bitcoin on a specified date in the future. Each futures agreement is stipulated with an expiration date, anywhere from a week out to nine or more months.

At the futures contract due date, bitcoin futures are settled based on the official auction price for bitcoin on the Gemini Exchange on that day.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) became the second exchange to offer bitcoin trading in December 2017.

The following public exchanges do not yet offer trade in bitcoin, but reportedly have plans to do so in 2018:

The Nasdaq Stock Market plans to launch a futures contract based on bitcoin in 2018, making it the third exchange operator to offer bitcoin contracts in the US.

The New York Stock Exchange is planning to dive into the cryptocurrency market. In December, it asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission for approval to list two bitcoin futures on its market.

Japan

Japanese cryptocurrency. According to Mainichi Japanese newspaper, Japans largest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, is planning to launch its own cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency exchange by 2018.

Cryptocurrency exchange. Its not clear yet if the MUFJ Fund exchange will be limited to only trading the banks cryptocurrency or if it will also allow trading in other cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.

In 2016, MUFJ invested in Coinbase, an online service that allows users to store virtual currency and make payments with it.

Bitcoin ATMs

The worlds first bitcoin ATM opened in 2013 at the Waves Coffee House in downtown Vancouver, Canada.

The internet-connected machines look like traditional ATMs, but they are not connected to a bank account and instead simply allow users to connect to a virtual bitcoin exchange.

Users insert cash, buy bitcoins online, and receive bitcoin as a paper receipt.

There are over 2000 bitcoin ATMs and tellers around the world, a ccording to the bitcoin ATM Radar website.

Late night work break reveals that my local donut shop has installed a #bitcoin vending machine. I feel like this is a milestone in my life by #Steven_McKie pic.twitter.com/y1NoFMBURv  Adryenn Ashley (@adryenn) December 7, 2017

Virtual exchanges
Deal allows evacuation of 12 critically ill patients, most of them children, from government-besieged Eastern Ghouta.

At least 12 critically ill patients have been evacuated from a suburb of Syrias capital Damascus, while more residents in need of urgent medical care are expected to be removed from the besieged area, according to humanitarian groups.

The evacuees, a majority of whom were children, were taken to Damascus to receive medical treatment, according to the Syria branch of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Aid agencies have been evacuating critically ill Syrians from Eastern Ghouta, an area home to about 400,000 people that has been under a government-imposed siege since 2013, after a deal was reached with the Syrian government.

The evacuation began on Wednesday night in collaboration with the Syrian Red Crescent.

Happy that our negotiations reached this important goal. This is a signal of hope for the future, Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of the Red Cross, said on Twitter.

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Children comprise about half of the population in Eastern Ghouta, which is one of the last Syrian rebel strongholds.

Medical supplies and food have been in short supply in the area.

The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a medical relief organisation based in the US, said the evacuations would continue on Thursday.

A total of 29 patients are expected to be evacuated from the area under the deal.

Only 107 doctors remain in the area to provide care to a population of 400,000, including 130,000 children, while facing a severe shortage of medical supplies, said Dr Ahmad Tarakji, SAMS president, in a statement.

The group said the list of evacuees includes 18 children and four women suffering from heart disease, cancer, kidney failure, and blood diseases, among other medical ailments.

A total of 641 people are in need of urgent medical care, it said.





Eastern Ghouta was designated as one of a handful of de-escalation zones in Syria last year.

These ceasefire agreements between Syrian state forces and rebel fighters were brokered by Iran, Russia and Turkey, but many residents do not trust the deals.

Last month, the UN said at least 500 people in need of urgent medical attention should be allowed to leave the area.

The Syrian government has allowed some aid to reach residents, but the UN says it only has enough supplies to provide about 10 percent of the besieged population with assistance.

Syrias conflict, which started with peaceful anti-government demonstrations in March 2011, escalated into a full-blown war that has claimed more than 300,000 lives and driven about half of the countrys prewar population of 22 million from their homes.

Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are battling rebel groups opposed to his rule, as well as fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.
Suffering from injuries, Fawzi al-Junaidi, 16, is released from Israeli detention and will face trial in January 2018.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy, who appeared in a photo that was condemned as representative of the Israeli armys use of excessive force, has been released on bail after being detained for three weeks.

Fawzi al-Junaidi, who was photographed, blindfolded and surrounded by more than 20 Israeli troops, in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, was charged with throwing stones at a group of soldiers earlier this month.

The teenager has repeatedly denied the allegations and said he was ambushed while running away from the area where there were sound bombs and tear gas canisters.

His family and lawyers told Al Jazeera that he is suffering from a dislocated shoulder and bruises.

Rashad al-Junaidi, Fawzis uncle, said that he was released late on Wednesday night.

When we picked him up from Ofer prison, we rushed him to Ramallah hospital, and it turns out that his right shoulder is broken  His entire body is bruised, his uncle said.





Thank God, a hero is unbreakable, he added, referring to al-Junaidis morale.

Al-Junaidi was arrested amid ongoing protests across the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip over a US decision on December 6 to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

His family say he was not protesting and was only out to buy groceries as the main provider for the family of nine. His father has a leg injury, and his mother is fighting a terminal illness.

The child was discharged from the hospital on Thursday and is now home with the rest of his family.

He is strong and persistent and has made us proud for being resilient throughout this all  we will continue to keep an eye on his condition because the health situation is dire, he uncle said.

His return has overwhelmed us with so much joy that we couldnt stay on our feet. Its an indescribable feeling especially since Fawzi was never forced to part from his mother and father for this long, he added.

The decision to release him was threatened with an appeal that was retracted at the last minute, his lawyers said. The appeal would have prolonged his detention period indefinitely while he was in desperate need of medical attention.

The al-Junaidi family struggled financially but eventually managed to gather the bail sum of 10,000 shekels ($2,870).

I gave what I was able to offer, and the rest was provided to us in loans by our loyal friends and brothers, Rashad explained.

Al-Junaidi will face trial for the charges against him on January 14. His bail comes with conditions, including a requirement that he attends every court case scheduled to take place.

Thrown into a tub of cold water

Arwa Hlehel, one of the two lawyers representing al-Junaidi, said that when she last visited him in prison, the teenager was very upset because he had not been able to see a doctor, despite asking several times.

He said he was still experiencing severe chest pain from when he was beaten at the time of his arrest, she said.

At his first hearing before an Israeli military court, al-Junaidi said he was beaten with a rifle and by almost every soldier who took him.

At one point he hid under the desk in the detention centre, and they pulled him back up and continued to excessively hit him  They then threw him into a tub filled with cold water and took his shoes off, she said.

So practically, were talking about abuse that has reached the level of torture, especially for a child his age.





Hlehel, who works with the Hebron-based Palestinian Prisoners Club, is now working on submitting a complaint to the United Nations special rapporteur about the Israeli armys treatment of children.

The complaint should be ready for submission on Sunday, she said. We hope that this would bring to light violations that are in direct contravention of international law.

The viral image of al-Junaidi was widely denounced as it was shared on social media over the past three weeks.

The photo shows al-Junaidi looking disoriented, wearing a grey shirt and ripped jeans as dozens of soldiers crowd around him carrying guns and wearing protective gear, including helmets and knee pads.

Policy of medical negligence

It is customary for Palestinians to be detained for up to months at a time until they face trial.

Al-Junaidis lawyer, Farah Bayadsi, told Al Jazeera that the release was likely because of the childs deteriorating health.

His prolonged detention can be attributed to the Israeli obstructionist policy of medical negligence, said Bayadsi, who works under the Defence for Children International  Palestine (DCIP).

It [the appeal] was just a legal procedure to further infringe on Fawzis rights, she added.

Bayadsi says testimonies of four Israeli soldiers who allege seeing al-Junaidi throwing stones are inaccurate.

Their statements are vague and refer to four other people who happened to be in the area  they dont even refer to Fawzis role specifically, she said.

Even after his arrest, the way they investigated his case was biased and unfair.

Arrests since US Jerusalem move

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced said his administration would be moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, prompting international condemnation and widespread protests across the world.

The status of Jerusalem is extremely sensitive and is one of the main sticking points in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian leaders want occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, while Israel says the city cannot be divided.

In the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, demonstrations have been met with violence by Israeli forces, who fired live ammunition, dispersed tear gas canisters, and carried out a wave of arrests against protesters.

At least 15 Palestinians have died in the clashes following the announcement.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Israeli forces have arrested more than 600 Palestinians since Trumps announcement.

These include 163 children who are often exposed to beatings and excessive force when being arrested.

Prior to the latest wave of demonstrations, another 320 Palestinian children were arrested. They are still held in Israeli prisons and detention centres.





A big arrest campaign usually takes place two weeks following major protests across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Addameer, a Ramallah-based prisoners rights group, previously revealed to Al Jazeera.

When international media attention dies down, and when protests are suppressed, arrest campaigns take place, Addameers Lana Ramadan, said.

Since the announcement, more than 2,900 people have been left injured, and more than 500 have been jailed.
Undocumented workers say they saw their compatriots shot at and wounded by police when they tried to escape roundups.

A group of undocumented Ethiopian workers have said they were subject to serious abuses by Saudi police before they were expelled, including physical and psychological torture and being forcibly held in dirty prison camps.

Six Ethiopians told The Associated Press news agency that after being captured by Saudi police officers, some of them were beaten, robbed of their possessions and saw their compatriots shot at and wounded when they tried to escape roundups.

The prison cell I was put into was so dirty that some of us were severely sick. It was like a toilet, said Sadiq Ahmed, a former teacher who went to Saudi Arabia five years ago and was detained for 11 days before his deportation.

As if this was not enough, we were robbed of our belongings. I came here with nothing. I know lots of people who went insane because of this torment.

Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest oil exporter, is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of people from Ethiopia and other impoverished East African countries.

We have suffered a lot. I would like to beg my brothers and sisters not to repeat the mistake we already made, in the name of Allah by Fozia Omar, Ethiopian deportee

The number of Ethiopians being smuggled into the kingdom has surged in recent years, with repeated droughts in Africas second most populous country leaving 8.5 million people in need of food aid.

According to the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat, more than 111,500 refugees and migrants crossed into war-ravaged Yemen last year, in the hope of using it as a transit point to enter the kingdom.

The route is popular because it is cheaper than others, but migrants often fall victim to abuse.

Hundreds of Ethiopian and Somali migrants were forced from boats into rough seas off Yemen in August by smugglers trying to avoid authorities or armed groups on shore in war-torn Yemen, IOM said. At least 60 migrants drowned.

Humiliated and abused

Upon reaching Saudi Arabia, many work as domestic workers, often for more than 20 hours a day, with few legal rights.

According to rights groups, many have their phones and passports confiscated and endure physical and sexual abuse.

I stayed in Saudi Arabia for five years just to support my family and other siblings, said deportee Fozia Omar, adding that she spent one month in prison but was allowed to bring her luggage.

We have suffered a lot. I would like to beg my brothers and sisters not to repeat the mistake we already made, in the name of Allah.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said it will deport or jail the 400,000 or so Ethiopians it believes live there illegally, as it seeks to reduce its reliance on millions of foreign workers.

It ordered all undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily in March, but the order was extended until June.

Despite the risks, most have chosen to remain.

Around 250,000 undocumented foreigners have already been detained, of which, 96,000 Ethiopians have been sent home  many of them forcibly.

In a previous crackdown, Saudi authorities had dumped many Ethiopians in the desert near the Yemeni border.

Human Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle said that in the 2013 crackdown, many described serious abuses during the process of detention and deportation, including attacks by security forces.

One deported Yemeni worker said that when he handed himself in to police in Jeddah in 2013, he was remanded at the Briman Prison for 15 days and humiliated by Saudi officers.

Sometimes they brought food but it was very little, and people fought over it. There was no medical care. Sometimes they slapped us with belts, he said.








Muslim men found guilty of divorcing a wife through triple talaq-style of divorce could end up in jail for three years.

New Delhi, India  Indias lower house of parliament has passed a bill that seeks to criminalise triple talaq, a style of instant divorce used by some in the Muslim community despite the countrys top court suspending the practice in August.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) bill 2017, introduced by the Narendra Modi government in the lower house, or Lok Sabha, on Thursday, could see men found guilty of divorcing their wives through triple talaq end up in jail for three years.

The bill is, in part, the result of decades of campaigning by Muslim womens groups and victims against a practice that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives instantaneously by uttering the word talaq three times.

Under Islamic teaching, if the couple choose to re-marry, the wife must first wed another man and then divorce the second husband.

In the Republic of India, if a woman is suffering owing to the cruelty and inhumanity of triple talaq, should we remain silent? Ravi Shankar Prasad, Indias law minister and a senior member of the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP, said as he introduced the draft bill in parliament in New Delhi.

Muslim-majority countries have regulated triple talaq in one go, why cant we as a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in sharia [Islamic law].

Opposition demands

The draft bill is being opposed by several political parties, and a number of opposition legislators stayed away while voting took place on Thursday.

The opposition Congress party has backed the proposed law but asked for some portions to be altered.

None of the amendments sought by the opposition were allowed by the BJP.

The draft bill will now be sent to the upper house, or the Rajya Sabha, for passage before it is forwarded to the Indian president for signing it into law.

The BJPs brute majority ensured a smooth passage for the triple talaq bill in the lower house of parliament on Thursday.





However, the party lacks the votes in the upper house to ram through the same bill without incorporating some of the changes demanded by the opposition.

Several Muslim countries have banned triple talaq, including Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

India, which is home to the worlds third-largest Muslim population, allows minorities to keep their personal laws.

Activists say the practice violates womens rights and reinforces patriarchal hierarchies.

The Mumbai-based womens rights group BMMA or Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (Indian Muslim Womens Movement), was party to the legal battle and has chronicled more than 100 cases of triple talaq in India.

Founder Zakia Soman said the governments decision was a step forward.

We have been demanding this law for a very long time now, she told Al Jazeera.

We are entitled by both the Indian constitution and our religion to have a family law which is gender-just.

In most other Indian communities, the Hindus and the Christians, women have protection of law in the matters of marriage and family. It is only the Muslim women who have been denied legal justice so far.

We are very clear. We are fighting patriarchy. We are fighting for womens equality. We are fighting because we believe we are equal Muslims and equal citizens.

No alimony or compensation

In a BMMA survey last year, nearly 500 women said they had been divorced through triple talaq, with many receiving no alimony or compensation.

Shehnaz Malik, 33, was devastated after her husband used instant divorce to abandon her.

She told Al Jazeera in July: You know, when someones lovingly built home collapses, there is so much pain.

With her two daughters, she now lives in a tiny, overcrowded house with her father in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi.

I want my husband to send me monetary aid to help with my daughters education, she said on Thursday.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a powerful Islamic body, said the state has no right to interfere in religious matters.

I am opposed to this bill because it violates the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution under article 14 and 15, said Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of the group.

Those articles prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, gender or place of birth.

Secondly, if this bill is made into law, it will cause more injustice to Muslim women, he told Al Jazeera, explaining that it would be difficult to prove triple talaq and unfair to place this burden on women.

Muslims comprise about 14 percent of Indias 1.3 billion people.

Election promise

Modi said earlier in 2017: Reformers from within the community will save our Muslim mothers and sisters battling triple talaq. I appeal to the Muslim community: Dont politicise this issue.

The government is touting the new proposed law which criminalises the practice as a boost for Indias 90 million Muslim women.

But some fear the court ruling and the new law would aid the Modi government in its push for a uniform civil code, a poll promise.

A uniform civil code legislation would seek to end the application of religious laws to civil issues and would unify Indias personal laws that govern matters such as marriage, divorce, maintenance, adoption and inheritance.
Human Rights Watch says 52 civilians from Imteywit tribe were forcibly kidnapped and killed by Yazidi fighters in June.

A human rights organisation has accused Yazidi fighters in Iraq of forcibly kidnapping and killing 52 civilians from the Imteywit tribe earlier this year.

Human Rights Watch(HRW), a US-based rights group, said in a report on Wednesday that Yazidi forces detained and executed men, women and children from eight different families the Imteywit tribe in June.

According to HRW report, several senior Yazidis have alleged that the tribe participated with ISIL in the executions and abuse of Yezidi men and women back in 2014.

As the ground fighting against ISIS winds down in Iraq, state security forces need to turn their focus to preventing retaliation and upholding the rule of law, said Lama Fakih, HRWs deputy Middle East director, in a statement.

Past atrocities against the Yazidis dont give its armed forces a free pass to commit abuses against other groups, whatever their past.

According to the victims relatives, the abuses took place when families were fleeing clashes between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group fighters and Iraqs Shia-dominated paramilitaries, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) west of Mosul.

A member of the PMFs intelligence services told HRW that he saw mass graves that local Yazidi residents claim contained the bodies of the victims.

According to members of Imteywit tribe, the disappearance happened as they were being transported out of the desert in a convoy of about 70 cars driving towards Tel Afar after PMF forces captured the area from ISIL group fighters.

The vehicles carrying the two men and their relatives  consisting of 52 members  broke off from the rest of the convoy, which was thought to have been ambushed by Yazidi fighters.

They never reached their destination in Qabusiye village with the rest of the community, and their relatives say they have since not been able to find out anything else.

The relatives provided HRW with a list of five suspects who they believe were responsible for the killings.

At the start of this year, Yazidi fighters formed several brigades that were later incorporated under the PMF umbrella.

The PMF is largely outside government control, yet the Iraqi parliament formally recognised it as a state-affiliated institution when its own forces became depleted in the fight against ISIL.

Dogs who deserve to die

A PMF member told HRW that he investigated allegations in Sinjar province. With the help of local Yezidis, he was able to locate a cluster of four mass graves in Qabusiye.

According to the report, he saw the bones and skulls of at least four children as well as women and childrens shoes near the graves.

Shortly after the disappearance, a legal advisor to a Yazidi brigade told HRW that Yezidi forces were involved in the capture of 52 people. According to the report, he also said that members of the tribe were dogs who deserve to die.

Members of the tribe denied these allegations and said that the Yazidis were blaming them for crimes committed by ISIL.

HRW says an Iraqi official has pledged to investigate the crime, but they say no one has been held responsible yet.

Allowing the many armed forces involved in Iraqs civil war to retaliate against any group they think was complicit with ISIS would shatter the rule of law, Fakih said.

Baghdad needs to assert its authority over the criminal justice process and end armed group vigilantes.

The rights group urged the Iraqi criminal justice authorities to investigate alleged criminal offences by all parties to the conflict in a prompt, transparent, and effective manner.
Purported move follows overwhelming UN General Assembly vote rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to establish a $50m fund to support development in poorer countries and get the country diplomatic backing, according to Israeli media reports.

If the report by Israels Channel 2 and other outlets is confirmed, the move comes just a week after the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to reject the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Just eight states voted with Israel against the resolution, with 35 abstentions and 128 states voting in favour of the motion, which was authored by Turkey and Yemen.





The fund would seek to utilise Israeli expertise in agriculture, leadership development, and technology, the Times of Israel reported.

Regions targeted in the diplomatic push include Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Israel has been looking to strengthen its relationship with African states in recent years with Netanyahu touring East Africa in 2016 and the western part of the continent the following year.

Strengthening ties

Speaking in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, in July, the Israeli leader said: I believe in Africa, I believe in its potential  present and future. It is a continent on the rise.

Strengthening Israels ties with the continent was a top priority, Netanyahu went on to add.

Whether Israel succeeds in turning economic aid into actual diplomatic support remains to be seen, as several African states that voted in favour of the UN motion, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, enjoy close ties with Tel Aviv.

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Besides Israel and the US, Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo voted against.

On Monday, Israels Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said 10 countries were considering following US President Donald Trumps decision by moving their embassies to Jerusalem.

She did not specify the countries in question but said some of them are in Europe.

On Sunday, Guatemala announced that it would move its embassy to the Holy City, the eastern side of which internationally recognised to be Palestinian territory illegally occupied by Israel.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 war, a move rejected by the UN and the international community.
President Ghani decries ISIL assault in Kabul that killed 40 at compound comprising news agency and cultural centre.

At least 40 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a blast in Kabul at a compound comprising a news agency, Shia cultural centre and religious school, the interior ministry has said.

The explosion early on Thursday struck an area close to the Afghan Voice news agency and Tebyan cultural centre, local media reported.

People gathered at Tebyan were marking the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan.

Women and children were among those killed. The majority of victims were visitors to the centre.

A suicide bomber detonated explosives near a cultural house belonging to Shia Afghans, said Al Jazeeras Abdullah Shahood, reporting from Kabul. People in critical condition are being taken to hospital where there are chaotic scenes.

Afghans are rushing to hospitals to donate blood.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack on its Amaq website, but provided no evidence of its claim.

Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan president, called the attack a crime against humanity.

In a statement, he said: The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places and now our cultural centre.

Mushtaq Rahim, a regional security expert, told Al Jazeera from Kabul that there were several members of the Afghan Shia community in the area.

They [Afghan Shia] have been targeted in Afghanistan throughout 2017, he said.

The fact a media outlet was among the targets was also important, Rahim said, because ISIL was seeking more coverage.

Previously, they [ISIL] have attacked religious gatherings, he told Al Jazeera. The media has not provided them with the coverage they desire.

ISIL, which has a presence in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, regularly targets Shia Muslims.

Images posted to social media showed the aftermath of the blast, with the neighbouring Afghan Voice office ripped apart by the force of the explosion.

Other photos showed pictures of dead bodies strewn across the ground in an outside area.

Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) condemned the attack in the strongest terms possible, writing on Twitter.

The group said it was heading to the scene to assist the aid efforts.

String of attacks

Amnesty Internationals South Asia director Biraj Patnaik said Thursdays attack was a reminder of the countrys security woes.

This gruesome attack underscores the dangers faced by Afghan civilians. In one of the deadliest years on record, journalists and other civilians continue to be ruthlessly targeted by armed groups, he said.

With the Afghan capital hit once again, no one can credibly claim that Kabul safe. The European governments who insist on this dangerous fiction by forcibly returning Afghans are putting their lives in danger.

AJSC recently reported a surge in attacks against journalists, with at least 73 cases recorded in 2017, an increase of 35 percent compared with 2016.

In May, ISIL claimed an attack targetting an Afghan state television building in Jalalabad that killed six people.

In November, at least one security guard was killed as ISIL fighters stormed Shamshad TV, a private television station.

Earlier, in January 2016, after threats from the Taliban, a minibus carrying TOLOnews employees was bombed, killing seven people during the evening rush hour.

More broadly, the Afghan capital has come under attack several times in 2017.

On March 8, more than 30 people were killed when gunmen dressed in white lab coats stormed a hospital in the centre of the city. ISIL claimed responsibility for that attack, but officials considered other groups could have been responsible.

On May 31, a truck bomb exploded near the diplomatic district, killing more than 150 people. It remains unclear who was behind the assault.

On October 21, ISIL claimed responsibility for killing at least 39 people at a Shia mosque in Kabul.
US embassy in Ankara to resume full visa services in Turkey, ending a suspension lasting more than two months.

The US will reinstate full visa services for Turkish nationals, ending a suspension that lasted more than two months and highlighted strained relations between the two countries, the US diplomatic mission to Turkey has confirmed.

Based on assurances from Turkeys government, the US said it was confident that security had improved enough to warrant the full resumption of visa services at its embassy in Ankara, the Turkish capital, and US consulates in the country.

The Department of State is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey, the US mission said in a statement on Thursday.

Later on Thursday, the Turkish Embassy in Washington, DC, which had also blocked some visa services for US nationals, said it welcome[d] the decision by the US and would end its own visa restrictions.

In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, restrictions on visa services applied to American citizens have been lifted simultaneously, the Turkish embassy said in a statement.

Tit-for-tat decisions

The US suspended the issuance of non-immigrant visas for Turkish nationals in early October, after Turkey arrested a local staff member at the US consulate in Istanbul for allegedly having ties to Fethullah Gulen.

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Turkey has blamed Gulen, a US-based Muslim leader, of being behind a failed coup attempt last year, an accusation that Gulen has vehemently denied.

Non-immigrant visas include student, tourist, media and work visas.

Turkey reciprocated the measure shortly thereafter, blocking non-immigrant visa services for US citizens.

In November, the US and Turkish diplomatic missions said they would each resume non-immigrant visa services on a limited basis, the first sign that strained relations between the two countries were slowly warming.

High-level assurances

On Thursday, the US mission to Turkey said the Turkish government had followed through on its high-level assurances that no additional US employees in Turkey were under investigation.

Statement from the U.S. Mission to #Turkey on the Full Resumption of #Visa Services  December 28, 2017 pic.twitter.com/vmwig9GqsT  U.S. Embassy Turkey (@USEmbassyTurkey) December 28, 2017

Turkey had also promised that local staff of our embassy and consulates will not be detained or arrested for performing their official duties and that it would inform the US in advance if it intends to detain or arrest any local staff members, the US embassy statement reads.

The Turkish embassy in Washington said, however, that it had not offered any assurances to the US over its detained staff.

Regarding the assurances expressed in the US statement, we would like to emphasise that Turkey is a state of law, and that our government has not provided any assurances concerning the ongoing judicial processes, the Turkish embassys statement read.

Al Jazeeras Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington, DC, said: the US government would not have decided to resume full visa operations at its facilities inside Turkey if it did not have these guarantees.

She said the visa suspensions came against the larger backdrop [of]  tensions between Washington and Ankara and several contentious issues remain unresolved between the two countries.

The Turkish government wants the US to extradite Gulen to Turkey, for his alleged involvement in the failed coup.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also been a staunch critic of a recent US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Just the resumption of visa services alone isnt going to be enough to make things 100 percent OK between the two governments, our correspondent said.
The living conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon have never been easy. However, the UN has recently said that many refugees are facing a steady decline in living standards.

The United Nations says many Syrian refugees in Lebanon are more vulnerable than ever.

Many refugees depend on aid to survive, while a growing number are falling deeper into poverty, and most are in debt.

The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has been in decline, but there are no exact numbers of those going back to Syria.

The UN believes that conditions for a safe return are not yet in place.

Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr reports from a refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley.
2018 is shaping up to be a landmark year for Thailand. A new king will be crowned and the military government is planning to hold elections  signalling a return to democracy after a coup three years ago.

2018 is shaping up to be a landmark year for Thailand.

A new king will be crowned and the military government is planning to hold elections  signalling a return to democracy after a coup three years ago.

In the first of our series looking ahead to some of the big stories of next year.

Al Jazeeras Wayne Hay reports from Udon Thani, northeast of Thailand, where many are doubtful the vote will go ahead.
According to the UNHCR, more than 3.8 million refugees and internally displaced people in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt need winter assistance.

According to the UNHCR, more than 3.8 million refugees and internally displaced people in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt need winter assistance.

A cold weather programme which began last month is aimed at helping the most vulnerable families.

But of the $228m needed to finance this years winter programme, only $143m has been received  a shortfall of nearly 40 percent.

Al Jazeeras Imtiaz Tyab reports.
UN agency says parties to conflicts blatantly disregard international laws designed to protect the most vulnerable.

Children in conflict zones around the world suffered at a shocking scale in 2017 as they became front line targets; used as human shields, killed, maimed and recruited to fight, the United Nation childrens agency said.

UNICEF said that rape, forced marriage, abduction and enslavement of children have become standard tactics in conflicts from Iraq, Syria and Yemen, to Nigeria, South Sudan and Myanmar.

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The agency accused rival parties in conflict areas of blatantly disregarding international laws designed to protect the most vulnerable.

In some contexts, children abducted by armed groups experience abuse once again upon release when they are held by security forces, UNICEF said in a statement on Thursday.

The agency warned that millions more children were paying an indirect price for conflicts, suffering from malnutrition, disease and trauma as basic services, including access to food, water, sanitation and health.

Children targeted deliberately

Justin Forsyth, UNICEFs deputy director, says that, in recent years and even more so in 2017, children are deliberately targeted in conflict zones to make them part of the conflict.

It had always happened in part, but it seems to be growing and growing, he told Al Jazeera.

Our appeal is, as UNICEF, to all fighting parties, whether they are governments or rebel groups, to make sure the children are protected.

The statement referred to statistics from all over the world.

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In the Democratic Republic of Congos Kasai region, violence has driven 850,000 children from their homes and an estimated 350,000 children have suffered from severe acute malnutrition.

In Yemen, nearly 1,000 days of fighting left at least 5,000 children dead or injured, according to verified data, the agency said, with more than 11 million children in need of humanitarian assistance.

In South Sudan, where conflict and a collapsing economy led to a famine declaration in parts of the country, more than 19,000 children have been recruited into armed forces and armed groups, the statement said. Over 2,300 children have been killed or injured since the conflict first erupted in December 2013.
We take a look at the most popular traditions and celebrations that take place around the world.

On the night of December 31, festivities start in cities around the world to celebrate the coming of the New Year. Samoa, Tonga and Kiritimati will be the first places to receive 2018, while the US will be among the last.

The celebrations start on December 31, 2017 and will go on past midnight into January 1, 2018.

Below we take a look at the most popular traditions and celebrations that take place around the world.

Australia, India, Russia

Wellington, New Zealan, is the first major city to receive the New Year. Local councils usually organise parties and street carnivals and fireworks displays.

In Brisbane, Australia people gather at sites around the Brisbane River to watch the fireworks.

In India, Goa and Kerala are among the most visited destinations during New Years Eve.

At five minutes to midnight, the Russian president traditionally delivers a televised speech for the New Year.

There is also a tradition to listen to the Kremlin clock bell ringing 12 times on the radio or TV.

Fireworks kick off the New Year in Auckland as New Zealand bids farewell to 2017 pic.twitter.com/MAoJmRWV1O  AFP news agency (@AFP) December 31, 2017

UAE, Lebanon, Spain

In Dubai, New Years fireworks are set from Jumeirah beach and the worlds tallest building, Burj Khalifa.

This year the fireworks will be replaced with a laser show , according to UAE authorities citing safety concerns.

In Lebanon, celebrations begin with a dinner among family and friends, while the countdown to the next year is broadcast on TV.

In Madrid, The countdown is followed by the clock on top of the Casa de Correos building in Puerta del Sol Square in Madrid. It is traditional to eat 12 grapes before New Year.

Would you like to know how we see in the New Year in #Spain?

Eating twelve grapes.

Would you like to try an original New Years Eve?

Then come and eat grapes in Spain.

You will have an unforgettable fiesta! #NewYearInSpain #ChristmasInSpain #LoveSpain #VisitSpain pic.twitter.com/OI3ZpTz7DL  Spain (@spain) November 15, 2017

From Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve, children in #Romania go down the street and sing house-to-house the traditional Romanian #Christmas carols called colinda, wishing everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. pic.twitter.com/aEeCrOdoPu  China Xinhua News (@XHNews) December 26, 2017

Brazil, US, Venezuela

In Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, people go to the citys famous Copacabana beach to see the fireworks. The display is ranked online by travellers among the top 10 New Year fireworks display.

Ball drop. In the US, the most prominent celebration in the country is the ball drop held in New York Citys Times Square.

The Waterford crystal ball located on the roof of One Times Square is lowered down a pole that is 70ft high, reaching the roof of the building 60 seconds later to signal the start of the New Year.

Sundays may be the coldest New Years Eve in New York City since 1962.

Eve Church bells. In Caracas, the bells of the Cathedral of Caracas ring 12 times. In radio, it is also a tradition to broadcast songs about the end of the year normally known as Gaitas.



https://twitter.com/SofieHagen/status/946690087261212672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Carvell Wallace talks to Americans grappling with the state of the union while dealing with his own fractured history.
Turkey has signed a $650m deal to develop an island on the Red Sea.

Turkey has signed an agreement with Sudan that will allow it to have a military presence on the Red Sea.

It is the latest country to expand into the area.

The list of countries already in the region or building bases there include: Saudi Arabia, China, Israel, the UAE and the US.

The US and European Union maintain regular security patrols in the region. But the Red Sea is also one of the worlds busiest maritime gateways for transporting oil.

So, why is there a sudden interest in the Red Sea region?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Metin Gurcan  security analyst and columnist for Al Monitor

James Moran  Associate Senior Eesearch Fellow, Centre for European Policy

Mamoun Abu Nowar  (retd) Jordanian air force general
From the Boy who Started the Syrian War to Taking Back Marawi  these are the documentaries you need to watch.

Al Jazeera has released dozens of documentaries in the last 12 months, many of them award-winning.

So weve compiled a list of our must-see documentaries of 2017, covering some of the years major news events.

From the battle in the Philippines to take back Marawi from ISIL, to the showmanship of US President Donald Trump, these are seven Al Jazeera documentaries you cannot miss.

The Boy Who Started the Syrian War

Mouawiya Syasneh was just 14 when he sprayed anti-government slogans on his school wall in Deraa, Syria. It was February 2011, and he could never have imagined that such a minor act would spark a full-blown civil war.

More than half a million people have been killed in Syria since the start of the conflict. Mouawiyas home city has been ravaged by street fighting, shelling and barrel bombing. The war has left scars that may never heal.

Now a young man, fighting on the front line for the Free Syrian Army, Mouawiya admits that had he known what the consequences of his actions would be, he would never have taunted the countrys president, Bashar al-Assad.

His life has been transformed by that adolescent prank. He has lost friends and relatives, including his father. And Syria has been changed forever.

The Trump Show





From his long, unwieldy press conferences to the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice on prime time TV, Donald Trump delivers on spectacle.

There is conflict, there is humiliation, and there is supreme confidence  dramatic elements pulled straight out of a reality TV playbook that for Trump has been years in the making. The Apprentice, a show fronted and co-produced by Donald Trump, established him as a gospel of success, despite being plagued by bankruptcy and scandal.

Building on this image, and through similar projects, Trump has arguably become a brand unto himself, endearing himself to a segment of the American public that supported him all the way to the White House.

Josh Rushing explores Trumps reality TV rise from a C-list New York celebrity to the most powerful office in the world.

Going Back to Pakistan: 70 Years After Partition

Krishan Kumar Khanna grew up just outside Lahore, Pakistans second-largest city. After a childhood he remembers fondly, his life changed dramatically in August 1947.

As Britain left the Indian subcontinent, colonial planners hastily split it into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Khanna was forced to join one of the largest migrations in human history, as sectarian violence erupted and millions fled in both directions to save their lives.

He has dreamed of going back ever since and, after trying for several years, Khanna finally obtained a visa to return to Pakistan.

Despite deep tensions, hes determined to show that people in the neighbouring nations still have much more in common than that which divides them.

Taking Back Marawi





ISIL captured the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines in order to turn it into a new province of the so-called Islamic State. It was an audacious move that took the government and military by surprise.

A fierce and deadly war ensued, signalling the groups determination to bring its battle from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. Ground and aerial bombardment have left Marawi in ruins, and nearly 1,000 people have been killed; 160 of them soldiers.

101 East joined the Philippines military in their final battle to take back the city.

The Cut: Exploring FGM

At least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, also known as cutting.

The practice has no health benefits, but besides causing severe pain, FGM has serious immediate and long-term health consequences, including complications during childbirth, and can even lead to death.

It was while making a web documentary for Al Jazeera about female genital mutilation that I realised how deeply rooted it is in many cultures, including my own, says Fatma Naib, a journalist whose family are from Eritrea where FGM is common, but who grew up in Sweden where the practice is illegal.

She went on a personal journey  from Somaliland and Kenya to Sweden  to explore the traditions and controversies inherent to FGM.

Balfour Declaration at 100: Seeds of Discord









A hundred years since Britains infamous declaration, its repercussions are still felt across the Middle East today.

The Balfour Declaration was a public promise by the British government during World War One, announcing support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine .

The declaration has had a profound impact on the Middle East and its people. For Palestinians, it represents the moment an imperial power promised their land away to another people. They hold Balfour responsible for their expulsion, displacement and occupation.

Inside Syrias War: Arms and Resistance in Jobar





Lying just a couple of kilometres east of the centre of Old Damascus and some of the citys best-known ancient monuments  and just a couple more from the pompous modernistic monolith that is the Syrian presidential palace  the suburb of Jobar was once a peaceful and modestly prosperous place.

Then came the Arab Spring, the Syrian uprising of 2011 and the devastating war that followed. As in other parts of the capital and the country, many residents of Jobar joined the early peaceful demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad , seeking democratic reforms and policy changes.

The brutal response from state security services that these protests provoked and the subsequent armed rebellion that broke out across Syria saw Jobar caught up in events, and before too long the municipality found itself on the front line between Assads regime and those trying to bring him down.

This two-part series is the inside story of how the people of Jobar have defended their homes against the might of the Assad regime.
In this UpFront special, we discuss Donald Trumps first year in office and the challenge of covering his presidency.

2017 has been a year of controversy and crisis, most notably for Donald Trump. From promoting US neo-Nazis to retweeting British neo-fascists and threatening a nuclear war with North Korea, there has never been a US president quite like Trump. His actions, statements and repeated attacks on the media have left many asking: how do you cover President Trump?

When he attacks the media  one of the things hes doing is to delegitimise any independent source of information that might criticise him, immunise himself against any of the bad stories that are coming, says Charles Sykes, a former Conservative radio talk show host, and author of How the Right Lost its Mind.

This is a fundamental challenge to American journalism, and Im not sure theyve figured out how to cope with that.

Daniel Dale, Washington Bureau Chief at the Toronto Star, says: We have many, sort of, glimmers of hope that show us that truth is not lost, that people still do care, and its not pointless to bring them facts.

Theres a whole litany of things that Donald Trump has said hed do, or promised to do, or said he would definitely do on his first day of office that just havent happened, says Jane Coaston, Senior Politics Reporter at Vox.

And because theres always just this constant push of Tweet after Tweet after Tweet, it kind of gets lost in there. And so, I think that something thats really important for the media to do is say, okay, you know, we need to be anchored in something that is not Donald Trumps Twitter feed.

Gwenda Blair, a long-time Trump biographer, says: This guys comfort zone is chaos. And that gives him, in a way, ironically, a leg up, because almost everybody else is looking for calm, looking for some return to something approaching normal. And that leaves him the last guy standing, the strongest guy in the room. Thats the role he wants. So, hes going to keep riling things up.

In this weeks UpFront special, Gwenda Blair, Daniel Dale, Jane Coaston and Charles Sykes review a year of Trump, and discuss the difficulties of holding him to account.

Follow UpFront on Twitter @AJUpFront and Facebook.
I am neither in favor of nor against Catalonia's independence. The recent turn of elections, where the independentistas won a majority of seats in the parliament, has proven nothing. What does remain is an absolute amazement at the incompetence of Iberian government on all sides at all levels. Aggravating this are remarkable levels of fake news.

Before one addresses the recent elections, which the independentistas won, we should start in June of 2017, when the Catalan government itself ran a poll. The result showed a then embarrassing drop in support for independence, down to a mere 41.1%. The link to the original poll on the government site has been "conveniently" taken down, but we know the results.

[T]he percentage of people supporting a Catalan independent state dropped to 41.1 percent in June [2017] from 44.3 percent in March.

Beneath all the hype, the independentistas did not have a clear majority as late as six months ago, and their own polls showed that support was decreasing at that time. That the Catalan authorities even bothered to stage an election in October was beyond all reason, unless they planned to engineer results.

The central Madrid government declared the election illegal when it could have avoided a problem by declaring it merely pointless. To be sure, Madrid's violent actions to suppress the elections were thuggish and counterproductive.

A mere four months from the June poll that showed 41.1% approval, suddenly, the "approval" for independence jumped to an astounding 92% overall in October, if you can believe it. Apparently, approval for independence had more than doubled in just four months. Incredible! The Catalan government sold the election results to the world as a truly democratic expression of the will of the Catalan people. One is amazed at how many people bought that line.

Clearly, what happened is that only one side showed up to vote in October, with the pro-Madrid electorate preferring to obey Madrid's prohibition on voting in an illegal election.

This is not to favor Madrid. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's Partido Popular (Popular Party) has a reputation for quasi-fascist sympathies.

Over the past decade, The Partido Popular has intervened through lawsuits and legal trickery to suppress expressions of Catalan autonomy, in a manner the Catalans rightly considered unconstitutional. By 2010, the Catalans had had enough, and the drive for independence started with a massive rally in Barcelona.

This much can be seen in this video of the 2010 rally:

Along the way, Madrid authorities handed down positively obscene rulings like overturning a Catalan ban on bullfighting.

One gets a sense of provocations from the central Madrid authorities akin to the Intolerable Acts that led to the American Revolution.

But there the similarities end.

Contrary to what is told in popular American history, our forefathers laid strong groundwork to gain popular support. The ratio of one third in favor of the Revolution, one third against, and one third neutral is based on an unreliable quote, attributed to John Adams, but without merit. Adams's quote actually referred to American sympathies with the French Revolution.

In reality, the popularity of the American Revolution was much stronger, and while Tories were a problem, they were a clear minority.

There is evidence a large part of the population supported independence before the reluctant leaders in the Congress would vote upon or commit that sentiment to paper. ... Recent historians of the Loyalists, such as William Nelson, have estimated them at no more than a sixth of the population.

The Founders would never have started the Revolution with the low support base seen in Catalonia. The American Revolution was a bottom-up operation, where the leaders reflected the will of the people. Barcelona was a top-down fiasco, where the leaders tried to engineer a false majority.

False? Regarding the December vote:

The pro-independence parties did not, however, win the popular vote, failing once again to secure a share of more than 50%.

The secessionist parties defied consistent poll predictions of a hung parliament to secure an absolute majority of 70 seats out of 135, and 47.5 percent of the popular vote. Meanwhile the unionist bloc took 57 seats, with 43.4 percent of the vote[.]

The independentistas won a razor-thin majority in the Catalan parliament, but only because the results were tilted by district-apportioning that favored the more Catalan rural districts. Barcelona itself is not as secessionist as the rest of Catalonia, and the independentistas know it.

Madrid-supporters have used that anomaly to call for Tabarnia (a coastal region including Barcelona) to secede from Catalonia. Moreover, Franco purposefully planted Spaniards in Catalonia to frustrate Catalonian designs. They are a large group today. Britain tried the same stunt in Ireland by planting British settlers in Ulster, but the unionists remained a rather small minority for most of the period of British rule, which led to the gerrymandering of Ulster to create an artificial local majority. Franco was more thorough. Catalan unionists are a rather large segment at 43.4%. The independentistas have not won them over.



Worse yet, the independentistas have relied on Muslim immigrants educated in Catalan, with no attachment to Madrid, to fortify their vote. They use outsiders no less than Franco.

So what we see is popular support for independence at 41.1% in June, 92% in October, and then back down to 47.5% in December. Look at those numbers! Do they look stable? If anything, it is the October vote that is the most unreliable. This is not the way to win a revolution.

The amount of corruption in both Madrid and Barcelona is appalling, and this crisis is being manipulated by both sides to hide it.

Both the ruling PP party and Catalonia's independentists are using the national question to whitewash their own history of corruption and enthusiasm for austerity.

The incompetence of Barcelona is perfectly matched by Prime Minister Rajoy, who must have been out of his mind to order another election and to expect better results.

Prime Minister Rajoy's People's Party (Partido Popular) lost most of its seats in the Thursday election, dropping from 11 to three.

Probably in recognition of its failure, Madrid has ordered withdrawal of Spanish police.

What Spain will do now is anybody's guess. The independentistas have won a "questionable" victory, but not a mandate. Prime Minister Rajoy has suffered a major defeat. Neither side has a true appreciation for democracy; rather, both show a willingness to manipulate results.

What we see is a European tendency for leaders to manipulate the electorate rather than lead the stirrings of popular will.

No side is correct in Catalonia. The independentistas should have waited for another generation of language education to take hold so that the unionists could have been won over to a Catalan sensibility. Catalan use is growing, but it is often a second language still.

Beneath all of this is the fake press. European news sources are incredibly biased one way or the other. It is astounding to see how this Euro paper or that Euro news site delivers only half the story with no substantial explanation.

Catalonia is a mess, in every sense of the word. Both sides are manipulative and corrupt. These elections prove nothing except that European "democracy" has never even risen to the level of Tammany Hall. Tammany, at least, knew how to sense the public mood and knew when to back off.

Mike Konrad is the pen name of an American who wishes he had availed himself more fully of the opportunity to learn Spanish better in high school, lo those many decades ago. He runs a website about the Arab community in South America at http://latinarabia.com and a website about small computers at http://thetinydesktop.com.
Unaware that it had been made into a movie, I recently read a fairly recent novel and then discovered that its film adaptation was playing on Cinemax. The novel was Live by Night by Dennis Lehane, and Lehane's fellow Bostonian Ben Affleck produced, directed, wrote the screenplay, and starred in the movie. Inasmuch as the Cinemax info screen says it was released in 2017, one might think it was a made-for-cable flick. But that's not the case, as Live by Night had a theatrical run that began in December of 2016. That run seems not to have been successful, as IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Wikipedia all confirm. On January 26, 2017, Variety reported that the film cost $65M to make, but with "tens of millions more to distribute and market," it had lost $75M. And that's a pity, because Affleck's flick is a fine film, and parts of it are powerful.

But then my take on the movie might be different from that of someone who hadn't read the novel; maybe my appreciation of it was clouded by being already familiar with the story. So I screened the thing again, and I don't think so. The film stands up; it makes sense and hangs together. But what the film doesn't do is tell the whole story. Affleck cuts entire sections from the book, such as the protagonist's stint in prison, the heist of U.S. military arms, and the sojourn in Cuba. Affleck also makes changes, and the biggest of these is to the showdown between the lead character and his mob boss, Maso Pescatore. This departure still works and is action-packed, but in the book, it's much, much grimmer.

Live by Night is the story of a young criminal's rise to power in the underworld of rum-running during Prohibition. The novel is in three parts: "Boston" from 1926 to 1929, "Ybor" from 1929 to 1933, and "All the Violent Children" from 1933 to 1935. So the saga extends from the Roaring Twenties into the Great Depression to two years after the repeal of the 18th Amendment, when booze was again legal. It treats the Irish and the Italian mobs, as well as the Cuban rum-makers. In case you didn't know, Ybor was a multiracial section of Tampa where the speakeasies operated. And as long as Ybor left "white Tampa" alone, the Tampa police would leave Ybor alone, which allowed Yborians to continue distilling their "demon rum."

Whether Lehane and Affleck get the history of this era right is something we'll leave to others. The misery of the Depression does insert itself into the story. The book contains a meeting with a historical gangster, but that scene was cut from the movie. I'll let you discover who that gangster is (and I'm not referring to Meyer Lansky).

Our protagonist, Joe Coughlin, son of a Boston Police higher-up, has a problem with authority. Nonetheless, he is the "reluctant gangster," preferring to think of himself as an outlaw. But in his successful climb to the top of the underworld, he soon begins to realize that he is indeed a gangster. He and his crew do bad things. But Joe has a conscience; he's torn, conflicted. It's the stuff of drama, folks.

Besides murder, mayhem, greed, the need to dominate, and the usual of crime fiction, religion figures in both novel and film. Loretta Figgis, daughter of the Tampa Police chief, becomes a revivalist and turns Florida against Joe's plans for a casino. Joe's number-two man wants to remove this impediment to their plans for further riches, but Joe won't allow it: "No one touches a hair on her head."

Joe has hit a glass ceiling. You see, Joe is Irish and "need not apply" to obtain the status of "made man" in the Italian mob. Also, his decisions for dealing with certain situations, such as his refusal to "clip" Loretta Figgis, have put him at odds with his boss, Signor Pescatore, which sets up the climactic showdown just before the denouement. (You know, I've always liked that word  "denouement." It's so rarely I have an opportunity to use it in a sentence. Those of you who read the New York Times will be unfamiliar with the term, so click here.)

Perhaps the moral of this story is expressed in Chapter Two, when Joe's father tells him: "What you put out into the world will always come back for you. But it never comes back in a way you can predict."

If this kid were to set Lehane's fine book to film, he'd be tempted to go the route of Coppola in The Godfather or Leone in Once upon a Time in America and hire a composer like Nino Rota or Ennio Morricone. But then you'd have a different flick, more of an opera than with Harry Gregson-Williams's subliminal score.

So Affleck's film is a condensation of Lehane's book. But if not entirely faithful, it nonetheless does justice to the "arc" of the story. Affleck's two-hour movie could have been twice as long. Indeed, the novel could even have been made into a series for cable. Happily, two things Affleck doesn't cut are the two love stories, which both involve Joe. The second of these love stories is rarified, exalted.

Though purists might object, if I were so bold as to offer you advice, I'd advise you to see the movie first and then read the book. If you were so bold as to do that, you'll notice that the novel and the film have rather different endings. Both endings take place after a tragic event. In the novel, this event takes place on the next-to-last page, and it's quite powerful. I think what makes it powerful is its simplicity. The novel's resolution on the next page feels elegiac.

Affleck, however, crafts a powerful ending of his own that is lyrical, even spiritual (and in a gangster film, no less). Each ending seems right. Lehane's ending is right for reading, and Affeck's ending is right for the cinema. And his film ends with one helluva thought. You're likely to come back to that thought.

Jon N. Hall of Ultracon Opinion is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City.
Comparing the late Prime Minister Winston Churchill to President Donald Trump is guaranteed to elicit scorn from intellectuals, for one was a prolific man of letters, while the other speaks in the vocabulary of the common man. One was a journalist and scholar, while the other is a builder, deal-maker, and master persuader (as Scott Adams argues). And one smoked and drank prolifically, while the other abstains from both.

But beneath the veneer of literary styles, there are obvious historical similarities between Winston Churchill's becoming prime minister and Donald Trump's shocking election to the American presidency. It is hard to watch the film Darkest Hour, about those terrible days in May 1940 when Churchill became prime minister. At that moment in time, it seemed that the U.K. would have to surrender to Hitler. Three hundred thousand British troops were trapped on the beach at Dunkirk without any apparent means of rescue. Hitler was on the march and had taken Norway and Belgium; France had capitulated to the Germans without a fight.

Chamberlain resigned, and Churchill accepted King George VI's appointment to the position of prime minister, but the king, and both parties of Parliament, loathed Churchill. They, both sides, also knew he was the only man to lead at that moment in time. Neville Chamberlain's unfortunate good-will gesture at Munich had been a disaster. Only Churchill realized and had incessantly warned about the evil that was Hitler's regime. FDR, hoping to avoid U.S. intervention in the war, was not helpful or forthcoming with military aid just yet. Roosevelt eventually rose to the occasion but had not fully discerned the evil that Hitler represented to the world. Churchill did. FDR was not the wartime leader Churchill was.

To the horror of our 2016 establishment, Donald Trump was elected. He has been as loathed as Churchill was when he took on the P.M. job as the catastrophe at Dunkirk was unfolding. Like Churchill, Trump is a bit reckless with his opinions and his speech. Churchill regularly offended people on both sides of the political spectrum, as does Trump. Churchill was innovative, imaginative. He devised the civilian boat rescue of all those soldiers at Dunkirk. It worked. Trump has, in a year, defeated ISIS, although the media are loath to report that. Trump has revitalized the economy beyond anything Obama was able to do. He has successfully rolled back the restrictive regulations Obama put in place that have strangled the economy and suppressed GDP growth to 2% for eight years.

Churchill, by design, filled his Cabinet with rivals. Trump has had little to say about Special Counsel Mueller's assembled team of on-the-record Trump-haters. Hmmm. Who is wise? History proves that Churchill was  and so is Trump. Churchill knew only too well that he was hated by his naysayers in both houses of Parliament. Trump knows the same. He may even be cagier than Churchill. Trump has survived for years in the cutthroat world of New York and global real estate. He is quite likely more savvy about the ways of the world even than Churchill.

Churchill never rode the underground to "meet the people," as the film suggests. But the scene proved that his strategy of building up the spirits of the English people by exaggerating their success had worked. They were ready, willing, and able to defend their island nation. They were behind Churchill one hundred percent  just as Trump's supporters are behind him. Support for Churchill shocked his naysayers just as the "deplorables" who voted for Trump offend the left and the NeverTrumps. Just wait. Let's see who comes out on top.

History, it seems, does repeat itself. The British rewarded Churchill's success, saving England from the ravages of Hitler, by voting him out of office in 1945, after the Germans surrendered! He became P.M. again in 1951, had a stroke, and died in 1965. He was subsequently voted the greatest Brit of all time.

Would it not be a hilarious turn of events if Trump became recognized as the greatest American president of all time? Churchill was a highborn man of letters with a lifetime of public service under his belt. Trump is none of those things, but he is a host of things Churchill was not. The end results may just be similar.

Trump may just be our Churchill. They certainly share some personality traits. Churchill's love of England saved England. Trump's love of America may save us as well.
The liberal media always find it helpful when a liberal Republican parrots one of their major themes. Recently, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona was only too happy to oblige.

When you look at some of the audiences cheering for Republicans, sometimes, you look out there and you say, 'those are the spasms of a dying party.' "When you look at the lack of diversity, sometimes, and it depends on where you are, obviously, but by and large, we're appealing to older white men and there are just a limited number of them, and anger and resentment are not a governing philosophy," he continued.

The article went on to focus on Republicans' lack of appeal to women, citing Roy Moore, accused of child molestation, who failed to get a majority of the women's vote. If a person accused of child molestation can't get a majority of the women's vote, neither can any Republican, the article writer theorizes.

Except that isn't really true. Hillary Clinton won just 54% of the women's vote, and Trump actually won a majority of the votes of white women. Even more interestingly, while Trump lost single women two to one, he basically tied Hillary among married women.

Here's Hillary Clinton, who is perhaps the leading expert on married women, offering an explanation for this:

Last week, Clinton, who has had a lifetime to contemplate the women's vote, copped to having a theory. "[Women] will be under tremendous pressure  and I'm talking principally about white women. They will be under tremendous pressure from fathers and husbands and boyfriends and male employers not to vote for 'the girl'," she said in an interview as part of a tour promoting her new memoir of the 2016 campaign. But social science backs up Clinton's anecdotal hunch.

I never doubted that "social science" would fail to back up any of Mrs. Clinton's hunches.

"We think she was right in her analysis about women getting pressure from men in their lives, specifically [straight (brackets in original ed.)] white women," said Kelsy Kretschmer, an assistant professor at Oregon State University and a co-author of a recent study examining women's voting patterns. "We know white men are more conservative, so when you're married to a white man you get a lot more pressure to vote consistent with that ideology." The key distinction, according to Kretschmer's research, is that single women tend to cast votes with the fate of all women in mind, while women married to men vote on behalf of their husbands and families (the study was based on a poll of straight women conducted in 2012, before same-sex marriage [sic] was legalized nationwide, and draws no conclusions about marriages [sic] where neither partner is a man).

So, we are told, single women vote with the interest of the "fate of all women" in mind (how dramatic!), while married women are basically enslaved by their husbands.

Let's assume, just this once, that liberals are wrong. What other explanations could there be?

1) Single women include those who have multiple children and are on welfare. They vote for people who will continue to give them welfare.

2) Single women include those who have unrestrained sex lives and use abortion for birth control. Their reasons for preferring Democrats are obvious.

3) Single women include lesbians, who are less likely to marry than women who love men.

4) Married women may marry because they are less antagonistic toward men than single women, and so less susceptible to the siren song of "the fate of all women hangs in the balance" appeals.

5) Married women have been known to have children, and the increased costs of having said children make one sympathetic to lower taxes and more economic freedom.

6) Married women are exposed, for perhaps the first time in their lives, to points of view they never heard at Smith or Wellesley and, having heard an opposing point of view for the first time in their lives, decide it has some merit.

Exit question: What do you think is the most likely reason that married women are more likely to vote Republican?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
The Islamic State's self-described "caliphate" has lost 98% of its conquered territory in recent years, with more than half of its territory in Iraq and Syria lost since Donald Trump took office.

There are now less than 1,000 ISIS fighters thinly spread out over Syria, the result of a systematic and sustained bombing campaign since January with a coordinated ground effort involving Arab militias and Kurdish fighters.

Fox News:

The massive gains come after years of "onerous" rules, when critics say the Obama administration "micromanaged" the war and shunned a more intensive air strategy that could have ended the conflict much sooner. "The rules of engagement under the Obama administration were onerous. I mean[,] what are we doing having individual target determination being conducted in the White House, which in some cases adds weeks and weeks[?]" said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, the former head of U.S. Air Force intelligence. "The limitations that were put on actually resulted in greater civilian casualties." ... The latest American intelligence assessment says fewer than 1,000 ISIS fighters now remain in Iraq and Syria, down from a peak of nearly 45,000 just two years ago. U.S. officials credit nearly 30,000 U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and regional partners on the ground for killing more than 70,000 jihadists. Meanwhile, only a few thousand have returned home.

Members of the Obama administration are denying the notion that they didn't prosecute the war vigorously enough:

But the senior director for counterterrorism in former President Barack Obama's National Security Council pushed back on any criticism [that] the former president didn't do enough to defeat ISIS. "This was a top priority from the early days of ISIS gaining the type of territorial safe haven in particular, there was recognition that safe havens for terrorist groups can mean terrorist plots that extend  not just into the region  but to Europe and conceivably into the United States," said Joshua Geltzer, author of "US Counter-Terrorism Strategy and al-Qaeda: Signalling and the Terrorist World-View," now a visiting professor at Georgetown Law School.

What made the Obama administration's efforts at destroying ISIS so feeble was its micromanaging of the bombing campaign:

Deptula thinks the ISIS fight would have ended much sooner if then-[p]resident Obama had given his military commander in the field more authority. He compared President Obama's actions to President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Vietnam War. "Obama micromanaged the war," Deptula said. "We could have accomplished our objectives through the use of overwhelming air power in three months[,] not in three years." Deptula said ISIS-controlled oil supplies weren't targeted for 15 months beginning in 2014, giving the terror group $800 million in much needed revenue to plot attacks and enslave millions of innocents.

It wasn't just Trump giving field commanders more authority that led to the defeat of the terrorists. There was far more cooperation with U.S.-backed ground forces, the kind of close air support in urban areas that allowed the ground troops to advance. This led to more civilian casualties, which is something Obama wanted to avoid. The terrorists used civilians as human shields, and while the more intensive prosecution of the war led to more innocents being killed, it also flushed the terrorists out of their hiding places.

The Obama administration's efforts to fight ISIS had its own share of civilian casualties. But it eventually became obvious that there was not the will to go after the terrorists and destroy them. Instead, Obama was content with giving the appearance of fighting ISIS while leaving its defeat to his successor.

Trump should be given credit for fulfilling his campaign promise to intensify the military effort against ISIS. It has paid off in a big way, with ISIS expelled from Iraq and massively weakened in Syria.
Like AIDS three decades ago, Trump Derangement Syndrome is a new ailment, whose full course of development is as yet unknown. But after a year since TDS exploded on the scene in early November 2016, we can observe the progress of the disease through four stages in certain acute sufferers. This offers hope that we may start to predict how the affliction may spread or, alternatively, extinguish itself, should the rate of transmission to others be slowed by factors we may be able to identify.

Progressives love to adopt what they call a "public health perspective" on things they oppose, such as possession of a firearm. This results in pediatricians asking parents if they have a gun in their house, among other oddities. Two can play that game. It is time to face the mass psychosis that has swept the at-risk population of the nation since the election of Donald Trump as president.

It is pretty clear that the first stages of TDS include:

1. Denial. Attributing Trump's electoral victory to Russian "hacking" is the most common manifestation, but another common manifestation of the syndrome is Electoral College denial ("Hillary won a majority of votes, so she should be president").

2. Anger at Trump-supporters. Disparagement of Trump voters as unworthy fools whose misguided thoughts brought us a disaster. This is matched by anger at Trump-supporters among political commentators.

3. Shunning of former colleagues with the bad taste to support Trump. In fairness, this is a two-way street, as Kurt Schlichter quips:

As 2017 comes to a close, tumbleweeds roll down the empty Lido Deck while the Republican base answers the question, "What if Conservative, Inc., gave a cruise and nobody came?"

4. Conversion. As the first three factors combine, and if no countervailing thoughts are allowed entry into the TDS sufferer's brain (for reasons we do not understand yet), we get signs of actual ideological conversion. Once the virus of liberalism reaches the brain, progress can be devastating.

The GOP tax bill's bringing out my inner socialist. The sex scandals are bringing out my inner feminist. Donald Trump and Roy Moore are bringing out my inner liberal.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?  Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) November 21, 2017

And this from Max Boot, who suddenly discovered "white privilege" because of Donald Trump. (No kidding!) Writing in Foreign Policy:

[I]t has become impossible for me to deny the reality of discrimination, harassment, even violence that people of color and women continue to experience in modern-day America from a power structure that remains for the most part in the hands of straight, white males. People like me, in other words. Whether I realize it or not, I have benefitted [sic] from my skin color and my gender  and those of a different gender or sexuality or skin color have suffered because of it. This sounds obvious, but it wasn't clear to me until recently. I have had my consciousness raised. Seriously. ... The larger problem of racism in our society was made evident in Donald Trump's election[.]

Is there any recovery possible when TDS reaches this late stage? Does it permanently disable perception and logic?

My hopeful prognosis is that remission is possible. Jonah Goldberg, for example, despite early disdain for Trump and membership in the National Review editorial staff, has retained his ability to make distinctions and even find praiseworthy actions by President Trump on occasion.

The coming year, with the likelihood of prosperity fired by deregulation and tax reform, will be a test. I expect those NeverTrumps who have not developed an immune reaction in the cerebral cortex will recover, while those unable to get beyond their own failure to understand Trump's electoral victory and subsequent triumphs will lapse further into their illusions.

Eventually, they will come to admire Rosie O'Donnell, which ought to be the marker for the terminal stage.
Michael Goodwin, in his December 24 New York Post column, admitted to being surprised that the Democrats are continuing impeachment politics. He commented, "I assumed it would last six months at most[.] ... But it's clear now that the mob-like motivation isn't going to disappear. It's become a steamroller force on the left[.] ... The midterm campaign is going to be vicious and dirty beyond belief."

Of course it will be  if the politics of hate practiced by the left prevails, politics motivated by raging hate for the opponent. Look at the language applied by the left against President Trump.

The New York Times, in its lead editorial on November 6, 2016, imagined that a President Trump would govern as a "reckless tyrant" and has not let up on its raging rhetoric.

Is Trump a tyrant? Has he imprisoned media people? Has he arrested members of Congress? Is he undermining our democratic institutions? Has he overturned the Constitution? Of course not. The anti-Trump venom is nothing more than a Big Lie.

Finally, the American people have a president who defends himself when attacked. This is a quality not readily apparent in a Republican  don't they usually cave when hammered with leftist demagoguery?

The more the president defends himself, the more irate his enemies become.

How will the left respond should the American people realize that Russiagate was fake news perpetrated by the swamp  first for the purpose of electing Hillary Clinton president and second for the purpose of discrediting Donald Trump as a threat to national security?

Why is President Trump so hated? These words from the Trump inaugural address, soon to mark their first anniversary, explain the left's politics of hate:

Politicians prospered, but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

"That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day; this is your celebration; and this, the United States of America, is your country."

President Trump told the American people that we "will never be ignored again," adding that America will once again be strong, wealthy, proud, safe, and great. Only someone who is not a patriot, who is not committed to America's legacy of liberty, could hate a president committed to restoring the proper balance between people and government.

May God grant that the new year will be a year when positive actions in the public interest silence the purveyors of the politics of hate, and may Michael Goodwin be mistaken  that viciousness will not prevail, but that goodwill will soundly defeat the disparaging tide next November.
Tucked away in the Caucasus Mountains in the north of Georgia, is the historic province of Khevsureti. Its men were once renowned in martial arts, and especially for their warfare with the Muslim population of the Northern Caucasus including the Chechens, the Kists, and the Dagestans.

Due to the geographic, ethnic and religious complexity and lack of industrialization in the Greater Caucasus, the tribes of the North Caucasus used to frequently attack and rob the mountain-dwelling Georgians. In order to protect their villages, Khevsurs built their houses very close to each other so that they formed a unified defensive wall. These villages played the crucial role of a northern barrier for the whole of Georgia and defended the nation from intrusions of nomadic tribes.

The fortified village of Shatili. Photo credit: Levan Gokadze/Flickr

One of the most spectacular of these villages is Shatili, located in the deep Arghuni gorge. The village is a unique complex of medieval-to-early modern fortresses and fortified dwellings of stone and mortar which functioned both as residential areas and fortresses guarding the northeastern outskirts of the country. The fortress consists of the terraced structures dominated by flat-roofed dwellings and some 60 towers which cluster together to create a single chain of fortifications. The profusion of towers clinging to the mountainsides signify the need for constant vigilance in the face of enemy attack.

Many of the medieval towers in Shatili are now abandoned, and the population, comprising a dozen or so families, reside in the modern wooden houses dotting the perimeter. The village itself was mostly evacuated and its population forcefully resettled in the plains by Soviet authorities in the early 1950s. During winter, when the village becomes inaccessible by road, most of the remaining inhabitants too leave the mountains.

Photo credit: Wim Koolhoven/Flickr

Photo credit: Vladimer Shioshvili/Flickr

Photo credit: Vladimer Shioshvili/Flickr

Photo credit: Levan Gokadze/Flickr

Another important village in the province of Khevsureti is Mutso. Once an important strongholds of the region, Mutso now lies completely abandoned. The village is home to approximately 30 medieval fortified dwelling units arranged on vertical terraces above the Mutso-Ardoti gorge, several combat towers and the ruins of many old structures and buildings. Mutso has been listed as one of the most endangered historical monuments in Georgia.

Mutso. Photo credit: Andrzej Wojtowicz/Flickr

Mutso. Photo credit: Andrzej Wojtowicz/Wikimedia

Mutso. Photo credit: Andrzej Wojtowicz/Wikimedia

Mutso. Photo credit: Andrzej Wojtowicz/Wikimedia
(ANSA) - Rome, December 28 - Italy has "restarted" and the government will keep governing the country despite the dissolution of parliament ahead of March elections, Premier Paolo Gentiloni said in his end-of-year press conference Thursday.

Italy has "got started again after the most serious postwar (economic) crisis", Gentiloni said.

The government will not back down and will continue to govern, Gentiloni said. "Now we will entrust ourselves to (President Sergio) Mattarella," he said, thanking the head of State for his role as "guarantor" of the government process. Mattarella is set to dissolve parliament later today and approve the government's likely call for elections on March Gentiloni is expected to stay on in a caretaker capacity, dealing with day-to-day business.

The government hasn't just "scraped by, taking it easy" over the last year, Gentiloni said. The first task of the next government must be not to destroy "the efforts made thus far", he said. "We are at the start of this road, there is much to be done," the premier said. He recalled "my government was born a year ago after the referendum defeat, the resignation of (Democratic Party leader Matteo) Renzi and with the difficulties of the PD, but we didn't take it easy".

The government averted a "systemic crisis" in Italy's banking sector while not "giving away" money, Gentiloni said. He hailed Italy's success in negotiating with the EU a string of bank rescues.

Gentiloni said "we will stand guard to make sure the recovery (of the banking sector) continues at the necessary pace but we will avert crises caused by improvised rules".

A "brusque and traumatic" end to the legislative term would have had "devastating" consequences for Italy, Gentiloni said. "This legislature that everyone says was troubled has also been fruitful," he added. Gentiloni said that he thought it was "important to have reached an important goal of this government, arriving at the orderly conclusion of the legislative term".

In other points, the premier said Italy no longer lagged the rest of the EU; said the deficit and debt had been cut while boosting growth; said one million jobs had been recovered while taking concrete measures on poverty; and hailed the approval of civil unions, and anti-torture law, a law on unaccompanied minors and living wills.

He said he would campaign for the PD and hoped "amateurish" electoral tactics such as spreading fear would be avoided by other parties, which he did not name.

Gentiloni ducked a question on whether he would head up a grand-coalition government after the elections.

Italy won't press the 'pause' button with the dissolution of parliament later today, Gentiloni said. He said President Mattarella would "dictate" the schedule for a general election expected March 4 and the government would remain in place. "We won't pull back, we will govern," he said.

In other remarks, the premier said the government was never "uncertain" about backing a 'ius soli' (law of the soil) immigrant children citizenship law but it realised it didn't have the numbers in parliament to pass it.

He said trying to pass it and effectively "nixing the law would have been the best way to shelve ius soli for many years".

Italy's intervention to stop human trafficking in Niger was requested by the government there at the start of December, Gentiloni said.

He said bolstering Niger's efforts against migrant smugglers was "sacrosanct".

Gentiloni also said that he had insisted Cabinet Secretary Maria Elena Boschi should stay in her post despite quit calls over alleged intervention over the failing Banca Etruria where her father was vice president in 2014. Gentiloni said he was "relieved" a parliamentary commission of inquiry into Italy's banking crisis had wound up its work.

The panel has recently focused on the collapse of Banca Etruria and Boschi's alleged interest in finding a buyer for the failing Tuscan lender when she was minister for relations with parliament in 2014 and her father was the bank's vice president.

Boschi's perceived intervention, which she denies, has raised a storm of criticism from the opponents of her centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and its leader Matteo Renzi.

The panel heard last week from the CEO of Italy's biggest bank Unicredit, Federico Ghizzoni, that Boschi asked him about the possibility of a takeover but exerted no pressure on him.

The commission is expected to issue its findings on January 27.


(ANSA) - Rome, December 28 - Italy has "restarted" and the government will keep governing the country despite the dissolution of parliament ahead of March elections, Premier Paolo Gentiloni said in his end-of-year press conference Thursday.

Italy has "got started again after the most serious postwar (economic) crisis", Gentiloni said.

The government will not back down and will continue to govern, Gentiloni said. "Now we will entrust ourselves to (President Sergio) Mattarella," he said, thanking the head of State for his role as "guarantor" of the government process. Mattarella is set to dissolve parliament later today and approve the government's likely call for elections on March Gentiloni is expected to stay on in a caretaker capacity, dealing with day-to-day business.

The government hasn't just "scraped by, taking it easy" over the last year, Gentiloni said. The first task of the next government must be not to destroy "the efforts made thus far", he said. "We are at the start of this road, there is much to be done," the premier said. He recalled "my government was born a year ago after the referendum defeat, the resignation of (Democratic Party leader Matteo) Renzi and with the difficulties of the PD, but we didn't take it easy".

The government averted a "systemic crisis" in Italy's banking sector while not "giving away" money, Gentiloni said. He hailed Italy's success in negotiating with the EU a string of bank rescues.

Gentiloni said "we will stand guard to make sure the recovery (of the banking sector) continues at the necessary pace but we will avert crises caused by improvised rules".

A "brusque and traumatic" end to the legislative term would have had "devastating" consequences for Italy, Gentiloni said. "This legislature that everyone says was troubled has also been fruitful," he added. Gentiloni said that he thought it was "important to have reached an important goal of this government, arriving at the orderly conclusion of the legislative term".

In other points, the premier said Italy no longer lagged the rest of the EU; said the deficit and debt had been cut while boosting growth; said one million jobs had been recovered while taking concrete measures on poverty; and hailed the approval of civil unions, and anti-torture law, a law on unaccompanied minors and living wills.

He said he would campaign for the PD and hoped "amateurish" electoral tactics such as spreading fear would be avoided by other parties, which he did not name.

Gentiloni ducked a question on whether he would head up a grand-coalition government after the elections.


(ANSA) - Milan, December 27 - A Moroccan-born female Italian foreign fighter was arrested at Milan's Malpensa Airport on December 23 and will be extradited to France by January 8, sources said Wednesday.

The woman was arrested on her return from Syria, where she had fled about nine months ago with her three children to join a 'soldier' in an ISIS-linked group she had fallen in love with.

The woman had left her husband, a Neapolitan she lived with on the Costa Azzurra.

The woman, seven-months pregnant by the man she joined at Termanin near Aleppo, agreed to French authorities' extradition request so that she could be closer to her children, aged six, eight and 10, who had rejoined their father at Juan Les Pins, sources said.

She reportedly told Italian prosecutors that life in Syria had been very hard. Judicial sources said the woman is accused of international terrorism.

During her interrogation on December 24 in Milan's San Vittore prison, they said, she covered up for the man she fell in love with on an Internet chatroom and made it hard for investigators to identify him, the sources said.

But she said she returned to Italy because living conditions in Syria had not lived up to what she had been led to believe they would be.

She will appear before an appeals court in two days and her extradition should take place within 10 days after that, Interpol said.


(ANSA) - Rome, December 27 - Last-minute appeals for parliament to fit in an immigrant children citizenship law called 'ius soli' (law of the soil) before it is dissolved appeared to be in vain Wednesday.

President Sergio Mattarella is set to dissolve parliament on Thursday ahead of a general election in just over a couple of months, parliamentary sources said this week.

The most likely election date is March 4.

The 'Italians without citizenship' group of immigrant children - representing some 800,000 would-be citizens - has appealed to the president to allow parliament to first approve 'ius soli'. "I urge President Mattarella to give parliament two more weeks to debate and pass ius soli," said Luigi Manconi, a Senator for the ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD).

"I urge him to do so, with the confidence that is due to a gentleman whose intellectual rectitude and social sensitivity is well known," said Manconi.

The Green Party, for their part, appealed to Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso "to convene the Senate before the end of the year".

Gianni Cuperlo, former chair of the PD, said "the PD must ask Mattarella to prolong the legislative term".

But with the majority of parliament including the centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) against the bill, the chances of it being tabled appeared very slim.

"Mattarella mustn't listen to the left," said Roberto Calderoli, a heavyweight in the anti-migrant, anti-euro League (L).

Deborah Bergamini, the communications chief of FI, said the majority of Italians were against the bill and they should be allowed to show what they think in the upcoming election campaign.

"Mattarella should let that majority decide," said the FI spokeswoman.

But many voices in the PD would not be stilled.

Barbara Pollastrini, the deputy chair of the party, said "The PD should ask for the necessary time to approve ius soli and the government should not be afraid of putting the issue to a confidence vote".

In other remarks from the side that appears to have won the battle, Giorgia Meloni of the rightist nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party said the heads of UNICEF Italia owed Italians who are against the law an apology for allegedly calling them "idiots" and "Fascists".

Writing on Facebook, she said "it's the least the leaders of a UN organisation can do".

FI Senator Maurizio Gasparri said his party and others had "won the battle for realpolitik" after a long migrant crisis.

Loredana De Petris of the PD splinter group Free and Equal (LeU) insisted, however, that "the only way forward on ius soli is a confidence vote".

The citizenship bill was repeatedly promised by the PD but it recently had to come to terms with the fact that it could not muster a majority behind it because of opposition from its centrist junior partner Popular Alternative (AP).

The government would therefore have risked falling if it put the widely called-for bill to a confidence vote.

AP recently fell apart but is still formally part of the government.

The opposition of the M5S, which had previously abstained on the bill, thus became critical.

The bill would have granted citizenship rights to the children of regular immigrants, born in Italy, who have spent at least five years in the Italian school system.

Currently these kids have to wait until they're 18 to apply for citizenship.

The bill would cut that to 10 or 12.

Centre-right and rightist parties have sought, successfully, to link the bill to Italy's migrant crisis, falsely suggesting that citizenship would be given to any kid arriving on Italian shores.


(ANSA) - Turin, December 27 - Piedmont may soon start talks with Rome on getting greater autonomy, Governor Sergio Chiamparino told an end-of-year press conference Wednesday.

It would thus become the third northern region, after Lombardy and Veneto which held pro-autonomy referenda earlier this year, to seek greater autonomy from Rome. Chiamparino said, however, that he would not seek a referendum, unlike Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni and Veneto Governor Luca Zaia. "I continue to refuse the referendum logic a la Maroni-Zaia, because they have a political profile that is not ours," he said. Maroni and Zaia both belong to the anti-immigrant, anti-euro League, while Chiamparino is a member of the ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD). He said "it's different to try to see if, once budget stability is reached, there are powers that can be transferred from the State to the Regions". He said "they are long processes, but I believe that at this point Piedmont too has the necessary conditions to sit down at the negotiating table".


BEIRUT - The Syrian government has approved the evacuation of some civilians from the Ghouta region, including women and children who are seriously ill and need urgent medical care, following months of pressure and negotiations among the parties in the context of the ongoing civil war.



The evacuees are part of a group of 400,000 other civilians from the population that has been held hostage for four years by the government siege on the Ghouta, one of the last strongholds of the armed opposition east of the capital.



The evacuation is being managed on the ground by the Syrian Red Crescent with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).



They also managed the negotiations that preceded the evacuation.



ICRC said there are at least 130 civilians in life-threatening condition who must be immediately evacuated from the Ghouta.



In the Ghouta there are about 400,000 civilians remaining, in a territory controlled by various militias.



Prominent among the militias is Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam), with whom mediators conducted negotiations regarding the opposition.



The UN estimates that about 12% of minors in the Ghouta region under siege are suffering from malnutrition and at risk of not surviving the winter.



Of these, UNICEF said in October, about 1,200 are in very serious condition.



At the beginning of December, the International Red Cross said that life in the Ghouta region had become "impossible".


Kosovar foreign fighter deported From Bolzano

(ANSAmed) - BOLZANO, DECEMBER 28 - A Kosovar foreign fighter was deported from Bolzano for national security reasons Thursday.



The expulsion brought to 105 the deportations for security reasons in 2017 and 237 since the start of 2015.



The 28-year-old man had been in a jihadi group in Syria between the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, police said.



He was reportedly in Facebook contact with Samet Imishiti, a Kosovar arrested in 2015 in Kosovo and sentenced to seven months in prison in a Brescia probe into preaching terror. (ANSAmed).




ROME - The scale of attacks on children living in conflict zones reached "shocking" levels in 2017 according to a new report from the UN children's agency UNICEF, published Thursday. Warring parties showed blatant disregard for international laws protecting the most vulnerable, UNICEF added. "Children are being targeted and exposed to attacks and brutal violence in their homes, schools and playgrounds," said UNICEF director of emergency programmes Manuel Fontaine. "As these attacks continue year after year, we cannot become numb. Such brutality cannot be the new normal," he continued.

In Afghanistan approximately 700 children were killed in the first nine months of the year, while in northeast Nigeria and in Cameroon Boko Haram forced at least 135 children to take part in suicide attacks.



This number is five times higher than in 2016. In Iraq and Syria children have been used as human shields, trapped under siege, targeted by snipers and victims of intense bombing and violence.



In Yemen, according to verified figures, at least 5,000 children have been killed or injured in approximately 1,000 days of fighting. However, the real toll could be much higher.

Over 11 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance. Of the 1.8 million children suffering from malnutrition, 385,000 are severely malnourished and risk death of they do not receive urgent medical care.
Turkey arrests 38 ISIS suspects ahead of New Year Security tightened in view of celebrations

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, DECEMBER 28 - Turkish anti-terrorism police have arrested 38 suspected members of Islamic State in the north western province of Bursa, Anadolu reported Thursday.



The operation came amid security reinforcements in view of celebrations for New Year. The suspects, including numerous Syrians, were arrested at their homes in simultaneous operations in the early hours of Thursday morning. On New Year's Eve 2016 a gunman shot dead 39 people at a disco in Istanbul.



This year the authorities have cancelled numerous public celebrations in the city streets. (ANSAmed)
ROME - Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni said on Thursday in his year-end press conference that Italy will send a military mission to Niger, which the Nigerien government requested at the beginning of December.



He said the Nigerien government asked for "an Italian contribution to do things that we normally do in these countries, as for example in Libya: consolidate the assets of territorial control and borders, and strengthen the local police forces".



"Certainly we must look to Africa for its opportunities other than for its risks," he said.



"As foreign minister I decided to open an Italian embassy in Niger, and that wasn't a decision made by chance. Niger was a very important crossroads of large migrant flows for geographic and political-regional reasons, and because for many years there has been a significant concentration of human trafficking. In addition, various forms of jihadist terrorism are particularly present in the Sahel," he said.



"Niger is a country that is ready, perhaps more than the others, to collaborate on migration, also because it's a transit country. If we give our contribution to consolidate that country's resilience, we're doing something sacrosanct for Italian interests," he said.
Haftar force 'welcomes' elections in 2018  spokesman Libyan National Army 'ready to secure polling stations'

(ANSAmed) - BENGHAZI, DECEMBER 28 - The Libyan National Army led by military strongman Khalifa Haftar "welcomes" general elections in 2018, local and international media report spokesperson Ahmed Al-Mismari as saying. "We, as army command, welcome the elections, of which (voters) registration started a while ago," Al-Mismari told journalists at a press conference in the eastern city of Benghazi on Wednesday.



The Libyan National Army also said it was 'ready to secure polling stations' across the country. Al-Mismari also called on the Tobruk parliament to speed up approval of the electoral law. Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli, wants to hold the elections next year. (ANSAmed)
AMMAN - King Abdullah of Jordan has dismissed three members of the royal family including two of his brothers from the army in a major shake-up in the powerful establishment to pave the way for a more prominent role for his eldest son, Hussein.



The pro-west monarch has decided to retire his brothers prince Faisal and Alifrom the army, citing a 'restructuring' plan, Petra news agency reports.



His cousin prince Talal has also been dismissed after a long service as a commander in the special service.



The development comes as Abdullah prepares Crown prince Hussein to take on a more prominent role following his recent graduation from the top British military academy, Sandhurst.



Since taking the throne Abdullah, a career soldier with very close ties to Washington, has gradually marginalized his brothers and other royal family members from the ruling establishment, including dismissing his brother Prince Hamza as crown prince and replacing him with his eldest son, Hussein.



Abdullah holds absolute power in the kingdom, with constitutional powers allowing him to hire and fire governments, dismiss and convene parliament and shake up the army and other security apparatus at his will.
Knesset passes controversial police-muzzling bill Recommendations for indictment can no longer be published

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, DECEMBER 28 - The Israeli parliament has approved the controversial bill prohibiting police from publishing recommendations for indictment at the end of investigations. Lawmakers voted on the provisions on Wednesday night after a filibuster by the opposition that paralysed the Knesset for two days. The bill passed with 59 votes in favour and 54 against. The legislation, which opponents claim is an attempt to intimidate police, will not apply to the two corruption probes involving Premier Benjamin Netanyahu.



The opposition Yesh Atid party has said it will petition the High Court of Justice on Thursday against the legislation.



(ANSAmed)
First revealed at the IDEF (International Defence Industry Fair) at the Tuyap Istanbul Fair and Congress Centre in May 2017, and subsequently shown in the static display at the Paris Air Show in July, the TAI-625 is Turkeys first fully indigenous helicopter.

More than a simple mock-up, the T625 shown at Paris was largely based on a production-representative fuselage and other fully engineered components.

The Paris appearance was described as being part of a pre-marketing product awareness campaign, but serious work is already under way on the programme, with construction of the first prototype having begun in July 2016.

The T625 is a 12-passenger, 6tonne medium twin helicopter, designed to operate in hot and high environments and adverse weather conditions, and intended to compete with helicopters like the Leonardo AgustaWestland AW139 and the Airbus H175.

The helicopter is an attractive, modern-looking design and is broadly reminiscent of the Airbus H155 and the AW139 in appearance and configuration. It has a conventional but fully retractable undercarriage, with twin nose-wheels and single main undercarriage wheels, and is fitted with a five-bladed main rotor and a conventional four-bladed tail rotor.

The aircraft features a flat cabin floor that can be configured for passenger or VIP transport, emergency medical services, cargo, offshore transport, and search and rescue missions, and has large sliding cabin doors on each side, with separate outward-opening cockpit doors. It will be equipped with a four-axis dual redundant automatic flight control system.

TAI began the detailed design of the T625 in 2013 under the name Ozgun, after a programme launch in June 2010. The numerical T625 designation was substituted in January 2017 with the initial 6, representing the helicopters six tonne gross weight, 2 indicating the two engines and 5 the number of main rotor blades.

The T625 programme builds on TAIs successful development of the T129 Atak helicopter, a licence-built and extensively upgraded variant of the AgustaWestland AW129 Mangusta, which incorporates Turkish-developed avionics, self-protection equipment and weapon systems. Some 22 examples from an initial order for 59 units have been delivered to the Turkish army, and one further aircraft has been retained as a test platform.

Negotiations for a second batch of at least 25 helicopters are already under way, and TAI is reportedly in negotiations with Pakistan for an officially undisclosed number of T129s (thought to be 30).

TAI is also producing 109-121 Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky S-70i International Black Hawk helicopters for the Turkish Armed Forces under the Turkish utility helicopter programme (TUHP), a major manufacturing project that promises to give the company invaluable experience in the mass production of advanced rotorcraft.

Development of the T625 was largely driven by domestic requirements, and though there is, as yet, no launch customer for the type, the Turkish Government has reportedly expressed an interest in placing a multi-aircraft order, probably starting with an order for police helicopters for the Jandarma (a branch of the armed forces, reporting to the Ministry of the Interior) and/or for the Turkish National Police, controlled by the General Directorate of Security.

Turkey is also witnessing steady growth in its domestic helicopter market and TAI hopes to sell T625s for parapublic roles, including helicopter emergency medical (HEMS), air ambulance, law enforcement, fire-fighting and rescue, and also for executive and VIP transport. There is also a strong military market, with a pressing need to replace the Turkish armed forces ageing fleet of Bell Model 205/UH-1Hs.

TAI sees a total domestic market for up to 300 T625s over the next 15 years. It also hopes for healthy export sales, another 400-500 airframes over a 20-25 year period.

The company is further hoping that Ankaras foreign relations might allow it to secure orders in markets that may not be so easy for rivals like Airbus Helicopters and Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky.

The T625 is initially being developed for the civil transport market and the military version will follow about two years after the first flight. That variant will be optimised for troop transport, search and rescue, and casualty evacuation missions.

The first of three flying prototypes is expected to make its maiden flight in September 2018, with the second following in about March 2019.

The first two prototypes will be representative of the planned civilian version, while the third will represent the military variant. There will also be a number of ground-test aircraft, including a transmission test rig, a structural and fatigue test iron bird, and an avionics test rig assigned to Aselsan.

Turkish civil certification is expected in mid-to-late 2020, and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification will follow.

The T625 will be an almost entirely indigenous Turkish helicopter, although Sikorsky will be a major subcontractor, and Spanish firm CESA will be responsible for hydraulic systems.

Initially the helicopter will be powered by an imported engine, in the shape of the Rolls-Royce Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Co (LHTEC) CTS800-4A (T800) turbine engine, which was chosen for commonality with the T129 attack helicopter. The T625 will be the first commercial helicopter to be powered by the T800 engine.

In time, even the helicopters powerplant will be made in Turkey, since Tusas Engine Industries (TEI) is already developing an indigenous TS1400 turboshaft engine for the T625 and the T129 under the turboshaft engine development project (TEDP), which was formally launched in February 2017.

The new TEI engine is also intended to power new versions of the TAI Hurkus turboprop trainer and light combat aircraft.

Development of the new engine is expected to take 7-10 years, with design accounting for two years and prototype production and testing taking another four-and-a-half.

Until then, all T625s will be built with the LHTEC powerplant, which is expected to give a cruise speed of roughly 150 knots, and an endurance of about 3.8 hours, with a full fuel load of 2,248lb (1,020kg).

Everything else on the production T625 is expected to be made in Turkey, and even the main gearbox and transmission is being developed in-house, with the support of several international consultants.

Testing of the first prototype gearbox, which is being produced by an unnamed outside supplier, will begin later in 2017, but TAI will also manufacture its first two in-house gearboxes this year.

Other Turkish partner companies include engineering and manufacturing firm Alp Aviation, which will be responsible for the production and assembly of the landing gear, and of some gearbox and dynamic components.

Aselsan, Turkeys biggest defence electronics company, will supply the T625s on-board electronics, including a newly-developed avionics suite. This will feature two large wide-area touchscreen displays (one per pilot) showing flight data and map and engine information on the main panel, with two more touchscreens for flight planning, radios and aircraft system on the centre pedestal. The cockpit is designed to allow VFR and IFR single-pilot operation.

The military version of the T625 would probably be equipped with a variety of Aselsan systems, including the companys active phased-array electronic warfare and countermeasures system.

The T625 is intended to be the first model in what is planned to be a family of indigenous helicopters, spanning the size range from 3.5tonnes up to 10-12tonnes. A four-seat training helicopter is expected to be the next model in TAIs new helicopter family, but is unlikely to be launched until T625 development is complete.




My friend Ethan Iverson, a charter member of the Bad Plus, will be leaving the group on Sunday after they finish a week-long run at the Village Vanguard. I met Ethan in 1999 when I was working on a profile of Mark Morris, for whose dance troupe he was then the rehearsal pianist. Not long after that, Ethan, Reid Anderson, and David King decided to start performing together regularly, and in 2003 they signed with Columbia and put out their first major-label album, These Are the Vistas.

It happens that my Washington Post review of These Are the Vistas was one of the very first pieces about the group to appear in a general-interest publication. Since then, of course, the Bad Plus has long since become one of the most talked-about groups in jazz, and Im proud to have written about them so early on.

To commemorate Ethans departure, Im posting my 2003 review, which has never been reprinted since it originally appeared in the Post.

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The Bad Plus is a piano trio, one of jazzs most familiar lineupsonly Ethan Iverson, Reid Anderson and David King dont sound anything like Ahmad Jamal or Oscar Peterson. Instead of the usual show tunes and jazz standards, they play Smells Like Teen Spirit, Heart of Glass, and weirdly tilted original compositions with titles like Silence Is the Question and Keep the Bugs Off Your Glass and the Bears Off Your Ass. Their producer is Tchad Blake, whose credits include albums by Elvis Costello, Suzanne Vega and Pearl Jam. And These Are the Vistas (Columbia), their major-label debut, isnt just a breath of fresh airits a tornado.

You probably dont know any of the members of the Bad Plus by name (unless you happen to be a modern-dance buff, in which case youll remember Iverson from his day job as music director of the Mark Morris Dance Group). New Yorkers who keep up with the progressive jazz scene, though, know them as three of the most daring players in town, and when they started working together in 2000, it seemed a pretty safe bet that surprising things were going to happen. The biggest surprise, though, may be that they somehow managed to get Columbia to take an interest in their challenging music. The pop factor is the obvious reason, but the Bad Plus doesnt do cutesy watered-down covers of hit singles. Instead, they deconstruct the songs of Blondie, Nirvana and Aphex Twin with the same rigorous conceptual clarity that goes into their own originals, and their group soundblunt, clear-cut, full of splintery dissonances and jolting musical jokesblends jazz, rock and classical music so indissolubly as to make the differences between the three musics seem trivial.

Even the recorded sound of These Are the Vistas is startling. Though the album was recorded live in the studio without overdubs or edits, Tchad Blake has supplied countless pop-type touches, none of them blatant (a bit of distortion here, an unexpected sonic perspective there) but all of which, taken together, leave no possible doubt that this isnt your standard piano-trio album.

Throughout the past decade, much of the creative energy in American popular music has come from the deliberate hybridizing of seemingly unrelated idioms. This polystylistic approach has been strangely slow to leave its mark on jazz, in which the studied neoclassicism of self-consciously traditional musicians like Wynton Marsalis has been the dominant force since the 80s. But younger, more adventurous players and composers are jump-starting a music that once seemed to be dead in the water, and with the release of These Are the Vistas, the Bad Plus has catapulted to the front of their ranks. A few older pianists, among them Keith Jarrett and Fred Hersch, have continued to make distinctive use of the piano-bass-drums lineup, but no one under 40 was saying anything remotely new with the formatuntil now. If you want to know where jazz is headed next, look here.

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The Bad Plus plays Smells Like Teen Spirit live in Hollywood in 2008:
The stock slumped to a low of Rs 544.35, down 1.83 per cent from its previous close on the BSE.

Bank will work with Sebi and the best experts in the field to investigate the matter and will take action as appropriate.

New Delhi: Shares of Axis Bank on Thursday tanked nearly 2 per cent after market regulator Sebi ordered the lender to conduct a probe into the alleged data leak.

In its first order in the WhatsApp leak case, regulator Sebi last night ordered Axis Bank to strengthen its systems and conduct an internal probe to fix responsibility as the initial investigation showed that the leakage was due to "inadequacy" of processes at the bank.

The stock slumped to a low of Rs 544.35, down 1.83 per cent from its previous close on the BSE. On the NSE, it opened at Rs 546.15, lost ground and hit Rs 544, down 1.91 per cent.

Axis Bank late last night had said it would work with Sebi on the issue of 'leakage' of unpublished price sensitive information and take appropriate action.

Axis Bank has to complete the inquiry within three months and file a report to Sebi within seven days thereafter, the regulator said, after it found that the company's results for the June quarter were "either identical or matched closely with the figures" in circulation on WhatsApp prior to an official announcement.

"The bank will work with Sebi and the best experts in the field to investigate the matter and will take action as appropriate," Axis Bank Executive Director Rajesh Dahiya had said on Wednesday.
The famous picture with his yellow trunks has landed on to an advertisement for a gay cruise in Mexico, only minus the shorts.

Mumbai: John Abraham made girls and guys swoon after he pulled down his trunks to expose a bit of his butt in 'Dostana.'

The picture was almost national news at the time of the release of the Abhishek Bachchan-Priyanka Chopra starrer.

Almost ten years later, the picture is in still in the news, not in India, but in Mexico.

Johns famous picture with his yellow trunks has landed on to an advertisement for a gay cruise in Mexico, only minus the shorts.

The organisers only took the upper body and conveniently skipped out the part that had made headlines and we wouldn't want to get into the reason for it.

Author Nia Levy King had posted this picture on Twitter, wondering if the actor was aware about it.

Super curious if John Abraham knows they are using his image to promote gay cruises in Mexico. #Dostana pic.twitter.com/swURiDX793  Nia Levy King (@ArtActivistNia) December 24, 2017

The reactions to the tweet, however, were divided. While some of those who commented felt John wouldnt mind it as he is 'a chill guy', some felt it should be removed as his fans wont like this.

@TheJohnAbraham This is gonna get viral soon   Shardul Silswal (@Shardul_Silswal) December 26, 2017

John Abraham seems like a chill guy, he probably won't mind this.  Arjun Dev Mullankara (@ArjunDevM) December 24, 2017

John sir is a chill guy but being his fan we dont like this  Naman Agarwal (@Namanagar) December 26, 2017

Plzzz remove thia from twitter  Naman Agarwal (@Namanagar) December 26, 2017

We would like to know what John feels about it surely.

John had played a character, who along with Abhishek, pretended to be gays in the film.

It was perhaps the first mainstream out-and-out commercial Hindi film where homosexuality played an important plot point.

Despite several reports of a sequel, John's pose still makes more headlines for the film than the second installment.
While theres still uncertainty regarding Padmavati release, the actors are leaving no scope to promote themselves.

Mumbai: While theres still uncertainty regarding Padmavati release, the actors are leaving no scope to promote themselves. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have an especially upper hand since they are both spoken about the most.

Shahid Kapoor, who plays Deepikas husband Maharawal Ratan Singh in the movie, has reportedly fired his talent management agency since he felt that they werent performing up to the mark, unlike Ranveers talent management agency, which made sure the Bajirao Mastani actor was always in the news.

Mumbai Mirror thus reported that Shahid has taken matters into his own hands and approached TV channels for his appearance, so that he can promote Padmavati.

When will the movie release though? This question itself has made all the three stars popular in the media. So why this inferiority from Shahid?
The family has now laid down a New Years resolution for the patriarch  no stunts or action in 2018.

Amitabh Bachchan is no stranger to illnesses and injuries. In fact, the superstar has escaped the jaws of death on many occasions, including the near-fatal accident on the sets of Manmohan Desais Coolie, decades ago.

While one would think that the actor has learnt his lesson by now, he still seems to be bent on risking his health for his stunts, even at the age of 75. His latest injury has come on location of Vijay Krishna Acharyas Thugs of Hindostan, last week.

During an intense action sequence with Aamir Khan, Big B injured his shoulder.

A source close to the Bachchans says, The family keeps warning, pleading and even cajoling him to not do stunts. For Thugs of Hindostan, producer Aditya Chopra insisted on a body double for a complicated stunt. But he insisted on doing it on his own. He has now injured his shoulder. Hes in acute pain. But he never admits to it.

The family has now laid down a New Years resolution for the patriarch  no stunts or action in 2018.

Weve made him promise to stay away from stunts in the past, only to see him back at it, sighs a family member.

Interestingly, this did not stop the actor from arriving with the whole family to bless newlyweds Virat Kolhi and Anushka Sharma, at their Mumbai reception. He posed for pictures with daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda.
Sources said the rebels have raised the chit fund issue to get the public sympathy for their activities.

The Congress has made the tardy progress in CBI investigation in the ponzi scam as major issue.

Bhubaneswar: Maoists have questioned the seriousness of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the chit fund scam in Odisha.

In posters and banners put by the CPI (Maoist) outfit at Ambadala, Muniguda and Bisam-Cuttack in Rayagada district, the rebels questioned why the central investigating agency was silent to bring to the book the Odisha ministers and MLAs involved in the chit fund scam.

Why the is CBI silent to take action against the MLAs and ministers of the BJD government who extended support to the chit fund firms to dupe the poor people in the name of high returns on their investment. The CBI must punish them, the rebels said.

Sources said the rebels have raised the chit fund issue to get the public sympathy for their activities.

According to justice M.M. Das Commission of Inquiry that probed into Odisha chit fund scam, at least 174 chit fund firms have collected nearly Rs 10,000 crore from 20 lakh investors.

Although one BJD Lok Sabha member and MLA were arrested in the case, a few other influential leaders of the ruling BJD and some top government officials who extended their patronage to the ponzi firms are still large as the CBI has slowed down its investigation.

The Congress has made the tardy progress in CBI investigation in the ponzi scam as major issue. The party has been alleging a tacit understanding between the BJD-BJP to bail out the chit fund accused politicians and officers.

In the posters, the Maoist also opposed dismissal of Dr Damodar Rout from the Council of ministers for his alleges casteist remark against the Brahmins at Malyavant Mohotsav in Malkangiri district.

Praising Dr Rout for his contribution towards development of tribals, the posters and banners stated the former agriculture minister is a good person. It claimed that Dr Rout had not commented anything against Brahmins at the Malyavant Mahostav and the whole matter was blown out of proportions as part of a conspiracy against him.
Rahul Gandhi takes another jibe at PM Modi.

New Delhi: Twelve days after Parliaments Winter Session had begun, the impasse in the Rajya Sabha between the ruling BJP and the Congress was finally broken on Wednesday after a statement by finance minister Arun Jaitley, Leader of the House, in which he said that the Prime Minister, in his statements or speeches, did not question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister, or Mr Hamid Ansari, former vice-president.

The Congress had been demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his conspiracy-with-Pakistan allegation relating to former PM Manmohan Singh made during the Gujarat campaign. A middle path was, however, worked out by the BJP and the Congress and Mr Jaitley, in a suo moto statement in the House on Wednesday, added: Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation.

As part of the middle path, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also made a statement, saying:  I want to thank the Leader of the House that he issued a clarification on the issue which was causing the deadlock for the last one week. If during the elections (recent Assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh), any member of our party gave such a statement that was against the stature of the Prime Minister, then our party dissociates itself from any such statement and we would not want any word to be said against the stature of the Prime Minister. This was in response to the comments by Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, who was later suspended by the Congress for his comments against Mr Modi.

Dear Mr Jaitlie  thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means. #BJPLies, Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu thanked all members for the deadlocks resolution. Mr Naidu had initiated the process to end the deadlock, and a meeting between him and former PM Manmohan Singh had also taken place. Interestingly, Congress affiliates on the social media claimed a victory, and said that once again the BJP had taken a U-turn. After the statements by both leaders, the Upper House functioned smoothly. The Winter Session is due to end on January 5.
Two minutes into his speech, Kovind paused and looked at the audience as there was a sudden noise.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during the inauguration of Centenary Annual Conference of Indian Economic Association in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. (Photo: PTI)

Amaravati: It is not often that he stops midway during a public speech, but that is what President Ram Nath Kovind did on Wednesday to indicate his displeasure over the distribution of food packets among the delegates during his address at an Indian Economic Association conference here.

Briefly interrupting his address to gently prod the organisers for the faux pas, the President asked them to stop distributing the packets till his speech was over.

While addressing the centenary conference of the association, Mr Kovind noticed that the food packets were being distributed among the participants.

Two minutes into his speech, Mr Kovind paused and looked at the audience as there was a sudden noise.

The volunteers had started distributing the food packets among the delegates and mediapersons and a group of students had got up from their seats in their hurry to grab them. What is happening in the economic world... I see the same picture at this conference also. I think some food packets are being distributed. Of course it is a must, but it has disturbed the system itself.

Therefore, I request the organisers, will you please keep the distribution of food packets in abeyance for a little while, he said, even as the stunned police personnel and officials intervened to stop the distribution. The President then continued with his speech.
The meeting across a glass screen and through intercom, tightly controlled by Pak officials, has left the family 'horrified and depressed'.

Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna met him face-to-face in Islamabad after 22 months of his captivity. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

New Delhi: As Kulbhushan Jadhav met his wife and mother for the first time since his arrest and death sentence in Pakistan, the former navy official "parroted Pakistani propaganda" and kept saying he was a spy, according to Indian officials.

According to a report in Times of India, mother of Kulbhushan on Monday interrupted him saying "But why are you saying all this? You were doing business in Iran from where you were abducted. You must tell the truth."

Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna met him face-to-face in Islamabad after 22 months of his captivity.

Shocking details of the 40-minute meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife in Islamabad emerged on Monday. The meeting across a glass screen and through intercom, tightly controlled by Pakistani officials, has left the family "horrified and depressed", according to relatives.

According to reports, Jadhav kept speaking in English and Hindi and repeating that he was a spy operating in Balochistan and was involved in terror activities - allegations by Pakistan that India has strongly refuted. His mother Avanti Jadhav and wife Chetankul kept trying to speak to him in Marathi but he wouldn't reciprocate.

Pakistani officials repeatedly stopped Jadhav's mother when she spoke in Marathi.

It was as if Jadhav was programmed to stick to a script and repeat whatever Pakistan has charged him with, the family has reportedly told Indian officials.

The intervention also validated India's decision to insist that Jadhav's mother was to accompany wife Chetna. Pakistan had initially given visa only to Chetna but relented when India pressed that mother Avanti should also be allowed access.

Avanti and Chetna Jadhav were forced to change and take off their mangalsutras, bindis and bangles for the meeting. Chetankul Jadhav's shoes were not returned by Pakistan, which claims there was "something metallic" in them and they are being examined by forensic experts.

After the meeting, the family was forced to wait for their car outside the Pakistan Foreign Office. The wait left them in the open for harassment by the Pakistani media.

They were heckled over and again by questions like - "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)"
Rahul Gandhi on Congress' 133rd Foundation Day said the central idea of the party was truth, we work with the truth, we fight for the truth.

Gandhi highlighted the Congress' 'glorious' history, stating that party has been working in the interest of the country for over a century. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the BJP of attacking India's Constitution and using lies for political benefits, while asserting that the truth and its defence were pivotal for his party.

Addressing a gathering at a function to mark the Congress' 133rd Foundation Day, Gandhi hit out at the BJP for weaving a "web of deceit" and said his party would defend the truth even if it suffered or lost elections.

Gandhi, who was appointed party president earlier this month, unfurled the Congress flag at the Congress headquarters in Akbar Road, a first for him. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior leaders, including Congress Working Committee (CWC) members, were present at the event.

Making a reference to Union minister Anantkumar Hegde's comment on amending the Constitution, but without naming him, the Congress president said one of the most important moments in India's history was the day it got its Constitution and this was under attack now.

"Today, it is distressing to see that this document, the foundation of our country, given to us by the Congress party, given to us by Mr Ambedkar, is under attack. Statements are being made by senior members of the BJP and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back. It is the duty of the Congress party, the duty of every single Indian, to defend the Constitution and every person's rights and views," he said.

The Congress president, who has been accusing the BJP for spreading lies, spoke of a "web of deceit" in the country.

The BJP, he asserted, operates on the basic idea that a lie can be used for political benefit.

"And this is the difference between us and them," he said.

"We might suffer, we might not do well, we might even lose, but we will not give up the truth, we will defend the truth," Gandhi added.

He also highlighted the Congress' "glorious" history, stating that the party has been working in the interest of the country for over a century.

The central idea of the party was truth, he said. "We work with the truth, we fight for the truth."

Gandhi, who distributed sweets to children on the occasion, said the Congress had many achievements to its credit, achieved with the help and together with the Indian people.

The party was "jointly responsible" for bringing independence to the country, he said.

Hegde, the Union minister of state for skill development, reportedly said at a function in Karnataka that people should identify themselves with their religion and "those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity..."

He also reportedly said, "We are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it."
Leader of Oppn Ghulam Nabi Azad asked if a minister doesn't believe in Constitution, should he still remain as a minister.

On Wednesday, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha witnessed pandemonium; opposition members in the Upper House shouted 'shame, shame' when Ananth Kumar Hegde, rose to lay the papers listed against his name. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

New Delhi: A day after Lok Sabha witnessed several adjournments on Wednesday following the uproar in the House by Opposition, Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde on Thursday extended his apology and said Constitution is supreme to me.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha at the start of the session on Thursday, Ananth Kumar Hegde said, I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme to me, there can be no question about it, as a citizen I can never go against it.

Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me.

On Wednesday, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha witnessed pandemonium. Opposition members in the Upper House on Wednesday shouted "shame, shame" when Hegde, rose to lay the papers listed against his name.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad sought a clarification from the Minister as he could leave the House soon after laying papers.

True to this, Hegde sat in the House for a while listening to opposition protests against his controversial statement that the BJP would change the Constitution by excluding Secularism from the preamble. Soon thereafter, he left the House.

Read: Oppn stalls RS over Hegde's 'here to change Constitution' remark

Azad asked if a minister does not believe in the Constitution, does he have the right to remain as a minister.

"Minister who has no faith in the Constitution has no right to be a minister. He has no right to be a Member of Parliament," he said.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (Trinamool Congress) said secularism is inscribed in the preamble of the Constitution and asked if a minister is allowed to denounce the same preamble in public.

Naresh Agarwal (SP) said the Constitution is the Ramayana and Gita of democracy and any minister who abuses it and its founder Baba Saheb Ambedkar should be removed.

At this, Rajya Sabha chairperson and vice-president of India Venkaiah Naidu interjected to ask members not to bring Babasaheb Ambedkar into the controversy. But the opposition members remained undeterred and trooped into the well raising slogans.

Naidu asked members not to raise slogans and ordered that nothing they were saying would go on record. He then allowed Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and Empowerment and founder of the Republican Party of India Ramdas Athawale to speak.

Athawale praised the Prime Minister for honouring the memory of Ambedkar with a fitting memorial and said it was Congress which had insulted Ambedkar.

"Don't create a ruckus. You are going to be defeated in general elections in 2019 and 2024," Athawale told the opposition.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy claimed Ambedkar did not include the word secularism in the Constitution.

Naidu tried to restore order but all his efforts went in vain. "How much should I tolerate. This is not acceptable. This is not done," he said as slogans were being shouted continuously.

Read: We will change the Constitution: Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde

As opposition members continued their noisy protest and demanded a discussion on the issue, Naidu said no discussion can take place without a proper notice.

Ananth Kumar Hegde earlier this week stoked a controversy, saying those who consider themselves secular and intellectual do not have their own identity and they are also unaware of their parentage.

I feel happy about he who knows his blood, but I dont know what to call those who claim themselves secular, the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship said at an event.

Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they dont have their own identityThey dont know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals, he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town in Koppal district.

Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are.

He said he respects the Constitution but it will be changed in the days to come. We are here for that and that is why we have come.
Amber Wilde felt urged to act after seeing a video of Jules Furness explaining her heartbreak after a second round of IVF had failed her.

A young mum was so touched by a blogger Facebook post about her fertility issues that she decided to donate her eggs to her.

Amber Wilde, 28, felt urged to act after seeing a video of Jules Furness explaining her heartbreak after a second round of IVF had failed her.

Amber immediately messaged the 35-year-old, who had been struggling to conceive naturally with husband Steven, 34, on the social media site.

Speaking about how she had never met the couple, she wrote, This might be wildly inappropriate and please accept my apologies if so, but if altruistic egg donation would make IVF more affordable to you and you're not horrified by my weirdo genetics I'd donate in a heartbeat.

Jules was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure which means her ovaries don't release eggs.

While she knew show would not be able to conceive naturally, she was determined to have a family and she along with her partner Steven adopted a baby boy after IVF treatment failed her.

The couple faced further heartache when they were told they couldn't have IVF on the NHS as they already had a child, unless they paid 10,000. Instead, they flew to Prague last year to have a 3,500 private procedure, but, the eggs did not work then as well.

Amber's message came out of the blue, and Jules said it took a while for the generous offer to sink in.

After a few months of speaking on the phone about the realities of the offer, the two families met up and agreed to go ahead.

Doctors retrieved ten of Amber's eggs, seven of which were fertilised, producing two healthy embryos.

Amber's eggs and Steven's sperm were used to create two healthy embryos in November, and at least one of them will be implanted in Jules next month as part of a 13,000 procedure that will be refunded if unsuccessful.

If all goes well, it means that the couple will be parents by next Christmas.
According to police, Rahul was fired recently by the boy's father and wanted to exact revenge. He was inspired by Hollywood movies.

According to police, the child was rescued but the accused fled the spot. Subsequently, all the three accused were held. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: Two students from Delhi University, along with one other person, have been arrested for allegedly abducting a 3-year-old boy and demanding a ransom of Rs 10 lakh from his parents, police said. One of the accused, Rahul Misra, 24, is a former employee of the victim's father.

The other two accused have been identified as Shubham Mishra (19) and Gaurav (22), they said.

Rahul had been fired recently by the boy's father and wanted to exact revenge. He planned the abduction of his former employer's son after taking inspiration from Hollywood movies, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Omvir Singh said the police were informed about the incident on December 22.

The complainant, who is the owner of a computer hardware store in East Delhi's Mandawli area, told the police that his son was taken to a juice stall by Rahul. He left the child there and accompanied the boy's mother for some other work.

The police had formed 16 teams to trace the boy. "The teams had combed through Akshardham, Yamuna Bank and East Vinod Nagar areas. We then got inputs about the culprits' movements. When we closed in on them, they gave up the child near CWG village," Singh said.

The child was rescued but the accused fled the spot, the officer said. Subsequently, all the three accused were held, he said.

Rahul is a graduate from the Delhi University's School of Open Learning (SOL), while Gaurav is a first-year student, police added.
The list of firms included Saradha Group and Rose Valley Group.

According to sources, the CBI wanted to know from the state DGP about those documents. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly wrote to West Bengal director-general of police (DGP) Surajit Kar Purkayastha seeking details of a bunch of documents related to the probe conducted by the state police in the chit fund scams.

Launching its probe in the Ponzi scheme default cases, the Central agency earlier found that key documents relating to six chit fund firms have gone missing.

The list of firms included Saradha Group and Rose Valley Group.

Unable to get those documents, the CBI earlier asked for them from the state police as various complaints against different firms were lodged at various police stations in the state and the state police was the first to investigate into them. According to sources, the CBI wanted to know from the state DGP about those documents.

During the day, the CBI informed that Mr Purkayastha was not served summons in the chit fund scam in wake some media reports. CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said that neither any notice was sent to Mr Purakayastha nor he was asked to appear before the agency.
As per the MBMC initiative, women drivers would predominantly serve women commuters.

Under a similar scheme, the state had issued permits to 20 women to ply the special salmon-orange autos.

Mumbai: With an aim to transform the living standards of underprivileged women, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has chalked out an elaborate plan of rolling out 100 pink autos in the twin-city for them.

However such autos are not new. Under a similar scheme, the state government had issued permits to 20 women to ply the special salmon-orange (called Aboli in Marathi) autos earlier this year.

But apart from a few, most of the Aboli autos for women drivers are being reportedly misused by males who have changed the mandated colour to the standard yellow and black.

Not bothered to drive their autos even for a single shift, the permit holders have instead turned the women-oriented scheme into a lucrative business by renting out their vehicles to others, often at rates as high as Rs 1 lakh per year.

According to the MBMC mayor Dimple Mehta, the rickshaws driven by women would hit the roads on occasion of Womens Day which is celebrated across the globe on March 8.

This platform will give underprivileged women including single mothers, widows and financially insecure women an opportunity to be self-sufficient. Apart from funding auto-rickshaws for those fulfilling the eligibility criteria, we will also request the transport department to make it easier for women drivers to get their drivers badge, said Ms Mehta.

As per the MBMC initiative, women drivers would predominantly serve women commuters, although there is no bar on male passengers using these autos.
According to the police, the body was found after the neighbours complained of a foul odour coming from the flat.

Dr.Satpute is the former head of OBGYN (Obstetrics and gynaecology) and Minimal Invasive Gyne Surgery at BSES MG Global Hospitals and Health Research Centre.

Mumbai: Three days after she died, the body of a 45-year-old gynaecologist was found in her flat in the western suburb of Amboli in a partially decomposed state on Tuesday night. According to the police, the body was found after the neighbours complained of a foul odour coming from the flat. The post-mortem report revealed that her death was due to diabetes.

Dr Poonam Satpute, was found dead in her second floor flat, in Karamveer Apartment in Amboli last night, senior inspector of Amboli police station, Bhaskar Gaikwad, said. The police rushed to the spot and broke open the door, where they found the doctors body, which had started decomposing. The police have registered a case of accidental death.

Satpute is the former head of OBGYN (Obstetrics and gynaecology) and Minimal Invasive Gyne Surgery at BSES MG Global Hospitals and Health Research Centre. On December 22, she had made her last post on her facebook profile. It was about special education, autism, dyslexia, and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

Dr. Harbhajan Singh Bawa, assistant Dean from Cooper hospital said, The medico was under dialysis and was consuming severe medication, it is not revealed whether she had committed suicide by consuming a high dosage. There are no any marks on her body too .  We had sent the viscera samples to Kalina forensic laboratories for revealing further details about the exact cause of death , Dr Bawa added.

Jayesh Yadav who stays in the nearby building of Dr. Satpute said,  Her neighbour rang the bell so many times in the morning because of the foul smell. They even tried to call her but her phone was switched off. She used to go out for a walk in the morning routinely but no one had seen her on that day. Due to her health issue, she also had stopped her medical practice.

According to the officer, Dr Satpute was a diabetic. The body was taken to a state-run hospital, where the post-mortem was conducted, he said.

"A case of accidental death has been registered after the post-mortemconfirmed that it was a natural death," he said. Police have informed her husband and son, who stay in Chennai and also her parents.
Contest was organised by the largest national newspaper for the Indian community in South Africa.

Among the various entries in the competition were samosas that featured almonds and cashews drizzled with chocolate; chocolate covered in edible glitter; Margherita pizza filling and chicken jalapeno. (Photo: Pixabay)

Popular Indian snack samosa with Kashmiri chilli chicken fillings has beaten chocolate, cashew nuts and other exotic entries in a first such contest in South Africa.

The contest was organised by the largest national newspaper for the Indian community in South Africa.

Among the various entries in the competition were samosas that featured almonds and cashews drizzled with chocolate; chocolate covered in edible glitter; Margherita pizza filling and chicken jalapeno.

The South African Indian speciality samosa (also referred to as samoosa) is a deep-fried flat version of the traditional Punjabi snack, filled with a variety of savoury or sweet treats in a crispy pastry.

Salma Agjee won the contest organised by the weekly Post, after her daughter submitted her recipe.

"I love cooking and always believe in taking a recipe a step further by adding a twist to it," Agjee was quoted as saying by the news paper.

"My filling was my own invention based on what I had initially made as a chicken sandwich for my children. The chicken was cooked with Kashmiri chilli powder, then I added two types of cheese, mozzarella and gouda, and mayonnaise," she said.

There were also two other sections of the competition, which was held at a public fair in Durban.

Grandmother Roxana Naseem, 63, who has been running a samosa-making business for several decades, showed her skill to beat others by filling 10 samosas in under 60 seconds in a neat stack.

In the third section of the contest, Ebrahim Bux, 18, bagged the title of the 'fastest samosa eater' when he wolfed down 10 samosas in a minute.
The Kushner/Netanyahu collaboration has begun with the acknowledgement of Jerusalem as Israels capital.

The year 2017 is gradually slipping into a coma. There must be few people across the globe who will mourn its subsidence.

Certainly not almost a million Yemeni innocents. They are dying of cholera because Nero-ic Saudi Arabia wishes to demonstrate its superior might against a puny neighbour. Certainly not the overrich, under-armed state of Qatar. They have discovered that being part of a pack is no protection against cannibalism.

Certainly not the beleaguered Syrians. Hundreds of thousands of them have been decimated so that their lanky leader Bashar al-Assad can survive.

Certainly not the European Union. It is losing the UK and can already feel the new tooth of Spanish Catalonia wriggling to occupy the vacant space.

Certainly not the Congress Party in India. Like some ageing amnesiac chameleon, it is attempting to relearn how to change colour, from the safe camouflage of Nehruvian secularism to a provocative Hindutva saffron.

Certainly not the PML(N) in Pakistan. It may have lost its head Nawaz Sharif but, like the British monarchy after Charles Is beheading, it can expect to draw upon a succession of Stuart/Sharif pretenders to his throne.

Opening a portal into 2018 for a moment, should one expect to see a change or an improvement in the international scene? That seems unlikely. The cardinal points on the world map in 2018 have already been locked into place. Key leaders in the US, China, India, Germany and France have until 2020 and beyond then before they need to face national polls. The elections in Russia next year will give Vladimir Putin a legal extension which Josef Stalin would have envied. The worlds leaders and their policies are known; their alliances have been forged. They have time to perfect them.

Two mavericks though are a cause of concern: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud. Both are less than 35 years old. Both are volatile and unpredictable and both will not rest until they have satiated the itch to dominate their respective regions.

Kim Jong-un is a snarling pet kept on a short leash by his handlers. He is permitted to growl, to gnash his teeth, but he is not allowed to bite. They know that the consequence of firing a nuclear catapult will not be a South Korean US-based heaven or a second North Korean hell but the annihilation of all Koreans.

In Saudi Arabia, given King Salmans age and fragile health, it is possible that his impatient crown price Mohammed bin Salman could become the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques before end 2018. Until heaven commands, Mohammed bin Salman appears content frittering his wealth by ordering lethal toys. Some might argue, what use is his money if he cannot buy the worlds most expensive painting in the world? Others might wonder how a Wahabi, who eschews representation of the human figure, could justify spending $450 million on a portrait of Christ as Salvator Mundi.

The year 2017 has seen two nations  the US and Saudi Arabia  go solo. Trumps slogan America First has been adapted by the Saudis to mean Others Last. Trump gave notice of withdrawal to his side of the Atlantic. The Saudis walked away from the Gulf Cooperation Council with an obedient UAE in tow. Trump has announced the relocation of the US embassy in Jerusalem. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation retaliated by declaring East Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Palestine, and invited all countries to recognise the state of Palestine and East Jerusalem as its occupied capital. Palestine is to become another Cyprus  divided, and ruled separately.

Was the move to Jerusalem part of the royal banquet banter in May 2017 between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus access through Kushner to the Oval Office is not dissimilar to the confidence placed in 1971 in President Yahya Khan by then President Richard Nixon. It had fatal consequences.

The Kushner/Netanyahu collaboration has begun with the acknowledgement of Jerusalem as Israels capital. The next step assuredly must be recognition of Israel by first proxies of Saudi Arabia. Has anyone in Islamabad determined what Pakistans strategy should be? Or are they waiting for instructions in 2018 from their handlers?

By arrangement with Dawn
Currently, Pakistan is witnessing a political vacuum with all its mainstream parties in disarray.

The Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir is just one domain of conflict between India and Pakistan but the degree of tactical expertise required to remain in a dominant position needs to be extremely high. Deployed eyeball to eyeball with the adversary, there are some areas where they are separated by just a kilometer. The environment offers ample scope to test each others nerves, tactical skills and stamina. Not for nothing was this called one of the most dangerous places on earth. Strategically, the LoC offers the maximum scope to Pakistans deep state for its messaging. But why does it need to do so? It must be understood Pakistans strategic aim is to keep a state of turbulence in J&K and thereby exploit Indias religious faultlines. Much depends on the state of affairs in the two countries.

Currently, Pakistan is witnessing a political vacuum with all its mainstream parties in disarray. None has a real national presence, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the party in power, in hara-kiri mode. This has allowed radical elements to make a bid for political space. In recent months, Pakistan has seen a lockdown of its capital, Islamabad, by a new element, Tehreek-e-Labayak Ya Rasool Allah (TeL), demanding death sentences for PML(N) ministers and the complete dismissal of Parliament for not adhering to the finality of the Prophet in the affirmation for election. Hafiz Saeed, the maverick leader of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, founded the Milli Muslim League (MML), sensing a chance at political credibility and a potential political future. This has the backing of personalities like former President Pervez Musharraf, who too surprisingly appears to have political ambitions. Garnering political space gets a boost from the deep state if some spectacular actions are seen in Kashmir or anywhere else in India, which can signal how much Indias internal security is under Pakistani calibration. However, 2017 has proven to be a year in which the Indian security forces led by the Army have regained the space lost in 2016 due to the anger which spilled into the streets of Kashmir after the killing of local terrorist leader Burhan Wani. Its not easy for the deep state to strike at will, although plans are undoubtedly afoot. As an interim measure, there is always the LoC. An opportunity does exist to carry out a tactical action with a larger strategic impact. The domination of the LoC exchanges of fire assaults by the Indian Army has also rankled the deep state.

This time, however, a deeper strategy appears to have motivated the deplorable action at Keri in the LoCs Rajouri sector. A Pakistani border action team (BAT) comprising Pakistani regulars and terrorists carried out a shallow infiltration on December 22 and ambushed an Indian Army patrol led by an officer of 2 Sikh (Royal), a premier infantry unit, killing an officer and three jawans. There appears to be a deep-set conspiracy and strategy that began from the moment Pakistan gave permission for the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian naval officer who Pakistan alleges is an Indian spy and is in its custody, to visit him in Pakistan. A leak of a report about the brief given by Pakistan Army chief Gen. Qamar Bajwa to the Pakistan Senate appears to have been made deliberately. This report carried an apparent advisory from the Pakistan Army chief to the political community that the Army was willing to back peace initiatives with India. It appears to have been made to lull India into complacency alongside the gesture to permit Kulbhushan Jadhavs family to meet the condemned prisoner. The trans-LoC operation, infliction of casualties on the Indian Army and the subsequent humiliation of Jadhavs mother and wife with selective media harassment  all this appears to have been choreographed with the larger intent of humiliating India and establishing a psychological ascendancy with a message of Pakistani domination of the strategic space in India-Pakistan relations.

As in the past, Pakistan masterfully initiated its strategy and conspiracy but didnt think it through. The terminal end of nefarious strategies which cross the Pakistani mind is never apparent to its deep state planners. Two things went awry. One, the Indian Army retaliated swiftly, keeping the response limited to the tactical level. A small Indian Army element crossed the LoC on December 25 and laid mines and IEDs at will near Rakh Chikri post of Poonch, detonating these remotely and engaging Pakistani troops as they patrolled the area. Four fatal Pakistan Army casualties, including an officer, underscored Indias will to demonstrate that it wouldnt leave a Pakistani criminal act at the LoC unpunished. The second action, still underway, is the political and diplomatic row India was able to generate over the humiliation of Jadhavs family. The last word has yet to be heard on this even as squirming Pakistani television commentators tried to deflect acute criticism. India should do much more to paint Pakistan into a corner and lay low its already abysmal international image.

All this clearly indicates what the state of affairs in 2018 will be. Pakistans strategic confidence appears higher than its internal situation indicates. The deterioration of Sino-Indian relations in 2017 and the hype about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is giving it an out of proportion perception of its own strategic strength and a corresponding perception of Indias apparent weakness. That is why in 2018 India cannot afford to be reactive any longer. The full capacity of its yet-untested below-the-radar diplomacy, supplemented by its proxy reach and capped by its offensive LoC capability, must form the cornerstone of its strategy. Sometimes its good to take off the gloves and use bare fists against a wily, irrational and unethical foe. At the same time, India must secure itself fully against Pakistans inevitable subterfuge and proxy capability. Internal security supplemented by high intelligence capability and most of all political prudence to take all parties along in national security is now an imperative.
The defaults of a few big borrowers amount to over 70 per cent of bad loans, according to the All-India Bank Employees Association.

The latest Reserve Bank data on the precipitous drop in recovery of bad loans by banks is of concern as in simple terms it means loot of the peoples money. It also impedes banks lending ability and thus affects growth of companies, specially in the small and medium sectors. This has been known for years, yet the situation only worsens, instead of improving. The banks operate on the money people keep as savings, and in the year ending March 2017, public sector banks wrote off Rs 81,683 crores in bad loans against Rs 57,586 crores the previous year. This is a huge jump of 41 per cent. It means that the government dipped into the peoples savings to wipe out these loans. The defaults of a few big borrowers amount to over 70 per cent of bad loans, according to the All-India Bank Employees Association. Most of them are in the steel and infrastructure sector.

This raises a moral issue: is it fair that people of limited means should help fatcat borrowers wriggle out of paying back their loans. Even if their failure to repay is in some cases due to the governments policies, it still doesnt justify the misplaced generosity of loan waivers. The total bad loans amounted to Rs 2.86 lakh crores in 2016-17. The RBI cant escape its responsibility for these bad loans as its representative sits on the boards of PSU banks. Merely red-flagging possible defaults after onsite inspection has little meaning. The central banker must be more proactive.

Interestingly, Indias NPAs are the highest among Brics nations. Brazil and South Africa have a ratio of 3.69 per cent and 2.83 per cent respectively, according to the chief economist of a ratings agency. The only redeeming factor is that India is better off compared to Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and Ireland. Chinas ratio of bad loans was just 1.75 per cent in 2016s second quarter.

Of equal concern is that the government is pouring in Rs 2.11 lakh crores into these banks as recapitalisation funds in the next two years. It looks like a case of good money chasing bad, and the only saving grace is that the government has abandoned its earlier devious scheme of making the depositors pay for losses incurred by banks.

One hopes that when the government recapitalises these banks, it puts stringent conditions to ensure that this money too isnt frittered away, and more non-performing assets created. Its a matter of concern that even while the issue of bad loans is being discussed, newer NPAs are being created.

Its hoped that from now the government wont indulge in such suicidal economic policies like demonetisation, that almost brought business to a standstill and had a devastating impact on the rural economy, where most transactions are still in cash.
In this particular case, it was very likely that it was a store that installed unlicensed copies on the devices it sold.

Former CEO of Microsoft stated that almost 9 out of 10 versions of Windows running in China are pirated.

Microsofts operating systems and other software have been used without paying for license fees by many users since long. The company was not as strict to have restrictions or take the piracy users to book as the database of piracy users was way too large, but the tech giant was always pursuing corporate and large offices because of the large number of pirated software being used under a single roof and that too for commercial purpose. But now, it seems like Microsoft has pulled up its socks and is going behind individual users too.

In a recent incident, Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against an IP that allegedly attempted to activate a pirated copy of Windows and Office. Microsoft has sued the party for copyright and trademark infringement. GeekWire reported that the court documents mentioned a particular IP address that appears to be used by a Comcase office in New Jersy. The person behind the IP address has allegedly tries to activate more than 1,000 copies of the unlicensed Microsoft software.

During the software activation process, Defendants contacted Microsoft activation servers in Washington over 2800 times from December 2014 to July 2017, and transmitted detailed information to those servers in order to activate the software, claimed Microsoft.

In this particular case, it was very likely that it was a store that installed unlicensed copies on the devices it sold. With this move, it definitely confirms that the tech giant is listening to incoming requests and zeroing down to the IP addresses that are coming in for activating pirated software copies.

Microsofts Windows and Office are one of the most pirated products worldwide and the tech giant presently suffers heavy losses, especially in countries like China where piracy remains a major issue.
Those who survived are roaming in areas of North Kivu, but forces are pursuing them, said defence ministry spokesperson.

The ministry said Ugandan forces had launched air and artillery strikes in a joint operation with DR Congo's army on Dec 22 against Allied Democratic Forces. (Photo: AFP/File)

Kampala: Uganda's army has claimed that its operations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed over 100 members of a Ugandan Muslim rebel group accused of murdering UN peacekeepers.

"Over 100 terrorists were killed with several others wounded and their logistic stores destroyed," said general Richard Karemire, the defence ministry spokesman, in a statement on Wednesday.

The ministry said Ugandan forces (UPDF) had launched air and artillery strikes in a joint operation with DR Congo's army (FARDC) on December 22 against the Allied Democratic Forces, a group that the UN says killed 14 of its troops from Tanzania earlier in December.

"It has been established that eight enemy camps were successfully attacked. These were ADF historical strongholds in eastern DRC," Karemire said.

"Those who survived the assault are roaming in different areas of North Kivu (province) but FARDC forces are pursuing them," he added.

Karemire also stressed that no Ugandan infantry troops were deployed in DR Congo nor suffered any casualties in the operation.

The intervention came after intelligence reports that the ADF rebels were planning "hostile activities" against Uganda, the army said.

The ADF, whose basic motives and ideology remain unclear, has been accused of attacking the Tanzanian peacekeepers' Semuliki base in Nord Kivu, the deadliest attack on UN forces in 24 years.

Both Uganda and DR Congo insist on a jihadist motive to ADF's actions, however many observers and experts say there has been no proven link with the global jihadist underground, and that this is a "simplistic" explanation for their acts.

The ADF started out in 1989 with the aim of overthrowing Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who was seen as hostile to Muslims.

But it went on to absorb other rebel factions into its ranks and started carrying out attacks in 1995.

Forced westwards by the Ugandan army, the group relocated most of its activities to DR Congo, finding a lucrative niche in the country's lawless, resource-rich east.

It has also been accused by Kinshasa and the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO of killing more than 700 people in the Beni region since October 2014.
This was a decision by the government, the state and the foreign policy of Guatemala, minister Sandra Jovel said.

The declaration made Guatemala the first, and so far, only country to follow US President Donald Trump's lead in saying its embassy would be relocated to Jerusalem. (Photo: AFP/File)

Guatemala City: The United States did not pressure Guatemala into announcing it will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the Central American state's foreign minister said on Thursday.

"There wasn't any pressure. There wasn't any overture from the United States to make this happen. This was a decision by the government, the state and the foreign policy of Guatemala," the minister, Sandra Jovel, told a news conference in Guatemala City.

Her affirmation follows Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales's announcement on Sunday that his country was to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The declaration made Guatemala the first -- and so far, only -- country to follow US President Donald Trump's lead in saying its embassy would be relocated to the holy city.

Guatemala, like the United States, has not said when its embassy move would happen.

But the step is highly controversial, and flies in the face of an international consensus that Jerusalem's status can only be decided through peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Last week, two-thirds of UN members states, 128 in all, rejected Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Just nine countries voted against the UN General Assembly resolution: the United States, Israel, Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.

Other countries abstained or did not enter a vote.

The United States warned it would look at cutting funding to countries that voted against it.

Jovel told the news conference with an annoyed tone: "We have not had pressure from any country, because we are friends and historical allies with Israel.... We have asked nothing of Israel or the United States."

Her government insists the embassy is not "moving" but rather "returning" to Jerusalem, where it was originally located until being shifted to Tel Aviv in 1978.

Several mainly Latin American countries had diplomatic missions in Jerusalem until a 1980 UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel's attempt to alter the "character and status" of the city, saying it was a barrier to peace.

Jovel said the plan to put the embassy in Jerusalem "had been considered for the past five months, and things just lined up in a certain way and also the resolutions in the UN and everything contributed to saying that now was the right time."

Guatemala's assertion that it decided the move alone, without being pressed by the United States, follows criticism from the Palestinian foreign ministry and a focus on how reliant the country is on US aid and trade.
The General Assembly allocated USD 19,754,400 for its UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan for 2018-19.

Overall the UN budget has been reduced by five per cent or around USD 286 million in actual terms. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

United Nations: The United Nations has reduced by 11.39 per cent the budget of its military observer group tasked with monitoring the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan for the year 2018-2019.

The General Assembly on Sunday allocated USD 19,754,400 for its UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) for the next two years, a cut of USD 2,539,200 from its previous allocation of USD 22,293,600 for the year 2016- 2017.

Overall the UN biennium budget has been reduced by five per cent or around USD 286 million in actual terms.

This is mainly because of the pressure from its largest donor the US, which is seeking a reduction in its aid to the world body.

The UNMOGIP, which is financed by the United Nations' (UN) regular budget, is currently headed by Major General Per Gustaf Lodin of Sweden.

Informed UN sources familiar with the budgetary process said that the reduction in the UNMOGIP was in the area of travel.

The group's field trips have been reduced by 500 to 4,500, while its allocation for contractual services and general operating budget has also been cut, they said.

The UNMOGIP conducted 4,864 field trips in 2012-2013 against the target of 5,000. In the 2014-2015 period, it carried out 4,468 field trips against the target of 5,000.

Figures for actual field trips for the period of 2016- 2017 were not available. The target was 5,000.

The current mission of the UNMOGIP, as directed by the Security Council, observes developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire of December 17, 1971 and report thereon to the UN Secretary General.

The UNMOGIP is headquartered in Islamabad from November 1 to April 30 and a rear headquarters in Srinagar from May 1 to October 31.

Its mission is carried out by military observers deployed in field stations and mobile observation teams. A liaison office is located in New Delhi.

Its field stations in

ndia are in Jammu, Baramulla, Poonch and Rajouri districts, while on the Pakistani side the field stations are in Domel, Kotli, Bhimber, Rawalakot, Sialkot, Skardu and Gilgit.

According to the information available on its website, the group has 114 personnel which include 70 civilians and 44 experts.

The first group of the UNMOGIP arrived in the region on January 24, 1949 to supervise the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

These observers, under the command of the Military Adviser appointed by the UN Secretary-General, formed the nucleus of the UNMOGIP.

In February 2017, a General Assembly report pertaining to budget said that the mission will continue to maintain military observers at all its operational field stations on both sides of the line of control.

The report said the mission will continue to conduct efficient patrols and effective inspections and investigations of the alleged violations of the ceasefire and perform field tasks in the vicinity of the Line of Control from the field stations to the extent permitted by the host countries.

Till May 2014, the UNMOGIP liaison office in New Delhi used to receive free rental accommodation from the Indian Army.

In May 2014, the Indian Army asked UNMOGIP to vacate its premises. Since then, the liaison office relocated to leased premises in September 2014 and also pays for the cost of the facilities provided by the Indian Army.

In 2016-2017, the UN General Assembly had allocated USD 2.8 million towards refurbishment of the new premises, and reimbursement for the monetised value of the facilities provided by the Indian Army, and the rent of the premises of the liaison office in New Delhi.

According to the Security Council mandate given in resolution 307 of 1971, UNMOGIP observes and reports on ceasefire violations along and across the Line of Control and the working boundary between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as reports developments that could lead to ceasefire violations.

India has maintained that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).
'Have taken revenge for our brothers and sisters of Jamia Hafsa, Lal Masjid,' letter found in bin Laden's home after Bhutto's killing read.

Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in a covert raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011. (Photo: AFP)

Karachi: Al-Qaeda's slain chief Osama bin Laden had shifted to Afghanistan to supervise a plot to assassinate Pakistan's former premier Benazir Bhutto and then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, a media report said on Wednesday.

Citing intelligence gathered by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the News reported that the explosives to execute this plot were provided by the courier of bin Laden.

Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007 outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. The revelation comes exactly on the 10th anniversary of Bhutto's assassination.

This information was provided to the Interior Ministry in December 2007 by the Army and the ISI in three reports and the letters obtained from bin Laden's residence.

In these secret intelligence reports, the ministry was warned that bin Laden had issued orders to kill then President Musharraf, Pakistan People's Party's chief Bhutto and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman, the paper said.

The most important letter by the ISI to the Interior Ministry was written on December 19, 2007; the letter was directed to the Interior Ministry's then-director coordination of the Crisis Management Cell Colonel Muhammad Imran Yaqub, the paper said, citing the documents.

The letter, titled 'President Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Fazlur Rehman's murder plan', signed by Lt Col (retd) Zaigham Islam Butt for DG Intelligence said bin Laden has issued the order to kill Musharraf, Bhutto and Rehman.

"He (Osama bin Laden) has planned to send his courier, who is a national of Pakistan and a resident of Multan, named Musa Tariq, through Waziristan with explosives to be used in executing the murder plots. On coming Sunday - which is December 22 - this person will be in the area of Dera Ismail Khan," the letter read.

"Osama bin Laden is personally supervising this entire plan and for this reason, he has shifted to Afghanistan," read the last three lines of the letter.

The ISI had requested the interior ministry to make urgent security arrangements, the paper said, adding that this information was so important that the copies of this letter were also dispatched to the Military Intelligence Directorate, GS Branch and General Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

After receiving the letter, the General Staff Branch of the Military Operations Directorate of General Headquarters, on the next day - December 20, 2007 - sent a letter to then interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah.

Six days before Bhutto's assassination, another letter was issued with the signatures of then-chief of the general staff Lt-Gen Salahuddin Satti and Lt-Col Staff Khurram Shahzad, warning about the terror plot.

Following the assassination of Bhutto, a short letter was sent to bin Laden after two days.

"We have taken revenge for our brothers and sisters of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid," read the letter which was recovered from bin Laden's home.

Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in a covert raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011.
The Doklam standoff began on June 16 after the People's Liberation Army began building a road in area claimed by Bhutan.

The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops. (Photo: File/Representational)

Beijing: Highlighting the Doklam standoff as its major achievement of international cooperation in 2017, the Chinese military Thursday said India should "strictly control" its troops and implement border agreements to maintain peace and stability along the border.

Chinese Defence Spokesman Col Ren Guoqiang said the highlights of his country's international military cooperation in 2017 included handling 'hotspot issues' like Doklam.

In 2017, under the unified deployment, the military has "resolutely" safeguarded China's sovereignty and security interests, Col Ren told media in Beijing.

The Chinese military has "played its due role in the handling of the hotspot issues such as the Sino-Indian confrontation in the Donglang (Doklam) area and safeguarded the China's rights and interests in the South China Sea," he said in response to a question.

The Doklam standoff began on June 16 after the People's Liberation Army (PLA) began building a road in area claimed by Bhutan. The Indian troops intervened to stop the road as it posed a security risk to Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states.

The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops.

The 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control between India and China covers from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

When asked how Chinese military view its relations with its Indian counterpart in 2018 in the backdrop of the Doklam standoff, Col Ren said India should implement the border agreements and control its troops.

"We hope the Indian side can earnestly implement the relevant agreements reached between the two sides on the border issue and strictly control its border defence troops and do more for the positive development of China-India military-to-military relationship," he said.

During the border talks, the first since the 73-day-long military standoff in Doklam, in Delhi on December 22 between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi, both sides stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability along the border, Col Ren said.

"As far as we know both sides have agreed that it is important to maintain peace stability along India-China border and create favourable conditions for further development of bilateral relationship, which has provided a good environment and good momentum for the continued enhancement of China and India relationship," he said.

In terms of China and India military-to-military relationship, it is important to have strategic communication and push forward healthy development of ties between the two militaries, Col Ren said.

"We hope Indian side walk towards the same direction as the Chinese side and both sides can push forward the development of the relationship and jointly maintain the peace and stability along the China-India border which is in the interest of both sides," he said.

About a recent incident in which an Indian drone crashed on the Chinese side in the Sikkim sector, Col Ren declined to reveal details and whether the parts of the drone recovered by Chinese troops have been handed back to India.

"It is our position that India should have learnt lesson from the incident," he said.

On December 7, China had lodged a diplomatic protest with India claiming that an Indian drone has "intruded" into its airspace and crashed in the Sikkim section of the border which included Doklam.

India has clarified that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle had developed a technical snag and asked China to return it.
The place of worship was built in 1999 with all the permits issued by the authorities. The demolition order was issued on 20 December. The Via Crucis, the tabernacle, the vestments and the chairs were destroyed. Catholics were not allowed to come near. Protests were held in front of the town hall.

Xian (AsiaNews)  The only Catholic church in Zhifang, a village in the Huyi District, near Xian (Shaanxi), was demolished by force and without any reason.

Built almost 20 years ago, the simple and plain building had obtained all the necessary permits for its construction from the Religious Affairs Bureau.

Located not far from the Beijing-Kunming highway, the building is near the Zhifang exit on the Xian-Hanzhong highway. It has been used for worship by local Catholics since 1999.

Catholics reported the news of its demolition on social media, posting pictures of the church's legal papers, which show that it had been duly approved and had all the necessary permits to the legal use of the land.

The church has been used uninterruptedly since 1999. The papers indicate that land use was "permanent".

By contrast, without consulting the community, the authorities issued a simple note on 20 December and proceeded yesterday afternoon to tear down the building.

As a result, the churchs cross was destroyed, the images of the Via Crucis, the tabernacle and other liturgical objects disappeared, and the vestments and chairs for prayer were taken away on lorries.

Before and during the demolition, the members of the congregation were not allowed to come near the building or take things from the sacristy.

Catholics held demonstrations in the village in front of the local municipal building (picture 4) but got no answer so far. Reactions however abound.

What kind of law enforcement in a 'civilised' society is this! What kind of policy on religious freedom is this!" wrote someone.

Noting that today is the feast day of the Holy Innocents, one person wrote: After the birth of Jesus, so many saints and innocent children were sacrificed. Today, even Zhifangs innocent church has been violently demolished. Oh Lord, they know not what they do!"

Another one called for prayers "for redemption and for the profaned temple" asking for "real implementation of the policy of religious freedom".
For the eighth consecutive year, the highest number of murders is recorded in America, where 11 pastoral workers were killed (8 priests, 1 religious, 2 lay people); Africa follows, with 10 pastoral workers (4 priests, 1 religious, 5 lay people); in Asia 2 pastoral workers were killed (1 priest, 1 lay person). From 2000 to 2016, 424 pastoral workers were killed in the world, including 5 bishops.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - In 2017, 23 missionaries were killed: 13 priests, 1 male religious, 1 female religious, 8 lay people. The figure emerges from the annual report elaborated by Fides, an agency of the Vatican ministry for the missions.

The report shows that for the eighth consecutive year, the highest number of murders is recorded in America, where 11 pastoral workers were killed (8 priests, 1 religious, 2 lay people); Africa follows, with 10 pastoral workers (4 priests, 1 religious, 5 lay people); in Asia 2 pastoral workers were killed (1 priest, 1 lay person). From 2000 to 2016, 424 pastoral workers were killed in the world, including 5 bishops.

The annual Fides list does not only concern ad gentes in the strict sense, but tries to register all the pastoral workers who died in a violent way, not expressively "in hatred of the faith". Many were killed during attempts at robbery or theft, also carried out with ferocity, in contexts of economic and cultural poverty, of moral and environmental degradation, where violence and abuse have become almost the norm.

The slain are only the tip of the iceberg, of a list of pastoral workers, or simple Catholics, assaulted, beaten, robbed, threatened, as well as that of Catholic structures serving the entire population, assaulted, vandalized or looted. Then there is the list of the unknown many, who worldwide suffer and pay with their life their faith in Jesus Christ.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack against a conference marking the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of the country. The first explosion was followed by others.

Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies)  At least 40 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide attack against the Tabayan (Teyban)) cultural centre in Kabuls Sokhtia area.

The dead include many women and children as well as journalists. The final death toll is expected to rise.

Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said that a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded hall where a ceremony was underway marking the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Rahimi said there were two smaller explosions outside the building as people gathered to help those injured by the first blast. No one was killed in this case.

According to official sources, the bomber did not act alone  the operation was the work of at least two or three terrorists.

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack on its Amaq information outlet. Earlier, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued statement on Twitter denying involvement.

This is not the first time that IS targets Shias in Afghanistan. At least 39 people were killed in an attack on a Shia mosque in October.

Overall, deadly terrorist attacks by the Taliban and IS have killed 1,662 civilians in Afghanistan in the first half of this year.

Last month, the International Criminal Court announced the start of war crimes investigations in the country.
by Santosh Digal

Vinta hit the island of Mindanao violently displacing 118,596 families,leaving 164 victims and 176 missing. The affected communities already suffering from the devastation of the Marawi siege. The prayer of Pope Francis and the appeal of Card. Tagle.

Manila (AsiaNews) - Caritas Philippines and the National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa) of the Episcopal Conference (CBCP) are hoping to collect a target of 5.8 million pesos (about 97 thousand euros) in aid to be allocated to the communities affected by the recent tropical storms.

"The emergency caused by typhoon Vinta is worsened by the fact the population already suffer from the devastation produced by the Marawi siege of. Most of the families affected have been forced to leave their homes by the war and are living in camps and tents, "says Rey Henderson, head of communications and development of the partnerships of Caritas Philippines, to AsiaNews.

Henderson adds: "With the typhoon Vinta these communities have really lost everything. Nassa and Caritas Philippines are appealing for an initial figure of 5.8 million pesos, in order to respond urgently to the need for food rations, hygiene kits, blankets and emergency supplies. In the meantime, aid for the Marawi crisis is underway with the provision of drinking water and warm clothes, vital to these families ".

Henderson makes an appeal to support the campaign to raise additional funds for relief efforts and first aid. It aims to provide aid for up to 3,000 families, or 15,000 individuals, in the southern provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Misamis Oriental.

The violence with which Vinta hit the island of Mindanao caused the displacement of 118,596 families, 164 victims and 176 missing. Speaking before the Angelus prayer on December 24th, Pope Francis recalled and prayed for the victims of the environmental disaster: "I wish to assure my prayer to the population of the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines, hit by a storm that has caused numerous victims and destruction. May God the merciful welcome the souls of the dead and comfort those who suffer from this calamity ".

The archbishop of Manila, Card. Luis Antonio, Tagle, has urged Catholics to help the victims of Urduja and Vinta, who have swept the archipelago of the Visayas and the island of Mindanao a few days before Christmas. "We at Caritas Manila are ready to accept your donations, which we will send to various churches and dioceses in Visayas and Mindanao. Christmas means helping each other, just as Jesus did ", said Card. Tagle.
Investigators suspect attempted murder, but no track is excluded. Suspicions focus on man of "non-Slavic" appearance caught on CCTV. A few weeks ago, Russian security forces dismantled an Islamist cell that planned an attack on December 16th.

St. Petersburg (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Thirteen people were injured last night by the explosion of a rudimentary device in a shopping center in St. Petersburg, in the north-west of the country. The homemade bomb, filled with pieces of metal, had been abandoned on the spot, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK).

The bomb exploded in the commercial center of the Perekriostok chain, with a force equivalent to "200 grams of TNT". According to the local information website Fontaka.ru today, the surveillance cameras of the supermarket captured the image of a potential culprit: a "non-Slavic" looking man wearing a green hooded jacket. In the first images the suspect was carrying a heavy-looking beige backpack, absent in subsequent shots. Other Russian sources add that the bomb had been hidden inside the lockers used by shopkeepers to leave their personal belongings.

The Nak is coordinating the investigation and says no lead will be left unexplored. At present, an investigation has been opened for "attempted murder".

The specter of terrorism recalls the April attack that caused 16 deaths in the city's metro. On the occasion, the 22-year-old Kyrgyz Akbarzhon Jalilov, was killed in the explosion triggered at a distance. A few weeks ago, the Russian security services announced that they had dismantled an Islamic State jihadist group cell that had planned an attack on December 16, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, very popular with pilgrims and tourists.
by Melani Manel Perera

Sri Lankan Catholics look at the true meaning of the birth of Christ: sharing, giving oneself, recognising one's limits, and learning to be reborn. "Christ showed how to be tolerant, even in the most tragic moment on the cross, loving and forgiving those who had condemned him to death."

Colombo (AsiaNews)  In Sri Lanka, Christian families look at Christmas as a time to change lifestyle, share, be more present in the family, forgive, stay together, recognise their weaknesses, and be reborn. For many, Christmas is also a time to decorate peoples hearts with love, compassion, and human feelings towards others.

Christmas "is the blessing of sharing love and also gifts with those in need, said Chamudi Fernando, a Catholic teacher speaking to AsiaNews. First of all, our Lord gave us a good example by sending his Son in our midst. This is the greatest gift to the world.

Christianity is love, he added. For this reason, we are invited to bear witness to love during Christmas. One can share a little or a lot, but the important thing is we share."

Sadly, "Christmas has been commercialised nowadays just as some churches have been captured by the spirit of commerce. For me instead, Christmas is different; I spend it visiting children at a special home."

"Jesus, born an ordinary man, led a simple life, without thoughts about accumulating wealth, said Tilak S Fernando, a Christian doctor and writer. However, Despite his teachings of kindness and patience, today we see human beings governed by the forces of evil."

"If we put the birth of Jesus under the microscope of the spirit, we would identify the weaknesses of each and learn to be reborn as better individuals and with new intentions.

Christ showed how to be tolerant, even in the most tragic moment on the cross, loving and forgiving those who had condemned him to death ".

"Christmas is the moment when God sends his Son to earth, noted Rev Samuel Ponniah, an Anglican clergyman from Sri Lankas northern province. God was not selfish; he gave his Son to humanity for the good of humanity itself.

We too must be spokespeople for the spirit of giving in a selfish world, centred on consumerism. On a billboard advertising jumbo peanuts, someone wrote: Do not give, but take'. It is against this culture that we must act."

For Ainslie Joseph, a father of three, "God became man. We meet him in everyday life, especially when we encounter difficulties. He comes to our aid in times of need.

The help given by someone's hand is the help given by Gods hand in response to our prayers. This powerful message is the joy of Christmas: God will continue to come among us as a kind, compassionate, loving human being."

"Christmas is a family celebration. Even poor, a family stays together. Being together is more important than gifts, lights, postcards and parties."
by Paul H. Quoc

Arrested January 25, 2017, she is found guilty of "propaganda against the state". The sentence and trial have aroused harsh criticism. The prayers of the Vietnamese Catholics and the appeal of Human Rights Watch for her release are unheard by the government.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - The appeal trial of Maria Tran Thi Nga (photo), a well-known Catholic human rights activist, ended with a sentence of nine years in prison and five years of house arrest. On December 22nd, the Supreme Court of Hanoi opened the proceedings at the People's Court in the province of Ha Nam, after which the judges confirmed the sentence commuted in July at the first instance for the activist, arrested on January 25, 2017 and found guilty of "propaganda against the state". This is a provision that the Vietnamese authorities frequently use to silence bloggers and other dissident activists.

Nga is the mother of two children of three and five years and is famous for her defence of the rights of Vietnamese migrant workers and victims of land dispossession by the government, a recurrent measure in the country. Through the social networks, the activist has repeatedly denounced liberticide policies and corruption among the leaders of the Communist Party. In May 2014 she was seriously injured by a group of thugs armed with metal tubes, leaving her with a broken leg.

Maria Tran Thi Ngas appeal took place in a climate of tension, since only her three lawyers were able to attend the hearing. Nga's husband and family members were detained by a massive police deployment outside the courtroom, where her supporters had gathered and were beaten while trying to record videos. At least nine people were arrested on the spot and taken to the Tran Hung Dao People's Committee office in the city of Phu Ly, including Phan Van Phong, her husband.

The sentence and the conduct of the trial have aroused harsh criticism. "The evidence has not been collected in accordance with the legal process," says defense lawyer Ha Huy Son. "There is no legal evidence to support the charges against Ms. Tran Thi Nga. The court has listened to our defense, but has not taken into account any of the information we have provided. " The lawyer complains that the judging panel limited itself to sending written statements, without participating in the hearing. Even the defense's requests for the postponement of the hearing were rejected, in order to listen to the assessments delivered in person.

From Sunday 17 December, Catholics from the north and central Vietnam gathered in several churches and prayed for justice and peace, recalling the prisoner of conscience. Two days before the trial on December 22nd, the international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked the Vietnamese government to immediately release Maria Tran Thi Nga and to drop all charges against her.

Maria Tran Thi Nga is one of the many women still held today in Vietnamese prisons for demonstrating in defense of freedom, civil rights and the environment. Vietnam occupies one of the lowest rungs in the world for freedom of the press: according to the index published this year by the NGO Reporters Without Borders, it is ranked 175 out of 180 countries. In recent months, other bloggers and activists have been convicted: the Catholic Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, 37, known as Me Nam or "Mother Mushroom", will have to serve a 10-year prison sentence; while Peter Pham Minh Hoang, a French-Vietnamese blogger also a Catholic and already tried in 2011, was deprived of citizenship and expelled from the country.
The vice-president of the commission for religious affairs wants to punish an erroneous" phenomenon that insults "the Abrahamic religions". The proposal supported by high ranking figures in al-Azhar. Spokesperson Catholic Church: "wrong" norm that affects personal liberties. Christmas celebrations "without incidents", but "the alert remains high".

Cairo (AsiaNews) - A "wrong" norm resulting from a "politicized" campaign that aims to strike "freedom of thought, conscience and religion", values that represent "an absolute good" not only for Christians, but for the whole population. This is the opinion of Fr. Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church, commenting to AsiaNews on the bill proposed by a Muslim parliamentarian who wants to criminalize atheism. In a nation of almost 95 million people with a large Muslim majority (Coptic Christians are about 10%), the number of atheists is around two million and come mostly from Muslim families.

The amendment presented bears the signature of Amr Hamroush, vice-president of the Committee on Religious Affairs; he has denounced a phenomenon "widespread in society under the guise of freedom of thought, but which in reality is totally wrong".

Hamroush has already received the support of the Islamic fundamentalist wing and the university of al-Azhar, the most important Sunni institution in the world. Not only do they believe that atheists "must be prosecuted" by law, the also must be considered in the same way as those who "despise religion", because "they do not have a doctrine and try to insult the Abrahamic religions".

The promoter of the law states that there are no "legal obstacles" to its introduction "in a short time" into the legal system of the country. The code, he continues, already provides for the indictment of those who deny the existence of God in public. Moreover, the law does not contrast constitutional principles because it does not violate religious freedom.

A senior exponent of al-Azhar has backed the proposed law. Mohamed Zaki, head of the International Islamic Council for Da'wah and Relief, stresses that "it is necessary to enact laws that deter people from violating the natural instincts of man" and "to punish those who are seduced by atheism". The Islamic leader states that "the deterrent must be hard" to "prevent" the "poisonous thought spreading among Muslims and young people".

Human rights activists and civil society personalities have harshly criticized the law as contrary to constitutional dictates. An opinion also shared by the spokesman of the Egyptian Catholic Church, who fears the law may end up punishing personal thought and expression. "There are about two million atheists and they are considered a threat, so they want to repress their freedom of conscience".

Fr. Rafic continues: "We Catholics reiterate strongly that there must be freedom of conscience and religion for all. No one has the right to impose their thoughts on others". In reality, he adds, there is an attempt to "politicize" an issue concerning the personal sphere for obvious electoral purposes and consensus. "Some want to show that they are on the side of religion".

The priest concludes with a general overview of the situation in Egypt, hit in the last year by a series of attacks that have also involved the Christian community. The escalation of violence had also led to fears for the cancellation of Pope Francis visit to Egypt last April. However, the pontiff respected the program meeting with the president of the Republic al-Sisi, the great imam of al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayeb, and celebrated a mass in front of tens of thousands of faithful."The Catholic Christmas took place amid heavy security measures, but there were no incidents and the churches were crowded with believers," he concludes. "Now there is expectation and hope so that even the celebrations of the Coptic Orthodox Church can be held regularly. The alarm levels are high, an attempt at attack can never be ruled out. "(DS)
by Nirmala Carvalho

The woman leaves her husband and eight children. Sapna was pregnant with her last child when doctors advised her to abort and immediately start the treatment for breast cancer. She received "Pro-Life Award".

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - She lost her battle against cancer but not for her daughter's life. Sapna Tracy, 43, died on December 25th in Thrissur, Kerala. About one year ago the woman, a mother of seven and pregnant with her eighth child, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctors advised her to immediately undergo a mastectomy and radiotherapy.

These medical treatments would have saved her life, but compromised her pregnancy, which was why she had been advised am abortion. But Sapna refused and decided to choose for the life of her child.

The Archbishop of the eparchy of Faridabad, Msgr. Mar Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, says: "Sapna was a powerful witness for the pro-life movement. This Catholic couple was inspired by the testimony of the message of the Gospel ".

Indian Express, among the major national newspapers, reports that the woman had received numerous warnings from the treating physicians that if she had delayed the start of chemotherapy, in all likelihood she would leave the other seven little children orphans. But Sapna answered the doctors: "I can only give life to this creature that grows in my womb. There are many good-hearted people who will take care of my seven other children ".

Sapna, originally from Thalayolaparambu (Kerala), worked as a specialist nurse at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. She was married to Chittilappilly Joju, originally from Chittattukara, in the Thrissur district. Here the woman, after the tumor diagnosis, had decided to return with the whole family, to allow for the birth of the eighth child, a little girl named Philomena, in the serenity of family warmth.

During her third month, she was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors advise her to have an abortion and start treatment immediately. Even friends and relatives agreed with the doctors. But she opposed the foeticide. "She told the doctors that if her life was worthy of value, then the same was true for that of her unborn daughter", reports Msgr. Bharanikulangara.

During the sixth month of pregnancy she had a breast mastectomy. Only after giving birth she began radiation therapy. Because of her courageous choice against abortion, the Catholic mother received the "Pro-Life Award" from the eparchy of Faridabad. In addition to her husband, Sapna leaves James, 15; Teresa, 14; Jose, 11; Sebastian, 9; Francis, 8; Mary, 6; Antony, 4, and Philomena, a year and a half. Her funeral was held at St. Sebastian's Church in Chittattukara.


(fintastique/Bigstock.com) (fintastique/Bigstock.com)

Australia is on track to become the world's 11th biggest economy within a decade, but it will need immigration to help it to do so, according to a new international report.The Centre for Economics and Business Research, based in London, is forecasting Australia will climb two places on its world economic league table by 2026 from its current ranking of 13.Cebr says that countries that depend on brainpower to drive their economies will generally overtake those dependant on natural resources and while Australia's economic growth has been fuelled by resources in recent years, the report says that it has become one of the most popular countries in the world for inward migration.And it's particularly Australia's intake of migrants with highly sought-after skills that will help fuel its future growth. It also suggests that economic growth might be curtailed if immigration falls.The report points out that the digital revolution is set to power the world economy through to 2032 and countries like Australia will need creative workers and one of the best ways to get them is through immigration.'The growing population means the economy is forecast to rise from 13th largest in 2017 to 11th largest economy in 2026,' the report explains, adding that investment in urban infrastructure will need to accelerate as Australia's population increases.Official figures show that just under 190,000 permanent immigrants arrived in Australia in the 2015/2016 financial year, the majority of whom were skilled workers. But in the last 12 months it reached 245,000, a rise of 27%.This level of immigration is high globally at 1.6% compared to other similar nations, more than double the US, three times that of the UK and four times the immigration rate in France.On current projections, Australia's population will reach 38 million people by 2050 and most of this will be driven by immigration.Yet more Australian's want to keep working. The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that Australians aged 45 years and over are intending to continue in the labour force until 65 years, up from 63 years a decade ago.'This is consistent with the continuing trend of people staying in the workforce for longer. A decade ago, around 9% of people aged 65 and over were employed. This has increased to around 13%,' said ABS chief economist Bruce Hockman.Sales workers had the highest average age that they expected to retire at 66 years, while community and personal service workers had the lowest at 64 years. Some 38% said financial security was the most common factor affecting when to retire and 21% said health.The ABS also released information for the 3.6 million people who were already retired, more than half of whom were aged 70 years and over.
If he is anywhere near a DIBP office, try and get the passport issue sorted out manually. He could apply for a RRV from overseas, but if his new passport is not linked to his current PR visa first, he'll probably run into strife trying to do it online. Best to get it sorted before departure.



Some other thoughts; if he has an active ImmiAccount, he should be able to change his passport details online instantly. He can then proceed with the RRV application. I have done this myself several time.



Failing that, he could try and lodge the RRV with his new passport details. No idea if that works.
Pruitt

Herbert Pruitt, CAFM, PMP was named director of fleet operations at Verizon in Basking Ridge, N.J. He assumed this position in August.

Prior to joining Verizon, Pruitt was director, fleet operations for Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Earlier, Pruitt was assistant director for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security headquarters in the Washington D.C. metro area where he led an organization responsible for managing an asset portfolio valued at approximately $12.5 billion.

These assets included 57,000 vehicles, vessels, and aviation equipment supporting enterprise initiatives across an agency of approximately 240,000 employees and 200,000 contractors.
According to the company, Mex Rent A Car is looking for more countries to join its network. Photo courtesy of Mex Rent A Car

Mex Rent A Car has launched in Bulgaria with three airport locations: Bourgas (BOJ), Sofia (SOF) and Varna (VAR).

This will allow us to work on the connectivity between our locations in Romania and Macedonia, said Jordi Rivero, Mexs chief product officer. Another step into Europe."

Currently, Mex has affiliate locations in countries such as Iceland, Morocco, and Canada. According to the company, it's looking for more countries to join its network.

"We embrace the opportunity that Mexs affiliation offers, due to our constant strive for better working environment, service improvement and workload potential maximization, said, Slavi Glavchev, general manager from Mex Bulgaria. The major purpose for us is to widen our professional horizons and meet the customers expectations. Therefore, working with one of the most recognized global rent-a-car companies would bring us closer to everything we aim to achieve."

Were very happy about forming a belt on the Eastern Europe said Javier Garcia, Mexs chief business development officer.
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A Citrus County School Board member is concerned new legislation passed in June 2017 will lead to lower graduation rates.

Concern regarding portion of HB 7069, which passed earlier this year

Participants in alternative programs will not be counted toward county's graduates

Diminished graduation numbers may reflect poorly on district schools



School board member Thomas Kennedy said many of the high school students here in Citrus County have a hard time passing the tests they need to graduate. Many of those students having difficulties participate in alternative programs to meet graduation requirements.

But now he said those students won't be counted as graduates.

"All students in Florida need to have viable opportunities to earn a high school diploma," Kennedy explained.



That's why Kennedy said he's concerned about part of HB 7069, which was signed into law over the summer.

Kennedy says in Citrus County, students that struggle with the state standardized test required for graduation have been able to transfer into an online program to finish high school and still be counted as transfer students, but still on record as graduating.



Now, he said the new legislation means those students that complete alternative programs associated with the district will be counted as non-graduates.



Kennedy said that will lead to about forty to sixty students who will now not be classified as graduates each year. It's something he said is not reflective of what students have been able to accomplish thanks to online programs.



"Not all students graduate the same way, Kennedy said.

About 50 percent of the time the students did not need to use that option. A lot of times they became so confident in their test taking because they knew they had that safety net that they were successful in passing the Florida State tests," he added.



He also said the lower rates give an inaccurate reflection of the school when school grades come out.

"It gives the illusion to some people that we're not being successful with our students, because they're not getting credit for that," Kennedy explained. "My concern is that maybe unintentionally the legislature is telling us, 'don't do these programs' and these are programs that are individualized for our students -- these are programs that are successful for some of our students."



Kennedy hopes there will be new legislation in the future that will give district students more options to graduate, such as basing it on the students' individual portfolios rather than standardized tests.

Graduation rates for all districts across the state should be released before the end of the year.
Police said a spa employee was attacked Tuesday afternoon by a man posing as a customer.

Man accused of raping spa employee in Tampa

Bruce Wilson charged with robbery, sexual assault

Wilson accused of raping an employee at Zen Therapy Spa

The suspect, Bruce Wilson, 44, was arrested at his home Wednesday afternoon.

Police said Wilson raped an employee at the Zen Therapy Spa on Lois Avenue, and it was all caught on video.

According to authorities, Wilson came into Zen Therapy and asked an employee about prices. Police said he grabbed a piece of candy and began to gag. The victim brought him a bottle of water, but he began to cough again and asked for more.

When the employee left to get more water, police said Wilson allegedly jumped over the counter, grabbed the victim by the hair, and took out a knife.

At first, Wilson demanded money, but then said it was not enough and demanded the employee to take off her clothes, according to the report. That's when police said he raped her.

Wilson reportedly ran off when another customer came in. He is facing felony charges for robbery and sexual assault with a weapon.

The assault was caught on video, which is now being used as part of the investigation.

Authorities also said the employee was the only one in the business when Wilson came in.
The new owner of the ornate safe inside the old Spaghetti Warehouse doesn't know how to pull it out of the old, flooded Italian restaurant.

"He's been on the phone since 9 a.m.," laughs Steve Tomlin with online auction house RestaurantEquipment.bid. He's on-site making sure winning bidders get the goods they purchased.

RELATED: Is the Houston Zoo haunted by the ghost of a former daredevil zookeeper?

The lucky buyer is sitting in a running Chevy Silverado calling local movers to see if they can pull a 5,000-pound safe from inside the derelict downtown eatery, now mostly gutted.

"I might just have to forget about it," the buyer says. "I don't even know what I would do with it." He declines to give his name because he says his boss thinks he's working remotely today and not plotting to retrieve a safe out of a mildewy restaurant.

Spaghetti Warehouse's shell, sitting just off Buffalo Bayou, was teeming with life earlier this month. After being flooded out by Hurricane Harvey, the chain decided to put the salvageable items inside it up for auction.

The Dallas-based Spaghetti Warehouse chain isn't leaving Houston, but they are walking away from the 901 Commerce location after Harvey's nasty flooding. The building has never had good luck with floodwaters.

RELATED: The buildings that Houston has lost over the years due to age and progress

Buyers of the discarded furnishings and kitchen equipment are responsible for all the disconnection and removal of the items purchased, so Tomlin is really just there to make sure people get what they paid for and direct the proceedings.

There is a team taking apart an antique replica trolley car on the second floor. Houstonians once dined inside of it, staring down at glass-topped tables with old Bayou City photos under the glass. A perplexed crew is working on finding a way to remove an old chandelier hanging over what was once the hostess desk.

That hefty antique Mosler safe, built for the now-defunct Melissa State Bank, has likely been there in the building since before it was even a restaurant. The bank went kaput in 1911, according to state records.

It has notations on the side where employees have written down various flooding events that have plagued Spaghetti Warehouse and how long it was closed. Allison (closed three months), Rita (four days), Ike (nine days), the 2016 Tax Day flood (three days). There is no notation for Harvey as it's self-explanatory. It would have served its last plate of lasagna just before Harvey came knocking on Houston's door in late August, eventually sending was appears to be at least 5 feet of water into the building.

RELATED: Fright Fest at AstroWorld scared and amused a generation of Houstonians

When I tell Tomlin of the ghostly lore surrounding the location, he laughs as if I have just solved one of those Lone Star beer cap puzzles. "Well, now some of what has happened makes sense," Tomlin says.

The first day he was here getting the contents of the restaurant ready for customers, he felt as if he being watched. At first he thought that maybe a transient had made themselves at home somewhere inside. After clearing the building and not finding a living soul, he still felt like he was being observed.

"You know when you can tell someone is watching you? It's something like that," Tomlin says.

Sharon Steinmann/Chronicle

The restaurant opened in 1973, but the building had a long and varied life before that. Built around 1912, it was the site of a fruit and vegetable warehouse and later a pharmaceutical company.

As the story goes, a young pharmacist died after falling down the elevator shaft. The pharmacist's wife was so distraught, she died less than a year later and came here looking for him. The pair of ghosts are now said to haunt the building.

Some people eating there over the years reported seeing floating objects and cold spots even during heatwaves. Employees spoke of strange sightings on the second floor, even hearing their names called when no one else was around. Apparently, a male spirit shuffled around the restroom. Sometimes child ghosts were heard running around the building making mischief after closing time.

No word on whether the ghosts come with the auction items.

"Whatever happens once you get home is all on you," Tomlin says with a laugh.
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Larry Melvin's relief was short-lived.

The Rose City resident had drinkable water last week for the first time since Tropical Storm Harvey hit. As soon as he received news that the town's boil notice had been lifted, his focus shifted back to where it's been for months: rebuilding.

"Of course it's nice that we don't have to boil water anymore, but that's not even close to the end of it," Melvin said. "You get some good news, but then I look up and realize I don't have a kitchen right now. I've got countertops laying in the front yard. There's still a long way to go."

Clean water is just one item checked off a long list of things still to be addressed.

With residents still looking to repair or rebuild damaged homes, money and manpower are sparse. Even when offered assistance, residents said they don't know who to trust.

To try to help, Rose City mayor Bonnie Stephenson has organized a town hall meeting with representatives from Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration on Jan. 4 in the city hall building at 6:30 p.m. Officials will take questions about the best ways for residents and business owners to secure housing and financial assistance.

"My goal is to help these people get some help," Stephenson said. "I'm living through it just like everyone else here, so I know how tough it's been. There's still a lot of people looking for some sort of assistance."

Brenda Long is playing a "waiting game" while trying to rebuild her home. The one-story house took on seven feet of water during Harvey. She has been unable to find contractors who are consistently available to help with the repair work.

"That's our biggest problem right now," Long said. "We're waiting for workers. Then once you do finally get them here, they get called somewhere else to a bigger job and can't finish. People can't do this work themselves, so we're stuck."

Other residents have the same problem. Long said more than half the homes in her neighborhood sit vacant as residents try to find contractors to work and money to pay them.

"We were under water for 10 days, so by the time we got in here to assess the damage, a lot of the workers already had other jobs," Stephenson said. "So we have to wait in line behind everybody else."

Stephenson said she has talked to the victims of contractors who took money and left without doing any work.

"That makes my blood boil more than anything," Stephenson said. "To take advantage of people like that who are in dire straits is just sickening to me."

Linton Cowart wasn't overly worried about Rose City's boil-water notice. He had plenty of bottled water stocked in his home, which he is trying to rebuild with his wife. The couple is living in a trailer outside the home they have owned for almost 60 years.

Other than making repairs, Cowart's biggest concern is keeping his car in good condition - a task made difficult by the damaged roads leading into Rose City.

"It really is dangerous coming in and out of here everyday," Cowart said. "If you hit those damaged parts with speed, who knows what could happen. Something needs to be done about that."

Stephenson said the roads were repaired earlier this year through a FEMA grant from Hurricane Ike.

Rose City doesn't have the money to make the latest repairs necessitated by Harvey, so funds will have to come from another grant, Stephenson said.

Still, amid all the problems facing Rose City, Stephenson said she has been most encouraged by residents' fortitude.

"People have been pretty understanding that fixing this is going to take time," Stephenson said. "You can see people are taking matters into their own hands with repairs and other problems, but they need help. Hopefully we're able to get them that help sooner rather than later."

MFaye@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/mattGfaye
Government security forces killed at least 26 members of a local militant group over days of fighting in the southern Philippines this week, military officials said Thursday.



Combatants of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway group of the former separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), attacked a civilian community at dawn Wednesday and set fire to several homes in the town of Datu Unsay in Maguindanao province, officials said.



Fresh fighting erupted when troops arrived in the area following reports that BIFF were harassing civilians, Col. Gerry Besana, spokesman for the militarys Joint Task Force Central, told BenarNews.



The military also launched airstrikes to drive away the militants.



Wednesdays fighting initially left eight militants dead, but civilians later reported that three more BIFF combatants had been killed and their bodies were dragged away by comrades who escaped.



They were not able to take our detachment in the area as what their commanders were claiming. We dont have any casualties also, Besana said.



The militants burned three houses of locals who were supporting a government offensive against them, Besana confirmed.



On Monday night, soldiers killed four militants when they attacked the Armys 5th Infantry Battalion detachment in the village of Maitumaig, located in the same town in Maguindanao.



Earlier that day, 11 BIFF fighters were killed in a ground and air assault against the militants in the town of Carmen in North Cotabato, the local military spokesman, Capt. Arvin John Encinas, said.



Four soldiers were wounded during the operation in the village of Tonganon, but they were out of danger, Encinas said.



We expect that they will be staging retaliatory attacks because of the number of their fatalities, he said.



BIFF: In governments crosshairs



The military has accused BIFF members of engaging in criminal activities, including cattle rustling and drug trafficking.



After freeing the Muslim city of Marawi from Islamic State control after a five-month battle that ended in late October, President Rodrigo Duterte said BIFF would be among his administrations next targets.



BIFF splintered from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2008 over differences in ideology. MILF eventually abandoned its fight for independence to settle for autonomy in 2014.



While it has claimed it wanted to pursue the separatist struggle in the south, the military said that many in BIFFs ranks have engaged in criminality or pledged allegiance to other groups seeking to attract funding from Islamic State (IS) militants in the Middle East.



With hundreds of fighters, BIFF had vowed to push on with the separatist fight, attracting younger, more hardline members of MILF.



MILF guerrilla leader Wahid Tundok, who commands a large number of fighters, had earlier warned that the former separatists could launch a siege larger than the one in Marawi, if the government failed to deliver on its promise and Congress did not come up with a law to enshrine regional autonomy.



The BBL was a landmark document, which was signed when MILF agreed to end its rebellion in 2014. It spells out the political process by which the MILF would transform into an entity that would govern an expanded autonomous region in the south.



However, in 2015, lawmakers held up passage of the law after 44 police commandos were killed by MILF guerrillas, when they entered a rebel-held zone during an operation to target Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir.



The military is also going after another group of former MILF guerrillas, led by Abu Turaipe, the leader of a local IS cell operating in a remote part of the south.



He was named by Duterte as the likely new leader of the IS in the region after the military killed Isnilon Hapilon and his top lieutenants in Marawi.



Earlier this month, five of Turaipes followers were killed in military airstrikes.
For Immediate Release, December 28, 2017 Contact: Tierra Curry, (928) 522-3681, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org

Georgia Snail Is First Species Declared Extinct Under Trump Administration Becomes Ninth Southeast Species Lost in 10 Years While Fish and Wildlife Service Drags Feet ATLANTA The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the beaverpond marstonia, a freshwater snail from Georgia, is extinct. The announcement is in response to a 2010 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the critically imperiled snail. The snail was lost to extinction due to groundwater withdrawal for agriculture and urbanization, along with pollution from agricultural fields. The Service should have proposed protection for the beaverpond marstonia in 2011 but did not act on the petition until the Center sued the agency in 2016 to obtain a court-ordered deadline for the decision. The snail was first added to the candidate waiting list for federal protection in 1984. Its heartbreaking to lose wildlife to extinction, especially when timely intervention could have saved the species, said Tierra Curry, senior scientist at the Center. The loss of the beaverpond marstonia is yet another wake-up call to the Fish and Wildlife Service that urgent action is needed to prevent the extinction of more Southeast species. The beaverpond marstonia  first discovered in 1977  was a tiny, tan, freshwater snail from Cedar Creek, a tributary of the Flint River in Crisp County in central Georgia south of Macon. Its shell has four whorls and is one-tenth of an inch tall. Southeastern species declared extinct in the past decade include two Florida butterflies, the Zestos skipper and rockland grass skipper; three freshwater mussels, the green blossom, yellow blossom and turgid blossom pearlymussels; South Florida rainbow snakes; Florida fairy shrimp; Tatum Cave beetles from Kentucky; and now the beaverpond marstonia. In the past 100 years, more than 50 southeastern species have been lost to extinction. In 2010 the Center petitioned for protection for 404 imperiled freshwater species from the Southeast. The Service should have issued decisions on their protection in 2011. Now seven years later, 15 have been protected, 4 have been proposed for protection and 26 have been denied protection, 3 because they were found to be extinct. The Center has withdrawn 45 petitions based on new information. The rest are still in limbo awaiting decisions. The Southeast region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service feels no sense of urgency about preventing the extinction of small but incredibly important species like snails and insects. Theyre shirking their responsibility to prevent irreplaceable wildlife from being lost forever, said Curry. The waterways of the southeastern United States are a global hotspot of both biodiversity and extinction. The region boasts more kinds of freshwater snails, mussels, fishes and crawdads than anywhere else in the world, but they are threatened by dams, human population growth, pollution, invasive species and global climate change. The scientific name of the beaverpond marstonia is Marstonia castor.
For Immediate Release, December 28, 2017 Contact: Michael Robinson, (575) 313-7017, michaelr@biologicaldiversity.org Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Keeps Endangered Species Protection Flawed Attempt to Strip Songbird of Protection Shot Down PHOENIX In response to a petition from the extreme private-property rights group the Pacific Legal Foundation, the Trump administration today determined that the southwestern willow flycatcher should retain protection as an endangered species. The fact that the Pacific Legal Foundation could not even sway the Trump administration shows just how loony its argument really is, said Michael Robinson, a conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. Were relieved the precious southwestern willow flycatcher and the streamside habitats it needs to survive will stay protected. Based on the work of a scientist who does not believe the well-documented existence of subspecies in birds  a category that includes Darwins famous finches  the flawed petition argued that the flycatcher was not a valid entity worthy of protection. But U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists rejected that view, upholding Endangered Species Act protections for the songbird that were put in place in 1995. The agency rejected a similar petition by the same extreme group to strip protections from the coastal California gnatcatcher in 2016, and the group has now taken the agency to court. The Center and other conservation groups have intervened on behalf of the government. Another Pacific Legal Foundation petition to strip the Prebles meadow jumping mouse of protection awaits a decision; the Center has filed a counter-petition to ensure the jumping mouse stays protected. The Pacific Legal Foundation doesnt seem to care much about the validity of the science in their petitions, said Robinson. And they seem to care even less about the diversity of species that sustains and enriches our lives. Well fight their attempts to defile nature at every turn. Background

The flycatcher is a small, neotropical migratory bird that breeds in streamside forests of Southern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas and extreme northwestern Mexico. Within this range the flycatcher has lost more than 90 percent of its habitat to dams, water withdrawal, livestock grazing, urban sprawl and other forces.
For Immediate Release, December 28, 2017 Contacts: Paul Achitoff, (808) 262-8283, achitoff@earthjustice.org

Todd Steiner, (415) 488-7652, tsteiner@TIRN.net

Kristen Monsell, (510) 844-7137, kmonsell@biologicaldiversity.org Court: Feds Unlawfully Allowed Hawaii Fishery to Kill Protected Sea Turtles, Birds Ruling Confirms Trump Administration's New Interpretation of Bird Protection Law Is Wrong HONOLULUThe National Marine Fisheries Service failed to properly analyze the Hawaii-based swordfish longline fisherys impacts on the endangered loggerhead sea turtles it kills and injures before permitting an expansion of that fishery in 2012, a federal court has ruled. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals also found the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by allowing the longline fishery to kill albatrosses and other protected seabirds in the course of fishing operations. The ruling refutes the Trump administrations new opinion that the Act does not prohibit incidental killing of migratory birds by the energy and fishing industries. Consistent with the findings of numerous federal courts, the decision undermines the legal reasoning behind the administrations Dec. 22 announcement that it will no longer prosecute industries that accidentally kill birds. The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Center for Biological Diversity, after the National Marine Fisheries Service allowed the fishery to double the number of sea turtles it hooks or entangles. Hawaiis swordfish industry uses longlines up to 60 miles long, with nearly 1,000 baited hooks, that often catch endangered leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles, as well as protected migratory birds such as black-footed and Laysan albatrosses. The court found the agency improperly ignored that the Hawaii fishery kills sea turtles that are already heading toward extinction and must now study the consequences of contributing to that problem. The court also held that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act  one of the nations oldest conservation laws  does not allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to give commercial operations like the longline fishery, which provides no conservation benefits to birds, a free pass to kill them, even accidentally. Methods to minimize such accidental bird deaths have been studied and are available, but the longline industry has refused to adopt them. Both the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service, which are supposed to be protecting our wildlife, have instead been illegally helping the longliners push them to the brink of extinction, said Earthjustice attorney Paul Achitoff. We wont allow it. And we wont stand by while the Trump administration turns its back on our childrens natural heritage. The Hawaii longline fishery has gotten away with murder for years, killing and injuring seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals, and this is only one of many court rulings trying to rein in their carnage, said Todd Steiner, biologist and executive director of Turtle Island Restoration Network. This ruling is also another black eye for the Trump administration, which is trying to dismantle the very laws that protect these defenseless animals. Sea turtles become hooked while trying to take longline bait, or become entangled while swimming through the walls of nearly invisible lines and hooks  encounters that can drown the turtles or leave them fatally injured. Seabirds such as Laysan and black-footed albatrosses also dive for the bait and become hooked; worldwide, longline fishing has caused precipitous declines in most albatross populations. Sea turtles could go extinct if these deadly longlines arent better regulated. Were happy to see the court reject the reckless expansion of this fisherys lethal impact on sea turtles and seabirds, said Kristen Monsell, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. But its disappointing that the Trump administration is trying to give the energy and fishing industries a free pass to indiscriminately slaughter migratory birds.
Applications have opened for the Unreasonable East Africa accelerator programme, which claims to give an "unreasonable advantage" to entrepreneurs creating solutions to the region's biggest social and environmental problems.

Image credit: rawpixel via Pexels

The 10-month programme focuses on for-profit and financially sustainable non-profit businesses across a number of sectors, based in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

Unreasonable East Africa will select a group of 15 companies to work alongside more than 100 mentors and connect them with a network of funders. Since late 2013, it has run three programmes with 29 companies, which have to date raised over $5.2m in funding, created more than 380, and benefitted the lives of more than 850,000 people.

Applicant startups must have revenues of at least $20,000 and a viable business model, be between three and five years old, and have a team of at least two people. Entries close on 10 January 2018.

This article was originally published on www.disrupt-africa.com.
Unilever, Beiersdorf, Coty, SC Johnson, Henkel, and Edgewell are some of the major brands set to attend Aerosol & Dispensing Forum and Packaging of Perfume, Cosmetics & Design Shanghai 2018. These top cosmetic, beauty and personal care companies will be using the show to reveal the latest technologies and thinking from the aerosol, dispensing, perfume and cosmetic packaging industry.

ADF&PCD Shanghai 2018, which is taking place at Shanghai MART on 28 and 29 March 2018, has been identified by international brands as a platform to measure existing suppliers against potential new partners and to learn from the best and brightest packaging experts and design agencies in the world.

Paul Macdonald, global brand director of the Easyfairs Packaging Portfolio, comments: Online retail sales for cosmetics are increasing at over 25% per annum so there is a real opportunity for the aerosol, dispensing and beauty packaging industry to capitalise on this movement. Brands with technologies and solutions that can help the Chinese community will be in a great position to make their mark on a sector that is growing exponentially.

Domestic Chinese brands as well as major international names have signed up, and will find the show useful, no matter if they are trying to source local suppliers, add a creative angle to their packaging, or better understand the latest industry challenges.

Pentawards Conference

Brands and design agencies have been quick to register for the Shanghai show with news of The Pentawards Conference taking place in China for the first time. The Pentawards, a prestigious worldwide competition exclusively devoted to packaging design in all its forms, provides visitors with a dedicated design focused conference, featuring expert minds from all over the world.

In addition to The Pentawards Conference, the show also offers visitors access to over 100 international suppliers, the ADF conference  which focuses on aerosol and dispensing innovations  and networking opportunities to network with like-minded individuals from an array of sectors.
Unless companies move away from a slavish devotion to the pursuit of profit and learn to act in the interests of the communities that sustain them, the Steinhoff collapse won't be the last corporate disaster.

Investors are still reeling from the dramatic decline of Steinhoff International, which by December 9 had lost 90% of its value as a result of concerns over accounting irregularities and possible fraud at the furniture and household goods retailer.

The Steinhoff story is yet another in a string of corporate meltdowns caused by unethical - or even downright criminal - behaviour, locally and abroad.

Whether it is questionable contracts, lack of due diligence in the detection of fraud, inflated payments to individuals or failing to publicise that their customers' data has been hacked, it appears there is no shortage of companies doing whatever they can to serve their profit-driven interests, no matter how much damage it does to society.

According to Charles Wookey, CEO and co-founder of A Blueprint for Better Business, an independent charity that acts as a catalyst for change in business, many people believe that companies are somehow institutionally obliged to seek profit above all else. But it turns out this is a false notion.

The widespread popularity of the belief, said Wookey at a recent seminar hosted by the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business, can be traced to an article by Milton Friedman that appeared in the New York Times Magazine in 1970. In it, the Nobel-winning economist argued that the only social responsibility of businesses is to increase profits within the law. While Friedman's belief has proven to be popular, his creed is not a legal mandate.

"Lots of people think the legal obligation of a company's directors is to maximise profit, but it isn't " it's to promote the success of the company," said Wookey. "The law - in the UK and many other countries - does not say directors should maximise shareholder value. In fact, what directors should actually be focusing on is to make the most balanced decisions in pursuit of the company's purpose, not necessarily those that bring in the most short-term profit."

But of course it is no simple matter to persuade companies that making balanced, purposedriven decisions, based on respect for people and contributing to a better society, is in their best interest when profit is so much shinier and easier to measure. Changing an entrenched business culture, as Alan Murray has written, may be one of the hardest challenges the leader of an organisation can face.

And even when the harmful consequences of unethical behaviour are vivid (the Steinhoff debacle, for instance, will have a direct effect on the wellbeing of millions of members of the Government Employees Pension Fund who could lose about R12.5bn in investments and investors who have already lost more than R100bn in value), it is not always clear how to bring about fundamental, positive changes in the practical day-to-day running of a company.

At a recent leadership seminar for top executives from one of SA's mining giants, there was a discussion about how the company's business culture needed to reflect the importance of having a worthy purpose, recognising that the success of a mining venture depended to a large degree on the approval of communities.

But while it sounds fine in principle to commit to the endeavour of benefiting the community, it is not evident how this purpose translates into corporate action, or what steps need to be taken to achieve it.

Often high-powered executives want to tackle challenges head-on by leaping straight into action. However, when changing something as systemic as a company's culture, this may not be the best way to proceed. Instead, they need to take the time to reflect on the processes that drive their decision-making.

Becoming a purpose-driven business is not something that can be outsourced to marketing, relegated to corporate social responsibility or actioned away to someone else. The change needs to start at the top: a "command-andcontrol" mentality has to shift towards more collective forms of organisation.

A fundamental change in business culture would involve companies beginning to think of themselves as collectives of social relationships rather than an interlocking set of contractual and individualistic processes. One step towards achieving such a transformation is the realisation that people are motivated not only by profit but also by meaningful work and the quality of their relationships.

Everyone knows that money motivates people to do all sorts of things, including working harder at their jobs.

However, research indicates that when processes become more complex, money motivates less than expected, and sometimes it may even demotivate. So business principles should not be ejected for the sake of charity, but rather to realise that social relationships - within an organisation and between the organisation and society - are fundamentally integral to business success, compelling organisations to rethink and, in some cases, restructure their decision-making frameworks.

A fair bit of scepticism about the prospect of success in transforming large firms to purpose-driven organisations is probably healthy, especially in the current climate where examples of gross misconduct in business practice abound.

There are a number of factors in contemporary society that make the case for ethical business more compelling. One of them is the increasingly ubiquitous gaze of social and online media, making it harder for companies to get away with ethical transgressions or criminal behaviour.

Another is the apparent failure of contemporary politics in tackling many of the challenges facing society.

In the wake of the financial crash of 2008, many people who may not have a taste for socialism have nevertheless grown sick of "tooth-and-claw" capitalism and there is a growing call for business to play a stronger role in creating better societies. The millennial generation seems to be asking harder questions of firms, demanding employers show commitment to social change.

A structural shift seems to be taking place in the expectations the public has of big business. While it is not conceivable that the profit drive will disappear from business culture, purposeful companies - unless state-owned - will need to learn to navigate the tension between fulfilling their purpose and making a profit.

At mining companies, for example, this would mean that an integral part of measuring their success would be the wellbeing of the communities in which they operate.

Is there any hope that such a state of affairs may come to pass in SA? Will large multinational companies not only take an active part in the welfare of society through corporate social investment, but make it an integral part of their decision-making processes by embracing the tension between the often competing priorities of profit and purpose?

Given the precarious reputation of many large businesses that appear to have had a hand in the impoverishment of society, we can only hope.
Businesses within the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) could save up to $450 million in clearance documentation once the bloc adopts blockchain technology for clearing imports.

Comesa is looking to roll out a digital free trade area - the first in Africa - modelled along the Malaysian Free Trade Zone, where parties to a transaction are connected in real time through a web of ledgers that are secure. The application also supports generation of an electronic certificate of origin whose authenticity can be verified using national information technology systems.

This will be a marked break from the current practice which involves manual applications and physical presentation of documents to tax bodies and other government agencies that cause businesses delays. Trade financiers could be the biggest losers once the system is in place.

"We are rolling out the Digital FTA in 2018, beginning with willing member states on the basis of the principle of variable geometry," said Comesa spokesman Mwangi Gakunga.

Last month, Comesa completed the design and action plan of the Digital Free Trade Area, the Electronic Certificate of Origin (e-CO) and their draft regulations.

Ending border queues

Piloting of the digital FTA is expected to start in 15 of its 19 member states, enabling large and small enterprises alike to trade using their smartphones and tablets.

"The e-certificate of origin is a good practice around the world but Comesa will be the first regional economic bloc in Africa to have it as a regional FTA instrument," he added.

According to Comesa Secretary-General Sindiso Ngwenya, the digital economic integration will do away with long queues at border posts for goods and people moving across borders.

"We have developed a mobile application for cross-border traders which shall be launched in the countries that are involved in the simplified trade regime. We shall integrate them to Customs and other agencies and also to the Comesa centre," he said.

The participating countries are Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Seychelles, Malawi, Mauritius, Madagascar, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which are all part of Comesa's Simplified Trade Regime that allows traders with goods valued at $1,000 or less to access cross-border markets duty free.

Breakthrough

Exporters from Uganda say this is a breakthrough in regional and international trade, even though it comes with new risks and challenges, especially member states that have not yet provided for e-CO laws.

"The risks are there but they can be mitigated. There must be software to prove that the electronic certificate of origin is authentic so that tax authorities can read it," says Chris Kaijuka, the managing director of grain exporting company AfroKai Ltd.

Mr Kaijuka welcomes the innovation but adds that he is keen to test the effectiveness of the electronic certificate of origin in solving some of the import-export hitches that traders face in the market.

"But I welcome it. We wanted the e-certificate of origin which helps me on taxation," he says. "Someone brings in goods from outside Comesa but declares them as of Comesa origin, which they are not," Mr Kaijuka adds.

Diminished role for banks?

The financial services sector for counterparties makes easy money in international trade deals - globally totaling to $100 trillion - because the importing party in most cases does not know or trust the exporting company. Within the Comesa region alone, some $450 million is paid to commercial banks annually to confirm letters of credit.

But the bloc's chief executive argues that soon this will be a thing of the past because the Comesa digital FTA has "applications that can connect Customs, commercial banks, ministries of finance and central banks in real time, even when it comes to remittances."

"Let's say you are an exporter from Zambia and you are exporting to Egypt, it will be accounted for because all these parties will be able to access that information simultaneously and this is through the block chain application," says Mr Ngwenya.

But a source at KCB Bank Uganda - one of the largest providers of trade finance - told The EastAfrican that it is too early for these innovations to reduce the role of commercial banks to the periphery in international trade.

"Customers still rely so much on banks to ensure payment," he said.

Enabling laws

In 2014, the Comesa Council of Ministers decided that member states that were ready to accept and use the e-CO should do so by 31 July of that year.

The Council further directed member states whose legal systems did not provide for e-COs to enact enabling laws as soon as possible with the view to replace the manual certificates of origin with the electronic certificates in a bid to speed up the process of certification and facilitate trade in real time.

The Council also wanted the designed digital applications to ensure that they integrate small and medium enterprises - which make up over 90% of the employment base in Comesa for its 492 million citizens, according to the bloc's data.

In March this year, Malaysia launched its digital free trade zone (DFTZ) - a global first - that is expected to increase SMEs contribution to the country's GDP, which currently stands at 37%, despite 97% of businesses in Malaysia being micro or small and micro enterprises.

According to its website www.mydftz.com, the Malaysian DFTZ has the potential to increase the SME goods export to $38 million, create over 60,000 jobs and support $65 billion worth of goods moving through the DFTZ by 2025.

Observers say, over this period the DFTZ will double the growth rate of Malaysia's SMEs goods export.

Source: The East African
The Summer Show Exhibition for emerging artists, currently on at the Art.b Gallery inside the Bellville Library in the City of Cape Town, is an opportunity to showcase works by new and often under-resourced artists.

The citys Arts and Culture Department recently launched the Emerging Artists Programme, an initiative that aims to assist emerging artists based in Cape Town, by providing them with opportunities to build capacity and showcase their work.

The citys Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security and Social Services, JP Smith, said the programme will focus primarily on artists who have not had the benefit of resources, training and exposure as a result of historic inequality. However, the programme aims to be inclusive in its scope and impact.

Smith said that the Arts and Culture Department will partner with organisations and initiatives across the city to develop and activate the programme.

For a city to thrive, participation in cultural activity is vital for social cohesion, community well-being, civic engagement, transferable skills development and economic growth. It also allows for personal and group expression and creates a sense of belonging, said Smith.

Smith said the opening of the new Zeitz MOCAA at the V&A Waterfront has highlighted increasing global interest in African art and artists, while Cape Towns visual arts ecosystem is benefiting from strong local training institutions, established and diversified art galleries and annual events.

We have many talented artists and it remains a challenge for them to make a living from their work, given the need for materials, exhibition and studio space, and access to training and development. These challenges are significantly greater for emerging artists and greater still for those from previously disadvantaged circumstances.

With this programme, the city aims to level the playing field somewhat. This is in line with our Organisational Development and Transformation Plan, which was adopted by council to ensure access and opportunities for all our residents, said Smith.

Residents are encouraged to visit the Art.b Gallery to see the current exhibition of local emerging artists until 5 January 2018. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm. The gallery can be reached on 0219171197 for any queries.
Rwanda seeks to enhance poultry meat production from 30,000 tonnes per year as of 2016, to 100,000 tonnes within the next five years.

 skeeze via pixabay

This was said by Dr Christine Kanyandekwe, the head of Animal Resources Department at Rwanda Agriculture Development Board (RAB).

The move, she said, will be achieved through better poultry management practices, including proper feeding, ensuring security and safety of chickens through effective disease management, and networking among poultry farmers to scale up best practices for enhanced productivity. Kanyandekwe spoke to The New Times on the sidelines of a two-day workshop for poultry farmers held in Kigali last week.

She said that the development is in line with the government's Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA4), which will run from 2018 until 2023.

Kanyandekwe said that there was a need for use of quality and effective drugs, as well as timely and right vaccination procedures to ensure chickens are healthier.

"Factories making poultry feed should avoid anything that can affect farmers' produce," she said.

"What we want is to help the farmer maximise profits through enhanced productivity".

The chairman of Rwanda Poultry Association, Jean Claude Ruzibiza, said that capacity development of farmers is essential for them to get the desired yield, and for the country to be self-reliant in poultry products.

Under the strategy, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (Minagri), four million more chickens will be brought into Rwanda's poultry sector by 2023 to add to the current seven million chickens being reared currently.

This development will increase egg production by 143%, according to the ministry.

In 2010 the country had 3.5 million chickens which produced about 80 million eggs. By 2016 egg production had increased to 157.7 million eggs amounting to 7,974 tonnes.

Statistics from Rwanda Agriculture Board show that poultry contributed a lot to Rwanda's overall meat production increased from about 86,000 tonnes in 2015 to about 116,000 tonnes in 2016.

Poultry accounted for 30%, representing over 30,000 tonnes.

Skills gap challenge

In 2013, Duterimbere cooperative from Rwamagana District had 900 chickens it was rearing for meat.

But the cooperative lost 700 of them after fever attack which a veterinary personnel attributed to contaminated feeds, recounts Denise Uwamwezi, one of the cooperative members.

She told The New Times that their chickens died as a result of lack of skills on poultry keeping, and feeding.

"We had no training, or skills in poultry farming, we thought it's only about rearing chickens," she said.

After the incident, the cooperative made up of about 40 members abandoned poultry business in favour of banana farming.

But, Uwamwezi said that because of the interest she had in poultry farming, she later bought 300 layers.

"I decided to take care of chickens like my child, spend time with them and follow up their state, as a mother does to her child," she said.

She said the first month of chicks is critical to their growth.

Dr Kanyandekwe said that ensuring proper feeding, and medicine for chickens is a necessity.

"We want farmers to increase their produce and income, some get loans from banks, we do not want farmers to have their chickens die as it happens to some."

Making feeds affordable

The price of poultry feed varies from Rwf310 to Rwf350 a kilogramme, which farmers say is high compared to their yields.

During harvest season, prices of feeds go down because raw materials such as maize become more affordable, but they go up when it's not harvesting season, Kanyandekwe said.

She pointed out that the government is looking for ways to address the issue through facilitating availability of affordable raw materials in all seasons.

In regards to market for poultry products, she said that it is available noting that the Democratic Republic of Congo which had banned poultry imports from Rwanda has lifted the ban.
Can an offer to employment which is later withdrawn amount to a dismissal?

Summary

An offer of employment creates a valid contract and a later withdrawal of that offer can amount to dismissal. This is even more so if the reasons for the withdrawal of the offer are unreasonable.

Court decision

In the case of Young / The Barnes Group (2017) 26 CCMA 7.1.13 the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) had to consider this issue. Wayne Young applied for a sales position with The Barnes Group. He was then interviewed by the companys chief executive officer (CEO) and the HR manager. During the interview Young claimed he was made an offer by the CEO. Later, the offer was withdrawn because the CEO had changed his mind about Young. Aggrieved by the sudden withdrawal of the offer, Young referred an unfair dismissal dispute to the CCMA. The employer denied that it had ever made an offer of employment to Young.

The CCMA had to determine:

whether Young was an employee in terms of section 213 of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1996 (LRA); if he was found to be an employee, whether he was dismissed; and if so, whether the dismissal was substantively and procedurally fair.

In order to determine whether Young was an employee, the commissioner first had to determine whether a valid contract had been entered into. For an employment contract to be valid, whether verbal or in writing, there must be:

an intention to create a legal relationship; an offer and an acceptance; and agreement on the essentials of the contract (including, consensus on the rights and duties of the parties, remuneration, duration and start date).

The commissioner found a valid contract of employment had been entered into between the parties and that the employers evidence that it had never made an offer of employment did not stand up to scrutiny.

As to whether Young had been unfairly dismissed, section 186(1)(a) of the LRA defines dismissal to mean that an employer has terminated employment with or without notice. The commissioner held that Young had been dismissed and his dismissal was not in accordance with any fair reason or procedure.

Accordingly Young was awarded two months compensation.

Importance of this case

An offer to employ someone, whether verbal or in writing is valid when accepted and when agreement is reached on all the material terms. That can occur in fairly informal circumstances. Once concluded, a later withdrawal of that offer amounts to dismissal. Such a dismissal will be subject to all the legal requirements any other dismissal will be subject to and must therefore be for a fair reason and in accordance with fair procedure.

Employers must be cautious in extending offers of employment to applicants for employment.
President Jacob Zuma's promise to accelerate the roll-out of free education to students from working class and poor households is worrying the South African Communist Party because there is no clarity about how it will be funded.

In its end-of-year statement, the party commended government for speeding up the progressive roll-out of free education at all levels since 1994.

The number of South Africans with college and university qualifications robustly increased following an increase in funding for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) from R2.4bn in 2008 to R15bn in 2017 and the extension of coverage to the previously unfunded college students, it noted.

"On 16 December government announced a plan to broaden the scope of eligibility from an old to a new threshold further benefiting the working class. Students from households with a combined annual income of not more than R350,000 will accordingly be eligible for fully subsidised access to public higher education and training institutions with existing NSFAS packages converted from loans to 100% grants for further years of qualifying study.

"However, the issue of where the money will come from is of great importance and must be clarified as a matter urgency."

Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, national spokesperson, said in a statement: "The SACP is concerned about the silence of President Jacob Zuma on where the money will come from. We hope that this will not amount to increasing VAT or recklessly using workers' money either in the UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) or the PIC (Public Investment Corporation). Doing so will be tantamount to robbing the poor..."

Source: The Times
Earlier this year, we got word from LG that it was targeting Alexa-enabled appliances for South Africa in 2018.

Image via Gearburn

The Korean firm quickly distanced itself from these remarks though, saying it cant confirm the local timing for Alexa-enabled appliances.

At the time of the news, we attempted to contact Amazons representatives to get the story from the horses mouth, but to no avail. In any event, weve since circled back for another attempt, finally getting an answer of sorts.

I understand youre curious to learn about whether Alexa is heading to South Africa in 2018. Thanks for your interest, an Amazon marketing representative told Gearburn in response to an emailed query.

I can tell you that our vision is for Alexa to be everywhere our customers are, including South Africa though I dont have specifics to share regarding our roadmap today.

Its really a non-answer then. But at least its not quite a well, we dont have plans for the country.

In any event, it means that both Google and Amazons voice assistants arent officially available in South Africa yet. Then again, you can simply switch to UK or US English to get Google Assistant on your phone and imported Home speaker.

Still, with $50 smart speakers being all the rage right now, youd think that the Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini would officially come to South Africa, Kenya and other developing markets
Table Mountain National Park has a problem, but Instagram can help.

Image credit: Pixabay via Pexels

Much of the park's 221km is freely accessible, making it difficult to estimate the number of visitors and assess how they spend their time.

But Finnish researchers have found Instagram posts are an accurate proxy, especially in a large park such as the one that surrounds Cape Town.

A team from the University of Helsinki evaluated the usefulness of social media in estimating visitor numbers at 21 national parks in South Africa.

"We found the popularity of the park extracted from social media data closely followed the visitor statistics.

"However, Instagram clearly worked the best," lead author Henrikki Tenkanen wrote in the journal Scientific Reports.

The findings showed social media could be used to assess the intensity of human activities to inform conservation prioritisation. " Dave Chambers

Source: Herald via i-Net bridge.
LUANDA, Angola: Angola has suffered a week of fuel shortages, a bitter irony for one of Africa's leading oil producers, and a hardship that some people blame on opponents of President Joao Lourenco.

AFP / Ampe Rogerio

The majority of petrol stations in the capital Luanda have had long lines of motorists for seven days now, all waiting for the chance to fill up their tanks.

"We don't have any more," said Henriques Carvalho, a pump attendant in the Bairro Popular district.

"They came here to refuel but demand has been so great that we sold our last few litres tonight. I'm waiting for the next tanker."

In front of each pump, lines of trucks and cars stretch out of view.

"I've been queueing for two hours," said Gisela Manuela from behind the wheel of her sedan.

"I've already tried three other petrol stations -- all in vain. Hopefully it will be better here."

Several other filling stations in provinces outside Luanda have also run dry, according to residents contacted by AFP.

Rationing has caused the price of fuel to surge on the black market. One litre of super unleaded has more than tripled in Luanda -- surging from 160 to 500 kwanzas (0.80 euros to 2.50 euros).

Though the impacts of the shortages are clear for all to see, the reasons are not.

A week ago the state oil company Sonangol acknowledged "delays in processing fuel at the country's ports because of minor issues around the payment of certain suppliers".

But in a statement Sonangol insisted that it was "not short of fuel" and that there was "no reason to be alarmed".

It promised that the rationing was simply to guarantee supply during the festive year-end period.

Sonangol declined to comment further when contacted by AFP.

Angola, along with Nigeria, is one of Africa's biggest oil producers, pumping 1.7 million barrels per day.

But because there is no domestic refining capacity, processed petrol and diesel must be imported from abroad.

The drop in the price of oil, the country's economic lifeblood, since 2014 has plunged the economy and the government's finances into a crisis from which Angola has struggled to extricate itself.

Sonangol, which makes the largest annual contribution to state coffers, has found itself in particularly dire financial straits.

In March last year Angola was struck by shortages which were again blamed on "delayed payments" to suppliers caused by the weak oil price.

In the absence of another explanation, critics of Angola's government have made their own allegations about the reasons for the shortages, fired by social media speculation.

"All of this is an attempt to obstruct the government of President Joao Lourenco," said Agostinho dos Santos, a political analyst with close ties to the opposition.

"The majority of filling stations in Angola belong to or are controlled by the generals who were in the regime of the former president (Jose Eduardo dos Santos) and his daughter Isabel dos Santos. These owners want to avenge the old president."

Dos Santos quit the presidency following elections in August after 38 years in power, during which time he stood accused of corruptly enriching his friends, families and allies.

Lourenco, from the same party, promised to fight corruption and subsequently began a crackdown on graft and waste.

After taking office he quickly fired a number of leaders at state-run companies as well as several security chiefs who were seen as close to his predecessor.

His main victim was Isabel dos Santos, who was removed from the helm of Sonangol last month.

"This fuel shortage is only a facade," said Adao Bunga, a rapper and regime critic known as MC Life.

"The immunity and impunity of Dos Santos's generals has gone and they are angry, which is why they are attacking Dos Santos."

But drivers, the main victims of the shortages, have begun to lose patience.

"We can't live without petrol," said Isaias Soares, a driver from Malanje, about 380 kilometres (240 miles) east of Luanda.

"Frankly I can't understand how we can have a shortage in a country that produces oil."
To any corporate organisation, if participating as an exhibitor in one or various exhibitions is part of your organisation's below the line advertising (BTL) strategy then that part of your marketing budget should not be wasted but should be well spent and hopefully with some ROI.

Image credit: rclassenlayouts via 123RF.com

Commercial exhibitions, generally called trade fairs, trade shows or expos, are usually organised so that organisations in a specific interest or industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products or service.

A worrying trend is that more and more of the right target audience is not found attending exhibitions, resulting in businesses to rethink their marketing plan to exhibit in the future; it could be due to the tough economic conditions, with many businesses cutting costs to ensure future survival and growth in their organisations. Or those in the exhibition business are not doing enough to convince visitors to attend.

For a start-up business, it can be challenging to commit to a three-day exhibition if the key staff running the business have to be out of the office to showcase at the exhibition. Another reason why the size of the exhibition has shrunk in the last few years could be due to newer, emerging advertising platforms such as online and digital platforms, making traditional exhibitions as dying form of advertising.

Mobile technology

A growing trend that I have observed in exhibitions, is that businesses exhibiting have heightened their use of technology on their stands, the use of the stand space is smarter, HD and has virtual reality elements.

In order for brands to have a heightened experience with their customers, the use of smart technology also makes a lot of sense, where the visitors can download or access online platforms where they can try products or access information about a product or services in real time. In short, technology will continue to drive the world of commercial exhibitions.

The potential customers (visitors) engages on a digital interface than your traditional brochures and leaflets. Customers can have a virtual experience with a brand. No one really wants to go a lifeless shell scheme with poor lighting and a few magazines. With the right use of content, colour, branding, any company can master their ability to showcase their business. Adam Dembovsky, the CEO of Innovation Factory, says, Exhibition stands are no longer just a one-dimensional platform to sell your brand. In order to get people out of the aisles and into the booth, strive to create a memorable experience. Exhibitions are theatre; youre putting on a show.

Rob McPherson, key accounts manager at M&M Expo adds to say, the visual appeal of a stand is what attract visitors to the stand at the end of the day.

1. Market research  Marketers must think carefully whether to exhibit or not and plan strategically if decide to do so. You can do a search of the biggest shows for 2018 in your industry here.

2. Target audience and objectives  Ensure that you target the right shows in your industry. Do your research in advance, ask the exhibitors for a floor plan to see who has signed up from your industry. Just because everyone is there, does not necessarily translate that you have to be there. Is it aligned with your business goals?

3. Sponsorship and promotional marketing  Consider the correct sponsorship if brand awareness is what you are after. For example, you could sponsor the lanyards for the name badges for the entire show.

4. Activity  Set up multiple meetings with potential clients at your stand to get them to attend. Find ways to have activity at your stand throughout the show. Use food, and snacks to attract visitors. Rotate key staff who are key advisers or experts on the products or services you will be exhibiting.

5. Cross selling  If the exhibition is tied to a conference, it would be a great idea to have presence as a guest speaker. Follow up on any potential business or connections you made at the show, which will be great motivation to the CEO for your next marketing budget.
An interview with Boniface Musavuli

The Congo crisis is now one of the greatest humanitarian emergencies in the world and the most underreported. An average of 5,500 people a day flee violence and insecurity, even more than in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Unlike Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, however, the Congo wars are undeclared and theres no front line. There are instead many wars over many concentrations of resource wealth in this immensely resource-rich country, especially in the eastern provinces. For more than 20 years the most rapacious and destabilizing aggressors have been US allies and military partners Uganda and Rwanda. The US is the top bilateral donor to both. Uganda has been led by dictator Yoweri Museveni since 1986, Rwanda by dictator Paul Kagame since 1994.

I spoke to Boniface Musavuli, author of the book Les Massacres de Beni about the Ugandan armys attack on his native corner of Congo, Beni Territory, just in time for Christmas.

Ann Garrison: Boniface, last week Uganda promised to keep its troops on the Ugandan side of the Congolese border. Then its attack aircraft crossed into Congolese territory and began bombing while its troops fired long range weapons from across the border. Should we call this an invasion in violation of international law even though Uganda claims it hasnt sent any ground troops in yet and the Congolese army is reported to be collaborating with them in this?

Boniface Musavuli: Firstly, this intervention is a violation of the UN charter and the sovereignty of the Congo. Uganda has already been condemned by the International Court of Justice for assaulting and occupying the Congo between 1998 and 2003. We are therefore dealing with an act of recidivism.

The UN Charter prohibits states from using military force on the territory of another sovereign state unless they have a UN mandate or authorization from the government of the country concerned. Until now, however, there has been no Security Council resolution authorizing Uganda to conduct military operations on Congolese territory. Also, in the Congo, there is no official decision from either the government or parliament authorizing the Ugandan army to conduct operations on Congolese territory. Finally, President Joseph Kabila cannot make such a decision because his term in office expired in December 2016. The DRC Constitution does not allow a president whose term of office has expired to invite a foreign army into Congolese territory. So Uganda is violating international law.

AG: Uganda says theyre hunting down the Islamist ADF militia to make sure it doesnt attack Uganda. They say they fear it will because it attacked the UNs Tanzanian peacekeepers last week, killing 15 and wounding more than 50. Whats really going on?

BM: This argument is problematic and violates the principles of international law which makes "preventive warfare" illegal. A state cannot conduct operations on the territory of another state because it suspects that a threat will come from that state. Uganda claims to be launching a preventive war against the ADF in Congo, but we know that the attack on Tanzanian peacekeepers was not carried out by the ADF. The ADF has not even existed as a military force since April 2014. The massacres and violence that have been taking place in Beni since 2014 are carried out by certain units of the Congolese army with Rwandan officers and criminals recruited in Rwanda to cause chaos in Beni.

Like Ugandas President Yoweri Museveni, Congos President Kabila wants the world to believe that there is Islamist terrorism in Beni and a security crisis that requires him to remain in power indefinitely. Finally, the base where the Tanzanian peacekeepers were attacked is more than 50 km from the Ugandan border, where the Ugandan army says it is conducting operations against the "ADF positions."

AG: So the people of Beni have Rwandan officers in their own army, and now theyve got Ugandan attack aircraft overhead dropping bombs and Ugandan troops shelling them from across their border if they havent already moved troops into Congo. Is this the latest phase of the de facto occupation that began when Rwanda and Uganda invaded Congo in the 1990s?

BM: Thousands of Rwandan soldiers were poured into the ranks of the Congolese army following the Goma accords of March 2009. Since 2013, thousands of Rwandans have been sent to Beni where they occupy the territories formerly occupied by the ADF and the southern part of the neighboring province of Ituri. Uganda is currently in conflict with Rwanda and certainly does not welcome the massive influx of Rwandan soldiers and people into this part of Congo bordering Uganda.

AG: Given the current tensions between Rwanda and Uganda, is it possible that the Ugandan attack is in fact an attack on the Rwandan troops wearing Congolese uniforms?

BM: The Rwandans within the Congolese army are always surrounded by real Congolese soldiers. So if the Ugandan army targets the Rwandans, it will not attack the Congolese army directly. I believe that, at first, Uganda wants to reestablish its presence on Congolese soil and try to understand how Rwanda intends to consolidate its grip on this Congolese region. The two countries will monitor each other at first. Of course, officially, it's all about "fighting the ADF."

AG: Earlier this week, I wrote to MONUSCOs Public Information Director to ask what the Tanzanian peacekeepers had been doing in Beni Territory, and she wrote back to say that when the UN Security Council last renewed the Tanzanian troops mandate, they stressed the importance of neutralizing the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) among other armed groups. She also said that they had gone there initially to protect MONUSCO engineers and equipment sent to rebuild the bridge across the Semuliki River after it had been blown up by the suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Once the bridge had been rebuilt in 2015, she said, their temporary base became a permanent operating base and theyve been there since.

After the December 7 attack, the Congo Research Group said that it had been a battle over control of the Mbau-Kamango road that goes through the Virunga park, crosses the Semuliki River (on the bridge), and leads to the Ugandan border at Nobili.

Now the UN News, the UN's Radio Okapi, and MONUSCO Chief Maman Sidikoua all blame the ADF for this attack on the Tanzanian peacekeepers. Your response?

BM: The UN Security Council and MONUSCO have been talking about "alleged ADF fighters" for almost three years now, but they know that the real ADF fighters no longer exist. ADF leader Jamil Mukulu was arrested in Tanzania in April 2015 and has been in prison in Uganda since May 2015. All the area once controlled by the ADF has already been recovered by the army and MONUSCO. The attack on the Tanzanian peacekeepers was carried out by a force of several hundred combatants wearing Congolese uniforms in an area under Congolese army control. The ADF, even when they were active, could not carry out such a large-scale operation. Moreover, the number of ADF who survived the 2014 operations is no more than a hundred people scattered throughout the bush without coordination or supplies. How can anyone believe that they could mobilize several hundred combatants, attack a base of 100 highly trained and well armed soldiers from four sides, and sustain the battle for more than three hours?

AG: Several days before the attack, Radio Okapi reported that Beni civil society objected to Ugandas plan to cross the border to go after the ADF because they thought the Ugandans were really coming to occupy Beni Territory and would not leave. They appear to have been the only organization or amalgam of organizations stating the obvious.

BM: Yes they were, and they are the ones being massacred.

AG: Could you say something about the Tanzanian peacekeepers, fifteen of whom died during the December 7 attack?

BM: The Tanzanian peacekeepers were an anomaly. Unlike other UN peacekeepers, they had earned the confidence of Beni's population. They were the contingent most motivated to actually protect the civilian population, and the population was therefore far more likely to confide in them than in the Congolese soldiers. It must always be kept in mind that most Congolese army units in this part of the Congo are led by Rwandan officers who are hated by the population for their crimes and atrocities.

AG: What about the Tanzanians offensive mandate to go after the aggressors? The Tanzanian and South African peacekeepers were the first peacekeepers that the UN ever gave an offensive mandate. That happened back in 2013 when they joined the battle to drive M23 out of North Kivu Province, and the UN Security Council has renewed their mandate every year since. Have the Tanzanians used their offensive mandate in Beni, and if so, how? Its hard to imagine they dont know that the real aggressors are the Rwandan officers and soldiers in the so-called Congolese army, the FARDC.

BM: Tanzanian peacekeepers are in an uncomfortable situation. When they arrived in Congo in 2013, their country had all but declared war with Rwanda. The conflict began when former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete called on the Rwandan government to negotiate with the FDLR, the armed group of Hutu refugee in eastern Congo. Kagame digested this proposal very badly and threatened to hit the Tanzanian president. The climate between the two countries became very tense, and Tanzania expelled several thousand Rwandans from its territory. Then when the Tanzanian soldiers arrived in Congo to fight the M23, they found that most of them were not Congolese rebels but Rwandan soldiers under Rwandan command.

AG: Kagame threatened to hit Kikwete? You mean assassinate?

BM: Kagames exact words were: "I'm going to wait for you in the right place and I'll hit you!" He said that at a rally in Rwanda in 2013 as though he were speaking to the Tanzanian president.

Then the Tanzanian president, also in a rally, retorted that "he [Kagame] will be hit like a kid.

After M23s flight back into Rwanda and Uganda, the Tanzanians found that units of the Congolese army included several thousand Rwandan soldiers, consequent to the agreement agreement signed in Goma on March 23, 2009. Despite their offensive mandate, the Tanzanians were exposed to great risk because they could never trust the Congolese army that they were supposed to be working with. A hidden war between Tanzania and Rwanda has been taking place in Congo.

An incident occurred in May 2015, after the Tanzanian peacekeepers were secretly informed that a massacre was going to be committed in the town of Mavivi. They went there, hid, and waited. When they saw men armed with machetes and guns encircling the houses and taking the families out, they opened fire and killed about twenty of them. When they examined the bodies of the attackers, they saw that they were wearing Congolese uniforms and that they were really Rwandan soldiers who had been integrated into the ranks of the Congolese army by the 2009 Goma agreement.

This incident was quickly hidden by the Congolese authorities and even MONUSCO because it would have been a serious scandal. The Congolese government has never acknowledged the presence of Rwandan soldiers in the ranks of its army, and it has always denied that the killers of Beni are members of the army. If it had been made public that the Tanzanians had ambushed these soldiers in Congolese uniforms as they were pulling people out of their homes for a massacre, it would have been impossible to continue to deny it. Other soldiers in Beni might have reacted and regional tensions would have increased.

AG: I remember when Rwandans became part of the Congolese army in Kivu in 2009. It made no sense whatsoever, but American officialdom applauded as though it was a great step towards peace in the region.

BM: That followed a secret agreement between Kabila and Kagame. The Rwandan army returned to Congo officially to fight the FDLR alongside the Congolese army in January 2009. In March 2009, the Rwandan army announced that they had completed their mission and left Congolese soil, but in reality, the majority of the Rwandan soldiers did not return to Rwanda. They stayed in Congo, hidden inside the Congolese army. They were preparing the ground for the new war, that of M23, that broke out in April 2012. This war was part of a secret project to place the eastern Congo under the power of Rwanda. The goal is to balkanize Congo. This is what explains the large number of Rwandan soldiers in the ranks of the Congolese army, and the large numbers of Rwandan peasants who have appeared in Beni and settled on the land that the native people were driven off of. They are there to advance this project, despite the opposition of the Congolese people.

AG: OK, one last question for now. The Tanzanian peacekeepers sound heroic. This is the first time Ive heard of any UN peacekeepers in Congo who were actually committed to protecting civilians. Their death is a tragedy that should outrage anyone who understands what really happened and how its being covered up. Whoever sent them into this very dangerous and deceptive conflict zone with a mandate to go after the ADF should be held accountable, and Tanzanian President John Magufuli has demanded a full investigation. Do you think he will be satisfied if investigators tell him that his soldiers were killed by ghosts of the ADF?

BM: I believe that President Magufuli already knows who killed his soldiers. Tanzanians in Beni are very knowledgeable because they have the confidence of the people, but Magufuli, as president, is obliged to wait for the conclusion of an investigation. Unfortunately, in the Congo, it is very difficult to get an investigation into serious crimes. For example, investigations into the killing of the two UN experts earlier this year are constantly hampered by the authorities. What is unfortunate is that now, the Tanzanians may become passive like other peacekeepers and let the attacks on the population go on without trying to protect them. The message behind this attack was that no real peacekeeping will be tolerated.
PR Newswire

LAKE FOREST, Ill., Dec. 27, 2017

LAKE FOREST, Ill., Dec. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PharMEDium Services, LLC (PharMEDium) is voluntarily recalling the below lots of drug products to the hospital/user level due to a lack of assurance of sterility. Administration of a drug product intended to be sterile that is not sterile could result in serious infections that may be life-threatening. To date, PharMEDium has not received any reports of complaints related to the products but is issuing this recall out of an abundance of caution following a commitment made during a recent inspection of the company's facility.

The recall is being issued because PharMEDium conducted a retrospective review of all commercially distributed product lots compounded in the Memphis location currently within their labeled expiration date in response to an FDA request regarding microbial control program during recent inspection to provide verification of acceptable microbiological testing results of the ISO5 environment, personnel glove sampling results, media fill results, sterility testing results, and endotoxin results. The review indicated that a total of 55 lots of different products impacting 25,327 units had two unsuccessful media fills. The remaining lots were associated with environmental monitoring or personnel monitoring excursions in the ISO 5 space on hood/surface and glove tip. Finished product release testing for both sterility and endotoxin were acceptable. Although there were no defects identified in these products, as a conservative measure, a recall is being initiated.

The products can be identified by referring to the sample labels provided. These products were distributed nationwide in the USA to hospitals/clinics.

PharMEDium Services is notifying customers of the voluntary recall by phone. Customers that have any of the affected medications that are being recalled should immediately quarantine the product, discontinue use and destroy per their hospital protocol. Customers with any of the affected medications can also reference PharMEDium Services website for more information on the specific lot numbers affected and contact information: www.pharmedium.com.

Patients and healthcare providers with questions regarding this recall can contact PharMEDium Services Clinical Pharmacist at (847) 457-2220, Monday through Friday, between 8am and 5pm Central Standard Time or via e-mail at [email protected]

Patients should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to the use of these products.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Lots Affected:

Service Code

Product Description

Lot Number

2K8880

2 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.2% Ropivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172790045M

2K8468

2 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.2% Ropivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172790055M

2K8889

2 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.15% Ropivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172790091M

2P8652

1 mg/mL Morphine Sulfate in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172790111M

2P6179

1 mg/mL Morphine Sulfate (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172790115M

2T6165

1 mg/mL HYDROmorphone HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172790156M

2K8124

2 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.125% Bupivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172820087M

3357NO-K25

20 mg/mL Succinylcholine Chloride Injection (Preserved) Kit Check Tagged

172820144M

2K8490

2 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.1% Bupivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172910035M

2K8191

0.125% Bupivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172910106M

3217NO-K25

0.2 mg/mL Glycopyrrolate 3 mL in 3 mL BD Syringe Kit Check Tagged

172910127M

2R3303-5

50 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate (Preservative Free) Injection

172910135M

2K8453

5 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.2% Ropivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172910154M

2P6165

1 mg/mL HYDROmorphone HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172930052M

2K9115

4 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172930100M

2K8204

2 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.125% Bupivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172970053M

3303NO-K25

50 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate (Preservative Free) Injection Kit Check Tagged

172970130M

2T6663

10 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

172970158M

2R3303-5

50 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate (Preservative Free) Injection

172980111M

2K9037

1 mg/mL Midazolam HCl ( Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection USP

172980202M

2K8498

1 mg/mL Morphine Sulfate (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173020065M

2K9100

0.5 mg/mL Midazolam HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173020131M

2T6231

3 mg/mL Adenosine Injection 30 mL in 30 mL BD Syringe

173020134M

2K8638

4 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.1% Bupivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173020141M

2K8241

3 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.2% Ropivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173020185M

2R3306-K5

50 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate (Preservative Free) Injection Kit Check Tagged

173020228M

2R3333-5

50 mg/mL Ephedrine Sulfate Injection (Preservative Free)

173020233M

2T6455

2 mg/mL Morphine Sulfate in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173030008M

2P8652

1 mg/mL Morphine Sulfate in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173030017M

3303NO

50 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate (Preservative Free) Injection

173030024M

2K8869

2 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.1% Bupivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173030050M

2K8643

3 mcg/mL Fentanyl Citrate and 0.125% Bupivacaine HCl (Preservative Free) in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173030080M

2K7710

1 mg/mL HYDROmorphone HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173030114M

2T6827

1 mg/mL Morphine Sulfate (Preservative Free) (Contains Sulfites) in 5% Dextrose

173030146M

2T6165

1 mg/mL HYDROmorphone HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173040042M

2T6165

1 mg/mL HYDROmorphone HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173040043M

2K8292

1 mg/mL Midazolam HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173040069M

2T6270

1 mg/mL Midazolam HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

173040072M

2M8510

1 mg/mL HYDROmorphone HCl in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

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Consumers

PharMEDium Services, LLC Denis Antonio, Quality Manager, Clinical Pharmacist (847) 457-2733 [email protected]

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pharmedium-services-llc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-of-certain-lots-of-compounded-sterile-products-due-to-lack-of-sterility-assurance-300575648.html

SOURCE PharMEDium Services, LLC
PR Newswire

WAUWATOSA, Wis., Dec. 28, 2017

WAUWATOSA, Wis., Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WaterStone Bank announced a new partnership with FCTI, Inc., a nationwide ATM network company, and Pick 'n Save, the largest of four grocery banners of Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), to offer a network of 25 ATM locations at select Pick 'n Save locations in late 2017. The new ATM network will be within WaterStone Bank's footprint in suburban Milwaukee.

Along with their in-branch ATMs, WaterStone Bank's current no-fee ATM network through the Wisconsin Bankers Association extends throughout Wisconsin and includes over 850 locations.

Grocery store patrons and WaterStone Bank customers will enjoy the ability to withdraw cash and shop for groceries at a single location. Bank customers will receive greater access to their money with surcharge-free transactions.

"We continue to deliver, and support, solutions that provide our customers with easy access to their funds and the convenience of banking at WaterStone Bank," said Doug Gordon, president and CEO of WaterStone Bank.

About WaterStone BankWaterStone Bank, established in 1921, offers a full suite of personal and business banking products. The community bank has branches in Wauwatosa, Brookfield, Fox Point/North Shore, Franklin/Hales Corners, Germantown/Menomonee Falls, Greenfield, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc/Lake Country, Pewaukee, Waukesha/Brookfield and West Allis, Wisconsin along with a commercial lending branch in Minneapolis, Minnesota. WaterStone Bank is the parent company to Waterstone Mortgage, which offers mortgage banking offices in 25 states. For more information about WaterStone Bank, go to http://www.wsbonline.com. Follow WaterStone Bank on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waterstone-bank-partners-with-popular-grocery-store-to-expand-atm-network-300575904.html

SOURCE WaterStone Bank


An internet imagery.

BALASORE, ODISHA (PTI): India on Thursday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile in low altitude, from a test range in Odisha.



This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out this year in which an incoming ballistic missile target was successfully intercepted, within 30 km altitude of the earth's atmosphere by an interceptor.



"It was a direct hit and grand success," Defence sources said after the test launch.



The earlier two tests were conducted on March 1 and February 11, 2017, as part of efforts to have a full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system.



"Today s test was conducted to validate various parameters of the interceptor in flight mode and it was all success," the sources said.



The target missile-- a Prithvi missile-- was launched from launch complex 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near here.



After getting signals by tracking radars, the interceptor AAD missile, positioned at Abdul Kalam Island --previously known as Wheeler Island -- in the Bay of Bengal, roared through its trajectory to destroy the hostile target missile in mid-air in an endo-atmospheric altitude, defence sources said.



The interceptor is a 7.5-meter long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator, the sources said.



The state-of-the-art interceptor missile has its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars.


There are growing calls for stricter regulation of the short-term rental sector after it emerged some landlords are earning over 100,000 a year on AirBnB.

The Irish Independent reports that nearly five thousand properties are fetching as much as 800 a night.
Tesco is refunding and compensating customers in the UK who complained that the turkey they bought for their Christmas dinner was "rotten" or "gone off".

The supermarket's social media feeds were bombarded by angry customers who claimed the centrepiece of their festive meal was either inedible or had made people ill.

Tesco has apologised to those affected and said it was providing them with a refund and offering a goodwill gesture.

It said complaints made up a small proportion of the more than half a million turkeys it sold leading up to Christmas.

Among those who complained was Kirsten Shore, an events manager from Stafford, who said she was "devastated" that her Christmas meal was ruined.

She tweeted: "Thanks @Tesco for selling me a gone off turkey & wrecking my 1st xmas day cooked at my home! 250 wasted, an awful meal and 8sick people!"

The 29-year-old, who alongside her husband Dan was hosting their first family Christmas, said they realised something was wrong when they tasted the turkey and the gravy made from the giblets.

She said: "My mum bought the turkey and prepared it and we put it in the fridge. Then we cooked it and I was so proud of it.

"It seemed fine and we sat down at the dinner table and everybody seemed a bit quiet.

"I took a mouthful of turkey and spat it out. It tasted of bleach and everyone else realised the reason everything was a bit funny was because the gravy was made from the giblets.

"It's almost like they've washed the turkey in bleach - it was awful.

"It cost me 250 to buy everything and we had to chuck everything away."

She said: "I'm not going to lie, I know it sounds ridiculous, but it broke my heart - it ruined the day.

"From just one mouthful we've all been really ill."

Tesco apologised to Maria Savva-Chirambo after she tweeted: "@Tesco Have not had a response to my message dated Xmas Eve 24th Dec about my gone off turkey,Please assist."

A member of the supermarket's social media team replied: "Hi Maria I'm very sorry your turkey was off and I can understand how disappointing this would be. Can you send us a DM confirming your full name, address, postcode and email address you log into your account with? 1/2"

Other complaints included those from Craig Spooner, who tweeted: "Thanks for ruining Christmas dinner @Tesco In date fresh turkey roast in tin breast gone off. No Christmas dinner for us this year. Raiding freezer for turkey replacement, @BirdsEye chicken chargrill currently in pole position. #HouseStinksOfRottenTurkey #ChristmasDinnerRuined."

Thanks for ruining Christmas dinner @Tesco In date fresh turkey roast in tin breast gone off. No Christmas dinner for us this year. Raiding freezer for turkey replacement, @BirdsEye chicken chargrill currently in pole position. #HouseStinksOfRottenTurkey #ChristmasDinnerRuined pic.twitter.com/L3cykKAl4l  Craig Spooner (@CraigSpooneruk) December 25, 2017

And Craig Taylor, who vented: "@Tesco well thank you for ruining my Christmas dinner with the rotten turkey you sold us!! Absolutely disgusting smell can't get rid of it. stored correctly and now have no turkey for Xmas."

A Tesco spokeswoman said: "We've sold hundreds of thousands of great quality British turkeys this Christmas. We have exceptionally high standards so we will look to address the small number of complaints in recent days.

"We will get in touch with each customer so we can investigate how these instances may have happened."

A Tesco Ireland spokesperson said: "All turkeys sold in Tesco stores in Ireland, fresh and frozen, are 100% Irish and Bord Bia approved. This year, we donated 1 to Temple Street Children's University Hospital for every fresh turkey sold.

"We're really pleased with our customer's feedback on our turkeys. There has been a small number of complaints from customers in the UK about turkeys sold, out of the hundreds of thousands of great turkeys sold by Tesco UK this Christmas, and our colleagues in Tesco UK are now investigating these instances."

The Food Standards Agency in the UK said: "Tesco have confirmed that they are investigating the complaints they have received about turkeys on a case-by-case basis.

"We have no evidence at present to suggest that there is a problem in their supply chain. Investigations are continuing and we will take appropriate action if necessary."
Gardai in Dublin are appealing for help in finding a missing teenager.

14-year-old Leon Wilson was last seen on Eden Quay, Dublin at around 9.15pm yesterday.

When last seen he was wearing a grey North Face Tracksuit with blue trim.

He is described as being 5 foot 7 in height, of slim build, with short blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Store Street Garda Station.
Thousands of health care workers could be set to strike on February 12 over pay conditions.

SIPTU is warning workers employed by Section 39 organisations will go ahead with all-out strike action unless the Government adequately deals with their demand for pay increases.

Section 39 bodies are grant-aided organisations which provide disability and community services.

The union has won eight Labour Court recommendations confirming a pay linkage with other health workers providing public services.

SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell, says the pay link was acknowledged by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in November, but there has still been no change.

Mr Bell said: "Thus far, the Taoiseach has not adressed that issue going forward in trying to encourage any kind of dialogue which would avert the action that our members feel is now necessary on February 12th.

"Pay restoration for thousands of workers providing public services will rightly advance again from next Tuesday. This will only grow the pay gap between our members in Section 39 organisations and their colleagues providing vital care services."

He said it makes it even more unbearable for Section 39 workers and serves to "harden their resolve" during the ballot.

Mr Bell said: "Our members have done everything possible to avoid a strike which would impact on some of Irelands most vulnerable citizens. Unfortunately, due to the actions and inactions of Government and the individual Section 39 employers they increasingly believe that their only option is strike action."

The union has also applied to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health for a hearing in mid-January concerning Section 39 workers' pay conditions.

Mr Bell said: "Our request for a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health hearing is to ensure that the public and elected representatives are aware of the facts concerning how our members are being forced into taking strike action.

"We have also requested that representatives of the HSE, Department of Health, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, as well as Section 39 employers organisations attend, so they can hear directly from workers on how pay injustice is impacting on their daily lives."
A young Dublin mother had a Christmas Day to remember after scratching her way to 50,000 on a scratch card given to her by her sister.

Ciara Douglas described how she scooped the prize on Christmas morning when she scratched a National Lottery All Cash Platinum scratch card gifted by her sister, Orla.

The 26-year-old from Lucan in Co. Dublin said: "My 20-month-old son Caleb was up early unwrapping his Santa presents under the Christmas tree and I was there in my pyjamas and decided to open my presents also.

"Orla had given me a scratch card as part of my Christmas present, and I could not believe my eyes when I saw I had won 50,000.

"There were roars and shouts coming from the sitting room, the entire family was up and full of excitement. Just to be sure, I went down to my local Texaco petrol station around 8am to have the card checked. After that Christmas Day was simply a blur. The excitement was unreal."

Ciara, who is a single mum, has been working as a social care worker at St. Michaels House in Raheny since March.

She has been living at home with her family in order to save money for a house and says she will use the money as a deposit.

She said: "There are eight of us living at home at the moment. I had estimated that it would have taken me five years to save enough for a house deposit, but this amazing win means I will probably have my own house in 2018. I am overwhelmed.

"This really is a dream come through.".

When Ciara and Orla came into National Lottery headquarters today to claim the prize, she said: "We might pay a visit to the shops and see if there are any bargains in the sales before we go home."

The winning scratch card was purchased in Spollens (Centra) Supermarket in Glasson, Athlone, Co Westmeath.

Meanwhile a Cavan player last night won 112,469 on the Lotto Match 5 + Bonus draw. The winning quick pick ticket was sold in Costcutters, Railway Road, on the edge of Cavan town.

Shop owner, Padraig Rudden, said: "This is our first big win in the shop. We did a huge renovation on the premises a few months ago so this is a great way to end 2017 and to start 2018.

"We have a very local trade so hopefully it is someone we know."
Democrat Doug Jones has said his US Senate election victory in Alabama over controversial Republican Roy Moore marks a "new chapter for our state and the nation".

Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick on Thursday denied a last-ditch legal bid by Mr Moore for a restraining order to stop Alabama's canvassing board from certifying Mr Jones' victory.

Mr Jones will be sworn in on January 3 and is the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in 25 years.

"I am looking forward to going to work for the people of Alabama in the new year," he said.

"As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and our nation.

"I will be an independent voice and work to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get Washington back on track and fight to make our country a better place for all."

A spokesman for Mr Jones earlier called Mr Moore's legal action a "desperate attempt ... to subvert the will of the people".

Sam Coleman said: "The election is over. It's time to move on."

Judge Johnny Hardwick denied Republican Roy Moore's request for a restraining order to stop Alabama's canvassing board from certifying Mr Jones' victory.

Mr Jones defeated Mr Moore by 21,924 votes in the election on December 12 in the strongly Republican state.

Mr Moore's campaign was deeply wounded by accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls decades ago.

Mr Moore denied the claims and said he has taken and passed a polygraph test to prove they are false.

Mr Jones is a former US attorney best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for the infamous 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.

His victory narrows the Republicans' advantage in the Senate to 51-49.

He takes over the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and his term expires in January 2021.

PA
An attack on a Shiite Muslim cultural centre in the Afghan capital Kabul has left at least 35 people dead and 20 wounded.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said an unknown number of suicide attackers set off an explosion outside the centre before storming it.
A judge in the US has denied a petition by an animal rights group to grant personhood to three elephants in a travelling petting zoo, calling the request "wholly frivolous".

The Nonhuman Rights Project sued in November on behalf of elephants at Commerford Zoo, based in Goshen, Connecticut.
Police in Iran's capital Tehran have said they will no longer arrest women for failing to observe the Islamic dress code in place since the 1979 revolution.

The announcement signalled an easing of punishments for violating the country's conservative dress code, as called for by the young and reform-minded Iranians who helped re-elect President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, earlier this year.

But hard-liners opposed to easing such rules still dominate Iran's security forces and judiciary, so it was unclear whether the change would be fully implemented.

"Those who do not observe the Islamic dress code will no longer be taken to detention centres, nor will judicial cases be filed against them," Tehran police chief General Hossein Rahimi was quoted as saying by the reformist daily Sharq.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said violators will instead be made to attend classes given by police.

It said repeat offenders could still be subject to legal action, and the dress code remains in place outside the capital.

For nearly 40 years, women in Iran have been forced to cover their hair and wear long, loose garments.

Younger and more liberal-minded women have long pushed the boundaries of the official dress code, wearing loose headscarves that do not fully cover their hair and painting their nails, drawing the ire of conservatives.

Iran's morality police - similar to Saudi Arabia's religious police - typically detain violators and escort them to a police van.

Their families are then called to bring the detainee a change of clothes.

The violator is then required to sign a form that they will not commit the offence again.

Men can also be stopped by the police if they are seen wearing shorts or going shirtless.

Last year, police in Tehran announced plans to deploy 7,000 male and female officers for a new plainclothes division - the largest such undercover assignment in memory - to monitor public morality and enforce the dress code.

AP

- AP
A 24-year-old man is facing a slew of felony charges for illegal straw purchase of 21 guns at gun stores, almost exclusively in Bucks County. Leonard Truesdale was arraigned on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, on 21 counts each of making false statements on firearm purchase forms, criminal conspiracy to make false statements on firearm purchase forms and selling or transferring...
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Private equity firms AION and SSG Capital, UK-based Liberty House, and Deccan Value Investors, a US-based hedge fund, are learnt to have submitted bids to acquire . These bids, along with resolution plans, would have come above the reserve price of Rs 4,000 crore set for the company by the resolution professional. Thursday was the last day for making bids in the Amtek case.
I am disappointed, came the terse note from N R Narayana Murthy in late October. The Infosys founder was unhappy with the decision made earlier in the day by Nandan Nilekani, his protege and co-founder at the helm as chairman, to not make public inquiry reports that looked into the severance pay given to former chief financial officer Rajiv Bansal and the $200 million acquisition of Panaya, an Israeli technology firm.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Thursday said it will "vigorously" defend its position at the trial in the US, where it faces allegations of discrimination in practices related to the termination of employees.

The lawsuit against TCS was filed in 2015 by an American worker, who had alleged that TCS favoured workers of South Asian origin in the US.

The District Court in California has denied class certification on the litigation against TCS alleging a pattern and practice of discrimination in hiring against people of non-South Asian origin.

It has, however, granted class certification in respect to allegations of discrimination in practices related to the termination of employees. This part of the litigation will move to the next phase of the trial.

"TCS will vigorously defend its position and expects a positive outcome," a TCS spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that TCS is an equal opportunity employer operating in over 50 countries including the US.

"TCS counts amongst its employees, nationals from over 100 countries. There are no discriminatory practices in any part of the company and TCS is confident that it will be able to defend its position at the trial," the spokesperson said.
The year 2017 saw a number of high-profile corporate executives exiting for better opportunities or after unceremonious battles with founders. A few also involved scandals or displeasure over not getting enough freedom to operate.
After the Lok Sabha passed the on Thursday, the Narendra Modi government indicated it would be amenable to incorporating some of the amendments that the Opposition suggested when the bill comes up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha. The government doesn't have a majority in the Rajya Sabha, and a combined Opposition can force the bill be sent to a House Select Committee for further study.
The government and the opposition softened their stand on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks against Manmohan Singh on Wednesday, ending the nearly two-week impasse in Parliament, but a fresh row over Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde's controversial comments on secularism is likely to keep it astir.

After an intense face-off, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that Modi never questioned his predecessor Manmohan Singh's integrity and commitment to the nation.

The Congress, which was hitherto insisting on an apology from Modi over his remark that Singh colluded with Pakistanis to influence the Gujarat Assembly elections, said it does not approve of any comments against the prime minister, apparently a reference to the "neech" remark made by its suspended leader Mani Shankar Aiyar.

The proceedings of both Houses of Parliament were repeatedly disrupted over the past two weeks over remarks by Modi during the Gujarat assembly election campaign. He had criticised Singh for attending a "secret" dinner with senior Pakistan officials at Aiyar's residence.

The Congress said Modi's remarks implied that Singh and other public figures who attended the dinner were conspiring with Pakistan, and demanded an apology from the prime minister.

In Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said Modi in his statements and speeches, "did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president."



"Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation," Jaitley said.

Responding to his statement, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: "I want to thank the Leader of the House that he issued a clarification on the issue which was causing the deadlock."



"If during the elections, any member of our party gave such a statement that was against the stature of the prime minister, then our party dissociates itself from any such statement and we would not want any word to be said against the stature of the prime minister," Azad said.

Having called a truce on one front, the rivals opened another over Hegde's controversial remarks on secularism and the Constitution that could keep the cauldron on the boil over the next few days.

The opposition forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha several times over Hegde's comments that those supporting secularism were "children of unknown parentage", and demanded that be sacked as a minister.

Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the House, called Hegde's remarks unacceptable, and said it meant "we all who support secular thoughts are not born to their parents."



Kharge alleged that Hegde, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, had also denigrated the architect of the Constitution, B R Ambedkar, with his comment that the current dispensation came to power to "change" it.

Rejecting Kharge's comments, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar claimed the Congress leader was trying to distort what Hegde had said. He, however, did not comment on Hegde's remarks or try to defend him.

"B R Ambedkar is the father of the Constitution and we respect him. The Prime Minister had said the Constitution is our book (Rashtriya Granth). We are committed to it and secularism. The Congress should not teach us secularism," said Kumar, while asking the opposition not to disrupt the proceedings.

"The Congress is indulging in pseudo-secularism. You (Congress) did not allow Baba Saheb Ambedkar to contest polls. He was brought to Rajya Sabha by Jana Sangh," he said, listing out steps taken by the government to preserve Ambedkar's legacy.

At a function in Karnataka on Sunday, Hegde had reportedly said people should identify themselves by their religion and "those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity...They don't know about their parentage."



He had also reportedly said, "we are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it."



A senior Congress leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the party would press for a debate on the harassment of the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, on death row over espionage and terrorism charges in Pakistan, during their visit to that country.

He said after that gets over, the party will once again raise the issue of Hegde's controversial remarks.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to make a statement on the Jadav episode in Parliament on Thursday.
Congress party president on the occasion of 133rd foundation day of the party said that it is the duty of his party and the countrymen to defend the Constitution and rights of all Indians.

Gandhi said the Congress Party was jointly responsible for bringing independence to the country, as well as in drafting the Constitution that confers equal rights to all citizens, but that it has come under attack by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Today it is distressing to see that this document (Constitution), the foundation of our country given to us by the Congress Party given to us by Mr Ambedkar is under attack directly; Statements are being made by the senior members of BJP and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back," Gandhi said, addressing the party workers at AICC headquarters here.

"It is the duty of Congress party and every single Indian to defend the constitution, to defend the right of every single Indian," added the Congress chief.

Emphasising on the central idea of the Congress being the virtue of truth, Gandhi said the party "accepts the truth, works with the truth."

After the ceremony, the Congress president also distributed sweets among children at the headquarters.

The Congress Party was founded on December 28,1885.

Earlier this month, succeeded his mother, Sonia Gandhi to take over the reins of the grand old party.
Corporate hospitals have been feted for their entrepreneurship and excellence but recent incidents in the capital region leave a lot to be desired.
At least 14 people have died and 12 others were injured when a major fire broke out on Thursday night at a building in Kamala Mills Compound in Lower Parel, an official said.

The fire started after 12:30 am on the third floor of the building on Senapati Bapat Marg, a commercial hub of the city, a police official said.

More than six fire tenders, four water tankers, emergency ambulance and police rushed to the spot for rescue operation, he said.

The building, in Central Mumbai, houses some commercial establishments including hotels.

Three persons with serious burn injuries have been taken to the Breach Candy hospital, the official said.

"It's a Level-II fire and we have mobilised our resources. The fire fighting and rescue operation is going on," he said, adding that the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
The government is engaged with China on the issue of the via the Nathu La route which was not undertaken this year in the aftermath of the military face-off between India and China.

The issue was also raised by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a meeting here a fortnight ago, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

"The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra via the Nathu La route was not undertaken in 2017 after the Chinese government cited unfavourable conditions to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the yatra on this route," Singh said.

"The government of India is engaged with the Chinese government on this matter. The EAM also raised the issue with Chinese foreign minister during his visit to India in early December 2017," he also said.

The Doklam standoff began on June 16 after the Indian troops intervened and stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area claimed by Bhutan as it posed a security risk to Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states.

In the backdrop of the face-off, China had stopped Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage through the Nathu La pass, demanding that India withdraw its troops from Doklam.

Finally, the two armies "disengaged" on August 28.
The day that started on an emotional note for the family of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who met him on Monday after a long wait, turned into a nightmare after the Pakistan media blatantly harassed them.

This was not for the first time that such treatment was meted out to the kin of Indian captives by the neighbouring country.

Drawing a parallel with the situation, Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Sarabjit Singh, who died in a Pakistan jail in 2013, said that she had faced the same treatment when she went to Islamabad for the release of his brother.

"I can see the same scenario what I had faced in Pakistan. This is nothing new. They do everything with proper planning. They make the convicts to speak what they want. I was also harassed by them. They did not allow us to talk. They did not give enough time," Kaur told ANI.

Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul were heckled by the journalists outside the heavily guarded foreign ministry office in Islamabad.

His wife was bombarded with questions like "what she would say on his husband's act of killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis? ('aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?)"

They also humiliated his aged mother by asking, "What are your feeling after meeting your killer son (aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad)?"

The treatment meted out by Pakistani media to them has riled up India.





Defence Expert S K Chatterjee also slammed Pakistan for heckling Jadhav's family and said that the treatment was uncalled for.

The Pakistan foreign authorities, too, continued in their bid of harrowing Jadhav's family as they made them remove their mangalsutras, bangles, and bindi, besides making them change their attire citing "security" reasons.

"The whole nation has witnessed that how Pakistan behaved with those two innocent women. Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was heckled very badly by them. Some of them used very abusive language to address them. There was no requirement of such behaviour from their side. His wife was forced to take off her mangalsutra, slippers, hair pin, etc. Those ladies are really very unfortunate and they were treated very badly," Chatterjee told ANI.





The meeting of Avanti and Chentakul, who met him on Monday at Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry in Islamabad, was not an ordinary one as they were separated by a glass barrier.

The mother-wife duo was issued visas by the Pakistan authorities on humanitarian grounds on December 20.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan disregarded the cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav's family.





Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan, Pakistan, over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

India, however, maintains that Jadhav is a former Indian naval officer and that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan.

On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the hanging, after India approached it against the death sentence.





India has appealed to the court to impose emergency measures for Jadhav's execution to be suspended until the legal battle in Hague concludes, while also accusing Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access and for being in breach of international human rights law.

Pakistan has repeatedly rejected India's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the ICJ, alleging he was not an ordinary person and had entered the country with an intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.
A court in Raipur on Thursday gave bail to senior journalist Vinod Verma, arrested on charges of extortion after allegedly possessing and circulating a sleaze CD purportedly featuring a Chhattisgarh Minister.

The bail was given as the prosecution failed to file charges against Verma, arrested from his home near in Ghaziabad near Delhi by Chhattisgarh Police on October 27. The CBI took over the case in November.

Verma's lawyer Faisal Rizvi said the Special CBI court granted bail as the investigating agency did not file the charges within the stipulated time of 60 days from the date of arrest.

The CBI has registered two cases relating to the possession and circulation of a "fake sex CD", allegedly involving Minister Rajesh Munat, who had filed a complaint that the journalist was blackmailing him.

Munat had claimed that the video was fake and urged Chief Minister Raman Singh for a high-level inquiry.

Verma, a former BBC journalist and Editors Guild of India member, has denied the accusations levelled against him. He has claimed Chhattisgarh's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was framing him as he possessed a "sex CD".

The police said the complainant had received a call on his phone and the unknown caller said that he possessed a pornographic video of his "aaqa" (master) and threatened to distribute CDs of the same in case his demand for ransom was not met.

The second case was registered under the IT Act in another police station in Chhattisgarh on October 27 against two accused on the charge that they had circulated the complainant's fake pornographic video on various social media platforms and distributed its CD to malign his name to obtain political mileage.
Muslim women watch the parliamentary debate on triple 'talaq' bill, on a TV in Lucknow (Photo: PTI)

The Lok Sabha today passed the contentious bill making instant triple illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, a development hailed by the government as "historic".The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which passed by Lok Sabha by voice vote, would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e- biddat'. It gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be illegal and void.The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.The bill is likely to sail through the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks majority, given the Congress's stated support to the legislation.

The government's determination to get the Bill passed could be gauged from the fact that it was introduced in the morning and taken up for consideration in the afternoon by suspending relevant rules and then passed in the evening by sitting late beyond the scheduled close of the House.

Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill and later piloted it in the Lok Sabha, said history was being created today.

He said the issue was not of religion or faith but of "gender justice and gender equality" and appealed to all the parties to rise above political considerations and politics of votebank. "Women are seeing that justice will be done to them. Let us speak in one voice that we are for gender justice and gender equity and pass the Bill unanimously," Prasad said, winding up the discussion.

He said instances of instant triple talaq continue despite the Supreme Court ruling it as unconstitutional in August this year. The bill seeks to declare pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat (three pronouncements of talaq at one go) by Muslim husbands void and illegal in view of the Supreme Court verdict.

Prasad said while Justice Rohington Nariman and U. U. Lalit held in their judgment in August that instant divorce was unconstitutional and the government should look at bringing a law, Justice Kurian Joseph had observed that what is a sin in Islamic laws cannot be legal.

The Minister saw no justification in the demand for referring the Bill to a standing committee saying the affected Muslim women were crying for justice and were fully backing it. He said there was contradiction in members wanting it to be referred to a standing committee and some arguing why it was not brought earlier.

The Bill makes the act of pronouncing talaq-e-biddat punishable offence. There is provision for subsistence allowance from the husband for the livelihood and daily supporting needs of the wife as also of the dependent children.

The wife would also be entitled to the custody of minor children.

Intervening in the debate, Minister of State for External Affairs M. J. Akbar said time was now ripe for the passage of the legislation in the interest of Muslim women. He recalled an instance of a British journalist interviewing the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after the passage of the Hindu code Bill when she asked when would the government introduce reforms in Muslim laws.

BJP parliamentarian Meenakshi Lekhi speaks in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Thursday, during the winter session of Parliament (Photo: PTI)

Nehru was not opposed to reforms of Muslim personal laws but merely said the time was not opportune then, Akbar said. "That time has come now."

Though Opposition members, including from the Congress, supported the legislation, they wanted it to be referred to a parliamentary committee so that several lacunae can be removed and the provisions strengthened in favour of Muslim women. The law must ensure that subsistence allowance and maintenance to the women and the children was not stopped, they felt.

Some felt that the BJP government was in a haste to pass the Bill not because of its concern for Muslim women but because it sees this as a first step towards bringing in a uniform civil code. They wanted the measure to be given up immediately.

During the debate, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi accused the Congress of appeasing Muslims and said there is a need for codification of Muslim personal laws in the country.

"They (Congress) always did appeasement politics for which the country has paid for 30 years and today we have this chance. If we lose this chance today we will not have another chance.," she said.

"Codification of Islamic law is needed in this country. No one knows what is Sharia, Talaq-e-Biddat... No one knows the difference," she added.
Govt to borrow Rs 50k cr more via govt securities



The Centre looks set to breach the fiscal deficit target this year, with lower-than-expected revenue prompting it to go for additional borrowing of Rs 50,000 crore from the market. Read more



Framework to regulate cryptocurrency soon



The government has decided to close the regulatory gaps to keep a check on cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. Read more



Toyota to launch cars with mass segment focus



Bracing for 2020, when India switches to stricter Bharat Stage VI emission norms, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) plans to launch multiple models in the mass segment of the passenger vehicle market. Read more



WhatsApp leak case: Sebi orders Axis Bank to conduct internal probe



The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday pulled up Axis Bank for the alleged leak of its June-quarter earnings on social media platform WhatsApp. Read more



Public health care struggles for a cure



The capitals G B Pant Hospital has become a familiar place for Baghpats Sunita Kumari (name changed to protect identity). She travels almost 50 km to reach the hospital from her home in Western Uttar Pradesh twice a month to get her sister treated for a heart ailment. Read more


The Censor Board has sought the opinion of two veteran historians from Jaipur on film "Padmavati" by inviting them to view the film.

These historians include Professor B L Gupta and Prof R S Khangarot.

While Gupta is a professor of history in Rajasthan Vishwavidhyala and has written numerous books on India during the medieval period, Khangarot is principal of Agrawal College.

Speaking to the media, Khangarot said the entire tussle related to the movie is not between the Karni Sena and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, director-producer of "Padmavati", but between Bhansali and history and hence "once we watch the film, it will be clear if history has been tampered with or not".

Gupta said he was all for artistic freedom but then it should not happen at the cost of history. "It should be very clear that we will share the historical facts to the best of knowledge and will not be backing any political party," he added.

The age-old custom of Jauhar (mass immolation) should be shown effectively in the film or else it can have adverse effects on the audience, he said, adding that it should not be romanticised in the film as well.

According to sources, a four-member panel has been formed to review the film next month.
Pakistan will share the details of shoes worn by Kulbushan Jadhav's wife with India after the report of forensic examination arrives, a media report said.

The details of the forensic examination report would be shared with India, The Nation reports, citing, senior officials at the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as saying.

"We are waiting for the report. Once it arrives, we will let India know," said an official.

Foreign Office spokesperson Dr. Mohammad Faisal said, "It will be with us soon. The report does take time [to be finalised]. We are waiting for it."

Pakistani authorities had sent the shoes worn by Chetankul Jadhav for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a "metal" object.

Pakistan purports that the shoes had a metal object, which could likely be a SIM, a camera or a chip, aimed at recording the conversation between the family during the meeting, according to the report.

Chetankul Jadhav was asked to remove the shoes and use another pair as she went in the Foreign Office to meet her husband Kulbushan Jadhav.

Jadhav's wife's shoes were kept for inspection, while all other belongings, including jewellery, were returned, Faisal had said.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday stated that, "For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard."

Clarifying its stance, Pakistan has claimed that the Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it.

"There was something in the shoe (of Jadhav's wife)," Faisal had said.
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast will stand trial on stringent terror charges, a special NIA court on Wednesday ruled in the politically-sensitive case that had raised speculation of saffron militancy.

The ruling left the Investigation Agency (NIA), which had given a clean chit to Sadhvi Pragya, red-faced.

Rejecting the pleas of the accused for discharge from the case, a special NIA court, however, dropped some sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against as well as Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused, which is punishable by up to life in prison.

Significantly, the court dismissed NIA's contention that there was no evidence against Sadhvi Pragya, saying it was difficult to accept the claim given that her motorcycle was used in the blast.

"There is evidence to suggest that the accused number one (Thakur) had knowledge about involvement of her motorcycle," the court said in its ruling on the nine-year-old case that had raised worries of Hindu militancy gaining a foothold as a reaction to Islamic extremism.

Sadhvi Pragya "had also expressed dissatisfaction about causing less casualties in the blast. Hence it is difficult to accept submissions on behalf of the NIA and the accused number one that she had no concern with the present crime," it said.

Special judge S D Tekale, who was hearing the pleas filed by seven of the 13 accused and the NIA's application seeking framing of charges, said that charges will be framed against Thakur, Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar.

The accused will face trial now under sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (conspiring for and committing/organising a terror act) and under the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and causing hurt besides charges under the Explosive Substances Act and Arms Act.

The charges are punishable by various prison terms up to life, and death for murder.

The NIA, while filing a charge sheet in the case last year, gave a clean chit to Sadhvi Pragya and three others -- Shyam Sahu, Praveen Takalki, Shivnarayan Kalsangra -- saying it found no evidence against them and they should be discharged from the case.

On Wednesday, the court absolved only Sahu, Kalsangra and Takalki from all the charges leaving Thakur to face trial.

Two others, Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde, will face trial only under the Arms Act "before concerned courts", the NIA court said.

The NIA had claimed in its charge sheet that there was no evidence of Thakur ever being part of conspiracy meetings, and though the motorcycle used in the blast once belonged to her, she had sold it much before the blast and had no knowledge of the conspiracy.

The judge, however, also noted that statements of some witnesses supported the charge that Thakur and Purohit had participated in some of the conspiracy meetings in Faridabad and Bhopal.

Six persons were killed when an improvised explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off at Malegaon, a town with sizable Muslim population in north Maharashtra's Nashik district, on September 29, 2008, while 101 persons were injured.

The Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Maharashtra police, which probed the case initially, charged Thakur, Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Jagdish Mhatre, Rakesh Dhawade, Ajay Rahirkar, Samir Kulkarni, Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Pravin Mutalik and Ramchandra Kalsangra.

According to the ATS, it was Ramchandra Kalsangra who planted the bomb, and who is still absconding. Thakur gave her motorbike to Kalsangra to plant the bomb, the ATS said.

Thakur filed a discharge plea after the Bombay High Court granted her bail in April. The NIA didn't oppose her bail application. Purohit is also on bail.

The court also said the UAPA sections 17, 20 and 23 have been dropped against all accused. These sections relate to raising funds for a terrorist organisation, being part of a terrorist organisation and aiding someone who is part of a terrorist organisation.

This part of the ruling gives relief to saffron outfit Abhinav Bharat, which was accused by Mumbai ATS of providing arms training to right-wing activists. The ATS also says Purhoit was linked to Abhinav Bharat.
Instant triple talaq could soon become a punishable offence under the law as the government on Thursday introduced a Bill criminalising the practice in the Lok Sabha amid protests from Opposition parties who objected to its introduction.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) today expressed serious reservations over the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha and said it will take steps through democratic means to "amend, improve or scrap" it.

The Shia Waqf Board, meanwhile, called for making the punishment to those indulging in 'triple talaq' more stringent.

"We will take whatever steps required through democratic means to amend, improve or scrap it. There is no move to go to court as of now...The bill was brought in a haste," AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman Sajjad Nomani told PTI.

He said the board should have been taken into confidence on the issue.

"Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while tabling the bill also quoted the board and a lady MP of the ruling party tried to answer the queries raised by the Board in a letter to the prime minister proving that the government recognises the board. So the board should have been taken into confidence," Nomani said.

However, AIMPLB member Zafaryab Jilani hinted that the board may approach the supreme court against the once it is passed by the Parliament.

"An option is always open to challenge the law passed (by the Parliament), which is against the Supreme Court's judgement and the Indian Constitution, in the Supreme Court.

"Convenor of our legal committee has also suggested that it can be challenged in the court. However, we will decide our future course of action once the Bill is passed and law is enacted," Jilani told a news channel.

AIMPLB wanted that the should not be in conflict with either the Constitution, supreme court order or Muslim personal law board, he said.

"We had demanded that Bill should have been prepared only after consultation of representatives of Muslim women organisations, All India Muslim Personal Board, but it doesn't mean that we were against the Bill.

"We just wanted that Bill should not be in conflict with either Constitution of India, Supreme Court Judgement or Muslim Personal Law Board," he said.

The president of the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), Shaista Amber welcomed the tabling of the bill but insisted that it should be in the light of Quran.

"We welcome the tabling of the bill and this has given lots of hope to the women as triple talaq is an evil which has been haunting them," she said.

Amber, however, added that any law enacted in this regard should be in the light of the Quran and Constitution to make it acceptable to the community.

President of the Shia Waqf Board, Wasim Rizvi however said that he had sent a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making the punishment to those indulging in the practice more stringent.

"I have urged the Prime Minister through a letter that a jail term of 10 years to those indulging in triple talaq and lodging a criminal case against them," Rizvi said.
The year 2017 could be said to be one of mixed fortunes for the Indian space agency as it launched the much-awaited four-tonne rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mk III (GSLV-Mk III); put into orbit 104 satellites in a single mission; sent up the South Asia Satellite; and also crossed the double century mark of launching foreign satellites.

With the size of earth observation satellites reducing and the future trend moving towards a constellation of small satellites rather than a large one, India's space agency is developing a smaller rocket that can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg.

But on the negative side, India's long-due satellite navigation system (NavIC) faced serious problems with the atomic clocks in a couple of satellites developing problems.

The clocks are important to provide precise locational data.

The mission to put into orbit a replacement for the first of the seven navigation satellites didn't succeed as the lighter Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) failed in its mission.

The year also saw India taking steps towards opening up the sector for private players as the government sought comments on its Draft Space Activities Bill.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had a great start with a record satellite launch and good going for the major part of the year but wound up 2017 smarting after an unexpected disaster.

In February India set a world record in the number of satellites launched in a single mission by successfully putting into orbit 104 satellites, including the country's own Cartosat-2 earth observation satellite.

This was followed by the copy book-style launch of the South Asia Satellite, intended to serve "economic and developmental priorities" of South Asian nations, using its heavier GSLV-Mk II rocket.

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tasked ISRO to develop a satellite for use by the SAARC countries. But Pakistan declined the use of an India-developed satellite.

One of the unique aspects of the South Asia Satellite is that ISRO decided to have electric power for it -- without cutting down on the volume of traditional onboard fuel -- to check its performance for use in future satellites.

In May, India scored a double success, launching its latest -- and heaviest so far -- 3,136 kg GSAT-19 communication satellite with its brand new and heaviest GSLV-Mk III with a cryogenic engine.

While Indian space scientists named the 640 tonne rocket "fat boy", the Telugu media nicknamed it "Bahubali" as, like the hero in the massively successful film lifts a heavy Lingam, it carried the heaviest satellite by an Indian rocket.

The month of June saw ISRO completing yet another multiple satellite launch, putting into orbit the Cartosat satellite, Nano satellite NIUSAT and 29 foreign satellites from 14 countries.

In the process, ISRO crossed the double century mark in launching foreign satellites. India started launching foreign satellites in 1999.

The June month also saw India adding GSAT-17 to its fleet of communication satellites after it was launched into orbit by the heavy-lift rocket Ariane 5 from Kourou in French Guiana.

And there ended the tale of ISRO's success for 2017.

The last day of August turned out to be a black Thursday for ISRO as it suffered a serious setback after its PSLV rocket failed to deliver India's navigation satellite in its intended orbit.

The 1,425 kg Indian Regional Navigation Satellite-1H (IRNSS-1H), got stuck inside the rocket's upper deck as the heat shield did not separate to let it out.

"The rocket heat shield didn't separate. The satellite is inside the heat shield," ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said.

"The PSLV rocket has been successful for the past several years. So, the question of design failure does not arise. It could be an issue of a failed component or a process quality issue," M.Y.S. Prasad, a former Director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, told IANS.

While the Failure Analysis Committee (FAC) is yet to come out with its report on the cause of PSLV's failure, K. Sivan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, told IANS that failure of the pyro elements could be the reason for the non-separation of the heat shield.

Normally, the heat shield would separate after on-board computers give the command to ignite the explosives. The explosives would then ignite and explode to separate the two parts of the heat shield joined by bolts.

He said ISRO is further tightening the allowable dispersion, or variance from the ideal performance parameter, for all the systems in the PSLV.

Meanwhile, Sivan said the preliminary design for the proposed small four-stage rocket that would weigh around 100 tonnes is ready and its feasibility study has also been conducted.

The first rocket would be ready in two years once the project gets the necessary approvals, he added.

The PSLV rocket has three variants weighing between 230 tonnes and 320 tonnes, with a carrying capacity ranging between 1,100 kg and 1,900 kg.

Looking forward to 2018, Sivan said it is going to be an eventful year with several launches, including the country's second Chandrayaan moon mission.

Sivan said ISRO will be launching a Cartosat satellite and several foreign satellites as piggy-back with the PSLV rocket some time in January 2018.

He said the country's heaviest communication satellite -- the GSAT 11, weighing over five tonnes -- would be launched next year by Arianespace's Ariane rocket.

2017: Indian space scene in capsule

* Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached Rs.79.76 crore funds of Devas Multimedia Ltd under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for its alleged illegal deal with ISRO's commercial arm Antrix Corporation

* Renowned Indian space scientist U.R. Rao passed away aged 85

* Launched four-ton capacity rocket GSLV-Mk III

* Put into orbit South Asia Satellite

* PSLV rocket failed to launch navigation satellite

* Three atomic clocks in first navigation satellite failed
The Union government may allow private firms to run cruise terminals through operation and maintenance contracts. Ports that have been shortlisted in the first batch are Mumbai, Goa, New Mangalore, Kochi and Chennai.
A proposal to convert 200 diesel locomotives to electric locomotives is under consideration, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday.

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said that there is a proposal to completely phase out diesel locomotives in the next five years.

Proposal for conversion of 200 diesel locomotives to electric locomotives is under consideration, the minister said.

"It is planned to achieve annual recurring saving of Rs 13,510 crore per annum at current price after switch over of all trains from diesel traction to electric traction," he said.
Union government has allocated over Rs 33,700 crore under the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' since its launch in 2014, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply, Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Uma Bharti said Rs 2,850 crore, Rs 6,525 crore, Rs 10,513 crore and Rs 13,948.27 crore were allocated respectively during 2013-14, 14-15, 15-16 and 16-17.

The House saw some humour when Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said those not following rules and regulations governing cleanliness drive should be sent for training to Indore, her parliamentary constituency.

Asked what the government was doing to punish violators, Bharti's deputy Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi said it was not part of the original question, drawing laughter from many members. Bharti was not present in the House.

S S Ahluwalia, another deputy to Bharti, said states have to meet the central fund for building toilets in households with matching grants and there is a monitoring system in place to oversee the work.
Assessment of Innovation Programmes

In order to make India an innovation driven economy, NITI Aayog, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together launched a mega initiative India Innovation Index" that will rank States on Innovations through countrys first online innovation index portal that will capture date on innovation from all Indian States on innovation and regularly update it in real time. Improvement in the quality, research and innovation in educational institutions is an on-going endeavour and the Central Government has been making a constant effort in this direction.

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) inter alia provides support to State Governments for enhancing research quality, incubation centers, innovation hubs, etc. Till date, an amount of Rs. 12.03 crore has been released to 3 States namely Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tamil Nadu.

Further, the Smart India Hackathon and Smart India Hardware Hackathon have been launched to improve the innovative abilities of the students in the Higher Education Institutions. The Smart India Hackathon has received huge response when it was launched in 2017 and this would be continued as annual event. The projects for promoting research and innovation like the IMPRINT and Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) have brought focused attention of the scientific community on the need for promoting innovation.

The Start up India initiative of the Government has also put in place a mechanism for identifying and incubating the innovative ideas.

The Government is also promoting research parks (RPs) and technology business incubators (TBIs) which would nurture and promote the innovative ideas till they become commercial ventures. To complement the renewed focus of the Government on developing indigenous Research and Development capabilities, boosting manufacturing and creating a successful startup culture in the country, five new Research Parks at IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad, and IISc Bangalore at a total cost of Rs.75.00 crore each have been approved by the Government. Approval has also been accorded for continued financial support for two already approved Research Parks at IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur at a cost of Rs.100 crore each. The Research Park at IIT Gandhinagar at a total cost of Rs.90 crore is being funded by the Department of Science & Technology. In addition to this, the Research Park at IIT Madras is fully functional.

This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Satyapal Singh today in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
Change in Criteria for inclusion in ST List

The criteria presently followed for specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe are : (i) indications of primitive traits, (ii) distinctive culture, (iii) geographical isolation, (iv) shyness of contact with the community at large, and (v) backwardness. However, these criteria are not spelt out in the Constitution.

Government of India on 15.6.1999 (as further amended on 25.6.2002), has approved modalities for deciding claims for inclusion in, exclusion from and other modifications in Orders specifying lists of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Accordingly, only those proposals which have been recommended and justified by concerned State Government / UT Administration can be processed further.

Thereafter, it has to be concurred with by Registrar General of India (RGI) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) for consideration for amendment of legislation.

A Task Force under the Chairmanship of the then Secretary (Tribal Affairs) was constituted by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in February, 2014 to examine the existing criteria and procedure. The Task Force in its report submitted to the Ministry has made recommendations, among other things, for revision of criteria and procedure for scheduling of tribes as STs. The recommendations of the Task Force were examined and accordingly the proposal for streamlining of procedure for scheduling of communities as STs and revision of criteria for scheduling of communities as STs was circulated to States / UTs. Views / comments have been received from all States / UTs except one state.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Sudarshan Bhagat in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 28.12.2017 (Thursday).
In another significant step to combat climate change, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved a regional project on Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC). The project was approved at the meeting of the National Steering Committee on Climate Change, held here today, under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri C.K Mishra. The first phase of the project has been approved at a cost of approximately Rs. 100 Crore for the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The project will leverage approximately three times the approved amount with contribution from the States as well as farmers..

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The project not only aims to mitigate climate change impacts and enhance adaptive capacity, but will also counter the adverse environmental impacts that arise from burning. The project will be implemented following a phased approach. Initially, awareness generation and capacity building activities will be undertaken to encourage farmers to adopt alternate practices which would also help diversify livelihood options and enhance farmers income. A slew of technological interventions will be undertaken for timely management of crop residue in addition to effective utilisation of existing machineries. Implementable and sustainable entrepreneurship models will be created in rural areas through upscaling successful initiatives and innovative ideas. Based upon the performance in the first phase, the scope could be enhanced and more activities can be supported subsequently", said Secretary, MoEFCC, Shri. C.K Mishra. Projects from Nagaland, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh were also approved in the meeting. Despite limited budgetary provision, NAFCC has so far approved 27 innovative projects, covering vulnerable sectors like agriculture, animal husbandry, water, forestry among others, since its launch in 2015. .

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The problem of crop residue burning has been intensifying over the years, with Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh being the major burning hotspots. Increased mechanization, declining number of livestock, long period required for composting and no economically viable alternate use of residues are some of the reasons for residues being burnt in field. This not only has implications for global warming, but also has an adverse impact on air quality, soil health and human health. .

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FAME- India scheme

The Government has extended demand incentives to 1,63,997 hybrid/electric vehicles (xEVs) under FAME India Scheme.

The phase-1 of FAME India Scheme, which was originally for a period of 2 years i.e. up to 31st March 2017, was extended for a further period till 31st March 2018, with slight modification to the extent of discontinuation of the available benefits to the Mild Hybrid technology under the scheme with effect from 1st April 2017.

The notification of the scheme provides for its review appropriately based on the outcome and experience gained in the Phase 1 of this scheme. Accordingly, based on the third party evaluation of phase-1 of the FAME India Scheme, the benefits available to mild hybrid technology was withdrawn.

At present, there are no plans to subsidize expensive battery components of electric vehicles in the Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.

However, R&D projects and EV technologies, including for battery development, are being supported under FAME India Scheme. The existing FAME India Scheme does not provide for extending demand incentive to battery components of electric vehicles.

This information was given by Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Shri Babul Supriyo in reply to a written question in the Rajya Sabha today.
Multi-Pronged strategy adopted by Government to tackle malnutrition in the country

The nutritional status of the population is an outcome of complex and inter-related set of factors and cannot be improved by the efforts of a single sector alone. The important determinants of malnutrition include inadequate food, frequent infections, poverty, low access of population to health, education, safe drinking-water, environmental, sanitation, hygiene and other social services. The approach to tackle the problem of malnutrition is multi-pronged. While the measures related to improvement in the health status of women and children are being undertaken by the Health Department through the network of CHCs, PHCs and referral hospitals like AIIMS, the action related to bringing about improvement in the nutritional status of the women and children in the country are being undertaken by this Ministry in the form of various schemes, viz., Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country. Recently, the Government of India has announced the setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) for improving the nutritional indicators of children and pregnant women and lactating mothers.

The impact of the various schemes being implemented by the Government for tackling the problem of malnutrition in the country is assessed by periodic National Family Helath Surveys being conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As per the recent report of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 4 in 2015-16, 35.7% children under 5 years of age are underweight and 38.4% are stunted indicating a reduction from the previous NFHS 3 conducted in 2005-06, which reported 42.5% children under 5 years of age as underweight and 48% stunted. Further, 22.9% women (15-49 years of age) have chronic energy deficiency (BMI less than 18.5) which is a decline from the previous NFHS-3 levels which reported 35.5% women having chronic energy deficiency.

Besides the in-built five-tier monitoring system, the newly set up National Nutrition Mission has ICT-based real-time monitoring system through Common Application Software (CAS). The software also provides a template for its integration with Mother and Child Tracking System/Reproductive Child Health portal for facilitating auto-population of information across the software of MWCD and MoHFW. To digitize and computerize the data generated at the AWCs, Tablets and Smart Phones are provided to Lady Supervisors and Anganwadi worker.

This information was given by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr. Virendra Kumar in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Protection of Majuli Island Endeavour of Brahmaputra Board

The Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari will lay the foundation stone for a new scheme for protection of Majuli Island in Assam from flood and erosion of river Brahmaputra, at an estimated cost of Rs. 233.57 crore tomorrow. The scheme has been framed by Brahmaputra Board based on the recommendations of the high level Expert Committee of the Government of India that visits the island at least twice a year to monitor and recommend anti-erosion measures. The major components of the scheme include (a) Bank revetment with geo bags filled with earth / sand for a reach length of 27 km in 14 locations (b) RCC porcupine works in 41 locations (c) Construction of a sluice and (d) Construction of a Pilot channel for a length of 3.50 km. The scheme was sanctioned by Government of India in March, 2017. The funding for the project would be from Ministry of DoNER.

Majuli District with an area of 1245 sq km, includes main the Majuli Island with an area of 522 sq km, a large number of smaller islands some of which are inhabited and the Brahmaputra River upto its south bank touching Jorhat and Sibsagar Districts. The area of the island was 734 sq km in 1914 whereas, the minimum area was recorded to be 502 sq km in 2004. Geomorphologically, the entire Majuli island is a part of the alluvial flood plains of the Brahmaputra river. The Island is formed of soil consisting mainly of silt deposits. The soil is without cohesion and thus, susceptible to erosion. The problem of erosion has been severe after the disastrous earthquake of 1950. As per Survey of India topo-sheets and satellite imagery data, area lost by the Island is 206.7 sqkm from the year 1949 upto the year 2004. Although some measures were taken in the form of embankment and anti-erosion work by Government of Assam, the problem of erosion and flood remained mostly uncontained. The embankments built during the 60s were in poor condition.

Brahmaputra Board was initially requested by Government of Assam in 1999 to take up necessary measures for protection of the Island. Formal No Objection of Government of Assam for execution of flood and erosion protection works in Majuli Island was communicated in August 2003. Work was started by Brahmaputra Board in January 2004 in 4 phases.

The total expenditure incurred in these 4 phases up to October, 2017 is Rs. 185.88 crore. Major works carried out under these schemes includes raising and strengthening of 96.25Km embankment with breach closure at 24 locations, construction of 5 spurs with Boulder and Geo-bag, construction of noses of land spurs at Sonowal Kachari & Kandulimari, numerous RCC porcupine screens, spurs etc at erosion affected reaches, bank revetment for a length of 4.11 km at 4 locations and 5 numbers of raised Platforms.

Before the protection work was taken up by the Board, cultivation could not be done in many areas of the island such as Malowal-Malapindha during kharif season due to large numbers of breaches in the embankment. People suffered from flooding year after year and land of the island was lost at about 2.5 sq km in a year. Due to raising and strengthening of 96.25 km of existing embankment, the entire area of Majuli Island within the embankment is now secured from floods unless there is breach in embankment. Communication from remote areas has improved as people use these embankments as roads. Due to implementation of the anti-erosion and pro-siltation measures such as RCC porcupine, bank revetment and spurs, the situation of Majuli Island has now reversed in most areas. Erosion in most of the vulnerable locations except for a length of about 10km along Brahmaputra could be contained due to these measures. Judicious laying of porcupine screens encouraged heavy siltation and have brought about favourable changes in the river morphology and regime. Reclamation of land started and area of Majuli Island increased from 502.21 sq km in 2004 to 524.29 sq km in 2016 with net gain of 22.08 sq km as per study on satellite imageries. Thus, not only overall erosion of the Island is arrested, but the trend has been reversed favourably.

It is noteworthy that Brahmaputra is one of the most difficult rivers to tackle as it is very dynamic with morphology changing continuously. Measures adopted elsewhere may not be applicable in this river which is 3rd largest in the world and carries highest silt amongst the rivers of its size. Keeping this in mind,

In appreciation of the positive results of the works carried out by Brahmaputra Board at Majuli, Government of Assam moots to entrust several new works to Brahmaputra Board. These works include protection from erosion of Brahmaputra at Neamatighat area near Jorhat, protection of Mikirgaon area in Morigaon District and protection of 3 locations on the right bank of Brahmaputra between Bogibeel bridge and Majuli Island. The Board is in the process of preparation of the proposals and will finalize the same through the Expert Committee for obtaining approval. Once techno-economically approved, Board will seek a funding agency to execute these works.
Rs. 200 Cr. released to States/UTs from Nirbhaya Fund for Central Victim Compensation Fund

Government of India has set up a dedicated fund called Nirbhaya Fund" in 2013, for implementation of initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security for women in the country. As per guidelines of Ministry of Finance (DEA), an Empowered Committee (EC) was constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary, WCD for appraising various schemes/projects proposed by the Ministries/Departments to be funded from the Nirbhaya Fund. Nirbhaya Fund is regularly reviewed and monitored by the Government of India.

As per Section 357A of Cr. P. C., every State Government in co-ordination with the Central Government is required to prepare a Victim Compensation Scheme for providing funds for the purpose of compensation to the victim or his dependents who have suffered loss or injury as a result of the crime and who require rehabilitation.

All the State/Union Territories have notified Victim Compensation Scheme in their respective State/UT.

In view of the disparity in quantum of compensation notified by different States/UTs for victims of similar crimes, the Government of India has set up a Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) with an initial corpus fund of Rs 200 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund for supporting States/UTs towards the implementation of Victim Compensation Scheme framed under section 357A CrPC. Under the CVCF scheme, financial assistance of Rs. 200 Crores as one time grant has been released to all the States/UTs in 2016-17 to supplement and support the Victim Compensation Scheme notified by the State/UT Administrations. States/UTs further release the funds to victims on their own and are not required to furnish their proposals to the Central Government for approval. Applications for compensation from victims are made to the States/UTs directly.

This information was given by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr. Virendra Kumar in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
This Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing a new scheme namely Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY), which was announced by Finance Minister in the Budget Speech of 2015-16. This is a Central Sector Scheme funded from Senior Citizens Welfare Fund. Under this Scheme, aids and assistive living devices are provided to senior citizens belonging to BPL category who suffer from age related disabilities such as low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth and loco-motor disabilities. The aids and assistive devices viz. walking-sticks, elbow-crutches, walkers, tripods/quad-pods, hearing aids, wheelchairs, artificial dentures and spectacles are provided to eligible beneficiaries. .

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Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India is the nodal Ministry to oversee the implementation of the Scheme. The Scheme is being implemented by the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO)", a Public Sector Undertaking under this Ministry. The devices are distributed in the camp mode to the identified beneficiaries. The National launch of Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana was held on 1st April, 2017. A total of 187 districts from all States/UTs have been selected for Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana distribution camps. As on date, 16 distribution camps have been organized at district level. .

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As information received from the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Atal Pension Yojana (APY), a new scheme, has been announced in 2015 wherein the subscriber has been guaranteed a minimum pension from Rs.1000 or Rs.2000 or Rs.3000 or Rs.4000 or Rs.5000 on completion of 60 years of age based on the periodic contribution being made by the subscriber. Based on the scheme chosen by the subscriber and his age at the date of joining, the contribution amount is fixed for such subscriber whereby he has to contribute upto the age of 60 years to avail the benefits. The scheme is open for the Indian citizen between the age of 18-40 years. The scheme has been implemented through the banking system only. Eligible existing subscribers of the Swavalamban Scheme (NPS Lite) in the age group of 18-40 years are required to be migrated to APY unless they exercise the option to opt-out. .

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As per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, Police" and Public Order" are State Subjects and, as such the primary responsibility of prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of crime including crime against Senior citizens lies with the State/UT Administrations. .

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This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Vijay Sampla in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today. .

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It will take years to haul out the rubble that weighs down Mosul's Old City.

More than 3,000 tons cover every acre, and much of the shattered concrete and twisted metal that once made up people's homes and shops is laced with explosives and unexploded ordnance.

The debris field marking the district where the Islamic State group made its last stand extends for nearly 2 and a half miles along the western bank of the Tigris River and is more than a mile wide and throughout, hardly a single building is left unscathed.

The Old City has the densest wreckage, but nearly every neighbourhood in the western half of Mosul has entire blocks in ruins, and all five bridges crossing the Tigris have been disabled by airstrikes.

This is just one corner of the destruction that three years of war wreaked across northern and western Iraq.

The US-led coalition and Iraqi forces defeated IS militants, but the cost of victory is nearly incalculable.

Baghdad estimates $100 billion is needed nationwide to rebuild. Local leaders in Mosul say that amount is needed to rehabilitate their city alone.

So far no one is offering to foot the bill. The United States has told the Iraqis it won't pay for a massive reconstruction drive. Iraq hopes Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will step up, and Iran may also take a role.

UN projects are repairing infrastructure in nearly two dozen towns and cities, but funding is a fraction of what will be needed. As a result, much of the rebuilding has come from individual Iraqis using personal savings.

In the meantime, many of those who fled IS or the fighting remain uprooted. While 2.7 million have returned, more than 3 million others cannot and they languish in camps.

Worst hit is Mosul; the UN estimates 40,000 homes there need to be rebuilt or restored, and some 600,000 residents have been unable to return to the city, once home to around 2 million people.

Corruption and bitter sectarian divisions make things even harder. The areas with the worst destruction are largely Sunni, while the Baghdad government is Shiite-dominated. The fear is that if Sunni populations feel they've been abandoned, resentment will feed the next generation of militants.

If Mosul is not rebuilt, "it will result in the rebirth of terrorism." said Abdulsattar al-Habu, the director of Mosul municipality and reconstruction adviser to Nineveh province, where the city is located.

Mosul, overrun by IS in 2014, was declared liberated in July, after a months-long battle that inflicted its greatest destruction on its western sector. An Associated Press investigation found at least 9,000 civilians died in the assault to retake Mosul.

The enormity of the task ahead can be grasped by what has and hasn't happened in Ramadi, which was liberated from IS two years ago. More than 70 per cent of the Anbar provincial capital remains damaged or destroyed, according to the provincial council.

Nearly 8,300 homes almost a third of the houses in the city were destroyed or suffered major damage, according to UN Habitat. Repairs have begun on only three of the five damaged bridges over the Euphrates River.

Three-quarters of the schools remain out of commission.

The Anbar provincial council holds its meetings in a small building down the street from the pile of rubble that was once its offices.
Need more evidence that China is a global force in technology? Just listen for the low whine of tiny propellers.And look up.
Al-Qaeda's slain chief Osama bin Laden had shifted to Afghanistan to supervise a plot to assassinate Pakistan's former premier Benazir Bhutto and then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, a media report said on Wednesday.

Citing intelligence gathered by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the News reported that the explosives to execute this plot were provided by the courier of bin Laden.

Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007 outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. The revelation comes exactly on the 10th anniversary of Bhutto's assassination.

This information was provided to the Interior Ministry in December 2007 by the Army and the ISI in three reports and the letters obtained from the bin Laden's residence.

In these secret intelligence reports, the ministry was warned that bin Laden had issued orders to kill the then President Musharraf, Pakistan People's Party's chief Bhutto and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman, the paper said.

The most important letter by the ISI to the Interior Ministry was written on December 19, 2007; the letter was directed to the Interior Ministry's then-director coordination of the Crisis Management Cell Colonel Muhammad Imran Yaqub, the paper said, citing the documents.

The letter, titled 'President Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Fazlur Rehman's murder plan', signed by Lt Col (retd) Zaigham Islam Butt for DG Intelligence said bin Laden has issued the order to kill Musharraf, Bhutto and Rehman.

"He (Osama bin Laden) has planned to send his courier, who is a national of Pakistan and a resident of Multan, named Musa Tariq, through Waziristan with explosives to be used in executing the murder plots. On coming Sunday which is December 22 this person will be in the area of Dera Ismail Khan," the letter read.

"Osama bin Laden is personally supervising this entire plan and for this reason, he has shifted to Afghanistan," read the last three lines of the letter.

The ISI had requested the interior ministry to make urgent security arrangements, the paper said, adding that this information was so important that the copies of this letter were also dispatched to the Military Intelligence Directorate, GS Branch and General Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

After receiving the letter, the General Staff Branch of the Military Operations Directorate of General Headquarters, on the next day December 20, 2007 sent a letter to the then interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah.

Six days before Bhutto's assassination, another letter was issued with the signature of then-chief of the general staff Lt-Gen Salahuddin Satti's Lt-Col Staff Khurram Shahzad, warning about the terror plot.

Following the assassination of Bhutto, a short letter was sent to bin Laden after two days.

"We have taken revenge for our brothers and sisters of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid," read the letter which was recovered from bin Laden's home.

Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in a covert raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011.
US President on Thursday said he was "very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea" and that such moves would prevent "a friendly solution" to the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday said exchanges would be allowed to deal in both equities and commodities from October 2018, a move that would benefit the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the BSE, and the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), which currently trade in either of the two categories.
India on Thursday tore into Pakistan for presenting the wife and mother of as "widows" during their highly controlled meeting, and accused Islamabad of turning an emotional moment into "an instrument to further its propaganda."



In identical statements in both houses of Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said there was "serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Jadhav", who is on death row in Pakistan for alleged spying.

She pointed out that Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna were forced to remove their mangalsutra, bindi and bangles and footwear, and even made to change their attire on the pretext of security.

"Both married women were presented as widows in front of a son and husband. There can be no greater insult than this," said Swaraj as other members chorused "shame, shame."



"There are not enough words to condemn the same," she said.

Jadhav's mother and wife met him on Monday inside the Pakistan Foreign Office building in Islamabad under unusual circumstances -- he was separated from the two women by a glass screen, and they conversed through an intercom. Avanti was not allowed to speak in their native Marathi language. Chetna's footwear was confiscated. Jadhav's words appeared tutored and the atmosphere was intimidating.

Swaraj said Pakistani authorities are now talking of chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes. This is "absurdity beyond measure," she said, pointing out that the two women had cleared security at airports in India, Dubai and Pakistan when nothing suspicious was detected.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhav's wife despite repeated requests.

"The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday," she said.

"This meeting could have been a step towards moving forward. But, it is a matter of great disappointment, that the meeting took place flouting all the understandings both countries had agreed to," she said.

Following the statement, members cutting across all party lines in both Houses voiced full-throated support for the government.

The leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress said the misbehaviour with Jadhav's wife and mother was "misbehaviour with wives and mothers of 130 crore Indians."



"We will not tolerate insults to the wives and mothers and to the country's dignity," Azad said, adding the government should ensure that Pakistan ensures Jadhav's safety in custody.

Pakistan says Jadhav, an ex-Indian Navy officer, was arrested in Balochistan in March with a fake passport, a charge denied by India, which says he was kidnapped from Iran where he has a legitimate business.

The 47-year-old Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, but the execution has been stayed by the International Court of Justice following India's efforts.

Swaraj said Jadhav's mother and wife were taken to the meeting through a separate door without informing the accompanying Deputy High Commissioner of India.

Before they could see Jadhav, a security official told the two women to remove their mangalsutra and bindi, the Hindu symbols of matrimony.

Swaraj said that Avanti told her this morning in a choked voice that she had protested against the removal of the mangalsutra but her plea was turned down by the security official.

Swaraj said that as soon as Jadhav saw his mother without the mangalsutra and bindi, he asked "baba kaisey hain" or "how is dad," because he might have feared that "something bad has happened" back home.

"The meeting of Kulbhushan Jadav with his mother and wife was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture. However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds," she said.

"I am fully confident that this entire House and through the House, the people of India, strongly condemn, in one voice, the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family."



Most of the BJP members in Lok Sabha responded with shouts of "Pakistan murdabad."



Swaraj said while the imminent threat to Jadhav's life has been averted, "we are now engaged in seeking a permanent relief, based on stronger arguments, through the legal avenue offered by the International Court of Justice," she said.

She said the mother and wife, on their return from Islamabad, had conveyed to her that Jadhav appeared "under considerable stress and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion."



"As the meeting progressed, it was clear to them that his (Jadhav's) remarks were tutored by his captors and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities. His appearance also raised questions of his health and well- being," she said.

Before the statement, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the sensitive matter was before the ICJ and urged the MPs should exercise restraint in making statements keeping the welfare of Jadhav in mind.

Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Derek O'Brien (TMC), Harivansh (JD-U), Dilip Tirkey (BJD), Tapan Kumar Sen (CPM), T Devendra Goud (TDP), Veer Singh (BSP), Thiruchi Siva (DMK), D Raja (CPI), Sukhdev Singh Dindsa (Akali Dal), Abdul Wahab (IML), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) and Ram Das Athavale (RPI) supported the government in the matter.

Naidu said the entire House joins together to appreciate the efforts of the government and asks it to take steps to ensure the safe and secure release of Jadhav.

He also wanted the government to convey to the international community that Pakistan behaved in an inhuman manner.
Emotions were at an all-time high in Rajya Sabha, as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj delivered her statement on the details of Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife.

As per Swaraj, Jadhav was appalled on seeing his mother without her 'mangal sutra' and vermillion, so much so that it compelled him to think of the unfortunate with regards to his father.

"Not just his wife, but the bindi and mangal sutra of his mother were also removed. When I spoke to her, she told me that as soon as she reached, Kulbhushan asked her 'Baba kaise hain?' (How is father?), because he thought a mishap had taken place when he wasn't around," Sushma said.

Describing the meeting, which Sushma claimed, was "propaganda by Pakistan", she said a fear of environment was created for Jadhav's kin, who were both "made to look like widows."

"Jadhav Ji's mother, who only wears a saree, was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both women were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows," she said.

The environment, Sushma stated, was curated in such a way that Jadhav was not even permitted to communicate in his mother tongue (Marathi), as the officials constantly interrupted his mother when she did so.

"Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly, and when she continued, the intercom was switched off," said an emotionally-charged Sushma.

Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition of Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned Pakistan's "misbehavior" as one targeted towards Indians on the whole, and not just Jadhav and his family.

"Misbehaviour of Pakistan with the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav was misbehaviour with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nation's dignity and another country misbehaves with our mothers and sisters, it will not be tolerated," he said in Rajya Sabha today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Ben Affleck was given permission to take leave for Christmas from the rehabilitation for alcohol addiction.

The 45-year-old actor, who began his treatment for substance abuse in Los Angeles, took permission to freeze his plan so that he could spend Christmas with his estranged wife Jennifer Garner and children - Violet, 12, Seraphina, eight, and Samuel, reports Pagesix.com.

After their separation in 2015 and divorce filing in April, the two actors have amicably continued to co-parent their kids.

He was also spotted with his girlfriend, Lindsay Shookus, at Nobu in Malibu, California and according to sources, the actor stayed sober during the meal and is expected to return to his rehab facility for further treatment.

Previously, the 'Justice League' star posted a note on Facebook stating that he was seeking help for his issues in order to show his kids there is "no shame" in getting help.

He wrote at the time: "I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be. I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step."

"I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do. This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery."

On the work front, the 'Argo' star is undergoing a new rehab treatment ahead of filming 'The Batman' in 2018, where he will return as the Caped Crusader after playing the character in the recent 'Justice League'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bill making triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband has taken another step with the Lok Sabha passing it.

The bill was passed with most of the leading parties in the Opposition, including the Congress party, voting in favour of the bill, but with caveats. It was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various Opposition members

The Centre on Thursday termed the decision as 'historic' and asserted confidence that it would be passed in Rajya Sabha as well.

Talking to media, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "I am very happy that this historical bill has been passed in Lok Sabha. I am happy to see that the majority in the House were in the support of the Bill. This matter has nothing to do with religion, ritual, tradition, etc. but is related to women justice and their dignity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is standing with the victims of Triple Talaq and will fight to attain justice."

Prasad, earlier in the day, exhorted the Lok Sabha to not link Triple Talaq bill with religion, or vote bank.

Echoing similar sentiments, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "It's a historic day, we are confident that it will be passed in Rajya Sabha as well."

Meanwhile, Ananth Kumar said that the decision will lead to the empowerment of women.

The Congress party extended its support for the Triple Talaq bill tabled by the ruling Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government in the Lok Sabha, adding that there were certain lacunae in it that needed to be rectified before bringing it into force.

However, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the Triple Talaq bill violated the fundamental rights of Muslims.

He also alleged that the Centre gave an advantage to the offenders and was not helping the situation.

All the amendments moved by Asaduddin Owaisi, Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) Bhartruhari Mahtab, the Congress party's Sushmita Dev and the Communist Party of India's (Marxist) A. Sampath were negated in the Lower House of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, the passed bill will now be introduced in the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into a law.

The bill, if implemented into a law, will make Triple Talaq a criminal offense. It proposes a three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife in any form of spoken, written or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The by-elections for the three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Rajasthan and West Bengal will be held on January 29, the Election Commission of India announced today.

The by-elections for three Lok Sabha seats are due: two (Alwar and Ajmer) in Rajasthan and one (Uluberia) in West Bengal.

The polling will be conducted to fill up Rajasthan's Mandhalgarh and West Bengal's Noapara Assembly seats.

The Election Commission said, "Gazette Notification for the by- election will be issued on January 3. The last date of filing the nomination will be January 10. Date for scrutiny of nominations will be January 11 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature will be January 15."

It added that the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) and VVPATs (Voter-verified paper audit trail) will be used in the by-elections in all the polling stations.

The votes will be counted on February 1. The electoral roll of these constituencies will be finally published on January 2.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with an immediate effect in the district(s), in which the whole or any part of the Parliamentary/Assembly Constituency going for by-election is included, subject to partial modification as issued vide Commission's instruction No. 437/6/INST2016-CCS, dated 29thJune, 2017 (available on the Election Commission's website).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday said China's military actions have impacted regional security and stability.

The Taiwan Times quoted the President Tsai as saying at a promotion ceremony for generals that China's frequent military actions in East Asia have impacted regional security and stability to a certain level.

Reportedly, Chinese Air Force jets and Navy vessels have approached Taiwan in last two months while conducting drills in the Pacific Ocean or the South China Sea.

Tsai said Taiwan is consistently helping in maintaining peace and stability in the regions. However, she asked the military to be prepared for war every single day.

Taiwan's armed forces are closely monitoring China's actions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leaders and cadet of the Congress Party on Thursday staged a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue inside the Parliament, demanding the protection of the Indian Constitution.

The protest comes in the wake of Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde's recent remark of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) intention to change the Constitution.

Among those protesting was Congress President Rahul Gandhi, leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, and others.

Slogans were raised demanding protection of the sanctity of the Constitution, and the country, on the whole. Protestors also raised the demand to sack Ananth Kumar Hegde.

Meanwhile, Hegde post the BJP Parliamentary party meeting clarified that the constitution and parliament were both "supreme" to him.

The same was also clarified by him in Lok Sabha.

"I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament, and Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme for me, there can be no question on it, as a citizen I can never go against it," he said.

Hegde has been receiving flak for his comment made at a public function in Karnataka's Koppal district last week.

Venting out his ire against the "seculars", Hegde said, "Seculars do not know what their blood is. Yes, Constitution has given that right to say 'we are secular and we will say it'. Yes, I know but the Constitution has been amended many times, we (the BJP) will also amend it. We have come to power for that.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress party is likely to support the bill on triple talaq or instant divorce, as per sources.

However, the principal opposition party may also raise the issue of criminal provisions in the proposed law.

Earlier in the day, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, seeking to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq was tabled for debate in the Lok Sabha, by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The bill was opposed by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Party president Asaduddin Owaisi argued that "the bill violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence."

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) concurred with Owaisi, calling the bill 'flawed' and with 'many internal contradictions.'

The draft bill states that "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."

There is also a provision of imposing pecuniary fine violators and imprisonment for upto three years.

Triple talaq is the practice of Muslim men divorcing their wives by saying "talaq" three times. The constitution allows Muslims, the biggest minority in the country, to regulate marriages, divorces and inheritance through their own civil code.

But in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

As many as 22 Muslim countries have banned the triple talaq.

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The Congress on Thursday said it supports the Triple Talaq Bill, but suggested that there is a need to strengthen it legally.

Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "The Indian Congress (INC) was the first political party to welcome the Supreme Court's decision to ban the practice of Triple Talaq and say that this is a firm step towards the protection of women's rights. The party supports the law of banning instant Triple Talaq and we believe that there is a dire need to strengthen this law. We have certain suggestions to solidify this law in order to protect the rights of these women".

He added that Section 5 which is proposed in this bill states that 'subsistence allowance to be given to Muslim women'.

"But our question is how much that allowance would be and on what parameters that would be decided. Also, what percentage would it acquire from the husband's income? These points are not mentioned in this law. We believe this part has to be mentioned and looked upon to secure the rights of minority community women," Surjewala asserted.

He further said in Parliament's 'Muslim Woman Protection of Rights on Divorce Act, 1986', Sections 3 and 4 already mention something about maintenance, but the current law does not.

"This law does not say that if the woman is given a subsistence allowance, then will she also be provided with maintenance as well. We believe that this point has to be included in the new law so that the woman is not denied maintenance by her husband which is clearly mentioned in the Sections 3 and 4 of 1986 Act," he added.

The Congress leader further stated that under current law, the responsibility of proving Triple Talaq has been put on the woman, which puts her in a pickle, as it seems the women will be taking strolls of courts for years to prove whether the given Triple Talaq is valid or not.

"Why can't this responsibility in support of woman be shifted to the husband? The government should give a thought on these points which will make this law more firm in nature," he said.

Surjewala added that this law also states that the accused will be put behind bars for three years.

"But the government should think that if the man, on whom the responsibility of giving allowance and maintenance has been put, is jailed then how will the children and woman receive the service and who will be then responsible of providing that amount? Also, it is not mentioned if the woman can get hold of the property of her husband who has been arrested. If the husband does not have any property then how will the woman and children survive? These points have to be considered by the government to look into the welfare of the women," he pointed out.

Concluding, Surjewala said, "I will again say that the Indian Congress supports the ban on instant Triple Talaq with heart and we believe that to ensure firmness in this law for the protection of women's right, these suggestions have to be looked upon".

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant Triple Talaq was tabled in Lok Sabha today.

"This law is for women's rights and justice and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said while tabling the Bill for debate amidst noisy scenes from those opposed to it.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill, contending it violated fundamental rights.

"This bill violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence," Owaisi argued.

Also known as the Triple Talaq Bill, the Bill draft says, "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".

There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators.

The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance and has a provision for them to have the custody of their minor children. The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.

The Bill shall extend to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir.

The Bill has been opposed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which requested the Central Government on Sunday to withdraw and withhold the Triple Talaq Bill, claiming that it is against women and children, and if implemented, would destroy many families.

Earlier in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through Triple Talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".
The Congress Party on Wednesday along the sidelines of the 133rd foundation day of the party claimed that the Indian Constitution is "under threat", that too by those who "played no role in India's freedom struggle."

"The Congress leadership, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and others fought for India's freedom, as a result of which we got our Constitution. However, this is now under threat; not from external forces, but from the BJP and its leadership. The Congress leaders and countrymen must beware of this and unite to oppose the same," Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here.

Further, the grand old party's spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed that the BJP, in one way or another, is oppressing the weaker sections of the society.

"Through numerous ways, be it abolishing reservations or denying Dalits their basic rights, the BJP is tactically oppressing the backward classes. However, the Congress party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi will always fight for the truth, using the truth," he said.

Today marks the 133rd foundation day of the Congress Party, which was founded on December 28, 1885.

Delivering his first foundation day address as the Party President, Rahul Gandhi said it is the duty of his party and the countrymen to defend the Constitution and rights of all Indians.

"Today it is distressing to see that this document (Constitution), the foundation of our country given to us by the Congress Party given to us by Mr Ambedkar is under attack directly; Statements are being made by the senior members of BJP and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back," Gandhi said while addressing party leaders and workers at the AICC headquarters here.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has said that the CPEC's (China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor's) extension to Afghanistan is not directed against India.

When asked if the CPEC's extension is meant to corner India, she said, "The CPEC targets no third party. Instead, it is expected to benefit third parties and the whole region."

"Afghanistan is an important neighbor to China and Pakistan. It keenly aspires to develop its economy, improve people's livelihood, integrate with the regional connectivity process, and leverage its geographic advantage to connect the CPEC with the China-Central and Western Asia Economic Corridor," she added.

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China and Pakistan would look at extending their USD 57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

The Chinese foreign minister emphasised it could benefit the whole region.

"So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan," Wang said.

China came up with its One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative in 2013.

The project comprises a network of railways, roads and pipelines that would connect Pakistan's port city of Gwadar in the province of Balochistan, with the Chinese city of Kashgar in landlocked Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

The human rights activists have, time and again, spoken about and highlighted the growing atrocities of Pakistan on the indigenous people of Balochistan and deteriorating human rights situation as a result of the CPEC.

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A Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) worker was attacked in Kannur on Thursday morning.

The party has alleged that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is behind the attack.

The worker, identified as Chandran, suffered injuries on his legs and was immediately admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A CPI-M worker was also left injured yesterday by a group of unidentified men in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram. The attackers are yet to be identified.

Earlier on November 19, another CPI-M worker was injured after a crude bomb was hurled at a rally.

The incident had happened a day after Mayor V. K. Prasant was attacked by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers at the city corporation council.

CPI-M District Secretary Anavoor Nagappan alleged that the BJP workers had unleashed violence on the workers of his party during a procession.

However, in October, an RSS activist was injured, while bombs were hurled at a BJP party office.

Both left and the right-wing outfits in Kerala are accusing each other of the increased hostilities as the incidents of political violence are rising in the state. Kerala has a long history of political violence.

Police records of political murders between 2000 and 2017 question both the left and right-wing fronts.

In the last 17 years, 85 CPM workers, 65 RSS or BJP workers, 11 workers of Congress and IUML each have been killed.

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Two minor girls were sexually assaulted by a 60-year-old man in Delhi's Palam area, who was later arrested.

The accused, identified as Mohammad Jainul, was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Sunday and was produced before the court on Monday.

The minors, aged five and nine years old, were lured by Jainul who offered them chocolates.

Jainul took them to his rented accommodation where after committing the heinous crime he gave both the girls Rs 5 and told them to not tell anyone.

The incident came into light on late Sunday evening when one of the victims, started crying at her residence.

When the mother asked her, she narrated about the assault.

The matter was then taken to the police, who acted swiftly and arrested the accused.

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A body of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) posted in South Rohini of Delhi Police was found dead inside Police Station's barrack on Thursday.

On spot inspection, it was noticed that ASI Ramesh Kumar shot himself with his service revolver.

Enquiry is underway to dig out the reason behind the scene.

More details are awaited.

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Protesters opposing the illegal imposition of taxes by Islamabad on Wednesday agreed to end their march towards Gilgit city after reaching an agreement with the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government.

According to the Dawn, the regional government has accepted most of the demands of the protesters.

The government bowed down before the protesters after a seven-day-long shutter-down and wheel-jam strike across the region.

They were demanding the withdrawal of taxes, such as income tax, withholding tax and banking transaction tax.

Yesterday, in a massive anti-Pakistan campaign, thousands of people from Skardu launched a historic long march towards Gilgit city.

Protesters chanted slogans like "Chalo-Chalo Gilgit Chalo" and "Gunda Tax. Namanzoor" as they will set to stage for a protest camp in Gilgit against Pakistan's oppressive policies.

The Awami Action Committee comprised of various political and religious parties, and civil society representatives at large are demanding a quashing of taxes imposed by Islamabad in Gilgit-Baltistan under Tax Adaptation Act 2012.

However, the imposition of taxes without granting constitutional rights to people of Gilgit-Baltistan is being strongly resisted in these areas for the last few months.

People stood up to the taxation law when they started being charged income tax, withholding tax and tax on banking transactions etc.

The protests for the past one week show no signs of abating, and there is no constructive dialogue taking place as yet.

Despite harsh weather conditions and a warning by Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman, the people of Gilgit Baltistan have decided to continue their protest until the withdrawal of taxes.

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Terming the passage of the in the Lok Sabha as 'historic', Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Thursday said it was a step towards ensuring the dignity of Muslim women in the country.

The BJP chief even expressed gratitude to all the parliamentarian for supporting the Bill, which would bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women of the country.



Earlier in the day, the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, while all the amendments moved by the Opposition were negated.

The passed Bill will now be introduced in the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into a law.



ALSO READ: Full text of the triple talaq bill

The Bill, if implemented into a law, will make Triple Talaq a criminal offence. It proposes a three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife in any form of spoken, written or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp.
At least 217 prison inmates and 72 police staff of the Madurai Central Prison will receive free spectacles from the India Vision Institute (IVI) here today.

Earlier IVI screened 538 men and women in the prison. A total of 304 spectacles are to be distributed. Fifteen spectacles will be distributed in mid-January.

The CEO of IVI, Vinod Daniel, acknowledged the support of Mr. Saravanan and Mr. Manikandan from Krishna Eye Care, who partnered with IVI to conduct the screening.

Mr. Daniel said, "Refractive error is one of the most common causes of visual impairment. Through our campaigns, we hope to not only provide spectacles to the needy but also raise awareness about issues relating to visual impairment."

He also added that studies in the USA have highlighted that 70 percent of juvenile offenders do have undiagnosed vision problems. The Madurai initiative is our way of reaching out to prisons and their inmates.

Mrs. Grace Browning, Founder of Krupa Foundation, said she was appreciative of the involvement of IVI in this project which would be of tremendous benefit to the spectacle recipients who in most cases come from an "underprivileged background who may not have had an access to this, otherwise."

IVI also acknowledged the support of Essilor Vision Foundation for providing free spectacles and the Krupa Foundation for coordinating logistics aspects of the campaign.

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The Bureau of Sewerage at Tokyo Metropolitan Government is working with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to create awareness regarding technologies and know-how through international cooperation accumulated at Bureau of Sewerage.

This effort was undertaken in cooperation with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as part of the cooperative activity "Grassroots Power in Action".

This activity takes advantage of Japan's various technologies and experiences introduced by JICA to the world, the project aims to nurture human resources of local engineers who operate and maintain sewage systems in Malaysia.

"Sewerage Practice Center" is a large-scale training plant in Tokyo that has a variety of facilities related to sewerage. Trainees from Malaysia here can comprehensively learn sewer systems, operations, and management for three weeks schedule.

"Bureau of Sewerage, Tokyo Metropolitan Government is cooperating with the sewerage development project in the Langat district in Malaysia. For the trainees who will return to Malaysia, this is the full-scale training content that they could experience before going back," said Tomio Hoshi of the Bureau of Sewerage, Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The Bureau of Sewerage has been maintaining the urban activities of the capital and solving various problems to provide stable sewer services. By providing advanced water treatment technology, the bureau has accumulated diverse technologies and know-how, such as constructions method of sewer pipes, and so on.

"The most important part is the management system. So what I can say that in Tokyo there is the most advanced and best practice in management. We will convey all these ideas and information, share the knowledge that we gained here and let the management decide how to control it," said Hazizul Sham Bin Mohamad Husein, a trainee from Malaysia.

"Sewer rehab is to rectify the underground pipe, and in all my experience I have never seen such an advanced technology, so I am very interested in this and will propose to my management that we need to try this new technology," added A Rodzi Bin Sharif, another trainee from Malaysia.

Advanced sewerage in Tokyo will contribute to the maintenance of the sewer systems of countries around the world.

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After much debate and discussion, the Triple Talaq bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha.

All the amendments moved by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) Bhartruhari Mahtab, the Congress party's Sushmita Dev and the Communist Party of India's (Marxist) A. Sampath were negated in the Lower House of the Parliament.

The Congress party in the Parliament, while extending support for the Triple Talaq bill, said that there are certain lacunae in it that need to be rectified before bringing it into force.

According to Owaisi, the proposed bill violated the fundamental rights of Muslims.

Meanwhile, the passed bill will now be introduced in the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into a law.

The bill, if implemented into a law, will make Triple Talaq a criminal offense. It proposes a three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife in any form of spoken, written or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp.

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One year after the death of the most iconic 'Star Wars' actor Carrie Fisher, many Hollywood stars took to their social media accounts to pay tribute to the late actress on the anniversary of her death.

Among those who remembered the actress were Billie Lourd (daughter of Carrie Fisher) and Mark Hamill, who appeared alongside Fisher in the iconic franchise as Luke Skywalker, who paid heartwarming tributes to the late actress.

Taking it to Twitter, Hamill paid homage to his late co-star with a quote from the new 'Star Wars' film.

He wrote, "No one's ever really gone," citing a line his character says to Fisher's in the current 'Star Wars' movie, 'The Last Jedi.'

Her daughter, Billie Lourd, also remembered the actress on Instagram, revealing that she travelled to Norway to honor her mother.

"My momby [sic] had an otherworldly obsession with the northern lights, but I never got to see them with her. We journeyed to northern Norway to see if we might 'see the heavens lift up her dark skirts and flash her dazzling privates across [our] unworthy irises. And she did. I love you times infinity," wrote Lourd.

Actress Laura Dern, Fisher's co-star on 'The Last Jedi,' wrote her own tribute on Instagram beside a split photo of Fisher in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' and 'The Last Jedi'.

She wrote, "To a goddess, an icon, and a truth-teller. The deepest kind of inspiration. Thinking today of the privilege of knowing you."

Fisher's own pup also remembered his mom today. "We miss you more than ever," read a message shared on an Instagram account for Gary Fisher, her beloved dog.

Fisher died on 27 December last year aged 60, after a heart attack.

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's brother Tassaduq Hussain Mufti on Thursday took oath as a minister in the state Cabinet.

Javaid Mustafa Mir and Abdul Rehman Veeri were also sworn in today.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N. N. Vohra administered the oath of office and secrecy, to the three ministers at Raj Bhavan here.

Tassaduq, a noted cinematographer, joined the People's Democratic Party (PDP) at a function on January 7, which was organised to commemorate his father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's first death anniversary.

He was nominated to fill up a vacancy in the State Legislative Council created after the resignation of Vikramaditya Singh, on December 22.

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General Pervez Musharraf has said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto should man up and stop resorting to sloganeering like women.

"I am seeing it on the various channels that on the death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto, leaders of Peoples Party especially Bilawal Bhutto, is targeting me in front of the crowd by resorting to sloganeering. I would just ask him to stop resorting to sloganeering and be a man enough. Also, do not talk like kids. Is there evidence against me?" General Pervez Musharraf is seen saying it in the clip shown on Samaa TV.

"On top of that Nawaz Sharif had also joined him. The truth is they are trying to put pressure on the military and that can be done only via one way, by putting pressure on me," former president of Pakistan added.

This comes in the backdrop of Bilawal Bhutto levelling allegations against the 74-year-old retired general of murdering his mother Benazir Bhutto as the country observed her 10th death anniversary on Wednesday.

Bilawal Bhutto raised the "Musharraf's a murderer!" slogan in front of the charged crowd of PPP supporters in the southern Pakistani town of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.

Benazir Bhutto, who was twice elected as Pakistan's prime minister, was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack shortly after addressing a political rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, while campaigning for elections in 2007.

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All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday gave a notice in the Lok Sabha opposing the introduction of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill) 2017.

Owaisi, gave the notice opposing a move to criminalise triple talaq.

This came after the bill to criminalise triple talaq was cleared by Union Cabinet.

The Bill, which seeks to criminalise the practice of triple talaq, will be tabled in the Parliament by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today.

The draft bill says, "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".

There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance.

It also has a provision for the divorcee Muslim women to have the custody of their minor children. The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.

The Bill shall extend to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir.

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Pakistan used Kulbhushan Jadhav-family meeting as propaganda, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday.

She said this while making a statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav in Rajya Sabha.

The External Affairs Minister said Pakistan used emotional meeting between Jadhav, his mother and wife after 22 months as propaganda.

The entire House backed Swaraj by shaming Pakistan.

She said Pakistan flouted all the understandings between the two countries over the meeting.

She objected the way Jadhav's mother and wife were treated during their visit to Islamabad to meet jailed Jadhav.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Parliament witnessed protests, with various political parties, including the Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK condemning the way Pakistan humiliated the kin of jailed Indian Kulbhushan Jadhav in Islamabad.

"We condemn the way Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife were treated in Pakistan. Kulbhushan Jadhav should be brought back to the country," said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan disregarded the cultural and religious sensibilities of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's family, who met him on Monday in Islamabad.

The wife and the mother of Jadhav were asked to remove mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, besides having been asked to change the attire, for "security" reasons.

After the meeting, Jadhav's mother and wife were also harassed in heavily guarded foreign ministry office by Pakistani journalists.

Adding to these treatment, Pakistani journalists heckled and harassed Jadhav's mother and wife by hurling insensitive questions on them - "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)".

Jadhav is on a death row in Pakistan over charges of terrorism and spying for India's intelligence agency- Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence.

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The Congress Party on Thursday stood in support of External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj in condemnation of Pakistan, over the ill treatment of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's kin when they visited the country to meet him.

Endorsing Swaraj's stand that Jadhav's mother and wife were insulted on their visit to Pakistan, Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said at the Parliament, "We stand united with government. We will not tolerate this."

"Not only Jadhav's mother and wife, but the whole country has been insulted," Azad averred.

Referring to allegations by Jadhav's friend that he has been tortured in the Pakistani jail, Azad said, Pakistan government "will have to ensure Jadhav's well being, until he is with them.

After being allowed to meet Jadhav in Islamabad after a long wait of 22 months, Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul were asked to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, besides being asked to change the attire, as part of security measure."

Moreover, Jadhav was separated from his family by a glass screen, and the communication for a little over 40 minutes between them was through an intercom device.

To add to the ill treatment, Pakistani journalists on Monday heckled and harassed both women after their meeting, by shouting to them such questions as, "What would you say on your husband killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis?" and "What are your feeling after meeting your killer son?"

Jadhav was arrested in March 2016, in Balochistan, Pakistan, over charges of alleged involvement in 'espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).'

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan, on April 10.

The ICJ stayed the hanging, on May 18, after India approached it against the death sentence.

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Superstar Rajinikanth on Thursday met his fans for the third day of his six-day long fans meet-and-greet programme in Chennai where the fan club is getting an opportunity to take a photograph with their matinee idol.

His six-day long fans meet-and-greet programme began on December 26 in Raghvendra Kalyana Mandpam here.

Rajinikanth is holding such a meeting for the second time this year. He had earlier met his fans in May and clicked pictures with them which fuelled intense speculation about his entry into politics with remarks like this: "If God wills it, I will enter politics tomorrow"..

On the opening day of a six-day-long photo session with followers, the Tamil superstar said he was hesitant to enter politics since he knew its dynamics.

"I am not saying that I will come to politics...I will announce my stand on entering politics on 31 December," Rajinikanth said.

The actor met nearly a thousand fans from different districts of the state on the third day of the six-day fan interaction event at Raghavendra Marriage Hall in Kodambakkam.

The superstar expressed pleasure that fans acted in an orderly and disciplined manner during the photo shoot.

Rajinikanth is scheduled to meet about 1000 fans during the six days ending December 31.

The session is scheduled to begin by 7 a.m. and go on till about 3 p.m.

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Residents doctors in Rajasthan on Wednesday ended their strike after a meeting of nearly eight-hour-long with government officials turned out to be a successful one.

The doctors were on a strike over demands related to better work conditions, including salary benefits.

The meeting was held between a delegation of doctors led by Ajay Chaudhary, president of All Rajasthan In-service Doctors Association (ARISDA), and state Health Minister Kali Charan Saraf along with others.

Earlier on December 25, Rajasthan High Court directed the state government to take action the striking doctors.

An agreement between the ARISDA and the state government was earlier signed following the strike in November, but that proved to be in vain.

ARISDA then announced they would go on strike from December 18 again. But, the state government invoked the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) to prevent doctors from going on strike.

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Ahead of the tabling of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 in the Parliament, Shayara Bano, the petitioner who had filed a plea in Supreme Cpourt to ban Triple Talaq said that she will continue her fight for women rights.

Speaking to ANI, Shayara Bano said, "After triple talaq I feel even ill practices like polygamy and nikah halala should be banned in our society. The way in which women are tortured in the name of these ill-practices should be stopped."

"I will once again file petition to 'ban polygamy' and 'nikah halala' in the top court," added Bano

Bano further averred that she will continue her fight against ill-practices among the Muslim.

"Similarly like triple talaq I would fight for the banning of ill-practices like polygamy and nikah halala. These types of practices should be abolished from the Indian society for the development of our country," said Bano.

Shayara Bano was given triple 'talaq' by her husband soon after she filed a petition in the Supreme Court for a ban on triple talaq, polygamy and nikah halala in February 2016.

Following which, thousands of Muslim women across country can together demanding that triple talaq be abolished.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which seeks to criminalise the practice of triple talaq, is expected to be tabled in the Parliament by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday.

The draft bill says, "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".

Earlier in August, in a historic judgement the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

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Journalist Vinod Verma has been granted bail by the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Raipur on Thursday in connection with an extortion case.

On December 13, the CBI had registered two cases in connection with alleged possession and circulation of a fake sex CD allegedly involving a Chhattisgarh minister.

The Chhattisgarh minister had lodged a complaint against Verma, who was arrested from Ghaziabad in October for allegedly tarnishing his image through the CD.

Following that, this case, which was earlier registered by the Chhattisgarh police, was taken upon the request of the state government and further notification from the Government of India.

The first case was registered under section 384 and 506 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Police Station Pandri, Raipur on October 26, 2017 against unknown persons on the allegations that the complainant received a call on his phone, wherein the unknown caller said that he possessed a pornographic video of his "Aaka" and threatened to distribute CDs of the same in case his demand of ransom was not met.

The other case was registered under section 67 (A) of I.T. Act at Police Station Civil Lines, Raipur on October 27, 2017 against two accused, residents of Raipur, and others on the allegations that the said accused persons and others had circulated complainant's fake pornographic video on various social media platforms and distributed its CD to malign his character and to obtain political mileage.

The senior journalist was arrested last month on an FIR filed by a man over a certain 'vulgar' video that featured his boss.

He was sent to the judicial remand till November 13 by the court during a hearing on October 31.

The journalist has maintained that he possessed 'a sex CD' of a state minister.

"I have a sex CD of Chhattisgarh Minister and that is why the state government is not happy with me," he said.

Earlier, the Chhattisgarh government had handed over the probe to the CBI.

Further investigation is underway.

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At least four people have been killed and 18 injured in a suicide attack in Afghanistan's capital Kabul city on Thursday.

According to the Tolo News, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the gate of Tebyan center in the PD6 area.

The injured were rushed to the hospital for medical assistance.

However, the health officials said the death toll may rise as many of those injured have sustained serious injuries.

No insurgent group has claimed the responsibility for the attack so far.

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As Gujarat gears up for its most awaited annual International Kite Festival- Uttarayan, the fever of election season has made its way into the kite market as well.

Ahead of the festival which is celebrated on January 14, markets in Surat have begun the sale of a variety of kites include those featuring pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

Prime Minister Modi-themed kites featured his popular Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which has now become a household name, as well as the highly publicised bullet train project which went on floors this year.

While Prime Minister Modi has long been a favourite among kite buyers, Gandhi too made it to the markets.

Kites with images depicting "Modi versus Gandhi" too were a new addition. Evidently, the recent Gujarat Assembly election saw aggressive campaigning and back-and-forth between both the leaders, and Gandhi too managed to gain a following here even though his party lost to the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Apprehensions of lower sales due to the new taxation system, GST was also apparent among traders as the threads used in kites fly are comparatively expensive this year, which has impacted the sale of the same. Moreover the kites too have been expensive comparatively.

While some voiced doubts, others were hopeful for another good season like the last year.

"The GST has raised the prices compared to last year but we're hopeful that sales will be just as good as last year. People have come from far to buy kites from here," one of the kite-sellers, Bharat Dholwala told ANI.

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The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq was tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday.

"This law is for women's rights and justice and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said while tabling the Bill for debate amidst noisy scenes from those opposed to it.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill, contending it violated fundamental rights.

"This bill violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence," Owaisi argued.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) concurred with Owaisi over the bill being flawed.

"This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill," BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab said.

Also known as the Triple Talaq Bill, the Bill draft says, "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".

There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance ad has a provision for them to have the custody of their minor children. The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.

The Bill shall extend to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir.

The Bill has been opposed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which requested the Central Government on Sunday to withdraw and withhold the triple talaq Bill, claiming that it is against women and children, and if implemented, would destroy many families.

Earlier in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

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Turkey has announced plans to strengthen its "economic ties" with Tunisia, as leaders of the two countries signed various cooperation agreements during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-day trip here.

The Turkish President met his Tunisian counterpart, Beji Caid Essebsi, at Carthage presidential palace in the capital Tunis on Wednesday morning.

The leaders signed four separate agreements, pledging to work together in the fields of defence, trade and the environment, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.

"Boosting a balanced trade volume will continue to be one of the priorities for our bilateral economic agenda," Anadolu quoted Erdogan saying during a joint news conference alongside Essebsi.

Erdogan said he wants to encourage Turkish business leaders "to invest in Tunisia and support the national economy," the local media reported.

Erdogan also said the two leaders also spoke about regional issues, including the situation in Libya and "terrorism".

At the press conference, Erdogan criticised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, describing him a "terrorist".

"Assad is definitely a terrorist who has carried out state terrorism," local media quoted Erdogan as saying.

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The United States and Turkey are going to resume full capacity visa proceedings for each other's citizens after a months-long diplomatic row.

The U.S. had earlier suspended all non-immigrant visa services to Turkish nationals after local employees and U.S. citizens working at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul were arrested in Istanbul during a state of emergency in the country which prompted a tit-for-tat response from Ankara.

"Since October, the government of Turkey has adhered to the high-level assurances it provided to the United States that there are no additional local employees of our Mission in Turkey under investigation, that local staff of our Embassy and consulates will not be detained or arrested for performing their official duties - including communicating with Turkish officials also working in an official capacity - and that Turkish authorities will inform the U.S. Government in advance if the Government of Turkey intends to detain or arrest any member of our local staff in the future," said a statement from the U.S. Mission to Turkey.

"Based on adherence to these assurances, the Department of State is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey. We continue to have serious concerns about the existing allegations against arrested local employees of our Mission in Turkey. We are also concerned about the cases against U.S. citizens who have been arrested under the state of emergency. U.S. officials will continue to engage with their Turkish counterparts to seek a satisfactory resolution to these cases," the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. has also lifted visa restrictions for the U.S. citizens.

"By lifting restrictions on U.S. visa applications for our citizens, we welcome the decision to return to the old plan as of today. Within the framework of the reciprocity principle, the restrictions on our visa regime for US citizens were lifted simultaneously," said a statement from the Turkish embassy in Washington D.C.

"In the U.S. the description in the context of assurance mentioned, Turkey is a state of law, with regard to file ongoing judicial process did not give any assurance of our government, due to the exercise of their official duties no representations officials in our country, we want to emphasize that the criminal investigation, subjecting. Although we noted earlier, we do not find the right arguing that misinform the American public that Turkey received assurances from the United States and Turkey," the statement said.

"On the other hand, also regarding the duration of the case involving Turkish citizens in the United States continues to have serious concerns Turkey.Turkish authorities will continue to negotiate with their American counterparts to ensure that these cases are delivered in a satisfactory manner," it added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had earlier called the U.S. move to suspend non-immigrant visa operations at diplomatic facilities in Turkey 'upsetting'.

Earlier, the United States had said it was suspending the processing of all non-immigrant visas in Turkey following the "recent events that have forced the United States Government to reassess the commitment of the government of Turkey to the security of U.S. mission facilities and personnel."

Ankara responded with an identical statement, imposing tit-for-tat travel restrictions, by issuing a statement through its embassy in Washington, saying, "Recent events have forced Turkish Government to reassess the commitment of the Government of the United States to the security of Turkish Mission facilities and personnel.

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With effect from 27 December 2017

Austin Engineering Company announced that Bhagyashree K Vyas working with as a company secretary has resigned from the said post with effect from 27 December 2017 after working hours.

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Axis Bank dropped 0.8% to Rs 550.10 at 10:10 IST on BSE after the bank said that it will conduct an internal inquiry on leakage of results on Whatsapp.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 December 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 3.13 points or 0.01% at 33,914.94.

On the BSE, 91,531 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 5.95 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 553.10 and a low of Rs 544.35 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 565.40 on 26 November 2017. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 424.60 on 10 January 2017.

The large-cap bank has equity capital of Rs 512.82 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

Axis Bank has been asked by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to conduct an internal inquiry into the source of alleged leakage of unpublished price sensitive information relating to its financial results and to strengthen its systems.

The bank has been working closely with SEBI during the course of preliminary examination conducted in the matter on leakage of unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) of listed companies, including that of the bank. The bank adhered to higher norms of governance and reiterated its commitment to adequacy of processes, systems and controls, particularly to prevent unauthorized access to UPSI.

Rajesh Dahiya, Executive Director, Corporate Centre said that the bank will work with SEBI and the best experts in the field to investigate the matter and will take action as appropriate.

Axis Bank's net profit rose 35.5% to Rs 432.38 crore on 0.9% increase in total income to Rs 13820.62 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016.

Axis Bank is one of the biggest private sector banks in India.

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On 2 February 2018

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on 2 February 2018, to approve the Un-Audited Financial Results for the third quarter and nine months ended 31st December, 2017

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Key benchmark indices, led by index pivotals State Bank of India and HDFC, logged modest losses in volatile trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 63.78 points or 0.19% at 33,848.03, as per the provisional closing data. The Nifty 50 index fell 12.85 points or 0.12% at 10,477.90, as per the provisional closing data. Metal and mining stocks logged strong gains across the board as copper prices rose in global markets.

Trading was lackluster and rangebound around the flat line so far during the session. Key indices opened higher and traded with small gains in early trade. Stocks traded in a small range around the flat line later during the session. Volatility struck bourses as the key benchmark indices trimmed gains in mid-afternoon trade soon after hitting fresh intraday high. Stocks dropped in late trade with the Sensex hitting one-week low.

Volatility was high in late trade as traders rolled over positions in the futures & options (F&O) segment from the near month December 2017 series to January 2018 series. The December 2017 derivatives contracts expired today, 28 December 2017.

The Sensex gained 111.84 points or 0.33% at the day's high of 34,023.65 in late trade. The index fell 159.78 points or 0.47% at the day's low of 33,752.03 in late trade, its lowest level since 21 December 2017. The Nifty gained 43.80 points or 0.42% at the day's high of 10,534.55 in late trade. The index fell 30.30 points or 0.29% at the day's low of 10,460.45 in late trade, its lowest level since 22 December 2017.

Among secondary indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index provisionally rose 0.1%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index provisionally rose 0.32%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On the BSE, 1,458 shares rose and 1,302 shares fell. A total of 197 shares were unchanged.

The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 4737.72 crore, lower than turnover of Rs 7078.18 crore registered during the previous trading session.

Index heavyweight and housing finance major HDFC fell 0.79% to Rs 1,694.50.\

Metal and mining stocks logged strong gains across the board as copper prices rose in global markets. Hindustan Copper (up 7.12%), JSW Steel (up 1.98%), National Aluminium Company (up 6.14%), Hindalco Industries (up 3.65%), Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL) (up 4.34%), Hindustan Zinc (up 2.42%), NMDC (up 0.95%), Tata Steel (up 2.17%), Steel Authority of India (up 1.7%) and Vedanta (up 2.05%) rose.

High Grade Copper for March 2018 delivery was currently up 0.55% at $3.3020 per pound on the COMEX.

Kolte-Patil Developers rose 3.02% after the company announced that global investment firm KKR has committed Rs 193 crore in Kolte-PatiI I-Ven Townships (Pune), a joint venture of Kolte-Patil and ICICI Venture Funds Management Company. Kolte-PatiI I-Ven Townships is developing Life Republic, a 383-acre township located in Pune's IT hub, Hinjewadi. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 December 2017.

KPIT will utilise the funds from this investment to attain financial closure at R1 sector of Life Republic, meeting working capital requirements and reducing cost of outstanding debt attributable to the development.

Overseas, European shares were trading lower with company news and macro events scarce in holiday-thinned trading. Asian markets rose following a rally in oil and copper prices this week. Trade was thin ahead of the long New Year's weekend.

Japan's factories and retailers posted better-than-expected growth in activity in November, while minutes from the central bank's last policy meeting showed board members raising the prospect of reducing stimulus. The 0.6% increase in industrial output in November was more than the median market projection and followed a 0.5% gain in October.

US stocks eked out a positive close yesterday, 27 December 2017 with gains in real estate and utilities offsetting declines in energy and telecommunications stocks. In US economic reports, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index fell to 122.1 in December from 128.6 in November.

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State Bank of India (SBI) announced that the central board at a meeting held on 27 December 2017 accorded approval to raise additional tier 1 capital by way of issuance of Basel III compliant debt instrument in dollars and/or in rupees to the tune of Rs 8000 crore from domestic/international market including masala bonds (rupee denominated) till 31 March 2017. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 December 2017.

United Bank of India said it raised Rs 100 crore by issuing Basel III compliant bonds on a private placement basis. The bank has concluded issuance and allotment of 1,000 units of 11% unsecured, subordinated, fully paid-up, non-convertible, listed, Basel III compliant, perpetual debt instruments in the nature of debentures aggregating to Rs 100 crore on private placement basis, the bank said in a regulatory filing. United Bank said the money raised will be included as additional tier-1 capital. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 December 2017.

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) entered into an agreement with the Government of NCT of Delhi to set up state-of-the-art automated driving test centres across 12 locations in the city. A memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed between the Department of Transport, NCT of Delhi and MSIL. As per the MoA, MSIL will set up automated driving test centres comprising scientifically laid driving test tracks, advanced high definition cameras and an integrated IT system, as approved by the Transport Department. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 December 2017.

Star Cement, alongwith its subsidiary Star Cement Meghalaya, received Rs 158.82 crore towards capital investment subsidy claims from the Central Government and this amount has been utilized towards repayment of loans. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 December 2017.

Kolte-Patil Developers announced that global investment firm KKR has committed Rs 193 crore in Kolte-PatiI I-Ven Townships (Pune), a joint venture of Kolte-Patil and ICICI Venture Funds Management Company. Kolte-PatiI I-Ven Townships is developing Life Republic, a 383-acre township located in Pune's IT hub, Hinjewadi. KPIT will utilise the funds from this investment to attain financial closure at R1 sector of Life Republic, meeting working capital requirements and reducing cost of outstanding debt attributable to the development. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 December 2017.

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Turkish police on Thursday detained at least 38 people over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) terror group in the city of Bursa.

Counter-terrorism units launched simultaneous operations in various areas in Bursa earlier in the day, reports Xinhua news agency.

Turkey has lately tightened operations against IS suspects while stepping up security measures across the country as the New Year is approaching.

Twelve suspects, who were allegedly planning to carry out lone-wolf attacks during New Year celebrations by using vehicles and knives, were captured in the southern province of Adana on Tuesday.

Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national, shot dead 39 people at Istanbul's Reina nightclub on New Year's Eve last year. The IS claimed responsibility.

--IANS

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At least 40 people were killed and over 30 injured on Thursday in a suicide attack inside a cultural centre here, the Interior Ministry has confirmed.

The explosion took place around 10.30 a.m. in the Qala-e-Nazar area, Nasrat Rahimi, the ministry spokesman told Efe news, adding that the victims included women and children.

Rahimi said the building where the attack took place also houses the office of the Sada-E-Afghanistan (Afghan Voice) news agency and a mosque.

A ministry official told the BBC that the suicide blast was followed by two other explosions in the area.

The attack has not yet been claimed by any insurgent group.

The Taliban have issued a statement saying that they were not involved.

According to one survivor, social activists had gathered at the centre for a meeting when the blast occurred, reports Tolo News.

The police have said that there were at least three suicide bombers who also used grenades in the attack.

The toll was likely to increase as many of the injured were in critical condition.

On Monday, eight people were killed and two injured in a suicide bomb attack near an office of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in the capital city's Shashdarken neighbourhood.

The Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack.

--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.)
A Chicago community activist slept outside in frigid cold weather in an effort to raise awareness for the city's homeless population.

The lowest temperature outside in Chicago was around minus 19 degree Celsius while the wind chill dropped to minus 28 degree Celsius on Wednesday morning.

"There's not enough help being done, especially during the winter time," Chicago Sun-Times quoted community activist Andrew Holmes as saying, Xinhua reported.

Holmes took breaks from sleeping to pacing back and forth in the area to keep the blood moving, Chicago Sun-Times reported.

The National Weather Service forecast Wednesday's high at minus 12 degree Celsius.

The weather service is warning residents in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana of an "excessive cold risk" and "dangerously low" temperatures and wind chills through early Wednesday. And the excessive risk will remain in effect at least through New Year's Day.

The 2015 census indicated there were more than 82,200 homeless in Chicago, the third largest city by population in the US.

--IANS

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With only three days to go for the publication of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Assam Police on Thursday said elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure that nothing goes wrong in the aftermath of the list's publication. The state will also receive 80 companies of additional forces.

The Assam government is scheduled to publish one part of the draft NRC after midnight of December 31 this year, which will be made available for the people of the state from January 1, 2018.

The NRC is being updated under the guidance and monitoring of the Supreme Court and is being carried out by the Register General of India (RGI).

However, there is widespread apprehension that part publication of the draft NRC might lead to law and order problem as it would not have the names of all the people.

The NRC office in Assam has received 68 lakh applications accompanied by six crore documents for inclusion in the NRC. While a lot of documents have already been verified, a substantial number are still being verified.

"We have already received 30 companies of the Central Paramilitary forces (CPMF) and another 50 companies are being sent to the state for deployment in the run up to publication of the NRC.

"We are taking all precautions to ensure smooth publication of the NRC and trying our best to ensure peace," said Additional Director General of Police (Special Branch) Pallav Bhattacharyya on Thursday.

"We have already identified some sensitive districts and security arrangements have been reviewed in those areas so as to ensure peace after publication of the NRC," he said.

The police is also monitoring social media to make sure no one is spreading hate campaigns. "We are planning to give a software to the police in all the districts so that they can monitor the social media for better policing."

The Assam government had also instructed the district and sub-divisional officials to carry out awareness campaigns in all areas including the remote areas to make people aware about the NRC.

The government has also been issuing advertisements through the electronic and print media to make people aware and to reiterate that even if someone's name is not published in the part draft NRC, there will be ample scope to address their grievances till the final NRC is published.

--IANS

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Arab League Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Hossam Zaki has said the pan-Arab organisation is optimistic about achieving progress on the situation in war-torn Yemen.

"In spite of the difficult situation in Yemen and the humanitarian crisis there, we are optimistic that progress could be achieved in the Yemeni file next year," he said on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The AL official rebuffed the possibility of holding an Arab-Iranian dialogue in an endeavour to bring a solution to the Yemeni crisis, noting that Iran is interfering in Arab affairs.

"Threats by Iran do not go in harmony with the calls for dialogue," he pointed out.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile.

The war has killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children, and displaced 3 million others, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The United Nations has listed Yemen as the world's number one humanitarian crisis, with 7 million Yemenis on the brink of famine and cholera causing more than 2,000 deaths.

--IANS

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Cairo, Dec 28 (IANS/WAM) The Arab Parliament has completed a draft proposal to block Israels bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2019-2020 term.

The proposal will be submitted to a general meeting of the Arab Parliament scheduled for Thursday in order to adopt it, WAM cited a report in the Bahrain News Agency as saying.

The Palestine Committee in the Arab Parliament also discussed other issues including US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian areas as well as Israeli detention of Palestinian minors.

It called on the head of the Arab Parliament to follow up on Israeli violations against the Palestinian people with the UN Secretary General and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

--IANS/WAM

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A bill criminalising triple talaq was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid protests from opposition parties who objected to its introduction.

Members from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Biju Janata Dal, and some other parties spoke against the introduction of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.

No member from the Congress was, however, allowed to speak, as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that they had not given a notice in advance to speak on the issue.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad called it a historic day, and stated that the Bill was to ensure gender justice for Muslim women.

It was introduced after a voice vote, as all treasury benches members supported the introduction of the Bill.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 criminalises triple talaq, or oral divorce and has provision for a maximum three year jail term and fine for practicing this form of divorce.

It also gives Muslim women right to seek maintenance, and right to child's custody.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday moved a privilege motion in the Rajya Sabha against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for "mocking" Finance Minister Arun Jaitley by "twisting" his name.

BJP member Bhupendra Yadav moved the motion under Rule 187, against Gandhi and urged the Chair to take notice of the alleged breach of Jaitley's privilege, who is also the Leader of the House.

"The members of this House have dignity. The name of Leader of the House Arun Jaitley has been intentionally published by the Congress President with malafide intentions to defame this House," Yadav told the Chair.

"The way his (Jaitley's) name has been twisted by the Congress President on his Twitter handle, it comes in the category of (breach of) privilege. There are precedents such as that of N.C. Chatterjee in 1954. I request you to go to this precedent and issue notice to Rahul Gandhi," he added.

Referring to a statement given by Jaitley in the House on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "Dear Mr Jaitlie (sic)- thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means."

Jaitley on Wednesday made a statement in the House clarifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's position vis-a-vis his "conspiring with Pakistan" comments against his predecessor Manmohan Singh in order to end an impasse.

"The statement (by Modi) did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to the nation of Manmohan Singh or Hamid Ansari, the former Vice President. Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem as also their commitment to the nation," Jaitley had said.

The Finance Minister made the statement as part of an understanding with the Congress party over the issue, that had led to stalling of the Rajya Sabha and disruptions in Lok Sabha for several days with the party demanding an apology or explanation from Modi.

The Congress also reciprocated by disapproving Mani Shankar Aiyar's criticism of the Prime Minister after which the House resumed normal business.

--IANS

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BJP MPs were on Thursday urged to make use of a new feature on the official app of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which facilitates direct connect with him.

A presentation about the new feature on the app was given at the Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentary meeting by Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh.

"There is a new mechanism -- New India Connect -- in the NaMo app which entails direct connect with the Prime Minister. Union Minister Jitendra Singh apprised about it," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.

The app enables the Members of Parliament to apprise the Prime Minister about the work done in their states and constituencies.

Kumar said Modi called for a consensus in passage of the instant triple talaq Bill, on which Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad gave a presentation at the meeting.

Kumar said consultations had begun with parties to get the triple talaq Bill passed in the Upper House after it is cleared by the Lok Sabha where the government has a majority.

Prasad told the meeting that the Bill proposes to declare pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat (three pronouncements of talaq at one go) by Muslim husbands void and illegal in view of the Supreme Court verdict.

He said that the illegal act of pronouncing talaq-e-biddat will be a punishable offence and there is provision for subsistence allowance from the husband for the livelihood and daily supporting needs of the wife as also of the dependent children. The wife would also be entitled to the custody of minor children.

He also said that talaq-e-biddat has been banned in many Muslim-majority countries and took a dig at parties opposing the Bill.

Sources said Modi also urged members to make greater use of technology to reach out to people about the work done by them.

The Prime Minister also greeted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his birthday by garlanding him, offering him sweets and presenting him a shawl.

--IANS

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Taking a dig at the Centre, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Thursday accused the central government of trying to create an "economic blockade" and "hatching a conspiracy" against the state government to destabilise it.

According to him, the state has been losing Rs 1,500-2000 crore a year since the abolition of the Planning Commission and implementation of the 14th Finance Commission recommendations for sharing 42 per cent of the central tax revenues with the states.

"During the Planning Commission regime, the northeastern states including Tripura used to enjoy the special category status, under which additional financial support was extended to these states.

"But, after the abolition of the Commission, we are being deprived of the additional support," Sarkar said here at the Tripura solidarity meeting.

The Centre had often argued that states' share in the central tax revenue had been increased from 32 per cent to 42 per cent, as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission, and the states had to manage from higher funds from the increased revenue-sharing method, he said.

"However, in Tripura, we are losing Rs 1500-2000 crore per year now as compared to what we used to get earlier."

He pointed out that the CPI-M-led Left Front government used to fight with the previous central governments to get funds, but the present central government had deprived the state of central aid.

"The BJP-led central government backed by the RSS is trying to impose an economic blockade on the state," he said, adding that the Modi government was not providing funds for central programmes, including rural job schemes, despite the state meeting all compliance norms.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to strike a blow on the popularity base of the Left Front government, he said.

"The Left Front government's base has been the tribal communities. In association with a separatist outfit, they are trying to attack our popularity base, raising slogan of separate state. They are conspiring against the government," he said.

Sarkar said although the Election Commission had been updating the list from time to time, the BJP had demanded revision of voter list to delete illegitimate voters.

"These are parts of a larger conspiracy, but we will fight it out," he said.

In the outgoing assembly, the Left Front has 51 seats in the 60-member House.

"CPI-M-led Left Front will surely retain power in Tripura in the February assembly polls," Sarkar added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Chinese Defence Ministry said on Thursday that patrols by its fighter jets close to the island of Taiwan, separated unilaterally from the Chinese communist regime, will continue in the future and be regularised, despite the Taiwanese pro-independence government's protests.

"Taiwan is part of China and the naval and air force trainings conducted by armed forces are routine activities, we will continue to carry out these trainings as planned, and will be gradually regularised," said Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang at a press conference.

The armies "have no intention of compromising the security of the region in any way, on the contrary, the development of China's armed forces is a boost for peace and stability in the region", he added.

This week, the Taiwanese Defence Ministry released an annual report that said that the frequent military drills by China close to the island, which intensified in the last month, were an enormous threat to its security, Efe news reported.

The report said that China carried out at least 20 exercises with military aircraft in the surroundings of Taiwan and Japan this year, with 10 taking place after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen told her country's armed forces to remain alert given the growing Chinese military activity close to the island and ensure national and regional security.

Taiwanese military experts say that the Chinese aerial missions seek to compile information regarding the defences of the island and its capability to react to Chinese aerial intrusions.

The Chinese spokesperson defended the incursions, saying that they will contribute more positive energy to maintaining world peace and stability.

The relations between China and Taiwan are at a low point after Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party's accession to power in 2016.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pakistani Army is committed to provide security to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the military has taken special measures in this regard, a senior Army officer said Thursday.

Addressing a press briefing, Asif Ghafoor, Director General of Pakistani Army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations, said the Army has raised a whole division which is deployed on the security of CPEC, Xinhua reported.

Ghafoor also rejected the US allegations of Pakistan having safe havens of terrorists on its soil, saying there is neither any organised infrastructure nor any facilitator of militants in Pakistan and the country has made many sacrifices to support peace in the region.

Commenting on US demand from Pakistan to take action against terrorist elements in the territorial boundaries of the country, Ghafoor said that Pakistan has fought an imposed and imported war twice and now it cannot do any more for anyone.

He added that the aid, which the US provided to Pakistan, was used to fulfill US mission of fighting Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

The officer said that Pakistan has controlled terrorism to a great extent in the country in 2017, and is contributing in a big way to assist peace in Afghanistan.

"No other country than Pakistan is interested in peace in Afghanistan because we understand that peace in Afghanistan is essential for peace in Pakistan as well," he said.
The Congress on Thursday said it supports the triple talaq Bill but suggested that it be strengthened in favour of Muslim women and the law must ensure that subsistence allowance and maintenance to the women and the children is not stopped.

"Congress was the first political party to welcome the Supreme Court's decision to ban the practice of instant triple talaq and that this is a firm step towards the protection of women's rights," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

The party supported the law to ban instant triple talaq and "we believe that there is a need to strengthen this law". "We have certain suggestions to strengthen it to protect the rights of these women," he said.

Surjewala said Section 5, which was proposed in this law, stated that 'subsistence allowance would be given to Muslim women'.

"But we want to ask how much that allowance would be, and what are parameters for deciding it? What percentage of it would be taken from the husband's income? These things are not mentioned in this bill. This needs to be mentioned and considered to secure the rights of women," he said.

Surjewala also said that in the Muslim Woman Protection of Rights on Divorce Act, 1986, sections 3 and 4 already spoke about maintenance, "but the current bill does not".

"This bill also does not mention that if the woman is provided subsistence allowance, then will she also be provided with maintenance. This has to be included in the new law so that the woman is not denied maintenance by her husband which is clearly mentioned in sections 3 and 4 of the 1986 Act," he added.

He said that under the proposed law, the responsibility of proving triple talaq had been put on the woman. "Why can't this responsibility be shifted to the husband? The government should give a thought on these points which will make this law even more solid," he said.

Surjewala added that this law also stated that the accused would be put behind bars for three years.

"But the government should think that if the man, on whom there is the responsibility of providing subsistence and maintenance, is in jail, how will the children and the woman get the allowance and who will then be responsible for providing that amount?

"It is also not mentioned that if the husband does not have any tangible property then how will the woman and children survive? These points have to be considered by the government for the welfare of women," he said.

The Congress leader said the Bill needed to be strengthened in favour of women and Muslim women per se. "The concern that the Congress has expressed... have any punishment that you want... but ensure that the subsistence allowance under this act and maintenance under the 1986 Act for the children and Muslim women is not stopped.

"If the person, who is supposed to pay maintenance as also subsistence allowance, is in jail, does this Bill ensure that both maintenance and subsistence allowance would be recovered from his estate or property. The answer is no," he added.

"... Can such a provision be made, the government should consider it. What if the property is joint. Does the Bill provide that the property can be divided and maintenance paid. The answer is no. Should the government consider it. The answer is yes."

Surjewala also asked what if the person did not have enough property to pay for that subsistence allowance and maintenance, "has the government made any other provision, the answer is no".

All issues of payment of maintenance and subsistence allowance had been placed and the government would have to answer to those, he added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Terming the triple talaq Bill as one with several lacunae, Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Thursday said had there been more women in the Lok Sabha a "flawed" Bill like the one brought by the government can never be passed and asked why the government was not bringing the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament.

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the Bill had been brought to give Muslim women "instant relief".

Initiating the debate on The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, Dev pointed out that the government was not legislating on the issue of marital rape citing that the law might be misused, and questioned if the law on Talaq-e-Biddat may not be misused.

"Women's equality is not an idea but a right... The entire country is waiting for the Women's Reservation Bill, not because we need reservation but had there been more women in the House, a Bill like this with so many lacunae would not be passed," Dev said.

"You are not ready to criminalise marital rape... Would this Bill also not open possibilities for abuse of Muslim men," she said.

Congress, while supporting the Bill, sought to send the Bill to a standing committee to weed out the shortcomings in the legislation, but the government did not agree.

Dev said there were contradictions in the Bill, and pointed out that while there is a provision for three-year jail term, the Bill also provides women right to seek maintenance from the husband, and questioned how a jailed husband would provide that amount, and urged the government to set up a corpus to help such women.

She said the Bill's provisions would close all ways for reconciliation.

She also questioned why the government waited for the Supreme Court judgment before bringing the law if they found the practice so regressive.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Meenakshi Lekhi, speaking after Dev, said that divorce was a painful process, because of which women suffered throughout their life.

"God forbid that any woman has to go through a divorce," the MP said.

She said that to give Muslim women instant relief from this practice this Bill had been brought.

"The speed at which this divorce is given, the government wanted to bring a Bill to give relief to women at the same speed," she said.

"When it is a case of triple talaq, where is the scope for reconciliation," she said.

She also accused Congress of appeasing Muslims and said there is a need for codification of Islamic law in the country.

"They (Congress) always did appeasement for which the country has paid for 30 years and today we have this chance. If we lose this chance today we will not have another chance.," she said.

"Codification of Islamic law is needed in this country. No one knows what is Sharia, Talaq-e-Biddat... No one knows the difference," she added.
The Berlin police on Thursday launched a search operation for four convicts who escaped from a local prison through a hole in the wall.

According to the city authorities, the four prisoners had been behaving normally in the morning at a Plotzensee prison workshop but escaped shortly after through a 30 by 120 centimetre (1x4 feet) hole made in the ventilation system.

Authorities did not specify what tools were used to create the gap nor whether they received outside help, Efe news reported.

Cut cables, construction material and clothes could be seen outside the hole in the prison's outer wall.

Police deployed a large contingent to try to find the escaped prisoners, whose identity was not made public.

Plotzensee prison is in a residential district in the west of Berlin and currently holds some 360 inmates.

--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 Police Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) committed suicide by shooting himself with his service revolver here, officials said on Thursday.

The police said the deceased, Ramesh, was posted at the Rohini South police station.

"After Ramesh completed his shift on Wednesday, he went to rest on the third floor. He was found dead on Thursday morning with a bullet injury on his chest. His service revolver was found near him," Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.

"We are investigating the matter. It is surprising that no one heard the gun shot," Gupta added.

Ramesh was a native of Bihar and lived with his family at the Police Colony in Narela.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Upbeat after his victory in the recent R.K. Nagar by-poll, AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dinakaran called on his "silent" aunt and sidelined party leader V.K. Sasikala at the central prison here on Thursday, a party official said.

"The meeting lasted for about half an hour at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, but Sasikala did not speak throughout the meeting as she is observing "maun vrat" (vow of silence)," All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) state secretary V. Pugazhendhi told IANS here quoting Dinakaran.

Sasikala, 60, has been maintaining silence as a tribute to late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, ever since her death anniversary on December 5, Pugazhendhi said.

"She will be observing silence till sometime in January," he added.

A confidante of late Jayalalithaa, Sasikala is serving a four-year sentence in the central jail on the city's outskirts since February 15, after the Supreme Court on February 14 upheld her conviction in a corruption case by a trial court here in September 2015.

Although Jayalalithaa was also convicted in the multi-crore disproportionate assets case as the main accused, she passed away on December 5, 2016, at a private hospital in Chennai.

The late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was also in the same jail here for three weeks from September 26 to October 20, 2015, but was released on conditional bail by the apex court.

Sasikala's co-convicts Elavarasi (sister-in-law) and V.N. Sudhakaran (nephew) are also currently serving the sentence in the same jail after they were held guilty in the Rs 64-crore disproportionate assets case of Jayalalithaa.

Dinakaran, 54, was meeting Sasikala for the first time after his victory in the by-election.

He had defeated his AAIADMK rival E. Madhusudhanan by a margin of 40,707 votes on Sunday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least four people were killed and six injured on Thursday in a suicide attack inside an Islamic religious school situated in a building here which also hosts an Afghan news agency.

The explosion inside the madrasa took place around 10.30 a.m., in the Qala-e-Nazar area, Nasrat Rahimi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior Affairs told Efe news.

On Monday, eight people were killed and two injured in a suicide bomb attack near an office of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in the capital city's Shashdarken neighbourhood.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan on Thursday said it has been "open and transparent" throughout the meeting between alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother, and added that it was not an ordinary meeting as Jadhav is "a convicted Indian terrorist and spy" and, therefore, it necessitated a "comprehensive security check" of the visiting kin.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in a reply after Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj slammed Pakistan over "serious and gross violation of human rights" in the treatment of Jadhav's mother and wife, rejected the Indian allegations.

He said that "Pakistan has been open and transparent throughout the meeting, offered in good faith. We do not wish to indulge in fallacious accusations and blame game and should focus on the bigger positive outcome that the meeting happened, despite immense challenges and impediments, instead of distortion of facts and baseless propaganda, which vitiates the atmosphere and is counter-productive."

Referring to the "intense hue and cry in the Indian media questioning the modalities of the visit, and advancing farfetched conspiracy theories about the change of clothes of the visitors, the retention of the shoe of the wife and the language in which the meeting was conducted", the Minister said that "Pakistan's humanitarian gesture did not obviate the fact that this was not an ordinary meeting between a mother and wife with their son and husband".

"A comprehensive security check was, therefore, essential. This was agreed between both countries, in advance, through diplomatic channels. The visitors were treated with respect and dignity. The change of clothes and removal of jewellery/ornaments etc was purely for security reasons. The visitors changed into their own clothes after the meeting. All their belongings were returned to them before they left. The wife's shoes were retained as they did not clear the security check. A metal chip has been found in one of the shoes, which is being analysed," the Foreign Office statement said.

Asif elaborated that "many routine airport security checks for ordinary people entail removal of crosses and veils. Trying to distort an agreed security check and attempting to portray it as a deliberate religious/cultural disrespect denotes bad faith and is regrettable. It is unfortunate that the frenzied Indian media is driving Indian politics."

He said that "Pakistan has been open and transparent throughout the meeting, offered in good faith".

He said the purpose of the visit was to have a meeting between Jadhav and his wife and mother, "which was successfully achieved despite all impediments. This needs to be acknowledged".

The meeting initially was scheduled for 30 minutes but was extended to 40 minutes on their request. "The success of the meeting was evident by the fact that the mother thanked Pakistan after the visit," he added.

The Foreign Office spokesperson, during the briefing, said the meeting "was not allowed to be conducted in Marathi due to security reasons. There is nothing sinister in that. They spoke comfortably in English for about 40 minutes which is duly recorded (again India was pre-informed that the meeting would be recorded)".

"The mother was allowed to say a short prayer in Hindi/Marathi."

On the media presence outside the building, he said "Pakistan had formally proposed a detailed media interaction of the visitors, including with Indian media to be held in the Foreign Office. This was even shared with the Pakistani media, well beforehand. However, this proposal was turned down by India in writing. This was respected and the Indian request was accepted.

"However, media has every right to ask questions from a safe distance (in line with international norms). No specific distance was agreed to, as reported in certain sections of the media. However, the situation on ground in MoFA was shown to the officers of Indian High Commission in the evening of December 24 and they consented to it. Indian media is driving its policy. Unlike India, media in Pakistan is not under any restrictions or gag orders."
At a time when bitcoins are in focus also for the wrong reasons, cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange on Thursday announced the launch of India's first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies.

At a press conference here, Pluto Exchange founder and Chief Executive Bharat Verma said his company is all set to launch the country's first app-based wallet that enables bitcoin transactions using a mobile number.

"The Pluto Exchange mobile app offers a solution to the coordination problem between payment processors, financial gateways and banks," Verma said.

"All other apps already in the market do transactions using bitcoin addresses, which are long and prone to error while copying. Pluto Exchange will change this scenario by enabling transactions using mobile numbers only, which are just 10 digits," he said.

By using a four-digit personal identification number (PIN), users can now buy, sell, store and spend bitcoins via a mobile number, Verma added.

Elaborating, he said the app would permit a range of transactions, including payments, remittances, business-to-business commerce, supply chain finance, asset management and trading.

He also said that the Reserve Bank of India is concerned about the use of cash for dealing in virtual currencies, whose values have turned volatile recently.

"The RBI considers bitcoins as decentralised trading that is completely unregulated... so their status is not clear," he said.

In India, there are at least 15 bitcoin exchange forums, with the majority being set up over the past two years.

Bitcoin values in New York, for instance, have soared nearly 1,600 per cent over the past year and currently range upwards of $15,000.

In India, bitcoins have been trading at more than Rs 10 lakh each, while people are investing amounts ranging from Rs 3,000 to several lakhs of rupees to buy these.

According to investigation agencies here, with the demand and price of cryptocurrencies on the rise, cybercriminals have found innovative ways to dupe those looking to invest.
Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.

Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said that at about 2.45 p.m., the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked mortar shelling and firing with small arms in the Krishna Ghati sector.

"The Indian Army retaliated effectively," he said.

An Army officer and two soldiers were injured in Pakistani firing in Mendhar area of the LoC in Poonch district on Sunday.

--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.)
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni on Thursday said his political mandate has been fulfilled, paving the way for general elections.

Holding a traditional year-end press conference at the lower house, Gentiloni stressed that his Cabinet achieved "what I always considered a crucial goal of the government, which was reaching an orderly end of this legislature", Xinhua reported.

"This parliament's term has been fruitful, in my opinion," the Prime Minister said. "Italy has recovered from its worst (economic) crisis after World War II, and mostly thanks to Italian families and businesses."

The outgoing Prime Minister urged all political forces and the next parliament "to not waste such efforts, nor put the achieved results at risk. The next legislature should not lack ambition, nor (the will of) reforms".

Italian President Sergio Mattarella is expected to dissolve parliament later, putting an official end to the five-year term that began in March 2013.

Before such a step, Mattarella will hold consultative talks with Speakers of both Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Once the parliament is dissolved, Gentiloni's centre-left Cabinet will gather to decide the day for general elections, and would remain in charge for current affairs up to the vote.

A most likely date for the elections would be March 4, 2018, according to Ansa news agency and other major media outlets.

Opinion polls in mid-December showed anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) was the most popular force with about 27.5 per cent of the vote, followed by the ruling centre-left Democratic Party at 24.3 per cent.

Centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was in the third at 16.1 per cent, while right-wing, anti-immigration Northern League was at 13.7 per cent.

Under the new electoral law, any party gaining 40 per cent of votes could govern alone. But according to the recent polls, no party was likely to gather enough votes to govern alone, and the M5S was seen at a disadvantaged position compared to the other big parties because it expressed refusal to form alliances with other parties.

As political forces from the centre-left remained deeply divided, a centre-right coalition of Forza Italia, the Northern League, and a minor far-right ally may have the best chances to win the majority of seats in parliament, according to local media analyses.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will on Friday chair a pre-Budget consultation meeting with financial sector regulators, according to official sources on Thursday.

Finance Ministry sources here said that Jaitley would chair the meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) which is likely to discuss issues related to the fiscal position, external sector environment, financial sector reforms, rising non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, in the banking system and regulatory matters in the run-up to the Union Budget presentation in February.

The FSDC members include the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor as well as heads of regulatory bodies like Sebi for the capital markets and IRDAI for the insurance sector.

Senior Finance Ministry officials would also be attending Friday's meeting, the sources said.

They also said that apart from offering proposals for the forthcoming Budget, the FSDC would also review the measures taken by the government and the RBI for dealing with NPAs and initiating insolvency proceedings against defaulting promoters.

The government announced on Wednesday that it will undertake additional market borrowing of Rs 50,000 crore in the remaining period of the current fiscal to meet expenditure, raising concerns about it being able to meet the fiscal deficit target for the year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israel's Transport Minister wants to dig a railway tunnel under Jerusalem's Old City and name a station next to the Western Wall after US President Donald Trump.

Yisrael Katz said he wanted to honour the US president for his decision to recognise the city as Israel's capital, BBC reported on Wednesday.

The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray.

The proposed new railway tunnel and station would form part of an extension of a high-speed line from Tel Aviv that is set to open next year.

Previous Israeli excavation work around the compound behind the Western Wall, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Temple Mount, has triggered Palestinian protests.

The UN cultural agency Unesco, which has designated the Old City a World Heritage site, has also expressed concern about tunnelling and excavations.

Katz told the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that the extension of the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem line was the transport ministry's "most important national project".

He said he had approved a recommendation by an Israel Railways committee to build a 3 km underground tunnel from Binyanei HaUma station in West Jerusalem to the Western Wall, which is in occupied East Jerusalem.

The tunnel would have two stations about 52 m below ground - "City Centre", where Jaffa and King George streets intersect - and "Donald Trump, Western Wall", near an ancient thoroughfare in the Old City's Jewish Quarter called the Cardo.

"The Kotel (Western Wall) is the holiest place to the Jewish people, and I have decided to name the train station leading to it after US President Donald Trump, in recognition of his brave and historic decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital," Katz was quoted as saying.

Trump's declaration earlier this month, as well as his decision to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, was condemned by Palestinian leaders and sparked violent protests across the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Last week, UN member states voted decisively at the General Assembly in favour of a resolution effectively calling the US declaration "null and void" and demanding it be cancelled.

The US rejected the resolution, saying it was merely exercising its rights as a sovereign nation, and threatened to cut financial aid to countries who voted for it.

The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel regards Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war -- as the capital of a future state.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under law, though Israel disputes this.
Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, on Thursday announced signing of a "definitive agreement" for the acquisition of specified assets of Reliance Communications (RCOM) and its affiliates.

Consequent to the agreement, Jio or its nominees will acquire assets under four categories -- towers, optic fibre cable network, spectrum and media convergence nodes -- from RCOM and its affiliates, Jio said in a statement.

RCOM's assets which were put up for monetisation include 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands, over 43,000 towers, around 1.78 lakh km of fibre with pan-India footprint and 248 media convergence nodes, covering five million sq ft used for hosting telecom infrastructure.

"These assets are strategic in nature and are expected to contribute significantly to the large scale roll-out of wireless and fibre-to-home and enterprise services by RJIL," Jio said.

In a release, RCOM said: "The company expects the transactions to close in a phased manner between January and March 2018, subject to lenders' and other applicable approvals. The Reliance Jio deal consideration comprises primarily of cash payment and includes transfer of deferred spectrum instalments payable to the Department of Telecommunication.

"The company will utilise the proceeds of the monetisation of this cash deal solely for pre-payment of debt to its lenders."

Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani had on Tuesday said the company has achieved full resolution of Reliance Communications' debt, reducing it by Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore by monetising assets.

Saying that going forward Reliance Communications will be a business-to-business (B2B) company, he added the company achieved this debt restructuring by asset monetisation of its wireless business and selling real estate. The new company would have a debt of Rs 6,000 crore representing reduction of over 85 per cent of the total debt.

An asset monetisation process for RCOM assets was mandated by the lenders of RCOM, who appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited to run the process. The process is supervised by an independent group of industry experts from banking, telecom and law. RJIL emerged as the successful bidder in the two-stage bidding process.

"The acquisition is subject to receipt of requisite approvals from governmental and regulatory authorities, consents from all lenders, release of all encumbrances on the said assets and other conditions precedent. The consideration is payable at completion and is subject to adjustments as specified in the agreement," the Jio statement said.

RJIL is being advised by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Global Markets, JM Financial Private Limited, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Khaitan & Co and Ernst & Young on this transaction.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a Bill that criminalises instant divorce with three years of imprisonment for Muslim husbands after the government rejected an overwhelming demand from the Opposition to refer the legislation to a Parliamentary standing committee for detailed consideration.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was passed by a voice vote after rejecting a resolution moved by Revolutionary Socialist Party member N.K. Premachandran that the legislation be circulated for public opinion.

Various amendments moved by opposition members, including Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) and Premachandran, were negatived in divisions. The BJD and AIMIM later staged a walk out.

The government's determination to get the Bill passed could be gauged from the fact that it was introduced in the morning and taken up for consideration in the afternoon by suspending relevant rules, and then passed in the evening by sitting late beyond the scheduled close of the House.

Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill and later piloted it in the Lok Sabha, said history was being created today.

He said the issue was not of religion or faith but of "gender justice and gender equality" and appealed to all the parties to rise above political considerations and politics of votebank. "Women are seeing that justice will be done to them. Let us speak in one voice that we are for gender justice and gender equity and pass the Bill unanimously," Prasad said, winding up the discussion.

Opposition parties accused the government of bringing the bill with "ulterior political motives".

Prasad said instances of instant triple talaq continue despite the Supreme Court ruling it as unconstitutional in August this year.

He said the government had hoped the situation will improve after the Supreme Court verdict. "We had hope. The judgment came on August 22. There were 300 triple talaq cases in 2017 of which 100 had taken place after the Supreme Court verdict. This raises a big question," Prasad said.

He also referred to media reports on Thursday about an incident at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh in which a woman had been given talaq-e-biddat for waking up late.

The bill seeks to declare pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat (three pronouncements of talaq at one go) by Muslim husbands void and illegal in view of the Supreme Court verdict.

Prasad said while Justice Rohington Nariman and U.U. Lalit held in their judgment in August that instant divorce was unconstitutional and the government should look at bringing a law, Justice Kurian Joseph had observed that what is a sin in Islamic laws cannot be legal.

The Minister saw no justification in the demand for referring the Bill to a standing committee saying the affected Muslim women were crying for justice and were fully backing it. He said there was contradiction in members wanting it to be referred to a standing committee and some arguing why it was not brought earlier.

The Bill makes the act of pronouncing talaq-e-biddat punishable offence. There is provision for subsistence allowance from the husband for the livelihood and daily supporting needs of the wife as also of the dependent children. The wife would also be entitled to the custody of minor children.

Intervening in the debate, Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar said time was now ripe for the passage of the legislation in the interest of Muslim women. He recalled an instance of a British journalist interviewing the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after the passage of the Hindu Code Bill when she asked when would the government introduce reforms in Muslim laws.

Nehru was not opposed to reforms of Muslim personal laws but merely said the time was not opportune then, Akbar said. "That time has come now."

Though Opposition members, including from the Congress, supported the legislation, they wanted it to be referred to a parliamentary committee so that several lacunae can be removed and the provisions strengthened in favour of Muslim women. The law must ensure that subsistence allowance and maintenance to the women and the children was not stopped, they felt.

Some felt that the BJP government was in a haste to pass the Bill not because of its concern for Muslim women but because it sees this as a first step towards bringing in a Uniform Civil Code. They wanted the measure to be given up immediately.

During the debate, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi accused the Congress of appeasing Muslims and said there is a need for codification of Muslim personal laws in the country.

"They (Congress) always did appeasement politics for which the country has paid for 30 years and today we have this chance. If we lose this chance today we will not have another chance.," she said.

"Codification of Islamic law is needed in this country. No one knows what is Sharia, Talaq-e-Biddat... No one knows the difference," she added.

She also said that Muslim women need not be in any fear as they had a "brother" in Narendra Modi

Owaisi took several digs at the Modi government and also said those who "marry and abandon" their wives should be punished and the government should bring a law to this effect.

He termed the bill as "bad law".

Prasad, who responded to the concern of opposition members about making triple talaq punishable, said such concerns were not raised when punishment was provided under Dowry Prohibition Act. He said the amount of subsistence will be decided by courts.

He said the bill was against those who seek to keep women in fear.

Sushmita Dev of Congress said the government was not legislating on the issue of marital rape citing that the law might be misused, and asked if the law on Talaq-e-Biddat may not be misused.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The first Malaysian-born giant panda Nuan Nuan, who returned to China last month, finished her stay in quarantine and met the public on Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The female panda was born on August 18, 2015, to two pandas on loan to the giant panda conservation centre at the Malaysian national zoo. She returned to the Dujiangyan base of the China conservation and research centre for giant pandas on November 15, Xinhua reported.

The centre and the government of Dujiangyan city held a New Year gathering for Nuan Nuan and gave her the world's first panda ID card. Dujiangyan will issue an ID card to every giant panda living in the city.

Nuan Nuan spent a month in quarantine after returning. Panda keepers and volunteers helped decorate her new home on Thursday.

Panda keeper Liu Juan said, Nuan Nuan is outgoing and enjoys playing with people. She loves eating carrots and is not interested in bamboo shoots.

Nuan Nuan's parents are continuing their stay in Malaysia.

Under the agreement between China and overseas giant panda hosts, panda cubs born to parents on loan must be returned to China when they are two years old.

The China conservation and research centre now has 12 pandas returned from overseas. The centre has established long-term partnership with 15 zoos in 13 countries.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Rajasthan on January 14 to lay the foundation stone of the Rs 43,129-crore Barmer refinery and later in the month visit Jhunjhunu, which has won recognition under the Beti Bacho Beti Padhao scheme.

Talking to IANS, Additional District Magistrate O.P. Bishnoi said the administration is making security arrangements for Modi's expected visit. However, he added that confirmation of the Prime Minister's visit is yet to come.

Modi is also likely to visit Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan at the end of January or in the first week of February.

Dinesh Kumar Yadav, district collector, Jhunjhunu, told IANS that the Women and Child Health Department has conveyed that Prime Minister might visit Jhunjhunu on January 22, or in the first week of February.

The Jhunjhunu administration has started making preparations for Modi's visit.

Modi had flagged off the ambitious Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme on January 22, 2015 from Panipat in Haryana.

Jhunjhunu has won awards at the national level for registering success in increasing its skewed sex ratio.

Jhunjhunu has also been among the 10 best performing districts under Beti Bacho Beti Padhao in the country.

--IANS

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Two foreign journalists who were jailed for flying a drone near Myanmar's Parliament will be released on January 5, the authorities said on Thursday.

The crew -- cameraman Lau Hon Meng from Singapore and Malaysian reporter Mok Choy Lin -- work for Turkish broadcaster TRT and were detained in Myanmar while shooting a documentary in October, the BBC reported.

Their interpreter Aung Naing Soe and driver Hla Tin, both from Myanmar, will also be released. All four were serving a two-month sentence for breaching anti-aircraft laws in the country.

Further charges, which could have led to years in jail, were dropped.

In addition to the alleged violation of the anti-aircraft act, the four were investigated for breaching rules on importing the drone without a licence. The two journalists were also accused of immigration offences.

TRT insisted that the Myanmar authorities had been informed about the planned filming activities. The Myanmar police said they dropped the additional charges because the journalists "had not endangered national security".

Myanmar has over the past years seen increasing curbs on press freedom, especially on issues around the powerful military.

--IANS

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Hinting at a brewing scam, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to "explain" the cost revision of Rs 40,000 crore for 307 irrigation projects in the state during the past three years.

NCP state spokesperson Nawab Malik has alleged that the Revised Administrative Approval (RAA) was ostensibly to benefit select contractors close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena combine.

Malik's allegation comes a fortnight after the state Anti-Corruption Bureau lodged four new first information reports (FIRs) against officials and contractors (December 12) in the alleged Rs 72,000 crore irrigation scam perpetrated during the erstwhile Congress-NCP regime, in which the needle of suspicion points at various NCP bigwigs.

"The BJP built up an atmosphere of a so-called 'irrigation scam' during the 2014 elections, and said the methodology of misappropriation was through the RAA. They even said the RAA was corruption," Malik pointed out.

He said the present BJP government itself allowed RAAs worth Rs 40,000 crore for 307 irrigation projects in the past three years.

"We are not saying this is corruption. But how could the costs escalate so much in such a short time? The government, especially CM Fadnavis need to explain this," Malik demanded.

He accused the ruling party of changing the names of the former Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme to (now) 'Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)' and hiking the cost of the Gosikhurd Project from Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 32,000 crore.

"The state asked the Centre to bear Rs 12,000 crore as grant to the state, but the Centre rejected it on grounds of cost-escalation. The state said that it had financed the project through NABARD, so the government must clarify whether this is a 'scam' or not," Malik added.

Dropping hints without revealing names, he said the project cost was hiked mainly to benefit some contractors, some of whom are in the "Maharashtra Legislative Council and a few in Parliament".

Rejecting the BJP's earlier allegations, Malik said in past 52 years before BJP came to power (in 2014), Rs 42,000 crore were spent on irrigation projects in the state, but the BJP created an impression that corruption of Rs 70,000 crore took place through RAA.

"In the same manner, for the cost escalations of Rs 40,000 crore permitted by the BJP government through RAA, the BJP can also be blamed of corruption. The CM must give an explanation on this issue," Malik said.

Training guns on the upcoming Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway, he said the government has given a clean-chit to bureaucrat Radheshyam Mopalwar, who was accused of graft and was reinstated after 145 days 'compulsory leave' on December 26.

"This expressway is also one mega-scam in which some bureaucrats and BJP leaders are involved. In three years, at least 18 ministers and officials were accused of graft, but all got 'clean chits' from the CM. We fear injustice to farmers since the CM is shielding the corrupt," Malik said.

--IANS

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Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said he has in the past tried negotiating with terrorists and can now "accept the challenge" of brokering peace between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

The comments of the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs came after members from various opposition parties complained about the "elected government of Delhi being deprived of all powers by the Centre" and the constant friction between the Lt Governor and Delhi Chief Minister, as the former wields all the administrative powers.

"In the four decades of my public life, I faced many challenges. I have tried to negotiate with terrorists, etc. This (dealing with Kejriwal) is going to be a difficult one but I will accept your challenge and try and negotiate," Puri told the Rajya Sabha.

"Maybe, I invite both of them for a lunch or something and will try and sort this out," he added after Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien asked Puri to "sort out the friction between Lt Governor and Delhi Chief Minister".

Kejriwal and Puri exchanged some heated official communication on the issue of hike in fares of the Delhi Metro in October this year. While Kejriwal demanded a rollback of the hike, Puri categorically declined it citing the mechanism of the Fare Fixation Committee.

Earlier, as the House discussed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Third Amendment) Bill, 2017, many members raised the issue of division of powers between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor and said that the latter wielded all the powers and not the elected government.

While members from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI-M and the CPI forcefully stressed the need to give more powers to the Delhi government, Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Agarwal went on to say that the Lt Governor treats Delhi Chief Minister like a "chaprasi" (peon).

Veteran Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also raised the issue of the Delhi Chief Minister not being invited at the inauguration of the Delhi Metro's Magenta line a few days back.

"Every person with a common sense was heard saying that this (not extending invitation) was not proper," Yadav said as he cited an example of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee once declining to go to the inauguration of a project in a state until its Chief Minister was invited.

The House later unanimously passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Third Amendment) Bill, 2017 that extends the validity of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 till December 31, 2020.

In simple terms, the extension of the law would defer any action against the unauthorised colonies and slum clusters in the city for another three years -- till 2020.

--IANS

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Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned the suicide terror attack on a cultural centre in Afghan capital Kabul which claimed 41 lives and injured over 80.

"We express our heartfelt condolences with the families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones in these brutal terrorist attacks and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded. We express our abiding solidarity with the government and the brotherly people of Afghanistan," the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Islamic State claimed the suicide bombing at the Tebyan Social and Cultural Centre in Kabul which was followed by another two blasts near the building entrance.

Several women and children were among those killed.

"Pakistan reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and firm resolve to eradicate this menace," said the Ministry's statement.

--IANS

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Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said the treatment meted out by the Pakistani authorities to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother was "an insult to 130 crore Indians".

"The misbehaviour of Pakistan with the wife and the mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav was misbehaviour with all 130 crore Indians.

"Regardless of political differences, when it comes to the country's dignity and another country misbehaves with our mothers and sisters, it will not be tolerated," said Azad.

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Azad, also said Pakistan must take responsibility of Jadhav's life as he was in their custody.

The Congress leader said that he wanted to say a lot of things but could not since the government has cautioned him as it might risk the process of ensuring Jadhav's freedom, who is on death row in Pakistan over espionage charges.

"The false allegations that Pakistan has levelled against Jadhav can become more problematic if we make too much noise.

"The disregard that Pakistan has shown towards Jadhav's mother and wife is sad. They have disregarded the women of India. Pakistan government has to assure that they would not disrespect the women of our country in this manner."

Other opposition members also supported the government over the issue after Sushma Swaraj made a detailed statement on how the Pakistani authorities had mistreated Jadhav's wife Chetna and mother Avanti when they went to meet him in Islamabad on December 25.

"We condemn such shameful behaviour by Pakistan and will not take it silently. We will expose Pakistan's utterly disgusting behaviour," Sushma Swaraj said.

Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien said: "We are in complete agreement with every word of what the Minister said. We stand by the statement and support the government on this."

Later, all parties endorsed Sushma Swaraj's statement and extended their support to the government.

Jadhav's mother and wife met him in Islamabad on Monday after 22 months, since his arrest by Pakistan.
A property dealer was found shot dead in his car in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad on Thursday after he got a call and left his office on Wednesday, police said.

The police said they were informed by the family of 45-year-old Farookh, a resident of Nahal village, that he had been missing since Wednesday evening when he received a call and left his office which is right next to the house.

The police succeeded in tracking his Wagon R car which was found parked on the service road of Upper Ganges canal near Chitora Bridge. The body was found on the front seat and his spectacles some 10 metres away from the car.

"On the basis of the family's statement, his phone calls are being screened and the body was sent for postmortem," said Senior Superintendent of Police H.N. Singh.

--IANS

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi will visit Himachal Pradesh on Friday to review the poll debacle which saw the BJP wresting the state from the party with a comfortable majority in the recently-concluded assembly elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comfortably beat the Congress, winning 44 of the 68 seats. The Congress won 21 in the hill state where it had previously held 36. Two seats went to Independents and another was taken by the CPI-M.

Rahul Gandhi will meet the MLAs, assembly election nominees and district presidents at 11.30 a.m. on Friday at state party headquarters Rajiv Bhawan in Shimla and analyse the party's poor showing in the election.

At 2.00 p.m., Rahul Gandhi will also attend a party workers' meeting.

Even though outgoing Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural) won their respective seats, the party suffered a drubbing in the state.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Rajya Sabha was on Thursday adjourned till 2 p.m. following noisy protests by Congress MPs over the "amend the Constitution" remarks by Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde.

The Congress members demanded an apology from the Minister in the House and also forced an adjournment earlier.

As the House was reconvened at 12 p.pm. after a brief adjournment, Congress MP Rajeev Gowda raised a Point of Order but was declined by Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu.

"No Point of Order in the Question Hour, you know that," Naidu told Gowda amid the din.

The Congress MPs then came near the Chairman's podium shouting slogans against Hegde, who they said had "violated" the Constitution and insulted Dalit icon and one of the principal architects of the Constitution, B.R. Ambedkar.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel tried to placate the agitating MPs but failed.

"The Lok Sabha, the House of which Anant Kumar Hegde is a member, is working. Why are you disrupting this House?" Goel said.

Amid the din, Naidu adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

Earlier, during the Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue of Hegde's comments and asked how could a person who violated the Constitution continue in the Council of Ministers.

Vijay Goel said that Hegde has already explained inside the Lok Sabha, and outside too, that his comments were "distorted" and hence the matter should be rested there, but failed to convince the opposition.

The Chair then briefly adjourned the House till 12 noon.

--IANS

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One year passes in the blink of an eye in terms of the age of our universe, but 2017 has made significant contributions towards unravelling the deep mysteries hidden in its vast expanse, giving the search for alien life a big boost.

From the first observations of a merger between two faraway neutron stars to stunning discoveries of a number of exoplanets in the habitable zone of a nearby star and the continued march of China as a serious space player, this year has had plenty of memorable developments to excite scientists and the public at large.

Marked as the "breakthrough of the year" by the journal Science, the merger of the two neutron stars 130 million light years away generated tiny ripples in the fabric of space-time called gravitational waves.

The first detection of gravitational waves two years ago has already brought scientists the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics, but sensing the space-time ripples after the merger of the neutron stars marked the first-ever detection of gravitational waves as well as light produced and emitted during the same cosmic event, a phenomenon that scientists like to describe as hearing and seeing the violent universe.

While the observation of this collision provides scientists clues on how heavy elements like gold and platinum are produced in our cosmos, and advances understanding of the universe in myriad other ways, the discovery of several Earth-sized planets orbiting stars outside our solar system has whetted the thirst for finding signs of life in worlds other than our home planet.

In February, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope revealed the first known system of seven Earth-sized planets around a single star -- the TRAPPIST-1 star -- an ultra-cool dwarf located at about 40 light-years from Earth.

The researchers determined that three of these planets are firmly located in the habitable zone, the area around the parent star where a rocky planet is most likely to have liquid water.

The discovery set a new record for maximum number of habitable-zone planets found around a single star outside our solar system.

In yet another first for the year, scientists spotted an "interstellar object" entering our solar system.

The discovery was made on October 19 by the University of Hawaii's Pan-STARRS 1 telescope during the course of its nightly search for near-Earth objects for NASA.

The discovery, termed "historic" by the US space agency, revealed the interstellar interloper to be a rocky, cigar-shaped object with a ratio of length to width unlike any asteroid or comet observed in our solar system.

The team from the Pan-STARRS observatory has chosen the name "Oumuamua" for their discovery. Of Hawaiian origin, the name means a messenger from afar arriving first.

In 2017, NASA made progress in the preparations to send astronauts to Mars and it became clear that the agency would have to make plans for returning astronauts to the Moon in preparation for human missions to the Red Planet and other destinations of our solar system.

The year also marks the end of Cassini's 13-year tour of Saturn as the spacecraft made a fateful plunge into the atmosphere of the ringed planet on September 15. The mission is often credited for transforming our understanding of ocean worlds, where life may potentially exist beyond Earth.

In April, NASA said that its Cassini spacecraft discovered hydrogen in the plume of gas and icy particles spraying from Saturn's moon Enceladus. The discovery means the small, icy moon -- which has a global ocean under its surface -- has a source of chemical energy that life can feed on.

And even as the spacecraft is gone, scientists hope that its enormous collection of data about Saturn -- the giant planet, its magnetosphere, rings and moons -- will continue to yield new discoveries for decades to come.

The year also marks some giant strides taken by China to emerge as a formidable space power. One of its satellites, which was sent to the skies to look for evidence of the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles in space, detected for the first time unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays, bringing scientists closer to proving the existence of the invisible matter.

Highlights of 2017:

* First observations of a merger between two faraway neutron stars

* The Moon became a key focus point for the US space agency in 2017, whether it was blocking out the Sun during the August 21 total solar eclipse, or reinvigorating the agency's human space exploration plans

* End of the Cassini spacecraft's 13-year tour of Saturn

* Discovery of the first known system of seven Earth-size planets around a single star outside our solar system

* First known interstellar object to travel through our solar system spotted

* A Chinese satellite detected mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays, bringing scientists closer to proving the existence of dark matter.

(Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at gokul.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reignited a war of words with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad by calling him a "terrorist" who has no place in negotiations over the country's future, with Damascus hitting back and accusing the Turkish leader of being "responsible" for spilling the blood of Syrians.

Erdogan said on Wednesday it was "absolutely impossible" to move ahead on Syrian peace talks while Assad remains in power, according to Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu. He made the comments after a closed-door meeting with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi in Tunis where he is on an official visit.

Erdogan called Assad, who has clung to power during the protracted conflict that has wracked his nation for the past seven years, "a terrorist involved in state terrorism". He asked how anyone could "embrace the future with the President of a Syria who killed close to one million of its citizens".

Syria's Foreign Ministry shot back at the remarks, accusing Erdogan of being "responsible" for spilling the blood of the Syrian people, the state-run news agency SANA reported.

"The entry of the Turkish forces to the Syrian territory reveals one image of the Turkey's support to takfiri terrorism," it said.

The statement slammed what it characterized as Erdogan's "paranoia and illusions of the past" which "made him forget that his old empire has vanished and that the free people of the world have the choice to make their national decisions and defend their sovereignty and they will not allow Erdogan to interfere in their affairs".

The Turkish leader's remarks came as aid workers evacuated the first of 29 people who had been trapped in the besieged Syrian region of Eastern Ghouta.

Previously, Erdogan had said that around 500 people -- including 170 women and children -- required "urgent humanitarian aid", according to Turkey's TRT and Russia's Sputnik news agencies.

Assad had repeatedly refused aid into the enclave and evacuations out of Eastern Ghouta. It's one of Syria's last rebel strongholds, but it has been under siege by regime forces for more than four years, reports said.

The Syrian ministry further said that "Erdogan misleads the public opinion with his political bubbles in a desperate attempt to absolve himself from crimes committed against Syrians through providing unlimited support to the terrorist groups".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three militants of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Thursday, police said here.

The three, arrested by the security forces in the district's Kunzar area, include one Pakistani national and two locals. Some arms and ammunition were also recovered from them.

--IANS

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Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said dust coming in from the Gulf and stubble burning were the major reasons behind an air pollution crisis here in November, adding that his Ministry took a slew of precautionary measures that have never been taken before.

The Ministry was trying to initiate a movement of awareness against pollution, Harsh Vardhan told the Rajya Sabha amid disruptions by various members, including former Minister Jairam Ramesh.

During the discussion, members raised concerns about the deteriorating air quality of Delhi and asked the government to take effective steps to control the pollution.

The short-duration discussion titled "excessively high levels of air pollution in Delhi", drew criticism from some members of the Upper House, who pointed out that the measures being flaunted by the Minister were very basic and general in nature.

"What we are doing today has never been done in the past... We are trying to initiate a movement against pollution, If they (other members) will not be receptive about it, who will?," the Minister asked.

Jairam Ramesh was quick to point out that the Minister was wasting the House's time by saying things like encouraging people to use public transport.

Harsh Vardhan said that during the peak of Delhi's air pollution crisis after November 8 this year, the extra effluents from the Gulf and neighbouring states were the major cause.

Between November 7 and 16, the national capital and surrounding regions choked on "severe plus or emergency" level of air quality with environment bodies imposing emergency level restrictions on polluting activities like construction, industry and truck movement. The schools across National Capital Regions were also shut for the duration.

"During peak, dust storm from the Gulf contributed to 40 per cent of pollution, stubble burning in neighbouring states were responsible for 25 per cent pollution, while the local effluents had only 35 per cent contribution," the minister said.

He also pointed out that the pollutant level this Diwali dropped as compared to last year.

"Our Ministry, two-three months prior to Diwali, initiated a movement for Harit or Green Diwali... I personally sent mail to over two lakh schools and institutions," the Minister said.

--IANS

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Having joined the Veer Maratha squad recently, Rio Olympics bronze medallist Marwa Amri has asserted that she intends to educate herself on the rich wrestling tradition of Maharashtra ahead of this season's Pro Wrestling League (PWL).

To this end, the Tunisia star intends to visit Kohlapur -- the hub of wrestling in Maharashtra -- to meet some of the senior wrestlers there and seek their blessings. She also wants to meet her favourite Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan.

"I have read a lot about the wrestling tradition of Maharashtra. I have decided to understand more about the culture of Maharashtra and meet Shah Rukh," Amri said in a statement.

"Veer Maratha is my honour, Shah Rukh is my love and learning more about Kolhapur is my dream," she added.

Former Commonwealth Games (CWG) champion Ramchandra Sarang, who runs an 'akhada' in Kohlapur, has welcomed Amri's decision and asserted that he along with other stalwarts of Kohlapur wrestling like Arjuna awardee Kaka Pawar, former Asian Games champion Ganpat Andalkar, CWG silver medallist Daddu Chowgle and others will pray for her success.

"Marwa and the entire Veer Maratha team are welcome to visit Kolhapur. We will support any player or team who brings glory to Maharashtra and pray for their success," Ranjit Jadhav, son of India's first Olympic medallist wrestler Kasaba Jadhav, said.

Amri, who represented the Haryana Hammers last season, is confident that Veer Maratha will win the PWL title this season.

"Our team is very strong this year. Last year, I missed out on the PWL title by a small margin. But we won't let the title slip away this time," Amri said.

--IANS

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A team of British medical staff is travelling to Bangladesh to help tackle an outbreak of diphtheria affecting Rohingya Muslim refugee camps, the media reported on Thursday.

More than 40 doctors, nurses and firefighters will arrive at the fishing port Cox's Bazar following a request from the World Health Organisation (WHO), reports the BBC.

Cox's Bazar is home to more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled violence in bordering Myanmar.

The British government said the deployment was "another proud moment for the NHS (National Health Service)".

This is the first deployment of Britain's emergency medical team (EMT) since it was certified by the WHO in 2016.

The staff will be at the camps for six weeks working to fight the spread of diphtheria, as up to 160 new cases of the disease were being reported every day.

The highly contagious disease has already killed at least 27 people, according to health officials.

As of December 21, the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had seen more than 2,000 suspected cases in its health facilities. The majority of patients were between five and 14 years old, the BBC reported.

An estimated 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh following persecution from the Burmese military in their native state of Rakhine, since August.

The UN described the military offensive in Rakhine, which provoked the exodus, as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

--IANS

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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has asked Russia to ease violence in eastern Ukraine over a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the US State Department has said.

During their phone talk on Tuesday, Tillerson underscored the US concern with the rising violence in eastern Ukraine and asked Russia to lessen the violence, said US State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert in a statement on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

Disputes over the eastern Ukraine issue added tensions to the US-Russia ties which have remained strained amid the ongoing probe into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

Washington announced on Friday that it has decided to sell advanced weapons to Ukraine to help update its defense capabilities. The move infuriated Russia, which said the US decision will lead to "new bloodshed."

The arsenal sale is reportedly to include Javelin anti-tank missiles, which Kiev has long desired.

Tillerson also asked Russia to return its representatives to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (JCCC), according to the statement.

The JCCC, consisting of Russian and Ukrainian officers, was set up in September 2014 under an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to assist the implementation of the Minsk agreements for a settlement in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the Russian military will abandon the JCCC due to Kiev's "obstruction" of its activities.

Ukraine launched a military operation in its southeastern Donbas region in April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new pro-West Ukrainian authorities and sought independence.

Armed conflicts have been plaguing Donbas since then and have claimed more than 10,000 lives.

In Tuesday's phone call, Tillerson and Lavrov also discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula, with both sides agreeing to continue to work toward a diplomatic solution to the denuclearization of the peninsula, said the US State Department statement.

Tensions have been mounting in the region following one nuclear test and multiple ballistic missile launches conducted by Pyongyang earlier this year.

--IANS

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The United States on Thursday said it will fully resume its visa services in Turkey, a move further releasing strained bilateral ties over diplomatic disputes between the two NATO allies.

The US "is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey", said the US State Department in a statement, citing Ankara's assurances on no more detain or arrest of local employees of the US mission "for performing their official duties".

On Thursday, the Turkish Embassy in Washington reportedly announced that it had also lifted its visa restrictions for the US citizens, Xinhua reported.

In October, the US Embassy announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa services to Turkish nationals following the arrest of a local employee at the US Consulate in Istanbul on terror charges and over alleged links to followers of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based preacher blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed coup attempt in July.

The US decision prompted a tit-for-tat response from Ankara, which stopped issuing visas to the US nationals, leaving bilateral relations to an all-time low.

In early November, the US Embassy began to process visa applications on a limited basis, followed by similar action from the Turkish missions in the US.

--IANS

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The government has ordered the withdrawal of a case against the chief minister and a dozen others for holding a meeting in alleged violation of prohibitory orders over 22 years ago.

The move prompted Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav to take pot shots as to whether Adityanath would himself sign the order withdrawing the case against himself.

"Will the chief minister himself order withdrawal of the case against him?" Yadav, a former chief minister, wondered.

Apart from Adityanath, who holds the home portfolio, Union Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla, BJP MLA Sheetal Pandey and ten others were respondents in the case.

The case was filed at Gorakhpur's Pipiganj police station on May 27, 1995.

The Adityanath government's order to withdraw the case against the chief minister was issued last week, just a day before the Uttar Pradesh Criminal Law (Composition of Offences and Abatement of Trials) (Amendment) Bill, 2017, was tabled in the state Assembly.

Before the Bill was tabled, Adityanath told the House that 20,000 "politically-motivated" cases were filed across the state over protest demonstrations.

The amendment would bring to an end all such cases that were pending before magistrates till December 31, 2015, he said.

Gorakhpur Additional District Magistrate, City, Rajneesh Chandra told PTI that the order for filing an application seeking withdrawal of the case from the court had already been received. The prosecutor has been instructed to file the application before the court concerned, he said.

Gorakhpur is Adityanath's home turf and he represented the Lok Sabha constituency for five terms before being appointed the chief minister earlier this year.

The case was pending in a Gorakhpur court, which had earlier directed that non-bailable warrants (NBWs) be issued against the accused for non-appearance.

In May this year, shortly after Adityanath took over the reins of the state, his government told the Allahabad High Court that he cannot be prosecuted in another case for allegedly making a hate speech that was alleged to have triggered communal riots in Gorakhpur in 2007.

The government refused to grant the mandatory sanction for his prosecution.

Adityanath, who was then the local MP, made the alleged hate speech following the killing of a Hindu youth in a clash between two groups during a Moharram procession. He was arrested and spent 10 days in jail before being released on bail.

The sanction was needed to file a charge sheet against him under IPC section 153-A on the charge of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and caste, an offence punishable with imprisonment of up to five years.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and other ministers and members during the passage of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017 by the Lok Sabha in New Delhi (Photo: PTI)
The Visakhapatnam Rural Police today said it has arrested 16 Naxals in 2017 as compared to nine in the previous year.

Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said 16 Maoists, 36 militia members and 117 sympathisers were arrested in 2017 as against 61 arrests in 2016, which included 9 Maoists and 37 militia members.

Similarly, 29 Maoists and 33 militia members surrendered before police in 2017 as against 10 Maoists and 23 militia members who surrendered in 2016, the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 260 women in the banned 10-50 age group were stopped at Pamba, the foothills of the hill temple of Lord Ayyappa here during this year's pilgrimage season, an official of the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the shrine, said.

Of these, while some women were from Kerala, others were from neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, TDB President A Padmakumar told PTI.

The women were stopped at Pamba by police and devaswom officials and their identity cards checked as part of the routine drill during the 41-day 'mandala pooja' which concluded on December 26.

"We feel that such a large number of women of the banned age group could have come either due to ignorance with regard to the restrictions or it could be part of an attempt to show that violation of traditions were taking place at the shrine," he said.

"The board has decided to ask the central government to inquire into this. We are planning to write to the Prime Minister on the matter," he added.

Women in the menstruating age group are restricted from offering prayers at Sabarimala because the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa is considered to be a 'naishtika brahmachari' (perennial celibate).

A petition challenging the temple's custom restricting entry of women in the 10-50 age group is now pending before the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court.

The Mandala poooja marks the conclusion of the initial phase of the three-month-long annual pilgrimage season.

The shrine was closed after the rituals yesterday. It will reopen on December 30 evening for the Makaravillaku festival which falls on January 14 next year.

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As many as 500 CCTVs will keep a close watch on the Gangasagar Mela route between Babughat and Sagar Island, a top district official said today.

For the first time, the state government has decided to install 500 CCTVs along the Babughat-Sagar Island stretch as part of its security measures for the six-day fair, scheduled to begin on January 10, the district magistrate of South 24 Parganas, Y Ratnakara Rao, told PTI.

A mega control room, Tirtha Sathi, has been set up on the island to monitor movements of the pilgrims, he said.

Lakhs of Hindu pilgrims gather here every year during Makar Sankranti, on January 14, to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga and Bay of Bengal.

The triangular Sagar Island, situated around 130 km from Kolkata, is separated from the mainland by rivers Ganga and Muriganga on two sides and faces the Bay of Bengal on the third side.

"This year, as per our chief minister's advice, we have decided to use advanced technology to ensure foolproof security arrangements for the pilgrims," Rao said.

Around 100 CCTVs will be set up between Babughat and Lot 8 transit point, the DM said.

Pilgrims board vessels from Lot 8 to cross the river and reach Kachuberia on the other side.

The Kachuberia area will have another 100 surveillance cameras and Namkhana and Chemaguri will get 50 closed-circuit cameras each. The Kapil Muni temple and the beach, including the congested buffer zone, will have 150 CCTVs, he explained.

The state disaster management department would be getting live feed from the mela ground, Rao added.

According to another government official, the state's machinery, Coast Guard, NDRF as well as marine police personnel would be deployed on the Sagar Island to prevent any eventualities.

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A delegation of traders and officials from the Afghanistan Consulate today thanked Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao for his efforts in starting direct air connectivity between Kabul and Mumbai.

The delegation told Rao that the first cargo plane carrying 40 tonnes of apples from Kabul arrived in Mumbai yesterday, and that the same cargo plane carrying tomatoes and bananas from here had reached Kabul, a release issued by Raj Bhavan said.

Earlier this month, Afghanistan Vice President Sarwar Danish had met the Governor during which Danish had expressed the view that opening of the direct air connectivity between Kabul and Mumbai will promote business and trade relations, it said.

After the meeting, Rao had spoken to Union Civil Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju. On the instructions of the Minister, direct cargo flight services have been started between Kabul and Mumbai, said the release.

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A 15-year-old Afghan boy has been arrested suspected of fatally stabbing a German girl of the same age during an argument, the prosecutor in Landau in southwest Germany said, ruling out a terrorist motive.

The confrontation took place on Wednesday in a grocery store and the Afghan teen was arrested following descriptions given by passers-by to police.

It was not known whether the suspect was a refugee.

The German teenager died later on Wednesday afternoon in hospital from her wounds.

The girl had entered the store with a companion, who was not the suspect, the prosecutor said in a statement.

The reason for the argument was not revealed.

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An Indian Air Force sergeant and his wife died today when their car collided with another car on the Agra-Bombay Road (AB Road) here.

Subhashpura Police Station in-charge Surendra Yadav said, "Air Force Sergeant Ajay Kumar Pandey (42) and his wife Manju Pandey (40) died after their car collided with another car in front of Baba petrol pump on AB Road today afternoon."



He added that the couple's daughter, Anamika (14), was injured in the accident and has been hospitalised.

Pandey was returning after meeting his son Mohit, who is studying in Kota in Rajasthan, the official said.

Yadav said that executive engineer of MP's Water Resource Department, PC Batham, and his driver Nand Kishor, who were travelling in the other car, were also injured and are undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The official added that state cabinet minister Lal Singh Arya who was passing by stopped his vehicle and helped in getting the injured shifted to the hospital.

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Domestic carriers are expected to hire more than 7,000 pilots over the next five years, the government informed Parliament today.

These vacancies are likely to emerge as Indian airlines plan to induct more than 900 aircraft into their fleets in the coming years.

"The Indian Scheduled Airline Operators have estimated employment opportunities for about 3,700 pilots and 3,600 co- pilots in the next five years," said Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha in response to a question in the Lok Sabha.

A total of 3,603 pilots and 3,914 co-pilots, and 15,030 cabin crew are currently employed by scheduled Indian airlines as per data maintained by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Sinha added.

In response to a question on whether Air India has a shortage of pilots and cabin crew, the government said that the airline has a sufficient number of pilots and flight. It added Air India's regional subsidiary Airline Allied Service Limited or Alliance Air plans to hire pilots from abroad because of a shortage of ATR commanders.

"Airline Allied Service Limited is facing a shortage of ATR commanders. Alliance Air is having a fleet of ATR 72-600 and ATR 42-320 aircraft. The commanders for these aircraft are not available in the Indian market," Sinha said.

These pilots will be in addition to those provided by the aircraft leasing company along with leased aircraft under a separate pilot agreement.
Democrat Doug Jones was today officially declared the winner of the US Senate race in the southern state of Alabama, whittling down the slim Republican majority in the chamber.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill certified the results of the December 12 special election and dismissed claims of voter fraud by the campaign of the defeated Republican candidate, Roy Moore.

With Jones' upset victory in a Republican bastion, the party of President Donald Trump now holds 51 seats in the Senate and the Democrats 49 -- the slimmest of majorities.

The Alabama result dealt a stinging blow to Trump, who had thrown his support behind Moore, a conservative Christian.

Moore appeared to be the favourite in the contest being held to fill the Senate seat held by Jeff Sessions, whom Trump had named attorney general. And Trump had easily captured the state in last year's presidential election.

But Moore's campaign was rocked in the final days of the race by allegations that the former judge had engaged in sexual misconduct decades ago, including molesting a teenage girl.

Moore -- a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court -- has refused to concede and even launched a last- minute legal challenge of the results, but a judge dismissed his suit, which called for certification of the results to be delayed.

Jones won 49.97 per cent of the vote compared to Moore's 48.34 per cent, a margin of nearly 22,000 votes out of 1.35 million cast -- a record for a special election.

Late Wednesday, Moore's campaign called for the certification of the results to be postponed pending a "thorough investigation of potential election fraud."



The suit filed by Moore's campaign cited "irregularities" in 20 precincts in Jefferson County, which it said were "enough to reverse the outcome of the election."



To back up the claims, Moore's team cited mathematician Richard Charnin, a conspiracy theorist who also asserts the 2004 presidential election and 2016 Democratic presidential primary were rigged.

The complaint also contained an affidavit from Moore "stating that he successfully completed a polygraph test confirming the representations of misconduct made against him during the campaign are completely false."



Montgomery County Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick however dismissed the complaint.

Moore, who has suggested the 9/11 attacks may have happened because of a lack of faith in God and argued Muslims should be barred from holding office, had wanted to bring his fiery brand of Christian religious activism to Washington.

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Chief of Army Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat arrived in Dimapur today on a two-day official visit to three North East states - Nagaland, Manipur and Assam, to get first hand information about the security situation in the region.

On arrival at Dimapur Airport, Rawat was appraised of the operations of Spear Corps along the Line of Actual Control as well as counter insurgency operations in Nagaland by General Officer Commanding Spear Corps, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan.

The Spear Corps besides undertaking extensive counter insurgency operations in the three North East states is also responsible for conduct of operations along the line of actual control in Arunachal Pradesh, stated a release issued by PRO Defence Col C Konwer.

Rawat is being accompanied by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command, Lt Gen Abhay Krishna.

The Army chief also called on Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang at his private residence in Dimapur, wherein issues concerning the prevailing security situation in the state, facilitating the ongoing peace process as well as improving employment generation opportunities were discussed, Col Konwer said.

Other vital aspects pertaining to the state were also discussed, the Defence PRO said.

Rawat also visited the office of the Inspector General of Assam Rifles (North) and was briefed about the various activities undertaken by the Assam Rifles.

The Army Chief then flew to Manipur and after halting overnight he would move to Assam tomorrow, the PRO said.

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At least 40 people were killed and many others wounded in multiple blasts at a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul today, officials said, in the latest violence to hit the Afghan capital.

"The target of the attack was the Tabayan cultural centre. A ceremony was being held to mark the 38th anniversary of Soviet-invasion in Afghanistan when the explosion went off," deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP.

The centre is near to the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could be the target.

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An Azerbaijani court today gave jail terms ranging from 12 to 15 years to members of an Islamist group, who claim they were tortured in to giving confessions.

The jail terms were handed to 12 members of the "Movement for Muslim Unity", a Shiite opposition group, by a court in the oil-rich country's capital Baku.

The group's lawyer Fariz Namazly told AFP the men were found guilty of "an attempt to take power, terrorism, preparation of mass unrest and other serious crimes".

The group reject the charges and claim they were tortured and coerced in to giving confessions while in detention, the lawyer added.

In January, Azerbaijan handed long sentences, from 10 to 20 years, to Islamist activists for "terrorism" and hate crimes.

Among them was the deputy chairman of the Popular Front party Fuad Gahramanly, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of inciting religious hatred and mass unrest.

Azerbaijan has accused the Movement for Muslim Unity of aiming to establish a sharia state in the ex-Soviet country, which is secular but has a Shiite Muslim majority.

President Ilham Aliyev has ruled Azerbaijan since 2003. He succeeded his father Heydar Aliyev, a former KGB officer and communist-era leader who had ruled the country with an iron fist since 1993.

Azerbaijani authorities have faced strong international criticism over claims they routinely harass and jail Aliyev's opponents on trumped-up charges. Rights groups say officials have stepped up pressure on opponents since Aliyev's re- election for a third term in 2013.

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The public sector, as well as private banks, have been imposing unreasonable charges on customers for failing to maintain minimum balances in their savings accounts, a study by an IIT-Mumbai professor has claimed.

The study, by Ashish Das, showed that some like Yes Bank and Indian Overseas Bank have been imposing penal charges of over 100 per cent per annum on the shortfall in maintenance of minimum balance in customers accounts.

The Reserve Bank guidelines mandate that charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance in savings bank accounts be "reasonable and not out of line with the average cost of providing the services".

According to the study: "With many charging at an average high rate of 78 per cent per annum of the shortfall amount, it makes the whole regulation of reasonableness of charges as per cost quite shallow".

As per the data provided by Das, Indian Overseas Bank imposes an annual charge of 159.48 per cent on shortfall in minimum balance. Yes Bank charges 112.8 per cent, followed by HDFC Bank (83.76 per cent) and Axis Bank (82.2 per cent).

The largest lender SBI charges 24.96 per cent penalty, says the study.

The minimum balance requirement in different ranges from Rs 2,500 to Rs 1 lakh.

The RBI, the study said has formulated the penal charges rule with an objective of bringing in fairness from the customers' angle.

"Thus, it is time to plug the regulatory and supervisory gaps in a holistic manner and formulate clear guidelines on the formation of slabs and how to measure the reasonableness of charges based on costs of funds," it said.

Ashish Das is a professor of statistics with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai.
A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a "historic day" amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League.

The law is about justice and respect for women and is not about any religion or community, he said, adding that the practice of instant triple has continued despite the Supreme Court order terming it void.

Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said after some oppositionmembers claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

"It is a historic day. We are making history today," Prasad said.

The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children.

The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be bad or illegal and void.

According to the proposed law which would be applicable to the entire country except Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of three years and a fine. It would be a non-bailable offence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of up to three years to the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today amid protests by several opposition parties.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill would come up for consideration and passage later in the day as the government wanted it to be taken up today itself.

Introducing the bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was a "historic day".

But before he introduced the legislation, several opposition parties opposed its introduction saying it was arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

Members from RJD, AIMIM, BJD, Indian Union Muslim League and AIADMK, who had given notice to oppose its introduction spoke against the measure. But members from the Congress and the Left, who were also opposing it from their benches, were not allowed to speak as they had not given notice. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav was also seen opposing the bill.

The TMC, which had opposed the draft bill earlier, was silent.

While JPN Yadav of RJD questioned the proposed three-year jail term, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights.

He said while the bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat".

Muslim League's E T Mohammed Bashir said the proposed law was violative of personal laws and was a politically motivated move.

B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was "faulty and "flawed". He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat'.

A Anwar Raja of the AIADMK opposed the bill.

Soon after the introduction of the bill was approved, Prasad wondered whether Parliament can remain silent if the fundamental rights of women were being trampled upon.

He said the legislation was not aimed against any religion but was framed to provide a sense of justice, security and honour to women.

He said the law was required as even after the Supreme Court had struck down the practice of 'talaq-e-biddat' in August, it was continuing. He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.

Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said after some opposition members claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

"It is a historic day. We are making history today," Prasad said.

The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children.

The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be bad or illegal and void.

According to the proposed law which would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of upto three years and a fine. It would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Billie Lourd has paid tribute to her mother Carrie Fisher with a trip to see the northern lights.

In an Instagram post, the 25-year-old actor said she took a trip to Norway with her father, Bryan Lourd, as a tribute to Fisher on her first death anniversary.

"My momby had an otherworldly obsession with the northern lights, but I never got to see them with her," Lourd wrote, along with a photo of her father and the bright green northern lights flashing behind him.

"We journeyed to northern Norway to see if we might 'see the heavens lift up her dark skirts and flash her dazzling privates across (our) unworthy irises.' And she did," Lourd added.

Fisher had died in December 2016 of cardiac arrest at the age of 60.

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The BJP today hailed the bill passed by the Lok Sabha that makes instant triple talaq a punishable offence while the Congress sought strengthening of the law to safeguard rights of divorced Muslim women and provide them with adequate allowance.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children.

MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier called for consensus in passing the bill.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi said the bill is to demonise the Muslims and has sent a wrong message to the Muslims of the country.

He also said a message has gone down as to who was playing "vote bank politics".

Those Muslim women, who are celebrating its passage, are "not aware" of its provisions, he said, adding they will realise its negative impact in the future.

He also said the Congress also stands exposed by not opposing the bill.

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat criticised the government for attempting to push the bill through Parliament without holding any discussions or consultations with Muslim women and women's organisations.

While the BJP termed the legislation as "historic", the Congress said it needs to be strengthened to safeguard the rights of divorced Muslim women so they live a life of dignity with adequate subsistence allowance.

"This bill is a historic step towards ensuring dignity for Muslim women. I thank all fellow Parliamentarians who have supported this bill, which will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women," BJP chief Amit Shah tweeted.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the bill is not about any religion but about the issue of women justice and dignity.

Union minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi termed the passage of the bill as "historic and landmark step towards women empowerment" and congratulated Prime Minister Modi and Law Minister Prasad for it.

His colleague Mahesh Sharma said it is a bill that respects humanity and helps provide dignity to our mothers and sisters.

Supporting the bill, the Congress said Parliament must ensure the protection of rights of Muslim women and children under all circumstances.

Congress's communications department in-charge Randeep Surjewala said it was the first political party to welcome the Supreme Court verdict banning triple talaq, and had hailed it as a decisive step towards women empowerment and victory for the rights of Muslim women.

"The Congress has always believed that the issue of instant triple talaq 'Talaq-e-biddat' is about gender justice and gender equity. The Congress will support any and every law abolishing instant triple talaq.

"The present bill needs to be strengthened to safeguard the rights of women to a life of dignity with adequate subsistence allowance. Parliament must ensure protection of rights of Muslim women and children under all circumstances," he said.

However, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, a former union law minister, struck a discordant note, insisting the proposed law will be an "intrusion" into the personal lives of individuals and bring divorce, a civil issue, into the realm of criminal law.

He, however, said, "It is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals. Taking criminal law into the family, you have to be careful. To make divorce in any form a criminal matter is unacceptable anywhere in the world."



"Criminal law is kept out of family as far as possible, which is a general policy everywhere. Why are we bringing criminal law into something which is a non-existing factor? Triple talaq is no institution or institutional fact of life, the Supreme Court has made it very clear," Khurshid said.

CPI(M) leader Karat said the bill "itself is very objectionable, and equally objectionable are the efforts of BJP to push it through Parliament without any consultation or discussion with those in whose names the bill is been passed".

The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the president for signing it into law.

BJP Spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted, "To Appeasers' Alliance comprising Owaisi, RahulG, Mamata; Mulayam, Lalu: Stop communal politics! Jail provision of up to 3 years for Instant Triple Talaq is reasonable. Hindu Marriage Act has stronger provisions: for 2nd marriage jail term is up to 7 years under IPC Section 494."



BJP's youth wing president and party MP Poonam Mahajan said, "For so many years, politics took precedence over women's rights. A historical step is taken today in Parliament for empowerment of women with the passing of the Triple Talaq Bill. I thank Narendra Modi and Ravi Shankar Prasad for this significant decision."



Surjewala said Section 5 of the bill merely states that Muslim women are entitled to subsistence allowance without defining subsistence allowance and explaining the method of calculating it.

He said the bill should ensure payment of maintenance and/or subsistence allowance to women and children if the husband is in jail for 3 years, as envisaged under the law.

Terming the bill as "very important" and "significant", Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said her party will work with the government to bolster the rights of Muslim women.

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Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today accused the BJP of joining hands with separatist elements and trying to divide the people of the state on religious and ethnic lines.

The BJP and separatists are "hatching a conspiracy" to defeat the Left Front in the assembly elections in the state due next year.

"The BJP and separatist forces such as IPTF are hatching a conspiracy to defeat the Left Front government of Tripura. They are trying to divide the people of the state on ethnic and communal lines. They are trying to divide the people on the basis of tribals and non-tribals," Sarkar said at a seminar here.

"The biggest achievement of the Left Front government is the unity of the people of the state," he added.

Sarkar's comments comes in the backdrop of Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), which is demanding a separate tribal state, today saying that it is in talks with the BJP to forge an alliance ahead of Tripura assembly polls.

"The people of Tripura have been living in harmony for the last several decades. They (BJP) can't just divide the people. The Left and the CPI(M) will never allow to do that," he said.

Sarkar accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of slashing central funds for Tripura and other northeastern states.

"The central government has done away with the Planning Commission. It has slashed central funds for Tripura. They want to create an economic blockade-like situation. Some northeastern states which have BJP governments have toned down their protests as they have an understanding," he said.

Sarkar said he was confident that the people of Tripura would realise true intentions of the BJP very soon.

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Rahul Gandhi today flayed the BJP accusing it of attacking the country's Constitution and using lies for political benefits, while asserting that the central idea of the Congress party is truth.

Addressing a function here to mark the Congress's Foundation Day, he said his party may suffer or lose elections but would not give up truth.

"The Constitution is under attack by the BJP. It is our duty to defend the Constitution, to defend every single person's future," the Congress president said.

He also highlighted the Congress's "glorious" history, claiming the central idea of the party was truth and "we will continue to fight for it".

Continuing his attack on the ruling party, Gandhi said, "What is happening in in our country is a web of deceit. The BJP operates on the basic idea that a lie can be used for political benefits...We (the congress) might suffer or lose but we would not give up the truth," he said.

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi today accused the BJP of attacking India's Constitution and using lies for political benefits, while asserting that the truth and its defence were pivotal for his party.

Addressing a gathering at a function to mark the Congress' 133rd Foundation Day, Gandhi hit out at the BJP for weaving a "web of deceit" and said his party would defend the truth even if it suffered or lost elections.

Gandhi, who was appointed party president earlier this month, unfurled the Congress flag at the Congress headquarters in Akbar Road, a first for him. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior leaders, including Congress Working Committee (CWC) members, were present at the event.

Making a reference to Union minister Anantkumar Hegde's comment on amending the Constitution, but without naming him, the Congress president said one of the most important moments in India's history was the day it got its Constitution. And this was under attack now.

"Today, it is distressing to see that this document, the foundation of our country, given to us by the Congress party, given to us by Mr Ambedkar, is under attack.

"... Statements are being made by senior members of the BJP and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back. It is the duty of the Congress party, the duty of every single Indian, to defend the Constitution and every person's rights and views," he said.

The Congress president, who has been accusing the BJP for spreading lies, spoke of a "web of deceit" in the country. The BJP, he asserted, operates on the basic idea that a lie can be used for political benefit.

"And this is the difference between us and them," he said.

"We might suffer, we might not do well, we might even lose, but we will not give up the truth, we will defend the truth," Gandhi added.

He also highlighted the Congress' "glorious" history, stating that the party has been working in the interest of the country for over a century.

The central idea of the party was truth, he said. "We work with the truth, we fight for the truth."



Gandhi, who distributed sweets to children on the occasion, said the Congress had many achievements to its credit, achieved with the help and together with the Indian people.

The party was "jointly responsible" for bringing independence to the country, he said.

Hegde, the Union minister of state for skill development, reportedly said at a function in Karnataka that people should identify themselves with their religion and "those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity..." He also reportedly said, "We are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received "good" response to its special male sterilisation drive, with as many as 520 men undergoing vasectomy within a month, a civic health official said.

This single-month figure is more than the eleven month number of 390 males, who underwent the procedure between January and November this year.

The civic body had launched the special drive on November 21, which it had earlier planned for two weeks. However, since it evoked a good response, it was extended by two weeks.

But as the BMC is still witnessing a flow of men willing to undergo the surgery, it has decided to extend the exercise for some more time, the official said.

"What we could not achieve in the entire year (from January to November), we could witness in a month. We got more response from the people in the last four weeks," Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer of the BMC told PTI.

"From January to November, total 390 males underwent the vasectomy procedure. But when we launched our two-week drive from November 21, we started getting a good response. Therefore, we decided to extend it for two more weeks till December 23.

"So far, 520 men came forward, which is why we have now decided to continue our drive. Our door is open for them," she said.

Talking about the reasons that led to this rise, Keskar said this time all the administrative ward-level health employees had been given a target.

"We also asked male health workers to motivate the beneficiaries and it really worked," she said.

As per the figures provided by the BMC health department, the number of men undergoing vasectomy did not cross 1,000 annually in the last five years.

The civic authorities said that there is still misconception in the minds of people that the surgery would affect their physical strength and virility.

"These are only myths and the operation leaves no such adverse effect on them. It is a minimally-invasive surgery. It is safe, simple and is done in ten minutes. Most importantly, the patient is discharged within two hours of the operation," Keskar said.

Under the scheme launched by the Centre, an incentive of Rs 1,451 is given to each man, who undergoes the surgery. The BMC also offers Rs 200 to the motivator for each participant.

"If any participant comes on his own, then the BMC adds this reward amount in the Centre's incentive and he gets total Rs 1,651," she said.

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A book questioning the conviction of seven Christians in the sensational murder of Swami Laxmanananda in Odisha's Kandhamal in 2008, was today released by veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar.

The revised edition of Anto Akkara's book 'Who Killed Laxmanananda?' also challenged the "Christian conspiracy" theory behind the killing of VHP member Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.

"The book brings out the absurdities and discrepancies of the judgement convicting seven persons in the case wherein a document that later turned out to be forged is the only evidence," senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said at the book launch function here.

In the violence that followed the murder of Swami Laxmanananda, nearly 70-80 people were killed. Thousands of houses were burnt, but not even a single conviction took place in the past nine years, she said.

Swami Laxmanananda was killed at his ashram in Kandhamal on August 23, 2008, which led to a trail of violence against the Christians in the area.

Kuldip Nayar said a "soft kind of Hindutva" was spreading across the country that needed to be challenged by people, especially the younger generation.

CPI MP D Raja also expressed concern over an atmosphere of "hatred and fear" being spread through "cultural fascism" and called for fighting it to "save" the country.

The event was also attended by Congress leader Oscar Fernandes and John Dayal, secretary general of All India Christian Council.

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Cambodian police ruffled feathers today after they killed and ate 92 roosters seized earlier this month during a raid on an illegal cockfighting ring allegedly run by a relative of premier Hun Sen.

The birds were rounded up by police after they shuttered the two rural cockfighting dens on December 4 and arrested Hun Sen's nephew-in-law Thai Phany.

Thai Phany, a Cambodian-Australian citizen, was charged with running an illegal gambling operation - a rare legal move against a member of Hun Sen's powerful family.

But while the raids were welcomed in a country teeming with official corruption, a court order to slaughter all 92 birds set off a flurry of criticism today as netizens cried foul over the animals being given a harsher sentence than the people involved.

Scores of people were initially detained in the police raid, but most have since been released after receiving light suspended sentences, according to local media.

"Warrant to kill chickens! Where are the chicken owners, aren't they freed?" Hing Soksan wrote on Facebook, where photos of the slaughter have been circulating.

"The court's achievement by the end of 2017: death sentence for 92 fighting cocks," another Facebook user quipped about a justice system many decry as toothless against the graft underpinning Hun Sen's authoritarian regime.

Roeun Nara, Kandal province's deputy police chief, confirmed that the birds were killed yesterday following a warrant from the provincial court.

"We gave the chickens to our forces to eat," he told AFP, brushing off the online criticism.

The court document, seen by AFP today, said the slaughter was ordered "to prevent the offense from happening again and to speed up the investigation proceedings.

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The CBI today arrested a sub- inspector of Delhi Police for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1.20 lakh from a person who had complained against illegal construction in his area.

The man had complained to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation against an alleged illegal construction going on in the area.

CBI sources said the people allegedly involved in the illegal constructions had approached Vijay Kumar, who was the sub-inspector of the area, to put pressure on the complainant to withdraw it.

It is alleged that the people who were doing the construction had attacked the complainant in his house when he called Delhi Police on 100 number.

Kumar allegedly threatened the complainant that he would book him in extortion charges accusing him that he was making complaints of illegal constructions to extort money.

The complainant has alleged that Kumar demanded Rs five lakh from him and asked him to withdraw his complaints to the civic body and the police.

"After negotiation with the complainant, the SI allegedly settled for a bribe of Rs 2 lakh. The sub-inspector had also allegedly put pressure on the complainant to withdraw his complaint to the Delhi Police," CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said.

He said CBI laid a trap and caught the sub-inspector, posted at Krishna Nagar police station, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 1.20 from the complainant.

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A Central team today visited parts of Chennai and Kanyakumari districts to assess the damage caused by torrential rains and cyclone Ockhi.

While one group visited parts of Chennai and its neighbourhood, the otherheld discussions with fisherfolk in Kanyakumari, which was battered by Ockhi last month.

Members of the fishing and farming communities expressed their grievances to the team members.

Relatives of missing fishermen wanted the government to expedite search and rescue of the fishermen still missing in the aftermath of the cyclone.

Revenue Secretary B Chandramohan told reporters here that the team will continue their survey of the affected areas in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur till tomorrow.

The officials will study the extent of damage to roads, infrastructure, loss of lives and areas that faced inundation during the downpour in these districts.

It will later submit its report to the Centre, he added.

The Central team, headed by Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, is likely to meet Chief Minister K Palaniswami tomorrow.

The team members are drawn from various central ministries like Finance, Power and Water Resources, according to officials.

The state government had sought a central relief package of about Rs 9,300 crore from Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards taking up rehabilitation efforts in cyclone-hit areas of the state, including Kanyakumari, during his visit to the district post-Ockhi.

The state government had wanted the Centre to declare the cyclone as a "national disaster" on account of its "severity."



It sought Rs 5,255 crore assistance towards implementing permanent rehabilitation measures in Kanyakumari and another Rs 4,047 crore to cater to other parts of the state, including Chennai, affected by the north east monsoon.

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The parliament today passed two bills to repeal 245 obsolete and archaic laws, including the 158-year-old Calcutta Pilots Act of 1859 and Prevention of Seditious Meeting Act, 1911.

Replying to a debate, Minister of State for Law and Justice P P Chaudhary said the Centre was bringing reforms in the legal system by repealing all obsolete laws.

He said the government has identified 1,824 laws that required repeal.

The government is repealing 245 more obsolete laws through these two bills, he said.

On a demand made by Congress member Rajeev Gowda regarding amendments in Section 377 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), the minister said his suggestion would be examined. Gowda was demanding to decriminalise consensual sexual acts between members of the same sex by amending Section 377.

Some of the old acts that have been repealed are the 'Hackney Carriage Act, 1879' which was legislated for regulation and control of hackney carriages; and the 'Dramatic Performance Act, 1876' when theatre was used as a medium of protest against the British rule.

Another such old act repealed by the Parliament is the 'Ganges Tolls Act, 1867' which provided for collecting toll "not exceeding 12 annas" on certain boats and steamers plying on the Ganga to improve navigation of the river between Allahabad (UP) and Dinapore (Bihar).

After the Modi government came to power, Chaudhary said a two-member panel was set up to look into the repealing of archaic laws, and the panel also consulted the Centre and the state government as well as administrative departments before recommending the legislations to be repealed.

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Six persons, including four government officials have been awarded four-year jail term by a Delhi court in a scam related to 135 cooperative group housing societies.

Special Judge Virender Bhatt awarded the sentence and imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on each convict, including an auditor of Registrar of Co-operative Societies (RCS), for reviving a defunct society in north west Delhi to hoodwink the DDA into allotting them a plot between 2003 and 2005.

The court held officials of RCS - Faiz Mohd, the then Dealing Assistant, Ram Nath, the then Inspector Grade-II, P K Thirwani, the then Auditor and B S Aswal, the then lower division clerk (LDC) guilty of abusing their official positions under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The two individuals- Srichand and Anna Wankhede - were convicted of cheating and forgery under the IPC.

According to the CBI, the matter related to fraudulent revival of Sri Madhuvana CGHS Ltd cooperative housing society, one out of 135 Cooperative Group Housing Societies under the scanner, in which a charge sheet was filed in 2007.

The society which was registered in 1972, soon became non functional and was placed under liquidation due to non observation of statutory requirements in March 1979.

The probe agency alleged that the accused persons had entered into criminal conspiracy in order to fraudulently revive Sri Madhuvana on the basis of forged documents and cheat DDA by gross abuse of their official positions.

Two other accused in the case - Narayan Diwakar, the then Registrar of Cooperative Societies and D N Sharma, the then Assistant Registrar, were discharged by the court in 2015 due to lack of evidence against them with the court saying "prima facie no offence was made out".

"The CBI has succeeded in proving beyond reasonable doubt that these four accused Faiz Mohd, Ram Nath, B S Aswal and P K Thirwani have abused their position as public servants in order to ensure pecuniary advantage for accused Srichand without any public interest," the court said.

During the proceedings, all the accused had denied the allegations and claimed innocence.

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Nepal has signed an agreement with a Chinese cement company to invest USD 140 million to set up a plant in the country's Dhading district, according to officials.

Huaxin Cement, the Chinese government-owned entity, yesterday signed the investment agreement with the Investment Board Nepal (IBN).

IBN CEO Maha Prasad Adhikari and Liu Jianguo, Director of Huaxin Cement, signed the agreement to invest USD 140 million to set up the cement plant in Nepal, the officials said.

Following the agreement, the IBN needs to submit the company's investment proposal to the IBN board headed by the Prime Minister of Nepal for final approval.

The foreign direct investment (FDI) proposal of Huaxin Cement needs to be approved by the IBN board to materialise the investment.

The cement manufacturer has already obtained the limestone mining licence through competitive bidding and paid NRs 600 million for the mine located at Panikharka of Dhading district.

Huaxin Cement has submitted its plan to manufacture 3,000 tonnes of cement every day, which will be the second largest cement plant in the country.

In recent years, Chinese joint ventures have been making big investments in various sectors in Nepal making the northern neighbour the largest foreign direct investor in the Himalayan country.

Earlier this year, Nepal government had approved the FDI proposal worth USD 360 million made by China's Hongshi Holdings Ltd that has joint venture with Nepali cement manufacturer Shivam Cement and it is all set to start production.

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Model Chrissy Teigen and John Legend had a travel disaster when their flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo was turned back four hours into the journey.

The plane returned to LAX after a passenger was found to have boarded with the wrong ticket.

"A flying first for me: 4 hours into an 11 hour flight and we are turning around because we have a passenger who isnt supposed to be on this plane," she tweeted.

"Why... Why do we all gotta go back, I do not know," she added.

The couple was on a direct All Nippon Airways flight, while the person who boarded the wrong plane had a United Airlines ticket.

"I won't be able to sleep until I know how this person figured out they were on the wrong flight. That's all I ask. 150 people have been majorly inconvenienced, please, just tell me.

"They keep saying the person had a United ticket. We are on ANA. So basically the boarding pass scanner is just a beedoop machine that makes beedoop noises that register to nowhere," she said.

Hours later, All Nippon Airways apologised to the passengers of the flight in a statement for the inconvenience caused to them.

"We apologise to all of our passengers on Flight 175; we failed to deliver the customer service we strive for. Thank you all for your comments and allowing us to connect, learn and serve you better. We welcome ongoing feedback to understand how we can work to make this right," the airlines tweeted.

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The Congress today appointed its general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot and another leader Jitendra Singh as the party's observers for electing the leader of the legislature party in the coastal state.

The party also appointed AICC general secretary in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Sushilkumar Shinde and party leader Balasaheb Thorat as observers for the CLP leader's selection in Himachal Pradesh, AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.

The observers will oversee the selection of CLP leaders at respective meetings of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in both the state.

The Congress lost both the states to the BJP in the elections held recently. While Congress failed to oust the BJP from Gujarat even after 22 years of its rule, it lost power in Himachal Pradesh.

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A special NIA court, while ordering that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and other accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case will stand trial on terror charges, has said it was accepting the agency's contention that they wanted to establish a "Hindu Rashtra" and the blast was a step towards achieving this goal.

Special Judge S D Tekale in the 130-page order, which was made available today, said there was insufficient material to charge the accused under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

The court said that while the accused would not be charged under the MCOCA, they would face trial under sections 16 (committing/organizing a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (causing grievous hurt to others) of Indian Penal Code and under the Explosive Substances Act.

Of the 13 accused named by the prosecution, two are still absconding.

The court yesterday discharged three accused Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Pravin Takkalki - from all the charges levelled against them and said it was accepting the NIA's decision to "absolve them" from the case due to insufficient evidence against them.

The court said two accused Rakesh Dhawde and Jagdish Mhatre shall be tried only under the Arms Act before courts in Pune and Thane.

"At this prima facie stage, safe conclusion can be drawn from the statement of witness number 184 that in the Bhopal meeting (where the alleged conspiracy was hatched) Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhakar Chaturvedi were present."



"There was discussion about growing Jihadi activities in Aurangabad and Malegaon and Purohit expressed his opinion to do something for its prevention by expanding Abhinav Bharat Sanghatna in the said area," the court said.

The court said it was accepting the NIA counsel's submission that the accused persons had made conspiracy to establish a 'Hindu Rashtra' and the conspiracy to cause bomb blast was one step towards the objective of the accused.

The court used strong words in holding that the prime accused must remain to be charged under sections 16, and 18 of the UAPA for conspiring for and committing a terrorist activity.

"The blast took place near a mosque during the holy month of Ramzan. If the place and the timing of the blast is considered at this prima facie stage in the background of available evidence in the form of transcripts (from the conspiracy meetings), witness statements etc., it has to be said that the bomb blast was caused with the intention of threatening the unity of the public by targeting a particular community," it said.

"The intention to take revenge against an individual is one thing, but the intention to take revenge against people belonging to a particular religion is another. The latter shows the intention to strike terror among people, or among a certain section of people," it said.

The court observed that while his predecessor had discharged all the accused from MCOCA charges in the past, the high court, while hearing an appeal by Maharashtra government, had ordered for MCOCA charges to be reapplied.

"The high court ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court. However, the apex court in its order observed that except accused number 7 (Rakesh Dhawde) there is no material to show that the remaining accused persons had nexus with co-accused or with the crime pertaining to the Jalna and Parbhani cases," the court said in its order.

"The apex court had said it would not like to get into the issue of applicability of MCOCA at that stage since NIA investigation was still on. However, now NIA has completed its probe and has come to the conclusion that the charges of MCOCA cannot be applied against the accused in this case," it said.

The court noted that Dhawde was shown as an accused in the Jalna and Parbhani blast cases only after his arrest in the Malegaon blast case.

During 2003-04, when the Jalna and Parbhani blasts took place, there is no record or material to show that Abhinav Bharat was in existence or that Dhawde was even in touch with the other accused in the Malegaon blast case, it said.

"In such circumstances, it cannot be said that the accused persons including Dhawde committed the act in Parbhani and Jalna case as a member or on behalf of a crime syndicate that is Abhinav Bharat," the court said.

"In view of all this, I hold that all accused persons are entitled to be discharged from the offences under MCOCA as there is no sufficient ground to proceed against them under the said Act," the court said.

The court noted that in all the meetings held, prima facie it appears that Purohit was acting as a leader and chairperson of the meeting and that his superiors in the Army did not have any knowledge of this.

The court dismissed NIA's and Sadhvi's claims that the latter had sold her motorbike that was later used to plant the explosive device for the blast.

The court said Thakur was still shown as the registered owner of the bike and thus, despite her claims that she had sold it to someone else long before the incident, it was for the Sadhvi to prove that she had no knowledge of where the bike was.

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Import of asbestos, considered as a health hazard, from countries like China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Brazil has declined in the last three financial years, Parliament was informed today.

White asbestos is used for various purposes like asbestos cement pipes, roofing, asbestos-based manufacturing of items like brake linings etc and India's requirement for the material is met through imports as mining of the same is banned in the country on health grounds, Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha.

However, as per the information from Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics and Indian Bureau of Mines for previous three fiscals and April-September of FY18, it can be seen there is continuous decline in import of asbestos from supplying countries, he added.

Total asbestos import from Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, China and other countries dropped to 310,570 tonnes in 2016-17 from 396,470 tonne in 2014-15 and 355,660 tonnes in 2015-16.

The minister said that during April-September of the ongoing fiscal, India imported just 162,740 tonnes of asbestos.

To another query related to whether the government proposes to curb imports of the "deadly material of asbestos", Chaudhary said information in this regard is not held in the Mines Ministry since import/export of minerals is regulated through EXIM policy of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

However, steps have been taken for regulation and safe use of asbestos in India.

Banning of grant of fresh mining leases and renewal of existing mining leases for asbestos on health grounds are among some of the measures taken by the government, he added.

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Alastair Cook neared a double century as he profited on his second drop by Steve Smith to guide England to a 33-run innings lead on day three of the fourth Ashes Test today.

The veteran opener, back in the runs after a lean run, had a let-off on 153 to reach 173 not out at tea in Melbourne, with England 360 for six.

Batting partner Chris Woakes (26) put the tourists in front with a single off Nathan Lyon 40 minutes before the break as England ratcheted up the pressure on Australia, who have already secured the series with an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Smith, who dropped Cook on 66 in the slips on Wednesday, put down the former England skipper for the second time in a sharp right-handed chance at square leg off Pat Cummins to continue his misery.

Smith was reported to be suffering from a stomach complaint, similar to one that inflicted Cummins on Wednesday, and which took the skipper briefly from the field early in the day.

But it was all about Cook as he scored 150 or more for the 11th time in Tests to climb to the seventh-highest run scorer in Tests behind Sachin Tendulkar.

At tea, Cook had batted for 487 minutes and faced 319 balls in his 32nd Test century and was grinding away at Australia's bowlers on a featherbed MCG pitch.

England lost two wickets in the middle session with Jonny Bairstow caught behind off Lyon for 22 and Moeen Ali lashing out for 20.

Moeen took on Lyon and was almost caught on the boundary rope by Cummins before the ball landed over the ropes for six.

Moeen continued to live on the edge before he found Shaun Marsh at short extra cover off Lyon to end his 14-ball cameo.

It was the sixth time in seven innings in the series that Moeen had been dismissed by fellow off-spinner Lyon.

- Captain hook -



================



Captain Joe Root yet again failed to convert a half- century into three figures when he top-edged a hook shot off Cummins to Lyon at deep square leg in the morning session.

Root reached his third half-century of the series but was clearly furious with himself when he holed out on 61.

Root, playing in his 64th Test, has a 27 percent conversion rate of Test 50s to 100s.

Dawid Malan, a century-maker in the third Test in Perth, was then out leg before wicket with Josh Hazlewood's second delivery of the second new ball for 14.

Malan conferred with Cook before deciding not to review, yet replays showed a distinct 'hot spot' nick on his bat which would have kept him at the crease if he had challenged the decision.

It follows James Vince's similar dismissal on Wednesday to Hazlewood for 17, when he also did not seek a review despite 'hot spot' showing a mark on his bat.

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Dubai-based Pluto Exchange today launched a pin-secured mobile application for Indian traders who are keen to trade in Bitcoin virtual currency.

The app is different from other such platforms because the transaction happen through mobile-number-to-mobile number than the Bitcoin-to- Bitcoin-address, Pluto Exchange founder and Chief Executive Officer Bharat Verma said.

The company claimed that it is the first app-based wallet that enable Bitcoin transactions using mobile numbers.

Even as Bitcoin has touched new highs recently fuelling investor interest, the Reserve Bank has warned the public of the risks of virtual currencies (VCs).

There is no underlying or backing of any asset for VCs and as such, their value seems to be a matter of speculation, the RBI has said warning that users are exposed to potential losses on account of such volatility in value.

Pluto Exchange said that all other apps which are already in market do transaction of Bitcoin to Bitcoin addresses.

"Pluto Exchange is going to change this scenario and do all transactions using mobile numbers only. By just using a 4 -digit pin, users can buy, sell, store and spend Bitcoin using mobile number," the company said at the launch of the app.

Users will be able to do financial transactions like payments, remittances, payroll deposit, B2B commerce, supply- chain finance, loyalty programmes, asset management and trading and other on-demand services.

"Our company is bringing new initiatives that will increase the pros and decrease the cons of investing. This app will let everyone do easy transactions of Bitcoins from their mobile numbers only," Verma said.

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The Rajya Sabha today witnessed uproarious scenes and two adjournments in the morning over a union minister's controversial remarks, even as Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he was examining a privilege notice given by a BJP member against Congress President .

"The notice given by (BJP member) Bhupender Yadav regarding a privilege motion is before me. I have to examine it and then take a view... I will be going through the privilege motion and take an appropriate decision," Naidu said as the House assembled after a brief adjournment.

The House was adjourned in the pre-noon session as the main opposition Congress continued protests over Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde's controversial remarks on secularism and changing the Constitution.

Naidu reminded the members that a "solemn agreement" has been reached between the Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and the Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and all other members had also endorsed it.

"Anybody outside commenting on that agreement is not fair and good for the House and for the system also. Anyhow, whatever it is, I will be going through the privilege motion and take an appropriate decision," he said.

During the Zero Hour, Yadav said he has given a notice under Rule 187 and alleged that the Congress President had "intentionally, maliciously and disrespectfully twisted" name of Jaitley in a tweet.

"I want to say that the way he has tweeted the name of the Leader of the House falls under the category of privilege," the BJP member said and sought a ruling from the Chair on the notice.

At that point, the Chairman said no member should take the name of person who is not present in the House and who cannot defend himself against a charge or an allegation or an issue raised against him. "That is the rule position, which is very clear," Naidu said.

Azad raised the issue relating to Hegde's remarks and sought to know "whether he continues to be a Minister and how he can continue to be as a Minister".

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said "Hegde has clarified in Lok Sabha that his remarks were twisted and he respects Baba Saheb Ambedkar. He has also expressed regret if his statement has hurt the sentiments of anyone ... after his clarification, there is no issue left".

As the Congress continued to raise the issue, Naidu adjourned the House till noon.

Yesterday after a prolonged impasse, the Rajya Sabha had passed two important bills after the government and opposition reached an understanding on Prime Minister's Narendra Modi remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

Naidu berated them saying it was important that the questions are taken up and the opposition members were violating rules.

Congress member B K Hariprasad responded that the members were only violating rules while a minister was violating the Constitution.

An angry Naidu said since Hariprasad has himself admitted to violating rules, he would have to think what action can be taken against him.

Later, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said he had not sought an apology from Hariprasad and had asked him to express regret. "If that also he is not doing, I have no complaints. I have brought this matter to the member and if he doesn't do it, it is up to him," Kurien said.

Naidu's attempts to continue the Question Hour did not deter the Congress members from protesting as several of them trooped into the Well shouting slogans.

Treasury bench members including BJP chief Amit Shah watched as union minister Vijay Goel said the House to which Hegde belonged was functioning while Rajya Sabha was finding it difficult to transact business.

Amid uproar, Naidu said it is becoming a serious issue, adding "the name of the Leader of the House was also taken. Comments were made against the Prime Minister. Let us not complicate the issue further".

As the protests continued, Naidu said the scenes of disruption would not be telecast. As there was no let up in the protests, Naidu adjourned proceedings till 2 PM.

Earlier in the day, the Chairman had even said that outside, people are feeling that Parliament is not doing its business, particularly Rajya Sabha, and Bills are not taken up. "It is sending a wrong message," he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today appealed for an improved performance by cities in Maharashtra in the upcoming Swachh Survekshan 2018.

Fadnavis was speaking at a meeting to review preparedness of cities in the state for the Swachh Survekshan 2018 that will rank urban and rural areas in the country based on cleanliness.

The meeting was attended by mayors and commissioners of several municipal corporations.

Fadnavis has directed that all "Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation" (AMRUT) cities from Maharashtra must rank in the top 100 cities of India in the Swachh Bharat survey, said a statement from the Chief MInister's office.

He announced prizes of Rs 20 crore for the AMRUT city which ranks among the top three and Rs 15 crore for cities that obtain ranks between 4th to 10th in the survey.

The prize money for non-AMRUT cities that will achieve these ranks is Rs 15 crore and Rs 10 crore respectively.

A non-AMRUT city that ranks between 11 to 15 will get a reward of Rs 5 crore, the statement said.

Fadnavis also announced a "Swachh Ward" competition across Maharashtra with the top three clean wards from A and B category local bodies getting Rs 50 lakh, Rs 30 lakh and Rs 20 lakh respectively.

The prize money for the top three clean wards in C and D category local bodies has been set at Rs 30 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively.

Fadnavis also asked for more effort and involvement of elected representatives, public and the administration to improve the ranking of cities as compared to last year.

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Stock market finished lower in a fluctuating session today amid expiry of December derivatives contracts and on fears that the government going in for additional borrowing could upset the applecart.

The government has decided to make an additional borrowing of Rs 50,000 crore this fiscal through dated securities, a move that may risk the target of breaching 3.2 per cent of GDP.

But the finance ministry maintained that there will be no change in net borrowing as envisaged in the Budget for 2017- 18, which soothed the frayed nerves a bit.

The 30-share Sensex, after touching the day's high of 34,023.65, succumbed to profit-booking and settled lower by 63.78 points, or 0.19 per cent, at 33,848.03. The gauge had lost 99 points in the previous session.

The 50-share NSE Nifty also ended down 12.85 points, or 0.12 per cent, at 10,477.90. Intra-day, it shuttled between 10,534.55 and 10,460.45.

"Market remained range-bound on the expiry day due to lingering concerns on fiscal slippage on account of the government's additional borrowing plan and shortfall in indirect tax collection. Investors used every rally as an opportunity to sell. Rich valuation and lack of fresh triggers may lead the market to a consolidation phase," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

The end of December series contracts in the derivatives segment and a mixed trend in global after an oil rally made investors wait and watch.

Till today's expiry in December, the Sensex was up by 698.68 points, or 2.10 per cent, and the Nifty 251.35 points, or 2.45 per cent.

From the Sensex bloc, SBI lost the most by plunging 1.86 per cent, followed by Hero MotoCorp and Sun Pharma.

Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold equities worth a net Rs 206.68 crore while foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 172.32 crore yesterday, as per provisional data.

The overall losses rose because of weakness in heavyweight Adani Ports, PowerGrid and NTPC, which slumped by up to 1.35 per cent.

Axis Bank dived 1.29 per cent after market regulator Sebi ordered the lender to conduct a probe into the alleged price- sensitive data leak.

Metal stocks ran up on the back of firm demand in China. Tata Steel was at the front, with a climb of 1.78 per cent.

Dr Reddy's climbed 1.30 per cent today on receiving approval from the US health regulator for a drug that reduces blood phenylalanine.

Reliance Communications today added to its previous gains, soaring 7.72 per cent, as investor sentiment remained upbeat following the announcement of its debt resolution plan. It had jumped 65.52 per cent in the previous two sessions.

Broader broke with the trend, with small-cap and mid-cap indices rising up to 0.32 per cent.

Sector-wise, selling was maximum in the BSE PSU index, down 0.77 per cent, followed by oil and gas, auto, bank, healthcare and FMCG.

Realty, metal and IT managed to close in the green.
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has asked Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju to explore a regulatory regime for single-engine seaplanes with a view to facilitating introduction of such planes in the country, an official said.

"The minister has requested the civil aviation minister to explore a regulatory regime for single engine seaplanes, keeping in mind all safety aspects," an official said.

The development comes against the backdrop of Gadkari along with Raju riding the trial run of seaplanes by budget carrier SpiceJet at the Girgaum Chowpatty off the Mumbai coast on December 9.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 12 also flew in a seaplane from the Sabarmati River to Dharoi Dam in Mehsana district on the last day of campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly elections.

As of now the regulatory regime in India allows twin- engine seaplanes to be used for scheduled commercial operations.

The official said globally there is a move towards allowing single-engine seaplanes to be used for scheduled commercial operations.

"It has been gathered that the European regulator is actively considering coming out with regulatory guidelines for these operations. The Indian regulator is also looking at regulatory regime along these lines for single engine seaplanes considering all safety aspects," the official added.

The official said commercial operations of seaplanes will require a regulatory regime, aircraft and infrastructure in the form of waterdrome.

"The waterdrome will have some infrastructure which would be water-based and other infrastructure such as scanning and x-ray machines which would be land-based," the official added.

The shipping ministry is looking at developing infrastructure which would meet the regulatory requirements on the water including platforms, jetties and navigational aids.

Hours after the prime minister travelled in India's first sea-plane, Gadkari said this mode would revolutionise the transport sector of the country.

Gadkari, who holds multiple portfolios of road, transport, highways, shipping, water resources and Ganga rejuvenation, had also said his ministry and the civil aviation ministry will frame rules for such form of transport on the lines of regulations in Canada, the US and Japan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 17-year-old girl attempted suicide by setting herself ablaze after being harassed by three men in a village in Gorakhpur district, a police officer said today.

The girl, a Class IX student at a school in Mumbai, had come to her village Semra Buzurg 10 days ago on vacation where three youngsters identified as Rahul, Amit and Arjun harassed her, the officer said.

The teenager's mother had complained about the misconduct to the mother of one of the accused yesterday, after which a heated argument ensued between the two families which turned into a scuffle, he said.

Saddened over the incident, the girl sprinkled kerosene and set herself ablaze, the officer said.

The teenager, who suffered 50 per cent burn injuries, was admitted to a nearby hospital, he said, adding that the two of the three accused were arrested.

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The government does not want Air India to become defunct like the Kingfisher Airlines, promoted by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and wants it to serve the nation, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said on Thursday.

The government does not want anyone working in Air India to lose job, Raju said in the Lok Sabha, adding that the disinvestment process of the carrier has been initiated.

"Nobody wants anyone to become unemployed. We don't want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way. We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high," he said during the Question Hour.

The minister said a ministerial committee headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is looking into the matter of disinvestment of Air India and anyone, including MPs, are welcome to give their suggestions to this panel.

On June 28, the Union Cabinet had cleared disinvestment of debt-laden Air India but the final modalities, including the quantum of stake sale, would be decided by a group of ministers headed by the finance minister.

Surviving on taxpayers' money, Air India has been in the red for long and various proposals, including government think-tank Niti Aayog's recommendation for complete privatisation, have been made.

The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore and is surviving on a Rs 30,000 crore bailout package extended by the erstwhile UPA government in 2012.

The Kingfisher Airlines was established in 2003 by Mallya. The air carrier was suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation after it failed to address the regulator's concerns about its operations.

Kingfisher Airlines also defaulted on loans from various Indian banks amounting to Rs 9,000 crore. Mallya left the country for the UK after failing to repay the debt.
The government today tabled a bill in Lok Sabha to make instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, calling it a "historic day" for Muslim women amid mixed support from the opposition.

Fulfilling its electoral promise, the BJP-led government moved swiftly to draft the legislation following a Supreme Court order in August, striking down the practice as illegal. It had asked the government to come up with a legislation within six months.

"It is a historic day. We are making history today," Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the House after tabling the bill.

While not everyone was happy, especially regional and Muslim parties, the Congress said it supports the bill but with strengthened safeguards for divorced Muslim women. It asked for the bill to be sent to a Standing Committee, instead of being voted on today itself.

Members from RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, saing it is arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi said that while the bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat."



The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e- biddat' and gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children.

The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be illegal and void.

The proposed law would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir. It would make instant talaq punishable by a jail term of upto three years and a fine, and would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence.

Members from Congress and the Left were not allowed to speak on the bill as they had not given notice. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav was also seen opposing the bill.

Although Congress supported the bill, senior leader Salman Khurshid, a former law minister, said the proposed law is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals, and would bring the civil issue of divorce into the realm of criminal law.

The TMC, which had opposed the draft bill earlier, was silent. JPN Yadav of RJD questioned the proposed three-year jail term. Muslim League's E T Mohammed Bashir said the proposed law was violative of personal laws and was a politically motivated move.

B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was "faulty and "flawed". He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat'.

Soon after the introduction of the bill was approved, Prasad wondered whether Parliament can remain silent if the fundamental rights of women were being trampled upon.

He said the legislation was not aimed against any religion but was framed to provide a sense of justice, security and honour to women.

He said the law was required as even after the Supreme Court had struck down the practice of 'talaq-e-biddat' in August, it was continuing. He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.

Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said after some opposition members claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said today that the Centre was taking steps to reduce vehicle emissions and promote green mobility, and attacked the Delhi government for not taking steps to deal with the rising air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Vardhan said the Union government was doing its best to reduce pollution levels but there was a need to create a mass movement involving people from all walks of life, including the youth.

"Government of India is doing its best what can be done regarding the matter. The work done in last three years is more than what has been done earlier," he said, replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the air pollution situation.

The pollution levels did not touch the severe category on 214 days this year, compared to 181 days in 2016, due to the proactive steps taken by the central government, he said.

He said while the Centre was working to tackle the problem, the Delhi government has lacked in taking proactive measures to combat the problem.

"There are certain critical issues like water sprinkling to curtail air pollution. Likewise, landfill sites are not being maintained properly," Vardhan said criticising Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal government.

He said the Delhi government was not following guidelines to manage solid waste and dust mitigation.

Earlier today, participating in the debate, Rajiv Shukla of the Congress said heavy vehicles should be taxed more in order to discourage people from buying such models.

"The money generated through such measures should be diverted into strengthening public transport," he said.

Cutting across the party lines, Rajya Sabha members sought concerted efforts by the government to deal with rising pollution levels in Delhi and its adjoining areas.

The members also asked the government to refrain from putting the blame on farmers for causing pollution by burning stubble or husk after harvest and suggested steps to help the farmers for proper disposals of this agriculture residue.

Initiating a short duration discussion, SP leader Naresh Agarwal said, "farmers are blamed for causing pollution by burning stubble/husk. The government should take steps to deal with the situation rather than blaming farmers because vehicle /industrial emissions and others area also the reasons for it."



Referring to the 12-point charter unveiled by the government to deal with the issue, Agarwal said that pollution will not come down just because the government would give directions to states or departments.

He expressed unhappiness over the non-spending of Rs 800 crore cess collected in the name of by the Delhi government as it said it does not have the right to spend the money.

Agarwal said the government should not refrain from taking steps to curb pollution because of fear of media criticism.

T S Reddy (Congress) also expressed dissatisfaction over the government's 12-point charter to deal with the issue, saying he wanted to understand the 12 points charter. He drew attention towards solid waste management saying garbage was being dumped in an improper manner.

Referring to the government's plan to use electric cars for officials, he said there was a need for an electric public transport system, including buses and metro rail, to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

He was also of the view that the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan should take steps to deal with stubble burning after harvest.

A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) also echoed similar views and asked the chair to consider conducting Parliament session in winters in Chennai where pollution levels are low.

Derek O Brien (TMC) said a large number of lives have been lost due to pollution and suggested that the government should also look at other metropolitans and small town to deal with the problem there.

He suggested that the government can ask people to plant one sapling on the birth of every girl child as practiced in West Bengal, where 15 lakh saplings have been planted.

Prasanna Acharya ((BJD) and Harivansh (JDU) expressed similar views and asked the government to take steps to deal with the problem, instead of blaming farmers.

C P Narayanan (CPI-M) said people of Delhi were suffering from pollution due to lack of coordination among the Centre, state governments and local government. He also spoke about the need to educate people on waste management.

Veer Singh (BSP) suggested that industrial units should be shifted from the national capital and action should be taken against big farmers for burning crop residues.

D Raja of the CPI said air pollution was a health issue and was not limited to Delhi alone and suggested that public transport should be encouraged and massive efforts should be taken to shift towards cleaner fuel. Raja said farmers should be given subsidy for adopting to to new technology to re- plough crop residues in the field.

INLD member Ram Kumar Kashyap said trees should be planted to tackle pollution, while Pratap Singh Bajwa (Congress) urged political parties to make Delhi liveable by forgetting their differences. On crop residue burning, he said farmers would have to incur additional cost to remove residues and they should be adequately compensated.

Satyanarayan Jatia (BJP) said pollution levels have increased and there was a need to find a solution, while Kanimozhi (DMK) said the pollution problem was not only in Delhi but also in other cities of the country. Many cities of Tamil Nadu were facing similar situation because of industrial pollution, she said, adding that emission norms should be adhered to.

The DMK member said farmers should be given alternate choice so that they stop burning of crop residues. The government should not intervene and help farmers, she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Haryana Enterprise Promotion Board (HEPB) today approved seven investment proposals worth Rs 1,587 crore, including those of Panasonic India and Kandhari Beverages, which had sought special incentive package under the Enterprise Promotion Policy.

The HEPB, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today, recommended package of incentives for projects "Panasonic India, Enrich Agro, Kandhari Beverages, Star wire (India) Limited, Gurutech Infra Earth Private Limited, Atotech Development Center Private Limited and KAP CONES Private Limited."



Total investment of Rs 1,587 crore, having employment potential of 2,200 persons, would be on ground very soon across the districts such as Panchkula, Rewari, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Ambala, Faridabad and Gurugram, an official release said here.

Further, one of the objectives to attract the investment in thrust sector also would be met through these investment which is proposed across the sector such as R and D, Food Processing, Electronic System Design and Manufacturing and Component Manufacturing for aerospace and defence sector, it said.

Meanwhile, it was informed in the meeting that HEPB has granted more than 6,000 clearances through invest-Haryana portal and 4,820 Composite Application Forms (CAFs) have been submitted catalysing potential investment of Rs 1,28,550 crore and employment to 6,67,606 persons.

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The civil aviation ministry is pitching for bringing aviation turbine fuel (ATF) under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, Parliament was informed today.

Currently, jet fuel or ATF is not under the GST ambit and the levy on it varies from state to state.

"This (civil aviation) ministry has requested ministry of finance to include aviation turbine fuel in the ambit of GST regime with full input tax credit at the earliest possible," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

Jet fuel accounts for a significant chunk of an airline's operational costs which also has an impact on air ticket prices.

To a query on whether the Jammu & Kashmir government had brought it to the notice of the aviation ministry that the airfares to destinations in the state are irrationally exorbitant, particularly during winter, Sinha said his ministry has received a communication on the issue.

"This ministry had received a communication from the Jammu & Kashmir government requesting regulation of airfares of carriers operating in the Jammu and Srinagar sectors so that price stability is brought about and the cost of air travel is controlled within reasonable limits," he said in his reply.

"In response it has been highlighted by the ministry that the airlines are free to fix reasonable tariff under the provisions... keeping in mind, inter alia, the market, demand, seasonality, and other market forces," the junior minister said.

Some airlines offer discounted airfares on advance bookings under various schemes even during peak seasons, the minister said, adding "airlines remain compliant with the regulations as long as the airfare charged by them does not exceed the displayed fare structure on their website."



Replying to a question on steps being taken by the ministry to reduce noise pollution in areas near airports across the country, Sinha said various steps have been taken, which include proper land use planning in the airport vicinity, continuous descent approach, mixed mode runway operations, restriction on auxiliary power units/ ground power units at airports, restriction on ground run-up of engines, phasing out of Chapter-2 aircraft, and noise monitoring at major airports.

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Seven women, who accused Hollywood veteran Dustin Hoffman of sexual harassment and misconduct, have thanked popular TV host John Oliver for confronting the actor over their allegations.

Oliver had got into a heated argument with the "Kramer vs Kramer" actor over the allegations against Hoffman at a film panel during the screening of the political drama "Wag the Dog".

The women wrote a letter, which was tweeted by author Anna Graham Hunter, the first women to accuse Hoffman of sexual harassment. It has been signed by Hunter, Wendy Riss Gatsiounis, Kathryn Rossetter, Melissa Kester, Cori Thomas and two anonymous women.

"We want to thank you for confronting Dustin Hoffman. While the questions you asked may not have led to the constructive conversation you hoped for, the fact that you asked them at all is what matters most. Many men listen to and believe women when we recount our experiences of sexual harassment and assault," they said in the letter.

"But few men put themselves at risk socially or professionally to have uncomfortable conversations with other men. Women can continue to tell our stories, but ultimately, change will depend on men reflecting on their own behavior and challenging other men to do the same," they added.

The letter comes days after Oliver expressed regret over the outcome of his "failed" face-off with Hoffman.

"It didn't really go anywhere constructive, so the whole thing just made me feel sad," he had said.

Last month, in an article written for The Hollywood Reporter, Hunter opened up about her encounter with Hoffman when she was a minor.

Hoffman responded to the story, saying, "I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am."



Since then more women have come forward and narrated their encounters with Hoffman during which he misbehaved with them.

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Highlighting the Doklam standoff as its major achievement of international cooperation this year, the Chinese military today said India should "strictly control" its troops and implement border agreements to maintain peace and stability along the border.

Chinese Defence Spokesman Col Ren Guoqiang said the highlights of his country's international military cooperation in 2017 included handling 'hotspot issues' like Doklam.

This year, under the unified deployment, the military has "resolutely" safeguarded China's sovereignty and security interests, Col Ren told media here.

The Chinese military has "played its due role in the handling of the hotspot issues such as the Sino-Indian confrontation in the Donglang (Doklam) area and safeguarded the China's rights and interests in the South China Sea," he said in response to a question.

The Doklam standoff began on June 16 after the People's Liberation Army (PLA) began building a road in area claimed by Bhutan. The Indian troops intervened to stop the road as it posed a security risk to Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states.

The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops.

The 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control between India and China covers from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

When asked how Chinese military view its relations with its Indian counterpart in 2018 in the backdrop of the Doklam standoff, Col Ren said India should implement the border agreements and control its troops.

"We hope the Indian side can earnestly implement the relevant agreements reached between the two sides on the border issue and strictly control its border defence troops and do more for the positive development of China-India military-to-military relationship," he said.

During the border talks, the first since the 73-day-long military standoff in Doklam, in Delhi on December 22 between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi, both sides stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability along the border, Ren said.

"As far as we know both sides have agreed that it is important to maintain peace stability along India-China border and create favourable conditions for further development of bilateral relationship, which has provided a good environment and good momentum for the continued enhancement of China and India relationship," he said.

In terms of China and India military-to-military relationship, it is important to have strategic communication and push forward healthy development of ties between the two militaries, Col Ren said.

"We hope Indian side walk towards the same direction as the Chinese side and both sides can push forward the development of the relationship and jointly maintain the peace and stability along the China-India border which is in the interest of both sides," he said.

About a recent incident in which an Indian drone crashed on the Chinese side in the Sikkim sector, Col Ren declined to reveal details and whether the parts of the drone recovered by Chinese troops have been handed back to India.

"It is our position that India should have learnt lesson from the incident," he said.

On December 7, China had lodged a diplomatic protest with India claiming that an Indian drone has "intruded" into its airspace and crashed in the Sikkim section of the border which included Doklam.

India has clarified that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle had developed a technical snag and asked China to return it.

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India today slammed Pakistan for making "absurd" charges of a chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the footwear of the wife of imprisoned Indian Kulbhushan Jadhav and said Islambad was on to a mischief after showing discourtesy towards his family.

Making a statement on the meeting of Jadhav with his wife and mother in Islamabad earlier this week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said it came after 22 months and was "misused by Pakistan as an instrument to further its propaganda."



Jadhav's mother and wife were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the accompanying Deputy High Comissioner of India, stripped of their bindi, bangles and 'mangalsutra', made to change into different clothes and wear slippers by discarding their shoes, she said.

Swaraj emphasised that both the wife and the mother were asked to remove their bindis and jewellery, which had led Jadhav to ask about the welfare of his father as soon as they sat down for the meeting. Normally, a Hindu woman does not wear the 'mangalsutra' and bindi or vermillion after the death of her husband.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhav's wife despite repeated requests.

Swaraj said not returning the shoes has given rise to suspicion that Pakistan was up to some "mischief".

"The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday," she said.

Now, Pakistani authorities are talking of chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes, she said. The charge is "absurbity beyond measure," she said, adding that the two women had cleared security at airports in Delhi and Dubai and in Pakistan and no such device was detected during these thorough airport security checks there.

"The meeting of Kulbhushan Jadav with his mother and wife was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture. However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds," the External Affairs Minister said.

Swaraj said there was "a serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Jadhav and an intimidating atmosphere was created for them during this meeting."



"There are not enough words to condemn the same," she said. "I am fully confident that this entire House and through the House, the people of India, strongly condemns, in one voice, the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family."



The Minister said the government had approached the International Court of Justice and obtained provisional measures staying the execution of the death sentence that was passed on Jadhav through "a farcical Pakistani military court process."



"While the imminent threat to Jadhav's safety was averted as a result, we are now engaged in seeking a permanent relief, based on stronger arguments, through the legal avenue offered by the International Court of Justice," she said.

She said the mother and wife, on their return from Islambad, had conveyed to her that Jadav appeared "under considerable stress and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion."



"As the meeting progressed, it was clear to them that his (Jadhav's) remarks were tutored by his captors and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities. His appearance also raised questions of his health and well- being," she said.

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The two-week long eighth edition of the Indo-Maldives joint military exercise, 'Ekuverin', came to an end at Belagavi, about 505 km from here, today.

The bilateral annual exercise was a 14-day joint military training between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), held alternatively in India and Maldives since 2009.

'Ekuverin' means 'friends' in the Maldivian language.

The seventh edition of the exercise was held at Kadhdhoo, Lammu Atoll, Maldives in December, 2016.

The closing ceremony to mark the culmination of joint training held at Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre at Belagavi, saw participation from marching contingents of both the countries, an official release said.

It said flypast by the Army Aviation team carrying flags of both the countries was the highlight of the closing ceremony, in addition to the formal march past, cultural programmes, and pipe and drum band night display by Sirmoor Rifles.

The exercise has honed individual and collective professional skills of participants by imbibing best practices of both the Armies. It has served to reinforce the close ties of friendship between the two countries, said the senior most military observer of the Indian Army, Brigadier Alok Khurana.

MNDF was represented by a team comprising two officers and 43 other ranks and the Indian Army by three officers, an equal number of junior commissioned officers and 39 other ranks belonging to a Gorkha Rifles Battalion (Sirmoor Rifles).

Brigadier General Ali Zuhair, senior observer of the MNDF, praised them for the high standards of professionalism displayed during the exercise and thanked the Indian Army in organising the training in a "highly professional manner."



The exercise has further enhanced the military relations and cooperation between the two forces, the release said.

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IPFT, an anti-Left tribal party which is campaigning for a separate state for the indigenous communities of Tripura, is in talks with BJP for forging poll alliance for the before next year's assembly election due next year, the party's top leaders said today.

IPFT president N C Debbarma who led the party delegates at the first round meeting held in Guwahati on Tuesday put forward the demand for forming a separate state in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomus District Council (TTAADC), they said.

The TTADC constitutes two third of the state's territory and is home to tribals who form one third of the population.

"In the talk BJP agreed to recommend to the central government for a study. We have unanimously agreed that CPI-M, which is ruling Tripura for last 25 years, is our common enemy and it should be thrown out from power," Debbarma told PTI.

"The next round of talks will be held in the first week of January in Delhi and our demands will also be put forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh," he said.

IPFT, he said, is demanding formation of high level committees to study its demands, including the separate state but the response was earlier poor.

IPFT general secretary Mewar Kumar Jamatiya told reporters here during the day that Chairman of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sharma led the talks on behalf BJP. The party's Tripura in-charge Sunil Deodhar and other leaders were also present, Jamatia said.

"We had a positive discussion. There will be a second round of talks later. No talks on arrangement for seat sharing were held with BJP at the meeting," Jamatiya said adding though the demand for a separate was placed by IPFT the matter was not discussed at the meeting.

The IPFT has considerable support base in 20 tribal reserve constituencies out of the total 60 in Tripura apart from the ruling CPI-M.

Asked for comments on BJP's opposition to the demand for a separate state by carving out the tribal council, Jamatiya said, "We have to work out some formula for forging the alliance".

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Iraqi authorities have extended through February an international flight ban slapped on the autonomous Kurdish region in response to a controversial independence vote, an airport official said today.

Baghdad severed Iraqi Kurdistan's air links to the outside world in late September after it voted overwhelmingly for independence at a non-binding referendum rejected as illegal by the central government.

The flight ban was just part of a battery of punishment inflicted on the Kurds as Baghdad sought to nullify the poll, with federal forces also seizing disputed oil-rich regions in a major blow for their finances.

Talar Faiq Saleh, the director of the airport in Iraqi Kurdistan's capital Arbil, said the transport ministry in Baghdad had sent a message signalling that international flights were "banned until February 28".

"Only internal flights are authorised," she said.

The two-month extension sees Baghdad keeping up the pressure on Iraqi Kurdistan as the fallout from the failed independence push has battered its economy.

A spate of angry protests that have seen the offices of political parties torched in a string of towns has rocked the region this month.

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A young Iraqi migrant sneaked under a bus in Serbia and travelled for five hours clinging to its axle before he was discovered in Croatia, media reported today.

The Jutarnji List daily quoted officials of the Croatian bus company Cazmatrans as saying that the 21-year-old migrant got under the bus travelling from Belgrade to Zagreb on Tuesday.

It said he risked his life for five hours holding on to the axle with his arms and legs.

"We heard a loud noise under the bus... We called one of the bus drivers and when he heard the unusual sounds he stopped the bus," one of the passengers was quoted by the paper as saying.

As soon as the bus stopped near Ivanic Grad, 40 kilometres southeast of Zagreb, the visibly shocked young man crawled out, dirty and with blood on his hands, the passenger said.

Croatian police in a statement said they found the 21- year-old man at a roadside rest area after being called by the bus driver.

They said the migrant received medical attention but was not seriously injured. Police said they were checking the circumstances of his entry into Croatia.

Croatia, a European Union member, lies on a route that was used by hundreds of thousands of migrants travelling through the Balkans to western and northern Europe until authorities moved to stop them in 2016.

Several thousand migrants got stuck in Serbia, but every day dozens still try to continue on their journey.

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History depends on "events of facts" and any attempt to invent facts will be treated as fiction, historian Irfan Habib today said.

The writings of renowned historians Tara Chand and Ishwari Prasad are not different from the history written by the so called "Communist" historians, said Habib, who follows the approach of Marxist historiography, referring to allegations that the history of India has been written from a Leftist and Communist point of view.

"Knowledge has expanded but the assessments are the same. They should know the history of India before talking to us like that, where are we different from Tara Chand and Ishwari Prasad," he said on the sidelines of the Indian History Congress here.

"I want to ask them to read the history by Tara Chand and Ishwari Prasad and compare it with the history written by us. Where is the difference ? ... You can't change history because history depends on events of facts. If you invent facts then that's not history, that's fiction," he said.

Habib's comment comes in the backdrop of Opposition parties accusing the BJP and the RSS of trying to "rewrite and distort" the history of India in order to put forward their agenda of Hindutva.

A section of Sangh Pariwar and Hindutva groups had accused that a distorted version of history is being taught in India by "Left and liberal historians" who since Independence have "monopolised the intellectual space" in the country.

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Several Islamic nations have regulated triple talaq and India should take a step in this direction, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.

Moving the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill for passage in the Lok Sabha, he urged the members to pass the measure, saying the bill should not be linked to or seen through the prism of any religion or politics.

"I appeal to this House and the biggest panchayat that please do not see this bill from the prism of politics," he said, adding it should neither be confined within the walls of political parties, nor should it be looked as vote bank politics.

He said that Muslim women were victimised by instant triple talaq.

On August 22, Supreme Court passed a judgement saying it was unconstitutional and arbitrary.

He said that judiciary in various judgements have conveyed their concerns from time to time on this issue. "We were expecting that after this judgement, triple talaq cases would come down and situation would improve...about 300 triple talaq cases happened in 2017" and 100 were reported after the Supreme Court's judgement.

Several countries particularly Islamic nations including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia and Tunisia have regulated this. "See where Islamic nations have reached and see where we are," he asked.

Prasad said triple talaq practice has inflicted atrocities on Muslim women, "do we close our eyes and keep quite".

"We do not want to interfere in Sharia. This bill is on 'talaq-e-biddat'," he said, adding "the issue is not of religion, faith, puja, the issue is gender justice, equality and dignity".

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that the bill should be referred to standing committee. "We are all for this bill but there are certain flaws and difficulties in this," he said.

He also said that no consultations were held on this bill and there are some lacunae in it which can be rectified by sitting together and the only forum for that is the standing committee.

In the interest of the country and Muslim women, the bill should be referred to the committee for elaborate consultation and time can be fixed for that. "Why you are in so hurry to give empowerment," Kharge asked.

To this, Prasad said the law was in the interest of the country and this is a small bill.

Initiating the discussion, Sushmita Dev (Congress) said that triple talaq was a regressive practice but there were apprehensions about its misuse against Muslim men as has happened in the marital rape law.

Since there is imprisonment clause in the Bill, the maintenance would be in jeopardy, she said.

To ensure that maintenance is meted out to the sufferer, is the government considering to build a corpus to provide maintenance to divorced women as the husband would have to face jail term upto 3 years, she asked.

Dev wondered if the government was talking about women's empowerment, why was it delaying women reservation bill.

Supporting the passage, Meenakshi Lekhi (BJP) said triple talaq was becoming a social evil and it is a time to firmly deal with this kind of practice.

Opposing the provision of criminality clause, A Anwar Raja (AIADMK) said the Supreme Court had not put the provision of imprisonment.

He expressed apprehension that it was not a social reform but provisions of this Bill is not going to help women but put them under penury.

He also alleged that this government is pursuing communal agenda and it seems that it wans to eliminate identity of Muslim in the country.

Echoing similar views, Tathagata Satpathy (BJD) said "we support the Bill but not the way it is intended to be applied on the ground."



The party was not in favour of the criminality aspect of the Bill, he said expressing apprehension that the resultant thing could be brutal like misuse of Defamation Act.

He also demanded that this should be thoroughly discussed and all aspects need to be looked into.

A Sampath (CPI-M) also demanded the Bill need to be referred to Standing Committee. "As you are saying it is very important Bill, historic Bill. It is therefore important to be referred to the Standing Committee," he said.

Pointing that the quantum of fine is missing, he said, it comes under civil suit and there is no provision for criminality in this.

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An Islamic State suicide bomber struck a Shiite cultural center in Kabul today, killing at least 41 people and underscoring the extremist group's growing reach in Afghanistan even as its self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria has been dismantled.

The attack may have targeted the pro-Iran Afghan Voice agency housed in the two-story building. The Sunni extremists of IS view Shiite Muslims as apostates and have repeatedly attacked Afghanistan's Shiite minority and targets linked to neighboring Iran.

The attack wounded more than 80 people, many of whom suffered severe burns.

Local Shiite leader Abdul Hussain Ramazandada said the bomber slipped into an academic seminar at the center and blew himself up among the participants. More bombs went off just outside the center as people fled.

The IS-linked Aamaq agency said four bombs were used in the assault, one strapped to the suicide attacker. It said the center was funded by Iran and used to propagate Shiite beliefs.

Ali Reza Ahmadi, a journalist with Afghan Voice, said he leaped from the window of his second-floor office after the first bomb went off and saw flames pouring from the basement.

"I jumped from the roof toward the basement, yelling at people to get water to put out the fire," he said.

At nearby Istiqlal Hospital, Director Mohammed Sabir Nasib said the emergency room was overwhelmed. Additional doctors and nurses were called in to help. At the height of the crisis, more than 50 medics were working to save the wounded.

By late afternoon, Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Mujro said 41 people were dead and 84 others wounded.

The cultural center was housed in a simple building surrounded by mud-brick homes in the Shiite-dominated neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, home to some of Kabul's poorest residents.

A senior member of the local Shiite clerical council, Mohammad Asif Mesbah, said the center may have been targeted because it houses Afghan Voice. The agency's owner, Sayed Eissa Hussaini Mazari, is a strong proponent of Iran, and the agency's output is dominated by Iranian news.

Today, the center was marking the anniversary of the 1979 Soviet invasion with a seminar about the event's impact on the country.

Mesbah said the invasion, which led to decades of war and unrest that continue to the present day, was the "beginning of all of Afghanistan's disasters."



Iran, a Shiite-majority country bordering Iraq and Afghanistan, has provided heavy military and financial aid to the Syrian government as well as regional Shiite militias battling IS in recent years.

The extremist group is now largely confined to a few remote patches of territory in Syria, but it retains the ability to inspire and carry out attacks further afield.

Powerful affiliates in Afghanistan and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula continue to launch regular assaults against security forces and civilians.

The IS affiliate in Afghanistan, which emerged in 2014 at around the same time the group declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq, has vowed to target Shiites.

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Indian prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav was wondering whether something "bad" had happened back home when he saw his mother without the 'mangalsutra', bindi and bangles when they met in Islamabad on Monday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today.

The Pakistani authorities had forced Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna to change their attire and remove their bindi, bangles and mangalsutra before the meeting citing security protocol.

"When I talked to her (Avanti)) she told me that the first question he (Jadhav) asked was - how is Baba (father)? Because he may have feared that something bad had happened," Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha.

However, soon he realised that the 'mangalsutra', bindi and bangles were removed on security grounds when he saw his wife was also not wearing them, she said while describing how the human rights of the two women were violated by Pakistan.

Normally, a Hindu woman does not wear the 'mangalsutra' and bindi or vermillion after the death of her husband.

She said the removal of the 'mangalsutra' was a height of disrespect as Jadhav's mother had told the Pakistani officials that it was symbol of marriage, but they did not relent.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, even the attire of the family members was changed. Jadhav's mother, who wears a Sari only, was instead given Salwar and Kurta to wear," said Swaraj.

Swaraj said Jadhav's mother had told the Pakistani officials that the 'mangalsutra' is a the symbol of her marriage (suhag) and she never removes it, but they said they were following orders.

In identical statements in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said India has conveyed its objections to Pakistan in a note verbale yesterday over the way it had conducted Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife in Islamabad on Monday.

Swaraj also slammed Pakistan for making "absurd" charges of a chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the footwear of Jadhav's wife.

"At times they say, there was a recorder on it (shoe), at times they say there was a camera, there was a chip. There cannot be a white lie than this. Thank God they did not say there was a bomb inside it," said Swaraj.

The external affairs minister said the shoe was apparently seized so that they can make a "mischief".

"The meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his mother and wife was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture. However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds," she said.

Swaraj further said, "There was a serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Shri Jadhav and an intimidating atmosphere was created for them during this meeting. There are not enough words to condemn the same."



The minister said Jadhav's mother wanted to speak to his son in Marathi, but Pakistani officials did not allow it.

"Two Pak officials continuously interrupted her. But when she was insisting in speaking in Marathi, the intercom was snapped," said Swaraj.

"The capital punishment was announced following a sham proceedings at a military court in Pakistan. The danger to his life has been averted for now but now we are trying for permanent relief to him by the ICJ on the basis of solid facts," the Minister said.

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The upcoming budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature is set to be stormy as the opposition Congress is planning to take up the recent government order to its employees restricting airing of political views on social media among other issues.

Congress legislators from both the houses were briefed recently and will meet again on the eve of budget session, scheduled to start on January 2 next year, to discuss issues concerning the people and making the government accountable, state Congress chief G A Mir told reporters at the sidelines of a party function here.

Mir and senior Congress leaders had assembled at the party headquarters to celebrate the 133rd foundation day of the party. They also unfurled the party flag.

Criticisng the government for its order to employees not to use social media for airing political views, Mir said those in government service are employees from 10 am to 4 pm and later a common man who has every right to live his life.

"The order shows how scared the government is. It is a totally undemocratic decision and if not withdrawn, it will be the biggest issue during the budget session," he said.

On December 26, the government barred its employees from using their social media accounts for any political activity by amending the conduct rules governing them.

The state government added a sub-rule in the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Conduct rules which states that no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the government.

"They shall also not use their personal social media accounts for any political activity or endorse the posts or tweets or blogs of any political figure," the rule states.

Social media has become an important platform and if anyone is coming out with points or propogates the stand of his union or association, why are you silencing him, asked Mir.

He said the party legislators would seek answers from the government over its failure to implement its Agenda of Alliance, development inertia, tussle over political issues between the coalition partners and back door appointments.

"We will take up every issue concerning the people of all the three regions, whether political or developmental, to make the government accountable and answerable," he said adding the Congress would seek an answer from the government for "backdoor political adjustments" of party leaders who were made vice chairmen of various corporations.

Referring to the regularization of 60,000 casual and daily wagers by the government, he claimed it was a big joke with the youth who served the department for over two decades as the government were given different pay scales depending on the period of their service.

The Congress leader alleged that over 60,000 other workers were ignored because of "political considerations".

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Jordan's King Abdullah II will visit India next year to boost the existing ties between the two countries, especially in the areas of intelligence and security cooperation, its Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi said today.

Safadi said the relations between India and Jordan go back many decades and added that these were good but "no where near potential".

"Ties can be better. And we want to make them better. This is the priority for his Majesty King Abdullah II who is looking forward to his visit here next year. He wants to see expanded ties in every field -- in trade, investment, tourism, cultural exchanges and intelligence and security cooperation as we face the common enemy of terrorism and extremism," he said.

The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was delivering a lecture on 'The Middle East at Crossroads. The challenges of achieving peace and security' at the Indian Council of World Affairs.

When asked about the possible dates of the visit, Safadi said officials of the two countries were working on it.

Safadi also batted for an increased role for India in the Middle East.

He said Jordan strongly supports a two-state solution to resolve the Palestine issue with Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, as it is the "root cause" for instability in the region.

A top Jordanian source also lauded India's vote in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) condemning the US for moving its embassy to, and recognising, Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The source added that India had good relations with everybody in the region, and in a conflict, countries that can talk to everybody are needed.

"We need India to continue to stand by its two-state nation solution. We need India to exert its high offices and help us with all its moral, political and economic weight," the source added.

The vote against the US's move comes months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel.

Safadi contended that the Middle East is facing tremendous challenges, which is impacting global security.

He said terrorism, lack of opportunity, weak governance conflicts and civil wars are depriving the region and its people from their right to live in peace and prosperity.

Talking of the Syrian crisis, he said there can be no military solution to the ongoing problem and that the result lies in political solution.

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Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today included a veteran politician and his loyalist in the council of ministers, in a bid to strengthen his party ahead of local-level elections.

Piyasena Gamage, 68, a member of parliament from the Southern province's Galle district, sworn in as the State Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development.

There was speculation that President Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) may leave the current unity government with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) by December 31.

However, Gamage's appointment has put the speculation to rest with analysts believing that the SLFP will not leave the government.

Sirisena was under pressure from his predecessor and former Sri Lankan strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa who demanded that SLFP leave the government for unification of two rival factions within the party.

The Rajapaksa faction has floated a new party to contest the February 10 local-level polls for 341 councils.

This would be the first test for the unity government, particularly for the UNP which dominants the ruling coalition.

Sirisena's faction has been accused by Rajapaksa's faction of delaying the elections out of fear of losing them.

The government said it postponed the elections since 2015 for electoral reforms.

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The Lok Sabha today passed the hugely contentious bill that criminalises instant triple talaq and makes it punishable by up to three years imprisonment for the husband, a development hailed by the government as "historic" but disapproved of by a section of the opposition.

The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote after rejecting a string of amendments moved by opposition members.

The Congress said it supported the bill but wanted it to be scrutinised by the Standing Committee of Parliament, a demand that was rejected by the chair. The RJD and Samajwadi Party also backed the demand of referring the bill to the Standing Committee.

The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.

Given the Congress's stated support, the bill is likely to be passed by the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks majority. However, the main opposition party may again insist on referring the legislation to the Standing Committee.

The Supreme Court had outlawed instant triple talaq in August and asked the government to frame a law within six months. Ending the controversial divorce practice was also the BJP's electoral promise.

Acting swiftly, the BJP-led government not only introduced the bill today but also got it passed by the Lok Sabha by evening despite its consideration and passage not being part on the agenda.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill as part of the listed business, had requested her to allow it to be considered and passed today itself, and the request was granted.

"We are going to create history. Today is the day to create history," Prasad said while introducing the bill.

He insisted the government did not intend to politicise the issue and the legislation was brought after taking a humanitarian view of it.

"This is not about siyasat (politics) but about insaniyat (humanity)," Prasad said.

"If it is a crime to bring a bill in the favour of Muslims then we will commit this crime 10 times," he asserted.

Under the proposed law, instant triple talaq in any form --spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be illegal and void.

The proposed law would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir. It would make instant talaq punishable by a jail term of upto three years and a fine, and would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence.

Members from RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, saing it is arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

E T Mohammed Basheer of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM alleged that through the bill the government was trying to bring in a Uniform Civil Code.

Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi said that while the bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat."



Owaisi said through the law the government was trying to demonise Muslim men and claimed "vested interests" were behind the legislation.

"The minister is a normal lawyer but a pathetic and a failed draftsmen," he said about Prasad.

B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was "faulty and "flawed". He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat'.

Seeking to allay their concerns Prasad said it is wrong link instant triple talaq, the divorce practice which the Supreme Court struck down as illegal, with the Uniform Civil Code.

"Some are trying to spread fear that the bill is being brought to put Muslims behind the bars," Prasad said.

Prasad cited instances of Karimul Haque, a tea labourer in Assam, who was awarded Padma Shree for ferrying patients on his "bike ambulance", and Imran Khan, a Sanskrit teacher from Alwar in Rajasthan who was lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making mobile applications for students.

Not pacified, members of the BJD, AIMIM, Indian Union Muslim League staged a walk out.

Although Congress supported the bill, senior leader Salman Khurshid, a former law minister, said the proposed law is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals, and would bring the civil issue of divorce into the realm of criminal law.

The Congress did not push for a division in the Lok Sabha on amendments moved by its MPs, nor did the party support any amendment sought by other opposition lawmakers.

Divorce and marriage comes under the concurrent list and both Parliament and state legislatures can enact laws on the subject.

In his speech, Prasad said despite the Supreme Court declaring instant triple talaq illegal, it was continuing.

He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.

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The Madras High Court today refused to stay eviction of residents from 36 slums in the city saying a blanket order cannot be granted without hearing the state government's version.

Refusing any interim relief, a vacation bench headed by Justice MS Ramesh ordered notice to the state government returnable by January 5, 2108 on a PIL moved by Pennurimai Iyakkam, a women's welfare organisation.

Charging the Public Works Department and Chennai Corporation with resorting to mass eviction of slum-dwellers without abiding by the provisions of Tamil Nadu Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act of 1971, it claimed slum dwellers across the city were being evicted forcibly without notification of their residential areas as slum areas, as required under the law.

According to the petitioner, already residents of about 22 slums in MK Stalin Nagar and Thideer Nagar had been evicted fully and those in five slums had been evicted partially.

Residents of about 36 slums in the west, east and south of Cooum, Tiruverkadu and Melpakkam, among other places, were facing the threat of eviction, the petitioner added.

The petitioner further contended that alternative accommodation provided for such evicted families at far-off locations, has led to loss of livelihood and educational opportunities for their children.

"The displaced children, without the possibility of continued education, fall in the hands of anti-social elements, and which is not good for society," the organisation said in the plea.

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Days after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told Lok Sabha that International Financial Services Centre will come up first in Gujarat, the Congress today alleged that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnvais has misled the state on the prospects of such facility in Mumbai.

Attacking Fadnavis on the issue, the Congress accused him of "compromising" the interests of the state under the "pressure" from Centre.

The Maharashtra government's lobbying for an IFSC in plush Bandra-Kurla complex seems to have suffered a setback after Jaitley told Parliament that one can think of another IFSC only after the one being developed at GIFT City in Gandhinagar is optimally used.

Addressing a press conference today, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesman Sachin Sawant referred to Jaitley's statement.

"In his reply to a Gujarat MP, Jaitley said an International Financial (Services) Centre is being developed in Gandhinagar and there is no proposal for another IFSC anywhere in the country till the one in Gujarat is fully operational and utilised to full capacity," Sawant said.

He said this stand of the Centre has "exposed" Fadnavis.

"This has exposed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' farce of misleading the people of the state in the last two years. He has been saying that the second IFSC will be set up in Mumbai," the Congress leader said.

He said a task force was set up under Union Minister Jayant Sinha regarding the Mumbai IFSC.

"Excuses were given that only 38 hectares of land was available in the BKC and not the required 50 hectares," Sawant claimed.

He said the IFSC could come up in neighbouring Navi Mumbai near the upcoming international airport.

"Jaitley's statement in the Lok Sabha gives a clear indication that there is no proposal for the IFSC in Mumbai," Sawant said.

An IFSC deals with flows of finance, financial products and services and mainly caters to customers outside domestic economy.

Meanwhile, Sawant alleged that the elevated rail corridor on the Western suburban line in the city was being scrapped whereas the "unfeasible" project like the Bullet Train connecting Mumbai with Ahmedabad is being promoted.

"Fadnavis has compromised the state's interests and this amounted to an anti-state activity. He is yet to make a statement of scrapping the elevated rail corridor," he alleged.

Sawant said the erstwhile UPA government had proposed an IFSC in Mumbai in 2007 itself considering the importance of the city as a global hub.

"However, the government changed and in 2015, the new rulers shifted the IFSC to Gujarat," he said.

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A Lok Sabha member today made a plea to the Centre to make arrangements for 578 Indian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails to meet their family members.

Speaking during the Zero hour in the Lower House, BJP leader Vinod Kumar Sonkar congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj for the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family after 22 months.

The LS member said as per a report, 578 Indian prisoners were languishing in various jails of Pakistan.

Referring to Jadhav's case, Sonkar said, "When in such a prominent case, such an inhuman treatment is met to the prisoner, what would be the condition of those 578 prisoners?"



"So I would request the prime minister and Sushma Swaraj to make adequate arrangements so that the 578 prisoners are allowed to meet their family members, as they are not detectives but fishermen who lost their ways," he said.

47-year-old Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, but the execution has been stayed by the International Court of Justice following India's efforts.

Pakistan says Jadhav, an ex-Indian Navy officer, was arrested in Balochistan in March with a fake passport, a charge denied by India, which says he was kidnapped from Iran where he has legitimate business.

Jadhav's mother and wife met him on Monday inside the Pakistan Foreign Office building in Islamabad under unusual circumstances -- he was separated from the two women by a glass screen, and they conversed through an intercom.

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The VHP today asked the Odisha government to make public the reports of the two judicial commissions, on the killing of its leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) Board of Trustees on the second day of its three-day convention here, asked that the state government to make public the reports of Panigrahi and Naidu commission and demanded arrest of the real culprits involved in the killing.

The Odisha government had set up two judicial commissions.

The state government had set up the Basudev Panigrahi Commission to probe into an assault on Saraswati in December 2007 and the J S Naidu Commission was constituted after the killing of the VHP leader in August 2008.

"If necessary and prompt action were being taken after the initial attacks in 2007, the assassination in 2008 could have been avoided. Behind this merciless killing, the hands of the state government cannot be ignored and for that the VHP has been demanding a CBI probe of the case for years," the VHP said in a resolution.

"The people behind this wicked syndicate, who are trying for ethnic cleansing of Hindus, to make India a Hindu free nation should be put behind bars and justice should prevail for the tribal communities," the resolution said.

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The clock tower, a prominent landmark in the city in the past and demolished adecade ago to facilitate smooth flow of traffic, is getting arebirth with the Mangaluru City Corporation including its reconstruction under the Smart City project.

The new clock tower would come up exactly where it once stood near the University College, City Mayor Kavitha Sanil told reporters here.

Though it was not part of the Smart City project, the tower construction was included on the insistence of the Mayor.

As per the estimate, clock tower construction,including the main building, yard work, aluminium ladders,clocks and electrical installations, would cost Rs 90 lakh.

The Mayor said she wanted the project to be executed on priority basis and tenders were being called for the work.

The tender for the work would be opened on January 15 next year.

The City Corporation had gone in for a short-tender to ensurethat the project was completed at the earliest, Sanil said adding that she wished that the clock tower would be ready before she demits office in March.

Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said the proposedclock tower would be 21-metres tall and rectangular in shape,exactly resembling the old city icon.

The architectural lookof the old clock tower would be retained and it would haveclocks facing all four sides, he said.

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Representatives of civil society organisations of Manipur today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking details of the Framework Agreement signed between Naga rebel group NSCN(IM) and the Centre.

At a meeting this morning, an eight-member team apprised Modi that due to lack of transparency in the ongoing Naga peace talks, there have been apprehensions in Manipur over territorial integrity of the state, said a statement by the joint committee of the civil society bodies.

These organisations include United Committee Manipur (UCM), All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO) and Committee on Civil Societies Kangleipak (CCSK).

The prime minister asked the members to have faith in Indian government and not to believe in hearsay, it added.

Stating that the Centre till date has not made any announcements regarding the details of the Naga talks, Modi said that his government was always open to suggestions on various issues regarding the state, the statement said quoting the prime minister.

He also asked the civil society representatives to apprise concerned officials whenever they have any suggestions or apprehensions, it added.

In August 2015, the Centre and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) faction had signed an agreement paving the way to end the country's oldest insurgency.

Termed as Framework Agreement it has, however, failed to yield a final outcome.

Among others, NSCN(IM) has sought integration of Naga inhabited areas of the North East and autonomy of the proposed region. The demand affects Manipur as the state has vast areas inhabited by Nagas.

During the meeting, Modi pointed out that Manipur is today among the most economically backward states in the North East due to violence and focus should be on growth and development to bring peace in the state, the statement said.

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Education major MBD Group will launch robotics for school education and a new line of interactive e-books at the World Book Fair 2018 here in January.

Digital content will also be showcased for CBSE Board, Maharashtra Board, Karnataka Board, Rajasthan Board, Assam Board, Andhra & Telangana Board, Madhya Pradesh Board, Delhi Board, Chhattisgarh Board, Gujarat Board, UP Board, Kerala Board, Tamil Nadu Board and for Sri Lanka and South Africa as well, a company release said.

The group will be showcasing its educational apps for kids at the fair which will start from January 6 and will be on till January 14, 2018.

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Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Jio's decision to acquire spectrum, tower and other wireless assets of beleaguered Reliance Communications on Thursday got a thumbs up from the industry.

Industry body Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) Director General Rajan Mathews told PTI that the deal is "good for the industry".

"It is good for the industry because the industry continues to consolidate around serious players who have deep pockets and financial where-with-all to play effectively and delivery value to customers in future," Mathews said.

On the 85th birth anniversary of father Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukesh Ambani, India's richest businessman on Thursday stepped in to bail out younger brother Anil Ambani's debt-ridden Reliance Communications by acquiring spectrum, tower, optical fiber network and other wireless assets in a deal that banking sources say is worth Rs 24,000-25,000 crore.

The two companies, however, have not disclosed the size of the transaction.

The deal can be seen as homecoming-of-sorts for RCom, then Reliance Infocomm, was launched under leadership of Mukesh Ambani in December 2002 with tag line of 'Kar lo duniya mutthi mein' to offer cheapest mobile call rates.

However, RIL's first mobile venture went under the control of Anil Ambani in 2005 as part of settlement deal between the two brothers when they parted ways.

Incidentally, Anil Ambani in September last year had said that Jio and RCom have "virtually" merged. The two companies had signed their first telecom deal in 2013.

A statement by Jio -- which has 160 million customers just over a year into 4G operations -- today said the assets covered under the latest deal are strategic in nature and expected to contribute significantly to its large scale roll out of Wireless and Fiber-to-Home and Enterprise services.

RCom said the deal packs in 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands, over 43,000 towers, 1,78,000 kilometres of fiber and 248 media convergence nodes.

The announcement comes just two days after Reliance Communications disclosed a new deal with the lenders under which nearly Rs 40,000 crore will be raised through sale of assets, averting an imminent takeover by the 35 local and foreign banks.

RCom has shut down its mobile phone calls business last month as it was not in position to afford operational expenses for the loss making business. However, RCom has announced that it will continue to offer services to business organisations.

The latest deal will bring immediate relief to RCom, which is reeling under Rs 45,000 crore debt, and the company hopes to use the entire proceeds to pare its liabilities.

COAI's Mathews said that the "good news is that the existing assets will be utilised by a serious player".

"Network roll-out, increasing rural penetration, new technologies like 5G, and improving customer experience requires substantial investments to be made. A serious players can attract those investments," he added.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today asked Pakistan to adopt a humane approach with Indian prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav and ensure his fair trial.

Expressing sadness over the treatment meted out to Jadhav's mother and wife during their recent visit to Pakistan, she said humanity should be treated above politics.

Mehbooba made the statement in a tweet in Urdu on the micro blogging site Twitter.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and Roads and Buildings Minister Naeem Akhtar also expressed displeasure over the treatment with Jadhav's wife and mother in Pakistan.

"It is inhumanity of Pakistan. It played this game to mislead the people and got exposed before the world," Singh said.

"This is the reality of Pakistan, which does not believe in humanity," he told reporters on the sidelines of the oath taking function of Mehbooba's brother, Tassaduq Mufti who along with PDP legislator Javaid Mustafa Mir were inducted into the cabinet today.

Talking about repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, he said, "We have made it clear that we will not initiate firing from this side. But if such a thing happens from Pakistan, it will be given a befitting reply."



"Humanitarian outreach should not be made a victim of politics," Akhtar said.

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Male actors will join their female counterparts by wearing black at the Golden Globes Awards to protest against gender inequality and sexual harassment in Hollywood.

Many women A-listers such as Meryl Streep and Emma Stone are planning to wear black gowns at the annual ceremony as a mark of protest, and now male actors have also joined the list, including "Jumanji" star Dwayne Johnson.

Johnson confirmed that he plans to join the silent protest by wearing all-black in reply to his stylist Ilaria Urbinati's Instagram post.

Urbinati, whose clients include Rami Malek, Donald Glover, Chris Evans, Bradley Cooper and Tom Hiddleston, had earlier posted, "Because everyone keeps asking me... Yes, the men will be standing in solidarity with women on this wearing-all-black movement to protest against gender inequality at this year's Golden Globes."



"At least all my guys will be. Safe to say this may not be the right time to choose to be the odd man out here," she said.

Johnson commented on Urbinati's post with a simple "Yes, we will".

The Golden Globes Awards will be hosted TV presenter Seth Meyers next month, and the host has also made it clear that he will not be shying away from the sexual harassment issue.

"I'm Seth Meyers and I'm hosting this year's Golden Globes... and we've got a lot to talk about," Meyer's said in the promo for the awards.

The nominations for 75th Golden Globes were announced on December 11, and the ceremony will take place on January 7, 2018.

Hollywood has been rocked by a series of sexual harassment scandals that started with a newspaper expose on Harvey Weinstein's history of sexual abuse.

Many powerful women such as Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita Nyong'o, Salma Hayek and others came forward with their own Weinstein stories.

It has also led to the fall of top artistes like Kevin Spacey, James Toback and Brett Ratner and Jeremy Piven among others.

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Actor Michael B Jordan has said that he was taken to a "dark place" while preparing for his role in the upcoming Marvel film "Black Panther".

The "Creed" actor plays the role of Erik Killmonger in the Ryan Coogler-directed film with Chadwick Boseman playing the titular character.

"It took me to a dark place. Honestly, I can't really go through all I went through to get into it because I want to keep that close to me. But it stuck with me afterwards...

"Chadwick's a very talented dude. There's a lot of physical moments and action sequences throughout this film that cause us to really challenge ourselves, and also fall deeper into character," Jordan told Empire magazine.

Jordan also said that "everybody" can relate to the film in some way.

"It's an all-black cast for the most part and it's set in Africa, but it's universal in so many ways to everybody around the world, so I feel like it's something that everybody can take something from," Jordan said.

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Around 16,000 members of different school management committees (SMCs) will now be able to connect with each other and carry out their operations using a mobile application.

The SMC app was launched here today by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

The app is aimed at helping the schools, parents and students in better coordination and result-oriented performance.

"We have done an experiment towards democratisation of school system in Delhi. Our effort is to make the SMC members realise that they are the owners of the schools and will contribute their services for betterment of quality of education," Kejriwal said at the event.

The chief minister further said that the SMCs' decisions should be made binding upon the schools and they should be provided with some funds to carry out essential and need based works in the schools.

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Former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav today accused the Narendra Modi government of "trying to impose its will" by bringing a bill on triple talaq without consulting Islamic scholars.

Joined by another rebel JD(U) leader Ali Anwar, Yadav said that the Supreme Court had said that any legislation on triple talaq should be based on consultations with Islamic scholars.

Both Yadav and Anwar, JD(U) rebels who were disqualified as member of Rajya Sabha recently, were critical of the triple talaq bill introduced in Lok Sabha today.

"The Supreme Court has said that any legislation on triple talaq should be based on consultations with Islamic scholars. However, that was not done before introducing the bill in the Lok Sabha", Yadav told reporters here.

"The government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to impose its will by bringing the bill in the House and offering mere platitudes in its defence", Yadav said.

Ali Anwar expressed resentment over the failure of the Modi government to take the All India Muslim Personal Law Board into confidence before taking the step on triple talaq.

The two leaders also accused Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) President Nitish Kumar of having "betrayed" the mandate of 2015 assembly polls in which he had buried his differences with arch rival Prasad to form the "Mahagathbandhan" which went on to inflict a crushing defeat on the NDA, halting the BJP juggernaut for some time.

Local leaders of the Congress and the RJD were also present at the press meet. After rebelling, they have been seen cosying up with Lalu Prasad's party as well the Congress.

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Expressing concern over China making a foray into India's neigbourhood, a Lok Sabha member today stressed the need to reorient the policy towards its neighbours.

"I think our neighbourhood policy needs to be reoriented," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (INC) said during the Zero Hour.

China has been making a foray into the periphery of India, much to the concern of the country specially in view of the strategic perspective, Chowdhury said.

"Not only that, our another neighbouring country Nepal and their anti-India rhetoric is getting pronounced," he said, calling for a relook of the existing policy.

Rabindra Kumar Jena (BJD) said there were about 1.3 lakh post offices in the country which employ 2.7 lakh gramin dak sevaks. They account for almost 90 per cent of the Indian postal work and generate close to 70 per cent of the revenue.

But the gramin dak sevaks are paid the least, have zero job security and do not have any social security scheme.

He urged the government to implement 2.5 per cent hike in the salary of gramin dak sevaks and ensure that they are paid the minimum wages.

M K Raghavan (INC) urged the govenrnment to include Calicut in the smart city scheme, while Kaushalendra Kumar (Janata Dal-United)) made a plea for setting up Ayush University at Rajgir in Bihar.

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A 51-year old Sarpanch of a village in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district was recently removed from his post after he allegedly tried to marry a 12-year-old girl from a poor family, district authorities said today.

Interestingly, the Sarpanch, Jagannath Mawai, who is already married, had booked a helicopter ride for his would-be bride and sought permission for construction of a temporary helipad in his Bahrar Jagir village earlier this month.

The district authorities stopped his marriage in nick of time on December 11 on receipt of a complaint that Mawai's future wife, a resident of Khaira village, was a minor.

"After the permission for (construction) of the (temporary) helipad was issued, we received a complaint from a villager that the girl is minor. When officials of District Panchayat and Child Development department checked the documents from her school, she was found to be only 12-year-old," district collector Bhaskar Lakshkar said today, adding that the girl had secured admission in class I in 2010.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sonia Meena said Mawai was sacked as Sarpanch two days back under the provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Panchayat Raj Avam Gram Swaraj Act.

Meena said Mawai was also barred from contesting local body polls for the next six years.

"This is a serious violation of law by a person occupying a responsible post. He was found guilty of violating the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act besides the Hindu Marriage Act as he was trying to marry for the second time despite having a wife who is alive. Further legal action will be taken," she added.

The officer said neither Mawai's wife nor the family members of the minor girl had filed any formal complaint against him.

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Fiercely defending the bill to make instant triple talaq illegal, Union minister M J Akbar today said the legislation would have far reaching implications for 9 crore Muslim women living under the "constant fear of being divorced".

Speaking during a debate on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, the Minister of State for External Affairs noted that the legislation would "benefit the country...community and the nation ...and will promote gender progress".

The law will give a big blow to those who want to keep women under the constant "fear and terror" in the name of talaq, Akbar said, adding it concerns the "pain and distress" of 9 crore Muslim women.

Quoting extensively from the Quran, the minister said the holy book requires that Muslim women be given a little more than what is due to them and not less.

Recalling an anecdote of the Nehruivan era, Akbar said the country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had during a conversation revealed that he could not reform the Muslim personal law because the time was not appropriate.

The time to reform the Muslim personal law is now ripe, the MoS said, adding the legislation may not be an ideal one but "let us not destroy good for the sake of an ideal one".

The Union minister regretted that reform of the Muslim personal law was not undertaken by Congress governments despite massive majority in parliament.

Akbar also questioned the credibility of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), saying it was a body of only like-minded people and was not reflective of the opinion of the minority community.

The AIMPLB is not an elected body and has become a "false voice" of the Muslim community, he said.

The Muslim Personal Law Board has opposed the legislation saying that it is against the welfare of Muslim women and will harm their interest.

Some people, Akbar said, were spreading the dangerous canard that Islam was in danger and Sharia was being destroyed.

"There is nothing in danger...a true Muslim can never believe that Islam is in danger," he said, adding only few Muslim men were feeling vulnerable.

As regards Sharia, Akbar said, it refereed to a way of life and was mentioned only once in the Quran.

If Muslim marriage is a contract, "instant triple talaq breaks that contract," he said, adding that the legislation was not against talaq but "instant talaq".

The government today tabled the bill in Lok Sabha to make instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, calling it a "historic day" for Muslim women amid mixed support from the opposition.

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World No.1 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Brisbane International with a knee injury, but said he still intends to play in next month's Australian Open.

The Spaniard, who hasn't played since losing to David Goffin at the World Tour Finals in London, was scheduled to start his season in Brisbane this weekend, but said he would now not be coming.

"I am sorry to announce I won't be coming to Brisbane this year," Nadal said on Twitter today.

"My intention was to play but I am still not ready after last year's long season and the late start of my preparation."



But Nadal said he still planned to play in the year's opening Grand Slam tournament, starting in Melbourne on January 15.

"I will be seeing my Aussie fans when I land on the 4th (of January) in Melbourne and start there my preparation for the Australian Open," he added.

Reports casting doubt over Nadal's recovery from an injury to his right knee surfaced last week when he pulled out of an exhibition in Abu Dhabi this week and took at least four days off from practice.

Nadal, 31, has had a stellar 2017, claiming a 10th French Open, a third US Open crown and the year-ending world number one spot.

Nadal added two Masters titles at Monte Carlo and Madrid to his triumphs at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows, finishing the campaign with six trophies.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion also secured the year- ending top ranking for a fourth time.

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The NCP today alleged that there was a "scam" of Rs 40,000 crore in the Maharashtra irrigation department, adding the BJP-led government, during the last three years, gave revised administrative approvals for cost escalation in 307 projects.

"While in the opposition, the BJP, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis opposed hikes in project costs due to administrative approvals," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said.

"But nothing changed after the BJP came to power three years ago. BJP then criticised our (Congress-NCP) government opposing administrative approvals for irrigation projects to revise the costs," Malik told reporters here.

"We demand that Fadnavis clarify why the revised administrative approvals were given during the last three years in his tenure as chief minister. We are saying this is a scam using the same yardstick he (Fadnavis) had used while in opposition," Malik said.

"In the last three years, 307 projects were given revised administrative approval worth Rs 40,000 crore," Malik, former minister, claimed.

For central irrigation projects worth Rs 20,000 crore under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme, the state was to bear 40 per cent and Centre 60 per cent of the total cost, he said.

"The Fadnavis government sent a revised administrative approval proposal of Rs 12,000 crore to the Centre which was rejected. Fadnavis should clarify what led to the rejection," Malik said.

Girish Mahajan, the state's water resources minister, was unavailable for reaction to the NCP leader's allegations.

Malik also opposed the BJP-led government's decision to reinstate senior bureaucrat Radhyeshyam Mopalwar as the Managing Director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

Mopalwar, an IAS officer, was sent on leave in August after allegations of bribery and was removed as the MSRDC MD over audio clips in which he was purportedly heard fixing a deal for a plot here.

"Mopalwar has been tasked to look after the Sammruddhi corridor which links Mumbai to Nagpur. The 'Sammruddhi' (prosperity) is not of the state but of ruling BJP leaders and corrupt officials who purchased land from farmers along the route before the project was announced and now are selling it at market price," Malik said.

The NCP spokesperson also alleged that the "Samruddhi project" was the biggest scam of the government.

"Mopalwar will handle the Sammruddhi project despite the taint on him. The project is the biggest scam of this government.

"In the last three years, allegations of corruption were made against 18 ministers in the state government, but Fadnavis gave clean chit to all," he said.

A retired bureaucrat was tasked with inquiry against Mopalwar after the audio tapes surfaced but it should have been either a judicial inquiry or one by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. We will continue to pursue the case against Mopalwar," he said.

The Samruddhi corridor is a 700-km expressway connecting Mumbai with Nagpur. The Rs 46,000 crore project, a pet project of Fadnavis, also proposes the development of various nodes along the expressway.

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Eminent historian Irfan Habib today said the Left and CPI(M) need to form a broader unity of secular and democratic forces to resist "fascist forces".

"In order to resist the fascist forces like BJP and RSS, the Left and the CPI(M) needs to form a broader unity of secular and democratic forces in the country," Habib said while addressing a seminar organised by the West Bengal CPI(M) unit.

Habib while bringing in references of various communist revolutionaries said in the present situation the sole aim should be to stop the fascist forces.

Habib's comment comes at a time when the CPI(M) leadership is going through a detail discussion process to decide on its next political and tactical line which will be adopted in the party congress in April 2018.

A large section of West Bengal CPI(M) unit is in favour of forging an alliance with Congress in order to stop the BJP and Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the state.

Habib, last year had written to the CPI(M) leadership, supporting an alliance between the Congress and Left to "counter" the rise of the BJP.

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Scientists have developed an electronic nose that can non-invasively detect colon diseases and distinguish between patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

The device - named Moosy 32 eNose - can also tell whether the disease is active, with close to 90 per cent accuracy.

In the future this type of equipment could be available for digestive system specialists who could, thanks to a simple stool analysis which takes three minutes, determine the state of the patient, according to researchers from Valencia's Polytechnic University in Spain.

It is common nowadays to use invasive tests to diagnose and evaluate inflammatory activity as a result of colon- related illnesses, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, both classified as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

With the developed prototype, researchers want to contribute to the creation of non-invasive diagnosing systems.

It is believed that as many as 200,000 people currently suffer from these illnesses in Spain and the rise in incidence continues to increase annually by over three per cent.

The nose can detect volatile organic compounds which act as diagnostic markers or to reveal the intensity level of the disease's activity.

"Volatile organic compounds are created by physiological processes of the human body's metabolism and are expelled as waste through faeces," said Pilar Nos, Head of the Digestive System Medicine Department at La Fe Health Investigation Institute in Spain.

"The concentration of these components can be a differentiating marker between certain bowel diseases and their accurate detection by way of non-invasive devices such as the electronic nose would be a great step forward for the detection and monitoring of the evolution of these diseases," said Nos.

Researchers have performed tests with 445 samples and have obtained positive results.

"Results of the investigation are positive; however, it is paramount to continue working to improve the detection algorithms," said Jose Pelegri, from Valencia's Polytechnic University.

The system is being tested for further medical uses, such as detecting prostate cancer.

Other studies, with positive results, are also being performed such as detecting the microbial contamination of water or determining the maturity level of fruit, which could have key applications within the agro-food industry.

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There is no proposal to reconsider the decision to privatise Air India, which has an outstanding debt of Rs 51,890 crore, the government informed Parliament today.

To revive the loss-making national carrier, the government is working on the modalities for its strategic disinvestment.

To a question in the Lok Sabha on whether the government proposes to reconsider its decision to sell out the debt- ridden Air India and its auxiliary companies, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha replied in the negative.

The total outstanding loans of Air India as on September 30, 2017 stand at Rs 51,890 crore as per provisional figures cited by Sinha. Of this, aircraft loans account for Rs 18,364 crore and working capital loans are at Rs 33,526 crore.

In 2016-17, the airline had a net loss of Rs 3,643 crore, while operating profit rose to Rs 215 crore, the provisional figures showed.

The government also informed Parliament that there had been a ban on direct recruitment in Air India for non- operational categories of employees and that the total number of regular employees of Air India as on November, 2017, is approximately 14,006 down from approximately 32,600 at the time of its merger in August 2007.

On June 28 this year, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries.

An Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, is working on the modalities.

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The hilly Nilgiris district continued to be in the grip of cold with a village on the outskirts of this famous tourist town today recording sub-zero temperature for the second time in the past one week.

The temperature dipped to minus five degrees Celsius at Sandinala, about 10 km from Ooty, as Udhagamandalam is popularly known, in the wee hours, district officials said.

The area recorded minus three degrees Celsius on December 24 with the sub-zero temperature occurring in the region after a gap of three years.

Ooty itself recorded a minimum temperature of zero degree Celsius early today and the intense cold forced the residents to remain indoors till about noon.

The condition also resulted in formation of thin layer of ice on majority of water bodies, officials said.

The Met office in Chennai yesterday has issued a frost warning, saying ground frost was likely to occur at a few places over hill ranges of Nilgiris district during next two nights.

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Over 30,00O police personnel will be on roads across the megalopolis to ensure safety and security of New Year revellers, a senior official said today.

"Over 30,000 policemen will be on the bandobast duty during the New Year celebrations to provide safety and security to citizens to avoid any untoward incidents," Mumbai Police spokesperson and DCP Deepak Deoraj told reporters here.

The City Police will be assisted by the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Home Guards, and other law enforcement agencies.

He said special teams have been formed to ensure safety and security of women and children participating in the celebrations to welcome New Year.

To ensure incident-free revelry, the police have already launched combing operations in various parts of the city and have detained anti-social elements as well as "history-sheeters".

Security checks are also being put in place at important spots in the city.

"We are appealing to citizens to remain alert and report to police if they notice any suspicious movement," Deoraj said.

He said DCPs will be present at locations like Gateway of India, Marine Lines, Juhu Chowpaty, Madh Island etc. which are preferred by people to celebrate the December 31 night.

"There is no specific intelligence input, but the Mumbai Police always remain alert to avoid any untoward incident," Deoraj added.
The 62nd annual convention of the Indian Orthopaedic Association being held here has seen over 4000 doctors sharing their experiences and discussing new technology.

Doctors from different part of the country shared their expertise on various orthopaedic-related subjects during the technical sessions organised on the second day of the IOACON-2017 convention yesterday, a press release informed.

It added that several doctors including Dr John Mukhopadhyay (Patna), Dr Prakash Bangani (Indore), Dr Vikas Agashe and Roshan Wade (Mumbai), Dr T Ajitprasad, Dr Parag Sancheti, Dr Jawahar Pachore delivered lectures during the instructional course workshop.

Dr Bangani, while delivering his lecture, said that bone infections had to be dealt with care as they take a lot of time to heal unlike normal infections.

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Pakistan's anti-graft body has given the nod for launching a corruption case against ousted premier Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Javed Iqbal yesterday approved registration of the corruption case during an executive board meeting.

NAB officials said the case was related to alleged loss of over Rs 120 million to the national exchequer over the construction of a two-way road in 2000 from Raiwind to the Sharif family home in Jati Umra in the suburbs of Lahore.

The Sharif brothers have so far not reacted to the new allegations of corruption.

Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam, son-in-law Muhammad Safdar, and sons Hassan and Hussain, are already facing three NAB cases filed in September on the basis of the Supreme Court's decision of July 28 in the Panama Papers case that led to Sharif's ouster as premier.

However, the new case also includes Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who has been tipped as a future prime minister if Nawaz's PML-N party wins the election next year.

Officials said the NAB in the same meeting also approved filing of six corruption references, complete four pending inquiries, and 11 investigations against different politicians and officers.

The meeting also decided to probe former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf who as minister for water and power from 2008-2011 caused a loss of Rs 113 billion to the national exchequer by delaying a key energy project.

NAB will also launch investigations into alleged corruption by another former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani who was disqualified by the apex court in 2012 and replaced by Ashraf.

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The Pakistan Army today rejected claims that the Indian commandos selectively targeted a post across the Line of Control killing three Pakistani soldiers in a tit-for-tat action.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said the armed forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality.

"India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistan's territory and killed Pakistani soldiers," he said, adding this is all "false propaganda" for their domestic audience to take the focus off Kashmir.

Addressing the media in Rawalpindi, Maj Gen Ghafoor also termed last year's "surgical strike" by India across LoC as "false propaganda". "You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings."



The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier this week said a "small group" of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district last week.

Maj Gen Ghafoor also rejected Indian concerns over treatment of Kulbushan Jadhav's family and said the Foreign Office had already given a detailed response to it.

"India always looks to reduce the relevance of any gestures that Pakistan makes. However, every effort that anti-Pakistan elements make, we will counter," he said.

"Even if we do something as a good gesture, the Indian media will colour it in a negative light. We allowed Jadhav to meet his family as a responsible state," he added.

He also accused India of a record number of ceasefire violation in 2017, which he claimed was being done to divert attention of Pakistan from fighting terrorism on its western border.

The spokesman also reiterated Pakistan's "moral, political, and diplomatic support" to Kashmiris.

He rejected the US demand to do more and Washington's allegations about the presence of "safe havens" of terrorists.

Ghafoor said Pakistan had fought against militants without any discrimination and destroyed their infrastructure.

"No organised infrastructure of any banned organisation is present in Pakistan. There are no facilitators [of terrorist groups] in Pakistan and we have gone a long way towards supporting peace in the region," he said.

The spokesman also rejected US Vice President Mike Pence's remarks in Afghanistan wherein he had said that US had put Pakistan on notice. "What kind of friends are we that we are being given notices," Ghafoor said.

When asked about former military ruler Pervez Musharraf's recent statements regarding "rogue elements" being responsible for Benazir Bhutto's death, he said: "I am the spokesperson for the sitting army chief and the media should ask Musharraf to defend his own statements. As of now, I can say that there are no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army."



He also responded to a question that Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif were allegedly targeting armed forces.

"We will maintain our silence on the matter as Pakistan's armed forces are well aware of the threats and challenges we are facing and our achievements against them; thus we will not be distracted," he said.

He said it was for the people to decide if there was a conspiracy against someone.
The family members of Sarabjit Singh were humiliated when they went to meet him with Pakistani authorities even wiping off the 'sindoor' from his wife's forehead, his sister Dalbir Kaur said today amid outrage over the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife.

Dalbir Kaur said that Singh's family had gone to meet him in a Lahore jail in 2008.

"We had no clue of the shocking things that were to unfold before our meeting with Sarabjit," Dalbir Kaur, who hails from Amritsar district, told PTI over the phone.

Singh's wife Sukhpreet Kaur, his teenaged daughters Swapandeep and Poonam, besides Dalbir Kaur went to Lahore to meet the Indian national for the first time in 18 years.

The ordeal was similar to what Jadhav's family endured in Islamabad recently, according to Dalbir Kaur.

Jadhav's mother and wife were stripped of their bindis, bangles and 'mangalsutra', made to change into different clothes and wear slippers by discarding their shoes.

"Even before the meeting was to take place, the behaviour of Pakistani authorities was bad. A female cop took out a handkerchief and wiped out the 'sindoor' from Sukhpreet's forehead. Both Sukhpreet and I were asked to take out hair pins as well. Sarabjit's teenaged daughters were also mistreated, and authorities were rude even after I raised objections. We were even asked to take out our 'kadas' (bracelets)," Dalbir Kaur said.

She recalled that as Singh loved "bharwan karela", a bitter gourd dish, the family cooked it at their home in Amritsar and brought it for him.

"However, again the Pak authorities were rude. They opened the container and forcibly stuffed it into our mouths asking us to taste it first," she said.

That was not the end of the ordeal, she said.

"Before proceeding to meet Sarabjit in jail, a manager at a Lahore Gurudwara asked us to keep our passports there. When we were to leave after the meeting, we were told to show our passports. When reminded that we had been asked to deposit these at the Gurudwara, the Pak authorities delayed our departure telling us that the documents were not traceable," she said.

Dalbir Kaur said that in 2011 too she met Singh in jail.

"I was the only one to be granted a visa. But this time too their treatment was no different. They took my 'kirpan' forcibly and when I asked them to at least keep it safely, they flung it in some corner showing disrespect which deeply hurt my religious sentiments," she said.

When I met Sarabjit, he cried a lot, asking me to help prove his innocence, she recalled.

In 2013, Sarabjit's sister, wife and two daughters had again travelled to Lahore, but this time the distraught family were allowed just a glimpse from a distance of a comatose Singh who had been admitted to a hospital after a brutal assault in a Pakistani jail.

He passed away barely a few days later.

On the treatment meted out to the family of Jadhav, who is in custody in Pakistan for alleged spying, Dalbir Kaur said after playing a cruel joke by not allowing the family to meet the Indian national freely, Pakistan was now making baseless charges of a chip, camera or a recorder in the footwear of his wife.

"First Pakistan portrayed the meeting of Jadhav's family as a humanitarian gesture, they then humiliated the family by asking them to remove bindis, mangal sutras etc and separated the family from him by putting up a glass screen. Now, they have come up with this baseless charge of chip, camera etc.

"I think India has responded as strongly and appropriately as it should in such circumstances. From now on, we should be even more firm towards Pakistan because they deserve such treatment and can only understand tough language," she said.

Dalbir Kaur's brother Singh had died following an assault by the inmates at a Lahore prison in April 2013. He was convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court and sentenced to death in 1991.

However, the Pakistani government had stayed his execution for an indefinite period in 2008.

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Pakistan today again defended imposing harsh security procedures during the meeting of death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife and mother, which it claimed had been bilaterally agreed with India.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected Indian allegations and stated that the meeting of Jadhav with his wife and mother on December 25 was permitted on humanitarian grounds.

He said the meeting was initially scheduled for 30 minutes but was extended to 40 minutes on request and claimed Jadhav's mother had thanked Pakistan after the visit.

Pakistani authorities had sent the shoes worn by Jadhav's wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, media reports here said yesterday.

Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal was quoted as saying that authorities had to ascertain whether the "metallic object" in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip.

The foreign minister said Pakistan's "humanitarian gesture" did not obviate the fact that "Jadhav is a serving Indian naval officer and a convicted Indian terrorist and spy".

He said a comprehensive security check was therefore essential. This was agreed between both countries, in advance, through diplomatic channels, adding that Jadhav's family members were treated with "respect and dignity" and the change of clothes and removal of jewellery and ornaments was purely for security reasons.

He said the visitors changed into their own clothes after the meeting and all their belongings were returned to them before they left, though the wife's shoes were retained as they did not clear the security check because a "metal chip" was found in one of the shoes, which is being analysed.

India yesterday accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav's family members on the pretext of security, pointing to the "removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire not warranted by security".

Khawaja said Pakistan has been open and transparent throughout the meeting, offered in good faith.

"We do not wish to indulge in fallacious accusations and blame game and should focus on the bigger positive outcome that the meeting happened, despite immense challenges and impediments, instead of distortion of facts and baseless propaganda, which vitiates the atmosphere and is counter- productive," he said.

During the December 25 meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Jadhav, 47, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

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Pakistani today freed 145 Indian fishermen, held for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters, as a goodwill gesture amidst a war of words between Islamabad and New Delhi on the circumstances in which a recent meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family took place.

They were released following last week's announcement by Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal that 291 Indian fishermen would be released in two phases till January 8.

The fishermen were taken amid tight security to Karachi Cantonment Railway Station, from where they will be sent to Lahore, a police official said.

"They will be handed over to Indian officials at Wagah border crossing," the official said.

The remaining 146 fishermen are expected to be released and repatriated on January 8.

Those released were also given gifts and cash prizes by Edhi Foundation charity, which traditionally helps in repatriation of Indian fishermen.

Fishermen from Pakistan and India are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other's territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away.

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Pakistani troops today violated ceasefire twice in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir as they resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from across the border, targeting forward posts and villages, an official said.

The Indian troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) retaliated the firing but there was no immediate report of any casualty, the official said.

He said the small arms firing from Pakistani side was reported for nearly three hours in the morning in three villages of Digwar sector, causing panic among the border residents.

The firing from across the border again started this evening at Khari Karmara sector in Poonch and the exchange of firing between the two sides was continuing when last reports were received, he said.

The nearby Rajouri district witnessed heavy exchange of firing between Indian and Pakistani army after the latter initiated the firing in Noushera sector.

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement from Pakistan comes a few days after their troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers in Keri sector of Rajouri district on December 23.

On December 24, Pakistani troops had also targeted forward posts and villages in Shahpur sector of Poonch district for nearly four hours but there was no report of any casualty.

The Indian troops also killed three Pakistani soldiers and injured another in retaliatory action at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot on December 25.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a total of 881 ceasefire violations this year, highest in past seven years, along the LoC and the International Border (IB), resulting in the death of 34 people.

According to officials, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end.

In these incidents of firing from across the border, 30 people -- 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel -- were killed.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2016, there were 449 incidents of ceasefire violations in which 13 civilians and 13 government forces personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel were injured.

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Renowned film director Goutam Ghosh says a gallery should permanently showcase the history and evolution of Bengali films as it has not been chronicled properly.

As a part of the initiative, the recent exhibition at the Kolkata International Film Festival 2017, showcasing vintage cameras and other studio equipment used in Bengali cinema along with other archival materials should be permanently kept in a prominent gallery, Ghosh suggested.

"The proposed exhibition will show how our films evolved over the years but a lot more needs to be done," the 'Sankhachil' director said adding he will talk to the state government about it.

There should also be consistent research to track the entire history of Bengali cinema for the authentic documentation of films made in the last century, Ghosh said at the launch of a platform 'Bangla Cinema 100', yesterday evening.

Ghosh said on the 100th year of Indian cinema in 2013, the Ministry of Culture had restored 80-100 Indian films digitally, "which also included three-four films of mine."



However, if one focused entirely on Bengali cinema of the past 100 years, negatives of several important Bengali films have been damaged, he said.

Ghosh urged both corporate houses and the state government to finance the preservation of the existing films as the proper and organized documentation of Bengali cinema could break misconceptions such as the prevalent view that film society movement had begun in Kolkata in 1948-49.

"Nobody talks about the first Film Society set up by Charu Roy in 1930s", he said adding there were many such instances.

Ghosh said the shrinking of Bengali film market post-Partition in 1947, also needed to be chronicled "as any documentation of film history cannot be complete without recording the social history of the period."



The director who launched the campaign 'Bangla Cinema 100 (1917-2017) in the presence of actor Prosenjit Chatterjee and Ranjit Malick, said "We will urge the state government to help in the mammoth work of documenting the entire history of Bengali cinema."



"While films like 'Pather Panchali' (1955) or 'Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960) certainly form a milestone n the history of Bengali cinema, there are many other works ... that need to be recognised as well before it becomes too late," he said.

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The turf war between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal reached Parliament today, with a Rajya Sabha member claiming that the chief minister was being treated like a "peon".

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, who was chairing the proceedings, requested Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to try and sort out the friction between the duo.

As the issue dominated the discussion on a bill related to Delhi, a number of opposition members raised the matter of the chief minister not being invited to the inauguration of Metro's Magenta Line.

"I have a suggestion for you. You please take initiative to sort out the friction between the Lt Governor and the Chief Minister," Kurien told Puri, after a number of members raised the issue of power tussle between them.

Puri accepted it as a "bigger challenge" than challenges faced by him during his four-decade of public life that included negotiations with terrorists.

"In four decades of public life I have faced many challenges. I tried to negotiate with terrorists etc. This is going to be a difficult one but I will accept your challenge and I will try and negotiate... I will invite both of them for lunch and do something and I will try and sort this out," the minister told the Chair.

Puri earlier in the course of reply to a debate has said that the chief minister was not invited to the inauguration event by the prime minister as the stretch fell in Uttar Pradesh, and added that if Kejriwal was so eager he could sanction the fourth phase of metro which had been pending with the Delhi government for approval.

Senior member Raj Gopal Verma said, "When the minister was saying that the inauguration was done in the UP sector, I was silent. All those who possess general knowledge had objection to it as when the Delhi Metro is executing it, the Delhi Chief Minister should have been invited... This is a wrong precedent."



Verma cited one such instance during former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's regime wherein Vajpayee had refused to attend a function till the chief minister of the state was invited to be a part of it.

"Simple traditions and courtesies should be followed," Verma said.

Earlier, soon after Union minister Vijay Goel lashed out at the AAP government for not regulating unauthorised colonies in the course of a debate on a related Bill, Naresh Agarwal of the Samajwadi Party said the Delhi government was not being allowed to function and the Lt Governor treated "Delhi CM as a peon".

Agarwal said the Delhi government was an elected body and had the right to govern, and questioned the BJP why was it not making the national capital a model city like Varanasi.

T K Rangarajan of the CPI(M) echoed him and said the state government should have been given full powers which were being violated not only in Delhi but also in Puducherry.

D Raja (CPI) questioned as to "how long it (power tussle) will be allowed to continue". Demanding that the situation be sorted out in Delhi and Puducherry, he said it should be solved immediately.

Md N Haque (Trinamool Congress) took a strong objection to the Delhi chief minister not being invited to the Metro launch event.

"Why is the elected government in Delhi not allowed to run. Lt Governor is dictating...Recently PM inaugurated Delhi Metro rail but the CM of Delhi was not invited," he said.

Haque said, "In the name of development, this political oneupmanship should stop."



A stretch of Delhi Metro's Magenta Line was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, cutting down the travel time between Noida and parts of south Delhi by more than 30 minutes.

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Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today called upon states to cut sales tax or VAT on petrol and diesel to provide relief to consumers.

"Several states have reduced VAT, we will appeal again... States, which have high VAT component, they should reduce for consumers interest," the minister told reporters here.

He further said that the petroleum sector would be brought under the ambit of the Goods and Services tax (GST) as and when the consensus is reached among the states.

In October, the government reduced excise duty on petrol to Rs 19.48 per litre from Rs 21.48 per litre and on diesel to Rs 15.33 a litre from Rs 17.33 previously.

When asked to comment on the oil companies integration where IOC has shown interest in GAIL, he said that BPCL too has shown its interest.

The minister was speaking on the sidelines of a skill India programme, where he felicitated winners of WorldSkills 2017 competition, held in Abu Dhabi.

The skill development ministry disbursed reward money worth Rs 50 lakh to the winners and their respective trainers, in various categories.

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Attacking the Maharashtra Government for reinstating bureaucrat Radheshyam Mopalwar, Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has said the probe conducted into the allegations against Mopalwar was a "farce".

"Right from day one, the government's intention was to give Mopalwar a clean chit. The Opposition was demanding a judicial probe whereas the government settled for an inquiry by a retired chief secretary," Vikhe Patil said in a statement.

He added that the speed with which Mopalwar was given a clean chit and reinstated as Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Deveopment Corporation (MSRDC) showed that the government wants to brush allegations of corruption in the Sammruddhi coridor project linking Mumbai and Nagpur under the carpet.

Mopalwar was reinstated on December 26. Mopalwar was sent on leave in August this year after audio tapes surfaced in which he was allegedly heard seeking a bribe.

A probe committee under former Chief Secretary Johnny Joseph was set up which submitted a report that the audio tapes may have been tampered.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Vikhe Patil said the probe against Housing MInister Prakash Mehta is being done through the Lok Ayukta while a retired chief secretary was asked to be allegations against Mopalwar.

"Mopalwar's inquiry is completed in five months while a decision regarding a probe against former Minister Eknath Khadse is kept pending. This shows the Government's convenient stand against corruption," Vikhe Patil charged.

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The Rajya Sabha today witnessed two adjournments in the pre-lunch session as the opposition protested over the controversial remarks by minister Anantkumar Hegde, while a BJP member pressed for a privilege notice against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for "twisting" Arun Jaitley's name.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he would examine the privilege notice by BJP's Bhupender Yadav against Gandhi and added that any comment from outside the House on an agreement between the ruling side and the opposition was not good.

Yesterday after a prolonged impasse, the Rajya Sabha had passed two important bills after the government and opposition reached an understanding on Prime Minister's Narendra Modi remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

"A solemn agreement between the Leader of the House and Leader of the Oppositon was reached. Anybody outside (the House) commenting on the agreement is not good for the House or the system," Naidu said.

The House was adjourned briefly in the pre-noon session as the main opposition Congress continued protests over Hegde's remark on secularism and changing the Constitution. The House was adjourned again little after noon till 2 pm.

When the House met at 12 PM, Naidu wanted to take up a Question Hour, but opposition members were again on their feet noisily protesting Hegde's remarks.

Naidu berated them saying it was important that the questions are taken up and the opposition members were violating rules.

Congress member B K Hariprasad responded that the members were only violating rules while a minister was violating the Constitution.

An angry Naidu said since Hariprasad has himself admitted to violating rules, he would have to think what action can be taken against him.

As Hariprasad demanded that the minister be sacked, Naidu said it was a political demand. Naidu's attempts to continue the Question Hour did not deter the Congress members from protesting as several of them trooped into the Well shouting slogans.

Treasury bench members including BJP chief Amit Shah watched as union minister Vijay Goel said the House to which Hegde belonged was functioning while Rajya Sabha was finding it difficult to transact business.

As the protests continued, Naidu said the scenes of disruption would not be telecast. As there was no let up in the protests, Naidu adjourned proceedings till 2 PM.

During the Zero Hour, senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav said he had given notice under Rule 187 as Congress President Gandhi had "intentionally, maliciously and disrespectfully twisted" name of Leader of the House Arun Jaitley in a tweet.

"This comes under the category of privilege...," Yadav said, adding a notice in this regard had been given.

The Chairman however said "no member should take the name" of a person not present in the House to defend himself against a charge or allegation.

He said that people felt that Parliament, particularly the Rajya Sabha, was not doing its business and bills were not being taken up.

"Fortunately", due to the initiatives taken by the both sides, the "House has come back to normalcy", he said.

However, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue relating to Hegde's remarks and sought to know whether a "person who does not believe in the Constitution can continue to be a memberr of Council of Ministers".

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said Hegde has clarified his statement in the Lok Sabha and expressed regret, so no issue remains and the matter should be put to rest.

"Hegde has clarified in Lok Sabha that his remarks were twisted and he respects Baba Saheb Ambedkar. He has also expressed regret if his statement has hurt the sentiments of anyone," Goyal said, adding that "after Hegde's clarification, there is no issue left".

As the Congress continued to raise the issue, Naidu adjourned the House till noon.

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Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today said a series of boat races will be held here from January 25 to 28, 2018, which will witness the participation of sailors from various countries.

The event titled 'Sailing the East Coast' regatta will be conducted as part of the 'Bon Jour India' celebrations organised by the French government in Puducherry, he said.

Speaking at an event here, Narayanasamy said it would be the first regatta and nautical event in the Union Territory conducted by the Pondicherry Sailing Association.

It would be organised with the support of the French Embassy, the Institute of France in Pondicherry and the Puducherry government.

French Consul General Catherine Suard, who spoke on the occasion said conduct of the 'regatta' would be part of the highlights of innovation in Indo-French relationship.

President of Puducherry-based Indian Sailing Association Balachandran saidthe regatta is expected to attract around 50 competitors including international sailors.

It will be a combined event for sailors in the following categories - Optimist, Laser, Laser Radial and Moth.

The Moth category is being introduced for the first time in India by the Association, he said.

The French Laser class team would participate in the regatta.

Meanwhile, a press release from Pondicherry Sailing Association the regatta consists of 10 to 12 individual races.

On the development front, Narayanasamy said the French government has shown keen interest in collaborating with the territorial administration to promote developmental activitieshere.

The launch of the Rs 1,800 crore 'Smart City Project' in Puducherry in collaboration with the government of France and the Centre and funding of drinking water projects and others were proof of his government's initiatives getting patronage of the French administration, he added.

Narayanasamy further said he would request the French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Puducherry during his trip to the country.

"I have already spoken to Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in this connection and it would be a privilege for Puducherry to have the French President here." he added.

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Normalcy was finally restored in Rajasthan's government hospitals and health centers where in- service doctors today resumed duty after a 12-day-long strike.

The strike, which had badly affected medical services in the state from December 16, was called off last night after the state government assured the doctors to look into their demands.

"Doctors have resumed duties and the medical services are functioning normally today," Parasmal Jain, Joint Secretary in department of medical and health said.

The doctors went on strike while accusing the state government of not fulfilling promises made to them last month and against vindictive action against them.

The deadlock ended last night after a meeting between a delegation of doctors led by Ajay Chaudhary, president of All-Rajasthan In-service Doctors Association (ARISDA), and state Health Minister Kali Charan Saraf, Transport Minister Yunus Khan, BJP state president Ashok Parnami and other officers here, and other officers.

Yesterday, the BJP state unit president Ashok Parnami said the government has accepted the demands of doctors and resident doctors, and that the period of the strike will be considered as leaves.

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The Madras High Court today adjourned to January 3 the anticipatory bail plea of rebel AIADMK leader P Vetrivel who apprehended arrest in a case filed against him for releasing a video, purportedly showing late party chief J Jayalalithaa lying on a hospital bed.

When the petition came up for hearing before vacation judge Justice R Pongiappan, the petitioner's side made a request for adjournment as their counsel on record was not available today.

Accordingly, the judge posted the matter to January 3 for hearing.

Vetrivel, a disqualified MLA and a staunch loyalist of sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, moved the high court after the principal sessions court here rejected his plea for anticipatory bail last week.

He had on December 20 released the video clip which showed a frail looking Jayalalithaa in a night suit and sipping what appeared to be a health drink with a straw.

The release of the video, a day before the RK Nagar Assembly bypoll here, had triggered a political controversy with the ruling AIADMK objecting to it.

On a complaint from the returning officer that the release of the video violated the poll code and the Representation of the People Act, the city police had registered a case against Vetrivel.

Besides, the one-man commission probing Jayalalithaa's death had also lodged a complaint with the police, seeking action against the rebel AIADMK leader.

In his petition, Vetrivel alleged that the case had been filed as the ruling party leaders wanted to wreck vengeance on him.

He claimed that the video had no connection whatsoever with the RK Nagar by-election.

Defending his action, Vetrivel has said he was constrained to release the video to nullify the allegation that expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala was instrumental for the death of Jayalalithaa. Sasikala is in jail in connection with a disproportionate assets case.

The RK Nagar bypoll was won by Dhinakaran, who had contested as an Independent candidate.

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There is a reduction of 13 per cent in overall crime and 10 per cent in crimes against women in Hyderabad city during 2017 when compared to the previous year, a top police official said today.

"There is 13 per cent reduction in overall crime. The number of cases registered under Indian Penal Code and special local laws till December 15 this year is 14,479 as against 16,661 cases in 2016," Hyderabad Police Commissioner V V Srinivasa Rao told reporters here.

Rao said that there was a significant reduction in serious crime with 26 per cent drop in murders, 14 per cent in grave crimes, 20 per cent in property crimes and 47 per cent reduction in chain snatching cases.

There was also a reduction of 10 per cent with regard to overall crime against women in 2017 with 1,886 cases reported as against 2,099 cases in 2016, Rao said.

He added that in 2017, 1,171 cases of harassment of women were reported as compared to 1,318 last year.

The official said that the roving "SHE Teams" of the police had managed to catch 644 persons in connection with stalking and eve-teasing. Of these, 122 were minors, Rao added.

He said that police had registered 94 cases and arrested 187 persons, including 18 foreigners, in connection with drugs and other contraband.

Police seized 914 kgs of ganja, 649 grams of cocaine, 8 kgs of opium during the year, the official said.

As many as 271 cases were registered by the Cyber Crime Cell till November this year and 183 accused were arrested including nine foreigners, the Hyderabad Police chief said.

"A total of 3,256 cases were detected out of the 3,566 relevant CCTV footage available," he said.

He claimed that crime prevention and detection during 2017 was "excellent" despite a vacany of 40 per cent in Hyderabad City Police.

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Director Ridley Scott has said that Disney will never allow him to helm a "Star Wars" movie as he feels he is "too dangerous" for it.

The "Alien: Covenant" director was asked in an interview whether Scott would ever make a "Star Wars" movie.

"No, no. I'm too dangerous for that," Scott told Vulture.

"Because I know what I'm doing. I think they like to be in control, and I like to be in control myself," he added.

He also said his years of experience would not fit Disney's trend of enlisting new and rising directors.

"When you get a guy who's done a low-budget movie and you suddenly give him USD 180 million, it makes no sense whatsoever. It's f**cking stupid," he said.

"You know what the reshoots cost? Millions! Millions. You can get me for my fee, which is heavy, but I'll be under budget and on time. This is where experience does matter, it's as simple as that," he added.

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The ED today claimed it has seized diamonds, rubies and sapphires and gold ornaments worth Rs 40 crore in connection with its money laundering probe into the Rose Valley chit fund scam case.

The seizures were made during searches at outlets of a jewellery firm here yesterday, the Enforcement Department said.

"The ED has recovered and seized incriminating documents, 72kg of 22 carat and 18kg of 18 carat gold ornaments, diamonds and precious stones valued at Rs 40 crore during searches at Ms Adrija Gold Corporation Limited in connection with the Rose Valley case," it said in a statement.

An agency official said the precious stones included rubies and sapphires.

The ED had registered an FIR against the firm, its Chairman Gautam Kundu and others in 2014 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kundu was arrested by the agency in Kolkata in 2015.

Multiple charge sheets have been filed in the courts in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar by the ED in this case.

The group had allegedly floated a total of 27 companies for running the alleged chit fund operations out of which only half-a-dozen were active.

The agency has alleged that the firm had floated the scheme promising inflated returns on investments between eight and 27 per cent to gullible investors in various states.

The company had allegedly pledged astronomical returns to depositors on land properties and assets and bookings done in the real estate sector. The company has also been accused of making made "cross investments" in its various sister firms to suppress its liabilities towards investors.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had probed the company before the ED and the CBI registered cases against the group.

The ED has pegged the total volume of the alleged irregularities at Rs 15,000 crore.

In August, angry depositors of Rose Valley's various schemes had ransacked a hotel owned by the company at a prime location in the city, demanding their money back.

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Failed candidate Roy Moore has doubled down on his claims of voter irregularities in Alabama's US Senate race in a last-ditch effort to stop the certification of the Democratic opponent who pulled off a historic upset last month in a traditionally deep-red state.

Moore asked a judge late yesterday to issue a restraining order to stop the state's canvassing board from certifying Doug Jones' victory.

But Secretary of State John Merrill told The Associated Press that Moore's action "is not going to delay certification and Doug Jones ... will be sworn in by Vice President Pence on the third of January."



A spokesman for Jones called Moore's action a "desperate attempt ... to subvert the will of the people," and said it "will not succeed."



"The election is over. It's time to move on," Sam Coleman wrote in an email.

Jones defeated Moore by about 20,000 votes in the Dec 12 special election. Moore's campaign was deeply wounded by accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls decades ago. Moore has denied the accusations and says he has taken and passed a polygraph test to prove they are false.

Moore's attorney wrote in the wide-ranging complaint that he believed there were irregularities during the election, including that voters may have been brought in from other states.

He attached a statement from a poll worker that she had noticed licenses from Georgia and North Carolina as people signed in to vote.

The complaint also noted the higher-than-expected turnout in the race, particularly in Jefferson County, and said that Moore's numbers were lower than straight-ticket Republican voting in about 20 Jefferson County precincts.

The complaint asks for a fraud investigation and eventually a new election.

"This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone," Moore said in a statement released Wednesday announcing the complaint.

Merrill said he has so far not found any evidence of voter fraud, but he has said that his office will investigate any complaint Moore submits.

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Cutting across the party lines, Rajya Sabha members today sought concerted efforts by the government to deal with rising pollution levels in Delhi and its adjoining areas.

The members also asked the government to refrain from putting the blame on farmers for causing pollution by burning stubble or husk after harvest and suggested steps to help the farmers for proper disposals of this agriculture residue.

Initiating a short duration discussion on the issue, SP leader Naresh Agarwal said, "farmers are blamed for causing pollution by burning stubble/husk. The government should take steps to deal with the situation rather than blaming farmers because vehicle/industrial emissions and others area also the reasons for it."



Referring to the 12-point charter unveiled by the government to deal with the issue, Agarwal said that pollution will not come down just because the government would give directions to states or departments.

He expressed unhappiness over non-spending of Rs 800 crore cess collected in the name of enviroment by Delhi Government, which was not spent to deal with the issue, as it said it does not have right to spend the money.

Agarwal said the government should not refrain from taking steps to curb pollution because of fear of media criticism.

T S Reddy (Congress) also expressed dissatisfaction over government's 12 point charter to deal with the issue saying he wanted to understand the 12 points charter. He drew attention towards solid waste management saying garbage is being dumped in improper manner.

Referring to the government's plan to use electric cars for officials, he said there was a need for electric public transport system including buses and metro rail to reduce dependence on fossil fuels which caused pollution.

He was also of the view that the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan should take steps to deal with stubble burning after harvest.

A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) also echoed similar views and asked the chair to consider conducting Parliament session in winters in Chennai where pollution levels are low.

Derek O Brien (TMC) said a large number of lives have been lost due to pollution and suggested that the government should also look at other metropolitans and small town to deal with the problem there.

He also suggested that the governemnt can ask people to plant one sampling on the birth of every girld child as practiced in West Bengal where 15 lakh samplings have been planted.

Prasanna Acharya ((BJD) and Harivansh (JDU) expressed the similar views and asked government to take steps to deal with the issues rather than blamming farmers.

C P Narayanan (CPI-M) said people of Delhi were suffering from pollution due to lack of coordination among the Centre, state governments and local government. He also spoke about the need to educate people on waste management.

Veer Singh (BSP) suggested that industrial units should be shifted from the national capital and action should be taken against big farmers for burning crop residues.

D Raja of CPI said air pollution was a health issue and is not limited to Delhi alone and suggested that public transport should be encouraged and massive efforts should be taken to shift towards cleaner fuel. Raja said farmers should be given subsidy for adopting to to new technology to re- plough crop residues in the field.

INLD member Ram Kumar Kashyap said trees should be planted to tackle pollution, while Pratap Singh Bajwa (Cong) urged political parties to make Delhi liveable by forgetting their differences. On crop residue burning, he said farmers would have to incur additional cost to remove residues and they should be adequately compensated.

Satyanarayan Jatia (BJP) said pollution levels have increased and there is a need to find solution, while Kanimozhi (DMK) said pollution problem is not only in Delhi but other cities of the country. Many cities of Tamil Nadu are also facing similar situation because of industrial pollution, she said, adding that emission norms should be adhered to.

The DMK member said farmers should be given alternate choice so that they stop burning of crop residues. The government should not intervene and help farmers, she said.

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Citing "Love Jihad", the Bajrang Dal and VHP have opposed "indecent" dances and parties where drinks or intoxicating substances are served on New Year's eve in hotels, pubs and public places.

"Love Jihad is already rampant in Dakshina Kannada district and young girls are being lured to attend such programmes," the two outfits said.

The police department should not permit hotels or pubs to conduct such "DJ (Disc Jockey) parties". All the bars should be closed by 11 pm at night, they said in a petition submitted to city police commissioner T R Suresh yesterday.

They also warned that the police department would be directly responsible for any untoward incidents during new year celebrations.

Local leaders from Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were present when the petition was submitted.

'Love Jihad' is a term used by sections of Hindu activists to describe marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men, who they claim seek to propagate Islam.

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Sixty-eight Yemeni civilians were killed in two separate air raids by the Saudi-led Arab coalition in one day, the UN humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said today.

The first air strike on Tuesday hit a "crowded popular market" in Taez province, killing 54 civilians including eight children, and wounding 32 others, he said in a statement.

The second raid was in the Red Sea province of Hodeida and killed 14 people from the same family, the statement said.

"I remain deeply disturbed by mounting civilian casualties caused by escalated and indiscriminate attacks throughout Yemen," McGoldrick said.

In addition to the casualties from Tuesday's two air raids, another 41 civilians were killed and 43 wounded over the previous 10 days of fighting, he said.

The Arab coalition intensified its air campaign targeting the Iran-backed Huthi rebels after December 19 when Saudi air defences intercepted a ballistic missile the insurgents fired at the Saudi capital Riyadh.

"These incidents prove the complete disregard for human life that all parties, including the Saudi-led coalition, continue to show in this absurd war that has only resulted in the destruction of the country and the incommensurate suffering of its people," McGoldrick said on Thursday.

He said civilians "are being punished as part of a futile military campaign by both sides".

"I remind all parties to the conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition, of their obligations under International Humanitarian Law to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure and to always distinguish between civilian and military objects," he said.

The UN official said the conflict in Yemen has no military solution and could be resolved only through negotiations.

The Arab coalition intervened in support of the internationally recognised government in March 2015 after the Shiite Huthis took over the capital Sanaa and much of Yemen.

But despite the coalition's superior firepower, the rebels still control the capital and much of the north.

More than 8,750 people have been killed since the coalition intervened, according to the World Health Organization.

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Separatists today appealed people to boycott the upcoming panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the central and state governments have been using such elections to hoodwink international community.

Separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said boycott of these elections will deliver a message that Kashmiris want freedom from Indian occupation, and that they will accept nothing less than freedom and right to self determination.

"India and its stooges repeatedly stage this election drama to hoodwink international community, and pro-India parties and their leaders try to lure people in the name of roads, unemployment and other sugar-coated things," the separatists said in a joint statement under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL).

"Soon (after) this election drama is over, these hypocrites, their masters in Delhi and media, declare this vote as a vote for India and use this farce to camouflage atrocities and human rights abuses in Kashmir," they said.

The separatists said any sort of election under this system -- be it for "so-called assembly, Parliament, municipal committee or panchayat"-- is meant only to "harm the interests of Kashmiris.

"We appeal people of Kashmir to boycott panchayat election drama announced by the so-called rulers," they said.

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said it would hold panchayat elections from Feburary 15 next year.

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Hailing the passage of a bill by the Lok Sabha to make instant triple talaq illegal, BJP chief Amit Shah tonight said the "historic step" will bring a "new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women".

He congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire BJP-led NDA government for the passage of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which brings the practice of triple talaq within the ambit of criminal offence.

"This bill is a historic step towards ensuring dignity for Muslim women. I thank all fellow Parliamentarians who have supported this bill, which will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women," Shah tweeted.

The contentious bill, which makes instant triple illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.

MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

The bill gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

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Frenchman Gilles Simon is aiming to regain his form at the Tata Open Maharashtra after having gone through a difficult last season.

The 33-year-old world no 89 took to the court here today at the Mhalunge Balewadi Stadium to complete his first practice session in India.

Someone with 12 ATP singles titles under his belt, as he dropped in the rankings from being ranked 25th (Jan 1 2017) in the world to 89th.

But the Frenchman isn't bogged down by the disappointing season and is back to starting a new season with a rejuvenated form.

"I did not have a good season last year but I am now fresh and raring to go here in Pune. This is the first time I will be playing in India, usually I started my season in Australia but have now decided to play in India and I am looking forward to performing well," said Simon.

Speaking on his chances to win the singles at Tata Open Maharashtra, Simon said that he is very confident that he can do well against the top players here.

"I have won a total of 12 ATP 250 World Tour events in my career and I will aim to do my best here in Pune as well. There are a lot of good players participating here but I am confident that if I perform up to my full potential, I can beat the best in the world," said the Frenchman.

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A special court today granted conditional bail to journalist Vinod Verma in connection with the circulation and possession of a "sex CD", allegedly involving a Chhattisgarh minister, as investigators failed to file a charge sheet within the mandatory period of 60 days after his arrest.

Special CBI Magistrate Shantanu Kumar Deshlahre granted relief to the scribe after he submitted a bond of Rs 1 lakh and a guarantee of equal amount as directed by the court.

Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on October 27.

"The court accepted Verma's plea for bail which he submitted in the court yesterday under the section 167 (II) of the CrPC," said Verma's lawyer Faisal Rizvi.

Rizvi said Verma may walk out of the Raipur Central Jail late tonight.

Verma was arrested by Raipur Police during investigation after a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station in Raipur in October on a complaint lodged by BJP leader Prakash Bajaj.

Bajaj had alleged that he "was being harassed over phone by an unidentified caller", who told him that he had a CD of his "aka" (master).

The police had claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and some pen drives from Verma's residence.

After his arrest, the "sex CD", allegedly involving state Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat, surfaced in Raipur, triggering a political storm with the ruling BJP and opposition Congress targeting each other on the issue.

Subsequently, Munat lodged a complaint against Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Verma at the CivilLines police station in Raipurfor "tarnishing" his image with the "fake CD".

On recommendation of the state government, the CBI took over the investigation of two cases related to the circulation of the CD and questionned Verma in the Raipur Central Jail on December 20.

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Scandals, including that of sexual misconduct, rocked Meghalaya in 2017 which saw a legislator sent to jail on charges of raping a minor and involvement in a sex racket and a governor resign for allegedly entertaining women at his office and compromising the Raj Bhavan's dignity.

The beginning of the year saw Raj Bhavan staff openly revolting against the then Governor V Shanmuganathan charging him with compromising the dignity of the gubernatorial office.

Nearly 100 staff members at the Raj Bhavan alleged the governor gave "many women direct access to his bedroom". He was later asked to resign.

The year also saw the swearing in of two other governors - Bawanrilal Purohit who replaced Shanmuganathan and later Ganga Prasad who took over as the 17th Governor and the fifth in the last five years - a record of sorts.

Independent legislator Julius K Dorphang was jailed for allegedly raping a minor and being involved in a sex racket.

Dorphang and 18 others were arrested by police and jailed in the first quarter of the year. Charged under POCSO, they are still behind bars.

The year also saw a rebellion in the ruling Congress from its senior members including former deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh and his cabinet colleagues Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar.

They openly revolted against Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and declared their intention not to seek re-elections on Congress tickets. They are set to join the National People's Party.

The high court judgement holding invalid the appointment of parliamentary secretaries through a government's 2005 legislation was another blow for the government.

The Meghalaya Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2005 was held invalid in November for want of legislative competence of the State Legislature and was therefore, struck down leaving the decision to disqualify them at the hands of the Governor.

Activist M Sumer, on whose PIL the court acted, also demanded their disqualification as an MLA although they had resigned en-mass on the day the court announced its judgement.

In the same month, the high court delivered another blow to the Congress when it annulled the recruitment of teachers in 2009 in five of 15 centres Shillong, Jowai, Amlarem, Tura and Dadenggre where the CBI had conducted an inquiry and unearthed anomalies in the selection process and ordered the agency to register an FIR filed in this regard.

Although the CBI had established that 268 out of 365 candidates were appointed illegally by the education department officials meddling with the original marks and score sheets, the state government went on to defend its stand and Chief Minister Sangma directed the education department to file an appeal petition before the Supreme Court against the judgement.

In another instance, the high court had to step in to prevent the state government from rampant cutting of trees in the state after a big tree fell on top of cars killing three of the occupants of a taxi. The government, otherwise, intended to cut over 550 trees in the city.

The year also saw the BJP trying to hog the limelight in the state under Shibun Lyngdoh although its leadership had a tough time explaining the Centre's ban on slaughter of cows and dealing with the issue of alleged atrocities against Christians and minorities across the country.

The Congress also shot off letters of protests against the central government's decision to observe Christmas as good governance day and Digidhan melas on Good Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the poll-bound state earlier this month. He inaugurated the 271-km-long east west corridor connecting western Tura in the Garo Hills and Nongstoin in West Khasi Hills with the state capital apart from sounding the poll bugle. The state goes to polls early next year.

On the law and order front, a mob set on fire five police vehicles and torched part of a police station in North Garo Hills district after three traders were shot dead as a result of a mistaken identity by the police who were looking for armed criminals. The matter is under a judicial probe headed by retired Justice B D Agarwal.

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Peasant leader Akhil Gogoi today appealed to the Asom Gana Parishad to sever its alliance with the ruling BJP in view of the saffron party's move to pass the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 in Parliament.

He urged the AGP to try to form the government with other like-minded parties or face elections.

Gogoi, who is a leading RTI activist and was released from jail yesterday, announced that he would fight against the BJP and oppose any move to grant citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshi people.

"We appeal to AGP that it is time to come out of the alliance with BJP, which is trying to give citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis. The people of Assam have loved AGP a lot and now it is its responsibility to reciprocate," Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi told a press conference here.

"There is no point of breaking up the alliance after passing the Bill. That will be a big mistake. You (AGP) should come out immediately and try to form the government with other parties such as Bodoland People's Front and All India United Democratic Front.

"As the Congress is also opposed to the Bill, they may give outside support to the new government," Gogoi said, adding that if the AGP cannot form a government they should prepare for the elections. In such a case AGP seats in the assembly will increase manifold, he added.

Earlier in the day, the AGP said it strongly opposed any move to grant citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis and will work for the defeat of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Parliament.

Gogoi announced that the KMSS will not allow the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 at "any cost" and appealed to all like-minded social and political groups to join hands to prevent passage of the Bill in Parliament.

"The BJP is misleading people by giving false data. After 1971, more than 20 lakh Hindus have come to Assam. Apart from those, if the Bill is passed, around 1.7 crore Hindus in Bangladesh can also come as per the Bureau of Standards. How will Assam take the load of an additional 1.9 crore people?" he asked.

Gogoi said the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is a grave threat to the Assamese society and a challenge to the state's pride.

"BJP is a party of outsiders. It does not have any moral right to talk about indigenous people. Time has come to boycott (Chief Minister) Sarbananda Sonowal and (BJP Assam President) Ranjeet Kumar Dass," he added.

On September 12, Gogoi had told a rally at Moran that if Hindu migrants from Bangladesh were thrust upon Assam, the people of the state would be forced to take up arms. He was arrested the next day and was slapped with charges of sedition. On December 21, the Gauhati High Court declared the detention of Gogoi under the NSA illegal.

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A soldier and six Mai-Mai militiamen died in clashes today in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo near the Ugandan border, the Congolese army said.

Since the beginning of 2017, Mai-Mai militias have regularly attacked Congolese army positions in the region.

The lastest clashes between government forces and the militia began at around 8am, local residents in Kasindi, in North Kivu province, said.

Kasindi houses one of the main customs posts in the eastern DRC and which processes a large flow of merchandise from Uganda.

"We regret the death of a soldier, three others are wounded, six militia have been killed and three others captured," said a regional spokesperson for the military, Lieutenant Jules Tshikudi.

"Calm has been restored after several hours of fighting with heavy and light weapons," he said. "The army is in control of the situation."



DR Congo's huge eastern region has long been plagued by violence, but fighting between government soldiers and militia groups, as well as inter-ethnic clashes, has increased significantly this year.

North Kivu province has seen a particular surge in killings and kidnappings between rival ethnic groups.

Six people, including two soldiers, died last month in clashes between the army and Mai-Mai militiamen in North Kivu.

The Mai-Mai became prominent as armed community militias during the Second Congo War (1998-2003).

They teamed up with the Kinshasa government to battle invading troops, notably from Rwanda as well as foreign rebels. Some Mai-Mai forces never gave up the weapons they got from the regime.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed confidence that spread of among girls would result in a drop in the state's fertility rate, which was higher than the national average.

Launching the second phase of the "Vikas Samiksha Yatra" to review the implementation of various government schemes on the ground, Kumar highlighted several measures taken by his government to boost enrolment of girls in schools in a bid to spread among them.

"When we assumed power, we noticed that the state has a very high density of population. The problem got compounded by a fertility rate that was much higher than the national average. However, the same was found to be on par with the national average, or even lower, among girls who had studied up to Class 10 or Class 12," Kumar said.

The chief minister said this while addressing a public meeting at Jamui after a review meeting with officials.

"Our schemes such as free bicycles and uniforms to girls have led to a sharp rise in their enrolment in schools. Earlier, while only about one lakh girls reached high school every year, the number has now crossed seven lakhs," he said.

"This is bound to have a bearing on the fertility rate and bring the growth in population under control," he said at a village in Lakshmipur block of Jamui where he also launched various schemes and laid the foundations of several projects.

India's total fertility rate currently stands at 2.3, whereas in case of Bihar it is above 3.

Later, addressing a public meeting in the adjoining district of Munger, Kumar underscored that he had taken the radical step of banning sale and consumption of liquor following a demand to the effect from women.

He also appealed to the people to take part in a human chain, proposed to be formed on January 21 next, to spread awareness against dowry and child marriage "with the same enthusiasm that was on display when we formed a human chain on the theme of prohibition this year in which four crore people participated".

Kumar, while addressing the public meeting at a village in Jankinagar block of Munger, where he launched a number of schemes, said his government had succeeded in providing safe drinking water to residents of Khaira in the district where high fluoride content was playing havoc with the people's health.

At both the public meetings, the chief minister also spoke about his government's efforts at setting up medical colleges, nursing institutes and engineering colleges in different parts of the state so that students do not face the compulsion of moving to far-off places for .

The chief minister also said that he undertook state-wide "yatras" (tours) as "one cannot get a true picture of the situation on the ground by conducting review meetings in Patna".

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A 15-year-old boy was electrocuted to death and his aunt sustained severe burn injuries when a high tension power line fell on them in a village of Jhalawar district this morning, police said.

The deceased was identified as Arjun Meena (15), resident of Salari village, SHO at Raipur police station Kalyan Singh said, adding that the body was handed over to the family after postmortem.

Arjun, his aunt Ghisebai (35) and cousin Devnarayan (15) were heading toward their agricultural land on a motorcycle when an 11 KV power line fell on them near Sameli Kalyan village, the SHO said.

Arjun Meena sustained 100 per cent burn injuries and died on the spot while Ghisebai and Devnarayan were rescued by villagers, he said, adding the woman sustained burn injuries and was undergoing medical treatment at CHC, Raipur.

A case was lodged under section 174 of CrPC and investigation was on, SHO Singh said.

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Three soldiers were killed in central Mali today by a mine blast as they hunted for suspected jihadist fighters, the army announced in a statement.

"In their pursuit of the terrorists, the FAMa (Malian armed forces) were victims of a mine explosion," the army said. "The incident took place... in the Bulkessy (Mopti) sector on the border with Burkina Faso."



"The casualty toll is three dead and three wounded," added the statement, without giving any further details.

On December 21, the army in the large northwest African nation, mostly desert, announced the killing of five armed Islamic extremists and the death of a soldier when troops fought off an attack near Niono in the centre.

In March and April 2012, jihadist groups linked to al- Qaeda seized control of the arid north of Mali, including celebrated ancient cities such as Gao and Timbuktu, centres of trans-Saharan trade and learning.

The extremists were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013, but large tracts of the country are still not controlled by Malian or French forces, nor a UN peacekeeping mission.

These forces regularly come under attack despite the signature in mid-2015 of a peace pact intended to isolate armed extremists.

Since then, the attacks have spread southwards in Mali and violence has also struck in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Faced with deteriorating regional security, the G5 Sahel regional organisation, which includes the three nations together with Chad and Mauritania, revived plans for a joint anti-jihadist force, initually launched in November 2015 with French support.

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Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Tourism Priya Sethi today sought to allay concerns over security of tourists and said that tourist footfall has increased in recent times.

She listed various measures being undertaken by the J&K government to promote tourism.

"The government of Jammu and Kashmir is taking all steps to make that secure. For the tourists to come there, visit there, the Department of Tourism headed by the Chief Minister (Mehbooba Mufti) has taken many measures...to definitely welcome our guests, our tourists (sic)," Sethi told reporters at a road show organised to promote tourism in the northern state.

Citing the example of terror incidents in Europe and elsewhere, she said the scourge is being faced all over the world.

"Tourism Police for the service of tourists is also in place in Jammu and Kashmir," the minister said.

The state, comprising Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions, has received more than a crore of tourists in recent times and the tourist arrivals are on the upswing, she said.

Highlighting well-known tourism destinations in J&K, she said, "We have a platter of everything (adventure tourism, pilgrimage tourism among others)".

The state is developing tourism destinations, including circuits of Sufi shrines, pilgrimage centres of Shiva temples and also monasteries, the minister said.

Many filmmakers, including from the southern states, have shot in the state in recent times and a single window system is in place for their benefit, officials said.

"It is much cheaper for a film unit to shoot in Kashmir than going to foreign locations," they said.

Attractive packages are also being offered to tourists visiting various destinations in the state, the officials added.

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The women's rights group spearheading the movement against instant triple talaq called the passage of the bill on it in the Lok Sabha as "historic", while some others said it was a "sad day" and termed the move "shocking".

The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote. The bill makes instant triple talaq null and void and makes its pronouncement punishable by up to three years in jail. It will be a non- bailable, cognisable offence.

Bharatiya Muslima Mahila Andolan, which was one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court on the issue of talaq-e- biddat, said that Lok Sabha proceedings today indicate that Muslim women's voices have been heard across the political spectrum.

"What is historic is that the Congress party also supported it. Both the government and the key opposition party are on board. Congress acknowledged the need for a law (on instant triple talaq). It is symbolic of the fact that Muslim women's voices have now been heard across the political class -- that is a big achievement in itself," said Zakia Soman, co-founder of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan.

She added that the absence of a law against the practice of instant triple talaq was "a huge lacuna".

"Until now a big section of the citizenry -- the Muslim women -- were denied legal protection, which is not acceptable," Soman told PTI over phone from Mumbai.

She, however, added that if the bill lays down the procedure of giving talaq and makes talaq-e-biddat non- cognisable it will be a good move.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, who was a counsel for Bebaak Collective on the issue of triple talaq in Supreme Court, however, expressed her shock over its passage in the Lower House of Parliament.

"Very shocked to hear that Lok Sabha has passed the bill. I would have expected the bill to go to the Standing Committee before it came to the Lok Sabha, which was not done," Jaising said.

She added that she was opposed to criminalisation of triple talaq.

"I would say that some of our worst fears have come true. That the intention of the government was not to protect these women but to re-victimise them. This bill is patently discriminatory and unconstitutional and it should be challenged," the senior lawyer added.

She has also questioned the provisions for a subsistence allowance as well as custody of children in cases of triple talaq, saying these are redundant if the divorce has been invalidated.

Sadhna Arya, representing a women's collective called Saheli, said, "Earlier there were killings in the name of Love Jihad, now it will take place in the name of triple talaq. It is a sad moment."



She added that she never expected the bill to be passed in a day in the Lok Sabha.

The president of the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), Shaista Amber, welcomed the tabling of the bill but insisted that it should be in the light of Quran.

"We welcome the tabling of the bill and this has given lots of hope to the women as triple talaq is an evil which has been haunting them," she said.

Amber, however, added that any law enacted in this regard should be in the light of the Quran and the Constitution to make it acceptable to the community.

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A court here today sentenced two men to seven years imprisonment for raping a 45-year-old woman in 2015.

Sessions court judge R N Majgaonkar also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 each on Akash alias Gotya Ashok Burkhud (22) and Vilas alias Kakdya Rama Burkud (28).

Prosecutor D R Tare informed the court that on August 17, 2015, the duo raped the woman near a stream in Chari village and threatened to drown her if she narrated the incident to anyone.

Tare said the duo were arrested immediately after the incident and a case under relevant sections of the India Penal Code was registered.

The judge held that the prosecution has successfully proved the case beyond reasonable doubts.

The court relied on the deposition of 11 witnesses including the woman and convicted the duo.

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The UN has reduced by 11.39 per cent the budget of its military observer group tasked with monitoring the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan for the year 2018-2019.

The General Assembly on Sunday allocated USD 19,754,400 for its UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) for the next two years, a cut of USD 2,539,200 from its previous allocation of USD 22,293,600 for the year 2016- 2017.

Overall the UN biennium budget has been reduced by five per cent or around USD 286 million in actual terms.

This is mainly because of the pressure from its largest donor the US, which is seeking a reduction in its aid to the world body.

The UNMOGIP, which is financed by the United Nations' (UN) regular budget, is currently headed by Major General Per Gustaf Lodin of Sweden.

Informed UN sources familiar with the budgetary process told PTI that the reduction in the UNMOGIP was in the area of travel.

The group's field trips have been reduced by 500 to 4,500, while its allocation for contractual services and general operating budget has also been cut, they said.

The UNMOGIP conducted 4,864 field trips in 2012-2013 against the target of 5,000. In the 2014-2015 period, it carried out 4,468 field trips against the target of 5,000.

Figures for actual field trips for the period of 2016- 2017 were not available. The target was 5,000.

The current mission of the UNMOGIP, as directed by the Security Council, observes developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire of December 17, 1971 and report thereon to the UN Secretary General.

The UNMOGIP is headquartered in Islamabad from November 1 to April 30 and a rear headquarters in Srinagar from May 1 to October 31.

Its mission is carried out by military observers deployed in field stations and mobile observation teams. A liaison office is located in New Delhi.

Its field stations in India are in Jammu, Baramulla, Poonch and Rajouri districts, while on the Pakistani side the field stations are in Domel, Kotli, Bhimber, Rawalakot, Sialkot, Skardu and Gilgit.

According to the information available on its website, the group has 114 personnel which includes 70 civilians and 44 experts.

The first group of the UNMOGIP arrived in the region on January 24, 1949 to supervise the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

These observers, under the command of the Military Adviser appointed by the UN Secretary-General, formed the nucleus of the UNMOGIP.

In February this year, a General Assembly report pertaining to budget said that the mission will continue to maintain military observers at all its operational field stations on both sides of the line of control.

The report said the mission will continue to conduct efficient patrols and effective inspections and investigations of the alleged violations of the ceasefire and perform field tasks in the vicinity of the Line of Control from the field stations to the extent permitted by the host countries.

Till May 2014, the UNMOGIP liaison office in New Delhi used to receive free rental accommodation from the Indian Army.

In May 2014, the Indian Army asked UNMOGIP to vacate its premises. Since then, the liaison office relocated to leased premises in September 2014 and also pays for the cost of the facilities provided by the Indian Army.

In 2016-2017, the UN General Assembly had allocated USD 2.8 million towards refurbishment of the new premises, and reimbursement for the monetised value of the facilities provided by the Indian Army, and the rent of the premises of the liaison office in New Delhi.

According to the Security Council mandate given in resolution 307 of 1971, UNMOGIP observes and reports on ceasefire violations along and across the Line of Control and the working boundary between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as reports developments that could lead to ceasefire violations.

India has maintained that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US consular missions in Turkey are set to resume full visa services following a suspension triggered by the arrest of a staff member, the American embassy in Ankara said today.

Turkey had "adhered to high level assurances" made to the United States and, as a result, the US State Department "is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey," the embassy said in a statement.

It did not give a date for when this would take effect.

The US decision to stop handing out visas was implemented from October and was followed by a tit-for-tat move by Turkey to stop giving Turkish visas to Americans.

The US in November said it has resumed limited visa services, a move matched by Turkey's missions in the US.

But the services were so limited that the first interview appointments for Turks seeking most types of US visa were only available from January 2019, causing uproar on social media.

The crisis was triggered when US consulate staffer Metin Topuz was formally charged with espionage and seeking to overthrow the Turkish government last month, accusations the US embassy in Ankara said at the time were "wholly without merit".

US authorities then sought assurances from top Turkish officials that no further staff members would be placed under investigation.

The embassy statement said it had now received such assurances that there are "no additional local employees of our mission in Turkey under investigation".

Turkish authorities will also inform the US "in advance" if they intend to arrest any local staff member in the future.

But the statement added: "We continue to have serious concerns about the existing allegations against arrested local employees of our mission in Turkey".

In March, a Turkish employee at the US consulate in the southern city of Adana was also arrested on charges of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

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US and South Korean delegates will meet in Washington on January 5 for talks on possible amendments to their free trade agreement, officials announced today.

The Trump administration initiated talks to renegotiate the United States-Korea (KORUS) free trade agreement in July, arguing the 2012 deal was lopsided because American's bilateral trade deficit had ballooned under it.

It will be the third such session after previous meetings in Seoul in August and Washington in October.

According to the office of Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the US exported less to South Korea in 2016 ($42.3 billion) than it did before the agreement was signed in 2011 ($43.5 billion), a decline of 2.7 percent.

Over the same period, South Korean imports in the United States rose by nearly $20 billion, meaning the US trade deficit in goods rose from $13.2 billion to $27.6 billion.

The US deficit in the autos sector alone now stands at $24 billion, an increase of 77 percent since 2011, a statement from Lighthizer's office added.

Since assuming office a year ago, US President Donald Trump has railed against free trade deals, describing them as bad for US jobs.

One of his first moves was to pull US support for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, an American-led initiative with 11 Asia-Pacific countries that deliberately excluded Washington's big regional rival China.

His administration is currently involved in bumpy negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with neighboring Canada and Mexico, which Trump has repeatedly threatened to scrap altogether.

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Vietnamese courts have handed down harsh prison sentences to two dozen people after finding them guilty of terrorism and subversion including a case linked to an exiled group.

A court in Ho Chi Minh City convicted 14 people for a petrol bomb attack at the city's international airport in April and sentenced them to between five and 16 years in prison yesterday.

The bomb caused a scare but no casualties. It was linked to an exiled group of the defeated South Vietnamese republic.

A court in south-central province of Binh Dinh sentenced nine people to between three to 14 years for attempted subversion and spreading propaganda against the communist state.

Both cases were reported by state-run Thanh Nien newspaper. Court officials were unavailable for comment today.

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A group of supporters of AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, who is unhappy with the party leadership, today staged a protest at the party office demanding a Rajya Sabha seat for him.

The sit-in by around 60 supporters was held between 3 pm and 7 pm. The agitators left after Vishwas tweeted that he would not appreciate any "unrest" in his name.

"Pl refer to my Nov 26 appeal, Country first, Party next and Person last. Fight for Swaraj, BackToBasics, Transparency but I won't appreciate any unrest in my name. Abhimanyu is a winner, even if killed(sic)," Vishwas tweeted.

The incident comes a day before filing of nominations for Delhi's three Rajya Sabha seats begins.

Although AAP's strength in the Delhi Assembly will ensure that all the three seats go to the party, the issue has brought to the fore the deepening divide within the party.

One of the supporters said someone who has been part of the anti-corruption movement, which was the launchpad of the party, should be sent to the upper house.

Last month, the party had approached former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan to be one of its candidates, but the economist declined saying he would stick to academics.

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Delhi BJP workers today staged a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in Civil Lines against water tariff hike.

A 20-per cent hike in water tariff will affect those consumers who have non-metered connections, said Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari.

"This will severely hit the entire middle class, especially those residing in group housing societies, unauthorised colonies or Jhuggi clusters who don't have metered connections," he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta alleged that the AAP government was going back on its poll promises.

"The Aam Aadmi Party came to power promising free water for all and electricity at half of the prevailing rates in 2015, but it ditched the citizen on both issues," he said.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) earlier this week approved a combined 20 per cent hike in water and sewer charges in the national capital for consumption above 20,000 litres a month.

The new rates will come into force in February, 2018.

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West Bengal Women's Commission Chairperson Leena Gangapadhaya and Member Dipanwita Hazari today visited the house of the girl, who committed suicide, after she was allegedly raped, officials said.

A resident of a village near Bolpur, the girl had set herself on fire and died on December 18, in a hospital in Kolkata, 10 days later.

Leena Gangapadhaya, after talking to the victims parents said, "We strongly demand exemplary punishment for the culprit. We have talked to all concerned people including hospital doctors. The police has been asked to submit a report to our office."



The representatives of the state women's commission also visited two hospitals, the Burdwan Medical College & Hospital and the Bolpur sub-division hospital, where the girl was treated.

When Sushma Sahu, a member of National Commission for Women visited the girls house on December 22, the victim's mother had alleged that her daughter was not at all treated in those two hospitals.

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Facebook has asserted it has no plans of "integration or authentication with Aadhaar" and is not linking the social media accounts to the 12-digit biometric identifier.

The clarification came in response to reports that indicated that Facebook was running a test, where it requested for people's Aadhaar information when they signed up for a Facebook account.

Facebook clarified that the test, which is now complete, included additional text explaining to users that if they used Aadhaar name it will help their family and friends recognise them.

"We are not collecting Aadhaar data and do not require people to enter their Aadhaar name when they sign up to Facebook," it noted in a blogpost.

Facebook said the goal of the test was to help new users understand how to sign up to Facebook with their real name and connect with their friends and family.

The move by Facebook is being seen as part of the company's efforts to check the increasing number of fake accounts on the platform. Facebook, however, did not comment on that.

It explained that at the point of account sign-up, users -- who were part of the test -- saw language that said "using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise you".

"This is an optional prompt that we were testing. People were not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card, and there is no integration or authentication with Aadhaar," Facebook added.

The US-based company said the test ran with a small number of users in India and has now concluded.

"...we currently have no plans to roll this test out further," it added.

India -- with over 240 million users -- is the second largest market for Facebook after the US.

On the other hand, with 119 crore residents already enrolled for the Aadhaar -- a unique 12-digit number backed by fingerprints, iris scans and certain demographic details -- the programme today is the world's largest biometric database.

The government is pushing for linking Aadhaar to a host of schemes and services such as mobile connections, PAN, and bank accounts to weed out ghost holders and check tax evasion.

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Ruling coalition member Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today said it will oppose any move to grant citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis and "do all" to defeat the proposed citizenship bill in Parliament.

AGP president Atul Bora said the party's stand is clear that all illegal foreigners, irrespective of their religion, coming to Assam after March 24, 1971 will have to be deported.

"That is why we will do all we can so that Parliament cannot pass the bill, which aims to safeguard the Hindu Bangladeshis. We want to clarify that we are not against the Bengali people and the Bangla language. We are against illegal Bangladeshis," he said.

By giving citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 not only violates the Assam Accord, but also brings in a threat to the peaceful secular fabric of the state, Bora, who is also the state agriculture minister, told a press conference.

"We have given our comment in writing to the Joint Parliamentary Committee and the home ministry, which will implement the Act. Recently nine regional parties had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and apprised him of their opposition to the bill," he said.

The senior AGP leader said the party will keep an eye on the preparation of a "true" National Register of Citizens, the first draft of which will be published on the midnight of December 31.

He also spoke of strengthening the party's base across Assam.

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By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc will pay at least $11.5 million in fines and restitution to settle charges it displayed the wrong research ratings on more than 1,800 stocks, causing many customers to own shares they never would have bought, a U.S. regulator said on Thursday.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fined Citigroup $5.5 million and ordered it to pay at least $6 million to retail customers over errors that occurred between February 2011 and December 2015, and involved more than 38 percent of the equity securities that the New York-based bank covered.

Citigroup did not admit or deny wrongdoing, but the sanctions reflected its cooperation, including its decisions to report the rating issues and compensate customers, FINRA said.

The regulator said Citigroup would sometimes display to customers, brokers and supervisors the wrong ratings, such as "buy" instead of "sell," while in other cases it would display ratings for companies it did not cover, or no ratings at all.

As a result, brokers solicited thousands of transactions and negligently made inaccurate statements premised on wrong ratings, and many customers ended up owning stocks with "sell" ratings despite a prohibition on such ownership, FINRA said.

FINRA said the errors stemmed from problems with an electronic data feed, and Citigroup failed to timely fix the wrongly displayed ratings despite "numerous" red flags. The bank's actual research reports and ratings were not affected.

"The display and use of incomplete and inaccurate research ratings can have widespread, adverse consequences to customers," FINRA enforcement chief Susan Schroeder said in a statement. "Firms should react quickly to address those errors."

Citigroup spokeswoman Danielle Romero-Apsilos said the bank was pleased to resolve the matter.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Andrew Hay)

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TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said on Thursday its chief executive officer, Joseph Weiss, will step down after six years in the job as he approaches retirement age.

Weiss will leave after a replacement is chosen and at the end of a suitable transition period, the state-owned defence firm said. A committee will be formed to choose a new CEO.

Weiss joined IAI in 1998 following 27 years of service in the Israeli navy and previously managed the group's largest division - Systems, Missiles & Space.

Under his leadership IAI, which helped pioneer the development of military drones and also produces satellites, missiles and radar systems, grew its backlog of orders to a record $11 billion.

In April, IAI struck a deal worth almost $2 billion to supply India's army and navy with missile defence systems. A month later it won an additional $630 million contract to supply air and defence missile systems for four Indian navy ships.

(Reporting by Tova Cohen; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

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A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested an agency programmer for subverting railways' Tatkal reservation system, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today directed the IRCTC and the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to strengthen cyber security measures. The CBI on Wednesday arrested its Assistant Programmer Ajay Garg for developing an illegal software to subvert ticket booking system. "Use of such software is illegal as per rules & regulations of IRCTC and also under the Railways Act," the CBI said in statement.

Ajay Garg had earlier worked in Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) during 2007 to 2011. He exploited the vulnerabilities to develop the illegal software, which allowed agents to book hundreds of tickets in one go. According to reports, "The vulnerabilities of the IRCTC system still exist."

The CBI probe revealed that accused were allegedly receiving money from the dealers for the use of illegal software through Bitcoins and hawala network. A has been registered against Ajay Garg and others on the allegations of Criminal Conspiracy, Computer related offences for unauthorized access and damage to computer system, unauthorised carrying on of business of procuring & supplying of railway tickets and criminal misconduct. The booking fraud came to light after the agency conducted search operations at 14 places including Delhi, Mumbai and Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the Railway Ministry today issued a press statement, saying that the railways has an ongoing drive against ticket-less travellers and illegal ticket booking which creates artificial shortages of tickets. "Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal has now further ordered to continue this drive and identify similar cases which are causing inconvenience to genuine passengers," the statement said.
As a young executive at JWT, New Delhi, a couple of decades ago, I had made a presentation on the 'Future of Work' at one of our workshops. Mike Khanna, the then CEO who was present at the workshop, was impressed and thought it would be a good idea for me to present it to his executive committee in Mumbai. A few weeks later, I was in Mumbai at a retreat at Madh Island. The EXCO was in progress, and I was summoned to make my presentation. I walked in and looked around at the people seated around the table with Mike. I knew then Mike's secret of success - surround yourself with very competent people, build a great team and win. And that has been my single most important lesson in my career. It is a leadership lesson and not a management lesson. In the corporate world, I believe, good leadership trumps good management any day. You manage companies, processes, but the most important aspect of any corporation is its people. And people want to be led, not managed.

Building strong teams is easier said than done. For starters, the leader needs to be very confident and must not have insecurities. For an insecure leader, the opposite holds true - surround yourself with pygmies and you will look tall. And the other very important aspect of building a winning team is the ability to delegate well. There is no point in building a fantastic team and then micromanaging everything. Another learning has been about effective delegation. All leaders must remember, though, that they are only delegating authority, not responsibility. The responsibility stays with the leader, but he/she trusts the team or team member enough to delegate his/her authority to them.

It brings me to another leadership lesson that I learnt from my father. It is about trust. How can you delegate if you do not trust the people in your team? How do you take that first leap of faith and entrust your team member with an assignment, which is of huge importance to your organisation? My father used to tell me that there are two ways to assess a person you do not know well: Assume they are good and competent till they prove to be otherwise or assume they are useless till they prove to be good. He always encouraged me to follow the former. Trust your team members, give them bigger responsibilities and nine out of 10 times they will not let you down.

While I have been practising some of these learnings all through my career, they were brought sharply into focus when I left JWT after 19 years to join Worldwide Media - a Times of India/BBC Worldwide joint venture - as the CEO. I had joined a completely new industry. I needed to learn fast as the board wanted me to present my vision for the company at the next board meeting, which was only three weeks away. In my first week, I set up my leadership team. The nomenclature was chosen deliberately - leadership team and not an executive committee. It was a cross-functional team made up of all my direct reports. We went for an offsite, spent two days understanding our current business and the opportunities. From them, I got a crash course on the current business. We had a workshop on what we wanted to be and what we wanted to do as a company. At the end of the two days, we had a vision for our company. Since it was a vision that the leadership team worked on and arrived at together, it became "our" vision and not the CEO's vision. The buy-in was instant. The board meeting went well, and our company was on its way. The leadership team grew in size as our business grew. We maintained the regularity of the team meetings, ideally every quarter and at worst, every four months. All issues, from sales to editorial to HR and finance were discussed with complete transparency. Decisions were taken and the implementation started immediately. It was simple; if the team as a whole has agreed on a course of action, it should be implemented immediately. With the buy-in of a cross-functional team, there should be no impediments to implementation. A team decision eliminates that yawning gap between intention and implementation.

Taking a leap of faith with people, as my father suggested, is something I have always tried to practise. Sometimes even when the person himself is not ready for that leap. When I decided to entrust the role of editor to a 27-year-old in my former company for the launch of an iconic travel magazine, his response was one of disbelief. He kept asking me why I thought he was ready for the job even though he thought he wasn't. I had to convince him of my belief in his capability. He did take up that role and did an excellent job.

As I returned to head JWT South Asia a couple of years ago, my first decision was to form my leadership team. I have surrounded myself with very bright people. We have a shared vision for the company and its future. We meet regularly - more interaction means better integration - we collaborate well, and we move fast. They are a bunch of very competent individuals and as a team, they are unbeatable. The reason why we had two record-breaking years at JWT since my return, is almost entirely due to this fantastic team.

By Tarun Rai, CEO, J. Walter Thompson South Asia


1) Founder: Akshay Singhal started the company while studying B.Tech at IIT Roorkee along with his father, who now handles manufacturing for the company He is also pursuing a PhD in nanotechnology.

2) Big Idea: A nanotechnology R&D company that bridges the gap between laboratory-developed technologies and market-ready products. Singhal has a single-minded focus on graphene, a new wonder material which is an allotrope of carbon. It is 200 times stronger than steel but the thinnest material at the same time. The University of Manchester, which researches the material, says that "it is a superb conductor and can act as a perfect barrier - not even helium can pass through it." The material, however, is expensive - as high as `5,000 a gram. Log 9's USP is to develop processes to make it suitable for specific applications in a commercially viable way. The start-up has targeted the purification market.

3) How it is Using Graphene: Log 9 has built a plug-on device made of graphene composite particles for cigarette smoke filtration. When the cigarette is lit, the smoke passes through the filter, absorbing almost 30-50 per cent of the toxins.

4) Revenue Streams: The company was retailing the cigarette filtration device under its own brand, PPuF. Now, the company is manufacturing the devices for Indiabulls Pharmaceuticals. Log 9 has a minimum order of 1 million pieces for 2017/18. Collaborative research is another revenue stream. Log 9 is working with Engineers India Limited for developing a graphene membrane for separation of oil and water. It is also working on yet another paid project for a Fortune 500 company to make conducting plastics by infusing graphene so that the plastic parts of a particular device don't have to be manually wired.
Having spent over 28 years working in business and management, there are a number of lessons I have learnt. But if I were to pin down one lesson that has stood the test of time and been applicable in every sphere of my working life, it would be "Persistence Overcomes Resistance". It is this never say die attitude that has helped me in my professional journey. John D. Rockefeller said: "I do not think that there is any quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."

This lesson has helped me overcome any challenge I faced and has kept me focused on the job at hand, be it my studies or my career, and now running one of the largest franchises of an MNC bank. Think of a stonecutter who hammers away at a rock, perhaps a hundred times before a crack shows up. When the 101st blow splits the rock into two, he knows that it is not the last blow that resulted in the outcome, but the entire series of them. Success is an aggregation of small endeavours, repeated resolutely day in and day out.

Bill Bradley said: "Ambition is the path to success; persistence is the vehicle you arrive in." Persistence comes into play in multiple ways.

The first example that comes to mind relates to something the banking industry has been dealing with for the last few years - stressed assets. In my earlier role, one of our clients had run into rough weather, and while exploring possible solutions to the problem at hand, I thought of looking for a buyer for his asset outside India. A promoter - a prospective buyer - I approached was not keen on the transaction since more than anything else, the asset purchase would get him into a potential conflict of interest with his sibling. But, in a series of follow-up meetings, I managed to convince him of the benefits and showed him a way to offset the apparent conflict. The asset was sold at zero 'haircut' for the bank. This called for a great deal of homework and steadfastness to see the deal through.

Another example I recall was soon after I took the decision to join Standard Chartered Bank. There was a lot of media buzz about my 'bold' move. I remained steadfast in my decision. When I came on board, I found there were two urgent needs at the bank: one, rebuilding the existing engines of growth with better asset quality and less concentration risk, and two, launching/scaling up engines like retail banking to diversify revenue streams, and becoming a sharper and meaningfully competitive player in the banking industry. It took time to get everyone aligned to the tasks. We also ensured we had the buy-in of the management on the investments we wanted to make to build a more diversified, sustainable and profitable business model and put in place a large number of process efficiencies.

These were significant changes for any organisation. But we made them. I persisted in making sure everyone was aligned to what we were trying to do and it is very fulfilling to see that the persistence is bearing fruit. This has steadily helped build the credibility of the top team, and grown our confidence in completing the last mile. Internal campaigns were launched to reward and recognise employees - contests on innovative ideas to customer service awards (and focus on service parameters) were initiated to strengthen internal engagement levels - and drive our agenda further and deeper.

This brings me to another aspect of persistence - persisting in creating a cultural or mindset change. Often, this is subtler, takes longer, and is, therefore, tougher to bring about. Take, for example, exploring new and better ways of doing things and driving efficiencies. It was persistently communicated at every forum or meeting that each individual in the company needed to look at what he or she was doing and challenge the status quo - was there a better way to do the same thing? This kind of change obviously does not happen overnight. It takes weeks and months of reinforcement and persistence and making people come together to deliver. I ensured that we start encouraging and catalysing change. Through reward and recognition programmes, we pushed up the engagement and interest in change significantly.

What truly constitutes persistence? In my view, there are four core dimensions.

The first is obvious - hard work and perseverance. Persistence comes from putting in the hours and effort. And when you think you have given it everything, giving more than you thought you could. For example, I was a seasoned corporate banker - thanks to the variety of roles and challenges I had taken on - when, one fine morning, I was asked by the then CEO of ICICI Bank to roll up my sleeves and start the agri-business of the bank. Now here I was, a pure bred wholesale banker, not knowing even the basics of agri-business and credit, catapulted straight to 'ground zero' of an unknown and complicated business.

And ground zero was the hinterland of India, to which I had to travel to make sense of the business by engaging across the supply chain - from farmers to distributors. To add icing to the cake, I was a woman, born and raised in the city then called Bombay! I didn't have too many people either in my team to start with - just seven or eight persons. At the end of three years when I moved from agri-business, we had a team of 800-900 people in the division. I had many moments of fulfilment in that role - starting the first rural ATM in India, turning around loss-making branches, disbursing loans to farmers through cards - way back in 2004 - and other exciting stuff. The most fulfilling part was that I could paint my own canvas.

Self-belief is the second dimension, which is especially crucial for women at work. Self-belief is knowing you are no less than anyone in any way; that even though you might feel the task ahead is uphill, it is not going to shake you. Self-belief and perseverance are magical talismans before which difficulties dissolve and obstacles vaporise into thin air.

And this self-belief can only come from knowledge and expertise, the third dimension.

When I took on the role of CEO at Standard Chartered Bank, I knew that the varied roles I had undertaken hitherto, the experiences I'd had and the discoveries I'd made, had shaped my banking acumen and understanding of how the ecosystem behaves. My years in wholesale banking had enabled me to build strong ties with leading corporate houses in the country, and get a close feel of how Indian companies function - their requirements, problem areas as well as resolution mechanisms. My stint of building the agri-business from scratch had helped me believe in myself. My movement across roles and portfolios gave me an aerial view of the banking 'map'. It helped build my perspective, gave me insights, and it is this collective knowledge and expertise I had that have helped me in my current role.

The fourth dimension I would include is adherence to one's core value system. One of the first initiatives we took after I came on board was becoming cost conscious, but we did this by reducing process costs and ensuring that there was little or no adverse impact on the people engaged with us or their morale. It was not just about better budget management; it was more about building a cost conscious culture in the company. It was about making people accountable for the costs they were incurring, and that in turn meant instilling a sense of ownership in the organisation. It is very important to walk the talk and hence it was something I, too, observed. Every time we have introduced major change, we brought everyone on board - be it through town halls, communication or workshops. This helps boost transparency and create an open culture where leadership is trusted and aligned to.

In summary, I think this quote from author James N. Watkins most aptly describes the best management lesson I have learnt, "A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence."

By Zarin Daruwala, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank India


What is the outlook for Indian pharma in 2018? Analysts tend to think that it's a bit uncertain but many still feel the worst may be over. The last three fiscal years have been challenging for Indian pharma companies. The year 2015/16 saw price regulations being rung in by the pricing regulator. The next fiscal, 2016/17, was also tumultous with the demonetisation drive of the Modi government while 2017/18 has seen businesses coming to terms with the switchover to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

The expectation therefore is that 2018/19 could be the first normalised year for pharma after a while and the sector could show growth considering that the base is likely to be low by the end of FY18. And there may be more acquisitions. Plus, many of the leading companies will see their facilities come in for re-inspection by the US drug regulator - be it Sun Pharma's Halol, Dr Reddy's Duvvada and Srikakulam and Lupin's Goa and Indore facilities.

The year 2017 hurt Indian pharma in more ways than one. What hurt Indian companies the most in the US, their biggest market outside India, were three developments. Buyer consolidation and increased competition took a toll. It has been happening for the past two to three years but these developments became a severe problem in 2017. Most Indian pharma companies saw their base business (products launched earlier to the current financial year) in the US erode by 10 to 15 per cent this year as against 6 to 10 per cent last year.

The channel consolidation in the US has meant there are today just about three to four large wholesalers and chains that source generic drugs in the US as compared to about a dozen of them four years ago. Growing competition too has hurt margins. While the trend has been towards more players, including many from India, many of the relatively newer entrants into the US market began to cut prices severely to gain market share.

The third element was the unrelenting US drug regulator that chose to keep pressure on companies on crucial regulatory compliance issues. At the beginning of 2017 there were expectations that perhaps pharma giants like Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy's would be able to get the regulatory challenges sorted out by the year end. Not only did they, and others like Wockhardt and Ranbaxy plants (now Sun Pharma plants), continue to remain under the regulatory scanner but even others like Lupin faced the heat.

USFDA issues are not new and companies have been facing the music for the past couple of years but in 2017, analysts point out, the grounds for warning letters have become even more stringent. The end result: There was a double whammy. On the one hand the base business is getting eroded and on the other, because of the regulatory challenges, the companies are unable to get new product approvals and therefore unable to launch newer products in the market.

Then, domestically, the other big market for Indian pharma, policy uncertainties hurt the most. Some of the big concerns were around signals that the industry should be ready for a scenario where doctors would prescribe only generic drugs and not branded generics, especially for single molecule drugs, which would be -- as per some estimates by analysts -- about 40 to 50 per cent of the total domestic pharma market by volume and about 30 per cent in value terms. Then, there have been concerns that the price control applied to essential drugs may be extended to most other drugs too. These worries were also expressed by those who run and operate hospitals and diagnostic labs. Linked in some ways to these concerns were also some local M&A transactions.

Torrent, which had earlier bought Elder Pharma's brands, bought the India business of Unichem this year and Eris Lifesciences bought the India business of Strides Shasun. Analysts link part of the M&A activity to the fact that the exorbitant valuations have tempered down. Some deals are happening at 3 to 4 times sales as against 6 to 8 times sales demand earlier by pharma companies.
Thursday, December 28, 2017 at 3:07AM

Looks like Samsung is getting more confident that its back to business for them as the South Korean company reverts to its standard launch pattern for previous flagshipsat least according to this new report. Aside from launching the rumoured Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus at Mobile World Congress, which will run from February 26 to March 1, we are supposedly expected to see the new devices go on retail on March 11, at least in South Korea and the US. If Samsung follows tradition, theyll launch the S9 phones on February 28, giving them just two weeks for the phone to go officially on sale.

Samsung pushed back the sale of the S8 last year following the self-imposed pause the company took to after investigation over the Galaxy Note7 had to happen. But it looks like the company is ready to get right back to business and with the S9 seen as an incremental update to the S8. Plus, with no big issues plaguing the current flagship, there isnt anything hampering them from going about things as scheduled.

Source: Forbes
More technical details are starting to emerge on the next generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class, prior to its public premiere scheduled for the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.



By catching a shotgun ride in a prototype in northern Sweden, and chatting with the brands chief of compact vehicle testing, Jochen Eck, Autocar has learned that the upcoming hatchback will be offered with a choice of 9 powertrains in total.

These include the newly developed 1.3-liter gasoline unit that can already be found on the Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic, and another lump thats commonly present on various cars made by the French company: the 1.5-liter dCi diesel, in the A160d model.

The list also counts two performance versions of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, dubbed AMG A35 and AMG A45, with the former believed to use a 2.0-liter turbod mill rated at some 340hp, whereas the latter will allegedly churn out in excess of 400hp. Additionally, plug-in hybrid and electric versions of the car are also expected to arrive.

Beyond the new powertrains, the next generation models also benefit from additional sound deadening foam in the body structure to help reduce the noise and vibration levels, and it will also get two suspension sets, depending on the chosen variant. Lesser models will come with a new torsion beam setup, while more powerful ones will feature an updated multi-link that debuted on the current A-Class.

Elsewhere, engineers and designers have improved visibility by making the pillars thinner and rear side windows larger, and the car also gets an additional 30mm (1.18in) added to the wheelbase length.

Mercedes-Benz could actually unveil the next-gen A-Class earlier than the Geneva Show next March, but nevertheless, the event is where the new compact model will celebrate its public debut.

PHOTO GALLERY
The Consumer Electronics Show is transforming into a mini automotive event and the latest company to announce plans to showcase a car in Las Vegas is Beijing LinkData Technologies.



The company will unveil its new U-Bike which is described as a neighborhood electric vehicle. The teaser image doesnt reveal much but it shows the model will be a relatively small vehicle that resembles the Renault Twizy. Styling details are hard to make out but we can see the model will have large headlights, protruding wheels, and what appears to be an open cabin.

Power will be provided by lithium-ion batteries sourced from Panasonic and they will apparently be broken into two sections which will make them portable. That company was coy on details but its possible the batteries can be removed for easy charging.

In terms of specifics, LinkData confirmed the U-bike will be 920 mm (3 feet) wide and weigh 180 kg (396 lbs). The model will also have an intelligent interconnection function and a range of 100 km (62 miles).

Theres no word on production plans by the company says the U-Bike will redefine short distance mobility and provide a more convenient and environmental-friendly solution for daily commute.

Photo Gallery
It seems this left turn is so tricky in the wet that a Texas home owner had to install video cameras just to capture all the cars that came barrelling in.



To make matters worse, this old Jeep Grand Cherokee not only crashed into the yard, it also nearly hit a pedestrian walking by. Thankfully, though, he saw the car and moved out of the way just in time.

The person who installed the cameras states that theyve even had multiple hit and run drivers crash on their property, and that the house itself was hit back in February, followed by the fence.

This is a chronic problem and now someone almost got killed. The city is not helping so far, added the home owner, who also claims that most people that end up crashing at that location dont even have car insurance.

We cant help but acknowledge the fact that a street sign warning drivers to slow down could make a huge difference at that location, especially when the road is slippery.

VIDEO
We have 1400 registered lobbyist in Victoria, 3300 registered in Ottawa and 70,000 registered in Washington, DC. So, what do lobbyist do? Let us refer to Brian Mulroney: lobbyist carry suitcases of cash into an office and ask for certain favours like will Air Canada buy Airbus planes or something along that line. If Brian says, yes we will then Karl Hans Schrieider would leave one or two of the suitcases behind and walk out with a smile.

This is all covered in the book: On the Take With Brian Mulroney by Stevie Cameron. This is not fiction or speculation. What does the effect of so many lobbyist have on government function? We end up with four used not fit for sailing submarines that the UK did not even want to put into service. Billions were spent here and not one boat is fit to sail. Now they talk of the need for more submarines?

BC government of past times sold BC Rail to one bidder with inside info transferred out to the buyer and a deal was made. BC taxpayers ended up with a $6 million lawyers/court cost for the insiders trial well, go figure. How much was paid by lobbyist we will not know, it is a secret.

Now our feds want new fighter jets from Boing but the deal went sour. I wonder if there were lobbyist involved in that deal? This is not peanuts we speak of, it is billions. Lobbyist do not live of free air, they expect to be paid for smoothing out the wrinkles in these deals. Maybe with 330 members of parliament in stock in Ottawa we should require all of them to be on the inside of all these billion dollar purchases, then the lobbyist would require many more millions in bribes for all the 330 MPs, thus we could reduce the annual pay of all the MPs as they are now paid by the lobbyists. It does not seem as these deals are all above the table.

When I worked, we were required to accept at least three bids for any job to be done by contractors so we could compare costs. The government should also consider open bids for any purchase and put it all out in the open in front of the 330 MPs to consider. If this cannot be done, maybe a referendum at ballot time would put an end to this corruption and 35 million Canadians could make the decision. Too many expensive secrets behind closed doors in government.

Jorgen Hansen


Photo: Robin Ledrew Photo posted to the Around the Block Lumby Facebook page

Thieves have targeted community mailboxes in Lumby.

Lumby residents say that in the past several days, three separate community mailboxes, along Highway 6, by Rawlings Lake Road and on Albers Road, have been hit by thieves.

The boxes near Rawlings Lake were hit on Christmas Eve and the boxes near Highway 6 appear to have been broken into Tuesday night.

The post office is now holding all mail from these boxes until they are repaired.

If your community mailbox has been hit by thieves, Canada Post says to call them and report the break-in. Canada Post will empty the boxes and hold the mail until they can be fixed.
Photo: The Canadian Press Disneyland park workers stop people from approaching the entrance during power outage.

Power was largely restored at Disneyland on Wednesday after an outage at the California theme park forced some guests to be escorted from stalled rides.

A transformer problem caused the late-morning outage in Toontown and Fantasyland, park spokeswoman Suzi Brown said.

About 12 rides were affected, No one was hurt, she said.

An unknown number of guests were taken off rides.

Power was restored in Toontown and much of Fantasyland within a couple hours and was expected to be fully restored later in the day.

Mark Freeman of Provo, Utah, said he and his wife and two children were in the affected area when the power went out.

"We were in line for It's A Small World," he said. "It just went out. And they basically said, 'Everything's shut off.'"

"It was just such a mad house," he said. "It was so crowded we couldn't even get out of the park. We went and got ice cream and just sat there for probably a half-hour."
Photo: Colton Davies Compass Court on Main Street in Penticton.

The demand for emergency homeless shelters in Penticton is up this year compared to past years, according to the manager of two facilities.

Roger Evans said the Compass House, a 16-bed facility on Nanaimo Avenue, has been at capacity during the holidays.

Meanwhile, Compass Court, a 28-bed emergency shelter on Main Street that opened last month, is at "about three-quarters capacity," Evans said.

The two facilities are operated by the Salvation Army, which has provided about a dozen extra beds during this cold season compared to a year ago.

Evans said the number of people using emergency shelters is "much more than last year," but he pointed out the numbers often drop off for at least a few days around Christmas.

"Normally at Christmas, the Compass House would get low on people  who go home or do whatever they're doing  but this year we stayed full."

With the "unusual" amount of people around for Christmas, the Salvation Army decided to host a Christmas dinner for the first time at the two facilities.

While the amount of people using shelters is high, Evans added there are still homeless people on the streets who opt not to seek shelter  despite frigid temperatures and snow.

"I know there's still some on the street, and I know them by name... You'd think it's cold enough for people to come in," he said.

"Some of them just don't like the shelter environment. Groups of people that you don't know, stuff like that."

While demand is not at 100 per cent for the Salvation Army shelters yet, Evans said he expects the facilities will be at full capacity very soon  with snow and frigid temperatures expected to persist.

"I think that'll drive people in."

He added there are seven "overflow" beds available at Compass House, should the Compass Court reach full capacity at any point, which would make a total of 51 shelter beds available.
Photo: Josh Winquist Vernon Fire Rescue responded to eight calls in 11 hours Wednesday.

To say that Vernon Fire Rescue had a busy day is a bit of an understatement.

The first call came at 5:30 a.m., with a house fire on Highway 97 across from Vernon Jubilee Hospital, and the calls kept coming from there.

In the span of just 11 hours crews, were called out eight times for:

Three medical back up calls.

Two fire alarms

One carbon monoxide alarm

One motor vehicle incident

And, they had to return to the house on Highway 97 to put out hotspots.

However, Christmas Day was even busier. Crews responded to 14 calls, ranging from motor vehicle incidents to smoke alarms.
Photo: The Canadian Press Former Assembly of First Nations chief Phil Fontaine.

Canada's marijuana industry is expanding rapidly, and some First Nations are looking to cash in on the emerging economic opportunities  including in the North Okanagan.

Phil Fontaine, an Indigenous politician turned marijuana executive, has spent the last year travelling the country and talking to First Nations about jobs, wealth and training opportunities the burgeoning marijuana business could bring. One such business is in Armstrong.

"Everywhere we've been, it's been the same reaction, interest, excitement. First Nations are speaking about possibilities and potential. So it's been very encouraging," said the former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Marijuana businesses represent "tremendous potential" for First Nations, partially because communities are able to get in on the ground floor, instead of fighting to catch up years later as has traditionally been the case, Fontaine said.

"This is a unique opportunity. This sector is different than any other the Indigenous community has experienced. Everyone is starting off at the same point," he said in a telephone interview.

Fontaine is the CEO of Indigenous Roots, a medical marijuana company operated by and for First Nations across Canada.

The company is a joint venture with Cronos Group, a medical-marijuana grower licensed by Health Canada. Once Indigenous Roots is operating, its profits will be split evenly between partner First Nations and Cronos.

Though recreational marijuana is set to become legal this summer, Indigenous Roots will focus on supplying prescription pot to First Nations communities, which Fontaine said have traditionally had lower access to the drug.

"We want to make sure that this particular service is made available to our communities in every part of the country," he said.

Plans are in the works to build an Indigenous Roots growing facility next to an existing Cronos facility in Armstrong with the aim of serving patients by the end of 2018, Cronos CEO Mike Gorenstein said in an interview.

Current Cronos workers will train First Nations employees to run the Indigenous Roots operation, he said.

"Long term and medium term, this is meant to be an Indigenous-operated company," Gorenstein said. "Our commitment is to make sure that any knowledge that we have or we continue to gain, that we're sharing and we're always there to support.

The new facility will create between 30 and 50 jobs, plus other opportunities in marketing, sales and accounting, Gorenstein said. Future operations will likely be even bigger, he added.
UPDATE: 4:15 p.m.

If you thought the snow would end any time soon, think again.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton.

A short break in weather is expected tonight before the next round of snow, which could total up to 25 centimetres in some areas.

"A storm system will cross Southern B.C. tomorrow, spreading another bout of heavy snow to the region," Environment Canada says.

The Southwest Interior is expected to be the hardest hit, where 15 to 25 cm are possible.

"Snow will ease early Saturday morning as the system exits the region," the national forecaster advises.

Other areas are likely to see five to 15 cm.

UPDATE: 3:30 p.m.

Kelowna has broken its snowfall record for this date in history.

Environment Canada meteorologist Allan Coldwells said its observation network at UBC Okanagan received about 18 centimetres of the white stuff Thursday afternoon.

It is definitely going to be a new record for today," he told Castanet.

The previous record for Dec. 28 was set in 1923 at 15.2 cm.

"We have had some unofficial calls around 20 cm. I think it is going to be close to 20 cm, he said.

The most snowfall Kelowna has ever received, on any given day was on Feb. 19, 1937, with 47 cm.

ORIGINAL: 12:30 p.m.

The Central Okanagan is on the verge of breaking a snowfall record set back in 1923.

Environment Canada confirms Kelowna is just a few centimetres away from surpassing the 24-hour record of 15.2 centimetres for Dec. 28.

It does look like we are going to break that record the way things are happening right now, said Environment Canada meteorologist Allan Coldwells. That is a pretty long-standing record.

The weatherman began tracking the snowfall at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

I am pretty sure that with the records we already had, another two to five centimetres across the area will give record values," Coldwells said. Fairly unusual event in terms of amount of snowfall.

Looking ahead, another five to 10 cm is expected today, with about five more overnight.

Another five to 10 cm is expected Friday.

Tomorrow, into the evening hours, that snow finally does end and the system starts to move off on Saturday morning, light snow remaining, he said.

The weekend will be dry with below-normal temperatures on Saturday and into the start of next week.

Send your snow photos to [email protected]
A man facing numerous charges for allegedly threatening a sex trade worker will be back in a Vernon courtroom on Jan. 11.

Curtis Wayne Sagmoen, 36, is facing several charges, including intentionally discharging a firearm and uttering threats to a sex trade worker, in relation to an incident in August.

Sagmoen has been held in custody since his arrest in October, and on Jan. 11 he will either enter a plea or elect the manner in which he will be tried on those charges.

He can select a judge and jury or judge alone.

As has become the case every time Sagmoen appears in court, a group of people gathered on the steps of the Vernon courthouse to protest violence against women.

Comprised mostly of First Nations women, the half-dozen protesters first marched along 30th Avenue carrying a large banner decrying violence against women before arriving at the courthouse Thursday morning.

We're just here to say that any act of violence against women is not OK, said protest organizer Megan Louis. And we're encouraging men to end the violence within themselves and to stand with us and support us in this cause.

Louis said the protesters were also there to raise awareness that there are still four women missing from the region.

Ashley Simpson, Deanna Wertz, Nicole Bell and Caitlin Potts have all gone missing in less than two years from the North Okanagan-Shuswap area.

The remains of Traci Genereaux were found on a farm on Salmon River Road that is owned by Sagmoen's parents.

RCMP said the death of the 18-year-old Vernon woman is being considered, but no connection to Sagmoen has been made.

Louis said the family needs and deserves closure on the death of Genereaux and they plan to hold rallies every time Sagmoen appears in court.

We're here to seek justice for Traci. We want to know what happened to Traci, said Louis.
Photo: City of Kelowna

Get your cars off the street  and give snow plow drivers a break.

The City of Kelowna has implemented a parking ban on designated snow routes for the duration of this "snow event."

The advisory affects residents living in Wilden, the Ponds, Magic Estates and Dilworth Mountain.

You have 24 hours to find alternative off-street parking, or you may face a $50 fine or be towed.

Even if you don't live on a snow route, you're still encouraged to move vehicles off the road to help plows clear the snow from curb to curb safely and quickly.

The city clears streets based on priority. Priority 1 includes high-traffic roads such as Gordon Drive. Priority 2 includes collector roads such as Richter Street, bus routes, school zones, town centers and emergency vehicle stations. Priority 3 includes local roads in neighbourhoods, and Priority 4 includes remaining lanes.

Highway 97 (Harvey Avenue) and Highway 33 are maintained by the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

For more information about snow removal, visit www.kelowna.ca/transportation.
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Doug Cygan, president of Jewel-Osco, has overseen remodeling of most the grocery chain's stores, as it competes in an industry where it's getting tougher to keep customers. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Walking the grocery aisles with Jewel-Osco President Doug Cygan offers a glimpse at how changing consumer tastes have altered grocery stores.

In the center aisles  where sales have stagnated or declined in recent years for many retailers  Jewel-Osco has overhauled its product assortment and bolstered natural and organic offerings, Cygan said. Square feet devoted to frozen food has diminished, while floor space for myriad beer, wine and liquor options has grown.

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And water, as Cygan puts it, is on fire. What used to be 4 feet of shelf space now consumes most of an aisle of both sparkling and nonsparkling waters.

And this stuff all sells, Cygan said, staring down the Deerfield Jewels water aisle. Thats what the people want. Thats what you give em.

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Its change or die in the hypercompetitive grocery industry, as retailers try to keep up with customers who demand fresher food, a better in-store experience and delivery or pickup options. In the year ahead, industry experts expect those trends to continue, even as the pace of store openings slows. And much of the growth from large chains is likely to come from those that operate smaller discount stores like Aldi, which is planning six store openings in 2018 , including stores in Naperville, Elk Grove Village and Downers Grove.

By comparison, Jewel is planning on opening two stores in 2018, in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side and in northwest suburban Huntley. Marianos, meanwhile, will open one in suburban Crystal Lake. Both companies say theyll largely be focused on remodeling existing stores in the year ahead.

The problem for chains like Jewel and Marianos is that shoppers are increasingly buying their groceries from more than one store, said Dan Tausk, a principal at Oakbrook Terrace-based retail brokerage Mid-American Real Estate Group. That means grocery dollars are splintered among a wide variety of formats including upscale grocers, discounters, dollar stores and drugstores.

If you are not able to fit into special niches and still trying to be all things to all people  to me, thats the most vulnerable, said Tausk, who writes a biannual report on Chicagos grocery industry.

To me, Jewel has done all the necessary things to survive as a middle market, one-stop-shop for consumers, Tausk said.

The sushi bar inside the Park Ridge Mariano's store. Mariano's is known for its prepared food offerings, while rival Jewel is investing in grocery delivery. (Jillian Shkolnick / Handout)

In the past five years, the Albertsons-owned company has remodeled 140 of its 187 stores, expanded produce and deli offerings, and put more emphasis throughout the store on fresh food, Cygan said. In the year ahead, Jewel plans to remodel another 20 stores.

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And last year, Albertsons rolled out delivery from Jewel-Osco stores and acquired Plated, a meal kit startup.

Marianos also continues to evolve since its parent company, Roundys, was acquired by Kroger for $800 million in 2015.

Since that acquisition, Kroger has largely left Marianos to make its own decisions, said Don Rosanova, Marianos president.

But Marianos  best known for its prepared food offerings on the perimeters of the store  has availed itself of some of Krogers infrastructure to grow the business. Last year, the 43-store chain opened its first Marianos-branded gas station outside the new Lombard store. Marianos shoppers can earn fuel discounts by racking up reward points buying groceries, Rosanova said.

Expect more of that in the years to come. The company is planning its second gas station outside the new Crystal Lake store opening later this year and will look to add fuel to existing suburban locations in 2018 and 2019, including Lake Zurich, Oak Lawn and possibly Frankfort.

Marianos is also phasing in some of Krogers store brands to replace existing Marianos store brands, Rosanova said. For example, most Roundys Simply Organic products have been replaced by Krogers Simple Truth brand. And in some locations, such as the new Bannockburn store, the chain is testing whether Starbucks performs better than Vero Coffee, Marianos original in-store coffee concept, he said.

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Despite such changes, Rosanova said, Marianos remains committed to its distinct in-store experience and is placing even more focus on convenience throughout the store.

Im responsible for protecting the Marianos brand, Rosanova said. Were not going to do anything to jeopardize what weve established for the last seven years.

An Aldi store opened in North Center in May. The chain plans to open more locations in Chicagoland. (Kristen Norman / Chicago Tribune)

Meanwhile, Aldi just keeps growing and changing. Beyond the six store openings, Aldi plans to remodel 30 stores, making them brighter, more contemporary and, in some cases, larger. Its part of a broader initiative to remodel 130 of its 150 Chicago-area stores by 2020.

We look forward to continuing to grow our Chicagoland presence in 2018 and the years ahead, said Heather Moore, Aldi division vice president.

Some questions for Chicagos grocery landscape remain unanswered for now. Whole Foods Market, acquired by Amazon last summer, declined to comment for this story. On the other end of the price spectrum, Dollar General, a fast-growing retailer thats mostly flourished in rural settings, said it would open its 28th Chicago area store in the Roseland neighborhood early this year, but otherwise declined to comment on its plans.

I do think were going to see more dollar stores in the Chicago area and theyll be selling more food than ever before, said Jon Hauptman, a senior director of retail for grocery consulting firm Willard Bishop.

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And of course, nearly all retailers will be working to grow their delivery and pickup options for customers this year. Both Jewel and Marianos launched their respective e-commerce services last year.

Pickup could emerge as the better option for both shoppers and retailers, though, said Jared Koerten, lead analyst at Euromonitor International.

Its a lot easier. The last mile in terms of delivering perishables continues to be a big challenge for grocery stores, Koerten said.

gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
Laine's Bake Shop in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood sells cookies at 10 Starbucks locations and more than 50 Whole Foods stores. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune) (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

Laines Bake Shop is almost undetectable from the street in the Far South Side neighborhood of Morgan Park. The windows of the brick storefront, a former post office, are covered with dark curtains. The smells of vanilla, ginger and peanut butter dont quite reach the sidewalk.

Inside the tiny bakery, though, business is booming.

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Laines churns out hundreds of pounds of cookies each week destined for 55 Whole Foods Market stores throughout the Midwest, along with red velvet cheesecake brownies sold in 10 Starbucks cafes in Chicago. Laines is, in many ways, a model for small food businesses with big dreams of broader distribution and social impact. It also serves as an example of how hard that journey can be.

In the past two years, founders Rachel and Jaryd Bernier-Green have endured financial struggles, personal setbacks and sleepless nights. Even now, despite its success with Whole Foods and Starbucks, Laines lacks the capital to move out of its 1,200-square-foot bakery into roomier facilities that would allow the business to keep growing.

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Were at an interesting point where we have these great opportunities in front of us but were turning down business because we cant adequately support it, said Rachel Bernier-Green, 30, as workers nearby scooped globs of cookie dough onto a tray.

As the oldest of six children who grew up in Roseland and suburban Homewood, Bernier-Green showed her entrepreneurial spirit early. While other girls dressed up as princesses, Bernier-Green said, she liked to pretend to be Oprah and Madam C.J. Walker, the renowned African-American entrepreneur and philanthropist of the early 1900s.

I was an odd kid, she said, laughing.

Just a couple of years ago, Bernier-Green worked for the prestigious accounting firm KPMG after earning a masters degree in taxation accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. But during a personal health crisis, she re-evaluated her priorities, deciding to spend more time with family and make more of an impact in the community.

I had a literal come-to-Jesus moment: What am I doing with my life? she said.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 Rachel Bernier-Green, owner of Laine's Bake Shop, holds eggnog cookies in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood on Dec. 8, 2017. Laine's Bake Shop sells cookies in more than 50 Whole Foods stores and 10 Starbucks locations. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Bernier-Green hopes to grow Laines into a national brand known for uplifting struggling communities on Chicagos South Side. She aims to hire employees who were previously homeless or in jail; partner with nonprofits that effect positive change in underserved neighborhoods; and source ingredients, locally when possible, from companies with similar values.

Just 5 feet 2 inches tall, Bernier-Green can nonetheless command a room when pitching her plan to investors and corporate types. Displaying a confidence she credits to her mothers homeschooling, she weaves her own family story and do-gooder goals in with detailed financial projections.

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Shes parlayed some of those moments into big opportunities with Whole Foods and Starbucks, even though its meant she and her husband have burned through their personal savings, and, at times, fallen behind on bills, and eaten popcorn and cereal for dinner.

I often tell people that I come across looking like a duck swimming across a lake, Bernier-Green said. It might appear smooth and confident on top but Im paddling like mad underneath.

Growing pains

Making it into Whole Foods is not a finish line for small food businesses.

Thats what people think. They think once you get in the gates, its a cakewalk. If anything, it gets harder, said Bobby Turner, former regional vice president for Whole Foods Midwest region who was recently promoted to be South regional president in Atlanta.

In Illinois, Whole Foods partners with more than 300 local vendors. The upscale retailer, now owned by Amazon, works with those small businesses to meet quality standards, improve packaging and fine-tune the supply chain. Turner, a former baker himself, was a mentor to the Bernier-Greens early on, helping them reduce their costs.

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Businesses like Laines face some inherent challenges, Turner said. Its more difficult to get long-term commitment from investors for products with short shelf life, he said, particularly when using higher-cost ingredients, as Laines does, that eat into profit margins.

Eventually, Laines likely will need to consider partnering with a co-packer, a contract manufacturer, to help it grow the business at less cost, Turner said.

Shes a good entrepreneur, very creative, always searching. ... (Laines) has a lot of potential, Turner said.

By the time Whole Foods opened its highly publicized store in Englewood last year and established partnerships with more than 40 local vendors from the South Side, Laines was already in 22 Whole Foods stores. Englewood made 23.

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(Bernier-Green) was obviously a very driven young woman, said Julie Blubaugh, local coordinator for Whole Foods Markets Midwest region.

Blubaugh recalled their first meeting some two years ago. She remembered the intricately designed cookies, the charts and numbers detailing the Laines business plan, the poise and organization of the presentation. Soon thereafter, Laines began selling cookies like its mocha raspberry thumbprint and honey nut peanut butter in Whole Foods cookie bars.

Laines also hopes to triple its number of Starbucks locations in the year ahead after first selling brownies in the Englewood location, part of a national Starbucks initiative to provide jobs and partner with local vendors in low-income communities.

What comes through with her business is her values. Its almost like a passing forward, said Rodney Hines, director of U.S. social impact for Starbucks.

Despite those opportunities, Bernier-Green said accessing capital has been the greatest challenge. And though Laines now has a proven track record, Bernier-Green and her husbands personal finances and credit score are relatively depleted, which presents another challenge when trying to secure financing, she said.

In her former role as chief small business officer for the city of Chicago, Roxanne Nava had a front row seat to some of the bakerys early challenges when she connected Bernier-Green to a $10,000 microloan from the nonprofit Accion Chicago and advocated on her behalf with Whole Foods.

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Increasingly, nonprofit lenders can provide quick infusions of capital for startups, where banks may be less willing, said Nava, whos now executive director for Metropolitan Family Services North and Evanston/Skokie Valley centers.

She had a harder time because of the rapid growth, Nava said. Its a success story with a lot of bruises.

A family affair

Bernier-Green believes her business is on the cusp of its next growth spurt.

The plan is to move Laines to a 1,600-square-foot retail cafe in Pullman and a 3,600-square-foot production facility in Woodlawn as soon as funding allows, Bernier-Green said.

To help facilitate the move, the bakerys hoping to land about $350,000 in grant money for the two locations combined through the citys Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, a program established by Mayor Rahm Emanuel that redirects funds from downtown development into seed money for businesses on the South and West sides. The next round of grants will be announced in the first quarter of next year, according to the mayors office.

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Laines also is hoping to raise another $150,000 or so through a campaign on WeFunder, a crowdfunding site for startups, that likely will begin early next year.

In the meanwhile, the Bernier-Greens will continue to lean on their strong network of family and friends.

Laines has five employees, including Bernier-Green, her husband, Jaryd; her mother, Elaine Rodgers; her sister, Rebecca Cortes; and one employee whos not a family member. Her father, other siblings and aunts and uncles all swing by to help or bring food at times.

Tall with a laid-back demeanor, Jaryd Bernier-Green, 32, provides a natural contrast to his wife. Shes the engine pushing the business forward; hes the body of the car holding it together, he said.

This is our child, the husband said of the business.

At the end of a grueling week that involved 16-hour days, the couple worked together in relative silence save for the loud hum of the air compressor and the occasional beeping of a timer. Rachel Bernier-Green wrapped vanilla bean poundcakes while her husband worked on butter pecan bites. Gingerbread and eggnog cookies cooled on a rack.

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Nearby, Elaine Rodgers took a break from scooping cookie dough to marvel at Rachel Bernier-Greens creativity with recipes. She chuckled when asked about her daughters perseverance.

I wouldnt say she has nerves of steel, Rodgers said, but shes learned to be prepared and go forward, whether shes afraid or not.

gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
A new dean at one of the countrys top business schools, a wunderkind at Kraft Heinz, and a new chief at the citys economic development arm. Each will take on new challenges in 2018 that make them among the Chicago businesspeople worth watching.

Stephen Calk, CEO of Federal Savings Bank. The bank CEO has become ensnarled in an investigation into the business activity of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps onetime campaign chairman. Prosecutors interviewing lenders and associates of Manafort summoned Calk in November. Calks Chicago-based bank provided $16 million in loans on Manafort properties. Despite the attention, Calk and his bank are moving forward. Bank spokeswoman Kellie Kennedy said Calk plans to hire more employees and open three to five additional loan production offices throughout the country, adding to the existing 29 offices. The bank aims to grow loan value by 20 percent.

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Doug Cygan, CEO of Jewel-Osco. Cygan is forging ahead with his plan to continue modernizing the citys largest traditional grocery chain. In 2017, the Albertsons-owned company jumped into the e-commerce fray by launching its own online grocery ordering and delivery service. Cygan, who started at the company as a parking lot cart clerk, said his biggest focus in 2018 will be hiring new store associates and adding more organic produce to the stores. Also on his plate is the rollout of Plated, Albertsons recently acquired meal-delivery service.

Wendy DuBoe, CEO of the United Way of Metro Chicago. DuBoe restructured the organization this year, laying off 20 percent of its staff while also hiring new talent. The revamped organization plans to bring together leaders and organizations to work on a mutually agreed upon goal in 10 neighborhoods. In Brighton Park, for example, community organizations are working with United Way to bump the neighborhoods high school graduation rate from 78 percent to 90 percent.

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Edward Lampert, chairman and SEO of Sears Holdings Corp. Sears has been struggling for years. But some retail watchers say sizeable debts coming due in 2018 will make the year ahead even more of a challenge for the retailer. Sears has lost more than $10 billion since 2011, the last year it made a profit. In December, Sears announced a pair of deals aimed at giving it more financial flexibility. The retailer paid down $325 million on a loan originally due midway through next year and said it plans to get a new credit facility worth about $600 million.

Neela Montgomery, CEO of Crate & Barrel. Montgomery took over as CEO of the Northbrook-based global home furnishings retailer in August. She was previously an executive with the companys Germany-based parent firm, the Otto Group. Montgomery would not comment specifically on her plans but she likely will be focused on staying ahead of the competition in the high-end furniture business. Crate & Barrel, which has had a store on Michigan Avenue for more than 27 years, is closing that location. The site has been leased to Starbucks, which plans to open a multilevel Roastery flagship in the space.

David Knopf, chief financial officer at Kraft Heinz Co. Knopf became the food industrys new wunderkind when he was bumped up from vice president to chief financial officer at Kraft Heinz in October at the age of 29. Knopf is charged with keeping the food giants stock price up, after sliding more than 9 percent year to date. Earnings at Kraft Heinz have beaten expectations, but the struggle to keep sales growing in the tough food business will be one of Knopfs biggest challenges.

Madhav Rajan, dean of the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business. Former Stanford accounting scholar Rajan became dean of the Booth School in March. Rajan faces the challenge of pushing Booth, ranked No. 3 this year among business schools by U.S. News & World Report, to the top or at least keeping competitors such as Northwesterns Kellogg School of Management, Stanfords Graduate School of Business and the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School at bay.

Howard Tullman, former CEO of 1871. Earlier this year, Tullman said he planned to step down as chief of the citys high-profile tech hub once a successor is found. Tullmans involvement with 1871 wont end  hell stay on as a board member and a member of the executive committee  but he wont say whats next. Tullman hinted that there are a couple of new initiatives he plans to roll out next year, but he declined to share any details.

Dirk Van de Put, CEO of Mondelez International. Van de Put, who became CEO of the global snack-maker in November and will add the title of chairman March 31, takes charge of the Deerfield company at a time of consolidation in the food industry. Mondelez, which makes brands including Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers, has long been rumored as a takeover target for Kraft Heinz, but the company could also look to make a big acquisition itself. Van de Put succeeds Irene Rosenfeld, who retired after 11 years. In an emailed statement, Van de Put said he plans on building on Rosenfelds legacy.

Andrea Zopp, president and CEO of World Business Chicago. This year, Zopp took the helm of the public-private partnership that serves as the citys economic development arm. Zopp, a former U.S. Senate candidate and Urban League chief who most recently served a short stint as Mayor Rahm Emanuels deputy mayor for business development, will focus on promoting the city as a global business center and luring corporations to set up shop in the Windy City.

crshrosphire@chicagotribune.com

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Chicago was picked as the restaurant city of the year and other big food stories of 2017. (Chicago Tribune staff)

Restaurants are notoriously risky businesses, so its no surprise that each year a few well-loved spots (and many more forgettable ones) shut their doors. But 2017 seemed to have more heartbreak than most, a fact that Phil Vettel covers in his story here.

But it wasnt all dire in 2017.

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In fact, while we were mourning the loss of some of our favorite restaurants, Bon Appetit magazine crowned Chicago the restaurant city of the year, a fact that Mayor Rahm Emanuel bragged about endlessly at any news conference he could.

While the prominent closings seemed to outweigh the openings, there were some serious bright spots. For reasons we'll never quite understand, Bonci, one of the best pizzerias in Italy (and therefore the world) decided to open a location in Chicago. Two titans of the scene, Graham Elliot and Matthias Merges, teamed up for Gideon Sweet in the West Loop. Jason Hammel proved that you could create a thoughtful and inspired restaurant in a museum with Marisol. Chicago's excellent Mexican restaurant scene continued to expand, with the opening of Diana Davila's Mi Tocaya and Dan Salls' Quiote. And the Boka Restaurant Group, which slows for no one, opened Somerset, Bellemore and Devereaux, and that doesnt include The Kennison, its partnership with the 90/94 Restaurant Group.

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And there were so many more. 2017 also saw the opening of Kitsune, Heritage, Temporis, Gibson's Italia, Margeaux Brasserie, Proxi, Daisies, Blvd and Split Rail, among numerous others. Oh, and a Nutella Cafe opened on Michigan Avenue, people lost their minds and I still cant get in because the lines are always hellishly long.

If one trend stood out in 2017, it was the proliferation of the food hall. When Revival Food Hall opened last October in the Loop, it wasn't a given that Chicago would fall for these fancy food courts. But now, nearly every week, someone announces some ambitious new project. Forum 55 has already transformed the food court at 55 E. Monroe St. in the Loop, bringing in Butcher & Larder for a new sandwich shop.

But the majority of food halls are still on the way. Wells Street Market plans to open in early 2018 with new projects by Jimmy Bannos Jr. of The Purple Pig and Takashi Yagihashi of Slurping Turtle. Jared Leonard has one planned for Uptown, while Brendan Sodikoff is crafting one for the Magnificent Mile. When the redesign for Chicago's Union Station popped up, you better believe that it had a food hall in the design. Lakeview Market, which will bring together Furious Spoon and The Budlong, is under construction. Even Time Out Chicago, a magazine, plans to get into the Chicago food hall game with an ambitious project in the West Loop, an expansion of its Lisbon, Portugal, project.

Miguel Cervantes, who plays Alexander Hamilton, and Samantha Marie Ware (both Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds) sat down in our studio to sip Federalist wines, which boast imagery of Hamilton and other founding fathers. (Roger Morales/Chicago Tribune)

2017 definitely had its weird moments.

It became totally normal to drink at the Field Museum with Sue (you know, the Tyrannosaurus rex fossil with the hilarious Twitter account). We all seriously embraced the glory of kalsarikannit, the Danish word for the feeling when you are going to get drunk home alone in your underwear with no intention of going out. We somehow convinced the cast of Hamilton to drink The Federalist wine and caught the whole thing on video. And Stephanie Izard, successful restaurateur and acclaimed celebrity chef, ranked different brands of her favorite Snack of Shame: chicken nuggets.

Speaking of fried chicken, Chance the Rapper showed Katie Couric the glory that is Harold's Fried Chicken, while also taking the time to discuss some very real issues in our city.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

Of course, controversies, both real and imagined, abounded. Heinz attempted to confuse Chicagoans by passing ketchup off as "dog sauce." Twitter users jumped at the chance to criticize a poorly plated photo of a steak from Sixteen, though it's doubtful the photo would have caused much outrage if it hadn't been in a hotel with President Donald Trump's name on the front. Even though every other storefront is a restaurant or a bar, some residents in Logan Square questioned whether Pipeworks Brewing Co. should open a new brewery in the neighborhood.

On a serious note, the #MeToo campaign helped bring the issue of sexual harassment to the forefront, and numerous high-profile chefs around the country had to step down, including John Besh in New Orleans and Mario Batali in New York. In Chicago, Cosmo Goss, the executive chef at five Publican-branded businesses, was terminated after a complaint.

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Due to President Trumps focus on immigration, numerous restaurants had to deal with new immigration realities. And the issue of gentrification became more visible, especially in Pilsen, where a host of new restaurants are opening. That includes an incident outside of S.K.Y., in which an anti-gentrification group got into a confrontation with the general manager of the restaurant, Charles Ford.

HaiSous Vietnamese kitchen owners, Thai Dang [cq], left, and Danielle Dang [cq], left, pose for a portrait inside their restaurant, Tuesday, July, 25, 2017, in the Pilsen neighborhood. (Alyssa Pointer/Chicago Tribune) (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

That said, the feel-good story of the year probably was in Pilsen. After the majority partner at their former restaurant, Embeya, fled the country and left them saddled with debt, Thai and Danielle Dang returned triumphantly with HaiSous.

Of course, its too soon to know what story will resonate the most in 2018. But it could be the upcoming shuttering of that Taco Bell across from Wrigley Field. Even though Chicago boasts other outlets of the fast food joint, Cubs fans are a superstitious bunch. Some even attribute the Cubs' playoff loss this season to what is being dubbed the "curse of the chalupa." (This is based on the Taco Bell menu item that doesn't taste or look anything like a traditional chalupa.) If the Cubs fail to win the World Series for another hundred years, this is obviously the reason.

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @nickdk

[ 24 best things we ate in Chicago restaurants in 2017 ]

[ The Daily Meal rounds up best food and drink in Illinois ]
A quick coating of ground chipotle on the salmon fillets ups the flavor, contrasting with cooling effects of the sour cream. (Chicago Tribune)

This dish, with its rich, smoky and spicy qualities, needs a wine that can stand up to it. In addition to having enough ripe fruit for the job, these three whites  from Spain, Oregon and California  also deliver various herbal and spicy notes all their own.

MAKE THIS

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Chipotle salmon tacos

Rub cooked salmon fillets (10 ounces) with 1 teaspoon canola oil; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper and a pinch of salt. Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 to heat through and infuse with chipotle flavor, 5 minutes. Flake salmon with a fork. Stir together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, 1 tablespoon lime juice and a pinch of salt. Divide 1 cup chopped fresh spinach and salmon among 8 flour tortillas. Top with lime dill sauce, sliced red onions, cotija cheese and cilantro. Makes: 8 tacos

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Adapted from "Love Your Leftovers" by Nick Evans.

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DRINK THIS

Pairings by sommelier Rachael Lowe of Spiaggia, as told to Michael Austin:

2014 Palacios Remondo Placet Rioja Blanco, Rioja, Spain: Made of 100 percent viura, this wine was aged in oak and in the bottle before release. Its aromas of golden apple, Bosc pear, dried herbs and white spice will stand up to the salmons richness, while the wines hint of smoke will complement the dishs chipotle flavors.

2014 Brandborg Gewurztraminer, Elkton, Oregon: This aromatic wine offers honeysuckle, lemon meringue pie, cardamom, lime blossom and lychee. It is ripe almost to the point of being off-dry, but with enough acidity to balance the richness of the salmon and sour cream. Plus, its aromas will counter the chipotles smoke and spice.

2014 The Calling Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, California: This well-balanced yet rich wine spent 18 months in new French oak barrels. Notes of lemon curd, button mushroom, ripe pineapple, marzipan, vanilla and a touch of thyme will complement the salmon, the dishs herbal components, and the cotija cheese.

food@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @pour_man

[ 9 resolutions to take you deeper into wine in 2018 ]

[ 13 special wines (and 1 special glass) for last-minute gifts ]
City of Chicago cultural historian Tim Samuelson speaks about how he became an "encyclopedia" of Chicago architecture, some of his favorite buildings and his large collection of artifacts Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, at the Chicago Cultural Center in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

Can we clone Tim Samuelson? Im only half kidding. Samuelson, Chicagos official cultural historian, is as essential to the citys identity as the Loops commodities traders and the weather forecasts of Tom Skilling.

He is a walking encyclopedia, prized by deadline-stressed reporters who need a colorful story to bring history alive.

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He is a passionate preservationist and collector of pieces of destroyed buildings, who says: There is no joy in owning these things.

He is a masterful mounter of exhibitions, like the 2010 show about architect Louis Sullivan that featured stunning, large-scale photographs of Sullivan's buildings interspersed with pieces of the architects ornament that viewers were free to touch. (His small exhibition this year delivered an intimate portrait of Sullivan, countering the widely held view that the last years of the architects life were a living hell.)

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Above all, Samuelson is a great storyteller, whose tales  earthy and humorous, authoritative but accessible  interpret Chicago to itself.

Thats the future of preservation, Samuelson says. Its putting it into a story rather than it being clinical.

Samuelson, 66, was raised in Chicagos Rogers Park neighborhood.

Early on, the Chicago preservationist and photographer Richard Nickel brought him along on expeditions that salvaged fragments of historic buildings that would soon succumb to the wreckers ball.

Samuelson then did research and writing for Chicago preservationist architect John Vinci before a long run on the staff of Chicagos landmarks commission. In 2002, the citys brilliant cultural affairs commissioner Lois Weisberg appointed him to his current job. It had a two-word job description: Help everybody.

Samuelson has done that in ways both visible and behind-the-scenes, lending his expertise to the citys landmarks commission, city schools, public agencies and private clients.

In a year when the Chicago Architecture Biennial carried the title Make New History, Samuelson reminded us that Chicagos old history remains very much alive.

On the radar:

The curators for the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial are likely to be named around the time the current biennial ends its run on Jan. 7. The news is likely to come from Jack Guthman, the biennials chairman; Todd Palmer, its executive director; or Mayor Rahm Emanuel, its political patron.

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The owners of Tribune Tower, the CIM Group of Los Angeles and Golub & Co. of Chicago, are expected to release redevelopment plans for the neo-Gothic skyscraper and the parking lot immediately to its east. A date has yet to be set for the announcement.

When the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale opens in May, the American pavilion will reflect the vision of three curators, two from Chicago  Niall Atkinson of the University of Chicago and Ann Lui of the School of the Art Institute. Their exhibit, done with Los Angeles curator Mimi Zeiger, is titled Dimensions of Citizenship.

Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.

bkamin@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BlairKamin

[ RELATED: Best architecture of 2017: Apple Store and Unity Temple in a remarkable year ]

[ From 2015: Tim Samuelson is Chicago's cultural historian ]

[ Biennial needs to relate better to local audience ]

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American playwright, screenwriter and actor Tracy Letts speaks about his roles in recent movies, including "Lady Bird" and Steven Spielberg's soon-to-be-released "The Post," about the Pentagon Papers, at the Steppenwolf Theatre Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

Tracy Letts is nobodys newcomer. Hes a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (August: Osage County) and a Tony Award-winning actor (Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) with three decades of performance credits on Chicago stages, many at his artistic home, Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

None of the above qualifies Letts as Chicagoan of the Year in film. But 2017 was his year anyway  the year his movie and television work as an actor, at long last (and long after the 1997-2001 years he spent living in LA waiting for the phone to ring), enjoyed enough range, variety and quality to make a mass audience realize: Huh. Helluva actor.

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Or, as Letts put it the other day, in a Wicker Park coffeehouse underneath the L: Maybe this guy can do more than another (so-and-so) in a suit, in front of a committee, ordering the drone strikes.

On the 2013 and 2014 seasons of Showtimes Homeland, Letts played Sen. Andrew Lockhart: suit, committees, drone strikes. Id done a little film and TV for 20 years, but that was my first gig as a series regular, and it was a show people watched. Just like that, Letts started receiving offers of similar gruff, callous and/or sinister authority figures, including, memorably, the imperious college dean in Indignation (2016).

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Then 2017 happened. He shot Season 2 as best friend Nick on HBOs Divorce, which premieres in a couple of weeks. He co-starred with Debra Winger in the well-regarded indie The Lovers. Greta Gerwigs splendid Lady Bird, currently in theaters, came out a few months later; in it he plays Saoirse Ronans quietly valiant father, the nicest guy Letts has ever played on screen.

Opening Jan. 5 in Chicago, director Steven Spielbergs The Post features Letts in a tasty supporting role along with Carrie Coon, 36, another not-really-overnight-success saying goodbye to a very, very good year (Fargo, The Leftovers, etc.) Coon and Letts married in 2013 and are expecting a child in March. They live in Wicker Park and have a place in New York City.

Its a good time to work a little less. Im in an enviable position as an actor, because Im a playwright, Letts says. Some of the roles I wouldve jumped at as a younger man because I was broke, trying to make a living  I dont have to do that anymore. I dont have to be a guy in a suit in Geostorm. 

On the radar:

Steve James: The Hoop Dreams documentarian returns to the Sundance Film Festival with America to Me, a 10-part portrait of a year in the life of Oak Park and River Forest High School. The Sundance festival runs Jan. 18-28, Park City, Utah; sundance.org.

Mimi Plauche: The artistic director of the Chicago International Film Festival enters her second year at the helm. With luck well learn more about her artistic tastes and priorities this fall. The 54th festival opens in October (dates TBA), AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St.; chicagofilmfestival.com.

Raul Benitez and Nando Espinosa Herrera: The programming duos eclectic film series, screened at the charmingly unlikely Comfort Station gallery space in Logan Square, offers more surprises each year. Check for 2018 updates at comfortstationlogansquare.org.

Michael Phillips is the Chicago Tribune film critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

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[ RELATED: 'Lady Bird' review: Saoirse Ronan in enchanting coming-of-age tale ]

[ 'The Lovers' review: Marriage can be a many-splendored thing ]

[ Michael Phillips' 10 best movies of 2017 ]
Laura Dern plays Vice Adm. Amilyn Holdo in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Holdo is one of a few new female characters in the latest "Star Wars" movie. (David James/Lucasfilm)

Two late-breaking incidents in our long year of 2017  the Year of the Scuzzball, sexual misconduct edition  served as a reminder of just how politically riven our culture has become.

The first controversy blew up in the wake of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a movie everybody likes except for the people who hate it. Through a bot-aided online effort to lower the films Rotten Tomatoes audience score, an ad hoc group calling itself Down With Disneys Treatment of Franchises and its Fanboys struck back at the film Rian Johnson wrote and directed.

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Two writers from The Huffington Post contacted the groups Facebook page moderator. By direct message, the moderator identified himself as a member of the so-called alt-right, and cited several sticking points regarding The Last Jedi, chiefly the prominence of female characters; flyboy Poe Dameron being turned into a victim of the anti-mansplaining movement; and an overall feminist agenda.

The unidentified man put it this way, in HuffPos money quote: There was a time (men) ruled society and I want to see that again. That is why I voted for Donald Trump.

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Heres the second, ideologically related incident. On Dec. 19, a street artist known as Sabo slapped posters up all over Hollywood. They depicted a smiling Meryl Streep, photographed alongside Harvey Weinstein, with a red slash across her face bearing two words: SHE KNEW.

Streep denies knowing anything about Weinsteins behavior, beyond his famous and often public bullying of all sorts of film industry colleagues. Sabo identifies himself as a conservative, and hed grown sick and tired of Streep and her ilk taking shots at his president. Shes swiping at us so were swiping back, Sabo told The Guardian.

He acknowledged that he didnt really know if Streep knew anything about the depths of Weinsteins predation, or the female careers ruined out of spite. I cant say 100 percent, Sabo admitted. But that wouldnt look as convincing on a poster.

In 2017, the floodgates opened, and the divisions in this country are filling up fast with polluted water. I wish I could say more confidently how the year that was will inform the movies that will be.

A lot of people, across the political spectrum, tell me they love movies because they have nothing to do with real life. The only thing liberals and conservatives seemed to agree on, in this first year of our current presidents adventures, was this: Were living in the shadow of lies. The left pins them on one set of adversaries and threats to our democracy. The right pins them on Fake News and the inept, dishonest media. Plus Hollywood, because its conspicuously Democratic and, for the moment, a land of contrition. (Contrition and Trump are antonyms; look it up.)

Something, though, has shifted since the Weinstein revelations this fall, along with the Kevin Spacey revelations, and the Charlie Rose and Louis C.K. and James Toback revelations, and so many more. I think so. I hope so. In a power structure dominated by men, too many women have been disbelieved, exploited, sidelined, subordinated for too long. When I read actress Annabella Sciorras eloquent account (one of a slew) of how Weinstein derailed her career; when I read Salma Hayeks excruciating chronicle of Weinsteins terrifying behavior before, during and after the making of Frida, well  I mean, pick your example. There are too many. These past three months, especially, have been sad and enraging. Too many women and men I know are having a hard time shaking those two feelings at years end.

Heres one of my hopes for next year, a hope that can be turned into a resolution. Whatever we see at the movies, wherever we see them, I hope we all think a little harder about what were seeing, and what the implications are. And who got to make it. And why.

In director Billy Wilders The Apartment, a movie about men exploiting women because they can, the New Years Eve scene finds Sheldrake, the executive played by Fred MacMurray, at a midtown Manhattan nightclub with his sometimes-lover, Fran Kubelik, the elevator operator played by Shirley MacLaine.

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As Auld Lang Syne fills the smoky, noisy room, Wilder holds the camera on MacLaines face. Her character silently realizes that enough is enough. Its time to do something.

When circumstances demand it, I hope we all get a close-up like that, in the private movies of our own lives. Out with the old. In with the new.

See you next year.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

[ RELATED: Michael Phillips' 10 best movies of 2017 ]

[ 10 worst movies of 2017 ]

[ 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' review: Rey and the Resistance prove irresistible ]
Bill FitzGerald talks retirement, memories and putting FtizGerald's, his family's bar and music club, up for sale after 38 years Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017, in Berwyn, Ill. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

The bad news is that FitzGeralds, the revered yet forever funky roadhouse club that has hosted hundreds of concerts since 1980 in west suburban Berwyn, is for sale. The good news is that its longtime namesake owner and multitasking driving force, Bill FitzGerald, is in no hurry to unload it, though hes backing away from overseeing the clubs day-to-day booking.

FitzGeralds still has shows booked for 2018, but whatevers in store for the converted bar that its namesake owner and a couple of family members bought in 1980, a one-of-a-kind era is coming to a close.

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FitzGerald was a music fan who happened to be a house painter and taught himself how to run a club. Within months, he was booking acts like a then-unknown Stevie Ray Vaughan and Marcia Ball, and opened up a Chicago pipeline to Texas and other strongholds of roots music in the South, from New Orleans to Memphis, that he continued to cultivate for decades. From zydeco to the blues, soul to country, FitzGeralds provided a home to revered artists such as Joe Ely, Johnny Paycheck, Irma Thomas, Jason Isbell, Clifton Chenier, Alejandro Escovedo and Dave Alvin, among countless others.

Despite the clubs success, particularly with its consistently sold-out American Music Festival signaling the arrival of Independence Day each summer, FitzGerald remained a regular guy, a combination of maintenance man, barkeeper, sound engineer, security guard and genial confidante to artists and patrons alike. He ran his club like a mom-and-pop operation with his wife, Kate, four children and his extended family in an era of increasing corporate control of the concert business.

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FitzGerald glowed whenever the music started and the joint was jumping with smiling fans, a nightly reaffirmation amid the round-the-clock grind of running a music club.

"Once in a while I think that this place could very easily have become a little strip mall, and none of this stuff would be happening here, he once told the Tribune of his impulsive decision to buy the rundown bar. That gives you a good feeling."

On the radar:

Constantine: Constantine Hastalis got down with the psychedelic madrigals on his bands 2015 debut, Day of Light. Where will his next trip lead? 8:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., $5; www.emptybottle.com.

Melkbelly: The noise-rockers blew out the boundaries on their sterling 2017 album, Nothing Valley. The co-ed quartets mix of melody and mayhem is just as potent onstage. 8 p.m. Jan. 20 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., $15; www.lh-st.com.

Whitney: The band built huge buzz in 2016 with the single No Woman and its debut album, Light Upon the Lake. Theyre due for a follow-up in 2018. 7 p.m. Feb. 13-15 at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., $25-$40; www.thaliahallchicago.com.

Greg Kot is a Tribune critic.

greg@gregkot.com

Twitter @gregkot

[ RELATED: From Kendrick Lamar to Randy Newman, the concerts that made 2017 memorable ]

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At mid-morning at the neighborhood playground, I stood where the recycled-rubber mat meets the grass, across from a group of mothers gathering and chatting and locking their stroller brakes. I sipped my coffee as they sipped their coffee, and we listened to our children scream in the tunnel slide and then watched them inch off the end.

I remained on my side in my yogurt-stained gray sweatpants and they remained on their side in a yoga pants semicircle. I made no attempt at conversation because my past attempts had fallen flat, never getting beyond greetings. They made no attempt to speak to me not out of ill will, but rather because we all knew that when a dad joins the mommy circle, it kills the vibe. This is simply the practical observation of an at-home dad orbiting the rings of a mom planet.

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As I sipped, I noticed two men ambling toward us with kids. I guessed they were on vacation or from out of town. They joined me on my side of the playground in their T-shirts, cargo pants and short haircuts. The mothers looked at us with knitted brows as we made small talk that evolved into real conversation, and then one of the fathers invited me - yes, me, the lonely dad in his gray sweatpants - to their Wednesday play group. It took a minute to wrap my mind around the invitation. Who joins a dads' play group?

I had heard of dads' play groups but never made an effort to learn about them. My wife had suggested at least a hundred times that I explore one, but anyone who's married knows you have to say something a hundred times and then wait for a complete stranger to suggest the same idea for it to catch. I was reluctant to embrace a dads' play group because it didn't sit well with my ego. Now, I'm not the macho type, and those who know me would describe me as the opposite, a sensitive guy in touch with his emotions. However, I still felt a resistance to the group, perhaps because of the conditioning of our hyper-masculine culture, a culture that says play groups are for mothers and that men should be doing something more productive. As if raising children is not some of the most important work we do.

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After further considering the play-group invitation, I read more online about this network of fathers that formed in 1996, calling themselves Nash Dads and committing to weekly meetings around Nashville, Tennessee. Despite my reluctance, I chose to attend a meeting, telling myself it would be helpful for my son, and not realizing I would be the beneficiary.

There are groups you want to join and ones you need to join, and the dads' play group fell into the latter for me. A well-hidden reality of stay-at-home parenting is how it exhausts you in a completely different way from a 9-to-5 job, isolating you from other adults, depriving you of sleep and chipping away at your ego. It is a recipe for poor mental health. Unless you provide daily care for small children, it's difficult to understand how it depletes your energy. Often I'm asked by friends without children what I do during the day, their tone implying that I sit around watching YouTube videos and scrolling through my news feed. I wish!

I needed the play group because it connected me to other adults who wanted to be not only good fathers but also healthy individuals. At the meeting, I found what I needed in the Nash Dads, a group of interesting and thoughtful guys who care about their children. So who attends a dads' play group? Well, there is Rick, an attorney turned at-home dad, who organizes the group, and there is Nate, a video-game store manager turned at-home dad, and there is Alan, a pediatrician who attends on his off day. These are only a few of the dedicated dads of about a dozen kids, from infants to early elementary school age, who contribute to the supportive atmosphere.

While our children play, we discuss movies, sports, television and complain about our spouses. During the week, we chat in a private group with a healthy dose of memes and dad jokes. We function in a similar way to a moms' play group and seem to have more in common than we do differences. The only defining characteristic of Nash Dads is being a dad.

Looking at the group from the outside, you will see fathers gathering and chatting and watching their children play, but on the inside is a social web woven with men who understand that parenthood is a passage best shared with others. When I discuss highs and lows of the week with fellow dads, my soul feels lighter and my spirits are renewed by the time I strap my son in his car seat and head home. After a play-group meeting, I am reminded that the joy and burden of raising children is best shared in community.

In hindsight, my encounter with the two dads on the playground seems like a sign from the universe telling me to stop going it alone, to lose my pride and go to the group. I'm glad I went. Nash Dads has been instrumental in helping me be a healthy parent. Now the only parenting advice I'm comfortable offering (besides investing in a quality coffee maker) is not to attempt parenting without a support network. Why would you perform your most important role in isolation?

What being part of a dads' group really means is that I am a human being who desires social interaction, friendships and support. There is no shame in these essential needs.

I choose to be a Nash Dad. I choose to be a healthy father. And just last week, the guys gave me a Nash Dads T-shirt, so it's official now. And I'm proud of it.

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Kilgore is a native Southerner, ordained minister and stay-at-home father. He lives with his family in Nashville and blogs at Wrap Daddy. Follow him on Twitter @billydkilgore.







Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 In 1987, Mayor Harold Washington ordered the design of a new central library. The breathtaking Winter Garden on the ninth floor is a quiet locale, perfect for logging some hours. (Stevegeer/iStock)
Boebert continues to lead Frisch on final day of counting

The election is hovering within the threshold for an automatic recount. Here's the latest in the Colorado race between Adam Frisch and Lauren Boebert.
Our annual review of the best English language, China dedicated business websites follows on from our previous surveys in 2015 and 2016. To qualify, websites must have been maintained with at least one article over the previous month. Rankings are independently verified by Alexa; those with insufficient data or below a ranking of one million in popularity were excluded.

As there are over 1.8 billion active websites as of 2017, the websites represented here are among the very best of the very best, and rank among the top one percent of all websites viewed globally. That is an amazing achievement by all of the sites featured, many of which are privately operated, and are all very specific rather than general in their content provision.

These are the winners of the most popular, independent, China focused business websites during 2017:

Website Global Alexa Ranking

China Internet Watch 199,280

This website monitors Chinese research and online shopping  and as Chinas e-commerce sales continue to explode, its hardly surprising it takes this years pole position. Click here for their most recent article, and congratulations on attaining pole position for 2017.

Marketing To China 199,624

As it says on the box, and a well maintained and useful website, designed to provide fresh insights and a deeper understanding of the Chinese market. Click here for their most recent article.

China Briefing 208,440

We take third position this year  having commenced activities way back in 1999. Many may claim to be among the first, but China Briefing really was and remains a front runner. Thank you to all our readers! The website covers China law, tax, investment, and trade analysis and intelligence matters. Click here for our most recent article.

China Briefings reach extended further during 2017 with the launch of Silk Road Briefing, which covers Chinese policy and outbound investment into its Belt and Road initiative. Thats one to watch for 2018.

Quality Inspection 315,335

Another reliable business stalwart, concentrating on China QC issues, and of particular interest to global buyers and sourcing agents. Has recently moved into covering Southeast Asia and remains a primary focus for sourcing tips and expertise. Click here for their most recent article.

China Check Up 480,870

A due diligence site, providing information and knowledge about Chinese companies. A useful website for those looking for decent quality data on potential suppliers and buyers in China. Click here for their most recent article.

China Law Blog 528,753

Another stalwart around now since 2006, describing itself as assisting businesses already in China or planning to go into China, not to break new ground in legal theory or policy. Based from the United States and mainly dealing with China issues for American companies. Click here for their most recent article.

Following is a rankings list of the larger international Chamber of Commerce websites in China. They differ from the above as typically these require membership fees to access. That said, it is useful to compare their effectiveness in being measured by rankings against these, as they do provide slightly different networking capabilities not necessarily offered by those above. Websites from chambers with insufficient global rankings of one million and beyond were excluded, and included this year the Australian, British and French Chambers of Commerce.

Concerning the British Chamber of Commerce, there remains a significant popularity gap of over one million places between it and the China-Britain Business Council that has appeared in the past two years, suggesting far more effort, expenditure and exposure is now directed solely towards the CBBC than to the British Chamber itself. The UK remains the only country to have competing entities in such a manner with an apparent conflict between a civil service controlled (CBBC) versus member controlled (British Chamber) bias contributing to the latters detriment, and this issue remains confusing and divisive.

Meanwhile, the German Chamber Of Commerce does not feature this year as it has consolidated all its international chamber websites into one platform and no longer has a separate China site. These are the rankings of the top four national institutional chamber and related websites in 2017:

European Chamber of Commerce

Alexa Ranking: 411,414

China-Britain Business Council

Alexa Ranking: 464,884

American Chamber of Commerce

Alexa Ranking: 474,650

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

Alexa Ranking: 563,045

Congratulations to all those websites who featured this year, and to those that didnt  better effort required in 2018! Please let us know if we missed out any worthy candidates in the comments box below. Comments will be moderated.
The Chinese edition of Nature Writings, by Enos Mills (1870-1922), was recently published by the Gansu Nationalities Publishing House, a subsidiary of the Duzhe Publishing and Media Corp. in northwestern China's Gansu Province.

Listed as the key publication by the Publicity Department of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee, and a key project of Duzhe Publishing and Media Corp., the first volume of the edition comprises five books, namely, Wild Life of the Rockies, Rocky Mountain Wonderland, Bird Memories of the Rockies, Wild Animal Homesteads and Watched by Wild Animals.

Dubbed "the father of Rocky Mountain National Park," Enos Mills was a renowned American naturalist, environmentalist and natural litterateur. He lived in the Rockies for a long time often hiking through the wilderness, gaining a profound knowledge of the mountains, forests, plants, birds and animals.

In the books, Enos Mills narrated and described his experiences of wandering and exploring the Rockies, including tramping through the hills, tracking wild animals, and his detailed research on plants and his philosophical thoughts concerning nature.

The Chinese edition was translated by Dong Jiping over a period of five years. Born in 1962 in Chongqing Municipality, Dong once attended a class of international writers at the University of Iowa and was honored as a "Honorary Writer of the University of Iowa." He also acted as the editorial board member of American Quarterly and twice translated into Chinese works winning the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Cuba's Che Guevara Mausoleum in eastern Santa Clara has been visited by more than 4.8 million people since it was opened 29 years ago, the site's director Noris Cardenas said on Wednesday.

Cardenas said foreign visitors come from various countries, mainly Argentina, Guevara's birthplace, and Germany, France, Italy and the UK.

What they have in common is admiration for the Argentinean revolutionary who joined the Cuban leader Fidel Castro's cause of liberation.

The mausoleum is dominated by a 6.8-meter-high statue of Che Guevara that has come to symbolize Santa Clara, the town liberated by the guerrilla forces under his command in December 1958.

The site opened on Dec. 28, 1988, but it wasn't until October 1997 that it became the official resting place of Che Guevara, who had been assassinated 30 years earlier in Bolivia.

For 2018, the mausoleum has prepared a special program of activities to mark what would have been Che Guevara's 90th birthday on June 14.

The mausoleum tells the story of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, known worldwide as Che Guevara, or simply Che, an Argentinean doctor, revolutionary, statesman and writer.

After helping to liberate Cuba, Che went to Bolivia to continue his mission to free the oppressed indigenous peoples of Latin America, but was ambushed in 1967 by mercenaries.

His remains were located three decades later by a team of experts and returned to Cuba.




China has made strides in expanding the network of free trade areas (FTAs) in 2017.

The country has signed two new free trade agreements this year, taking the total number of FTAs to 16, benefiting 24 countries and regions, said Zhang Shaogang, an official at the Ministry of Commerce.

"The next year will be a year of bumper harvest for FTA development, as there will be negotiations on 10 new FTAs and a joint feasibility study of another 10 FTAs," Zhang said.

Zhang also expects solid progress to be achieved on the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, an FTA scheme of the 10 ASEAN member states and its six FTA partners - China, Australia, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

"China has vowed to open wider to the world, and accelerating the development of FTAs will be a crucial part of the country's opening-up," said Bai Ming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.




The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) closed its bimonthly session Wednesday, adopting new laws, revisions and decisions on laws and reforms.









Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting, as well as a meeting attended by the chairman and vice chairpersons beforehand.

Zhang said last Wednesday's annual Central Economic Work Conference laid out a blueprint for the country's economic work in 2018, and lawmakers should do their work in legislation and supervision according to decisions and policies of the conference.

Bills to invigorate rural areas

The top legislature adopted two bills, including a revision to the Law on Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives and a decision to extend a pilot program allowing farmers in selected areas to mortgage their land use rights and housing property rights, amid efforts to invigorate rural areas.

The revision to the Law on Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives grants farmers' specialized cooperatives equal legal status with other market entities, as well as rights to invest in enterprises in accordance with the law.

Approved in December 2015, the pilot program for mortgaging contracted land use rights tried out in 232 localities including Daxing District of Beijing, and that for mortgaging rural property rights was tested in 59 localities including Jixian County in Tianjin.

Wednesday's decision means the pilot program, scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2017, will be extended for one year until Dec. 31, 2018.

The pilot program over the past two years has achieved strong results, with improvement in rural financial services and higher incomes for farmers.

One-stop boundary control arrangement in HKSAR

The top legislature adopted a decision to apply a one-stop boundary control cooperation arrangement in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

In the decision, the NPC Standing Committee confirmed that the cooperation arrangement, signed by Guangdong Province and the HKSAR on Nov. 18, complied with the Constitution of China and the Basic Law of HKSAR.

The decision said that the HKSAR should ensure implementation of the cooperation arrangement through legislation.

Under the arrangement, a port will be established at the railway station in West Kowloon in Hong Kong, which is part of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

New supervision law slated for future deliberation

China's draft supervision law, which was given a second review at the session, will be submitted to the NPC for third reading next year.

The draft, which was submitted to the top legislature for its first reading in June, makes clear regulations on the national supervision system, ways to form supervisory organs, responsibilities and powers, and means of investigation to ensure such organs act in accordance with law.

Also on Wednesday, the top legislature adopted new laws on tobacco leaf tax and ship tonnage tax, which will take effect on July 1 next year in a bid to make the country's taxation more law based.

Both laws were enacted based on provisional regulations promulgated by the State Council in 2006 and 2011.

Lawmakers also adopted minor changes to the laws on tendering and bidding and metrology mainly to cut red tape.
The Hainan gibbon, a unique species found in tropical Hainan Province, has been identified as one of the world's top 25 most endangered primate species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.





With their black faces and thick fur that changes color at different ages, Hainan gibbons -- Nomascus hainanus -- all reside in Bawangling National Nature Reserve, a 29,980-hectare rain forest more than 200 kilometers south of Haikou, the provincial capital.

There were more than 2,000 gibbons on the entire island in the 1950s, but the primates were later found only in the Bawangling reserve. By the 1980s, there were only seven gibbons.

The population has since increased to 27, belonging to four families, thanks to decades of effort, according to a recent investigation.

Hong Xiaojiang, deputy director of administration for the Bawangling reserve, said historical records showed the main threat to Hainan gibbons was habitat destruction, particularly from the burning and clearing of tropical forests, which led to habitat loss that drove the rare species to less suitable habitat at higher altitudes.

Meanwhile, natural factors can prove fatal, too. In 2014 and 2016, heavy typhoons hit the area, causing landslides and destroying the forests, which cut off the gibbons' travel corridors and threatened their lives.

To protect them from extinction, a series of actions have been taken at the reserve, including public science education, punishment for activities such as illegal logging and hunting, habitat remediation, and the introduction of gibbon experts to offer better care for the animals.

More than 20 kinds of trees, such as purple mangosteen, have been planted over more than 333 hectares in the past 12 years. They are expected to provide food and build a corridor of trees for Hainan gibbons, Hong said.

"The wild plants can provide enough food for the gibbons, but we need to act in advance. Food will be a problem if the population keeps increasing in the next 30 years," he said. "The gibbons are known to live by hanging in the trees and never come down to earth. In this regard, we need to build tree corridors for them to make sure they have a sound area to live."

More than 200 forest protectors and 15 gibbon inspectors have joined the protection effort.

Chen Qing, 57, is among them. The local villager is an experienced inspector who has helped guard the Hainan gibbons for 33 years. He patrols the forest daily to observe and record their activities.

"Thanks to all the efforts and improvement of public awareness, the gibbons on Hainan now have a better living environment," said Chen, who also works as a researcher to help gibbon experts and a university center with gibbon protection and development.

"More efforts are still needed for the small group of Hainan gibbons, as any accident could lead to their extinction," Hong added.
To address the recently reported cases of insufficient heating and gas shortage, the Ministry of Environmental Protection have sent over 2,000 investigators to carry out heating inspection in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Of all the rural communities that have completed coal-to-gas or coal-to-electricity transformation, 426,000 households in 1,208 communities have been affected by gas shortages since the heating season began. With joint efforts from the local authorities and the investigating groups, these households were provided with sufficient heating as of Dec. 20.

Altogether 839 investigating squads finished inspecting 5.54 million households in 25,220 communities of 385 counties in and around the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Of the 4.74 million households in 21,516 communities that have gone through coal-to-gas or electricity transformation, 426,000 households, or 5.6 percent of the total, have suffered from gas shortages. Authorities helped to address the gas shortages by reallocating gas resources, allowing temporary coal burning or providing electric heating. By Dec. 20 all the affected residents have received sufficient heating.

According to an official at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, 3,704 communities have yet to complete the coal-to-gas or electricity transformation, and 3,288 of them have been burning coal for heating, while 413 have been using temporary heating appliances. However, 1,919 households in three communities in Shanxi Province, Shandong Province and Henan Province had neither finished transformation nor resorted to temporary heating measures prior to the investigation. With the help of the investigating groups, the three communities have been back on the track of accessing heating services.

The first and foremost task is to guarantee heating for every household, an official from the Ministry of Environmental Protection said. At the same time, the construction of heating network needs to speed up. In addition, gas shortages in other aspects of life such as supply of vehicle fuel have also been reported to local governments for coordination and solution.








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A total of five Argentine, Russian and U.S. ships are combing South Atlantic waters off the coast of the South American nation in a bid to locate a missing submarine, Argentina's Navy (ARA) said on Wednesday.

The ARA San Juan submarine sank on Nov. 15 with 44 crew on board, following an unidentified explosion in the vicinity of the ship.

The Argentine navy ships ARA Sarandi, ARA Islas Malvinas and ARA Puerto Argentino, along with the Russian Yantar and U.S. Atlantic, both oceanographic vessels, are involved in the operation to sweep the sea floor for signs of the submarine.

The Panther Plus, a Russian remotely operated underwater vehicle, or ROV, is aiding the search operation.

"According to the United States' Secretary of Defense, after concluding the sweeps of up to two times the designated area," the ROV will be deployed, the navy said.

Right after the submarine sank, an initial search and rescue operation was launched in hope of saving the crew, but the submarine was never found. Eight days later, on Nov. 23, the navy announced there was no hope of finding survivors, but it would continue to search for the vessel.

The submarine, a German-made TR-1700 acquired in 1985, was last located in the San Jorge Gulf, 432 kilometers south of the Valdes Peninsula.




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German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is experiencing a decline in her public approval ratings due to the protracted formation of a new government, an opinion poll published on Wednesday has found.

47 percent of Germans surveyed want Merkel to step down before the end of what would be her fourth term in office in 2021, according to the survey conducted by the "YouGov" institute.

Only 36 percent of respondents indicated a preference for the CDU leader to retain the post of Chancellor for another four years.

The survey results marked a significant deterioration in Merkel's public approval ratings.

As recently as October, another "YouGov" poll had suggested that 44 percent of Germans wanted to see the veteran stateswoman serve another full term as Chancellor, while 36 percent called for her resignation before 2021.

"YouGov" interpreted the trend as evidence that German voters were increasingly disenchanted by the lack of progress towards forming a new federal government following elections in September.

Official discussions between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and German Social Democrats (SPD) over the potential re-launch of a "grand coalition" are scheduled to commence on Jan. 7.

Germany faces the likely prospect of re-elections should this second round of negotiations again fail to result in a viable legislative alliance following earlier unsuccessful "Jamaica" talks between the CDU, CSU, Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Greens (Gruene).

The FDP has announced that it might still return to "Jamaica" negotiations which it caused to collapse with its departure back in November. The party reiterated, however, that it would only do so on the condition of Merkel's resignation.

Speaking to the "Funke" media group on Wednesday, FDP Vice-President Wolfang Kubicki blamed Merkel, rather than his party leader Christian Lindner, for the failure of "Jamaica" talks and demanded that the CDU undertake personnel and strategic changes.

Kubicki accused Merkel of having purposefully sabotaged negotiations with the FDP and Greens as part of a plan to ensure the continuation of the acting "grand coalition" between the CDU, CSU and SPD.

"Today she has the SPD in exactly the spot where she wanted it to be," Kubicki said, adding that his preference would be for a coalition between the FDP and renewed CDU and CSU parties, an alliance that Kubicki believed would not be unfeasible after re-elections.

Meanwhile, the CDU, CSU and SPD became embroiled in quarrels over refugee policy and Europe on Wednesday.

Armin Laschet, CDU Vice-President and Governor of North-Rhine Westphalia, provoked a spat over refugees' right to family re-unification when he urged his party to partially accommodate SPD demands on the issue.

In turn, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU), Governor of Saarland, rejected this proposal in the newspaper "Welt" and insisted that a new government would have to maintain an existing temporary ban which prevents migrants who have received subsidiary protection (instead of political asylum) from bringing their families to Germany.

The SPD and Greens have repeatedly advocated for Berlin to fulfill its obligations under the Geneva Convention to grant refugees the rights to family re-unification.

Also on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) identified support for reforms of the European Union (EU) outlined by French President Emmanuel Macron as another condition which had to be met for the SPD to join a new "grand coalition".

Highlighting potential for related strife between the prospective coalition partners, CDU governor Kramp-Karrenbauer responded by ruling out agreement to Macron's proposals to create a new Eurozone budget and supra-national Finance Minister for currency union. Instead, Kramp-Karrenbauer said she could envision establishing a European Monetary Fund as the next step in the Single Currency's development.
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The Ukrainian government and pro-independence insurgents in the eastern part of the country started their prisoner exchange on Wednesday.

The first stage of the prisoner swap, which was carried out at Majorsk checkpoint in Donetsk region, saw the exchange between Kiev and the self-proclaimed Lugansk republic, said the rebel-run Lugansk Information Center.

The government has released 75 rebel supporters, but two of them refused to return to Lugansk, according to the information center.

Meanwhile, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, a spokesman for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, wrote on Facebook that 16 Ukrainian soldiers and pro-government civilians have already returned to the Kiev-controlled area.

By day's end, the Ukrainian government will carry out a prisoner swap with the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic.

Earlier, the sides have agreed that Kiev will release 306 Donetsk and Lugansk supporters in exchange for 74 soldiers and pro-government civilians.

If the agreements are implemented, the exchange will be the largest prisoner swap between the rival parties since the start of the conflict in April 2014.

The prisoner swap is a key part of the Minsk ceasefire agreement designed to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed some 10,000 people.
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China is willing to work with Malawi to deepen their friendly and cooperative relations in a comprehensive way, so as to better benefit the two countries and peoples, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to his Malawian counterpart, Peter Mutharika.

The two presidents exchanged congratulatory messages to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malawi.

Noting that China attaches great importance to the development of China-Malawi relations, Xi said the two countries have adhered to sincerity and friendship, equality and mutual trust, win-win cooperation and common development since they established diplomatic relations 10 years ago.

China-Malawi cooperation has yielded fruitful results in a wide range of areas, Xi said.

In his message, Mutharika again congratulated Xi on his reelection as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Mutharika said the Malawian government is satisfied with the fruitful results reaped in bilateral ties in the past decade and looks forward to furthering cooperation with China.
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
Top-Rated Catholic Show No Longer on Relevant Radio



SAN DIEGO, Dec. 28, 2017 /



In 2017, Relevant Radio merged with the West Coast-based Immaculate Heart Radio, a network that had carried the two-hour call-in show live 3-5 p.m. Pacific Time. Catholic Answers, which for twenty years has produced Catholic Answers Live, could not come to an agreement with Relevant Radio, which sought exclusive broadcast and branding rights for the popular franchise.



As a result, the show will no longer be available over the airwaves in the U.S. West, the home turf of the San Diego-based show.



"Both parties worked at length in good faith to find a way to cooperate in the Lord's vineyard," said Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers. "For the time being, we have not been successful."



Catholic Answers Live will continue to air live on more than 350 EWTN-affiliated radio stations and SiriusXM satellite radio, as well as via the Catholic Answers Live app and live-streaming video via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Periscope.



"We are hopeful that in the future we will be able to work hand-in-hand with (Relevant Radio Executive Director/CEO) Fr. Francis Hoffman and the good folks at Relevant to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ," Check said.



Catholic Answers Live listeners in the areas of the U.S. within the broadcast reach of Relevant Radio can still listen to or watch the program live weekdays 3-5 p.m. Pacific Time (6-8 p.m. Eastern) at:



Website:

Catholic Answers Live app:

Facebook Live:

YouTube Live:

Twitter/Periscope:



Catholic Answers is the largest lay-run Catholic apologetics and evangelization organization in the U.S. Through mediaincluding radio; Catholic.com and Catholic Answers Forums, the world's largest online discussion community; the printed word, including books, pamphlets, and a national magazine; free online videos and for-sale DVDs; live conferences and seminars; and one-on-one contact via email and phoneit works to help Catholics grow in their faith, bring former Catholics home, and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the truth.



Share Tweet Contact: Richael Lucero, Catholic Answers , 619-387-7200SAN DIEGO, Dec. 28, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- As of January 1, 2018, radio stations owned by Relevant Radio will no longer carry Catholic Answers Live, for years the top-rated Catholic radio show in the U.S.In 2017, Relevant Radio merged with the West Coast-based Immaculate Heart Radio, a network that had carried the two-hour call-in show live 3-5 p.m. Pacific Time. Catholic Answers, which for twenty years has produced Catholic Answers Live, could not come to an agreement with Relevant Radio, which sought exclusive broadcast and branding rights for the popular franchise.As a result, the show will no longer be available over the airwaves in the U.S. West, the home turf of the San Diego-based show."Both parties worked at length in good faith to find a way to cooperate in the Lord's vineyard," said Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers. "For the time being, we have not been successful."Catholic Answers Live will continue to air live on more than 350 EWTN-affiliated radio stations and SiriusXM satellite radio, as well as via the Catholic Answers Live app and live-streaming video via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Periscope."We are hopeful that in the future we will be able to work hand-in-hand with (Relevant Radio Executive Director/CEO) Fr. Francis Hoffman and the good folks at Relevant to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ," Check said.Catholic Answers Live listeners in the areas of the U.S. within the broadcast reach of Relevant Radio can still listen to or watch the program live weekdays 3-5 p.m. Pacific Time (6-8 p.m. Eastern) at:Website: www.catholic.com/audio/listen-live Catholic Answers Live app: www.catholic.com/audio/app Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/catholicanswers/ YouTube Live: www.youtube.com/user/catholiccom Twitter/Periscope: twitter.com/catholiccom Catholic Answers is the largest lay-run Catholic apologetics and evangelization organization in the U.S. Through mediaincluding radio; Catholic.com and Catholic Answers Forums, the world's largest online discussion community; the printed word, including books, pamphlets, and a national magazine; free online videos and for-sale DVDs; live conferences and seminars; and one-on-one contact via email and phoneit works to help Catholics grow in their faith, bring former Catholics home, and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the truth.
A former lawyer for Martin Shkreli's companies might be heading to prison after a jury convicted him Wednesday of scheming with the former biotech executive to defraud a pharmaceutical firm.

Evan Greebel, who advised companies including Retrophin, was found guilty of helping Shkreli steal $11 million from the company to pay back investors after Shkreli, a hedge-fund-manager-turned-drug-executive, lost their money in risky trades.

Greebel was expressionless as the verdict was read in federal court in Brooklyn. His wife, sitting in the gallery, burst into tears.

"We're just shocked by the decision," Reed Brodsky, a lawyer for Greebel, said after the verdict. He blamed the verdict on Greebel's association with Shkreli, who incited public outrage for aggressive drug-pricing tactics. "Shkreli himself is so toxic that it's hard to, in today's environment, get justice."

Shkreli, who was convicted in August of defrauding investors, is being held in prison while he awaits sentencing. He was ousted from Retrophin in 2014 and went on to found Turing Pharmaceuticals, where he jacked up the price of a life-saving drug by more than 5,000 percent. In December 2015, he was charged with fraud. Greebel was tried separately from Shkreli.

Greebel was found guilty of conspiring with Shkreli by helping him devise sham settlement and consulting contracts to pay back investors, using assets from Retrophin, as well as helping Shkreli in a share-control scheme. Jurors at Greebel's trial were treated to a virtual repeat of Shkreli's case, with many of the same investors, consultants and board members making repeat appearances as trial witnesses.

This time, Greebel's defense lawyers dug up more dirt on government witnesses, including an admission from an accountant testifying about an alleged fraud that he had engaged in his own possible ethical breach by making a $200,000 loan off the books to another client. Defense lawyers accused a former Retrophin employee testifying about questionable transactions of engaging in cybercrimes to gather evidence. A lawyer advised him not to answer those questions, citing his privilege against self-incrimination.

Greebel was a corporate lawyer at Katten Muchin Rosenman who advised Retrophin as outside counsel. Current Retrophin CEO Steve Aselage and former chairman Steve Richardson testified that Greebel appeared to show more loyalty to Shkreli than to the company, including by advising him about the terms of his employment agreement when the board was in the process of ousting Shkreli in late 2014.

Emails showed Shkreli berating Greebel, calling him and his colleagues "lazy and stupid and paid too much." Prosecutors alleged that Greebel showed deference to Shkreli and "hatched a plan" with him to engage in fraud.

Other lawyers who worked with Greebel, testifying for the defense, said that he was a talented attorney and that Shkreli was a just a difficult client. Greebel's witnesses said they believed the consulting agreements were legitimate.

After a 10-week trial, Greebel was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for helping Shkreli steal from Retrophin and conspiracy to commit securities fraud for helping him manipulate company shares. He remains free on bail. A sentencing date hasn't been set. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison but is likely to get much less under federal guidelines.
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Children are the future, according to the old platitude, but Texans apparently don't much care about either.

The latest statistics from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board confirm that educational achievement continues to lag in Texas, with only 144,911 students earning four-year degrees in 2016 in a state that had 350,684 students leave high school.

RELATED: Poverty awaits those who do not use tech at work

The word "leave" is critical here, since 6.2 percent of high school kids drop out without a diploma or GED. That's not a bad drop-out rate, but it belies the failure of Texas schools to prepare students for either a career or college.

Only 41 percent of Texas high school graduates earn some kind of certificate or degree after high school, according to the coordinating board, one of the lowest rates in the nation. Such a low percentage does little to raise the poverty rate in Texas, which is 15.9 percent, also well above the national average.

If Texans want to see the state prosper, we must do better at educating our children. The coordinating board has a goal of ensuring that 60 percent of young Texans are earning some kind of post-high school certificate in 2030.

RELATED: An easy way to help the workforce of the future

Even meeting this modest goal, though, is proving difficult. Texas remains far from the intermediate goal of 48 percent by 2025. That leaves Texas employers to recruit 100,000 college graduates to move to Texas each year because they can't find indigenous Texans with enough education.

Texas can't sustain its current economic growth without better educating its workforce. Every year there are fewer jobs for people without some kind of degree, and the most innovative companies will not come to Texas if they can't find the educated and skilled workers they need.

Making matters worse, there are no easy solutions to this problem.

College administrators complain that Texas high schools fail to prepare students for college. Texas college test scores put the state at 44th in the nation with only 60 percent of high school students taking the test.

Public schools complain that they are underfunded and under-equipped in a state where 59 percent of Texas children are economically disadvantaged and 19 percent are learning English. Too many kindergarten children show up ill-prepared to learn.

The Texas Legislature, meanwhile, has shown total disregard for early childhood education, granting funding only for part-time pre-kindergarten. While Republican leader dismiss pre-k as subsidized child care, most educational experts consider it the most important learning period in a child's life.

RELATED: Lawmakers endanger Texas' most valuable asset

Of course, parents ultimately are responsible for their children, and if they don't teach their children to love learning at an early age, then there is little a school teacher can do.

Passing the blame, though, does not absolve Texans from doing more to ensure young people receive an education that meets the needs of the state. Our history is full of leaders who distrusted formal education, and that is part of the problem, but that doesn't make it right.

If Texans truly care about children and the future, we will set aside ideology and examine what works in education in other places. We will adopt policies that achieve results rather than allow politics to stand in the way of success.

Education should be a top concern for every Texas business person next year, especially in light of statewide elections in November.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett's Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund will be disbursing an additional $27.6 million to 28 local nonprofits according to a press release.



This will directly affect an estimated 12,470 households with 71,328 individuals, according to the mayor's office. The press release said the fund's total distribution of money stands at $64.4 million.



According to the mayor's office, financial assistance, disaster case management, basic needs, furniture, furnishings and appliances, are among some of what the grants from the fund will cover.



"I believe the grantees will make a real difference in the lives of so many that are still working to pick up the pieces," Turner said in a statement.



People interested in donating to Turner and Emmett's relief fund can do so online till December 31.
Houstonians who rushed to prepay their 2018 property taxes in hope of receiving a soon-to-expire deduction will still be subject to new rules under the federal tax code overhaul set to take effect next month, per Internal Revenue Service guidelines.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said in a statement Thursday that the IRS guidelines, released Wednesday, "clearly indicate that Texans would not receive a deduction for prepayment." The new tax code caps state and local tax deductions at $10,000.
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An injured bald eagle, recuperating under the care of San Jacinto County wildlife rescuer Bill Heyde, will soon be released into the wild if all goes as planned.

The eagle, which Heyde named Hunter, was found off of US 59 north of Shepherd, Texas, on Dec. 21 by Robert Gibler. The following day, Gibler made arrangements to place the eagle in Heyde's care.

Heyde suspects that Hunter may have been injured after being struck by a vehicle, though he is not certain what led to his injuries.

According to Heyde, the bird appeared to be suffering from a slight concussion, though otherwise in good shape.

UNIQUE SIGHT: Rare birds spotted during annual Audubon count

"He was acting a little bit sleepy," said Heyde.

Hunter refused to eat at the beginning of his recovery, which Heyde says confirms his diagnosis of a concussion. Hunter has since started eating.

"Saturday morning he ate half of a bunny," said Heyde. "He's been eating well ever since."

Heyde says Hunter is a male eagle, standing 29 inches tall with a six-and-a-half-foot wing span. He estimates Hunter is approximately 3 years old.

"Males are always smaller than females," said Heyde.

According to Heyde, bald eagles are no longer on the endangered species list. However, they are still vulnerable to the indirect actions of careless hunters using lead shots on shotguns.

Lead shots are not a problem should a hunter kill its target, but if a hunter's prey escapes it can find itself endangering the local wildlife.

"The ones that aren't [killed] are left out there for other animals to eat," said Heyde. "In increasing numbers they are dying from lead poisoning."

Heyde says hunters should opt for a non-lead shot as there is little difference between the ammunition types.

Bald eagles became the national symbol of the United States on June 20, 1782, during the Second Continental Congress. Rumors persist that Benjamin Franklin lobbied to have the turkey approved as the national emblem, though there exists no truth to these claims.

In recent years, bald eagles have been spotted in increasing numbers in East Texas during the winter, particularly around Lake Livingston.
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Wes Anderson's sophomore film "Rushmore" once again put the city of Houston on the map in Hollywood, while also inspiring countless local filmmakers and actors.

Now, years later it's become one of the Houston-bred director's most-beloved films and it ushered in Bill Murray as the hipster icon we all know him as today.

RELATED: When 'Robocop 2' came to Houston

2018 will mark 20 years since the movie, filmed in and around the Montrose and River Oaks areas, saw wide-release. It made the rounds at fall film festivals and it had a limited run in December 1998 in New York City and Los Angeles and garnered the attention of Oscar voters.

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Starring Jason Schwartzman as the precocious, oddly-mature high schooler Max Fischer and Murray as his would-be romantic nemesis, the film set the tone for the next two decades of Anderson films. It only cost around $10 million to make.

(Fun note: teenage werewolf Schwartzman had to wax his chest for a wrestling scene.)

Anderson's 1996 film "Bottle Rocket" with James Caan, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson made him the darling of indie-film fans who were excited to see what else he had in him.

Murray was a fan favorite before "Rushmore," but his role as the morose Herman Blume seemed to ignite a mania about him we hadn't seen before.

RELATED: Houston wants to be a major film and TV production destination

He would star in Anderson's "Rushmore" follow-up "The Royal Tenenbaums" in late 2001. He's now been involved in eight Anderson films in one form or another. He will next be heard in Anderson's stop-motion "Isle of Dogs".

Houston kids were used as extras and nabbed bit parts in "Rushmore," making it a special one for locals. There are still stories running around about failed auditions and nuggets about the filmmaking process, which began in late 1997. Murray spent that Thanksgiving in Houston.

One of the most famous extras was Alexis Bledel, then just a hopeful young Houston thespian. Audiences would later get to know her as Rory Gilmore on "Gilmore Girls" three years later.

Another notable local extra was filmmaker Mark Armes, who is now a key member of the Free Press Houston and Day for Night festival and media empire. As a sixth-grader, he said he spent the shoot "drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes with Jason Schwartzman" according to a past interview.

The "Rushmore" crew spent roughly 50 days in production in Houston, wrapping in late January 1998.

RELATED: Director Richard Linklater needs your Houston photos, videos from the 1960s for a new movie

St. John's School, Lamar High School, North Shore High School, Delmar Stadium, the Forest Club and most prominently, Doug and Don's Barber Shop in the Heights were used as locations.

The cemetery where Max's mother Eloise Fischer is buried is the Hollywood Cemetery off North Main, just off I-45 North. Max's house was of course, just next door to the boneyard.

Murray's character stays at the Warwick Hotel, which was later revamped and re-branded as Hotel Zaza in 2007. His industrial pipe factory was located out in Baytown.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. He's an intolerable native Texan with too much ink in his skin and too much brisket stuck in his teeth.
Kingwood High School senior Devan Karp quickly grabbed what he could before evacuating his home to escape Hurricane Harvey's rising floodwaters. He only had his wallet and his grandfather's watch.

Many in Kingwood and surrounding areas shared experiences similar to Karp. Kingwood High School students were forced out of their school due to flooding and are now housed at Summer Creek High School. The school's extracurricular activities are spread across the district, sharing spaces with other schools' clubs.

Entering his first year as the new drama teacher at Kingwood High School, Matthew Logan anticipated an inevitable adjustment period while he learned the department's traditions and helped develop new ones.

When Hurricane Harvey hit, it washed away most of the Kingwood High School theater department's equipment, as well as Logan's hope for a gradual accustomation.

Kingwood Park High School has since shared its theater facilities with Kingwood High School theater students. Up until recently, the two departments took turns using the space at different times.

Now, they have joined forces on a collaborative production, an experience which has expanded the theater family, skills and ability to cope with the aftermath of Harvey.

Kingwood Park High School and Kingwood High School are inviting the community to the upcoming production of "Fiddler on the Roof," running at the Kingwood Park Performing Arts Center from Jan. 18 through 22.

The show is about Teyve, a man striving to keep Jewish traditions in place despite the struggles he faces within his family and society.

This year has become all about the formation of new traditions for Kingwood students, explained Logan, and "Fiddler on the Roof" in many ways parallels the experiences students have been facing.

"'Fiddler' deals with a very close-knit community," Logan said. "When I met the KHS theater students for the first time, they kept bringing up their traditions. 'Fiddler' starts off with traditions and throughout the course of the show, we see all of these traditions that are held so valuable broken down."

Karp is one of Logan's theater students, and was cast as Russian soloist and Tevye understudy.

Logan pointed out that in the show, people of the town "Anatevka" are forced from their homes at the end of the play, much like Karp and so many others during the flood.

"We've been able to explore a play that they know in a way that others don't," Logan said. "They know what it's like to be forced out of their home. They know what it's like for traditions to change, and it's helped us value the traditions we have."

Logan also believes this may be the start of a new tradition between the schools' theater departments.

Logan is co-directing the play with Kingwood Park High School theater teacher Abbey Fera. They have discussed possibly making a co-produced musical every other year.

More than 80 students are involved in the production, and students from both schools found there was an immediate chemistry between the departments.

"I feel like right after the first read-through, the 'who's who' between the KHS K-Park kids just fell away and now, it's just like a family," said Seth Tarango, a Kingwood Park senior who portrays Motel in 'Fiddler.'

However, Fera recognized the bond between the two departments' students well before they began rehearsing for the show.

"After KHS flooded, Seth was the first one that called and said, 'What can I do? We need to help them,'" Fera said. "For our kids, they go to two separate schools, but they still all live in Kingwood. Whether their house was affected or not, they're still affected. They were still a part of this. So it makes sense for our school to say, 'Come on, whatever you need.'"

Throughout the rehearsal process, the departments also discovered the experience has broadened their theater-related skills.

"There are some things they know very well and we don't know, and there are things that we know that they don't know," said Jade Chang, Kingwood High School senior and student technical director. "We have just been working a lot together, teaching each other different things."

For example, this is the first time Gracie Dickinson, a Kingwood Park senior, has coordinated publicity for a theater production  one of the many new opportunities students have been presented with as a result of their collaborative effort.

"It's interesting with the two different sides of how our theater departments have done things differently," Dickinson said. "How mixed and integrated we are with the technical roles, it's really interesting to learn and see the way they do things, the way we do things and combine them together to make our show."

The way people can survive a trauma like Hurricane Harvey is not dependent upon possessions, Logan said. That was a theme Logan said was discussed often when Kingwood High School students first lost their school.

"Even though we're not at home, the home is in the family," Logan said. "It's really important that while the school isn't there, we as programs are together in the way we survive things. The way we get through trauma, it doesn't have to do with the stuff, it has to do with each other. That's a big part of what we're doing, and also what we want to communicate to the audience as well."

Having been displaced, Karp feels a strong connection to "Fiddler on the Roof" and hopes the play will help the community in the same way it has helped him process his own experiences.

"At every performance, people in that audience are going to have come from the same place that I have  from the same place that these characters have and will get to heal through our performance," Karp said. "This isn't just any other show we're doing. This is a show that can really kind of help everyone who needs it."

Dickinson sees the production as an example of mutual community support.

"There are so many things happening in Kingwood right now  people trying to recover, and just the mess that was made  but even with how different our theaters are, and how much KHS has lost, we can still put on this great show that's going really well and set aside any theatrical differences to use in a constructive way instead of just working without it," Dickinson said. "We're still Kingwood-Strong within our theaters and as a community as a whole."
5 Houston high school playoff games you won't want to miss Several teams from the Houston area have the potential to make a state title run.

'She Said' takes on the downfall of Harvey Weinstein Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star as the journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story.
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Police chased and arrested three men who reportedly attacked another man at a bar in northwest Houston early Thursday morning.

Houston police responded to a call at the Bombshells bar at U.S. 290 and Fairbanks-North Houston around 2 a.m. Thursday to find three men attacking a fourth.
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When Tomball named Steven Vaughan as its citizen of the year, he was surprised to learn he had earned the honor.

"Well, it isn't my birthday," he said he thought. "I was humbled and grateful."
A person was found dead in a burning woods Wednesday night in south Houston, according to police.

Houston firefighters rushed to the 5700 block of Wenda just before 7: 15 p.m. to battle a blaze in a wooded area a few blocks from Sims Bayou.
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A former death row inmate's sweeping lawsuit against the city, county, district attorney and Houston police is moving forward even after a federal judge on Tuesday tossed claims against the prosecutor behind Alfred Brown's wrongful conviction.

"It is absolutely a win," said attorney Cate Edwards, who is representing Brown in his quest to get compensation for the years he spent in prison. "It gets us through the first gate. A lot of these cases get dismissed at the outset."

The 35-year-old launched a federal suit in June accusing prosecutors and police of both concealing and fabricating evidence and violating constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial. Those violations landed Brown behind bars for 12 years, many of which were spent on death row.

Now Playing: Here are 5 facts to know about the Texas death penalty. Video: Houston Chronicle

When he was finally released in 2015 - after a Houston police investigator found exculpatory evidence sitting in his home garage - the state comptroller denied Brown's request for compensation because former district attorney Devon Anderson never dubbed him "actually innocent" when the charges were tossed.

After taking office in January, freshly elected District Attorney Kim Ogg also failed to declare Brown's innocence, prompting his lawyers to file a federal suit in an effort to find compensation through a different venue. The defendants pushed back with a series of motions to dismiss.

"We look forward to presenting the facts," said Seth Hopkins with the Harris County Attorney's Office. "We appreciate the time and attention the Court gave our motions."

The ruling came after oral arguments held in Houston just over three weeks earlier.

One of the points of dispute was whether Brown had simply filed his claim too late. Although both sides agreed there would be a two-year statute of limitations, Brown's lawyers argued that it would have started when he was released after prosecutors dismissed his charges in June 2015, while the defendants argued that it would have started seven months earlier when an appeals court vacated his conviction.

"Harris County believes he waited too long to bring suit and that under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and Texas Government Code, his claim should have been filed against the Staterather than the County," Hopkins said Wednesday.

But Brown's attorneys argued the county allowed the "long-standing policies of a conviction culture" underlying the specific misdeeds alleged in the suit.

"Their culture over there is a breeding ground for constitutional violation," Edwards said Wednesday.

Specifically, the legal filing accuses prosecutor Dan Rizzo of allegedly pressuring multiple witnesses to falsely finger Brown as one of three men behind the slaying.

Although Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal said Brown's attorneys managed to overcome the qualified immunity applied to police targeted in the suit, she tossed the claims against Rizzo who is covered by a higher standard of prosecutorial immunity.

Many of the claims against the city and county are still in, and now Brown and his attorneys have till the end of March to file an amended petition, which could possible bring Rizzo back into the case.

"I am very hopeful that we can have an open, honest exchange of information with the defendants and find out more about their role in sending an innocent man to death row," Edwards said. "We're ready to move forward with the discovery process."

Brown was originally convicted of capital murder in the 2003 shooting death of HPD Officer Charles Clark, but his conviction was overturned by an appeals court after one of the defendants in the suit discovered phone records in his garage that corroborated Brown's alibi. The Houston Chronicle previously delved into the case when columnist Lisa Falkenberg won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for a commentary series in the months leading up to his release.

The city and police union did not respond to requests for comment.
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American Girl's new doll is out of this world -- or, at least, she wants to be.

Luciana Vega is an 11-year-old aspiring astronaut with dreams of being the first person on Mars. She's the Wisconsin-based doll maker's 2018 Girl of the Year.

Luciana is "a champion of [science, technology, engineering and math] and a natural-born leader who puts her whole heart into making her dreams a reality," said Katy Dickson, president of American Girl, in a news release.

The company worked with NASA and Johnson Space Center to develop Luciana's story, which starts with her winning a scholarship to Space Camp in Alabama. Her story is chronicled in a three-book series also available for purchase.

Luciana -- decked out in a white space suit and helmet -- was unveiled Thursday on "Good Morning America." It is the company's 16th girl of the year and will be available for purchase Jan. 1.

"Luciana is a role model for today's girlsempowering them to defy stereotypes, and embrace risks that will teach them about failure and success as they chart their own course in lifewhatever the goal," Dickson said.

To ensure accuracy, doll creators traveled to Johnson Space Center in Houston to "gain insight into a day in the life of a Space Camp trainee," the company said.

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The creators learned how to eat in space, how to function in microgravity and even put on a space suit, the release adds.

American Girl also worked with a four-member Advisory Board that included Ellen Stofan, former NASA chief scientist; Deborah Barnhart, CEO and executive director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center; Megan McArthur Behnken, NASA astronaut; and Maureen O'Brien, manager of strategic alliances at NASA.

"American Girl's partnership with NASA was developed through the Space Act Agreement to inform and inspire the wider public (and especially young girls) about the excitement of space and STEM careers," the release added.

Also in partnership with Scholastic, NASA and Space Camp, the company has funded several educational activities to help young students learn about space and STEM fields.

They include:

Blast Off Discovery: a program built for third through fifth graders that includes STEM-based lesson plans and classroom activities. It will be available at www.scholastic.com starting Jan. 31.

Mission to Mars Sweepstakes: Families who participate in weekly missions can win numerous prizes, including a trip to Space Camp.

Space Camp scholarships: American girl is sponsoring 20 such scholarships.

Information about these and other educational opportunities can be found at americangirl.com/meetluciana.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Which party will control Virginia's House of Delegates next year remains far from certain after a Democratic candidate petitioned a court to declare her the winner of a race that is officially tied.

Shelly Simonds has asked a three-judge panel to reconsider its decision to strip her of a one-vote victory she won after a dramatic recount of last month's election in Newport News. Her lawyers argue that the judges committed clear legal errors, including the counting of a ballot for her Republican opponent, incumbent Del. David Yancey, after the recount ended.

So far, the court has scheduled no hearings on the matter. But the petition was enough for state elections officials to delay a plan to draw names from a bowl on Wednesday to declare a winner. State law prescribes the "drawing of lots" to resolve a race that has been certified a tie by a recount court. In a statement Tuesday, however, the elections board said such a drawing should only be used as a last resort.

Even if the court upholds the tie vote and names are drawn from a bowl, legal experts say the loser can still petition for a second recount.

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Virginia's General Assembly convenes Jan. 10, with party control of the House of Delegates hanging in the balance. The Republicans hold a 51-49 seat edge, which could change once this race is decided. If Simonds wins the 94th District, Republicans and Democrats will be forced to share power.

Court clerk Gary Anderson said the judges received Simonds' petition on Wednesday, but he could not say when a hearing might take place if the panel decides to consider it.

Parker Slaybaugh, a spokesman for the House Republican leadership, said party leaders are still reviewing Simonds' filing to determine if they will file a response in court.

Simonds appeared to have lost November's election by 10 votes to Yancey. Then she appeared to have won a recount by a single vote last week. A day later, the recount court in Newport News declared a tie.

Simonds' lawyers claim the court erred when it allowed Yancey's campaign to challenge a ballot after the recount ended. The ballot was identified only after a Republican election official raised concerns the next day.

On the ballot in question, the voter had picked Republican candidates in statewide races. For the 94th District, the voter filled in the bubble for Yancey and the bubble for Simonds. But he or she also drew a single slash through the bubble for Simonds.

Simonds' campaign argues it was not given the same chance to identify and challenge ballots post-recount. The lawyers also said the ballot counted for Yancey had two extraneous markings, which should disqualify it from the vote.

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Simonds' campaign added that a ballot can be like a "Rorschach Test" and urged the court to seek advice from the Department of Elections and Virginia State Board of Elections in interpreting the ballot.

Board chair James Alcorn said in an email that the only way for the board to provide such guidance "would be for us to hold a public meeting."

"If the court requests guidance from the entire State Board, we would comply with any court order," Alcorn said.

But Alcorn said recount courts typically seek advice from the Department of Elections' staff.

If the court stands by its decision and the elections board draws names, the loser could still petition the same court for a second recount, according to Rebecca Green, co-director of William & Mary's Election Law Program.

"Virginia statute permits the loser of the draw to petition for another recount," Green said. "In that case, the same recount procedure would happen a second time, meaning candidates would presumably have a second chance to challenge overvotes and other ballots."

Reached by phone on Wednesday, Simonds said a second recount would be "negative for our community."

She said "instead of the citizens making the determination on questionable ballots, it would be the courts. It's better to have that process led by fellow citizens."
Manuel Balce Ceneta/STF

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Eager for more legislative achievements before Washington's focus shifts to the midterm elections, President Donald Trump plans to open the new year by meeting with Republican congressional leaders to map out the 2018 legislative agenda, the White House said.

After returning to Washington from Florida, Trump will quickly host Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin at the rustic Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains during the weekend of Jan. 6-7, the White House said.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
Image courtesy Atlantic/RoadrunnerIn This Moment frontwoman Maria Brink is considering recording a solo album, she reveals in an interview with Metal Hammer.

"I'm starting to slowly write, no hard plans," Brink says. "I'm not exactly sure when I'm gonna do it, but it'll be more of the obscure, intimate, quiet side of me."

Brink isn't committed to the solo thing just yet, but if she does go down that path, she knows her material will sound different from In This Moment.

"Probably the only drums in it would be tribal drums and probably no distorted guitars. Just the softer side of me," she says. "That's who I am. [In This Moment guitarist and co-founder] Chris [Howorth] would not want to do an obscure, artistic, dream-scaping album. That's not who he is."

A solo album would also mean Brink would be performing without the live theatrics In This Moment is known for.

"It would be just me and a piano and one dress and candles all over the whole stage," Brink says.

Even if Brink pursues her solo ambitions in 2018, In This Moment still has a busy year ahead of them. The band kicks off a North American headlining tour in January to support their new album, Ritual.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in the Russian Federation on a working visit, on Tuesday participated in the informal meeting of the CIS Heads of State in Moscow, the presidential press service reported.

December 27, 2017, 11:12 President Sargsyan attends informal meeting of CIS Heads of State in Moscow

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 27, ARTSAKHPRESS:During the meeting, the Heads of State summed up the results of the Russian Presidency in the CIS in 2017 and exchanged views on the further development of cooperation in different spheres.

At the beginning of the meeting, President Sargsyan joined his counterparts to thank the host country President Vladimir Putin for Russias active presidency in the CIS and the organization of the informal meeting in Moscow. As Serzh Sargsyan pointed out, it is a good opportunity to highlight Russias stabilizing and unifying role.

The President of Armenia noted that the positive economic trends recorded in Russia this year have had a positive impact on the overall economic situation in Armenia. President Sargsyan wished Russia and its President ever new achievements in the coming year for the benefit of the Armenian-Russian friendship.

Serzh Sargsyan availed himself of the opportunity to offer his best wishes for successful and active work to President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, which is taking over the CIS presidency in 2018.
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AKRON, Ohio -- A Summit County grand jury handed up an indictment Thursday against a Coventry Township woman accused of killing and dismembering her husband.

Marcia Eubank, 49, is charged with aggravated murder, murder, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse in the June 13 killing of her husband of 25 years, according to the Summit County Prosecutor's Office .

She is scheduled for arraignment in Summit County Common Pleas Court at Jan. 5.

Eubank shot Howard Eubank in the head before she cut him up and placed his remains in bins throughout the home, prosecutors say.

Investigators were told Eubank killed her husband in a domestic incident that happened June 13, according to court records. They confirmed gunshot wounds to the 54-year-old man's head when they found his remains.

Howard Eubank's son discovered the remains Dec. 9 at his parents' home on Linda Drive when he forgot his keys and climbed into a window at the home. He found a crate covered in maggots and flies and took it outside, police said. Investigators have not given a motive for the killing.

He texted Eubank who admitted she killed his father and dismembered his body, the son said in a 911 recording.

Investigators arrested Marcia Eubank later that day in a parking lot outside a nearby business.

Family members and neighbors were shocked to learn about what happened to Howard Eubank.

Eubank is currently being held in Summit County Jail on a $1 million bond, jail records show.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
PARMA, Ohio - For now, the hallways are empty. The snow outside reflects on the newly painted hospital walls, and white noise machines pump into otherwise silent patient rooms.

That's the scene in Parma where MetroHealth staff prepare to open one of the system's newest hospitals, a former MetroHealth center at 12301 Snow Road, which was converted into an in-patient facility. It will open to the public Jan. 3.

"We'll be waiting for them," Kim Svoboda, RN, director of business development and integration at MetroHealth, said Wednesday while giving a tour of the new site to The Plain Dealer.

The Parma site is one of two new hospitals being added to the MetroHealth system. The other, at 10 Severance Circle in Cleveland Heights, will open Jan. 4. Both are designed for patients with less-complex conditions who require shorter hospital stays and will offer in-patient care, as well as out-patient services.

The Parma hospital has 16 single-occupancy patient rooms, and the Cleveland Heights site has 12 similar rooms. Together, the two employ 60 to 80 people, including nurses, concierges and others.

"I think what you're seeing here is the future of MetroHealth," Dr. Bernard Boulanger, executive vice president and chief clinical officer of MetroHealth, said during the tour. "The new hospital on West 25th will look like this - or better."

The $25-million renovation of the two former MetroHealth centers serves as an opportunity for MetroHealth to tweak designs used in the Critical Care Pavilion that opened last year and figure out the best plan for the system's planned new hospital on main campus.

"We're trying to figure out the best design," Svoboda said. "This is really giving us an opportunity to try something new."

In Parma, digital door signs are positioned outside patient rooms to immediately display information entered into electronic medical records. The beds have touchscreens, USB and electric outlets and warning lights; they even speak to patients trying to get out of bed when doctors advise against it. The blinds are electronic; the visitor chairs fold into beds; and there is on-demand food ordering from the site's micro kitchen.

"We really tried to find ways to keep patients comfortable," Svoboda said.

MetroHealth is even experimenting with aromatherapy.

"Anything that relieves the stress on a patient helps healing," Boulanger said.

While some features will be unique to the Parma site, such as the digital door signs, the Cleveland Heights location will be very similar. Each hospital will feature artwork depicting popular sites from the community, such as Byers Field and Cain Park.

The Parma and Cleveland Heights sites already have emergency departments and labs, pharmacy and radiology services, but the Parma location also has operating rooms. The Cleveland Heights site will add operating rooms down the road, MetroHealth staff said.

The two locations were formerly HealthSpan urgent care sites and medical offices, which MetroHealth took over in 2015. The emergency departments opened in February 2016 and the medical offices opened in April 2016.

MetroHealth decided to convert the locations into hospitals to better serve residents in those communities, Svoboda said.

With the opening of the two new hospitals, 80 percent of county residents will be within a 15-minute drive of a MetroHealth hospital.

MetroHealth's creation of the new hospitals reflects a greater trend by local hospitals to expand their footprints regionally.

The Cleveland Clinic now operates 10 regional hospitals in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina and Summit counties and will add Union Hospital in Dover to its system by January.

Likewise, University Hospitals has been on an acquisition spree in recent years, bringing a number of regional hospitals into the fold, including the Parma Community General Hospital, Elyria's EMH Healthcare and Ashland's Samaritan Regional Health System.

New MetroHealth hospitals
LAKEWOOD, Ohio - The seemingly ubiquitous sounds of hammers at work were heard all over Lakewood this past year where construction boomed. In 2017, the city granted 2,993 permits worth $72 million in valuation compared to 2016's 2,802 permits and more than $30 million in valuation.

"It's sort of the un-storied story," Lakewood Mayor Mike Summers said. "It's a massive amount of private reinvestment. It's just been incredible."

Added Lakewood City Architect Michael Molinski, "It's huge just in terms of dollar amounts. To us, it seems like it shows a lot of confidence where the city is at and in people's homes. Just a huge uptick in residential activity and commercial too."

The uptick equates to more than $51 million in commercial expansion and roughly $20 million in residential development. Regarding the former, both Summers and Molinski pointed to the $34 million Cleveland Clinic Lakewood Family Health Center, as well as the $14 million RockPort Square townhome project.

As far as the boost in construction permits for residential work, Summers said it's obvious to him Lakewood has become a very attractive place to invest in and live in. While empty nesters may be returning to the city, the Mayor noted millennials are also buying homes.

"What's happening is you're seeing a layer of new residents who have the capacity to take these old houses and spiff them up," Summers said. "Our educational level is dramatically higher than it's been historically with 44 percent of residents having a two-year degree and close to 35 percent having a four-year degree or more. The national (four-year degree) average is like 25 percent.

"We historically have been pretty average nationally. Now we have much higher-educated residents moving into our town. They're buying our houses and putting a ton of money into them."

Once construction begins in a neighborhood, the City Architect said a common occurrence is infectious renovation.

"When somebody sees activity on their street, they have the confidence to spend money on their own property," Molinski said. "For decades we'll reap the benefits of what we're doing right now."

Looking ahead to 2018, Molinski expects construction investment in Lakewood to taper off.

"It's not going to be this year's numbers," Molinski said. "I think 2017 was a little bit of an anomaly, like in 2014 and 2015 when we had $100 million in (Lakewood City Schools) construction.

"Next year I think we'll be back in the $30 million range for total commercial and residential."
The blacklist issued by Azerbaijan includes names of 600 people, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev said.

December 28, 2017, 15:20 600 names in Azerbaijan's blacklist

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS:In 2017, Azerbaijan was asked to remove the names of 10 people from the list of undesirable persons, APA reported.

Thus, the list is expanding because of the flow of tourists to Nagorno-Karabakh is growing.
AKRON, Ohio -- A 16-year-old boy and 14-year-old boy hid in a JCPenney at Chapel Hill Mall after the store closed and were later arrested with pockets full of stolen jewelry, Akron police said.

The robbery happened shortly before 11 p.m. at the store on Brittain Road near Independence Avenue and Buchholzer Boulevard.

The boys are charged with breaking and entering, theft, criminal damaging, criminal trespassing and carrying a concealed weapon, Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said.

Officers responded to the mall on a report of an alarm and noticed a broken glass door on the north side of the building.

The officers discovered that someone smashed the jewelry counters and took several pieces of jewelry. A JCPenney representative was called to the scene.

Investigators determined the robbers stayed inside the store after closing and broke into the counters after the employees left. They also used a hammer to break the door before running out of the store.

Akron police received a call from Summa Health's St. Thomas Hospital after two boys flagged down hospital police and said that they needed to get out of the cold weather.

Both of the boys had pieces of jewelry with JCPenney tags on them, knives and one had an unloaded gun, police said.

They were taken into custody.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cuyahoga County grand jury on Wednesday handed up indictments against a Cleveland mother accused of killing her 5-year-old son, whose body was found buried in bags in their backyard.

Larissa Rodriguez, 34, was indicted on charges of murder, gross abuse of a corpse, felonious assault, and two counts of child endangering, according to court records.

Her arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 2, court records say.

The remains of Rodriguez's son, Jordan, were unearthed Dec. 19 in the backyard of their home on West 80th Street in the city's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. The body showed multiple signs of abuse, including broken ribs, court records say.

The indictments accuse Rodriguez of "recklessly" abusing Jordan and treating his remains in a way that "would outrage reasonable community sensibilities," records say.

Rodriguez's bond was set at $1 million on Friday when she made her first court appearance in Cleveland Municipal Court.

Cuyahoga County assistant prosecutor Brian Murphy said during the hearing that Jordan died after Rodriguez failed to seek medical treatment, even though it was readily apparent that the boy needed medical attention.

Jordan was last seen alive in September, and investigators believe he died sometime around Sept. 22, Murphy said.

The brother of Rodriguez's boyfriend, Christopher Rodriguez, called Cleveland police from Pakistan on Dec. 18. He reported that Christopher told him that he helped Larissa bury Jordan in their backyard.

The tip prompted the FBI and Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office to dig in the family's yard for three hours until they eventually found Jordan's remains.

Christopher Rodriguez, 36, has not been charged in connection with Jordan's death. He is serving a 6-month sentence in the Medina County jail for failing to pay child support, and has since been transferred into a maximum security area.

Larissa Rodriguez is a mother to nine children and is pregnant with her 10th. Social workers said in court documents that her home was in "deplorable and unsanitary conditions." It was also infested with rats and cockroaches, and social workers found one child eating a cockroach-filled sandwich when they arrived at the house, records say.

The four children who lived at the home have been taken into emergency custody by the county, which has opened 13 abuse or neglect investigations into Rodriguez since 1999.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - The city of Cleveland fired a police officer for the deadly 2015 shooting of an unarmed burglary suspect.

Alan Buford was terminated Thursday after city officials found that he used excessive force in the March 19, 2015 death of 18-year-old Brandon Jones. The shooting happened while Buford and another officer investigated a break-in at the Parkwood Grocery store in the Glenville neighborhood.

Cleveland Public Safety Director Michael McGrath's administrative review found that Buford violated the department's use of force policy "by using force greater than what was necessary during the incident."

Buford was charged with misdemeanor negligent homicide, but Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Michael Sliwinski found him not guilty after a three-day trial in July.

The acquittal came despite testimony from his partner, Gregory King, who said during trial that he thought the shooting was unnecessary.

Jones' mother, Tanya Brown, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Buford, King and the city in March 2016. Her attorney, Paul Cristallo, called Jones' death an "avoidable tragedy" and said he and his client were pleased that the city was "doing the right thing" in holding Buford accountable.

"I think it certainly validates what we've been saying all along -- that Officer Buford didn't have to shoot Brandon. It's a step toward accountability," Cristallo said.

Cleveland police union president Steve Loomis argued that Buford's firing was unfair and an "unwarranted attack" on city police officers.

"Officer Buford was acquitted of all charges against him -- demonstrating that he acted within the appropriate legal standards governing officer conduct," Loomis said in a statement. "Apparently the city believes it is somehow fair and just to fire an officer who was acting within the limits required by law."

Loomis said a grievance was filed on Thursday and that the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association will seek arbitration to get Buford reinstated.

The Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association have released a statement regarding the firing of officer Alan Buford for violating the department's use of force policy. pic.twitter.com/fDZ24UhMbW  Drew Scofield (@DrewScofield01) December 28, 2017

At trial, defense attorney Henry Hilow successfully argued that the shooting was justified because a reasonable police officer would have been in fear for his life during the encounter.

Buford and King first approached Jones as he backed out of the Parkwood Grocery store with a bag of stolen goods.

Each officer grabbed Jones with one hand as they kept their other hands on their guns.

Buford shot Jones moments after officers grabbed him, King testified at trial.

Hilow argued that evidence showed Jones may have grabbed at Buford's gun before the officer fired the fatal shot. King testified that he didn't see Jones' hands and wasn't sure if Jones grabbed at Buford's gun.

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It is deeply concerning, therefore, to discover that about 1,000 files have gone missing after being removed by civil servants. Officially, the archives describe them as misplaced while on loan to a government department.

The uncomfortable truths revealed in previously classified government files have proved invaluable to those seeking to understand this countrys history or to expose past injustices.

LONDON - The (United Kingdom) National Archives are home to more than 11m documents, many of them covering the most disturbing periods of Britains colonial past.

The files, each containing dozens of pages, cover subjects such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the British colonial administration in Palestine, tests on polio vaccines and territorial disputes between the UK and Argentina. It is unclear whether duplicates exist.

The loss of so many documents of such significance has understandably caused concern among historians, politicians and human rights groups. Amnesty International has called on Theresa May to order an urgent government-wide search for the documents, while Labour MP Jon Trickett has warned that the loss will only fuel accusations of a cover-up.

Such suggestions may seem far-fetched, but recent history has given many people reason to be suspicious. Documents in the National Archives have previously been key in revealing human rights abuses by the British state.

In 2013, the Guardian revealed that more than 1m documents that should have been declassified were instead being unlawfully kept at a high-security compound in Buckinghamshire.

Their existence only came to light when a group of elderly Kenyans took the government to the high court, claiming they had been tortured during the 1950s Mau Mau rebellion. The Foreign Office was forced to admit it had withheld thousands of colonial-era papers.

Even if the files that have now been reported missing vanished as a result of sloppiness or incompetence rather than malice, that is in a way no less damning. Britain has long failed to acknowledge the horrors that its colonialism and imperialism have wrought on the world.

Many Britons have grown up believing their homeland saved and civilised the world, while atrocities, genocide and human rights abuses often go unmentioned.

Successive governments have failed to narrow this knowledge gap, whether by setting up truth commissions, establishing a museum of colonialism or teaching schoolchildren about colonialism as part of the standard curriculum.

In 2014, a YouGov poll found that 59% of those surveyed thought the British empire was more something to be proud of than ashamed of.

The loss of these documents provides an apt metaphor for what colonialism means to many in Britain. Embarrassing facts are neatly filed away, labelled as the past, and on the rare occasions that the archives are inspected, damning evidence is nowhere to be seen.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday granted clemency to 61 people, including immigrants facing deportation because of past criminal convictions.

Cuomo pardoned 18 people facing immigration-related legal challenges, including 15 who were convicted of nonviolent offenses but haven't committed any crimes for at least 10 years.

The notable pardons include Lorena Borjas, 57, a transgender woman from Mexico who now runs HIV testing programs for transgender sex workers and an advocate for immigrants and transgender people. A victim of human trafficking, she was convicted of fourth-degree criminal facilitation in 1994.

Cuomo also pardoned Freddy Perez, 53, for past drug offenses. Perez, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was convicted of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third-degree attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in 1993. He now works as an electrician and cares for his younger brother, who has autism.

Alexander Shilov, 35, was pardoned by Cuomo for prior petit larceny and attempted petit larceny convictions when he was a teenager and addicted to drugs. An immigrant from Estonia, he has remained sober for 13 years and earned his general equivalency diploma. He now works as a nurse in Brooklyn and volunteers in New York's Medical Reserve Corps.

The pardons don't guarantee that the 18 immigrants, including Borjas, Perez and Shilov, will avoid deportation. But the gubernatorial actions will boost their cases to remain in the U.S.

"These New Yorkers have proved their rehabilitation, in some cases for decades, but have been unable to gain legal status or fully reenter society due to the stigma of conviction," Cuomo said in a statement. "While the federal government continues to target immigrants and threatens to tear families apart with deportation, these actions take a critical step toward a more just, more fair and more compassionate New York."

Cuomo's pardons come as the federal government under President Donald Trump's leadership cracks down on undocumented immigrants, especially those with criminal backgrounds.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced in November that immigration-related arrests increased nearly 40 percent in one year. More than 41,000 people were arrested on immigration charges, according to the agency.

Two New Yorkers with nonimmigration-related requests received pardons:

 Christopher Cavallo, 66, was convicted of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance in 1977. He hasn't committed another crime since and now owns a Florida-based security firm. He operates an addiction recovery program in a women's prison and provides support to a shelter for children with cancer and HIV in Colombia. The pardon would help Cavallo run for elective office in Florida and obtain an advanced security license to grow his firm, according to the governor's office.

 Mary Snook Downing, 58, used drugs after the death of her husband and son in 1985. She was convicted of possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in 1987. She completed drug rehabilitation and has remained crime-free and sober since her conviction. Cuomo's office said she sought the pardon so that she could petition for legal guardianship of her 88-year-old mother, who lives in Florida and has dementia.

Cuomo also announced that 39 New Yorkers who were convicted of misdemeanor and nonviolent crimes when they were 16 or 17 years old will be pardoned. Those receiving pardons haven't committed crimes for at least 10 years.

He has now granted clemency to 140 people through the Youth Pardon Program.

Two New Yorkers had prison sentences commuted by Cuomo Wednesday. Dominic Dupont, 39, has served more than 20 years of a 25 years-to-life sentence for second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Dupont was 19 when he killed another man while defending his twin brother.

After leaving prison, Dupont will live with his wife in Brooklyn and work as an at-risk youth counselor.

Michael Flournoy, 42, was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison for second-degree attempted murder and other charges, according to the governor's office. He developed a friendship with the victim and her son, who now consider him a member of their family, the governor's office said.

Flournoy is a certified AIDS and HIV counselor and is a volunteer program coordinator of the Prisoner's AIDS Counseling and Education Program. He earned associate and bachelor's degrees from Bard College. When he exits prison, he will live with his family in Brooklyn.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's latest 2018 State of the State proposal unveiled Thursday aims to end child hunger by ensuring students at schools across New York have access to food.

Cuomo launched the No Student Goes Hungry Program to expand the existing Farm to School initiative by doubling the state's investment to $1.5 million and implement "breakfast after the bell," which would require schools with a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch to serve breakfast after the beginning of the school day.

The governor's office cited the success of breakfast after the bell in Newburgh, a city in Orange County. The program was implemented for the 2015-16 school year and breakfast participation increased by more than 100 percent.

The state will provide $7 million to implement breakfast after the bell in 1,400 New York schools.

Feeding America reported nearly 820,000 children in New York experienced food insecurity in 2015. Two-thirds of the children were likely eligible for federal nutrition aid, according to the study.

"No child should ever go hungry, and by launching the No Student Goes Hungry Program, New York will ensure hundreds of thousands of students of all ages will receive access to free and reduced-price meals," Cuomo said.

Another plank of Cuomo's child hunger agenda is banning "lunch shaming" in schools statewide. There have been reports of students being forced to wear a sticker or have their name announced to larger audience if they are unable to pay for school meals. Some children are denied meals if they can't pay.

Cuomo wants to prohibit the public humiliation of students who cannot pay for lunch. The measure would also prevent schools from serving alternative lunches if students can't afford meals. Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, students will be required to receive the same lunch as their peers.

The No Student Goes Hungry Program would also increase reimbursement for schools that use more locally grown products in meals. The current reimbursement rate is 5.9 cents per meal. The governor's plan would raise that level to 25 cents per meal for districts that buy at least 30 percent of their ingredients from New York farms.

Cuomo's initiative wouldn't just apply to young children. He is also seeking to address hunger on college campuses across the state.

His plan would require food pantries on all State University of New York and City University of New York campuses. New York would be the first state in the nation to require every public college and university to have a food pantry on campus, according to the governor's office.

Now, there are food pantries on nearly half of SUNY and CUNY campuses. Cuomo's plan to establish food pantries on all campuses would be supported with a $1 million investment.

Hunger is an issue affecting many college students. A report titled "Hunger on Campus" released by national organizations revealed 48 percent of students lacked access to food in the last 30 days. A majority of these students were unable to buy a textbook.

Cuomo's five-point plan will be part of his 2018 legislative agenda. The state Legislature must sign off on the proposal and the funding for the initiatives will be part of upcoming budget negotiations.

"This program is essential to the success of future New York leaders and this administration remains committed to removing barriers to healthy food options, while providing a supportive, effective learning environment for students across this great state," he said.

The governor will deliver his annual State of the State address Jan. 3 in Albany.
The state is awarding low-cost power to two Auburn companies advancing multi-million-dollar expansion projects.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the power allocations Thursday. The New York Power Authority, through the ReCharge New York program, will allocate 310 kilowatts to Currier Plastics and 30 kilowatts to Copper John Corporation, both Auburn manufacturers.

Nearly 30 companies and organizations will receive low-cost power in the latest round of allocations, according to the governor's office. The power will support $1.4 billion in investment and the projects are expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs.

Cuomo touted the Recharge NY program as an initiative that has helped boost economic development throughout the state.

"Not only has the low-cost program supported hundreds of thousands of workers, but it continues to create new jobs and encourage growth across New York," he said.

The power will help the two Cayuga County businesses as they proceed with expansion plans.

Currier Plastics is in the early stages of a $9.9 million expansion that will enable the company to increase its medical supply portfolio. The project will include the purchase of a 165,000-square-foot building and new equipment to expand its manufacturing operations.

The Central New York Regional Economic Development Council endorsed the expansion as one of its priority projects for the seventh round of the state competition. The region was one of the top performer award winners announced earlier this month.

With the win, Currier Plastics will receive a $1.8 million state grant and $180,000 in tax credits linked to job creation goals.

The $1.4 million expansion proposed by Copper John Corporation, an archery accessories manufacturer, was also a priority project for the regional council. The company was awarded a $280,000 grant and $100,000 in tax credits to assist with the purchase of new equipment.

Copper John Corporation wants to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. The company outsources some of its production to China. By adding new equipment and reconfiguring its State Street facility, owners Doug and Eric Springer plan to retain six employees and create 12 new jobs.
A state employee and his wife have been arrested after an investigation found they allegedly forged a doctor's note to secure time off from his government job.

State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott's inquiry found Gregory Jones, a safety and security officer at the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center in Utica, submitted a a standard medical certification form in September claiming he had a medical reason for taking time off of work.

The form was provided by a doctor's office where Brooks Jones, Gregory Jones' wife, is employed. The investigation revealed the doctor who purportedly signed the form never treated Gregory Jones and said the signature on the form wasn't his own.

Gregory Jones has been charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, both felonies. Brooks Jones was also charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.

"By obtaining and using fraudulent medical records, this couple violated the public trust inherent to the position Mr. Jones has held with the state of New York," Scott said. "I will pursue any public employee who uses falsified documents to defraud the government."

Gregory Jones was arraigned and released pending further action in Utica City Court. Brooks Jones was also arraigned and released. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 2 at New Hartford town court.

The cases are being prosecuted by Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara's office. The state police assisted with the investigation.
Cracked has already brought you the 7 Most Baffling Things Ever Discovered in a Human Body and the 7 Most Horrifying Things Ever Discovered in a Human Body, so you may have thought we'd run out of upsetting things that have been yanked out of people by doctors. You fool. You poor, soon-to-be-disgusted fool. Don't you know the body is but a nightmarish junkyard waiting to be excavated by the unluckiest surgeons and proctologists?

9 The Lost City Of Contact Lenses Found In One Woman's Eye

Think carefully about this question: What is the most number of objects you can jam under your eyelid and forget about? It's zero, right? No. Not even close. Not even close.

An anesthetist in the UK was preparing a 67-year-old woman for routine cataract surgery when he noticed a blue lump under her eyelid. On closer inspection, it turned out to be 17 contact lenses bunched together into a single mass. Here's what it looked like.

You're probably saying, "17? Ha. That's barely 17 more than my record." Well, they later found another 10 lenses stuck even further in there. Seriously, she was more contact lens than woman. She had been wearing contacts for 35 years, and never noticed that they were occasionally vanishing into her head. That's troubling on a number of levels. What else did she not notice? Are there 70 cat skeletons in her guest room?

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Surgeons removed the contacts, presumably while also finding several lost socks and $87.32 in change. And remarkably, the woman didn't experience any negative effects. Doctors say she was lucky the lenses didn't suck up bacteria and cause an infection, but is anyone really "lucky" when they have an action figure's worth of plastic stuck to their eyeball?
Former state Sen. Michael Nozzolio will be among the honorees next month at the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce's 50th annual dinner meeting in Geneva.

Nozzolio, who represented the Finger Lakes region in the state Legislature for more than three decades, will receive the chamber's Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.

The award, which is sponsored by MRB Group, will recognize Nozzolio for being a "tireless advocate for jobs and economic development in our community."

"His contributions led to growth of the local wine industry, creation of both the Finger Lakes Institute and the Institute of Food Safety," the chamber wrote in a news release. "He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery."

Nozzolio, a Republican, was a member of the state Assembly from 1983 to 1992. He was elected to the state Senate in 1992 and represented most of the Finger Lakes region, including Cayuga County, for the next 25 years.

He retired from the state Legislature at the end of 2016. Earlier in the year, he had surgery to repair faulty heart valves. He recovered and returned to work later in the legislative session, but opted not to seek re-election.

Nozzolio will be one of four honorees at the chamber dinner. Muranda Cheese Company, of Waterloo, will receive the Business of the Year Award. Dennis Money, of Canandaigua, is the recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award for his work to protect white-tailed deer at the former Seneca Army Depot site in Romulus. Brandi Rozelle, library director at the Waterloo Library and Historical Society, will receive the Seneca County Rising Star Award.

The dinner will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19 at Club 86 in Geneva. There will be a cocktail reception, silent auction, live auction, dinner, a year-in-review video and the awards ceremony.

The cost is $65 per person for chamber members or $75 for nonmembers. Tickets are on sale through Jan. 8.

For more information about tickets or sponsorship opportunities, call (315) 568-2906 or email info@senecachamber.org.
Ann Marie Buerkle, an Auburn native and former congresswoman, may not serve as chair of an independent federal agency after all.

The U.S. Senate returned Buerkle's nomination to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission to President Donald Trump last week, according to congressional records. It was one of nearly 100 nominations returned by the Senate due to objections raised by at least one senator.

The Senate usually rolls over consideration of nominations into the next year. But a nomination will be returned to the president if a senator objects. It's unknown which senator objected to Buerkle's nomination.

Because the Senate sent the nomination back to the president, Trump must renominate Buerkle or select someone else for the post.

"This is a procedural step where the White House submits paperwork again and the Senate Commerce Committee votes again prior to a Senate vote," said Joseph Martyak, director of communications for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. "The acting chairman looks forward to a quick completion of the process early in the new year."

Buerkle's nomination to chair the Consumer Product Safety Commission was criticized by consumer groups and some Democratic senators. At her confirmation hearing in September, she faced tough questions from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, about her position on regulations, including why she favored a voluntary standard instead of a mandate for manufacturers of portable generators.

A New York Times story published earlier this month didn't help Buerkle's cause. The story, titled "Trump Pick to Head Consumer Safety Board Is Seen as Too Close to Industries," outlined the concerns with her nomination and that she didn't usually support large penalties or tougher standards for the industries the agency regulates.

Public Citizen is one of the consumer groups that opposed Buerkle's nomination. Remington Gregg, the organization's counsel for civil justice and consumer rights, said one reason why they are concerned about Buerkle leading the agency is they don't think she believes in its mission.

"We have not seen a commitment from Ms. Buerkle ... We feel so strongly that she is the wrong person to lead this commission," Gregg said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Buerkle has been serving as acting chair of the commission since February. She ascended to the post not long after Trump was sworn in as president.

In July, Trump nominated Buerkle to chair the commission and serve a seven-year term. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology advanced her nomination in October.

Buerkle first joined the commission in 2013 when she was nominated by President Barack Obama for a seat on the five-member panel. She was recommended for the appointment by current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The majority of the commission, which oversees safety of consumer products ranging from off-road vehicles and portable generators to children's toys, is typically controlled by the party that holds the White House. When Buerkle was nominated by Obama, it was to fill one of two Republican seats on the panel.

When Trump took office and Buerkle became acting chair, she was in the unusual position of being the commission's leader while in the minority. Buerkle is now the lone Republican member of the commission after the departure of Joseph Mohorovic, who resigned in October to join a law firm.

Trump nominated Dana Baiocco, a Republican, to succeed Democratic commissioner Marietta Robinson on the panel. Robinson's term expired in October. However, like Buerkle, Baiocco's nomination was returned to the president.

Buerkle was born and raised in Auburn. She began working as a registered nurse until graduating from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1994. She was an assistant New York state attorney general for 12 years before opting to run for Congress in 2010. She defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Dan Maffei by 648 votes.

She served in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. She lost her re-election bid to Maffei in 2012. But she wasn't out of government long. Obama appointed her to the Consumer Product Safety Commission four months after she left Congress.
As temperatures drop in Connecticut, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning tends to rise, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Carbon monoxide gas is an odorless, colorless gas. It has no other warning properties. The only way to detect the gas is with a carbon monoxide alarm.

Every resident using oil, liquid propane, natural gas or wood and pellet stoves should take some time to ensure their heating system has been cleaned and inspected in the last year. Carbon monoxide gas can form and build up in a home if the burning of fuel is incomplete.

If you think you may have carbon monoxide poisoning, get people and pets out of the house immediately, the department said.

Carbon monoxide alarms should be tested on a consistent basis to be sure its properly working. The Department of Public Health said residents who dont have an alarm should take some time now to purchase one.

The alarms should be close to a bedroom or wherever residents spend most of their time. As a precaution, an alarm could be placed near a furnace to set off an early warning signal.

It is very important to have a working carbon monoxide alarm in your living space because the deadly gas can enter your home by getting in around window casings, door frames and any penetrations through outside walls, the department said.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure tend to mimic those of the flu  headaches, feeling lightheaded and fatigue.

Long-term exposure to carbon monoxide without treatment can be dangerous, leading to brain damage or even death. When it enters the body, carbon monoxide targets the bloodstream, replacing oxygen.

All public and private schools buildings in Connecticut are required to have carbon monoxide alarms. Certain one- and two-family homes are required to have alarms if they have building permits issued on or after Oct. 1, 2005.

If residents are buying or selling one- or two-family homes where building permits were issued after Oct. 1, 2005, the seller must provide an affidavit that certifies that the home is equipped with working carbon monoxide detection or that there is no possible exposure source.

Questions about required placement of carbon monoxide detection and warning equipment should be directed to local building officials or local fire marshals.

More information about the dangers of carbon monoxide can be directed to local health departments or to the Connecticut Department of Public Health at 860-509-7740.
STRATFORD  Police reminded residents Wednesday to take valuables out of their cars and lock their doors, but it was unclear if this announcement was sparked by a specific recent incident.

Especially do not leave your cars unlocked with valuables and the keys in the vehicle, police advised.
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BRIDGEPORT  Joe Ganim has set a date.

Bridgeports mayor will run for governor after spending several months exploring a bid to replace fellow Democrat Dannel P. Malloy, who is retiring next year after two terms.

Ganim had said he would make it official in January. Now sources close to the candidate say he will file the necessary paperwork on Jan. 3.

It will be an uphill battle for a few reasons. Ganim, who ran the city in the 1990s until he was convicted of corruption in 2003, successfully appealed to Bridgeport voters for a second chance in 2015.

But he has to convince Democrats outside of Bridgeport, either during the partys nominating convention or in a subsequent primary, and then all registered voters in a general election, that he can be trusted to run the state.

In November, the Connecticut Republican Party wrote in an email that Democrats are so desperate that theyre willing to pin their hopes on a convicted felon just so they can avoid being forced to run on the (Malloy) administrations eight year record of failures.

Ganims criminal record already proved to be a setback in his bid to participate in the states public campaign financing program, which withholds state grants from candidates convicted of a felony related to their public office. A federal judge on Nov. 29 denied the mayors request for public financing, meaning Ganim will have to raise those dollars the old-fashioned way.

Speaking to the media after the ruling, Ganim made it clear he was still going to run for governor.

My commitment, my inquiries, my exploration about Connecticuts future and who should lead it, both as a citizen who has made a comeback, and as mayor of the largest city, remains, he said. At the end of the day money is a factor, a huge factor, but it wont be one that ends this campaign.

In mid-December, Hearst Connecticut Media reported that Ganim was expected to make his candidacy official in January, and that he  and another potential contender, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin  were courting their New Haven counterpart, Mayor Toni Harp, as a running mate.

There is a crowded field of potential Malloy successors: Six Democrats; 13 Republicans, including Tim Herbst, the former Trumbull first selectman, as well as David Walker of Bridgeport, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, and Oz Griebel, the outgoing chief executive of the MetroHartford Alliance, who announced last week he would make an independent run for governor.
Turkey might be the first food that comes to mind when you think about Thanksgiving, but plant-based diets are more popular than ever.
Ocalan ile alt saat ne konusuldu?
27 Aralk 2017 Carsamba, 18:10

Mehtap Tekin, elder sister of Air Force Academy student Murat Tekin, who was killed on the Bosphorus Bridge on the evening of 15 July, voiced her reaction to the decree with the force of law that has courted controversy over it being a protective shield for AKP militias.

The provision, Civilians who acted while participating in quelling the coup attempt that was staged on 15 July 2016 and acts of terrorism and acts constituting their continuation will bear no penal liability was included in the Decree with the Force of Law number 696 that the AKP government promulgated the day before yesterday.

They told us to seek our rights through the judiciary but they have closed the judicial door in our faces, too.

Mehtap Tekin, elder sister of Air Force Academy student Murat Tekin, who was killed on the Bosphorus Bridge on the evening of 15 July, voiced her reaction to this article in the decree that has courted controversy. Mehtap Tekin posted a video on Twitter with the message: They told us to seek our rights through the judiciary but they have closed the judicial door in our faces, too. They have taken our last hope from our hands, but, even if I lay down my life, I will not be intimidated over my brother, who told us to stand tall! I call out to those in authority, do not look for treason among the students and privates, and grant us legal recourse and try the murderers. Mehtap Tekin, stating that legal recourse had been removed under the decree, repeated once more that they had frequently been targeted and her brother had been murdered.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/893909/Darbe_sabahi_koprude_oldurulen_askerin_ablasi__Yargi_kapisini_da_yuzumuze_kapattilar....html
Municipalities across the state are scrambling to comply with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive order authorizing local governments to accept early property tax payments so local taxpayers can take full advantage of state and local tax, or SALT, deductions.

The order, issued Friday, is a response to the federal tax bill, signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday. The new bill, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, caps federal SALT deductions at $10,000.

In Cayuga County, residents have the option to make early payments in person, online or through the mail, according to a press release from Cayuga County Administrator J. Justin Woods.

To make a payment in person, residents should contact their town tax collector to find out what hours the town will be open for collection through the end of this year. Payments made by mail that are postmarked on or before Dec. 31, 2017 qualify as being prepaid, as well as online payments made by 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31. Not all towns have the option of making property tax payments online, however.

"While this was an executive order issued by the governors office at the last minute, the county has communicated with the city and all towns on this matter," Cayuga County Treasurer James Orman said in a statement. "We anticipate the city and towns will be prepared to collect prepayments as directed. If taxpayers have any questions as to how this effects their personal tax returns, we strongly urge them to contact their accountants or financial advisers as soon as possible.

Property owners in Cayuga County towns will receive their bills in the mail during the first week of January and landowners in the city of Auburn will receive their bill the week after. However, those wishing to make an early payment can view their bills online at gis.cayugacounty.us/flexviewers/CCrpv/.

The Auburn City Council held a special meeting Wednesday afternoon to approve the city's share of the 2018 Cayuga County taxes. The city was required to hold a special meeting due to language in the city's charter, Cayuga County Director of Real Property Services Kelly Anderson said. The towns will not need to hold a meeting.

Auburn's share of county taxes is $8,424,428.45, or 21.2 percent of the county tax levy. Auburn's 2018 county tax bill is a 1.36-percent increase from 2017.

Councilor Dia Carabajal slammed Rep. John Katko for supporting the federal tax bill, which she said politically targets "blue states," while benefiting wealthy Americans and burdening the working class of New York.

"Only some Auburnians will be able to take advantage of the resolution we pass here today," Carabajal said. "The swift and political maneuvering of Washington, D.C. has left us with very little time to react or even plan for this financial hardship. State and local governments are taking emergency action to help. Many taxpayers will not be able to come up with thousands of dollars suddenly between Christmas and New Years Day to pay taxes in advance."

"We are here to do what we can in the moment, but this federal tax plan will effect our quality of life for years to come," she added.
Britains universities have certainly been making the headlines of late  for all the wrong reasons.

Weve discovered that the vice-chancellors who run them routinely pocket salaries of nearly half a million pounds a year, and top them up with five-figure fees charged to pension funds that are already in deficit.

We have watched a gang of far-Left academics at Oxford University trying to gag a colleague, Professor Nigel Biggar, for expressing unfashionable views about the British Empire.

We have watched a gang of far-Left academics at Oxford University(file pic) trying to gag a colleague, Professor Nigel Biggar, for expressing unfashionable views about the British Empire

As institutions of learning that depend on the generosity of the British taxpayer for their livelihoods, you might expect our universities to be frugal custodians of public money and doughty defenders of intellectual freedom.

Yet in recent months we have been subject to a grotesque parade of greed and political correctness.

Grim though they are, however, I fear that these scandals are a distraction, disguising a more fundamental flaw in our overall approach to higher education  one that is tantamount to government-sponsored mis-selling.

Successive governments have conspired with universities to expand the number of young people going to university to take degrees.

John Major started the trend in 1992, when he allowed polytechnics to become universities.

Tony Blair took it further by adopting an explicit target that 50 per cent of people should go to university. The policy of unbridled expansion has now reached its logical conclusion.

There is no cap on student numbers: universities can charge as many people as they like up to 9,250 a year in tuition fees for a bachelors degree. Students can also take out loans to fund their fees and maintenance for the duration of their course (usually three years).

As a result, we now see nearly 50 per cent of school-leavers choosing to go to university.

Successive governments have conspired with universities to expand the number of young people going to university to take degrees, writes Nick Boles

Grotesque

Thats all very well, and many would say its a sign that higher education is being opened up to teenagers from all backgrounds. But no one has stopped to ask if these courses will bring students benefits that outweigh their cost.

Ministers reassure themselves that, in aggregate, graduates earn more than non-graduates, and this is clearly true.

But for many of them the advantage is slight, and not enough to justify the enormous cost of a degree.

Most undergraduates starting university this year will rack up debts of 50,000 or more. Yet the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that three-quarters of them will never earn enough over the 30 years following graduation to repay their loans in full. We need to ask ourselves why.

Recent research by Professor Alison Wolf of Kings College London, and Peter Sellen of the Education Policy Institute, has shown there is a significant rise in the number of people over-qualified for the work theyre doing.

One of the reasons is that plenty of graduates are doing jobs  and earning salaries  that simply do not reflect the huge investment they made in a degree.

This is especially true for graduates from less good universities, and those who have taken creative arts courses.

For the graduates themselves, this is obviously a disappointment  but for taxpayers its a disaster, because were the ones who are going to have to fork out for student loans which are not repaid. At this point, some might conclude that too many people are going to university and we should shrink student numbers and return to a time when most people left school and went straight into a job or an apprenticeship. But that would also be a mistake.

In the coming decades, whether we like it or not, well find ourselves in a world where robots do many of the jobs currently undertaken by human beings. And that means more people will need to acquire advanced skills if they are to remain employable and financially independent.

The problem is not that too many young people are going to university. Its that too many of them are going to the wrong kind of university, for too long, and are doing the wrong kind of course.

Disaster

In most advanced countries, specialist institutions offer two-year technical programmes as an alternative to a bachelors degree. The U.S. has community colleges. Germany has technical universities. The Netherlands has polytechnics.

In all of them  and in France, Finland and many other countries  less academic school-leavers are offered a type of higher education that better suits their abilities and ambitions.

As we leave the European Union and seek to strike new trade deals around the world, Britain needs to get match fit

This is what we need to do in this country. Instead of presenting young people with a stark choice between doing a three-year degree or getting a job, we should create a third option.

The Government should work with employers to develop new technical diplomas that are really relevant to the modern workplace.

They should build on the new T-levels  focusing on technical skills rather than academic disciplines  that the Government is developing for 16 to 19-year-olds, and reflect on specialisms such as construction, engineering, manufacturing, childcare and education.

They should be two-year courses and cost 4,000 to 6,000 a year. Universities with lower academic standards many of them former polytechnics  should be offered enhanced teaching grants if they convert themselves into technical universities and specialise in teaching technical diplomas.

There should be no bar to anyone from any background pursuing technical qualifications. For example, teenagers from less well-off families should be offered maintenance grants to make up for the loss of earnings during two years of further study.

And anyone taking a technical diploma shouldnt realistically have to take out a student loan of more than 20,000 in total.

Everyone would benefit. Less academic students would be able to gain the kind of technical qualifications employers really value, far more than a degree in media studies or the like.

They would also be able to start earning a salary a year earlier. If, later in life, they decided theyd benefit from a bachelors degree, they would just need to go back to university for one more year to convert their technical diploma into a full-blown BSc.

Universities would be able to expand the overall number of school-leavers going into higher education by persuading some of those who are currently put off by the cost and duration of a full degree to enrol in a cheaper two-year technical diploma course instead.

Employers would be able to draw on a better-educated workforce, with a deeper pool of the specialist technical skills theyre constantly telling us are in short supply.

They would no longer need to look abroad for the skilled craftsmen and technicians which our education system currently fails to produce in sufficient numbers.

And the taxpayer would no longer have to pick up the tab for the unpaid portion of the loans of so many students.

Boost

As we leave the European Union and seek to strike new trade deals around the world, Britain needs to get match fit.

Its crucial that we improve our skills and increase our productivity, particularly in manufacturing, so that we can capitalise on the tremendous boost given to our exporters by the fall in the pound since the Brexit vote.

Thats why we can no longer afford a snobbish education system that tells young people a bachelors degree is the only route to a successful career.

We can no longer afford to let universities fill their boots with full-price tuition fees, and ignore the consequences for the taxpayer.

The Government has a responsibility to help more young people get the benefit of higher education without racking up huge debts they might never repay. This is surely the perfect way to do it.

Nick Boles is Tory MP for Grantham and Stamford. This piece is based on the latest chapter of his new book, Square Deal, which is published today at squaredeal.org.uk
What is it about New Years Eve that seems to throw so many of us into a blind fashion panic?

For 364 days of the year we stick to our own personal styles, developed through years of trial and, yes, some degree of error.

But for this one evening of the year, many of us completely ignore the rules and instead choose outfits that are too short, too clingy or disastrously low cut.

Worst of all, they are clothes that then sit in our cupboards, unworn and unloved, all year long.

What seemed glamorous in the shops changing room can look very much the wrong side of trashy under that flashing disco ball.

But there is an easy way to choose simple and stylish party pieces that will not only look glamorous on New Years Eve, but can form the basis of your whole 2018 wardrobe, too: opt for tiny sequins, fluffy, colourful faux fur or glamorous velvet paired with sparkly accessories.

SPARKLY SEQUINS FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Sequins must be handled with care. Avoid the human bauble look by using only a sprinkling  your clothes will be more versatile, too. Jumper, 39.99, zara.com; Skirt, 96, boden.co.uk; Sparkle clutch, 25, marksandspencer.com; Sandals, 265, lkbennett.com

The luxurious, textured fabrics mean you can stick to a demure and comfortable cut and still look like the belle of the ball  then seamlessly transition into January, matching these statement pieces with more casual shoes and accessories for the school run, a meeting at the office or a girls night out.

The craze for these sumptuous materials is only going to grow in 2018, and High Street shops are awash with brilliant options.

Clever new technology has transformed textures we would once have avoided for being too heavy and bulky, such as velvet and satin, into flattering fabrics that are light as a feather, machine-washable and crease-proof.

So instead of hanging in thick folds, they cling to the body and move with you, which looks far more elegant than a wall of stiff, creased fabric.

Plus theyre so versatile and easy to care for that you can wear them again and again without worrying about a huge dry cleaning bill.

If you are feeling really bold, take a leaf from the fashion editors book and throw together a mish-mash of textures. Try wearing a cosy jumper with a shiny metallic skirt, or sling a faux fur over a slinky silk dress or leather trousers.

A good rule of thumb is to mix something high-shine with a matte texture.

The other great advantage is that many of these new fabrics look far more expensive than the price youll be paying. A silk-style shirt can now look as good as the real thing  but for a fifth of the price.

Heres our pick of the best textures for your New Years party this weekend  and every day next year . . .

GO FULL-ON GLAM IN A SILKY GOWN

Sometimes an event calls for a showstopper, and this exquisite, slimming dress conjures up images of old-school Hollywood glamour.

NAVY VELVET THAT CLINGS TO CURVES

If you dare to go for cling, this is the dress for you. The new generation of polyester velvets have all the richness of colour, but none of the bulk. The effect? A party dress with genuine wow-factor.

SNUGGLE UP IN SOFTEST PINK

Zara has hit the jackpot this season with embellished pieces at wallet-friendly prices. This coat is a flattering shape and colour, while the clusters of crystals make it fun  great for lunch with friends.

SATIN TROUSERS TO DRESS UP OR DOWN

These satin trousers are a winter staple and perfect for showing off some serious party shoes. Dress them down with a fine knit, or up with a slinky silk blouse for understated, grown-up glamour.

FAUX FEATHERS FOR THE FIREWORKS

Why choose a standard woollen coat when you could have a fun fur or this feather-effect jacket? It will keep you warm right up to the fireworks finale.

DAZZLE IN AN EIGHTIES THROWBACK

Remember the Eighties? Now forget them. This fabric is finer and clingier than anything we wore back then. The trendy, asymmetric hemline, gathered waist and long sleeves make it a surprisingly flattering choice in a gorgeous colour.
As a young woman I had posture to be proud of. I stood tall, spine straight, head erect, shoulders back and walked with a studied elegance that was often remarked upon. Such a smart, upright girl! people said.

It had not been achieved without a great deal of conscious effort.

Sit up straight, dont slouch, tummy in! What are you, growing into a woman or a sack of potatoes? Ah yes, my perfectly erect, beautiful mother never held back in her efforts to improve every part of me, even to the extent of daily exercises to ensure I had catwalk-worthy capabilities when putting one foot in front of the other.

She had read somewhere that perfect posture could be achieved by regular repetition of a method used by the famous model agencies to train their aspiring Vogue cover girls.

Jenni Murray (pictured) tried using the Upright Go gadget for two weeks to improve her posture and ease back pain

Three times a week, after school, and on a Saturday morning, she would produce a little pile of two or three hefty volumes, place them on my head and require me to walk around the sitting room, sit at the table, stand, walk about again  half an hour in all  without the books falling off my head.

She knew I was not model material. I was neither thin enough nor adequately motivated, but she held to her absolute conviction that the exercise would transform her somewhat rough and tumble, tomboy daughter into a composed Princess fit for a Prince.

The posture part was achieved and, despite years of riding and falling off horses, I never suffered from back pain and never disappointed her with anything less than impeccable posture.

All that changed in my mid-50s, when there was breast cancer, chemotherapy, hip replacement and extended periods sitting in front of a computer.

The aches and pains began. First a dull ache in the middle of my lower back, with an occasional seizure and trip to the osteopath. Then came the sciatica, where the dullest of perpetual aches seizes the side of my spine and travels down my right leg. Nor am I at all unusual. For the most recent statistics on how many people suffer with back pain are alarming.

Nearly one in ten people worldwide is suffering. Eight in every ten of those who sit or drive for long periods will be in trouble. And in the UK, an average of 30.6 million working days are lost each year through musculoskeletal problems.

Jenni (pictured with her mother during school holidays) grew up being encouraged by her mother to balance books on her head to achieve good posture

Cheyne Voss, a consultant physiotherapist, is uncompromising about the degree to which bad posture is at the root of all these aches and pains. The spine, he explains, is designed to be upright. We all sit down for far too long  and badly.

Laptops are the worst culprits, he says, because the screen is too low and the keyboard too close. We slouch, the spine bends, nerves are pinched, muscles are shortened. My sciatica, he says, is merely an extension of my lower back pain as the disc in the spine nips at the sciatic nerve.

So when I heard of Upright Go, a new gadget designed to improve posture, I leapt at the chance to try it out. Or I would have leapt, if I could in my agony.

Lumbar crisis Back pain is the largest single cause of disability in the UK  lower back pain alone accounts for 11 per cent of the nations disabilities Advertisement

Upright Go is the technological equivalent of the books on the head method so loved by my mother. The device is a small piece of white plastic which comes with a charging cable, adhesives with which you secure it to your upper spine and instructions for connecting the device to an app on your phone or iPad which will monitor your progress. You set the level of vibration youre prepared to accept through the app and then you have a choice  training or tracking.

During training the gadget on your back will vibrate every time you veer from the required upright position. My training plan began with seven minutes on day one, rising steadily to 20 minutes by day seven and 36 minutes by day 12.

To my amazement the constant vibratory reminders kept me perfectly upright, as was recorded most satisfyingly by the app, which works out how well youre sitting.

Only one problem  you are warned not to exceed the recommended time training.

Jenni says after using the Upright Go app she noticed her core was stronger and her back pain was eased (file image)

By day six I was so impressed by own performance, I over-ran the time. It should have been 18 minutes of perfect posture and I did 24 minutes. By that evening the sciatic pain had kicked in big time, so on day seven I obeyed instructions  two 10-minute sessions, with a 40-minute break between the two. Perfect score and no pain!

When the training period is completed for the day you switch to tracking through the app. Its when you check your results at the end of the day that you realise how sloppy you can be as you go about your daily life without those constant little reminders to warn you to stay upright.

I was quite alarmed to find on day one that Id worn the gadget for an hour and been upright for 91 per cent of the time, but by day six Id been tracked for three hours and 31 minutes and had slouched for two hours and 43 minutes  thats only 31 per cent of the time standing tall. Theres clearly room for improvement. The company that promotes Upright Go put me on to their physio, Sammy Margo, who has top tips for perfect posture. The first is BBC  when you sit at your desk or in a meeting its Bottom in the Back of the Chair. Then an analysis of your work station is recommended. You should make sure its set up to be ergonomically sound. Consider investing in a standing desk.

Handbags are often a problem, she says. Ive always called mine my life-support system, containing as it does my wallet, make-up, diaries, medication, books etc. Margo recommends emptying a heavy shoulder bag of unnecessary items or swapping it for a lightweight version, or a rucksack.

For those long, tedious meetings that have to be endured at work its recommended that you try standing and walking about a bit to alleviate the problem of sitting too long, and standing up to make a phone call.

Then theres your bed to think about. Apparently, if the mattress is older than eight years it will have deteriorated by 75 per cent and may cause bad posture while youre sleeping. You should think about a new one.

The final piece of advice is to invest in your posture because its with you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Good posture doesnt just help with back pain, it improves confidence, appearance and mental and physical wellbeing.

Well, after only two weeks of using the gadget I can feel a tiny bit of strengthening around my core and a slight easing of the constant pain Ive suffered for so long.

I hate to admit it, but, Mum, on this and on so many other things, you were right.
Instead of ticking off bucket list destinations or following tips from a friend - millennials and Gen X-ers are using a new method when deciding the location of their next holiday.

Australians aged 18 to 49 are more likely to select a holiday destination based on how 'Instagrammable' it is, latest research from travel website Expedia shows.

The 2017 survey shows more than two-thirds selected 'Instagrammability' as the most important factor when deciding where to travel to next.

Latest research from travel website Expedia has revealed what Australians aged 18 to 49 most look for when determining their next holiday destination

Australians aged 18 to 49 are more likely to select a holiday destination based on how 'Instagrammable' it is

The 2017 survey shows more than two-thirds selected 'Instagrammability' as the most important factor when deciding where to travel to next

Men were found to be most guilty of chasing envy-inducing holiday snaps, with almost three quarters expressing the importance of an 'Instagrammable' location, compared to 62 per cent of women.

A further one in four millennials and Gen X-ers said they visit locations based on posts they have seen on social media.

The study also found more than half have experienced jealousy while viewing friends' holiday snaps.

Meanwhile, more than a third have admittedly tried to incite envy by uploading a picture.

Meanwhile, a staggering 40 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women have posted fake holiday photos to Instagram.

But the study also found that travellers are best shunning the social media app altogether when searching for holiday inspiration, as all is not what it seems at certain destinations.

A further one in four millennials and Gen X-ers said they visit locations based on posts they have seen on social media

The study also found more than half have experienced jealousy while viewing friends' holiday snaps

A staggering 40 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women have posted fake holiday photos to Instagram

One in five millennials and Gen X-ers said iconic travel landmarks 'looked different' or nothing like what they had seen in their social media feeds

The top five locations found to be the most unlike photos seen on social media are the Sydney Opera House (pictured), Taj Mahal, Dubai, Stonehenge and Times Square

One in five millennials and Gen X-ers said iconic travel landmarks 'looked different' or nothing like what they had seen in their social media feeds.

The top five locations found to be the most unlike photos seen on social media are the Sydney Opera House, the Taj Mahal, Dubai, Stonehenge and Times Square.

Expedia travel expert Lisa Perkovic said the findings highlight the importance for travellers to follow the track less 'grammed.

'Whilst social media is a great travel inspiration tool that can introduce you to new destinations and experiences, there is often a lot going on behind the scenes of our favourite travel shots,' she said.

'Rather than worrying about what your travels look like through a filtered lens, make the most of your holiday by exploring a destination and seeking out different experiences.'
Shanghai (Gasgoo)-Shanghai Qiangsheng Taxi Co., Ltd. announced on Dec. 26 that it established strategic cooperative partnership with State Grid, Geely and Tokyo MK Taxi, to test online ride-hailing service to explore a new profitable business mode.



Qiangsheng will provide 1600 online ride-hailing license plates. Tokyo MK Taxi, a Japanese taxi company, will offer training services. Geely Group and State Grid Electric Vehicle will offer 1,600 pure electric vehicles. Moreover, State Grid Electric Vehicle will provide supports for charging stations. In the future, Caocao ride-hailing platform will be interconnected with Qiangsheng car-hailing platform.

Shanghai Qiangsheng currently owns more than 12,000 taxies, taking up 25% of the total taxies in Shanghai. State Grid Electric Vehicle is an intelligent connected car operator which connects most facilities worldwide. With such cutting-edge technologies as big data, cloud computing and Internet of Things, it realizes the interconnectivity between systems and vehicles, charging piles and customers.

Since China's new online ride-hailing rules was issued last year, its operation hasn't yielded any actual profits. Qiangsheng will make full use of its rich license plate resource and brand management to explore the sustainable development of online car-hailing services.
Tiffany Trump is continuing to have some fun in the sun while enjoying her holiday vacation from law school at her father's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The 24-year-old first daughter was seen walking the grounds of President Trump's luxurious home away from home with an unidentified friend on Wednesday afternoon.

Tiffany, who finished her first semester of law school at Georgetown University this fall, has been kicking back with some much-needed downtime at her dad's estate.

Likewise Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who were seen looking very relaxed as they walked around the Mar-a-Lago compound later that afternoon.

Fun in the sun: Tiffany Trump was seen strolling around her father's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, with an unidentified friend on Wednesday afternoon

Feeling the heat: The first daughter wore white cut-off shorts and a red bikini top, with a button-down shirt hanging open over her chest

Living it up: The two appeared to be holding frozen cocktails in their hands as they made their way across the green

Strike a pose: The day before, Tiffany shared a photo of herself modeling a form-fitting pink dress featuring an off-the-shoulder top

Early start: Tiffany shared the photo to wish her fans a 'happy and peaceful year to come'

Tiffany was seen outside, walking with another woman near a helicopter bearing her last name.

She wore white cut-off shorts and a red bikini top, with a button-down shirt hanging open over her chest.

Tiffany appeared of be holding a frozen cocktail and had accessorized with a brown handbag an sunglasses.

Her friend was also carrying a drink in her hand, and, like Tiffany, she was ready for the pool in a white swimsuit cover up and sunglasses.

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Wednesday afternoon

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and his wife, White House senior advisor Ivanka Trump, walk together

Protected: A plains clothes Secret Service agent trailed behind him them

On the go: Tiffany carried a brown handbag on her shoulder during the leisurely stroll

On brand: The two walked past a helicopter bearing her last name

Vacation: Tiffany and her friend both looked relaxed while soaking up the son on their walk

The two seemed to be having a great time soaking up the sun as they strolled across the club's green while a plain clothes Secret Service agent trailed behind them.

The night before, Tiffany wished her Instagram followers a happy new year by sharing a photo of herself posed on a balcony while wearing a form-fitting pink dress.

The body-hugging dress featured an off-the-shoulder top, and Tiffany wore her blonde hair in a ponytail to show off her decolletage.

'Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful year to come!' she wrote.

Earlier that day, Tiffany shared a video of herself in a bikini while at the pool with her half-sister Ivanka Trump.

The video shows Tiffany and Ivanka laying together on a chaise at the Palm Beach club, posing for the camera and blowing kisses while 'Holy Night' could be heard playing in the background.

While most of Tiffany's social media followers were sending the Trump sisters messages of Christmas cheer, others were less impressed with her song choice and criticized her for posing in a bikini to the tune of a Christian hymn.

Different looks: While her friend wore her hair up, Tiffany's long blonde hair fell in natural curls

Christmas with dad: This is Tiffany's first holiday in Palm Beach, having gone to Georgia with mom Marla Maples in 2016 and Idaho in 2015

Celebration: Tiffany finished her first semester of law school at Georgetown University this month and has spent most of her holiday vacation in Mar-a-Lago

One Instagram user with the handle prolife4ever1, wrote: 'I love you two so much, but this is a Holy Hymn that shouldn't be in this type of picture.'

mstiso108, added: 'Um. Love u guys but the song is inappropriate.'

Another Trump fan wrote asking for Tiffany to observe modesty during the Christian holiday.

Tiffany has been enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation over the Christmas holiday as she has been spending time at her father's Palm Beach Estate.

Seasonal sisters: Tiffany took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a video of herself posed next to her half-sister Ivanka Trump while donning a bikini

Jolly: The two blew kisses while 'Holy Night' played, and Tiffany wished everyone a 'Merry Christmas' at the end of the clip

Out and about: Tiffany was spotted heading to the pool at Mar-a-Lago on Christmas Day with a mystery man

Dress to impress: She wore a halter-neck romper over a bikini on the outing

Shut up and drive: Tiffany arrived in Palm Beach on Friday with her family (above waiting for her father)

The Georgetown Law School student was seen being dropped off at Mar-a-Lago on Friday afternoon.

She head out to dinner at the club on Saturday, and then did not emerge again until Christmas afternoon, when DailyMail.com spotted her heading out for a swim with an unidentified man.

President Trump's younger daughter wore a blush pink halter dress over a black bikini as she made her way to the pool while carrying a pink and blue suede handbag.

She was joined by a mystery man on the outing who looked similar in appearance to one of the dedicated Secret Service agents who has been with the first daughter since her father's election.

Leon on me: Tiffany was seen leaning on a mystery man while on her way to dinner in New York City just one week before Christmas

All smiles: Tiffany enjoyed an early Christmas with her mother, Marla Maples, before heading to Florida with her father, President Trump

Back in the day: On Christmas Day, Marla posted an old throwback photo of Tiffany and Ivanka celebrating the holiday at Mar-a-Lago in the late '90s

The pair's poolside holiday comes one week after Tiffany was spotted linking arms with another mystery man in New York City, who also appeared to be part of her Secret Service team.

Tiffany and boyfriend Ross Mechanic seem to have gone their separate ways after two years of dating, with the two having not been seen together since August.

This is Tiffany's first holiday in Palm Beach, having gone to Georgia with mom Marla Maples in 2016 and Idaho the year before that.

Tiffany and Marla celebrated Christmas together a few days early before she jetted off to Florida with her father, and the proud mom shared a snapshot of herself opening presents with her only child.

On Christmas Day, Marla posted a throwback photo of Tiffany and Ivanka celebrating the holiday at Mar-a-Lago in the late '90s when she was still married to Donald.
It has been a long year for Byron Bay artist Mitch Gobel, who first revealed he was giving up alcohol to beat addiction - and then decided to embrace moderation.

And now after opening up about both his past demons and reasons for giving up sobriety, Mitch now wants to help other men share their true feelings.

'As a man, I feel it is my duty to encourage other men to embrace our femininity,' he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday.

'We are moving away from a world dominated by gender and social ideals. For a man to be a "man" in this day is for a man to be comfortable expressing himself emotionally.'

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Byron Bay artist Mitch Gobel (pictured with his partner Sally Mustang) revealed on Instagram that he wants to help men 'embrace our femininity'

The 27-year-old said he no longer wanted to follow the societal norm of masking his vulnerabilities and holding back tears.

'There is no strength in disregarding our emotions, as men or women,' he said.

'To speak openly and honestly about what we feel is to be empowered.'

'There's nothing wrong about holding back our tears or beliefs, only by expressing these feelings can we inspire and encourage others to do the same.'

'And in doing so we create a better world, in our own little way.'

Mitch revealed he has created a special piece of artwork, titled Men of Love, to communicate these feelings, posing in front of it with his partner Sally Mustang for the Instagram post.

'I pray for men to not have to carry the old-school ideals of what it is to be a man,' he concluded.

The 27-year-old said he no longer wanted to follow the societal norm of masking his vulnerabilities and holding back tears

After opening up about both his past demons and reasons for giving up sobriety, Mitch now wants to help other men share their true feelings

'I pray for men to cry, to express themselves and follow their heart in a way which actually makes them powerful.'

'I pray for men to embrace love above all things because, in that new ideal, we all find peace as human beings.'

Mitch took to Instagram earlier this month to reveal that he no longer had plans to give up alcohol after he 'got what I needed' from sobriety.

'Sobriety was a beautiful experience. Above all, it taught me how to connect with people naturally again...and reintroduced me to my true-self again,' he wrote.

'I want to really emphasise that what I'm about to say is what resonated for me personally - For me, being completely sober was just as isolating as being an addict.

Mitch first shot to fame with his stunning bohemian girlfriend Sally for sharing their sex life on Instagram (pictured together)

Earlier this year, the Instagram star said his addictions had spiralled out of control and left him in a 'dark place'

'I received what I needed from sobriety and now I choose to have a drink, or take psychedelics with them occasionally.'

Earlier this year, the Instagram star said his addictions had spiralled out of control and left him struggling in 'a dark place'.

'I consciously made an effort not to put myself in any sort of social situation without having a drink or drug, to an extent I wouldn't even go into a shopping centre sober,' he said.

And so Mitch - who boasts more than 220,000 Instagram followers - decided to turn his home into a rehab and vowed to beat his habits.

Mitch - who boasts more than 220,000 Instagram followers - revealed he had decided to turn his home into a rehab and vowed to beat his habits

But earlier this month Mitch said he 'got what I needed' from sobriety and is now choosing to drink again - but this time in moderation

The hipster urged his followers to seek help if they are struggling in a dark place

But despite his efforts to stay sober, the artist said he has decided to drink again.

'Once you've experienced an altered state, it's hard to come back from that,' he said.

'Strength for me is having a choice, not being controlled by any substance and true - I achieved that power through sobriety.'

'My journey has led me deep into spirituality and this is something I still know little about, but what I've taken from this education is that only I should say what works for me.'

He also urged his followers to seek help if they are struggling in a dark place.

For confidential support, please call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.
A royal butler has revealed exactly where Meghan Markle's wobbly Christmas curtsy to the Queen went wrong.

All eyes were on the 36-year-old fiancee of Prince Harry after she joined the royal family at the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham in Norfolk.

Nerves seemed to get the better of the confident actress as she curtsied for the Queen, according to Grant Harrold, who said on ITV's Good Morning Britain that Meghan's mistake was bobbing too low.

The royal butler was on the show to discuss the etiquette around re-gifting unwanted Christmas presents, when he was asked to demonstrate the correct way to curtsy by presenters Charlotte Hawkins and Kate Garraway.

He promptly jumped up and explained: 'What you should be doing, for a lady, is the right foot behind the left, and then it is a gentle bob.

'You keep the hands in because you're not a penguin,' he added.

Royal butler Grant Harrold (pictured far right) explained the right way to curtsy to GMB presenters Kate Garraway (left) and Charlotte Hawkins (centre)

According to the royal butler Meghan Markle bobbed too low, he said for a woman it should be a 'gentle bob'

While Kate Garraway joked that it was very easy to get carried away by flapping her arms, Mr Harrold said that women should keep their arms by their side to avoid looking like a flightless bird.

The Duchess of Cambridge, who politely curtsied to her husband's grandmother alongside Meghan, pulled it off with aplomb, according to Mr Harrold, who said pregnant Kate got it 'right'.

Kate kept her back straight and bent slightly at the knee in her black heels, however Meghan dipped too low and bowed her head.

Princes William and Harry simply nodded their heads beside their respective other halves, in front of the gathered crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the royal family's new 'fab four'.

Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, have spent Christmas with William and Kate, both 35, at Anmer Hall, their country home on the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

The American actress has become the first fiancee to join the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas, and hundreds of well wishers gathered to see her first public appearance alongside the Queen and the Cambridges.

Mr Harrold explained to the GMB presenters that women must keep their hands by their sides to avoid looking like a penguin

The Duchess of Cambridge showed Meghan how it was done as they curtsied for the Queen at the Christmas Day service

Meghan gave an emphatic curtsy, dipping lower than Kate Middleton as Princes William and Harry bowed their heads

Job done: With her curtsy behind her, she followed Prince Harry into the crowds to meet a woman who had waited in a wheelchair in the cold to meet them

Meghan stepped out in an eye-catching brown beret and wrapped up warm against the chilly winter temperatures in a beige 986 Sentaler coat tied with a belt.

Meghan clutched tight to Prince Harry's arm, proudly displaying the engagement ring that he himself designed ahead of their engagement in November.

Added to her brown beret and beige coat, Meghan wore a pair of brown Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots and carried a $1,550 leather handbag by Chloe. She was also wearing a pair of Birks snowflakes earrings - which she previously donned at the Queen's Christmas lunch.
Many of us are guilty of the occasional Instagram cliche, whether it's the sexy bathroom mirror selfie or the casually huddling over the coffee cup shot.

And admittedly it's usually women who are the worst offenders when it comes to snaps of manicures, cupcakes and relaxing in the bath.

Now the Atlanta, Georgia-based pranksters behind the account Bros Being Basic have recreated some of the most popular 'girly' shots to show what it would look like if men did Instagram in the same way.

One joker was pictured reclining in the bath with a face mask, candles and red wine while another was pictured looking serious as they did yoga by the pool.

From hairy legs accentuated with manicured toes to putting Ugg boot clad feet up by the fire, these snaps might make you think twice before posting your next selfie.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based pranksters behind Bros Being Basic show what it would be like if men did 'girly things' on Instagram

There's always that one girl who makes everyone else feel bad by constantly flaunting their flexibility

There's nothing like a trip to the salon with your besties to perk up your spirits

Casually showing off how intelligent you are by spending the day at home with a philosophy book

If you've got it flaunt out: This sexy mirror selfie could have come straight off Kim Kardashian's Instagram account

Ah yes, there's the completely candid shot that was taken while the subject was unawares

Hanging out with dogs is an essential component of any Insta worth its salt

This joker has perfected the art of posing with calorific food they clearly never eat

You need to head down to the gym to burn off the calories from all those cupcakes you've been posing with but not eating

Taking Netflix and chill to a whole new level. Top marks for not forgetting the essential Ugg boots

Sometimes, everyone needs to take that quiet time to reflect on life in the morning

No night out would be complete without the girly group squat for Instagram

Because without pictures of the said road trip, it didn't happen
Many happy couples around the world will be celebrating after getting engaged over the Christmas period, but few brides-to-be will have received a sparkler like this under the Christmas tree.

Alexa Dell, 24, whose billionaire father Michael is the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies got engaged yesterday and has proudly been flaunting her 12 carat emerald cut diamond set in a pave halo on social media.

The heiress, whose father is worth an estimated $23.5 billion and is the 37th richest man in the world, couldn't hide her delight, captioning a video of the glittering jewel: 'He did good'.

And it's no wonder she's happy with the efforts of her boyfriend Harrison Refoua, 40, given the ring could be worth a staggering $3M.

Hamish Shephard, Founder of Bridebook.co.uk, the leading wedding planning app and website told Femail: 'A 12-carat diamond engagement ring would likely start from $500,000, but could easily cost several million dollars based on its cut and brilliance. This engagement ring most likely cost in the range of $2-3million.'

The art collector and branding consultant was presented with the eye-popping diamond during a candlelit dinner on the beach at The Four Seasons in Kona, Hawaii, which is owned by her father.

Alexa has been dating millionaire real estate investor Harrison for a year after being set up on a blind date by mutual friends, following the breakdown of her relationship with Tinder CEO Sean Rad.

Heiress Alexa Dell, 24, got engaged to her boyfriend of one year Harrison Refoua, 40, at The Four Seasons in Kona, Hawaii - owned by her family

Harrison presented his bride-to-be with a 12 carat emerald cut diamond set in a pave halo

All glammed up in Gucci: The Columbia University graduate says she's been working as a Brand and Business Development Strategist for startups for the past four years

Glamorous Alexa previously dated Tinder CEO Sean Rad when she was 20, after meeting him on the dating app

Alexa first hit the headlines as an 18-year-old in 2012 when a photo of her family dining on a private jet on the way to Fiji made it on to the infamous Rich Kids of Instagram Tumblr.

Days later she had her Twitter account suspended over security concerns after documenting her every move on social media, including exact dates for when she'd be shopping in New York or attending her high school graduation dinner.

Aged 20, she started dating Tinder CEO Sean Rad, then 27, after meeting him on the dating app.

Alexa studied at Columbia University and completed an internship at W magazine in New York.

How Michael Dell made his fortune Alexa's father, Texas-born Michael Dell, 52, started off selling 19 computers out of his dorm room at the University of Texas during his freshman year. He'd made $80,000 by the end of term and, unsurprisingly, did not return for his sophomore year. In 1984 at the age of 19, he founded Dell with just $1000 after deciding to sell computers directly to customers, cutting out the middleman and passing on a reduction of 15 per cent on typical prices. His direct-selling model revolutionised the market and just eight years later, he became the youngest CEO ever to earn a ranking on the Fortune 500. He started selling computers online in 1996, the same year Dell launched its first server, leading to internet sales of $1 million in sales a day from dell.com. By 2001 the company was the world's largest PC maker. In 2016, Dell merged with computer storage giant EMC. At $60 billion it was the largest ever technology acquisition. According to Forbes, he is the tenth richest man in tech and number 38 in the world ranking of billionaires. Through the Michael & Susan Dell foundation, he's provided $1.38 billion in funding to organisations that support education, health and family economic stability in the US, India and South Africa since 1999. The entrepreneur is married to Susan Lieberman and the couple share four children. Michael Dell, 52, has an estimated fortune of $23.5 billion and is the 37th richest man in the world Advertisement

Alexa and Harrison were set up on a blind date by mutual friends a year ago

The couple lead a jetset life and recently stopped off in Paris during a whistlestop tour of Europe

The heiress said that she's had trouble with people wanting to be her friend for the wrong reasons

Alexa enjoying a spot of shopping in London (left) and taking a stroll through the streets of Florence

On LinkedIn she states she's been working as a Brand and Business Development Strategist for startups for the past four years, as well as contributing to her parents' Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

Most recently, the foundation donated $36 million to rebuilding parts of Texas ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.

In an interview with Nextshark.com she revealed that her privileged upbringing hasn't been without its pitfalls, saying that all challenges people go through are 'relative'.

Who is Alexa's new fiance Harisson Refoua? Arshia Harisson Refoua, 40, is a wealthy property investor who seems to prefer keeping a low profile, compared with his Instagram-loving partner. However, he hit the headlines in 2014 when he sued his former tenant , presenter Kelly Osborne, for damages of $50,000, claiming she had trashed his apartment. According to TMZ, Arshia Refoua filed a lawsuit which alleged that Kelly allowed her dog to urinate in the West Hollywood home and caused water damage after leaving the bath tub running. He also accused Kelly of destroying the home's hardwood floors by failing to clean up the dog waste before she vacated the property. The legal move came after the star sued for the return of her $18,700 deposit which he claims he withheld to repair the condo. The pair settled the dispute in 2015 when Osbournes attorneys filed for the litigation to be dismissed. Each side agreed to pay their own costs and fees, but no other terms were divulged. Although he has nowhere near the level of wealth of her father, Refoua is thought to be a multimillionaire, thanks to his property investments. In 2016, he bought the Creekside Place Retail Center in Santa Clarita Valley for $9.65 million. Advertisement

'As most kids have experienced, Ive had friends in the past who werent always what they appeared to be. It really sucked at the time, but now Im grateful to have experienced what I have.

'Its helped shape my ability to judge character and because of that Ive been able to surround myself with more positive people in life.'

She described her hobbies as hiking with her friends and French bulldog Colette, or travelling on long weekends to experience new cultures.

Alexa and her new fiance have had quite the jet set time in recent weeks, with Instagram snaps showing them in Florence, Venice, Tuscany, Paris and Aspen.

They also stopped off in London and Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoyed secret getaways before news of their engagement broke.

Striking a pose: Alexa rocking the smart casual during a pit stop in New York before flying to Italy
His last scenes as the Doctor aired on Christmas Day, with Jodie Whittaker taking his place.

And now, it has been revealed that Peter Capaldi wrote a sweet letter to a nine-year-old fan who was devastated that his favourite Time Lord was leaving the show.

Author Brian McGilloway, from Strabane, Northern Ireland, shared the handwritten note sent to his son David by the Doctor Who star, along with a signed picture, on Twitter.

In the letter, Capaldi said that the Doctor that re-generates 'never really goes', but is 'always there, somewhere in time and space'.

Peter Capaldi wrote a sweet letter to nine-year-old fan David McGilloway, who was devastated he was leaving the show

Attempting to reassure the nine-year-old, he added that 'The new Doctor always becomes your favourite'.

Capaldi also explained how regenerating 'can be a little bit icky' - but has 'always, always turned out good for Dr Who.'

Sharing the sweet letter on Twitter, Brian explained: '#PeterCapaldi is my 9 year old son's fav #DoctorWho and he was dreading his regeneration.

'And then he got this letter with some words of comfort from the Doctor himself among his Santa presents. Such a kind man.'

He also sent a handwritten letter to David's older brother Tom (right, pictured with David), who is also a fan of the show

In his letter to David, Capaldi said that the Doctor that re-generates 'never really goes', but is 'always there, somewhere in time and space'

Other social media users were quick to comment on the letter, describing the letter as 'wonderful'.

Many noted that the letter was dated November 23 1963, the day the first ever Doctor Who episode aired on TV.

Brian later explained how Capaldi had actually sent two letters - one to David and one to his 11-year-old brother Tom.

'They were delivered by Santa and came in Dalek-illustrated envelopes,' he explained.

Many fans noted that the letter was dated November 23 1963, the day the first ever Doctor Who episode aired on TV

Peter Capaldi's letter in full Dear David, I hope you are having a very merry xmas. Xmas is always good fun. Well not always. Not every single second. Regenerating is not completely good fun. And it usually happens about xmas-time. But you know what? Even though it can be a little bit icky (like REALLY bad flu) it has always, always turned out good for Dr Who. The new Doctor always becomes your favourite and the one that goes... well, he never really goes, he is always there, somewhere in time and space, and if you think about him hard enough you'll see him, and he'll see you. It's like the Doctor says, 'Everything ends and it's always sad. But everything begins again, and that's always happy. Be happy.' So, have a brilliant Xmas, a happy new year and a wonderful life - I'm sure you will. All the best, Peter Capaldi Doctor? Advertisement

'Peter Capaldi wrote to say that despite the regeneration the Doctor would never be really gone. He said he'd be somewhere in space and time.

'It was such a kind and generous thing to do. It meant so much to them.'

Brian believes Capaldi found out about his sons being fans of the sci-fi show after he met former Doctor Christopher Eccleston.

'I think it started when I met Christopher Ecclestone around Halloween when he was filming in Belfast,' he said.

'I bumped into him and mentioned that my kids loved Doctor Who. I thought they would be so jealous.

The boys' father Brian said the two letters arrived in Dalek-illustrated envelopes

'He Facetimed the kids and said he'd lost the Tardis in Belfast and that he couldn't find it. He said he needed my help. David was speechless.'

'He added: 'Santa must have found out about their love for Doctor Who because they got letters from Peter Capaldi for Christmas.

'It was just a different level of kindness. It was such a kind and magical thing to do on the day of the regeneration. The boys loved it.

'David said it was his best present ever. It was really magical.'

Capaldi was succeeded by actress Jodie Whittaker, the 13th Doctor, in this year's Christmas special entitled Twice Upon a Time.
Upon realizing her mistake, Jenna took back to Twitter with a lengthy statement, saying 'I feel genuinely bad for getting my facts wrong and Im sorry'

When actress Jenna Fischer made a mistake in a critical tweet, she was set straight in minutes by hoards of other Twitter users.

But instead of ignoring her detractors, silently deleting the tweet, or doubling down on her anger, The Office star opted to issue a thorough, sincere apology.

It all started last Saturday when Fischer decided to tweet out her feelings about the tax bill that had just been signed into law by the Trump administration.

Taking it back: Actress Jenna Fischer issued an apology after mistakenly criticizing the GOP tax bill on Twitter

Claim to fame: The 43-year-old is best known for her role as Pam on sitcom The Office

'I cant stop thinking about how school teachers can no longer deduct the cost of their classroom supplies on their taxes,' she wrote.

'Something they shouldnt have to pay for with their own money in the first place. I mean, imagine if nurses had to go buy their own syringes.'

Valid as the analogy may have been, Fischer apparently didn't know that the final version of the bill had actually kept in the deduction.

It took no time at all for other users to respond to the actress, informing her she got it all wrong.

Stepping in: Senator from Utah Orin Hatch was one of many Twitter users who reached out to correct Jenna's misinformation

Walking back: After realizing she had misunderstood the tax bill, she issued an apology

Top to bottom: The apology was in-depth and included regrets for being behind on her research on the topic

One of those users was a government official who had a hand in the bill himself: Republican Senator Orrin Hatch.

After being set upon by the masses of users, Fischer took back to the social media site to issue a statement apologizing for not being up-to-date on her information.

'I made a mistake and I want to correct it. After reading your feedback and doing additional research, I discovered that I tweeted something that was not accurate,' she wrote.

Standing up: She asked her followers to read and retweet the statement to inform others

Kind words: Senator Hatch responded to the statement applauding Fischer for being an example for others

'I feel genuinely bad for getting my facts wrong and Im sorry. I did not mean to spread misinformation. I was well-intentioned, but I was behind on my research.'

She shared the statement with a tweet encouraging her followers to 'read and re-tweet to help me spread the word,' so that other people wouldn't make the same mistake.

Soon after, Senator Hatch responded to the statement, dubbing it 'very gracious,' and 'a great example of how civil discussion can and should take place.'
A 10-month-old boy born without an immune system has been confined to his sanitized home his entire life and only leaves for doctor's visits.

Sebastian Romero was diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) at two weeks old, a rare genetic disorder known as 'bubble boy' disease that left him with no infection-fighting cells.

Exposure to any illnesses, including the common cold, could kill him due to his body's inability to fight off disease. This means no family outings and Christmas this year was spent without visitors.

However, the once fatal disease has the possibility of life thanks to a bone-marrow transplant that Sebastian received earlier this year which has been slowly building his immune system.

His mother Blanca Romero, 33, told Daily Mail Online that the family-of-five shower and change clothes immediately when entering their Texas home and will continue to take these necessary safety precautions until his cell count is high enough that a cold won't put him in the hospital.

Ten-month-old Sebastian Romero was born without an immune system due to a rare genetic disorder called SCID (severe combines immunodeficiency)

Their Texas home is completely sanitized and the older children, five and eight, must immediately shower and change their clothes when they come home from school

At just days old, Sebastian's routine newborn testing revealed that his T and B cell count were abnormally low.

T and B cells are specialized defender cells that recognize germs and quickly multiply to fight infection.

After getting an emergency appointment with an immunologist, further blood testing revealed that he had SCID.

Severe combined immunodeficiency occurs in one out of every 40,000 - 75,000 births. Because it is due to a mutation in the X chromosome, the disease only occurs in boys but girls can be carriers.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, a normal T cell count should be between 500 and 1,200 per cubic millimeter of blood, but Sebastian had none.

Blanca said she and her husband Emil, 35, sanitized their entire home, putting five air filters around the house and converting the master suite into an isolation room.

For the first three months of Sebastian's life, he and his mother lived in isolation while Emil took care of their two other children Kayla, five, and Abraham, eight.

'We would FaceTime and that's the only way I would see the kids. Sometimes they would crack the door and put facemasks on,' she said.

Blanca would only leave the room to get food and avoid hugging and kissing her older children.

'If they touched me I would go right into the shower,' she said.

During this time, the couple had been talking with doctors about a bone marrow transplant for their son.

The transplant is the only known treatment for SCID.

WHAT IS SCID? Bubble boy disease, medically known as Severe Combined Immune Deficiency Syndrome (SCID), is caused by a defect in the IL2RG gene. It means sufferers are born without an immune system and cannot fight the simplest of infection - even the common cold passed on by a mothers kiss can be fatal. It occurs in around 50,000 to 100,000 live births - and only affects boys. The only way of keeping these children safe from infection is to care for them in a 'bubble', a high-tech sterile room. They can survive if they have a bone marrow transplant, giving them a new immune system - however this can take up to two years and is not successful in all patients. If a transplant fails to improve a sufferer's immunity, their organs can become irreversibly damaged, which can be life-threatening. Advertisement

Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that makes blood-forming cells called stem cells which turn into white blood cells to fight infections, red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body and platelets to control bleeding.

After months of being on a donor list, Sebastian's chances of a successful transplant began to decrease.

Doctors told the family that receiving the transplant within the first three months has a 90 percent success rate, whereas after three months babies are more likely to be exposed to bacteria which brings the transplant success rate down to 50 percents.

The mother-of-three was a match and donated her stem cells to Sebastian.

Before the transplant, the boy underwent 10 days of chemotherapy in order to wipe out any harmful blood cells to prepare for the new ones.

In that time he began losing his hair but Blanca said: 'He's always so smiley. Even throughout chemo - it would give me strength.'

Sebastian had a successful transplant in May and doctors said it may take two years for the cells to fully settle and completely build a new immune system.

Since then, Blanca said he has gone from producing zero T cells to 437 and now has 36 B cells as per his doctor's visit last week.

She added that doctors want to see at least 600 T cells before considering letting him outside.

Mother Blanca Romero, 33, told Daily Mail Online that Sebastian is starting to develop infection-fighting cells after he received a bone marrow transplant in May

Since the bone marrow transplant, Sebastian has produced more than 400 T cells which will build his immune system and fight off infection

SCID became widely known during the 1970s and 80s, when David Vetter, a boy with SCID also from Texas, lived for 12 years in a plastic, germ-free bubble.

Vetter received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, but his body rejected it. He became ill with mononucleosis and died months later.

Blanca said that she and her husband would prefer to keep their son inside rather than run the risk of infection even with wearing a bubble.

'Some families use a protective plastic cover over a stroller but I see every place that air can come in and it's a risk,' she said.

Last month Sebastian got sick and developed a phlegmy cough.

Blanca rushed him to the Texas Children's Hospital where a blood test confirmed he had croup, a respiratory infection common in infants, but in SCID babies the infection can be deadly.

Some families use a protective plastic cover over a stroller but I see every place that air can come in and it's a risk

After a few weeks in the hospital Sebastian recovered which is a sign that his immune system is growing stronger to fight off harmful bacteria.

Now the family takes extra precaution to keep the youngest healthy by making their home a protective sanctuary.

'When the kids come home they know they have to take off their clothes go straight to the bathroom to take a shower,' Blanca said. 'Then I'll sanitize their backpacks and everything inside of it.'

She added that the older children's teachers will email Blanca the homework for that night so she can throw away the papers that may carry any germs from the day.

Blanca has not worked since Sebastian was born and is planning to return to her job in supply chain in January.

'He won't be able to go to daycare because there's too many germs,' Blanca said.

Emil will stay home and care for Sebastian until his cell levels are high-enough.

With only one parent able to work at a time, the financial burden has been tough and the family has created a GoFundMe to cover medical expenses.

Sebastian takes a preventative antibiotic three times a week and will continue to take it until his body can fight off infection on its own.

Though he suffering from a rare disease, Blanca said that Sebastian is reaching milestones by crawling, playing with his siblings and is developing as any other baby would.
Surgeons hunched over the operating table are suffering more painful bad backs, necks shoulders and arms and hands than coal miners and labourers, a new study suggested.

Repetitive movements, award postures and long hours in the theatre is creating 'an impending epidemic' of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

And the poor working environment in surgery means an eighth had had to take time off or early retirement or change how they work which ultimately affects patient care.

MSDs are a group of preventable disorders affecting muscles, tendons, and nerves and examples include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, degenerative spine disease, thoracic outlet syndrome, and tension neck syndrome.

Surgeons hunched over the operating table are suffering more painful bad backs, necks shoulders and arms and hands than coal miners and labourers, a new study suggested

Associate Professor Dr Bernard Lee at Harvard Medical School in Boston explained: 'Procedural physicians, such as surgeons and interventional medical specialists, have a high risk for work-related MSDs.

'This is due to long work hours involving repetitive movements, static and awkward postures, and challenges with instrument design, especially given the rapid rate of innovation in the setting of a diversifying workforce.

'Ergonomists have described the surgeon's work environment and working conditions as equal to, if not at times harsher than, those of certain industrial workers.

'This observation is consistent with studies demonstrating higher prevalence estimates of work-related MSDs among at-risk physicians compared with the general population and even labour-intensive occupations, such as coal miners, manufacturing labourers, and physical therapists.

Associate Professor Dr Bernard Lee at Harvard Medical School in Boston explained: 'Procedural physicians, such as surgeons and interventional medical specialists, have a high risk for work-related MSDs

'Although great strides have been made in industrial ergonomics to reduce the burden of disease, medicine has proven to be a unique challenge and the lack of intervention in this group is now becoming apparent.'

Previous studies suggested four fifths of surgeons 'experience significant pain when performing procedures' with high prevalences of tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome but Prof Lee suggested cases are underreported.

Although studies have looked at burnout, sharps injuries, and other occupational hazards in medicine, little attention has been paid to work-related MSDs, he added.

But getting an accurate picture of the number of doctors affected was important because its impact on reduced productivity, time spent off sick and the looming workforce shortage.

So he carried out a meta-analysis of 21 articles involving 5,828 doctors in 23 countries between 1974 and 2016 looking at the disease prevalence for the neck, shoulder, back, and upper extremity injuries and any resulting disability.

The pain suffered by surgeons is worse than coal miners

General surgery was the most common field (39.3 percent), followed by gynaecology (14.1 percent), and urology (12.6 oercent).

Estimates of the most common work-related MSDs were degenerative cervical spine disease (17 percent - 457 of 2,406 doctors), rotator cuff pathology (18 percent - 300 of 1,513 doctors), degenerative lumbar spine disease (19 percent - 544 of 2,449 doctors) and carpal tunnel syndrome (9 percent - 256 of 2449 doctors).

From 1997 to 2015, the prevalence of degenerative cervical spine disease and degenerative lumbar spine disease increased by 18.3 percent and 27 percent respectively.

Pooled prevalence estimates for pain ranged from 35% to 60% depending on what assessment was used.

To illustrate the large burden of work-related MSDs in surgeons, the study found 12-month prevalence estimates for work-related musculoskeletal pain of the neck, shoulder, back, and upper extremity of 65 percent, 52 percent, 59 percent, and 39 percent.

Using the same standardised questionnaire, rates for US apprentice construction workers were 31.8 percent, 27.9 percent, 54.4 percent, and 42.4 percent, respectively and Portuguese nurses were 50.1 percent, 37.8 percent, 63.1 percent, and 28.4 percent, respectively.

Estimates of the most common work-related MSDs were degenerative cervical spine disease (17 percent - 457 of 2,406 doctors), rotator cuff pathology (18 percent - 300 of 1,513 doctors), degenerative lumbar spine disease (19 percent - 544 of 2,449 doctors) and carpal tunnel syndrome (9 percent - 256 of 2449 doctors)

Prof Lee said: 'This study builds on recent work demonstrating high prevalence estimates of burnout, depression, and attrition among physicians during and after training.

'When considered together, these data suggest that some aspects of medical culture may be detrimental to the mental, emotional, and physical health and career longevity of physicians and subsequently may be detrimental to the volume and quality of patient care.

'These findings represent the first synthesis of the evidence on an important topic facing many physicians.

'This systematic review and meta-analysis found that the prevalence of work-related MSDs among at-risk physicians is high and that no overarching intervention exists.

'At a time when practitioners are beginning to address burnout and other facets

of medical culture contributing to attrition, suicide, and other markers of poor well-being, we must not forget the physical demands of a career in medicine.

'Like workers in other occupations, physicians have a right to practice their profession in a safe environment.

'The health and career longevity of our trainees, our colleagues, and ourselves rely on our dedication to bringing awareness and action to this issue.'
Three quarters of nursing homes are failing in some parts of the country, watchdog figures reveal.

Nearly one in three (30.1 per cent) of all nursing homes require improvement or are inadequate, according to Care Quality Commission reports.

And most regions have experienced care problems, with 93 per cent of areas having homes that need improvement.

The new figures show the postcode lottery in the provision of quality care homes across the country with 93 per cent of areas having homes that need improvement (stock photo)

The figures highlight the postcode lottery in the provision of quality local care across the country.

More than a third of nursing homes in the North and a quarter in the South either needed improvement or were deemed inadequate.

The issue is particularly acute in central London, where Westminster has a 50 per cent rate of failing homes, despite being under the nose of MPs at the Houses of Parliament.

In the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, where Grenfell Tower is situated, 75 per cent of nursing homes were rated as requiring improvement.

In Salford, 64.3 per cent or more of nursing homes were rated as requiring improvement or inadequate, while Coventry had 60 per cent and North Tyneside 62.6 per cent.

In Wakefield, 52.6 per cent, are rated as requiring improvement or inadequate while the figure in Wolverhampton is 58.3 per cent.

Elsewhere, half of nursing homes in Hull, Newham, Telford and Wrekin, the Wirral and Derby were found to be failing.

The stark survey underlines the extent of the crisis facing Englands broken care system, which is providing substandard care despite sky-high prices.

In the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, where Grenfell Tower is situated, 75 per cent of nursing homes were rated as requiring improvement

Earlier this year, the Daily Mail revealed social care was struggling so much that four in ten care homes were failing inspections.

Of the 5,300 homes inspected this year, 2,000 were found to be inadequate or in need of improvement.

Currently, rules mean care home residents have to use their assets to pay the full costs of their care until they are reduced to their last 23,500.

The cost of their care is taken off the value of their home after they die, denying thousands of children their inheritance.

David Cameron pledged to introduce a cap of 75,000 on care costs two years ago, but this has now been shelved until after 2020.

Theresa May announced a plan for families to keep 100,000 of their assets but with no upper cap on costs during the election.

However, the pledge was abandoned after critics dubbed it the dementia tax.

Last month, analysis by Which? found that more than half of all elderly care places in England are in failing care homes

The new figures were provided directly to Labour by the CQC and are based on the watchdogs most recent investigations.

Barbara Keeley, Labours social care spokesman, said a lack of nurse training places and bursaries had affected staffing levels.

Nursing care providers are struggling to recruit and retain staff because of a lack of registered nurses but similar trends are present across the care sector because of the impact of cuts on pay and conditions for other care staff, she said.

Last month, analysis by Which? found that more than half of all elderly care places in England are in failing care homes.

In six local authority areas, more than 50 per cent of the beds available were rated as inadequate or needing improvement.

The council in Kensington and Chelsea said its poor ratings were the result of having relatively few homes.

A spokesman said the borough was home to only around ten privately-run care homes and the small number skewed the figures.

A report on care homes in Kensington and Chelsea from May revealed it had problems attracting low-paid staff to the most expensive area of the country.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On December 26, BYD announced that its joint venture (JV) with Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co.,Ltd. (QingHai Salt Lake) will start the program to produce 30,000 tons of lithium carbonate. Recently, the program has obtained the filing record from Qinghai Economic and Information Commission. The total investment of this program reached RMB 4.85 billion (about 740 million dollars).

Last year, BYD, QingHai Salt Lake and investment firm Shenzhen Zuoyucheng announced to set up a joint venture named Qinghai Salt Lake BYD Resources Development Co. to exploit, produce and sell the salt lake resource products. The registered capital of the JV totaled RMB 500 million, among which BYD has 49 percent stake, Qinghai Salt Lake 49.5 and the rest belongs to the investment firm.

BYD said at that time that the cooperation with the upstream firms of lithium resources will help the company to implement its strategy in new energy industry. The establishment of the joint venture will integrate BYDs advantages in technology, management and sales network, especially in lithium power battery, with the salt lake resources to achieve a win-win cooperation.
Air pollution kills 20,000 more people than first thought, a new study suggests.

Being exposed to just one day of air pollution - which kills 4.6 million each year - can be deadly for older people - even if contaminant levels are well below safe limits.

Researchers warn it's irrelevant whether they live in a heavily-polluted city or are far away from the hustle and bustle, people in both areas face a similar risk.

Tiny particles of dust, soot and smoke, known as PM2.5, pose the biggest threat to elderly people, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health scientists concluded.

Professor Joel Schwartz, co-author, warned of the dangers of small changes in PM2.5 levels. He added: 'This translates to PM 2.5 causing an extra 20,000 deaths a year.'

He also said a slight decrease in ozone, an unstable form of oxygen produced when pollution reacts with sunlight, 'would save 10,000 lives each year'.

Such small changes can be seen in rural areas when people spend too much time next to major roads or using diesel-powered equipment.

The findings, which confirm that pollution is a risk even in the countryside, were made after looking at 22 million deaths across the US.

A study suggests that being exposed to just one day of air pollution can be deadly for older people - even if contaminant levels are well below safe limits

The scientists warned the fluctuations in levels of contaminants may not have serious consequences for children.

How is it dangerous for the elderly?

In the elderly and the very ill, those who already have difficulty breathing, very polluted air 'may push them over the edge', experts said.

It can worsen existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), they said.

The report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adds to a growing body of evidence highlighting the dangers of pollutants.

The World Health Organization estimates that 92 per cent of the world's population currently live in areas where pollution exceeds safety guidelines.

Long-term exposure has repeatedly been linked to heart disease and cancer.

But less is known about the dangers of short-term exposure in rural areas and small towns, with the new findings helping to change that.

Dr Joel Schwartz, study co-author, said: 'We did not know if the same association held in small cities, towns, or rural areas.'

He added that now they know that 'it does apply everywhere, not just in big cities'.

TAKING B VITAMINS MAY HELP... City-dwellers should stock up on B vitamins, experts claimed in March. A study suggested the supplements may play a critical role in reducing the devastating impact of air pollution. In a trial on humans, scientists found just small doses could offset the deadly damage caused by tiny, toxic particles. Experts believed the findings could have a significant public health benefit in heavily polluted cities across the world. The researchers, from Columbia and Harvard universities, used volunteers who were aged between 18 and 60 who were deemed medically healthy. They were either given a placebo, or a supplement containing 2.5mg of folic acid, 50mg of B6 and 1mg of vitamin B12. Wearing a facemask, the patients were exposed to particles from a heavily trafficked street in Toronto. Blood samples were also taken. Advertisement

How was the study carried out?

The researchers wanted to see if there was any connection between fatalities and fluctuations in daily concentrations of PM 2.5 and ozone.

Most of the deaths in the study occurred on days when ozone and PM 2.5 levels were below the limits set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Data was taken from 39,000 ZIP codes nationwide who were insured by Medicare, the US health program for the elderly and disabled.

Daily PM 2.5 and ozone levels were compared on the days people died in each area to air quality levels on another day within two weeks of each death.

EPA standards cap 24-hour PM 2.5 at 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3) and 8-hour ozone at 70 parts per billion (ppb).

During all of the days examined in the study, 94 percent had PM 2.5 levels below 25 ug/m3, and 95 percent of the deaths occurred on these days, the study found.

At the same time, 91 percent of the days examined had ozone levels below 60 ppb, and 93 percent of the deaths occurred on these days.

What else did they find?

Even when air quality met EPA standards, each 10 ug/m3 daily increase in PM 2.5 levels was linked to an increase of 1.42 deaths per day for every million people.

And each 10 ppb increase in daily ozone levels was associated with 0.66 more deaths for every million people.

The increased risk of death associated with daily spikes in PM 2.5 and ozone levels persisted even when the day's air quality complied with EPA standards.
A three-month-old baby boy in India is battling for his life after surgery to correct a rare condition which has seen his head grow to an extreme size.

Ankit Minj, dubbed an 'alien' by cruel strangers, suffers from a rare condition called hydrocephalus - a build-up of fluid inside his skull which can be deadly.

Described as an 'extreme case', his large head weighs 5.5lbs (2.5kg) and is 27 inches in circumference because of the excess fluid.

Doctors have been able to insert a shunt into his brain to remove some of the CSF fluid and stop further damage to his brain.

However, his 'helpless' parents, who live in the Latehar district, in Jharkhand, eastern India, fear that he will die regardless.

Ankit Minj, dubbed an 'alien' by cruel strangers, suffers from a rare condition called hydrocephalus - a build-up of fluid inside his skull which can be deadly

Described as an 'extreme case', his large head weighs 5.5lbs (2.5kg) and is 27 inches in circumference because of the excess fluid

His mother Anjali, 25, and father Anil, 29, went to several doctors for help - but they couldn't afford the surgery that was recommended.

They eventually took Ankit to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, approximately 124 miles (200km) from their home.

Surgeons at the government-run hospital performed the first part of the operation on December 24 - four days after he was admitted.

Dr Anil Kumar, head of neurosurgery, at RIMS, said: 'He has come to us very late which is why his head has grown to such a large size.

'We have inserted a shunt into his brain to stop further damage to the brain.

'The chances of his skull reducing to a normal size is not very positive but we can stop any further damage with the help of a shunt.

Doctors have been able to insert a shunt into his brain to remove some of the CSF fluid and stop further damage to his brain (pictured with his mother Anjali, 25, and father Anil, 29)

However, his 'helpless' parents, who live in the Latehar district, in Jharkhand, eastern India, fear that he will die regardless

WHAT IS HYDROCEPHALUS? Hydrocephalus is a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. The excess fluid leads to increased pressure on the brain which can cause damage to the brain tissue. The main symptoms of hydrocephalus are: headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion and problems with vision (for example, blurred or double vision). The key treatment for hydrocephalus is a shunt. This is a thin tube implanted in the brain to drain away the excess CSF to another part of the body (often the abdominal cavity, the space around the bowel) where it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. If left untreated, it carries the risk of long-term mental and physical disabilities as a result of permanent brain damage and can be fatal. Advertisement

His mother Anjali (pictured), 25, and father Anil, 29, went to several doctors for help - but they couldn't afford the surgery that was recommended

They eventually took Ankit to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, approximately 124 miles (200km) from their home

'This shunt will relieve pressure on the brain caused by fluid accumulation. We cannot say if hes out of danger yet.

'We would need to see him regularly to check if the shunt is working properly and theres no infection.'

Ankit, who weighs 15lbs (7kg), is currently in hospital recovering with his parents by his side.

Policeman Anil said: 'We have been told his skull will slowly get smaller. But I still fear for his life. He is so small, I wish I could do something to save his life.

'I dont know what will happen in the future. Doctors say hell never be a normal child but I will keep wishing for a miracle.'

Anjali said she had no complications during pregnancy but when she gave birth Ankit was born with a larger than normal head.

She said: 'I didnt have an ultrasound during the pregnancy as we do not have a lot of facilities in our village.

'But doctors said my baby was normal after touching my stomach and feeling its movements.

Surgeons at the government-run hospital performed the first part of the operation on December 24 - four days after he was admitted

Ankit, who weighs 15lbs (7kg), is currently in hospital recovering with his parents by his side

Anjali said she had no complications during pregnancy but when she gave birth Ankit was born with a larger than normal head

'I took iron and multi vitamins throughout my pregnancy and I believed everything was fine. I was shocked to see my child when he was born.

I was just devastated. I had no idea about this condition but I feel terrible to see him like this.

'I had so many dreams for my child but I do not even know what will happen to him now. He screams and cries in pain all day. We feel so helpless.

Anjali added: 'People show sympathy towards him and some pass weird comments but everyone just stares.

'My son is not an alien, just another human being like others. He does not deserve to be stared at like this. I want him to be cured as soon as possible.'

Hydrocephalus is a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. The excess fluid leads to increased pressure on the brain which can cause damage to the brain tissue

If left untreated, it carries the risk of long-term mental and physical disabilities as a result of permanent brain damage and can be fatal

Anjali told local reporters: 'I didnt have an ultrasound during the pregnancy as we do not have a lot of facilities in our village'

Anjali added: 'People show sympathy towards him and some pass weird comments but everyone just stares'

Dr Anil Kumar, head of neurosurgery, at RIMS (pictured), said: 'He has come to us very late which is why his head has grown to such a large size'
While most women rest and recover after the physical and mental stress of childbirth, one doctor delivered her patient's twins 14 hours after giving birth herself.

When Dr Hilary Conway had her baby girl on December 12, she knew that meant she would miss the deliveries of her patients.

However, while feeding her new baby at 3am, the doctor got a text from a patient saying her water broke prematurely and she was in the same hospital in Washington state where she would have an induced labor.

To Dr Conway's surprise, the patient was in the room next door. She got out of the hospital bed and into scrubs to deliver the twins that she had monitored throughout the pregnancy.

While some consider the delivery exceptional, Dr Conway said she was just doing her job and that this was a birth she didn't want to miss.

Gynecologist Dr Hilary Conway had given birth to her daughter Verna 12 hours before delivering her patients' twin boys

Luke and Soren Moss were delivered in the early hours of December 13 in a Washington hospital room right next door to where Dr Conway was staying with her new baby

Dr Conway said she and her patient Katie Moss have a special doctor-patient relationship since they both were pregnant at the same time.

Dr Conway, a Washington-based gynecologist, gave birth to her second child Verna Mai Pearson at 1.04pm on Tuesday.

Just 14 hours later she saw the text from Moss that said her water had broken early and she was on the way to deliver the twins.

'I told her I was really sad that she wouldn't be delivering me,' Moss said of the text.

Her due date was mid-January, but twins are often born premature, prior to 37 weeks.

Dr Conway said that she walked out of her room and asked if Moss was there and learned that she was staying in the room next door.

After leaving her daughter with nurses, Dr Conway went to Moss's room wearing her scrubs.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BODY AFTER CHILDBIRTH? During the days and weeks after the delivery of your baby (postpartum period), your body will change as it returns to its non-pregnant condition. Afterpains are contractions that occur to shrink the uterus which can take between six to eight weeks. Sore muscles especially in the arms, neck, or jaw are common after childbirth due to the strength exerted during delivery. The soreness should go away in a few days. Bleeding and vaginal discharge may last for two to four weeks and can come and go for about two months. If you had a c-section you may have pain in your lower belly for one to two weeks. Breast engorgement is common within three to four days after delivery when the breasts begin to fill with milk. Advertisement

'I was hoping to see her maybe the next day but not so soon and so awake,' Moss told TODAY. 'She looked completely normal  unlike she just had a baby half a day earlier.'

After the women joked about the coincidence of being right next door and delivering at the same time,Dr Conway went into doctor mode.

The gynecologist watched her patient's contractions with the other nurses.

The induced labor took about two hours which Dr Conway said was perfect timing in between feeding.

Luke Moss was born at 4.50am and Soren at 5.38am, just 14 hours after Dr Conway had given birth to baby Verna.

'Once it was all over and my boys were here, she simply said she was tired and going to get some more sleep before the morning,' said Moss.

Dr Conway returned to her daughter and went back to being a patient to fully recover from the physical stress of childbirth.

'Each of my patients means so much to me, and I really try to be there for all of their deliveries' said Dr Conway.

'Honestly, I think it's harder on us as physicians to miss deliveries than it is for the patient  to miss the delivery is like missing the culmination of everything you have known for nine months and sometimes more,' she added.

Dr Conway has chalked the experience up to serendipity saying that all the circumstances were right for her to deliver the twins.

Katie Moss and her husband Daniel had twins just 14 hours after Dr Conway gave birth
Children who eat fish at least once a week get better sleep and have a higher IQ, according to a new study.

Researchers revealed that omega-3s, the fatty acids in fish, improve kid's intelligence and found that those who ate more scored 4.8 points higher on an IQ test than children who said they rarely ate the seafood.

Those same children also reported getting a better night's sleep, which previous studies have linked to higher intelligence.

The findings are the first of its kind that show sleep as the link between fish and heightened intelligence, leading researchers to suggest introducing kids to fish as young as 10 months old to improve overall cognition throughout their lives.

Kids who eat more fish get better sleep and scored 4.8 points higher on an IQ test than those who rarely consumed fish, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study on more than 500 children in China aged nine to 11 to learn more about the effects of fish on intelligence and sleep.

The participants filled out a questionnaire regarding eating habits and how often they consumed fish ranging from never, seldom to always.

They took an IQ test where researchers then matched those results to the questionnaire.

The results published in the journal Nature showed a distinct association between fish and intelligence as those who reported eating fish more often scored 4.8 points higher than those who rarely at the seafood.

Children who said they sometimes eat fish scored 3.31 points higher than those who 'seldom' or 'never' consumed it.

The parents of the children in the study were also asked to submit a questionnaire regarding their child's sleep quality.

The length of sleep, frequency of napping and tiredness were included in the survery.

Increased fish consumption was linked to fewer disturbances of sleep, supporting the notion that omega-3s promote better overall sleep quality.

Previous research has shown that the omega-3s found in fish have health benefits that can lower blood pressure, slow the development of plaque in arteries reducing the risk of heart attack and can improve sleep.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF OMEGA-3 Omega-3 fatty acids are often touted as being incredibly beneficial to a person's health, with findings show that omega-3 may help to: Lower blood pressure

Reduce triglycerides

Slow the development of plaque in the arteries

Reduce the chance of abnormal heart rhythm

Reduce the likelihood of heart attack and stroke

Lessen the chance of sudden cardiac death in people with heart disease Advertisement

Other studies have also associated fish to improved cognitive function.

However, this is the first study that has linked the fatty acids to better quality that can lead to higher intelligence.

Study author Professor Adrian Raine said: 'Lack of sleep is associated with antisocial behavior and poor cognition is associated with antisocial behavior. We have found that omega-3 supplements reduce antisocial behavior, so it's not too surprising that fish is behind this.'

Researchers are encouraging parents to expose their children, as young as 10 months old, to fish as long as it doesn't have bones in order for them to grow a liking to the flavor and texture.

'Doing that could be a lot easier than nudging children about going to bed,' Raine added. 'If the fish improves sleep, great. If it also improves cognitive performance  like we've seen here  even better. It's a double hit.'

Eating fish just once a week is considered high fish intake as defined in this study.

The researchers plan to study different types of fish consumption to determine which has the best health benefits to boost cognition and sleep quality.
An article on July 8, based on information provided by the Campaign against Anti-Semitism, reported that Islamic preacher Shaykh Ebrahim Bham had compared Jews to fleas. We have since been made aware that Mr Bham was quoting a speech by Joseph Goebbels to argue that Israeli politicians have referred to Palestinians in a similar way.

If you wish to report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@dailymail.co.uk. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules go to www.dailymail.co.uk/readerseditor. You can also write to Readers Editor, Daily Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or contact IPSO directly at ipso.co.uk
THE INNOCENT WIFE by Amy Lloyd (Century 9.99)

THE INNOCENT WIFE

by Amy Lloyd (Century 9.99)

This striking winner of the Daily Mail First Novel Competition  chosen from more than 5,000 entries  starts with an intriguing proposition.

What happens when 31-year-old Samantha, an ordinary school teacher in England, becomes obsessed with an American serial killer, convicted 20 years ago and sitting on Death Row?

Dennis Danson was just 18 when he was found guilty of the brutal murder of a young girl in Floridas Red River County. Now his case has been in a TV documentary suggesting there was a miscarriage of justice.

No sooner has Samantha seen the programme than she becomes convinced Danson is innocent. She writes to him, and he replies with thoughtful, charming letters. Eventually, she decides to travel to Florida to visit him in jail.

Not long after she arrives he proposes marriage, and she accepts. Suddenly her old life in England is left far behind, and she is transformed into an active campaigner for her husbands release.

The campaign works when someone else confesses to the crime, and Danson is released. But when the couple return to his former home, where the murder took place, Samantha begins to have doubts.

Written with panache, the book skilfully captures the nature of obsession and its consequences, and culminates in a climax Patricia Highsmith would have admired.

BLOODY JANUARY

BLOODY JANUARY by Alan Parks (Canongate 12.99)

by Alan Parks (Canongate 12.99)

A debut from a writer who seems set to become the latest star of Tartan noir  perhaps even a successor to the late, great William McIlvanney.

Dark, vicious and often terrifying, it is set in Glasgow in the first days of 1973, when a teenage boy shoots a young woman in the street in the centre of the city and then turns the gun on himself.

Detective Harry McCoy is sure this is no random act of violence, so begins to investigate. Where did the boy get the gun? Why did he choose this particular victim?

Gradually a picture of the seamier side of life begins to emerge from the shadows. Young women are abused by older, richer men, orchestrated by some of the most powerful people in Scotlands second city, who have influential friends in the police.

Gripping, utterly authentic and nerve-jangling, this novel announces a fine new voice in crime writing.

DARK PINES

DARK PINES by Will Dean (Point Blank 12.99)

by Will Dean (Point Blank 12.99)

A haunting example of stylish storytelling set in the northern wilds of rural Sweden  and its forest in particular  this is, in fact, written by an Englishman, who went to live there himself in 2012.

This is his first book and, on this evidence, it will not be his last.

The heroine is Tuva Moodyson, a deaf young female reporter on the small towns local paper, who is as superbly evoked as the forest she is forced to investigate when a man is found shot dead in its midst.

There are similarities to three murders that took place in the Nineties, and speculation that a serial killer may still be in the area intensifies when a second man is killed. All five victims had their eyeballs removed.

Whoever committed the crimes must be local, for this is an isolated town with few inhabitants.

Dean never lets the tension drop as his story grows ever more sinister.
BOOK OF THE WEEK

QUACKERY

by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen (Workman Publishing 15.99)

Medicine has never been an exact science. As we learn from Quackery, subtitled A Brief History Of the Worst Ways To Cure Everything, it has always been more of a rough-and-ready circus.

Tickets would be sold, for example, to watch amputations. The 19th-century surgeon Robert Liston hacked away so speedily that he once accidentally sliced off a patients testicles.

On another occasion he cut off the fingers of the assistant holding the patients leg in place during a procedure. Both patient and assistant died soon afterwards of gangrene, and a man in the audience dropped dead from shock. In those days, the mortality rate following an amputation was at least 76 per cent, though Liston probably holds the record on that one, at 300 per cent.

Cutting edge: A painting by Thomas Eakins of an 1889 surgical demonstration reveals the attention experimental procedures received

It was the sign of a good doctor if his surgical coat was stiff with dried blood. The illustrations in Kang and Pedersens book  the syringes and pumps for enemas; the knives and prongs to cut through skin, poke through eyeballs and saw through bones  suggest instruments of medieval torture, rather than ways of making poorly people feel better.

As one doctor reflected, referring to the red-hot irons used to cauterise piles: It is sometimes difficult to convince a timid person that it is not a terrible procedure. I have no doubt of it.

With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how many of the experimental treatments were barking mad. For example, Victorian gents sat in a mercury steam room for their syphilis. Eating tapeworms for weight loss was advocated.

Before it was realised that unlimited exposure to radioactivity gave people cancer, it was thought that radium water made a rather good and stimulating drink. There were even radioactive jockstraps rigged up under the scrotum to energise uninspired penises and make a chap bubble over with joyous vitality.

Though we are fully aware today that smoking causes cancer, emphysema and asthma, it was once sincerely thought that smoking killed only germs, and was beneficial for the nose and throat.

Similarly, a large intake of brandy was meant to promote clotting in the event of a haemorrhage. Freud swore by cocaine: I have felt unbelievably well!

Another chemical, now hard to come by, was strychnine, which Hitler took to counteract flatulence. It was thought to increase energy and give a sensory boost  it also caused spasms, hallucinations and convulsions. Nevertheless, athletes have been known to have a quick swig.

Abraham Lincoln did badly with his reliance upon Dr Rushs Bilious Pills. They were a compound of mercury, which exacerbated his mood swings, headaches, constipation and bouts of depression mixed with rage.

Doctors previously believed smoking was beneficial to the nose and throat (file image)

The toxicity of mercury, which was not withdrawn from British pharmacopoeia until the Fifties, could cause massive amounts of unattractive drooling, limb tremors, anxiety, sighing, and finally rotting jawbones, ulcerated tongues and gangrenous cheeks.

Arsenic, virtually undetectable, was always a favourite with poisoners. Doctors, however, prescribed it for skin problems, and it was commonly available as a good tonic and in non-lethal doses in Aikens Tonic Pills and Grosss Neuralgia Pills.

If scientific rigour in the pharmaceutical industry was hit and miss, so were other medical notions. It took centuries for bloodletting to lose its appeal. Stagnant blood would be removed by cupping, blistering and leeching. Early and copious bleeding are wonderful in calming people, it was asserted. Quite so  theyd be at deaths door.

Forced vomiting and diarrhoea were part of the aversion therapy for alcoholics and homosexuals, which even killed some of its patients. Yet that seems to be the merry theme of Kang and Pedersens book: doctors healed patients by killing them.

Indeed, if there is a lesson in Quackery  aside from the suspicion that the medical profession is based on sadism  it is that in searching for a simple cure clinicians often lost sight of reason.

QUACKERY by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen (Workman Publishing 15.99)

In the 17th century the blood of a freshly executed prisoner was thought to cure epilepsy, while monkey gland surgery was believed to be a good way of renewing virility.

One area that has always been alarming is psychiatry. Kang and Pedersen give a particularly harrowing account of the fate of Rosemary Kennedy, JFKs lively, cheeky sister, who perhaps had what wed now call ADHD or Aspergers. Had she been male, her behaviour may even have been applauded and cherished.

Being a female, however, Rosemary was strapped down for a lobotomy, which meant damaging the brain on purpose with an instrument akin to an egg-beater, which was knocked through the orbital bone above the eyeball and wiggled about. The operation produced zombies.

The authors tell of troublesome relations, nagging wives, even inconvenient stepchildren, who were similarly taken away to the local lunatic asylum and treated. The medical profession only ceased routine lobotomies in 1968.

Keeping hands clean, sterilising instruments and the introduction of antiseptics into the profession were also developments senior doctors scornfully resisted.

I defy anyone not to break into a cold sweat when reading the account of how to remove a bladder stone in the era before anaesthetics. In short, this is not a book for the squeamish.
I'VE BOUGHT IT, SO I'LL DRINK IT

by Charles Jennings and Paul Keers (Metro 8.99)

A few years ago the novelist Paul Theroux was asked how he chose to relax. His answer was simple: Book, chair, wine. I have never forgotten this because, by extraordinary coincidence, its pretty much how I choose to relax as well.

Red wine is my friend; this Christmas Ive drunk enough to float a small dinghy, which makes me the perfect reader for this glorious little book, subtitled The Joys (Or Not) Of Drinking Wine.

The authors are gnarled old journos, whose brilliant idea, a few years ago, was to start a blog entitled Sediment, about real-life wine drinking. No strings of high-flown adjectives here, just pithy, often hilarious essays about the guzzling, gargling and glugging most of us do before we pass out at the end of the evening.

Cheers: Comedy duo Laurel and Hardy (pictured left to right) raise a glass

Keers and Jennings have different personalities and contrasting styles, and play up to each to the max. Keers is a style journalist who launched British GQ in the Eighties. He and his wife are wont to decant a bottle if they hate the label design.

When he encounters the term easy drinking, steam comes out of his ears. When is drinking not easy, for goodness sake? Its a reflex action! If youre finding wine is difficult drinking, you dont need a wine critic, you need a doctor.

Jennings, by contrast, is Mr Bargain Basement, who hates paying more than 5.99 for a bottle, and suffers accordingly. Time and again he sees a bargain in Lidl for 3, buys a couple of bottles in forlorn hope and finds its not nice at all.

Loads of tannins and acidity, chesty cough/hint of groin strain, notes of old newspaper, dust, socks, are the main impressions. Ive waited my whole life to see a wine described thus.

I'VE BOUGHT IT, SO I'LL DRINK IT by Charles Jennings and Paul Keers (Metro 8.99)

Between them, this intrepid pair consider every aspect of wine drinking you could think of. They discuss corkscrews, glasses and wineboxes and browse for hours in posh wine shops before ordering deliveries from Majestic, each timing it so he knows his wife will be out at the time. One chapter is entitled Drinking From A Mug.

And somehow, miraculously, the quality rarely flags. This, of course, is the columnists art, but youll rarely see it better executed than here.

So heres Charles Jennings considering something hes read in a book of Kingsley Amiss: Queen Victorias tipple, which is half a tumbler of red wine plus Scotch. Why not give it a go? He throws some New Zealand pinot noir in a tumbler, tops it up with Tescos Finest Scotch whisky and takes a swig. Deadly mistake. It has a taste somewhere between thin gravy, treacle and a three-day-old bonfire, with a chesty punch like being hit in the sternum with a bag of sand . . . two sips later I am numb enough to have surgery.

It made me laugh so loud I almost coughed up my rioja. Thats the problem with this book: it does bring on an absolutely appalling thirst ...
You'd think clocking cars would have died out with the Ford Escort. Not a bit of it.

Car odometers may well be digital instead of analogue, but this has only made it easier than ever to readjust the displayed mileage on a car.

Experts say the practice has actually jumped 25 per cent since 2014 alone. That's around the same time the car finance market really began to blossom. Is this just a coincidence? Absolutely not.

Falsifying figures: Car clocking is starting to become more popular again, and it's because of car finance

According to vehicle history check provider HPI, one in 16 cars in the UK has a discrepancy between its actual and apparent mileage. Thats an increase of 25 per cent since 2014.

It also found that more than 40 per cent of car dealers have bought a second-hand car that theyve later discovered has been clocked.

The growth in car clocking may these days not be down to dodgy car dealers looking to make a quick buck, but private car owners looking to avoid forking out penalties.

Why? The PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) and PCH (Personal Contract Hire) trend.

If you cover more miles that your finance agreement dictates, you'll be stung for every mile you go over limit.

That's why it's often cheaper for drivers to pay a 'mileage correction firm' to turn back the odometer and escape these, despite facing the risk of hefty fines and even jail sentences if caught doing so.

Again, the figures speak for themselves.

An average 10 per mile over limit, for someone who agreed to a 5,000 per mile PCP deal but ended up covering twice that, would incur a 1,500 bill at the end. In anyone's book, that's got to hurt.

The fact new cars aren't MOT'd, and thus don't hook into official mileage recording networks, for the first three years of their life could also be a factor.

Yes, the service book records mileage  but, with few ways of actually monitoring the true mileage of a nearly new motors, what's to stop an owner altering the mileage before each service?

Specialist companies will adjust the mileage reading on your odometer for around 100

It's not a hard process to clock a car.

You simply find a company willing to hook a laptop into your car's electronics to alter the mileage, and you'll be driving away again in a magically lower-mileage for just 100 or so.

It's not difficult, but it could be hard luck on the person who ends up with such a car.

The problems that can be caused by a clocked car are numerous.

The brakes could wear out more quickly than you'd expect. Same with tyres. Major components could actually fail way before you'd think they should.

Servicing schedules may be mixed up, so the car wears out faster. A timing belt change may be missed  and if it snaps, that's an engine destroyed, and an owner facing a very big bill indeed.

Drivers who decide to cover the PCP balloon payment at the end of their agreements to keep the car can make a pretty penny out of falsifying the mileage, too.

Owners can pocket between 2,000-4,000 more for a family car with 60,000 fewer miles on its odometer, be it either a truly low-mileage car, or simply one that's been tailored to look like one. For trusting second-hand buyers, that's got to hurt.

Want to see it spelled out in black and white? An investigation by WhatCar? showed how mileage affects the value of six different popular family cars.

WhatCar? said the impact of clocking can be huge when it comes to used-car prices

A second-hand Skoda Fabia could be worth 2000 more if the mileage was adjusted from 90,000 miles to 30,000, WhatCar? said

According to a recent investigation by The Times, fewer than 150 prosecutions for car clocking have been brought in the past five years despite an estimated 2 million vehicles having their mileage reduced illegally.

The newspaper sent freedom of information requests to all Britain's councils, which are responsible for policing the crime.

Worryingly, one in five councils had not investigated a single case since 2012.

And many of the councils that did chase car-clocking activity were probing very few cases - one in three had not managed to pursue one case a year.

What second-hand car retailers suggest...

Rachael Hogg from the nation's biggest used-car site Auto Trader, told This is Money: 'To assess whether a car has been clocked, you can check that the mileage on the milometer in the instrument cluster tallies with the car's service history and old MOT certificates.

How to avoid buying a clocked car Here are a few ways to avoid getting stung by a car whose indicated mileage is far short of what it has really covered: 1. Check its history: a good set of service records is invaluable 2. Check its condition: are there too many stone chips, too much seat wear? 3. Drive it: drive a few versions of the same car: does one seem soggier than the rest? If so, why? 4. Quiz the seller: don't be afraid of asking questions they may rather not answer. 5. Buy a history check: it's no guarantee, but it's the next best way to check a mileage is genuine 6. Check before you take delivery: you may have paid for a low mileage car, but to avoid being caught, the seller may have adjusted it back before you take delivery

'Alternatively, you can visit GOV.UK to check the MOT history which should give an accurate record.

'Other checks you can do include making sure the numbered barrels are aligned correctly on analogue milometers, and of course you should also consider whether the car's general condition matches its age and mileage.

'If the car has a patchy service history - or none at all - a history check can help verify the mileage, and you can also contact previous owners to verify the recorded mileage when they sold the vehicle if you are suspicious of the car's mileage history.'

James Drake, spokesperson for second-hand car site CarGurus said the best way to avoid buying a clocked car is to purchase from a reputable dealer.

'Modern technology no longer means rolling back an odometer by hand, but involves overriding a car's software making it difficult to detect,' he said.

'Because clocked cars are so hard to identify, CarGurus would recommend that buyers make a point to seek out reputable dealerships.

'When all things are considered, by buying from a professional dealer with a great reputation, shoppers can take comfort that the dealer will have taken every precaution to ensure the validity of their stock, and furthermore if a clocked car does slip through the net then they'll be well equipped to resolve the situation quickly and efficiently.'
High Street chains look set to be sold after experts warned their owner could run out of cash.

Poundland, Bensons for Beds, Harveys and Pep & Co are all on the rack after their South African owner Steinhoff was gripped by a major crisis triggered by a probe into accounting irregularities.

Shares are now down more than 90 per cent since early December.

Last night the future of its UK operation was thrown further into doubt after credit agency Moody's downgraded the firm's bonds to junk, and warned that unless it gets a cash boost its chains will have to be sold off.

On the rack: Poundland, Benson for Beds, Harveys and Pep & Co are all on the rack after their South African owner Steinhoff was gripped by a major crisis

Chief executive Markus Jooste, 56, and chairman Christo Wiese, 76, both quit earlier this month as the Frankfurt and Johannesburg-listed firm delayed financial statements.

It was under investigation for accounting irregularities in Germany, with South Africa's finance minister calling the scandal a grave concern.

The crisis started to hit Poundland, which has 896 stores in the UK and Ireland, employing 18,000, just before Christmas, when an insurer reportedly cut cover on its stock.

Moody's downgraded Steinhoff for the second time in weeks and said it risks running out of cash to sustain European operations if it is unable to shore up its cash balances.

Steinhoff bought Poundland last year from private equity firm Warburg Pincus, for 610million.

Share crash: Steinhoff has been gripped by a major crisis triggered by a probe into accounting irregularities. Shares are now down more than 90 per cent since early December

Last night retail analyst Richard Hyman said: 'It is not likely Steinhoff can survive in its previous form. And, given what's happened to the share price, it also seems very likely that its assets will have to be sold.

'It's difficult for the UK businesses: Poundland is trading well. Having said that, the appetite to buy retail businesses right now is not going to be very strong.'

In the UK, Steinhoff also owns furniture stores Bensons for Beds and Harveys, and clothing store Pep & Co.

But Poundland is considered a more attractive prospect for sale. The risk for Poundland comes as banks and private investors including Goldman Sachs and HSBC are braced for heavy losses from Steinhoff's 15billion of debt.

Wiese is also thought to have lost 4billion in the share price slump.

Steinhoff has promoted chief operating officer Danie van der Merwe to chief executive and met lenders before Christmas in a bid to reassure them about the state of the business.

Last night it said: 'Steinhoff remains in discussion with the group's lenders seeking their ongoing support as well as further funding for the group so as to meet short-term liquidity needs and enhance the stability of the group's operations.'

A spokesman for Bensons for Beds and Harveys said: 'We have always operated independently from Steinhoff and we are proud of the work we have done and are doing on both brands.'

A Poundland spokesman said the firm had always been run at arm's length from Steinhoff and was independent, profitable and financially strong.

He added that all the Pepkor Europe retail businesses, which includes Pep and Co, were trading strongly.
A bare winter in Flagstaff can be a blessing to the avid hiker. Higher elevation trails like the Kachina, Humphreys and the Arizona that only hardy backcountry skiers can access most winters are accessible by foot right off the Snowbowl parking lots this year. The Forest Service still requires a backcountry parking pass, but it is a small inconvenience for the stillness and deep shadows of a bare winter mountain hike.

Our annual Christmas Day family outing is usually on cross country skis, but this year we combined a scouting trip to the site of the New Years Day Polar Plunge in Upper Lake Mary with a hike across the dam to Babbitt Spring. Most winters the footing on the dam would be too slippery to risk and the trail in the deep drainage leading to the spring too icy.

But this year all was dry and unseasonably warm. Seven years ago, we encountered a trio of noisy nesting ospreys on a summer hike to the spring, but this time of year the birds had migrated south, although the nest was still visible high atop a dead ponderosa. In fact the trees along the opposite bank are among the tallest Ive seen around Lake Mary, offering great views of the lake for birds of all types.

The trail hugs the side of the drainage for about a half-mile before coming to a fork. We took the left one and soon encountered frozen water at the base of steep limestone cliffs  and a dead coyote. At first I thought the trickster was just playing dead and would leap up at any moment and run away. Then I recalled the recent rabid fox sightings in Oak Creek Canyon, so I held back for an extra minute just to be sure.

But it remained peacefully inert, with no obvious signs of foul play. I later notified Game and Fish and perhaps they will retrieve the carcass, test it and issue a report.

In another 200 yards upstream, the ice turns to running water where the spring water comes out of a pipe in the hillside. The remains of a cabin are just above it beneath a huge ponderosa on a flat meadow  theres a sign identifying it as an historic site.

In an email after my first hike in 2010, Jim Babbitt, a descendant of the five Babbitt brothers, said the spring was an important part of C.J. and Billy Babbitt's early cattle operation in what was known as Clark's Valley before the dam forming Upper Lake Mary was built. They purchased the valley in 1887 and built a cabin at Babbitt Spring in 1888 -- I saw the 129-year-old remains on my hike.

Jim also said the flat land where the spring drainage empties into Lake Mary contained a sawmill operated by the Greenlaw family, and in low water, some of the old mill machinery and steel rails going up to the spring are still visible. I actually saw a rail down in the drainage this time  next time Ill explore the shoreline more closely unless the osprey have returned to distract me.

As for the Polar Plunge, better bring your sunscreen. We'll be heading in from the beach instead of the boat ramp -- no ice to worry about this year.
IAG was one of four parties bidding for Austrian airline Niki

British Airways owner IAG is reportedly in negotiations to take over Austrian airline Niki, as the final assets of collapsed Air Berlin are sold.

IAG was one of four parties bidding for the business but as of yesterday it was in exclusive talks with administrators, according to Reuters.

The company put in an offer of tens of millions of euros, reports said, with Thomas Cook, Tui and Nikis founder, the F1 motor racing champion Niki Lauda, no longer in the running. IAG declined to comment.

It comes after Lufthansa ditched plans to buy Niki after the European Commission raised competition concerns.
A day after Christmas, a Tennessee man dialed 911 and told the dispatcher that he fatally shot his wife, a local school teacher and mother-of-three.

Jose Castano, 55, of Portland, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife of less than three years, 49-year-old Jacqueline Castano.

The beloved elementary school teacher was found dead on a bed inside the family's home on Hollands Way in Portland. The suspected murder weapon was recovered from the master bedroom, police said in a news release.

Scroll down for 911 call

Domestic murder: Jose Castano, 55 (left), is accused of murdering his wife, Tennessee school teacher Jacqueline Castano, 49 (right)

Unfaithful? Jose had accused his wife of less than three years of infidelity, according to his recent Facebook posts

Crime scene: The Castano family's home in Portland, Tennessee, where the woman was shot to death on Tuesday, is circled in red

Under questioning, the victim's husband told police he killed his wife after an argument about infidelity in their marriage.

Just minutes after allegedly killing his wife - and before police arrived to arrest him - Castano posted a status update on his Facebook page hinting that his wife may have been unfaithful to him.

The Portland Police Department later released Castano's 911 call, in which he is heard confessing to the murder.

The emergency call center dispatcher asks the man if his wife is breathing, to which he respectfully replies, 'No, Ma'am.'

The dispatcher then inquires if he wants to attempt CPR on Jacqueline.

'I know how to do that, but it's too late,' Mr Castano replies.

After telling the dispatcher that the murder weapon is on the dresser, Castano says he will be waiting for police officers outside and inquires if it would be OK for him to have a water bottle with him.

'I would advise not,' the dispatcher cautions him.

Educator: Mrs Castano worked as a special education teacher at Madison Creek Elementary School in Goodlettsville, Tennessee

Happier times: Jose and Jacqueline would have celebrated their third wedding anniversary in February 2018. The pair are pictured on their wedding day, right

As the phone conversation continues, the suspect breaks down in tears, telling the dispatcher that he and his wife had been arguing about alleged extramarital affairs.

When the call center worker tells Castano she wants to make sure he does not harm himself or anyone else, Castano tells her through sobs: 'It doesn't matter. I've lost everything.'

When officers arrived at the couple's address about nine minutes into the call, they found Jose Castano sitting on the back porch and took him into custody without incident.

On the call, one of the officers can be heard asking the suspect if there is anyone else inside the house.

Castano replies, 'Just my wife.'

Jose confided in the 911 dispatcher on Tuesday that he and his wife (right) had been arguing about alleged extramarital affairs

Final photo: The 49-year-old woman lost her life one day after Christmas. This is the last photo she posted on her Facebook page on December 10

Jacqueline Castano worked as a special education teacher at Madison Creek Elementary School in Goodlettsville. Her employer later released a statement mourning her death.

Words of comfort and reassurance are difficult to find this evening, as I write to inform our school family of a tragic loss, the statement reads, in part. The staff and I would appreciate your prayers during this difficult time, especially on behalf of those who knew Jacque besther own children, her students, and their families.

According to a GoFundMe page launched by her relatives to help raise money for her funeral, Jacqueline is survived by her two sons and a daughter. As of Thursday afternoon, just over $1,600 has been raised.

A friend and former neighbor of Jacqueline's described her as a loving, giving and compassionate woman, and called her 'a gift from God.'

'Jackie did not deserve this," Joy Hauersperger told WSMV, referring to her violent death. 'It's so wrong in so many ways.'

Based on information posted on the Castanos Facebook pages, the couple would have celebrated their third wedding anniversary in February.

Jose Castano is being held at the Sumner County Jail. He is due in court for his initial appearance on January 24.
A 78-year-old woman has been forced from her home of almost 60 years after her eldest son contested his father's will and was awarded the family's $3million farm.

Beverley Priestley must leave 'Salt Glen' in Carinda, 650 kilometres north-west of Sydney, by tomorrow - or pay her estranged eldest son Duncan $1,000 for every extra day she is there, a court ruled this month.

Duncan Priestley won the property after contesting his father's will - claiming he quit his job to work on Salt Glen after was promised the family farm

Mrs Priestley, who first moved to the farm when she was just 21 to start a family, came up with $52,000 to appeal that decision in the High Court - but lost.

Beverley Priestley, pictured with her eldest son Duncan, who is now 55 and has given his elderly mother until just after Christmas to leave the family property

Mrs Priestley was left the Salt Glen property when her ex-husband died, but she has now been left homeless after the property was awarded to her son in an appeal

The 8,500 acre property, highlighted on this map with previous family titles, has been the woman's home for over 55 years

Her two younger children Claire and Chris sold what machinery they could to come up with the money for the appeal - with Chris even parting with his Toyota LandCruiser.

Mrs Priestley was with her daughter Claire when the appeal was thrown out earlier this month - and she was told she had just two weeks to leave the property forever.

'We went outside and just burst into tears,' Claire Priestley said.

'She has to be out on the 29th of December - and if she isn't she will have to pay Duncan $1000 per day that she is there.'

Mrs Priestley is so heartbroken by the final decision she has decided not to go back to the property where she raised her three children - instead getting her two youngest children to pack up her belongings.

The elderly grandmother briefly left the home when she divorced her husband in 2004 - moving to a house on the greater family property. She went back to the family home after her ex-husband's death - and their reconciliation.

'We have been left with the clothes on our back and some furniture,' Claire Priestley said.

Mrs Priestley 'can barely walk' because of the shock and continues to cry over the lost farm.

'I just feel so terrible, I am in shock, I can't bear to see the place again there are just too many memories there,' she said.

Mrs Priestley's friends have offered to put her possessions in their shearing shed - she will stay with her daughter for a few weeks until she can find a home which will accommodate her beloved pet kangaroo.

'I just want a place that will have Benny - he won't survive without me and we can't go home,' she said.

Mrs Priestley with her 'pet' kangaroo Benny - she is worried she won't find a home suitable for her beloved pet

Mrs Priestley, pictured outside Salt Glen, 'burst into tears' after the High Court threw out her appeal in favour of the previous decision

Duncan, pictured with his daughter Catherine, has given his mother until December 29 to vacate the property - every day after that will cost the elderly pensioner $1000

Timeline of the Priestley family feud 1908 - Priestley family won Salt Glen in local ballot 1961 - Beverley and Gordon Priestley were married and moved to Salt Glen 1962- Son Duncan was born 1964- Second son Christopher was born 1965 - Daughter Claire was born 1986- Caramba bought for Duncan 1988 - Riverlands bought for Christopher 2004 - Mr and Mrs Priestley divorce and children are split in their support 2004 - Mr Priestley changes his will to leave the property to Duncan 2007 - Mr Priestley reconciles with ex-wife and children, changes will to four equal parts 2012 - Mr Priestley changes will again leaving everything to his ex-wife 2012 - Mr Priestley dies 2017 - Duncan Priestley wins appeal over estate and is awarded the family property Salt Glen by the court Advertisement

'I don't think our family will ever recover from this - I just don't know how I could ever speak to Duncan again.'

Mrs Priestley was just 21 when she married the only man she would ever love and moved to his farm in the tough, drought-prone county of NSW's far north to start a family and build a life.

The Priestley family's tale reads like a Shakespearean tragedy of love lost and regained and family loyalties tested and - ultimately - tragedy.

The NSW Court of Appeal on June 27 reached its verdict in the long-running battle over Salt Glen, the 8,500-hectare cattle and crops property that has been in the Priestley family since 1908.

Duncan, was made the sole owner despite evidence it was against the dying wishes of the family's pastoralist patriarch and her ex-husband, Gordon.

Mrs Priestley is upset the most recent appeal never made it to hearing as a decision was made on the previous hearin's papers - as the judges decided the Court of Appeal's verdict was correct.

Duncan Priestley, who claims he is the only family member to have worked the farm as his father would have wanted, once vowed to kick his mother and siblings off the property because of the acrimonious family quarrel.

Brothers Chris, left, and Duncan, right, with their father Gordon Priestley, centre, on the family farm Salt Glen in happier times

Mrs Priestley's daughter Claire, pictured here with Gordon Priestley, said she has been left devastated after the court ruled against her father's final will

Duncan Priestley did not respond to Daily Mail Australia's request to tell his side of the Salt Glen property dispute.

The dispute has been raging for years in the NSW Supreme Court and Family Court of Australia.

The family troubles peaked in 2004 and ended in the couple splitting and the family lands being split between their children. In 2012 Gordon died and the dispute flared up again.

Duncan Priestley, 55, took his mother, as executor of his fathers estate, to court for unpaid costs for years he spent working on Salt Glen, and a share in the property's water licence after the property was left solely to Mrs Priestley.

Duncan claims his father told him in 1986: 'One day all of this will all be yours' - meaning he would pass ownership of the property to him exclusively, according to court documents.

Claire believes she and her brothers, Chris pictured, were given a great childhood

Duncan says he quit his well-paid job as a surveyor and helped his father with jobs on the farm because he believed it would be given to him when his father died, and he would not have to share it with his mother, his brother Christopher, 53, or his sister Claire, 48.

So when his father Gordon called him to his death bed in February 2012 and told him the farm was to be shared and he was to 'look after' his family, he was furious.

In an affidavit tendered to the court, Duncan Priestley reveals a heated argument he had with his father after finding out the property would be shared.

'We have already paid them out once,' Duncan said to his dying father.

'I've kicked them off (the land) once and I'll kick them off again,' he said.

'No you wouldn't,' Gordon said.

But his son was adamant: 'Bloody oath I will.'

'You look after them,' the dying father said.

'Bulls**t,' Duncan replied, and left.

A photograph of the Priestley sons helping their father in the yard - Claire said the whole family pitched in with farm work - not just her eldest brother

Mr and Mrs Priestley in happier times, pictured with middle child Chris

Gordon and Beverley Priestley divorced in 2004 after the heat of the family feud became too much. Mrs Priestley had sided against her husband and son Duncan and with her two younger children which ultimately ended her marriage.

As part of the settlement, the greater Salt Glen lands were split into three.

Duncan supported his father throughout the proceedings, paying his legal fees and other expenses.

Claire, Christopher and their mother took on the family irrigation lands (which have since been lost to the bank) while Duncan and his father ran Salt Glen and the adjoining property, Caramba.

Claire told Daily Mail Australia Caramba was bought for Duncan in the early 1980s when he was 18 and May Glen in Gilgandra was bought for him around 2000.

'The farm was divided. Chris and I got the good irrigation country but had to take on the family debt, which was $2.3million, and Duncan and dad ran the rest,' Claire said.

'That's when dad changed his will and told Duncan he would get Salt Glen.'

'He was in dad's ear all the time telling him how we were doing everything wrong,' Claire said.

Chris Priestley sold this car to help with his mother's legal battle

Mrs Priestley doesn't think she will be able to mend her relationship with her eldest son Duncan, pictured

Mrs Priestley was living in the home with Chris and Claire - until July when Claire moved out

Gordon went to his lawyer's office to have the irrigation lands signed over to Christopher and to give Duncan full control of Caramba, according to court papers.

The lawyer, Roger Butler, phoned Duncan to let him know the changes had been made, the conversation was tendered in an affidavit to the court.

'Duncan, it's Roger Butler here. Your father and I have just settled all the land transactions and transferred the rest of Caramba to you. He has also changed his will so that everything goes to you. Apart from the land swap with Christopher, everything is wrapped up.'

Gordon and Beverly Priestley remained friendly after their divorce, and by 2007 he had reconciled with Claire, Chris and his ex-wife. He then changed his will into four even parts.

But he didn't tell Duncan.

Claire and her father, pictured here long after the family feud of 2004 was forgotten by most members of the family

Gordon Priestley in the cattle yards before his death

Mr and Mrs Priestley are to be buried together - after reconciling and admitting their love for each other before Gordon's death

Claire Priestley standing in front of the property where she grew up

Mrs Priestley says that before her ex-husband died he asked her if she would be buried with him as husband and wife.

'He is the only man I ever loved,' Mrs Priestley said.

'When he asked me if I would be with him I said yes, so they dug his hole deep enough for me to go in there too.

She doesn't think she will ever be able to 'fix things' with her eldest son.

'After all this it is too late to reconcile with Duncan. For years I have tried. I have called him on his birthday and other things but he doesn't pick up the phone.

Mr Priestley, pictured, wanted to leave a will with four equal shares, but after his youngest two children ran into problems with the bank it was decided it should go to Beverley

The grandmother, pictured here in yellow, had to fly in to her ex-husband's funeral when the lands around Salt Glen flooded in 2012

Mrs Priestley pictured with a family friend at Gordon's funeral

The coffin was placed on a land cruiser because of the flooding

The ruling that has landed Duncan Priestley with the $3million property came after he appealed an earlier court ruling that Beverley should pay him $293,071.98, plus interest, for back pay and a share in the family water licence.

'I just don't understand how one judge can find he is owed $300,000 and then in an appeal he is given the farm which is worth millions,' Claire said.

'Or how the judges can overlook mum who has lived here for most of her life and will have nowhere to go.'

The family's former irrigation lands pictured in 2012
New zip lines giving thrillseekers a bird's eye view of the Grand Canyon will open next month.

The Hualapai Tribe, a federally recognized Indian Tribe located in northwestern Arizona, is expanding tourist offerings at the west rim of the tourist attraction.

In January, the corporation plans to open a pair of zip lines that will send guests nearly 1,000 feet above a side canyon with each zip line carrying four people.

More than 1 million people a year visit Grand Canyon West, outside the boundaries of the national park.

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In January, the corporation plans to open a pair of zip lines that will send guests nearly 1,000 feet above a side canyon with each zip line carrying four people

More than 1 million people a year visit Grand Canyon West, outside the boundaries of the national park

It is best known for the Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that juts out 70 feet from the canyon wall and gives visitors a view of the Colorado River 4,000 feet below.

The tribal corporation that runs it recently opened a restaurant in a connected visitor center that had been the subject of a bitter dispute between a late Las Vegas businessman and the tribe.

The west rim is best known for the Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that juts out 70 feet from the canyon wall and gives visitors a view of the Colorado River 4,000 feet below

The Hualapai Tribe corporation recently opened a restaurant in a connected visitor center

The south rim of the Grand Canyon is open all year, however the north rim is closed for the winter and will reopen May 15 2018.

The Hualapai Tribe, also known as the People of the Tall Pines, have lived in the Southwest for untold generations.

Generally their homelands range from Grand Canyon to the Bill Williams River in west-central Arizona and from the Black Mountains bordering the Colorado River to the San Francisco Peaks.

The tribe currently operates a hotel, restaurant, and gift shop in Peach Springs.

They dominate the far western end of the Grand Canyon and offer many tourist attractions including the famous Skywalk.

The Grand Canyon Skywalk official Facebook page released a video showcasing the vast tourist offerings they have at the west rim.
Housekeepers at luxurious hotels charging up to 370 a night have been caught washing guests' tea cups with a toilet brush, wiping bathroom floor with bath towels and folding duvets on the floor, an undercover investigation has revealed.

Journalists also exposed how the hotel cleaners used the same brush to scrub the toilet and bathtub, washed a bath mat in the bathtub and dipped bath towels into toilet water.

The report, released by Chinese website Pear Video, claimed these shocking and unhygienic cleaning behaviour was found in top hotels in the city of Harbin, a buzzing provincial capital in north-east China.

The investigation filmed a cleaner (above) who allegedly worked at the Kempinski Hotel Harbin

The report claimed that the worker washed a number of tea cups using a toilet brush (pictured)

Kempinski Hotel Harbin (pictured) charges up to 370 per night for one of its 352 guestrooms

All actions have been caught on camera by journalists, who posed as trainee cleaners and were recruited by the hotels. They secretly filmed their senior colleagues who were apparently showing them the ropes at work.

The seven-minute-long video report starts by showing a cleaner at five-star Kempinski Hotel Harbin washing the tea cups in a guestroom using a toilet brush.

Another male worker can be heard openly telling the reporter to ignore the sterilisation of the cups.

The cleaner then used the same toilet brush to scrub the inside of the toilet before putting it back to a plastic stand.

The worker then used a bath towel to dry the cups.

The same Kempinski hotel cleaner is caught using a bath towel to dry a tea cup during her shift

The video also shows her dipping a bath towel into the toilet before using it to clean the floor

Apparently, the worker said she wouldn't change the bed runner because 'it's not dirty'

When the reporter asked the colleague if all housekeepers do the same, the cleaner hinted 'yes', adding 'we just never talk about it'.

Afterwards, the worker dipped a bath towel into the toilet water before using the towel to wipe the floor.

The nightly rate at Kempinski Hotel Harbin, which has 352 guestrooms and suites, ranges from 1,132 to 3,254 yuan (129-370).

The report claims a worker from Shangri-La hotel using the same cloth to clean cups and bins

Then the worker is caught on camera washing the cloth using the water in the toilet

Shangri-La Hotel Harbin's rooms cost between 148 and 284 per night (an example above)

The report then focussed on Shangri-La Hotel Harbin whose 404 guestrooms charges anywhere between 1,300 and 2,500 yuan (148 and 284).

A Shangri-La cleaner is seen cleaning tea cups, the litter bin and the toilet, in order, using the same cloth. She then washed a rubber floor mat from the bathroom in the bathtub.

The report then showed the worker scrubbing the bath tub and the toilet using the same brush. She apparently said the action was not permitted by the hotel, but she was 'too lazy' to follow the rule.

'You just need to be careful when you work and not let your boss see it,' the cleaner told the undercover reporter, unaware of their real identity.

The worker then used the same brush to clean a few tea cups. She also used bath towels to wipe the floor.

The three high-end hotels are situated in Harbin (pictured), a buzzing city in north-east China

The Shangri-La worker is seen scrubbing the bath tub and the toilet using the same brush

The video shows the Shangri-La worker using the same brush to clean a few tea cups

Lastly, the report looked into the Sheraton Harbin Xiangfang Hotel, a popular 230-room business hotel whose price tag runs from 838 yuan to 1,099 yuan (95-125).

The Sheraton housekeeper apparently said in the footage that towels appearing unopened didn't need to be changed. She then used the same brush to clean the sink and toilet before folding a duvet on the floor, according to the video.

The investigation has put the three high-end brands in hot water as people in China have condemned the cleaners' unethical behaviour and the hotel's poor management.

A worker at the Sheraton is accused of using the same brush to clean the sink and toilet

The reporter also caught her folding duvet on the floor before throwing it back to the bed

All of the three hotel brands have responded to the report and said they were working with the local authorities to investigate the claims.

Kempinski Hotels said the company sincerely regrets the reported breach of their normal standards and procedures. In a statement to MailOnline, the Geneva-based brand said it has taken additional pre-cautions to ensure their employees perform 'according to strictest standards of hygiene'.

Shangri-La began an investigation immediately upon seeing the video, including reviewing work processes, increasing training and tightening supervision. The Hong Kong brand said in a statement to MailOnline: 'What the video shows is unacceptable and if accurate is a severe violation of our strict hygiene standards.'

Sheraton Harbin Xiangfang Hotel apologised to the public on its social media account for failing to carry out the hygienic standard in guestrooms. The American company said they had given additional training to all the housekeepers to stress the importance of hotel policy.

Upon investigation, the government of Harbin confirmed on December 27 the authenticity of the allegations in the report.

According to a government statement, all of the three hotels have been given a fine and warning.
It was arguably the most gruesome and memorable movie scene in modern cinema -and actor Kirk Baltz had a front row seat.

He played captured Officer Marvin Nash in Quentin Tarantino's debut film Reservoir Dogs.

In one unforgettable sequence the cop was sat in a chair by his captors, chastised and tortured before having his ear sliced off with a razor.

The gory scene, which caused outrage at the time of its release in 1992, shows gangster Mr Blonde, played by Michael Masden, pouring gasoline on top of Nash, before pulling out his cigarette lighter.

And in the 25th anniversary year of the movie, Baltz recalls the incredible experience of working on one of Tarantino's most iconic films.

Kirk Baltz, who played Officer Marvin Nash, says he is still asked about the iconic torture scene in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 film Reservoir Dogs

Baltz, 58, was sat in a chair by his captors, chastised, and tortured before having his ear sliced off with a razor in the grisly scene, but he says he had a 'blast' shooting the violent movie

He also shares never-before-seen Polaroid shots of working on set with the director and co-stars Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, and Harvey Keitel.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Baltz, 58, admits he loves to make light of the ear slicing scene, as a group of professional gangsters dealt with the fall out of a botched diamond heist in Los Angeles.

The actor now jokes about the role by telling strangers: 'I'm okay. I am fine now. It grew back.'

And he recalls how he 'had a blast' on set, laughing and smiling his way through a scene that had most viewers grimacing.

Baltz said: 'I think everywhere I go I get asked about that scene - and I am really lucky because not many actors can say that they appeared in a scene that is remembered by so many.

'It is incredible that 25 years on it still stands up so well as a great piece of film.

'The ear cutting scene was all down to Quentin. It is horrific what the cop endures, but Mr Blonde is actually having the time of his life torturing this guy - no one had ever seen that type of drama on screen before.

'I felt lucky that I was in the movie at all, as I was so green compared to the stars I was acting alongside.

'The physical side of things was fun, but trying to step into the shoes of the character with these incredibly talented actors was pretty f***ing terrifying. But the way Quentin set up the shoot, it was really fun to do, very liberating for an actor and we had a few laughs too. I am very proud of that.'

The actor had his ear sliced off by gangster Mr Blonde - played by Michael Masden (pictured) Baltz reveals his secret improvised line comes into play when he pleas with Mr Blonde to spare his life

The gory scene caused a stir at the time of the film's release with censors calling for it to be removed or the crime thriller be banned

Baltz shared never-before-seen polaroids from the film (pictured) and revealed he improvised a line during the scene, which he says, Tarantino loved

The actor carved through a successful career in Hollywood starring in over 60 productions, including blockbusters like Dances with Wolves and Face/Off alongside John Travolta and Nicolas Cage.

But he'll forever be remembered as the unlucky cop in Reservoir Dogs.

Even after a quarter of a century Baltz never gets bored of people asking him about the movie.

With just a $1.2million budget, Tarantino's first major film saw him write, direct, and even act on the project.

The director decided to have the cast do a read-through of the scene without any physical action beforehand.

Baltz felt that decision proved the key to creating on screen magic.

And he is proud too of adding his own line, which he says, Tarantino loved.

'He shot the whole thing in sequence, which made it feel like we were performing a play,' he said.

'The sense of having to get it right in that moment lifted everyone's performance and energy as after each take the crew would clap at what we did.

'When you're surrounded by that much talent all at once, it's a picnic.'

The spine-chilling scene shows Nash being taken hostage by the gang, who punch and kick him, before tying him to a chair.

Bravely, the bruised officer utters: 'You can torture me all you want.'

Nash has his mouth taped shut by Mr Blonde, who then pulls out a razor blade from his leather boot.

The film, Tarantino's major film debut starring Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Eddie Bunker, reached commercial success earning a massive $300M with a budget of $1.2M

In a behind the scenes Polaroid, Michael Madsen flashes a smile while being covered in blood

Baltz revealed he suffered a blow to the face after Steve Buscemi (left) who played Mr Pink, became so engaged in roughing up Nash that he landed a real punch straight into Baltz's cheek. Tarantino (right) starred in his own major film debut as Mr Brown

It is in this scene when the gangster switches on the radio and sings and dances to Steelers Wheels's 1973 song Stuck In The Middle You as he tortures his victim.

The song, first popular in the 1970s, became iconic after being featured in the film.

Blonde screams 'hold still you f***', while the camera pulls away from the amputation and then moves around the room to see Blonde holding the severed ear.

He adds: 'Is that as good for me as it was for you?'

He then starts talking to the ear, tosses it aside and pours gasoline on Nash.

Baltz reveals his secret improvised line comes into play when he pleas with Mr Blonde to spare his life.

After Mr Blonde pulls the tape off, Nash screams: 'Stop. Don't do this, please. Don't do this please. Don't burn me. I got a little kid.'

He prepares to light up the officer, but he is shot by Mr Orange, played by Tim Roth.

Smiling Baltz says: 'The moment Michael stops acting crazy is when I said: "I have a son," that was my line and not in the original script, but Quentin loved it.

With just a $1.2million budget, Tarantino's first major film saw him write, direct, and even act on the project

'I feel that he felt Michael and I may had become a little pally during rehearsals, so before the take Quentin said to me: "I want you to get Michael to stop, you know? Just make him stop. Don't let him kill you."

'Michael just had a son and I thought if I bring up something to do with family that could do it, he had no idea I was going to yell that.

'So we shot it and I spat out, "Stop, I have a son," which caught Michael so off guard he just stopped cold.

'He looked at Quentin, who smiled back; he had done his work.

'Michael may play the tough guy so much, but he has a soft spot.

'Quentin loved it so much it stayed.'

As for Madsen's memorable performance while dancing to Stuck In the Middle with You, Baltz recalls: 'It was mind-blowing seeing a master at work in that scene. It could have looked stupid, but with Quentin's direction and Michael's performance it was that dance that had the audience believing he was psychotic and about to commit murder.

'To do what he did to a cop is every bad guy's fantasy and everybody has a got a bit of bad guy in them - he made us believe it was real.'

But even 25 years later, the song still follows him around, he says.

'Once in a while my kids will get p****d off with me and they'll put that song on,' he said.

'I've walked into a party more than once and the DJ has put it on, and then I just want to walk away.

Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth at the Reservoir Dogs' 25th Anniversary screening Tribeca Film Festival in April

'It's a popular song and I think it's okay for people to keep loving it, just so long as they're not holding a straight razor in their hand while they're dancing to it, you know?' he quipped.

Baltz said it was a 'dream cast' to work with but admits he 'just grabbed onto their coat tails and hung on and was like, "Let's go!"

Although the film caused a stir upon it's release, causing some censors to demand the scene to be removed or the crime thriller be banned, Baltz said the controversey was the 'greatest compliment.'

'I remember the headlines were about people being sick, or walking out of screenings because of the intensity. It was the greatest compliment,' he said.

And although the film's realistic violent scenes were created with Hollywood magic, he admits he did suffer a blow to the face thanks to a fired up Steve Buscemi in an earlier take.

The star, playing Mr Pink, became so engaged in roughing up Nash that he landed a real punch straight into Baltz's cheek.

'At the beginning of the warehouse scene, Harvey and Steve are punching and kicking me. All of adrenaline was really fired up as we wanted to really channel the anger of their characters failing the robbery.

'And somehow Steve just let a punch rip, and hit me square. Immediately he apologized and could't have been nicer. Actually, my adrenaline meant I didn't even feel it.'

A decade later, Baltz discovered where the only memento he had hoped for from the film was being kept.

'I bumped into Chris (Penn), who told me he had my prosthetic ear in a shoe box on the top of his closet. I thought that was funny. I thought it had been thrown away.

'He never offered to give it back to me though, and since his death in 2006 I have no idea where it ended up.'

Reservoir Dogs, made for a relatively low $1.2million budget, has earned a massive $300million over the years through cinematic re-releases, video sales, streaming and on demand services.

Baltz said of the movie's success: 'Did I expect the movie to become as iconic as it is now? No, I didn't, but I did know this  when I was reading Quentin's script I knew I was holding something incredibly special in my hands. It was unique and original, and I knew that.'

Baltz, who lives in Los Angeles, is still a working actor and has just finished work on a terrifying horror short film called The Armoire, which has been nominated for awards across the world.

Baltz says he sees comparisons between Tarantino and The Armoire's creators - Canadian brothers Evan and Brodie Cooper.

'Its really exciting to work with people you really believe in - and its rare,' he explained.

'There are elements of this project that remind me of working with Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs, especially as it's their first movie.

'We had such a blast. Ive been doing this for 30 years now, and so when young writer and directors come along and they have a vision and also the perseverance and tenacity to go ahead and make something with some weight, then Im in.

'These guys are going to be part of Hollywood's next generation of key film-makers.'
A transgender woman said in a lawsuit Wednesday that she was called 'it' and 'thing' by co-workers and then wrongfully fired from a North Carolina Sam's Club store after repeatedly complaining about harassment.

The federal lawsuit by Charlene Bost seeks unspecified monetary damages and asks the court to order the big box retailer to train employees to prevent future harassment of transgender workers.

It says Bost was wrongfully fired in 2015 from the Kannapolis store in retaliation for her complaints.

Transgender people around the country are increasingly taking employers or schools to court to demand that their rights be protected, and North Carolina has been the site of a protracted legal battle over state laws governing which restrooms transgender people can use.

Charlene Bost says she was discriminated against at a Sam's Club (file pic) once she started changing her appearance from male to female in 2008

The executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, which represents Bost, said legal battles over transgender employee rights are becoming more common.

'Given the increase in the number of transgender people who are coming out, particularly at earlier and earlier ages, I think we're going to see many more claims in the future for discrimination against transgender people,' said Jillian Weiss, the fund's executive director, in an interview. Weiss added that it's important for 'employers to recognize that prejudice still exists among their employees.'

Bost hadn't yet transitioned to life as a woman when she began working in 2004 at a Sam's Club location about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Charlotte. Bost said she received praise and was promoted to supervisor before she began to express her feminine identity at work in 2008.

The lawsuit said the harassment by co-workers and multiple managers began around that time and escalated as Bost began wearing her hair longer and adding makeup to her appearance. In 2014, one co-worker told a customer as Bost walked by: 'Here comes that thing with an attitude,' the lawsuit says.

Bost, who's now 46, said she was repeatedly harassed by a man who became her direct supervisor when he was promoted to assistant manager in 2014. The lawsuit said he called her 'it' in front of other employees, made off-color jokes and initiated unwanted physical contact.

According to the suit, the assistant manager also was involved in fabricating written infractions against Bost that led to her firing.

A spokesman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the parent company of Sam's Club, said the company doesn't agree with Bost's account.

'We disagree with the claims raised by Ms. Bost. Her termination was for performance reasons,' said spokesman Randy Hargrove. He said that the company 'maintains a strong anti-discrimination policy.'

The lawsuit said Bost filed complaints and took her case to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2014. The commission issued a finding in late 2017 that there was evidence Bost faced a hostile work environment.

Sam's Club denied the allegations, according to EEOC documents. After a failed conciliation process, the federal commission recognized Bost's right to sue Sam's Club.

The lawsuit alleges Sam's Club violated federal workplace discrimination laws by creating a hostile environment and then retaliating against her complaints by firing her.

Bost's lawsuit was filed in the same federal court that is hearing a legal challenge to North Carolina's 'bathroom bill' of 2016 and the law that subsequently replaced it. While North Carolina lawmakers did away with the requirement that transgender people use restrooms corresponding to their birth certificates in many public buildings, the plaintiffs argue that the replacement law continues to harm them with intentionally vague bathroom rules.

The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund is representing another transgender woman who alleges that a supervisor at a Florida Sam's Club store harassed her after she began expressing her female identity. The EEOC found in July 2017 that there was evidence that the retailer discriminated against that woman.

Elsewhere a transgender woman and her husband, who are also represented by the fund, recently filed a lawsuit alleging they faced discrimination and harassment while working for online retailer Amazon at a Kentucky warehouse. Lawyers for Amazon urged the court to dismiss the lawsuit, saying a company probe found no support for the couple's discrimination allegations.

___

Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/JonathanLDrew
A former White House intern is coming under fire after flashing a known 'white power' sign during a photo-op with President Donald Trump.

Jack Breuer, who graduated from Emory University in Atlanta this year, is clearly bucking orders  personally given by the president  to give a thumbs-up in the picture that was taken in the White House in November.

While the other hundred or so interns smile and follow Trump's command, Breuer, a dentist's son who grew up in Chicago's western suburbs, stands stony-faced giving the 'OK' sign that has been linked with far-right groups.

It is the same sign that white nationalist Richard Spencer gave on the steps of the Trump International Hotel on election night and that right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos posed with in front of the White House.

It was also seen at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August - the same day an alleged Nazi sympathizer accelerated his car into anti-protesters, killing one and injuring several others.

All those surrounding Breuer on the right side of the picture are using their left hands to give their thumbs-up, with him standing out by using his right hand.

The gesture - which only makes sense if made with the right hand, although there are examples of people making it with their left hand - is said to depict the letter 'W' with the outstretched middle, ring and little fingers, and a 'P' with the circle made by the thumb and forefinger stretching down to the wrist. Together 'WP' stands for White Power.

Former White House intern Jack Breuer held up a 'white power' sign during a photo-op with President Trump and fellow interns in the East Room in November. The Emory University alum clearly bucked orders  personally given by the president  to give a thumbs-up

All those surrounding Breuer on the right side of the picture are using their left hands to give their thumbs-up, with him standing out by using his right hand

Breuer (pictured), who is in his early 20s, worked for Stephen Miller, the president's senior advisor for four months starting in September. A fellow intern said: 'Jack's a good kid and is probably doing it as a joke. Some people do consider it a joke because it is the OK sign'

Breuer, who is in his early 20s, did not respond to DailyMail.com's attempts to reach him. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Breuer's controversial stand was only spotted when other interns were mailed the picture from the White House earlier this month  just in time for Christmas.

'Context is everything,' one fellow intern told DailyMail.com. 'Jack is pictured with President Trump, one of the most controversial leaders we've had.

'It is a distinct symbol known in alt-right circles and what makes it worse is that he is doing it in the East Room just below the portrait of George Washington.'

The intern said Breuer's placement in the picture would not have been Breuer's decision because all the interns were marched in one-by-one and carefully positioned by height to improve the aesthetics of the photograph. They then waited for nearly 90 minutes before the president arrived.

The fellow intern added: 'When President Trump arrived he spoke for a while about how beautiful we all are  and even mentioned some of the interns being fired.

'He joked for a bit then asked us all to do his signature thumbs up pose then went on his way.'

A protester flashes the 'white power sign' - or what he thinks is the white power sign - as he joined hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' in Charlottesville, Virginia, in mid August, before a 'Nazi sympathizer' accelerated his car into anti-protesters and killed one. In theory the sign only works if made with the right hand but some white nationalists appear to use it on either hand

The president regularly uses the OK sign when making speeches, however he does not generally stretch his three fingers out to form the 'W' (pictured)

The president's son, Eric, was also in the room, although he did not pose in the picture.

'Jack's a good kid and is probably doing it as a joke,' added the intern who requested anonymity. 'Some people do consider it a joke because it is the OK sign.'

Breuer worked for Stephen Miller, the president's senior advisor for policy for four months starting in September, according to his LinkedIn page.

Miller himself has been attacked for having allegedly racist views, with Essence Magazine pointing to a letter he wrote to a paper in Santa Monica, California, in which he attacked Spanish speakers, the LGBT community and native Americans, while Mother Jones reported that he had close ties to Richard Spencer.

The OK hand signal has gained popularity as it mimics one of Trump's favorite signs. The president regularly uses the OK sign when making speeches, however he does not generally stretch his three fingers out to form the 'W.'

The sign has gained popularity among the so-called alt-right. Writers Jim Hoft and Lucien Wintrich of the extremist Gateway Pundit posed at the podium of the White House Briefing Room making the sign  although Wintrich used his left hand, destroying its significance.

The hand gesture was made by white nationalist Richard Spencer on the steps of the Trump International Hotel on election night last November (pictured)

Right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos (pictured) also flashed the 'white nationalist' sign when he posed in front of the White House wearing Trump's 'Make America Great Again' hat

The cartoon character Pepe the Frog (left), a meme among the alt-right has also used the signal. The gesture only works if made with the right hand and is said to depict the letter 'W' and a 'P'. Together 'WP' stands for White Power (right)

The cartoon character Pepe the Frog, a meme among the alt-right has also used the signal.

However the Anti Defamation League  which lists Pepe as racist  says the OK sign is a hoax and should not be considered a signal of the white supremacy.

The ADL says the sign started as a hoax on the Internet discussion board 4chan where a user posted a message saying 'we must flood Twitter and other social media websitesclaiming that the OK hand sign is a symbol of white supremacy.'

He then added: 'Leftists have dug so deep down into their lunacy,' wrote the poster, 'We must force [them] to dig more, until the rest of society ain't going anywhere near that s***.'
A woman, who was kidnapped and thrown from a bridge into the frigid Arkansas River after she witnessed a fatal shooting, managed to swim to safety.

Little Rock police found the 42-year-old woman was found suffering from hypothermia on Christmas morning.

Police said they received a 911 call from someone who heard her screaming for help. She is being treated at a hospital, KATV reported.

A woman, who was kidnapped and thrown from a bridge into the frigid Arkansas River after she witnessed the fatal shooting of Arlin Nugent (left), 49, managed to swim to safety on Christmas morning. Police arrested Richard Gilliam (right) in connection with the murder

A police report says the woman told investigators that she was kidnapped and thrown from the Interstate 430 bridge. The water in the Arkansas River at the time she was thrown was roughly 32 degrees.

She told authorities she was kidnapped after witnessing a shooting during a home invasion in Scott, 15 miles southeast of Little Rock.

Lonoke County sheriff's officials said Arlin Nugent, 49, died at the scene after being shot.

A second person was wounded in the attack and has been taken to a hospital. Authorities did not reveal the condition of the second person.

Little Rock police, Arkansas State Police and Lonoke County deputies arrested Richard Gilliam on Monday at an apartment in Little Rock.

Police said the kidnapping victim told authorities that Gilliam was one of two suspects. Gilliam, 33, is being held at Lonoke County jail on $1 million bond.

He faces charges of capital murder, attempted capital murder, aggravated residential burglary and kidnapping. Gilliam's next court appearance is scheduled for February.

Online jail records don't indicate that he has an attorney who can comment on his behalf. Authorities are still searching for the second suspect.
An Irish father-of-two died in hospital after a fight with a fisherman in Perth just two days before Christmas.

Charles McCarthy, 32, collapsed to the ground after he was allegedly stabbed in the head following a late-night altercation with two anglers.

The 'very popular' father, who emigrated to Australia from Ireland over a decade ago, was walking with his wife and another friend at about 1.30am in East Fremantle last Saturday night when the fight broke out.

It's understood he was struck in the temple with a screwdriver, according to the Irish Times.

Charles McCarthy (left) died after an alleged altercation with a fisherman while walking with his wife (right) and another person two days before Christmas

The Irish father-of-two (pictured with his family) died in hospital after the alleged altercation

Fisherman Andrew Doan, 34, (pictured) allegedly 'stabbed in the head with what is believed to be a screwdriver' according to the Irish Times

Described as a 'quite but very popular' man, Mr McCarthy had two young children aged five and two.

The 32-year-old's family flew from Ireland to Perth to be by his bedside in the intensive care unit before Mr McCarthy's life support was turned off at Royal Perth Hospital.

The father-of-two moved to Australia in 2000 and worked as a cable layer in Perth, according to his Facebook page.

Mr McCarthy's sister Karina Dolan told Independent that she last saw her big brother at her wedding last year.

'He was beautiful inside and out. He was just the best, you couldn't put it into words. He had a heart of gold and he was never once in an ounce of trouble,' Ms Dolan said.

'His beautiful wife and his kids were everything to him.'

The 32-year-old's family (Mr McCarthy pictured with his sister Karina Dolan) flew from Ireland to Perth to be by his bedside before his life support was turned off at Royal Perth Hospital

Mr Doan was arrested at Riverside Road, East Fremantle (pictured) and charged with causing grievous bodily harm however the charge may be upgraded to manslaughter

Andrew Doan, 34, was arrested at Riverside Road, East Fremantle, and has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm

Mr Doan, who is in custody, claims he was acting in self defence and his lawyer told Perth Magistrate's Court on Wednesday the alleged actions were alike an accident, Perth Now reported.

The charge could be upgraded to manslaughter or murder the court was told.
Sugary drinks will be banned from hospital canteens and vending machines if managers fail to cut sales.

Hospitals have been encouraged to join a voluntary scheme whereby they reduce sales of sugary drinks to no more than 10 per cent of all beverages sold.

So far 241 hospital and community trusts have signed up - two thirds - but 91 trusts have yet to do so.

Sugary drinks face being banned from vending machines and canteens unless steps are taken to cut sales

Duncan Selbie said offering healthier food is a positive step towards solving the nation's obesity problem

They have been warned by NHS England that an outright ban will be introduced later in 2018 if they dont start steps to reduce sales by March.

Sugary drinks include flavoured water, milkshakes, hot chocolate and coffee with flavoured syrups.

Some 14 high street chains and suppliers with outlets in hospitals have also signed up to the scheme namely WH Smith, Marks & Spencer and Greggs.

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England  the Government agency for tackling obesity  said: Hospitals should play an important role in preventing obesity, not just treating it.

Plans to offer healthier food and restrict less healthy options are a positive step towards tackling the countrys obesity problem.
The birthplace of the lamington has taken the iconic Australian cake off of the menu  117 years after it was created.

Brisbane's Old Government House removed the chocolate and coconut covered sponge from the building's restaurant, The Pantry, six weeks ago because they were not selling, according to The Brisbane Times.

The sweet is believed to have been crafted in the house's kitchen in 1900 for Lady May Lamington, the wife of Lord Charles Wallace Lamington, Queensland's eight governor.

The birthplace of the lamington has taken the iconic Australian cake off of the menu  117 years after it was created (pictured is Brisbane's Old Government House)

Brisbane's Old Government House removed the chocolate and coconut covered sponge from the building's restaurant, The Pantry, six weeks ago because they were not selling

The sweet is believed to have been crafted in the house's kitchen in 1900 for Lady May Lamington (pictured), the wife of Lord Charles Wallace Lamington, Queensland's eight governor

It is unknown who exactly created the small square cakes, but it is assumed the couple's chef French patisserie chef, Armand Galland, or cookery teacher Amy Schauer, constructed the lamington.

Ms Galland became friends with Lady Lamington while she lived in the house from 1896 to 1901.

'They just weren't selling,' Sarah Barnes, manager of Old Government House's restaurant told the publication.

It is unknown who exactly created the small square cakes, but it is assumed the couple's chef French patisserie chef, Armand Galland, or cookery teacher Amy Schauer, constructed the lamington (pictured is The Pantry)

'We now have cakes and a range of other things in the cabinet, as opposed to just sponge.'

'It could just be a millennial thing, but we took it off the menu a few months ago. Honestly, they were just not moving.'

Katie McConnel, the house's curator said it is 'very sad' the lamingtons are no longer for sale.
An increasing number of Aussie males are turning to cosmetic surgery to help them get rid of their 'dad bod'.

Medical director and principal surgeon at Calibre Clinic Dr Jayson Oates said he has seen a surge in treatments in the lead up to summer.

'Certainly since spring we have seen an increase interest in core sculpting,' he said.

An increasing number of Aussie males are turning to cosmetic surgery to help them get rid of their 'dad bod' (stock image)

Figures from the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia show an increase non-surgical and surgical procedures for men

Dr Oates, the former president of the Australasian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, said if the fat is 'grabbable' surgery can make a difference.

'We can tell a good candidate by the amount of fat we can grab,' he said.

Dr Oates said he has also seen a demand for 'poolside packages'- a non-surgical procedure using dermal fillers to plump up men's genitals.

He compares the trend to women wanting to enhance their breasts.

'We use the same fillers we use in the lips and face to make make the penis bigger,' Dr Oates said.

Figures from the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia show an increase non-surgical and surgical procedures for men.

Nearly three-quarters of men think it's acceptable to undergo anti-ageing treatments, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Almost half the public have not seen a bobby patrolling their neighbourhood beat in the past year.

This is despite the vast majority saying a uniformed presence on the streets is essential to maintaining law and order.

The figures were revealed in a survey of more than 12,000 people, commissioned by the independent police watchdog.

The figures were revealed in a survey of more than 12,000 people, commissioned by the independent police watchdog. Pictured: File photo of police on the beat

Some 44 per cent had not seen a uniformed officer on foot in their area in 2017, up from 41 per cent last year and 36 per cent in 2015. Just 7 per cent said they regularly see police walking the streets.

The findings will raise fears in Whitehall that forces are retreating from the front line and the bobby on the beat could soon be extinct.

Ministers insist decisions on spending resources must be for police chiefs, who say the changing nature of crime means it is often not effective to send officers out on patrol.

But taxpayers  who contribute more than 9billion to police coffers every year  have repeatedly said in polls that they would like to see more officers outside of their vehicles.

Last week the Daily Mail revealed that a sell-off of police stations and other buildings has left many residents poorly served by ill-thought-out replacements.

Chiefs boasted of virtual police officers and cuppa with a copper sessions at libraries, cafes and leisure centres.

But replacement touchscreen computers did not work or were too complicated, and crime victims said they wanted to speak to police in private.

Substitute: A 'virtual' police counter in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire

According to the poll commissioned by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, only 7 per cent regularly see officers on foot patrol. While 44 per cent saw none over the past year, a further 22 per cent said they spotted bobbies on the beat only once or twice. Some 12 per cent said they had not seen any in a vehicle either.

Residents are most likely to have seen uniformed police officers at least once every three months in a vehicle (58 per cent) or on TV (10 per cent), the survey by Ipsos Mori showed.

Researchers found ethnic minorities, city dwellers and young adults are more likely to be satisfied with how often they see police. They said public feelings on the visibility of police can be strong and have a significant bearing on broader attitudes to policing and local safety.

Elsewhere, the research found more than half (55 per cent) said they were very or fairly confident in the polices ability to deal with a terror attack, up from 46 per cent in 2016. The findings follow a year of Islamist atrocities in Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge.

Half of respondents were satisfied with police. But the proportion of people who said the service provided by local police has got worse rose to 25 per cent, from 20 per cent in 2016.

HMIC has previously raised concerns over the long-term impact of an erosion of neighbourhood policing. There are fears officers are spending too much time tackling calls that do not involve crime, including helping people with mental health problems and children who repeatedly abscond from care homes.

The 'virtual police counter system' at Eastwood Police Station, Nottinghamshire. This is where people can go in and be connected, via video, to a police station eight miles away

Tory MP Nigel Evans said: If the thin blue line becomes invisible, there is no line  and with the closure of many police stations and the workload increasing on the police it means they cannot do the patrolling which makes people feel safe and deterrence of crime.

Its a false economy  Amber Rudds New Year resolution should be to get more police back on the beat next year.

HMICs Matt Parr said: The importance of visible local policing continues to resonate with the public. Over eight in ten said it was important to have a regular uniformed presence. But the number who have not seen a police presence in the last year has risen from just over a third in 2015 to almost half this year.

Tory MP Nigel Evans said Amber Rudds New Year resolution should be to get more police back on the beat next year

Researchers have repeatedly found members of the public citing more officers on the beat as the best way to secure their communities.

Police chiefs, rank-and-file representatives, and politicians are concerned that neighbourhood policing is being eroded by dwindling budgets. They claim approachable officers on the street form one end of a golden thread that runs through the British policing model to the most dangerous threats.

Andy Fittes, of the Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers, said: The reality is that we have 20,000 fewer police officers in service now compared to 2010 when austerity began, and if police forces have less then inevitably the public gets less  we simply do not have the resources to patrol as we once would have done.

Police chiefs are having to make tough choices and to prioritise things like terrorism and public order events and ensure the critical incidents are dealt with.

Former Thames Valley chief Sara Thornton, who leads the National Police Chiefs Council, said local policing is absolutely crucial to countering terrorist plots, disrupting serious and organised crime networks and safeguard the most vulnerable in society, so all chief constables are working hard to ensure the service is as visible and approachable as possible.

A Home Office spokesman said the Government had announced it would increase funding by up to 450million for local, national and counter-terror policing next year, but added: Effective local policing has always been about more than just officers visibility  never more so than now, with crime increasingly taking place behind closed doors and online.
The family of a 30-year-old man shot dead by two Kansas police officers earlier this year has expressed deep disappointment with the decision by the local district attorney to not charge the officers.

Dominique White was shot and killed by two police officers in Topeka, Kansas, on September 28, with the incident recorded by one of the officers' body camera.

Video footage shows White being stopped and searched by the two officers, and although he initially tells them he is not armed, they spot a gun in his back pocket.

Scroll down for video

Killed: Dominique White, 30, was shot dead by police officers in Topeka, Kansas, in September

He co-operates with the officers and allows them to search him, however upon spotting the gun they move to arrest him, at which point White struggles.

The officers repeatedly urge him to stop, but White breaks away to flee from them. Moments later, multiple shots are fired at him.

White's death certificate shows he died from gunshot wounds to his back. Kagay's report confirms he was shot in the back.

White's family members said in a statement that they are 'incredibly disappointed' by the district attorney's decision not to charge the police officers.

'My son was shot in the back while attempting to run away from officers,' White's mother, Mary Theresa Wynne, said in the statement. 'The video shows that they did not need to shoot and kill him.'

Following orders: Police bodycamera footage shows that White initially co-operated, but that he lied about having a gun - something which the officers soon discovered

Panic: The two officers move to arrest White, at which point he wrestles out of their grip and being to flee from them

Shocking: As the 30-year-old runs from the police officers they shoot him four times in the back, killing him instantly

In his report, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay described White, who had spent seven months in prison on a felony gun charge, as acting suspiciously after the officers responded to a call about shots being fired.

The district attorney's analysis said police found a firearm loaded with eight rounds of ammunition on White, along with two loaded magazines and a knife. The report described White as 'uncooperative and combative throughout the incident.'

'It was Mr. White's actions that escalated these events,' Kagay said in his report, adding later that 'no reasonable judge or jury would find the actions of either officer involved in this matter to be unlawful.'

The city has faced criticism over the handling of the shooting. It has not released the names of the officers involved, and police body camera footage wasn't made public until Kagay showed it to news reporters Wednesday.

The family's attorney is Gillian Cassell-Stiga of Beldock Levine & Hoffman, the same law firm that represented the family of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who was stopped by police on Staten Island in 2014 for selling untaxed cigarettes and died after a white officer placed him in a chokehold. While no one was prosecuted over Garner's death, the city paid $6 million to settle a civil court lawsuit.

Topeka city spokeswoman Molly Hadfield said the Police Department will complete its own follow-up internal investigation before deciding whether to release the officers' names.

White's family has said they are 'incredibly disappointed' with Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay's decision not to file criminal charges against the Kansas police officers

Kagay's report noted that the area on Topeka's east side where White was shot has had nearly weekly reports of gunshots, 32 reported robberies and two homicides in the past five years. The report described the two officers as police veterans familiar with the area.

White had been out of prison less than five months. He was ordered to serve probation after pleading guilty to a burglary charge in 2015, went to prison in October 2016 after pleading no contest to illegally possessing a firearm and was not supposed to have a gun.

According to Kagay's report, White tried to walk away from officers when they arrived at the scene and ignored multiple requests to stop before they caught up with him. The report said his blood later tested positive for the presence of marijuana and methamphetamine.

White had gloves in his possession that tested positive for gunshot residue, the report said. That and other evidence suggested White fired the shots that brought officers to the area, according to the report.

'There is also little doubt that Mr. White was attempting to avoid being detained or searched by the officers,' Kagay said in the report. He added that the officers remained 'calm and professional.'

White's stepmother, Molly White, said the situation still shouldn't have ended with his death.

'Had Topeka police exercised restraint, Dominique would be alive with us today,' she said in a statement.
Rail passengers could soon have access to high-speed Wi-Fi on trains under new Government plans.

Faster connections would mean that every commuter on board could watch videos simultaneously during their journey.

It comes after Ministers made fast broadband a legal right for every household by 2020.

Rail passengers could get faster internet connections by 2025 under new goverment plans after ministers made it a legal right for households to have fast broadband by 2020

Now internet connectivity on trains could be dramatically improved on all mainline routes by 2025, creating a world-class service for passengers.

Currently, internet and mobile signals are supplied by mobile phone networks around the country, meaning they are often patchy or non-existent.

Under the new plans, fibre optic cables will be laid along rail tracks and through tunnels, and wireless devices will be mounted on mobile masts.

Minimum standards for mobile connectivity are already being introduced on new rail franchises.

The improvements are part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sports 5G strategy.

Digital Minister Matt Hancock said: We want people to be able to get connected where they live, work and travel. This means improving connections on Britains railways now, and making sure they are fit for the future.

Under the new plans, fibre optic cables will be laid along rail tracks and through tunnels, and wireless devices will be mounted on mobile masts

Weve got a long way to travel but our destination is world-class signal for passengers. This will not only make journeys more enjoyable and productive, but will help improve the operation and safety of the railway and deliver economic benefits for the whole of the UK.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling added: Improved mobile connectivity will help passengers to keep up with work, connect with friends or even check the latest journey information online while on the move, as we continue to build and develop a railway fit for the twenty-first century.

Earlier this month, Ministers announced plans to give every home the legal right to demand high-speed broadband.

All homes and businesses in the UK will have access to speeds of at least 10 Mbps (megabits per second) by 2020, they pledged.

Transport Minister Chris Grayling (pictured) said that 'improved mobile connectivity will help passengers keep up with work'

The plans mean broadband providers now face a legal requirement to provide high-speed internet access when a household requests it.

Britain currently lags behind most of Europe and the world in providing access to the fastest internet speeds available.

There are more than 1.1million forgotten homes and businesses in the UK which do not have access to decent broadband speeds.

The plans to provide better Wi-Fi and mobile signals on trains follow on from this announcement.

Each train could get speeds of around 1 Gigabit Per Second (Gbps), allowing several hundred travellers to stream video at the same time.

Bruce Williamson, from campaign group Railfuture, welcomed the plans.

He said: It should become absolutely standard for all trains on the British railway network to have seamless connectivity, as its essential for attracting the smartphone connected generation to rail, as well as the business traveller working on the move.

Very soon, trains without Wi-Fi will become unthinkable, and rail passengers will look forward to the day when the phone doesnt cut out in tunnels.

Work has already begun on a trial on the trans-Pennine route between Manchester and York, in partnership with Network Rail.

The pilot is part of a 31billion National Productivity Investment Fund, which will include 1billion for improving Britains digital infrastructure.
Laura's mother, Roberta Synclair, drove three and a half hours to Qena prison - a notorious jail on the banks of the Nile holding murderers and jihadists - only to be told her daughter was not there. Pictured: Laura

Jailed British tourist Laura Plummer has been found after her mother drove three and a half hours across the desert to visit her in jail before being told she was not there.

Roberta Synclair took a taxi to Qena prison - a notorious jail on the bank of the Nile holding murderers and jihadists over 140 miles from where she was staying - only to be told her daughter was not there.

Shop assistant Laura, from Hull, was sentenced to three years in jail on Boxing Day for travelling to Egypt with powerful painkillers in her suitcase.

Yesterday her mother was turned away from a separate jail in Safaga, about an hour away from her hotel in Hurghada, after Laura was moved there without her knowledge.

Laura's father said it was 'farcical' that Roberta was only about a mile away from her mother all along.

Neville Plummer, 70, said: 'Roberta went all the way to Qena from Hurghada and when she got there they said, 'No, she's not here'.

'She's been in Hurghada all along.'

Mr Plummer also said that Laura 'seems a bit better' based on what he has heard this evening - and hopes she could be transferred to a safer prison in Cairo.

Laura's sister, Rachel Plummer, said today that her mother suffered a 'double blow' after driving out to see Laura and bring her much-needed supplies - only to be disappointed again.

The family was left desperately trying to find out where Laura was being held, with Rachel explaining that she is waiting for a response from the Foreign Office about her location.

Ms Plummer's sister, Jayne Synclair (right), told MailOnline that she is flying to the Middle East next week to take over the responsibility of managing Laura's case from her mother (left)

Yesterday Roberta was turned away from a separate jail in Safaga, about an hour away from her hotel in Hurghada, after Laura was moved there without her knowledge. Today she went to Qena before being told her daughter was in Hurghada all along

British tourist Laura Plummer (pictured) collapsed in shock after hearing she had been given a three-year sentence in a hellish Egyptian prison for drug smuggling.

Now she has said her mother has found Laura - back in Hurghada, where has she been held since her arrest in October, while she waits for space to become available at Qena prison.

Her cell in Hurghada has previously been reported as 15ft by 15ft and containing 25 other women, some of whom her family said have beaten and robbed her.

Laura's family also said the jail is full of 'murderers, heroin addicts and prostitutes' and said she was being targeted 'because she is foreign'.

Earlier today her father said he feared for his 33-year-old daughter's life if she had to stay in the notorious Qena prison - particularly after hearing about cases of guards raping inmates.

Qena prison is home to convicted jihadis, rapists, murderers and other serious criminals.

Laura Plummer, 33, and her father Neville, 70, who said his daughter will 'stick out like a sore thumb' in Qena prison

Mr Plummer said his daughter, who was arrested in Egypt after she was found to be carrying 290 Tramadol tablets in her suitcase, will 'stick out like a sore thumb' in the jail.

He told MailOnline: 'It's terrible, where she's being kept. I've heard horrible things about it - about the paedophiles and killers and jihadis.

'These are people who are totally anti-Western - she'll stick out like a sore thumb.'

Mr Plummer added that he is also worried about what he has been told of prison guards in the Middle Eastern country, including cases of them raping inmates.

Laura's mother, Roberta, will visit her in prison today to hand over fresh food and clothes before flying back to Hull.

One of her daughters, Jayne Synclair, said her mother is so traumatised by the experience that she will not return to Egypt after she leaves tomorrow.

Mr Plummer - who has six children by Roberta but is no longer married to her - said he will stay in the UK and manage the family's finances during the ordeal.

He said: 'I'm the one holding the purse strings, so I won't be going there. We don't know where the next bill is coming from, so it's easier for me to stay here and sort out the money.'

The family has already spent at least 40,000 helping Laura, which has included paying for her food while she is held in jail.

The horrific experience has 'ruined Laura's life,' Mr Plummer explained. He added: 'She's a pale shadow of herself.'

He said his daughter was so naive that she didn't know the difference between Tramadol and aspirin - 'or even Smarties' - and was in no way guilty of smuggling the drugs.

Through tears, Mr Plummer also spoke of how his 'lovely' daughter was 'timid', 'innocent' and 'vulnerable' and stressed his hope that a deal could be reached to have her moved to a British prison.

'We live in hope, but there seems to be bad news every day so I don't know.

'She doesn't speak a word of Arabic - the only thing she can say is Omar's name, and she gets that wrong half the time.

Describing the conditions in the Qena prison, Jayne said: 'I've seen pictures and if you kept a dog in there and the RSPCA saw it - you would lose your dog. It's honestly THAT bad'

'It's just terrible.'

Laura's sister Jayne has also revealed that the jailed holidaymaker was 'confused' and behaving strangely in prison.

'Her whole life is flashing before her eyes,' she said on Wednesday.

'Mum said she kept having flashbacks of being a small child. I'm not a doctor, but it might be the brain trying to process everything that's happening.'

Jayne also said her mother, who is in Egypt to be by her daughter's side during the ordeal, is flying back to Hull tomorrow - and will not be returning.

Ms Plummer's sister Jayne Synclair said today that her sister is an 'absolute mess'

She explained: 'Mum's not slept in three days - it's unbelievable. It's been horrible for her as well.

'She can't fly back again - it's been far too traumatising.'

Jayne said that her and her other sister, Rachel, will fly out to Egypt next week to take over from her mother.

'Mum said straight away, 'Who's going to come back next time?',' she said.

'We're going to have to take it in turns - she's got five siblings so we'll have to sort something out between us.'

But Jayne said the family just wants 'shy, quiet' Laura to come home after her horrific experience.

'Mum said she kept having flashbacks of being a small child. I'm not a doctor, but it might be the brain trying to process everything that's happening,' Jayne said of Laura (pictured above with Omar)

She said her sister - who 'can't even watch Jurassic Park because she's scared of dinosaurs' - is not suited to prison and has previously warned she could die behind bars.

Laura's family has previously said she was robbed and beaten while being held for her trial - being picked on because she is foreign.

But Jayne said Laura, who is a Christian, has always been respectful of Egyptian culture.

Egypt also reportedly defied the British Foreign Office by sending Laura to Qena prison.

'I thought I'd be freed - I thought it was the end,' Laura sobbed yesterday.

Laura escaped the death penalty for transporting the opiate Tramadol in her luggage at the start of a holiday. However, she was told she would still be locked up.

Yesterday, Jayne revealed the Foreign Office intervened to block Laura being sent to the 'dangerous' Qena prison - but was ignored.

But after turning up to visit her daughter at a jail in Cairo her mother Roberta Synclair, 64, discovered Laura had been moved 150 miles to the notorious hell-hole.

Jayne, 40, said: 'It's really underhand - my mum went to Cairo to where they were told she would be but when she turned up she wasn't there.

'They have slyly taken her to where the British Foreign Office told us she would never be placed - but the Egyptian authorities have already moved her there.

Stunned, the woman from Hull sobbed before slumping to the floor. 'I thought I'd be freed  I thought it was the end,' she sobbed. Speaking after the sentence, her visibly distraught mother, Roberta Synclair, said: 'This is not fair. She's done it in all innocence'

'Our biggest fear with this scenario has been confirmed - she will be sharing a tiny cell with jihadi terrorists and rapists.

'I honestly dread to think. Laura won't survive a day in there - let alone three years.

'She won't even make it through that - I can't believe they've even still sent her there.'

The jail is situated north of Luxor and Jayne is fearful her sister won't make it out alive.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We are continuing to provide assistance to Laura and her family following the court ruling in Egypt, and our embassy is in regular contact with the Egyptian authorities.'

Describing the conditions in the Qena prison, Jayne said: 'I've seen pictures and if you kept a dog in there and the RSPCA saw it - you would lose your dog. It's honestly THAT bad.'

She said the family will be expected to pay for Laura's food and will only be able to visit a maximum of once every two weeks.

Jayne said the family's Christmas - and year - has been ruined following the sentencing of Laura.

Mr Caboo was reportedly 'very sad' while Laura cried so heavily that her mother has to calm her down. Pictured: Mr Caboo (left) with Ms Plummer's mother (centre) at the court after the sentence

She said Laura is covered in mosquito bites, had a scabby face and her hair is falling out.

Jayne said: 'Laura has got three years, but we have got a life sentence with this - our family will never be able to shake this off.

'We come from a privileged background so we did not need the money, her ticket was 500, she had 1,500 and she had 3,500 in her bank.

'There was nothing on the travel guide website when visiting Egypt that says you cannot take Tramadol into the country.

'The evidence was so overwhelming in her favour and yet she still got three years.

'Her solicitor told us that he was expecting to be freed and allowed to leave - but we think she was made an example of.'

Mr Caboo (pictured) was described by witnesses at the court as being 'very sad' after the sentence was delivered, while Laura cried so heavily that her mother had to calm her down

Jayne confirmed Laura's shop assistant job in Princes Quay in Hull has been kept vacant until she returned from her Egypt hell hole.

She added: 'Laura isn't the strongest of people, she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown, covered in scabs.

'She's been bitten from head to foot in mosquito bites and she's like a ghost.

'Her skin is translucent and the muscles in her legs don't work - they're like jelly.

'That's why she had to be seated during the court hearing.'

Ms Plummer said, after her sentence: 'Everyone was saying how strong my case was and that it was only a matter of time. How can this be happening? I can't do three years here, I'm so frightened, I haven't done anything wrong.'

Shop worker Laura was arrested after she was found to be carrying 290 Tramadol tablets in her suitcase, a painkiller which is legal in the UK but banned in Egypt.

Ms Plummer's family, who have described her as 'naive', said she was taking the tablets for her Egyptian partner Omar Caboo, who suffers from severe back pain. They say he had no idea she was bringing the medication.

But a judge at a preliminary court sentenced her to three years' imprisonment and ordered her to pay a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds (4,205).

Jayne Synclair told Sky News yesterday that her sister - who she described as an 'absolute mess' - will have to wait 60 days before she can appeal.

She said: 'What's going to happen in those 60 days? What's going to happen to her? She thought she was going to come home. It's a living hell.'

Ms Synclair said the Egyptian justice system has 'sentenced her whole family' as they are all 'in a state' worrying if Ms Plummer will ever get out.

Today, Jayne told Good Morning Britain that her sister would 'never break the law' adding: 'Nobody deserves this for taking painkillers to a foreign country.'

Jayne said that their mother was devastated at not being able to see Laura after her sentencing: 'She could not even comfort her after being sentenced to three years, couldn't give her a cuddle, a kiss or anything.

'This prison, you only have to Google it to see how horrendous it is, and my sister being in there is absolutely heartbreaking.

Yesterday, Ms Plummer's lawyer said the British national had 'accidentally' confessed in front of a judge after reportedly misunderstanding a question.

Ms Plummer's family previously claimed she was suicidal after sharing a 15ft square cell with 25 women inmates.

It has also been claimed that staff at the jail - which is on the outskirts of the city of Hurgharda - have shown little sympathy for what the Egyptian media are calling the 'Tramadol Tourist'.

Mr Caboo was described by witnesses at the court as being 'very sad' after the sentence was delivered, while Laura cried so heavily that her mother had to calm her down.

Speaking after the sentence, her visibly distraught mother, Roberta Synclair, said: 'This is not fair. She's done it in all innocence.

'She brought [the drugs] to help someone, to help a family.'

She added: 'She's the kindest person... I was worried about her before, [when she was] in the police station. I'm even more worried now she's in actual prison with real criminals.

'I feel sick - I'm so frightened for her.'

She has now been transferred to a police station, from which she will be sent to jail.

The sentence, however, can be changed as the case progresses through the Egyptian legal system.

It is expected to take a minimum of one month for the second stage of the case to begin. The family said her lawyers lodged an immediate appeal.

Ms Plummer's sister, Rachel, said their mother Roberta was 'devastated' by the sentence.

Laura Plummer's previous jail - and the prison she has been sent to Laura Plummer was arrested at Hurghada International Airport on October 9 when police discovered she was carrying Tramadol and Naproxen in her suitcase. She was then held in a communal cell in Hurghada packed with 25 other women. Her cell was 15ft by 15ft, her family said, and - they claim - full of 'murderers, heroin addicts and prostitutes'. Her sister Jayne Synclair told The Mirror she was being 'targeted' by other inmates because she is foreign. Jayne said: 'To give you an idea of the place Laura is staying in - this woman [a woman alleged to be caring for Laura] is locked up for slitting her best friend's throat.' She added: 'She's a target in there because she's a foreigner. 'She was being kicked and kicked until apparently the cell leader started watching her.' Al Jazeera, which is based in nearby Qatar, also published a more general story about the state of Egyptian prisons in 2014. Toilets were a hole in the ground with a curtain for privacy In shocking videos leaked to the TV channel, jails in the country were shown to be cramped and dirty Al-Monitor , meanwhile, has reported that female prisoners in Egypt face regular sexual harassment and abuse by guards at jails. Pictured: A grab from a video obtained by Al Jazeera Prisons in Egypt have been repeatedly exposed as hellishly filthy. Pictured: The windows at one prison Jayne has also said Ms Plummer has threatened to kill herself because of the 'repulsive' conditions in the prison, which has no toilet or air conditioning. She reportedly relieves herself in a hole in the ground. Now she has been sent to Qena prison, which is notorious for its cramped and filthy cells. Jihadists and other serious criminals are also kept there. Laura, meanwhile, will have to pay for the food she eats and family will only be able to visit once a fortnight. Describing the conditions in the Qena prison, her sister Jayne said: 'I've seen pictures and if you kept a dog in there and the RSPCA saw it - you would lose your dog. It's honestly THAT bad.' Prisons in Egypt have been repeatedly exposed as hellishly filthy by journalists and rights groups. Al Jazeera interviewed an inmate from al-Qanater prison - which is used for both political prisoners and for regular criminals - who said it was 'full of cockroaches' and 'disgusting'. She said everything was dirty and she regularly felt intimidated by other prisoners. Pictured: Al-Qanater prison, where Ms Plummer could be sent by the Egyptian court Esraa el-Taweel told the broadcaster: 'The prison is scary and horrible. A different world - some [prisoners] are caught for using drugs, some for being prostitutes, some for pickpocketing, and others for stealing public funds. 'I have seen strange people and heard very strange stories. This cell is disgusting, full of cockroaches. Everything here is disgusting and life here is very difficult.' Al Jazeera, which is based in nearby Qatar, also published a more general story about the state of Egyptian prisons in 2014. In shocking videos leaked to the TV channel, jails in the country were shown to be cramped and dirty. Toilets were a hole in the ground with a curtain for privacy. Al-Monitor, meanwhile, has reported that female prisoners in Egypt face regular sexual harassment and abuse by guards at jails. Advertisement

She said the family was trying to find out more details about what happened in the courtroom.

She said: 'My mum's obviously devastated. She's out there by herself.' She added that she did not know whether the appeal would be heard today.

She said: 'We're just hoping. Even half of that would be better. Anything less than three years. She doesn't deserve that.'

Ms Plummer's MP Karl Turner said the ruling had come as a devastating blow to her family but he was hopeful that good sense would eventually prevail.

Miss Plummer, left, could face 25 years in prison with no parole, life imprisonment or even the death penalty

He said her case had been raised with the Egyptian authorities by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt.

'I am hopeful that good sense will eventually prevail,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.

'This is a damning indictment actually of the Egyptian authorities in the sense that good sense and fairness certainly hasn't prevailed in this case.

'This is a decent woman who has made a terrible mistake who shouldn't be incarcerated in any prison, never mind an Egyptian prison.'

Neville Plummer, Laura's father, said his daughter is 'on the verge of a breakdown' after the sentencing.

'The family are all absolutely devastated for Laura. It has been very distressing for everyone involved, but we have got to stay strong for Laura,' he said.

'The last time I spoke to Laura was two days after she was arrested.. To be honest, I think she was sentenced on the day she was arrested.

'This has been drawn out and dragged on and on, and in a way a line has now been drawn in the sand and things can only get better.'

'We have now got to stay positive for Laura,' Mr Plummer said.

'I will leave no stone unturned, and will let no money stand in the way of getting her the justice she needs.

Neville Plummer, Laura's father, said his daughter is 'on the verge of a breakdown' after the sentencing. Pictured: Laura

'She pleaded guilty to the trafficking when she did not even mean to plead guilty that is not justice, that is an injustice.

'I will never give up with the help. It is a very sad day for the family, at what should be a happy time of the year.'

Mr Plummer praised the work of the lawyers and legal teams who had represented Laura during the hearing.

He also said Hull East MP Karl Turner had been very supportive of Laura, and was continuing in his work to help the Hull woman.

Mr Turner said: 'I am hopeful that good sense will eventually prevail.

'This is a damning indictment actually of the Egyptian authorities in the sense that good sense and fairness certainly hasn't prevailed in this case.

'This is a decent woman who has made a terrible mistake who shouldn't be incarcerated in any prison, never mind an Egyptian prison.'

Yesterday her lawyer said she had 'accidentally' pleaded guilty during a hearing.

Her mother Roberta Synclair travelled to Egypt for the Christmas Day hearing.

Her lawyer Dia al-Bassal said Ms Plummer was asked yesterday: 'You are accused of smuggling and possessing Tramadol to Egypt?'

She then replied 'yes', with the judge ensuring the clerk recorded she had 'confessed' to the crime.

But when her translator explained what the question was, she denied being guilty of the charge.

Mr Bassal told The Telegraph: 'She meant that she is admitting that she had the Tramadol, but not admitting of being guilty.

'The judge jumped to the conclusion that she confesses before clarifying that she understood the question and this is worrying.'

Ms Plummer then reportedly wept in frustration, stressing 'it's not fair'.

The case revolves around 290 Tramadol Miss Plummer (left) took with her to Egypt for her lover Omar Caboo (right), 33, who suffers from back pain

Her lawyer will submit an explanation today emphasising that she meant to say she had the drug with her but did not intend to sell it.

Her sister Rachel Plummer said the judge adjourned the case for a day because of Laura's condition.

She said: 'She's sleep deprived, she's visibly nervous and upset.

'She's answered some questions wrong because she's not understanding them, she obviously can't think straight.

'You can imagine the pressure - this is her life.'

She said their mother and Mr Caboo were denied access to the hearing as their driver took them to court late.

MP Karl Turner told Sky News yesterday's hearing was adjourned so that Ms Plummer could find another interpreter.

He said: 'Apparently something was lost in translation, the defence lawyer wasn't confident that Laura was understanding the questions first of all, and the interpreter wasn't correctly translating what Laura was saying in her answers.'

Mr Turner said: 'The evidence is pretty clear that she didn't know the drug was banned and she was taking it out there to help her boyfriend, who has come up with the evidence that he does suffer from a severe back problem.'

The Plummer family has previously said she had no idea that what she doing was illegal and was just 'daft'.

Prison visit: The family of a British woman facing the death penalty in Egypt on drug smuggling charges today paid her an emotional visit in prison

They said she did not try to hide the medicine, which she had been given by a friend, and she thought it was a joke when she was pulled over by officials after arriving for a holiday with her partner.

Mrs Synclair said her daughter was being held in terrible conditions in a communal cell with no beds, sharing with up to 25 other women.

She said she looked 'unrecognisable'.

Laura's mother, Roberta Synclair, drove three and a half hours to Qena prison - a notorious jail on the banks of the Nile holding murderers and jihadists - only to be told her daughter was not there. Pictured: Laura and her Egyptian boyfriend, Omar

Ms Plummer is being held in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, where she was arrested at the airport on October 9.

Her family has been told that she could face up to 25 years in jail, with one lawyer even mentioning the death penalty.

Yesterday her lawyer claimed the price of her plane ticket could set her free.

Mohamed Othman said that a plane ticket shows she did not intend to sell the 290 Tramadol tablets found in her suitcase because she paid twice as much for her flight as the drugs are worth.

Othman called the plane ticket a 'key piece of evidence'.

He told The Sun: 'For someone to be found guilty of drug smuggling they have to be aware that they are possessing narcotics. Laura did not know that what she was carrying was a narcotic.

'It is illogical that she was dealing in Tramadol.She had only 320 pills - even the plane ticket is almost double the price of those pills.'

Plummer wept in court as she appeared in front of a judge on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day is a normal working day in the Islamic country, and the shop assistant from Hull appeared in the dock handcuffed.

Miss Plummer's mother Roberta Synclair and Mr Caboo arrived late to the courtroom and stood outside.

Mr Caboo, speaking outside of court, was convinced Miss Plummer would be freed.

He told MailOnline: 'I am sure Laura is innocent. She did not bring the Tramadol for selling or trading.

'I am sure she will be freed. She did not intend to do smuggle or trade.'

When Miss Plummer was arrested on October 9, she signed a 38-page document written in Arabic as she thought it would grant her freedom.

It led to her being locked up and she has already spent ten weeks in prison sharing a 15ft square cell with 25 women inmates.

Last month, her mother Roberta Synclair said: 'She did not realise what she was doing'.

She said Ms Plummer made no attempt to hide the medicine, which she had been given by a friend, and she thought it was a joke when she was first pulled over by officials when she flew into the country for a holiday with Mr Caboo.
BuzzFeed News fired its White House correspondent following accusations of workplace sexual harassment.

Adrian Carrasquillo was let go on Wednesday after an internal investigation uncovered allegations that he'd made inappropriate comments to a colleague on at least one occasion, according to Business Insider.

'We take these issues extremely seriously,' the spokesperson told the outlet.

'We're committed to ensuring that BuzzFeed remains a place where everyone is treated respectfully by his or her peers.'

Adrian Carrasquillo was fired Wednesday after an internal investigation uncovered allegations that he'd made inappropriate comments to a colleague on at least one occasion

The decision to fire him came after a new complaint was filed that had evidence of inappropriate comments he sent to a coworker

BuzzFeed started looking into several staffers last month when their names popped up on the Google spreadsheet 'Sh***y Media Men' being passed around media circles.

The spreadsheet contains lists of unverified allegations against men in media or publishing.

Among those listed was Carrasquillo.

The decision to fire him came after a new complaint was filed that had evidence of inappropriate comments he sent to a coworker.

'In responding to a complaint filed last week by an employee, we learned that Adrian violated our Code of Conduct by sending inappropriate message to a colleague,' the spokesperson told Business Insider. It's not clear if he sent those 'inappropriate messages' over text, email or another form of messenger.

The spokesperson also said Carrasquillo had already been warned about 'inappropriate communications.'

A source who has known Carrasquillo socially and has been at multiple social media-related work events with him over the past decade told DailyMail.com that she is not surprised by the new allegations.

'Adrian Carasquillo has climbed the media ranks while using his accomplishments to try and charm women along the way,' the source explained.

'It comes as no surprise that he made it onto a list titled, Sh***y Media Men. Don't get me wrong, he never had to do very much with most women because they were impressed.

'But having a professional member of the media trying to sleep with colleagues is highly unprofessional.

'It is about time that men like Carasquillo are stopped and made to suffer consequences. Hopefully he still has a career he can revive after he learns some pretty serious lessons.'

The source also said that she has been a victim of his 'grossness,' and that he'd been 'gross around me with others.'

'In our culture, men acting that way is acceptable. So women have either fallen for it, or they roll their eyes at his type of behavior,' she said.

'I just told another colleague who knows him and none of us are surprised. Well, a little that it took this long.'

A spokesperson for Buzzfeed said Carrasquillo had already been warned about 'inappropriate communications' before the complaint was filed

The existence of the 'Sh***y Media Men' list was first reported by BuzzFeed - and came in the wake of a the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, which opened the flood gates on accusations against men in power.

The list contains anonymous allegations of verbal, physical and sexual abuse that the author advised 'should be taken with a grain of salt.'

It also helped start the conversation about sexual harassment in the digital media industry, leading to the departure of staffers at several new media outlets.

The former editorial director at Vox, Lockhart Steele, was fired in October after he was accused of sexual harassment.

Several other Vox employees have also left the company due to similar allegations.

Glenn Thrush, the New York Times White House correspondent, was also accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual conduct in the workplace. He still has his job.

Carrasquillo has not addressed losing his job and hasn't yet returned Business Insider's request for comment.

BuzzFeed still has Carrasquillo named in their list of reporters on the company website.
President Trump tweeted a neat little graphic Wednesday boasting that his wins against ISIS are bigger than President Obama's.

Citing Department of Defense statistics and quoting the Washington Examiner's Jamie McIntyre, Trump said as of last week there are just 1,000 ISIS fighters left occupying a mere 1,900 square miles.

That's down from 35,000 ISIS fighters occupying 17,500 square miles that existed when President Trump was sworn in last January.

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President Trump, seen earlier today at the headquarters of the Palm Beach Fire Rescue squad, tweeted about his victories in the ISIS fight after returning to Mar-a-Lago Wednesday night

President Trump tweeted out a graphic Wednesday night that showed how much he's accomplished in the ISIS fight, comparing his record to that of President Obama's, using Department of Defense stats

Earlier Wednesday, Washington Examiner reporter Jamie McIntyre had tweeted out his ISIS story alongside a map that showed how much territory coalition forces had gained back since President Trump took office

Earlier Wednesday, McIntyre, a well-known and respected defense reporter, had tweeted a map showing the losses of ISIS territory during President Trump's 11-plus months in office.

He linked that to his report from earlier this week which had noted that the defeat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq 'rapidly accelerated' under Trump.

'The campaign liberated twice as many people and twice as much territory as in the previous 28 months under President Barack Obama, according to Defense Department figures,' McIntyre wrote.

In the tweet, the president quoted McIntyre's next paragraph that said: 'On Jan. 20  the day Trump was inaugurated  an estimated 35,000 ISIS fighters held approximately 17,500 square miles of territory in both Iraq and Syria. As of 12/21, the U.S. military estimates the remaining 1,000 or so fighters occupy roughly 1,900 square miles...'

The tipping point against ISIS, McIntyre wrote, came when Mosul, a city in northern Iraq, was liberated earlier this year.

'The liberation of Mosul was followed quickly with victories in Tal Afar, Hawija, and Al Qaim in Iraq in late summer and fall, and then a crushing blow as the Islamic States other capital, Raqqa, fell to U.S.-backed Syrian fighters,' the Washington Examiner reporter wrote.

It was President Obama's strategy to work 'by, with and through' partner forces, but U.S. commanders talking to the Examiner suggested it was Trump and his Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' strategy of getting rid of easing the engagement rules that helped rout the terror group.

'Commanders now don't, aren't constantly, calling back to higher headquarters asking for permission,' Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend told the publication. 'They're free to act.'

While the regulations under Obama felt like micro-management to some, others suggest the easing of engagement rules lead to more civilian deaths.

The military has countered media reports, that suggest civilian deaths in Iraq are much higher than counted and that air strikes under Trump have been less precise, by noting how ISIS is predominantly responsible for civilians killed in these countries.

'I say this with full conviction: The responsibility for civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria lies with ISIS, who have brought misery and death to this region,' Towsend told McIntyre.
Hospitals made a record 175 million in parking charges last year  despite a supposed Government crackdown.

They also made nearly 1 million from parking fines  up by a third on the previous year  although the true figure could be 4 million. And more than half are still charging disabled patients to park.

A Freedom of Information request found the highest charges are at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, at 4 an hour. Another 14 hospitals charge at least 3 an hour, including Northampton General at 3.20 and Southend University Hospital at 3.10.

Hospitals have made a record 175 million in parking charges in the last year despite a Government crackdown. Fifty-six trusts said they charged disabled patients to park

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has previously admitted the fees were unfair. In 2014, he introduced guidelines urging NHS trusts to offer free or reduced parking for cancer patients, the disabled, relatives and staff.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has previously admitted the fees were unfair. In 2014, he introduced guidelines urging NHS trusts to offer free or reduced parking for patients and staff

But the rules were not legally binding and many trusts chose to ignore them, because the fees are an important source of income.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: The vast sums that hospitals make from parking charges reveal the hidden cost of healthcare faced by many patients and their families.

Hospital car park charges amount to a tax on sickness, with people who are chronically ill or disabled bearing the brunt.

Labour health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth added: Hospital parking charges are an entirely unfair and unnecessary burden, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable people using our health service.

Even Jeremy Hunt has described this outrageous practice as a stealth tax, and yet Tory underfunding of our NHS has resulted in hospitals and private companies extracting record fees from patients and staff.

FIVE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOSPITAL CAR PARKS HOSPITAL TRUST Charge for 1 hour Total made 2016/17 Royal Surrey County,

Guildford 4 1,547,000 Northampton General 3.20 1,671,000 Southend University Hospital,

Essex 3.10 1,801,000 Royal Free, North London 3 2,042,000 Aintree University Hospital,

Liverpool 3 2,679,000

Rachel Power, of the Patients Association, said: Parking charges amount to an extra charge for being ill. The increase in the number of trusts who are charging for disabled parking is particularly concerning.

Patients who require disabled parking may have little choice but to access their care by car, and may need to do so often.

Targeting them in this way feels rather cynical. Figures from 111 of the 150 hospital trusts in England showed they raised 174.5 million from parking charges in 2016/17, an increase of 6 per cent on the 164.1 million collected in 2015/16.

Royal Surrey County Hospital has the most expensive car park and charges 4 per hour for patients and visitors to park

Of these trusts, 56 said they charged disabled patients to park in some or all of their designated disabled spaces. Only 40 trusts provided data on fines and they made 947,568 in 2016/17, up from 716,385 the previous year.

Former Tory MP Robert Halfon, who obtained the figures, branded the parking fees blood money.

England is the only part of the UK where hospital patients are routinely charged for parking.

The Department of Health said: NHS organisations are locally responsible for the methods used to charge, and we want to see them coming up with flexible options that put patients and their families first.
Dreamworld are turning to a new state-of-the-art attraction to save the struggling park after a tumultuous 14-month period that included the Thunder River Rapids Ride tragedy and three different CEOs in six months.

New Ardent Leisure chairman Gary Weiss has been travelling through the biggest theme parks across Asia and America in search of ideas and answers to the Gold Coast establishment's woes.

They are planning to build a 40-seat simulator ride that takes patrons through some of Australia's most beautiful and inaccessible areas.

'There had not been investment into a major new ride for some time (and) theme parks need new and fresh attractions to draw back customers,' Mr Weiss told the Courier Mail.

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Dreamworld are turning to a new state-of-the-art attraction to save the struggling park after a tumultuous 14-month period

In October last year a tragic accident on the Thunder River Rapids ride claimed the lives of Kate Goodchild, Roozi Araghi, Luke Dorsett and Cindy Low

They are planning to build a 40-seat simulator ride that takes patrons through some of Australia's most beautiful and inaccessible areas

Dreamworld experienced a $62 million loss for the financial year that ended in June, with attendance numbers plummeting despite extended hours and slashed ticket prices.

Besieged Ardent CEO Deborah Thomas was replaced by former Channel Nine finance boss Simon Kelly in April, who quit just days after the one-year anniversary of the tragedy that claimed the lives of Kate Goodchild, Roozi Araghi, Luke Dorsett and Cindy Low.

Mr Weiss has since taken over, and says the plan is to substantially reinvest into the park rather than look to sell.

'The tragedy has had an enormous impact on patronage,' Mr Weiss said. 'It will take time for patronage to return to the park.'

'We believe reinvestment into Dreamworld will result in a material increase in earnings over time. The sale of Dreamworld is not part of our plans for the future.'

They hope the introduction of the simulator ride, similar to the popular Harry Potter and Star Wars themed rides in the world's big name theme parks, will encourage a new base of attendees and help re-establish the once-popular venue.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Dreamworld for comment.

They hope the introduction of the simulator ride will encourage a new base of attendees and help re-establish the once-popular venue

Ardent CEO Deborah Thomas (left) was replaced by former Channel Nine finance boss Simon Kelly (right) in April, who quit just days after the one-year anniversary of the tragedy

The park has been riddled with issues since the Thunder River Rapids tragedy in October last year.

In January - just a month after Dreamworld reopened following the four deaths at the park - one of the rides shut down, leaving park guests dangling 119m above ground.

Guests were left suspended in the air after an automatic sensor triggered a brief shutdown on The Giant Drop at the Gold Coast Park.

It was the first day the ride itself had been re-opened after the Thunder River Rapids horror.

In March, six terrified thrill-seekers were rescued from the Buzzsaw ride after they were left suspended high up in the air for half an hour.

Twelve people had to be freed from the same ride on April 14 after a safety sensor was triggered, bringing the ride to a halt.
Families of victims killed by ice users, like Kara Doyle's, welcome the plan

Shadow attorney-general John Pesutto says proving the link will be difficult

New coalition government plans to crackdown on suppliers to those who kill

Dealers who supply ice to addicts who go on to kill or commit terrorist attacks will be punished with heavier jail sentences in a fresh drugs crackdown.

Victoria's opposition also wants drug-using accused killers to give up the names of their dealers under a plan to hold suppliers responsible for mass-casualty attacks.

Dealers who sell drugs to addicts that go on to kill people, and know their buyer could turn violent, could be charged and face 10 years' mandatory jail under a proposal announced by Opposition Leader Matthew Guy on Thursday.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy (pictured) has promised harsher punishments for those who sell drugs to people who go on to kill

'This new law will hold drug dealers accountable for their actions and for the catastrophic effect of dealing illicit drugs,' Mr Guy told the Herald Sun.

'More of the same soft laws will not stamp out mass-casualty, ice-related crime. Only a tough new approach will.'

The Coalition plan would demand proof that the drugs sold to the person who committed the criminal act contributed to it, something which Shadow attorney-general John Pesutto says will be difficult to do.

'Are there going to be hundreds of cases? No. But where (the link) can be made clear, let's go after them,' Mr Pesutto said.

Saeed Noori (pictured) the man accused of the Flinders St attack had a history of drug use

Noori (pictured) is accused of attempting to murder 18 people last Thursday in Melbourne

'They should feel the full force of the law,' he told the publication.



Ice use is allegedly to blame for three horrendous attacks in Australia this year.

Saeed Noori, the man accused of attempting to murder 18 people on Flinders Street in Melbourne last Thursday, reportedly had a history of drug use and mental illness.

Nineteen people were injured in the incident, including the driver and an off-duty policeman who heroic wrestled Noori from the car.

Dimitrious Gargasoulas, the man who allegedly ploughed into dozens of pedestrians and killed six people on Bourke Street in Melbourne's CBD in January this year, had a history of drug abuse, violence and mental issues.

Dimitrious Gargasoulas (pictured) who allegedly ploughed into people on Bourke Street, reportedly had a history of drug abuse

A close friend of Gargasoulas (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia that 'ice destroyed him'

A close friend told Daily Mail Australia that Gargasoulas' Facebook rantings, about Scientology, the Illuminati, and the Free Masons - who would 'do anything in the power to dominate the world' - were driven by heavy use of the drug ice.

'He was a great guy but ice destroyed him. Then he converted to Muslim and changed very quickly. For over a month he's been on edge,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'I knew this bloke really well... I'm not sticking up for him whatsoever and he deserves to be punished for what he's done, but that evil drug ice was the cause of this,' he added.

Yacqub Khayre (pictured) named as the attacker behind the 'ISIS-inspired' siege in Melbourne

Khayre (pictured) reportedly fell in with the 'wrong crowd' and became addicted to meth

Terrorist Yacqub Khayre murdered one man, wounded three police officers and took a woman hostage in a dramatic two-hour siege in a hotel on Bay Street, Brighton, before being shot dead by police in June.

Growing up in Gladstone Park, north Melbourne, he was reportedly a good student at school until his grandfather died in Year 12 and he fell in with the 'wrong crowd' and became addicted to meth.

Families of victims killed by ice users have welcomed the plan.

Nick Doyle, whose stepdaughter Kara Doyle was shot dead by her ice-addict boyfriend Mehmet Torun in 2013, told the publication harsher punishments would act as a good deterrent.

'Dealers deserve to be punished. They are at the very start of it (violence) and are sometimes just as bad,' he said.

'It's devastating for families of people killed or deranged by drugs. A deterrent is a good idea,' Mr Doyle added.
A police chief involved in the discredited Ted Heath paedophile inquiry is retiring on a full pension despite being under investigation for misconduct, it emerged last night.

Currently on sick leave, Detective Superintendent Sean Memory is retiring from the Wiltshire force for medical reasons after 30 years of service.

He is being allowed to leave in the New Year and will receive an estimated annual pension of 35,000, as well as a lump sum of 250,000.

It was alleged Det Supt Memory had sent inappropriate texts to a female relative of Sian OCallaghan, who was killed by Christopher Halliwell in 2011

Det Supt Memory was the lead detective in the two-year, 1.5 million inquiry  known as Operation Conifer  into the former Tory PM.

But after an outcry over the investigation  during which Det Supt Memory held a press conference outside Sir Edwards former home  he was signed off for stress and removed from the inquiry on long-term sick leave last January.

It was later revealed that he was under investigation for misconduct for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a woman involved in a separate case.

It was alleged Det Supt Memory had sent inappropriate texts to a female relative of Sian OCallaghan, who was killed by Christopher Halliwell in 2011.

The former taxi driver was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Miss OCallaghan, a 22-year-old office worker from Swindon, as well as 20-year-old sex worker Becky Godden, in 2003.

Wiltshire Police carried out a two-year, 1.5 million inquiry, known as Operation Conifer, into the former Tory PM

Det Supt Memory was the senior investigating officer in both murder cases.

The relatives estranged husband told The Sun on Sunday: I thought something was going on and I thought it was him [Det Supt Memory]. She would get all these texts from him signed off with kisses. The content in one was completely inappropriate.

Wiltshire Police said Det Supt Memory was being allowed to retire on medical grounds before the outcome of the inquiry into the misconduct allegations are disclosed.

A spokesman told The Daily Telegraph: We can confirm that an application from Det Supt Sean Memory to retire on medical grounds has been permitted.

The force said regulations allowed officers to retire or resign before the conclusion of an inquiry, if they were medically unfit or certain exceptional circumstances allowed them to do so.

A senior Wiltshire Police source said: Sean Memory is being allowed to retire in the New Year when he will have done 30 years service. He is not in a good place. The chief [Chief Constable Mike Veale] has let him go and retire. He will get a full pension.

Sean to some extent has been a victim himself of the Heath inquiry. He is very well respected among officers who worked with him. He was very friendly, very approachable.

Det Supt Memory stood outside the gates of Arundells, the late PMs home in Salisbury, to say in a televised statement that anyone who believes they may have been a victim should come forward.

He said: This is an appeal for victims: in particular, if you have been the victim of any crime from Sir Ted Heath or any historical sexual offence, or you are a witness or you have any information about this, then please come forward.

Chief Constable Veale has insisted the investigation was proportionate and fair.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has backed a radical pro-strike manifesto which would leave key public services vulnerable to industrial action

Labour frontbenchers have been accused of plotting to take Britain back to the days of flying pickets and strikes in the 1970s.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has backed a radical pro-strike manifesto which would leave key public services vulnerable to industrial action.

The blueprint for workers rights, set out by a Left-wing think-tank, calls for current anti-strike laws to be ripped up and unions to be given more powers.

Several of the most senior members of Labours shadow cabinet have said the party would adopt manifesto policies of the Institute of Employment Rights.

They include shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey and the partys chairman Ian Lavery.

It comes as a series of planned strikes are set to cripple much of the UKs rail network in January.

Tory MPs last night claimed that Labours plans would usher in a new era of industrial unrest by taking the country back to the 1970s.

James Cleverly said: Labour want to take us back to the days where union barons could hold the country to ransom and disrupt the lives of millions of people with militant strike action.

Once again, its working people, commuters and parents who would pay the price of Labours reckless plans.

Policies set out in the Institute of Employment Rights manifesto include removing restrictions against strikes for essential public services and allowing unions to stage sympathy strikes even if they are not involved in the dispute.

The think-tank backs secondary flying pickets and supports collective pay bargaining across sectors and repealing requirements to give notice before strikes, which the Tories say would increase the likelihood of industrial action.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would reintroduce the right for trade unions to call strikes in solidarity with workers in other industries

Proposals to allow trade union shop stewards to stop work in businesses as well as limiting restrictions on trade union ballots are also included in the manifesto.

Other measures backed by the think-tank include increasing union bosses powers to discipline members, introducing a legal right to facility time - time off from an individuals job to carry out union work - and the repeal of all trade union laws since 1979.

Last year, Mr McDonnell said of the Institute of Employment Rights manifesto: Weve endorsed it as a blueprint for the comprehensive revision of workers rights when Labour comes to office...

Take that as a commitment from Jeremy Corbyn, myself and our administration.

The Institute of Employment Rights has reported on Twitter that Rebecca Long Bailey, the shadow business secretary, said that Labours manifesto will be based on the think-tanks work.

It added that Ian Lavery, the Labour party chairman, said Labours plans are informed by its manifesto in September this year.

Labours 2017 manifesto pledged to tear up legislation curbing the power of trade unions.

It pledged to repeal the Trade Union Act and roll out sectoral collective bargaining  because the most effective way to maintain good rights at work is collectively through a union.

Tory MPs last night claimed that Labours plans would usher in a new era of industrial unrest by taking the country back to the 1970s. Pictured: Rubbish dumped in Leicester Square during a strike by council workers in 1979

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would reintroduce the right for trade unions to call strikes in solidarity with workers in other industries.

He said walk-outs to support a main protest were allowed in most other countries, adding: It should be legal here.

He also expressed support for flying pickets for people to support others, even if they themselves are not directly involved in the dispute.

Asked whether this would mean repealing the legislation imposing bans on these measures, he told Politics Home: Of course.

Britain was brought to its knees by strikes during the winter of discontent of 1978-9, which led to power cuts, uncollected bins and unburied dead bodies.

A Labour Party spokesman said: Labours plans as set out in our manifesto will boost the power of ordinary workers across the country and we are proudly committed to scrapping the unfair Tory Trade Union act, which we will do in our first 100 days of government.

Instead of undermining workers at every opportunity as the Tories do, Labour will work closely with the trade unions and employment campaign groups to develop the best policies for workers across Britain.
Miss Plummer finds herself incarcerated in a country emerging from six years of turmoil brought about by revolution, counter-revolution, an Islamic State-led insurgency and a military coup

Laura Plummer is facing a nightmarish three years in impoverished Egypts most infamous prison.

Her family are warning that the naive 33-year-old may not survive the ordeal. They are right to be terrified.

For Miss Plummer finds herself incarcerated in a country emerging from six years of turmoil brought about by revolution, counter-revolution, an Islamic State-led insurgency and a military coup.

These days, Egypt is ruled by one of the worlds most repressive regimes, headed by military strongman President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It is widely accused of gross human rights abuses unprecedented in the countrys modern history.

For sure, Egypts prisons have for decades been notorious for their over-crowding and filthy conditions.

Along with astonishing levels of police brutality, it was one of the reasons there was a massive popular uprising against dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011 as part of the so-called Arab Spring that swept across several countries in North Africa and the Middle East.

As many as 900 people died in the protests that finally ousted Mubarak.

At first, there was some hope his demise would usher in a less harsh reality. Former prime minister David Cameron certainly thought so. In February 2011, he was the first world leader to visit the country after Mubarak was forced out of office. On a walkabout in Cairos Tahrir Square, Mr Cameron declared that Egypt had a great opportunity to push for democracy.

How wrong his assessment turned out to be. As with the other countries afflicted by the Arab Spring, things have gone from dreadful to barbaric. In the free elections that followed, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood party was elected national leader  until a ruthless and blood-soaked army coup overthrew him in July 2013.

Egypt then found itself led by General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, elected in 2014.

Despite desperate efforts by the British Foreign Office, yesterday Miss Plummer was transferred in the dead of night to Qena prison(pictured) in Upper Egypt

Now, with the heavily tourist-dependent economy devastated, crime rates have soared. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of supporters of the now banned Muslim Brotherhood have been rounded up, and hundreds sentenced to death.

All of which means Miss Plummer finds herself incarcerated in a country whose prisons are bursting at the seams with hardened criminals and Islamist political prisoners  and little, if any, oversight when it comes to even basic human rights.

Dozens are cramped into rancid cells that have no beds or ventilation, and where a hole in the floor serves as a toilet. Worse, international human rights organisations report that both male and female prisoners are routinely subjected to torture and rape.

The hapless British tourist was especially unlucky to have been arrested as she arrived in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada just as the Egyptian regime is fighting an IS insurgency in North Sinai.

Despite desperate efforts by the British Foreign Office, yesterday Miss Plummer was transferred in the dead of night to Qena prison in Upper Egypt, just north of the famous tourist mecca of Luxor.

This is the hell-hole where many of the captured IS terrorists and Muslim Brotherhood supporters are incarcerated. It is located in a deeply conservative Egyptian province where the houses and churches of local Christians are frequently attacked by Muslim zealots.

If Miss Plummer had been arrested during the Mubarak era, it is highly unlikely that she would have found herself in prison for such a relatively trivial legal transgression.

Then, the British government had close ties with the Egyptian government; and because foreign tourists pumped billions into the tourist economy, they were generally treated with kid gloves.

The regime of General Sisi,(pictured) promotes xenophobic conspiracy theories to explain away the countrys dire circumstances

The regime of General Sisi, in contrast, is one that promotes xenophobic conspiracy theories to explain away the countrys dire circumstances. Large segments of the Egyptian population now have a deep loathing of Westerners.

The draconian sentence given to Miss Plummer will therefore help Sisi boost his image as a patriotic leader who stands up to foreign interference in his countrys internal affairs.

It certainly appears to be the case that the British governments hands are tied.

Last year an Oxford University student  an Italian named Giulio Regeni  was burned, beaten and horribly mutilated in a murder that bore all the hallmarks of Egypts security forces. But despite the massive outcry in Italy, no one has been convicted of the crime.

In the case of Miss Plummer, it is true that Egyptian laws on the transportation of pills and drugs have always been draconian, with the penalties usually explained on the Foreign Office website.

However, her sentence is still an extreme response. It proves that while in the past our colonial links to Egypt might have given us some leverage in the case of British nationals who fell foul of its laws, these days  as Miss Plummer has discovered  the exact opposite is true.

 John R Bradleys books include Inside Egypt: The Road to Revolution in the Land of the Pharaohs
A juvenile criminal has snuck out an emergency exit and climbed through coils of razor wire to make a bold escape from a Northern Territory youth detention centre.

The boy, 17, arrived at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre shortly after midnight on Thursday and made his escape around 12.45am after being taken to a shower area.

A spokeswoman said the officers escorting the teenager were processing his arrival and were unable to see him sneak out an emergency door because their view was obscured by a reception desk.

17-year-old boy escaped Don Dale Youth Detention Centre (pictured) 45 minutes after arriving

He escaped around 12.45am and climbed through four coils of razor wire (stock image)

Once outside, the boy jumped over an internal fence and navigated his way through four coils of razor wire, injuring himself, before climbing over another fence and escaping.

Territory Duty Superintendent Shaun Gill told ABC News he was 'pretty confident' the boy was outside the confines of the prison after a thorough police search.

Police were at the prison within six minutes of the escape but were unable to find the teenager - who remained on the run as of midday on Thursday.

The detention centre is now reviewing its supervision and escape response procedures.

Anyone who sees the boy, or knows of his whereabouts, is urged to contact NT police.

The brazen escape comes after a series of escape scares from Don Dale Detention Centre.

Two boys escaped in April and staff did not realise the boys were missing for 45 minutes, according to The Guardian.

Last month four boys tried to escape after a workshop training session.

The boy was taken to the shower area which is where he escaped from the prison (stock image)
The United States is ending its search next week for the Argentina submarine that disappeared six weeks ago, the Navy has said.

ARA San Juan went missing on November 15 with 44 crew members on board in the South Atlantic, with an explosion being detected near the time and location from which it vanished.

The submarine's disappearance triggered an international search for the ship and crew members, who have been presumed dead for weeks.

The Argentine Navy announced on Wednesday that with help from Russia, it is continuing its search for the ship.

The United States has decided, however, to end its search for the ship in January and instead will help from North America with data and planning analysis.

ARA San Juan went missing on November 15 with 44 crew members on board in the South Atlantic, with an explosion being detected near the time and location from which it vanished

The submarine's disappearance triggered an international search for the ship and crew members, who have been presumed dead for weeks. Pictured above is the last known image of the submarine

The US Navy will end its search for the submarine on January 2. Pictured above, Argentine rescue commanders discuss current operations with Navy Cmdr Michael Eberlein, commanding officer of Undersea Rescue Command (URC) during the search and rescue mission last month

US Navy Cmdr Erik Reynolds told the Washington Post that a small team will continue searching for the submarine until January 2.

He said that after that, all technical assistance will be provided from back in the United States.

Southern Commadn said in a statement: 'The US support team completed all searches in areas assigned by the Argentine Navy, sweeping each area twice with advanced sensors.

'Despite their best efforts on behalf of the Argentine people and the families of the missing sailors, this international effort has yet to locate the ARA San Juan.'

More than 200 US personnel, three aircraft and a Navy research ship participated in the search for the submarine.

The rescue and recovery area covered more than 655 square nautical miles, according to a statement from US Southern Command.

The total search involving troops from more than a dozen countries covered 300,000 square miles.

Argentina, which received help from 13 countries in its search for the San Juan submarine, has abandoned hope of finding survivors and is concentrating only on finding the vessel.

In the last message from the submarine, it reported that seawater had entered the ventilation system, causing a battery on the diesel-electric vessel to short-circuit and start a fire

The tragedy led to the firing of Admiral Marcelo Srur, head of Argentina's navy, earlier this month. Pictured above, the missing ARA San Juan in action before its disappearance

The South American country and Russia are still investigating a new sonar contact made with the ship within the last month.

In the last message from the submarine, it reported that seawater had entered the ventilation system, causing a battery on the diesel-electric vessel to short-circuit and start a fire.

The navy said that an unusual noise heard in the ocean near the last known position of the San Juan, three hours after its final contact, was 'consistent with an explosion'.

Other reported contacts detected weeks ago amounted to nothing - with some arising from a fishing boat which sank years previously.

The tragedy led to the firing of Admiral Marcelo Srur, head of Argentina's navy, earlier this month.

Experts said the crew only had up to ten days of oxygen if the sub remained intact under the sea.

This prompted the Argentine navy to end rescue efforts for the 44 missing crew of ARA San Juan more than two weeks after it vanished.

Some family members of the lost crew have denounced the navy's response to the sub's disappearance, as well as the age and condition of the vessel.

President Mauricio Macri has promised a full investigation.

A relative of one of the crew members of Argentine missing submarine ARA San Juan reacts at the Mar del Plata Navy Base Missing Argentine submarine, Mar del Plata, Argentina, last month

Argentina's Navy confirmed on Thursday that there was a 'singular, abnormal, short, violent and non-nuclear event' consistent with an explosion in the area where the submarine was lost

The crew's families demanded that Argentina's navy reverses the decision to stop looking for survivors.

At the sub's home naval base in Mar del Plata shortly after the navy announced they wouldn't be looking for survivors any longer, relatives reacted with heartbreak.

Some hugged and fell on their knees sobbing near a fence crowded with blue-and-white Argentine flags, rosary beads and messages of support.

Others took to social media to pay homage to their loved ones.

'I stay with this image,' Jesica Gopar, said in a tweet that included a photo of her husband, submarine officer Fernando Santilli, smiling and holding their young son in his arms.

'He's the most beautiful being that God could have put on my path 13 years ago,' she wrote. 'He's a hero who must be recognized along with his 43 other crew members. I hope you didn't suffer my love.'

Former American Navy acoustic analyst Bruce Rule concluded that the 44 crew members would have died 'instantly' and 'without suffering'.

The expert was quoted by leading Argentinian daily La Nacion, who reported: 'The entire pressure-hull was completely destroyed in about 40 milliseconds or 1/25th of a second.'

Mr Rule, described as the former lead acoustic analyst at the US Office of Naval Intelligence which is the US's premier maritime intelligence service, claimed that the submarine wreckage had sunk vertically at a speed of 10 to 13 knots.
A terrified woman has received some hilarious responses after asking the internet for advice on how to deal with a giant spider in her bedroom.

With the huntsman lurking above her bed and her husband already fast asleep, the Australian woman took to Reddit in search of answers.

'There is a huntsman in my room and I'm nervous to turn the lights off,' she wrote.

A terrified woman has received some hilarious responses after asking the internet for advice on how to deal with a giant spider in her bedroom (stock image)

With the huntsman lurking above her bed and her husband already fast asleep, the Australian woman took to Reddit in search of answers

'Need help easing my mind.'

But the best advice some social media users could give her was to 'prepare for the end.'

'The only peace is knowing this is the end for you. It is your time,' said one user.

'You need to sleep in the lounge room,' said another.

But the best advice some social media users could give her was to 'prepare for the end.'

'Hopefully it will accept your husband as a sacrifice and leave you alone.'

Huntsman spiders are often found in cars and houses.

They are identified by their flattened bodies, designed for living in crevices or behind dead bark.
Dennis the Menace is moving with the increasingly politically correct times and is dropping his moniker.

The Beano cartoon legend will shortly be known only as Dennis, with publishers DC Thomson, who has published the comic since 1938, claiming he had 'made mistakes in the past' but had now 'moved away from his "menacing" ways'.

The name change, which will be included in the weekly comic and annual, coincides with the released of a new CBBC series. The new show, Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed, has adopted a slightly different approach to the classic Dennis the Menace show.

Dennis the Menace is moving with the increasingly politically correct times and is dropping his moniker

In the programme, instead of hanging around with boys of a similar mischievous temperament, two of his new friends include girls. One is JJ, a rock drummer, and Rubi, who is in a wheelchair.

Mike Stirling, head of Beano Studios Scotland, said Dennis had not been a menace for years despite carrying the title in the 2017 Beano annual.

He said: 'Today's Dennis is a flawed hero, a ten-year-old boy who fears nothing and sometimes gets into trouble as a result.'

The new Dennis was also seen Brussels sprouts - something which the menace would never have dreamed of doing.

Arch enemy of Dennis and Gnasher, Walter, is no longer a 'softy' but is modeled around someone who looks down on childish adventures.

It is seen as part of a move to steer the popular comic book away from being seen as endorsing bullying behaviour. The Beano denies it is pandering to political correctness but is in fact simply moving with the times.
A Brooklyn woman who was found dead at the bottom of a basement staircase inside her home after neighbors heard the cries of her two-year-old daughter is believed to have been strangled by her husband.

Tonie Wells, 22, who was eight-months pregnant, was found dead shortly before 10am on Wednesday.

Wells had bruising to the neck, and it appears she may have been pushed down the stairs, police told reporters during a press conference.

Tonie Wells (pictured), 22, who was found dead on the steps of her own home after neighbors heard the cries of her two-year-old daughter is believed to have been strangled by her husband

Wells (pictured with her daughter) had bruising to the neck, and it appears she may have been pushed down the stairs

Sources said cops are 'actively looking for' Wells' 29-year-old husband, Barry Wells (pictured), for questioning

Wells' daughter was found on the basement steps of their Crown Heights home by their neighbors who heard the crying child, according to NBC.

The neighbors then called 911. Wells' daughter was not hurt, but it's unclear how long Wells body was inside the house with child.

Police said the woman's death is being investigated as a possible homicide.

Sources said cops are 'actively looking for' Wells' husband, Barry Wells, 29, for questioning, according to the New York Post.

'Witnesses heard an argument and something falling down the stairs,' a high-ranking police source told the newspaper.

According to Tonie Wells' Facebook page, she married Barry Wells in the spring.

Wells' neighbor, Michelle Ruiz, 22, who last saw Wells three weeks ago, said Wells was pregnant. Ruiz said the Wells' seemed like a 'nice family'

Police are seen investigating the crime scene at Wells' home in Brooklyn

'It was him,' Tonie Well's sister told the Daily News. 'It wasn't an accident. It was definitely him,' the woman said referring to Wells' husband.

Tonie Wells' neighbor, Michelle Ruiz, 22, who last saw Wells three weeks ago, told the Post that Wells was pregnant.

'They seemed like a nice family,' Ruiz said of the couple, whose Facebook pages are both filled with photos of each other.

Police are reportedly aware of a social media post by Wells saying that she was eight-months pregnant.

Deputy Chief Michael Kemper, Commanding Officer of Detective Borough Brooklyn North told reporters that Wells' death was deemed suspicious.

Kemper said Wells had bruising on her neck 'and it appears as if she was either pushed or fell down the flight of stairs leading to the basement'.

According to the Post, police have previously responded to a domestic incident at the home.

A medical examiner will determine the official cause of Wells' death. The investigation is ongoing.

Deputy Chief Michael Kemper, Commanding Officer of Detective Borough Brooklyn North told reporters that Wells' death was deemed suspicious. Police have previously responded to a domestic incident at the home. Wells is pictured with her husband Barry Wells
A nearly yearlong investigation into alleged sexual abuse of children and youth in Nebraska's child welfare and juvenile justice systems showed 50 verified victims in a recent three-year period, the state's inspector general for child welfare reported Wednesday.

It also showed attitudes toward sexual abuse of youth in state care that concerned Inspector General Julie Rogers and her staff, including "problematic attitudes" among system professionals and caregivers toward child sexual abuse and children in the state's care.

Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Kathie Osterman said a statement from HHS would be forthcoming.

Rogers said the investigation started last year with the accumulation of 36 sexual abuse reports since July 2013. The goal was to discover whether adequate steps were being taken by HHS to prevent and respond to abuse of youth in the states care.

But when she and others dug into the reports, and asked for more data, they ended up with 50 cases, even after weeding down the 36 original cases because some were not state wards or former state wards.

"That was surprising to us," she said. "All of these kids had been abused and neglected or in juvenile justice ... And then they're abused and neglected while the state is their parent."

Some children reported the abuse occurred in a foster home, in an adoptive home or when when they were under state guardianship. Some were in the juvenile justice system or in a home licensed by the department or at a Youth Residential Treatment Center.

Among the 50 abused children and youth in the report, 27 were state wards and youth in residential placements and 23 in adoptive or guardian homes. They ranged in age from 4 to 18 when abuse was disclosed.

In each case, the abuse was reported to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline. They also discovered cases above the 50 that were either screened out incorrectly, not investigated properly and so not substantiated. Others they just couldn't gather the needed evidence.

Rogers said estimates show about 38 percent of child victims disclose sexual abuse, some years later but others not at all. Research shows only 4 to 8 percent of disclosures are false.

Child sexual abuse generally includes everything from rape to molestation, sexual touching and coercing or persuading a child to engage in any type of sexual act. It includes exposure to pornography, voyeurism and sexual talk by phone or internet.

During those three years covered by the investigation, there were 1,284 substantiated victims of child sexual abuse statewide, according to HHS. The agency does not track how many of those children were involved in the child welfare system, Rogers said, but research shows youth in the system are at higher risk than the population at large.

Among the 50 abused children and youth in the report, 36 were abused by adults, 11 by other youth and three by both, Rogers said. Half of them were sexually abused by caregivers -- foster and adoptive parents, guardians or facility staff. All were known to the children and had established relationships with them.

The cases involved sexual assault by fathers, foster brothers, foster fathers, a foster mother, adoptive fathers, other state wards, uncles, unrelated older men and women, older brothers, grandfathers, group home workers and a therapist.

Some of the youths were developmentally disabled or had mental illness.

"I feel like the biggest thing is the attitude about sexual abuse," Rogers said.

Caregivers and professionals at times dismissed or never reported disclosures, Rogers said, because they assumed troubled children were lying or acting out. Inaction after concerns were reported left some children exposed to continuing abuse.

"They just have this harmful attitude about sexual abuse," Rogers said.

In some cases, disclosures were assumed to be a recollection of sexual abuse that occurred in the past, but then never fully investigated, she said. For some youth in the juvenile justice system, disclosures were treated as another example of the child breaking rules, defying authority, seeking attention or causing trouble.

Some children and youth were blamed by caregivers and system professionals for causing the sexual abuse they suffered, or their reports were minimized, the report said.

Rogers said a number of adults and system professionals did not report allegations to proper authorities even though the law requires it. Also, some calls to the child abuse and neglect hotline were screened out, preventing investigations and leaving children vulnerable to ongoing abuse.

The investigation discovered instances in which hotline workers incorrectly determined youth sexually abusing other youth did not meet the definition of child sexual abuse, the report said.

The attitudes contributed to errors and issues that left the system unable to effectively prevent and respond to abuse of youth in its care, she said.

When the state becomes the parent to a child, how does a caseworker talk to that young person about sexual abuse, secrets and what's private, and finding trusted adults?

"People need to know that this happens and we should be able to talk to kids about it in a developmentally appropriate way," Rogers said. "It's very tricky."

The office of inspector general called for the department to foster a culture of zero-tolerance toward child sexual abuse.

The impact of such abuse can be lifelong, Rogers' report said, with a heightened risk for physical and mental health diagnoses, academic problems, risky behaviors, and a possible negative impacts on lifetime earnings.

The inspector general's office made 18 recommendations to the HHS. The department accepted 11 of those, according to the report.

Preventing and responding to sexual abuse of children is not, and cannot be, the responsibility of DHHS alone. It is a community problem, which will need solutions and action from many in our communities, Rogers said.

She hopes the report and recommendations to HHS, in addition to the action of Nebraskans will help make needed improvements so that children are better protected, she said.
A private jet allegedly owned by Lord Ashcroft has hit a building after it was blown off the runway of Malta International Airport during strong winds.

Photos show the Dassault Falcon 7X that plunged through a fence onto a road and into an office owned by the Poldiano Group, a Maltese construction firm.

The nose of the empty aircraft is enclosed in the building.

There are no reported injuries.

A private jet allegedly owned by Lord Ashcroft has hit a building after it was blown off the runway of Malta International Airport during strong winds

Photos show the Dassault Falcon 7X that plunged through a fence onto a road and into an office owned by the Poldiano Group, a Maltese construction firm

The nose of the empty aircraft is enclosed in the building. There are no reported injuries

The private jet is understood to be registered in Bermuda in Lord Ashcroft's name, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The 71-year-old was asked on Twitter if the jet belonged to him, to which he replied 'Nooooooo'.

The tweet has since been deleted and the billionaire is yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.

The former deputy chair of the Conservative party is estimated to be worth 1.32 billion and is one of the Tory party's most high profile donors.

The 71-year-old was asked on Twitter if the jet belonged to him, to which he replied 'Nooooooo'. The tweet has since been deleted

Maltese state officials report winds forced the plane into the building.

The island's armed forces attended the scene of the crash and the roads surrounding the buildings were closed.

It is belived the plane moved from its wheel chocks before it rolled down a slope and into the office building.

A legal representative for the firm that owns the bulding said: 'It seems like it was the result of the strong winds.

'The building didn't sustain major damage, but we presume the aircraft did.'
Childcare staff left a four-year-old girl trapped in a hot bus until she was covered in sweat, her skin turned red, and she wet herself.

Stripy Zebras Junior Education Centre was fined $16,000 by the State Administrative Tribunal for forgetting the toddler for half an hour in 30C temperatures on May 10.

The little girl, strapped to a booster seat, was only rescued when another parents heard banging sounds and saw her hands on the window.

Staff at Stripy Zebras Junior Education Centre (pictured) left a four-year-old girl trapped in a hot bus until she was covered in sweat, her skin turned red, and she urinated on herself

The parents raced on to the bus about 3.10pm and found the toddler crying and covered in sweat with her skin red, and saw she had urinated on herself.

Her mother arrived at 4pm to pick her up and took her to Karratha, WA, hospital.

Two workers were sacked over the incident and Stripy Zebras drew up better procedures for checking no children were left on the bus.

Other childcare centres fined for breaching their duties of care included Fremantle Early Learning Centre in Beaconsfield when a child almost died.

The three-year-old boy was nearly strangled to death when he got tangled in a hammock after putting his head through its ropes on June 14.

The little girl, strapped to a booster seat, was only rescued when another parents heard banging sounds and saw her hands on the window

He was left dangling there with his feet off the ground for about five minutes, and had to be rushed to hospital for three days where he was intubated.

The two hammocks were removed and the centre was ordered to pay $46,000 in fines and legal costs.

A nurse in Busselton, south of Perth, was fined $7,000 when a one-year-old boy burned himself so badly with a cup of hot tea he needed skin grafts.

The Nature Alliance Family Day Care Services nurse got a bigger fine because she didn't have parental permission to take the child on the excursion.
A Sydney family's Christmas lunch went awry on Monday after an 11-year-old boy discovered a large, rusty razor blade tucked inside a bon bon (pictured)

A Sydney family's Christmas lunch went awry on Monday after an 11-year-old boy discovered a large, rusty razor blade tucked inside a bon bon.

Bobby McNeilage was sitting down to eat at his aunt's Northmead home when he and his older brother ripped open a bon bon purchased from Woolworths.

But instead of finding typical contents like a cheesy joke and small figurine, Bobby was stunned to see a razor blade with one end wrapped in tape.

'I pulled it out and I tipped it upside down to get it out onto the table,' Bobby told the Sydney Morning Herald.

When Bobby noticed it was a 'knife thing' he said he immediately told his parents.

The 11-year-old's mother, Melissa McNeilage, told the publication she was horrified at the discovery but her biggest concern was what could have happened if the razor had been ejected and cut someone.

Bobby McNeilage was sitting down to eat at his aunt's Northmead home when he and his older brother ripped open a bon bon purchased from Woolworths (stock image)

'How many times when you pull the toy open does something come flying out? If it flew out it could have been heaps worse,' she said.

'If it got into the wrong hands of a little kid, something drastic could have happened. It looked like something from a prison.'

Ms McNeilage said her sister had purchased the bon bons at Woolworths' store in Winston Hills.

The six-pack of bon bons were made in China.

A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Woolworths, together with our suppliers, have a responsibility to provide high quality products and services to our customers and we take this responsibility very seriously. We are investigating this incident as per our product safety incident protocol.

'The customer has been contacted and has been provided with a refund in the form of a gift card that will be issued out to her.'
A man has been arrested following the death of DJ Dad Bod who died at a Christmas Day party in Byron Bay.

Javen ONeill was charged with the murder of Chris Bradley, 28, after being arrested at nearby Ballina Airport about 8.45am on Thursday.

The 24-year-old allegedly struck Mr Bradley, a man he knew, several times in the head while they were both drinking at the house on Carlyle Street.

The popular DJ could not be revived after he passed out and died at the scene at about 11.30pm Monday.

A 24-year-old man was charged with murder of Chris Bradley, known as DJ Dad Bod, (pictured)

The 28-year-old (right) was allegedly assaulted before passing out at a Christmas Day party

The 28-year-old moved from Sydney to the seaside town six years ago to pursue his music career, and was a fixture in the local dance music scene.

NSW State Crime Command homicide squad launched a criminal investigation along with local police.

'We're treating it as suspicious and we will continue to do that until we can show otherwise,' NSW Police Detective Inspector Brendon Cullen told the ABC.

Just three days before his sudden death, Mr Bradley played a disco-themed gig at the opening of Asian fusion restaurant Ryce.

Friends and family flocked to social media to remember the popular bearded musician, including his sister Maddie.

Mr Bradley could not be revived and died at the Carlyle Street house in Bryon Bay on Monday

The 28-year-old (pictured) moved from Sydney to the seaside town six years ago to pursue his music career, and was a fixture in the local dance music scene

'My heart's so broken to hear this news today. To say the words I've lost my big brother, it's gut wrenching,' she said.

'Who could do such a horrible thing to such an amazing man. You lit up the room with your unique quirk personality and laugh, I'll miss hearing it!

'Love you forever B-rad my big brother bear.'

The 24-year-old man was refused bail and will appear at Lismore Local Court on Friday.
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The last Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel has died in Papua New Guinea, 75 years after he ferried wounded Australian soldiers to safety in World War II.

Havala Laula died on Christmas Eve aged 92 in the remote village of Kagi on the Kokoda Track, where some of the war's bloodiest battles were fought.

The tribesman was just 15 when Japanese troops landed in Papua New Guinea in 1942 and tried to fight their way south along the track towards the capital Port Morseby to attack Australia.

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Havala Laula, 92, the last Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel died in his remote village on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, 75 years after he ferried wounded Australian soldiers to safety in WWII

Mr Laula (pictured meeting Governor General Peter Cosgrove while laying at wreath at an Anzac Day dawn service in Port Moresby) was just 15 when Japanese troops invaded PNG and tried to fight their way along the track

Later in life Mr Laula became a tour guide for Australians making the pilgrimage along the track

After his brother Sabana was killed and his village destroyed, he joined hundreds of others helping the Australians repel the rampaging invaders.

Mr Laula carried sick and wounded servicemen on his back or stretchers away from the battlefield, often under fire, to where they could be evacuated home.

He remembered wrapping leaves around their wounds along with other bush remedies, and shading them from the harsh sun with banana leaves.

They also brought food, water, and ammunition along the track to the front lines.

Mr Laula visited Australia for the first time in February for the campaign's 75th anniversary and met Kokoda veteran Alan 'Kanga' Moore.

In an emotional reunion, Lieutenant Moore said he believed Mr Laula carried him out after he contracted malaria, dengue fever, hookworm, dysentery, and hepatitis.

'I am old, you are old  we meet for the last time,' Mr Laula told the ABC after the then-21-year-old credited Papua New Guinea natives with his survival.

He also spoke of witnessing one of the last massacres of the war, as Japanese soldiers slaughtered many Papua New Guinea people who helped the enemy.

Later in life Mr Laula became a tour guide for Australians making the pilgrimage along the track.

'Friendship between Australians and Papua New Guinea must live on in all generations to come,' he said in a PNG Tourism Board video earlier this year.

'When we die, our children and their children's children must keep that bond forever, until the end of time.'

Mr Laula (R) visited Australia for the first time in February for the campaign's 75th anniversary and met Kokoda veteran Alan 'Kanga' Moore (L) whose life he likely saved when the young officer became sick in the jungle

Tribesmen like Mr Laula transformed into the unexpected heroes of the Pacific War of 1942 after saving hundreds of wounded troops as the rampaging Japanese army fought their way through the jungle

Tributes from Australian veterans and tour operators poured into social media upon news of Mr Laula's death, saying Australia owed him a great debt.

'This inspirational man will be missed by so many in Papua New Guinea and Australia. His legacy will be remembered by all that walked the Kokoda Track,' his former employer No Roads Expeditions said.

The service of Mr Laula and his fellow tribesmen was captured in extraordinary black-and-white photos from the war.

The indigenous saviours nursed and carried soldiers to safety, and in one iconic case a villager was even photographed leading a blinded Australian man away from danger

Their compassion and care of the casualties earned them admiration and respect from the Australian troops, who nicknamed these men their 'Fuzzy Wuzzy' angels.

The native islanders offered soldiers a brief, shining ray of humanity in an otherwise cruel and barbaric war zone.

One Australian soldier described what the sympathetic locals did for his country's troops.

'They carried stretchers over seemingly impassable barriers, with the patient reasonably comfortable. The care they give to the patient is magnificent,' he said.

'If night finds the stretcher still on the track, they will find a level spot and build a shelter over the patient. They will make him as comfortable as possible fetch him water and feed him if food is available, regardless of their own needs.'

Moving black-and-white pictures show the kind Guineans heaving severely wounded men through rough terrain, using their local knowledge to get the allied soldiers to safety

Their compassion and care of the casualties earned them admiration and respect from the Australian troops, who nicknamed these men their 'Fuzzy Wuzzy' angels

The native islanders offered soldiers a brief, shining ray of humanity in an otherwise cruel and barbaric war zone

One Australian soldier described what the sympathetic locals did for his country's troops. He said: 'They carried stretchers over seemingly impassable barriers, with the patient reasonably comfortable. The care they give to the patient is magnificent'

'They sleep four each side of the stretcher and if the patient moves or requires any attention during the night, this is given instantly. These were the deeds of the "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels" - for us!'

One particular image from the conflict, shot by war photographer George Silk, is immortalised in history.

It is the sight of a Guinean villager kindly leading a blinded Australian soldier to safety, both of them barefoot.

Raphael Oimbari was a local labourer, not part of the medical team. He found 23-year-old Private George Whittington lying blinded in the terrain during fighting around Buna in December of 1942.

A Japanese sniper had shot Whittington just above his left eye, leaving him temporarily blind.

One particular image from the conflict, shot by war photographer George Silk, is immortalised in history - it is the sight of a Guinean villager kindly leading a blinded Australian soldier to safety, both of them barefoot (pictured)

Indigenous Papua New Guineans sheltered, nursed and carried wounded Australians soldiers to safety after the brutal Japanese army overwhelmed them

The native islanders offered kindness and help to the troops who worked to defend Port Moresby from the Japanese army

The Japanese made massive gains on the Pacific Island but ran out of supplies before capturing Port Moresby

Oimbari led the soldier back to safety, in a selfless act. Touchingly, the two families stayed in contact, even after Whittington died of disease several months later.

The fighting in Papua New Guinea in the latter half of 1942 was an attempt by the Japanese to capture Port Moresby, the Guinan capital. It was part of a campaign to cut Australia off from its allies in World War.

The Japanese made massive gains on the Pacific Island but ran out of supplies before capturing Port Moresby.

However, the Australians were still unable to defeat the Japanese who were far better equipped for the ensuing fight in them thick jungles of New Guinea.

THE UNLIKELY BOND BETWEEN AUSTRALIAN TROOPS AND THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA ANGELS During the war in Papua New Guinea, the local population who were sympathetic to the Australian troops would assist where they could. Papuans living in the villages along the Kokoda Track prior to the Second World War (1939 - 45) lived a wholly traditional existence. Their only previous contact with the modern world had come with the occasional visits of Australian Government patrol officers. They knew nothing of the war or the nature of modern warfare, until it came crashing into their villages in July 1942. Notably they would help in transporting stores and equipment over the rough terrain. A close relationship and bonds of friendship developed between these local men and the Australians, particularly when the sick and wounded required transporting back to field aid stations. It is a well accepted fact that many men would have died where they fell in Papua New Guinea had it not been for these men who became affectionately known as the 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels.' One iconic photo taken by the war correspondent George Silk was of Rapahel Oimbari assisting Private George 'Dick' Whittington who was wounded on Christmas Eve 1942 during an attack at Buna. Whilst recovering from his wounds, George later died as a result of contracting scrub typhus on 12 Feb 1943. Australia had been presenting commemorative medals to family members of the villagers in recognition of their service to Australian Servicemen during World War Two. Source: Kokoda Historical Advertisement

The fighting in Papua New Guinea in the latter half of 1942 was an attempt by the Japanese to capture Port Moresby, the Guinan capital

However, the Australians were still unable to defeat the Japanese who were far better equipped for the ensuing fight in them thick jungles of New Guinea

The spectacular black-and-white shots were captured by war photographers in awe of the camaraderie between the troops and islanders
The terrifying moment two armed thugs threatened a young bottle shop worker has been caught on security camera.

The two men were dressed in leggings, balaclavas and high-visibility shirts when they stormed the bottle shop in Williamstown, Melbourne.

The two thugs allegedly threatened the male worker, 20, with a sawn-off shotgun and revolver before leaving with a bag of cash.

Terrifying moment two armed thugs threatened worker was caught on camera (pictured)

The two men were dressed in leggings, balaclavas and high-vis shirts when they stormed the bottle shop in Williamstown, Melbourne (pictured)

Confronting footage shows the two men standing holding guns across the counter, towards the young man.

One of the thugs appears to lean across the bench and grab something from where the staff member is standing before waving the gun around.

The young worker wasn't physically injured during the armed robbery.

Victoria Police said the men raided the Douglas Parade store after 10pm on December 23.

The two thugs threatened the male worker, 20, with sawn off shotguns and revolver (pictured)

Victoria Police said the men raided the Douglas Parade store after 10pm on December 23

The armed robbery appears to have lasted less than 25 seconds.

The men are described as being Caucasian and tall with thin builds.

Police are urging anyone with information on the incident to call Crime Stoppers.
Foreign pilots will be allowed to fly in Australian skies on two-year work visas, raising local concerns about the training and experience of those being hired.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is set to offer the positions under a scheme similar to the old 457 visa program in a bid to solve a national shortage of pilots.

Mike Higgins, chief executive of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia, said his body was talking to Mr Dutton about extending the visa period to four years, according to The Australian.

Foreign pilots will be allowed to fly in Australia on permits under new version of 457 visas

The body representing Qantas pilots has expressed concerns about the visa plan (stock image)

Australia is experience a shortage of pilots, forcing airlines to look overseas (stock image)

The shortage comes amid increasing foreign ownership of pilot training schools, including by Chinese companies training Chinese pilots.

Murray Butt, president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, which represents more than 2000 Qantas pilots, questioned the quality of those likely to be interested in the visa offer.

'Bringing in foreign pilots is definitely a very short-term fix and, given the market, I'm not sure of the quality of the pilots they are going to get,' Mr Butt told The Australian.

Mr Higgins told the publication his association had convinced Mr Dutton to allow foreign pilots to be hired for up to two years.

He said the government had advised the decision would be part of a revised skilled occupation list to be released next month, replacing the former 457 visas.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is set to allow foreign pilots to work in Australia on visas

Local pilots have expressed concerns about the quality of foreign-trained pilots (stock image)

Mr Higgins said there were doubts experienced foreign pilots would want to relocate to Australia for just two years.

Entrepreneur and former chairman of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Dick Smith, said Australia had the safest airline in the world - Qantas - with highly-trained Australian pilots.

'The fact that there is a need to bring in foreign pilots is outrageous,' Mr Smith said.

A spokesman for Mr Dutton confirmed 'airline pilot' had been added to an Occupations List for Temporary Work Visas, for sponsored jobs in regional Australia.

'Amendments to the occupations list are based on skills needs of the Australian economy, in line with the Turnbull government's policy that Australian workers should have priority,' the spokesman said.
A woman was found driving a car with two canoes tucked in the back seat with the ends poking out each window.

The large red and blue canoes were hanging out of the small sedan in Mareeba, North Queensland, with a small child sitting underneath the canoes.

Queensland Police allege the 26-year-old driver, who was found about 61 kilometres inland from Cairns, had a positive drug reading and was driving an unregistered car.

A woman was found driving a car with two canoes tucked in the back seat (pictured) with the ends poking out each window

Queensland Police said there was also a small child sitting under the canoes (pictured) in car

Mareeba Road Policing Unit Constable Derek Hicks said he could not understand why people would put themselves and young children at risk at this time of year.

'If the vehicle had to brake suddenly or was struck or struck something, the load becomes a large dangerous projectile,' Constable Hicks said.

'So many things can go wrong with an insecure, overloaded vehicle, not only does it grossly obscure the drivers view, it also places those in the vehicle, on and around the road in danger.

The woman was issued with three traffic infringement notices for driving an unregistered vehicle, failing to change name or address on license and driving a vehicle with a protruding load.

The 26-year-old is expected to face Mareeba Magistrates Court next year with drug driving charges.
South Korea's 2015 deal with Japan to compensate women forced into sex slavery during World War II is 'seriously flawed', President Moon Jae-In has said.

Seoul and Tokyo signed the agreement to settle the hugely emotional and decades-long issue with a Japanese apology and financial compensation to survivors.

Mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including China, were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II.

President Moon Jae-In (above) says the 'comfort women deal' negotiated by his jailed predecessor will never resolve South Korean resentment over the issue

The issue of women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II is a hugely emotional subject in South Korea and other parts of Asia

The plight of the sex slaves - euphemistically referred to as 'comfort women' - is a hugely emotional issue that has marred ties between the two Asian neighbours for decades. For many South Koreans it epitomises the abuses committed under Japan's 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean peninsula.

President Moon has now ordered officials to re-examine the controversial agreement.

His comments came a day after Seoul's foreign ministry described the deal negotiated by the president's predecessor Park Geun-Hye as faulty because it had 'failed to reflect the victims' views'.

The unpopular agreement was meant to end the decades-long dispute with a Japanese apology and a payment of 1 billion yen ($8.8 million) to survivors.

Korean women were forced by the Japanese to pack their belongings and become sex slaves

Many South Korean women and their relatives have been left traumatized by their experience of forced sex work under Japanese rule

But it sparked anger among some survivors seeking an explicit apology from the Japanese government for the wartime abuses.

President Moon ordered a review of the deal after being elected to office this year - a task force published a report on Wednesday which concluded it was rushed and did not do adequately seek out the opinions of the victims.

'Although the 2015 deal was an official agreement endorsed by the leaders of both countries, I'd like to make it clear that the deal cannot solve this issue of 'comfort women',' the president said in a statement released on Thursday.

US and Chinese troops freed thousands of Koreans forced to become 'comfort women' for Japanese soldiers during WWII from 1944 onwards

The horrors suffered by Korean under the Japanese women remains a hugely sensitive issue in South Korea

Women were forced into sex slavery by their colonial masters

He described the conclusions of the task force is 'regrettable but unavoidable,' while ordering officials to 'come up with follow-up measures at the earliest date' without providing any more details.

It is unclear whether Seoul will call for renegotiation with Tokyo or walk away from the deal.

Japan has urged South Korea to abide by the 2015 agreement, saying any attempt by Seoul to revise it 'cannot be acceptable whatsoever' and would leave bilateral ties 'unmanageable'.

The row comes as both countries try to present a united front against nuclear missile threats from North Korea, whose recent military standoff with the US has raised concerns over another war on the Korean peninsula.

Attempts to reopen the agreement may also damage the South's credibility in the diplomatic community, Seoul's top-selling Chosun daily said in an editorial on Thursday.

'The 'comfort women' issue is important. But if we demand renegotiation over the deal made two years ago, bilateral ties will be shattered,' it said.

'We can't let ourselves trapped in the past at a time like this when North Korea's nuclear threat is growing rapidly.'

The Japanese government denies it is directly responsible for 'comfort women', insisting they were recruited by civilians and that army brothels were commercially operated.

Despite the 2015 agreement, ties between the two neighbours have remained strained over the issue, especially when statues were placed outside Japanese diplomatic missions by South Korean activists in memory of the victims.

Many of 'comfort women' were liberated from their bondage by the Chinese (above)

Many women in Korea had the babies of the men who raped them

The plight of the comfort women has made it harder for Asian nations occupied by Japan to form a united front with Tokyo against North Korea
One of the 5,000 backpackers who trashed a Melbourne beach in a massive Christmas Day party says the outrage it prompted is over the top.

The St Kilda foreshore was strewn with so much rubbish and broken bottles after the day of revellrey that it will cost the local council $18,000 to clean up.

Jack Weatherley, attending the annual unplanned party for the sixth year in a row, said everyone was in 'good spirits'.

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The St Kilda foreshore was strewn with so much rubbish and broken bottles after a Christmas Day party that it will cost the local council $18,000 to clean up

British backpacker Jack Weatherley, one of 5,000 who attended, says the outrage it prompted is over the top

'People are overreacting and making a mountain out of a molehill... It needs to be put into perspective,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Locals saying it's an environmental disaster obviously have not read about the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef or the forest fires in Southern California.'

The British seasonal worker condemned the rubbish left behind as 'embarrassing' but said the cleanup bill was a small price for the city to pay.

'It's a bad figure but nothing compared to how much tourists bring into Australia, they all pay tax and spend all their money here,' he said.

'Everyone had a lot of fun and will go home to wherever they're from and say they had a great time in Melbourne for Christmas.'

Mr Weatherley (pictured at the Melbourne Grand Prix) condemned the rubbish left behind as 'embarrassing' but said the $18,000 cleanup bill was a small price for the city to pay as tourists brought so much money into the economy.

More than 5,000 revellers had a cheeky Christmas party on St Kilda's South Beach foreshore

By the early evening, piles of rubbish was seen piled up on the grass of the St Kilda foreshore

Mr Weatherley suggested the mess could have been minimised if police had reminded partygoers to put rubbish in the bin throughout the day.

'I'm responsible, I hate litter, but there are a lot of people who disregard it,' he said.

Two people were arrested for public drunkenness and a 27-year-old was hit by a train after tourists took trolleyloads of alcohol to the beach.

But despite the behaviour of backpackers being slammed as out-of-control, Mr Weatherley said it was a 'happy atmosphere'.

'It was a really jovial day out by many different nationalities, which is what Australia was created from,' he said.

City of Port Phillip Council is banning alcohol outdoors from Boxing Day until January 4, 2018

The aftermath of the Christmas party was messy, with police calling it 'unacceptable'

He also pointed out that the party was no worse than chaotic scenes seen every year at the Melbourne Cup.

Mr Weatherley's opinion was not shared by Port Phillip mayor Bernadene Voss, who described the scene as 'horrendous'.

'It's an absolute disgrace how people come and enjoy our beautiful place and the foreshore and absolutely trash it,' she told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Tuesday.

'It became quite rowdy.'

Inspector Jason Kelly said more than 5,000 people packed the South Beach foreshore from the late afternoon into the night as part of an 'unplanned event' which caused traffic chaos.

'What really disappoints Victoria Police is the level of intoxication that occurred here tonight as evidenced by the amount of rubbish left behind,' he told reporters on Monday night.

'We've had a number of people injured as a result of people stepping on glass.

Alcohol could be consumed outdoors until 8pm but many continued drinking after that time

After many drinks, the revellers at St Kilda struggled to do the right thing with their rubbish

'What people need to do is respect the local community, respect the local environment. It's very disappointing. It's not acceptable.

'Unfortunately, tonight we've seen some incidents that are below the line.'

Police resources from across Melbourne were deployed 'as a result of large amounts of intoxication and alcohol consumption' which was in breach of a council by-law which banned drinking booze on the foreshore after 8pm.

City of Port Phillip council workers have spent Tuesday morning cleaning up the St Kilda foreshore.

Ms Voss said she would review a council policy of only deploying extra council workers when the temperature was anticipated to hit 30 degrees, adding the council had expected more families than backpackers to crowd out the St Kilda foreshore.

The police weren't in such a festive spirit after seeing bad behaviour on Christmas night
President Donald Trump sent 26 per cent fewer Mexicans back home this year despite his vows to crackdown on illegal immigration.

According to new data from Mexico's Interior Ministry, Trump has sent home fewer Mexicans through November than former president Barack Obama did in the same period in 2016.

About 152,000 Mexican nationals were deported from the US between January and November, according to Bloomberg.

President Donald Trump sent 26 per cent fewer Mexicans back home this year despite his vows to crackdown on illegal immigration

According to new data from Mexico's Interior Ministry, Trump has sent home fewer Mexicans (file image) through November than former president Barack Obama did in the same period in 2016

Under Obama, 205,000 Mexican nationals were deported during the first 11 months of 2016.

During the election, Trump vowed to target criminals for deportation and warned that they were 'going out fast.'

In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes just days after he won the presidential election in 2016, Trump vowed to 'immediately' deport two to three million illegal immigrants with criminal records.

Trump has also vowed to build a wall along the Mexican border.

And in September, the president decided to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA).

DACA is an Obama-era initiative that grants work permits to more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country by family members as children.

A report from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (file image) showed that through early October removals of Mexican nationals were down,. But administrative arrests of all immigrants were up 30 per cent in fiscal year 2017

A report from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed that through early October removals of Mexican nationals were down,.

But administrative arrests of all immigrants were up 30 per cent in fiscal year 2017.

'For Mexicans who enter illegally, effective tools like expedited removal have led to increased deterrence, which has impacted entry levels,' Tyler Q Houlton, acting press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said in an email to Bloomberg.

Trump's deportation numbers were monitored throughout the year.

In January, federal immigration officials deported 9,913 criminals. After a slight uptick under Trump, expulsions sank to 9,600 criminals in June.

Mostly deportations have remained lower than in past years under the Obama administration.

From January to June, ICE deported 61,370 criminals, down from 70,603 during the same period last year.

Analysts said earlier this year that Trump is unlikely to hit his target deportation numbers during his four-year term.
A man has been charged with stalking after he allegedly sent a bullet to Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.

The 74-year-old man was charged on Thursday after a bullet was sent to Mr Joyce's electorate office in Tamworth on November 6.

At the time Mr Joyce was in the middle of campaigning to reclaim his seat in the New England by-election.

A man has been charged with stalking after he allegedly sent a bullet to Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce

Mr Joyce was in the middle of the New England by-election at the time (pictured with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull)

The bullet was sent in an envelope which was opened by a staff member, according to New South Wales Police.

The 74-year-old also allegedly made a threatening phone call to a home on Saturday, according to news.com.au.

Police haven't confirmed to which home the phone call was made.

The man was arrested at Armidale Police Station on Thursday, charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, and of stalking or intimidation.

The bullet was sent in an envelope which was opened by a staff member, according to New South Wales Police (stock image)

He was bailed to appear at Armidale Local Court on February 12, 2018.

It is understood the bullet accompanied a letter regarding a government loan to the Adani mining project.

The man was granted bail on the condition that he doesn't have any contact with politicians.
An award winning veteran TV journalist in Atlanta died suddenly Wednesday after suffering a 'massive spontaneous stroke,' while waiting to board a flight for her stepfather's funeral.

Amanda Davis, 62, who had spent 26 years at Fox5 Atlanta, said on Facebook that her 'pops' had passed last week. She was waiting to board her flight at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, to head to his Texas funeral when she had the stroke Wednesday.

The veteran news anchor, who had opened up about her struggles with alcoholism, had posted a message to her Facebook about celebrating Christmas after losing a loved on.

Amanda Davis, 62, passed suddenly of a stroke while waiting to board a plane bound for her step father's funeral in Texas

Davis (second from left) was a Fox5 Atlanta anchor for 26 years before retiring in 2013 following a very public DUI arrest

'Stay strong, keep praising the Lord,' Davis wrote.

Davis had retired in 2013 from Fox5 Atlanta, following a very public DUI arrest, according to the Atlanta Constitution Journal.

She opened up about her struggles with alcoholism, which she said were ignited later on in life, in a 2016 interview with ACJ.

Davis had said in the interview she had grappled with coming to terms with her disease: 'Even then I questioned it,' she said. 'I wanted to believe that there was still a way they could help me control it.'

Her colleagues shared messages of love and support for the anchor and her family.

Davis was arrested in 2013 for drunk driving and retired soon after

Former colleague and co-anchor at Fox5, Russ Spencer, who worked with her for 15 years, shared on social media: 'Amanda Davis has gone to be with God, leaving us  leaving me  shocked and heartbroken by the suddenness of her passing.'

'Amanda was a person of great faith, a faith that seemed to deepen in recent years as she bravely confronted, and surmounted, challenges made more difficult because they were so public,' Spencer added.

Spencer also sent his condolences to Davis' only daughter, Melora.

In a statement, the network said: 'Her family is asking for privacy at this difficult time.'

According to CBS46, her 'true labor of love' was helping find permanent homes for Georgia foster care children. She also helped launch a segment titled Wednesday's Child, which helped find Atlanta children find permanent homes.
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ISIS have claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing involving multiple blasts at a Shia cultural centre in Kabul that killed at least 40 and injured a further 80.

The extremist group said it targeted the centre with three bombs followed by a suicide bombing in a statement on its propaganda outlet Amaq.

Some of the explosions were set off in the basement of the building where people had gathered during a ceremony to mark the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion in the country.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani said: 'The terrorist have killed our people. The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places and now our cultural center.'

He also called the attack a 'crime against humanity'.

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An Afghan man runs away as dust blows in the aftermath of the third blast at the Shiite cultural centre in Kabul. ISIS have claimed responsibility for the attack

An Afghan man surveys the destruction caused at the centre. At least 41 people have died in the attack

Many of the injured suffered burns in the blasts. Three were explosions and another was a suicide bombing

A man lays on a stretcher as he is taken to hospital with burns after the attack

An injured woman is carried into the hospital after the attack. At least 84 people have also been injured

Bodies of the victims are taken away from the hospital in coffins

A survivor quoted by local media said that at least one of the blasts went off as people convened at an Iranian-funded social and cultural activity centre for a meeting.

The attack took place opposite the offices of the Afghan Voice news agency.

Sayed Abbas Hussaini, a journalist at the agency, said one reporter at the agency had been killed and another injured.

Wahid Mujro, spokesman for the public health ministry, says the toll is at 41 killed and 84 wounded.

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP that death toll is not final and 'might' go up.

Firefighters spray water to remove the bloodstains at the site of the suicide attack

Afghan men injured in the bomb attack receive medical treatment for their wounds

A man is physically carried into the hospital without a stretcher. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani called it a 'crime against humanity'

A man passes the hand of a deceased woman on a stretcher in a hospital

A man carries an empty coffin within the hospital compound. The center is located in the Shiite-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood in the west of the capital

This woman lost her son in the blast. The extremist group claimed responsibility in a statement on its propaganda outlet Amaq

Two women weep for their relatives at a hospital after the attacks. The attack took place opposite the offices of the Afghan Voice news agency

Many of the victims were taken to Istiqlal hospital where there have been chaotic scenes as people try to locate their family members

Dead bodies have begun piling up at the hospital after the attack. The Interior Ministry confirmed that children are among the dead

The attack took place at about 10.30am local time. Officials said that at least two other suicide bombers also used grenades in the attack.

Many of the victims were taken to Istiqlal hospital, including women and children, where there have been chaotic scenes as people try to locate their family members.

The center is located in the Shiite-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood in the west of the capital.

The local Islamic State affiliate has carried out several attacks targeting Shiites in Afghanistan, including at least two attacks on Shiite mosques in Kabul and one in the western city of Herat, killing scores of worshippers.

The attack took place at about 10.30am local time. Officials said that at least two other suicide bombers also used grenades in the attack

An Afghan man is comforted by several people as he sobs for his relatives. One news agency worker has been killed and another injured

Afghan security forces stand at the site of the attack. Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP that the death toll is not final and 'might' go up
Two days of deluges have dumped a month's worth of rain in some parts of the country, causing chaos on the roads and for commuters attempting to get to work this morning. Trains have been delayed this morning after flooding stopped them on the tracks, while some major roads were left shut due to the amount of standing water. The Met Office has warned that some areas could see almost four inches of rain in the coming 24 hours, as the 'atrocious' weather looks set to continue. The service has put in place two warnings for heavy rain which are in force across large part of the midlands and the north, as well as eastern Scotland, while the Environment Agency has issued 25 flood warnings and 99 alerts in England. Photos show cars stuck in deep standing water and lorries partially submerged after misjudging the extent of the flooding in Surrey and West Sussex. The M23 southbound was closed between J10 and J11 as workers tried to remove standing water during Rush Hour this morning, after the road and the nearby A27 was closed overnight due to flooding, with firefighters called in to rescue trapped motorists last night. Emergency services spent the night trying to free those trapped in the horrendous conditions, as well as removing vehicles stuck in the rising water. As of this morning the road's eastbound carriageway remains closed. There was also severe disruption on the trains in and around London this morning, with trains from Essex into the capital delayed after reports a lorry hit a railway crossing barrier, while part of the Piccadilly Line between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge has no service this morning, with Transport for London blaming 'significant leaf fall'
Britain will tell France it is 'out of the question' for the Government to plough cash into new customs controls across the Channel after Brexit.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to raise the issue when he visits Theresa May for talks early in the new year.

But sources at the Brexit department today said ministers would make clear to their counterparts the British taxpayer would not pay for infrastructure in France.

Despite the rapid rebuttal, the demand will infuriate Brexiteers and former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has branded it 'absurd'.

French President Emmanuel Macron (pictured with the PM in Paris earlier this month) is expected to raise the issue of Britain paying for French customs posts when he visits Theresa May for talks early in the new year

Mrs May (pictured on Christmas Eve) is already under pressure to reject the French demands

The French case is based upon the likely need for new customs arrangements after Britain leaves the EU and the single market.

The Government is already spending millions upgrading customs systems in Dover and at other ports, including preparing for a no-deal scenario where all goods could need to be checked.

Paris believes Britain should also share its additional costs under the Le Touquet treaty - a bilateral agreement between the UK and France on the Channel ports.

While Britain will not pay into the French system, the Government is willing to work on solutions that minimise costs of the new system.

A trade deal that allows free-flowing trade without new checks would see minimal additional costs on both sides.

The current Le Touquet treaty, which has nothing to do with the EU, allows the British border to operate on the French side of the Channel - meaning travellers only need to be checked once.

The Telegraph reported today that senior French politicians and officials have held meetings with their UK counterparts on the issue.

Jean-Paul Mulot, the regional envoy to the UK for Hauts-de-France, which includes Calais, Boulogne, Dunkirk and the Eurotunnel entrance, said the cost would run to hundreds of millions of pounds.

He told the Telegraph he hoped the UK would 'agree to provide some funding eventually'.

Paris believes Britain should also share its additional costs under the Le Touquet treaty - a bilateral agreement between the UK and France on the Channel ports (including the Channel Tunnel, pictured).

But Mr Duncan Smith said: 'There is no logical or legal reason why Britain should pay anything towards this. It is an absurdity.

'No other country is asking for money; not Holland, not Belgium, and Mrs May should remind Mr Macron that he stands to benefit from this arrangement because France sells more goods to us than we sell to them.

The demand will infuriate Brexiteers and former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has branded it 'absurd'

'Theresa May can smile sweetly at Mr Macron and tell him there will not be a penny more than has already been agreed.

'We have already said how much we will pay, and if the EU wants to give some of that money to France that's up to them.'

Chancellor Philip Hammond confirmed at the Budget that money was already being spent to ensure British ports were ready for Brexit.

A major upgrade of customs computers is underway and contingency plans are being drawn up to carry out millions of extra checks.

France threatened to scrap the Le Touquet treaty during the EU referendum campaign, potentially shifting the UK border back to Dover.

It could have meant thousands of migrants who had been camped in Calais being free to move to the English side of the Channel to await immigration processing.

After Brexit was confirmed, Mr Macron announced the treaty would not be cancelled.
Commuters have been left stationary after a fatal crash on a major highway north of Brisbane.

A motorbike rider was killed in a northbound crash on the Bruce Highway about 4.30pm, leading police to block all northbound lanes.

The rider, 25, is believed to have been thrown from their bike in a collision with a car, before being hit by a third vehicle, which also hit a car parked on the side of the highway.

A spokesperson for Queensland Ambulance told Daily Mail Australia four victims of the crash were treated by paramedics, including the motorbike rider.

A motorcyclist was killed in a fatal crash on the Bruce Highway on Thursday afternoon

The fatal crash also saw a 48-year-old woman transported to hospital with non life threatening injuries

'One person was deceased on the scene, and a 48-year-old woman was taken to hospital in a stable condition,' she said.

'Paramedics treated two other people for minor injuries, but they were not transported.'

The crash occurred near the Uhlmann Road off ramp in Burpengary, and emergency services are advising commuters avoid the area.

Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham is one of hundreds stuck in the chaos.

The 29-year-old shared a warning to avoid the area with his Twitter followers, and said the crash involved a 'fuel tanker, four cars and a motorcycle'.

'It appears that there has been a fatality. Traffic was stopped for 3hrs and is now being turned around and diverted,' he said.

A diversion has been put in place at New Settlement Road, but the traffic queue begins after the turn-off, meaning it will be a long wait for some.

As of 8pm on Thursday, the section of the Bruce Highway remains closed.
David Davis today denied he had been sidelined from his own Brexit negotiations after it emerged his former top aide held direct talks with Brussels.

Olly Robbins, who was Mr Davis' principal secretary before being transferred to No 10, has held direct negotiations with Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator.

The meeting is a breach of protocol and fuels suspicions Mr Davis is being cut out by Mr Robbins and Downing Street.

David Davis (right) today denied he had been sidelined from his own Brexit negotiations after it emerged his former top aide Olly Robbins (second right) held direct talks with EU negotiator Michel Barnier (second left)

Protocol dictates that direct talks at the senior level should only happen between Mr Davis and Mr Barnier, with aides working below them on the detail

The Brexit Department denied Mr Davis was being sidelined but did not deny the meeting between Mr Robbins and Mr Barnier.

Sources in Brussels told The Times that Mr Robbins had become more influential in the talks after his job was moved to No 10, directly advising Theresa May.

They said the 'dynamics changed' after the change, which emerged after reports Mr Davis and Mr Robbins had clashed.

Official records also show Mr Robbins spends much more time in Brussels than the Brexit Secretary - 18 days compared to Mr Davis' four.

Much of Mr Robbins work is with his opposite number, Mr Barnier's aide Sabine Weyand.

But The Times was told: '(Barnier) is just down the corridor, so of course he is involved as well.'

Sources have claimed Mr Robbins influence on the talks grew after he was moved to report directly to Theresa May (pictured on Christmas Eve)

Whitehall sources insisted any direct talks between Mr Robbins and Mr Barnier would have to be cleared in advance by Mr Davis.

A Dexeu spokeswoman said: 'This characterisation of the negotiations is wholly and wilfully inaccurate.

'The Brexit secretary meets with his counterpart, Michel Barnier, at regular intervals to oversee the negotiations.

'In November they agreed their officials would maintain a constant dialogue, so it should be of no surprise that senior British civil servants press the UK's case as set by the prime minister and Brexit secretary.'

Mr Robbins was moved from the Brexit Department to the Cabinet Office - allowing him to report directly to the Prime Minister - in the summer.

At the time, Former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake said he was surprised by the move, which could be down to a 'clash of personalities'.

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One: 'It seems an odd point to make this kind of change.

'I wonder how he can lead a process of negotiation and not also be leading the department responsible for that process.'
Lord Horatio Nelson may have been a master of naval tactics but when it came to affairs of the heart, he sometimes let his frustration, jealousy and impatience show.

A set of letters up for auction at Sotheby's include two from the then 35-year-old married captain to his mistress Emma Hamilton - and one where he complains about the behaviour of his wife, Fanny.

Lady Hamilton, then 28, was also married at the time to diplomat Sir William Hamilton. The pair's six-year affair would become the biggest scandal of the age.

One piece of correspondence Nelson sent to Emma on October 10, 1801, reveals his outrage that the Prince of Wales had the audacity to seemingly be flirting with his lover.

In one letter up for auction, Horatio Nelson rages against the Prince of Wales for seemingly flirting with the then-captain's lover Emma Hamilton: 'I... am sorry that you cannot go to a Public place without being tormented by that fellow who has not the smallest regard for sir William, I hate and detest all the Great and I would not associate with such Company for the World...'

A set of four letters up for auction at Sotheby's include two from the Nelson (left) - then a 35-year-old married captain - to his mistress Emma Hamilton (right)

'I  am sorry that you cannot go to a Public place without being tormented by that fellow who has not the smallest regard for sir William [Hamilton's husband], I hate and detest all the Great and I would not associate with such Company for the World.'

At the time of writing, Nelson was docked in the Thames estuary while the Peace of Amiens talks, between the British and French, were being finalised in 1801.

It has an estimated sale price of 8,000 to 12,000.

Nelson had written a number of 'hysterically jealous' letters to Emma earlier in the year in which he conveyed his fear that the Prince of Wales wished to have her as his mistress.

Jan 11, 1803: Nelson's anger over his wife's delivery of a card '...What impudent Pride may do is not worth consideration except return the Card from whence it came...', he writes. Nelson was disgusted that his wife, Fanny, delivered a card to his brother-in-law George Matcham and his wife - but failed to see them, even though Mrs Matcham was at home. Nelson conveys his disgust over the behaviour of his wife, Fanny The letter also discussed the Matchams' plans for a visit to Europe ('...The environs of both Dresden & Vienna are beautiful I believe Dresden much the cheapest place...'), Emma Hamilton writing on domestic affairs, looking forward to a visit from the Matchams and describing a recent ball ('...We have had a delightfull Ball Charlotte out did herself Like an angel she was that night the Little Boltons were Charmed...'). Sent on January 11, 1803, it consists of two pages (one page by Nelson, one page by Emma Hamilton). Estimated value: 12,000 - 18,000 Advertisement

In the letter, he adds that he will return to her as soon as he can, that he will 'not stay one hour after hostilitys [sic] cease'.

He had written five days earlier that he was 'vexed but not surprized, my dear Emma, at that fellow's wanting you for his mistress ... the meanness of the titled pimps does not surprize me in these degenerate days. I suppose he will try to get at Merton, as it lays in the road ... to Brighton; but I am sure you will never let them into the premises'.

In another letter - to his brother-in-law George Matcham - he writes with venom about the behaviour of his wife, Fanny.

The Matcham letter, to Nelson's sister Catherine... continued with Emma's writing Here, Lady Hamilton continues Nelson's correspondence, where she enthuses about the public adulation of Nelson ('...Oh how our Hero has been received I wish you Cou'd Come to hear all our story most interesting. Emma continues: 'We have just been to see the place at Epsom for you & of which I enclose you the particulars'. In the letter, Emma gushes about how Nelson 'has been received' Nelson and Emma Hamilton had just returned from a journey to Wales, during which Nelson had drawn crowds and been given a rapturous welcome wherever he appeared. Emma's emphasised hope that Catherine would come to Merton to hear 'our story' is probably an oblique reference to the division in the family occasioned by Nelson's rejection of his wife. Estimated value: 2,000 to 3,000. Advertisement

Nelson had married Frances 'Fanny' Nisbet in March 1787 - six years before he met Lady Hamilton.

Nelson's rage centred around a visit made by Fanny to the Matchams, whereupon she left a card without seeing them, despite Mrs Matcham being home at the time.

'He writes with cold fury about the behaviour of his wife. This is very much the world Jane Austen is writing about and while Nelson does not often come across as a character in a Jane Austen novel, you do have moments here where it is very much that world,' Gabriel Heaton, a books and manuscripts specialist at Sotheby's, told The Guardian.

Nelson had married Frances 'Fanny' Nisbet (pictured) in March 1787 - six years before he met Lady Hamilton

'In the complex social hierarchies and appropriate behaviours of the time this was a very marked gesture of impoliteness,' said Heaton. 'He was furious at his wife at her impudence, as he sees it, towards his sister and brother-in-law,' Heaton continued.

During the correspondence to his brother-in-law, Nelson hands over his quill to Emma, whose writing style is in stark contrast - described by Heaton as 'a wonderful, very gushing way of writing... wildly enthusiastic or hopelessly upset'.

The letters will feature in a sale on January 17. The auction will also include 'an exceptionally large' fragment of the union flag from HMS Victory.

Measuring 86cm by 92cm (34in by 36in), it is part of the flag believed to have been flown during the Battle of Trafalgar and has an estimate of 80,000 to 100,000.

May 19, 1803: To Emma, on his imminent departure on HMS Victory Here, Nelson discusses the arrival of his personal effects on board ('...my sopha & the Large chair are not in any of the list therefore I fear for them...'). He also comments on the state of organisation at Portsmouth and that 'the Victory is in a pretty state of confusion and I have not moved my Cot from the amphion'. Nelson talks of his yearning for his mistress's company as he prepares to set sail He also expresses his yearning for her company ('...Believe me I hate every thing here the misery of the Place is striking and without you I am sure every place will be the same...') and some envy towards the Prince of Wales ('...I admire the Princes calling but I am confident that none will get into your Company I feel strong on that point and you must think the same...'). Elsewhere he writes of the fellow officers also arriving to take their stations, including Admiral Lord Gardner ('... I shall get from him as soon as I can for they say there is much drinking...') He also talks of his frustration: '...the Wind is fair and I am mad at being detained...' Estimated value: 15,000 to 20,000. Advertisement

Nelson and Lady Hamilton: The biggest scandal of the age

Nelson's six-year affair with Lady Hamilton was the biggest scandal of the age.

He first met her in 1793, when he was a post captain and she was the wife of Sir William Hamilton, the British Envoy to Naples.

The second meeting between the couple was in Naples in 1797. A year later, after fleeing Naples, Nelson, Lady Hamilton and Sir William Hamilton rented a house in Palermo together.

Nelson's wife Fanny demanded he give up his mistress but he decided instead to separate from her and remain with Lady Hamilton.

The historic Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 was won by the Royal Navy but cost Lord Nelson his life after he was shot on HMS Victory by a French sniper

He eventually returned to sea, leaving Emma eight months pregnant with their lovechild, Horatia.

Nelson wrote to her pretending his letters were on behalf of a seaman under his command called Thompson, whose pregnant wife was under Lady Hamilton's protection.

Sir William died in 1803.

Nelson finally returned to England and Horatia in August 1805 but could only stay for a month before he was called back to sea to engage Napoleon's French navy at Cape Trafalgar near Cadiz.

The historic Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 was won by the Royal Navy but cost Lord Nelson his life after he was shot on HMS Victory by a French sniper.

As he died, he made a plea to the government to care for Mrs Hamilton and Horatia.
A US chatroom user has told how he desperately tried to get someone to call 999 as he watched a British plasterer hang himself live on webcam on Christmas Day.

The horrified American watched on in horror as his internet acquaintance Gregory Tomkins, 39, took his life.

He had no idea where the Sutton man, from south London, lived and begged UK-base users of the internet forum to dial 999.

Pictured: Gregory Tomkins posed a photo of himself online with the words 'Merry Christmas' shortly before he livestreamed his own death on an internet chatroom where users insult one another

Tragic: Just days before Gregory took his life, he updated his biography on Facebook to read: 'JUST DO IT'

But the chatroom administrator known as Throat Punch said his attempts were 'futile' as others simply watched the man die in front of their eyes.

He said by the time emergency services arrived at Greogry's home, it was too late.

Gregory was a frequent user of infamous chatroom Apple Inc Insults. The forum is one of 5,000 on controversial video social site PalTalk and encourages users to verbally abuse one another.

The software is used by more than 7 million people worldwide has been blasted in the past for helping terrorists to communicate.

It hit the headlines in 2007 when British man Kevin Whitrick, 42, committed suicide in devastatingly similar circumstances.

The father of two logged onto an insults chatroom, as Gregory did on Christmas Day, and was goaded by members until he took his life.

Speaking today Throat Punch said he was distressed at not being able to contact 999 when he saw 39-year-old Gregory on his computer screen.

He said: 'As an admin in the room at the time this tragedy took place, the frustration of not being able to contact police because dialling 101 or 999 from a country outside the UK became immediately apparent.'

In the early hours of Christmas Day, Mr Tomkins, a self-employed plasterer in his 30s from Wallington in Sutton, south London, logged onto the chatroom and hanged himself

A Met Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 3.36am on Monday, December 25, to an address in Wallington after concerns were raised for the welfare of an occupant'

The American said: 'By the time it took me to get a room member from the UK to contact 999, it was way too late.

'Sitting by watching people ignore requests to call police was truly futile.'

Online contacts described Gregory, a regular to the site, as a 'lovely soul', but said the internet chatroom where you got to get insulted was 'not the place for him'.

He is thought to have joined the chatroom in the early hours of Christmas Day but instead of speaking, as he usually did, he was silent.

A person who wished to remain unnamed said Gregory slowly panned away from the camera and within seconds, he had hung himself.

They said: 'He had come into the room on his regular screenname that he uses.

'When he actually comes in the room he is always on the microphone and he talks.

'But this time he didn't talk and he was just sitting there. After he left the room he cammed up, and that was when he did what he did.

'It took him literally 30 seconds to go from sitting down to hanging.'

One person known on the forum as Putin wrote: 'Gregory Tomkins was a funny man, he did a lot of funny stuff in the chat room but he also got upset a lot and would do silly things on his cam as well.

'I just think he was very lonely as he had a difficult past which he spoke about a lot.

'But he always meant well, you just were never sure what mood he was in when he entered the chat room. I do not think an insult chat room like this was the place for him.'

Another chatroom called Alinity wrote: 'Yakka was a funny guy he will be sadly missed.'

MailOnline has contacted PalTalk for comment.

A Met Police said Mr Tomkins death was not be treated as suspicious and his elderly parents have been informed of the incident.

The spokesman said: 'Police were called at 3.36am on Monday, December 25, to an address in Clarendon Road, Wallington, after concerns were raised for the welfare of an occupant.

'Officers attended. A man, believed to be in his 30s, was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.

'Next of kin are aware. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

'A file will be prepared for the coroner.'

Residents in the quiet surburban street in south London said he had had run-ins with the police.

Next-door neighbour Janine Harmer, 38, said she heard banging from Mr Tomkins top-floor flat around 3.30 am on Christmas Day.

Ms. Harmer said: 'There was a lot of banging. I did not know what was going on. It went on for a few minutes.

'The bedroom is at the back.Its really bonkers. I sad to my boyfriend, 'Is somebody building an ark in there?'

'He used to play his music really loud at all hours. Sunday at 8am, late into the night. It was dancey, garage music.

One local who had lived in the street for eight years said Mr Tomkins was 'a bit of a loose canon'.

He said: 'I think he had some dealings with the police. Occasionally they would be here. He would shout out the window at people passing by. He maybe had some mental issues.

'No one knew.much about him. It's really sad.'

On Thursday afternoon, Mr Tomkins white Mercedes work van was still parked outside the three-storey converted house.

Neighbours reported seeing him drive home the vehicle day around 5.45pm.

One resident which lives in the flat below said 'I did not see him very much'.

The neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: 'He lived alone here for a long time. He was a very private person.'
The 105th Nebraska Legislature, Second Session, will convene with 32 Republicans (one brand new), 14 Democrats, two Independents and a Libertarian. Theyll be meeting for 60 days so the ones who are facing re-election can get home and campaign. The preliminary calendar says the nations only nonpartisan one-house legislature meets from Jan. 3-18.

As many as 12 of those Republicans could be on Governor Pete Ricketts watch list to see if hell need to find and fund opponents in the May primary and November election. Its a short session for the officially nonpartisan body, due to end before the primary.

Six senators  four Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent  will be serving their last year because of term limits which were approved by voters some years ago. Republicans Lydia Brasch, Tyson Larson, Paul Schumacher and Jim Smith were first elected in 2010 and will meet the two-term limit. Democrat Burke Harr and Independent Bob Krist (he was a Republican last session) will also term out.

There is some speculation that Smith might seek another elective office. Krist has announced an Independent bid for the Governors office, risky business in an overwhelmingly partisan Republican state. It would take support from dissident Republicans and Democrats to support the states growing nonpartisan base to make a Krist bid successful. State Democratic Chairwoman Jane Kleeb has already announced that the Democrats will field a candidate.

Lawmakers will have the traditional 10 days to introduce new bills and resolutions. Theyll be added to the load that includes 447 bills and 10 resolutions carried over from the first session. Thats a lot of work to be woven into a calendar that includes 14 recess days and two holidays  Martin Luther King Day on January 15 and Presidents Day on February 19.

Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer of Norfolk has stated publicly that he hopes to avoid a rules fight. Debate over a proposed change to the filibuster rules lingered for 30 days last session. In fact, the Rules Committee met before Christmas in an effort to pave a smooth path into the next session.

The dean of the Capitol Press Corps, Don Walton of the Lincoln Journal Star, said committee members expressed concern about the startling lack of experience now prevalent in terms of service on legislative committees. Walton noted that committees are the funnel through which legislative bills must pass and some knowledge or experience dealing with what can be some very complicated issues and subject matter like tax laws is important in reaching legislative results.

According to the discussion, the average time a senator serves on a specific committee has shrunk to roughly two years. Next year, Walton noted, at least five of the eight members of the tax-writing Revenue Committee will be gone.

Krist blames that partly on "a political agenda that decided to stack the committee" last January. He noted that the same thing happened when a brand new gubernatorial appointee, Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, was immediately awarded a seat on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee.

There will be one new face in the chamber. Theresa Thibodeau, a LaVista pre-school owner, was sworn in October 19 to replace Senator Joni Craighead in Omahas District 6. Craighead resigned September 1. Thibodeau will have to run for the seat in the May primary and November election along with other senators representing even-numbered districts.

One can expect the six short-timers to freely speak their minds this session, with the exception of Krist who is running for a different office and Smith (and maybe others) who may also be running for an elected state position. The dozen Ricketts targets might also be a little less vocal.

The circus is coming back to town. Let the drama commence.
Jeremy Corbyn believes porridge will fuel him through the long journey to the 2022 election as he vows to defeat the Tories.

The 68-year-old Labour leader denied he lacked the energy to grind through five years of opposition before the next scheduled general election.

Mr Corbyn was rocked again today by close allies vowing publicly to use a Labour government to scrap 40 years of trade union reforms.

The veteran left-winger said he hoped his controversial brand of politics would be rewarded with a surge of new victories at May's local elections.

Jeremy Corbyn believes porridge will fuel him through the long journey to the 2022 election as he vows to defeat the Tories

Mr Corbyn made his comments in an interview to mark the end of the year in the Independent.

Defying claims he will not be able to sustain the campaigning needed until 2022 and take the Commons seats needed to win, Mr Corbyn said he was 'fine'.

He said: 'We've got lots of energy. I've got loads of energy. I'm fine, I eat porridge every morning.

CORBYN DENIES HIS BREXIT POSITION IS CONFUSING Jeremy Corbyn has denied having a 'confusing' position on Brexit despite polls indicating voters have no idea what the party thinks. Labour front benchers have repeatedly struck different positions on whether it backs staying in the single market or whether it would call another referendum. But Mr Corbyn insisted: 'I don't think it's confusing. 'What we're saying is we want that relationship with Europe which means we are formally leaving the European Union, of course, and that is the position. 'I say to them: we're part of the same continent, we have to maintain the economic relationship, the university relationship, the university relationship must be maintained and absolutely continued membership of Erasmus scheme and make that extremely clear. 'We are not going to allow this country to go off a cliff in March 2019 as some in the Tory party want to happen.' The Labour leader continued: 'What we've done is accept the result of the referendum which we obviously had to  and we do.' Advertisement

'Porridge and energy bars and I keep off alcohol and meat.'

The Labour leader said his regret for the year was failing to secure election victory in June despite an improbable turn around in the polls that saw Labour surge from 21-points behind to run the Tories close on June 8.

And he said he hoped for a continued success at May's elections with the parties effectively tied in most surveys.

Mr Corbyn said: 'Well, the biggest elections are going to be in the main cities, particularly London, Birmingham, Newcastle  we're going to be working very hard on them. In London particularly, they are going to focus on housing.

'But it's also emphasising the way local authorities have been so underfunded by this Government that they are all facing real difficulties that were are going to emphasise in the election. This is the product of seven years of austerity.

'I'm hoping we do very, very well, but I'm not putting a figure on it.'

Despite Mr Corbyn's positive tone, Labour frontbenchers were accused last night of plotting to take Britain back to the days of flying pickets and strikes in the 1970s.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has backed a radical pro-strike manifesto which would leave key public services vulnerable to industrial action.

Mr Corbyn was rocked again today by close allies including John McDonnell vowing publicly to use a Labour government to scrap 40 years of trade union reform

The 'blueprint' for workers' rights, set out by a Left-wing think-tank, calls for current anti-strike laws to be ripped up and unions to be given more powers.

Several of the most senior members of Labour's shadow cabinet have said the party would adopt manifesto policies of the Institute of Employment Rights.

They include shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey and the party's chairman Ian Lavery.

It comes as a series of planned strikes are set to cripple much of the UK's rail network in January.

Tory MPs last night claimed that Labour's plans would usher in a new era of industrial unrest by taking the country back to the 1970s.

James Cleverly said: 'Labour want to take us back to the days where union barons could hold the country to ransom and disrupt the lives of millions of people with militant strike action.'
A 41-year-old woman has died after a snorkelling trip gone wrong in South Australia.

The woman, an international tourist, was on a Swim with the Sea Lions tour off Tumby Bay when she was pulled from the water unconscious just before 11am, Nine News reported.

Crew for Adventure Bay Charters worked tirelessly to save the woman, and the boat was met by a large crowd of emergency services when it docked back at the wharf.

The woman was rushed to hospital, but she could not be revived.

A 41-year-old woman has died after falling unconscious in the water during a snorkelling trip in South Australia

Crew worked to resuscitate her as they made the hour-long journey back to shore on Thursday morning, where paramedics and police waited for them

Crew and other passengers assisted police with their inquiries following the devastating incident.

South Australia Police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, and are preparing a report for the coroner.

Adventure Bay Charters released a statement on Thursday night, sending their condolences to those affected, and revealing they would continue to operate as normal.

'Unfortunately a tragic accident has unfolded on board our Swim with the Sea Lions tour today,' the statement read.

Despite rushing the woman to hospital, and the best efforts of paramedics and boat crew, the woman could not be saved

'This incident resulted in the loss of a life, which has deeply shocked and saddened all those on board; the friends and family of the deceased and our staff. We offer our most sincere condolences to all involved.

'At present, our priorities lie with the family, other customers on board today and our staff.

'In a commitment to all past, present and future customers we will continue to offer tours as scheduled from tomorrow morning onwards.'
A Zimbabwean family has been marooned at Bangkok's main airport for two months drawing comparisons with the Tom Hanks film, The Terminal.

The family of four adults and four children - who are aged between two and 11-years-old - have been trying to leave Thailand since late October.

But they lack visas for onward travel, refuse to return to Zimbabwe and are denied re-entry to the kingdom after overstaying, trapping them in limbo in the airside area of the airport.

Their predicament first emerged after a Thai Facebook user posted a photo of himself giving one of the children a Christmas present.

A Zimbabwean family has been marooned at Bangkok's main airport for two months drawing comparisons with the Tom Hanks film, The Terminal. Their predicament first emerged after a Thai Facebook user posted a photo of himself giving one of the children a Christmas present (pictured)

The post, which explained their situation, was widely shared as questions emerged as to how they had lived at the airport for so long.

Comparisons were quickly made with the 2004 film The Terminal, in which a man played by Tom Hanks finds himself stuck in a New York airport after his government collapses, rendering his papers useless.

Immigration police said the family entered Thailand in May on tourist visas.

On October 23 they tried to fly to Spain via Ukraine, but were denied by the airline as they lacked Spanish visas.

As they had overstayed their Thai visas by several months they were banned from re-entering the country.

They are trapped as they have also 'refused to return to Zimbabwe citing their fear for their for their safety due to unrest in Zimbabwe,' the official said, requesting anonymity.

Airlines have been providing them with food.

The family's plight has been compared to the 2004 Tom Hanks film The Terminal (above)

Zimbabwe's military pushed out 93-year-old despot Robert Mugabe in November paving the way for a transition from decades of mismanagement and authoritarian rule.

But there has been little unrest and the new president has encouraged Zimbabweans who fled under Mugabe's rule to return home.

The family have applied for asylum hoping to be resettled outside of Thailand, which does not formally accept refugees.

Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Bangkok said the UNHCR was 'currently exploring potential solutions' for the family but could not provide more details for confidentiality reasons.

With visa-on-arrival agreements with many countries, Thailand has long been a destination for those fleeing civil strife and poverty.

But it does not allow refugees to legally settle in the kingdom, meaning those seeking asylum need to a find a third country option.
This is the emotional moment hundreds of captives were reunited with their loved ones after Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels agreed a prisoner exchange.

The swap took place close to the Ukrainian town of Gorlivka, and was the largest such exchange since the outbreak of an insurgency almost four years ago.

Families embraced their relatives as they were handed over on a dusty road, 25 miles northeast of the rebels' stronghold of Donetsk last night.

It was part of an attempt to revive a tattered peace deal between the Kiev army and rebels from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.

The war in the former Soviet republic broke out in April 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea the previous month. The conflict has already claimed more than 10,000 lives.

Hundreds of captives have been reunited with their loved ones after Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels agreed a prisoner exchange. Ukrainian hostages are pictured hugging relatives last night at the airport of Boryspil, Ukraine, after their release

The swap took place close to the Ukrainian town of Gorlivka, and was the largest such exchange since the outbreak of an insurgency almost four years ago. A released Ukrainian captive kisses his partner at the airport of Boryspil in Ukraine last night

In the first exchange since September 2016, the Russian-backed eastern militia handed 73 prisoners over to Kiev. The Ukrainian side released 233 rebels and their supporters, officials from both sides said

A series of truce deals has helped lower the level of violence but did not end the bloodshed.

In the first exchange since September 2016, the Russian-backed eastern militia handed 73 prisoners over to Kiev. The Ukrainian side released 233 rebels and their supporters, officials from both sides said.

The figures were significantly lower than previously declared, as dozens of prisoners - almost all from the Ukrainian territory - have refused to move to the other side.

Two Ukrainians - a man and a woman - also opted to stay on the rebel side.

The prisoners massed at the exchange point with their belongings, shivering in zero temperatures, before boarding buses after their names had been called out.

Some of the detainees expressed relief after spending long months, and even years, in captivity.

The prisoners massed at the exchange point with their belongings, shivering in zero temperatures, before boarding buses after their names had been called out

The swap on the eve of the New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays was agreed following negotiations involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's leader Petro Poroshenko

Relatives and friends meet the released Ukrainian hostages at the airport of Boryspil, Ukraine, on December 27

'I was in captivity for two years,' said historian Igor Kozlovskiy, 63, who was captured by Donetsk rebels on suspicion of storing weapons.

'Still a lot of prisoners remain (behind bars in Donetsk),' he told AFP minutes before he was handed over to the representatives of Ukraine.

Hundreds of people turned out at Kiev airport late Wednesday to welcome home the released prisoners, waving national flags, bouquets of flowers and shouting 'Glory to Ukraine! Glory to our heroes!'

'Hello sweetie. You see, Daddy came back,' one soldier said over the phone to a child as his weeping wife hugged him tightly, after 21 months held captive by separatists.

The swap on the eve of the New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays was agreed following negotiations involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's leader Petro Poroshenko.

The swap is in line with the so-called Minsk agreements brokered by Germany and France in 2015

German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel greeted the long-awaited exchange as 'an important step in the implementation of the Minsk agreements', urging the sides to conduct further steps to fulfil the peace deal

In his comment immediately after the exchange was completed, Poroshenko hailed the persistence of the Ukrainian soldiers.

'I have just thanked our lads who are coming back from captivity. Thanks for your stamina, guys,' he said on Facebook.

The swap is in line with the so-called Minsk agreements brokered by Germany and France in 2015.

German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel greeted the long-awaited exchange as 'an important step in the implementation of the Minsk agreements', urging the sides to conduct further steps to fulfil the peace deal.

The last prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels took place in September 2016 when two pro-Kiev detainees were swapped for four separatist fighters at a checkpoint outside the rebel-held city of Lugansk

Unusually, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill helped mediate the talks on Wednesday's prisoner exchange, and three Russian priests were present

The last prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels took place in September 2016 when two pro-Kiev detainees were swapped for four separatist fighters at a checkpoint outside the rebel-held city of Lugansk.

Unusually, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill helped mediate the talks on Wednesday's prisoner exchange, and three Russian priests were present.

The head of the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, thanked the patriarch for his involvement.

'People who have spent more than three years in captivity will be able to return home thanks to the church and the authorities,' he said.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian army reported the death of one soldier in the renewed fighting, the first combat casualty after the latest Christmas ceasefire came into force Saturday.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of funnelling troops and arms across the border.

Moscow has denied the claims despite overwhelming evidence that it has been involved in the fighting and its explicit political support for the rebels.
A monster who fathered eight children with his own daughter after repeatedly raping her during a 22-year reign of terror has been jailed for 12 years and eight months.

Argentinian Domingo Bulacio, 57, showed no sign of emotion as he was sentenced on Wednesday for multiple sex crimes after a trial at a court in the northern city of Santiago del Estero.

Relatives of the serial rapist were among the 50 witnesses who gave evidence at the hearing.

Domingo Bulacio (pictured, left, in a file photo) remained impassive as he received his sentence on Wednesday

Bulacio (seen above being taken into custody) treated his daughter as a sex slave, threatening to kill her is she did not comply with his wishes

Bulacio, known by the nickname Vernacho, had been in custody since his arrest in January last year after 45 days on the run.

He fled his home in Villa Balnearia, an hour's drive from Santiago del Estero, after his victim, named locally as Antonia, went to authorities seeking help and claiming her dad had turned her into his sex slave when she was just 11 after kicking his wife out.

DNA tests confirmed the youngsters were his. Six of the eight children born from the sex crimes spent time living at a charity boarding school but are now said to be back with their mum at the rundown family home.

Bulacio was dubbed 'The Monster of Villa Balnearia' after he was remanded in jail. The case is hauntingly similar to the abuse Elizabeth Fritzl suffered at the hands of dad Josef.

She was held captive for 24 years in the basement of her large family home in the town of Amstetten, Austria.

The abuse by Fritzl, now serving life imprisonment, resulted in the birth of seven children and one miscarriage.

Antonia told a local paper after her father's arrest that she had been abused from an early age by her dad and another relative and had received death threats since going public with her ordeal.

She said: 'From the moment my mum left home I became my father's wife.

Bulacio has been likened to other inhuman sex attackers such as Josef Fritzl (seen above)

'He would hit me and used to chase me round the house with a lump of wood when he saw me chatting to a neighbour or simply wanted to abuse me.

'He threatened me constantly and I always feared for my life. He told me he would kill me if I said anything.

'I'm scared for my life and the life of my children because I'm receiving threats from my father's relatives to withdraw my complaint against him.

'They're not at all concerned about what's happened.

'I want him to rot in jail. I want justice to be done.' State prosecutors had demanded a 15-year prison sentence for Bulacio.

He declined to testify in court and turned down the chance of having the last word before sentencing by judges Alfredo Daniel Perez Gallardo, Elida Suarez de Bravo and Lidia Paz.

Late last month a Romanian woman allegedly kept prisoner in a basement in Gizzeria, Italy, for 10 years was freed.

Italian Aloisio Francesco Rosario Giordano, 52, was arrested on suspicion of keeping her locked up and forcing her to give birth to two of his children after repeatedly raping and torturing her.

It emerged after his arrest he was a convicted rapist who had been released from prison in 1999 after serving a four-year sentence for kidnapping, raping and torturing another woman.

Italian police believe his latest alleged victim was 'taken' after she was sent to care for Giordano's terminally-ill wife.
Ihsan Abualrob (pictured) claims he was beaten up for being a Muslim when he wished someone a Merry Christmas

A 'heartbroken' Palestinian graduate thought he was going to die after he claims he was beaten up for being a Muslim when he wished someone a Merry Christmas.

Durham University student Ihsan Abualrob opened up about his terrifying ordeal and said he was kicked in his head and body by three men as he lay cowering on the ground.

The alleged attack happened at 8.40pm on Christmas Eve near the Happy Wanderer, in Framwellgate Moor, Durham, and the 27-year-old was treated in hospital shortly after.

Mr Abualrob said: 'At one point I lost consciousness. I was helpless and thought this was the end of it. It was so scary and frightening.

'I felt not only in pain but humiliated. I come from Palestine, which is a very conflicted country, and I came here with the hope of having a peaceful life not having to live in fear.

'It's my first Christmas ever outside of my country and that is my Christmas treat? They did this for nothing, but for me being a Muslim in this country.

'Christmas should be a time of love and hope, not violence.'

Mr Abualrob is studying a masters in politics and international relations as part of a UK Government Scholarship. He had gone to the pub with a friend to play pool, but when he got there the table had been covered up.

He said: 'We don't drink and were sitting there chatting when out of the blue a British guy approached us, pulled up a chair uninvited and asked where we were from.

He said he was kicked in his head and body by three men as he lay cowering on the ground and was left with bruises on his face, an injured knee and a bad concussion

'My friend said from Egypt and myself from Palestine. He said: 'Egypt, Palestine. You Muslims. Are you suicide bombers?'

When they left the pub, he claimed three men were waiting outside for them.

He continued: 'They started insulting my religion. I said 'Merry Christmas, enjoy your holiday' and didn't say any more.

'We started crossing the street and they followed us. One of them threw an empty glass towards us. Then one of them lunged at me and punched me on my left check and I fell to the ground.

The attack happened at 8.40pm on Christmas Eve near the Happy Wanderer, in Framwellgate Moor, Durham

'Then three of them started kicking me in the head, shoulders and body. I grabbed my head in my arms trying to protect my face.

'I managed to get away and tried to get into the bar for protection. Because I was so dizzy I fell in front of the pub.'

Police confirmed two men have been arrested on suspicion of racially or religiously aggravated assault in connection with the incident.

Mr Abualrob said: 'I have bruises on my face, my knee is badly injured and above all, I have a bad concussion. I am dizzy and with a terrible headache and have blurred vision.

'My heart is broken and I am emotionally overwhelmed. I wished them a Merry Christmas and they instead of doing the same attacked me.'

Mr Abualrob (pictured) is studying a masters in politics and international relations as part of a UK Government Scholarship

Mr Abualrob was taken by police to the University Hospital of North Durham.

A Durham Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to an assault outside the Happy Wanderer pub in Durham at around 8.40pm on Christmas Eve.

'One man was taken to University Hospital North Durham with minor injuries.

'A 49-year-old man and a 23-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of racially or religiously aggravated assault with injury.'
Reverend Al Sharpton has accused President Donald Trump of 'priding himself' in pandering to hate groups in America.

The civil rights activist said that the president has become a 'symbol of Northern bigotry' and reducing the presidency to 'name calling and exorcising his grudges and vengeance'.

During his first year in office, President Trump has famously called white supremacist protesters 'very fine people', pardoned an Arizona sheriff convicted of racial profiling and tried to ban transgender people from serving in the US military.

Critical: Rev Al Sharpton said Trump has reduced his presidency to 'name calling and exorcising his grudges ', and accused him of 'priding himself' in pandering to hate groups

Trump, 71, has also become known for taking to Twitter to attack political opponents and celebrities, and accusing everyone from the media to a grieving war widow of lying at the slightest hit of criticism.

Rev Al Sharpton, 63, has previously said he had hoped Trump would grow into his office, but during an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, he made it clear he has given up.

'He has really prided himself in becoming something that plays to small segment of America that's hateful, that's trying to go to the past,' Rev. Sharpton said according to Newsweek

He also branded Trump is 'a man that has taken the presidency and reduced to name-calling and reduced to trying to exorcise his grudges and vengeance.'

Among many things achieved in his first year in office, Trump called white supremacist protesters 'very fine people' and pardoned an Arizona sheriff convicted of racial profiling

The most recent polls suggest that Rev. Sharpton is not the only one who has given up on President Trump.

As of this week, just 45 per cent of likely U.S. voters think President Trump is doing a good job, according to the Rasmussen Reports.

The poll found that a full 53 per cent disapprove or strongly disapprove of his job performance so far.

This can be compared to his predecessor Barack Obama, who had 68 per cent approving of his job performance at the end of his first year in office.

However, the Rasmussen Reports' figures are still a lot more positive than the CNN presidential approval rating poll, which found that just 35 per cent thinks Trump is doing a good job.

This is the lowest ever of a modern-day president at the end of his first year in office.

Even the 'runner-up', Ronald Reagan, had a 49 per cent approval in 1981, according to CNN.

This can be compared to George W Bush whose end-of-year approval was at 86 per cent in 2001 and Nixon in 1969 at 59 per cent.
Neville Hord, 44, spoke only to confirm his full name, date of birth and British nationality during a short hearing at Leeds Crown Court

The family of a man accused of stabbing a supermarket worker to death have said 'no words can convey our sorrow for this tragic turn of events'.

Ahead of Neville Hord's appearance at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday, his family passed a statement to the media via his lawyers in which they said they were still trying to understand the attack.

Customers pinned down a suspect after 30-year-old Jodie Willsher was attacked at an Aldi in Skipton, North Yorkshire, a week ago.

The statement read: 'Neville's family wish to express our sincere condolences to Jodie's family at what should have been a time of joy and happiness for them.

'No words can convey our sorrow for this tragic turn of events.

'We are trying to understand what led Neville to this action but cannot condone what he has done. It has affected both families very deeply.'

Hord, 44, a father-of-two, was taken from custody to Leeds Crown Court where he was further remanded by the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC.

In a hearing lasting just short of 10 minutes, Hord spoke only to confirm his full name, date of birth and British nationality.

The defendant, wearing grey jogging bottoms and grey sweatshirt, was flanked in the dock by two prison officers.

Family members of the defendant sat in the public gallery as the case was adjourned until January 26 when Hord, of no fixed address, will attend Bradford Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Mrs Willsher's husband Malcolm (pictured together) described the 30-year-old as 'lovely and warm', and always having a smile on her face

Aldi worker and mother-of-one Jodie Willsher pictured with her husband Malcolm and their daughter just over two weeks ago

Police officers stand guard outside the Aldi in Skipton, North Yorks, where the mother-of-one was killed

Mrs Willsher was employed at the Keighley Road branch of the German retailer

Mrs Willsher suffered multiple serious injuries and died at the Keighley Road store, where she worked, at about 3.30pm on December 21.

Customers pinned down a suspect after mother-of-one Mrs Willsher was attacked.

Her husband, Malcolm, 36, described her as 'lovely and warm', adding: 'She was amazing, beautiful and a lovely person. She was a doting mother and a loving wife.'

Colin Breslin, regional managing director at Aldi, said Mrs Willsher was a 'much loved and popular colleague' and they were all shocked and saddened by her death.

Matthew Barnes, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: 'Everyone at Aldi is heartbroken by this devastating news.

'Our deepest sympathy goes to Jodie's family, friends and colleagues.'
Thomas Barnouin, one of France's most-wanted, was arrested in northern Syria in the Hassakeh area with other French nationals on December 17

An ISIS jihadi who is one of France's most wanted after being convicted of running a recruitment network in the country has been arrested in northern Syria, according to French media.

More than three French nationals were stopped in the arrests by Kurdish YPG militia on December 17, including Thomas Barnouin, according to French news channel LCI.

Barnouin, 36, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2009 for running a jihadi recruitment network in the southwestern Toulouse region. It is believed he went to Syria in 2014 to join ISIS.

He was close to Mohammed Merah, a gunman who killed seven people in the area in 2012, including three Jewish children.

'Several French (nationals) were arrested in northern Syria in the Hassakeh area, near the Iraqi border,' the source said.

Two of the other French nationals captured were Romain Garnier, 33, from Vesoul and Thomas Collange.

A member of the Syrian pro-government forces holds an ISIS group flag after they entered the village of Dibsiafnan on the western outskirts of the Islamist's Syrian bastion of Raqa in June 11

Barnouin is also close to brothers Fabien and Jean-Michel Clain, who were identified by officials as the voices in a jihadist audio message claiming Islamic State's responsibility for attacks in Paris that killed 130 people in 2015.

The public prosecutor declined to comment. The French interior ministry said it could neither deny nor confirm the arrests.

The head of France's DGSI internal intelligence agency, Laurent Nunez, warned in November that security services were still worried militants could continue to plan attacks in France from Syria and Iraq despite Islamic State's loss of territory.

France's foreign minister said on December 9 that Paris estimated the number of French jihadists still in the region at about 500.

It is unclear whether those caught in Iraq and Syria will be returned to their home country, although French officials have said they expect all adults to face local justice.

Barnouin, 36, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2009 for running a jihadi recruitment network in the southwestern Toulouse region (file photo)
The number of burglaries, thefts and robberies committed over Christmas has soared, new research reveals today.

The Christmas fortnight saw more than 20 per cent more offences in 2016 than three years earlier in 2014.

The number of thefts rose from 11,804 to 15,148 while burglaries were up from 5,222 to 6,278. Robberies rose from 674 to 918.

It means during the 2016 Christmas holidays there were around 448 burglaries a day across Britain.

The shocking statistics emerged today after separate findings showed police fail to solve more than half of all reported crimes - while 80 per cent of crimes go unpunished.

The data will fuel public alarm at rising crime on Britain's streets at a time when walking patrols become less visible.

The number of burglaries, thefts and robberies committed over Christmas has soared, new research reveals today (pictured)

Almost half of the public have not seen a bobby on the beat in the past year as squeezed budgets sees police forces prioritise other work.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Ed Davey blamed Tory cuts.

He said: 'These figures reveal a shocking rise in burglaries committed during the Christmas holidays, most of which go unsolved.

'Whilst we're celebrating with our families, we mustn't forget that many ruthless criminals see this time of year as an opportunity to steal unattended belongings and burgle empty homes.

'People need to be extra vigilant and keep their valuable possessions properly secure.'

Mr Davey, whose research uncovered the rise in Christmas crime, added: 'The police also need more investment so they can tackle soaring rates of crime and prevent more families becoming victims of Christmas crooks.'

Official statistics revealed today show police forces across the country are failing to identify a suspect in more than half of all reported crimes.

Data show how hundreds of thousands of crimes, including burglary, shoplifting, robbery and vehicle theft, are going unpunished.

Shockingly, only 20 per cent of all cases end with a suspect receiving some sort of punishment.

Official statistics show how hundreds of thousands of crimes, including burglary, shoplifting, robbery and vehicle theft, are going unpunished

A breakdown of the figures shows how police performance varies widely among forces across England and Wales, with victims facing a postcode lottery on justice.

The startling figures were revealed following an investigation by The Sun into 10,000 pages of Crime Outcomes figures documented by the Home Office.

It shows how of the 4.2million crimes reported to police forces in 2016/2017, suspects were identified in only 48 per cent of cases.

Among the worst overall performing forces was the Metropolitan Police, which failed to name a suspect in 60 per cent of 769,270 cases.

Merseyside Police also struggled to crack the majority of its crimes, with 58 per cent of 110,223 without a suspect.

Greater Manchester Police failed to name a single suspect in 174,152 cases out of 267,478 - representing a rate of failure of 65 per cent.

The statistics were all the more shocking when broken down into certain crimes, with Greater Manchester Police struggling badly to solve burglaries.

Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman Ed Davey (left) blamed Tory cuts for a 'shocking' rise in burglaries at Christmas but Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen (right) has claimed there is a 'post code lottery' in police effectiveness

No suspect was identified 90.65 per cent of the time, with West Midlands Police polling second worst performing with 90.07 per cent.

The Metropolitan Police topped the worst offenders list when it came to solving robbery cases, with 76.09 per cent of crimes still without a suspect.

The force was also the second worst force for identifying suspects for vehicle taking, at 84.06 per cent, while West Midlands came top with 88.38 per cent.

Police forces claim the statistics can be miscued by the public as suspects may be identified at a later date.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told the newspaper: 'I've never heard anything like this on this scale. But if one force is far better than others at detecting burglars or whatever, they need to share their best practice so we no longer get a postcode lottery.

'The public must lobby Police and Crime Commissioners to ensure they get the policing that they deserve.'

Shadow police and crime minister Louise Haigh said: 'The public will be horrified so many criminals get off scot-free.'
It might seem cheesy to some, but one Melbourne man had great success on Thursday using an Italian classic to propose to his now-fiancee.

Michael Pelosi took his girlfriend, Cynthia Costanzo to 400 Gradi in Brunswick, where the pair had shared their first date and celebrated their subsequent anniversaries.

He booked the pair into a pizza masterclass, where they learned the intricacies of the Italian staple. After making their own pizzas, helpful chefs swapped the couple's creations for something more romantic.

Love at first bite! A Melbourne couple became engaged on Thursday, after soon-to-be groom Michael Pelosi teamed up with the chefs at 400 Gradi to pull off a spectacular proposal

According to the restaurant, who shared the good news on social media, one chef took a picture with the couple as another brought out pizzas to pop the question with.

Using cheese to expertly create letters on the two pizzas, the first read 'Will You,' and the second, 'Marry Me'.

'Of course, she said yes and we might even have shed a tear or two,' a post on the restaurant's Instagram recounted.

Michael and Cynthia were pictured cuddled in front of the pizza oven, as Michael held out the pizzas for the camera.

Michael and his now-fiancee, Cynthia Costanzo, went on their first date at the Brunswick restaurant, and celebrated their subsequent anniversaries there

Sparkle sparkle! Cynthia showed off her stunning engagement ring over a backdrop of the romantic pizzas

The couple continued posing with the pizzas, pretending to eat them in multiple shots.

Cynthia then showed off a stunning diamond ring, which accompanied the delicious and delightful message.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the couple for comment.

The pair goofed around with the momentous pizzas, pretending to eat them as they smiled for pictures
Doctors accidentally tore a baby's body from its head after it became stuck during birth. it was reported today.

The horrific incident occurred as medics struggled to deliver a premature child at a hospital in Tartagal, northwestern Argentina.

The baby boy's head remained inside the mother and was later delivered naturally, along with the placenta, according to reports.

Yesterday, mother Reina Natalia Valazquez and her husband released details of the tragedy after filing a claim of gross negligence against the hospital.

The horrific incident occurred as medics struggled to deliver a premature child at a hospital in Tartagal, northwestern Argentina. Pictured: The baby's remains, which were taken home by the devastated parents in a box

Yesterday, mother Reina Natalia Valazquez (pictured) and her husband released details of the tragedy after filing a claim of gross negligence against the hospital

Ms Valazquez said her husband (pictured) had gone out to buy nappies and when he returned he found one of the medics holding his baby boy's headless body

Ms Valazquez, 30, from Buenos Aires, was 22 weeks' pregnant when she went into early labour last Monday as she spent Christmas at her family's home in Salvador Mazza.

She was taken by ambulance to the Juan Domingo Peron hospital where a medical team decided that, as the baby was so small, he could be delivered naturally.

But after the baby's body came out first, his head became stuck in the cervix, according to the hospital.

Ms Valazquez said her husband had gone out to buy nappies and when he returned he found one of the medics holding his baby boy's headless body.

In the claim, she said: 'At the moment of delivery we don't know if it was a doctor or a midwife who pulled the baby so that its head separated from the body.'

In an interview with Argentina's El Grito Salta website, Reina Natalia Valazquez blamed the doctor who performed the botched delivery.

She said: 'I knew the baby was alive because I had an echo test before I arrived and the heart was beating. And when we arrived in the hospital they did another echo test and my husband heard the baby's heart beating.

'When my waters broke the doctor took me to the delivery room and started pushing my stomach and stretching the baby even though I wasn't feeling pre-birth pain.

'I asked for a caesarean but they said there was no-one around who could do it. But when the baby's head was inside of me they quickly found someone who could do it.

'She was streaching and turning the babys body around, I felt that. They were doing it very hard, it was very painful.

Jose Fernandez, the hospital's director, told the InformateSalta website that medics had decided against a caesarean because Ms Valazquez was already dilated to 11cm'. Pictured: Juan Domingo Peron in Tartagal

'I told the doctor she was hurting me, but she said, "No, I'm not".

She asked me shut up and open my legs, and kept stretching the baby until they took the baby out, but I could only see the bottom part and they didn't show me the whole baby. I only got to see the legs, and they said, "Let's take her urgently to surgery".

'So I asked, why are you taking me there? And they told me that the baby's head was inside of me. I said, why did this happen, why didn't you perform a caesarean in the first place?'

'But no one told me anything or gave me any explanations.

'I'm asking for justice because this can happen to anyone. And they should sack this women, and remove her doctor title. She did this to me. She cant work as a doctor. She is the one that decapitated my baby.'

Ms Valazquez's husband, who hasn't been named, said: 'My wife started to feel pain at 4am so I took her to the hospital. She went into labour at around 10am and they sent me to buy nappies.

'When I arrived back my wife was crying and telling me they had decapitated our baby. She was conscious the whole time.

'The next day they gave us our baby in a white box, his body separate from his head. He was our first baby.'

Jose Fernandez, the hospital's director, told the InformateSalta website that medics had decided against a caesarean because Ms Valazquez was already dilated to 11cm.

He said: 'The baby was still in a breech position, so the body came out first. When it got to the head, there was a spasm of the cervix which compressed the boy's neck.

'The obstetrician called another doctor who tried to free it with a manoeuvre, there was a tear and a detachment was produced, decapitating it and leaving the head inside.'

He said doctors had planned to perform a caesarean to remove the head but that before the procedure could start the woman ejected it naturally, along with the baby's placenta.

The baby was later delivered in a white box to the devastated couple, who reportedly took a taxi with their baby's remains back to their family's home.

Argentina's prosecution service today confirmed that an investigation had been launched into the baby's death.

An autopsy is being carried out on the baby, which weighed 700 grammes, to find out the cause of death, according to a statement.

The hospital's director Jose Fernandez said they would cooperate with the investigation, but that until negligence is proved the medics involved continue to work normally.

He said: 'We have provided details of the incident and informed the names of the doctors and obstetrician who took part. Officially there is nothing yet that proves that the baby's death was caused by the decapitation.

'There is no reason for them to be suspended. If there was malpractice or not, this is for the judge to decide.'
Police used Tasers on more than 2,000 children in five years, official figures reveal.

This includes almost 70 children aged under 14, who were targeted across England and Wales from 2011 to 2015, according to the Home Office.

In all, more than 2,000 youngsters under 18 were targeted during this time by officers armed with Tasers, which can deliver a shock of up to 50,000 volts.

Police used Tasers on more than 2,000 children in five years, official figures reveal. This includes almost 70 children aged under 14, who were targeted across England and Wales from 2011 to 2015, according to the Home Office

There is growing concern on the effects on children on electrical discharge weapons - which causes muscles to contract and overwhelms the nervous system for around five seconds. File photo

The numbers, which have risen by more than 50 per cent to 519 last year, include cases where Tasers were drawn, aimed or fired, according to The Times, which eventually obtained the figures from the Home Office after 11 months.

About one in six  20,000  police officers in England and Wales is currently trained to use Tasers, a 'less-lethal' weapon that allows suspects to be subdued at a distance.

Surveys carried out by rank-and-file police associations have indicated there is strong support for the equipment to be issued to more frontline officers.

However, there is growing concern on the effects on children on electrical discharge weapons - which causes muscles to contract and overwhelms the nervous system for around five seconds.

Rise of the Taser In 2016, Tasers were used 11,294 times, although in most cases the officers only had to draw or aim the gun rather than fire it. Tasers were introduced in England and Wales in 2003 in a 12-month trial for firearms officers in five police forces. Four years later police were told they could use them on under-18s, leading to 27 recorded cases in which they were employed. In 2008 Tasers were rolled out across the country, and were no longer limited to specialist officers. Supporters say the weapons offer a vital tool for police to defuse dangerous confrontations without the use of live ammunition. But critics are concerned that Tasers are being drawn in everyday situations to bully and intimidate members of the public. Advertisement

Speaking in 2016, Carla Garnelas, the co-director of the Children's Rights Alliance for England, called for an outright ban on the use of Tasers on children.

'The use of Taser on children is a breach of their human rights,' she told the Independent on Sunday.

'UN bodies have repeatedly called for the UK government to ban their use on children, highlighting the serious risk of physical and psychological harm they pose, yet the use of Taser on children continues. We want to see a ban on Taser use on children.'

Meanwhile, researchers funded by the US Department of Justice, found the burst of electricity from Taser-like stun guns can impair a person's ability to remember and process information.

Some of those who were hit by the electric weapons also showed short-term declines in cognitive function which were comparable to mild dementia.

The scientists behind the 2016 study said it raises serious questions about the ability of suspects to understand their rights and answer questions after they have been hit by a Taser.

Dr Robert Kane, director of the criminology and justice studies department at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who led the study, said: 'Being shocked had a traumatic effect on some participants.

'Some were emotionally debilitated by the experience.'


This is the dramatic moment four inmates have escaped from a German prison after smashing through reinforced concrete bars and climbing out a window.

Photos released by the German government show men scaling the wall of Ploetzensee prison in Berlin on Thursday as they fled the grounds.

The men had reported for work at a car workshop within Ploetzensee prison before escaping.

Inmates were pictured escaping from Ploetzensee prison in Berlin after smashing through reinforced concrete bars and climbing out a window

Four inmates escaped from Ploentzensee prison in Berlin. Pictured: A craftsman fixing a metal plate behind a hole to close it

Breaking a concrete pillar between two ventilation gaps, they climbed through the hole and then over the nearby fence. Pictured: The hole in the wall they escaped out of

Breaking a concrete pillar between two ventilation gaps, the men climbed through the hole and then over the nearby fence, city justice ministry spokesman Michael Reis told news agency dpa.

A camera trained on a nearby gate caught the moment the men climbed through the hole shortly before 9am.

The alarm was raised more than half an hour later.

Authorities have not revealed what tools were used to break through the gap's concrete pillar.

It is unclear if the men had outside help, but clothes and tools were found at the scene following the escape.

A camera trained on a nearby gate caught the moment the men climbed through the hole shortly before 9am

Despite a camera filming the entire escape operation, the alarm wasn't raised for more than half an hour

Ploetzensee is a men's prison with 362 inmates. It has a capacity of 577. The facility was first established in 1868 and later used during the Nazi era as a main site for capital punishment

During the Nazi era, the prison became notorious as the site where around 3,000 people were executed for opposition to the regime

The men had convictions for theft, burglary and bodily harm, among other things. All arrived at the prison this year.

Three of the men were due for release next year and the fourth in 2020.

Ploetzensee is a men's prison with 362 inmates. It has a capacity of 577.

The facility was first established in 1868 and later used during the Nazi era as a main site for capital punishment.

At the time, the prison became notorious as the site where around 3,000 people were executed for opposition to the regime.

Egon Krenz, the last Communist leader of East Germany, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years and spent four years at the prison for crimes during the Cold War.

Images of the hole they escaped through shows metal bars sliced in half and pushed out of the building

The men had convictions for theft, burglary and bodily harm, among other things. All arrived at the prison this year (Pictured: Ploentzensee prison)
This is the moment a pair of 'fare-dodging' thug passengers beat up a ticket inspector on a train platform during a savage clash.

Christmas shoppers watched in horror as the two yobs set upon the rail worker in the shocking footage posted to Snapchat.

The employee, wearing a fluorescent yellow bib, allegedly tried to detain the men for not paying their fare before boarding.

But a vicious brawl erupted at Chafford Hundred station in Essex, where Christmas sales attracted flocks of bargain-hunters to the Lakeside Shopping Centre.

The 30-second clip, filmed by a sniggering friend on 27 December, shows the pair trying to escape the security guard and board the train.

But the 49-year-old, employed by train operator C2C, grabs one of the boys by the hood and drags him out of the carriage.

A pair of thug passengers beat up a ticket inspector on a train platform during a savage clash at Chafford Hundred station in Essex

Christmas shoppers watched in horror as the two yobs set upon the rail worker in the shocking footage posted to Snapchat

He is then attacked by the pair who punch him repeatedly in the face, injuring his nose.

Though a female colleague tries to break up the fight, the thugs manage to scramble back onto the train.

Astonishingly, some viewers of the clip - which was shared on social media - criticised the ticket inspector for his behaviour, branding him a 'jobsworth'.

But he was also praised for squaring up to the ticket-dodgers.

The guard, employed by train operator C2C, allegedly tried to detain the men for not paying their fare

He is then attacked by the pair who punch him repeatedly in the face, injuring his nose

A spokesperson for British Transport Police told The Sun: 'We were called to Chafford Hundred station in Essex shortly after 3pm on Wednesday, 27 December, following reports of a member of station security staff being assaulted by two men.

'Our officers attended and spoke with the victim, a 49-year-old man, who had received an injury to his nose.

'We are investigating the incident and ask anyone who has information or saw what happened to contact us by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting ref 199 of 27/12/17.'
Pictured: Lukasz Herba, 30, is accused of kidnapping British model Chloe Ayling

The man accused of kidnapping Chloe Ayling allegedly lied about having cancer to skip work and told colleagues he had a glamour model girlfriend, his former employer said.

Lukasz Herba, who is alleged to have links to dark web gang Black Death, denies knowingly taking part in holding the British model hostage earlier this year.

He worked for Wrexham-based recruitment firm 24/7 Recruitment for three months and was sent to work as a driver for DHL.

His previous boss claims Herba is a 'pathological liar' who told members of staff his girlfriend was a glamour model.

Herba also told colleagues his girlfriend was pregnant before saying she lost the baby after taking cocaine.

He described his behaviour as 'erratic' and 'unreliable' and said he quit his job after three months because he had to go to Switzerland to treat his cancer.

Speaking to The Sun, the manager who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'In the interview he came across very well and very articulate - a really nice guy.

'Once he got the job, he would start to disappear - first for a few hours, then for a few days.

'Pathological liar': The man who stands accused of taking Miss Ayling, pictured above, hostage back in August has been described as delusional by his former employer

He said: 'When we confronted him, he said he had leukaemia and that he was in London and his doctor would be driving back to Birmingham. That's when all the lies started to come out.'

'Next thing I know he's telling us he's quitting because he has to go to Switzerland for treatment.

'That was the last I heard of him.

But despite his alleged habit for lying, the boss said when the news broke about Herba's links to shadowy group Black Death he was 'shocked'.

He told the paper: 'I think he was living a double life when he worked for me.

'If you ever challenged him on anything he would get very defensive, but never aggressive.'

Since being arrested by police, Herba has said he was hired by a group of Romanians to rent properties around Europe to store garments they were selling

Since being arrested by police, Herba has said he was hired by a group of Romanians to rent properties around Europe to store garments they were selling.

He is also said to have told investigators he posed as a photographer and met Ms Ayling.

Herba said he was paid 500,000, found out the Romanians intended to kidnap her, and backed out of the plan.

24/7 Recruitment and DHL declined to comment.
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A Mercedez-Benz supercar built for Adolf Hitler will go up for auction in the US eight decades after it was parked in the tyrant's garage.

The German 770 Grosser, which became known as the Super Mercedes, was used by the Fuhrer during victory parades such as the conquering of France, Greece and Yugoslavia and to entertain guests such as Italian fascist dictator Mussolini.

Built with bulletproof glass and armor-plated side panels, Hitler personally ordered the 7.7liter beast - serial number 189744 - which he took delivery of in July 1939 in Berlin.

After the Nazis were obliterated, the US Army seized the vehicle in 1945 and was passed between tobacco tycoons, casino magnates and historians before finding itself under the hammer with Worldwide Auctioneers - Vintage Motorcar Specialists - on January 17 in Arizona.

It did not take long for it to make its first public appearance, and on October 6, 1939, it debuted as part of a huge motorcade with a carefully orchestrated vehicle formation designed to maximize Hitler's personal safety. During the proceedings, Hitler was delivered to the Old Reich Chancellery (pictured) in front of a crowd saluting him, with German and International media in attendance, plus representatives of the Nazi Propaganda Ministry's Technical Services Department

Worldwide Auctioneers has confirmed today that it will present the most historically significant automobile ever offered for public sale at its annual Scottsdale Auction in Arizona on January 17, when this 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Offener Tourenwagen goes under the hammer. It was ordered by Adolf Hitler in 1938

On July 6, 1940, the car carried Hitler on his victory parade held in Berlin following the stunning defeat of France (pictured here)

As expected, the newest 770K for Hitler was superlative in all possible respects and at Kempka's insistence, would provide maximum protection for his notorious patron and his chosen passengers. This wasn't to come at the price of style, with Hitler demanding a collapsible soft-top roof

According to a letter on file dated September 2, 1938, the 770K was ordered at the request of SS officer Erich Kempka, an early Nazi-party member who served as Hitler's primary chauffeur from 1934. The letter was issued directly from the Daimler-Benz board of directors to the management of the Sindelfingen Daimler-Benz AG works

According to a letter on file dated September 2, 1938, the 770K was ordered at the request of SS officer Erich Kempka, an early Nazi-party member who served as Hitler's primary chauffeur from 1934.

The letter was issued directly from the Daimler-Benz board of directors to the management of the Sindelfingen Daimler-Benz AG works.

As expected, the newest 770K for Hitler was superlative in all possible respects and at Kempka's insistence, would provide maximum protection for his notorious patron and his chosen passengers.

This wasn't to come at the price of style, with Hitler demanding a collapsible soft-top roof.

Built-in security measures were impressive and extensive, including 30-mm bullet-resistant laminated glass for the fixed windscreen, wind-up door windows and detachable side panels, armor plating protecting the body sides of the 770K and underneath the vehicle and an armored panel at the rear of the car could be raised or lowered depending upon the perceived threat level.

Despite the seeming urgency for the Fuhrer's car, a copy of the factory's commission sheet reveals it was not delivered to Berlin until July 29, 1939.

It did not take long for it to make its first public appearance, and on October 6 it debuted as part of a huge motorcade with a carefully orchestrated vehicle formation designed to maximize Hitler's personal safety.

During the proceedings, Hitler was delivered to the Old Reich Chancellery, with German and International media in attendance, plus representatives of the Nazi Propaganda Ministry's Technical Services Department.

The next high-profile outing took place on June 18, 1940, when the 770K was used on parade in Munich for the state visit by Italian Fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini.

On July 6, 1940, the car carried Hitler on his victory parade held in Berlin following the stunning defeat of France.

A year later, on May 4, 1941, the last known and documented parade for this 770K ended at the Old Reichstag, where Hitler celebrated the German conquest of Yugoslavia and Greece.

By July 1943, it was sent back to Singefingen for maintenance work at the factory, which meant its days as a parade vehicle were numbered as it coincided with Hitler's demise.

Despite the seeming urgency for the Fuhrer's car, a copy of the factory's commission sheet reveals it was not delivered to Berlin until July 29, 1939

Built with bulletproof glass and armor-plated side panels, Hitler personally ordered the 7.7liter beast - serial number 189744 - which he took delivery of in July 1939 in Berlin

Built-in security measures were impressive and extensive, including 30-mm bullet-resistant laminated glass for the fixed windscreen, wind-up door windows and detachable side panels, armor plating protecting the body sides of the 770K and underneath the vehicle and an armored panel at the rear of the car could be raised or lowered depending upon the perceived threat level

By July 1943, it was sent back to Singefingen for maintenance work at the factory, which meant its days as a parade vehicle were numbered as it coincided with Hitler's demise

It was cleaned up in 1976 and it was cosmetically restored, with a report stating it retained the original black leather upholstery, which remained in very good condition, with the odometer reading just 33,309 kilometres at the time. It has added just 50km since then in more than 40 years

10% of the sale price of the car will be donated and used to educate how and why the Holocaust happened and how to effectively prevent such atrocities in the future

The car has had several owners since World War Two, from tobacco tycoons in Belgium to American entrepreneurs.

It was sold by the owner of the Belga tobacco company to Tom N Austin, scion of the Austin tobacco dynasty from Greeneville, Tennessee, in 1949.

He donated the vehicle to his local branch (VFW 1990) of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which used the car for a number of years in parades, carrying dignitaries and Gold Star Mothers who had lost sons on active duty.

Remaining with VFW 1990, the 770K eventually fell into disuse and was placed into local garage storage until 1976, when it was rediscovered by businessmen and classic car hunters Steve Munson and Joe Ogden, of Pewee Valley, Kentucky near Louisville, who purchased the car in August 1976.

They cleaned the 770K and had it cosmetically restored, with the report stating it retained the original black leather upholstery, which remained in very good condition, with the odometer reading just 33,309 kilometres at the time.

It has added just 50km since then in more than 40 years.

Following completion, the car was shown at several destinations around the country and was eventually displayed at the Chicago Historical Antique Automobile Museum Inc in Highland Park, Illinois, which suggested a $1million asking price for the car.

The next owners were Earl and Tom Blakely, who acquired the 770K in September 1978 and registered the car in Georgia.

On April 7, 1983, the 770K was sold to Ralph Engelstad, owner of the Imperial Palace Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, the home to his famed Imperial Palace Auto Collection.

Following the eventual passing of Engelstad in November 2002, 189744 was sold to a new European owner in 2004 as part of a 21-car package of significant Mercedes-Benz automobiles.

At the time of the sale of 189744 and the other cars in the package, this transaction marked the single most valuable private transaction in the classic-car world  a remarkable singular valuation that continues to stand today.

While much has been written over many years, perhaps no other historian has followed this rare breed more closely than the late Ludwig Kosche, a German resident of Canada and noted historian and librarian who worked at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Of the 189744, he said: 'The purpose of this display is absolutely not to glorify Hitler and his destructive policies, no. It is to show you one of the outstanding cars of the century, built by gifted people, and representing the highest in craftsmanship.

'But it is also as a memorial to the fighting prowess of American soldiers that we take pride in displaying this showpiece of a fallen dictator.

'And above all, as a reminder that the evil which this car symbolizes, must never again be allowed to happen.'

10% of the sale price of the car will be donated and used to educate how and why the Holocaust happened and how to effectively prevent such atrocities in the future
A man wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with 'Trust Me' allegedly stole a car with an accomplice in Fairfax County, Virginia.

The owner of the car had left it unlocked and was warming it up at around 6.30am on Saturday when the two men allegedly stole it.

The two suspects from Falls Church were arrested by police in the stolen car not long after the Honda Civic was taken.

Wilmer Lara Garcia (left), wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with 'Trust Me', was charged with auto theft and two counts of forgery after allegedly stealing a car with accomplice Orlen Nunez (right)

Police also found several forged checks inside the car during the arrests.

Wilmer Lara Garcia, 23, has been charged with auto theft and two counts of forgery.

He was wearing the shirt that read 'Trust Me.'

Orlen Nunez, 24, was charged with auto theft.
The grisly deaths of a lesbian couple and their two children who were found murdered in upstate New York is eerily similar to another quadruple homicide in 2014 just 10 miles away.

The family - identified as two young siblings, their mother and the woman's lesbian partner - were found bound and with their throats slashed inside an apartment in Troy on Tuesday.

While police have given limited details on the nature of their murders, the death toll and brutality bears resemblance to the nearby slaying of the Chen family three years ago.

Police still haven't found the person responsible for murdering the Chinese family.

The family - identified as two young siblings, their mother and the woman's lesbian partner - were found bound and with their throats slashed inside an apartment in Troy on Tuesday

The recent murders took place 10 miles from where Jin Chen, 39, his wife Hai Yan Li, 38, and their sons, Anthony, 10, and Eddy, 7, (above) were found brutally murdered three years ago

Jin Chen, 39, his wife, Hai Yan Li, 38, and their sons, Anthony, 10, and Eddy, 7, were killed with a knife and hammer inside their Guilderland home in October 2014.

State police investigators have traveled to New York City, Canada and even China in a bid to solve their murders.

Chen was allegedly involved in an illegal money transfer scheme where he would handle large amounts of cash through undocumented Chinese restaurant workers.

It is not clear if the recent murders on Tuesday were linked to any illegal activity but police confirmed the killings were targeted.

It is also not yet known if police are comparing the two murders as part of their investigation.

Troy Police Chief James Tedesco told the Albany Times Union that the recent murders were an act of 'savagery.'

'After being in this business for almost 42 years, I can't describe the savagery of this. I don't have the word,' he said.

Troy Police Chief James Tedesco told the paper the murders were an act of 'savagery'

Tedesco said that officials aren't currently releasing details on any suspects, the two women, 36 and 22, and two children, an 11-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl.

'There are indications at the crime scene that this was not a random act,' Tedesco said at a news conference on Wednesday.

'We are certainly appealing to people in the community that would have any knowledge as to what may have transpired there to contact us as soon as possible.'

He said that additional family members are still being contacted, which is why names haven't been released.

The family were found dead inside the basement apartment in the Lansingburgh section of Troy at about 12.50pm on Tuesday - but police haven't given clear details as to how they were killed, or why.

Pastor Jackie Robinson Sr, of Oak Grove Baptist Church, said that an older son related to the two children wasn't home when the killings occurred. He is thought to be the last surviving member of the family.

Troy Police sources said the family, identified as two young siblings, their mother and the woman's lesbian partner, appear to have been targeted for an unknown reason

'Until they catch whoever they did this, there are certainly reasons to be fearful,' the pastor told the Times Union.

'We don't know who did it. Until we find out, it certainly makes sense to be vigilant and keep your doors locked.'

He also said that members of the clergy are speaking to children at the local Boys and Girls Club, describing them as 'traumatized.'

'A few had nightmares since this happened. A lot of grown folk are traumatized because this monster is still out there,' he said.

They had fielded a call after a property manager found the unresponsive people in the building early Tuesday afternoon after being asked to check on the welfare of the residents.

Autopsies completed on Wednesday afternoon are expected to clarify the timeline of attacks and exactly how the victims were killed.

The bodies were discovered by a property manager in a basement apartment on Tuesday after being asked to check on the welfare of the family

Troy police say the deaths are being treated as suspicious and the incident is being investigated as a quadruple homicide

Police have said they still don't have a suspect for the murders, and don't want to release a potential motive in the fears of hurting their investigation.

'The emotions of a police officer is something you repress because there is a job to be done,' Tedesco said.

'But no one involved in this case is ever going to forget it. Right now our job is to bring this person to justice.'

Based on evidence uncovered in the course of the investigation, police do not believe there is imminent danger to the community.

So far, no arrests have been made.

Troy Police Captain Daniel DeWolf said earlier that the deaths were 'certainly suspicious.'

The unit where the bodies were found is one of five in a home located in a residential neighborhood along the Hudson Rivers east bank, just north of Albany.

While police have been tight-lipped about the victims, several Facebook users identifying themselves as relatives of the deceased have been posting messages and photos, and sharing links to news articles about the killings in Troy.
An elderly couple busted last week for trying to give away 60 pounds of high grade marijuana as a Christmas present are the parents of a top prosecutor in Vermont, it was learned on Thursday.

Patrick Jiron, 80, and his 83-year-old wife Barbara Jiron were arrested in Nebraska last Tuesday after they were stopped by York County Sheriff's deputies on Interstate 80.

They claimed they were going to give the marijuana away as Christmas gifts to relatives in Vermont and Boston.

The Jirons are the parents of Justin Jiron, the chief deputy state's attorney for Chittenden County, Vermont's most populous county.

The county seat is Burlington, which is The Green Mountain State's largest city by population.

'Justin is in no way connected to this allegation other than by relation,' his boss, Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George, told the Burlington Free Press.

Justin Jiron (left) is the chief deputy state's attorney for Chittenden County, Vermont. On December 19, his parents, Patrick Jiron (right), 80, and 83-year-old wife Barbara Jiron, were arrested in York, Nebraska with 60 pounds of marijuana

About 60 pounds of marijuana was found in the couple's pickup truck. The high grade marijuana had an estimated street value of $336,000

'Justin is and has been a dedicated public servant for over 15 years, and I assure you he is as surprised and upset about these allegations as anyone.'

Authorities in Vermont say there is no indication that Justin Jiron is linked in any way to his parents' alleged crime, according to the Free Press.

'I don't think he knew anything about what his parents were bringing over or what they intended to do with it,' said John Campbell, the executive director of the Vermont Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs.

'From what I understand, this is as much as a shock to him and a surprise that it is to anyone else who has heard about it.'

'Justin, I can say, is one of the most upstanding prosecutors I know and also one of the most upstanding human beings,' Campbell said.

'He's also an officer of the court, and I would assume that if he was asked by his employer if he had any knowledge or involvement that she obviously is satisfied with his response.

'If she's satisfied, I'm certainly satisfied, because she works with him every day.'

Authorities in Vermont say there is no indication that Justin Jiron is linked in any way to his parents' alleged crime. He is seen left with his wife, Haley Woodside-Jiron, in an undated photo

Justin Jiron refused to comment on his parents' arrest.

In January, he became chief deputy under George. Before that, he worked for TJ Donovan, who is currently Vermont's attorney general.

Jiron is considered a rising star in the state attorney's office. He has handled a number of high-profile criminal prosecutions in Vermont.

He prosecuted Brian Rooney for the 2006 abduction, rape, and murder of a 21-year-old college student, Michelle Gardner-Quinn.

Jiron also handled the prosecution of Christopher Williams, who killed two people in Essex, Vermont after going on a shooting spree in 2006.

On December 19, authorities found large quantities of marijuana stashed in the back of the Toyota Tacoma pickup belonging to Patrick and Barbara Jiron.

'Justin is in no way connected to this allegation other than by relation,' his boss, Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George (above), told the Burlington Free Press

The high grade marijuana had an estimated street value of $336,000, according to the sheriff's office.

The elderly couple told officers they were on their way to Vermont from their home in Clearlake Oaks, California.

California legalized recreational use of marijuana last year, as did Massachusetts. The state legislature in Vermont is planning to consider legalizing marijuana consumption.

They added that the marijuana was for Christmas presents.

The couple were initially stopped when officers spotted their pickup driving over the center line and failing to signal.

Deputies said they could immediately smell the strong odor of raw marijuana when they approached the truck.

They searched the vehicle and found the drugs stored in the pickup's topper.

The couple were taken into custody on charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver and no drug tax stamp.

The Jirons told authorities that they were not aware that possession of marijuana is illegal in Nebraska.

Patrick Jiron was charged with the felonies, while his wife was left off with a citation.
Chris Kendall, a former CPR instructor, fought for 15 minutes to save the life of heart attack victim Allan Hainey (pictured)

A firefighter was amazed to receive a thank you text from a man who he thought had died.

Chris Kendall, a former CPR instructor, fought for 15 minutes to save the life of a heart attack victim, but was later told by the police that he had passed away.

Because of this, the 32-year-old could barely believe his eyes when five months later he got a thank you text from the man he had saved, Allan Hainey.

Through the text, Mr Hainey from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, invited Mr Kendall to his 60th birthday this year, and now both men are campaigning for more people to learn CPR.

Mr Kendall, from Kent, was driving on the A1 in the Scottish Borders in June when he spotted Mr Hainey being dragged from his car.

Mr Hainey had suffered from a heart attack so severe that it had left him with three holes in his heart.

To help try and save his life, Mr Kendall pulled over and and performed CPR to Mr Hainey for 15 minutes to the tempo of Staying Alive by the Bee Gees.

Chris Kendall (pictured) was amazed to receive a thank you text from a man who he thought had died

A mix-up meant that when Mr Kendall later asked police about the outcome, he was told that the motorist had died.

However, the Police Scotland IT worker had actually spent 52 days in hospital recovering and having a pacemaker fitted.

And as soon as he was well enough, Mr Hainey got hold of Mr Kendall's mobile number and texted: 'Hi Chris, my name is Allan Hainey.

'On the evening of Sunday 25th June this year I had 'a bit' of a heart episode near the A1 and Cove village.

The Police Scotland IT worker had spent 52 days in hospital recovering and having a pacemaker fitted. And as soon as he was well enough, Allan got hold of Chris's mobile number and sent him a thank you text

'You stopped, assisted and by all accounts from the doctors and surgeons at Edinburgh Infirmary, saved my life.

'My wife, family and myself will be forever grateful. I went through a bit in the hospital, but I'm out and about and doing very well.'

Mr Kendall said that getting the text was 'the best news ever'.

He said: 'I thought he was dead, I was informed by the police that he had passed.

'So, I couldn't stop smiling when I got his message. I was so excited, because you never really know if you've done it properly.

'I was jumping up and down. I couldn't be happier that he's alive.'

Chris said receiving the text from Allan was the best news ever and couldn't stop smiling when he got the message

Mr Kendall added: 'I would urge everyone to go and undertake formal training. You can walk into any fire station and with the help of a DVD and a dummy you walk out knowing how to do CPR.'

Mr Hainey said: 'If it wasn't for Chris I wouldn't have made it. The doctors and paramedics all said that to me.

'I died twice in the ambulance on the way to hospital in Edinburgh and without Chris resuscitating me I was told my chances of survival were 0%.

'I had such a major heart attack that it blew three holes in my heart.

'I was dying and Chris got to me and brought me back. I am very grateful.'

The Police Scotland IT worker spent 52 days in hospital recovering and having a pacemaker fitted

Mr Hainey is now trying to get around 900 of his colleagues to learn how to do CPR.

David McGown, Assistant Chief Officer in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'Performing immediate CPR can keep oxygen circulating around the body until medical professionals arrive, and it only takes about half-an-hour to learn the technique.

'Firefighters are available to teach these life-saving skills to communities through schools, local groups and classes.

'This innovative partnership with the British Heart Foundation has equipped all 356 of Scotland's fire stations with Call Push Rescue training kits.

'Anyone can drop into one of these fire stations and learn CPR.'
In honor of the Lunar New Year a shopping mall in northern China has planted an enormous statue of a dog that resembles President Donald Trump.

The statue, which is displayed at Fashion Walk Mall in Taiyuan, has been installed to celebrate the coming Year of the Dog.

The huge canine figure has Trump's, 71, signature golden hairstyle, prominent eyebrows and classic gesture.

In honor of the Lunar New Year a shopping mall in northern China has planted an enormous statue of a dog that eerily resembles President Donald Trump

The figure has one finger extended in the air in the President's classic pose and the dog is even wearing a red scarf, representative of Trump's power ties.

Although the statue represents the coming year of the dog in the Chinese zodiac, ironically Trump's Chinese astrological sign is also the year of dog, as he was born in 1946.

However, in Chinese culture, the year of your own animal isn't expected to be your best year. They regard it as bad luck if the zodiac animal of the current year is the same as the year you were born in.

The statue, which is displayed at Fashion Walk Mall in Taiyuan, has been installed to celebrate the coming Year of the Dog

The huge canine figure has Trump's, 71, signature golden hairstyle and prominent eyebrows

The year of the dog begins on February 16 2018 next year and will last until February 4 2019 where it will then change to the Year of the Pig.

This isn't the first year the mall, which resides in the capital of Chinas northern Shanxi province, has celebrated the Chinese New Year and also Trump.

Last year they unveiled a giant statue of a rooster that also resembled Trump with his signature hairdo, eyebrows and stance to commemorate the year of the rooster in 2017.

The giant rooster sculpture was also erected outside the famous shopping mall.

Last year they unveiled a giant statue of a rooster that also resembled Trump with his signature hairdo and eyebrows to commemorate the year of the rooster in 2017
The Kremlin is accusing the U.S of 'direct interference' in its presidential election in a twist to election meddling charges.

In response to State Department criticism of Russia for its refusal to put opposition leader Alexei Navalny on the ballot in the contest against Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the U.S. government of engaging in the type of disruptive behavior it has accused Russia of.

A State Department representative had assaulted the Kremlin for its 'ongoing crackdown against independent voices, from journalists to civil society activists and opposition politicians.'

The U.S. government urged Russia to hold free and fair democratic elections and to respect human rights.

The Kremlin is accusing Donald Trump's government of 'direct interference' in its presidential election in a twist to election meddling charges. The State Department had criticized Russia for its refusal to put opposition leader Alexey Navalny on the ballot in the contest against Vladimir Putin

In a Tuesday Facebook post, Zakharova said, according to Business Insider, 'This State Department statement, which I'm sure will be repeated, is a direct interference in our electoral process and internal affairs.'

The Russian-language post sought to undercut the intelligence community's assessment that Putin's government directed the hacking of U.S. election systems and attempted to shape the outcome of the 2016 presidential race.

'And these people expressed outrage over alleged Russian "interference" in their electoral process for an entire year?!' she said.

Zakharova said: 'The funniest thing is that these are the same people who just tagged RT and Sputnik as foreign agents, who are harassing Russian media around the world and who are investing huge amounts of money into 'countering Russian propaganda,' which is how they label anyone who they disagree with.'.

Russia's election commission ruled Monday that Navalny, who was previously convicted of embezzlement, was not eligible to run against Putin due to a suspended prison sentence.

A furious Navalny, who says the sentence was part of a fabricated case designed to thwart his political ambitions, responded by calling for an election boycott. That prompted the Kremlin to demand an investigation to determine whether his statement broke the law.

On Wednesday, Navalny upped the ante, saying he and his supporters would organize nationwide rallies on January 28 in 85 towns and cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

'We refuse to call the reappointment of Putin an election,' Navalny said in a statement on his website. 'We are not going to vote and will convince everyone around us not to vote. We are going to campaign (for a boycott) with all our might.'

The Kremlin desires a high turnout in the March 18 election to help confer legitimacy on Putin's shoo-in victory and quell signs of apathy among voters.

The commission ruled on Monday that Alexei Navalny(seen at a rally on December 24) was not eligible to run against Putin due to a suspended prison sentence

Polls show that Putin, who has led Russia for 18 years as either president or prime minister, is on course to comfortably win another six-year term. He is pictured today at a New Year reception

Under Russian law, the time and place of rallies must be agreed with the authorities who have often declined to authorise them in the past, citing conflicting events or security concerns.

When the opposition has gone ahead anyway, the police have broken up rallies by force and detained attendees.

Polls show that Putin, who has led Russia for 18 years as either president or prime minister, is on course to comfortably win another six-year term, allowing him to rule until 2024, when he'll turn 72.

The former KGB officer is running as an independent, a move seen as a way of strengthening his image as a 'father of the nation' rather than as a party political figure

The former KGB officer is running as an independent, a move seen as a way of strengthening his image as a 'father of the nation' rather than as a party political figure.

The ruling United Russia party, which he once led and which controls three quarters of seats in the lower house of parliament, has said it will support him, as will Just Russia, a pro-government centre-left group.

Allies laud Putin for restoring national pride and expanding Moscow's global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

But Navalny says Putin has been in power too long and that his support is artificially maintained by a biased state media and an unfair system which excludes genuine opponents.

Navalny has made a name for himself by successfully leveraging social media and conducting high profile corruption investigations into senior officials.

He has also organised some of the biggest anti-government protests in years.

Opinion polls, whose accuracy Navalny dismisses, put his support in single digits while giving Putin an approval rating of around 80 percent.
A 28-year-old part-time model has died after suffering a brain haemorrhage while singing karaoke with her friends.

Karen Stella Wong was rushed to Singapore General Hospital after feeling numbness down one side of her body and collapsing.

She slipped into a coma and died three days later, local media reported. She was cremated last week.

Karen Stella Wong was perfectly healthy before her death with no known medical conditions

Ms Wong's father said that no-one in her family has any history of brain haemorrhages

Ms Wong had suffered an intracerebral haemorrhage  bleeding to her brain  which caused her to have a stroke.

She had no known medical conditions and was on a night out with friends when the incident happened.

Her father, 60-year-old Laurence Wong, told local media: 'My family has no history of acute intracerebral haemorrhage. Once in a while she got a headache like normal people do.

'The SGH doctor said that even a common headache could be a symptom, but no doctor would ask a normal guy with a headache to go for a scan.'

Earlier, Chinese media erroneously suggested that she had died after reaching a singing pitch that was too high.

Ms Wong donated both her kidneys and her liver after her death.

Her father said: 'I heard they managed to do transplants on three patients, and I feel it's a blessing that at least she can save three people.'

But he added that he was worried how his wife, who was extremely close to her daughter, would react to the news.

'It's very difficult for me. I cried for two days. No matter what, I told myself I must be strong for my wife and my mother.'

Chinese media erroneously suggested that Ms Wong had died after reaching a singing pitch that was too high
Two New York City Police officers have been suspended on suspicion of failing to perform a welfare check on a 22-year-old pregnant woman who was later found dead in her Brooklyn home - and now her husband has been arrested in her death.

Tonie Nicole Wells, who according to multiple reports was eight months pregnant with her second child, was discovered unresponsive on Wednesday morning at the bottom of the staircase leading to the basement in a three-story home in Crown Heights, which she shared with her newlywed husband, Barry Wells, and their two-year-old daughter.

NYPD investigators believe that Mr Wells strangled his wife of just nine months and then pushed her down the stairs during a domestic dispute and then fled the scene, leaving their daughter with her mother's dead body for an unknown period of time.

Husband caught: Barry Wells, 29 (seen left) has been arrested in the death of his pregnant wife, 22-year-old Tonie Wells (pictured left and right) in Brooklyn on Wednesday

Police are seen investigating the crime scene at Wells' home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn

It was the toddler's cries that alerted neighbors and eventually led to the grisly discovery, which was made just before 10am on Wednesday.

On Thursday, it was revealed that police were supposed to perform a welfare check on the 22-year-old woman at the request of her sister, who reportedly said that Tonie was scared of her husband, but the two cops who responded to the scene allegedly took off without ever getting out of their cruiser.

A spokesperson for the NYPD on Thursday confirmed to DailyMail.com that the officers in question have been suspended from duty and that the Internal Affairs Bureau was investigating the allegations against them.

The NYPD public information officer also confirmed the arrest of 29-year-old Barry Wells, saying that charges were pending against him, although he did not specify the criminal counts.

Tonie Wells had bruising to the neck and head, and it appears she may have been shoved down the stairs of her home near Sterling Place and Albany Avenue, police told reporters during a press conference.

Wells (pictured with her daughter) had bruising to the neck, and it appears she may have been pushed down the stairs

Wells' daughter was found on the basement steps of their brownstone by their neighbors who heard the crying child, according toNBC.

The neighbors then called 911. Wells' daughter was not hurt, but it's unclear how long Wells body was inside the house with the child.

'Witnesses heard an argument and something falling down the stairs,' a high-ranking police source told the newspaper, New York Post.

According to Tonie Wells' Facebook page, she married Barry Wells in April of this year.

Wells' neighbor, Michelle Ruiz, 22, who last saw Wells three weeks ago, said Wells was pregnant. Ruiz said the Wells' seemed like a 'nice family'

'It was him,' Tonie Wells' sister told the Daily News. 'It wasn't an accident. It was definitely him,' the woman said referring to Wells' husband.

Wells' neighbor, Michelle Ruiz, 22, who last saw Wells three weeks ago, told the Post that Wells was pregnant.

'They seemed like a nice family,' Ruiz said of the couple, whose Facebook pages are both filled with photos of each other.

Police are reportedly aware of a social media post by Wells saying that she was eight-months pregnant.

Deputy Chief Michael Kemper, Commanding Officer of Detective Borough Brooklyn North, told reporters that Wells' death was deemed suspicious.

Kemper said Wells had bruising on her neck 'and it appears as if she was either pushed or fell down the flight of stairs leading to the basement'.

According to the Post, police have previously responded to a domestic incident at the home.

A medical examiner will determine the official cause of Wells' death. The investigation is ongoing.

Deputy Chief Michael Kemper, Commanding Officer of Detective Borough Brooklyn North told reporters that Wells' death was deemed suspicious. Police have previously responded to a domestic incident at the home. Wells is pictured with her husband Barry Wells
Jeremy Corbyn has denied Labour's stance on Brexit confusing voters despite polls indicating the public has no idea what the party thinks.

The Labour leader spoke out after another round of senior party officials making starkly different statements about policy on a second referendum and the single market.

The confusion was laid bare in a YouGov poll which found 32 per cent of people believe Labour is 'completely against Brexit' while 31 per cent see the party as 'completely in favour'.

Labour was under new pressure from opposition parties today amid calls for Mr Corbyn to shift his party to a clear pro-single market stance.

Jeremy Corbyn has denied Labour's stance on Brexit confusing voters despite polls indicating the public has no idea what the party thinks

The divisions in Labour have been repeatedly laid bare. Nine MPs rebelled on a Lib Dem amendment for a second referendum earlier this month

And a group of 70 London-based Labour councillors have also reportedly written a letter asking shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer to commit to provide the opportunity for 'people to change their mind'.

Reminded that deputy leader Tom Watson had previously said nothing should be ruled out, Mr Corbyn told the i newspaper: 'He did indeed say that, but our position is that we are not advocating a second referendum.'

He added: 'We have had a referendum which came to a decision.

'The negotiations are still ongoing, albeit well behind schedule, and we've set out the kind of relationship we want to have with Europe in the future.'

On Labour's overall Brexit stance, Mr Corbyn said: 'I don't think it's confusing. What we are saying is ... we are formally leaving the European Union of course - that is the position - (but want to) develop a good economic relationship with Europe and recognise the interdependence of our industries.'

Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake (left) and SNP Westminster Ian Blackford (right) today both called on Labour to push for a soft Brexit

Former minister Tom Brake, the Lib Dem Brexit spokesman, said: 'The Labour leadership has constantly played a game of smoke and mirrors over their Brexit position.

'But here they are nailing their colours to the mast in support of hard Brexit.

'The party of opposition has again shirked their responsibility to oppose Theresa May's Government.

'The public need to be given a say on the final Brexit deal. With Labour and the Tories marching together over the cliff, the people must be given the opportunity to exit from Brexit.'

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: 'Extreme Tory Brexit plans to drag Scotland and the UK out of the single market would cause catastrophic damage to the economy - costing hundreds of thousands of jobs, and hitting people's incomes, livelihoods and living standards for decades to come.

'It is time for MPs of all parties to put politics aside and work together, in the national interest, to protect our place in the single market and customs union.

'As we saw with the successful amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill, when opposition parties work together effectively it is possible to secure a parliamentary majority and deliver change in the national interest.'
Hollywood director Ridley Scott doesn't see the Republican tax bill as all doom and gloom, as he indicated in a recent interview with the Denver Post.

'People say [Republicans] are doing it for the wealthy class,' Scott noted. 'What they forget is, if you get a clever, un-selfish business person  I dont care if its a corner store or a big business  whos suddenly saving 15 percent, theyll put it back in this business.'

Scott, who's behind Hollywood classics including 'Alien' and 'Blade Runner,' is doing press for his most recent film, 'All the Money in the World,' about the kidnapping of billionaire J. Paul Getty's grandson.

Hollywood director Ridley Scott suggested that some good could come out of the Republican tax bill - that is, if 'clever, un-selfish' business people reinvest in the American economy

Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, are seen celebrating the House's passage of the GOP tax bill. President Trump signed the completed bill several days before Christmas

The film has mainly made headlines over Scott's decision to completely recast Kevin Spacey after sexual misconduct allegations came out, replacing him with veteran actor Christopher Plummer, who was originally considered for the part.

The decision meant that the director had to quickly reshoot parts of the film and successfully got the project done before the movie's Christmas Day release.

The Republican tax bill came up, however, because the film touches on themes like class and the role of wealth.

It was Scott, himself, who brought up the law, which was passed earlier this month handing President Trump his first legislative victory of the year.

The centerpiece of the bill was a corporate tax rate slash of 15 per cent, which Scott thought savvy business people would pay back to others in society.

'Then you're going to get growth and therefore [people] will get employed,' the director said.

Sounding more liberal, Scott promoted the idea of a social safety net, but also pointed out that Americans needed to put in hard work too.

'My concern is with the elderly, the infirm and the youth who need to have chances and shots for every level, and equality in education,' Scott said.

'But you have to use it,' he added. 'You have to get your (expletive) head down and use it.'
A volcanic eruption in Indonesia has caused colossal ash clouds, terrifying thousands of locals and forcing them to flee.

Mount Sinabung spewed huge plums of smoke after it erupted on Wednesday afternoon.

Locals could only watch on as the smoke engulfed the sky.

A safe distance away from the colossal ash clouds, locals could only watch as Mount Sinabung in Indonesia erupted

The suffocating ash travelled three miles from the volcano causing thousands to flee to avoid the dangerous ash rain

Incredible video footage showed the North Sumatra volcano erupting which caused dangerous ash rain to fall.

Indonesian officials said there are no casualties yet but residents nearby should watch out for lava.

The mountain which usually stands against a picturesque scene, has been at its highest alert level after its first eruption four years ago.

Indonesian officials said there are no casualties yet but residents nearby should watch out for lava

The Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency have warned against locals getting near the danger zone which is within three to seven-kilometres around Mount Sinabung's crater.

Authorities feared lava flows could cascade down the mountain and destroy homes, as has happened several times.

The volcano explodes so frequently, warning signs are permanently stationed around it warning against going near it.

Earlier this month, Mount Agung in Bali erupted and led to a huge evacuations of residents and disrupted flights

Earlier this year, another eruption rocked the area, blasting ash 4.2km into the air and causing pyroclastic flows many kilometres across surrounding countryside.

Ten people were killed in another eruption this year, with its death toll sitting at 20 in the past decade, including four high school students and their teacher on a school excursion.

Sinabung is located on the 'Ring of Fire', a volatile zone of seismic activity with hundreds of active volcanoes and 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes.

Indonesia harbours mountains which are part of the Ring of Fire, a volatile zone of seismic activity with hundreds of active volcanoes
Chicago's gangs are arming themselves with assault rifle to a much greater extent than ever - with deadly consequences.

More than 140 people have been shot by military assault rifles in Chicago, 50 of them fatally, in the past 18 months, local news reports.

Police have also found evidence that the two gangs at the centre of the conflict - the Saints and La Razas - are moving further outside their normal territories, and linking up with other gangs in the city, in the hunt for more powerful firearms.

Police guard a crime scene in Chicago's Southside area in September where four people were shot and one person died, as officials warn of increased use of rifle in gang wars in the city

A Chicago Tribune investigation shows that the use of rifles have spread rapidly across the South and Southwest sides of the city since mid-2016.

They report that as the gangs have moved on to rifles, street fights have been replaced by car-chase shootouts, and police officers patrolling certain areas have been warned of approaching gang members as rifles can pierce body armor.

In 2016 the Saints and the La Razas were reported to be using rifles. Since then the Saints have reportedly become friendly with the Ambrose gang and the La Razas with their rivals the Satan Disciples - all operating in Chicago's Southwest Side.

The use of rifles is making the streets of Chicago increasingly lethal, not only because of the danger of the weapons in themselves, but also because they are being wielded by inexperienced young men.

Incapable of handling such a powerful assault weapon, there is a higher risk of injuring or killing bystanders.

Shootings: A victim is taken to an ambulance after two men were shot, one fatally, near a liquor store in the West Garfield Park neighborhood in July

Busted: Chicago police recovered a Remington AR-15-style and a Norinco AK-47-style made in China, after tracking down alleged gang members in a car chase

One of 77 rifle shell casings recovered from a shooting that killed two and wounded one in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on December 16

The sheer number of guns is also a problem, officials say.

Police seized more than 8,600 illegal guns in Chicago this year, more than any other city in the country. In some neighborhoods, having a gun can be viewed as necessary for self-preservation.

And while violence actually declined in Chicago in 2017, the figures remain alarmingly high.

As of mid-December, there had been 635 murders in Chicago - a 15 percent drop from the previous year, according to the Chicago Police Department.

The total number of shootings incidents was down 21 percent to 2,719, but murders remain at levels unseen since the 1990s, when the crack cocaine epidemic ravaged communities across the United States and fueled a spike in crime.

City officials have credited the reduction in murders and shootings this year to a push to hire 1,100 additional police officers and a focus on new crime-fighting technologies.

A member of the Chicago Police Department works the scene of a fatal shooting

Victims: Several people hug a man who was traveling in car with a 24-year-old woman when she was shot near the corner of 53rd Street and Blackstone Avenue in July

'Communities that were once under a cloud of gun violence are beginning to see signs of optimism and hope,' police chief Eddie Johnson said this month.

The city has relied on more data crunching to help predict violence and deployed more high-tech devices that help detect gunshots and alert police even before residents can make an emergency call.

Police also are becoming increasingly adept at finding criminals through social media.

In December, they infiltrated an invitation-only Facebook group where drugs and guns were being sold - netting dozens of arrests.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Facebook representatives will meet city officials in January to 'better collaborate to stop illegal activity online before it leads to violence on our streets.'

Chicago police investigate the scene where they recovered two rifles in an alley after a chase in the Back of the Yards neighborhood

Still, in pure numbers, Chicago remains the source of the most shootings and murders in the nation.

As the third most populous US city, its crime numbers would naturally be higher. In fact, cities such as St Louis, Baltimore and Detroit have a higher murder rate (the number of people killed per 100,000 residents).

But Chicago's problems cannot be explained away by its size alone.

If you were to add up the murders in both of America's largest cities - Los Angeles and New York - the total still would be about half the number in Chicago.

Officials and academics say they cannot point to any one factor as a definitive cause of the rise in murders.

While officials have emphasized policing, residents in ravaged neighborhoods of Chicago, the adopted home of former US president Barack Obama, point to a need for economic revitalization.

'That's the work that's happening on the ground,' Chicago south-side resident Asiaha Butler told AFP. 'More entrepreneurs. More opportunities for businesses coming into the community.'

Butler heads a resident association in one of the city's most violence-plagued communities - where she has seen improvement in 2017.

'My block had a number of shootings in the beginning of summer, and it decreased to zero,' Butler said.

Now, she wants the kinds of opportunities that can keep young people toward a prosperous path, and away from drugs and gangs.

'Opportunities to work, opportunities to higher education, opportunities to home ownership,' she said.
A California newspaper has fired a staffer who changed a reporter's byline to an offensive, gay slur.

The Santa Barbara News Press' Christmas edition sparked outrage among its readers when the controversial story was published on page A3.

Paul Gonzales, a News Press writer, wrote the story, but his name in the paper was changed to Paul Gayzalez and his job title altered to read New Press Faggoat.

Paul Gonzales, a News Press writer, wrote the story, but his name in the paper was changed to Paul Gayzalez and his job title altered to read New Press Faggoat

The story was about last-minute shopping, and it slipped through the sub-editing net.

According to Donald Katich, it was an unnamed employee who made the change, targeting Gonzales in a 'hateful act'.

He told My LA News the staffer was no longer an employee at the paper.

'It was a very poor decision made by an employee who is no longer in a position to make that same mistake,' Katich told Seattle PI.

'The employee is represented by the Teamsters.

'There is a process we are obligated to follow when it comes to discipline or termination.

'The employee is no longer in the building.'

On Wednesday, the paper ran an apology, which read: 'The News Press has taken immediate and swift action with this employee - we do not tolerate any form of harassment in the workplace.

'We apologize to our readers.'

It is not the first time the Santa Barbara paper has been in the headlines.

The News Press made national news in September when it was the only newspaper in the state to endorse Donald Trump for president.
The family of Eric Garner's activist daughter say they are holding out hope she will recover from the major brain damage she suffered when her asthma triggered a heart attack nearly a week ago.

Erica Garner, 27, is currently in a coma on life support at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn after going into cardiac arrest on Saturday.

The mother-of-two was clinging to life on Thursday, according to family.

Her mother Esaw Snipes had told the New York Daily News earlier on Thursday that: 'She's not gone, she's brain dead. Physically she is still with us.'

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Erica Garner, 27, remained on life support in a Brooklyn hospital on Thursday morning after doctors declared her brain dead with no chance of recovery

Later in the day, Snipes said they were still clinging to hope that she would recover.

Her father, Eric Garner, died after a white NYPD police officer put him in a chokehold in Staten Island in 2014

'We got the wrong information, she's not gone,' she said.

'She's still here with us. She just needs some time to heal, that's it.'

The person running Garner's official Twitter account tweeted Wednesday night that she had suffered major brain damage.

'Cat scan shows Erica suffered major brain damage from a lack of oxygen while in cardiac arrest,' they tweeted.

'Please continue to pray hard for Erica and pray for her family and kids just as much.'

The Twitter account hit back at a condolence message from Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams after he prematurely said on Thursday that Garner had died.

'As we sent prayers up... so sorry to hear the news. RIP @es_snipes. That family still needs us #Garner,' Williams wrote in a tweet he has since deleted.

The person running Garner's official Twitter account tweeted Wednesday night that she had suffered major brain damage during the heart attack

Her mother had earlier confirmed the heart attack was triggered by an asthma attack.

Garner, who has an eight-year-old daughter and a baby boy born in August, suffered her first heart attack shortly after the recent birth.

Doctors said at the time the pregnancy had taken a toll on her body and found that her heart was enlarged.

Garner, who named her newborn after her late father, has been an advocate for combating police brutality ever since his death in 2014.

Garner was strangled to death after being stopped for selling loose cigarettes in Staten Island. Officer Daniel Pantaleo (circled, left) was seen on video putting him in a chokehold

Eric Garner, who was unarmed at the time, died after a white NYPD police officer put him in a chokehold in Staten Island.

The father-of-six's death sparked widespread protests.

He had been accused of illegally selling cigarettes on a sidewalk when an officer put him in the chokehold from behind and brought him down with the help of other officers.

Garner complained repeatedly that he could not breathe.

The city medical examiner ruled Garner's death a homicide, with asthma and obesity as contributing factors.
A 22-year-old woman died in a horror car crash after her car hit a tree and burst into flames.

Two days before Christmas, Nicole Danielle Swanson was driving North on South Maple City Road in Kasson Township in Michigan.

Her 2002 Nissan left the road to the right, and despite the best efforts of a passer-by who pulled her from the burning wreckage, she died at the scene.

Two days before Christmas, Nicole Danielle Swanson was driving North on South Maple City Road in Kasson Township in Michigan

Miss Swanson (pictured left in a car) lived in Illinois before moving to Maple City in 2015 and attended Ferris State University

Miss Swanson's 2002 Nissan left the road to the right, and despite the best efforts of a passer-by who pulled her from the burning wreckage, she died at the scene

A member of the public tried to rescue Miss Swanson and started administering aid until medics arrived.

Sadly, they could not save her and she was declared dead shortly afterwards, according to Michigan Live.

The crash remains under investigation with the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office.

This Christmas, temperatures in the area plummeted to -15C, or 5F.

Miss Swanson lived in Illinois before moving to Maple City in 2015 and attended Ferris State University.

She was also a cashier at Anderson's Glen Arbor Market.
A teacher in Turkey has been suspended after saying on Twitter that if a man does not get attracted when he sees the body of a young woman wearing gym gear, he should question his manhood.

Ercan Harmanc, a philosophy teacher at a religious vocational high school in the Central Anatolian province of Konya said it was understandable to have lustful feelings in the face of such temptations.

'Either I have some kinky thoughts or the devil does not whisper to them. If the devil does not whisper to you when you see the young girl's figure, it means that you [have] lost your manhood or faith,' he wrote.

Philosophy teacher Ercan Harmanc is now facing an investigation in the light of his controversial views posted on social media

He also said that physical education classes should be an optional course for students, because in effect they only serve to 'prepare girls for the devil', Hurriyet Daily News reported.

'When girls are in sportswear it's like they become nude. Is adultery common in schools? Yes. If someone says adultery cannot be committed with hands, tongue and eyes, then they do not know the religion of the Prophet Muhammad,' he said.

An investigation has been launched against him.

A government education ministry spokesman was quoted by local media as saying that the authorities wanted to encourage physical education and music lessons in schools.

Undersecretary Yusuf Tekin said that teachers should be able to control their passions before pursuing a career in education.

Child rights activists have condemned the teacher's views as an insult to young students and a breach of Turkey's secular constitution.

They have indicated they will launch criminal proceedings against him, local media reported.
A vicar who married a Romanian male model 54 years his junior has been left homeless and nearly broke after splitting up just days after giving him a flat.

Retired Rev Philip Clements, 79, married Florin Marin, 24, after meeting on a dating site and sold his home in Sandwich, Kent, to buy the 100,000 flat 1,500 miles away in Romania.

Just days after Mr Clements handed over the keys to the new flat in Bucharest to Mr Marin, the pair had an argument and split up.

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Rev Philip Clements, 79, pictured with his husband Florin Marin, 24, sold his home in Kent, pictured, for 214,750 before moving to Romania and buying a flat in Bucharest

Rev Clements, left, and Mr Marin married at a ceremony in Ramsgate in April this year

The couple fell out after moving to Romania as Mr Marin liked to go out 'partying'

Mr Clements returned to the UK empty handed and now has to rely on friends for a roof over his head.

The pair made a stance against Church of England rules that bar clergymen from same-sex marriage and wed in a low-key ceremony at Ramsgate Register Office in April this year.

While married life started off well things soon went downhill as the pensioner said became isolated in a country where he had few friends and did not speak the language.

The couple fell out over Mr Marin's late-night partying which he told his husband 'was not for old people'.

Mr Clements said: 'We went off in April and we had a great time. We used to go out to the cinema and shopping. He makes me laugh. We'd laugh a lot.

'I came over to England for some medical appointments for a fortnight in late August. When I returned, we had a disagreement.

'I thought he was unreasonable. I take some responsibility for it too but I decided there wasn't a future.

'I was very lonely, not knowing the language or having any friends.

The pair married in April but had split up only five months later after Rev Clements signed over the deeds of the property he purchased in Bucharest with the proceeds of the Kent sale

Rev Clements, right, returned to Britain in September following their split

'Florin would spend a lot of time going out. He used to go to bed very late, sometimes 5am in the morning having been out nightclubbing or watching films.

'He said I wasn't allowed to go clubbing. It wasn't for old people. In my heart I didn't accept it but I trusted him.'

To the relief of his friends in Britain who begged Mr Clements to come home, he returned on September 24.

Mr Clements originally bought the flat in Bucharest in his name but had put it in to Mr Marin's name just a couple of days before their big fallout.

And having signed the flat over to Mr Marin, he found himself homeless, relying on friends to put him up.

He said: 'When things were going well, I wanted him to have security when I die. I'm 80 next year.

'I didn't want there to be any doubt about occupancy when I die. He appreciated me doing it but I didn't know we were going to break up so soon.

Rev Clements spent 50 years in the Church of England as a vicar before his retirement

'I left very sadly and very unhappy. My friends in England were telling me I should leave him but I left with a very heavy heart.

'He came with me to the airport. I've lost everything really. I've lost my house and was in a poor state.

'I stayed with friends on alternate weeks until I was given a granny flat attached to one of my friend's houses.

'I regret selling my house. I bought the flat.

'It was my suggestion to go to Romania and Florin liked the idea but I think we would have been better off if we'd stayed at my house in Eastry.

'I wouldn't have been so isolated and he would have had things to do.'

The Church of England's rules state that clergy cannot enter same-sex marriages. Civil partnerships are allowed but must remain celibate.

The former parish priest said he had repressed his sexuality throughout his career because of the church's stance on homosexuality but is now able to be his 'true-self'.

He met Mr Marin, a model, on an online dating site almost three years ago and was attracted to his 'looks and flamboyancy'.

Since leaving Romania the couple no longer take each other's surnames, but things have improved between them and Mr Marin has even visited England for a couple of days.

Mr Clements added: 'Florin started to contact me again. I hadn't lost my feelings for him so I reciprocated.

'We started texting and speaking on video and we're still in touch now.

'Things were very amicable. It was as if he did regret what has happened.

'I believe in giving someone a second chance. There's still something that binds us. We're not enemies.

'He's not doing it for money because I haven't got much money left.

'The two of us suggested that one day we would have a flat in a town - Dover or Canterbury.

'He's renting out the flat and he said he'd put part of that towards the rent.

'I don't want a divorce and he says he doesn't want anybody else.

'I've asked him to tell me if he finds somebody else and I would understand.'
Families have been evacuated from at least 60 houses after a forest wildfire on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca.

The blaze started in the Coll de Siller area of the town of Port de Pollenca on the eastern side of the Balearic island.

Dramatic footage of the blaze was viewed by thousands online. Fire officers described it as a level one forest fire, posing a risk to property.

At least 60 houses were evacuated after a forest wildfire on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca

The blaze started in the Coll de Siller area of the town of Port de Pollenca on the eastern side of the Balearic island

The cause of the fire is unknown but it is suspected to have been caused by a faulty electricity pylon.

Around 45 firefighters, police officers and civil protection workers were called to the scene.

All of the people who had to leave their homes were able to stay with relatives, friends or in second homes so local officials did not need to supply special facilities.

Fina Orejuela, one of the evacuated residents, said the first thing she noticed was the electricity supply had been lost and then she spotted the flames.

The cause of the fire is unknown but it is suspected to have been caused by a faulty electricity pylon

Around 45 firefighters, police officers and civil protection workers were called to the scene

She said: 'People quietly started getting out of their houses and going to spend the night with friends and relatives, and other houses we have.'

None of the evacuated properties are understood to have been damaged by the fires.

Joan Ramon Villalonga, the manager of the Instituto Balear de la Naturaleza (Balearic Institute of Nature, Ibanat), said high winds had made the operation to fight the fire more difficult.

Francina Armengol, the president of the regional government, said on social media that she was worried about the incident.

'Much worried and a lot of strength and common sense to the professionals working in extinguishing the fire,' she said.

Wildfire and smoke is seen in the distance in Port de Pollenca. None of the evacuated properties have so far been damaged by the fires
Twin brothers were captured on camera firing shots at a 33-year-old man at a Detroit gas station on December 19.

The unbelievable footage shows the two brothers abandon their vehicle and begin to open fire on the victim.

The footage enabled police to track down Garry Outsey three days after the attack and after a long search for his twin brother Terry Outsey, 32, eventually turned himself into authorities on Wednesday evening.

Terry and Garry Outsey (pictured) began shooting at a man on December 19 at a Detroit gas station. Garry was arrested three days later and Terry turned himself into authorities on Wednesday evening

The twins are pictured here leaving their gray Grand Marquis vehicle as they prepare to shoot

One of the brothers can be seen firing shots in this close up shot here

Detroit Police Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood said Terry turned himself in at 6 p.m. to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, reported the Detroit Free Press.

Both brothers have been accused of assault with intent to murder and felony weapons charges - overall they are each facing 43 counts.

On December 19 the twins pulled up at 11:05 p.m. to the Exxon Mobile gas station in a gray Grand Marquis.

According to police one of the suspects left the car and made eye contact with the 33-year-old victim, who was at a pump with his family members.

They both fire shots at the 33-year-old victim who was left injured but still alive

One of the brothers gets close up to the victim before running away and escaping in his car

He then went into the gas station before taking off in the car with his twin.

Moments later the duo arrived back at the station, both of them exited the car and started firing shots at the victim.

The victim was injured but survived, his family members were also unharmed.

The entire ordeal was captured on a Project Green Light camera, a real-time camera system that connects to police headquarters.

Detroit Police Department partnered with eight gas stations as part of a ground-breaking crime-fighting partnership between local businesses.

Police arrested Garry at 5:30 p.m. on December 22. He is being held on $150,000 bail.

The duo are then seen running back to their car and escaping
An inmate at a Georgia jail used a metal rod to break through two walls of a solitary confinement cell and escape just after midnight on Wednesday  one day before he was to be transferred to a prison.

Christopher Nicholas Carroll is being actively sought by authorities after he busted out of Lamar County jail, local authorities said on Thursday.

According to Lamar County Sheriff Brad White, after Carroll managed to burst through his cell, he walked out of an access door to escape the building which houses the jail.

He then walked through a fence and left the property altogether, WLTX-TV reported.

Carroll then stole a county work van at around 1.30am, according to White.

Christopher Nicholas Carroll (above) is being actively sought by authorities after he busted out of Lamar County jail, local authorities said on Thursday

According to Lamar County Sheriff Brad White, after Carroll managed to burst through his cell, he walked out of an access door to escape the building which houses the jail

Authorities say Carroll used a metal rod to burst through two wall of his solitary confinement cell at Lamar County Jail

When asked how he was able to escape, Lamar County Sheriff Brad White said: I don't know how to explain it...He just got lucky

Since the van had a GPS tracker installed in it, authorities were able to track the van to Olar, South Carolina at around 7am on Wednesday.

The van was located just four miles from the home of Carrolls mother, the sheriff said.

Carroll, however, was not inside the van when South Carolina state police found it, according to White.

The authorities in South Carolina are very familiar with Carroll and are getting leads and tips in as we speak, the sheriff said.

A number of law enforcement agencies are aiding in the search, including the Hampton County Sheriffs Office.

Sheriff Thomas Smalls said his department has contributed K9 units and other manpower.

Were very close, he said.

Authorities say they are certain that Carroll is currently hiding somewhere within a three-mile perimeter on US 301 just outside of Ulmer, South Carolina, WRDW-TV is reporting.

'We are taking every precaution, but we have no indication that he is armed,' Lt. Steven Robinson of the Allendale County Sheriffs Office said.

Investigators believe that Carroll might be trying to camouflage himself in the woods.

They think Carroll is hiding in the woods after he was scene approaching a swampy area.

Carroll was placed in Lamar County jail after he was arrested on October 30 for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle.

Carroll was placed in Lamar County jail (seen above) after he was arrested on October 30 for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle

White said that during the arrest, Carroll allegedly fought the detaining officers and even tried to take one of their weapons.

Because of his resisting arrest, he was charged and convicted of obstruction and sentenced to five years in prison.

Those charges were additional to the charges brought against him by authorities in South Carolina.

Carroll was last seen wearing an orange jumpsuit. He is described as a white man, 5ft9in, and weighing 165 pounds.

White said Carroll wasnt wearing shoes when he escaped.

The sheriff said that while he does consider Carroll dangerous, he does not know if he is armed.

When asked how he was able to escape, White said: I don't know how to explain it...He just got lucky.

The sheriff said that his office is going to examine how Carroll escaped and take steps to make sure these kinds of incidents dont happen again.
Former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore continued to insist he never knew a trio of women who accused him of sexual assault, claiming in a sworn affidavit late Wednesday night that a lie-detector test has proven his innocence.

A total of nine women leveled accusations at the former state Supreme Court judge during a contentious campaign that saw a rare Democratic win in a deep-red state.

Six of those women accused Moore of dating them  or seeking to  when they were teenagers and he was a thirty-something prosecutor.

But the three others lobbed allegations or groping and molestation, bombshell claims that turned Moore into a social pariah and kept him from actively campaigning during the race's final weeks.

'It was a renowned independent expert that he went before and took the polygraph test. And, not surprising to anyone who knows Judge Moore, he completely passed it,' Moore spokeswoman Janet Porter said Thursday afternoon on CNN.

'Whaddya know? He didn't know any of these women and he never conducted [or] engaged in sexual misconduct.'

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Roy Moore, shown arriving to vote Dec. 12 on his horse Sassy, is demanding a new election after losing a U.S. Senate seat to Doug Jones  claiming in an affidavit that he's passed a polygraph test clearing him of sexual misconduct against three female accusers

Leigh Corfman (left), Beverly Young Nelson (center) and Tina Johnson (right) all alleged various levels of sexual contact against Moore; Corfman's was the most serious, an allegation that he touched her sexually when she was 14

Moore has never wavered from professing his innocence and now claims a polygraph examiner has cleared him  but he didn't take the test before Election Day when it counted

The first and most sensational claim came from 53-year-old Leigh Corfman, who told The Washington Post that in 1979 Moore partially undressed both of them, touched her over her underwear and put her hand on his genitals.

At the time she was just 14, and he was 32.

Corfman said last month on the 'Today' show that Moore had taken her to his home on two occasions.

'He basically laid out some blankets on the floor of his living room and proceed to - seduce me, I guess you would say,' she said.

'And during the course of that, he removed my clothing. He left the room and came back in, wearing his white underwear. And he touched me over my clothing, what was left of it. And he tried to get me to touch him, as well.

Moore submitted this affidavit with his lawsuit on Thursday in an Alabama court, seeking to stop the state from certifying his defeat at the hands of Democrat Doug Jones

Another accuser, Beverly Young Nelson, claimed Moore, still in his 30s, groped her and tried to force her to perform oral sex on him in his car when she was 16.

She presented a high school yearbook inscription, purportedly written by Moore, as proof that he was fond of her at the time.

Leigh Corfman, pictured as a teenage girl, accused Moore of sexually assaulting her when she was 14 and he was 32

Nelson later conceded that she personally added a small portion of the words written on the page  a date and location  an admission that energized Moore's backers, including President Donald Trump.

A third woman, Tina Johnson, alleged Moore left her 'scarred for life' by asking her on a date and then groping her in his office decades ago when she was 28.

Following a meeting about her son's jail custody, Johnson claimed, 'he just grabbed my behind. I mean, forcefully grabbed it. And I didn't even react, I just walked out. I was so ashamed.'

Moore lost the election to Democrat Doug Jones by about 21,000 votes out of 1.3 million cast. He challenged the result in an Alabama court on Thursday, hours before Jones was scheduled to be certified as the victor.

Moore 'has successfully completed a polygraph test confirming that the representations of misconduct made against him during the campaign are completely false,' according to the lawsuit.

On Thursday that Alabama voter canvassing board and secretary of state certified Jones as the victor.

Moore has never wavered from insisting on his innocence, but also never took the step of insisting on a polygraph test before the December 12 special election.

Beverly Young Nelson repeatedly cited a high school yearbook inscription as proof that Roy Moore pursued her when she was 16; Nelson claimed he groped her in his car and tried to force her to perform a sex act on him

Moore lost his U.S. Senate election after being accused of child molestation and other sexual abuse; he's now challenging the result and suing for a new contest

Democrat Doug Jones is expected to be certified as the winner on Thursday and he will be sworn in as a U.S. senator on January 3

Porter said on CNN that 'if i was the one running the campaign,' she would have made sure the polygraph was carried out before election Day.

'Would have absolutely seen that that was done,' she said, but 'where we are right now, he took the test and he passed the test and he also said, hey, all these people who made the baseless allegations? You do the same. Do a polygraph test.'

On Wednesday the defeated pol swore out an affidavit claiming that he finally took that step 'within days' of his defeat.

'That examination concerned allegations of sexual misconduct made against me during the last month of the campaign by Leigh Corfman, Beverly Nelson, and Tina Johnson for "alleged" conduct approximately 30-40 years ago,' according to Moore.

'As I had expected, the results of the examination reflected that I did not know, nor had I ever had any sexual contact with, any of these individuals.'

The centerpiece of Moore's legal complaint is a series of allegations of voter fraud, based on a YouTube video showing an unnamed Jones supporter claiming that a liberal 'fellowship' had brought large numbers of people from outside Alabama to cast presumably illegal votes.

That claim is bolstered by an affidavit from a longtime poll observer who said she saw a flood of Georgia and Tennessee driver's licenses presented as voter IDs.

The lawsuit cites 'irregularities in 20 precincts' of the state's populous Jefferson County  enough to swing the election to Moore.

The Christian conservative was expected to cruise to victory until several women alleged that he assaulted, molested or pursued them when they were teenagers, including sexually touching one who was 14 years old at the time.

Moore never conceded the race to Jones, and immediately started fundraising after Election Day to support his legal challenge.

Roy Moore Complaint on Scribd




The lesbian couple found murdered with their throats slashed alongside their two children in upstate New York have been identified.

Shanta Myers, 36, and her 22-year-old girlfriend Brandi Mells were found dead inside the apartment where they had been living in Troy, just outside Albany, on Tuesday.

The bodies of Myers' two children - five-year-old Shanise Myers and 11-year-old Jeremiah Myers - were also discovered inside the home. Myers has a third son who doesn't live with her.

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Shanta Myers, 36, and her 22-year-old girlfriend Brandi Mells were found dead inside an apartment in Troy in upstate New York on Tuesday

The bodies of Myers' two children - five-year-old Shanise Myers and 11-year-old Jeremiah Myers were also discovered inside the home

The victims were identified by the Troy Police Department on Thursday as they asked the public for information about their deaths.

Law enforcement sources told the Albany Times Union that victims had been found bound and with their throats slashed.

Police Chief James Tedesco, who said no further details about their grisly murders would be released just yet, described the slayings as an act of 'savagery.'

'After being in this business for almost 42 years, I can't describe the savagery of this. I don't have the word,' he said on Wednesday.

Tedesco said there was evidence it was not a random act. He would not reveal if any weapons were recovered from the crime scene or whether there was forced entry.

The family were found dead inside the basement apartment in the Lansingburgh section of Troy at about 12.50pm on Tuesday - but police haven't given clear details as to how they were killed, or why.

Shanta Myers, 36, and her two children Shanise, 5, and Jeremiah, 11, were found dead inside an apartment in Troy, New York on Tuesday

Police say Brandi (pictured above) was in a relationship with the 36-year-old mother

The family were found bound and with their throats slashed inside an apartment in Troy on Tuesday afternoon

A property manager found the bodies after being asked by family to check on the welfare of the residents.

Autopsies completed on Wednesday afternoon are expected to clarify the timeline of attacks and exactly how the victims were killed.

Police have said they still don't have a suspect for the murders, and don't want to release a potential motive in the fears of hurting their investigation.

'The emotions of a police officer is something you repress because there is a job to be done,' Tedesco said.

'But no one involved in this case is ever going to forget it. Right now our job is to bring this person to justice.'

The unit where the bodies were found is one of five in a home located in a residential neighborhood along the Hudson River's east bank, just north of Albany.

Troy Police Chief James Tedesco described the murders as an act of 'savagery'

Troy police say the deaths are being treated as suspicious and the incident is being investigated as a quadruple homicide

Rev. Jackie Robinson said the family were much loved and respected in the neighborhood.

He said Myers had worked as a bus monitor and her children were active in youth programs.

Robinson added that he didn't know anything about Mells.

The pastor added that children at the youth center where Jeremiah played basketball were distraught and crying over news of the killings.

He said community members were nervous because the killer remains at large.

Myers has been described by friends as a hardworking mother who was devoted to her children.

'She was just a very sweet, sweet girl,' Equasia Watson told the New York Post.

'I knew her from when she moved here from down South,' she said.

'My son played with her son. We had dinners together. She took her kids to school. She went to work. She got her kids from school. She was always with them kids - she was a great mother.'

Myers is believed to have moved to Troy from South Carolina in 2011.

She used to work at Troy's Joseph's House homeless shelter.
Milo Yiannopoulos is firing back after the brutal notes he received on his manuscript for Dangerous were revealed in court papers.

Those notes were submitted in Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York on December 21 by Simon & Schuster as an exhibit in response to Yiannopoulos' $10 million lawsuit against the company for terminating his publishing deal.

'This is a stupid way to end a terrible chapter. Not worth keeping in. DELETE,' noted editor Mitchell Ivers after one section of the book.

He then crossed out the entire next chapter, on Yiannopoulos' grooming habits, and noted: 'DELETE ENTIRE CHAPTER.'

Elsewhere in the book Ivers wrote notes such as 'I will not accept a manuscript that labels an entire class of people "mentally ill"' and even few questions, including: 'Do you mean that semen is being mopped up? And that the gay men spilling their seed would have produced gay offspring? Because that isnt true.'

In response to the story, Yiannopoulos said: '"Dont quote me but you done good" is what Simon & Schuster told me about my manuscript barely two days before dumping my book in February in breach of contract. S&S executives also quoted Hollywood agents who said Id shift half a million copies and agreed with me about the "virtue-signaling" Left.

'Mitchell Ivers, the liberal gay editor Simon & Schuster put in charge of neutering its edgier conservative authors, hates Republicans and thinks they are all virulent homophobes. He told me so himself.

'Ivers said one thing in manuscript edits, but quite another when he was giggling and flirting with me. I look forward to prevailing in court.'

His publicist also sent along texts she claimed that Yiannopoulos exchanged with Ivers to support her client's claims.

Lowkey dude: Milo Yiannopoulos (above in February) is battling Simon & Schuster in court after suing the publishing house for $10 million after they cancelled his book deal

No go: Four paragraphs into the first chapter Yiannopoulos is asked to 'delete irrelevant and superfluous ethnic joke' about cab drivers using curry as deodorant

Delete: Yiannopoulos is also asked to get rid of a line comparing the 'Hollywood left' to 'high level Nazis,' with Ives noting: 'I don't like using Nazi analogies. Ever.'

Too much: 'This feel gratuitously racist, like you're just denigrating African countries,' wrote Ives after a line about AIDs in Congo and South Africa

Yiannopoulos was asked in the notes from his editor Mitchell Ivers to get rid of some ethnic jokes, a Nazi analogy and tone down the constant praise for his own accomplishments throughout the text.

He was also ordered to delete a story in which he stated that Hillary and Bill Clinton were practicing Satanists and told that having sex with a black person does not mean a person cannot be racist.

A memorandum of law in opposition to plaintiff's motion for summary judgment that was submitted by the defendant on the same day reveals that Yiannopoulos was also asked to dial back the constant generalizations about gays and feminists.

'In particular, Ivers noted that the "Why Establishment Gays Hate Me" chapter "needs a better central thesis than the notion that gay people should go back in the closet" and the feminist chapter needed a "stronger argument against feminism than saying that they are ugly and sexless and have cats,' reads the court filing.

It is just four paragraphs into the first chapter of the book that Yiannopoulos is asked to 'delete irrelevant and superfluous ethnic joke.'

That is in response to a line in which he suggests that cab drivers use curry as deodorant.

Not so great: Yiannopoulos had received a $250,000 advance to write the book

Next up on the chopping block is a paragraph about the Clintons that seemed bound to cause a number of legal problems for the publisher.

'Speaking of withchcraft, the Clintons have turned into such villains that the demons summoned through their "spirit-cooking" sessions take notes on them like it's a master class in demonic behavior,' read the manuscript.

'The demons wonder how she has done it all in one lifetime.'

Ives, in one of the lengthier notes given to the author, wrote: "This entire paragraph is just reporting fake news. There was no blood, no semen, NO Satanism. Delete.'

A few pages later, Ives noted 'let's not call South Africa "white"' in response to Yiannopoulos' argument that celebrities only ever threaten to flee to overwhelmingly white countries.

A just a few lines later Yiannopoulos is again asked to get rid of a line comparing the 'Hollywood left' to 'high level Nazis,' with Ives noting: 'I don't like using Nazi analogies. Ever.'

Ives also had a problem with Yiannopoulos' ideas about what constitutes racism when the impish instigator wrote: 'And given my penchant for black men, denizens of the dark continent, I can't be accused of being racist either. I'm the left's worst nightmare.'

There were two notes next to that line, the first of which asked that 'dark continent' be rephrased out of fear it sounded too much like 'darkies' and would be 'misread.'

It was the second note that Ivers stressed more than any other, writing 'MAJOR POINT' before stating: 'Having sex with black people does not prove someone is racist. You will have to address the charge of racism clearly and with greater depth, preferably early in the book when you discuss Leslie Jones more fully.'

The manuscript contains multiple notes referencing Jones and the fallout from a twitter comment Yiannopoulos made about the Emmy-nominated Saturday Night Live star, but no text where he speaks about the incident in his own words.

There is a filler early in the first chapter suggesting that is where he will address the controversy, which says only 'Ghostbusters.'

That controversy would not have been helped however with a line later in the book where the claims the infamous Rolling Stone article on college rape tried to make it seem as if the number of victims on college campuses was akin to place like South Africa or Congo.

'This feel gratuitously racist, like you're just denigrating African countries,' wrote Ives.

Yiannopoulos had received a $250,000 advance to write the book, but later lost his deal in February.

That came after the publishing company had spent two moths defending their decision to give Yannoipoulos a book deal even after outcry and a cancelled contract from Roxanne Gay.

The final straw seemed to be a video in which he condoned pedophilia, leading the company to release a statement saying: 'After careful consideration, Simon & Schuster and its Threshold Editions imprint have cancelled publication of Dangerous by Milo Yiannopoulos.'

He instead decided ti self publish, claiming her sold 100,000 copes i his first week.
The annual polar plunge scheduled for New Year's Day in a New Jersey town has been canceled over concerns that it will be too cold to ensure the safety of all participants.

The City of Ventnor has canceled the event, which features hundreds of people running into the frigid Atlantic Ocean, citing concerns over the cold weather.

A post on the shore town's Facebook page said temperatures are expected to be 18F on New Year's Day, but the water temperature likely will be in the mid-40s.

Mike Weissen, the organizer of the Polar Bear Plunge, contacted Mayor Beth Holtzman about cancelling the annual event.

'It's not a city function,' Holtzman told the Press of Atlantic City. 'Eighteen degrees is scary dangerous, and I will always err on the side of caution.'

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The annual polar plunge scheduled for New Year's Day in Ventnor, New Jersey has been canceled over concerns that it will be entirely too cold to ensure the safety of all participants. Pictured above is the event in 2016

The annual event features hundreds of people running into the frigid Atlantic Ocean, citing concerns over the cold weather. Pictured above is the event in 2016

A post on the shore town's Facebook page said temperatures are expected to be 18 degrees on New Year's Day, but the water temperature likely will be in the mid-40s

Holtzman then discussed the issue with the city's commissioners who agreed that it should be cancelled over the icy weather.

'As disappointing as this is, we would rather err on the side of safety and think cancelling is the right thing for Mr. Weissen to do,' the mayor and the city's commissioners said in a statement.

It's unclear if the Polar Bear Plunge will be scheduled for a later date in the Atlantic County shore town.

The National Center for Cold Water Safety said it is too difficult to think clearly in water that's 40 degrees or colder, and that sudden increases in heart rate and blood pressure can occur.

It's unclear if the Polar Bear Plunge will be scheduled for a later date in the Atlantic County shore town. Pictured above is the event in 2016

Ventnor's annual event is the only such Polar Bear Plunge to be canceled as of Wednesday. Pictured above is the event in 2016

Ventnor's annual event is the only such Polar Bear Plunge to be canceled as of Wednesday, according to the Philly Voice.

Besides Ventnor, several other towns along the Jersey Shore and New York's famed Coney Island host Polar Bear Plunges that raise money for charities or other causes.

The cold weather in New Jersey comes as an arctic blast is taking hold of the northern part of the U.S.

Officials are warning of hypothermia and frostbite with as little as 30 minutes of exposure outside.

Forecasters are also cautioning those who are outside to bundle up with layers to protect against hypothermia and frostbite.
Jose Herrera, 18, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds to the head in front of an apartment building in Silver Spring on Sunday

An alleged member of the MS-13 gang who was shot dead on Christmas Eve in Maryland would be alive today if local authorities handed him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) months ago, the federal agency said on Thursday.

Jose Herrera, 18, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds to the head in front of an apartment building in Silver Spring on Sunday.

An eyewitness told investigators they saw two Hispanic men wearing all black clothing flee the scene shortly after 6:30pm, when the gunfire was heard.

Officers who responded to the scene were unable to locate suspects, according to WJLA-TV.

ICE claims it lodged a federal detainer for Herrera, who came to the United States illegally from Honduras, in October.

Montgomery County's Department of Correction and Rehabilitation responded on Thursday, saying that while it did receive a detainer from ICE this past October, it was deemed 'not to meet the county's criteria' - resulting in Herrera's release.

ICE places detainers on undocumented migrants who have been arrested on local criminal charges and for whom ICE possesses probable cause to believe that they are removable from the US, so that ICE can take custody of the alien when he or she is released from local custody, according to the agencys web site.

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An eyewitness told investigators they saw two Hispanic men wearing all black clothing flee the scene shortly after 6:30pm, when the gunfire was heard. The image above shows the apartment building near where Herrera's body was found

Investigators are trying to figure out the motive for the killings. No suspects have been arrested as of Thursday

Herrera was arrested by the Montgomery Country Police in October for trespassing and fourth-degree burglary.

Two other alleged gang members who were with him  Jesus Antonio Ponce Flores and David Lagunes-Bolanos  were also arrested.

According to Fox 5 DC, two Maryland transit workers entered the home at 807 University Boulevard East in Silver Spring and ran into two of the gang members.

The transit workers were inspecting the home just before it was to be demolished in order to make way for a light rail project.

The Purple Line is a planned 16-mile east-west light rail line that will service commuters from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George's County.

The workers then heard footsteps and were approached by two young Hispanic men.

In October, Herrera and two other alleged members of MS-13 were arrested for trespassing and burglary after they were found in a vacant home in Silver Spring that was to be torn down (above)

One of those men, Flores, was wearing a black mask and was allegedly holding a gun.

When the workers left, they called the police.

Before the scheduled demolition, MS-13 allegedly turned the two-story house into a hideout with graffiti, a built-in bar, and a shrine to the Saint of Death.

After his arrest, Herrera was given a summons to appear before a judge.

But when he failed to do so, the judge issued a bench warrant.

Law enforcement officials then executed that warrant and arrested Herrera on December 12.

Ten days later, Herrera posted $100 bond and was released from custody.

ICE claims it lodged a federal detainer for Herrera, who came to the United States illegally from Honduras, in October. ICE officers are seen in the above stock image detaining a suspect in Los Angeles in February

Local authorities allowed Herrera to post bond despite the pending detainer lodged by ICE.

Two days after his December 22 release, Herrera was shot dead.

ICE lodged detainers on three individuals - Jesus Ponce-Flores, David Lagunes-Bolanos, and Jose Herrera-Guzman - with the Montgomery County Detention Center, ICE said in a statement.

ICE officials are not permitted to screen foreign nationals booked into Montgomery County's custody for removability, and as a result, were unable to determine the immigration status of a fourth individual who had not had any previous encounters with US immigration officials.

Jose Herrera-Guzman was released from custody on or about Dec. 22, without notification to ICE, even though a detainer was lodged in October.

Montgomery County has long maintained that while it welcomes undocumented migrants, it does not act as a 'sanctuary' county.

ICE, however, says the county has not always cooperated in handing over undocumented aliens who have been suspected of criminal activity.
An appellate court Thursday upheld a penalty against Oregon bakery owners who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding almost five years ago.

The owners of the since-closed Gresham bakery - Aaron and Melissa Klein - argued that state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian violated state and federal laws by forcing them to pay emotional-distress damages of $135,000 to the lesbian couple Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer.

Their lawyers said Avakian and the state Bureau of Labor and Industries violated the Kleins' rights as artists to free speech, their rights to religious freedom and their rights as defendants to a due process.

In 2013 the Kleins refused to make a cake for Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer when they discovered the wedding was for a same-sex couple (Melissa Klein, left, and Aaron Klein, right)

Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer (pictured) are protected by a 2007 Oregon law that prevents discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender peopl

But the Oregon Court of Appeals sided with the state Thursday, saying the Kleins failed to show the state targeted them for their religious beliefs.

The judges also found public statements made by Avakian before deciding the case did not establish a lack of impartiality.

'Today's ruling sends a strong signal that Oregon remains open to all,' Avakian said after the 62-page opinion was released Thursday.

The decision comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the high-profile case of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

That baker, Jack Phillips, claims his First Amendment claims of artistic freedom were being violated - a similar issue raised by the Kleins.

The Oregon court said the Kleins' argument that their cakes entail an artistic expression is 'entitled to be taken seriously,' but it's not enough for the couple to assert their cakes are pieces of art - they must show others perceive their creations like a sculpture or painting.

An appellate court Thursday upheld a penalty against the bakery owners (pictured) who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding almost five years ago

In this February 5, 2013, file photo, Melissa Klein, co-owner of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, in Gresham tells a customer that the bakery has sold out of baked goods for the day. The bakery has since closed

'Although we accept that the Kleins imbue each wedding cake with their own aesthetic choices, they have made no showing that other people will necessarily experience any wedding cake that the Kleins create predominantly as 'expression' rather than as food,' the opinion says.

First Liberty Institute, the legal organization that represents the Kleins, disagreed with the ruling.

'The Oregon Court of Appeals decided that Aaron and Melissa Klein are not entitled to the Constitution's promises of religious liberty and free speech,' said Kelly Shackelford, the firm's president. 'In a diverse and pluralistic society, people of good will should be able to peacefully coexist with different beliefs.'

The case began when Rachel Bowman-Cryer went to the suburban Portland bakery with her mother in January 2013. The bakery has since closed

The state fined the bakers after determining they violated a 2007 Oregon law that protects the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations. The law provides an exemption for religious organizations but does not allow private businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

The case began when Rachel Bowman-Cryer went to the suburban Portland bakery with her mother in January 2013.

They met with Aaron Klein, who asked for the date of the ceremony and the names of the bride and groom.

When told there was no groom, Klein said he was sorry but the bakery did not make cakes for same-sex weddings. According to documents from the case, Rachel and her mother left the shop, but returned a short time later.

As Rachel remained in the car, in tears, her mother went in to speak with Klein.

The mother told Klein she had once thought like him, but her 'truth had changed' when she had two gay children. Klein responded by quoting Leviticus: 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.'

Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer praised the ruling in a statement released through their attorney: 'It does not matter how you were born or who you love. All of us are equal under the law and should be treated equally. Oregon will not allow a 'Straight Couples Only' sign to be hung in bakeries or other stores.'
A central European version of the Loch Ness Monster has been caught on camera.

The creature was filmed in the Albanian section of the Great Prespa Lake, which is shared by Albania, Greece and Macedonia.

The footage appears to show the head and neck of a large creature emerging from the water.

A previous video said to show the monster was filmed in the Greek section of the lake, near the village of Nivica, five years ago.

The new footage sparked an investigation by a party of journalists who were led on a tour of the lakeside by retired geography professor, Sima Jonoski.

However, they failed to see any further sign of the monster in the area where it was seen, near the Albanian tourist village of Pretor.

The creature was filmed in the Albanian section of the Great Prespa Lake, which is shared by Albania, Greece and Macedonia

The new footage sparked an investigation by a party of journalists who were led on a tour of the lakeside by retired geography professor, Sima Jonoski

While many locals believe in the legend of the monster of the lake, others think it is a giant catfish.

Mr Jonoski, a non-believer who became the first man to swim across the lake back in 1970, said: 'I remember when a ship sank in Albania, near Mali grad, a lot of children drowned in Prespa Lake.

'Then I found out that the divers who searched for them saw great catfish. They were so scared that they stopped the search.

I think that it was one of those catfish that the Greek fishermen saw.'

He added: 'Sometimes things happen in Prespa Lake that don't happen in other lakes. '

When I was a teacher in 1976 I saw a large pillar of water rising near the border with Greece, shaped like a mushroom.

'It came down only after 10 to 15 minutes.'

The Great Prespa Lake, and the nearby Small Prespa Lake, are the highest tectonic lakes in the Balkans, at an altitude of 853 metres (2,798 ft).

There are legends of monsters living in a number of lakes around the world, including Nessie in Loch Ness and Morag, in Loch Morar, boith in Scotland.

Other legendary creatures include the Lagarfljot Worm, in Lagarfljot, Iceland, Ogopogo, in Canada's Okanagan Lake, and Lariosauro, in Lake Como, Italy.
Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps was found in bed with a boytoy half her age before her arrest for drunkenly attacking a cop, DailyMail.com has been told by their friends.

The unnamed drinking companion split before police arrived at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, to cuff the sloshed 'Countess', 52, for trespassing in the wrong room and refusing to leave.

DailyMail.com can reveal that rumors suggesting it was Tom D'Agostino, de Lesseps' ex-husband whom she married at the same upscale hotel last December, are wide of the mark.

De Lesseps' friend Julie Olson, who was drinking with her in the Polo bar on the night of the arrest, hints that the man was much younger than the reality star.

Olson said she had promised her close friend she wouldn't comment further, but admitted: 'Well, we all like to defy our age.'

Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps was found in bed with a boytoy half her age and not her ex-husband Tom D'Agostino before her arrest over the weekend in Palm Beach, Florida. The two married last December (pictured) and split in August

The 52-year-old was arrested after she broke into a room and was found in bed with the young man at the Colony hotel. Pictured: De Lesseps' mugshot (left) and in court on Sunday (right)

She laughed off the suggestion that the man was D'Agostino or de Lesseps' former boyfriend Jacques Azoulay, adding: 'I couldn't give you the gentleman's exact age or his name because I don't know it.'

She previously told Page Six: 'Its a guy she had previously dated. Its not a big deal,' declining to elaborate.

The police report stated that Olson was present in the room when her celebrity gal pal was busted, however she claimed she was only there to diffuse things and disputed being drunk.

Tom D'Agostino's close friend added to DailyMail.com: 'It's laughable to think it could be Tom as the man involved appears to have been in his mid-20s.'

D'Agostino, a 50-year-old businessman, has a home and office in Palm Beach but has little contact with de Lesseps after their ill-fated seven-month marriage ended in divorce and rancorous tabloid claims of cheating in August.

'Tom has a place down there, he spends the winter there, but he was 100 percent not the man who was in bed with her,' dished the friend.

'The last time he saw Luann was on a red carpet in New York months ago. They don't communicate.

'He only learnt she was in town and that she had been arrested the same way everyone else did - through the news.'

De Lesseps' friend Julie Olson, who was drinking with the reality star in the Polo bar on the night of the arrest said: 'I couldn't give you the gentleman's exact age or his name because I don't know it.' Pictured: The friends in March

De Lesseps was arrested after reportedly breaking into a room at The Colony (pictured) despite having one on the floor below

He added: 'He was very sad to hear about it and he felt very bad for her and her family to have to go through this during the holidays.'

A report filed by the Palm Beach Police Department confirms de Lesseps was a registered guest Saturday night at the Colony, a landmark hotel known for its well-heeled clientele with rooms costing upwards of $446 per night.

She was staying in room 327 but when she and her male companion left the Polo bar together they headed to the wrong floor and entered room 407 as a maid was cleaning.

The man split after security guard Carlos Lopez found the pair in bed but a 'highly intoxicated' de Lesseps refused to budge and cops were called, according to the report by Officer Robert Mastrangelo.

When an Officer O'Leary eventually opened the bathroom door she 'shoved Officer O'Leary with an open palm to the chest, then slammed the door on Officer O'Leary's face, striking him in the forehead.'

She resisted again as Officer O'Leary placed her in handcuffs, managing somehow to slip out of the shackles once she was in the patrol car.

De Lesseps then 'attempted to exit the vehicle', according to the report, kicking and fending off the officers as they tried to cuff her again, while telling Mastrangelo: 'I'm going to f***ing kill you.'

Luann de Lesseps was seen enjoying a beachside BBQ at Christmas with her brother at his Jupiter home (above)

De Lesseps has been busy filming the upcoming season of Housewives (above with the cast last week)

As she arrived at the police station she repeated her threat, telling officers she was 'going to f***ing kill you all,' it says.

A disheveled de Lesseps appeared at the Palm Beach Courthouse at 9am on Christmas Eve, having spent eight hours in custody before she was released without bond.

She will be back in court next month to face four felonies charges and one misdemeanor: battery on a law enforcement officer, disorderly intoxication, resisting an officer with violence and two counts of corruption by threat.

The two most serious charges, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest, are considered third-degree felonies, each punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

A few hours after her court appearance, de Lesseps addressed her arrest on Twitter, writing: 'I want to offer my most sincere apologies to anyone that I might have offended with my behavior.

'This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding and being here brought up buried emotions. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018.'

De Lesseps' friend Olson laughed off the suggestion the identity of the man was D'Agostino or former boyfriend Jacques Azoulay (pictured)

De Lesseps' brush with the law comes almost a year after she tied the knot with D'Agostino at a lavish New Year's Eve ceremony inside the same venue, with Real Housewives stars Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon and Dorinda Medley among the 250 guests.

The marriage, which her Bravo co-stars all said they thought was doomed from the start, was over by August and the two have since finalized their divorce.

Friends told DailyMail.com at the time that D'Agostino grew tired of being cuckolded by his new wife who was spending more and more time with an ex-boyfriend, the wine merchant Jacques Azoulay.

The pair dated for four years before splitting in 2013, however de Lesseps insisted she and her mulleted French ex - who is ten years her junior - were just good friends.

'There were a lot of rumors swirling about Luann and Jacques at the time of the divorce but Tom doesn't think he was the man who was in bed with her this weekend,' added Agostinos friend.

He said: 'He was surprised to hear that she was in Palm Beach because she has no ties to the area and there's no reason for her to be there, neither does Jacques.'
A woman in Georgia claims that she was kicked out of a Marriott hotel because she 'was a non-swinger on a swingers' floor', according to a lawsuit she filed against the hotel chain.

Hale Lewis claims in the lawsuit she filed last week in the U.S. District Court of Northern Georgia that she booked a room on the fifth floor from December 30, 2016 to January 1, 2017 at an Atlanta Marriott to attend a New Year's Eve party hosted by a local disc jockey.

Shortly after checking in, Lewis claims that she encountered a 'middle-aged white male' named 'Brent' who was standing by the fifth floor lobby area outside of the elevator.

Lewis said she was asked by Brent if she was 'with the group', referencing the 'Swingers of Atlanta', to which she said she was not and was meeting her friends for a New Year's Eve Party.

The woman said she put her personal belongings inside of her assigned room and then left the hotel to go to a nearby mall.

Hale Lewis claims that she was kicked out of a Marriott hotel in Atlanta, Georgia (file above) because she 'was a non-swinger on a swingers' floor', according to a lawsuit filed against the hotel chain last week

When she returned around two hours later, she claims she got off on the elevator to her floor and found Brent sitting at a long table that had been set up to register participants of the Swingers of Atlanta party.

Brent apparently told Lewis that she had to 'register and pay' if she wanted to stay on the fifth floor at the hotel.

But Lewis told Brent that she already paid for her room at the hotel's front desk.

She claims she ended the conversation with Brent and went into her room to change her clothes before leaving again to go to the Jacuzzi, which is located on the first floor at the hotel around 9.45pm.

When she returned back to the fifth floor, Brent was still at the table and then allegedly threatened to have her kicked out of her room.

Lewis then entered her room to shower and when she got out, she found two security guards inside staring at her as she stood naked, according to the lawsuit.

She yelled at the guards while trying to cover her naked body before confronting them to see why they were inside her room.

According to the lawsuit, Brent then confronted Lewis with one of the security guards saying that he wanted her removed from the room that she booked because she 'refused to participate in the group activities' related to the Swingers of Atlanta.

The hotel security guard apparently agreed with Brent, despite the fact she informed him she was assigned the room by the hotel front desk clerk.

Lewis then asked them to leave her room and shut the door.

While calling to speak with the front desk over the issue, two Cobb County Police Department officers and two hotel security guards entered her room along with Brent without probable cause.

The officers, which included Cobb County Police Chief Michael Register, did not identify themselves prior to entry, and did not have an arrest warrant or search warrant authorizing their conduct, the lawsuit claims.

Lewis claims that Cobb County Police Chief Michael Register (above) kicked her out of the hotel and then arrested her along with another officer

One of the officers asked Lewis for her identification, but she questioned why they were present and unlawfully entered her room.

Lewis tried to explain her side of the story to the officers and hotel staff, including the manager, who questioned if she knew she had registered for the room under a 'SA' group code, to which she said she was not aware.

The hotel manager then said they would not offer her another room and told officers to remove Lewis from the property.

Lewis was then placed in handcuffs and arrested by the officers in her pajamas with no undergarments and inadequate footwear, the lawsuit alleges.

The officers later told Lewis that there were complaints against her for being intoxicated, but Lewis claims she had not had any alcoholic beverage that evening.

She was then taken to Cobb County Dentention Center and detained for twelve hours, according to the lawsuit.

She was initially charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct.

The charge of disorderly conduct was dismissed and she is currently appealing the obstruction charge.

Lewis is suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and false imprisonment.

She is seeking at least $10million in the suit.

DailyMail.com has requested comment from Marriott Hotels.
On Thursday, Hillary Clinton popped up on Twitter to retweet a message from Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe, who's taken heat this year for peddling anti-Trump conspiracy theories.

'Retweet if you agree it's totally crazy to suggest that the FBI  having helped sink Hillary's campaign by revealing that she was under investigation while concealing that Trump was being investigated  has secretly been anti-Trump all along,' Tribe tweeted to his 265,000 Twitter followers Wednesday night.

Tribe was pushing back on Trump and his allies' attempts to soil the reputation of the FBI by suggesting the agency has a widespread anti-Trump bias.

Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe instructed followers on Wednesday night to retweet his message if they believed it was 'totally crazy' that the FBI was anti-Trump after the way the agency handled the Hillary Clinton email investigation

Hillary Clinton (left) retweeted Laurence Tribe's (right) tweet Thursday, which pointed out one major beef Democrats have with the FBI - that the agency didn't confirm the existence of the Russia-Trump probe until after the presidential election

The president has particularly lashed out at the FBI's Deputy Director Andrew McCabe over his wife receiving a campaign donation from the PAC of Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime friend and supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Over the weekend, the president called attention to the FBI's General Counsel James Baker being reassigned, which is standard procedure when a new boss  in this case freshly-confirmed FBI Director Christopher Wray  takes over.

Republicans on Capitol Hill, however, had tried to suggest that Baker was the person who leaked details about the dirty dossier to Mother Jones reporter David Corn, who has gone on the record and stated that Baker was not his source.

Trump and GOP lawmakers also made great hay over the discovery that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had removed an agent from the ongoing Russia investigation over anti-Trump text messages to his mistress who also worked for the FBI.

Tribe's tweet, which had garnered 24,000 retweets and 30,000 likes around the time Clinton chimed in, called attention to the Democrats' issues with the FBI.

Clinton, herself, often pointed to the letter former FBI Director James Comey sent to members of Congress on October 28, 2016  11 days before the presidential election  alerting lawmakers that more of the Democratic nominee's emails had been found and would be reviewed by investigators.

But Tribe's point was broader.

Around the same time Comey's letter came out, there were reports that the FBI was also investigating Russian influence on the campaign and Kremlin ties to Trump's crew  particularly Paul Manafort, who was indicted this year  but those stories weren't verified until months after the election.

It wasn't until March 20  exactly two months after Trump was sworn in  that then FBI Director James Comey told the House Intelligence Committee that, 'The FBI, as part of our counterintelligence effort, is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 president election.'

Comey added that the investigation included looking into 'any links between associates of the Trump campaign and the Russian government' and whether there was 'any coordination' between the two.

The FBI had opened its Russia probe in July 2016.

The agency's investigation into Clinton's private server that she used to handle government emails during her tenure as secretary of state haunted her campaign for nearly its entirety.

The New York Times broke the story that she had used a homebrew server while at the State Department in March 2015, a month before Clinton declared her candidacy.

In July 2015, government investigators said they found classified material on Clinton's server, which is how the probe was taken up by the FBI that summer.

A year later, Comey held a press conference, considered an unprecedented move, in July 2016 to announce that Clinton wouldn't be charged, though called her 'extremely careless' in her handling of classified material.

After the October surprise letter was sent, the Clinton email probe concluded a second time on November 6, two days before the presidential election, with Comey informing lawmakers that no new information had been found.

When testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in May, days before he was fired, Comey said he believed he had treated the Clinton and the Trump investigations the same way.

'With respect to the Russia investigation, we treated it like we did with the Clinton investigation,' Comey said. 'We didn't say a word about it until months into it, and then the only thing we've confirmed so far about this is  the same thing as with the Clinton investigation  that was are investigating.'
A lucky cat managed to survive a brush with death after becoming trapped in a washing machine for a 30-minute cycle.

Owner Rae Sutton, 72, amazingly managed to bring the moggy back to after she gave him the kiss of life.

She had been unaware nine-month old Tiggy had nipped into the machine and found his lifeless body among the clothes after the cycle.

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Owner Rae Sutton, 72, amazingly managed to bring the moggy back to after she gave him the kiss of life - after he'd been stuck in the washing machine for half an hour

But incredibly the little black cat started to breathe again after Rae performed mouth-to-mouth on him from her living room sofa.

As soon as Tiggy started to breathe again, he was rushed to the local vets by Rae and her husband John, 64, where he was given oxygen.

Just three hours later Tiggy was awake and almost back to normal and the couple took him back home to recover.

Rae, from Bilston, West Midlands, Said: 'He's grounded from now on, I'm not letting him out of my sight again.

'I thought I'd lost him, he was dead when I pulled him out, I was hysterical, I ran outside screaming before sitting down on the sofa with him in my arms.

'Then I saw his mouth drop open and I began to give him mouth-to-mouth, gently, while massaging his stomach.

'It went on for around 20 minutes. Then, all of a sudden, his stomach started going up and down.

'I went mad and called up John my husband and we went to the vets.

'They put an oxygen mask over him and we were told to come back in two hours - we did and they said we could take him home, it is unbelievable.'

Rae was unaware that nine-month old Tiggy had nipped into the machine and found his lifeless body out amongst the clothes after the cycle

Rae and her husband John own seven cats: Tiggy, Socks, Ozzy, Bella, Mitzie, Lucy and Jessy - all of which are rescued, except Tiggy, who was given to the couple by their neighbours.

Little Tiggy, a domestic short-haired breed, is now recovering at home from head injuries, swelling and bruising.

Mrs Sutton, who was a first aider at Arthur Shaw & Company in Willenhall, said: 'I think there should be some kind of warning of washing machines to stop this happening.

Rae and her husband John own seven cats: Tiggy, Socks, Ozzy, Bella, Mitzie, Lucy and Jessy - all of which are rescued, except Tiggy, who was given to the couple by their neighbours

'Maybe a sticker reminding people to take care when animals are about.'

Steve Mullender, the owner of the Bilston Vetinary Clinic - where Tiggy was taken said: 'It is a miracle. It is a lesson for people that cats like going into small places to hide.

'To be in the washing machine cycle, with the heat, toxins and movement, it is very dangerous.'
An investigation into the death of a cheerleader who fell from a high-rise balcony will be reopened, almost three years after her boyfriend was jailed for harassing her prior to the tragedy.

Breeana Robinson, 21, died after falling 11 storeys from the balcony of boyfriend Dan Shearin's luxury apartment at Southport, on the Gold Coast, in January 2013.

While no one was ever convicted over her death, Shearin spent 10 days in prison and was labeled a 'pig' by a judge for bombarding her with 1,439 text messages in the month before she died.

Her death was due to be assessed by the coroner last month, but in a major twist he has now instructed detectives to review evidence that may hold hints about how the former Gold Coast Titans cheerleader died, The Courier Mail reports.

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An investigation into the death of Breeana Robinson (left) who fell from a high-rise balcony in 2013 will be reopened, almost three years after her boyfriend Dan Shearin (right) was jailed for harassing her prior to her death

Ms Robinson fell 11 storeys from the balcony of Shearin's luxury apartment on the Gold Coast in January 2013

While no one was ever convicted over her death, Shearin (pictured) spent 10 days in prison and was labeled a 'pig' by a judge for bombarding her with 1,439 text messages in the months before she died

Queensland Police have confirmed they're reviewing elements of the case and could conduct a full investigation, including possibly laying criminal charges.

An inquest by the coroner was set to look at the 'specific circumstances surrounding Breeana's death, particularly how she came to fall to her death and whether any recommendations can be made to prevent deaths from occurring in similar circumstances'.

Relatives of Ms Robinson supported the decision to reopen the investigation, saying they 'were anxiously awaiting the outcome'.

Ms Robinson, who was legally blind, fell from the balcony of the H20 Broadwater complex at 10.35pm on January 29, 2013, after returning from cheerleading practice.

Just ten minutes earlier she had received her final message from Shearin, who she'd been dating for only 38 days.

Cruise ship entertainer Shearin spent 10 days in jail after pleading guilty to harassing Ms Robinson during their relationship. He was later given a good behaviour bond.

Ms Robinson fell from the balcony of the lavish H20 Broadwater complex (pictured) at 10.35pm on January 29, 2013, after returning from cheerleading practice

Cruise ship entertainer Shearin (pictured) spent 10 days in jail after pleading guilty to harassing Ms Robinson during their 38-day relationship

Relatives of Ms Robinson supported the decision to reopen the investigation, saying they 'were anxiously awaiting the outcome' (pictured)

The court heard evidence that the text message sent to Ms Robinson before she died read: 'You're more interested in TV, food and everything else but your partner. That's why everything's ruined. Your priorities are f***ed up'.

In another text message sent to Ms Robinson that was heard in court, Shearin said: 'You're a complete f***ing moron. I don't want a stupid, dumb c***'.

Shearin, who describes himself on Google Plus as 'Australia's premiere cruise ship vocalist/author & cruise ship specialist' was Ms Robinson's first boyfriend.

The convicting magistrate called Shearin a 'pig' however another judge released him saying he didn't deserve prison for just having 'a bad personality'.

Soon after getting out, the cruise ship entertainer posted a message to Facebook in which he appeared to call the family of Ms Robinson 'internet trolls'.

'Life moves on and I am strong enough to endure whatever people want to throw at me,' he wrote.

Shearin (pictured), who described himself on Google Plus as 'Australia's premiere cruise ship vocalist/author & cruise ship specialist' was Ms Robinson's first boyfriend

Soon after getting out, the cruise ship entertainer posted a message to Facebook in which he appeared to call the family of Ms Robinson 'internet trolls' (pictured)

'To any friends commenting on this post, please be aware you may be targeted by the band of online trolls wanting their 15 seconds of fame along with their paid interview with A Current Affair.'

Ms Robinson's mother, Elaine Robinson, and aunt, Janine Mackney, spoke with the Nine Network show following Breeana's death, but say they were paid 'not one cent'.

A former girlfriend of Shearin's, Trish, who came out in support of Breeana's family, said Shearin had been 'Facebook and text message obsessed'.

She even claimed he had stopped to setting up Facebook pages with fake names to make it appear more people were supporting him.

Queensland Police Detective Superintendent Kerry Johnson confirmed they'd been asked by the coroner to again look over the evidence from the case.

'We have submitted a brief for the Coroner, but they have referred it back to us to review some statements and expert material,' he told The Courier Mail.

'At the conclusion of our review we will consult with the Coroner to determine the next course of action.'
A prominent Toronto lawyer said the family of a billionaire philanthropist couple found dead in their home two weeks ago hired a team of private forensic experts to investigate.

Sherman family representative Brian Greenspan confirmed Thursday that private investigators will provide 'a second lens' to the Toronto police investigation.

Seventy-five-year-old Barry Sherman was the founder of generic drugmaker Apotex.

He and his 70-year-old wife Honey were found dead in their Toronto mansion on December 15.

Honey and Barry Sherman, Chairman and CEO of Apotex Inc., are shown at the annual United Jewish Appeal fundraiser in 2010. The couple were found dead inside their Toronto, Ontario, Canada home December 15

Seventy-five-year-old Barry Sherman was the founder of generic drugmaker Apotex. An undated photo shows him working at his company

A police forensics photographer works outside the home of the Shermans who were found dead under circumstances that police described as 'suspicious,' in Toronto December 16, 2017

Tom Klatt, of Klatt Investigations, has worked several related cases, which also includes '70 murder investigations,' according to The Star.

'I've retained Klatt investigations and other experts, and also authorized (Klatt) to retain other experts and investigators with whom he works,' Greenspan told the newspaper.

Also, those with 'whom I've worked over the years to assist in making proper inquiries on behalf of the family and ensuring a comprehensive investigation is conducted.'

Police call the deaths suspicious and say both died of 'ligature neck compression,' but say there were no signs of forced entry.

Police are shown outside the Sherman home Toronto, Ontario, Canada, December 15, 2017

'Investigators will wait for the results of the post mortem,' Toronto Police Service Constable David Hopkinson told HuffPost Canada.

'They will then determine the course of their investigation and only then will they issue a statement.'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie expressed their condolences in a social media statement the same day the Sherman's were found.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie expressed their condolences in a social media statement. The couple are shown at the G20 Summit on July,7,2017 in Hamburg, Germany

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau released the statement on Twitter December 15, when the couple were found

'Sophie and I are saddened by news of the sudden passing of Barry and Honey Sherman,' Trudeau wrote to Twitter.

'Our condolences to their family & friends, and to everyone touched by their vision & spirit.'

The late Barry Sherman founded Toronto-based company in 1974 with only two employees.

He turned the generic drugmaker into a company that now has 11,000 employees worldwide.
Shocking footage has emerged of a resident at a Florida retirement home beating an 86-year-old resident with dementia more than 50 times.

The video was recorded on security cameras at the Good Samaritan Retirement Home in Williston back in October.

The footage, which was published by CNN on Thursday, was handed over to police at the time and is still part of an ongoing investigation related to the now closed assisted living facility.

The video was recorded on security cameras at the Good Samaritan Retirement Home in Williston back in October and showed a resident beating a dementia patient

It shows a 52-year-old resident, who has a traumatic brain injury, knocking the dementia patient to the ground and mercilessly punching him for roughly two minutes.

The incident unfolded in the common area in a secured unit at the retirement home after the younger man accused the older resident of eating his cupcake.

No staff members were present in the unit when the incident escalated and by the time they arrived the assault on the older patient had ended.

Other residents had tried to step in to thwart the attack.

The 86-year-old resident was treated in hospital for facial bruising and swelling. His attacker was never arrested because of his limited mental capacity.

The video shows a 52-year-old resident, who has a traumatic brain injury, knocking the dementia patient to the ground. The fight occurred over a cupcake, police said

No staff members were present in the unit when the incident escalated and by the time they arrived the assault on the older patient had ended

The retirement home was forced to close down earlier this month and two of its administrators were arrested after a state-led investigation into its care.

The beating incident and the death of a female resident in November were both included in the probe by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

The 72-year-old woman had fallen over in a common area at the facility on November 1 and struck her head.

She was found later that day unresponsive in her bed and died after she was taken to hospital.

Police arrested Nenita Alfonso Sudeall, one of the facility's administrators, on December 8 and charged her with neglect of the elderly in relation to patient who died.

Another administrator, Rhaimley Yap Romero, was also arrested on December 11 and charged with neglect of the elderly after the condition of patient he was supposed to be monitoring deteriorated rapidly.
An intoxicated Dallas woman on a first date with a prominent Houston trial lawyer with ties to President Donald Trump caused at least $300,000 in damage to his art collection, including two Andy Warhol paintings, according to police.

Lindy Lou Layman, 29, was arrested on Christmas Eve on charges of criminal mischief after her disastrous rendezvous with Anthony Buzbee. She was released on $30,000 bond on Christmas Day.

Prosecutors say Buzbee told investigators that Layman, a freelance court reporter by trade, got too drunk on their date, so he called her an Uber after they returned to his $9million mansion in River Oaks.

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First date from hell: Lindy Lou Layman, 29 (left) is accused of getting drunk and destroying several artworks - including two Andy Warhols - belonging to her date, Houston attorney Anthony Buzbee (right)

Trashed masterpieces: Three original paintings and two abstract sculptures were destroyed at the multi-million dollar mansion, Buzbee told police

Friends in VERY high places: Buzbee (right) is pictured in the summer of 2016 alongisde then-candidate Donald Trump and former Texas Governor Rick Perry (left)

She allegedly refused to leave and hid inside the sprawling estate, and that when Buzbee found her and called a second Uber for her, Layman turned aggressive and allegedly took out her rage on Buzbee's high-priced art collection.

Layman (pictured in mugshot) was arrested on Christmas Eve on criminal mischief charges

Authorities say she tore down several paintings from the walls and poured red wine on three of them, and she hurled across the room a pair of $20,000 abstract sculptures, shattering both.

The damaged Warhol paintings were each valued at $500,000, putting the total cost of damage at $1.5million, although the charging documents state the damage to the artwork was '$300,000 or greater,' reported Houston Chronicle.

Buzbee is best known for successfully defending former Texas Governor Rick Perry in an abuse-of-power case, according to the paper.

In June 2016, he hosted a fundraiser for then-presidential candidate Trump.

But he is said to have 'completely' done with the candidacy after the infamous Access Hollywood tape surfaced of Trump bragging about grabbing women by the p***y.

Buzbee claimed in October 2016 that he was planning to write in veteran Dan Moran on his election ballot.

Layman, a freelance court reporter, was taken to Harris County jail where she was then released after posting a bond of $30,000

Buzbee last year hosted a fundraiser for Trump. Pictured: the high-powered lawyer and Donald Trump Jr

But it appears that the attorney and the 45th president of the United States eventually patched things up, so much so that Buzbee donated $500,000 to Trump's inauguration committee, reported Law.com.

His large mansion in suburban Houston is listed at a whopping $9,405,588, according to Har.com. Its original listing price in 2013 was $14million.

It features six bedrooms and eight full bathrooms and covers 11,813 square feet.

Buzbee is known for successfully defending former Texas Governor Rick Perry in an abuse-of-power case, according to the Houston Chronicle
Meghan Markle's mother was seen for the first time since her future son-in-law's controversial comment about her family on Thursday as she strolled around Los Angeles.

Doria Ragland kept a low profile as she walked her dogs in a pair of leggings and a white long-sleeved shirt,keeping her face hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

It was no doubt a difficult holiday for Doria, who was away from her daughter while she rubbed elbows with Queen Elizabeth and company at Sandringham.

That was a big change from last year, when Meghan returned to Toronto after spending the days before Christmas with Prince Harry and was with Doria on the holiday.

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Mother of the bride: Doria Ragland was seen in Los Angeles on Thursday after spending the holiday away from her daughter Meghan Markle

Divine drama: It was the first time she has been seen since Prince Harry dissed Markle's relatives by stating the royals are 'the family [Meghan] never had'

Pushy: In the wake of that comment, Meghan's half-sister Samantha took to Twitter and promoted her upcoming memoir (Meghan and Samantha above in 2008)

Meghan's attendance at the annual royal gathering marked the first time a person who had not yet married into the family was invited to join divinely-righted group, and she made a smashing impression according to Prince Harry.

He revealed that in an interview with Radio 4 before going on to state: ''She's getting in there and it's the family I suppose that she's never had.'

That drew a quick response from Meghan's half-sister Samantha, who tweeted: 'Actually she has a large family who were always there with her and for her. Our household was very normal and when dad and Doria divorced, we all made it so it was like she had two houses. No one was estranged, she was just too busy.'

She then used the moment to also plug her upcoming project by adding: 'Read my book complete with facts and photos.'

Samantha later promised more 'fun details' on that matter in the book, along with some never-before-seen photos of Meghan.

It is unclear if Samantha has a publisher at this point, but that does not seem to matter to Samantha, who took advantage of her sister's high-profile trip to Sandringham with Queen Elizabeth and the royal family on Christmas day by tweeting: 'Excited for my book coming out and wait until you see what our home life was like!'

So fune: Samantha (above) promised 'fun details' about the rumors her family members are estranged

Striking while the iron is hot: Samantha is calling her book The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister

The current title of the book is The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister.

The title is a mockery of the media, Samantha told the Daily Mail in November.

It wasnt me who called Meg pushy, it was the tabloid newspapers. She is not pushy. The book isnt going to be negative  its a warm, witty, honoring book  unfortunately, the negative sing-song has gone round the world.'

Samantha has been both fawning and brutal with her comments about Meghan, depicting the Suits actress as opportunistic and calculating in interviews earlier this year before doing a complete about face over the past few months.

Meghan meanwhile has said nothing in the press about his older sister.

Doria met Meghan's father Thomas Markle on the set of the General Hospital when she was temping on the soap opera and he was working in the lighting department.

They divorced when Meghan was six and both parents spent a considerable amount of time with their daughter,

Samantha and her brother Thomas Jr are the children of Thomas and his first wife Roslyn.
He was with 18-year-old Ashley Smith, who allegedly shoplifted the items

Charged with with trafficking heroin, four counts of possession of scheduled drugs, unlawful carrying of a pistol and simple possession of marijuana

Police found over 3,000 doses of heroin, multiple other drugs, $2,5000 in cash, a handgun and two human teeth in his bag

Tavon Malik Stanley, 21, was arrested on Christmas Eve for an alleged $25 shoplifting incident at a Walmart in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Tavon Malik Stanley, 21, was arrested on Christmas Eve for an alleged $25 shoplifting incident at a Walmart in South Carolina

Police in South Carolina got more than they bargained for when a man arrested for shoplifting had more than 3,000 doses of heroin, other drugs, a handgun and two human teeth in his possession.

Tavon Malik Stanley, 21, was arrested on Christmas Eve after he was stopped by Walmart employees for an alleged shoplifting incident.

When officers arrived at the Walmart in North Myrtle Beach, employees told them they had two people detained and that Stanley smelled like marijuana, according to Myrtle Beach Online.

The employee said the saw 18-year-old Ashley Smith, who was with Stanley, attempt to shoplift approximately $25 worth of items.

When police searched Stanley's backpack, they found $2,520 in cash and a handgun that may have been stolen.

Police found over 3,000 doses of heroin, multiple other drugs, $2,5000 in cash, a handgun and two human teeth in his bag. Pictured: the interior of the North Myrtle Beach Walmart

WHAT WAS IN STANLEY'S BAG? 3,190 doses of heroin inside waxed paper bags

Two human teeth

Three unopened Fentanyl patches

56 blue pills with 'K9' imprinted on them

25 pills with '3060' imprinted on them

22 grams of marijuana

One pill with 'A/214' imprinted on it

$2,520 cash

A Ruger 9 mm handgun Advertisement

They also discovered 3,190 doses of heroin and two human teeth.

He was charged with trafficking heroin, four counts of possession of scheduled drugs, unlawful carrying of a pistol and simple possession of marijuana.

Stanley was released on a $51,500 bond Tuesday afternoon.

Smith was charged with shoplifting and released on Christmas Day.

A North Myrtle Beach spokesman said the teeth in Stanley's bag were his own.

'He provided NMB Public Safety with paperwork showing that they were extracted by a professional,' Pat Dowling wrote in a statement.

'The officer did not know that until after the report had been filed.'
The two men are thought to be of Asian appearance, aged in their 20s or 30s

Female driver had got out of car after two men driving a silver sedan clipped hers

The incident happened in Melbourne, near Springvale and Heatherton roads

Woman threatened by man with a gun whilst waiting in a bay outside McDonald's

A woman has been threatened by a man with a gun while waiting for her food outside McDonald's in Melbournes south-east.

Around midnight, the woman and her friend were waiting in a bay on the corner of the fast-food restaurant on Springvale and Heatherton roads, when a silver sedan with a trailer collided with their car.

The female driver of the car that was hit got out, and had what police describe as a 'verbal altercation' with the two men from the other vehicle.

The woman was waiting for her food outside Springvale McDonald's (pictured) when, after a car collided with hers, a man pulled out a gun before driving off

One of the men then pulled what appeared to be a real firearm on the woman before driving off.

The woman and her female passenger were shaken up but uninjured.

The offenders driving the silver sedan are thought to be of Asian appearance, aged in their 20s or 30s.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Police say the silver sedan men are thought to be Asian aged in their 20s or 30s (stock image)




The State Department is set to release portions of 2,800 of Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin's work-related emails and other documents, all recovered last year by the FBI on a laptop belonging to her estranged husband Anthony Weiner.

Tom Fitton, president of the center-right government transparency group Judicial Watch, tweeted on Thursday afternoon that State would publish 'releasable portions' of the documents on Friday.

Fitton asked whether President Donald Trump's Justice Department would 'finally take action on Clinton/Abedin misdeeds.'

Weiner handed his computer over to federal investigators as the FBI probed allegations that he had been sexting with an underage girl, a story first broken by DailyMail.com.

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton surprised Clinton-watchers on Thursday by tweeting that the State Department would release a cache of materials on Friday related to her classified email scandal

Court documents in a case between Judicial Watch and the State Department revealed that Huma Abedin (pictured) had had 2,800 work-related emails saved on her estranged husband Anthony Weiner's laptop computer, and the documents are set for release on Friday

The right-leaning watchdog group Judicial Watch continues to push to get Hillary Clinton's (left) emails made public, including those of her former deputy chief of staff Abedin, who had left some on her estranged husband Anthony Weiner's (right) computer

Weiner was sentenced to 21 months in prison in September over the sexting case, and reported to a federal correctional facility early last month to begin service his time.

Judicial Watch has pressed in court for the public release of emails and other materials from Clinton's tenure as secretary of state.

The Freedom Of Information Act lawsuit that resulted in Friday's coming document-dump was filed in May 2015.

Fitton told DailyMail.com on Friday that it's 'outrageous' that Clinton and Abedin 'walked out of the State Department with classified documents and the Obama FBI and DOJ didn't do a thing about it.'

'We expect that we will be told that some of these classified materials were on Weiner's laptop, which is highly disturbing. Lets hope it spurs a long needed Clinton special counsel or, at least, a serious criminal investigation,' he added.

The State Department has said that its preliminary review suggested 'a significant portion of the materials may be duplicative' of other material that has already been made public.

But Fitton still believes Clinton and Abedin, her longtime aide and deputy chief of staff, committed crimes by exchanging classified material in private emails connected to Clinton's now-infamous homebrew server.

'This is a disturbing development,' Fitton said in September after the State Department revealed how many government emails and other documents ended up on Weiner's PC.

'Our experience with Abedin's emails suggest these Weiner laptop documents will include classified and other sensitive materials.'

The FBI investigated Clinton's emails but closed the probe during last year's presidential election season.

In July 2016, then FBI Director James Comey hosted a press conference announcing that the FBI would recommend to the Department of Justice that Democratic nominee Clinton not be charged for mishandling classified information.

While Comey called Clinton 'extremely careless' in her handling of sensitive information he also said that no 'reasonable prosecutor' would bring a criminal case against her.

Then, in October, Comey wrote a letter to lawmakers informing them of new emails found on Weiner's computer  a revelation that threw Clinton's campaign into a tailspin.

Just days after Comey's letter was made public the FBI announced that nothing new had been found and that the case against Clinton had been closed again.

But Judicial Watch sued again, demanding '[a]ll emails of official State Department business received or sent by former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin from January 1, 2009 through February 1, 2013 using a non-'state.gov' email address.
Farmers markets are inherently discriminatory because theyre an example of environmental gentrification that excludes locals who cant afford the food, two California professors are claiming.

Pascale Joassart-Marcelli and Fernando J. Bosco are two geography professors who work for San Diego State University.

They wrote a scholarly book about the environment and its impact on urban development called Just Green Enough.

According to Fox News, the authors take aim at farmers markets because they claim they are white spaces that are contributing to a process of displacement of long-term residents.

Farmers markets (like the one in Boston shown in the above stock photo) are inherently discriminatory because theyre an example of environmental gentrification that excludes locals who cant afford the food, two California professors are claiming

Pascale Joassart-Marcelli (left) and Fernando J. Bosco (right) are two geography professors who work for San Diego State University

The professors, who teach classes titled Geography of Food and Food Justice, say farmers markets are often white spaces where the food consumption habits of white people are normalized.

They wrote a scholarly book about the environment and its impact on urban development called Just Green Enough

They say that farmers markets contribute to displacing low-income residents and people of color because they attract households from higher soci-economic backgrounds, thus resulting in higher property values.

The most insidious part of this gentrification process is that alternative food initiatives work against the community activists and residents who first mobilized to fight environmental injustices and provide these amenities but have significantly less political and economic clout than developers and real estate professionals, the professors write.

As the title of their book suggest, the authors advocate a just green enough strategy where communities adopt more eco-friendly measures while making sure that locals stay in place so they can derive benefit from them.

They support slow and inclusive steps that balance new initiatives and neighborhood stability to make cities just green enough.
Far-right nationalists are secretly filming Muslim women in hijabs before posting the footage online and branding them as 'garbage bags'.

Anti-Muslim activists have posted video on their closed Infidel Brotherhood Victoria Facebook page showing groups of people enjoying a picnic on the waterfront at Geelong, south-west of Melbourne.

Footage taken at Eastern Park, overlooking Corio Bay, was posted on to the private 'patriots' Facebook page, which has 1,119 members.

A far-right nationalist group has been secretly filming Muslim women in Geelong (stock image)

'Garbage bags walking around Geelong taking our air!!!,' the post, seen by News Corp Australia, said.

A group member had written: 'Exterminate.'

The threatening social media posts have been referred to the National Security Hotline, the Geelong Advertiser reports.

Geelong was home to 2,530 Muslims, or just 1.1 per cent of the regional industrial city's population, in the 2016 Census, which was well below the national average of 2.6 per cent.

The Muslim women were filmed at this waterfront park in Geelong overlooking Corio Bay

Christians constituted 53 per cent of Geelong's population.

The Infidel Brotherhood has Facebook pages in every state of Australia.

The group is planning to hold a group barbecue at the nearby Barwon Valley on Australia Day.
Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a woman who was killed on a rural Victorian property Thursday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to a Lavenders Lane address in Kyneton, northwest of Melbourne, following reports of assault just before 4pm.

The woman was located and treated by paramedics but was unable to be revived and died at the scene.

A woman died on a rural property in Victoria after emergency services responded to reports of assault Thursday afternoon

A 44-year-old Kyneton man is currently assisting police with enquiries.

Charges are yet to be laid.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
A North Korean defector who was forced to return to the country after being detained in China has killed himself with poison while waiting to be interrogated by authorities on why he escaped.

The defector, believed to be in his 50s, was a nuclear scientist and researcher at the physics center of the State Academy of Sciences in Pyongyang.

He was part of a group of North Koreans detained in Shenyang city, China, on November 4 and forced to return to North Korea on November 17.

The North Korean defector who killed himself was a nuclear scientist and researcher at the physics center of the State Academy of Sciences in Pyongyang. Pictured above, Kim Jong-Un looks at a metal casing with several men at an undisclosed location earlier this year

The defector killed himself hours after he was put in solitary confinement in the State Security Department in Sinuiju city in North Korea - just across the border from China.

'He died before he could be questioned about the reasons for his escape, who had helped him, and what his route had been,' an insider told RFA.

The insider said the defector was likely searched several times while being taken from China to Sinuiju, so it remains 'a mystery' how he concealed the poison he took.

Before fleeing to China, the defector had taken leave from his research job 'because he was showing signs of anxiety over his research projects', the insider said.

Officials are now investigating how the man crossed the Yalu River from Sinuiju in to China and when he met up with other defectors. Pictured above, North Korean soldiers patrol along the bank of the Yalu river in Sinuiju in 2013

The defector killed himself hours after he was put in solitary confinement in the State Security Department in Sinuiju city in North Korea - just across the border from China. Pictured above, Kim Jong-un speaks at a conference earlier this month in Pyongyang

'Suddenly, he visited relatives near the border without letting his family know and without carrying valid documents for travel,' the insider told RFA. 'And when he learned that the authorities were looking for him, he simply disappeared.'

The had previously been named by North Korean insiders as Hyun Cheol Huh, but it is unclear if that is his real name, as officials sometimes use fake names to refer to people in custody.

Officials are now investigating how the man crossed the Yalu River into China and when he met up with other defectors.

The man had reportedly not revealed to Chinese officials that he was a nuclear scientist.
A nest of perfectly preserved dinosaur eggs have been discovered under a construction site in China.

Up to 30 fossolised eggs were found by construction workers on Christmas Day in the city of Ganzhou, which is known in China as the 'hometown of dinosaurs', according to Chinese state media.

Archaeologists said the incredible eggs were about 130 million years old.

Experts (pictured examining the fossils) said the dinosaur eggs were 130 million year old

The giant eggs were discovered on December 25 in Ganzhou's Dayu County under the construction site of a middle school, reported People's Daily Online.

The workers were said to see a cluster of 'oval-shaped stones' in earth when they were breaking the ground with explosives.

A number of black debris measuring 2mm thick were seen lodged between the oval rocks.

The dinosaur eggs were found on December 25 under a construction site in Ganzhou, China

Workers found the perfectly preserved eggs as they were breaking the earth with explosives

The eggs were discovered in China's 'hometown of dinosaurs' in Jiangxi Province

The workers suspected they were dinosaur eggs, so they immediately held the construction and informed the police.

The police sealed the site and alerted the staff at the county museum.

According to experts from the Dayu County Museum, the eggs were fossolised dinosaur eggs and they were from the Cretaceous period, the last period of the age of dinosaurs, reported China News.

The black debris were the fossilised egg shells.

The fossolised eggs are being kept at the museum for further studies.
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About $100 billion is required to rebuild Mosul and other areas of northern and western Iraq after three years of war devastated much of the area, the Iraqi government has said.

The money is especially needed in Mosul, where hardly a single building is intact for more than two miles along the western bank of the Tigris River. Officials have warned of a rebirth of militancy if the cash is not forthcoming.

The warren of narrow streets of Mosul's Old City is a crumpled landscape of broken concrete, metal and other debris. Every acre is weighed down by more than 3,000 tons of rubble, much of it laced with explosives and unexploded ordnance.

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The Old City of Mosul, Iraq (left) on 8 July 8, 2017 after a punishing nine month battle to oust Islamic State militants and how it looked before the fighting (right) in November 2015. Three years of war devastated much of northern and western Iraq

This combination of two satellite image shows the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, on 8 July 2017, after a punishing nine month battle to oust Islamic State militants (left) and the mosque before its destruction in November 2015 (right)

It will take years to remove the wreckage following the success of the Iraqi military and the U.S.-led coalition in uprooting the Islamic State group from the country. But the trouble is that no -one is willing or able to pay.

The Trump administration has repeatedly told the Iraqis it will not finance such a massive reconstruction drive. The Iraqi government hopes Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will fill the vacuum, with Iran also taking a role.

In the meantime the U.N. is repairing some infrastructure in nearly two dozen towns and cities around Iraq, but it is providing only a fraction of what will be needed.

Mosul residents carry belongings they collected from their damaged house to wash before returning to live in the Old City

Mosul residents look through the rubble in their house in the Old City in November 2017 - the full extent of the damge is almost impossible to calculate

Construction workers carry a generator as a bulldozer remove debris from destroyed shops in the Old City of Mosul - the rebuilding effort is expected to take years

So far most of the rebuilding that has taken place has come from individuals using personal savings to salvage homes and shops as best they can.

The scale of the problem in immense - nearly every city or town in former IS territory needs repair to a greater or lesser degree.

The longer it takes, the greater the suffering of those who fled IS - or other fighting - remain uprooted.

While nearly three million Iraqis have returned to lands reclaimed from the militants, more than 3 million others cannot and remain languishing in camps. In Mosul alone the U.N. estimates 40,000 homes need to be rebuilt or restored, with about 600,000 residents unable to return to a city which was once home to around 2 million people.

A young construction worker takes a breather from his work rebuilding a destroyed shop in the Old City of Mosul

A shopkeeper walks inside a damaged spa in the Old City of Mosul

Children and women carry metal scraps they collected from the rubble in the Old City of Mosul

The reconstruction problems are exacerbated by corruption and bitter sectarian divisions.

The areas most badly damaged are largely Sunni, while the Baghdad government is Shia-dominated.

The fear is that if Sunni populations feel they have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves in shattered cities, the resentment will feed through to the next generation of militants.

'The responsibility to pay for reconstruction falls with the international community,' said Abdulsattar al-Habu, the director of Mosul municipality and reconstruction adviser to Nineveh province, where the city is located.

If Mosul is not rebuilt, he cautioned, 'it will result in the rebirth of terrorism'.

The sun sets behind damaged buildings in the Old City of Mosul

Three boys, one of them carrying a toy gun, walk on empty streets in November 2017 in the Old City, Mosul

A construction worker stands in the destroyed old bazaar in the Old City of Mosul

Mosul's Old City bore the brunt of the destruction during the Islamic State group's last stand.

Streets are now strewn with rubble from destroyed homes. The few high buildings of six or seven storeys have been blasted hollow, reduced to concrete frames. Shopping centers and office buildings have been likened to pancaked slabs.

Almost all that is left of the 850-year-old al-Nuri mosque, blown up by IS fighters as they fled, is the stump of its famed minaret.

At the southern end of the district, the arcades of stone-arched storefronts in the historic bazaars that once sold spices, cloth and household goods are charred and gutted. Mangled metal lies scattered across the cityscape.

Ahmed Maha sits with his face covered in dirty after a day of work removing debris from a shop in the Old City of Mosul

Construction workers gather on a commercial street in the Old City of Mosul

A construction worker climbs the stairs of a destroyed shop in the Old City of Mosul - destruction in the city has been compared to the Vietnam conflict of World War Two

At the northern end, just outside the Old City, some buildings have been completely destroyed with only piles of dirt remaining.

All five bridges crossing the Tigris have been disabled by airstrikes, forcing all traffic onto a single-lane temporary span linking east and west.

What the city looks like today very much reflects the course of the war. The nature of the battle for the city's east, from October to February, meant that it survived largely intact.

But the second second battle pulverized the west side because these were the areas where IS dug in, forcing the Iraqis and U.S.-led coalition to increase their firepower, culminating in house-to-house fighting in the Old City, which was declared liberated in July.

A boy returning to the Old City in November 2017 walks past a destroyed building near his house in Mosul

Workers repair the door of a shop in the Old City of Mosul in November 2017

Mustafa Hansen (left) helps his father Ahmed Mohammed (centre), and his grandfather Mohammed Tahar, clear the alley leading to their house in the Old City of Mosul

Shop owner Abu Azar sits outside a destroyed bazaar in the Old City of Mosul

While it was the Old City which endured the heaviest destruction, nearly every neighborhood of western Mosul also has blocks of blasted houses, industrial areas, government buildings and infrastructure.

Military experts compare the assaults on Mosul - and IS-held Raqqa in Syria - to the devastating 1968 battle for the Vietnamese city of Hue.

Some look even further back. 'All I can think of is Dresden, or pictures I've seen of World War II,' said Stephen Wood, a senior analyst at the satellite imagery firm DigitalGlobe.

Along the Old City's gutted roads, a handful of people are beginning to rebuild. Amar Ismail Brahim sold his wife's gold to repaint his cafe. He didn't bother asking for government aid.

A construction worker walks amid a cloud of dust as a bulldozer remove debris from destroyed shops in the Old City of Mosul

Construction workers stand atop damaged buildings and shops in the Old City of Mosul

An aerial view of destroyed buildings and shops in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq

Mr Brahim ultimately blames the Islamic State group for the destruction, but at the same time argues that the West has a moral obligation to help out in the reconstruction effort.

'We fought Daesh on behalf of the whole world,' he said, using the Arabic acronym for the group. 'Now is the time for them to stand with Mosul.'

The enormity of such a task cannot be under-estimated. Two years after it was retaken from IS, more than 70 percent of the city remains damaged or destroyed, according to the provincial council.

Nearly 8,300 homes - almost a third of the houses in the city - were destroyed or suffered major damage, according to UN Habitat. All five of Ramadi's bridges over the Euphrates River were damaged; only three are currently under repair. Three-quarters of the schools remain out of commission.

But funding is far lower than what Iraq says it needs. So far, stabilization has received some $392 million in contributions. The United States has given the lion's share, some $115 million. Germany is the second biggest donor at $64 million. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have also contributed, but no other Gulf nations are among the list of donors.

Overall, Washington has contributed $265 million to reconstruction since 2014, on top of $1.7 billion in humanitarian assistance in Iraq. But it is a fraction of the $14.3 billion that the U.S. spent in fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

But Douglas Silliman, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, blamed the destruction of Iraqi cities squarely on IS fighters.

'Had they not been here, had they not conducted a completely brutal and inhumane campaign against the Iraqi people, this destruction would not have happened,' he said.
Nearly half of British jobs are at risk of being taken over by robots, a report warned last night.

Technological advances mean 44 per cent of current roles could be automated, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think-tank found.

Employees working in catering, retail and agriculture are most under threat by the march of machines.

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Nearly half of British jobs are at risk of being taken over by robots, a report warned last night. Technological advances mean 44 per cent of current roles could be automated, the Institute for Public Policy Research think-tank found, with catering, retail and agriculture under threat

REPORT FINDINGS The report raised the example of how Amazon has used sensors in its warehouses to monitor productivity. The researchers said increasing automation had the potential to deliver a powerful boost to the productivity of UK business, bringing a future of economic plenty. However, they warned that unless the change was properly managed by government, there was a danger that the benefits would be narrowly concentrated in the hands of investors and small numbers of highly-skilled workers while the rest lost out. Among the reports proposals was a call for the creation of a new authority for the ethical use of robotics and artificial intelligence, modelled on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, to be established to regulate the future use of automating technologies. Advertisement

The report rejected the idea that the country is heading for a post human economy, arguing that most people will find work in newly created jobs, where humans still perform better than robots.

But it warned that the new machine age could mean those on lower incomes see their wages fall, which would be particularly devastating for certain parts of the country.

The research estimated that jobs generating wages of 290 billion ($388 billion) a year - representing a third of all wages and earnings from labour in the UK economy - have the potential to be automated.

Northern Ireland and North East England are most susceptible with 48 per cent of jobs there at high risk of being automated, compared to 39 per cent in London.

Rather than creating mass unemployment, the report predicted that people would slowly be shifted into new fields of work over the course of decades.

It said: Work will be transformed by automation, not eliminated.

Automation is likely to lead to the steady redeployment of labour over a period of decades, rather than a sudden and rapid elimination of employment.

The task contents of most jobs will evolve, changing the nature of work.

There could be a boom in high-skilled jobs where humans still beat machines.

The think-tank said: Automation could increase the demand for work in creative, cognitive, planning, decision-making, managerial and caring roles, where humans still outperform machines.

It added: New jobs and ways of working, often in close partnership with machines, will emerge.

However, it warned that jobs where humans working in tandem with machines could lead to greater monitoring and workplace stress.

The report raised the example of how Amazon has used sensors in its warehouses to monitor productivity.

The researchers said increasing automation had the potential to deliver a powerful boost to the productivity of UK business, bringing a future of economic plenty.

Research estimates jobs generating wages of 290 billion ($388 billion) a year have the potential to be automated. Northern Ireland and North East England are most susceptible with, 48 per cent of jobs there at high risk of being automated, compared to 39 per cent in London

However, they warned that unless the change was properly managed by government, there was a danger that the benefits would be narrowly concentrated in the hands of investors and small numbers of highly-skilled workers while the rest lost out.

Among the reports proposals was a call for the creation of a new authority for the ethical use of robotics and artificial intelligence, modelled on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, to be established to regulate the future use of automating technologies.

IPPR senior research fellow Mathew Lawrence said: Despite the rhetoric of the rise of the robots, machines arent about to take all our jobs. A bigger challenge is arguably the effect of automation on inequality in the UK.

Managed badly, the benefits of automation could be narrowly concentrated, benefiting those who own capital and highly skilled workers. Inequality would spiral.

Managed well though, with a strategy to increase adoption of technologies in the everyday economy and new models of ownership to spread the benefits, automation could help create a future of shared economic plenty.

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney last year claimed that up to 15million of the current jobs in Britain - almost half of the 31.8million workforce - could be replaced by robots over the coming years as livelihoods were mercilessly destroyed by the technological revolution.
A newly-found bus-sized asteroid came 'close' to Earth today - at speeds of more than 21,000mph (34,000km/h).

Named 2017 YZ4, the asteroid was only spotted on Christmas Day, which means very little could have been done to protect Earth if it were to hit.

The asteroid passed between the Earth and moon at a distance of just 139,433 miles (224,000 km) - close enough to be considered a 'near miss' by astronomers.

The potentially hazardous asteroid, which is 22.6 to 49 feet in diameter (seven to 15 metres) skimmed past Earth at 4.56pm GMT (11.56 ET) this afternoon.

Nasa describes asteroids as 'hazardous' if they come within the 4,600,000 mile (7,403,00km) threshold of proximity to our planet.

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A previously unseen asteroid brushed past Earth today - at a speed of more than 21,000 miles an hour (34,000kmh) (stock image)

ASTEROID 2017 YZ4 Named 2017 YZ4, the asteroid was only spotted on Christmas Day and passed between the Earth and moon at a distance of just 139,433 miles (224,000km) - close enough to be considered a near miss by astronomers. For reference, the distance between the Earth and the moon is 238,855 miles (384,400 km). The small asteroid, which is 22.6 to 49 feet in diameter (seven to 15 metres) skimmed past Earth at 4.56pm GMT (11.56 ET) this afternoon. Anything that flies closer than six million miles of our planet is a near earth asteroid and could cause severe damage were it ever to crash into Earth. In February 2013 a 19-metre meter (62-feet) meteor exploded in the skies above Chelyabinsk in Russia. The energy - which was equivalent to 500,000 tonnes of TNT - and injured more than 1,000 people. Advertisement

The asteroid was first spotted at Mount Lemmon Survey Observatory in Arizona and will be the 52nd to pass between Earth and the moon this year.

Currently Nasa would not be able to deflect an asteroid if it were heading for Earth but it could mitigate the impact and take measures that would protect lives and property.

This would include evacuating the impact area and moving key infrastructure.

Finding out about the orbit trajectory, size, shape, mass, composition and rotational dynamics would help experts determine the severity of a potential impact.

However, the key to mitigating damage is to find any potential threat as early as possible.

'This is the first known asteroid to flyby Earth within one lunar distance since two such asteroids flew past us 35 minutes apart on November 21, and the 52nd this year', a Nasa spokesperson told the Express.

'As of December 24, there are 17,495 known Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) around our planet; 17,389 are asteroids.'

'This year, we discovered 1,985 new near Earth asteroids. There were 1888 such objects discovered in 2016 and 1,571 in 2015.'

Anything that flies closer than six million miles of our planet is a near earth asteroid and could cause severe damage were it ever to crash into Earth.

Deflecting an asteroid that is on an impact course with Earth requires changing the velocity of the object by less than an inch per second years in advance of the predicted impact.

PLANETARY DEFENCE Anything that flies closer than six million miles of our planet is a near earth asteroid and could cause severe damage were it ever to crash into Earth. Deflecting an asteroid that is on an impact course with Earth requires changing the velocity of the object by less than an inch per second years in advance of the predicted impact. Nasa is currently moving forward with a refrigerator-sized spacecraft capable of preventing asteroids from colliding with Earth. A test with a small, nonthreatening asteroid is planned for 2024. This is the first-ever mission to demonstrate an asteroid deflection technique for planetary defence. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) would use what is known as a kinetic impactor techniquestriking the asteroid to shift its orbit. Advertisement

Nasa is currently moving forward with a refrigerator-sized spacecraft capable of preventing asteroids from colliding with Earth. A test with a small, nonthreatening asteroid is planned for 2024.

This is the first-ever mission to demonstrate an asteroid deflection technique for planetary defence.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) would use what is known as a kinetic impactor techniquestriking the asteroid to shift its orbit.

The impact would change the speed of a threatening asteroid by a small fraction of its total velocity, but by doing so well before the predicted impact, this small nudge will add up over time to a big shift of the asteroid's path away from Earth.

In February 2013 a 19-metre meter (62-feet) meteor exploded in the skies above Chelyabinsk in Russia.

The energy - which was equivalent to 500,000 tonnes of TNT - and injured more than 1,000 people.

Earlier this month a massive asteroid called 3200 Phaethon made its closest approach to Earth at around 6.4 million miles (10.3 million kilometers) away.

The new observations conducted from December 15-19 show Phaethon to be about 3.6 miles (six kilometres) wide.

This means it's larger than previously thought, by about 0.6 miles (one kilometre).

Named 2017 YZ4, the asteroid was only spotted on Christmas Day and will pass between the Earth and moon at a distance of just 139,433 miles (224,000km) - close enough to be considered a near miss by astronomers

The small asteroid, which is 22.6 to 49 feet in diameter (seven to 15 metres) is due to skim past Earth at 4.56pm GMT (11.56 ET) this afternoon

It passed by Earth this month at about 27 times the distance between our planet and the moon.

Before its approach, NASA revealed asteroid 3200 Phaethon is classed as 'potentially hazardous.'

The latest approach is the closest the asteroid has been to Earth since December 16, 1974, when it was around 5 million miles away - although we were blissfully unaware at the time.

In a statement about the asteroid, which was first discovered in 1983, a spokesperson for Nasa said: 'With a diameter of about 5km, Phaethon is the third largest near-Earth asteroid classified as 'Potentially Hazardous'.'

The next pass is predicted to be in 2093 when it is expected to pass at just over 1.8 million miles (2.9 million kilometres) away.
YouTube takes down less than half hate content that gets reported, according to a shocking new report by a think tank.

The material that does get taken down - which includes Islamist extremist postings - is left for almost two weeks before being removed, researchers found.

One of the videos that YouTube refused to remove included a video of a man filmed slapping a Muslim teenager with bacon and calling him 'ISIS scum'.

The report is the latest of many to expose inappropriate content being posted and promoted on the Google-owned site.

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YouTube takes down less than half hate content that gets reported, according to a shocking new report by a think tank (stock image)

HATE SPEECH According to YouTube hate speech refers to content that promotes hatred against individuals based on certain attributes such as their ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status or sexual orientation. There is a fine line between what and what is not considered hate speech. For example, it is fine to criticise a nation but promoting hatred based on people's ethnicity violates YouTube's policy. If users are unhappy about specific content and believe it violates community guidelines they can flag videos. In order to do this on mobile, go to the video you wish to report and tap the three buttons at the top. Then tap report. You will be asked to select a reason for flagging that video. On desktop, click 'more' under the video and in the drop-down menu click report. If users find multiple hate videos or comments posted from one YouTuber, users can submit a more detailed report. YouTube has a reporting tool where this can be done. Advertisement

The three-month long experiment was run by the London-based Henry Jackson Society think tank and involved researchers reporting alarming material weekly, writes The Sun.

Only 47 out of 107 Islamist extremist postings that were reported were removed and for the ones that were it took on average 11 and a half days for them to be taken down.

Out of 94 far right movies that promoted racial violence, just 33 were removed.

On average it took 13 and a half days for them to be taken down and 121 extremist videos were fully viewable - despite being reported by researchers.

'These ideologies can be freely disseminated and amplified online, and there is room for improvement by technology firms to provide spaces to expose and debate their inconsistencies', said Dr Alan Mendoza, Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society.

According to YouTube hate speech refers to content that promotes hatred against individuals based on certain attributes such as their ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status or sexual orientation.

There is a fine line between what and what is not considered hate speech.

For example, it is fine to criticise a nation but promoting hatred based on people's ethnicity violates YouTube's policy.

One video that praised Hitler and showed Jewish people being sent to concentration camps was not removed. A film promoting the Taliban was also left up.

'We know social media can play a role in the radicalisation of young people, drawing them in with twisted and warped ideology', said former Labour Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper, who commissioned the study on behalf of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee.

She said the findings were 'simply unacceptable'.

'YouTube have promised to do more, but they just aren't moving fast enough. Google, which owns YouTube, is one of the richest and most innovative companies on the planet. They have the resources and capability to sort this and they need to do so fast.'

A YouTube spokesperson told MailOnline the Google-owned site was making progress on removing hate videos.

'Through new uses of technology, the majority of videos we removed for violent extremism over the past few months were taken down before receiving a single human flag.

'We're doing more every day to tackle these complex issues', the spokesperson said.

Earlier this month it was revealed YouTubers have made hundreds of thousands in advertising revenue each month by putting up disturbing videos of children.

One example is the Toy Freaks YouTube channel. It was founded by landscaper Greg Chism of Granite City, Illinois, and had 8.53 million subscribers.

Earlier this month it was revealed YouTubers - such as Greg Chism of Granite City (pictured) - have made hundreds of thousands in advertising revenue each month by putting up disturbing videos of children

Mr Chism's channel, which features his daughters Annabelle and Victoria, appears to have been caught up in a broader purge targeting a wave of strange and inappropriate kids videos

YOUTUBE'S FIVE-POINT PLAN Last month the company announced is stepping up enforcement of its guidelines on these videos after widespread criticism that has failed to protect children from adult content. YouTube vice president Johanna Wright explained their five-point plan in a blog post. 1. YouTube is removing content featuring minors that may be endangering the child, even if that is not what the person who made the video intended. 50 channels have been removed because of this, including the wildly popular Toy Freaks YouTube channel featuring a single dad and his two daughters. 2. It has removed adverts from inappropriate videos targeting families. Since June they have removed three million videos under this policy. 3. YouTube is blocking inappropriate comments on features with children in. 4. In the coming weeks the company is releasing a guide on how creators can enrich family-friendly content. 5. They are doubling the number of people who flag content on the main YouTube site that is not appropriate for viewers under 18 years old. Advertisement

It was among the 100 most-viewed YouTube channels, and was probably making between $69,000 (52,000) to $1.1 million (820,000) per month, according to estimates by Social Blade, which tracks YouTube Channel Statistics.

Of this, YouTube would have been taking a 45 per cent cut.

Though it's unclear what exact policy the channel violated, the videos showed the girls in unusual situations that often involved gross-out food play and simulated vomiting.

In the previous months, YouTube has removed advertisments on more than two million videos and 50,000 channels.

Creators claim to be frustrated that YouTube is now withdrawing exploitative content it had previously facilitated and profited from.

'What YouTube is basically doing is ignoring it until they can't,' Social Blade Operations Manager Danny Fratella told BuzzFeed News.

'I think that once it got enough media traction they kind of had to do something.

'YouTube has been favoring advertisers over creators recently and the advertisers got nervous and that's the catalyst that drives the platform to take videos down.'

In November volunteer moderators revealed there could be as many as 100,000 predatory accounts leaving inappropriate comments on videos.

According to the BBC, some include the phone numbers of adults, or requests for videos to satisfy sexual fetishes.

The children in the videos appeared to be younger than 13, the minimum age for registering an account on YouTube.

'There are loads of things YouTube could be doing to reduce this sort of activity, fixing the reporting system to start with', an anonymous flagger said.

They estimated there were 'between 50,000 to 100,000 active predatory accounts still on the platform'.

The investigation came just two days after YouTube announced a crackdown on sexualised or violent content aimed at 'family friendly' sections of YouTube.
Instagram is rolling out recommended posts to users which suggest content you might be interested in based on other accounts you follow.

The feature, first spotted in testing last month, has now gone live and is the first time the Facebook-owned company has offered recommended content in the home feed.

The new section 'Recommended for You' contains three to five suggested posts and is rolling out on Android and iOS, reports suggest.

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Instagram is rolling out recommended posts to users which suggest content you might be interested in based on other accounts you follow

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU The new section 'Recommended for You' contains three to five suggested posts and is rolling out on Android and iOS, reports suggest. This means users scrolling through the home page will no longer only see posts from accounts they already follow. The section appears after users have viewed all their posts in the feed, a spokesperson said. Users can choose to temporarily hide these posts by tapping the three horizontal lines above the post on iPhone and the three vertical lines on Android. Then tap Hide. Advertisement

This means users scrolling through the home page will no longer only see posts from accounts they already follow, writes Tech Crunch.

Previously recommended content was in the Explore section and would not be pushed onto the home feed.

'When scrolling through Feed, you may see posts that are Recommended for You', the company said in a blog post.

'These posts are suggested based on posts liked by accounts you follow'.

The section appears after users have viewed all their posts in the feed, a spokesperson said.

Users can choose to temporarily hide these posts by tapping the three horizontal lines above the post on iPhone and the three vertical lines on Android.

User 'itskamm', who is based in Cleveland, tweeted '@instagram stop with all the extra stuff! especially please take away these recommended people I follow in my feed! if i wanted to follow them i would'.

Another Twitter user was also unimpressed by the new update.

Twitter user 'gamor11', who is based in Melbourne, tweeted 'Why does @instagram insist on showing me photos of recommended people on my feed? I dont care. I wanna see pictures from people I actually follow, and chronologically at that!!'

Earlier this month the company introduced hashtags which allows users to follow interests, not just accounts.

That means you can stay up to date with #onthetable, #slime and #floralnails, without the need to go hunting for them through the app's search bar or explorer tab.

User 'itskamm', who is based in Cleveland, tweeted '@instagram stop with all the extra stuff! especially please take away these recommended people I follow in my feed! if i wanted to follow them i would'

Twitter user 'gamor11', who is based in Melbourne, tweeted 'Why does @instagram insist on showing me photos of recommended people on my feed? I dont care. I wanna see pictures from people I actually follow, and chronologically at that!!'

Instagram has released the new feature in an effort to make posts on the site easier to discover.

The app, based in Menlo Park, is used by millions of people each day to share photos and videos, as well as to tag them with relevant subject hashtags.

If you set your account to private, the hashtags you follow will only be visible to your followers.

'Today we're introducing the ability to follow hashtags, giving you new ways to discover photos, videos and people on Instagram,' Instagram said in a press release earlier this month.

'Now it's even easier to stay connected with the interests, hobbies, passions and communities you care about.'

These new features are just two of a number to be introduced by Instagram in recent months.

Earlier this month the company introduced hashtags which allows users to follow interests, not just accounts

The feature, first spotted in testing last month, has now gone live and is the first time the Facebook-owned company has offered recommended content in the home feed (stock)

Instagram released a new update in November that allows users to edit pictures that their friends send them through direct messaging.

Instagram is also working on several other new features, and reportedly inviting people to test the beta version of its Android and iOS apps.

In September, Instagram also appeared to be testing a feature that allows users to save their Stories, instead of losing them after 24 hours.

And earlier in the year, Instagram reportedly tested a favourite-friends feature which allows you to share content with a select group of friends.
People appear more racist and homophobic when they have been drinking, researchers have found.

Hate crimes are more likely to be carried out when people are drunk, with the alcohol acting as an 'igniter' to expressing prejudice, a new study suggests.

Out of 124 people, 18.5 per cent considered themselves to have been attacked by people motivated by prejudice and that alcohol intoxication accounted for 90 per cent of these attacks.

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Hate crimes are more likely to be carried out when people are drunk, with the alcohol acting as an 'igniter' to expressing prejudice, a new study suggests (stock image)

KEY FINDINGS The survey by Cardiff University was carried out in Cardiff, Blackburn and Leicester. These cities were chosen because all three are home to multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious populations. Of the 23 people who claimed the attack on them was motivated by prejudice, seven said they thought their appearance was the motive. Five suggested it was because of racial tensions within the communities they lived, the study found. Three people mentioned their place of residence and eight cases were attributed to the race, religion or sexual orientation of the victims. Advertisement

Researchers interviewed people attending accident and emergency with injuries from violence in three multicultural British cities.

Professor Jonathan Shepherd, director of the Cardiff University Crime and Security Research Institute, said: 'A striking aspect of the study was the discovery that most attacks weren't fuelled by hate alone; alcohol appeared to act as an igniter.

'Our findings suggest that tackling alcohol abuse is not only important in regards to the health of individuals but also to the health of our society.

'Additionally, we have learned that emergency room violence surveys can act as a community tension sensor and early warning system.'

The survey by Cardiff University was carried out in Cardiff, Blackburn and Leicester.

These cities were chosen because all three are home to multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious populations.

Of the 23 people who claimed the attack on them was motivated by prejudice, seven said they thought their appearance was the motive.

Five suggested it was because of racial tensions within the communities they lived, the study found.

Out of 124 people, 18.5 per cent considered themselves to have been attacked by people motivated by prejudice. Pictured is a pro Nazi rally in the German town of Ansbach

Three people mentioned their place of residence and eight cases were attributed to the race, religion or sexual orientation of the victims.

All 23 attacks took place away from the victims' homes.

Many of them viewed limiting alcohol consumption as a good strategy to reduce the risk of attacks.

Research released earlier this year also found people who smoke cannabis are more likely to commit violent crimes.

The study by five researchers from institutes based in Montreal, Canada, examined the lives of 1,136 men and women who were patients at psychiatric hospitals in Missouri, Pittsburgh and Massachusetts.

It warned those who smoke the drug regularly run an increased risk of using violence against others.

The project is the first to demonstrate that cannabis is not only linked with violent crime but is the cause.
An intersex shark has been found off the coast of Taiwan in a rare discovery.

The Pacific spadenose shark, caught by stunned fisherman in January this year, was just 1.6 feet (0.5 metres) long and weighed 0.4 kg (0.79 lbs).

The predator is one of only a handful of intersex sharks ever found, and the first of its species.

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An intersex shark with both male and female genitals has been found off the coast of Taiwan in a rare discovery. The animal was a Pacific spadenose shark, a close relative of the Silvertip (file photo), and was just 1.6 feet (0.5 metres) long

THE INTERSEX SHARK The intersex shark was caught in a fishing trawl in the southern Taiwan Strait, and landed at Xiamen, China, in January 2017. At first it appeared to be a fully grown male, with a developed pair of penis-like appendages called claspers that extend from the pelvic fin. But a study of the animal's interns found it had a complete pair of ovotestes - gonads that contain both ovarian and testicular tissue. This meant that the animal had both the male as well as the female reproductive organs. Advertisement

While many fish have the ability to switch genders, sharks develop permanent male or female organs before birth, making intersex specimens a rarity.

Little is known about shark reproduction, but researchers have suggested that intersexuality could explain why some sharks can give birth 'asexually'.

'[Sharks] can give birth without mating - like virgin birth. The question is: Why?' Dr Chris Lowe, a scientist at California State University, Long Beach, told Hakai magazine.

Intersexuality may be related to this ability of some sharks to give birth to a clone, he said.

'We just don't know enough about shark biology to be able to answer those questions,' Dr Lowe added.

The intersex shark was caught in a fishing trawl in the southern Taiwan Strait, and landed at Xiamen, China, in January 2017.

At first it appeared to be a fully grown male, with a developed pair of penis-like appendages called claspers that extend from the pelvic fin.

But a study of the animal's interns found it had a complete pair of ovotestes - gonads that contain both ovarian and testicular tissue.

At first the animal appeared to be a fully grown male, with a developed pair of penis-like appendages called claspers (file photo) that extend from the pelvic fin. But further study found it had a complete pair of ovotestes - gonads that contain both ovarian and testicular tissue

This meant that the animal had both the male as well as the female reproductive organs.

Scientists at China's Xiamen University found that each of the shark's genitals were fully formed, meaning the animal could have functioned as either sex reproductively.

This makes the find the rarest type of intersexuality in sharks, as most cases have sex organs that are only partially formed.

The intersex shark was caught in a fishing trawl in the southern Taiwan Strait, and landed at Xiamen, China, in January 2017

According to Dr Carl Meyer, a marine biologist at the University of Hawaii, these intersex sharks are 'extremely rare'.

Dr Meyer told Hakai magazine it is not yet confirmed if intersex sharks can effectively use both the male as well as the female organs for reproduction.

He added that an intersex shark carrying a live embryo in its uterus has never been found by the researchers.

Some have speculated whether the intersex shark was human-caused.

Recent studies have looked at the increasing discovery of intersex characteristics in fish in the US, a phenomenon that could be linked to the presence of estrogen and other hormones in wastewater.

'Environmental contamination is certainly not the only reason why this might happen every now and then,' Meyer says.

'Purely genetic drivers could largely determine what happens during reproductive development. There could be a genetic miscoding that ends up with a rare intersex example in a species.'
The sensors built into your phone could help a hacker correctly guess your PIN in just three attempts.

Researchers have built a new algorithm that reveals a person's passcode using data from six smartphone sensors.

This data allows hackers to study the tilt of the phone and how much light is being blocked by the user's fingers, helping reveal a four-digit pin number.

The technique has been shown to unlock Android smartphones with a 99.5 per cent accuracy within three tries, when trying to guess the 50 most common PIN numbers.

The previous best phone-cracking success rate was 74 per cent.

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An accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor, barometer, and ambient light sensor can be used to gather information needed to crack your PIN and access personal information (stock)

HOW THEY DID IT A team of researchers in Singapore discovered which numbers users had pressed based on how the phone was tilted and how much light was blocked by the thumb or fingers. The team took Android phones and installed a custom application which collected data from six sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor, barometer, and ambient light sensor. The sensors are open access and require no authorisation to access the data. The algorithm was trained with data collected from three people, who each entered a random set of 70 four-digit pin numbers on a phone, which recorded their entries. Known as deep learning, the classification algorithm was able to give different weightings of importance to each of the sensors, depending on how sensitive each was to different numbers being pressed. The technique used by the team, from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), can be used to guess all 10,000 possible combinations of four-digit PINs. Advertisement

Co-author of the study Dr Shivam Bhasin from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) said: 'When you hold your phone and key in the PIN, the way the phone moves when you press 1, 5, or 9, is very different.

'Likewise, pressing 1 with your right thumb will block more light than if you pressed 9.'

The team took Android phones and installed a custom application which collected data from six sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor, barometer, and ambient light sensor.

The algorithm was trained with data collected from three people, who each entered a random set of 70 four-digit pin numbers on a phone, which recorded their entries.

The method can be used to guess all 10,000 possible combinations of four-digit PINs.

Researchers found that as more people were analysed, the success rate was boosted as the algorithm learned more about their tendencies.

The sensors needed to gather the vital information are open-access, which means any apps can access them without authorisation.

The scientists worry that this opens a door for malicious apps to get through phone user's security.

Although everyone enters their PIN differently, the scientists showed that as data from more people is fed to the algorithm over time, success rates improved.

This means that while a malicious application may not be able to correctly guess a PIN immediately after installation, it could collect data from thousands of users and then launch an attack once it has learnt their behaviours.

The algorithm was trained with data collected from three people, who each entered a random set of 70 four-digit pin numbers on a phone, which recorded their entries.

Although everyone enters their PIN differently, the scientists showed that as data from more people is fed to the algorithm over time, success rates improved. All 10,000 4-digit PINs can be cracked (stock)

Known as deep learning, the classification algorithm was able to give different weightings of importance to each of the sensors, depending on how sensitive each was to different numbers being pressed.

Dr Bhasin advises mobile operating systems to restrict access to these six sensors in future, so that users can actively choose to give permissions only to trusted apps that need them.

Dr Bhasin also advises users to use PINs with more than four digits, combined with one-time passwords, two-factor authentications and fingerprint recognition.

Professor Gan Chee Lip, Director of the Temasek Laboratories at NTU Singapore, said this study shows how devices with seemingly strong security systems can be attacked using malicious applications to spy on user behaviour.

He said: 'Along with the potential for leaking passwords, we are concerned that access to phone sensor information could reveal far too much about a user's behaviour.

'This has significant privacy implications that both individuals and enterprises should pay urgent attention to.'

The study was published in the open-access Cryptology ePrint Archive.
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It is a stunning, almost ghostly view of Saturn's moon.

NASA has revealed the incredible image, taken by the Cassini probe before it crashed into Saturn's atmosphere in a 'death dive'.

Although the probe has now been destroyed, NASA is still regularly releasing images from its mission.

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The new image shows Saturn's moon Enceladus drifting before the rings, which glow brightly in the sunlight.Just visible at the moon's south pole (at bottom here) is the plume of water ice particles and other material that constantly spews from that ocean via fractures in the ice.

WHAT IS ENCELADUS? Enceladus is Saturn's sixth largest moon, at 313 miles wide (504 kilometers). Cassini observations have revealed hydrothermal activity, with vents spewing water vapour and ice particles out from a global ocean buried beneath the icy crust. According to NASA, the plume includes organic compounds, volatile gases, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, salts, and silica. And, Cassini recently discovered hydrogen gas, said to be the missing ingredient for life. While it may look 'inhospitable' like Saturn's other moons, the observations now it may have the elements needed to support life. Advertisement

'Saturn's moon Enceladus drifts before the rings, which glow brightly in the sunlight,' NASA said.

Beneath its icy exterior shell, Enceladus hides a global ocean of liquid water, and many believe the planet could even hold life it its vast ocean.

Just visible at the moon's south pole (at bottom here) is the plume of water ice particles and other material that constantly spews from that ocean via fractures in the ice.

The bright speck to the right of Enceladus is a distant star.

This image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Nov. 6, 2011, at a distance of approximately 90,000 miles (145,000 kilometers) from Enceladus.

The Cassini spacecraft ended its mission on Sept. 15, 2017.

The Cassini spacecraft ended its mission on Sept. 15, 2017, and NASA has been releasing images from it regularly.

Last month it revealed a stunning compilation of 'death shots' taken just before the probe crashed into Saturn.

'The brightly lit limb of a crescent Enceladus looks ethereal against the blackness of space,' NASA says of one the most impressive images.

'The rest of the moon, lit by light reflected from Saturn, presents a ghostly appearance.'

NASA has revealed the incredible image, taken by the Cassini probe before it crashed into Saturn's atmosphere in a 'death dive'. Enceladus (313 miles or 504 kilometers across) is back-lit in this image, as is apparent by the thin crescent.

Enceladus (313 miles or 504 kilometers across) is back-lit in this image, as is apparent by the thin crescent.

However, the Sun-Enceladus-spacecraft (or phase) angle, at 141 degrees, is too low to make the moon's famous plumes easily visible.

This view looks toward the Saturn-facing hemisphere of Enceladus.

The above image is a composite of images taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on March 29, 2017, using filters that allow infrared, green, and ultraviolet light.

HOW ENCELADUS IS HEATED FROM WITHIN Researchers have spotted plumes from the moon's vast underground ocean According to Dr Postberg, the rock core of Enceladus is probably porous, which is why the water from the overlying ocean is able to deeply permeate it. At the same time, strong tidal forces from Saturn affect the 'loose' rock in the moon's core. The new computer simulations show that the frictional heat is transferred very efficiently to the water circulating through the core, heating it to more than 90 degrees Celsius. This water dissolves some constituents of the rocky material. At certain hotspots, the hydrothermal fluids vent back into the ocean. Due to the cooling dissolved material now partially precipitates as fine particles, which are carried by the warm water to the ocean's surface. The hotspots are located primarily at the poles of Enceladus. The ascending hydrothermal fluids probably trigger local melting in the ice layer of the polar region. According to Dr Postberg, this explains why the ice layer at the poles is considerably thinner than at the equator  three to ten kilometres versus 35 kilometres. Advertisement

The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 110,000 miles (180,000 kilometers) from Enceladus. Image scale is 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) per pixel.

More than a week after its dramatic death dive into Saturns atmosphere, NASA has released Cassinis final images, revealing stunning last looks at the ringed planet and its mysterious moons.

From a view of Enceladus setting behind Saturn, to the site where Cassini would make its impact, the new images show just what the spacecraft observed leading up to its demise.

Cassini circled the planet for 13 years, helping to transform our understanding of the gas giant  and, thanks to its observations, scientists now know two of its moons have potential to host simple life.

From a view of Enceladus setting behind Saturn, to the site where Cassini would make its impact, the new images show just what the spacecraft observed leading up to its demise. Its last image, pictured, is a monochrome look toward Saturns night side, light by sunlight reflected from the planets rings

In the breathtaking series of photos, NASA shows some of Cassinis final observations.

Its last image, the space agency reveals, is a monochrome look toward Saturns night side, light by sunlight reflected from the planets rings.

There, Cassini entered Saturns atmosphere just hours later, to embark on its mission-ending plunge.

The spacecraft also captured detailed images of Saturns rings, even revealing a look at the small moon Daphnis and the waves it causes in the Keeler Gap.

In photo, a lone propeller can be seen.

Space enthusiast Jason Major used some of Cassini's final images to stitch together a stunning composite of Saturn (pictured) as Cassini began its final dive toward the planet

The spacecraft also captured detailed images of Saturns rings, even revealing a look at the small moon Daphnis and the waves it causes in the Keeler Gap, as seen above. The image was captured on September 13

These are the features created by small moonlets in the rings, as they attempt to open gaps in the ring material, according to NASA.

Space enthusiast Jason Major used some of Cassini's final images to stitch together a stunning composite of Saturn as Cassini began its final dive toward the planet.

'Here's a mosaic of Saturn made from raw images acquired by Cassini on Sept. 13, 2017, as it was on its way toward its dive into the planet's atmosphere,' he said in a post on Flickr.

'These images are uncalibrated for color but were acquired in visible-light RGB filters.'

A week after its dramatic death dive into Saturns atmosphere, NASA has released Cassinis final images, revealing stunning last looks at the ringed planet and its mysterious moons. Its last look at the giant moon Titan, on Sept 13, is shown

Cassini circled the planet for 13 years, helping to transform our understanding of the gas giant  and, thanks to its observations, scientists now know two of its moons have potential to host simple life. One of these is the icy moon Enceladus, seen setting behind Saturn in the image above

The Cassini spacecraft may be gone, but the remarkable observations gathered over the crafts 13-year mission will continue to reveal new insights on Saturn and the mysterious worlds orbiting it for some time to come.

Just days after the dramatic conclusion to the crafts mission, NASA released a stunning Cassini observation of the planets yin-and-yang moon, Iapetus.

The photo is one of Cassinis last looks at the 914-mile-wide moon, revealing the striking dichotomy of its surface, long known to be bright on one side and dark on the other.

The strange moon is Saturns third-largest satellite.

In photo, a lone propeller can be seen (pictured) These are the features created by small moonlets in the rings, as they attempt to open gaps in the ring material, according to NASA

CASSINI'S DISCOVERIES IN ITS 20-YEAR MISSION Cassini launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1997, then spent seven years in transit followed by 13 years orbiting Saturn. In 2000 it spent six months studying Jupiter before reaching Saturn in 2004. In that time, it discovered six more moons around Saturn, three-dimensional structures towering above Saturn's rings, and a giant storm that raged across the planet for nearly a year. On 13 December 2004 it made its first flyby of Saturn's moons Titan and Dione. On 24 December it released the European Space Agency-built Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan to study its atmosphere and surface composition. There it discovered eerie hydrocarbon lakes made from ethane and methane. In 2008, Cassini completed its primary mission to explore the Saturn system and began its mission extension (the Cassini Equinox Mission). In 2010 it began its second mission (Cassini Solstice Mission) which lasted until it exploded in Saturn's atmosphere. In December 2011, Cassini obtained the highest resolution images of Saturn's moon Enceladus. In December of the following year it tracked the transit of Venus to test the feasibility of observing planets outside our solar system. In March 2013 Cassini made the last flyby of Saturn's moon Rhea and measured its internal structure and gravitational pull. In July of that year Cassini captured a black-lit Saturn to examine the rings in fine detail and also captured an image of Earth. In April of this year it completed its closest flyby of Titan and started its Grande Finale orbit which finished on September 15. 'The mission has changed the way we think of where life may have developed beyond our Earth,' said Andrew Coates, head of the Planetary Science Group at Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London. 'As well as Mars, outer planet moons like Enceladus, Europa and even Titan are now top contenders for life elsewhere,' he added. 'We've completely rewritten the textbooks about Saturn.' Advertisement

This false-color farewell view combines individual frames captured with filters sensitive to ultraviolet, green, and infrared light, according to NASA, and looks toward the Saturn-facing hemisphere of Iapetus.

For centuries, scientists have questioned Iapetus unusual yin-yang appearance.

But, thanks to Cassini, they may have solved the mystery of its contrasted surface.

Cassini observations of Iapetus support the prevailing theory that led to the understanding that the dichotomy of the surface is due to a combination of infalling dust from outside of the moon followed by a migration of water ice from the darker (therefore warmer) areas to the cold, brighter surfaces, NASA explains.

In the breathtaking series of photos, NASA shows some of Cassinis final observations. This photo, captured on Sept 13, shows a stunning look at Saturn's rings

Cassini captured this last look at Iapetus on May 30, from roughly 1.5 million miles away.

NASA's Cassini mission came to a 'bittersweet' conclusion early Friday morning, as the historic spacecraft plunged into Saturn's atmosphere to become one with the gas giant planet it had studied for 13 years.

As mission scientists said their farewells to the craft and prepare to examine its final observations, footage emerged of the dramatic moment Cassini first lifted off 20 years ago, to embark on its 'billion mile trek to Saturn.'

The breathtaking footage takes us back to the Cape Canaveral launchpad on October 15, 1997, as mission control counts down to the start of a journey that brought an 'incredible wealth of discoveries.'

Just days after the dramatic conclusion to the crafts mission, NASA has released a stunning new observation of the planets yin-and-yang moon, Iapetus. For centuries, scientists have questioned Iapetus unusual yin-yang appearance. But, thanks to Cassini, they may have solved the mystery of its contrasted surface

As mission scientists say their farewells to the craft and prepare to examine its final observations, footage has emerged of the dramatic moment Cassini first lifted off 20 years ago, to embark on its 'billion mile trek to Saturn'

Cassini launched in 1997 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, bringing it past Venus (twice), Earth, and Jupiter on its way to Saturn.

But, it would be many years  and a billion miles  before it reached its target.

'We have cleared the tower, and the Cassini spacecraft is on its way to Saturn,' mission control can be heard saying in the 20-year-old footage, as the rocket breaks through the clouds.

The spacecraft arrived to Saturn in 2004, marking the start of its historic 13-year mission studying the planet and its moons.

'This is the final chapter of an amazing mission, but it's also a new beginning,' Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said as the space agency marked the end of Cassini's mission.

'Cassini's discovery of ocean worlds at Titan and Enceladus changed everything, shaking our views to the core about surprising places to search for potential life beyond Earth.'

After 20 years in space, Cassini spacecraft finally completed its suicide mission at 7:56 a.m. (ET) Friday, plunging into Saturn's atmosphere.

While we were unable to see Cassini's dying moments, an animation released by NASA reconstructs the probe's last few minutes as it tumbled through Saturn's atmosphere at 77,000mph

Cassini launched in 1997 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, bringing it past Venus (twice), Earth, and Jupiter on its way to Saturn. But, it would be many years  and a billion miles  before it reached its target

'We have cleared the tower, and the Cassini spacecraft is on its way to Saturn,' mission control can be heard saying in the 20-year-old footage, as the rocket breaks through the clouds

'The Cassini operations team did an absolutely stellar job guiding the spacecraft to its noble end,' said Earl Maize, Cassini project manager at JPL.

'From designing the trajectory seven years ago, to navigating through the 22 nail-biting plunges between Saturn and its rings, this is a crack shot group of scientists and engineers that scripted a fitting end to a great mission.

'What a way to go. Truly a blaze of glory.'

The confirmation of the mission was received at Nasa's Jet Propulsion unit at 07:56 EST (12:56 BST).

Upon receiving the news, Earl Maize, program manager for Cassini, announced: 'The signal from the spacecraft has gone. Congratulations, this has been an incredible mission and incredible spacecraft.'

After 20 years in space, Nasa's Cassini spacecraft has finally completed its suicide mission, plunging into Saturn's atmosphere. The confirmation of the mission was received at Nasa's Jet Propulsion unit at 07:56 EST (12:56 BST)

In its thirteen years at Saturn and two decades in space, the $4 billion (3 billion) Cassini probe has transformed our understanding of the ringed planet and its moons.

It has watched giant storms on the gas giant, recorded its ring system in stunning detail, and revealed incredible new insights on the potential habitability of Saturn's moons.

The decision to kill off Cassini was taken because the craft would soon run out of fuel and become impossible to steer. Scientists feared a collision with Titan or Enceladus - two of Saturn's moons that in the past 10 years have shown a potential to host simple life.

Nasa's animation imagine what the 'death dive' would have looked like

First, they expect the probe to have shed layers of insulating material.

Nasa's animation imagines what the 'death dive' would have looked like. First, they expect the probe to have shed layers of insulating material

Saturn's active, ocean-bearing moon Enceladus sinks behind the giant planet in a farewell animation from NASA's Cassini spacecraft

Then its large external structures, including the 11ft wide dish antenna and 30ft long magnetometer boom will have weakened and broken apart, followed by other body-mounted components, and eventually the leading face of the space craft itself.

It is also possible that propellant left in Cassini's fuel tanks may have exploded.

Meanwhile, atmospheric friction will have sent temperatures soaring.

By the time what was left of Cassini reached the cloud tops it would have been transformed into a glowing fragmenting meteor, hotter than the surface of the sun.

Project manager Earl Maize, centre, shakes hands with Bill Heventhal (left) head of Uplink Operations in mission control at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Lab

Finally, intense heat and pressure would have caused every part of the space craft to melt and dissociate, scattering its atoms to the winds of Saturn.

Cassini's death plunge was the climax of a 'grand finale' that saw the probe slip between Saturn and its rings in 22 daring orbits.

Fifteen minutes before the end, the voice of Dr Maize could be heard in a live stream from mission control telling his team: 'This might be a good time to pass out the farewell peanuts.'

Earlier Jet Propulsion Laboratory director Mike Watkins told a Nasa interviewer: 'It's kind of a bitter-sweet event for all of us.

'For me personally, it's more sweet than bitter, because Cassini has been such a fantastic mission.

During the live feed, experts from Nasa described the event as 'the last hour of the last chapter of Cassini's Grand Finale.'
Last month, China conducted the first flight tests of its new hypersonic ballistic missile - and new details have revealed how it might operate in the real world.

The DF-17 is a ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), which is said to be capable of achieving speeds of up to 7,680 miles per hour (12,360 kph)  or 10 times the speed of sound.

In the tests, the missiles payload flew roughly 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) in about 11 minutes with the HGV, though intelligence experts suspect it could one day achieve over 1,500 miles (2,500 km).

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Since 2013, China has conducted seven successful test flights of its hypersonic glider DF-ZF (model pictured in a State-TV documentary). The vehicle will be capable of speeds of up to Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound. There are no known images of the DF-17

HYPERSONIC CRAFT The tunnels are being used to develop hypersonic aircraft - those capable of a hitting speeds five times the speed of sound or more. The vehicles could be used to deliver missiles, including nuclear weapons, to distant targets around the world in just minutes. Since 2013, China has conducted seven successful test flights of its hypersonic glider DF-ZF. The vehicle will be capable of speeds of between Mach 5 and Mach 10, or five to 10 times the speed of sound. US officials tested tested HTV-2 in 2011, an unmanned aircraft capable of Mach 20, but the hypersonic flight lasted just a few minutes before the vehicle crashed. Hypersonic vehicles travel so rapidly and unpredictably they could provide an almost-immediate threat to nations across the globe. The craft fly at such speeds that the gap between identifying a military threat and launching an attack on it will drop from hours to minutes, even at long distances. Advertisement

China conducted the flight tests on November 1 and November 15, according to a new report from The Diplomat.

The Nov 1 test was conducted from the Jiuquan Space Launcher Center in Inner Mongolia, and made impact within meters of its intended target in Xinjiang Province, with the HGV powering much of the flight during the glide phase, a source familiar with the matter told The Diplomat.

After the missiles ballistic and re-entry phases, the HGV flew at an altitude of about 60 kilometers.

The missile is explicitly designed for operational HGV implementation and not as a test bed, a source familiar with the matter told The Diplomat.

The test was the first HGV test in the world using a system intended to be fielded operationally.

In November Chinese state media revealed the country's first ever images of a model of what nuclear weapons experts claimed is its hypersonic glide vehicle.

The secretive missile delivery craft, known as the DF-ZF, could travel at up to ten times the speed of sound (7,680 mph/12,360 kph) according to some estimates.

The model was briefly shown during a State-run TV special covering the country's JF-12 hypersonic wind tunnel.

The innovative setup is the largest of its kind in the world and is capable of testing missiles and aircraft up to 6,900mph (11,100kph).

The news follows a US Navy announcement that it had successfully test fired a hypersonic missile that could hit 'anywhere in the world' within an hour.

Pictured is an official artist's impression of China's DF-ZF hypersonic craft. Hypersonic vehicles travel so rapidly and unpredictably they could provide an almost-immediate threat to nations across the globe

The TV clip aired on October 8 via State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), and shows an arrowhead-shaped model is shown inside the Beijing-based wind tunnel.

Its design looks like official Chinese mock-ups of the DF-ZF, which was codenamed the WU-14 by the Pentagon before its official name was released by Beijing.

Chinese officials have confirmed several test flights of hypersonic glide vehicles since 2013, but have kept the details top secret.

This is likely the first time China has shown any test models linked to the project.

Officials have claimed Chinas newest hypersonic craft will soon be tested in a secretive military-grade wind tunnel, which is set to be the world's fastest hypersonic facility when construction is complete 'by 2020.'

China is developing aircraft capable of reaching the US west coast in just 14 minutes, reports suggest. The vehicles will be tested in China's newest military-grade wind tunnel, which will be up and running by 2020. Pictured is the JF-12 hypersonic wind tunnel in Beijing

Currently, the world's most powerful wind tunnel is the US LENX-X facility in Buffalo, New York, which operates at speeds of 22,000 miles per hour (36,000 km/h).

The tunnels are being used to develop hypersonic aircraft - those capable reaching five times the speed of sound or more.

The vehicles could be used to deliver missiles, including nuclear weapons, to distant targets around the world within minutes of launch.

Dr Zhao Wei, a senior scientist working on China's secretive new tunnel, told the South China Morning Post that it will be up and running by 2020.

He said the tunnel will help meet the pressing demand of China's hypersonic weapons development programme.

Because planes can't fly during laboratory experiments, researchers need a wind tunnel that can generate gusts as fast as the desired speed of the aircraft to simulate a flying environment.

To generate a the high-speed air flow needed to test hypersonic craft in the new tunnel, researchers will detonate tubes of explosive gases. The resulting shockwaves will be channeled via a metallic tunnel (pictured in China's JF-12 tunnel) into the test chamber

THE NEW WIND TUNNEL Because planes can't fly during laboratory experiments, researchers need a wind tunnel that can generate gusts as fast as the desired speed of the aircraft to simulate a flying environment. These ground tests help researchers iron out issues with the craft before test flights begin. The new tunnel will include a test chamber for large craft with wingspans of up to three metres (10 ft). To generate the high-speed air flow needed to test hypersonic craft, the researchers will detonate several tubes containing a mixture of oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen gases to create a series of explosions. The blasts will generate shock waves that give off one gigawatt of wind power within a split second, according to Dr Wei. A metallic tunnel will channel these shock waves into a test chamber, where the blast will envelope the prototype vehicle and increase its body temperature to 7,727C (7,727F), hotter than the surface of the sun, Dr Wei said. The craft must be covered by special materials with state-of-the-art cooling systems inside its frame to dissipate the heat. Without this heat shield the vehicle would warp and could veer off course or disintegrate on a long-distance flight. Advertisement

'[The new tunnel] will boost the engineering application of hypersonic technology, mostly in military sectors, by duplicating the environment of extreme hypersonic flights, so problems can be discovered and solved on the ground,' said Dr Wei, a deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of High Temperature Gas Dynamics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

These ground tests will help researchers iron out issues with the craft before test flights begin.

Since 2013, China has conducted seven successful test flights of its hypersonic glider DF-ZF.

The vehicle will be capable of speeds of between Mach 5 and Mach 10, or five to 10 times the speed of sound.

US officials tested HTV-2 in 2011, an unmanned aircraft capable of Mach 20, but the hypersonic flight lasted just a few minutes before the vehicle crashed.

'China and the US have started a hypersonic race,' Professor Wu Dafang, a researcher at Beihang University in Beijing who specialises in hypersonic heat shields, told the SCMP.

A number of state-of-the-art wind tunnels in mainland China have helped its military successfully test hypersonic craft in recent years.

One of these facilities, Beijing's JF-12 tunnel, was completed in May 2012 but remains shrouded in mystery.

The new tunnel will be 'one of the most powerful and advanced ground test facilities for hypersonic vehicles in the world', Professor Wu said.
the firm of interfering with their devices without consent

The backlash over Apple's admission it slows down older iPhones is growing.

The firm said last week it slows down phones to extend their life and stop them from shutting down as batteries age and become less effective, triggering lawsuits across the US.

In addition a South Korea's Communications Commission has reportedly asked for an explanation of the issue from Apple, while in France a consumer group has filed filed preliminary, legal complaints in court.

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Apple intentionally throttles the performance of its smartphones when a battery gets too old, a new study has claimed, including the iPhone 6 and 7, once battery life begins to suffer. This image shows CEO Tim Cook at the launch of the iPhone 6 on September 9, 2015

PLANNED IPHONE OBSOLESCENCE? This is not the first time Apple has been accused of deliberately throttling the performance of its older phones. Explanations for the slowness range from Apple's iOS causing problems on older devices to the firm deliberately slowing down old phones to make people buy the new handsets. This latter explanation is known as planned, or built-in, obsolescence. This is the idea that manufacturer's deliberately make their products in such a way that they become out-of-date sooner. By doing this, the companies can encourage customers to buy the latest model of a certain product. This also stimulates demand for products because people return again and again. Advertisement

'We are hoping to get some answers on whether Apple intentionally restricted the performance of old iPhones and tried to hide this from customers,' the Korean Commission said.

French consumer association called 'HOP', standing for 'Stop Planned Obsolescence', has filed preliminary, legal complaints in court against Apple and Epson.

HOP said it filed its complaint against Apple in Paris on Wednesday.

A prosecutor opened an investigation into Epson last month, a judicial source said on Thursday, following a complaint filed in September by HOP in a court in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

Laetitia Vasseur, co-founder of HOP, told Reuters the aim of both complaints was to apply the French consumer law, which was modified in 2015 to include the notion of planned obsolescence.

Apple is already facing lawsuits in the United States over accusations of having defrauded iPhone users by slowing down devices without warning to compensate for poor battery performance.

Under French law, companies risk fines of up to 5 percent of their annual sales for deliberately shortening the life of their products to spur demand to replace them.

A spokeswoman for Epson France said Epson denied the charges made against it by the HOP association.

She added that Epson was working with authorities on the matter and that the quality of its products was of the utmost importance for the company.

Officials for Apple France could not be immediately reached for comment

Some customers are unhappy the company has been less than transparent about the performance throttling feature, which they see as a ploy to drive sales of new handsets.

All the US lawsuits - filed in U.S. District Courts in California, New York and Illinois - seek class-action to represent potentially millions of iPhone owners nationwide.

A similar case was lodged in an Israeli court on Monday, the newspaper Haaretz reported.

One of the lawsuits, filed Thursday in San Francisco, said that 'the batteries' inability to handle the demand created by processor speeds' without the software patch was a defect.

CAN YOU MAKE A CLAIM? In the US, a class action lawsuit is a court case in which a large number of people join together to sue another person or company, or in which a large group of people or companies are being sued. It often saves the time, money and energy of everyone involved to bring cases together into one class action lawsuit, rather than filing individual cases. In general, you don't need to do anything to join a class action. If your legal rights are affected by a class action, you usually will only need to get involved once the case settles. In most cases, you will need to submit a claim, either online or through the mail, to receive your portion of the settlement or judgement. If a class action has already been filed, you may receive a class action notice in the mail stating that your legal rights may be affected by a lawsuit. You should carefully read the class action notice. Some class actions only cover residents of certain states or individuals who suffered a particular type of physical or financial harm. The situation is slightly different in the UK. As a consumer, you're expected to try to resolve things directly with the company involved before taking legal action. Legal action in what's usually known as the 'small claims court' is limited to claims under 10,000. US style class action suits, known as Group Litigation, is becoming more popular, although these differ slightly. They are a way for individuals with similar complaints to join together against the wrongdoer and avoid pitfalls that can be associated with individuals having to make their own separate claim each time. By joining together as a group, individuals can benefit from collective strength in the commonality and sharing of knowledge, and the sharing of the risks and costs. Usually test cases are selected from within the group so the rest of the group members benefit from the decisions in those cases. Defendants in these types of claims are often large multinational companies and the group collectively enjoys the resources to fight on an even playing field. Certain legal firms specialise in this area of the law, and will work on your behalf to prosecute the company in question. Advertisement

'Rather than curing the battery defect by providing a free battery replacement for all affected iPhones, Apple sought to mask the battery defect,' according to the complaint.

The plaintiff in that case is represented by attorney Jeffrey Fazio, who represented plaintiffs in a $53-million settlement with Apple in 2013 over its handling of iPhone warranty claims.

The problem now seen is that users over the last year could have blamed an aging computer processor for app crashes and sluggish performance - and chose to buy a new phone - when the true cause may have been a weak battery that could have been replaced for a fraction of the cost, some of the lawsuits state.

'If it turns out that consumers would have replaced their battery instead of buying new iPhones had they known the true nature of Apple's upgrades, you might start to have a better case for some sort of misrepresentation or fraud,' said Rory Van Loo, a Boston University professor specializing in consumer technology law.

But Chris Hoofnagle, faculty director for the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, said in an email that Apple may not have done wrong.

'We still haven't come to consumer protection norms' around aging products, Hoofnagle said.

Pointing to a device with a security flaw as an example, he said, 'the ethical approach could include degrading or even disabling functionality.'

The lawsuits seek unspecified damages in addition to, in some cases, reimbursement.

A couple of the complaints seek court orders barring Apple from throttling iPhone computer speeds or requiring notification in future instances.

Stefan Bogdanovich and Dakota Speas from Los Angeles have filed a lawsuit with the US District Court for the Central District of California.

They are accusing Apple of interfering with their devices without consent.

The pair are trying to get the case certified to cover all people in the United States who owned an Apple phone older than the iPhone 8.

Their application for the lawsuit states: 'Plaintiffs and Class Members never consented to allow Defendants to slow their iPhones.

'As a result of Defendant's wrongful actions, Plaintiffs and Class Members had their phone slowed down, and thereby it interfered with Plaintiffs' and Class Members' use or possession of their iPhones.'

A second lawsuit, filed by five plaintiffs in the Northern District of the State of Illinois, accuses Apple of deliberately keeping its power management features under wraps to persuade people to upgrade to newer devices.

'Apple's iOS updates purposefully neglected to explain that its purposeful throttling down of older model devices and resulting lost or diminished operating performance could be remedied by replacing the batteries of these devices,' the lawsuit states.

'Instead, Apple's decision to purposefully slowdown or throttle down these devices was undertaken to fraudulently induce consumers to purchase the latest iPhone versions of the iPhone 7, as well as new phones such as the iPhone 8 and iPhone X .'

Geekbench developer John Poole decided to analyse the results of a number of iPhone 6 and 7 models running various versions of iOS. He found an update issued to fix a ' sudden shutdown' issue wit the iPhone 6 was to blame for poor performance

In a statement sent to MailOnline, a spokesman for Apple said: 'Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices.

'Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.

'Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions.

'We've now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.'

A consumer watchdog that evaluates electronic gadgets' performance sparked the outcry after it found that processing power of older models is limited once battery life begins to suffer.

Apple has come under fire for not being clear with users about the software update, or explaining when throttling happens.

The update reduces this drain on resources, allowing the phones to continue operating.

The drop in performance came to light in benchmark tests, from Toronto-based firm Geekbench.

It found that on certain versions the Apple operating system, phones with older batteries achieved much lower performance scores.

Battery capacity is expected to decrease as they age, but processor performance should stay the same.

However, users with older iPhones with lower-than-expected Geekbench scores have reported that replacing the battery increases their score, as well as the performance of the phone.

Apple said it recently extended the feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and said it plans to add support for other products in the future

Geekbench developer John Poole decided to analyse the results of a number of iPhone 6 and 7 models running various versions of iOS.

He found that an update issued to fix the ' sudden shutdown' issue, when users found their iPhone 6 was turning off when its battery reached half charge, was to blame.

This resulted in the poor performance results observed.

Writing in a blog post, Mr Poole said: 'It appears the problem is widespread, and will only get worse as phones, and their batteries, continue to age.

So it's true Apple intentionally slow down old iPhones. Proof: My iPhone 6 was bought 3years ago and recently got really slow. APP 'CPU DasherX' shows iPhone CPU is under clocked running at 600MHz. After a iPhone battery replacement. CPU speed resumed to factory setting 1400MHz. pic.twitter.com/pML3y0Jkp2  Sam_Si (@sam_siruomu) December 20, 2017

'I believe, as do others, that Apple introduced a change to limit performance when battery condition decreases past a certain point.

'If the performance drop is due to the 'sudden shutdown' fix, users will experience reduced performance without notification.

'Users expect either full performance, or reduced performance with a notification that their phone is in low-power mode.

'This fix creates a third, unexpected state.'

Without this warning Mr Poole believes that the fix will cause users to believe their phone is slow so they should replace it, rather than the battery which is actually at fault.

'This will likely feed into the 'planned obsolescence' narrative,' he added.

Every time Apple launches a new handset people seemingly flock to Google to ask why their current iPhone or iOS is slow.

This trend has been seen every year since Apple released the iPhone 3G in 2008.

Explanations for the slowness range from Apple's iOS causing problems on older devices to the firm deliberately slowing down old phones to make people buy the new handsets.

This latter explanation is known as planned, or built-in, obsolescence.

This is the idea that manufacturer's deliberately make their products in such a way that they become out-of-date sooner.

By doing this, the companies can encourage customers to buy the latest model of a certain product.

This also stimulates demand for products because people return again and again.

Alternatively, the so-called 'slow iPhone phenomenon' may be psychological, as people believe their phone is being sluggish even if its not.

In a blog post Felix Richter, from analytics firm Statista, said: 'Many of us know the feeling: one day we're perfectly happy with the smartphone we've been using for the past 12 months, the next day, after we've seen a colleague showing off his new gadget, ours suddenly feels inadequate, bulky and slow.

'The good news is we're not alone.'

He continued there are two possible explanations for these spikes.

The first is that it is a psychological phenomenon caused when people convince themselves their old phone is slow in comparison to the latest devices, and this could help them justify buying a new one.

Google Trends data (pictured) shows that searches for 'slow iOS' and 'slow iPhone' significantly peaked on the days after each was released. Explanations range from Apple's iOS causing problems to the firm deliberately slowing down old phones to make people upgrade

The second explanation, which Mr Richter said is much more plausible, is down to the operating system not being compatible with the hardware on older phones.

New operating systems are often designed to work most effectively with the more advanced processing power and RAM seen in the newer models meaning older models can struggle to keep up.

In 2014, a study by Harvard University PhD student Laura Trucco appeared to back up conspiracy theories that Apple deliberately slows down older models of its iPhones to encourage users to buy a new release.

The study analysed worldwide searches for 'iPhone slow' and compared those results with similar searches for the term 'Samsung Galaxy slow'.

Interestingly, it discovered the term was unaffected by new releases from Samsung, but this may be due to the fact Android updates aren't rolled out at the same time like iOS ones are.

While some MailOnline readers said at the time they hadn't noticed a slow down, others claimed Apple sabotages older phones through software updates.

'This is common knowledge,' one reader wrote.

'If you want to keep your iPhone running at the same pace do not do the software upgrade that comes out within six months of a new iPhone release,'

Sendhil Mullainathan, a professor of economics at Harvard, described the results of the study as 'striking'.

But added it does not prove Apple has done anything wrong.

No matter how suggestive, he said, the data alone doesn't allow anyone to determine conclusively whether their phone is any slower.

There are other explanations for why an older model iPhone may slow down, he claims.

For instance, the latest version of the Apple operating system, iOS, is always tailored to the newest device and may therefore not work as efficiently on older models.

'Hearing about a new release makes you contemplate getting a new and faster phone,' he said. 'And you suddenly notice how slow your old phone is.'

Dom Ferkin, managing director of UK-based iOS experts, Creation Application, agrees.

He previously told MailOnline he doesn't believe Apple is doing this intentionally.

'On every hardware release they tend to upgrade the chips and they are faster every time they are released,' he said.

'Each year they release a new iOS. If you're running an iOS 7 on a 5 chip, for example, it's comparable to running Windows XP on a Windows 95 machine.
Powercast has revealed a sneak peak at its radical new transmitter that can charge multiple devices from up to 80 feet away.

The technology, set to be demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, creates a coverage area similar to WiFi, to automatically charge devices over the air.

This means it doesnt need charging mats or even direct line of site; just make sure the enabled devices, from headphones to home automation sensors, are within range overnight, and the firm says theyll be charged by morning.

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Powercast has revealed a sneak peak at its radical new transmitter that can charge multiple devices from up to 80 feet away. The technology creates a coverage area similar to WiFi, to automatically charge devices over the air

According to Powercast, the PowerSpot transmitter could charge as many as 30 devices left within its zone.

The remote wireless charging technology sends radio-frequency (RF) energy to a tiny Powercast receiver chip.

This chip can be embedded into a device to enable over-the-air charging, by converting the RF energy to direct current.

Its smart, efficient, automatically activates when devices need charging, and turns itself off when theyre done, according to Powercast.

Power is strongest at close range, up to half a watt and charging varies with distance, type and power consumption of a device.

It could be used for a range of different devices, according to Powercast.

But, how far away the device can be depends on how power-hungry it is.

Heavily used devices that use up a lot of power, such as headphones, gaming controllers, smartwatches and fitness bands, work best at up to two feet away from the transmitter.

Devices that arent as power-hungry, such as keyboards and mice, could be left as far as six feet away from the transmitter, while TV remotes or smart cards could be 10 feet away.

HOW IT WORKS The remote wireless charging technology sends radio-frequency (RF) energy to a tiny Powercast receiver chip. This chip can be embedded into a device to enable over-the-air charging, by converting the RF energy to direct current. Power is strongest at close range, up to half a watt and charging varies with distance, type and power consumption of a device,' according to the firm. How far away the device can be depends on how power-hungry it is. Power-hungry devices, such as smartwatches, should be no more than two feet away, while low power devices, such as home sensors, can be up to 80 feet away. According to Powercast, the PowerSpot transmitter could charge as many as 30 devices left within its zone Advertisement

And, lower power devices such as home automation sensors  like widow breakage or temperature sensors  could charge from up to 80 feet away.

The technology recently received FCC approval, meaning it could soon be integrated into consumer goods.

Home appliances, lamps, and even gaming systems could be used as PowerSpots, that could charge other devices around the house, the firm says.

The technology recently received FCC approval, meaning it could soon be integrated into consumer goods. The remote wireless charging technology sends radio-frequency (RF) energy to a tiny Powercast receiver chip

Consumer electronics manufacturers can now confidently build our FCC-approved technology into their wireless charging ecosystems, and offer their customers convenient far-field charging where devices charge over the air from a power source without needing direct contact, like inductive charging requires, or near direct contact, like magnetic resonance requires, said Powercast COO/CTO Charles Green, PhD.

But, over-the-air charging for your smartphone is still a ways off.

The firm says its system can be equipped with inductive charging capabilities so phones can be charged wirelessly  but, they must still be in contact with the charger.

The device doesnt need charging mats or even direct line of site; just make sure the enabled devices, from headphones to home automation sensors, are within range overnight, and the firm says theyll be charged by morning

Heavily used devices that use up a lot of power, such as headphones, gaming controllers, smartwatches and fitness bands, work best at up to two feet away from the transmitter. Lower power devices could charge from up to 80 feet away

This will be demonstrated at CES in January.

We know consumers also want to charge mobile phones, so at CES, we will showcase a technology demonstration, developed with a partner, of a PowerSpot transmitter that adds the Qi inductive wireless charging standard adopted by many mobile phones, said Greene.

This combination would provide a best-of-both-worlds solution, operating within the FCC regulations that exist today, including RF over-the-air charging for multiple PowerSpot-enabled devices placed near the transmitter, and Qi proximity charging for power-hungry Qi-enabled mobile phones placed directly on the Qi charger on top of the PowerSpot transmitter.
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It is set to be an unforgettable New Year for stargazers, with a rare 'wolf moon' supermoon visible in night skies across the world.

Earlier this month stargazers saw the first in a 'supermoon trilogy' over the next two months, with others to come on January 1st and 31st.

January's first full moon, which is nicknamed the Wolf Moon, will peak on January 1st at 9:24 p.m. ET (02:24 a.m. GMT on 2nd Jan), although it will appear full and bright for the days immediately surrounding the new year as well.

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A supermoon was seen in front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty sitting atop the Liberty Building in downtown Buffalo, New York last night. Two more supermoons are expected to grace skies across the world again on 1 January and 31 January

HOW TO SEE IT The Wolf Moon will peak Jan. 1 at 9:24 p.m. EST (0224 GMT). Moonrise in New York City that day is at 4:34 p.m. local time, just a few minutes before sunset which happens at 4:39 p.m. So the Wolf moon will briefly share the sky with the sun, though you'll need a view of a relatively flat, unobscured horizon to see it happen. In Europe and Asia, the full moon occurs Jan. 2 due to time zone differences. Advertisement

It was known by early Native American tribes as the 'Wolf Moon', because this was the time of the year when hungry wolf packs howled outside their camps.

The 2018 Wolf Moon is also a 'supermoon', which means it coincides with the Moon's closest approach to Earth - known as the perigee, and it will appear up to 7% bigger than an average Full Moon.

The Wolf Moon will peak Jan. 1 at 9:24 p.m. EST (0224 GMT).

Moonrise in New York City that day is at 4:34 p.m. local time, just a few minutes before sunset which happens at 4:39 p.m.

The Wolf moon will briefly share the sky with the sun, though you'll need a view of a relatively flat, unobscured horizon to see it happen, according to space.com.

In Europe and Asia, the full moon occurs Jan. 2 due to time zone differences.

At its closest point on Jan. 1, the moon will be 221,559 miles (356,565 kilometers) from Earth.

On average, the moon is about 238,000 miles (382,900 km) from Earth, though its orbit is not perfectly circular.

The Wolf moon will be in the constellation Gemini, according to heavens-above.com, roughly along a line between Pollux (Beta Geminorum) and Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis).

However, don't worry if you miss it - experts say the January 31st supermoon will be even more impressive.

It will feature a total lunar eclipse, with totality viewable from western North America across the pacific to Eastern Asia.

The Moon's orbit around our planet is tilted so it usually falls above or below the shadow of the Earth.

About twice each year, a full Moon lines up perfectly with the Earth and Sun such that Earth's shadow totally blocks the Sun's light, which would normally reflect off the Moon.

'The supermoons are a great opportunity for people to start looking at the Moon, not just that once but every chance they have!' says Noah Petro, a research scientist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

'The lunar eclipse on January 31 will be visible during moonset.

The supermoon was seen shining brightly behind the Shard building in London this morning. Last night's moon appeared 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than usual as it lit up the sky

'Folks in the Eastern United States, where the eclipse will be partial, will have to get up in the morning to see it,' said Petro.

'But it's another great chance to watch the Moon.'

The Moon will lose its brightness and take on an eerie, fainter-than-normal glow from the scant sunlight that makes its way through Earth's atmosphere.

Often cast in a reddish hue because of the way the atmosphere bends the light, totally eclipsed Moons are sometimes called 'blood Moons.'

The vibrant supermoon was seen shining behind the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Nasa says the December sighting will be the third part of a trilogy this winter

The supermoon, dubbed the 'full cold moon', rose over the University of Notre Dame's main building yesterday evening in South Bend, Indiana

'We're seeing all of the Earth's sunrises and sunsets at that moment reflected from the surface of the Moon,' says Sarah Noble, a Program Scientist at NASA headquarters.

The January 31st supermoon will also be the second full Moon of the month.

Some people call the second full Moon in a month a Blue Moon, that makes it a super 'blue Moon.'

Blue Moons happen every two and a half years, on average.

With the total eclipse, it'll be a royal spectacle indeed: a 'super blue blood' Moon.

Earlier this months the 'full cold moon', glowed behind historic national monuments and landmarks all over the world such as London's Shard and the Statue of Liberty in New York.



A plane was seen crossing in front of the so-called supermoon in Avondale Estates, Georgia. A supermoon describes a moon that is at its closest distance to the Earth with the moon appearing larger than usual

The Cold Moon appeared 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than usual across the planet.

'Supermoons are a great opportunity for people to start looking at the moon, not just that once but every chance they have!' research scientist at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center, Noah Petro said.

The supermoon made its spectacular appearance over Britain, giving skygazers a treat as it moves closer to Earth.

Tom Kerss, an astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the exact moment of full moon - when the moon sits opposite the sun in the sky, which was 3.47pm (10.47am ET) in the United Kingdom.

He added: 'This year's Cold Moon is closer to us than the average full moon this year; close enough to qualify as a supermoon, according to the widely accepted definition.

The 'supermoon' was captured behind the US Capitol and the Jefferson Memorial on 3 December. The most recent supermoon was around a year ago on November 14, 2016

December's full moon - traditionally known as the Cold Moon - appeared 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than usual. It is seen over Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire

A supermoon was pictured in front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty in downtown Buffalo New York. The phenomenon happens when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth, known as a perigee Moon, and is also a full moon

Tom Kerss, an astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the exact moment of full moon is when the moon sits opposite the sun in the sky. It is pictured over the Penshaw Monument near Sunderland yesterday evening

Astronomer Tom Kerss said: 'This year's Cold Moon is closer to us than the average full moon this year; close enough to qualify as a supermoon, according to the widely accepted definition'. Shown here is the supermoon in Warwickshire

The moon is seen behind the Uppatasanti Pagoda seen from Naypyitaw in Myanmar in Southeast Asia

The red-tinted moon appeared to sit on top of the Uppatasanti Pagoda yesterday

The moon is the first of three consecutive supermoons. It reached its peak brightness and size on Monday morning

A statue of The Buddha watches on as the supermoon rose above Yangon, in Myanmar, which is the largest city in the country

The moon was spotted behind a commuter train in Avondale Estates, Georgia. At some points it is about 5 per cent closer to Earth than average, known as perigee, and at others it is 5 per cent further away, known as apogee

The moon is seen as it rises on December 3, 2017 in Washington. Nasa has called the sighting the first in a 'supermoon trilogy' over the next two months

The moon has a slightly elliptical orbit - it does not move round the Earth in a perfect circle.

At some points it is about 5 per cent closer to Earth than average, known as perigee, and at others it is 5 per cent further away, known as apogee.

The full moon will be 222,761 miles (358,500km) from Earth, closer than its average 238,900 miles (384,500km).

The supermoon is pictured setting over the church of Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion at dawn in Olvera, near Cadiz, southern Spain

A person is seen walking along the 'Puente Nuevo' (New Bridge) as it is silhouetted against the supermoon in Ronda, southern Spain on 3 December

During the moon's closest pass by Earth, the moon was just 225,744 miles (36,3299 kilometres) away. The phenomenon is pictured rising above Naypyitaw, Myanmar yesterday

Mr Kerss said: 'During moonrise and moonset, you might think the moon looks unusually large, but this is an illusion created in the mind when it appears close to the horizon.

'In fact, the change in the moon's apparent size throughout its orbit is imperceptible to the unaided eye.

'Nevertheless, the 'moon illusion' can be a dramatic effect, and with the moon rising so early, there will be ample opportunities to see its apparently huge face juxtaposed with the eastern skyline.'

With the moon being as close to Earth as it is, there is a significant impact on the tides.

When the moon is closest, the tide will be at its highest, and the same happens with a new or full moon.

This happens on a monthly basis, but occasionally the point of perigee aligns with a new or full moon and results in a 'perigean spring tide'.

These are particularly high tides that can influence the oceans and raise sea level by a number of inches.
A great white shark whos garnered nearly 130,000 Twitter followers over the last five years has mysteriously gone silent, according to the research group tracking her.

The 16-foot-long shark named Mary Lee was tagged in the Atlantic Ocean back in 2012 by Ocearch  but, the team now says her transmitter hasnt sent out a signal since June.

While the experts say shes likely still alive, her transmitter might not be, meaning researchers may never hear from the famous Mary Lee again.

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A great white shark whos garnered nearly 130,000 Twitter followers over the last five years has mysteriously gone silent, according to the research group tracking her. While the experts say Mary Lee (pictured) is likely still alive, the batteries in her transmitter may have died

MARY LEE THE SHARK Ocearch founding chairman Chris Fischer and his crew caught and tagged the 16-foot shark off Massachusetts in 2012. At the time she was first tagged, the experts estimated her to be about 40 to 50 years old. According to Fischer, she could live another 20 years. Since then, thousands of people have followed Mary Lee on a Twitter page managed by Ocearch. Now, the research group Ocearch says the transmitter on the shark known as Mary Lee has not sent a signal since June 17, when she was swimming off the New Jersey coast. The experts say the shark is likely still alive, but the batteries in the transmitter may have died. Advertisement

The research group Ocearch says the transmitter on the shark known as Mary Lee has not sent a signal since June 17, when she was swimming off the New Jersey coast.

The shark has a distinctive bite mark in her dorsal fin, which could help her chances of being recognized, according to Newser.

Fishermen on the East Coast, especially South Carolina, have been asked to keep an eye out.

Founding chairman Chris Fischer and his crew caught and tagged the 16-foot shark off Massachusetts in 2012.

Since then, thousands of people have followed Mary Lee on a Twitter page managed by Ocearch.

In a Florida Times-Union report, Fischer said the transmitter's batteries simply may have died, partly because Mary Lee surfaced frequently, which triggered more signals.

At the time she was first tagged, the experts estimated her to be about 40 to 50 years old.

The shark has a distinctive bite mark on her dorsal fin, which could help her chances of being recognized

According to Fischer, she could live another 20 years.

I feel like shes done so much, its hard to ask for anything else, Fischer told the Florida Times-Union.

For any individual shark, shes undone more of the damage from Jaws than any shark in history, and shes the most famous shark in history.

Shes likely offshore of that Florida-Georgia line, where she likes to live.

An Ocearch vessel will depart Jacksonville University next month to search for additional sharks to tag.

Founding chairman Chris Fischer and his crew caught and tagged the 16-foot shark off Massachusetts in 2012. Since then, thousands of people have followed Mary Lee on a Twitter page managed by Ocearch

ischer said the transmitter's batteries simply may have died, partly because Mary Lee surfaced frequently, which triggered more signals. At the time she was first tagged, the experts estimated her to be about 40 to 50 years old

Over the last few years, researchers have made great strides in understanding the behaviour of great white sharks in the Atlantic Ocean, which have remained somewhat mysterious compared to their Pacific and Indian Ocean counterparts.

Recent efforts have shown that white sharks appear to venture offshore farther, with more frequency and at greater depths than previously known in the Atlantic.

Some of the 32 sharks tracked between 2009 and 2014 ended up as far east as the Azores, the Portuguese island chain located more than 2,300 miles (3,701 kilometres) from Cape Cod, where most of the animals were initially outfitted with satellite tags.

'JAWS' MUSIC SOUNDS THE DEATH KNELL FOR GREAT WHITE SHARKS Scary music played when sharks appear on screen - such as the Jaws theme - may actually be threatening their very future, according to new research. The study, published in the journal Plos One, suggests sinister sounds used to accompany sharks on nature documentaries is making viewers unjustly terrified - and threatening the conservation of threatened shark species. Despite the ongoing need for shark conservation and management, prevailing negative sentiments marginalise these animals and legitimise permissive exploitation, the researchers explain. 'These negative attitudes arise from an instinctive, yet exaggerated fear, which is validated and reinforced by disproportionate and sensationalistic news coverage of shark 'attacks' and by highlighting shark-on-human violence in popular movies and documentaries, said Professor Andrew Nosal, a biologist at Saint Katherine College in California. Scientists say stirring up such emotion are hindering efforts to save and protect the magnificent fish. Advertisement

They also were found to make frequent deep dives - as far down as 3,700 feet (1,127 meters) - and spend more time at those dark depths than previous studies in the Atlantic suggest.

And, in August 2016, the Ocearch team revealed theyd discovered the first known great white shark nursery on the North Atlantic Coast, in the waters off Montauk.

The researchers say its possible they could one day come in contact with Mary Lee again  but, the chances are slim.
The emoji library is constantly expanding, with dozens of new characters added every few months  but, even as they become more detailed, emoji arent always accurate.

While debates over the burger arrangement and the lack of redhead-representation dominated the emoji discussion this year, scientists have especially strong feelings about the depiction of animals.

From inaccurate colors or misplaced spots, to the inclusion of antennae that dont exist in real life, biologists have revealed their top gripes about animal emoji (though they say birds have largely made it through emojification unscathed.)

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While debates over the burger arrangement and the lack of redhead-representation dominated the emoji discussion this year, scientists have especially strong feelings about the depiction of animals. Stock image

ORIGIN OF EMOJI In 1998, then 25-year-old Shigetaka Kurita created the first set of 176 emoji as an employee for mobile phone carrier NTT DoCoMo. Emoji combines the Japanese for 'picture,' or 'e'' (pronounced 'eh'), and 'letters,' or 'moji' (moh-jee). In 2010, the 12-by-12-pixel designs were adopted as a global standard by the Unicode Consortiums. That means any phone or operating system that follows the standard will use the same images, making them a universal language. Advertisement

When it comes to big cats, emoji have especially missed the mark.

Of roughly 13 different emoji styles used by various platforms, all of the lions are terrible representations, Anne Hilborn, of Virginia Tech University, told National Geographic, citing what appears to be an explosion of shaving cream below the nose.

There is no cheetah emoji around  and, the emoji version of a leopard is often inaccurate, with many showing it to have a white belly with no spots.

And, emoji leopards often have house cat tails, instead of the large, curved tails they have in nature.

Other animals have suffered similar inaccuracies in the process of being transformed into an emoji.

Microsofts version of the zebra, for example, incorrectly shows the animal as having bright pink inner ears and nostrils, National Geographic points out.

The bat emoji also features some strange stylistic choices, appearing in several different forms across the many platforms.

Microsofts version of the zebra, for example, incorrectly shows the animal as having bright pink inner ears and nostrils, National Geographic points out. All of the lions are terrible representations, Anne Hilborn, of Virginia Tech University, said

Instead of positioning the bat's fangs at the front, Google shows them on the sides of the mouth. There is no cheetah emoji around  and, the emoji version of a leopard is often inaccurate, with many showing it to have a white belly with no spots

Googles bat emoji, which appears to represent a vampire bat, has the teeth in the wrong place, Alyson Brokaw, a bat researcher at Texas A&M University, told National Geographic.

Instead of positioning them at the front, theyre shown on the sides of the mouth.

Caterpillars are among the inaccurate representations cited, as they're often shown with antennae

And, several other animals have been changed in apparent attempts to make them look cuter.

Bugs such as a caterpillar may have an antenna despite not having one in life  and, the monkey emoji appears to have been styled after a chimpanzee.

But, unlike their emoji counterparts, chimpanzees dont have tails.

For the most part, biologists say birds have been represented fairly well in emoji.

Despite Samsung using a yellow rubber duck for its duck emoji, along with a purple owl, other birds such as eagles and mallard ducks have been shown to be somewhat accurate, according to National Geographic.

Just a few months ago, a vertebrate palaeontologist slammed emoji-makers for their representation of the T-rex, arguing that there were several major inaccuracies.

Still, the cartoonish characters remain wildly popular, and continue to grow.

While Samsung uses a yellow rubber duck for its duck emoji other birds such as eagles and mallard ducks have been shown to be somewhat accurate, according to NatGeo. The monkey emoji appears to have been styled after a chimpanzee. But, chimpanzees dont have tails

THE PROPOSED 2018 EMOJIS Overheated Face Firecracker Red Hair Badger White Hair Swan Smiling Face With Smiling Eyes And Three Hearts Freezing Face Face With Uneven Eyes And Wavy Mouth Bald Face With Pleading Eyes Supervillain Hippopotamus Microbe Salt Shaker DNA Petri Dish Abacus Fire Extinguisher Goggles Superhero Bone Leg Foot Tooth Hiking Boot Lab Coat Flat Shoe Kangaroo Llama Nazar Amulet Peacock Test Tube Raccoon Red Gift Envelope Lobster Curly Hair Leafy Green Mosquito Parrot Bagel Lacrosse Stick And Ball Moon Cake Softball Skateboard Flying Disc Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Bricks Magnet Luggage Spool Of Thread Ball Of Yarn Safety Pin Teddy Bear Cupcake Toolbox Broom Basket Roll Of Toilet Paper Bar Of Soap Mango Sponge Receipt Lotion Bottle Compass Face With Smiling Eyes And Party Horn Advertisement

Apple is set to get a number of new emoji next year, and could even make characters reversible, letting users swap their direction, according to a beta list of next year's proposed icons.

Unicode, the organisation that controls them, has revealed a number of new additions to the emoji set due to appear in 2018.

The list also includes redheads, bald people, curly hair, superheroes, a bagel, a lacrosse stick and many more.

Emoji 11.0, previously referred to as Emoji 6, has been a work in progress over the course of 2017.
Retreats - they're for those envy-inducing, de-toxing, tee-totalling yogis, right? It's all 6am starts, expert level classes, tiny salads and bed by 9pm, right? You have no time to explore, loll on the beach or drink rose and eat crisps? Wrong!

I've just returned from the pilot week for a brand new retreat, Costa Calida Spanish, organised by Pilates supremo Fran Brown and I'm a convert.

Fran Brown and I'm a convert. It's held in Mazarron, a popular, but still modest, resort on the rugged south-easterly coast in Murcia.

Yoga pose: Guests can find balance and inner peace galore at Costa Calida Spanish

It's home to a few thousand expats, the Madrilenos in August, and the Scandis and Germans who park their mobile homes in the caravan parks on the outskirts to bask in the mild winters.

The Costa Calida  'the warm coast'  has its own microclimate. The sunny season arrives early and stays late.

We're a small group and we're all staying in an apartment block a few minutes stroll from the beach. You can chose whether to have the apartment to yourself, share it, or share a room, depending on your budget.

It's spacious and everything works. I'm sharing an apartment with a woman who's using this week to kick start a two-year fitness plan so she can take part in her dream trip; the Seattle, Panama Canal, New York leg of the 2020 Clipper round-theworld yacht race.

Every morning after breakfast, we're ferried a few minutes along the bay where we set up mats on an open-air terrace. The church is behind us, the Mediterranean sea is in front. It's a world away from a sweaty gym where all you can see is your unco-ordinated self in floor-to-ceiling mirrors.

Push it: Fran Brown leads Kate Johnson (to her right) and the class in an outdoor session

Instead of air-conditioning, we're warmed by the sun and instead of music, we hear the sea gently swooshing onto the beach below. Exercising outdoors is such a treat for the senses that it barely feels like exercising.

We start with 90 minutes of a mix of Ashtanga and Hatha yoga, which is a little too gentle for me, though it gets harder through the week and is clearly a hit with glamorous expats in the class.

After a coffee break, we begin an hour of Pilates. Fran gives us three levels for every exercise, depending on our fitness. She takes account of everyone's posture and ability.

The next day a couple of us notice the pleasing sensation of our abs having been gently awoken and called into service.

As part of the relaxed daily routine, we eventually find our way to lunch, courtesy of Antonio, our tour guide and language teacher. One of the best is a beachside place in the tiny fishing village, Faro de Puntas.

Over fresh swordfish and chips (and, yes, rose), Antonio teaches us Spanish. Not the formal and convoluted stuff that makes baffled locals cock their heads, but more the 'Hey, two coffees' style.

He says that greeting someone is as important to the Spanish as 'please' and 'thank you' are to us.

Lunch is long and leisurely, included in the price, and a generous 'menu del dia' with a couple of courses and wine.

Then we take an afternoon's excursion in Antonio's minivan. Perhaps to the local favourite Percheles, a sheltered 300m beach framed by palm trees with a solitary beach cafe, or it might be sightseeing.

Cartagena, around 30 minutes' drive from Mazarron, is beautiful; with a history that dates back to 218 BC when Hannibal set off from here for Rome with his elephants, famously dismissing the naysayers by declaring: 'I will either find a way, or make one.' The amphitheatre, built by Emperor Augustus in the 1st century BC, was only discovered in 1990 and its magnificence is slowly being revealed and restored.

The narrow streets and port filling up with cafes and bars are ideal for strolling and people watching.

The days end with a casual dinner. But nothing is compulsory. Between us, we all miss a yoga class here or a meal there, with no guilt at all.

Some of us meander in the port, or saunter barefoot along the beach or lunch. Two friends who are here together love it because they're single and don't want to holiday alone, and they appreciate the personal touch of the organisation; someone's done all the homework for you.

It's a retreat for people who don't do retreats.
British holidaymakers looking to book a winter sun getaway could grab a bargain thanks to the strengthening pound, new research has revealed.

Destinations including the US, the Caribbean and Dubai are now more affordable than in December 2016 due to more favourable exchange rates.

The research was carried out by Post Office Travel Money, which looked at the most popular holiday currencies.

The pound has seen the biggest growth against the Dominican peso, with Brits seeing their money go 14 per cent further now in resorts such as Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, pictured

And the biggest sterling growth of the 12 resorts analysed is in Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic.

Here, UK tourists will have 14 per cent more travel cash to spend compared with a year ago.

Meanwhile a dip in value in the US dollar - and the currencies linked to it - are giving holidaymakers around 10 per cent more cash on trips to the States, the Caribbean and Dubai.

But eurozone locations still offer the cheapest overall deals as the lower travel costs outweigh the weakening of the pound against the euro by three per cent.

A table showing the holiday currencies where Brits will see their money go further compared to last year

Paphos in Cyprus has the lowest prices for a one-week package holiday, followed by Tenerife and Lanzarote, both in the Canary Islands.

But though a cheap deal within Europe might seem like a bargain, warm temperatures can't always be guaranteed in the winter.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: 'Bargain hunters will certainly find Europe cheapest for a new year break but they should bear in mind that the best January temperature they can expect is 21C.

'By comparison, temperatures soar to 27C in long-haul beach resorts, with the promise of longer sunshine hours as well.

Destinations where the pound is going much further include Costa Rica, Kenya, Barbados and Dubai, pictured

'The downside is that flying further means higher airfares so it all depends what matters most: the cheapest holiday deal or more sunshine and extra cash in the pocket.'

The new research comes after another study found that destinations such as Argentina and Brazil are where the pound goes furthest.

Currency exchange experts FairFX looked at the countries where the pound has been performing well and where it is expected to continue to do well next year.

And its research revealed that sterling goes a staggering 196 per cent further in Argentina that it did compared to five years ago.
She is Rupert Murdoch's famed ex-wife who has turned her attention to business in recent years.

And Wendi Deng escaped the city to return to her holiday home in St Barts on Tuesday for her annual festive getaway.

Clad in a sheer leopard print kaftan, the 49-year-old oozed glamour as she soaked up the sun at the beach.

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Festive getaway: Wendi Deng escaped the city to return to her holiday home in St Barts on Tuesday

She showcased her toned physique in the elegant ensemble, teasing a glimpse of her cleavage in a black bandeau top.

The movie producer highlighted her model pins in a pair thigh-slimming bikini briefs as she walked barefoot along the sandy shore.

Wendi looked radiant, showcasing her natural beauty by opting to forego make-up as she tied her sleek raven tresses in a loose ponytail.

She shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of gold aviators and completed the look with a grey trilby hat.

Elegant: Clad in a sheer leopard print kaftan, Rupert Murdoch's famed ex-wife oozed glamour as she soaked up the sun at the beach

Deng split from her billionaire ex-husband Rupert Murdoch in 2013 after 14 years of marriage.

Murdoch, 86, cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, with some reports at the time claiming he had grown suspicious of his wife's relationship with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair - the godfather of their daughter Grace.

Details of their divorce settlement were sealed, but it was revealed that Wendi got to keep the couple's three-story Fifth Avenue apartment in New York after the split.

Meanwhile Rupert went on to find love with model Jerry Hall, with the pair tying the knot last year. It was the fourth marriage for the CEO of News Corp.

The couple married in 1999 after first meeting in 1997 when Wendi was a TV executive at the Murdoch-owned Star TV network in Hong Kong.

Wendi memorably slapped a man about to throw a custard pie in Rupert's face during a parliamentary hearing with MPs over the phone hacking scandal in 2011.

And the former couple, who share two children Grace, 15, and Chloe, seem to have remained firm friends, with the pair sharing a friendly hug after a family meal in New York in September.

She has gone on to date Hungarian toyboy and male model Bertold Zahoran, 21.

Former couple: Deng split from her billionaire ex-husband Rupert Murdoch in 2013 after 14 years of marriage (pictured four months before their split at 2013's Oscars)
He's the match-maker behind some of Australia's most loved reality couples.

But in his own love story, Osher Gunsberg celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Audrey Griffen on Thursday.

Taking to Instagram, the 43-year-old posted a sweet throwback photo from their first dance at their nuptials, revealing his life with his wife and her daughter Georgia, 13, had 'made everything better'.

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Still loved up: On Thursday, Osher Gunsberg celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Audrey Griffen

'Happy anniversary @audreygriffen,' he captioned.

'One year ago in Wollombi we said "I will". Thanks for dealing with me, my stupid brain and my (now slightly less) ridiculous schedule.'

'Life with you and Georgia has made everything better.'

Saying thanks: 'One year ago in Wollombi we said "I will". Thanks for dealing with me, my stupid brain and my (now slightly less) ridiculous schedule'

Family: Taking to Instagram, the 43-year-old posted a sweet throwback photo from their first dance revealing his life with his wife and her daughter Georgia, 13, had 'made everything better'

While Osher sported a burgundy suit jacket and white pants, Audrey donned an Art Deco gown by Israeli designer Galia Lahav.

And one year on, the couple seem to be even more in love.

After the makeup artist took to Instagram to post a selfie on Wednesday, the former Australian Idol host was quick to hit up the comments, calling his wife a 'stone-cold stunner'.

Gushing: And one year on, the couple seem to be even more in love

He put a ring on it: After meeting the makeup artist on the set of The Bachelor, the pair become engaged during a trip to Heron Island in January 2016

'Honey you are a stone-cold stunner' and 'I am a lucky lucky husband,' he wrote before Audrey responded; 'Bless your cotton socks @osher_gunsberg.'

After meeting the makeup artist on the set of The Bachelor, the pair become engaged during a trip to Heron Island in January 2016.

The couple's three-day wedding extravaganza saw 200 guests including the reality show's Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich and Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski.

Firing their wedding planner one month out from the big day, it was all hands on deck with Audrey even making her own vegan cake.

'It turned into an epic-three day festival of a wedding. It was BYO everything, because we like a challenge,' she dished to New Idea.
It's the celebrity trend that is said to assist with pain, inflammation and blood flow.

And now Rachael Finch has followed the lead of Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian, trying 'cupping' while on holiday in Los Angeles.

Taking to her Instagram Story on Thursday, the 29-year-old showed off the results, including 'lots of tiny circular bruises'.

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'Lots of tiny circular bruises': Rachael Finch follows the lead of Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian as she has cupping done to her back

Rachael, clad in a black and white racer back tank top, proudly showed off the results of her cupping session.

The model and television presenter, who looked to have gone makeup-free, drew attention to a series of circular bruises across her upper back.

Rachael shared with her 224,000 followers: 'So I ended up getting acupuncture and cupping to fix my upper back and I feel pretty much 95 per cent better and this is the results. Lots of tiny circular bruises'.

The results: The model and television presenter, clad in a black and white racer back tank top, proudly showed off the results of her cupping session. Rachael drew attention to a series of circular bruises across her upper back

The mother-of-two shared with her 224,000 followers: 'So I ended up getting acupuncture and cupping to fix my upper back and I feel pretty much 95 per cent better and this is the results. Lots of tiny circular bruises'

The mother-of-two joins the growing list of celebrities who swear by the alternative therapy, that is said to assist with pain, inflammation, blood flow and deep tissue relaxation.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Kim Kardashian West, Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga and even pop star Justin Bieber, are just a few to reveal the circular bruises on their skin.

Speaking about the practice several years ago, Gwyneth, 45, told talk show queen Oprah Winfrey: 'It feels amazing and it's very relaxing. It's just one of the alternative medicines that I do instead of taking antibiotics.'

Devoted: Gwyneth Paltrow, 45, has long been a fan of the ancient practice

She's hooked: The Sliding Doors actress previously told talk show queen Oprah Winfrey: 'It feels amazing and it's very relaxing. It's just one of the alternative medicines that I do instead of taking antibiotics'

A-list trend: Jennifer Aniston, 48, has also drawn attention to the markings on her skin, on the red carpet

The Sliding Doors actress added: 'I have been a big fan of Chinese medicine for a long time because it works.'

Reality TV queen and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian West turned to cupping late last year to relieve 'major' neck pain.

Taking to Snapchat in August, the 37-year-old revealed that she was doing everything in her power to get better, and following the lead set by the US Olympic team.

Kim had a massage therapist and a Chinese medicine practitioner sent over to her mansion.

The practice sees a suction created on the skin with a special cup then held in place for a few minutes.

If it's good enough for Kim! Reality TV queen and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian West, 37, turned to cupping late last year to relieve 'major' neck pain
She's currently on the Gold Coast enjoying a holiday with her husband and two kids.

But while Roxy Jacenko might be on hiatus, her sense of fashion certainly isn't as the PR maven showed off her slender legs in stilettos on Wednesday night.

The 37-year-old wore the heels with a designer ensemble for a dinner date at Gemelli with husband Oliver Curtis and a brunette female friend.

Leggy lady! Roxy Jacenko shows off her slender pins in skimpy shorts as she enjoys lunch with husband Oliver Curtis and friends on the Gold Coast

Roxy flaunted her slender pins in black denim cutoffs and added some extra height with a pair of black stilettos.

The Sweaty Betty PR founder paired her look with an embellished white T-shirt and a red, quilted Chanel handbag.

Wearing her blonde locks out in relaxed waves, Roxy kept her makeup simple with just a sweep of mascara and bronzer.

Hot mama! Roxy flaunted her slender pins in black denim cutoffs and added some extra height with a pair of black stilettos

Chic: The Sweaty Betty PR founder paired her look with an embellished white T-shirt and a red, quilted Chanel handbag

Keeping it simple: Wearing her blonde locks out in relaxed waves, Roxy kept her makeup simple with just a sweep of mascara and bronzer

Roxy was accompanied by her husband Oliver, who wore a resort-style get up in white chinos and a polo shirt.

The recently reunited couple appeared carefree and relaxed as they headed to dinner with a female friend.

The trio could be seen leaving the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort where they were staying.

Casual: Roxy was accompanied by her husband Oliver, who wore a resort-style get up in white chinos and a polo shirt

Dinner time: Roxy and Oliver were accompanied by a female friend

Hungry? The trio could be seen leaving the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort where they were staying and heading out for dinner

After appearing to momentarily search for a venue, Roxy and her entourage settled into a table.

The PR queen enjoyed a glass of wine as she chatted happily to Oliver and their friend.

Roxy is believed to be ringing in the new year with her family on the Gold Coast, capping off a tumultuous 2017.

Looking for somewhere to eat? After appearing to momentarily search for a venue, Roxy and her entourage settled into a table

In holiday mode: Roxy is believed to be ringing in the new year with her family on the Gold Coast, capping off a tumultuous 2017

When will they tie the knot again? In July, Roxy revealed her and Oliver would marry for a second time

In July, Roxy revealed her and Oliver would marry for a second time.

Following his release from Cooma Correctional Facility after serving a 12-month gaol sentence for insider trading, Oliver proposed to his wife again.

While he was incarcerated, Roxy battled breast cancer and was linked with her ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal.

The PR queen was pictured kissing Nabil on a balcony in April and later admitted the pair had been dating while Oliver was in prison.

Overcame illness: While Oliver was incarcerated, Roxy battled breast cancer and had a relationship with her ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal

Happy: Roxy appeared carefree and relaxed as she settled into dinner

Animated: Roxy could be seen chatting enthusiastically to her husband and friend

Cheers! Roxy was also seen drinking from a wine glass at the Gold Coast eatery

'He was someone who was familiar to me, I was in a very bad place. Yes, we were together,' she told The Daily Telegraph in October.

'You have to remember, my husband went to jail, my marriage was not intact, I had breast cancer and a friend [Nabil] at the time, reached out.'

Roxy and Oliver later reunited during a family trip to Bali in July and have been inseparable ever since.

The svelte blonde praised her husband for helping her during her recovery from breast reconstruction surgery earlier this month.

Went under the knife: The svelte blonde praised her husband for helping her during her recovery from breast reconstruction surgery earlier this month

Reconstruction: Roxy had the procedure to fix capsular contracture

'Oli is a dream': Roxy praised Oliver for helping her recover from the surgery

'Oli is a dream,' Roxy told Daily Mail Australia.

'He has been so helpful. I don't know how I did it on my own the first time around. I was so lucky to have my mum [Doreen].

Roxy added that Oliver had been keeping himself quite busy with domestic duties and looking after their children, Hunter, three, and Pixie, six.

'He has cooked, looked after the kids, even helped me to the loo and to the shower - all with a smile. One in a million.'

Enjoying his free time: Oliver was released from prison in June after serving a 12 month gaol sentence
She has gone on to achieve social media fame after her failing to find love on The Bachelor with Richie Strahan.

And former reality star Steph Dixon flaunted her pert posterior in a tiny G-string bikini at a nude beach, likely Point Impossible Beach, on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old first took to her Instagram story to show her almost 25,000 fans that she was on the way to the seaside town of Torquay, in Victoria.

'Beached as bro, cellulite and all': Former Bachelor star Steph Dixon flaunts her pert posterior in a tiny G-string bikini at a nude beach

In the snap she showcased her figure in the barely-there swimming bottoms, along with a blue bikini top hidden behind her straight blonde locks.

Steph captioned her post: 'BEACHED AS BRO cellulite and all at a nude beach...but not nude.'

In her Insta story she also spruiked CAROL's BEAUTY while showcasing her slender physique.

Fans of the blonde beauty gushed over her body, including one who commented: 'Oh yeah absolutely gorgeous booty'.

Bachie babe turned social media star: The 26-year-old first took to her Instagram story to show her almost 25,000 fans that she was on the way to the seaside town of Torquay, in Victoria

'Absolutely gorgeous booty': In the snap she showcased her figure in the barely-there swimming bottoms, along with a blue bikini top hidden behind her straight blonde locks

Meanwhile her friend and 2017 Bachelor alumni Florence Alexandras took to the post with a playful response.

She wrote: 'Was just about to comment about your hot booty but then I saw that all my insta boyfriends are leaving the same comments on your photos now Im hell devo.'

Steph quipped right back: 'you should know by now 1 man never has 1 woman.'

Her friendly banter with the Dutch-born beauty comes after she jokingly accused best friend Olena Khamula of stealing her underwear

Summer lovin': Meanwhile her friend and 2017 Bachelor alumni Florence Alexandras took to the post with a playful response, complementing her on her stunning bikini body

Earlier in December, Steph shared a conversation from Facebook where she wrote to Olena: 'Give me my G-strings back, you weirdo!'

Olena clearly found the conversation amusing, responding: 'Hahahahhahahaha I can't deal.'

She continued, joking with her pal: 'How does someone break in and only takes your underwear. I will never understand.'

The models have regularly caught up and continued their friendship since the dating series aired last year.
They have been dating for the past four years.

And Bindi Irwin appeared completely besotted with her boyfriend Chandler Powell as the lovebirds visited Paris for a romantic getaway this week.

The 19-year-old posted a series of amorous snaps with her American beau on Thursday, as they visited iconic destinations like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower.

Lovebirds: Bindi Irwin appeared completely besotted with her boyfriend Chandler Powell as the lovebirds visited Paris for a romantic getaway on Thursday

'Paris. The city of love with my love. Happiness beyond compare,' the daughter of late conservationist and TV star Steve Irwin noted in the images' caption.

'What an incredible trip. Feels like an amazing dream. I love you,' Chandler gushed in return in the comments section.

The young lovebirds visited a number of tourist hot spots and took selfies as fans offered words of support.

Besotted: The 19-year-old posted a series of amorous snaps with her American beau, as they visited iconic destinations like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower

'Paris. The city of love with my love. Happiness beyond compare,' the daughter of late conservationist and TV star Steve Irwin noted in the images' caption

'What an incredible trip. Feels like an amazing dream. I love you,' Chandler gushed in return in the comments section

One follower asked if their romantic trip would involve a marriage proposal.

'Wonder if we will see a ring on it soon,' they posed in the comments section.

Bindi recently revealed to InTouch magazine an engagement isn't in the duo's immediate future.

Enamoured: The young lovebirds visited a number of tourist hot spots and took selfies as fans offered words of support

'Wonder if we will see a ring on it soon,' one follower posed in the comments section

Going steady: Bindi recently revealed to InTouch magazine an engagement isn't in the duo's immediate future

'We're so busy with everything, we haven't had time to think about the pressure,' she offered of the lovebirds not being in a rush to walk down the aisle

'We're so busy with everything, we haven't had time to think about the pressure,' she offered.

'We're really enjoying the moment, adventuring around the world and having fun. We'll let you know!' she continued.

She added that Chandler is her 'best friend' in addition to being her boyfriend.
She was unsuccessful in her Love Island pursuit for Mr Right earlier this year.

Yet Montana Brown has not allowed herself to become disheartened in the hunt for true love as she took to social media on Wednesday to try and find her mum Sarah a 'lovely, kind, successful' man - with hopefuls encouraged to send CVs to apply.

The starlet, 22, took to both Twitter and Instagram to pitch the idea - which she insisted was not a joke - as she urged men over 50 to try to win 51-year-old Sarah's heart while claiming her mum was 'too career driven to have been snapped up'.

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New dad? Montana Brown took to social media on Wednesday to try and find her mum Sarah a 'lovely, kind, successful' man - with hopefuls encouraged to send CVs to apply

Montana soared to fame in June as one of the original cast members on the ITV2 show where she was initially paired with Dom Lever before leaving the villa in a couple with Alex Beattie, yet they split soon after.

Since leaving she has been linked to various famous men although she is yet to secure true love - now putting her own hunt on hold as she turned to the Twitter sphere to attempt to find the dream man for her beloved mum.

Montana, who previously spoke of her fractious relationship with her allegedly absent father, took to the microblogging site to appeal to quinquagenarians and above to approach her with their details.

She wrote: 'Im calling all 50+ lovely, kind, successful men who are eligible for my mother. Who knows how she hasnt been snapped up, too career driven. Please sent cvs over to my email in my bio... any offers from below 50 are not ok'.

Calling all men! The starlet, 22, took to both Twitter and Instagram to pitch the idea - which she insisted was not a joke - as she urged men over 50 to try to win 51-year-old Sarah's heart while claiming her mum was 'too career driven to have been snapped up'

Cosied up: Montana, who previously spoke of her fractious relationship with her allegedly absent father, took to the microblogging site to appeal to quinquagenarians and above to approach her with their details

Keen to point out the scenario was not a joke, she penned: 'Im serious btw', before saying on Instagram: 'I know people think I'm taking the p**s but I'm not'.

Montana paired the post with a series of stunning images of her mum however she did not let her 256,000 followers know if Sarah was in on the hunt.

Ensuring she had no inappropriately aged suitors, she hammered home: 'I'll tell you what I dont appreciate. Im gonna nip it in the bud now. If youre 18 years old then its a 'no'  thats basically illegal.So, 50 plus. I cannot stress, 50. Thats 50: five, zero.'

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Montana for comment,

Earlier this year, Montana spoke to The Sun about her dad as she blamed him for her ill-feelings towards men and her trust issues.

She said: 'I know who my father is but I dont have any sort of a relationship with him. Ive grown up without him. I do not want to make amends with him at all  that is not what I am looking for and not why I entered the show.

Happy days! Keen to point out the scenario was not a joke, she penned: 'Im serious btw', before saying on Instagram: 'I know people think I'm taking the p**s but I'm not' (Sarah is pictured visiting Montana in the Love Island villa)

On the prowl: Montana paired the post with a series of stunning images of her mum however she did not let her 256,000 followers know if Sarah was in on the hunt

'Even if he was proud of me for doing this experience that is not something that is going to happen. I dont want him in my life.

'I never thought I would speak about it on TV. It is something I normally do my best to avoid speaking about. But I have a lot of barriers so I needed to open up about that. It was important. The ice queen melted in that moment.'

After Love Island, Sarah spoke out about watching Montana have sex on TV as she said: 'A mum doesn't really want to be involved in that side of her daughter's life so I would rather not have seen that.

'She has a lot of integrity and high standards. Usually Montana is laid back when she meets somebody and will take her time and obviously she hasn't.'
In the latest preview for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, the cast and crew delve into how society's view of the gay community played into the fatal shooting of the famed fashion designer by serial killer Andrew Cunanan.

'For every season of American Crime Story,' executive producer Nina Jacobson said, 'what we're interested in is, what makes this an American crime - a crime that America is guilty of, not just the characters we're exploring.'

The new preview intersperses scenes from the upcoming miniseries, with previously-unseen glimpses at the characters surrounding the violent tragedy.

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American tragedy: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story features Edgar Ramirez (L) as the ill-fated designer, and his killer Andrew Cunanan played by Darren Criss (R). A preview for the miniseries sheds more light on the social issues embedded in the crime story

Versace was gunned down at his South Florida mansion on July 15, 1997 by Cunanan, who was already on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives after killing five men in three months prior to shooting Versace.

'This particular manhunt is the largest failed FBI manhunt in history,' said the actor who plays Cunanan in Ryan Murphy's upcoming FX miniseries, Darren Criss. 'The truth is, fear and prejudice is always in fashion.'

Edgar Ramirez, who stars as the late Italian fashion icon in the miniseries, said the detailed program will help viewers 'understand how [Versace's murder] could've been avoided.'

Executive producer Brad Simpson said the story of Cunanan 'is a journey through the politics of homosexuality as they play out across America in the 1990s.'

Shocking: The timeline surrounding Cunanan 'is a journey through the politics of homosexuality as they play out across America in the 1990s,' executive producer Brad Simpson said

Strong cast: Versace's partner, Antonio D'Amico, is played by Ricky Martin (L) in the FX production

Penelope Cruz, who plays Donatella Versace in the production, said that 'nobody expected' what had happened to the designer in the summer of 1997.

Versace's partner, Antonio D'Amico, is played by Ricky Martin, who recalled the terror that arose from the deadly spree by Cunanan, who committed suicide eight days after killing Versace as he hid a house boat in South Florida.

'People were scared: The fact that this man was killing gay men ... still, some people don't understand why it happened,' Martin said.

Tragic end: Versace was gunned down at his Florida mansion on July 15, 1997

Graphic: The Ryan Murphy-produced episodes illustrate the gory details of the murder

Bold: Martin said that 'authorities somewhat turned away and allowed [Cunanan's killings] to happen' because the victims were gay men

Martin, in a chat with Haute Living Miami earlier this month, said that 'intolerance was a very real thing' hindering the 'LGBTQ community in the 90s,' a key factor Murphy sought 'to point out with the making of this movie.

'Cunanan was in Miami Beach for many weeks, and he was not hiding at all - he was on the list of the most wanted men by the FBI back then - what do you mean they didnt find him before it happened?

Rampage: The details of the investigation of Cunanan are delved into in the FX miniseries

Star power: Penelope Cruz plays Versace's sister Donatella in the production

Star-crossed: The miniseries shows Cunanan's path amid his murder spree

'Its not only the question of why he did it, but also, how did we allow that to happen?'

Martin gave his opinion of the chain of events to the magazine, as he said, 'I think because he was killing gay men, authorities somewhat turned away and allowed it to happen.'

The Assassination of Gianni Versace is based on Maureen Orth's 1999 book Vulgar Favors. The 10-episode series is set to begin January 17 on FX.
They recently became engaged during a romantic vacation in Fiji.

But Matt Bellamy, 39, and Elle Evans, 28, left the warm tropical waters for a much cooler scene as they enjoyed a brisk walk through snowy Aspen, Colorado, on Wednesday afternoon.

The loved-up couple walked hand-in-hand as Elle showed off her sparkling diamond ring through the trendy mountain-top community before hitting the ski slopes.

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Sweet: Matt Bellamy, 39, and Elle Evans, 28, left the warm tropical waters for a much cooler scene as they enjoyed a brisk walk through snowy Aspen, Colorado, on Wednesday afternoon

Matt kept warm in a large blue winter coat with peeks of a forest green shirt popping through the collar.

He sported a pair of matching cargo pants in addition to blue and white snow boots for the icy ground.

The Muse front man donned a pair of hot pink sunglasses as he held on to his fiancee's hand.

Love: The loved-up couple walked hand-in-hand as Elle showed off her sparkling diamond ring through the trendy mountain-top community before hitting the ski slopes

Elle covered up her statuesque form with plus white snow pants and a matching jacket with a fur-lined hood.

The former Playboy model wore her long blonde hair straight with a distinct part down the middle.

Her metallic nail polish was the perfect canvas to show off her sparkling diamond ring as she carried a coffee cup.

Elle covered up her statuesque form with plus white snow pants and a matching jacket with a fur-lined hood

Congrats! The adorable duo shared the news of their engagement on Instagram two days before Christmas

The adorable duo shared the news of their engagement on Instagram two days before Christmas.

She penned the lengthy caption, 'Was going to surprise everyone on Christmas, but just can't wait any longer...We are so happy to announce to the world that we are engaged!'

Elle added that 'after tears of joy, gasps of shock, and a split second of disbelief, of course - I said YES!' I can't imagine our lives apart.'

Matt and Elle, began dating in 2015; she also co-starred with Emily Ratajkowski in Robin Thicke's 2013 Blurred Lines music video.

He has been engaged three times - to Italian psychologist Gaia Polloni and then to Kate Hudson in April 2011 after dating for a year; they are also parents to son Bingham, six.

Yes! She penned the lengthy caption, 'Was going to surprise everyone on Christmas, but just can't wait any longer...We are so happy to announce to the world that we are engaged!'
They are known for their hard-hitting storylines.

But viewers were left appalled at Coronation Street on Wednesday night as they watched Underworld trainee manager Alya Nazir suffer a barrage of racist abuse.

The controversial subject sparked a huge debate from fans on Twitter, with some praising the soap for bringing the issue to light while others slammed the decision to air the 'disgusting' racism pre watershed.

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Horrible: Viewers were left appalled at Coronation Street on Wednesday night as they watched Underworld trainee manager Alya Nazir suffer a barrage of racist abuse

In shocking scenes, Alya was subjected to a tirade of racist slurs as she sat down for a meeting with two businessmen, Justin and Dale Parker.

A bigoted Dale told her to 'Lighten up will you? Oh you can't you're still that colour', after labeling her 'boring' for not having an alcoholic drink.

A stunned Alya hit back: 'Does the colour of my skin bother you?' as Aidan and Justin returned to the table with drinks.

Enraged, Aidan told the men to leave but Alya later insisted they needed to 'grin and bear' the racists.

She said: 'It's not the first time I've met blokes like that.... we need their business.'

Drama on the cobbles: In shocking scenes, Alya was subjected to a tirade of racist slurs as she sat down for a meeting with two businessmen, Justin and Dale Parker

The show sent out a warning message before the episode aired, saying there would be 'scenes of racial abuse and language that some viewers may find upsetting'.

Fans took to Twitter following the harrowing scenes.

One wrote: 'Omg Cant believe my ears (sic). Totally shocked.'

While another added: 'Corrie is a bit brutal tonight, how can ITV even think that's OK to air?'

'Does disgusting racism like that really need 'highlighting'? We know it happens and it shouldn't really don't see why it's suitable for prime time TV,' another said.

Shocking: A bigoted Dale told Alya to 'Lighten up will you? Oh you can't you're still that colour' after labeling her 'boring' for not having an alcoholic drink

Fighting her corner: A stunned Alya hit back: 'Does the colour of my skin bother you?' as Aidan and Justin returned to the table with drinks

Hard-hitting: The controversial subject sparked a huge debate from viewers on Twitter, with some slamming the decision to air the 'disgusting' racism pre watershed

Enraged: Aidan told the men to leave but Alya later insisted they needed to 'grin and bear' the racists

However some viewers praised Coronation Street for tackling such a difficult storyline.

One wrote: 'It's a sensitive subject, but Corrie are tackling a subject that still happens in the UK. Racism is absolutely disgusting, anywhere in the world.'

Another applauded ITV bosses for highlighting the issue, adding: 'I think as a nation we underestimate the impact a soap can have on an individual. The fact that corrie have touched on real issues, such as racism and Rana & Kate. Is a big step forward to changing individuals perspectives.'

Coronation Street continues on Friday at 7.30pm.

Support: However some viewers praised Coronation Street for tackling such a difficult storyline
Throughout 2017, Instagram fame became more profitable than ever for Australian celebrities as the platform continued to soar.

But what price will C-list stars pay for the chance to secure brand endorsements and rake in more online followers?

It's hardly a surprise photo-editing scandals are making headlines as TV personalities use social media to drive their PR machines.

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Whoops! In 2017, Instagram fame became more profitable than ever for Australian celebrities - but for many, their Photoshop skills leave much to be desired. Pictured: Chloe Lattanzi

But for many unfortunate celebs, their Photoshop skills leave much to be desired - and their Instagram 'fans' are quick to hold them to account.

So, from Jake Ellis' magical growing guns to Natasha Oakley's wonky door frame, Daily Mail Australia counts down 2017's biggest Photoshop fails.

Did you spot them?

Natasha Oakley 'casts a spell' on a Melbourne door frame

Confession: Last year, 'Bikini A Day' model Natasha Oakley was forced to admit that she Photoshops her online images after she was pictured in rather unflattering candid bikini snaps

Last year, the 'Bikini A Day' model was forced to admit that she Photoshops her online images after she was pictured in rather unflattering candid bikini snaps.

And just four days into 2017, fans were certain she'd been trawling Photoshop For Dummies over the summer break after sharing yet another image that seemed off.

In an image from Wednesday January 4, the blonde bombshell is seen perched on the edge of a cafe table as she models her slender waist in a form-fitting dress.

Hang on! And just four days into 2017, fans were certain she'd been trawling Photoshop For Dummies over the summer break after sharing yet another image that seemed off

Natasha certainly looked bewitching, so much so that she appeared to have cast a spell on the suspiciously bent cafe door frame behind her.

'I put a spell on you,' the swimwear enthusiast wrote in the caption.

Bewitched: Natasha certainly looked bewitching, so much so that she appeared to have cast a spell on the suspiciously bent cafe door frame behind her

She previously told The Daily Telegraph of her 2016 editing scandal: 'I think that everyone is doing that (retouching) because of what they see in the media.

'I think with the general population are just trying to follow exactly what they see with pictures being edited'.

Jake Ellis' muscles get bigger, Insta following stays the same

Tower 200? Jake Ellis seems to have given the famous gym-that-attaches-to-your-door-frame quite a workout this year - as his door looked bizarrely warped in this muscular snap

From the Ab King Pro to the Tower 200, at one time or another everyone's caved into 'As Seen On TV' fitness products.

And The Bachelorette star Jake Ellis appears to have given the famous gym-that-attaches-to-your-door-frame quite a workout this year.

Unless, of course, there's a more simple explanation for how his biceps got so huge and his front door looked bizarrely curved in an Instagram post from October.

Even Jake's ex-girlfriend Jen Hawke called him out directly for the photo, which showed him shirtless in the kitchen, his cursed door in the background.

'We live in a world where there's so much fakeness,' former Bachelor star Jen told the Blue Chip Podcast in December.

'I mean, you go on Instagram and everyone's filtering,' she added.

Photoshop alert! Of course, there is a more simple explanation for how Jake's biceps got so huge and his front door looked strangely curved in an Instagram post from October

'And some of the guys are even dragging their shoulders out to make them bigger.

'Jake Ellis from The Bachelorette season two, I'm talking to you right now!'

Jen is not the only one who noticed, with Jake being called-out for allegedly using performance enhancing apps to make his biceps look bigger three times this year.

'So much fakeness' Even Jake's ex-girlfriend Jen Hawke (left) called him out directly for the photo, which showed him shirtless in the kitchen, his cursed door in the background

But Jake has denied these allegations, saying: 'Honestly only know how to edit a photo with an Instagram filter or a depth effect photo using an iPhone.

'Thats the extent of it.'

Fans report Anna Heinrich's alarming Derby Day disturbance

Seems fine? If aliens exist, why are they spending time messing with Anna Heinrich's handbag strap (far left) at Derby Day?

If aliens exist, why are they spending time messing with Anna Heinrich's handbag strap at Derby Day?

The photo in question showed Anna posing alongside her sisters - but fans couldn't help but notice the 'disappearing' chain around Anna's shoulder.

Pictured on the far left, the Bachelor winner's handbag chain is clearly visible up until the peak of her shoulder, where it vanishes, before appearing again under her arm.

Busted? Pictured on the far left, the Bachelor winner's handbag chain is clearly visible up until the peak of her shoulder, where it vanishes, before appearing again under her arm

Denial: After fans called her out in the comments, Anna seemed to deny the allegations, replying: 'Haha saw that didn't do that'. Pictured with her fiance Tim Robards

'Check out the handbag strap... so disappointed she photoshops her pic,' one of Anna's Instagram followers commented.

Apparently denying she played any part in editing the photo, Anna swiftly replied: 'Haha saw that didn't do that.'

Who did erase the handbag strap remains a mystery, especially given the fact Natasha Oakley was not at Derby Day this year.

Chloe Lattanzi's hair-raising photography

At her best! Olivia Newton-John's daughter likes to look her best. Who doesn't? But in an image shared to Instagram in June, the 31-year-old socialite hardly even looked like herself

Olivia Newton-John's daughter likes to look her best. Who doesn't?

But in an image shared to Instagram in June, the 31-year-old socialite hardly even looked like herself.

Her makeup looked odd, with her eyelashes and smoky liner appearing to magically sit over the edge of her hair.

A little overboard! Her makeup looked odd, with her eyelashes appearing to magically sit over the edge of her hair; her contouring looked unusual, and her lips cartoonish

The corner of her eye shadow was nestled well over her blonde locks, and her hair appeared to vanish right into her eyes on either side - spooky!

The cannabis farmer's contouring looked unusual, her lips cartoonish, while her 'Mermaid Vibes' hat (while certainly real) was just confusing.

Florence Alexandra Sophia and the case of the walk-about boardwalk

Check out the wobbly boards! Did Bachelor star Florence Alexandra Sophia accidentally reveal her entry-level photo editing skills at St. Kilda Beach Boardwalk in November?

She's the blonde bombshell who showed off her 'cheeky' side when seducing Matty J in a sexy teacher outfit on The Bachelor.

But did Florence Alexandra Sophia accidentally reveal her entry-level photo editing side at St. Kilda Beach Boardwalk in November?

Now, wood is known to expand and contract in the heat - but less has been reported on its propensity to simulate the Mexican Wave.

Spooky! Wood is known to expand and contract in the heat - but less has been reported on its propensity to simulate the Mexican Wave, as fans noticed the curved, seemingly edited planks

Wearing a striped one-piece, Florence was pictured on the boardwalk, keeping her balance despite a tectonic shift apparently happening beneath her.

Indeed, fans didn't take long to notice the curved planks by her elbow, stretching all the way to her feet, where they miraculously straighten.

As St Kilda local council didn't report any seismic disturbance that day, the only reasonable explanation is that Florence edited the photo.

Tiffany Scanlon has '99 problems' and one blurry photo

Welcome! On Thursday, Tiffany Scanlon was added to The Bachelor's Hall of Photoshop Allegations

On Thursday, Tiffany Scanlon was added to The Bachelor's Hall of Photoshop Allegations.

The reality TV star-turned-influencer posted a bikini-clad photo of herself resting on a rock at Rottnest Island, captioned: 'I got 99 problems but location ain't 1.'

The problem count grew to 100 when a swarm of unidentified image-blurring blobs mysteriously targeted the area around her gym-honed limbs.

Did she or didn't she? The reality TV star-turned-influencer posted a bikini-clad photo of herself resting on a rock at Rottnest Island, captioned: 'I got 99 problems but location ain't 1'

The shadow of her left arm also appeared to fall in a strange position on her lower thigh.

Tiffany denied the claims, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'It's frustrating that other people use Photoshop to achieve the look that I train to have.'

Despite her denial, she did admit to using editing program Adobe Lightroom to play with 'colours and lighting', but flatly said 'no Photoshop' was used.

Why so blurry? The problem count grew to 100 when a swarm of unidentified image-blurring blobs mysteriously targeted the area around her gym-honed limbs

'I don't think it's a good idea to Photoshop your body as it gives people a false idea of what is natural and achievable,' she continued.

'I'd hate for people to meet me in person and think my Instagram was not a proper representation for what I am and what I look like.'
Stephanie Davis took to Twitter on Wednesday to publicly deny reports claiming she is 'extremely upset' following her ex-boyfriend Jeremy McConnell's release from prison after serving 34 days behind bars for missing community service.

The message she shared read: 'A source close to Steph denied she was upset and said: She has no thoughts or feelings regarding him and has not made any such comment to anyone so whoever has said that is untrue'.

Jeremy, who had an 18-week suspended sentence activated last month after breaching the 200-hour community service handed to him for assaulting Stephanie, is said to be in 'good spirits' even commenting on 's**t prison food'.

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Hitting back: Stephanie Davis took to Twitter on Wednesday to publicly deny reports claiming she is 'extremely upset' after her ex-boyfriend Jeremy McConnell was released from prison after serving 34 days behind bars for missing community service'

Sharing the message: Having remained silent on the issues at hand, Stephanie's retweet was her first reaction to Jeremy's release

Shortly before the actress' message was shared Jeremy's grumbles over prison food were revealed while he was also said to be 'laughing and joking' with pals following his early release from HMP Cardiff.

Friends of the star told The Sun: 'Jez was so excited to walk around as a free man. He kept his spirits up in prison and now hes out its a fresh start for him. Jez told us prison food was s**t and was in great form, laughing and joking with us.'

He is said to be thrilled he can join his pals for New Year's Eve, after he was locked up for missing community service so he could undergo a hair transplant in Istanbul.

After leaving prison, he told Instagram followers: 'Thanks for all your messages. I've read so much lies and it's incredible. Have a good New Year.' Jeremy served 34 days - less than five weeks of the 18-week sentence he was given.

Out: Shortly before the actress' message was shared Jeremy is said to have grumbled over prison food before 'laughing and joking' with pals following his early release after serving his short stint in HMP Cardiff

Free man: He had appealed his sentence, but hearings were delayed due to an administrative error. His release this week suggests he may have won a cut to the term

Representatives for Jeremy declined to comment when approached by MailOnline. Stephanie's representation has been approached.

He had appealed his sentence, but hearings were delayed due to an administrative error. His release this week suggests he may have won a cut to the term.

Jeremy had been given the suspended sentence after a high-profile trial where he was found guilty of attacking Stephanie at her home in Rainhill, Merseyside in March.

During proceedings in August, a judge said Jeremy had shown no remorse for the attack on his ex-girlfriend or the impact it must have had on their son, Caben.

Happier times: Jeremy had been given the suspended sentence after a high-profile trial where he was found guilty of attacking former Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis, 24, at her home in Rainhill, Merseyside in March, this summer (pictured together in February 2016)

Out: The reality TV personality posted this message to his Instagram followers after his release

He then missed eight work appointments in the 200-hour order and the court activated the sentence for failing to comply with his punishment.

Sentencing him at Liverpool Magistrates Court last month, District Judge Wendy Lloyd said she tried to rehabilitate Jeremy with a suspended sentence to protect women from future violence.

She added: 'Your enthusiasm for co-operation has been short lived and there's nothing to show in the future things will change. '

Back again: Jeremy was given the suspended sentence for attacking then-girlfriend, Stephanie (pictured outside his trial)

Tough: Stephanie (pictured, left, at the time of McConnell's trial) posted a picture of her apparently bruised legs (right) in the days after the March attack

At a trial in August, Stephanie told the court that Jeremy 'threw her around like a ragdoll' as she thought 'this is it; he's going to kill me.'

She said Jeremy suspected her of a lesbian affair and a fling with a fireman as he attacked her at a property in Rainhill, Merseyside, on March 10.

She described the assault 'like something out of a horror movie', adding that Jeremy threatened to smash a bottle over his head.

The prosecution said the assault took place as Stephanie held their eight-week old son Caben-Albi in her arms, a claim that was denied by Jeremy.

The former Hollyoaks actress said: 'He's completely destroyed my life, it's been the worst 18 months of my life.'
Jemima Kirke calls her 2009 wedding 'pointless.'

The 32-year-old Girls star, who played Jessa Johansson on the HBO show, reflected on her nuptials to ex Michael Mosberg, who she split up with last year, in a chat with W magazine on Wednesday.

'It was fine, it was quick, it was simple, but it was pointless,' Kirke said. 'Either youre throwing a party, or youre doing it out of necessity.'

Brutally honest: Jemima Kirke, 32, told W magazine Wednesday her wedding to ex-husband Michael Mosberg was 'pointless.' She was snapped at this year's Met Ball in NYC in May

The 5ft2 actress - who shares two children with Mosberg, son Memphis and daughter Rafella - chat with the publication at The Ceremony, her New York City art exhibition centered on the topic of holy matrimony, and all resultant issues.

Kirke expressed serious skepticism over the concept of weddings, in general, calling them little more than 'a performance.

'The only sincere, honest marriages are either green card marriages,' she said, 'or big f*** off performances where the brides doing coke in the bathroom and wearing a dress thats, like, bigger than the whole room.'

Kirke noted that she's not opposed to the concept of having a good time at someone's nuptials.

Exes: Jemima was married to lawyer Michael Mosberg from 2009 until 2016; the duo was seen in this NYC shot in 2015

Candid: Kirke told the publication that society puts extreme pressure on married couples

'I love huge parties, and I love weddings if theyre fun,' she said. 'Since I don't actually care or want to drive four hours or get on a plane to go to your wedding, they really better be fun, but some people dont even let you have a drink until after youve watched them get married.

'Im like, "What is this, its your party! F--- you!"'

Jemima, who first crossed paths with Mosberg, a lawyer, in rehab, said that expectations from the outside put pressure on her marriage.

'I think in marriage, you should be able to say to each other as couples, "I dont love you right now and its OK, hopefully we get back there,"' she said. 'I wish the conversation we had had gone, "Yeah, Im struggling in the marriage right now," but I think it wasnt something we were able to face because again, the societal consensus is that everything has to be either good or bad, or right and wrong.'

Breakout: Kirke (L) appeared alongside Lena Dunham (R) on Girls for five years

At one with the force: Kirk and Star Wars standout Adam Driver performed together on the HBO show

She noted that 'its wrong to be married and be unhappy and stay.'

The London native admitted she could eventually walk down the aisle again, but would do so with more realistic expectations based on her life experience.

'It wouldn't be under any delusions of thinking it would mean that it would improve anything,' she said, 'or change things for the better.'
Viewers watched in eager anticipation as Mrs Brown's Boys unveiled their new Rory in the Christmas Day special.

And creator Brendan O'Carroll has admitted Damien McKiernan has 'big shoes to fill' after he stepped into the role of Rory Brown.

Fans were left less than impressed with Damien's debut, with many lamenting the loss of Rory Cowan, who quit the show after 26 years.

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Mrs Brown's Boys creator Brendan O'Carroll, has admitted that Damien McKiernan has 'big shoes to fill' to step into the role of Rory Brown

However Brendan, who plays Agnes, was thrilled with the show was the most-watched single channel on Christmas Day, despite the departure of Cowan.

'I'm more pleased that it didn't matter. I'm really delighted for Damien  those are big shoes to fill,' Brendan told the Irish Sun.

'These ratings are pure joy for us. A 32.4 per cent share means that one-third of everyone watching TV last night in the UK were watching Mrs Brown's Boys.'

Luke-warm reception: Fans were left less than impressed with Damien's debut, with many lamenting the loss of Rory Cowan, who quit the show after 26 years

Despite high ratings, loyal fans took to Twitter to give their opinion on Cowell's replacement.

One wrote: 'Not impressed with the new Rory at all I'm sure he is a good guy but he is nothing like the original and I don't mean looks I mean fun and laughter and a great personality in the show what a shame.'

While another added: 'Very, very disappointed. Sadly miscast by Brendan purely because of his facial similarity to Rory Cowan. What about personality, energy? Sorry but this error could be the death knell for this show. Perhaps the importance of Rory Cowan's presence was not truly appreciated? Sad.'

Another wrote: Well.... the new Rory, on @MrsBrownsBoys is terrible. Didn't feel like Rory in the slightest. I get that you'd want to make the role your own, But with a performance like a piece of deadwood. They should've just killed him off.'

Meanwhile, others warmed to Damien, with one fan writing: Enjoyed #MrsBrownBoys Christmas special. Always the highlight of the Christmas Day TV schedule. Well done @KiernanDamien and @RichieHayes on your fabulous first appearances.'

Stunned: Agnes, played by show creator Brendan O'Carroll, looks uncharacteristically speechless after discovering her son has undergone extensive cosmetic surgery

Cowan amicably ended his 26-year working relationship with the show and its creator, Brendan O'Carroll, by walking away from his role as Agnes's son Rory in July after growing bored with its relentless touring schedule.

And in a bid to explain the actor's departure while keeping popular character Rory on-board, O'Carroll devised a typically madcap storyline to introduce his replacement.

Viewers watched as Rory returned home with his face covered in bandages having undergone extreme cosmetic surgery, therefore explaining his radically different appearance.

With a pair of jaunty glasses the only indication that it is Rory, he dramatically removes his bandages as his intrigued family gathers round.

Exciting: Fans watched the unveiling of Rory Cowan's replacement on BBC sitcom Mrs. Brown's Boys on the Christmas special

Is that you Rory? With a pair of jaunty glasses the only indication that it is Rory, he dramatically removes his bandages as his intrigued family gathers round

Cowan, who performed for the last time as Rory at London's O2 Arena in July, told the Irish Daily Mail that he has been unhappy for some time.

He said: 'I hadn't been happy working for the Mrs Brown's Boys company for the last 18 months to two years.

'I feel that 26 years is enough so I decided it was time to go. I told Brendan [O'Carroll, the writer and actor] on June 16 about my decision to leave. That's when I handed in my notice.

'I was supposed to leave at the end of that week, but Brendan said that would be impossible and asked if I'd stay on until the end of the London O2 gigs. So I agreed to that.'

Mrs Brown's Boys started off as a stage show before being picked up by the BBC and becoming a TV smash hit.

It first aired on the channel in 2011 to huge acclaim and a movie, called Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie, was released three years later.

Stepping aside for the new Rory: Cowan, told the Irish Daily Mail that he has been unhappy for some time playing the role
They're one of Australia's most talked about couples who've spent the last few months escaping break-up rumours.

But a new report has claimed that Sophie Monk, 38, and Stu Laundy, 45, are planning to walk down the aisle imminently.

According to NW Magazine, the pair allegedly wanted their nuptials to take place over the holidays to avoid any media buzz.

New Year's nuptials? Reports The Bachelorette's Sophie Monk and Stu Laundy 'prepare to tie-the-knot overseas in a winter white wedding after she accepted the publican's proposal'

'When Stu said they should get married it was totally on a whim, but it made sense,' revealed an insider to the publication.

'He knows that he and Soph belong together, and so does Soph - because she said yes!'

And although the couple were fine sharing their blossoming relationship with the world on National television, according to a 'source close to the pair', they'd like their wedding to be under the radar.

Meant to be! 'He knows that he and Soph belong together, and so does Soph - because she said yes!'

Keeping it private: 'They realised that if they did it during the party season, it could probably be passed off as just another wild get-together, which is kind of what they want anyway'

'They realised that if they did it during the party season, it could probably be passed off as just another wild get-together, which is kind of what they want anyway,' explained a friend to the magazine.

The news comes after the alleged 'bride-to-be', currently holidaying in Canada with her beau, said she'd rather elope than get married in Australia.

'I'd prefer to elope rather than stay in Australia,' she told Woman's Day.

Is that why they're overseas? The news comes after the alleged 'bride-to-be', currently holidaying in Canada with her beau, said she'd rather elope than get married in Australia

'I'd want it to be low-key. I just want everyone to have a big party and enjoy themselves. Everyday is like a performance for me due to my job - I just want to relax and have a good time.'

However, before the pair can walk down the aisle, Stu needs to officially divorce his estranged wife Rachel.

Daily Mail has reached out to the pair's representatives for comment.
They enjoyed a sushi date at Nobu Malibu on Tuesday night.

And Ben Affleck and girlfriend Lindsay Shookus spent even more time together as they were spotted out in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The Justice League actor, 45, cut a casual figure as his SNL producer beau, 37, kept warm in a white sweater and black jeans.

Spotted: Ben Affleck, 45, and girlfriend Lindsay Shookus, 37, spent more time together as they were spotted out in Los Angeles on Wednesday

The Oscar winner rocked a satin bomber jacket and blue jeans as he excited a black SUV at a studio.

His hair was cropped short as he kept his beard scraggly and unshaven with a pair of causal sneakers on his feet.

Lindsay looked effortlessly gorgeous in a knit sweater, light blue oxford, and tight form-fitting leggings.

She kept her blonde locks long and loose as they cascaded over her petite shoulders and were pinned with retro shades.

Casual: The Oscar winner rocked a satin bomber jacket and blue jeans as he excited a black SUV at a studio

Effortless: His SNL producer beau kept warm in a white sweater and black jeans

Ben spent Christmas with Jennifer Garner and their children according to People.

Ben and Jennifer are parents to daughters Violet, 12, and Seraphina, eight, and son Samuel, five.

The former couple, who also spent Thanksgiving together with their kids, separated in June 2015 after 10 years of marriage.

Keeping warm: Lindsay looked effortlessly gorgeous in a knit sweater, light blue oxford, and tight form-fitting leggings

Hair today: She kept her blonde locks long and loose as they cascaded over her petite shoulders and were pinned with retro shades

On Tuesday, one day after Christmas, Ben headed to Nobu in Malibu for date night with Lindsay.

Wednesday's outing came after it was reported last month that Ben and Lindsay are now sharing an apartment together in New York.

The Justice League actor is renting a luxury apartment in New York's Upper West Side, which will be his base when he's in the city.

The Saturday Night Live producer moved in around a month ago, sources told People magazine.

The 2,761 sq ft property boasts three bedrooms, stunning views of both the Hudson River and Central Park, round-the-clock butler service, a pool and a private movie theatre, with leases on the building averaging around $28,000 a month.
Tziporah Malkah has maintained that she did not consume alcohol on Janurary 3 this year, when her car 'hit three roundabouts' and 'reversed into a parked car.'

'I pleaded guilty to these three charges so I have to accept I'm to blame. But despite what anyone may think, I hadn't been drinking,' she told New Idea.

The woman formally known as Kate Fischer pleaded guilty to all three charges (four were dropped), was fined $1500 and banned from driving for 27-months.

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'I hadn't been drinking': Tziporah Malkah has maintained that she did not consume alcohol on Janurary 3 this year, when her car 'hit three roundabouts' and 'reversed into a parked car'

The ex-fiancee of Crown Casino magnate James Packer appeared to imply the medication she takes for anxiety and depression may have been to blame.

On December 15, Melbourne Magistrates court was told that on January 3, two witnesses saw Tziporah driving erratically through Toorak.

One person followed her and called triple zero before Tziporah reversed into a parked car.

Police soon arrived at her apartment and asked her five times to undergo a breath test, but Tziporah said she needed to go to the toilet and disappeared inside.

'I'm to blame': I pleaded guilty to these three charges so I have to accept I'm to blame. But despite what anyone may think, I hadn't been drinking,' she told reporters this week

'On this particular evening, I was tired, stressed and on meds for anxiety and depression,' she told New Idea this week.

Listing the factors adding to her stress on the day of the crash, the 44-year-old cited working night shifts, her stressful job, and her impending reality TV comeback.

She explained that after years of living 'anonymously' her return on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! was weighing heavy on her mind.

'So yes, to be honest, I was "erratic" that day, to use the police term - thought not from alcohol,' she said.

Medication: The ex-fiancee of Crown Casino magnate James Packer appeared to imply the medication she takes for anxiety and depression may have been to blame

Tziporah was willing to admit she did not help the situation when she was approached by police.

'Officers fronted me demanding I blow into their breathalyser... Instead, I told them were to go.'

'That was silly of me - in hindsight - as I had nothing to hide. I hadn't been drinking, but as I was already pretty agitated, I got upset at how police were towards me.'

Heavy on her mind: She explained that after years of living 'anonymously' her return on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! was weighing heavy on her mind

Tziporah, who lives on a '$200 a week' carers wage, provided for partner Guy Vasey, added she would be speaking to her lawyers about how officers behaved.

Earlier this month, the star indicated that she may contest some or all of the seven charges for which she was accused.

'Not from alcohol': 'So yes, to be honest, I was "erratic" that day, to use the police term - thought not from alcohol,' she said

During that appearance, the court was told she was 'extremely unhappy' with the way police acted on the night of the allegations.

'Vic Pol are bullies,' she told reporters as she left, without providing details of what happened.

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment regarding the claims, Victorian Police Media said they would not comment within the case's 28-day appeal period.

Contest: Earlier this month, the star indicated that she may contest some or all of the seven charges for which she was accused, insisting 'Vic police are bullies'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Tziporah for comment.

Tziporah also told New Idea she's still allowed to drive, 'just not in Victoria,' meaning she has to drive an extra nine hours to see her sick stepfather in Yass.

The former model expressed interest in moving to Yass, to make it easier to see David Barnett (her stepfather) and her mother, politician Pru Goward.

Why now? She also expressed shock that the media suddenly started following the case in December, 11-months after charges were laid

She also expressed shock that the media suddenly started following the case in December, 11-months after charges were laid.

'I was surprised, because A Current Affair's Ben McCormack was sentenced for child porn as the same day as the press found out about me, and I thought that case was just a little more newsworthy than "Tziporah hits a kerb!" ' she said.

'Really, I haven't had this much attention since I had my boobs done when I was engaged to James Packer.'

'Tziporah hits a kerb': 'Ben McCormack was sentenced for child porn as the same day as the press found out about me, and I thought that case was just a little more newsworthy than "Tziporah hits a kerb!" ' she said
She's the wife of Family Feud host Grant Denyer, that revealed to her blog late last month, that she's to undergo surgery for debilitating migraines.

Chezzi Denyer candidly shared that she was 'left really struggling' to get through her everyday life.

However with the December 6 surgery a success, the 38-year-old took to her Instagram heaping praise on her doctor: 'This man has seriously changed my life!'

'This man has seriously changed my life!' Grant Denyer's wife Chezzi Denyer, 38, heaped praise on her doctor, in a sweet Instagram post earlier this month, after undergoing surgery for a debilitating condition just weeks before Christmas

A post on December 14, saw Chezzi in high spirits, as she posed for a photo with Dr William Mooney.

Sporting a white frilled-sleeve polka dot top, the mother-of-two warmly embraced the man behind her life-changing surgery.

Chezzi captioned the post in part: 'Things are really starting to feel so much better already!! So much so, I wanted to do an appreciation post to the man featured with me here my sinus saviour for rectifying my horrible condition.

Chezzi captioned the post in part: 'Things are really starting to feel so much better already!! So much so, I wanted to do an appreciation post to the man featured (Dr William Mooney) with me here my sinus saviour for rectifying my horrible condition'

In profile: The mother-of-two has been documenting her journey, pre and post surgery, on her social media channels

'I've got a little way to go still with recovery but my energy levels are coming back. My hearing, my smell and my taste are once again beginning to function... And Dr Will has overseen a very comprehensive plan moving forward...'

The media personality went on to say there is 'always a solution'. 'You CAN get your life back. You CAN get your exuberance back....This man has seriously changed my life hence when you swipe you see my giant squeeze of gratitude!'

The appreciation post comes shortly after Chezzi took to her blog, detailing the debilitating condition that saw her struggling to get through everyday life.

'I'm struggling to get through everyday life': The appreciation post comes shortly after Chezzi took to her blog, detailing the debilitating condition that saw her struggling to get through everyday life

She shared with her followers at the time: 'The week of my birthday earlier this month (November), I was sent to hospital with a severe migraine pain in my left hand side of my head. I've not experienced anything like it and thought it was caused by me detoxing?'

With her surgery having been scheduled for December 6, Chezzi went on to describe the debilitating condition.

'In the interim, I am left really struggling to just get through my everyday life. Some days are worse than others. Some days I have such severe vertigo that I nearly fall over if I get up too quickly or if I move my head in a certain way.'

Debilitating: Severe migraines left the media personality having to undergo surgery on December 6

Support network: Chezzi has also been relying on the support of her beloved husband Grant, to get her through such challenging times

Chezzi has also been relying on the support of her beloved husband Grant, to get her through the challenging times.

'My beautiful and loving husband is my tower of strength and I've been depending on him so much lately.'

Chezzi, a Jeans for Genes ambassador, married Grant, 40, in 2010, and the couple share two daughters, Sailor, six, and Scout, two.
He spent most of 2017 keeping a low profile amid his heartbreaking split with Alex Nation.

But Richie Strahan didn't let heartbreak get in the way of enjoying the summer climes as he bared his etched six-pack on Instagram this Thursday.

In the eye-popping photo, the 32-year-old took is seen floating in a pool while reclining on an inflatable toy.

What a display! Richie Strahan has set the hearts his female fans racing as he flaunted his washboard abs on Thursday. The 32-year-old took to Instagram to share a snap of himself resting in an inflatable donut

With a Corona beer in hand and a pair of sassy sunglasses covering his eyes, Richie was the picture of contentment as he beamed for the camera.

He cheekily captioned the post: 'Clearly having a tough day!'

A bevy of his lady followers swarmed the comments section to gush over his incredible physique, including one who said: 'omfg... my ovaries.'

Another very impressed fan wrote: 'Sweet baby Jesus.'

The start of something new? His saucy photo comes after he enjoyed a night out Married At First Sight star Michelle Marsh, 32

While it has been an unfortunate year for the Bachelor star following the very public breakdown of his relationship with Alex Nation, things seem to be coming on the up and up for him.

He was recently spotted spending time with Married At First Sight star Michelle Marsh.

The blonde beauty took to her Instagram story to share a short clip of herself enjoying a drink with Richie at a comedy bar in Perth recently.

She captioned the video: 'It's comedy night... and we have volunteered Rich,' along with a laughing emoji.

A little nervous? In the clip she jokingly asks the rope access technician how he was feeling going on stage to deliver his stand up routine, to which he quipped that he was nervous

'It was a milestone in my life:' Alex Nation recently shocked her radio co-hosts with a rather graphic confession about her love life, she admitted: 'I like sausage and taco'. Alex is now engaged with Maegan Luxa (pictured left)

In the clip she jokingly asks the rope access technician how he was feeling going on stage to deliver his stand up routine, to which he quipped that he was nervous.

Richie's friendly night out comes after his ex Alex shocked her radio co-hosts with a rather graphic confession about her love life.

'I like sausage and taco,' she said on her 88.3 Southern FM radio show.

'One of the big things that I've learnt this year is that I like sausage and taco, it was a milestone in my life,' she said.

Alex is now engaged with Maegan Luxa following her split from Richie earlier this year.
Phoebe Burgess and NRL star husband Sam Burgess tied the knot in a lavish ceremony two years ago.

And on the occasion of their second wedding anniversary this Thursday, Phoebe took a trip down memory lane by sharing an Instagram snap from the fateful day they became husband and wife.

In a gushing post, Phoebe captioned a black and white picture of herself and Sam: 'Our little piece of forever.'

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'Our little piece of forever': Phoebe and NRL star husband Sam Burgess celebrated their second wedding anniversary and share candid snaps of their lavish wedding day this Thursday

She also shared another shot of her and Sam, looking at each other as the sun set, simply captioning it: 'Two, 28/12/15.'

The pair tied the knot at her parents' sprawling home in Bowral, in the NSW Southern Highlands.

They married in front of 200 guests, including actor Russell Crowe, and a number of Sydney Rabbitohs players.

Sweet: She also shared another shot of her and Sam, looking at each other as the sun set, simply captioning it: 'Two, 28/12/15'

Going strong: The pair first became engaged when Sam proposed that same year, in Greece

On the day, former journalist Phoebe stunned in a white plunging and long sleeve Alex Perry dress, which was custom made.

Sam donned a custom Giorgio Armani suit, as did his groomsmen - his brothers Luke, Thomas and George Burgess, and best friend Chris Feather.

The pair first became engaged when Sam proposed that same year, in Greece.

Celebrations: The couple have just returned from a vacation to Fiji, no doubt to help mark the occasion

The couple have just returned from a vacation to Fiji, no doubt to help mark the occasion.

The duo are proud parents, and share daughter Poppy together, who they welcomed in January this year.

At the time, Sam announced the birth of Poppy and gushed online: 'My two girls doing extremely well. My everything.'
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Wendi Deng has been pictured partying on a yacht with her 21-year-old model lover - four years after splitting from billionaire ex-husband Rupert Murdoch.

The 49-year-old entrepreneur could be seen enjoying a glass of wine with Bertold Zahoran on the Caribbean holiday island on Wednesday.

Deng and Zahoran listened to a performance by American singer Jimmy Buffett and were pictured standing on the yacht's deck next to former Beatles frontman Sir Paul McCartney.

It comes a year after the couple were spotted together strolling hand-in-hand on a beach on the same island.

Wendi Deng has been pictured partying on a yacht with her 21-year-old model lover - four years after splitting from billionaire ex-husband Rupert Murdoch

Pictures show the young Hungarian model Bertold Zahoran leaning in to kiss Wendi Deng as the couple partied on board the yacht

Split: Rupert Murdoch (left) filed for divorce from Wendi Deng (right) after 14 years of marriage citing irreconcilable differences

The Chinese-American beauty was wearing a grey and yellow mini tube dress for the occasion and could not contain her smile as she joined Zahoran for a drink.

The pair moved to a lounger where they continued to enjoy the music.

Also on board for the party was Stella McCartney, the successful fashion designer daughter of St Paul, who made her way down the bridge in denim shorts and a black t-shirt.

The 49-year-old entrepreneur could be seen enjoying a glass of wine with Bertold Zahoran on the Caribbean holiday island on Wednesday

Wendi Deng and Zahoran listened to a performance by American singer Jimmy Buffett while on board the yacht in St Barts

Wendi Deng couldn't contain her smile as she enjoyed a glass of wine with the young model on board the yacht in the Caribbean

Alone time: The besotted pair moved to a lounger where they continued to enjoy the American escapism musical styles of the Buffett band

The Chinese-American entrepreneur (right) was wearing a grey and yellow mini tube dress for the occasion while Zahoran wore a simple t-shirt

Wendi split from ex-husband Rupert Murdoch in 2013 after 14 years of marriage. At the time, Rupert, 86, cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

There were reports at the time claiming he had grown suspicious of his wife's relationship with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair - the godfather of their daughter Grace.

Details of their divorce settlement were sealed, but it was revealed that Wendi got to keep the couple's three-story Fifth Avenue apartment in New York after the split.

Meanwhile Rupert went on to find love with model Jerry Hall, with the pair tying the knot last year. It was the fourth marriage for the CEO of News Corp.

Deng and Zahoran listened to a performance by American singer Jimmy Buffett and were pictured standing on the yacht's deck next to former Beatles frontman Sir Paul McCartney

Sharing laughs: Former Beatles frontman Sir Paul McCartney (left) and Wendi Deng (centre) seemed to hit it off on deck

Three's a crowd: Sir Paul McCartney is pictured talking to Wendi Deng and Zahoran on board the yacht in St Barts

The couple married in 1999 after first meeting in 1997 when Wendi was a TV executive at the Murdoch-owned Star TV network in Hong Kong.

Wendi memorably slapped a man about to throw a custard pie in Rupert's face during a parliamentary hearing with MPs over the phone hacking scandal in 2011.

And the former couple, who share two children Grace, 15, and Chloe, 13, seem to have remained firm friends, with the pair sharing a friendly hug after a family meal in New York in September.

Sir Paul and Wendi were pictured on desk as they listened to music provided by American singer Jimmy Buffett

Also on board for the party was Stella McCartney, the successful fashion designer daughter of St Paul, who made her way down the bridge in denim shorts and a black t-shirt

New love: Three years after divorcing Deng, Murdoch married actress Jerry Hall in London. They are pictured together at Chelsea Flower show

From a village in Hungary to the catwalks of New York: The extraordinary rise of Wendi Deng's toyboy lover

Wendi raised more than a few eyebrows when she was first photographed strolling hand-in-hand on a Caribbean beach with Zahoran.

It was not so much their age difference, but her choice of a man who was little known outside the fashion industry.

Zahoran, from a village in Hungary, also happens to be 64 years junior to Deng's former husband who is one of the most recognisable names in the world.

Deng and Zahoran went public with their romance when a photo of the couple standing together on the island of St Barts was published on his Instagram account - much to the delight of his 24,000 followers.

Romance: Hungarian model Bertold Zahoran, 21, from a small town in Hungary, is dating Wendi Deng, former wife of media mogul husband Rupert Murdoch. The couple attended a Halloween party together dressed as ghouls, above, but did not reveal their relationship until the New Year

Zahoran's life now is a far cry from his upbringing in Hungary. Pictured: The home where he grew up

Celebrity parties: Since his modelling career took off two years ago when Zahoran's good looks were first recognised, he moved to New York (pictured at a party above). His meteoric rise has seen him front campaigns for Givenchy

The couple had spent the New Year together along with her two daughters after Zahoran jetted in from spending Christmas with his family in Hungary.

The romance, which began last May, has been the talk of fashion circles and among the power players in New York.

Deng and Zahoran, who also lives in New York, are thought to have been introduced by friends and were first pictured at a party thrown by supermodel Naomi Campbell.

They later dressed up as ghouls for a Hallowe'en party with the photo appearing on Zahoran's Instagram page.

But while Zahoran continues to grace the covers of glossy magazines and on fashion catwalks in his meteoric rise, MailOnline revealed in January that he only decided to make a career in fashion two years ago after failing to realise his childhood dream of playing basketball in the American NBA league.

In an exclusive interview his mother, Varga  who is three years younger than Chinese born Deng  revealed his dream of emulating his basketball heroes ended when he realised he was not good enough.

Ladies in his life: Zahoran is close to his sister Kitti, left and his mother Varga, right, who works as a temp for a transport company in Mezobereny, Hungary, where he grew up. Varga raised Zahoran and his sister on her own after divorcing their father when they were young At the end 2015 Zahoran posted on Instagram that he was 'with the two most important women in my life' #mommy #sis #love - eight months before he met Deng

'From an early age Bertold wanted to be a basketball player and compete in the NBA league. His heroes were Michael Jordan and other players,' Varga told MailOnline from her home in the town of Mezobereny.

She divorced Zahoran's father when her son was a baby and brought up him and his sister Kitti up on her own.

'When he was about 17 he said he was not strong enough or tall enough to make it in the league,' she said. 'By then modelling opportunities were presenting themselves and he decided to take them.'

He never thought he would be a model but of course people when they see him in magazines tell me how handsome he is. I am of course very proud. Zahoran's mother Varga

Varga said her son was a very good boy: 'He was always very well behaved and was no trouble. From an early age he kept his body in good shape and enjoyed working out.

'Physically he is good looking, but all mothers would say that about their son. I wouldn't say he was very aware about his looks.

'He never thought he would be a model but of course people when they see him in magazines tell me how handsome he is. I am of course very proud.'

Zahoran was 'discovered' in 2014 when he was featured in a photo-spread for Vogues Hommes magazine posing alongside the Danube in Budapest, Hungary, with other local models.

But he was already a seasoned model having started posing for a local photographer from the age of 15.

Hairdresser Tamas Balogh chose Zahoran as his model for a series of hairdressing competitions in the town of Debrecen where he was attending a sports academy.

'He was a natural and I chose him because he had the most wonderful hair and also looked good,' said Balogh.

Proud: Brought up by his single mum Varga, 45, pictured, with his younger sister Kitti, Zahoran only had one dream in childhood and that was to become a professional basketball player

Celeb circles: Deng and Zahoran, who both live in New York City, are thought to have been introduced by friends and were first pictured at a party thrown by supermodel Naomi Campbell (pictured with Zahoran above)

'Women loved him, but he was not that interested as he was so focussed on sport.'

Putting aside his dream of playing in the NBA two years ago, Zahoran signed to a New York based modelling agency and his career took off at lightening speed.

He has fronted campaigns for Versace and Ralph Lauren and also opened a Givenchy show.

With his chiselled good looks and impressive six-pack abs  which he shows off in countless shirtless photos on his Instagram page  Zahoran was a favourite of Donatella Versace.

Despite meeting Deng in May last year, their romance was not seemingly confirmed until the Caribbean trip.

What first struck me about him was his piercing blue eyes. He also had a wonderful head of hair that I could work with. Tamas Balogh

The sun kissed beaches of St Barts, where the rich and famous see in New Year are a world away from his early life in a small Hungarian town close to the border with Romania.

Such was Zahoran's dedication to basketball that he would spend hours in the garden of his family's modest home in Mezobereny practising shots against a basketball net.

One neighbour said:' Every evening you would hear the thump of the ball on the ground. It went on and on, but Bertold was such a lovely polite boy.'

His first coach Imre Tanczos recalled how Zahoran was a natural for the sport because of his height. In his early teens he was close to 6ft tall  putting him head and shoulders above other players.

'There was one game where about four of five players jumped on him to get the ball. Suddenly he emerged out of the pile and strode away. It was like something out of a movie.'

Imre, 40, who now runs a restaurant in the town of Mezebereny, said Zahoran had little time for anything apart from basketball.

'When we would go to tournaments in Germany or Slovakia he would be the focus of lots of girls,' he recalled.

With his chiselled good looks and impressive six-pack abs  which he shows off in countless shirtless photos on his Instagramm page  Zahoran was a favourite of Donatella Versace

Varga, who works part time for a transportation firm, said her son spent Christmas with her and his sister (above) before jetting off to St Barts to meet up with Wendi Deng, her two daughters and model Karlie Kloss

'He was a very good looking boy, but had not real interest in having a girlfriend as he was just interested in sport'

At the age of 14, and with his mother's support, he left home to move to the town of Debrecen where he attended a sports academy along with 1,000 of the most talented young sports stars in Hungary.

It was while playing for the Debrecen team that he was selected to represent the under 16 National team.

'People were very proud that someone from the town was representing the country. They would come up to me in the street and congratulate me, said 45-year-old Varga in January.

'Bertold is known much more for his basketball than his modelling. They do know he is a model, but not so many people approach me to talk about him.'

While attending the Debrecen Sport Academy Zahoran came to the attention of hairdresser Balogh.

'I needed someone to model for me in competitions and Zahoran agreed,' he said.

'What first struck me about him was his piercing blue eyes. He also had a wonderful head of hair that I could work with.

'Other people began to notice him and he was asked to model for other hairdressers.'

'I remember one time he came to the salon just after a basketball match. He had a big red mark on his face and we had to use a lot of make-up to hide it before the competition.'

Good fortune: Zahoran's relationship with Deng  who received a $44m three storey home as part of her 2013 divorce settlement from billionaire Rupert Murdoch  will also open doors to the cream of New York society. Picture: The model with friends in Hungary before he was famous

Asked about her son's girlfriend being three years older than her, Varga said:' That is none of my business. It is his life.'

Varga said she hoped to visit New York to see her son adding: 'Apart from the Christmas holidays he was only here last January. I would love to see him more, but I know he is very busy.'

Among his biggest fan is Donatella Versace. She is reported to have personally chosen him for one of her campaigns.

Runway shows quickly followed and he is a regular for Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Armani.

Photographer Mark Segal believes he gave Zahoran his big break when he featured him in a photo spread for Vogues Hommes magazine in the summer of 2014.

The photos were published the following year and Segal told the magazine : 'I was travelling in Prague when my close friend Cliff Fong texted me to join him in Budapest.

'He mentioned he knew someone starting a modeling agency (WAM models Budapest) there and thought I might want to do some portraits of their guys. I have always been fascinated with Eastern European faces so decided to go and check it out.'

Segal would later shoot Zahoran in the gardens of Millard House in California.

Zahoran candidly admits that he cannot believe his good fortune in going from a small town in Hungary to living in New York City.

He said: 'When I started modeling I dreamed about doing big shows like Givenchy, but I never thought that I would open the show in my first season, or ever. When they confirmed the first look on me I was the happiest guy in the world. Dreams do come true. The show was unbelievable; I think I forgot to breathe when I was on the runway.'
It was revealed earlier this month that Queen of the Jungle Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo would be replacing him on This Morning.

And Rylan Clark-Neal has now addressed the reports he's been axed from hosting the showbiz segment for the first time, insisting he's not been sacked and is instead taking some time off.

The TV personality tweeted: 'Truth is I need a break. Ive been working constantly for 5 years and I need time to myself.

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Speaking out: Rylan Clark-Neal has addressed reports he's been axed from This Morning for the first time, insisting he's just taking some time off

'Ill still be at Big Bro. I just need to take some time to myself. Thats all. Ill be back soon.'

The star was met with messages of support from his followers, who declared that they couldn't wait for his return and wished him a lovely break.

Others were less sympathetic, however, with one fan sharing, 'Try working 20 years for the NHS we could all do with a break!'

'It must be exhausting talking for 20 minutes on telly', another tweeted.

Furious Rylan has since deleted the tweet, replacing it with another sarcastic message and a GIF of himself rolling his eyes.

Speaking out: The star was met with messages of support from his followers, who declared that they couldn't wait for his return and wished him a lovely break... but others were less sympathetic

Sassy: Furious Rylan has since deleted the tweet, replacing it with another sarcastic message and a GIF of himself rolling his eyes

New role: I'm A Celebrity star Toff recently announced she will be replacing showbiz gossip king Rylan while he takes a temporary break

He wrote: 'WHEN YOU PIT A NICE LITTLE TWEET UP AND PEOPLE PIPE UP..... Ill just keep it simple.......

'Ive not been sacked from @thismorning just having some time off thats all. Night (sic)'.

I'm A Celebrity star Toff recently announced she will be replacing showbiz gossip king Rylan while he takes a temporary break.

The Made in Chelsea star, 23, revealed the exciting news live from a mountain in Verbier, Switzerland, as she promised to be back on TV screens in January before wishing viewers a Merry Christmas.

New guard: Departing host Rylan, 29, who stole the moment and made sure he left the show with a bang as he remarked 'In with the new, out with the old' before assuring viewers he would be back, albeit in a rather unsavoury manner

But it was departing host Rylan, 29, who stole the moment and made sure he left the show with a bang as he remarked 'In with the new, out with the old' before assuring viewers he would be back, albeit in a rather unsavoury manner.

He said: 'I'm like an STD, I always come back.'

His comments caused a wave of reaction on social media with one amused fan writing 'that was a classic' before another wrote 'I've cried and laughed today.. 'well you can't sack him' for his STD comment.. just hilarious!.

Another shocked fan wrote : 'Brilliant one liner from Rylan..... like an STD, I'll always be back.'

Live TV test: The Made in Chelsea star, 23, revealed the exciting news live from a mountain in Verbier, Switzerland, as she promised to be back on TV screens in January before wishing viewers a Merry Christmas

Wow: Rylan was quick to take advantage of the situation as he dropped the line 'I'm like an STD, I always come back'

A emotional viewer said: 'So here I am crying and you never fail to make me laugh again.. "I'm like an STD, I will come back".. aww I'm gonna miss you sooo much hun!'

A further fan wrote 'hilarious STD, you will be missed' while another fan said: 'I'm like an STD, I'll always come back" literally has to be the funniest thing I've heard on tv all year.'

Talking to the pair about the decision live from his Gossip Grotto last week, Rylan said: 'I've not really said anything but after Christmas, next Friday, I'm going to be going away for a little bit.

'It's definitely not goodbye but I'm going to be taking a little bit of a break in the new year. But I just want to say thank you because it's been lovely and I will be back.'

Wow: His comments caused a wave of reaction on social media with one amused fan writing 'that was a classic

Rylan was unclear as to why he has decided to leave the show as they filmed This Morning on Ice outside in freezing weather.

Holly was clearly upset by the news and said: 'I feel like you're our child who is going off travelling to explore new things.'

She added: 'You must come back and see us!'

Excitement: Toff took to Instagram to share a sneak peek of her This Morning filming in the Alps

He later joked that during his time away he would become a florist with Elizabeth from The Apprentice.

The dashing host usually dishes out the showbiz gossip on the ITV brunch time show throughout the week, and fans quickly took to Twitter and other social media to express their sadness over the decision.

Fans will still get to see Rylan in the new year, though, as it's been confirmed he'll host Celebrity Big Brother's spin-off show 'Bit on the Side' when it returns at the beginning of January.
She's bagged a starring role in hotly-anticipated drama McMafia.

And as she prepares to play the sizzling leading lady and love interest of James Norton, Juliet Rylance has proved she has no problems playing a femme fatale, as demonstrated in The Knick.

Resurfaced scenes from her 2013 role in the American hospital drama see the 38-year-old actress strip topless for a steamy sex scene.

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Stripping off: Juliet Rylance has proved she has no problems playing a femme fatale, as demonstrated in a resurfaced 2013 sex scene from historical hospital drama The Knick

Juliet starred alongside Clive Owen in The Knick, which followed the lives of staff at New York's Knickerbocker Hospital during the early part of the twentieth century.

She previously spoke of her joy at playing such a racy character, telling Gold Derby : 'She has to be very buttoned up. There is social etiquette of whats expected from her and, obviously, she has to behave in a certain way, but theres this flipside to her, which I love.

'She loves first and thinks later, and I love that juxtaposition between being very buttoned up in one sense and very unbuttoned sort of in privacy, so thats really fun.'

Two's company: Juliet will now appear in the BBCs big-budget New Year drama McMafia - where she stars alongside James Norton

Juliet will now appear in the BBCs big-budget New Year drama McMafia - where she stars alongside James Norton.

McMafia was inspired by Misha Glennys non-fiction book McMafia: Seriously Organised Crime, which was published in 2008, but the majority of the main story is fictional.

Across eight hour-long episodes, McMafia spins a multi-layered tale of corrupt politicians, money-laundering, counterfeiting and human trafficking, bringing us close to this new criminal order.

Leading lady: Juliet has proved her diversity in the acting world and is now gearing up to play James Norton's love interest in the hotly-anticipated New Years BBC drama, McMafia

In a giddying world tour, it takes in more locations than any BBC drama series has ever done before, visiting 12 different countries, filming in places as varied as the Egyptian desert, the Mumbai docks and Moscows Red Square.

The drama tells the story of Dimitri Godman, Alexs father, and his mother Oksana (played by Aleksey Serebryakov and Maria Shukshina, the Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep of Russia, according to Watkins).

Some years before we meet them, they had been driven by a rival Russian gang boss into exile in England. Living in morose, vodka-infused purposelessness, still under threat from their Moscow-based nemesis, the couple had done what Glenny observed was a characteristic of the modern successful gangster: they put their children through a classic English education.

McMafia begins on New Years Day at 9pm on BBC1
She opened up about her reunion with on-again boyfriend Matthew Koma on CBS's The Talk earlier this month.

And Hilary Duff displayed a casual appearance in a light grey wrap up top and skintight bottoms as she left You Doll You salon in Beverly Hills on Wednesday.

Giving a peek at her taut abs in a cropped tee, the 30-year-old actress showcased her slender physique as she opted for semi-sporty attire.

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Relaxed appearance: Hilary Duff, 30, put on a casual display in a light grey wrap up top and skintight bottoms as she left a spa trip in Beverely Hills on Wednesday

The Texas native flaunted her lean legs in glossy leggings while her top showed off her slender waist.

Sporting monochrome Nike trainers, Hilary tied a relaxed Bella Dahl flannel shirt while pairing her low key ensemble with a quilted Chanel backpack.

Her complexion radiated a beaming glow as she hid behind blue tinted sunglasses, teamed with loosely tousled waves.

Low key: Sporting monochrome Nike trainers, Hilary tied a relaxed Bella Dahl flannel shirt while pairing her low key ensemble with a quilted Chanel backpack

The Sparks songstress took to social media last Wednesday as she posted a cute snap with her beau Matthew Koma.

Shared with her 8.7 million Instagram followers, the blonde beauty was all smiles as she held onto her musician beau, humorously captioning the picture: 'He was actually choking me'.

The couple were first spotted together in January this year, but took subsequent breaks in April and July.

Playful: One day earlier, Hilary posted a cute snap of her and Matthew beaming for the camera; she shared it with her 8.7 million Instagram followers on Wednesday

After giving their relationship another shot in October, Hilary recently opened up about getting back with her ex: 'Timing is such a big deal. Third time's a charm!' she said on The Talk.

The former Disney star was originally asked her thoughts on Selena Gomez' decision to rekindle her romance with Justin Bieber while appearing on The Talk.

Hilary told the hosts of The Talk that she believes going back to a former boyfriend works well.

She said: 'It's going so great! I mean, this is like the third time that we've dated and I think that what [Selena] says has so much merit to it. Timing is such a big deal.'

Hilary continued during her appearance: 'Third time's a charm! I think that you have history and a past with someone and love, and just because it doesn't work out the first time, the second time, as long as there's not too much damage done, then, it can always workout again.'
She is currently expecting her first child with boyfriend Dane Goodson.

And keen to showcase her pregnancy frame, Casey Batchelor looked sensational as she slipped into a tropical print bikini to soak up the sunshine while enjoying a festive break in Lanzarote.

The former glamour model, 32, proudly paraded her blossoming baby bump in the scanty two-piece that teased a look at her bronzed physique, along with her buxom bust.

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Blossoming: Pregnant Casey Batchelor, 32, looked sensational as she slipped into a tropical print bikini to soak up the sunshine while enjoying a festive break in Lanzarote

Casey stunned in her beach attire that paired together a plunging bikini top, that struggled to contain her assets, along with a pair of skimpy briefs that sat low on her hips - leaving her baby bump on full display.

Oozing body confidence, Casey was seen sauntering along the sand - ensuring all eyes were on her incredibly toned pins as she did so.

She accessorised her swimwear with a simple silver pendant around her neck and left her glossy brunette tresses down to fall past her shoulders in drawn-out voluminous curls.

Appearing at ease and perfectly content as she topped up her tan in the desirable temperatures overseas, Casey beamed as she clutched onto her baby bump and reclined by the water.

Mother-to-be: The former glamour model, 32, proudly paraded her blossoming baby bump in the scanty two-piece that teased a look at her bronzed physique, along with her buxom bust

Glowing: Casey stunned in her beach attire that paired together a plunging bikini top, that struggled to contain her assets, along with a pair of skimpy briefs that sat low on her hips - leaving her baby bump on full display

The reality star stunned during her beach jaunt and sported a glamorous make-up look that favoured neutral tones, bronzer-swept cheeks and a nude lip.

Her break away in the Canaries comes as Casey is preparing to welcome her first child with beau Dane in 2018. She and Dane had kept their romance tightly under wraps for 18 months, before deciding to go public with their exciting baby news in November.

A smitten Casey has said of her boyfriend that she finally believes she has 'found her prince', while an insider recently divulged to The Sun that the 'starlet' was overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a mum - revealing she had previously considered freezing her eggs as she thought her 'happy ending would never come'.

Of the pregnancy news, a source told the publication: 'Its been a long time coming for Casey whos had such bad luck with guys she was considering freezing her eggs because she thought her happy ending would never happen.

Smitten: She is expecting her first child with boyfriend Dane Goodson - they had kept their romance tightly under wraps for 18 months, before deciding to go public with their exciting baby news in November

'But it really was love at first sight for her and Dane and a year and a half on they are overjoyed about becoming parents. She really believes shes finally found her prince and loves hes someone completely separate from the industry.'

Casey had confirmed her pregnancy last month, sharing a snap of her baby bump to social media and penning: 'So yes its official..... I am pregnant. Im so excited, overwhelmed and happy. My fairy tale ending has really come true.'

Speaking to Closer magazine about the news, the yoga lover later explained that she and boyfriend Dane had planned to start a family together, but she had fallen pregnant a lot sooner than expected.

Casey said: 'We'd only started trying. I thought I was bloated and I'd been to the doctors for some tests - I cried because I thought something was wrong with me!'

Exciting: A smitten Casey has said of her boyfriend that she finally believes she has 'found her prince', while an insider recently divulged to The Sun that the 'starlet' was overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a mum

Happy ending: The yoga lover later explained that she and boyfriend Dane had planned to start a family together, but she had fallen pregnant a lot sooner than expected and initially thought she was just 'bloated'

The beauty - who is four months pregnant - has since hinted that she could be expecting two new arrivals, given her huge baby bump and a history of twins in her family.

The busty brunette, who had a breast reduction in 2014 to bring her 32GG bust down to a 32EE, also admitted her 'boobs are out of control' now she is expecting, as they've been growing at a rapid rate.

Casey had previously spoken of the struggles she has faced when it comes to her larger chest size and had embarked on a breast reduction after feeling 'insecure' about her ample assets.

She had been delighted with her smaller bust following the surgery, but later revealed her assets had grown naturally in the time that had passed since the procedure and she was learning to embrace her larger chest size instead.

'Apparently it does happen if that's the way your body wants to be be,' she said, before adding: 'And large boobs run in my family on both sides so I have to get used to it.'
After having gone under the knife dozens of times to achieve a look all of his own, Rodrigo Alves has been widely known by the nickname 'Human Ken Doll'.

But the reality TV star is keen to step away from the moniker, as he believes it betrays his own efforts for individuality - so he now wants to be known as 'Roddy Doll'.

The 34-year-old Brazilian, who is currently spending time in Marbella, also told exclusively MailOnline that his 'unrealistic' appearance from his rolling list of plastic surgeries has led to him attracting the attentions of both women and men.

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New name: Rodrigo Alves has revealed that he's keen to ditch his 'Human Ken Doll' nickname

Speaking about his enduring nickname, he said: 'I want to change my image and not to be called Ken Doll anymore. I never aimed to look like the Ken Doll, but due to my fashion sense and my lifestyle I was given the nickname five years ago.

'I have being having fun with it, but I dont like like the name, I may look like a doll and that is my own self Rodrigo Alves the Doll. My friends call me Roddy, so from now on I would like to say goodbye to Ken Doll and be addressed as Roddy Doll.'

However, while his carefully crafted look has garnered him much attention over the years - and secured him appearances on a string of reality shows across the globe - Rodrigo admits that his distinctive visage falls outside of the realm of convention.

Plastic fantastic: The reality TV star's plastic surgery efforts have led to him being compared to the Mattel doll, but he insists he has crafted an individual look of his own

Transformation: The Brazilian has undergone quite the transformation over the past few years, thanks to his several cosmetic surgery procedures. Pictured here in February 2015

'I look unrealistic and I dont fit in into the male beauty stereotype,' he admitted, before adding: 'It feels good to stand out and to look different.'

Part of his ability to stand out has led to him getting eyed by a cross-section of admirers, with Rodrigo revealing: 'I get a lot of attention from guys and girls.

'Girls want to touch me to see if I'm real... Straight guys say, "Wow, your skin, and hair look better than my girlfriend's." Ladies usually say, "Wow, you dress so well! I wish that my boyfriend was so smartly dressed like you and perfumed."'

Hair we go: On Wednesday, Rodrigo was spotted getting his hair coloured at a Marbella salon

Tress-ed to impress: The following day, he took to Instagram to show off his new grey tresses

However, the attention has yet to garner him any romance - not that he's complaining: 'I'm single and not looking for anyone,' he said. 'But I take [the attention] as a compliment.'

On Wednesday, Rodrigo was spotted getting his hair coloured as he continues to soak up some winter sunshine in Marbella.

Rodrigo - who splits his time between Spain and London - displayed his usual quirky style in a blue suit jacket and a flamboyant shirt as he arrived at the hairdressers to alter the shade of his follicles to grey as he prepares to welcome in the New Year.

Ladies and lads love Rodrigo: He told MailOnline that he gets attention from men and women

His salon appointment was a little more of a smooth and relaxing experience than his recent trip to a local practice, where he treated himself to a chemical peel.

A chemical peel involves applying an acid-containing lotion to the face, letting it soak through and then peeling off the old skin to reveal fresh new skin in its place.

Speaking to MailOnline, Rodrigo said: 'It was fairly painful, and my face looks red now. It feels like burning! Here in Marbella is very sunny and I cant go out for the next few days unless I have a lot of sun protection!

Stripped back: During his festive trip to Marbella, Rodrigo revealed that he got himself a chemical peel - and showed off the painful-looking results

'In 2018, Im turning 35 and my quest has never been to look perfect but to look ageless. Due to the lights from the TV studios and the make-up, my skin has been looking rough, but this treatment will make my skin look finer and younger.'

He added: 'I would never let myself go and no one will ever see any wrinkle on my face. Some men think that only going to the gym and looking muscular is enough.

'I believe that men should also look after their faces with night cream and make-up just like I do. Taking pride in your appearance is loving yourself.'

Dressed to impress: Stepping out in style, the 34-year-old TV personality donned an eye-catching printed jacket and velvet jumper as he stepped out in Marbella on Tuesday

Raw: A chemical peel involves applying an acid-containing lotion to the face, letting it soak through and then peeling off the old skin to reveal fresh new skin in its place (pictured: Samantha Jones on Sex And The City after having a chemical face peel)

Earlier this month, Rodrigo revealed plans to have six ribs removed in what would be his landmark 60th cosmetic procedure.

But he was left left frustrated after surgeons refused to perform the full procedure over fears it would compromise his lungs.

Instead, a top Hollywood surgeon will remove four floating ribs in a 28,000 procedure slated to take place next month to give the jet-setter, who has spent an estimated 400,000 on plastic surgeries, an 'elegant and classic figure'.

Before and after: Rodrigo seen fresh faced (L) and after his chemical peel (R)

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the star said he was initially disappointed not to have the green-light for the original operation after he tried to convince his doctor to remove six ribs.

He said: 'I was frustrated at first because I really want to be able to fit back into my four breast blazers as before but removing two extra ribs could compromise my lungs, and my doctors must be very careful that my health is not compromised.

'They said a big no to that and said that safety always come first. Aesthetically speaking the results will be the same as if six ribs were removed. The visual impact will be the same.'

'My life shall be changed forever as from January 2018 and by summer 2018 I will be looking like a fitness model.'

Ouch! Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Rodrigo said: 'It was fairly painful, and my face looks red now. It feels like burning!'

The fashion-forward star said he was motivated to go under the knife once more so he would feel more confident in his couture blazers, and because he felt his hunky physique had become 'shapeless and big'.

Despite his extensive catalogue of procedures, the socialite admitted to nerves ahead of the operation, which he says has been favoured by many celebs, but said he was looking forward to not 'bursting out of his slim-fit blazers.'

He said: 'It will be my surgery number 60 between countless procedures but I'm nervous yes because this is not a plastic surgery where skin or fat will be removed, we are talking about my floating ribs,

Lathered up: The procedure involves donning a face cream that burns the skin as he explained: 'I would never let myself go and no one will ever see any wrinkle on my face'

'I have being advised by all the doctors that it is a safe procedure but it is unknown to the public because people that have it done dont talk about it.

'Having ribs removed isnt plastic surgery. It is a real surgery where the doctors will be changing the shape on my mid body to a very small size.

'Im very much image conscious and I love my fashion. The rib removal will change my body shape quite dramatically and the results will be seen instantly. Afterwards that I won't be bursting in my slim fit blazers anymore. I shall gain a very elegant and classic figure.'
Jeremy McConnell has marked his early release from jail by having a vast tattoo of his prison number inked on his inner thigh.

The former CBB star, 27, served just 34 days in jail, after he was locked up for missing community service so he could undergo a hair transplant in Istanbul and upon release he took to social media to share his swift trip to the tattoo parlour.

A source close to Jeremy told MailOnline: 'Jez is making a clean start in 2018 and wont go back to the life he had before. This tattoo will serve a reminder for him of a closed chapter of his life.'

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Shock move: Jeremy McConnell, 27, has marked his early release from jail by having a vast tattoo of his prison number inked on his inner thigh

Jeremy was released, after news surfaced revealing he had appealed his sentence, and returning to social media, he filmed himself having an inking etched on his leg.

While his official Instagram page remains empty, after his deleting spree ahead of being locked up, Jeremy filmed himself for his Instagram story.

The Irish model was seen reclining on a seat as a tattoo artist set to work on his leg - adding to Jeremy's already impressive tattoo collection. He boasts many designs all the way up his legs and across his arms and chest.

Jeremy didn't reveal his new inking on the photo-sharing app at first, but did pen across the short clip: 'Back home @jp_tattooist' before making the big unveil just a few hours later.

Tat's the way! The former Celebrity Big Brother star filmed himself having a new inking etched onto his leg, as he revealed he was 'back home'

Shock move: It came after he was handed a suspended sentence and 200-hour community service order after a high-profile trial where he was found guilty of attacking ex-girlfriend Stephanie Davis at her home in Rainhill, Merseyside in March, earlier this year

Something to laugh at? Rather shockingly, Jeremy also shared an image taken off one of a friend's Instagram account showing his departure from prison and mocking the hair transplant

He wrote across the top of the image: 'JP whacking that prison number as a dead past is buried. Onwards and upwards @jp_tattooist'.

Rather shockingly, Jeremy also shared an image taken off one of a friend's Instagram account showing his departure from prison and mocking the hair transplant.

The image saw his friend circle the hair on the man walking in front of him while adding the caption: 'Great to see him released, don't know about his hair transplant though'. The friend in question claims to be a life coach in his Instagram bio.

A representative for Jeremy declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

His trip to the tattoo parlour comes after reports claimed Jeremy is 'so excited' to be out of jail. He had served less than five weeks of the 18-week sentence he was given as a result of missing his community service.

It came after he was handed a suspended sentence and 200-hour community service order after a high-profile trial where he was found guilty of attacking ex-girlfriend Stephanie Davis at her home in Rainhill, Merseyside in March, earlier this year.

On the up: He wrote across the top of the image: 'JP whacking that prison number as a dead past is buried. Onwards and upwards @jp_tattooist'

During proceedings in August, a judge said Jeremy had shown no remorse for the attack on his ex-girlfriend or the impact it must have had on their son, Caben.

Sentencing him at Liverpool Magistrates Court last month, District Judge Wendy Lloyd said she tried to rehabilitate Jeremy with a suspended sentence to protect women from future violence.

She added: 'Your enthusiasm for co-operation has been short lived and there's nothing to show in the future things will change.'

Free man: Jeremy (pictured above with ex Stephanie Davis) served just 34 days in jail, after he was locked up for missing community service so he could undergo a hair transplant in Istanbul

Trouble: He was handed a suspended sentence and 200-hour community service order after a high-profile trial where he was found guilty of attacking ex-girlfriend Stephanie at her home

Drama: Jeremy then missed eight work appointments in the 200-hour order, prompting the court to activate his sentence for failing to comply with his punishment

Jeremy then missed eight work appointments in the 200-hour order, prompting the court to activate his sentence for failing to comply with his punishment. He had appealed his sentence, but hearings were delayed due to an administrative error. His release this week suggests he may have won a cut to the term.

On his exit from HMP Cardiff, Jeremy is reportedly keen to land a place on much-loved ITV reality show I'm A Celebrity, won by Made In Chelsea's Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo this year, claiming the jungle will be 'easy' compared to jail.

A source told The Sun: 'Jeremy is joking to friends that he's done Big Brother, he's done prison, so the next thing is I'm A Celebrity. He's joking it'd be easy after prison... he's feeling optimistic.'

The claims come after Jeremy has reportedly been criticising the conditions he was forced to endure while in prison. Friends of the star had told the paper: 'Jez was so excited to walk around as a free man.

Wishful thinking? On his exit from HMP Cardiff, Jeremy is reportedly keen to land a place on much-loved ITV reality show I'm A Celebrity, won by Made In Chelsea's Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo this year (above), claiming the jungle will be 'easy' compared to jail

'Now he's out it's a fresh start for him. Jez told us prison food was s**t and was in great form, laughing and joking with us.'

Jeremy, meanwhile, is said to be thrilled he can join his pals for New Year's Eve.

He had reached out to his social media followers after leaving prison and penned: 'Thanks for all your messages. I've read so much lies and it's incredible. Have a good New Year.'

His former love Stephanie, meanwhile, has been forced to publicly deny reports claiming she was left 'extremely upset' by ex-boyfriend Jeremy's early release.

Insisting that hadn't been the case, she shared a statement that read: 'A source close to Steph denied she was upset and said: She has no thoughts or feelings regarding him and has not made any such comment to anyone so whoever has said that is untrue.'


She announced she will be returning to EastEnders as a much 'darker' Mel Owen next year.

And Tamzin Outhwaite has hinted her villainous on-screen husband may also make a surprise return to Albert Square.

Steve Owen played by Martin Kemp appeared to come to a perilous end back in 2002 when his car exploded with him trapped inside.

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Back again? Tamzin Outhwaite has hinted her villainous on-screen husband may also make a surprise return to Albert Square

'I'd love my ex-husband to return but he's dead,' the 47-year-old actress told The Sun Online.

'I do think he could have got out in that three seconds and rolled underneath the car.'

A pregnant Mel was forced to go run after Steve's tragic accident, learning of his betrayals - including his affair with Sam Mitchell and money laundering.

Dramatic scenes: Steve Owen played by Martin Kemp appeared to come to a perilous end back in 2002 when his car exploded with him trapped inside

Speaking about how her character has developed over the past 15 years, she said: 'She's damaged, much more damaged and darker.'

Mel will return with her son Hunter, played by Charlie Winter, who is now a teenager.

Viewers will learn he has never met his father Steve before.

Producers have described Hunter as 'charming and charismatic' like his Lothario dad, but similarly has a 'dark side'.

Both Tamzin and Charlie have begun filming scenes already on the London set, but the air date for their characters' first appearance is unknown.

Back in Albert Square: Mel will return with her son Hunter, who is now a teenager and has never met his father Steve

Escape: A pregnant Mel was forced to go run after Steve's tragic accident, learning of his betrayals - including his affair with Sam Mitchell and being arrested for his money laundering

Charlie said: 'I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be on such an iconic show as EastEnders. It still feels really surreal that this has happened.

'It's an exciting time for me and I can't wait to get stuck in and for everyone to meet Hunter.'

EastEnders has celebrated boosted ratings this year thanks to it's extreme storylines.

Show boss John Yorke has been instrumental in bringing fan favourites like Mel back, as well as Kat and Alfie Moon [Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie].

The couple's return has also prompted the characters of Big Mo [Laila Morse] and Jean Slater [Gillian Wright] to return.

MailOnline has contacted a representative from Eastenders for further comment.
She's remained optimistic after being diagnosed with breast cancer in September.

And Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 56, added a touch of romance to her holiday season as she shared a photo on Instagram puckered up for a kiss under the mistletoe with husband Brad Hall, 59.

The Veep actress looked to be in good spirits as she cuddled up to her husband of 30 years during a break from grueling cancer treatments.

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Kisses: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 56, added a touch of romance to her holiday season as she shared a photo on Instagram puckered up for a kiss under the mistletoe with husband Brad Hall, 59

Julia and Brad donned matching puffy black coats and caps on their heads - hers a maroon knit, his a red-and-white Santa cap.

'Our pal, @stevenrstroud captured this #mistletoe moment on Xmas eve,' Louis-Dreyfus captioned the loving snap, adding the hashtags #love and #myhero.

The couple met as students at Northwestern University in Illinois when she auditioned for a play he was producing, according to Country Living.

Just days before, the Seinfeld actress was poking fun at her somewhat somber situation with a photo of blood work for her treatment.

Sweethearts: The adorable couple met as students at Northwestern University in Illinois when she auditioned for a play he was producing, according to Country Living; seen in 2016

'My awesome Xmas cocktail': Julia Louis-Dreyfus took to Instagram on Friday to share a photo of her blood transfusion bag as she continues her cancer treatment

She captioned the image: 'Getting ready for the holidays with my awesome Xmas cocktail. #jollytransfusion #ivebeengood.'

The post comes just months after she revealed her battle with breast cancer and hiatus from her award-winning role on HBO's Veep.

Back on September 28, Louis-Dreyfus took to Twitter to reveal her shocking diagnosis just one day after a record-setting Emmy Win.

'Just when you thought' she tweeted, with the image attached. '1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I'm the one.

Strong: The 56-year-old actress (pictured at the Emmy Awards in LA back in September) has been battling breast cancer

'Just when you thought...': Back on September 28, Louis-Dreyfus took to Twitter to reveal her shocking diagnosis just one day after a record-setting Emmy Win

'The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring family, and friends, and fantastic insurance through my union.

'The bad news is that not all women are so lucky, so let's fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality.'

At the time, the Veep star had just won her sixth consecutive Emmy.

She set the record for most wins for a performance in the same role for the same series with that win.

Keeping her chin up: In October Julia proved her sense of humor is as strong as ever as she shared this funny snap

HBO told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement that the mother-of-two learned about her diagnosis just one day after the Emmy awards.

'Our love and support go out to Julia and her family at this time,' HBO said in the statement to THR.

'We have every confidence she will get through this with her usual tenacity and undaunted spirit, and look forward to her return to health and to HBO for the final season of Veep.'

The production schedule for Veep will be adjusted as needed, HBO said.

It was announced months ago that the upcoming 7th season of the Veep will be its last.
She has been making the most of her festive holiday in St Barts.

And Rupert Murdoch's famed ex-wife Wendi Deng, looked thoroughly relaxed as she shared a playful beach snap via her Instagram on Thursday.

Clad in a skimpy red bikini, the 49-year-old flaunted her sensational physique on the beach jaunt.

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Youthful: Rupert Murdoch's famed ex-wife Wendi Deng (L), looked thoroughly relaxed as she shared a playful beach snap with close friend Xin Li (R) via her Instagram on Thursday

Splashing through the water, the Chinese-American beauty showed off her petite frame in the flattering ensemble as she held hands with her pal Xin Li.

The movie producer highlighted her model pins in a pair thigh-slimming bikini briefs accentuated her cleavage with a halterneck triangle top.

Wendi looked radiant, showcasing her natural beauty with a minimal make-up look and let her tousled raven tresses fall over her shoulders.

Radiant: Clad in a skimpy red bikini, the 49-year-old flaunted her sensational physique on the beach jaunt

The entrepreneur celebrated Xin's birthday, captioning the shot: Happy birthday @lixin1228.'

Xin, who is the Deputy Chairman of Christie's in Asia, is best friends with Wendi after the pair met when they were modelling years ago.

The 42-year-old looked effortlessly glamorous, highlighting her lithe frame with a forest green bikini as she joined Wendi on the beach.

Throwback: The Chinese-American beauty shares two children Grace, 15, and Chloe, 13, with her ex-husband Rupert Murdoch

Wendi has been enjoying her holiday with her 21-year-old model lover - four years after splitting from her billionaire ex-husband Rupert Murdoch.

On Wednesday, she could be seen enjoying a glass of wine with Bertold Zahoran on the Caribbean holiday island.

It comes a year after the couple were spotted together strolling hand-in-hand on a beach on the same island.

Loved up: The mother-of-two has been enjoying her holiday with her 21-year-old model lover, pictured in St Barts last year

Wendi split from Rupert back in 2013 after 14 years of marriage.

At the time, Rupert, 86, cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

There were reports at the time claiming he had grown suspicious of his wife's relationship with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair - the godfather of their daughter Grace.

Details of their divorce settlement were sealed, but it was revealed that Wendi got to keep the couple's three-story Fifth Avenue apartment in New York after the split.

Meanwhile Rupert went on to find love with model Jerry Hall, with the pair tying the knot last year. It was the fourth marriage for the CEO of News Corp.

Hard times: Wendi split from Rupert back in 2013 after 14 years of marriage. At the time, Rupert, 86, cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split

The couple married in 1999 after first meeting in 1997 when Wendi was a TV executive at the Murdoch-owned Star TV network in Hong Kong.

Wendi memorably slapped a man about to throw a custard pie in Rupert's face during a parliamentary hearing with MPs over the phone hacking scandal in 2011.

And the former couple, who share two children Grace, 15, and Chloe, 13, seem to have remained firm friends, with the pair sharing a friendly hug after a family meal in New York in September.

Like mother, like daughter: Her daughter Grace bears a striking resemblance to the raven haired beauty
They've put on a united front since they 'consciously uncoupled' nearly four years ago.

And Chris Martin, 40, and Gwyneth Paltrow, 45, proved they're still the friendliest of exes as they enjoyed a festive family holiday with their children, Apple, 13, and Moses, 11, in Antigua.

The Coldplay frontman was shirtless as he ran across the beach before making a splash in the warm Caribbean waters, just days after going public with new girlfriend, Fifty Shades Of Grey star Dakota Johnson, 28.

A Caribbean Christmas: Chris Martin, 40, and Gwyneth Paltrow , 45, proved they're friendly exes as they enjoyed a festive holiday with their children, Apple, 13, and Moses, 11, in Antigua

The British musician seemed in high spirits as he jumped into the ocean with a male friend.

Gwyneth had just made her exit with daughter Apple, 13, as the pair wrapped up in crisp white towels before heading inside to the family's residence.

While both parents have moved on in different relationships, the former couple have made a jointed effort to maintain a close relationship for their children.

Gwyneth has been dating Glee creator Brad Falchuk, 45, since late 2014 when they met on the set of the musical drama, and the couple recently got engaged.

Fun in the sun: The Coldplay frontman was shirtless as he ran across the beach before making a splash in the warm Caribbean waters

Drying off: Gwyneth had just made her exit with daughter Apple, 13, as the pair wrapped up in crisp white towels before heading inside to the family's residence

Chris was recently seen canoodling with actress Dakota Johnson, 28, on a trip to Paris, France.

In March, Gwyneth shared an adorable photo of the family with the caption: 'HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY to the best daddy in the world!!! We love you so much!'

The decision to remain close despite their break-up was not easy, and Chris admitted to suffering from depression after the split in an interview with the Sunday Times in March 2016.

'I still wake up down a lot of days. But now I feel like I've been given the tools to turn it around,' he said.

Sweet: In March, Gwyneth shared an adorable photo of the family with the caption, 'HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY to the best daddy in the world!!! We love you so much!'

Family first: The decision to remain close despite their break-up was not easy, and Chris admitted to suffering from depression after his split from the Oscar-winning actress

Jumping for joy: Gwyneth posted another snap of Chris and one of their kids getting some air time on the beach

'You can come at it very aggressively and blame and blame. Or you can put yourself in the garage, so to speak. Take yourself apart and clean off the bits. Reassemble.'

On the details of their relationship, he said: 'It's always out there in the media, but I have a very wonderful separation-divorce. It's a divorce but it's a weird one.

'It's funny. I don't think about that word very often- divorce. I don't see it that way. I see it more like you meet someone, you have some time together and things just move through.

'I've lived a lot of life since then.'
Jeremy Piven seems to be having a long vacation with his new love Darcie Lincoln.

For the third day in a row, the loved-up couple has been seen exercising during their Hawaii getaway.

On Thursday the 52-year-old Entourage vet, who has been accused of sexual harassment, and the actress were seen paddle boarding side by side on a river.

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Back to paddling: Jeremy Piven's new love Darcie Lincoln was seen getting in a workout in Hawaii on Thursday

Inseparable: The 52-year-old Entourage vet, who has been accused of sexual harassment, was also on a board

His pretty gal pal wore a grey tank top with small black briefs with a white lace sleeveless jacket.

The looker had her raven hair down and wore a necklace.

Piven looked very Hollywood in his trucker hat and sunglasses, adding a blue T-shirt and floral print shorts.

So much cardio! The small screen sensation was also seen going for a jog

Later the RocknRolla actor was seen running on the beach in a T-shirt and shorts but no sneakers.

His lady love was also on a run as she stuck to a grey zip up jacket and black Nike pants that cut off at the knee.

Piven seemed to not have a worry on his mind as enjoyed the vacation.

The Son Of God actress has also been sharing photos from the trip on Instagram.

He has to stay in shape for TV: Her much older beau also went for a jog

In one image she is seen on a paddle board at night with a Santa hat on.

In another, the star has on a black top and full makeup as she stands on the balcony of what appears to be her hotel. The caption reads: 'Merry Christmas.'

And the one before that sees her in a pink bikini as she paddle boards.

'Sorry, couldnt make it. Had a board meeting... ,' the siren joked.

Flash: The Son Of God actress has also been sharing photos from the trip on Instagram. In one image she is seen on a paddle board at night with a Santa hat on

The movie star has also been in The Bible, Women Of The Bible and Never Let Go.

She is in post production on the film False Witness with Sandy Batchelor and Kevin Interdonato.

This sighting comes after Piven's CBS TV series Wisdom of the Crowd was canceled after just 13 episodes.The network has decided to wrap up Piven's drama series after the original 13 episodes are aired. There are currently four new episodes still to air.

Say cheese: In another, the star has on a black top and full makeup as she stands on the balcony of what appears to be her hotel. The caption reads: 'Merry Christmas'

It comes after allegations surfaced that Piven had sexually abused or harassed multiple women, which the Mr Selfridge star has denied.

Piven - who portrays Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur Jeffrey Tanner in the CBS drama - thanked the show's viewers via Twitter on Monday.

'Wanted to thanks all of you guys for supporting us at #WisdomoftheCrowd,' he tweeted.

Funny lady: And the one before that sees her in a pink bikini as she paddle boards. 'Sorry, couldnt make it. Had a board meeting... ,' the siren joked

'Sorry we don't get to continue with this great family we have created. Proud of the work we did and we will Finish out our 13 episodes with full hearts!'

An industry insider told DailyMail.com earlier this month that Piven had been an 'emotional wreck' since the allegations surfaced and that he broke down in tears while filming his series.

He then walked off set in front of stunned production staff, according to the source.

Not a shy girl: The curvy actress also shared this photo from her sunbathing session

'Jeremy is a mess, he broke down in tears as we were working on a scene and he left the set. Filming was stopped. He has become an emotional wreck within the last week as these allegations mount against him,' the source said.

'Everything appears to be getting on top of him. The set has been increasingly tense.'

The source said Piven has kept 'himself to himself' since the allegations emerged with producers asking production crew to be 'sensitive' when dealing with the actor.

Now with clothes on: Here is an older photo where she wore pink in a home

Piven was accused on Twitter of sexual harassment and assault by 38-year-old actress Ariane Bellamar at the end of October who claimed the star groped her twice, once in his trailer on the Entourage set and the other at the Playboy mansion.

That was followed by actress Cassidy Freeman who said on her Instagram page that Piven engaged in 'predatory behavior' towards her when she was 'far too young.'

This one is over: The star with his cast mates on the CBS series Wisdom Of The Crowd

His biggest hit: Piven with Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon and Adrian Grenier on Entourage

And then two more women have since come forward accusing the Emmy winning actor of sexual assault and harassment.

Washington-based advertising executive Tiffany Bacon Scourby, 39, and Hawaii-based porn star Isis Taylor both say Piven attacked or harassed them.

Anastasia Taneie has also come forward saying she was working as a 23-year-old background actress on Entourage in 2009 when Piven, then 44, cornered her in a darkened corridor and groped her breasts and genitals.

Piven has denied all allegations of sexual assault saying they 'are absolutely false and completely fabricated.'
The holidays are a great time to enjoy doing the things you love doing the most.

And Kaia Gerber was making the most of the winter sunshine in Los Angeles as she slipped into a bright orange swimsuit on Thursday morning.

Soaking up the warm weather, the model, 16 looked relaxed as she gazed out into the middle-distance for an Instagram snap.

Morning dip: Kaia Gerber was making the most of the winter sunshine in Los Angeles as she slipped into a bright orange swimsuit on Thursday morning

The teen beauty - whose parents are supermodel Cindy Crawford and model-turned-businessman Rande Gerber - wore her brunette locks loose in a half mini-knot.

Writing alongside the snap, Kaia told her 2.5 million followers: 'Rise and Shine.'

Proving the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Cindy, 51, also took the opportunity to get some vitamin D.

The supermodel posted a photo of herself overlooking the family's expansive pool and the Pacific Ocean on her Instagram page.

Idyllic shot: Proving the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, the teen's supermodel mother Cindy Crawford, 51, also took the opportunity to get some vitamin D on the family's terrace

Cindy looked happy and relaxed in jeans and a hoodie as she enjoyed her morning coffee on the terrace of the family home.

Later Kaia flashed her toned and tanned tummy in a white cropped T-shirt and flared cut off jeans with black high top sneakers as she went out for lunch with a gal pal in Malibu.

The Crawford-Gerber clan, including Kaia's brother and fellow model Presley, 18, just returned from a family vacation to Colorado where they spent the holidays with members of their extended family.

Out with a gal pal: Kaia flashed her toned and tanned tummy in a white cropped T-shirt and flared cut off jeans with as she went out for lunch with a friend in Malibu

Making a getaway: The leggy lovely waved goodbye as she jumped into her car

Kaia's aunts Chris and Danielle made an appearance on Cindy's Instagram as they were surrounded by a winter wonderland in Steamboat Springs.

Kaia got her first modeling gig at the tender age of ten when she posed as part of the campaign for Versace's junior collection.

Since then, the young beauty has walked for Chanel during fashion week in New York, London, Paris and Milan.

Family time: The Gerber-Crawford family spent their Christmas vacation with extended family in Colorado

Also on her resume is Alexander Wang, Calvin Klein, Moschino, Versace and Saint Laurent.

Cindy recently said of the family's festive traditions: 'We still do stockings on Christmas day and our family will meet us. We try to have some version of a traditional meal although turkey in a bikini feels weird!

'I always make a recipe called Monkey Bread and I try to bring it wherever we are. Our tradition is to always be together.'
Former TOWIE star Cara Kilbey has given birth to her second child with jailbird beau Daniel Harris.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday evening, the reality beauty shared an image of her newborn's feet while adding the caption: 'Welcome to the World... Hunter James Harris 28.12.2017 8lb9oz'.

Already a doting mother to daughter Penelope Blu, Cara - who left the show after four seasons in 2012 - announced she was expecting back in June.

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Happy days: Former TOWIE star Cara Kilbey has given birth to her second child with jailbird beau Daniel Harris

The tot is her second with Daniel - who recently served a year in Wandsworth prison, after he was found guilty of stashing 116,000 in ill-gotten gains in his daughter's bedroom.

In March, Cara revealed Daniel had left prison just weeks after he was slapped with a two-year sentence for stashing ill-gained cash. She took to Instagram to share a selfie with Penelope while writing: 'Daddy we're waiting... it's hometime'.

Cara's amazing news comes after she suffered a miscarriage in 2015, two months after announcing her pregnancy. After news surfaced, she and Daniel were said to be inconsolable following the loss of their first child during its second trimester.

In a statement her representative confirmed: It is with great sadness that I must inform you, that last week Cara Kilbey suffered a late miscarriage. Cara was over five months pregnant when she lost her baby.

When three become four: Cara and Daniel already share little 22-month-old Penelope Blu

Happy days: Already a doting mother to daughter Penelope Blu, Cara - who left the show after four seasons in 2012 - announced she was expecting her second child back in June

Daddy's home: In March, Cara revealed Daniel had left prison just weeks after he was slapped with a two-year sentence for stashing ill-gained cash. She took to Instagram to share a selfie with Penelope while writing: 'Daddy we're waiting... it's hometime'

The doting couple could hardly contain their delight at the arrival of Penelope Blu in February last year as she announced the news via Twitter, penning: 'Welcome to the World... Penelope Blu Harris 12.02.2016 9lb2oz,'

Her representative told MailOnline: 'Cara and Daniel are thrilled to welcome Penelope Blu Harris to the world, she weighed 9lb 2oz and both mother and baby are doing well.'

Cara revealed her pregnancy with Penelope when she was 22 weeks gone after months of nervousness due to her tragic loss earlier that year. She told Closer magazine: 'Daniel and I knew we wanted to get pregnant again straight away so I was overjoyed when I found out I was expecting two months later.

Mummy dearest: Sitting on a bed, she cradled her stomach while daughter Penelope Blu mirrored her pose, shared just two months after Daniel was released from prison having served a year in prison having been accused of masterminding a drugs empire

Happy days: Cara starred opposite her brother Tom on TOWIE (pictured together in 2013)

'We went through an awful time together, and I can see how something that traumatic can break a couple. But we saw a different, more caring side to each other and it brought us so much closer. I'll never forget my first baby, it'll always be part of our family, but now we can't wait to become parents.'

Daniel, who served a year of his spell in Wandsworth prison, was accused of masterminding a drugs empire yet was cleared of drugs charges and found guilty of stashing 116,000 in ill-gotten gains hidden in his daughter's bedroom.

Cara was waiting patiently while her partner languished in jail, shortly after the birth of Penelope.

Happy days: The couple met while Harris was living out in Spain with his father and she was on holiday there. They returned to the UK in September 2015 when she fell pregnant

Happy days: The couple have delighted in the arrival of the latest addition to their family

Daniel was accused of making 'vast profits' by sending drug couriers on mopeds disguised as trainee cab drivers around central London over three-and-a-half years.

He was also charged over a 200,000 heroin deal which was scuppered by police in May 2015. An Old Bailey jury deliberated for a day to clear him of plotting to supply cocaine and heroin, but found him guilty of stashing the money.

Police launched a covert surveillance operation tracking Harris' movements over the course of more than a year before swooping to arrest him in March 2016. The couple have been separated for almost a year when he was taken into custody in early 2016.

The couple met while Harris was living out in Spain with his father and she was on holiday there. They returned to the UK in September 2015 when she fell pregnant.

Other men, some of whom were his friends, went on to plead guilty to their part in the plots and have been jailed for more than 68 years.

Beloved dad: The couple met while Harris was living out in Spain with his father and she was on holiday there. They returned to the UK in September 2015 when she fell pregnant

Evidence suggested the cocaine gang had a turnover of nearly 500,000 a week at the height of their activities. They kept it under wraps by hiring an East End flat and lock-up where they stored six scooters and packaged the cocaine after it was cut with benzocaine.

He knew some of his friends were drug dealers and, after being let in on their secret during a ski holiday to Verbier in Switzerland, he made use of the moped delivery service once, he said.

Daniel's father was arrested in December 2015 for allegedly smuggling drugs from Spain to the UK but he said that he in 'no way' had anything to do with it.

Prosecutor Peter Clement told the judge that he had been 'no mere custodian' of the money, but arranged for it to be gathered, collected it and kept it for weeks before it was discovered - 'all with a view to smuggling to another jurisdiction'.

That was then: Daniel was accused of making 'vast profits' by sending drug couriers on mopeds disguised as trainee cab drivers around central London over three-and-a-half years. He was also charged over a 200,000 heroin deal which was scuppered by police in May 2015

He acknowledged the offence was not motivated by personal gain, instead arising 'out of his father's crisis rather than his own'.

But, he said, an aggravating factor was that the cash was tainted by organised crime and that its intended destination was outside the UK - Spain.

Defending, barrister David Whittaker told the court the unemployed defendant had no money and had not funded the costs of his trial.

Mr Cooke ordered him to pay 4,576 costs to be paid within 56 days and a victim surcharge of 120.

He said he was satisfied that, while Daniel may not be able to pay the sum himself, he could draw upon others for assistance. While three men watched proceedings from the public gallery, Cara was nowhere to be seen.
Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky are the latest celebrities hit in a string of celebrity burglaries over recent months.

The 48-year-old Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star and her 48-year-old real estate agent husband were robbed of over a million dollars in jewelry as the family headed to Aspen for the holidays according to TMZ.

Sources for the publication say the Encino home was empty on Wednesday night as the culprits entered the home by breaking the window.

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Ouch: Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky are the latest celebrities hit in a string of celebrity burglaries over the recent months according to TMZ

Scene of the crime: The 48-year-old Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star and her 48-year-old real estate agent husband were robbed of over a million dollars in jewelry as the family headed to Aspen for the holidays as their Encino home is pictured

The burglar or burglars made out with more than a million dollars in jewelry including $150,000 in watches owned by Umansky.

Kyle's jewelry was in a lock box and it remains unclear if the culprits had got to that according to the publication.

A housekeeper made the discovery as the family is still in Colorado.

Tough times: Sources for the publication say the Encino home was empty on Wednesday night as the culprits entered the home by breaking the window

Sad: A housekeeper made the discovery as the family is still in Colorado

According to TMZ sources there was a security system but it was not on when the burglars had entered the property.

Police were alerted that the burglary occurred at 1:15 am as a sensor in the closet was triggered.

A source from the family also told TMZ that they believe it was an 'inside job' as the home is in the middle of renovations.

The culprits also did not raid the home and seemingly knew where they could find the expensive items.

Happier times: Kyle obviously had no idea what was going on back home as she shared sweet snaps from Aspen including ones with children and hubby Mauricio

Winter wonderland: She also shared this snap of the daughter Portia with their pet pooch Khloe in the snow

Kyle obviously had no idea what was going on back home as she shared sweet snaps from Aspen including ones with children and hubby Mauricio.

The news comes amid several burglaries of celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Kendall Jenner, Emmy Rossum, and Nicki Minaj.

Back in October the couple purchased an $8.253 million home in Encino according to Page Six.

It is known as the 'Smokey Robinson Estate' as it was home to the legendary musician from 1988 to 2002.

They have since put their 6,200-square-foot Bel Air mansion on the market for a cool $6.995 million according to TMZ.
A young boy has been beaten and locked in a car in northern NSW, according to police, who have arrested a man and a woman over the incident.

Police found the 7-year-old locked in a car in Brunswick Heads on Wednesday, with witnesses telling them a man had kicked and dragged him before locking him in the vehicle.

A 43-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman, understood to be the boy's parents or guardians, were charged with a series of offences stemming from the incident.

The man, who faces charges including assault and intimidation, is expected to appear before Tweed Heads Local Court on Thursday, while the woman is due to appear at Byron Bay Local Court in the new year.

Arrangements were being made for the boy's ongoing care, police said.
NRL star Jarryd Hayne has touched down in Sydney after vehemently denying allegations he raped a drunk woman during his time as a professional gridiron player in the United States.

Hayne returned from a trip to Tel Aviv on Thursday morning, however he was reportedly led out a side exit of the international terminal of Sydney airport by Federal Police and avoided waiting media crews.

Hayne's accuser says he took her back to his San Jose home after a San Francisco 49ers game in late 2015 and raped her when she was drunk, however earlier this month his lawyers said he "unequivocally and vehemently" denied the allegations.
Outgoing Queensland senator George Brandis has fired a parting shot at the Liberal National Party merger, claiming he had long warned against far-right parties filling the power vacuum it would create.

Senator Brandis, who will soon head to London as Australia's high commissioner, criticised the party's poor performances at state elections and said he had opposed the 2008 merger from the start.

"I thought in the long run, a power vacuum would open up, particularly in regard to regional Queensland, which would be occupied by other right-wing parties," he told the Courier Mail on Thursday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has defended the amount of external advice her government's agencies have sought after it was revealed they overspent $250 million on contractors and consultants.

The 2017 Internal Controls and Governance report released in December found government agencies overspent on consultants and contractors by a quarter of a billion dollars.

But Ms Berejiklian said on Thursday the current "infrastructure boom" the state was experiencing meant agencies needed to seek more external advice.

"Obviously when you're doing more you also seek outside advice," Ms Berejiklian told reporters.
A 27-year-old man is facing criminal charges over a car crash on the NSW central tablelands that claimed the life of another man in the lead-up to Christmas.

The man was behind the wheel of a BMW sedan that smashed into a taxi van near Walcha late on December 23.

A 25-year-old who was in the front passenger seat was killed at the scene and the driver was left with facial and suspected rib injuries.

The driver of the taxi, a 58-year-old woman, and her 25-year-old male passenger were both taken to Tamworth Hospital.

The BMW driver was taken to hospital for blood and urine tests and attended Glen Innes Police Station on Wednesday, where he was arrested.

On Thursday, police revealed he'd been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning death and two counts of cause bodily harm by misconduct while driving a vehicle.

The man has been granted strict conditional bail and is expected to appear in Armidale Local Court on February 5.
Seven tonnes of fireworks are being shipped into central Brisbane ahead of New Years Eve celebrations.

Brisbane Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner said 85,000 people are expected to join in the celebrations at South Bank Parklands alone, with fireworks shows also at Eagle Street Pier and Portside.

There will be shows at 8:30pm and midnight at all three locations.

"Our New Year's Eve Fireworks are becoming more and more popular every year, and we are this year extending the celebration with six shows across three inner-city locations," he said.

Cr Schrinner said technicians were laying more than 10 kilometres of wiring to connect more than 35,000 individual fireworks, which will be set off by 16 pyrotechnic computer controllers throughout the night.

He said the best vantage points were at the Clem Jones Promenade, Streets Beach, River Quay Kangaroo Point cliffs, or along the riverfront at Eagle Street and Portside Wharf.

Brisbane City Council will wave tolls on the Go Between Bridge from 6pm Sunday to 2am Monday to ease traffic congestion but have urged people to use public transport wherever possible.
There's been a string of haystack fires in rural Victoria but it seems only weather and a scientific reaction are to blame.

A stack of about 2100 hay bales erupted in flames on Wednesday near Pyramid Hill in the state's north.

Burning haystacks have also been reported at Avoca, Barraport, Charlton and Kerang in recent weeks.

The fires come shortly after the new season's baling and Country Fire Authority operations manager John Cutting says they're likely non-suspicious.

"They're starting by spontaneous combustion - in the middle of a paddock," he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.

Recent rainfalls have wet uncovered bales and when this moisture and other nutrients break down under the hot sun a reaction can occur.

"The moisture reacts with the hay breaking down and creates heat," Mr Cutting said.

And if they get hot enough, they can ignite.

Burning bales are usually left to run their course because adding water prolongs the smouldering.

"Most of the time we'll let them burn in a controlled manner - it's an easier way to remove the problem," Mr Cutting said.

Farmers are leaving hay bales uncovered because the weather had been dry before recent rains, he added.

He urged property owners to check bales using heat-detecting tools, or with a more rustic but still effective method.

A crow bar can be stuck into a bail and if it's hot inside the heat will travel along the bar by conduction.

"If the bail is hot in the middle, you'll actually feel the heat on the bar outside the bale," Mr Cutting said.

Mr Cutting said the haystack fires could continue for another six weeks.

About 400 haystack fires erupted in Victoria and southern NSW in 2002 under similar conditions.
Allan Border has questioned Steve Smith's decision to bowl the final over on day two of the fourth Ashes Test, but beneficiary Alastair Cook could understand the logic.

Smith delivered a single over at the MCG on Wednesday.

The skipper brought himself on and hoped for a lapse in concentration from Cook, who was on 93 at the start of the over.

Instead he started with a full toss that was thumped for a boundary and went for a total of 11 runs, ensuring Cook avoided a night in the nervous 90s.

"It was funny in one sense. Steve Smith has got me out before," Cook said.

"At the Oval when I was on 80-odd (and well placed to score his first home Ashes hundred)."

However, Cook admitted he didn't think the prospect of reaching three figures was on the cards that afternoon until Smith came onto bowl.

"I didn't think I was going to do it," England's all-time leading run-scorer told ABC Radio.

"I did think he might bowl a couple of balls I might be able to hit

"It was nice to get there, better to be 100 not out rather than 90-odd not out after the series I've had."

Former Australia captain Border described the timing of Smith's sole over as "a little bit bizarre".

"We're encouraging Steven Smith to bowl more but maybe not at that time," Border told Fox Sports.

"He's been standing around all day, probably a bit stiff, and offered up some nice juicy treats for Alastair Cook to get to his hundred."

Former Test opener Simon Katich argued Smith should have delivered a proper spell.

"He is a good spinner. I played with him in 2009 and 2010 and he was a genius with the ball, spun it both ways," Katich told ABC.

Cook had endured a miserable tour up until the point he posted a 32nd Test century.

The former captain had mixed feelings about the innings, noting "frustration" was his overriding emotion on the trip.

"It's been a tough tour for me, I haven't delivered when I was needed," Cook said.

"Ultimately that hurts.

"The first three games when we needed senior players to stand up, I haven't been good enough to stand up."

Cook suggested there was no circuit-breaker moment that allowed him to find form, saying Smith is one of few Test batsmen who can rattle off runs consistently.

"That's batting, you go through good times and bad times," he said.
Byron Bay detectives have arrested a man over the death of DJ Chris Bradley, also known as Dad Bod, who collapsed at a party on Christmas Day.

The incident was being treated as suspicious after the 28-year-old collapsed around 11.30pm at the party at a Carlyle Street home and police will provide details of the arrest to media on Thursday afternoon.

After the incident, Mr Bradley's sister Maddie described him in a Facebook post as someone who lit up the room with his unique personality and laugh, also questioning "who could do such a horrible thing to such an amazing man".
Turnbull government minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has blasted her own party's campaign tactics in a crucial by-election and accused the Liberals of lurching too far to the left.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells said a 5 per cent swing against the Liberals in Bennelong proved voters were shunning the party in favour of other right-wing options, believing their views were no longer being represented.

Labor accused the coalition of "China-phobia" during the heated campaign, which coincided with former opposition senator Sam Dastyari being ousted from office over his close ties to a Chinese political donor.

"The carpet-bombing of Sam Dastyari, on top of the same-sex marriage issue, and following the very strident prosecution of the foreign interference legislation, did have an effect where the Chinese Australian community was the collateral damage," Senator Fierravanti-Wells told Sky News on Thursday.

One in five Bennelong voters are of Chinese heritage and half don't speak English at home.

"If we are going to adopt this sort of approach, then we have to make sure that our media, and our communication, and our messages are very strong so that collateral damage doesn't have the electoral impact that it had in Bennelong," Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.

The conservative NSW Liberal senator said it was clear that across the country, the coalition was leaking votes to Pauline Hanson's One Nation and Cory Bernardi's Australian Conservatives.

She said the Liberal Party must be the repository of both the liberal and conservative traditions.

"I think we need to respect that more and we need to make sure that we target the electorate in both of those areas."

Senator Fierravanti-Wells said it was obvious Australians did not want Bill Shorten in the lodge, and the coalition had a good message to sell about the growing economy and job creation going into the next election.

"This is a very good message that we have to sell - we just have to be able to sell it better," she said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will take a two week holiday from Thursday, with most of her cabinet taking time off during January.

Ms Palaszczuk will take leave until January 12, with Deputy Premier Jackie Trad returning after a week off to to take over her responsibilities.

Thirteen ministers out of Ms Palaszczuk's 18-member cabinet have booked in holidays at various times over Christmas and early January period, with their responsibilities handed over to those staying on duty.

Health Minister Steven Miles has had the busiest Christmas/New Years week, filling in first as treasurer and then as employment minister and housing minister.

Local government minister Stirling Hinchliffe, meanwhile, will stand in for Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath between January 4 and 14 while also taking over as agriculture minister and minister for state development during the first few weeks of January.

Ms Palaszczuk and her Labor government were re-elected on November 25 for another three years.
A man has been threatened by a tomahawk-wielding man after allegedly trying to detain a woman during an attempted carjacking in Brisbane.

Police are investigating after a woman unsuccessfully attempted to steal a car at Cannon Hill on Thursday as another woman was unpacking the vehicle.

When a man from inside a nearby house came outside and physically detained the offender, another man produced a tomahawk resulting in the woman being released and the pair fleeing the scene in a Holden Commodore sedan.
A woman has allegedly been kidnapped and physically assaulted by a man wielding a screwdriver in the NSW Riverina region.

The 34-year-old man took the woman, who was known to him, from a home in Wodonga, Victoria on December 21 and against her will, took her to several locations in a stolen car over a five-day period, NSW Police said.

The man allegedly physically assaulted the woman with a screwdriver causing injuries to her face and body.

The woman escaped and notified police on Tuesday.

Police charged the man on Wednesday with a string of offences including special aggravated kidnapping, reckless wounding and choking.

He's due to face Albury Local Court later on Thursday.
A reckless Moeen Ali has been savaged for putting himself ahead of the England team in a bid to save his disastrous Ashes campaign.

The allrounder arrived at the MCG crease on day three of the fourth Ashes Test with centurion Alastair Cook rapidly running out of partners and England still trailing Australia at 5-279.

But rather than buckling down and looking to build a solid partnership, Moeen, who has been desperately out of form throughout the series, went on the offensive.

He cracked 12 runs against Nathan Lyon off his second over, including a six over long off which only cleared the outstretched hands of Pat Cummins by a fraction.

Two overs later, Moeen fell victim to his finger-spinning rival for the sixth time from seven innings when his ill-timed cut shot was picked off by a diving Shaun Marsh at short extra cover.

Former Test opener Chris Rogers was incredulous in the ABC Grandstand commentary box as Moeen departed for 20 off 14 balls.

"I'm sorry, but that's a guy who was asked to bat at No.6 at the start of the series," Rogers said.

"He's come out just blind slogging.

"You've got to still have respect for the guy at the other end as well.

"It just feels like it's irresponsible. It's not really in the best interests of the team."

Rogers questioned whether Moeen had been following instructions to take on Lyon or simply improvising.

"You have to find out what his motivation is first ... whether Joe Root or Trevor Bayliss said 'mate, get out there and take them on'," Rogers said.

"If it is his decision ... what's the issue? Is he afraid of short-pitched bowling, is he afraid of Nathan Lyon?"

Moeen was demoted to No.7 after the second Test and has scored 136 runs at 19.42 for the series.

His performance with the ball has been even worse - his return of three wickets at 124.33 has prompted Root to favour part-time legspinner Dawid Malan during the last two Tests.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell said on the Nine Network he expected Moeen to be dropped for the fifth Test in Sydney in favour of uncapped tweaker Mason Crane.
The federal government needs to conduct a review to determine why Australia's road toll is again on the rise, according to the opposition.

Labor transport spokesman Anthony Albanese says the government must inquire into why, after years of decline, the nation's road toll has increased in recent years.

More than 20 people have died on NSW roads alone during the Christmas period, while five have been killed in Queensland and more than 10 in Victoria.

Mr Albanese said the government must take urgent measures.

"The government needs to have an urgent reassessment of why it is that more people are dying on our roads with tragic consequences for their families and for their communities," he told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

"This needs an explanation and it needs a strategy of how we can return to a declining road toll."

Federal Transport Minister Barnaby Joyce has been contacted for comment.
The International Olympic Committee's "cowardly" compromise on Russian athletes at the Winter Olympics will embolden the country's doping regime and forever tarnish the movement, WADA's former chief investigator says.

Jack Robertson, the man who led WADA's probe into Russia's institutional doping, called for new leadership at the IOC after president Thomas Bach imposed what he condemned as "a non-punitive punishment meant to save face while protecting the IOC's and Russia's commercial and political interests".

Earlier this month, the IOC banned Russia from contesting February's Pyeongchang Games over a "systematic manipulation of the anti-doping rules".

However, it will allow athletes who can prove they are clean to compete as an "Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR)" without the country's national flag or anthem.

In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Robertson described the lifeline as a "complete farce", lamenting "this punishment ensures that clean athletes will face dirty ones" and predicting more medals would have to be stripped retrospectively.

Instead of deterring drug takers, he said the punishment served only to discourage whistleblowers such as Yuliya Stepanova and Vitaly Stepanov, who blew open an operation engulfing the majority of national-level athletes and backed by everyone from Russia's doping-control officers to its secret police.

Robertson revealed he leaked the pair's testimonies so public pressure would force WADA to provide his investigation with previously withheld resources.

"Despite all of that, I am less disappointed with Russian athletes than with my own professional peers, key figures in global anti-doping who have supported the IOC's 'neutrality' decision," Robertson wrote.

"I have heard the decision called a 'moral victory'. In my experience, a moral victory is only claimed in a losing effort.

"Let me be clear, there is nothing to be either praised or defended in this decision, which pits clean athletes and against doped ones."

The IOC's decision to hand a life Olympics ban Russia's deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko marked the first time the global body had publicly accepted the state's involvement.

But Robertson said the fact the IOC knows Russia remains unco-operative with WADA proves Bach and his leadership circle have not gone far enough.

He also feared for future Russian athletes caught up in forced doping due to the IOC's lack of protection through sufficient action.

"The IOC reached a compromised decision, and the Olympic Charter is forever tarnished," Robertson wrote.

"The world now knows how low the bar is.

"Any future punishment of less powerful countries will be seen for what it is, a double standard, with the IOC picking and choosing which rules to follow and to whom they apply."

"Looking ahead to the 2018 Games, whether or not more wrongdoing is immediately uncovered in Pyeongchang, it will be taking place.

"Spectators and athletes should consider the final medal count in February as a temporary placeholder, to be adjusted over the next decade as athletes are retroactively disqualified."
Brisbane's return of Mamma Mia! completes a theatrical full circle not just for one Dancing Queen but both of the musical's leading ladies - Natalie O'Donnell and Sarah Morrison

O'Donnell, who plays mother-of-the-bride Donna in the Abba-inspired story, starred in the original 2001 Australian production as Donna's daughter Sophie.

In the latest production, the fourth to tour Down Under, Sophie is played by Brisbane girl Morrison who was a wide-eyed 12-year-old among the Lyric Theatre audience at the time.

She says it was that experience, before she even began singing lessons, which sparked her ambitions to be an actress

"It's a bit of a homecoming," the 27-year-old told AAP.

"It's really, really special, because one of the first shows I ever saw was Mamma Mia! just right out there (pointing to the seats).

"It's a bit of a wipeout now being here on stage."

Watching her on Thursday night will be her parents, brother, old Mount St Michael's schoolmates and friends, many of whom have already heard 18 of Abba's best tracks woven into the musical.

A sold-out premiere season in Canberra, fresh with a new set, has brought Mamma Mia! to Brisbane with rave reviews.

Written by Abba's Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, the musical, made into a 2008 film starring Meryl Streep, is set on a Greek island paradise and starts on the eve of Sophie's wedding.

Never knowing her father, she invites three men she believes may be her dad to the wedding with amusing results.

O'Donnell, who was 23 when she first played Sophie, describes the chance to play Donna - and perform the likes of Dancing Queen, Money Money Money, SOS and The Winner Takes It All - as a gift.

"I was thrilled," she said. "Coming full circle on a show is a rare, rare experience."

Mamma Mia! plays at Brisbane's Lyric Theatre for six weeks before it heads to Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and then Adelaide.
Cows have right of way on Norfolk Island.

"Give way to cattle", a police sign warns in the arrivals area at the island's airport.

It's a handy reminder that life here runs on a different schedule to your usual daily hustle and bustle, and this becomes apparent as you drive along the island's tiny roads where cows freely wander and graze.

There are no traffic lights on Norfolk, no traffic jams and just one roundabout - in the Burnt Pine "business centre"; life in the fast lane this certainly is not, and getting lost is next to impossible.

Discovered in 1774 by Captain James Cook and subsequently bequeathed by Queen Victoria to the descendants of the Bounty mutineers from Pitcairn Island, Norfolk Island has a big history.

A short two-and-a-half-hour flight northeast of Sydney, and with a current population of about 1700 residents, the sub-tropical island is a foodie paradise, adventure play land and relaxing resort all wrapped up in one tiny package.

It's the kind of place where almost every driver waves a greeting as they pass, where the local phone book, due for an update after five years, has a dedicated section where people are listed by their nicknames to avoid confusion, because common surnames such as Christian, Bailey, Buffet, Nobb and Young are so prevalent.

"Gags", "Shorty", "Chilla", "Wiggy" and "Binky" are among dozens of people listed and better known by their monikers than their birth names.

All around, the famous Norfolk pines stand majestically, like sentinels guarding history, while roads such as Stockyard Road, Bullock's Hut Road, Poverty Row and Headstone Road resonate with a time long past.

There's plenty of history to observe.

The World Heritage-listed Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area houses many convict-built buildings and artefacts from the sinking of the Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet.

Guided tours of the site's four museums are very worthwhile - if for no other reason than to debunk some of the imagery portrayed in movies such as The Bounty, starring Mel Gibson.

Guide Sally Davies takes us on an in-depth journey of two of the museums - the Sirius and the Pier Store - narrating the story from the time before the Bounty was requisitioned to collect breadfruit seeds from Tahiti, and including the relationship between Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian, the mutiny itself and Bligh's survival, the fate of the mutineers and the arrival of their descendants on Norfolk after its failed settlement by the British and subsequent industries.

For an hour-and-a-half, we are held mesmerised. Most people will know some of the story; some may know all of it, but hearing it told in-situ, where we can touch the walls, immerse ourselves in the atmosphere and take in the vistas, gives it a colour and immediacy no history book can impart.

It's a microcosm of life as it was and somehow Sally's storytelling makes it tangible.

Back in the car I toss my map aside and let my mind determine the route.

It seems every curve in the road reveals a great view or a link to the past and I am reminded of local tourism officer Tania Anderson's comment as I stop to take a photo of a lone chimney standing forlornly in a field.

"History may be the furthest thing from your mind, but it is all around you."

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE: Air New Zealand operate flights from Sydney every Friday and Monday, and from Brisbane every Saturday and Tuesday. Norfolk Island Airlines operate flights every Saturday from Brisbane.

STAYING THERE: A range of accommodation is available. South Pacific Resort's Superior room with a queen and single bed starts at $160.

PLAYING THERE: A Norfolk Island museum pass provides multiple entries to all four museums (Commissariat Store, No.10 Quality Row, Sirius Museum and the Pier Store) as well as two guided tours. Adults $25, school-aged children free; single non-returnable museum entry $10 adults, school children free. See www.museums.gov.nf or www.norfolkisland.com.au for more details.

The writer travelled as a guest of Norfolk Island Tourism.
A 22-year-old man has been charged over the bashing of a young man and woman at a Brisbane shopping centre car park which ended with a car being stolen.

The man was arrested on Thursday morning, more than 24 hours after the attack at Sunnybank in the early hours of Wednesday, which resulted in the couple being treated in hospital with minor injuries.

Queensland police on Thursday released CCTV footage of the incident which captured five men surrounding a Mitsubishi Magna with four people inside.

Both the man, 26, and woman, 27, were dragged from the Magna and the man was repeatedly punched and kicked in the head, police say, before keys were stolen to a 2012 Holden Civic parked nearby.

One of the group then drove off in the stolen car. Police say members the group were African in appearance.

The 22-year-old man was arrested in Inala and charged with two counts of robbery, one each of unlawful entry of a vehicle, attempted robbery, common assault, wilful damage, robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

He will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.

Detectives are continuing to search for four more men involved in the incident.
A motorbike rider has died after a car crash threw him into traffic north of Brisbane.

A car and a motorcycle were travelling northbound when they collided on the Bruce Highway near Burpengary just after 4.30pm on Thursday, police believe.

The 25-year-old male rider was thrown from his bike and was struck by a third vehicle, which then also struck a car parked on the side of the highway.

He was pronounced dead on the scene.

A 48-year-old woman taken to the Royal Brisbane Hospital in a stable condition.

The highway remains closed as police call for members of the public who witnessed the event to come forward.
Today's Birthday, December 29: Alison Brie, US actor, model (1982-).

To say 34-year-old US actor Alison Brie has been busy doesn't come close to the long list of career highlights the vivacious star has racked up so far.

Transforming herself from an uptight housewife in Mad Men to donning a leotard and body-slamming her way into a wrestling ring in Glow, Brie continues to surprise audiences and directors with vastly different roles.

Born in South Pasadena, California, Brie considers herself a "small-town girl". After acting onstage at the Jewish Community Centre she performed in Californian theatre, occasionally working as a clown at birthday parties.

Before graduating with a bachelor's degree in theatre from California Institute of the Arts in 2005 Brie spent a year at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.

She landed her first television gig playing a hairdresser in a 2006 episode of Hannah Montana.

Following this, she had her major break in Mad Men, in which she starred from 2007 to 2015 playing traditional homemaker Trudy Campbell.

Not bound by a contract, she also scored the role of strait-laced Annie Edison on Community in 2009, with close filming schedules meaning she often worked on both series on the same day.

"The characters' only similarity is their uptightness. I don't know why people see me that way for series, like I'm all prim and proper, when I couldn't be more different. People think I come off that way, but I'm not," Brie told the Pasadena Weekly.

She's starred in multiple films including 2011's Scream 4, The Five-Year-Engagement the following year and Sleeping with Other People in 2015.

Brie has also voiced several characters, including the misunderstood writer Diane Nguyen in black comedy series BoJack Horseman and Princess Unikitty in The Lego Movie - both in 2014.

This year proved a stellar year for the actor. Appearing in comedy films The Little Hours and The Disaster Artist, both with husband Dave Franco, she also headlined Netflix series Glow as a desperate actor who turns to TV wrestling, alongside a cast of 14 other women.
Queensland Rail has issued warnings to New Years revellers to be wary around train stations by releasing footage of drunk patrons falling off rail platforms.

More than 600 people tripped, slipped or fell at Queensland train stations during 2017 and QR chief executive Nick Easy said such incidents were a stark reminder of the dangers of alcohol.

Mr Easy said travellers needed to look out for themselves and their mates during the festive period.

"With trains weighing up to 120 tonnes regularly passing through platforms without the ability to instantly brake or swerve to avoid you, train stations are no place to take risks with your safety," he said.

In one of several worrying CCTV clips released by QR, a man tumbles onto the tracks and security staff are seen frantically signalling an oncoming train, which comes to an abrupt stop before reaching the platform.

Other clips show people falling over while trying to jump fare gates and tripping while walking backwards down an escalator.

Meantime, seven tonnes of fireworks are being shipped into central Brisbane ahead of New Years Eve celebrations.

Brisbane Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner said 85,000 people were expected to join in the celebrations at South Bank Parklands alone, with fireworks shows also at Eagle Street Pier and Portside.

There will be shows at 8.30pm and midnight at all three locations.
Investigators will continue to try and pinpoint the cause of two fires in Melbourne.

A makeshift "camp fire" likely sparked a large grassfire that roared through a suburban Melbourne park and came perilously close to homes, police say.

The blaze broke out at Cheltenham Park on Wednesday and spread quickly, charring graves at a cemetery and coming close to an empty primary school.

Investigators are yet to determine whether the fast-moving blaze was the work of a fire bug or simply an accident.

Another suspicious fire erupted at a nearby Sandringham park on the same hot and windy afternoon, but police have not established a link between the two.

The Cheltenham fire reached the back fences of homes before it was contained by nearly 100 firefighters and four water-bombing aircraft.

Police are investigating after the fire was deemed suspicious by Metropolitan Fire Brigade investigators on Thursday.
NSW's spiralling Christmas road toll has risen to 21, leaving police determined to bring dangerous driving under control.

A woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash near Gunning in the state's south on Thursday morning.

She was driving a van that collided with a heavy vehicle travelling in the same direction on the Hume Highway, police said.

Meanwhile, actress Jessica Falkholt and her sister Annabelle continue to fight for life in Sydney hospitals after a fiery head-on crash near Ulladulla killed their parents.

Both NSW and Victorian police say regional areas of each state have been over-represented in road deaths this year.

In NSW, 285 people have died on regional roads this year compared with 103 in metropolitan areas.

"The community has had enough and so have we," Highway Patrol Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said on Thursday.

"Throughout this operation and into the new year, we will continue to target these high-risk drivers, to get them off our roads for good."

Meanwhile, Labor transport spokesman Anthony Albanese says the federal government must look into why, after years of decline, the nation's road toll has increased in recent years.

He has called for a strategy to combat the rising toll.

The government said it would work to identify if policies, policing or road conditions contributed to variances in states.
The Sydney Sixers have defended their decision not to bowl star spinner Stephen O'Keefe in their last-ball Big Bash League loss to the Adelaide Strikers, revealing it was his call.

Despite another disappointing performance by their top order, the Sixers pushed the Strikers to the last ball before ultimately falling six runs short of their target of 168 at the SCG on Thursday.

The Sixers made several curious decisions, omitting former Test keeper Peter Nevill and leaving O'Keefe out of their attack during the Strikers' innings.

Opener Alex Carey feasted on some poor Sixers bowling, hitting 83 off 59 in a game-changing knock.

Stand-in skipper Johan Botha said left-arm spinner O'Keefe didn't feel comfortable bowling to southpaw batsman Carey, who batted for all 20 overs, and chose to keep himself on ice.

"I kept running past him throughout the innings and with the left-hander in, he was a little worried with that," Botha said.

"I thought he could have squeezed one or two in from the end with the bigger side to the left.

"But in the heat of the moment we thought the off-spinners were a better option.

"That's what we went with and we bowled pretty well, I know the last two balls went for 10."

Captain Moises Henriques was a game-day withdrawal because of illness but is expected to be available for Monday's clash with the Perth Scorchers at the WACA.

Botha argued that allrounder Henriques' absence upset the team's balance and caused them to overhaul their side and ultimately led to Nevill being rested.

Jordan Silk, who top scored with 50, was injected into the batting order while Sam Billings was moved to wicketkeeper and paceman Ben Dwarshuis replaced Nevill.

Botha said that had Dwarshuis not been included, he would have only had five bowling options at his disposal.

This is despite the fact they only used five bowlers in the end and O'Keefe went unused.

"I think it was just for balance. When Moises was the captain for the two games he only had five bowlers and it becomes hard if one of the guys goes, you've got no one to turn to," Botha said.

"I think we wanted that extra bowling option. It sort of worked tonight, we didn't have to go to SOK (O'Keefe). And if we wanted to, we could have."
As the countdown to 2018 begins, Victoria Police are warning partygoers to behave and not to spoil the night for others.

As an estimated half a million people flock to the Melbourne CBD to welcome in the new year, police say they will saturate party hot-spots and stamp out any drunk and disorderly behaviour.

"We want to see everyone enjoy themselves but to also reflect on their own behaviour and the actions of those close to them," Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp said on Friday.
Former One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has been gifted a plum consolation prize after being booted from federal parliament over his dual citizenship and bombing out of the Queensland state election.

Mr Roberts has secured part-time work as an adviser to Pauline Hanson, along with Queensland One Nation leader Steve Dickson, who lost his seat in the state election after defecting from the LNP.

"You don't let good talent go, and we've got one of the busiest offices. We're going to utilise the skills of both gentlemen while they're available," Senator Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby told the Australian on Friday.
A statue of a teenage girl symbolising former "comfort women" is placed on a bus running through downtown Seoul in August

South Korea said Wednesday a 2015 deal intended to end a festering dispute with Japan over Tokyo's wartime sex slavery was faulty, reopening a historical wound as the two countries try to rein in North Korea.

Seoul and Tokyo signed the agreement to settle the hugely emotional and decades-long issue with a Japanese apology and payment of money to survivors.

Following an election pledge, the new government of President Moon Jae-In ordered a review of the unpopular deal which was struck by his now-jailed predecessor Park Geun-Hye.

On Wednesday a task force published a report saying the deal was rushed and did not adequately seek out the opinions of the women forced to work as sex slaves, often known by the euphemism "comfort women".

"The agreement was finalised ... without adequately taking into account the opinions of victims in the process of negotiation," the report said.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha apologised for the deal, saying it "hurt" the victims and had "failed to reflect the victims' views".

Observers say any move by Seoul to abandon the deal could damage relations with Tokyo as the two countries face off against a nuclear-armed North Korea.

Kang said Seoul would "take into account any impact on South Korea-Japan ties as it carefully establishes its position" following the report's release.

But she stopped short of saying whether Seoul might consider calling for renegotiation or walking away from the deal.

Tokyo urged Seoul to stick with the 2015 agreement.

"Japan's position remains unchanged, that we ask the South Korean government to abide by the deal," a Japanese foreign ministry official told AFP.

Mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including China, were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II.

The agreement was meant to put an end to the hugely emotional issue with a Japanese apology and payment.

But survivors and their supporters call for a direct and explicit apology from the Japanese government for the wartime abuses. Japan annexed the Korean peninsula from 1910-45.

The Japanese government denies it is directly responsible for the abuses, insisting that "comfort women" were recruited by civilians and that the military brothels were commercially operated.

Despite the agreement, ties between the two neighbours remain tense over statues which South Korean activists positioned outside Japanese diplomatic missions in memory of the victims.
Wild Oats surpassed last year's record time by several hours when she crossed the finish line late on December 27, 2017

The official winner of this year's dramatic Sydney to Hobart yacht race could be determined as early as Thursday, as an international jury assesses the fate of supermaxi Wild Oats XI after her record finish.

Wild Oats surpassed last year's record time by several hours when she crossed the finish line late Wednesday, but her ninth line honours victory remains in the balance after second-placed LDV Comanche lodged a protest.

The battle between the 100 footers was the highlight in the fast-paced race, as competitors sped down Australia's east coast in the 628-nautical mile (1,163-kilometre) bluewater classic, aided by favourable winds.

Comanche owner-skipper Jim Cooney said the complaint was about a near collision between his super-yacht and Wild Oats, which appeared to tack too late when exiting Sydney Heads on Tuesday.

"It was a port/starboard infringement. We were the right-of-way boat. They were the give way boat... and they left it until far too late to tack and they tacked right in our water," Cooney said.

"We had to take evasive action or possibly take both of us out of the race. We could have taken their backstay out, they could have broken our bowsprit."

An international jury in Hobart will assess the evidence against Wild Oats from 3.00pm local time (0400 GMT), with a decision likely later Thursday, organisers told AFP.

With Comanche finishing just 26min and 34sec behind Wild Oats' record of 1 day, 8hrs, 48min and 50sec, a possible punishment such as a time penalty could affect which crew eventually lifts the trophy.

Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards was "not concerned" about the protest, saying he believed the incident was "totally innocent".

"We should be able to defend ourselves against that situation pretty clearly," he added.

Attention was also turning Thursday to the Tattersall Cup awarded to the overall winner, with Matt Allen's new TP52 Ichi Ban among the favourites.

Smaller boats Patrice (Ker 46), Concubine (Mills 45) and Chutzpah (Caprice 40) were also in the running.

The handicap honour goes for the vessel that performs best according to size, giving smaller boats a chance to prove their worth in what is regarded as one of the world's toughest yacht races.

"This is the best Hobart race I have ever done -- it was exhilarating -- I reckon we surfed at 28 knots. I've never seen conditions like it," owner-skipper Allen said after Ichi Ban finished Thursday morning.

"I think the breeze is lightening off though, and they (Tattersall Cup challengers) won't come home as fast as we did."
A memorial in a parking lot for Tony Haywood, 25, who was shot to death in south Chicago on July 23, 2017, pictured in a scan of a Polaroid image

After years away, Anthony Davis returned home to Chicago last year to take care of his elderly father.

The predominantly African-American neighborhood on the city's south side where the 51-year-old Davis grew up was unrecognizable.

Abandoned homes dot the landscape and the once vibrant community had fallen prey to the gun violence plaguing America's third-largest city.

"Growing up, there was really hardly any shootings," Davis, who works at Loyola University Medical Center, a Chicago-area hospital, told AFP.

A memorial for 14-year-old Damien Santoyo, who died in a drive-by shooting on August 6, 2017, pictured in a scan of a Polaroid image

"Everybody knew everybody," he said. "There was hardly any quote-unquote bad stuff happening."

Plenty of "bad stuff" happened in the years Davis was gone.

Chicago experienced a near 20-year record number of murders last year, prompting President Donald Trump to regularly single out the city for criticism.

"What the hell is going on in Chicago?" Trump asked during a speech this month. "For the second year in a row, a person was shot in Chicago every three hours."

- Fewer shootings -

The good news is that violence actually declined in Chicago in 2017.

The bad news is that it remains alarmingly high.

As of mid-December, there had been 635 murders in Chicago -- a 15 percent drop from the previous year, according to the Chicago Police Department.

The total number of shootings incidents was down 21 percent to 2,719.

Greg Zanis staples a photograph to a wooden cross ahead of a prayer vigil and rally against violence in Chicago

Still, murders remain at levels unseen since the 1990s, when the crack cocaine epidemic ravaged communities across the United States and fueled a spike in crime.

As the city's gun violence spiraled seemingly out of control last year, it raised alarms among officials and residents alike, and brought about a number of initiatives to help stem the tide.

City officials have credited the reduction in murders and shootings this year to a push to hire 1,100 additional police officers and a focus on new crime-fighting technologies.

"Communities that were once under a cloud of gun violence are beginning to see signs of optimism and hope," police chief Eddie Johnson said this month.

The city has relied on more data crunching to help predict violence and deployed more high-tech devices that help detect gunshots and alert police even before residents can make an emergency call.

- Powerful guns -

Police also are becoming increasingly adept at finding criminals through social media.

In December, they infiltrated an invitation-only Facebook group where drugs and guns were being sold -- netting dozens of arrests.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Facebook representatives will meet city officials in January to "better collaborate to stop illegal activity online before it leads to violence on our streets."

Residents watch as Chicago Police SWAT team members surround a house where they believe a man responsible for a nearby murder was hiding

Still, in pure numbers, Chicago remains the source of the most shootings and murders in the nation.

As the third most populous US city, its crime numbers would naturally be higher. In fact, cities such as St Louis, Baltimore and Detroit have a higher murder rate (the number of people killed per 100,000 residents).

But Chicago's problems cannot be explained away by its size alone.

If you were to add up the murders in both of America's largest cities -- Los Angeles and New York -- the total still would be about half the number in Chicago.

Officials and academics say they cannot point to any one factor as a definitive cause of the rise in murders.

However, police point to increasingly powerful guns -- military-style assault rifles, which make crimes that occur in the city more lethal -- as part of the problem, according to the Chicago Tribune.

- 'Opportunities to work' -

Police officers patrolling certain areas have been warned of the risks of approaching gang members because the rifles they use can pierce body armor, the newspaper reported.

The sheer number of guns is also a problem, officials say.

Police seized more than 8,600 illegal guns in Chicago this year, more than any other city in the country. In some neighborhoods, having a gun can be viewed as necessary for self-preservation.

While officials have emphasized policing, residents in ravaged neighborhoods of Chicago, the adopted home of former US president Barack Obama, point to a need for economic revitalization.

"That's the work that's happening on the ground," Chicago south-side resident Asiaha Butler told AFP. "More entrepreneurs. More opportunities for businesses coming into the community."

Butler heads a resident association in one of the city's most violence-plagued communities -- where she has seen improvement in 2017.

"My block had a number of shootings in the beginning of summer, and it decreased to zero," Butler said.

Now, she wants the kinds of opportunities that can keep young people toward a prosperous path, and away from drugs and gangs.

"Opportunities to work, opportunities to higher education, opportunities to home ownership," she said.
Doctors of the social emergency medical service SAMU venture deep into the slums to treat Libreville's poorest

"Here you're in the heart of precarious living," one of Gabon's first medical responders says in Kolo Ngoum, a grubby shanty suburb of Libreville that has seen no doctors in ages.

Residents initially express surprise at the arrival of an ambulance belonging to the SAMU-Social (Service for Urgent Medical Aid), but once they see stethoscopes and other common instruments, they smile with reassurance.

"This is a good initiative," says Natanael, in his 30s and sporting dreadlocks. "We thought all this was reserved for other people."

Launched five months ago, the Gabonese SAMU-Social is starting to take roots in the capital.

It offers free medicines and healthcare along with lodging and psychological aid for the "poorest of the poorest", according to its founder and chief coordinator, Wenceslas Yaba.

One of the teams was making a local visit to Kolo Ngoum, where makeshift homes cling to a bushy, filthy hillside.

Since its July launch, the team has undertaken some 7,000 interventions

"Everyone here lives in the dregs," Natanael explains. "Carrying the sick up to the road on our backs is really hard."

Medical staff tramp sinuous alleys to seek out ailing people with no chance of a taxi fare, let alone a hospital fee.

One nurse calls to an obese elderly woman "who hasn't moved from her bed for weeks", according to her roommate.

The nurse notes that the woman "is suffering from hypertension and at risk of getting bedsores".

The time has come "to involve her family in moving her" to help ease her pains, she says.

- Dial 1488 -

"More than 38 percent of the Gabonese population lives below the poverty threshold and 300,000 of these outcasts have no access to care," Yaba said, though the equatorial country has long been a major oil exporter and is rich in precious woods.

A free call can be made to the helpline round the clock every day.

With 115 employees, the SAMU-Social has a medical and psychological care centre in Libreville, along with a dozen ambulances and three shelters to help take in those in need.

Since July, the team has undertaken some 7,000 interventions.

"The SAMU-Social carries out the most pressing social work on the spot," Yaba said. "Our job is to take charge of those who are most at risk."

As in France, which hosts the International SAMU-Social association with affiliates in former French colonies and many other nations from South America to Asia, a helpline is vital.

In Libreville, a free call can be made to 1488 around the clock every day.

SAMU operators regularly visit the shanty suburbs to inform residents about their services

"People call, we suggest they come to see us, and we take out an ambulance to fetch those who can't make it," Yaba said.

The next step in care is to make the free dispensary available to patients via general practitioners and specialist doctors -- very rare in Gabon.

When necessary, doctors visit the poor neighbourhoods or patients are sent on to hospital or care units.

- Hospitals need fixing -

The service is entirely state-funded and has so far received 587 million Central African francs (900,000 euros).

After Libreville, the SAMU-Social is set to launch in several other cities by the end of January.

"The idea was for the government to get as close as possible to those living in precarious conditions," the minister for national solidarity, Paul Biyoghe Mba, told AFP.

But some critics accuse the state of shirking its duty to fix the ailing public healthcare system.

Some critics have accused the government of using the social service to avoid fixing the public healthcare system

"The approach is rather problematic and opportunistic in a country where nearly 80 percent of the population could end up needing the SAMU," an opposition official told AFP.

"First our hospitals should operate properly."

Yaba rejects the criticism.

"We're not a parallel healthcare system. We facilitate the access to care," he said.

The project has the support of international SAMU founder Xavier Emmanuelli.

"Doctor Yaba has adapted the idea to Gabon's problems by going all the way into people's homes," he said.

"It takes it a bit further than the traditional model... And for now it works."
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He may be Ethiopia's biggest pop star but Teddy Afro hasn't held a concert in his country for years, some of his songs have been effectively banned, and the launch party for his last album was broken up by the police.

But sitting in the living room of his spacious house outside the capital, Addis Ababa, the 41-year-old musician is relaxed and says he is focused on promoting peace and unity in Ethiopia.

"As a child, I remember that we lived as one nation. We knew a nation that is called Ethiopia," Teddy said.

"But nowadays, we are identified and called by our ethnic background. And this has already become dangerous."

Ethiopia has been rocked by widespread anti-government protests over the last two years, killing hundreds and leading to a 10-month state of emergency that was only lifted in August.

In this context, Teddy's latest album, "Ethiopia", was released in May and shot to the top of Billboard's world music chart -- despite his songs not being played on state radio and TV.

His lyrics and music videos have often been controversial, and viewed by many as critical of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a formerly Marxist guerrilla movement that has ruled the country since 1991.

While fans adore Teddy's catchy melodies and nationalistic, often historical songs, written mostly in the national language Amharic, the authorities -- who brook no opposition -- view him with suspicion.

- Protest anthem -

Teddy -- real name Tewodros Kassahun -- first crossed the authorities in 2005 when his album "Yasteseryal" came out days before an election that descended into violence after the opposition denounced it as rigged.

Teddy's single "Jah Yasteseryal" about the country's last emperor has become a protest anthem

That album was a homage to the country's final emperor from 1930 to 1974, Haile Selassie I, and its lead single "Jah Yasteseryal", questioning whether the government was improving the country, became a protest anthem.

In 2008, the musician was jailed for more than a year over an alleged hit-and-run killing in a case that many fans believe was politically motivated. He has always protested his innocence, saying he was not even in the country at the time of the accident.

While Teddy's songs can today be heard blasting from bars and buses across Addis Ababa, Ethiopians still fear playing "Jah Yasteseryal" in public, lest they be seen as agitating against the government.

In 2012, Teddy released "Tikur Sew", an album that took as its theme Emperor Menelik II, whose victory over 19th century Italian colonial invaders is a defining moment in Ethiopian history.

Yet among the country's largest ethnic group the Oromos, "Tikur Sew" was seen as an affront because it glorified an emperor who brutally absorbed Oromo territory into Ethiopia's borders.

The backlash was fierce enough that Heineken -- whose beers are popular among Oromos -- backed out of a deal to sponsor Teddy's concerts.

But Teddy says he is unbowed.

"There may be groups that have a negative attitude towards the last Ethiopian kings and history," he said, sat with a sword belonging to Menelik mounted on a wall nearby.

"While respecting their views as a perspective, the fact that they like or dislike my views will not change the truth."

- Break-ups and bans -

Ironically, it was the EPRDF's takeover of the country that allowed Teddy's music to flourish, as it ended the brutal communist dictatorship of the Derg, during which nightlife was suppressed.

Teddy was jailed in 2008 over an alleged hit-and-run killing, despite insisting he was not in the country at the time of the incident

While some musicians went on to reimagine traditional styles of jazz or dabble in rock, Teddy distinguished himself by making nationalism a centrepiece of his compositions.

When a rumour spread early in his career that he committed the taboo deed of autographing the breasts of female fans, Teddy batted down the allegation by saying that as an Ethiopian he could never do such a thing, a remark that won him admirers across the country.

His songs have urged harmony between Muslims and Christians and lampooned members of the diaspora who return home with nothing to show.

"He's preaching what he's living. We like that, Ethiopians like that," said Eyuel Solomon, programme manager for the capital's Afro FM radio station.

But the authorities remain firmly opposed to helping Teddy showcase his music.

Not only did police halt his launch party for "Ethiopia", but a planned concert to celebrate the Ethiopian new year was refused permission and he is still waiting for approval to play a concert marking Ethiopia's Christmas, in early January.

The 41-year-old singer says he hopes to perform some day in Ethopia's bitter foe, Eritrea

He insists the restrictions and setbacks do not damage his resolve to use his music as a force for good in Ethiopia.

However, his plans to spread his music more widely are likely to anger the government even more.

Teddy says he hopes to perform in the capital of Eritrea, a one-time territory of Ethiopia that is now a bitter foe, believing a performance in Asmara could improve relations between the two countries.

"What we need is the spirit of love, peace and forgiveness. This is because the current problems are the results of historical resentments," he said.

"We have to shake them off. We have to leave it behind."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said progress was being made to halt North Korea's nuclear ambitions

The United States' top diplomat defended his country's foreign policy record on Wednesday, saying progress had been made in the last year to rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions and to counter the "immense challenges" posed by Russia, China and Iran.

In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said some 90 percent of Pyongyang's export earnings had been cut off by a series of international sanctions after the Trump administration "abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience".

Tensions have escalated dramatically on the Korean peninsula this year after the isolated but nuclear-armed regime staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests -- and as US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un traded personal insults.

Washington wants North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme and has spearheaded three rounds of UN sanctions against the isolated regime, restricting crucial exports of coal, iron, seafood and textiles from the cash-starved state.

Pyongyang has hit out at those sanctions, calling the latest round "an act of war", and has vowed to never give up its nuclear programme.

In his piece Tillerson said "a door to dialogue remains open" for Pyongyang but warned "until denuclearization occurs, the pressure will continue".

At the same time he called on China -- Pyongyang's only major ally -- to "do more" to pressure North Korea.

Trump's administration has been dogged by allegations his campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year's election.

Addressing relations with Moscow, Tillerson said the Trump administration had "no illusions about the regime we are dealing with" and that they were "on guard against Russian aggression".

But he added that Washington needed to "recongize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect" citing Syria civil war where the two countries have backed opposing sides but pushed for peace talks.

On Iran he struck a less conciliatory tone.

"The flawed nuclear deal is no longer the focal point of our policy toward Iran," he warned. "We are now confronting the totality of Iranian threats."

He also defended his cuts to the State Department and USAID budget, saying they were designed to "address root problems that lead to inefficiencies and frustrations".

Critics say Tillerson's first year in office has seen scores of key diplomatic posts go unfilled, embassies hampered by cuts and many veteran staff leave the foreign service altogether.
Gay marriage is not permitted in Singapore and the couple had been told they were unlikely to get permission to adopt

A gay Singaporean man has failed in a bid to formally adopt his biological son fathered via a surrogate in the United States at a cost of US$200,000.

The man, a doctor in a long-term relationship, initially approached authorities about adopting in the city-state but was told a homosexual couple were unlikely to get permission, according to court documents.

The couple travelled to the US where the doctor underwent procedures for in-vitro fertilisation and found a surrogate who agreed to carry his child for US$200,000.

A son was born and as the biological father, the doctor -- who has not been identified -- was allowed to bring him back to Singapore to live with him. The boy is now four.

The doctor applied to formally adopt the boy in Singapore to "legitimise" their relationship and hopefully secure him Singapore citizenship but a court rejected his bid, according to a judgement released earlier this week.

District Judge Shobha Nair said that the doctor and his partner were aware that procedures to help couples have children were available to only married couples in Singapore and there were no surrogacy services in the city-state.

Gay marriage is not permitted in Singapore. Surrogacy is not explicitly banned although official guidelines prohibit the practice in assisted reproduction centres, according to the Straits Times newspaper.

"The applicant, a medical doctor himself, was acutely aware that the medical procedures undertaken to have a child of his own would not have been possible in Singapore," said the judge.

"He cannot then come to the courts of the very same jurisdiction to have the acts condoned."

The child's welfare was not an issue in the case as he will continue to be well looked after by his biological father and he is not stateless as he holds American citizenship, the judge said.

She was not swayed by the arguments of the man's lawyers, Koh Tien Hua, Ivan Cheong and Shaun Ho, who denied he was seeking to adopt the boy to form what would effectively be a legally recognised gay family, the Straits Times said.
Afghan security forces stand guard near the site of multiple blasts in Kabul, on December 28, 2017

At least 40 people were killed and dozens more wounded in multiple blasts at a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul on Thursday, officials said, in the latest deadly violence to hit the Afghan capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Taliban was quick to deny involvement in the assault near the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could have been the target.

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP the blasts were in fact aimed at the Shiite Tabayan cultural centre.

"A ceremony was being held to mark the 38th anniversary of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan when the explosion went off," he said.

"We have 40 killed, 30 wounded, but this is not the final toll. It might go up."

Rahimi said the main blast was followed by two smaller bomb explosions that did not cause casualties.

Map showing Kabul, site of fatal blasts on December 28, 2017

Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in war-torn Afghanistan for civilians in recent months, as the Taliban step up their attacks and the Islamic State group (IS) seeks to expand its presence in the country.

Friday's assault comes days after a suicide bomber killed six civilians in an attack near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the city, which was claimed by IS.

The Middle Eastern jihadist group has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015 and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the country's Shiite minority.

A hospital official told local TV that 18 wounded had been brought to his facility.

"Five of the wounded are in critical condition and our doctors are working to save their lives," Sabir Nasib, head of Istiqlal hospital, said.

A man attending the anniversary ceremony said he heard a "big boom".

"We do not know the numbers (of casualties). When the explosion happened we immediately fled," he told Tolo News.

Mohammad Hasan Rezayee, a university student also at the ceremony, told Tolo News he had suffered burns to his face in the blast.

"After the blast there was fire and smoke inside the building and everyone was pleading for help," he said.

Photos posted on Afghan Voice Agency's Facebook page showed the inside of a compound with debris and bodies lying on the ground.

Security in the city has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others -- mostly civilians.

Afghan media has previously been targeted by militants, underlying the risks faced by journalists in the war-torn country.

In November an attack on Afghan broadcaster Shamshad TV in Kabul, claimed by the Islamic State group, left at least one person dead and two dozen others wounded.
Cambodian netizens cried foul over the court order to kill the seized cocks

Cambodian police ruffled feathers on Thursday after they killed -- and ate -- 92 roosters that were seized earlier this month during a raid on an illegal cockfighting ring allegedly run by a relative of premier Hun Sen.

The birds were rounded up by police after they shuttered the two rural cockfighting dens on December 4 and arrested Hun Sen's nephew-in-law Thai Phany.

Thai Phany, a Cambodian-Australian citizen, was charged with running an illegal gambling operation -- a rare legal move against a member of Hun Sen's powerful family.

But while the raids were welcomed in a country teeming with official corruption, a court order to slaughter all 92 birds set off a flurry of criticism Thursday as netizens cried foul over the animals being given a harsher sentence than the people involved.

Scores of people were initially detained in the police raid, but most have since been released after receiving light suspended sentences, according to local media.

"Warrant to kill chickens! Where are the chicken owners, aren't they freed?" Hing Soksan wrote on Facebook, where photos of the slaughter have been circulating.

"The court's achievement by the end of 2017: death sentence for 92 fighting cocks," another Facebook user quipped about a justice system many decry as toothless against the graft underpinning Hun Sen's authoritarian regime.

Roeun Nara, Kandal province's deputy police chief, confirmed that the birds were killed on Wednesday following a warrant from the provincial court.

"We gave the chickens to our forces to eat," he told AFP, brushing off the online criticism.

The court document, seen by AFP on Thursday, said the slaughter was ordered "to prevent the offense from happening again and to speed up the investigation proceedings."
Harumafuji apologised for the damage caused to the ancient sport of sumo

Former sumo grand champion Harumafuji was charged Thursday for a brutal assault on a rival wrestler while out drinking in a scandal that has humiliated Japan's ancient sport.

The Mongolian former "yokozuna", sumo's highest rank, however, faced a summary indictment, a spokesman with a local public prosecutors office told AFP, meaning he was expected to be fined but exempted from standing trial.

Prosecutors decided to impose the lighter penalty on him considering his retirement to take responsibility for the scandal, Jiji Press said.

The indictment came nearly a month after he stepped down, apologising for the embarrassment caused by a violent outburst in October that left countryman Takanoiwa with a fractured skull.

"I'm truly sorry for hurting Takanoiwa mentally and physically," Harumafuji told police, according to Jiji Press.

Harumafuji's exit mirrors that of another Mongolian star, Asashoryu, who stepped down in 2010 after being accused of breaking a man's nose in a drunken brawl outside a Tokyo nightclub.

Yokozuna are expected to be beyond moral reproach but the writing was on the wall for Harumafuji after he confessed to hitting Takanoiwa for texting his girlfriend while he was scolding him over his poor attitude.

The 33-year-old Harumafuji, who reached sumo's hallowed rank five years ago, denied reports he had used a beer bottle in the attack but admitted punching Takanoiwa and bashing him with a karaoke remote control.

Takanoiwa, 27, was hospitalised after suffering concussion and a fractured skull base in the fight, which broke out at a bar in the western Japanese city of Tottori in late October, according to local media.

His stable-master subsequently reported the incident to police, who invited Harumafuji in for questioning.

The furore has reopened old wounds in the closeted world of sumo after an increase in violence, allegations of illegal betting, links with crime syndicates and drug busts shook the roly-poly sport in recent years.

A sumo stable-master was sentenced to six years in prison in 2007 after a trainee wrestler was beaten to death, triggering outrage across Japan.

The 135-kilo (298-pound) Harumafuji, whose nifty technique makes up for his relative lack of size, won nine Emperor's Cups before his fall from grace.
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Japanese prosecutors reportedly charged a North Korean fishing boat captain for theft on Thursday, accusing him of making off with items ranging from home appliances to solar panels.

The 45-year-old was among 10 North Korean "fishermen" spotted aboard a tiny wooden boat struggling in bad weather off the northern island of Hokkaido in late November.

Some of them admitted to "taking out" some electronic products from a remote Japanese island where they landed briefly to take refuge.

The captain and two other crew members, who all identified themselves as North Korean nationals, were arrested earlier this month on suspicion of stealing a power generator on the small island.

According to the indictment, the captain took the lead in stealing some 40 items ranging from home appliances to solar panels worth 5.65 million yen ($50,000), public broadcaster NHK said, adding that he will stand trial in a Japanese court.

The remaining nine crew members are all expected to be deported back to North Korea, NHK said.

Prosecutors declined immediate comment when they were contacted by AFP.

Dozens of North Korean fishing vessels wash up on Japan's coast every year, but Japanese coastguards registered 28 cases last month, the highest figure since records began in 2014.

Experts say some North Korean fishermen are travelling far out to sea to satisfy government mandates for bigger catches.

But their old and poorly equipped vessels are prone to mechanical and other problems, including running out of fuel, and there are few ways for them to call for rescue.
Activist Ekachai Hongkangwan's stunts regularly skewer the military regime

A Thai activist was briefly detained Thursday after trying to deliver a cheap watch to the junta number two, as the clock ticks down to a deadline for the general to declare his collection of luxury timepieces.

Activist Ekachai Hongkangwan, whose stunts regularly skewer the military regime, told AFP he was "dragged" into a Bangkok police booth while trying to give a $30 watch to Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.

Prawit's apparent penchant for pricey timepieces has captivated the Thai public since earlier this month when he was photographed with a Richard Mille watch, whose models can sell for more than $100,000, and a diamond ring.

The photo prompted the country's anti-corruption agency to seek an explanation for the undeclared bling by January 8.

Prawit has shied away from the press since the scandal emerged, saying only in brief remarks that he was not guilty of any corruption.

Online sleuths have dug up pictures of Prawit apparently sporting other high-end brands -- including Patek Philippe and Rolex -- ticking off a kingdom fed-up with a lack of transparency under the military regime.

"Today I came to bring a watch as a New Year's gift to General Prawit who I know is a watch lover," Ekachai told AFP.

"But to wear expensive ones these days might get him in trouble again... So I brought him an old watch, about 1,000 baht ($30), that I don't use anymore."

Cops said they detained the activist for a "chat" and would not file any charges.

Ekachai was released shortly afterwards.

Critics say the case of the general's watches will likely go the way of other graft scandals under the authoritarian regime -- hold public attention for a few weeks before vanishing.

Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha has stood by his deputy throughout the scandal, recently telling reporters Prawit is "a soldier and a grown man" who can handle his own affairs.

The scandal is nevertheless an embarrassment for Thailand's ruling generals, who have tried to style themselves as graft-busters cleaning up a chaotic country riddled with corruption.

The junta seized power in 2014 after a decade of political turbulence and has maintained a tight lid on protests and dissent.

Analysts say the regime is chiefly concerned with securing its clout in politics and has made little headway in eradicating the pay-to-play culture that seeps into most corners of Thai life.
The Islamic State group claimed responsiblity for the gruesome assault

More than 40 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suicide blast targeting Shiites in Kabul Thursday, officials said, with chaotic scenes at the city's hospitals as anguished families sought loved ones.

The Sunni Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the gruesome assault on the pro-Iranian Tabayan cultural centre, the third deadly attack it has claimed in the Afghan capital this month.

Up to 100 people had gathered at the centre to mark the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It is located in western Kabul, in the same building as affiliated Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), an anti-IS media outlet.

"The latest figures we have from this tragic incident shows 41 people have been killed and a further 84 people injured," health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told reporters.

Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in war-torn Afghanistan for civilians in recent months, as the Taliban step up their attacks and IS seeks to expand its presence in the country.

Thursday's attack saw chaotic scenes at the Istiqlal hospital where ambulances and police pickups brought victims, including women and children. Many of them had suffered severe burns to their faces and bodies, as well as shrapnel wounds, AFP reporters said.

Visibly distressed relatives searching for their loved ones inside the medical facility slapped their heads in fury as they cried and cursed the government for seemingly being unable to end the regular carnage on their streets.

Some were so distraught they crawled on the ground pulling their hair.

Police vehicles were pictured ferrying the dead after the blasts

AFP reporters saw more than a dozen badly burned bodies lying on the floor in a room inside the hospital and wooden coffins being delivered so families could take away the remains of loved ones.

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP the attack -- the deadliest since a Shiite mosque bombing in October that killed more than 50 worshippers -- was followed by two smaller bomb blasts as victims and survivors were leaving the scene.

A journalist with AVA, which is located above the cultural centre, said that more than 100 people were at the event in the building's basement, with a number of AVA staff among the victims.

Thursday's assault comes days after a suicide bomber killed six civilians in a Christmas Day attack near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the city, which was also claimed by IS.

On December 18 militants from the group stormed an intelligence training compound in Kabul, triggering an intense gunfight with police, two of whom were wounded.

The Middle Eastern jihadist outfit has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015, and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the country's Shiite minority.

- 'Big boom' -

A man attending the anniversary ceremony at Tabayan said he heard a "big boom".

"When the explosion happened we immediately fled," he told Tolo News.

Distraught relatives anxiously waited for news of their loved ones at hospitals in Kabul

Mohammad Hasan Rezayee, a university student who was also at the ceremony, told Tolo News he had suffered burns to his face in the blast.

"We were inside the hall in the second row when there was an explosion behind us. I did not see the bomber," he said from his hospital bed.

"After the blast, there was fire and smoke inside the building and everyone was pleading for help."

The attack drew condemnation from both Brussels and Washington.

The European Union said: "With journalists amongst the casualties, this act of violence is clearly also an attack against freedom of expression and democracy in Afghanistan."

The White House added "the enemies of Afghanistan will not succeed in their attempts to destroy the country and divide the Afghan people".

Toby Lanzer, acting head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, labelled it a "truly despicable crime in a year already marked by unspeakable atrocities".

Amnesty International said it was further evidence that Kabul was not safe.

"The European governments who insist on this dangerous fiction by forcibly returning Afghans are putting their lives in danger," Amnesty International's South Asia director Biraj Patnaik said in a statement.

Germany, which has expelled dozens of Afghans in recent months, said "we cry" with the victims of the attack, according to a statement from Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

The attack drew international condemnation, with NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan describing it as "heinous"

Afghan interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish vowed to "avenge the blood" of the victims, many of whom were students.

Authorities would also investigate "possible negligence by police personnel", Danish told reporters.

Security in Kabul has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others -- mostly civilians. No group has yet claimed that attack.

Religious attacks in Afghanistan have skyrocketed in the past two years with the minority Shiite community the main target, the United Nations said in November.

IS, a Sunni extremist group, has claimed most of the attacks on Shiite worshippers as it seeks to stir up sectarian violence in the country.

The Afghan media has also previously been targeted by militants, underlining the risks faced by journalists.
Syrian paramedics hold children in an ambulance on the second night of an evacuation operation in Douma in the Eastern Ghouta region late on December 27, 2017

A second batch of sick Syrian civilians, most of them children, left the besieged rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, aid officials said Thursday, but hundreds of critical patients remained trapped.

Four evacuations took place on Tuesday and another group of 12 made it out late Wednesday, but a top humanitarian envoy questioned a deal under which medical emergencies are used as bargaining chips.

A total of 29 emergency medical cases are expected to be evacuated under a deal with the government that saw rebels release several men, including workers detained during fierce clashes with the army in March.

The numbers are still a far cry from the nearly 500 patients in the Damascus suburb the UN said weeks ago would die if they did not urgently receive better treatment.

"Yesterday we evacuated 12 patients together with their family members, the majority of them are children," International Committee of the Red Cross spokeswoman Ingy Sedky said.

"Most of them suffer from cancer, chronic diseases and heart diseases," she said, adding that the evacuees were transferred to Damascus.

Medical evacuation from Ghouta

From the list of 500 urgent cases announced in November at least 16 have already died for lack of medical assistance.

Around 400,000 people live in the Eastern Ghouta area on the edge of the Syrian capital.

The enclave is controlled by rebels, the dominant faction among them Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), and has been under siege by the government for four years.

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council and currently a UN special envoy for humanitarian access in Syria, was critical of the deal that allowed the patients to leave.

The agreement between the rebels and the government was reached with support from Turkey, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and led to the release of 14 men held by Jaish al-Islam rebels.

It is "not a good agreement if they exchange sick children for detainees that means children become bargaining chips in some tug of war," Egeland told the BBC.

"That shouldn't happen. They have a right to the evacuation and we have an obligation to evacuate them," he said.

According to the Observatory, the first five released by the rebels are workers who were caught in the fighting earlier this year.

Another nine people have been swapped by the rebels but it was not immediately clear who they are.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum

Turkey "laughed off" a demand from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest Sudan's wanted leader when he attended a summit in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying Thursday.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on charges of genocide and war crimes, on December 13 attended a summit of Islamic nations called by Erdogan to denounce US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Erdogan told Turkish reporters in an interview that the ICC wrote a letter to Turkey saying it had information Bashir was in Istanbul for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit and he should be arrested and handed over to the court.

There was no immediate confirmation from the ICC, which is currently in recess, that it made such a demand.

"Something like this just makes you laugh," Erdogan was quoted Thursday as saying on his presidential plane as he rounded off a four-day trip to Africa.

"Are we going to just go and hand over to you someone who is a member of the OIC and is taking part in such a summit?

"What kind of understanding is this? It's impossible to understand it. We just laughed it off," Erdogan said.

He noted that Turkey is not a signatory to the treaty which set up the Hague-based ICC.

Erdogan's defiant comments came after holding talks with Bashir in Sudan on his Africa trip, which also took in Chad and Tunisia and underlined his ambition for a strategic foothold in the continent.

On the trip, Erdogan said Sudan had agreed to let Turkey restore the Red Sea port of Suakin Island, which thrived during the era of the Ottomans but has fallen into disrepair. He denied, however, that there was any plan to build a military base there.

Bashir is wanted by the ICC for genocide and war crimes -- charges he rejects -- over the conflict that broke out in Darfur in 2003 when ethnic minority groups took up arms against his government, which launched a brutal counter-insurgency.

The UN says at least 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million displaced.

While serving as prime minister in 2009, Erdogan defended Bashir, saying "a Muslim could not commit genocide, he is not capable of it".

The ICC has previously rebuked countries including Jordan and South Africa for failing to arrest Bashir when he visited for summits.
The US consulate in Istanbul, shown here, will resume full visa services for Turkish citizens, ending a months-long row

The United States and Turkey on Thursday turned the page on a visa crisis triggered nearly three months ago by the arrest of a staff member at the American mission in Ankara, but relations between the NATO allies remain tense.

The two sides announced the resumption of full visa services for each other's citizens, but their statements revealed lingering misgivings between the countries, who are partners in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group.

Washington said it had won assurances from Ankara that no further legal proceedings would be launched against its staff, though the Turkish embassy in the US capital insisted "no such assurances have been given."

Nevertheless, the State Department said it was "confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey."

The US move is effective immediately, a department official told AFP.

Shortly thereafter, the Turkish mission in Washington said: "Within the framework of the principle of reciprocity, the restrictions placed from our side on the visa regime for US citizens are being lifted simultaneously."

The US decision to stop handing out visas was implemented from October 8 and was followed by a tit-for-tat move by Turkey to stop giving visas to Americans.

The crisis was triggered when US consulate staffer Metin Topuz was formally charged with espionage and seeking to overthrow the Turkish government -- accusations the US embassy in Ankara has said are "wholly without merit."

Topuz, a Turkish citizen, is accused of links to a group led by Pennsylvania-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara suspects of ordering last year's failed coup in Turkey.

Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, denies any involvement in the attempted overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In November, the US said it had resumed limited visa services, a move matched by Turkey's missions in the US.

But the services were so limited that the first interview appointments for Turks seeking most types of US visas were only available from January 2019, causing uproar on social media.

- 'Serious concerns' -

Washington says it is now confident that there are "no additional local employees of our mission in Turkey under investigation" and that "local staff of our embassy and consulates will not be detained or arrested for performing their official duties," a State Department official said.

Turkish authorities will also inform the US "in advance" if they intend to arrest any local staff member in the future.

But US authorities added: "We continue to have serious concerns about the existing allegations against arrested local employees of our mission in Turkey."

Reflecting the language of the American statement, Ankara said it continued to have "serious concerns" regarding cases involving Turkish citizens in the United States.

In March, a Turkish employee at the US consulate in the southern city of Adana was arrested on charges of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

And US authorities also expressed concern about other US citizens arrested in Turkey under a state of emergency declared in the wake of the July 2016 coup attempt.

American pastor Andrew Brunson, who ran a church in the western city of Izmir, has been held by Turkish authorities since October 2016 on charges of being a member of Gulen's group.

"US officials will continue to engage with their Turkish counterparts to seek a satisfactory resolution of these cases," the State Department official said.

- Strained ties -

Turkey is a key player in the anti-IS fight, and the US relies heavily on the airbase at Incirlik in the country's south to launch air strikes against the militants in neighboring Iraq and Syria.

But relations between the NATO allies have frayed over American support for Syrian Kurdish militia seen by Turkey as "terrorists" and the US failure to extradite Gulen.

Protests have erupted in Turkey against the US and Israel over Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel

Ties also hit a stumbling block over the arrest and trial of Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who stands accused of violating sanctions against Iran, bribery and money laundering.

His co-defendant turned government witness Reza Zarrab implicated former Turkish ministers and even Erdogan in the scheme.

Turkey's president -- who had hoped to build better ties with US President Donald Trump -- also bristled at the American leader's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The State Department nevertheless underlined Washington's partnership with Ankara in explaining the restoration of visa services.

"Turkey is a longstanding NATO ally and a critical defense partner," the official told AFP.

"We work together closely to confront the serious challenges that face both of our nations."
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Regime forces have retaken several villages in northwestern Syria, a monitor said Thursday, a move that could tee up an offensive against the last major rebel bastion of Idlib.

More than six years into the deadly Syria conflict, Idlib province, which borders Turkey, is the only major region in the country still completely beyond government control.

Fierce clashes have in recent days pitted regime forces against Fateh al-Sham Front, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, on the edge of the province, the Syrian Observatory for Huan Rights said.

"The army took several villages," the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said.

He said the government push was backed by Russian air strikes and added that the "regime wants to seize the southeast of Idlib province."

The latest fighting took place in villages on the border between Idlib and Hama provinces where clashes have been ongoing for two months.

The government has had no presence in Idlib province since 2015.

Fateh al-Sham, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, crushed its former rebel allies in the summer to become the dominant force there.

Idlib is one of four "de-escalation" zones in Syria covered by a deal meant to reduce violence levels that was struck in May by government backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey.

More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from their homes since Syria's conflict erupted with anti-government protests in 2011.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (C) welcomes Ukrainian servicemen after their release during a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels near the city of Bakhmut

The United States on Thursday welcomed the mass prisoner swap by Ukraine and Russian-backed separatist rebels, but called on both sides in the conflict to go farther, asking Moscow to help put an end to the fighting.

On Wednesday, authorities in Kiev and the rebels who control large parts of eastern Ukraine exchanged more than 300 prisoners, in one of the largest such exchanges since the outbreak of the insurgency almost four years ago.

"This exchange is one step toward implementation of the Minsk agreements" signed in February 2015, the US State Department said in a statement.

The peace deal, brokered by Germany and France, led to a reduction in fighting but is still violated almost daily.

The US called on both sides to "fully implement their Minsk commitments including through a true 'all-for-all' detainee exchange; a full ceasefire; the withdrawal of heavy weapons; safe and secure access for OSCE Special Monitoring Mission monitors; and humanitarian access to the conflict zone."

"Russia, which started this conflict and perpetuates it through active leadership of military units on the ground that attack Ukrainian positions daily, must commit to bring it to an end," the State Department said.

The war in the former Soviet republic broke out in April 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea the previous month. It has already claimed more than 10,000 lives.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of funneling troops and arms across the border.

Moscow has denied the claims despite overwhelming evidence that it has been involved in the fighting and its explicit political support for the rebels.

The United States reiterated its call for a peacekeeping force with a "broad mandate for safety and security across the entire conflict zone" that would also include "control of the international border, and responsibility for ensuring the cantonment of heavy weapons."

The West and Moscow are currently in talks about the eventual deployment of such a force and the extent of its mandate, with Russia favoring a more restrained role.
Many Muslim women say they were divorced over messaging apps like WhatsApp or through letters, leaving them without any legal remedy

The Indian parliament's lower house Thursday passed a bill proposing jail time for Muslim men who try to end their marriages through the controversial "instant divorce", months after it was banned by the Supreme Court for violating women's rights.

The government legislation was passed despite strong resistance by opposition parties, completing the first step towards making the practice a criminal act in India.

Instant divorce or "triple talaq" is when a Muslim man ends his marriage by simply saying "talaq" (which means "you are divorced" in Arabic) three times in succession.

In August, India's Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional and ordered the government to legislate against it.

The bill makes such divorce void and an offence carrying a fine and a jail term of up to three years.

It also proposes men financially support their divorced wives, who will get custody of any children.

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the Lok Sabha -- the Indian parliament's lower house -- that it was a "historic day" because the proposed law will end decades of injustice by granting gender equality to Muslim women.

He said the practice continues in India despite the Supreme Court ruling, forcing the government to quickly pass a law to "explicitly ban triple talaq".

But opposition politicians argued the proposed legislation overreaches by making instant divorce a criminal act, as matrimonial issues come under civil laws. They demanded a special committee review the bill.

But the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing Hindu nationalist government, which enjoys a majority in the house, brushed off the criticism.

The bill must now be passed by the upper house before becoming law.

A number of Muslim women had petitioned the Supreme Court, arguing that the unilateral power of Muslim men to end marriages instantly violates India's constitution by infringing on their fundamental right to equality.

Muslim women say they have been divorced over messaging apps like WhatsApp or in letters, leaving them without any legal remedy.

India has no uniform civil law for marriage, divorce and property. Its constitution allows followers of each faith to use their religious laws to govern such matters -- including 180 million Muslims, the largest religious minority in the Hindu-dominated country.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won a thumping majority in 2014 national elections, has long pushed for a controversial uniform civil code to be enforced in India, which has a history of religious violence.

But Muslims have historically opposed such a move, claiming it will erode their religious identity and violate the constitution that protects right to religious freedom.
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un have traded accusations and rhetoric for months

US President Donald Trump -- who has often hailed China's efforts to put pressure on North Korea -- hit out at Beijing Thursday for failing to cut off Pyongyang's oil supply, saying such moves prevented a "friendly solution" of the crisis.

"Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea," Trump said on Twitter.

"There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!"

Trump later hinted at the possibility of trade action against China in an interview with The New York Times.

"Oil is going into North Korea. That wasn't my deal!" he said. "If they don't help us with North Korea, then I do what I've always said I want to do."

Describing the Kim regime as a "nuclear menace" that is "no good for China," he added that Xi Jinping's government has to "help us much more."

Trump did not directly threaten to launch military action to resolve the crisis, but in recent months, Washington has promised to "utterly destroy" the regime of Kim Jong-Un if war breaks out.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels dozens of times since October.

It was not immediately clear if Trump was referring to the report or US intelligence in his tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North's main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang.

A State Department official later said the US was aware that "certain vessels have engaged in UN-prohibited activities, including ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum and the transport of coal from North Korea."

"We have evidence that some of the vessels engaged in these activities are owned by companies in several countries, including China," the senior official said, adding that oil is vital to the regime and its military, while coal exports have been a primary means of generating revenue.

"We condemn these acts and hope that any UNSC members, including China, work more closely together to shut down smuggling activities," the official added.

- 'Do more' -

Last week, the United Nations Security Council -- with China's backing -- slapped new sanctions on North Korea that will restrict oil supplies vital for Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs.

The US-drafted resolution bans the supply of nearly 75 percent of refined oil products to North Korea, puts a cap on crude deliveries and orders North Korean nationals working abroad to be sent back by the end of 2019.

The UN Security Council on Thursday meanwhile denied international port access to four North Korean ships suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP.

The ban of the four vessels brings the UN's total number of blocked ships to eight. The United States requested the most recent ban along with measures targeting ships registered in other countries, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.

In recent months, Trump's administration has praised Beijing for its efforts to tame North Korea. China has voted in favor of three UN Security Council resolutions strengthening sanctions on the North since the summer.

Washington remains convinced that only pressure from the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping will persuade Kim to back down and negotiate an end to the nuclear standoff.

Beijing "has applied certain import bans and sanctions, but it could and should do more," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday in a column published in The New York Times.
A jogger runs along Chicago's lakefront despite single-digit temperatures on December 27, 2017

A bitter Arctic chill settled across Canada and much of the United States Thursday, forcing people indoors, stranding motorists with dead car batteries and complicating firefighting duties.

In Canada, firefighters saw water at times freeze in their hoses as they battled an overnight blaze south of Montreal, in Quebec province.

Environment Canada increased the number of extreme cold warnings around the country, bulletins issued only when the cold "creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia."

Thursday morning the thermometer plunged to minus 40 C in Geraldton, in northern Ontario province. "And that's not considering the wind chill factor," said meteorologist Alexandre Parent with Environment Canada.

"We have to go back in 1993 to see this kind of weather in Ontario and Quebec," he said.

Ice crystals fell in the northwestern city of Whitehorse when rain fell amid freezing wind.

The Arctic temperatures are expected to last into early 2018, Environment Canada said.

Health Canada warned that exposed skin could freeze in less than 10 minutes in places where temperatures were approaching minus 35 C.

Canadian homeless shelters struggled to keep up with the demand for services and issued special appeals for donations of warm clothes.

At the Ottawa Mission charity, cots for new arrivals spread into the dining hall and even the nearby church.

Separately, the Canadian Automobile Association said it has received more than 7,000 emergency calls in Quebec province -- and almost 1,000 in Saskatchewan province -- seeking emergency help, especially for automobile batteries that lost their charge in the extreme cold.

In the United States, the National Weather Service said that "dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills" were pummelling much of the central and eastern part of the country.

The NWS warned of an Arctic airmass "spanning from the High Plains to New England," and forecast that one third of the country would experience temperatures hovering around minus 18 C on New Years Day.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier warned residents to prepare for "dangerously cold weather," with below-normal temperatures expected to be between minus 12.7 C and minus 6.6 C through Saturday.

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Two Romanian hackers have been arrested and charged with overtaking two-thirds of Washington's outdoor surveillance cameras just before Trump's inauguration, officials said Thursday.

Mihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, and Eveline Cismaru, 28 were arrested in Bucharest on December 15 and charged with conspiracy and various forms of computer fraud, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in Washington.

The Justice Department said the pair managed to disable 123 of the Metropolitan Police Department's 187 outdoor surveillance cameras in early January by infecting computer systems with ransomware.

The pair were attempting 'to extort money' in exchange for unlocking the computer, according to an affidavit filed in court.

Mihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, and Eveline Cismaru, 28 have been arrested and charged with overtaking two-thirds of Washington's outdoor surveillance cameras just before Trump's inauguration (stock image of the outside of the US Capitol Building)

The Justice Department said the pair from Romania managed to disable 123 of the Metropolitan police department's 187 outdoor surveillance cameras in early January by infecting computer systems with ransomware (STOCK IMAGE)

They have been described as being part of a bigger extortionist hacking group, according to the Washington Post.

The case 'was of the highest priority' because it impacted efforts to plan security ahead of the 2017 presidential inauguration, according to officials.

The case 'was of the highest priority' because it impacted efforts to plan security ahead of the 2017 presidential inauguration, according to officials (pictured is a member of the US Capitol police standing guard at the US Capitol in 2016)

The Secret Service and other agencies 'quickly ensured that the surveillance camera system was secure and operational' and the investigation found no security threats as a result of the scheme.

Isvanca remains in custody in Romania and Cismaru is on house arrest there pending further legal proceedings, the Justice Department said.

The pair currently face prosecution in Europe, but prosecutors plan to seek extradition, according to court filings.

If convicted they could each likely see 20 years in prison.

Their infiltration into the Metropolitan Police Department's system was discovered on January 12 when an officer noticed several cameras weren't functioning properly, according to the Post.

Secret Service Agent Brian Kaiser was given access to the computers that operate the cameras and found that non-police users were sending spam messages infected with ransoomware to a long list of email addresses.

The problem was resolved when the department took the devices offline, removed all software and restarted the systems at each site. The process took about two days, according to police.

None of the cameras recorded any video between January 12 and January 15, but ransom was never paid.

The Secret Service tracked down Cismaru and Isvanca by tracking the computer accessing email addresses.
In 2017, the Security Council slapped three sanctions on North Korea: one in August targeted iron, coal and fishing industries; one in September aimed at textiles and limiting oil supply; and one in December focused on refined petroleum products

The UN Security Council on Thursday denied international port access to four North Korean ships suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP.

The ban of the four vessels -- the Ul Ji Bong 6, Rung Ra 2, Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1 -- brings the UN's total number of blocked ships to eight. The United States requested the most recent ban along with measures targeting ships registered in other countries, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.

But China only agreed to target the four ships flying North Korean flags, diplomats said, as part of international efforts to curb Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs.

"Only four ships have been accepted" for the ban but "the procedure remains open" to include other vessels in the future, one diplomat said.

The list submitted by the US in December had also included ships flying flags from Belize, China, Hong Kong, Palau and Panama.

Shortly before the Council decision US President Donald Trump -- who has often hailed China's efforts to put pressure on North Korea -- sharply criticized Beijing for failing to cut off Pyongyang's oil supply.

"Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea," Trump said on Twitter.

"There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!"

It was not immediately clear if Trump was referring to the report or US intelligence in his tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North's main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang.

- Transshipment at sea -

In 2017, the Security Council has slapped three sets of sanctions on North Korea: one on August 5 targeting the iron, coal and fishing industries; another set on September 11 aimed at textiles and limiting oil supply; and the most recent on December 22 focused on refined petroleum products.

The US has denounced trafficking of banned goods that allows North Korea to stock up, particularly the transfer of cargo between different ships on the high seas.

Blocking suspected vessels from ports -- except in the case of humanitarian need as determined by the council's sanctions committee -- is provided for in the August resolution.

On October 5, the UN had already identified four ships "carrying prohibited goods," resulting in a ban on port access that was a "first in United Nations" history, according to Hugh Griffiths, part of a UN panel of experts monitoring the application of sanctions on Pyongyang.

Those four vessels were registered in the Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cambodia and North Korea, and were targeted for the illegal transport of coal, iron and North Korean fish.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels dozens of times since October.

Washington remains convinced that only pressure from the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping will persuade Kim to back down and negotiate an end to the nuclear standoff.
Vincent Asaro pictured outside court in Brooklyn, New York, in November 2015 after a jury found him not guilty of involvement in the 1978 Lufthansa heist

Two years after he was sensationally acquitted of murder and the 1978 Lufthansa heist, New York mobster Vincent Asaro finally got his comeuppance Thursday, sentenced to eight years for arson.

Asaro, 82 -- a capo from the Bonanno organized crime family -- now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars for ordering an arson attack on a car in 2012.

In June, Asaro, whose lawyers say is in extremely poor health, pleaded guilty to ordering the road rage fire in retaliation for a Queens driver who had cut him off in traffic five years earlier.

The namesake grandson of late New York mobster John Gotti also pleaded guilty over the arson.

Judge Allyne Ross sentenced Asaro in a Brooklyn federal court to eight years behind bars and ordered him to pay $21,276 damages for the car.

"Today's sentence holds Asaro accountable not only for using his power as a member of organized crime to address a perceived slight by another motorist, but for a lifetime of violent criminal activity," said acting US Attorney Bridget Rohde in Brooklyn.

Prosecutors were dealt a stunning blow when a Brooklyn jury in November 2015 acquitted Asaro of involvement in an infamous heist at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport -- immortalized in Martin Scorsese's 1990 Oscar-winning movie "Goodfellas," which does not depict Asaro specifically.

On trial for murder, violence and extortion from the late 1960s until 2013, Asaro was found not guilty on all counts, including the grizzly strangulation of a suspected informant with a dog chain, who was then buried under a basement floor.

Asaro's lawyers said prosecutors lacked evidence.

The Lufthansa heist -- the biggest on US soil -- saw armed mobsters steal $5 million in cash and nearly $1 million in jewels from a Lufthansa Airlines vault at John F. Kennedy airport on December 11, 1978.

The value of the booty today is estimated at around $20 million.
BERLIN (AP) - A tourist ship has struck a highway bridge on the Rhine river in western Germany. Police say 27 people are injured.

The Swiss Crystal, which news agency dpa reports was en route to the Netherlands, hit a pillar of the bridge near Duisburg on Tuesday evening.

Another ship took the 103 passengers and 26 crew members to Duisburg. Police say four people with more serious injuries were released from hospitals on Wednesday morning.

The bridge has been closed as a precaution ahead of checks by structural engineers.
MOSCOW (AP) - The former owner of a candy factory in Moscow has killed a security guard and injured three people, Russian investigators said Wednesday.

The Investigative Committee said the man argued with the factory's new owner and then opened fire with a shotgun.

Moscow police denied earlier reports that the man took several people hostage but confirmed that he has holed up on the premises.

Ilya Averyanov called the Business FM radio station and said he was defending himself against a "gang" that colluded with Moscow prosecutors to seize his property.

Averyanov said he will "fight 'til the end."

There was no immediate comment from authorities on his allegations.

A bankruptcy case for the Menshevik factory is due to be heard in Moscow in January, according to court filings.
LIMA, Peru (AP) - Two senior officials resigned Wednesday from Peru's government, the latest in a wave of defections amid a political crisis in the South American country.

Minister of Culture Salvador del Solar announced his resignation on Twitter without giving a reason for his decision, while presidential adviser Maximo San Roman said in a letter to embattled President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski that his recommendations were not being taken into consideration.

Their departures come days after the resignations of three members of parliament from the president's party and his minister of interior.

Nuns stands next to a group of police who are standing guard outside the clinic where former President Alberto Fujimori was admitted, in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski granted a medical pardon to the jailed former strongman who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Kuczynski only barely survived an impeachment vote by congress last week for alleged corruption, and he set off protests at home and abroad with a Christmas Eve pardon of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori in what many Peruvians viewed as a political payback.

Kuczynski said he granted a medical pardon to the ailing 79-year-old former president on humanitarian grounds. The action allows Fujimori to leave prison after serving less than half a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, including killings of 25 people by the military, that took place during his administration in the 1990s.

Relatives and a lawyer for some of the victims called Wednesday for judicial authorities or the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to reverse the pardon for Fujimori, who issued an apology from his hospital bed for people "wronged" by his government.

"Fujimori killed my son, and now Kuczynski in a cowardly and cruel manner ends up killing the rest of the family," one of the relatives, Javier Roca, told reporters.

Abstentions by lawmakers from a party led by a Fujimori son allowed Kuczynski to narrowly avoid being impeached late Thursday over a payment that his consulting firm received a decade ago from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has admitted bribing public officials throughout Latin America to win public works contracts.

Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, raises hands after the swearing in ceremony of the new Interior Minister Vicente Romero, at government palace in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Kuczynski granted a medical pardon to former strongman Alberto Fujimori who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

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Dec. 26

The Washington Post on the opioid epidemic affecting life expectancy:

In almost every developed country, life expectancy at birth has trended predictably and steadily upward for decades, with slight hiccups from time to time, usually lasting just a year and often triggered by major epidemics. The United States, in the grip of an escalating opioid addiction and overdose crisis, has now recorded its second straight year of declining life expectancy, a nearly unheard-of event for a rich Western nation and its first such downturn in nearly 60 years.

That should be a wake-up call for the Trump administration, which has talked a fine game about the opioid epidemic but done too little to address it. A far greater sense of urgency is needed to address what has become one of the gravest public-health threats to the United States in living memory.

On Dec. 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that life expectancy in 2016 fell to 78.6 years, a second consecutive and statistically significant annual decline of a tenth of a year. The back-to-back drops coincided with an average annual increase in opioid-related overdose deaths of about 20 percent, and a staggering one-year surge in 2016 in which 42,249 people - an official tally that may understate the real scope of the problem by thousands - died of that cause. More bad news: Early signs are that drug-related deaths continued to climb in 2017, which could contribute to a third straight year of falling life expectancy, something that hasn't happened since the Spanish flu swept the country a century ago.

It would be a mistake to see the fall in life expectancy as part of a broad decline in American public health. Infant mortality continues to drop, and death rates from heart disease, cancer, flu, diabetes, kidney disease and other causes are mainly flat or falling. Rather, the main culprits are known as "diseases of despair" - especially drug overdoses and suicide. And the main victims are men, especially working-class young and middle-aged men, for whom the overdose death rate is twice that of women.

Mindful of the soaring toll, President Trump appointed a presidential commission on combating drug addiction and the opioid crisis, which recommended last summer that the president declare a national emergency, as he has pledged to do. That would have freed up funding from the national Disaster Relief Fund. Instead, in October he declared a public-health emergency, a lesser designation and one that has not unlocked game-changing amounts of federal dollars.

At the highest levels, the administration's response to the crisis has been sluggish, characterized by boastful rhetoric but stagnant funding. Mr. Trump has spoken of the government producing "really tough, really big, really great advertising," as if a Nancy Reagan just-say-no approach were adequate to the task of tackling a complex public-health scourge. He said the administration would crack down on the synthetic opioid fentanyl, manufactured in China, and endeavor to develop non-addictive painkillers as an alternative to opioids. But where is the funding?

Online: https://www.washingtonpost.com/

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Dec. 24

The New York Times on investing in infrastructure:

The Amtrak derailment near Tacoma, Wash., that killed three people last week may well have been partly the individual failure of an engineer who was going much too fast. It was also, however, yet another demonstration of this country's collective, continuing failure to invest in infrastructure.

Though their inquiries are not complete, investigators have determined that the train, which was going from Seattle to Portland, Ore., was traveling at 78 miles per hour as it approached a turn that has a 30-mph speed limit. The circumstances are eerily similar to a 2015 Amtrak crash near Philadelphia in which eight people were killed when a train derailed as it sped through a sharp curve.

In both cases, the trains were operating without the benefit of a system known as positive train control, which can automatically slow down or stop a train when human operators fail to do so. This technology is not some hot new thing. The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending it for nearly half a century. For various reasons - including bureaucratic inertia and penny-pinching - many railroads still don't have functioning systems in place.

In 2008, after a rail accident in California killed 25 people, Congress required all railroads to install positive train control by the end of 2015. But after many railroads complained that they were not close to completing the task, lawmakers in late 2015 gave them another three years to comply. They also allowed the Department of Transportation to grant extensions of an additional two years on a case-by-case basis if railroads achieved certain milestones.

While some railroads like Metrolink in Southern California now use the technology, many railroads, including New Jersey Transit, have made far too little progress, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. The industry, which includes many private freight railroads, clearly deserves much of the blame for dragging its feet. But so do federal and state governments, which have not only failed to push the industry harder but have never appropriated enough money to allow public transit agencies to upgrade their systems or held railroad officials accountable for delays. Amtrak says most of its Northeast Corridor has a functioning positive train control system, but that is not true across its national network, which includes track and equipment that is owned and has to be updated by other companies and agencies.

The halting progress is emblematic of the country's larger transportation problems - its potholed roads, dysfunctional subways, dilapidated bridges and shabby airports. Some had hoped this would change under President Trump, who promised during the election to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure. Last week, he wrote on Twitter that the Amtrak derailment "shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly."

It is hard to take this declaration seriously, though, given his administration's lack of effort. The White House raised hopes when it held an "infrastructure week" in early June. It's understandable if you don't recall anything about that week; it was all smoke and mirrors. The one document from which we might actually learn something about the administration's intentions - the 2018 budget - proposes a long list of cuts. Grants to Amtrak would be slashed by $630 million, or 45 percent; the Capital Investment Grants program, which supports rail and transit projects around the country, would lose $928 million, or 43 percent; a popular $500 million transportation program known as Tiger, which invests in road, rail, transit and port projects, would be eliminated.

According to some recent press reports, the administration is now developing a plan that would shift much of the burden of new spending on infrastructure to state and local governments and the private sector. This will not work. The recently passed Republican tax bill will make it very difficult for state and local governments to raise new money because its citizens will no longer be able to deduct state and local taxes from their federal income taxes. And while private investors would be interested in revenue-generating projects like toll roads, they are unlikely to fund safety improvements like positive train control.

If Mr. Trump were serious, he would get Congress to increase direct federal spending on infrastructure and pay for it by repealing some of the giant tax cuts it just handed to corporations and wealthy families. That's a pipe dream, of course. Just like Mr. Trump's promises to rebuild America.

Online: https://www.nytimes.com/

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Dec. 22

The Japan News on whether recent legislation in the United States can lead to an improvement in business:

Can the United States achieve the goal of propping up the economy through a virtuous circle in which corporate tax cuts encourage new investment and tax reductions for individuals boost consumption? Success or failure will affect the future course of the world economy.

Legislation for the biggest tax cuts in about 30 years has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate of the U.S. Congress. The bill will be signed into law by President Donald Trump.

The overall scale of the tax reduction, involving corporate and personal income taxes, will amount to about $1.5 trillion over the coming decade.

Trump boasted of the legislation, saying it will bring about "the largest tax cut in the history of our country."

The federal corporate tax rate will be lowered from 35 percent to 21 percent next year. The effective corporate tax rate, which includes local tax, will be decreased from around 41 percent to around 28 percent, which is lower than the levels in such countries as Japan and Germany.

The corporate tax cut will boost U.S. firms' competitiveness and at the same time will also bring about benefits to Japanese businesses operating in the United States. A positive effect on corporate achievements can also be expected due to such factors as high stock prices in anticipation of business expansion.

Chairman Akio Mimura of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the U.S. tax cut "will certainly stimulate business."

A worrying matter is that a corporate tax cut happening at once in the United States, whose rate is the highest among major nations, may accelerate the global competition in carrying out tax reductions. Individual countries must pay heed to striking a balance in taxation.

Beware fiscal deficit surge

The U.S. tax legislation calls for lowering the maximum individual income tax rate and expanding deductions for all taxpayers. This tax reduction plan is aimed at lessening tax burdens on all brackets of income earners and thus accelerating the expansion of consumption.

But the polarization of income is conspicuous in the United States. If consumption by middle-income earners lacks vigor, it is hardly possible to expect tax revenue recovery through economic improvement.

The Reaganomics economic policy put forth 30 years ago stimulated business via tax cuts, but at the same time expanded fiscal deficits, thus leading to "twin deficits," with the other being a trade deficit. Striking a balance between huge tax cuts and fiscal soundness is not an easy task.

The tax bill also incorporated the curtailment of the Obamacare medical insurance program in order to scale back fiscal spending. A huge increase in the number of uninsured people will be a matter of concern. The U.S. government needs to keep a close watch on future developments.

This is the first time that one of Trump's major campaign pledges has been legislated.

Despite the Republican Party controlling both chambers of Congress, the bill for abolishing the Obamacare program and the budget plan related to construction of U.S.-Mexico "border walls" fell through. This is because there were confrontations between the White House and the mainstream Republican elements.

It can be said that the Republicans united to bring about a successful result ahead of midterm elections set for next fall.

The Democratic Party has been stepping up its opposition to the tax legislation, arguing that it is a tax reduction for the benefit of wealthy people.

The popular support rating for Trump has been standing at record lows in the 30-percent level. If white workers, who form a major support base for Trump, cannot feel the benefit of the tax reduction, the Republicans might fail in the midterm elections.

Online: http://the-japan-news.com/

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Dec. 26

The Chicago Tribune on President Donald Trump defying Vladimir Putin by supplying arms to Ukraine:

In the annals of President Donald Trump's odd dealings with Russia's Vladimir Putin, give Trump credit for making a straightforward decision to defy Putin by supplying arms to Ukraine.

The State Department says the U.S. will provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities" to protect itself against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. What this means, according to news reports, is that the U.S. is finally prepared to help Ukraine's military punch back in a murky conflict cooked up by Putin. American weapons going to Ukraine will include Javelin anti-tank missiles and sniper rifles.

You may be surprised to learn there still is a conflict in eastern Ukraine. Indeed there is, with reports of intensified shelling in recent days, though an ostensible cease-fire has been in place for more than two years. Violence there has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014 and driven 1.5 million people from their homes.

Putin is the scheming villain responsible for splintering Ukraine as part of his ambition to reassert Russian power. In 2014, he waltzed into Crimea (there is no better verb to describe his actions). Putin seized and annexed that vital region of Ukraine in the wake of Ukrainian political upheaval. He followed up by orchestrating the uprising in eastern Ukraine, intentionally destabilizing a country that had dreams of joining the European Union and NATO.

President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia but did little else after Putin took the Crimean Peninsula in what was the first big European land grab since World War II. Obama decided that providing lethal weapons to Ukraine would accomplish little but antagonize Putin. Yet refusing to arm Ukraine had the opposite effect: It emboldened Putin. Obama's hesitance is one reason why Russia-backed rebels control eastern Ukraine today.

Trump, who generally sees himself as an active defender of U.S. interests, has his own problems figuring out Putin. The president at times sounds strangely enamored with the Russian strongman. Certainly Trump's not the first American leader to underestimate Putin, but he's the first to sound admiring of a foreign aggressor whose government meddled in an American election.

U.S. officials have been signaling new support for providing Ukraine with arms. The point is not to encourage an escalation of fighting or draw Russia into direct confrontation with the United States but to make Russian interference in Ukraine more costly. "Defensive weapons are not provocative unless you are an aggressor and clearly Ukraine is not an aggressor since it is their own territory where the fighting is happening," Defense Secretary James Mattis said in Kiev in August.

Javelin missiles are tank killers. The separatists possess Russian armored vehicles. Are Russian soldiers fighting alongside the separatists? The Russian government insists it is not directly involved, but it's interesting to hear the concerned tone of Moscow's reaction to America providing arms. "The American weapons can lead to more victims in the neighboring country, and we couldn't stay indifferent to that," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Will that Russian reaction translate into a more lethal conflict? Yes. But war in Ukraine is a reality, and a West that flinches from the prolonged Russian incursion will only please Putin.

The bottom line is that Putin's meddling in the affairs of other states won't stop unless he is challenged. Trump has done that. Ukraine's ability to fight back against the separatists has been hampered by a lack of firepower. Now it will get some. Now Ukraine can punch back.

Online: http://www.chicagotribune.com/

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Dec. 27

The Los Angeles Times on a federal judge's recent ruling that an American citizen who is suspected of fighting for the Islamic State group be given access to a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union:

For more than three months, the U.S. military has held an American citizen in secret custody in Iraq - without permitting him to see a lawyer. A federal judge rightly ruled over the weekend that the man, who is suspected of fighting for Islamic State, must be given "immediate" access to a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Trump administration should stop resisting and let the ACLU in. And it should make it clear to the military that in future cases, a U.S. citizen who asks for a lawyer for a criminal interrogation must receive one.

The unnamed man at the center of the case was born in the U.S. to Saudi parents. In early September, he surrendered to U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces pursuing an offensive against the Islamic State "capital" of Raqqa. He was turned over to U.S. forces, who classified him as an enemy combatant and interrogated him, without a lawyer, in an attempt to obtain intelligence. But a second interrogation for law enforcement purposes never began because the man asked to see a lawyer first.

Despite this clear statement of his intention, the Defense Department has resisted an attempt by the ACLU to talk to the detainee, claiming that the group lacked standing to intervene on his behalf because it hasn't met with him and doesn't know if he wants the group to file a habeas corpus petition on his behalf.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed this ludicrous argument as "disingenuous at best, given that the department is the sole impediment to the (ACLU's) ability to meet and confer with the detainee." She also said that she found "remarkable and troubling" the Pentagon's argument that the man's request for a lawyer should be ignored until officials can decide what to do with him. A government lawyer acknowledged that one possibility is that the man would be transferred to another country, presumably Saudi Arabia.

Chutkan's order is only the latest example of the federal judiciary - or, as President Trump might call them, "so-called judges" - acting to ensure that constitutional rights aren't extinguished as part of the war against terrorism. In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that a U.S. citizen detained as an enemy combatant was entitled to due process. In the plurality opinion in that case, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote that such a detainee must "be given a meaningful opportunity to contest the factual basis for that detention before a neutral decisionmaker." Four years later, the court held that even foreign enemy combatants held at Guantanamo could challenge their confinement in federal court, despite attempts by Congress to limit such appeals.

We know that some Americans balk at legal protections of any kind for suspected terrorists, even if they are U.S. citizens. Sometimes Trump seems to be among their number. In November, after the arrest of an alleged Islamic State sympathizer in a terrorist attack in New York, the president said that "these animals . go through court for years" and suggested that the way U.S. courts handled terrorism cases was "a joke and it's a laughingstock."

That's an alternative fact. Actually, civilian courts have proved to be effective - and usually expeditious - in bringing accused terrorists to justice, even during Trump's administration. But they aren't and shouldn't be rubber stamps for the prosecution. In November, a federal jury convicted Ahmed Abu Khattala of several charges connected with the 2012 attack on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, in which four Americans were killed; but it acquitted him of murder.

International terrorism obviously poses special challenges, including the importance of acquiring intelligence that could prevent future attacks. Even the Obama administration, which emphasized the importance of trying terrorism cases in civilian courts, recognized that Miranda warnings could prevent a suspect from revealing information that might save lives. For example, after Abu Khattala was captured, officials interrogated him without a lawyer for five days on a U.S. Navy warship in search of useful intelligence. Then, after a two-day break, a separate team of FBI interrogators arrived, read him his Miranda rights and started a new line of questioning.

But if officials are going to use "intelligence interrogations" to evade Miranda rules, the courts should step in.

Judicial oversight of the treatment of suspected terrorists, including alleged enemy combatants, is especially vital because of the open-ended nature of the war against terrorism. Unlike President Obama, who at least gave lip service to the idea of having lawmakers define the scope of anti-terrorist activities in the Middle East and Africa, Trump seems to have no interest in the passage of a new congressional "Authorization for Use of Military Force." The Republican-controlled Congress seems equally uninterested in legislating any time limits on this war.

Again and again, the judicial branch has protected the liberties of U.S. citizens when the other branches were willing to see them eroded. The administration should comply with Chutkan's ruling and learn from it.

Online: http://www.latimes.com/hp-2/

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Dec. 22

Sun Sentinel on seeing President Donald Trump's tax returns:

We won't know the full impact of the massive Republican tax bill for a year or two. Supporters and detractors have spewed opinions almost without restraint, though in candor, the Democrats seem to have more credible analysts on their side of the argument.

Only time will settle the macro-economic debate. It will take only a month or two of hard reporting to figure out what's buried in the 500-page bill that was hammered out in the wee hours by Republican dealmakers.

Who knows? We could wake up one morning and discover the Everglades National Park is for sale. More likely, Republicans will make good their stated goal to "fix" Social Security and Medicare, a fix that should make Floridians especially wary, given the state's heavy population of elderly.

While backers and detractors of the tax plan have exaggerated to one degree or another, it is the deal-maker-in-chief, President Donald Trump, who has won the war of rhetorical excess.

Trump calls the tax rewrite the biggest, most ambitious, most sweeping, most expansive economic boost to the working people of America than anything ever conceived - now and for all times.

And to counter assertions from the other side that the tax bill is a giveaway to the rich and privileged, he offers:

"This is going to cost me a fortune, this thing, believe me. Believe me. This is not good for me. It's not so. I have some very wealthy friends. Not so happy with me, but that's OK. You know, I keep hearing Schumer. 'This is for the wealthy.' Well if it is, my friends don't know about it. I think my accountants are going crazy right now."

His stream-of-consciousness speech to a crowd of supporters in St. Charles, Missouri, was a model of Trump-style incoherence and exaggeration bordering on prevarication.

Anyone asking to be believed twice in a 14-word sentence probably shouldn't be.

We will have to see his income tax returns to see how much he will be hurt under the provisions of the new tax code. But Trump refuses to release his returns, the only modern president to do so. And Congress refuses to compel him.

But this much is certain, the top personal tax rate drops from 39.6 percent to 37 percent and the estate tax is twice as generous. And treatment of pass-through income, the kind that applies to most Trump business, is dramatically lower in the new code. And, of course, if any of Trump's businesses operate under a corporate structure, that much-talked-about rate drops from 35 percent to 21.

So, at least on the surface, Trump's interests suffer none of the blows and enjoy almost all of the advantages in the new code. It's the hidden clunkers that will tell the real tale.

The tax return will settle the question once and for all. In typical Trump fashion, he started out with a promise to release his tax returns as have virtually all of his predecessors.

He modified his position to promise a release after the completion of an IRS audit. Told by the IRS that the audit wasn't a bar to release, he told us his tax return was none of our business.

But it is our business, President Trump. You gave up your financial privacy when you decided to run for public office.

Online: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - Top-ranked Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Brisbane International due to his "late start of preparation" for the new season.

Brisbane International tournament director Cameron Pearson said Thursday that he had received word of Nadal's withdrawal earlier in the day.

The joint ATP and WTA tournament begins Sunday at Pat Rafter Arena.

FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2017, file photo Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a shot in his quarterfinal match against Milos Raonic of Canada at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia. Nadal has withdrawn from the 2018 Brisbane International due to his "late start of preparation" for the new season. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard, File)

Nadal, who pulled out of the ATP Finals in London after a loss to David Goffin in mid-November due pain in his right knee, had earlier tweeted: "I am sorry to announce I won't be coming to Brisbane this year. My intention was to play but I am still not ready after last year's long season and the late start of my preparation."

He later tweeted: "I will be seeing my Aussie fans when I land on the 4th (of January) in Melbourne and start there my preparation for the Australian Open."

Nadal pulled out of an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi scheduled for this week.

The Australian Open, where Nadal lost in the 2017 final to Roger Federer, begins Jan. 15.
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's parliament has passed legislation curbing a police practice of recommending indictments in high-profile cases before charges are pressed.

The bill was pushed by Benjamin Netanyahu's party as he faces corruption allegations, and critics said it was designed to shield the long-ruling prime minister.

The so-called "recommendations bill" passed early Thursday after days of filibustering. It stops police from recommending to prosecutors whether to indict suspects upon completing their investigations. It also aims to stop leaks to the media from the investigations themselves. Much of the details of police investigations of Netanyahu that have been published stem from such leaks.

Critics say the law muzzles police and other institutions. Some opponents, including an opposition party and an activist group, said they plan to challenge the law in court. An initial version was watered down after an uproar and the law as passed does not apply to current investigations, including those concerning Netanyahu.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog called it "an immediate and explicit threat" to law enforcement. He said it marks "the battle between the country's spirit of democracy and a spirit of corruption."

Supporters of the bill say it's needed to protect citizens who are investigated but never charged and have their reputations tarnished when recommendations are made public.

Netanyahu has been questioned in two cases and police say they suspect him of being involved in bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

One investigation involving Netanyahu, dubbed by police "File 1000," reportedly concerns claims he improperly accepted lavish gifts from supporters, including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan.

The second investigation, "File 2000," reportedly concerns Netanyahu's secret talks with the publisher of a major Israeli newspaper in which Netanyahu allegedly requested positive coverage in exchange for reining in a free pro-Netanyahu daily.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and calls the accusations a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media.

Another investigation has engulfed his close associates. "File 3000" relates to a possible conflict of interest involving the purchase of German submarines. Netanyahu's personal attorney, who is also his cousin, represented the German firm involved and is suspected of trading his influence with the prime minister in return for a hefty cut of the deal.

Netanyahu has not been named a suspect in that probe.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The Latest on developments in Afghanistan (all times local):

1:20 p.m.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has called the attack on a Shiite Muslim cultural center in Kabul a "crime against humanity."

In a statement released by the presidential palace, Ghani says: "The terrorist have killed our people. The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places and now our cultural center."

He called them attacks as against Islam and "all human values."

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1 p.m.

Authorities say an attack on a Shiite Muslim cultural center in the Afghan capital Kabul has left at least 35 people dead and 20 wounded.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish says an unknown number of suicide attackers set off an explosion outside the center before storming it. They then set off explosive devices in the basement of the building where scores of people had gathered to mark the December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union, he said.

The center is located in the Shiite-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood in the west of the capital.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan has claimed several brutal attacks on Shiites in recent months in Kabul.

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9:53 a.m.

An Afghan official says a roadside mine has exploded, killing six children in northern Balkh province.

Dawlat Abad District Gov. Mohammad Karim said Thursday the powerful mine killed six shepherd children Wednesday ages 10, 9 and 8.

No one immediately took responsibility for the attack but Karim blames the Taliban, saying the insurgents planted the mine to target Afghan officials and security forces.

Afghanistan has the highest number of mine victims in the world, which along with other roadside bombs kill or wound an estimated 140 people every month.
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's top labor union official pressed the center-left Social Democrats on Thursday to join a new coalition government under conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, arguing that failing to make a deal would hurt both sides.

Merkel's Union bloc will begin talks Jan. 7 on a possible new government with the Social Democrats, her partners of the past four years. The Social Democrats ruled out a repeat after a disastrous performance in September's election, but leaders reluctantly reconsidered after Merkel's talks with two smaller parties collapsed last month.

Many members remain skeptical. Leaders would need the approval of a party conference next month to move on to formal coalition negotiations, and any coalition deal would be put to a ballot of the full membership.

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2017 file photo German Chancellor and chairwoman of the German Christian Democratic Party (CDU), Angela Merkel, speaks at the party's headquarter in Berlin, Germany. Germany's top labor union official, Reiner Hoffmann, is pressing the center-left Social Democrats to join a new coalition government under conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel's Union bloc will begin talks Jan. 7 on a possible new government with the Social Democrats, her partners of the past four years. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn,file)

If the Social Democrats don't join a coalition, that would leave as options an unprecedented minority government under Merkel or a new election.

Reiner Hoffmann, the chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation, told the Tagesspiegel newspaper that the Social Democrats now have a chance to push through employee-friendly policies and use a small window of opportunity to reform the European Union. He said it would be a "big mistake" for the party, a traditional union ally, not to take responsibility.

"We need a government that is able to act and is stable, which ensures that German society doesn't lose its cohesion and the European Union doesn't suffer irreparable damage," Hoffmann said. He said there has been too little talk so far of Germany's responsibility for Europe.

Opponents of another "grand coalition" of Germany's biggest parties argue that it would push down the Social Democrats' support even further.

"I am sure that even more voters would turn away from the big parties ... if they are not prepared to ensure social progress in a stable government," Hoffmann countered.
CAIRO (AP) - Egypt's pro-government media is vilifying neighboring Sudan over its expanding ties with Turkey and Qatar, Cairo's regional nemesis, saying the three are conspiring against Egypt.

While the government has publicly remained silent, the media seized on a visit this week to Sudan by Turkey' president, a meeting between the chiefs of staff of Sudan, Turkey and Qatar and renewed efforts by Khartoum to revive a border dispute with Egypt.

The new low in relations deepens simmering tensions between Egypt and both Ethiopia and Sudan over the likely impact of a massive dam being built by Addis Abba on Egypt's vital share of Nile River waters.

FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017 file photo, Nubians leave their boats docked on the Nile River in front of Heisa Island, Aswan, southern Egypt. Egypt's pro-government media is vilifying neighboring Sudan over its expanding ties with Turkey and Qatar, Cairo's regional nemesis, saying the three are conspiring against Egypt. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, File)

"Sudanese President Omar Bashir is playing with fire in exchange for dollars," wrote veteran analyst Emad Adeeb in Thursday's edition of the Cairo daily, Al-Watan.

FILE - In this Tuesday, April 14, 2015 file photo, a Sudanese boys poses for a photograph while swimming in the Nile River, in Khartoum, Sudan. Egypt's pro-government media is vilifying neighboring Sudan over its expanding ties with Turkey and Qatar, Cairo's regional nemesis, saying the three are conspiring against Egypt. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, April 15, 2015 file photo, Sudanese fishermen sail through river algae while fishing on the Nile River on the outskirts of Khartoum, Sudan. Egypt's pro-government media is vilifying neighboring Sudan over its expanding ties with Turkey and Qatar, Cairo's regional nemesis, saying the three are conspiring against Egypt. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. NO SHORTAGE OF DRAMA WITH CONGRESS IN TRUMP'S FIRST YEAR

Trump and his GOP allies relished wins on taxes and a Supreme Court pick, but turbulence reigned as Republicans tried and failed to replace Obama-era health care laws and Trump picked fights on Twitter.

People pose for photographs in front of a frozen water fountain at Bryant Park, Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017, in New York. A large swath of northern New York is encased in ice and snow after days of lake-effect storms followed by an arctic cold front sending temperatures well below zero. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

2. SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES DIP INTO HEATING BUDGETS

Frigid weather means higher heating costs, and that worries people who rely on aid to buy fuel.

3. JUDGE BLOCKS ARIZONA ETHNIC STUDIES BAN

A U.S. judge says a law that dismantled a popular Mexican-American studies program was enacted for a discriminatory racial purpose and so could not be enforced.

4. WHAT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WANTS FROM JUDGE WHO PARTIALLY LIFTED REFUGEE BAN

The judge said refugees with formal agreements with refugee resettlement agencies should be allowed in the United States - but the Justice Department does not want them included in the judicial order.

5. DOUG JONES DECLARED OFFICIAL WINNER OVER ROY MOORE FOR ALABAMA SENATE SEAT

Moore stands by his claims of voter fraud - but authorities say there's no evidence of it.

6. DECISION DELAYED ON CHARGES FOR MINNEAPOLIS OFFICER WHO SHOT AUSTRALIAN WOMAN

A Minnesota prosecutor says he needs more time to decide whether to charge the officer in the woman's fatal shooting, which happened as police responded to her 911 call.

7. WHERE NEO-NAZI WEBSITE FOUNDER CLAIMS HE'S HIDING OUT

Andrew Anglin is being sued for allegedly leading an anti-Semitic internet trolling campaign that terrorized a Montana real estate agent and her family, but he claims the court has no jurisdiction because he lives in Nigeria - despite being spotted in Ohio.

8. ISLAMIC STATE GROUP ATTACK KILLS DOZENS IN AFGHANISTAN

The suicide bombing underscores the group's growing reach in Afghanistan even amid its dismantling in Iraq and Syria.

9. CALIFORNIA PREPARES TO SMOKE 'EM, BUT NOT ALL CITIES WILL HAVE 'EM

The state legalizes recreational marijuana use Monday, but only a few cities have shops with the necessary license - and no shops in L.A. or San Francisco will be able to open for the first day of legalization.

10. WHO HAD A TERRIBLE DATE

Police say an intoxicated Texas woman caused at least $300,000 in damage to her date's art collection, which included two Andy Warhol paintings.

FILE - In this June 15, 2011, file photo, protesters gather to support the Tucson Unified School District as Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal announces that the Tucson Unified School District violates state law by teaching it's Mexican American Studies Department's ethic studies program at a news conference at the Arizona Department of Education in Phoenix, Ariz. A federal judge is permanently blocking a 2010 ban on ethnic studies in Arizona public schools that dismantled a popular Mexican-American Studies program, effectively dealing a final blow to a seven-year court battle. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, file)
BERLIN (AP) - A 15-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker is in custody in Germany after allegedly fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend, a German of the same age, in a drugstore.

Authorities say the stabbing followed an apparently chance meeting between the two on Wednesday in Kandel, near the French border. The girl died of her injuries after being attacked with a kitchen knife.

Prosecutor Angelika Moehlig said Thursday that a judge ordered the suspect, who wasn't identified, kept in custody on suspicion of manslaughter. She said the motive is still under investigation.

In this Dec. 27, 2017 photo. a customer leaves a drugstore in Kandel, Germany. Flowers and candles lie in front of the entrance. A 15-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker is in custody in Germany after allegedly fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend, a German of the same age, in the drugstore. Police say the stabbing followed what appeared to be an argument between the two Wednesday in Kandel, near the French border. (Andreas Arnold/dpa via AP)

Police said the suspect arrived in Germany in April 2016 and had apparently been in a several-month relationship with the victim, who broke up with him this month.

The victim's parents had filed a criminal complaint against him on Dec. 15 alleging slander and threats.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Democrat Doug Jones' historic victory over Republican Roy Moore was declared official Thursday as Alabama election officials certified him the winner of the special Senate election earlier this month, despite claims of voter irregularities from his opponent.

Jones defeated Moore on Dec. 12 by about 22,000 votes in a stunning victory in a deeply red state. It was the first Democratic Senate victory in a quarter-century in Alabama. Moore was dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls that occurred decades ago.

The state's former chief justice refused to concede and even filed a last-ditch lawsuit hours before the certification, but a judge rejected his claims. Alabama election officials also found no evidence of voting irregularities.

FILE- In this Dec. 11, 2017, file photo, U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks at a campaign rally in Midland City, Ala. Moore is going to court to try to stop Alabama from certifying Democrat Doug Jones as the winner of the U.S. Senate race. Moore filed a lawsuit Wednesday evening, Dec. 27, 2017, in Montgomery Circuit Court. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

A spokesman for Jones earlier called Moore's lawsuit a "desperate attempt ... to subvert the will of the people."

"The election is over. It's time to move on," Sam Coleman wrote in an email.

Jones will be sworn in on Jan. 3, narrowing the GOP's advantage in the U.S. Senate to 51-49. He takes over the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The term expires in January 2021.

Jones is a former U.S. attorney best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham's infamous 1963 church bombing.

Moore's campaign was deeply wounded by the sexual misconduct accusations. Moore denied the accusations and said in the lawsuit that he had passed a polygraph test to prove they are false.

Moore's attorney wrote in the wide-ranging complaint that he believed there were irregularities during the election, including that voters may have been brought in from other states. He attached a statement from a poll worker that she had noticed licenses from Georgia and North Carolina as people signed in to vote.

The complaint also noted the higher-than-expected turnout in the race, particularly in Jefferson County, and said Moore's numbers were suspiciously lower than straight-ticket Republican voting in about 20 Jefferson County precincts. The complaint asked for a fraud investigation and eventually a new election.

"This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone," Moore said in a statement Wednesday.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said he had not found any evidence of voter fraud, but that his office will investigate any complaint Moore submits.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California, Irvine, said Moore's complaint did not raise the sort of issues that lead courts to overturn an election. He said Moore's complaint might just be a way for him to fundraise and throw "red meat to his loyal supporters."

Moore has sent several fundraising emails to supporters asking for donations to investigate claims of voter fraud.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Latest on the U.S. Senate race in Alabama (all times local):

3 p.m.

Defeated U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore reacted to Alabama finalizing the election results by again saying experts agree the election was "fraudulent."

FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017 file photo, Democrat Doug Jones speaks in Birmingham, Ala. Roy Moore is going to court to try to stop Alabama from certifying Jones as the winner of the U.S. Senate race. Moore filed a lawsuit Wednesday evening, Dec. 27, 2017, in Montgomery Circuit Court. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

He made the comment in a brief statement Thursday afternoon, shortly after a state board officially declared Democrat Doug Jones the winner of the Dec. 12 election.

Moore said he's had to fight not only Democrats but also Republicans and the "Washington establishment." He said he stood for the truth and has no regrets, closing his statement by saying "To God be the glory."

The state certified Jones' win after a judge rejected Moore's last-minute request to delay the certification.

Jones' win is the first Democratic Senate victory in a quarter-century in Alabama.

Moore was beset by accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls decades ago. He has denied the allegations.

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1:30 p.m.

Senator-elect Doug Jones of Alabama says his victory marks a "new chapter for our state and the nation."

Jones issued a statement Thursday after a state board officially declared him the winner of the Dec. 12 election. Jones said he is looking forward to "going to work for the people of Alabama."

Official election results show that Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore by 21,924 votes. Jones is expected to be sworn in next month.

He is the first Alabama Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in 25 years. Jones said he will be an "independent voice" in the Senate and will strive for "common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle."

The state certified Jones' win after a judge rejected Moore's request to delay the certification.

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1:10 p.m.

Alabama election officials have officially declared Democrat Doug Jones the winner of a special Senate election held earlier this month.

Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore by about 22,000 votes on Dec. 12 and became the first Democratic Senate victory in a quarter-century in Alabama. Moore was dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls that occurred decades ago.

He refused to concede the race and filed a last-ditch lawsuit Wednesday, saying there were voting irregularities that needed to be investigated. A judge rejected his claims. Alabama officials also said they found no evidence of fraud.

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12:30 p.m.

An Alabama judge has rejected Roy Moore's attempt to stop the state from making his defeat official in Alabama's special Senate election.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick on Thursday denied Moore's attempt to delay the certification of votes while Moore's claims of voting irregularities are investigated. Democrat Doug Jones is expected to be certified as the winner Thursday afternoon.

Moore had filed a lawsuit late Wednesday night in an 11th-hour attempt to stop Alabama from certifying Jones as the winner.

Moore's attorney wrote in the lawsuit that he believed there were irregularities and said there should be a fraud investigation and eventually a new election.

Alabama election officials say they found no evidence of fraud.

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12:15 p.m.

A Montgomery circuit judge at this hour is having a telephone conference with attorneys in Republican Roy Moore's last-ditch effort to stop Democrat Doug Jones from being declared the winner in the Alabama Senate election.

Moore filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to block the state from certifying Jones as the winner, saying there were voting irregularities during the Dec. 12 race he lost by about 12,000 votes.

Court staff members say Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick scheduled the telephone conference with attorneys. Jones has asked Hardwick to toss the lawsuit.

Alabama's election canvassing board is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. Thursday to certify the election result.

___

11:10 a.m.

Democrat Doug Jones is asking a judge to toss Roy Moore's last-minute lawsuit seeking to overturn Jones' historic win in the Alabama race for U.S. Senate.

Jones filed a motion Thursday in Montgomery Circuit court asking a judge to dismiss Moore's complaint. Attorney Joe Espy wrote that Moore has no legal ground for asking the court to block Jones' win.

Moore filed a lawsuit Wednesday raising broad claims of election fraud. He asked a judge to stop the state from declaring Jones the winner. The election results will be certified at 1 p.m. CST. Thursday unless blocked by a judge.

Jones defeated Moore by about 20,000 votes to become the first Alabama Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in 25 years.

___

9 a.m.

A spokesman for Doug Jones is calling Roy Moore's last-minute lawsuit to stop the certification of Jones' victory in this month's U.S. Senate race a "desperate attempt."

Jones spokesman Sam Coleman said Thursday that Moore's attempt to "subvert the will of the people will not succeed."

Echoing a previous refrain from Jones, Coleman added, "The election is over. It's time to move on."

Moore filed a lawsuit in Montgomery Circuit Court late Wednesday raising broad claims of election fraud. He asked a judge to block the state from certifying Jones as the winner. Secretary of State John Merrill said he has found no evidence of voter fraud, and he said the state canvassing board would certify Jones' victory as planned on Thursday afternoon.

Jones is scheduled to be sworn in next week.

___

12:30 a.m.

Roy Moore is going to court to try to stop Alabama from certifying Democrat Doug Jones as the winner of the U.S. Senate race.

Moore filed a lawsuit Wednesday evening in Montgomery Circuit Court. The filing occurred about 14 hours ahead of Thursday's meeting of a state canvassing board to officially declare Jones the winner of the Dec. 12 special election.

Jones defeated Moore by about 20,000 votes.

Moore's attorney wrote in the lawsuit that he believed there were irregularities and said there should be a fraud investigation and eventually a new election.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill told The Associated Press Wednesday evening that Jones will be certified as the winner Thursday. He said so far his office has found no evidence of fraud.
CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. (AP) - When voters in Cambridge, New York, decided the town school was due for a renovation, science teacher Steve Butz knew there was one piece of the 1950 building that deserved to be preserved: the door to the principal's office.

The plain door once served as a model for one of Norman Rockwell's iconic paintings, "Girl With Black Eye," also known as "The Shiner" and "Triumph in Defeat."

"Holy cow!" Butz recalled thinking when he learned the school intended to discard the door as part of the $11 million rehabilitation. "We should save it."

This Dec. 20, 2017, photo provided by Cambridge Central Schools shows a display case with photos, an illustration and the door that was once on the Principal's office at Cambridge Central Schools in Cambridge, N.Y. Inside the case is the original door from the principal's office that served as the setting for the Normal Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover in 1953, known as "Girl With Black Eye," or "The Shiner." Steve Butz, a science teacher at Cambridge High School, preserved the door for display after it was replaced during a renovation project. (Steve Butz/Cambridge Central Schools via AP)

In 1953, Rockwell drove the short distance from his studio in Arlington, Vermont, to Cambridge, a village among rolling farmland 35 miles northeast of Albany.

Rockwell often used local residents and locales for settings in his work for The Saturday Evening Post. In Cambridge, he found inspiration for his depiction of a schoolgirl awaiting her turn in the principal's office after getting into a fight.

Rockwell took photographs of the principal's office and the door as well as the principal and his secretary. He even had the door taken off its hinges and brought to his studio. Later at his studio, he photographed models standing in for the principal and secretary.

His studio photo shoots also included Mary Whalen Leonard, then 11, who wound up serving as the model for the feisty, plaid skirt-wearing girl with the post-fight disheveled pigtails.

Rockwell, who later moved to the Berkshires in Massachusetts, was "like a movie director," said Stephanie Plunkett, deputy director and chief curator of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

"He would tell his models how he wanted them to pose, what expressions he wanted," she said. "Sometimes he would even act out the scene."

The resulting artwork for "The Shiner" appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post's May 23, 1953, edition. The original oil painting is part of the collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum in Hartford, Connecticut.

Leonard, whose father was Rockwell's lawyer, had already posed for one of the artist's Saturday Evening Post covers when he asked her to do another.

"He said, 'Wouldn't you just love to win a fight with one your brothers? That's the kind of smile you have to have,'" Leonard, now 75, said Thursday. "So he just pulled that smile out of me that day."

The renovation of the building that now houses the Cambridge elementary and high schools called for reconfiguring elementary principal Colleen Lester's office and replacing the famous door. Butz received approval to preserve the door as part of an exhibit on the school's key role in one of Rockwell's most famous works.

The door has been placed in a glass display case near the school's library since November, accompanied by some of Rockwell's black-and-white reference photos and a framed copy of the Saturday Evening Post cover.

Students think it's "cool" that a piece of local lore with national appeal has been preserved and put on display in their school, Butz said. The door is serving as a teaching tool for art students learning how artists such as Rockwell approach their work, he said.

"There was a whole process" the illustrator used, Butz said. "I never knew he took photos of everything."
NEW DELHI (AP) - India's powerful lower house of parliament has approved a bill making the practice of instant divorce illegal and punishable with up to three years imprisonment for offending husbands.

The bill came months after India's Supreme Court ruled that the Muslim practice that allows men to instantly divorce their wives was unconstitutional.

Several opposition parties criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for not discussing the legislation with them before introducing it in Parliament on Thursday.

The approved bill will now go to the Upper House of Parliament for approval before it becomes law.

Women's rights activist Zakia Soman said it was a much needed law for Muslim women, who have suffered legal discrimination with Hindu and Christian women enjoying protection under separate Indian laws.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A decision on whether to approve a contentious oil pipeline in northern Minnesota is being delayed so the project's environmental impact statement can be revised, an administrative law judge has ruled.

The decision from Judge Ann O'Reilly last week is a response to a Public Utilities Commission's finding that the project's impact statement was "inadequate." The PUC on Dec. 7 gave the state Commerce Department 60 days to make revisions.

Regulators had planned to decide the fate of the pipeline by April 2018, but that has now been pushed back until at least June 2018 because of the judge's ruling, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

O'Reilly called the proposed pipeline a complex project that could affect Minnesota's water and environment and that it's in the state's interest to invest "a few extra weeks now to ensure that the law is followed and a comprehensive review of the project is conducted before a final decision is rendered in this important case."

Calgary-based Enbridge Energy wants to replace its 1960s-era Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. One of the required revisions in the impact statement is how an alternative route would be changed to avoid sensitive topography in southeastern Minnesota.

The PUC will decide whether to approve the pipeline after the judge makes a recommendation, which initially was expected to happen by March 30. But O'Reilly said she wanted to give all parties time to respond to the revised impact statement once it's issued.

Enbridge spokeswoman Shannon Gustafson said the company is disappointed by the ruling because the needed revisions were "very simple follow-ups."

But pipeline opponents welcomed the ruling.

"It is the responsibility of our government to adequately understand and weigh the environmental and cultural impacts of a project like this when making a decision," said Margaret Levin, state director for the Sierra Club North Star Chapter.
RACINE, Wis. (AP) - Prosecutors have charged a Wisconsin couple accused of stealing a Salvation Army donation kettle that had $200.

Racine County prosecutors say in a criminal complaint that 34-year-old Alicia Wojtowicz admitted to police she stole the kettle from a Walgreens in Caledonia after officers found it in her garage. Wojtowicz told police she took the kettle on Dec. 21 in a minivan driven by 35-year-old Jacob Doppke.

The Kanosha News reports Doppke told officers he and Wojtowicz are "heavy heroin users" but said he wasn't involved in the theft.

The Kenosha couple is charged with theft and entry into a locked coin box. Prosecutors say they were identified by people who saw a police Facebook post asking for help.

___

Information from: Kenosha News, http://www.kenoshanews.com
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) - A roadside bomb planted by Islamic militants in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula hit a military vehicle on Thursday, killing six people, including a senior army officer, security and hospital officials said.

They said the bomb struck a military convoy that was patrolling an area just outside the town of Bir al-Abd in northern Sinai, killing a colonel who was the town's military commander, a second officer and four soldiers.

Three more soldiers were wounded in the attack, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Col. Tamer el-Rifaai, Egypt's military spokesman, later confirmed the attack in a Facebook post, saying only one officer was killed and that the other five were soldiers.

Bir al-Abd was the scene of the deadliest terrorist attack against civilians in Egypt's modern history, when militants killed 311 worshippers in a mosque on Nov. 24.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has since vowed to use "brute force" to crush the long-running insurgency in northern Sinai and given the military and police three months to restore "security and stability" there.

In a separate attack, a rocket-propelled grenade hit a police armored vehicle in central el-Arish, a coastal city in northern Sinai, killing one conscript. A firefight later erupted between the police and militants, and a civilian driving in the area was caught in the crossfire and killed, said the security and hospital officials. Three militants were killed in the gun battle, they added.

The officials said a third attack unfolded in central Sinai, where militants fired mortar rounds at an army base, killing one soldier and wounding two others.

Egyptian security forces have been battling militants in Sinai for years, but the insurgency picked up steam following the ouster in 2013 of an elected Islamist president whose one year in office proved divisive. The insurgency is led by a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Poachers in Mexico have long smuggled the swim bladders of the totoaba, an endangered fish prized in China.

But federal police said Thursday they've now found a shipment of 104 frozen totoaba fish fillets at the Tijuana airport. That suggests smugglers are seeking to take advantage of the whole fish.

Fishing for totoaba is prohibited in Mexico's Gulf of California, but the high prices paid for dried swim bladders have made that hard to enforce. Poachers in the past simply discarded the fish carcasses after extracting the bladders.

Nets set for totoaba frequently catch the highly endangered vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise. Fewer than 30 vaquitas are thought to remain.
CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. (AP) - The Latest on the preservation of a prop in a famous Norman Rockwell painting (all times local):

1 p.m.

The woman who posed for Norman Rockwell's painting of the smiling schoolgirl with the black eye says the illustrator "just pulled that smile out of me that day."

This Dec. 20, 2017, photo provided by Cambridge Central Schools shows a display case with photos, an illustration and the door that was once on the Principal's office at Cambridge Central Schools in Cambridge, N.Y. Inside the case is the original door from the principal's office that served as the setting for the Normal Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover in 1953, known as "Girl With Black Eye," or "The Shiner." Steve Butz, a science teacher at Cambridge High School, preserved the door for display after it was replaced during a renovation project. (Steve Butz/Cambridge Central Schools via AP)

Mary Whalen Leonard was 11 when she posed in Rockwell's Arlington, Vermont, studio for the Saturday Evening Post cover that became known as "Girl With Black Eye" and "The Shiner."

Whalen is now 75 and told The Associated Press on Thursday that the illustrator asked her if she would love to win a fight with her brothers.

She said she would, then broke into a smile as Rockwell got down on his hands and knees and banged on the floor.

The door of the principal's office in the Cambridge, New York, school that served as the setting for the painting has been saved and is on display at the renovated school.

___

10:15 a.m.

The door to a New York school principal's office that served as the setting for one of Norman Rockwell's iconic paintings has been preserved in an exhibit.

In 1953, Rockwell left his studio in Arlington, Vermont, to go to a school in Cambridge, New York, to take photographs of the principal's office for the painting that became known as "Girl With Black Eye" or "The Shiner."

It depicts a girl with a black left eye and a satisfied smile on her face sitting on a bench outside an office with the word "Principal" on the door.

The door is open enough to reveal the principal and his secretary apparently discussing her impending discipline.

The door was placed in an exhibit at the school when the building underwent renovations this year.
MAHWAH, N.J. (AP) - Facing state and federal lawsuits alleging it used local ordinances to discriminate against Orthodox Jews from nearby New York state, a northern New Jersey town on Thursday night rescinded one of the measures that stoked a controversy that has roiled the town in recent months.

By a 6-1 vote, Mahwah's council amended an earlier measure that would have restricted parks and playgrounds to local residents. The ban was prompted by some town residents' complaints about overcrowding at the parks and their use by Orthodox Jewish families coming from towns across the nearby New York border.

Earlier this month, the council reversed part of an ordinance that effectively banned eruvs, pieces of plastic piping attached to utility poles that serve as boundary markers delineating areas where Orthodox Jews can carry items and perform some activities during their Sabbath.

A lawsuit filed by the state in October sought to block the ordinances and to secure the return of more than $3.4 million in state grants the town has received from the state Department of Environmental Protection. It characterized the town's actions as resembling "1950s-era white flight suburbanites" who sought to keep blacks out of their neighborhoods.

In an emailed statement late Thursday, state Attorney General Christopher Porrino didn't comment on what effect the council's action might have on a potential settlement of the suit. But he cautioned other towns.

"Our message to local officials in other towns who may be plotting to engage in similar attempts to illegally exclude, is the same: We will hold you accountable as well," Porrino wrote.

Thursday's meeting wasn't as contentious as previous council meetings, but there was no shortage of passion on both sides. A young man who said he is Jewish said he never experienced anti-Semitism in Mahwah. But 23-year-old Mahwah resident Susan Steinberg, who also is Jewish but not Orthodox, told council members she "has never felt anti-Semitism in this town until this year" and said the tone in the town has turned ugly.

"This is a wonderful, sharing, lovely community, but it's taken a turn that's not good," Steinberg said.

Council president Robert Hermansen, who has denied the measures were motivated by anti-Semitism, defended the town against what he called incorrect portrayals by the media.

"I know a tremendous number of people in this town who are Jewish and don't feel the way you do," he told Steinberg.

The town's attorney said the legal fees related to the state's lawsuit are roughly $100,000.

Town officials don't have to look far (or far back) to find a similar dispute. Tenafly, a borough just north of the George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey and New York City, was forced to pay a Jewish group more than $300,000 in legal fees and allow the group to keep its eruv up after a six-year legal battle.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A state legislator was shot to death Thursday on a highway in western Mexico, the second politician killed in the state of Jalisco in a week.

The state prosecutors' office said Saul Galindo was slain in the rural township of Tomatlan, where he once was mayor.

The office said Galindo was pulled from his truck by six assailants and shot to death in front of his son.

Galindo headed the Justice Commission of the state legislature.

Victor Hugo Prado, the head of Galindo's Democratic Revolution Party in Jalisco, said Galindo was planning to run for mayor again.

Prado noted that another former prominent party member was killed on Dec. 24. Salvador Magana was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants in another part of the state. He had been active in environmental causes and denounced alleged vote buying.
PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on a judge blocking the enforcement of an Arizona law banning ethnic studies programs (all times local):

2:30 p.m.

Arizona officials are considering appealing a U.S. judge's decision to block a ban on ethnic studies programs in public schools.

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2011 file photo, outgoing Arizona schools chief Tom Horne asserts that a major school district in Tucson is violating a new state law by continuing an ethnic studies program designed primarily for Hispanics, pointing out a quotation from a textbook used in the class, at a news conference in Phoenix. A federal judge is permanently blocking a 2010 ban on ethnic studies in Arizona public schools that dismantled a popular Mexican-American Studies program, effectively dealing a final blow to a seven-year court battle. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

State attorney general's office spokesman Ryan Anderson said Thursday that it would consult with Superintendent Diane Douglas about appealing the case.

Following a seven-year court battle, Judge A. Wallace Tashima issued a final judgment over a 2010 state law that he found to be motivated by racial discrimination and politics.

Lawmakers passed the ban after Tucson Unified School District began offering classes in 1998 focused on Mexican-American history, literature and art.

Steven Reiss, an attorney for Tucson students who sued over the law, says he's pleased that the district is now free to revive the program.

Attorneys for the state have denied that racial discrimination played a part in the law.

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3:45 a.m.

A federal judge has issued a final judgment, blocking an Arizona state law that prompted the dismantling of a Mexican-American history program in Tucson's largest school district.

Judge A. Wallace Tashima in a ruling issued Wednesday declared the law unconstitutional, effectively blocking state education officials from restricting ethnic studies programs in the Tucson Unified School District.

Democratic Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales of Tucson was among those praising the ruling. She said it affirms that the law passed in 2010 was motivated by racial discrimination.

Attorneys for the state have denied that racial discrimination played a part in the law.

The school district's attorney did not immediately return a message seeking comment. It remains unclear what changes the school board might make as a result of the ruling.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) - A Honduran judge has suspended five lawmakers accused of diverting public funds, but refused prosecutors' request that they be held pending trial.

All five members of Congress declined to make statements during their initial appearances in court on Thursday.

Honduran prosecutors and the Organization of American States' anti-corruption mission announced the case against the politicians earlier this month.

According to the investigation, the deputies allegedly requested the funds for a nonprofit organization, which cut checks to them immediately after receiving the money. The public projects never materialized, but banking records show the lawmakers deposited the checks in personal accounts or cashed them.

The judge barred them from leaving the country or having contact with their congressional colleagues.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - President Donald Trump's administration is rescinding proposed rules for hydraulic fracturing and other oil- and gas-drilling practices on government lands, government officials announced Thursday.

The rules developed under President Barack Obama would have applied mainly in the West, where most federal lands are located. Companies would have had to disclose the chemicals used in fracking, which pumps pressurized water underground to break open hydrocarbon deposits.

The rules to be rescinded Friday were supposed to take effect in 2015 but a federal judge in Wyoming blocked them at the last minute. In September, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver declined to rule in that case because the Trump administration intended to rescind the rules.

The long-awaited change drew praise from industry groups including the Washington, D.C.-based Independent Petroleum Association of America and Denver-based Western Energy Alliance, which sued to block the rules.

They claimed the federal rules would have duplicated state rules, putting unnecessary and expensive burdens on petroleum developers.

"States have an exemplary safety record regulating fracking, and that environmental protection will continue as before," Western Energy Alliance President Kathleen Sgamma said in a release.

Fracking has been so successful in boosting production over the past decade it has become almost synonymous with oil and gas drilling. In many areas, it would be rare nowadays for a gas or oil well to not be fracked.

The process requires several million gallons of water each time. Environmentalists say the potential risks to groundwater require regulation.

"Fracking is a toxic business, and that's why states and countries have banned it. Trump's reckless decision to repeal these common-sense protections will have serious consequences," Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in an email.

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Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver
Alastair Cook completed his century in the last over before stumps at the MCG as he and fellow Ashes heavyweight Stuart Broad belatedly kickstarted their campaigns this winter to put Australia under pressure at last.

Broad came into this fourth Test with just five wickets in the series, amid calls from some to leave him out as England try to avoid a 5-0 whitewash, while all-time national record runscorer Cook had failed to muster a half-century in his six innings down under.

Mixed feelings therefore inevitably prevailed as, with the urn already gone, Broad burst into life first with four for 51 as Australia lost their last seven wickets for 67 to be bowled out for 327, and then Cook (104no) steered England to 192 for two alongside Joe Root (49no) on day two.

Alastair Cook celebrates his century during day two of the fourth Ashes Test (Jason OBrien/PA)

Form is temporary, class is permanent 



Alastair Cook reaches 100, his fifth in Australia.



What an effort 



 BT Sport 1 HD#Ashes #ItsTheAshes pic.twitter.com/UwcQMbd3eG  Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) December 27, 2017

Tweet of the day

Bit late, though, chaps?

Alastair Cook has moved past Mahela Jayawardene in the most Test runs listhttps://t.co/PDEPdRSzR0 pic.twitter.com/rNV7BgqKHs  ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 27, 2017

Broad and Cook have made a tardy arrival at what was supposed to be their own party. The poppers are popped, and the urn is of course long gone. Neither Test great is done with yet, it turns out, but this winter they did not produce the goods when England truly needed them to.

Shot of the day

Alastair Cook greeted the return of Jackson Bird with a back-foot force straight past the bowler for four, to move to 25. As on several occasions on his curiously unproductive tour, confusingly it appeared already to be the shot of an in-form batsman.

Off-colour Aussies

Massive day for England, best of the series so far. #ashes https://t.co/Q7ajlX78rr  Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) December 27, 2017

The injury-enforced absence here of the series leading wicket-taker Mitchell Starc has given England a window of opportunity. When Pat Cummins was ailing as well, periodically out the attack and off the field with a stomach upset, suddenly it seemed perhaps the effort expended as the hosts have surged into an unassailable 3-0 was beginning to take a toll.

Stat of the day

Australia lost 7-67 to finish with 327. Time for the Aussie quicks to roll the arm over: https://t.co/osnYPjcpzQ #Ashes pic.twitter.com/7BSIyo0Hva  cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2017

Seven for 67  There was an England-esque ring to Australias collapse as the tourists returned fire at last in a previously all too one-sided series.

What next?

Thats what I call a Proper Days play ... #Ashes  Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 27, 2017

England badly need to finish what they have started, after fluffing their lines from similar positions elsewhere.
Hate crimes are more likely to be carried out when people are drunk, with the alcohol acting as an igniter to expressing prejudice, a study has found.

Researchers from Cardiff University interviewed people attending accident and emergency with injuries from violence in three multicultural British cities.

They found that 18.5% of the 124 patients considered themselves to have been attacked by people motivated by prejudice and that alcohol intoxication accounted for 90% of these attacks.

Alcohol can fuel hate crime, researchers warned

Professor Jonathan Shepherd, director of the Cardiff University Crime and Security Research Institute, said: A striking aspect of the study was the discovery that most attacks werent fuelled by hate alone; alcohol appeared to act as an igniter.

Our findings suggest that tackling alcohol abuse is not only important in regards to the health of individuals but also to the health of our society.

Additionally, we have learned that emergency room violence surveys can act as a community tension sensor and early warning system.

The survey was carried out in Cardiff, Blackburn and Leicester, with the cities chosen because all three are home to multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious populations.

Of the 23 people who claimed the attack on them was motivated by prejudice, seven said they thought their appearance was the motive, five suggested racial tensions within the communities they lived, three mentioned their place of residence and eight cases were attributed to the race, religion or sexual orientation of the victims.

All 23 attacks took place away from the victims homes.

Many of them viewed limiting alcohol consumption as a good strategy to reduce the risk of attacks.

:: The research paper Injury resulting from targeted violence: An emergency department perspective is published in the Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health journal.
More resources would be put into combating knife crime if extra funds were available, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick has said.

Ms Dick said she understood all public services were stretched but knew exactly where she would deploy any increased resources.

The commissioner said knife crime was beginning to stabilise in the capital and that moped-related crime was falling.

Asked about police numbers, Ms Dick told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: All the public services are stretched. We are stretched.

I think we need to focus on what matters most and, at the moment, violence on our streets is a big issue for Londoners.

Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick on serious youth violence @BBCr4today: "We are bearing down on knife crime and my job is to keep the public safe, keep knives off the streets and lock up offenders, including young offenders."  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) December 27, 2017

If you ask any police chief they will always want more resources, of course they will.

I know exactly where Id put them if I had more resources. And it would be into this issue.

Ms Dick said police actions were making an impact, stating: We have got a lot of knife-carrying and we are bearing down very hard.

We have taken thousands and thousands of knives off the streets.

We are doing stop and search.

We are doing it in an intelligent way and we are stopping and searching those people we know are prolific knife carriers.

The commissioner defended comments that short sentences for knife crime are not particularly effective.

Cressida Dick said the Met has taken thousands of knives off the streets (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Ms Dick said: We should all be very proud of the reduction in the number of young people going into prison or custody.

Its a huge reduction, 66%, I think over the last 10 years.

I think thats a good thing.

However, if somebody is going to go into custody because the public need to be protected, they are very violent.

Then, I think, all research tends to suggest that short sentences are not particularly effective in terms of rehabilitation.

It doesnt give a young person the chance to change their life in a short sentence, so thats all I was saying.
Alastair Cooks first Ashes century since 2011 has been described as arguably the best of his career by former England team-mate Graeme Swann.

Cook put aside his disappointing form and questions about his long-term future at the highest level to score an unbeaten 104 on day two of the fourth Test at the MCG.

It is the first time Cook has reached three figures against Australia in 19 Tests and helped leave England in a healthy-looking position at 192 for two, replying to the home sides 327 all out.

Alastair Cook has scored centuries at each of the five Ashes venues in Australia.



SCORECARD: https://t.co/iyCBIFHpSV pic.twitter.com/vEWGNO2VWx  England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 27, 2017

Ex-England spinner Swann told BT Sport: Im so proud of him today, thats possibly the best hundred of his career because of the situation.

Everyones just saying hes going to retire, hes not any games left, his desire has gone. Imagine having your desire questioned when youre in the middle of a bad run.

I think you saw with his hundred celebration, thats the most relieved hundred celebration I think Ive seen from Alastair Cook in a long long time.

Graeme Swann was delighted to see his former team-mate find form in the fourth Test

Swann says the former England captain was wounded by the comments being made about him but believes being around family over Christmas may have helped him.

He added: Anybody would be hurt by that and I know Alastair was.

I saw him at the end of the Perth Test and he was all smiles, he had his kids around his feet and that could be a thing  having the families out gives a bit of perspective.

Having your kids around for Christmas may have just reminded him its just a game, go out and enjoy yourself and hasnt he just today.

The power of the mind ... Thats what playing at the highest level is all about ... Ali Cook proved that again today ... The Mindset of staring at the ball to score rather than just survive worked a treat today ... #Ashes  Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 27, 2017

Cook has now scored 32 Test centuries and his overall tally of 11,816 runs is not only comfortably the most by an Englishman in Tests but puts him eighth in the all-time list of runscorers.

The 33-year-old now has West Indies duo Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brian Lara in his sights, needing another 138 runs to overhaul both.

Swann insists he never had doubts about Cooks desire to keep on churning out the runs for England, but admits he can understand those who did.

No, I didnt really. Only because I know him, so I have a sort of inside line to him, he said.

Alastair Cook is a legend...end of! Well played on the  Cooky and make it a daddy tomorrow #ashes #englandsgreatestrunscorer  Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) December 27, 2017

But had I not had that, I think I would have been like everyone else thinking is he really still full of the fire?

But hes just been brilliant.

Swann added: Im so happy for him. Im so happy for England as well. Stuart Broad with four wickets has really come to the party, the whole team, the way they battled back.

Joe Root as well, on 49 not out, its been an exceptional day for England.
Passengers at Stansted Airport have told of their nightmare after snow and ice forced dozens of Ryanair and easyJet flights to be cancelled or delayed.

Up to 300 passengers had to wait in the terminal on Wednesday evening while trying to rebook flights, with some sleeping in queues through the night and others unable to get return flights home for days.

The airport appeared to be returning to normal by mid Thursday morning but many passengers whose flights were cancelled on Wednesday remained in the terminal.

easyJet and Ryanair flights were cancelled or delayed (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Anwschka Weabers, 37, said she was stranded in the UK with her two young children after their flight back to Eindhoven in the Netherlands was cancelled on Wednesday night.

They had been on a four-day holiday to London and she said her rescheduled flight is not until Saturday.

I dont have a penny in my pocket, she said. Were stuck here.

I tried to call Ryanair but they dont pick up - Im still on the phone, my phone bill is going to be crazy.

With two children its a nightmare. By myself it would be OK but not with two children.

Camie Gornall, 25, said she queued through the night with her husband after their flight back to Stockholm was cancelled.

They had been to the UK to visit her husbands family for Christmas and she said she was now missing work.

We were sleeping in the queue here, she said. People were everywhere. There were little children lying, trying to sleep.

She added: Weve not had any Ryanair staff speaking to us.

Paul Watts, 56, was in the UK for a three-day holiday and his flight back to Oslo was cancelled.

He said there was initial confusion about whether his 6pm flight was delayed or cancelled until he said he received a text message from Ryanair at around midnight.

Good Morning and Welcome to London Stansted Airport! Please let us know if you require any assistance with your journey today - We're here to help.  pic.twitter.com/auz569ymlb  London Stansted Airport (@STN_Airport) December 28, 2017

The queue was up and down the hall three times last night, he said. But if you need a flight home, what can you do?

Images posted on social media showed people trying to sleep on seats in the arrivals hall in the early hours of Thursday.

There were reports of outgoing passengers having to wait for hours to reclaim their luggage after their flights had been axed, with some complaining of a shocking lack of communication by officials.

Stansted Airport officials said they were providing beds and blankets for people stuck at the airport.

A London Stansted spokeswoman said on Wednesday: Due to adverse weather conditions today, Ryanair and easyJet cancelled a number of flights. There are up to 300 passengers in the terminal waiting to rebook flights.

Stansted Airport a disgrace. Waiting for baggage for 3 hours & still told no idea when it will arrive. This follows 4 hour flight delay arriving at Stansted due to small amount of snow. Thousands in the same situation in baggage hall. @STN_Airport #Stansted pic.twitter.com/M96QNS1KM8  Samir Hussein (@samhussein) December 28, 2017

Passengers unable to return home are being looked after by Stansted Airport with beds and blankets, and additional help for elderly passengers or those with young children.

Free food and drinks have been provided to delayed passengers throughout the day.

All passengers due to travel are advised to check the status of their flights with their airline before travelling to the airport.

The spokeswoman said 27 inbound and 27 outbound Ryanair flights had been cancelled as a result of the weather.

Stansted said all flights were anticipated to operate as scheduled on Thursday, although passengers were reminded to check their flights status before travelling to the airport.

EasyJet confirmed that it had to cancel eight flights to and from the airport and another three were diverted to nearby airports.

The airline said in a statement on Thursday: Whilst the circumstances are outside of the airlines control, easyJet apologises for any inconvenience caused.

We are continuing to review the situation at the airport and would like to reassure passengers that we are doing everything possible to minimise the disruption.

We would strongly advise that all passengers due to fly with us from London Stansted today check the status of their flights on our Flight Tracker page at www.easyjet.com/en/flight-tracker for real-time information.

A Ryanair spokesman said in a statement on Thursday: Due to snow-related runway closures at several UK airports (including Liverpool, Luton and Stansted) we regret we were forced to cancel a small number of flights on Wednesday.

Stansted Update: Flights are operating as scheduled with some minor knock-on delays. Please check the status of flights on https://t.co/cgLkPq5oJZ before travelling to the airport. Apologies to all those affected. https://t.co/cENRylGeso  Ryanair (@Ryanair) December 28, 2017

All affected customers were contacted by email and SMS text message and advised of their rebooking options.

We sincerely apologise to all customers affected by these weather cancellations and disruptions, which are entirely beyond our control.

Flights are operating as scheduled today with some minor knock-on delays.

We advise customers to check the status of their flight on the Ryanair.com website before travelling to the airport.
Alastair Cooks record-breaking double-century kept England in control of the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG.

Cook (244no), with a best of just 37 in his previous 10 innings, resumed on day three with his 32nd Test hundred already in the book  and what followed was remarkable, especially during a ninth-wicket stand of exactly 100 with Stuart Broad (56), as he made up entirely for the fragility of several team-mates.

A sensational 244* from Alastair Cook guides England to 491/9 at Stumps on Day 3, a lead of 164.



SCORECARD: https://t.co/b0aqBoGaxN #AUSvENG #Ashes pic.twitter.com/y7Vox4WLPX  ICC (@ICC) December 28, 2017

Englands all-time record runscorer beat Wally Hammonds previous ground-record 200 for a compatriot, and then surpassed Viv Richards best of 209 from any overseas batsman here.

For England, the bottom line of 491 for nine and a first-innings advantage of 164 were riches indeed after their captain Joe Root (61) and others had briefly invited Australia back into the contest.

Morning session

England began the day on 192 for two and were soon celebrating a milestone.

But the England captain again failed to convert his half-century into a ton.

Root falls for the trap and the Aussies finally break the partnership: https://t.co/osnYPjcpzQ #Ashes pic.twitter.com/v9BkmJbZDH  cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2017

Australia took the new ball and enjoyed immediate success, although replays showed Dawid Malan should have been saved by a thick inside edge.

Former captain Michael Vaughan summed up the mood of England fans after James Vince was dismissed in the same fashion on day two.

WtF is happening with these NO reviews !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #Ashes  Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 28, 2017

Afternoon session

England were still 63 runs behind at lunch and suffered another blow when Jonny Bairstow departed.

Moeen Ali played a skittish innings before falling to Nathan Lyon once again.

'Nathan Lyon has got him out five out of six times in this series... make that six!' #Ashes pic.twitter.com/Pi5A94zsXY  cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2017

Cook continued to wear down the Australia bowlers at the other end and celebrated his 150 like a man determined to pile on the runs.

Alastair Cook celebrates another milestone (Jason OBrien/PA)

The England opener had some fortune when Australia captain Steve Smith dropped him for a second time.

"Cook absolutely middled that. Smith is still down on the ground, he can't believe he's dropped Cook again." @Swannyg66



England 321/6



Cook 157*

Woakes 3*



 Join us live  https://t.co/P0hvQhCJfC #Ashes #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/iVyuuMsdW5  Test Match Special (@bbctms) December 28, 2017

Evening session

England had nudged ahead by 33 runs at tea but lost two quick wickets after the interval.

Pat Cummins celebrates after Chris Woakes gloves a bouncer behind (Jason OBrien/PA)

Tom Curran departs after edging Josh Hazlewood behind (Jason OBrien/PA)

After returning to form with the ball, Broad was in confident mood.

Cook brought up his fifth Test double-century.

Broad helped put on 100 for the ninth wicket before eventually falling for 56.

But James Anderson helped Cook through to stumps as England enjoyed another dominant day at the MCG.

"Last night it was relief and quite emotional"



"Today I was proud that I dug deep to get a big one"



Must watch post-match chat with an open and honest Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad...



We salute you boys #ItsTheAshes #Ashes pic.twitter.com/qe2BpLUqTk  Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) December 28, 2017

What. A. Man!

Ali Ali Cook, Ali Cook, Ali Ali Cook!! pic.twitter.com/tvDDcBJIfV  Chris Woakes (@chriswoakes) December 28, 2017
A brutal attack claimed by Islamic State has devastated a Shiite Muslim cultural centre in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing at least 41 people and wounding another 84.

The IS-linked Aamaq news agency said three bombs were used in the ferocious assault as well as a single suicide bomber who blew himself up inside the centre, where scores of people had gathered to mark the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union.

Other explosions occurred outside the two-storey building, which also houses the pro-Iranian Afghan Voice news agency, which may also have been a target in the attack.

Earlier, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said an unknown number of suicide attackers set off an explosion outside the centre before carrying out an attack inside.

In its statement to Aamaq, IS said the centre was being funded by Iran and used to propagate Shiite beliefs.

(AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Ali Reza Ahmadi, a journalist with Afghan Voice, said he had been in his office when the explosion shattered the building.

He jumped from his second-storey office to the roof of the building, where he saw flames from the basement.

I jumped from the roof towards the basement, yelling at people to get water to put out the fire, he said.

Shiite leader Abdul Hussain Ramazandada said witnesses reported that at least one suicide bomber sneaked into the event and was sitting among the participants.

He exploded his device and as people fled more explosions occurred, he said.

People assist an injured woman following a suicide attack in Kabul (Rahmat Gul/AP)

At nearby Istiqlal Hospital, director Mohammed Sabir Nasib said the emergency room was overwhelmed with the dead and wounded.

Additional doctors and nurses were called in to help and at the height of the tragedy more than 50 doctors and nurses were working to save the wounded, most of whom suffered severe burns.

The cultural centre is located in a poor area of the Shiite-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood in the west of the capital.

The centre is a simple structure surrounded by sun-dried mud homes where some of Kabuls poorest live.

A senior member of the Shiite cleric council, Mohammad Asif Mesbah, said the centre may have been targeted because it houses the deeply pro-Iranian Afghan Voice news agency.

The local IS affiliate has carried out several attacks targeting Shiites in Afghanistan.

IS issued a warning earlier this year following an attack on the Iraqi embassy in Kabul vowing to target Afghanistans Shiites.

Afghans gather in front of the Shiite cultural centre (Rahmat Gul/AP/PA)

Since then, IS has taken credit for at least two attacks on Shiite mosques in Kabul and one in the western city of Herat, killing scores of worshippers.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied involvement in Thursdays attack on the cultural centre.

The IS affiliate, made up of Sunni extremists, view Shiites as apostates.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani called the attack a crime against humanity.

In a statement released by the presidential palace, Mr Ghani said: The terrorists have killed our people.

The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places and now our cultural centre.

He called them attacks against Islam and all human values.

In a statement, the US ambassador to Afghanistan John R Bass called the attack horrific and said we remain confident the Afghan government and people, supported by their friends and partners, will defeat those behind these terrible acts.

Separately, Dawlat Abad district governor Mohammad Karim said a powerful mine killed six shepherd children ranging in age from eight to 10 on Wednesday.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has branded a terror attack on a Shiite Muslim cultural centre in the Afghan capital of Kabul as despicable.

The atrocity left at least 41 people dead, and another 84 wounded.

The Islamic State-linked Aamaq news agency said three bombs were used in the assault, as well as a single suicide bomber who blew himself up inside the centre.

Boris Johnson said he was "appalled" by a terror attack in Afghanistan (Rick Findler/PA)

Scores of people had gathered at the complex to mark the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union.

Mr Johnson said: I am appalled by this despicable attack on a cultural centre in Kabul which has claimed so many innocent lives, and my heartfelt condolences go out to the victims and their families.

We remain determined in our resolve to help the Afghan people overcome terror and we are committed to supporting the Afghan government in seeking a brighter future for its people.

"I am appalled by this despicable attack on a cultural centre in Kabul which has claimed so many innocent lives."



Statement from Foreign Secretary @BorisJohnson on the attack in Kabul earlier https://t.co/IHq4o4eOFI  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) December 28, 2017

The Foreign Secretary condemned the hateful ideology of Islamic State, which is also known as Daesh.

Initial reports suggest that Daesh in Afghanistan have claimed responsibility. The disregard for humanity shown today bears all the hallmarks of their hateful ideology which must be countered wherever it is found.

This is what the brave men and women of Afghanistan are committed to doing, with the help and support of their regional and international partners, the UK included.
Simon Berghan will miss Scotlands NatWest Six Nations opener after being hit with a six-week ban for stamping on the head of international team-mate Fraser Brown.

The Edinburgh prop was handed the punishment following his red card against Glasgow in last weekends Guinness PRO14 clash at BT Murrayfield.

Berghan was sent off inside six minutes after his boot caught hooker Browns head and will miss the trip to face Wales on February 3.

Simon Berghan will miss the start of Scotlands Six Nations campaign (Adam Davy/PA)

A PRO14 disciplinary committee concluded Berghan was guilty of a stamping movement whereby the boot made contact with the head of a player who was vulnerable at the point of the incident.

The offence carried a 12-week maximum suspension but the committee gave him the minimum ban on account of his good record, his apology to the victim player, the fact that no serious injury had occurred and the manner in which he and his club met the case.

Berghan will be free to play from the day after Scotlands trip to Cardiff.

The 27-year-old will also miss Edinburghs return match with Glasgow on Saturday as well as a European Challenge Cup double-header against Stade Francais.

His team-mates came from 12 points down to snatch victory against Warriors last Saturday despite being a man down.
BEIJING/TAIPEI, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Taiwan will gradually get used to Chinese air force drills that encircle the island, China said on Wednesday, while Taiwan's premier reiterated the self-ruled island's desire for peaceful relations with its giant neighbour.

China considers democratic Taiwan to be its sacred territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring what it views as a wayward province under Chinese control.

It has taken an increasingly hostile stance towards Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen, from the island's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, won presidential elections last year and has stepped up its rhetoric and military exercises.

Beijing suspects her of pushing for the island's formal independence, a red line for China. Tsai says she wants peace with China, but also that she will defend Taiwan's security and way of life.

Chinese state media has given broad coverage to "island encirclement" exercises near Taiwan this month, including showing pictures of Chinese bomber aircraft with what they said was Taiwan's highest peak, Yushan, visible in the background.

Asked about the continuing drills and the footage released by the air force, China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office said it and the defence ministry had repeatedly described the exercises as routine.

"Everyone will slowly get used it," spokesman An Fengshan told a routine news briefing, without elaborating.

China's air force has carried out 16 rounds of exercises close to Taiwan in the past year or so, Taiwan's defence ministry said in a white paper this week. China's military threat was growing by the day, it warned.

Proudly democratic Taiwan has shown no interest in being run by autocratic China, and Taiwan's government has accused Beijing of not understanding democracy when it criticises Taipei.

Taiwan Premier William Lai told a year-end news conference in Taipei that the United States, Japan and South Korea were all paying close attention to the activities of China's air force.

Lai said his government would take its lead from the president, who was in charge of relations across the Taiwan Strait.

"Under the president's leadership the Executive Yuan pushes forward government affairs, stabilising cross-strait relations towards peaceful development," Lai said, using the formal name for Taiwan's cabinet. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Jeanny Kao; Editing by Paul Tait)
By Ahmed Elumami and Ayman al-Warfalli

TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya, Dec 27 (Reuters) - A Libyan crude oil pipeline blown up on Tuesday will take about a week to repair, the head of state oil firm NOC told Reuters on Wednesday.

A "terrorist group" was probably responsible for the explosion as such groups were roaming around in the desert where the remote field is located, said a spokesman for an eastern Libyan force tasked with protecting oilfields.

The blast, about 130 km (80 miles) south of the Es Sider terminal, cut output by between 70,000 and 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to NOC, which said the cause was unclear.

"It is estimated that the repair will take about one week from today," NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanallah said in a written response to questions. "The damage is estimated as 30 to 35 metres of a 24 (inch) pipeline."

"This will not have a major effect in the marketing programme, only a little change," he added.

He did not give a production figure, but an industry source said Libya's output had dropped to between 900,000 bpd and one million bpd.

An official at NOC subsidiary Waha Oil, which operates the pipeline, said a team of senior executives and engineers would visit the site on Wednesday to assess the damage.

The pipeline was attacked after being uncovered by maintenance workers carrying our repair work to stop an oil leak, said Miftah Magariaf, commander of the oil protection force.

Pictures circulated on social media appeared to back his comment, showing parts of a pipeline unearthed next to piles of sand.

Magariaf said security in the desert was shaky. "Terrorist groups have been roaming in the desert and creating problems everywhere," he said.

Several Libyan websites linked to Waha said in the evening that the fire had been exthinguished.

Flows have been diverted, but at least one tanker's berth at Es Sider was cancelled in the morning, an industry source said.

But a Libyan shipping agent said the tanker, Al Mabrouk, was likely to berth at the port in the afternoon.

NOC may have to revise January loading programmes for Es Sider due to the outage, and likely cancel some cargoes, according to two trading sources that lift Libyan crude.

A preliminary loading schedule for the terminal shows 13 crude tankers are due to load at the port next month, at a rate of around 252,000 bpd.

The blown-up crude pipeline lies in an area of poor security where Islamic State has operated in the past. (Reporting by Ahmed Elumami, Ayman al-Warfalli, Ahmad Ghaddar, Julia Payne and Ulf Laessing; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by David Evans and Mark Potter)
WASHINGTON/SEOUL, Dec 27 (Reuters) - The United States and South Korea will hold talks on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) on Jan. 5 in Washington, U.S. and South Korean trade officials said on Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw from the trade deal, which was hammered out by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump wants to change the agreement to help cut the United States' nearly $28 billion trade deficit with South Korea.

Senior U.S. lawmakers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, America's biggest business lobby, have urged Trump not to pull out of the five-year-old deal.

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
By Zoe Tabary

LONDON, Dec 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From U.S. President Donald Trump pulling his country out of the Paris climate change deal to devastating hurricanes, floods and droughts wreaking havoc around the world, 2017 has been a rocky year when it comes to climate change.

But action to address worsening climate threats has gathered pace globally, from business boardrooms to city mayors' offices to kitchen dining tables, renewing hopes in the fight against climate change.

Below are five people who helped lead the way in 2017:

Timoci Naulusala, 12-year-old Fijian boy

Timoci Naulusala, whose village in Fiji was devastated by Cyclone Winston in 2016, made an impassioned plea for climate action at the U.N. climate change talks in Bonn in November.

"My home, my school, food, water, money were totally destroyed," he told negotiators at the annual climate conference. "My life was in chaos."

The Pacific Island nation is seen as particularly vulnerable to climate change, with some of its 300 low-lying islands susceptible to rising seas.

Young people in Fiji - and around the world - have the most to lose if aggressive action isn't taken to solve the problem, and they are increasingly speaking up to protect their rights to a future like the one their parents enjoyed.

"Climate change is here to stay unless you do something about it," Naulusala urged in his speech.

Ruth Khasaya Oniang'o, Kenya's vegetable evangelist

Ruth Khasaya Oniang'o, a professor of nutrition, was the joint winner of the 2017 African Food Prize, in recognition of her efforts to promote African indigenous vegetables and other crops to curb malnutrition and hunger and make farmers more resilient to climate change.

In Kenya, traditional African vegetables have often been overlooked, not least because seed for them can now be hard to find.

But leafy vegetables such as jute mallow and African black nightshade are nutrient rich, with some even having medicinal values, according to Oniang'o.

She is also promoting the use of drought-resistant crops such as maize to tackle erratic rainfall, "strange plant diseases and dangerous pests" that are appearing as climate change strengthens.

Saul Lliuya, Peruvian farmer

Saul Lliuya, of Peru's mountainous Ancash region, is suing German energy utility RWE, half a world away, for endangering his community, in a test case legal experts will watch closely.

Lliuya is arguing that greenhouse gas emissions from RWE's plants are partly to blame for melting an Andean glacier. Runoff, gathered in a lake above his village, threatens to cause flooding and damage his house, he says.

His claim seeks about $20,000 which would go toward a $4-million local government scheme to prevent flooding from the lake.

While the money is largely symbolic, the precedent - that climate polluting utilities can be held liable for damage caused - is the real prize for Lliuya and others threatened by climate disasters.

RWE says Lliuya's complaint is unfounded, and that a single emitter cannot be held responsible for global warming. But a German court has agreed to hear evidence in the case.

The people of Ralegan Siddhi village, India

Despite having the region's lowest average annual rainfall, the tiny Indian village of Ralegan Siddhi has remained water sufficient for four decades, even through the severe droughts of 2014 and 2015 that helped trigger nearly 7,000 farmer suicides in Maharashtra.

Residents of the western Indian village have managed to hold onto rainwater - rather than let it flow away - by erecting barriers on the village's slopes and channelling water to a giant well, following a model pioneered by social activist Anna Hazare in the 1970s.

Careful water rationing ensures there is enough for all, with water supplied through taps in all households once every two days, then stored in big, bright-blue cans.

So far, 86 neighbouring villages have implemented various versions of Hazare's model, which he says has improved farmers' yields.

"People now live in good houses, own vehicles," he said.

Jerry Brown, Governor of California

From pledging funding to cut greenhouse gas emissions to encouraging citizens to switch to electric vehicles, California Governor Jerry Brown helped lead U.S. efforts to tackle climate change, defying Trump's decision to quit the Paris accord.

In July, he and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched "America's Pledge", an initiative that aims to unite close to 230 U.S. cities and counties, nine states and more than 1,500 businesses, including Fortune 500 companies, to meet U.S. climate pledges - even without the federal government's support.

"Today we're sending a clear message to the world that America's states, cities and businesses are moving forward with our country's commitments under the Paris Agreement - with or without Washington," Brown said at the launch of the initiative.

At the U.N. climate negotiations in November, he urged city leaders to move toward everything from more efficient building standards to planning more compact cities in an effort to hold the line on climate change.

"When cities, states and corporations join forces, that's when we get stuff done," he told the summit. (Reporting by Zoe Tabary @zoetabary, Editing by Laurie Goering. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
BEIJING, Dec 28 (Reuters) - A Tibetan film-maker jailed in China for making a film about the Olympics and Tibet has escaped from China and arrived in the United States, according to an activist group which campaigned for his release.

Dhondup Wangchen was jailed for six years in late 2009 in the western province of Qinghai after he made a documentary in which ordinary Tibetans praised the Dalai Lama and complained about how their culture had been trampled upon.

The film, "Leaving Fear Behind," features a series of interviews with Tibetans who talk about how they still love their exiled spiritual leader and thought the 2008 Beijing Olympics would do little to improve their lives.

The film was shown in secret to a small group of foreign reporters in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics.

In a statement late on Wednesday Beijing time, the group Filming for Tibet said Dhondup Wangchen had arrived in San Francisco that same day.

"After many years, this is the first time I'm enjoying the feeling of safety and freedom," the group quoted him as saying.

"I would like to thank everyone who made it possible for me to hold my wife and children in my arms again. However, I also feel the pain of having left behind my country, Tibet."

He had been released from prison in June 2014 in Qinghai provincial capital Xining but remained under tight surveillance with his movements and communications monitored, the group said.

"Dhondup Wangchen was able to successfully evade the authorities and flee from his home area in Tibet and then the People's Republic of China altogether," it added, without giving details.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Xining police declined comment and the Qinghai provincial government did not answer telephone calls.

Qinghai, which borders the Tibet Autonomous Region, is home to a large ethnic Tibetan population and considered by many Tibetans as part of greater Tibet. It is also the birthplace of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

There have been sporadic protests against Chinese rule in Tibetan parts of China for the past few years, most seriously in 2008 ahead of the Beijing Olympics. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)
By Fanny Potkin

LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Italy's 10-year borrowing costs were little changed on Thursday ahead of the last bond auction of 2017 which is seen as a key test of investor appetite for a country that will hold elections early next year.

The Italian treasury plans to auction between five to seven billion euros of debt over four bonds on Thursday.

President Sergio Mattarella is widely expected to dissolve parliament before the end of the week, mostly likely later on Thursday, clearing the way for national elections planned for early-March

Italy's ruling Democratic Party (PD), hit by internal divisions and a banking scandal, has been sliding in opinion polls, with a new survey on Saturday putting it more than six points behind the anti-establishment and eurosceptic 5-Star Movement.

Having benefited from an extension of the European Central Bank's ultra-easy monetary policy, Italian government bonds, known as BTPs, are seen as increasingly vulnerable to political risk.

"It appears unlikely that any of the three large political blocks that could be formed ahead (of) elections will be able to secure the outright majority needed... to appoint a government and to win power," analysts for Barclays told clients earlier this month.

Italy's debt has had a roller-coaster year, benefiting in October from an unexpected decision by S&P Global Ratings to sovereign credit ratings.

Ten-year government bond yields rose to 1.92 percent, before easing to around 1.91 percent, according to Tradeweb .

The gap between Italian and German bond yields -- often viewed as a gauge of how investors view relative risks -- slightly narrowed to around 150 basis points.

The German Bund curve is at its flattest in nine days, having taken cues from the Treasury market where the 2-10 curve hit its flattest since early December.

Germany's 10-year bond yield was up over two bps on Thursday at 0.405 percent.

Most other euro zone bonds were up 0-3 bps on the day.

Later on Thursday, the U.S Treasury will auction $28 billion in seven year notes, following disappointing results at at an 5-year auction earlier this week.

For Reuters Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets see reuters://realtime/verb=Open/url=http://emea1.apps.cp.extranet.thomsonreuters.biz/cms/?pageId=livemarkets

(Reporting by Fanny Potkin, Editing by William Maclean)
BEIJING, Dec 28 (Reuters) - China on Thursday told the embassies of Germany and the United States in Beijing they had no right to criticise an internal affair of China's justice system, after they called on China to release a prominent human rights activist.

Wu Gan, a blogger better known by his online name "Super Vulgar Butcher", was sentenced to eight years in jail on Tuesday for subversion. Before his detention in May 2015, he regularly championed sensitive cases involving suspected government abuse of power.

The U.S. and German embassies called on China to release Wu in a joint statement on Wednesday. They also called for rights lawyer Xie Yang, who was also sentence on Tuesday, to be allowed to freely resume his work.

Xie was found guilty of inciting subversion but avoided jail because he admitted to his crimes, the authorities said.

The two embassies had "no right to criticise what was purely an internal affair of China's and a matter of China's judicial sovereignty", foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing.

"We hope that the relevant diplomatic missions can take the correct position with regards to their own responsibilities," she said, adding that China is a country with rule of law and justice officials handled cases in line with the law.

Wu's sentence was the most severe in what rights groups have called an unprecedented attack on rights activists and lawyers, known as the 709 crackdown, which began in full force on July 9, 2015.

The hardline approach has shown no sign of softening as President Xi Jinping enters his second five-year term in office, and has drawn widespread concern in Western capitals.

Germany has been particularly outspoken, to China's irritation.

(Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Robert Birsel)
VIENNA, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The outgoing president of Austria's constitutional court has criticised ever tougher legislation on asylum and security measures, days after the conservatives formed a coalition government with the far right.

Sebastian Kurz's People's Party joined forces with the anti-Islam Freedom Party this month, vowing to increase the power of the security apparatus, to fight illegal immigration and to combat what they perceive as the Islamisation of society.

Gerhart Holzinger, who has to step down as president of the constitutional court at the end of this year due to his age, told the newspaper Der Standard the new government's plans to tighten security were aimless "legislative activism".

When asked about the new government's plans to take away asylum seekers' phones and cash and allow their doctors to break with the rule of medical confidentiality, Holzinger said such issues would certainly end up with constitutional judges.

"In the sectors of asylum and migration, there is indeed a staccato-style lining up of new laws. It cannot work that way because the apparatus that is supposed to apply these laws is faced with new rules every month or half year," he said.

"But sometimes the consistent handling and application of laws is more tiresome than the publication of new party (political) projects."

Austria had already tightened its asylum rules under the previous centrist government and some provincial governments have cut social services for refugees - laws that are currently under review by the constitutional court and the European Court of Justice.

Nevertheless, the conservative-far right coalition has promised to introduce these cuts nationwide.

The new government also wants to expand its security services' ability to monitor online communication, but similar projects were abandoned by its predecessors over privacy concerns.

(Reporting By Shadia Nasralla, Editing by William Maclean)
WINDHOEK, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Namibia's deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister survived a car crash on Thursday in which three people were killed, local media reported, citing police sources.

The Namibian Sun said that Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's motorcade collided head on with a light pick-up truck while traveling in the north of the country.

The newspaper said the deputy prime minister was hospitalised in a critical but stable condition and she was expected to be airlifted to a hospital in the capital, Windhoek, later on Thursday. (Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa, editing by Ed Stoddard and Larry King)
A gunman has killed one and injured three during a shooting rampage at a Moscow sweet factory.

The attacker, named as Ilya Averyanov, 49, has barricaded himself inside the facility in a southeastern area of the Russian capital and told a radio station he will fight until the very end.



Special forces troops were preparing to storm the Menshevik sweet plant amid reports that the plants owner was holed up inside with weapons.



There are reports that workers were forced to leap from factory windows to save their lives. The director was using a Saiga semi-automatic rifle.



This morning I came to work and I was stormed, they tried to take me with a gun, with other arms. I have arms, too, today I defended myself. I shot one of them, sadly looks like I shot him to death. This is the story.



If I live, Ill fight until the very end. Now I am being surrounded by special forces.



Alls well. Now Ill be either shooting myself, or Ill surrender.



The head of Moscow police General Oleg Baranov was at the scene taking personal control. The sweet factory has been cordoned off.



Sources close to the company said that it is in debt and that Averyanov faces legal sanctions over the financial problems.



According to the Russian news website Tass, a law enforcement source said: One person died in the shooting and three others were wounded.



A former owner came to the factory, shot dead a security guard and is now walking with weapons around the premises and is shooting. The area has been cordoned off while specialist police negotiators try to establish contact with the shooter.

REUTERS, 27th DECEMBER, 2017 -
FLORENCE  If youve never seen a meadow vole cross Highway 93 near Bass Creek, thats because youve never seen the ramp it gets to use.

Hidden in the cattails at the base of the barrow pits along this high-speed, four-lane roadway, a network of two dozen culverts have been modified so little critters can make their east-west passage against the north-south traffic. Motorists cant miss the huge Animals Bridge overpass north of Evaro Hill. Mice, rabbits, raccoons and weasels show equal ease finding their way through their own underground shelving.

On the first day we installed one, I set a tracking plate to see when animals would start using it, said Kerry Foresman, a retired University of Montana wildlife biologist and designer of the patented Critter Crossing Technology shelves. The next morning we had hundreds of tracks in a matter of eight hours. Voles were cruising back and forth. Theyre comfortable in a dark tube like this.

The soggy fields between Lolo and Hamilton put lots of erosion pressure on Highway 93, especially in spring when the Bitterroot Mountains shed their snow in runoff surges. Culverts divert that water under the roadbed instead of over it. While some of the bigger streams like Bass Creek have underpass bridges, many smaller tributaries flow through steel or concrete tubes four to 12 feet in diameter.

During dry months, many mammals willingly walk through the culverts. But they cant handle the swifter spring flows, or the ice-lined winter months. Tiny mammals, like field mice and voles, usually wont use them at all because they feel too exposed to predators.

When the Montana Department of Transportation was rebuilding Highway 93 through the Bitterroot Valley, Foresman started getting calls from concerned residents and road engineers about how the project would affect wildlife. Lots of animals got killed trying to cross two lanes. Doubling that, and adding a center turn lane in some areas, would amplify the carnage.

We can build bridges for elk and deer, but what about coyotes and foxes? Foresman said of the challenge. Federal transportation researchers estimate that more than a million animals a year die on the nations roadways. Several thousand humans also get injured attempting to avoid those collisions, and hundreds die in the resulting wrecks. Highways also slash the genetic diversity of species, including meadow creatures like the Prebles jumping mouse in Colorado, which is on the federal Endangered Species List. So the problem had real urgency for a solution.

Foresmans idea was to hang a shelf along the inside of the culvert, above all but the highest water level. He got in touch with Cory Clausen at Missoulas True North Steel for material advice.

We came up with a structural steel fabric that was modular and removable, Clausen said. Kerry had the ideas and we support him with the appropriate products.

But several challenges remained. Transportation hydrologists  the engineers who design road drainage systems  worried the shelves might plug their culverts. Clausen came up with a mesh panel that water can flow through. But would animals willingly walk on mesh?

Some will and some wont. Felines, whether bobcats or house cats, slink right across the grating. But canines such as coyotes and foxes balk. Sometimes theyll tightrope their way along the solid rims of the grate. Porcupines, raccoons and marmots march on in.

Little rodents have a different issue. Thousands of them chase about in burrows and gaps under the meadow grass, never exposing themselves to a sky full of owls and hawks. No way were they going to walk above the grass on a steel ramp like hors doeuvres on a platter.

So Foresman went to a hardware store for a length of drainpipe to see if the rodents would use a more discrete and confined passage. They did. So he conferred with Clausen some more. Clausen added a metal tube to the side of mesh grates, which gave the little critters their own private expressway across the road.

While humans typically enter dark, confined places with no end in sight only when holding a horror-movie ticket, it was the rodent tunnels that gave Foresman the most immediate proof of concept on his shelving design. Theirs were the footprints on his tracking plates that appeared within hours of installation. It took much longer for remote-trigger cameras to capture images of larger mammals using the shelves.

We were here every few days for three years, Foresman said of the testing and installation process. All those clumps of trees along the highway are where we have shelves. Thats where the water flows through.

The success of the Bitterroot shelves has attracted attention elsewhere. New York transportation officials teamed up with the Nature Conservancy this summer to install a culvert shelf along State Route 12 in the Black River Valley.

They have the same problems we have here, Foresman said, just magnified by more people.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono will visit Sri Lanka from January 4 to 6, 2018, a statement from the Japanese embassy here said yesterday.

This is the first time in fifteen years for a Japanese Foreign Minister to visit Sri Lanka.

The statement said, This visit is aimed at further consolidating the Comprehensive Partnership between Japan and Sri Lanka based on previous visits by Sri Lankan leaders by President Maithripala Sirisena in May 2016, and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in April 2017".

"Strengthening cooperation and collaboration with Sri Lanka is important for the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific area based on the rule of law,

During his visit, Kono will pay courtesy calls to the President and the Prime Minister, as well as have a meeting with Tilak Marapana, Minister for Foreign Affairs in order to discuss bilateral relations, regional and international matters etc.
PARIS AFP Dec27, 2017-French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Saudi Arabias King Salman to lift entirely the blockade against Yemen so that humanitarian aid can be delivered to the food-deprived state.



The comments came in a phone call between the two leaders on December 24, the French presidency said Wednesday.



A Saudi-led military coalition has since 2015 been intervening in Yemen to support its internationally recognised government against Huthi rebels backed by Iran.



Air strikes and a far-reaching blockade on Yemens air and sea ports have massively reduced the amount of food reaching the country, heavily critical international aid organisations say.



In early November, the coalition tightened that blockade in response to a missile fired by the Shiite Huthis that was intercepted near Riyadh airport.



Mark Lowcock, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said that month unless the coalition ends a blockade of the country, Yemen will face the largest famine the world has seen for many decades, with millions of victims.



The blockade was partially lifted three weeks later under massive international pressure, namely over the closure of Hodeida port -- key to humanitarian and commercial deliveries.



For France, there is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen and it is essential that both sides return to the negotiating table, Macron told Salman, the presidency added.
Sri Lankan real estate is going through a positive phase of transition in the process of development.

It is gradually moving to become a more organized one. This has largely been possible due to the entry of international real estate players and foreign investors into the real estate sector. From 2015 and early 2016, the real estate sector in Sri Lanka has witnessed phenomenal growth due to rapid urbanization, increasing levels of income and opening up of the sector to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The real estate community will have taken a greater role in the financial ecosystem.



Now in Sri Lanka people are looking for vibrant, diverse places to live and work, according to that Sri Lanka is investing in many infrastructure projects like the Colombo International Financial City, Megapolis and express highways. Not only infrastructure projects there are many global hotel chains that are investing in Sri Lanka. Presently, the real estate sector is booming with opportunities, previously Colombo was the luxury hub for investors, but now investors are looking towards investing in the newly developing cities and suburbs. There is an increased demand for the residential properties from the wealthy and middle-class populations while there is also a high demand for commercial properties in Colombo and the suburbs.



As mentioned earlier Sri Lankan real estate sector has witnessed an upward trend and there are many projects going on under the Megapolis Ministry and this will attract more and more people, so the cost of prime urban real estate per square meter will continue to rise and developers will become more innovative about how they design and build commercial and residential real estate, seeking to use space more efficiently.



Services sectors like tourism, hospitality and IT industries have triggered high demand for the real estate sector in Colombo. Technology is finally coming to real estate now, we can take the example of the launch of 3000mm diameter drilling rig by D. P. Jayasinghe piling limited as these things will take the construction industry to the next level and will change the way of real estate developers and the investment community. In future, the real estate market will become far bigger and more global.



Socio-economic benefits

The real estate industry plays an important role in the economy of a country and welfare of its people. It also affects many other areas of economic well-being that arent measured. It is an enabler of economic activity and it attracts foreign direct investment (FDI).



Also, real estate is a source of employment in all sorts of areas; not only for architects, builders and engineers, but also for legal and financial advisors, surveyors, facilities managers and all those that provide for the construction industry. Real Estate plays a vital role in the provision of infrastructure. In general, the level of infrastructure development in a country says a lot about its economic status.

Furthermore, high-quality, modern and innovative buildings contribute to maintaining the countrys reputation as an international trade hub and attracts skilled labour and capital investments from the rest of the world, creating further opportunities.



Support services linked to the sector

As I mentioned above, the real estate sector is growing rapidly in Sri Lanka. But to maintain this demand and growth we need support services and providers such as, facility management companies, property lawyers, standardizing brokerage, loan facilities etc. When it comes to supporting services Facility Management (FM) Companies are the key component in the real estate industry because, facility management is a tool used in managing and maintaining the facilities in an organization. The facilities include office complex, physical resources at the company or site and any other mechanical and electrical utilities that can cause health or safety hazard to employees.



Sri Lanka requires over 1.5 million housing units in the next 15 years and most of them will be condominium housing units. Building these units will be a challenge whilst maintaining those buildings for a long run will be more difficult without the help of support services like facility management players. A Real Estate Sector is linked with many supporting services therefore the success of real estate sector also depends on the quality of the supporting services linked with that.



Facility management

Facilities management has gained importance over the last few years as businesses have identified that well-managed buildings and utilities help companies function effectively and efficiently. In some Asian countries, like Japan and Singapore, they take facility management as an important area in business, and the techniques of FM are increasingly used by them. In Sri Lanka, the field is still in its infancy.



People, process and place are the three main factors of an organization, and there is a need to manage the physical environment in concert with people and job processes. A FM finds management solutions by positioning itself at the intersection of these factors and FM makes sure all these factors are functioning properly. The functions of facility management are wide and include the management of real estate, finance, and human resources, in addition to services maintenance, domestic services, utilities supplies, security, safety and health - all of the non-core activities of the organization.



Also, facilities management will ensure all the facilities in an organization are compliant with industry health and safety regulation, the complex has disability access, fire prevention methods and emergency exit plan in place, effective waste disposal and control of hazardous substances and maintenance of the company parking space. In order to help the business achieve a competitive advantage and increase the overall worker productivity; companies must involve the facility manager in strategic decision making.



As I mentioned in Sri Lanka, facility management discipline is still in its infancy and its related duties are fragmented with limited knowledge on the subject. The awareness on the importance of FM is often not being discussed, whether in the public sector or private sectors. However, initiatives are being taken by some institutions to reduce the risk.



Health and safety in the workplace is a critical issue, for example in Great Britain in 2009/2010 152 fatal accidents and 233,000 reportable injuries and 5.1 million working days were lost due to workplace injury. It might happen in Sri Lanka too, so if we have to reduce such risks its really important to include a facility management company in the business, because the use of equipment in the workplace can increase the risk of accidents and must be carefully managed.



Risk reduction measures like machinery guides, warning devices, and personal protective clothing and maintenance routines keep the issue of safe use and maintenance to the front of everyones minds. It is important to remember that employees also have a duty to handle tools and equipment safely and to stop using any item immediately if it requires maintenance or repair. All of these activities can now be sourced from facility management company, reducing the burden on the management team. Each organization should be responsible for health and safety compliance, so it is important to have full confidence in the expertise of anyone providing such services.



Facilities Management has developed into a major thriving business sector and as a discipline continues to grow across the world. Well-managed sites and buildings enable organizations to function at their most efficient and effective level, achieving collaborations and offering real added value to the organizations core business. So its really important to include Facility Management Companies in the business.



Time for global FM companies to be set up in Sri Lanka

Prof. Deborah Susan Levy, Head of Department of Property, University of Auckland, at CREMV-2017 stated that, The property management or how we use our buildings is very important. We can have all the wonderful layouts and top buildings, but if we do not manage them properly, people arent going to enjoy working in them and be productive. From her statement its clear that maintaining the property is really important, to achieve that we need facility management companies.



At the Wealth Insights series of investor events held on 7th November, a keynote speaker stated that, according to the current market scenario it is a necessity to include other amenities like gymnasium and swimming pool and it should be a main feature of high rise residential buildings. To maintain these facilities we need facility management companies. I think this is the perfect time for many global facility management companies to enter Sri Lanka following the footsteps of JLL and Fonda Global who have already set up their services over here.



Benefits of embracing FM companies

In todays tough economy, Most of the companies, often cut facilities management, thinking it is too expensive. But in reality, facilities management actually provides greater savings in the long run for any company. Some of the benefits of having a facilities management company are as follows.

Cost savings: Buildings and land are usually the second largest expenditure of any business. By effectively implementing sound facilities management practices, a business can save millions annually. These measures include keeping all building systems and equipment up-to-date and running efficiently and maintaining security.



Customer satisfaction: While many people would not admit it, they are far more likely to visit (and revisit) a company that takes pride in its appearance. By keeping the site well maintained, a company shows that it pays attention to detail and will go the extra mile.



Compliance: As we all know, todays society is more litigious than ever and government standards are always changing. An effective facilities management system, by documenting operations, can serve as evidence that your company is striving to provide a safe environment.



Personnel retention: Having a productive workforce is invaluable, and by maintaining a safe, comfortable and happy environment, a business can see the true potential of its employees.

Safety: Safety in the work place is a must nowadays - standards are ever increasing and employees expect them to be met. Outsourcing to a facilities management company ensures that safety is not compromised.



Conclusion

The real estate sector will continue to be strong, and there will be greater range of risks and opportunities for real estate investors. Its an exciting time for the real estate sector and other sectors which is linked with real estate sector. Facilities management really does have its benefits as many companies are now experiencing.



Developers and property owners are usually interested in seeking to increase the occupancy rate of their buildings, and maximize the lifecycle of their assets; while corporate organizations usually target to reduce overhead costs, improve people productivity, and operate their businesses efficiently. These goals could be achieved with the involvement of an effective facility management company.



With the latest budget proposals encouraging foreign buy by removing restrictions of foreign participation in the real estate sector, the industry is set to grow and therefore the environment is an encouraging one for setting up real estate support services. This not only gives an opportunity for entrepreneurs to own new stream of businesses, but also will assist the booming real estate industry to have a growth which is sustainable too.



(The writer is a senior manager at Fonda Global Facilities Management Company. She holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Madras and also an MBA from the University of West London)
The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) yesterday said that Sri Lanka had allegedly supported the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in several abductions.

PHU General Secretary MP Udaya Gammanpila told a news conference that these facts were revealed in a book written by former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs daughter Attorney Amrith Singh.

MP Gammanpila said America was searching for a Russian computer hacker named Manokin Raufowich for stealing confidential information.

He was produced in courts in Sri Lanka after been arrested during a holiday with his wife and daughter and was released on bail. Then he went missing. There were no immigration and emigration reports about his departure from Sri Lanka, he added.

He said it was reported that he was taken to America by American Intelligence Unit with the support of the Sri Lankan government.

According to the said book, CIA organization can abduct any person they wish while on holiday abroad. Then that person will be landed to an army camp by a private plane. There would be no clue that the wanted person has left the country, he said.

He said however, this person was not taken to America but to a torture chamber in another country where there are less punishments. He also said that this book had included a list of countries which are supporting these kinds of acts where Sri Lanka was one of them.

Page 109 of this book said that Sri Lankan government has supported these illegal abductions. This book reveals in August 2003, Sri Lanka has supported the CIA in abducting Riduwaan Isamudeen, he added.

He said Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe who was now in power was the Prime Minister at that time and added that it was a well known fact that he was biased towards America.

He said that it was a question whether the Russian hacker had met with the same fate as Riduwaan Isamudeen. He also said that it was the government's responsibility to reveal it. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)

Video by Buddhi
Prof. G.H. Hardy of the Cambridge University went to Putney by a taxi to see his student who fell ill. While they were chatting, Hardy mentioned the number of the taxi he came in  1729  which seemed to be a dull number to him. No, the student suddenly replied, it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways. Hardy was impressed and it later came to be known in the mathematical world as the Hardy-Ramanujan number.

Does knowledge derive from scientific reasoning only?

Professor G.H. Hardy was one of the greatest mathematicians in the 20th century. But who was that extraordinary student who amazed him? It was he who had each integer as his personal friend, the man who knew infinity - Srinivasa Ramanujan.



Srinivasa Ramanujan was a prestigious Indian mathematician. A film based on his life story was released in 2015 titled The man who knew infinity. (The movie was based on a more interesting book on him by the same name written by Robert Kanigel.)

According to the movie, Ramanujan grew up in Madras in British India in abject poverty. It marked 130 years this month since the birth of Ramanujan on December 22, 1887. He went to the village Kovil and stayed there for long hours doing his own mathematical research. He was jobless. He went everywhere in Madras showing his books to everyone in order to find a job and to find a person who could understand his work. But he found neither. Everyone asked for recommendations. Then, he met Mr. Narayana, who was fascinated by Ramanujans work and offered Ramanujan his own job as a clerk in the accounts department of his office. Narayana noticed that Ramanujan never used the abacus (at that time the abacus was the calculating machine). His mental calculations were faster than the abacus. Mr. Narayanas idea was that Ramanujan should show his work to British mathematicians. Therefore, Ramanujan wrote to H.F. Baker and G.H. Hardy. However, the former neglected the letter.



One day, while Prof. Hardy was in his room at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, his servant came to him with a letter which had come from very far. Hardy initially thought the letter was a hoax as it was from a Hindu clerk who worked in an accounts department, but had given meaning to negative values of the gamma function. Hardy was sure it was from a fellow mathematician, J.E. Littlewood. Hardy was flabbergasted when Littlewood rejected this and read the letter carefully as it was full of theorems. Some are known and some are new. He concluded that this should be real because no one would have had the imagination to create such complex patterns otherwise. Prof. Littlewood also read this letter and was amazed. However no proofs were included. Thereafter, they invited Ramanujan to Cambridge as a student in spite of the objections of some other lecturers.



Ramanujan who was married soon after he had the job refused to go to England at first since Brahmins were forbidden to cross the sea by Hindu tradition (Ramanujan was a Brahmin). Later, he changed his mind and went to England. In England, he had a hard time being a vegetarian. In Cambridge, Hardy and Ramanujan started their cooperative work. Hardy also had a hard time persuading Ramanujan that proofs are necessary. What Hardy needed were proofs. What Ramanujan couldnt understand was why Western mathematicians were wasting their time for step by step deductions while the answer is already in hand. What he wanted was to publish his theorems. This clash of opinions was seen throughout their journey. At last, Hardy shared the burden of proving Ramanujans work and they published some papers together.

While these developments were taking place in the calm atmosphere of Cambridge, violence flared up in distant parts of Europe. The World War I, as we name it now was taking shape. Not a single person could escape the impact of the war. Many people of Cambridge went to the front line. Professor Littlewood was also among them. Professor Hardy was involved in the peace movement by Bertrand Russell. Ramanujan had a hard time too. Being a vegetarian in England at that time was necessarily difficult. The film depicts a bombardment on Cambridge also. At that time, Hardy revealed to Ramanujan that Littlewood had found Ramanujans prime number conjecture to be false. Hardy used this moment to persuade Ramanujan that proofs were essential. He said intuition only does not give a proper picture. Ramanujan was in for a shock when he heard all this. However, after that he acquired some rigor in his work. Next time Ramanujan conjectured a new statement on partition function. Hardy and Ramanujan studied it further and published.



Ramanujans health was not good at all. He had a severe bout of tuberculosis. But he did not stop his work. Hardy thought Ramanujan should be offered the fellowship of Trinity College of Cambridge. But the proposal was refused because he was Indian. Then Hardy requested the Royal Society to offer Ramanujan a fellowship. They accepted it and Ramanujan became a fellow of Royal Society (as the second Indian Fellow). Thereafter, Trinity College offered him a fellowship too. Ramanujan had the last laugh. He was the first Indian fellow of Trinity College.

Ramanujans answer to this question was something Hardy never expected. Ramanujan had acquired knowledge through Goddess Namagiri (a version of Goddess Kali)



What amazed Prof. Hardy the most was how Ramanujan did all these things. Though he had put it to intuition, he felt that mere intuition is not enough for such complex mathematical theorems. Ramanujans answer to this question was something Hardy never expected. Ramanujan had acquired knowledge through Goddess Namagiri (a version of Goddess Kali). Namagiri would speak to him and offer him equations when he was in bed or saying prayers, Ramanujan would say. She was the source of knowledge in Ramanujan. It was very difficult for Hardy to accept this as an atheist.

An equation for me has no meaning, Ramanujan once said, unless it expresses a thought of God.



Finally Ramanujan went back to India, where his sickness became severe and the angel of death solved the equation of his life too early. Ramanujans final notebook was found later and its calculations were used to analyse the characteristics of black holes later.

My above description of Ramanujan is based on the movie. There is a little tension between the film and the actual life story. For instance, Ramanujan had published some of his work in the Indian Mathematics Journal and had some appraisers even before he went to Britain. The way he learned mathematics in his early life was not depicted in the film. The film though contains many famous sayings of Ramanujan, Russell and Hardy. For instance, Hardy once told Russell: If I could prove by logic that you would die in five minutes, I should be sorry you were going to die, but my sorrow would be very much mitigated by the pleasure in the proof.



The story of Ramanujan inspires us to rethink about our ideas on the supernatural and religiosity. In contemporary society, religion is commonly labelled as a backward force. People try to pretend they disbelieve in religion and supernatural phenomena to maintain their social status. Educated people who follow a religious life tend to only take it as a rational practice, excluding all social and spiritual aspects of it. Superstitions, astrology and occult practices have been totally rejected from educated society. People who dabble with those ideas are portrayed as fools by the educated. When the famous Arsenic experiment was done by Dr. Nalin de Silva and the team some years back, educated people tried to reject the results by poking fun at God Natha.



However, the story of Ramanujan urges us to think otherwise. This great mathematician, Ramanujan, (uneducated by common educational standards) asks all those educated people to respect folk wisdom.



Summing up, I recall a story of another great scientific mind in the last century - Niels Bohr, one of the scientists who initiated quantum mechanics. He usually kept a horseshoe on his table while teaching. The horseshoe in Western culture is a symbol of luck. A student asked, Sir, do educated people like you also believe in these horseshoe things?



Bohr retorted at once, I dont think the horseshoe will be concerned whether you believe it or not.



(Thamalu is a freelance writer and a second year undergraduate in Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering at the Moratuwa University. He could be contacted on thamalumaliththa@gmail.com)
On the first day at the hostel we were requested to come to a room wearing sarongs. The second year students who entered the room thereafter asked us to remove our sarongs. The sarongs were kept aside and in order to drown the noise made by the students blaring music was played.

The above quote is not an excerpt from a novel, but the beginning of a story of an undergraduate from a university in Sri Lanka. This is a topic which many shun to narrate. Even mentioning the subjects drives fear into an individual.This subject is ragging.

A student who had been subject to ragging at the Peradeniya University was warded at the hospital last week. There are many who justify ragging of freshers and in some instances those ragged end up by receiving treatment at hospitals. A considerable percentage of students hate the early stages of the university life due to ragging.

This is the true story of a student who had endured inhuman ragging at a Sri Lankan University. This type of ragging is not common in all Universities. In Moratuwa and some other universities ragging is not so inhuman and does not warrant reporting. The strategies adopted by the senior students in ragging differ from university to university. This issue should be addressed in a manner which doesnt dissuade students from following University education, but to put an end to this merciless and inhuman treatment of freshers by seniors.

Then we were asked to strip naked and bathe with dirty water brought in buckets. These were referred to as Hostel Buckets. The ragging ends with that, but we are forced to wear a white shirt and black pants for two weeks without washing them

It is the custom to bring us, clad in sarongs, in the night to a room in the hostel. On entering the room we are forced to remove the sarongs. Later it became mandatory that we came naked to this room. The seniors as well as students in our group begin examining our genitals and force us to masturbate in their presence. Refusal means you are subjected to severe assaulting. There is no fan in this room and students sweat throughout these menial acts. By the time this ragging is over it is early morning. Then we are forced to march towards the girls hostels and forced to accompany them to the lecture halls. For three months we were subjected to this inhuman treatment. Then we were asked to strip naked and bathe with dirty water brought in buckets. These were referred to as Hostel Buckets. The ragging ends with that, but we are forced to wear a white shirt and black pants for two weeks without washing them. At the end of the two weeks the shirt and the black pants had become so dirty that students looked more like animals. Then they are grouped with the girls in a different place at the University and after removing our dirty clothes and clad only in our under pants, buckets full of water are then thrown at us and we are forced to wear our trousers without wearing underpants.

Then we are forced to march towards the girls hostels and forced to accompany them to the lecture halls

The following day the second year students entertain us at a party called a social, where little food is served. Thereafter students of our batch have to give them a party in return. We have to pool funds and give them a party with special liquor and good food, said the student who was ragged concluding the horrifying episode he endured as a fresher in a reputed University in Sri Lanka.

The letter says it all!

The following are excerpts of a letter sent to the Vice Chancellor by a group of students enrolled at the Institute of Indigenous Medicine.

Ragging in the canteen

01. All new students have to be at the canteen by 7 am before they attend lectures during the first year. Regardless whether they have their breakfast or not the lectures commence at 8.00 a.m. Partaking of meals in other places has been prohibited by the seniors. Those who are not present at the canteen are subject to various punishments given by the seniors.

02. New students are subject to scoldings at the canteen where filthy words are used.

03. New students are taught poems and stories by the seniors who use obscene language for these purposes.

04. Those who fail to learn these obscene poems and stories are subject to the punishment called manoputuwa where those punished must crawl on the floor.

05. Various things like soft drinks and sand are mixed with the breakfast and lunch and freshers are forced to eat them.

06. Leftovers from meals, which contain saliva, are given to the freshers by the seniors. Some of these leftovers are fish bones and drumsticks shale.

07. New students who refuse to obey these commands are punished.

08. The lecturer who has close ties with the universitys administration does not visit the canteen to check the ragging despite receiving many complaints from new students.

Ragging in the hostel

01. It is compulsory to register in the hostel though they reside near the Institute of Indigenous Medicine in Rajagiriya. This is implemented by the seniors.

02. Force not to pay the government fees to the hostel.

03. Not giving the permission to sleep till following day 2.00 a.m. after waking up at 5.00 a.m. in the morning.

04. Giving the mentally, physically and sexually punishments by the seniors after new students coming from the lectures.

05. It is prohibited to put on any dress till they go to sleep.

06. During the period of six months of ragging, they have been prohibited to do their studies.

07. Introducion of liquor and drugs to new students.

08. Drugs mix with drinks and arrange to give them to new female students to drink in the hostel.



Abnormal mentality

A female student who underwent a similar or worst experience at a university narrated the frustration she endured as a campus student.



After our Advanced Level Examination we entered university with high hopes, but soon it became a place of unpleasantness. We were subject to inhuman ragging. We were compelled to bow our heads and greet the second years. Any refusal to do so would make us receive a slap or be forced to kneel on sand or pebbles. This is followed by Dasakala Abhisehkaya which is done inside a room where the walls are decorated with drawings of male and female figures. These activities are initiated by seniors who possess an abnormal mentality. They insist that we perform some acts with the male figures on the walls. They call us by filthy (unprintable) names. This is followed by the dance called Binkunda and erecting of tents. During ragging we are prohibited to wear brassieres. Senior female students examine us. We are marched towards the place where the male students are present. This is the most horrifying incident I have ever experienced and this forced many undergraduates to leave the campus, she said.



These stories underscore what sort of a life awaits all those who enter universities in Sri Lanka. The majority of undergraduates do not approve ragging. Ragging is activated by a few and the victims later take the leadership when their turn comes to ragging freshers. We spoke to several undergraduates who had left their universities recently, but many refused to give us permission to make their comments public.

This is followed by Dasakala Abhisehkaya which is done inside a room where the walls are decorated with drawings of male and female figures. These activities are initiated by seniors who possess an abnormal mentality

Sanka Rambukwella completed his university education and graduated last year. He was ready to reveal his identity and speak openly regarding this matter.



Rambukwella said that he entered university in 2011. Having heard about his selection to the University, the next thing that had struck his mind was the issue regarding ragging, which has become so established in our society. Ragging isnt welcome in public, but it taking place, inside academic institutes, is unavoidable. After entering University I was able to witness ragging under two categories; one mental and the other physical. It is the female students who are subjected to mental ragging in large numbers. The ragging begins with the seniors using decent language. Then they start scolding us using foul language. The freshers are subject to much teasing and harassment. They are assaulted and forced to kneel down. Then they force us to appear nude and perform other inhuman activities. First year male students dont have the opportunity to wear the clothes of their choice during the so called Social period, Rambukwella said.



This type of ragging varies with each university. It is not true that all the second year students are involved in ragging. It is only a few who lead these ragging sessions. The majority of the student community keeps aloof from this indecent behavior. There is also a belief that certain political groups are involved in ragging. As a university graduate he denies being involved in ragging and says that he had seen many engaged in these activities. However he says that these sessions were not patronized by any party. He further says that those who engage in ragging always justify achieving their objectives. Those who engage in ragging say that these activities help build a good understanding among students. They say that ragging makes freshers Batch Fit. It is noted that freshers are grouped together only during the first year. By the times they are in the second, third and fourth years of their university lives there is no close alliance among undergraduates as the race for lectures, classes and notes receives all the attention. The argument that Batch Fit fosters brotherhood does not hold weight any more. He reiterated that ragging is the work of disgruntled individuals who self-gratify in engaging in this type of activity done with a low mentality. The present world doesnt approve this type of tribal concept.

First year male students dont have the opportunity to wear the clothes of their choice during the so called Social period

Rambukwella opined that it is a group comprising a few mentally disturbed persons who continue with ragging. And this has been proven beyond doubt through the incident involving the undergraduate of Peradeniya University who was admitted to the hospital last week. At one university a student was forced to go down a flight of steps using his knees. The unbearable pain and suffering made him depressed. There was an incident reported recently where plastic tubes were inserted to the rectums of four students. Despite ragging not taking place on a large scale in universities there are sporadic incidents that cause mental suffering to students.

An act was passed in parliament to stop ragging and inhuman activities in academic institutes. The description prohibiting such activities within academic institutes is included in clause 20 of the act passed in 1998. However, despite this act being in force, ragging and harassing of students continue at academic institutes, unabated.



The present society through the use of new technology has revealed how ragging still takes place at academic institutes. However these incidents go uninvestigated and the culprits arent prosecuted. There have been occasions when undergraduates have been subject to punishment in instances where discipline has been breached. But have seniors been subject to disciplinary action for ragging freshers? The university community should speak strongly against ragging in public forums with the view of ending this inhuman treatment meted out to students.

No one to stand up for those who are ragged

Malinga Prasad, a graduate who has voiced his disapproval against ragging, says that Student Unions and the university administration is protecting criminals.This is what he has to say.

The Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University tried to conceal some incidents that happened recently at the campus. Most members in the university administration wish to hide these ragging incidents and they try to show that universities are functioning properly.

Students Unions dont see the need to control this situation. The General Students Councils of Colombo, Peradeniya, Kelaniya and Jayewardenepura appeared for the parties who initiated the ragging. They did not stand up for the victims who were ragged. The inter-university Students Council too took to the streets in protest with the motive of protecting the right to education.

Most members in the university administration wish to hide these ragging incidents and they try to show that universities are functioning properly

They are also associated with ragging at the universities. On the other hand some freshers who were ragged consider the exercise to be a novel experience. Recently a student was stripped naked, tied to a tree and bathed with mud on his birthday. This student had later posted a note stating that this was the best way in which he has celebrated his birthday, said Prasad.
President Maithripala Sirisena said today he would not hesitate to use the sword on his relatives, friends or party supporters in his journey to create a clean, unstained and a people-friendly political culture.

In my journey with a sword to create a clean, unstained and a people-friendly political culture and to bring up a group of unblemished and untarnished politicians, I dont care whether it is my relatives, friends or party supporters who get cut by my sword, the president said quoting the Bhagavad Gita.

He said he wanted to create a rule in Sri Lanka similar to that of Lichchhavi dynasty that ruled the ancient kingdom of Nepal from 400 to 750 CE and Dharmashoka who ruled India from 269 BC from 'Pataliputta'.

Addressing a convention of leaders and representatives of 31 political parties under the theme Power of the country and village to Freedom having pledged to support and contest on the UPFA ticket under the betel leaf symbol, the President said the vow taken at the opening of the convention by all political parties was the best stepping stone to launch the campaign to create a culture of clean politics and clean politicians in the country and eliminate corruption in politics for ever.

He said politicians must not have personal agendas but a national agenda to serve the people.

"The purifying of politics and giving power to honest politicians can be started from the party leaders convention as there was a large number of youth who contest the LG polls from the UPFA. It is correct to say that an adult who has become a drunkard cannot be saved but a youth can be saved. In the similar manner, a youth who wishes to be a politicians must be taught not to report to thuggery, corruption or indecent acts for his political advantage. The vow taken today to that effect must be followed and protected by each and every politician who get elected to LG bodies at the forthcoming election," the President said. We as politicians hold various ideologies, policies and programmes. Do we have ever direct out attention as a to how and why many countries that were much behind to Sri Lanka a few decades ago have now become much powerful than Sri Lanka in terms of economic progress, military power, social empowerment and living standard of the people? Why is that? Sri Lanka is lagging behind in many aspects despite the fact that we are an education nation and we have engineers, doctors, IT experts, accountants and professionals in other disciplines. We have talents in abundance but no significant development in any field. Corruption, waste, mismanagement is omnipresent. These evils are the harvest of what have sowed by present day politics and politicians. That is why we need a vow from those who have decided to embrace politics as their profession that pledges that they would never ever engaged in misdeeds, use their office for their own advantage, engage in corruption and thuggery.

The President said there was an era in the recent past where thugs, rapists, illegal sand miners and soil mudalalis ruled the roost with the state patronage and dictated to the police and the society.

He recalled that many political parties attempted to conduct LG polls under the old system but only the SLFP and the UPFA which held that the LG polls must be held under the new electoral system.

He appealed to all political party leaders to instruct their candidates to follow the pledge that would lead to the clean administration of local government bodies. The country today needs a clean political culture than a material progress.

Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva made the welcome address while Minister Mahinda Anmaraweera also addressed the gathering. (Sandun A Jayasekera)
DPA, 27th DECEMBER, 2017-The United States on Tuesday sanctioned two senior officials in North Koreas unlawful weapons programmes in response to its ongoing development of ballistic missiles.

The US Treasury announced the sanctions in a statement, naming Kim Jong Sik and Ri Pyong Chol as their targets. The two men already were listed in a UN sanctions resolution passed on Friday aimed at further shutting down the impoverished communist countrys ability to raise illicit funds for its programmes.



Treasury is targeting leaders of North Koreas ballistic missile programmes, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate [North Korea] and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula, said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.



Kim Jong Sik reportedly is a key figure in North Koreas ballistic missile development, including efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong Chol is reported to be a key official involved in North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile development, the Treasury Department statement said.



Under the new sanctions, any property or interests in property of the two men within US jurisdiction are blocked, and transactions by US persons involving the designated persons are generally prohibited, the statement said.



North Korea has continued developing its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions.
An H&R Block employee let a man who sold him pot help himself to filing cabinets containing customer information earlier this year in order to settle a debt, prosecutors allege.

James Maurice Palmer, 27, faces charges of forgery and identity theft, both felonies, stemming from the incident in April. He made an initial appearance in Yellowstone County Justice Court on Wednesday. Justice of the Peace Jeanne Walker set bond at $10,000.

Palmer worked at the H&R Block business at 1844 Grand Ave., according to charges. H&R Block was closed Wednesday and could not be reached to verify Palmer's dates of employment.

On April 24, Palmer used another mans name on a rent-to-own application at a Rent-A-Center for two televisions worth $2,294.66, charges state.

Palmer provided only a copy of a photo ID, and not the original photo ID, for the application, the store manager said. The photo on the ID Palmer provided did not fit the space for a photo on the standard Montana ID card and overlapped with some of the written information, charges state.

Palmer later told police the fraudulent ID was given to him by G, a man Palmer had bought pot from in the past and who was trying to collect money Palmer owed him.

Palmer told police in a jailhouse interview he did not know Gs real name, but that the man had come to his apartment in February demanding money, and that he told G that he might be able to get him identification documents through his job at the tax business.

G then showed up at the tax business a few weeks later and Palmer told him to help himself to two file cabinets in the back, charges state.

Palmer thought his debt with G was resolved, but G later contacted him, telling him to go to the Rent-A-Center to get televisions and provided him with the documents he wanted Palmer to use, Palmer said. Palmer said he thought G must have also taken Palmers documents and used them to make the fake ID, since G otherwise would not have had access to Palmers photo ID.

Staff at a second Rent-A-Center location told police they recognized Palmer, who had been a customer at the store in the past, from his work at H&R Block. The store manager had filed his taxes a few weeks earlier at the location where Palmer worked.
As Puerto Rico struggles to rebuild its power grid and roads and come up with an accurate count on the deaths from Hurricane Maria, two Puerto
Montana's largest utilities will save millions from federal tax cuts passed last week and state regulators want customers to benefit.

The Public Service Commission on Wednesday gave utilities until the end of March to come up plans for how savings under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will be put to use.

As regulated utilities, with a guaranteed customer base and a fixed return on equity, companies like Montana Dakota Utilities and NorthWestern Energy can't simply pocket the savings.

The five-member, all-Republican commission issued the order Wednesday to get in front of the new tax law, which begins in 2018.

"Our commission is, if not the first, one of the early movers on this issue among the 50 state utility commissions in the nation," said Commissioner Travis Kavulla in a press release. "Taking this first step is essential to ensuring that consumers reap the benefits of the tax reform legislation."

The current corporate tax rate is 35 percent, which ultimately shows up on the monthly bills of utility customers. Under the new tax law, the rate drops to 21 percent, but that doesn't mean the savings will pass directly to customers.

NorthWestern Energy expects a tax savings of up to $10 million a year, said Butch Larcombe, utility spokesman. NorthWestern is Montana's largest utility with roughly 340,000 metered customers

Utilities met privately before Christmas with PSC Chairman Brad Johnson and Kavulla to talk taxes, Larcombe confirmed.

"We went and we talked to them and we kind of outlined an idea for them of what we would like to do," Larcombe said. "We need to do a lot more tree trimming along power lines."

Tree trimming is already worked into customer bills, but the extra money could pay to accelerate the job.

Natural gas utilities under Energy West and MDU could have their rates adjusted for the effect of the new tax law as part of rate cases pending before the PSC, the commission said.

Commissioner Roger Koopman said in a press release that utilities "can issue customer refunds, use the money as a source of zero cost financing for capital projects, direct the funds to offset large, unusual expenses or propose some combination of the three applications.

"I suspect the commission will be strongly inclined toward ratepayer refunds," Koopman said.

Kavulla told the trade publication Utility Dive last week that the consumer could keep paying the same rates while the company's tax savings were spent on infrastructure.
The Interior Department's announcement of approval for a large Eastern Montana coal mine expansion turned out to be false.

Interior spokeswoman Heather Swift walked back her previous announcement, reported by the Associated Press, that an expansion of Westmoreland Coal Company's Rosebud Mine near Colstrip received the green light.

"A previous statement by the Department that it had approved the expansion of the mine was incorrect and was the result of an internal miscommunication," Swift said in an email to The Gazette.

Though the expansion didn't receive final approval, a draft environmental impact statement is set to be released to the public, Swift said.

Representatives for Westmoreland didn't return calls for comment Thursday.

On Dec. 22, the Associated Press reported that the federal government approved the mine's expansion, which would add 10.5 square miles to its current 40-square-mile footprint. The added acreage was expected to produce 60 million tons.

The report cited Swift as the source of the announcement.

Westmoreland, a company that saw CEO Kevin Paprzycki resign last month amid 2017 revenue losses, enjoyed a brief improvement in the value of its stock after the Associated Press report.

The Rosebud Mine's main customer is the nearby coal-fired power plant in Colstrip, which faces closure by 2027.

Swift declined to give any more details on the internal miscommunication. An Interior Department press release on Thursday touted the year-end accomplishments of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, including the reversal of a moratorium for coal leases on federal land.

The correction of the mistaken announcement would be done through the news media, Swift said.

"The statement has all the information you're asking for and the statement to press corrects the previous statement to press," she said in an email.
About 10 states could lose a congressional seat after the 2020 census, and Montana is among the states that may gain one, according to a Virginia political consulting firm's projections.

Election Data Services projects that states like Alabama, California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia all have seats that could be under threat by 2022.

The lost seats would be reapportioned to Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon and Texas, which are all growing, according to census data.

The Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette-Mail reports Election Data Services says the drop in the state's population supports longtime speculation that West Virginia will lose a congressional seat by 2022, after the 2020 census.

"What that congressman is likely to see is that his house is going to be put into one of those two districts," said Kimball Brace, president of EDS. "So then the question he would have, is, 'Do I run against the other guy?' 'Do I retire?'"

There are 435 voting members in the House of Representatives.
The quantum of hike was doubled through an order dated May 30, 2017.

New Delhi: The government has withdrawn its decision to raise LPG prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month as the move was seen contrary to its Ujjwala scheme of providing free cooking gas connections to the poor.

The Centre had previously ordered public sector oil marketing companies to raise domestic cooking gas (LPG) prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month beginning June 2016 with a view to eliminating subsidies.

The order was, however, withdrawn in October, a top source said. Later in the evening, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that as of Thursday there is no plan to increase or decrease the basic subsidy and would be provided to needy consumers.

Subsequently, IOC, BPCL and HPCL have not raised LPG prices from October.

Previously, the oil firms were authorised to increase price of subsidised domestic LPG cylinder by Rs 2 per 14.2-kg cylinder per month (excluding VAT) with effect from July 1, 2016. Oil companies had hiked LPG rates on 10 occasions since that go-ahead.

Every household is entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rates in a year. Any requirement beyond that is to be purchased at market price. The quantum of hike was doubled through an order dated May 30, 2017.

That order authorised the state-owned firms to continue to increase the effective price of subsidised domestic LPG by Rs 4 per cylinder effective June 1, 2017, per month (excluding VAT) till the reduction of government subsidy to nil or March 2018 or further orders, whichever is earlier. The source said it was felt that raising prices was giving a contrary signal to users.
Mumbai: John Abraham showing us a glimpse of his butt in a sequence in Dostana was almost national news at the time of the release of the Abhishek Bachchan-Priyanka Chopra starrer.

Almost ten years later, the picture is in still in the news, not in India, but in Mexico.

Johns famous picture with his yellow trunks has landed on to an advertisement for a gay cruise in Mexico, only minus the shorts.

The organisers only took the upper body and conveniently skipped out the part that had made headlines and we wouldn't want to get into the reason for it.

Author Nia Levy King had posted this picture on Twitter, wondering if the actor was aware about it.

Super curious if John Abraham knows they are using his image to promote gay cruises in Mexico. #Dostana pic.twitter.com/swURiDX793  Nia Levy King (@ArtActivistNia) December 24, 2017

The reactions to the tweet, however, were divided. While some of those who commented felt John wouldnt mind it as he is 'a chill guy', some felt it should be removed as his fans wont like this.

@TheJohnAbraham This is gonna get viral soon   Shardul Silswal (@Shardul_Silswal) December 26, 2017

John Abraham seems like a chill guy, he probably won't mind this.  Arjun Dev Mullankara (@ArjunDevM) December 24, 2017

John sir is a chill guy but being his fan we dont like this  Naman Agarwal (@Namanagar) December 26, 2017

Plzzz remove thia from twitter  Naman Agarwal (@Namanagar) December 26, 2017

We would like to know what John feels about it surely.

John had played a character, who along with Abhishek, pretended to be gays in the film.

It was perhaps the first mainstream out-and-out commercial Hindi film where homosexuality played an important plot point.

Despite several reports of a sequel, John's pose still makes more headlines for the film than the second installment.
An investigation has found that a North Dakota police officer was justified in shooting a man who attacked him outside a motel. Burleigh County State's Attorney Richard Riha says his office's review of the Oct. 15 shooting determined Bismarck officer Justin Antonovich "acted appropriately under the circumstances" when shooting and wounding the man. Police initially didn't release Antonovich's name because the officer invoked a new law that expands the rights of crime victims.
One need not fall at the feet of people in power, name, fame, or those who have huge wealth. You should fall only at the feet of God, parents and elderly people, Rajinikanth advised his fans on the third day of his meet.

The fans had come from Madurai, Virudhachalam and many other places. Recalling one of the incidents at Madurai he said, The city is known for its valour. In 1976, when I visited Madurai Meenakshi Temple, the priest asked for my nakshathram to offer prayers to the deity. I did not know my birthdate, nakshathram or gothram and no one told me also. Actress Sachu was there and she told the priest that my nakshathram was that of Perumals and asked to offer prayers in the name of the deity itself.

He also added that though he wishes to give them a grand non-vegetarian feast, it was not possible since in Raghavendra Mandap they serve only vegetarian food  I will do an alternate arrangement soon.

The 67-year-old revealed that he was an ardent fan of Kannada Superstar Rajkumar. I was a fan of the actor like all of you when I was 17 or 18. He was a combination of Sivaji Ganesan sir and MGR sir. I can understand your emotions and feelings completely.
Male physicians in the US, across almost every specialty, took in more money from the biomedical industry in 2015 than their female peers, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed general industry payments, including research grants, consulting fees, and food and beverage expenses, accrued by 933,295 licensed physicians. Overall, they saw a notable gender difference in favour of male physicians in relation to engagement with industry.

These data are depressingly familiar, said Ariane Hegewisch, program director of employment and earnings at the Washington, DC-based Institute for Womens Policy Research, who was not involved in the study.

Two-thirds of the doctors in the study were male. Across all specialties, men received a higher per-physician value of general payments versus women, with a median difference of $1,470. The discrepancy in neurosurgery was particularly wide, with the largest per-physician value of general payments for male neurosurgeons at $15,821, compared with $3,970 for their female colleagues.

At first glance, this finding can be interpreted as merely another example of gender disparities in the workplace, which we have seen before with gender gaps in physician salaries and research funding, said study coauthor Kathryn Tringale of the University of California, San Diego.

Female doctors with children may work fewer hours than their male counterparts, although not every woman physician is a mother, and not every female doctor who is a mother has reduced her hours, noted Hegewisch in an email.

But this is not really a full explanation: why is it that women take so much more responsibility for their kids and for family care overall? Discrimination, access to the highest paying opportunities, and systemic bias in the way funding and patenting systems are set up are also likely to contribute, she said.

The study also found that male physicians held 93% of the value received from ownership interests, including stock options and partnership shares, and received a higher per-physician value across most specialties, with the largest difference among radiologists. However, women physicians in certain fields such as obstetrics, gynecology, psychiatry and urology, had comparatively higher values of ownership interest.

Perhaps industries purposely target men more than women, presuming they may have greater influence on market share or sales . . . data shows that women hold fewer patents than their male counterparts, which may be explained by fewer initial connections to the marketplace or exclusion of their name from the patent itself after idea generation, Tringale said.

Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, suggested what she called another obvious explanation.

Perhaps women do less of the work that earns the type of payments being studied, she said in an email.

The study findings were drawn from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services National Plan & Provider Enumeration System and from 2015 Open Payment reports of industry payments to U.S. doctors.

In a subset of 63,466 licensed California practitioners, after taking years in practice into account, male physicians were still more likely than female physicians to receive general payments and hold ownership interests, and the men received more - and higher-value - general payments, Tringale and her coauthor Dr. Jona Hattangadi-Gluth wrote in JAMA Internal Medicine.

We need to further investigate how interactions with industry influence physician behavior and impact patient care, which we cannot conclude from these results, said Tringale.
The multi-coloured 'Omer Tower', named after 8-year-old Lego fan Omer Sayag, was completed using cranes. (Photo: Twitter/GalitPeleg)

Tel Aviv residents have built a world record-contending, 36-metre (118ft) plastic brick tower, featuring more than 500,000 pieces, to honour a young cancer victim in the Israeli city.

The multi-coloured 'Omer Tower', named after 8-year-old Lego fan Omer Sayag, was completed using cranes in Rabin Square on Wednesday after more than a fortnight's construction work by thousands of residents.

This morning in #TelAviv, #Israel, hundreds of volunteers built a #Lego tower 118ft tall, in memory of 9 years old Omer Sayag, who died of #Cancer & loved playing with Lego. Aiming to commemorate him as #GuinnessWorldRecords. pic.twitter.com/O9PLz7yZYy  Galit Peleg (@GalitPeleg) December 27, 2017

"It was the idea of his (Sayag's) former kindergarten teacher, and building blocks were donated by residents, companies and some were purchased using municipality funds," a spokesperson for the mayor's office said.

There was no Guinness World Records adjudicator on site to measure the 'Omer Tower', meaning Tel Aviv must wait for approval from the body to confirm they have beaten the previous record of 35.05 metres (115 ft), built in Milan in 2015.
Malappuram: People in Naranippuzha mourned on Wednesday the deaths of six children who were drowned after a country boat capsized in backwaters on Tuesday. Thousands of people, family members and teachers paid their last respect to the victims while the village in Nannammuku panchayat wore a gloomy look. The bodies of Praseena, Pooja, Janisha and Vaishna were cremated at Kottathara public crematorium while the cremation of Adidev and Adhinath held at their houses in Perumukku and Panampad. The people of Nannamukku and nearby Alamkode panchayats observed dawn to dust hartal to mourn the deaths.

Earlier, the bodies were kept for public viewing after completing the inquest procedures by the police. Though the autopsy was scheduled to be held at Taluk Hospital in Ponnani on Wednesday, it was cancelled through a special order by the government. The order was issued on Wednesday morning after the relatives of the deceased requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan to avoid post-mortem. The hospital expenses of all the victims of the tragedy will also be paid by the government. The state government has announced compensation of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund and Rs 10,000 for each family have been distributed on Wednesday.

Besides Chief Minister and Speaker, ministers C. Raveenranath, A.C Moideen, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, Abid Husain Thangal MLA, N. Shamsudheen MLA, V.T Balram MLA and officials from various departments also visited the family of the deceased. The tragic incident took place at around 5 pm on Tuesday at Naranippuzha when the boat carrying nine overturned in the backwaters which is a part of Biyyam Kayal. Three including 55 year old Velayudhan who rowed the boat were rescued. Velayudhan is still remain in critical condition at a private hospital in Thrissur.
Chennai: On the eve of the Central teams visit to Kanniyakumari to assess damages caused by Cyclone Ockhi, the Union Government on Wednesday released Rs 133 crore as interim assistance to Tamil Nadu Government to meet immediate needs arising out of the situation.

The eight-member team will be split into two with one team visiting Kanniyakumari and another assessing damages in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts, which suffered huge damages during the Monsoon rains in November.

Sources in the Union Government said further assistance to the state government would be released after the Central team submits its report detailing on the damages in Kanniyakumari district that bore the brunt of the cyclone that hit the coast last month.

Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar and Revenue Minister R B Uthayakumar had last week met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanded that the Centre immediately sanction Rs 876 crore for temporary restoration of infrastructure and Rs 8,246 crore for permanent mitigation measures in Kanniyakumari district.

The Government has released an amount of Rs 133 crore to Tamil Nadu as interim assistance for Cyclone Ockhi relief from the National Disaster Response Fund, sources said. The announcement came on the eve of the inter-ministerial teams visit to the state.

The Central team led by Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, will visit Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur on Thursday, while his colleague Parmeshwar Bali from the Shipping Ministry will assess damages in Kanniyakumari.

The team will interact with fishermen, farmers and general public besides making some field visits in the district. Rubber plantations, which are found in abundance in the district, were the most hit by the cyclone and farmers have been demanding a package from the government to overcome losses.

The Chennai team will visit Royapuram, Basin Bridge, Perambur, Vepery and Koyambedu in the city and Pammal, Anakaputhur, Kundrathur and Pallavaram in Kancheepuram districts.

The Central team will also hold detailed discussions with Kanniyakumari Collector Sajjan Singh R Chavan and senior officials before flying to Chennai on Friday where they will call on Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues.

Palaniswami has petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice demanding that Cyclone Ockhi be declared as national disaster and sought generous assistance from the Centre for mitigation measures.
On Wednesday, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha witnessed pandemonium; opposition members in the Upper House shouted 'shame, shame' when Ananth Kumar Hegde, rose to lay the papers listed against his name. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

New Delhi: A day after Lok Sabha witnessed several adjournments on Wednesday following the uproar in the House by Opposition, Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde on Thursday extended his apology and said Constitution is supreme to me.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha at the start of the session on Thursday, Ananth Kumar Hegde said, I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme to me, there can be no question about it, as a citizen I can never go against it.

Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me.

On Wednesday, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha witnessed pandemonium. Opposition members in the Upper House on Wednesday shouted "shame, shame" when Hegde, rose to lay the papers listed against his name.

Read: We're here to change the Constitution: Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad sought a clarification from the Minister as he could leave the House soon after laying papers.

True to this, Hegde sat in the House for a while listening to opposition protests against his controversial statement that the BJP would change the Constitution by excluding Secularism from the preamble. Soon thereafter, he left the House.

Azad asked if a minister does not believe in the Constitution, does he have the right to remain as a minister.

"Minister who has no faith in the Constitution has no right to be a minister. He has no right to be a Member of Parliament," he said.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (Trinamool Congress) said secularism is inscribed in the preamble of the Constitution and asked if a minister is allowed to denounce the same preamble in public.

Read Also: MoS Hegdes change constitution remark evokes protest in RS

Naresh Agarwal (SP) said the Constitution is the Ramayana and Gita of democracy and any minister who abuses it and its founder Baba Saheb Ambedkar should be removed.

At this, Rajya Sabha chairperson and vice-president of India Venkaiah Naidu interjected to ask members not to bring Babasaheb Ambedkar into the controversy. But the opposition members remained undeterred and trooped into the well raising slogans.

Naidu asked members not to raise slogans and ordered that nothing they were saying would go on record. He then allowed Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and Empowerment and founder of the Republican Party of India Ramdas Athawale to speak.

Athawale praised the Prime Minister for honouring the memory of Ambedkar with a fitting memorial and said it was Congress which had insulted Ambedkar.

"Don't create a ruckus. You are going to be defeated in general elections in 2019 and 2024," Athawale told the opposition.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy claimed Ambedkar did not include the word secularism in the Constitution.

Naidu tried to restore order but all his efforts went in vain. "How much should I tolerate. This is not acceptable. This is not done," he said as slogans were being shouted continuously.

As opposition members continued their noisy protest and demanded a discussion on the issue, Naidu said no discussion can take place without a proper notice.

Ananth Kumar Hegde earlier this week stoked a controversy, saying those who consider themselves secular and intellectual do not have their own identity and they are also unaware of their parentage.

I feel happy about he who knows his blood, but I dont know what to call those who claim themselves secular, the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship said at an event.

Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they dont have their own identityThey dont know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals, he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town in Koppal district.

Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are.

He said he respects the Constitution but it will be changed in the days to come. We are here for that and that is why we have come.
Vijayawada: President Ramnath Kovind expressed his concern over diminishing ethics in society. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi on combining ethics and economics for a healthy country, the President said the present state of the economy was less ethics and more mathematics. He said this while inaugurating 100th annual conference of the Indian Economic Association (IEA) at Acharya Nagarjuna University on Wednesday.

He asked the conference to address the issue of wealth distribution to the SCs, STs and BCs and find ways to eradicate poverty. The IEA played a crucial role in financial reforms and policy-making and such brainstorming sessions would help the countrys development, he said. Now we are at an important turning point of development. There are many opportunities internationally. We have to strengthen ourselves by utilising them. At the same time, the result of the development should reach everybody, particularly backward sections and backward areas.

The President has lit the lamp along with Nobel laureate Mohammed Yun-us, Governor Narasimhan, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and conference president Dr Rangarajan. Dr Yunus mentioned ab-out economic disparities and requested delegates to work out a solution. Governor Narasimhan wanted the gap between urban and rural econo-mies to go and make agriculture more profitable using lesser land.

Mr Naidu appealed to the delegates to work out concepts for speedy development of AP. We have knowledge, technology and human resources. We are getting good growth rate, above national average. But, the pace is low. Wealth was being created, but not distributed to all. As many as 725 delegates were attending the four-day conference.

Clamour for food packets irks President:

President Ram Nath Kovind made his displeasure known when organisers began distributing food packets even as he was speaking at the centenary conference of the Indian Economic Association (IEA). Briefly interrupting his address, Mr Kovind asked them to stop distributing the packets till his speech was over. Two minutes into his speech, Mr Kovind paused and looked at the audience as there was a sudden noise.

The volunteers had started distributing the food packets among the delegates and mediapersons and a group of students had got up from their seats in their hurry to grab them. What is happening in the economic world...I see the same picture at this conference also. I think some food packets are being distributed. Of course, it is a must, but it has disturbed the system itself.

Therefore, I request the organisers, will you please keep the distribution of food packets in abeyance for a little while, Mr Kovind said, even as police personnel and officials intervened to stop the distribution. The President then continued with his address.
Hyderabad: Osmania University Vice-Chancellor S. Ramachandram appealed to students, faculty and staff to remain focused on academics and put behind the postponement of the 105th Indian Science Congress. In an official statement, he said, That the Univers-ity has been preparing to conduct the Science Congress with utmost sincerity and had galvanised the entire teaching and non-teaching community to host the event. Preparations were in an advanced stage and we could have conducted the event without any glitches.

He thanked the staff and students for their unstinted support to the university administration in its century-long sojourn and for preparations to conduct of the congress. Its postponement, undoubtedly, came as a setback and a disappointment, he said. The university traversed a long way and has been ranked on the top both nationally and internationally and has weathered such setbacks, he added.

Its march towards academic reforms and research excellence would continue with greater determination and it would not be deterred by such uneven-tful happenings. Prof Ramachandram also appealed to the media to not believe rumours and exercise restraint wh-ile covering news about the university. Unconfir-med messages about the university were being circulated, causing confusi-on among students and denting the varsity image. He appealed to administrators of WhatsApp groups to check the credibility and ascertain the veracity of the information before posting them.

ABVP calls bandh today:

The ABVP has called for a bandh of universities to protest the Indian Science Congress being handed over to Manipur. ABVP city secretary J. Dileep said, Due to the inefficiency of the Vice-Chancellor and Registar, OU is losing its image. Because of their ineffiency the Indian Science was Congress shifted to Manipur University.

Vice-Chancellor has not quit, clarifies OU:

Tension prevailed in Osmania University after the executive committee mee-ting of the Indian Science Congress Association on Wednesday decided to shift the venue of the Indian Science Congress from OU to Manipur University in Imphal and postposted the date of the Congress to March 2018. The university clarified that rumours that the two officials had resigned were false. Javvaji Dileep, ABVP secretary, Hyderabad, said, We strongly condemn the shifting of the ISC from OU; we lost the ISC only because of the negligence of the government and university officials. We demand the ISC be held in OU itself.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill was introduced by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League. (Photo: Representational)

New Delhi: A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill was introduced by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League.

Here is what lawmakers said on the issue:

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabling the bill in the Lok Sabha said, "It is a historic day. We are making history today."

The minister added that the law is for women's rights and justice and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion.

"When Islamic countries have regulated provisions of triple talaq then why can't we a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in Shariat?" Prasad further added in Lok Sabha.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi while talking about the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha said, it violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence.

On his Twitter handle, Owaisi shared a notice that he gave in the Lok Sabha opposing the introduction of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill) 2017.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said in the Lok Sabha, "All of us are supporting this bill, but there are certain lacunae which should and can be rectified in the standing committee,we can sit together and sort it out in a time bound manner."

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab termed the bill as flawed. (BJD) MP in the Lok Sabha said, This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill.

Shaista Ambar, All India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) reuqested all the MPs to help pass the triple talaq bill. Ambar said: "This is a historic day, victims have suffered for years and they have been rewarded for their patience. Request all MPs to help pass the triple talaq bill."

After the BJP Parliamentary meeting on Thursday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for unanimous passage of the Bill as it aims to give gender justice, protection and respect.
The government plans to spend as much as Rs 1.05 lakh per year on each student, on par with the corporate school spending on a child.

Hyderabad: It could be curtains for over 400 government day schools in the coming academic year with the state government shifting its entire focus on residential schools to provide quality education to the poor for free. The government plans to spend as much as Rs 1.05 lakh per year on each student, on par with the corporate school spending on a child.

Enrolment in day schools is expected to dip with parents shifting their wards to residential schools to avail free schooling and boarding facility. When first started, residential schools gained instant acceptance with parents as they need to pay just `25 refundable caution deposit for admission. In return, the government provides free education, uniform, shoes, hostel and mess facility.

Following the massive response, the government set up over 500 residential schools for BCs, SCs, STs and minorities in the last two years at an annual cost of Rs 18,000 crore  creating a record of sorts in the process.

Residential schools are a pet scheme of Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao. Consequently, miniters and officials have been monitoring the functioning of schools and submitting reports to the CM every week.

Deputy CM and education minister Kadiam Srihari said, Over 2.81 lakh students enrolled in residential schools in the last two years. We expect this number to double next year. Parents are shifting children from government schools to residential schools. There is a migration of students even from private schools in districts. With this, the competition for seats is severe with at least five students competing for one seat now.

The CM had announced earlier that the government would cover every mandal in the state with a residential school by next academic year. Currently, admissions are given for Class V, VI and VII, which will be extended to Class XII eventually.
News from the Capitol in Helena unfortunately often emphasizes the partisan nature of modern politics. But today, we, a Senate Democrat and a House Republican, want to share something we both strongly support, a bipartisan success story that has been quietly improving state government for decades. Its a function that helps state government serve Montanans by making sure state agencies obey laws and accurately balance their books, saves taxpayers money by finding efficiency in state programs, and protects sensitive information held in state computer security systems.

Created in 1967, the Legislative Audit Committee is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Delegates at the 1972 Montana Constitution Convention felt the work of the newly formed committee was fundamental to the proper functioning of the state government. They put it in the Constitution  the only legislative committee given such status. The move essentially mandates the committees existence and helps safeguard the independence of the work performed by its nonpartisan staff in the Legislative Audit Division. The staff follow strict standards to draw conclusions about the programs they review, and their dedication and professionalism have been central to our 50-year track record of making government work better.

Over time, the range of issues considered by the committee has expanded to meet the growing information needs of legislators. Beyond traditional financial activities, audit work now assesses broader aspects of government accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness. As computer systems gained importance in government operations, a process for auditing these systems was developed.

This work has provided the legislature and public with literally hundreds of reports over the years, containing thousands of recommendations to state agencies. In just the past few years, the office has:

Found scores of errors in the states own annual financial report which, if uncorrected, could have threatened Montanas credit rating.

Discovered that the Department of Corrections was illegally housing adult prisoners in youth facilities.

Exposed problems in the Public Service Commissions handling of railroad safety.

Brought to light inconsistencies and a lack of oversight in the ways state agencies approve pay raises for employees.

Determined the Department of Administration needs to improve its ability to monitor the contract for state employee health centers and validate the costs related to the centers.

Unearthed shortcomings in the states vital Child Protective Services program.

The information generated in audit reports provides valuable information to agency management, public stakeholders, and legislators when assessing the governments stewardship of public resources and compliance with law. The reports contain real-world solutions and actionable ideas for making state government better.

Legislative audits are a true picture of accountability in action, not just the hollow promises of reports gathering dust on a shelf. Agencies know their financial records will be regularly inspected and management will be held to task if there are problems. Accountability functions like legislative audits dont just save money through effective oversight, they strengthen the integrity of our public institutions and increase trust in state government. Thats something we all should support.

Even the public has a role to play. The Audit Division manages the states toll-free hotline for reporting fraud, waste and abuse. We encourage anyone with concerns about fraud or how state government programs or activities are being managed to call 800-222-4446, email LADHotline@mt.gov, or visit the website below. All of us share responsibility for ensuring state resources are being used wisely, especially in the difficult budget times we are currently experiencing.

As our committee begins its second half-century, we are confident that commitment to the vital mission of government accountability in Montana state government is stronger than ever. Additional information about the Audit Committee, copies of previous reports, and information about work in progress can be found on leg.mt.gov/audit or by calling the office at 444-3122.
According to reports, it was either a fire accident or a suicide. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Mystery shrouds the death of a man whose charred body was found in a burnt car in the outskirts of Nawabpet in Mahabubnagar on Tuesday night. The man was identified as Santha Kumar, 38, a teacher from Munimoksha village.

According to Ms. Anuradha, superintendent of police, Mahabubnagar, The incident occurred on Tuesday night and the police was informed by the locals that there was a burnt car and a man on the drivers seat.

The police reached the spot and shifted the body for a postmortem. According to reports, it was either a fire accident or a suicide, added the SP. The police has booked a case under Section 174 of the CrPC.
The bench directed the government not to start constructions on the land till the single judge disposes of the case after hearing the state government.

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday granted partial relief to the Telangana state government by staying the orders of a single judge who ordered return of the land allotted for the Christian Bhavan to the assigned land holder.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G. Shyam Prasad was dealing with an appeal by the state government. The bench directed the government not to start constructions on the land till the single judge disposes of the case after hearing the state government.

The bench said that it had to examine the question whether the land allotment for the Christian Bhavan falls under the benefit of public or for the benefit of a particular community. Till it has decided, no construction has to be made on the land. The bench said that since the land in the possession of the government, it has to be remain in its possession till the final disposal of the case.

On December 19, a single judge directed the authorities not to take up the construction of the Bhavan on a three-acre parcel of land at Yapral as one Ms M. Gangavathi and two other petitioners had claimed that the land was assigned to them in 1962.

The advocate general told the bench that the judge had granted the order without hearing the government. He said that the land was resumed by the government in 2016 after issuing a notice to the assigned land holders. He told the court if the land was pro-ved to belonging to the petitioners, the government would acquire the land by paying compensation.

HC warns AP on gang rape case



The Hyderabad HC on Wed-nesday expressed anger at AP officials for delaying the appointment of special public prosecutors for the Vakapalli gang rape case despite a Supreme Court order to complete the trial within six months.

Justice M. Seetharama Murti, while dealing with a petition by nine victims belonging to the tribal community, cautioned that if the appointments were not made by January 2, he would pass orders imposing heavy costs on the officials.

The judge on December 22 had reserved his order to December 27 on the petiti-on of the victims seeking a direction to the AP government to appoint special pu-blic prosecutor and assistant prosecutor to conduct the trial before the 11th additional district sessions judge-cum-special court under the SC, ST (Prev-ention of Atrocities) Act in Visakhapatnam against 13 Greyhounds personnel.

When this came up for hearing, AP counsel urged the court to adjourn the hearing as the application of the victims to principal secretary, home, was under process and orders would be issued in a few days.

Reacting to this, Justice Murti made it clear that the appointments should be completed by January 22, otherwise the collector and principal secretary, home, have to pay exemplary costs to the petitioners.

On August 20, 2007, 11 tribal women of Vakapalli in Nurmati panchayat of G. Madugula mandal in the agency area of Visakha-patnam district were allegedly gang-raped by 21 personnel of the Greyhounds.
After over a year, Jadhav's mother and wife on Monday got to meet him but they were forced to speak with a glass barrier separating them from the former navy official. They were also forbidden to speak in Marathi. (Photo: AP)

Mumbai: In another shock for India, journalists of Pakistan media were thanked by the Foreign Office (FO) for heckling and humiliating the mother and wife of Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav when they met him on Monday in Islamabad.

Pakistan Foreign Office seemed pleased with the media's performance and thanked them saying "Job well done".

A senior journalist with Dawn newspaper Hassan Belal Zaidi tweeted that Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry (MOFA) office had planned the shameful heckling in advance and later even thanked the journalists for a "job well done".

Reporters shouted taunts and slogans at the two women, said they were related to a killer who has blood on his hands. FO even messaged reporters to thank them for 'job well done'. 

Conduct unbecoming of journalists was on display that day... https://t.co/bNLczGBacb  Mighty (@mightyobvious) December 26, 2017

On Monday, after meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav, his wife Chetna and mother Avanti on stepping out were forced to wait for their car outside the Pakistan Foreign Office. The wait left them in the open for harassment by Pakistani media.

Pakistan media heckled Jadhav's wife and mother over and again with questions like - "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)"

Read: How you feel meeting your 'qaatil beta': Pak media asks Jadhav's mother

Some journalists in Pakistan too slammed the conduct of their press colleagues.

Taha Siddiqui, Pakistan bureau chief of WION News, said he was disgusted by what his fellow journalists did.

Somedays we do a story tht disgusts us. Today was one such day. But it wasnt cuz of what I covered. Rather it was cuz of how my fellow journos behaved with mother & wife of #KulbushanJadhav whn they left FO building. They shouted taunts. It was very shameful  Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) December 25, 2017

Another eminent journalist from Pakistan, Benzair Shah, condemned the act of her fellow scribes.

No words for the Pakistani journalists who think heckling and harassing a 70-year-old woman is the best way to express patriotism. https://t.co/YOyFfyYOfF  Benazir Shah (@Benazir_Shah) December 27, 2017

Jadhav being allowed to meet his wife and mother was termed as a "humanitarian gesture" by Pakistan, which essentially humiliated and intimidated the women, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.

After over a year, Jadhav's mother and wife on Monday got to meet him but they were forced to speak with a glass barrier separating them from the former navy official. They were also forbidden to speak in Marathi.

Read: Kulbushan Jadhav meets wife, mom from behind glass screen

Pakistan even behaved inhuman and displayed zero cultural sensitivity and made Jadhav's wife and mother change clothes, remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi. Jadhav's wife Chetankul's footwear was also not returned by Pakistan, which claims there was "something metallic" in them and they are being examined by forensic experts.
The leader and additional secretary disaster management under MHA, Bipin Bihari Mallick, said the amount sanctioned is part of the financial assistance of Rs 422 crore demanded by the state government. (Representational Image)

Thiruvananthapuram: The Central team visiting Cyclone Ockhi hit areas in the state on Wednesday sanctioned Rs133 crore as the first instalment of financial assistance. The leader and additional secretary disaster management under MHA, Bipin Bihari Mallick, said the amount sanctioned is part of the financial assistance of Rs 422 crore demanded by the state government.

Centre gives Rs 133 crore for Ockhi relief

He was speaking to media persons after meeting Ockhi affected fisher families in Vizhinjam. He said the search operations for the missing fishermen would continue. Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force have not stopped search and rescue operations, he said.

A large number of people including women and children gathered at Vizhinjam area ahead of the central teams visit. They included family members of fishers who lost their lives and the missing. The coastal people conveyed their strong resentment over the failure of the government to trace the missing men. They pointed out that the wait for their near and dear ones was nearing a month. Had the authorities concerned intervened in time many lives could have been saved.

The local people told the central team that intensive search and rescue operations began only three days after the cyclone had hit. By that time many people had lost their lives. It was fishermen who on their own rescued many of their colleagues. With the protests growing louder, a section of local leaders intervened to calm them down. Many affected families told the central team that they wanted their near and dear ones back safe.

Mr Mallick who listened to the grievances of the families said he had come to share their grief and to assess the loss suffered by them. The local people hoped that being the representative of the Centre, he would convey their grievances and protests to the authorities in Delhi. After Vizhinjam, the central team visited Adimalathura and Poovar. Mr Malick also went to medical college hospital and general hospital to inquire about the condition of the injured who are under treatment.

Meanwhile, the other team led by central fisheries assistant commissioner Dr Sanjay Pandey visited Vettucaud, Valiyathura and Beemapally. Local MLA M. Vincent and district collector K. Vasuki accompanied them. In New Delhi, Union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Lok Sabha that 261 fishermen who went into the sea from Kerala were yet to be traced. She said the cyclone caused maximum damage in Kerala.

Meanwhile, fisheries minister J. Mercy Kutty Amma said in Delhi that only 143 fishermen from Kerala were yet to be traced. She said no one should create false notion about the number of missing fishermen and added that the compensation announced by the Centre was inadequate. The minister was talking to media after meeting union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna met him face-to-face in Islamabad after 22 months of his captivity. (Photo: DC)

New Delhi: As Kulbhushan Jadhav met his wife and mother for the first time since his arrest and death sentence in Pakistan, the former navy official "parroted Pakistani propaganda" and kept saying he was a spy, according to Indian officials.

According to a report in Times of India, mother of Kulbhushan on Monday interrupted him saying "But why are you saying all this? You were doing business in Iran from where you were abducted. You must tell the truth."

Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna met him face-to-face in Islamabad after 22 months of his captivity.

Shocking details of the 40-minute meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife in Islamabad emerged on Monday. The meeting across a glass screen and through intercom, tightly controlled by Pakistani officials, has left the family "horrified and depressed", according to relatives.

Read: Jadhav spoke to kin in atmosphere of coercion, his replies were tutored: MEA

According to reports, Jadhav kept speaking in English and Hindi and repeating that he was a spy operating in Balochistan and was involved in terror activities - allegations by Pakistan that India has strongly refuted. His mother Avanti Jadhav and wife Chetankul kept trying to speak to him in Marathi but he wouldn't reciprocate.

Pakistani officials repeatedly stopped Jadhav's mother when she spoke in Marathi.

It was as if Jadhav was programmed to stick to a script and repeat whatever Pakistan has charged him with, the family has reportedly told Indian officials.

The intervention also validated India's decision to insist that Jadhav's mother was to accompany wife Chetna. Pakistan had initially given visa only to Chetna but relented when India pressed that mother Avanti should also be allowed access.

Avanti and Chetna Jadhav were forced to change and take off their mangalsutras, bindis and bangles for the meeting. Chetankul Jadhav's shoes were not returned by Pakistan, which claims there was "something metallic" in them and they are being examined by forensic experts.

After the meeting, the family was forced to wait for their car outside the Pakistan Foreign Office. The wait left them in the open for harassment by the Pakistani media.

They were heckled over and again by questions like - "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)"
A total of 89 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been released by Sri Lankan authorities so far in 2017. (Representational image)

Rameswaram: The Sri Lankan courts in Jaffna and Vavunia on Thursday ordered the release of 69 Tamil Nadu fishermen lodged in prisons in Sri Lanka , an official said in Rameswaram.

The fishermen, arrested on various occasions on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) by the Sri Lankan Navy, would be brought back to Rameswaram after completing necessary formalities, Manikandan, Assistant Director of Fisheries Department said.

A Sri Lankan court had on Wednesday released 20 fishermen, arrested in January and February 2017 on charges of poaching into the island nation's waters, and they were handed over to the Indian Coast Guard at the IMBL by the Lankan authorities.

A total of 89 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been released by Sri Lankan authorities so far in 2017 and 71 were still in various jail in Sri Lanka, he said.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi's dig came hours after the Leader of the House Arun Jaitley made a short statement in Rajya Sabha to end the impasse over Modi's remarks against his predecessor made during the Gujarat polls campaign. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at the government's statement in Rajya Sabha that Narendra Modi has never questioned Manmohan Singh's integrity, saying thanks for reminding India that the Prime Minister "never means what he says or says what he means".

Gandhi's dig came hours after the Leader of the House Arun Jaitley made a short statement in Rajya Sabha to end the impasse over Modi's remarks against his predecessor made during the Gujarat polls campaign.

"Dear Mr Jaitlie (sic) -- thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means," Gandhi tweeted, using a hashtag "BJPLies".

Dear Mr Jaitlie - thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means. #BJPLies pic.twitter.com/I7n1f07GaX  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 27, 2017

The Congress president also attached with his tweet a video of the Prime Minister's speech at a poll rally in which he made the "conspiracy with Pakistan" remarks against Singh, along with Jaitley's statement made in the House.

In Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Jaitley said Modi in his statements and speeches, "did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president."

"Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation," Jaitley said.

The statement came after the opposition and the ruling party leaders worked out a way to resolve the impasse in Parliament, after a series of meetings.
The Law Minister informed the House that at least 100 triple talaq cases have come to light after the Supreme Court banned it in August this year. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday exhorted the Lok Sabha to not link triple talaq bill with religion, politics or vote bank.

Prasad made this statement while participating in the debate on The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which he tabled in the lower House on Thursday morning.

"The Triple Talaq Bill should not be seen through the prism of politics and neither should be linked with any religious motive or vote-bank politics. This bill is for the rights of the women of our country," Prasad said.

The Law Minister informed the House that at least 100 triple talaq cases have come to light after the Supreme Court banned it in August this year.

"At least 300 cases of triple talaq have happened in 2017 out of which 100 after the Supreme Court verdict. We must understand the pain of Muslim women. Today morning, I read a news that a woman in Rampur was given talaq by her husband just because she woke up late," Prasad said.

The Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

"Today the question before the Lok Sabha, which is the biggest panchayat in India, is that will it remain silent on injustice in the name of triple talaq when the Supreme Court has termed it illegal?" Prasad said.

The Law Minister said, "The bill we have here says that if you utter triple talaq, you will land up in jail. The man will also have to pay maintenance and the custody of the child will be with the mother. All over the world, maintenance of wife and children is a continuous social obligation of a husband."

He further said that the main question before the house is that when Islamic countries have regulated provisions of triple talaq then can India, which is a secular nation, remain silent on the issue.

Reading out provisions of triple talaq legislations of Bangladesh and Pakistan, Prasad said, "Why can't we as a secular nation do it? This bill doesn't want to interfere in religion, Sharia or pooja but only deals with triple talaq and Talaq-e-Biddat to provide gender justice, gender dignity and gender equality."

After the bill was tabled, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill, contending it violated fundamental rights.

"This bill violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence," Owaisi argued.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) concurred with Owaisi over the bill is flawed.

"This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill," BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab said.

The bill draft says, "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".

There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance and has a provision for them to have the custody of their minor children. The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.

The bill shall extend to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said, 'The family wished to meet Jadhav and we arranged for it. Even Pakistan agreed for it this month. This could have been a step forward for both countries, but that wasn't to be.' (Photo: Screengrab)

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said "Both Kubhushan Jadhav's mother and wife were presented as widows in front of him. The manner in which the meeting was organised was appalling... their clothes, shoes, bangles, and even their mangalsutras were taken away."

Giving a detailed statement in the Rajya Sabha about Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother visiting him in Pakistan and the way they were treated there, Sushma said, When I spoke to her (Jadhavs mother), she told me that as soon as she reached, Kulbhushan asked her 'Baba kaise hain?' (How is papa) because he saw no mangalsutra on his mother. Jadhav thought some mishap might have taken place in his absence.

Sushma said the Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. She said two Pakistani officials were present in the meeting and kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued, the intercom was switched off.

The External Affairs Minister added that Jadhav's mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta.

Sushma said, "The family wished to meet Jadhav and we arranged for it. Even Pakistan agreed for it this month. This could have been a step forward for both countries, but that wasn't to be."

Calling the meeting propaganda and an opportunity to exploit the situation, Sushma said, "The meeting between a mother and her son, a wife and her husband after going through so much was turned into an exercise of propaganda and an opportunity to exploit the situation."

About the incident of Jadhavs wifes shoes being removed for security reasons before the meeting in Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj said, Even after her repeated attempts, the shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife were not returned. We had warned of something like this... Pakistan's behaviour has been beyond absurd... sometimes they claim a microchip, sometimes a recorder, and sometimes a camera... What about the Emirates flight they took? These were the shoes they wore during their travel... If that had been the case, they would have been detected at security check before they boarded the Emirates flight.

Sushma said the treatment to Jadhavs wife and mother was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again and again and an environment of fear was created for them, she said.

Sushma ended her address saying, We condemn such shameful behavior by Pakistan and will not take it silently. We will expose Pakistan's utterly disgusting behaviour."

All parties endorsed the statement and are in complete agreement with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj regarding the manner in which Pakistan treated Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother during their visit to Pakistan.
The Shariat law says that at one go triple talaq should not be pronounced and problem arises when some Muslims do not follow this in principle

Chennai: Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK on Thursday sought to send out a 'secular' statement when its MP Anwhar Rajah outright opposed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights) on Marriage Bill, 2017 and alleged that the BJP was pursuing its communal agenda through this legislation.

The AIADMK's opposition to the triple talaq bill raised many political eyebrows in New Delhi and in Tamil Nadu since the party is being accused of playing second fiddle to the BJP after the demise of its charismatic leader J. Jayalalithaa.

The party's lone Muslim face, Rajah, who is the MP from Ramanathapuram constituency, launched a stinging attack on the BJP and accused it of bringing the Bill to abolish the identity of Muslims in India.

Party leaders said AIADMKs Opposition was restricted to the bill alone and it should be not be interpreted in any other way. Maintaining that the AIADMK was not opposed to the Bill in total, Rajah told the Lok Sabha that there was no need to bring criminality clause in the issue of marital discord. It is not that talaq that is pronounced three times at one goIt is done on three phases on three different occasions. It is not done at one go. Triple talaq at one throw does not disown a marriage. This is the statement of the Supreme Court. We accept this. We approve this. This is what the Shariat law even says. All the Muslims in the world accept this, Rajah said.

The Shariat law says that at one go triple talaq should not be pronounced and problem arises when some Muslims do not follow this in principle. You bring a legislation on these lines. We will accept it. But where is the criminal procedure on this? Why should there be criminal punishment? Thats why the Tamil Nadu Government has opposed this legislation, he said. You are implementing your item communal agenda. BJP is implementing its item communal agenda. You want to abolish the identity of Muslims in India. This Bill may be sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, he said.
Hyderabad: The year 2017 would remain as one in which several populist schemes were floated, with the financial burden crossing the 40,000-crore mark, a record of sorts for any state.

Distribution of sheep, extending salaries to priests, imams, sanctioning of hundreds of English medium residential schools for Muslims, BC, SC, ST, Rs 20 lakh overseas scholarship to pursue education abroad, giving away washing machines and driers, 24x7 free power supply to agriculture, waiver of housing loans and electricity charges for poor were only a few among the sops doled out.

A major populist scheme, to extend Rs 8,000 per acre per year financial assistance to farmers, was also announced in 2017 but would come into force from May 2018. The government is bracing up to announce more sops in 2018, the crucial year before the elections in 2019.

The government in May 2017 enhanced financial assistance to Rs 75,116 from Rs 51,000 to perform the marriage of adolescent girls in Below-the-Poverty-Line families under Kalyana Laxmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes.

Also in May, it announced a steep hike in mess charges for students from Class III to PG level, which imposed a burden of Rs 117 crore on the state exchequer.

In June 2017, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao launched a scheme for the Yadav/Kuruma community to distribute 1.5 crore sheep to nearly 35 lakh families at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore to encourage revival of rural economy.

In July, the government waived outstanding housing loan arrears of `3,920 crore to beneficiaries of the Indiramma housing scheme for weaker sections. The arrears had accumulated between 1983-84 and 2013-2014. In August, over 72 crore fingerlings were released in 24,000 tanks for fishermen community to encourage fisheries sector.

In September, salary hikes were announced for anganwadi teachers, ayahs, IKP workers, constables, home guards, village revenue offices, village revenue assistants, contract lecturers, contract/outsourcing employees in other departments.

In October, the government set up the Most Backward Class Commission with Rs 1,000 crore corpus fund for the uplift of these sections. Under this, the government would provide Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh assistance to BC families that wanted to switch their sources of employment.

The assistance would be provided directly to the beneficiaries without linkages with banks. The scheme was aimed to benefit families from ancestral professions of washermen, hair dressers, tailors, goldsmiths, carpenters, potters, sheperds Nayi Brahmins and Panchakarmas.

The CM announced that every year about 60,000 to 70,000 Most Backward Class families would get financial assistance.

In November, the Chief Minister announced 24x7 free power supply to agriculture from January 1, 2018, which would cost around Rs 5,500 crore per year.
After receiving the consignments, southern railways had laid it to an extent of 60.6 km.

Chennai: CBIs anti-corruption bureau has booked a railway engineer and the director of a private company on charges of cheating the railways to a tune of Rs 5.4 crore. The FIR was filed based on a complaint by DK Yadav, deputy chief vigilance officer of the southern railway.

CBIs Chennai unit have booked M.K. Singh, senior section engineer, quality assurance, Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), ministry of railways, Jaipur, Roop Kumar Lal, Director M/s Gee cab industries limited and others under various sections including prevention of corruption Act.

According to the complaint, Southern Railway had placed a purchase order in September last year for procurement of 280.1 km of underground jelly filled railway telecom copper conductor cable for a total value of Rs 5.43 crore from Gee Cab industries.

The New Delhi based company had supplied 277.6 km of quad cables to various consignee depots which were inspected and certified by a senior section engineer, M.K. Singh, the FIR stated. A total payment of `5.22 crore was released by railways to the firm.

After receiving the consignments, southern railways had laid it to an extent of 60.6 km. Meanwhile, on July 24 and 25 this year, a joint check was conducted by officials from the southern railway, RDSO and the private company when it was found that the quad cables supplied were substandard. They were not as per tender and supply specifications and the sample cable was tested and passed by RDSO during their inspection and sent to the consignees, the FIR added. The CBIs Chennai unit has registered cases against the engineer, private company and other unknown public servants and has begun investigations.
MP Asaduddin Owaisi speaks during a debate on the Triple Talaq Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.(Photo: PTI)

Hyderabad: MIM president and Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday strongly opposed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights and Marriage) Bill (Triple Talaq Bill) in Parliament, stating that this will be injustice to Muslim women.

Speaking after law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabled the Bill, Mr Owaisi questioned the need to formulate a new law when the existing law on domestic violence tackles the issues.

The Hyderabad MP also objected to the penal provisions in the law.

The Union law minister has failed to discriminate between civil law and criminal law. Not a single Muslim country has a penal provision. Triple talaq is verbal and emotional abuse, he explained.

Law minister is a poor drafter of law, says Asaduddin Owaisi

He called law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad a poor drafter of law because he failed to distinguish between civil law and criminal law. In Section 3, the law minister accepts that triple talaq will be void, then how can you punish him (the husband)? Something which is void cannot be punished as it has no legal force, he said.

He said the law minister has quoted Pakistan, but Section 61 of the Pakistan law has been stayed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and no Muslim country has a penal provision.

Mr Owaisi said that if the BJP was so concerned about womens welfare, why does it not have a single Muslim woman MP?

Referring to the argument of the government in the Supreme Court that all talaqs must be abolished, Mr Owaisi said that the government is trying to do away with Muslim personal laws.

He said that he had given notice to the Lok Sabha under Rule 72 and his primary objection is that Parliament lacks legislative competence because it violates Arti-cle 15 of the Constitution (fundamental rights) and triple talaq has been declared null and void already by the Supreme Court.

Maintaining that the Bill lacks rationality as sections under the IPC exists, he citied that the Apex Courts verdict in E.P. Royappas case (an IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre) to argue that the Bill is constitutionally not valid.

The minister has brought in a bad law. If a Muslim man says triple talaq, then how is it valid when the court has done away with it? This law will give handle to Muslim men to further subjugate women, Mr Owaisi argued.

He said the government wants to achieve its dream of putting Muslims behind bars. Instead, create a corpus of Rs 1,000 crore for Muslim women.

He said Your dream of having more Muslims in jail will be achieved. Please send the bill to the Standing Committee.

In an apparent reference to PM Narendra Modis wife, he said, justice should be done to 20 lakh abandoned women from all religions, including our bhabhi in Gujarat.
Telangana PCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy hoists the flag of the Indian National Congress on the partys foundation day on Thursday. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday accused the TRS government of violating human rights by muzzling people from airing their displeasure over undemocratic policies.

Speaking at the occasion of 133rd Formation Day of the Indian National Congress at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, he alleged that the government has unleashed 'Police Raj' in the state.

He said the Dalits and Girijans were being humiliated repeatedly by the government.

Narrating incidents of Nerella and Khammam, the PCC president said serious cases, invoking 20 section of IPC, were booked against MRPS president Krishna Madiga and other activists although they tried to hold a protest in a democratic manner to press for the categorisation of Scheduled Castes  a demand which was unanimously approved by the Legislative Assembly.

He said the TRS rule is giving the people of this state a feel of living under the British Raj. He called upon the Congress cadre to work hard and stay united to win the next elections.

He expressed confidence that the Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, would come to power both at Delhi and in Telangana in 2019.

At another function marking the 10th death anniversary of former Congress Legislature Party leader P. Janardhan Reddy, Telangana PCC president requested the state government that the Metro Rail project be named after late PJR.
The Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir is just one domain of conflict between India and Pakistan but the degree of tactical expertise required to remain in a dominant position needs to be extremely high. Deployed eyeball to eyeball with the adversary, there are some areas where they are separated by just a kilometer. The environment offers ample scope to test each others nerves, tactical skills and stamina. Not for nothing was this called one of the most dangerous places on earth. Strategically, the LoC offers the maximum scope to Pakistans deep state for its messaging. But why does it need to do so? It must be understood Pakistans strategic aim is to keep a state of turbulence in J&K and thereby exploit Indias religious faultlines. Much depends on the state of affairs in the two countries.

Currently, Pakistan is witnessing a political vacuum with all its mainstream parties in disarray. None has a real national presence, with the Pakistan Musl-im League-Nawaz (PML-N), the party in power, in hara-kiri mode. This has allowed radical elements to make a bid for political space. In recent months, Pakistan has seen a lockdown of its capital, Islamabad, by a new element, Tehreek-e-Labayak Ya Rasool Allah (TeL), demanding death sentences for PML(N) ministers and the complete dismissal of Parliament for not adhering to the finality of the Prophet in the affirmation for election. Hafiz Saeed, the maverick leader of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, founded the Milli Muslim League (MML), sensing a chance at political credibility and a potential political future. This has the backing of personalities like former President Pervez Musharraf, who too surprisingly appears to have political ambitions. Garnering political space gets a boost from the deep state if some spectacular acti-ons are seen in Kashmir or anywhere else in India, which can signal how much Indias internal security is under Pakistani calibration. However, 2017 has proven to be a year in which the Indian security forces led by the Army have regained the space lost in 2016 due to the anger whi-ch spilled into the streets of Kashmir after the killing of local terrorist leader Burhan Wani. Its not easy for the deep state to strike at will, although plans are undoubtedly afoot. As an interim measure, there is always the LoC. An opportunity does exist to carry out a tactical action with a larger strategic impact. The domination of the LoC exchanges of fire assaults by the Indian Army has also rankled the deep state.

This time, however, a deeper strategy appears to have motivated the deplorable action at Keri in the LoCs Rajouri sector. A Pakistani border action team (BAT) comprising Pakistani regulars and terrorists carried out a shallow infiltration on December 22 and ambushed an Indian Army patrol led by an officer of 2 Sikh (Royal), a premier infantry unit, killing an officer and three jawans. There appears to be a deep-set conspiracy and strategy that began from the moment Pakistan gave permission for the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian naval officer who Pakistan alleges is an Indian spy and is in its custody, to visit him in Pakistan. A leak of a report about the brief given by Pakistan Army chief Gen. Qamar Bajwa to the Pakistan Senate appears to have been made deliberately. This report carried an apparent advisory from the Pakistan Army chief to the political community that the Army was willing to back peace initiatives with India. It appears to have been made to lull India into complacency alongside the gesture to permit Kulbhushan Jadhavs family to meet the condemned prisoner. The trans-LoC operation, infliction of casualties on the Indian Army and the subsequent humiliation of Jadhavs mother and wife with selective media harassment  all this appears to have been choreographed with the lar-ger intent of humiliating India and establishing a psychological ascendancy with a message of Pakistani domination of the strategic space in India-Pakistan ties.

As in the past, Pakistan masterfully initiated its strategy and conspiracy but didnt think it through. The terminal end of nefarious strategies which cross the Pakistani mind is never apparent to its deep state planners. Two things went awry. One, the Indian Army retaliated swiftly, keeping the response limited to the tactical level. A small Indian Army element crossed the LoC on December 25 and laid mines and IEDs at will near Rakh Chikri post of Poonch, detonating these remotely and engaging Pakistani troops as they patrolled the area. Four fatal Pakistan Army casualties, including an officer, underscored Indias will to demonstrate that it wouldnt leave a Pakistani criminal act at the LoC unpunished. The second action, still underway, is the political and diplomatic row India was able to generate over the humiliation of Jadhavs family. The last word has yet to be heard on this even as squirming Pakistani TV commentators tried to deflect acute criticism. India should do much more to paint Pakistan into a corner and lay low its already abysmal international image.

All this clearly indicates what the state of affairs in 2018 will be. Pakistans strategic confidence appears higher than its internal situation indicates. The deterioration of Sino-Indian relations in 2017 and the hype about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is giving it an out of proportion perception of its own strategic strength and a corresponding perception of Indias apparent weakness. That is why in 2018 India cannot afford to be reactive any longer. The full capacity of its yet-untested below-the-radar diplomacy, supplemented by its proxy reach and capped by its offensive LoC capability, must form the cornerstone of its strategy. Sometimes its good to take off the gloves and use bare fists against a wily, irrational and unethical foe. At the same time, India must secure itself fully against Pakistans inevitable subter-fuge and proxy capability. Internal security supplemented by high intelligence capability and most of all political prudence to take all parties along in national security is now an imperative.
As a child growing up in Kolkata, the erstwhile Calcutta, Christmas was simply Boro Din, celebrated by one and all, rich and poor, believer and non-believers. As a child, I did not decorate a Christmas tree, nor did I go carol-singing. Christmas simply meant plum cakes, Park Street, a visit to the legendary Nahoum and Sons bakery and the beginning of merrymaking and the holiday season. Even today, my mothers part-time domestic helper celebrates Boro Din by buying a slice of cake from the local sweet shop. Can Christmas be anything but a joyful occasion irrespective of ones faith, and can alarm bells ever really replace the strains of jingle bells? I did not think I would ever ask myself these questions.

But this year, the Union ministry of home affairs issued an advisory to all states to maintain the utmost vigil to prevent any untoward incident in view of the New Year and Christmas celebrations. The immediate trigger for such a statement was a warning by the Hindu Jagran Manch, a fringe right-wing group in Uttar Pradesh, to the management of all schools in Aligarh. If they celebrated Christmas, they were told, it will be at their own risk. At the time of writing, the Christmas celebrations have taken place in Aligarh and elsewhere amid high vigil. How did we get here? How did we arrive at a point when Christmas celebrations become a risky affair, that need a high alert, strict police vigil and reassurances from the home ministry? And what do we make of a situation where assorted groups, labelled fringe in the mainstream media, feel emboldened enough to intimidate and attack whoever doesnt conform to their worldview? As we look back to the year gone by, we know that mobs have taken law into their hands and that warnings, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have had little impact on their resolve to carry out their poisonous agenda of fuelling communal passions. Once hate against one group or another is stoked and allowed to simmer, it is only a matter of time before it boils over into violence. In June 2017, a 16-year-old Muslim boy was stabbed to death on a Mathura-bound suburban train by a mob that accused him and his three companions of carrying beef in their bags. His name was Junaid. They had come to Delhi for Id festival shopping and were travelling back to their village. A newspaper report noted that the police had said Junaids attackers mocked him and his brothers, tugged at their beards and accused them of being beef-eaters. Junaid is one among many in the catalogue of victims of hate crimes. A Muslim farmer in Jharkhand was beaten up and his house set ablaze after a dead cow was found outside. Then there was Pehlu Khan. And many, many others.

The details vary but by now, everyone is familiar with the basic script. Vigilante groups openly advocating violence in the name of protecting the cow, or the nation or Indian culture, take your pick, get to have their say, foment hatred against specific communities. Things take a violent turn. Innocent lives are lost. There are arrests, much hand-wringing and lofty pronouncements from the highest quarters about the virtues of the rule of law. And then it starts all over again.

Quite often, it starts with a provocative statement, like the one by the BJP legislator from Alwar, Rajasthan, who recently said all cattle smugglers would be killed by the people. This, in a nutshell, is how you create a climate of impunity. Calling the mob a part of the fringe  as ruling party spokespersons routinely do after every outrage  is ingenuity that just about everybody sees through. And sometimes the fig leaf slips, as when a Central minister wants to change Indias secular Constitution.

As I have argued in these columns earlier, mob violence in one part of the country invigorates mobs elsewhere and the malaise is not linked to just BJP-ruled states. So with moral policing and intrusions into private lives. If you thought this happens only in the anti-Romeo squad-littered Uttar Pradesh of Yogi Adityanath, you would be wrong. Recent developments in Kerala, where the Communists are at the helm of affairs, show that literacy and obscurantism can coexist. A school principal in the state defends his decision to suspend a male student for embracing a female classmate in a long hug and posting images on the social media, calling it part of upholding decorum. The Kerala high court upholds the principals decision. When there is a storm of criticism about the boy possibly losing an year, there is also an attempt to punish the girl  technicalities are suddenly raised about the transfer certificate from the previous school attended by the girl.

Where do we go from here? It is true that the BJP is not solely responsible for the erosion of the Indian secular state, nor does it have a monopoly over the politics of divisiveness. But it is also true that the BJP now controls the Centre as well as 19 out of Indias 29 states and enjoys unprecedented power. As the new year beckons, the real question is whether the BJPs ideologically-driven Hindutva project and subtle otherising of all those who do not subscribe to its social and cultural mores is compatible with development, which means not just roads and bridges and bullet trains but also education and health?

Three and a half years of high-decibel Hindutva has done much for Mr Modi and his party. But has it delivered rozi-roti? Eventually, any ism, including Hindu nationalism, has to prove its merit by delivering on the everyday bread and butter issues. In young, aspirational India, this is truer than ever. As we get ready to embrace 2018, let us keep the focus on what fulfils the everyday needs of every citizen of this country of 1.3 billion. Polarisation, and the politics of otherisation is derailing the development agenda on which the BJP was elected to power in 2014.
Fridays launch was the fourth set of 10 satellites in a series of 75 total satellites that SpaceX will launch for Iridium. Four additional Iridium NEXT launches are scheduled for the first half of 2018, the company said.

Iridium Communications Inc said on Wednesday its 10 satellites, launched last week by tech billionaire Elon Musks SpaceX, are functioning as expected.

The launch on SpaceXs reusable Falcon 9 rocket on Friday had sparked concerns on the US West Coast due to its glowing trail, according to media reports. Some users also took to social media to suggest that the glow made the rocket look like a UFO, with hashtag #aliens trending on Twitter.

On Wednesday, Iridium said the 10 Iridium NEXT satellites are in early stages of testing and validating process.

Fridays launch was the fourth set of 10 satellites in a series of 75 total satellites that SpaceX will launch for Iridium. Four additional Iridium NEXT launches are scheduled for the first half of 2018, the company said.

Iridiums fleet of satellites in low Earth orbit will cover the entire surface of the planet, according to the companys website. Falcon 9 is part of Musks attempts to slash launch costs and shorten intervals between launches.

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As for the Note 9, the company is said to bring more changes, including the much anticipated fingerprint sensor under the display, though it is still unclear whether the technology is ready to be pushed for mass production or not.

Apple took a huge step when it launched the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus sans the 3.5mm audio jack. The move, however, wasnt widely appreciated by the users. While at first it seemed like a change that all smartphone manufacturers would adopt, it doesnt seem to be the same way for Samsung.

The South Korean company is speculated to tuck in the 3.5mm audio jack for at least one more generation of its flagship Galaxy series. The forthcoming Galaxy S9 is very likely to retain the audio jack, if the leaks are real. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that Samsung will never give up on the audio jack.

The company is expected to launch the two flagship smartphones  Galaxy S9 and Note 9 in February and August respectively.

As for the Note 9, the company is said to bring more changes, including the much anticipated fingerprint sensor under the display, though it is still unclear whether the technology is ready to be pushed for mass production or not.

Samsung wants the Galaxy Note 9 to boast more exclusive features in comparison to the Galaxy S9, and in that case, the former could be the first to witness the transition from headphone jack to USB Type-C.

As the launch date of the Galaxy S9 is inching closer, the leaks and rumours are pouring in at an alarming rate. We suggest our readers to take this piece of information with a pinch of salt, at least for a few more weeks.

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Xiaomi isnt the only company to follow Apples footsteps; Companies like Huawei and Vivo have already started dipping their hands in the facial recognition loop.

iPhones removal of the TouchID and incorporation of the FaceID was one controversial decision that Apple made. But it was just the matter of few months that its Android counterparts started embracing the same approach.

Xiaomi phones for instance, resemble a lot like the iPhones. Now there are reports that the Chinese firm might give up on the fingerprint sensor and depend only on facial recognition tech for its upcoming Mi 7.

Xiaomi is speculated to be testing the facial recognition system for its smartphones, aiming to amplify the security of users personal data. Whats unclear if Xiaomi will develop the system in-house or outsource the technology from a third party firm.

Xiaomi isnt the only company to follow Apples footsteps; Companies like Huawei and Vivo have already started dipping their hands in the facial recognition loop.

Samsung on the other hand, plans to keep the fingerprint scanner on the rear panel for its upcoming flagship. Reports also suggest that Samsung might incorporate a fingerprint sensor under the display for its Note 9 phablet.

Facial recognition systems have been around for quite sometime now, but the 3D sensing tech is only embraced by Apple on its iPhone X. However, it remains to be seen how Xiaomi plans to fit in the new tech for its flagship.

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30-year-old Rebecca Dykes was working at the British Embassy in the Lebanese capital, pursuing her passion for travel and engaging in humanitarian work, oblivious to the brutal death she was soon to be faced with. (Photo: AFP)

Beirut: 30-year-old Rebecca Dykes was working at the British Embassy in the Lebanese capital, pursuing her passion for travel and engaging in humanitarian work, oblivious to the brutal death she was soon to be faced with.

The prime suspect in the case, Tarek Hawchieh  an Uber driver  told police that he raped and strangled Dykes to death because she was wearing a short skirt.

Dykes stepped into her Uber after a night out with her friends, soon to be left at the mercy of her driver, Hawchieh.

"He said he found her pretty, wearing a short skirtand so he decided to rape her as it would be easy as she was a foreigner," a Lebanese police officer told Daily Mail.

He dumped Dykes body at the side of the road.

Upon finding her body, police used the tracking information from Hwachiehs car to locate him.

Dykes family thanked authorities for the spontaneous and thorough actions taken, saying that they are grateful that the investigation is moving at pace.

"She always wanted to make the world a better place - her humanitarian work in Beirut was testament to that," Dykes family said.

According to reports, Hawchieh who had a criminal record and had served time in jail, showcased untowardly images and videos of taking part in a sex act with a fish, posing with a Kalashnikov and pouring himself vodka, on his Facebook profile.

Dykes brutal murder has raised concerns over Ubers hiring policy yet again.

Lebanons Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk accused the Silicon Valley-based service app for not checking criminal records.

"This company, when it hires drivers, and lets them work within its organisation, does not check their priors," Machnouk said at a news conference, referring to the fact that Hawchieh had been imprisoned for three priors involving drugs.

Rubbishing the claims, an Uber spokesperson said that all Uber drivers were hired after their judicial records were checked and they were fully licensed.

A copy of Hawcheihs judicial record published by local media showed no judgments against the driver.

Uber clarified via email that Hawchieh was a licensed taxi driver with a clean background.
Russ Kinzler named Game and Fish Employee of the Year

Russ Kinzler, Missouri River System fisheries biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Riverdale, received the agencys Directors Award for professional excellence during the Departments annual meeting Dec. 7 in Bismarck.

Terry Steinwand, Game and Fish director, said Kinzler is known for his commitment to his craft in his more than 20 years with the agency.

Russ possesses an incredible work ethic, positive attitude, strong mechanical skills and field expertise, solid biological knowledge and maintains a great working relationship with various angling groups, Steinwand said.

Kinzler was recognized for his role in designing and completing a wide range of management and research activities on the Missouri River System.

All of his duties require an array of equipment, and Russ has the ability to keep it all working, Steinwand said. Often his skills are used in assisting other district offices, divisions and agencies.

Greg Hastings named Wildlife Officer of the Year

Greg Hastings, North Dakota Game and Fish Department district game warden stationed in Jamestown, is the states 2017 Wildlife Officer of the Year. Hastings was honored recently by the Shikar-Safari Club International, a private conservation organization that annually recognizes outstanding wildlife officers in each state.

In a nomination letter sent to Shikar-Safari, chief warden Robert Timian said Hastings district boasts numerous lakes, rivers, reservoirs, wetlands and public hunting areas.

There are tremendous fishing, hunting and boating opportunities throughout his district, and warden Hastings makes his presence felt by his dedication and perseverance, Timian said. "He has strong communication and investigative skills, an understanding demeanor and makes good decisions."

Game and Fish recognizes employees' efforts

North Dakota Game and Fish Department Director Terry Steinwand recently honored a number of employees with performance-based awards. Steinwand presented the following employees with special recognition awards at the departments annual staff meeting Dec. 7.

Todd Buckley, private land biologist, Williston, was recognized for his efforts working with landowners, deer depredation and many special projects that fall outside the normal private land duties.

Aaron Slominski, fisheries biologist, Williston, was recognized for his quick and timely efforts in setting up a cleaning site during the paddlefish snagging season.

Randy Meissner, Gail Mosset, Amanda Anstrom, Tracy Price, Tana Bentz and Tanya Mikkelson, licensing section, Bismarck, were recognized for meeting the challenges of implementing a new online services program for electronic licensing, while managing to handle hundreds of customer phone calls, including walk-in traffic, on a daily basis.

In addition to special recognition recipients, Zane Manhart, district game warden, Beach, was named North Dakotas Boating Officer of the Year. Chief warden Robert Timian said Manharts work ethic and professional drive have created a safer boating environment on waters in southwestern North Dakota.
The letter, titled 'President Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Fazlur Rehman's murder plan', signed by Lt Col (retd) Zaigham Islam Butt for DG Intelligence said bin Laden has issued the order to kill Musharraf, Bhutto and Rehman. (Photo: PTI/File)

Karachi: Al-Qaeda's slain chief Osama bin Laden had shifted to Afghanistan to supervise a plot to assassinate Pakistan's former premier Benazir Bhutto and then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, a media report said on Wednesday.

Citing intelligence gathered by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the News reported that the explosives to execute this plot were provided by the courier of bin Laden.

Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007 outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. The revelation comes exactly on the 10th anniversary of Bhutto's assassination.

This information was provided to the Interior Ministry in December 2007 by the Army and the ISI in three reports and the letters obtained from the bin Laden's residence.

In these secret intelligence reports, the ministry was warned that bin Laden had issued orders to kill then President Musharraf, Pakistan People's Party's chief Bhutto and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman, the paper said.

The most important letter by the ISI to the Interior Ministry was written on December 19, 2007; the letter was directed to the Interior Ministry's then-director coordination of the Crisis Management Cell Colonel Muhammad Imran Yaqub, the paper said, citing the documents.

The letter, titled 'President Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Fazlur Rehman's murder plan', signed by Lt Col (retd) Zaigham Islam Butt for DG Intelligence said bin Laden has issued the order to kill Musharraf, Bhutto and Rehman.

"He (Osama bin Laden) has planned to send his courier, who is a national of Pakistan and a resident of Multan, named Musa Tariq, through Waziristan with explosives to be used in executing the murder plots. On coming Sunday - which is December 22 - this person will be in the area of Dera Ismail Khan," the letter read.

"Osama bin Laden is personally supervising this entire plan and for this reason, he has shifted to Afghanistan," read the last three lines of the letter.

The ISI had requested the interior ministry to make urgent security arrangements, the paper said, adding that this information was so important that the copies of this letter were also dispatched to the Military Intelligence Directorate, GS Branch and General Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

After receiving the letter, the General Staff Branch of the Military Operations Directorate of General Headquarters, on the next day - December 20, 2007 - sent a letter to theninterior secretary Syed Kamal Shah.

Six days before Bhutto's assassination, another letter was issued with the signature of then-chief of the general staff Lt-Gen Salahuddin Satti's Lt-Col Staff Khurram Shahzad, warning about the terror plot.

Following the assassination of Bhutto, a short letter was sent to bin Laden after two days.

"We have taken revenge for our brothers and sisters of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid," read the letter which was recovered from bin Laden's home.

Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in a covert raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011.
Bengaluru: BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of "vitiating the cordial relationship" with which his Goa counterpart Manohar Parrikar expressed his willingness for talks to resolve the Mahadayi dispute.



Addressing a press conference soon after the failure of his talks with farmers, Yeddyurappa said it was "unprecedented" on the part of the Goa chief minister to agree for holdings talks with Karnataka on Mahadayi dispute.

Farmers have been protesting outside the BJP headquarters in Bengaluru demanding clarity on the dispute.

"Siddaramaiah has now spoilt everything. He has vitiated the atmosphere between the two states. In fact, he has done more damage than (former Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi," Yeddyurappa said. Sonia, in an election rally in 2012 in Goa, had stated that not a single drop of Mahadayi water will be given to Karnataka."It makes no difference whether Parrikar writes to me in my capacity as party president or the chief minister. But Siddaramaiah, instead of accepting the opportunity and getting the dispute resolved, played politics. He has done irreparable damage," Yeddyurappa said.

He even accused Siddaramaiah of clandestinely asking Congress leaders in Goa to oppose holding talks with Karnataka.

"We made sincere efforts to get Mahadayi water for people of North Karnataka. We would have succeeded, but for the Congress," Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar said.

Two hospitalised

Two women fell sick outside the BJP headquarters at the protest venue on Tuesday after four straight days of protest.

They were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A city-based team of doctors has volunteered to provide first-aid and primary health care to the protesters.
The government will make a statement in the Lok Sabha today on the treatment meted out by Pakistan to the family members of Kulbhushan Jadhav, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.



During the Zero Hour, members of various political parties, including the Congress, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK, strongly protested the way Jadhav's family members were treated by Pakistan authorities when they had gone there to meet Jadhav, who is languishing in a Pakistani prison.

Swaraj, who was present in the House, said a statement on the issue would be made on Thursday.

While strongly criticising the happenings, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that Jadhav should be brought back.

Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant also raised the issue and said India should not keep silent on the matter.

Describing Pakistan as "hypocritical", Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy said the incident should be criticised and demanded that Swaraj should speak on the issue.

Condemning the incident, AIADMK M Thambidurai said asking a woman to remove her 'mangal sutra' is an insult to the country.

The meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife took place on December 25 at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad after repeated requests by India for family access.

Jadhav, who was arrested in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

On Tuesday, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understanding on Jadhav's meeting with his family, and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry had said on Tuesday.
Days after Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar softened his stand on Mahadayi water dispute, senior counsel Atmaram Nadkarni has said that giving water to Karnataka for its drinking needs was never an issue, but the proposed construction of dams by the latter to divert water was the bone of contention.



Nadkarni, who is defending Goa before Mahadeyi Water Dispute Tribunal, said the state has no problem in providing 0.1 TMC of water to Karnataka, as recorded before the tribunal.

Recently, Following a meeting with Karnataka BJP leaders recently, Parrikar had softened his stand over the water dispute stating that Goa was ready to give "reasonable and justified" amount of the Mahadeyi water to the neighbouring state for its drinking needs.

In a letter written to Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa, Parrikar had said that Goa will not oppose giving water to Karnataka for its drinking needs.

"Sharing of drinking water has never been bone of contention within the basin," Nadkarni said last night.

The main contention between both the states is the fight over the eight dams proposed to be constructed by Karnataka upstream, he said.

"The main contention is total eight dams and trans basin diversion of water which is proposed by Karnataka on this river. If they construct those eight dams, not a drop of water will percolate down to the riparian state of Goa," Nadkarni, a former Advocate General of Goa, said.

"In the letter, Parrikar said that it (the letter) is without prejudice to the rights and contentions of Goa's case before tribunal," he said.

Nadkarni said that the state government is open for discussion on providing 0.1 TMC drinking water to Karnataka.

"Karnataka has got around 22 rivers in the Belgavi district. They are water-sufficient so far as that basin is concerned. The drinking water requirement is 0.1 TMC, which is recorded before tribunal. We have no problem in giving 0.1 TMC of water," he said.

Nadkarni said, "There is nothing wrong with the letter or having talks with Karnataka."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for a consensus in the passage of the bill on making instant triple talaq a punishable offence, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar has said.



Briefing reporters on the proceedings of the weekly BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, he said the prime minister appealed for a consensus in the passage of the 'Muslim women Protection of Rights on Marriage' Bill.

He said the Bill, set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha today, seeks to provide gender justice, respect and security for Muslim women.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad briefed BJP members on the various aspects and provisions of the draft law.

Kumar said today is a "historic day" as the government headed by Modi is bringing in the bill which is a major reform initiative.

Responding to a question on consensus on the legislation in Rajya Sabha where the opposition has an upper hand, Kumar said after its passage in Lok Sabha, the government will initiate the process of evolving a consensus in the upper house. He said the process, in fact, has already begun.

Sources in the government had said earlier that Prasad is already in touch with leaders of the TMC, the BJD and other parties seeking their help in the passage of the law.

The prime minister also wished senior party leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his birthday by garlanding him, offering him sweets and gifting him with a shawl at the meeting, Kumar said.

Union minister Jitendra Singh explained a new feature in the NaMo app which allows users to have a direct interface with the prime minister.
Opposition National Conference today said the Jammu and Kashmir government's gag order on use of social media was aimed at defaming and vilifying lakhs of state employees as either "terrorists" or "anti-social elements".



"The diktat, in the form of an amendment to the J&K Government Employees Conduct Rules, 1971, aims to defame the employees as those who are unable to differentiate between right and wrong in conducting themselves on a day-to-day basis," NC spokesperson Junaid Mattu said in a statement.

He said the order was an "obnoxious, tyrannical and unacceptable insult" to employees and depicts the "regressive mindset" of the Mehbooba Mufti-led government.

"In asking government employees to not endorse the posts or tweets or blogs of any political figure even from their personal accounts, the state government has yet again exhibited a chronic sense of insecurity and intolerance to criticism and contrarian views," the NC leader said.

Mattu said the government employees have rendered exemplary services in the face of great adversity and constitute the backbone of the system.

"They have risked their lives in the thick of political turmoil to ensure essential services are not interrupted and have behaved with utmost responsibility and dignity," he said.

Meanwhile, the Pradesh Congress Committee asked the state PDP-BJP coalition government to withdraw the notification barring state employees to use social media.

A spokesman of the Congress termed the new "anti-people directive" of the state government as a "direct attack on the freedom of expression".
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a Bill to criminalize pronouncement of 'talaq' thrice by Muslim men to instantly divorce their wives.

The Supreme Court had declared the practice unconstitutional four months back.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 makes talaq-e-biddat (or pronouncement of 'talaq' thrice by a man on his wife for instantly divorcing her) illegal and a cognizable and non-bailable offence. It provides that a man committing the offence might be imprisoned for up to three years and might have to pay fine as well. The Bill also seeks to entitle a woman to get the custody of her minor children as well as subsistance allowance from her husband in case he pronounced the Triple Talaq on her.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who piloted the Bill in the Lok Sabha, said that it was a historic move by the BJP-led government to protect and empower Muslim women and ensure gender-justice and gender-equality.

The government introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appeal for consensus on criminalizing the practice of Triple Talaq.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Congress in the House, and several other MPs of the opposition parties, demanded that it should be sent for vetting by a parliamentary standing committee. The government, however, pushed the Bill through, as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted the Law Minister's request to allow it to be considered and passed on Thursday itself.

The Bill, once turned into a law after being passed by the Rajya Sabha, will be applicable across the country, except in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress did not oppose the Bill, but pointed out certain loopholes in it and questioned the rationale of criminalizing the Triple Talaq, underlining that the practice had already been set aside by the Supreme Court on August 22. The MPs of other oppostion parties like the BJD, CPM, AIADMK, SP, RJD and the RSP also raised similar questions.

Prasad, however, said that the government had introduced the Bill, as the practice of Triple Talaq continued even after the Supreme Court on August 22 last declared it illegal. He said that the government was aware of nearly 100 cases of Muslim men pronouncing Triple Talaq to instantly divorce their wives, but police could not act against them due to absence of a law. He said that practice of Triple Talaq continued although the All India Muslim Personal Law Board had committed to the Supreme Court that it would issue an advisory against it.

"This Bill, once turned into a law, would act as a deterrent (against practice of triple talaq)" Prasad said, dismissing the allegation by some opposition MPs that the government was pushing through the Bill to reap political dividends out of it. He also stated that several Islamic nations like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan had regulated Triple Talaq.

Sushmita Dev of the Congress questioned if a man was put behind the bars after practicing Triple Talaq, which had already been declared illegal by the Supreme Court, on his wife, how he would give her the subsistence allowance the proposed legislation provided for. She wondered if the government would create a corpus for providing financial assistance to women, who would fall victim to the regressive practice of triple talaq.

Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen alleged that Government trying to demonize the entire Muslim community through the Bill and making a move towards Uniform Civil Code. He also took a dig at Modi. "While the Bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the Government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat," he said, making a veiled reference to Prime Minister's wife Jashodaben.

Referring to the Shah Bano case of mid-1980s, Meenakshi Lekhi of the BJP criticized the opposition Congress of indulging in politics of appeasement overlooking the plight of Muslim women. "I want to tell the Muslim women of the country that as long as you have a brother like Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, you do not have be scared of anyone," she said.

M J Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs in the BJP-led Government, questioned the credibility of the AIMPLB. He referred to the verses of Quran to drive home the point that Islam preached utmost respect for women. He said that the Triple Talaq had so far been misused by Muslim men to intimidate women.
Essence of Healing: Journey of American Indian Nurses, a documentary, received the 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Media Award at the groups 44th biennial convention in Indianapolis, Ind., in October and the Best Service Film Award from the 42nd American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco in November.

The documentary captures the journeys of 14 American Indian nurses from the Northern Plains as they follow their calling into the nursing profession.

Our International Award recipients are recognized by their peers for their excellence and outstanding contributions to global health. I am honored to offer my personal congratulations on these achievements, said STTI President Cathy Catrambone, PhD, RN, FAAN, in a news release about the event.

A number of North Dakotans collaborated to develop the documentary.

 Loretta Heuer, professor and documentary executive producer, North Dakota State University School of Nursing, Fargo and Bismarck

 Cynthia Lindquist, president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten

 Candace Muggerud, executive producer, Greg Kasowski, content development manager, and Juan Thomas, videographer, of KAT Communications in Bismarck

 Deb Wilson, director, and Barb Anderson, program coordinator, from University of North Dakota Recruitment and Retention of American Indians into Nursing, of Grand Forks

This joint project of multiple institutions has improved education/awareness by the public and officials about the ongoing inequities for nursing and American Indians, said Lindquist, adding she hopes the work will spur improvements in recruiting and retaining Native American nurses.

The American Indian nurses in this documentary have touched the lives of many and they make valuable contributions to the health and wellness of their communities, said Heuer. It is humbling that the film has received so many accolades. This demonstrates the need to promote the contributions of American Indian nurses, along with the unique perspectives and values they bring to the nursing profession.
The Mahadayi river water sharing dispute can only be resolved only through mutual dialogue between Karnataka and Goa states, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in Tumakuru on Thursday.



Speaking to reporters, he reiterated that the Karnataka government was willing to begin discussions at any time and hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would mediate.

The CM said that State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa had promised to bring 'good news' to the state's farmers by December 15; but failed. "Hence the farmers are angry," he maintained.

"Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Yeddyurappa together, are performing political stunts. The Goa Water Resources Minister himself has admitted to this," Siddaramaiah alleged.

"I had offered to go to Goa to speak with Parrikar. But he asked me to come after the elections. Ryots are sick of their drama and have taken to agitations," Siddaramaiah said.

The CM continued by saying "In my 40 years in politics, this is the first time that one party has staged a protest against another's office. Yeddyurappa who made a mistake, is now diverting the attention of the people of the state. We are willing to find a solution for the water dispute but the PM has to intervene".

On the issue of increasing the reservation percentage in the state, Siddaramaiah said,"There are people for and against the Justice Sadashiva committee recommendations. I have called a meeting to discuss the issues".

On his own candidature for the 2018 polls Siddaramaiah clarified that he will contest from Chamundi constituency and nowhere else. "The person who gives me a ticket is Rahul Gandhi, not rumour mongers," he quipped.
There will be a revolt in the country if the Constitution is amended, warned Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.



Speaking after inaugurating projects at Sira, Tumakuru, he said changing the Constitution, sowing seeds of contempt between people of different faiths and creating unrest in society was the BJP's 'hidden agenda'.

Siddaramaiah was retorting to Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde's "we have come to power to change the Constitution" remark.

"It is not easy to change the Constitution in this country. Here, people still believe in democracy. We will not allow a change in the Constitution," the CM asserted.

When BJP was ruling Karnataka the government spent Rs 18000 crore on irrigation. Congress government has spent Rs 45000 crore in four plus years and will spend Rs 5 lakh in the next three months, he informed.

"The Congress is a government that sticks to its promises. We have fulfilled all the promises in our manifesto. We will open another 250 Indira canteens in the state. We will declare even hamlets in the state as revenue zones," the CM assured.

Reacting to Union Human Resource Minister Prakash Javdekar's taunt that Siddaramaiah had given farmers of the state 'a lollipop by waiving off Rs 8000 crore farmer loans', the CM pointed out that his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa had not waived off any farmer loans.

'Deve Gowda is daydreaming'

Chief Minister took a jab at JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda saying that the former was daydreaming that he can resume power if there is a hung Assembly in the upcoming polls.

"Deve Gowda is a self styled son of the soil ('mannina maga') and Kumaraswamy is his son. Now the grandchildren have also entered politics. So whose children are we? " quipped Siddaramaiah.
One hundred and forty-five Indian fishermen today crossed the Wagah border into India after Pakistani authorities released them from jail.



The Indian fishermen were brought here on a train from Karachi this morning.



The Edhi Foundation provided them with cloths and Rs 5,000 each.



"We also served them lunch before they crossed the Wagah border into their homeland," Edhi Lahore spokesman Muhammad Younas told PTI.



He said it took a little long as the fishermen were handed over to the Indian authorities by the Pakistan Rangers after going through their papers. "Some 11 months ago my boat's engine stopped and I was arrested (by Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency). I am happy to go back home," a fisherman who was sitting in a queue at Wagah border, said.



All 145 Indian fishermen were languishing in Malir jail in Sindh province of Pakistan.



Indian fishermen are usually arrested by the PMSA which is responsible for guarding and protecting Pakistan's territorial waters.



Both India and Pakistan routinely arrest each other's fishermen who cross over the unclear and disputed water border of Sir Creek which opens up in the Arabian Sea and divides the Pakistani province of Sindh from the state of Gujarat.



Once arrested, fishermen from India are first brought to the Docks police station and from there they are sent to the Malir jail.



Owing to lengthy and slow bureaucratic and legal procedures, the fishermen usually remain in jail for several months.



A number of non-governmental organisations in both India and Pakistan have raised the issue, pressing their governments to release arrested fishermen without much delay.


The Centre has rolled back the Rs 4 a month hike on domestic cooking gas cylinders and called it a "corrective measure".



The rollback came in October ahead of the crucial Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections but officially announced on Thursday.

A senior official said that the government has taken the "corrective measure" as it was felt that raising LPG price every month contradicted its promise of free cooking gas connection for the poor.

"It is felt that raising prices are giving a contrary signal to users. On the one hand, the government is pushing for free cooking gas connections for the poor; on the other, it is raising prices every month," the official said.The action, however, came only after the LPG prices had already been hiked by over Rs 76 a cylinder over the past 17 months. Now, it means that the hike will be kept in abeyance as the next round of polls in Karnataka and four other states are due early next year.

In July 2016, the petroleum ministry had authorised the oil marketing companies to increase the price of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders by Rs 2 per 14.2-kg cylinder every month, excluding VAT.Subsequently, in May this year, the ministry asked the companies, through an order, to double the hike to Rs 4 a cylinder till March 2018 to wipe out the subsidy on LPG gas refills. The oil companies hiked LPG rates at least on 14 occasions from July 16 to September 2017.

The government also asked the oil companies to continue the hike till March 2018 so that the LPG subsidy is eliminated. However, six months prior to the scheduled withdrawal, the oil firms abruptly stopped the monthly hike in October.

The official on Thursday said that the government withdrew its May 30 order for Rs 4 monthly hike in October.

Ihe order to hike LPG prices had taken everyone by surprise when on July 31 Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, informed that the price hike had been doubled. By that time the oil companies had already charged the consumers for two months.Each household is entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rates each year. Beyond that one can purchase gas at market price.

Tax, global fluctuation

A 14.2-kg LPG cylinder which cost a consumer Rs 419.18 in June 2016, was priced at Rs 496 in November this year.

Despite the govt's move to withdraw the monthly Rs 4 hike, there has been an increase in LPG prices in October and November on account of rise in taxes and fluctuation in the LPG rates globally, the official explained.
Denial of information for the lack of Aadhaar card is a serious breach of the right guaranteed under the RTI Act and amounts to harassment of the applicant, the Central Information Commission has held.



The Commission has imposed a maximum penalty under the act on the then RTI handling officer of the Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for not providing information on gifts purchased by it and expenses incurred by its CMDs on the grounds that identification documents were not provided by the applicant.

The case pertains to Vishwas Bhamburkar who had sought details of amounts "spent from the coffers" of HUDCO on gifts for years 2013 to 2016, renovation of the official residence of its Chairman and Managing Director in ASIAD village, electricity bills of the official residence, and remunerations paid to the CMDs among others.

CPIO D K Gupta wrote a letter on August 5, 2016, demanding the proof of identity and proof of address by producing Aadhar card, voter ID Card or passport as proof of citizenship from Bhamburkar, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu noted.

"He did not say anything about giving information sought. No information was given within 30 days. The applicant filed this complaint. He has also filed the first appeal, asking for information without insisting on the proofs," he said.

Acharyulu noted that in his response Gupta said because some others filed repetitive RTIs he wanted to verify bona fides of this applicant.

"This contention is not legal and hence not acceptable. He also failed to justify the denial of information, as he could not site any clause of exception under Section 8 or 9. From his submissions it is clear that the information sought did not attract any exception prescribed under the RTI Act," he said.

Not only in 30 days but even after that the information was not given until the CIC ordered, thus, deemed refusal of RTI application was proved in this case and that should attract the penal proceedings, Acharyulu said.

"The CPIO can deny information only under Section 8 and 9. He cannot invent new grounds for denial like lack of Aadhaar Card, Voter Id Card, Passport etc. This Section was violated by Dr D K Gupta as he did not give any information in 30 days and beyond also," he said.

Acharyulu said Gupta is liable and deserves maximum penalty. He is directed to pay a sum of Rs 25,000 in five equal monthly instalments, the commissioner said.

"Most, unfortunately, successor CPIO S K Gupta also exhibited the similar anti-RTI attitude and made it clear that his intention was also not to give information for the same reasons given by D K Gupta," he said.

"Denial of information for lack of Aadhaar card will be a serious breach of the right, which was guaranteed by the RTI Act and also amounts to harassment of the applicant," he said.
Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today slammed the Congress for not passing a bill during its rule to criminalise instant triple talaq, saying Muslim women have been struggling for their rights due to the party's failure.



Naqvi's remarks against the Congress came as the BJP-led central government today introduced a legislation in the Lok Sabha to make instant triple talaq illegal and void. The bill also seeks to award a three-year jail term to the husband.

Naqvi dubbed the introduction of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill a "historic day in Parliament."

"The bill should have been passed long ago. Muslim women have been struggling for their constitutional rights for decades," he told reporters outside Parliament.

He said the Congress, which was in power for most of the past decades, could not pass the bill for "various reasons".

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha amid opposition to it by members of several parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League.

Outside Parliament, Prasad said: "It is a historic day. The bill has been introduced in the Lok Sabha to address sufferings of women due to triple talaq. It will be discussed in the House and whatever I have to say about it, I will say in the House."

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it depends on the House to pass the bill. "Because the bill is being discussed in the House, I would not like to say anything on it. Once the discussion is over, I will answer all your questions," he said. PTI MP ABH
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed Parliament on Thursday that when former navy officer Kulbhusan Jadav saw his mother without 'mangalsutra', bangles and 'bindi', he feared that "something bad has happened" back home.



"Bangles, bindi and 'mangalsutras' of the mother and wife were removed. The married women were made to look like widows. I spoke to her (Jadav's mother), she told me that as soon as she reached the meeting room, Jadhav asked her 'baba kaise hain?' because he thought a mishap has taken place when he was not around," she said.

In both Houses of Parliament, Sushma gave a detailed and stinging account of the harrowing experience that Jadav's mother and wife faced in Islamabad on Monday.

Jadav is on a death row in Pakistan for espionage. The execution was stayed by the International Court of Justice in May.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, even the attire of the family members was changed. Jadhav's mother, who only wears saree, was given salwar and kurta when she met her son after 22 months," Sushma said.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan J P Singh, who accompanied the women, was not allowed near Jadav's mother and wife when they were asked to change their attire. Otherwise, he would have opposed it, the minister said.

Sushma also dismissed Pakistan's allegations that a chip, camera or a recorder was installed in Jadhav's wife's shoe, agencies reported.

The charge is "absurdity beyond measure," she said, adding that the women had cleared security checks at airports in Delhi, Dubai and in Pakistan and no such device was detected.

Citing several examples of violation of mutually agreed protocols for the meeting by Pakistan, Sushma said a meeting between a mother and her son and a wife with her husband was turned into a propaganda tool by Pakistan.

The local media was given an opportunity to harass the two ladies, she said.

"Jadav's mother wanted to talk to her son in her mother tongue, Marathi, as this is clearly the natural medium of communication between a mother and son. However, she was not allowed to speak in Marathi. While doing so, she was repeatedly interrupted by the two Pakistani officials present in the meeting. When she persisted, the intercom was closed and she was prevented from proceeding further with the conversation in Marathi," Sushma said.

"Both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds," the minister added.

Both Houses of Parliament condemned Pakistan's behaviour.
In a stern warning to companies for leakage of key financial details, market regulator Sebi today said all those responsible, including auditors, would face action and the rules would be strengthened if required.



Addressing a press conference after a board meeting, Sebi Chairman Ajay Tyagi said it is clear from the case involving the leakage of information on WhatsApp recently that the details got leaked from the companies themselves.

A day after Sebi asked Axis Bank to strengthen its systems and conduct an internal probe to fix responsibility as the initial investigation showed the leakage due to "inadequacy" of processes at the bank, Tyagi said there are more companies and necessary actions would follow.

He also said the regulator would amend and strengthen the insider trading norms if required.

To a question whether auditors were also insiders and privy to such information before they are made public, Tyagi said they would also face action if found guilty.

Axis Bank has to complete the inquiry within three months and file a report to Sebi within seven days thereafter, the regulator said, after it found that the company's results for the April-June 2017 quarter were "either identical or matched closely with the figures" that were in circulation on WhatsApp prior to an official announcement.

Sebi began a probe last month after a media report surfaced with respect to circulation of UPSI in various private WhatsApp groups about certain companies, including Axis Bank, ahead of their official announcements.

The regulator also conducted search and seizure operations in this regard at various places, including on the premises of various market entities.

The directive to Axis Bank is the first order from Sebi in this case and several others may follow soon.

During the preliminary examination, it was observed that the messages circulated in WhatsApp groups almost matched the quarterly financial results of Axis Bank for the June quarter, which were published subsequently. The results were officially announced on July 25 at 1623 hours but the message was in circulation on July 25, 2017 since 0912 hours.

Late last night, Axis Bank said it will work with Sebi with regard to leakage of unpublished price sensitive information and take appropriate action.
North Dakota students will need an extra dose of the meningococcal vaccine as the state Health Department is changing its immunization requirements.

The Health Department announced Thursday several changes to immunization requirements, including an additional dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine, or MCV4, in grades 11 and 12, starting in the 2018-19 school year.

The new state immunization requirements align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's immunization practices. The CDC currently recommends a booster dose of the MCV4 vaccine at age 16.

Lexie Barber, immunization surveillance coordinator with the Health Department, said the rates of that second dose for 16- and 17-year-olds in North Dakota were very low  only about 30 percent.

"So we decided to make that second dose a requirement to get those rates up," Barber said.

The North Dakota University System also requires a second dose of MCV4, but Barber said public health officials want to make sure students are "up-to-date as soon as they can be."

Other changes to immunization requirements include, starting Jan. 1, all children attending child care in North Dakota to be vaccinated for hepatitis B. Previously, only children entering schools were required to be vaccinated for hepatitis B, Barber said.

Vaccine rates for students in kindergarten have increased in recent years after the Health Department teamed up with North Dakota State Universitys Center for Immunization Research and Education to increase rates.

During the 2015-16 school year, about 91 percent of kindergartners had received all of the recommended vaccinations, according to the Health Department. The following year the rate increased to about 94 percent.

The Health Department is also expanding the requirement for the whooping cough vaccine, or Tdap. It previously was required in seventh grade, but, starting next school year, it will be required for grades 7-12.

"It was just an oversight leaving out the rest of the grades, so if a kid missed it in seventh grade or transferred to a different state after that, they werent included," Barber said.

For the 2016-17 school year, Barber said, 91.19 percent of seventh-graders had the Tdap vaccine, and 90.2 percent had MCV4.

"Wed like to see all of our rates at about 95 percent, so (there's) still room for improvement there," Barber said.

The exclusion date for students not in compliance with immunization requirements also has been modified. The rule previously stated children must be excluded from school if they are not compliant with these requirements within 30 days of enrollment. Now, the deadline is Oct. 1.

For more information on immunizations, visit www.ndhealth.gov/Immunize/Schools-ChildCare.
Highlighting the Doklam standoff as its major achievement of international cooperation this year, the Chinese military today said India should "strictly control" its troops and implement border agreements to maintain peace and stability along the border.



Chinese Defence Spokesman Col Ren Guoqiang said the highlights of his country's international military cooperation in 2017 included handling 'hotspot issues' like Doklam.

This year, under the unified deployment, the military has "resolutely" safeguarded China's sovereignty and security interests, Col Ren told media here.

The Chinese military has "played its due role in the handling of the hotspot issues such as the Sino-Indian confrontation in the Donglang (Doklam) area and safeguarded the China's rights and interests in the South China Sea," he said in response to a question.

The Doklam standoff began on June 16 after the People's Liberation Army (PLA) began building a road in area claimed by Bhutan. The Indian troops intervened to stop the road as it posed a security risk to Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states.

The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops.

The 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control between India and China covers from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

When asked how Chinese military view its relations with its Indian counterpart in 2018 in the backdrop of the Doklam standoff, Col Ren said India should implement the border agreements and control its troops.

"We hope the Indian side can earnestly implement the relevant agreements reached between the two sides on the border issue and strictly control its border defence troops and do more for the positive development of China-India military-to-military relationship," he said.

During the border talks, the first since the 73-day-long military standoff in Doklam, in Delhi on December 22 between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi, both sides stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability along the border, Ren said.

"As far as we know both sides have agreed that it is important to maintain peace stability along India-China border and create favourable conditions for further development of bilateral relationship, which has provided a good environment and good momentum for the continued enhancement of China and India relationship," he said.

In terms of China and India military-to-military relationship, it is important to have strategic communication and push forward healthy development of ties between the two militaries, Col Ren said.

"We hope Indian side walk towards the same direction as the Chinese side and both sides can push forward the development of the relationship and jointly maintain the peace and stability along the China-India border which is in the interest of both sides," he said.

About a recent incident in which an Indian drone crashed on the Chinese side in the Sikkim sector, Col Ren declined to reveal details and whether the parts of the drone recovered by Chinese troops have been handed back to India.

"It is our position that India should have learnt lesson from the incident," he said.

On December 7, China had lodged a diplomatic protest with India claiming that an Indian drone has "intruded" into its airspace and crashed in the Sikkim section of the border which included Doklam.

India has clarified that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle had developed a technical snag and asked China to return it.
The Modi government's move to push the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha put the Congress in a quandary, as leaders from West Bengal and Kerala expressed uneasiness over the legislation that could isolate the party politically in their respective states.



Though the Congress flagged that it was the first political party to wholeheartedly welcome the Supreme Court judgement declaring instant triple talaq illegal, it voiced concerns over the government move to criminalise the practice.

However, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid insisted that the proposed law will be an "intrusion" into the personal lives of individuals and bring divorce, a civil issue, into the realm of criminal law.

Subsistence allowance

Initiating the debate on the bill in the Lok Sabha, Congress member Sushmita Dev said while her party supported the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, it wanted the measure to be strengthened by bringing more clarity on the issue of giving subsistence allowance to women who have been divorced through instant triple talaq.

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdary, a Lok Sabha member from Murshidabad, had moved amendments to the bill. He was present to press for the amendments but stayed away from the proceedings when the bill was put to vote.

"We have to make some sacrifice when the party takes a particular view nationally," quipped a senior Congress member from Kerala. He said the party would be isolated in Kerala on the issue, particularly because the CPM and Muslim League were opposed to the measure.

Non-Congress Opposition parties like Trinamool Congress, Muslim League, AIMIM and BJD are against the bill and have voiced their objections to the bill. Some of them have already demanded that the bill be moved to a standing committee but the government has managed to clear the bill in the Lower House without referring it to the standing committee.

However, Opposition parties may up their ante in the Rajya Sabha, where they have impressive numbers and force the bill to be sent to the select committee.

A senior Left MP said the way the government is bulldozing bills in the Lok Sabha is not good for democracy and they would have a strategy in the Upper House to ensure that it is sent to the select committee.
Amid a volatile political situation, the Tamil Nadu Assembly would meet on January 8, with Governor Banwarilal Purohit's customary New Year address to the House.



This would be the first session of the Assembly after the governor assumed office.

The Assembly session assumes significance as it is also the first proceedings after the AIADMK government fell short of a "majority" after 18 ruling party MLAs turned rebel and supported Dhinakaran.

After the governor's address, the House is expected to restart on January 10 and is likely to last for three to four days depending on the decision taken by the business advisory committee of the Assembly.
The Supreme Court endeared itself to the general public in 2017 by passing several progressive judgments.



By recognising the right to privacy as a fundamental right, a nine-judge bench took an important step in fortifying individual freedom in the country.

The court held privacy as a core of human dignity, which recognised an individual's right to make essential choices of life without any intrusion from state or non-state agencies.

It means the right to be left alone and includes preservation of personal intimacies, sanctity of family life, marriage, food choice, procreation, home and sexual orientation.

Similarly, a five-judge bench declared the instant triple talaq unconstitutional and ended a shackle around Muslim women that has been prevalent for about 1,400 years.

Even as a bill which mandates three years of jail term for those practicing triple talaq is being debated in Parliament, it is significant that even though the verdict was split, the court was unanimous in disapproving the practice.

All the five judges in the Constitution bench, hailing from different faiths, were in agreement that the practice must stop.

In another judgement, the apex court approved the principle of standardisation of income, including future prospects, for computing compensation in case of death or grievous injuries in motor accidents to those self-employed and on a fixed income.

The top court also directed the Centre to set up special courts to try criminal cases against sitting MPs and MLAs, in a major step to deal with the criminalisation of politics.

In another judgement, the court declared that a man's act of indulging in sexual act with a minor wife would amount to rape.

Doing away with the mandatory cooling-off period of six months after filing a plea for divorce on mutual consent by a Hindu couple, if there is no chance of reconciliation between the husband and wife, was another landmark decision by the same bench.

However, an order passed for examining the delay in the finalisation of Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of judges was scuttled by a CJI-led bench.

Another order pertaining to the setting up of an alternative forum other than high courts to decide criminal appeals was again recalled by the three-judge bench headed by the CJI.
As we close in on the final quarter of the financial year, it is obviously time to start working towards finalizing your tax calculations for the year. In recent years, old favourites such as PPF, EPF, bank tax saver deposits seem to have taken a back seat and ELSS mutual funds seem to be the flavour of the day. This change in tax saver investments has mainly occurred due to the potentially higher ROI offered to investors by mutual funds. However, some existing ELSS investors have run into problems when making their ELSS investments this year. This problem relates to the historic high valuations that equity markets have scaled in recent months and this has made even some of old favourites like HDFC, ICICI and SBI mutual fund schemes seem less profitable investments. However, for new investors seeking alternatives to the old school investments, there are ELSS investments options aplenty in India.



Determining Suitable ELSS Investments Options

Selecting a specific ELSS fund as a better tax saving mutual fund as compared to others is not a straight forward task. This is because multiple factors need to be considered before making this determination. For starters, there is the matter of returns. Most new investors take into account just the short term returns offered by the fund and thats a mistake. This is because during specific periods such as market boom years, quite a few funds will tend to outperform their more conservative peers by making risky investments. However, these funds may be hard-pressed to maintain their gains in the future as equity markets start to correct themselves. It is thus best practice to consider a schemes long-term returns of at least 5 years when selecting the best ELSS funds to invest in. Moreover, you should make sure that the returns of funds are considered within its category peers so that you get accurate actionable information.

Another consideration when seeking long-term investments is diversification. You should never invest in just one or two funds instead consider having a portfolio comprises of 5 to 6 good funds preferably spread across multiple established fund houses. When selecting these options, you should keep in mind that an established fund house is better placed to manage a fund effectively. From your perspective, an efficiently managed fund features a long history of delivering superior returns during bull markets and controls losses better than its peers during bearish conditions. By keeping these key things in mind, you would reduce your market risk significantly even if it is impossible to eliminate the risk inherent to market linked investments such as ELSS. You can use a SIP calculator to estimate your future returns based on prior performance even though returns from a scheme are not guaranteed. Based on the above criteria, the following in no particular order, is our short list of top ELSS funds to invest in for the 2017-2018 financial year.

Aditya Birla Sun Life Tax Relief 96

Aditya Birla Sun Life Tax Relief 96 is an ELSS fund that has been around for over two decades and its track record has been nothing short of stellar. This funds returns since launch are in excess of 25% which is a level of performance that few funds can claim to have achieved. Moreover, this funds 1-year returns have exceeded 37% which is much higher than the benchmark and almost all its category peers. A closer look at the schemes current portfolio shows that this ELSS is mid-cap biased. This is a key reason for the schemes strong performance in equity markets where numerous multi-baggers have emerged in the mid-cap category during the previous year. However, the scheme does have close to 40% of its capital invested in large-cap equities, which diversifies the funds overall portfolio across capitalization and helps reduce overall portfolio volatility of the scheme. You should definitely consider including this top ELSS fund as a part of your portfolio provided you are risk tolerant enough to consider investing in mid-cap equities/equity derivatives for the long term.

DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund

DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund was originally launched in January 2007 and during its initial years, the schemes performance left a lot to be desired. However, the performance of this scheme has improved significantly in recent years especially after a change in the funds management occurred in 2015. Due to its conservative performance during its early years, this scheme features relatively low returns since launch value of around 15%, which is lower than many of category peers. However, the 5-year returns of this fund have been recorded at close to 20%, which is in line with the expectations that investors have from their equity investments. Historically, this fund had a large-cap tilt, which has probably affected its capability of generating high returns during its early years. However, even though this fund has continued to retain this bias towards large-cap investments, the current investment selection mechanisms possibly instituted by the new management have worked out favourably for this scheme. You might not be inclined to call this the best tax saver fund out there but this scheme does have the potential to be a top performer in the future. From an investment standpoint, most analysts agree that the DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund is a good choice for long-term capital appreciation.

Axis Long Term Equity Fund

Axis Long Term Equity Fund is currently Indias largest ELSS fund in terms of its AUM (assets under management) value and with good reason. Launched in December 2009 just after the subprime crisis, this was one of the few mutual funds to have managed positive growth every year since its launch seemingly irrespective of existing market conditions. The returns since launch of this fund are recorded at the relatively conservative level of around 19%, which is mainly due to this funds lack luster showing in the past couple of years. However, experts agree that the fundamentals of this scheme are strong and the scheme seems to have started recovering lost ground in the past few months. The overall portfolio of this scheme is large-cap equity oriented which comprise an estimated 68% of overall assets while mid and small cap equities make up the balance. In case you are investing for the long term with an interest for significant capital appreciation, this tax saver fund from Axis is definitely be one of the best ELSS funds to invest in right now.

Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund

In terms of AUM, Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund is second only to the Axis Mutual Fund AMC-managed tax saver fund in India. Historically, this fund has followed a growth strategy by mainly investing in value companies in the mid and small-cap segments. In spite of this schemes mid and small-cap affinity, this ELSS has maintained significant large-cap equity investments that have historically accounted for an estimated 25% to 45% of the funds portfolio. The long-term returns offered by this fund have been much higher than in benchmark with its returns since launch maintained at 16.60%. As per analyst expectations, the strong performance of this fund is expected to continue in the near term which makes it a good ELSS investment opportunity during the 2017-2018 fiscal.

L&T Tax Advantage Fund

Though it has been around for over a decade, the L&T Tax Advantage Fund has started attracting greater interest from investors recently due to its impressive performance during the past couple of years. Such outlier performance is no small feat considering that 2016 was considered to be a difficult year for equity markets in general. In terms of investment strategy, the scheme is best described as a growth-oriented mutual fund with an affinity for large-cap equity investments. Whats more, this schemes investments are highly diversified across various sectors which provide it with a high potential for long-term returns. Some of the key sectors this scheme is invested in include financial, construction, services, engineering and automobiles to name a few. You should consider investing in this scheme provided you are seeking a long-term diversified equity investment capable of generating potentially high returns.

*The returns data is as per fund NAV obtained on the 5th of December 2017. AUM data of funds is according to fund data obtained on 31st October 2017. Please note that past performance does not in any way imply future performance of mutual fund schemes.
JAIPUR, DHNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Rajasthan twice in January, first on Makar Sanranti, on January 14, to lay foundation stone for the HPCL refinery and then on January 22 to launch the National Nutrition Mission, DHNS reports from Jaipur.

For the oil refinery launch, at Pachpadra in Barmer district, he will be accompanied by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.



According to the agreement, HPCL has a 74% stake in the new firm, while the state government holds a 26% stake, which is called the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited.

The total cost of the project is a43,129 crore.



During his visit to Jhunjhunu, the prime minister will be expanding the scheme 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' (BBBP) for a pan-India reach, covering all the 640 districts of the country to have a deeper positive impact on child sex ratio.
Sharp divisions surfaced among Muslim clerics over the triple talaq bill which was tabled in Parliament on Thursday.



A section of the clergy led by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) opposed the bill saying it interfered with the 'shariat' (Islamic law), while some other clerics and women rights activists lent full support to the same.

"We support the triple talaq bill. The Centre should not succumb to any kind of pressure on the matter," said Maulana Yasoob Abbas, Shia cleric and spokesman of the All India Shia Personal Law Board. He said the practice of triple talaq must be banned and the proposed law would help check the same.

The AIMPLB, however, said it had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, apprising him of its objections on the issue. The board had held an emergency meeting a few days ago to formulate a strategy in this regard.

"We have already apprised the Centre of our views on the matter... the Centre should have consulted Muslim organisations and the board before preparing the draft bill," said a senior AIMPLB member.

The prestigious Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom in Deoband, has also declared that it will go with the AIMPLB on the issue of triple talaq.

Sources in AIMPLB said some members of the board had voiced their support for the bill.

The Muslim Board for women voiced apprehensions and said it would oppose the bill if it was against the interests of women.

Women's rights activists, however, supported the bill, saying it was needed to curb the menace of triple talaq. "The practice must end," said a victim of triple talaq.
Sex-skewed Haryana is increasingly under the grip of the peculiar problem of bachelors in sizeable numbers struggling to find brides.

Failing to find a suitable match for marriage, bachelors desperate to enter into wedlock are falling into the traps laid by fake wedding-planners who promise them good-looking brides.

Many among them, who have surpassed their "marriageable age", are even paying heavily to people promising matrimonial alliances sooner than they would expect.

On Wednesday, nearly 35 bachelors were duped of lakhs of rupees in this regard.

According to the police, a fake wedding-planner, along with one of her accomplices, had asked all thirty five wannabe bridegrooms to assemble at one point in Kharkhoda on Wednesday morning.

The plan was to take them in a bus to an undisclosed wedding venue where all the marriages were to be ceremonised. Hours later, these men panicked and reported the matter to the police.

The Kharkhoda police in the Sonipat district of Haryana has registered a case against a self-styled wedding-planner from New Delhi.

She is accused of fleeing with huge sums of money taken from the families of the youth, promising them beautiful brides.

All 35 duped bachelors are now demanding her arrest so that they can get their money back.

The accused woman lured men from at least four districts of Haryana over the last three months.

One of the victims, Rohtash Singh, said he had made all the arrangements at his home in Rohtak to welcome his bride.

But he waited with the others for hours before he realised he had been deceived.

Sources said each of the 35 men had paid in excess of Rs 40,000 for an alliance.

Incidents of bride-trafficking are not uncommon in Jatland.

Reports of people indulging in unscrupulous acts of buying brides from faraway states are also not uncommon.

Some reports even suggested an "organised racket" behind incidents of bride-trafficking.

Many of these brides practically become domestic help to the groom's family.
In subzero temperatures Thursday morning, Mandan firefighters battled a blaze that had engulfed a mobile home on the 4300 block of Lasalle Drive N.W.

The Mandan Fire Department was dispatched at 3:56 a.m. Thursday, according to battalion chief Mitch Bitz. Crews arrived on scene at 4:09 a.m.

Unfortunately, in that part of town, with our delayed response, the guys encountered heavy fire upon arrival," Bitz said.

According to Bitz, the homeowner was not home at the time and there was no one else inside.

The mobile home is a total loss, and there was a small amount of exposure damage on the neighboring garage, Bitz said.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to extinguish the fire and another hour to make sure it was completely out. About 20 personnel  three engines and a ladder truck  responded.

Bitz said the Red Cross was not called to assist with anyone displaced from the fire, and the homeowner has been contacted.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has pulled up the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for not returning the promised stamp duty and registration fee to a person after allotting him a disputed site.



The forum also asked the BDA to pay ex-serviceman Gobardhan Singh Rs 92,000 towards stamp duty and registration fee besides Rs 10,000 towards litigation cost incurred by him.

The Bangalore Urban II Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum headed by president T Shobha Devi lambasted the BDA for behaving in a negligent manner despite many representations.

Singh decided to settle in Bengaluru and applied for a BDA site. The BDA allotted him a 60X40 ft site in Banashankari 6th Stage, 4th 'B' Block, and executed a registered sale deed in his favour in 2003.

Subsequently, the BDA cancelled the site allotment following a litigation. Again, it allotted an alternative site in the same layout as per a high court order in 2005.

The BDA made Singh pay the stamp duty and registration fee again for the new site and promised to refund the registration and stamp duty paid for the cancelled site. It, however, failed to keep the promise despite repeated requests. After making Singh run from pillar to post for five years, it gave an endorsement in 2009 saying there was no provision under the Act to refund the amount.

When its decision was challenged before the forum, the BDA continued to insist that it cannot reimburse the registration fee and stamp duty.

The forum observed, "The opposite party (BDA) stating that there is no provision in the Act to refund the registration amount is not sustainable. Is there any provision to allot a site to the complainant which is under litigation? It is the duty of the BDA to verify and allot the site to the complainant. Being a responsible authority, (the) BDA should not act in a negligent manner."

The forum further observed that it pointed to dereliction of duty by the BDA and it is not bound to collect the registration fee and stamp duty from the complainant.

It directed the BDA to refund the stamp duty and registration fee of Rs 92,384 besides paying Rs 10,000 towards litigation expenses to the complainant, and disposed of the complaint.
The Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissionerate has called upon responsible citizens to join the traffic warden system in the twin cities, to improve the traffic management with public involvement.

Police Commissioner M N Nagaraj stated that NCC cadets, professionals, responsible citizens, and members of various organisations can become traffic wardens, while the Police Department would give them certificate and uniform. Traffic wardens are not active at present, he said.

Speaking after inaugurating the Crime Prevention Month programme organised by the Police Commissionerate and Ashok Nagar Police Station here on Thursday evening, he noted that the timings for the entry of heavy goods vehicles into the City would also be fixed, to reduce traffic congestion.

During the National Road Safety Week to be observed next month, the drive against helmetless riding by two-wheeler riders would be intensified, while the fine would be collected and cases would be booked for helmetless riding, he said.

Majority of autorickshaw drivers in the twin cities are running without permit. Instructions have also been issued to ensure that autorickshaw drivers should display their mobile number for the passengers, while they should wear uniform and keep all documents, Mr Nagaraj noted.

People-friendly policing

Karate training for women and civilian rifle training would be organised as part of people-friendly policing initiatives and to make citizens self-reliant, the police commissioner said.

Five lakh pamphlets having tips for safety and crime prevention are being distributed to houses by beat police constables, so that police and citizens can exchange their phone numbers also. Citizens should inform police in cases of narcotic drugs sale, gambling, prostitution, rowdism, and other criminal acts, and their names would not be disclosed even to the court, he assured.

Citizens should help accident victims to get medical care fast, and they would not be made as witness, if they are not willing, he said.

Mr Nagaraj said, people should have faith in police, and they should be alert also, while they have right for self-defense too.

The twin cities have 1,277 rowdy-sheeters and more than 1,000 other criminals. If criminals are not punished, they may commit the crime again. Therefore, the affected people should not hesitate to give evidence in court, and it is a social responsibility also. Both police and society should give a message to the criminals that violation of law could not be tolerated, he added.

Reward

Mr Nagaraj also announced Rs 5,000 cash reward to Ashok Nagar police team for detecting a major gold ornament theft case, and recovering stolen mangalsutras. He also asked police officials to screen traffic rules awareness videos in colleges.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Renuka Sukumar highlighted the importance of public participation for effective policing. Citizens A D Kotnal and Siddu Mogalishettar also shared their views.

DCP (Crime & Traffic) B S Nemagouda, ACP (North) H K Pathan, ACP (South) N B Sakri, Police Inspector Jagadish Hanchinal, and others were present.

Prizes were distributed to the winners of essay competition held for school children. Best beat police of the month were also honoured. Videos on crime prevention measures and traffic rules were screened.
A day before taking oath newly elected MLA TTV Dhinakaran met disgraced AIADMK leader and his aunt V K Sasikala at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison on Thursday.

Dhinakaran has recenlty won the recently held byelection to RK Nagar Assembly seat earlier represented by former Tamil Nadu chief minister late J Jayalalithaa.

He came with one of his advocates and two relatives to meet Sasikala around 12.30 pm and stayed there for nearly one hour. "I came to take blessings from her and also to discuss political developments in the Tamil Nadu,'' he told media persons later.

He said Sasikala is observing Mouna Vratha (Vow of silence) till January 31 in memory of Amma (Jayalalithaa). "She just listened what I said. I informed her about future plans,'' he added.

Dhinakaran met her in a special room meant for special convicts. After coming out from the prison, Dinakaran refused to comment on number of MLAs joining him and said he cannot comment as it is a secret. He said, "you (media) will see when there is a floor test."

Replying to the recent comment against him by Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D Jayakumar calling him a bed bug, Dhinakaran said, "Jayakumar is a mosquito which causes dengue and I am sure that people of Tamil Nadu will do away with dengue mosquitoes as it is a serious concern."

Permission was not given to Dhinakaran in the last few months to meet Sasikala following a report submitted by then DIG (Prisons) Roopa alleging special treatment to her.

Sasikala along with her sister-in-law Iluvarasi and nephew V N Sudhakaran are convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday told BJP MPs that they were "ignoring" his text messages and asked them to start following the Narendra Modi app regularly.



"No one ever wishes me good morning," Modi said at the weekly meeting of the BJP parliamentary party, before the start of Parliament. "I send good morning messages but apart from five or six MPs, no one responds," BJP officials quoted him as saying. Modi said he often sends important messages with his morning greetings but these were missed too.

The BJP MPs were asked to make use of a new feature on the official app of the PM which facilitates direct connect with him. The app enables the MPs to apprise Modi of the work done in their states and constituencies.

Jitendra Singh, Union minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, made a presentation about the new feature on the app. "There is a new mechanism, New India Connect, in the NaMo app which entails direct connect with the PM. Union minister Jitendra Singh apprised about it," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.
The rapid and determined strides taken by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)-linked Milli Muslim League (MML) in Pakistan's political arena is deeply worrying. Over the weekend, Hafiz Saeed, who is chief of the Jamaat ud Dawa, a front organisation of the LeT, inaugurated the MML's office in Lahore. This, despite the fact that the JuD and LeT are banned organisations in Pakistan. Additionally, the two outfits have been declared terrorist organisations in a host of other countries, including India and the United States. The MML is not a legal entity, the Election Commission having refused to grant it recognition or registration as a political party on the advice of the Interior Ministry. The lack of official status to the MML is unlikely to allow the EC's rules to deter it from contesting. In the past, the LeT reinvented itself repeatedly to bypass restrictions on its terror activities. Following the United Nations listing LeT as a terror outfit, its bank accounts were frozen. It quickly morphed into JuD and continued its terror activities under a new name. Similarly, it will find ways to circumvent electoral rules now. During recent by-elections, for instance, it fielded its candidate as an independent. It can be expected to repeat this strategy in the general elections.



Some argue that MML's contesting elections is positive. Electoral politics, after all, is known to compel militant outfits to abjure violence, pursue more moderate means and work towards compromise and building consensus. Nepal's Maoists, for instance, gave up armed struggle to contest and win elections. However, the MML is a different beast. Its terror activities continue to enjoy the patronage of powerful sections in the Pakistani establishment and there are no signs that it wants to pursue democratic politics. Consequently, its entry into politics is likely to mainstream terrorism and radicalism in Pakistan, rather than tame the LeT. This is of concern to Pakistan as well as India, Afghanistan and other countries that have borne the brunt of LeT terrorism.

The MML proxy candidate may not have won the recent by-election but he did not do badly either, coming fourth in the electoral race and garnering more than twice the combined tally of Pakistan People's Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami. The JuD has a strong network of activists and supporters. Its charity work, especially during natural disasters, has made it popular among the masses. Additionally, it is flush with funds provided by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which could help it coast to victory in at least a few seats. In a closely contested election, successful MML candidates could wield enormous influence in government formation and shape its agenda.
Finance Minister and leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley has stated in the Upper House that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments about his predecessor Manmohan Singh and former vice president Hamid Ansari during the Gujarat election campaign "did not question, nor (was) meant to question the commitment to this nation of either former prime minister Manmohan Singh or former vice president Hamid Ansari". The statement fell well short of an apology, and it was all the more worthless because the man who made the insulting comments did not himself muster the grace or courage to stand up and say so. Instead, Jaitley had to do it for him. In a response that showed far more grace than that, Congress's House leader said: "We respect the sentiment expressed by the leader of the House. From our party, I can also say that we don't believe in demeaning the post of prime minister. We totally disassociate ourselves from comments made against the prime minister."



Jaitley's statement, made with good intent, also fell well short of the truth. The prime minister's comment in Gujarat, amounting to all but calling Manmohan Singh a participant in a Pakistani conspiracy against Modi, was not the first time he has hurled insults at the former PM. At various times, Modi has called Singh a weak prime minister, a scamster, and much else. Indeed, when he was Gujarat chief minister, almost every public speech of his was laced with anecdotes, many of them fictional, aimed at belittling Singh while lionising himself. After becoming prime minister, too, he hasn't been able to avoid the temptation of ridiculing Singh even inside Parliament. His sarcasm-filled "farewell" to former vice president Hamid Ansari still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Modi has often shown himself to be graceless in dealing with political and ideological rivals, but the remarks against the former PM during the Gujarat elections hit the nadir.

Modi's remark that Singh was conspiring with Pakistan against him was a desperate attempt to polarise voters and win what had evidently become a tough election for him in his home state. Yet, a prime minister cannot speak worse than this about a well-respected predecessor, all of whose major policies he himself has continued. Never before has an Indian prime minister stooped so low as to create doubts in the minds of people about a former prime minister, a former vice president and even a former army chief. That too, just to win an election. No election victory is worth undermining the quality of democracy, discourse and one's own decency.
Since early November, Saudi Arabia's crackdown on corruption has solidified the grip of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman while eroding the country's decades-old business model. Some of the 11 princes who were dragged from their homes in the middle of the night and forcibly checked into the capital's luxurious Ritz Carlton Hotel could have formed a powerful family group opposing the hegemony of the crown prince. Chief among them were Miteb bin Abdullah, son of the former king and head of the national guard, and Alwalid bin Talal, a multi-billionaire businessman.



Four ministers, scores of ex-ministers, officials and businessmen were among the nearly 200 other detainees who were presented with files detailing their involvement in corrupt practices. At least 1,900 bank accounts, holding assets worth $800 billion, were frozen with the aim of retrieving $100 billion in illegally got gains.

While some detainees have been set free without payment, officials dealing with the rest claimed that most of them would give away large sums in excha nge for freedom. The first batch of 23, including the head of Saudi

telecom, was released this week; more releases are expected.

The exercise amounts to no thing less than kidnapping and extortion on a grand scale. Since there is no transparency, no rule of law and no court of appeal, potential investors will hesitate to put their money in projects in the crown prince's plan to diversify the economy and reduce its dependence on oil.

The crown prince devised this method of dealing with men made wealthy by the country's longstanding business model, which was built on commissions, nepotism, and graft. Corruption is the main obstacle to doing business in Saudi Arabia. Seizing funds from the wealthiest sector of society is not the remedy because corruption infects every level of the administration.

A main cause of this infection has been the requirement that foreign businessmen needed Saudi partners to operate in the kingdom. While this requirement has been limited to certain types of businesses, this practice made many active and "sleeping" Saudi partners millionaires and billionaires and encouraged non-Saudis to obtain Saudi citizenship.

The crown prince has also sought to use the corruption campaign to secure his political aims. Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri, whose construction company filed for bankruptcy last summer, was summoned to Riyadh and ordered to resign from his post. All Lebanese communities protested and united in calling for his release. After intervention by French President Emmanuel Macron, Hariri, who holds Saudi, Lebanese and French nationalities, was allowed to travel via Paris to Beirut where he, eventually, resumed his job without meeting the political demands of the Saudis. The prince's ploy backfired.

The second case involved Palestinian billionaire Sabih al-Masri, chairman of Jordan's largest bank and a major investor in hotels and telecommunications in the kingdom and the Palestinian territories.

During the 1991 US-led war on Iraq, Masri, who was already wealthy, made a fortune selling food to US forces in partnership with the Saudis. Masri, who has Jordanian, Saudi and Irish citizenship, was released after reportedly reaching a financial settlement. An Israeli source put a political spin on Masri's detention, claiming he had been held to put pressure on Jordan's King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to tone down condemnation of Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

If this is true, holding Masri also backfired. Abbas has not only castigated Trump but also cut all ties to his administration and refused to accept the US as a mediator in peace talks with Israel. Jordan voted for the UN General Assembly's resolution calling on Trump to rescind his Jerusalem declaration.

The practice of pairing foreign entrepreneurship and expertise with Saudi partners goes back to the founding of the kingdom in 1932 by Abdel Aziz ibn Saud, a canny tribal leader whose followers were largely illiterate tribesmen fired by their puritanical faith to seize and hold most of the Arabian Peninsula.

The business model was evolved after oil was discovered in 1938 when a US consortium, Aramco, took over exploitation and export. In 1950, the Saudi government was granted 50% of the profits from oil sales and in 1980 obtained 100% ownership, although foreign partners have continued to operate the company.

Since the tribesmen did not have the background needed to run a state, foreigners were hired to fill the void. Syrians, Egyptians, Lebanese and Westerners flocked to the kingdom, but over the past half century, thousands of Saudis have attended school and university and received training in the professions, reducing dependence on foreigners in skilled fields.

Most Saudis are employed in the public sector, while private sector and menial jobs are filled by expatriates from the West, West Asia, the Indian sub-continent and the Philippines. In the kingdom, there are 23 million Saudis and 8.4 million foreigners. As part of his effort to reform the business model, Crown Prince Salman is pressing young Saudis to fill jobs in the private sector while retaining expatriate technical and manual labour.
The family members of the late Sarabjit Singh were humiliated when they went to meet him in a Pakistan jail with the authorities wiping off the 'sindoor' from his wife's forehead, his sister Dalbir Kaur said on Thursday.



She shared the family's shame amidst outrage over the treatment meted out to Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife recently in Pakistan.

Dalbir Kaur said that Singh's family had gone to meet him in a Lahore jail in 2008.

"We had no clue of the shocking things that were to unfold before our meeting with Sarabjit," Dalbir Kaur, who hails from Amritsar district, told PTI over phone.

Singh's wife Sukhpreet Kaur, his teenaged daughters Swapandeep and Poonam, besides Dalbir Kaur went to Lahore to meet the Indian national for the first time in 18 years.

The ordeal was similar to what Jadhav's family endured in Islamabad recently, according to Dalbir Kaur.

Jadhav's mother and wife were stripped of their bindis, bangles and 'mangalsutra', made to change into different clothes and wear slippers by discarding their shoes.

"Even before the meeting was to take place, the behaviour of Pakistani authorities was bad. A female cop took out a handkerchief and wiped off the 'sindoor' from Sukhpreet's forehead. Both Sukhpreet and I were asked to take out hair pins as well. Sarabjit's teenaged daughters were also mistreated, and authorities were rude even after I raised objections. We were even asked to take out our 'kadas' (bracelets)," Dalbir Kaur said.

She recalled that as Singh loved "bharwan karela", a bitter gourd dish, the family cooked it at their home in Amritsar and carried it for him.

"Pak authorities opened the container and stuffed the dish in our mouths, asking us to taste it first," she said.

That was not the end of the ordeal, she said.

"Before proceeding to meet Sarabjit in jail, a manager at a Lahore Gurudwara asked us to keep our passports there. When we were to leave after the meeting, we were told to show our passports. When reminded that we had been asked to deposit them at the Gurudwara, the Pak authorities delayed our departure telling us that the documents were not traceable," she said.

Dalbir Kaur said that in 2011 too she met Singh in jail.

"I was the only one to be granted a visa. But this time too their treatment was no different. They took my 'kirpan' forcibly and when I asked them to at least keep it safely, they flung it in some corner showing disrespect, which deeply hurt my religious sentiments," she said.

When I met Sarabjit, he cried a lot, asking me to help prove his innocence, she recalled.

In 2013, Sarabjit's sister, wife and two daughters had again travelled to Lahore, but this time the distraught family was allowed just a glimpse from a distance of a comatose Singh, who had been admitted to a hospital after a brutal assault in a Pakistani jail.

He passed away barely a few days later. Sarabjit was convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court and sentenced to death in 1991. However, the Pakistani government had stayed his execution for an indefinite period in 2008.

Cruel joke

On the treatment meted out to the family of Jadhav, who is in custody in Pakistan for alleged spying, Dalbir Kaur said after playing a cruel joke by not allowing the family to meet the Indian national freely, Pakistan was now making baseless charges of a chip, camera or a recorder being embedded in the footwear of his wife.

"I think India has responded as strongly and appropriately as it should in such circumstances. From now on, we should be even more firm towards Pakistan because they deserve such treatment and can only understand tough language," she said.
The Central Government on Thursday approved a Rs 100 crore project to popularise various straw management methods among north Indian farmers to stop them from burning crop residue in 2018. This season, Delhi turned into a gas chamber following crop residue burning.



Approved by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change, the project seeks to popularise currently available technical options among the farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Farm technologies that would be tested include Happy Seeder, Baler and Laser Leveller, said an environment ministry official. At the moment, farmers don't widely use these machines because of the high cost involved.

The officials hoped that the state governments as well as individual farmers would financially contribute to expand the use of such tools.

As the national capital region remains engulfed in a thick blanket of smog between mid-October and mid-November, scientists identified crop residue burning as one of the major causes.

Growing problem

The problem of crop residue burning has been intensifying over the years, with Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh being major burning hotspots, the green ministry said in a statement.

Increased mechanisation, declining number of livestock, long period required for composting and lack of economically viable alternative uses for crop residue were the reasons for largescale stubble burning to clear fields before sowing the winter crop.
The opioid crisis has made an impact across the nation and across the state of North Dakota, affecting people from all walks of life.

Combatting the crisis has proven to be a challenge for lawmakers, law enforcement, medical providers and everyone in between, but many are also working on preventing addiction through smart prescribing and making the life-saving drug naloxone readily available in communities across the state.

In 2015, there were 53 drug-related deaths, according to the North Dakota Department of Healths Vital Records decision. In 2016, that number rose to 68.

Laura Anderson, prevention administrator for the states Department of Human Services, said opioid prevention efforts began to ramp up about two years ago with the creation of the states Stop Overdose campaign, which is a statewide campaign supporting community efforts to address prescription drug and opioid abuse. The program worked to increase the availability of naloxone.

The state also has a Lock. Monitor. Take Back. program, which is an evidence-based prevention effort with the primary goal of reducing access to prescription drugs, especially opioids. It encourages people to be safe with their medications, including promoting North Dakota Take Back locations, and promoting ways communities can support this effort at the local level.

The goal is really to decrease access to prescription opioids, Anderson said.

Take Back program

The Take Back program was launched in December 2009 and North Dakota offers two free programs for residents to dispose of unwanted medications  the Take Back program at participating law enforcement agencies and the MedSafe program at participating pharmacies.

North Dakota is very good at promoting it and helping get them off of the streets and out peoples hands to decrease the abuse and misuse, the accidental ingestion, Dickinson pharmacist Brandi Ollerman said. It gives them some place to go so theyre not flushed down the toilet or in the hands of the wrong person.

Ollerman said the boxes are locked and secure and theres only one way to put the drugs in.

Items allowed in the boxes include unused or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, such as pills, tablets and caplets and controlled substances like Vicodin, Hydrocodone, Demerol, oxycodone and fentanyl. However, items such as syringes are not allowed in the boxes. For a complete list of items allowed and a list of Take Back locations, visit the Attorney Generals website.

With the opioid crisis now theres so much news media and everything that weve gotten calls and people inquiring about how to get rid of it and what to do with it, Ollerman said. Were trying to get out in the community more to let people know theres options to get it out the house.

North Dakota is the only state in the nation operating free, year-round, statewide prescription drug disposal programs at local law enforcement agencies and pharmacies, according to the North Dakota Attorney Generals office.

As of Oct. 24, more than 10 tons, or 20,234 pounds, of unwanted and unused medications has been collected from the Take Back containers at local law enforcement agencies.

Mark Hardy, executive director of the state Board of Pharmacy, said North Dakota has stood out on a federal level when it comes to the number of disposal locations across the state, he said.

The goal is to get the unused medicines out of the medicine cabinet and get them disposed of that would prevent that really high statistic of people that first get addicted from taking them free from a friend or relatives, he said.

Appropriate prescribing

The states Board of Pharmacy is working with the state, universities and providers about what appropriate prescribing should look like, Hardy said.

Providers are also looking at how order sets can be changed for patients, he said.

For example, if a person leaves the hospital after a surgery, the hospital may decrease the amount the person is prescribed on his or her first visit, Hardy said.

Federal law has also allowed providers to partially fill a Schedule II medication, which allows the patient and provider to better control the amount of opioids being prescribed.

Hardy said there was around a 15 percent decrease in the number of opioid prescriptions from 2015 to 2016 and current numbers are showing that to be true from 2016 to 2017.

Theres definitely an increased awareness of the dangers of those products, Hardy said.

Naloxone availability

Earlier this year, North Dakota received a $2 million grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Most of the grant goes to treatment and recovery services for people with an opioid use disorder, but part of it is also for supporting prevention of overdoses and trying to prevent addiction from happening in the first place.

I think communities have really been working very closely with a lot of different partners and stakeholders to specifically increase access to naloxone, said Laura Anderson of the states Department of Human Services.

Placing naloxone in public places is similar to having an AED in public places and provides a life-saving tool that could be available at any time, she said.

Overdoses can happen to anyone, not just those who abuse drugs, so it is important for people to understand what an overdose looks like and what to do in the situation, Anderson said.

While some may believe increasing access to naloxone encourages drug abuse, Anderson said that is simply not the case. If a person overdoses, naloxone immediately puts the body into withdrawl, she said. Additionally, Anderson said there has been a ton of researching which shows there is not an increased use or abuse of opioids.

It is not a pleasant experience, she said. People who overdose do not want that feeling. It is not a something like Hey, yeah lets just overdose and then well have that experience.

Naloxone can also give people the chance of recovery and living a better life, Anderson said.

If this was someones son or daughter or mom or cousin, you would want to save them and give them a chance at recovery and at a full life, she said.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd has invited tenders for fixing rails for the new lines and extensions under Namma Metro Phase 2, setting a timeline of three years for completion of the work.



Phase 2 includes the extension of all the reaches in the first phase and two new lines - Gottigere-Nagawara and RV Road-Bommasandra. The successful bidder will design, supply, instal, test and commission the ballastless track of standard gauge in both elevated and underground sections with a length of 72.095 km.

The BMRCL has estimated the project cost at Rs 455 crore and set February 8, 2018, as the date for opening the tenders.

The three-year period for completion of work suggests the original deadline for completion of Phase 2 in 2020 has been extended by at least a year. While the work on elevated sections has gathered pace, the tenders for the four packages of the longest underground section (13.79 km) are yet to be finalised.

A senior BMRCL official, however, said the Yelachenahalli-Anjanapura and Mysuru Road-Kengeri sections would be completed ahead of schedule.

"There has been a delay in starting the work on the Nagasandra-BIEC and Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield sections, but we are confident of meeting the deadline. The tender for the underground section will be finalised soon. Completion of the work depends on several factors, including geological conditions," he said.

The completion of Phase 2 will create a 114.39-km metro network in the city while the Gottigere-Nagawara line will make way for the airport line, which was recently cleared by the Cabinet.
The Kannada Development Authority (KDA) will recommend to the state government to take disciplinary action against civic agencies like BBMP and BDA for failing to ensure the mandatory use of Kannada in name boards of shops in the city.

KDA chairman S G Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday that the authority had issued an ultimatum to the agencies asking them to cancel licences of shops without Kannada in their name boards.

"KDA will now write to the government to take stringent measures like withholding promotions of officials or even effecting demotions," he added.

He also expressed confidence that the 21 recommendations made by KDA to strengthen government schools would be taken up at the next Cabinet meeting.

Siddaramaiah said that Primary and Secondary Education principal secretary Shalini Rajneesh had recently assured him that the recommendations would be brought before the Cabinet for consideration.

He also said the government should do away with the Nali Kali programme under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for primary and higher primary school students, as the Department of Public Instruction had failed to implement it effectively.

He said the programme was unscientific and students were not learning Kannada properly.
Opposition has grown as more Carmel Valley residents have become aware of SDG&Es plan to remove 74 trees from Carmel Mission Park. Over the last few weeks, 1,256 people have signed a petition on change.org to Protect endangered Torrey Pines and stop the power company from destroying San Diego.

According to SDG&Es vegetation management department, the removals are necessary to prevent the 60-to 80-foot trees from falling and knocking into one of three transmission lines that run though the park, the largest being 230 kilovolt.

At SDG&E, we take providing safe and reliable power to our customers very seriously. That sometimes includes the removal of trees to ensure the safety of the communities we serve, said Allison Torres, SDG&E communications manager in response to inquiries about the state of the plan currently. At this time, SDG&E is still analyzing a vegetation management plan related to Carmel Mission Park, specifically in areas near our existing transmission lines that are posing a safety hazard and reliability issue. SDG&E will provide more information after its analysis.

The Carmel Valley Community Planning Board will discuss the tree removals at its Jan. 25 meeting, held at 7 p.m. at the Carmel Valley Library.

Carmel Valley residents Tara Mackey and Alan Nawoj, formerly strangers to one another, have joined forces to help spread awareness about SDG&Es plans that they feel not many of their neighbors know about.

These trees cannot speak for themselves and someone must speak for them. We will not stand by and watch a power company change the landscape of our neighborhood and destroy the namesake of our town, Mackey said of the Torrey Pine, a species that only grows in San Diego. We live in this neighborhood and we know these beautiful, endangered trees pose no risk to us.They have been here for decades without any problem to the residents. Most citizens live here because of the trees, not in spite of them. This is in SDG&Es best interest alone and takes no public interest into consideration.

Carmel Mission Park is located on Carmel Country Road and is split in half by Carmel Center Road. Most of the tree removals are located north of Carmel Center Road, on the east side of the park, although 12 are located south of Carmel Center. Most are pine trees and five are eucalyptus.

In August, Greg Peck from SDG&E shared the plan for the removals with the Carmel Valley planning board. Peck said that 50 percent of SDG&Es power outages in the last two years have been caused by downed trees and if a tree knocked over a line in Carmel Mission Park, it would result in a major power outage for the entire West Coast. He said there is a history of felled trees in the park  he said a pine tree uprooted in January 2016 and fell into another tree, which contacted the 69 kilovolt line and over the last five years, two pine trees have fallen onto residential homes.

Peck was looking for feedback on which process they should take in removing 25 trees a year over the next three years  whether the board preferred to remove the trees in chunks or remove selected trees from each section. Peck said that SDG&E went door to door and spoke with several customers about the removals and only one was opposed. The board opted not to take action at that meeting and requested SDG&E complete more community outreach with a formal noticing.

Trees have been tagged by SDG&E and signs were placed at the park.

At the Carmel Valley Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) meeting on Dec. 5, Mackey said they learned that SDG&E only spoke to properties that directly abut the park, about five homes.

Several hundred homes in the immediate vicinity would be directly impacted by this significant change to the landscape, said Nawoj.

Nawoj only learned about the plans to remove the trees in late November. He noticed that 10 to 15 trees were chopped down on homeowner association-owned property up the greenbelt from the park on Graydon Road and he started looking for more information, finding the Carmel Valley News article on the plans for Carmel Mission.

As the tree removals are slated for city property, Nawoj said he believed there was an opportunity to stop SDG&E and started his own grassroots effort, meeting Mackey in the process.

As we started going door to door in the immediate vicinity of Carmel Mission Park, we heard the same response from virtually everyone: They were not aware of these plans and they were opposed to these plans, Nawoj said.

When signing the peititon, Sudi Rasekh wrote: We the Carmel Valley neighbors are tired of witnessing trees disappearing for conveniences If the removal of the trees continues as it has been, our neighborhood will be surrounded mostly by concrete and will lose its natural healthy functionality.

Nawoj believes that there are alternatives to the sledgehammer to a nail approach of simply clear-cutting the trees. He said alternatives could include anchoring trees together, installing a high guardrail that would prevent a tree from falling into a power line and continued evaluation after pruning and selected topping of trees.

Nawoj also suggested SDG&E conduct a risk-assessment of each individual tree  he said if there is a dead or unhealthy tree than it should absolutely be cut down but not the healthy Torrey Pines that took 60 to 70 years to grow.

Cutting down 74 mature trees will not only dramatically change the landscape but it will negatively impact home values, Nawoj said. He cited the handbook Shading Our Cities: Resource Guide For Urban And Community Forests to point out that one U.S. Forest Service estimate suggests that mature trees boost home market values at rates of 7 to 20 percent.

Considering most homes are valued at over $1 million in this area, we are talking about a collective reduction in property values that could total upwards of $100 million, Nawoj said. Personally, one of the main reasons we moved here was because of the giant, mature trees. It was a big factor for choosing this area.

Mackey said she has left dozens of voicemails and emailed SDG&E multpile times, nearly every day, with no response. SDG&E did not have a representation at the Dec. 5 MAD meeting and Mackey said she has been left with many questions.

In August, Peck said the plan would be to leave the stumps for erosion control but replace every tree removed with two 15-gallon replacements. However, Mackey heard that there is not a plan for 15-gallon replacement trees. While the original plan said 74 trees, another version she received has 75  the lack of information only causes speculation and distrust, Mackey said.

They say they want feedback and they arent responsive.Thats disingenuous, Mackey said. With SDG&Es logic, one could argue that every tree on every block in America should be cut down, since most suburban trees are located by power lines. With this excuse, it sets a bad precedent for all of San Diego. We have to win this battle.
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A story attributing a Casselton womans death to high levels of radon in her home has prompted action by the public.

The demand for free radon test kits has skyrocketed with people wanting to test their homes. Studies have shown 63 percent of homes in North Dakota have actionable levels of radon. That doesnt mean those living in homes with high levels have to move, according to state radon coordinator Justin Otto. He says any home can be fixed.

Homeowners with a radon level of 4 pCi/L or higher are urged to take action. The EPA goes further, recommending people seek a radon fix in their home if the level is between 2 and 4pCi/L. The state health department keeps a list of radon mitigators who follow EPA protocol when installing a system to vent the radon gas from the soil beneath homes through a PVC pipe. The cost is usually between $1,000 and $1,500, depending on the home's foundation, Otto told the Forum News Service.

Its good the story alerted people to the long-term dangers of radon. Its also gratifying people have responded with requests for the kits. In the week after the Dec. 11 story about the womans death, Otto responded to more than 1,500 emails and numerous phone calls. At the time the Bismarck office mailed more than 1,400 radon test kits to residents who requested them and gave about 50 more to people who stopped in. Boxes with 100 kits each were sent to public health offices in Fargo, Bismarck and Jamestown. It usually takes about 10 days to get the results of the radon tests after they are mailed.

Stores also sell the kits and they are available online. Otto says to check to make sure any kit you purchase says "EPA approved" and follow the instructions.

We dont always realize the services available through the state. The free kits and the ability to get the test results through the state have the potential of being a life-saving service. Its easy not to think about radon because its a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that exists naturally across North Dakota and in much of Minnesota, South Dakota and all of Iowa. Its the leading cause of lung cancer in people who don't smoke. So far it's only been anecdotally linked to other illnesses.

This situation isnt an overreaction by the public. Its a sensible response to a real problem, and the state is poised to help homeowners. The cost of fixing the problem does fall on the homeowner.

This also is an example of how a news story can provide a public service. The story alerted the public to a potential problem and explained the situation well. In the end many homes in the state will be safer. The death of Judith Antoine, Casselton, was unfortunate, but it served as a warning to many others.
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The collapse of Venezuela, explainedVox video above published Aug 25, 2017: Venezuela is in chaos, but its leaders aren't going anywhere. Discussion of currency issues begins about 4:30. [Correction at 1:58: the Supreme Court tried to strip the countrys National Assembly of its powers in March 2017 (not 2016)].After a decade and a half of strict exchange controls in Venezuela , access tohas been severely limited. Nonetheless, a black market in the world's foremosthas spread in response. Venezuela's oil revenues have declined due to mismanagement and the decline in the price of oil on the world markets.is now ina living laboratory of whetheror any othercould fulfill the needs of the market and economy. In fact, Venezuela has a plan to introduce its own cryptocurrency.Unfortunately for cryptocurrency fanatics, so far, Venezuelans areseeking any cryptocurrency. Instead, the practice first adopted by gourmet and design stores in Caracas over the last couple of years to charge into a select group of expatriates or Venezuelans with access to the greenbacks , is-- Venezuelans scramble to survive as merchants demand dollars | reuters.com Dec 26, 2017:In fact, several countries use theas their official currency , and in many others it is thecurrency.
A Donegal scaffolding expert has revealed that it was a bit of a shock when he was asked to build the Millenium Falcon on Malin Head for the epic Star Wars movie.

The Lifford man had been sworn to secrecy about his work on the Disney Lucasfilm film in 2016.

However, with The Last Jedi now in cinemas, Eddie Gallen has spoken to the Press Association about his work with director Rian Johnson and bringing the Millennium Falcon to Ireland.

"I met them down in Malin Head, I wasn't sure what they were looking for, to be honest," the 48-year-old told the Press Association. "I knew they were looking for access platforms etc and something to support props.

He recalls the shock he felt when he was handed a bit of paper which basically said that he would be building the Millennium Falcon in Malin Head.



Eddie had previously worked over the years erecting platforms for archaeological restoration at another Star Wars location - Skellig Michael. He was recommended for that project and the Star Wars job by his longtime friend and colleague, events coordinator Mike O'Shea.

The challenges of building the iconic piece were not small as the 12m x 12m Millennium Falcon was sitting on the edge of a cliff in an area that is often very windy.

Eddie was delighted with the end result:"It looked really, really well and the location made it look even more special."
Essentially we want to give to the communities where we have employees working, Wise said. The company primarily provides contract support to organizations in the military, and the USAAMRL is the linkage for us here. At least three of our employees are parents here at this school -- in fact, one of them is in the JROTC program, so the donation benefits her directly.
Though Christmas can be a financially straining season on low income families, the Southeast Alabama Community Action Partnership has teamed up with Toys for Tots to make sure that every child has a gift to open on Christmas morning.

On Wednesday, SEACAP began distributing toy donations to families who need a little extra help this time of year. According to Community and Housing Coordinator Regena Adams, SEACAP often receives donations from both Toys for Tots and community members with a desire to help in whatever way they can.

We do partner with Toys for Tots every year, and we give out toys to low income families each year, but sometimes we have donations from other people in the community who want to help out all the people that are less fortunate than we are during Christmas, Adams said. You know, a lot of people during this time of year have a giving heart, and they come here to try to help out the people that dont have anything. Thats why I tell people to stop judging each other because of their walks of lifeyou never know what this person is going through this time of year. So thats what were here for, to help them.

The families that receive toy donations are selected via one of two ways: they either nominate themselves by filling out an application, or they are nominated by SEACAP workers who know of their struggles.

If a client has an unforeseen crisis, loss of income, or anything like that, when some of the people come in and want to adopt a family, well give them their sizes and a list of special toys they want for Christmas, Adams said. It works out really well.

Though Christmas is close and Toys for Tots is responsible for the toy donations, SEACAP CEO Karinne Simmons said that there are other ways for those with a heart to help to get involved during the holiday season.

One thing is that Toys for Tots stops at 12. So if youve got children in the home that live together, and some of them are teenagers, Toys for Tots cant help the teenagers. In Geneva County, the Lions Club helps with that, but not all counties have that, Simmons said. If anybody wants to come in and help with the ones who have teenagers in the house, we would really appreciate it. We still take the teens names, but we cant help them with the Toys for Tots donations.

For those who want to donate time and services, Simmons said Toys for Tots is seeking volunteers for the next holiday season.

Toys for Tots is always needing volunteersthey said if they dont get more volunteers to pack up the toys and distribute them, they may not be able to do the program next year, said Simmons. Thats a great place to help.

Thus far this year, SEACAP and Toys for Tots have donated to approximately 60 families in Geneva County, about 30 in Coffee County, and at least 50 in Houston County, but the desire to help others spurs them to reach further and give more each year.

We normally get more donations, but this year, due to the economy and other misfortunes that have happened recently, we dont have as much. Hopefully next year well get more so we can do more, Adams said.
Florida Lottery officials have released an investigative document that explains why the lottery contract with Panhandle Package was terminated a few weeks ago.

Officials say a jackpot-ticket investigation was opened in August regarding the $30 million winning "Lotto with Xtra" ticket from the July 19, 2017, draw, in which the winner received a lump sum of $19 million. The ticket had been purchased at Panhandle Package No. 1 in Campbellton.

Lottery officials, in a transmittal form dated Nov. 30, wrote that all Panhandle Package lottery contracts should be terminated.

After a player submitted the winning ticket, it was forensically examined and an additional verification was performed. During that procedure, officials wrote in the report, there appeared to be unusual factors with the ticket.

The report went on to say that the person who submitted the ticket eventually told officials that shed purchased the ticket through an online service, The Lotter.com. Its a web portal that allows players from around the world to purchase lottery tickets from over 20 countries, officials say.

The owner of Panhandle Package was interviewed and told officials that hed received a laptop, printer and scanner from the outfit and sold Florida Lottery tickets for them. Officials say he also explained that he received orders from them through the laptop and then prints the play slips on their thermal printers. He then ran those slips into the Florida Lottery Altura terminals to print activated tickets. After printing them, he would scan them so that the TheLotter.com customers can see them.

Officials say TheLotter.com charges customers $1.50 per play, so that, for instance, a ticket that cost $5 in Florida would be $7.50 if purchased through that website. Theres an additional service charge that the players are required to pay after theyve ordered their tickets. The retailer, in this case Panhandle Package, does not receive any of the proceeds from the extra charges.

The investigative report included interviews with the winner and an attorney who works with TheLotter.com, in which they provided statements regarding the purchasing procedure and how the ticket was secured and passed on to the winner.

As a result of the findings in the investigation, the Panhandle Package contract was terminated for all four of its locations, three of which are in Campbellton and one of which is in Graceville.

In the letter to Magneshkumar R. Patel and Rony K. Patel, respectively the president and vice president of the company that owns the package stores, lottery officials stated the following:

The Florida Lottery is terminating your Lottery Retailer Contract pursuant to Florida Lottery Rule 53ER07-15. This rule allows the Lottery to terminate a retailers contract if the termination is necessary to ensure the integrity, security, honesty, or fairness of the operation of the Lottery. The Lottery is taking this action because you engaged in activities prejudicial to public confidence in the Lottery. As a result of our investigation, the Lottery has concluded that you are in breach of your Contract. The breach of contract results from, at a minimum, your scanning of unauthorized playslips and your violation of section 24.112(5)(e), Florida Statutes. Section 19(b) of your Lottery Retailer Contract authorizes the Lottery to immediately terminate the Retailer Contract if the retailer has engaged in conduct prejudicial to public confidence in the Lottery. Therefore, the Retailer Contract for the (Panhandle Packages 1-4) is being terminated, effective immediately upon delivery of this notice.

The Florida Lottery also issued the following statement regarding the Panhandle Package termination:

The Florida Lottery follows the law, it reads. Retailers contracts with the Lottery include requirements and prohibitions that could prohibit doing business with courier services like Lotter.com depending on the courier services business model. However, there is no provision in Florida law prohibiting courier services generally. We will be happy to work with the Legislature on this issue.

In the investigative report, officials said no criminal charges are being filed. The investigation included background checks on M. Patel, the holder of the winning ticket, and the attorney associated with TheLotter.com, with no findings of any criminal past and with no irregularities in a review of the Patel bank accounts.
Its a ministry he wishes was not needed; its a ministry hes pleased God called him to fill.

The average citizen has no idea how large the homeless population is in the Dothan area. A head count of that population will be made in January. Ken and Martha Tuck do not need a head count to let them know the homeless population in the area continues to grow. How do they know? They see it every day as homeless individuals come to Love in Action International Ministries for help.

As the need has grown, so has LIA. The facility on West Main Street encompasses seven suites that stretch from the Coffee House that faces this main thoroughfare all the way to the suites that make up the L-shaped former office complex.

Its been a wonderful year, Tuck said as he sat in his office at LIA Friday afternoon. Not pointing to just one aspect of growth, Tuck continued, Its just the overall growth of every aspect of Gods ministry. We have more volunteers than ever. Its seeing people come to Jesus, to grow in Jesus. Its seeing the homeless coming off the street (and into their own home). Martha and I love this. Were doing what God wants us to do. Its seeing God move in this ministry and in our lives and seeing where God wants us to be.

Love in Action International Ministries was launched in 2000 in Enterprise. The nonprofit outreach moved its headquarters to Dothan in 2006.

We were located next to Piggly Wiggly in a warehouse, Tuck said of the first Dothan location on the Montgomery Highway. The owners of the grocery store needed the LIA facility to expand its business. That caused LIA to move to North Foster Street. Today, that location is home to The Harbor. Meanwhile, LIA had found its home on West Main Street. The year was 2012.

The Tucks would love to expand the use of LIAs current location, but two of the suites cant be used at the present time. A new roof would allow for their use. As it is, LIA fills every useable suite.

The smell of roasting coffee can still be noticed in the Coffee House. Thats because Dakota Coffee still roasts its beans there. More importantly, this portion of the LIA facility is used for the ministrys Bible study classes.

The Coffee House has been a great addition, Tuck said. We have hosted different events, like coffee fellowships, there. It lets the homeless know they are not forgotten. And it lets people know the homeless are just like you and me.

And, the Bible study that we hold in the Coffee House averages around 30 on Wednesday nights. We serve them a big dinner. Its important to us to see them growing in the Lord. Three came to the Lord this week (Dec. 13) after the Bible study. That all came through people sharing their testimonies. People are growing together through the Bible study and through the Tuesday night discipleship classes.

While meeting the spiritual needs of the homeless population is of paramount importance, the Tucks are also aware of the tremendous physical needs facing those with no place to call home.

We use one suite for the Samaritan Clinic, Tuck continued as he described the various features of the LIA ministry to the homeless. We have some wonderful doctors who provide the medical services in the clinic. And, we have ACOM (Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine) students come here to volunteer on Thursday nights (in the clinic). That excites me. And, some of the ACOM students come in on Saturdays to just to help the homeless with non-medical needs.

Even as the ministry has expanded its footprint, it still provides for the basic needs of the homeless.

The main ministry portion of this facility provides showers for the homeless, Tuck said. We serve hot meals for them every Tuesday and Thursday and on the first three Saturdays of the month.

We average washing 130 loads of clothing a month. The homeless make use of the facility for 130 showers per month. Were also meeting physical needs with tents, propane gas, blankets, cots and more.

Suite Four stores the clothes and household items that weve received for the homeless. Those items, he noted, are used to set up apartments for those who have acquired jobs and are able to support themselves.

The Tucks have plans for one of the suites that is currently unavailable for use.

One of them, wed like to use it for our education suite, Tuck continued. We would hold our discipleship training there. We would have different classes for people to learn how to handle their finances, to offer financial counseling, to learn budgeting. We would like to use it to simply teach life skills, job skills.

As for the other suite, were still praying about that one and how to use it.

One thing the Tucks will not be providing is a fixed shelter for the homeless. He says that ministry already exists.

I would rather people help Jeff Peacock at The Ark, Tuck said. He has a wonderful vision for what he wants that facility to be. Id love to see that happen. He has the building that could hold the areas homeless population.

Unfortunately, like parts of the LIA facility, The Arks building needs a lot of work for that vision to be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, the homeless population continues to grow.

This year, we have definitely seen growth in the homeless population, Tuck said. We wish we didnt have to be a homeless ministry. But, were here to focus on the homeless. Most people are familiar with the Tent City. We work with them like The Harbor does. We go to where the homeless are. We help them there. And, since weve been serving hot meals, weve had more come here. We are really reaching out more to the homeless with the Gospel. We held a Gospel service at Tent City. If we dont give them Jesus, we havent given them anything.

While the LIA ministry provides assistance, Tuck says the homeless population has a way of helping its own.

Whats been neat is seeing the number of homeless giving back, serving with us here, he said. Its wonderful to see the homeless serving the homeless.

He notes its also heartwarming to see their lives change.

I had the privilege of baptizing two of them (those helping other homeless) last night (Dec. 14), he said. They have been faithful servants. Weve been blessed to get them into their own home. Its been an incredible week.

Another homeless family, a single mom with three children (ages 5, 17, 19), has been living in their vehicle. We helped them during their time of homelessness. We were privileged to see their determination. Shes going to school to get a degree in criminal justice and substance abuse counseling. She has done all of this while living in a vehicle. They are in an apartment now that is fully furnished  thanks to LIA people.

We visited with her and asked if there were anything else she needed. She responded, We have everything.

Tuck says people moved by God make things like this possible.

So many people want to help, he said. People are providing gifts for this family. Its awesome to live in a community where, when theres a need, they respond. Dothan is a very special place to live in  to see the working in peoples hearts to help others.

God has certainly taken care of us, of this ministry. The support comes mainly from individuals. We also receive support for this ministry from some area churches, some businesses. But its mainly from individuals that understand the body of Christ is made up of all of us to meet the needs of others.

For more information about Love in Action International Ministries, visit www.loveinactionministries.com or call 494-4995 or visit the LIA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lia.ministries.
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Every Wednesday we publish the Acton Commentary, a weekly article that covers topics related to the mission of the Acton Institute. As 2017 comes to a close we thought it would be worth highlighting the top ten commentaries produced by Acton staffers and contributors over the past year.

1. 5 ways the church can help the poor

My community includes people who are both materially poor and poor in spirit, says Zachary Ritvalsky. However, what exactly does it mean to say that people are poor in spirit?

To be poor in spirit is not the same as being economically poor, yet both kinds of poverty matter, and the church must address both. In his commentary on Matthew, John Nolland interpreted the phrase like this: The poor in spirit would be those who sense the burden of their present (impoverished) state and see it in terms of the absence of God; who patiently bear that state, but long for God to act on their behalf and decisively claim them as his people.

2. More than compassion needed for Europes refugees

Irrespective of the political forces at play, says Trey Dimsdale, there is no arguing with the fact that such a large number of displaced immigrants presents a monumental humanitarian crisis in which survival becomes the initial, but not final, concern.

Prior to 2014, fewer than 300,000 refugees and migrants arrived in the European Union each year. Due to war and unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, that relatively slow trickle more than quadrupled by the end of the year. The result was squalid refugee and migrant camps, crowded train stations, and anti-immigrant demonstrations across the continent. Most refugees and migrants entered Europe via nations least able to absorb and support them, causing internal EU tensions to rise. By mid-2015 it was clear that Europe was facing a major humanitarian and political crisis not likely to be easily resolved.

3. Regensburg Revisited: A West Still in Denial

A decade ago, a 79 year-old soft-spoken, white-haired German theologian returned to visit a university at which he had spent much of his academic career, says Samuel Gregg.

In this instance, however, the speech delivered at the University of Regensburg on 12 September 2006 by the theologian Joseph Ratzinger, better known as Pope Benedict XVI, had immediate global impact. For weeks, even months afterwards, newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, and even entire books attacked, defended, and analyzed the almost 4,000 words which came to be known as the Regensburg Address. Copies of the text and effigies of its author, however, were also ripped up, trampled on, and publicly burnt throughout the Islamic world. Television screens were dominated by images of enraged Muslim mobs and passionate denunciations by Muslim leaders, most of whom had clearly not read the text.

4. We are getting income inequality wrong  and thats dangerous

People tend to be poor because they are excluded from market exchange, says Anne Rathbone Bradley. Wealth redistribution doesnt change that but reforming cronyism does. What we need to ensure is that financial capital doesnt become equivalent to political power for corporations.

The topic of income inequality is not new, but it is increasingly dominating academic and policy conversations. When French economist, Thomas Piketty, wrote a 704-page tome on income inequality in 2014 it sold out quickly. How could a massive book on such a technical concept generate so much popular interest? Piketty tapped into some deep and growing concerns that Americans have about income inequality. Is the large gap between the rich and poor in the United States a problem and is it getting worse? If so, what should we do about it and what can we do about it? Christians must wrestle with these questions if we truly want to help not only the poor, but all those who might be increasingly marginalized by a rigged system.

5. The Michael Novak book that changed reality

From a 2017 vantage point, its easy to forget just how radical this book was, says Samuel Gregg. In penning the Spirit of Democratic Capitalism, Novak was the first theologian to really make an in-depth moral, cultural, and political case for the market economy in a systematic way.

Needless to say, Novaks book generated fierce reactions from the religious left. The opprobrium was probably heightened by the fact that the Spirit confirmed what had become evident from the mid-70s onwards: that Novak was well on his way to abandoning his previously left-wing positions. Thirty years ago, however, many Christians  Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, clerical, and lay  were marching in precisely the opposite direction to Novak. Theologians in the Americas and Western Europe were still waxing lyrical about dialogue with Marxism. The fight-back led by Blessed John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger against the doctrinal heresies and Marxist analysis underlying liberation theology had only just begun.

6. Anti-Americanism at the Vatican

Kishore Jayabalan on the anti-Americanism on display in some areas of the Vatican.

I spent five years working at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace during the pontificate of John Paul II. (It has since become part of the newly-formed Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development because justice and peace werent difficult enough to achieve!) It was generally known as the Vatican office where lefties could feel like good Catholics. We avoided talking about the Churchs retrograde sexual teachings and focused on trendy issues like the environment and disarmament and how wonderful the United Nations would be if only 

7. Its time to bury the executioner Lenin for good

Rev. Ben Johnson comments on the solemn centenary of the Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenins ascendancy to power.

These century-old events continue to dominate the news in modern-day Russia, where leaders grapple with how to deal with one tangible legacy of the Marxist past: After his death in 1924 at the age of 53, Lenins corpse became the centerpiece of a gargantuan, pyramid-shaped mausoleum in Red Square, where he still lies in artificially preserved repose. Today, many would like his body, and his legacy, buried.

8. Is foreign aid a sacred cow?

Victor V. Claar explains that it hasnt been aid that has lifted people out of poverty, but trade and access to markets.

While many of the worlds politicians would like to take credit for cutting extreme global poverty in half in just 20 years, and the aforementioned faith leaders seem quite ready to thank politicians for their achievements, the source of this success is far simpler: economic growth. As the Economist magazine has put it,   the biggest poverty-reduction measure of all is liberalising markets to let poor people get richer. That means freeing trade between countries  and within them.

9. Finding the lost tools of learning

If you were to read Dorothy Sayers The Lost Tools of Learning and thereafter read the curriculum of Veritas Classical Academy, says Elizabeth Yeh, you would find that the lost tools have been found in the small town of Marietta, Ohio.

The curriculum at Veritas is based on the Trivium. In her book, novelist and essayist Sayers explains that the genius of the Trivium is that it coincides with the natural stages of a childs development. First is the grammar of learning, taking place at what Sayers names the Poll-parrot stage of youth, when students willingly memorize fundamentals that will be foundational for subsequent thought. Next is the dialectic, which corresponds to the Pert Age, when students undoubtedly love to argue, but necessarily need to be taught how to make logically sound arguments. Finally, rhetoric is taught in high school during the restless Poetic Age of life, in which the creative and increasingly philosophical mind of youth is trained in its expression, i.e. speaking and writing. The schooling culminates in an individually chosen senior thesis, which taps into both the skills and moral development of the earlier stages and is orally delivered to an audience. These are the timeless tools of learning.

10. Davos Man, globalism and the case for free trade

Times are tough for free trade, says Samuel Gregg, the toughest since the first era of globalization came to a shuddering halt with the outbreak of war in 1914 and tariffs swept the world after 1918.
(Photo: LWF)Vatican Reformation postage stamp

The year 2017 was a special year for Christians because it marked 500 years from the recorded start of the Reformation in Wittenberg, Germany.

The Reformation was the second great schism in Christianity led by a protest against the manner in which the Catholic Church was being run..

But 500 years before that the Great Schism of 1054, when the Greek Orthodox Church officially split with the Catholic Church had also split Christianity.

Speaking on the Reformation, German Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, had said, "It was an act of liberation when, 500 years ago today, the Augustinian monk Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in Wittenberg, perhaps even a few meters from here, on the door of this church,"

The bishop is chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany and had delivered a sermon at the Oct. 31 service at Wittenberg's Castle Church.

"A spiritual renewal went out from Wittenberg, to people in Germany, Europe and worldwide. To men and women from all social classes," said Bedford-Strohm.

The events set in motion by Luther's 95 Theses led to the separation of Western Christianity into Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.

However, "Luther did not want to found a new church but to call the Church of Jesus Christ back to its Lord," said Bedford-Strohm.

The Reformation pitted Roman Catholics and Protestants against each other for centuries embroiling them in many bloody wars in the name of their confessions.

But today Christians understand that the church must not longer be divided, said the bishop.

"No one should think that we can be induced to stray from the path towards visible unity in reconciled diversity," asserted Bedford-Strohm.

The anniversary was a chance for Lutherans and other Protestants and Catholics to grow close together.

In July Pope Francis had hailed the signing of declarations by the World Communion of Reformed Churches joining Lutherans, Methodists and the Catholic Church to affirm their basic understanding of the Gospel in the quest for greater church unity.

"Together with great joy, today's formal act brings new challenges and responsibilities in our pursuit of fidelity to the Gospel and unity in truth," the Pope said in message read out for him.

"May it mark a new stage of fellowship and cooperation in the service of justice and peace in our human family," said Francis.

VATICAN'S REFORMATION POSTAGE STAMP

Toward the end of the year in a symbolic act, the Vatican issued a postage stamp to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

The series went into circulation on Nov. 23, depicting the crucified Christ in the foreground.

Kneeling at the foot of the cross are Martin Luther holding the Bible and Philip Melanchthon with the Augsburg Confession.

The background shows a timeless view of the city of Wittenberg, where Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the castle church in 1517, launching the Protestant Reformation.

The Vatican's description of the stamp cites the Lund commemoration when Pope Francis held special prayers with Lutherans in Sweden in 2016.

It refers to call by Pope Francis to remember the important event "with a renewed spirit and in the recognition that Christian unity is a priority, because we realize that much more unites us than separates us."

The Lutheran World Federation welcomed the gesture by the Roman Catholic Church as "a wonderful expression of how far we have come together in our journey toward unity."

The LWF General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge referred to the Oct. 2016 Joint Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of the Reformation in Lund.

He said, "I believe this stamp speaks powerfully to reconciliation and the healing of memories between Catholics and Lutherans. We are today at a point where we receive each other gifts as we jointly confess Christ as our Lord and Savior."

The Vatican issued 120,000 of the Reformation stamps.
Guangzhou residents will no longer have problems proving their identities even when they forget their ID cards now,as special WeChat IDs have begun to roll out in Nansha district on Dec 25.

A total of 10 organizations including Guangzhou municipal public security bureau Nansha sub-bureau, internet giant Tencent and China Construction Bank launch the Police Affairs Cloud Alliance on Dec 25. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]

The online ID, the first of its kind in China, was issued by a special platform jointly launched by 10 organizations including Guangzhou municipal public security bureau Nansha sub-bureau, the internet giant Tencent and China Construction Bank.

To get a WeChat ID, residents need to download an app named (Weijing Renzheng) for an online registration and then complete an offline verification at any of the 48 verification handling points across the city. The number of the verification points will gradually increase in the future to provide citizens with greater convenience.

A resident completes the offline verification procedures at one verification point in Guangzhou to get a WeChat ID. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]

According to Guangzhou municipal public security bureau, the WeChat ID now offers main functions such as personal identity verification and online payment.

Traditionally, residents needed to provide their ID cards or copies of ID cards when conducting certain registrations, which is inconvenient and had issues of privacy; the WeChat IDs collect personal information and uses encryption technology to protect the information from leaking, according to Yan Dong, deputy chief of Ideological and Political Work Office of Guangzhou municipal public security bureau Nansha sub-bureau.

Two residents show off their WeChat IDs on Dec 25. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]
Portland's love affair for Spanish food and drink is flourishing. We have no shortage of great Spanish wine events--the Oregon Tempranillo Celebration, La Ruta PDX, and World Tapas Day, are just a few that give Portlander's an opportunity to sample some great Spanish food and wine.

As for restaurants, Spanish food is hitting its stride in Portland, and we have John Gorham to thank for it--his wildly successful Toro Bravo has inspired Ataula, Can Font, Navarre, and others to hit the scene.

As for wine, Spanish varieties are taking root in Oregon, where its climate is comparable to the growing seasons in Spain. Tempranillo buds late and only needs a short growing season with hot days and cool nights.

If you were to sample a traditional Tempranillo from Spain, CVNE (also known as Cune (pronounced coo-nay)) produces delicious, traditional Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva Riojas at excellent price points.

One difference between Oregon and Spanish Tempranillo are the designations, or 'categories', that the Spanish Control Board uses to meet quality and typicity requirements. I'm certain you've noticed the terms, 'Crianza', 'Reserva', and 'Gran Reserva' on Spanish wine labels and wondered what they meant. By definition, they are:

Crianza: Wines which are at least in their third year, having spent a minimum of one year in casks. For white wines, the minimum cask ageing period is 6 months.

Reserva: Selected wines of the best vintages with an excellent potential that have been aged for a minimum of 3 years, with at least one year in casks. For white wines, the minimum ageing period is 2 years, with at least 6 months in casks.

Gran Reserva: Selected wines from exceptional vintages which have spent at least 2 years in oak casks and 3 years in the bottle. For white wines, the minimum ageing period is 4 years, with at least one year in casks.

Ordinarily, Crianza wines are everyday drinking wines--best values under $15, whereas the Reservas are the best vintages and run around $25. Gran Reservas are the top tier wines that are typically $35+ and aged the longest in oak barrels. Most wineries hold them for 10 years before releasing them to the public.

And if you really want to understand the differences between the styles, taste them side-by-side. For fun, I've highlighted a few Spanish Cune wines, which are reasonably priced and delicious. Grab a few bottles and make it an educational, and enjoyable wine event with friends.

Start with the Crianza, and then move on to the Reserva, and finish with the Gran Reserva, which is usually the most robust.

2014 Cune Crianza Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain

This is blended with a touch of Grenacha Tinta and Mazuelo, which gives this Tempranillo a bit of complexity. The aromas and flavors are fruit driven with cherry and plum that finishes lively, with notes of toast, violet and spice. The soft tannins and good dose of acidity make it an easy drinking, food friendly wine, with a price point that can't be beat.

Rating: 89 | $12 | BUY

2013 Cune Vina Real Crianza Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain

This is a full-bodied red with a dash of Garnacha added to the blend. It has layers of black fruit notes, with some vanilla and spice. It finishes round with flavors of plums and currants. It's fresh and lively with a good dose of acidity. This drinks well now but will cellar for a few more years.

Rating: 89 | $15 | BUY

2013 Cune Reserva Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain

Like a warm blanket on a chilly night, this Cune Reserva Rioja will satisfy your soul with a sultry, and savory, palate pleasing package of Tempranillo flavor profiles. Subtle, but rich notes of roasted cacao balances the exemplary high notes of dark cherry fruit. The lasting finish glides across the palate dusting it with a coating of cocoa goodness. Perfect for the hearty comfort food season.

Rating: 91 | $28 | BUY

2011 Cune Gran Reserve Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain

Dynamic and refined with notes of licorice, boysenberry, and cherry. Finishes long with delicious spice, dried herb, and layers of earthy notes. The tannins are immense, yet nicely balanced with fresh acidity. This should drink deliciously for another five years.

Rating: 92 | $33 | BUY

2010 Cune Vina Real Gran Reserva Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain

This is a graceful Tempranillo with blackberry, plum, tea, and cassis playing center stage with tobacco, spice, and mocha dancing softly in the background. It's plush, and spirited with lively, balanced tannins and acidity--finishes with purpose and stride.

Rating: 92| $40 | BUY

Later, I'll dig into Oregon's Tempranillo scene. If you have a Tempranillo you'd like covered, send me an email at pamela (at) enobytes.com.
A federal judge has blocked an Arizona state law that led to the shuttering of a popular Mexican-American history course in the Tucson Unified School District.

Judge Wallace Tashima on Wednesday declared the law unconstitutional, putting an end to state education officials efforts to restrict ethnic studies programs, or to require district officials to provide information about what is being taught in the classes.

Tashima said in the injunction that the ban was not for a legitimate educational purpose, but for an invidious discriminatory racial purpose, and a politically partisan purpose.

In 2013, Tashima had largely upheld the controversial law , which aimed to bar courses that promote resentment against a race or class of people or advocate ethnic solidarity. Tashima at that time said the law was not passed with discriminatory intent, but did admit to seeing some red flags.

Although some aspects of the record may be viewed to spark suspicion that the Latino population has been improperly targeted, on the whole, the evidence indicates that defendants targeted the MAS [Mexican American Studies] program, not Latino students, teachers, or community members who supported or participated in the program, the judge said in 2013.

But in 2015, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ordered the case back to the Arizona district court to determine if the ban was enacted with racist intent. Finally, this past August, Tashima ruled the ban did have discriminatory intent .

The Start of a Movement

The rise in ethnic studies course offerings in K-12 schools came about, in part, as a response to the ban on the Mexican-American course in Tucson public schools. The program, which teaches the contributions of Mexican Americans, was first launched in 1998 and later expanded under the districts desegregation plan. More than 60 percent of Tucsons enrollment is of Mexican or other Hispanic descent.

Since the ban was first enacted, more and more educators across the country have advocated for offering courses that present the history of communities of color as one way to engage diverse student bodies. The school board in Bridgeport, Conn., unanimously approved a requirement in October to make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement , making the district one of just a few in the country that have raised ethnic studies courses above the status of an elective.

Studies show that the courses provide students with several benefits. A 2016 study out of Stanford University revealed that taking a course examining the roles of race, nationality, and culture on identity and experience improved grades, attendance, and graduation rates. A study by the University of Arizona of Tucsons controversial Mexican-American studies program showed similar positive academic benefits for students.

All eyes are now on Tucsons school board members to see how they react to the ruling and what changes, if any, theyll make as a result.

Related stories:
Palestinian child Juneidi returns to his family

Symbol of the Jerusalem resistance, Fawzi al-Juneidi, was released after 20 days.

Fawzi al-Juneidi, who was recently arrested by Israeli soldiers, returned to his family late Wednesday.

Palestinian child told that he was badly treated and was exposed to violence by Israeli soldiers. He has been under arrest for 20 days despite he has a broken shoulder and several injures.

"THEY HIT ME ON THE HEAD"

After he was released, Juneidi stated that he was treated badly by Israeli soldiers. "I was very afraid as they hit me on the head." he told, describing his painful and bloodstained body.

Juneidi was taken into custody when he was trying to escape from teargas and brawl. He was taken to a prison "where I do not know" he said. I was tied up by plastic bandages and dragged away blindfolded the statement quoted the child as saying. He said he was kept inside a dark room, where he was beaten. I felt I was going to fall unconscious as a result of torture.





Statement by Defense for Children International  Palestine had reported that Juneidi had a broken shoulder and several injures.

ISRAELI MILITARY COURT DECIDED TO RELEASE

An Israeli military court on Wednesday decided to release Al-Juneidi on bail, according to a legal source. The court set Al-Juneidis bail at 10,000 Israeli shekels (roughly $2,860) after prosecutors withdrew an appeal against the teenagers release, lawyer Arwa Hilehel told Anadolu Agency. He will appear before the military court again on Jan. 14.

HE EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE TO PRESIDENT ERDOGAN

Reaching his family after days of detention, the boy expressed his gratitude to all who supported him and Palestine, including the Turkish nation and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright traveled to Kentucky to celebrate the holidays with Cartwright's family just weeks after Taylor admitted to sleeping with Faith Stowers on Vanderpump Rules season 6.

According to a new interview, Taylor and Cartwright have been "working through" his recent cheating scandal and were "in a good place" as they embarked on the holiday season.



"Were gonna be spending Christmas in Kentucky, and then the day after Christmas, were gonna go down to Florida, see my dad for a couple days, then were gonna shoot to Orlando and go to Disney, and then were gonna go down to Miami," he revealed to Us Weekly magazine.

Taylor admitted to cheating on his girlfriend of two years during the second episode of the sixth season of Vanderpump Rules after denying any such thing one week prior. Since then, he and his mistress, Stowers, have faced intense backlash on Twitter and Instagram.

Even Taylor's girlfriend has faced her fair share of drama online from fans who have criticized her for getting back together with her cheating boyfriend. As fans will recall, Cartwright vowed to dump Taylor if his cheating had happened but ultimately wasted no time hopping back into bed with him just days later.

Continuing on to Us Weekly magazine, Taylor said that he and Cartwright decided to forego Christmas gifts this year in lieu of a trip with their families.

"Were very fortunate, we work really hard, so if we usually want something, we buy it," he explained. "So this year, we decided to put everybody together and lets go on a trip."

That said, Taylor did admit that he wanted just one thing for the Christmas holiday: for his dad to be cancer-free.

"I want cancer to be out of my fathers body," Taylor aid. "If I can ask for anything right now, I just want my dad to be better."

On Dec. 4, Taylor revealed that his father, Ronald Cauchi, was battling the disease.

To see more of Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, and their co-stars, including Lisa Vanderpump, Stassi Schroeder, Scheana Marie, Kristen Doute, Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix, Tom Schwartz, Katie Maloney, James Kennedy, and Lala Kent, tune in to new episodes of the sixth season of Vanderpump Rules on Mondays at 9 p.m. on Bravo TV.
Selena Gomez is reportedly planning to celebrate New Year's Eve with her boyfriend, Justin Bieber, and according to a new photo, the couple will be doing so in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

According to a new report, Gomez is fresh off a trip to Texas where she spent Christmas with her family and ready to ring in the New Year with her boyfriend at her side.

Selena has one wish for her New Years eve party plans and that is to get a romantic kiss from Justin at midnight. After a rocky year, and lots of family drama surrounding Christmas, Selena is eager to spend her New Years eve with Justin, a source close to Gomez revealed to Hollywood Life on Dec. 27.

Although it is not known for sure where Gomez and Bieber will be when 2017 comes to an end, Gomez was recently seen arriving in Mexico via private jet with several friends. According to the second report by Hollywood Life, Bieber wasn't on the private jet with Gomez but his father, Jeremy Bieber, is currently in Mexico with his fiancee, Chelsey Rebelo.

As for Bieber, he was photographed in Ontario, Canada on Dec. 27.

While Gomez being in Mexico at the same time as her boyfriend's dad may be nothing more than a coincidence, it is likely a major sign that Bieber will soon join her in Cabo for a vacation and a New Year's Eve kiss.

She is so happy they found their way back to each other in 2017 and Selena has never felt better about her future with Justin. When the clock strikes midnight on New Years eve, Selena wants to be with her man, wherever that may be, so she can feel his arms wrapped around her and get a sweet kiss from him as 2018 begins, the Hollywood Life source added.

Although Gomez and Bieber appear to be loving the life together after their October reconciliation, their reunion has come as bad news to Gomez's family. In fact, according to swirling rumors, Gomez and her mother, Mandy Teefy, are completely at odds over the news and Gomez is hoping that Teefy will one day open up her heart to Bieber and give him another chance.

Gomez and Bieber were last seen together in Seattle, Washington where they enjoyed a visit to the Sugar Factory.
We are at the end of another year, here at Top Performers, and I, as is my usual custom, would like to take some time to reflect on the ground we have covered together in that time. This has been a year we are unlikely to forget for many reasonsreasons that have been covered in this blog and reasons that are outside its scope. While all of these pieces were written by me, I always feel that this Top 10" list really says more about you, the reader, and the world that you find yourself navigating. I hope you will enjoy this look back at some of the education issues and items that drew the most eyeballs, clicks, visits, or whatever todays parlance dictates we call it.

Teachers Pay: What On Earth Are We Thinking?

In this, my most popular blog of the year, I argued that with the United States facing the largest pay gap between teachers and similar professionals, per the OECD, it is long past time that we address this embarrassingly obvious problem.

Differences in Performance WITHIN Schools: Why So Much Greater Than in Other Countries?

The second most read piece on Top Performers in 2017 looked at the reasons why the United States has one of the largest gaps in student achievement within schools.

Have We Got Special Education All Wrong?

In this blog, I asked a very simple question that seems to have resonated with thousands of readers: Would disadvantaged students be better served with additional supports of a kind different than labeling them as special education students?

Our Students Cant Write Very WellIts No Mystery Why

The ability to write well is a foundational skill essential for success in career and college. However, I argued in this popular blog, that it is a skill that most of our students have not mastered by the time they leave college, never mind when they leave high school because our education system simply does not focus on it.

The False Choice Between Vocational and Academic Education

In this piece, I challenged the notion that policymakers must choose between a strong academic education and vocational education that prepares students for the working world of tomorrow.

College Readiness: Are Different Definitions Driving Inequality?

Another piece from early in the year that caught the attention of many readers, I explored in this blog how various definitions of college readiness for different students may be perpetuating the very inequalities our education system aims to address.

Germany Rapidly Improved Their Schools and We DidntWhy?

After disappointing PISA results in 2000, Germany reacted with system-wide reform while the United States responded with complacency, I argued here.

Trumps People: Understanding Thy Neighbor

I sought in this blog to better understand supporters of President Trump and explore the experience of those who have lost out in a globalizing economy.

The Netherlands: Top-Performing School System Looking to Get Better

In this piece, I spoke with Dutch State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science Sander Dekker about the Netherlands unique system of school choice and where its headed.

The School Choice Debate

In this, my tenth most-read piece of the year, I took a look at the domestic and international evidence regarding school choice, including charters, and what it means for building high-achieving, equitable school systems.

Thank you as always for joining me in this space. I hope the New Year is filled with good fortune for you, your loved ones and our mutual work of making the future a bit brighter for our students.
Kourtney Kardashian and Younes Bendjima appear to be quite happy with one another.

Earlier this week, the couple attended the annual Christmas party of her mother, Kris Jenner, at her home in Calabasas, California.

Although Kourtney's former boyfriend, Scott Disick, was also in attendance at the event, that didn't stop her and Bendjima from flaunting their love for one another and posing for a number of cozy photos in the party's photo booth.

On Dec. 28, Hollywood Life shared a series of photos of Kourtney, 38, and her boyfriend Bendjima, 24, revealing that the couple paid no attention to her 34-year-old ex-boyfriend as they cuddled and smiled together. In one of the photos, Kourtney is seen wrapping her arms around Bendjima as she smiles big.

Kardashian and Bendjima first met in Paris, France last year, around the time that Kim Kardashian was robbed by a number of masked men who came to steal her pricey jewelry. In fact, after learning her sister had been robbed, Kourtney received help from Bendjima, who speaks French and has family in the area.

While she and Bendjima were seen together frequently in the months that followed their initial meeting, they didn't go public with their relationship until this past summer, when they were caught kissing in Cannes, France.

In recent weeks, Kourtney and Bendjima have shared only a handful of images of each other on their social media pages. Also, when it comes to Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Bendjima has been mentioned just a few times.

Following Jenner's weekend Christmas party, a source spoke to Hollywood Life, revealing that Kourtney's former boyfriend, Disick, was reportedly under strict orders to be on his best behavior throughout the bash. He was also allegedly advised against causing any trouble with Bendjima. That said, the insider claimed there was "tension" in the air between the two men.

Everybody thinks Scott still loves Kourtney, but hes no good for her and shes moved onand theres no doubting that Scott isnt happy about it," the source explained. "Regardless of how badly hes treated her in the past, Scott always had this fantasy in his head that he could click his fingers and Kourtney would come running.

Meanwhile, the source added that Kourtney couldn't be happier with Bendjima.

To see more of Kourtney Kardashian and her family, including her sisters Kim and Khloe, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, don't miss the return of Keeping Up With the Kardashians Season 14 on Jan. 9. at 9 p.m. on the E! Network.
Here is the thing. What I am hoping to figure out is given my credentials, background, financial situation, ambitions etc, how likely is it that I will be granted residency? The reason I ask this is hypothetically, if I had good odds of gaining residency, I would be much more willing to invest, say 6 months, plunging into my French language studies. With my current ability, I would say that I would attain a high degree of fluency in that period of time; enough to socialize, work, be involved in formal business, take care of finances, and go about my life without any use of English, all without too much daily difficulty. That is however, a major investment of my time and energy, and one that I am reluctant to make if the immigration officer is only going to tell me I have no chance of being qualified for whatever reason, whether it's because they require a Masters or Ph.D., or they are only accepting applicants who intend to go into certain fields (biotechnology, medicine, computer technology) etc.



Worst come to worst, I have a good shot, but fall short. I can accept that. Then at the very least I'll have a stronger ability in a foreign language that I will probably never get to make use of, and suffer some reasonable disappointment. But I would rather have a shot with decent probability and try, than have zero chance due to some unknown criteria and have completely wasted my time and efforts.



Ideally, I would like to make some direct inquiries to a professional (immigration officer or lawyer) who could take my situation into account. At the very least, they could assess my situation and let me know what things I might want to do to improve my odds.



Or as an alternative: Say I visit Canada as a tourist for 6 months (legal by visitation laws), rent some place in Montreal, spend that time immersing myself in the language, attending meetups, while continuing my studies of the language, and during that time, do some professional networking. I find an employer who is interested in hiring an ambitious and energetic young American such as myself. They meet with me, agree to offer me a job provided I gain residency. I then leave Quebec, bidding the border officer farewell after a wonderful vacation. I subsequently apply for residency with the support of my job offer. How well would this idea work? Is it a long shot? Best case scenario: I get the job, temporary residency, I realize I love it there, and then apply for more permanent residency and have a great life in Quebec. Worst case scenario: I hate it there, pack up my bags and go home. Lol, sorry about all the hypotheticals. But I'm trying to determine the feasibility of this entire plan.
Do you have enough money to cover all of your costs while in Canada in addition to the tuition? CAD $17000/yr is not enough for 1 (one) person to live on in Vancouver, let alone a couple or a small family of 3.



You will need to prove that you have $$$ for



>> Food - there are Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan/Indian areas/markets in Vancouver so you can get the staples you're used to but still, you will need basics in your home.

>> Housing (Vancouver has very low vacancy rates and very high rent rates)

>> Clothing

>> Transportation (will you have a car? insurance for the car is mandatory and not cheap; petrol is around PKR 131.682/litre; you will have to pay to park the car... either in a public car park or on the street at a meter - if you are lucky, there will be a spot included in the rent of your flat; if you don't have a car, you will need to take the bus/SkyTrain, so figure on PKR 8,162.77/month per person for a 1 zone bus pass that will get you around downtown Vancouver, if you live outside of downtown, figure on PKR 11,057.16/month per person... your child will travel for free)

>> Health Insurance - you will need your own health insurance for the first 90 days of your stay then you must get mandatory health insurance - figure on PKR 13,168.73/month for you and your spouse for basic medical coverage; dental and optometrist coverage is not included nor are prescription medicines; again, your little one will not have to pay for health insurance.

>> Mobile Phone use (Canada is one of the most expensive markets in the world for mobile phone service... my Mum pays PKR 5,705.52 per month for a SIM only plan that has unlimited calls/texts and 10gb data)

>> Internet (not cheap)

>> television (also not cheap)... there are a few "free to air" stations but it's just local stations (news, mainly) - if you want to watch movies or sports, you will need to get a satellite package.

>> entertainment (cinema etc)



If you can show that you have the money in the bank for all of that plus the tuition fee for your entire program in advance and have an acceptance from Blanche Macdonald, then your chances of getting a visa are good.



The program is a good one (I know a few people who have gone through it) but it's awfully expensive, even for Canadian students.



You cannot automatically stay in Canada after your program is over... you will need to qualify for a post study work visa and not all programs are eligible.



Good luck to you!
Hello,



I went to pick up my updated residency card from the prefecture today. Since I had moved I needed to update the address as well as my "etat civil". Boy was that a huge pain in the ass to accomplish, but I finally was able to get it done.



Helas, I noticed when I got home that they made a very minor error on my street address (because, why wouldn't they?). The street name is missing an "n" when there should be two. At first glace you can't even notice it. I figure since this is such a minor error there is no need to go through the hassle of trying to get it fixed (even going to pick up the card at the sweet Nanterre prefecture was an "epreuve" in and of itself!)



My next step is to apply for nationality. I would hope this type of minor mistake would not cause any hiccups in the application process. All I know is I am NOT stepping into that g#$%@m prefecture again unless I absolutely have to! That place is the purest essence of hell on earth, I am convinced.



I should be good though, right?
So.. Finally did it, got all the details worked out and applied on Tuesday for my spouse visa. My "intent" to reside in France was a bit shaky with little more than my wife's uncle's address as a potential residence... But I figure doesn't applying for the visa at this point prove intent? That and we applied for 3 french passports for the children at the same time.



As a FYI for people looking for any Visa last week France rolled out a new "Application System" From what I can gather it is near useless other than to provide you with a language of choice wizard by which to answer the questions which it then uses to spit out a nice type written copy of the same application form they had before. It claims you can track your progress but it seems in no way linked or updated by the consulate... You also cannot edit your application after having "submitted" it and printed out the form to take to the consulate so I now have three of these things saved on their website which appear useless for any purpose other than printing another copy for myself. The guy at the visa office was somewhat aware of this change but was curious how it worked so we had a nice chat about it, I was the second he had seen and the girl just before me he had asked to rewrite the form using their form because I guess the printed form from this website has an older date or number than the one they were currently using but after talking with me he was fine to accept both as is since it came from the website in France.



Now to hope it all works out as planned. I have an interview in person with my potential french employer whom I have been talking with for two months now on the 16th of January. They paid full accommodations including near $3,000 for just the plane ticket, I don't see how they wouldn't hire me after that. But who knows, these French people are a bit weird. But I think we are showing up no later than May one way or another.:fingerscrossed:
When your family knows youre doing 365 Days of Tacos in San Antonio, your Christmas presents take on a certain flavor: Taco socks, taco mugs, taco dog toys.

Even taco poetry magnets for the fridge: Onion-power-giant. Guacamole-sensation. Atomic-taco-mouth.

This is the poetry of San Antonio in 2017, the year I traveled 6,000 miles to eat 1,387 tacos.

And the nation took notice. National Public Radio, Esquire magazine, Mashable.com and People Magazine all did pieces. And they all wondered if we really have 365 places to eat tacos. We do, with at least another years worth in reserve.

The trail ends here, for now. Its time to take the measure of the year, with San Antonios Top 25 Taco Places. Click through the slideshow above to learn about the best places for tacos in San Antonio, and keep reading below for a buffet of smaller categories.

After that? It seems like any town in Texas with more than 50 people has at least 50 barbecue shops. So in 2018, my Taste team colleague Chuck Blount and I will drill deep into San Antonios barbecue scene with a new weekly series, 52 Weeks of BBQ.

Follow us at ExpressNews.com/BBQ starting Jan. 5, or stay tuned Sundays in the Taste section.

But first, lets talk about the people, the places and the stories behind 365 Days of Tacos. Because its not just about tacos. It never was.

Like the day I watched a priest lay hands on a customer as they prayed outside the Little Taco Factory, and I wondered if they knew something I didnt. Or the time I sat next to a guy in a rhinestone jumpsuit at the all-night cirque du ole called Mi Tierra. The sign said, Mexican Elvis.

Then there was the Wednesday I ate liver and onions, beef sweetbreads, pigs feet and blood sausage  all at the same shop.

On a Thursday night, a tattooed canvas of a man threatened me at a taco truck outside a male strip club. On a Friday night on the West Side, a karaoke guy rigged a P.A. loud enough to part your hair. Through it all, the order bell never stopped ringing. Tacos dont care about karaoke.

When you argue about the best taco cities  and you do, a lot  remember that its the people who make the difference, not their addresses.

Fernando Santafe opened Mi Ranchito so hed have a place to play guitar with his friends. The cafe didnt last, but his flamenco guitar still rings in my memory.

Claudia Ayon went from a taco truck to opening Claudias Restaurant in the space of four months. Roberto Alfaro runs a late-night al pastor shop called Tacos Betos and still shepherds a taqueria in Monterrey, Mexico.

Mexico City-born Eduardo Gonzalez was making street-style tacos at Que Taco when he thanked the Express-News for showing what immigrants bring to our food culture. Especially in this charged political climate, was how he put it.

Ive learned some things along the way. Ive learned that you can call anything in a tortilla a taco in the same way you can call any political scandal a gate. But that doesnt make it right.

Ive also learned hundreds of taco shops in San Antonio open at dawn and close after lunch, keeping time with the work cycles of their customers. And Ive learned that I could use my hands to count the places that dont make their tortillas by hand in San Antonio.

Relive the year in tacos any time at ExpressNews.com/tacos .

After 365 Days of Tacos, Ill leave it to the fridge magnets to write the last line: satisfy-the-tortilla-dream.

msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking
A former Texas justice and prominent conservative religious leader has been accused in a state court lawsuit of sexually abusing a Houston man for decades, starting when he was a teenager.

The lawsuit, filed in Harris County, claims Paul Pressler III sexually assaulted Gareld Duane Rollins Jr. beginning in 1979, when Rollins was 14 and Pressler was a justice on Texas 14th Court of Appeals, and continuing until 2004.

Pressler, now 87, who served on the appeals court from 1978 to 1992, is a former state representative and former state district judge who was elected first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2002. The suit describes Pressler as a leader in the conservative resurgence movement among Southern Baptists.

Rollins worked in 2003 and 2004 as a personal assistant to Pressler and attended the same church as Pressler beginning as a teenager, according to court documents. Those documents include two letters ostensibly written by Pressler in 2000 and 2002 trying to gain Rollins release from prison.

The suit, a revised version of which was filed Dec. 14, seeks more than $1 million in damages.

Also named as defendants are Jared Woodfill, Presslers former law partner and former head of the Republican Party in Harris County; the First Baptist Church of Houston; the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and its president, Paige Patterson; and Presslers wife, Nancy.

The suit claims the other defendants knew or should have known about the alleged assaults and could have stopped them.

Pressler has categorically denied all of the allegations in court filings, as did the other defendants, and his lawyer filed a motion Thursday afternoon asking that the case be thrown out of court.

Mr. Rollins is clearly a deeply troubled man, with a track record of multiple felonies and incarceration, Presslers attorney, Ted Tredennick, said in a statement, and it is the height of irresponsibility that anyone would present such a bizarre and frivolous case  much less report on it.

Tredennick declined to answer any questions beyond the written statement.

The suit claims Rollins suffered ongoing mental health issues as a result of abuse that led to alcohol and drug problems and his incarceration in Texas prisons eight times for drunken driving, possession of controlled substances, forgery, burglary and parole violations.

Its not the first time Rollins has sued Pressler  he filed suit in July 2004 with his mother, Margaret Duryea, but the suit was dismissed two months later after an apparent settlement was reached, according to records with the Dallas County district clerks office and Harris County courts.

The case file containing the 2004 lawsuit has since been destroyed by Dallas County, as allowed under state law. But Rollins attorney, Daniel Shea, who also represented him in Dallas, provided a copy of the 2004 lawsuit, which accuses Pressler of physically assaulting Rollins during a trip to Dallas in November 2003.

In August 2016, Rollins filed a notice of intent to file a lawsuit against Pressler in Harris County to force him to set aside funds to pay out the remaining balance of the 2004 settlement agreement through 2029. Thats when the payments are set to end, according to court documents.

Neither Woodfill, who represented Pressler in 2004, nor Shea would provide a copy of the settlement agreement. But the court documents filed in 2016 link the settlement directly to the 2004 lawsuit.

The notice seeks to question Pressler under oath about the settlement agreement.

The latest lawsuit, initially filed in October before being amended this month, accuses Pressler of ongoing sexual assaults over a period of years as Rollins moved from high school to college and later to multiple stints in prison.

Rollins met Pressler when he entered high school and joined a Bible study Pressler led, according to court documents. The suit says Rollins was raped two to three times a month, mostly at Presslers home.

The abuse was always in the master bedroom study, to which he retired with Duane, door closed, with his wife Nancy usually on the premises, according to the suit.

The suit claims the Bible study was done through First Baptist Church, but attorney Barry Flynn said the church has no record of Pressler ever leading any youth groups there. He said the Bible study may have been through another church.

In the motion filed this week to have the lawsuit dismissed, Presslers lawyer argues that Rollins waited too long to file the legal action, since by his own admission the last alleged assault would have been in 2004. The statute of limitations would have expired by 2009 for any of the allegations raised in the suit, according to the motion.

Presslers lawyer rejects the argument from Rollins that those statutes do not apply because of the resurfacing of repressed memories.

Rollins began racking up criminal charges after he began college, starting with a 1985 misdemeanor charge of possessing marijuana in Harris County. By 2014, he had been charged six times with driving while intoxicated; twice with theft; multiple counts of forgery; and three times with possession of a controlled substance, including heroin.

During his last stint in prison on a 2014 DWI case, Rollins made an outcry to a prison psychologist in 2015 about years of abuse by Pressler, according to the suit.

After Rollins was paroled in 2016, Shea recommended he see a psychologist, Dr. Harvey A. Rosenstock, who concluded Rollins was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse. Rosenstock, who Shea said is not a hired expert, said Rollins was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, according to documents filed with the latest lawsuit.

The recent lawsuit avoids the statute of limitations because the repressed memories only recently came to light, Shea said.

Pressler outlined a close relationship with Rollins in two letters sent to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in 2000 and 2002, urging that he be released on parole. The letters were included in court filings in Harris County.

Pressler wrote in the first letter that Rollins  the youngest of five children  struggled after his parents divorced, and he promised to talk to him every day except for when I am out of town if Rollins were released.

After the state board rejected the parole request, Pressler wrote again in 2002.

I have known Duane most of his life, Pressler wrote. He was in the youth group at church which my wife and I led when he was in high school.  He is a gentle person who has never done any physical violence to anyone, but one who has made some very serious mistakes.  I am very excited about the possibility of Duanes parole.

Pressler wrote that his law firm, Woodfill and Pressler, would provide Rollins with a job as a personal assistant to Pressler once he was released from prison.

I would be personally involved in every bit of Duanes life with supervision and control, Pressler wrote. I have various speaking engagements and would want him to travel with me and drive for me. I also need him to handle miscellaneous matters for me.

Rollins was released in 2003 and worked for the Woodfill and Pressler law firm until 2004 on a contract basis, Woodfill confirmed. During that time, Rollins accompanied Pressler on a trip to Algeria, the suit says, but does not include any allegation of misconduct.

Shea said he could not comment on why his client did not seek criminal charges rather than a civil case now or in 2004, saying that fell beyond his purview.
Despite a strengthening forecast of full-blown winter, Tricentennial officials say the celebration and music acts set for Hemisfair on New Years Eve will proceed unless the weather gets so bad that police say people should not drive.

The National Weather Service doesnt get very specific about what weather will do 72 hours before an event, even if the event opens a major citys 300th anniversary year. But meteorologists said Wednesday that conditions will be ripe for freezing rain by Sunday morning.

Winter weather is complex, NWS meteorologist Steve Smart said Wednesday evening. Its one thing to forecast surface conditions, but quite another to forecast atmospheric conditions at a certain time of day. The best we can do right now is to say some very cold air is coming and there could be enough precipitation to cause sleet. But well know much more 24 to 48 hours out.

The citys annual New Years Eve party is doubling as the launching pad for its yearlong Tricentennial observance. Therell be a Ferris wheel, fireworks and free performances by REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, the Last Bandoleros, Little Joe y La Familia, Flaco Jimenez and Sam Riggs.

Carlos Contreras, the Tricentennial Commissions interim director, said his crew is planning for a cold night Sunday and will monitor weather conditions closely, in consultation with the San Antonio Police Department and city officials.

But he fully expects the show, which starts at 4 p.m., to go on. Offered a scenario of freezing sleet and icy roads at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Contreras said he would not immediately recommend canceling it.

Weve had many a winter day that started like that and ended in sunshine, so all I will tell you is that well monitor everything hour by hour, he said, adding, with some humor, You wont pin me down as to what our cut-off time would be for pulling the plug.

The bottom line, said Contreras, is to expect the event to go as planned unless people are being advised to stay off the roads. If we think it should be canceled, he said, we will make that decision as early as possible, but we sure dont want to make that call too early. Conditions change quickly.

The fenced-in footprint for the event will be about eight acres, two to three times as large as previous years, and attendance within that area will be limited to a fluid 25,000, meaning folks can enter as others leave once the maximum is reached.

Tonya Baum, the events director, said the area will contain two stages, on the east and west sides, and that metal-and-fabric coverings, plus heaters, will be used to keep the bands and their instruments warm and dry. She said there have been no cancellations or weather concerns expressed by the musicians.

In previous years the fenced-in area held only about 5,000 to 8,000 people, Baum said.

We anticipate a much larger crowd than 25,000, said Contreras, adding that the maximum figure was determined by the fire marshal. Outside the fencing we will have much of Market and Alamo streets closed (to traffic), so there will be plenty of room for a lot more people.

He said the 80-foot-tall Ferris wheel, because of expected wet conditions on a grassy field at Hemisfair, will be moved to Alamo Street, near the Hilton Palacio del Rio hotel.

Contreras advised party-goers to use public transportation and check the celebrations website about what items can be brought to the event, adding that carrying a clear bag would help speed people through security.
Heres something certain to happen in 2018: Public figures will continue to screw up.

Whats more difficult to predict is who will admit it and who wont.

We saw a mix of both this year. Locally, contrition came easily to some and not so easily to others. For still others, it came not at all.

If you never admit it, perhaps, youre never wrong. Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood denied all year that he threatened to shut down the legal practices of two defense attorneys in February  even after a judge testified that he had and a second judge ruled the same.

Or perhaps even the unrepentant pay a price. A complaint against LaHood is pending with the State Bar; a public sanction still is possible.

Some acknowledged they had erred only when threatened with evidence.

In May, a security guard discovered then-Councilman Alan Warrick passed out overnight on a bench outside City Hall. Warrick denied hed been intoxicated, suggesting instead that a political opponent might have spiked his drink and put him there.

Yet, as the owner of a downtown bar prepared to release surveillance footage showing Warrick at his establishment on the night in question, the councilman quickly recanted. The price for Warrick, exacted by voters, was his seat on city council.

In the same election, District 9 candidate Lynlie Wallace insisted her primary residence was a house in the district. Only after San Antonio Express-News writer Josh Baugh went to the gated neighborhood and asked neighbors if theyd ever seen Wallace at the house  they hadnt  did she admit she actually was leasing out the home. (Wallace, apparently, was living in Austin.)

Others refused to take responsibility even when evidence implicated them.

Last month, as it became clear that the Tricentennial Commission had faltered in planning for the citys yearlong celebration, officials were quick to blame its volunteer committee. City Manager Sheryl Sculley continued to claim she wasnt involved in the flawed planning efforts  even after public documents showed the commissions former CEO had met with her on a monthly basis.

I havent been involved in the planning for Tricentennial, Sculley insisted.

At least one local figure owned up this year, in no uncertain terms.

I was wrong, Jeffrey Addicott told me in August. I screwed up.

That month, the St. Marys University law professor spoke at a rally in Travis Park in defense of a statue honoring Confederate soldiers. What got him in hot water was a threat to beat the living daylights out of any racists there.

Threats of violence, under any circumstances, whether in Travis Park or in the classroom or in the bar, are always unacceptable, St. Marys President Thomas Mengler said, and theyre particularly unacceptable for a professor at a Catholic university.

The university was right, Addicott told me.

Of course, denial never was an option for the professor; his speech was recorded by the news media, and his employer was displeased.

Denial still is an option, unfortunately, for state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, who was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment this month in a Daily Beast article by Olivia Messer.

A female political consultant claimed Uresti asked about her thong. A female Capitol reporter alleged he put his hands on her thigh and his tongue down her throat. Neither was willing to go on the record, as they still work in politics or journalism and fear either physical or professional retribution for coming forward, according to the article.

That fear is the fruit of Urestis power. Its why hes comfortable calling the reports unfounded and erroneous.

And power is what would make any public figure feel he or she is above taking personal responsibility. Whether contrition is required for comeuppance beyond 2017 remains to be seen.

Brian Chasnoff is a San Antonio Express-News columnist. Read more of his stories here. | bchasnoff@express-news.net | @bchasnoff
New Robin Hood

We see a new, Republican version of Sherwood Forest, as seen in the tax bill that takes from the poor, CHIP recipients, older Americans and even the IRS. And it gives President Donald Trump what some analysts estimate at $1 billion.

Millionaires and billionaires will see huge tax cuts in their dividends and pass-through businesses, and an inheritance tax reduction. Middle class folks get a few hundred dollars (if they can find a good job). Four million people will lose their insurance the first year and 13 million during the decade.

An additional fact: The richest 1 percent in the U.S. now own more income than the bottom 90 percent. Sherwood Forest has been cut down!

James C. Berbiglia, Helotes

Threats to freedom

Now we see that the Trump administration does not want the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to use certain words. We see the disparaging comments made by the POTUS regarding the FBI. We have seen the not-so-subtle threat to take the license away from a network, attempts to characterize careful investigative reporting as fake news, efforts to curtail the work of a special prosecutor. We also see the abandonment of world commitment to climate control.

We see allies no longer wanting to consider us as an honest broker in Mideast peace talks. We see a tax bill benefiting the rich at the expense of the working class rushed through Congress, and the not-so-covert gutting of the Affordable Care Act rather than an honest endeavor to try to make it work.

This partial litany should be sufficient to say, Enough is enough of this and the individuals who condone and enable such. We are slowly allowing freedoms and protections to those freedoms being nullified and/or eroded.

Will it take a knock on the door if you disagree or say something the administration doesnt want said, or if you are the wrong religion? Or ethnic background. Or race?

When it come times to vote, if its not too late, look back and see who supported or condoned all of the above. Need I say more?

James L. Larabee

Trump in shambles

Tom Fuentes, a 30-year FBI veteran and now law enforcement analyst, is troubled that President Donald Trump criticizes the FBI by saying this vital agency is in shambles and needs rebuilding.

Rep. Jim Hines also thinks the president is attacking a pillar of justice.

The reputation of the FBI is important to the country and the world.

Ironically, the president nominated two men for judicial posts that the American Bar Association found unqualified. One was asked basic court questions and could not answer any; the other wrote an essay supporting the early KKK. Yet the president, along with cooperative media outlets, is sullying the reputation of the FBI, the federal courts and our overall judicial branch of government.

With all the questionable actions with Russia by his staffers, could it be that it is the executive branch that is in shambles? Congress is already there with the GOP tax reform that has a 30 percent approval in public opinion polls.

Adam Castillo

Old-time Christmas

Re: Restore Christmas, Your Turn, Dec. 17:

I agree with this letter writer.

I know of a family with five or six children who, when they were younger, had a beautiful birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday, dear Jesus on Christmas Day.

I have an old Nativity scene from 1962, with the statues still shaded the original color, Mary in her blue and white outfit for the times. I set it up again before Christmas.

Just think how poor the stores would be without Christmas shoppers.

Ann M. Dwyer
Mi Tierras restaurant mural The American Dream captures a slice of local history thats also the colorful story of prominent Hispanics from San Antonio who distinguished themselves in uniform.

A pair of Medal of Honor recipients stand front and center among the famous faces in the mural, former Housing Secretary and Mayor Henry Cisneros among them. Master Sgts. Cleto Rodriguez and Roy P. Benavidez are part of the grand painting restored by artist Robert Ytuarte, a San Antonio native, as is U.S. Rep. Frank Tejeda, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War.

Yet there are many others who could be in that mural, all of them local Hispanic troops who walked down a road paved by pathfinders like Rodriguez and Benavidez. One of them, retired Marine Maj. Gen. Angie Salinas, credits those heroes and others that include Army Gen. Richard Cavazos with leading the way.

It brings tremendous pride, but my legacy goes back to 1783, said Salinas, the Marine Corps first Latina general officer. My descendants were among the first families to receive land grants from Spain, and so when you talk about legacy, it is stories of ordinary men and women whove risen because they understand country, they understand sacrifice.

Benavidez, Tejeda and Rodriguez, the nations first Mexican-Americans to earn the nations highest award for battlefield heroism, died many years ago. Cavazos, the Armys first Hispanic general and the second in the U.S. military, was buried last month at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Yet others are still here and making contributions well after re-entering the civilian world.

Army Maj. Gen. Freddie Valenzuela, who commanded U.S. Army South when it relocated to San Antonio and who retired in 2004, has written a book, No Greater Love: The Lives and Times of Hispanic Soldiers. He recalled growing up poor as hell on the West Side but found inspiration from his parents, who put themselves through college.

Valenzuela seized his educational opportunities and found mentors in Cavazos and Lt. Gen. Marc Cisneros, who led Panama-based U.S. troops in the 1989 invasion. A Brownsville native who grew up in Premont near the Rio Grande, Cisneros graduated from Central Catholic High School in San Antonio and St. Marys University.

I stayed humble, said Valenzuela, 69, of San Antonio. I never forgot where I came from. They didnt look at me as an Hispanic general, they looked at me as a general of Hispanic heritage, and they were very comfortable with me and me very comfortable with them.

Salinas, meanwhile, is CEO of the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, a group that has 14,500 members ranging from 5 to 18 years old in 21 counties.

Its an incredible sense of pride, she said of rising to a two-star general. It wasnt just my achievement, it was the entire culture celebrating with me, and if there is anything its how we all celebrated it as a group. And I like to tell people the best part of this is I will not be the last.

The military in decades past was perhaps the one place minorities could bypass the headwinds of racism that were prevalent throughout civilian society. As a young officer, Cavazos became one of the most decorated soldiers of the Korean War and was recognized as a superb leader and battlefield tactician. He received the Silver Star, the nations third-highest award for battlefield gallantry, in Korea and Vietnam but was known for his close bonds with the troops he led into combat.

All of us got letters from the general over the last 50 years, and in those letters he would always use the word love  how he loved his boys, said Bill Fee, a private first class who survived his wounds because Cavazos ordered resupply helicopter pilots to fly him out of a Nov. 1, 1967, night battle. He even quoted one letter where he said, I am proud to call you brother. And this was a four-star general, and we were all privates and corporals and sergeants.

Battlefield exploits have long served as a measure of true soldiering, and Hispanics who called San Antonio home have etched their names in the annals of American military history. They include Benavidez, Rodriguez, Jose Lopez, Spc. Santiago Jesus Everia, Sgt. 1st Class Jose Rodela, Richard Louis Rocco, Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez and David Barkley.

The night before his death in 1990 at 67, Cleto Rodriguez watched a film about the Battle of Manila in the Philippines. It was an odd closing of the circle, for it was there he earned the Medal of Honor. Rodriguez and two other GIs recaptured a railroad station in a battle in which 82 of 200 Japanese defenders were killed.

A San Marcos native who came to San Antonio after his parents died when he was 9, Rodriguez was highly decorated, earning the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and Medal of Military Merit, Mexicos highest award. President Harry Truman presented the Medal of Honor to him at the White House in 1945.

I just saw what had to be done and did it, Rodriguez told the San Antonio Express-News 30 years later.

Sgt. Jose M. Lopezs heroic acts were borne of desperation when, a week before Christmas 1944, Germany launched the Battle of the Bulge and drove the Allies into a disorganized retreat. He carried a Browning automatic rifle on a slice of snowy terrain near Krinkelt, Belgium, when the Germans threatened to overrun his position.

Alarmed to see that the left flank of his Company K faced a phalanx of enemy infantry and tanks, Lopez grabbed his BAR and dived into a shallow hole. He killed 10 Germans almost immediately, then took out 25 more as a tank fired on him.

Soon after, Lopez was blown backward by the concussion of enemy fire, but it wasnt over. He took up a new position and began pouring fire even as the Germans gained ground, yet single-handedly slowed them to a crawl before forming a new line with his men. It went on that way until he ran out of ammunition.

Through it all, Lopez prayed to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

I was praying, he said, because I was afraid.

Raul Perez Benavidez was born in 1935 in the tiny South Texas German community of Lindenau. He was a sharecroppers son but never got to know his parents, Salvador and Teresa Benavidez, who died a year apart. He and a younger brother, Rogelio, grew up with an uncle and were migrant farmworkers, toiling from dawn to dusk in sugar beet and cotton fields from West Texas to Colorado.

Benavidez didnt go to school much, maybe a few months a year, and got as far as the eighth grade before joining the Army and earning a high school diploma.

Three months into his second tour of Vietnam, he became part of a desperate battle. It was the morning of May 2, 1968, and a dozen fellow soldiers on a secret mission in Cambodia found themselves surrounded by a North Vietnamese regiment.

Minutes into the battle, Benavidez was wounded in the right leg, face and head while running through enemy fire. He reorganized the men, carried the wounded to helicopters and found classified documents from a dead team leader. He collected more of the wounded, called in airstrikes and directed fire from gunships, all the while being shot and hit in the back by grenade fragments. He was clubbed in the head but kept fighting back.

When told what he did was extraordinary, Benavidez replied, No, thats duty.

As he stood at a helipad on a Saturday afternoon 14 years ago this month in Baghdad, Ricardo Sanchez had reason to feel a sense of deep pride. A kid whose dad had to use the back door to enter a McAllen bar, he grew up knowing that no one expected him to succeed. Thats how it was on the Texas border, but in December 2003 he was a three-star general commanding all coalition forces in Iraq.

Looking back, Sanchezs rise was an improbable journey. The first home he can remember is a wood house on the outskirts of Rio Grande City, a metal table dividing a single room into a bedroom and kitchen shared by Sanchez and two siblings. There was no indoor plumbing.

Sanchez had a hero: his mother, Maria Elena Sauceda, who divorced when he was 9.

His mom got her General Educational Development diploma. He joined the National Honor Society and JROTC in high school, posted a 1300 on his SAT and won four-year Army and Air Force college scholarships. Years later, Sanchez led a surprise tank and infantry raid in a sandstorm on an Iraqi base in Nasiriyah, destroying most of the enemy tank battalion.

Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey rated Sanchezs battalion the best of 26 under his command during Gulf War I. On the day he replaced Lt. Gen. William Wallace in mid-June 2003 as commander of U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq, Sanchez already had achieved distinction: He was one of just eight Hispanics ever to rise to the rank of general in the Army.

sigc@express-news.net
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department game wardens work day and night to protect the states natural resources and risk their lives in swift water rescues, pursuits of narcotics smugglers and encounters with sometimes violent poachers.

But wardens also encounter weird situations, jaw-dropping whoppers told by poachers trying to cover their misdeeds and lawbreakers posting on social media.

Here are some of the more peculiar incidents compiled from TPWDs 2017 Game Warden Field Notes, which have been condensed for space.

Cant make this stuff up: A game warden at Lake Corpus Christi checked two anglers licenses and asked what they were using for bait. The reply? Woodpecker. Sure enough, three were in the cooler. The fishermen also admitted killing an eight-point buck the year before without a license and using it for bait, too. Water safety, fishing and hunting citations were issued. Charges and restitution for the deer and birds are pending.

Fawn photo at the Alamo: A Bexar County game warden called by security at the Alamo about a woman walking a white-tailed fawn on a leash discovered she picked up the fawn on the side of a road. The woman said she was taking Fourth of July family photos. The warden explained the state law forbidding possession of game animals. The fawn was seized and taken to a wildlife rehabilitator.

Coopers hawk down: A Facebook group notified game wardens about a protected Coopers hawk being killed and sent screen shots of a suspect posing with it. The text read, Killed my first hawk today. I found him in the pigeon coop eating this pigeon. I picked up the shovel and killed him!

The naked truth: An Upshur County man was arrested by a Gregg County warden while hunting in the nude along a state highway. Obviously, he didnt have a hunting license. The nudist/activist contested the charges. At the trial, the county judge viewed the wardens bodycam footage. After a few seconds, the judge stopped the video and ruled in the states favor. The nude dude settled the citations, which included hunting without a license, shooting across a property line and disorderly conduct.

Jail is this way: A vehicle in cross traffic stopped in front of a warden waiting at a red light in Fort Stockton. When the man got out of his vehicle and approached, the warden ordered him to return to his car and get out of the roadway. The subject ignored the instructions, saying he just wanted directions. The warden noticed signs of intoxication, administered field sobriety tests and arrested the man. Tests at the Pecos County Jail indicated the man had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit. He was charged with DWI.

OMG, LOL, SMH: Harris County wardens monitoring a development property for illegal hunting encountered two men in a UTV. Both carried rifles, and blood was visible on their clothes and the vehicle. Wardens determined neither suspect had consent to hunt on the property. Both claimed the blood was from a feral hog they had shot. A warden asked when it happened. While viewing text messages with the other suspect, the man scrolled upon a photo of an eight-point buck his friend had sent at the time he claimed the hog had been killed. Both confessed to poaching the deer. The deer head and meat were seized at a nearby home. Multiple citations were issued. Civil restitution is pending.

Never fails: Sabine County wardens deployed an old tactic for catching road hunters  Bucky the deer decoy  at Moore Plantation WMA. A white SUV rolled to a stop. The driver took a shot. Realizing the deer was fake, he accelerated away and was pursued by wardens. Local law enforcement located the vehicle on a dead-end road. The female passenger was cited and released to her mother. The male driver was arrested for evading arrest, hunting deer at night, hunting deer with a light and hunting from a vehicle. The cases are pending.

Im headed to jail: A Smith County warden drove up on a van stopped on a county road with its emergency flashers on. The driver was urinating in the middle of the road. Asked what he was doing, the driver said he was heading to jail because he was intoxicated. He also admitted to being arrested five days earlier by state park police for DWI. The driver was arrested for DWI.

A big splash: Webb County game wardens responded to a call for assistance from the Border Patrol and Laredo Police Department on a vehicle splashdown in the Rio Grande. The police had attempted to conduct a traffic stop. A pursuit ensued. The suspect drove into the river attempting to flee to Mexico. Wardens assisted in retrieving the vehicle and discovered 415 pounds of marijuana in the back seat and rear compartments. The driver was taken into custody.

Skunked: A Rockwall County warden responded to a call from a local law officer about a traffic stop involving three subjects who had been shooting rabbits from a road. The warden saw three young men standing at a truck with a bed full of dead rabbits. One was wearing only a hat, boots and brightly colored underwear. The subjects said they shot a skunk, and when the man approached, it sprayed him. The others wouldnt let him back in the truck with his clothes on.

John Goodspeed is a freelance writer. Email him at john@johngoodspeed.com.
Massacre At Wounded Knee, 1890

Printer Friendly Version >>> On the morning of December 29, 1890, the Sioux chief Big Foot and some 350 of his followers camped on the banks of Wounded Knee creek. Surrounding their camp was a force of U.S. troops charged with the responsibility of arresting Big Foot and disarming his warriors. The scene was tense. Trouble had been brewing for months. The hope of

the Ghost Dance

The once proud Sioux found their free-roaming life destroyed, the buffalo gone, themselves confined to reservations dependent on Indian Agents for their existence. In a desperate attempt to return to the days of their glory, many sought salvation in a new mysticism preached by a Paiute shaman called Wovoka. Emissaries from the Sioux in South Dakota traveled to Nevada to hear his words. Wovoka called himself the Messiah and prophesied that the dead would soon join the living in a world in which the Indians could live in the old way surrounded by plentiful game. A tidal wave of new soil would cover the earth, bury the whites, and restore the prairie. To hasten the event, the Indians were to dance the Ghost Dance. Many dancers wore brightly colored shirts emblazoned with images of eagles and buffaloes. These "Ghost Shirts" they believed would protect them from the bluecoats' bullets. During the fall of 1890, the Ghost Dance spread through the Sioux villages of the Dakota reservations, revitalizing the Indians and bringing fear to the whites. A desperate Indian Agent at Pine Ridge wired his superiors in Washington, "Indians are dancing in the snow and are wild and crazy....We need protection and we need it now. The leaders should be arrested and confined at some military post until the matter is quieted, and this should be done now." The order went out to arrest Chief Sitting Bull at the Standing Rock Reservation. Sitting Bull was killed in the attempt on December 15. Chief Big Foot was next on the list. When he heard of Sitting Bull's death, Big Foot led his people south to seek protection at the Pine Ridge Reservation. The army intercepted the band on December 28 and brought them to the edge of the Wounded Knee to camp. The next morning the chief, racked with pneumonia and dying, sat among his warriors and powwowed with the army officers. Suddenly the sound of a shot pierced the early morning gloom. Within seconds the charged atmosphere erupted as Indian braves scurried to retrieve their discarded rifles and troopers fired volley after volley into the Sioux camp. From the heights above, the army's Hotchkiss guns raked the Indian teepees with grapeshot. Clouds of gun smoke filled the air as men, women and children scrambled for their lives. Many ran for a ravine next to the camp only to be cut down in a withering cross fire. When the smoke cleared and the shooting stopped, approximately 300 Sioux were dead, Big Foot among them. Twenty-five soldiers lost their lives. As the remaining troopers began the grim task of removing the dead, a blizzard swept in from the North. A few days later they returned to complete the job. Scattered fighting continued, but the massacre at Wounded Knee effectively squelched the Ghost Dance movement and ended the Indian Wars. ADVERTISMENT Eyewitness to a Massacre

Philip Wells was a mixed-blood Sioux who served as an interpreter for the Army. He later recounted what he saw that Monday morning: "I was interpreting for General Forsyth (Forsyth was actually a colonel) just before the battle of Wounded Knee, December 29, 1890. The captured Indians had been ordered to give up their arms, but Big Foot replied that his people had no arms. Forsyth said to me, 'Tell Big Foot he says the Indians have no arms, yet yesterday they were well armed when they surrendered. He is deceiving me. Tell him he need have no fear in giving up his arms, as I wish to treat him kindly.' Big Foot replied, 'They have no guns, except such as you have found.' Forsyth declared, 'You are lying to me in return for my kindness.' During this time a medicine man, gaudily dressed and fantastically painted, executed the maneuvers of the ghost dance, raising and throwing dust into the air. He exclaimed 'Ha! Ha!' as he did so, meaning he was about to do something terrible, and said, 'I have lived long enough,' meaning he would fight until he died. Turning to the young warriors who were squatted together, he said 'Do not fear, but let your hearts be strong. Many soldiers are about us and have many bullets, but I am assured their bullets cannot penetrate us. The prairie is large, and their bullets will fly over the prairies and will not come toward us. If they do come toward us, they will float away like dust in the air.' I turned to Major Whitside and said, 'That man is making mischief,' and repeated what he had said. Whitside replied, 'Go direct to Colonel Forsyth and tell him about it,' which I did. Forsyth and I went to the circle of warriors where he told me to tell the medicine man to sit down and keep quiet, but he paid no attention to the order. Forsyth repeated the order. Big Foot's brother-in-law answered, 'He will sit down when he gets around the circle.' When the medicine man came to the end of the circle, he squatted down. A cavalry sergeant exclaimed, 'There goes an Indian with a gun under his blanket!' Forsyth ordered him to take the gun from the Indian, which he did. Whitside then said to me, 'Tell the Indians it is necessary that they be searched one at a time.' The young warriors paid no attention to what I told them. I heard someone on my left exclaim, 'Look out! Look out!' I saw five or six young warriors cast off their blankets and pull guns out from under them and brandish them in the air. One of the warriors shot into the soldiers, who were ordered to fire into the Indians. I looked in the direction of the medicine man. He or some other medicine man approached to within three or four feet of me with a long cheese knife, ground to a sharp point and raised to stab me. He stabbed me during the melee and nearly cut off my nose. I held him off until I could swing my rifle to hit him, which I did. I shot and killed him in self-defense. Forsyth and I went to the circle of warriors where he told me to tell the medicine man to sit down and keep quiet, but he paid no attention to the order. Forsyth repeated the order. Big Foot's brother-in-law answered, 'He will sit down when he gets around the circle.' When the medicine man came to the end of the circle, he squatted down. A cavalry sergeant exclaimed, 'There goes an Indian with a gun under his blanket!' Forsyth ordered him to take the gun from the Indian, which he did. Whitside then said to me, 'Tell the Indians it is necessary that they be searched one at a time.' The young warriors paid no attention to what I told them. I heard someone on my left exclaim, 'Look out! Look out!' I saw five or six young warriors cast off their blankets and pull guns out from under them and brandish them in the air. One of the warriors shot into the soldiers, who were ordered to fire into the Indians. I looked in the direction of the medicine man. He or some other medicine man approached to within three or four feet of me with a long cheese knife, ground to a sharp point and raised to stab me. He stabbed me during the melee and nearly cut off my nose. I held him off until I could swing my rifle to hit him, which I did. I shot and killed him in self-defense. Troop 'K' was drawn up between the tents of the women and children and the main body of the Indians, who had been summoned to deliver their arms. The Indians began firing into 'Troop K' to gain the canyon of Wounded Knee creek. In doing so they exposed their women and children to their own fire. Captain Wallace was killed at this time while standing in front of his troops. A bullet, striking him in the forehead, plowed away the top of his head. I started to pull off my nose, which was hung by the skin, but Lieutenant Guy Preston shouted, 'My God Man! Don't do that! That can be saved.' He then led me away from the scene of the trouble." References:

Brown, Dee, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1971); Jensen, Richard, et. al, Eyewitness at Wounded Knee (1991); Utley, Robert M., The Last Days of the Sioux Nation (1963); Wells, Philip, "Ninety-six Years among the Indians of the Northwest", North Dakota History, 15, no. 2 (1948). How To Cite This Article:

"Massacre At Wounded Knee, 1890," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (1998).
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Freda Lightfoot tells us a bit about herself upon the release of her new book Peace In My Heart.

Peace In My Heart

Where was I born?

In Lancashire, brought up behind my parents shoe shop. As an only child more often than not I was lost in my imagination, and scribbled what you might call fan-fiction in little red notebooks. Writing was considered an exotic ambition so I qualified and worked as a teacher before getting married and moving to the Lake District.

When did I begin to write?

I started writing articles and short stories on my old portable typewriter for children when mine were young. My first was called An Elizabethan Toothache, published by Todays Guide in 1972, and I wrote many more.

Running a book shop.

I opened a book shop thinking I could mind my children, augment our income and in between customers write a novel. Such was my dream. I loved having access to books, but supplying libraries and schools, I had less time to read let alone write. In the wee small hours, I would still scribble away, although rarely did I send anything out.

How did I first get published?

Once I sold the shop, we bought a half derelict house high on the fells in the Lake District, together with one hectare of land, and enjoyed the Good Life, my husband working as a lawyer and me keeping hens and sheep. I wrote over forty short stories and articles for womens magazines.

What did I write next?

Weary of the cold weather in the Lakes we moved to Cornwall and I tried writing for Mills & Boon. It took three rejects before they accepted Madeiran Legacy. What a thrill that was! I wrote them five books then remembering trekking up the fellside on a freezing night to check if our sheep were about to lamb, or to feed a pet lamb, I wrote the Luckpenny Land series. I sold it to Hodder & Stoughton and have written more sagas set in the Lakes, Manchester or Cornwall, and also historical romances. A total so far of 48 books.

Where do I get my inspiration?

From life and memory of my family. Pollys Pride was inspired by the story of my great aunt Hannah who also sold all her furniture in order to finance a second hand carpet business. A part of Peace in My heart was inspired by memory of my grandparents running a boarding house in Blackpool throughout the war and years following. I created a story about the problems suffered by children whod been evacuated.

What are my hobbies?

Reading and the theatre, having been involved in amateur dramatics in my youth. Walking, travel and cruises, now weve reached that certain age. Good holidays are rewards for my hard work, as I have no intention of ever retiring.

Where do we live now?

In Southern Spain during the winter, having an arthritis problem it has helped to resolve, and back in the North West during the summer, both places we love.

What are my favourite books?

I love historical fiction. As a young girl I read everything published by Anya Seton, Jean Plaidy and Norah Loft. Now I enjoy Judith Lennox, Lucinda Riley, Leah Fleming, Amanda Prowse, Janet Macleod Trotter and many more authors we discuss on my Readers group on Facebook.

What are my plans for the future?

To keep on writing.

Freda Lightfoot
In 2008 I returned to my hometown after spending a year in Australia. And nothing had changed, except me.I knew I could never live there again. Years later I found myself writing stories set in small towns in Norway. And no one was more surprised than me.

Linni Ingemundsen

Sometimes writing what you know is the best. When I was a child I once tried to write a story set in Oslo. It was very difficult because I had never been there at the time and the Internet wasnt really a thing yet. (I know, right?). The only reason I was placing it in Oslo was because the books I had been reading were set in big cities and it never occurred to me that a small town like my own could be interesting to anyone.

The Unpredictability of Being Human is set in a fictional town named Haasund. The reason why I chose a fictional town is because I wanted to draw inspiration from my childhood, but the same time have the freedom to make things up.

The small town gossip. In my book Dad is very concerned about keeping their things private, but of course he cannot control what people are talking about. The only thing he can do is learn to not worry so much about what other people think.

One of the things I like about writing about Norwegian villages is that no one has been there and I therefore have the opportunity to invite them into a whole new world.

I think there is a small part of me that envies people who are able to settle down and not have the need to move to a new place every five minutes.The people in Haasund dont know anything else. And I dont think they need to.
Maria Grazia Chiuri believes her slogan t-shirts have empowered women.

Maria Grazia Chiuri

The 53-year-old fashion designer made her mark when she became the creative director at Dior last year - which is the first time a female has held the title at the fashion house - as she created a range of tops with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's quote 'We should all be feminists' emblazoned on the front for her Spring/Summer 2017 collection.

And the creative mastermind is pleased with the reaction to her creations, because she thinks it was an "awakening" in the fashion industry and encouraged women to "claim their own role".

Speaking about the line, the mogul said: "A T-shirt, because it's so basic, is the easiest way to display ideas. I'm glad that so many women saw my T-shirt as a way to claim their own role in society, to make their voice heard. It's also quite an awakening for fashion, and what you can do with fashion.

"The white T-shirt, in all its simplicity, is an extraordinary tool".

And Maria believes she is able to continue to encourage women and help achieve gender equality with her designs.

She told Red magazine: "For me it's important that the younger generations pay attention, and I think the [Women's] March and those that followed - from London to my very own Rome - are proof positive of how women, as a global community, are beginning to realise that they are on the same team. It's a widespread feeling, not linked to any progression or practice, but more essentially something that is in the air, a sort of zeitgeist. It's up to each one of us to interpret this atmosphere, and I did it through clothing, and the images I can create though clothing, which only become relevant if they get out there. When people start talking about them, then they truly become icons of emancipation and equality."
Ruby Rose feels lucky to have worked with so many females during her career in light of the sexual harassment scandal.

Ruby Rose

The 31-year-old model and actress admitted she's saddened by the notion that she should feel "blessed" to have escaped unwanted attention, but she insisted everyone she's worked with has always been "so boundaried and professional".

Ruby said: "It feels ridiculous to say 'I'm so blessed' because that (harassment) should not be the normal."

Ruby revealed she didn't realise that by working with so many women during her career, she's in the minority in her line of work.

The Melbourne-born star told the Daily Telegraph newspaper in Australia: "I've been lucky not just working with a lot of females, which I didn't realise is as rare as it is, but that everyone I've worked with has been so boundaried and professional."

And while Ruby is sympathetic towards the women who have been the victims of sexual harassment, she hopes the scandal will prove to be a turning point.

She explained: "The only good thing about these horrible stories is it should now break open the conversation in every workplace."

Meanwhile, the model recently discussed her gender fluid identity, admitting she didn't feel as though she "fit the mould of a girl" during her childhood.

Ruby recalled: "When I was really young, my own understanding was that you had to be either a boy or a girl and I didn't feel like I fit the mould of a girl."
Gemma Merna doesn't think she'd return to 'Doctors'.

Gemma Merna

The 33-year-old actress has a temporary role in the medical drama, in which she played Abbie Whitwell, earlier this year and, although she thoroughly enjoyed her time on the programme, she doesn't think she'd reprise the part in the future.

Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, she said: "'Doctors' was just a small character, that I played, I played a doctor so it was very very different from Carmel [McQueen, her role in 'Hollyoaks'], ...and yeah she was very troubled, so it was a lot different from Carmel actually, so that was fantastic to do. And yeah we'll see what comes up. I think I've done my time now so maybe one of the other soaps?"

However, although she played a doctor in the medical show, she doesn't think a programme like 'Holby City' or 'Casualty' would suit her because she won't be able to pronounce the difficult words they use when diagnosing patients.

She explained: "Yeah you know what I always forget 'Holby' and 'Casualty', I think because the London... I don't think I'd be able to say those big words though. I'd be like to the script writers: 'How'd you say that again?' "

And the blonde beauty - who is from Manchester - doesn't think she'd ever bag a part on a show like 'EastEnders', which is filmed in London, because of her accent.

She added: "I think though like with 'EastEnders'. They don't really cast people, like 'Corrie', cast people from out north, so I don't think I'll ever get an audition really from 'EastEnders'. But, you know, I'm northern so it's just kind of sticking to what you do, I'd love to be back in a soap, I love the way it works the fast pace, the mental story lines, and everything about it."
In a recent meeting with Tolga Ertukel, the director of Turkey Homes real estate company based in London, UK, he gave Fethiye Times his expert opinion on the Fethiye real estate market for 2018and all looks to be very promising indeed.

Tolga told us  Fethiye has had a vibrant real estate market for many years, especially amongst British nationals and Turkish people who also enjoy the Fethiye region for annual summer holidays. Many have bought second homes here. Despite all the ups & downs of the market, we, as a company, have expanded our business, moved in to our new office just off the Kordon below the Cafe Park Teras and increased our property consultants for the Fethiye area. The strong GBP conversion against the Turkish Lira has given the Turkey Homes website an increasing number of hits, and we are receiving more and more interest from British buyers as this current conversion rate gives much better deals on property than in previous years, which is also excellent news for locals.

During our meeting with Tolga, he talked about the main reasons British buyers choose Fethiye when seeking to purchase holiday homes, permanent homes, and buy-to-let investment properties.

Fethiye

Fethiye Town, including the residential areas, Tasyaka, Patlangc, Karagozler etc, are all great areas for consideration. They are all close to the centre of town and have excellent access to the whole of the Fethiye area and beaches. There are a plethora of everyday amenities within walking distance which are active throughout the year.

Property prices are slightly higher in Karagozler due to its close proximity to the marina and stunning sea views.

Tasyaka, with its great value-for-money range of properties, is an all time favourite for the local Fethiye community. The addition of quality newly built apartment complexes offering a small range of on-site facilities, attract many British and European buyers too.

Cals Beach

The holiday resort of Cals Beach is another popular area. Close to the centre of Fethiye but with a host of local amenities, making the area perfect for year-round living as well as holidays with its wonderful stretch of beach.

A huge investment has been made into the new promenade from Cals to Fethiye centre and harbour. As a result, we are seeing further development and expansion with high quality modern/contemporary villas and apartments that feature sophisticated smart home technology and easy access to the main road. This is adding value to our business in marketing Cals to a much wider audience.

Ovack

The peaceful village of Ovack is ideal for investors looking for high summer rental yields. It is also a popular location for ex-pats who live there all year-round. The village has a selection of shops, restaurants and bars providing limited winter amenities.

Property in Ovack has become much more luxurious over recent years with developers feeding a demand for quality homes, yet prices are still very competitive compared to others areas around Turkeys southern coastline.

Tolga further adds

Our Fethiye office works closely with three of the top construction companies in Fethiye and regularly market their projects to a worldwide audience. This ensures our clients have alternative options before they make their final decision. Our advice to clients of Turkey Homes is to make sure they do plenty of research when buying property in Fethiye. The area sees many new developers promising low prices and quality builds that match top construction companies, however, some of these unknown developers will cut corners. We take great care and diligence in introducing our clients to reputable constructions companies with an excellent record in the business

Pop in and see us

Pop into our Fethiye office for a chat with our friendly, bi-lingual team.

The cay (tea) pot is always on and they will help you with the search for your ideal property in the Fethiye area; from re-sales direct from the owner to design and build with reputable architects and construction companies.

Further Information

For further information or to contact Turkey Homes please click on the advertisement in the sidebar at the right of this page or visit www.turkeyhomes.com

This is a sponsored advertorial brought to you in association with Turkey Homes.
Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA) has appealed to the government to withdraw duty on the import of cotton yarn, a raw material for the value-added knitwear sector, following the proposed withdrawal of custom duties on raw cotton import from India. The sharp rise in cotton yarn prices has hit the value-added garment sector hard.The prime ministers package for textile and apparel exporters announced on January 10 had declared a number of incentives, including withdrawal of customs duty and sales tax on the import of cotton yarn from January 16 this year, but no such step has been implemented so far, according to PHMA chairman Khurram Anwar Khawaja.

Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA) has appealed to the government to withdraw duty on the import of cotton yarn, a raw material for the value-added knitwear sector, following the proposed withdrawal of custom duties on raw cotton import from India. The sharp rise in cotton yarn prices has hit the value-added garment sector hard.#

He appealed to the government to abolish additional regulatory duty on cotton yarn that should be imported freely from anywhere, a Pakistani newspaper reported. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 27, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against RYB Education, Inc. ("RYB" or the "Company") (NYSE: RYB) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 17-cv-09261, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons other than defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired RYB's American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"): (1) pursuant and/or traceable to RYB's false and misleading Registration Statement and Prospectus, issued in connection with the Company's initial public offering on or about September 27, 2017 (the "IPO" or the "Offering"); and/or (2) on the open market between September 27, 2017 and November 22, 2017, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by defendants' violations of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

If you are a shareholder who purchased RYB securities between September 27, 2017, and November 22, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until January 26, 2018, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and amount of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

RYB Education, Inc. offers educational services. The Company operates kindergarten and pre-schools. RYB Education provides training in a variety of subjects and languages, teacher recruitment, guidance, innovative learning, development of children, rating systems, parents consulting, and other services.

The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) RYB failed to establish safety policies to prevent sexual abuse from occurring at its schools; (ii) RYB's failure to remedy problems within its system exposed children to harm and unreasonable risk of harm while in the Company's care; and (iii) as a result of the foregoing, RYB securities traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period, and class members suffered significant losses and damages.

On November 24, 2017, various news outlets reported that police have opened an investigation into RYB after numerous parents accused a RYB nursery of drugging and molesting their children. Beijing's education authority confirmed the police investigation in a statement. According to China's leading newspaper Xinhua News Agency, RYB has suspended multiple teachers at RYB Education New World after kindergarten students were "reportedly sexually molested, pierced by needles, given unidentified pills," and forced to undress and locked in a dark room. Parents reported that at least eight children have been abused at the school and that the children had given similar accounts with respect to their abuse.

On this news, RYB's ADR price fell $10.28 per share, or over 38% from its previous closing price, to close at $16.45 per share on November 24, 2017.

On the following day, several news outlets reported that Chinese police had detained teachers in connection with its RYB's child abuse inquiry. According to police reports, one of the teachers was arrested after needle wounds were found on at least eight children aged 2 to 6 years at the kindergarten. In a statement issued later that day, RYB announced it had fired the detained teachers, as well as the head of one of its kindergartens.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 27, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Cheetah Mobile Inc. ("Cheetah" or the "Company") (NYSE: CMCM). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.

The investigation concerns whether Cheetah and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here to join a class action]

On October 26, 2017, Prescience Point Research Group published a report asserting, among other things, that: (1) approximately 55% of Cheetah's second quarter 2017 consolidated revenue does not exist; and (2) the Company uses company-controlled or "fake" accounts on the mobile application Live.me to gift other users using Company money.

On this news, Cheetah's American depositary receipt price fell $0.37, or 4.39%, to close at $8.05 on October 26, 2017.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar slipped against its major counterparts in early European deals on Thursday. The greenback hit more than a 4-week low of 1.1947 against the euro and more than a 3-week low of 0.9798 against the franc, from its early highs of 1.1886 and 0.9863, respectively. Reversing from early highs of 113.34 against the yen and 1.3395 against the pound, the greenback dropped to a 9-day low of 112.66 and a 2-week low of 1.3454, respectively. The greenback weakened to a 2-1/2-month low of 0.7099 against the kiwi, more than 2-month lows of 1.2606 against the loonie and 0.7808 against the aussie, reversing from its prior highs of 0.7054, 1.2661 and 0.7765, respectively. The next possible support for the greenback is seen around 111.00 against the yen, 1.36 against the pound, 1.21 against the euro, 0.96 against the franc, 0.72 against the kiwi, 1.25 against the loonie and 0.79 against the aussie, respectively. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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.
BEIRUT, December 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Enabling Refugees to express their ideas and transform them into innovative projects

Amman hosts the final event ceremony to announce the competition's winners on January 28, 2018

hosts the final event ceremony to announce the competition's winners on A total of 1,809 applications were submitted from different Arab countries

The MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) for the Pan Arab Region announced that 20 teams from 12 countries qualified for the Innovate for Refugees semi-finals to compete during the final ceremony which will take place in the King Hussein Business Park Auditorium In the Jordanian capital Amman on January 28, 2018. The teams were divided as follows: 6 from Jordan, 4 from Lebanon and one from each of Kenya, Egypt, Tunisia, Sweden, France, Greece, USA, Germany, Austria and Turkey.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/623237/MIT_Enterprise_Forum.jpg )



The second edition of Innovate for Refugees witnessed wide participation, with 1809 applications from various Arab and international countries. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) accounted for 65% of applications, 25% were from Europe and the remaining 10% came from other parts of the world. Innovate for Refugees , in its second edition, succeeded in attracting more refugee participants, with their participation rate increasing to 25% compared to the 15% participation in the first edition. The participation of women has also notably increased, reaching 70%.

The qualifying teams are scheduled to undergo several training sessions on January 26-27, 2018 in Amman, before the final ceremony, which will be accompanied by an exhibition to showcase the semifinalist teams' projects in the form of a live demo. Conferences and discussion sessions will also be held to discuss investment opportunities, funding and innovation for the benefit of refugees with the participation of a number of specialists and experts in entrepreneurship and the world of startups.

Commenting on the project, Hala Fadel, MITEF Pan Arab Chair, said "The size of participation in this year's competition has been remarkable, especially by the refugees themselves, reaching 25%! We are working towards enabling refugees to express their ideas and helping them transform them into innovative solutions to the challenges they face in their camps. In this context, MITEF supported the React hub educational program that aims to attract refugees to enroll in computer training programs, which will be launched, for the first time this year, for two weeks from January 14-28, 2018. We have succeeded in attracting 513 refugees registered in this program and 25 have been selected. MITEF will work to provide job opportunities for participants in this program. We hope that these initiatives and activities will inspire young people to look forward to the future with optimism away from the difficult reality in which they live ."

Farah Shammas, Innovate for Refugees Director, pointed to the success story of Ahmad Al-Hidiq, one of the co-founders of HeyDoc. "Ahmad is a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon who was pre-selected in the first edition of the Innovate for Refugees. HeyDoc has become an award winning global telemedicine platform that connects patients anywhere with Doctors all over the world for the purpose of non-urgent medical advisory. This platform provides refugees, the poor and the needy in refugee camps, developing countries and rural areas access to doctors and health professionals to obtain medical advice."

About MITEF Pan Arab: Founded in 2005, the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab Region (http://www.mitefarab.org) is one of the28 worldwidechapters of the MIT Enterprise Forum Global, an avid promoter of entrepreneurship and innovation worldwide. The MIT Enterprise Forum- Pan Arab has a proven record in promoting MIT-style entrepreneurship by organizing each year the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition targeting 21 countries of the Arab region and attracting over12,000entrepreneurs a year.

For more information on the competition please visit: www.innovateforrefugees.org or contact:

Muzna Shihabi

M: +961-70982516

E: muzna@mitefarab.org




CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar fell against its major counterparts during early European deals on Thursday, as an overnight data showed that U.S. consumer confidence dropped in December driven by a less optimistic outlook about near-term conditions.



Data from the Conference Board showed that the consumer confidence index slumped to 122.1 in December from a downwardly revised 128.6 in November.



Economists had expected the consumer confidence index to edge down to 128.0.



Investors await initial jobless claims for the week ended December 23, preliminary readings on U.S. wholesale and retail inventories as well as the goods trade balance for the month of November later in the day for more direction.



Markets digested the impact of the Republican's tax plan, which would add to federal budget deficit.



The currency has been trading in a negative territory in the Asian session.



The greenback hit more than a 4-week low of 1.1947 against the euro and more than a 3-week low of 0.9798 against the franc, from its early highs of 1.1886 and 0.9863, respectively. The greenback is seen finding support around 1.21 versus the euro and 0.96 against the franc.



Reversing from early highs of 113.34 against the yen and 1.3395 against the pound, the greenback dropped to a 9-day low of 112.66 and a 2-week low of 1.3454, respectively. Continuation of the greenback's downtrend may see it challenging support around 111.00 against the yen and 1.36 against the pound.



The greenback weakened to a 2-1/2-month low of 0.7099 against the kiwi, more than 2-month lows of 1.2606 against the loonie and 0.7808 against the aussie, reversing from its prior highs of 0.7054, 1.2661 and 0.7765, respectively. The next possible support for the greenback is seen around 0.72 against the kiwi, 1.25 against the loonie and 0.79 against the aussie, respectively.



Looking ahead, U.S. weekly jobless claims for the week ended December 23, wholesale inventories for November and Chicago PMI for December are set for release in the New York session.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Piraeus Bank S.A. ("Piraeus" or the "Group") announces that it has entered into an agreement with J.C. Flowers Co. ("JCF") for the sale of its entire shareholding stake in its banking subsidiary in Romania, Piraeus Bank Romania S.A. ("PBR"), (the "Transaction"). The Transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of Piraeus Bank and the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund, and is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals by the relevant authorities in Romania. The Transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2018.

The impact of the Transaction on the Group's regulatory capital position is expected to be neutral.

"The sale of our banking operations in Romania represents another major step towards the timely execution of the Group's restructuring plan commitments, as those agreed with the Directorate General of Competition of the European Commission, as well as the implementation of the strategic plan of the Group, "Agenda 2020". I am particularly glad that going forward PBR will be owned and managed by one of the most well-esteemed international private equity firms with significant experience in the financial services space across numerous jurisdictions.", Mr. Christos Megalou, Group's Chief Executive Officer, said.

Mr. J. Christopher Flowers, CEO and Managing Director of JCF said:

"Piraeus Bank Romania has a solid solvency, liquidity, and asset quality profile in the fastest-growing economy in the European Union. We look forward to working with Piraeus Bank Romania to complete the acquisition and create a strong independent bank in the dynamic, local banking sector in Romania."

UBS Limited is acting as exclusive financial advisor of Piraeus Bank for the Transaction. White Case LLP is acting as international legal counsel of Piraeus Bank and Schoenherr si Asociatii SCA as Romanian legal counsel of Piraeus Bank for the Transaction.

About PBR

Headquartered in Bucharest, PBR offers an array of products and services to domestic and international clients, including retail, SME and corporate banking and as at 30 September 2017 had total assets of EUR 1.5bn. PBR operates through 99 banking units, employs over 1,300 professionals and has approximately 150,000 active clients.

About JCF

J.C. Flowers is a leading private investment firm dedicated to investing globally in the financial services industry. Founded in 1998, the firm has invested more than $15 billion of capital in 50 portfolio companies in 17 countries across a range of industry subsectors including banking, insurance and reinsurance, securities firms, specialty finance, and services and asset management. With approximately $6 billion of assets under management, J.C. Flowers has offices in New York and London. For more information, visit www.jcfco.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171228005189/en/

Contacts:

Piraeus Bank Group

George Papaioannou

Head of Press Office

+302103288830
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 12/28/17 -- Colt Resources Inc. ("Colt" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: GTP)(FRANKFURT: P01)(OTC PINK: COLTF) announces that Mr. Stefan Muller, the CEO of DGWA Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Wertpapieranalyse GmbH ("DGWA"), has advised the Company that he has issued a press release in relation to the Company. Mr. Muller also sent a letter to the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"). Mr. Muller claims that he represents the interests of shareholders of Colt holding a minimum number of common shares representing no less than 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Colt. Mr. Muller is requesting that the Company reorganize and readjust the composition of the current Board. If and when the Company receives a specific proposal from Mr. Muller or DGWA, the Board will consider such proposal and determine the appropriate response of the Company.

About Colt Resources Inc.

Colt Resources Inc. (www.coltresources.com) is a Canadian mining exploration and development company engaged in acquiring, exploring, and developing mineral properties with an emphasis on copper and gold.

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.

The Company's shares trade on the TSX-V, symbol: GTP; the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, symbol: P01; and, the OTC Pink, symbol: COLTF.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Certain of the information contained in this news release may contain "forward-looking information". Forward-looking information and statements may include, among others, statements regarding the future plans, costs, objectives or performance of Colt Resources Inc. (the "Company"), or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this news release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are based on information available at the time and/or management's good-faith belief with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described under "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, nor does the Company undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable laws.

Contacts:

John Gravelle

Interim President & CEO

Colt Resources Inc.

+1.416.568.2740

john.gravelle@rogers.com




Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 28, 2017) - Gunpowder Capital Corp. (CSE: GPC) (CSE: GPC.PR.A) (OTCQB: GNPWF) (FSE: YS6N) ("Gunpowder" or the "Corporation") announced today that it has entered into an agreement and has completed the sale of its equity stake in Advantagewon Oil Corp. (CSE: AOC) (OTCQB: ANTGF) ("AOC") of which Messrs. Kordy and Haber currently both serve as Directors of AOC.

In total, Gunpowder Capital Corp. previously owned Three Million ("3,000,000") common shares of AOC. Gunpowder Capital Corp. has sold the 3,000,000 AOC common shares to an existing investor in GPC who is also a consultant to the Corporation. Total purchase price for the AOC common shares sale transaction amounted to Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ("$450,000.00") CDN. The investor purchased the 3,000,000 AOC common shares from GPC by transferring Forty-Five Thousand ("45,000") of their Gunpowder Capital Corp., Class - A Preferred Shares into GPC's name. The Corporation plans on retiring the 45,000 Class - A shares it now holds.

About Gunpowder Capital Corp.

Gunpowder Capital Corp. is a merchant bank and advisory services firm based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Gunpowder invests in both publicly traded and private businesses that have successful management teams and attractive economic models. Gunpowder partners with these businesses to support their growth initiatives with its proven methodology of appropriate financing and structured exits. Gunpowder offers debt financing, including mezzanine and bridge loans, equity financing and advisory services. Gunpowder is also building a portfolio of companies in which it takes a long term position and view. For more information please visit www.gunpowdercapitalcorp.com.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Frank Kordy

CEO & Director

Gunpowder Capital Corp.

T: (647) 466-4037

E: frank.kordy@gunpowdercapitalcorp.com

Mr. Paul Haber

CFO

Gunpowder Capital Corp.

T: (416) 363-3833

E: paul.haber@gunpowdercapitalcorp.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither 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.

- 30 -
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. VERONIKA MARCOSKI, Respondent - Appellant, v. JAN RATH, Petitioner - Appellee. No. 16-17538 Decided: December 27, 2017

Before TJOFLAT, WILLIAM PRYOR, and JORDAN, Circuit Judges.

This case, which concerns a two-year-old boy named L.N.R., arises under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, T.I.A.S. No. 11,670, 1343 U.N.T.S. 89, as implemented by the International Child Abduction Remedies Act, 22 U.S.C.  9001 et seq. Veronika Marcoski, L.N.R.'s mother, appeals the district court's judgment ordering that L.N.R. be returned to the Czech Republic, where he was born. Jan Rath, L.N.R.'s father, defends the judgment. Because we write for the parties, we set out only what is necessary to explain our decision.

The district court adopted the report and recommendation issued by the magistrate judge, who held a seven-day evidentiary hearing. See D.E. 110; D.E. 84. The district found that Mr. Rath and Ms. Marcoski were in a committed relationship with a shared intent for the foreseeable future to live with L.N.R. in the Czech Republic. D.E. 84 at 16. See also id. at 39.

Ms. Marcoski argues that the district court erred in determining that the Czech Republic was L.N.R.'s habitual residence at the time she took him to the United States. The issue of habitual residence presents a mixed question of fact and law, meaning that we review the historical facts found by the district court for clear error, and we review the application of law to those facts de novo. See Ruiz v. Tenorio, 392 F.3d 1247, 1257 n.5 (11th Cir. 2004). So, we review the district court's finding as to the parents' shared intent for the child's habitual residence for clear error, and the ultimate determination of habitual residence de novo. See id. at 125657 & n.5.

In her brief, Ms. Marcoski challenges some of the district court's underlying factual findings (e.g., the finding that she and Mr. Rath were in a committed relationship and lived together in the Czech Republic with L.N.R. until January of 2016). She also contends that certain evidence establishes that L.N.R.'s habitual residence was not in the Czech Republic. See Appellant's Br. at 1921, 2535.

For example, Ms. Marcoski makes a specific challenge to the district court's finding that she and Mr. Rath lived together before L.N.R.'s birth and through January of 2016. She points to testimony from Mr. Rath, his parents, one of his witnesses, and two of her family members to support her contention that she and Mr. Rath never lived together. Although some of the cited testimony does support her argument that she did not live with Mr. Rath, some of it is unclear on the topic or suggests that the two were living together. Given that Mr. Rath testified that the two did live together, we cannot discern any clear error.

We recognize that Mr. Rath and Ms. Marcoski (and their witnesses) presented very different accounts of their relationship, and of their plans for L.N.R.'s upbringing. The district court, however, found that Mr. Rath was credible and [Ms. Marcoski was] not credible, and provided detailed reasons for its view of the evidence on important disputed issues, including whether they were living together. See, e.g., D.E. 84 at 1629. We owe the district court's assessment great deference. See Anderson v. City of Bessemer City, 470 U.S. 564, 575 (1985) ([W]hen a trial judge's finding is based on his decision to credit the testimony of one of two or more witnesses  that finding[ ]  can virtually never be clear error.). Deference is especially warranted here because Mr. Rath asserted firsthand knowledge of many of the relevant facts.

Ms. Marcoski is correct that the district court clearly erred in two of its factual findings. These errors, however, relate to subsidiary historical facts and, as we explain, do not change the fact that substantial evidence supports the district court's ultimate finding regarding shared intent. That is, any error made by the district court was harmless because there was plenty of other evidence proving the same [ultimate] fact. Bobo v. Tenn. Valley Auth., 855 F.3d 1294, 1300 (11th Cir. 2017). See also Mondaca-Vega v. Lynch, 808 F.3d 413, 427 (9th Cir. 2015) (But it is hardly conceivable that absent this [factual] mistake, the district court would have reached a different conclusion, given the ample other reasons to doubt the petitioner's credibility.).

First, Ms. Marcoski challenges the district court's reliance on a set of cable television documents to support its finding that she and Mr. Rath were living together before January of 2016. The district court stated:

The fact that, on May 11, 2016, Petitioner [Mr. Rath] canceled his cable subscription at his Sevcikova apartment, and then a few days later, on May 16, 2015, he opened up a cable subscription for the Maltezske apartment is highly persuasive that Petitioner and Respondent [Ms. Marcoski] were cohabitating and were moving residences in anticipation of L.N.R's birth.

D.E. 84 at 21. In fact, the two documents were not a few days apart, but about a year apartone in May of 2015 and the other in May of 2016as the dates on the documents indicate, and referenced the same apartment.

Notwithstanding this factual error, the testimony concerning the cable television documents still supports the district court's finding about cohabitation. The two documents referred to the same apartmentthe Maltezske apartmentwhere the district court found that the couple lived together. The May 2015 document shows that Mr. Rath started a cable television subscription at the Maltezske apartment, suggesting that he was going to move into that apartment. The May 2016 document reflects that Mr. Rath eventually cancelled the cable television service after Ms. Marcoski left the Czech Republic with L.N.R.

Second, Ms. Marcoski argues that the district court incorrectly found that the Maltezske apartment she and Mr. Rath shared was larger than Mr. Rath's, when in fact Mr. Rath testified that it was smaller. Ms. Marcoski is correct about this, but the error does not warrant reversal.

The district court referred to the size of the apartment in recounting why Mr. Rath claimed he and Ms. Marcoski moved into the Maltezske apartment. Mr. Rath testified that he and Ms. Marcoski moved into the Maltzeske apartment in part because Ms. Marcoski found it as a better place to stay, as it was close to the center of town and parks, and was in the historical area of Prague. See D.E. 62 at 197. The district court's error in describing Mr. Rath's testimony does not detract from the finding that the pair was living together before January of 2016. Mr. Rath provided a reason why Ms. Marcoski, despite the smaller size, would want to move into the Maltezske apartment. And, as noted, the district court found Mr. Rath credible.

In sum, we see no basis for setting aside the district court's credibility assessments and factual findings. Ms. Marcoski presents an interpretation of the evidence that could have allowed the district court to find in her favor, but [w]here there are two permissible views of the evidence, the factfinder's choice between them cannot be clearly erroneous. Anderson, 470 U.S. at 574.

We also conclude that, in the face of the conflicting accounts presented by the parties, the district court properly considered all of the available evidence to determine L.N.R.'s habitual residence. See Mozes v. Mozes, 239 F.3d 1067, 1076 (9th Cir. 2001) (adopted by Ruiz, 392 F.3d at 125253). Based on its factual findings, the district court did not err in concluding that L.N.R.'s habitual residence was the Czech Republic at the time of his removal to the United States. Cf. Delvoye v. Lee, 329 F.3d 330, 334 (3d Cir. 2003) (A newborn child born in the country where his parents have their habitual residence could normally be regarded as habitually resident in that country. (alterations adopted)) (quoting Dr. E.M. Clive, The Concept of Habitual Residence, The Juridical Review part 3, 138, 146 (1997))).

Accordingly, we affirm the district court's ruling.

AFFIRMED.

PER CURIAM:
PALM BEACH, Florida, December 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Canadian and North American Cannabis companies are quickly ramping up operations getting ready to meet the anticipated surge in demand when recreation customers could start ordering across Canada. Bill C-45, which will legalize cannabis across the country, largely leaves it up to the provinces and territories to determine how marijuana can be sold and used. Canada's Cannabis Act was introduced in the Canadian Senate this week, its last legislative stop. It appears the bill enjoys wide public support and the backing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.Retailers have been preparing to start selling legal marijuana in July, so the timing could be tight. But Canada's recreational marijuana market is expected to mean big dollars. Deloitte estimates the market will be at least $5B in sales in 2018, with an ancillary market of associated goods and services that could add another $20B.Current legalization efforts could be a wakeup call to all investors who were sitting on the sidelines as Canada is setting up and ready to make billions from legal marijuana operations.A few companies in the headlines this week include: Veritas Pharma Inc. (OTC: VRTHF) (CSE: VRT), Canopy Growth Corp.'s (OTC: TWMJF) (TSX: WEED), Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp. (OTC: CBWTF) (TSX-V: CBW), Namaste Technologies Inc. (OTC: NXTTF) (CSE: N), Future Farm Technologies Inc. (OTC: FFRMF) (CSE: FFT)

In major breaking developments in the industry today, Veritas Pharma Inc. (OTC: VRTHF) (CSE: VRT) (Frankfurt: 2VP) announces that Health Canada has issued its research and development subsidiary, Cannevert Therapeutics Ltd. ("CTL") a dealer's licence no. 2018/6970 under Health Canada's Section 56 exemption that will allow them to possess, produce, analyze, sale, send, transport, and deliver cannabis, hemp and related products.This is a significant step for CTL in that in conjunction with discovering and developing new therapeutic cannabis strains, it will also be a commercial service provider of diagnostic chemistry and biological testing for licensed producers under Health Canada guidelines. Read this full release and recent news releases for Veritas Pharma at: http://marketnewsupdates.com/news/vrt.html

Veritas Pharma CEO, Dr. Lui Franciosi, stated, "We are excited that Cannevert scientists will now not only be able to obtain a variety of cannabis strains and related products from multiple licensed producers in Canada, but also from around the world with newly acquired import permit. They will also be able to produce cannabis liquid extracts and even send them with an export permit to other parts of the world for further laboratory and clinical trial testing."

Although Cannevert's primary focus will continue to be the identification of new cannabis strains for the treatment of specific diseases and conditions, in the new year it will seek to expand its diagnostic chemistry team, purchase additional testing equipment and lease larger laboratory space on the University of British Columbia campus. The aim is to have a full contact service laboratory operating in later half of 2018.Dr. Franciosi goes onto say, "CTL will have an advantage over other analytical testing service providers in that it will also offer in vivo and in vitro assays to licensed cannabis and hemp producers to determine the therapeutic potential of their strains (e.g., batch-to-batch) under a contract research agreement."

In the near future Cannevert will also explore the feasibility of securing a license to grow select cannabis strains for research purposes within its laboratories.It is expected to be a more efficient process given that CTL has gone through the Dealer's license application process and the legalization of cannabis will occur in July 2018. As of January 1, 2018, Cannevert will be one of the over thirty laboratories licensed in Canada to conduct activities with cannabis and hemp: Health Canada: Laboratories licensed to conduct activities with cannabis.



In other developments of importance in the Canada and North American Cannabis Industry:

Canopy Growth Corp.'s (OTC: TWMJF) (TSX: WEED.TO) announced late last week its wholly owned subsidiary Vert Cannabis in Saint Lucien, Que., has obtained a production licence under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). Vert Cannabis is a 7,000-square-foot craft cannabis production facility located in the small town of Saint Lucien, Que."We're pleased to have obtained the licence and look forward to starting cannabis production in Quebec," said Adam Greenblatt, Quebec brand manager at Canopy Growth and cannabis industry pioneer. "The licensing of Vert Cannabis in Saint Lucien, combined with the recently announced Vert Mirabel joint venture with Les Serres Bertrand, positions Canopy Growth as Quebec's leader in both craft-scale indoor production and large-scale greenhouse production."

Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp. (OTCQB: CBWTF) (TSX-V: CBW.V) (doing business as Wheaton Income) has recently entered into a definitive agreement with its streaming partner CannTx Life Sciences Inc. to finance the construction of its cannabis production facility located in Puslinch, Ont. CannTx is a privately owned company that has applied to become a licensed producer under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). Health Canada has confirmed that it has completed its paper review of the application and that CannTx needs to submit a confirmation of readiness to demonstrate that the facility is eligible for licensing. Pursuant to the agreement, the company will provide CannTx with $5-million related to the initial costs for the phase I construction of the facility, which is currently estimated to be 13,120 square feet. In addition, the company will provide CannTx with $7-million related to the phase II expansion of the facility, subject to the company completing satisfactory due diligence and the parties agreeing to a construction budget and timeline for the phase II expansion. The phase II expansion is expected to increase the cultivation area of the facility to effectively 24,000 square feet of pure cultivation space by using innovative vertical grow technology.

Namaste Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: NXTTF) (CSE: N.CN) announced this week it has signed a letter of intent with BRLEV Agricultural Crops Ltd., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Cannmart Inc., whereby BRLEV will supply Cannmart with high-quality medical cannabis, to be imported by Cannmart from Israel and offered in the company's on-line marketplace. BRLEV is Israel's largest licensed producer of medical cannabis, with over 40 years of experience in commercial agricultural production and export. BRLEV will work with Namaste to export medical cannabis to the Canadian market, which will fall under Canada's Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations guidelines. The LOI and the proposed medical cannabis supply agreement highlight Namaste's intentions of becoming Canada's leading on-line retailer for medical cannabis products, by focusing on importation of high-quality medical cannabis from industry-leading countries like Israel. Namaste believes that the demand for imported cannabis and the opportunity it presents has been largely overlooked. This deal solidifies Namaste's commitment in seeking the best cannabis products in global markets and offering them to Canadian cannabis users.

Future Farm Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: FFRMF) (CSE: FFT.CN) has set a closing date of Jan. 4, 2018, on its previously announced 10-acre operating greenhouse acquisition, which generated an estimated $2.6-million (U.S.) in revenue and $400,000 (U.S.) in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for 2017. This acquisition represents a major milestone for the company and positions it in the emerging Florida cannabis market, estimated by some to have $1-billion in annual sales by 2020. The company is also pleased to announce that it has secured a $4-million (U.S.) investment, its largest investment to date, from Yorkville Advisors Global LP. Proceeds from the private placement will be used to acquire the previously announced 10-acre operating greenhouse in Florida. The business and associated property have been approved at the county level for cultivation and processing of cannabis.

DISCLAIMER: MarketNewsUpdates.com (MNU) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels.MNU is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein.MNU and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. MNU's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities.The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. MNU is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed MNU has been compensated seventy-six hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release for this week issued by Veritas Pharma Inc. by a non-affiliated third party.MNU HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

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CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Canadian dollar spiked up against its key counterparts in the European session on Thursday. Extending early rally, the loonie hit a 2-1/2-month high of 1.2580 versus the greenback. This may be compared to a low of 1.2661 hit at 6:00 pm ET. The loonie firmed to a 2-week high of 1.5016 against the euro, weekly high of 0.9797 against the aussie and near a 2-month high of 89.74 against the yen, off its early lows of 1.5065, 0.9842 and 89.38, respectively. The next possible support for the loonie is seen around 1.24 against the greenback, 1.49 against the euro, 0.96 against the aussie and 90.5 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Republican candidate Roy Moore, who lost in Alabama Senate Special election, has filed a lawsuit challenging the victory of his Democrat rival Doug Jones.



Jones pulled off a stunning political upset by narrowly defeating the former judge in the December 12 election.



Although Jones has a lead of more than 21,000 votes, Moore refused to concede, and called for a recount.



The last minute lawsuit by the Moore campaign prevented Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill from certifying the election results, which was scheduled for Thursday.



Moore's lawyers filed an election complaint Wednesday in the Circuit Court of Montgomery, Alabama, seeking postponement of the certification and 'a thorough investigation of potential election fraud that improperly altered the outcome of the election'.



Moore claimed that three national Election Integrity experts reached the conclusion that election fraud occurred.



The election experts, who submitted affidavits in the complaint, agree that the irregularities in 20 precincts of Jefferson County alone are enough to reverse the outcome of the election.



Moore provided an affidavit in the complaint saying that the Democrat Senate Majority PAC and the Republican Senate Leadership Fund spent millions to run 'false and malicious ads' against him in the campaign.



Even as most of the GOP heavyweights distanced themselves from the Republican candidate, who is accused of preying on teenagers, President Donald Trump endorsed Moore despite sexual misconduct allegations raised against him during the campaign.



Alabama Secretary of State had previously said it is 'highly unlikely' that Jones would not be certified as the winner of the election.



Jones' victory was a milestone for Democrats in Alabama, a deeply conservative state, where no Democrat has won a Senate seat in the last 25 years.



The result dealt a huge political setback to both the GOP and Trump. It narrowed the Republican majority in the Senate to 51-49.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Online Development Inc. (OLDI) has announced Kurt A. Rosenberg as Chief Executive Officer reporting to Dr. Wolfgang Trier, chairman of the executive board and chief executive officer at Softing AG, OLDI's parent company.

Ron Monday will transition from the role, which he has held since 1989.

Dr. Wolfgang Trier said: "Kurt has demonstrated readiness to lead the company and we welcome him to his new role after a planned succession process."

"We want to recognize Ron Monday for his outstanding leadership over the last 29 years," Trier continued. "We are pleased that he has agreed to support the organization as a consultant for business development with a focus on future technologies and solutions."

Kurt has 28 years of experience in sales, services, and business management in the industrial automation industry. He has served in senior positions at Rockwell Automation, including international assignments in North East Asia and Singapore. In 2016 he was named President of OLDI.

Kurt earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a master's degree in business administration from Duke University.

OLDI (www.oldi.com) is a leading Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) with a range of hardware and software products covering many industrial market segments. The company differentiates itself through in-depth knowledge of industrial computing and communication technologies. Whether getting to market quickly with new technology or offloading a development team of continuation engineering, OLDI can improve time-to-market while minimizing supply chain risk with its global manufacturing base.

OLDI is a member of the Softing Group, headquartered in Munich, Germany.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171228005289/en/

Contacts:

Online Development Inc.

Mark Knebusch, 865-251-5250
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.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After a Republican Congressman called for a 'purge' of the FBI and the Justice Department, Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass, D-Calif., has accused the GOP and the White House of seeking to sow distrust in the nation's institutions.



Bass suggested in an interview on CNN's 'Erin Burnett OutFront' on Wednesday that Congressman Francis Rooney, R-Fla., needs a 'history lesson' after his 'purge' comments.



'The type of purges he's talking about harkens back to the Cold War, when there was a purge by McCarthy to find communists that were hidden in the federal government,' Bass said.



'It sows distrust in our institutions, and I think it is irresponsible,' she added. 'Maybe he needs a history lesson. Maybe that's what would be helpful in this time period.'



The comments from Bass come after Rooney argued in an interview with MSNBC earlier this week that the leaders of the FBI and the Justice Department should oust officials that are politically compromised.



'I would like to see the directors of these agencies purge it and say 'Look, we have a lot of great agents, a lot of great lawyers here,' Rooney said.



He added, 'Those are the people that I want the American people to see and know the good work being done, not these people that are kind of the deep state.'



Rooney specifically mentioned FBI agent Peter Strzok, who was removed from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation after it was revealed he had sent disparaging text messages about President Donald Trump.



In the interview with CNN, Bass accused Rooney and other Republican lawmakers of working with the White House to lay the foundation for mistrust in the outcome of Mueller's investigation.



'When we had the head of the FBI, when we had the assistant attorney general come before our committee, the entire Republican side of the committee was asking questions along the same lines,' Bass said. 'Their talking points were the same.'



She added, 'They're clearly doing this in conjunction and collaboration with the White House, and they are in the White House -- as well as in the House -- laying the foundation when indictments come to say they are not valid because the investigation was invalid.'



Trump has repeatedly called the investigation of collusion between his presidential campaign and the Russian government a politically motivated 'witch hunt.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Technavio market research analysts forecast the global commercial aircraft angle of attack sensors market to grow at a CAGR more than 6% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171228005162/en/

Technavio has published a new market research report on the global commercial aircraft angle of attack sensors market 2017-2021 under their aerospace and defense library. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The report further segments the global commercial aircraft angle of attack sensors market by aircraft type (narrow-body aircraft, wide-body aircraft, and regional jet) and by geography (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA).

Avail Technavio's Year-End Special offer: Get 50% off on this report and all other reports covering industries like ICT; energy; food and beverage; healthcare and life sciences; automotive; industrial automation; education; and many more. Offer valid only from Dec 18 Jan 7

Technavio analysts highlight the following three market drivers that are contributing to the growth of the global commercial aircraft angle of attack sensors market:

Growing demand for procurement of newer generation aircraft

Simplified architecture for air data system

Emphasis on increasing fuel-efficiency of an aircraft

Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report

Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

Growing demand for procurement of newer generation aircraft

Technological advancements have enabled development of fuel-efficient aircraft with decreased noise and carbon emission. Due to low-operational cost benefits, commercial aircraft manufacturers are facing high demand from airline operators for new-generation aircraft. With the growth in air travel in key countries such as China, India, Russia, and the US, the demand is likely to increase. The market is expected to grow with the increase in demand as all aircraft should be equipped with an AoA sensors.

According to Ramyabrata Chakraborty, a lead analyst at Technavio for aerospace components research, "In APAC, players such as COMAC and MRJ, are emerging in aircraft manufacturing. COMAC completed its maiden flight of C919 narrow-body aircraft. Since its maiden flight, COMAC announced its largest order to procure 130 units of C919 aircraft."

Simplified architecture for air data system

Along with critical flight data parameters that are crucial for flight control, fly-by-wire flight controls have augmented the performance and reliability of AoA sensors. Air data is essential to control and compute the flight control computer. Designers face difficulty in installing several expensive central air data computers to provide the redundancy. The advancement in air data system has led to the development of distributed air data system that replaced the central computers with smart pressure probes. These pressure lobes are linked by a data bus to flight computers, where the computation takes place.

Emphasis on increasing fuel-efficiency of an aircraft

One-third of the operational cost of an aircraft is spent on fuel. To gain the attention of airline operators, aircraft manufacturers are finding ways to reduce the fuel consumption. Aircraft OEMs are selecting parts and components that can aid in the reduction in fuel consumption.

More than 20% of the fuel is utilized during takeoff and landing phase. This is due to high resistance from air. However, fuel consumed is less at high altitudes due to presence of thin air it experiences are less resistant. Yet, it becomes paramount for an aircraft to maintain steady altitudes while avoiding any unforeseen stalling conditions due to undesired increase in the angle of attack can eventually decrease the flight lift.

"The angle at which the aircraft takes-off constitutes the aerodynamics of the aircraft. Maximum air resistance is experienced if the aircraft takes off at a low angle and thus, requires more thrust to overcome the resistance resulting in more fuel consumption. Similarly, if the aircraft takes off at higher angle below the stall angle it faces less resistance and less fuel is consumed. To prevent the plane from stalling, the AoA indicates the angle at which an aircraft takes off or lands. It further indicates the pilot to maintain required angle that will help reduce the fuel consumption during flight operations," says Ramyabrata.

Browse Related Reports:

Global Commercial Vehicle EGR System Market in APAC 2017-2021

Global Commercial Aircraft Turbine Fuel Injection Component Market 2017-2021

Global Aircraft Electric Taxiing Systems Market 2017-2021

About Technavio

Technaviois a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

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BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Swiss stock market ended Thursday's session with a small decrease. Trading activity remained light on the second to last day of the year. A number of traders remain away from their desks after the Christmas holiday and ahead of the New Year's weekend. The Swiss Market Index decreased 0.26 percent Thursday and finished at 9,405.80. The Swiss Leader Index dropped 0.28 percent and the Swiss Performance Index lost 0.23 percent. Richemont and Sika weakened by 0.8 percent each, while ABB and Clariant fell 0.7 percent each. Schindler declined 0.6 percent. SGS lost 0.4 percent. Baader Helvea raised its price target on the stock Thursday and maintained its 'Hold' rating. Index heavyweight Novartis decreased 0.3 percent. A Munich appeals court rejected the company's appeal in a patent dispute with the Chinese pharmaceutical company Luye. Nestle also surrendered 0.2 percent, while Roche gained 0.1 percent. Credit Suisse dropped 0.8 percent, adding to its losses from the previous session. Rival bank UBS also slid 0.1 percent. Dufry advanced 1.3 percent and Aryzta climbed 0.9 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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.
A late bout of selling sent stocks lower as traders pushed the single currency higher going into the end of the year. By the close of trading, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was down by 0.26% or 1.0 point at 389.54, alongside a fall of of 0.55% to 5,339.42 for the Cac-40 and a drop of 0.36% for the FTSE Mibtel to 22,120.95. The German Dax, which is heavily weighted towards exporters, fared worst, surrendering 0.69% to end the day at 12,979.94. Meanwhile, the US dollar spot index was 0.45% lower to ...

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.
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. BRUCE LEONARD OXNER, Petitioner-Appellant, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondent-Appellee. No. 16-17036 Decided: December 27, 2017

Before ED CARNES, Chief Judge, JORDAN, and ROSENBAUM, Circuit Judges.

Bruce Leonard Oxner, a federal prisoner, appeals the district court's dismissal of his second or successive motion to vacate his sentence under 28 U.S.C.  2255. He contends that the court applied the incorrect standard for analyzing a successive  2255 claim that relies on Johnson v. United States, 576 U.S. __, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015).

I.

In 1995 a jury convicted Oxner of one count of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, 18 U.S.C.  2312, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, 18 U.S.C.  922(g)(1). The Presentence Investigation Report found that Oxner qualified as an armed career criminal under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA), 18 U.S.C.  924(e), because he had prior convictions for burglary in Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana. The PSR described the Arkansas and Louisiana crimes, but for the Texas conviction it stated that the details of the offense are unknown.

Oxner objected to the PSR. He argued that his Texas conviction could not qualify as a violent felony under the ACCA because the PSR lacked factual details about the crime. He pointed out that the Texas burglary statute, which defines buildings to include vending machines and ornamental structures, exceeds the scope of generic burglary as it is defined in Taylor v. United States, 495 U.S. 575, 110 S. Ct. 2143 (1990). In response, the probation office amended the PSR to show that Oxner had burglarized a qualifying building  a grocery store  and confirmed that the defendant has three prior violent felony convictions (burglary) and should be sentenced as an armed career criminal. Oxner withdrew his objection.

At the sentence hearing, the court adopted the PSR and noted that the amendment shows the burglary was committed of a building, which satisfies the requirements of the statute 18 United States Code Section 924(e), that is, the ACCA. As a result, the court applied the ACCA enhancement to Oxner's sentence. Oxner unsuccessfully challenged his convictions and sentence through direct and collateral motions, including a motion to vacate under 28 U.S.C.  2255.

In 2016 we granted Oxner's motion for leave to bring a second or successive  2255 motion and concluded that he had made a prima facie showing that Johnson invalidated his ACCA sentence. But we emphasized that a prima facie showing does not conclusively resolve the issue, and the district court had to determine for itself whether Oxner's motion met  2255's requirements.

The district court dismissed Oxner's  2255 motion. It found that Johnson does not apply because the sentencing court relied on the ACCA's enumerated crimes provision and not the residual clause to enhance Oxner's sentence. And it was irrelevant that the burglary convictions likely would not qualify today under the enumerated crimes provision in light of Descamps v. United States, 570 U.S. 254, 133 S. Ct. 2276 (2013), because, the court explained, Descamps cannot be the basis for a second or successive habeas motion.

The district court then granted Oxner's request for a certificate of appealability on the following issues:

Whether the court incorrectly dismissed with prejudice Mr. Oxner's motion to vacate his sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C.  2255, where the court held: (1) that the new rule of constitutional law made retroactive by the Supreme Court in Johnson does not apply to him; and (2) [t]hat he may not obtain relief based on Descamps because that decision is not applicable to second or successive motions.

This is Oxner's appeal.

II.

In a  2255 proceeding, we review de novo the district court's legal conclusions and its factual findings for clear error. Osley v. United States, 751 F.3d 1214, 1222 (11th Cir. 2014).

The first issue in the COA goes to whether Oxner has raised a valid Johnson claim. In a Johnson claim, the defendant contends that he was sentenced under the ACCA's residual clause. See Beeman v. United States, 871 F.3d 1215, 1220 (11th Cir. 2017). The second goes to whether he may rely on Descamps. In a Descamps claim, the defendant contends that he was incorrectly sentenced under the ACCA's elements clause or enumerated crimes provision. Id.

To assert a claim under Johnson, a movant must establish that his sentence enhancement turned on the validity of the residual clause. In other words, he must show that the clause actually adversely affected the sentence he received. Id. at 1221 (quotation marks omitted). If the record is unclear, and it is just as likely that the sentencing court relied on a different clause when it enhanced the defendant's sentence, then the movant has failed to show that his enhancement was due to use of the residual clause. Id. at 1222.

The district court found that Oxner's prior burglary felonies were not counted under the residual clause, and for that reason, he was not entitled to relief under Johnson. Oxner concedes that the sentencing court did not state which clause it relied on to find his prior convictions qualified as violent felonies. And a review of the record reveals no direct evidence on that issue. The PSR and the sentencing court referred to  924(e) generally, but neither stated which of  924(e)(2)(B)'s three clauses served as the basis for the ACCA enhancement.

Although there is no direct evidence, the district court found that circumstantial evidence shows that the sentencing court relied on the enumerated crimes provision to enhance Oxner's sentence. It pointed to Oxner's objection that the Texas conviction did not clearly satisfy the elements of generic burglary  a consideration relevant under the enumerated crimes provision, not the residual clause. The PSR amendment showed that Oxner's crime did meet those elements. And following that amendment, the sentencing court found that the burglary was committed of a building and applied the ACCA enhancement. Those facts support the district court's conclusion that Oxner's Texas conviction was counted under the enumerated crimes provision, and at the very least, they show that its finding was not clearly erroneous. See Cooper v. Harris, 581 U.S. __, 137 S. Ct. 1455, 1465 (2017) (Under clear error review [a] finding that is plausible in light of the full record  even if another is equally or more so  must govern.).

The district court also ruled that the sentencing court relied on the enumerated crimes provision for the Arkansas and Louisiana convictions. It found that under the law at the time of sentencing, those convictions qualified as violent felonies under the enumerated crimes provision, so there would have been no need for the sentencing court to rely instead on the more broadly worded residual clause. Oxner has not shown  and nothing in the record indicates  that the sentencing court more likely than not relied on the residual clause as opposed to the enumerated crimes provision. Beeman, 871 F.3d at 122122. He concedes that the record is silent on that issue, and where the evidence does not clearly explain what happened, the party with the burden loses. Id. at 1225. Because Oxner has not shown that the sentencing court enhanced his sentence under the residual clause, his Johnson claim fails. See id.

Oxner argues that the sentencing court had to rely on the residual clause because his prior burglary convictions do not qualify under the ACCA's enumerated crimes provision in light of Descamps. But that argument goes to whether the sentencing court correctly relied on the enumerated crimes provision  not to whether it in fact relied on the residual clause. See id. at 1220. That is a Descamps claim. Id. And Oxner cannot rely on Descamps in a second or successive  2255 motion. See In re Thomas, 823 F.3d 1345, 1349 (2016) (concluding that Descamps did not announce a new rule of constitutional law as required under  2255); In re Hires, 825 F.3d 1297, 1303 (11th Cir. 2016) (Descamps is not retroactive for purposes of a second or successive  2255 motion.).

Oxner has not carried his burden under Johnson of showing that the sentencing court more likely than not relied on the residual clause when it found that his prior burglary convictions were violent felonies. And he cannot argue that the sentencing court incorrectly relied on the enumerated crimes provision because a Descamps claim cannot be raised in a second or successive  2255 motion. For those reasons, the district court did not err in dismissing his motion.

AFFIRMED.

FOOTNOTES

. In Taylor, the Supreme Court concluded that for purposes of the ACCA enhancements, the meaning of generic burglary contains at least the following elements: an unlawful or unprivileged entry into, or remaining in, a building or other structure, with intent to commit a crime. 495 U.S. at 598, 110 S. Ct. at 2158.

. Oxner argues that he has to show only that the district court may have relied on the residual clause and points to a panel dispute about the proper burden of proof in a Johnson claim. But Beeman settled any purported dispute and held that a Johnson claimant like any other  2255 movant  must show that  more likely than not  it was use of the residual clause that led to the sentencing court's enhancement of his sentence. 871 F.3d at 122122.

. In Beeman we explained that the relevant question is one of historical fact: was [the defendant] sentenced solely per the residual clause? 871 F.3d at 1224 n.5. And a sentencing court's decision today that [the crime] no longer qualified under present law as a violent felony  would be a decision that casts very little light, if any, on the question of historical fact. Id.

PER CURIAM:
VAL-D'OR, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 12/28/17 -- Metanor Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Metanor") (TSX VENTURE: MTO) is pleased to announce the completion of its previously announced brokered private placement (the "Brokered Offering") in the aggregate amount of $11,348,410 under which a total of 12,243,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.70 each, and a total 3,268,600 flow-through common shares (the "FT Shares") at a price of $0.85 each, have been issued. In addition, the Company has issued 90,000 FT Shares for proceeds of $76,500, as part of a concurrent non-brokered offering. Each Unit consists of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant, with each full warrant entitling the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.90 each, at any time during the 24-month period following the closing of the Offering (the "Closing"). Each FT Share was issued as a "flow-through share" (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) and the gross proceeds will be used for exploration work on the Corporation's properties located in Quebec.

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd., an insider of Metanor who previously held 10,357,143 common shares (representing 12.2%) and 5,178,572 warrants, participated in the Brokered Offering and acquired 1,915,000 Units for $1,340,500. Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. now owns 12.21% of the outstanding common shares and would hold 17.27% on a partially diluted basis, assuming the exercise of its warrants. Wexford Capital LP, an insider of Metanor who previously held 10,708,350 common shares (representing 12.62%) and 5,354,175 warrants, participated in the Brokered Offering and acquired 1,980,000 Units for $1,386,000. Wexford Capital LP now owns or controls 12.63% of the outstanding common shares and would hold 17.82% on a partially diluted basis, assuming the exercise of their warrants. Pursuant to Policy 5.9 of the TSXV and Regulation 61-101 Respecting protection of minority security holders in special transactions, each of these purchases constitute a "related party transaction" however, the Company is exempt from obtaining minority shareholder approval and a formal valuation as the fair market value of the consideration for the transactions, as they involve interested parties, does not exceed 25% of Metanor's market capitalization. Disclosure of their participation was not previously made since the amount of their investment was not known.

In connection with the Brokered Offering, the Agents led by Sprott Capital Partners, and including Red Cloud Klondike Strike Inc., received a cash fee equal to 6% of the gross proceeds.

All of the securities sold pursuant to the Offering are subject to a hold period which will expire four months and one day from the date of Closing.

About Metanor Resources Inc.

Metanor Resources Inc. is a Quebec based emerging gold producer having its main assets, the Bachelor mine and the Barry project, in addition to over 15,000 ha of exploration property, located in the mining-friendly jurisdiction of Quebec in the heart of the Urban-Barry Camp. With the support of strategic investors, a strong management team experienced at all levels of project development and project financing, Metanor is seeking growth through the development of its properties using a partnership approach with local communities.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements", including the intended use of the net proceeds of the Offering, and readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual developments or results, may vary materially from those in these "forward-looking" statements.

Contacts:

Pascal Hamelin, President & COO

819-825-8678

phamelin@metanor.ca

info@metanor.ca




The Waves Platform, a Moscow, Russia-based developer of a global public blockchain platform, is launching a new blockchain venture capital vehicle.

Led by Waves Founder and CEO Alexander Ivanov, who will act as a key advisor and principal, the Basics Fund will hold a diversified portfolio of crypto assets, alongside professionals in the venture capital industry. The fund is dedicated to investment in blockchain infrastructure and combines the best of venture funds and hedge funds  investing in a diversified portfolio of promising startup projects in the blockchain space.

Assets and activity will include established crypto-assets and pre-sale ICO tokens, as well as arbitrage and event-oriented trading.

Whilst the Basics Fund has similarities to classical venture capital funds, the emphasis on blockchain solutions means there are a number of key differences. First, token transactions are fast and low-cost, compared to those in VC funds, which can take months to complete and be subject to high fees. Additionally, exits in blockchain projects may be secured after as little as two months, with tokens benefiting from high liquidity  in contrast to the illiquidity of most VC funds.

In addition to Ivanov, the fund, which will take the form of a Cayman Islands GP/LP Venture fund, will be managed by Maxim Kuzin, a highly experienced asset manager. An initial $10 million in investment is sought for January 2018, with a total of $30 million by April.

FinSMEs

28/12/2017
New Delhi: This years Budget is widely expected to be farm focussed, for several reasons. One, in many BJP ruled states (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) where polls are due in 2018, there have been several farmers protests and if the party wants to retain leadership, it had better address their issues.

Two, the BJP saw waning support of rural folk in the recent polls in Gujarat and may want to tread with caution in the poll-heavy 2018, which is also the penultimate years before General Elections.

Three, the panic among farmers about eroding incomes and an expectation of better support prices for their produce could also fuel enhanced farm focus during the Budget. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to double the income of farmers by 2022 and provide minimum support price (MSP) at input cost plus 50 percent and both these promises need reassertion, especially in perhaps the last full Budget before the term of this government ends.

Famer discontent is rising across several states, a good monsoon for the second successive year notwithstanding. Some analysts have also seen an increase in rural consumption based on better incomes. So why are farmers more distressed?

This analysis by ratings agency Crisil says a good monsoon for the second successive year has meant food prices have fallen and this has impacted farm incomes. For pulses and oilseeds, prices fell even below their MSPs and cost of cultivation, resulting in a loss on the margins. For several crops, prices and profit margins have continued to decline in recent months.

It is no surprise then that farmer representatives told Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during pre-Budget consultations earlier this month that the median farm income is now a measly Rs 1,600 per month. That translates to just a little over Rs 50 a day.

This shortfall is further underlined when they point out that after the 7th Pay Commission recommendations have begun to get implemented, the income and perks of the employees in the organised sector have increased substantially whereas the real incomes of farmers continue to decline. The widening farm distress is evident not just from what farmers representatives said, but also from increasing riots due to agrarian crisis.

This piece in Times of India quotes latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau to say 4,837 riots took place across the country in 2016 due to 'agrarian' crisis against 2,683 such incidents in 2015. And that government officials admitted frustrated farmers have shown their anger with major protests reported from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, UP because of shrinking farm lands, failure of crops, poor irrigation facilities, bad seeds, drought, debts etc.

Farm incomes are dependent on several factors but the prices farmers get for their produce are a critical component of this equation. So has the government been generous with the minimum support price for key crops this fiscal? Analysts at Motilal Oswal said in a note to clients last month that MSPs were up 8.3 percent for Rabi crops this fiscal.

Although this is lower than the 11.3 percent hike seen in FY17, it is much better than the average hike of 7.1 percent seen across the last five years. MSP for wheat, the most procured Rabi crop, rose 6.8 percent which is the highest increase in six years.

But the government itself admits that MSP hikes this fiscal may have neither been broad based nor nearly enough.

This piece in Economic Times, which was published right after the Gujarat results where BJP got a thin victory margin, quotes Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh saying "Our initiatives to double farmer income and increase production will gain more speed. Some states are not doing enough for procurement and giving support prices. The Centre will keep putting pressure that farmers should get MSP."

And the Crisil report quoted earlier notes that after witnessing double-digit growth over AYs (agriculture years) 2009-2013, the hikes in MSP for various agricultural products have moderated in recent years. While the average annual growth between AYs 2009 and 2013 was 19.3 percent, it was only 3.6 percent between 2014 and 2017. AY 2018 has seen a slight uptick, with average MSP hike for kharif crops at 6.3 percent, compared with 4.9 percent in 2017. But overall, limited support from the floor price has further depressed market prices.

This is what is probably driving farmers to now seek an agricultural debt relief package, made of matching contributions from state governments. At least a fourth of the corpus from such a package should be used to provide debt relief from non-institutional loans to tenant farmers, sharecroppers, Adivasi farmers and women farmers who dont have access to institutional loans.

What happened to the widely publicised farm loan waivers across some states, one may ask? Analysts at brokerage Prabhudas Liladhar spoke to farmers attending the countrys largest farmers mela called Kisan and found that loan waiver relief is long-drawn-out for most farmers. Most of farmers who had outstanding loans have filled the forms for loan waiver. Loan waiver is still not completely done with and it is Work-In-Process, except for some village co-operative societies which have already effected the same.

Also, farm incomes have been depressed for some time due to price and monsoon vagaries but the decline was further accentuated by demonetisation. Agriculture is a highly cash-intensive economy and withdrawal of 86 percent of the currency without timely replacement disrupted the supply chains in the sector while also affecting private consumption demand. This came about at a time when agricultural produce was at a record high.

This piece in LiveMint quotes Bojja Dasaratha Rami Reddy of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association as saying, The median agriculture income is about Rs 1,600 per month. No family can sustain with this even in the remotest part of the country. Hence the farming community of India demands an Income Security Act for farmers, tenant farmers and farm labourers.

Whether the government is able to address all the demands by farmers remains to be seen but given agri distress, it may not be able to ignore this vote bank entirely during the Budget announcements.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2018, click here.
New Delhi: The government has roped in a consultant to help in formulating an automobile policy, which will consider all technological options, including electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells for eco-friendly mobility, says Union minister Anant Geete.

The Department of Heavy Industry is taking the initiative towards formulation of the auto policy, but it is at an early stage and discussion with the industry is yet to start, the minister told PTI.

"The department has appointed a consultant to study the issue. It (auto policy formulation) is at a primary stage right now," said Geete, who is the minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises.

The development comes at a critical time for the automobile industry, which is set to move to stricter emission norms of BS-VI from April 2020 while at the same time start preparing for the journey towards electric vehicles by 2030.

"The consultant has been tasked with evaluating all options, including clean technologies like electric (vehicles) and hydrogen (fuel cells)," he said.

Asked how the policy would be like, he said, "There is no decision yet on the auto policy... The consultant has not even discussed it with the auto industry now."

The department is now taking an initiative towards formulation of the auto policy, he added.

"Once the report is submitted by the consultant, the Department of Heavy Industry will discuss it with stakeholders, including the auto industry. We have told the consultant to explore how the auto policy can be formulated and suggest ways towards the same," he said without sharing the details of the consultant.

In September 2015, the government and auto industry body SIAM had unveiled the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2016-26 setting an ambitious target of increasing the value of output of the sector to up to Rs 18.89 lakh crore, from around Rs 4.64 lakh crore and make it among top three globally in the next decade.
Mumbai: In a first, Sion Panvel Tollways (SPTPL), a special purpose vehicle of Essel Infraprojects set up to manage toll collection on the Sion-Panvel Highway, has decided to handover the toll plaza to the state, citing non-payment of dues to the tune of Rs 689 crore, from tomorrow.

With this, the Essel group company becomes the first toll collection company in the state to walk back on the concession agreement and stop toll collection.

A company official told PTI that the Public Works Department (PWD) owes it Rs 689 crore, which includes Rs 390 crore of grants that government had promised when it scrapped toll collection across the state in June 2015.

The department has also not been paying the monthly reimbursement of Rs 4.7 corore since February this year, the company said.

The PWD spokesman could not be reached immediately.

Following this 12 toll plazas were fully dismantled. Still there are toll plazas in Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Kolhapur among other cities in the state.

"We would remove all toll barriers from 29 December. We'd also stop all maintenance and operation activities from then," (SPTPL) said in a statement today.

The company claims that it has not been receiving the grant from the PWD for maintenance and operations of the project since more than a year.

The Rs 1,700-crore project, with a concession period of 17 years, was exempted from toll collection by the state government in 2015 as part of the ruling BJP's poll promise, which offered to exclude private vehicles from toll.

"SPTPL has not been receiving the grant from PWD for maintenance and operations of the project since more than a year," it said.

The company further said it had initially offered the state to take back the project from 15 December but had since then extended the deadline to 29 December.

"SPTPL would make it a 'deemed handover' in case the state does not come forward and take over on 29 December, and all agencies currently working for operation and maintenance of the project shall be terminated and demobilised," the company added.
New Delhi: The government does not want Air India to become defunct like the Kingfisher Airlines, promoted by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and wants it to serve the nation, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said on Wednesday.

The government does not want anyone working in Air India to lose job, Raju said in the Lok Sabha, adding that the disinvestment process of the national carrier has been initiated.

"Nobody wants anyone to become unemployed. We don't want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way. We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high," he said during the Question Hour.

The minister said a ministerial committee headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is looking into the matter of disinvestment of Air India and anyone, including MPs, are welcome to give their suggestions to this panel.

On June 28, the Union Cabinet had cleared disinvestment of debt-laden Air India but the final modalities, including the quantum of stake sale, would be decided by a group of ministers headed by the finance minister.

Surviving on taxpayers' money, Air India has been in the red for long and various proposals, including government think-tank Niti Aayog's recommendation for complete privatisation, have been made.

The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore and is surviving on a Rs 30,000 crore bailout package extended by the erstwhile UPA government in 2012.

The Kingfisher Airlines was established in 2003 by Mallya. The air carrier was suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation after it failed to address the regulator's concerns about its operations.

Kingfisher Airlines also defaulted on loans from various Indian banks amounting to Rs 9,000 crore. Mallya left the country for the UK after failing to repay the debt.
New Delhi: The government will borrow an additional 500 billion rupees ($7.79 billion) this fiscal year, a higher-than-expected figure that could lead to it breaching its fiscal deficit target for the first time in four years and hit the bond and equities markets.

The announcement by the finance ministry on Wednesday comes weeks after Moodys Investors Service upgraded Indias sovereign credit rating for the first time in nearly 14 years, in a boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. It had vowed to maintain fiscal discipline without compromising growth. But analysts said the additional borrowing was a negative that could raise the fiscal deficit to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product, against Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys stated target of 3.2 percent.

India is having to raise the extra funds as the federal government has already spent over $200 billion in eight months to October, about 60 percent of the budgeted spending, while revenue collections were just 48 percent of the target.The governments tax collection plunged after the launch of the national Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July that complicated tax filings for business and hit the economy.

Aditi Nayar, an economist at ICRA, the Indian arm of rating agency Moodys, said the additional borrowing could lead to modest fiscal slippage as the government was likely to miss its revenue receipts target.

Given the clouded outlook for revenues, sticking to the fiscal consolidation roadmap would entail compression of expenditure, which would dampen the expected economic growth recovery in March quarter, Nayar said.

Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman of the governments policy panel NITI Aayog, said the borrowing was required to nurture the green shoots of economic recovery.

The health of the economy is more important than meeting any fiscal deficit target, he told ET Now news channel.

A few analysts, however, said some additional borrowing was expected and was priced into bond yields, meaning there are unlikely to be big swings in them on Thursday. The announcement on borrowing came after markets closed on Wednesday.

Reuters reported earlier that the government was considering cutting capital expenditure by at least 300 billion rupees in the March quarter.

New Delhi has also sought higher dividends from state companies.

NR Bhanumurthy, an economist at New Delhi think-tank National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, said the government was entering uncharted territory after the fall in revenue collections.

In any case, a 3.2 percent target was not a realistic number after the launch of GST.
Mumbai: Reliance Jio, telecom arm of Reliance Industries, on Thursday said it has bought "specified" assets of Reliance Communications, telecom company of Reliance Group led by Anil Ambani. The deal signed is for sale of RCom's wireless spectrum, tower, fiber and media convergence node (MCN) assets. "Consequent to the agreement, RJIL or its nominees will acquire assets under four categories  towers, optic fiber cable network (OFC), spectrum and media," RIL said in a statement.

The telecom arm of Reliance Group has been looking for ways to shed Rs 45,000 crore debt and has plans to bring it down to Rs 6,000 crore by March 2018. Thursday's "definitive binding agreement" comes as a result of RCom's concerted effort for a smooth sale of its telecom assets. According to the RIL press release, the acquisition is subject to receipt of requisite approvals from government and some regulatory authorities, consents from all lenders, release of all encumbrances on the said assets.

RCom said it has worked closely with all lenders and SBI Capital Markets, the advisors appointed by the lenders, to run a competitive process for the monetisation of its telecom assets, comprising: 122.4 MHz of 4G spectrum in the 800, 900, 1,800 and 2,100 MHz bands, over 43,000 towers, nearly 1,78,000 rkm of fiber with pan India footprint and 248 media convergence nodes, covering 5 million sq ft used for hosting telecom infrastructure.

RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio emerged as the highest bidder in the process conducted under the supervision of a high-powered bid evaluation committee, comprising experts from banking, telecom and law, RCom said.

The company expects the transactions to close in a phased manner between January and March 2018, subject to lenders and other approvals. The Reliance Jio-RCom deal comprises cash payment and includes transfer of deferred spectrum installments payable to the department of telecommunication (DoT). RCom said it will utilise the proceeds from the sale of its telecom assets towards pre-payment of debt to its lenders.

(Disclosure - Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & InvestmentsLtd)
Direct benefit transfer (DBT) is emerging as a clear winner for the Narendra Modi government in this financial year. Heres how the story has worked out so far: Total DBT transactions, or the amount government transfers directly to citizens under various state-sponsored schemes, has reached Rs 84,802 crore so far in the current financial year (2017-18). Thats compared with Rs 74,707 crore in the financial year 2016-17, Rs 61,942 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 38,926 crore in the fiscal year before that.

In other words, within a period of four financial years, the DBT amount has more than doubled and in the current financial year, as the trend suggests, the amount might cross well over Rs 1 lakh crore as this Economic Times report suggests.

Right now, there are 400 schemes under DBT with major components being the MGNREGA and cooking gas subsidy scheme (LPG Pahal). Together, these constitute 50 percent of total DBT transactions this year against 71 percent in last year.

The total savings of the government in the financial year 2016-17 has risen to Rs 57,029 crore compared with Rs 36,144 crore last year. Of this chunk, the biggest savings gain has come from the cooking gas subsidy scheme (Rs 29,769 in 2016-17 up from Rs 21,584) followed by food and public distribution (Rs 14,000 crore compared with Rs 10,191 crore during the period). The number of total beneficiaries rose to 59.34 crore in the current fiscal year so far from 35.7 crore in the previous financial year.

The progress of DBT is encouraging. For several years, government benefits werent reaching the needy on the ground or, at least, only part was. This was mainly on account of middle men operating on the ground. The poor had to knock on the doors of government offices multiple times to get what is rightfully due to them. This problem is largely addressed with DBT gaining pace, also aided by the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile number).

With most central schemes on board of the DBT, the next logical step is to bring state-level schemes too under the DBT ambit, as the ET report cited above quotes a government review meeting held last month. As of now, only a fraction of the total number of state-level schemes is under the DBT ambit. The DBT success also shows why survival of Aaadhar, whose validity is under the examination of the Supreme Court, is important.

As this writer pointed out in an earlier piece, the idea of Aadhar cannot die. It is a revolutionary tool India has devised and is fundamental to the DBT programme conceptualised and executed by two successive governments. Certainly, it has helped to plug subsidy leakages to a great extent. Particularly in the backdrop of the DBT drive, the Aadhaar scheme is critical for Indias evolving economic structure. It is to be remembered that a few developed nations have a similar unique identity structure for their citizens. However, the government needs to make necessary legislations that address concerns about data privacy laws, something even Nandan Nilekani, the architect of Aadhaar, has mooted.

If one looks at the major economic moves of the Narendra Modi government in three and half years, GST (Goods and services Tax) may take the trophy home. But subsidy rationalization aided by Aadhaar-enabled DBT programme will be the winner if the yardstick is changed to the initiative that benefited the poor most and kicked the middlemen nexus out.

(Data support from Kishor Kadam)
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Abdullah ENNIN, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA, LLC, Defendant-Appellee. No. 17-2270 Decided: December 27, 2017

Before Easterbrook and Manion, Circuit Judges, and Lee, District Judge.* Swaray E. Conteh, Attorney, LAW OFFICE OF SWARAY CONTEH, LLC, Ikedigbo Nnaemeka, Attorney, IKEDIGBO NNAEMEKA, LEGAL COUNSEL, Indianapolis, IN for Plaintiff-Appellant. Darren A. Craig, Attorney, Heather L. Wilson, Attorney, FROST BROWN TODD LLC, Indianapolis, IN, Jennifer Ann Rulon, Attorney, FROST BROWN TODD LLC, Cincinnati, OH, for Defendant Appellee.

Abdullah Ennin appeals from a judgment in favor of his employer in this discrimination case. He claims that CNH Industrial America terminated his employment because of his race and national origin, disability, and decision to take leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. He also alleges that CNH interfered with his rights under the FMLA, conspired to violate his federal rights under 42 U.S.C.  1985 & 1986, and engaged in negligent supervision in violation of Indiana law.

We agree with the district court in all respects. First, we conclude that by not filing a surreply brief in the district court, Ennin waived the admissibility of certain evidence that CNH attacked as inadmissible. Ennin had introduced the evidence in an attempt to show that CNH terminated him on a later date than it claimed, that is, after it knew that Ennin had been disabled and taken FMLA leave. Without the evidence, the record is undisputed that CNH terminated Ennin's employment before it had knowledge of the alleged disability or his FMLA leave. Second, nothing in the record supports Ennin's argument that CNH's stated reasons for terminating his employment were pretext for any sort of discrimination. Third, CNH did not interfere with Ennin's right to take FMLA leave. And finally, Ennin's federal conspiracy and state law negligent-supervision claims necessarily fail because they are derivative of underlying violations of federally protected rights. Without any underlying violations, Ennin cannot sustain these claims. Therefore, we affirm the judgment below.

I. Background

Ennin, who was born in Ghana and is a naturalized American citizen, began working for CNH Industrial America on January 3, 2012. CNH designs, produces and sells agricultural and construction equipment, trucks, commercial vehicles, buses and specialty vehicles, in addition to a broad portfolio of powertrain applications. Ennin was the Export Second Shift Operations Supervisor and had dozens of hourly workers reporting to him. He reported to Export Operations Manager Michael Lewis, who in turn reported to Stephen Lincoln. Ennin was the only black supervisor at his facility in Lebanon, Indiana.

After working at CNH with no incident for more than two years, Ennin received a written warning for misconduct in May 2014. He had gotten into a verbal altercation with another supervisor over the volume of a radio playing in the break room. According to the warning, Ennin's inappropriate behavior was witnessed by two of his own hourly employees. Ennin was warned that his behavior was not acceptable because, as a supervisor, he had to set a better example for his subordinates. Both Ennin and Lewis signed the written warning.

Ennin ran into more trouble a few months later. He was on his way to work on November 17, 2014, when his car broke down. At 1:43 PM, 17 minutes before his shift was to begin, Ennin notified Lewis that he would be late to work. Ennin then called his hourly employee Gonzalo Chavezthe lead hourly employee on his shiftto ask for help. Chavez had already clocked in, but he left CNH's facility at 2:00 PM and went to help Ennin. It turned out that Ennin's car had run out of gas, so Chavez brought Ennin some gas and then both returned to CNH at 2:46 PM. Upon their arrival, Ennin permitted Chavez to follow him through the supervisor's entrance after Ennin had swiped his badge, in violation of company policy. And to top it off, Ennin neglected to adjust Chavez's time sheet in CNH's timekeeping system to reflect that Chavez had been off the premises for 46 minutes while clocked in.

Once the events of November 17 were reported to Human Resources, Ennin was called in for a November 19 meeting with Lewis, Lincoln, and HR manager Stacy Darlin. They asked Ennin why he had permitted Chavez to enter the facility without swiping his own badge; Ennin responded that everyone does it and he had done it many times previously without being reprimanded. With respect to the timesheet issue, Ennin claimed that he didn't know Chavez was at work when he called, but Chavez had already told HR that he did tell Ennin he had already clocked in. In the end Lewis, Lincoln, and Darlin told Ennin that his actions were unacceptable, but didn't inform him of a final decision. Nevertheless, Ennin thought after the meeting that he was certain to be fired.

Darlin, Lewis, and Lincoln say they met separately shortly after their November 19 meeting with Ennin and determined that Ennin should be fired for his multiple violations of company policy. According to them, they decided to let Ennin know the next day. But later in the afternoon on November 19, Ennin texted Lewis and asked to go home because his hemorrhoids were acting up. Lewis agreed. But Ennin did not come to work on November 20. Instead, he called his doctor and scheduled a previously planned hemorrhoidectomy for November 21. Ennin requested and received leave from CNH's third-party administrator, Prudential, and said that he would return to work by January 1.

On November 20, Darlin received notice that Ennin had requested leave and would not be at work that day, so she could not inform him of his termination at work. Ennin then had his surgery, a minor procedure which allowed him to return home the same day. On December 1, while Ennin was still on leave, Darlin learned that Prudential had approved Ennin for short-term disability benefits from November 19 through December 14. That same day, she sent a letter to Ennin informing him that his employment had been terminated. The letter indicated that the decision was made on November 19 and stated that Ennin was fired because of the November 17 incident with Chavez and Ennin's subsequent refusal to take responsibility for his actions.

Ennin sued CNH, arguing that he was fired because of his race, national origin, disability (related to the hemorrhoidectomy), and decision to take FMLA leave. On summary judgment, Ennin attempted to introduce evidence to show that CNH did not decide to terminate his employment until December 1. Establishing that later termination date would have allowed Ennin to argue that the decision-makers knew when they fired him that he had had surgery and that he had taken FMLA leave. However, CNH argued in its reply brief that Ennin's evidence was hearsay and unauthenticated. Ennin never filed a surreply brief, even though the local rules of the Southern District of Indiana permitted him to do so as of right to respond to evidentiary objections. As a result, the district court held Ennin had waived his evidentiary arguments, excluded the evidence, and then granted summary judgment to CNH based on the rest of the record. Ennin timely appealed.

II. Analysis

A. Exclusion of Ennin's Proffered Evidence

As a threshold matter, we must resolve the dispute over Ennin's proffered evidence. Ennin claims that the evidence he submittedparticularly emails and texts involving the decision-makers at CNHproves that CNH did not make its decision to fire him until December 1. If we were to consider the evidence and agree that it creates a genuine issue of fact, that would at least somewhat bolster Ennin's disability discrimination and FMLA retaliation claims. So we must determine whether the district court properly excluded the evidence.

The district court treated CNH's evidentiary objections as unopposed because Ennin failed to file a surreply brief to respond to them. Failure to respond to an argument generally results in waiver, and failure to present an argument to the district court usually means we will not address it on appeal. Bonte v. U.S. Bank, N.A., 624 F.3d 461, 466 (7th Cir. 2010) (failure to respond in the district court); Allen v. City of Chicago, 865 F.3d 936, 943 (7th Cir. 2017) (arguments presented for the first time on appeal are waived). Nevertheless, we have held that a party need not seek leave to file a surreply in order to preserve an argument for purposes of appeal, Costello v. Grundon, 651 F.3d 614, 635 (7th Cir. 2011). The question here, which we have not yet answered, is whether a party must file a surreply to preserve an argument when such a brief is permitted as of right by the district court's local rules.

In the context of evidentiary objections necessarily made for the first time in a reply brief, this quandary is not uncommon. In Smith v. Bray, 681 F.3d 888, 902 (7th Cir. 2012), overruled on other grounds by Ortiz v. Werner Enters., Inc., 834 F.3d 760 (7th Cir. 2016), we explained that the issue can arise in the summary judgment procedure when the moving party asserts in her reply brief that the opposing party is relying on inadmissible evidence. Since the proponent of the evidence ordinarily need not make an argument in anticipation of an objection that may never be made[,] a surreply brief would be, absent the rare oral argument, the non-moving party's only opportunity to respond to such objections. Id. at 90203. But surreply briefs are rare and discouraged in most districts. See id. at 903. So in Smith, we permitted the non-moving party to raise arguments in support of the evidence for the first time on appeal. Id. We concluded that where the appellant did not have a meaningful opportunity to be heard on the evidentiary issue in the district court, it would not be fair to refuse to consider his arguments presented for the first time on appeal. Id.

Smith is best understood as having followed the rule of Costello that a party need not seek leave of court to file a surreply just to preserve an issue for appeal. After all, Smith came to us from the Northern District of Illinois, where the local rules say nothing about surreply briefs. But this case is from the Southern District of Indiana, which expressly permits surreply briefs to be filed as of right in this situationto respond to evidentiary objections made in a reply brief. Id. (citing S.D. Ind. L.R. 56-1(d)). So, unlike the non-movant in Smith, Ennin did have a meaningful opportunity to be heard on the evidentiary issue in the district court. He just chose not to take advantage of it. That is the very essence of waiver.

This is true even though parties are not required to file surreply briefs. A party need not file a reply brief either, but that would not excuse him from his obligation to respond to an argument made in an opposition brief. For example, suppose that, rather than objecting to Ennin's evidence, CNH failed to file a reply brief (or did file a brief, but chose to ignore the evidence). We would not then permit CNH to raise its hearsay and authentication objections for the first time on appeal. Ennin is subject to the same standard. Where a brief is permitted as a matter of right, a party must file it or risk waiver of any arguments it has neglected to raise.

In an adversary system, in which by its nature judges are heavily dependent on the lawyers to establish the facts upon which decision will be based, the failure to reply to an adversary's point can have serious consequences. Hardy v. City Optical Inc., 39 F.3d 765, 771 (7th Cir. 1994). For Ennin, those consequences include forfeiting the use of evidence that he maintains might bolster some of his claims. By not presenting his arguments to the district court, he let CNH's objections to the evidence stand unopposed. The district court was not required to make Ennin's arguments for him, and we will not permit him to raise them for the first time on appeal. Therefore, we affirm the district court's decision to exclude the evidence.

B. Summary Judgment Motion

Moving to the merits, the question on review from a grant of summary judgment is whether the undisputed facts in the record merit judgment in favor of CNH on Ennin's various claims. We review the district court's legal conclusions de novo. Chicago Reg'l Council of Carpenters Pension Fund v. Schal Bovis, Inc., 826 F.3d 397, 402 (7th Cir. 2016).

We begin with the race and national origin discrimination claims. The ultimate question here is simply whether the evidence would permit a reasonable factfinder to conclude that [Ennin's race or national origin] caused CNH to terminate his employment. Ortiz, 834 F.3d at 765. Because CNH has proffered legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for firing Ennin, he must produce evidence that those reasons were actually pretext for discrimination. McKinney v. Office of Sheriff of Whitley Cty., 866 F.3d 803, 807 (7th Cir. 2017). [P]retext involves more than just faulty reasoning or mistaken judgment on the part of the employer; it is [a] lie, specifically a phony reason for some action.  Burton v. Bd. of Regents, 851 F.3d 690, 698 (7th Cir. 2017) (quoting Harden v. Marion Cty. Sheriff's Dep't, 799 F.3d 857, 864 (7th Cir. 2015)).

Ennin has failed to point to any admissible evidence that CNH didn't fire him because of the November 17 incident with Chavez. The record does not even raise suspicion of racial discrimination. Although Ennin points to white employees whom he says were similarly situated to him and not fired, the district court correctly rejected the comparators because they were hourly employees and had not been previously disciplined. Ennin v. CNH Indus. Am., LLC, No. 1:15-cv-01359, 2017 WL 2225203, at *5 n.5 (S.D. Ind. May 22, 2017). The second reason is particularly salient, as we recently held that [a]n employee who does not have a similar disciplinary history and performance record as the plaintiff is not similarly situated. Simpson v. Franciscan All., Inc., 827 F.3d 656, 662 (7th Cir. 2016). Without any appropriate comparators or any other indicators of racial bias, Ennin is left with mere conjecture and speculation to support his race and national origin discrimination claims. That is not enough to survive summary judgment, so we affirm the district court's dismissal of these claims.

Ennin's disability discrimination, failure to accommodate under the Americans with Disabilities Act, FMLA retaliation, and FMLA interference claims fare no better. Because we have affirmed the district court's evidentiary ruling, the only admissible evidence establishes that CNH terminated Ennin's employment on November 19. That was before he became disabled and before CNH knew that he had requested FMLA leave. That inconvenient timing (at least as far as Ennin's case is concerned) makes it impossible for CNH to have fired Ennin because of his disability or his decision to take FMLA leave. Carothers v. Cty. of Cook, 808 F.3d 1140, 1147 (7th Cir. 2015) (disability discrimination); Preddie v. Bartholomew Consol. Sch. Corp., 799 F.3d 806, 819 (7th Cir. 2015) (FMLA retaliation). It also destroys his failure to accommodate claim, as he doesn't claim that he was disabled at all when he was fired. And Ennin's FMLA interference claim fails because he received the FMLA leave to which he was entitled. CNH didn't deny him any rights under that statute. See Curtis v. Costco Wholesale Corp., 807 F.3d 215, 223 (7th Cir. 2015) (to prevail on an FMLA interference claim, an employee must show that [his] employer denied [him] FMLA benefits to which he was entitled.).

Finally, because we have concluded that Ennin's federal employment rights were not violated, his remaining claims necessarily fail. The conspiracy claims under 42 U.S.C.  1985 & 1986 are derivative of the underlying claims, so without any substantive violations there can be no claim under these statutes. See Indianapolis Minority Contrs. Ass'n v. Wiley, 187 F.3d 743, 754 (7th Cir. 1999) ([T]he absence of any underlying violation of the plaintiffs' rights precludes the possibility of their succeeding on this [Section 1985(3) ] conspiracy count.); Grimes v. Smith, 776 F.2d 1359, 1363 n.4 (7th Cir. 1985) ([L]iability under  1986 is derivative of  1985(3) liability; without a violation of  1985(3), there can be no violation of  1986.). The state law negligent-supervision claim was also derivative because Ennin alleged that the breach of CNH's duty was related to the deprivation of federally protected rights. Without any deprivation of such rights, there is no viable claim for negligence. Therefore, the district court was correct to dismiss all these claims and grant summary judgment to CNH.

III. Conclusion

Abdullah Ennin failed to present any admissible evidence to counter his employer's legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for firing him. He rendered inadmissible some evidence that might have been helpful to him by failing to defend its admissibility before the district court, so we are left with nothing but speculation to support his claims. Because that is not enough to survive summary judgment, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

Affirmed

FOOTNOTES

. CNH Industrial, Homepage, http://cnhindustrial.com/enus/Pages/homepage.aspx (last visited December 20, 2017).

. Although Ennin was terminated on December 1, CNH allowed him to receive his short-term disability benefits until December 14.

. Ennin argued below that he became disabled when he had the surgery. He never argued that his hemorrhoids rendered him disabled before that. It follows that he was not disabled on November 19.

Manion, Circuit Judge.
New Delhi: In its first order in the WhatsApp leak case, regulator Sebi on Wednesday ordered Axis Bank to strengthen its systems and conduct an internal probe to fix responsibility as the initial investigation showed the leakage due to "inadequacy" of processes at the bank.

Axis Bank has to complete the inquiry within three months and file a report to Sebi within seven days thereafter, the regulator said, after it found that the company's results for the April-June 2017 quarter were "either identical or matched closely with the figures" that were in circulation on WhatsApp prior to an official announcement.

Sebi began a probe last month after a media report surfaced with respect to circulation of Unpublished Price Sensitive Information (UPSI) in various private WhatsApp groups about certain companies, including Axis Bank, ahead of their official announcements.

The regulator also conducted search and seizure operations in this regard at various places, including on the premises of various market entities.

This is the first order from Sebi in this case and several others may follow soon.

During the preliminary examination, it was observed that the messages circulated in WhatsApp groups almost matched the quarterly financial results of Axis Bank for the June quarter, which were published subsequently. The results were officially announced on 25 July at 1623 hours but the message was in circulation on 25 July, 2017 since 0912 hours.

"It was observed that the figures that were in circulation in WhatsApp groups about Axis Bank were either matching in totality or were close to the actual announcements except figures for slippage," Sebi said.

The regulator subsequently sought information from Axis Bank and asked it to submit information regarding the processes and controls it has in place regarding UPSI handling.

In response, Axis Bank submitted that it has ensured adherence to the applicable laws and adopted adequate processes and controls to maintain confidentiality of price sensitive information relating to the bank.

It also submitted that access or communication of such information is made or done on a need to know basis. It also provided particulars of the processes and controls in that regard.

Axis Bank also provided the chronology of events relating to preparation and finalisation of its financials relating to the quarter -- submitting that the process started from 1 July, 2017 and the financial results were formally disclosed on 25 July, 2017.

Since 1 July, various rounds of meetings and discussions were conducted among the officials and auditors of Axis bank in the process of finalisation of quarterly results. Thereafter, during 21-24 July, 2017, there was finalisation of board notes and presentations, press release, earnings presentation and analyst call transcript.

Finally, the results were officially declared on 25 July, 2017 at 1623 hours.

"Thus, it prima facie appears that the financial results of Axis Bank for quarter ended June 2017 were finalised by July 24, 2017, which was before circulation of WhatsApp message on 25 July, 2017," Sebi said.

The regulator said at this stage, the source or origin of the leakage of UPSI cannot be ascertained, but it can prima facie be inferred on the basis of the facts and circumstances that the UPSI relating to financials of Axis Bank was leaked.

"Such leakage is prima facie attributable to the inadequacy of the processes/controls/systems that Axis bank as a listed company had put in place," Sebi said, adding that procurement or communication of UPSI by any person is identified as a violation of insider trading regulations and other laws.

It is incumbent upon every listed company to put in place measures that would ensure that such procurement or communication of UPSI does not take place, the market watchdog said.

Accordingly, Sebi asked Axis Bank to "strengthen its processes/systems/controls forthwith to ensure that such instances of leakage of unpublished price sensitive information do not recur in future".

It also asked the bank to conduct an internal inquiry into the leakage of unpublished price sensitive information relating to its financial results and take an appropriate action against those responsible, in accordance with law.

Sebi further said the inquiry should include determination of the possible role of persons in relation to the aforesaid leakage of UPSI, including of those involved in generation of the original data for the purpose of determination of key figures relates to GNPA (gross non- performing asset) NNPA (net non-performing asset), NIM (net interest margin), slippage, write-off, CASA (Current Account and Savings Account) etc.

Besides, the probe would also cover the persons involved in the consolidation of the figures for the financial results, as also those involved in the preparation of board notes and presentations and in dissemination of information relating to financial results in the public domain.

The inquiry should also cover role of "any other persons who had access to the information", Sebi told Axis Bank.
The European Court of Justice, whose word is final and cannot be appealed, has held that Uber is a taxi service provider and not merely a portal to bring the riders and non-professional drivers together. Uber now will have to comply with all the regulatory requirements obtaining for taxi service companies including licensing of drivers and other safety features. Well done European Court of Justice!

This judgment is significant against the backdrop of the raging debate in India over the responsibilities of e-commerce portals like Flipkart, Amazon, Ola and Uber. All the more so in the light of the ongoing controversy over fake products being sold by unscrupulous sellers riding piggyback on the marketplace offered by reputed e-commerce portals.

The e-commerce portals have been smugly shrugging off their responsibilities for the quality of the products and services offered by the players, their tax liability and their legal liability for violation of intellectual property rights including trademarks. "We only get fees or commission; ergo we cannot verify the antecedents and other facets of the thousands of sellers flocking our portals", is the refrain of these portals.

It is time we called their glib talk if not their bluff. While what goes on between drivers and aggregators is their business, drivers often open up and reveal small secrets after driving a few miles. It is said that as much as 26 percent of the fare is taken away by Ola and Uber in India. If this indeed is the case, the disruptors should not be allowed to get away lightly.

In India, all portals and apps have been taking shelter behind section 79 of the Information Technology Act that protects websites from consequences emanating out of acts of omission and commission by its users.

The truth is that the immunity is to the likes of Facebook which possibly cannot take responsibility for the contents posted by millions of its account holders and others. It was by no stretch of imagination meant as an escape route for trade and commercial portals like Amazon, Flipkart and Ola. Nor does the ticking of I agree box deprive the customers of their rights otherwise available under the law of the land.

By ticking the I agree box, online buyers supposedly absolve the e-commerce platforms of the consequences of the shenanigans of the sellers. No Sir, no. The settled law is that those that have to be accepted as a precondition for proceeding with the transaction are not binding if they are oppressive or one-sided.

The GST law sought to put a semblance of responsibility on the online portals by mandating them to deduct 1 percent GST on behalf of the traders selling through them. Unfortunately, this has been put on the back-burner.

The USA pampers online portals even more by sparing them of any sales tax liability which naturally impels buyers to buy even sundry items online thanks to absence of sales tax. India's GST law is better as it not only does not confer this immunity but also deprives sellers selling through e-commerce portals the benefit of the compounding scheme that lets them off with a rap on their knuckles. But as it is our law cossets the e-commerce portals on the ground that they merely offer marketplace for sellers and buyers to come together.

There is a view that gig economy has received a setback as a result of the tough stance taken by the European Court of Justice against Uber. But it is equally true that unscrupulous traders have been riding piggyback on the reputation of the e-commerce portals and fobbing off shoddy products with fabulous discounts. While it would be cruel to burden e-commerce platforms with all legal, tax and other consequences, it would be anti-consumer to expect consumers to fend for themselves.

Apologists for e-commerce platforms blithely aver that buyers should up their ante when huge discounts are offered because such mind-boggling discounts are clear pointers to products being shoddy. This is disingenuous. The onus ought to be on the portals. The portals should introduce filters to catch abnormal terms and conditions of sales to flag them so that the consumers are forewarned. The BSE and NSE use filters to flag abnormal price movements. So must the e-commerce portals though the task is arguably more difficult as products are not homogenous.
John Oliver, the late night comedian and political commentator is being thanked by seven women who have accused Dustin Hoffman of sexual harassment, for confronting the actor recently, as reported by Deadline.

Following the heated confrontation, Oliver had expressed sadness that his questioning had not elicited anything constructive and referred to it as a failed confrontation. However, a letter of praise posted by Anna Graham Hunter on her Twitter, signed by Wendy Riss Gatsiounis, Kathryn Rossetter, Melissa Kester, Cori Thomas and two women who wished to remain anonymous, will certainly be appreciated by Oliver.

Thank you @iamjohnoliver for confronting Dustin Hoffman. While the questions you asked may not have led to the constructive conversation you hoped for, the fact that you asked them at all is what matters most. @nykass @corithyme @MelissaKester + 3 others pic.twitter.com/WeenZP5jck  Anna Graham Hunter (@annaghunter) December 27, 2017

Hoffman stands accused by various women and had apologised to Anna who had alleged that the now 80-year-old actor had groped her when she was a 17-year-old intern. This was followed by a deluge of accusations surfacing online against him.

When confronted by Oliver on a panel for the 20th anniversary of Hoffmans film Wag the Dog, a hostile Hoffman had said, "It's shocking to me you don't see me more clearly, that you go by a couple of things you read." Oliver had responded, "I can't leave certain things unaddressed. The easy way is not to bring anything up. Unfortunately, that leaves me at home later at night hating myself. Why the... Didn't I say something? No one stands up to powerful men."
Los Angeles: Actor Jessica Chastain has called for more inclusivity in Hollywood after a magazines all-white female cover, that also featured her, sparked outrage on the social media.

Chastain was criticised by social media users for ignoring the white-washing done by the magazine as she is often vocal about gender and diversity issues.

She soon join the debate around the cover that featured actors Annette Bening, Diane Kruger, Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan, and Kate Winslet besides her.

"Its a sad look that there's no WOC (Women of Colour) in this pic of us promoting our female lead films. The industry needs to become more inclusive in its storytelling.

"What were your favourite WOC lead films this year? I loved Salma Hayek in Beatrice At Dinner" posted the actor on Twitter.

Its a sad look that there's no WOC in this pic of us promoting our female lead films. The industry needs to become more inclusive in its storytelling. What were your favorite WOC lead films this year? I LOVED @salmahayek in #BeatriceAtDinner https://t.co/tzoijwy88q  Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) December 24, 2017

Its TERRIBLE that I can't think of at least 5 female lead films with woc this year.  Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) December 24, 2017

In 12 months there's not even 5?!  Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) December 24, 2017

(With inputs from PTI)
We had already reported that three filmmakers  Teja, Puri Jagannadh and Deva Katta  were in the race to direct the highly anticipated NTR biopic with his son Nandamuri Balakrishna in the titular role.

After months of contemplation, Teja got the golden ticket to helm the project which will hit the screens next year. On Thursday, the team assembled at Hyderabads Ramakrishna Studios to shoot a special teaser to announce the commencement of the project. According to a source from the films unit, Teja will can a few sequences with Balakrishna for the teaser which the team hopes to release on a special occasion to mark the beginning of the project.

The regular shooting will only commence after the release of Balakrishnas Jai Simhaa. A special teaser is being shot which will give audiences a glimpse of Balakrishna in NTRs getup and it will be used to officially announce the project, a source told Firstpost.

Interestingly, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is also planning to make a biopic on the late actor and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. In July, maverick filmmaker Varma announced he will be making a biopic on NTR. In an emotional voice note, he said he is proud to have been given the opportunity to helm the prestigious project. In the note, he said, NTR is a name to reckon with every Telugu-speaking individual. He was not just a great actor but a leader with unprecedented following. I'm very proud to direct a film on his life. He also confirmed that NTRs son Balakrishna, a popular actor, will play his father on screen.

However, when Balakrishna was contacted to verify the authenticity of Varmas words, he denied being part of Varmas biopic. Its our responsibility to tell audiences his story. The biopic Im planning on him will reveal unknown facts about his life. I will play my father on screen, Balakrishna had told reporters in July.

Varma had said that he is proud to direct the NTR biopic because, My personal relationship with him goes back to the year when his blockbuster film Adavi Ramudu had released. I didn't have money to take the bus to the movie hall. I walked ten kilometers each time and watched the film 23 times. I was also one among the lakhs of people who had gathered during his first political meeting, soon after he launched the Telugu Desam Party. From being a faceless guy in that large gathering, to getting to direct his life story means something," he said, adding his story on the iconic star will shine the spotlight on his enemies, on those who betrayed him and so much more that people do not know about the actor yet.

Varmas plans were squandered after NTRs widow Lakshmi Parvathi expressed stiff opposition against his film. In an interview to the Times of India, she had said, I am not against the biopic. In fact, I welcome the idea. But the movie should reflect the entire truth about his life  especially the isolation and pain he suffered during his last days after he was 'dethroned' from power by his own family. This cannot be possible if Balakrishna plays the lead role. He supported Chandrababu Naidu, who back-stabbed NTR and usurped power in the 'Viceroy Hotel' episode," said Lakshmi, who also pointed out that RGV himself portrayed NTR in poor light in his film Rakht Charitra, a biopic on gangster turned politician Paritala Ravi.

Following Lakshmis stiff opposition, RGV decided to make NTRs biopic from her point of view and subsequently titled his film Lakshmis NTR. In September, he even released the first look poster of the biopic and he has confirmed the film will hit the screens by next year end.
The teaser of Vishal's Irumbu Thirai was launched yesterday with the entire cast and crew in attendance, except Action King Arjun, who plays the baddie in the movie. Directed by debutant PS Mithran and produced by Vishal Film Factory, Irumbu Thirai has Vishal and Samantha Ruth Prabhu as leads. The movie is slated to hit screens worldwide on 26 January during the Republic Day weekend alongside Anushka Shetty's Bhaagamathie and Jayam Ravi's Tik Tik Tik.

Earlier, the film was announced as a Pongal 2018 release. Clarifying about the delay, Vishal said, "I know so many friends who were praying that I shouldn't contest in RK Nagar elections. Director PS Mithran was also one of them (laughs). He wanted to complete the project and release it for Pongal 2018. But since I was busy with the election, we had postponed our shoot, and that's why the release date has been changed to 26 January."

"I know that I'm honest and I'm faithful to my conscience," says Vishal

Talking about various allegations leveled against him of late, Vishal, in an ambiguous tone, said, "Ever since we took charge in Producers Council and Nadigar Sangam, we have faced both brickbats and encouraging words from various people. But, I've never cared about those who continuously try to bring us down with their slanders. Whenever I face the mirror, it reflects my real self. I know that I'm honest and being faithful to my conscience."

Vishal is quite upbeat about how Irumbu Thirai has shaped up. The team will wrap up the entire shooting today, after which the post-production will kick-start in full swing.

"I always wanted to be a part of a stylish film that connects with today's youngsters. That's when Mithran narrated me the story of Irumbu Thirai. I thought it would be a perfect follow up to Thupparivaalan. Cinematographer George C Williams' enthusiasm encouraged me more to take up this project. And George has a great track record with Samantha in two super-hit films (Vijay's Kaththi and Theri). So, I believe the success story continues in Irumbu Thirai too. The audio launch of our film will happen in Malaysia on 6 January at the grand Natchathira Kalaivizha (Stars' Night), which will see the likes of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan in attendance," said Vishal.

"Irumbu Thirai is going to be a very important film in my career," says Vishal

On sharing screen space with Samantha for the first time, Vishal said, "Irumbu Thirai is going to be a very important film in my career. I enjoyed working on this project, both as an actor and a producer. It's my first-time collaboration with Samantha. She's such a lovely person first, and by profession, she's a beautiful heroine. She truly lit up the sets whenever she was shooting, and we had great fun working together. Having a great co-artist is nice. The highlight of the film will be the love track between us, and it has come out really well. The entire film has been a fantastic journey."

"Irumbu Thirai talks about the ill effects of technological advancements. How others can exploit our information without our knowledge is presented neatly in the film. We wanted to show how dangerous the cyber world is through this movie. It's almost like cyber-terrorism. Since we have talked about real issues, we made sure that there are no preachy dialogues in the film," he added.

"Nobody in the industry treats me differently after marriage," says Samantha

Asked if she is being treated differently by the film fraternity after marriage, Samantha said, "I started shooting three days after my marriage. Nothing has changed now. I don't feel any different and nobody treats me differently. 2018 has arrived, and I have seen a lot of change."

Samantha sounded very confident about the film, which has music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. "I felt like Vishal was younger than me because he had incredible energy on the set. It was wonderful working with him. His look and performance in the film are definitely his best. The film looks very stylish because of George's excellent cinematography. I'm very very confident that Irumbu Thirai will work," said Samantha.

"Irumbu Thirai has been a magnificent journey for me," says director Mithran

Director PS Mithran thanked Vishal for trusting him with the project, which has changed his life. "Irumbu Thirai has been a magnificent journey for me. From conceiving the story of this film to wrapping up the shooting tomorrow, it's been four years. This movie has already witnessed three elections of Vishal (laughs). I have narrated this story to a lot of producers in the industry. When Vishal heard the narration, he immediately gave his consent. Likewise, when I told the story to Samantha in Hyderabad, she agreed to come on board the same day."
Sunny Leone's first Tamil film as a leading lady has been titled Veeramadevi. The actress announced the film title on Twitter.

Hey folks... The wait is over...The title of my much awaited Tamil film is #Veeramadevi Historical magnum opus. I am so so excited :p @vcvadivudaiyan @DoneChannel1 #SunnyLeoneInsouth pic.twitter.com/7TCHS1h2vp  Sunny Leone (@SunnyLeone) December 27, 2017

The period drama will be directed by V.C. Vadivudaiyan. Ponse Stephen is producing the film, which is said to be "based on the culture of south India".

For this project, she is all geared up to learn sword fighting, horse riding and other stunt-related arts. For this purpose, a special trainer from Andhra Pradesh will fly to Mumbai and teach Sunny all these arts. Sunny has given a call sheet of 150 days, and around 70 minutes of the movie is said to be computer generated imagery-driven. It will be released in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi.

"After this movie, I am sure my image will change completely. I have always liked doing action sequences. I was waiting for a script like this only for years. I started preparing for this movie from the minute director V.C. Vadivudayan narrated me the script. I have a special love towards south India, so I am very happy to do a straight Telugu movie. I have a lot of my fans in south India, especially Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala," the actress told IANS.

The shoot will start from February.

With inputs from IANS.
Editor's note: Wednesday's protests in Mumbai occurred two days after the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon. Below is an article we published last week to act as a primer about the Koregaon battle. It's being republished in light of Wednesday's clashes.

Monday will mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon, where the Marathas led by Peshwa Bajirao II clashed with the British East India company.

The battle, which took place in Koregaon, a small village 25 kilometres from Pune, pitted 800 British soldiers against 30,000 Marathas. However, fearing that the British may send reinforcements in the form of a larger battalion, the Marathas withdrew after a 12-hour standoff. In all, about 1,000 people died in the battle.

However, the reason this particular skirmish between the British and the Marathas is remembered even today is because the local Mahar community fought alongside the British against the Marathas. Even today, as mentioned in a report in Scroll, many Dalit communities see the battle as being the first step in their struggle against caste-based oppression.

The Mahars' status had seen a precipitous drop since the days of the first Maratha ruler, Shivaji, who used to recruit them in his army. However, two centuries later, when the Peshwas  who were Brahmins of an orthodox bent  took charge of the Maratha kingdom, the position of the Mahars in society worsened considerably.

They were considered untouchable and were prevented from joining the Maratha army. The article mentions the Mahars offered their services to Peshwa Baji Rao, but when he refused, they switched loyalties to join the British.

Today, on the site of the battle, exists a pillar erected by the British to honour those who died in battle. Most of the names mentioned here are of Mahar soldiers who died fighting for the British. Thousands of Dalit men and women visit the site of the battl, on the banks of the Bhima river on 1 January every year.

This year's celebrations

The celebrations are subdued every year, and would have been so this year as well, but for a distinctly political hue it has gotten in recent times. Rohith Vemula's mother, Radhika, is planning to visit the spot on 1 January, 2018, to launch an umbrella coalition of people from Dalit, lower caste and minority communities to take on what she has termed the "new Peshwas": The Hindutva forces like RSS and BJP.

As mentioned by another report in The Hindu, Radhika will be present at the 'Elgaar Parishad' in Pune's Shaniwar Wada fort on 31 December, and among the speakers expected to be present at the occasion are JNU student activist Umer Khalid, BR Ambedkar's grandson Prakash, who is also a leader of the Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh. Newly elected Gujarat MLA and Dalit worker Jignesh Mevani and social activist Soni Sori are also expected to attend.

Speaking ahead of the event, Jyoti Jagtap, member of Bhima-Koregaon Shauryadin Prerana Abhiyan, the organising committee, said they chose Shaniwar Wada as the venue because it represented the seat of the Peshwa empire. "The parishad would serve as a forum for speaking against cow vigilantism, khap panchayats, and persecution of liberals by saffron forces. We have deliberately chosen Shaniwar Wada, the seat of the Peshwas, as a reminder that the Peshwai mentality and the ethos of Brahminical superiority it posited, was oppressive," Jagtap was quoted as saying in the report.

Unsurprisingly, right-wing organisations have opposed the celebration, saying it will create differences among various castes. According to The Indian Express, Hindutva outfit Pune Nagar Hindu Sabha has opposed the programme and called it "anti-national". A letter released by the outfit said it is unconstitutional to consider a democratically elected government the "new Peshwa".

The Akhil Bhartiya Brahman Mahasangh and Udaysinh Peshwa, a descendant of the Peshwas, have asked the Pune Police to deny permission for the Shaniwar Wada event, the report mentioned.
New Delhi: A rights body on Wednesday wrote to Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, urging him to drop some provisions from government's guidelines for Haj pilgrims that bar differently-abled people from undertaking the annual pilgrimage.

The guidelines under the 'eligibility for Haj' mentions that any Indian citizen who is a Muslim can apply for the pilgrimage except those "who do not have the mental or physical health to perform the pilgrimage, persons whose legs are amputated, who are crippled, handicapped, lunatic or otherwise physically/mentally incapacitated".

The National Platform for Rights of Disabled (NPRD), which claims to represent a large number of physically-challenged people, on Wednesday said some provisions "blatantly discriminate" against persons with disabilities and were in violation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

Those affected with polio, tuberculosis, congestive cardiac and respiratory ailment, acute coronary insufficiency, coronary thrombosis, mental disorder, infectious leprosy, AIDS or any other communicable disease or disability also cannnot take undertake Haj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca  the most holy city for Muslims.

"These provisions virtually bar any disabled person from undertaking the Haj are in violation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which has equality and non-discrimination as its guiding principle," NPRD General Secretary Muralidharan said in the letter.

This "discriminatory attitude" is all the more surprising since Saudi Arabia does not ban the disabled people from undertaking the Haj, he said.

"On the contrary, the Ministry of Haj has put out an advisory on its site giving information on the facilities available for disabled pilgrims.

"We would request that the above provisions in the guidelines that blatantly discriminate against persons with disabilities be dropped," the letter read.

Under the Act which was passed in December 2016, the types of disabilities have been increased from the seven to 21.

The newly-added types include mental illness, autism, spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, specific learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, speech and language disability.

Disorders such as thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities including deaf blindness, acid attack and Parkinsons disease have also been included.

Also, disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept and government will have the power to add more types of disabilities to the list.

Acording to the Act, assaulting, insulting, intimidating, denying food to a person with disability or sexually exploiting a differently-abled woman and performing a medical procedure on them without their consent which may lead to termination of pregnancy will draw a jail term of up to five years.

Any person who contravenes any provision of the Act will be punished with a maximum fine of Rs five lakh.
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday gave a financial assistance of Rs 7 lakh to the family of a Dalit girl who allegedly committed suicide over the NEET issue in September last triggering widespread outrage across the state.

The brother of the girl S Anitha was provided a state government job, as per an assurance made earlier.

Chief Minister K Palaniswamy handed over a cheque for Rs 7 lakh to Anitha's father Shanmugam at the Secretariat, an official release said.

He also presented the appointment order to the victim's brother Sathish Kumar as a junior assistant in state-run Tamil Nadu Medical Plant Farms and Herbal Medicine Corporation Limited (TAMPCOL).

The government had earlier announced the compensation besides assuring job to a family member of the deceased girl based on their educational qualification.

17-year-old Anita, who moved the Supreme Court against the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) based medical admissions, allegedly committed suicide at her native village in Ariyalur district on 1 September.

She was reportedly upset after it became known that the state would not be exempted from the ambit of NEET.

The apex court had asked the government to start counselling for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in the state based on NEET merit list.

Daughter of a daily wage earner, Anitha wanted to become a doctor. She had scored an impressive 1,176 out of 1,200 marks in class XII board examinations. But, in NEET she did not fair well and missed out on getting a medical seat.

Her death had sparked an outrage in the state and protests by students and others were held for more than a week opposing NEET and demanding justice for Anitha.

Critics of NEET have claimed it would be disadvantageous to state board students.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. MIGUEL ANTONIO HERNANDEZ-FUENTES, Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-10381 Decided: December 27, 2017

Before: M. SMITH and IKUTA, Circuit Judges, and BATES,** Senior District Judge.

MEMORANDUM*

Miguel Antonio Hernandez-Fuentes appeals his sentence of thirty-seven months' imprisonment and three years of supervised release for felony illegal reentry in violation of 8 U.S.C.  1326. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  1291.

The district court did not plainly err by imposing a Guidelines sentence at the low end of the Guidelines range and declining to exercise its discretion under 18 U.S.C.  3553(a) to vary downward. See United States v. Carty, 520 F.3d 984, 994 (9th Cir. 2008) (recognizing that a Guidelines sentence will usually be reasonable (quoting Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338, 351 (2007))). Hernandez-Fuentes bases his claim of error on the ground that the district court stated that it would probably be a lot more sympathetic to Hernandez-Fuentes's request for a downward variance if his record showed that he stayed out of trouble and had a record of employment, but that the court did not see any record of employment in the United States,  and more troubling, saw only a criminal history that puts other people at risk. According to Hernandez-Fuentes, the district court erred by overlooking the statement in the Presentence Report (PSR) that Hernandez-Fuentes advised that he had installed fences, was a fieldworker, worked for a medical company, and worked for a mirror and window company during the periods he was in California and not in custody.

We disagree. First, the district court's statement that Hernandez-Fuentes lacked a record of employment is ambiguous. The district court could reasonably have concluded that Hernandez-Fuentes's statement to the probation officer did not constitute a record of employment, given that Hernandez-Fuentes failed to provide the court with any evidence of employment, such as names of employers or dates of employment, despite the opportunity to do so. Nor did Hernandez-Fuentes correct the district court's understanding of his work history at sentencing. Given this ambiguity, we cannot say that materially false or unreliable information was demonstrably made the basis for the sentence imposed by the district court. See United States v. Christensen, 732 F.3d 1094, 1106 (9th Cir. 2013).

Moreover, even if the district court overlooked Hernandez-Fuentes's statements regarding his work history, any such error did not affect Hernandez-Fuentes's substantial rights or affect the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings. See United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 732 (1993) (quoting United States v. Young, 470 U.S. 1, 15 (1985)). The district court's decision not to vary downward was not based on a procedural error that had a reasonable probability of influencing the length of the sentence, see United States v. Tapia, 665 F.3d 1059, 1061 (9th Cir. 2011), but rather on its discretionary weighing of the  3553(a) factors. In this context, the district court's statements during sentencing demonstrated its near-exclusive focus on Hernandez-Fuentes's criminal history while in the United States, including his two convictions involving multiple firearms, which resulted in the court's conclusion that Hernandez-Fuentes was not willing to conform to the laws of the United States while he was here and thus was someone who put other people at risk. Given this record, Hernandez-Fuentes has not met his burden of showing a reasonable probability of a different result in sentencing. See Christensen, 732 F.3d at 1106 (quoting United States v. Rodriguez, 627 F.3d 1372, 1382 (11th Cir. 2010)).

We also reject Hernandez-Fuentes's argument that his prior conviction under section 11351 of the California Health and Safety Code did not qualify as a drug trafficking offense, and therefore the district court erred in including a 12-level enhancement applicable to defendants who were deported after a conviction for a felony that is a drug trafficking offense. U.S. Sentencing Comm'n, Guidelines Manual,  2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(i) (Nov. 2015). As we have recently explained, section 11351 is a divisible statute, and we may apply the modified categorical approach to determine whether Hernandez-Fuentes was convicted of a drug trafficking offense. See United States v. Murillo-Alvarado, No. 14-50354,  F.3d , 2017 WL 5986574, *4 (9th Cir. Dec. 4, 2017). It is undisputed that Hernandez-Fuentes was convicted under section 11351 for possessing cocaine for sale. Because cocaine is a controlled substance under federal law, 21 U.S.C.  812(c) sched. II(a)(4), his prior conviction constitutes a drug trafficking offense for purposes of the 12-level sentencing guidelines enhancement, see USSG  2L1.2.

Finally, we reject Hernandez-Fuentes's claim that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to object to the 12-level enhancement. Counsel was not ineffective because any such objection would have been meritless under controlling Ninth Circuit precedent at the time of sentencing, see United States v. Torre-Jimenez, 771 F.3d 1163, 1166 (9th Cir. 2014), as confirmed by Murillo-Alvarado, 2017 WL 5986574 at *4.

AFFIRMED.

I concur with the panel majority on two issues: that the district court correctly applied a 12-level sentence enhancement for Hernandez-Fuentes's prior conviction, and that Hernandez-Fuentes's ineffective assistance of counsel claim fails. In my view, however, the district court's factual error regarding Hernandez-Fuentes's record of employment was plain and affected his substantial rights. We should therefore remand for resentencing.

The majority reads ambiguity into the district court's incorrect statement that Hernandez-Fuentes had no record of employment in the United States reflected in the PSR. I disagree. In context, it is clear that when the district court used the term record of employment, it was not referring to a formal record with names and dates of employment, as the majority imagines may have been the case. Immediately after claiming that the PSR showed no record of employment in the United States, the district court said that the PSR talks about your employment while you're in custody, it talks about your employment in Mexico. It would make little sense for the district court to have so directly compared the PSR's treatment of Hernandez-Fuentes's different employment histories if it was requiring an elaborate record: the PSR's information regarding Hernandez-Fuentes's employment history was just as vague for his time in prison and in Mexico as it was for his time in the United States. The court's comments, read as a whole, suggest instead that it simply overlooked the sentence in the PSR stating Hernandez-Fuentes's employment in the U.S. This is error, and it is plain. United States v. Pena, 314 F.3d 1152, 1157 (9th Cir. 2003).

This error also affected Hernandez-Fuentes's substantial rights. Hernandez-Fuentes need only show that there is  a reasonable probability that the [court's] error affected the outcomehere the longer sentence imposed. United States v. Gonzalez-Aguilar, 718 F.3d 1185, 1189 (9th Cir. 2013) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted); see United States v. Joseph, 716 F.3d 1273, 1280 (9th Cir. 2013) (A reasonable probability is, of course, less than a certainty, or even a likelihood. (quoting United States v. Tapia, 665 F.3d 1059, 1061 (9th Cir. 2011)). He has done so. Indeed, the district court was quite explicit, telling Hernandez-Fuentes: I would probably be a lot more sympathetic to your position if your record showed that you came to the United States, you stayed out of trouble, you didn't getyou had a record of employment. If a court says that it would probably be a lot more sympathetic to a defendant but for two facts, one of which was erroneous, there is at least a reasonable probability that the court would impose a different sentence if the error were corrected.

The majority rightly notes that the district court was primarily concerned with Hernandez-Fuentes's prior convictions, rather than with his employment record. But plainly the court was not concerned only with the former. It is clear that both the prior convictions and the perceived lack of employment factored significantly into the court's decision. The court flowed immediately from one to the other in giving its reasons why it was not being more sympathetic to Hernandez-Fuentes. The court also stated that it was not going to vary downward in this case because there were 3553(a) factors that certainly do not mitigate in the defendant's favor, and those are the factorsfactors, in the pluralthat I put on the record. The only negative factors to which the court pointed were Hernandez-Fuentes's prior convictions and his employment history in the United States. This Court has previously found prejudice when an error is one of multiple factors leading a court to impose a particular sentence. See, e.g., Tapia, 665 F.3d at 106162 (erroneous consideration of Tapia's correctional and rehabilitative needs as one of several sentencing factors affected substantial rights). Indeed, the sentencing statute explicitly contemplates that multiple factors' will have an impact on a district court's determination of the length of an offender's sentence. Id. at 1062. Here, there are numerous indications in the record that Hernandez-Fuentes's employment history in America played a role in the court's sentencing decision.

Even granting that the district court's incorrect view of Hernandez-Fuentes's employment history was the lesser of the two factors the court considered, the error was still prejudicial. This court has held that the [reasonable probability] standard can be met even without direct evidence of what sentence would have been imposed if not for the district court's error. Id. at 1061. And, indeed, [w]e have held that when a plain error may have led to a sentence that was one month longer than necessary, even within the Sentencing Guidelines, that error affects substantial rights.  Joseph, 716 F.3d at 1280 (quoting United States v. Hammons, 558 F.3d 1100, 1106 (9th Cir. 2009)). Here, the district court's erroneous belief that Hernandez-Fuentes did not work during his long residence in the United States appears to have given it the false impression that Hernandez-Fuentes contributed only negatively to society while in this country. That view factored into the decision not to vary downward from the Guidelines, and thus could easily have  led the district court to impose an additional one month of imprisonment over what it might otherwise have done. Hammons, 558 F.3d at 1106.

Because the district court's sentencing error seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings, we should remand for resentencing. Joseph, 716 F.3d at 1277 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). This Court has been particularly willing to exercise its discretion in the sentencing context. See United States v. Castillo-Casiano, 198 F.3d 787, 792 (9th Cir. 1999), amended, 204 F.3d 1257 (9th Cir. 2000). True, most of the cases in which this Court has remanded for resentencing have involved legal errors. See, e.g., United States v. Scott, 626 F. App'x 722, 725 (9th Cir. 2015) (Guidelines calculation); Joseph, 716 F.3d at 1281 (discretion to impose concurrent sentences); Tapia, 665 F.3d at 106163 (impermissible consideration of sentencing factor). But the rationales underlying the remands in those casesthat defendants should not serve longer sentences based on mistakes that were not their own, and that sentencing errors are easy to correct, see Castillo-Casiano, 198 F.3d at 792apply just as strongly to the plain factual error here.

On this issue, therefore, I respectfully dissent.

FOOTNOTES

. The defendant confirmed at the sentencing hearing that my work is in America: I have a way to earn a living here. I know how to earn a living here. Yet at no point did the district court seek further detail concerning Hernandez-Fuentes's employment in America.
By Shreya Prabhu

As many as 47 members of legislative assembly (MLAs) (26 percent) of the newly elected 182-member Gujarat Assembly have declared criminal charges against them.

Thirty three MLAs (18 percent) have been charged for serious criminal offences including murder and attempt to murder, according to an analysis by Association for Democratic Reforms, an advocacy.

The proportion of the Gujarat Assembly with criminal charges declined in 2017 compared to 2012, while the number of MLAs charged for serious criminal offences increased by five percentage points.

Of 182 MLAs of the 2012 Gujarat Assembly, 57 (31 percent) had criminal charges and 24 (13 percent) had serious criminal charges filed against them.

A serious crime includes an offence for which the maximum punishment is five years or more, non-bailable or an electoral offence or one related to assault, murder, kidnap, rape and other crimes against women.

Source: Association for Democratic Reforms

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the 2017 assembly elections in Gujarat with 99 seats. Of these 99 MLAs, 18 (18 percent) declared criminal cases filed against them; 12 (12 percent) of BJP MLAs face serious criminal charges.

In the 2012 assembly, 30 (27 percent) of 112 MLAs from BJP declared criminal offences and 15 (13 percent) MLAs had serious criminal cases against them.

BJP was followed by the Congress with 77 seats in the state assembly. Of these 77 MLAs, 25 (32 percent) and 17 (22 percent) MLAs have criminal and serious criminal cases filed against them, respectively.

Two MLAs, Maheshbhai Chottubhai Vasava (Bhartiya Tribal Party) and Katara Bhaveshbhai Babubhai (Congress), have murder cases filed against them, while six MLAs have cases related to attempt to murder against them.

Of 1,815 candidates analysed by ADR, 253 (14 percent) candidates declared criminal cases against them and 154 (8 percent) candidates are charged in serious criminal cases.

Source: Association for Democratic Reform

As many as 35 (19 percent) of 182 constituencies were put on red alert during the 2017 election season.

A constituency is assigned red alert status in case three or more candidates contesting have criminal charges filed against them.

In comparison, during the 2012 elections, there were 25 (14 percent) red alert constituencies.

141 MLAs are crorepatis, up from 134 in 2012

As many as 141 (77 percent) of 182 MLAs are crorepatis compared to 134 (74 percent) MLAs in the 2012 assembly.

The average assets per MLA in the 2017 Gujarat assembly are Rs 8.46 crore compared to Rs 6.23 crore in 2012.

As many as 84 of 99 MLAs (85 percent) from BJP, 54 of 77 MLAs (70 percent) from Congress, three MLAs from Bhartiya Tribal Party and Nationalist Congress Party have declared assets more than Rs 1 crore.

The average assets of 121 re-contesting MLAs, analysed by ADR, is Rs 10.54 crore, an increase of Rs 2.97 crore between 2012 and 2017.

As many as 81 of these 121 candidates were re-elected; their average assets increased from Rs 7.41 crore in 2012 to Rs 10.71 crore in 2017, an increase of 45 percent over five years.

Top Three MLAs With Highest Assets Name Party Total Assets (In Rs crore) Saurabh Yashvantbhai Dalal Patel BJP 123+ Dhanjibhai Patel BJP 113+ Chavda Jawaharbhai Pethaljibhai Congress 103+

Source: Association for Democratic Reform

While 13 (7 percent) of 182 MLAs have not declared their sources of income, 20 (11 percent) MLAs have not declared their income tax details.

(Shreya is a data analyst with IndiaSpend and FactChecker.)
Chennai: A central team on Thursday visited parts of Chennai and Kanyakumari districts to assess the damage caused by torrential rains and cyclone Ockhi.

While one group visited parts of Chennai and its neighbourhood, the other held discussions with fisherfolk in Kanyakumari, which was battered by Ockhi last month. Members of the fishing and farming communities expressed their grievances to the team members.

Relatives of missing fishermen wanted the government to expedite search and rescue of the fishermen still missing in the aftermath of the cyclone. Revenue Secretary B Chandramohan told reporters that the team will continue their survey of the affected areas in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur until Friday.

The officials will study the extent of damage to roads, infrastructure, loss of lives and areas that faced inundation during the downpour in these districts.

It will later submit its report to the Centre, he added. The central team, headed by Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, joint secretary in the Union home ministry, is likely to meet Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Friday.

The team members are drawn from various central ministries like finance, power and water resources, according to officials.

The state government had sought a central relief package of about Rs 9,300 crore from Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards taking up rehabilitation efforts in cyclone-hit areas of the state, including Kanyakumari, during his visit to the district post-Ockhi.

The state government had wanted the Centre to declare the cyclone as a "national disaster" on account of its "severity."

It sought Rs 5,255 crore assistance towards implementing permanent rehabilitation measures in Kanyakumari and another Rs 4,047 crore to cater to other parts of the state, including Chennai, affected by the northeast monsoon.
Delhi: The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said that India, a democratic and stable country, can make significant contributions towards peace in the world. The Dalai Lama said anger and compassion were all part of emotion, which can be controlled by ancient Indian knowledge.

Addressing a conference on Ideas of Harmonious Coexistence: Religions and Philosophies of India, the 82 -year-old leader said he would dedicate the rest of his life to revive the ancient Indian knowledge.

"I think India can make some contributions regarding peace. Only in a peace, real peace comes... This country being most populated and democratic is very stable... India can make certain significant contributions regarding a peaceful world."

"To decrease destructive emotions like fear, we must increase positive emotions like love," he said. The Dalai Lama said ancient Indian traditions can make a better world through education.

Several religious leaders attended the conference.

The Dawoodi Bohra Community's head Syedna Taher Fakhruddin Saheb presented the Syedna Qutbuddin Harmony Prize to the Dalai Lama. Leaders of all faiths expressed their solidarity to the ideas of the Dalai Lama and emphasised that every religion promote understanding and harmony among human beings.
Firstpost's comprehensive coverage of the Maharashtra farm loan waiver has been given recognition from the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, with bureau chief Sanjay Sawant winning an award from the journalist body.

Sawant won the 'Navsandeshkar Ramesh Bhogte Smruti' Award for 'Best Political Reporting' on Maharashtra's farm loan waiver scheme.

The award will be presented on 6 January, 2018, at Patrakar Bhavan in Mumbai by educationist Raosaheb Kasbe, according to an official statement from the journalist body.

Narendra Wabale, head of the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, said, "This is the first time that a reporter from a digital platform has won this award."

Sawant has reported extensively on various facets of the implementation of the loan waiver scheme, including mismatches in data, bungling by banks, resultant transfers of officials and reactions of prominent political leaders.

Following are some the reports in the series

Farm loan waivers, Aadhaar linking and the role of MahaOnline: Maharashtra IT secretary's claims debunked

Fadnavis govt junks Aadhaar, dines with the devil (banks), gets loan waiver Assembly-ready, but crisis far from over

Senior bureaucrat VK Gautam shunted to finance in fallout over Maharashtra government's bungled loan waiver scheme

Maharashtra loan waiver: How banks undid Fadnavis' pet plan, forcing him to delink Aadhaar from disbursal

Maharashtra farm loan waiver: One month after scheme's implementation, 77 lakh farmers still in the dark
Beijing: Highlighting the Doka La standoff as its major achievement of international cooperation this year, the Chinese military on Thursday said India should "strictly control" its troops and implement border agreements to maintain peace and stability along the border.

Chinese defence spokesman Colonel Ren Guoqiang said the highlights of his country's international military cooperation in 2017 included handling 'hotspot issues' like Doka La.

This year, under the unified deployment, the military has "resolutely" safeguarded China's sovereignty and security interests, Colonel Ren told media.

The Chinese military has "played its due role in the handling of the hotspot issues such as the India-China confrontation in the Donglang (Doka La) area and safeguarded China's rights and interests in the South China Sea," he said in response to a question.

The Doka La standoff began on 16 June after the People's Liberation Army (PLA) began building a road in the area claimed by Bhutan. The Indian troops intervened to stop the road as it posed a security risk to Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states.

The standoff ended on 28 August following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops.

The 3,488-kilometre-long Line of Actual Control between India and China covers from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

When asked how Chinese military view its relations with its Indian counterpart in 2018 in the backdrop of the Doka La standoff, Colonel Ren said India should implement the border agreements and control its troops.

"We hope the Indian side can earnestly implement the relevant agreements reached between the two sides on the border issue and strictly control its border defence troops and do more for the positive development of India-China military-to-military relationship," he said.

During the border talks, the first since the 73-day-long military standoff in Doka La, in Delhi on 22 December between National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi, both sides stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability along the border, Ren said.

"As far as we know both sides have agreed that it is important to maintain peace stability along India-China border and create favourable conditions for further development of the bilateral relationship, which has provided a good environment and good momentum for the continued enhancement of China and India relationship," he said.

In terms of China and India military-to-military relationship, it is important to have strategic communication and push forward healthy development of ties between the two militaries, Colonel Ren said.

"We hope Indian sidewalk towards the same direction as the Chinese side and both sides can push forward the development of the relationship and jointly maintain the peace and stability along the India-China border which is in the interest of both sides," he said.

About a recent incident in which an Indian drone crashed on the Chinese side in the Sikkim sector, Colonel Ren declined to reveal details and whether the parts of the drone recovered by Chinese troops have been handed back to India.

"It is our position that India should have learned a lesson from the incident," he said.

On 7 December, China had lodged a diplomatic protest with India claiming that an Indian drone has "intruded" into its airspace and crashed in the Sikkim section of the border which included Doka La.

India has clarified that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle had developed a technical snag and asked China to return it.
Balasore: India on Thursday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile at low altitudes, from a test range in Odisha.

This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out this year in which an incoming ballistic missile target was successfully intercepted, within a 30-kilometre altitude of the earth's atmosphere by an interceptor.

"It was a direct hit and grand success," defence sources said after the test launch.

The earlier two tests were conducted on 1 March and 11 February 11, as part of efforts to have a full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system.

"Today's test was conducted to validate various parameters of the interceptor in flight mode and it was all success," the sources said.

The target missile  a Prithvi missile  was launched from launch complex three of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near.

After getting signals by tracking radars, the interceptor AAD missile, positioned at Abdul Kalam Island  previously known as Wheeler Island  in the Bay of Bengal, roared through its trajectory to destroy the hostile target missile in mid-air in an endo-atmospheric altitude, defence sources said.

The interceptor is a 7.5-meter long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator, the sources said.

The state-of-the-art interceptor missile has its own mobile launcher, a secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars.
Jammu: Pakistani troops on Thursday violated ceasefire twice in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir as they resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from across the border, targeting forward posts and villages, an official said.

The Indian troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) retaliated the firing but there was no immediate report of any casualty, the official said.

He said the small arms firing from Pakistani side was reported for nearly three hours in the morning in three villages of Digwar sector, causing panic among the border residents.

The firing from across the border again started Thursday evening at Khari Karmara sector in Poonch and the exchange of firing between the two sides was continuing when last reports were received, he said.

The nearby Rajouri district witnessed a heavy exchange of firing between Indian and Pakistani Army after the latter initiated the firing in Nowshera sector.

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement from Pakistan comes a few days after their troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers in Keri sector of Rajouri district on 23 December.

On 24 December, Pakistani troops had also targeted forward posts and villages in Shahpur sector of Poonch district for nearly four hours but there was no report of any casualty.

The Indian troops also killed three Pakistani soldiers and injured another in retaliatory action at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot on 25 December.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a total of 881 ceasefire violations this year, highest in past seven years, along the LoC and the International Border (IB), resulting in the death of 34 people.

According to officials, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till 10 December, and 110 times along the International Border till November-end.

In these incidents of firing from across the border, 30 people, 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel were killed.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

India shares a 3,323-kilometre-long border with Pakistan of which 221 kilometre of the International Border and 740 kilometre of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2016, there were 449 incidents of ceasefire violations in which 13 civilians and 13 government forces personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel were injured.
Jammu: Indian and Pakistani armies on Thursday traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.

The Pakistani army resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate shelling and firing in Degwar area, defence ministry sources said.

"Using small arms, automatics and mortars they targeted military and civilian facilities in Degwar. It started at 6:30 am. Indian positions retaliated effectively and strongly," the defence sources said.

Tensions heightened between India and Pakistan on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir after four Indian soldiers, including a Major, were killed by the Pakistani army on 23 December in Keri area of Rajouri district.

The Indian Army carried out a retaliatory action on Monday when a group of five soldiers went 300 to 500 metres into Pakistan controlled territory across the LoC and killed three Pakistani soldiers in Rawalakot area.
Srinagar: Separatists on Thursday appealed people to boycott the upcoming panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the central and state governments have been using such elections to hoodwink international community.

Separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said a boycott of these elections will deliver a message that Kashmiris want freedom from Indian occupation and that they will accept nothing less than freedom and right to self-determination.

"India and its stooges repeatedly stage this election drama to hoodwink international community, and pro-India parties and their leaders try to lure people in the name of roads, unemployment and other sugar-coated things," the separatists said in a joint statement under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL).

"Soon (after) this election drama is over, these hypocrites, their masters in Delhi and media, declare this vote as a vote for India and use this farce to camouflage atrocities and human rights abuses in Kashmir," they said.

The separatists said any sort of election under this system  be it for "so-called Assembly, Parliament, municipal committee or panchayat"  is meant only to "harm the interests of Kashmiris.

"We appeal people of Kashmir to boycott panchayat election drama announced by the so-called rulers," they said. The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said it would hold panchayat elections from 15 Feburary next year.
Despite the NIA giving a "clean chit" to Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, the investigative agency was left red-faced on Thursday as the trial court determined that she and six others accused in the 2008 Malegaon Blasts case will stand trial for stringent terror charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 (UAPA).

While the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) were dropped, the court said that there was sufficient basis to proceed against Thakur for offences under Sections 15, read with 16 and 18 of the UAPA. Section 15 is the offence of terrorism and Section 16 spells out the punishment. In this case, the punishment could be a death sentence.

The politically-sensitive case has been complex from the start as it cast a spotlight on the uncomfortable subject of "saffron terror". The very phrase evokes a harsh response from certain sections of the community, who remain in denial about its existence.

However, despite the National Investigation Agency (NIA) itself saying that Thakur couldn't have been connected with the caseand that this was not a saffron terror plotthe court determined that there were grounds to proceed against Thakur and the others.

The investigation has a political history that shouldn't normally be associated with terror cases. Terrorism investigations should be conducted in a non-partisan manner. Be it a sadhvi, a mullah or a bishop, the accused's religious or political inclination should not be a matter of concern.

Initially, the Maharashtra Police moved fast and efficiently with the investigation. Led by late ATS chief Hemant Karkare, they narrowed down on Thakur and the others by connecting the bike that was found near the blast site. Later though, the scanner fell on some Muslim men accused of being associated with SIMI.

The ATS and later the CBI said that they (the Muslim men) were responsible for the blasts. Finally, after three years of not filing a report, the CBI said it had no evidence to charge the men but still maintained that they were responsible. The NIA took over the matter in 2011 and subsequently dropped the charges against the Muslim men. Though they were released, the NIA opposed their discharge in the Supreme Court despite saying that the men were not responsible for the attacks.

The possible involvement of right-wing groups was first brought to light by Swami Assemanand's confession during investigations into the Ajmer Darga bombings. During these investigations, Assemanand named Thakur and linked her with the Malegaon blasts.

Despite this, the NIA was adamant that Thakur had no involvement or nexus at all with the bombings and therefore, there was no basis to charge her.

So, when the chargesheet before the NIA court, investigators recommended that she be discharged. But what does a discharge mean in legal terms?

To understand a discharge it is vital to understand what a "charge" means in the truest sense is. Criminal law is strict and one has to fall within the four walls of a section to be accused of an offence. To stand trial for an offence is to be known as "charged" with an offence. After an FIR is filed, the police or the investigation agency starts the process of the investigation.

After this, they are required to file a chargesheet with the court. This chargesheet is the evidence they are relying on and on the basis of the evidence they make out the offences that they want the accused person to stand trial for.

A discharge is when no case is made out from the evidence to warrant a trial under a section. If this is the case, the court may determine that the accused need not stand trial for that offence.

But in India, unlike the United States, there is no concept of prosecutorial discretion. It is not solely for the prosecution to determine whether it wants to charge someone for an offence or not. The court is the one putting the charge on the accused not the prosecution so it is the court that finally takes the call after examining the chargesheet as to what charges to frame. It may add provisions, modify charges or it may even drop all charges against the accused.

Thakur claims that she sold the bike that was found at the site way back in 1999. So, therefore, she argues that she could not have any links to the case. The court, meanwhile, said that since it was her bike and that she expressed dissatisfaction that more weren't people were not killed, it was hard to believe that there wasn't a link between here and the blast. The court refused to grant the discharge for offences under the UAPA despite the NIA's recommendation.

In this case, what has happened is that the court has held that no charges under MCOCA have been made out. Which will come as some relief for the accused as under MCOCA, confessions obtained by the deputy commissioner of police are admissible in the court.

UAPA, on the other hand, is draconian. It contains a presumption in Section 43E. It says that if an accused's fingerprints are found at the site or arms or explosives used in the offence are recovered from the accused, it shall be presumed that the accused has committed the offence. No arms or fingerprints have been recovered from Thakur. So, this presumption won't hit her. But it will hit the others.

Section 45 of the UAPA is interesting. It requires sanction by the central government or the state government before a prosecution can happen and this sanction has to be based on a report. The accused can contest the sanction under UAPA in court. Since the sanction is a matter for the executive, if the executive cooperates during the arguments on sanction, then Thakur's life may just get easier. But as with everything else, in this case, it will depend on the changing political scenario.

Whatever be the outcome of the trial, it is long overdue. The blasts happened 2008, we are now approaching the dawn of 2018 and the charges have just been framed. Saffron or not, it shouldn't take ten years for a terror case to come to trial  especially one in which more than a hundred law-abiding citizens were killed.

Further, as a country, India needs to come to terms with the fact that terrorism has no caste, creed and religion. Any religion can turn violent. This argument about which religion is more violent is a fruitless one to have.

If the country has to be kept safe, prosecutions like this cannot be tainted with political and religious undertones. Thakur will stand trial. But it is not unjustifiable if the public is no longer confident about the process that brought her to the dock.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid season is here. According to Jamie Hamby, Cleveland State director of Financial Aid, Tennessee Promise students must have their 2018-2019 FAFSA completed by Jan. 16, 2018, along with those wishing to qualify for the Tennessee Student Assistance Award.



Financial Aid Counselor Portia Cook said, The CSCC Financial Aid office is eager to have as many students complete their FAFSA as soon as possible. Completing the FAFSA now has a lot of great benefits, like allowing us to process your financial aid earlier rather than later.



According to Ms. Cook, there have been a couple of updates to the 2018-2019 FAFSA. The IRS DRT (Data Retrieval Tool) is back, which allows students to basically sync their tax data with their FAFSA. This time the student will not be able to see the actually transferred tax data; they will only see the comment Transferred from the IRS. Using the IRS DRT is the preferred method and cuts down the amount of information a student may have to turn into CSCCs Financial Aid office.



We know that a lot of people feel overwhelmed or intimidated by completing the FAFSA, but the CSCC Financial Aid staff is always happy to help, stated Ms. Cook. We want all students and our entire service area to know that we are here to help them complete the 2018-2019 FAFSA and assist with any financial aid questions or concerns they may have.



For more information, visit www.FAFSA.gov or contact the CSCC Financial Aid Office at 423-472-7141, ext. 310. (The college is closed for the holiday, but offices will reopen on Jan. 2.)


If the idea behind hosting the five-day tourism festival that is currently underway in West Bengal's Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts was to illustrate that normalcy has been restored in the region after weeks of political turbulence earlier this year, then things have not quite gone according to plan. A scheduled first-ever industry meet in the state's hill areas also failed to take off.

The much-vaunted conclave, to have been held on Thursday, that aimed at drawing investment to boost the local economy battered by the June-September 104-day lockdown in response to a call for a separate "Gorkhaland" state has been put off. Only a day ago, the Teesta Rangeet Tourism Festival, 2017, designed to provide a shot in the arm for the tourism sector still counting its losses from months of unrest, began, despite the music, on a rather disappointing note as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could not be there at its inauguration, not just belying expectations but also raising several pairs of eyebrows.

While the proposed industry meet has been deferred to February 2018 the question driving political discourse in the hills now is what might have prompted Banerjees decision not to turn up for the start of the tourism festival, even though she has been quite a frequent visitor till her last trip which precipitated the renewal of the statehood demand. Was not her government a joint sponsor of the event along with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA)? The official line well might be that she has other engagements. But could it be that the state authorities are not quite convinced that the present calm in the region is stable enough and will hold, notwithstanding the powers that be proclaiming otherwise?

This throws up the question of whether or not it would be naive to assume that the times of political uncertainty are over despite both the board of administrators of the GTA and the state government seemingly in a rush to assert that normality has indeed returned to the hills  something which the holding of the tourism festival and the now-postponed industry conclave sought to demonstrate. Clearly, there linger residues of concern that a return of the chief minister to the hills could be met with resistance by sections of the local people who continue to feel hard done by both the state government and the Centre for their failure to at least get together in an attempt to resolve the crisis. After all, it has been three months now since Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, had promised talks following which the protracted strike pressing for "Gorkhaland" had been called off.

This cuts into the heart of the problem. Neither Kolkata nor New Delhi has been able to get over their obduracyand differenceson the question of which of the leaders of the region's dominant political force, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), should be invited for future talks. Ought it to be Binay Tamang, chairman of the GTA board or Bimal Gurung, whose suspension for six months as GJM chief the former had virtually orchestrated? All eyes in local political circles are also turned to how the Supreme Court rules in the second week of next month on a state government plea for a recall of the order restraining the West Bengal Police taking any coercive action against Gurung who was served with a look-out notice and slapped with various charges including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in connection with alleged criminal offences during the June-September agitation.

While Gurung's whereabouts remain unknown to most, the credibility of his one-time party lieutenant Tamang as not just helmsman within the GJM but also a capable steward of the GTA is under scrutiny. Not before the next GTA polls, already five months overdue and with no signs of being held anytime soon, will it be clear which of them has the support of the electorate, or how much of a headway Banerjees Trinamool Congress might have made since the chips are down for Gurung. But till then not only will events like the tourism festival or a once-shelved industry conclave go a long way to establish Tamangs credentials. His recent attempt to get the GTA to function with greater coordination with the district administrationoften at odds with each otheris being observed with great interest in a region known for its split-level administration.

As, most certainly, is the chief ministers own agenda in regards to the hills. After having apparently succeeded in getting sections within the GJM to cut down on their animus towards her and the government she has also kept her options open with the one-time electoral ally, Gorkha National Liberation Front  considered the second largest party in the hills. Her government last month set up a Hill Area Development Committee for Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, appointing GNLF chief Mann Ghisingh as its chairman. Not unlike previous decisions to set up several development boards for different tribal communities  once criticised by the GJM leadership as a part of a political design to "divide the hill people", this more recent move too is being perceived as an attempt by Banerjee to tighten her grip on the region while a fractious hill political leadership looks on.
New Delhi: The family of a 58-year-old man, who was taken to Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh on Christmas Day for treatment of a heart condition, has alleged that he died due to the hospital's negligence, a charge the upscale facility has denied.

The allegation came weeks after the Court of the Financial Commissioner stayed an order of the Delhi government cancelling the hospital's licence for wrongly declaring a newborn dead.

Sarika, 35, daughter of the deceased, Kamlesh Chander, today said, "We are devastated by the incident. Tomorrow, we will try to reach out to Health Minister JP Nadda and the chief medical officer of Delhi. We want justice."

"My father was on his feet when he visited the hospital on 25 December. He was sweating, so they took him to the emergency ward and an ECG test was conducted. The test revealed that he had a blockage in his arteries," she said.

Sarika said an angiography was performed on her father and the doctors told the family that Chander would need a bypass surgery.

"While we discussed the matter, they came and informed us that stents have been put in his body. They did that without even asking us. More so, my father was admitted under the supervision of a doctor who was on leave. This is fraud and negligence," she alleged.

"A few hours later, my father died... We demand justice."

The family said the hospital allegedly billed them Rs three lakh.

"We have submitted all relevant details and registered a complaint with the police," Sarika said.

A police official said inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC was initiated based on the complaint.

"A medical board was constituted to carry out the autopsy. On the basis of the autopsy, further action will be taken," the official said.

Sources at Safdarjung Hospital said the autopsy of the deceased man "has been carried out", but did not give details.

Max Healthcare in a statement late tonight said, "The family was informed that Dr Navin Bhamri was on leave. The patient had reported with an emergency condition and was attended to without any delay."

"The family was fully informed about the diagnosis, the patient's condition and the treatment plan at various stages which was signed by the family. Only one stent was used in the angioplasty procedure," the hospital group claimed.

The Max Healthcare authorities in a statement yesterday, after the family levelled the allegations, said, "The patient was brought to the emergency (ward) in the afternoon of December 25, with complaints of chest pain and breathlessness. Initial ECG confirmed acute STEMI."

ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) is a type of heart attack during which one of the heart's major arteries is blocked.

"Further investigation revealed Triple Vessel Disease blockage in three major arteries. The patient was 58 years old and had a history of diabetes, hypertension, and smoking. Despite due efforts by the medical team, the patient could not be saved," it had claimed.

Sarika, however, countered the hospital's claim, saying, "My father was a vegetarian, non-smoker and non-alcoholic."

The Max Healthcare authorities said, "We are really disturbed by the false allegation that the body was held pending payment. It is a part of our ethics charter to peacefully hand over the body under all circumstances."
New Delhi: The authority to sanction leaves of Delhi government officials should be vested with their minister concerned and not the Lieutenant-Governor, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday.

Sisodia, who holds multiple portfolios including the crucial finance ministry, has written to L-G Anil Baijal and said the functioning of the Delhi government has almost "crippled" these days as several officers were granted leave by him.

"You (L-G) have given leave to many officers of Delhi government due to which the government's works have severely been affected and government has been crippled almost."

"In my finance department, the leaves of both the principal secretary and the secretary have been approved for the same time period. Works have been affected in the finance department," Sisodia said in the letter.

He said besides the education director, the chief secretary was also on leave, which has been affecting the functioning of entire Delhi government.

"The situation is such today that the minister suddenly gets to know that you (LG) have given leave to his officer when he reaches office. The entire work of minister and his department suddenly come to a halt."

"I again request you that the concerned minister should have power to grant leave of his officers and not the Lt Governor," the deputy chief minister said.

Being the administrative head of the national capital as per the August 2016 High Court order, services matter directly come under the LG's ambit. The Delhi government has challenged the high court's order in the Supreme Court.

In the past, the Arvind Kejriwal government and the LG office have been at loggerheads on various issued including the transfer and posting of bureaucrats.

Kejriwal and Sisodia have on several occasions earlier said that they don't have the power to appoint even their peon.
It is not only the "secularists" that have been left wondering about their future by the comment of Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anant Kumar Hegde on Constitution.

His own colleagues in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka are at their wits' end coming to terms with the impact his statement has made on Dalit communities when Karnataka Assembly elections are just four months away.

Hegde's statement that "we are here to change the Constitution" has given rise to apprehension among the Dalit communities as well, particularly the educated sections in the urban areas, that the BJP government at the Centre could well change the reservation policy in the country.

"His statement has pained a lot of members of our community. Our people are now saying that if we elect the BJP to power in Karnataka, it might help the ruling party at the Centre to bring about the changes to the reservation policy," a Dalit leader of the BJP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Firstpost.

A former lawmaker, who didn't want to be named, said  "If he had only said that there have been many amendments to the Constitution and we will also bring some, it would not have made so much of an impact. But, by saying "we are here to change the Constitution," he has given room for the Congress to create a sense of insecurity among the Dalits."

The sense of apprehension is also grounded in the fact that there have been frequent statements every few months from either the BJP or the RSS leaders suggesting changes to the reservation policy in the country.

Hegde had said at a public meeting in Koppal that he would be happy if people "claim with pride that they are Muslim, Christian, Lingayat, Brahmin or a Hindu. Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they dont have their own identity. They dont know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals."

He also said that "some people say the Constitution itself mentions secular and you must accept it. We will respect the Constitution but the Constitution has changed several times and it will change in the future too. We are here to change the Constitution and we will change it."

Hegdes speech was, generally, presumed to be aimed at changing the secular character of the Constitution because he had spoken pointedly about those who are secularists. But, it now appears that his controversial statement has another dimension that has made the Dalits worry about.

"The educated sections among the Dalits are certainly concerned about his statement because it affects them directly. They clearly apprehend trouble in the future," said KL Ashok, a social activist.

Guruprasad Keragodu of the Dalit Sangharsha Samithi said, "This is loose talk for political advantage that he is indulging in. We held demonstrations in several parts of the state demanding that he resign. They can neither change or remove the reservation policy."

"Basically, he (Hegde) is speaking like this because they cannot tolerate the growth of the Dalits and the OBCs in various fields. People like him want to bring in Manushastra. He wants to instigate the caste Hindus against the Dalits and OBCs. They are doing it only because their party has no other issue to fight the elections next year, said Indudhara Honnapura, Dalit writer and activist.

But, this total intolerance, as Honnapura puts it, is something that the Dalit leaders in the BJP are a bit worried about. In the 2008 elections, BJP leader and partys current chief ministerial candidate, BS Yeddyurappa, had stitched up a caste-based arrangement that fetched the party a majority of the seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

In the northern districts of Karnataka, it is the Left Sect among the Dalits who are in a larger number than the Right Sect. Yeddyurappa had chosen a large number of candidates belonging to the Left Sect and the Tribal communities in contrast to the Congress that had always promoted the Right Sect candidates.

This caste-based arrangement ensured that the major caste group of Lingayats supported the Left Sect or the tribal community representative in the reserved constituencies while the members of the Dalit communities supported the Lingayat candidates in the adjoining general constituencies.

Hegdes utterances have given room for the Congress party men to exploit the situation and break this arrangement, said a BJP leader who also belonged to the Dalit community.
Lucknow: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of 32 cataract patients allegedly operated upon under torchlight at a primary health centre in Unnao, even as the opposition ridiculed the Uttar Pradesh government for its failure to provide electricity to a state-run hospital.

An official statement released by the rights body said the contents of the media reports reveal negligence on part of doctors and are a sad commentary on the status of infrastructure facilities available in the hospitals in Uttar Pradesh, particularly non-availability of backup power supply in operation theatres.

The Commission has issued a notice to UP chief secretary, asking him to furnish information about the incident, within two weeks.

Latching on to the incident, Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said it was ridiculous that the state government was signing "power for all" agreement, but the fact remains that even government hospitals are functioning without electricity.

Echoing similar concerns, senior Congress spokesman DP Singh said, "The government has failed in keeping its promise to provide electricity to villages and cannot even ensure power supply to a community health centre, where the poor go for treatment".

Meanwhile, the NHRC has asked the state government to furnish details of 32 persons (or the exact number) like the names, addresses and phone numbers of those operated on 25 December at primary health centre, Nawabganj in Unnao.

The NHRC also wanted to know whether the operated persons were able to see clearly after the procedure; why there was no backup power supply in the hospital, especially in the operation theatre; what action was taken against the doctors and hospital management for performing cataract operations in torchlight; have the doctors been performing operations in such a manner earlier; and finally, in case of power break down in the hospital, what alternative source of light is used by the facility.

The Unnao district administration on Wednesday suspended the chief medical officer after reports surfaced that 32 cataract patients were operated upon in torchlight for want of steady electricity supply at the state-run facility.

According to the media reports, some relatives of the patients also complained that they were not provided with any beds after the procedure, and that they were made to lie down on floors despite extreme cold weather conditions.
Islamabad: Pakistan has freed 145 Indian fishermen, held for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters, as a goodwill gesture amidst a war of words between Islamabad and New Delhi on the circumstances in which a recent meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family took place.

They were released following last week's announcement by foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal that 291 Indian fishermen would be released in two phases till 8 January.

The fishermen were taken amid tight security to Karachi Cantonment Railway Station, from where they will be sent to Lahore, a police official said.

"They will be handed over to Indian officials at Wagah border crossing," the official said.

The remaining 146 fishermen are expected to be released and repatriated on 8 January. Those released were also given gifts and cash prizes by Edhi Foundation charity, which traditionally helps in repatriation of Indian fishermen.

Fishermen from Pakistan and India are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other's territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away.
A probe was recently ordered into reports claiming that 32 cataract patients were operated using a torch light for want of steady electricity supply at a state-run facility in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao. According to the reports, the operations were done at the community health centre (CHC) in Nawabganj on Monday in torch light as there was no electricity or power back-up there.

A video of the mass eye operation cost the top medical officer of the area his job. The patients had been brought to the government hospital in Unnao by a non-profit for free cataract removal surgery.

NDTV reported that such free camps are frequently held but in this case, while the outcome of the operations was not known, there were multiple violations of rules. The video of the operation that was recorded on a cellphone was widely circulated and featured a doctor operating on a patient by the light of a cellphone torch. Another patient was lying on the bed nearby.

Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh removes Chief Medical Officer of Unnao after eye operations of 32 patients in Community Health Center of Nawabganj were done under torchlight yesterday. The patients were later made to lie down on the floor, were referred by a Kanpur based NGO pic.twitter.com/Mt4VI5gNVT  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 26, 2017

Nawabganj, like many rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, gets electricity for only 12 hours a day. A five-bed facility, the Nawabganj primary healthcare centre (PHC) took in 32 patients even though it is not equipped for eye surgeries, Hindustan Times reported. PHCs are the cornerstone of rural healthcare that typically have one physician and provide basic care. Reportedly, despite the bitter cold patients lay on the floor for more than six hours after the procedure and were provided blankets and mattresses only after the district magistrate rushed a team of medical officers to Nawabganj. Going against all medical norms, the patients were sent away the next morning. After cataract removal surgery, patients are not allowed to get out of bed for 24 hours. It was also not clear why the patients were operated upon at night  such operations are usually allowed only in the day. Reports said that the organisation, however, was supposed to bring its own generator to cover for any power cut. The Unnao incident, however shocking, is not the first in Uttar Pradesh. On 25 December, reports indicated that ambulances in Meerut were used to ferry liquor and in state-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College of Meerut, Russian belly dancers were called to entertain doctors. The incident came to light on Christmas Day, which also happened to be the silver jubilee function organised by the Old School Association which saw several eminent doctors from the 1992 batch in attendance at the college premises, reported The Times of India. A video clip showed an ambulance with registration number UP 15 CT 2860 loaded with cartons of liquor parked in the premises. Bar tenders, including women in Santa hats, are seen serving drinks to doctors. According to sources, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath severely reprimanded the district magistrate and the chief medical officer. An inquiry has also been ordered to find out if the principal had any role in the incident and a few heads could roll, sources were quoted as saying.

Meerut: Liquor cartons stored in an ambulance van, Belly dance performance at alumni function of state-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical college (25.12.17) pic.twitter.com/MQSBEpUpfG  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 26, 2017

Meerut: Liquor cartons stored in an ambulance van, Belly dance performance at alumni function of state-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical college (25.12.17) pic.twitter.com/MQSBEpUpfG  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 26, 2017

Healthcare has been low on the priorities of successive Uttar Pradesh governments. An Indiaspend report said that the per capita expenditure on health in Uttar Pradesh increased from Rs 260 to Rs 372 over four years to 2010, according to the 2012 National Institute of Public Finance and Policy report, compared to Rs 356 to Rs 580 in Kerala and from Rs 299 to Rs 579 in Tamil Nadu over the same same period. Among the major states of India, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha account for the lowest life expectancy at birth, in contrast to the decade-long progress evident in most southern, western and eastern states. What are the reasons for Uttar Pradesh's poor healthcare record? A combination of several factors, such as a shortage of healthcare professionals, increasing cost of healthcare, the mushrooming of private healthcare and a lack of planning. A third of the rural population in the state has been deprived of primary healthcare infrastructure, according to the norms of the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), which sets infrastructural and human resource standards for public health institutions in India. Uttar Pradesh requires 31,037 sub centres, 5,172 PHCs and 1,293 CHCs to meet the healthcare demands of its population. But the state is 33 percent short of sub centres and PHCs and 40 percent short of CHCs, according to RHS-2015 data. This shortage of public healthcare institutions further impacts the implementation of centrally sponsored health programmes, which in turn, require an effective network of public health institutions. Successive state governments have failed to plan, prioritise and understand healthcare needs.

Source:Rural Health Statistics (RHS), 2015

Over the past nine years, Indiaspend reported, there has been almost no upgradation of institutions offering basic healthcare. No more than four of 773 CHCs are adequately staffed and serviced with drugs and supplies, according to this 2015-16 report of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM); 467 CHCs did not have minimum infrastructure and staff. Medical and paramedical staffin short supply across India, as IndiaSpend reported, are in particularly short supply in Uttar Pradesh, especially the rural areas.

Source: Compiled from Rural Health Statistics-2015

Gorakhpur tragedy taught UP nothing

In August this year, the Adityanath government was facing a major crises when more than 30 children died within a span of 48 hours at the government-run Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College hospital in Gorakhpur. The tragedy took deaths due to shoddy healthcare in the state to 1,304 in 2017. College principal Dr PK Singh said, "On 31 August, 16 children died, while on 1 September, 19 others died in the NICU, general and encephalitis wards of the hospital."

Initial media reports had claimed that a disruption in oxygen supply led to the death of the children, however, the state government, as well as the district administration, have denied those reports.

According to Hindustan Times, the oxygen supply at the medical college was allegedly stopped after the suppliers bill of Rs 67 lakh was not cleared. The medical hospital is largest in the Gorakhpur region and also Adityanath's former parliamentary constituency.

The Indian Express reported that Gorakhpur has seen at least 114 deaths due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in 2017. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Gorakhpur, Ravindra Kumar was quoted as saying, "The Case Fatality Rate (CFR) last year was more than 20 percent and this year we have reduced it to 16 percent. In 2015, the CFR was somewhere near 30 percent.

However, the deplorable condition of healthcare system in Uttar Pradesh is not about oxygen cylinders and unpaid bills. India's abysmally low public spending on healthcare is at the root of the problems. Livemint report said, "Public spending has increased but only marginally over the past two decadesfrom 1.1 percent of gross domestic product in 1995 to 1.4 percent in 2014. The infant mortality rate in India in 2015 was 38, according to the World Bank  far better than the 165 in 1960 but lagging comparable countries such as Bangladesh (31), Indonesia (23) and Sri Lanka (8). And the situation in even worse in some large states such as Uttar Pradesh, where around 50 out of every 1,000 children die before they reach the age of five."

Source: Compiled from Health in India, NSS 71st round (January to June 2014)

Acute manpower shortage, the fact that a vast majority of people do not have health insurance in a country where the public health system has collapsed and a lack of political will to fix the healthcare system has provided space for such tragedies to frequently resurface. In India, the private healthcare system now provides two-thirds of medical treatment, according to the April 2016 Health in India report from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

In Uttar Pradesh, private health providers  including unrecognised doctors and quacks  meet 85 percent of medical needs, according to the report. It appears that the people of Uttar Pradesh have two choices: An inadequate, inefficient public healthcare system and a private healthcare system offering low quality and expensive services.

Currently, the state relies on a public healthcare infrastructure that is two decades old. A fifth of the population deprived of healthcare cannot contribute to the social or economic growth of the country.

With inputs from Indiaspend and agencies
"We condemn such shameful behaviour by Pakistan and will not take in silently. We will expose Pakistan's utterly disgusting behaviour," raged Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday morning, as part of her statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his wife Chetankul and mother Avanti in Islamabad. After a fractious election season that saw the BJP and the Opposition at each other's throats, Swaraj's statement achieved the rare distinction of bringing every single member of the Upper House together in agreement.

But, it's likely to achieve very little else.

Before getting to the why of the above contention, let's take a closer look at the points raised by Swaraj:

1) "Pakistan had clearly assured us that media will not be allowed anywhere near Jadhav's mother or wife. But the Pakistani media not only was given clear access to the venue of the meeting, they also hounded the two women and asked insensitive questions about Jadhav."

2) "Pakistan somehow found something 'metallic' in (Avanti's shoe). It is an absurdity beyond measure."

3) "Both Jadhav's mother and wife were presented as widows in front of him."

4) "Their clothes, shoes, bangles and even their mangalsutras were taken away."

5) "Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. In fact, the authorities kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued to speak in Marathi, they switched off the intercom."

And then there was the glass screen between Jadhav and his family during the closely-monitored interaction.

Whatever your stand on the Jadhav issue, the details above amount to nothing less than treatment of the shabbiest kind meted out to Chetankul and Avanti, who have been turned into collateral damage of sorts in this whole episode. But why did it come as such a surprise? After all, should the Government of India not have been prepared for a worst-case scenario and countermeasures to spare Jadhav's wife and mother the ordeal they underwent?

A look at recent history is instructive. The Narendra Modi government was sworn in on 26 May, 2014 and he invited the leaders of SAARC nations to the ceremony as part of his vision to improve relations with the country's neighbours. Then prime minister Nawaz Sharif was in attendance and despite the subsequent frostiness that crept into bilateral relations (see: November 2014's SAARC Summit in Kathmandu), Modi was intent on improving ties. It was with this in mind that he made a 'surprise' visit to Lahore on Christmas Day the following year.

The apparent thaw would last a little over a week. Eight days after Modi's Pakistan visit, a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station. Relations between the two South Asian neighbours have been on a steady decline ever since, to the point where every bit of military action along the Line of Control is seen by the Indian media as a 'surgical strike' and Pakistani government officials seem unable to rein in their threats of nuclear war. The Indian government, during this time, has realigned its Pakistan (and ergo, neighbourhood) policy, preferring to freeze out Islamabad and carve out a SAARC minus Pakistan.

This brings us back to the Jadhav family reunion.

Given the circumstances detailed above, it seems naive at best  and delusional at worst  not to have expected the very worst from Pakistani hospitality in this situation, because it's clear that Islamabad expected the worst from New Delhi.

First off, remove the possibility of the wife and mother carrying in anything that could either be harmful (in any way imaginable) or comforting (like reminders of home) to Jadhav. Second, allow the Pakistani media to unleash its own equivalent of our microphone-wielding warriors, the likes of whom we saw trailing Vijay Mallya not so long ago. The combined effect would be to produce weary, harassed and unrecognisable versions of Chetankul and Avanti before the supposed spy. Third, closely monitor the conversation in a decipherable language to ensure there's no funny business afoot. Fourth, confiscate footwear and play it up as an implement of espionage or worse. By the time the results of the blessed forensic test actually come in, the world will have long moved on from the issue.

Ultimately, Pakistan treated the family of someone it accuses of spying on it (and being involved in the deaths of many of its citizens) in a very predictable manner.

Swaraj hit the nail squarely on the head when she said in her statement that Islamabad used the Jadhav family meeting as 'a tool for propaganda'; but should she, and indeed the government, not have seen it coming? Surely, the MEA could have had someone on standby to live tweet the meeting or failing that, call for a press conference  taken by an Indian envoy and not the Jadhavs  immediately after the meeting in an effort to control the narrative. Pakistan has turned creation of narrative, dissemination of propaganda and shaping of public perception into a fine art  look at the country's pronouncements in the UN about Kashmir as an indicator  and in this category, India is a rank amateur.

Fortunately for New Delhi, courts are not swayed by public perception and the International Court of Justice, which is set to hear the Jadhav case sometime in the middle of 2018, is no exception. There's plenty of time for India to toughen up by then and perhaps even acquaint itself with some of the dark arts that it, at present, sorely lacks.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the bill makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat in any form  spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS or WhatsApp  "illegal and void", while providing for a jail term of three years for the husband.

The bill also offers Muslim women custodial rights of their minor children and guarantees periodic maintenance.

So if the bill ensures equality for Indian Muslim women, why is the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) so determined on thwarting it? Why is the AIMPLB not willing to support a bill that safeguards women's rights, even running the risk of being branded a misogynistic group of mullahs?

The AIMPLB has not only expressed its dissatisfaction over the bill via television news channels, but on 25 December also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to withdraw the bill.

The AIMPLB argued that the bill violates the guarantees specified under Article 21 of the Constitution. It also objects to the definition of 'triple talaq' in the bill, which, it claims, may also include talaq-e-bain  a husband declares divorce from his wife for the third time in one marriage, but after indefinite intervals  which was not held illegal by the Supreme Court. Khula, which gives a Muslim woman a right to seek divorce from her husband is also a form of taalaq-e-bain, as per Sharia law.

"In case your government considers it necessary to enact a law in this respect, consultations must be held with the AIMPLB and such Muslim women organisations that are true representatives of Muslim women," the AIMPLB said in its letter to Modi.

The AIMPLB's opposition to the bill stems from the body's belief that instant triple talaq is permitted in Islam. An anecdote that is often cited in this context is that of the second caliph Umar, who according to several reports, allowed triple talaq in one sitting. Though there are reports which claim that the Prophet didn't allow triple talaq in one sitting, most Muslims in India (and AIMPLB) don't wish to challenge Umar's position and hence their reluctance to support the ban.

The Quranic verses on talaq appear cryptic. And if negating Quran is kufr (rejection of Islam), so is to derive meaning which doesn't exist. Perhaps that's why Muslims have traditionally relied on scholars to understand Quran clearly. But instead of launching a fresh discussion on the legalities of instant triple talaq according to Islam and educating the public about it, the AIMPLB has sought refuge behind articles 25, 26 and 29 of the Constitution that deal with protection of personal laws.

Still, irrespective of whether it's validated in Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet  the combination of which forms the crux of Sharia law  the tussle over validation of instant triple talaq raises a larger question which pertains to the ethics behind the practice: Is it ethical to allow men to unilaterally divorce their wives and face no consequences for it? Does the AIMPLB genuinely believe that women shouldn't have a say in divorce? And why shouldn't a woman be entitled to maintenance after separation?

Marriage is construed as an agreement in Islam. By allowing only men the right to claim instant triple talaq, it gives one party the right to end this contract without the fear of consequences. Where's the equality that Islam promises?

The Quran promises justice for all on Judgement Day. But if justice can be provided in this life, then why not go for that? The life of a Muslim is as much about leading an ethical, corruption-free life as it is about fasting and praying five times a day. And triple talaq is a form of corruption that has allowed men superiority in marriages.

In many ways, instant triple talaq is the root cause of evil in Muslim families. It's a weapon that neither a woman's husband nor her in-laws shy away from using, to threaten or silence her and her parents into submission. It's used to silence cases of domestic violence and protests against demands for dowry. It allows men to turn women into a "use and throw" commodity.

The Muslim community in India and the AIMPLB need to stop hiding behind the Sharia laws to justify ill-treatment of women and their persecution. Rather than hiding behind articles 25, 26 and 29 of the Constitution to prove their point, they could do better and ponder over the 'Hadeeth', which says, "The most hated thing before Allah is divorce."

Besides, if religious freedom is under threat, it's likely because the AIMPLB and the Muslim community themselves thought it best to play the victim card instead of resolving the issue. They failed to include equality of women's rights in Sharia laws.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabled the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. "The triple talaq bill is for women's rights and justice, and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion," he said in Parliament.

The bill was tabled amid chaotic scenes, as BJD and AIMIM MPs opposed it and said it violates the fundamental rights of Muslim women.

This law is for women's rights & justice & not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/feFU2W3faF  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

Prasad remarks were directed at MPs who had opposed the bill's introduction in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, stating that the bill was politically motivated and targeted men from the Muslim community.

They said it was drafted without holding any consultation with representatives of the community. Addressing the speakers, Prasad sought to clarify the concerns raised by some members of Parliament, including AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi and BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, both of who had given notice of opposition and were against criminalisation of triple talaq.

The bill awards a three-year prison sentence for husbands who exercise instant triple talaq. Expressing his opposition to the bill, Owaisi told the Lok Sabha Speaker that laws to protect women already existed, and if this bill was passed, it would be an injustice to Muslim women. "How will a person in jail pay sustenance?" he questioned.

This bill violates fundamental rights & lacks legal coherence: Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/ch48CGIUvm  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

Owaisi remarked that the bill is creating separate provisions to tackle issues which are already been dealt with in existing provisions. He said that the bill violates the basic structure of the Constitution which guarantees personal laws under articles 25, 26 and 29.

To which Prasad replied, "Are the rights of women guaranteed under Article 14 not the basic structure of women? The Parliament has all the right to bring this law."

BJD MP Bhartuhari Mahtab from Cuttack said that the bill was politically motivated. "In the anxiety to bring a bill, the government is doing disservice to Muslim women. The judgment of the Supreme Court should be reflected in the bill. It's riddled with contradictions. This will only bring more cases to court."

This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill :BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/525aKIKrpD  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

To which, Prasad replied, "The SC has termed taalaq-e-biddat illegal. But even after that, women are thrown out in the streets. Will the parliament remain quiet? The Parliament has to decide the Fundamental Rights of women suffering from triple talaq."

Though Congress has supported the introduction of the bill, it sought clarification on certain sections.
In a case filed in Monroe County, the Tennessee Supreme Court clarified when Tennessee laws prevent a person who owes child support from receiving money damages from a wrongful death lawsuit. Those laws apply, the Court said, only when the person is a parent of the child who died, and the back child support is owed for that child.

In Spires v. , a married couple, Charity Felicia Spires and Kenneth M. Spires, had a son named Uriah, born in the spring of 2009. Within a month after Uriah was born, Mr. Spires abandoned his wife and child. They never divorced, but Mr. Spires never gave his wife any financial support for Uriah.

In October 2010, when Uriah was about 18 months old, Mrs. Spires died in a tragic car accident involving 17-year-old Haley Reece Simpson. After the accident, a court gave custody of Uriah to his maternal grandmother.

About a month later, Mr. Spires filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Monroe County against Ms. Simpson and her parents. The lawsuit claimed that their negligence resulted in the death of Mrs. Spires, and asked the trial court to award money damages to Mr. Spires, for himself and on behalf of Uriah. The grandmother with custody of Uriah asked the court to allow her to intervene, that is, become a party to the lawsuit.

In the meantime, Mrs. Spires brother, Major Dana Trent Hensley, adopted Uriah. After that, Mr. Hensley also asked the trial court to let him intervene in the wrongful death case. Later, Ms. Simpsons insurance carrier paid her policy limits, $100,000, into court as a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit for Mrs. Spires death.

Both the grandmother and Major Hensley argued to the trial court that Mr. Spires should not be allowed to prosecute the wrongful death lawsuit or receive any of the money damages from it. They pointed to two Tennessee laws and argued that those statutes said a parent who owes child support cannot receive damages from a wrongful death lawsuit. Mr. Spires was never under a child support order for Uriah, because he and Mrs. Spires never divorced, but Mr. Spires owed almost $72,000 in back child support for four other children unrelated to Mrs. Spires.

The trial court agreed with the grandmother and Major Hensley. It dismissed Mr. Spires from the case and held that he could not receive any of the $100,000 settlement. The trial court said the Tennessee statutes disqualified Mr. Spires because he never paid any support for Uriah and because he owed substantial child support for his other children with other women. Mr. Spires appealed to the Court of Appeals.

The Court of Appeals reversed the trial court in part. It held that the statutes did not prevent Mr. Spires from prosecuting the wrongful death lawsuit. However, it held that the statutes required that Mr. Spires portion of the settlement proceeds had to be paid toward his back child support obligation for his children other than Uriah. The Tennessee Supreme Court then granted Mr. Spires permission to appeal.

The Tennessee Supreme Court disagreed with the trial court and also disagreed in part with the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court looked carefully at all of the wrongful death statutes, not just the two statutes pointed out by Uriahs grandmother and Major Hensley. It even reviewed the discussion of the statutes by lawmakers when the legislature enacted the laws in 1994.

The Court observed that, in enacting the statutes, lawmakers intended the laws to apply to situations where a child has died, the parents are separated or divorced, and one parent owes the other parent child support for the deceased child. In that circumstance, the legislature intended to bar the parent who owed child support from benefitting financially from the wrongful death of the child he or she failed to support. That was the only purpose of the statutes.

The laws were not intended to apply to the situation in this case, the Court held, where a wrongful death lawsuit is filed by the surviving spouse of the deceased, and the surviving spouse happens to owe back child support for children not related in any way to the deceased spouse. They were not intended to require payment of wrongful death damages to children completely unrelated to the deceased person.

For this reason, the Court reversed the trial court and reversed part of the Court of Appeals ruling. It held that Mr. Spires was not disqualified from filing the wrongful death lawsuit for the death of Mrs. Spires, and he could also share in the settlement proceeds from the lawsuit. It also observed, however, that the guardians of the other children for whom Mr. Spires owed child support could use any other remedies to assert claims against Mr. Spires share of the settlement money.

To read the unanimous opinion in Kenneth M. Spires et al. v. Haley Reece Simpson et al., authored by Justice Holly Kirby, go to the Opinions section of TNCourts.gov.
New Delhi: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday slammed Pakistan for its "inhuman" handling of the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family in Islamabad, saying it had hurt the sentiments of Indians.

Naidu said that India seeks peace in the region for the benefit of all the countries but "some are adopting a different approach".

He noted that Pakistani authorities' insisting on removal of 'mangalsutra' by Jadhav's wife and other restrictions did not go down well with the people of India.

"Pakistan did not do any good for itself in this regard even as it sought to showcase its gesture by allowing the family union to the world," Naidu said during an interaction with faculty and students from Harvard, Stanford and MIT.

During the 40 minute interaction, Naidu responded to queries on India's strengths, opportunities and challenges besides its emergence as a global power, a statement said.

The vice-president noted that Indian voters had shown great maturity from time to time while casting their vote as was evident in their fierce defence of personal freedoms by voting against the Emergency in 1977.

He observed that after long years of single party rule at the Centre, India transited through coalition governments till the people gave an absolute majority to the present government in 2014.

"India faces the challenges of inequality, rural-urban divide, unemployment, border issues, poverty and illiteracy. The ruling and opposition parties need to work together with shared perspectives for further strengthening parliamentary democracy," Naidu said.

He stated that the mood of the young and aspirational India was in favour of development and reforms' and the government had taken several initiatives in this regard, as was evident in the introduction of GST and demonetisation.

Responding to a query on India's role in global politics vis-a-vis some leading countries, Naidu stated that as one of the oldest civilisations which accounted for 27 percent of world's GDP before foreign invasions, India never believed in hegemony and would only like to harness its potential as an economic power-house that benefits the people of India and other countries as well.

"India would like to take full advantage of its huge man-power through necessary skill upgradation and empowerment," he said.
Raipur: A court on Thursday gave bail to senior journalist Vinod Verma, arrested on charges of extortion after allegedly possessing and circulating a sleaze CD purportedly featuring a Chhattisgarh minister.

The bail was given as the prosecution failed to file charges against Verma, arrested from his home near in Ghaziabad near Delhi by Chhattisgarh Police on 27 October. The CBI took over the case in November.

Verma's lawyer Faisal Rizvi said the Special CBI court granted bail as the investigating agency did not file the charges within the stipulated time of 60 days from the date of arrest.

The CBI has registered two cases relating to the possession and circulation of a "fake sex CD", allegedly involving Minister Rajesh Munat, who had filed a complaint that the journalist was blackmailing him.

Munat had claimed that the video was fake and urged Chief Minister Raman Singh for a high-level inquiry.

Verma, a former BBC journalist and Editors Guild of India member, has denied the accusations levelled against him. He has claimed Chhattisgarh's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was framing him as he possessed a "sex CD".

The police said the complainant had received a call on his phone and the unknown caller said that he possessed a pornographic video of his "aaqa" (master) and threatened to distribute CDs of the same in case his demand for ransom was not met.

The second case was registered under the IT Act in another police station in Chhattisgarh on 27 October against two accused on the charge that they had circulated the complainant's fake pornographic video on various social media platforms and distributed its CD to malign his name to obtain political mileage.
In a rare occurence in Parliament on Thursday, Opposition and the government set aside political differences and united over the ongoing Kulbhushan Jadhav controversy. Addressing the Rajya Sabha at around 11 am on Thursday, Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj slammed Pakistan's behaviour when the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav went to visit the alleged spy in Islamabad.

In a dramatic address to the Upper House, Swaraj said that the meeting between Jadhav, his mother Avanti Jadhav and wife Chetankul was meant to be a step forward in strengthening bilateral ties between India and Pakistan. Listing out the "atrocities" committed by Pakistan government and the officials when the two women went for the meeting, Swaraj said Pakistan used the occasion as a tool for propaganda.

"Pakistan had clearly assured us that media will not be allowed anywhere near Jadhav's mother or wife. But the Pakistani media not only were given clear access to the venue of the meeting, they also hounded the two women and asked insensitive questions about Jadhav," Swaraj said.

Reports had said that the family was forced to wait outside the Pakistan Foreign Office, which left them wide open for harassment by the Pakistani media. They were bombarded with questions like  "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)".

In an official statement on Wednesday, the Pakistan Foreign Office said a "metallic substance" was found in the shoes of the wife of Jadhav when she went to meet him in Islamabad. The shoes were retained by security officials prior to the meeting with the Indian death row prisoner. Commenting on the shoe controversy, Swaraj said that it is an absudity beyond any measure. "Jadhav's wife boarded two flights before she reached the meeting venue. How can that be possible when she took a flight to Dubai first and then went to Pakistan. If no alarms were raised then, how did the Pakistan government discover something in the shoe? But Pakistan somehow found something "metallic" in it. It is an absurdity beyond measure," Swaraj added. Calling the sentencing of Jadhav in Pakistan farcical, Swaraj said that Pakistan forced the two women to present themselves as widows in front of Jadhav and this shows the twisted mentality of the country.

"Pakistan forced the two women to change their clothes. Jadhav's mother, who only wears sarees, was forced to wear salwar kameez. I called Jadhav's mother this morning to get the facts right and asked whether she was asked to remove her mangalsutra as well. She told me she urged the authorities to let the mangalsutra be as it is the symbol of her marriage and she has never removed it. But that apparently did not matter to the Pakistani authorities," Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha.

"I spoke to Jadhav's mother and she told me that Kulbhushan first asked her about his father as he saw that she was not wearing my mangalsutra or sindoor. The mother and wife were showcased like widows to Kulbhushan."

It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again & again & an environment of fear was created for them: EAM in Rajya Sabha #KulbhushanJadhav  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

Swaraj said that the wife and the mother told the minister that Jadhav clearly looked stressed and under duress. "Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. In fact, the authorities kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued to speak in Marathi, they switched off the intercom," Swaraj said.

Reports quoted sources as saying that Jadhav continued to speak in English and Hindi and repeating that he was a spy operating in Balochistan and involved in terror activities  allegations levelled by Pakistan that India has strongly refuted. His mother and wife tried to speak to him in Marathi but he wouldn't reciprocate, sources said. "But why are you saying all this," Jadhav's mother reportedly asked.

It was as if Jadhav was programmed to stick to a script and repeat whatever Pakistan has charged him with, the family reportedly told Indian officials. After harassing his mother and wife, Pakistan media claimed that Jadhav "confessed" to being an "Indian spy" during the trio's recent meeting. Pakistan's Geo News claimed that the mother immediately chided Jadhav and asked him to speak the truth.

The mother and the wife, after the meeting, have repeatedly reiterated that the former Navy officer was being forced to toe Pakistan's narrative. "Jadhav's mother told me that he was looking very tense and speaking only what was being briefed. It appeared that he was not keeping well. Humanity was missing in the meeting. This was a violation of human rights of Jadhav's family members, an environment of fear was created. We will bring him back," Swaraj said and added, "We are seeking to get permanent relief from ICJ. We will place more solid proof in front of them. The ICJ has postponed the death penalty handed out to Jadhav. We will now go with bigger proof to bring him back. I call upon this Parliament to condemn Pakistan's act and support Jadhav."

There was a roar of approval after Swaraj's statement in the Upper House. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad responded to the statement and said, "Pakistan does not believe in democracy. They do not know how to treat the citizens of another country. The ill-treatment meted out to Jadhav's mother and wife is not only against the family but 130 crore people of India. The Congress condemns the treatment meted out to Jadhav's family by Pakistan."

Misbehaviour of Pakistan with wife & mother of #KulbhushanJadhav was misbehaviour with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nation's dignity & another country misbehaves with our mothers & sisters, it will not be tolerated: GN Azad, Congress in RS pic.twitter.com/Pxpx87RmQ9  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

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This article is part of our 2017: A Year In Review series

As a year, 2017 was defined by many things: Trump vs CNN, One Love Manchester, Ivanka Trump's India visit, unicorn frappuccinos (give no importance to the order) to name a few. For India, it was also about a wave of participatory art which swept across the nation, uniting people and empowering communities in the process.

While the Left, Right and the Confused engaged in noisy (and often meaningless) political debates, there were artists and organisations who dedicated themselves making a positive impact. Their principles reflected in the stories they told, the art they created and the lives they changed.

So here they are  the art collectives that were the change-makers of 2017, whose work you might have missed amid the cacophony.

Aravani Art Project

In India, there are 4.88 lakh transgenders according to the 2011 census. Still treated as third-class citizens, transgenders are wronged by society; every single day is an exercise in surviving. The Aravani Art Collective aims to reclaim the streets of India and make them safer for the transgender community  one mural at a time. The group, along with its transgender friends, painted the walls of Pune in an attempt to sensitise people towards identity rights. The result: a brighter Pune, a freer community and more open minds.

Objective 2018: "This year we want to get bigger  and smaller!," says Viktor Baskin of the Aravani Art Project. "2018 will see us grow as an art collective by visiting more big cities, small towns and rural villages. We want to have big conversations in public spaces but also very quiet conversations in closed spaces. We have an international collaboration on our horizon to explore our unique transgender community with artists from other cultures and contexts. The label of an artist can be transformative; it allows us to look at what people create and to understand one another beyond the labels we've given to our bodies and gender identities."

Project FUEL

The year 2017 marked a tireless journey through the mountains for Project Fuel, founded by Deepak Ramola. The team, which comprises painters, writers and photographers, took off to Saur, a ghost village situated in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. Saur faces an alarming migration crises with just 12 families still residing here from the original 300. Ramola was able to successfully conduct the 'Wise Wall Project' which was followed by the 'Ghost Village Festival'. While the former involved painting life lessons of the locals on the walls of the village to reclaim it, the latter was an attempt to enable the residents of Saur to engage with outsiders and also generate funds and small-scale employment.

Objective 2018: "In the coming year, we are planning to extend the Wise Wall Project to other villages in India. It's an effort to both document rural wisdom and improve the social health of the community through art," says Deepak Ramola, founder Project FUEL.

Also read  Ghost Village Festival: A timely reminder of Uttarakhand's alarming migration crisis

The Pind Collective

Although Partition came into effect 70 years ago, the division of British India inflicted wounds that both countries will never really fully recover from. While the two countries now struggle to find common ground amid cross-border tensions, The Pind Collective bridges the gap and celebrates differences by bringing together artists from either side of the border. The collective was able to reach out to 70,000 people with their first online edition and held their first exhibition in Delhi.

Art without borders: The Pind Collective brings together Indian, Pakistani artists for an exchange of ideas, culture

Objective 2018: "The idea is to continue bringing artists from India and Pakistan into the fold, refine our digital platform and at the same time, organise offline exhibitions. Our current edition is significant for us because in the current political climate, it expresses many of our hopes for both nations  the possibility of free artistic dissent, the importance of re-imagining diplomacy, and the chance to have our generation leading the charge. We want to continue giving artists a platform, while also allowing them to experiment and collaborate in ways that they might not have been able to otherwise," say Avani Tandon Vieira and Ansh Ranvir Vohra, founders of The Pind Collective.

St+art India

One of 2017's most popular art movements, St+art India can be credited for transforming Mumbai's Sassoon Docks, among other localities. Despite being one of the oldest ports of Mumbai, it wasn't easy to embrace Sassoon Dock with all its plastic and overpowering stench of fish. However, as part of the Sassoon Dock Art Project, its walls were painted anew by artists  global and Indian  in every colour possible, celebrating the way of life of the Kohli community (the city's original inhabitants).

Objective 2018: "We're going to begin the new year with two cities, unique for their culture and history: Kolkata and Chandigarh. Furthermore, St+art will keep exploring collaborations and spaces in different cities, trying to open new ways for public art to progressively become a key tool for the growth of society. Projects such as the art districts, experiential exhibitions, typo sculptures and art inventions on public transportation will be taken further, along with focusing on the communities which inhabit these areas," says Giulia Ambrogi, the festival curator.

View the gallery: Mumbai's 142-year-old Sassoon Docks gets a street art makeover courtesy St+Art India

UR Unreserved

A Maraa initiative, UR Unreserved was a 30-day performative journey undertaken by a group of diverse artists, in an attempt to arrive at multiple, heterogeneous notions of identity. Because the Indian Railways is credited for building not just the countrys identity, but also its people, the aim of the project was to create a different metaphor for trains  one different from what's been in the news lately.

Objective 2018: "We have gathered a whole lot of material from UR/Unreserved  including performances, writing, sketches, audio and video. We hope to raise funds to organise public exhibitions across India. Along with this, we will also strengthen our arts and media work with students  on sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination. In 2018, we will directly address and engage with the worsening political situation in India," states Ram Bhat, co-founder Maraa.

While all these art collectives have their distinct creative identities/expressions, the core belief that unites them is the transformative power of art. Here's hoping for more from them in 2018!
The Winter Session of Parliament has so far been a tale of adjournments, stalemates and calls for resignations and apologies. The government and the Opposition softened their stand on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks against former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday, ending the nearly two-week impasse in Parliament but a fresh row over Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde's controversial comments on secularism and the need to change the Constitution is likely to keep it astir.

After an intense face-off, the government told the Rajya Sabha that Modi never questioned his predecessor Manmohan Singh's integrity and commitment to the nation. Even as one controversy seems to be slowly waning off, clamour for Hegde's resignation kept Parliament on its toes.

It is an important day for Parliament as the government is likely to table the bill which criminalises Triple Talaq. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj is likely to address the House over the ongoing Kulbhushan Jadhav controversy.

What the Hegde controversy is all about

On 25 December, five-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka Hegde in Bengaluru mocked secularists with his remark that they are unware of their parentage.

Hegde, 49, said a new tradition was in vogue, where people project themselves as secular, but asserted he would feel "happy" if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, or a Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu.

"I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don't know what to call those who claim themselves secular," said the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship. "Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity... They don't know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals," he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town in Koppal district on 24 December. He was there to launch the Parishad's website and women's wing.

Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, "I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are."

"A few people say the Constitution mentions the word secular, so you have to agree. Because it's there in the Constitution, we will respect it, but this will change in the near future. The Constitution has changed many times before. We are here and have come to change the Constitution. We will change it."

"We are here for that and that is why we have come."

Who said what: 'Hegde has lost his mental balance'

Hegde's remark that was made mere months before the Karnataka Assembly elections was not taken lightly in political circles. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the statement and said that the BJP leader does not know parliamentary or political language. Karnataka Congress called Hegde the 'messenger of hate.'

Hitting out at Hegde, Siddaramaiah said the minister has not studied the Constitution, does not know parliamentary or political language. He said Hegde has not learnt the social system and added that people belonging to various religions live in India. "Each and every individual in this country is an Indian, and every religion has equal right and opportunity. He does not have this basic knowledge," Siddaramaiah told reporters.

Speaking to The Wire, Manoj Kumar Jha, the national spokesperson of the Rashtriya Janata Dal said, Hegde is one of the poster boys of right-wing authoritarianism of the Hindutva forces and has simply uttered the intent of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) as declared by its ideologue MS Golwalkar in Bunch of Thoughts. Hegde has only uncovered the latent desire of RSS and it must be seen as a warning signal for the citizens, political parties and civil society that the regime poses a massive threat to the idea of India and the spirit behind We the People as enshrined in the preamble to the constitution of India."

The report also quoted Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Vijoo Krishnan, who hails from Karnataka, as saying, "Both Hegde and Prathap Simha, BJP MP from Mysore, have been trying to make polarising statements for sometime now. Clearly, there is an attempt by the BJP to deliberately communalise politics in Karnataka before the next assembly elections," he said.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and other state Congress leaders lambasted Hegde and said "the Union minister has lost mental balance."

"Hegde is unfit to be a Hindu, and his provocative statements have demonstrated his mental illness. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Hegde have been making statements to divide communities on communal lines. "Hegdes communal agenda will not work in the upcoming polls," Rao said. Calling him an unknown face in Karnataka, the state Congress leaders said that Hegde had no idea about Karnataka or the issues the state faces, even after being a five-time MP in the Lower House.

The Congress termed Hegde's remarks a "direct assault" on the composite identity of the nation and stated that the party will oppose any such attempt with all its might.

Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi said that the BJP and the RSS were "unmasked" by Hegde's remarks and alleged that "abusing the oath of office and denigrating the Constitution and its values have become a distinctive feature of Modi government".

Condemning Hegde's comments, Gogoi asked if the prime minister would break his silence on Hegde's remarks as the minister had openly spoken about changing the Constitution. Alleging that the BJP-RSS school of thought is ingrained in "bigotry, hate, divisiveness and prejudices, that envision a monolithic culture", Gogoi told reporters that Hegde's remarks were diametrically opposite to the liberal and inclusive traditions of India and the progressive thoughts of BR Ambedkar and the makers of modern India.

"The Congress strongly condemns and deprecates such regressive remarks which are against the idea and ideals of India. We shall fight this challenge in Parliament and in the court of people," he said. Gogoi alleged that all such statements have a common link and agenda and were meant to propagate and practice sectarian ideology of the BJP and the RSS.

The RSS and the BJP's sole agenda was to change and modify the basic nature and structure of the Constitution and "impose their hate filled, bigoted and prejudiced ideology" on India and its people, Gogoi added.

Socialistic values are the Magna Carta of India's Constitution, he said. "Any maleficence attempt to modify this by the BJP-RSS will be fought by the Congress Party with all its might," he said. Gogoi claimed that Hegde, like other BJP leaders, was suffering from the "foot in the mouth" disease.

Controversy rocks Parliament

When the two Houses of Parliament reconvened on Wednesday, the Opposition seemed determined not to let proceedings begin unless Hegde apologised even as the government and the Opposition parties reached a consensus on the other debate that was rocking Parliament.

The proceedings of both Houses have been repeatedly disrupted over the past two weeks over remarks by Modi during the Gujarat Assembly election campaign. He had criticised Manmohan for attending a "secret" dinner with senior Pakistan officials at another Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence. The Congress demanded an apology from the prime minister.

In Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said, Modi in his statements and speeches, "did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former prime minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice-president." "Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation," Jaitley said on Wednesday.

The Opposition forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha several times over Hegde's comments, and demanded that be be sacked as a minister. Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the House, called Hegde's remarks unacceptable, and said it meant "we all who support secular thoughts are not born to their parents."

Kharge alleged that Hegde had also denigrated the architect of the Constitution, Ambedkar, with his comment that the current dispensation came to power to "change" it.

Rejecting Kharge's comments, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar claimed the Congress leader was trying to distort what Hegde had said. He, however, did not comment on Hegde's remarks or try to defend him.

"Ambedkar is the father of the Constitution and we respect him. The prime minister had said the Constitution is our national book (Rastriya Granth). We are committed to it and secularism. The Congress should not teach us secularism," said Kumar, while asking the Opposition not to disrupt the proceedings.

"The Congress is indulging in pseudo-secularism. You (Congress) did not allow Ambedkar to contest polls. He was brought to Rajya Sabha by Jana Sangh," he said, listing out steps taken by the government to preserve Ambedkar's legacy.

While Congress members trooped into the Well raising slogans demanding removal of Hegde from the Council of Ministers, members of the TRS also joined them with placards demanding a separate high court for Telangana.

In Rajya Sabha, as soon as Hegde rose to lay papers listed against his name, several members, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, protested. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu allowed Azad to speak but he was interrupted by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel. At this, Azad said: "Since the minister seems to be in a hurry, I will be brief. A minister who has no faith in the Constitution of India has no right to be an MP or a minister. He should resign."

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, amid the din, said that the word secular was added to the Constitution later and not by Ambedkar. Minister of State Ramdas Athawale, who switched from the UPA to NDA, said it was not "this government" but "that one", pointing towards the Opposition benches, which had "insulted" Ambedkar. Athawale praised the Prime Minister for honouring the memory of Ambedkar with a fitting memorial and said it was Congress which had insulted Ambedkar. "Don't create a ruckus. You are going to be defeated in the General Elections in 2019 and 2024," Athawale told the Opposition.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy from the Trinamool Congress said secularism is inscribed in the preamble of the Constitution and asked if a minister is allowed to denounce the same preamble in public.

Samajwadi party's Naresh Agarwal (SP) said the Constitution is the Ramayana and Gita of democracy and any minister who abuses it and its founder Ambedkar should be removed. At this, Naidu interjected to ask members not to bring Ambedkar into the controversy.

Hegde is no stranger to controversies

A case was recently registered against him for allegedly using derogatory language against Siddaramaiah at Kittur in Belagavi district.

He had been slapped with cases for his "hate speeches", including one where he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism. Across the globe, terrorism is taking place in the name of Islam. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have also said it. Islam as an ideology should be eradicated. Its neither a geopolitical war nor a battle against unemployment or poverty. Its an ideological war, Hegde was quoted as saying.

Commenting on the Tipu Sultan Jayanti controversy in Karnataka, Hegde was also quoted as having said at a public meeting that it is a matter of time before Siddaramaiah starts making people celebrate "Kasab Jayanti."

Ajmal Kasab was the lone surviving gunman from the coordinated terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008 that left 166 people dead. Kasab was hanged four years later.

Hegde was criticising Siddaramaiah for state-wide celebrations to mark Tipu Sultans birth anniversary on 10 November.

The Union minister was known to be vehemently opposed to the state celebrations of Tipu Jayanti since it was started in 2015 and had called the festival a "shameful event glorifying a brutal killer."

With inputs from agencies
Eighteen months before Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde created a furore by saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party is here to change the Constitution, rightwing intellectual Ram Bahadur Rai too had echoed the same intent and sentiment in an interview to a media outlet.

Speaking to Outlook magazine on 13 June, 2016, Rai said, "There is a single party majority and all parties are in Parliament. This is the right time to convert the Lok Sabha into a Constituent Assembly." Rai then stressed, "This Constitution needs to be reconsidered afresh."

Rai is not a freewheeling intellectual. A veteran journalist, he was once the general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He is currently chairman of the Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts, a post to which he was appointed by the Narendra Modi government in April 2016.

Rai laid out several reasons for reframing the Constitution, including picking holes in its Preamble, which is where the words "secular" and "socialist" were introduced through the 42nd amendment in 1976. The introduction of these two words changed the description of India from "sovereign democratic republic" to a "sovereign socialist secular democratic republic".

It may be recalled that in his address to the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Koppal, Karnataka, Hegde said: "A few people say the Constitution mentions the word secular, so you have to agree. Because it's there in the Constitution, we will respect it, but this will change in the near future. The Constitution has changed many times before. We are here and have come to change the Constitution. We will change it."

The fact that the Constitution has been changed many times was also the argument Rai cited to advocate turning the current Lok Sabha into a Constituent Assembly. Rai said, "There have been over 100 constitutional amendments; one every year, and we still cannot say there wont be a need for more. This in itself is proof that the Constitution does not fulfil today's needs."

Rai was severely critical of the Preamble. He said it wasn't even discussed in the Constituent Assembly, nor was it part of the Objective Resolutions that Jawaharlal Nehru moved on 13 December, 1946, and the Constituent Assembly adopted on 22 January, 1947.

Rai then delivered the knock-out punch: "Whatever is in the Preamble is open for a new Constituent Assembly to do as it pleases." In other words, the new Constituent Assembly can delete or insert words in the Preamble. Hindutva votaries, as also a few others, have traditionally been opposed to the Preamble mentioning India as a secular republic.

Rai did not explain why the Constituent Assembly was debarred from framing a Preamble just because the Objective Resolutions did not mention it. After all, the Preamble's spirit is very much present in one of the provisions of the Objective Resolutions: "Wherein shall be guaranteed and secured to all the people of India justice, social, economic and political: equality of status, of opportunity, and before the law: freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship, vocation, association and action"

Rai also thought that the Constitution framed by the Constitutional Assembly became a "new testament to our gulaami (slavery)." This was because the lawyers who framed the Constitution lacked a connection with India's nature or culture.

The other reason why the Constitution became a testament to "our slavery" was that British India's last viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, had decided who would frame the Constitution.

In the Outlook interview, Rai also questioned Dr BR Ambedkar's role in framing the Constitution. He said, "Ambedkar's role was limited... so that whatever material Rau gave him, he would correct its language. It was like RAW or IB, where footsoldiers write reports in broken English and IPS officers turn it into good English, capable of being presented to the prime minister. So, Ambedkar did not write the Constitution."

When asked specifically whether Ambedkar's role in drafting the Constitution was a myth, Rai replied, "Yes, myth hai, myth hai, myth hai. It is a part of identity politics."

It is said to be an article of faith with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that the Constitution should be reframed. For instance, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during his tenure as prime minister, appointed former Chief Justice MNR Venkatachaliah as the head of a commission to review the Constitution. But Vajpayee was heading a coalition government  his compulsion was to satisfy the RSS without alienating his allies.

Presumably, it is to create "consistency" that Rai underscored the need to look afresh at the Constitution and Hegde went one step further to declare the BJP's intent to change it. The BJP has since disowned Hegde's remark. Likewise, it will say that Rai isn't a member of the BJP and his views are therefore personal.

But this is typically the way the Sangh shifts the goalpost  insert a contentious idea into the public discourse, retreat in case there is a hostile reaction, and then reintroduce it with greater vigour to take a step back again, until it becomes a part of the common sense of people.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday moved a privilege motion in the Rajya Sabha against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for "mocking" Finance Minister Arun Jaitley by "twisting" his name.

BJP member Bhupendra Yadav moved the motion under Rule 187 against Gandhi and urged the Chair to take notice of the alleged breach of Jaitley's privilege, who is also the Leader of the House.

"The members of this House have dignity. The name of the Leader of the House Arun Jaitley has been intentionally published by the Congress President with malafide intentions to defame this House," Yadav told the Chair.

"The way his (Jaitley's) name has been twisted by the Congress President on his Twitter handle, it comes in the category of (breach of) privilege. There are precedents such as that of NC Chatterjee in 1954. I request you to go to this precedent and issue notice to Rahul Gandhi," he added.

Referring to a statement given by Jaitley in the House on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "Dear Mr Jaitlie (sic)- thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means."

Jaitley on Wednesday made a statement in the House clarifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's position vis-a-vis his "conspiring with Pakistan" comments against his predecessor Manmohan Singh in order to end an impasse.

"The statement (by Modi) did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to the nation of Manmohan Singh or Hamid Ansari, the former Vice President. Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem as also their commitment to the nation," Jaitley had said.

The Finance Minister made the statement as part of an understanding with the Congress party over the issue, that had led to stalling of the Rajya Sabha and disruptions in Lok Sabha for several days with the party demanding an apology or explanation from Modi.

The Congress also reciprocated by disapproving Mani Shankar Aiyar's criticism of the Prime Minister after which the House resumed normal business.

Follow live updates on proceedings in Parliament here.
New Delhi: A war of words erupted in a meeting of a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs after BJP members objected to committee Chairman P Chidambaram's presence, as he is also a counsel in a case related to Aadhaar in the Supreme Court.

The panel met on Wednesday and the subject "National Security and Privacy Concerns relating to Aadhaar" was listed as one of the eight subjects it would be studying in the coming year.

The panel has been examining this subject since 24 October.

According to sources, five Bharatiya Janata Party members in the panel objected to Chidambaram's presence in the meetings on this subject citing a conflict of interest.

The BJP members said Chidambaram should either excuse himself from meetings on this subject or the matter should be passed on to the Standing Committee on Information Technology.

The opposition members were of the view that the panel should continue to examine the subject as Aadhaar involves privacy and issues of national security. They also pointed out that four meetings of the committee on the subject have already been held under Chidambaram's chairmanship.

No consensus on the issue was reached.

Trinamool Congress member in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien, who is a member of the panel, tweeted on Wednesday: "Parliament Committee on Home Affairs. Am a member. Sparks often fly. Fireworks soon."

"Can't divulge details of Parliament panel meet. But can say that Trinamool will fight to prevent Aadhaar being forced on the marginalised," he said.
Lucknow: Close on the heels of Rahul Gandhi's assertion that the Constitution was under attack by the BJP, BSP president Mayawati on Thursday held the Congress equally responsible for doing so.

"The equality-based Constitution envisaged by Bhimrao Ambedkar is under attack today, but it is also a historical fact that the Congress has not failed any less in implementing the Constitution in its right spirit to ensure people's welfare," Mayawati said in a statement.

"The BJP might deny it, but everyone knows that the RSS' ideology has always been against the Constitution. They have come to power by taking oath in the name of the Constitution," she said.

"They have not left any stone unturned in implementing their fundamentalist and casteist thinking and this is the reason as to why all the constitutional institutions are today under threat," the BSP chief said.

Mayawati also questioned as to how the Congress will have the moral right to fight against the BJP's "anti-constitutional" thinking.

Earlier in the day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said at the Foundation Day function of his party that the Constitution was under attack by the BJP. "It is our duty to defend the Constitution, to defend every single person's future," he had said.
New Delhi: A Congress MP on Thursday raised the killing of Mohammad Afrazul in Rajasthan in the Lok Sabha, and demanded that similar hate crimes including mob lynchings be investigated by a judicial panel and steps be taken to restore the confidence of minorities.

"I want to bring to the notice of this August House a gruesome murder that occurred in Rajasthan where a person was beaten black and blue and kerosene was poured on him and he was burned alive and that video was also taken and shown in all the TVs," M I Shanavas of the Congress said during zero hour.

Afrazul of West Bengal's Malda district was set ablaze this month in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district.

"So it is in this context the murder of Mohammad Afrazul and similar hate crimes including mob lynching may be investigated by a judicial committee headed by a sitting judge and steps may be taken to restore the confidence of the minorities and ensure fair justice be given to them," Shanavas said.

The video, which went viral, shows a man raving about "love jihad", a term used by sections of Hindu activists to describe marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men, who are accused of seeking to propagate Islam.
The City of Chattanooga Mayor's Council for Women will be hosting a Statewide Women's Policy Conference on Friday, Feb. 9 at the Westin Chattanooga. The mission of the all-day conference is to bring together women from across the state of Tennessee to learn about current legislation affecting women's lives and to inspire new policy initiatives that will impact their future."The Council for Women is advancing families across Tennessee by removing barriers that keep people from leading the life of their choosing.By having more women involved in developing policy, we can ensure legislation reflects the needs of women in Chattanooga and across our state," said Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.In its third year of operation, the Mayor's Council for Women has a goal to impact public and private policy affecting women relative to the areas of education, health, leadership, history, justice, and economic opportunity.The Statewide Women's Policy Conference is offered in response to the Tennessee report card on the Status of Women by the Institute for Women's Policy Research, Washington, D.C.Tennessee Report Card SummaryPolitical Participation: D-Employment & Earnings: C-Work & Family: DPoverty & Opportunity: DReproductive Rights: D-Health & Well-Being: D-"The time has come for women across the State to take responsibility for the policy decisions that impact them and their families. This conference is another way the Mayor's Council is bringing women together to discuss genuine solutions to the real problems facing all women", says Councilwoman Carol Berz, conference chair."Women in Tennessee have made considerable advances in recent years but still face inequities that often prevent them from reaching their full potential in their personal, professional and political lives. Participants of the conference will examine topics that include economic self-sufficiency, increased political awareness and engagement, issues of health and well-being, and work/family challenges," officials said.The Statewide Women's Policy Conference will begin at 7:30am on Feb. 9. The Mayors Council for Women invites women from across the state of Tennessee, including students, to attend. Topics will be centered around personal engagement, as well as political and professional empowerment. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from local vendors and organizations about resources for women in the Chattanooga community. To learn more, visit bit.ly/womenspolicyconference
Tassaduq Mufti, the brother of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, received brickbats for swearing in the name of 'dog' instead of 'God' at the time of his induction in the Council of Ministers. He, however, corrected himself after the mistake came to light. The swearing-in did not go well, as the Opposition NC and Congress tore into the PDP over the gaffe.

The PDP had to cut a sorry figure after Tassaduq, 45, a cinematographer-turned politician, made the above-mentioned gaffe. He, however, immediately corrected himself. National Conferences Budgam MLA and party chief spokesman, Aga Ruhulla, said that the oath of office and secrecy is a constitutional obligation and the ministers have to read from a paper which is given to them before the swearing-in. He said, Tassaduq showed that he was not serious. Taking the oath is not like cracking any scientific problem.

Ghulam Nabi Monga, vice-president of the Congress in the state, said that Tassaduq did not appear to be prepared for the event.

Meanwhile, Mehbooba faced trouble from within as PDP leaders said that the party was ignoring elected MLAs, and that it instead promotes a culture of 'sycophancy.' Information and Technology Minister Imran Raza Ansari and Horticulture Minister Syed Basharat Bukhari were not present at the swearing-in ceremony. Ansari was to get his daughter treated at a hospital in Mumbai for tonsillitis while Bukhari is in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.

Ansaris uncle Abid Hussain Ansari said that concerns about Imran getting a raw deal in Mehboobas government persist. He said that Mehbooba should have chosen to induct an elected member in the cabinet instead of Nayeem Akhtar, who is an MLC. Imran Ansari was promised that he will get a better portfolio, but the promise has not been kept. The grievance still persists, he said.

Akhtar is a senior minister in Mehboobas cabinet and was a close aide of former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mehbooba had dropped Chadoora MLA Javed Mustafa Mir from the cabinet after she assumed office following her father's demise. However, Mir has made a comeback in the ministry. Mehboobas uncle and Dooru MLA Syed Farooq Andrabi resigned to pave the way for Tassaduq to be inducted as a minister.

Two ministers in the cabinet of Mufti Mohammed SayeedNoorabad MLA Abdul Majeed Paddar and Sonwar MLA Mohammad Ashraf Mirhowever couldnt make to Mehboobas ministry. Both have been critical of her functioning and previously also joined ranks with the NC and Congress to denounce the government over the lack of development in the state.

The induction of Tassaduq and Javed Mustafa Mir further heightened tensions in the PDP camp.

Tassaduq was sworn in as a minister days after Governor N N Vohra issued a notification nominating him to the legislative council against the seat that fell vacant after the resignation of Vikram Aditya Singh, grandson of Dogra ruler Hari Singh. He had resigned over the issue of declaring Hari Singhs birthday as a state holiday and over claims that the Jammu region is being ignored by the PDP-BJP government.

As per the constitutional requirement, a minister has to get elected to either of the Houses of the state legislature within six months after being administered oath. Tassaduq will separately take oath as MLC, said an official. He earlier resigned as the co-ordinator of the chief minister's grievance cell before being sworn in and was previously fielded by the PDP on the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. The elections to the seat were, however, cancelled after violence on the day of polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, in which Farooq Abdullah was elected as an MP after a thin voter turnout. Even before the Election Commission took a decision on deferring the polls in the Anantnag seat, Tassaduq said that elections should not be held. He came under attack from both the Congress and the NC over his statement, with the two parties claiming that he had sensed defeat.

PDP sources said that they have made their displeasure known to the party top brass and alleged that elected MLAs are being ignored. They have said that the party is neither giving them any key party positions nor ministerial berths.
The Mahadayi river water dispute, an issue at the fore with North Karnataka farmers demanding their fair share of water, is set to keep the political class busy until the Karnataka Assembly elections next year. The dispute, from the looks of it, has been politicised by both the Congress and the BJP.

As the Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri Horata Samithi, an umbrella organisation spearheading the agitation, declared a half-day bandh in North Karnataka's Gadag, Bagalkot, Belgaum, Hubballi and Dharwad over the issue, hundreds of members of BJP and Congress engaged in a faceoff outside the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in Bengaluru and shouted slogans against each other on Wednesday afternoon.

BJP members had begun the protest outside the KPCC office, but the event took a dramatic turn when Congress members retaliated as well. Bangalore City Police had deployed 400 personnel to control the mob with ropes and barricades. After the protest, agitated BJP members were taken into preventive custody by the police in a BMTC bus. Additional Commissioner of Police Malini Krishnamoorthy said, "As this issue is quite intense, the Bangalore City Police will patrol around the city in different locations."

The issue

The Kalasa-Banduri Nala project, to lift water from the Mahadayi river basin and serve some of the parched regions in the districts of Belgaum, Dharwad and Gadag, was first approved and cleared by the NDA government at the Centre in 2002. The project involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, tributaries of Mahadayi river, to divert 7.56 TMC (thousand million cubic) feet water to Malaprabha, which meets drinking water needs of the region.

Following objections from the Goa government, at that time too headed by BJP's Manohar Parrikar, NDA put the project on hold. The two states have been at loggerheads since then and the matter now rests with the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.

The Tribunal, formed in 2010 to adjudicate the dispute over the river water allocation, had in September last year suggested that the three riparian states  Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra  find an amicable settlement outside the court.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had written a letter earlier this year to Parrikar seeking a meeting for resolving the dispute. The Maharashtra chief minister too had agreed to come in. However, Goa water resources minister and Goa Forward Party (GFP) member Vinod Palyekar rejected the offer and said in a statement released on 13 July that "there will be no compromise or out-of-court settlement on Mahadayi case with Karnataka. It is the official stand of my department and the Government of Goa."

Considering both Goa and Maharashtra have BJP-led governments, Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa had promised that he would get the dispute resolved by 15 December. In response to BSY's letter on 20 December, Parrikar wrote that any agreement, which will need to be discussed bilaterally under the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal, would pertain strictly to drinking water and only in drought-prone areas. He wrote that "in principle, the state of Goa would not oppose the reasonable and justified quantum of water meant to be utilised for drinking".

"Whatever he (Parrikar) has written (in the letter), he has not sent to me. If he has sent it to Karnataka, I can only say that it must be a political stunt," Palyekar was quoted as saying by IANS. He also said that his state will not share "a drop of water" of the Mahadayi river with Karnataka.

Farmers blame all

On Saturday, agitated farmers of Karnataka Raita Sena from several North Karnataka districts sat outside the BJP head office in Malleshwaram for dharna demanding that BSY sit down with them to resolve the issue.

General secretary of farmers group Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha, Badagalpur Nagendra, said, "Considering that BJP is at the Centre, the prime minister should have initiated the talks long before. However, he had failed to do so, and his own party is now raking up the issue for political gains. This is not acceptable. This is the reason why we are blaming the BJP."

BJP, in turn, has accused Congress of politicising the issue and instigating farmers to protest against the saffron party with an eye at next year's polls. BJP spokesperson S Prakash asked why Congress did not intervene when farmers sat for dharna outside BJP's head office. "Why did Congress not pacify them? The Congress party should have taken authority and brought the situation under control, which they did not."

An advocate of RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangha, T Ramaswamy Reddy, said that "both BJP and Congress have let us (farmers) down". "The core issue of farmers is being ignored by all the political parties. They are merely using farmers for their own political gain."

Meanwhile, UT Khader, minister for Food and Public Distribution, again questioned the pressure being put on Congress when "BJP is leading everywhere, in Goa and also the Centre". They should apologise for this behaviour, he said. "Both the parties should unite for issues like drinking water, agriculture, farmer suicide. These issues should not be politicised. In fact, we should work together for the betterment of the farmers. If we can unite for the Kaveri issue, why not for this issue?"

Sachin Miga, KPCC Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Congress president, said the main issue was being eclipsed. He insisted that "Siddaramaiah will take the discussions further as it is an inter-state matter".

The author is a Bengaluru-based journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters. With inputs from Ayswarya Murthy, a Bengaluru-based journalist.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a consensus in passage of the bill on making instant triple talaq a punishable offence, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar has said.

Briefing reporters on the proceedings of the weekly BJP parliamentary party meeting, he said the prime minister appealed for a consensus in passage of the 'Muslim women Protection of Rights on Marriage' Bill.

He said the bill, set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, seeks to provide gender justice, respect and security for Muslim women.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad briefed BJP members on the various aspects and provisions of the draft law.

Kumar said today is a "historic day" as the government headed by Modi is bringing in the bill which is a major reform initiative.

Responding to a question on consensus on the legislation in Rajya Sabha where the Opposition has the upper hand, Kumar said after its passage in Lok Sabha, the government will initiate the process of evolving a consensus in the upper house. He said the process, in fact, has already begun.

Sources in the government had said earlier that Prasad is already in touch with leaders of the TMC, the BJD and other parties seeking their help in the passage of the law.

The prime minister also wished senior party leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his birthday by garlanding him, offering him sweets and gifting him with a shawl at the meeting, Kumar said.

Union minister Jitendra Singh explained a new feature in the NaMo app which allows users to have a direct interface with the prime minister.
Patna: More than 300 leaders and workers of the ruling Janata Dal-United in Bihar on Wednesday resigned from the party in support of senior party leader Uday Narain Choudhary who has revolted against chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Most of the workers, including three block unit heads, resigned from the primary membership of the party in Maoist-affected Imamganj assembly constituency in Gaya district, considered a stronghold of Dalit leader Choudhary, said a leader close to him.

This comes a day after Choudhary, former Speaker of Bihar Assembly, openly expressed his support for Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, the main political rival of Nitish Kumar.

Lalu Prasad is currently lodged in a jail in Jharkhand's Ranchi after being convicted in a fodder scam case by a court last week.

In last three months, Choudhary has repeatedly attacked his own party government in the state and targeted Nitish Kumar, who is also the party President.

However, JD-U senior leader RCP Singh, known as the eyes and ears of Nitish Kumar, said that party will not issue notice to Choudhary and there is no decision to take action against him.

"It will be a wastage of paper to issue notice to him," he said.

In last assembly polls in 2015, Choudhary was defeated by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in Imamganj assembly seat after which he was sidelined.

But after Nitish Kumar dumped the RJD and the Congress to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the government in July, he has publicly rebelled against the chief minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday at the BJP parliamentary meeting, admonished party MPs for "ignoring" his text messages and asked them to start following the Narendra Modi app regularly, said a media report.

According to the India Today report , the prime minister complained that he often sends 'good morning' messages to BJP MPs, but only handful of legislators see or acknowledge them.

Modi also appealed to BJP MPs for unanimous passage of the triple talaq bill as it 'aims to give gender justice, protection and respect', Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar informed media after the meet.

PM appealed for unanimous passage of the Bill as it aims to give gender justice, protection & respect: Ananth Kumar after BJP Parliamentary meeting #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/ER7PLKvCfu  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

This is not the first time Modi reprimanded BJP MPs. In August, Modi had reportedly warned BJP MPs who didn't attend Parliament that they might not get to contest the next Lok Sabha polls if they continued with the habit.

Modi had told the meeting that the party was bigger than any individual and asked why MPs should be reminded about the need to attend Parliament. Modi had said that there should not be any need to issue whips to ensure their attendance.

On Thursday, BJP president Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Kiren Rijiju, Jitendra Singh among others attended the BJP parliamentary meeting which was held at the Parliament's Library Building.

The prime minister wished senior party leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his birthday by garlanding him, offering him sweets and gifting him with a shawl at the meeting.

The BJP MPs were also urged to make use of a new feature on the official app of the prime minister which facilitates direct connect with Narendra Modi.

A presentation about the new feature on the app was given at the party parliamentary meeting by Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh.

"There is a new mechanism, New India Connect, in the NaMo app which entails direct connect with the Prime Minister. Union minister Jitendra Singh apprised about it," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.

The app enables the Members of Parliament to apprise the prime minister about the work done in their states and constituencies.

With inputs from agencies.
Mumbai: Attacking the Maharashtra government for reinstating bureaucrat Radheshyam Mopalwar, Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has said the probe conducted into the allegations against Mopalwar was a "farce".

"Right from day one, the government's intention was to give Mopalwar a clean chit. The Opposition was demanding a judicial probe whereas the government settled for an inquiry by a retired chief secretary," Vikhe Patil said in a statement.

He added that the speed with which Mopalwar was given a clean chit and reinstated as managing director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) showed that the government wants to brush allegations of corruption in the Sammruddhi coridor project linking Mumbai and Nagpur under the carpet.

Mopalwar was reinstated on 26 December. Mopalwar was sent on leave in August year after audio tapes surfaced in which he was allegedly heard seeking a bribe. A probe committee under former Chief Secretary Johnny Joseph was set up which submitted a report that the audio tapes may have been tampered with.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Vikhe Patil said the probe against Housing Minister Prakash Mehta is being done through the Lok Ayukta while a retired chief secretary was asked to be allegations against Mopalwar.

"Mopalwar's inquiry is completed in five months while a decision regarding a probe against former minister Eknath Khadse is kept pending. This shows the government's convenient stand against corruption," Vikhe Patil charged.
New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Shimla on 29 December and review the party's performance in the recently-held Himachal Pradesh Assembly election.

The Congress was defeated by the BJP in the hill state where it had been in power for the last five years. The party managed to bag just 21 seats out of 68, while the BJP won 44 seats.

According to party sources, the Congress president will seek the views of party workers and address them at a workers' meeting in the state capital on his day-long visit to the hill state.

He has already held a similar post-poll review in Gujarat, where the party failed to regain power even after over 22 years of BJP rule, despite putting up a spirited fight.

The incumbent Congress government could win less than one-third of the seats in the hill state, with sitting chief minister Virbhadra Singh himself winning by a slender margin of 6,051 votes from Arki.

Two seats were won by Independents and one by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM).

Virbhadra's son Vikramaditya Singh also marked his maiden victory in the Assembly with a margin of 4,880 votes from Shimla (Rural), the seat his father earlier represented.

In the outgoing Assembly, the ruling Congress had 36 seats, the BJP had 26 and six were held by Independents.

With inputs from agencies
Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing to all members of Parliament for a consensus on the triple talaq bill, the Opposition stuck to its stand of conditional support. The Congress rider came in the form of removal of the criminality clause and referral of the Bill to the Standing Committee.

Before the beginning of todays session, the BJP had its parliamentary board meeting. Coming out of it, senior BJP leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said, The Prime Minister appealed for the Bill to be passed unanimously as it aims to give gender justice, protection and respect.

However, the appeal was not enough to soften the Congress. With a section of the Opposition already in favour of the Bill, the Congress had a tough challenge on its hands: Stopping the passage of the Bill in its original form.

Congress MPs Mallikarjun Kharge and Sushmita Dev, among many others, advocated that the Bill be amended, all the while clarifying that the party was not opposed to a bill that benefits Muslim women.

We are with the government and were not opposing it. But in the interest of the country, Muslim women, and for the unity and integrity of our nation, it will be better to refer the Bill to the Standing Committee. Give it some time for proper consultation, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge suggested during the post-lunch discussion.

A section of Opposition parties rallied behind the Congress in not accepting the Bill in its original form.

While the Left and Shiv Sena have given the Bill a thumbs-up, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) raised a red flag. This Bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in it. We want women to be empowered, but there are lacunae in the Bill, BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab said in the Lok Sabha during pre-lunch session.

Referring to Supreme Court judgment, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the apex court had in its judgment noted triple talaq as a sin and crime. All women have Right to Equality. This is a historic day for India. This law is not linked to any religion, it is about the honour of women, he said.

Putting forth the Congress view, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev presented a detailed argument in the post-lunch session.

The major concern raised by the Congress and its allies was that the three-year of imprisonment of the accused (husband) would prevent the divorced wife and children from getting maintenance allowance.

Everybody wants social reforms. It is not just an idea, it is a right It is not just the representation of women, if you would have allowed more women in Parliament, a legislation like this, full of lacunae, wouldn't have seen the light of the day in this House, Dev said.

We need this Bill to empower women, but subsistence allowance needs to be ensured. No method has been suggested in the Bill to calculate the allowance. Will the government create a corpus to provide allowance to Muslim women who have undergone talaq? Dev asked.

An eye on Karnataka Assembly election

The posturing of both parties is believed to be directed at the upcoming Assembly elections. After taking over as the new Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi is using every opportunity to sharpen the skills needed to helm the country's oldest political party, would like to have his way in the passage of the Bill and send out the right message.

Though BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi slammed the Congress and called their stand 'appeasement politics', it can't be ruled out that both the BJP and the Congress have been trying to leverage this Bill while keeping an eye on the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, speaking in the Lok Sabha after the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, was tabled, said: "The issue is not of faith, or puja but it is simply one of gender justice, equality."

"We must understand the pain of Muslim women. This morning, I read that a woman in Rampur was given talaq by her husband just because she woke up late," he said. "I went to Patna. I witnessed burqa-clad women were learning Information Technology (IT). On one side, we are hailing digital India and on the other side there is 'talaq, talaq, talaq.' The Lok Sabha is India's biggest panchayat. I appeal, firstly, that this Bill not be seen as a succession Bill. Secondly, don't tie it under caste aspect,and, thirdly, don't tie it to religion. Fourthly, don't view it under vote bank."

"We hoped that the condition would improve after the Supreme Court's decision," he added. "Countries like Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh have regulated triple talaq. The Islamic countries have regulated triple talaq. They have said you can't say talaq in one sitting. If here the women are facing abuse, we need to take a decision."

Prasad added that around 100 cases of triple talaq came to light after the Supreme Court verdict and wondered why India, being a secular country, could not tackle triple talaq, ANI reported.

When Islamic countries have regulated provisions of #TripleTalaq then why can't we a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in Shariat: RS Prasad,Law Minister in Lok Sabha  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

Earlier, the Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge said that they supported the Bill, but that it contained certain lacunae which should be rectified in the standing committee and that it could be sorted out in a time-bound manner by sitting together. Prasad thanked Kharge and stated that whatever suggestions the Congress has should be conveyed in the Lok Sabha itself, ANI reported. Prasad added that if the changes were fine, they would be incorporated into the law.
The Winter Session of Parliament is expected to have a busy Thursday as the government will introduce a bill in the Lok Sabha criminalising triple talaq. On the other hand, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to make a statement in both Houses of the Parliament over the ongoing controversy over Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting with his family.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on 28 December, according to the list of business in the Lower House.

The bill, prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat in any form  spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp  "illegal and void" and provides for a jail term of three years for the husband.

As per the provisions of the bill, the husband could also be fined and the quantum of fine would be decided by the magistrate hearing the case.

It was cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier this month. The bill was listed for introduction last week, but Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar later told reporters that it would be introduced this week.

Kulbhushan Jadhav row

Meanwhile, after the Opposition strongly protested the way Jadhav's family members were treated by Pakistan authorities when they had gone there to meet the former naval officer, Swaraj announced that she would be making a statement in both the Houses of Parliament on the issue on Thursday.

#FLASH: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to give a statement in Rajya Sabha at 11 AM tomorrow and at 12 noon in Lok Sabha #KulbhushanJadhav (File picture) pic.twitter.com/rkg11kHgk2  ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017

Jadhav, who was arrested in March 2016, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

On Tuesday, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understanding on Jadhav's meeting with his family, and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction. Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry had said on Tuesday.

Other businesses of the Houses

But apart from the triple talaq bill and Jadhav case, there will also be other legislative bills that will be tabled or passed in both Houses of Parliament.

In Lok Sabha, Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri will table The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2017.

Later, Prasad will table The High Court And The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries And Conditions Of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017.

The bill will increase the salaries of the Chief Justice of India, other judges of the Supreme Court, chief justices of the high courts as well as other judges of high courts by over 2 times.

In the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will table a bill to amend the NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) Act.

Later in the day he is also expected to table another bill to enable the State Bank of India to acquire the subsidiary banks like State Bank of Bikaner, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, and State Bank of Hyderabad.

Follow our live blog for full coverage of the Winter Session of Parliament

With inputs from PTI
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Speaking to ANI, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "For the first time a prime minister has accused former prime minister, former vice-president and diplomats of conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections. Modi must clarify in Parliament."

After bitter and acrimonious campaigning for Gujarat election, the Opposition, especially Congress, is up in arms and it is therefore expected that the first day of the Winter Session will be a stormy one.

Hoping that the Winter Session will be a "constructive" one, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media and said, "The Winter Session of Parliament is starting and I am confident that it will be productive session. I hope there is constructive debate and we come up with innovative solutions to our nation's problems. May this Parliament Session contribute to the nation's growth. At yesterday's all-party meeting, we all were clear that we need to take the country ahead and this session should be used positively to achieve that."

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, in response to Narendra Modi's appeal for a constructive session, said, "We are always in favour of constructive suggestion. We are very much interested to run Parliament and issues to be discussed, provided the government should take interest and create such an atmosphere which is conducive for discussion. They should respect the opposition."

After obit references, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the Lower House for the day. The House will meet again at 11 am on 18 December, 2017. Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election results will be announced on 18 December, as well.

The Winter Session will see some 19 amendment bills as part of the agenda. Some of these amendment bills such as the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013  makes prior sanction necessary to in order to investigate officials  and the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015  specifies grounds under which disclosures related to corruption may not be made  may attract a lot of flak from the anti-corruption brigade. Both the bills, have also been criticised for their half-hearted attempts to curb corruption.

According to PRS Legislative , on agendar are some 40 bills focussing on areas such as overseas citizenship, consumer protection, rights of compensation for Mulsim divorced women, education, surrogacy, bankruptcy, corruption, and labour and transgender rights among others.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill gives women from the community the right to seek maintenance from their husbands in case of triple talaq, while the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 prohibits certain persons, including promoters of defaulter companies, from submitting a resolution plan, the PRS added.

The new bills listed for introduction and passage include Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017, Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill, 2017 and Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States_Amendment Bill), 2017.

Opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha questioned the Chair's decision to disqualify senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav. Even as Chairman Venkaiah Naidu continued to tell the leaders of Opposition to sit down, Leader of Opposition in Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Opposition did not intend to question the Chair's decision but demanded clarification on why was Yadav expelled from the Rajya Sabha.

The Opposition forced the first adjournment of the Rajya Sabha as leaders stormed the well demanding an explanation over JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav's expulsion. The Upper House is adjourned till 12 pm.

Advocate Nizam Pasha, who filed the plea on the behalf of the leader, said the matter regarding which faction is the real Janta Dal was sub judice and a final decision is yet to be passed.

Yadav was elected to the House last year and his term was scheduled to end in 2022. Anwars term was to expire early next year.

The JD(U) had sought their disqualification on the grounds that they had attended a rally of Opposition parties in Patna in violation of its direction.

The Rajya Sabha chairman had agreed to the JD(U)s contention that the two senior leaders had voluntarily given up their membership by defying the partys directives and attending events of Opposition parties.

Yadav, along with another MP Ali Anwar, was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha on 4 December. Yadav had joined hands with the Opposition after JD(U) president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar dumped the grand alliance with the RJD and the Congress in Bihar and tied up with the BJP in July this year.

Former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav on 12 December, 2017 moved the Delhi High Court seeking setting aside of his disqualification from the Rajya Sabha. Yadav, in his plea, said he was not given any chance by the authorities before passing an order against him.

The notification for the new seating arrangements has been issued by the Rajya Sabha secretariat for new members. Shah's seat is on the other side of the aisle from Modi and BJP's leader of the house, Jaitley.

Shah has been allotted a front row seat of the treasury benches in the Rajya Sabha with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Shah will be occupying the seat held by M Venkaiah Naidu till he was elected as the Vice-President.

BJP chief Amit Shah made his debut in Parliament today. He was elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat in August this year.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raises the issue of Modi's allegations against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and others of conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat election. "Ye sadharan aarop nahi hai (This isn't a ordinary allegation)," Azad said.

The Upper House witnessed two adjournments in the morning of the first day of the Winter Session. While it saw an adjournment for 20 minutes till noon in the beginning after Opposition uproar over disqualification of rebel JDU leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar Ansari, the second one was over the Prime Minister's remarks.

"Congress has lost Himachal Pradesh, and I want to thank the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) for the unprecedented victory in Gujarat," Somaiya said

While opposition members were seen standing at their seats and protesting, from the treasury benches  BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, who had the first question listed against his name, said the Bharatiya Janata Party was headed for victory in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The Lok Sabha witnessed an adjournment minutes after it met on Monday amid an uproar, and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 noon.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday after Opposition continued to raise slogans in the House.

The Opposition raises slogans demanding an apology from Narendra Modi ("Pradhan Mantri maafi mango"). Meanwhile the Speaker continues to run the House as numerous motions are passed in rapid fashion by voice votes.

While Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Prasad Maurya resigned as they shifted to Uttar Pradesh politics, Nana Patole had quit the party citing Modi government's indifference towards agrarian crisis.

While Nitin Gadkari is expected to move the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, Hardeep Puri is expected to do so with the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill.

Calling the FRDI bill anti-people, the Trinamool Congress and other Opposition parties are all set to corner the government over the law.

The Congress has moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha seeking an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comment on Manmohan Singh.

Now, Congress MPs come to the well of the Lok Sabha

While Derek O' Brien raises the issue of FRDI bill, Congress MP Anand Sharma talks about undertrials in India, urging the Modi government to do something to curb the issue.

Leader of House Arun Jaitley says, "Everybody must get speedy trials. Do we have vested interests in delaying trials of politicians?"

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, SP MP Naresh Agarwal asks Arun Jaitley if the NDA government will create special trial courts to try those who defaulted on Rs 8 lakh crore. His statement came after the government sought to push a new law to expedite the trial of MLAs and MPs.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Pratap Singh Bajwa asked the government to intervene in the stubble burning by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. He also raised the issue of Sri Lankan cricketers wearing masks does not bode well for India's international reputation.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Pratap Singh Bajwa asked the government to intervene in the stubble burning by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. He also raised the issue of Sri Lankan cricketers wearing masks does not bode well for India's international reputation.

Speaking in RS, TMC MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy urges government to protect the personal data linked to the Aadhar. He adds that privacy is a fundamental law and hence the government needs to make a law to protect the data from third party external organizations.

Slogan shouting continued in the Lok Sabha as the Chair asked them not to disturb the Question Hour. "If you don't want the House to function, give that in writing," Mahajan said before adjourning the LS for half an hour.

"The farming community in the coastal belt stands thoroughly devastated. I ask the government, 'Why can't you declare this as a national disaster? What is preventing this?'" CPI leader D Raja asks the government.

Anand Sharma of the Congress says, "If the perception is created that special courts are needed only for MPs, other people should not have to bear the brunt of it." He adds, "It has an inherent potential to be abused in entirety by the government of the day."

"Government believes in "sabka saath sabka vikaas". The committee is trying to create communal divide in the country. i request the government to replace the managing committee of Dyal Singh College in Delhi," SAD MP Naresh Gujaral says while requesting the government to not rename the institute "Vande Mataram College."

Azad raises the issue of alleged EVM tampering in Gujarat. He also raises the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi making insinuation against Manmohan Singh, Hamid Ansari and Mani Shankar Aiyar.

In RS, Azad says if any leader is found to be guilty then punish them. "PM Modi maafi maango" is heard in the House.

While the Lok Sabha reconvenes, the noise over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement continues to disturb the working of the House.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu asks Congress to not raise the issue and disrupt the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. He said that the issue needs to be sorted out with a discussion with the Leader of the House (Jaitley).

JP Narayan Yadav of the RJD tells the House, "I request Lalu Prasad Yadav's NSG protection to be reinstated. He might be killed today. A lot of people adore him and he needs to be protected."

In Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley says, "Leaders of opposition shall be invited to discuss this issue." After his assurance, the House has been functioning smoothly.

Over a question whether the government is taking any steps to address the lack of medical infrastructure, Nadda says that AIIMS standards cannot be diluted. But he adds that there is a lack of faculty which is being addressed.

He said that despite the crude oil prices falling, the price of diesel and petrol has remained the same. "Now that BJP is in power and at Centre, when will it bring the petroleum under GST?" he adds.

"When will the GST council decide to bring it under the ambit of GST? what is the position of the Centre?" the former finance minister asks. Chidambaram says that the Centre has a veto power over the decision taken by the council.

"A constitutional bill has been passed. It stated that petroleum products is not out of the law. It is a part of GST but the decision to levy GST is concerned, it will be taken only after council takes decision. For that we need a 3/4th majority," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

The issue has been raised by several Assam MPs in Lok Sabha. Looking at the seriousness of the issue, Union Minister Ananth Kumar has assured the House that the Centre will look into the issue.

"Not happy with what they did. That they came into the well is shameful. You can interrupt us but do not disrupt the proceedings. They insulted the Chair. Even Mallikarjuna Kharge disrupted the House. We condemn it." Ananth Kumar said.

The government has tabled the Companies Act (Amendment), 2017 in the Rajya Sabha. On the other hand, the government has introduced the Repealing and Amendment Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha.

Chidambaram said that the Bill has noble objectives. However, he added that the relaxations given to small and medium companies under this law will apply to all companies because we have only one Companies Act. Chidambaram said that there is a need to consider having a separate comprehensive legislation for small and medium companies.

This Bill seeks to repeal 131 Acts. Among the Acts that will be repealed, 30 are pre-Independence laws. This Bill also includes nine Ordinances promulgated before Independence.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee says, " While there is no doubt that the Emergency in 1975-77 affected many people, there is a kind of Emergency without even constitutionally declaring it nowadays. It is important to make a distinction between the official emergency in 1975 and the post-2014 situation," Banerjee adds.

"Corporate Governance leaves much to be desired in India. May be it is a legacy issue in the country. The law is old. It took 15 years for us to bring the new law. In between, there were various excesses in corporate world. There have been no proper regulation of companies. So, there is much to be desired. Like, many companies do not pay taxes but are part of the Registrar," Chidambaram says while concluding his speech.

Shiv Sena in the Lower House, demanded that along with the 235 archaic laws, the government must also repeal Section 377, which grants Jammu and Kashmir special status.

"Changes required to ensure that reserved seat for woman director is not occupied by family members of promoters," Seth said. He also raised the point of concentrated expenditure of CSR funds. "A lot of big companies are in Maharashtra, Gujarat. Hence CSR money is spent in those regions. CSR must be done in other regions of this country," he said.

"This bill fails to address the differences between various acts like the RBI act, and SEBI act. There are various discrepancies which must be addressed," Gupta said.

The bill will lead to conflict between two arms of the government. The removal of certain reasonable restriction will make money laundering easier," Gupta said. He said that the provision to give deposit security has been done away with, which is a serious problem.

Gupta also said that the government is trying to fit everyoe under a sigle law, while evidence from past points to the contrary. He said that small and medium enterprises continues to suffer and the Companies amendment bill has nothing to address that issue.

Meanwhile in LS, Law Minister RS Prasad responds to objections and questions raised on repealment of archaic bills

The minister conceded that there is merits in decriminalizing Section 377 but there is opposition to it as well. There needs to be democratic consensus to repeal it. We need to debate, discuss and decide.

He also said that the bill allows same relaxations to SMEs as it does to big companies which "amounts to holding the country at ransom."

The CPM leader pointed out that the expenditure of CSR funds is not yet bounding on companies. He said that the Corporate Affairs Ministry merely accepts a mere explanation as to why money on CSR has not been spent.

Roy also demanded a white paper on the actual ground work done in his ministry.

He says that Gadkari used to be a vikas purush, but has now become a sapno ka saudagar (trader of dreams)." He said that whenever someone raises the point of funds, he says he will manage from foreign funds or here or there.

On a lighter note, however, Roy wondered why, Rudy, the speaker before him was removed from the cabinet, even though he is a splendid speaker.

"He is channeling money from one pocket to another pocket of his own ministry and we do not oppose it," Roy said. He said that since the money was being rerouted he will support the bill.

"Odisha coast canal should be included in the national waterways to give the state the benefit of the revolutionary transport network," Jena said.

Jena said that the state of Odisha has since-long been discriminated agaist by the central government. He requested Gadkari to formulate schemes to include the state in the development of transport networks.

Samajwadi Party's Naresh Aggarwal objected to the passage and debate on two bills in the same day, adding that it eats away the time of short duration discussions. After a brief exchange, Yadav only resumed his seat after being assured from the Treasury Benches that at least one short duration discussion will be held in the House.

IIM amendment bill proposes larger autonomy for management institutes and provisions to allow them to grant postgraduate degree rather than a diploma

The matter was raised by Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) during Zero Hour.

After Lok Sabha members on Tuesday expressed concern over the Brahmaputra river being polluted by China, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar assured the House that he will take up the issue at the "highest level" in the government.

He also brought up the problems faced by students passing from regional language schools.

Agrawal said he would support the bill only for the fact that at least there was some will to bring about the change. He, however, lamented the lack of similar reforms in other educational institutes such as IITs or other higher education institutes.

Gadkari told the Lok Sabha that a river traffic control system was already functioning between Haldia and Patna. He added that work on 10 waterways will be completed by 2018.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, however, said the rural development ministry had advised the states and union territories to explore the possibilities of using consent-based Aadhaar authentication for registration of properties under the provisions of the Registration Act, 1908.

There was no proposal to make Aadhaar linkage mandatory for property transactions, Parliament was informed today.

Congress leader said that the government should describe how they plan the transition between the current boards at IIMs and the Board of Governors as proposed in the new bill. He also asked what would be the criteria for appointment of these governors.

Jairam Ramesh questions how board of directors will be appointed at IIMs after new bill

Times Now reports that the government may meet Opposition leaders in a bid to find an amiable solution to the deadlock that rose after Narendra Modi insinuated that Manmohan Singh and his colleagues met Pakistani delegation during elections.

The Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Bill, 2017 will be tabled by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Rajya Sabha.The bill will make it an institution of national importance.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the old and many irrelevant pre-Independence laws were the "unfortunate part of the colonial legacy" and repealing them was a progressive move that reflects the "pro-reform" approach of the government.

The Lok Sabha also passed two Bills to repeal 245 obsolete and archaic laws, including the 158-year-old Calcutta Pilots Act of 1859 and the 1911 Prevention of Seditious Meeting Act.

The bill gives them powers to award degrees instead of postgraduate diplomas.

The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017  which was passed in the Lok Sabha in July this year  grants statutory powers to the IIMs in their running including the appointment of directors and faculty members.

The bill amended the companies law to strengthen corporate governance standards, initiate strict action against defaulting companies and help improve ease of doing business in the country.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by a voice vote. It was adopted by the Lok Sabha in July this year during the Monsoon Session.

"Now you are in the opposition and have a greater flexibility in changing your position," he said. He said the present government has persuaded the states to include petrol within the GST and the states reluctantly agreed to do so.

He also sought to know why the prices of petrol and diesel did not decline with a fall in the global crude prices. Jaitley responded saying that a person familiar with the issue had asked the question. He said the UPA in its draft GST bill had kept petrol out of its ambit as it knew that the issue would be a deal-breaker between the Centre and the states.

During the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram sought to know the Union government's position on bringing petrol and diesel under the GST.

The Centre favours including petroleum products in the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but it would want a consensus with the states before taking such a step, Finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday.

Opposition leaders come to well of the Rajya Sabha to protest against Modi's comment on Manmohan.

Venkaiah Naidu's plea to Congress MPs to go back to their seats fall on deaf ears.

Shrivastava said Veerendra Kumar, who was elected to the Upper House from Kerala last year with support from the Congress-led UDF, resigned "so that no one questions his integrity that he is aligning with (Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President) Nitish Kumar".

The 80-year-old, also a Karala media baron, submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday morning, Arun Kumar Shrivastava, also a rebel JD-U leader, told IANS.

Disgruntled Janata Dal-United leader MP Veerendra Kumar on Wednesday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, days after rebel JD-U leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar were disqualified from the Upper House.

"This is not the way," he said. "This is Parliament. This is Rajya Sabha. Wrong message is going." Stating that he did not appreciate their behaviour, Naidu said, "Please don't exceed limit. Please go to your seat."

Naidu asked them not to create obstruction and allow other members to raise important issues.

At this point, Congress members rushed to the Well of the House shouting slogans.

No sooner had the listed papers been tabled, Congress members were up on their feet demanding an explanation from the prime minister on his remarks against Singh. Naidu disallowed them.

Opposition Congress members today disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha over the insinuations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

However, the Congress MPs have again created a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over Narendra Modi's comment against Manmohan Singh. Some of the MPs descended to the well of the House. The slogans of "Narendra Modi maafi maango" are being echoed in the House.

Meanwhile... sloganeering can be heard in the Lok Sabha too

The Lower House is currently being presided by Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai. The House is discussing the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Bill (Amendment), 2017. The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri.

Over 1,000 cases of people securing jobs using forged caste certificates have been reported by various central government departments, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. The Department of Personnel and Training had in June sought data from all central government organisations regarding appointments made on the basis of fake caste certificates.- PTI

"There is no question of middle path...The country's prime minister has alleged that the former prime minister has taken steps against the country and that too with the enemy nation. Don't you think it is an issue that calls for an apology?" Chowdhury told reporters.- PTI

With Parliament witnessing repeated adjournments over Narendra Modi's remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury on Wednesday said that there was "no question of a middle path" on the matter till the prime minister apologised for his comments.

Provisions of this bill violate rights of people, whose land is being acquired: MK Premchandran, RSP

G Hari of AIADMK enlists benefits of bamboo, says hopes this would be taken into consideration while passing bill

BJD's Tathagata Satpathy objects to bill, says farmers will be affected by removal of bamboo from bill

More than two lakh Chinese tourists visited India in 2017, according to data provided by the tourism ministry in Parliament on Wednesday. The figures provided by Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons in the Rajya Sabha assume significance in the backdrop of India's recent standoff with China over the Doka La issue.- PTI

The farmer does not need our sympathy, they need less interference, says Tathagata Satpathy of BJD

"I had done research. We had sent researchers in Tripura, Nagaland., Sikkim. Problems found were mainly regulatory. One of the reasons of high cost is on the count of the fact that bamboo, the amount of rent-seeking behaviour is just too much. Therefore, as a first step, we need to take a holistic approach. The first step is to redefine bamboo (by removing it from tree category)," Rai said.

Rai demanded that the bamboo be unleashed from "all kinds of regulations". In 2014, He added that he had brought a similar bill on bamboo with a private members' bill in 2014.

"People of north Sikkim were completely cut-off because of Mantam lake which was created because of landslide. They then made a bamboo bridge and are now able to cross the lake on foot," Prem Das Rai said in Lok Sabha.

In India, one tonne bamboo costs Rs 10, 000 in some parts and Rs 10-15,000 in other parts

The legislation to amend the Indian Forest Act to exempt felling and transportation of bamboo grown in non-forest areas from the state permit, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017  which would omit bamboos growing in non-forest areas from the definition of trees  was introduced by Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan even as BJD leader B Mahtab raised concerns and opposed the legislation.- PTI

Union environment minister Harshvardhan says soon people will be encouraged to take up bamboo cultivation

Vociferous sloganeering on Thursday disrupted Sachin Tendulkar's maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha since his nomination. Members of the Opposition shouted "BJP sharam karo" as sloganeering continued in the Upper House of Parliament on the fourth day. Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 11 am on Friday following stormy scenes on the floor of the House.

BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has given adjourned motion notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 on remarks of Congress leaders against PM Modi

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the bill which will double the salaries of judges of the Supreme Court and 24 high courts, reported The Indian Express . The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill 2017 provides for increased salaries as recommended by the Seventh Pay Commission.

Discussion on natural calamities in the country with special reference to cyclone Ockhi in South India

In the Rajya Sabha, M Venkaiah Naidu read the obituary of legislator Jalaluddin Ansari and a minute's silence was observed. Question hour starts in Lok Sabha.

Business in the Rajya Sabha is proceeding fairly quietly while there is constant sloganeering in the Lok Sabha by the Opposition.

Raut raises the issue of the deaths in the Gorakhpur hospital. He asks for the Centre to keep a check on the funds which are given to the state governments for health issues. Anupriya Patel, MoS, Health and Family Welfare answers saying that the Centre does indeed monitor the funds and the MP could monitor those funds for their own constituency as well.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien says Rajya Sabha TV should not be cut off when protests are taking place as that is one of the ways for the Opposition to express itself

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad asks for Rajya Sabha to be adjourned till the parties decide on the remarks issue outside Parliament

In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition insists that it is better to adjourn the matter with it raising uproar. It asks the Rajya Sabha to be adjourned till 2 pm till when the issue is resolved.

Adjournment means no legislative business will take place in the Rajya Sabha over the next four days as well

The issue of nurses' allowances has been raised. The concerned minister insists that most of the nurses' demands have been met and discussions are ongoing for the others.

In the revised list issued by the Lok Sabha, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017 was removed. In the original list , law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was scheduled to introduce a bill to "protect the rights of married Muslim women and to prohibit divorce by pronouncing talaq by their husbands and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto".

He admits that enough warning was given but there is a need for specific alarm systems. "Modern technology is needed to help the people. Unfortunately there has been a lapse by the authorities in informing the people about the cyclone. I am not blaming anyone as this should not be a political issue," he said.

Professor Richard Hay, the nominated member from Kerala, talks about the ground situation in Kerala in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi

Richard Hay says he had visited the coastal area of Kerala and Kanyakumari himself. "The fisherfolk want homes, food, education and security. I am not getting this from the media. I have visited the people and have listened to them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had consoled those people," he said.

Mahtab talks about how unseasonal rain and cyclones cause great harm to crops and farmers as well. He says the infrastructure needs to rebuilt after these calamities.

"Once the deadlock in the Parliament is resolved, we will raise the issue of Jadhav in Parliament. What has happened to Jadhav's family in Pakistan is inhuman. We will demand a discussion on this issue in the House and will ask the Centre and the international community to ask an explanation from Pakistan on this matter."

The Opposition, led by the Congress, plans to corner the central government in Parliament over the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a report on India Today said. Congress leader Pramod Tewari was quoted as saying the party wants the government to clear its policy on how it plans to bring Kulbhushan Jadhav back from Pakistan.

Trinamool joins Opposition Congress party in demanding a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs over the Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother in Pakistan.

Any view that Narendra Modi meant to insult Manmohan Singh or other leaders during election speeches is erroneous and uncalled for, Arun Jaitley says

I,on behalf of Congress, say that we disassociate from any comments that may have hurt prime minister's dignity, says GN Azad of the Congress

Soon after the Lok Sabha resumed, Congress MP's started waving placards at the Treasury benches. They were protesting against Anant Kumar Hegde's comments on Constitution.

Amid controversy over Naresh Agrawal's comment, the SP MP has written to Rajya Sabha chairman over the alleged ill-tretment of Indian prisoners in Pakistan. He also alleged that the government was not doing anything about it.

AITMC MP Saugata Roy requested the Speaker to not pass bills while the House is not in order. He also said that the Speaker must pull up Union minister Anantkumar Hegde for insulting the makers of Constitution. He also added that he would not voice his opinions in the House as a mark of protest. Lok Sabha Chairman, however, dismissed the request and added that the House cannot be adjourned every day.

From the Opposition, CPM MP Mohd. Saleem stood up to respond but refused to speak during the din. He again brought up the comments made by Hegde, but the Speaker refused to take those remarks on record.

Discussion about unauthorised colonies in Delhi is underway in Lok Sabha. BJPs Ramesh Vidhudi has alleged that the Congress party has left the issue hanging for years.

The Speaker took strong objection to the use of words and expunged the comments from record. She also added that nobody knows for certain what the minister had said, and since he was not present in House, the House's time should not be wasted on the issue.

Reacting to Anantkumar Hegde's comments on secularists and the Constitution, senior Congress MP Malliakrjun Kharge attributed these words to Hegde: Those who label themselves secularists, they neither have mothers nor fathers, their blood line is not know. Kharge then asked that whether the minister was calling secularists Ba*****.

"I just want to say that Modi ji and our Govt are committed to the constitution of India and ideals of Baba Saheb Ambedkar: Ananth Kumar," Parliamentary Affairs Minister in Lok Sabha on Opposition uproar over Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde's remark.

In a reply to a question from Satyapal Singh, Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Higher Education), Rajan Gohain, MoS, Railways said in Lok Sabha that patients suffering from arthritis can book a berth of their choice (lower berth in this case) on first come-first serve basis.

The railways today said it had no quota for patients suffering from arthritis and no plans of offering any concession in passenger fare for them as it was already losing revenue over the discounts granted in over 50 categories.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said he will convey their demand to the Law Minister. Later, Law Minister Ravi Dhankar Prasad said he will give a statement on the issue tomorrow. At present, the Andhra Pradesh High Court is the common High Court for both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The TRS MPs also trooped into the Well of the House, showing placards and raising slogans demanding setting up of a High Court for Telangana.

Members of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha demanding immediate setting up of a High Court for Telangana. Raising the issue, TRS parliamentarian AP Jithender Reddy said the Centre is yet to set up a High Court for Telangana even three years after the formation of the state.

The approved strength of the Supreme Court is 31, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

There are six vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court, while nine high courts are working without regular chief justices, but the government has not received any proposal from the apex court collegium to fill up the slots, the Rajya Sabha has been informed. Union Minister of State for Law P P Chaudhary, in a written reply, has informed the Upper House of Parliament that the "government has not received any proposal for filling up of the six vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court and for appointment of chief justices in the nine high courts, which are functioning with acting chief justices".

Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said if the Bill is not passed, it will lead to "unprecedented chaos" in the national capital. The legislation will give cover against punitive action on "as is where is basis" until December 2020, he said.

The Lok Sabha today passed a bill to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in the national capital region from punitive action till a framework for orderly arrangements are in place. The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill gives immunity to slums and some unauthorised constructions till 31 December, 2020. The immunity under the existing Bill ends on 31 December.

"Many members have expressed concerns over the autonomy of the institute. I would like to assure them in this House today that it is our government's intention to make the institute fully autonomous. However, we cannot expect it to turn into a JNU, or DU from day 1. In the initial phases, there will be some hand holding but later on it will be completely autonomous.," Pradhan said.

The authorities were ascertaining whether the "metallic object" in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip, Pakistan Today quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal as saying.

Pakistani authorities have sent the shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, a media report said on Wednesday.

"There was something in the shoe. It is being investigated. We gave her a pair of replacement shoes. All her jewellery et cetera were returned after the meeting," Faisal said.

In the statement, Pakistan had rejected as "baseless" India's contentions that Jadhav's wife and mother were harassed and claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it.

"This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles, and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," it said.

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security.

The external affairs ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles, and bindi of Jadhav's mother and wife removed before they could meet him.

The diplomatic strain over Jadhav's meeting with his family grabbed headlines not just in India, but also in Pakistan. Almost all major Pakistani newspapers gave prominence to the issue and carried reports of the Foreign Office issuing statement after India claimed that Jadhav's responses were "clearly tutoured" that the alleged spy was "under duress" during the meeting.

The editorial lauds the Pakistan government's attempts to do what was "necessary in the international scheme of things" and "ignoring the deafening cacophony to do what was necessary."

The Nation commented on the "cacophony of opinions" circling the issue. The piece in The Nation took a more balanced view of the issue at hand and wrote, "Ultimately however, these are all irreconcilable opinions and each can be considered correct if viewed from their subjective angle."

"We are even more depressed now than we were before the visit," a relative of Kulbhushan Jadhav told news agency PTI. The family refrained from commenting further as it is an international issue. "If we speak something about it, that may hamper the process," he said.

Various political parties, including the Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK, strongly protested how Pakistan treated the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former navy officer sentenced to death in Pakistan. The episode drew outrage on social media as well.

Jadhav's mother and wife were also harassed and subjected to outrageous questions by Pakistani journalists after they were forced to wait for their car. The family faced questions hurled at them like - "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)".

According to CNN-News18, the BJP has issued a whip to all its MPs to attend today's proceedings in Parliament. The Lok Sabha will be discussing the triple talaq bill today.

The Indian National Congress is celebrating its 133rd foundation day today. It is for the first time that Rahul Gandhi will be steering an event as the president of the party.

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal hit back at the Congress, saying she does not know to what level theopposition party can fall, if it could not come together on the issue of treatment of women by a "terrorist" country which always worked towards harming India.

Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Wednesday hit out at the government, accusing it of "diplomatic failure", after Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife were harassed by the Pakistani side during their meeting with the Indian national in Islamabad.

We will get some relief because of new law, says a victim

The bill, prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat in any form  spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp  "illegal and void" and provides for a jail term of three years for the husband.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on 28 December, according to the list of business in the Lower House.

The bill will increase the salaries of the Chief Justice of India, other judges of the Supreme Court, chief justices of the high courts as well as other judges of high courts by over 2 times.

Later, Prasad will table The High Court And The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries And Conditions Of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017.

He was of the view that Pakistan "did not do any good for itself" by its handling of the meeting while showcasing to the world its gesture, a statement issued by the Vice President's Secretariat said.

Referring to the restrictions, Naidu said the move to ask Jadhav's wife take off her 'mangal sutra' has not got down well with the people of India.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu termed as "inhuman" the restrictions imposed by Pakistan during Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother in Islamabad, saying it has hurt the sentiments of Indians.

Sources told CNN-News18 that Pakistan will share the report on Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife Chetnakul's slipper with India. Pakistan had taken the slipper away suspecting a metallic object to be in it.

This day will be more significant in Muslim women's life than Eid or Bakrid, says victim

Congress sources tell CNN-News18 is that the party will be supporting the anti-triple talaq bill. However, the party is apprehensive of the criminality clause in the law, adding that the three-year jail for the divorce is arbitrary and Draconian.

Three days after his controversial statement over the word 'secularism' in the Constitution, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde has said the Constitution of India is supreme for him.

"I can never go against the Constitution as a citizen. It is Supreme for me," says Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde. However, Mallikarjuna Kharge interrupts and says that Hegde has insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar.

"We fear that if we speak a lot here, then there will be a danger to the life of Jadhav. but we know that the Pakistani Army does not believes in democracy. It does not know how to behave with prisoners who have been implicated in false case. What they did with Jadhav's wife and mother is condemnable. We may have political differences but on this issue we stand with the government," the LoP in Rajya Sabha said.

"I spoke to the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav over the phone. She said that he was speaking under duress. He was telling whatever he was being tutored. He did not look healthy too. I hope people all Members of Parliament as well as the common man will denounce the behaviour of Paksitan," Sushma Swaraj said while concluding her statement.

In a rare sense of unity, all parties in the Rajya Sabha have denounced the manner in which Jadhav's family was treated in Pakistan.

"It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again & again & an environment of fear was created for them," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha

"Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued, the intercom was switched off," Sushma Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha.

Union Minister Ramdas Athavale gives a poetic statement to back Sushma Swaraj's statement, "Kulbhushan ki khatre mey hai jaan, Hua hai unke maata pita ka apmaan". He also thanked the Congress for supporting the government.

After harassing his mother and wife, Pakistan media now claims that Kulbhushan Jadhav "confessed" to being an "Indian spy" during the trio's recent meeting. Pakistan's Geo News claims that the mother immediately chided Jadhav and asked him to speak the truth. The mother and wife, after the meeting, have repeatedly reiterated that the former Navy officer was being forced to toe Pakistan's narrative.

The Congress party is continuing to create a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde's comments against the Constitution. The Congress MPs are demanding a point of order in Question Hour. However, Chariman Venkaiah Naidu refused to allow it.

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned within five minutes after being reconvened. The Upper House has been adjourned till 2 pm.

"In April 2017, I had said that the death sentence was given in illegal manner. We were in constant touch with the family. We were helping them connect with Jadhav. The Pakistan government allowed a meeting in December. It is unfortunate that the meeting could have been a path-breaking event but Pakistan used it as a propaganda tool,"

Not returning the shoes was an act of cruelty, says Swaraj

Opposing the bill over the criminalisation of the Islamic practice, Owaisi said that the law will be injustice to Muslim woman and lead to the abandonment of Muslim woman.

Toeing the Opposition's line, the Biju Janata Dal said that the bill has fundamental flaws in it.

"This is a hisotric day for India. This law is not linked to any religion, it is about the honour of women. The SC outlawed talaq e biddat But still goes on. Injustice is still going on. However, I ask whether the Parliament will still be silent? The parliament has to decide whether the Muslim women have any rights. Triple talaq still goes on. We are bringing a law finally. People say that it is against basic structure of the Constitution but isn't the honour of women important?" asked Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge says that the party does not support the triple talaq bill as ruckus breaks out in the Lower House over the bill.

On Thursday morning, in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district, a woman was divorced through instant triple talaq for waking her husband up late in the morning. The husband left his home after divorcing her and is untraceable as of yet.

The triple talaq bill will be put to vote and passed in the Lok Sabha today itself, announced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Pakistan Foreign Office is set to hold a press conference at 5:30 pm IST. The dept will be responding to Indias claims that #KulbhushanJadhavs family was mistreated. Pak FO will also clarify its stand on taking away Jadhavs wifes shoes and not returning them.

While the discussion and voting over the triple talaq bill will take place after 2 pm, the Lok Sabha is currently conducting Zero Hour.

Speaking during the Zero Hour, West Bengal Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said, "Maldives media has been showing Narendra Modi as anti-Muslim. Now, China through its OBOR plan is entering the periphery of our neighbouring countries. I believe that our neighbourhood policy needs to be reoriented."

"Congress supports the Supreme Court's judgment. Triple talaq should definitely go but as far as the bill is concerned, it will be scrutinised by the Parliamentary committee. If there are difficulties in the provisions that will be dealt with. Congress is definitely supporting triple talaq bill but the provisions will be scrutinised," says Manish Tiwari to CNN-News18.

Now, Pakistani authorities are talking of chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes, she said. The charge is "absurbity beyond measure," she said, adding that the two women had cleared security at airports in Delhi and Dubai and in Pakistan and no such device was detected during these thorough airport security checks there.

"The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday," PTI quoted her as saying.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhav's wife despite repeated requests. Swaraj said not returning the shoes has given rise to suspicion that Pakistan was up to some "mischief".

This money will be spent on the affected people and areas, Tomar said while replying to a question during the Question Hour.

Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Lok Sabha that district mineral foundations, which were created after the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act came into being, have received Rs 13,398 crore and Rs 2,260 crore have been spent so far in developing local areas.

A new law, which has made it mandatory for spending of a part of revenue made from auctioning mines in developing the areas they are located in, has resulted in improved living conditions of people in these regions, government claimed today.

It takes time to set up separate high courts after bifurcation of states. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana need to sort out the issue with mutual consent, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Responding to the questions related to the bifurication issues, Home Minister Rajnath Singh added that governments of both states need to work together to resolve the issue.

However, the Chair urges Congress MP BK Hariprasad to express regret for defying Chairman of the House.

With the GST bill being declared a money bill, SP's Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agrawal cries foul, saying that if every bill passed in the Lok Sabha is declared a money bill, then what will be the utility of the Upper House. To this, PJ Kurien, the deputy chairman of the House , taunted that the Samajwadi MP can amend the Constitution if he wants to.

If every bill is money bill, then what is the use of Rajya Sabha? asks Naresh Agrawal

"Nobody wants anyone to become unemployed. We don't want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way. We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high," he said during the Question Hour.

The government does not want anyone working in Air India to lose job, Raju said in the Lok Sabha, adding that the disinvestment process of the national carrier has been initiated.

The government does not want Air India to become defunct like the Kingfisher Airlines, promoted by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and wants it to serve the nation, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today.

Given the circumstances detailed above, it seems naive at best  and delusional at worst  not to have expected the very worst from Pakistani hospitality in this situation, because it's clear that Islamabad expected the worst from New Delhi. Ultimately, Pakistan treated the family of someone it accuses of spying on it (and being involved in the deaths of many of its citizens) in a very predictable manner.

By March 2019, all homes in the country will be provided uninterrupted 24-hour power supply throughout the year, Power Minister R K Singh said today. Singh said by December 2018, 1,694 villages, which are yet to be electrified, will have electricity connection and works in this regard has been going on. All homes will get 24-hour power by March 2019, he said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a "historic day" amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League.

A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

Bill on National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special provisions) Second Amendment Bill 2017 has been tabled in Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on Wednesday.

The immunity under the exisiting Bill ends on 31 December. Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said if the Bill is not passed, it will lead to "unprecedented chaos" in the national capital.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill gives immunity to slums and some unauthorised constructions till 31 December, 2020.

On Wednesday, Lok Sabha had passed the bill to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in the national capital region from punitive action till a framework for orderly arrangements are in place.

What will The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill do?

"Countries like Eqypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh have regulated triple talaq. The Islamic countries have regulated triple talaq. They have said you can't say talaq in one sitting. The big question that I want to raise is that Islamic. India is a secular country. If here the women are facing abuse, we need to take a decision," said Prasad.

"We hoped that the condition would improve after the Supreme Court's decision," said law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Prasad, who is also the IT minister, further added: "I had gone to Patna. I witnessed burqa-clad women were learning IT. On one side, we are hailing digital India and on the other side there is 'talaq, talaq, talaq'". Lok Sabha is India's biggest panchayat. I appeal, firstly, that this bill not be seen as a succession bill. Secondly, don't tie it under caste aspect,and, thirdly, don't tie it with religion. Fourthly, don't view it under vote bank."

"The issue is not of faith, or puja but it is simply of gender justice, equality," said law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

INC leader Sushmita Dev said, "When the Supreme Court's judgment came Congress had a press meet. We welcomed the Supreme Court judgment. When the Supreme Court requested the Parliament to legislate on it, in a technical term, I'd say it was a minority judgment. The bill seeks to amend a critical law. We have seen historically that talaq is a unilateral act. Since 1939, women have been approaching court. However, the reality is, that this is a practice that is prevalent till today."

INC leader Sushmita Dev said in Lok Sabha: "Everybody wants social reforms. It is not just an idea, it is a right. I want to ask Ravi Shankar Prasad, will we see the women's reservation bill coming to the Parliament. It is not just the representation of women, if you would have allowed more women in the Parliament, a legislation like this, full of lacunae, wouldn't have seen the light of the day in this House."

Lekhi went on to call the practice of instantaneous divorce as "a joke on marriage". "This is practice over Whatsapp, email, text message. When you get married, you take the society along with you," she said

Lekhi said that the laws of the Hindus and the Christians have been modified such that customary practices do not interfere with the rights of women. Women are the biggest minority in this country, Lekhi said.

"The bill is not a ramvan to end all miseries. The practice of triple talaq needs to be discouraged. Supreme Court has said it is an arbitrary practice. Many people think women are commodities and that needs to be stopped," she further said.

"Why didn't UPA end medieval laws," BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi asked in Lok Sabha as the Lower House discussed the bill on triple talaq.

"Our opposition is about the way you intend to apply this bill. This bill is definitely not an initiative of this government. We always pass bills but we always seem to forget the implementation aspect and that is where things are going wrong in this country. Despite the AIMPLB saying that no such acts will happen, 100 plus annulments happened after the Supreme Court judgment."

In Lok Sabha, Biju Janata Dal leader Tathagata Satpathy said: " This is about more than a decade that I have been noticing, we have only been passing economy-related bill. This (bill on triple talaq) is one of the socially relevant bill that the govt has found time for. The Opposition is very focussed. We are opposing the way it is being introduced.

He added: "Bringing in criminality angle. When we are talking about introducing criminality into divorce, this is a civil matter. I am talking of the poorest of the poor. They see law in different angles. When there is compulsion by law that either you live together or go to prison, there could be happenings that are beyond the control of the government functionaries."

In Lok Sabha, BJD leader Tathagata Satpathy criticised the government for delaying taking up the issue of triple talaq. "The government is so focussed on discussing whether bamboo is a grass or a tree to did not feel it necessary to bring forth an ordinance in this particular case. The game is somewhere else," he said.

Sampath further criticised the Standing Committee for not involving women's organisations before the bill was tabled. "None of the women's organisation were consulted. We think we know what women want. We dictate and they have to receive. We make rules and they have to accept," he said.

CPM leader A Sampath said in Lok Sabha:" My party has made its stand very clear. This bill is a transgression of the civil side and the criminal side. Marriage, succession, inheritance, adoption, dissolution of marriage is on the civil side. What type of criminal remedy can be attached to it? Supreme Court called the practice illegal. Here we have issues of equality also come into the fore."

YSRC leader Varaprasad Rao Velagapalli said: "By putting extra (efforts to criminalise Muslim men), we are dealing the case in diverse manner for Hindus and Muslims. The punishment of 3 years should be taken back. I wish that government should have taken advice of state government.. I think this is the high time. The government is shedding extra tears for Muslim women"

NCP leader Supriya Sule claimed that the bill on triple talaq did not help married Muslim couples reconcile. She said: "Marriages can be reworked. when you put a father in court. He could be a bad husband, but he could also be a wonderful father. Are we here to break marriages or to reconcile? This nation needs legislation from the heart. The personal touch with so much digitisation has just gone."

SP leader Dharmendra Yadav said that the Centre should involve the state government while making the triple talaq bill into a law. He further criticised the three-year jail term suggested for offenders in the bill.

ET Muhammed Basheer said that of the population of Muslims in the country, triple talaq cases were negligible. "You are unnecessarily taking gun to kill the mosquito. You have jeopardised the sanctity of the House," he said.

RSP leader NK Premchandran said: "The main apprehension is the over enthusiasm of the NDA government led by the BJP. There is a cloud of suspicion. Triple talaq is already declared by Supreme Court as null and void. It has become the law of the land. Then the question is what is the need of further legislation?"

Owaisi alleged that the Centre was giving an advantage to the offenders and was not helping the situation. "Your dream of having more Muslims in jail will be achieved. Please send the bill to the Standing Committee. You are forcing a Muslim woman to file an FIR against her husband. You are giving a handle to the Muslim man, who will have 90 days. If you are true to your intentions, create a corpus of 1000 cr," he said.

"The Union law minister has failed to discriminate between civil law and criminal law. Not a single Muslim country has a penal provision. Triple talaq is a verbal and emotional abuse," Asaduddin Owaisi said.

Lashing out at the concerns over the criminal aspect of the offense, Prasad said," We have left the decision of jail term on the magistrate."

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "We did not mislead the House. Supreme Court said that triple talaq is wrong. The law has not been made in haste. We are viewing this with the prism of humanity, not politics."

Speaking to India Today, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that he understood the concerns of victims of triple talaq. "I have to maintain a balance between the law and your(victims') concerns. I hope that Congress support the bill in Rajya Sabha the same way it has in Lok Sabha," he said.

"Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while tabling the bill also quoted the board and a lady MP of the ruling party tried to answer the queries raised by the Board in a letter to the prime minister proving that the government recognises the board. So the board should have been taken into confidence," Nomani said

The Shia Waqf Board, meanwhile, called for making the punishment to those indulging in 'triple talaq' more stringent. "We will take whatever steps required through democratic means to amend, improve or scrap it. There is no move to go to court as of now...The bill was brought in a haste," AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman Sajjad Nomani said. He said the board should have been taken into confidence on the issue.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) expressed serious reservations over the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha and said it will take steps through democratic means to "amend, improve or scrap" it.

He claimed that the Muslim women celebrating the bill "did not know the law" and hoped that the Select Committee reject it in Rajya Sabha since the bill needs to be debated.

"Section 3 says triple talaq does not end marriage. The burden of proof will now be on the innocent women. What kind of justice is this that a non-Muslim gets 1 year but Muslim will get 3 years," Asaduddin Owaisi told India Today.

BJP issues a whip to all its parliamentarians asking them to remain present in the Parliament between 2-4 January

NCP wants the Triple Talaq bill to be sent to select committee, DMK wants criminalisation clause removed

According to the sources, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad has convened a meeting of the leaders of his party (Congress) as well as other parties in his Parliament chamber tomorrow, before the bill is taken up.

The Congress would consult Opposition parties before finalising its stand on the contentious bill which proposed to ban instant triple talaq and make the practice a cognisable offence, party sources said on Monday.

NCP leader Majeed Memon says the party has already made it clear that it is entirely against criminalisation of triple talaq

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will chair a meeting in half-an-hour to discuss the triple talaq bill, reports News18 . MPs from both Congress and BJP will attend the meeting.

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says that the triple talaq bill will be passed in Rajya Sabha with constructive debate and discussion

The bill is an attempt to regulate the liquidation and insolvency of companies that file for bankruptcy. According to PRS legislature the bill prohibits certain persons from submitting a resolution plan in case of defaults. These include: (i) wilful defaulters, (ii) promoters or management of the company if it has an outstanding non-performing debt for over a year, and (iii) disqualified directors, among others. Further, it bars the sale of property of a defaulter to such persons during liquidation.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, as it stands today, proposes to allow practitioners of alternative medicines, such as homeopathy and ayurveda, practice allopathy after completing a bridge course. However, the Centre has agreed to refer it to Parliamentary Standing Committee for closer scrutiny after the uproar over the bill.

The Indian Medical Association had called for suspending routine services today to protest against a bill that seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body.

"The Prime Minister has also been quiet on the issue. On the other hand, National Security Advisor (Ajit Doval) is meeting his Pakistani counterpart..." he said.

"Pakistan-sponsored terrorists attacked a CRPF camp, in which five of our jawans were martyred. The concern is that while on one hand, Army jawans sacrifice their lives, on the other hand, government does not appear serious about it. In the last three years, there have been so many incidents..." Scindia said.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia raised the issue during the Zero Hour and also mentioned Bharatiya Janata Party member Nepal Singh's comments, who reportedly said "those in the Army are bound to die".

The House also witnessed slogans against Pakistan being raised, as soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan entered the House, with some shouting 'Pakistan Murdabad'.

The attack on a training centre of the Central Reserve Police Force in Jammu and Kashmir was raised in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, with opposition leaders accusing the government of inaction.

He said there were 785 different types of cryptocurrencies operating worldwide.

"The government is examining the matter. A Committee under the chairmanship of the Economic Affairs Department Secretary is deliberating over all issues related to cryptocurrencies to propose specific actions to be taken... Instead of taking any knee-jerk action, let's wait for the report of this committee."

"One of the features of cryptocurrency is that there is lack of dependence on the state. It functions with a degree of anonymity. It operates within a virtual community which is created and enjoys the trust of that virtual community," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Rajya Sabha.

There is no mechanism to prevent the misuse of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin by terror groups and other anti-national elements, the government said on Tuesday, adding it was awaiting the report of an expert group on the subject.

The government has no plans to create a second capital in South India, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, while replying to a written question on whether the government has any proposal to create a second capital in South India (Hyderabad), said, "No".

The Congress had moved amendments to certain provisions of the bill in the Lok Sabha but did not press for a vote.

The Lok Sabha has already cleared the 'Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill and it is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the government would like the Congress to maintain the stand it took in the Lok Sabha by not pressing for amendments.

The government today urged the Congress not to press for amendments to the triple talaq bill, which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims, when it comes up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha likely tomorrow.

The bonds, which would be valid for 15 days, will not carry the donor's name even though the purchaser would have to fulfil KYC norms at the bank, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Lok Sabha while announcing the contours of the scheme.

The electoral bonds, which are being pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties, will be available at specified branches of State Bank of India (SBI) for 10 days each in months of January, April, July and October.

In a bid to clean election financing, the government on Tuesday outlined contours of the new electoral bonds that donors can buy from SBI and said receiving political parties can encash only through a designated bank account.

During the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said the comments by the BJP MP reflected that the government was not serious about the lives of the armed forces personnel.

The Congress today demanded an unconditional apology from BJP MP Nepal Singh for his reported comments that army jawans should expect death because of the profession they are in.

The BJP held its parliamentary board meeting on Wednesday, whereby they discussed the triple talaq bill and the Constitution's 123rd amendment bill which will give constitutional status to the OBC commission.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon after a massive ruckus was caused over Dalit protests in Maharashtra.

"Whether it is in Gujarat, Una, Rajasthan, there is nothing but injustice wherever BJP is in power," Kharge said. "A Supreme Court judge should be appointed and he should inquire this. The prime minister should come to the House and make a statement. When such incidents are happening, he does nothing," he added.

"RSS is behind the Bhima-Koregaon violence," said Mallikarjun Kharge in Lok Sabha. Uproar erupted in the House as soon as Kharge made this statement.

Forcefully raising the issue in Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge also trained his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wondering why he was maintaining a studied silence on the issue. Read more here.

As several parts of Maharashtra continued to reel under caste violence, Congress on Wednesday accused the RSS and certain Hindutva outfits of triggering it and demanded a probe by a Supreme Court judge into the clashes.

TMC and Cong want the bill to be sent to the Select Committee for consideration. "We are not opposed to the bill, but we want the bill to be strengthened. We want it to be sent to the Select Committee," TMC leader said.

TMC, Congress want the bill to be sent to the Select Committee for consideration

The house is taken by surprise that a motion is suddenly moved, it has not been submitted a day before. The motion has to be given at least 24 hours in advance, says Arun Jaitley on Anand Sharma's notice.

Jaitley referred to judgement of SC, I want to correct the record, says Kapil Sibal

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the fourth time till 11 am on Thursday as ruckus over triple talaq bill continued

We are all for this bill, it is a faulty bill. No womens ' groups, stakeholders were consulted, says TMC MP Derek O' Brien

He added: "If the other House has not scrutinised the bill, it is the constitutional duty of the Rajya Sabha to do that. The government doesn't want a debate on it, so it is wrong on the part of the Law Minister to say that we (Opposition) don't want to debate it."

"The government is playing politics in the name of triple talaq bill by selectively misquoting and misrepresenting even the Supreme Court Constitutional Bench judgement, which was done by Leader of Rajya Sabha (Arun Jaitley) today," Sharma said.

He added: "It is legally mandatory that all bills must go through a standing committee of Lok Sabha and if it doesnt happen then such bill should be referred to select committee of the Rajya Sabha."

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters that the BJP does not believe in democracy. "The bills are generally referred to the select committee based on the Sense of the House i.e majority. But, the government didnt accept which once again proved that the BJP doesnt believe in democracy, parliament, and parliamentary democracy," Azad said.

The government alleged that the Congress and other Opposition parties were trying to derail the bill by demanding it should be referred to a select committee, that too without giving a notice a day in advance.

The Congress said that the government was lying about the Oppositions intentions on Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha.

BJP president Amit Shah is expected to make his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha today if a bill for the amendments to the Goods and Services Tax law, which has been fiercely attacked by the Congress during last month's Gujarat elections, is taken up by House for debate and voting.

As BJP's chief strategist, Amit Shah, rises to speak from his front-row seat in Rajya Sabha on amending the law to allow for imposing compensation cess on intra-State and inter-State supply of goods and services on Thursday, a BJP leader told NDTV said the Congress should expect a stinging rebuttal to its election campaign.

Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017 Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017 Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 High Court and The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017 Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, 2017 Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017

"We should not see the Bhima-Koregaon as a political issue. Rather than politicising the issue, we should try to control the situation and bring life back to normalcy. The state government will take strict action against the culprits," he said.

"Everyone must strive to end caste wars and conflicts. Those involved in the incident must be brought to hook," says Ramadas Athawale.

"Jignesh Mevani, Umar Khalid made inflammatory speeches leading to violence in Maharashtra. The Congress tries to connect every Dalit atrocity with Sangh. This too should be condemned like attacks against Dalits," says BJP MP Amar Shankar Sable in the Rajya Sabha amid protests from other members.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva says following ban on firecrackers in Delhi, factories in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, have shut down causing deep economic hurt to businesses. "Fireworks is not the only reason for pollution. The work goes on throughout the year but the sales come up during Diwali," says Siva.

West Bengal MP Ritabrata Banerjee said the Centre should consider renaming West Bengal as Bangla. A resolution in the matter was already passed in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, he said in Rajya Sabha.

Flagging the issue of H-1B visas in the US under Donald Trump's administration, Congress MP from Karnataka Rajeev MV Gowda said, "More than 50% of H-1B visas issued goes to Indians. It is bad for US to engage in such a disruptive move. I urge the government to engage with their US counterparts as livelihoods of thousands of Indians is at risk."

Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar responds to questions on the education sector. When asked about the dropout rate, Javadekar said one of the reasons was the lack of toilets. We constructed more toilets. Another reason was due to lack of quality training, he said.

TMC MP Saugata Roy said the first draft of the NRC in Assam is a conspiracy to drive out Bengalis from Assam.

As protests erupted in Lok Sabha over the Assam National Registry of Citizens, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Assam NRC is being conducted under the Supreme Court's supervision. If somenone's names have been left out, they can register again. It cannot be deleted. It is not a conspiracy to drive out certain sections of the population. Such allegations are baseless."

Claims of Assam NRC driving out a certain section of population are baseless allegations: Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha

In Rajya Sabha, questions were raised on persons with disabilities and if there is a need for their Aadhaar identification since their fingerprints are almost always mismatched, according to The Indian Express .

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, BSP MP from Uttar Pradesh, Satish Chandra Misra says disabled persons need a place to stay apart from opportunities to come up in life.

Most of the opposition parties, including the Congress, had supported the passage of the Bill in the lower house with some reservations. BJPs absolute majority in the Lok Sabha helped the ruling dispensation in the easy passage of legislation. The statute when brought to the Rajya Sabha faced some stiff resistance on Wednesday when a collective opposition insisted on sending the Bill to the Select Committee of the House.

According to sources, Centre will try to hold a debate at 6 pm on the triple talaq bill before sending it to the Select Committee. The Bill, which criminalises instant divorce among Muslims with a three year penal provision, was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.

RSP MP from Kollam, NK Premachandran raised the issue of Chinese aggression on Indian borders after reports emerged of China's incursion for one kilometre into Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh. He called it an issue of national security and demanded the Centre's response to it. He also added it was important was as Chinese officials have openly stated China has never recognised Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory.

He asked the government to specify the national investment, debts, and other economic indicators. He claimed that both national investment rate, and national saving rate, which are indicators of financial wealth of citizens, have fallen. He also said that the ratio between GDP growth and debt was increasing.

Sharma said that Indian economy, contrary to the prime minister and finance minsters' claim, is not a galloping economy but a gasping economy. "None of the growth engine of the economy are running," Sharma said.

He said that the Commission will have members from the Opposition as well and it is more open and inclusive than the collegium system.

Shetty, while speaking on the discussion over The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017 touched upon the National Judiciary Appointment Commission.

Shetty said that the entire process of fighting a litigation has become so costly that justice will soon evade common man. He said that the advocates usually charge a fee every time even if the court just reschedules the date of hearing. He said that there should be a mechanism to regulate the fees charged by advocates.

Gopal Chinayya Shetty says there is a need to regulate advocates fees too

"I heard that an honourable member said that this government celebrates even slightest of improvements in numbers and metrics of economy like a little rainfall is cherished after a drought. It is right because the policy paralysis under the 10 years of UPA rule were akin to not just a drought but a misery. That's what they gave the nation in their 1o year's rule," Yadav.

"Justices Nariman and Lalit ruled that since triple talaq could not be construed as an essential religious practice, the submission on behalf of the Muslim Personal Board that the ball must be bounced back to the legislature does not at all arise. the article read.

The Supreme Court, in its judgment, held instant triple talaq unconstitutional and invalidated the practice. However, the final ruling by the majority judges catagorically mentioned that there was no need to pass the ball to the legilstaure's court, as this article in News18 points out.

Notwithstanding the Congress' remarks on metrics demonstrating the health of economy, Yadav said that the figures are merely a web to confound the common man, and mean little on the ground. He said that if the people in villages are getting enough to eat, earning enough to protect themselves in harsh winters, then the economy is good otherwise it is not.

Speaking during the discussion on state of Indian economy, Ram Gopal Yadav said that the elections are never fought on facts and figures or policy matters. They are won on slogans. However, the government must work for improving the state of economy.

Elections can be won on mere slogans, but please work in the interest of nation, Ram Gopal Yadav urges govt

Speaking on a bill to raise salaries of judges, BJP MP Tathagata Satpathy said that the judiciary needs several basic reforms. His suggestions included that advocates be allowed to advertise for their services, judges should have a system for automatic appraisal of salaries rather than the House debating each time they gate a pay hike. He also said that there was no reason that the judiciary was so reluctant to open itself to scrutiny. He said the provision for an TRI should be brought in.

Speaking in the Lok Sabaha, TRS MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy said that the hike in the judge's salary has been long ovrdue. To reassert his point, the MP said that while advocate charge lakhs of rupees for every sitting, the judge earns only Rs. 90,000. "Even a mid-level executive earns more than a High Court judge. The Pakistan judges are paid more than 10 times of what we are paying here," he said.

Even Pakistan pays more salary to their judges than we do, says TRS MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy

Now with just one more day remaining in the ongoing Winter Session, the fate of the controversial bill remains shrouded in suspense as the government virtually rejected an overwhelming demand on Thursday from the Opposition for referring it to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha for detailed consideration. The Opposition, on the other hand also refused to relent as Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Bill was not fit to be passed as it as it would "finish off Muslim women" instead of "empowering them."

Various reports suggest that owing to the lack of numbers and consensus in the Rajya Sabha the ruling party will be forced to send the bill to a Select Committee of the House. And it would only be taken up again in the Budget Session in 2018.

Triple talaq could most likely be taken up again in 2018 Budget Session

According to News18 , MPs from Opposition parties have been told that both houses will be adjourned sine die (with no appointed date for resumption) post lunch.

Arun Jaitley says the agriculture sector needs support. "Both the central and state governemtns have been making efforts," says Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha.

"The Committee observes that the problems affecting the airlines are not personal; it is institutional. An institution like Indigo has to develop a consumer friendly approach in dealing with their passengers. The Committee believes that being a leader in market share, Indigo needs to look inward and find out the reasons for the discourteous attitude and rude and indifferent behavior of their employees, whether it is their cabin crew or the ground staff. The Committee emphasizes that the arrogant behavior of employees should stop."

Ram Vilas Paswan rose to withdraw the The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015. The Consumer Protection Bill and the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill have been introduced.

As per PRS Legislative , LS sat for 13 days, 61 hours with 78 percent productivity. Sixteen bills were introduced during this time in the Lok Sabha. Twelve bills were passed by the Lower House. Apart from this, 46 starred questions were answered orally during Question Hour.

As per PRS Legislative , LS sat for 13 days, 61 hours with 78 percent productivity. Sixteen bills were introduced during this time in the Lok Sabha. Twelve bills were passed by the Lower House. Apart from this, 46 starred questions were answered orally during Question Hour.

Congress MP Viplove Thakur asks if Narendra Modi's promise of paying 50 percent more than the MSP to the farmer is being fulfilled. Jairam Ramesh also asks how is the cost of production fixed for MSP, "What is the new system for fixing the cost of production?"

Jhama Das Badiya, CPM MP from Tripura says her luggage was stolen from Rajdhani Express. There are thousands like her who go through this with no security reinforcement.

Rajya Sabha erupts in laughter after BJP MP Sarojini Hembram says her luggage was also stolen on trains

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal replies that action against such oganised gangs will be taken and if any member has information about it, they should come forward and inform the ministry. The ministry is also trying to bring in a network of CCTV surveillance on trains and stations, Goyal informed the Rajya House.

The government has introduced the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday raised concerns regarding the state of Muslim women in the country. The bill is expected to be put to vote on Thursday itself.

Earlier in the day, the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made her statement in Lok Sabha on Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy officer who is on death row in Pakistan. She had earlier made the statement in the Rajya Sabha. Condemning the Pakistan government over its treatment of Jadhav's family, Swaraj said,"It is unfortunate that the meeting could have been a path-breaking event but Pakistan used it as a propaganda tool." She also urged the MPs across party lines to speak in one voice over the "absurdity" done by Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for consensus in Parliament over the triple talaq bill which will be tabled today, but the Congress seemed in no mood to relent on the uproar over Union minister Ananthkumar Hedges remarks on the Constitution.

Congress sources said that the party has objections to the criminality and jail clause in the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill 2017, which makes instant triple talaq a non-bailable warrant with imprisonment of up to three jails. Rahul Gandhis tweet mocking Arun Jaitleys Rajya Sabha statement may also send tempers flaring, a day after the BJP and Congress appeared to leave the bitterness of the Gujarat campaign behind them.

After the Opposition virtually paralysed the Lok Sabha proceedings on Wednesday demanding dismissal of Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde for his controversial comments on secularism and the Constitution, the government on Thursday is set to introduce the triple talaq bill in the Lower House of the Parliament. On the other hand, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is also likely to make a statement over the Kulbhushan Jadhav row.

On Wednesday, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge quoting Hegde said the minister compared those supporting secularism to "children of unknown parentage", besides denigrating Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution.

"He (Hegde) said 'those who support secularism are like people without parentage. We do not know their bloodline. They do not know their parents but they call themselves secular. If someone says I am a secular, I get suspicious'," Kharge quoted Hegde as saying at a function in Karnataka on Sunday.

Calling the remarks totally unacceptable, the Congress leader further said, "It means we all who support secular thoughts are not born to their parents."

The Congress members also displayed posters demanding immediate sacking of Hegde, who is the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Kharge alleged that Hegde had also denigrated the architect of the Constitution, BR Ambedkar, by his remarks that the current dispensation came to power to "change" it.

The opposition uproar led to several adjournments of the House.

Rejecting Kharge's comments, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar claimed the Congress leader was trying to distort what Hegde had said. He, however, did not comment on Hegde's remarks or try to defend him.

"BR Ambedkar is the father of the Constitution and we respect him. The Prime Minister had said the Constitution is our national book (Rastriya Granth). We are committed to it and secularism. The Congress should not teach us secularism," said Kumar, while asking the opposition not to disrupt the proceedings.

"The Congress is indulging in pseudo-secularism. You (Congress) did not allow Baba Saheb Ambedkar to contest polls. He was brought to Rajya Sabha by Jan Sangh," he said, listing steps taken by the government to preserve Ambedkar's heritage.

Kumar said the opposition was training its guns on the government for not convening the Winter Session of Parliament and when it has been called, it was disrupting the proceedings.

He made the statement amid shouting of slogans against Hegde by the Opposition.

At a function in Karnataka on Sunday, Hegde had reportedly said people should identify themselves by their religions and "those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity...They don't know about their parentage."

He had also said "we are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it."

When the Lok Sabha met at 2:45 PM after the third adjournment and some members entered the Well displaying posters, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan reminded them of the rules of the House.

The House was first adjourned till noon and then till 2 PM due to unabated opposition protest on the issue.

The Lok Sabha was again adjourned at 4 PM for 15 minutes amid uproar in the House over Hegde's remarks.

The demand to adjourn the House was made by RSP MP N K Premachandran when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley introduced the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill.

As the House was witnessing ruckus, Premachandran said the GST Bill was a crucial legislation and cannot be passed amidst din and urged the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings to ensure smooth discussion.

The TRS members, who were demanding a separate high court for Telangana, were also in the Well, along with members of the Congress. Some other members raised concerns over the treatment meted out to the family members of Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan.

Despite repeated requests from Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, about 20 members continued to protest in the Well of the House.

As the protests continued unabated, Mahajan asked the members to return to their seats. "If you don't want the government to say something, then let it go," she said.

She also told Kharge that his party had reservations over lesser number of sitting in the Winter session but was stalling the proceedings when the House was on.

Amid the din, papers were laid and a few members spoke during Zero Hour but as the unruly scenes continued, Mahajan adjourned the House till 2 PM after about 20 minutes of proceedings.

Before this, the House was adjourned for about 50 minutes soon after the Question Hour had begun at 11 AM.

Congress members raised slogans demanding removal of Hegde from the Council of Ministers, while members of the TRS also joined them with placards demanding a separate high court for Telengana.

Some Shiv Sena members raised slogans against Pakistan, apparently over the treatment of Jadhav's family members. Some BJP members also joined them in raising slogans like 'Pakistan murdabad' (down with Pakistan).

During Question Hour, Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Kharge had then too briefly raised the issue of remarks by Hegde, following which his party members rushed into the Well raising slogans such as 'Ambedkar ka apman nahin chalega' (We will not tolerate the insult of B R Ambedkar -- a key framer of the Constitution).

With inputs from PTI
The Lok Sabha passed the contentious bill making instant triple illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, a development hailed by the government as "historic".

The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by Asaduddin Owaisi from the AIMIM and Bhartruhari Mahtab from the BJD. MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature. One of Owaisi's amendments saw 241 voting against it, and only two voting in its favour.

The Congress' Sushmita Dev said, "I moved an amendment over compensation for Muslim women in cases of triple talaq. It was negated by the government."

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat'. It gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

Under the proposed law, instant triple talaq in any form  spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp  would be illegal and void. It will make instant talaq punishable by a jail term of up to three years and a fine, and would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence.

The Bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law. The Bill's prospects in the Rajya Sabha are uncertain as the government lacks majority and the Congress' support for the Bill is conditional.

Fulfilling its electoral promise, the BJP-led government moved swiftly to draft the legislation following a Supreme Court order in August, striking down the practice as unconstitutional. The apex court asked the government to come up with a legislation within six months. "It is a historic day. We are making history today," Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the House after tabling the Bill.

While many were not happy, especially regional and Muslim parties, the Congress said it supports the Bill but with strengthened safeguards for divorced Muslim women. It asked for the Bill to be sent to a Standing Committee, instead of being decided on Thursday itself.

Owaisi slams Narendra Modi, Ravi Shankar Prasad

AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi said that while the Bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat."

Owaisi also slammed Prasad, saying, "The Union law minister has failed to discriminate between civil law and criminal law. Not a single Muslim country has a penal provision. Triple talaq is a form of verbal and emotional abuse," he said. Owaisi alleged that the Centre was giving an advantage to the offenders and was not helping the situation.

"Your dream of having more Muslims in jail will be achieved. Please send the Bill to the Standing Committee. You are forcing a Muslim woman to file an FIR against her husband. You are giving a handle to the Muslim man, who will have 90 days. If you are true to your intentions, create a corpus of 1,000 crore," he said.

RSP leader NK Premchandran said: "The main apprehension is the over enthusiasm of the NDA government led by the BJP. There is a cloud of suspicion. Triple talaq is already declared by Supreme Court as null and void. It has become the law of the land. Then the question is what is the need of further legislation?"

Members from Congress and the Left were not allowed to speak on the Bill as they had not given notice. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav was also seen opposing the Bill. Although Congress supported the Bill, senior leader Salman Khurshid, a former law minister, said the proposed law is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals, and would bring the civil issue of divorce into the realm of criminal law.

The TMC, which had opposed the draft bill earlier, was silent. JPN Yadav of RJD questioned the proposed three-year jail term. Muslim League's ET Mohammed Bashir said the proposed law was violative of personal laws and was a politically motivated move. He said that given the population of Muslims in the country, triple talaq cases were negligible. "You are unnecessarily taking gun to kill the mosquito. You have jeopardised the sanctity of the House," he said.

B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was "faulty and "flawed". He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat?'

'Bill to provide justice, security and honour to women'

Soon after the introduction of the Bill was approved, Prasad wondered whether Parliament could remain silent if the fundamental rights of women were being trampled. He said the legislation was not aimed against any religion but was framed to provide a sense of justice, security and honour to women.

He said the law was required as even after the Supreme Court had struck down the practice of 'talaq-e-biddat' in August, it was continuing. He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.

ANI reported that the woman Prasad mentioned in Parliament came out in support of the Bill.

#TripleTalaq should be banned, and I support the bill being brought to ban it: Gul Afshan, a resident of Rampur's Azimnagar who said her husband gave her #TripleTalaq because she woke up late in the morning pic.twitter.com/1woTInLlU3  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 28, 2017



Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, Prasad said, after some Opposition members claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
New Delhi: The Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in the national capital region from punitive action till a framework for orderly arrangements was in place.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday, gives immunity to slums and some unauthorised constructions until 31 December, 2020. The immunity under the existing Bill ends on 31 December.

Replying to a debate on the measure, Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said if the Bill is not passed, it will lead to "unprecedented chaos" in the national capital which has witnessed an influx of over six lakh people per annum.

The legislation will give cover against punitive action on "as is where is basis" until December 2020, he said, adding that there were seven categories of unauthorised colonies and each of them had separate cut-off points and dates.

"I don't have any answer as to why nothing was done between 2008 and 2014 but post-2014 an attempt to fast-track things has been made," he said, adding that a Supreme Court-appointed committee was looking into the matter.

He said the Delhi government had given an affidavit before the high court seeking a two-year extension to complete the work and the Centre has been left with no option than to seek one more year to ward off the 'Sword of Damocles' hanging on the poor.

He said the population of Delhi in 1947 was less than 10 lakh, which swelled to 16 lakh in 1951 and stands at 186 lakh today.

On the allegations that a blind school was demolished, he said it was an illegal construction on DDA land on the garb of blind children, for which notice was served to those who got it constructed while the government offered to rehabilitate the children in a nearby school.

On why the Delhi chief minister was not invited at the inauguration of a metro stretch, an issue raised by some members, Puri said the stretch fell in Uttar Pradesh and the Delhi chief minister could sanction phase IV of the project still pending and be there. "It is our policy to move people and not cars", he said.

Replying to allegations by D Raja (CPI) about the demolition of the Kathputli colony, a heritage place where artisans from all over India were living, Puri said the inhabitants were shifted as a modern, efficient accommodation was being built there.

He said the government could proceed ahead due to a court directed process and a separate piece of land was allocated there as a heritage piece to promote skill and art.

Earlier participating in the debate, Parvez Hashmi (Congress) questioned delays in relief to the poor and asked why the government had failed to stop work in the construction stage itself.

Union minister Vijay Goel, a BJP member from Delhi, said the city was sitting on a volcano and there was no planning as the number of unauthorised colonies has swelled to over 2,000 due to the lackadaisical approach of the AAP government.

He said unauthorised construction was rampant and such multi-storeyed houses were not safe in earthquakes. He lashed out at the AAP government saying it had declined to implement the PM Awas Yojna in the national capital.

A number of speakers including N Haque (Trinamool Cong), Harivansh (JDU), Naresh Agarwal (SP), TK Rangarajan (CPI-M), Veer Singh (BSP), Vijila Sathyanathan (AIADMK) and D Raja (CPI) questioned why no action was being taken against the wealthy and the owners of unauthorised farmhouses.

Earlier on a message from Lok Sabha that Speaker has termed the Goods & Services Tax Bill as a money bill, Naresh Agarwal (BSP) objected saying if GST was a finance bill, then each bill will be called a finance bill, which would deny the rights of the Upper House.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien who was in the Chair, remarked, "Not that I am disagreeing with you but it is a settled matter... If Speaker has decided then you have to abide" or else go for an amendment to the Constitution but "don't waste time."
Reuters

Apple and Amazon are in licensing discussions with Riyadh on investing in Saudi Arabia, two sources told Reuters, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans push to give the conservative kingdom a high-tech look.

A third source confirmed that Apple was in talks with SAGIA, Saudi Arabias foreign investment authority.

Both companies already sell products in Saudi Arabia via third parties but they and other global tech giants have yet to establish a direct presence.

Amazons discussions are being led by cloud computing division Amazon Web Services (AWS), which would introduce stiff competition in a market currently dominated by smaller local providers like STC and Mobily.

Riyadh has been easing regulatory impediments for the past two years, including limits on foreign ownership which had long kept investors away, since falling crude prices highlighted the need to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

Luring Apple and Amazon would further Prince Mohammeds reform plans and raise the companies profile in a young and relatively affluent market, which already boasts some of the highest internet and smartphone use in the world.

About 70 percent of the Saudi population is under 30 and frequently glued to social media.

A licensing agreement for Apple stores with SAGIA is expected by February, with an initial retail store targeted for 2019, said two sources familiar with the discussions.

Amazons talks are in earlier stages and no specific date has been set for investment plans, they said.

Apple already holds second place in the Saudi mobile phone market behind Samsung, according to market researcher Euromonitor.

Amazon acquired Dubai-based online retailer Souq.com earlier in 2017, opening access for Amazon retail goods to be sold in the kingdom.

Both companies declined to comment, while SAGIA was not immediately available to answer questions about the discussions.

Lengthy Courtship

While Saudi reform plans call for luring foreign investment broadly across sectors, officials have courted Silicon Valley players especially strongly over the past two years to complement their high-tech ambitions.

Prince Mohammed is an avowed technophile and has styled himself a disrupter in the model of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates.

During an official visit to the United States last year he met executives at Facebook, Microsoft and Uber, in which the sovereign wealth fund he chairs later took a $3.5 billion stake.

Since then, he has also set up a $45 billion technology investment fund with Japans SoftBank and announced plans to create a futuristic $500 billion mega-city with more robots than humans.

Apple and Amazon have both been on a Saudi priority list of foreign firms which officials hope to attract to further their reforms, one of the sources said.

Many tech multinationals now in Saudi Arabia are either vendors to the Saudi government or, in the case of Uber, have benefited from a sizable Saudi investment, said Sam Blatteis, who heads Dubai-based tech advisory MENA Catalysts Inc.

Amazon entering the Saudi market would be a step-change.

For Amazon, the move underscores how AWS is looking to take an early lead in selling data storage and computing services to customers in the Middle East.

AWS, the worlds biggest cloud business by revenue, has embarked on a slower global expansion than number two Microsoft, which now offers cloud services in twice as many regions.

However, Microsoft has yet to announce plans for data centres in the Middle East, with three regions in India serving as its closest operations.

AWS said in September it would set up data centres for the region in neighbouring Bahrain.

The kingdom has been streamlining its many overlapping laws which could apply to cloud computing for more than a year in order to attract service providers.

If completed, a cloud deal could pave the way for an expansion of Amazon retail warehouses in Saudi Arabia.

Although Amazon operates its diverse business units separately, it has rolled out its near-full suite of retail, third-party marketplace and cloud services in countries of operation over time.

Apple stores would raise the profile of the companys products and offer repairs and community events in line with its strategy to brand its stores as town squares.
tech2 News Staff

Following the uproar over the discovery that Facebook was asking new users to enter their name as per their Aadhaar card, the social network giant has issued a statement clarifying the situation.

Labelling it as a test, Facebook claims that the mention of Aadhaar in the sign-up process was part of a test ran with a small number of users in India. The goal, apparently, was to help new users understand how to sign up to Facebook with their real name and connect with their friends and family.

As Facebook points out, at no point did it ask anyone for their Aadhaar number or claim to offer any means of linking the two platforms. While the companys response does clarify the situation, its quite clear that Facebook, as always, is missing the whole point of the uproar.

This tweet, we feel, succinctly sums up everyones feelings towards Aadhaar and Facebook.

Ya! Can you believe it? Even thought it isnt mandatory, it sets the wrong (worst) precedent and paves the way for a dangerous future.  Anshul Tewari (@anshul_tewari) December 27, 2017



If Facebook truly is ignorant of the significance of its "test", this tweet should clarify the situation for them.

6. Data brokers routinely buy and sell data and it is quite likely that FB has access to it and Telco agents are not very averse to doing it (The source of RJIO data leak came from an agent).

7. So now FB has (Aadhaar, Name) and (Name, Mobile) and (Name, FB Account)  Anand V (@iam_anandv) December 27, 2017



Facebook could just have easily asked people for their name as per their PAN card, driving license, electricity bill, or any of a dozen other forms of government-issued identification. Why did it have to pick Aadhaar? Is it so blissfully unaware of the controversies surrounding the platform?

Well probably never know if this was an innocent, if misguided, attempt to get new users to use their real name on Facebook. It could just as easily be a not-so-subtle attempt at currying favour with the government or a case of the company being deliberately obtuse as it pursues its some sinister, Orwellian goals of its own.

If nothing else, public opinion has forced the company to shelve its Aadhaar plans for now, as can be seen from its statement:

As with all tests, we may learn new things that help us provide a better sign-up experience for people joining Facebook, but we currently have no plans to roll this test out further.
FP Staff

Munjane manjinolu/ Pasuralli nadevaaga/ Anjisuva sanjeyolu/ Usirannu yelevaaga/ Yele poove aalisuve/ Naa ninna geeteyanu/ Yele poove solisuve/ Naa ninna preetiyanu!

(Amidst the early morning dew/ Walking across the greenery/ And in the evening that is scary/ While taking a breath, Oh flower, I listen to your song/ Oh flower, I defeat your love!)

Such are the verses of the poem titled Poovu (The Flower) by Kuvempu. The Kannada writer and poet (full name Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa) is the subject of today's Google Doodle, which commemorates his 113th birthday.

Kuvempu is considered among the greatest writers in the Kannada language. As indicated in the poem above, Kuvempu's writings reflected the wonders of the natural world, which is why, when illustrator Upamanyu Bhattacharyya and letterer Swati Shelar were working on the doodle, they chose to portray him surrounded by nature.

Kuvempu was born in 1904 in Kuppalli, Karnataka. In 1929, he graduated from the Maharaja College of Mysore, having majored in Kannada. He would begin his academic career there as a lecturer, and after a stint at a Bengaluru university, return to Maharaja College as a professor in 1946. He became principal of the college less than a decade later, and when he retired in 1960, it was as the vice-chancellor of Mysore University.

Throughout his time in academia, Kuvempu also wrote prolifically. He published 25 collections of poetry, two novels, in addition to biographies, literary criticism, story collections, essays and about 10 plays. His epics  Sri Ramayana Darshanam (in two volumes) and Chitrangada  and his autobiography (Nenapina Doniyali; published in 1980) remain among his noted works.

Kuvempu won the Jnanpith Award for Sri Ramayana Darshanam (in 1968, for the year 1967)  the first Kannada writer to receive the honour. He was also only the second Kannada poet to be named 'rashtrakavi' in 1958. Apart from these, he was conferred several other honours, including the Padma Vibhushan (1988), Padma Bhushan (1958) and Karnataka Ratna (1992). Kuvempu passed away in 1994, aged 89.

Kuvempu wrote his first-ever poetry collection in English; most of his other works that followed were written in Kannada. He remained a lifelong advocate for the language, especially as a medium of instruction in state educational institutions. He was also a staunch champion of gender equality, anti-casteism and anti-superstition.

Incidentally, this week also marks the golden jubilee of Kuvempu's Jnanpith Award, and his birthplace is the site of a two-day symposium (over 29-30 December) where scholars will discuss the significance of Kuvempu's work. The Google Doodle honouring Kuvempu couldn't have come at a better time.
tech2 News Staff

HTC is planning to come out with fewer phones in 2018 and will instead focus on research and development and marketing efforts.

Apart from the expected next flagship of the HTC, the U12 in 2018, the company is also expected to launch another version of U11, called the U11 Plus in the early months of 2018.

The company has already launched U11 Plus and the U11 Life. The U11 is priced at Rs 47,999 in India, whereas the U11 Plus and U11 Life are priced at 800 (approx Rs 61,000) and 350 (approx Rs 26,500).

The reports also suggest that the HTC's next flagship U12 is expected to come with 4K display, dual-lens camera and Snapdragon 845 processor. HTC recently released the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the HTC U11.

HTC hasn't been doing great in terms of sales numbers, with 2017 recording a 26 percent year-on-year drop in sales for the Taiwanese smartphone maker.

Earlier this year, Google signed a $1.1 billion agreement to acquire the research and development team of HTC in September 2017.
Reuters

Huawei Technologies, the worlds third-largest smartphone maker, said on Wednesday that Chinese police are conducting an investigation, after the China sales head of its smartphone unit was detained on suspicion of accepting bribes.

Huawei, which in recent years has overtaken Apple Inc and others to take the top share of Chinas smartphone market but is now under pressure from fast-growing domestic rivals, declined to disclose details of the case.

The authorities are investigating the matter, and we defer to their discretion as to what can be disclosed, the company said in e-mailed comments to Reuters when asked about the case.

We take our business ethics extremely seriously, and have zero tolerance for corrupt behavior. It gave no further comment. In an internal memo to staff, however, Huawei said Teng Hongfei, the Greater China sales head for its consumer business division, had been detained for the suspected crime of accepting bribes as a non-state functionary.

Reuters was unable to immediately reach Teng or a representative for comment. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked at Samsung Electronics and Nokia before joining Huawei in June 2014.

Since then, Huawei has moved past Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and Lenovo Group to become Chinas largest smartphone seller. But its top spot in the worlds biggest smartphone market has come under threat over the past year from competitors such as OPPO and Vivo, and its profits have suffered as a result.

Huawei has a 22.3 percent share of Chinas smartphone market, followed by OPPO at 21.6 percent, according to third-quarter data from industry tracker IDC. Founded by Ren Zhengfei, a former Peoples Liberation Army officer, Huawei has more than 180,000 employees and has taken a number of high-profile actions in recent years to counter corruption.

In January, Ren held a vow-taking ceremony with senior managers who swore not to engage in corruption, and in 2014 an internal inspection found 116 employees in violation of its anti-corruption policies.
Reuters

Iridium Communications Inc said on Wednesday its 10 satellites, launched last week by tech billionaire Elon Musks SpaceX, are functioning as expected.

The launch on SpaceXs reusable Falcon 9 rocket on Friday had sparked concerns on the U.S. West Coast due to its glowing trail, according to media reports. Some users also took to social media to suggest that the glow made the rocket look like a UFO, with hashtag #aliens trending on Twitter.

On Wednesday, Iridium said the 10 Iridium NEXT satellites are in early stages of testing and validating process. Fridays launch was the fourth set of 10 satellites in a series of 75 total satellites that SpaceX will launch for Iridium. Four additional Iridium NEXT launches are scheduled for the first half of 2018, the company said.

Iridiums fleet of satellites in low Earth orbit will cover the entire surface of the planet, according to the companys website. Falcon 9 is part of Musks attempts to slash launch costs and shorten intervals between launches.
IANS

Microsoft has started selling to the general public the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) equipped version of its Surface Pro  which were earlier sold to business customers only.

"The Surface Pro with LTE was not available through the general Microsoft Store until today. Consumers can head over to the store now and place an order for this device," Ubergizmo reported on 28 December.

Microsoft Surface Pro with LTE Advanced comes in two versions  the lower variant has a 128 GB SSD with 4 GB RAM for $1,150.

The higher-end model doubles the specifications for 256 GB storage and 8 GB RAM for $1,450.

Both the devices feature Intel Core i5 chipset and claim up to 13.5 hours of battery life.

There is a Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, making the device capable of gigabit cellular speeds, although Microsoft has capped it at 450 Mbps.

The tech giant is primarily focusing on commercial customers with the LTE versions of the Surface Pro.

It was not clear whether this was what the company meant by offering the devices to consumers to purchase, The Verge reported.
Reuters

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday the failed launch of a 2.6 billion-rouble ($44.95 million) satellite last month was due to an embarrassing programming error.

Russian space agency Roscosmos said last month it had lost contact with the newly-launched weather satellite  the Meteor-M  after it blasted off from Russias new Vostochny cosmodrome in the Far East.

Eighteen smaller satellites belonging to scientific, research and commercial companies from Russia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Japan, Canada and Germany, were on board the same rocket.

Speaking to Rossiya 24 state TV channel, Rogozin said the failure had been caused by human error. The rocket carrying the satellites had been programmed with the wrong coordinates, he said, saying it had been given bearings for take-off from a different cosmodrome - Baikonur  which Moscow leases from Kazakhstan.

The rocket was really programmed as if it was taking off from Baikonur, said Rogozin. They didnt get the coordinates right. The Vostochny spaceport, laid out in the thick taiga forest of the Amur Region, is the first civilian rocket launch site in Russia.

In April last year, after delays and massive costs overruns, Russia launched its first rocket from Vostochny, a day after a technical glitch forced an embarrassing postponement of the event in the presence of President Vladimir Putin.
Reuters

South Korean prosecutors sought a 12-year jail term on Wednesday for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee, in a corruption case that led to the ouster of the nations president earlier this year.

They made their demand in the Seoul High Court which is hearing an appeal by Lee against a five-year jail term handed out to him in August by a lower court in the case that has gripped the country.

The 49-year-old billionaire heir to South Koreas Samsung Group was convicted by the lower court of bribing the countrys former president Park Geun-hye. Besides Lee, who has been in detention since February, four former Samsung executives were also charged in the case.

The lower court had ruled the bribe helped Lee strengthen his control of Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel in the countrys biggest conglomerate and one of the worlds top technology firms.

The defendants say they are concerned about the future of Samsung Group. However, what they are really concerned about is Lees loss of control and subsequent economic losses, special prosecutor Park Young-soo told a packed court of about 150 people.

Lee, in a dark suit and white shirt without a tie at the appeals hearing, earlier on Wednesday denied the bribery charge and also denied recent allegations by prosecutors that he had met Park one-on-one four times, instead of the previously disclosed three times.

The Seoul High Court is expected to rule on the appeal in late January. Whichever side loses could take the case to the Supreme Court, the final court of appeal in South Korea.

The lower court had ruled in August that while Lee never asked for Parks help directly, the fact that a 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates did help cement Lees control over Samsung Electronics implied he was asking for the presidents help to strengthen his control of the firm.

His lawyers have strongly challenged this logic since appeals hearings began in October.

The defendants have not once tried to solve issues by colluding with political power and gaining its help. The special prosecution has severely distorted the truth, and that distortion is reflected in the jail term they sought, said Lee In-jae, Lees lawyer, responding to the 12-year jail term demand.

Fallout

The scandal played a big part in the downfall of former president Park, who was dismissed in March after being impeached, and the case cast a critical eye over the ties between South Koreas chaebols - big family-owned corporate groups  and its political leaders.

Faced with investor worries of a leadership vacuum as Lee remains detained, Samsung Electronics appointed a new generation of top managers at its three main businesses including semiconductors in October.

Lee has been widely expected to follow in his father, Lee Kun-hees, footsteps in the future. Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of the group, has been hospitalised since 2014.

Answering a prosecutors question about his future as Samsung heir, Lee said: I had been privately thinking that Chairman Lee Kun-hee will be the final person to have the title of Samsung Group chairman.

I have often said that I want to be a businessman who is recognised for capability, not just for being someones son, or for having a lot of shares.
Its been a tough year for flagships in 2017. With smartphone trends getting upended by the end of the year, delays in the production of flagship chips and Samsungs utter dominance of the premium Android market, theres little room left for smartphone makers, especially at the top.

Sony, a once fabled smartphone maker, has been struggling for years to reestablish itself as a premium brand worthy of being uttered in the same breath as Samsung or Google. The Xperia XZ1, the last Sony flagship we saw this year, actually entered the market in September 2017. Even at that time, it was already too late to compete with Samsungs stellar Galaxy S8 devices and it had the misfortune to arrive just as the stunning Galaxy Note 8 made its debut.

At its price point, the XZ1 manages to slot itself between 2017's flagships and the wannabe flagships in the Rs 30,000 range. It's an odd spot indeed, and one that nobody has truly owned. The real question, then, is of whether the XZ1 has managed to establish a niche for itself.

Build and design: 7/10

To look at, the phone epitomises the rectangular slab. The front view of the phone is a precise, angular rectangle where the corners are pointy. The top and bottom surfaces are also flat. Thankfully, the left and right edges of the phone are rounded.

The plain rectangular aesthetic is certainly different, but I dont think its an improvement over existing smartphone designs. I received the black version for testing, and honestly, black might be the worst colour to buy it in.

In black, the phone is literally featureless, and not in that good, premium, slab-of-marble way that youd notice with an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy device. This effect is made worse by the fact that the phone has a featureless, matte finish.

In fact, I had a hard time photographing the phone simply because my camera could find nothing to focus on.

To be fair to Sony, I can appreciate the aesthetic they were going for, but the simplicity has been forced in with the severity of a depressed monk furnishing his lodgings.

Design aside, the phone is built very well. Its made of metal (aluminium) and feels solid and that Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front also means that the screen is well protected.

The phones dual speaker setup is sensibly placed on the front face of the phone. A USB-C port is at the bottom, the headphone jack on the top. The right side is where youll find the power-cum-fingerprint reader button, volume controls and dedicated camera button. On the right is where youll find my favourite feature of the phone, the tool-less dual-SIM plus microSD card slot. Its a nifty design feature that I wish more smartphone makers would adopt.

The front of the phone is all glass, but thats only the Gorilla Glass sheath. The LCD has a regular 16:9 aspect ratio, which means that its not tall like the one on the S8, OnePlus 5T or just about every smartphone in the market today. Bezels are massive.

The rear houses a single camera unit and a sensor area that houses the NFC sensor, focus laser and LED flash. The antenna rises from this area. A barely perceptible Xperia logo is also etched into that matte-finished back.

The metal also makes the phone slippery to hold, which in my case, resulted in a cut lip from the phone falling corner first on my face. I kid you not.

Features: 7.5/10

Even on paper, Im not sure if the Xperia XZ1 is offering enough. You get a flagship Snapdragon 835 processor, which is good, but then you get only 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. If youre Samsung, you can get away with that. If youre Sony, youre immediately compared to OnePlus and found lacking.

On the camera front, an area where youd expect Sony to excel, you get a 19 MP f/2.0 rear camera and a 13 MP f/2.0 front camera. No phone in 2017 that considers itself a flagship offers f/2.0. Even the OnePlus 5T offers an f/1.7 unit. For the uninitiated, the f/xx number indicates the size of the lens aperture. The smaller the number, the larger the amount of light that can enter the camera and the better the image quality, especially in low light and indoors.

Given the size of the phone, the display is tiny. Its a 5.2-inch IPS display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and FHD resolution. That might not seem so bad, but bear in mind that the S8 offers a 5.8-inch screen at 2K resolution and that the 5T offers a 6.01-inch screen at FHD+. More on that later.

The most expensive OnePlus 5T variant offers double the storage and 50 percent more RAM as well as a dual camera with the primary camera having a much larger aperture and a larger screen.

At 2,700 mAh, the battery is also really small, smaller even than the measly battery that Apple stuffs into the Plus model iPhones.

On the plus side, you get a USB 3.1 rated USB-C port, which means faster file transfers, support for high-quality wireless streaming formats for improved Bluetooth audio and a superfast, 960 fps slow-mo mode for the camera. The dedicated camera button and the headphone jack are also nice.

Another nice feature is the IP68 water and dust resistance certification, so you can take the phone out in the rain or to the beach and not worry about damaging it.

Display: 8.5/10

For a smartphone in 2017, Sonys choice of display is rather odd. Where everyones going with taller displays, Sonys gone with a standard one. Where everyones desperate for an AMOLED unit, Sonys gone for an IPS LCD. Apple did the same thing with its iPhone 8 and 8 Plus and got away with it, but this is Apple were talking about and its not like Apple fans have a choice. Id also like to point out that so far, only the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone X have managed to showcase a colour-accurate OLED display.

Thankfully, Im very much in favour of Sonys choice of display. This HDR-10 compliant Sony display is rather nice and as someone who uses an iPhone for its colour-accurate display, I liked the colour rendering capabilities of the XZ1.

The black levels of the display were also very good and the brightness was adequate. The iPhone 8 does pip the XZ1 in the brightness department though, and there were instances in very bright sunlight where it was very difficult to make out the display.

A feature that does get the phone into a select club of devices is HDR-10. In this case, HDR or high dynamic range refers to the displays ability to showcase more colours than a regular display. Unfortunately, while the feature is nice to have, theres little content out there that can make full use of the technology.

Given the screen size, the FHD resolution of 1920x1080 is more than enough for regular use. However, my colleagues and I noticed what appear to be closely-spaced diagonal lines across the display.

They arent visible except at close range, and that too when viewing large swatches of solid colour, but theyre mildly irritating nonetheless.

Software: 7/10

On the plus side, the XZ1 is running Android Oreo, on the downside, its UI still feels a little barebones. Android customisation is a sore point for me. Id rather have stock Android than some heavily customised skin that either doesnt look good or is clunky. The skin on Samsungs phones, for example, is too heavy. The skin used by Xiaomi is too light and strips out important functionality.

For whatever reason, the XZ1 skin feels like a stripped-down stock Android experience, if thats even possible. Just about everything is stark and plain and boring. Its almost as if Sony had no intention of taking advantage of that excellent display. Why else would the default wallpaper be a boring black and the UI feature grey gradients. Thankfully, some amount of customisation is possible.

Another issue I have with the UI is with the rotation sensitivity. Its way too sensitive. If Im holding the phone with one hand and reaching up to swipe down the notification centre, the phone tilts slightly. With the XZ1, the entire UI flips to landscape the moment I do that. No other phone that Ive used does this. I know some phones are slow to respond to a rotated phone, the iPhone is one of them, but Id rather have a phone thats slow to flip than one that flips almost pre-emptively in its eagerness to respond.

Yet another issue I faced was with Netflix playback. The phone simply refused to play any HD Netflix clip for more than a few minutes before crashing. Why? I dont know. I tried everything from reinstalling the app to formatting the phone to no avail. Hopefully, its a software issue thats since been resolved by an update.

These irritants aside, the software of the XZ1 is fine and responds fast to input.

Performance: 8/10

Given the hardware package, I expected the phone to do well on the performance front, and it did. Heavier games like Real Racing 3 and Asphalt Extreme ran smoothly without causing any undue heating issues. Network and call quality were also great. I ran the phone only in single SIM mode and within the limitations of my cell network, the phone performed admirably.

I had high expectations from the Sonys dual front-firing speakers, and for the most part, the phone came close to meeting those expectations. The speakers are widely spaced, allowing for a noticeable stereo effect, but theyre also not as loud as those on the tiny little iPhone 8.

Everything else on the phone was great. Web browsing, Google Now, multitasking, etc. performed just as well as Id expect any flagship Android device to perform.

Camera: 6.5/10

One would be forgiven for expecting Sony to set the standard for camera quality in the smartphone space. Sony, after all, sells its camera sensors to everyone  including Google and its epic Pixel 2. Sony also sells its sensors to photography giants like Nikon while simultaneously making the very best mirrorless cameras in the market today.

On the XZ1, the camera is a profound disappointment.

On paper, the XZ1s front camera is more powerful than the Pixel 2s rear camera and all three of the iPhone Xs cameras. Youre getting a 19 MP rear sensor and a 13 MP front sensor. The cameras can record 4K video, shoot slow-motion video at a staggering 960 fps and comes with a slew of manual control options. It even has a dedicated camera button.

In practice, however, none of this adds up to a great camera experience. The 19 MP and 13 MP sensors are paired with f/2.0 lenses  low-light and indoor photography take a hit, video stabilisation only works properly at 1080p @30 fps, rendering its 4K capabilities redundant and 960 fps slow-motion footage can only be captured for one second at 720p.

If anything, still image performance is worse. Even in broad daylight, Sonys image processing algorithms smear over details leaving everything looking like a painting. In low light, this effect gets worse.

The XZ1 only manages to hold its own when youre taking images at short range and in good lighting. Colour balance is fine, but then its hampered by poor dynamic range wherein details in shadowy regions are simply lost. I even saw lens flares, something that Ive not seen on any flagship smartphone that Ive tested this year.

Reading all this, it might sound like Sonys put the worst possible camera on the XZ1, and they havent. In some cases, the image quality is unquestionably better than what youd get on a device selling for a third of the price. And yes, I'm being sarcastic.

For Sony's sake, I sincerely hope that they accidentally sent us a phone with a defective camera.

If nothing else, at least that 13 MP selfie camera is good.

I dont doubt that Sonys put an incredible sensor into the phone, its just that they dont seem to have figured out how to take advantage of it. The image quality we saw this year is worse than it was last year.

When you see the incredible work that Huawei and Google are putting into their cameras, one has to question Sony's motivations.

3D scanner and AR

The phone features a 3D scanner of sorts, where you can use the rear camera in conjunction with the other sensors to create a 3D map of any object, including someones face or food. The scanned object can then be 3D printed. Sadly, this feature is more party trick than useful. Its not like 3D printers abound, and the scanning could certainly do with more detail. The scanning process is painstakingly and slow, but the results aren't worth the effort.

The results were also hit and miss, with some scans bordering on passable and others resulting in objects that looked like theyve been mauled by some sort of wild animal.

The AR effects are as hit and miss as the 3D scanner app. The single camera at the back just isn't very good at accurately detecting surfaces and objects. It comes close, but not close enough. We've seen much better implementations from both Google and Apple.

Battery: 6.5/10

With things already looking down for the XZ1, the decision to stuff in a tiny little 2,700 mAh battery isnt doing it many favours. The battery is small and the battery life correspondingly suffers. Our standardised battery life benchmark indicated a battery life of just under eight hours, which is abysmal in an age when were seeing 10 hours as as the norm.

Battery life wasnt so bad in real world usage and it was just enough to get me through a full working day without dying. This usually involves a couple of hours of video, a couple of hours of music/podcasts, a dozen or so calls and about a hundred messages.

On the plus side, the phone charges very quickly when using the bundled fast charger.

Verdict and price in India

With the Sony Xperia XZ1, Sony has done the impossible: Theyve gone backwards in time. What you get is a phone with massive bezels, a great screen, a disappointing camera, sub-par battery life, great build quality, boring design and a premium price tag.

If youre looking for a great phone in 2017 and dont want to splurge on a Pixel 2, Note 8 or iPhone X, simply pick up the OnePlus 5T. The 5T is around Rs 12,000 cheaper, offers a modern design, better battery life, better camera, similar performance and a near-stock version of Android. How does one compete with that?

Im sorry Sony, but youve dropped the ball on this one.

Note: We were initially sent a damaged Sony Xperia XZ1 unit for testing purpose. This was later replaced with a working unit and all testing was conducted with the replacement device.

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Jerusalem: Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country has the strongest air force against threats, with the ability to reach targets at all distances.

"Israel Air Force is at the prime of its capabilities, with the very best technological tools, aircraft, pilots, possessing defensive and offensive capabilities, with immense fire capabilities, which can reach near and far targets," Netanyahu said on Wednesday at a graduation ceremony for air force pilots at the Hatzerim Air Base, Xinhua reported.

Netanyahu also warned that "we will not let the Iranian armed forces establish themselves in Syria in order to harm the State of Israel and we will work in order to prevent the manufacturing of deadly weapons to be used against us."

Netanyahu gave similar warning that Israel won't allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria for several times.

As for the Gaza Strip, he said, "we want the local population to live peacefully, but the peace in Gaza depends first and foremost on Gaza."

Thirty-six pilots, including one woman, received their symbolic wings after graduating from the three-year-long Israeli Air Force Flight Academy on Wednesday.

Beginning next week, these graduates, who are now combat aircrew, will be assigned to various air force squadrons and will begin their operational training, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The F-35 fighter, the newest and most advanced United States fighter jet, flew an aerial show at the graduation ceremony. Israeli Air Force announced in early December that its new squadron of F-35 fighter jets is fully operational.

Israeli Air Force has several technological advancements like unmanned aircraft, the Iron Dome, David's Sling and the Arrow system, said Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman at the graduation ceremony.

In the coming years, the Israeli Air Force will remain the decisive force of the IDF, said Lieberman. "In those years there will be challenges that we have never dealt with before."

Upon the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, Israel faces many threats from the north and the south, said Gadi Eizenkot, Chief of the General Staff of IDF.

Eizenkot said that the IDF has been operating on all frontiers, with creativity and determination, in order to ensure the security of Israel.
Selfoss: Police in Iceland say one person was killed and 12 more were critically injured after a bus carrying 46 Chinese tourists skidded off the road after a rear-end collision with a compact car.

The Icelandic blood bank sent out an alert for donations of blood type O following the accident on Wednesday on Route 1, a national road that runs around the island.

The car and bus crashed near the Eldhraun lava field about 250 kilometres east of Reykjavik, Iceland's capital.

Police say the bus flipped on its side when it went off the road, trapping two passengers underneath. One died on the scene.

Bus company owner Fjalar Ulfarsson said the Chinese group was on the fourth day of a week-long visit to Iceland when the accident took place.

"The road there is narrow and had some icing from what I gather," Ulfarsson told The Associated Press.

Three helicopters were used to transport the most severely injured to a hospital emergency room in the capital. A relief station was set up for the other 33 passengers in nearby Kirkjubaejarklaustur village.

The car's driver and a passenger also were tourists, visiting Iceland from Lithuania. They were not injured, officials said.

South Iceland Police said an initial investigation suggested the car slowed down in front of the bus while attempting to turn toward a lookout point.
Kabul: At least 40 people were killed and many others wounded in multiple blasts at a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul on Thursday, officials said, in the latest violence to hit the Afghan capital.

"The target of the attack was the Tabayan cultural centre. A ceremony was being held to mark the 38th anniversary of Soviet-invasion in Afghanistan when the explosion went off," deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP.

The centre is near to the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could be the target.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which comes days after a suicide bomber killed six civilians in an assault near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the city.

"There were two explosions. We still do not know the target of the attack, but Afghan Voice Agency is in the area of the attack," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.

AFP reporters near the scene of the blast heard a third explosion, suggesting the attack may still be under way.

A hospital official told local TV that 18 wounded had been brought to his facility.

A man in the vicinity of the attack said he heard a "big boom".

"We do not know the numbers (of casualties). When the explosion happened we immediately fled," he told Tolo News.

Photos posted on Afghan Voice Agency's Facebook page showed the inside of a compound with debris and bodies lying on the ground.

#KABUL ATTACK - Footage of the victims of the Kabul suicide attacks that killed 40 and wounded 30. The Taliban has rejected any involvement in the attack. pic.twitter.com/t3D6qfc8rz  TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) December 28, 2017

Afghan media has previously been targeted by militants, underlying the risks faced by journalists in the war-torn country.

In November an attack on Afghan broadcaster Shamshad TV in Kabul, claimed by the Islamic State group, left at least one person dead and two dozen others wounded.

Islamic State also claimed Monday's attack on the National Directorate of Security spy agency in a statement via their Amaq propaganda arm.

It was the latest claimed assault by the Middle Eastern jihadist group in Kabul, which in recent months has become one of the deadliest places in the war-torn country for civilians.

Security in the city has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others - mostly civilians.

Islamic State has expanded its presence in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015.

It has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the country's Shiite minority.
Islamabad: The Pakistan Army on Thursday rejected claims that the Indian commandos selectively targeted a post across the Line of Control killing three Pakistani soldiers in a tit-for-tat action.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said the armed forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality. "India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistan's territory and killed Pakistani soldiers," he said, adding this is all "false propaganda" for their domestic audience to take the focus off Kashmir.

Addressing the media in Rawalpindi, Maj Gen Ghafoor also termed last year's "surgical strike" by India across LoC as "false propaganda". "You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings."

The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier this week said a "small group" of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district last week.

Maj Gen Ghafoor also rejected Indian concerns over treatment of Kulbushan Jadhav's family and said the Foreign Office had already given a detailed response to it.

"India always looks to reduce the relevance of any gestures that Pakistan makes. However, every effort that anti-Pakistan elements make, we will counter it," he said.

"Even if we do something as a good gesture, the Indian media will colour it in a negative light. We allowed Jadhav to meet his family as a responsible state," he added.

He also accused India of a record number of ceasefire violation in 2017, which he claimed was being done to divert attention of Pakistan from fighting terrorism on its western border. The spokesman also reiterated Pakistan's "moral, political, and diplomatic support" to Kashmiris.

He rejected the US demand to do more and Washington's allegations about the presence of "safe havens" of terrorists. Ghafoor said Pakistan had fought against militants without any discrimination and destroyed their infrastructure.

"No organised infrastructure of any banned organisation is present in Pakistan. There are no facilitators [of terrorist groups] in Pakistan and we have gone a long way towards supporting peace in the region," he said.

The spokesman also rejected US vice-president Mike Pence's remarks in Afghanistan wherein he had said that US had put Pakistan on notice. "What kind of friends are we that we are being given notices?," Ghafoor said.

When asked about former military ruler Pervez Musharraf's recent statements regarding "rogue elements" being responsible for Benazir Bhutto's death, he said: "I am the spokesperson for the sitting army chief and the media should ask Musharraf to defend his own statements. As of now, I can say that there are no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army."

He also responded to a question that Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif were allegedly targeting armed forces.

"We will maintain our silence on the matter as Pakistan's armed forces are well aware of the threats and challenges we are facing and our achievements against them; thus we will not be distracted," he said.

He said it was for the people to decide if there was a conspiracy against someone.
Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Wednesday branded former President Pervez Musharraf as the "killer" of his mother Benazir Bhutto as the country observed her 10th death anniversary.

Reiterating that he holds the man who pulled her security rather than the man who pulled the trigger responsible for his mother's death, Bilawal Bhutto raised the "Musharraf's a murderer!" slogan in front of the charged crowd of PPP supporters in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, Dawn online reported.

Bhutto, the PPP chief and a two-time prime minister, was killed along with 21 people in a gun-and-bomb attack outside Rawalpindi's Liaqat Bagh during an election rally on 27 December, 2007.

Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto told the BBC in an interview that crucial details about the assassination of his mother were being held back in order to protect the former army chief.

He said: "Musharraf exploited this entire situation to assassinate my mother. He purposely sabotaged her security so that she would be assassinated and taken off the scene."

Bilawal Bhutto said that Musharraf, who is in self-imposed exile in Dubai, had directly threatened Bhutto and told her that her security was based on the state of her relationship with him. He claimed that on the day of her assassination, the security cordon was taken off from her by the former military ruler.

The PPP chairman said that he personally holds the former President responsible for the murder but as he doesn't have any details of him giving directions on a call or holding a meeting to convey any secret message, he will not unnecessarily blame any state institution.

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in its judgment on 31 August had declared Musharraf an absconder in the assassination case and acquitted five alleged operatives of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) due to lack of evidence.

Two police officers were jailed for 17 years each for negligence vis-a-vis Bhutto's security. The court also ordered confiscation of Musharraf's properties.

Bilawal Bhutto added that the ATC hearing Bhutto's case ignored the UN investigation report, ignored the government's investigation, ignored phone call recordings and did not take into account DNA evidence.

He said the court gave a clean chit to the terrorists, awarded punishments to the police officials involved in washing the crime scene but also immediately approved their bail.

Bilawal Bhutto told the PPP supporters that Benazir had been punished for propagating democracy and for her deep love for the people.

"My leader (Benazir), you were punished for fighting against dictatorship...for fighting for women and speaking for the oppressed. You were punished for loving people."

Bilawal also accused the incumbent government of undoing his mother's legacy, saying: "They've weakened the democracy and Parliament. Small provinces are being isolated from the federal government. This is a murderous government."

Bilawal also attached some blame for his mother's unresolved murder case to the judiciary.
Colombo: Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena included a veteran politician and his loyalist in the Council of Ministers, in a bid to strengthen his party ahead of local-level elections.

Piyasena Gamage, 68, a member of parliament from the Southern province's Galle district, sworn in as the State Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development. There was speculation that President Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) may leave the current unity government with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) by 31 December.

However, Gamage's appointment has put the speculation to rest with analysts believing that the SLFP will not leave the government. Sirisena was under pressure from his predecessor and former Sri Lankan strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa who demanded that SLFP leave the government for unification of two rival factions within the party.

The Rajapaksa faction has floated a new party to contest the February 10 local-level polls for 341 councils. This would be the first test for the unity government, particularly for the UNP which dominants the ruling coalition. Sirisena's faction has been accused by Rajapaksa's faction of delaying the elections out of fear of losing them.

The government said it postponed the elections since 2015 for electoral reforms.
Ankara: Turkish police on Thursday detained at least 38 people over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) terror group in the city of Bursa.

Counter-terrorism units launched simultaneous operations in various areas in Bursa earlier in the day, reports Xinhua news agency.

Turkey has lately tightened operations against IS suspects while stepping up security measures across the country as the new year is approaching.

Twelve suspects, who were allegedly planning to carry out lone wolf attacks during New Year celebrations by using vehicles and knives, were captured in the southern province of Adana on Tuesday.

Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national, shot dead 39 people at Istanbul's Reina nightclub on New Year's Eve last year. The Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Russia's latest space launch failures have prompted authorities to take a closer look into the nation's struggling space industry, the Kremlin said Thursday.

A Russian weather satellite and nearly 20 micro-satellites from other nations were lost following a failed launch from Russia's new cosmodrome in the Far East on Nov. 28. And in another blow to the Russian space industry, communications with a Russian-built communications satellite for Angola, the African nation's first space vehicle, were lost following its launch on Tuesday.

Asked about the failures, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Thursday that authorities warrant a thorough analysis of the situation in the space industry.

Amid the failures, Russian officials have engaged in a round of finger-pointing.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees Russia's military industrial complex and space industries, said in a television interview Wednesday that the Nov. 28 launch from the new Vostochny launch pad in Russia's Far East failed because the rocket had been programmed to blastoff from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan instead of Vostochny. He accused the Russian space agency Roscosmos of "systemic management mistakes."

Roscosmos fired back Thursday, dismissing Rogozin's claim of the flawed programming. It did acknowledge some shortcomings that led to the launch failure and said a number of officials were reprimanded.

Rogozin quickly riposted on Facebook, charging that Roscosmos was "trying to prove that failures occur not because of mistakes in management but just due to some 'circumstances.'"

The cause of the failure of the Angolan satellite hasn't been determined yet. Communications with the satellite, which was built by the Russian RKK Energia company, a leading spacecraft manufacturer, were lost after it entered a designated orbit.

Russia has continued to rely on Soviet-designed booster rockets to launching commercial satellites, as well as crews and cargo to the International Space Station. A trio of astronauts from Russia, Japan and the United States arrived at the space outpost last week following their launch from Baikonur.

While Russian rockets have established a stellar reputation for their reliability, a string of failed launches in recent years has called into question Russia's ability to maintain the same high standards for manufacturing space equipment.

Glitches found in Russia's Proton and Soyuz rockets in 2016 were traced to manufacturing flaws at the plant in Voronezh. Roscosmos sent more than 70 rocket engines back to production lines to replace faulty components, a move that resulted in a yearlong break in Proton launches.

The suspension badly dented the nation's niche in the global market for commercial satellite launches. Last year, Russia for the first time fell behind both the U.S. and China in the number of launches.

While Russia plans to continue to use Baikonur for most of its space launches, it has poured billions of dollars in to build the new Vostochny launch pad. A launch pad for Soyuz finally opened in 2016, but another one for the heavier Angara rockets is only set to be completed in late 2021 and its future remains unclear, drawing questions about the feasibility of the expensive project.

Work at Vostochny also has been dogged by scandals involving protests by unpaid workers and the arrests of construction officials accused of embezzlement.

__

Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.
Power was fully restored at Disneyland on Wednesday after an outage at the California theme park forced some guests to be escorted from stalled rides.

A transformer problem caused the late-morning outage in Toontown and Fantasyland, affecting 12 rides, park spokeswoman Suzi Brown said.

An unknown number of guests were taken off rides and no one was hurt.

Power was restored in Toontown and much of Fantasyland within a couple of hours. It was fully restored later in the afternoon, Brown said.

Mark Freeman of Provo, Utah, said he, his wife and two children were in the affected area when the power went out.

"We were in line for It's A Small World," he said. "It just went out. And they basically said, 'Everything's shut off.'"

Freeman and his family, who were at Disney as part of a three-day vacation, said they decided to go to nearby New Orleans Square to wait out the confusion.

"It was just such a mad house," he said. "It was so crowded we couldn't even get out of the park. We went and got ice cream and just sat there for probably a half-hour."

Some people wondered on social media if they'd get refunds.

Guests are warned that all or part of the park may close without notice and tickets are nonrefundable in such cases. Brown said tickets may be refunded on a case-by-case basis because of the outage.
Wall Street rejoiced in 2017 as the stock market rose to record levels, but not all business leaders and companies were able to join in on the fun.

Some of the countrys top C-level executives were toppled this year for gaffes and failures ranging from personal misconduct to PR controversies. The struggles also extended to Washington, where some well-known business leaders faced congressional inquiries or suffered through dubious stints in the White House, even as President Donald Trump slashed regulations and the GOP focused on corporate-friendly tax reform.

Fox Business breaks down the worst business blunders of 2017 below.

Fmr. GE CEO Jeff Immelts private plane

Immelt, who spent 16 years at the helm of General Electric Co., resigned as CEO last August and stepped down as chairman of the board last October, months earlier than expected. Within days of his departure, the Wall Street Journal reported that GE had a spare company-owned plane follow Immelt on business trips in case his personal jet experienced mechanical issues, even as the company faced pressure to cut costs amid a stock slump.

New GE CEO John Flannery promptly grounded the companys fleet of corporate jets and initiated a plan to cut $3.5 billion in costs by the end of 2018, as well as some 12,000 jobs. Immelt told the Wall Street Journal that he was unaware of the spare plane, adding that it is not a practice I would have allowed.

GE shares are down 45% since December 2016.

Equifax Hack

The credit reporting company experienced an unprecedented data breach that exposed the private financial information of 145.5 million Americans, or nearly half the countrys population, including Social Security numbers and drivers license numbers. Equifax did not disclose the hack until Sept. 7, though the breach itself occurred from May to July.

Several Equifax executives, including CEO Richard Smith, have either retired or otherwise left the company in the months since the breach was disclosed. The company also drew near-universal criticism for including a forced arbitration clause that required consumers to waive their right to participate in a class-action lawsuit if they accepted an offer for credit monitoring after the hack. Equifax later modified the clause.

Smith apologized for the data breach while testifying before Congress last October and said Equifax had failed to patch a software vulnerability that allowed the hackers to access consumer data. Equifax shares are down about 16% since the hack was disclosed.

"The criminal hack happened on my watch and as CEO I'm ultimately responsible and I take full responsibility, Smith said.

United Airlines passenger dragged off

United Airlines suffered a major embarrassment last April after Dr. David Dao, a paid passenger, was violently removed from an overbooked flight at Chicago OHare Airport. Graphic video footage of the incident showed law enforcement officers carrying a bloodied Dao off the plane in full view of shocked bystanders. Daos lawyers said he suffered a concussion, a broken nose and broken teeth during the incident.

The airline issued multiple public apologies for the incident and made changes to its internal practices. United also reached a financial settlement with Dao. United CEO Oscar Munoz called the incident a humbling learning experience.

I also want to apologize to all of our customers. They can and should expect more from us, Munoz said.

The Mooch's short White House stint

A top advisor to President Donald Trump during his successful presidential run in 2016, Anthony Scaramucci sold his stake in SkyBridge Capital in a bid to snag a role in the Trump administration. After multiple false starts, The Mooch finally got his chance on July 21, when Trump appointed him White House communications director. With Sean Spicers resignation as press secretary, Scaramucci seemed poised to spearhead Trumps communications team indefinitely.

However, his tenure encountered immediate difficulty on July 26, after the New Yorker published the contents of a phone call in which Scaramucci ripped then-Chief of Staff Reince Preibus and used colorful language to criticize top Trump advisor Steve Bannon. Trump removed Scaramucci from his post on July 31 amid a media firestorm, purportedly at the recommendation of Gen. John Kelly, who succeeded Preibus as chief of staff.

Scaramuccis time in the White House officially lasted just six days, as he did not formally take office until July 25. The Mooch has the dubious honor of being the shortest-serving White House communications director in U.S. history.

Sexual misconduct allegations topple execs

Sexual assault allegations against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein sparked a public backlash that has toppled several prominent men in positions of power in the latter half of 2017. Since the New Yorker published Ronan Farrows expose about Weinsteins alleged exploits last October, dozens of women have come forward to accuse the one-time cinema kingpin of sexual misconduct ranging from lewd language to groping to rape. Weinstein was forced to step down from his company and faces multiple criminal investigations into his behavior.

Former Today host Matt Lauer, celebrity chef Mario Batali, comedian Louis CK, veteran journalists Charlie Rose and Mark Halperin, music mogul Russell Simmons, actors Jeffrey Tambor, Dustin Hoffman and Jeremy Pivan, producer Brett Ratner, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore are just a few prominent public figures accused of sexual misconduct since the Weinstein allegations were first made public, and the list grows by the day.

Ford CEO Mark Fields ousted after stock slump, Trump gaffe

Long considered a rising star at Ford, Mark Fields took over as CEO in 2014 with a mandate to ramp up the companys tech-based offerings by investing in self-driving technology, electric vehicles and ride-hailing services. Fieldss efforts initially paid off, as Ford reached record profit in 2015.

However, Fords stock price has sagged in recent years. Fields drew criticism due to a perceived lack of focus on the companys core business, even as competitors like GM and Tesla surpassed Ford in the electric vehicle and self-driving marketplace.

Scrutiny increased further after Fields drew the ire of future President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign by announcing Ford would move production of the Ford Focus to Mexico, even as Trump vowed to penalize companies that outsourced labor overseas. Ultimately, Fields opted to cancel the planned factory in Mexico at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Fields was allowed to retire last May and was replaced as CEO by Jim Hackett.
PARIS (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus sealed on Thursday a formal order from AerCap (NYSE:AER) for 50 Airbus A320neo planes, in a deal worth an estimated $5.4 billion at list prices.

The companies said in joint statements that AerCap had exercised an option to buy the 50 planes, with deliveries starting from 2022.

Airbus and Boeing (NYSE:BA) are pairing with smaller regional rivals to add sales at the lower end of their $100 billion-a-year commercial plane duopoly, but the two market leaders are also laying the foundation for a longer-term strategic contest against more powerful threats such as China.

Deals with their smaller cousins may give Airbus and Boeing more options when they develop the successors to the best-selling Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, perhaps allowing them to offer a trio of large jets coupled to a pair of smaller ones.

Sources also told Reuters this week that Airbus was drawing up contingency plans to phase out production of the world's largest jetliner, the A380 superjumbo, if it fails to win a key order from Dubai's Emirates.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Cyril Altemeyer; Editing by Mark Potter)
Federal agencies were wrong to allow Hawaii's longline swordfish industry to expand fishing efforts while allowing the hooking or entangling of more endangered sea turtles, a U.S. appeals court ruled.

The panel of judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week that the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to consider scientific data that showed the loggerhead turtle population would significantly decline when it set limits for the industry.

The judges also said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service illegally allowed the industry to kill protected migratory birds.

Swordfish longline fishing involves hundreds of baited hooks on miles of line. The practice can ensnare birds, turtles and other marine life.

Two conservation groups in a 2012 lawsuit challenged the rule that doubled limits on how many endangered sea turtles Hawaii's longline swordfish fishery can accidentally hook.

Both agencies are supposed to be protecting wildlife but have "instead been illegally helping the longliners push them to the brink of extinction," Earthjustice attorney Paul Achitoff said in a statement Thursday.

He represents plaintiffs Turtle Island Restoration Network and Center for Biological Diversity.

The 9th Circuit panel affirmed a separate decision saying another endangered species, leatherback turtles, wouldn't be jeopardized.

The conservation groups were disappointed by that, Achitoff said.

"We are reviewing the outcome and have no further comment at this time," said Jolene Lau, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The fisheries service is an office within NOAA.

Hawaii Longline Association board member Jim Cook said the industry group will also review the case. He had no further comment.

Representatives from the fish and wildlife service didn't immediately comment Thursday.

The conservation groups believe the ruling means that limits on hooking or entangling loggerhead turtles must be reduced, Achitoff said.

Judge Consuelo Callahan dissented regarding migratory birds and loggerhead turtles, saying the majority's conclusion is a "classic example of the judiciary exceeding its authority by substituting an agency's judgments with its own."
Republicans have touted their tax reform bill as a clear win for U.S. businesses, and while that might ring true for those that stand to pay a much lower corporate tax rate, the benefits for Americas small businesses are a little more complicated to decipher.

Instead of lowering the tax rate on all pass-through businesses, the final bill allows pass-throughs to deduct up to 20% of income. But who can deduct how much depends on what type of business you run and a corresponding formula.

[The] postcard concept is out the window, financial advisor and certified public accountant Mark Kohler told FOX Business. Youve got to figure out how to do this freaking equation. Tax advisers are going to be even more critical for the small business owner.

Heres a look at what is changing and how different businesses will be affected.

Personal service businesses

For personal service business, including realtors, attorneys, architects, engineers and brokers, the 20% deduction is only available for married couples filing jointly with incomes up to $315,000 and $157,500 for single taxpayers.

Kohler pointed out that most personal service businesses are S corporations, so how much you save is dependent on how much of your S corp. is comprised of salary versus pass-through income. Since an attorney or realtor has to take a salary, the 20% deduction is only applied to whatever amount of income is leftover as specifically the pass-through portion.

While business owners may be tempted to shift funds around and take a smaller salary in order to get a larger deduction, Kohler said the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been diligently auditing businesses to determine how much money is pass-through and how much is salary.

The IRS has already sent out guidance, that says slow down everybody  [But] it could go thousands of dollars either direction depending on the salary-dividend split, he added.

Standard employee-based businesses

For other employee-driven businesses, like restaurants and manufacturers, the deduction for S corporations is dependent on your payroll. The 20% deduction is limited to 50% of your payroll.

For example, according to Kohler, a restaurant making $1 million, with $600,000 in total expenses and an owners salary of $100,000, nets $300,000. But if it pays $400,000 in payroll, the deduction is 20% of $300,000 and limited to 50% of total payroll, so the deduction would be $60,000 in this case and could be no greater than $200,000.

As Kohler pointed out, the new law rewards companies that have a lot of employees and essentially provides an incentive to go out and hire new workers.

Robert Maynard, who owns restaurant franchise Famous Toastery, is one of those small businesses planning to hire and expand as a result of the new tax law.

[We feel like we can] commit to creating more jobs and not feeling like the pressure is so great, Maynard told FOX Business. Were planning on growing because of it.

Maynard said he has had already signed new corporate and franchise leases.

Impact

Despite a more convoluted process, Kohler ultimately believes small businesses will benefit from the changes, particularly the pass-through deduction.

Even the mom and pops will get some love from this. If you own a small business  youre going to see some love here, he said.

Maynard, whose business does about $40 million in sales, is excited to have a bigger runway for his franchise.

[I have] a lot more confidence today than I did three weeks ago  someone has got to be for the people making or breaking America, he said.

While Maynard said most business owners dont subscribe to the policy of changing business practices based on politics, he said the new tax law makes me feel more confident and like someone cares about businesses other than just the big corporations.

Small business guys  we take huge risks, he said. Theres no bailout for the small guys.
Shares of Visa (NYSE: V) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) have soared since their IPOs, thanks to a general shift in payments from cash to cards, as well as a dominant position in the U.S. payments ecosystem. But while investors look to emerging markets as drivers of growth going forward, data from a Federal Reserve study show that these two payments businesses have massive growth potential even in their most developed markets.

Here's why Visa and Mastercard can continue to drive profit growth from U.S. consumer spending.

1. Online retail drives card spending

The changing retail landscape is a boon for payments companies like Visa and Mastercard since online shoppers are much more likely than in-store spenders to pay by card. In 2016, so-called remote transactions in which a card is not present in physical form grew faster than in-person debit and credit payments.

It's difficult to handicap who will win and lose as more goods and services are sold online, but it's clear that the payment networks are obvious winners of online retail, since cash and checks take a much smaller share of total online spending compared to spending in brick-and-mortar stores.

At its 2017 investor day, Visa pointed out that it had roughly a 23% share of in-person spending on personal consumption expenditures (PCE) in the United States. It estimated that it had 47% of U.S. PCE spending online. As retail moves online, the payment networks simply win.

2. Credit cards are taking share

When it comes to debit or credit, Visa and Mastercard prefer that you use credit. That's because credit card fees are typically more lucrative than fees on debit cards for the payment networks and the banks that issue the cards.

Visa and Mastercard make money by providing the toll roads on which payments and data travel, so credit conditions only have an indirect impact on their top and bottom lines. That said, loosening credit conditions and a competitive credit card market are giving lift to Visa and Mastercard, given that a purchase charged is better for the networks than a purchase debited from a checking account.

Nearly a decade after the financial crisis, banks are once again opening credit card accounts for people who have less than stellar credit. Consumers with FICO scores of 659 or lower opened roughly 7.7 million credit card accounts more than they closed in 2016, the third straight year in which new account openings topped account closures.

3. Private-label cards lose to co-brand cards

Private-label card companies like Synchrony Financial and Alliance Data Systems have grown by helping retailers issue their own store cards that skip Visa's and Mastercard's networks. Retailers push these private-label cards to consumers because they can avoid costly processing fees, collect more data about their customers, and share in the profits earned when their card-carrying customers carry a balance.

Despite their advantages for retailers, the number of payments conducted on private-label cards grew by 7.5% in 2016, but the total value of the payments actually declined by 1.6%. In other words, store cards are winning small transactions but losing share of larger transactions.

Visa and Mastercard have been winning over stores that might otherwise create their own private-label cards. So-called co-brand cards, which are cards that carry a brand name but can be used anywhere, are becoming more popular. Visa won big with several retail card programs, including Costco's Anywhere Visa and Amazon's Prime Rewards Visa card, which is a compelling alternative to Amazon's store card issued by Synchrony Financial.

Cards accounted for roughly $6 trillion of total payment volume in the United States in 2016, putting the U.S. far ahead of most of the world when it comes to the shift from cash to plastic. But there's more to these growth stories than the shift to plastic. Visa and Mastercard can still find profit growth even at home, thanks to a shift toward e-commerce, growing credit card share, and wins in co-brand cards.

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Concerns about possible biases within the FBI-- particularly pertaining to special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election -- escalated on Tuesday when Florida Republican Francis Rooney called for a purge of the intelligence agency and the Department of Justice.

Rep. Francis Rooney expanded on his inflammatory comments during an interview with FOX Business Trish Regan on Wednesday, suggesting that Attorney General Jeff Sessions and congressional oversight committees need to subpoena organizational leadership to further investigate potential political biases.

I was so overwhelmed and fearful when I saw the kind of conduct that [Peter] Strzok and [Bruce] Ohr and Deputy Attorney General McCabe were engaged in, Rooney said. I just feel, for an agency that has so much influence over Americans lives, they have to be purer than pure.

FBI agent Peter Strzok, a former deputy to the assistant director for counterintelligence, exchanged anti-Trump messages with another agent, calling the then-candidate a loathsome human and an idiot over text message. Mueller removed Strzok from the investigation in August when he discovered the messages.

Meanwhile, Bruce Ohr, the former associate deputy general, was demoted after revelations emerged about undisclosed meetings he had with officials from Fusion GPS, the research firm that reportedly published the unverified Trump dossier at the behest of Republicans, and later, Democrats.

Rooney isnt the only one questioning the FBI since the messages surfaced: Trump slammed the organizations leadership in a series of tweets, and House Intelligence Committee chair Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) is drafting a report with another Republican that is expected to contend that theres corruption within the FBI.

Everyone is entitled to their own religious, political, etc. beliefs. Thats what our constitution demands and protects, Rooney said. But I thought these emails and these discussions about the dossier went a lot further than that.
As President Donald Trump nears the conclusion of his first full year in office, Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.) on Wednesday said that his administration has already been much more aggressive in the fight against ISIS than his predecessor.

[The Trump administration] made the strategic decision to crush ISIS as quickly as possible, that stands in stark contrast to the Obama decision, he told FOX Business Trish Regan on The Intelligence Report.

Keane said the Obama administration let the terror organization expand and failed to deliver aid fast enough to the forces in Iraq.

The truth is when ISIS rolled into Iraq in January 2014, they grew from several hundred fighters in 18 months to over 30,000. It took them 15 months before they ever did anything about the oil fields in Syria, which was ISIS main source of revenue, he said.

According to the latest intelligence assessment, fewer than 1,000 ISIS fighters now remain in Iraq and Syria, down from nearly 45,000 in 2015.

Keane named a few of the key ways that the Trump administration was able to make headway against the terror organization.

One, change the rules of engagement to facilitate the use of military force more effectively. Number two, make sure that we are not micromanaging our commanders the way the Obama White House did. Number three, give them the additional resources that the commanders have been asking for, so we gave them a significant amount of air power, we brought in artillery, and then we increased our special operations forces and advisers, he said.

On Tuesday, military officials said that ISIS has lost 98% of its territory since President Trump took office.

Keane said the Trump administration has the right to take a victory lap over its achievements fighting ISIS.
On the heels of President Donald Trumps first major legislative victory, the administration is turning an eye toward the New Year, with the infrastructure revamp topping the to-do list.

White House officials told FOX Business on Thursday that the president will likely roll out his infrastructure principles next month, leading up to the State of the Union address. Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are set to discuss the GOPs overarching infrastructure themes at Camp David between Jan.6 and Jan. 7.

According to officials, the White House views infrastructure as three separate pieces, which include streamlining bureaucracy, funding and collapsing the agency review process.

The projected spending figures remain unchanged: a $1 trillion package consisting of combined public-private spending. The federal government is looking to directly spend around $200 billion.

While an infrastructure revamp was widely viewed as a bipartisan proposal at the outset of the presidents tenure, experts believe the outlook may be murkier after the passage of a tax reform bill that could pile on to the deficit. Trumps promised $1 trillion infrastructure overhaul was supposed to be detailed within his first 100 days in office.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in September that states and localities will compete for government funds, with the most innovative projects winning more federal dollars.

The infrastructure revamp is expected to address everything from bridges, roads and airports to energy, broadband and even Veterans Affairs hospitals. National Economic Director Gary Cohn told Axios that having broadband in rural areas is a priority. He also said that the government needs to reimagine infrastructure based on the future, adding that the U.S. cant keep building cities in 2050.

In addition to infrastructure, the president has said he would like to address both health care and welfare reform in 2018.
Queen Elizabeth II officially welcomed Meghan Markle into the royal family during her annual Christmas Day message, just hours after the duchess-to-be was spotted with fiance Prince Harry, Prince William and a pregnant Kate Middleton attending church service.

The queen, while sitting beside a photograph of Harry and Markle and other photos during a pre-recorded address, said she was excited to welcome new members into her family in the upcoming year. Middleton is also expected to give birth to her third child in April.

Markle, who got engaged to Harry in early November, was all smiles during her first public appearance with the queen and members of the royal family. She was spotted walking next to Middleton as she held Harrys arm while arriving at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham for traditional Christmas service on Monday.

"[Markle] was very, very lovely," said Judith Wallis, who chatted briefly with the newly engaged couple when they were walking back to Queen Elizabeths residence.

Thousands of people gathered outside the church to get a glimpse of the royal family, a larger crowd than previous years possibly because of Markles attendance -- it was her first Christmas with the family.

"I suspect there are a few people at home who are thinking, why on earth would I want to leave my nice, warm, comfy house and my nice Christmas presents and stand outside in the cold, Sky News correspondent Rhiannon Mills said. "But there have literally been thousands of people this morning who have been queuing up to try and get inside the gates of the Sandringham estate. It's been an unbelievable scene, really.

Elizabeth, 91, and Philip, 96, missed last year's church service because they had the flu, but they seemed in good health during Monday's brief appearance. Philip walked back to the queen's house with other royals, but Elizabeth opted to be driven.

She and Prince Charles' wife, Camilla, rode to and from the service in a chauffeured Bentley with a horse-themed hood ornament, perhaps chosen by the queen, who loves horses and horse racing.

Markle joining the royal family during Christmas was unusual because new members are usually invited to holiday events only after they are married, according to the Telegraph. Kate Middleton was also only welcomed into the family after she married William.

Harry and Markles wedding is set on May 19, 2018 at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Remarks pre-recorded by the monarch were televised on Christmas Day in the United Kingdom and the 51 other Commonwealth countries. Elizabeth used her Christmas message to pay tribute to the way London and Manchester pulled together after terror attacks earlier this year. She said it was her privilege to visit young survivors of the attack on a Manchester concert hall as they were recovering from the blast which claimed 22 lives.

"I describe that hospital visit as a 'privilege' because the patients I met were an example to us all, showing extraordinary bravery and resilience," she said.

Elizabeth also paid tribute to her husband, who this year stepped down from most public duties because of his advancing years.

I dont know that anyone had invented the term platinum for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born, she said. I know [Philips] support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever, as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Male actors have decided to join forces with their female peers who will protest sexual harassment by wearing black to the 2018 Golden Globes.

A number of high profile actors including Dwayne Johnson, Tom Hiddleston and Armie Hammer will sport black on the Globes red carpet according to their stylist Ilaria Urbinanti.

After receiving many questions on the matter, Urbinanti took to Instagram to confirm the fashion news.

YES the men WILL be standing in solidarity with women on this wearing all-black movement to protest against gender inequality at this years Golden Globes. At least ALL MY GUYS will be, celebrity stylist Ilaria Urbinanti wrote last week on Instagram.

Dwanye Johnson commented on the stylists Instagram post and said, yes we will, confirming that he was one of the actors who will be dressed in black on January 7.

Another celebrity stylist, Karla Welch, who is known for styling celebs such as Tracee Ellis Ross, Olivia Wilde, Elisabeth Moss, Sarah Paulson, hinted that her A-list clients may also don black with an emjoii comment on Urbanatis Instagram which showed a man with his arms up and a heart with a circle .

The news of men deciding to wear all black to the Globes comes after several actresses annouced earlier this month that they will attend the Golden Globes in all black garb to protest the wave of sexual harassment scandals that have hit Hollywood this year.

All female actresses attending the Globes are protesting by just wearing black gowns, one source told People magazine earlier this month.

The Globes fashion protest was inspired by hard-hitting sexual misconduct allegations against several A-listers including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer and more.
Meghan Markle's half-sister has a bone to pick with her future brother-in-law.

Samantha Grant, who shares a father with the "Suits" actress, sounded off on Twitter after Prince Harry made some comments about his family's Christmas celebrations with his fiancee Markle.

He said in a recent interview with BBC Radio 4, "There's always that family part of Christmas [where] there's always that work element there as well, and I think together we had an amazing time... [Meghan's] getting in there and it's the family I suppose that she's never had."

Grant fired back on social media, "Actually she [Markle] has a large family who were always there with her and for her."

Actually she has a large family who were always there with her and for her. Our household was very normal and when dad and Doria divorced, we all made it so it was like she had two houses. No one was estranged ,she was just too busy. Read my book complete with facts and photos  Samantha Markle (@SamanthaMGrant) December 27, 2017 She has a large family. She always did. Our dad is amazing and completely self sacrificing. We made it so that she had two houses. How fun it was!  Samantha Markle (@SamanthaMGrant) December 27, 2017

She added "our household was very normal" and when Markle's mother Doria and their father Tom Markle divorced, "we all made it so it was like she had two houses."

"Meg's family (our family) is complete with sister, brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the glue of our family, our amazing completely self-sacrificing father. She always had this family... Marrying merely extends it."

Meghan Markle: What you need to know about Prince Harry's fiancee

Grant then insisted "no one was estranged" but Markle was "just too busy" to spend a lot of time with them.

Harry and his American actress wife-to-be stayed with his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, for the holiday.

Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, and father Tom Markle divorced in 1987 when the actress was 6 years old.

In addition to Grant, Markle has a half-brother, Thomas Markle Grant Jr.

The "Suits" actress reportedly has an estranged relationship with her older sister, and Samantha Grant is shopping a tell-all about growing up with Markle.

Grant has spoken ill of Markle in the past saying, "Hollywood has changed her. I think her ambition is to become a princess The truth would kill her relationship with Prince Harry."

Markle and the prince are set to marry on May 19 at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The couple announced their engagement on Nov. 27. Harry proposed with a ring he designed which included two diamonds from the late Princess Dianas jewelry collection. The main stone was sourced from Botswana.

They met after they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend in July 2016.

Harry said during their first post-engagement interview he fell in love with the actress so incredibly quickly and felt like the stars were aligned.
The stars love to shine online  but sometimes they should think twice before opening up in front of millions.

There were several celebrities that endured major backlash in 2017 thanks to their over-sharing. Here are the ones that had us talking throughout the year:

Chelsea Handler

Less than two weeks after Chelsea Handler announced she would take a break from Hollywood to focus on political activism, the 42-year-old comedian mistakenly referred to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher as a woman in late October. "So, Republican rep. Dana Rohrabacher from California is was (sic) the original person who received info from Russia, because she works w/ them," Handler tweeted. Twitter users were quick to point out that Rohrabacher is a man. The 70-year-old has served in an elected office in California since 1989. He was previously a speech writer for President Ronald Reagan.

PHOTOS: CHELSEA HANDLER'S MOST NSFW MOMENTS

Bow Wow

Back in May, a sly passenger photographed Bow Wow on a commercial flight after he told fans on Instagram he was heading off to New York City on a luxurious private jet. It didnt take long for people to roast the 30-year-old rapper and reality TV star. And to make matters worse, fans quickly realized that the photo Bow Wow posted was actually a stock image used by a Florida transportation service.



Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian stunned fans in August when she shared photos of her Jackie Kennedy-inspired photo shoot with daughter North West for Interview Magazines September issue, but not everyone was in love with her look. Some Twitter users claimed the 37-year-old reality stars skin was purposely darkened to match her daughter's complexion, while others were more outraged Kardashian was attempting to compare herself to the late first lady.

PHOTOS: KIM GOES TOPLESS FOR THIS REASON

Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid was reportedly banned from China after being booked to walk the runway for the Victorias Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai. The news came after the 22-year-old model appeared in an Instagram video back in February where she held up a biscuit shaped like a Buddha and imitated the religious figure by squinting her eyes. The clip, which was posted by her sister, fellow model Bella Hadid, was later deleted after Chinese social media users called her racist.

GIGI HADID LOSES SHOE MID-FASHION SHOW

Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner launched a vintage T-shirt collection with sister Kendall Jenner in June, but she pulled images from her website after the siblings faced social media backlash over the designs. The Kendall + Kylie One of One tops, which retailed for $125, feature images of rappers including Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., and album artwork from Pink Floyd, Metallica and more. On top of the artists images, the shirts were superimposed with pictures of the Jenners faces, their Instagram posts and the brands KK logo. People expressed criticism of the latest fashion launch on Twitter and Instagram, complaining about a number of issues, primarily the shirts high price point, their faux vintage styling and the use of musicians' artwork.



Rob Kardashian

Rob Kardashian didnt hesitate to air out his dirty laundry in July when he accused his ex, model Blac Chyna, of cheating in a series of graphic and expletive-fueled posts on Twitter and Instagram. The 30-year-old claimed she is an unfit mother for their daughter, 1-year-old Dream.

You will never see Dream again unless you stop the alcohol and drugs and cocaine and X and E, he wrote. When was the last time you realized your daughter [has] been with me instead of that crazy house that you bring men in and out[?] I never been this disrespected in my life by a woman. A woman I just paid 16K rent and Ferrari I just bought and lambo and 400K in jewelry. Damn.

Kardashian also posted a screenshot of a text thats allegedly a conversation between himself and one of the men Chyna [has] been f-----g in the bed that we lay in with our baby under the roof that I pay for. He also insisted the mystery man asked Kardashian for money or he was going to expose Chyna.



Rihanna

Rihanna left fans scratching their heads in August after she posted an image in her carnival get-up at the Crop Over festival in Barbados. However, the 29-year-old was spotted with an extra thumb thanks to a glaring Photoshop error.



Kris Jenner

Kris Jenner took to Instagram in June to flaunt her svelte shape, which she credited to a tea cleanse. Social media users were quick to point out a noticeable dent in the wooden bench behind the 62-year-old momager, implying she used Photoshop for a slimmer look. Another user even noticed her underarm appeared blurry against the mirror  another possible sign of a major photo edit.


Anthony Bourdain wont be opening a Singapore-style food hall in New York City  at least not anytime soon.

The celebrity chef and TV personality, 61, recently confessed that the project, which he first proposed five years ago, has pretty much come to a halt.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN REVEALS 'SHAMEFUL' FAST FOOD SECRET

Launching what is admittedly a very ambitious venture has proven to be challenging at every turn, Bourdain revealed to Eater late last week. It seems increasingly clear that in spite of my best efforts, the stars may not align at Pier 57 which is an especially complicated site for which we still do not have a lease.

Bourdains plans for a food hall were announced four years ago, with Bourdains team hoping to introduce Americans to Singapore-style street food and give young chefs a showcase to strut their stuff, reported the New York Post. A representative for Bourdain and his business partner Stephen Werther had even told the Post that every big developer in the city wanted to house Bourdains market.

As of May 2015, sources close to the project revealed that Bourdain was eyeing Pier 57, a former passenger terminal on Manhattans west side, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed as much in a statement released in December of that year.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN SAID HE WOULD POISON TRUMP IF HE WAS HIS CHEF

According to sources for Eater, however, Bourdain never formally signed any paperwork to secure a space at the SuperPier, and now the fate of Bourdains food hall  which was to be dubbed Bourdain Market, as the Wall Street Journal revealed  is uncertain.

Bourdain, meanwhile, still believes theres a market for a Singaporean-inspired food hall, but its unclear if he plans to pursue the project any further.

I promised a certain kind of market to New Yorkers and to potential vendors, and if that vision becomes clouded, diluted or compromised, it is no longer something that our city needs, he told Eater last week. I remain hopeful that New York will someday have such a market  I still passionately wish to create this resource that New Yorkers deserve.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

RXR Realty, one of the developers of the retail space at Pier 57, told Eater that it is in advanced negotiations with other retail and restaurant concepts.
A man in Georgia was arrested earlier this month after allegedly pulling a gun on Burger King employees who were taking too long to prepare his familys order.

MAN PULLS GUN ON MCDONALD'S EMPLOYEE AFTER BEING DENIED EGG MCMUFFIN

According to a police report obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on Dec. 23 Emanjula Daracus Brown, along with his wife and three kids, went into the Burger King in Lawrenceville, Ga., and he became irate while waiting for his food, employees said.

Workers added that Brown and his wife threw drinks at the staff, and that Brown ultimately drew a gun on them before driving away with his family.

When police caught up to Brown and pulled him over, he claimed that he was only acting in self-defense.

According to Brown, he had asked the manager to get off her phone in a respectful and polite manner after he noticed she was chatting away while patrons were waiting for their food. He claimed she then threw a cup of liquid at him, and he retaliated.

SEX, FIREWORKS AND SZECHUAN SAUCE: THE BIGGEST FAST FOOD SCANDALS OF 2017

Brown also told police that the manager threw hot coffee at him, and threatened to follow with boiling oil. He also admitted that his wife grabbed a gun from his car and gave it to him during the ordeal, but told police he tucked it into his pants pocket.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the authorities reviewed surveillance footage and ultimately arrested only Brown, and not his wife or the manager of the Burger King.

He was charged with battery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, among other charges.

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Last week's incident comes less than a month after another Burger King manager in Ohio was filmed screaming at customers for taking too long to order at a drive-thru.

In the November incident, Burger King has reportedly apologized to the customer and issued a gift card.
The family of a 4-year-old brain tumor patient are praising the miracle surgeon who unexpectedly gave them hope after the young girl's emergency operation, Fox 35 reported.

After Matt and Erin Tietjen learned that their daughter Lena needed radiation therapy for a brain tumor, they reportedly decided to take an impromptu trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, before starting treatment.

When we got her diagnosis, we were told that without treatment, she would have three months to live and with treatment it could be up to a year, the girls mother told the outlet.

The New Jersey family set out on the Florida trip in November, and they said they were enjoying their time in the parks until Lena got sick and needed emergency surgery. That's when she was brought to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Dr. Samer K. Elbabaa, Fox 35 said.

WANT TO SET YOUR CHILD UP FOR LIFELONG HEALTH? GO WITH YOUR GUT

Upon further examination, the doctor reportedly found that the situation had changed, allowing for an operation.

He had told us that because of where the tumor had shifted to, that it probably was something where he could get in and operate," Matt Tietjen said. His estimate initially was 50 to 70 percent of the total tumor could possibly be removed.

But Elbabaa managed to remove more than they thought, taking out 90 percent of the mass, Fox 35 reported. All of a sudden, the family seemed to have options.

NEW JERSEY COMMUNITY TO FINE OUT-OF-TOWN DRIVERS IN ATTEMPT TO DECREASE TRAFFIC

What this does buy us is time with her and time to pursue all different courses of treatment, and one of those courses of treatment may be that window of opportunity or ray of light that is going to give her years instead of months, Erin Tietjen told the outlet.

And the trip that brought the family to Dr. Elbabaa may have been fate, Lenas mother told Fox 35: When we first got the diagnosis, that very, very first day back in November in the room, the first question I asked, strangely enough, was, When can I take her to Disney World? I dont know why I thought it, it just popped out of my mouth and I look back on that and I think there is a miracle in Florida for us."
An Army vet was reunited with his beloved pup in whats being called a Christmas miracle.

When Geoff Hoffman walked up to his Oklahoma home on Dec. 20, he knew something was wrong.

I came home from work and noticed my gate and front door were open, Hoffman, 38, told Yahoo Lifestyle.

He soon realized he had been a victim of a home invasion.

My TV had been moved from the wall but nothing was taken, except Bridget, he continued.

DOGNAPPED: IRAQ WAR VET'S SERVICE DOG IS STOLEN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, REPORT SAYS

Bridget, Hoffmans beloved 3-year-old pit bull, had been stolen from his house while he was at work.

She comes everywhere with me, so its possible someone saw her and followed me home.

Hoffman had adopted the grey-and-white dog two years ago, and the two built an incredibly special bond.

She is loved beyond definition, Hoffman captioned a photo on Facebook. She is my ever-adventurous sidekick and my eternal source of joy.

Hoffman took immediate action  turning to Facebook with a plea for information, as well as filing a police report. But the vet, who served with the Special Ops Forces in Afghanistan for eight years, said he went back to his training to search for his missing dog.

Sergeant Hoffman was back, he told Yahoo Lifestyle. I was on a mission and told myself I would stop searching for Bridget under two conditions: She returned home or I knew with certainty that she was dead.

Hoffman started plastering his city with cards advertising a large reward for Bridgets return. He created a Facebook page called Bring Bridget Back, dedicated to finding any information about where his dog had gone.

He went on long night drives with his girlfriend searching for Bridget in the below-freezing temperatures, and even reached out to law enforcement and fire departments to help share his story.

The story gained traction on social media across the world, with people in the Bahamas and England messaging him about Bridget.

When I dropped off her photo at the Humane Society, a volunteer gasped and said, Is this Bridget? The support was overwhelming, Hoffman said.

But still, the Army vet, who was so distressed he didnt eat for three days, had yet to be reunited with Bridget  until the morning of Christmas Eve.

My girlfriend was driving down a rural road, in below-freezing temperatures, a few miles from my house, when she saw Bridget and slammed on her brakes, Hoffman said. She was lying by the side of the road but when she saw my girlfriend, she started wagging her tail.

When Hoffman got the call from his girlfriend, he sped to the 24-hour pet clinic Bridget had been taken to.

I was hoping I wouldnt get a speeding ticket, he said.

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After a thorough investigation, the veterinarian found the dog was generally unharmed  though she had been starved, was dehydrated and had blood in her stool as well as cuts on her left leg.

It made me wonder whether someone stole her for dog fighting and either cut or tried to starve her to make her aggressive, says Hoffman. Bridget was also found wearing her distinctive pink, floral collar, and her leash, and my phone number was scratched off her tag  maybe the thief got spooked by all the media attention and dumped her on a random road.

Since being reunited with Bridget, Hoffman says he is overwhelmed with gratitude.

The support Ive gotten has been mindblowing, he told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Hoffman hopes to help others find their missing pets through Bridgets Facebook page, which he has maintained since her return.

Hoffmans friend also set up a GoFundMe page to help with the costs of Bridgets medical bills, which had raised $3,771 of its $2,300 goal at the time of this writing.
Editor's note: The following column originally appeared in The Washington Times.

There was a gift you may have missed. On Christmas Eve, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, announced a sizeable cut for the U.N. operating budget to the tune of $285 million dollars. That sounds like a lot, and its a good start, but thats all it is. Ambassador Haley called the cut a step in the right direction, and implied there would be more to come.

For perspective, The New York Times reports, [T]he United States is responsible for 22 percent of the United Nationsoperating budget, the largest contribution. It paid about $1.2 billion of the 2016-2017 budget of $5.4 billion. The United States also is the largest single financial contributor, at 28.5 percent, to a separate budget for United Nationspeacekeeping operations, which totals $6.8 billion in the 2017-2018 budget finalized in June.

Upon announcing the cut, Ms. Haley told the less-than august organization, The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known. We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked.

The U.N. is more than an inefficient over-spender, it is a cancer that American taxpayers are funding to spread. The crimes of sex trafficking alone should be enough for the decent countries of the world to condemn and dismantle it.

The U.N.s problems, however, are larger than inefficiency and overspending; they include rape, sex trafficking and the spread of disease.

In August, 2016, the U.N. finally admitted that they, in fact, played a role in the cholera epidemic in Haiti, resulting in the deaths of at least 10,000 people while sickening hundreds of thousands more. After years of stonewalling, the U.N. admission comes only after a scathing independent report for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The New York Times reported:

[The investigator] wrote that the United Nations Haiti cholera policy is morally unconscionable, legally indefensible and politically self-defeating. He added, It is also entirely unnecessary. The organizations continuing denial and refusal to make reparations to the victims, he argued, upholds a double standard according to which the U.N. insists that member states respect human rights, while rejecting any such responsibility for itself. He said, It provides highly combustible fuel for those who claim that U.N. peacekeeping operations trample on the rights of those being protected

The euphemistic word here is fuel. Many people call it evidence.

Cholera wasnt the only thing the U.N. was doing in Haiti. The Associated Press reported in April of this year of a U.N.child sex ring impacting at least 23 countries. Their investigation found, U.N. missions during the past 12 years found nearly 2,000 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers and other personnel around the world  signaling the crisis is much larger than previously known. More than 300 of the allegations involved children, the AP found, but only a fraction of the alleged perpetrators served jail time.

Further, the wire service reported, Here in Haiti, at least 134 Sri Lankan peacekeepers exploited nine children in a sex ring from 2004 to 2007. A decade ago the U.N. promised to crack down on child sex abuse, yet, as the AP reports, years later children were still being passed around from soldier-to-soldier. And in the years since, peacekeepers have been accused of sexual abuse the world over.

This from the same entity that just put Saudi Arabia on the UN Womens Rights Commission, for the 2018-2022 term.

Hillel Neuer, executive director of the nonprofit watchdog U.N. Watch, told Fortune magazine, the vote definitely has the power of sending a message, he says, to Saudi women in particular, by putting their oppressor in a position of power and influence when it comes to womens rights.

In 2014, the U.N. also placed Iran on the same human rights body.

For an entity that feels Iran and Saudi Arabia deserve to sit on a human rights panel determining the fate of women, it comes as no surprise that last year the same collection of miscreants brought 21 resolutions against Israel, with just 6 against the rest of the world.

U.N. Watch reported in November, EU states have failed to introduce a single UNGA resolution on the human rights situation in China, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Cuba, Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, Algeria, or on 175 other countries.

The U.N. is more than an inefficient over-spender, it is a cancer that American taxpayers are funding to spread. The crimes of sex trafficking alone should be enough for the decent countries of the world to condemn and dismantle it.

Sexual predator Harvey Weinstein is still being internationally condemned and criminally investigated for abusing and assaulting actresses. President Trump is hunting down MS-13 for drug running and sex trafficking. While hugging Iran, Mr. Obama turning a blind eye to drug running, money laundering terrorists Hezbollah is finally revealed and shocking.

But the U.N. continues to operate, and we continue to fund it.

Reducing the billions of dollars we pay by a few hundred million is nothing. President Trump and Ambassador Haleymust understand there is no benefit that now outweighs the calamity of the U.N.

Ironically, we can now only achieve the U.N.s initial mission of making the world a safer place by dismantling the U.N.itself.
A former State Department official with ties to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Wednesday because of his reported firsthand knowledge of the sources behind the salacious dossier on President Trump, the committee confirmed to Fox News.

Chairman Devin Nunes issued the subpoena to David Kramer, a senior fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership, on Wednesday afternoon to obtain the names of sources behind the dossier, the contents of which are not yet confirmed.

INSIDE THE TRUMP DOSSIER HANDOFF: MCCAINS GO-BETWEEN SPEAKS OUT

The committee told Fox News that Kramer visited former British spy -- and author of the dossier -- Christopher Steele in London in November 2016, where he reportedly received information and a copy of the document, which was intended for McCain.

In January, McCain gave the document to former FBI director James Comey, although the agency already had it from Steele.

In an earlier hearing Dec. 19, the House committee confirmed that Kramer told lawmakers he knew names of sources tied to the dossier but refused to provide them.

TRUMP ACCUSES FBI OF USING PILE OF GARBAGE DOSSIER TO GO AFTER CAMPAIGN

The latest subpoena ordered him to appear on Jan. 11, 2018, according to the committee.

Trump has slammed the dossier, calling it a pile of garbage in a tweet on Tuesday, and alleged that the FBI is relying on it to go after his campaign. The Washington Post reported that the FBI, while not repudiating the dossier, has acknowledged its central charges are unsubstantiated.

Former British spy Steele compiled the document, after being hired by Fusion GPS -- an opposition research firm that got funding from the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Fox News' Ashley Koerber contributed to this report.
Former President Barack Obama edged out his successor as the man most admired by Americans, according to a new Gallup poll released Wednesday. And Hillary Clinton ranked as the most admired woman.

Obama beat Trump 17 percent to 14 percent, making it the 10th year in a row the former president has earned the title.

The percentage of Americans who say Obama is the man they admire most is down from 22 percent last year.

Trump did win among Republicans, with 35 percent saying hes the man they admire most. Obama led among Democrats, with 39 percent putting him at the top of their list. Independents picked Obama over Trump by a 3-point margin.

Read more at WashingtonExaminer.com
Years before she was accused of receiving preferential treatment and costing a passenger her seat on a United Airlines flight, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was named the "meanest" member of Congress.

Jackson Lee, D-Tex., appeared on Washingtonian magazines best and worst of Congress list in 2014. The biennial survey polls congressional staffers on what they really think of their Capitol Hill bosses.

At the time, the Texas congresswoman won the titles of meanest and show horse, with her employees citing heavy workloads and harsh criticism.

I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen.

Former aides detailed Lees allegedly abrasive behavior, telling the Houston Chronicle she would hurl personal insults and demand menial errands be run.

A LOOK AT RECENT AIRLINE CONTROVERSIES

A former executive assistant told the Chronicle that Lee insisted being treated like royalty.

You dont understand. I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen, Lee allegedly once told an event organizer.

Other ex-staffers said Lee called them "stupid" or "idiots." Some claimed they were forced to do her laundry, go on late-night food runs and hold her handbag for her.

Lee made headlines again last week after United Airlines was accused of giving a womans first-class seat to the Democratic representative.

The passenger, Jean-Marie Simon, said in a Facebook post on Dec. 20 the airline deliberately erased her ticket in order to accommodate a member of Congress.

Lee later alluded that racism may have played a role in the accusations.

Since this was not any fault of mine, the way the individual continued to act appeared to be, upon reflection, because I was an African American woman, seemingly an easy target along with the African American flight attendant who was very, very nice, Lee wrote on Facebook Dec. 22.

But the seating dustup was not the first incident Lee has had on a plane.

According to the Chronicle, the congresswoman once lashed out on a flight because it did not serve the seafood special she wanted.

Dont you know who I am? Im Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Where is my seafood meal? I know it was ordered, she allegedly said.
A United passenger whose first-class seat on a recent flight from Houston to D.C. was given to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is firing back at the Democratic congresswoman's accusations of racism  while challenging the airline's account of the incident.

Jean-Marie Simon, an attorney and private school teacher, became the latest face of airline passenger woes when she detailed on Facebook and later to the news media how she lost her seat to the Texas lawmaker.

But despite a statement from United seeking to explain the switch-out, she's not giving up the fight. And the congresswoman's response  essentially claiming Simon made a scene because Jackson Lee, as an African-American woman, is an "easy target"  did not calm the waters.

Simon, in an interview with Fox News, rejected the racism allegation.

That could have been Donald Duck in my seat, Simon, a Democrat, told Fox News on Thursday. I could not see who had boarded the flight. I didnt even know who she was.

Simon originally accused United of bumping her from her first-class seat on a Dec. 18 flight in order to accommodate the Texas congresswoman.

At first, Simon didn't know who was in her seat as she argued at the gate. United eventually gave her a $500 voucher and reseated her in the economy plus section. In her original Facebook post, Simon said another Texas congressman then informed her a fellow member of the delegation was in her seat, and "regularly does this" to passengers.

'I could not see who had boarded the flight. I didnt even know who she was.'  United passenger Jean-Marie Simon, responding to Rep. Jackson Lee's racism claim

Simon proceeded to take a photo of Jackson Lee, have a tense encounter with a flight attendant who allegedly threatened to remove her -- and has been battling with the airline ever since she got home.

On one front, United claims Simon lost her seat because she canceled her flight via the app (which she denies). And on another, Jackson Lee piled on this week by reissuing her statement chalking up Simon's discontent to racial animus.

Since this was not any fault of mine, the way the individual continued to act appeared to be, upon reflection, because I was an African American woman, seemingly an easy target with the African American flight attendant who was very, very nice, she wrote. This saddens me, especially at this time of year given all of the things we have to work on to help people. But in the spirit of this season and out of the sincerity of my heart, if it is perceived that I had anything to do with this, I am kind enough to simply say sorry.

Simon is focusing her energy mostly on dealing with United, not Jackson Lee, but told Fox News, The only way she is relevant is that she has a documented history of demanding first-class service.

Asked for comment, Jackson Lee spokesman Rucks Russell said in a statement: The Congresswoman regrets any inconvenience that her travel may have caused to any passenger, however the issue in question involves the passenger and United Airlines.

WOMAN CLAIMS TEXAS REP TOOK HER AIRLINE SEAT

The 63-year-old passenger says her beef mostly is with United and how they treated her. She also suggested the airline is trying to age-shame her.

Im not some AARP grandmother who doesnt know how to use a phone, she said. I know how to cancel a flight and I did not cancel this flight.

It's still not entirely clear what happened that day.

Simon used 140,000 frequent flyer miles on Dec. 3 to purchase her first-class ticket from Washington, D.C., to Guatemala and back. On her way home, she had a layover at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

Simon said the attendant scanned her ticket but her reservation had been removed from the system. At that point, the member of Congress already was in first class, and Simon eventually got the economy plus seat.

United later attributed the incident to an app cancellation by Simon.

The official statement from the airline said they thoroughly examined their electronic records and found that upon receiving a notification that Flight 788 was delayed due to weather, the customer canceled her flight from Houston to Washington, D.C. within the United mobile app.

The statement continued, As part of the normal pre-boarding process, gate agents began clearing standby and upgrade customers, including the first customer on the waitlist for an upgrade. We were able to provide this customer a seat on the same flight in economy plus.

Simon rejects the explanation.

Why would I ever cancel the second segment? Simon said Thursday. United furnished no proof that I canceled it. And why didnt I reserve another fight?

Though United credited her 140,000 miles, what Simon really wants is an apology from the companys top brass.

She tweeted that a low level employee at a call center said sorry over the phone but that he hadnt even been briefed on the details of her complaint.

She also took to Facebook on Wednesday asking where's the proof she canceled her flight.

Asked Thursday about the discrepancies between Uniteds and Simons accounts, a United official told Fox News that their records clearly show the flight leg was canceled via the app  and not by a gate agent or other third party.

The official said their internal coding reflects the flight was canceled roughly a half-hour before the original take-off time, after it was clear the flight would be delayed over an hour. The congresswoman was then tapped for the seat because she was at the top of the upgrade list thanks to her global services status, the official said.

Though Simon adamantly denies she canceled her flight, the official said its possible this could have been done accidentally.
Democrat Doug Jones was certified Thursday by Alabamas secretary of state as the winner of the states Senate race, less than an hour after a judge rejected Republican nominee Roy Moores last-ditch attempt to challenge the election results.

Earlier Thursday, Moores campaign alleged potential election fraud and asked a circuit judge for a restraining order to stop Alabama's canvassing board from certifying Jones' victory.

A judge then denied the request, leading Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill to certify Jones victory.

Jones, who will be sworn in Jan. 3, celebrated the certification and vowed to be an independent voice for Alabama.

"I am looking forward to going to work for the people of Alabama in the new year," Jones said in a statement. "As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation."

DOUG JONES WINS IN MAJOR UPSET, ROY MOORE WON'T YET CONCEDE

Jones won more than 20,000 votes than Moore in the Dec. 12 election, becoming the first Democrat to win election to the Senate from the deeply conservative state in 25 years.

In a statement after Jones certification, Moore did not concede the race but claimed it had been a "fraudulent election.

"I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama, Moore said. "I have no regrets. To God be the glory."

A Democrat winning the special election for the seat to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions was seen as just a remote possibility several months ago.

But Jones, a Birmingham attorney famous for prosecuting the KKK, caught a break after Moore was overwhelmed in recent weeks with multiple allegations of past sexual misconduct. Moore, the former chief justice of Alabamas Supreme Court, faced accusations he pursued romantic relationships with teenage girls while he was in his thirties.

He has denied the claims.

Moore's attorney wrote in the wide-ranging complaint that he believed there were irregularities during the election, including that voters may have been brought in from other states. He attached a statement from a poll worker that she had noticed licenses from Georgia and North Carolina as people signed in to vote.

The complaint also noted the higher-than-expected turnout in the race, particularly in Jefferson County, and said Moore's numbers were suspiciously lower than straight-ticket Republican voting in about 20 Jefferson County precincts. The complaint asked for a fraud investigation and eventually a new election.

Merrill said he has so far not found any evidence of voter fraud, but he has said that his office will investigate any complaint Moore submits.

Fox News Griff Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Exclusive - House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes is blasting the Department of Justice and the FBI for its failure to fully produce documents related to an anti-Trump dossier, saying at this point it seems the DOJ and FBI need to be investigating themselves.

In a Thursday letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein obtained by Fox News, Nunes expressed frustration that information and witnesses subpoenaed by the committee in August related to the so-called Steele dossier had not yet been turned over. The salacious dossier includes unverified allegations about President Trump's connections with Russia that he has denied.

Unfortunately, DOJ/FBI's intransigence with respect to the August 24 subpoenas is part of a broader pattern of behavior that can no longer be tolerated, the California Republican wrote to Rosenstein.

Nunes demanded that all records  and available dates for witnesses to testify  be provided to the committee by Jan 3.

As a result of the numerous delays and discrepancies that have hampered the process of subpoena compliance, the committee no longer credits the representations made by DOJ and/or the FBI regarding these matters, Nunes said.

He called the DOJs initial response to the subpoenas disingenuous at best.

Nunes said the DOJ informed the House Intelligence Committee several weeks ago that the basic investigatory documents demanded by the subpoenasdid not exist.

As it turns out, not only did documents exist that were directly responsive to the committees subpoenas, but they involved senior DOJ and FBI officials who were swiftly reassigned when their roles in matters under the committees investigation were brought to light, Nunes wrote.

WIFE OF DEMOTED DOJ OFFICIAL WORKED FOR FIRM BEHIND ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER

Fox News reported this month that Bruce Ohr, a senior Justice Department official, was demoted amid questions about his contacts with the opposition research firm responsible for the anti-Trump dossier.

A Mueller aide, Peter Strzok, a former FBI official, was also removed from the special counsel investigation after a number of anti-Trump texts were discovered on his phone.

Among the information being sought by the committee are reports that summarize meetings between FBI confidential human sources and FBI officials about the Steele dossier.

It also wants to interview DOJ and FBI officials, Ohr, Strzok, FBI Attorney James Baker, FBI Attorney Lisa Page, FBI Attorney Sally Moyer and FBI Assistant Director for Congressional Affairs Greg Brower.

Nunes previously said he has instructed committee staff to begin drawing up a contempt of Congress resolution for Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray unless their demands are met.
Roy Moore filed an election complaint late Wednesday, claiming voter fraud altered the outcome of Alabamas Senate race, paving the way for Democrat Doug Jones victory.

The Moore campaign said in a statement that the purpose of the complaint is to delay the certification of the election results until a thorough investigation of potential election fraud, that improperly altered the outcome of this election, is conducted.

The request came just a day before the State Canvassing Board is scheduled to meet and certify the results of the election.

This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone, Moore said. We call on Secretary of State Merrill to delay certification until there is a thorough investigation of what three independent election experts agree took place: election fraud sufficient to overturn the outcome of the election.

The statement cites three Election Integrity experts saying that with a reasonable degree of statistical and mathematical certainty  election fraud occurred and noted the irregularities in 20 precincts alone could reverse the results of the election.

According to the results from earlier this month, the Republican candidate lost the election to Jones by a margin of 21,000 votes. Jones became the first Democrat in over two decades to win a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, the deep-red state that Trump carried by about 28 points during the 2016 presidential election.

The election complaint also includes an affidavit from Moore saying that he underwent a polygraph test and confirmed that the allegations of sexual misconduct with underage girls are completely false.

Moores reluctance to concede the election prompted an intervention by President Donald Trump, who backed the Republican candidate, urging him to concede the election.

"I think he should (concede)," Trump said earlier this month. "I want to support the person running. We need the seat. We'd like to have the seat."
President Trump slammed China on Thursday over the countrys reported illegal oil sales to North Korea, saying theyve been caught RED HANDED and warning such incidents could diminish the odds of a friendly solution for Pyongyang.

Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen! Trump tweeted, while on a holiday break in Florida.

U.S. spy satellites reportedly captured photos of Chinese ships illegally selling oil to North Korean boats some 30 times since October.

REPORT: CHINA SPOTTED ILLEGALLY SELLING OIL TO N. KOREA

Satellite images released by the U.S. Department of Treasury appeared to show vessels from both countries illegally trading oil in the West Sea, The Chosun Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing South Korean government sources.

North Korea was barred in September by the United Nations Security Council from importing natural gas and had its crude oil imports capped in response to Kim Jong Uns nuclear missile program.

The U.S. Treasury in November also sanctioned North Koreas Maritime Administration and its transport ministry, in addition to six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their vessels, in an effort to block the rogue regimes transportation networks.

The satellite images appear to identify the ships. One of them  Rye Song Gang 1, seen connected to a Chinese vessel  was included in the Nov. 21 sanctions as a vessel of Korea Kumbyol Trading Company possibly transferring oil to evade sanctions.

While Russia exports some oil to North Korea, China is the main source of oil for the rogue nation, according to Reuters. However, the countrys records reportedly showed it exported no oil products to the North during the month of November. It was reportedly the second consecutive month China didn't export diesel or gasoline to North Korea.

NORTH KOREA CALLS UN SANCTIONS 'AN ACT OF WAR,' 'RIGGED UP BY THE US'

A government source told the South Korean newspaper that, "We need to focus on the fact that the illicit trade started after a UN Security Council resolution in September drastically capped North Korea's imports of refined petroleum products."

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no information following Chosuns report, but said the Chinese government has been completely and strictly enforcing Security Council resolutions aimed at discouraging North Korea from developing nuclear and missile technology.

Fox News Nicolle Darrah and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump and top Republican congressional leaders will plot the 2018 political agenda in January, gearing up for more legislative achievements in the wake of the successful passage of the tax reform.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will be hosted by Trump at the at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland early January, the White House said.

The focus will be on the possible legislative initiatives in 2018 before the political winds shift to the midterm elections, potentially disrupting the legislative process amid fierce all-out elections across the country.

The gathering follows the first big legislative achievement for the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress who passed the $1.5 trillion tax plan this month that decreased individual tax rates for the middle class and axed taxes on corporations.

It is expected that health care reform will dominate the talks in January, as the passed tax cut bill repealed only the requirement, as part of the Obamacare, that all Americans buy health insurance or pay a fine  while leaving other features of the health care law still in place.

Republicans tried to repeal the Obamacare twice this year  both times coming up short with the votes in Congress to pass the legislation and breaking the promise of swift repeal once the White House is occupied by a Republican.

Already juggling a delicate majority in the Senate, Republicans efforts to repeal the law were met with unanimous opposition from the Democrats. But the president expects both sides on the aisle will eventually come together to work on creating a new health care plan.

Based on the fact that the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate has been terminated as part of our Tax Cut Bill, which essentially Repeals (over time) ObamaCare, the Democrats & Republicans will eventually come together and develop a great new HealthCare plan! Trump tweeted earlier this week.

Other possible ideas for 2018 include an infrastructure bill aimed at upgrading aging roads, bridges and other transportation. The White House reportedly said Trump will release his infrastructure plan in January.

Ryan, meanwhile, might raise the issue of overhauling Medicaid and Medicare and other welfare program, although McConnell was skeptical of such reforms unless they have the support of the Democrats. Trump has signaled that he is open to pursue welfare reform next year as people are taking advantage of the system.

But as the White House and Republican congressional leaders plot the 2018 agenda, Congress will face a backlog from 2017.

By the end of January, Congress has to agree on a government funding bill to avoid a partial government shutdown. Politicians in Washington will also have to agree on sending additional aid to support the hurricane victims, lifting the debt ceiling, reviving the childrens health insurance program, and coming up with a legislation for the so-called Dreamers who were brought to the country illegally as children.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nothing in nature is perfect  but frosty, shimmery snowflakes come pretty close.

Now one man is trying to push the limits of those shimmery, symmetrical ice crystals, to make the largest, most perfectly symmetrical snowflake ever, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Libbrecht said he was inspired by snowflakes he encountered in his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota.

Kenneth Libbrecht, a physicist at the California Institute of Technology, in Pasadena, has spent years trying to create such symmetrical beauties in his lab. By carefully controlling the conditions, using commercial recirculating chillers and temperature controllers, he has managed to create 0.5 inch -across snowflakes that retain their pristine symmetry.

But that isn't big enough for him: Libbrecht believes he can make symmetrical crystals as big as 1 inch across or more, the Mercury News reported. There are no physical laws that prevent the formation of arbitrarily large snowflakes, but just a slight change in the environmental conditions can make flakes turn out wonky, Libbrecht said.

"It's easy to grow an ugly snowflake," Libbrecht told The Mercury News. "More things go wrong as they get bigger."

That said, in 2006, NASA scientists measured snowflakes in Ontario, Canada and found that individual snow crystals of about 0.6 inches are not unusual. And not all of them were ugly.

Outside the lab, snow forms high in the atmosphere when crystals form on particles of dirt or dust in the atmosphere. As the burgeoning crystal falls, it encounters an ever-changing set of conditions that continually nudges the snowflake to form in one way or another, which is why no two flakes are alike, the Mercury News reported.

Originally published on Live Science.
This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," December 27, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

PETE HEGSETH, GUEST HOST: My name is Pete Hegseth and I'm in for Laura Ingraham on this Wednesday night and this is "The Ingraham Angle" live from New York City. It's almost the new year and tonight we look at what a difference just one year makes with President Trump in the White House.

Now ISIS has been almost wiped off the map completely, losing 98 percent of its territory, including half of it since President Trump took office.

An American president will be honored in Israel. Not just in Israel, but in the old city of Jerusalem. We will talk to John Bolton about both of these amazing developments.

And murder and many crime rates including the killing of police dropped this year. We will debate whether Trump's tough talk and pro-police policies deserve the credit.

Meanwhile, the establishment media can't understand -- they kill still cannot understand why President Trump's base still supports this president. We will examine whether the media's problem isn't the messenger themselves.

Gold Star parents who lost their Navy SEAL son in an Afghanistan firefight credit a key change by President Trump for saving military lives on the battlefield this very day.

But we begin with a little notice year-long probe that could have a big effect on the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Last January, the Justice Department's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, quietly began investigating the FBI and DOJ's handling of the Hillary Clinton email scandal.

Now, recently that inquiry turned up evidence of anti-Trump bias among key players in the Russia investigation. Remember those Peter Strzok and Lisa Page texts that talks about an insurance plan. That came from Michael Horowitz's investigation at the IG.

Now all of Washington is waiting to see what other bombshells this investigation may reveal in the new year and whether this could discredit part or all of the Mueller probe.

Joining us now to discuss from Washington, D.C. is Scott Bolden, a Democratic strategist and with me here in New York City is James Freeman, the assistant editor of The Wall Street Journal's editorial page. Gentlemen, both thank you for joining me this morning.

I'm on "Fox & Friends" all the time. Morning or night, I can't get it right. This is "The Ingraham Angle." We are here this evening. Scott, let me start with you now that I know where I am.

This investigation, Bob Mueller's name is a household name right now. The Democrats are banking through their resistance that he's going to take down as president. The name Michael Horowitz is not one well-known, but his investigation has already bore proof that Peter Strzok and others have had to leave the Mueller probe as a result of showing anti-Trump bias.

Is this not an investigation if they show the special treatment was given to Hillary Clinton could have serious consequences?

SCOTT BOLDEN, FORMER CHAIRMAN, D.C. DEMOCRATIC PARTY: I mean, I understand about the Strzok issue, but he was removed. As a former prosecutor, let me just say this. He was not the only decision-maker and until you show that the investigation has been tainted, not just having one investigator that was tainted and probably removed, you don't have political bias.

You can't select people to be on the investigation team whether it was those who investigated Hillary Clinton or those who are on the Mueller investigation simply for political affiliation.

They have to show political bias and there has nothing right there right now, no matter how many times the GOP throws political hand grenades at the Mueller investigation.

HEGSETH: Scott, you say that Peter Strzok is not the only one in the investigation, true. Enter Andy McCabe, who is the number two that is part of this as well. When the Clinton email investigation was going on, we know now through evidence that Andy McCabe said that this Clinton email investigation should receive special status. There's Andrew McCabe right now.

He's also been referred to as Andy in the insurance policy in the texts between Strzok and Lisa Page. So, if Andy McCabe said special status investigation. James Freeman, the inspector general is trying to consider whether or not it was a fair investigation, are we not onto something here?

JAMES FREEMAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL PAGE: I think we are onto something and I assume Mr. Bolden and people -- or at least Democratic colleagues were pretty happy when this Horowitz investigation got going because the idea here was there was a theory in Democratic circles that Mr. Comey of the FBI had put a slam on the scale and helped Donald Trump get elected.

So, I think this was perhaps seen as a way to discredit the Trump administration. Now as you said, quietly, Mr. Horowitz hasn't been leaking, but he appears to have been doing a lot of work, taking a lot of documents, a lot of interviews. He has interviewed Mr. Comey among others.

HEGSETH: Loretta Lynch as well.

FREEMAN: Right. We will get a report probably late winter or early spring and it's focused on the Comey process. Not his decisions, but did he follow FBI procedures and I don't see how anyone can say, yes, he did because that was one thing that former AG's and deputy AG's of both parties agreed with.

It has kind of been lost now in the intervening months but there was widespread agreement that former FBI Director James Comey did not follow bureau procedures when he took upon it himself to announce that there would be no prosecution of Mrs. Clinton when he shared his thoughts publicly in a press conference about her culpability.

That's not what prosecutors do and he's not a prosecutor. He's supposed to gather the information. Prosecutors make the decision.

HEGSETH: Scott, specifically this DOJ inspector general is looking at -- as was mentioned by James -- the review of the Clinton email investigation. Authorities are examining whether the Justice Department and FBI established policies and procedures.

It doesn't feel like established policies and procedures to write the exoneration of the person you are investigating two months before you talk to them, as well as deeming the investigation special, which means only a few people at the top of the FBI were actually involved in investigating Hillary Clinton.

I will note, this is very important to know, this inspector general launched this report independently before President Trump was president and he's an Obama appointee. This is not something President Trump has launched and why is this getting very little coverage and notice when Bob Mueller is wall-to-wall on every other network in the city?

BOLDEN: Well, Bob Mueller has not done any interviews quite frankly. It's been the political pundits.

HEGSETH: He's done a little bit of leaking.

BOLDEN: We don't know that either. There was nothing usual about the Clinton investigation. Politics crept its way in and there were a lot of political bangs from day one. So, as a former prosecutor, a special status meant absolutely, they were trying to protect the investigation from not only leaks but political comments and to have politics injected into it.

I think the inspector general, we welcome his investigation because it is something that is really important, but I still don't think that if there was something there we would have it by now. We did get the emails, don't get me wrong, but again, was their political bias?

Wasn't handled in an inappropriate manner? It certainly was handled in an unusual manner with Comey and most Democrats hated Comey reopening the investigation or even making public statements.

That was unusual, but I think Comey indicated, he laid out his basis for taking these unusual steps. So, we welcome the IG investigation. I think Democrats and Republicans ought to be both concerned, but relieved once that report comes out.

HEGSETH: It will be very interesting to see what it reveals. James, we hear investigation, how Senate investigations. A lot of them going on right now. But through all of those it has revealed what a lot of people feel like it is in FBI-DOJ swamp. We are not talking about the agents that do the great work.

It's talking about leadership whether it's Strzok, Andrew Weissman, who was to attend Hillary Clinton's victory party until it wasn't a victory party. Bruce Ore, connections of his wife, Nelly, to Fusion GPS, and Andy McCabe, James Comey, James Baker, the council who had to step down.

It seems like a lot of deep state Democrats who have an ax to grind or political preference and we all know political preferences, everyone is allowed to have them, but if they start to cloud your judgment or give you reason and rationale to pursue someone for a different reason, how do you not look at that and say we need to find out more?

FREEMAN: Right. The FBI agents, they are allowed to have political opinions but when you get into extreme bias, that's what we saw in the Strzok text. That's why Mueller fired him. He would not have fired him if there wasn't that issue of extreme bias.

As this rolls forward, remember the whole reason the Mueller investigation exists is because Comey was fired. What this Horowitz inquiry is going to do --

HEGSETH: Then asked his buddy to leak things to make sure he triggered a special counsel.

FREEMAN: This is going to shine a light once again on the fact that Mr. Comey deserved to be fired. The reputation of the FBI was in tatters last year because of what he was doing conducting his investigation into the emails and what this is going to do is bring up a lot of issues that were kind of tossed aside or forgotten when the focus moved to Mr. Trump when he started talking about the reason he fired Mr. Comey.

If you go back to May and look at Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein's memo, it laid out chapter and verse on how Mr. Comey had violated long- standing procedures. It quoted officials from both parties over the years saying this is antithetical to the interests of justice. I think he is now looking into that. That's a problem for Comey and for Mueller.

HEGSETH: Briefly come in 20 seconds.

BOLDEN: This is all political rhetoric. You have to show political bias. Show me one document, one witness testimony --

HEGSETH: What about the text messages that say, Andy, we have an insurance policy?

BOLDEN: -- and that individual was removed from the campaign.

HEGSETH: He wouldn't have been without the inspector general report.

BOLDEN: But that doesn't show political bias. It means that he was tainted but the investigation was not tainted --

HEGSETH: But he was in charge of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. He was in charge of changing --

BOLDEN: It was not his decision.

HEGSETH: -- Peter Strzok and Andrew McCabe were a part of changing the wording from gross negligence --

BOLDEN: In the end it was Mueller's call. This is all political -- Republicans would love to make more of it, but until you have evidence, documentary or otherwise. Because the FBI and DOJ, that's all they are looking at.

All you have of these political grenades by the Republicans. My goodness, if you don't want any Democrats to be on any of these investigation teams and we are starting to look like a third world country.

HEGSETH: Don't worry there are plenty of Democrats.

FREEMAN: That was the whole point of the Rosenstein memo. Jamie Gorelli (ph), former deputy AG under bill Clinton. Eric Holder, official in both the Clinton and Obama Justice Department's. Are you discounting what they said about Comey's conduct?

BOLDEN: There political support, who they write checks to, if they attend a briefing -- if they attend a fundraising and you are going to say that needs to be investigated? That's nonsensical.

HEGSETH: Well, $675,000 to the wife of the number two in the investigation was running for Congress. It means something.

BOLDEN: She took money from the state governor from the state Democratic Party in Virginia. What else she supposed to do? You want them to be divorced over this?

HEGSETH: Perception is extremely important in addition to reality in these extrinsic circumstances.

BOLDEN: Perception does not require an investigation. Politically, you may like the fact that they've done this, but that's the art of the deal. There's nothing illegal or inappropriate or unethical about it, and you can't make it that way by merely repeating that --

HEGSETH: The American people are still grateful for the fact that you have Bob Mueller doing his thing, but the name Michael Horowitz, which is not a household name, who seems to be apolitical is digging down to the fact that our secretary of state had a private server in her home and deleted -- bleach bit 33,000 emails, and got away with it, and that makes people feel like the system is rigged differently for them than someone with political connections. We will find out what the conclusions are.

BOLDEN: You disagree with the conclusions so you want more investigations done.

HEGSETH: If the conclusions were based on a swamp benefiting Hillary Clinton. We may get evidence of that, that's the point.

BOLDEN: You are obsessed with it.

HEGSETH: Scott, we have to leave it right there. James, we got to leave it right there. Eventually will get to the bottom hopefully in both of these fronts. Thanks, Gentlemen.

Well, much of Washington State is glued to the Mueller probe, Trump has spent the year scoring some impressive victories overseas, including one that President Obama said was impossible. We will talk with John Bolton about that in just one minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEGSETH: Welcome back to "The Ingraham Angle." Well, the barbaric and bloodthirsty ISIS caliphate is suddenly almost extinct having lost 98 percent of its territory. A stunning half of that loss came in just the year since President Trump took office.

But it wasn't so long ago that ISIS was running rampant, gobbling up large chunks of Syria and Iraq, and looking almost unstoppable as a terror army. At least that's what President Obama told us in July of 2015.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: This will not be quick. This is a long-term campaign. ISIL is opportunistic and it is nimble. Our strategy recognizes that no amount of military force will end the terror that is ISIL.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: Can't beat ISIS with the military, that wasn't just wrong, it was a strategy destined to fail. According to Retired Four-Star army general and Fox News military analyst, Jack Keane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK KEANE, FOX NEWS MILITARY ANALYST: The Obama administration despite their claims that this was a top priority never fired a shot in anger against ISIS even though the Iraqi government was asking for help for nine months. That's how long it took. It took 15 months before we ever went after their oil fears, which is their source of strength, financial strength. That was a strategic blunder that we didn't crush ISIS early on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: Turns out the JV team wasn't so JV. President Trump just didn't change strategies, many credit him with unleashing the military by simply changing their roles of engagement, which is critically important on the ground.

Joining us now for reaction from Washington is former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton. Mr. Ambassador, thanks for joining us.

So, President Obama said that our strategy in Iraq recognizes that no amount of military force will end the terror that is what he called ISIL, ISIS. Yet it appears to me that it is indeed military force that is eradicating the grounds that ISIS held. What is the key difference between what President Trump did and President Obama did?

JOHN BOLTON, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Well, I think the strategy Obama was pursuing he described as degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS. The emphasis was on ultimately. So, under his approach just dragged on and dragged on and dragged on.

And the consequence was that ISIS had ample opportunity to both train terrorists to get into Europe in the United States, but also as things finally began to turn, to exfiltrate unknown numbers of its leaders into other anarchic portions of the world.

So, we should be happy that the caliphate, the physical caliphate is just about gone, but unfortunately, the ISIS threat remains, now based in Libya and Yemen and the Afghan-Pakistan border regions. That might have been avoided if we had been really pursuing them harder during the Obama years.

HEGSETH: Absolutely. A lot of people, guys on the ground credit the loosened rules of engagement. When I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, if I had to call the White House for an airstrike, that's going to inhibit my ability to make decisions on the ground. Now it's captains and majors and colonels making moment by moment decisions. How important is that to maintaining momentum in defeating an enemy like we have, which once was -- the caliphate once was the size of Ohio now reduced to a thousand lowly fighters?

BOLTON: Well, I think it was critical and I think it reflects what the strategy should have been all along, not degrade and ultimately destroy, economize, save words, "destroyed, period." I have to say that because the administration continued to follow the Obama approach of relying mostly on the government of Iraq and its Shia militias, certainly we helped with the Kurds.

We helped with some of the Syrian opposition and other Arab forces, but relying extensively on the Baghdad government, which is effectively a satellite of Iran, we have left now Iran in a very advantageous position in the region for what I fear may be the next conflict.

HEGSETH: Well, that's very true. The next up in what happens in Iraq and Syria is absolutely critical, but for now the fact that the caliphate has been defeated, incredibly significant. We will see how much the rest of this town reports in that development.

But I have to get your insight on some news that we found quite interesting. There's something that would not have happened under President Obama, Israel is honoring an American president, the Israelis now plan to name the train station near the western wall in the old city of Jerusalem after President Trump.

In fact, specifically, the transportation minister in Israel has said the western wall is the holiest place for the Jewish people and I decided to name the train station that leads to it after President Trump. That's a big thing. A lot of people might be surprised by that, why are they so willing to immediately embrace this president?

BOLTON: Because of what he's done, because of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and by reversing eight years of basically anti-Israel American foreign policy. I'm sure cases of heart burn across the country are rising now as people realize it, but Trump has stood by Israel and if this decision goes through it shows that loyalty is rewarded. I think it's a great thing.

HEGSETH: It's not just train stations, Jerusalem city council members proposed changing a street in the Muslim quarter to Donald Trump Street. New parks and schools under consideration named after Donald Trump. So, the gratitude is palpable as you mention. Someone who's been to the old city, I know you have as well, the significance of him visiting the western wall for the first time in May and making this change, truly historic.

BOLTON: Absolutely.

HEGSETH: I got to get your take on one last thing because a report came across my desk -- you brought it to my attention this evening. A new report that says that China has been spotted illegally selling oil to North Korea. This is a big development in light of what we are trying to accomplish their and what we've been trying to get China to do. What you know about this?

BOLTON: Look, this is a proverbial fire bell in the night. Overhead pictures of tankers latched up at sea, probably Chinese, probably North Korean transferring oil to the North Korean tankers. We have this ecstatic Reuters news report earlier today that says China didn't ship any oil to North Korea in November, what's the source of that? China's own export statistics.

As if they will tell us the absolute truth. I think this is very significant and I think it unfortunately shows that China yet again as it has for 25 years is playing the United States, driving us, telling us they will help with the North Korean problem and then doing precisely the opposite.

HEGSETH: Very briefly, Ambassador, what is our next step? How do we hit China back on this?

BOLTON: Look, I think the president has to have a conversation with the president and saying we are getting very close to the end of the road. Either you help us in a very significant way or we will be faced with a hard choice on using military force. We know there have been military to military discussions about the possible effect of the collapse of the North Korean regime. The Chinese need to get with us on this or I think we've got to act on our own.

HEGSETH: That could be true. Ambassador John Bolton, thanks a lot. Appreciate your time.

BOLTON: Thank you, Pete.

HEGSETH: All right. There was also encouraging news on the home front in this 2017, especially where good news is needed most, our crime-ridden big cities. Details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEGSETH: We are back with a stunning example of what a difference a year makes in combating crime. During Obama's last year in office the killing of police officers by gunfire hit a five-year high. Under President Trump, those killings are down by a remarkable 34 percent according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. One big difference may be a simple change in attitude according to a former high-ranking FBI official.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON HOSKO, FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE FBI: Look, since the days of his campaign, the president went out of his way to thank the men and women in law enforcement for their sacrifice and say that effectively I stand with you.

That is 180 degrees away from the last few years, really going back to 2009 of the Obama administration where the presumption was that the police were racist, the police did something wrong until proven innocent. I think that tone, maybe we are sensing or feeling a Trump effect now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: There's more good news. The violent crime rate is down in the nation's 30 largest cities, including the murder rate according to a study by NYU's Brennan Center for Justice. Violent crime down by 1.1 percent.

Even better news, the murder rate in the biggest 30 cities dropped by 5.6 percent. That includes an 11.9 percent decline in Chicago. A lot of attention for many years. A 9.8 percent drop in Detroit. Is this encouraging trend here to stay and does President Trump deserve the credit?

Let's ask journalist, Heather Macdonald, the author of last year's critically acclaimed book, "The War on Cops, How The New Attack On Law Order Makes Everyone Less Safe." Also joining us is Michael Tobman, a Democratic strategist and former senior aide to Senator Chuck Schumer. Thank you both for joining us this evening.

Heather, let me start with you. The previous sound bite that we played said that the presumption that the police are racist as the wave may be couple years ago, black lives matter and Barack Obama's presidency, juxtapose that with President Trump. We could all say he has the presumption that the police are heroes, that that they deserve his backing and our backing. How much does that ethos affect these rates, or could it?

HEATHER MACDONALD, AUTHOR, "THE WAR ON COPS": There has been a sea change in both rhetoric and policy, Pete. It's extraordinary because we did go through eight years were President Obama took every opportunity to reinforce the false black lives matter narratives, that we are living through an epidemic of racially biased police shootings of black men that resulted in real demoralization among our police forces and de-policing.

Officers were reluctant to get out of their cars and make that stop at 2:00 a.m. questioning somebody hanging out on a known drug corner hitching up his waistband as if he has a gun because they were fearful the media, the mainstream media would label them as racist.

Today, we have a Justice Department led by Attorney General Sessions, who is trying to reverse some of the anti-cop policies of the Obama administration and Trump is not serving as an echo chamber for Black Lives Matter Movement.

I hope that what is going on is that cops are going back to proactive policing and we can hope that more black lives will be saved this year than were lost in the last two years.

HEGSETH: Trends look like that may be the case. Michael, I've never walked the beat as a cop, but I have walked the beat on patrol in the military, and if you don't believe in your mission or you don't think your commander has your back or your morale, your confidence is low, you are far less likely to be aggressive or take that proactive measure. How much of that morale or confidence, the restoration of it with this president focusing on it, how much might that actually matter at the ground level?

MICHAEL TOBMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think it actually is from the ground level up and not the top down. I think changes in policies and political appointments in the White House who does have some say on this, but I would disagree on many others. I think it's actually to the credit of local policing, city by city and each of those cities you discussed those very startling, very encouraging drops in violent crime.

HEGSETH: Of course, with local policing, I totally agree with you.

TOBMAN: But, yes, morale has a big part of it, and I think that people think, that whether it's their Patrolman's Benevolent Association here in New York City or the police commissioner, or a mayor, and we see constant controversy and tension between the New York City PBA and Mayor de Blasio. But I really think it's a credit to the local policing and I think attributing it solely to the tough on crime rhetoric of candidate Trump and then President Trump does local police --

HEGSETH: Certainly -- good point, you can't credit it all to the president. But you almost can imagine what if Colin Kaepernick had taken a knee during the Obama presidency, would he have been invited to the White House and lauded as a hero? Instead he was called out specifically by President Trump. You know law enforcement officers and police officers love the fact that he is a blue lives matter guy, not a Black Lives Matter guy. But that does trickle down. A local guy on the beat really does care whether or not he's going to be seen as guilty before the action is even taken.

HEATHER MAC DONALD, MANHATTAN INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW: Right. I think that's an excellent example. I would also just point to some of the policies. And I agree that policing is fundamentally a local phenomenon. Nevertheless, there's things that Attorney General Sessions has done that are also sending a very powerful message to cops. He has tried to free departments from the unnecessary and costly consent decrees that the Obama administration put on. He has said to U.S. prosecutors we want you to go after violent felons and drug felons without worry about the pseudo-mass incarceration narrative being used against you.

And again, these things are both effective in themselves, and they do send a message to cops. Of course policing and a drop in crime is due to the local cops on the ground, but the narrative matters and an echo chamber in the White House for a false narrative did a heck of a lot of damage over the last couple of years to the law abiding residents of inner-city neighborhoods.

HEGSETH: I stand corrected, by the way. Colin Kaepernick first kneeled one Barack Obama was president, but the effect of course was amplified during this presidency.

TUBMAN: None of this should gloss over that there are very real and very serious and historically rooted tensions between law enforcement, professional policing, and communities of color throughout the country. That being said, I think that some credit is also due to the activist communities who realized that their message was being lost in this awful, tragic violence in which law enforcement professionals were losing their lives. Nobody wants that. It was a tragedy every time that it happened.

HEGSETH: Does that happen without being called out? Does that happen naturally?

TUBMAN: And that is where I would say candidate Trump was perhaps uniquely positioned to deliver a message that other candidates felt constrained and unable to deliver. On that point I would agree, but on the others I think as a consequence of local policing.

HEGSETH: We've got to leave it right there. A couple of very informed opinions here. Heather Mac Donald, Michael Tubman, thanks for being here. I appreciate it.

All this good news this year and the so-called mainstream media -- we called on the so-called mainstream media because they are really mostly the left-wing media, they're still trying to figure out why the president is popular with his base. We are going to take a closer look next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEGSETH: It's a good time to be an American. The economy is humming, Wall Street is booming, and the biggest tax cut in 30 years is on the way. But the so-called mainstream media still can't figure out why President Trump is so popular with the base that elected him.

So the Associated Press, A.P., you know, that news service, sent a reporter on a field trip to Trump country. But Claire Galofaro came back from Sandy Hook, Kentucky, as mystified as ever by Trump supporters. She couldn't explain why that, quote, "despite the president's dismal approval ratings and lethargic legislative achievements, he remains profoundly popular here in these here mountains."

Maybe our guest can help her understand. Joining us now is Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center. So when I looked at this article in the heart of Trump country, you get nine paragraphs and you are already talking about nostalgia, dismal approval rating, lethargic legislative achievements, Trump's white base, ceaseless Twitter taunts. Why can they not resist impugning the very people who sent this man to the White House?

TIM GRAHAM, DIRECTOR OF MEDIA ANALYST, MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER: They think this is truth telling. They think that when they say that Trump basically has no legislative achievements and he failed to repeal Obamacare, they are going to ignore the tax cut somehow. They are going to ignore the stock market somehow. She mentions it around the edges. They are going to somehow suggest that Obamacare wasn't repealed, although they got rid of the individual mandate, which is the most offensive part of Obamacare.

But when it comes down to it, you send these people to Kentucky and the whole method here is to say, why haven't you people changed our minds at? We've been working on this man since 2015 and you are still standing with him. And it makes them angry and frustrated.

HEGSETH: No, it's a great point. Claire Galofaro, you do a little meandering on her Twitter feed, again, she's a reporter at the A.P., which is supposed to be a new service, supposed to play it straight down the line, one of her tweets from August 13th of 2017 says the old saying when you dance with the devil, the devil doesn't change, the devil changes you. She's referring to President Trump. When I stand up and talk, I will come out right and said, I'm a conservative, this is where I'm coming from, this is what I believe. Why do reporters still think they can hide behind a veil of being unbiased, behind the A.P., and then present something like this with such bias and think that people will just buy it?

GRAHAM: And the Twitter pages make this more obvious than ever. It's really easy to say this is an obnoxious story by this A.P. reporter. I bet if I go to her Twitter page you are going to find more of the same.

HEGSETH: I know. It never fails. Every time I go to that Twitter feed and I say maybe I'm going to able find just a lock, stock, and barrel conservative here. And every time it's usually an east coast liberal that's living in a bubble, takes a flight to Kentucky, goes to the zoo and meets some Trump supporters, writes up something condescending, and then wonders how in the world is this guy going to get elected again?

GRAHAM: They actually understand what's going on here. They understand that coal state voters want coal to come back. They understand that people in rural Kentucky are not fond of let's make sure there are seven different forms of transgender public bathrooms in every school. They know why these people don't stand with the Democrats, but they are just going to ignore it all.

HEGSETH: They ignore the policies and go to the personal politics of destruction, no doubt. But what the media also can't stand is the fact that this president uses his Twitter feed and social media effectively to change the entire conversation. Former President Obama had a little something to say recently about social media and a veiled reference to president Trump. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: People can have entirely different realities. They can be just cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases. The truth is that on the Internet everything is simplified. And when you meet people face-to-face it turns out they are complicated. And you find areas of common ground because you see that things aren't as simple as have been portrayed in whatever chat room you've been in. And it's also, by the way, harder to be as obnoxious and cruel in person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: This of course coming in a hard-hitting interview with Prince Harry. He also said he wants to recreate a common space on the Internet. It almost sounds like President Obama wants to find a way to create a safe space for the way things used to be where the old guard protected the information that made it to people, whereas now we can get our information from wherever we want.

GRAHAM: Yes, and they do hate that. They hate social media because it's where people go around the mainstream media, go around the liberal politicians. They can't stand that. The phoniest thing a liberal will say, and you see this a lot, we really resent these ideological cocoons. How many interviews did Barack Obama give to FOX News once he became president? I bet you it averaged less than one year.

HEGSETH: May be one at the Super Bowl. I can't recall many. It's true. The history department at Princeton University where I went to school had one registered Republican and 36 Democrats. I bet if you went to the failing New York Times around the corner here you probably aren't going to find many register Republicans. Why can't they look internally and say maybe we live in a cocoon too?

GRAHAM: Absolutely. John Corey wrote a book about how he was the only guy inside The New York Times that voted for Ronald Reagan. And that's obviously still true.

HEGSETH: And they hate this president even more than they hated Ronald Reagan. Tim Grant, thanks a lot for the insight, appreciate it.

GRAHAM: You bet.

HEGSETH: One unpleasant trend over this past year has been hate crime hoaxes at colleges. I can barely think of anything worse. Kat Timpf help us understand what is behind this phenomenon in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEGSETH: Welcome back. Hate crimes by their very nature are terrible, but fake hate crimes can also cause serious damage. And unfortunately over this past year we saw a string of highly publicized hoaxes at universities across the country. Fox News contributor Kat Timpf joins us now to go through some of the worst offenses and what's happened since they occurred.

Kat, what an unfortunate turn. Bad enough hate crimes in this country, but to fake it means you are not only impugning the person that you accused, but also the credibility of yourself. So you've got three that you brought with us tonight.

KAT TIMPF, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. First of all, the one the Air Force Academy, the African-American cadet at the Air Force Academy. He said that there were all of these racist messages on his door.

HEGSETH: You have one.

TIMPF: There it is.

HEGSETH: He said he found a racist message when he came home in his dorm in September and that caused this reaction, before we get your take, this reaction from the head of that academy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. JAY SILVERIA, AIR FORCE ACADEMY SUPERINTENDENT: If you can't treat someone with dignity and respect then you need to get out. If you can't treat someone from another gender, whether that's a man or a woman, with dignity and respect, then you need to get out. If you demean someone in any way, then you need to get out. And if you can't treat someone from another race or a different color with dignity and respect, then you need to get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: That speech which the university posted on YouTube went viral, 1.2 million views. But Kat, what actually happened?

TIMPF: The dude was worried about getting in trouble at school and he was trying to take attention away from it, and it turns out he wrote those messages himself.

HEGSETH: So a black student at the academy was the one who reported it was actually the one that wrote the messages?

TIMPF: He wrote the messages himself. And this was a speech, he said it went viral, got the attention of Joe Biden, Senator John McCain. It captured all these hearts and minds. It turned out to be a joke all along, just a big hoax. And the problem with that is not just that it hurts the school and makes the school look bad, it also hurts victims who actually go through these kinds of things in the future because it makes people less likely to believe and say that last one was a hoax and kind of doubt it, which is completely unfair.

HEGSETH: Yes, at the Air Force Academy.

TIMPF: Yes, absolutely.

HEGSETH: Here's another one. A University of Michigan student was convicted of falsely reporting a hate crime after claiming she was attacked for wearing a solidarity pin. She later admitted to using the pen to scratch herself, and she said she faked the attack because of her belief that there had been a surge in hate crimes after the election of Trump and because she became upset during a women's literature class. Kat, there some ferocious women's literature class.

TIMPF: There's a lot going on here.

(LAUGHTER)

TIMPF: I've never been so upset in a class I needed to scratch myself with a pen, and then report to the police that a Trump supporter did it, absolutely awful. But she's getting punished. She has to go to jail for 93 days, which is good because these aren't victimless crimes. And also think of the waste of resources. Law enforcement had to spend time on this case. Taxpayers had to spend money paying law enforcement to do this when they could have been out there handling real crimes instead of this garbage.

HEGSETH: And of course it's perpetuating this idea that Trump supporters are committing violence against people that are different than them, which the so-called mainstream media loves to run with. It feeds this cycle of fake news and false news and misleading news that makes Trump supporters look like this town wants them to look.

TIMPF: Right. And really it was just a lady with a safety pin and herself.

HEGSETH: And a screw loose.

TIMPF: A screw lose essentially. No literature class is that traumatizing.

HEGSETH: There is some rough literature out there, but keep your safety pin in your pocket.

You got one more story for us, because it wasn't just the students. Assistant Professor Azhar Hussain of Indiana State University, there he is right there, was arrested after police concluded he had made fake anti- Muslim threats against himself. The university's police chief said officers believe Hussain was trying to gain sympathy by becoming a victim of his own fake threats.

TIMPF: Imagine this. Imagine being such a loser that you have to fake hate crimes threats against yourself for attention. We've become in a place in our society where there is nothing more honorable in some key circles than being a victim. It's not good to be successful. It's not good to be rich. It's not good to have things going for you. It's better to have things being done to you so you can be in this position of victimhood which people think is smart and honorable. This is probably a result of that because instead, if you want attention, if you want friends, I would recommend things like hobbies. Those are a thing, right, people still have hobbies.

HEGSETH: Weight lifting, jogging.

TIMPF: Jogging, golf.

HEGSETH: Playing card, buying Bitcoin.

TIMPF: Even go to the bar. Go to bar, that's better than this. Come on.

HEGSETH: That is such a great point about victimology because it's tied to that first story about the Air Force cadet who ultimately, he wanted to be seen as a victim of racism at the institution, and as a result he's in other trouble. Now there will be empathy for him and he can stay. When did victim would become a card people play, and how much of that is a product of these colleges and universities that now traffic in it?

TIMPF: It's huge on college campuses. The best way to be smart is to write an op-ed in your school newspaper that says I've discovered this new kind of privilege that everyone has but me, or I've discovered how I'm being oppressed. People will say, oh, I didn't realize that. I apologize, I'm sorry. If you are offended, then that's automatically a fact. If you are a victim, it's automatically a fact. And anybody else who might try to counter you on it, they just don't know what they're talking about but they are speaking from a position of privilege. That's actually how they have conversations on college campuses now. So in order to be in the most powerful position, you have to be the biggest victim.

HEGSETH: Sure, absolutely. I will posit, I understand why there are hate crimes, but the minute we went down the hate crimes trail we started to criminalize thought. The idea is a crime is a crime no matter what your and motivation is. If you insult someone or you rape someone, that's a problem. What you motivation -- so once you go down the motivation trail, where does it stop?

TIMPF: Right, absolutely. Everything is a protected class now. Some people want it to be political as well as be a protected class. People want all sorts of things to be a protected class. College campuses, you have people who say white girls can't wear hoop earrings because that's oppressive. That's the level we are at.

HEGSETH: Are you wearing?

TIMPF: I took mine out today and I forgot to put them back in. But I do wear them sometimes, which I suppose I shouldn't. But I think we need to celebrate success and power instead of trying to be victims.

HEGSETH: Absolutely. Kat Timpf, thanks a lot.

TIMPF: Thank you.

HEGSETH: All right, a silver lining, a tough turn here but a great story for a Gold Star family. Up next, how they fought for a key change in U.S. military policy and why they believe it is saving lives under President Trump. Billy Vaughn joining us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEGSETH: Welcome back. A simple but very critical change in our military policy is saving American lives on the battlefield. That change might have saved precious lives on August 6th, 2011, when the chopper Extortion 17 was shot down during a firefight in Afghanistan killing all 38 aboard. It was the single largest loss of American life in the history of the Navy Seals. The dead included Seal Team Six member Aaron Vaughn, and his parents, Karen and Billy Vaughn, believe the military's restrictive rules of engagement under President Obama contributed to that travesty.

They fought hard to see those rules change and now that President Trump has done that, they believe those changes are saving lives. And Billy Vaughn joins us now. So Billy, the story of your son is powerful. He's an American warrior fought for our country, and from the very beginning you and Karen have been dedicated to making sure what happened there in that valley in Afghanistan doesn't happen again. How critical have changes in the rules of engagement been to unleashing our military?

BILL VAUGHN, GOLD STAR FATHER: First of all, thank you for having me tonight, Pete. And yes, absolutely, after Aaron was killed and Karen and I began to find out things -- by the way, you know us. We are not military experts. We're parents who love our son and love of our country and our military. And after we began to find out things that happened that night, things that should have happened that didn't happen, we do believe -- there are many things that happened that night, if even just one of them hadn't happened Aaron and those men may have been alive today.

And President Trump promised he would change the rules of engagement. Karen actually spoke at the RNC convention for President Trump and talked about the rules of engagement needing to be changed. And both of us talked across the country about that. And we were able to meet with then candidate Trump and with other Gold Star families. And Pete, you know this. We got the most powerful, the most efficient military the world has ever seen. Our war fighters can go out and crush the enemy every single night if they are allowed to do, if they are unleashed to do what they are trained to do. And under President Obama that just didn't happen.

HEGSETH: If they are allowed. Your caveat yourself saying you are not a military expert. I get that. But that almost allows you to bring more common sense to the discussion and certainly investment with your son. A lot of people who haven't been in the military, they say what are these rules of engagement? What is the rationale for putting political constraints on warriors on the battlefield as opposed to unleashing them, especially against a threat like ISIS?

VAUGHN: OK, let me give you a for instance. On the night that Aaron was killed, there was nothing pre-assault fired before the helicopter went in. And that's one that you don't have to be a military expert to know. Yes, sir. That wasn't just an isolated incident. The helicopter pilots, when they were giving testimony, both of them, one of them said there's a one in a million chance we can get pre-assault fire approved. The other one said we never ask for it because it's never approved anymore, in two different testimonies at two different times. And that could have saved the war fighters that night.

Also that night the AC 1:30 overhead asking to engage multiple times enemy combatants on the ground was not allowed to engage those enemy combatants with weapons, and it's very likely that one of those enemy combatants took the chopper down that night. President Trump in August said that he was going to give more authority to the war fighters on the ground, to those people. And under President Obama, a lot of that authority, as you made an earlier comment tonight, was being done by people back in Washington, D.C., inside the White House who had never seen the theater of war, who had never been in the battlefield at night with their bodies with bullets whizzing by their heads.

HEGSETH: That makes all the difference. Billy Vaughn and Karen Vaughn, thank you for everything you've done for the war fighter, for your son's sacrifice. And there are 70,000 dead is fighters in the last year and a half that are a credit to the unleashing we have done for our military.

VAUGHN: Yes, sir. You can see what our military can do.

HEGSETH: You bet. Thanks a lot.

That is all the time we have here on "The Ingraham Angle" tonight. I'm Pete Hegseth in for Laura Ingraham. My good friend Ed Henry who is filling in for Shannon Bream up next. Good evening, Ed.





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A privately-owned plane slammed into an office building on Wednesday night after presumably being blown right off the tarmac at Malta International Airport by heavy winds.

The aircraft, which was unoccupied and unmanned at the time, had been sitting on the runway at Malta International Airport in the village of al Farrug, before wind gusts pushed the aircraft through a fence and into the building, the Times of Malta reports.

BIRD SMASHES INTO AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT, GETS EMBEDDED IN THE NOSE

Pictures of the aftermath appear to show the planes nose embedded into the side of the offices, which are owned and operated by the Polidano Group, a construction manufacturing firm.

"It seems like it was the result of the strong winds, Jean Paul Sammut, a representative for the Polidano Group, told the Times of Malta. The building didn't sustain major damage, but we presume the aircraft did.

Armed forces, police and emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene, although no injuries have been reported at the airport or the site of the crash.

FLYBE PASSENGER PLANE MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AT BELFAST AIRPORT

Officials at Malta International Airport (MIA) have since confirmed that the aircraft, a Dassualt Falcon 7X, was parked on Apron 4 before it was displaced, but MIA has yet to disclose how the plane was secured to the runway.

Sammut, meanwhile, believes that the plane was secured by security cables and brakes, but thinks those must have blown off in the ensuing winds, the Evening Standard reports.

Maltas Bureau for Air Accident Investigation is currently probing the incident, the MIA confirmed in a statement.

Malta International Airport is supporting the Bureau for Air Accident Investigation in its ongoing inquiry and therefore it would be premature to give any further details at this time. The airports Rescue and Fire Fighting Services also remain on standby should any special assistance be required."

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Some outlets also reported that the private plane belongs to businessman and politician Lord Michael Ashcroft, though a spokesman for Ashcrofts office would not confirm as much for the BBC.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent and two other people have died after a sport utility vehicle collided with a wild hog in Southwest Texas, authorities said.

The accident happened late Monday on a rural road near Uvalde, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio. Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Conrad Hein said Tuesday that a preliminary investigation indicates a Ford Expedition collided with the hog, which caused the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic and hit a Mercedes SUV head-on.

The Expedition's driver, 51-year-old Ruby Garza, and the driver of the Mercedes, 27-year-old Antonio Cordova, were pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the Expedition, 51-year-old Julia Vasquez, died later at a hospital.

Border Patrol officials in Del Rio, Texas, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Cordova was a Border Patrol agent and was driving home after finishing a shift at the station in Uvalde.

Two other people who also were passengers in the Expedition were injured but Hein said he had no details about them or their conditions.

It was not immediately clear what happened to the hog. Both vehicles were fully engulfed in flames, Hein said.

Texas has a growing hog population that causes millions of dollars' worth of damage to crops each year. Around the country, feral hogs do more than $1.5 billion a year in damage. They damage crops and hay fields and can spread dozens of diseases.

Scientists are field testing poison baits made from a preservative that's used to cure bacon and sausage as a way to control the hogs. Tests will start early in 2018 in West Texas and continue in central Alabama around midsummer.
The local district attorney announced Wednesday that he does not plan to file criminal charges against two Kansas police officers in the fatal shooting of a black man earlier this year, saying the man struggled with the officers and reached for a gun he had attempted to hide.

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay released a seven-page legal analysis that was in line with the initial account Topeka police gave of the Sept. 28 shooting of 30-year-old Dominique White near a park. Kagay's report described White, who had spent seven months in prison on a felony gun charge, as acting suspiciously after the officers responded to a call about shots being fired.

The district attorney's analysis said police found a firearm loaded with eight rounds of ammunition on White, along with two loaded magazines and a knife. The report described White as "uncooperative and combative throughout the incident."

"It was Mr. White's actions that escalated these events," Kagay said in his report, adding later that "no reasonable judge or jury would find the actions of either officer involved in this matter to be unlawful."

The city has faced criticism over the handling of the shooting. It has not released the names of the officers involved, and police body camera footage wasn't made public until Kagay showed it to news reporters Wednesday.

In the footage , which some media including The Topeka Capital-Journal posted online, the officers try to search White. He struggles briefly with the officers when one of them grabs his hands and wrists. They repeatedly urge him to stop, and he breaks away to flee from them. Moments later, multiple shots are fired at him.

White's death certificate shows he died from gunshot wounds to his back. Kagay's report confirms he was shot in the back.

White's family members said in a statement that they are "incredibly disappointed" by the district attorney's decision.

"My son was shot in the back while attempting to run away from officers," White's mother, Mary Theresa Wynne, said in the statement. "The video shows that they did not need to shoot and kill him."

The family's attorney is Gillian Cassell-Stiga of Beldock Levine & Hoffman, the same law firm that represented the family of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who was stopped by police on Staten Island in 2014 for selling untaxed cigarettes and died after a white officer placed him in a chokehold. While no one was prosecuted over Garner's death, the city paid $6 million to settle a civil court lawsuit.

Topeka city spokeswoman Molly Hadfield said the Police Department will complete its own follow-up internal investigation before deciding whether to release the officers' names.

Kagay's report noted that the area on Topeka's east side where White was shot has had nearly weekly reports of gunshots, 32 reported robberies and two homicides in the past five years. The report described the two officers as police veterans familiar with the area.

White had been out of prison less than five months. He was ordered to serve probation after pleading guilty to a burglary charge in 2015, went to prison in October 2016 after pleading no contest to illegally possessing a firearm and was not supposed to have a gun.

According to Kagay's report, White tried to walk away from officers when they arrived at the scene and ignored multiple requests to stop before they caught up with him. The report said his blood later tested positive for the presence of marijuana and methamphetamine.

White had gloves in his possession that tested positive for gunshot residue, the report said. That and other evidence suggested White fired the shots that brought officers to the area, according to the report.

"There is also little doubt that Mr. White was attempting to avoid being detained or searched by the officers," Kagay said in the report. He added that the officers remained "calm and professional."

White's stepmother, Molly White, said the situation still shouldn't have ended with his death.

"Had Topeka police exercised restraint, Dominique would be alive with us today," she said in a statement.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna .
College professors have said plenty of crazy things in the past, but President Trumps first year in office proved to be an especially insane year when it came to the rhetoric heard on campus.

While some students marked Trumps November election by screaming at the sky, a handful of liberal teachers spouted their extreme views in the classroom and on the web, costing many of them their jobs.

MOST BIZARRE COLLEGE COURSES 2017: HOOKING UP, QUEER RELIGION AND SEXY VAMPIRES

1) Drexel prof blames whiteness for Texas massacre

Perhaps the most consistently controversial figure in higher education this year was George Ciccariello-Maher, the liberal professor who was booted from campus for tweets attributing the Las Vegas massacre to Trumpism and white victimization. He later blamed "whiteness" for the Texas church shooting that left 26 people dead.

In 2016, he tweeted, All I want for Christmas is white genocide.

2) Art professor says GOP House should be lined up and shot

Professor John Griffin, of the Art Institute of Washington, posted on Facebook that Republicans should be shot for their passage of an Affordable Care Act replacement bill -- and he was serious, as reported by Campus Reform.

They should be lined up and shot, the professor wrote, clarifying exactly what he meant. Thats not hyperbole; blood is on their hands.

3) Prof said hed be OK with education secretary being sexually assaulted

In September, Austin Community College paralegal studies professor, Robert Ranco, resigned after tweeting: Im not wishing for it  but Id be ok if #BetsyDevos was sexually assaulted.

Ranco later apologized to Devos on Twitter. His tweets were part of several criticisms of DeVos claims that Title IX rules governing campus sex assault cases have led to improper investigations.

4) Reward for a prof who called Trumps election an act of terrorism

A human sexuality professor at Orange Coast College in Southern California was caught on camera calling Trumps election an act of terrorism. Instead of being reprimanded, Professor Olga Perez Stable Cox was awarded Faculty Member of the Year honors in March by the community college -- while the student who recorded her was suspended for violating college rules.

5) The Florida professor who suggested Texans deserved hurricane for backing Trump

A visiting University of Tampa professor was fired this summer after writing that Texans deserved Hurricane Harvey for supporting Trump. Kenneth Story, also an adjunct professor at nearby Hillsborough Community College, apologized after tweeting: I dont believe in instant Karma but this kinda feels like it for Texas. Hopefully this will help them realize the GOP doesnt care about them.



HATE CRIMES AND HOAXES: 10 CAMPUS STORIES DEBUNKED IN 2017
A Utah sheriffs deputy saved an 8-year-old boy who fell through an icy pond while chasing his dog, authorities said.

Police said a group of children were playing near a pond in New Harmony on Monday evening when a boys dog ran off, KUTV reported. A boy in the group followed it out onto the pond when the ice cracked and he fell in.



Unable to get him out on their own, the other children ran for help and authorities were called to the scene, the outlet said.

Sergeant Aaron Thompson of the Washington County Sheriffs Office arrived first and made the personal decision to attempt the rescue without using any equipment, according to a press release obtained by Fox 13.

UTAH DAD PREPARED TO TAKE OUT LOAN AFTER PORCH PIRATES STEAL PRICEY MEDS FROM ILL SON

Thompson forced a path through 25 feet of ice to where the boy was stuck, ultimately freeing and bringing him back on land, Lt. David Crouse of the Washington County Sheriffs Office told the outlet.

He and another citizen were actually able to break through the ice, go into the water, and retrieve the boy out of the pond, Crouse said. He was taken to a nearby ambulance.

The boy is believed to have been in the near-freezing water for about a half hour until he was rescued, Thompson said at a news conference Tuesday. The officer previously had served on a search and rescue dive team and located the child in an area where a woman reported seeing his hand minutes before.

I couldnt feel anything. I didnt notice anything when I was doing it, Thompson said. I knew that time was of the essence. I had a very short window to get that child out of the water.

PIERS MORGAN SAYS VIEWER SAVED HIM FROM CANCER BY SPOTTING MARK ON HIS CHEST

As the ice got thicker, I couldnt break it with my arms and my fists anymore, so I had to jump up on top of the ice, putting my weight on it, and then pound on it to get it to break, he added.

Emergency services arrived on scene and flew the boy to Dixie Regional Medical Center, KUTV said. He was reportedly unconscious as they left, but had vitals.

Authorities said Wednesday that the boy, identified only as Jason, was awake and doing well. The sheriff's office said he was coherent and responding to questions from hospital staff.

The deputy also required medical attention because of hypothermia and cuts on his arms and hands, KUTV reported. The dog was reportedly unharmed in the incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man is being heralded a hero after he stopped a Christmas robbery at a Wendys in California by bashing the thief over the head with a chair, reports said.

The knife-wielding suspect, whose face was covered, pushed his way to the front of the line at the fast food restaurant on Monday evening, demanding money from the cashier, Yuba City police officials told The Sacramento Bee.

An onlooker named Daniel told Fox 40 that he saw the man brandish a knife at the employee, and then turn to someone next to him and say, Shell take care of you in a minute.

UTAH SHERIFFS DEPUTY RESCUES BOY FROM ICY WATER, OFFICIALS SAY

And thats when I brought the chair down on his head, Daniel said.

The bystander, who told the outlet he had training as an Air Force security policeman, said he noticed the thiefs weapon and acted because he didnt want this to turn into somebodys Christmas memorial.

And yeah, it was about that time, I took a couple steps with that big chair in my hand and brought it down on his head, Daniel told Fox 40.

WENDYS SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM GETS REAL ON REDDITS ASK ME ANYTHING FORUM

Police said the suspect hit the ground before darting out the door and into a white sedan, The Sacramento Bee reported.

Im sure it didnt feel good  he didnt even try to continue what he was doing, Yuba City Police Department Lt. Jim Runyen told the outlet.

Employees at the Wendys applauded Daniel as a hero, saying, He helped us instead of standing back and watching, Fox 40 reported.

But Daniel told the outlet that hed like to think that anybody would do something like that.
Starting in January, Illinois is outlawing a rare criminal defense argument allowing the use of a victim's sexual orientation as justification for violent crime. It's a ban that gay rights advocates hope to replicate in about half a dozen states next year.

Illinois follows California in outlawing the so-called "gay panic defense." It isn't common, but one study shows it's surfaced in roughly half of U.S. states since the 1960s.

Advocates say bans are necessary as crimes against gay and transgender people seem to be increasing. But some attorneys remain skeptical, questioning political motivations and if bans will only trigger further legal restrictions.

Supporters plan to revive legislative attempts in Washington and New Jersey statehouses. They'll also seek to make inroads in New York, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Texas.
A Maryland countys refusal to cooperate with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) may have led to an alleged MS-13 gang members death two days after he was released from jail.

Jose Herrera, 18, was initally arrested and charged in October by the Montgomery County Police Department with fourth-degree burglary and trespassing after he was found squatting in a vacant home with others believed to be members of the ruthless MS-13 gang, WJLA reported.

MS-13 VICTIM WAS STABBED 100 TIMES, DECAPITATED, HAD HEART RIPPED OUT, POLICE SAY

The gang reportedly took the vacated home and made it into a hideout with graffiti, a built-in bar and shrine to the Saint of Death, NBC Washington reported. The home was scheduled to be demolished in order to pave the way for the Purple Line rail project.

Herrera, a native of Honduras, traveled into the U.S. illegally and was given a criminal summons for the October arrest but a warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court.

He was again arrested on Dec. 12 but released on Dec. 22 after posting a $100 bond. ICE said the alleged gang member was released despite a detainer the agency claimed it lodged in October.

ICE places detainers on illegal immigrants who have been arrested on local criminal charges and for whom ICE possesses probable cause to believe that they are removable from the U.S., so that ICE can take custody of the alien when he or she is released from local custody, the ICEs website stated.

CRACKDOWN ON MS-13 GANG NETS MORE THAN 200 ARRESTS

Two days after his release, on Christmas Eve, police said the 18-year-old was gunned down and killed. Eyewitnesses told police they saw two Hispanic males fleeing the scene. The suspects have not been identified or found. Investigators said Herrera was targeted but a motive is unknown.

Montgomery County has claimed it was not a sanctuary county. However, ICE argued they have specific examples of the county not cooperating when it comes to surrendering illegal immigrants who have been accused of a crime.

Sources told WJLA Herrera was vulnerable to being a part of a gang after he was expelled from his high school and booted from his uncles residence. The source described the alleged gang member as a sad beaten puppy who had trouble making eye contact.

The government of Montgomery County has not immediately commented on ICEs claim.
An Arizona judge and the family of a teenager who shot and killed two men in 2008 when he was 8 years old praised him Wednesday for the progress he made during his time on probation.

Judge Monica Stauffer told the boy in a courtroom at St. Johns she knows the past nine years have not been easy but admired him for the way he handled it.

"I'm real proud of you and you're going to do great things," she said. "So much of your life is still for you to live and enjoy."

The teen is set to sign paperwork Friday freeing him from intensive probation, psychological evaluations, travel restrictions and having his every move monitored.

Wednesday was the final hearing in the case that troubled police and prosecutors because the boy was only 8 at the time of the shootings. The criminal charges were resolved in juvenile court with the boy pleading guilty to negligent homicide in the death of 39-year-old Tim Romans, whom he called for from inside his home and shot with a .22-caliber single-shot rifle as Romans walked up to the door.

Prosecutors said that acknowledging legal responsibility for the death of his father, 29-year-old Vincent Romero, would be too heavy of a burden for a boy to carry and dropped that charge. Romans rented a room in the two-story blue house that Romero shared with his new wife and son.

No motive was revealed, but the boy mentioned he was spanked for not bringing home some school papers. The boy told a state Child Protective Services worker that his 1,000th spanking would be his last, according to police reports.

Detective Debbie Neckel, the lead investigator in the 2008 case, said the papers were a behavioral report from his teacher. Romero and his wife, Tiffany, told the boy he would be spanked once for each day he forgot them, Neckel said. That day he would have received four swats.

Romans widow, Tanya, wondered why there was little emphasis on the victims in the murder.

"Not once, 'How are your girls? How's everything going?'" she said as her voice cracked over the phone. "Take a look at the victims' side as well. Tim was a great man, he was. It's just sad that two lives were just overlooked."

Still, Romans said she hopes and prays the boy got the help he needs so "whatever he did won't repeat itself." She said she didn't want the boy near her family.

The boy spent time in a residential treatment center, group home and foster care. He has said he wants to continue treatment until he's 21.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Arkansas woman survived after she was kidnapped on Christmas and thrown from a bridge into a freezing river for allegedly witnessing a deadly shooting, police said.

The second suspect in the deadly shooting turned himself in Wednesday night, according to KATV.

The 42-year-old woman, whose name was not released, swam to safety after she was tossed into the Arkansas River, KATV reported. A passerby heard her screaming for help and called 911. She was hospitalized and treated for hypothermia.

The woman told investigators she was kidnapped and thrown from the Interstate 430 bridge after she witnessed a shooting during a home invasion in Scott, 15 miles southeast of Little Rock. Police responded to the scene and found Arlin Nugent, 49, dead in the home, Lonoke County Sheriffs Office said.

Another unidentified person was wounded in the attack and was hospitalized. The individuals condition is unknown.

Richard Gilliam, 33, was arrested on Monday and faces charges of capital murder, attempted capital murder, aggravated residential burglary and kidnapping. But the deadly shooting also led to a days-long hunt for a second suspect, identified as Deymon Webb, 28. The search ended when Webb turned himself in Wednesday night, KATV reported.

Gilliam is being held at Lonoke County jail on $1 million bond. He is expected to appear in court in February.
State Ethics Commission leaders have asked state Senate Republicans to hold a public hearing for their chief administrator, Brian Bell, before voting early next year on whether to confirm him.

The commissions Democratic chairman, David Halbrooks, and Republican vice chairwoman, Katie McCallum, released the letter to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald on Thursday. Halbrooks and McCallum wrote that commissioners unanimously determined that Mr. Bells performance as Administrator exceeded expectations.

We would welcome the opportunity to speak to his qualifications before the Senate votes on his confirmation, they wrote.

Fitzgerald earlier this month threatened to hold Senate confirmation votes in January for Bell and the states chief elections official, Michael Haas. Fitzgeralds office said that could force the administrators out of their positions because he said Senate Republicans wont vote to confirm them.

Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos have called for Bell and Haas to resign, claiming they cant be trusted to fairly oversee ethics and elections in the state because they used to work for the states former ethics and elections agency, the now-defunct Government Accountability Board. Many Wisconsin GOP officials viewed the accountability board as biased toward Democrats because of its role in a now-ended secret investigation into Gov. Scott Walkers 2012 recall campaign.

Haas, meanwhile, has called on Fitzgerald and Vos to apologize, saying they have slandered his name by suggesting former accountability board staff committed a crime in their investigations of Walker and others. Elections Commission chairman Mark Thomsen and the former Republican head of the Accountability Board, David Deininger, also have spoken out on Haas behalf.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent was wounded after being struck by a bullet fired from Mexico, authorities said Wednesday.

The agent, whose name was not released, was shot from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande River near Brownsville where he was assigned to patrol it by boat, according to the Brownsville Herald.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Marcelino Medina said in the agent suffered a non-lethal injury from a caliber weapon after an assault from the Mexican side.

On Tuesday, December 26, 2017, a Border Patrol Agent assigned to the Riverine Unit sustained a non-life threatening injury from a small caliber weapon resulting from an assault originating from the Mexican Riverbank, Medina said. The agent suffered a grazing wound to the back of his head as a result of the incident and has been medically evaluated and released.

The case is now under investigation with the participation of the FBI.

The incident follows the mysterious death of border patrol agent Rogelio Martinez and his partners assault last month after responding to an unspecified activity in a culvert off Interstate 10 in Van Horn, Texas.

Many have questioned what exactly happened, with some suggesting the men got injured in a traffic accident. But according to an FBI agent's sworn affidavit, the authorities suspect it was a violent assault on two border patrol agents. The culprits remain unknown.
An elderly couple who were busted in Nebraska last week with 60 pounds of marijuana Christmas presents for relatives on the East Coast have been identified as the parents of a Vermont prosecutor who has handled some of the states most high-profile cases.

Patrick Jiron, 80, and Barbara, 70, of Clearlake Oaks, Calif., were arrested on Dec. 19 in York after police found weed in the back of their pickup truck. The Burlington Free Press later identified them as the parents of Justin Jiron, who is the Chittenden County chief deputy states attorney.

"Justin is in no way connected to this allegation other than by relation," Chittenden County State Attorney Sarah George, his boss, told the newspaper. "Justin is and has been a dedicated public servant for over 15 years, and I assure you he is as surprised and upset about these allegations as anyone."

Jiron has worked on some of Vermonts most high-profile cases during his career, including the prosecution of a man who abducted, raped and murdered a University of Vermont senior and another man who went on a shooting spree in Essex that left two dead, according to the Burlington Free Press.

"Justin, of course, loves his parents and is concerned about their welfare," George added. "However, he is extremely disappointed in their behavior and actions as reported by media outlets."

George also said Justin will continue working at the office.

Lt. Paul Vrbka of the York County Sheriffs Department told the York News-Times last week that Jirons parents said the marijuana was for Christmas presents.

Police found 60 pounds of pot and several containers of concentrated THC during the arrest, estimated to be worth more than $300,000 total. The names of the marijuana strains were written on each bag.

The pair were charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver and no drug tax stamp.

John Campbell, the executive director of Vermont states attorney offices, said he has no information from Nebraska police as to whether or not the actions of Jirons parents have any direct connection to him.

"I don't think he knew anything about what his parents were bringing over or what they intended to do with it," Campbell told the Burlington Free Press. "From what I understand, this is as much as a shock to him and a surprise that it is to anyone else who has heard about it."
Erica Garner, daughter of NYPD-chokehold victim Eric Garner, suffered major brain damage from a heart attack just days after Christmas, doctors reportedly told family members.

Garner, 27, has been in a medically induced coma since she went into cardiac arrest Saturday, according to The New York Times.

Her mother, Esaw Snipes, said her daughters cardiac arrest was triggered by an asthma attack. The New York Daily News on Thursday reported Garner was "brain dead." Later, however, Snipes clarified that they "got the wrong information, she's not gone. She's still here with us. She just needs some time to heal, that's it."

Right now, the family is just praying and asking for everyone to keep her in their prayers, Snipes told The Times.



Snipes said her daughter suffered her first heart attack not long after giving birth to a baby boy in August. She named the boy after her father.

Doctors said the pregnancy had put a strain on her heart, which was later found to be enlarged.

Garner became an activist after her fathers death in 2014. Her father died after a police officer put him in a chokehold while arresting him on Staten Island in 2014.

She campaigned for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during the 2016 presidential election, and appeared in one of his campaign ads.

Sanders tweeted Tuesday his "thoughts are with Erica Garner, her family and friends in hoping that she has a full recovery and rejoins the struggle for justice as soon as possible."

Also among the well-wishers was civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, who tweeted on Thursday that he "spent part of the day" with Garner's mother at the hospital.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two California professors are criticizing farmers markets for causing environmental gentrification in which habits of white people are normalized.

San Diego State University geography professors Pascale Joassart-Marcelli and Fernando J. Bosco contend that farmers markets are white spaces oppressing minorities in a chapter for "Just Green Enough," an environmental anthology focused on urban development.

FROM ANTI-TRUMP PROFESSORS MOUTHS, 2017S MOST EXPLOSIVE QUOTES

Environmental gentrification is defined as a process where environmental improvements lead to  the displacement of long-term residents, according to the anthology.

The professors, as reported by Campus Reform, say farmers markets are exclusionary because locals cannot afford the food and/or feel excluded from these new spaces.

The SDSU professors, who teach classes like Geography of Food and Food Justice, argue that farmers markets are often white spaces where the food consumption habits of white people are normalized.

WHITE RACISM COURSE AT FLORIDA UNIVERSITY TEACHES THAT AMERICA IS WHITE SUPREMACIST SOCIETY

While such markets are typically set up to help combat food deserts in low-income and minority communities, the academics argue that they instead attract households from higher socio-economic backgrounds, raising property values and displacing low-income residents and people of color.

The most insidious part of this gentrification process is that alternative food initiatives work against the community activists and residents who first mobilized to fight environmental injustices and provide these amenities but have significantly less political and economic clout than developers and real estate professionals, the professors argue.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TEACHES UNCOMFORTABLE WHITE EMPLOYEES HOW TO ENGAGE IN SOCIAL JUSTICE

They claim that, while curbing gentrification is a vexing task, the negative externalities of white habitus formed at farmers markets can be managed through slow and inclusive steps that balance new initiatives and neighborhood stability to make cities just green enough.

Joassart-Marcelli and Bosco received funding from the National Science Foundation to research the role of food in structuring everyday life in immigrant and low-income urban neighborhoods.
FOX NEWS FIRST: Trumps victory lap; McCain associate subpoenaed in search for source of salacious Trump document

Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here.

Developing now, Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017:

From the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch to regulation rollbacks, from Wall Street gains to the passage of the tax bill and the routing of ISIS in the Middle East, the Trump administration is gaining momentum heading into 2018.

A former State Department official with ties to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Wednesday over his first-hand knowledge of sources behind the salacious Trump dossier.

U.S. spy satellite imagery appears to show Chinese ships illegally selling oil to North Korean boats some 30 times since October, despite Beijing claiming it did not do so last month.

The Justice Departments inspector general scolded the Obama administration Wednesday after a report was released detailing how sexual harassment of all kinds was improperly handled at the department for years.

THE LEAD STORY: When congressional Republicans joined President Trump for a tax bill celebration at the White House just before Christmas, a triumphant Mitch McConnell began ticking off the presidents first-year accomplishments.

The boasts from the Kentucky Republican, who's had a rocky relationship with Trump at times, underscored how  despite the internal squabbles that captivated the media  the Trump administration has given his party plenty to crow about in 2017.

From the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch to regulation rollbacks to Wall Street gains to the passage of the tax bill and the routing of ISIS in the Middle East  as McConnell put it, This has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the Trump administration.

How Trump is rolling back Obamas legacy

DIGGING INTO THE DOSSIER: A former State Department official with ties to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Wednesday because of his reported firsthand knowledge of the sources behind the salacious dossier on President Trump, the committee confirmed to Fox News.

Chairman Devin Nunes issued the subpoena to David Kramer, a senior fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership, on Wednesday afternoon to obtain the names of sources behind the dossier, the contents of which have never been verified.

RNC spokesman: Trump-Russia collusion proven to be 'flawed conspiracy theory'

CAUGHT RED-HANDED: U.S. spy satellites reportedly captured photos of Chinese ships illegally selling oil to North Korean boats some 30 times since October.

Satellite images released by the U.S. Department of Treasury appeared to show vessels from both countries illegally trading oil in the West Sea, The Chosun Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing South Korean government sources.

North Korea was barred in September by the United Nations Security Council from importing natural gas and had its crude oil imports capped in response to Kim Jong Uns nuclear missile program.

North Koreas other weapons: Expert warns nukes arent biggest concern

THEY GOT FREE PASSES: The Justice Department scolded the Obama administration on Wednesday following a report on how sexual harassment of all kinds was improperly handled at the department for years.

The Washington Post reported that the DOJs inspector general had found systemic problems with how complaints were addressed, with offending officials often being let off the hook or even rewarded. The article cited investigative reports on a lawyer who allegedly groped two female attorneys and a top U.S. Marshals official who had sex with approximately nine women in his office.

Junk science? Studies behind Obama regulations under fire

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS

STEYN DEBATES CLINTON ADVISER: Sitting in for Tucker Carlson, writer Mark Steyn and Hillary Clinton adviser Richard Goodstein debated over Russias alleged role in President Trump winning the 2016 election. Steyn said the FBI and DOJ have "repeatedly demonstrated they find these requests mere suggestions at best and told Goodstein its not a small thing to be flipped the finger by law enforcement agencies. Watch the full segment from Tucker Carlson Tonight HERE.

THANKING FIRST RESPONDERS: While spending Christmas in Mar-a-Lago, President Trump dropped in on firefighters in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump asked the group if they had anything they wanted to discuss with him, and the chief said he did. The chief asked Trump if he would help guide the SAFER Program Reauthorization Act through Congress and to his desk. The program, which stands for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, authorizes grants for specialized training and other endeavors. Watch Trumps speech to the firefighter crew HERE.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT 

Liberal outrage erupts after Vanity Fair pokes fun at Hillary Clinton

Facebook is rolling back controversial initiative to fight fake news

Claire's forced to pull 17 makeup products that tested positive for asbestos

GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS

U.S. holiday sales set to break records in surprise boon to retail

IRS cautions U.S. taxpayers on prepaying property taxes

NEW IN FOX NEWS OPINION

What if millions of us worship government-as-god and miss the true God?

Get ready for the great political surprise of 2018

CNN is a race-baiting, anti-Trump network

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

'The Office' star Jenna Fischer posts lengthy apology after spreading misinformation about GOP tax bill

FX orders 'Pose' series featuring the largest LGBTQ cast in TV history

Comedian sued for turning men with tickets away from her women-only show

STAY TUNED

On Fox News

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Dr. David Spiegel, MD, of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, will join the show at 6:50 a.m.; Cabot Phillips, the media director at Campusreform.org, will join the show at 7:50 a.m.; Gina Dinardo, the vice president and spokesperson for American Kennel Club & 3 Dogs.

Hannity, 9 p.m. ET: Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett will join the show.

On Fox Business

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: William Studebaker, CEO of Roboglobal, will join the show at 6:20 a.m.; Martha Stewart will join the show at 8:30 a.m.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla, will join the show.

On Fox News Radio

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. to Noon ET: Fox News contributor Karl Rove will join the show at 11:06 a.m. ET to talk about tax reform, the Trump agenda heading into 2018 and the Robert Mueller investigation.

The Fox News Rundown podcast:

Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

#OnThisDay

1945: The Pledge of Allegiance was officially recognized by Congress

1846: Iowa became the nations 29th state.

1832: John C. Calhoun became the first U.S. vice president to resign, stepping down over irreconcilable differences with President Andrew Jackson.

Due to production issue, yesterdays Fox News First newsletter was not published.

Thank you for joining us on Fox News First! Enjoy your day, and we'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning.
Authorities are pursuing a Georgia inmate who escaped jail early Wednesday after reportedly using a metal shower rod and busting through two brick walls on his way to freedom, authorities said.

Christopher Nicholas Carroll broke out of the Lamar County jail just after midnight Wednesday, WXIA reported. Carroll, who police said was last seen wearing an orange jumpsuit, was arrested in October on three counts of obstruction and theft by receiving stolen property.

"The jail called me and told me he had escaped out through the shower and then busted a hole in the wall, the outside wall that went to a storage unit," Lamar County Sheriff Brad White told WXIA. He was small in stature. I don't think an average-sized person could have got through the holes and maneuvered the way that he did.

Carroll, a South Carolina native, used a metal rod to punch a hole in the brick. He reportedly also used a table to break the wall, according to WSB-TV. Carroll then stole a van that was later abandoned in Allendale County, South Carolina. Police located the vehicle about 7:50 a.m.

White said Carroll is considered dangerous, but did not know whether he was armed.

The sheriff also told WSB-TV he believes Carroll's cellmate intentionally masked any sounds during the escape by clanking on the doors.

"We really believe that the inmate that was in the cell with him was masking the sound," he said.

Carroll was to be transferred to prison on Thursday.
Police in New Jersey made five arrests after a group of approximately 1,000 unaccompanied teenagers caused a disturbance at Cherry Hill Mall on Tuesday.

Around 7:30 p.m. officers responded to a report of a large group of juveniles acting disorderly near the south Jersey malls J.C. Penney wing.

While the officers were dispersing the crowd, five juveniles - four from Camden and one from Cherry Hill - were arrested on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to resisting arrest, according to the New York Daily News.

There were no reports of injuries or property damage.

Shoppers said it was a chaotic scene at the shopping center.

I was scared just because there were so many and they were unsupervised, Daija Qualis told Action News. It looked like a hostile situation.

Another shopper, Tyler Johnson, said, They were shaking on the doors, kicking the doors. The kids outnumbered the adults 10 to two. It was bad.

CBC reported that Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan warned parents last week about the potential for problems involving teens who dont have much to occupy their time over the winter break.

A spokeswoman for the mall, which has 1.3 million square feet of retail space and is not far from Philadelphia, released the following statement to Eyewitness News:

The safety and security of our shoppers, retailers, and employees are always top priority. The day after Christmas is one of the busiest days of the year at the mall. We partnered with CHPD to help ensure a safe shopping environment. We thank the police and our security partners for their assistance and commitment to ensuring the comfort and safety of the shopping center.
A Texas man who was being hailed as a hero for saving his fiances family from a Christmas day house fire has died.

Jackie Goulet is praising her fiance, 36-year-old Eric Chambers, for saving her and her familys lives when a fire engulfed their Christmas tree.

She said around 4:30 a.m. on Christmas morning, the couple were up early wrapping some last minute gifts in their Arlington, Texas home. She told Fox 4 News that she asked him to turn on the Christmas tree because it seemed too gloomy.

The couple went to the garage and minutes later, Goulets 12-year-old son yelled that the house was on fire.

Chambers jumped into action.

He made sure my mom got out and he got my aunt out, Goulet recalled. Shes handicapped, too. So she was scared. He made sure she got out. And as soon as she was coming out the door, he was yelling, You got Hailey? You got everybody?! And were like, Yeah, we got everybody.

Chambers reportedly went into the house several times to make sure everyone  including the dog  got out safely. And then things turned for the worse.

You could tell he was just in shock, just glad he got everybody out, Goulet said. Then, he just dropped. I was able to get him to walk two feet, and he dropped and said, My face got burnt trying to get out the front door.

She said it was the last thing he said to her.

Chambers was taken to the hospital soon after Arlington firefighters arrived at the scene. He died a short time later.

It was unclear the cause of death.

He knew what he was doing when he went in that fire to get everybody out, homeowner Jeanine Gabriel told Fox 4 News. I say hes a hero, and hes gonna be an angel on your shoulder for the rest of your life.

Goulet said she and Chambers had known each other for 17 years and recently gotten engaged. She said he leaves behind three kids of his own.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for funeral expenses and to help the family recover from the fire.

Arlington firefighters said they are still investigating the cause of the fire.
A California high school teacher accused of having booze-filled sex romps with one her students appeared calm in court Wednesday after she pleaded not guilty to felony charges.

Beaumont High teacher Samantha Ciotta, 32, was charged in September with one count of oral copulation with a minor and two counts of sexual intercourse with an underage boy stemming from incidents that took place in June.

The married mother of two was accompanied by family members at Wednesdays court appearance, but her husband was notably absent.

TEEN'S DAD BUSTED TEXAS TEACHER, 44, HAVING SEX WITH STUDENT IN CAR, POLICE SAY

Police launched an investigation into Ciotta after hearing reports she was having an affair with one of her students, including a scandalous Snapchat video that showed the teacher wearing only a shirt and panties while drinking alcohol with two shirtless minors, documents obtained by Patch revealed.

The student told police he at first tried to cover for Ciotta so she would not get in trouble, but changed his mind after she had sex with his 19-year-old friend and said the student had ruined her life, the documents added.

He later told police he had sexual intercourse with Ciotta five times and that he couldnt remember how many times Ciotta performed oral sex on him because he was intoxicated during most of the times, Patch reported.

A judge presiding over the high-profile case set her new bail to $25,000, which she posted after her court appearance.

Ciotta, an English teacher, remains on paid leave from the Beaumont Unified School District.


A man was arrested Wednesday in western Tennessee after allegedly killing both his parents and his niece in Nebraska, police said.

John Dalton Jr., 46, of Omaha, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Jackson, Tenn., police said. He was wanted on a first-degree murder warrant after he allegedly shot and killed his parents John Dalton Sr., 70, and Jean Dalton, 65 and his niece Leonna Dalton-Philip, 18, in their Omaha home Tuesday.

The young girls father told the Omaha World-Herald that his daughter was stopping by her grandparents house after work to pick up her younger sister and some food.

"Her car was still running. That's how fast all this happened, he said.

He said her younger sister ran to a neighbor's house around 7:30 p.m., saying: "They shot my family."

Police have not released a motive for the shooting.

Dalton fled to western Tennessee in the past after he killed his wife two decades ago, authorities said.

Dalton Jr. was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Shannon Dalton, in September 1998, according to court documents. After that shooting, Dalton fled to Tennessee, where he was captured a few days later, according to police.

He made a deal with prosecutors and was imprisoned in late 1999, after pleading guilty to manslaughter and other crimes. He was paroled in 2010.

His criminal record also includes convictions for delivery of cocaine, and leaving the scene of an accident and fleeing to avoid arrest in the early 1990s.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
There isnt enough evidence to claim that Zika virus causes abnormally small heads in babies of infected mothers, according to a UW-Madison study that challenges government findings.

A government official said evidence of the link is sufficient and growing.

The prevalence of microcephaly in northeast Brazil, where a Zika outbreak drew worldwide attention in 2015, was similar or higher in previous years, according to a new study by Dr. Leonelo Bautista in the December edition of the journal Annals of Epidemiology.

An increase in reported Zika infections during pregnancy was not followed by an increase in cases of microcephaly, said Bautista, a UW-Madison associate professor of population health sciences.

In addition, he found that babies of Zika-infected mothers didnt have significantly more microcephaly, which can cause developmental problems and even death.

One factor that made it seem like there was a spike in microcephaly cases in 2015 is that criteria for the condition changed that year to include children with larger heads than before, he said. Studies suggesting a link between Zika and microcephaly were too small to draw conclusions and didnt account for genetic causes of the birth defect, he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, which said pregnant women should avoid traveling to Brazil and other places affected by Zika, declared in April 2016 that the virus caused microcephaly.

The CDC published its findings in the New England Journal of Medicine, saying its scientists had conducted a rigorous weighing of evidence.

Other researchers have questioned the link between Zika, which is mostly spread by mosquitoes, and microcephaly. But Bautista said his study is the first one published to analyze the evidence and call it into question.

The CDC and other government agencies jumped to the conclusion that these two events were associated, he said Wednesday in an interview.

In a public talk about his research earlier this year, Bautista said the agencies created a false crisis.

It points to a major failure of the peer-review system in health sciences, he said. It sets a dangerous precedent by establishing causal links mostly by official decree.

Margaret Honein, acting director of congenital and developmental disorders at the CDCs National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a statement that there is sufficient and growing evidence about the causal link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and brain abnormalities, microcephaly and other birth defects.

Since April 2016, studies have provided strong evidence that Zika virus infection during the first trimester of pregnancy poses the most risk for the fetus, Honein said. The virus can persist and replicate in brain and placental tissues, and imaging results have provided an estimate of the time between infection and birth defects, she said.

Birth defects potentially related to Zika occur about 20 times more often in pregnancies with lab evidence of possible Zika infection in the United States, Honein said.

In his study, Bautista said heightened media attention to Zika infections in 2015 may have led more cases to be reported. The definition of microcephaly was changed in late 2015 to include a head circumference of up to 33 centimeters, compared to less than 31 centimeters before, he said.

Combined with an underreporting of microcephaly in a widely used government database in previous years, the 2015 statistics seemed to show an uptick, he said. But upon further analysis, other information showed similar or higher rates of microcephaly before 2015, he found.

Bautista, a native of the Dominican Republic, said Latin American countries have experienced significant economic and social ramifications from policies based on the assumption that Zika causes microcephaly.

Women have avoided pregnancy or had abortions, tourism dropped and resources were shifted to Zika from diseases known to be more problematic, like cholera, he said.

Its possible Zika causes microcephaly, but the evidence available doesnt prove it, Bautista said. More research is needed, he said.
He didnt think his getaway plan through.

An Oregon man who drove his truck off a pier in spectacular fashion managed to swim several hundred feet away from officers before having to turn around in the frigid waters to be rescued.

Im thankful the men from WCT Marine and fishing vessel (Pacific Wind) were there and willing to help, Deputy Astoria Police Chief Eric Halverson said, according to the Daily Astorian. [Timofey] Erofeeff should be thankful too.

Officers arrived at North Tongue Point Wednesday morning after getting reports that a man, identified as 27-year-old Timofey Erofeeff of Scotts Mills, was trespassing on boats, Fox 12 reported.

When they approached Erofeeff to take him into custody for a Deschutes County parole violation, he sped off down a dock in his truck and drove it into the Columbia River. The sequence was caught on camera by a Fox 12 viewer.

Astoria police said Erofeeff managed to escape the sinking truck and swim a couple hundred feet away from the pier but then returned to be rescued.

Because of the elevated pier, officers, threw Erofeeff a life vest and floatation disc until he was plucked out of the waters by a skiff, Fox 12 reported.

Erofeeff was taken to a local hospital for treatment of hypothermia before being booked into the Clatsop County Jail on charges including criminal trespass, parole violation and reckless driving.

As of Wednesday night, the truck was still in the water with a visible fuel sheen coming from it. The temperature was around 40 degrees that day.

Police said they were working with the Coast Guard to form a plan to fish the truck out of the water.
A Pennsylvania police officer pleaded guilty to blackmailing his wife over having sex with a minor, while she pleaded guilty to plotting to kill her husband.

Keith Transue, a Bushkill Township officer, pleaded guilty last week to misdemeanor criminal coercion, and Robin Transue pleaded guilty to felony solicitation to commit aggravated assault and statutory sexual assault.

Robin Transue told an informant that her husband threatened to reveal a sexual relationship she had with a 14-year-old boy in 2010 if she left him, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said that Keith Transue failed to report the abuse when he first learned about it, which he is legally required to do as a police officer. He was placed on leave after the charges were filed, and Police Chief Mike McLouth said Wednesday the officer submitted a letter of resignation.

Prosecutors said this blackmailing was the reason behind Robin Transues attempt to kill her husband and that she suggested several ways to kill him, including a drug overdose or a hunting accident.

"Transue was using his wife's crime to keep her from leaving or divorcing him. This in turn was essentially the motive for Robin soliciting Keith's murder," District Attorney Michael Mancuso said.

The Mount Pocono residents, both 43, are scheduled for sentencing March 20.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A woman who went missing in Los Angeles in late August could be a victim of human trafficking, police said.

Leah Rose Altmann, 27, was last seen leaving her Los Angeles apartment on Aug. 28 and has not been heard from since, Local 10 News reported. Though witnesses said they spotted the Royal Palm Beach, Fla., native outside a Panera Bread in North Hollywood about a month after her disappearance, she has not contacted her family in months.

The Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office tweeted Tuesday that Altmann could be in trouble and may possibly be a victim of human trafficking. The 27-year-old woman was described as 4-foot-9 and about 90 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. Police said Altmann left most of her belongings behind, including makeup and toiletries.

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED AFTER PUNCHING ATM FOR GIVING HIM TOO MUCH MONEY

Paul Altmann, Leah's father, told People that everyone was worried about his daughter.

She just vanished, he told the magazine. We have no idea where she is or what shes doing. Everyone is very worried about her, because she just wouldnt vanish for so long.

He added, Were hoping for the best, but we just dont know where she is.

Leah Rose Altmann worked in the sound and audio industry. Officials noted she would often leave for business trips, but not for this length of time.

And shes not on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram.  Thats not like her, her father said.

He said he hoped his daughter was not the victim of sex trafficking.

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY PUNCHING GIRLFRIEND OVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE, REPORT SAYS

I hope its not true, Paul Altmann said. The best-case scenario would be that shes doing whatever she wants to do. Shes doing a gig and not paying attention to the fact that people are looking for her.

There are so many explanations, he continued. Could it be drugs, alcohol, mental illness? Sure. Could she have been kidnapped? Yes. Shes this little girl, and I think about what could have happened to her. But we are holding out hope.

Lynda Santamaria, Leah's mother, told The Palm Beach Post her daughter had been estranged from the family for some time but the relationship improved recently.

The Los Angeles Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office have asked for the publics help in finding Altmann.
An Egyptian immigrant who wounded a Pennsylvania state trooper and fired at other police officers before being killed has not been connected with any organized terror group or terrorist activity, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Friends and relatives of Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty have described him as depressed over a lack of family contact and money problems, Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said.

"At this point in time there is no known nexus to any organized terrorist group or terrorist activity," Marsico said.

El-Mofty is believed to have acted alone when he began firing from his vehicle on Dec. 22 in downtown Harrisburg, a few blocks from the State Capitol building. He then fired several shots at a marked Capitol Police vehicle. No one was injured in the initial shootings, which generated a large police response.

El-Mofty reappeared about a half-hour later near a train station, several blocks away from where he had begun firing.

That's when El-Mofty encountered and shot the trooper, who suffered a relatively minor head wound from a bullet fragment, Marisco said. Two bullet holes were found in the headrest and one in a sun visor of the trooper's marked cruiser.

Marsico said investigators would like to speak with a passer-by who helped the wounded trooper.

State police have not identified the trooper and said Thursday she was on scheduled leave and was doing fine.

El-Mofty shot at several other officers in the city's Allison Hill neighborhood before he was shot and killed, Marsico said.

El-Mofty, a 51-year-old resident of Steelton, was divorced, and his acquaintances said he had been depressed over lack of contact with his family, his employment situation and financial issues. El-Mofty had two children and no criminal record.

Marsico said his preliminary conclusion is that police "acted commendably, honorably and heroically" and were justified in shooting El-Mofty. He said police had "no indication" what El-Mofty's motivation was.

El-Mofty was found with a pair of 9mm handguns that he had bought recently from Harrisburg area gun stores, Marsico said.

The prosecutor described El-Mofty as possessing "a boatload of ammunition"  hundreds of rounds. El-Mofty also had two propane cylinders, one in a fanny pack around his waist and one recovered from the ground near his car.

El-Mofty was granted an immigrant visa in 2006, moved to the United States from Cairo that year and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2011, prosecutors said.

Pennlive.com said divorce records show he was married in Egypt in 1999. His wife said in seeking a divorce in 2013 that their marriage was irretrievably broken and they had lived apart for at least two years.

El-Mofty went back to Egypt before returning to the United States in October. Marsico said investigators are looking into El-Mofty's background in Egypt.
Students can now major in social justice and receive real-world learning in the field at a college in Massachusetts.

Merrimack Colleges social justice program provides students the chance to turn their passion for change, human rights and a more just world into a career, according to the major description.

NFL, MOREHOUSE COLLEGE CO-HOST SOCIAL JUSTICE WORKSHOP INSPIRED BY KAEPERNICK

As a social justice major, you will receive the knowledge to prepare for advocacy and human rights work within local community organizations and national and international nongovernmental organizations like the United Nations, the college explains, as reported by Campus Reform. You will develop a strong theoretical understanding of ideas of social justice and participate in real-world learning in the field.

Students are required to intern with a community-based or nongovernmental organization, as well as participate in Social Justice Week, which, according to the official website, started in 2013 with the goal of introducing social justice issues to the Merrimack College campus.

Previous Social Justice Weeks have included sessions on how we fight back on immigration, food justice and resistance and faith.

Students majoring in social justice have to choose a concentration, with some of the options being global justice and human rights; green cultural studies; religion and social justice; and social change.

MOST BIZARRE COLLEGE COURSES 2017: HOOKING UP, QUEER RELIGION AND SEXY VAMPIRES

Some of the courses open to the major include: Caribbean Women Writers; Women in Islam; Thinking Green: Environmental Justice, Gender, and Animal Rights; Feminist Theory; Diversity, Social Justice, and Ethics; Gender, Immigration and the Law; Environmental Science; Hate Crimes; Marxian Economics; Politics of Performance: Theater, Government and Social Change; Humans, Earth and the Sacred: Religion and the Environment; Global Womens Issues: Gender, Activism, and Social Justice; and Writing for Social Change.

Merrimack College did not respond to request for comment on the program.
A Texas boy died Wednesday after a treehouse he was playing near collapsed on top of him on Christmas Eve.

The child, Kade Contreras, 4, of Cleveland, Texas, was in the backyard of a relatives house when the treehouse came crashing down. He sustained serious injuries to his head and body, FOX26 reported.

Contreras was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support. He died three days later. The Houston Chronicle reported tests showed the boy had no brain activity, so the family made the decision to remove him from life support.

Cleveland Independent School District Police Chief Rex Evans, a friend of the Contreras family, wrote in a tribute post on Facebook that there were no words to describe the tragic death.

There are seemingly no words which can encompass what Im about to write, Evans wrote.

Kade Dylan Contreras, just four years old, who was critically injured in Christmas Eve, has passed away. No longer shall he dwell here among the trials and tribulations of this life, this world. He now rests, laughs and loves among the Heaven above with the Angels, Evans said.

Evans told KTRK earlier that the family was just trying to hold it together in the wake of the accident. He said the Contreras family was fractured, devastated, but certainly holding to their faith.
A discarded cigarette butt helped police charge a Texas man in a Mother's Day 2016 murder of a 50-year-old woman, authorities said Wednesday.

Byron Lloyd Collins, 29, was picked up by authorities last week at the same Baytown complex where Natalia Shal was found dead with stab wounds last year, according to the Beaumont Enterprise.

Collins has been charged with capital murder and is also accused of trying to sexually assault Shal before the stabbing, KTRK-TV reported, citing court documents.

Shals husband, David Englerth, had been out of town at the time of the murder, according to the station. He had been unable to contact her so he called police and asked them to check on her.

The station reported that police saw Shals body through her apartment window upon arriving.

DNA from the crime scene did not initially match anything from police databases. But in early 2017, investigators learned about using familial DNA testing to help identify suspects not already in the system.

In June, they got a hit, matching the DNA to Collins' brother in prison.

Surveilling Collins, police matched his discarded cigarette to the crime scene on Dec. 18.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A former Washington State University College Republicans student president received a bitter Christmas gift from Twitter amid ongoing far-right purges by the tech giant.

James Allsup revealed on Monday that the social media platform had suspended his account, @realjamesallsup  a nod to President Donald Trumps Twitter handle.

Merry Christmas! he wrote in a Facebook post sharing a photo of the suspension notification.

It seems to be part of a purge of accounts after Twitter began enforcing new rules to combat hateful and abusive content earlier this month.

Allsup said he was suspended for violating the terms of service, KTVB reported.

Despite not ever violating terms of service, I was the latest right-of-center person they decided to ban, he added. Its looking like they want the site to be an echo chamber for right opinions.

Allsup did not respond to Fox News request for comment.

This is the not first time Allsup has been at odds with Twitter.

In November, the WSU senior was among the handful of far-right figures whose verification checkmarks were revoked.

Twitter announced changes to hateful conduct policy that would permanently suspend any account that displays violent threats, multiple slurs, epithets, racist or sexist tropes, incites fear or reduces someone to less than human.

TWITTER BEGINS PURGE OF FAR-RIGHT ACCOUNTS AS NEW HATE SPEECH RULES TAKE EFFECT

The tech giant is developing unspecified internal tools to help identify accounts in violation to supplement reports from users and it's also begun taking into account users' offline behavior.

A number of prominent far-right accounts have been suspended including the white nationalist American Renaissance and its founder Jared Taylor, the neo-Nazi Traditionalist Workers Party and white nationalist group Vanguard America. League of Souths Hunter Wallace, Britain Firsts main account as well as its leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen  whose anti-Muslim videos were retweeted by President Donald Trump last month  were also suspended.

Allsup rose to Twitter stardom after leading a Trump wall demonstration on the WSU campus more than a year ago, The Spokesman-Review reported.

He has also been accused of sowing racial divisions on campus and attended the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August that saw a counter-protester killed after demonstrations turned violent.

By the time Allsups account was shut down, it had amassed nearly 24,000 followers.

Fox News' Christopher Carbone contributed to this report.
Two West Virginia police officers were wounded in a shooting Wednesday night, authorities said.

State police troopers responded to a domestic violence call from a home in Roane County shortly after 6 p.m., police said. The call was from a woman who feared a man inside the home was going to commit suicide, WOWK-TV reported.

Officers arriving at the home were met with gunfire from a man identified as 52-year-old Stanley Gordon Hoskins Jr. Hoskins then barricaded himself inside the home and let a woman go free, the station reported.

One state trooper was shot in the leg and another Roane County deputy was wounded as well, according to the station. Their injuries are not serious.

A SWAT team joined troopers and deputies in surrounding the home.

The situation was still ongoing as of early Thursday.
The U.S. military says a new airstrike in Somalia has killed four members of the al-Shabab extremist group and destroyed a vehicle carrying explosives near the capital.

The statement from the U.S. Africa Command says the airstrike Wednesday evening about 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of Mogadishu prevented the bomb from being used against residents of the capital.

Al-Shabab was blamed for the massive truck bombing in Mogadishu in October that killed 512 people.

The U.S. has carried out 35 drone strikes in Somalia this year against al-Shabab and a small but growing presence of Islamic State group-linked fighters.

The Trump administration early this year approved expanded military operations in the Horn of Africa nation.

The new U.S. statement says they assess that no civilians were killed in the strike.
Two Virginia men, including one sporting a Trust Me t-shirt, were arrested Saturday after allegedly stealing an unlocked car, police said.

The victim was letting the car warm up, left it unlocked and then was stolen after the two men returned to the scene around 6:30 a.m. in Falls Church, Fairfax police said.

Police would eventually catch up with the suspects Wilmer Garcia, 23, and Orlen Nunez, 24, in the stolen car when officers conducted a traffic stop, according to the New York Daily News.

Police said forged checks were also discovered in the car, Fox 5 DC reported.

Garcia, who was wearing the Trust Me t-shirt was charged with auto theft and two counts of forgery, while Nunez was charged with auto theft, according to the newspaper.
It didnt take long for the other shoe to drop.

Fairfax County police arrested a man after tracking him down with a shoe they said he left at the scene of an alleged break-in.

Officers told Fox 5 that Samuel Bucey, 33, was caught breaking into a truck Tuesday night in the parking lot of a TownePlace Suites hotel in Springfield.

As he fled the scene, police said, one of his shoes fell off. An officer later spotted Bucey riding a bicycle -- and wearing only one shoe.

The officer reportedly matched the shoe left behind at the hotel to the one Bucey was wearing, and he was arrested and charged with destruction of property, grand larceny and possession of a firearm by a nonviolent felon, Fox 5 reported.


Seems like Santa dropped a couple of gifts on the side of a highway and a Florida woman is working to finish the job.

Andrea Reid, of St. Petersburg, was traveling down to Cape Coral to spend Christmas with her family when she spotted what looked like presents through the fog on the southbound side of I-75 between the Osprey and North Port exists.

We debated stopping or not, and we were like, you know what? We would want somebody to get our gifts so they dont get run over, she told NBC 2. We picked up the toys, and they were for a little kid, so we felt really bad.

The gifts, she said, were for a little boy named Branson and they were from Pops and Windy, Randy and Jack. The gift wrapping paper tore loose from of the gifts.

I just couldnt imagine being that person getting to the house and all excited to give these gifts away, and theyre not even there, Reid said.

Reid took to Facebook to see if she could get the gifts to Branson. Her post has been shared more than 350 times since Christmas Eve. So far no takers.

I know it would probably make the people giving the gifts really happy to find them, she said. And then, you know, kids love getting gifts and Christmas is really about the kids most of the time anyway.

Reid said on Facebook that she will keep the gifts until January 6 and if unclaimed, she will donate them.
At least 10 people were hospitalized Wednesday after an explosion ripped through a supermarket in St. Petersburg, Russia, local investigators said.

A device, containing seven ounces of explosives and rigged with shrapnel, went off in a storage area for customers bags at a branch of the Perekrestok supermarket chain, according to officials with the Investigative Committee.

All of the people injured were said to be in satisfactory condition, with one allowed to leave the hospital, a spokesman for the citys governor tweeted.

As of Wednesday evening, no one has claimed responsibility for the incident, which authorities have not dubbed a terror attack. But the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, which oversees anti-terror efforts in Russia, is working with officials in the search for the suspects.

One passerby, Viktoria Gordeyeva, described the scene to The Associated Press, saying people were afraid to enter other stores in the area.

There was no panic, but people were reluctant to enter a nearby drugstore and a grocery store, Gordeyeva said.

The incident follows a series of thwarted bombing attempts earlier this month in the city. The attacks were prevented because of information shared with Russia from the CIA.

The Federal Security Service said seven suspects linked to ISIS were arrested in connection to the alleged plot. The Kremlin said the arrested suspects had planned to bomb St. Petersburgs Kazan Cathedral and other crowded sites.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
South Korea says it has deported 17 foreigners as an antiterror measure ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in January.

"We have deported 17 foreigners who could potentially pose a terrorist menace to the Olympics," an immigration official told The Korea Times. "It was possible with the close cooperation and intelligence-sharing of spy agencies in 50 countries."

The foreigners were from five different countries, including places in Southeast and Central Asia, the South Korean newspaper reported, citing the Korea Immigration Service. Those deported also allegedly belonged to international groups designated as terrorists as part of the countrys antiterror law, or were "on a wanted list shared by a network of intelligence agencies.

The official added that South Korea must be very thorough in counterterrorism ahead of the Olympics, as athletes and people all over the world are coming."

The location of the Winter Games is just 50 miles south of the heavily militarized border between North and South Korea, and there are concerns that North Koreas Kim Jong Un will use the global event to stir up trouble.

The Olympics, taking place over the course of roughly two weeks in February, will be highly protected, with some 5,000 armed forces personnel guarding venues, The Korea Times reported.

The South Korean government has been holding security drills, staging a range of offensive actions in an effort to anticipate North Korean action during the competition.

Fox News' Greg Palkot contributed to this report.
President Trump may be getting his first monument.

Israels transportation minister is pushing ahead with a plan to dig a railway tunnel under Jerusalems Old City, passing near sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims  and ending at the Western Wall with a station named after Trump.

Yisrael Katz proposed naming the station after Trump for his brave and historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital earlier this month.

Katzs plan, currently in the initial stages, involves constructing two underground stations and excavating over two miles of tunnel beneath downtown Jerusalem and under the politically sensitive Old City. The project would extend Jerusalems soon-to-open high-speed rail line from Tel Aviv to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray.

The route will run close to  but not directly under  the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where tradition holds Jesus was crucified and buried, and a contested holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. Previous excavations by Israel near the holy site  the spiritual epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict  have sparked violent Palestinian protests.

Because of those sensitivities, the proposal likely will meet with heavy resistance from the Palestinians, neighboring Arab countries and the international community.

Katz, a senior Cabinet official who also serves as Israels intelligence minister, is a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is seen by many as his likely eventual successor as head of the Likud party.

Transportation Ministry spokesman Avner Ovadia said Wednesday the project is estimated to cost more than $700 million and, if approved, would take four years to complete.

Katzs office said the minister advanced the plan in a recent meeting with Israel Railways executives, and has fast-tracked it in the planning committees.

Katz said a high-speed rail station would allow visitors to reach the beating heart of the Jewish people  the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.

Trumps announcement to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital has enraged the Palestinians and much of the Muslim world. The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution last week condemning the move, with several traditional American allies breaking with Washington to vote in favor of the motion.

Israel captured east Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, in 1967, and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and a longstanding international consensus holds that the fate of the city should be decided through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Ikrema Sabri, a senior Muslim cleric in Jerusalem, denounced the planned train line extension, saying that Palestinians wont accept any change or act in the occupied territories.

He said that giving the name of Trump to this project will not give it any legitimacy. It would be just another implementation of the unacceptable decision of President Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Digging railway tunnels to the Western Wall would also entail excavating in Jerusalems Old City, where religious and political sensitivities  as well as layers of archaeological remains from the citys 3,000-year history  could make for a logistical and legal quagmire.

Last year an initiative to convert an already excavated area abutting the Western Wall into an egalitarian Jewish prayer section was hotly contested by Israeli archaeologists, who said such a move would cause irreparable damage to the historic remains of the ancient city.

The Israel Antiquities Authority declined to comment on the planned train extension.

Despite the likely opposition to the project, Ovadia said he expects the plans to be approved in the coming year, barring major complications. The Tel Aviv-Jerusalem high-speed line is expected to open next spring.

Theres no reason why this train wont be built, he said. We already know how to deal with no less difficult opposition.

Katz previously has proposed other ambitious infrastructure projects, including an artificial island off the coast of the Gaza Strip that would serve as an air and seaport for the Palestinian territory, and a railway connecting Israel with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Undocumented Ethiopian migrants who are being forcibly deported from Saudi Arabia by the thousands in a new crackdown say they were mistreated by authorities while detained.

In interviews with The Associated Press upon their arrival home, the returnees described beatings, theft and stays in dirty prison camps. Their accounts brought to light one of the world's busiest and most dangerous migrant routes but one that remains overlooked amid the larger rush toward Europe.

Saudi Arabia, like other rich Gulf nations, is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of people from impoverished East African nations like Ethiopia and Somalia. They pay traffickers for rides in boats across the narrow waters to Yemen, where they make their way by land through a war zone.

In August, traffickers heaved scores of migrants into the sea off Yemen, leaving more than 50 to drown. In March, more than 30 Somali migrants, including children, were killed  apparently in a helicopter gunship attack by a Saudi-led coalition at war in Yemen.

More than 111,500 migrants landed on Yemen's shores last year, up from around 100,000 the year before, according to the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat. Those who make it to Saudi Arabia often find employment as domestic workers and farm workers, sending money to support families back home.

Saudi Arabia's latest wave of deportations began Nov. 11 after several months of warnings by the government. Saudi authorities say the kingdom has detained around 250,000 people violating its residency laws in the crackdown, with approximately 50,000 already forcibly flown out of the country.

Of those who entered the country illegally, 72 percent were from Yemen and 26 percent were Ethiopians.

Those arriving home in Ethiopia described the process as jarring and unfair. The six who spoke to the AP at the airport in the capital, Addis Ababa, said they were robbed of their possessions by "Saudi police officers" who shared their money between them. Some of the returnees said they saw compatriots being shot and wounded when they tried to escape police roundups.

"The prison cell I was put into was so dirty that some of us were severely sick. It was like a toilet," said Sadiq Ahmed, a former teacher who went to Saudi Arabia five years ago and was detained for 11 days before his deportation. "As if this was not enough, we were robbed of our belongings. I came here with nothing. I know lots of people who went insane because of this torment."

Human Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle said that in interviews with dozens of Yemeni migrants in a previous Saudi crackdown in 2014, many "described serious abuses during the process of detention and deportation, including attacks by security forces." The rights group has not documented the current campaign, he said.

Saudi authorities did not respond to requests for comment.

Ethiopia's government says more than 14,000 of its citizens have been deported since mid-November and 70,000 have returned voluntarily, but the International Organization Migration says the number that has left forcibly or voluntarily since the amnesty period ended in June has reached 96,000.

Saudi Arabia ordered all undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily in March, an order later extended until June. The majority of the migrants chose to remain and now face forced deportation.

"I stayed in Saudi Arabia for five years just to support my family and other siblings," said deportee Fozia Omar, adding that she spent one month in prison but was allowed to bring her luggage. "We have suffered a lot. I would like to beg my brothers and sisters not to repeat the mistake we already made, in the name of Allah."

An estimated 400,000 Ethiopian migrants had been living in Saudi Arabia.

"The number of returnees could rise even higher in the coming weeks," the IOM said, adding that around $30 million is needed to cover their immediate needs. Those include transportation to final destinations for many of the most vulnerable such as unaccompanied minors, single mothers and those who said they had been abused.

The spokesman for Ethiopia's ministry of foreign affairs, Meles Alem, said the government continues to work with Saudi officials to bring citizens home safely.

___

Associated Press writer Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the simultaneous attack on an Afghanistan news agency and a Shiite cultural center in Kabul that left at least 41 dead and 84 wounded.

The terror group said in a statement through its propaganda agency that one suicide bomber wearing a vest carried out the attack along with three other bomb blasts, Reuters reported.

No U.S. troops or coalition force members were killed in the suicide attack.

The attack occurred during a panel discussion on the December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union, Reuters reported, citing witnesses. A number of those attending the panel were students.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said an unknown number of suicide attackers set off an explosion outside the center before storming the building when they set of more explosives in the basement.

At least one suicide bomber was able to sneak into the event and sit among the participants before detonating his device, Shiite leader Abdul Hussain Ramazandada said citing witnesses.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has called the attack on a Shiite Muslim cultural center in Kabul a "crime against humanity."

In a statement released by the presidential palace, Ghani says: "The terrorist have killed our people. The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places and now our cultural center."

He called them attacks against Islam and "all human values."

The center is located in the Shiite-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood in the west of the capital.

Earlier this year, the Islamic State vowed to target Afghanistan's Shiites following an attack on the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul. The jihadist militant group has since claimed responsibility for at least two attacks on Shiite mosques in the capital of Afghanistan, as well as one in the western city of Herat.

Fox News Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Weve got it, something splendid, the first major tax reform in decades.

This GOP congressional achievement will provide tax breaks to just about every Joe, Jane and business venture out there, and  this is the biggie  will almost surely foster significant economic growth.

And what might that growth foster? The list includes more jobs, higher wages, more financial security, a better quality of life, less income inequality as lower classes rise up, fewer social problems and a stronger, better America.

Naturally enough, Democrats are furious.

Especially given that not a one voted for it, blessed consequences could hurt them politically, and their specialty, at any rate, is taking the freedom out of free enterprise to make more room for big government burdens. Their inevitable analysis, therefore, is that the whole thing is a fraud. It is the rich robbing the poor, especially in the case of corporations no longer having to pay the highest, most disabling corporate tax rate in the developed world.

With a snarl on his lips and fire in his eyes, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D.-N.Y, contends that such a decrease will simply mean more loot for such fat cats as CEOs whose salaries will swell. Our corporations have already been using loopholes to avoid the 35 percent rate now reduced to 21 percent, he says without understanding something important. Under the reform, many of those loopholes that are truly loopholes and not justified exemptions will now be saying goodbye.

Whats also important is that the corporate tax system will no longer be the mess sending thousands of U.S. companies abroad. Neither will it be announcing to potential foreign investors that they had better not invest here if they value their pocketbooks. Any number of analyses, some by top economists at prestigious universities, say the lower rate and other equally meaningful moves will likely lead to expansion, to investment, to enhanced prosperity for all.

Of course, the reform package includes far more than just corporate changes, and, in addition to such pluses as 80 percent of the population getting tax breaks in a system that will be actually be more progressive than before, there are flubs. Politics was not eradicated before passage, and the package is an imitation of Obamacare in trying to do too much all at once. The worst error is increasing an already horrific debt that needs addressing as a foremost domestic priority.

Even here, however, some critics misstate the situation. Yes, the bill will add $1.5 trillion to the $20 trillion debt over 10 years, and thats a bunch, but keep the following in mind. In two terms, the Obama administration embraced legislation that added $5 trillion to the debt. The $1.5 trillion is a relatively small part of what the total debt growth will be. And even if the legislation were revenue neutral, the issue would still be huge, largely because of Democrats.

The truly crucial problems have to do with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Their costs have been mushrooming to the point of economic crisis for years, and will get hellishly worse as more baby boomers retire. Yet every time in the past when Republicans suggested reasonable adjustments inflicting no harm on current recipients or future recipients most needing the help, Democrats defeated their hopes by saying they would force people to suffer.

We can no longer pretend all is OK, and the real question is whether members of both parties will have the honesty and political courage to do what serves the nation instead of what serves their own futures. The likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders  someone who proposed a free college plan that could have cost $30 trillion  is already bemoaning the evil the GOP is prepared to commit.

So, congratulations to the GOP on the tax bill, and may bipartisan cooperation rise up to save us on the debt.
Japanese authorities have indicted the North Korean captain of a boat that drifted to its coast on charges of stealing a generator from an uninhabited island.

The captain and his nine crewmembers on the dilapidated boat were rescued near a tiny island off of Hokkaido, northern Japan, in late November. Japanese police this month arrested the captain and two crewmembers on suspicion they stole a generator and appliances from a barn on the island.

Japanese media, including NHK public television, say prosecutors on Thursday charged the captain with theft. The prosecutors' office refused to confirm the Associated Press' phone inquiry from Tokyo.
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The International Committee of the Red Cross says 12 more patients and their families have been evacuated from besieged rebel-held suburbs of the Syrian capital of Damascus.

The ICRC said the latest evacuations occurred late Wednesday night in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

The government recently tightened its siege on eastern Ghouta, home to nearly 400,000 people, refusing to allow hundreds of critically ill to reach hospitals located just minutes away, the United Nations said.

The Army of Islam, a prominent rebel group in eastern Ghouta, said the critically ill are being evacuated as part of a deal that was conditional on it releasing an equivalent number of captives.

State-run news agency SANA confirmed the evacuations saying that rebels have also released several people including two children.
President Vladimir Putin praised Russia's soldiers Thursday for their actions in Syria, boasting that the campaign demonstrated the nation's military might to the world.

Speaking at a Kremlin awards ceremony for troops who fought in Syria, Putin said Russia had "made the main, decisive contribution to the destruction of a criminal group that cast a challenge to the entire civilization." He added that that group, the Islamic State or ISIS, sought to turn Syria into a base for "global aggression" and threaten Russia.

More than 48,000 Russian troops who took part in the Syria campaign were fighting for their "homeland, for a just and fair cause," Putin added.

"Your heroic actions and professionalism helped preserve the Syrian state, stop mass killings, executions and terror against civilians," Putin told hundreds of soldiers who had gathered in the Kremlin's opulent, gold-and-white St. George's Hall.

Russia launched a campaign in Syria on Sept. 30, 2015, when Syrian President Bashar Assad's government was on the verge of collapse, quickly turning the tide in his favor. With Russian air cover and special operations forces, Assad's military has routed both the ISIS militants and the rebels and seized wide swaths of land.

However, a number of human rights groups have said that Russia also targeted and killed large numbers of civilians in its bombing campaigns in Aleppo and other areas.

Putin declared victory in Syria on a visit to a Russian airbase there on Dec. 11 and ordered a partial pullout of Russian forces from the country. He said the military would maintain its presence at both the Hemeimeem airbase in Syria and a naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus.

The Russian leader said "Russia's army and navy have fully shown their increased capability and successfully used state-of-the-art weapons."

Putin noted that Russian pilots flew 34,000 combat missions over Syria during the campaign, and the Russian military conducted 166 launches of high-precision cruise missiles.

The Syrian operation marked the combat debut of an array of new weapons for Russia, including cruise missiles launched from warships, submarines and strategic bombers.

"The army has radically changed," Putin said. "It has changed because people have felt themselves on top, which was very important, and also because they saw how our weapons work. The entire world saw it, and our people saw it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
U.S military or coalition forces will not go after the remaining Islamic State militants fleeing to western Syria, a military coalition official said Wednesday.

Following the success U.S.-led military campaign against the Islamic militants in Syria and Iraq  who lost 98 percent of the territory they once held  the fighters have been spotted moving westward towards areas controlled by Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, the Military Times reported.

British Army Maj. Gen. Felix Gedney, deputy commander for strategy and support for the U.S.-led military intervention against ISIS, told reporters the militants were seen moving towards the Assad-controlled areas.

They seem to be moving with impunity through regime-held territory showing that the regime is either unwilling or unable to defeat (ISIS) within their borders, Gedney said.

Gedney noted that although the coalition forces will remain committed to the mission in Syria until ISIS no longer poses a threat, it will not strike any ISIS militants active in the Assad-controlled territory.

Weve got no intention to operate in areas that are currently held by the regime, he said, according to the Times.

The U.S. military assessment says fewer than 1,000 ISIS fighters remain in Syria and Iraq  down from a peak of nearly 45,000 two years ago.

But with the latest success, the Russian and Syrian governments called on the U.S. and coalition forces to leave the region and effectively hand all security concerns to them.

Russian defense minister Sergey Shoigu said Tuesday that his country signed an agreement with Syria, establishing a permanent presence in Syrian bases, Reuters reported.

Gedney reiterated that the coalition will remain in the region as the mission is still not complete  it is not focused on countering any ISIS insurgency in the months to come after their loss of the territory.

We will remain committed to defeating ISIS in the areas that are currently controlled by our partnered forces in Syria, Gedney said. We would call on the Syrian regime to clear ISIS from those areas that are currently under their control.

Click for more from the Military Times.
A British woman suffered life-changing burns to her leg and face Wednesday when she was sprayed with acid while walking in east London, police said.

The 26-year-old woman was walking on Marsh Wall near South Quay DLR station around 7 p.m. when an unidentified attacker threw a noxious substance on her. She ran to nearby Westferry Road where police were alerted.

The woman was taken to a local hospital. She did not see the attacker, police said.

No arrests have been made and law enforcement is reviewing CCTV images.

The noxious substance that was sprayed at the woman was confirmed to be a strong acid solution.

Acid attacks have been on the rise in London in recent months.

The number of reported attacks using corrosive liquids rose from 261 in 2015 to 454 in 2016, London police said. Some appeared to be related to gang activity or the theft of cars and motorbikes.

In September, six people were injured when a group of men sprayed acid at shoppers at the Westfield Stratford Shopping Centre in east London. A 15-year-old boy was arrested in the incident.

The spike in attacks has prompted some lawmakers to call for restrictions on the sale and carrying of corrosive liquids such as sulfuric acid.
Several weeks ago, I attended a presentation at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library on Caroline Street, where the topic of discussion was a review of Ken Burns and Lynn Novicks Vietnam War documentary, which had recently aired on PBS.

The moderator, Mr. Ed Jonesformer editor of The Free LanceStardirected questions to five panelists (three men and two women).

The gentlemen were all Vietnam War veterans, one of the women was a former military nurse and the other was a self-described anti-war activist.

One of the Vietnam panelists was Maj. Bruce H. Doc Norton, a retired Marine, who served two tours in Vietnam as a Navy corpsman assigned to a Marine force reconnaissance company. His description of close combat and his memory of past events and people was riveting. Of the three veterans, he alone had participated in combat and was the most articulate of all the panelists.

Norton encouraged the audience to be skeptical of documentaries such as the one by Burns/Novik for its failure to present a balanced and objective view of the war. He cited the fact that of the 246 Medal of Honor recipients and 476 Navy Cross recipients during the war, none were interviewed by Mr. Burns or Novick for the documentary.

All the panelists are to be commended for a job well done in describing their personal connections to the war.

I also applaud the efforts of the Fredericksburg librarians who put this most informative discussion together, and I encourage the community at large to attend these important and informative events.

Retired Col. David L. Jacobson Quantico
Authorities continue to investigate a single-vehicle crash that left a 20-year-old woman dead in Spotsylvania County on Christmas Eve.

The crash happened just after midnight at Courthouse Road and Lawyers Road, said Sheriffs Lt. C.A. Carey. Cheyanne Phillips, a passenger in the car, was ejected from the vehicle. She died on the way to the hospital.

The Sheriffs Office has transferred the case to the Spotsylvania Commonwealths Attorney, Carey said. No charges had been filed.

The fatal crash was one of at least three deadly accidents in Spotsylvania over the holiday weekend and at least four in the region.

Authorities on Thursday released details of a crash at Catharpin Road and Robert E. Lee Drive that left one man dead late on Christmas night. Charles Stevick, 24, of Spotsylvania, died after his car ran off the road and struck two trees, Carey said. Stevick was the sole occupant of the car.

Authorities were still withholding details Thursday afternoon about a third fatal car crash in the county, one that happened just after noon on Christmas Day near Spotsylvania High School on State Route 208.

One woman died in the crash, which was worked by Virginia State Police.

A Caroline County woman also died Christmas morning after losing control of her sedan about 9 a.m. on State Route 606, bringing the total number of traffic deaths in the region over the long weekend to at least four.

Carrie Lynn Jenni, 44, of Woodford, died at the crash site after her car hit a ditch, spun around and rolled several times, state police said Monday.

Jenni was not wearing a seat belt.
A Chesterfield County man found dead in his home after an exchange of gunfire with police on Wednesday was involved in a similar standoff a few years ago in Utah.

Chesterfield police Maj. Edward Carpenter confirmed Thursday that based on the information he has, the man who died during Wednesday's ordeal in Chesterfield also was at the center of a police standoff in 2014 near Salt Lake City, Utah.

Both cases involved a report of a domestic situation in which Kenneth J. Perna-Rutsky was armed with a gun, authorities said.

Carpenter also said Thursday that during the Chesterfield incident, Perna-Rutsky's fiancee came out of the family's home carrying their child.

Police were summoned shortly after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday for a domestic call at the home Perna-Rutsky shared with his child and fiancee in the 300 block of Sunset Boulevard near the Dutch Gap Conservation Area, Carpenter said.

When officers arrived they heard gunfire in the home. Around that time, they saw the woman and child come out.

As officers were putting on their heavy ballistics vests, Perna-Rutsky came outside and brandished a long rifle that he fired at least once at officers, Carpenter said. Police returned fire and the man retreated into the home.

The incident drew a large police presence, including SWAT and negotiations teams and an airplane circling overhead. Officers also set up a perimeter and shut down Sunset Boulevard.

Shortly before 1 p.m., police approached the house after making several unsuccessful attempts to contact Perna-Rutsky and found him dead inside.

It is still unclear whether Perna-Rutsky, 38, died by his own hand or whether he was killed when police returned fire, Carpenter said. The police are awaiting a report from the state medical examiner's office.

Carpenter also said Thursday that police have received at least two previous calls to the home in the past few years. In the first one, Perna-Rutsky reported in 2012 that he was the victim of a breaking-and-entering, Carpenter said. In the second one, Perna-Rutsky reported a "suspicious person" in 2015.

The incident in Utah occurred July 27, 2014, in South Jordan, Utah, which is in the Salt Lake City metro area.

According to a report by the Deseret News, Perna-Rutsky was involved in a SWAT team standoff that ended peacefully after about four hours.

South Jordan police said Perna-Rutsky had brandished a handgun during a dispute with his fiancee in the San Marino Apartments.

The woman had fled and contacted police after Perna-Rutsky allegedly put the gun to her head and threatened to shoot her, according to the Deseret News story. He then pointed the gun at himself and attempted suicide but the weapon did not fire, police told the newspaper.

Officers were summoned to the area but attempts to contact Perna-Rutsky were unsuccessful. A SWAT team entered his apartment and he surrendered peacefully. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to the report.

The incident prompted police to evacuate about 40 neighboring apartment units.

On Thursday, Carpenter could not immediately confirm whether the same fiancee was involved in both the Utah incident and the one in Chesterfield.
The youngest son of Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay $236 in fines and fees for his role in disrupting a Minnesota rally in support of President Donald Trump.

About 400 people attended the Trump rally March 4 at the Minnesota state Capitol in St. Paul, and about 75 to 125 counterprotesters arrived, according to criminal complaints.

A smoke bomb was thrown inside the capitol and several people were arrested.

Linwood Michael "Woody" Kaine, 25, of Minneapolis, was arrested outside the Capitol and later charged with three misdemeanors.

Two of them - concealing identity and fleeing a peace officer by means other than a motor vehicle - were dismissed Dec. 11, according to online court records for Ramsey County, Minn. Kaine pleaded guilty to obstructing legal process/interfering with a peace officer.

According to the St. Paul City Attorney's Office, Kaine ran when an officer told him that he was under arrest. After police pulled him to the ground, "the defendant continued to fight the officers on the ground, bucking and flaring his arms and legs."

A judge sentenced Kaine to 90 days in jail but stayed 86 days, leaving four days to serve (which he had already served). In addition to the fine, he was ordered to remain on probation until Dec. 11, 2018, according to online court records.
A man suspected of fatally shooting a woman in southern Stafford County Thursday led police on a high-speed chase on northbound Interstate 95, where he fired on officers twice before crashing just north of the Courthouse Road interchange, Virginia State Police said.

The dramatic chain of events began before lunchtime Thursday and snarled traffic on Fredericksburg-area roads into the rush hour also caused a three-vehicle, chain-reaction crash after a bullet struck the windshield and pierced the drivers seat of Virginia State Police Trooper Z.G. Torrances cruiser, according to a news release from state police.

Torrance narrowly avoided the bullet when he ducked to the side, state police said, and he was not injured.

Stafford County Sheriffs Deputy Cody McCormick, who joined the pursuit, was injured, but not seriously, when a bullet came through his windshield, lodging into the headrest.

One other person, who was involved in the chain-reaction crash, was also injured, but was treated at the scene, state police said.

The man accused of firing on police during the high-speed chase was flown to Fairfax Inova Hospital, where he was being treated Thursday for life-threatening injuries from the crash. The man also appeared to have shot himself in the head, the Sheriff's Office said.

No law enforcement officers fired their weapons, state police said.

The events began Thursday morning when Stafford sheriffs deputies responded to a domestic-related shooting at England Run North Apartments on Heron Drive off U.S. 17, the department said.

The female victim suffered three gunshot wounds to the chest and died at the scene, the Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Deputies learned the man suspected in the shooting had driven away in a black SUV.

The Sheriffs Office issued a bulletin asking law enforcement to be on the lookout for a black Ford Explorer.

Torrance, the state trooper, saw the vehicle traveling north on I95 just after 11:30 a.m., and turned on the emergency lights and sirens on his marked patrol car, state police said.

The Ford Explorers driver refused to stop, and the pursuit began, authorities said.

The Explorer came to a sudden stop at mile marker 138, state police said. The driver, an adult male, leaned out of the drivers side window and fired several rounds at the trooper, before continuing on.

Even though his car had been struck, Torrance continued to follow the Explorer, state police said, and a Stafford deputy joined in the chase.

The Explorer slowed again at mile marker 140, and the driver fired on police again, this time striking the deputys patrol car. The Explorer fled again, this time going two more miles before sideswiping another driver on I95, state police said.

The Explorers driver lost control, ran off the right side of the interstate and crashed into the guardrail. The vehicle overturned and came to rest upside down in the northbound lanes of I95, according to the news release.

The Sheriffs Office is not releasing the names of the shooting victim or the suspect until family can be contacted, the department said, and authorities are still investigating.

The police activity closed all northbound lanes on I95 at mile marker 142, which is between the Courthouse Road exit and the Garrisonville Road Exit in Stafford.

Traffic backed up for at least 10 miles in both directions Thursday afternoon, and one lane was still closed until 6:15 p.m.
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WITH TENSIONS continuing to build between the United States and North Korea, theres growing talk by politicians and TV pundits that we are on the brink of war. In truth, we shouldnt be anywhere close.

This increasingly hot war of wordsincluding loose talk about the probability of wardoes nothing to bring us closer to where we need to be on North Korea, especially when military options short of war remain on the table. In fact, with millions of lives at stake, waging a war of words is a distraction from the serious task at hand.

Any kind of warespecially nuclear warshould not be an option until all other options are exhausted. And, in the case of North Korea, there are several roads not yet taken.

First, North Korea is not, as some claim, sanctioned-out. We are nowhere near to applying the same type of restraints on North Korea that were successful in bringing Iran to the negotiating table.

In fact, the breadth of the sanctions we have placed on North Korea are far less than what was applied in earlier crises in Russia, Syria and Iran.

And while our sanctions have clearly escalated, we still have the option to penalize and seize the assets of North Koreas enablers in other countries that allow Pyongyang to evade the full brunt of financial measures.

We can expand our focus on shipping and work with our allies to deny maritime insurance to the vessels heading to or from North Korea. Last month, we targeted sanctions on 20 such vessels. Many more North Korean vessels are active and engaged in illicit activities beyond the small number designated by the Treasury Department.

We also can do more to expose those who use North Korean slave labor and to block any remittances back to Kim Jong Uns regime.

Second, none of this will work without more pressure to hold the reluctant Chinese government accountable for the commitments it has made and to target more Chinese entities that support the North Korean government.

The overwhelming majority of North Koreas trade90 percentis with or facilitated by China, and despite agreed-upon U.N. sanctions, much of this economic activity continues. Actions should include targeting a greater number of Chinese banks that deal with North Korea, fining their U.S. subsidiaries and freezing their U.S. assets.

This year, the international banking transaction network, known as SWIFT, moved to prevent North Korean banks from using the global messaging system to facilitate international transactions, but that doesnt impact Chinese banks that transact for the North Koreans. We should consider expanding this ban to include Chinese banks with any North Korean connections.

Finally, we need to ask: Where are our allies on all of this? Instead of threatening a bilateral war between the United States and the North Korea, we should be working with alliesincluding South Korea and Japanto threaten increased multilateral pressure to choke the North Korean regime.

While economic sanctions have not proved to be effective yet, they have not been fully exhausted and tested. Part of the reason the previous administration succeeded in bringing Iran to the tableregardless of the flaws of their final dealwas due to internationally coordinated sanctions. Thankfully, the U.N. Security Council has adopted three rounds of such sanctions this year, including significant measures last week.

With millions of lives hanging in the balance, the last thing we need is to have politicians and pundits predicting odds on the probability of war. Its neither an accurate nor a helpful way to treat a complex international challenge.

John R. Kasich is the governor of Ohio. He wrote this for The Washington Post.
On paper, Virginias dual-enrollment education program is a good idea. Qualified high school students get a jump on college (and the ensuing expenses) by taking college courses while still in high school.

It seems like a great way to reduce the size of the eventual student-loan debt that is such an albatross around the necks of many graduates.

Eligible juniors and seniors can get a feel for the rigors of college courses as they earn college credits while still in high school, with mom and dad providing room and board.

In fall 2016, 33,700 Virginia high school students took part in the program.

It is not unusual for a student to enter college with a years worth of credits in dual-enrollment courses, such as those overseen by Germanna Community College. More than 1,200 high-schoolers took dual-enrollment courses through Germanna this fall.

The problem is that those credits dont always convey.

A recent Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report found that the courses dont always save the students time or money in their pursuit of bachelors degrees because theyre not always accepted by Virginias state-supported four-year schools.

The University of Virginia, for instance, puts restrictions on foreign language and writing courses. The University of Mary Washington states that high school students taking dual-enrollment courses will have their credits evaluated for possible application toward degree requirements.

A bill that will come before the House of Delegates next month seeks to ensure that those dual-enrollment courses mean something.

The bill would have the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia work with colleges and universities to set standards that will meet the requirement of the states four-year public institutions (there are no national standards for dual enrollment).

Del. R. Steven Landes, RAugusta, sponsor of the bill (HB3), says he has support from community colleges and secondary schools. He is hoping for a Democratic co-sponsor in the House, going under the assumption that both sides of the aisle can get behind a bill that promises a shorter, less-expensive route to a four-year degree.

With the recent state elections and ensuing recounts drastically changing the makeup of the House, a certain amount of uncustomary cooperation will be essential among its members.

We hope that, whatever their differences, Democrats and Republicans can agree that HB3 is a good idea.
JUST LIKE the Christmas merchandise in stores, debate over local and state K-12 school budgeting seems to emerge earlier every year. Without a doubt, thats a consequence of the huge chunk of government revenue that goes toward education, along with the partisan rancor and ever-increasing complexity of the budget process.

Back in October, Virginia Department of Education officials presented a request that would require the state to find nearly $492 million in additional funding over the next two years.

Last week, Gov. Terry McAuliffe proposed a budget that would go above and beyond that, adding $516 million to school funding. That number may well be whittled down as the budget winds through the legislature.

The governors plan provides teachers and other state workers with a 2 percent raise. He cited an ongoing educator shortage across the state, calling adequate funding key to Virginias ability to attract and retain good principals and teachers. Locally, many teachers are willing to commute to other districts for better pay.

To help underperforming schools, perhaps the state could offer incentives, such as assistance with student loan payments, to young teachers who commit to teaching in economically challenged localities.

The state typically sends 15 percent to 16 percent of its total budget each year to the localities for kindergarten-12th grade public education. Those funds are separate from what the localities spend on their own public schools.

The two largest counties in the Fredericksburg area, Stafford and Spotsylvania, allocate about half of their current annual budgets to K-12. In Stafford, its 52 percent of the budget, or $145 million; in Spotsylvania, its 48 percent of the budget, or $124 million.

The counties spend that money on public schools to support their commitment to educating our youth and preparing them to be future contributors to society. That spending comes with taxpayers expectation of accountability. Students will perform better over time because their tax dollars are yielding better schools and teachers.

Most of this money is spent on teacher salaries. Teachers are like other employees: They want a decent starting salary and raises that are competitive given the caliber of the work they do and where they do it. They shouldnt expect to get rich, but given their important role, they deserve good pay.

The annual negotiations between school boards and boards of supervisors can be disconcerting for teachers who feel the importance of their work is being undervalued. They are not alone in the working world in that regard.

These educators pay hinges on the revenue their county supervisors or city councilmen are willing to generate through taxes, which in turn can depend on the health of the local economy and what the state decides to contribute.

After negotiating with county officials, a school board should be positioned to improve its schoolsby reducing class size, expanding programs and providing raises to teachers and administrators.

Elected officials and taxpayers alike should expect that the cost of operating any vital organization will rise over time. Knowing that the taxpayers are on the hook for these revenues, its up to leaders to be sure theyre making the most of all revenue sources.

On the contrary, it is counterproductive for Virginia Patriots tea party member Michael Smith to demand that the Spotsylvania School Board cut spending and do without a budget increase next year, calling educators selfish and greedy. He goes further, saying salaries should be reduced, and that a policy allowing teachers who live outside the county to enroll their children tuition-free in Spotsylvania schools be abolished.

If there are more effective methods of chasing good teachers away from Spotsylvania schools, we cant imagine what they would be.

Forward-thinking communities understand the important role schools play in producing capable graduates. They should also know that what you pay for is what you get.

Forward-thinking communities understand the important role schools play in producing capable graduates. They should also know that what you pay for is what you get.
This year brought a series of milestones in immunotherapy for Merkel cell carcinoma  a rare and deadly skin cancer  by Drs. Paul Nghiem, Kelly Paulson and colleagues:

Read more at the links above.
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On the back of better prices, the past 12 months has brought with it some optimism among UK beef producers.

Breeding cow numbers appear to have stabilised at just under 1.6 million after a period of gradual decline following the decoupling of support from production in 2005, when numbers were more than 1.75 million.

Male dairy calf registrations appear to be reducing, as rearing these animals for beef continues to look marginal in terms of profitability. This has been offset by a small increase in beef calf registrations.

See also: EU agreement  what it means for foreign farm workers

Summary Slaughter figures likely to hit seven-year high but fewer culls and retailer preference for lighter weights mean overall volumes are likely to remain relatively stable

Weak pound could reduce imports and encourage more domestic supply, but threat of reducing subsidies post Brexit may overshadow these benefits

Regular monitoring of farm businesses is key to a strong operation

Preliminary predictions for 2018 have slaughtering figures topping two million head, a level not exceeded since 2011, says Andersons consultant Jack Frater.

However, with fewer cull cows, and retailers generally seeking a lighter carcass, supply to the domestic market is forecast only slightly higher over the next 12 months.

Prices are unlikely to improve significantly, so producers purchasing store cattle should proceed with caution. Producers may wish to undertake sensitivity analysis to see what effect price variations may have on their business.

The Brexit process will undoubtedly have an impact on the beef sector. At present the UK is a significant net importer, but should the value of the pound remain low, our market could become less inviting, says Mr Frater.

There is much that beef producers can do on a farm level to optimise their position, regardless of the Brexit process outcome

This is good news for domestic producers, but could well be overshadowed by the threat of reducing subsidies, on which the beef sector is still so heavily reliant.

The weakening of sterling has also added 5% to the value of exports. In 2016, 90% of beef exports went to the EU, primarily Ireland and the Netherlands. Exports of forequarter may well improve on the back of strong demand from Asia, says Mr Frater.

Possible trade deals with the US have caused some concern among producers and consumers regarding hormone treatment and GM feed, he adds. However, we still need to look at practices in countries with lower costs of production and lower reliance on support payments to see what could work for the UK.

There is much that beef producers can do on a farm level to optimise their position, regardless of the Brexit process outcome, he advises.

Knowing how a system is performing, both physically and financially, is key to a strong operation and can only be achieved by regular monitoring.

Finishing cattle to the correct specification is still a concern, with over half of all cattle slaughtered missing the mark. This can lead to big deductions and eroded profit margins.

Producers may wish to estimate the deadweights and grades of cattle pre-slaughter and compare this data to the actual kill sheets in conjunction with the customers pricing grid to ensure that they can spot the signs of cattle ready for slaughter, says Mr Frater.

Recording of feed conversion and growth rates is now common practice among producers and helps to manage feed costs and ensure right specifications are met. Look at daily liveweight gain targets, which should be around 1kg/day depending on breed and target market. Greater is achievable, but careful management is required to avoid rumen health issues.

Top-performing producers are going further, measuring, for example, the airflow through sheds to reduce the risk of respiratory diseases, improve growth rates and reduce veterinary costs, says Mr Frater.

Effective handling systems can increase welfare, cut labour bills and result in a better and safer working environment.

Businesses that control fixed costs are more likely to be in the higher performing bracket, he says. Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) figures show that for extensive upland suckler herds selling weaned calves, the difference in fixed costs between the top and bottom third are as much as 85 a head, with labour and machinery requirements being two key factors.

Changes to farming systems do not have to be large or widespread, says Mr Frater. Sometimes small changes can lead to a significant improvement in both performance and profitability.

Farmers Weekly says Michael Priestley, livestock reporter Prime cattle prices have been up on the year across Great Britain but a question mark hangs over where 15% of national beef production will go post-Brexit. Meanwhile, the old issues of bedding, straw and silage shortages have flared up again for many this winter, adding costs and work, while bovine viral diarrhoea eradication presents a newer challenge for English farms. Further cost control issues look likely to plague some regions as cheap distillers feed disappears into biomass burners, while in other areas the ravages of TB will continue to dictate and stifle business decisions.
POLICE REPORTS  Someone stole a tire and rim from a vehicle at a child learning center recently. According to the police report on file, the rear passenger side tire and rim...

WHATS UP Friendsgiving at Zakarys  Zakarys coffee, 612 N. Limestone St., will be hosting a Friendsgiving event on Wednesday, Nov. 23 beginning at 12 p.m. There will be free coffee and...

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Officer administers overdose treatment to save life A Gaffney police officer saved a mans life after administering Narcan during a suspected overdose. Officer Toni Coley was dispatched to the 300 block of East Floyd Baker Boulevard November...
Authorities in the Ukraine are investigating the kidnapping of 40-year-old Russian programmer and cryptocurrency investor Pavel Lerner in Kiev.



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From Bitcoin.com:

Lerner is the managing director of Exmo, a major UK-based exchange popular with Russians for accepting ruble payments. Lerner is also well known in Ukraine where he has startups dealing with mining operations and blockchain technology development.

Scroll Down For More....



Picutred Pavel Learner

Learner was reported missing by friends late Tuesday after he stopped answering phones at his office.

Police confirm that the Russian IT expert was dragged into a van and the registration number of that vehicle captured. They have since published that number for the public.

"The programmer was dragged into a Mercedes-Benz Vito car by unknown persons in dark clothes and balaclavas, and taken away in an unknown direction," the Ukrainian media Strana.ua published.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
On The Water: You might need a bigger boat for Transpac 2023
clarajancita at 28-12-2017 11:02 AM (4 years ago) (f)

President Emmerson Mnangawa of Zimbabwe has rewarded the army chief who ousted ex-President Robert Mugabe by swearing him in as Vice President. Zimbabwes former army chief Constantino Chiwenga, was sworn-in today along with long serving state security minister, Kembo Mohadi as Vice-President to President Emmerson Mnangawa.

President Emmerson Mnangawa of Zimbabwe has rewarded the army chief who ousted ex-President Robert Mugabe by swearing him in as Vice President. Zimbabwes former army chief Constantino Chiwenga, was sworn-in today along with long serving state security minister, Kembo Mohadi as Vice-President to President Emmerson Mnangawa.

Chiwenga led a de facto coup last month that ended Robert Mugabes 37-year rule. His appearance on state television on Nov. 15 preceded armed soldiers taking to the streets, paving the way for Emmerson Mnangagwa to become president.



The swearing-in ceremony was performed at the State House by Chief Justice Luke Malaba. Constantino Guvheya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga is the latest in a string of military leaders to be elevated to government positions. Kembo Mohadi,right, with Chiwenga at the swearing in ceremony. Photo credit: Zimbabwe Herald



His elevation to the number two post was preceded by his appointment as one of the two deputies to Mnangagwa in ZANU-PF, the ruling party. Kembo Mohadi was also appointed at the same time. The party appointment was the first step in their elevation to state vice presidents. Two other top military officials were earlier this month awarded ministerial posts.



They were Sibusio Moyo and Perence Shiri. Moyo was the army general who went on state television to announce the military takeover of the government and Mugabes house arrest. He is the new foreign affairs minister. Shiri, former air force chief, is the Lands and Agriculture minister. Chiwenga led a de facto coup last month that ended Robert Mugabes 37-year rule. His appearance on state television on Nov. 15 preceded armed soldiers taking to the streets, paving the way for Emmerson Mnangagwa to become president.The swearing-in ceremony was performed at the State House by Chief Justice Luke Malaba. Constantino Guvheya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga is the latest in a string of military leaders to be elevated to government positions. Kembo Mohadi,right, with Chiwenga at the swearing in ceremony. Photo credit: Zimbabwe HeraldHis elevation to the number two post was preceded by his appointment as one of the two deputies to Mnangagwa in ZANU-PF, the ruling party. Kembo Mohadi was also appointed at the same time. The party appointment was the first step in their elevation to state vice presidents. Two other top military officials were earlier this month awarded ministerial posts.They were Sibusio Moyo and Perence Shiri. Moyo was the army general who went on state television to announce the military takeover of the government and Mugabes house arrest. He is the new foreign affairs minister. Shiri, former air force chief, is the Lands and Agriculture minister.

Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 28-12-2017 11:02 AM (4 years ago) | Hero
Pictured: (left) Judah Z Hirsch  Founder & CEO,Salarium; (right) Paolo Eugene J Baltao  Senior Vice President EON Banking Group, Unionbank of the Philippines.

Salarium Payments Corp ( SALPay ) has entered into an agreement with Unionbank of thePhilippines to develop a Co-Branded Visa Card Program and to connect to the API suite of theEON Banking Group.Were excited to be working together with such an innovative fintech like SALPay., PaoloBaltao, Senior Vice President of the EON Banking Group said. Our EON platform is perfect forSALPay and will help extend their current capabilities and offering.The partnership will enable both SALPay to help distribute the products of EON and Unionbankas well as allow Unionbank to offer SALPay and its sister companys product Salarium to itcustomers and the entire Philippines.Deciding to work with Unionbank was a natural choice. They are the most innovative bank inthe Philippines and have constantly pushed financial technology as its core. Our new offeringwith SALPay 3.0 will be a huge leap for financial services and inclusion in the Philippines.Unionbank ties in perfectly with our new blockchain offering. said Judah Hirsch, founder andCEO of Salarium.They have put together an incredible fintech group led by Arvie de Vera, that has beenincredibly supportive of this project, our blockchain initiatives and has been instrumental inhelping us.We are excited to be partnering with Judah and the Salarium team to provide their bankingrequirements, to enable their platform, to help grow their customer base and deliver superiorcustomer experience. This will showcase how a fintech and a bank can collaborate towards amutually beneficial relationship said. Mr. de Vera, head of the Unionbank fintech group.Unionbank is a leading universal bank in the Philippines and was the first bank to offer onlinebanking in the country, amongst other things. Unionbank is the first bank in the Philippines tojoin the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and is the Philippines representative bank to the ASEANFinancial Innovation Network. Unionbank is publicly traded in the Philippines (UBP).Salarium Payments Corporation is part of the Salarium group of companies. Since 2013Salarium has been providing payroll and payments solutions. Helping over 500 companies paymore than 15,000 employees monthly. SALPay is currently completing the ICO and plans tolaunch its cryptocurrency exchange in the Philippines next year.SALPay's ICO and whitepaper can be found at-------
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S.

TORONTO, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Khiron Life Sciences Corp. (Khiron or the Company) reports that the Companys wholly owned subsidiary, Khiron Colombia SAS, has commenced cultivation of a variety of medical grade cannabis strains in accordance with the receipt of its medical cannabis quota allocation provided by the Government of Colombia. The Companys cultivation activities are focused on the cultivation of strains specifically targeting patients identified as having unmet medical needs within the Colombian market of 50 million people and the Latin America market of 620 million people. The Company has acquired a full suite of medical cannabis genetics including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) strains.



Country quotas for cultivation of cannabis are set forth by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), which acts in accordance with international drug control conventions. The objective of the conventions is to ensure adequate availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes. In 2017, the INCB set a total global quota of 155.5 tonnes of cannabis and allocated 40.5 tonnes to Colombia, which represents 26% of the total allocation and demonstrates the countrys economic potential for cannabis globally.

Based on the total allocation to the country by the INCB, the Government of Colombia allocates annual quotas based on the operational plan and production estimates as set forth in the licence submissions. This provides the government a means to control and monitor the legal production of cannabis in Colombia. Khiron has received its quota for 2017, which has enabled the Company to commence the planting of seeds and growing of mother plants. In 2018, Khiron will make a submission for expanded cultivation to meet the market demand for its products. As part of the Colombian regulations, the government is required to respond to further quota request submissions within 20 days of each submission. Khiron received its quota on December 15th, 2017 and has received 100% of its initial quota request.

Management Commentary

Mr. Alvaro Torres, President and CEO of the Company, comments: The granting of quotas for cultivation is part of the ongoing involvement of the government of Colombia to ensure an orderly and controlled market for medical cannabis. I would like to thank the government for its continued support of Khiron and our business model.

About Khiron Life Sciences Corp.

Khiron Life Sciences Corp. is a Canadian integrated medical cannabis company with its core operations in Colombia. Khiron combines leading international scientific expertise, agricultural advantages, and branded product market entrance experience to address the unmet medical needs in a market of over 620 million people in Latin America.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Alvaro Torres

Chief Executive Officer

Direct: +57 (320) 4950326

Email: aftorres@khiron.ca

Darren Collins

Chief Financial Officer

Direct: +1 (705) 527 3564

Email: dcollins@khiron.ca

Further information on the Company can be accessed through the link below:

www.khiron.ca

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains forward-looking information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, Khiron assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
A Danville man accused of removing a firearm from the scene of a reported suicide saw his charges certified to a grand jury Wednesday.

Wayne Lamont McCullor, 40, stood before Judge Robert Adams in Danville General District Court during a preliminary hearing for charges of obstruction and possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony.

Its now up to a grand jury, which next meets Wednesday, to decide whether there is enough evidence in the case to warrant a trial by judge or jury.

It was on Nov. 2 that McCullor told the Register & Bee he was mowing the grass at the Travel Inn at 3500 W. Main St. when he spotted a body behind one of the motel buildings.

I saw the body, McCullor said from the scene. I took off.

Police report ruling the death a suicide after talking with witnesses and family. The deceased, whose name is being withheld by the Register & Bee, had what appeared to be a gunshot wound, police initially reported.

The firearm was unable to be located, Danville Police Department Detective J.M. Epps testified Wednesday.

McCullor told police that he had heard gunshots and said he saw the body, Epps testified, but said nothing about the firearm.

The detective went on to testify that McCullor said he took the weapon to his grandmothers house in Yanceyville, North Carolina.

Epps testified that he went to McCullors grandmothers house and recovered the weapon on Nov. 6.

Public Defender Brendette Walker said McCullor has been meeting with his probation officer and is employed.

Adams also revoked McCullors bond and ordered that he be kept in jail because he tested positive for narcotics use  one condition of his was to be tested for illegal drug use.

Commonwealth Attorney Michael Newman requested that the felony firearm charge and misdemeanor obstruction charge be certified together to the grand jury and tried as one case. Adams granted the request.
Anyone hoping for it to be a little warmer after Christmas is out of luck in Southside Virginia.

Its cold and dry out there, and its going to stay that way until after the new year, according to the National Weather Service.

I see potential for temperatures early next week to be in the high 20s, could be as cold as low 20s, Blacksburg Meteorologist William Perry said. By next Saturday, it might warm up to slightly above normal. I think itll be short-lived, though.

The bitter cold is expected to begin Thursday, with a high expected near 31, according to the National Weather Service. Lows will dip into the teens overnight Thursday into Friday morning.

Temperatures are forecast to bounce back slightly Friday and Saturday before another round of arctic air engulfs the area. New Years Day is expected to have a high of 29 with an overnight low of 12.

Unless power goes out in the city and county, warming shelters will not be set up. Residents can call for help if they need it, however.

If any resident or visitor needs shelter, then we ask them to call the non-emergency number of the citys Emergency Communications Center, Danville Public Information Officer Arnold Hendrix wrote in an email.

The number for the center is (434) 799-5111.

The center will make arrangements to meet the need, Hendrix said. We also can set up the citys recreation centers if demand is high.

A similar scenario for emergency shelters will play out in Pittsylvania County, too.

We try to work with the local fire departments when we know where the outages are, Pittsylvania County Emergency Services Director Jim Davis said. We dont just open predetermined warming shelters. Were monitoring the situation to see what will need to be opened.

As the temperatures drop, Davis added, they may be pushing out information about where residents can go to warm up.

For residents with furry friends that may need assistance, Danville Area Humane Society Executive Director Paulette Dean reminded residents that pets are best kept inside.

Animals can be brought to the humane societys shelter for a short stay, though owners will have to sign over temporary custody to keep the pet there.

We strongly urge them to have concurrent shots, Dean said. Once they come to us, we cannot let them leave without at least a rabies shot. If theres an emergency situation, we will turn away no animals. 

Not only is it cold, its also the fourth driest December on record for the region and for Danville. According to the National Weather Services records, Danvilles precipitation is about 2 inches less than the average this month.

The driest month was in 1980, when the city had 0.18 inches of precipitation over the month of December. The last time it was this dry was in 1994 and 1995.

This puts Danville and the region in a moderate drought, according to the National Weather Services Drought Monitor.
2017 has been the year of the unrelenting news cycle. If it had a soundtrack, it would be the staccato dings of news alerts popping up on cellphones. If it had a color, it would be that hazy blue-ish white hue you see when your eyes start to unfocus after staring at a screen for too long. If it had a smell, it would be burned rubber.

Not all the news in 2017 was bad news, though. Some of it was inspiring, gratifying, touching, amusing or mystifying. That being said, a lot of it was bad.

From deadly protests against a foreign policy change to the resignation of a nonagenarian president to milestones in the fight against the Islamic State, here are the global news videos that stuck with us this year.

January

Residents of China's capital city started the year buried in smog.

The pollution levels were so bad, a monitoring device in the home of The Washington Post's Beijing bureau chief warned a mask should be kept on indoors. On Jan. 3, the Air Quality Index was more than 700. Anything above 300 is considered hazardous, whereas a reading under 50 is considered to pose no significant health risks.

On Jan. 4, parents in Beijing fed up with the thick lingering smog sickening their children launched a petition demanding the government put air purifiers in schools. It gathered 2,700 comments in one day.

Chinese authorities tried to reduce the smog by prohibiting the use of coal, but the Associated Press reported that effort backfired, leading to a natural gas shortage.

In mid-January, reporters caught a glimpse of the world's most notorious drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y., handcuffed and flanked by DEA agents in dark parkas.

The elusive drug runner was extradited to the United States after escaping from Mexican federal prison twice and losing his last appeal to stay in Mexico.

Post reporters Joshua Partlow and Matt Zapotosky described the political implications of El Chapo's departure for the United States:

"'Officially, Mexican authorities said the timing of the extradition was related to judicial processes and not the U.S. political calendar. But one Mexican official described the transfer of the prisoner as a "farewell gift" to President Obama rather than an overture to President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to make Mexico pay for a border wall and threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.'"

February

Death came for Kim Jong Nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Feb. 13.

He was found with lethal nerve agent VX on his face, "slumped in a chair in a Malaysian airport clinic, his belly protruding from his navy-blue polo shirt, then dying in an ambulance en route to the hospital," Post Tokyo bureau chief Anna Fifield wrote.

CCTV footage appeared to show two women - Indonesia's Siti Aisyah, 25, and Vietnam's Doan Thi Huong, 29 - smearing the VX on his face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

We later learned Kim was carrying atropine, a potential antidote to the chemical that killed him. Post reporter Adam Taylor reported experts doubted it would have saved him.

March

In March in the United States then-FBI Director James Comey was testifying before Congress and Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was starting his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, but what really captured the attention of news-watchers around the world was a dad being interrupted on live television by his two children.

Robert Kelly, nicknamed "BBC dad," was Skyping into a news program to give his opinion on the ousting of South Korea's first female president. Without his noticing, a dancing toddler and an infant in a walker burst into the room behind him, pursued by their panicked-looking mother.

The comedic moment skyrocketed to Internet fame.

Nine months later, Kelly told the New York Times 4-year-old Marion is still trying to interrupt his interviews.

April

April saw Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's opposition mounting the most intense protests their country had seen since 2014.

The country's highest court had stripped its parliament of power, only to return it on Maduro's orders just two days later. The reversal was supposed to quell criticism. Instead, on April 1, opponents called him and his administration a "circus," and thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to condemn Maduro's "Dictatorship."

Videos from Caracas showed police in riot gear using tear gas against young protesters. That day kicked off months of demonstrations, which continued amid worsening food and medicine shortages.

As 2017 wraps up, Maduro continues to clash with opposition parties, several of whom boycotted Dec. 10 mayoral elections, according to the AP. He will be up for reelection in 2018 and has already attempted to ban those parties from that vote.

Half a world away, another dictator attacked his people on April 4. Syrian President Bashar Assad launched airstrikes on the northwestern town of Khan Sheikhoun. Post reporters Louisa Loveluck and Karen DeYoung wrote it was one of the deadliest chemical attacks of the country's six-year war.

Images of frantic or lifeless women and children surfaced. In one heart-wrenching video capturing the suffering that day, a father clutched the corpses of his 9-month-old twins and stroked their hair. They were killed, along with his wife, two brothers, two nephews and a niece, in the attack.

Days later, the United States retaliated with airstrikes, drawing criticism from Russia and Syria. Russia later vetoed a U.S.-devised United Nations Security Council resolution to investigate the Khan Sheikhoun attack, and the AP reported with less than two weeks left in 2017 that for the first time in years, Assad's troops were edging their way into rebel-held Idlib province.

May

Protests in Washington are common, and they rarely result in much hubbub, let alone an international incident. A demonstration outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in May was the exception to that rule.

On a visit to Washington on May 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stopped at the ambassador's home in Northwest Washington. When about two dozen opponents gathered outside to protest Erdogan's harsh treatment of dissent in his country, the president's bodyguards got involved. As Erdogan looked on, security guards in suits kicked and stomped protesters. Video posted to Twitter showed D.C. police attempting to separate the two groups. When asked who had attacked him, an older man with blood smeared all down his face and white shirt turned to the camera and said, "The Turks."

D.C. officials brought charges against 15 security guards in light of the incident. It was one of a number of dust-ups between Erdogan and Trump in 2017, despite early hopes the two countries could have a better relationship than under the Obama administration.

Later in May, President Trump spoke at a NATO summit in Brussels. The world watched, wondering how the president's tough talk on the campaign trail would translate to an international stage. Post reporters Philip Rucker, Karen DeYoung and Michael Birnbaum wrote that the speech was "confrontational" and "scolding."

The image that stuck with us from the event was Trump, physically pushing aside another country's leader. Video showed the U.S. president shoving Montenegro's prime minister, Dusko Markovic, on the way to a photo op.

June

A pair of Islamic State attacks in June marked a new geographic milestone for the militant group. Militants launched deadly assaults on Iran's parliament building and at a shrine at the tomb of the leader of the nation's Islamic revolution - the first time that group had struck inside Iran.

The Post's Amanda Erickson wrote, "an assault on the shrine - akin to a bombing at America's Tomb of the Unknowns - is an attack on the country's political identity and on one of Iran's most important monuments to Shiite Islam."

A London high-rise apartment building erupted in flames, June 14, leaving at least 71 people dead and hundreds homeless. The building was located in one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods, but it was public housing.

Video posted to social media from those down below showed residents trapped inside, desperate to escape the burning building. One video showed the view of the building through the window of a plane, spewing smoke over the city.

A month later, British police released footage that takes the viewer on a macabre tour of Grenfell Tower's barren lobby, charred stairwells and blown out windows. Residents displaced by the blaze struggled to find new housing options of the same quality as they had had before.

The fire prompted the British government to test other high-rise buildings to see if they contained the same flammable exterior cladding involved in the Grenfell Tower fire. As of Dec. 14, Post reporter Karla Adam wrote, "Thousands of people are still living in structures confirmed to be at risk."

July

July saw a victory in the war against the Islamic State as Iraqi joint forces recaptured the key city of Mosul.

As soldiers and journalists reentered the city, it was clear rebuilding would be no small task.

Five months later, the U.S. military is still figuring out what its role is in Iraq now that the fighting is over.

August

In the beginning of August, Myanmar, also called Burma, began sending troops into the Rakhine state, home to much of the country's Rohingya Muslim minority population. That month, the Rohingya left their country, telling stories of rape and abuse by the Burmese army. Aid group Doctors Without Borders estimates at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the violence between Aug. 25 and Sept. 24. As time wore on, the images of people lined up to leave their homes were staggering.

In the months since the clashes began, the United States has declared the violence against the Rohingya community to be "ethnic cleansing" and almost 650,000 Rohingya have fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh.

September

September brought hurricanes to landfall, and with them, destruction of historic proportions to the Caribbean.

The Post's Anthony Faiola, Samantha Schmidt and Marc Fisher wrote, "The storms pushed the islands back to the primitive, basic state that made the sandbars of the Caribbean so alluring to European empires, pirates and tourists for half a millennium."

Hurricane Irma in particular wrecked the island of Barbuda. Homes flattened, trees torn down, debris everywhere. The Post's Andrew deGrandpre wrote that Irma forced Barbuda's 1,800 residents to flee, leaving the island - for the first time in 300 years - empty.

Now the island is in the midst of a legal land fight, as some lawmakers want to change a key law to make it easier for investors to claim a stake in the rebuilding process.

October

The first day in October was a big one historically for the Spanish region of Catalonia.

Despite opposition from the Spanish government, Catalonia held a referendum on whether to form its own independent nation. More than 2 million people voted in favor of independence.

More than three weeks later, secessionists filled the streets, hugging and cheering as Catalonia officially declared itself an independent republic.

Their joy was short lived. The October referendum was intended to give the region more autonomy. In the weeks that followed, however, Spain stripped Catalan officials of their power and threw leaders of the separatist movement in jail.

With its Parliament dissolved, Catalan voters went back to the polls Dec. 21 to elect new leaders and to vote once again on whether to split from Spain. The Post's William Booth and Pamela Rolfe wrote that with record-breaking turnout, pro-independence parties won most of the vote, "setting the stage for another showdown with the central government in Madrid."

It is unclear how that new fight will unfold, but regardless, 2017's upheaval will have a lasting effect on the region. Since the first vote, more than 2,700 businesses have already moved out of Catalonia.

November

Robert Mugabe reigned over Zimbabwe for 37 years, but in November, he stepped aside.

His rule began unraveling when the military placed him and his wife, Grace, under house arrest Nov. 14. This seemed to signal a coup, but military leaders denied that, and Mugabe did not immediately step down. Instead he gave a rambling speech Nov. 19 with no hint at plans to leave.

Facing opposition even from within his own party, the 93-year-old president finally resigned, clearing the way for his former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa to take the lead.

Images out of Zimbabwe that day showed pure jubilation: a man falling to his knees and shouting with joy, people hugging and dancing in the streets of Harare, and tanks rolling alongside demonstrators waving the country's flag.

The country is still struggling economically, but the AP reported that in his first State of the Nation speech, Mnangagwa promised to combat corruption and court foreign investors.

For more than two months, North Korea had abstained from launching any missile tests. On Nov. 29, that calm period shattered when the country shot up a new kind of intercontinental ballistic missile, one that appeared to be more advanced than any of its predecessors. Kim Jong Un's regime claimed his weapons could now reach the United States, and Post reporter Rick Noack wrote the test "almost certainly put all major European targets within Pyongyang's reach."

The images North Korea released showed a long, dark cylinder blasting up with a flash of light.

The launch prompted President Trump to threaten "additional major sanctions" on North Korea and to call on China to check their neighbor's nuclear ambitions.

The Post's Adam Taylor and Tim Meko looked back at how North Korea's weapons programs evolved in 2017; they found the country's capabilities "stopped being funny" this year and started being scary.

December

When President Trump took office, one of the lofty goals he touted was bringing peace to the Middle East. In a move that critics said made that goal less achievable, Trump upended decades of U.S. foreign policy precedent Dec. 6 when he announced his administration would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The move ignited protests around the world: Pakistan, Morocco, Lebanon, Indonesia, New York, Turkey, Syria and of course, in Jerusalem itself. Demonstrators lit Israeli and U.S. flags on fire, marched in the streets and shouted chants. In the West Bank city of Bethlehem, they faced off with security forces spraying tear gas. During the bloodiest protests more than a week after the announcement, The Post's Loveday Morris and Hazem Balousha wrote that four Palestinians were killed, including a demonstrator identified as "a disabled 29-year-old who had previously lost his legs."

Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, saying they were in response to Hamas rocket fire linked to Trump's decision.

The change also led to a showdown at the United Nations. President Trump threatened to cut off funds to nations who voted in favor of a resolution rejecting his Jerusalem decision. His tactics did not work. The measure still passed with an overwhelming margin of victory. Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, condemned the resolution, saying the United States would "remember this day."
Dominion Energy Virginia said on Tuesday that it is assisting a national effort to help rebuild Puerto Ricos electric grid.

Hurricane Maria struck the island in September, devastating its electricity delivery system.

Dominion is sending 82 power restoration workers to join the effort. It said that it and other electric companies are sending a total of 1,500 workers to Puerto Rico, boosting the number of power restoration workers there above 5,500.

The company said 56 pieces of equipment and vehicles, including bucket trucks, will travel by barge to San Juan on Tuesday.

An advance team including safety and logistics specialists will follow on Jan. 10, followed by a contingent of linemen, other restoration and support personnel, who will begin restoration work on Jan. 15.

When the request for help came in, we immediately began making preparations, said Ed Baine, senior vice president of distribution for Dominion Energy. While the logistics of responding to this type of restoration are complex, we are eager to respond to the call for aid from those in need.

Personnel from Dominion Energy expect to help in Puerto Rico for at least a month.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued earlier today by Santa Fe Gold Corp. (OTC:SFEG), with the headline, "Santa Fe Gold Expected to Announce At Least Four New Acquisitions in The First Quarter of 2018," we are advised by the company of a change to the headline. The new headline is, "International Investment Group Increases Stake In Santa Fe Gold To $6M To Expand Portfolio of Production Assets." In addition, subheadlines have been added to the release. The corrected release follows:

International Investment Group Increases Stake In Santa Fe Gold To $6M To Expand Portfolio of Production Assets

Company Expects to Complete 100% of Purchase of Silver Mines: Bullard's Peak Corporation and Black Hawk Consolidated Mines In Opening Days of 2018, With Production Expected to Begin In The Interim Thereafter

Nearly $850,000 Recently Received As Additional Investment With More To Come, Demonstrates Increasingly Strong Statement Of Confidence In The Company's Strategic Development Plans And Highly Experienced Management Team

Santa Fe Gold Expected to Announce At Least Four New Acquisitions In The First Quarter of 2018

Santa Fe Gold Corp. (OTC:SFEG), a U.S. based mining and exploration enterprise with emphasis on Gold, Silver, Copper, Precious, Industrial and Base metals and owner of multiple claims, including the Malone Mines complex incorporating 20 associated mine sites, the Playas Lake Bed area of Hidalgo County, New Mexico and a Silver mining opportunity with a potential major Porphyry Silver discovery, is pleased to announce it has received an additional US$849,958.17 with additional funding expected from International Investment Group and its associated investors, bringing their overall stake in SFEG to upwards of $6 Million converted to equity at prices close to recent market quotes.

Completion of Purchase of AG1 Silver Mines Group

The Company expects to Complete 100% of Purchase of Bullard's Peak Corporation and Black Hawk Consolidated Mines comprising the AG1 Silver Mine and Potential Silver Porphyry Discovery and all other related assets within the first week of the New Year.

Four Highly Prospective Exciting New Acquisitions

The Company also anticipates announcing at least four new acquisitions within the early part of the first quarter, details of which will be announced in the near future with other potential acquisitions already being negotiated or in the process of acquisition. Company's aim is to continue to add quality high grade Gold and Silver mines and valuable metals and mineral deposits to its portfolio as outlined from inception under its new management.

President and CEO Tom Laws Comments

"We are delighted with the increased investment in Santa Fe Gold which demonstrates confidence in our ongoing near term plans. We expect to close on the AG1 Silver Mines early in the new year as well as being able to give additional details on why we are really excited about this and other new acquisitions. In addition, we are confident in our overall strategy and continued ability to secure very attractive properties and additional investments which reflects favorably on our capacity to identify, research, qualify and secure some exceptional additional acquisitions we are currently working on: We expect 2018 to be a very exciting year for Santa Fe shareholders."

About Santa Fe Gold

Santa Fe Gold is a U.S.-based mining and exploration enterprise and owns the following mining assets: The Knights Peak region of Grant County, New Mexico comprising the Malone Mines, Patanka, Hillcrest Barranca and Principal Mines, altogether incorporating some twenty mine sites and all located at Knights Peak, together with an expanded area surrounding the Malone Mines in the southern region of Burro Mountains, New Mexico. The company also owns very significant holdings in the Playas Lake Bed Area of Hidalgo County that includes the presences of Titanium ore and other rare earth minerals and deposits.

Santa Fe Gold is in the process of adding additional properties and two mining companies to its portfolio, with very substantial Silver holdings including Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese, Nickel and other rare earths currently being investigated. Currently historic data is being utilized to develop a current estimate of the gross value for these mines.

Santa Fe Golds Exploration and Development Team continues to be very active re acquisition of multiple additional properties as it finalizes analysis of a number of attractive, economically viable prospects. The company continues to execute on its aggressive acquisition program that is totally focused on positioning Santa Fe Gold to resume mining and production operations as expected in the near to medium term.

For more information and to register for updates:

Please visit www.santafegoldcorp.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Please refer to the Forward-Looking Statements link at the bottom left of Santa Fe Gold's website for all relevant disclosures.

Contact:

Santa Fe Gold Corp.

Frank Mueller, CFO

(505) 255-4852
Almonty Industries Inc. (TSX-V:AII) (Almonty) announces that it has signed an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) Contract with POSCO E&C for the development works at the Sangdong Tungsten and Molybdenum Mine located in the Republic of Korea.

The EPC Contract, entered into on December 28, 2017 with POSCO E&C, one of top tier general contractors in Korea and a subsidiary of the third largest steel mill in the world, is a turnkey based contract for the development and construction of primary facilities for processing tungsten ore mined out of the Sangdong Mine. Under the EPC Contract, POSCO E&C is responsible for not only engineering, civil & architectural, machinery & electrical works of processing plant and auxiliary facilities, but also commissioning of such facilities.

The EPC Contract has a net contract price of KRW40.3 billion (approx. US$37.3 million) and, including the value of primary equipment which will be erected and installed by POSCO E&C, the EPC price reaches KRW54.0 billion (approx. US$50.0 million) which accounts for 65% of the total capital expenditure budgeted for the Sangdong Project. The remaining 35% will be spent for the development of underground transportation galleries and accesses to tungsten veins, mine infrastructure, backfill plant, owners cost, and other expenses. The primary facilities of the processing plant will be built for 900,000 to 1.2 million tpa capacity while the initial years of operation targets 640,000 tpa.

The EPC Contract stipulates a construction period of 18 months and commissioning period of 6 months. Following general rules of EPC contracts, cost overrun and project delay will be the responsibility of the EPC Contractor.

Almontys Chairman, President and CEO Lewis Black said:

The signing of the EPC Contract for Sangdong Mine redevelopment will be an important and meaningful step to Almonty for bringing what was historically one of the largest and lowest cost tungsten mines in the world back into production. We are particularly pleased to work with POSCO E&C which is a part of the prestigious POSCO Group. POSCO has been committed to the Sangdong Mine Project by offering a competitive contract price as the Project carries the historical implication of rebuilding its original mother company. POSCO was founded by Korea Tungsten (ex-Sangdong Mine) in 1968. Based on the current EPC and mine development contracts we believe that Sangdong will be in commercial production after ramp up latest Q3 2019. The production at Sangdong Mine will undoubtedly contribute to a much enhanced leadership of Almonty in the global tungsten space.

About Almonty

The principal business of Almonty is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain, its Wolfram Camp Mine in north Queensland, Australia and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of the Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, Korea and the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in north western Spain. The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Wolfram Camp Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2014 and is located approximately 130 kilometres west of Cairns in northern Queensland, Australia and produces tungsten and molybdenum concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp. Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in northwestern Spain. Further information about Almontys activities may be found at www.almonty.com and under Almontys profile at www.sedar.com.

Legal Notice

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

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.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements and information are based on managements beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and reflect Almontys current expectations.

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 Almonty to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: any specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium para tungstate from which the sale price of Almontys tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdictions in which Almontys operations are located and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, forecasts and assessments relating to Almontys business, credit and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining industry, risks related to the market price of Almontys shares, the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations, including environmental regulations, risks related to international operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development and operations at Almontys tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to support Almontys mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production estimates from Almontys mining operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly or indirectly by Almonty, the ability of Almonty to obtain adequate financing, the ability of Almonty to complete permitting, construction, development and expansion, challenges related to global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules and acceptance of the TSX-V of the listing of Almonty shares on the TSX-V.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, no material adverse change in the market price of ammonium para tungstate, the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws, the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance as and when required and on reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are set out herein. Although Almonty has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results, level of activity, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and even if events or results described in the forward-looking statements are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Almonty. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary.

Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Almontys forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.

Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.





Contact



Almonty

Lewis Black, Chairman, President and CEO

+1 647-438-9766

lewis.black@almonty.com


A federal judge Wednesday denied a request for a preliminary injunction against a controversial conservative group that a lawsuit alleges obtained information illegally from the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan.The AFT-Michigan, a statewide teacher's union, filed the lawsuit in September, saying Project Veritas used an operative to infiltrate the union. A Wayne County judge issued a temporary restraining order, barring the organization from using or publishing any information it obtained from the union.But the matter was moved to federal court in October. And Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Linda Parker not only revoked the temporary restraining order, but also denied AFT Michigan's request for a preliminary injunction.Among the judge's findings: The documents allegedly obtained by the operative were not trade secrets. Parker also found that there is no certainty that publication of the documents could harm the union, and that imposing an injunction would infringe on the defendant's First Amendment rights.Union officials were encouraged with parts of the ruling, and David Hecker, the president of the union, said the lawsuit isn't done."It is far from the end," Hecker said. "We will go after Project Veritas for any and all violations of the law."Stephen Klein, co-counsel for Project Veritas in the lawsuit, described Parker's ruling as "comprehensive and thoughtful.""It's one thing to come after an organization after something has been published," Klein said. "But to go in, in advance with barely any evidence whatsoever and claiming they can't publishing anything is a violation of free speech and free press rights."Project Veritas has been described by USA Today as a political group founded by conservative provocateur James O'Keefe that is known for using secret identities and hidden cameras to target liberal organizations. Most recently, the group was outed after it tried to plant a false story in the Washington Post.The lawsuit was filed against the group and Marisa Jorge. It claims that Jorge -- using the name Marissa Perez -- is an operative of the organization and obtained an internship with AFT Michigan, claiming to be a University of Michigan student.Jorge, the lawsuit said, sought and was given access to "a substantial amount of confidential and proprietary information including databases, confidential conferences and the status of grievances."Union officials were buoyed that Parker wrote in her ruling that the union likely would succeed on its argument that Jorge's actions amounted to a breach of duty of loyalty."Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Jorge breached her duty of loyalty by fraudulently misrepresenting herself, misusing and mishandling confidential information, and failing to disclose that she worked for an organization whose interests conflicted with Plaintiff."The union, Parker wrote, "has a likelihood to succeed," on the merits of that breach of duty of loyalty claim.Mark Cousens, the attorney for the union, said that argument is the core of its claim against Project Veritas."Everything flows from that," Cousens said. "She gained access to the Federation offices, which are closed to the public, behind locked doors and gates, based on outright lies."It also boosts the union's trespass and fraud claims in the lawsuit, Cousens said."That was an important observation of the judge," he said.Parker, in a 27-page ruling filed today, noted that the AFT Michigan had identified 221 documents Jorge allegedly misappropriated. The key question? Were there trade secrets in those documents and does it violate Michigan's uniform trade secrets law.The union argued that the documents were trade secrets and confidential."The information is not known throughout the public education community; it was assembled as part of the Federation's overall strategy regarding charter schools," the union said in court documents, as outlined in Parker's ruling.But Parker was unconvinced based on the documents she read."None of the documents Plaintiff produced fall within the meaning of a 'trade secret' as defined" by the state law, she wrote.Cousens said it's too early to say that those documents don't exist."The process of discovery is about to commence. As we said in our papers to the court, we do not know the full extent of her theft. We know some of what she took and some of what she was looking at."Further, Parker rejected the union's allegation that Jorge violated state law by recording conversations without consent. The union, she said, "offers no factual support that Defendant Jorge actually installed, placed or used, without its consent, any device for 'observing, recording, transmitting, photographing, or eavesdropping.' "The union also alleged that Jorge breached her fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty by accessing information outside her authorization, accessing information unrelated to her assignment, and securing and copying information not generally available to the public for the purpose of sharing that info with Project Veritas."The Court does not find that Plaintiff's fiduciary duty claim applies in this case and declines to recognize a fiduciary duty in the context Plaintiff would like the Court to acknowledge."Parker also found that the union had not persuaded her that its "commercial interests are more fundamental," than the defendant's First Amendment rights.Klein said the lawsuit remains baseless. He said Project Veritas will continue to "fight for its" free speech rights.Hecker said the experience is changing the way the union accepts interns. Jorge had been recommended by someone at the University of Michigan, and had claimed she was interested in becoming a second grade teacher, the union says."We will now use the same procedures we use when people apply for employment. Given how Marisa came to us, we didn't use that same procedure. We should have, in hindsight. But it doesn't make up for the fraud she committed."
(TNS)  Michael and Carol Watson said Hurricane Irma littered their yard with roof shingles but they were stunned and incredulous when their insurer sent them a letter more than 70 days later. It said no storm-related damages were found and the company announced it had closed its file.U.S. Army veteran Robert Rodriguez, 58, said he could not afford Christmas gifts after his mortgage company declined to release $30,000 his insurer paid to fix a hole in his roof. He has financed repairs himself and maxed out his credit cards, he said.I cant buy my grandkids anything, Rodriguez, a property manager, said. I should not be in this predicament.Four months after Irma formed, fewer than half its nearly 866,000 claims in Florida worth an estimated $6.6 billion have been closed with payment, state records show.Insurers say they are working hard to serve customers in a challenging year while guarding against fraud and abuse, but homeowners say frustrating denials or delays are piling up near the end of a 90-day window for companies to address claims filed soon after the storm hit.More than 265,000 Irma claims have been closed without payment and more than 181,000 claims remained open as of Dec. 15, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.In Palm Beach County, fewer than 43 percent of more than 37,000 claims have been closed with payment.The updates come as insurance companies warn of a long-running struggle with third parties representing consumers, including public adjusters, contractors and attorneys. Some representatives abuse the process and inflate claims, particularly in southeast Florida, industry groups say.They say trouble often starts when a consumer assigns control of insurance benefits to someone else, who may eventually go to court in a bid to collect more money.The widespread storm damage and billions of dollars available from insurance settlements creates opportunities for unscrupulous contractors to prey on storm victims who unwittingly sign over their insurance benefits, said Logan McFaddin, regional manager in Florida for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. Assignment of benefits abuse is on the rise in Florida, especially around the time of a big named storm, making Floridians vulnerable to bad actors.The Watsons and Rodriquez are represented by a public adjuster who works for them and not their insurers, The Peoples Choice Public Adjuster LLC of Greenacres.Closing in on 120 days after Irma struck Florida in early September, some insurers are running close to the deadline or even breaching the state statute of 90 days to investigate each claim, said Eli Goins, claims manager for Peoples Choice Public Adjuster.They simply werent prepared for such a large claim count all at once, said Goins, who said he worked as an adjuster for insurance companies for more than a decade. Homeowners are suffering because its taking them a long time to get through these claims.In some cases, companies are offering payments to patch up exterior damage, but not fixing full interior damage or covering the total expense to make sure repaired properties meet building codes, he maintains.In Royal Palm Beach, the Watsons said struggles with insurer Southern Fidelity date back to an earlier roof claim in 2015, still unresolved. They maintain Irmas winds caused new damage, including roof shingles in the yard, but the insurer rejected the claim.Calls to the insurer were not returned.I take pride in my home, said Carol Watson, who said she works as a Realtor. We paid out of pocket to have it patched. I want my roof replaced and the damaged ceiling fixed.As for Rodriguez, he said he is living temporarily in Royal Palm Beach after the storm pounded his property in one of the states hardest-hit areas, Big Pine Key.He figures the property sustained more than $100,000 in damage, including a hole in the roof. State-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. agreed to pay $30,000 toward the roof, but his mortgage company USAA has not released that money, Rodriguez said.He wanted to get the roof repaired and prevent further damage, he said, but it was extremely difficult to find contractors to work in the Keys. He said he paid them with convenience checks from credit cards, cash, a Small Business Administration loan and any other means he had.Theyve had my money for over two months and havent released it, he said. Theyre giving me a hard time because theyre not accepting the receipts I provide them.Afterinquired, USAA spokeswoman Tiffany Edmonds said, We are in contact with our subservicer, Nationstar, who is working with Mr. Rodriguez to help him and resolve his concerns.Edmonds noted, Mortgage servicers typically release insurance funds as they receive the required documentation to show the funds are being used to repair the home. Mortgage servicers do this to protect the various parties with an interest in the property, the property owner, the owner of the mortgage note, and the servicer, and to mitigate the risk of the repairs either not being completed at all or not being completed properly.In fairness to insurers, the industry was hit with Irma on the heels of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the first one-two combination of Category 4 storms to strike the U.S. mainland in the same season. Then Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. All of it stretched resources from claims adjusters to contractors to clean up and fix damage.For its part, Citizens stationed more than 100 adjusters in Key West to handle claims, company spokesman Michael Peltier said.Most have completed their work, he said, adding there is no financial incentive for us to delay.A major factor is availability  or often unavailability  of contractors to do the work, he said.In some cases, initial checks may represent only partial payments, and Citizens expects to reopen many claims as repair costs reflect additional storm damage that comes to light and market conditions push costs higher because of demand, he said.Citizens officials have said they expect to receive about 70,000 Irma claims, including more than 9,000 from Monroe County, with losses expected to pass $1.2 billion.As of Dec. 19, Citizens said it had received more than 64,000 claims and paid about $480 million, with 52 percent of claims closed with payment.The counties with the most Citizens claims are Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, Pinellas and Palm Beach.About 48 percent of claims have been closed without payment, for a variety of reasons, Citizens officials said. Among these: The consumer did not meet a hurricane deductible; the damage was not covered in the policy; or it was payable under a flood policy, not homeowners insurance.Hurricane deductibles are increasingly common in Florida, the state with the nations highest property insurance premiums. They are spelled out in the policy and represent what the homeowner pays for damage before insurance kicks in. They help keep premiums down in quiet years. But they can range up to 10 percent of a homes value in Florida and leave homeowners stuck with a substantial bill if and when a storm does hit.To consumers like Rodriguez, the year is ending but their Irma headache is not.I am not the only person, he said. In Big Pine Key, he said, There are some people on my block living underneath the house in a tent. Its like a Third World country. Its shameful.2017 The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.)Visit The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.) at www.palmbeachpost.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS)  SANTA CLARA, Calif.  When Gilbert Serrano opened the door of his potential dream home, a modern, two-bedroom rental on Karen Drive, he was surprised to be greeted not by a real estate agent, but by a robot.The sleek, 3-foot-tall bot whirred up to the door on small wheels. Hello, welcome. You must be Gilbert. An iPad mounted on the machine displayed an agents smiling face.These robots, rolled out last summer in the Bay Area by high-tech property management startup Zenplace, are intended to take the hassle out of coordinating showing times between agents and prospective renters. Theyre just one piece of the new wave of technology thats changing the way we buy, sell and rent homes, as platforms such as Zillow, Redfin and a host of smaller startups have eroded the real estate agents importance. These days, clients can use artificial intelligence to comb property data sans realtor, take virtual tours of promising homes from their couches, and even apply for their favorite apartments online.We see this whole ecosystem changing, said Roelof Opperman of Fifth Wall, a Venice-based venture capital firm that invests in real estate tech. Not only is how they buy and sell homes changing, but getting a mortgage is getting more efficient, how escrow works is getting more efficient, how insurance works is getting more efficient This whole ecosystem is getting revolutionized.Startups like Open Door let property owners sell their homes, online, within days. Others, like Matterport and Transported, offer virtual reality home tours. And many companies are increasingly relying on drones to capture enticing images that will help them market their properties.But Serrano, who works in sales at a tech startup, wasnt looking for revolution when he arrived at the newly renovated fourplex in Santa Clara. The 37-year-old San Jose resident was just looking for a new apartment to move into with his fiance.I wasnt expecting a robot, he said, smiling with amusement as the bot, known as Zenny, rolled around the apartment.Im a person too! countered real estate agent Rabia Levy, who was controlling the bot from Zenplaces Sunnyvale headquarters. And apart from a glitch that occasionally made her voice cut out, forcing Serrano to ask her to repeat herself, she responded to his questions in real-time, cheerfully whizzing around the apartment via robot and showing off its features.Theres lots of light in this place. Beautiful hardwood floors, she said. She turned into the kitchen, with Serrano following behind. Gorgeous stainless steel appliances.Serrano tested the blinds in the bedroom. He opened one of the cabinets in the kitchen. Before the end of the tour, he was picturing where his L-shaped couch would fit in the living room.Zenplace, which has a few hundred robots giving tours throughout the Bay Area, wants to make renting a home as easy as summoning an Uber, said CEO Rahul Mewawalla. Prospective tenants upload a copy of their ID, via their smartphone, which Zenplace uses to run a background check. Then Zenplace texts the client a code to get into the property, via a lockbox, on his or her own schedule. After a tour, the client can use the robot to fill out a rental application on the spot.Serrano found the robot tour convenient, and said he felt less pressure than he might have if a live agent had been in the room. At the end of the tour, Levy used the robots iPad screen to show Serrano rents at comparable apartments nearby and a picture of a park around the corner.Levy, who has been a real estate agent for 11 years, said using the robot saves her time. Pre-robot, between time spent driving and coordinating with her clients schedules, she could fit in just one or two showings a day, and often had to wait until the weekend to show a property at an open house.It wasnt physically possible for me to be everywhere at once, she said.Now she can do between 15 and 20 showings a day, which is better for her bottom line.And although the robot has some limitations  it cant climb stairs, for example  Levy says the experience is so seamless that she sometimes forgets shes not in the room.Not all realtors are enthusiastic about the new technology. Rick Smith, a real estate broker since 1986, said nothing  not even a shiny, high-tech robot  can replace meeting a client face-to-face. Building connections with clients, answering their questions and watching their facial expressions are all key ways Smith judges peoples interest in a property, and determines if person and property are a good match.When youve been in the business as long as I have, you often get a gut feeling about someone when youre sitting across the table from them, said Smith, president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors.Mewawalla says his robots can improve a rental experience that, traditionally, can be pretty frustrating on both sides, as landlords struggle to coordinate showing times with prospective renters, and spend days sending paperwork back and forth, leading to delays in getting properties rented.But in this market, where properties are flying off the shelves, Smith says the robots may be a waste of money.When we get a vacancy, he said, its usually days, not weeks, before we fill it.
(TNS)  HARRISONVILLE  New Era Broadband has announced the launching of high speed broadband Internet service to the residents of Harrisonville and the surrounding area.The official launch of the service was Dec. 18. David Hannum, founder and owner of New Era Broadband believes that this will be a tremendous boost for the people who live in this area.The residents of Harrisonville have been at a disadvantage for some time. Its has been on our radar for a long time, but its a challenging place to provide service for. But now, the folks in Harrisonville will be on equal footing with others around the county in terms of Internet options, said Hannum.Jason Tillis, Scipio Township Fire Chief, stated, One year ago I set out to bring Scipio Township Fire Department closer to that information highway. We needed that information to perform basic operations via online with state and federal governments. David and (the) New Era (Broadband) team has worked tirelessly to bring my department online and our community together more and give our residents another option for basic to advanced Internet needs.This was a great example of the community coming together to fill a need using a public-private partnership, said Perry Varnadoe, Meigs County economic development director.The Meigs County Commissioners, the Community Improvement Corporation, and our office were happy to work with New Era on the project. It fills a public safety need and enhances the broadband capacity in Harrisonville for everyone, Randy Smith, Meigs County commissioner, added. We couldnt be happier for the Harrisonville community. We were thrilled to be able to work with New Era Broadband to bring this much needed service to the area. Connectivity is a great equalizer for economic development, education, and public safety and we hope that this is just one of many future projects that help to bring access to underserved areas of Meigs County.Hannum also added, Our office is receiving inquiries from all around the Harrisonville area. It may require additional towers to accommodate the demand. To do this, well need to find additional creative methods to fund the infrastructure.New Era Broadband is a Meigs County corporation that was established in 2007. New Era Broadband is a full service Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) providing Internet data and voice (VoIP) service throughout Meigs County. Currently, it has access points on over 40 towers and is in the process of expanding services into Vinton County.New Era Broadband offers residential speeds from Basic (1.5 Mbps download) all the way up to their Mach 3 Service (20 Mbps download). All residential plans are truly unlimited which means no slowdown based on usage and also no hidden fees. Multiple commercial plans are available and can be tuned to best fit the needs of the business.New Era Broadband is located at 119 E. Memorial Dr. in Pomeroy and can be reached on the Web at www.newerabroadband.com or by phone at 740-992-0620. Office hours are 9 a.m.  5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.Information submitted by David Hannum.
(TNS)  Three sets of eyes are trained on a bank of glowing screens that wraps around the room.Data flashes. Charts fill a large panel.The systems engineers sit in front of smaller, desktop computer monitors. They scan information as it pours in and check for problems.The network operations center, which opened a couple of years ago in a former school turned technology hub, is the front line of the DeKalb County school districts defense against hackers, cyberthreats, and data theft.We get close to about 3,000 attacks a day, and so we are able to see it and constantly make adjustments, said chief information officer Gary Brantley, who likened the onslaught to a barrage of missiles. The biggest focus is, we are trying to protect kids. We are trying to protect student information.As school districts ditch chalkboards and paper files for computers and data systems with valuable details about employees and students  from personal identification to grades, attendance records, parents names, and contacts  cyber criminals have targeted them.Online scammers steal paychecks, swipe data, and even have demanded ransom after taking over districts networks.In recent months, three metro Atlanta school districts reported email phishing attacks. Thieves nabbed nearly $130,000 from Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools by fooling dozens of employees with fake emails that allowed hackers to gain access to their online information and reroute direct deposits.A third district, Clayton County Public Schools, said attackers tried unsuccessfully to reroute paychecks from 28 unsuspecting workers.In October, the U.S. Department of Education warned schools of extortion attempts in at least three states. Cyberattackers threatened to release student information and, in some cases, threatened violence unless the district paid up. Some schools have.There have been at least 283 cybersecurity incidents at K-12 public schools since 2016, according to a tally by education technology consultant Doug Levin. He thinks his count underreports the scope of the security troubles.These are new threats facing schools. They are harming individuals. They are disrupting school schedules and class time and they are costing schools and taxpayers a lot of money, and we are going to need an effective and sort of comprehensive response to it, said Levin, president of Virginia-based EdTech Strategies.Data breaches are so expected that a policy guide the National School Boards Association released this year called them inevitable.In the days after the Atlanta attack, the district warned that confidential data for all its roughly 6,000 employees may have been exposed . Bill Caritj, chief accountability and information officer, now says further forensic analysis found no evidence of a widespread problem.Fulton and APS both repaid employees after their paychecks were stolen. Fulton officials plan to ask the school board for about $250,000 to beef up protections, while APS spent $150,000 on a forensic investigation and will pay a company $32,653 a year for three years to educate and train staff and students.Both districts also called in law enforcement.Districts throughout the metro area said they routinely review and update security systems to try to thwart cybercrime. They pay millions of dollars to secure networks, upgrade firewalls and purchase anti-virus protections.For example: Gwinnett County Public Schools will spend nearly $1 million over a three-year contract for software to prevent attacks that aim to disrupt legitimate access to the system. The states largest district also spent roughly $2.8 million this year on other security measures, including encryption tools, as it implemented a data policy plan over the past 18 months.After the phishing attacks, both Fulton and Atlanta schools limited access to payroll systems. They also are adding authentication steps needed to log in  such as requiring users to retrieve codes sent to their cellphones.Gwinnett also plans to add that feature, superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks said. And instead of allowing schools to manage their own websites, the district is centralizing that work.A big part of the security effort is focused on education. Wilbanks said hes training himself to look closely before opening emails.I dont know that I did that six months ago. I didnt have to worry about it too much six months ago, he said. One person being derelict can cause some real issues.Local districts are laying traps for employees by sending out managed phishing emails to see if they click on a link or provide sensitive information.In Fulton schools, the emails are made to look as real as possible by including school images and official-looking salutations. Employees who fall for the ruse are enrolled in a training session, said Derrick Johnson, director of information technology and security.DeKalbs watchful computer experts will shut down access to its network, including email, in a particular region if theres a high volume of suspicious traffic coming from a certain country.Privacy and security advocates are pushing for stricter reporting requirements for school districts and vendors.The federal education department encourages but does not require school districts to report data breaches. States take a patchwork approach to notification mandates, though more attention has been paid to the topic recently.In Georgia, school districts are to notify residents whose unencrypted personal information was acquired without authorization, but districts dont have to report incidents to the state education department.A privacy act that became law in 2016 requires notification by the Georgia Department of Education if student data that it collects is breached. The department informs specific members of its administration as well as the superintendent of the affected school district and the attorney general.This month, the Missouri state auditor backed a bill to require schools to alert parents of data breaches. The announcement highlighted the market for stolen childrens identities, thefts that might go undetected for years because few people monitor kids credit reports.The way the laws are written, the ways that they are actually working on the ground, its not consistent. Its very muddy. We really need federal guidance on this so everyone is playing by the same rules, said Rachael Stickland, a Colorado mother and co-chairman of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy.FBI investigators said theres nothing particularly unique about school districts as a target for cybercriminals. Hackers look for vulnerabilities, said Michael F.D. Anaya, a supervisory special agent on a cyber squad in the Atlanta field office.Some in the education field fear school systems are susceptible to online threats because many dont have the money or dedicated security experts to fight back.In extreme cases, hackers have terrorized communities, leading to temporary school closures.A couple of months ago, overseas hackers tried to extort up to $150,000 worth of the digital currency Bitcoin from a Montana school district. School officials indicated they would not pay, following the advice of law enforcement, according to news reports.We know everything about your schools and the children in them, read the ransom note, released by the sheriffs office. We know who the problem children are, who the honour performing children are, and even who many of the parents are.Levin, the educational technology consultant and researcher, said such breaches require high-level, outside expertise.When you have really sort of exceptionally skilled, nefarious hackers targeting schools theres very little that most schools are going to be able to do to protect themselves, he said.
The National Assembly unanimously adopted the Act to increase the number of ZEVs on 26 October 2016. Following the example of 10 US states, including California and several northeastern states, Quebec has thus assumed the power to adopt the ZEV standard. In the wake of the adoption of the Act, two draft regulations were published in the Gazette officielle du Quebec on 5 July 2017, and the Cabinet approved the attendant regulations on 13 December 2017. The ZEV standard is part of an array of initiatives, in particular those stemming from the 2013-2020 Action Plan on Climate Change and the 2015-2020 Transportation Electrification Action Plan (PAET 2015-2020), which has set a target of 100 000 plug-in vehicles registered by 2020.

Quebec Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment, and the Fight Against Climate Change Isabelle Melancon has issued the final regulations in support of Bill 104  An Act to increase the number of zero-emission motor vehicles in Quebec in order to reduce greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions. ( Earlier post .) Quebec is the first Canadian province to adopt a ZEV mandate. As of today, close to half the Canadian ZEV fleet is located in Quebec, which non-coincidentally has the largest public charging network in the country.

The standard will come into force on 11 January 2018. The automakers subject to it must accumulate credits by obtaining zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) or low-emission vehicles (LEVs) on the Quebec market. The credit target is calculated by applying a percentage to the total number of light-duty vehicles that each automaker sells in Quebec. The credit requirement thus varies from one automaker to the next.

Each sale or lease of a ZEV recognized by the Minister earns credits, the number of which varies according to the vehicles electric range. The greater the range, the greater the number of credits that the automaker earns, which consequently reduces the number of ZEVs that it must sell to meet its credit target. The purpose of the ZEV standard is thus to spur the automobile market to develop greater numbers of models that rely on increasingly efficient low-carbon technologies. The percentage of mandatory credits will be calculated on the basis of the total number of new vehicles sold or leased in Quebec and manufacturers will start earning credits with model year 2018.

Looking to the future, the government anticipates that by 2025, ZEV and LEV sales and leases will account for approximately 10% of the market. Major automakersthose that sell or lease more than 20,000 vehicles in Quebec annuallywill need to earn a specified percentage of credits based exclusively on ZEV models, starting in 2020.

Manufacturers which do not achieve their target will be required to purchase credits from other automakers that have excess credits available, or pay a fee to the government. Income will be paid to the Green Fund and used to support climate change projects, particularly those aimed at greening the vehicle fleet.

While the Quebec standard in large part follows current ZEV standards in 10 US states and provides the automobile industry with normative continuity on both sides of the border, one difference is that Quebec regulations also permit vehicles that have been upgraded by carmakers and licensed for the first time in Quebec to qualify for credits. This measure was included in the standard in order to make it possible for low-income households to also choose zero-emission vehicles.

The ZEV standard will change the business model of Quebec automobile dealerships. Recognizing the importance of maintaining a dialogue process with key players in the transition to a greener vehicle fleet, the government also announced the creation of a committee the mandate of which will be to monitor the evolution of this dossier.

The committee, jointly led by the Corporation des concessionnaires automobile du Quebec (CCAQ) and the Ministere du Developpement durable, de lEnvironnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MDDELCC), will also rely on the expertise of the Coalition zero emission Quebec (CZEQ) and Steven Guilbeault, Cofounder and Senior Director of Equiterre, who will represent environmental groups.
SureFly, Inc. will encompass all SureFly aerial technology and expertise, including property related to the personal helicopter, but it will not own the assets related to the package express-related HorseFly drone, which will be retained by Workhorse. Workhorse expects to grant SureFly, Inc. a royalty-free, perpetual license to utilize the HorseFly drone except with respect to deliveries implemented from a ground-based vehicle focused on package express.

Workhorse Group Inc., an American technology company focused on providing sustainable and cost-effective electric mobility solutions to the transportation sector, intends to spin off its aviation division, which includes its SureFly personal helicopter, into a separate publicly traded company named SureFly, Inc.





At the time of the spin off, Workhorse expects to enter into a transition services agreement with SureFly, Inc. to provide certain engineering and accounting services not anticipated to be provided immediately by employees of SureFly, Inc.

SureFly, Inc. is currently an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Workhorse. In conjunction with the overall spin-off plan, Workhorse expects to retain a portion of SureFly, Inc. common stock and will distribute a portion of such common stock pursuant to a dividend to existing Workhorse shareholders. Third party investors, bringing new capital, will likely constitute the balance of the ownership of SureFly, Inc.

In connection with the anticipated spin off, Workhorse entered into a note purchase agreement with a group of existing, US-based Workhorse investors. Under the terms of the note purchase agreement, Workhorse will issue notes with an aggregate principal amount of $5.75 million at a purchase price equal to $5 million. The notes are non-convertible, but are expected to be exchanged, ultimately, into new convertible preferred stock, and warrants to purchase shares of common stock of SureFly, Inc.

The preferred stock will be convertible into shares of SureFly, Inc. common stock based on a pre-money valuation of approximately $33 million. The warrants will be exercisable into a number of shares of common stock equal to 30% of the shares issuable upon conversion of the convertible preferred stock and have an exercise price equal to 125% of the conversion price on the convertible preferred stock.

This agreement provides Workhorse with additional capital to bolster our balance sheet and, once the spin off is complete, will enable us to focus all of our resources on our core automotive business. SureFly has been one of the most exciting products weve ever developed and reflects the best representation of the versatility of our innovative platform technologies. And while this new business will likely command a meaningful valuation, we believe the decision to spin off SureFly into a separate entity will better facilitate the long-term growth of both companies. We have improved the operational focus and financial outlook for Workhorses core business while creating new opportunities for our SureFly business. This financing transaction is just the first step in the anticipated spin off process and furthers our long-standing goal of maximizing value for our shareholders. Steve Burns, Workhorse CEO

The anticipated spin off transaction will be subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals, the execution of inter-company agreements, arrangement of adequate debt and equity financing, the effectiveness of a registration statement, final approval by Workhorse's board of directors, and other customary conditions. The spin off will not require a shareholder vote and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, but there can be no assurance regarding the ultimate timing of the spin off or that the spin off will ultimately occur.

SureFly. Like a drone, SureFlys redundant design includes four propeller arms, two fixed contra-rotating propellers on each arm; and a backup lithium battery pack to drive the electric motors in the event of engine failure.

SureFlys hybrid design leverages Workhorses battery pack, management systems and controls utilized in its currently commercialized range-extended battery electric road vehicles. It features a gas combustion engine generating electricity and a parallel battery pack offering a redundant backup power source, eliminating the need for long battery charging periods between flights. Pilots who have seen the SureFly like the easy-to-pilot design, as the aircraft is piloted by joystick in a similar fashion to flying a drone. The SureFly is expected to carry pilot and passenger or cargo up to 70 miles. After a quick refill, SureFly is ready for the next hop.

Early models will be pilot-operated. Future models will be capable of autonomous flight, with payloads of up to 400 pounds. Anticipated markets for the SureFly are precision agriculture, emergency responders, city commuters and military. The company is working toward full certification of the vehicle in late 2019.
Jacob Anglesey, once a highly regarded officer with the Green River Police Department, will go to prison.

At the end of a two-day sentencing hearing Thursday, Anglesey was sentenced to spend 16-20 years in prison, with credit for 679 days served, for aggravated homicide in the death of two-year-old Konnor Allen in 2009. The maximum sentence for aggravated homicide is 20 years of imprisonment. Allen died after sustaining severe injuries while in Angleseys care, which the Sweetwater County Attorneys Office said was the result of physical trauma inflicted by Anglesey.

Anglesey was origin...
For Green Rivers municipal government, 2017 was a year of change and cautious optimism.

The biggest change came when the City Council decided to close the solid waste division and contract with Wyoming Waste Services to manage the citys garbage collection. The decision came as the city prepares to close its landfill. Stricter regulations from the Wyoming EPA has caused a shift from municipal landfills to regional landfills across the state, which locally has caused the city to build a transfer station to collect waste for disposal at the Solid Waste District No. 1 landfill outside Roc...
Even though several options were presented to the Sweetwater County Commissioners on how to staff the Third District Court and new Justice Center, only one additional position was approved at the meeting.

After a lengthy discussion at the Commissioners recent meeting, the Commissioners voted unanimously to approve filling a vacant court security officer position at the pay grade level of 15.2.

During the discussion, Sheriff Mike Lowell told the Commissioners that under his duties as a sheriff he is statutorily obligated to have a presence in the courts, for the security of the judges and th...
Sometimes a film delivers its most powerful message wordlessly  say, by the clenching of a characters jaw. More often, movie moments are made by the words that are spoken  or shouted  such as Tommy Wiseau in The Room, wailing, Youre tearing me apart! (That gem of dialogue, by the way, was stolen from Rebel Without a Cause, as we learn in the new film The Disaster Artist, a comedy about the making of Wiseaus so-bad-its-good masterpiece.)

Here are a few other memorable bits of dialogue from this years films:

Lady Bird

Screenwriter: Greta Gerwig

Actress Greta Gerwigs solo directorial debut centers on Christine Lady Bird McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), a Sacramento high school senior who dismisses her hometown as the Midwest of California. But the headmistress of Lady Birds Catholic school, Sister Sarah Joan (Lois Smith), thinks she knows better, telling our protagonist that its obvious, from the way she writes about Sacramento in her college admissions essays, that Lady Bird loves the city. All I do is pay attention, Lady Bird protests, to which the nun replies:

Dont you think they are the same thing  love and attention?

Darkest Hour

Screenwriter: Anthony McCarten

Joe Wrights film looks at Winston Churchills early days as British prime minister. Set in 1940, the film culminates with Churchill (a transformed Gary Oldman) delivering his We shall fight on the beaches speech, rousing and reassuring the British government and people on the eve of the Battle of Britain. After listening to the speech, a member of Parliament asks, as though blown away by the words, What just happened? And Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane) replies:

He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.

The Florida Project

Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch

Filmmaker Sean Bakers portrait of the Central Florida underclass focuses on a little girl named Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) who is living with her prostitute mother in a seedy, Orlando-area motel. When Moonee introduces a new friend to her secret hideaway  an uprooted, yet still living, tree  Moonee describes it in a way that offers a metaphor for her own survival instincts:

Do you know why this is my favorite tree? Because it tipped over, and its still growing.

Mollys Game

Screenwriter: Aaron Sorkin

The Oscar-winning writer of The Social Network and the creator of the Emmy-winning The West Wing has sometimes been criticized for writing dialogue that doesnt sound the way people normally talk. Making his directorial debut with an adaptation of Molly Blooms 2014 memoir about running a high-stakes poker game, Aaron Sorkin fills the script with smart (and improbably sassy) zingers, including this put-down, by Blooms lawyer (Idris Elba), of the cover photo chosen by his client (Jessica Chastain) for her book:

You look like the cat that ate the canary  and then told the canarys parents about it.

The Big Sick

Screenwriters: Emily Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani

Married in real life, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon collaborated on a funny-sweet screenplay about their courtship  which included Gordon being placed in a medically induced coma after she was taken seriously ill. When stand-up comic Nanjiani, playing himself, meets the parents of his sick girlfriend (Zoe Kasdan), he finds himself in the awkward position of having to simultaneously reassure Mom and Dad (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) while delivering terrible news:

Apparently, there are good and bad comas. And the kind that they put her in  the medically induced ones  are definitely the good kind of coma. Like, you know how there are good and bad carbs? Gremlins  those can be good or bad.

Logan

Screenwriters: James Mangold, Scott Frank, Michael Green

Director James Mangolds noirish tale of Marvels X-Men features poignantly broken-down versions of Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who laments the burden of the mutant hero who, seemingly, cant be killed:

Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long.

The Hero

Screenwriters: Brett Haley, Marc Basch

Aging cowboy-actor Sam Elliott plays an aging cowboy-actor struggling to find work in an industry whose enduring appeal  part escapism, part voyeurism  he sums up, succinctly:

Movies are other peoples dreams.
Claire Anderson and Svea Anderson, both of Greensboro, were named to the fall 2017 head of school scholar honors list at Pomfret School, a college preparatory school in Connecticut. Students named to this list earned a grade point average of 4.00 and received no grade lower than an A- for the fall 2017 term.
Its just a sandwich. Thats what Amy Han thinks sometimes, given the scale of the homelessness in this city, in many cities. So what if she makes hundreds of sandwiches each month and gives them to people who sleep on the streets? What difference can a sandwich make?

Han is not a policy expert. She doesnt have the backing of a big organization. Shes a nurse at Swedish Medical Center who has watched the problem grow: More people who are experiencing homelessness seemed to come to the hospital every year, more people who need help, who need so much. Around the holidays last year, Han decided to do something, so she raised a couple hundred dollars on GoFundMe and handed out hygiene packs with a co-worker.

That went well  people appreciated the packs  but she didnt want to do it only when the holiday spirit inspired her. In the face of a homeless crisis that shows no signs of receding, Han had another idea. Something small. Something simple.

She would make sandwiches. And every month she would hand them out on the streets of Seattle.

The line starts at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday in Hans Beacon Hill kitchen. Drake plays through the TV. Three co-workers from Swedish are here to make sandwiches and then to pass them out.

Han has only one rule: Never impose. Never assume a person needs something. Just ask: Would you like a sandwich?

In theory, Han raises money to pay for the sandwiches and hygiene packs by selling T-shirts and tote bags shes made, bearing what she calls her effort: Love Feeds.

But the reality is the day before the Tuesday sandwich-making session, she went to Costco and spent $100 to buy wheat bread, Tillamook cheese, packs of ham, turkey and roast beef, organic lettuce and bottles of water.

Whether I sell shirts or not, she said, Im still going to do it.

As her friends slather mustard and mayonnaise and organize the sandwiches by meat, Han points to a board across the room: pictures of people she has met while passing out sandwiches. They are reminders of why she does this. Shes 32 and has been a nurse for almost five years, so helping people is literally part of her job, but this is different.

I have a very personal take on it, she said. I was in a very emotionally, verbally and a little bit physically abusive relationship for six years.

During the period, she called her friends to talk about the same problems, over and over, and eventually it felt like some gave up on her.

But there was one who always listened, who offered advice and support, no matter how many times theyd had the conversation.

Maybe it was the billionth time I needed to hear it, but if she had given up on me, who knows where Id be mentally and emotionally?

I look where I am now, she added, and Im not in that relationship, and Ive grown so much, and Im the healthiest Ive ever been.

The experience has given her much more compassion for anyone who is struggling.

Shes thought about expanding, but doesnt know how she could coordinate more than a few volunteers; right now she loads everyone up in her car.

So she does what she can. She passed out candy for Halloween and Girl Scout Cookies in the spring. Next month, she wants to cook a meal and give haircuts at the Union Gospel Mission downtown.

Han and her co-workers loaded the sandwiches and bottles of water into the back of her car, and together the four of them headed downtown.

Then she saw a group of people standing in the cold. She stopped on the side of the road.

Were going to get pulled over, Amy, said Melissa Kim, a nursing assistant at Swedish.

This was not an irrational fear, since just a few minutes earlier, Han had done the same thing and a police officer had rather sharply told her she couldnt stop along the road.

Theres no one here, Han said.

Kim rolled down her window. Would you like a sandwich? And some water?

A man with stubble walked over, smiled and thanked them.

Han parked and walked to the Union Gospel Mission on Second Avenue. A man in a wheelchair recognized her right away, and she hugged him. She told a woman with glitter on her face how fancy she looked and knelt to listen to a man bemoan his life. For Han, thats what the sandwich represents: something simple, something made with love, something that allows people to connect, even for only a moment.

In January, Han is moving to Los Angeles for a new job. One of her co-workers at Swedish has promised to take over the monthly sandwich run.

If not, she said, laughing, Ill just fly back once a month and do it. This is so close to my heart.

Han handed a roast-beef sandwich to a man on the sidewalk. He ate with one hand because the other was in a blue cast.

What happened to your arm? she asked.

Oh, I was in an accident, he said. Did some wrong drugs.

When do you take it off?

Im probably overdue. I missed my appointment.

Han gently nudged his shoulder. You better go! If you had a marker I would sign your cast.

They both laughed, and Han walked up the sidewalk. She didnt hear or see it, but the man with the cast turned and hollered, Thanks for the sandwich, by the way!
The chairman of the N.C. Utilities Commission has denied an environmental groups request to schedule a fourth public hearing on Duke Energy Carolinas proposed rate increase of almost $20 per month per customer.

Chairman Edward Finley Jr. said the three public hearings currently scheduled for next month, including one in Greensboro, will suffice for commission members to gather public comment about the proposed increase, which could potentially net the Charlotte-based utility $600 million more in annual revenue.

In his order issued Friday, Finley rejected a Nov. 3 request by the North Carolina chapter of the Sierra Club for a fourth hearing in Durham in mid-to-late January 2018 around the time of the public hearings in Franklin, Greensboro and Charlotte.

Based on an increased concern over security issues, the commission must hold hearings in courthouses with security officers, Finley said in his order. And the commission finds it increasingly difficult to find cooperating venues open after business hours with adequate security at a reasonable cost.

Finley added that although not considered testimony, any consumer may provide comments to the commission in writing that then are attached to the case file.

In its November petition, the Sierra Club argued that the commissions norm in Duke Energy rate cases has been to hold a total of five public hearings that gave residents more opportunities to air their views.

Its disappointing that the diverse voices opposed to the rate hike wont have another chance to have their voices heard, Sierra Club spokesman Jeff Shaw said in a Wednesday email reacting to Finleys decision. It should be clear to everyone by now how overwhelming the opposition is.

As a practical matter, Finleys decision means that the Greensboro hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 24 in Courtroom 1C in the Guilford County Courthouse likely will draw a much larger crowd and that would-be speakers will have to wait longer to get their moment at the podium.

Finley observed in his order that the Greensboro hearing is within reasonable driving distance for residents in the eastern reaches of Duke Energy Carolinas service area, which extends in that direction to Durham and Granville counties.

The nations largest utility, Duke Energy serves millions of North Carolina customers through two separate divisions  its Progress and Carolinas branches. The Progress division is also requesting a rate increase that would add about $426 million in annual revenues from customers in a swath of North Carolina that includes the Raleigh, Wilmington and Asheville metropolitan areas.

By contrast  and in addition to Guilford, Durham and Granville counties  Duke Energy Carolinas serves customers in Charlotte and much of the states midsection, including Forsyth, Davidson, Rockingham and part of Randolph counties. It also extends to several of the states westernmost counties.

Proposed rate increases usually stir some level of controversy. The current ones from the Carolinas and Progress divisions generated vigorous debate from the outset because they include what eventually would be billions of dollars for Duke Energy to close its coal ash storage basins in line with governmental regulations.

Supporters of the increase counter that much of it also would be spent on switching to such cleaner forms of power generation as solar and wind energy, and on modernizing Duke Energys power grid that distributes electricity across the service area.

The Sierra Club pointed out in its original petition that the utilities commission held a total of five public hearings during the public hearing process for Progress divisions requested increase, which is further along in the review process but still awaits a final decision from the commission.

The Sierra Clubs petition also noted that in an earlier Duke Energy Carolinas rate case, the appointed state commission held a total of five public hearings in Durham, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Franklin and Marion.

The reduction in public hearings in the present docket from five to three locations will create a hardship by requiring individuals within DECs extensive service area to travel long distances, Sierra Club attorney Matthew Quinn wrote in his November petition. It will be extremely difficult for many members of the public, especially those working low-income jobs or working at night, to drive such a long distance to attend a public hearing.

Finley noted in his order that the commission also will take testimony from witnesses representing the Sierra Club and its viewpoint during later hearings that are reserved for experts, which he differentiated from the non-technical public hearings that aim to discover how the rate increase would affect individual consumers, if approved.

Finley said in the order that state law only requires the commission to hold rate hearings within the area of the state served by the public utility.

No statutory requirement exists to hold five versus three public hearings to receive public witness testimony, he said.
GREENSBORO  All he wanted for Christmas was a DNA test.

It was just $100, so his dad got him the gift of genealogy that year.

John Cooper III knows who his parents are but he wanted to know what else might be out there in his familys ancestry.

How much of his DNA originated in Africa?

Did he have any European bloodlines and if so, from where?

And if his bloodlines had both connections, how and when did his people arrive in America?

Then 13, he found some of that information from the DNA test and documents he dug up through research  some of his findings suggested he has roots in the English monarchy.

Other information suggests that he had family members who were slaves that ended up in the United States.

Some people would get mad because they see their ancestors name on paper with a price next to it, said Cooper, who found some of his relatives listed as slaves in a property inventory of a plantation owner. Sure I get upset because my ancestor had to go through that but at the same time, its also enlightening.

Cooper, now a senior at Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown, joins a growing number of people interested in searching out family history. Hes also a member of the NC/Piedmont-Triad Chapter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society. The D.C.-based nonprofit, founded in 1977, focuses on helping African Americans trace their family roots. The local chapter, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2018, meets at Genesis Baptist Church in Greensboro. The group teaches people how to research their roots through records and DNA. The group meets 12 times a year  six times for business meetings and the rest for free how-to workshops in genealogy.

Cooper has an audience for his research: His family. Over Thanksgiving, his grandfather asked him to create a report of the things he found out about the family. Some family members were excited to read it. Others, not so much. They pointed out things they thought were wrong based on family stories passed down through the generations.

At 17, Cooper is the youngest member of the NC/Piedmont-Triad Chapter. Lamar DeLoatch, chapter president and co-founder, said its great having Cooper as a member.

DeLoatch said he understands Coopers desire to learn more about his roots.

And, experience taught him, that journey might include a weird moment or two.

If everyone in the world has a twin, DeLoatch only had to go to Washington, D.C., to find his.

Years before celebrating his daughters graduation from Georgetown University, he had his DNA tested.

While eating at a Washington restaurant after the graduation in 2004, DeLoatch noticed some of the wait staff were staring at him. The restaurant manager came over to DeLoatchs table to ask if he was from Ghana.

He knew his DNA traced his roots to the West African country. When the manager related that information to his staff, they were elated and wanted to learn more about DeLoatch.

In their discussions, they found out their bloodlines were connected to the Akan tribe.

That was a real moment, he said. Now my wife jokes with me if she should call me king.

DeLoatch had always wondered about his biological makeup.

Those questions about his ancestry prompted him to join the African American genealogy group in 1980 as an at-large member in Boston. When he moved to North Carolina years later, he sought out a chapter to join but couldnt find one.

So he and Jack Dewar decided to start their own chapter in June 1998. They had 10 members.

Today, the group has 55. And genealogy has become more popular in recent years with scientific advancements making it less costly to use DNA to discover a persons genetic ancestry.

Scott Hadly, a spokesperson with the DNA testing company 23andMe, said more than 3 million people worldwide have used the company to research their familys lineage.

About 95 percent of those who use the companys DNA Relatives option connect with third cousins or people closer than that, Hadly said.

He said some customers have shared their findings with the company.

Everyone may feel a bit different about receiving this kind of new information, Hadly said in an email to the News & Record. Some may be excited about new information about their global ancestry and gaining new connections, while others may take more time to fully grasp the information and what it means to their heritage.

Sometimes what you find without using DNA can be just as impactful.

Using Guilford County census and insurance records, Greensboros Johnsie Alston found some of her enslaved ancestors. Alston, 68, said she has been interested in genealogy for as long as she can remember and her daughters joke that shes related to everyone in town.

She has had her DNA tested and found that she has connections to Cameroon, Ghana and England. Yet, its what she has found locally that has interested her the most.

Its chilling when you see your great, great grandfathers name on slave records, she said.

Finding her roots, as well as her husbands, became a mission for Angentina Boone.

Boone, 67, said she was always curious about how far back she could track her family history. Through records she traced the family to 1810 in Johns Island, S.C.

Her husbands family traced back to 1795 in Virginia.

Using DNA, she said, is fine but she was able to find what she needed to know without it.

Genealogy is kind of a disease, Boone said. You just get hooked.

Getting people involved in doing their own research can be tricky sometimes.

Fred Watts said the local genealogy group will conduct research for people but it focuses on teaching others the methods to find out about their family.

His research not only helped him trace his family as far back as 1520 in England and 1805 in Alabama, but it revealed someone from his wifes family.

Someone she had never met.

My wife said I introduced her to her grandfather that she never met, said Watts, who spent several days at the National Archives in D.C. looking up both his family and his wifes.

Finding families can be difficult. Watts, 67, said you have to know where to look to find people.

Blacks didnt show up on the census during slavery unless they were freed. Watts said finding them means tracking down the surname of the slave master and then insurance records that would often list the names of the slaves the master insured as property.

When theres money involved, there we are, he said.

The search can be frustrating and fulfilling, DeLoatch said.

You never know which way things will go as youre looking through records or checking DNA.

Its amazing when you find that missing piece of the puzzle, DeLoatch said.
A former assistant district attorney who worked in Wilkes and Yadkin counties has been banned from Wake Forest University, where he was accused of using a handheld mirror to look at a female student in April.

The ban is part of a deferred-prosecution program that Brooke M. Webster, 43, of Surrey Path Court in Winston-Salem, entered on Nov. 22 in Forsyth District Court. Webster was charged with one count of misdemeanor secret peeping in connection with the April 20 incident in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library at the university.

Entering the deferred-prosecution program means that Webster admits guilt but essentially will be on probation for two years. During that time, he has to comply with a number of conditions, one of which is staying off WFUs campus.

If he complies with the conditions, Forsyth County prosecutors will voluntarily dismiss the charge. The agreement lasts until Nov. 21, 2019.

If he doesnt, prosecutors will proceed with the case, using his admission of guilt to obtain a conviction on the secret-peeping charge. Because he doesnt have any prior convictions, Webster would not face any active jail time if convicted. He could face possible supervised or unsupervised probation and a fine, among other things.

Webster is not only banned from Wake Forest University but also from areas on any college campus where large numbers of students are present, including libraries.

He also must be accompanied by an adult at all times if he attends a college sporting event, and he is banned from public libraries.

The deferred-prosecution program requires him to submit progress reports from his treating psychologist, Richard Cook, on May 1, 2018; Nov. 1, 2018; and May 1, 2019.

Webster also must make a $750 donation to Family Services, and he also must comply with any requirements from the N.C. State Bar Lawyer Assistance Program and not commit any new offenses. He still has an active law license in North Carolina.

The deferred-prosecution program is designed for defendants who do not have any previous convictions for misdemeanor crimes and certain felonies.

Prosecutors typically consult with the victims before agreeing to allow a defendant to enter a deferred-prosecution program. Forsyth County Assistant District Attorney Lizmar Bosques handled the case.

On April 20, WFU police were called to the Reynolds library. According to an arrest warrant, Webster is alleged to have put a handheld mirror under a desk to look at a female WFU student.

University police escorted Webster from campus and issued him a trespass warning, which meant that Webster would be arrested if he came back onto campus. A Forsyth County magistrate issued a criminal summons against Webster on the peeping allegation.

WFU police also increased campus patrols and monitored suspicious individuals.

Webster resigned his position as an assistant district attorney in Wilkes and Yadkin counties on April 24, according to a statement from Tom Horner, the district attorney for Wilkes, Alleghany, Ashe and Yadkin counties. Webster had worked in the office since 2006 and was handling felony cases in Superior Court when he quit.

David Freedman, Websters attorney, said Thursday that Webster entered the N.C. State Bar Lawyers Assistance Program soon after he was arrested and has been receiving counseling.

We are very appreciative to the prosecuting witness to allow us to enter into this program, and Brooke has taken a number of steps to ensure (there are) no such incidents in the future, Freedman said.
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GREENWICH  Scores of residents rushed to Town Hall on Thursday to get their outstanding 2017 property tax payments in before the new federal tax law goes into effect on Jan. 1, even though it is not certain how much of the local payment they will be able to deduct on their federal income tax forms.

Long lines of people waited at the payment windows in the Tax Collectors Office, but clarity over what the IRS would consider deductible was not immediately available.

Tax Collector Tod Laudonia said his office has received many questions from residents worried that new limits on deductions would be applied to their payment even if it is made before the end of the year.

A lot of the questions I tell them are questions for their accountants and I cant tell them whether its going to be advantageous to pay things now, Laudonia said. I cant answer questions that should go to the IRS either.

One question he could answer was that only payments due Feb. 1, 2018  the second payment of the current fiscal year  could be accepted early.

Some have come in trying to pay for the fiscal year that begins July 1, but those amounts have not yet been assessed.

Laudonia shared a statement put together by the Connecticut Tax Collectors Association to answer some of taxpayers questions.

There is no state statute that exists which authorizes tax collectors to accept prepayment of July 2018 tax installments at this time, and that doing so would conflict with state law, the statement said. The opinion (of association counsel) further advised that municipalities need to evaluate the risk of accepting such prepayments, when doing so could be considered an effort to evade federal income tax liability.

State Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben Barnes sent a letter to all Connecticut municipalities on Wednesday after questions were raised regarding New York States authorized executive action to facilitate pre-payments for 2018. Barnes noted New York does not have the overall uniform system of property taxes that Connecticut does and it would not be practical to do it in Connecticut.

Barnes added his belief that, Prepayment of the January half of Connecticut property tax bills in December appears to be a lawful way to take advantage of the expiring deduction. Similarly, pre-payment of supplemental motor vehicle tax bills that are legally due now may also be a lawful way to increase the SALT deduction on 2017 federal taxes.

Barnes said tax collectors in Connecticut municipalities should direct people to seek tax advice based on their specific circumstances.

The line stretched into the hallway and close to the Town Hall lobby early on Thursday. Many who were waiting said they were acting on advice from their accountants to pay their second installment of the year early, while others expressed confusion about what the best approach was.

Every day you hear something different about what youre supposed to do and I just wanted to take care of it now, Peter Buzzeo said. If youve got the money now and you can do it, why not do it?

I didnt feel the urgency but I felt like, why wait? town resident Cynthia Smith said. I look at this as simply paying my bills.

One taxpayer, who would not give his name, said it was better to do it now and hope for the best.

I dont know for sure what the right move is and Ive heard a lot of conflicting opinions, the man said. But the betting person would take the chance on doing it now. I dont know for sure but its worth a shot.

He blamed the confusion on how quickly the federal tax bill was assembled and put through. No hearings in Congress were held on it, and Democrats loudly criticized that notes were written in the margins of the legislation to change it on the night of the vote in the Senate.

The bill ended up having to be voted upon twice in the House of Representatives due to a procedural error.

Its an absurd bill passed in an absurd manner leading to absurd outcomes, the resident said.

James Thomas also blamed the way the bill was put together, noting that it hit states like Connecticut, New York and California particularly hard, given their high property values and the bills new cap on property tax deductions.

Were being punished for being in a blue state, Thomas said. But I think the town is really doing all it can to help and make up for that. Im very proud of Greenwich for taking the steps to make sure these payments can get in and be taken care of.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
GREENWICH  Paul Firstenberg is a man of many hats.

For a time, the Greenwich resident forayed into academia, with stints at Tulane, Princeton, Baruch and Yale. He dove into nonprofits while working on Sesame Street and for the Ford Foundation. Over a five-year period, he served as an officer for an agency that financed private enterprise in the Near East and South Asia. And in his younger years, after graduating from Harvard Law School, he practiced in New York City.

But whether he was drafting a business plan or policy paper, one thing stayed the same.

If you ask me what my career was, I would say I was a writer, he said.

Now, in perhaps his last shift in focus, the 84-year-old Firstenberg has decided to stray into the world of fiction.

Basically, I wanted to do something different in writing. Ive been writing all my life: Articles, non-fiction, books, he said.

His first novel, Murder in the Land of Cotton, chronicles a historical, if fictitious, election within the past few decades in a city described as a southern stronghold. Firstenberg said he drew on his experience as Chancellor of Tulane University in New Orleans in crafting the setting.

The story begins with the election of the citys first black mayor into office. As the politician utters a few phrases from his acceptance speech, a bullet pierces him through the chest.

He dies soon after.

What follows is a murder mystery with larger cultural implications, dotted by intelligent, brave female characters who drive the plot.

Firstenberg said he dug deeply to build the historical context he knew while living in New Orleans in the 1990s. Back then, the city proved dangerous and uneasy, plagued by a socially segregated society.

Originally from the West Side of Manhattan, Firstenberg was struck at the time by how racially divided life was in Louisiana, and how black and white citizens still didnt even frequent the same clubs, he said.

He also remembered feeling that people in New Orleans feared others from the North. He recalled how his son was never accepted by the other children at school, who approached the boy with caution and concern.

Fault lines werent purely racial or geographical, either; he added that social position also dictated a persons importance in Southern culture.

To me, it was a bifurcated city, Firstenberg said. If you werent from the right part of the city, you couldve been ignored.

But while Firstenberg used his personal experiences to drive his backdrop, Murder in the Land of Cotton is not all about its landscape.

Its not a book about New Orleans, Firstenberg warned. I wasnt trying to do a biography of a city.

The author clocked three years penning his first novel, a time that happened to coincide with the first black presidents tenure. But Firstenberg said his intention was not to use Barack Obamas story as fodder for his own protagonist.

Firstenbergs black mayor was a completely different character.

I tried to stay away from contemporary politics, Firstenberg said. I wanted to have much more of a historical perspective, and to look at the roots.

Interestingly, Firstenberg dropped his novel for a time, unsure whether he should finish. When he and his wife packed up their old home to move a few years back, she discovered his manuscript. She asked who had written it  it was good, she said, but she knew it wasnt her husbands because he had never done anything like it before.

She motivated him to keep going, until eventually he completed his 277 page novel.

Though Firstenberg only published Murder in the Land of Cotton in August, he has already come up with a topic for his second piece of fiction. He hopes to delve into the realm of a prestigious Connecticut preparatory school and the sexual molestation that runs rampant in its halls.

Now that he better understands how to convey his story, after three years of practice, he hopes his second novel will come a little quicker, he said.

I hope this time Ill be more efficient in writing fiction, he added.
How wonderful to have snow on Christmas morning! We always wish for that, but it hardly ever happens. Snow -- although many dont think much of it, some of us think it is just great and I am one of them, and Im sure my readers are well aware of that. Not only did we have snow here, but the Vermont ski resorts have tons of snow for their holiday time. Hopefully it will last through the vacation period. There have been so many times when the Christmas and New Years period lacked any snow at all, which is the time that most ski resorts make a great deal of their money.

Having been around at the usual Christmas parties I have been told by many that my history stories are their favorite columns, so here goes.

I have always been fascinated by the story of Jules Bourglay of Lyons, France, otherwise known as the Leatherman, as his clothes were made of leather. Given that he roamed far and wide, he sported a long, thick leather coat, pants extending up to his armpits, and shoes with thick wooden soles and turned-up toes. He carried a large lather bag slung over his shoulder which contained bits of food. A curl of smoke rose from a homemade pipe, and he carried a stout walking stick with a burl ball handle in one hand, needed to help hold up his 60 pounds of clothes and his 10-pound shoes.

The Leatherman was one of the many jobless who roamed the region in the mid to late 1800s. He was popular with local folks, as he was given handouts of food, which he never paid for.

The Leatherman completed a 365-mile circuit of towns every 34 days, 243 miles in Connecticut and 122 miles in New York, and they were the same each circuit. Starting in Greenwich he went to New Canaan, Saybrook, New Britain, Danbury and Ridgefield, among other places. In New York he hit Peekskill, Bedford Hills and Ossining, his final resting place.

He slept in caves, known as the Leatherman caves that were the same for the 30 years he went round and round. He averaged about 10 miles a day. The people who provided him with food could tell about when they would be seeing him.

One of his caves is at the Audubon Center on Riversville Road in Greenwich. It seems that leather scraps and thongs were found in the upper strata of earth in the rock shelter.

Leatherman died in 1889 and was buried in a paupers grave in Ossining, New York. The markings on the grave gave his name and told of his walks through Westchester and Connecticut from the Connecticut River to the Hudson, living in caves from 1858-1889. I wonder how many trips he made in those years?

Big news: I am happy to report that Happiness Is, the wonderful store in the Banksville shopping center, which makes the finest hors doeuvres I have tasted, has opened the Backcountry Market and Cafe, where you can now obtain all the foods they make (out of this world). They will also have vegetables, fruit and all the food stuff you might need, plus their prepared food used by their sensational catering business. One can also sit down for lunch, which is one of my favorite things to do. This is a real treat.

Now may I wish everyone a Happy New Year! I certainly enjoy your comments.

Greenwich native Norma Bartol, a former Greenwich Time reporter and columnist, lives in the backcountry.
Employees say he did it to everyone. Photo: charliehallowell.com

Charlie Hallowell, a restaurateur and chef in Oakland, has stepped aside at his restaurant group following a new San Francisco Chronicle story in which 17 former employees allege sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. The culture these women say pervaded his three well-regarded restaurants  Pizzaiolo, Boot & Shoe Service, and Penrose  is one thats become far too familiar in recent weeks: a demoralizing work environment where his indecent propositions and abuse of his power were the norm along with a near-constant stream of sexually explicit language.

The women describe a charismatic and often charming boss whose sexual Tourettes disorder (as one employee puts it) created an emotionally damaging work environment from which they have yet to recover. Some likened it to an abusive relationship, saying hed interrupt mid-sentence to say he wanted to sleep with them, and that hed graphically detail his sexual fantasies, constantly compare food to the female anatomy, and give unsolicited advice about what women should do to please their husbands and boyfriends in bed.

In a statement to the Chronicle, Hallowell acknowledges his behavior was unfiltered and often completely inappropriate, and claims he feels deeply ashamed and saddened now. I can see very clearly that I have participated in and allowed an uncomfortable workplace for women. For this I am deeply ashamed and so very sorry, he wrote in an email to the paper. We have come to a reckoning point in the history of male bosses behaving badly, and I believe in this reckoning and I stand behind it. Richard Weinstein, Hallowells restaurant group partner, has called a companywide meeting today to discuss the situation, and also tells employees theyve brought in an HR specialist to conduct an independent investigation.

Just like John Besh and Mario Batalis restaurants lacked any real way to keep the chefs accountable, Hallowells company had no official HR department (or, for that matter, any functional mechanism in place for reporting misbehavior in the workplace). Employees say Hallowells misconduct wore many of them down to the point that his inappropriateness was no longer remarkable. Nobody thought his behavior wasnt unacceptable, but, as one ex-employee explains, everyone would simply say, Thats just how hes always been.
When its time to spend some quality time with your kids, there is only so much Cocomelon that one man can take. You have to get out of the house and get some fresh air or some socialization for your...
Credit: Brantley GutierrezFoo Fighters spent a lot of 2016 denying break-up rumors, so it was a welcome relief to fans the band announced in 2017 that they'd be releasing a new album: Concrete and Gold, the follow-up to 2014's Sonic Highways.

2017 began with Foo Fighters announcing that they'd be headlining the BottleRock Napa Valley festival in California that spring. A producer for the festival said that BottleRock may be the only U.S. Foos show of the year, since the band is busy recording a new album. That first part didn't turn out to be true, but the second part was.

In June, the week after BottleRock, Foo Fighters debuted a brand-new song called "Run," accompanied by a video starring Dave Grohl and company tearing up a nursing home while wearing old-age makeup. Later that month, the band announced the full details of Concrete and Gold.

At the time, Grohl described the album -- which was produced by Greg Kurstin, known for his work with Adele and Sia -- as "Motorhead's version of Sgt. Pepper." He also teased that Concrete and Gold would be filled with guests. One by one they were revealed: The Kills' Alison Mosshart, Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman, and even Paul McCartney.

And that's not even including the mystery "biggest pop star in the world," with whom Grohl said sang back-up vocals on one of the album's songs. After names like Adele and Taylor Swift were speculated, Grohl finally revealed that Justin Timberlake was the secret star.

Along with "Run," Foo Fighters previewed Concrete and Gold with the singles "The Sky Is a Neighborhood" and "The Line." They also played the songs "Arrows," "Sunday Rain," "La Dee Da" and "Dirty Water" on their summer European tour.

During the European tour, Foo Fighters played a show at the historic Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The concert was filmed for the PBS series Landmarks Live in Concert, which is hosted by Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.

Concrete and Gold finally arrived in September. A week later, the band joined James Corden for a Carpool Karaoke segment on The Late Late Show during which they sang Foo Songs, and stopped to surprise some fans at a local Guitar Center. While it sure seemed like fun, Grohl later said that the filming experience was "a little uncomfortable."

Grohl also guest-hosted ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Halloween night. Dressed as David Letterman, Grohl interviewed and performed with Alice Cooper and Kristen Bell.

Foo Fighters kicked off a North American tour in support of Concrete and Cold in October with their own CalJam 17 festival, which featured performances from Queens of the Stone Age, Cage the Elephant and Royal Blood, among others.

CalJam will return in 2018, and the Concrete and Gold tour will continue with dates throughout the spring, summer and fall.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Banks have assured that that they will seek to continue providing the most critical services  such as, cash withdrawals, card payments and online banking services  also during the work stoppage.

A strike organised by financial sector employees will force banks to close several of their branch offices across Finland on Thursday and Friday.

Delays and disruptions may occur in the availability and functioning of services. The industrial conflict may also cause delays in resolving the disruptions, reads a press release from Danske Bank.

Service Sector Employers (Palta) has similarly urged the customers of banks and other financial institutions to prepare for congestions and longer-than-usual wait times. Banks, it adds, also cannot guarantee that financial transactions will be executed without disruptions during the strike.

Palta also reminds that consumers should be wary of phishing attempts also under the special circumstances: Card details and passwords should not be handed over to anyone.

The strike is not expected to affect the functioning of cash machines because the employees of Automatia, the operator and developer of the nationwide network of Otto ATMs, will not participate in the industrial action.

Harri Pennanen, the managing director of Automatia, states to Kauppalehti that the only cash machines affected by the strike should be those located inside and adjacent to banks.

The strike is initially expected to continue until tomorrow evening, although employee representatives have issued a strike warning also for 4 and 5 January. The parties to the industrial conflict are expected to re-convene under the guidance of National Conciliator Minna Helle on 2 January.

Helle on Wednesday admitted that the negotiations are currently gridlocked.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Jussi Nukari  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
TWO primary schools which asked parents to pay towards basic equipment have been given 1,000 pens by a bank.

The Reading branch of Metro Bank has stepped in after learning about the appeal by governors of Robert Piggott junior and infant schools in Wargrave.

In a letter to parents, they asked parents for a donation of 1 a day towards stationery and books, the equivalent of 190 per child over the school year.

They blamed changes to schools funding and said the extra money would allow the schools to maintain small classes and provide the best quality teaching.

Bank staff will also visit the school in the new year as part of its Money Zone project, a free financial education programme, which teaches money basics to key stage two pupils and includes a visit to a real banking hall.

Metro Bank chief executive Craig Donaldson said: Our colleagues are empowered to support their local community, so when they heard about the schools appeal, they were more than happy to help.

Sally Ann Akers, executive headteacher of the schools, said: We are very grateful to Metro Bank Reading for their generous and swift donation and look forward to learning more about the free financial education programme.
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

"When you shake a veteran's hand today, look them in the eye and give them a heartfelt thank you," said USAF Ret. Col. Jen Fullmer, parade grand marshal, who spoke at the event.
Weve survived another fast-paced year, consumed with technology, political changes, and lots of online social media drama; notably, the presidential tweets. One of the things many of us do at the end of each year is to look back at our achievements and memorable experiences. I recall hearing my father say, Its nice to look back on your accomplishments, but then you need to turn and look forward, so that you can create new accomplishments. What you are reading is the 53rd and final column for 2017, and the 608th column since Dec. 15, 1997; not that I am keeping track of them . . . well, maybe I am. The complete list of Bits & Bytes columns are on my Facebook page; in case any friends or family members are interested. Ill now take Dads sage advice and turn myself forward and get back to todays topic. A US government census website guesstimates the worlds population at the start of the year was 7.36 billion, and has now risen to 7.44 billion. Its a matter of days before 2018; and yet nearly half the worlds population is unable to access the internet due to economic, geographical, or technological reasons. Visit the US governments population census website at https://www.census.gov/popclock. Back in the day, we addressed personal computer memory mostly using terms like megabytes. Today, computing data storage is spoken using gigabytes and terabytes. I foresee in the not-too-distant future, when a petabyte (one-thousand terabytes, or one-million gigabytes) worth of computing data will be commonly accessible on personal internal/portable data storage drives, or through externally-hosted cloud storage. According to Scientific American, the human brain, using all of its neuron connections, can store 2.5 petabytes, which is equivalent to remembering 3 million hours of television, or 2.2 trillion of those cute kitty pictures seen on Instagram and Facebook. I wont even guess the year when we will be routinely using exabyte and zettabyte memory capacity. Its difficult for us to wrap our minds around such large numbers, but our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will probably be using these virtually limitless, computing-storage terms. In January, I wrote about the conversion from Frequency Modulated (FM) radio to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) in Norway, which resulted in the shutdown of all their FM radio transmitters. DAB provides greater regional reception coverage, lower operating costs when compared to FM, and superior listening quality. Norways FM spectrum allowed five national stations to be operating on the air, whereas 22 are currently being supported using DAB technology. Their conversion reminds me of when all US television broadcast stations were ordered to stop transmitting analog signals over-the-air, and switch to all-digital television signal broadcasting, June 12, 2009. This past year, we also learned about Emma, the robotic masseuse. The Expert Manipulative Massage Automation (Emma) is a technologically-advanced robotic arm equipped with a soft silicone, human-mimicking palm and thumb, used for giving massages. Emma practices the traditional Chinese therapeutic massage called Tuina. This robotic massaging system uses proprietary cloud software intelligence supported by Microsoft and developed by Albert Zhang, founder of AiTreat and NovaHealth Clinic. Emmas advanced electronic sensors and diagnostic functions precisely measure the exact stiffness of a particular muscle or tendon. The robotic arms hand palm and thumb are warmed; so you neednt worry about any cold hands on your back. A computer server located inside the internet cloud receives the massage patients data. There, an artificial intelligence (AI) software program quickly computes the exact pressure to be delivered by Emma during the massage session. The AI program continuously tracks and analyzes the progress of the patients robotic massage. Some folks were surprised when I wrote in a May column, that after five years, I was abandoning Apples iOS, and returning to the Microsoft Windows operating system, with the purchase of a new HP notebook computer installed with Windows 10. The one anecdote I recall from the column is talking computers with the youthful-looking computer sales clerk, Robert. You talk a lot like my dad did when I was growing up. Many years ago, he worked in the computer department at his office, Robert smilingly said to me. I smiled back at him and nodded; feeling a bit unsure of how to reply. Of course, Robert meant it as a compliment. It was the many years ago which caught my attention and gave me pause for thought. I began the Aug. 25 column with Greetings from the Coco Moon Coffee Bar, located in the heart of downtown Brainerd. Columnists need to write; even while on vacation in the relaxing Brainerd Lakes area. I enjoyed revisiting the Coco Moon Coffee Bar, where I had written my Oct. 2, 2006, column, while seated in a comfortable wooden booth next to the large window facing 6th Street and Laurel. It was a satisfying and memorable day in Brainerd; and, for the most part, so was 2017. Lets turn and look forward as we cross the bridge, with hope and optimism, into 2018. Be sure to visit Bits & Bytes online at http://bitscolumn.blogspot.com.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.  One year later, authorities in Washington County, Tennessee, continue to investigate the death of a Southwest Virginia native.

Washington County Tennessee Sheriff Ed Graybeal said 40-year-old Keila Taylors body was found on Christmas Eve 2016 along Herb Hodge Road in Johnson City. She was found near the bank of the Watauga River, not far from the Sullivan County line.

Graybeal said Wednesday the homicide remains unsolved. Investigators continue to follow up on information obtained throughout the investigation, Graybeal said.

Authorities have not released the cause of death.

The sheriff said through the investigation, the department learned Taylor was last seen on the evening of Dec. 23, 2016, at Ts Mart in the 600 block of North Roan Street in Johnson City. Detectives obtained video surveillance from the store.

Taylor was born in Big Stone Gap in 1976 and lived in Lee County, Virginia, according to an obituary published after her death. At the time of her death, the woman had been a resident of Tennessee for 16 years. She last lived in the Kingsport, Tennessee, area.

Taylor enjoyed music, dressing up and junk food, the obituary said. The woman always had a smile on her face, the obituary adds.

Graybeal asks that anyone with information regarding the investigation contact the Sheriffs Office at 423-788-1414 or email at wcso@wcso.net. Callers may remain anonymous, if requested. Individuals can also contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
EMORY, Va.  A diverse crowd of around 50 people linked hands and formed a circle last night at Emory & Henry Colleges first-ever Kwanzaa celebration, held at its Village Community Center. The festivities echoed a message of unity, love and community as people described what they took away from the event.

Wednesday marked the second night of Kwanzaa, a seven-day holiday. Emory & Henrys celebration opened with participants singing Lift Every Voice and Sing and explaining the details of Kwanzaas history.

Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966. He wanted to give people of color  especially African-Americans  something to celebrate, Frederick George, a senior admissions counselor at Emory & Henry, explained to the audience.

Alana Simmons, a project coordinator for Emory & Henry Cares, added that Kwanzaa is a celebration of our African selves and is about facing and fighting oppression of all kinds.

Around 18 million people worldwide celebrate the non-religious holiday, according to a handout at Emory & Henrys celebration. The event takes its characteristics from numerous African harvest festivals and its name from a Swahili phrase that means first fruits.

John Holloway, the schools vice president for student life and student success and dean of inclusion, led a libation prayer  an ancient West African tradition, he explained, to honor ancestors and mentors. He poured a bit of water on a plant as a tribute to each name called out by the audience. Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Barack and Michelle Obama and Maya Angelou were among those remembered.

Audience members then lit the kinara, which holds seven candles  one black, three red, three green. Each candle (and each day of Kwanzaa) symbolizes a different principle. Wednesdays principle was self-determination. Todays is collective work and responsibility. The first days was unity.

The message of unity heard last night is echoed more broadly by Emory & Henrys growing Inclusion & Dialogue Center, which organized the celebration. This is the first year the college held a Kwanzaa celebration, according to Holloway, because its the first year the center has been fully staffed.

Kwanzaa may not be a part of your traditional celebration, but you can make it a part of your life, the centers director, Patricia Gonzalez, told the audience at the events closing. Do not look at others as others.

This is an opportunity for us to invite the community in and to really make an effort to bring folks together to celebrate African-American culture, Holloway said. He was especially pleased by the turnout, considering so many students are currently on winter break.

Holloway suspected a large number of attendees had never celebrated Kwanzaa before and hoped their experience would create a snowball effect in years to come.

I am elated, he said. I am really happy. The turnout was awesome. And Im hoping next year, this place wont be big enough.
BRISTOL, Va.  A fresh coat of paint adorns the exterior of a long-vacant former eyesore now being brought back to life at one of the citys busiest intersections.

Five different contractors are currently working to renovate the former Bristol Inn at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Gate City Highway. In addition to adding a fresh two-tone brown scheme, workers are removing an old canopy, installing a new entranceway and repairing the roof.

Plans call for the hotel to reopen in spring 2018 as a Rodeway Inn  one of the Choice Hotels chain  Raj Patel said Wednesday. His father Jay Patel, who also operates a hotel in Gastonia, North Carolina, is the owner.

We are putting in new carpet and furniture in the rooms, Patel said. We plan on opening in March, but the goal is to open before the first [NASCAR] race [at Bristol Motor Speedway].

The hotel was originally developed in the 1960s and has flown the flags of Holiday Inn, Ramada Inn and Howard Johnson but closed a couple of years ago and had fallen into disrepair.

The previous owner acquired the property at auction and planned to establish an extended-stay business, but the property didnt have sufficient parking, Patel said, adding thats when his family acquired it.

This marks the latest property rebirth in the Euclid Avenue commercial corridor. In the past two years, Food City acquired the nearly vacant Euclid Village shopping center and has gradually been adding tenants. A Badcock Furniture store now operates in another previously vacant building.

There will be 78 rentable rooms. The back building is done on the outside, and the contractor is coming back in early January to complete work inside the rooms, Patel said.

The building includes a restaurant space, which the owners hope to lease.

Well clean the restaurant out and find someone who is really interested in doing something, then rent it out, Patel said. I think a restaurant would do very well here.

Plans also include totally redoing all of the parking areas.

Wise Construction and Horizons General Contracting, both of Abingdon, are doing much of the work, along with R & R Top Choice Roofing.

The new owners were forced to replace most of the buildings electrical wiring, city Building Official Scott Bowen said.

The building was vandalized, and wiring was removed along with copper piping, Bowen said. Theyve had Comfort Systems in there repairing that, and Jamie Fleenor Electric is doing the electric repairs and fixtures.
Vladimir Putin boasts of popularity ratings that Western leaders, Donald Trump included, can only dream of  85 percent and above since Russias invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Yet Putin remains unwilling to test those numbers against real competition. On Monday, the state election commission banned his most popular opponent, Alexei Navalny, from running in the presidential election March 18  meaning that Putin will face no serious opposition to obtaining another six-year term.

Navalny, who has attracted a broad following across Russia by campaigning against corruption, was banned on the basis of trumped-up fraud charges that the European Court of Human Rights ruled invalid.

His real offenses were helping to lead opposition to Putins last reelection, in 2012; producing videos documenting Kremlin criminality, such as the more than $1 billion in property amassed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev; and bringing out tens of thousands of followers in cities across Russia this year to denounce the regime.

Navalny was credited with 27 percent of the vote when he ran for mayor of Moscow in 2013, and his presentation of his case against Medvedev had been viewed 25.7 million times on YouTube as of Tuesday. Still, the conventional political wisdom in Moscow holds that Putin could easily best Navalny in the presidential election, bolstering both his international and domestic credibility.

He nevertheless prefers to stage a Potemkin vote in which his only challengers will be two perennial candidates, one Communist and one ultra- nationalist, and Ksenia Sobchak, a 36-year-old celebrity who has called the election a high-budget show.

Navalny has now called for a boycott, which means that the Kremlins reported goal of a 70 percent turnout may be impossible to reach, barring fraud. In one recent poll, only 58 percent said they would vote.

What could explain Putins seemingly self-defeating tactics? Some analysts argue that the authoritarian regime he has constructed requires not a credible democratic victory but a crushing show of strength. The message must be that there is no alternative.

That is particularly true at a time when the regime is failing to deliver the rising living standards it once offered Russians in exchange for their passivity. After two years of recession brought on by falling oil prices and Western sanctions, the economy will grow this year by less than 2 percent.

Putin now seeks popular favor with nationalist adventurism, such as the invasion of Ukraine; the election is scheduled for the anniversary of the Crimea annexation. But that, too, may be reaching a dead end; Putins attempts to broker favorable settlements to interventions in eastern Ukraine and Syria have been floundering. In short, it may be that Putin has more reason to fear Navalny than the poll numbers suggest.

Even as he outlaws political competition in Russia, Putin continues to oversee attempts to undermine and tilt elections in the West.

For him, democratic contests are a vulnerability, to be avoided at home and exploited abroad. In that sense, Western governments and Russias democrats have a common cause in countering Putin. What both lack is an effective strategy.
That dull roar you heard a few days ago? It came from the countless gasps of horror when The Washington Post reported that the Centers for Disease Control had discouraged the use of certain words.

According to The Post, policy analysts were told not to use seven particular terms: fetus, transgender, vulnerable, entitlement, diversity, evidence-based, and science-based.

This led to stern editorials about thought control, Trump-style, warnings that the directive was an attack on science, and so on. Having the government tell people which words they may and may not use is double-plus un-good, was the widespread consensus.

And of course it is. But to borrow from Kipling, You need not stop work to inform us; we knew it 10 seasons before. Those exercised over the news about the CDC are coming rather late to the party.

Whats more, the back story may be less dramatic than the initial alarms about the dark night of fascism spreading across the land. Apparently, career staff, not political appointees, suggested eschewing the seven dirty words so as to avoid inflaming conservative members of Congress who would be voting on CDC funding.

Yet you cant blame people for thinking the administration was checking off box No. 1 on the How to Impose a Dictatorship in 10 Easy Steps worksheet. After all, the Trump administration has been erasing references to climate change and global warming from government websites almost since it entered office.

So why should the Trump administration be any different? Its hardly the first to declare certain words off-limits, and it wont be the last.

Guffaws erupted across the country in 2000 when the Clinton administration announced that it no longer would refer to outlaw regimes as rogue states. We are now calling these states states of concern, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said.

The Obama administration likewise was extremely skittish about linking terrorism to radical Islam, going so far as to refer to the Fort Hood shooting as an act of workplace violence and to purge FBI materials that were deemed Islamophobic.

California has adopted legislation that, under rare circumstances, could lead to jail time for anyone who uses the wrong pronoun when referring to a transgender person.

But when it comes to Orwellian efforts to erase politically incorrect terms, politicians cant hold a candle to the nations colleges and universities.

Last year Princeton banished the word man from the campus lexicon in an effort to be more gender-inclusive.

James Madison University went even further, distributing a list that was seven pages long, rather than seven words. Among the things you should avoid saying at JMU: I know exactly how you feel, Love the sinner, hate the sin, calling disabled people courageous, and calling old people cute.

The University of Michigan warned students to avoid numerous other words, from crazy and insane to gypped and illegal alien.

A professor at Washington State threatened to flunk students who used the words male and female or other racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, classist or generally offensive  hateful or oppressive language. (She was later overruled.) Elon University banned freshman.

At the University of New Hampshire, American is problematic.

The University of California system doesnt want people to say that America is a land of opportunity, or that Everyone can succeed in this society, if they work hard enough. Gwinnett College in Georgia shut down student Chike Uzuegbunams Christian proselytizing because it constituted fighting words.

The list could go on and on. Indeed, many universities still maintain speech codes that prohibit a wide range of expression, and limit demonstrations, pamphleting, and the like to small free-speech zones, effectively rendering the rest of campus a watch-what-you-say zone.

Is this mere whataboutism  the attempt to deflect criticism by bringing up something off-topic, as when Trump supporters deflect concerns about the president by bringing up Hillary Clintons emails? Far from it. In fact, its quite the opposite.

The concern over Trump administration censorship, real or imagined, is justified and sensible. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance, as a fellow said.

So consider the results of a recent poll, which found that only 40 percent of college students think the First Amendment protects hate speech, and 20 percent agree that its acceptable to use violence to shut down a speaker.

Eventually those students, having been indoctrinated in institutions that routinely told them what they could and could not say, will graduate. Some will go into government. The rest will judge how government acts, and vote accordingly.

And when some future presidential administration decides to banish certain inconvenient words, those former students will not consider it thought control. They will consider it standard operating procedure.
Guest blog by Sharmila Kuthunur

We take for granted Earths reliable magnetic field, which unceasingly protects us from calamitous radiation. Without it, life as we know it would most certainly not have been possible. Lately, however, the intensity of our magnetic field has been decreasing at an alarming rate. And given its history, a pole reversal may well be brewing deep within our planet.

Magnetic pole reversals are a relatively common occurrence on Earth, where one occurs every few thousand years or so. Because of this, ancient remnants of volcanoes can provide researchers with interesting insights on how our magnetic field has evolved over time.

By looking inside volcanic rocks recovered from ocean beds, scientists can examine iron-rich  and therefore magnetic  minerals that have had their orientations frozen in time, mirroring the directions that Earths magnetic field lines were pointing during specific volcanic eruptions. Analyses of these rocks has demonstrated that the direction of our magnetic field has changed over time, so we know pole reversals have occurred in the past. But they also reveal a very disturbing fact: no reversal has occurred in the past 780,000 years.

Considering that Earths magnetic field has decreased 10% since it was first measured by Carl Friedrich Gauss in 1832, scientists are undestandably scrambling to figure out what triggers magnetic pole reversals; after all, we may be currently experiencing one in its early stages. In order to understand how a pole reversal would affect life on Earth, scientists need to understand both what causes the poles to flip and why.

Earths magnetic field, like all magnetic fields, is produced and maintained by what is known as a geodynamo, which resides in our planets core. As Earths rotation swirls liquid iron in the outer core, the electrically charged fluid generates a magnetic field. Typically, a geodynamo needs a large volume of conducting fluid, a supply of energy, and a rotational component to operate. These conditions are essential for a magnetic fields survival. If any of these fluctuate, so does the magnetic field.

Researchers place a rough mathematical approximation of 100,000 years before Earths dynamo shuts down on its own (and we hope it doesnt). The long timeframe is mainly due to the enormous size of Earths core and its magnetic diffusivity. Geologic records, on the other hand, indicate reversals occurred over shorter periods, roughly every 4,000 to 10,000 years. These relatively quick transitions indicate that instability can destroy the dynamos original polarity while quickly generating a new one.

To learn more about how and why pole reversals occur, satellites such as Magsat and Oersted have been taking snapshots of the magnetic field strength at Earths surface. Analysis of the data from these satellites has revealed a process that might cause a reversal: a potential instability occurs when the normal direction of a magnetic field is opposite to what is normally expected in the region.

The magnetic flux distribution at the top of the core (or surface of the Earth) is determined by the very time and space dependent turbulent convection, influenced by the Coriolis forces, inside the fluid core. The same process produces the small patches of locally reversed magnetic field at the top of the core, said Gary Galtzmaier, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The largest of these reversed-flux patches stretch from South Africa to South America. Here, the local flux is unexpectedly inward, whereas most of the flux in that hemisphere is directed outward. Moreover, older patches are seen moving towards the poles, accounting for the drop recorded in the dynamos dipole strength.

While this does explain how the poles might reverse, we do not yet know why it happens, or if we can even expect a reversal soon.

Electric currents in the Earths core prevent satellites from probing any further than the surface of our planet. Because of this, it is not quite possible to accurately reconstruct the core of our planet, which is where the flux originates. This is where supercomputers come to the rescue, helping scientists delve a little deeper. And what better way to understand the magnetic field than to simulate the dynamo itself?

To do this, Galtzmaier developed 3-D computer models to study the structure and dynamics of the interiors of planets. Over the course of a year, the researchers ran the models on UC-Santa Cruzs supercomputers for 12 hours every day, simulating 300,000 years of Earths evolving geodynamo. In the simulation, reversed flux patches just like those observed in real life were seen to form. Instead of completely destroying the original field, these patches created a new weak field, and it took over 9000 years for this weak field to gain absolute control of the core.

Despite the realistic simulation, there are still variations between the models and what is really happening deep within Earths core. This is because supercomputers cannot yet accurately determine turbulences down there.

Even our best theory and numerical models cant resolve the question of exactly what happens to cause a reversal in the Earth. Scientists have worked out several different ways that such systems can undergo reversals, but it isnt clear whether any of those mechanisms are actually occurring in the Earth, said Jonathan Mound, a professor at University of Leeds in the UK.

What we do know is that the same symptoms are happening right now underneath us. The tardy pole reversal, the South Atlantic Anomaly, and the global decrease in the intensity of Earths magnetic field all urge us to ask one question: Is a magnetic pole reversal around the corner?

The geodynamo process is very chaotic and seems to be continually trying to reverse, but very seldom succeeds. At the current rate that our global geomagnetic field intensity is decreasing, the soonest it might start to reverse is likely a couple thousand years from now. And it's just as likely that it won't reverse at that time, said Galtzmaier.

The problem faced by both satellites and supercomputers is the same. They are unable to show us the real-time the conditions in Earths core. The magnetic pole exhibits a multi-polar nature during a reversal, and simulating this requires detailed records of both the geometry of the poles and their evolution with time, which we do not yet know. Though the recent numerical simulations have documented hundreds of pole reversals, they are still a far cry away from accurately representing Earths dynamo. Thus, we simply do not have a simple yes or no answer.

If the poles did reverse, the magnetic field strength would drop during the transition period (the average duration of a reversal is about 5000 years), exposing Earth to severe space weather that would affect much of our electronic infrastructure. Birds and butterflies would likely be affected as they use magnetism for migration. Since the human body is vulnerable to cosmic radiation, the prevalence of cancers would see a sharp increase. Our brains also contain tiny amounts of inhaled magnetite, which when found in abundance has been linked to Alzheimers disease. However, we cant really predict the exact impact of a pole reversal because life and technology at the time it occurs will likely be very, very different. Hopefully, by then, humankind will figure out a way to deal with it.

By combining observational data with numerical models, researchers have made valuable insights into the life and future our Earths geodynomo. As computational power increases, these two fields will undoubtedly continue to work symbiotically, improving our knowledge of the nature of pole reversals. And if our understanding of Earths magnetic field keeps progressing at this rate, predicting this seemingly intrinsic feature of our planet is not a long way off.
Get ready for an exciting year upcoming with Astronomy Magazine. On May 27, 1973, Stephen Walther, a Wisconsin astronomy enthusiast, founded the magazine. The first issue, August 1973, was published soon thereafter. Now, 45 years later, Astronomy Magazine is the largest circulation publication on astronomy in the world, a title it has held since 1981. Our 100,000 monthly print circulation, 700,000 monthly website unique visitors, and 1.4 million social media followers make us the largest community of astronomy enthusiasts on the planet.

To celebrate the brands 45th year, we have some special events planned. Stay tuned to hear about them as the early weeks of 2018 unfold. I can tell you that well publish a very special issue of the magazine to commemorate the anniversary in August 2018.

Get ready to join in on the party!

Thanks for being a part of the Astronomy Magazine family.

 David Eicher, Editor
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Katrina Kaif is on cloud nine over the record-breaking run of her latest release opposite Salman Khan, Tiger Zinda Hai, calling it an overwhelming and extremely satisfying feeling.

The 34-year-old actor, who reprised her role as super-spy Zoya opposite Salmans Tiger in the Ali Abbas Zafar-directed film, said she is glad the audiences loved the film. It feels incredible. When we set out to make Tiger Zinda Hai, we knew that we had a very good script in hand and Ali has done an outstanding job in translating the script to a mind-blowing film that is entertaining audiences of every age-group and across the nation. As an actor, I always want to be part of movies that audiences thoroughly enjoy and the feedback that Im getting from audiences is overwhelming and extremely satisfying, Katrina said in a statement.

The sequel to the 2012 movie has raced past 173-crore in five days. Tiger Zinda Hai also went on to record the highest ever three-day weekend of the year, followed by the biggest ever four-day extended holiday weekend.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The worlds 500 richest people became $1 trillion richer in 2017, more than four times their gains in 2016, as the number of Asian billionaires surpassed the US for the first time, according to a media report.

The increase in their wealth was largely attributed to stock markets shrugging off economic, social and political divisions to reach record highs, according to Bloomberg News.

The 23% increase in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the worlds 500 richest people, compared with an almost 20% rise for the MSCI World Index and Standard & Poors 500 Index.

By the end of trading on December 26, as many as 500 billionaires controlled $5.3 trillion, up from $4.4 trillion on December 27 last year. Among 23 Indian billionaires, Mukesh Ambani came highest on the list at number 20, adding $17.4 billion to his wealth for a total of $40.2 billion.

The 38 Chinese billionaires on the Bloomberg index added $177 billion in 2017, a 65% gain that was the biggest among the 49 countries represented.

A UBS Group AG and PricewaterhouseCoopers report said the number of Asian billionaires had surpassed the US for the first time.

Among the big gainers in 2017 was Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who added the most to his fortunes--$34.2 billion. This helped Bezos knock Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates out of the number one spot on the list of the worlds richest persons in October.

Bezos was briefly worth $100 billion in November, and his current net worth is $99.6 billion, compared with Gates $91.3 billion.

Hui Ka Yan, founder of China Evergrande Group, added $25.9 billion to his riches, a 350% jump from last year, and the second-biggest US dollar gain after Bezos.

Technology billionaire Ma Huateng, co-founder of the Tencent messaging service, became Asias second-richest person as his fortune nearly doubled to $41 billion.

Gates, 62, who had been the worlds richest person since May 2013, has been donating much of his fortune to charity, including a $4.6 billion donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in August.

Russias 27 richest persons added $29 billion to grow to a total of $275 billion, despite international sanctions imposed after President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in 2014, according to The Washington Post.

Among the top losers was Alwaleed bin Talal, the richest man in Saudi Arabia, whose fortune dropped $1.9 billion to $17.8 billion after he was arrested as part of a crackdown by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The accumulation of wealth by the worlds richest also pointed to spiralling inequality, the Post reported. The 2017 World Inequality Report (compiled by economists such as Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez) found that the 1% reaped 27% of the worlds income between 1980 and 2016. The bottom 50% got just 12% of the total income.
A 50-year-old police officer allegedly committed suicide inside a police station in Delhis Rohini district late night on Wednesday.

The victim, Ramesh Kumar, shot himself with the pistol issued to him, police said. No suicide note was found.

Kumar was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. He was an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and posted in South Rohini police station.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta said that the incident came to light when Kumars body was found on Thursday morning.

Kumar was found in the barracks of the police station with a gunshot injury . It seems that he shot himself with his pistol issued to him. An inquiry is being conducted, said Gupta.

Police said that the pistol used by Kumar to commit the crime has been taken into possession.

Kumars body has been sent to a mortuary for post mortem. His family and colleagues are being questioned to find out what could have prompted him to allegedly kill himself, police said.
The much-awaited release of second list of fake saints is likely to be released by the apex body of seers -- Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) -- at Prayag in Allahabad on Friday.

According to the ABAP, after more than three months of detailed enquiry, analysis, checking and deliberation, the list was prepared though consensus among the executive body saints.

Akhada Parishad office bearers though didnt divulge any details of name and number of saints to be included in the second list.

ABAP general secretary Hari Giri Maharaj, who is in Allahabad, told HT over phone that Prayag meeting would be important as core issues like fake saints, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi issue and Mahakumbh fair preparations will dwelled at length.

Akhada Parishad assumes greater responsibility in wake of large number of fake and rootless cult leaders coming into existence, maligning the Sanatan Dharma, true saints and ascetics. We had through first list zeroed on 14 such saints and now second list consists of similar people, who have brought disrepute to the very name and status of saints, said Hari Giri.

Notably, the first list of self-styled godmen was released on September 10, in which controversial saints such as Asha Ram Bapu, Baba Ram Raheem, Rampal, Radhe Maa, Sachidanand Giri, Ichhadhari Bhimanand, Swami Assemnanad, Narayan Sai, Acharya Kushmuni, Brahspati Giri, Om Baba, Malkhan Singh, Swami Om and Nirmal Baba were termed as fake and boycotted from the saint community.

The second list was to be released post Diwali but the deadline was extended till December 10. The second list was not made public citing lack of mutual consensus among the saints.

Along with fake saints issue, the ABAP will also discuss on upcoming Mahakumbh fair at Prayag scheduled in 2019 as well as 2021 Mahakumbh fair in Haridwar.

Giri said as all the 13 akhadas are provided land at Kumbh zone, the parishad will dwell on land space, accommodation facilities, shahi snaan and other related aspects. A report will be presented before Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Kumbh Mela officer-in-charge.

He also expressed happiness over release of 297 crore till date by the government for Prayag Mahakumbh.

The issue of construction of Lord Rama temple at Ayodhya will also come up at the Akhada Parishad meeting with Mahant Narendra Giri urging saints from across the country to get united and come under the ABAP banner to pave way for construction of the temple.
Cash-strapped Uttarakhand is finding it difficult to fulfil the dream for a metro train connecting Dehradun with Haridwar and Rishikesh. A preliminary study has suggested that Rs.20,000 crore was needed for the project.

A detailed project report (DPR) submitted sometime back to the government has suggested that the first phase of the proposed metro connectivity between Rishikresh and Haridwar was unlikely to get suffice passengers. The second phase that will cover Dehradun city is likely to get enough passengers.

Urban transport minister Madan Kaushik on Thursday said considering the report it would not be viable to go ahead with the first phase. Minister said the BJP government has however decided to go ahead with Dehradun which was supposed to be covered in the second phase.

We will also put our case before the central government to include Dehradun in the list of 50 cities as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week which will get metro connectivity, Kaushik told HT. He said if approved, the Uttarakhand will not have to worry about the funding of the project.

The metro rail idea was envisaged during the Congress government. Just ahead of the assembly polls, the Harish Rawat government inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The latter has submitted the DPR.

To execute the idea the state has also incorporated a separate corporation - Uttarakhand Metro Rail Urban Infrastructure and Building Construction Corporation Limited.

The state government hopes being a BJP ruled state, the central government will provide whatever help is required for the project.

60% of the equity of the project is usually born by the central government, rest we can rope in private players, said Kaushik when asked how state will manage finances.

After missing at the smart city bus at least two times, Uttarakhand was included in the list only this year.

Authorities feel that after smart city, metro rail could be another big thing funded by the Centre.

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Ive told you that Astronomy Magazine is proud to be sponsoring our annual Tucson Public Star Party, which will be held at Pima Community Colleges East Campus, February 10, 2018. Well have nighttime stargazing, of course, and also daytime solar viewing as well as lots of camaraderie with fellow astronomy enthusiasts. Not only will Pima Community College be the host institution, and they have done a magnificent job of hosting for some years running now, but we are also fortunate to have the involvement of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA), the largest astronomy club in the city, which will be there in force.

Many thanks to the fantastic staff at Pima: Emily Halverson-Otts, Dean of Sciences; Libby Howell, Executive Director of Media, Community, and Government Relations; Lisa Brosky, Vice Chancellor for External Relations; and Jaylene Wilson, Business Services. These four wonderful women have been terrific to work with. And big thanks to Jim Knoll, Star Party Manager of the TAAA, who has been fantastic in his support.

Now I have more news! The Palominas Astronomy Club of Sierra Vista, Arizona, will also be joining us for the Public Stargaze. Led by the very energetic astronomy enthusiast Keith Mullen, the Palominas Club is a new organization that is focused on visual observing by new and intermediate astronomers  those who may feel overwhelmed by the advanced nature of some clubs. President Mullen and his fellow club members will be on hand at the Tucson stargaze, and this will add to the mixture for everyone who attends.

I invite you to be there at the East Campus, Pima Community College, 8181 East Irvington Road, Tucson, AZ 85709, on Saturday, February 10, 2018. We will start observing the Sun and milling around, talking astronomy, around noon, and of course the observing will heat up by around 7 p.m. and last for several hours. Please join us for a day and night of great astronomy in the astronomy capital of the United States!!
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has gone soft on the recently announced list of the restricted holidays for government employees after the Sangh Parivar raised objection.

Minister and government spokesperson Madan Kaushik on Thursday said restricted holidays doesnt mean that no one can take holidays. The idea behind putting a couple of holidays in the restricted list is to ensure that government work is not hampered. Anyone can take the leaves or claim encashment as per rules, he told HT.

Recently, the Trivendra Singh Rawat-led BJP government listed Hindu festivals such as Raksha Bandhan, Bhai Dooj, Maha Navmi, Govardhan Puja and Chhath Puja as restricted holidays from the public holiday list.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had raised objection and so did the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a right wing outfit, which held demonstration across the state.

FOUR MUNICIPALITIES WILL NOT GO TO THE POLLS

Out of total 92 local bodies in the state, four municipalities  Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Bikiyasen  will not go to the polls scheduled in April next year owing to the stay order of the high court. Urban development minister Madan Kaushik on Thursday said the government was ready for the polls as notifications were being issued for the delimitation of the local bodies.

The government went ahead with its decision despite widespread protest by the Congress and some local organizations. The decision will pave the way for the inclusion of several villages in city areas. After delimitation of the wards, the urban area will be increased by 40%. Since, we intend to provide more facilities meant for the urban areas, therefore government decided for the inclusion of the new areas, Kaushik said.

It was the Election Commissions prerogative to decide whether it wants to go ahead with the electronic voting machines or the ballot papers, he added.

Meanwhile, Congress state president Pritam Singh said his party decided to stage a day long protest in the capital against the governments move for the merger of villages in the urban areas. The move, he said, was against the basic idea of democracy.

But Kaushik suggested the opposition party to get involved in positive politics and to prepare for the polls.

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A jilted lover was arrested on Thursday from Delhi by Pithoragarh police for allegedly throwing acid on a woman and her relative on December 19.

Guddu, who hails from Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh and works as a painter in Champawat districts Lohaghat, was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, a police officer said.

The culprit had thrown acid on two women, who are residents of Lunthura in Pithoragarh town as he wanted to marry one of the women identified as Parwin, said Ajay Joshi, Pithoragarh police chief.

The lady is already married. After his failure in convincing Parwin to marry him, Guddu nursed a grudge against her and threw acid while she was sitting at her residence with her relative Nazima, injuring both the women said Joshi.

After committing the crime, Guddu went underground but the district police managed to arrest him from Delhis Chandni Chowk area.

During interrogating, superintendent of police Joshi, said he revealed that he was upset as Parwin, who had lived with him for two years in Rampur, had left him to marry one Shakir and was living in Pithoragarh.

Police said the acid throwing case was the first such case in the district. We are also tracing the shop from where he had obtained the acid as selling the substance is banned, Joshi said.

According to doctors in the district hospital in Pithoragarh, the medical condition of Parwin, who sustained 30% burn injuries, is improving while Nazima has recovered fully.
More than 3,000 allottees of Delhi Development Authoritys ambitious 2017 housing scheme have surrendered their flats within a month of the draw of lots, citing small size and lack of basic amenities.

The allottees have also claimed that the authority wrongly projected the size of the flats in the publicity brochure.

Most of the returned flats, officials said, are in the LIG category in Narela on the city outskirts and have been returned even before the agency could issue demand-cum-allotment letters to the winners of the lottery. Of the 46,000 applications received for the 2017 scheme, DDA allotted the flats to 12,617 applicants in the draw of lots held on November 30.

The flats, officials said, are small-sized and among 8,500 returned by the allottees in the land owning agencys 2014 housing scheme. Then too, the reasons cited were small size or inadequate civic facilities in the localities. Later, the authority clarified that the flats were included in the latest scheme after the problems were fixed.

According to the maps shown in the brochure, I thought the one-room flat had 10x10 ft room but it was even less than 6X6 ft where there is no space for even an average-sized bed, said Rameshwar, a businessman from Nangloi in northwest Delhi who was allotted a flat in Narela.

The surrendered flats are those for the lower-income group where the applicants have cited small size of the rooms, said JP Agrawal, principal commissioner (housing).

The 12,617 flats include 11,757 lower income group (LIG), 403 middle income group (MIG), 372 Janta and 85 higher income group units. Priced between Rs 7 lakh to over Rs 1.26 crore, the flats are located in various colonies across the city such as Rohini, Dwarka, Narela, Vasant Kunj, Jasola, Pitampura, Paschim Vihar and Siraspur.

The place is far from we thought. There are no roads and not even drinking water facility, said an allottee of an LIG flat who did not want to be named.

Agrawal said that the allottees should have visited the flats before applying.

The once much sought-after DDA flats have, of late, been losing out to private housing projects which provide better amenities at lower rates in the National Capital Region (NCR). There is a provision for surrendering the flats within 15 days after the demand-cum-allottment letters are issued.

Officials said DDA would adjust the flats in the waiting list and in case no one takes them, the agency would consider merging two flats to increase the size.

If that doesnt help we will try to give these flats to police personnel, Aggrawal said.

In July 2016, the then minister of state for urban development, Rao Inderjit Singh, said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that out of 25,039 flats for draw of lots in the 2014 housing scheme, 10,653 flats were surrendered or cancelled. After the return of flats in the earlier schemes DDA had claimed that the problems with them had been addressed.

In fact, the new under-construction flats, which are part of the 2018 housing scheme of the DDA, have swanky multi-level underground parking and rainwater harvesting units.
A Delhi Police assistant sub-inspector(ASI), who had allegedly raped a woman on Tuesday, was dismissed on Thursday.

MN Tiwari, DCP (outer), told Hindustan Times that the policeman has been booked on rape charges and dismissed from service after the initial probe confirmed that he had raped the woman.

The ASI went absconding and remained on the run at the time of filing this report. The DCP said CCTV footage as well as call record details pointed to the policemans involvement in the crime.

The 30-year-old woman had visited the Mianwali police station a few days ago in connection with a matrimonial dispute and had sought polices help to sort out the problem, said an investigator. The woman lives in the neighbourhood and does odd jobs, police said.

It was during one of those visits that 50-year-old ASI Dileep Singh came in contact with the woman. When the woman sought his help in settling the dispute, the policeman demanded sexual favours from her, the officer said. The woman did her best to keep him away, but the policeman allegedly kept in contact saying only he could help her, said the officer.

On Tuesday, Singh allegedly lured the woman to a private flat in the neighbourhood on the pretext of arranging a meeting with other party and raped the woman in the flat, said the officer.

The woman informed the police on Tuesday. The woman was sent for medical examination, which confirmed rape, said the investigator.

We registered an FIR on Wednesday. The call records showed the policeman had been calling the woman frequently. Also, the CCTV footage confirmed that the policeman had led the woman into the flat where the rape took place, said the officer.
The ongoing sealing drive, being carried out under the supervision of Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee, moved from south Delhi to the northern parts of city on Thursday.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation officials re-sealed 243 shops in Rajapuri market (near Rohini), which were sealed in 2007.

The official said that the drive was carried to re-verify the sealing of shops in market. These shops were constructed illegally on gram sabha land more than a decade back, while the area falls under the jurisdiction Delhi Development Authority. In 2007, we carried sealing drive on the direction of the monitoring committee here, said a north corporation official.

On Thursday too, the monitoring committee had directed the DDA and the MCD to revisit the place and re-seal these properties again, he said further.

The drive, however, spread resentment among shopkeepers who have been fighting multiple agencies for the last 10 years. The decision has affected our lives. We had to look for alternative ways to earn our bread and butter after the sealing of these shops. The action is an example of monitoring committees dictatorship, said a shop owner, on condition of anonymity.

In south Delhi, the building department of municipal corporation continued the drive against shop owners misusing agricultural land for commercial use for the third consecutive day on Thursday.

The agency took action against 29 commercial establishment, most of them marble trading units on Chhatarpur Bhati Road, on the direction of the Supreme Court appointed monitoring committee. The building department of south zone sealed 29 commercial outlets during the drive.

Demolition drive in east Delhi

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Thursday also carried demolition action against 41 shops. The shopkeepers had illegally occupied the municipal corporation land in pocket D-2 Janta Flat, Kondli (near Mayur Vihar Phase III). The defaulters were given warning through repeated notices, said an EDMC official. The action against encroachment will continue on Friday.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said he has in the past tried negotiating with terrorists and can now accept the challenge of brokering peace between Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and lieutenant governor Anil Baijal.

The comments of the minister of state for housing and urban affairs came after members from various opposition parties complained about the elected government of Delhi being deprived of all powers by the Centre and the constant friction between the Lt Governor and Delhi Chief Minister, as the former wields all the administrative powers.

In the four decades of my public life, I faced many challenges. I have tried to negotiate with terrorists, etc. This (dealing with Kejriwal) is going to be a difficult one but I will accept your challenge and try and negotiate, Puri told the Rajya Sabha.

Maybe, I invite both of them for a lunch or something and will try and sort this out, he added after Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien asked Puri to sort out the friction between Lt Governor and Delhi Chief Minister.

Kejriwal and Puri exchanged some heated official communication on the issue of hike in fares of the Delhi Metro in October this year. While Kejriwal demanded a rollback of the hike, Puri categorically declined it citing the mechanism of the Fare Fixation Committee.

Earlier, as the House discussed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Third Amendment) Bill, 2017, many members raised the issue of division of powers between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor and said that the latter wielded all the powers and not the elected government.

While members from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI-M and the CPI forcefully stressed the need to give more powers to the Delhi government, Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Agarwal went on to say that the Lt Governor treats Delhi Chief Minister like a chaprasi (peon).

Veteran Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also raised the issue of the Delhi Chief Minister not being invited at the inauguration of the Delhi Metros Magenta line a few days back.

Every person with a common sense was heard saying that this (not extending invitation) was not proper, Yadav said as he cited an example of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee once declining to go to the inauguration of a project in a state until its Chief Minister was invited.

The House later unanimously passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Third Amendment) Bill, 2017 that extends the validity of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 till December 31, 2020.

In simple terms, the extension of the law would defer any action against the unauthorised colonies and slum clusters in the city for another three years -- till 2020.
A group of parents from the economically weaker section (EWS) claimed that a private school in south Delhi, where their children study, had asked them to pay fees from April next year as the institute cannot extend free education to the children.

Parents said that St Georges School in Alaknanda issued them a circular last week informing about the decision of the school, after which they held a protest on Wednesday and also submitted a letter to the Directorate of Education (DoE).

The circular said, minority schools are exempted from giving free education to students by the government. Last two years, we were informing you about this. Now the school cannot extend the free education to your child due to this rising cost of expenditure in school. You have to pay fees for your ward in the next academic year 2018-2019 starting from April 2018.

Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which was implemented in Delhi in 2011, all private schools were asked to admit students from EWS background on 25% of their seats. But a Supreme Court judgment exempted minority institutes from the ambit of the RTE in 2014.

I am illiterate so I could not read the circular and asked one of my neighbours to read it. I am a driver and I cannot afford to pay so much fees. I will have to withdraw my child if the school insists that I pay the fees. We have written a letter to the DoE, said the father of the child.

Atishi Marlena, advisor to education minister Manish Sisodia, said the DoE will on Thursday issue directions to the school that they can neither charge fee from EWS children nor can they ask them to leave the school.

The children were admitted between 2011 and 2014 before the SC order exempted minority schools from following RTE. Those admitted before will have to be given free education as per RTE, she said.

St Georges School principal Sara George maintained that none of the students will be asked to leave the school and students who are under EWS category will continue to get free education till Class 12.

The circular was only a way to communicate with the parents so that they come to me and I can ask them to submit their latest income certificates. I want to cross check their income certificates so that only those who are actually under EWS get benefit of free education, she said.

She said that she will meet the parents personally and resolve the issue.

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The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed a bill to extend for three years the provisions of a law that protects slums and unauthorised construction in Delhi from punitive action.

With the passing of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the validity of current laws has been extended till December 31, 2020. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on Wednesday.

The existing law gives legal protection to illegal constructions and unauthorized colonies till December 31, 2017.

Replying to a discussion, housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri said there was no option other than extending the provisions of the law as the Delhi government had submitted an affidavit in the high court saying it needed two more years to complete work. He said without an extension, the threat of punitive action would hang over the peoples head.

I dont have any answer as to why nothing was done between 2008 and 2014, but after 2014 an attempt to fast-track things has been made, he said

The extension of the Act was necessitated because adoption of measures to finalise norms, policy guidelines and feasible strategies for making orderly arrangements to deal with the problem of encroachment and unauthorised development have to be taken by agencies, including the Delhi government, DDA and the three municipal corporations.

The bill will provide immunity to all properties that have additional unauthorized constructions, shops/ commercial establishments running from residential areas, high-end designer boutiques and furniture showrooms in Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, Shahpur Jat, Hauz Khas Village and other rural and urbanised villages.

Rift between Delhi CM and L-G (

During the discussion on the bill, several members, including SP leader Naresh Agrawal, CPI MP D Raja and AITC member Nadimul Haque drew the attention of the House towards the rift between the lieutenant governor and the Delhi chief minister and how it was taking a toll on governance.

Deputy chairperson PJ Kurien asked Puri to take the initiative to sort out the friction between the L-G and CM. The minister, a veteran diplomat, responded by saying that he had negotiated with terrorists in his career but the task suggested by the chair would be difficult. Maybe I will invite them (L-G and CM) for lunch, he said.

Several MPs raised questions about the Delhi CM not being invited for launch of the Magenta line Metro. The inauguration was done in the UP segment of Metro, Puri said.

On the allegations that a blind school was razed, the minister said it was an unauthorized construction on government land in the garb of a school for the blind children. He said the government had offered to rehabilitate the children in another nearby school.
Suspecting him of having an extra marital affair, a 40-year-old woman attacked her husband with a knife in the early hours of Wednesday in a slum cluster in west Delhis Tilak Nagar, police said on Thursday.

The man suffered multiple stab wounds in his head and neck. He is the womans second husband.

Police said the woman fled the crime scene after attacking her husband. However, she was arrested later in the day and booked for attempting to kill her husband. The woman was identified as Premwati. Police have also seized the knife that was used by Premwati to attack her husband.

Vijay Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (west), said a case under section 307 (attempt to murder), of Indian Penal Code was registered at the Tilak Nagar police against Premwati for attempting to kill her husband. The FIR was filed on the complaint of the couples neighbour Usha, who is also their relative. Usha in her complaint told police that Premwati was married to her brother Chaman Lal around 25 years ago. Lal passed away around 15 years ago. Premwati has four daughters and a son from her first husband.

After Lals death, a police officer said, Premwati came in contact with her husbands cousin Sanjay Pai later married him. The two then shifted to Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh where Premwati gave birth to a twins, one of who later died. A year later, the couple moved back to Delhi, leaving their child with their family in Moradabad.

Usha told police in the complaint that the couple for past some months had has been having a bitter relationship because Sanjay often used to spent his night at somebody elses home and Premwati suspected him of having an extra marital affair. The couple often had arguments and quarrels over the issue.

On Wednesday around 4am, Usha heard Premwati and Sanjay quarrelling outside their home. Usha came out and saw Premwati dragging Sanjay inside their home. The couple entered into a scuffle during which Premwati picked up a knife and began attacking Sanjay. When Usha screamed and alerted neighbours, Premwati fled, leaving her husband in a pool of blood, said the officer.

The police control room was informed and Sanjay was rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) hospital where doctors declared him unfit for statement. The knife was found lying at the scene of the crime. A case was registered and police launched a manhunt for Premwati. She was arrested from West Delhi later in the day, said police.
China has taken a diplomatic bull by the horns by hosting a foreign ministers trilateral with Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is seeking solutions to two problems. One, to get Kabul and Islamabad on the same page on almost any issue. That this is difficult should not be a surprise given that Pakistan is supporting an insurgency, the Taliban, to overthrow the Afghan government. In most cases, this would be a weak basis for cooperation. The other is to build cross-border infrastructure in Afghanistan. The Afghan landscape is littered with wonderful-sounding connectivity projects which have never gone beyond the drawing board. One only has to recall the Lapis Lazuli corridor, Five Nations Railway and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.

India should cautiously welcome this initiative. It has been an overriding Indian strategic interest to help Afghanistan reduce its dependency on Pakistan and give it more resources to tackle the Taliban. Both of these would be enhanced by Chinese investment. Despite Beijings closeness to Islamabad, the track record of China in Afghanistan has been one of promoting regional stability rather than hewing blindly to Pakistans line. It is forgotten that India once used China to persuade Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. Beijing has repeatedly sought to promote regional understanding on Afghanistan. It proposed India-Afghanistan-Pakistan talks in 2006. Since then it has hosted a variety of talks that have included Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Taliban and the United States. Afghanistan is a regular part of the agenda of Russia-India-China meetings. Notably, none of these efforts have borne any success.

Similarly, Afghanistan has been an essential part of the Belt-Road Initiative almost since its inception and Kabul publicly welcomed the idea of joining the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) last year. But building infrastructure in Afghanistan is easier said than done. Indias only requirement, endorsed by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani when he came to Delhi last, is that such an arrangement also incorporate trade and transit from India to Afghanistan. This is something that Pakistan has long opposed. Kabul will also be advised to ensure that any debt arising from these Chinese projects be kept on Beijings books.

Islamabad was vague about what it thought of China helping rebuild Afghanistan. After all, security for such projects would have to be guaranteed by Pakistan, the primary external supporter of the Taliban. When the US had proposed a similar plan, Islamabad undermined it It will find it much harder to play that double game with its all-weather friend, China.
A decade ago, the Mumbai Police launched a mission to curb drink driving on the citys streets. It was a late realisation considering two big cases  one allegedly involving actor Salman Khan, for which he was later acquitted, and the other involving 21-year-old Bandra resident Alistair Pareira, for which he was convicted  had claimed eight innocent lives in a high-profile, headline-grabbing manner. Compared to most of Indias other big cities, it was still an early wake-up call. Police pickets suddenly increased on Mumbais arterial roads. The breathalyser became a common policemans implement  almost as ubiquitous as the lathi. People driving towards and away from prominent pubs started telling stories of how they were stopped, how their licences were confiscated, how telling the policemen how influential they were didnt work, and even how some of them were made to spend a night in jail to sleep off their indiscretion.

The result was instantaneous. People started leaving cars and bikes at home and taking cabs and autos even to pubs that were just around the corner. It helped that Mumbai had a robust public transport system, and the habits of drinking but not driving, or not drinking when driving, started to spread for fear of retribution. Drink driving cases in Mumbai rose from 1,022 in 2006 to 12,765 in 2007, the year the campaign started. This week, the Mumbai Police released its drink driving figures for Christmas, showing they had fallen to just 31 on a night of revelry. This is an instance of anecdotes supporting police statistics. The numbers are down not because of inaction or improper recording of transgressions; they illustrate a changing mindset.

Hurtling down the road in a powerful metal box demands great responsibility. The driver has a weapon in their hands, which can destroy lives if wielded callously. An example of this, if one was needed, is how terror groups have made ramming vehicles into crowds their latest modus operandi. Most cities across India are guilty of treating what is the gravest and potentially most lethal traffic crime with a strange nonchalance.

In Delhi, there are police pickets, and some breathalysers are brandished occasionally. But anecdotal evidence suggests that despite the statistics (28,006 people were caught for drink driving in 2016), the deterrent is not strong enough and the execution not robust enough. The first response of the police, unlike Mumbai for instance, is not to take offenders in custody but to charge fines and let them go. The Delhi Police, and forces in other cities, must emulate the Mumbai Polices efficiency on this front. And though it may hurt to hear this given the rivalry between the two cities, perhaps the people of Delhi can learn a thing or two from their friends in Mumbai.
New Delhi

Students and a section of faculty members at Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have alleged that the move to make attendance mandatory at the institute was an attack on the universitys traditions. The decision they said was unilateral and taken by the vice chancellor without consulting them.

A circular issued by the university on December 22 made attendance mandatory for all students registered in all programmes from the winter semester 2018 and detailed guidelines, including the exact percentage of minimum attendance required, to be circulated in due course of time.

The decision has, however, has not been received well by students across party lines, with the Left-backed JNU students union calling the new directive irrational, arbitrary and anti student. The RSS-backed ABVP members have called for the burning of effigies of the JNU administration and the student union over the regressive Tughlaqi farmaan.

Though, the circular mentions that the academic council approved to make attendance compulsory in its meeting on December 1, the students union said no decision in this regard had been reached.

Attendance was not discussed in the academic council meeting with students or teachers. It was not even on the agenda. The vice chancellor had mentioned something about this saying they would do it but no decision had been made, said Simone Zoya Khan, vice president, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU). Khans claim was corroborated by Ayesha Kidwai, president of JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) .

Khan further said the decision to monitor attendance of students was an attack on the way JNU has traditionally functioned, and the students body does not accept it.

JNUSU president Geeta Kumari termed the move unreasonable and unnecessary, especially for MPhil, PhD students when they did not have regular classes.

Kidwai, the head of the teachers body, said the move is unnecessary as JNU doesnt have a problem of absenteeism. This has zero support among the teachers community. We do not have an absentee problem, then why make attendance compulsory? If you miss classes, you miss out and fall behind. That should be punishment enough, she said, while adding that attendance has been discussed for undergraduate language courses in the past, but never implemented.

JNU spokesperson said that all questions regarding the matter should be directed to the assistant registrar, Sajjan Singh, for evaluation. Singh, on the other hand, said he was out of town and he had nothing more to add other than what the circular said. The JNU V-C refused to comment on the issue.

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Ahmedabad: In what comes as relief to the parents of around 37 lakh children, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday said the state governments law regulating fees charged by private schools was constitutionally valid.

Rejecting a bunch of around 40 petitions opposing the law, a division bench of chief justice R Subhash Reddy and justice V M Pancholi upheld the Gujarat Self Financed Schools (Regulation of Fees) Act, 2017.

The court also rejected the demand by schools to stay the implementation of the Act while they file an appeal.

Upholding the Act as well as the rules framed under it, the division bench gave the schools six weeks to approach a competent authority to make a representation requesting modification of the rules if they wished to.

Private schools can submit proposals -- with details of their income and expenditure -- to the Fee Regulatory Committee set up under the Act if they want to increase the fees beyond the cap prescribed in the Act, said the court.

The court gave them three weeks to put these proposals before the Fee Regulatory Committee.

Such a fee hike should be for improving the quality of education and not for profiteering by charging exorbitant fees, the court said.

The HC rejected the contention of the CBSE-affiliated schools and those run by minority institutions that the state government has no power to regulate them.

The state legislature has the power to make laws for schools affiliated to the state board, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as well as the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the judges said.

The high court also rejected a petition filed by the schools run by minority institutions which opposed the law, saying they are already regulated by both the CBSE and the National Commission for Minorities.

They were protected under Article 30 of the Constitution which determines the rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions, these schools had said, seeking to be outside the purview of the fee regulation act.

The high court also didnt entertain a demand by a parents organisation that a representative of parents should be part of the fee regulatory committee.

The Gujarat Self Financed Schools (Regulation of Fees) Act came into force in April 2017.

The bill, introduced by the BJP government in the last Budget session, said it intended to control exorbitant fees charged by private schools.

The fees prescribed in the Act for primary, secondary and higher secondary schools are Rs 15,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 27,000 per year, respectively.

If the schools want to charge more, they need to submit a proposal to the fee regulatory committee.

The Act provides for a fee regulatory committee each for four zones, based in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot.

Managements of several private, minority-run as well as CBSE and ICSE schools had approached the court against the law, saying it was unconstitutional.

Jubilant parents burst fire crackers to celebrate the court verdict at some places in the state today. But schools are considering moving the Supreme Court.

There are still several discrepancies in the Act and we are facing lots of difficulties in running our schools. We would meet to discuss plans about approaching the Supreme Court soon, said Jatin Bharad, vice chairman of the state private schools association.

Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, who held the education portfolio in the previous government when the law was brought in, hailed the ruling as historic and a torch-bearer for other states.

This would benefit 37 lakh parents...We are determined to implement the law in the strictest possible way. If schools are found guilty, the law even allows us to cancel their licences, said Chudasama.

The opposition Congress said the law should have been introduced 10 years ago. It was the BJP government which allowed such schools to rob people all these years, said Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi.
Kolkata The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) said on Wednesday that it would pitch for a smart hackathon for Bengal next year on the lines of the Smart India Hackathon 2017 to make students of state universities and institutes think innovatively.

Director of SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) of AICTE, Manpreet Singh Manna said there has already been successful Smart Hackathons in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Bengal being a knowledge hub should take the initiative of organising a Smart Hackathon to reach out to a greater number of students, he said.

The AICTE is ready to collaborate and offer all assistance and support, he told PTI on the sidelines of a programme at Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In the Smart India Hackathon 2017 the participating teams competed from 33 locations across the country to offer digital yet sustainable innovative solutions to solve real time challenges faced by the nation.

We need a platform called Hackathon for devising innovative solutions to different problems. We should not be stuck in old curriculum and preparing class notes only. We need our electrical engineers to do the job of a mechanic as well as that of an engineer. If that connect is missing, how can our students have holistic knowledge of their subject, he said.

Our future engineers know the problems and their solutions but they do not know how to implement, Manna said adding teachers have to be more proactive and evolve themselves.

In his address at the programme Sustainable Energy Technology and Policies - A Transformational Journey, Manna called for organising workshops, screening films and involving both state universities and private institutes in a bigger way to build awareness about the need to shift from conventional to non-conventional energy use.

Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technolgy (IIEST) director Prof Ajoy Ray said, there should be greater collaboration between industry and institutions.

I think IIEST, Jadavpur University, Indian Statistical Institute and similar institutions of the state should join hands and collaborate to facilitate a robust industry-academic institutions interface. That will help West Bengal in the long run, he said.
A novel nanowire device that is able to non-invasively detect microscopic levels of cancer markers in the urine, has been developed by Japanese researchers. It could aid in improving diagnosis and treatment of the deadly disease. The device was found with the potential to efficiently capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) from urine and potentially use them to screen for cancer. Previously scientists developed a test that smells prostate cancer from urine samples.

The ongoing challenge for physicians in any field is to find a non-invasive diagnostic tool that allows them to monitor their patients on a regular basis  for example, a simple urine test, said lead author Takao Yasui, from the Nagoya University in Japan.

However, the content of EVs in urine is extremely low, at less than 0.01% of the total fluid volume, which becomes a major barrier to their diagnostic utility. The new device  embedded with zinc oxide nanowires into a specialised polymer  was found to be highly efficient at capturing these vesicles.

Our findings suggest that the device is indeed quite efficient. We obtained a collection rate of over 99%, surpassing ultracentrifugation as well as other methods that are currently being used in the field, Yasui added.

Using the device, scientists were able to net over a thousand types of microRNAs, which are short pieces of ribonucleic acid that play diverse roles in normal cellular biology. The presence of certain microRNAs in urine might serve as a red flag for serious conditions such as bladder and prostate cancer, the study reported in Science Advances showed.

To test the device, the team compared the microRNAs of EVs isolated from healthy patients with those isolated from patients who were already diagnosed with bladder, prostate, and other forms of cancer. Compared with the standard approach, they found a substantially greater number and different types of microRNAs with just 1 milliliter of urine, the researchers said.

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The Gurgaon administration on Thursday ordered an enquiry into the functioning of the Huda Gymkhana Club in Sector 29 and allotment of club land to a tent house owner by the urban authority allegedly in violation of rules.

Gurgaon divisional commissioner D Suresh directed that probe be conducted into the functioning of the club to investigate the allotment of contracts, tenders, and appointment of staff by the clubs management.

Suresh also ordered the suspension of Ankit Lamba, general manager of the Huda Gymkhana Club, over these irregularities.

Acting in the capacity of the clubs president, the divisional commissioner said the general manager Ankit Lambas suspension was immediate as he was in possession of all documents pertaining to the contracts, tenders and hiring at the establishment.

The divisional commissioner said, At present, the club is being run like a personal property with financial decisions being taken by the management to benefit those close to them, including the relatives.

Suresh also said that the facilities at the club can be utilised only by members, those listed by them as family, and government officials entitled to use club facilities and services as per rules.

Gurgaon deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh has been asked to probe Hudas lease agreement with Billu Tent House. The establishment has set up a banquet hall in the lawns of the club, he said.

The appointment of general manager Ankit Lamba, who has been suspended, will be investigated along with the terms of contract awarded to a private party for setting up and operating a banquet hall in the club lawn. These term were changed frequently. Also, the contracts awarded for operation of swimming pool, restaurant and security will be probed as a lot of irregularities have been pointed out, Suresh said.

Suresh added that a committee, appointed by him, was looking into the legalities of the land lease, and there was the possibility that this contract could be declared void.

Club members, who raised the matter with the administration, said that the management was operating the club as it was their personal fiefdom, which had caused many problems.
One year after the death of the iconic Star Wars actor Carrie Fisher, many Hollywood stars took to their social media accounts to pay tribute to the late actor on the anniversary of her death.

Among those who remembered the star were Billie Lourd (daughter of Carrie Fisher) and Mark Hamill, who appeared alongside Fisher in the iconic franchise as Luke Skywalker, who paid heartwarming tributes to the late actress.

Taking it to Twitter, Hamill paid homage to his late co-star with a quote from the new Star Wars film.

He wrote, No ones ever really gone, citing a line his character says to Fishers in the latest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi.

Her daughter, Billie Lourd, also remembered the actor on Instagram, revealing that she travelled to Norway to honour her mother.

My momby [sic] had an otherworldly obsession with the northern lights, but I never got to see them with her. We journeyed to northern Norway to see if we might see the heavens lift up her dark skirts and flash her dazzling privates across [our] unworthy irises. And she did. I love you times infinity, wrote Lourd.

Actor Laura Dern, Fishers co-star on The Last Jedi, wrote her own tribute on Instagram beside a split photo of Fisher in Star Wars: A New Hope and The Last Jedi.

She wrote, To a goddess, an icon, and a truth-teller. The deepest kind of inspiration. Thinking today of the privilege of knowing you.

Fishers own pup also remembered his mom today. We miss you more than ever, read a message shared on an Instagram account for Gary Fisher, her beloved dog.

Fisher died on 27 December last year aged 60, after a heart attack.
Kenneth Branagh says portraying the role of a James Bond villain would be a delicious opportunity. The 57-year-old actor, who was last seen playing detective Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express, said the antagonists to the latest 007, Danile Craig, have been almost Shakespearean, The Mirror reported.

I think as an actor that is always delicious to play... I am a connoisseur of those Bond villains. But is a hard one to do. I loved Javier Bardem in Skyfall.

Actor Kenneth Branagh waves before placing his hands and feet in cement in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles. (REUTERS)

The actor-director added keeping up with the changing tastes of the masses was tough and the Bond franchise has managed to keep them on their toes.

That franchise has been great at responding to the way that audiences want to receive the material. That is not trying to be a cartoon - they want to have as much complication as possible, he said.

Featuring Craig in the number 25 Bond movie, the next installment is expected to be released in November 2019.

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Three persons were injured and several vehicles set on fire as ruling Trinamool Congress supporters and a group of people protesting against land acquisition for a power grid project clashed in West Bengals Bhangar on Thursday, police said.

Eyewitnesses said bombs were hurled and gun shots fired during the violence that returned to haunt the suburb, some 30km from state capital Kolkata.

Two villagers died and many others were injured in clashes with police and TMC supporters that broke out in January this year during protests over the governments move, bringing back memories of the anti-land acquisition agitations in Singur and Nandigram.

The clash against erupted on Thursday morning when a rally taken out under the banner of Jami, Jibika, Poribesh O Bastutantra Raksha Committee (Committee to secure Land, Livelihood, Environment and Ecosystem) was accosted by TMC supporters at Anantapur intersection. People from more than 12 villages reportedly took part in the rally.

The committee is spearheading the movement against acquisition of land for a power sub-station in the area since January 2017.

One of the agitators sustained a bullet injury, while two others got hit by splinters of a bomb, said Mirza Hassan, spokesperson of the committee.

Abdur Rezzak Mollah, a senior minister in Mamata Banerjees government, accused protestors of instigating the violence and claimed two of his party supporters were injured.

The agitators marshalled about 70 bikes and a few pick up vans to go around Bhangar. After the word went around, TMC supporters barricaded Anantapur. The agitators hurled bombs that injured two of our supporters, Mollah said.

Local TMC strongman Arabul Islam even blamed opposition CPI(M) and Congress for the violence.

The land agitators were coming in vehicles armed with firearms and bombs. The bombs went off accidentally and a vehicle caught fire. Naxalites, the Congress and the CPI(M) are all involved in the violence, he alleged.

Opposition parties and human rights activists flayed the state government for the violence.

Utter lawlessness is prevailing there. The ruling party has ushered in a culture of bombs and guns to supress the will of the locals, said CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakravarty.

Who had given the right to TMC supporters to attack a peaceful rally with bombs? asked Chakravarty.

Mollah, however, said protestors did not take police permission for the rally.

The state government should resolve the dispute through dialogue. An utility project is languishing and the people are suffering, said BJP state president Dilip Ghosh.

Sujato Bhadra, prominent human rights activist of the state, said locals did not break any law as they have right to protect democratically.

The police has so far not been able to arrest anyone though two villagers died a few months ago. The state government has not been able to prove anything against those booked over the previous clashes, he added.

In October, the HT had reported that the agitators were preparing to contest the rural body polls in the state to be held early next year.

A little known Naxalite outfit, the CPI(ML)(Red Star) is reportedly backing the agitation.

After Thursdays clash, villagers promptly blocked roads by placing bricks at a few places at Khamarait and Machibhanga villages, which are the epicentre of the most violent land agitation witnessed during the six-year TMC rule.

Banerjee-led TMC came to power in 2011, dethroning 34-year of Left rule in the state, through her movement for farmers rights in Singur and Nandigram.
The BJPs diminished tally in rural Gujarat has brought the issue of agrarian distress driven anti-incumbency to the fore. Among major states, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Chhattisgarh and Karnataka will go to the polls in 2018. Except Karnataka, the BJP is in power in all these states. The results could also set the narrative for the 2019 general elections, much like they did in 2013. The BJP won 85% of the total Lok Sabha seats in these four states in the 2014 elections.

How big a factor will rural discontent be in these four states? The answer depends on the relative importance and performance of rural economy.

Big rural presence

Three out of these four states are overwhelmingly rural. According to the 2011 census 68.8% of Indias population is rural. Among Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, the first three have a greater than all-India average share of rural population. This also manifests itself in a bigger share of agriculture in output and employment.

Falling farm growth

A comparison of agricultural growth under present and previous governments shows that it has fallen in all four states.

We compared Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of the agriculture and allied activities component of GSDP (2004-05 series) from 2008-09 to 2013-14 and GVA (2011-12 series) between 2013-14 and 2016-17 . For Rajasthan the latest available figure is 2015-16.

To be sure, CAGR comparisons for agricultural growth can sometimes be misleading due to seasonal fluctuations in the years take for analysis.

A comparison of Year-on-year (YoY) growth in agriculture shows that these states have largely followed the all-India pattern of poor farm growth during 2014-15 and 2015-16 . Both of these were rainfall-deficient years.

Profitability down

When it comes to agriculture, even bumper harvests need not translate into good incomes for farmers. This could be the result of a fall in prices. This makes it necessary to look at profitability indicators.

In India, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) releases state-wise data for cost of cultivation and returns on important crops.

The profitability figures used below capture profits (value of output over cost) based on the C2 estimate of cost of cultivation. C2 includes expenditure on hired and owned machinery and labour (animal and human); inputs such as seeds, fertilisers; irrigation; land revenue; interest on working capital; rental value of owned land and rent paid on leased in land; and imputed value of family labour.

Unfortunately, these numbers come out with a significant time lag. A comparison of the latest available numbers shows that profitability declined for all major crops in these four states.

To be sure, the latest numbers only capture first two years of the incumbent governments in some states. However, a couple of points are noteworthy.

During the campaign for the 2014 elections, BJPs Narendra Modi had promised to increase Minimum Support Prices to provide returns which were 1.5 times the cost of production of farmers.

This must have been music to the ears of farmers who were facing a decline in profitability, as is shown by the CACP data given above. This promise has not been kept.

Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have seen large-scale farmer agitations demanding remunerative prices and loan-waivers in the last few months. Although we do not have statistics to track income and profitability during this period, the unrest suggests that things might have turned from bad to worse.

In this scenario, rural headwinds to the BJPs political fortunes can be expected to become stronger in 2018. Not surprisingly, there are reports that the coming Union Budget could be farm-focused.

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HERSHEY  So far this season, the cases of reported flu have been similar to last year. Last years numbers are the second highest since 2014.

Starting out 2017, Pennsylvania peaked at nearly 8,000 cases in the state.

Dr. Stacey Milunich from Penn State Health says the flu season can peak anytime between December and February with some cases as late as May.

Its really difficult to predict how the flu season is going to progress as we go forward, Milunich said.

Pennsylvania is currently labeled as widespread by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which means there are flu outbreaks in at least half of the regions in the state.

So far, three people have died this season from the flutwo between the ages of 50 and 64 and one who is older than 65. In that time, Dauphin County has reported 78 cases, Lancaster County 115 and York County 150.

There are 98 reported flu cases in Cumberland County and eight reported cases in Perry County, as of Dec. 23.

For up to date information on the flu in the state, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Healths flu website.
In an apparent bid to improve work culture in its offices, the Assam government has changed office timingsurging employees to reach work 30 minutes earlier than before.

The BJP-led coalition government in the state at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday decided to alter office timings, from 10am to 5pm to 9.30 am to 5pm, increasing the office hours by half an hour.

Beginning January 1 next year, all government employees will have to report for work at 9.30am. They will get a 30 minutes lunch break from 1.30pm to 2pm, parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary informed.

There are around 4.20 lakh employees in various government departments across the state.

Wednesdays move came six days after chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal urged government employees to reach office early so that people dont have to wait to get their work done.

Why should you wait till 10am? Start coming to office at 9.30am since the sun rises earlier in Assam than the rest of India. By developing such work culture you can inspire future generations, Sonowal said in a meeting addressing government employees.

There is a feeling in the northeast that the region should have a separate time zone since there is nearly 2 hour time gap between sunrise in the east and western parts of the country.

The state governments move has been welcomed by employee organisations, but they want the government to ensure that all employees, including senior officers, are made to follow the new timings.

Theres nothing to complain about the change. The government should have discussed the issue with us and it should ensure that officers too are made to comply, Basab Kalita, president of Sodou Asom Karmachari Parishad (SAKP), the umbrella body of government employees, told HT.

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The government will introduce on Thursday the much-awaited bill to criminalise triple talaq or instant divorce in the Lok Sabha amid reservation from several parties over key provisions, and various Muslim organisations asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withhold and withdraw the proposed law. (Parliament live updates)

The stance indicates another tussle may be in the offing on the floor of the House in the winter session, which had just reached a fragile truce between the government and the Congress after a week-long standoff over the main opposition partys demand that Modi clarify his remarks about former prime minister Manmohan Singh over on the campaign trail in the recent Gujarat elections.

The Congress stand is that the SC judgment should be followed in letter and spirit. However, using a highly polarised 3-2 verdict, and that too, with variation even among the majority verdicts, the government cant and shouldnt misuse that verdict as a springboard for significant expansion not even remotely contemplated in majority verdicts, Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the Hindustan Times.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 criminalises instant triple talaq and imposes a prison term of up to three years and fine on husbands who violate the law. It also aims to provide alimony for the woman on whom instant triple talaq has been pronounced and grant her the custody of her children.

In August, three of five judges of a Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court said the practice of saying talaq three times in one go  sometimes even over email and WhatsApp  violated womens right to equality and was not integral to Islam.

The then chief justice of India JS Khehar and justice S Abdul Nazeer gave opposing views and asked the government to bring a law to regulate the practice within six months. The majority verdict overrides the minority view.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Mohammed Salim maintained that the government should spread awareness on the issue instead of bringing a law.

Is this the most pressing issue in the country? How many cases of triple talaq happen in the country? Islam doesnt approve of triple talaq. The Centre must focus on issues like malnutrition among children, trafficking of women instead, he said.

The Biju Janata Dals Lok Sabha leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said strict penal provisions in a civil matter were uncalled for.

The three-year imprisonment for a husband who gives triple talaq to his wife is a point of concern. If the law is unnecessarily stringent, every possibility that it may be misused and not serve the purpose, said Mahtab.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) spokesperson Maulana Sajjad Nomani, after an emergency meeting on the issue in Lucknow, said: The terms set out in the proposed bill not only encroach upon the constitutional guarantees granted to religious minorities but are also against the very essence of the verdict delivered by the Supreme Court on August 22, 2017, in instant triple divorce matter.

The move against triple talaq follows numerous complaints by Muslim women, who were divorced through the customary practice and denied alimony and other rights.

Talaq-e-biddat is banned in 22 Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan and ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia. Muslim men in India can still divorce using two other forms of talaq that have a three-month cooling off period.

The proposed law would be applicable only to instant triple talaq and it would empower Muslim women to approach a magistrate seeking subsistence allowance for herself and her minor children.

The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.
A special court on Thursday granted conditional bail to journalist Vinod Verma in connection with the circulation and possession of a sex CD, allegedly involving a Chhattisgarh minister, as investigators failed to file a charge sheet within the mandatory period of 60 days after his arrest.

Special CBI magistrate Shantanu Kumar Deshlahre granted relief to the scribe after he submitted a bond of Rs 1 lakh and a guarantee of equal amount as directed by the court.

Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on October 27.

The court accepted Vermas plea for bail which he submitted in the court yesterday under the section 167 (II) of the CrPC, said Vermas lawyer Faisal Rizvi.

Rizvi said Verma may walk out of the Raipur Central Jail late tonight.

Verma was arrested by Raipur Police during investigation after a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station in Raipur in October on a complaint lodged by BJP leader Prakash Bajaj.

Bajaj had alleged that he was being harassed over phone by an unidentified caller, who told him that he had a CD of his aka (master).

The police had claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and some pen drives from Vermas residence.

After his arrest, the sex CD, allegedly involving state Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat, surfaced in Raipur, triggering a political storm with the ruling BJP and opposition Congress targeting each other on the issue.

Subsequently, Munat lodged a complaint against Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Verma at the Civil Lines police station in Raipur for tarnishing his image with the fake CD.

On recommendation of the state government, the CBI took over the investigation of two cases related to the circulation of the CD and questioned Verma in the Raipur Central Jail on December 20.
Worried over many of its citizens being fined, prosecuted and even imprisoned for breaking Indian laws, the Chinese government has told its people to respect local laws and not to go to areas restricted to foreigners.

The warning issued by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Thursday comes a day after a media report said that a Chinese citizen, suspected to be a spy, has been detained near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur.

The advisory notes that recently, many Chinese citizens were successively detained, fined or investigated, prosecuted and even imprisoned by law enforcement authorities on suspicion of violating Indian local laws.

The notice in Mandarin advises Chinese not go to the areas restricted to foreigners without the governments permission.

A 55-year-old Chinese national, identified as Qin Min Xiv Xiang 55, was nabbed a few days ago from a place near Moreh along the Myanmar border in Manipurs Tengnoupal district.

He was in possession of Chinese, Vietnamese and Myanmarese documents and foreign currencies. A pen drive and a compass were recovered from him.

Do not buy, do not hold or carry ivory, rhinoceros horn and other contrabands, the warning says.

It also warns them against overstaying visas or working without a legal permit in India.

The Chinese Embassy in India also hereby reminds the parties concerned that they should cooperate actively with Indian law enforcement and hire solicitors as their first respondent to take positive action and win favourable rulings or judgments.

The embassy said although it was there to safeguard the personal safety of Chinese citizens, it cannot shield or condone the crime committed by them.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday stepped up the attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegdes remarks about the Constitution, saying it is distressing to see the countrys foundation under threat both directly and surreptitiously.

Gandhi did not name Hegde but said that senior BJP members had made the statements against the Constitution.

Today, it is distressing to see the Constitution, the foundation of our country, under threat. It is under attack directly, statements are being made by senior BJP members and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back, Gandhi said at a ceremony to commemorate the 133rd foundation day of the Congress party.

It is our duty, the duty of the Congress party and every single Indian to defend the Constitution and to defend the right of every citizen and every single person, he added.

The Congress-led opposition has been demanding the ouster of Hegde from the Union council of ministers for his controversial remarks at a function in Karnataka on Sunday that the BJP will change the Constitution and remove the word secular from it.

The opposition created an uproar in Parliament on Wednesday over the remarks disrupting proceedings in both the Houses, prompting the government to disassociate itself from Hegdes comments.

We do not agree with the ministers statement ... We are fully committed to the Constitution, said minister of state for parliamentary affairs Vijay Goel in the Rajya Sabha.

But Goels statement failed to placate the agitated opposition members who maintained that Hedge has no right to remain a minister if he does not have faith in the Constitution.

How can he be a minister? He has no right to be a minister. He has no right to be an MP. If anyone does not believe in the Constitution, he or she has no right to be an MP, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

On Thursday, the Congress and other opposition members will protest near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Parliament House complex against Hegdes remarks.

Gandhi had set the tone in the morning itself.

The BJP operates on the basic idea that a lie can be used for political benefits. Thats the basic difference between the Congress and the BJP. Somehow, we might not do well, we might even lose but we will not give up the truth. We will defend the truth, he said in an apparent reference to the partys defeats in the recent assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The central idea of the Congress party is the truth. We accept the truth, we work with the truth and we fight for the truth, he said after hoisting the Congress flag at the party headquarters in Delhi.

Gandhi took over the reigns of the grand old party that was founded on December 28, 1885, from his mother Sonia Gandhi.

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A CPI(M) worker suffered serious injuries in an attack by suspected BJP workers at Panoor in the politically volatile district of Kannur in Kerala.

Police said the legs of 55-year-old Chandran were almost severed in the attack and he was rushed to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

The ruling CPI(M) alleged that the BJP activists were behind the attack.

The attack comes a day after a bilateral peace meeting of the leaders of CPI(M) and BJP was held in Kannur in the presence of district collector Mir Mohammed Ali, in which both parties agreed to initiate peace efforts in areas that had witnessed violence recently.

In Thiruvananthapuram, CPI(M) area committee member of Vanchiyoor, S L Saju, was attacked by an armed gang late Wednesday night.

He was admitted to the medical college hospital in Kannur with serious injuries.

CPI(M) district secretary Anavoor Nagappan alleged that BJP-RSS activists were behind the attack. A hartal is being observed in the area of the incident.

On December 19, Praveen, an RSS worker, was critically injured after he was attacked by a group of unidentified persons in Kannur. He suffered injuries in the attack.
A woman posing as a wedding planner duped 35 bachelors of Rs 45,000 each on the pretext of finding them beautiful brides. The accused, identified as Anita of Delhi, with the help of her aides, had been collecting the money from eligible bachelors in cities like Rohtak, Jind, Sonepat and Jhajjar for the past three months, promising them suitable brides to marry in a mass-wedding function on December 27.

The bachelors and their family members were asked to assemble in Sonepats Kharkhoda town at 10 am on Wednesday, from where they were promised a bus to take them to their wedding destination where their brides will be waiting for them.

However, when all of them gathered here, they could find no trace of Anita. Her number was switched off, while her aides who helped her collect money from the men remained clueless of her whereabouts.

Exhausted after waiting for Anita for several hours, the men and their family members reached Kharkhoda police station and created ruckus demanding her arrest.

My mother had passed away four months ago, so my relatives approached me with Anitas proposal. Maine socha tha ghar pe koi roti banane wali aajaegi aur paise dediye (I thought a girl who can cook will come home, so I gave Rs 45,000). She kept on delaying a meeting with the bride. I could sense a scam, but my relatives trusted her, said Sunny Singh, a victim.

We were told we can take the bride home on Dec 27. So we prepared for a function back at our residence to celebrate the wedding. But now we find we have been cheated.

 Rohtash Singh, auto driver



Rohtash Singh, an auto driver from Rohtak, said he had arranged for tent, food and ghodi (horse) at their residence. Kharkhoda police station in-charge Wazir Singh said they were in the process of lodging an FIR against Anita. He said Anitas sister-in-law, who helped collect money, has been taken into custody.

She told the police that she was not aware of Anitas whereabouts. She also said that Anita was to arrange brides from an ashram in Delhis Tis Hazari.

The incident once again brings to fore the shortage of brides in Haryana, leading to desperation among bachelors who are unable to find suitable women for marriage.

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For history students of a north Bihar university taking BA part-I examination, Satavahanas are saat vahans or seven vehicles.

Asked to discuss achievements of the ancient Satavahana dynasty that was based in the Deccan, many students of Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University (BNMU), Madhepura, ended up describing features of seven vehicles that included bicyles, motorcycles, four-wheelers and even aircraft.

Not only this, answering questions on the Indus Valley Civilization and the Arab invasion of Sindh, many have correlated the two. The Arabs had invaded the Indus Valley, they wrote.

Teachers evaluating papers are not amused at the answers exposing yet again the rot that has set in Bihars education system.

The answers have made us think about the standard of students pursuing degree courses, said an examiner at the Purnia College evaluation centre in Purnia, 369 km northeast of state capital Patna. These answers have once again belied the claim of the university about quality education, he added.

Another evaluator at Purnia Womens College centre said, Copies are replete with funny answers, telling the sorry state of affairs prevailing in the university.

All the seven districts-- Madhepura, Saharsa, Purnia, Supaul, Katihar,Kishanganj and Araria -- under the BNMU have two evaluation centres each, where answer books of degree part-1 and part-2 examinations are being examined by over 500 evaluators.

Earlier this year, a student of Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav College, Bettiah in West Chamapran district, was shown to have passed BA part-1 examination with honours in psychology, instead of English.

Last year, Ruby Rai and three other disgraced toppers of Bihars Class 12 exams were arrested after a court in Patna issued an arrest warrant against them. The revelation that Rai, as the humanities topper, did not know what political science was, led to unearthing of a large examination racket involving the Bihar School Education Board (BSEB).

In the wake of such exposes, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar recently announced a number of measures to take the states education sector to dizzying heights.
Humans of Hindutva, a popular Facebook page that lampoons fanatical Hinduism, was taken down on Thursday after its anonymous creator was reportedly threatened by trolls.

A journalist wrote on Twitter that the satirist feared for his family after his phone number was revealed.

Had a brief chat with my friend who runs the Humans of Hindutva page. He told me that trolls have got a hold of his phone number and theyre sending him death threats. Hes scared for his wife and children, so hes shut the page for now. The nation cant take a joke, said Jairaj Singh, who edits the DailyO website.

Facebook users trying to access the Humans of Hindutva page, which has over one lakh likes, got an error message. The satirist who runs the page routinely poked fun at religious fanaticism, moral policing, cow protection vigilantes and superstition.

I think satire is important in a society like ours which is very sombre and servile, he told Hindustan Times in an email interview in July 2017.

On Thursday, after the Humans of Hindutva page was taken down, The Wire quoted the administrators website as saying: Im quitting out of my own accord. Ive not been banned or mass reported. I have recently received some threats to my life which I cant take lightly. I am outnumbered, live in a BJP state and come from a middle-class family with no political or police connections. I have no desire to end up like Gauri Lankesh or Afrazul Khan. Actually, more than myself I worry for the safety of my family. I hope those who threatened me consider this as a victory and leave us alone. I have deleted the HOH page and will delete this website soon. Congratulations to Hindutva for winning this David vs. Goliath fight. As for those who were kind enough to lend me their ears for the last eight months, Id like to wish you all a Happy New Year. Cheers and alvida. Thanks for giving me some of your time.

In September, he briefly stopped posting on the page after arguing with people who I thought were on the same side as me but resumed his writing which has often criticised politicians like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, brother of Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, took oath as a cabinet minister of the state government at a ceremony held at the Governors House in Jammu on Thursday.

He was administered the oath by Governor NN Vohra along with Chadoora MLA, Javed Mustafa Mir in English.

Their portfolios are likely to be allocated in the evening.

A member of legislative council (MLC) of PDP, Tassaduq is tipped to be given the tourism portfolio, which is being held by his sister Mehbooba.

Mir was revenue minister in the previous PDP-BJP alliance government headed by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed in 2015 but was dropped when Mehbooba took over the reins in April 2016.

With their induction, the state government has a total of 25 ministers, including the chief minister. PDP has 14 ministers and BJP 11.

However, National Conference and Congress were conspicuous by their absence at the ceremony.

Newly inducted minister Tassaduq Mufti, brother of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, being greeted by his relatives after the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Jammu on Thursday. (PTI)

Mehboobas brother Tassaduq was nominated to the legislative council on December 22 by the Governor.

An outstanding cinematographer, noted for his work in films such as Omkara and Kaminey, Tassaduq on December 15 resigned from the post of coordinator in Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers grievance cell, to which he was appointed in May this year.

The American Film Institute graduate had formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Srinagar on January 7 this year, his fathers first death anniversary.

Tassaduqs baptism into politics was believed to have been promoted by family persuasion to help his sister with party affairs.

On October 22, PDP MLC Vikramaditya Singh, son of Congress leader Dr Karan Singh and grandson of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, had resigned from the post and the party after the PDP-BJP government refused to declare a state holiday on the birth anniversary of Hari Singh on September 23 and for disregarding the aspirations and sentiments of Jammu region.

PDP had one MLC seat vacant in its quota in the upper house.

On December 22, minister of state for Haj and Auquaf, Syed Farooq Andrabi, who is the uncle of the chief minister, had also resigned from the council of ministers, citing personal reasons.

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HARRISBURG  The gunman killed Friday in a shootout with police died from multiple gunshot wounds, but there is no indication Ahmed El-Mofty shot himself, the coroner said Wednesday.

He was, frankly, just too busy shooting at other people, Dauphin County Coroner Graham Hetrick said.

Hetrick said the bullets that killed El-Mofty were of multiple calibers. He said the manner of death has been ruled homicide but pointed out that a coroners determination of homicide, or death at the hands of another person, is not the same as a legal determination of homicide.

Investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology tests that will determine if El-Mofty had taken any illegal drugs.

We want to know what was in his system, Hetrick said. For instance, if he was on medication, was he taking that medication, or was he on some illicit drug like cocaine or something like that?

El-Mofty, 51, fired several shots at a Capitol Police officer as their vehicles passed on North Third Street, striking the officers car several times. About 20 to 30 minutes later, he fired at a state trooper in her vehicle, striking her with one shot.

El-Mofty then chased the trooper and was killed in an exchange of gunfire with city and state police in the area of 17th and Mulberry streets. Hetrick said a bomb squad was called because El-Mofty had gas bottles around his body.

If you have a takeaway from this story, I think it is that its remarkable so few people were injured, and how courageous the police were, Hetrick said.

The district attorneys office and the FBI continue to investigate El-Moftys motives.

The Department of Homeland Security said he was a naturalized citizen admitted to the country from Egypt on a family-based immigrant visa. A department spokesman called the shooting spree a terror attack.
Jordans King Abdullah II will visit India next year to boost the existing ties between the two countries, especially in the areas of intelligence and security cooperation, its foreign affairs minister Ayman Safadi said on Thursday.

Safadi said the relations between India and Jordan go back many decades and added that these were good but no where near potential.

Ties can be better. And we want to make them better. This is the priority for his Majesty King Abdullah II who is looking forward to his visit here next year. He wants to see expanded ties in every field -- in trade, investment, tourism, cultural exchanges and intelligence and security cooperation as we face the common enemy of terrorism and extremism, he said.

The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was delivering a lecture on The Middle East at Crossroads. The challenges of achieving peace and security at the Indian Council of World Affairs.

When asked about the possible dates of the visit, Safadi said officials of the two countries were working on it.

Safadi also batted for an increased role for India in the Middle East.

He said Jordan strongly supports a two-state solution to resolve the Palestine issue with Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, as it is the root cause for instability in the region.

A top Jordanian source also lauded Indias vote in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) condemning the US for moving its embassy to, and recognising, Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The source added that India had good relations with everybody in the region, and in a conflict, countries that can talk to everybody are needed.

We need India to continue to stand by its two-state nation solution. We need India to exert its high offices and help us with all its moral, political and economic weight, the source added.

The vote against the USs move comes months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel.

Safadi contended that the Middle East is facing tremendous challenges, which is impacting global security.

He said terrorism, lack of opportunity, weak governance conflicts and civil wars are depriving the region and its people from their right to live in peace and prosperity.

Talking of the Syrian crisis, he said there can be no military solution to the ongoing problem and that the result lies in political solution.
Angered by the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhavs mother and wife in Pakistan, a relative of the former Indian Navy officer said on Wednesday that the family was even more depressed than it had been before the visit.

We are very disappointed and not in a mood to speak on the familys Pakistan visit, the relative told PTI.

I cant talk more as this is an international issue and being handled by the Indian government. If we speak something about it, that may hamper the process, he said.

Jadhavs mother Avanti and wife Chetna were in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet him, but the meeting took place with them being separated by a glass screen.

The treatment received by Kulbhushans mother and wife from Pakistan was not good at all, the relative said. We are even more depressed now than we were before the visit, he added.

The relative said he was horrified on learning that Pakistani officials had removed mangal sutra and bangles of Jadhavs kin before allowing them to meet him.

Even the bindi on the forehead of Kulbhushans wife was not seen while they were meeting him, he said.

Jadhav, 47, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation India has dismissed as concocted.

India says Jadhav was abducted in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and taken to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.
Aadhaar, the 12-digit identity number, cant be made mandatory for issuing a driving licence, the law ministry has told the road transport ministry which is coming out with a new application form for drivers, HT has learnt.

Aadhaar could be a preferred identity document but linking it to new licences should be voluntary, the law ministry said, citing the legal challenges the biometric identity number is facing in the Supreme Court. The apex court had on December 14 extended to March 31 the deadline for linking Aadhaar to various services and schemes.

A law ministrys stand was reiterated at a meeting held at cabinet secretariat on December 15 to review the use of Aadhaar.

As per the motor vehicles act, documents for proof of age and address is required for applying for driving licences for which use of Aadhaar has not been agreed by the department of legal affairs as it is only an identity document, say the minutes of the meeting reviewed by Hindustan Times.

The department of legal affairs works under the law ministry.

Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari and his law ministry counterpart Ravi Shankar Prasad have been batting for linking Aadhaar with driving licences.

Gadkari has said on many occasions a third of driving licences in India are bogus, blaming untrained drivers and badly designed roads for most of 150,000 deaths on Indian roads every year. Aadhaar, says the minister, will help in weeding out fake licences.

The law ministrys direction came while vetting a draft notification issued by the road ministry to simplify the application form for a driving licence.

At present, there are separate forms for learners licence, driving licence, to make changes to the licence or for its renewal. In August, the road ministry decided to simplify the process by introducing one form for all licence-related issues.

Besides seeking vehicle details, the form also had a column asking for the Aadhaar number. The ministry issued a draft notification on August 29, setting a 30-day deadline for receiving comments after which the notification would have been finalised.

However, when the road ministry sent the draft notification to the law ministry for vetting, the ministry said the form should specify that Aadhaar should be optional and nobody should be denied a driving licence if they dont have it, a road ministry official said.

The ministry was making changes specifying that Aadhaar was optional, the official, who didnt wish to be identified, said.

The government is pushing the use of Aadhaar, saying it is necessary to plug leaks in its subsidy schemes for the poor and also ensure financial transparency.

But activists have voiced privacy concerns because it requires finger printing and iris scans. They also say it is denying welfare benefits to the needy.

The Supreme Court will from January 10 begin hearing arguments on the validity of Aadhaar.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning the red-carpet treatment for the 10 heads of state of the ASEAN countries visiting India in January for the 25th Commemorative Summit to mark the relationship of India with the economically important grouping  an indication of the importance India attaches to ASEAN.

The 10 heads of state have confirmed their presence as chief guests during Republic Day on January 26.

People in the external affairs ministry said maritime security and digitisation will be the focus of the summit on January 25. The heads of state are also expected to be part of a retreat in Rashtrapati Bhawan on January 26.

By inviting ASEAN heads, India is sending out multiple messages. One, that it recognises ASEAN as a single entity. Two, that if India wants to expand economically then ASEAN and West Asian countries are its future partners. Thirdly, that India and the ASEAN countries have civilisational links anchored in their common Hindu-Buddhist legacy, said one of the people.

During the meeting on January 25, Modi and the ASEAN heads of state are expected to discuss ways to strengthen maritime architecture of the region, ensure protection of sea lanes, and facilitate freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific. According to people in the external affairs ministry, one possible outcome could be multilateral naval exercises involving Indian and ASEAN navies to keep sea routes including the vital Malacca Straits and in and around Singapore free from attacks and piracy. India is a member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (RECAAP). Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar is in Singapore over the weekend to give final touches to the official agenda. He was in Myanmar last week.

Apart from maritime security, the India-ASEAN block will also discuss cooperation in digitisation in the financial sector and e-governance. Cyber security is also expected to be on the agenda.

Although India-ASEAN annual trade is worth over $75 billion dollars, the two sides are unlikely to make any moves on the regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP).

This deal between the ASEAN on one side, and six other countries (including India, China, and Australia on the other) could significantly benefit China. India, therefore, isnt keen on pushing it unless it can win some commensurate compensation for the Indian services sector. At present, India has free trade agreements with Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia among the RCEP states.

India-ASEAN leaders will also discuss regional road connectivity under the Trans Asian Highway rubric with New Delhi keen to link Indias north-east to South East Asian states with Myanmar more than willing to act as a strategic gateway. Terrorism will remain another key focus during the commemorative summit as remnants of the Islamic State are expected to move into South East Asian countries and perhaps make bases in uninhabited islands in the vast expanse of Pacific.

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At 56, Ramwati, a cook preparing midday meals at the Qazimabad primary school in Atrauli, has become an inspiration for many in her village. While working at the school, she took out time to study with the students and can read and write up to Class 5 level today.

Ramwati has worked at the school for seven years. She said she had to take up the job to better her financial situation. My husband passed away in 2004 after a prolonged illness and both my daughters are married. During my stay at the school, I started sitting with children and learnt how to read and write. The teachers also helped me, she said.

Now, Ramwati works to spread awareness among school drop-outs, encouraging them to take up studies again. She is also motivating parents to send kids to school.

Lauding her efforts, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh wrote her a congratulatory note and awarded her a cash prize of 51,000. This initiative of Ramwati will inspire men and women alike. She must continue her studies, he said.

Ramwati told HT that the prize money had already been credited in her bank account. I will buy some books. I will also help poor children who are unable to buy copies and books, she said.

School principal Satya Parakash said, Ramwati has a deep interest in studies. But whats also admirable is that she never overlooked her responsibilities as a cook on the pretext of studying. The midday meal is always ready before time.

Qazimabad village head Raj Kumar said that the village was proud of her. If she desires to continue with further studies, I will help her.
Former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of trying to impose its will by bringing a bill on triple talaq without consulting Islamic scholars.

Joined by another rebel JD(U) leader Ali Anwar, Yadav said that the Supreme Court had said that any legislation on triple talaq should be based on consultations with Islamic scholars.

Both Yadav and Anwar, JD(U) rebels who were disqualified as member of Rajya Sabha recently, were critical of the triple talaq bill introduced in Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The Supreme Court has said that any legislation on triple talaq should be based on consultations with Islamic scholars. However, that was not done before introducing the bill in the Lok Sabha, Yadav told reporters here.

The government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to impose its will by bringing the bill in the House and offering mere platitudes in its defence, Yadav said.

Ali Anwar expressed resentment over the failure of the Modi government to take the All India Muslim Personal Law Board into confidence before taking the step on triple talaq.

The two leaders also accused Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) President Nitish Kumar of having betrayed the mandate of 2015 assembly polls in which he had buried his differences with arch rival Prasad to form the Mahagathbandhan which went on to inflict a crushing defeat on the NDA, halting the BJP juggernaut for some time.

Local leaders of the Congress and the RJD were also present at the press meet. After rebelling, they have been seen cosying up with Lalu Prasads party as well the Congress.
HARRISBURG  An Egyptian immigrant who wounded a Pennsylvania state trooper and fired at other police officers before being killed has not been connected with any organized terror group or terrorist activity, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Friends and relatives of Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty have described him as depressed over a lack of family contact and money problems, Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said.

At this point in time there is no known nexus to any organized terrorist group or terrorist activity, Marsico said.

El-Mofty is believed to have acted alone when he began firing from his vehicle on Dec. 22 in downtown Harrisburg, a few blocks from the State Capitol building. He then fired several shots at a marked Capitol Police vehicle. No one was injured in the initial shootings, which generated a large police response.

El-Mofty reappeared about a half-hour later near a train station, several blocks away from where he had begun firing.

Thats when El-Mofty encountered and shot the trooper, who suffered a relatively minor head wound from a bullet fragment, Marisco said. Two bullet holes were found in the headrest and one in a sun visor of the troopers marked cruiser.

Marsico said investigators would like to speak with a passer-by who helped the wounded trooper.

State police have not identified the trooper and said Thursday she was on scheduled leave and was doing fine.

El-Mofty shot at several other officers in the citys Allison Hill neighborhood before he was shot and killed, Marsico said.

El-Mofty, a 51-year-old resident of Steelton, was divorced, and his acquaintances said he had been depressed over lack of contact with his family, his employment situation and financial issues. El-Mofty had two children and no criminal record.

Marsico said his preliminary conclusion is that police acted commendably, honorably and heroically and were justified in shooting El-Mofty. He said police had no indication what El-Moftys motivation was.

El-Mofty was found with a pair of 9mm handguns that he had bought recently from Harrisburg area gun stores, Marsico said.

The prosecutor described El-Mofty as possessing a boatload of ammunition, hundreds of rounds. El-Mofty also had two propane cylinders, one in a fanny pack around his waist and one recovered from the ground near his car.

El-Mofty was granted an immigrant visa in 2006, moved to the United States from Cairo that year and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2011, prosecutors said.

El-Mofty went back to Egypt before returning to the United States in October. Marsico said investigators are looking into El-Moftys background in Egypt.
HARRISBURG  Pennsylvania taxpayers hoping to avoid higher rates next year by paying taxes before 2017 ends this weekend appear to be out of luck.

Experts say a 1945 state law prevents such prepayment.

Taxpayers in other states are hoping to avoid higher taxes imposed as part of an overhaul signed last week by Republican President Donald Trump.

The new law limits to $10,000 how much people can deduct from their federal taxes for state and local tax payments.

The Pennsylvania State Tax Collectors Association said their members have been inundated with calls, and the Reading Eagle reported the group sent its members a memo on the topic.

Many of you have been receiving phone calls from taxpayers asking if they can prepay their 2018 real estate taxes, the memo said. In Pennsylvania, however, that is expressly prohibited by statute and collectors may not collect any taxes as prepayment for 2018.

LNP is reporting that about 10 people have been calling the Lancaster County treasurers office each day to ask about prepayment.

In Lancaster Countys Manheim Township, about 75 people have inquired about the issue.

People are disappointed. But generally, theyre understanding, once you provide them with the statute, Donna Robbins, chief operating officer for Manheim Township School District, told LNP.
PPL Electric Utilities Tuesday began moving its trucks and equipment in the first step of its efforts to send repair crews to Puerto Rico to help restore power knocked out by Hurricane Maria in late September.

According to PPL, the effort is coming about through the mutual assistance process the company uses in mainland U.S. Through that process, an electric company facing a large number of outages can request help from other companies.

In this case, PPL said the electric company in Puerto Rico asked the Edison Electric Institute, a trade group for investor owned utilities like PPL, to supply workers and equipment. The trade group then coordinated the response.

PPL has responded to other areas this year through the mutual assistance process, including to Florida to help restore power after Hurricane Irma.

We are committed to doing our part to help return regular electric service to all of the people of Puerto Rico, said Greg Dudkin, PPL president.

The Associated Press reported that Puerto Ricos Electric Power Authority is generating at 70 percent of normal, though it has no way of knowing how widely electricity is being distributed. A study conducted Dec. 11 by a group of engineers estimated that roughly 50 percent of the islands 3.3 million people remained without power.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated that it wont be until May that all of Puerto Rico will again have electricity, according to the AP.

Given that time frame, PPL is planning for the long haul.

The utility company said 37 linemen and support workers have volunteered to be deployed in the first wave of what could be a monthslong assignment. After 30 days, other PPL workers will travel to the island to relieve the first group.

Some of those heading out include six line workers from the Harrisburg and Cumberland County areas and four from the Lancaster region. PPL workers have been tasked with restoring power in the Caguas region of Puerto Rico, a mountainous area that is among the hardest-hit, PPL said, adding that conditions are expected to be difficult.

Im very proud of our people for doing this, Dudkin said in a news release. Many PPL employees and customers have family or friends who are affected by the widespread power outages in Puerto Rico. This is a humanitarian mission as much as it is a power restoration mission.

PPL is one of 18 electric utilities from the mainland U.S. that are sending crews coordinated by Edison.

PPLs line trucks and other repair vehicles are being loaded on trucks for transport to Norfolk, Virginia, where they will be placed on a barge. The sea voyage to Puerto Rico will take about a week, PPL said.
Contrary to what many predicted, President Trumps end-of-year accomplishment list isnt that skimpy.

Thats an analytical observation. For many, particularly liberals and Democrats, Trumps first year hasnt been merely bad. Its a great evil, a grievous wound to the American body politic.

But even that is a kind of partisan tribute to whats been accomplished on his watch: a record number of judicial appointments, including a Supreme Court justice; the defeat of Islamic State; repeal of the Obamacare individual mandate; tax reform; and major rollbacks of various regulations, from arctic drilling to net neutrality.

It hasnt exactly been smooth sailing. Trump is the most unpopular first-year president in American history, for reasons far beyond mere bad press.

Still, among conservatives, the tally of wins has sparked some intramural debates. The most prominent one is how Trump skeptics and avowed Never Trumpers should respond to those wins. For writers such as the Washington Posts Jennifer Rubin and the Atlantics David Frum, the only legitimate response is either to ignore these successes or denigrate them, lest people lose sight of the threat Trump poses to the country. Others, including myself, argue instead that one neednt deny the merits of a policy victory simply because the president might get credit for it.

This debate skips over the larger question of whether these victories happened because of Trump or despite him.

On one level, the president always gets the credit  or blame  for anything that happens on his watch. But Trump poses a challenge to such superficial scorekeeping. No president in American history has rejected Harry Trumans The buck stops here motto as vehemently or consistently as this one. He never accepts responsibility for his own mistakes, never mind those of his administration or party. When American troops die, the commander in chief blames the generals. When legislation fails, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the establishment are at fault.

Trump boosters agree. Conservative writer Roger Simon argues that all remaining Never Trumpers must apologize for being wrong about the president. He chalks up Trumps astoundingly successful first year to the fact the president is a quick study.

But what evidence is there that Trump has actually learned the art of presidential management?

Aside from the mandatory flattery required of Republican elected officials, theres remarkably little testimony that Trump has involved himself in the process of governing. Tax reform was carried across the finish line by the GOP congressional leadership. Net neutrality was repealed by independent Republicans at the Federal Communications Commission.

Foreign policy is a more mixed bag. If the president deserves credit for the defeat of Islamic State, its because he let the generals do their thing. On the other hand, credit (or blame) for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris accord on climate change certainly goes to him.

In general, it seems to me that Trumps success (such as it is) is less attributable to sudden mastery of the issues than to staying out of the way of rank-and-file Republican policymakers, activists and bureaucrats.

For instance, the task of selecting judicial appointees, starting with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, has largely been outsourced to the Federalist Society. When the president revealed his new national security strategy last week, his speech  the usual campaign blather  had only a passing resemblance to the underlying document. The tax bill is clearly more in line with House Speaker Paul Ryans ideology than candidate Trumps supposed populism. As for a counter example: When Trump was hands-on with Obamacare repeal, he often revealed he didnt even know what was in the legislation.

In 2016, some conservatives argued that Republicans should vote as if we live in a parliamentary democracy, electing a party, not a person. Trumps 3,000 political appointees would be better than Hillary Clintons. That argument had its flaws, not least that voters tend not to compartmentalize that way  which is why the GOP faces a potential bloodbath in the 2018 midterms.

But theres merit to it as well. To listen to Trumps cheerleaders, the biggest obstacle to conservative victories is the party establishment, when in reality it looks more like its running the show.
Hillary Clinton was supposed to break the glass ceiling, which she said has kept a woman from becoming president, but the Heritage Foundation, a conservative public policy think tank based in Washington, D.C., has actually done it.

Their new president is Kay Coles James, a female, an African-American and a conservative, who fits no ones mold. While her background is formidable  former director of the Office of Personnel Management, Virginia secretary of Health and Human Resources, and dean of Regent Universitys School of Government among other accomplishments  her vision is even more compelling.

Perhaps that is because she agrees with me on the issue of liberating poor and minority children from failing public schools and building a foundation that will give them a better future.

In a telephone interview, James tells me school choice for these kids is one of her top priorities. The left has tried and failed to improve the lives of African-Americans through government programs. As Donald Trump said during the 2016 presidential campaign, why not try a different approach? President Trump has also placed welfare reform as a top priority in 2018. The last time it was tried, under Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, it succeeded. As president of Heritage, James can give Trump the intellectual and factual resources to make further reforms and achieve this and other goals.

A return to the intellectual heft of William F. Buckley Jr. and outgoing Heritage president Edwin Feulner is much needed in a conservative movement that has been hijacked by nastiness and anger. Winning an argument is preferable to destroying ones opponent. It can also produce better results.

James inaugural address hit just the right tone: Heritage has always promoted economic growth and opportunity  and why it has never wavered in opposing those who would burden our freedoms and future with the suffocating force of mindless regulations and punitive taxes.

Who opposes growth and opportunity? The debate has been over how to get there. History shows which ideas worked and which failed.

Success in politics is about issues, ideas and the vision we have for our country in the world, James said. George H.W. Bush dismissed the vision thing, but Without a vision the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18)

For liberals who might accuse James of being insufficiently black because of her conservatism, let them respond to this: When I was 12 years old, I started attending an all-white middle school. To say we werent welcome is an understatement. Despite the Supreme Courts Brown versus Board of Education ruling, Virginia Democrats insisted on keeping the public schools segregated.

So 25 incredibly brave black kids and I tried to change that. For a while, navigating the packed hallways meant being jeered at, stuck with pins, shoved, and even kicked down the stairs. I see it on your faces  yes, it was awful. But it was worth it. You see, Id been given a great gift  the opportunity to fight for something I believed in. And it changed me forever.

When a conservative favorably quotes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. you might expect a new day may be coming for the conservative moment. James noted Kings remarks the day before he was murdered 50 years ago: We have an opportunity to make America a better nation ... to make America what it ought to be.

That is an ongoing and never-ending quest, but James, whom I have known for several decades, will do it with a cheerful spirit, a confidence based on ideas that have proved their worth and a charm that can disarm her most ardent critics.

Thats a pretty good package that offers an opportunity to retreat from battling each others personalities, integrity and patriotism and instead focus on the best ideas that will improve any American who embraces them.
Duel with Aaron Burr likely a bid for immortality, not revenge

THE DUEL THAT Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr fought on July 11, 1804, is American historys most studied shootout. At Weehawken Flats, an isolated ledge on the New Jersey bank of the Hudson River across from what is now the west end of 42nd Street, the sitting vice president of the United States shot and killed a pillar of the Federalist Party who had been President George Washingtons right-hand man and the nations first secretary of the treasury, a fatal moment Henry Adams declared the most dramatic in the early politics of the Union.

What drove these men to pace off and take aim? Some maintain that Burr browbeat a reluctant Hamilton into a duel with the goal of killing him. Others

say the vice president simply was defending his honor. It is possible to conclude that Hamilton, surreptitiously using a pistol with a hair-trigger, meant to kill Burr, or that Hamilton was using his opponent to end a life of misery. Hamilton may have fired first, deliberately missing, in hopes that Burr would do likewise. Or Hamilton, feeling compelled by the code duello to participate in a duel he would rather have avoided, may not have fired until, mortally wounded, he squeezed the trigger by involuntary reflex.

Yet another explanation fits the known facts and also illuminates why Hamiltondespite behaving provocatively and increasing the likelihood that Burr, an excellent shot, would aim with deadly intentmay have decided not to fire at Burr. Hamilton, not yet 50, a husband and father of seven dependent children, did not want to die, at least according to the classic definition of suicide.

For a complex set of reasons, Hamilton seems to have come to view Burrs challenge as a means to martyrdom, enabling Hamilton to achieve goals he held to be paramount.

Close in physique, Burr, 48, and Hamilton, 47, each had great talent and personal magnetism. Distinguished war veterans and respected attorneys, they displayed intense ambition for power and influencethough of course in background the two could not have been less similar. Hamilton, the bastard brat of a Scottish peddler, was born on a tiny Caribbean island. Burr was the son and grandson of Princeton presidents. Ultimately, though to the last the men maintained a superficial cordiality, character and philosophy fundamentally set the pair at odds. Hamilton was early to conclude that Burr was unrestrained by conscience and loyal only to himself, an antipathy that ran deeper and more viscerally than one politicians dislike for another. Consider Hamiltons critiques of the other man, even in truncated form: As to Burr, there is nothing in his favor. . . . His public principles have no other spring or aim than his own aggrandizement. . . . I take it he is for or against nothing but as it suits his interest or ambition. . . . Burr loves nothing but himself. . . . He is sanguine enough to hope everythingdaring enough to try anythingwicked enough to scruple nothing.

In Hamiltons eyes, Burrs talents, which he wielded without remorse, imperiled the republican experiment. In a word if we have an embryo Caesar in the United States it is Burr, Hamilton wrote, declaring, I feel it a religious duty [emphasis added] to oppose his career. Hamilton did just that, most famously in 1800. In that years election, a constitutional quirk gave the 73 Electoral College electors no way to distinguish between their choices for president and for vice president. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied at 73 votes, even though every elector wished Jefferson to be president and Burr vice president. The 12th Amendment would correct that procedural hiccup in 1804, but the 1800 election wound up in the House of Representatives, where most Federalists, a lame-duck majority convinced Jefferson was a radical atheist, viewed the Electoral College tie as a heaven-sent opportunity to bar the presidency to Jefferson. Even though Hamilton felt implacable enmity for Jefferson, the federalist tilt appalled him. Acting on his even stronger detestation of Burr, Hamilton worked feverishly to woo fellow federalists away from Burr, contributing to Jeffersons eventual victory.

In 1804, Hamilton again did all he could to keep Burr out of office, this time New Yorks governorship. That defeat devastated Burr. Heavily in debt, political career in tatters, he methodically sought revenge for this and other of Hamiltons assaults. A pretext soon presented itself.

In spring 1804, amid the heat of the gubernatorial campaign, the Albany Register carried reports by Dr. Charles Cooper asserting not only that Cooper had heard Hamilton warn that Burr was a dangerous man, but that the author could detail a still more despicable opinion [emphasis added] which General Hamilton has expressed of Mr. Burr. Indirectly, Hamiltons attack was now out in public view. Burr sent his protege, William Van Ness, to demand a prompt and unqualified acknowledgment or denial of any expression which would warrant the assertions of Dr. Cooperthe traditional overture to an interview, as duels were known. Under the so-called code duello, a gentleman convinced a peer had slurred his honor could demand an apology or a face-off in the form of a duel, from duellum, an archaic Latin contraction for war of two. A party accused of giving offense but refusing to apologize or duel had to endure the label of cowardice. Hamilton would not apologize. Soon he and Burr had an appointment. They kept the matter secret. They would duel at Weehawken because though New Jersey, like New York, outlawed dueling, New Jersey was more lax in enforcing its dueling ban.

The historical view is that a reluctant Hamilton accepted Burrs challenge out of compunction. Hamiltons sense of honor, pride, and, most importantly, his desire to remain a useful national presence kept him from declining. These points, while valid, do not tell the whole story. Hamilton did not simply fall victim to the code duello. He was extremely desirous of what might be called secular immortalityfame across the ages. His place in the American pantheon mattered profoundly to him. The spirit and manner in which one faced death figured strongly in legacies of that scale. Thirty years before, amid the Benedict Arnold affair, a younger Hamilton had seen at close hand the grace and courage with which British conspirator Major John Andre had embraced his death sentence. A man of real merit is never seen in so favorable a light, as through the medium of adversity, Hamilton wrote after watching Andre ascend the scaffold from which his corpse would be cut down. The clouds that surround him are shades that set off his good qualities. Misfortune cuts down the little vanities, that in prosperous times served as so many spots in his virtues; and gives a tone of humility that makes his worth more amiable. Also during the War for Independence, Hamilton spoke of his desire for a brilliant exit whose circumstance would enshrine him as a hero. As biographer Ron Chernow notes, Long beguiled by visions of a glorious death in battle, he had also never lost a certain youthful ardor for martyrdom.

Three decades on, Hamilton had reasons public and private for being drawn to the martyrs way. Politically, he had become irrelevant, a glorious has-been but still a has-been. By attacking President John Adams for the disgusting egotism, the distempered jealousy, and the ungovernable indiscretion of his temper, Hamilton had cost himself influence within the Federalist Party. He was living in an America changing into a Jeffersonian country, a democratic countrywhereas Hamilton believed firmly in government of the people and for the people, but not by the people. This new America would belittle and in time forget Alexander Hamilton and his achievements. And a secessionist movement gaining strength in New England was bound to damage his legacy. Mine is an odd destiny, he wrote to Gouverneur Morris, then representing New York in the U.S. Senate. Perhaps no man in the United States has sacrificed or done more for the present Constitution than myselfas you know from the very beginning I am still laboring to prop the frail and worthless fabric. Yet I have the murmurs of its friends no less than the curses of its foes for my rewards. What can I do better than withdraw from the Scene? Every day proves to me more and more that this American world was not made for me. [Emphasis added]

Privately Hamilton had even more cause to despair, notably the death at 19 of Philip, his firstborn son and brightest hope, shot down in 1801 in a duel the youth provoked by standing up for his father. Hamilton had counseled Philip to aim and fire his weapon so as to do no harm, on the surmise that the other combatant would do the same. Compounding that tragedy, Philips death had maddened his younger sister, Angelica. These events so rocked Hamilton that his visage changedstrongly stamped with grief, in a friends words. Never did I see a man so completely overwhelmed with grief as Hamilton has been, another friend wrote. Hamilton sickened with stomach and bowel complaints. In his sorrow, he found comfort in the Christian gospels, concluding that it was Gods will for Philip to exchange a world full of evil, for what Hamilton called a happy immortalitya phrase that must have rung felicitously in the mind of a man haunted by death and enfeebled by ailments.

The evidence is strong that Hamilton carefully prepared for martyrdom, were fate to bring him martyrdomhe accepted that possibility and acted to make it a reality. For example, he made surprisingly little effort to avoid the duel. He answered Burrs challenge truculently: I trust on more reflection, you will see the matter in the same light as me. If not, I can only regret the circumstance, and must abide the consequence.

Hamiltons second, Nathaniel Pendleton, later wrote a friend, The truth is that General Hamilton had made up his mind to meet Mr. Burr before he called on me.

Once the interview was on the calendar, Hamilton acted with calm fatalism and lawyerly precision, doing all he could to assure that posterity would cast Burr as the villain and himself as the hero. His intimate and moving farewell letter to his spouse, Elizabest of wives and best of womenwould touch even his harshest critics. In an Apologia released after his death, he wrote eloquently and movingly as to why he opposed dueling and how taking a life went against his Christian principles; thus, he would not fire at Burr. And Hamilton denied harboring animosity toward Burr, going so far as to write that it was his ardent wish that in the future Burrs conduct would be so estimable as to make him an ornament to the nationa panegyric that rings hollow given Hamiltons history of denouncing Burr. However, the point was not accuracy or probity, but to portray Burr as malign and himself as magnanimous.

Hamilton, Washingtons match in nationalism and belief in a strong union, also wanted to strike a blow against Burr and those New England secessionists threatening both the American nation and his secular immortality.

His friend John Trumbull was going to attend a meeting in Boston that leaned toward secession. Days before the duel Hamilton told Trumbull, You will see the principal men there. Tell them from ME, at MY request, for Gods sake, to cease these conversations and threatenings about a separation of the Union.

On the eve of the duel, Hamilton spent precious time writing another Federalist friend, Dismemberment of our Empire will be a clear sacrifice of great positive advantages, without any counterbalancing good. Hamilton steadfastly approached his clandestine appointment at Weehawken with the serenity often encountered in those who have sorted out their end-of-life issues. He went out of his way to meet friends and to spend time with his family, such as sleeping with one of his young sons, John, who recalled that, when he and his father woke the next morning, taking my hands in his palms, all four hands extended, he told me to repeat the Lords Prayer.

At the July 4 Society of Cincinnati Ball at Fraunces Tavern on Pearl Street in Manhattan, Hamilton and Burr sat at the same table, their miens worlds apart. The singularity of their manner was observed by all, but few had any suspicion of the cause, Trumbull said later. Burr, contrary to his wont, was silent, gloomy, sour, while H entered with glee into the gaiety of a convivial party. Hamilton even jumped atop a table to lead the group in a rousing military song about soldiers bravely facing death.

There is no stronger evidence for the proposition that Hamilton courted martyrdom than his preparations and behavior on the dueling grounds. Received wisdom holds that while Hamilton might have been foolhardy, even reckless, he was not suicidal. If so, Hamilton was following a strange logic, engaging in a duel with no means of protection save ones hostile opponents kindness. Hamiltons foe was both hostile and an excellent shot. Charles Biddle, later a close friend of Burr, said of him, There was hardly ever a man could fire so true. Events did transpire as Rufus King predicted when, hearing Hamilton say he would not fire at Burr, King declared, Then sir, you will go like a lamb to the slaughter. Nevertheless, Hamilton sought out courtship of martyrdom.

At the killing ground, he behaved with deliberate provocation. As Pendleton was about to give the word to begin the duel, Hamilton interrupted the proceedings. He then levelled his pistol in several directions, as if to try the light; then drew from his pockets & put on, a pair of spectacles, and again levelled his pistol in different directions, and once, as appeared to me, at Mr. Burr, Van Ness said. Why? Clearly not, as Chernow speculates, to be sure to miss Burr! And Hamilton and his second made a decision that favored Burr. Winning choice of position, Hamilton stood face to the rising sun, leaving the best shooting position to Burr.

The firing sequence is much debated. The preponderance of evidence indicates that Hamiltons gun discharged first. The likeliest explanation is that while Hamilton, consistent with his provocative gestures, was pointing his weapon in Burrs direction the pistol accidentally discharged, sending its round into a tree 12 feet up and four feet to Burrs right. This explanation, perfectly plausible in the judgment of Erik Goldstein, Colonial Williamsburgs expert on 18th century weapons, lines up with Hamiltons explicit assertions that he would not fire at Burr, and with a warning Hamilton gave after being shot that his pistol was still loaded and cocked.

Alexander Hamilton was a man of honor. He had said he would not fire, and it seems reasonable that he would do as he had urged Philip to doadvice for which Hamilton, consciously or unconsciously, wished to atone. Hamilton basically reenacted his dead sons duel, even using the same pistols. In the moment, Hamilton paid a fearsome price. Burrs carefully directed bullet entered Hamiltons right side, broke ribs, tore through his liver and diaphragm, and lodged against his spine. Brought to his friend William Bayards home in what is now Greenwich Village, Hamilton was 30 hours in agony despite medication before expiring. Hamilton, his friend Oliver Wolcott wrote to his wife, suffers great painwhich he endures like a Hero

Assuming that Hamilton was courting martyrdom to secure his legacy and to destroy Burrs influence, he succeeded. Shock and horror and hatred subsequently tarred Burr as the most despised American leader since Benedict Arnold. Never again did he hold national power. Outrage over Hamiltons tragic demise unleashed a torrent of grief and a wellspring of sentiment on behalf of all that he had sacrificed for his vision of America. Overnight and in permanence, Hamiltons countrymen reimagined him the colossus he had hoped they would. His funeral was the largest and most solemn since Washingtons, his place in the American pantheon secure. Alexander Hamilton ended up exactly where he desperately desired to be. 

This column was originally published in the April 2018 issue of American History magazine. Subscribe here.

Editors Note: (A production error cut off the end of this story in the April 2018 print edition of American History. The full story is here.)
Being a tale of the hunt for the identity of a bold adventurer, who hoped to capture a Yankee ship and a ladys heart.

For 50 years an intriguing diary has reposed in the University of Virginias Librarywith no one sure of its author. In a detailed account of over 35,000 words, the diarist never once mentioned his own name. We know he was a Confederate sergeant fighting under Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder in the Peninsula Campaign. Dating from January 12 through July 20, 1862, the diary outlines an audacious plot to capture a blockading Union schooner, a move that might have altered the course of the campaign had it come to fruition. Are there enough clues in the diary itself to determine just who he was?

Valuable clues to the diarists identity are apparent in the way he approached a superior officer and planned the ships capture. Early in March 1862, looking forward to putting his plan into action, he wrote, A glorious night for taking one of the enemies ships by boarding. Several days after that he had an interview with General Magruder, who detached him to the signal department. Curiously, however, the sergeant never mentions actually serving in that role; he was instead apparently left free to develop his plan. How could a lowly sergeant have obtained an interview with his commanding general and convinced him to try a daring scheme? And why would he be given such leeway?

Our diarist not only associated with Confederate officers from captains to generals, he moved in exalted social circles. During his time on the Peninsula he started courting a famous Williamsburg, Va., belle, Miss Harriette Cary. He referred to Miss Hattie in his diary for the first time in January, when he paid her a visit. Obviously smitten by her charms, he mentioned her seven more times after he walked her home from church, visited and played chess with her.

In his March 11 entry, however, the sergeant was all business. He wrote, Spent the day until 12 oc getting things for the Schooners all of which are unloaded & under my orders took them on the river & anchored our little fleet in the cove under Pages battery. This was Captain R.C.M. Page of the Morris Artillery. Went over in the evening & remained at the point until dark.spent the evening with Lieut. LindsayTook supper by invitation with Capt. Higgins. Captain William H. Higgins, 2nd La. Bn. was Asst. Commissary of Subsistence for General Magruder. The next day he added, Spent this morning on the beach & schooners Worked until two oc rolling cotton.

On Thursday, March 13, his diary recorded additional hints about his grand plan: Sent our little fleet over to the cove today to await further orders. Gave Capt. Flemming an order for 15 additional water barrels and ordered them to be filled up. The following day he wrote, Got all the grappling Irons, rope & cotton cloth down to the wharf today.

The next Saturday he sailed for West Point, Va., on the ship Logan, hoping to hire some sailors. He then traveled to Richmond for the weekend. On Monday morning at 7 a.m. he caught a train back to West Point, where he Spent the bal. of the day making arrangements about the Expedition. The next day he received the authorization papers he needed to get volunteers from the 1st Louisiana Battalion for what he described as special secret service. He wrote, Will go to camp & get the names of one hundred men tomorrow and have them ready. The next Wednesday his entry was: got orders to get 3 waggons & 30 men to meet up at College Creek Ldg. [Landing] to get 3 launches on the wagons. [George] Tabb went to Groves Wharf after the boats.after a vain attempt to find the channel we returned to campthe rain & darkness preventing us from keeping off the shoalsThe wind is howling.A splendid night for our Enterprise! I regret we are not ready.

For several days thereafter the diarist was busy recruiting men for his mission and exploring the York River. On March 23 he wrote, we rowed over in the Generals boat to our fleet and made the sailors take us down to Tues Point in one of the gigs where we boarded the Guard Boat. (The York River enters the Chesapeake Bay at Tue Point.) He continued, Captain White brought us up above the Sand boxagain taking our gig we came in at darkWe went to within a few miles of the Blockading Str [steamer] which was laying round the point.

Everything seems to have been going as planned. But the next day General Magruder informed the diarist that four men from the 2nd Florida Infantry had deserted and gone to the blockading steamer. Since the general believed these deserters knew of Confederate plans to board the steamer, he canceled the planned assault.

On April 16, the first real clue to the identity of the author appears. In the entry for that date reads, This is the eventful day in the history of the 1st La or Dreux BattalionA year yesterday since we left home. On April 21, a second clue shows up: Saw a Mr. Murray in camp today from the Hampton Legion who informs me that Mullie [Captain Thomas Muldrup Logan, Hampton Legion] is well and stationed near Yorktown. The following day the diarist walked about seven miles. He then recorded, found Mullie looking very wellHe has a fine Company of 98 menhe seems very popular. Thereafter the diarist mentioned visiting Captain Logan on many occasions.

On May 3 comes the last reference to Harriette Cary, as the Confederate army was evacuating Yorktown. The diarist wrote, Visited Miss Hat  tie this dayWilliamsburg is a stirring place today. One continuous stream of Wagon & Artillery passing through.Our army evacuated Yorktown this night. The diarist described fighting at Williamsburg and Yorktown. He also detailed how General George B. McClellans forces pushed General Joseph E. Johnstons army closer and closer to Richmond.

Of particular interest to historians is the writers eyewitness account of the May engagement at Elthams Landing near Yorktown, Va.the first time General John Bell Hoods Texans fought in Virginia. On May 6 the diarist marched 12 miles and joined the Hampton Legion near West Point. He wrote:

We were up at Early dawn this day [May 7th 1862] & the brigade (Hamptons) marched down to within two miles of West Point two cos of the Legion were deployed as skirmishers on the left of the roadMullies Co. among one of the twowe worked our way through the woods, heard firing to our right when coming on a cross road we were fired uponCol. Archer of the 5th Texas regt who thought there was something wrong  & came out to seehis men had fired upon our Co & it was only owning to the coolness of Mullie that the fire was not returnedCol Archer was within 30 yds. of the right of the W.L. [Washington Light] Infantry & twenty guns were leveled upon him before he made himself known to us. After this accident the Texans were withdrawn & placed on the left of the road & our brigade on the rightThe Texans had already had a brush with the enemy killing some & losing two of their own menwho were brought out into the roadAfter deploying on the right & left of the road, it was not long before we heard heavy firing on our left from the Texans & also their yell as they charged the foethey drove them through the woods to the field beyondcapturing 46 & killing a large numbervery soon after this the enemy appeared before us on the right, we had abt. three shots each at them in our Co.we had no support on our right, being the extreme right of our line of battle, owing to which the enemy moved by & flanking us crossed the fire upon usthe Gist rifles fell back abt. 30 paces also exposing us to the fire on the leftby this time we fell back on a line with the Gist rifles & with a yell moved to the charge but the Enemy had retreated, & we were ordered by Genl. [Wade] Hampton who came up to fall back which we did in good orderThe Texans had also fallen back on the other side of the road.Our killed was abt. 14 & 30 woundedthe enemy must have lost 300 men killed & wounded, as the Texans fought like devils, & our legion saw dead Yankees laying all abt. through the woodsWe returned to camp abt. 3 ocwell satisfied with the days work From what we could learn today we fought Genl. Franklins division & Newtons brigade.

Who was this diarist? After reading his journal, Robert K. Krick, former chief historian at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, pointed out that he believed Mullie Logans wartime letters were at the Museum of the Confederacy. Thinking that Captain Logan might have mentioned the diarist in his letters, I inquired at the MOCwhere I learned that although Captain Logans letters are not in their collection, eight letters by his brother, Daniel DOyley Logan, are. On hearing that, Krick thought there was a good chance the diary might be by Daniel Logan, and that it might have become separated at some point from the eight letters at the MOC. When John Coski, the MOCs historian and director of Library and Research, sent me copies of Sergeant Daniel Logans letters to compare with the diary entries, it was clear from the handwriting that they had been written by the same man. The mystery was solved.

Now that we knew who the diarist was, it was easy to understand why he seemed to travel in such elevated circles even though he was only a sergeant. His close friend and brother was Captain Loganwho eventually became a brigadier general.

Mary Roy Dawson Edwards, who writes from Schuyler, Va., greatly enjoys ferreting out information in archives.

Originally published in the June 2010 issue of Civil War Times. To subscribe, click here.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook apologized to customers Thursday for not being clear that the company slows down phones with aging batteries. Cook promised that, in the future, Apple will "give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone's battery" and let people see if their battery's age affects their phone's performance.

Apple is offering a discount on battery replacements to anyone with an iPhone 6 or later, the company said in a statement. A replacement will now cost $29 instead of $79 starting in late January 2018. The cheaper price is more in line with third-party repair shops.

While Cook's message was apologetic, he still rejected allegations that Apple slowed down phones with older batteries as a way to push people into buying new phones. "First and foremost, we have never - and would never - do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades," he said.

The company said previously that unless it reduces the performance of its phones, the older batteries run a higher risk of spontaneously shutting down. This explanation makes technical sense, many experts have said.

Apple's disclosure last week that it slows down phones has sparked much criticism and a string of lawsuits. A French consumer rights group filed a suit on Dec. 27 that accuses Apple of degrading its old phones in order to sell new ones. In France, it's illegal to degrade old products to promote the sale of new ones, meaning that the suit filed in France by the group Halte a l'Obsolescence Programmee is the only lawsuit that carries the possibility of up to two years in prison.

RELATED VIDEO: Apple is facing eight lawsuits due to slowing down old iPhones

Now Playing: This potentially impacted millions of iPhone owners nationwide. Video: Fortune

The group, which lays out its case in an online statement, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has also previously sued printer companies including Epson over claims that they violate the same law. The printer case is currently under investigation.

Apple also faces at least eight lawsuits from iPhone owners in places including California, New York, New Jersey and even Israel that claim Apple owes its customers money for not previously disclosing the slowdowns. The suits ask the company to pay iPhone owners varying amounts. One California suit seeks nearly $1 trillion in damages.

South Korean government telecommunications officials have also said they will look into the reports, according to the Korea Herald.

The argument of the people criticizing Apple largely have rested on two claims: one, that Apple hurt the performance of the phones in secret and two, that doing so made it more likely that someone would buy a new iPhone rather than fix their old one.

That, argues one lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of New York, amounts to a sort of fraud: "Had Plaintiffs been informed by Apple that a simple battery replacement would have improved the performance of their iPhones, Plaintiffs would have chosen to replace their batteries which was clearly a more cost effective method rather than upgrading to a new iPhone that was extremely costly."

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suits or the investigation.

The suits cap off a rocky year for Apple, which saw a lot of financial success but also a good deal of small controversies - including a bug that prevented iPhone owners from typing "i" and several software issues. It also faced criticism over a lukewarm reception for its iPhone X and had to delay the release of its smart speaker, the HomePod, to 2018.

That said, Apple's not hurting on the business front, though. Cook earned his $9.33 million end-of-year bonus thanks to strong stock market performance. And Apple appears to be finishing the year strong, with more people starting up new iPhones and iPads than devices from any other gadgetmaker this year, according to research firm Flurry Analytics.
The piece: "Telepathic Improvisation"

The artists: Pauline Boudry / Renate Lorenz

Where: Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, through Jan. 7

Why: The transitional week between Christmas and New Year's can make it a challenge to find one's bearings. It's no longer quite this year, but not yet next year, either. What better moment to explore an art installation that imagines a world without temporal or physical boundaries?

"Telepathic Improvisation" puts viewers into a weird space from the moment they enter the CAMH's darkened downstairs gallery. The place looks almost empty save for a pair of huge wooden handcuffs suspended from the ceiling, a fringe-y wall made of black and blond wigs, a trio of white boxes and a gaggle of microphones on a rotating pedestal that make you wonder if you've missed a performance or should wait for one to begin.

These objects also appear as props in the film that plays on a wall in the middle of the room. So, hmmmm - are you a part of what's going on there?

The installation's name comes from the 1974 musical score by the late composer Pauline Oliveros that inspired the project. Oliveros directs musicians to stand on a stage and wait for mind-messages from the audience to determine what they will play. In the same vein, German artists Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz ask their viewers to close their eyes and project what they want to see happening onto the screen.

Rationally, you know you cannot change the 20-minute film. No matter what else you might will her to do, the blonde in the red jumpsuit will still roll onto the stage, as if being pushed by one of those white pedestals. She will still recite text from an article by Ulrike Meinhof, a militant who co-founded the terroristlike Red Army Faction in West Germany in the 1970s. (Boudry and Lorenz originally planned to name the show for a line of Meinhof's text that suggested not caring about the weather; but the artists could not turn Hurricane Harvey around, either.)

However, if you watch the film again, your experience of it will change: You're 20 minutes further into your life, and you know what is going to unfold on the screen.

"One of the things that moves me is this moment of imagining what kind of future you want to see," CAMH curator Dean Daderko said during a recent talk with the artists.

Boudry and Lorenz hint at a continuum by using historical political and cultural material, even down to things referenced in the props. They adapted the hanging handcuffs from William Friedkin's 1980 thriller "Cruising," about an undercover NYPD cop hunting down a serial killer of gay men. The motorized units reference a 1966 solo by choreographer Deborah Hay, who was echoing Robert Breer's automated "float" sculptures. There's even some fun woo-woo in the casting: The blonde is the American performance artist MPA, who staged her own spacey show in these same galleries last year.

"Telepathic Improvisation" was filmed in New York last February, as the U.S. government was enacting its first Muslim travel ban. Well before that, Boudry and Lorenz were concerned by growing right-wing movements across Europe.

Halfway through the film, the camera becomes menacing, revealing the action from the perspective of a surveillance drone - but only briefly. As if a viewer, herself in the act of watching, could will the machine to go away.
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It was a discarded cigarette butt that led to the arrest of the Baytown man charged with capital murder in a brutal 2016 Mother's Day stabbing and sexual assault.

Byron Lloyd Collins was collared last week, more than a year and a half after the slaying, but police said Wednesday they still have no idea what motivated the bloody attack on Nataliya Shal.

When authorities picked up the accused killer three days before Christmas, they found him in the same West Baker complex where the mother of one was murdered the year before. Now, he's in jail with no bail, and prosecutors haven't ruled out a death sentence.

"We take these cases very personally simply because we understand how important they are to the victims and their families," Baytown police Lt. Steve Dorris told reporters. "This is one of those cases where the pieces of the puzzle all kind of fall together."

A trove of genetic evidence from the scene, a brother with DNA in the system and timely training on lab techniques all coalesced to net an arrest, authorities said.

Police uncovered the crime on May 8, when Shal's husband, who was out of town, called to request a welfare check after the 50-year-old stopped answering her phone.

Now Playing: It was a discarded cigarette butt that led to the arrest of the Baytown man charged with capital murder in a brutal 2016 Mother's Day stabbing and sexual assault. Video: Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle

Officers who went by the couple's home that night at the Lakes of Madera Apartments peered through a window and spotted Shal's lifeless body in a pool of blood.

Not realizing the apartment was unlocked, police kicked in the door and found the mother of one with multiple stab wounds in her back, prosecutors later said in court.

For months, though, the investigation stalled. Authorities tested DNA from the scene, but it wasn't in the system.

In October a witness surfaced offering a description of a man seen talking with Shal at the complex the day of her death. A sketch artist worked up an image of the man, then identified only as a person of interest and not a suspect.

Crime Stoppers put out a $25,000 reward, but it still failed to turn up any substantial leads.

It wasn't until early 2017 when investigators attended a meeting about Combined DNA Index System - better known as CODIS - that they started making steps toward a breakthrough.

There, they found out about the possibility of using familial DNA testing to help identify suspects not already in police databases.

So in June, investigators sent off evidence in the case for testing - and got a hit. The killer was still unidentified, but police realized his brother was already in prison and had DNA in the system.

"That in and of itself doesn't really get us anywhere," Dorris said. "It's just a tool, something to point us in the right direction to get us started."

Then, authorities used a process of elimination to figure out which family members could be suspects. In the end, they zeroed in on Collins. Even though his only priors were misdemeanors, he matched the earlier sketch - and sometimes stayed with family at the victim's apartment complex, Dorris said.

After surveilling the 29-year-old, police picked up a discarded cigarette butt and sent it off to the lab. On Dec. 18, it came back as a match to the crime scene DNA, according to police. Four days later, authorities arrested Collins.

Police questioned him, but "he didn't just outright confess," Dorris said. "Why he decided to do what he did, we just don't know."

Police and prosecutors met that day and decided to pursue a capital murder charge.

Afterward, they called Shal's husband of nine years to give him the news.

"He was extremely grateful, very gracious, very grateful," Dorris said. "I think he really believes in the system, he believes in the process that we go through in these cases."

Ruben Perez with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, praised the inter-agency cooperation that led to the arrest.

"The defendant is now behind bars and charged with capital murder, the most serious charge in our criminal justice system," he said. "We at the district attorney's office have asked for no bond and the court system has agreed with us."

Collins doesn't appear to have an appointed attorney yet and is due back in court Thursday morning.

Perez wouldn't speculate on whether the district attorney's office would seek a death sentence, but said that a committee of senior prosecutors will make that decision sometime after an indictment.

"Now that we do have his DNA," Dorris said, "we'll be interested to see if there's any other cases he's linked to."
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The lots on Conroe's West Santa Fe Street where Louis "Pepper" Wilkerson and Lisa McWashington were found dead just over three years ago have been over taken by weeds and debris.

And on a gloomy day Dec. 22, Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon and Trial Bureau Chief Kelly Blackburn recounted how Russell Lee Ketchum, 42, chased down the pair, strangling them to death following a dispute over drugs.

On Wednesday, after being contacted by Ketchum's attorney Gerald Bourque, the DA's office agreed to a deal for Ketchum, who was charged in the double homicide of Wilkerson, 58, and McWashington, 43, to plead guilty to the crime in exchange for life without the possibility of parole and waving his right to appeal. Ligon's office originally planned to seek the death penalty for Ketchum.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Ketchum could have been MoCo's first death penalty case in years

Bourque said Ketchum accepts responsibility for his actions, but said there is a big issue at hand locally and nationwide.

"Drug abuse, however is not being properly addressed in America yet," he said. "One's anger about one's addiction will almost always lead to injury, self-inflicted or otherwise because we, as a society, have no answer for it. Once you are in addiction, you are in for life."

Bourque added Montgomery County is "blessed to have judges who care about this phenomenon."

"Now we need leadership from our commissioners," he said. "I watched Judge Mayes and am watching Judge Maginnis work tirelessly for recovering addicts, but they are always pulling the train by themselves. It is a thankless task for now.

"Maybe these lives are not lost if we have answers."

According to Blackburn, Ketchum went to meet Wilkerson to purchase drugs. However, Ketchum stole the drugs from Wilkerson and the two began to fight. Blackburn said he believes McWashington tried to intervene when Ketchum turned on her.

"He disabled her and then chased Pepper  came back and finished Lisa off, choking her to death," Blackburn said.

Wilkerson and McWashington's bodies were found Oct. 11, 2014. Ketchum was arrested in January 2015.

Ketchum, Ligon said, has a prior felony criminal history. He was found guilty of state jail felony credit card abuse in 1997 and second-degree felony robbery in 2003, according to public records.

During a hearing where Ketchum entered his plea in front of 435th state District Court Judge Patty Maginnis, Ligon said the victim impact statement from Wilkerson's daughter Michelle Gillespie was "moving" and "powerful" adding "she spoke from the heart".

Gillespie said she would forgive Ketchum, but not for him but for herself and her family. She urged Ketchum to look at his sentence as a chance to change and make things right with his family.

Ligon praised Conroe Police Department for their work and dedication to the case.

"Conroe PD did a great job," he said. "Conroe put everything into it."

"He could have taken their drugs and walked away," Ligon said describing the two as disabled with little means. "Ketchum is a big guy. Literally, he could have pushed them away instead, manually strangled them, one of the most difficult things to do and it is so intentional.

"It's such a savage act. He did it not once, but twice."
Recently, conservative writers have been arguing ferociously among themselves about how those who opposed the election of Donald Trump should write about his presidency.

The debate began Dec. 18, when National Review's Charles C.W. Cooke published a critique of the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin, in which he argues that she has become one of the "Trump-obsessed zealots" she herself often criticizes.

That being the case, Cooke continues, Rubin is doing conservatism itself a disservice by opposing Trump even when he takes a stance that she previously agreed with, as she has on several occasions.

"Conservatism in this country long predated Trump; for now, it is tied up with Trump; soon, it will have survived Trump," he writes.

The Atlantic's David Frum highlighted this comment in a piece rebutting Cooke's essay and defending Rubin.

"This is something many conservatives tell themselves, but it's not even slightly true. Trump is changing conservatism into something different," writes Frum, a onetime speechwriter for President George W. Bush.

In Frum's view, this is among the reasons that Trump's presidency is "a huge political fact." And Rubin is among the conservatives who deserve credit for "consistent anti-Trumpism," because she refuses to ignore that.

Many "Never Trump" conservatives have already weighed in on the ensuing debate, and I've been bemused watching it unfold; I was completely appalled by the idea of Trump becoming president, but what's done is done. Still, I would like to offer a few comments as well.

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The first is that from a journalistic perspective, the question at hand has a straightforward answer: People who offer commentary about American politics from a conservative perspective, or a progressive one, should do so fairly, accurately and independently. I realize many pundits don't, but still.

Conservatives who openly opposed Trump were put in an awkward situation when he won the election. Frum is correct that many have succumbed to market pressure since then and decided to focus on other fights if they can't bring themselves to do an about-face on the president.

Stoic conservatives

But "Never Trump" conservatives who have resisted the temptation to conceal their opinions about the Trump presidency don't deserve a medal, if giving opinions is nonetheless their job. Nor would it be fair to say that an anti-Trump conservative like Cooke is cynically hedging his bets, or changing his position, if he occasionally approves of something Trump does.

I've done so myself, from time to time, and I wish I had more occasion to do so, because although I was opposed to Trump from the outset of the Republican primaries, I'm nonetheless aware that he won.

That brings me to my second point, which is that my sense, from watching the debate unfold, is that the conservatives who agree with Cooke aren't less principled than the "Never Trump" hardliners; they're just more stoic.

MORE FROM GRIEDER: Could Texas turn blue in 2018? Stranger things have happened

And that makes sense, frankly, given that The National Review's editors were definitely among the conservatives who genuinely did not want Trump to become president.

"So far, conservative voters seem to like him just fine," they wrote in March 2016, when they endorsed Ted Cruz.

The editors acknowledged that many Republicans feel differently and urged everyone to focus on the big picture.

"What matters now is that Cruz is a talented and committed conservative. He is also Republicans' best chance for keeping their presidential nomination from going to someone with low character and worse principles."

Taking risks

The latter point was clearly true, at that juncture in the primary. Republicans who ignored it were the ones who were willing to take the risk. They were also, in many cases, the ones who in late February 2016 had begun using the hashtag #NeverTrump on social media, and they continued to do so after Ohio and Florida held their primaries on March 15.

So although today's "Never Trump" hardliners might be sincerely appalled by Trump's behavior as president, it's not really a surprise that they're less sanguine than the conservatives who anticipated the risk before they did.

And some of those conservatives, I think, are still underestimating the risk. Will conservatism escape Trump unscathed? Of course not. He's already changed it. But that doesn't change the fact that he won.

***
The Republican Party prides itself on being a champion of personal responsibility, a perennial critic of plaintiffs' lawyers and the bedrock of fiscal conservatism, particularly when it comes to borrowing against the future to pay for current spending.

All of which would seem to put Jared Woodfill, chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, in an awkward position these days.

Woodfill, a plaintiffs' lawyer, is facing a collection lawsuit from a New York law firm alleging he owes nearly $30 million for a loan he defaulted on two years ago. The loan, in part, was to bankroll litigation Woodfill pursued against the BNSF Railway on behalf of some Somerville residents who blame the company for their health problems.

Woodfill denied that he defaulted on the loan and said he expects a possible settlement of the lawsuit within a few days.

According to the suit filed by LFR Collections, LLP, Woodfill and his firm, Woodfill & Pressler LLP, received a loan of $5 million in March 2006 from a hedge fund called Gerova Asset Backed Holdings, LP. That company went out of business in 2010 after the 2008-09 economic crash.

Company's claim

The most recent of several successor companies contends that Woodfill and his firm defaulted on the loan on Sept. 30, 2010. Because of accrued interest and fees, as well as increases in the size of the loan, the amount Woodfill and his firm owe has ballooned to $29,264,564, LFR Collections claims.

Woodfill contended the hedge fund extended a line of credit, that he never borrowed the full amount and that the principal has been repaid.

"The fund did not have the assets or funding that was promised," he said.

The plaintiff maintains that Woodfill and his firm agreed to repay the entire amount, plus annual interest of 19 to 21 percent.

A spokeswoman for Mayer Brown, the law firm representing LFR Collections, declined comment on the suit.

Label a GOP insult

In the decade that he has been chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, it has been common knowledge that Woodfill is a lawyer. It is less well known that he is a plaintiff's lawyer, a label that may rival "liberal" as an insult among Republicans who believe that plaintiffs' lawyers file frivolous lawsuits and win outrageous settlements from reputable companies. His profile on the party website notes that he and his partner, Paul Pressler, "have defended conservative principles through their law practice."

Ed Hubbard, a Houston lawyer who challenged Woodfill for the party chairmanship in 2010 on grounds of fiscal mismanagement, said he became aware of the lawsuit last month.

"If the allegations are true  and as an attorney, you always keep in mind that they're allegations  it does concern me," he said. "I'm concerned whether it will affect his ability to do a volunteer job to the extent necessary."

Three years ago, the Harris County Republican Party was in arrears, in part, because of a bleak fund-raising climate and internecine disputes over Woodfill's leadership. Hubbard said he is concerned only about the whether the party is well-managed, not Woodfill's professional activity.

Woodfill said the type of loan at issue is "fairly common among law firms, tech start-ups and real estate entities."

Although Woodfill insisted that the hedge-fund loan was not connected to a particular case, he said that without it he could not have taken on the nation's second-largest railway company. He has lost two of the related lawsuits and settled one.

'Finance the cost'

Loans from banks, hedge funds, finance companies and private investors bankrolling other people's lawsuits is not unusual, said Jeffrey L. Rensberger, a professor at South Texas College of Law. "Anytime there's a contingency, the lawyer has to somehow finance the cost of litigation, and it can be quite expensive."

Defenders of the practice argue that the inflow of money provides resources for plaintiffs who otherwise would not be able to do battle with well-funded corporations. They have a chance to get their claim vindicated, and, if the lawyer is successful, the investor shares in the winnings.

The practice "raises a lot of ethical questions," said Robert Schuwerk, a law professor at the University of Houston Law Center who specializes in legal ethics. The attorney potentially loses confidentiality and control over the case, since the investor is likely to insist on some say about how the money is being spent, Schuwerk said.

"There's also the problem of the financial pressure it puts on a lawyer to get to a certain outcome," Rensberger said. "Anybody under financial pressure, lawyer or not, can reach bad decisions."

Woodfill said his firm has spent more on the BNSF cases than on any previous litigation and is proceeding with the lawsuits. He defended the practice, if not the outcome of this particular agreement with the hedge fund.

"This is a business dispute," he said. "This type of loan is consistent with free-market principles."

joe.holley@chron.com
Each spring, a rapid-fire, machine gun sound emanates from the cool waters of the Northern Gulf of California, located off the coast of Mexico.

The sound, which is louder than a chainsaw and can damage other marine animals' ear drums, likely is a confusing annoyance to some. But to female Gulf corvina fish, it's a sensuous ballad signalling the time to procreate.

And thanks to scientists at University of Texas-Austin's Marine Science Institute, corvina now have been classified as the loudest known fish on the planet.

"Male corvina produce sounds during spawning, and their collective mating choruses reverberate through the hulls of small, fibreglass fishing boats (pangas) and are audible to the naked ear," according to an article published this month in the journal, Biology Letters.

But this distinction makes them an easy target for fishers, landing the species on the vulnerable to extinction list compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

It's mating call is so loud, in part, because so many fish -- several million, in fact -- gather in one spot in the uppermost portion of the Gulf (the Colorado River Delta) to spawn each year, the article states.

To determine the decibel level of these fish, Brad Erisman, a UT-Austin fisheries ecologist, and his colleagues conducted four acoustic surveys in the Delta during peak spawning times between March and April of 2014.

The area is historically overfished and this is expected to continue, leaving corvina especially vulnerable because they are restricted to this area, the union's website states.

"The intense sound levels can mask and overwhelm concurrent engine noise from fishing activity, enabling fishers to use the sound to easily locate and harvest fish during spawning," according to the article.

And fishers are able to harvest corvina, commonly sold as White Sea Bass, fast. In just 20 days of fishing each year, a 500 boat fleet can catch 5,900 tons of corvina, the equivalent of 2 million fish, the article states.

The fish "faces imminent risk of a fishery and species collapse due to overfishing of its spawning aggregation and regulations that allow overfishing to persist," scientists wrote.

Alex Stuckey covers science and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
A 4-year-old boy who was injured when a treehouse fell on him on Christmas Eve at a relative's home in the Splendora area has died.

Courtney Contreras, mother of Kade Contreras, posted on Facebook Wednesday night: "Our sweet baby boy went home to be with Jesus today. At 4:18 p.m. I am trying really hard not to question the whys because I will never know that.

"All that I know for sure is that we were blessed beyond measure to be Kade Dylan's parents. My days will never be the same without him and his little voice and big smile. I can't say thank you enough for everyone and how much you lifted my family up. I'll ask one more time to lift us up in peace and understanding."

The Cleveland community had rallied around the boy's family but friends said tests showed he had no brain activity so the family had to make the agonizing decision to remove him from life support.

Kade, the youngest of four sons of Roy and Courtney Contreras, and grandson of Neil and Linda Stuckey, all of Cleveland, suffered major head trauma and was on life-supporting machines at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.

"He had swelling on his brain after the accident," Cleveland ISD Police Chief Rex Evans, spokesperson for the family, said earlier Wednesday.

The Stuckey and Contreras families are well-regarded in Cleveland in part for their support of youth activities.

"He had just turned 4 and was looking forward to Christmas," Evans said. "This is about as bad as it gets and the family is asking the community to please keep praying for him."
Lorena let the nurse's call go to voicemail on her cell phone as she sold Mexican candies and trinkets out of an apartment in northwest Houston. She deleted the message, once again ignoring the words "urgent" and "please come in."

There would be more calls in the days to come. All erased.

The possibility of cancer has gnawed at Lorena since she was diagnosed with abnormal cells in the cervix a little over two years ago. She has missed seven appointments from September through November, deferring medical treatment that could prevent the condition from developing into cervical cancer.

An undocumented mother of two, Lorena fears what she considers a more immediate threat. She says she doesn't want to go to the hospital. She is afraid that if she does, someone will call immigration and she will be taken away from her daughters.

Lorena, 26, who asked that her surname not be used, is like numerous other undocumented immigrants in Houston, weighing health care needs against the increased odds of deportation, according to interviews with dozens of patients, medical professionals and health care administrators.

The Harris Health System, one of the largest public healthcare systems in the nation, has yet to record a significant decline in patient numbers across its network of clinics and its two major public hospitals, Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson, president and CEO George Masi said.

But he acknowledges that it's a hard to prove a negative and says this is an issue that's tricky to quantify.

A New America Aggressive federal enforcement, controversial laws and heated political rhetoric are pushing Houston's immigrants - documented and undocumented - deeper into the shadows. Click here to read more stories that show why immigration matters in Houston. See More Collapse

There is anecdotal evidence on the streets and at clinics and non-profit advocacy agencies across Greater Houston that the Trump administration's immigration crackdown has led undocumented immigrants  and some legal residents  to avoid seeking medical care to stay out of reach of immigration authorities.

"The city with the largest medical center in the world shouldn't have people afraid of seeking medical care," said Francisco Arguelles, executive director of the Living Hope Wheelchair Association, a non-profit that supplies wheel chairs and other medical hardware to the infirm, regardless of immigration status.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement classifies medical facilities as "sensitive locations" where raids are prohibited. But fear among the city's 600,000 undocumented immigrants that leads to delayed or deferred care has potentially significant public health implications for all Houstonians.

Lorena, still holding off on seeing a doctor for her cervical condition, spent a fall Sunday morning in her northeast Houston home, breast feeding her 4-month-old while her 5-year-old cooed at her baby sister. The lights on their white Christmas tree dimly lit the room.

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Lorena's mother, Alma, peeked in from the kitchen now and then.

She has pleaded with Lorena to get treatment for her condition, if not for her own sake, then for the girls. Undocumented herself, Alma understands her only child's reservations.

"Immigration officers," Alma said, "are more terrifying than an illness."

***

At Centro de Corazon, a longtime resource for Houston's immigrant community, nurses reported a near 50 percent drop in the number of undocumented prenatal care patients in August.

The six Houston clinics run by the Ibn Sina Foundation, a nonprofit that provides free or low-cost medical care, reported a more than 50 percent decline in undocumented patients since September.

A NEW AMERICA: Five storylines that show why the immigration debate matters in Houston

Even private practice clinics that specifically cater to cash-paying undocumented patients saw an initial dip in no-shows around May, clinicians said.

"The health of a community is only as good as the weakest link in the health care chain," said Masi, the Harris Health CEO.

Policies that drive the undocumented underground and away from treatment need to be reassessed, he says, "if not out of compassion, it's out of good public health policy."

A Kaiser Family Foundation study released this month found evidence of decreased participation in Medicaid and the federal Children's Health Insurance Program nationwide. In some cases, legal residents worry of backlash in accepting government aid. In others, undocumented parents fear their citizen children's information could be used against them.

The Kaiser study also found that children in immigrant households face the risk of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues as their parents' fears grow.

While much of the focus has been on physical health, Glenn Urbach, executive director of National Alliance on Mental Health of Greater Houston, is also worried for the untold numbers of undocumented immigrants who are reluctant to begin or continue psychiatric treatment.

"It's a chronic and lifelong condition that is treatable and needs to be treated," he said. His staff and volunteers are already hearing from families who are skipping medication or therapy for fear that the paperwork will somehow create a roadmap for immigration officers.

Providers and patients point to aggressive federal immigration enforcement this year, as well as Senate Bill 4, which allows local law enforcement officers to question a detained person's legal status.

In Texas, the Children's Health Insurance Program experienced a decline in new enrollment between June and July, dropping to 29,106 from 37,523. Because SB4 had only just been passed, it is unclear if the decline was triggered by the legislation, or was a one-time anomaly.

Missing even routine appointments can lead to costlier treatments down the line when patients can no longer avoid a hospital and arrive in the emergency room, said Karen Mountain, CEO of the national Migrant Clinicians Network based in Austin.

"If we catch it earlier, in a non-emergency primary care setting, the cost of care is less and the treatments are often more successful, and patients will be more likely and able to pay their co-pay, return to work, and lead healthy and productive lives wherein they can contribute to our local communities," she said. "The hospitals and clinics, in turn, aren't stuck with costly procedures for which the patient is unable to pay."

Many conservatives, worried about what they see as a strain on the nation's services, say health care for those in this country illegally is simply too expensive and legal residents should not have to foot the bill.

But it remains unclear just how expensive such health care is. Studies have shown that undocumented residents tend to use less health care services than U.S.-born citizens.

Elena Marks, president and CEO of Houston's Episcopal Health Foundation, said that those without legal status pay sales and property taxes, and often income and payroll taxes, which in turn not only contributes to the overall economy but also supports federal and local health care services.

Many undocumented immigrants rely on low-cost or free community health clinics. But such services groan under the weight of demand. By some estimates there is only one low-cost community clinic for every 85,000 unauthorized residents.

Or they go to emergency room.

Under the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, by law emergency room doctors and nurses must assess and stabilize all patients regardless not only of ability to pay but also legal status.

Porfirio Villareal, a spokesman for Houston Health Department, cautions that delayed or skipped treatments could have effects far beyond immigrant communities.

Communicable diseases, like tuberculosis or even childhood ailments like measles, are easily treatable and contained as long as people seek treatment. If not, they can worsen quickly for the patient but also spread across wide swaths of the community. Consider, he and others said, child care workers, fast food employees, or simply the person standing in line at the store. If that person skips or has no access to vaccinations or is too fearful to follow-up after a diagnosis, it becomes everyone's problem, he said.

"This is not just an immigration issue. This is a public health issue," Villareal said.

At the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans, or AAMA, there is concern over the potential of spreading HIV in Houston. The advocacy organization partners with the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program to provide treatment and medicine for those who qualify, including undocumented immigrants.

Clients already receiving care haven't shied away from services, similar to patients at Harris Health's dialysis center that treats many undocumented immigrants. But the HIV program has hit a snag in recruitment.

In previous years, AAMA would typically register five to eight new HIV patients a month, said Steven Vargas, a program coordinator. Since the presidential election, the range is now 0 to 2.

Through conversations with existing registered patients and a review of their numbers, Vargas attributed the drop-off to increased fear among Latino and African undocumented immigrants who do not wish to share any personal information for a federally funded program.

HIV patients can die or spread the disease if they don't keep to a strict schedule of medication and doctor visits, Vargas said.

If fear of laws such as SB4 keep HIV positive immigrants from being tested or treated, he added, they may put sexual partners at risk of contracting the disease.

After Arizona passed its own "show me your papers" law, Mexican teen mothers avoided seeking preventative care for themselves and their infants.

Prenatal care is critical for HIV prevention, Vargas said, since most Latinas learn their status during those visits.

If forcibly removed from the country, Vargas added, HIV patients are essentially given a death sentence.

***

When Noe Ramirez came to Houston from Mexico 20 years ago as an undocumented immigrant, the plan was to work for one year. He would buy a car and drive it back home, where he could work as a taxi driver.

Then one early morning, as he rode his bike on a quiet street, a car kept swerving behind him. One second he sat upright, hands on the handlebars. The next, a car tire pressed down onto his chest.

He remembers the driver telling him to get up. He remembers someone yanking at his arms, a pool of his own blood forming around him. By the time he gained full consciousness, he was speaking to a doctor, and was a quadriplegic.

Shortly afterward, his wife, also undocumented, came to Houston to care for him. Later, they sent for their daughter and planted roots.

'LIVING IN FEAR': Immigrants pen powerful thoughts on postcards

Today, Ramirez teaches guitar lessons at his home and is co-founder of Living Hope Wheelchair Association, the non-profit that provides wheelchairs, catheters and other items to the medically needy, including many undocumented immigrants.

Recently, more than 20 association members, all in wheelchairs and of mixed immigration statuses, gathered at the non-profit's northwest Houston office and warehouse for a meeting. Francisco Arguelles, the executive director, passed out a draft letter describing their affiliation with the group and their ties to their work in community for use in court, should they become involved in immigration proceedings.

If they are deported, Arguelles said, what awaits them is a life with no access to public transport, no rights to challenge venues without wheelchair accessibility, and a limited supply of proper medication.

***

There is no blanket protection from deportation for individuals with chronic conditions, immigration lawyers say. One attorney, Mana Yegani, cited one case last year in which a cancer patient was held in an immigration jail.

Under an executive order President Trump signed in January, all undocumented immigrants are now the priority for detention and deportation.

"Humanitarian factors are given very little consideration," Yegani said.

The case of 10-year-old Rosa Maria Hernandez has recently become a potent national symbol of how far immigration enforcement has gone.

The undocumented minor with cerebral palsy was detained at an immigration checkpoint earlier this year on her way to Corpus Christi for gallbladder surgery.

U.S. Border Patrol followed her to Driscoll Children's Hospital and kept guard outside her room until she was discharged, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The agents then detained the girl and took her to a children's detention facility, away from her family in Laredo.

Though the ACLU won a lawsuit to free her from custody, the girl's case has just begun.

"It's had a chilling effect," said Nancy Vera, a leading advocate for Hispanic and other immigrant groups in Corpus Christi. "I'm hearing they don't trust any hospital, not just Driscoll. They don't trust anybody. This is just inhumane."

"How is it that people who live here, people who pay taxes, who are helping to rebuild our communities after the hurricane are too afraid to get health care?"

***

After enough prodding from her mother, Lorena finally stopped deleting calls on her cell phone and returned for a check-up on Dec. 1. She underwent a biopsy.

Whether she will actually go in to learn the results, she can't say.

For now, she occupies herself with her small candies and trinkets business, selling her wares Monday through Saturday, often choosing to sleep in the rented space with her daughters, who she calls the loves of her life.

One recent morning, she tucked the girls into their car seats while her mother secured the coolers of food they would sell at an immigration rights function.

As she adjusted her rearview window, she fought to suppress a coughing fit.

"Today, I'm fine," she says. "Tomorrow, who knows."

***

Ileana Najarro is a business reporter at the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached by email at Ileana.Najarro@chron.com or you can follow her on Twitter: @IleanaNajarro.

Jenny Deam writes about how the changes in today's health care touches patients, doctors, hospitals and insurers on a personal level and in business. She also writes about the burgeoning medical/tech industry in Houston. Contact Jenny by email here or follow her on Twitter at @jenny_deam.
A sermon delivered this month by a Houston imam that included references to killing Jews has been condemned by the Anti-Defamation League and local Muslim leaders, prompting the imam to say he doesn't support violence.

In a Dec. 8 sermon, Imam Raed Al-Rousan's detailed his interpretation of the history of Israel and Palestine, stating that Palestine is not the country of Jewish people and that one day Muslims will fight and defeat Jews there.

In a video of the sermon that briefly surfaced on YouTube but was later taken down, Al-Rousan, speaking in Arabic and discussing an interpretation of Muslim prophecy, said: "Judgment Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Muslims will kill the Jews." The remarks were translated through subtitles.

On Wednesday, the Israeli Consul General for six states, including Texas, decried the speech as racist and hateful. He said it was particularly shameful in a diverse city like Houston.

"We should not be tolerant towards hatred," said Gilad Katz, the consul general. "Hatred should be met with a very strong fist of the law, and should be dealt with seriously."

The ADL said Wednesday that the imam's statement indicates he "doesn't fully understand the ramifications of his sermon."

Dayan Gross, regional director for the ADL in Houston, wrote in an email that Al-Rousan should apologize to the Jewish community and "through future actions, demonstrate he is committed to understanding why the sermon was an incitement to violence."

The ADL had called the sermon "anti-Semitic" and likened it to rhetoric used to incite violence against Jewish people by terrorist groups like al-Qaida.

Shariq Ghani, an interfaith activist with the Minaret Foundation who coordinated local Muslim leaders' response to Al-Rousan's comments, said multiple Muslim scholars and imams had called Al-Rousan to tell him his sermon was incorrect and "extremely hurtful." Ghani said Al-Rousan is a new imam in Houston, with a small congregation.

"We wanted to ensure that congregants of his mosque understood that what he said was well out-of-context, it was politically charged, and something that needs to be adjusted and retracted," Ghani said.

On Tuesday evening, a group of 13 local Muslim leaders issued a statement calling Al-Rousan's earlier remarks "deeply problematic" and not representative of the "views or sentiments of the Houston Muslim community."

"Senior Muslim leaders have been in direct contact with Imam Raed to discuss his sermon, and he has expressed profound regret and willingness to work with Jewish and interfaith leaders to try and correct the situation," the statement reads. "He is aware that his words have caused serious harm to the feelings of many in our city."

Jerusalem directive

Al-Rousan's sermon - and the response - reflect how local communities are grappling with President Donald Trump's declaration that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Trump's Dec. 6 announcement fear has been widely criticized for threatening to inflame tensions between Muslims and Jews.

Reversing decades of American foreign policy, Trump said he would move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Jerusalem is currently occupied by Israeli troops, and is recognized as a holy site by Jews, Muslims and Christians. Palestinian Muslims have long sought to divide the city and make east Jerusalem the capital of Palestine.

Critics of Trump's decision have included Pope Francis, the European Union and the United Nations General Assembly.

Katz said Wednesday that Israel was "very, very thankful to President Trump" and that he was not afraid of those who disagreed with Trump's declarations.

Ghani said the Muslim community is concerned about Trump's move and its impact. But he said "we cannot allow an international conflict or those in power to dictate the course of our relationship with fellow Houstonians, Texans or Americans."

"What is happening now is very dangerous, because Trump has no idea what kinds of ancient and medieval conflicts he is stoking," said Emran El-Badawi , associate professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Houston. "The ADL has a point objecting to the extremism of the preacher in question. However, I fear the longer Trump is in office the more anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and hate crimes we will see."

Al-Rousan said in an emailed statement Tuesday that his "impassioned" sermon was in response to Trump's decision and that he was "mortified" that his remarks were "being seen as a call for the very things I despise." Al-Rousan runs the Tajweed Institute, a Florida-based nonprofit "that strives to teach and spread the authentic knowledge of the Glorious Qur'an," according to the organization's website.

The institute opened a Houston location earlier this year.

"Toward repairing the damage from this, I hope to establish new and meaningful relationships with my neighbors in the Jewish community," Al-Rousan said in his statement Tuesday night. "I want to hear their concerns, learn from them and bring our communities closer together. I hope to work with them to alleviate any fears and to combat hatred in all forms, most especially anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bigotry."

He said he believes "that hatred can only thrive in climates of fear, anger and ignorance. Because of this, I welcome the opportunity to meet with Jewish leaders and other community leaders in the near future."

'Moving forward'

Al-Rousan did not respond to further questions about his statement or sermon Wednesday.

The ADL said Wednesday that it appreciated the Houston Muslim community's response to Al-Rousan.

"Clearly other members of Houston's Muslim community understand this kind of rhetoric has no place in Houston nor in any house of worship," Gross said in the statement. "We would hope the Imam could show Jews, Muslims, and all members of our community that he is committed to moving forward in the spirit of reconciliation, cooperation, and understanding."

John Harden contributed to this report.
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Ejected from his motorcycle after his tires hit a patch of oil, Michael Cassidy landed on a fire hydrant with such force doctors described it as splitting him up the middle.

Emergency responders worked heroically to save Cassidy, but by the time Life Flight arrived at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, he was fighting for his life, vital signs fading, both brain and heart starving for more blood. Transfusions couldn't keep up with the loss.

"He was actively bleeding to death," said Dr. Michelle McNutt, chief of trauma at Memorial Hermann's Red Duke Trauma Institute.

But McNutt and her team had a new tool available that gave hope for Cassidy  a catheter that opens a balloon in the body's main artery, temporarily stopping the hemorrhaging that threatens a patient's life. Doctors describe it as an "internal tourniquet" and call it a game-changer in the field of trauma.

Courtesy of Prytime Medical

Adapted use

The idea was inspired by the decades-old use of such balloon-tipped catheters in cardiovascular patients and first envisioned for the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, where soldiers still routinely die from internal bleeding when the injury is to the abdomen and pelvis.

Two military doctors with backgrounds in vascular surgery figured the technology that worked in heart patients could work in combat too and fashioned the first balloon-tipped catheter for soldiers with injuries lower in the body,

Memorial Hermann is leading the effort to bring internal tourniquets to civilian trauma patients. Its doctors published the first case studies employing the technique, using catheters designed for heart patients instead of waiting for the internal tourniquet in development. They learned the technique from Dr. Todd Rasmussen, one of the visionary doctors in the Middle East, then back at Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio.

Rasmussen's idea didn't actually make it to the battlefield until 2016, after the device was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It's manufactured by PryTime Medical, a San Antonio company that refined the military prototype, initially as a philanthropic venture, then a commercial one. Prytime worked with Rasmussen and Dr. Jonathan Eliason, the other military surgeon.

"No one else would listen to (the military doctors)," says David Spencer, a biotech executive who founded the company. "I did not see a market beyond the military initially either, but the more I got into it, the more I saw there was 'a there there.' "

Today, he says, PryTime's ER-REBOA (the Eliason-Rasmussen Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta) device is being employed in 200 U.S. trauma centers. Many of the surgeons now using it were trained by Memorial Hermann doctors.

Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle

An ideal patient

Cassidy was an ideal patient for the device because his source of bleeding was only his pelvis, not his chest or abdomen. From the groin, McNutt threaded the catheter through the primary artery in Cassidy's thigh up to the aorta, then opened the balloon in the pelvis region. With the hemorrhaging blocked, Cassidy's systolic blood pressure rose from an almost lifeless 60 to a normal 140 and his heart rate slowed from 150 to 120.

In the half-hour window before blood flow had to be restored, McNutt's team stopped the bleeding and prevented infection, a concept known as "damage control surgery." They then removed the catheter, "able to live to fight another day," in McNutt's words.

PROGNOSIS: News and analysis from the Texas Medical Center and beyond

Cassidy's complex combination of injuries  his pelvis was fractured and his colon and bladder also were injured  required multiple subsequent reconstructive operations. But in 30 days he was discharged from the hospital.

Without the internal tourniquet, Cassidy would surely have died, says McNutt. Nine months later, the only vestige of the injury is a limp.

'Defining achievement'

Such internal bleeding is one of the great killers of trauma patients. Despite improvements in such care in recent years, the death rate for patients with excessive bleeding in the torso, chest or pelvis remains about 50 percent, according to Rasmussen. Until the advent of the internal tourniquet, doctors' only recourse had been the thoracotomy, which involves cracking open the chest and whose results are typically poor.

"Such a minimally invasive way to control hemmorrhage is remarkable," says Dr. Laura Moore, medical director of the Red Duke Institute's Shock Trauma ICU and a professor of surgery at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth . "There hasn't been a lot of technical advancement in trauma resuscitation in the last 20 years  I think REBOA is going to be the defining achievement."

Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle

Trials underway

Still, the device is the early stages of research. Moore says researchers are trying to determine the best patient populations, including whether it can revive patients dead for a few minutes by the time they reach the ER.

Memorial Hermann is leading a multi-institutional trial whose results with a variety of patients will be compared with similar patients treated at centers not yet deploying the device.

MORE MEMORIAL HERMANN: Program re-introduces laughing gas to expecting mothers

Expectations are still measured, mostly because hemorrhaging patients likely to benefit from the device typically have multiple other problems that can result in death. McNutt says the majority of deaths among patients on whom the internal tourniquet is used occur because of brain trauma, often only discovered after the device stopped the patient's internal bleeding.

'Very fortunate'

Memorial Hermann has employed the tourniquet on roughly 100 patients, whose outcomes depended on the severity of their injury, not the device. Trauma center leaders said in such cases the device's value was that it bought time.

One Memorial Hermann-University of Maryland Trauma Center study, for instance, showed doctors were able to restore spontaneous circulation, blood pressure and a pulse in 60 percent of patients who arrived at the hospital in cardiac arrest, CPR already in progress.

The odds were certainly against Cassidy making it that far. He survived not just because of the REBOA device, but also because two nurses were in a car behind him when his motorcycle lost control and quickly came to his aid; because recent innovations on Life Flight, such as an in-air blood transfusion, kept him alive during the trip; and because a Memorial Hermann team was ready even before he got there.

"It's funny, I was real calm after the accident, sure everything was going to be OK," says Cassidy, 26, a Cypress door assembler who recently became a father. "I didn't realize how bad it was until after the surgery. I'm very fortunate to be alive."
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A former Texas justice and prominent conservative religious leader has been accused in a state court lawsuit of sexually abusing a Houston man for decades, starting when he was a teenager.

The lawsuit, filed in Harris County court, claims Paul Pressler III sexually assaulted Gareld Duane Rollins Jr. beginning in 1979, when Rollins was 14 and Pressler was a justice on Texas' 14th Court of Appeals, and continuing until 2004.

Pressler, now 87, who served on the appeals court from 1978-1992, is a former state representative and former state district judge who was elected first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2002. The suit describes Pressler as a leader in the "conservative resurgence" movement among Southern Baptists.

Rollins worked in 2003 and 2004 as a personal assistant to Pressler and attended the same church as Pressler beginning as a teenager, according to court documents. Those documents include two letters ostensibly written by Pressler in 2000 and 2002 trying to gain Rollins' release from prison.

The suit, a revised version of which was filed Dec. 14, seeks more than $1 million in damages.

Also named as defendants are Jared Woodfill, Pressler's former law partner and former head of the Republican Party in Harris County; the First Baptist Church of Houston; the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and its president, Paige Patterson; and Pressler's wife, Nancy.

The suit claims the other defendants knew or should have known about the alleged assaults and could have stopped them.

Pressler has categorically denied all of the allegations in court filings, as did the other defendants, and his lawyer filed a motion Thursday afternoon asking that the case be thrown out of court.

"Mr. Rollins is clearly a deeply troubled man, with a track record of multiple felonies and incarceration," Pressler's attorney, Ted Tredennick, said in a statement, "and it is the height of irresponsibility that anyone would present such a bizarre and frivolous case - much less report on it."

Tredennick declined to answer any questions beyond the written statement.

The suit claims Rollins sustained ongoing mental health issues as a result of abuse that led to problems with alcohol and drugs, and to his incarceration in Texas prisons eight times for drunken driving, possession of controlled substances, forgery, burglary and parole violations.

A series of court cases

It's not the first time Rollins has sued Pressler - he filed suit in July 2004 with his mother, Margaret Duryea, but the suit was dismissed two months later after an apparent settlement was reached, according to records with the Dallas County District Clerk's Office and Harris County courts.

The case file containing the 2004 lawsuit has since been destroyed by Dallas County, as allowed under state law. But Rollins' attorney, Daniel Shea, who also represented him in Dallas, provided a copy of the 2004 lawsuit, which accuses Pressler of physically assaulting Rollins during a trip to Dallas in November 2003.

In August 2016, Rollins filed a notice of intent to file a lawsuit against Pressler in Harris County to force him to set aside funds to pay out the remaining balance of the 2004 settlement agreement through 2029. That's when the payments are set to end, according to court documents.

Neither Woodfill, who represented Pressler in 2004, nor Shea would provide the Chronicle a copy of the settlement agreement. But the court documents filed in 2016 link the settlement directly to the 2004 lawsuit.

The notice seeks to question Pressler under oath about the settlement agreement.

The latest lawsuit, initially filed in October before being amended earlier this month, accuses Pressler of ongoing sexual assaults over a period of years as Rollins moved from high school to college and later to multiple stints in prison.

Rollins met Pressler when he entered high school and joined a Bible study Pressler led, according to court documents. The suit says Rollins was raped two to three times a month, mostly at Pressler's home.

The abuse "was always in the master bedroom study, to which he retired with Duane, door closed, with his wife Nancy usually on the premises," according to the suit.

The suit claims the Bible study was done through First Baptist Church, but attorney Barry Flynn said the church has no record of Pressler ever leading any youth groups there. He said the Bible study may have been through another church.

In the motion filed this week to have the lawsuit dismissed, Pressler's lawyer argues that Rollins waited too long to file the legal action, since by his own admission the last alleged assault would have been in 2004. The statute of limitations would have expired by 2009 for any of the allegations raised in the suit, according to the motion.

Pressler's lawyer rejects the argument from Rollins that those statutes do not apply because of the resurfacing of repressed memories.

Rollins began racking up criminal charges after he began college, starting with a 1985 misdemeanor charge of possessing marijuana in Harris County. By 2014, he had been charged six times with driving while intoxicated; twice with theft; multiple counts of forgery; and three times with possession of a controlled substance, including heroin.

During his last stint in prison on a 2014 DWI case, Rollins made an outcry to a prison psychologist in 2015 about years of abuse by Pressler, according to the suit.

After Rollins was paroled in 2016, Shea recommended he see a psychiatrist, Dr. Harvey A. Rosenstock, who concluded Rollins was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse. Rosenstock, who Shea said is not a hired expert, said Rollins was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, according to documents filed with the latest lawsuit.

The recent lawsuit avoids the statute of limitations because the repressed memories only recently came to light, Shea said.

Offers of help

Pressler outlined a close relationship with Rollins in two letters sent to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in 2000 and 2002, urging that he be released on parole. The letters were included in court filings in Harris County.

Pressler wrote in the first letter that Rollins - the youngest of five children - struggled after his parents divorced, and he promised to talk to him "every day except for when I am out of town," if Rollins were released.

After the state board rejected the parole request, Pressler wrote again in 2002.

"I have known Duane most of his life," Pressler wrote. "He was in the youth group at church which my wife and I led when he was in high school ... He is a gentle person who has never done any physical violence to anyone, but one who has made some very serious mistakes ... I am very excited about the possibility of Duane's parole."

Pressler wrote that his law firm, Woodfill and Pressler, would provide Rollins with a job as a personal assistant to Pressler once he was released from prison.

"I would be personally involved in every bit of Duane's life with supervision and control," Pressler wrote. "I have various speaking engagements and would want him to travel with me and drive for me. I also need him to handle miscellaneous matters for me."

Rollins was released in 2003 and worked for the Woodfill and Pressler law firm until 2004 on a contract basis, Woodfill confirmed. During that time, Rollins accompanied Pressler on a trip to Algeria, the suit says, but does not include any allegation of misconduct.

Shea said he could not comment on why his client did not seek criminal charges rather than a civil case now or in 2004, saying that fell beyond his purview.

Shea is perhaps best known for suing a Harris County judge who posted the Ten Commandments in a courtroom, and for attempting to sue the Pope in federal court in 2005 over sexual abuse of minors by priests.

Shea also represented some plaintiffs in Massachusetts when sexual abuse scandals plagued the Boston and Worcester Archdioceses in the early 2000s.

Shea has had a rocky history in Texas. His law license was suspended in 2013 for 18 months for professional misconduct and was reinstated in October 2014, though he remained on probation until March 2017, according to the State Bar of Texas website. A state bar disciplinary report published in the Texas Bar Journal said he entered into a contract with a client that was unfair and unreasonable, without the client's written consent to the terms. He was ordered to pay more than $38,000 in restitution to the client.

A hearing has been set for Jan. 17 on the recent lawsuit. The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has asked that the case be transferred to Tarrant County.
2017 has been a divisive year for the nation, especially Texas.

Conversations about the Lone Star State's Confederate history, as well as protesters and civil rights groups battling the rising number of hate groups and hate crimes in the state, made headlines, reminding residents about the nation's troubling past.

On a smaller scale, local communities and institutions fought to bring the discussion of racism and insensitivity to the forefront.

ROCKETS STAR: James Harden pays visit to incarcerated rapper Meek Mill

Now Playing: The FBIs counterterrorism division released an assessment in August meant to warn law enforcement officers of violent threats from black identity extremists. The assessment didnt become public until October. But some black activists, lawmakers and police officers say the label is a pretext for broad surveillance and criminalization of black people. It really sends a message that its open season on black activists, one black lawmaker said. Video: Mic

Chron.com put together a list of some of these moments that sparked debates about racism in Texas and the U.S.

See racist or controversial moments in Texas in 2017.

Fernando Ramirez is a reporter for Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle. You can read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93.
Virginia's House of Delegates 94th District captured America's attention last week after a dramatic saga of vote counts and recounts culminated in a perfectly tied election. Both three-term Republican incumbent David Yancey and Democratic challenger Shelly Simonds received 11,608 votes, a rare feat that had electoral enthusiasts across the country ecstatic about democracy in action.

On the surface, this race is a testament to the power of the American electoral system. A historically important election came down to a single citizen's vote, and yet every citizen was an essential part of the outcome. The symmetry somehow implies harmony, evoking images of Smalltown, USA, where politics exist in perfect balance.

But this bizarre fluke of democracy is no reason to celebrate. This outcome should leave Americans feeling deeply uncomfortable. Elections this close don't promote the values of compassion and inclusivity that people, especially the youngest and largest generations, are increasingly seeking in their elected officials. This is the type of vote that inspires ire and action by the political fringes. Razor-thin victories leave people feeling cheated. It's hard to build a governing coalition on miniscule margins.

This particular voting bloc in Newport News isn't a miraculously representative microcosm of the American electorate either. As in many other districts, the people who voted Nov. 7 don't reflect the constituency as a whole. According to the state election board, the Virginia 94th has more than 48,000 active registered voters, but not even half showed up on Nov. 7 to cast a ballot.

Another proprietary database shows that there are likely 15 percent more Democratic voters than Republican voters in the district. Of those Democrats, 35 percent are African-American, and less than a third of those voters have participated in more than two elections in their lifetimes.

That isn't unique to the 94th. Across the country are entire communities of people who are going unheard in the electoral process, and American election law has allowed that to happen.

The Virginia race shows why it's time to review the function and structure of our elections. The purpose of a representative republic is to build a government by and for its citizens, and right now, neither seems to be the case.

Americans can reconsider the entire premise of democracy by instituting laws that invalidate elections that don't meet minimum standards, such as 50 percent registered-voter turnout. The idea of minimum turnout requirements have been floated for bond elections in Texas, but there's no reason to limit the concept to those specific votes. Not only would such a regulation lead to better representation in government, it would also blunt laws that restrict ballot access for marginalized people.

There are other ways to increase turnout, such as automatic voter registration, longer election cycles, standardized election dates and easier access to early, mail-in and online voting. These rules would keep campaigns and elections focused on future governance and citizen participation in the political process.

This country seems to have completely abandoned the idea of forcing candidates to earn a political mandate. Instead we allow a bare minimum standard for elected representatives that undoubtedly has contributed to the nationwide feeling of political inertness. There's no reason Americans should have to settle for politicians who can't create a stronger public consensus. Plus, instituting higher thresholds for elected officials might even force the nation to finally, actually reconcile some of its toughest policy debates.

Election reform discussions often stop short of follow-through mechanisms because, let's be honest, the suspense keeps politics interesting and engaging. Unfortunately, that interest and engagement is seasonal with the campaign cycle. But citizens need to be invested in the process year-round. Repairing the American political system must start with overhauling the electoral system so that the issues - not the vote margins - sit at the center of attention.

Carrejo, a Houston native, is a graduate student in Fordham University's Elections and Campaign Management Masters program.
Here in Texas and around the country, a battle is being waged against patients and their wallets - especially against patients in need of emergency medical care.

Many of us pay higher and higher insurance premiums every year, while at the same time, our co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles rise at an unsustainable pace.

A sizable percentage of these insurance products are little more than "junk plans" that cost a small fortune and offer little in return - which is bad enough. But just as concerning is the push by major health care companies to discourage what they see as "unnecessary ER visits." When did insurance companies get the idea they know an emergency medical situation better than the patient who is experiencing it?

Earlier this year, the Harris Poll released a study showing that only 16 percent of U.S. consumers believe health insurance companies prioritize patients over profits. But the same study showed that more than half of consumers believe America's doctors and nurses make a positive difference in our country. Patients value doctors' and nurses' efforts while health insurance companies face resounding skepticism and criticism for the way they do business.

And lately, insurers have made it their business to discourage patients from seeking emergency medical attention at freestanding ERs, even if they are the nearest source of high quality care for many patients. They even falsely allege that these ERs prefer to be out of network or concentrated in wealthy neighborhoods that already benefit from a wide selection of health care options. For the vast majority of our facilities, nothing could be further from the truth.

Just look at one of the freestanding emergency centers in Lubbock. Last week, overloaded hospitals there were unable to accept any additional non-trauma patients. People with non-life threatening - but still serious - emergency medical needs would have had no place to receive emergency care were it not for the dedicated staff at one of these institutions. Three different ambulances arrived within minutes of eachother at one point, and all patients received the care they needed and deserved.

During Hurricane Harvey, a number of hospitals and medical practices were forced to shut their doors due to flooding, power loss and other challenges. Freestanding ERs across Houston and the region served as shelters in the storm. In places such as Rockport, there was no emergency care available within a thirty-mile radius except for one freestanding emergency center, which was able to meet the needs of hundreds of patients.

Throughout Harvey, my own standalone ERs - including locations in Atascocita and Pearland - remained open throughout the storm and served hundreds of patients with emergency medical conditions. All of them received outstanding care, regardless of their ability to pay.

Today, freestanding ERs are an essential part of Texas' medical infrastructure, and without them, too many patients' medical needs wouldn't be met. Independent emergency centers exist for three simple reasons: to provide better, faster and less expensive emergency medical care. By Texas law, insurers are required to pay emergency medical claims at in-network rates. Misleading patients about that is unethical.

As a trained ER nurse of many years, I can tell you unequivocally that our highest priority is treating our patients' critical medical needs and getting them back to full health. Insurance companies may try to convince you otherwise, but then again, they are in the business of making money. Our business is saving lives and making people better.

Sandel is a trained ER nurse, CEO of Texas Emergency Care Centers and a Board Member of the Texas and National Associations of Freestanding Emergency Centers.
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Two competing technologies for delivering wireless charging over the air have been given regulatory nods by the Federal Communications Commission to begin manufacturing and selling wireless power chargers in the United States.

Both Energous Corp. and Powercast Corp. received FCC approval this week for transmitters that convert electricity to radio waves, which are then beamed to a devices equipped with receivers. The companies plan to show off their technologies at the upcoming CES electronics show in Las Vegas in January.

Qi charge: 5 reasons why wireless charging isn't all that

San Jose, Calif.-based Energous received an OK for its WattUp Mid-Field wireless transmission technology that can send power at a distance of up to three feet. The technology can also be used to charge devices via contact, similar the more familiar Qi charging pads available now.

PowerCast, of Pittsburgh, won approval for its PowerSpot transmitter that uses a far-field approach, allowing it to charge multiple devices at distances up to 80 feet.

more techburger Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook. See More Collapse

Energous plans to license its technology to manufacturers, and at one point was rumored to be working with Apple. The company has been touting its approach for some time, at one point promising that products using its technology would be available in 2015, then again by the end of 2017.

Apple slowdown: How to tell if your iPhone battery needs replacing

Powercast will begin building its PowerSpot transmitter now that it has FCC approval. The transmitter is designed for slow, overnight charging transmitted like WiFi over a charging zone. In its news release, it says that "up to 30 devices left in the zone on a countertop or desktop overnight can charge by morning, sharing the transmitter's three-watt (EIRP) power output."

Don't expect to see either of these technologies become available overnight. Deals must be signed with manufacturers, which then must test the develop the feature for use in their products.

Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Each year Missouri State Parks offer the public a way to get back to nature and encourage everyone to participate in their first day of the year hikes.

St. Francois State Park Naturalist Mary Crowell said they are planning on having two first day hikes this year: one for senior citizens and moms with their young ones, and a traditional hike.

The first one we will have is a stroller walk, said Crowell. It will be for those who are either little ones in strollers or early walkers or toddlers. Also if any senior citizens want to join us, we are going to do the walk at 9:30 a.m.

Crowell said it will start at the ball field and they will walk the old portion of the road. She said everyone may remember they used to have a low-water bridge and they had a new one built, so it bypassed a portion of the original road.

So that old section of road from the low-water bridge to the new bridge is closed and we will walk down that and come back up, said Crowell. It will be nice and easy and its paved. This is our first time having a stroller walk and its a great way to get moms and little ones out.

Crowell said later that afternoon at 1 p.m. they will have the traditional hike at the Mooners Hollow Trail. She added its a much longer trail, about two and three-quarters of a mile long.

You will have to cross the creek at the beginning and the middle of the hike, said Crowell. There are also some springs you will cross over, so depending on how cold it is we may see a little bit of water or may see some ice on the trail.

Crowell said she looked at the weather for that day and there is a chance for some snow. She said she would put it on their Facebook page by that morning if the hikes are still on or not.

If its covered in snow we probably wont be able to do the stroller walk, said Crowell. I think if there is just a little bit of snow we could probably still do the hike, but the main issue will be the road getting into the park.

Crowell said the idea is to get everyone off on the right foot because a lot of people have New Years resolutions to exercise more or lose weight.

So this is a way to get a jump-start on exercise, get outside and bring the New Year in with other people who enjoy nature, said Crowell. Both events are listed on our state park webpage and Facebook page.

St. Joe State Park Specialist Sandy McCain said they will have their hike at 10 a.m. at the Blankshire Trailhead and it will be a two-mile hike.

It will last about two hours and it will consist by a gradual uphill walk through a wooded terrain, followed by a return downhill along a paved surface, said McCain. Any interested parties need to be prepared and dress for cold weather and rocky surfaces.

McCain said as in years past they will have hot chocolate and coffee at the office afterward. Mark Hodges is the interpretative technician that works at the mines state historic site and he will lead the hike this year.

McCain added if anyone needs questions answered prior to the event they can contact Hodges at 573-431-6226.

Even in years past we have always had a lot of people participate, said McCain. Some days it was really nice and sunny and others was snow-covered. It really gets people back to nature and lets them realize how nice the woods are this time of year.

McCain suggests everyone wear good sturdy boots and dress for the weather.

In its seventh year, the annual event is part of Americas State Parks First Day Hikes effort, which gives people the opportunity to start the year off right with an outdoor hike at a state park. A list of state parks with guided First Day Hikes and other related activities is available at mostateparks.com.

Anyone who wants to kick off 2018 in a fun, healthy way outdoors can do so with a First Day Hike at one of our 36 hosting parks, said Ben Ellis, director of Missouri State Parks. We encourage everyone to join us in this growing annual tradition of getting a head start on a year of outdoor adventures.

According to a press release from Missouri State Parks, nationwide last year, more than 62,000 people took part in guided hikes that covered more than 114,165 miles on 1,300 different First Day Hikes in state parks across the country.

Details on every states 2017 hikes are located at naspd.org. As in the past, participants are encouraged to log their adventures on social media with #FirstDayHikes.
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The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sarah Barton Murphy Chapter, is once again hosting a trivia night and silent auction fundraiser for the benefit of Camp Hope, a retreat center for military veterans wounded in the war on terror.

The event will take place beginning at 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 7897 Berry Road in Bonne Terre. The cost is $20 per person and the doors open at 6:15 p.m.

Camp Hope, a 170-acre sanctuary, located close to Farmington, enhances the quality of life for disabled veterans, giving them an opportunity to enjoy nature through hunting, fishing, hiking and other outdoor activities.

We invite everyone to come to the DARs trivia night fundraiser to aid Camp Hope," said Cara Akridge, SBMDAR regent. All of us are related to or have knowledge of veterans who have sacrificed in service to our country. Please help us and Camp Hope 'honor the fallen by helping the wounded' and donate to this worthwhile cause.

Akridge explained there are several ways to help.

"First, an individual or organization can bring a trivia team of eight people to participate on the night of the event. The entry fee is $20 per person. Beer, soda, water, pizza and snacks are included in the entry fee.

"Second is by being a sponsor. A donation of $400 or more includes your teams entry fees and your business being advertised on the night of the event. The third way is by making a donation. No matter the amount, are welcome and appreciated.

"Fourth, you can also consider donating an item to be auctioned on the night of the event," Akridge said. We hope we can add your name to our wonderful list of Camp Hope supporters."

Current donors include Ozarks Federal Savings & Loan, Dan Combs Little Caesars Pizza, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, JB Construction and Johnson Distributing.

"This will be a fun and productive event to celebrate and thank our veterans who have given so much for us," Akridge. "We need your help to make it a success. Please help us show our disabled veterans we care.

To reserve a table, make a donation, or for more information, contact Akridge at 314-805-2130 or Kerry Glore at 573-366-5786. Checks can be made payable to SBM Camp Hope Project and mailed to: c/o Cara Akridge, SBMDAR Regent, 13 Crestview Estates, Festus, MO 63028.
The first annual Cheese Fest was held this year. Blair Crane was hired as the new highway superintendent. Superintendent Robert Putnam announced his retirement from the Adams Cheshire Regional School District. Edmund St. John IV was elected to the Board of Selectmen. The Elementary School was closed after testy debates. PreviousNext

Cheshire: 2017 In Review



The Sand Mill Road Bridge was replaced in 2017.

CHESHIRE, Mass.  The fabric of the community changed in 2017 with the closing of Cheshire Elementary School.

With massive changes in the configuration of the Adams Cheshire Regional School District, the town lost its community elementary school as the district consolidated to a two-school district.

Cheshire Students now attend Hoosac Valley Elementary, the former CT Plunkett.

Although consolidation discussions began years ago, the actual vote to close the school by the school committee came in March. Meetings leading up to the vote caused a clear rift between the two communities who both were fighting to keep their schools open.

The school committee voted down the town line, 4-3, which furthered the tension which boiled into the formation of Cheshire Community groups looking to take legal action against the school district or possibly joining another district.

Although tensions are still high, the communities have come together to amend the district agreement and are contributing towards efforts to rebrand the district and improve test scores.

Superintendent Robert Putnam, who spearheaded the consolidation, also announced his retirement in 2017. Putnam was hired in 2016 and served in the interim capacity. He was given the actual job in 2017.

The town also finished the Sand Mill Road Bridge in the spring of 2017, marking the end of a two-year process where the town used chapter 90 funds to partially repair the bridge the state closed because it was in disrepair.

The town saw more substantial road work towards the end of the year with the Windsor Road wash out in November. A storm washed out a difficult portion of the road and the town used chapter 90 funds to rebuild the road from the ground up, improving drainage.

These Highway Department driven projects came under the purview of the new Highway Superintendent Blair Crane, who was hired in April. Crane replaced longtime superintendent Peter LeFebvre.

The town was also introduced to a new selectman. Newcomer Edmund St. John IV filled the vacant seat left by longtime selectmen Paul Astorino who decided not to run for reelection.

New grassroots community events and initiatives also popped up in Cheshire this year such as the inaugural Cheshire Cheese Fest and efforts to become an Appalachian Trail Community.

The town also began planning for its 225 anniversary, which will take place next year.
City Council President Benjamin Lamb thanks the departing councilors and Mayor Richard Alcombright as they end their terms. New councilors Marie T. Harpin and Becky Cohen, along with Mayor-elect Thomas Bernard, attended Monday's meeting. Councilors Lisa Blackmer, Keith Bona and Wayne Wilkinson. This was Blackmer's last meeting; Bona will become president on Monday. Outgoing Mayor Alcombright speaks with his successor Thomas Bernard. PreviousNext

North Adams Council Passes Final Measure of Term



Mayor Richard Alcombright addresses the council for the final time. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The City Council at its last meeting of the term on Tuesday unanimously approved a change in sick-time buyback for non-union employees.

The ordinance had been submitted by City Councilor Lisa Blackmer and passed to a second reading with the condition it be reviewed by the city solicitor. Some councilors were wary of supporting changes related to personnel benefits that did come through the administration.

Mayor Richard Alcombright, however, read a brief communique indicating his support for the amendment with language as approved by the city solicitor.

The ordinance changes the amount of money retired nonunion employees receive for unused sick time from $20 to $45 a day, in line with the public employee unions, and can only be accrued after 20 years of service.

Councilor Keith Bona said he was still reluctant to support the order because it did not originally come through the mayor's office.

"It should really come from the administration and not the councilors," he said. "Also, being that it's right at the end of one administration moving into another. But based on comments at our last meeting, our current mayor and our mayor-elect [Thomas Bernard] seem to be supportive of it, so I will support it."

Councilor Robert Moulton Jr. expressed the same reservations but largely because the council had not been apprised of the actual budget cost.

"I don't think it's a lot of money, probably actually a bargain, but I would have liked to see that," he said.

City Council President Benjamin Lamb also wished to know how many employees might be affected.

Alcombright said he was able to offer some estimates but not specifics because it would depend on the amount of unused sick time for each person and when they decided to retire.

If we look out five years, we can foresee maybe nine folks," he said, which can include clerks, the fire director and City Hall workers. "We would anticipate maybe two going out in this current calendar year. Beyond that, they're going to trickle out over the next five years."

He thought maybe five might have the full number of days and the difference in benefit might be about $4,000 per person. Sick-time buybacks have not traditionally been budgeted but rather come from the salary line items at the end of the year.

"I would probably encourage the mayor-elect, and we've actually spoken about this already, to put those figures out there for both union and non-union personnel," the mayor said. "Now, as our employees get older, we probably should have a little more science to it."

The councilors also took some time during this brief last meeting to bid goodbye to departing Councilors Blackmer, Moulton and Kate Hanley Merrigan. Merrigan did not stand for re-election and Blackmer and Moulton lost races for state representative and mayor, respectively. Also noted were former Councilors Nancy Bullett and Ronald Boucher, who both resigned when they moved from North Adams. Councilor Eric Buddington was not in attendance.

Lamb also thanked Alcombright, whose end his tenure as mayor after eight years this week, for his years of service to the community.

"It's been a privilege to work with you," he said. "You have left this community better than you found it. ... You've left an indelible mark on the city of North Adams and in Northern Berkshires."

He also thanked the departing councilors and pointed to Blackmer's 10 years on the council and her efforts on behalf of the city "knocking on doors in Boston for years now" as a board member and president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

Lamb was re-elected to the council in November but will end his term as president.

"It has given me an even greater appreciaton for what it means to be a civil servant," he said of his two years leading the council. "I'm proud of what this council has done and blessed to have been able to work with all of you. Whether we've gotten along or not, it's been an honor."




iciHaiti - Politic : Launch of the Digitalised Professional Identity Card (West)





The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) will proceed this Thursday in its premises of the National Society of Industrial Parks (SONAPI) at the launch ceremony of the Digitalised Professional Identity Card (CIPD) in the department of the West.



Recall that the goal of the CIPD already launched in the South is to formalize trade in Haiti. This tamper-resistant card allows companies to respond to calls for tenders, open bank accounts, clear goods more easily, take out loans at the bank and make known its merchant status.



The Professional Identity Card is an obligation that gives all those who carry out commercial activities, the status of merchant. Anyone not holding this document would not be considered as a merchant. It will also allow the state to have reliable data on trade, for the application of its policies. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will facilitate free access to the digital CIPD for merchants whose CIP cards are up-to-date.



On the occasion of this ceremony will also be awarded plaques of honor to three young entrepreneurs :



Mike Bellot | "Solo Bag" (backpack manufacturing for students with solar panel, lighting and built-in battery) ;



Regine Theodat "Myabel" (Restaurant, of local products, sauces and craft cocktails) ;



Corine Sanon Joachim Symietz "Les Chocolateries Askanya".



IH/ iciHaiti






















iciHaiti - NOTICE Diaspora : Invitation for the 214 years of the independence of Haiti





The Consulate of Haiti in French Guyana invites the Haitian community and friends of Haiti, to a mass commemorating the 214 years of the proclamation of the independence of Haiti, Monday, January 1, 2018 at 16:00 at Notre Dame Church of Kourou.



This mass will be followed by an artistic show and the sharing of the traditional giraumont soup (soup joumou), at the media library, located at the Street Thomas Guidiglio, Kourou.



As part of this activity, Monday, January 1 from 1pm , a bus of 60 seats will be available in front of the Consulate for those who want to go to Kourou.



Thank you kindly call us at 05-94-31-18-58 to confirm your presence and reserve your place.



The Consulate of Haiti in French Guiana relies on your presence and greets you patriotically.



IH/ iciHaiti


















Imperial Valley News Center

An act of kindness

Richardson, Texas - A needy, 78-year-old widow in Richardson, gathered her husband's clothing and donated it to a local thrift shop run by Jewish Family Services but she apparently did not check the pockets of an old pea coat. But, a worker in the resale shop did and found four envelopes containing a total of $17,050 says the Association of Mature American Citizens.

The store tracked down the woman who donated the clothing and returned the money. She declined to be identified, but the widow said the cash would go a long way toward resolving financial problems she's been having since her husband's death.
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A five-storey painting of a giant penis that attracted both alarm and amusement in New York has been painted over.

The mural appeared on an apartment building on Broome Street in the Lower East Side. It was painted by Swedish artist Carolina Falkholt after she was commissioned by a local street art foundation, to complement a similar artwork of a vagina on Pike Street.

Falkholt told the Guardian her work often evoked messages of "not feeling ashamed of your body and who you are as a sexual being".

"I usually paint giant vaginas, pussies and c**ts," she said, "and since I had just finished one on the side of a five-storey building, I felt like a d**k was needed. The wall space on Broome was a perfect fit for it."

Warning: Explicit image below

Unfortunately, according to NBC New York, the artist or the foundation did not receive permission from the building's owner to create the work. By Wednesday afternoon (27 December), a team of painting contractors had begun the work of painting over it.

The artwork received mixed reactions from New Yorkers. Speaking to The Independent, one passerby said "crazy people will want it gone quickly, but this is the LES [Lower East Side]. This mural is what is supposed to happen here".

Chelsea Ritschel/The Independent

One woman who worked with children in the area said she was not concerned about the potential impact it could have.

"For me it is art but for kids it's another thing," she said. "I don't think the kids would see it. I had to look up twice myself."

The New York Post reported a police source which said they wanted to speak with Falkholt: "No arrest yet, but the charge would be criminal mischief felony."

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When considering the best lagers on the market, we generally tend to look to Europe, and with good reason. Its no secret that Bavarian, Austrian and Czech lagers are some of the best in the world, yet a slew of British brewers are getting in on the action. And while hazy, high ABV India pale ales have been a huge talking point in Britain for years, lager remains king.

The term lager literally comes from the German for to store. Fermenting beer at cooler temperatures with lager yeast ultimately suppresses esters, producing clean-tasting beer with yeast-derived flavours.

Although tarnished with an unfair reputation, lager is actually one of the more refined beer styles, and countless producers in the UK have begun to focus on brewing high-quality tipples. Some breweries have even been set up with the specific aim of flying the flag for exceptional lager  reminding us the wide world of lager goes far beyond Stella Artois and Heineken.

A wide range of styles are readily available, all of which are worth trying if you havent already: especially if your perception of lager has been dominated by mass produced, household name options. Some of the most popular lager styles include light, effervescent pilsners with firm bitterness; pale Munich-style Helles lagers with bright flavours and lower bitterness; amber Vienna lager with caramel notes; or dark lagers brewed with dark malts, boasting rich flavour profiles.

This guide to the best British lagers covers many available styles from a collection of brewers reminding us why lager remains so popular after all these years.

How we tested

Certain beers taste better in certain glasses, so when tasting the various lager styles we made sure to pour the beers into glasses suitably matched to their respective styles. All were served chilled and poured into the glasses with a decent amount of foam before being blind tasted, on which tasting notes were made and each beer was scored out of ten based on taste, aroma, finish and quality.

The best British lagers for 2022 are:
Firefighters responded to a call at 4:21 p.m. Wednesday reporting a house fire at 2456 Watson Road between Doe Run and Park Hills.

Arriving upon the scene in 17-degree weather, the Doe Run Fire Department found a portion of the mobile home fully engulfed in flames. According to Capt. Colt Grimes, the blaze quickly spread throughout the rest of the house.

"We were hurting for water at the initial time," Grimes said. "We had Bismarck [Fire Department], Farmington, Pilot Knob and Park Hills come in to assist us. There were no injuries."

Firefighters and other responders on the scene had to tread carefully because water dripping from the hoses on the tankers was freezing within seconds after hitting the ground, making for very slippery conditions.

Grimes said the Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office had been contacted, however, it was uncertain whether or not an investigator would be coming to the scene to determine the cause of the fire.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 users are complaining that their phones are failing to charge.

The issue appears to rear its head when some handsets are allowed to completely run out of battery.

Affected users say that once their Note 8 goes flat it stays flat, even if its plugged in and appears to be charging.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Show all 12 1 /12 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The problem was spotted by SamMobile, which noticed similar complaints on multiple forums on the web.

My wifes Note 8 turned off today and wont turn back on, reads one such complaint. Tried the soft reset and safe mode button pushes and it wont turn on. When its plugged in, the red light doesnt turn on.

Another adds: Ive tried 3 different power cables and cords but nothing. I charged overnight and still nothing. Completely dead.

A complaint from another user says: Wont charge with a cable. Even tried a wireless charger. The blue light [illuminates] on the charger. But Phone wont turn on.

Others have reported their phones warming up while connected to a charger, but remaining dead.

It isnt clear how widespread the issue is, but the fact its being discussed on multiple forums suggests it is affecting more than just a handful of people.

We have yet to get any official report for this matter and are unable to comment until we obtain more specific information of the device, Samsung told The Independent.

It says that any UK customers experiencing the issue or something similar should contact Samsung on 0330 726 7864.

The Note 8 came out in September, succeeding the Note 7, a phone that was recalled and discontinued because of faulty batteries.
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A mother who posted about her daughters rare eye cancer on Facebook saved another childs life after her mother saw the post.

33-year-old Charlotte Salisburys daughter Felicity was born with Retinoblastoma, which only affects 40-50 children in the UK per year, but it went undiagnosed for nine months.

What Charlotte thought was just a glint in her daughters eye turned out to be six aggressive tumours.

(Facebook (Facebook)

To raise awareness amongst other parents of the telltale signs of the cancer after Felicity had recovered, mum-of-two Charlotte posted on Facebook about the cats eye symptoms of the cancer.

One woman who saw Charlottes post was 20-year-old Taomi Sharlotte, from Leeds, and it led to Taomis daughter Lydia being diagnosed with the same cancer.

Lydia Sharlotte in hospital (SWNS)

Sadly, the diagnosis wasnt quick enough to save Lydias left eye, but doctors successfully stopped the cancer spreading, which saved Lydias life.

We had seen her post on Facebook two weeks after we were on holiday, Taomi said. When we got home we took her to the GP. It turned out she had the worst form of Intraocular Retinoblastoma in her left eye, its called Type E.

Recommended Mums post featuring post baby body goes viral for good reason

It means the tumour is very large or has other features that mean there is almost no chance the eye can be saved. The only treatment she could have was to have the eye removed. She had it done a week later.

She got the all-clear two weeks ago, it has not spread. We are just waiting on the results from further tests.

If we had not seen the post we would have never known to look out for it - we are so grateful to Charlotte.

Charlotte only noticed there was something wrong herself when the flash from a camera created a cats eye appearance on her daughter.

She didnt think much of it until a family friend and student midwife, Laura Power, spotted the eye and said Felicity should be examined.

Felicity Salisbury (SWNS)

After a series of appointments, Charlottes world was torn apart when doctors revealed that the Felicity had six aggressive tumours - three in each eye.

I had no idea at the time what it was, she showed no signs of illness, Charlotte said. She was a happy normal baby.

The only thing I picked up on was I noticed when she started crawling she would bump into things.

Charlotte says Felicity is now going through chemotherapy and is responding well to the treatment.

At the beginning when Felicity was first diagnosed we just wanted to keep everything private, Charlotte added. But I wanted to tell people what to look out for and to share what had happened to Felicity as it is such a rare cancer.

When I put the post up on my Facebook page I just thought it would be amongst my friends but it was shared over 65,000 times.

About a month later I was contacted by Taomi who said if it wasnt for your post I would never have noticed this on my little girl.
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Meghan Markles half-sister has responded to comments made by Prince Harry during a BBC Radio 4 interview, in which he described Markles future royal relatives as the family shes never had.

Prince Harry was discussing his fiancees first Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham.

Speaking to Sarah Montague at the end of the Today programme, he was asked whether he had to explain any family traditions to his future wife.

Prince Harry responded: Oh, plenty. I think weve got one of the biggest families that I know of and every family is complex as well.

Shes done an absolutely amazing job getting in there and its the family that I suppose shes never had.

Samantha Grant, Markles half-sister, responded angrily to Prince Harrys comments.

Grant, who shares the same father with Markle, recently revealed that shes going to be publishing a book about her childhood titled The Diary of Princess Pushys Sister.

She expressed her frustration at Prince Harrys comments on Twitter, writing: Actually she has a large family who were always there with her and for her.

Our household was very normal and when dad and Doria divorced, we all made it so it was like she had two houses.

No one was estranged, she was just too busy. Read my book complete with facts and photos.

Grant continued in another tweet, stating: Megs family (our family) is complete with sister, brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the glue of our family, our amazing completely self-sacrificing father.

She always had this family Marrying merely extends it.

Grant has previously been criticised for publicly speaking about her relationship with Markle.

In October, she appeared on ITVs Good Morning Britain where she addressed rumours that shed described her half-sister as self-obsessed.

Many viewers responded negatively to her appearance, with one Twitter user writing: No one would make money off their sister! Doubt shell be getting an invite to the wedding.
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Its been a good year for the super-rich.

In fact, a ranking of the worlds 500 wealthiest humans showed this week that the planets richest people increased their overall wealth by a staggering $1 trillion in 2017, largely helped by a surge in global stocks.

As we approach the end of the year, heres a look at the top 10 in Bloombergs widely watched Billionaires Index  as of 28 December.

All are men, most are American and the majority have the tech sector to thank for their riches.

1. Jeff Bezos (total net worth $100bn)

He hardly needs an introduction. Bezos founded Amazon in the early 1990s and has since grown the e-retail company into a veritable online behemoth. Shares in the group surged more than 50 per cent during 2017, bolstered by a series of product and service launches, helping Bezos grow his wealth by an estimated $34.7bn. In October he leapfrogged Bill Gates to take the top spot in the Bloomberg ranking.

2. Bill Gates (total net worth $91.6bn)

The Microsoft co-founder has been a steady fixture at the top of the list in recent years. He held the very top position between May 2013 and October this year. In 2017 his wealth increased by a relatively moderate $9.17bn. In recent months hes been donating much of his money to charity. In August he reportedly made a $4.6bn pledge to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

3. Warren Buffett (total net worth $85.5bn)

The veteran financier  also known as the Sage of Omaha  is also no stranger to all guises of rich lists. In 2017 his fortune grew by $12.3bn, according to Bloomberg, meaning that the top three spots in the list are all firmly in the grip of American men.

4. Amancio Ortega (total net worth $75.7bn)

Not exactly a household name but nonetheless clearly a force to be reckoned with in the world of business. He is a Spanish tycoon best known for co-founding Inditex, which is the parent company of brands such as Zara and Massimo Dutti. Shares in Inditex did not have a particularly stellar year and actually look like theyll end 2017 lower than where they started it, but Ortega nonetheless managed to grow his fortune by around $3.6bn over the last 12 months.

5. Mark Zuckerberg (total net worth $73.2bn)

The undisputed king of social networking, Facebook founder Zuckerberg managed to grow his net worth by an impressive $23.3bn in 2017, easily helping him into fifth spot. That increase was also the fourth largest of the year on the list, with Bezoss being the biggest.

6. Bernard Arnault (total net worth $63.6bn)

The highest placed Frenchman is a business magnate, investor and art lover. He is best known for being the chief executive officer of luxury goods company LVMH. In 2017 he grew his net wealth by an estimated $24.5bn.

7. Carlos Slim (total net worth $62.3bn)

Once the worlds richest person, he made it into seventh position this year after growing his fortune by around $12.5bn. He largely derived his money from holding a whole host of Mexican companies, across sectors including telecom, industrials, healthcare, transport, real estate, media, energy and financial services.

He reportedly accounts for 40 per cent of all listings on the countrys stock exchange and his net worth is thought to be equivalent to about 6 per cent of Mexicos GDP.

8. Larry Ellison (total net worth $53.1bn)

In eight place, another American man in the tech industry  the co-founder and executive chairman of technology giant Oracle. His companys share price increased by around 22 per cent over the last 12 months, helping Larry Ellisons fortune to increase by just over $11.5bn.

9. Larry Page (total net worth $52.6bn)

Close behind, another Larry, and yet another American gentleman in tech. Larry Page co-founded Google with Sergey Brin, though Mr Brin only makes it into 11th spot with a net worth of $51.3bn,as of 28 December. Larry Page managed to increase his fortune by $12.7bn this year, according to Google.

10. Ingvar Kamprad (total net worth $52.4bn)

Rounding out the top 10 is the highest ranked Scandinavian. Entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad founded global furniture chain Ikea in the 1940s. In 2017 he managed to increase his total net worth by just under $8.5bn. At 91, hes also the oldest person in the top 10.
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Just a street away from Singapores central bank, a cryptocurrency firm has set up what it claims is the first cafe in the city-state to be owned and operated by a business promoting its own digital coin.

The downtown pitstop, which launched on Thursday, sells hand brew coffee, sandwiches and eco-friendly beauty products. It accepts bitcoin, its own virtual currency called Ducatus, and other cashless payments.

Its push to promote the use of its own currency through commercial enterprise, rather than speculative investment, comes the same week the Monetary Authority of Singapore urged investors to exercise extreme caution towards the cryptocurrency market, which many feel is in a bubble.

Recommended The Winklevoss twins cut up their bitcoin key to protect their fortune

We just want to make sure people understand that cryptocurrencies are here to stay, Ducatus CEO Ronny Tome told Reuters, adding he had plans to open more cafes in other countries and team up with hotels and travel agencies.

The way technology develops and grows right now, there is no doubt about that. Developments are rapid and the governments maybe have a little bit of an issue to follow through.

Tome said he welcomed Singapores efforts to educate people about cryptocurrencies, including warnings against speculative behaviour, but did not think it would impact his business.

The booming global interest in cryptocurrencies means Singapore  which has positioned itself as a hub for financial technology in Asia  has to walk a fine line between encouraging technological innovation and reducing financial system risk within its borders.

While the central bank worries about potential losses for its citizens and money laundering through cryptocurrencies, it is carrying out extensive research into the blockchain distributed ledger technology that underlies bitcoin.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Anson Zeall, who heads a local association of cryptocurrency firms in Singapore, said that while the country promotes itself as an easy place to do business for fintechs, banks have been shutting down accounts of some cryptocurrency firms and exchanges in recent years.

Singapores concerns echo those expressed by regulators in other jurisdictions, such as Australia and South Korea.

Deloittes head of financial crime for Asia Pacific, Tim Phillipps, expects policymakers warnings will only increase as the virtual currency investment community broadens.

The regulators generally around the world are worried about less sophisticated investors getting drawn in to what is a pretty murky and dark market, said Phillipps.

Reuters
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The value of bitcoin fell by double percentage digits on Thursday after the South Korean government said that it plans to impose fresh measures to regulate speculation in cryptocurrency trading.

Mid-morning in London, bitcoin was trading around $14,000 (10,400) apiece according to several trading platforms, having surpassed $16,400 earlier in the week.

The government had warned several times that virtual coins cannot play a role as actual currency and could result in high losses due to excessive volatility, the South Korean government said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The government announced that it would ban opening anonymous cryptocurrency accounts and would introduce legislation giving regulators the power to close virtual coin exchanges if necessary. The government said that this was a measure recommended by the justice ministry, said Reuters.

Bitcoin is notoriously volatile and has endured a turbulent year, rallying from less than $1,000 dollars at the start of January 2017 to more than $19,000 earlier this month.

Scores of financial experts have been advising potential retail investors against getting involved in bitcoin, but others are speculating that the currency will keep rising over the coming months, pulling other crypocurrencies  such as ethereum and litecoin  with it.

Just before Christmas, three bitcoin exchanges were forced to halt trading in the asset after it dropped by more than 40 per cent in value. One such exchange, Coinbase, said at the time that buying and selling had been disabled as a result of technical problems caused by high traffic.

Unlike global currencies, bitcoin is not regulated by a central bank meaning that mass sell-offs cannot be easily halted or controlled.
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A woman whose mother died in her arms after she was stabbed to death on Christmas morning, has hailed her as a hero for facing down the killer and saving her life.

I can still feel her in my arms and hear her screams of pain and see the panic on her face, Charlotte Reat, wrote on Facebook after Jayne Toal Reat, 43, passed away.

The 21-year-old added that her mum had died saving her after she "was stabbed twice in the head once in my face and once to the back of my neck".

The pair were attacked in their family home in the Northern Irish city of Lisburn, in Co Antrim. A man was also said to have been injured in the assault.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it had charged a 19-year-old man with murder following the tragedy.

Within hours of the attack, Ms Reat expressed her grief on the social media site.

Today will be a day I will never forget as my mum was murdered in front of my eyes and then later died in my arms," she wrote.

She added: My mum died saving me, I was stabbed twice in the head once in my face and once to the back of my neck. I am with family and have to identify my beautiful mothers body tomorrow which is not something I ever expected to be doing.

Ms Toal Reat was killed in her home in the early hours of Christmas morning (Jayne Toal Reat/Facebook)

Charlotte Reat posted a tribute to her mother on Facebook

Jayne Toal Reat you died saving my life and I just wish I could trade places with you. Youre my hero forever and always and Ill never forget you and I promise I will get you justice.

The PSNI said it had charged a 19-year-old man with murder and two counts of attempted murder over her death.

He is expected to appear before Craigavon Magistrates Court tomorrow.
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Attempted suicides among out-of-work disability benefit claimants have more than doubled since the introduction of fit-to-work assessments in 2008, The Independent can reveal.

According to new analysis of NHS data from surveys taken in 2007 and 2014, nearly half of people surveyed on out-of-work disability benefits said in 2014 that they had attempted to take their own lives.

Results from the 2007 survey  taken a year before the controversial work capability assessment (WCA) test began  show 21 per cent of incapacity benefit claimants had attempted suicide, meaning the proportion more than doubled in seven years.

The assessment process was introduced in 2008 when the Labour government began to phase out incapacity benefit (IB) and replace it with employment and support allowance (ESA). It has come under intense criticisms for failing some of the most vulnerable people in society in recent years.

The latest findings have been described by senior politicians and clinical experts as a damning indictment of the controversial testing process, with one leading psychologist saying it marks the greatest jump in suicide rates in any population.

Data from NHS Digitals Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) 2007, which surveyed around 7,000 adults in Britain, shows 21 per cent of IB claimants had tried to take their own lives, compared with 6 per cent of the general adult population.

The same survey seven years later reveals that 43 per cent of ESA claimants  and as high as 47 per cent of female ESA claimants  had attempted suicide in their lifetimes, compared with 7 per cent of the general population.

In response to the figures, Dr Jay Watts, a consultant clinical psychologist and member of the campaigning Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy, told The Independent: These results are staggering. It is difficult to overemphasise how large a jump in rates of attempted suicide this is. I cannot think of a greater jump in rates in any population.

If the Government has any real interest in suicide prevention, benefits reform must be the immediate priority. The UN has condoned the governments treatment of disabled people as contrary to their human rights.

The shame, guilt, anxiety and paranoia the current system provokes is a national scandal, that should be headline news. Making the workless feel worthless, and under-serving of support, has provoked a mental health emergency.

Disability groups and charities told The Independent many disabled people are made incredibly stressed and anxious  often driven to suicidal thoughts  by the capability tests, adding that poor-quality assessments often lead to incorrect decisions.

 Philip Hammond: Disabled people finding jobs is partly responsible for UK's falling productivity

One claimant who is currently waiting for the outcome of her most recent assessment told The Independent she was terrified of what might happen and said she had lost count of the amount of times she had tried to take her own life.

Sarah Louise Thompson, 31, who suffers from Fibromyalgia syndrome as well as depression, said: Ive suffered with mental health for many years and have felt it more when I have to go for another assessment every two years.

Im currently awaiting to hear back from another form Ive had to fill out about an update of my health and how its still affects me. Im terrified of what might happen as I know they are taking it away from people.

Right now my anxiety and depression are really being affected. They make us feel like we are criminals. I have lost counts the amount of times Ive tried to end my life.

The surge in suicide attempts lend weight to an academic study earlier this year that warned the fit-to-work tests were causing permanent damage to some claimants mental health, which in the worst cases, led to thoughts of suicide.

Figures reported by The Independent last year found that more than half of appealed WCA decisions were found to be wrong when taken to tribunal.

Marsha de Cordova MP, shadow minister for disabled people, said the figures were a truly damning indictment of the Governments social security policies, and show they are unfit for purpose.

She continued: The Government need to wake up and act fast. It is unacceptable that disabled people are made to suffer like this.

Labour would scrap the WCA, end the punitive sanctions regime and change the culture of the social security system, from one that demonises people not in work to one that is supportive and enabling.

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said the figures lay bare the psychological torture the assessments inflict on people.

The tests are ineffective, inhumane and must be scrapped. Our social security system should be an ally, not an enemy of those who need help, he added.

Rob Holland, parliamentary manager at Mencap, told The Independent: Many people with a learning disability tell us that the fit-for-work test has left them incredibly stressed and anxious. We also know of many cases where poor-quality assessments have led to incorrect decisions and people not receiving the correct level of financial support.

Recommended UN denounces British government for failing to protect disabled people

These figures certainly warrant further analysis so we can better understand the impact on health and wellbeing of going through the fit-for-work test and whether or not there is a link to suicidal thoughts.

A spokesperson for Disability Rights UK said the charity regularly heard stories from disabled people about their poor experience of undergoing the assessments, and that it was of no surprise some experience heightened mental distress as a result.

Part of the problem remains that the WCA doesnt do what it should, which is to find out if people are well enough to work or not. Many people who are wrongly found fit for work get the decision overturned at appeal, in part because the WCA is poorly designed and badly carried out, they said.

Linda Burnip, co-founder Disabled People Against Cuts campaign group, said the WCA was damaging to disabled people and needed to be scrapped.

The WCA has a very negative effect on disabled people and their health generally and often makes people much worse than they were to start with. In particular  for everyone, but especially those with a mental health condition  the continual cycle of reassessments is particularly damaging to them, she said.

We come across people experiencing problems with these assessments all the time. Each time this happens people are forced to live through months of fear not knowing which group theyll be placed in or whether theyll be found fit for work and thrown off ESA when they are still too ill to work.

It is nothing short of harassment and hounding people into further and deeper despair and depression. The WCA needs to be completely scrapped as it cant be reformed as previous tinkering with it has shown and is deeply flawed.

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The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant 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A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said: Suicide is a very complex issue, so it would be wrong to link it solely to someones benefit claim.

A decision on whether someone is able to work is taken following a thorough independent assessment, and after consideration of all the information provided, including supporting evidence from a GP or medical specialist.

We continually review the WCA, and have already introduced a number of changes to strengthen the service.
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Campaigners are fighting to stop the Home Office deporting a lesbian woman to Uganda, where she could face persecution under the countrys anti-gay laws.

Lazia Nabbanja had claimed asylum in the UK on the grounds that she would face oppression in her home country, but her bid was rejected by the Home Office last year.

Despite her providing evidence of her sexuality, Ms Nabbanja's lawyers told The Independent that Home Office officials used alleged inconsistencies in the details of her relationships to suggest they did not believe she is gay.

Photos and videos of her attending gay pride marches have been widely shared on social media and she has been featured in Ugandan newspapers, prompting fears she could be arrested or attacked as soon as she returns to her home country.

Her supporters say she faces the prospect of violence at the hands of vigilante mobs and being forced to pay police officers for her freedom.

Ms Nabbanja is currently being held at Yarls Wood detention centre while awaiting a deportation date.

Abbey Kiwanuka, whose support group Out and Proud African LGBTI has been supporting Ms Nabbanja, said he feared for her life if she was deported.

He told The Independent: Shes very distressed. Her lawyers phoned me on Tuesday and asked if someone could visit her because shes in a bad, bad state.

She has been cutting herself and has attempted suicide on two occasions.

Mr Kiwanuka said Ms Nabbanja would face persecution if she was sent back to Uganda.

The Home Office have to consider what is going to happen to her if she is deported, he said. Her picture is widely available and as soon as she lands the immigration authorities will be aware she is coming. It will be difficult for her as soon as she gets off the plane.

Its hard not to think that if she goes to Uganda, she will be prosecuted.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA

Ms Nabbanja could face violence at the hand of members of the public as well as state authorities, he added.

The community she will have to live in will be aware too, he said. Even before the police come, a mob will have already beaten her. If you get arrested by the police, they blame you for your sexuality and you have to pay them some money to let you out.

Theres also a tendency in Uganda to report homosexual people to the police for things they havent done. If she is taken back to Uganda and something happens, it will be down to the Home Office.

Supporters are now seeking to raise money via a crowd-funding page to fund a judicial review of the decision to reject Ms Nabbanja's asylum application. They say she is an active member of the UK LGBTI community and much loved and respected by her friends.

According to an online petition set up to support her, Ms Nabbanja was forced to marry a man in Uganda in 2009. Seven years later he discovered her kissing her girlfriend and beat her so badly that she was left unconscious.

She fled to her grandparents house in a different part of Uganda and then to the UK, where she applied for asylum.

Her application was rejected, however. According to friends, UK officials insisted her life was not in danger in Uganda and said it was unlikely she would be identified in her home country, despite her sexuality having been widely displayed online.

Jerry Clore of Jerry Clore Solicitors, which is representing Ms Nabbanja, told The Independent: "Following the refusal of our client's application for asylum, we submitted new evidence by way of a fresh claim showing that her highly visible online presence would place her at risk if she was returned to Uganda.

"We consider that the Home Office did not engage with the fresh claim and as a result we have brought Judicial Review proceedings to challenge their refusal of it."

Mr Clore confirmed that the Home Office rejected Ms Nabbanja's initial application after suggesting it did not believe she is a lesbian.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We do not comment on individual cases."
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A student claims he was beaten for being a Muslim after wishing someone a "merry Christmas".

Ihsan Abualrob says he thought he was going to die after he was kicked in the head and body by three men in Durham on Christmas Eve.

Police have arrested two people on suspicion of racial or religiously aggravated assault.

 Young Muslim volunteers transport group of elderly people to Christmas lunch in wonderful act of charity

Mr Abualrob, who is currently studying a masters in politics at Durham University as part of a government scheme aimed at developing global leaders, said he was approached by a man while trying to play a game of pool inside the Happy Wanderer pub with friends.

We dont drink and were sitting there chatting when out of the blue a British guy approached us, pulled up a chair uninvited and asked us where we were from," he told the Northern Echo.

My friends said from Egypt and myself from Palestine. He said: Egypt, Palestine. You Muslims. Are you suicide bombers?

After Mr Abualrob and his friends left the pub, he said he was approached by three men who started to insult Islam.

Ihsan Abualrob says he was beaten up after drinking with friends at Durham's Happy Wanderer pub (Google Maps)

In response, he said: Merry Christmas, enjoy your holiday.

Mr Abualrob said that the men then started to follow him and his friends.

One of them threw a glass towards us. Then one of them lunged at me and punched me on my left cheek and I fell to the ground. Then three of them started kicking me in the head, shoulders and body. I grabbed my head in my arms trying to protect my face.

 James O'Brien's powerful response to a man who said all Muslims were complicit in terrorism

He says he began to feel dizzy and then fell in front of the pub.

Mr Abualrob was taken to University Hospital North Durham by police and was treated for his injuries.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA

He was told he has concussion and bruising on his face and knee.

The student said: Christmas should be a time of love and hope, not violence.

A Durham Police spokesman said: Police were called to an assault outside the Happy Wanderer pub in Durham at around 8.40pm on Christmas Eve. One man was taken to University Hospital North Durham with minor injuries.

A 49-year-old man and a 23-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of racially or religiously aggravated assault with injury.
A Fredericktown man received minor injuries in an accident involving two stationary vehicles on Tuesday, according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report states that Albert Minghi, 58, of Fredericktown was travelling south on US 67 near Route A at 6:17 a.m.

According to the report, Minghis 2002 Ford F-150 traveled off the left side of the roadway and struck a 2014 Freightliner, which then struck a 2007 GMC 2500. The report lists no driver or injury information for the two stationary vehicles.

Minghi received minor injuries and was transported by private conveyance to Parkland Health Center. He was wearing a seat belt.

Minghis vehicle was totaled while the Freightliner sustained moderate damage and the GMC sustained minor damage. The F-150 and Freightliner were towed from the scene while the GMC was driven from the scene.

A one-vehicle accident Wednesday morning in Washington County left one woman with moderate injuries, according to a report from the Missouri Highway Patrol.

The report states that Kimberly Rose, 31, of Richwoods was travelling west on Route H east of Cooper Road when the 1997 Toyota Avalon she was driving traveled off the right edge of the road and struck several trees.

Rose received moderate injuries and was transported to St. Anthonys Medical Center by Washington County ambulance.

Roses vehicle was totaled and towed from the scene.

In an unrelated accident on Wednesday, two individuals sustained serious injuries in a one-vehicle accident in Ste. Genevieve County.

The report states that Tyler Litterest, 22, of Ste. Genevieve, was travelling north on Interstate 55 north of mile marker 163 at 8:34 a.m. when the 2012 Dodge Challenger he was driving traveled off the left side of the road.

The vehicle traveled into a ravine, struck the ground and overturned. Litterest and a passenger, Danielle Brady, 25, of St. Louis, both received serious injuries. Brady was transported to Barnes Jewish Hospital by Air Evac and Litterest was transported to Mercy Hospital by Survival Flight.

The vehicle was totaled and towed from the scene.
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Hundreds of passengers faced being stranded overnight at London Stansted Airport after wintry weather plunged swathes of the UK into a deep freeze.

They faced delays and cancellations after the airport in Essex was forced to temporarily close its runway due to ice.

Up to 300 passengers were left waiting at the terminal to rebook their flights, a spokesperson for the airport said.

They said the passengers would be provided beds and blankets, while free food and drink had been given to delayed passengers throughout the day.

A lorry crash on the M1 closed all three southbound lanes and left traffic backed up in its wake, with a string of weather-related crashes scattered across the country.

 'Dangerous conditions' warning as snow and ice hit the UK

Highways England also reported "severe conditions" in both directions on the A14 near Kettering, with motorists asked to avoid the area while all available resources were deployed to help move vehicles, some of which had been stuck for several hours, and clear snow from the carriageway.

Another HGV jack-knifed in heavy snow on the M5 in Gloucestershire, as heavy snowfall overnight into Wednesday affected western parts of central England.

The RAC said it saw a 15-20 per cent spike in call-outs compared with this time last year, including 12 relating to a pothole causing significant damage to vehicles on a section of the M25 around London.

RAC spokesman Pete Williams said the company expected to attend more than 9,000 breakdowns by the end of the day.

He said: "Our patrols are rescuing members who have run into difficulty in snow and ice which is causing treacherous driving conditions resulting in some minor accidents.

"We are also seeing a significant increase in pothole related damage, so punctures, wheel damage, steering and suspension problems.

"The toxic combination of high water levels, ice and snow is causing many road surfaces to crumble causing potholes to open up.

"RAC patrols attended a dozen vehicles alone on the M25 where a large pothole opened up causing a punctures and wheel damage and big delays for many motorists.

"Flat and exhausted batteries are another major cause of breakdown or simply non-start for many as the icy and damp conditions play havoc with vehicles electrics.

"Many drivers who haven't used their car for several days over Christmas are finding that it doesn't have the charge to turn over the engine and they are left stuck on the drive or in the street.

"With more snow forecast and plummeting temperatures we expect the hazardous driving conditions will get worse tonight."

Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Show all 13 1 /13 Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries stuck between J2 and J1 after overnight snow PA/Twitter/simontab Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK An overturned car PA/Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK An easyJet plane is de-iced at Luton Airport PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A man shelters from the snow and sleet under a foldaway poncho in north London Rex Features Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Snow has settled in various parts of the UK, including Leicester Rachel Hosie Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A train battles through the snow at Moy near Inverness Rex Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries stuck on the A14 being towed as snow causes travel chaos Twitter/@joshuaagdomar Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Accident on the M1 PA/Northants Roads and Armed Policing Team Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Wintry conditions at Stansted Airport PA/Twitter/RobertsNiomi Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries between J2 and J1 PA/Twitter/simontab Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Wintry conditions in Pollokshields near Glasgow PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A Blue Air flight comes into land at Luton Airport PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Dog walkers enjoying a stroll in the snow near Inverness Rex Features

An AA spokesman said it had dealt with 8,000 breakdowns by lunchtime, which was "significantly more than a normal Wednesday in winter".

He added: "Although weather and traffic conditions out on the open road have been horrendous in places, particularly across the Midlands, the main breakdown hotspots have been in major towns and cities, such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester.

"This is primarily down to people heading off to shopping centres for the sales in cars that have often sat idle on driveways over the weekend and the Christmas holiday.

"Up against the cold and bad weather, the demand on heaters, wipers and lights has been terminal for many batteries and other ailing electrics."

Heavy snow between Market Harborough and Kettering resulted in delays, while flooding between Swindon and Chippenham also had an impact on passengers.

Elsewhere, the latest figures from Western Power Distribution (WPD) and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) showed nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity.

The latest snowfall to hit the UK comes around a fortnight after hundreds of schools were closed, homes were left without power, and travellers were stranded or forced to stay indoors when a deep freeze gripped the UK.

According to the Met Office, Thursday will generally be drier with slightly less wind, although it will remain cold.

Additional reporting by Press Association
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The UK could be headed for its coldest night this year as arctic air brings sub-zero temperatures overnight.

Heavy snow is predicted to fall on Friday and the Met Office issued an amber warning in anticipation of the east Midlands, North West and Yorkshire receiving a covering of snow.

The Met Office warning predicts accumulations of up to 10cm (4ins) are likely and up to 15cm (6ins) could fall over higher ground.

"Travel delays on roads are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers. Some delays and cancellations to rail and air travel are likely," the Met Office warned.

"There is a possibility that some rural communities could become temporarily cut off. Power cuts may also occur."

 Hundreds stranded at Stansted Airport after bad weather grounds flights

With the amber warning in place between 4am on Friday until 11am, a wider yellow warning for snow has also been issued for southern and eastern Scotland, Northern England, and the Midlands.

Northern Ireland also has a country-wide yellow warning for ice and snow which is in place from 12am until 9am on Friday.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey also warned the country could see the "coldest night of the year so far" before snow blankets parts of the UK.

"The coldest temperature we have seen this year is -13C in Scotland, and we are likely to see temperatures slightly below that," she added.

"But we are not talking about those extremes in the town and city centres, it is out in rural areas, more exposed areas, particularly over lying snow where you see temperatures drop the most."

The Met Office said temperatures fell to as low as -4.5C in Katesbridge, Co Down, in the early hours of Thursday while most parts of the UK hovered around 0C.

The RAC said ice caused an "incredibly busy" morning, and as a result of the conditions dealt with a number of battery failures, minor bumps and shunts, and skidding.

Meanwhile the AA described the country's roads on Thursday as "appalling" due to the "dicey icy roads".

Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Show all 13 1 /13 Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries stuck between J2 and J1 after overnight snow PA/Twitter/simontab Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK An overturned car PA/Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK An easyJet plane is de-iced at Luton Airport PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A man shelters from the snow and sleet under a foldaway poncho in north London Rex Features Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Snow has settled in various parts of the UK, including Leicester Rachel Hosie Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A train battles through the snow at Moy near Inverness Rex Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries stuck on the A14 being towed as snow causes travel chaos Twitter/@joshuaagdomar Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Accident on the M1 PA/Northants Roads and Armed Policing Team Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Wintry conditions at Stansted Airport PA/Twitter/RobertsNiomi Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries between J2 and J1 PA/Twitter/simontab Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Wintry conditions in Pollokshields near Glasgow PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A Blue Air flight comes into land at Luton Airport PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Dog walkers enjoying a stroll in the snow near Inverness Rex Features

On Wednesday, there were stories of disruption, cancellations and delays at the country's travel terminals due to the weather, with London Stansted Airport temporarily closing its runway twice due to ice, stranding hundreds of passengers.

As a result, 27 inbound and 27 outbound flights were cancelled at Stansted, while around 50 flights were cancelled at London Luton Airport.

Some 300 passengers were left in the terminal at Stansted waiting to rebook flights on Wednesday evening after dozens of Ryanair services were cancelled, along with a number of easyJet flights.

On Thursday, Stansted said all flights were anticipated to operate as scheduled, although passengers were reminded to check their flight's status before travelling to the airport.

And at Luton Airport, a spokesman said the travel hub was busy because there were a few more passengers left over from the disruption caused by the weather on Wednesday.

"It does look like there are a few delays to some flights, but we are open, operational - nothing out of the ordinary," he said, adding that passengers should still check with their airlines.

On Wednesday snowfall caused widespread disruption, with a lorry crash on the M1 resulting in the closure of the southbound carriageway, a jackknifed HGV on the M5 in Gloucestershire, and severe conditions on the A14 near Kettering.

Homes were left without power, and in Scotland three climbers had to be rescued from the Cairngorms mountain range after getting lost in blizzard conditions.

Additional reporting by Press Association
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French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to demand the UK pays for new customs services at Calais and other French ports after Brexit when he meets Theresa May next month.

It is highly likely that more rigorous and bureaucratic customs and immigration controls will be required after the UK leaves the European Union. Currently the UK pays effectively to manage its border on the French mainland at Calais, in a reciprocal arrangement under the Le Touquet Treaty, which is itself now a contentious issue.

Brexit will make that process more complicated and more costly, but leading Brexiteers have already called Mr Macrons proposals absurd, with Iain Duncan Smith telling The Telegraph: There is no logical or legal reason why Britain should pay anything towards this. It is an absurdity.

Recommended Heseltine says a Corbyn government less damaging for UK than Brexit

French officials have said the costs of preparing its UK facing border points will cost more than new arrangements in Ireland. The French ports of Calais and Dunkirk together service Dover, which is the worlds busiest sea port. Mr Macron is facing significant internal political pressure to ensure the UK pays for a problem seen in France as of the UKs own making.

Jean-Paul Mulot, who is envoy to the UK for the ports of Calais, Dunkirk, Boulougne and the Eurotunnel entrance, told The Telegraph that the cost has been estimated at hundreds of millions of pounds, and that it should be shared between the whole of the EU.

 Emmanuel Macron vows to make French the world's first language

But Mr Duncan Smith said: No other country is asking for money, not Holland, not Belgium, and Mrs May should remind Mr Macron that he stands to benefit from this arrangement because France sells more goods to us than we sell to them.

Theresa May can smile sweetly at Mr Macron and tell him there will not be a penny more than has already been agreed. We have already said how much we will pay, and if the EU wants to give some of that money to France thats up to them.

Mr Mulot said that the UK would agree to provide some funding eventually, adding that smooth border arrangements were in both sides interest.

At the height of the migrants crisis two years ago, when cross-Channel traffic was being disrupted, Volkswagens Oxford factory considered closing temporarily because it was running out of parts. About 800,000 car parts cross the Channel each day, and huge quantities of food too.

Arrangements at Dover has been one of the most difficult and contentious issues of the Brexit process thus far, with MPs and policy groups warning that delays at Dover have the potential to hugely disrupt virtually UK manufacturing supply chains. The corresponding problem at French sea ports has rarely been discussed.
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Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he can keep up the momentum behind his party even if there is no general election until 2022 as he set out his ambition to make gains in next years local elections and build on Labours blueprint for government.

In an interview with The Independent, the Labour leader said there were a series of scenarios he could envisage a premature election occurring, including the collapse of Theresa Mays fragile government, insisting its reliance on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) cannot be sustainable.

But asked whether he would be able to sustain the momentum behind his party if there is no election before the one scheduled in 2022, he replied: Yep. Weve got lots of energy. Ive got loads of energy. Im fine, I eat porridge every morning. Porridge and energy bars and I keep off alcohol and meat.

Mr Corbyn also denied his partys Brexit policy appeared confusing and ruled out a second referendum on the Brexit deal, adding: Were not advocating a second referendum.

A year ago Mr Corbyn was adamant he would turn his partys fortune around within 12 months. At the time, it was rare for the Conservatives to be fewer than 10 points ahead in polls.

And three days before Ms May called the general election, the Tories were 21 points ahead of Labour, giving the party their greatest lead while in government since 1983  shortly before Margaret Thatchers second victory at the ballot box.

But the political landscape now could not be further removed. The snap election resulted in Labours share of the vote growing by 9.6 per cent  the biggest swing since Clement Attlee took office shortly after the Second World War. The Prime Ministers election gamble failed and she was forced to rely on the DUP to prop her fragile Government  to the considerable cost of 1bn. Her authority was shattered.

Its been an interesting year, thats for sure, said Mr Corbyn in his Commons office shortly before the Christmas recess. We had the difficult results in the local election and said so at the time. But the general election had been called just before that.

I did 100 events myself during the general election campaign and travelled the length and breadth of the land. We didnt quite win  thats my regret.

But we did have the biggest vote for Labour in England since 1970 and the biggest swing since the Second World War. And it was achieved during the campaign which was unusual.

He credited the achievement to the widely discussed, and leaked, manifesto, the very old-fashioned public rallies on the streets and parks, hundreds of thousands of people registering to vote, and the very hi-tech social media campaigning.

Jeremy Corbyn arriving in Labour HQ in June as the party made huge gains in the snap election (AFP/Getty)

He said a surreal moment of the campaign was launching his partys manifesto at Bradford University on 16 May.

It was surrounded by students wanting copies of the manifesto, he added. It looked quite weird. I looked up as I was speaking and people spread against the glass. It was like that scene out of The Graduate.

But he is well aware of the challenges his party faces in the new year. Despite the Governments troubled Brexit negotiations and three high-profile cabinet resignations in the past month, the two main parties in British politics remain neck and neck in the overall polls, with some giving Mr Corbyns party a six-point lead but others giving the Conservatives an advantage.

I think the results weve had in council by-elections have overall been pretty good, he said. And the engagement of the party with campaigns is very high when weve been calling these national campaign days. One we held on 25 November, we had 600 events on at the same time around the country. They were street events, they were local meetings, all kind of stuff. But the ability of a party outside of an election to put on 600 simultaneous events shows some strength.

And in May he will face the unpredictable verdict of the British people once more at the local elections. These will encompass all 32 London boroughs and 34 metropolitan boroughs. Despite the results of this years local election bearing little reflection on the general election, in the absence of a 2018 national poll, the results will undoubtedly be used as a barometer for each party as to how they are faring across the country.

Asked what he would like to see in the local elections, Mr Corbyn replied: Well, the biggest elections are going to be in the main cities, particularly London, Birmingham, Newcastle  were going to be working very hard on them. In London particularly, they are going to focus on housing.

But its also emphasising the way local authorities have been so underfunded by this Government that they are all facing real difficulties that were are going to emphasise in the election. This is the product of seven years of austerity.

Im hoping we do very, very well, but Im not putting a figure on it, he said.

In an attempt to address the crisis in Britains housing market and tackle the issue of homeless  one he describes as a moral litmus test for the country  he told The Independent the next manifesto would seek to abolish so-called no fault evictions, a contentious practices that allows landlords to evict tenants on a whim, without reason.

And it is clear from the Labour leader that building on the manifesto will be at the top of his agenda in 2018. His party is constantly on an election footing, though few insiders genuinely believe there will be one in the coming year.

We have obviously a lot more of campaign visits I do all the time, he said. But its also about developing more details on our policy  the manifesto was very good and Im very proud of it. I do want to put more detail in there on the national education service, the national care service, on environmental policies and issues, and housing. Thats what were working on at the moment.

The policy development isnt going to be done in some distance away from the people, its going to be done in quite an open way so Im encouraging local parties to develop the manifesto they would want for their area.

 Footage shows anti-Corbyn MPs exit poll reactions from 2017 election

He could not confirm, however, whether universal basic income could form a part of Labours next blueprint for government. The concept involves overhauling the welfare state and ditching means-tested benefits in favour of unconditional flat-rate payments to all citizens. Its something the party has already set up a working group on  led by the leaders longtime political ally John McDonnell.

The Shadow Chancellor has previously told The Independent he could win the argument on basic income within the party and commissioned Guy Standing, one of his economic advisers and a founding member of Basic Income Earth Network, to publish a report on the subject. It is expected to report preliminary findings in the new year.

On Brexit, the Labour leader also cast aside criticisms that his partys policy can appear confusing. Last week a survey of undergraduates, conducted for the Higher Education Policy Institute, found that 55 per cent of them believed Labours policy is to remain in the European Union. A further 58 per cent of the students said they believed this to be Mr Corbyns position.

I dont think its confusing, he said. What were saying is we want that relationship with Europe which means we are formally leaving the European Union, of course, and that is the position.

 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn stresses importance of care and compassion in Christmas video

I say to them: were part of the same continent, we have to maintain the economic relationship, the university relationship, the university relationship must be maintained and absolutely continued membership of Erasmus scheme and make that extremely clear. We are not going to allow this country to go off a cliff in March 2019 as some in the Tory party want to happen.

On the highly contentious issue of a second referendum, the Labour leader made clear it was not a policy his party is pursuing despite his Shadow Cabinet colleague appearing to suggest that it was still on the table. Were not advocating a second referendum, he said.

His comments came just days after Tom Watson, his deputy, was pressed on the issue. When youre in complex negotiations on behalf of the nation, you shouldnt rule anything out, Mr Watson said.

Clarifying the partys position, Mr Corbyn continued: Well, what he said to me is that there are some people that advocate it, which is true, there are. He did indeed say that but out position is that we are not advocating a second referendum.

Pressed on whether Labour had softened its position on Brexit in recent months, the Labour leader continued: What weve done is accept the result of the referendum which we obviously had to  and we do. The referendum took place, we wanted to remain and reform but Leave won.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA

I am very concerned that people did vote Leave heavily in some areas of the country, but they didnt vote Leave to lose their jobs. I am worried about job effects in the North-east, in the Midlands and South-west, and in particularly the manufacturing industry.

Before the end of the year, however, the Labour leader jokingly said he was hoping for a day off.

No, I usually go out for a run or something then Laura [Alvarez] and I  we tend to do Christmas Eve because shes from Mexico. In Mexico the celebration is much more of Christmas Eve, then they have Kings Day  the same as Spain  in January, he said.

He added that he was yet to arrange where he was bringing in the new year. We havent sorted that out yet. As you know, ones diary is in the hands of my office during my work  dont assume when Im not at work its in my hands, either.
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Labours next manifesto will include a pledge to reduce eviction powers for landlords and tip housing rules back in favour of renters, Jeremy Corbyn has announced.

In an interview with The Independent, the Labour leader said at the next election his party would overhaul housing legislation by scrapping laws which allow landlords to kick out tenants under so-called no fault evictions.

It is claimed that the contentious practice  allowing landlords to evict renters on a whim and without reason  has contributed to the alarming rise in homelessness since the creation of the coalition government in 2010.

 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn stresses importance of care and compassion in Christmas video

The Labour leader believes the current rules can lead to the break up of communities, children having to move schools or travel long distances to stay at the same school, and causes insecurity and anxiety for tenants across England.

Asked whether abolishing the no fault evictions would be part of the next Labour manifesto, he replied: Absolutely. Absolutely. I am very committed to housing and dealing with homelessness. I think its a moral litmus test for the country: do we just put up with so many rough sleepers or do we do something about it.

Earlier this year Scotland abolished the no fault eviction process by scrapping fixed term tenancies for private renters and giving tenants indefinite tenure. Housing campaigners, at the time, hailed the move as a new dawn for renters.

Figures compiled by Mr Corbyns party through data provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) claim the number of households accepted by local authorities as homeless because they have come to the end of their assured shorthand tenancy has quadrupled from 4,580 from 2009-10 to 18,270 in 2016-16  or a 299 per cent increase.

And recent research by Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation claimed that more than 40,000 tenants in England were evicted in 2015  the highest level ever recorded. The study added that high numbers of no fault evictions had driven up the number of renters being forced to move home and that more than 80 per cent of the extra evictions recorded were a result of the Section 21 notice, which gives tenants two months to vacate their property.

 Dawn Foster on Double Take: Three policies to tackle the housing crisis

What we would do is bring in a more regulated private rented system with particular emphasis on longer tenancies, he told The Independent. Its a power relationship that is not remotely fair. Every other country in Europe has some degree of private sector regulation  most cities in the United States do with the odd one out and this was abolished, basically, by the Thatcher government.

Mr Corbyn added: As you know Ive spent a lot of my life very concerned about housing and remain so. At the moment we have a largely deregulated private rented sector in Britain and people can be evicted or have their tenancy terminated at the end of six months for no reason whatsoever.

The stress levels on people concerned is incredible. I get it all the time from constituents because a third of my constituents are private renters. I am very determined to bring some order and stability to their lives by longer tenancies and eviction that can only be there for good reason rather than just what can be retaliatory eviction.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty

Rights for tenants to remain in a property were reduced by Margaret Thatchers government in the 1988 Housing Act, which included Section 21, and tipped the power relationship in favour of the landlord. Until this point tenants could remain in their homes as long as they had done nothing wrong, with extra protection for families.

Responding to the Labour leaders comments, Polly Neate, the CEO of Shelter, said it is a national scandal that there are now more than 300,000 homeless people in the UK.

She continued: A devastating mix of stagnating wages, soaring rent and cuts to welfare  including a freeze on housing benefit  are thrusting many ordinary people into arrears and eviction. Others are forced to leave even when they have done nothing wrong, such as when their landlord wants to put the rent up.

 PMQs: Corbyn calls on May to pledge a reduction in homelessness in 2018

Every day, our expert advisers hear harrowing stories of people under intense pressure from these notices. They leave families desperate, with just two months to pack up and find somewhere new to live  which can cause extreme anxiety, especially for children and vulnerable groups like those with disabilities or mental health issues.

We know losing a tenancy is now the number one cause of homelessness so attempts by any political party to increase renters rights and reduce no fault evictions, so that people can keep a roof over their heads, should be warmly welcomed.

Click here from 10pm on 27 December to read the full Jeremy Corbyn interview
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The NHS is facing a crisis over the number of available ward beds, according to analysis by the Labour Party.

Official figures show that in the last year, 90 per cent of hospital beds were listed as occupied, which is higher than at any point under the Conservative or coalition governments, and far above the safe occupancy rate of 85 per cent.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: We do not set standards or targets for bed occupancy as we recognise that all hospitals operate differently and we expect them to manage their beds in way that works best for local patients needs.

Recommended NHS doctors to pilot food prescriptions as poverty soars

Meanwhile, a Freedom of Information (FoI) request revealed that hospital car parking charges generated 175m last year.

Labour claimed that 46,993 patients have been stuck in the back of ambulances for over 30 minutes already this winter, with 9,775 having to wait longer than one hour to find a bed.

Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth said the problem is likely to get worse.

For a Government which prides itself on patient safety, these shocking bed occupancy figures stand as a damning indictment of Theresa Mays failure to properly run our NHS, he told Politics Home.

It is completely unacceptable that the 85 per cent bed occupancy target for general and acute hospital services has been missed every quarter for more than seven years, resulting in patient safety being compromised on a regular basis.

Winter is already underway and its evident that this Government is sleepwalking into crisis. This shambles cannot continue.

NHS hospitals made 175m by charging patients, visitors and staff to park in 2016/17, a 6 per cent increase on the previous year.

Even Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called the parking charges at hospitals a stealth tax but an FoI request has shown that as many as two thirds of NHS hospitals raise more than 1m a year through doing so. More than half of NHS trusts charge for disabled parking.

The Government has previously condemned complex and unfair parking charges and called for reform.

In Scotland and Wales, where healthcare is a devolved matter, hospital car parks are almost all free.

Hospital car parking charges have been defended as crucial to patient care, though some NHS Trusts have employed private firms to manage the car parks, who are making hundreds of thousands of pounds of profit from them.

Royal Surrey County hospital, in Guildford, was found to be the most expensive, charging 4 per hour.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: For patients, parking charges amount to an extra charge for being ill. The increase in the number of trusts who are charging for disabled parking is particularly concerning.

Patients who require disabled parking may have little choice but to access their care by car, and may need to do so often. Targeting them in this way feels rather cynical.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: Patients and families should not have to deal with the added stress of complex and unfair parking charges. NHS organisations are locally responsible for the methods used to charge, and we want to see them coming up with flexible options that put patients and their families first.
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New measures to crack down on rogue landlords who let overcrowded homes have been announced by the Government.

Under one component landlords renting properties with five or more tenants from two different households would for the first time need to be licensed.

Ministers also signalled new space standards for housing of multiple occupancy and set out details of criminal offences that will bar someone from becoming a landlord.

Recommended Tories drop two flagship housing policies from key strategy document

It comes as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn used an exclusive interview with The Independent to announce a sweeping pledge to scrap no fault evictions, which allow landlords to kick tenants out of their properties without a reason.

Under the Governments plans, landlords of some 160,000 homes in England occupied by more than five people would end up needing a licence to let their properties legally.

They would also have to adhere to new rules setting minimum size requirements for bedrooms in houses of multiple occupation, to prevent overcrowding.

Housing minister Alok Sharma said: Every tenant has a right to a safe, secure and decent home. But some are being exploited by unscrupulous landlords who profit from providing overcrowded, squalid and sometimes dangerous homes.

 Budget 2017: Local authorities will be able to charge 100% premium on council tax on empty housing

Enough is enough and so Im putting these rogue landlords on notice  shape up or ship out of the rental business.

Through a raft of new powers we are giving councils the further tools they need to crack down on these rogue landlords and kick them out of the business for good.

From April next year, someone convicted of offences such as burglary and stalking can also be added to the database of rogue landlords and be barred from renting properties.

 Jeremy Corbyn points to Grenfell fire as epitome of failed housing policy

It is claimed that the contentious practice of no fault evictions has contributed to the alarming rise in homelessness since the coalition government in 2010. In his interview for The Independent in which he said he would seek to abolish them, Mr Corbyn also said that tackling homelessness was a moral litmus test for the country.

The rival announcements show how housing has become a critical battle ground in British politics, with both main parties attempting to win the votes of renters shut out of the housing market and facing higher living costs.
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Tougher powers to curb stalking and harassment that blight the lives of thousands of people will be brought forward under new legislation from a Conservative MP.

Respected backbencher Sarah Wollaston, who chairs the Commons Health Committee, wants to tackle gaps in stalking laws that can leave victims vulnerable to abuse while police build a case against the suspected perpetrator.

Stalking is a difficult crime to prosecute  despite being made a specific criminal offence in 2012  as the term is not legally defined, leaving space for differences in interpretation over persistent calls, unwanted gifts or unexpected visits.

Victims are often let down by under-recording, inconsistent services and poor understanding in the criminal justice system, with worrying failing at every stage, according to a recent report by the police and prosecution service watchdogs.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced plans for civil protection orders in December last year but no date has been set for their implementation, prompting fears the idea had been dropped.

Under the new proposals  which are understood to have government backing  police would apply for a stalking protection order through a magistrate, which would restrict tormentors from contacting or approaching their victims while police gather evidence.

Perpetrators could also be ordered to seek mental health treatment or attend rehabilitation during this time to stop them from reoffending. Breaches of the order would carry a prison sentence of up to five years.

Ms Wollaston told The Independent: Almost anyone can become a victim of stalking. It is a crime which devastates peoples lives causing both psychological and sometimes physical harm, including murder.

In a digital age there are ever more ways that stalkers target their victims and those around them, causing fear and isolation.

There is currently a gap in the law, especially for those stalked by strangers and my bill aims to introduce a new stalking protection order to protect victims at the early stages of an investigation.

The Totnes MP warned that the current system was wholly inadequate, where victims have to go through a much lengthier process of applying for an injunction through the courts.

The measure is aimed at people suffering domestic abuse or being stalked by an ex-partner, leaving little help for people who are harassed by strangers.

Vulnerable people would be saved from having to apply for such an order themselves under Ms Wollastons Stalking Protection Bill, where police would act on their behalf.

One in five women and one in 10 men will experience stalking during their lifetime, while the National Stalking Helpline has responded to some 14,000 calls since it was established in 2010.

Suky Bhaker, head of policy and development at the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which runs the helpline, welcomed the proposals to address gaps in protection for victims. She said: Stalking is a pervasive crime which affects over 1.1 million people in the UK each year. The crime has a severe impact on victims, and through our work with clients on the National Stalking Helpline, we often hear that it has caused physical, emotional and psychological trauma to those affected.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant 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Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group 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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA

We know that rapid recognition, response, and early intervention to stalking can help by trying to break the cycle of obsession and fixation inherent within perpetrators. We envisage Stalking Protection Orders giving police officers the tools to support victims safely by taking decisive action to restrict perpetrators behaviour early on.

We need to ensure that victims are always taken seriously when they report stalking, and that police have the right tools to tackle this insidious crime.

Jessica, 34, has struggled to cope after being stalked by a neighbour, who repeatedly followed her and her partner for more than five years. The mother of two, whose name has been changed, said she suffered from depression and panic attacks, and she was forced to take time off work as she was too frightened to leave her house because of her tormentor.

Measures to protect her such as a restraining order and a warning notice to the individual have proved pointless, she said.

She told The Independent: Because it has been left so long, it's like somebody who is addicted to drugs and alcohol - when they have been on it for so long, it is not going to stop straight away, and it's not to say that it will stop. Whereas if they do something about it at the earlier stage then there is more chance of it stopping."

More police officers need to be trained to understand and recognise stalking, she said, claiming officers told her case would "laughed out of court".

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said: Stalking is a terrible form of abuse that can have devastating effect on its victims, which is why this Government is working to protect victims and stop perpetrators at the earliest opportunity. We have strengthened the law introducing new stalking offences and are taking steps to introduce a new stalking protection order to protect victims at the earliest possible stage.

Ms Wollastons bill will go before Parliament on 19 January, where it needs the support of 100 MPs to move forward.

Private members bills rarely become law due to a lack of parliamentary time but government support significantly enhances its chances of getting onto the statute books.
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Jacob Rees-Mogg has said it would be a silly overreaction for the Conservative Party to remove the whip from Michael Heseltine after he suggesting Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street could be less damaging than Brexit.

His comments came as Brexiteers rounded on the pro-EU peer and former Deputy Prime Minister for remarks that infuriated some of Lord Heseltines Conservative colleagues.

Mr Rees-Mogg, the Conservative MP for North East Somerset, told The Independent that Lord Hesetines comments reminded him of Enoch Powell calling on people to vote Labour in 1974 over the European issues.

He continued: Lord Heseltine would not find the hard left comfortable bedfellows but he is neither the first nor last to lose perspective and judgement over the EU.

But asked whether he agreed with some in the party that the Conservative peer Lord Heseltine should have the whip removed, he replied: No, that would be a silly overreaction.

The right-wing Bow Group  members of which include the former Chancellor Norman Lamont and cabinet minister John Redwood  told the Daily Mail on Wednesday: Heseltine has made clear it is his aim to prevent Brexit at all costs, including the sabotage of his own party and nation.

Recommended Heseltine says a Corbyn government less damaging for UK than Brexit

The Conservative Party must therefore withdraw the whip and end the inevitable continuation of his sniping from inside the tent.

Norman Tebbit, the former Tory cabinet minister, echoed the groups call, adding: I think it is unprecedented for a man in receipt of the Conservative whip to suggest that a Corbyn government would be preferable to a British government governing the UK, given that the alternative he is advocating is Brussels. It must call into question whether his loyalty is to the UK or a foreign power.

Nigel Evans, a Conservative backbencher, also told The Sun: Only a euro fanatic of the pedigree of Michael Heseltine could believe that a Venezuela loving Corbyn government would be preferable to leaving his beloved EU.

Its about time Tarzan hung up his loin cloth and got behind Theresa May who is delivering what the UK voted for and is doing it rather well without irrelevant interventions of the Jurassic Park era.

It comes after Lord Heseltine said he believed that if there was any damage done by a Labour government then it would be short-lived, but that EU withdrawal could cause irreversible harm.

And earlier this month the senior peer wrote for The Independent, claiming that Tory MPs backing a hard Brexit were betraying the achievements of Conservative governments going back five decades.

Speaking on the Limehouse podcast, Lord Heseltine said: Well, we have survived Labour governments before. Their damage tends to be short-term and capable of rectification. Brexit is not short-term and is not easily capable of rectification. There will be those who question whether the short-term pain justifies the avoidance of the long-term disaster.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant 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winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA

Lord Heseltine also argued that if public opinion significantly shifts on Brexit, then Mr Corbyns party could respond by distancing itself from Brexit and leaving the Conservatives to face to face the backlash. When that happens, the Labour party will move, and the present Government will be left holding the baby, he said.

But then you have got to realise the present Government is supported by large numbers of people as opposed to Brexit as I am. How long will they remain within the tribe and loyal to the party?

Asked how he would stop Brexit, the Conservative peer replied: I think [a second referendum] would be a vehicle for ending Brexit, but personally I would rather parliament to do it either if this present parliament became hostile or because in an election the issue was rethought and a subsequent parliament did it. My preoccupation is ending Brexit: the means, well anything to hand.
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Nearly half of people in England and Wales have not seen a uniformed police or community support officer on foot in their area in the last year, research suggests.

A large-scale survey indicates that the bobby on the beat is a rare sight for a rising percentage of the population.

While more than four-fifths of participants felt it was important to have a regular uniformed police presence, only 17 per cent believed they had this locally.

The proportion who said they had not seen a uniformed officer in their area was 44 per cent this year  up from 41 per cent in 2016 and 36 per cent in 2015.

The percentage saying they had not seen uniformed personnel in a vehicle in the past year was lower, at 12 per cent.

The survey of 12,662 people was carried out by Ipsos Mori for HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to gauge perceptions of crime, safety and local policing.

A report detailing the findings said: Regular local uniformed police presence remains important for participants.

However, as in previous years, the proportion who are satisfied with the level of local uniformed police presence is far lower than the proportion who are dissatisfied (24 per cent versus 41 per cent).

The inspectorate has previously raised concerns over the impacts of an erosion of neighbourhood policing.

Andy Fittes, general secretary of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: The findings of the survey are disappointing but come as no surprise.

There is no getting away from the fact that we simply do not have the resources to patrol as we once would have done.

Police chiefs are having to make tough choices and to prioritise things like terrorism and public order events, and ensure that the critical incidents such as responding to 999 calls are dealt with.

All these have to take priority over walking the beat and carrying out the sort of proactive policing that the public wants.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA

But Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, said cuts to police officer numbers have resulted in a reduction in unnecessary patrols.

He said: Mere visibility is not a useful measure of effective and accountable policing.

The research also found a marked increase in confidence in the police to provide protection during a terrorist attack.

More than half (55 per cent) said they would be very or fairly confident in police dealing with such an incident, compared with 46 per cent in 2016.

In other findings:

Three in 10 (30 per cent) considered crime and anti-social behaviour to be a big problem in their local area  a five percentage point increase since 2015.

Just over half (53 per cent) were satisfied with the police  similar to last year when the percentage was 52 per cent.

 similar to last year when the percentage was 52 per cent. The proportion who said the service provided by local police has gotten worse increased to a quarter (25 per cent) from 20 per cent in 2016.

has gotten worse increased to a quarter (25 per cent) from 20 per cent in 2016. Most participants associated policing with positive attributes, while twice as many who expressed a view would speak highly about their local force as would be critical.

Matt Parr, an inspector at HMICFRS, said: After a year in which the emergency services have faced some of the most challenging incidents in recent times, it is encouraging to see that the publics confidence in the police to protect them against terrorism has increased markedly.

He added that the importance of visible local policing continues to resonate with the public.

Recommended Police investigating unexplained death of woman after body found

National Police Chiefs Council chairwoman Sara Thornton said increased confidence in the police service is a real testament to the courage and professionalism of all of our officers and staff.

She added: We know that local policing is absolutely crucial to countering terrorist plots, to disrupting serious and organised crime networks and safeguarding the most vulnerable in society, so all chief constables are working hard to ensure the service is as visible and approachable as possible.

A Home Office spokesman said: Effective local policing has always been about more than just officers visibility  never more so than now, with crime increasingly taking place behind closed doors and online.

PA
DEAR ABBY: I have been married for three years to a woman who is very beautiful inside and out. (We have been together for six years.) Recently, I found out she is addicted to pain meds -- and two months ago she confided that she had gotten hooked on heroin.

I set up an intervention to get her into rehab. But when the time came to go, she kept putting it off. She said she wanted to get high "one more time," so I told her OK, as long as she did it at home, so I'd know she was safe. After she injected herself, she went limp, so I called 911 and got her into the hospital.

It is now two months later, and she is back. I love her dearly, but I no longer desire to be intimate with her. How do I tell her I will always stand by her, but no longer want to be intimate? She's younger and still has a strong sex drive. -- LOST THAT PART IN THE EAST

DEAR LOST: The news should be conveyed in the office of a licensed marriage and family therapist. While your sexual problem may result from the shock of seeing your wife nearly die in front of you, there may be more to it. You say she is "younger and STILL has a strong sex drive." This suggests that you are older and your lack of desire might to some extent be age- or hormone-related.

The two of you have a lot of talking to do about your feelings and your future. It would be better if it's done with the help of a trained moderator.

Also, if your wife was sharing needles, you both need to be tested for any diseases she may have contracted.

DEAR ABBY: My parents and my wife's parents both live 20 minutes from us. Both sets of parents purposely moved to be close to us. The problem is both sets of parents tell people the few times we are together how often they see their grandkids -- which is simply not true.

Mom talks as if she sees them multiple times a week, although she generally sees them less than once a month. She does watch my niece three days a week, but to hear her tell it, all her grandkids fall into that category. My wife's parents see me, my wife and our two kids about twice a month, but also tell others it's "all the time." Then, when we do meet, they ignore the kids!

I am bothered about it for two reasons: They are taking undue credit for "helping us out," and second, I'm sick of having heard for the last 12 years how "lucky" my kids are to have such wonderful grandparents. It caused us to miss out on help from extended family because they thought my wife and I were already receiving so much.

Is there a nice way to say to my parents/in-laws that the story they are selling is fiction? We do love them. All we would like is for them to help out the way they claim to. -- SICK OF THE FICTION

DEAR SICK OF THE FICTION: I find it strange that both sets of in-laws would relocate to be close, and then not follow through on trying to BE close. I also don't know why your parents would loudly take credit for the things they haven't been doing. If you want to end the fiction, tell the extended family the truth and explain that you really do need their help and why. You should have done it years ago.

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 17-year-old girl and a junior in high school. I have a crush on a guy who's 14 and a freshman. I know age gaps don't matter as much later on, but the difference between 17 and 14 can be drastic. "Jake" is really sweet, and he's as interested in me as I am in him (unlike the boys in my grade).

I'm friends with Jake's sister "Julie," who's a year older than me and a senior. Julie has made it clear she doesn't like the idea of a romantic relationship between Jake and me because Jake is only 14.

What can I do? Should I ignore this crush? I have judged people who have dated despite age gaps. (For example, a senior boy dating a sophomore girl.) But now I understand it. If the girl is older, does that complicate things?

I don't want to be seen as creepy or gross, but, to be honest, I'm not that experienced romantically or socially myself. (I have never even been to a real party.) Must I forget my feelings and move on, or do I talk to Julie and try to pursue this? -- TEEN CRUSH

DEAR TEEN CRUSH: Julie has already given you her answer. As you have pointed out, there is a bias against dating someone so much younger, and it could cause you problems not only with your peers, but also with the law if your relationship were to become sexual when you turn 18. That's why I'm suggesting you turn your romantic interests elsewhere. When you're BOTH adults, if you're still interested, you can pursue a romantic relationship then.

DEAR ABBY: My fiance and I are being married in a few days. We are expecting our first child a few days after that. The problem is my mother. We decided on a small ceremony, but my mother is opposed to the marriage because she doesn't like the idea of me marrying -- not just my fiance, but anyone. She has always told me a man will leave me destitute, pregnant with too many kids, and I won't be able to take care of myself. She has repeated it since I was about 10.

Because she has threatened to object at the ceremony, we decided not to invite her. We have invited his parents and my father and stepmother. Mom has said she will not allow my child to see her grandfather because "he is a bad person." She may have good intentions, but dictating who can be around my child is not her choice, considering she has had little to no contact with him in 25 years.

I wish she could be at our wedding, but she has now distanced herself from me and my fiance. Should I let her cool off and hope she comes around, or accept that this is the path she has chosen? Please advise, Abby. -- PROBLEM MOTHER IN KENTUCKY

DEAR PROBLEM MOTHER: Your mother may be anti-marriage because hers failed spectacularly. She appears to be a troubled woman. By all means, let her cool off, but do not allow her to dictate your life. If she does, her anger and bitterness could negatively affect your marriage.

DEAR ABBY: The winter months are hard for me. They remind me that another year has gone by without my father and my younger sister.

Dad had been a smoker since his teens and died from pancreatic cancer at 39. I was 13, and my siblings were younger. In those days, we didn't know that smoking was a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

My sister smoked from the time she was 13. She died from lung cancer at 44, leaving behind two young sons.

Neither my father nor my sister got to experience the wonderful family milestones and celebrations we have had. Their grandchildren will never know them. Each year during the holidays, I feel a sadness in my heart.

I urge every smoker to make a vow to quit and carry it through, not only for their own sake but also their family's. Stay determined to quit so you won't cause your loved ones sadness and won't miss out on their futures. With all my heart, I wish smokers the best of luck in quitting. -- MISSING DAD AND SIS IN SACRAMENTO

DEAR MISSING: I'm glad you wrote because the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout will be held on Nov. 16. It's a day when millions of smokers put down their cigarettes -- just for one day -- with the conviction that if they can go 24 hours without one, then they can do it for 48 hours, 72 hours, and stop smoking for good. The idea grew out of a 1970 event in Randolph, Massachusetts, and became a national event in 1977.

Readers, I'm not going to harangue you with death threats. We are all aware of the grim statistics associated with cancer-related deaths caused by tobacco. If you're interested in quitting, this is a perfect opportunity. Call (800) 227-2345 to be connected with counseling services in your community, provided with self-help materials offering information and strategies on quitting for good, and to receive information about medications available to help you quit. This service is free and provided 24/7. Or go online to cancer.org.

DEAR ABBY: I need your help. Over the past few weeks, I have been vacationing at my mother-in-law's home. The other day I was browsing on her computer and accidentally opened her browsing history. It turns out that she regularly looks at and responds to Craigslist personals.

I was shocked when I read some of the perverted requests she has responded to. The language she used would make a sailor blush. Keep in mind, my mother-in-law is a married woman.

I don't know how to react. Should I tell my wife? Keep it to myself? Make a fake Craigslist post and catch her in the act? -- KINKS IN THE FAMILY

DEAR KINKS: If you disclose this to your wife, it could damage her relationship with her mother. If she tells her mother what you found, it will create a breach in the family. If you trap the woman by creating a fake Craigslist post and she realizes she has been made a fool of, it will not -- to put it mildly -- endear you to her. Let it lie.

DEAR ABBY: I am in a predicament. My therapist is great, but sometimes I think she shares too much. Last time I went, she was running late. When I finally got into her office, she told me the previous patient was nonverbal and had painted her nails during the session. Later in the session, she confided that years ago she had been date raped.

Abby, I am in counseling because my father raped me when I was 15 (I am now 24). Her sharing has me worried because I don't want her telling others what I say or do during counseling. Further, her story of the date rape scared me. She described a situation that is not uncommon for me to be in, and it caused something almost like a flashback in me. I think what she did was insensitive, to say the least.

I have nobody else to ask, so what should I do? I'm getting counseling for free now due to my income, and it took months to get set up with a counselor. Should I report her or accept that this was a mistake and say nothing? If I need to report her, how would I go about doing that? -- CONFLICTED ABOUT IT

DEAR CONFLICTED: You should change therapists because it appears this one has more problems than you do. As to what agency you should report her breach of professional ethics to, contact the state organization that has licensed her to practice.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
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A Muslim community group has visited a series of churches in a major Nigerian city to show their solidarity with its Christian population.

Members of the Islamic Movement, known as locally the Shia after their religious denomination, visited three major churches in Kaduna.

The city in the countrys north west, has seen widespread religious violence in the past.

Nigeria has an almost equal number of Muslims and Christians but Islam dominates the north while Christianity is strong in the south.

Despite being part of the Muslim north, Kaduna has a significant Christian minority. The area has witnessed religious violence in the past.

Although, it remains relatively segregated after riots between February and May 2000, that began over the decision to implement Sharia law across Kaduna State.

Almost 1,000 people died in the violence, which also saw a number of homes and businesses destroyed. It only ended when the Nigerian army intervened to restore calm.

Christians and Muslims came together to celebrate Christmas at several different churches (Islamic Movement of Nigeria)

A 2003 report by Human Rights Watch found Christian and Muslim residents originally lived together but after the riots increasingly began moving away from members of different faiths as a survival tactic.

But Dr Shuaibu Musa, the leader of the Shia group, is keen to promote tolerance and diversity.

Addressing the congregation he vowed to protect every church in the city, the Vanguard newspaper reported.

He said: We are here to [make] merry with our Christian brothers on the birth of he whose return has been foretold by our Prophet to herald the appearance of the awaited one Imam Mahdi.

Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Show all 8 1 /8 Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Janela, 27, is 27 weeks pregnant and lives in temporary accommodation with her six year old son. She works 12-hour night shifts in a packing warehouse in Birmingham. Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Suleman works in IT and has been living in emergency accommodation since June 2014 with his wife and two children. His youngest, only 2, was born while they were living in the hotel. Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Sarah*, 40, was living in one room in a B&B with her husband and children, including her three-month old baby: We sleep on the bed, they play on the bed, we eat on the bed. Theres just no place for anything. For her daughter Shauna*, 13, the shame she felt at being homeless impacted on her friendships at school: I dont tell them because in the end you cant trust a friendthey could spread rumours about you. I cant explain anything to anyone. I go to school with a smile on my face. * Names have been changed to protect the individuals identity Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Maria* and her two daughters (15 and 5) lived in a B&B for more than 9 months, before being moved out of area in October. Her oldest daughter is a wheelchair user and had no access to a bath as the bathroom was on a different floor. Maria had to bathe her in a tub in the bedroom. * Names have been changed to protect the individuals identity Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Nicola and her three children have spent the last 9 months in temporary accommodation. She said: We're so squashed in this cold, damp place. I say place because neither myself nor the children call this 'home'. It's full of mould and the kids are constantly ill from the damp. I'm trying to do the best that I can with what I have. I'm training to be a teacher, attending counselling sessions and trying to be the best mum I can to my babies but living like this is getting too much. Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Nathan, 28, has been homeless for three months, and until recently was living in a Travelodge on the side of a motorway with his 16-month old son, where he only had access to a kettle: Theres milk and stuff, but theres no microwave. Its pretty hard to make food. Ive got to get the jars and stick it in the kettle, and then put the kettle on to warm it up, so thats the best way to feed him. Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas For Geraldine, 45, and her 13-year-old daughter Hannah*, living in an emergency B&B has taken a huge toll on their mental and emotional wellbeing: My daughter has felt very suicidal. I took her to the GP. Theyve referred her to the psychologist. Shes constantly breaking down crying. I had to take her to A&E on two occasions because shes having problems, she keeps getting palpitations. She shakes. * Names have been changed to protect the individuals identity Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Mariam, her two teenage sons and 4 year old daughter Zara were living in a B&B for nearly three months, before being moved to temporary accommodation in November. Both places have been extremely cold and Mariam is concerned for Zaras health, as she suffers from asthma and anaemia. Shelter

I will protect their religion and their Churches wherever they are found. We therefore hold these covenant that...Christians are not our enemy but our brothers and neighbours.

His words were echoed by the pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Reverend Sule Mashan.

He said: Together we can champion unity among all religious people and take unified stance against aggressive leaders. The Church should join the struggle against oppressors and tyrants right away.

Another local Christian minister, Yohanna Buru, thanked the Shia group for joining them and said the number of Muslims attending Christmas services was rising every year.
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California is introducing a new law that allows beer manufacturers and licensed sellers to pay for drunken peoples taxis home.

The bill, which was supported by ride-sharing apps Uber and Lyft, passed unanimously in the state senate earlier this month and will come into effect on 1 January.

The rule change will mean manufacturers and sellers will be able to offer free or discounted lifts through taxi companies and services like Uber.

Companies will be allowed to give out codes or vouchers, but cannot use them as incentives to buy a brands product.

Under current California law, wine and liquor manufacturers can only provide free transportation for consumers at invitation-only events, such as concerts and parties.

The new state law relaxes these rules and is intended to keep drink-drivers off the road and improve public safety.

 Frat party results in the air tested positive for alcohol on police breathalyser

Assembly Bill 711, which was introduced by Democrat Assemblyman Evan Low, reads: "Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, a beer manufacturer may provide directly to consumers free or discounted rides through taxicabs, transportation network companies, or any other ride service for the purpose of furthering public safety.

"The free or discounted rides may be provided by vouchers, codes, or any other method to deliver the free or discounted ride. A free or discounted ride, or the provision of a voucher, code, or other method of delivery, shall not be conditioned upon the purchase of an alcoholic beverage.

"A beer and wine wholesaler shall not directly or indirectly underwrite, share in, or contribute to, the costs of free or discounted rides or serve as an agent of a beer manufacturer to provide free or discounted rides to consumers. Nothing in this provision authorizes a beer manufacturer to provide a gift or anything of value directly or indirectly to a retail licensee."

The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 10. Poland Results from an OECD report The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 9. Germany The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 8. Luxembourg Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 7. France The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 6. Hungary Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 5. Russia AFP/Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 4. Czech Republic The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 3. Estonia Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 2. Austria Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 1. Lithuania AFP/Getty Images

Proponents ot the law change said 44 other states already allow liquor manufacturers to pay for free or discounted rides, according to a legislative analysis.

Last year, Anheuser-Busch, an American brewing company, partnered with Lyft to offer more than 64,000 rides home to drinkers across the country.

Katja Zastrow, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Anheuser-Busch, told The Sacramento Bee: Drunk driving is 100 per cent preventable and offering safe rides is one way that we can have a real impact on reducing (it).

But the bill was opposed by Alcohol Justice, an industry watchdog that campaigns against what it describes as the alcohol industrys harmful practices.

"While drunk driving is serious concern to public safety, and efforts to reduce it should generally be applauded, this bill implicitly allows for beer manufacturers to promote the overconsumption of alcohol, it said on its website.
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Over a year after California voters opted to legalise recreational marijuana use, lawfully operated cannabis businesses are set to open.

In the interim, various state agencies and local governments have been working on crafting rules governing how the product is grown, where it can be sold and a host of other issues.

Now it's time for the long-informal industry's formal debut.

Here's what you need to know with recreational sales poised to begin in less than a week.

When does it come into effect?

In one sense, the law has already been in effect by removing penalties for possessing and growing cannabis. Even before Proposition 64 passed California had already steadily loosened the legal repercussions, downgrading possession of less than an ounce to an infraction generally punishable by a fine.

But the bigger change is that legal sales are set to commence in the new year.

The state issued its first batch of 20 licenses for retailers, distributors and testing labs earlier this month, at which point about 1,900 users had registered with the state's new processing system and more than 200 had formally applied.

The number of licenses issued has since risen to more than 160.

In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Show all 26 1 /26 In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A man wears a marijuana leaf mask during the annual 4/20 cannabis culture celebration at Sunset Beach in Vancouver, British Columbia AP In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A lady smokes marijuana on Parliament Hill on 4/20 in Ottawa, Ontario Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies James Reed smokes a joint during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies People sign a 4/20 sign on Parliament Hill on in Ottawa, Ontario Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A woman smokes marijuana on Parliament Hill on 4/20 in Ottawa, Ontario. Polling released showed strong support in Canada for a government drive to legalise recreational use of marijuana, but many would like the proposed minimum age for consumption to be raised. Sixty-three percent of respondents told the Angus Reid Institute they support legalisation Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A man smokes marijuana during the annual 4/20 marijuana rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Reuters In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Demonstrators smoke marijuana during the '4/20 Santiago' rally in favour of legalisation in front of the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, as part of the Global Marijuana March which is being held in hundreds of cities worldwide Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies People play with a mock marijuana joint during a 4/20 party to demand legalisation and to celebrate marijuana culture outside the Senate building in Mexico City, Mexico Reuters In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ, hands out free marijuana joints to DC residents who worked on Capitol Hill as part of the 1st Annual Joint Session to mark '4/20' day and promote legalising marijuana on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Police arrest Rachel Ramone Donlan after she handed out free marijuana joints to DC residents who worked on Capitol Hill as part of the 1st Annual Joint Session to mark '4/20' day and promote legalising marijuana on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Police arrest Rachel Ramone Donlan after she handed out free marijuana joints to DC residents who worked on Capitol Hill as part of the 1st Annual Joint Session to mark '4/20' day and promote legalising marijuana on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Thousands of people gather to smoke marijuana during the '420 Santiago'rally in front of the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies People attend the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Kevin Barron and Lasean Moore of Raleigh, North Carolina, share a joint during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Nic Ruhl takes a pull on a giant hand rolled joint at precisely 4:20pm MDT during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Various cannabis paraphernalia on display at a vendor's stall during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Mo Banez, of Austin, Texas, lights a joint during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A man displays a large container of cannabis during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado. The rally, held annually, is a celebration of both the legalisation of cannabis and cannabis culture. Colorado is one of twenty-six U.S. states along with the District of Columbia that has legalised the use of cannabis either recreationally or medically AFP/Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Sitting in small groups on mats shaded by trees in the Rose Garden just across from the Knesset, participants lit up as the clock struck 4:20 for the local version of the traditional worldwide April 20 pro-marijuana events, known as '420' rallies Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies An Israeli smokes a marijuana joint in Jerusalem during a rally at the Rose garden Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Sitting in small groups on mats shaded by trees in the Rose Garden just across from the Knesset, participants lit up as the clock struck 4:20 for the local version of the traditional worldwide April 20 pro-marijuana events, known as '420' rallies Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies An Israeli girl poses with a mock marijuana joint in Jerusalem during a rally at the Rose garden, to celebrate 420 and to express their defiance of current laws Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies aelis pass around a marijuana joint in Jerusalem during a rally at the Rose garden, to celebrate 420 and to express their defiance of current laws Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies An Israeli smokes a marijuana joint in Jerusalem during a rally at the Rose garden, to celebrate 420 and to express their defiance of current law Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies An Israeli smokes a marijuana joint in Jerusalem on April 20, 2017 during a rally opposite the Knesset to celebrate 420 and express defiance of current laws AFP/Getty Images

Where can I buy it?

Whether or not pot shops open on your corner depends in part on where you live. The law preserves local control over permitting, meaning counties and cities reserve the right to restrict where cannabis can be sold or ban it outright.

Both San Francisco and Los Angeles passed rules governing pot shops after contentious fights that involved concerns about public safety, blight and quality of life.

Kern County, which sits in Californias more conservative rural heartland, has prohibited sales altogether.

What will still be illegal?

Authorising recreational marijuana doesnt mean a legal free-for-all. Various marijuana-related activities are still against the law.

Transporting the product across states lines, for example, remains a felony. Individuals can grow their own, but no more than six plants. Public consumption is still not allowed and you have to be 21 to buy it.

Driving while stoned is also forbidden, although the state faces questions about how California Highway Patrol officers would test for intoxication given that traces of marijuana can remain in the body long after a high fades.

How is it taxed?

Because it will be treated like a more conventional retail item, marijuana will be subject to sales taxes when you buy it.

How much tax you pay will depend on where you are in the state, since localities have some control over how much it is. Medical marijuana is exempt from the sales tax.

On top of that, the law also imposes a 15 per cent excise tax on purchasers of marijuana products, which retailers have to collect and pay to their distributors. Pot farmers will also face taxes on their crops: $9.25 (6.97) per ounce of flowers and $2.75 (2.04) per ounce of leaves.

Taxes may seem like a dull subject, but they strike to the heart of the delicate balance in setting up a legal pot market.

Voters were sold on the idea in part, because of the additional tax revenue flowing from a newly regulated industry.

Collecting those taxes is part of a bigger way  in addition to handing out licenses and imposing rules on transport, the environment and testing  to legitimise pot businesses.

However, experts say you want the price to be competitive enough that legal pot competes with and undercuts the black market. If taxed too heavily, there is the risk people will keep buying from cheaper, illicit suppliers.

How will current farmers be affected?

For years, this question has loomed over Californias efforts to regulate its sprawling medical marijuana marketplace and the push to legalise the plant in general.

The state owes its longstanding position as the epicentre of Americas pot economy in large part to the small-scale growers who have tended their crops in the rugged forests of the Emerald Triangle, a trio of pot-growing counties, and other parts of the state.

Of course, its not all small farms: cartels and large-scale criminal enterprises are also operating. Plenty of small-scale growers say they want clearer rules so they can distinguish themselves from the bad guys and grow in a way thats safe for consumers and respects the environment.

Those farmers can now grow and sell cannabis in the open, without fear of raids. But there are real concerns about whether theyll survive.

Along with the new taxes, farmers will have to spend money to get their properties up to code and conduct testing to ensure the product is safe.

As a result there are widespread worries that onerous local zoning and permitting requirements will make it prohibitively expensive or difficult for folks used to informal businesses to get their pot into the legal market.

On top of that, old-school growers fear the ascendance of "Big Pot". With investors looking to cash in on a burgeoning industry estimated to be worth billions, farmers fear big grows backed by abundant cash will squeeze the smaller, longer-serving farms out of the market.
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Yesha Callahan was waiting for her friend Brian Gordon to join her at the popular Washington restaurant El Centro DF. It was the Saturday before Christmas, another friend of Callahans was tending the bar, and it was around 10:30 at night, the point in the evening when the restaurant gives way to a nightclub and the music is turned up. Only a handful of people were there. There was no one in line.

But Gordon was denied entry, he says he was told, because he was wearing sneakers, which the restaurants dress code prohibits.

His shoes were leather Converse high tops. Theyre not like ratty, dirty sneakers, said Gordon. Theyre brand new, theyre leather. They were clean, fresh, white. Its not like I showed up in five-year-old Chucks.

Downstairs, Callahans group of friends got a text from Gordon, who is black, telling them he was turned away because of his shoes. Callahan looked over at the bar as a group of white men walked in and noticed what they were wearing. They all have sneakers on, said Callahan. One guy had the same sneakers style that [Gordon] had.

Gordon said he doesnt take issue with the concept of a no-sneakers policy, but if its not being applied universally, then its a problem. Besides, Callahan said, El Centro is a relatively casual spot. If Im going to a taco joint, why does it matter if I have sneakers on or not? she said.

The policy was being used to discriminate against people of colour, Callahan alleged in a widely shared story about the experience she wrote for the Root, where she is the deputy managing editor. In response, Ayyaz Rashid, managing partner of the Sandoval Restaurant Group, removed the sneaker policy on Tuesday and fired the bouncer who interacted with Gordon. Rashid said that celebrity chef Richard Sandoval, who was travelling, was made aware of the situation, and has zero tolerance for anything discriminatory. And this week, We are making sure that in all our venues, we are doing extra training to discuss this issue, to make sure [staff] understand what is right, what is not right.

Allegations of sneakers-based discrimination appear to have been an issue at El Centro for years, according to reviews on Yelp. My husband was not allowed in because he was wearing sneakers, said a review from 2015. While I respect an establishments dress code, what I could not understand was why the next white male in line wearing sneakers (and several others) was allowed to enter the restaurant. After we challenged this decision, the bouncer tried to act like it was not his call; to which my husband replied, Why does this other guy get to go in? Is it because hes not black? 

Rashid said that the dress code policy was no different than any DC, LA or New York lounge, and that when guests saw other guests who werent dressed according to the code, it was usually because the underdressed guests were dining in the restaurant, which has no dress code, and stuck around for the nightclub portion of the night, when the dress code is instituted. He says he has fired bouncers in the past for not following restaurant policies, including the application of the dress code.

I am a person of colour myself, said Rashid. So to hear that I would be enforcing such policies, its pretty personal to me.

While there have been several one-star Yelp reviews added since Callahans article, the page has so far evaded a total Yelp bombing and active cleanup alert, a notice Yelp issues for a restaurant when it receives many negative reviews because of news coverage.

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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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. 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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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El Centro is far from the first restaurant to be accused of using a dress code to deny entry to people of colour. In 2015, the Justice Department intervened after a black man complained to the Dallas City Council that he was turned away from Kung Fu Saloon for wearing Converse sneakers while his white friend, who was wearing the same sneakers, was allowed in.

According to the DOJ, The terms of the decree require the defendants to comply with federal law by not discriminating against patrons on the basis of race, color or national origin; to post and enforce a non-discriminatory dress code policy; to implement a system for receiving and investigating complaints of discrimination; and to conduct monitoring to ensure that Kung Fu Saloons employees are acting in a non-discriminatory manner consistent with federal law, reported the Dallas Morning News.

Bars in Chicago; Minneapolis; Raleigh, North Carolina; Houston; Athens, Georgia and Pittsburgh have also come under fire for dress codes that some allege were tailored to exclude people of colour. Some of the codes prohibit clothing such as baggy attire, while others prohibit specific articles, such as Timberland boots or Nike Air Force Ones.

Eventually, Callahans bartender friend intervened and got Gordon into the bar. But the incident had soured them on El Centro, and they decided to leave. On the way out, they saw another group of white, sneakers-wearing guests at the coat check. They confronted the bouncer, who Callahan and Gordon say brushed them off.

They were glad to hear that the restaurant fired him, but they both expressed disappointment that El Centro had received previous complaints about racial discrimination but didnt address them until Callahans article got traction.

It shouldnt take this massive amount of attention, Callahan said. If you want to have a policy, have it, but enforce that policy across the board. Dont allow your bouncers to enforce it across their own biases.

The restaurant apologised to Gordon and invited him back, but he says he wont return. I dont really have any interest in returning to a restaurant that clearly doesnt want me or anyone who looks like me, he said. And as a born-and-raised Washington resident, he sees the incident as another example of gentrifications unrelenting march. It really feels like they dont want black people to be seen in the areas that were originally theirs, said Gordon.

As for the group of friends, they did their best to make the most of the night. They went down the street to the bar Chicken and Whiskey, where it was easy to get in. We told the bartender what happened and he just shook his head, Callahan said.

The Washington Post
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A couple and two young children have been found dead in a basement in Troy, New York State with their throats slashed.

The victims, a same-sex couple aged 36 and 22 were found in a basement alongside the older womans 11-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter on 27 December in the Lansingburgh neighbourhood of the city.

Police have described the case as a "possible quadruple homicide" and say the family were targeted. However the motive remains unclear.

Troy police Chief James Tedesco told reporters: I have not seen savagery like this.

During a news conference on Wednesday he said: There are indications at the crime scene that this was not a random act. We are certainly appealing to people in the community that would have any knowledge as to what may have transpired there to contact us as soon as possible.

He added that there was no threat of imminent danger to the community.

The buildings property manager discovered the bodies on Tuesday after relatives asked them to check on the family. They had become concerned after their calls to the property remained unanswered, reports the Times Union.

Tedesco said he had not experienced a crime like this in over 40 years: Only a person of savagery would do something like this. Nobody thats been involved in this case is going to forget this.

Members of Albanys Victory Christian Church are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those involved.

Pastor Jackie Robinson told the Albany Times Union that an older son was not at home when the killings occurred.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He added that members of the local community, including those who knew the children, had been distraught at the deaths of the victims.

He said: Kids are traumatised. A few had nightmares since this happened. A lot of grown folk are traumatised because the monster is still out there.

Well try as hard as we can to understand, even though there is no justification for it.
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A Filipino-American man who survived one of the Second World War's most brutal episodes and helped America battle the Japanese has died at the age of 100.

Ramon Regalado helped fight to rebuff a Japanese invasion while serving with the Philippine Scouts under the US Army. When that effort failed, he was among the tens of thousands of prisoners who endured a more than 60-mile trek known as the Bataan death march.

After his capture, Mr Regalado escaped and joined a resistance movement battling Japanese troops, according to accounts of his service.

We fought for four months. We were the ones who upset the (Japanese) timetable. They could not kill us, Mr Regalado recounted at his 100th birthday party, according to the Martinez Tribune, telling listeners that disease-carrying mosquitoes posed their own peril: We were very sick. There was no medicine.

Cecilia Gaerlan, executive director of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society, confirmed Mr Regalados death to the Associated Press but did not have a cause of death. He has lived in the United States since 1950.

He really embodied the qualities of the greatest generation and love for country, she told the news agency.

World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth Show all 10 1 /10 World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238491.bin GETTY IMAGES World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238495.bin GETTY IMAGES World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238494.bin GETTY IMAGES World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238492.bin GETTY IMAGES World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238493.bin GETTY IMAGES World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238490.bin GETTY IMAGES World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238483.bin World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238489.bin PA World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238481.bin GETTY IMAGES World War II year by year: conflict sweeps the earth 238482.bin PA

Earlier this year, Congress awarded a Congressional Gold Medal that recognised the often-unheralded efforts of men like Mr Regalado to resist the Japanese war juggernaut.

The resolution behind the accolade noted that even after 6,000 to 10,000 Filipinos perished during the forcible march, resistance fighters continued to raid Japanese camps, ambush Japanese troops and with little weaponry, and severely outmatched in numbers, began to extract victories.

I did not go home until General (Douglas) MacArthur came back to the Philippines, to liberate the Philippines, Mr Regalado told KQED. I fought hard.
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Sexual harassment and misconduct is a systemic issue at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), a federal oversight agency has claimed.

Justice Department lawyers have been accused of groping, stalking, and carrying on inappropriate relationships with co-workers, according to incident reports viewed by The Independent and originally obtained by the Washington Post. Many of those found responsible were never fired, and some were even rewarded, according to a review by the Inspector General.

Michael Horowitz, the Inspector General for the DOJ, said in May that his office had reviewed 19 substantiated allegations of sexual misconduct between 2012 and 2016. The review showed that the DOJs Civil Division lacked any meaningful guidance, policy, or practice as to when a sexual harassment or misconduct allegation should be reported to its front office, Mr Horowitz wrote in a memo to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Recommended Most Americans say Donald Trump should resign over harrassment claims

At the time, Mr Rosenstein responded that it was fortunate that there are relatively few substantiated incidents of sexual harassment", adding: "but even one incident is too many.

We will review the Inspector Generals recommendations and consider whether additional guidance is required to ensure that all misconduct allegations are handled appropriately, he said in a statement.

A DOJ spokesperson said the Department had convened a working group, but had yet to submit its findings to the Inspector General.

That process is nearing completion and we will soon be responding to the Inspector General with the Departments recommendations for action," spokesman Ian Prior said in a statement.

 Donald Trump sexual harassment accuser: 'Let's play for round two'

While the number of sexual misconduct complaints at the DOJ was relatively low, the Inspector Generals office claims they were poorly handled. At times, Mr Horowitz said in his memo, those accused of sexual misconduct were demoted or transferred to a new department, rather than facing more serious discipline. At other times, they were given bonuses or performance rewards.

One attorney, identified by the Post as Victor Lawrence, was accused of groping two female attorneys and making sexual comments to them at an office happy hour. Another attorney, identified as Theodore Atkinson, was accused of hacking into a female attorneys computer and creating a fake online profile to attract her.

Both men were transferred and were given written warnings and a reduction in title. Neither received a suspension or reduction in pay or grade.

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

In other cases, the Inspector Generals office found that subjects of sexual misconduct complaints were later rewarded. In three instances, Mr Horowitz wrote, a Civil Division employee was given a performance award while being investigated or disciplined for sexual misconduct. At the Drug Enforcement Administration, eight of 14 people found to be involved in sexual misconduct were given bonuses.

Mr Prior, the DOJ spokesperson, emphasised that these incidents occurred during the Obama administration. He said the Department had implemented "additional safeguards and systems to ensure that all misconduct allegations are handled appropriately going forward.

Still, some DOJ employees were shocked by how the Department had treated those accused of sexual misconduct.

Im shocked and really disappointed, a female lawyer with knowledge of the incidents told the Post. They got free passes. They got awards. They got to continue with their careers. It sounds like nothing is going to be done.
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A Church of England bishop has urged American Christians to consider whether their support of Donald Trump is justifiable as part of their faith.

Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes criticised some so-called evangelical leaders for their uncritical support of the US President, accusing them of colluding with an unfair system.

If people want to support rightwing populismhow are they going to relate that to their Christian faith? he said in an interview with the Guardian.

Some of the things that have been said by religious leaders seem to collude with a system that marginalises the poor, a system which builds walls instead of bridges, a system which says people on the margins of society should be excluded, a system which says were not welcoming people any more into our country.

Whenever people say those kinds of things, they need to be able to justify that theyre saying those things as Christians, and I do not believe its justifiable.

A travel ban implemented by the Trump administration currently prevents citizens from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen from entering the US.

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

It comes just days after the Archbishop of Canterbury used his Christmas sermon to condemn the deceitfulness of populist leaders during 2017.

The most Rev Justin Welby made the remarks at Canterbury Cathedral on Monday in what some have interpreted as a veiled jibe at Mr Trump.

Rev Welby told the congregation: The nature of those who have power is to seek to hold onto it.

In 2017 we have seen around the world tyrannical leaders that enslave their peoples, populist leaders that deceive them, corrupt leaders that rob them, even simply democratic, well intentioned leaders of many parties and countries who are normal, fallible human beings.

We have experienced across our country terrorism that kills the innocent, claiming that it is the path to freedom in God.

The nature of God who has all power, and from whom all power comes, is to lay it aside for loves sake and thus without fear, force or manipulation to offer true freedom for every human being.

Mr Trump publicly identifies as a Christian but he has also repeatedly mocked his deputy Mike Pences religious conservatism.

During a discussion about LGBTQ rights, Mr Trump reportedly motioned to Mr Pence and said: Dont ask that guyhe wants to hang them all!, according to the New Yorkers Jane Meyer.
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Republican Roy Moore has filed a last-minute legal challenge to try and stop Alabama officials declaring he lost the recent senate race, and ratifying surprise Democrat victor Doug Jones.

Hours before the Alabama Secretary of State was due to certify Doug Jones had become the first Democrat in at least 25 years to win a senate seat in the deeply conservative state, Mr Moore filed a lawsuit alleging that potential voter fraud had denied him the chance of victory.

He also sought to stop the state election board meeting that is scheduled to ratify the victory of Mr Jones, who stunned political pundits when he defeated the former judge earlier this month.

This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, as election integrity should matter to everyone, Mr Moore said in a statement when he announced the lawsuit, claiming he had affidavits from three national election integrity experts.

He claimed he had taken a polygraph test which he said showed the allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct levelled at him by a number of women  accusations he stridently denied  were false.

His filing in the Montgomery Circuit Court also called for the establishment of a fraud investigation and the for a new election.

We call on Secretary of State Merrill to delay certification until there is a thorough investigation of what three independent election experts agree took place: election fraud sufficient to overturn the outcome of the election.

 Bar in Alabama erupts in celebration after Roy Moore loses

But Mr Moore appeared to face a tough challenge. Mr Merrill, a Republican who said he voted for Moore, said he has no intention of delaying the canvassing board meeting.

On the night of his defeat, Mr Moore claimed his side could not accept the result which saw the Democrat beat him by more than 20,000 votes. By contrast, Mr Merrill said he believed the people of Alabama had spoken.

Appearing on CNN on Thursday morning, Mr Merrill repeated his point. Will this affect anything? Mr Merrill said, referring to the former judges challenge. The short answer to that is no.

Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Show all 12 1 /12 Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Democratic senatorial candidate Doug Jones speaks to reporters after voting Getty Images Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Republican Senatorial candidate Roy Moore (L) and his wife Kayla ride their horses to the polling station to vote AFP/Getty Images Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones David Watson waves in a Santa suit as he holds a Doug Jones sign AP Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Republican Senatorial candidate Roy Moore speaks to the media as his wife Kayla (R) looks on AFP/Getty Images Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Democratic Alabama Senate candidate Doug Jones casts his vote at Brookwood Baptist Church REUTERS Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Roy Moore speaks to the media after he rode in on a horse to vote AP Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Democratic candidate Doug Jones greets supporters after casting his ballot AP Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore departs on horseback after he cast his ballot in Gallant REUTERS Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Voters wait in line to cast their ballot at a polling station setup in the St Thomas Episcopal Church Getty Images Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Democratic Senatorial candidate Doug Jones (L) greets voters outside of a polling station at the Bessemer Civic Center Getty Images Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Voters exit after casting their ballots at a polling station setup in the Fire Department Getty Images Alabama Senate race: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones Democratic Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Doug Jones speaks with the media after casting his vote at Brookwood Baptist Church Reuters

Mr Moore, who describes himself as an evangelical Christian, had previously made international headlines when he had a 5,000lb granite statue containing the Ten Commandments placed in his court complex. He was ousted from his position as the states top judge after he told after members of the judiciary to ignore a US Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.

Having won the Republican primary in September with the support of such insurgent figures as Steve Bannon, Sarah Palin and Nigel Farage, the 70-year-old appeared set to take the senate seat made vacant by Attorney General Jeff Sessions when he joined Mr Trumps cabinet.

However, his numbers started to tumble after several women came forward to accuse him of sexually abusing and assaulting them when they were teenagers and he was in thirties working as a local prosecutor. One of the women said she was just 14 at the time.

Turnout for the showdown was around 40 per cent: high for a special election. It was marked by a very high number of African American women and men turning out to vote for Mr Jones, who famously convicted two former Ku Klux Klan gang members who bombed a black church in 1963.

Mr Moores complaint also alleged anomalous higher voter turnout in Jefferson County, where census data shows 43 per cent of the population is black. He called the countys 47 per cent voter turnout as highly unusual and questioned the integrity of its election results.

Mr Jones has said that he is looking forward to working for the people of his state. His spokesman, Sam Coleman, told ABC News: This desperate attempt by Roy Moore to subvert the will of the people will not succeed.

He added: The election is over, its time to move on.
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Many Democrats believe President Donald Trump has committed acts worthy of impeachment, Representative John Yarmuth has claimed.

The Democratic legislator, who has represented the conservative state of Kentucky for 10 years, told MSNBCs Katy Tur that there are a lot of us, myself included, who believe that Donald Trump has committed impeachable offences.

Mr Yarmuth pointed specifically to an instance in which Mr Trump threatened to revoke the licenses of TV networks he deemed partisan and distorted.

To me that's an abuse of power that rises to an impeachable offence, Mr Yarmuth said, but that doesnt mean were going to spend any time talking about it.

Indeed, most Democrats have shied away from publicly discussing the prospect of impeachment. The vast majority of Democratic Representatives voted to table, or kill, articles of impeachment that were brought to the House floor earlier this month.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

Mr Yarmuth, who co-sponsored separate articles of impeachment in November, was among those who voted the bill down.

It would just be a waste of time, Mr Yarmuth said of the impeachment effort on Wednesday. "We dont have the power to do it and we don't have the votes to do it, so we'll never get an impeachment resolution to the floor.

Impeaching the President requires a majority vote in the House and a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

Mr Yarmuth suggested that impeachment could be a possibility if Democrats regained the majority in 2018, but said it should not be the platform on which Democratic candidates run.

We should be running on how we makes lives better for the American people, he said.

 US Representative Al Green presents articles of impeachment against Donald Trump

The sentiment echoes that of the Democratic leadership, who have urged legislators to focus on other concerns. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer both discouraged Democrats from supporting this months impeachment vote, saying that "now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment".

Congress faces a vast set of urgent, overdue priorities for the American people," the leaders said in a joint statement. "Democrats are firmly focused on taking real, effective steps to improve the lives of hard-working Americans and defeating Republicans cruel barrage of attacks on the middle class."

Recent polling shows more voters now support impeaching Mr Trump than support his re-election. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found 41 per cent of Americans want to see Mr Trump impeached, while only 36 per cent said they would definitely or probably vote for him in 2020.
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A woman in Pakistan has been gang raped on the orders of a village council after she married a man of her own choice, according to local media.

The alleged assault occurred in Tandlianwala district near Faisalabad, less than 100 miles from Pakistans border with India, The Express Tribune reported.

Police have reportedly arrested three suspects, including two brothers, over the rape of the 19-year-old.

The teenager said in a press conference her father had brought her back home after village council members promised the family could give her away in a traditional ceremony, according to Pakistani news channel Geo News.

But the council allegedly kept her captive and allowed three men to rape her. The news channel reported she later escaped captivity.

DNA testing reportedly confirmed she was gang raped. Her family have appealed to authorities to hold the council members responsible.

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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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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The arrests come a month after 10 people were detained for killing a newly-wed couple who entered a free-will marriage in the southern city of Karachi.

Police said Abdul Hadi, 24, and Hasina Bibi, 19, were killed by relatives for marrying without permission from their elders.

Reprisals against women and girls in Pakistan over perceptions of dishonour are common.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had said there are hundreds of so-called "honour killings" in the country each year. It recorded 837 killings, all of women and girls, in 2014, when it last published figures.

The majority were shot, strangled or injured with an "edge tool", a description which includes knives and axes.
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President Donald Trump has accused China of allowing oil into North Korea in violation of international sanctions, despite denials from Chinese officials.

Caught RED HANDED  very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea, Mr Trump tweeted. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!

The tweet came shortly after South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that the US had photographed Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels on around 30 occasions.

The UN has drastically cut the amount of oil products allowed into the country in the wake of Pyongyangs recent ballistic missile tests.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang denied that China had violated UN sanctions, telling Reuters: The situation you have mentioned absolutely does not exist.

The Chosun Ilbo report, which was picked up by Fox News, cited South Korean government officials who said China and North Korea had been trading illegally in the West Sea.

The report included photos, purportedly from US satellites, which the paper claims shows the two countries trading oil ship to ship in order to evade sanctions.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told Fox News she had no information regarding the report, but maintained that the Chinese government has been completely and strictly enforcing Security Council resolutions.

North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Show all 13 1 /13 North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents react after the news of the successful launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un signing an order to test-fire the newly developed inter-continental ballistic missile KRT via AP Video North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch A news broadcast displays Kim Jong Un's signed document AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch People cheer as they watch the news broadcast announcing Kim Jong Un's order to test-fire the new inter-continental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Residents react after the document signing AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents celebrate Kim Jong Un's announcement AFP/Getty North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Cheering Pyongyang residents react AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch To counter North Korea's missile test, South Korea fired missiles into the East Sea The Defence Ministry/Yonhap via REUTERS North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The Hyunmu-2 missiles firing during the drill South Korean Defense Ministry vi North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The exercise was carried out in an attempt to counter Kim Jong Un's order South Korea Defense Ministry via AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The South Korean army continue to carry out military exercises AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Where K-9 self-propelled howitzers were taking part in a drill Rex Features North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch US soldiers are also present in the border city of Paju AFP/Getty Images

China is North Koreas top trading partner and energy supplier, but voted to support the UN Security Security Councils sanctions on the country last week. The sanctions capped exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea at 500,000 barrels per year, and crude oil supplies at 4 million barrels.

China has not disclosed its crude exports to North Korea in years, but industry sources say it still supplies about 520,000 tonnes, or 3.8 million barrels, to the country each year.

Chinese customs data obtained by Reuters, however, showed China exported no oil products at all to North Korea in November. Beijing also imported no North Korean iron ore, coal or lead that month, according to the customs data.

 UN security council unanimously agrees new sanctions for North Korea

The US published photos last month of what it alleged were North Korean ships engaging in ship-to-ship trades. The government also sanctioned four Chinese companies and one individual who were said to have deep economic ties to North Korea.

The sanctions were part of a US campaign to further economically isolate North Korea and starve its rapidly advancing nuclear programme.

North Korea twice launched missiles over Japan this fall, and completed its sixth-ever test of a nuclear weapon. The regime claims they now have missiles capable of reaching anywhere on the US mainland, though there are questions as to whether these missiles are nuclear-capable.

Mr Trump has repeatedly called on China and President Xi Jinping to play a larger role in reigning in Pyongyang.

China has great influence over North Korea. And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they wont, Mr Trump said in an interview in April.

If they do, that will be very good for China, and if they dont, it wont be good for anyone.
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Less than a month after Tesla unveiled a new backup power system in South Australia, the worlds largest lithium-ion battery is already being put to the test. And it appears to be far exceeding expectations: In the past three weeks alone, the Hornsdale Power Reserve has smoothed out at least two major energy outages, responding even more quickly than the coal-fired backups that were supposed to provide emergency power.

Teslas battery last week kicked in just 0.14 seconds after one of Australias biggest plants, the Loy Yang facility in the neighbouring state of Victoria, suffered a sudden, unexplained drop in output, according to the International Business Times. And the week before that, another failure at Loy Yang prompted the Hornsdale battery to respond in as little as four seconds  or less, according to some estimates  beating other plants to the punch. State officials have called the response time a record, according to local media.

The effectiveness of Teslas battery is being closely watched in a region that is in the grips of an energy crisis. The price of electricity is soaring in Australia, particularly in the state of South Australia, where a 2016 outage led 1.7 million residents to lose power in a blackout. Storms and heat waves have caused additional outages, and many Australians are bracing for more with the onset of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Hornsdale battery system, which uses the same energy-storage tech found in Tesla's electric cars, is one of chief executive Elon Musk's newest projects. In March, Musk, who is known for setting high goals and only sometimes meeting them, vowed on Twitter to deliver a battery system for South Australia's struggling grid within 100 days or it would be free. By early July, the state had signed a deal with Tesla and the French-based energy company Neoen to produce the battery. And by 1 December, South Australia announced that it had switched on the Hornsdale battery.

Fed by wind turbines at the nearby Hornsdale wind farm, the battery stores excess energy that is produced when the demand for electricity isn't peaking. It can power up to 30,000 homes, though only for short periods - meaning that the battery must still be supported by traditional power plants in the event of a long outage.

A spokesman for Tesla didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nonetheless, the Hornsdale reserve has already shown that it can provide whats known as contingency service  keeping the grid stable in a crisis and easing what would otherwise be a significant power failure. And, more important, the project is the biggest proof-of-concept yet that batteries such as Teslas can help mitigate one of renewable energys most persistent problems: how to use it when the sun isnt shining or the wind isnt blowing.

When you think about energy storage, its not a [power] generation resource, said Stephen Coughlin, the vice president of energy storage platforms at the Arlington-based AES Corporation, which is behind several battery projects in California, the Netherlands and several other countries. What its really doing is providing a much-needed injection of reliability and resiliency into the network overall.

Where it can take as much as 10 minutes to spin up a traditional turbine in a pinch, added Coughlin, its not uncommon to see systems such as Teslas intervene in fractions of a second.

This isnt Musks only experiment with large-scale batteries. Last year, Tesla said it had equipped a small island in American Samoa with thousands of solar panels and batteries that could serve the areas 600 inhabitants, shifting them almost entirely off fossil fuels. In October, Musk responded to the hurricane crisis in Puerto Rico by offering to discuss building a solar grid for the island. Parts of Puerto Rico are still without power, months after Hurricane Maria ripped down power lines and other energy infrastructure.

An electric grid consisting of distributed solar panels, paired with a large battery, could prove transformative for some island economies, analysts say. Under normal circumstances, the price of imported fossil fuels can become a drain on local businesses. But the abundant sunshine at tropical latitudes makes solar energy extremely cost-efficient.

[Big batteries] definitely can be a game changer for island or island-type economies, said Ravi Manghani, director of energy storage at GTM Research, a market analysis firm. Hawaii, for instance, has one of the highest retail rates in the U.S. [for electricity], and thats because of the cost of shipping diesel or other fuel oils which currently are used by a lot of the existing facilities.

Whats more, he added, spreading solar panels out across an island reduces the likelihood of the entire grid going down because of storms.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

Other battery projects, including in the United States, have already helped manage spikes in demand. For example, a major 2015 gas leak near Los Angeles that kept some gas-fired plants from producing energy at peak times prompted Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric to announce energy storage projects that were completed earlier this year, according to Sam Wilkinson, an industry analyst at IHS.

In an April report, Wilkinson highlighted the rapid rise of China and Australia as energy storage leaders.

For the first time Asia accounts for more than one third of the global pipeline for energy storage, the report read. This underscores the importance that China, Australia, South Korea and India are all predicted to have in the global market.

The Washington Post
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A pair of northern Italy's largest cities have introduced traffic restrictions in a bid to tackle air pollution and smog.

Bans on certain types of vehicle have been introduced temporarily in Milan and Turin, both of which have exceeded safe limits for pollution in recent days.

Despite hopes that rain and lower levels of traffic during the holiday season would help combat smog, air pollution has crept to dangerous levels in recent weeks.

A daytime traffic ban has been extended to include relatively clean Euro 5 diesel cars in Turin, as the city raises its air pollution alert level to red.

As a result, half-a-million cars and vans will not be able to drive on the city's roads between 8am and 7pm every day, La Repubblica newspaper reported.

In Milan an orange warning is in force, limiting vehicles classified as having Euro 4 emission standards or lower. Euro 4 vehicles include petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles.

There are now similar traffic limitations in place across much of northern Italy. Across the Veneto region, 85 municipalities have introduced similar measures.

Earlier this year, a report from environmental organisation Legambiente, revealed that 25 cities in Italy had this year exceeded the EUs air quality standards by mid-October.

PM10 pollution, which consists of fine particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter that can easily be inhaled, was a particular problem, it said.

European Union standards dictate that cities should have no more than 35 days of poor air quality, when PM10 levels rise above a threshold amount, every year.

In Turin safe limits have been exceeded for 15 consecutive days.

Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Show all 10 1 /10 Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city A battery run tricylce rickshaw passes by the Red Fort amid heavy smog in New Delhi AFP/Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Indian visitors walking through the courtyard of Jama Masjid amid heavy smog AFP/Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city An Indian policeman wearing a protection mask as he works near India Gate AFP/Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city New Delhi during heavy smog REUTERS Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Indian commuters wait for transport amid thick blanket of smog on the outskirts of New Delhi AP Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Prince Charles and Camilla arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport surrounded by smog on November 8 Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Prince Charles and Camilla depart their plane in New Delhi to smog Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city The morning sun is enveloped by a blanket of smog on the outskirts of New Delhi AP Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Indian residents walking along a road amid heavy smog AFP/Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city A woman drives a scooter through the morning fog to drop off a child at school AP

Restrictions on cars are not new to Italy and major cities including Rome have previously attempted to address the countrys air pollution problem by implementing vehicle bans.

Current bans follow a trend of particularly poor air quality in the industrial triangle of northern Italian cities.

Between January and mid-October, Turin had 66 days of poor air quality and Milan had 50. Other cities with extended periods of excessive pollution include Venice, Cremona and Padova.

Further east in Verona, a ban has been implemented on stoves and fireplaces in an effort to curb its levels of pollutants.

As bad weather continues, there are hopes it will help to alleviate the air pollution problem and allow local politicians to lift the temporary bans.

Verona's environment councillor Ilaria Segala told the Corriere della Sera newspaper that Arpav, the environmental protection body for the Veneto region, was unlikely to "trigger further restrictive measures" when it releases its new bulletin later this week, because of the weather forecast for the next few days.
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The husband of a Russian TV presenter who was found dead at her home, has reportedly been arrested in connection with her death.

Zhanna Veber, 29, was found at the property in the Krasnodar region in southern Russia, which borders both Urkaine and Georgia.

Local media reported that she was killed in front of her nine-year-old son Dmitry.

Recommended Russia offers to mediate between US and North Korea

Police have not released any official statement over her death and reports varied as to whether the murder weapon was an axe or an airgun.

Veber had been separated from her husband Anatoly Leontikov, 36, for two years. He is believed to have turned himself into police after the killing.

Laba TV, the news channel where she worked, posted a tribute video on its website, which described her as a talented journalist.

Viewers were quick to leave their own tributes under the video.

Such a tragedy for the family, loved ones, friends and colleagues. It's hard to believe. We mourn together with you. Eternal memory, a man called Sergei wrote.
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The explosion at a supermarket in Russia's second-largest city was a terrorist attack, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, adding that another attack had been thwarted.

At least 13 people were injured Wednesday evening when an improvised explosive device went off at a storage area for customers' bags at the supermarket in St. Petersburg. Investigators said the device contained 200 grams (7 ounces) of explosives and was rigged with shrapnel to cause more damage.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Putin made his comment Thursday at an awards ceremony at the Kremlin for troops who took part in Russia's Syria campaign but did not offer any details. He also said another terrorist attack had been thwarted in St. Petersburg but did not elaborate.

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Putin has portrayed Russia's operation in Syria as a pre-emptive strike against terrorism at home. He said the threat of attacks at home would have been much worse if Russia had not intervened in Syria.

"What would have happened if those thousands (of terrorists) that I have just spoken about, hundreds of them had come back to us, trained and armed," he said in comments to Russian news agencies.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov would not say what led authorities to declare the attack an act of terrorism, but he said the fact that the bomb was rigged with shrapnel proved it "was a terrorist attack anyway."

Earlier this month, Putin telephoned President Donald Trump to thank him for a CIA tip that helped thwart a series of bombings in St. Petersburg, Putin's hometown.

The Federal Security Service said seven suspects linked to the Islamic State group were arrested in connection to the alleged plot. The Kremlin said the suspects had planned to bomb Kazan Cathedral and other crowded sites.

In April, a suicide bombing in St. Petersburg's subway left 16 people dead and wounded more than 50. Russian authorities identified the bomber as a 22-year old Kyrgyz-born Russian national.

AP
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If a man refers to his wife as mother or sister their marriage should be deemed divorced, Turkeys religious state institution has said, according to a report in the countrys leading newspaper.

The Directorate of Religious Affairs reportedly issued the fatwa  a non-binding but authoritative opinion  on its website on 25 December.

If a man tells his wife that he sees her as a mother or sister, the man will be considered divorced from his wife. However, if they have not divorced before, they may come together with a new marriage, it said, according to Hurriyet, Turkey's largest mainstream newspaper.

The institute, commonly known as Diyanet, has no power under Turkish law to issue a divorce. Civil courts grant separations under the 1926 Turkish civil code law.

Diyanet also reportedly issued a fatwa on 7 December stating couples may divorce by sending the word "talaq"  Arabic for "I divorce you"  via a letter, text message, over the internet or on the phone.

The practice of "triple talaq" is a form of Islamic divorce that has been used by Muslims in India, especially adherents of one of the four religious Sunni Islamic schools of understanding, known as Hanafi.

 China property prices initiative drives up divorce rates

It allows men to divorce their wives by repeating the word three times in oral or written form.

In August, Indias Supreme Court ruled the practice was unconstitutional, a decision which could herald the end of a law Muslim women have long argued violates their right to equality.

Muslim women say they have been left destitute by husbands divorcing them through triple talaq, including by Skype and WhatsApp.

The countries with anti-women laws Show all 5 1 /5 The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws

"This is a sensitive case where sentiments are involved. We are directing the Union of India to consider appropriate legislation in this regard," Justice J S Khehar said, while announcing a six-month suspension on the practice of the divorce law.

The government should find a way to frame new laws, three judges said in their ruling.
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A father who was sued by his ex-wife for reading his two childrens WhatsApp conversations has been cleared by a court in northern Spain.

The mother claimed at a court in Pontevedra on 26 December that her daughters privacy had been breached by her ex-husband, after he ordered his children to hand over their mobile phones so he could read their WhatsApp messages.

The unnamed woman told Spanish daily newspaper El Espanol: Both children told me that their father put them in a room and went through his daughter's conversations on her mobile phone. When he asked his son to give him his mobile, he said no.

The father allegedly threatened his son with the police if he did not give up his password.

An earlier lower court in Pontevedra sided with the mother after she argued that her ex-husbands actions had gone against Spains privacy laws.

However, the higher court said that the claim conflicted with Article 154 of the countrys civil code which relates to parental responsibilities.

Article 154 states that parents have an obligation to educate their children and provide them with an integral education.

The judge then ruled: The development of social networks, as well as WhatsApp, requires attention and vigilance of parents to preserve the safety of minors.

The mother was told to pay all legal costs.

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 case comes amid other rulings by Spanish courts on the use of WhatsApp.

In 2016, a woman was found guilty of slander in Galicia last year for words in her WhatsApp status which alluded to her former partner. According to Spains civil code, chat messages via email, SMS and WhatsApp can be presented as evidence in court.

But the case could also affect international precedent, given the context of ongoing global debate over how much access law enforcement agencies are entitled to digital communication.

In 2016, the FBI attempted to coerce Apple into unlocking a phone which belonged to San Bernadino shooter Syed Farouk, but ultimately failed.

In the wake of the case, Facebook introduced end-to-end encryption for the messaging service, ensuring that law enforcement would not be able to read the messages even if they won legal access to them.

The idea is simple: when you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to. No one can see inside that message, WhatsApp wrote in a blog post.

Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even us.
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Israels parliament has ratified a law barring police investigators from going public with their findings about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what opposition politicians say is a bid to soften scrutiny of corruption probes against .

The so-called Recommendations Bill, approved in the final reading by a vote of 59-to-54, prevents police from announcing whether they have found enough evidence for charges to be brought, before prosecutors decide whether bring them.

Mr Netanyahu is a suspect in two cases. In one, he is alleged to have meddled in the media industry. The other concerns gifts he received from wealthy businessmen.

He has denied any wrongdoing.

Opposition politicians have said that the bill, tabled by Mr Netanyahus rightist Likud party, was designed to dampen public anger over the investigations, which has fuelled weekly demonstrations in Tel Aviv and calls for the premiers ouster.

Mr Netanyahu defended the bill on 3 December as intended to prevent publication of police recommendations which would leave a cloud over innocent people, something that happens every day. In 60 per cent of cases where police recommend criminal charges, prosecutors decided not to indict, Mr Netanyahu noted.

But the prime minister also called for the bill to be amended so it did not apply to the criminal investigations against him.

The final draft stipulated that the law would not be in effect regarding investigations that predate its ratification.

That has done little to mollify the opposition.

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

This law came about only because of the investigations against Netanyahu, Avi Gabbay, head of the centre-left Zionist Union party, told Israels Army Radio.

We dont know what investigations might be conducted in the future (against him).

Israeli media had reported that police could go public with recommendations to charge Mr Netanyahu as soon as early January.

A 23 December television poll found that 60 per cent to 63 per cent of the public would want him to resign over such recommendations.

Reuters
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The US-led coalition fighting Isis in Iraq and Syria says it has killed at least 817 civilians in air strikes since 2014. It continues to bomb targets in the region and said that, despite the Iraqi government's declaration of victory, "much work remains to ensure the enduring defeat of [terror group Isis]" according to the US military.

The Combined Joint Task Force for Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) stated the civilians were "unintentionally killed" and that nearly 700 reports remain open at this time.

Experts have said the real number of civilian deaths could far exceed the military figures.

Recommended Isis claims responsibility for Kabul terror attack

According to a New York Times report about civilian casualties in November, "in the effort to expel Isis from Iraq and Syria, the coalition has conducted more than 27,500 strikes to date, deploying everything from Vietnam-era B-52 bombers to modern Predator drones."

Major Shane Huff, a spokesman for the US Central Command, told the newspaper that it is "one of the most precise air campaigns in military history."

However, there is still an imprecise count of civilian deaths in the conflict.

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

In November alone, 695 open reports of possible civilian casualties from air or artillery strikes were carried over from previous months and CJFT-OIR received nine new reports.

From August 2014 to November 2017, "the total number of reports of possible civilian casualties was 1,799. The total number of credible reports of civilian casualties during this time period was 208," according to the task force's latest release.

The task force command did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what metrics were used to determine "credible" reports versus those that were deemed "non-credible".

The Iraqi government "declared the liberation of former Daesh-controlled areas" on 10 December, the CJTF-OIR said in a press release.

According to the command Isis "is still attempting to re-establish regional networks and remains a regional and global threat" in part because of its ability to "organise or inspire" violent acts around the world.
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Isis has claimed responsibility for a coordinated bomb attack on a Shia cultural centre in the Afghan capital Kabul,

Afghan officials say at least 41 people died and 30 were injured in the attack on Thursday morning.

According to the groups news agency, Amaq, three bombs were detonated before a militant in a suicide vest stormed the Tibian Social and Cultural Centre.

The attack occurred during a morning panel discussion on the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Many of the victims were students, according to witnesses.

The blast reportedly ripped apart the offices of the neighbouring Afghan Voice news agency. Amaq said any deaths of journalists were accidental.

Sayed Abbas Hussaini, a journalist at the news agency, said there appeared to have been more than one explosion during the attack, following an initial blast at the entrance to the compound. He said one reporter at the agency had been killed and one injured.

The floor of the centre, at the basement level, was covered in blood as wailing survivors and relatives picked through the debris, while windows of the news agency, on the second floor, were all shattered.

Photographs sent by witnesses showed what appeared to be serious damage at the site, in a heavily Shia Muslim area in the west of the capital, and a number of dead and wounded on the ground.

Sayed Jan, a participant in the conference, told Reuters from his bed in the hospital: There was a reading and an academic discussion and then there was a huge bang.

I felt my face burning and I fell down and saw other colleagues lying around me and smoke everywhere.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement on Twitter earlier denying involvement.

 Donald Trump's ever-changing views on Afghanistan

Biraj Patnaik, Amnesty Internationals South Asia Director, said in a statement: This gruesome attack underscores the dangers faced by Afghan civilians. In one of the deadliest years on record, journalists and other civilians continue to be ruthlessly targeted by armed groups.

With the Afghan capital hit once again, no one can credibly claim that Kabul is safe. The European governments who insist on this dangerous fiction by forcibly returning Afghans are putting their lives in danger.

John R Bass, US ambassador to Afghanistan, said: I strongly condemn todays horrific and indiscriminate attack on civilians at a cultural and social centre in Kabul.

On behalf of all my colleagues, I extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims. This incident once again demonstrates the depravity of those who seek to undermine peace and stability in Afghanistan. We remain confident the Afghan government and people, supported by their friends and partners, will defeat those behind these terrible acts.

The United States continues to stand with all Afghans in their pursuit of peace, security and prosperity.

US President Donald Trump had been informed of the blast and was said to be monitoring the situation.

Military officials have identified Afghanistan as one of several hubs for Isis following the loss of its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

The groups regional branch, named Wilayat Khorasan, has been competing against the Taliban since gathering support from local militants in 2014.

Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Show all 16 1 /16 Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2001 Afghans at the Killi Faizo refugee camp desperately reach for bags of rice being handed out to the thousands who escaped the bombardment in southern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. (Chaman, Pakistan, December 4, 2001) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2002 Mahbooba stands against a bullet-ridden wall, waiting to be seen at a medical clinic. The seven-year-old girl suffers from leishmaniasis, a parasitical infection. (Kabul, March 1, 2002) All photos Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2003 A mother and her two children look out from their cave dwelling. Many families who, fleeing the Taliban, took refuge inside caves adjacent to Bamiyans destroyed ancient Buddha statues now have nowhere else to live. (Bamiyan, November 19, 2003) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Students recite prayers in a makeshift outdoor classroom in the Wakhan Corridor, a mountainous region in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from India and Pakistan. (Northeastern Afghanistan, September 2, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Bodybuilders in the 55-60 kg category square off during a regional bodybuilding competition. Many Afghan men, like others around the world, feel that a macho image of physical strength is important. (Kabul, August 6, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2008 A woman in a white burqa enjoys an afternoon with her family feeding the white pigeons at the Blue Mosque. (Mazar-e-Sharif, March 8, 2008) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Addicts inject heroin while trying to keep warm inside the abandoned Russian Cultural Center, which the capital citys addicts use as a common gathering point. Heroin is readily available, costing about one dollar a hit. (Kabul, February 9, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 An elderly man holds his granddaughter in their tent at a refugee camp after they were forced to flee their village, which US and NATO forces had bombed because, they claimed, it was a Taliban hideout. (Surobi, Nangarhar Province, February 7, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Seven-year-old Attiullah, a patient at Mirwais Hospital, stands alongside an X ray showing the bullet that entered his back, nearly killing him. Attiullah was shot by US forces when he was caught in a crossfire as he was herding sheep. (Kandahar, October 13, 2009). Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 US Army Sargeant Jay Kenney (right), with Task Force Destiny, helps wounded Afghan National Army soldiers exit a Blackhawk helicopter after they have been rescued in an air mission. (Kandahar, December 12, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 An Afghan National Army battalion marches back to barracks at the Kabul Military Training Center. (Kabul, October 4, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Eid Muhammad, seventy, lives in a house with a view overlooking the hills of Kabul. He and millions of other Afghans occupy land and housing without possessing formal deeds to them. (Kabul, November 21, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Razima holds her two-year-old son, Malik, while waiting for medical attention at the Boost Hospital emergency room. (Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, June 23, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Young women cheer as they attend a rally for the Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. (Kabul, April 1, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Burqa-clad women wait to vote after a polling station runs out of ballots. (Kabul, April 5, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2015 Relatives, friends, and womens rights activists grieve at the home of Farkhunda Malikzada, who was killed by a mob in the center of Kabul. Farkhunda was violently beaten and set on fire after a local cleric accused her of burning a Quran. (Kabul, March 22, 2015) Paula Bronstein

The two terrorist groups have been battling for control over areas of Nangarhar and Farah province, as well as continuing an insurgency against the Afghan government.

Isis has launched several rounds of deadly bombings and shooting attacks in Kabul and other Afghan cities, predominantly targeting Shia Muslims, as well as assassinations across the country.

Its activity has drawn increasing US air strikes against Isis militants in Afghanistan, as well as the Taliban and al-Qaeda factions, seeing a record 653 bombs, missiles and other munitions dropped in October.

According to a report this month by Reporters without Borders, Afghanistan is one of the worlds most dangerous countries for media workers. Before Thursdays attack, two journalists and five media assistants were killed doing their jobs in 2017.

Additional reporting by news agencies
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Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition killed 68 civilians in just one day, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen has said, condemning such indiscriminate attacks in an absurd and futile war.

Strikes on two sites on 26 December took the total civilian death toll from air strikes in the last ten days to 109, in addition to 75 people who have been injured.

The UN accused the coalition of showing complete disregard for human life in an unusually direct criticism of the war in which the Saudi-led coalition, backed by the United States, Britain and others, is fighting Iran-allied Houthi rebels.

Recommended Rare 360 footage from Yemen reveals impact of war on civilians

According to the organisations human rights office, one of the strikes hit a crowded public market in the Taiz governorate in the countrys south-west, killing 54 civilians and injuring 32 more. Eight children were among those killed.

The UN said residential areas of the province, including a health centre occupied by refugees, have been subjected to a full blockade imposed by Yemeni authorities and indiscriminate shelling that caused casualties and forced many families to flee.

A second air strike on a farm in the Hodeidah governorate reportedly killed 14 members of the same family.

Jamie McGoldrick, the UNs humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said he was deeply disturbed by the escalated and indiscriminate attacks being carried out by the Saudi-led coalition, which includes the United Arab Emirates and is backed by the UK, the US and others.

He said: These incidents prove the complete disregard for human life that all parties, including the Saudi-led coalition, continue to show in this absurd war that has only resulted in the destruction of the country and the incommensurate suffering of its people, who are being punished as part of a futile military campaign by both sides.

I remind all parties to the conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition, of their obligations under International Humanitarian Law to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure and to always distinguish between civilian and military objects.

The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters

As the conflict in which civilians have borne the brunt marks 1000 days, I once again remind all parties that it has no military solution. There can only be a political solution.

Estimates at the total death toll in Yemen stand at well over 10,000. More than 20 million people are said to be in need of humanitarian aid, including 14 million who are lacking clean water facilities. Seventeen million people are short of food and outbreaks of cholera have claimed thousands of lives.

The conflict began soon after the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized power in Yemen in January 2015. They are opposed to Yemens internationally-recognised but exiled president, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who has the backing of the Saudis. The conflict is now widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The number of air strikes in Yemen has increased in recent days following an attempted rocket attack by the Houthis on the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on 19 December. Saudi Arabia intercepted the missile and accused Iran of providing the weapon to the Houthis  a suggestion that was endorsed by the US.

The Saudis have also imposed a blockade on Yemens ports, but facing mounting international criticism, Saudi authorities said last week they would allow humanitarian supplies, including fuel, to enter Yemen via the port of Hodeidah.
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So you want to go to St Helena.

Why? Maybe you want bragging rights about the notorious flight in. Maybe youre a hiker, keen to walk the islands daredevil mountain trails. Maybe youre a Napoleon nut, desperate to pay your respects to Monsieur Bonaparte at the house in which he died.

Or maybe youve always been fascinated by a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean  1,200 miles west of Angola, and 2,500 east of Rio de Janeiro  where youll find a picture of the Queen in many a room you walk into, where the most famous resident is a 185-year-old giant tortoise, and where life seems to go on quite happily without big-name shops, any kind of rat race, or a selfie culture (the internet only arrived in 2015 and it still costs a bomb).

Hikers and old people are your typical tourists on St Helena  at least, they were before the airport opened, according to one official I spoke to. That doesnt mean theres nothing for anyone else to do; its more a reflection of life before the airport. To get to St Helena  a British Overseas Territory  from Britain, you needed to fly to Cape Town (which often means flying via Johannesburg), then get a boat, the RMS St Helena, to the island. The journey across the Atlantic took five-to-six days, and because of the weather, it was advisable to leave a couple of days either side, in case of delays. That meant eating up two weeks of annual leave just to get there. No wonder most people who visited were retired  or hikers so hardcore that they were prepared to throw all their holiday allowance at it.

But hikers and OAPs do not a burgeoning tourist industry make, and tourism is just what St Helena needs  not just to shrug off the UK government funding that currently props it up, but also to allow the islanders (4,370 of them, called Saints) to start new businesses. The average annual income here is 7,100 (making the new flights  which start at 804 return to Johannesburg  completely unattainable for many residents). If tourism takes off, it could change lives.

So is it worth making the trip if youre not a hardcore walker or history buff, and are merely intrigued by the idea of this 47-square-mile island plopped in the middle of the 41 million-square-mile Atlantic?

Having spent a week there, I can say, absolutely. Heres whats on offer.

Dolphins and whale sharks

Ive dolphin-watched before. I have beautiful memories of a trip in a RIB boat from San Diego, going south into Mexican waters to find a pod of about eight dolphins.

Or rather, I should say, had beautiful memories, because my San Diego trip was wiped off the map by the two hours I spent with Anthony Thomas of Sub-Tropic Adventures. On his marine life cruise  the boat driven by his son, the island narrated by Anthony, we saw St Helena from the water  its dark brown cliffs thrusting up from the bottom of the ocean (this is actually a volcanic island, and whats above the water is just the tip, the rest of it spiralling down to the ocean bed), looking as forbidding as it must have to Napoleon, who famously remained silent when he first clapped eyes on it.

What to do on St Helena Show all 14 1 /14 What to do on St Helena What to do on St Helena One of the resident tortoises at Plantation House Julia BuckleyJulia Buckley What to do on St Helena The landscape is spectacular Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Napoleon's grave lies empty Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Napoleon at the Consulate Hotel Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Jamestown sits on the ocean Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena The landscape is mountainous and covered in flax Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Robert Peters, tour guide extraordinaire Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Try road-tripping along these Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Napoleon's house at Longwood Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Jonathan is 185 years old Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Main town Jamestown is wedged between two cliffs Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Crab and avocado cocktail at Harris' Guest House Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena Cooking fishcakes with Derek and Linda Richards Julia Buckley What to do on St Helena St Helena locals are friendly Julia Buckley

We saw plenty of bird life  brown and black noddies, red-billed tropicbirds, masked boobies, Madeiran storm petrels  as well as guano-soaked rocks studded with cannons and fortresses (relics of St Helenas well-fortified past).

But what Ill never forget was the pod of dolphins flitting and flipping around the boat  swimming with us, around us, somersaulting in the distance as if to encourage us on. A big pod. Very big. How many, I asked Anthony. Oh, about five or six hundred, he said nonchalantly. This, apparently, is normal for St Helena.

Whats more, from December to April (and sometimes a little later), theyre visited by whale sharks  30 or 40 at a time, says Anthony. Theyre thought to mate and give birth around the island  making this a unique spot on the planet. The dolphins, meanwhile, are visible year-round, and Anthony also does diving. Tours from 25.

stadventures.com

Crab and avocado cocktail at Harris (Julia Buckley)

Stay-at-home food

St Helena doesnt aim to be trendy, but its food scene is so retro its ahead of the curve  the dining in someones home phenomenon never went away, here. Consequently, the best meals you have on the island are probably going to be in someones house. Ask around locally  Saints are nothing if not helpful  but places I tried, and loved, include Farm Lodge (whose posh five-course meal, served amid antiques, is said to be the best food on the island  35pp, call 00290 24040 to book), Wellington House (a beautifully retro set-up in a grand old dining room thats part of Ivy Robinsons B&B  call 00290 22529 to book) and Harris Guest House, overseen by the fabulous lady of the house, Irene Harris (15, 00290 22729). Whats food on the island like? Pretty retro, at least by London standards  youll find nothing nouveau or fancily plated here, and theres a slight 1980s vibe to dishes like crab and avocado cocktail, bread-stuffed chicken or hunks of gammon. It is, however, delicious. Although youll definitely need to book in some gym time once you get home.

St Helena is worth the trip for the landscape alone (Julia Buckley)



Exercise au naturel

Of course, on St Helena, there are no gyms; instead, there are 47 square miles of countryside to explore, at best hilly, at worst lethally mountainous. The island has 21 official Post Box Walks, which start at moderately challenging and go upwards from there. For the good ones, expect plenty of sheer drops, flax-drenched peaks, dramatic curtains of fog that sweep in and out, and astonishing photo opportunities. Its best to take a guide, however (walks are rated on a 1-10 scale and locals recommend a guide for anything above a 5)  try the delightful Val Joshua (00290 22235), who leads hikes from 25pp.

Cooking fishcakes at Derek and Lindas (Julia Buckley)

Cook your own fishcakes

Along with plo (a type of curried risotto), fishcakes are a staple of St Helenian cuisine. They make them slightly differently to those in the UK  using egg to bind them so theyre more even-textured and less flaky (and fishy), and adding chilli (theyre much better than they sound). But why eat a fishcake when you can make a batch? Derek and Linda Richards run the best kind of cooking class (35pp) at their home restaurant, overlooking the Atlantic in Half Tree Hollow; theyll hand you a glass of wine, show you how to mince fresh South Atlantic tuna, mix in the other ingredients and then fry them. You then have your fill of them  along with other Saint Helena dishes they made earlier  over dinner, and whats left is sold at their Sandwich Bar in town the next day. (These guys are at the forefront of a more locally-focused, less Napoleon-and-hiking kind of tourism, so its worth checking out what else they can do.)

islandimages.co.sh

Napoleon's empty grave is surprisingly moving (Julia Buckley)

Fall for Napoleon

You may know nothing about Napoleon before you set foot on St Helena, but I defy you not to be fascinated by the man behind the myth who emerges here  a PR guru before his time, who dramatised and choreographed his six-year exile to score political points and stake his claim as a legend. There are three official Napoleonic sites on the island, all owned by the French government: the Briars Pavilion, just above capital Jamestown, where he stayed when he first arrived on St Helena (just one room is open to the public); Longwood House, where he spent his exile dictating his memoirs, moping and taking lots of baths before he died; and his grave (now empty  the French repatriated his body) in an idyllic little bower, wedged into the side of a canyon in between Longwood and Jamestown. The last two, in particular, are worth the visit, though the guide at the Briars is a fount of island knowledge.

Once youre properly obsessed with Napoleon, Jamestowns library (the oldest in the southern hemisphere) has reams of books about him  5 plus a 20 deposit gets you temporary membership. You can also stay in the cottage of one of his aides (see below).

Coffee and booze

The most remote coffee plantation in the world and the most remote distillery in the world. Both sound tempting; and theyre both fascinating. At the St Helena Distillery (established 2006), Brit-born Paul Hickling makes gin, rum, coffee liqueur and brandy from local fruit, as well as tungi  a spirit unlike any other, made from prickly pear (called tungi on the island). This is also the only place on St Helena that takes credit cards. Open every day, but always call ahead to make an appointment.

Meanwhile, Bill and Jill Bolton (also English  they split their time between St Helena and the UK) run the St Helena coffee plantation at Rosemary Gate. The draw of St Helena coffee is more than its remoteness  the Arabica beans (green tipped Bourbon Arabica, to be precise) were brought here from Yemen in 1732, and, thanks to the islands location, have remained pretty much untarnished and unchanged. Tours are by appointment (00290 4371), or if you just want a drink, dont go to the farm  they also run the Coffee Shop on the seafront in Jamestown (open Wednesday to Saturday).

tungi.co.sh

Napoleon at the Consulate Hotel (Julia Buckley)

Amazing accommodation

Much has been made of the new four-star Mantis hotel in Jamestown; but you dont come to St Helena to stay in a place with uniformed staff and clocks behind the reception desk listing the time in major world cities. (Its also worth pointing out that the Mantis is not locally-owned and was part-funded with government money, while locally-owned businesses have to fend for themselves. Overly political? Maybe, but responsible tourism should be high on the agenda during these fast-changing times for the island.)

No, what you want in a place to stay on St Helena is the warm welcome and would-verge-on-the-oppressive-if-they-werent-also-laconic friendliness that the Saints are famous for. The obvious place to stay is a family-run B&B or guest house  Jamestown is full of these (Harris Guest House and Wellington House for starters). I spent half my week at the Town House B&B in Jamestown  a few minutes (easy) walk from the main drag, owned by the gracious Marlene and Colin Yon. It was simple but very comfortable, and the Yons were a delight  super-helpful and caring but never in your face. Its in a slightly more residential part of town, so I felt more like a local, though I was five minutes walk from most of the other tourists. I loved my time here. Doubles from 80, B&B. (00290) 23030.

For more of a traditional hotel feeling, try the Consulate  a gorgeous old property being gradually restored by Hazel Wilmot. Rooms are simple but filled with antiques, and there are plenty of communal areas spinning you back to the past, from antique-filled lounges (Oh yes, thats my Napoleon cabinet said Hazel, pointing to a cabinet stuffed floor-to-ceiling with Napoleon paraphernalia  theres a lifesize Boney by the bar, too) to the terraces which are filled with locals and tourists come gin-oclock. Hazels a mildly controversial character on the island  being from Botswana, outspoken and female doesnt endear her to everyone  but the hotel is lovely, if not luxury, and Hazel herself is incredibly kind (when I was having repeated problems with my hire car, she offered to lend me her own  and Id only popped in for a drink). Doubles from 150, B&B. consulatehotelsainthelena.com

While Jamestowns where the evening actions at, Napoleon fans and lovers of the great outdoors should think about staying in Longwood  specifically Bertrands Cottage, a three-room upmarket B&B located right across the road from Longwood House, in a cottage that once belonged to Grand Marshal Henri-Gatien Bertrand, Napoleons aide-de-camp. It opened in 2016 and the fancy (for St Helena) restaurant trains local youngsters in the art of hospitality. Although its posher than other island guesthouses, and doesnt have that same family feel, manager Sarah Dalton is a delight, and cant do enough to help her guests. Its a good cross between St Helena accommodation and what youd find at home  I spent four nights here and loved the atmosphere  the calm is a good contrast to Jamestown. Doubles from 160, B&B. facebook.com/pg/Bertrandscottage

The landscape is spectacular (Julia Buckley)

Take a road trip

St Helena may be a small island but it packs a big punch when it comes to roads. Thats not necessarily a good thing  nervous drivers wont be delighted by the fact that the majority of roads include stretches with sheer drops, hairpin turns and quiversome angles, and non-nervous drivers will turn tremulous at the quality of the hire cars. Thats the perfect excuse to take a guided tour of the island  specifically with Robert Peters, who brings St Helena to life with his tales of working in the flax mills (which drove the island economy until 1966), being accosted as a child by ghosts (other children) in the fields and a rundown of island nicknames (there are people called Fridge and Stickman for starters). Hell also take you to places you wouldnt otherwise know, whether thats the area near the airport where the (endemic) wirebirds hang out, or places with names like Fairyland and Broad Bottom. He is, in short, an octogenarian delight. From 40, 00290 23346.

Jonathan the elderly tortoise (Julia Buckley)

Befriend a 185-year-old tortoise

Or, to be exact, a tortoise estimated to be 185 years old. Jonathan, the oldest resident on St Helena, resides at Plantation House, the St Helena Governors official digs. He shares the paddock with three friends: Emma, David and Frederic  or Frederica, as recent reports suggest s/he should actually be called.

Sadly, Saints are adamant that recent reports of Jonathan being gay (he was, supposedly, in a longterm relationship with Fred) are fake news. He never went after Frederic!! insists Debbie Stroud, Plantation Houses manager. He prefers Emma, apparently. Either way, tours of the mansion (Tuesdays at 11am, 10) finish in the paddock, where you can get so close to all the tortoises that you can see Jonathans age-withered skin and cataract.

Meet the locals

Yes, egregiously stereotyped friendly locals are the bane of travel recommendations, but hear me out on this one. Saints are friendly, but not oppressively so. Theyll wave at you religiously if you pass them in the car (this may not seem so unusual to those of us from Cornwall) and say hello in the street, but they wont crowd you or make you feel like a circus attraction or a bottomless pit of money. Its fascinating to be somewhere where people speak English but the no-hurry, doors-unlocked atmosphere feels 50 years in the past, compared to everywhere else that speaks English as its first language. Thats not to say its all positive  a few people I met seemed a teeny bit sexist, to speak baldly, although maybe I had run-ins with the wrong chaps.

Landing at St Helena's notorious airport Show all 12 1 /12 Landing at St Helena's notorious airport Landing at St Helena's notorious airport St Helena's airport is on a cliff on the edge of the lsland Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport Cruising across the Atlantic Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport Approaching the island Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport Coming up to The Barn Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport Skidding down the runway Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport The end of the runway Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport St Helena runway Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport First view of the airport Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport Locals watch the tourists arrive Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport Baggage reclaim Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport The arrivals hall Julia Buckley Landing at St Helena's notorious airport The exterior of the airport Julia Buckley

Misogyny aside, though, you need to meet the Saints not just for their chat chops, but also to listen to their absolutely unique accent that takes Australian and South African, adds an Irish brogue and tops with a hint of caterwaul. Its a truly wondrous thing to hear.
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At the end of a year its traditional to look back and reflect on key events. As we all approach the frontier between 2017 and 18, though, consider instead what could have happened  but, thankfully, didnt.

Its handy for humankind that neither a global pandemic nor a third world war broke out (unless I missed it). But for travellers there are some specific non-events worth celebrating.

The pound didnt plummet much further against the euro

When the currency markets closed for the Christmas break, the pound was worth 1.12. Considering the breathtaking muddle being made of leaving the EU, its a relief that sterling has lost only five cents since the start of the year.

All other things being equal (which, generally, they arent), for people with pounds, prices in the euro area are one-fifth higher than they were immediately before the EU referendum in 2016.

Against the US dollar, sterling is actually stronger than a year ago. Many more of us go to Europe than to the US and other dollar-dependent destinations. But the improvement against the American currency is important because a large slab of aviation costs, notably aircraft leases and fuel, are denominated in dollars.

The value that the world places on sterling in the next 12 months will depend largely on how well negotiations to leave the EU proceed. What could possibly go wrong?

Planes didnt crash

Sadly, some lives were lost in aviation accidents in 2017: four crew and 35 people on the ground were killed when a Turkish cargo plane belonging to ACT Airlines crashed near the Kyrgyzstan capital, Bishkek in January; seven perished in Angola in October when an air ambulance suffered an engine failure; and six died when a local flight crashed near the town of Nelkan in the Russian Far East in November. But commercial airlines achieved unprecedented levels of safety during the year.

To the credit of everyone involved, aviation has risen way above all other industries in keeping customers and workers safe. And the UK and Ireland are ahead of the pack, with no fatal accidents involving passenger jets since the Kegworth disaster in 1989. Ryanair and easyJet have flown more people without crashing than any other European airlines.

In Britain, a similarly ferocious focus on safety saw the railways achieved a decade free of fatal accidents involving passengers. If only industrial relations could be equally successful; we start 2018 with more rail disputes than at any time since the Eighties.

The world didnt get more dangerous

British travellers venturing abroad are safer than they have ever been. Road travel, the main cause of death for UK holidaymakers, continues to wreck lives in unacceptable numbers. But in the countries we visit most, dramatic improvements in safety mean the already very small risk of dying abroad has fallen by almost half in the past quarter century.

After terrorist outrages in the UK, the public is understandably sensitised to the evil, random violence of extremism. Yet in the biggest tourist destination with a troubled history of terrorism, Turkey, only the first day of 2017 was scarred by an attack. On 1 January, 39 people died in the Reina nightclub in Istanbul. Over the previous 12 months, 14 attacks had taken place. But the Foreign Office still warns: Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Turkey.

Passengers didnt get stranded abroad by airline collapses...

... mostly because the vast majority of UK travellers flew on airlines that are in excellent shape financially. The exception was Monarch. The ferocious competition among airlines between Britain and Spain became clear to me in May, when I bought a ticket from Palma to Gatwick only six hours before departure for just 16. It was on Monarch. At 4am on 2 October, after nearly half a century of accident-free flying, the airline shut down.

As tearful travellers learned at UK airports that they would not be flying, a well choreographed, taxpayer-funded airlift began almost immediately. It appears that the pattern is now set for future failures.

The total cost of the rescue package was 60m, representing an astronomical fare of 550 for each holidaymaker brought home. In future, lets try to identify airlines in financial difficulties before they rack up debts of three-quarters of a billion pounds, as Monarch did. Airlines will still fail, but it would be much kinder for passengers and staff if carriers could close down gently, as Air Berlin did later in October.

Hotels didnt go bust in large numbers

When a disruptor enters an industry as successfully as Airbnb has done with the lodging business, you would expect plenty of casualties. But while peer-to-peer accommodation has finished off some weaker players, good hotels and B&Bs continue to thrive. Competition has almost always proved beneficial for travellers, forcing everyone to up their game and deliver better value.

The mainstream hospitality industrys hope for 2018: that competition is fair, with every Airbnb host respecting safety rules and paying taxes. For British hotels and restaurants, there is an even more pressing concern: that Brexit does not cause a devastating shortage of staff.

Trump didnt ban all Muslims from the US

Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States, said Donald J Trump in 2015. We have no choice.

To the relief of London Mayor Sadiq Khan and no doubt many more British Muslims, this vow proved as empty as many of the 45th Presidents promises. So they can freely visit a beautiful and welcoming country which has a tragic gun crime problem. One person dies from a gunshot every 35 minutes in the US; in Britain, the figure is one every two weeks.

And as we approach the welcome sign to 2018, the world clearly has many problems. Happily, they are far outweighed by its many wonders.
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Nick Clegg is getting a knighthood  vindicating many Lib Dems who feel that public recognition for the former leaders role in the coalition government is long overdue.

So why as a fully-paid up member of the Clegg fan club am I not getting excited about this? For Lib Dem supporters Cleggs knighthood might perk us up, but it is not going to make Brexit less likely, improve the life chances of the poorest in society, or help ensure the NHS is fully-funded. Sadly it wont help us win elections or change Tory policies. As a political party we can and should be proud of our achievements in government  but its addressing the present and changing the future that matters, not celebrating our past glories.

Political credit is not transferable and Clegg has ruled out a return to frontline politics. Just because he is being belatedly recognised will not change minds or Lib Dem fortunes in the future. Politics is dealing with the world as it is, not as you might like it to be.

Vince Cable was right when he said at Lib Dem party conference Our party is not just a coalition partner of the past, we are the government of the future, but to become a credible party of government again we need first to become a credible party of opposition. To survive and to grow we need to win arguments, votes and seats.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA

The most important argument which we must win is Brexit. Leaving the EU has largely been defined as a story of Blue on Blue with rebel Tory and Labour Remainer MPs getting most of the plaudits. But this is our battle  we are the only party fighting for the UK to remain in the EU. Having a small parliamentary team means Lib Dems must pick our battles and team up with those who share our views  as our MPs did successfully on the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Where Lib Dems have shrunk in parliamentary representation we have grown amongst our party membership to over 100,000. Two-thirds of party members joined between 2015 and 2017, encouraged by our pro-Remain stance. An engaged membership offers a huge opportunity for our party to get our message out far and wide to those alienated by the Brexit process.

Locally, next year will be crucial for the Lib Dems, with council elections and potential parliamentary by-elections in the offing. Council candidates will be elected and re-elected on their community efforts, not past history.

In his conference speech last September Cable said he was impatient for success and a great deal of resilience, energy and self-discipline will fuel our recovery.

I agree with Vince that the country needs hope and realism from a political party. The Lib Dems can offer both but to win they need to focus on the future, not the past.
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The conflict in Syria has returned to our screens this festive season, with heartrending footage of desperately ill children needing immediate evacuation from one of the last rebel-held enclaves. There were pleas from charities and churches, from the UN (via its humanitarian coordinator) and from the Pope (in his Christmas message) on behalf of all children in war zones.

And who in their right mind could object? Who would be so callous as to deny a cancer-stricken toddler safe passage for the few crucial miles to Damascus that could save her life? Who would resent charities and churches capitalising on the festive season in the hope of curbing suffering and saving lives?

Well, with Syria, we all know who, dont we? Big bad Bashar al-Assad, still hanging on as President of Syria; his Russian ally, Vladimir Putin, and their mutual friends in Iran  and it was to these villains that the UN coordinator, Jan Egeland, a British charity adviser, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, and others had addressed their public appeals.

Within a day or so, however  and perhaps contrary to their expectations  a seasonal miracle happened. Three small children and a man needing a kidney transplant were on their way out of eastern Ghouta. Another 25 patients  of around 200 on evacuation lists  were preparing to follow. At which point, it might perhaps be noted, all mention of Assad et al was dropped. Could it have been that, by seeming capable of the merest vestige of humanity, his value as an emblem of iniquity had been lost?

Even as the first convoy was revving up, however, it also turned out that the whole picture was a bit more complicated than the Christmas news stories had suggested. Jan Egeland was back on the airwaves, warning that children waiting for evacuation could be used as bargaining chips. There were reports, he said, that those being allowed to leave were, in effect, being exchanged, one for one, for government officials held captive by the rebels in their enclave.

 Putin pulls troops out of Syria: 'The motherland awaits you, friends'

Mr Egeland objected  as he was entirely right to do  that evacuation on emergency medical grounds is a right, and that nothing should be allowed to diminish it. Alas, though, this is not how the world works, least of all this particularly messy part of the world engulfed in a civil war. You can appeal to law as much as you like, but if there are individuals in acute danger, especially children, and if there is a deal to be done, this is what  like it or not  will generally happen.

As the conflict in Syria has dragged on, it has reminded me of nothing more than accounts of the Thirty Years War in Europe, and the spare dramatisation of that meandering conflict in Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage and Her Children. On the edges of the fighting, a whole war economy soon evolves, which demands immediate quid pro quos. It is an economy in which people and goods alike assume a value to both sides, and trade will go on under those brutally basic rules until a new order is eventually established.

Now it is entirely admirable that many people  and perhaps most of those blessed never to have lived through war  will demand that children, all children, be spared the experience of a war that is always and only the fault of adults. Look how successfully charitable campaigns, whether for evacuations or asylum, focus on the plight of children. There is a view that saving the children has to be the only, or at least the overriding, objective and the simplest expression of right and wrong. And it seems to me that this absolutist argument is entirely defensible.

The trouble is that it really is not that simple, especially not in a war that appears, as in Syria, to be reaching its endgame. The sick children highlighted this Christmas are among an estimated 400,000 people trapped in eastern Ghouta, one of the last rebel-held areas of the country. It is reported that conditions there have deteriorated drastically over the past two months. Food, medicine, fuel  everything is running short, as the forces of Assad tighten the noose with a view to driving the rebels out.

What is more, the dilemma for opponents of Assad and their supporters, and for aid organisations working in and around eastern Ghouta, is the same as it was in eastern Aleppo, as in Idlib, as elsewhere. How long do you help the besieged population to hold out? How far do you negotiate for temporary respite to get food and medicine in and sick children and others out, if defeat is probably inevitable? Do such efforts not just extend the humanitarian disaster, for children as for everyone else? At what stage is it in fact wiser, more humane in fact, to surrender or sue for peace?

Which is where international charities and other NGOs of today, not to speak of proxy foreign interventions, can be a complicating factor. Those who argue that food, medical and other aid is purely humanitarian and carries no political or military significance may speak in good faith, but assistance even of this kind can tilt the advantage. There is almost no assistance, humanitarian or otherwise, that will not affect comparative power in some way, and the combatants on all sides know this full well.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA

Something similar applies to law. It may be unlawful to target hospitals, but what if a hospital is used as a safe haven for combatants? Yes, they are. And children can be exploited in combat, not only, despicably, as child soldiers but for propaganda. Remember seven-year-old Bana al-Abed of Aleppo?

The siege of Aleppo, in fact, ended in classic fashion, with a military victory and a deal that allowed rebel fighters free passage to rebel-held territory. But how many lives could have been saved and how much suffering reduced if there had been less outside assistance, both material and moral, to the rebels?

The United States quietly ended most of its military support to anti-Assad rebel groups recently, and it is not clear whether the UK followed. But it is not only military support that prolongs a conflict. Other forms of assistance can do so, too, even when labelled humanitarian and neutral; even when the beneficiaries are sick children. Such is the cruel, undiscriminating, reality of war.
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Buried deep in a note towards the end of a recent bulletin published by the British Governments statistical agency was a startling revelation. On average, people in the UK are now projected to live shorter lives than previously thought.

In their projections, published in October 2017, statisticians at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that by 2041, life expectancy for women would be 86.2 years and 83.4 years for men. In both cases, thats almost a whole year less than had been projected just two years earlier. And the statisticians said life expectancy would only continue to creep upwards in future.

As a result, and looking further ahead, a further one million earlier deaths are now projected to happen across the UK in the next 40 years by 2058. This number was not highlighted in the report. But it jumped out at us when we analysed the tables of projections published alongside it.

It means that the 110 years of steadily improving life expectancy in the UK are now officially over. The implications of this are huge and the reasons the statistics were revised is a tragedy on an enormous scale.

A rising tide of life

Life expectancy is most commonly calculated from birth. It is the average number of years a new-born baby can expect to live if the mortality rates pertaining at the time of their birth apply throughout their life.

Best and worst locations for male life expectancy Show all 6 1 /6 Best and worst locations for male life expectancy Best and worst locations for male life expectancy Highest: South Cambridgshire Boys in South Cambridgshire are expected to live for 83 years Cruccone Best and worst locations for male life expectancy Hart Boys in the Hart district of Hampshire are also expected to live for 83 years PA Best and worst locations for male life expectancy East Dorset Boys born in East Dorset are expected to live for 82.7 years Jerry Pank/ Wikimedia Commons Best and worst locations for male life expectancy Lowest: Blackpool Boys born in Blackpool are expected to live for 74.3 years Getty Images Best and worst locations for male life expectancy Manchester Boys born in Manchester are expected to live for 75.5 years David Dixon/Creative Commons Best and worst locations for male life expectancy Blaenau Gwent, South Wales Boys born in Blaenau Gwent are expected to live for 75.5 years

In 1891, life expectancy for women in England and Wales was 48 years. For men it was 44. Many people lived longer than this, but so many babies died in their first year of life that, from birth, you were doing better than average if you made it past your forties. For most of the 1890s the Conservatives were in power under Lord Salisbury.

They continued to support and build on public health reforms from earlier years, such as the construction of sewers and improvements to the supply of clean piped water. Often these reforms were instigated by local government, which was able to be more proactive than it is today. Adult health improved and by 1901, on average, women lived to 52 and men 48.

The turn of the century saw the start of dramatic improvements in infant mortality as everyday sanitation became paramount and the condition and living standards of mothers started being taken more seriously.

The Liberal Prime Ministers Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Herbert Henry Asquith and David Lloyd George were in charge as most of these improvements occurred. These ranged from the recognition and widespread acceptance that germs cause disease through to the provision of better insurance and pensions, paid for by more progressive taxation. By 1921, women lived to 60 and men to 56.

Life expectancy continued to soar ahead. By 1951, 30 years later, women lived to 72 and men to 66. It rose by more than a year every three years at this time, despite World War II, rationing and 1940s and 1950s austerity. Back then we really were all in it together. For women, better maternity care and the fact that most did not smoke had given them the edge.

Improvements in life expectancy slowed in the 1950s under the Conservative Government of Harold Macmillan. To be fair, most of the easy early wins had been achieved, such as clean water supplies and free access to health care at the point of delivery with the introduction of the NHS in 1948. Still, Macmillan tried to pretend that deaths from smog in London were due to influenza.

The Conservatives were never able to achieve anything as impressive for public health as Labours launch of the NHS, which had an immediate effect simply by boosting national morale and access to care, and on infant health. Despite that, and with some help from the policies of Harold Wilsons first Labour government in the 1960s, by 1971 women lived to 75 and men to 69. This improvement was driven by more spending on health services, including the widespread introduction of incubators for new-born babies that needed them, as well as improvements in housing conditions.

 Boris on life expectancy

In the 1970s, the rate of improvement in life expectancy across England and Wales accelerated again. To be young in those days was to feel progress all around you. People back then lived longer in the city of Sheffield than the national average and, for a few years in the 1970s, the population centre of the country moved northwards.

Social progress in the 1970s meant that despite the terrible cutbacks in healthcare funding in the 1980s under Margaret Thatchers Conservative government, by 1991 women were living to 79 years and men to 73. The long-term effects of more people stopping smoking in earlier decades had begun to have a particularly significant effect.

The next two decades, under the premierships of John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, would see men catch up with women a little. This was because in the 1990s there were still many male smokers who could give up smoking. For women, the effect was less dramatic because fewer women had smoked to start off with. By 2011, women in England and Wales were living to 83 years and men to 79 years.

Flatlining

And then, after 2011, under the Conservative-led Governments of David Cameron and Theresa May, nothing. No improvement. Life expectancy flat-lined.

The latest figures for the period 2014 to 2016 were published in September 2017. Women can now expect to live to 83.06 years and men to 79.40. For the first time in over a century, the health of people in England and Wales has stopped improving.

Just as Macmillan had done before in the 1950s, the 2010 coalition government initially tried to blame influenza. But as the years passed and life expectancy continued to stall, it became clear that it wasnt because of flu or an illness like it. The most plausible culprit was a combination of the particular kind of austerity for the poor and elderly that the 2010 Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government so quickly enacted.

This led to the loss of care support to half a million elderly people by 2013. NHS budgets stalled or fell slightly in the years following 2010-11 and many old-age care homes went bankrupt. There was a rise in fuel-poverty among the old. Sanctions and cuts to disability benefits were introduced, alongside many more aspects of increased economic callousness.

Those first affected were elderly women in the poorest parts of the UK. They lived in geographical areas that had been targeted by the previous Labour Government for policy interventions to improve health. All those schemes stopped after 2010. Attempts throughout 2014 and 2015 to point out that the peoples health was deteriorating were either ignored or even rebutted by those who had been appointed by the 2010 Government to safeguard the nations health.

By 2016, cuts in welfare spending, especially to older pensioners had been linked to a rise in deaths  initially among elderly women and later older people in general living in poorer areas. Public health experts writing in the British Medical Journal called for an inquiry, but none came. Instead, the Governments public health officials continued to claim that: Recent high death rates in older people are not exceptional.

Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Show all 6 1 /6 Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves The elderly We acknowledge that there are pressures on the health service, there are always extra pressures on the NHS in the winter, but we have the added pressures of the ageing population and the growing complex needs of the population, Theresa May has said. Waits of over 12 hours in A&E among elderly people have more than doubled in two years, according to figures from NHS Digital. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Patients going to A&E instead of seeing their GPs Jeremy Hunt has called for a honest discussion with the public about the purpose of A&E departments, saying that around a third of A&E patients were in hospital unnecessarily. Mr Hunt told Radio 4s Today programme the NHS now had more doctors, nurses and funding than ever, but explained what he called very serious problems at some hospitals by suggesting pressures were increasing in part because people are going to A&Es when they should not. He urged patients to visit their GP for non-emergency illnesses, outlined plans to release time for family doctors to support urgent care work, and said the NHS will soon be able to deliver seven-day access to a GP from 8am to 8pm. But doctors struggling amid a GP recruitment crisis said Mr Hunts plans were unrealistic and demanded the Government commit to investing in all areas of the overstretched health service. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Simon Stevens, head of NHS England Reports that key members of Ms Mays team used internal meetings to accuse Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, of being unenthusiastic and unresponsive have been rejected by Downing Street. Mr Stevens had allegedly rejected claims made by Ms May that the NHS had been given more funding than required. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Previous health policy, not funding In an interview with Sky Newss Sophy Ridge, Ms May acknowledged the NHS faced pressures but said it was a problem that had been ducked by government over the years. She refuted the claim that hospitals were tackling a humanitarian crisis and said health funding was at record levels. We asked the NHS a while back to set out what it needed over the next five years in terms of its plan for the future and the funding that it would need, said the Prime Minister. They did that, we gave them that funding, in fact we gave them more funding than they required Funding is now at record levels for the NHS, more money has been going in. But doctors accused Ms May of being in denial about how the lack of additional funding provided for health and social care were behind a spiralling crisis in NHS hospitals. Getty Images Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Target to treat all A&E patients within four hours Mr Hunt was accused of watering down the flagship target to treat all A&E patients within four hours. The Health Secretary told MPs the promise  introduced by Tony Blairs government in 2000  should only be for those who actually need it. Amid jeers in the Commons, Mr Hunt said only four other countries pledged to treat all patients within a similar timeframe and all had less stringent rules. But Ms May has now said the Government will stand by the four-hour target for A&E, which says 95 per cent of patients must be dealt with within that time frame. Getty Images Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves No one Mr Hunt was accused of hiding from the public eye following news of the Red Crosss comments and didnt make an official statement for two days. He was also filmed refusing to answer questions from journalists who pursued him down the street yesterday to ask whether he planned to scrap the four-hour A&E waiting time target. Sky News reporter Beth Rigby pressed the Health Secretary on his position on the matter, saying the public will want to know, Mr Hunt. Sorry Beth, Ive answered questions about this already, replied Mr Hunt. But you didnt answer questions on this. You said it was over-interpreted in the House of Commons and you didnt want to water it down. Is that what youre saying? said Ms Rigby. Its very difficult, because how are we going to explain to the public what your intention is, when you change your position and then wont answer the question, Mr Hunt. But the Health Secretary maintained his silence until he reached his car and got in. Getty

The situation in Scotland was even worse than that in England and Wales, but again there was no official response when this was pointed out. In hindsight, there was wilful neglect by politicians, tinged by officials fear of upsetting their political masters in a time of savage spending cuts.

At first almost everyone kept quiet, but eventually it became too stark a situation to ignore. By summer 2017, Michael Marmots Institute of Health Equity was linking health services cuts to the rise in dementia deaths and the faltering national life expectancy. Researchers at Liverpool, Oxford, Glasgow and York universities connected some of the stalling in health improvements to delays in discharging patients from hospital due to insufficient older adult social care. Earlier in the year, the Financial Times reported that the deceleration of previous rises in life expectancy was so rapid that it had cut 310bn from future British pension fund liabilities. And this was just for a few of the larger pension schemes.

On 16 November, an article in the British Medical Journal Open concluded that severe public spending cuts in the UK were associated with 120,000 deaths between 2010 and 2017. Just over a third of these occurred between 2012 and 2014 and almost none in 2010 or 2011. The rate of death due to austerity was rising and there was what is called a dose-response relationship between cuts and rising mortality. This term, commonly used as part of the evidence needed to establish that a medicine is beneficial, means that as you increase the dose of an intervention the responses to it rise at the same rate. It can also be used to indicate likely causes of harm.

In this case it indicated that the more cuts there have been to public health, social services and benefits  particularly for people in old age  the more earlier deaths there have been in the UK. Cuts that prevent visits by social workers to elderly people reduce their chances of being found after a fall at home. Cuts that make it harder to rehouse someone who is currently in a hospital bed back into the community, result in hospital beds not being available for others.

Very recently, the economist Simon Wren-Lewis also looked into the link between austerity and mortality and explained:

It is one thing for economists like me to say that austerity has cost each household at least 4,000: this can be dismissed with what do economists know? But when doctors say the policy has led to premature deaths, that is something else.

Life expectancy for women in the UK is now lower than in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Often it is much lower. Men do little better.

The UKs lowly position in the European league table means that the stalling in life expectancy improvements has nothing to do with a limit being reached. As yet, nowhere has reached a limit, and many countries are now far ahead of the UK.

In almost all other of the most affluent countries, apart from the US, people live longer lives than in the UK, often many years longer, and the best countries continue to pull away  leaving the UK and US even further behind.

What matters most is what happens next.

A million lives lost

The stagnation in life expectancy is no longer being treated as a blip. It is now projected to be the new norm. But the ONS does not explicitly state this in its projections for the future. To calculate the figure of a million lives lost you have to subtract all the future deaths now predicted in the 2017 report, which was based on data from 2016, from those projected two years ago, based on a 2014 projection.

Every year up until at least the year 2084, people across the UK are now expected to die earlier. Already in the 12 months between July 2016 and June 2017, we calculated that an additional 39,307 more people have died than were expected to die under the previous projections.

Over a third, or 13,440, of those additional deaths have been of women aged 80 or over who are now dying earlier than was expected. But 7 per cent of these extra deaths in 2016-17 were of people aged between 20 and 60: almost 2,000 more younger men and 1,000 more younger women in this age group have died than would have if progress had not stalled. So whatever is happening is affecting young people too.

The projection that there will be a million extra deaths by 2058 is not due to the fact that there will simply be more people living in the UK in the future. By contrast, the ONS now projects less inward migration. The million extra early deaths are not due to more expected births: the ONS now projects lower birth rates. The extra million early deaths are simply the result of mortality rates either having risen or having stalled in recent years. The ONS now considers that this will have a serious impact on life expectancy in the UK and population numbers for decades to come.

If you are in your forties or fifties and live in the UK this is mostly about you. Almost all of the million people now projected to die earlier than before  well over four-fifths of them  will be people who are currently in this age group: 411,000 women and 404,000 men aged between 40 and 60. Child, infant mortality and still births have also not improved recently  and again this has recently been linked to under-funding resulting in under-staffing in the NHS.

It easy to dismiss these statistics with remarks such as: people live too long nowadays anyway and: I wouldnt want to live that long. But older people are important and grandparents are often a formative part of a childs life. Because many people in the UK are now having children at older ages, this will translate into more people not seeing their grandchildren grow up. But, above that, longer, healthier lives have been the most important marker of social progress in Britain for well over a century. And now, for the first time in a century, we are no longer expected to see the rates of improvement we have become used to.

Projections are not predictions

Population estimates are always hard to make and even harder to explain. In 1990, in the New York Review of Books, the economist Amartya Sen wrote that: More than 100 million women are missing in the world. Sen wrote that compared to men in Europe and North America:

The fate of women is quite different in most of Asia and North Africa. In these places the failure to give women medical care similar to what men get and to provide them with comparable food and social services results in fewer women surviving than would be the case if they had equal care

There is some irony that a quarter of a century later we now have to ask why, in one of the richest countries of the world, we are now not expecting people to enjoy as long a life as we were expecting them to just two years ago?

The Government accepts that air pollution already contributes to around 40,000 premature deaths a year. Why then is there not more public outrage when an additional 39,307 deaths occurred in the year up until June 2017 than had been expected? And it happened the year after an additional 30,000 people had already died in 2015.

In November 2017, the ONS went on to project that there will be more than an extra 25,000 deaths between July 2017 and June 2018. Then an extra 27,000 deaths in the 12 months after that, more than an extra 28,000 deaths the year after that  and on and on and on. It now looks as if we should come to expect heightened mortality year after year until the end of our lives.

The Government has given no reason for why this is happening. But there is absolutely no reason to suppose that this is due to something beyond our control.

Whatever has happened it is not a sudden worsening of the healthy behaviour of people in the UK. It is not a sudden rise in obesity or some additional carelessness about looking after ourselves. Neither obesity nor any other human behaviour linked to poor health such as smoking or drinking alcohol has seen a sudden rise. In fact, health complaints from smoking have plummeted since the introduction of the 2007 ban on smoking in public places. The number of Britons who smoke is at its lowest level.

The proportion of adults who drink alcohol in the UK is also currently at its lowest level since 2005. Obesity is still rising, but it has been for decades now, and the age groups now dying in high numbers  the over 80s  are not yet those who became obese in recent decades.

The most likely culprit, by far, is austerity, including the effect of the cuts to social and health care services.

We will not live longer by all taking responsibility just for ourselves alone, looking after just us and our families, trying to get fitter, eat better and worry less. This is not how the health of whole nations improves. It is about all of us, not just one of us. That is why it is a million years of life. And we should not allow that million to be announced quietly, like the inevitable dying of the light.

As we argue in our new book, demography is not destiny. Projections are not predictions. There is no preordained inevitability that a million years of life need be lost, but already, 120,000 have been by 2017.

The rest of those million early deaths could be avoided. There is no biological reason why life expectancy should be so low in the UK compared to almost all other affluent nations. The social sciences and epidemiologists between them have the answers, but only through politics comes the power to make the changes that are now so urgently needed.

Danny Dorling is Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography at the University of Oxford. This piece originally appeared on The Conversation
The South Kingstown School Committee announced this week that it is reviewing a proposed memorandum of agreement that spells out the purpose and function of having police officers in its schools. The agreement sets clearly-defined roles about addressing student conduct and says school administrators would be responsible for enforcing the code of conduct and responding to routine disciplinary violations while resource officers would not serve as school disciplinarians or to enforce school regulations but, rather, would be on site to investigate and respond to potential criminal offenses and intervene in situations in order to maintain safety. Do you believe that having dedicated police officers inside locals schools makes students safer? Why or why not? Let us know in this week's poll question below.

You voted:
What happens when you put four 30-something hip-hop heads in a room and give them free range to talk about anything for an hour? You get a podcast full of thoughtful and provocative discussions about the things that matter most. Previous topics include the Keaton Jones bullying controversy, Joyner Lucas Im Not Racist video and the various high profile sexual misconduct allegations emerging. The New Old Heads Podcast is the brainchild of local producer Lonegevity (Sean Stuart)  who is also the founder of No Cosign Records  produced alongside DJ Spoolz (Brad Spoolstra), Maja 7th (Michael Chamberlain) and DJ Jay Diff (Terry Colemen).

We spoke with Stuart to learn more about the popular podcast:

Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper: How did this podcast get its start?

Stuart: I founded Bringing Down The Band in 2009. It started as a collective, but it turned into a blog that showcases Indianas hip-hop to the world, and the world to Indiana. What we historically have done is (post articles) and music that would go on social media. In the modern era, the way people consume music has changed; everything is (on) playlists and Spotify. An old friend from college plays video games and streams them online, and I watched his fan base grow. That sparked the idea for the podcast. The name came from the fact that we are older, but we are not the old old heads, and we have an appreciation for newer music, as well.

Your focus is the local hip-hop scene, but you dont shy away from topics that combine politics and current events with pop culture. Why do you feel its important to talk about those things when discussing music and art?

I think its important for us to branch off of music into more current events due to the climate of the United States and world right now. I think its important for people to realize that although we love hip-hop music, and talking about it, that hip-hop is more than just the music we listen to. The topics, music, political stances, lingo, pain and joy come from a place where voices are demanding to be heard by any means, and to us, hip-hop embodies all of that and more. Its important for us to discuss things that affect the cultural well-being and community were a part of. We realized early it was necessary for us to branch out and have conversations about how we as hip-hop artists, fans and pushers of the culture feel about how our lives are affected by different things happening in the world. Because  we are hip-hop.

What do you hope people take away from listening to the podcast?

When we talk about certain issues happening in the country, I really like our dynamic of two Black gentlemen and two white gentlemen and how we approach certain topics that affect different parts of our country. I like that we can go into it and have these conversations while sitting in the same room. These are conversations that I feel a lot of people are afraid to have. But with us, its just us having a conversation, and I think thats important.

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Taking my cue from the revised pater noster commended by His Holiness, I begin by asking that God not let me fall into the powerful temptation to superimpose my own characteristic gloom on the news at hand. Its always a challenge for me not to play Diogenes, but I must try. At the very least, I will end this piece on a hopeful note.

I cant avoid beginning with a huge problem, however: one that has to do with the widespread religious misreading of the historical moment we face. It seems to me that too many well-meaning faith leaders do not see, or cannot see, that Trumpism amounts to an epiphenomenon. The underlying phenomenon here is patriarchal white supremacy joined to economic violence from above: a toxic combination that has tainted American soil, drenching it in the blood of innocents, from the time the European colonial project was first launched. What some call the Trumpocalypse simply reveals more fully the cancer that was already there, that was always there, and that is always and ever metastasizing.

Patriarchal white supremacy is plainly not a malignancy that will be cured by hashtags, by rhetorical resistance, or by symbolic protests that basically amount to saying Not My President. Yet a great many of our progressive religious leaders have offered a much-too-thin rhetorical response during the year now ending  a response much too fixated on the epiphenomenon, as though todays naked expressions of white nationalism can somehow be separated from the longer career of white supremacy.

To be sure, scads of liberal faith leaders have readily signed on to efforts to curb gun violence and to call out the bigotry in Trumps travel ban and his deportation/wall-building schemes. But this is a mostly symbolic me too response (no offense here to a powerful #MeToo movement that arose with zero help from the religious quarter). Banners waving, the religious platoon comes late to the march and is never on the front lines.

Without a deeper systemic critique, progressive faith-rooted activism remains ineffective and episodic.

You will say I am unrealistic to expect any fearless head-on engagement with the greater evils that assail us. You might say that I am willfully ignoring the reality that religious blocs everywhere on the globe tend to enter public policy from the right. And you would have a point. Because for U.S. faith leaders to achieve this level of forward engagement would also require them to acknowledge how deeply American religion itself has been colonized and deformed by white supremacy, imperial ideology and the brutal logic of laissez faire capitalism. That white American Christianity was so compromised and contaminated from the very start is by now an open secret, thanks to path-breaking scholarship by Willie James Jennings, Yolanda Pierce, Mark Lewis Taylor, Kelly Brown Douglas, Khalil Gibran Muhammad and many others  never forgetting the noble pioneering truthtellers: W.E.B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, Harriet Tubman, Howard Thurman, et al.

Interestingly, this is precisely where some good news arrives in 2017s inner religious life.

It goes without saying that what the bold new scholarship yields is a dangerous knowledge: dangerous to the powers and principalities, certainly, but dangerous as well to those whose ignorance (I wont say innocence) slowly gives way to the painful recognition of what Prof. Jennings calls the diseased social imagination of a Western Christianity shaped and dominated by the godless will-to-power of white men.

For those now awakening from their slumber, whether as a consequence of this new scholarship or the fearless truthtelling of the Movement for Black Lives, there can be no turning back from the element of danger. As you awaken you will necessarily become an enemy of the white supremacist state. You will also become the enemy of complacency and apostasy within your own faith community. You will accept that conflict, that disturbing the peace of Zion, is no small part of your calling.

Accepting that danger means stepping up to an inevitable conflict with unjust power and with any whose complicity enables it; it also means stepping out to apply ones energies in mixed configurations of struggle taking shape away from the safe and sleepy precincts of religion as generally understood.

Theologian Mark Lewis Taylor observes that faith-grounded activists are most likely to discover a vital liberatory politics outside of their formal religious structures and circuits: in on-fire liminal spaces where secular activists and artists usually take the lead in creating and sustaining woke communities of struggle and celebration. These spaces arent hard to find, and the God who has left the church building in disgust will always be found in the midst of them.

For any awakening Christian, stepping out and thereby gaining perspective on ones own colonized faith is liberating and life-giving. It parallels what Dr. King seems to have felt in writing his powerful letter from a Birmingham jail: not just deep dismay over the cowardice and corruption of the white church but also an absolute and joy-filled conviction that God is driving the Black freedom struggle forward despite it all.

Today, as in Kings day, there is widespread dereliction of duty among the self-proclaimed faithful, but there is also a rising righteous remnant. There are hundreds of younger activists out there, primarily activists of color and many of them queer, who are walking courageously in faith even though they will tell you clearly and convincingly why their faith has nothing to do with the poisoned religion of the white dominators.

Here I find a real glimmer of good news. Moreover, some of the younger activists are connecting themselves to awakening conscientious leaders within the recognized religious sphere: i.e. the national denominations, para-church public justice groups, and faith-based community organizing networks. We will all see more evidence of this fruitful connection during the crucial organizing year ahead. One might say that the younger activists are converting some of the longtime faithful to accept their proper calling, dangers notwithstanding.

I also find good news in the fact that more and more white people, young and old alike, seem now able to see and even say that white privilege is a curse and a burden to them and not just to those who suffer its worst effects. Its too early to predict where this might go, but there is an opening  a crack under the door  from which some real light may yet come pouring in. When enough white people get to the breakthrough moment where they see  really see  how racism and patriarchy and a soulless planet-destroying capitalism are joined at the hip, there is indeed hope for a different kind of future.

I began this assessment by lamenting insipidity and lack of focus among Religious Left leaders, and there is plenty of that to be sure. Dereliction of duty is nothing new, and theres no point in sugarcoating the bad news. But I also give thanks at years end for the righteous remnant. I give thanks for all those who are able to join a liberatory theology and a revolutionary economic critique together on the side of the freedom struggle.

Never mind the trifling derelicts. Let them do what they do. Pay attention to the woke and ready.

Peter Laarman is a United Church of Christ minister and activist who recently retired as executive director of Progressive Christians Uniting in Los Angeles. He remains involved in numerous justice struggles, in particular a campaign known as Justice Not Jails that calls upon faith communities to critique and combat the system of racialized mass incarceration often referred to as The New Jim Crow.
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Greece-based natural cosmetics company Korres SA on Wednesday announced a strategic agreement with China's Profex Inc and Morgan Stanley North Haven Private Equity Asia IV, with a majority stake in the high-flying company passing to foreign investors.
It could have turned sour for the family members of a one-month old baby in Akowonjo area of Lagos State but residents rescued a one-month-old baby while fire razed a building on Adesina Street.

It was gathered that the mother of the baby was sewing in a shop in front of the bungalow when the fire started around 10am.

The mother was reported to have said she smelt something burning, but she could not tell what it was until her neighbours raised the alarm.

It was gathered that the mother rushed out of the shop, as occupants of buildings on the street also came out. She discovered that it was her house that was on fire.

PUNCH Metr gathered that she rushed inside the house and she discovered that many apartments in the building were already on fire with thick smoke billowing from the building.

A resident, Mrs. Grace Balogun, told one of our correspondents that the mother broke into her apartment without a second thought and without any regard to the fire.

She said, Other neighbours followed her inside and together, they quickly rescued the baby unhurt.

A middle-aged occupant of the building was seen crying and searching for her eight-year-old son, who was later discovered to have fled the house immediately it was engulfed in flames.

Some of the occupants of the building were seen salvaging their belongings, including generators, guitars and clothes.

Some of the salvaged materials were kept inside a parish of a church close to the scene.

The fire raged as sympathisers struggled to put it out without water because there was no electricity to pump water from a borehole close to the building.

Owners of other buildings on the adjoining streets were seen making holes in their fences to pass water hose to the scene to help in putting out the fire.

Some angry residents wanted to attack officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, the Lagos State Emegency Management Agency and the Lagos State Neighbouhood Safety Corps, who came to fight the fire, for alleged slow response to their distress calls.

However, some of the residents persuaded the angry ones to allow the firefighters to work.

One of the residents, who identified himself as Kamar, told one of our correspondents that a 10-year-old boy caused the fire.

He said, One small boy, I think they call him Precious, struck a matchstick to warm food on a gas cooker and he dropped the smouldering matchstick carelessly close to their mattress. The mattress caught fire and the fire spread to other parts of the room from where it spread to other apartments.

We called firefighters on 112, but they could not access the scene because the road leading to the street was closed.

Three fire trucks eventually came and the firefighters put out the fire. We thank God that the fire did not spread to a telecoms base station close to the building. Fuel was kept at the base station and the situation would have been worse if it had spread to that place.

The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, confirmed the incident, saying the Ikotun fire station responded.

He said, The building contains four mini-flats. The entire structure was consumed by the fire. We gathered that a child was cooking in a room and in the course of doing that, the fire caught some combustible materials, which started the inferno.

It is important to state that this is the harmatthan season, when there is dryness, wind and dust, which are elements of fire. People should be careful and avoid the use of candles or cooking in the room to avert any fire incident.

Also, due to the nature of this period, residents are encouraged to always call the fire service whenever there is any fire incident before it gets out of hands. We also want to urge our politicians giving out empowerment tools to be well guided. They can give out rechargeable lamps and torches, which pose no risks in order to reduce fire incidents in the state.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, prayed for a quick recovery for son of President Muhammadu Buhari, Yusuf, who was on Tuesday night involved in bike accident in Abuja.

Yusuf was said to have sustained head injury and had one of his limbs broken.

Saraki, in a tweet from his personal Twitter handle expressed his sympathy over the accident.

It read, May the Almighty grant Yusuf Buhari a quick and full recovery. My prayers are with President Buhari and his family at this time.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed the accident in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday.

Shehu said Yusuf had undergone a successful surgery and was in a stable condition.

The statement read, Yusuf Buhari had a bike accident last night around Gwarimpa in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

He broke a limb and had an injury to the head as a result. He has undergone surgery at a clinic in Abuja. He is in a stable condition.

The President and his wife, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, are thankful to Nigerians for the good wishes and prayers for their son.

May God reward you all.
A suicide bomber blew himself up Thursday in a crowded market in Borno State, killing six people, security sources said, blaming the attack on the Boko Haram jihadist group.

The bomber, who passed himself off as a grain merchant, staged the attack in Amarwa village, about 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and the capital of Borno.

The attack came days after a failed Boko Haram attack on Christmas Day in Maiduguri.

Six people died on the spot from the explosion while 13 others were seriously injured, Babagana Kolo, a leader of a militia force helping the army in the fight against Boko Haram told AFP.

The injured have been brought to the general hospital here in Maiduguri while the dead have been buried in the village, he said.

Another militia Ibrahim Liman said the bomber went to a provisions shop holding a black plastic bag around 11:30 am (1030 GMT) and asked the shopkeeper if he would buy grains but the shopkeeper said he was not interested.

The bomber then walked to a group of people chatting nearby and detonated the explosives concealed in the bag he was carrying, he said.

Amarwa has suffered several Boko Haram attacks in the past eight years in a conflict that has claimed at least 20,000 lives and displaced 2.6 million people.

In recent months Boko Haram fighters have stepped up their attacks on military and civilian targets despite claims by the government and the army that the group was a spent force.

Source : ( AFP)
Three suspected armed robbers were killed on Wednesday by operatives of the Joint Military Task Force in Rumuji, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It was gathered that the hoodlums had gained entrance into a military base in the area with the aim of stealing military uniform ostensibly to use it to rob unsuspecting members of the public.

A security source, who does not want his name mentioned, said some soldiers in the base had gone out for patrol within the community before the intruders sneaked in.

Luck, however, ran out of them when they were seen entering the place without permission.

A group of hoodlums had earlier invaded the communities in the area, wearing military camouflage.

It was gathered that the invaders made away with some property after attacking some of the indigenes of the area.

A source in a nearby police station disclosed that some security operatives inside the base immediately shot at the hoodlums while they were attempting to escape with some military attire and other undisclosed items.

He stated that some soldiers, who stayed back to watch over the base had remained calm and watching the movement of the intruders before they opened fire on them as they (hoodlums) tried to escape with their loot, including army uniforms.

Another source identified as Chukwuma said, The incident caused tension in the community. Some soldiers were at Rumuji-Ibaa junction in search of suspected accomplices.

Some commercial motorcyclists, who noticed the unusual presence of soldiers at the Rumuji-Ibaa Junction, abandoned their motorcycles and ran away from the place.
Two children have been declared missing by their parents, a three-year-old Muhaisin Awaz and Abdallah Abdulazeez, 6, the parents have been distressed after the two children allegedly disappeared during a Jumat service at Oniyanrin, in the Mile 12, Ketu area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that the families of the two children are friends and Abdulazeezs mother had visited Muhaisins parents on that Friday to inform them of her plans to travel to her hometown in Kano State.

She was said to be heavily pregnant and wanted to give birth in Kano.

During the visit, the two children were said to be playing together when they heard the call to Islamic prayers.

Our correspondent learnt that the two children hurried downstairs to join other Islamic faithfuls for the prayers.

They were said to have gone missing during the payers as they could not be found afterwards.

Muhaisins sister, Sekiyat, told newsmen that the incident happened around 1.30pm on December 16.

She said, We are friends with Abdallahs parents. We are from the same hometown in Kano State and live in the same Hausa community in Mile 12. Abdallahs mother is pregnant and due for delivery. She came to inform us that she would be travelling to Kano to have her baby. She said she would be going on Sunday.

While the two children were playing, we heard the call to prayers. We have a mosque on the ground floor of our house. But during Jumat service, people pray on the street. So, we thought they had gone to join others for the prayers on the street. But after the prayers, we couldnt find them.

The three-year-olds mother, Ramotu, said the families had gone to different police stations in Lagos, including Ketu, Ojodu and Ikeja police divisions, adding that their efforts were futile.

She noted that the families were anxious to hear from whoever took them away, adding that nobody had called for ransom.

She said, We have asked from people who were at the mosque and they claimed that they didnt see them. A woman, however, told us that she sighted them two houses away from our house and she asked them where they were going, but she didnt get a response.

Nobody has called us for any ransom. And these two children dont even know the way home. One is in nursery one and the other is a nursery two pupil. We are at a loss on their whereabouts.

Our correspondent was told that Abdulazeezs parents were not available for comments and they could only communicate in Hausa.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, said he would get back to PUNCH Metro, but had yet to do so as of press time.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
A former Vietnamese official allegedly kidnapped from Germany will go on trial in Hanoi in January on corruption charges, officials said Wednesday, a high-profile case that could see the ex-oil executive put to death.

Vietnams communist government has jailed or arrested scores of former officials, bankers and state executives this year as part of a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown that some observers say is driven by political infighting.

But Trinh Xuan Thanhs brazen Cold War-style kidnapping from a Berlin park by Vietnamese security agents in July stunned many inside and outside the one-party state, sparking a diplomatic dust-up that Germany called a scandalous violation of its sovereignty.

Hanoi had sought Thanh, the former head of state-run PetroVietnam Construction (PVC), for mismanagement and embezzlement causing massive losses.

Vietnamese officials said he returned home voluntarily to face the charges.

But German authorities said he was kidnapped on their soil, where he had sought asylum.

Thanh will face trial on January 8, alongside the former head of PetroVietnam and ex-politburo member Dinh La Thang, a court clerk told AFP.

As head of PetroVietnam, Thang allegedly carved out a deal with Thanh  then chairman of the construction subsidiary of PetroVietnam  to build a thermal power plant.

The deal allegedly caused losses of $5.2 million for the state.

Twenty others also face charges in the case.

Officials said the defendants were mostly key leaders in important economic organisations, trusted by the state and the people to manage state capital, according to the indictment cited by the official Vietnam News Agency.

Thang and Thanh face 20 years in jail for mismanagement, while the former PVC head Thanh faces an additional charge of embezzlement, which carries the death penalty.

Officials had earlier accused Thanh of causing losses worth $150 million, which he could still face in a separate trial.

Thanh appears to have been a marked man ever since he was spotted driving a flashy Lexus car with government plates while serving as deputy head of southern Hau Giang province.

The men are the most prominent officials to face corruption charges as part of Hanois massive crackdown that has already seen one senior banker sentenced to death and scores of others face stiff jail terms.

Observers say the anti-corruption sweep, which echoes a graft crackdown in Communist China, is being led by a conservative leadership in place since last year.

Many believe it is as much about cleaning up Vietnams corrupted ranks as it is about weeding out political enemies aligned with the former leadership.

Vietnam has been ranked 113 out of 176 on the corruption index by Transparency International, worse than its Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Source : ( AFP )
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Update 4.55pm: An Aer Lingus flight has landed safely at Shannon Airport after declaring an emergency.

The jet stopped on the runway so fire crews could carry out a visual inspection of the engine.

Once it was confirmed there was no fire, the jet continued to the terminal.

Flight EI-145 had just departed Dublin en route to Los Angeles when the crew reported the problem.

Earlier: Emergency crews on standby at Shannon as Aer Lingus flight declares emergency

An Aer Lingus flight has declared an emergency and is expected to divert to Shannon Airport shortly after the crew reported a problem with an engine, writes Patrick Flynn.

Flight EI-145 had just departed Dublin en route to Los Angeles when the crew reported the problem.

There are 252 passengers and a crew of 16 on board.

The crew of the Airbus A330-200 jet continued towards Shannon reporting an issue with one of the aircrafts two engines.

The crew is understood to have shut down the engine and the aircraft is currently circling over the Shannon Estuary while they burn off fuel. This is to ensure the aircraft touches down within safe landing weight limits.

The airports own fire and rescue service is standing by for the aircraft while units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Shannon Town have also been sent to the airport along with ambulances from Ennis and Limerick.

Additional units of the fire brigade from Ennis have been sent to a designated holding point at Dromoland in case they might be required.

The flight is expected to commence an approach to Shannon in the next few minutes.
By Eoin English

A man charged with grievous bodily harm, following the fatal assault of a Co Cork father-of-two in Western Australia over Christmas, may face more serious charges.

Andrew Doan, 34, from the Joondanna suburb of Perth, was remanded in custody yesterday, after he was brought before Perth Magistrates Court.

He was charged in connection with the death of Charlie McCarthy, 32, from Aghada, near Midleton.

Mr McCarthy, a cable layer with Complete Cabling and Construction, was walking with his Australian wife, Nicole, on the Riverside Road, in East Fremantle, Perth, at 1.20am on December 23, when a confrontation with two fishermen occurred.

He was attacked. While police have yet to describe Mr McCarthys injuries, he was stabbed in the head with what is believed to be a screwdriver.

One of the fishermen stayed with Mr McCarthy and rendered first aid.

Mr McCarthy was rushed by ambulance, in a critical condition, to Royal Perth Hospital, and was placed on life support in the intensive care unit.

Family members flew from Ireland to be at his bedside.

But his life support was switched off and he was pronounced dead on St Stephens Day.

Mr Doan was accused in court of striking Mr McCarthy in the head with an object, making him fall to the ground.

According to reports in The West Australian newspaper, Mr Doans lawyer, Adam Hammond, described his client, a design consultant, as a compassionate, generous, kind, and harmless father.

He said his clients actions were more like self-defence or an accident and he accused Mr McCarthy of charging at his client and said Mr Doan would take the matter to trial, no matter what charge he faced.

However, the bail application was opposed by police prosecutor, who argued it would be inappropriate to release Mr Doan from custody, when the matter was likely to be sent to a higher court.

The results of a post-mortem, expected in a few days, will determine whether the charges will be upgraded to manslaughter or murder.

Magistrate Dianne Scaddan adjourned the application until next month, saying she was not unsympathetic to the submissions made on behalf of Mr Doan, but said it would be inappropriate to make a decision without further information.

Mr Doans fiance and family were in court to support him.

Mr Doan is due back in court on January 3, for a bail application, at which point an update will be provided on the charges.

Mr McCarthys siblings who travelled to Australia, including his sister, Siobhan, have asked the media to respect their privacy.

Parish priest in Aghada, Fr Denis Kelleher, said he prayed with Mr McCarthys parents, Charlie and Margaret, at their home on Saturday, shortly after news of the attack, when medics were holding out little hope of Mr McCarthys survival.

He said there has been a great sense of sadness and shock in the community.

He said the family were all remembered in masses in the parish, over Christmas, and he said he hoped to provide continued support to the family, in the difficult days ahead.

Mr McCarthy emigrated to Australia in the 2000s, but returned to Aghada, with his wife, for a period, before they returned to live and work in Perth. The couple has two children  Ciara, five, and Niall, two.

Mr McCarthy was described as quiet, but very popular and very committed to Aghada GAA club, where his sisters, twins Sinead and Siobhan, play with Aghada junior ladies football team.

His cousin, Lorna Stinson, also posted a tribute on Facebook: Our beautiful cousin taken far too soon. My heart goes out to all our family, who have been robbed of a son, husband, brother, uncle, cousin and father to two beautiful children.

Aghada parish tweeted yesterday: Let us keep his family in Perth, and here at home in Aghada, in our prayers.

Aghada ladies football team also posted on Facebook: Our thoughts and prayers are with all the McCarthy family, at this sad time.
Not only can US president Donald Trump not be relied upon, he is actively undermining the unity of the West and its institutions, says Elmar Brok

DONALD Trump has been president of the US for less than a year, but he has tested its relationship with Europe. Defence and security cooperation within NATO, trade relations, cooperation on global challenges (like climate change), and participation in bodies such as the G7 or G20 have all been adversely affected by Trumps malign judgement.

For more than a century, the transatlantic partnership has been central to US foreign policy. The challenges we face  from terrorism to climate change to mass migration  extend far beyond national borders, so such cooperation is more important than ever.

Yet Trumps America First approach, together with his erratic leadership, is undermining the partnerships and the mutual agreements on which transatlantic  and, indeed, global  cooperation has long been based. Trumps doctrine might please his core constituents, but it fails to account for even the most basic principles and mechanisms of international politics.

For all his supposed deal-making skills, Trump seems not to understand that international agreements work only if they benefit all parties, and that this demands compromise. He is jeopardising the unity of the West, while bringing about negative, lasting change in the world order. Trumps approach to defence, trade, and climate change is emblematic of this pattern.

A strong NATO is in the interests of both the US and the European Union. That is why Trumps often-misleading criticisms of the alliance, which cast doubt on his loyalty to it, were so dangerous. Though Trump eventually endorsed Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty  the mutual-defence commitment that forms the core of NATO  the damage was done. As a result, the West is widely perceived  including by world leaders  to be divided and weak. Russian president, Vladimir Putin, for one, has taken this as a sign that he can continue to challenge the European and global security architecture.

In recent years, Putin has attempted to facilitate his violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries by undermining the cohesion of the EU and NATO, whether through disinformation campaigns or by providing financial support to Euroskeptic and fascist groups in Europe. Trumps equivocation about NATO has played directly into Putins hands.

The good news is that the EU seems to understand that, if it cant rely on the US, it needs to take matters into its own hands, by pursuing more integrated security and defence policies. Last June, EU leaders agreed to activate Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which allows the bloc to implement joint defence projects that strengthen its overall capabilities.

Cooperation among European armed forces must be improved. Collectively, European armies have more soldiers than the US and spend more on defence than Russia or China. But their efficiency is equivalent to just 10-15% that of the US. The lack of effective defence cooperation among EU member states costs up to 100bn annually. Given this, increasing cooperation could not be more important, though European defensive capabilities will be a complement to NATO, not a replacement.

Another policy that could undermine transatlantic security is Trumps decertification of the Iran nuclear deal. Although the deal doesnt address many aspects of Irans destabilising behaviour, especially its threats toward Israel, the EU  and the entire international community  remains convinced that the agreement is needed to enable constructive engagement with Iran. As for trade, Trumps suspicion and rejection of international trade agreements has created a large political vacuum that others  especially China  will seek to fill. As Trump continues to tout his nationalist approach to trade, Americas partners are deepening their relationships with one another. The recent trade deal between the EU  which accounts for more world trade than China and the US combined  and Japan will be the worlds largest.

The EU must recognise that the US will not be as reliable a partner in the coming years as it has been since the end of WWII. Trump wont be president forever, and the ties that bind the US and Europe will outlast him. But the EU needs to protect its own interests.

Elmar Brok is former chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament and a senior official of the CDU Party in Germany.
Globalisation and free trade have beggared millions, but nationalism is inadequate in our interdependent world. Something else is urgently required, says Gordon Brown

PROTECTIONIST and bring-back-control movements will flourish so long as globalisation remains leaderless, lacks a human face, and advances like a runaway train.

Sadly, there are good reasons why globalisation has become a dirty word for millions of people. The pillars of the 30-year-old Washington Consensus have been collapsing. Most now agree that free trade without fair trade creates millions of losers, and some winners. Unregulated capital flows, especially short-term speculative flows, can destabilise economies. Rising social inequalities can be bad for growth.

These realisations are punching holes in the free-market fundamentalism  focused on liberalisation, deregulation, privatisation, tax-cutting, and the shrinking of the state  that has prevailed in policymaking over the last few decades. Ten years after the global financial crisis, we can now accept that individuals and corporations acting solely in their own self-interest do not serve that of the public.

And yet a new economic paradigm for the global age has not emerged. In the resulting vacuum, protectionism, anti-trade populism, and illiberal  often xenophobic  nationalism have gained ground, fueled by anxieties about stagnant wages, technological unemployment, and rising insecurity. Make no mistake: those left out, and left behind, by globalisation are searching for something, and someone, to articulate their discontent and to shelter them from change.

But neither nationalism  whether that espoused by US president, Donald Trump, or its other manifestations  nor overly formulaic or elaborate systems of global governance will meet peoples needs and desires for prosperity, security, equity, and self-determination. The former fails to confront the realities of a world in which our independence is limited by our interdependence; the latter runs counter to a strong current in public opinion favouring more local control.

If we are to tame globalisation and respect national identities, we must strike the right balance between the national autonomy most citizens desire and the international agreements most countries so patently need.

Trumps America First nationalism proposes to cut imports, restrict immigration, and withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement, international organisations, like UNESCO, and free-trade deals. For a country that benefits hugely from its leading role in global supply chains, this is a self-defeating strategy.

Trump doesnt know  or perhaps doesnt want to know  that cutting imports threatens to cut exports, because billions of dollars in US exports rely on imported components. He forgets that the profitability of many US corporations depends more on Asian workers using American technology than on more expensive American workers using the same production techniques. These companies will fight any attempts to limit their access to global supply chains.

The progressive alternative that is usually advanced  responsible nationalism  is essentially a programme to compensate the squeezed middle classes through retraining and wage subsidies. But even professedly generous European welfare systems lift no more than one-third of the poor out of poverty.

In the US, inequalities are now so glaring that the federal, earned income-tax credit provides only 2.5% of what would be needed to restore the distribution of income between the bottom 80% and top 20% to 1980s levels. Former US secretary of the treasury, Lawrence H Summers, has calculated that the top 1% would be required to pay $1trn extra in tax ($700,000 each) per year to close the gap.

Addressing high levels of inequality will require international cooperation to repatriate billions from tax havens. And even then, we would still have to deal with Asian and African countries out-competing the West on price, because of a race to the bottom in labour standards  a root cause of Western wage-stagnation.

The battle against environmental degradation poses the same problem: sustainable progress against pollution cannot be made if nation-states fail to take seriously their responsibilities to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions and switch to renewable energy. Yet, without concerted international action to force free-riders into line, pollution will cross borders, and environmental damage will spread and multiply.

So, there is a limit to national-level solutions. While it is sensible to oppose the wrong kind of global cooperation, the right kind is vital to national prosperity in this hyper-connected era. With market power still expanding at the expense of governments, policies focused exclusively on pulling the levers of the nation-state will fail to deal not just with pollution and inequality, but also with macroeconomic imbalances, beggar-thy-neighbor trade policies and their spillover effects, cyber-attacks, and pandemics  each of which now poses a transnational problem that requires an international response.

Striking the right balance between autonomy and cooperation comes down to being clear about the distinction between nineteenth- and twenty-first-century concepts of state sovereignty. In the former, power is centralised, held by a single state that is seen as indivisible; the latter is focused on popular self-government, with citizens making their own democratic choices about whether power resides locally, nationally, or internationally.

In some areas, citizens will choose their national government as sole decision-maker. In others, they may choose to share decision-making power in regional blocs, like the European Union, or in international organizations, such as the United Nations and NATO, that agree to share responsibilities, resources, and risks.

Getting the balance right is the unstated issue at the heart of the argument, not just about the limits and extent of global cooperation, but also, and more immediately, about the future of the UKs relationship with the EU. Reflexive reactions, like Brexit, America First-style strategies, and overly intricate frameworks of supranational governance are all inadequate to satisfy the modern worlds imperatives to cooperate across borders and to uphold the pride people have in their distinctive national identities.

The balance between national independence and cross-national cooperation will more likely be achieved on an issue-by-issue basis, and the boundaries will shift as the world economy and popular opinion change.

Harvard University economist, Dani Rodrik, whose writings expose the weaknesses of neoliberal globalisation, suggests that, in some areas, we should be expanding or consolidating the nation-states power. Such an approach would recognise, for example, domestic preferences when it comes to food- and product-safety standards, or the need to moderate so-called investor-state dispute settlement processes, which are frequently criticised for undercutting domestic laws.

National governments must also recognise the value of self-imposed restrictions on excessive deficits and surpluses, and resist currency manipulation. But macroeconomic imbalances may be best reduced by reciprocal, cooperative agreements.

Of course, nation-states will want to make their own tax decisions to suit local cultures and circumstances. But a failure to cooperate to tackle unfair tax competition and to close down offshore tax havens will irrevocably damage every countrys revenue base and its domestic plans for spending on education, health-care, and security.

In 2018 and beyond, we should establish realistic plans for responding to the backlash against globalisation by managing globalisation better. No-one has a complete roadmap for balancing national autonomy and international cooperation. But the best way to begin is to focus international, cooperative efforts on areas where the benefits are greatest, or the costs of non-cooperation are the highest. But we will also have to deal directly, and forthrightly, with distributional questions, whether in trade, climate change, investment, or the development and deployment of technologies.

First, it is time to create a worldwide early-warning system for financial markets that is based on globally applicable standards for capital adequacy, liquidity, transparency, and accountability, and which includes agreed trigger points for action when risks multiply. For example, New York University economist, Roman Frydman, has proposed a mechanism to impose a ceiling on new debt-creation when asset prices escalate too quickly.

More broadly, we need to expand the scope of post-crisis financial-restructuring efforts to cover all global financial centres. Otherwise, when the next crisis hits, we will still not know what is owned or owed by whom, where, and on what basis. Critics will be right in asking why we failed to learn from the 2008 financial crisis.

Second, we need to reform global supply and value chains. Of course, we should have fair intellectual-property, tariff, and non-tariff rules. But we must also address the fundamental injustices that are at the heart of global supply chains, fueling todays anti-globalisation protests. Intelligent reform of global supply chains should stamp out environmental free-riders; reverse the current race to the bottom in labour markets; curtail trafficking and money-laundering; eliminate transfer-pricing and tax-avoidance schemes that allow for goods to be taxed  at a lower rate  in countries they never enter; and shut down the tax havens that now hold trillions of dollars.

Third, we need to improve macroeconomic cooperation. For the past decade, growth in global output and trade has been much lower than it should and could have been. Proposals such as the G20 Mutual Assessment Process (MAP) and the International Monetary Funds imbalances initiative have made only token progress.

In 2009, I proposed a nominal growth target for the world economy, to secure a faster recovery from the post-crisis recession.

Then, in 2010, the G20 reached an agreement, under which major exporting countries, such as China, would limit their current-account surpluses to 4%, and major importing countries, such as the US, would cap their deficits.

Robert Skidelsky, of Warwick University, recently updated this Keynesian idea, with a detailed proposal, requiring both creditors and debtors to make adjustments wherever imbalances arise. And Nobel laureate economist, Joseph E Stiglitz, has called for an IMF scheme to insure emerging countries against risk, thereby freeing them from having to hold excessive reserves, which are unproductive in normal times.

Reducing macroeconomic imbalances and boosting growth will require a stronger G20. The premier forum for economic cooperation should have an executive capacity, and a broader and more representative membership.

When I was prime minister of the United Kingdom, the British government fought hard for a world trade deal, while India and America remained at loggerheads over curbing agriculture imports to protect Indian farmers livelihoods.

Today, without Americas help, Pacific-rim countries are discussing their own multilateral trade deals, which suggests that we should be planning for a time, post-Trump, when a new world trade deal might be possible once again.

In the meantime, as Nobel laureate economist, Michael Spence, has eloquently argued, the IMF should be intensifying its focus on global surveillance, in order to identify and remove structural weaknesses in a fast-changing world economy.

It would also help if plans for financing the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 included recapitalising the World Bank to give it more borrowing power.

The banks resources could be increased substantially by merging its low-income-country fund, the International Development Association, with its middle-income-country fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and by encouraging more cooperation between it and other regional development banks.

As participants discussed at the pioneering Billions to Trillions Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, three years ago, development targets for the environment, health, gender equality, and employment call for innovative delivery plans to make the best use of the worlds $160bn aid budget. The International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity, which I chaired, has proposed a private-public financing facility that could complement existing institutions and raise an additional $10bn annually for education worldwide.

More to the point, we must develop mechanisms that go beyond simply holding out a begging bowl. Only through innovation can we adequately provide for the worlds 20m refugees and 60m displaced people, who have suffered untold atrocities, and whom the UN, under Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is working so hard to help.

It is right for the international community to set ambitious development goals. But our failure to deliver on those goals will invite charges of betrayal. Nationalists will continue to argue that mainstream leaders cannot be trusted, and extremists of all stripes will insist that coexistence among countries, cultures, and religions is impossible.

With America in retreat and Brexit threatening to isolate Britain, 2018 will almost certainly have setbacks. But waiting in the wings is a new agenda that can ensure prosperity for all countries, not just through national actions, but also through enhanced international cooperation, starting in the areas with the most promise, and then spreading across the board.

Gordon Brown, former UK prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer, is United Nations special envoy for global education and chair of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. He chairs the advisory board of the Catalyst Foundation.
Brexit and Ireland: The Dangers, the Opportunities, and the Inside Story of the Irish Response, by Tony Connelly

Love it or hate thinking about the issue  and there are equal numbers on both sides of this ditch  Brexit represents the single greatest economic and foreign-policy challenge to the Irish State since the Second World War.

A topic that will clearly run and run through 2018 and beyond, its ultimate outcome will touch every aspect of Irish life. As RTEs long-time Brussels correspondent, Mr Connelly has been delivering soundings on the implications for Ireland over the past 18 months  and here, he digs deeper to impart the dramatic story of the Irish response to this political and economic earthquake that will be part of all our lives for years to come.

Drawing on unprecedented access to insiders in Dublin, London, Belfast and Brussels, the book comes packed with insights about how the EU actually works, complete with revealing stories from the corridors of power.

Mr Connelly talks to the business leaders, farmers, and entrepreneurs on the front lines of the crisis, and traces the various ways in which Brexit is likely to change our lives.

Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money, by Nathaniel Popper

Along with Brexit and Trump, Bitcoin was surely one of the key buzzwords of 2017.

This engrossing history of the so-called cryptocurrency by New York Times reporter Mr Popper delves behind the landmark digital money and financial technology that has spawned a global social movement.

While the notion of a new currency, maintained by computers users around the world, has been the butt of many jokes, it certainly has not stopped it from growing into a technology worth billions of dollars.

Supported by the hordes of followers who have come to view it as the most important new idea since the creation of the internet, believers see the potential for a financial system free from banks and governments, regardless of concerns that it may help to destabilise some of societys most basic institutions.

An unusual tale of group invention, Digital Gold charts the rise of the Bitcoin technology through the eyes of the movements colourful central characters, including an Argentinian millionaire, a Chinese entrepreneur, former Facebook investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, and Bitcoins elusive creator or creators, Satoshi Nakamoto.

Will it last, is the question observers are asking? Bitcoin reached a record high in early December  only to lose about a third of its value in a few days.

Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein

Perhaps not, strictly speaking, a business book in the usual sense of the term, this Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year award winner does excavate the story of an American town when the main employer shut down.

Its the kind of town that probably helped Donald Trump win the White House, and outlines the stories behind the headlines and the anonymous people left behind.

Pulitzer Prize winner Amy Goldstein spent years immersed in Janesville, Wisconsin, where the nations oldest operating General Motors plant shut down in the midst of the Great Recession, just two days before Christmas of 2008.

The hometown of Paul Ryan, current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Janesville is the story of what happens to an industrial town in the American heartland when its factory closes  but not from the usual angles.

Unlike the libraries of books charting the immediate anguish of vanished jobs, Ms Goldstein lived amongst the locals to witness what happened when a community with a can-do spirit tried to pick itself up. Her story delves deep into the follow-on lives of Janesvilles autoworkers, educators, bankers and politicians  and the underlying reasons why such an economic catastrophe leaves scars that never really heal. Its an American story, but could likely apply anywhere.

The Cartel, by Stephen Breen and Owen Conlon

Christy Kinahan is one of Irelands most successful CEOs, running a global multinational with operations on every continent and a turnover in the billions. And thats where the good words end.

Were there a pantheon of the worlds most successful gangsters  and who knows, there may well be such within that shadowy underworld  Mr Kinahan must surely rate a place in the upper podium for the sheer global scale of his business dealings in drugs, guns, and money-laundering.

Having kept relatively under the media radar in his early empire-building days, the scope of his dark world began to emerge around 2010 when police raided gang members homes in Spain, Ireland the UK. Well known to international law enforcement agencies by then, Mr Kinahan was already among the richest criminals in Europe, with an estimated fortune of 750m. It was in 2016, however, that the Irish public began to grasp the sheer scope of the Kinahan empire when a daring gun attack on a suburban Dublin hotel exposed the long-running feud with archrival Gerry Hutch.

Over the past year, the fallout, and body count, from this vendetta has continued to rise  and will doubtless mark 2018 with similar episodes.

Be Like Amazon: Even a Lemonade Stand Can Do It, by Jeffrey and Bryan

Eisenberg

Your brand isnt what you say it is but what your customers say it is.

This is the business mantra underlining this book by a pair of co-authors whose previous output includes Call to Action, Waiting For Your Cat to Bark?, Always Be Testing, and Buyer Legends.

Todays companies are built on action, not just words, they suggest, and Amazon has become one of the most valuable retailers and service companies globally because of its dedication to customer experience and execution in marketing and promotion.

In 2001, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, laid out his plan: We take those funds that might otherwise be used to shout about our service, and put those funds instead into improving the service.

Thats the philosophy weve taken from the beginning  if you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.

Building great customer experiences is not always about investment, rather it requires an intense focus on details and an obsession with delighting customers.

With the four pillars of Amazons success based on customer centricity, continuous optimisation, and what it calls a culture of innovation and corporate agility, the authors suggest that if you look closely youll see that they speed each other up, creating a virtuous flywheel that spins at ever-greater speeds.
The trade deficit could give leverage to Trade Minister Simon Coveney when dealing with British and EU negotiators who meet in Brussels for the third round of talks this week.

Earlier this month, the UK government published two position papers, once again failing to really grasp the basic requirements to ensure that UK-EU trade remains frictionless once Britain and the North leave the EU.

Part of the UK negotiating dialogue has been that the EU has more to lose than the UK if there is a hard Brexit. And they are right, as is well-demonstrated in the UKs half-year trade figures.

The UK imported much more goods (147bn) from the EU than it exported (94bn). This equates to a 100bn net trade loss each year. The EU would be hard-pressed to replace this if a hard Brexit forces trade to be diverted elsewhere and the British know it.

However, Irelands position is different. Imports from Britain (8.2bn) well exceed what they bought from Ireland (7.2 bn) in the year to date. Continuing a long-standing trade trend, this deficit of 2bn per year demonstrates Irelands special position and should be used more aggressively by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney when dealing with London and Brussels.

Preserving the invisible border between the Republic and the North is to be discussed by British and EU Brexit negotiators this week.

And here there is a different trade position again, the North relies very heavily on its trade with the Republic, selling 925m in goods across the border, but importing a third less, in the first half of this year. A hard border would be much more damaging to the frail Northern economy than to traders in the Republic.

However, there is more to the border than trade and Westminster will not wish to have to foot a higher subvention bill to keep the Norths economy afloat or give fuel to the potential of a return to sectarian violence if the region slips into recession on the foot of a hard border.

Perhaps more leadership by Mr Coveney in pulling the two government parties together in the North would pay dividends in ensuring a soft or continued zero border crossing post-Brexit.

At the same time, there are conflicting messages emerging which seem to indicate that traders and consumers are not too worried about the tortuous Brexit negotiations.

The UK Food and Drinks Federation said exports from the UK soared 8.5% to a record high of 10.2bn in the first half of the year, boosted by the lowest value of sterling in over nine years.

The EU remains an essential market for UK exports as well as for supplies of key ingredients and raw materials used by our industry. We believe there are significant opportunities to grow our sectors exports further still said the groups director general Ian Wright.

Irish food and drink exports to the UK were up 7.8% in the first half, boosted by UK retail sales rises as stronger consumer spending on food offset a fall in the purchase of other goods. The Governments position on what happens just after Brexit needs to be spelled out more clearly and the current stance of not helping the UK to find the best solution, will inevitably produce choppy waters.

John Whelan is a leading International trade consultant
New legislation is being introduced which will allow the IAA to charge airlines, airports and firms which provide goods used on airlines and after airport security gates for the cost of ensuring the safety of all goods onboard aircraft and in secure areas of airports.

To date the IAA has met the cost of such oversight through its own resources.

Transport Minister Shane Ross has claimed the establishment of the new levy is a matter of utmost national interest in order for Irelands aviation security regime to comply with enhanced security arrangements being proposed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the EU.

Ireland is currently the only EU member state without a funding mechanism for the oversight of civil aviation security.

The Irish Aviation Authority (Amendment) Bill 2017 is designed to allow the IAA, which has responsibility for civil aviation security since 2013, recoup the cost of increasing its oversight and inspection capabilities.

Oversight involves checks on more than 500 regulated entities including agents which screen aircraft cargo, firms who secure their own goods at source, in-flight suppliers of meals, newspapers and goods sold on board and certified hauliers as well as airlines and airport operators.

Under the proposed legislation, all such firms are liable for the planned levy on a user pays principle.

There are approximately 200 Irish-based manufacturing companies, including many multinationals, which export goods through Irish airports.

Both Aer Lingus and Ryanair said they believed the existing system where the State bears the cost of security-related charges should continue.

It is appropriate that the State should carry the cost related to ensuring that it complies with its international obligations, Aer Lingus said.

The DAA, previously known as the Dublin Airport Authority, argued the funding should be the responsibility of the Department of Transport.

However, the DAA said if a levy was to be introduced, it would be more appropriate for it to be imposed on airlines rather than airports. It suggested airlines could recover the cost from passengers.

The ultimate objective of such regulation is to protect consumers, airlines and other stakeholders. Primarily it is airlines and their passengers, rather than the airport management company, who are the ultimate recipients of the protection afforded, the DAA said.

It added: It is only appropriate that those who benefit from security regulation should be liable for the costs associated with such regulation.

The DAA claimed the charging system proposed under the new bill lacked clarity. It also expressed concern that the new levy could result in increased airport charges which would have a negative impact on the attractiveness of Irish airports.

The Department of Transport has promised that any charges introduced by the DAA will be transparent. It has promised that the size of the levy will be proportionate to the level of activity at the airport.

It also said it did not believe the levy would have any material impact on the cost to consumers of using Dublin Airport.
The department and An Garda Siochana has been rocked by scandals in recent years that have led to the resignation of two ministers, two secretaries general, and the retirement of two Garda commissioners.

Mr Varadkar said he still has concerns about how the department is operating given all that has happened in the past couple of years.

As part of a major overhaul of the Department of Justice and An Garda Siochana, Mr Varadkar said the department will be split next year. One secretary general will remain over both divisions.

What is proposed is an internal division so there would be one secretary general of the department and two deputy secretaries general of the two wings, said Mr Varadkar.

It is our intention to proceed with that reform in 2018, having a new secretary general, and two deputy secretaries general over the two new sections of the department, the Taoiseach told reporters during a round-table briefing.

Mr Varadkar said he had spoken to Kevin Toland  author of the 2014 report which looked at how the department should be reformed  as well as Kathleen OToole, who is heading up the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

In his report, Mr Toland recommended fundamental and sustained organisational and cultural change to address significant leadership and management problems that existed.

Mr Toland advised splitting the department into separate Justice and Home Affairs portfolios.

The Justice division would include civil and criminal law reform, crime and security, and international policy, while Home Affairs would take in policing, prisons, courts, courts, equality, and integration.

He recommended the deputy secretary general take over Home Affairs.

In terms of the Toland report, a good chunk of that has been implemented, a good chunk of it hasnt, said Mr Varadkar.

While a complete split of the department into two separate entities has not been recommended, Mr Varadkar suggested he is open to the more radical measure in the future.

You could go one further; now [Mr Toland] doesnt recommend it, but it would be the norm in other countries. You could go one further and split it into two fully separate departments at a later date.

It is the norm in other countries and, in the case of the UK, you have a department of justice and a department of home affairs.

A slight complication would be the fact that the Constitution only allows for 15 senior cabinet ministers meaning that the creation of two justice departments would mean an existing department would have to be abolished.

I am not yet sure which department people would axe as they all do very important work, he said.

An Garda Siochana has faced numerous controversies in recent years, including the quashing of penalty points; alleged smear campaigns carried out to discredit whistleblowers; the revelation that 2m false alcohol breath tests were recorded; and the uncovering of financial irregularities at the Garda training college in Templemore.

Mr Varadkar said part of the reason why some revelations have emerged in relation to the gardai was due to reforms, such as the Protected Disclosures Act in protecting whistleblowers, and introducing a Policing Authority with civilians in senior positions in the Garda.

When you are reforming something, part of the process is people lifting up mats and looking under rugs and sometimes you see things you dont want to see and you have to deal with them and we are going to deal with them, he said.
Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Transport, and Sport, Brendan Griffin, wants to introduce a scheme where people would volunteer to transport locals in the community for one night a month and, in turn, would be able to avail of the free service any other night they wished.

The Kerry TD has also suggested a Uber-like system could be introduced to bridge gaps in public transport in isolated areas.

Mr Griffin claimed there is no shortage of transport in rural Ireland, but that there is a shortage of available transport.

Rural Ireland is full of cars, rural Ireland is full of buses, but the problem is they are not there when people need them or they are not readily available, said Mr Griffin.

I tried to set up a scheme in my own local parish at home called the Cars for Bars scheme.

Basically, it was a roster of volunteers who, for one night in the month, would make themselves available to drive people to and from the local pub or wherever else they wanted to go in the community.

The benefit for those volunteers was that for every other night in the month they have that service available to them, free of charge.

We couldnt initiate because the insurance companies wouldnt cover it because it was a rostered arrangement and, therefore, there was a public transport element to it.

This is the type of red tape and nonsense that we really need to be getting over.

Mr Griffin has discussed the issue with Transport Minister Shane Ross, who has made contact with the insurance industry.

Thats just one idea, something that could be very easily replicated in every rural community the length and breadth of the country, he said.

I want to see small pubs thriving into the future and surviving because they are an integral part of our tourism product.

People come here to experience the small Irish rural pubs and we dont want to see them closing; we want to see them living on and thats why the Cars for Bars scheme that I was looking at was very important to me.

Regarding a rural-based Uber-like system, Mr Griffin said: We need to start thinking outside the box in terms of rural Ireland. We are never going to be able to afford the type of transport network in rural Ireland that we have in Dawson St or OConnell St in Dublin or anywhere else like that.

What we do need to do is to start embracing technology, we need to look at the likes of Uber, we need to start empowering local communities to help each other, he said.
Local Government Minister Eoghan Murphy had been asked by a local authority to introduce an easy payment method, similar to the TV licence stamp system operated through post offices.

The call was made by Cork County Council after Independent Cllr June Murphy won unanimous support from colleagues and her chief executive, Tim Lucey, to halt the practice of charging some motorists more for acquiring motor tax through quarterly or half-yearly instalments.

The owner of a one-litre car pays 37 extra yearly per year by using the quarterly payment system while its 51 more for motorists driving a car with a 1,401-1,500 cc engine and an additional 114 for two-litre engines.

The department says, on average, half-yearly instalments costs 11% more and quarterly payments average 13 more extra.

North Cork Cllr Gerard Murphy had suggested post offices could be used to administer monthly payment stamps, similar to the TV licence payment process.

But Mr Lucey had said he was only willing to pilot such a scheme through the local authoritys motor tax office if permission was granted by the Government.

However, the ministers private secretary, Niamh Redmond, has advised the county council of a number of reasons why monthly instalments could not be considered.

She said introducing monthly instalments would greatly increase administration costs and could throw up subsequent problems with enforcement and retrieval of discs.

Furthermore, she said that changes of ownership during the monthly instalment period could lead to complications, as would payment by direct debit if there were insufficient funds in a payees account.

Ms Redmond also pointed out introducing such charges would put an extra workload on motor tax offices operated throughout the country by local authorities and the Vehicle Computer Services Division of the Department of Transport, which processes all motor tax transactions, regardless of whether they were completed online or through local authority offices.

She added the loss of 55.3m from the additional money collected via the current system would have to be recouped through increased motor tax charges, or through other taxation.
Kerry Mountain Rescue Team (KMRT) spokesman Alan Wallace said people should enjoy the McGillycuddy Reeks in Co Kerry from the valleys but avoid scaling the peaks unless they have experience of winter climbing.

We have full winter conditions in the Reeks at the moment. It is an environment for experienced climbers only, he said.

There is very deep snow. It is very cold, with a mix of bright sunshine, hail and snow.

People need to have experience of winter mountaineering and especially have experience of navigating in zero visibility. We have had several white-out conditions.

It follows the successful rescue yesterday of a 41-year-old Polish man who began climbing Carrauntoohil alone on Christmas Day with plans to spend the night in a tent. But he raised the alarm by mobile phone on St Stephens Day after his tent collapsed.

KMRT deployed five teams to search for him but attempts to pinpoint his exact location were hampered by poor mobile phone communications and the casualtys broken English.

The rescue effort resumed at first light yesterday.

The Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, was tasked to the area and its crew spotted the man walking down along a ridge known as The Bone.

He was airlifted at around 10.30am from a height of around 800-metres from the Hags Glen/Cnoc na Peiste area, and was flown to Tralee General hospital for a medical assessment.

A spokesman for Valentia Coast Guard, which coordinated the operation, said the man told the helicopter crew he was in good physical condition despite his ordeal. He was also described as an experienced and well-equipped climber, which probably saved his life.

Three people were rescued from Carruantoohil during two call-outs on St Stephens Day. The first operation was mounted around 2pm when a 49-year-old man got into difficulty near the summit of Carrauntoohil.

KMRT escorted him to safety by 9pm. He was suffering from exposure. KMRT escorted two men in the 30s to safety after they made a navigational error as they were descending between the summit and the Devils Ladder. They were escorted to safety by 8pm.

Mr Wallace said if people get into difficulty in the mountains, they should note their location, with a grid reference if possible, the name, gender and age of casualty, the nature of injuries,

There was one fatality in the McGillycuddy Reeks this year, with KMRT helping 37 people during 29 callouts  the equivalent of 1,144 rescue hours on the mountains.
In Donegal, a man visiting with his family from Scotland was knocked down and killed while walking home in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The man, who has been named locally as Sean Heraghty, was killed when he was struck by a car on the outskirts of the popular seaside village of Dunfanaghy.

The victim, who was 26 years old, was struck by a car in the middle of the road at Sandhill around 4.15am.

The car was being driven by a local man who had just collected two other people who had been at a nightclub in the village earlier.

The driver or his passengers were not hurt following the collision.

Gardai and ambulances rushed to the scene of the tragedy but Mr Heraghty was pronounced dead at the scene.

The mans family are understood to be originally from the Falcarragh area of west Donegal and Mr Heraghty had been a regular visitor to the area.

Mr Heraghtys family are understood to have a holiday home in the Dunfanaghy area.

In England, a Limerick man was killed in a car crash just hours before he was due to travel home for Christmas.

Shane Stokes, 29, died late on Saturday following a five-car pile-up in Oxfordshire, England.

He was driving on the M40 to his home in Leamington Spa, West Midlands. He had planned to travel on Christmas Eve morning to London Heathrow, where he was to fly back to Shannon to spend Christmas with his family in Lisnagry, Co Limerick.

His girlfriend, Ashley, with whom he travelled, remains in hospital with serious injuries following the pile-up late on Saturday night.

Tributes have been paid to Shane, who moved to Britain to chase his dream of working in the motor-racing industry.

Meanwhile, in Dublin, gardai are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault on a taxi driver at Lower Baggot St on December 18.

The incident occurred at around 2.30am when a taxi driver picked up a fare at the rank on Stephens Green North and the passenger became disruptive.

The man continued to argue with the driver and struck the door of the cab. The driver tried to get out of the car but as he did, the man slammed the door and it struck the driver in the face, causing serious injuries to the drivers eye.

The suspected offender is described as being aged 25-30, 57 to 58, with short hair, and wearing a casual jacket and shirt. The man had a Dublin accent.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact us Pearse St Garda Station on 01 666 9000.

In a separate incident, a woman was found dead in her Dublin apartment on Tuesday lunchtime but her death was as a result of natural causes, said a spokesman for An Garda Siochana.

Deborah Debbie Holmes, who was aged in her 40s, was found in her first-floor flat on Rathmines Avenue in Dublin 6 shortly after 12.30pm on Tuesday. Her apartment was sealed off for examination and a post-mortem was carried out on her body. Gardai said yesterday that she had died of natural causes.
The pan-stick is being primed and the spandex glitter stretched  Dancing With The Stars is returning to our screens shortly, starring a new bevvy of Irish celebrity talent, which this year includes author and television presenter Maia Dunphy. She cant reveal who her dance partner is quite yet, or give us an inkling of what her first dance might be, but she does let me into a secret. She told her dance partner a big fat lie last night.

Well, it was a white lie really, she tells me, while icing a knee, which has borne the brunt of a week of brutal training and simultaneously playing with her son Tom.

Im going to see Johnnys family in the UK today and my dance partner asked me what time I was flying to see if we could get in a session. Tom is not in creche today, I had no childcare, so I told him I was flying early in the morning  Im not really flying until 4pm.

Maia is feeling broken after the first week of training, and has come to a realisation about her approach to this learning process. My knee is a joke, she says.

It looks like Ive fallen off a motorbike and I only trained four days this week. Ive been doing whatever my dance partner asks of me  Im so eager to please him, but Ive realised that its like studying for me. I cant do eight or nine hours in a row  the knowledge just wont go in.

Fellow contestant, publisher Norah Casey has proven to be a rock of good sense to the mother of one, who is bowing under the pressure of expectation and people pleasing.

The other day we trained for six hours and took an hours break, Maia explains. When I got back, my dance partner was astounded because I was getting everything I had learned wrong. I was so tired. Norah Casey told me not to do more than Im able for, just to try to impress my partner. Its not like youre clocking in and clocking out; the time you put in has to be worthwhile.

With a baby and a career to juggle while her husband comedian Johnny Vegas is working on location, Maia has had to realise her limitations, and her strengths.

Im effectively a single mum here; Johnny hasnt been here in eight weeks, hes flat out working on a movie. My parents are great, they have Tom one day a week, but I have to pick him up from the creche every day at half five and then home to feed him and myself, check emails and other bits of work. Support, says Dunphy, is overflowing amongst the celebrity line up for DWTS.

Our rehearsals are all separate and while we dont see each other on a daily basis, we get along really well, she says. We all met up to do our promo photographs and we were all in these ridiculous rig outs with insane makeup and silly hair and theres a real camaraderie already. The lovely thing is that a lot of people didnt really know about other peoples careers until we all got together, and weve really gelled.

With dancing, or for some, the inability to dance as common ground, the celebrities are boosting each other through the experience.

We have very different age ranges, demographics, backgrounds, careers but whats lovely is that doesnt matter because were all in it for the shared experience. Yesterday I came out to take a break and [former Munster rugby star] Tomas OLeary was there and we chatted non-stop for 10 minutes. I didnt know him from Adam before this, and I dont know anything about rugby, and yet hes my pal.

With such a packed schedule and clear nerves about how she will be received, I ask Maia why she said yes to the opportunity. When they asked me to do this first I said no way. Im not a performer  Im actually quite shy, she maintains.

I have had so much control over everything else Ive done work-wise over the years, its been pre-recorded or Ive written and produced it. If I fluffed a line before, it didnt matter, because it would all be smoothed out in the edit room. With this, its live telly. When I went on The Late Late Show recently I was walking on and my mouth was dry  I know Ryan [Tubridy] really well, I knew what I was talking about, but I was so nervous because there is nowhere to hide on a live show.

And yet, I press, she said yes. Maia says that after sleeping on it, her decision to do the show was a no brainer. I think that most people would probably say yes to this if they were given this opportunity, she offers. My best friend Alice asked me to list the potential negatives of this experience and I said, well I can make a huge fool of myself . She pointed out that even the people who cant dance at all on these shows rarely embarrass themselves, because the audience knows that theyre doing their best.

The production values of the show were a selling point to the television presenter, and the success of last years season made it a much easier decision. Last year, Irish people, who are deeply cynical, took to the show and loved it. The show looks amazing; the same people who make the costumes on the BBC version make our costumes. It was as good as Strictly and I didnt see any negative press throughout last years season. I think last year, they were a brave bunch to say yes, but not this year  we know what we are getting into.

She vehemently insists that she cant dance, saying that on the first day of rehearsal her dance partner was shocked at her lack of skill, but that shes trying her level best.

The professional dancers  particularly the female ones  move in such a different way to us non-professionals. I am so obviously counting the steps in my head, with my shoulders slouched  its dreadful.

She may be extremely self-deprecating about her abilities, and undoubtedly nervous about live television, but Maia is clear about why she said yes to the glittery dresses. The idea of going on telly at my age and making a food of myself definitely makes me feel slightly nauseous. I knew that if I said no, I would find myself on my couch in January, half a stone heavier after Christmas and watching everyone having all this fun that I was missing out on  that made it an easy decision.
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At Samaritan Albany General Hospital, patient and staff infection control starts with a simple premise: wash your hands, especially upon entering or exiting a patients room or surgery suite.

That simple step, coupled with numerous other protocols practiced religiously by everyone in the hospital  including family members visiting patients  has led to it being named as the least infected facility among 61 hospitals in the state for 2016.

The recognition was made by the Portland Business Journal, which tabulated data about five types of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) provided to the Oregon Health Authority by each of the hospitals.

Dan Keteri, the hospitals vice president of patient care, called the recognition awesome," adding that it goes to a culture that permeates throughout every department  from the cafeteria to surgery centers.

We had five total in-hospital infections in 2016, Keteri said. Thats out of thousands of patient days. Our emergency department sees more than 30,000 patients alone every year.

Keteri said four of the infections were of the same type.

We had close to zeroes across the board, Keteri said. Thats our ultimate goal.

The four infections were clostridium difficile (C. diff), a potentially life-threatening infection which can cause colitis, an inflammation of the colon. The bacteria are present in the air, water, soil and feces, and can be spread in hospitals or nursing homes where employees are likely to come into contact with the spores.

Keteri said the spores have a hard shell surrounding them and a single spore can be hard to get at, and can still cause infections.

To attack the problem, Samaritan Albany General Hospital added a misting system to its room sanitation protocol.

It emits a mist of hydrogen peroxide and gets into every nook and cranny in the room, Keteri said. We let that sit for 45 minutes and then our staff wipes everything down with Clorox bleach.

The hospital also reported a catheter-caused urinary tract infection.

Keteri said there are hand-sanitizing stations at every entrance of the hospital and every patient room.

Washing hands is automatic with our staff, Keteri said of the procedure. We do hundreds of inspections per month in every department. If we see someone we think hasnt washed their hands, we ask them about it. Its an educational system, not punitive.

Keteri said there is no compromise when it comes to the rules.

Anyone can do this, you just have to be vigilant every single day, every single time, Keteri said.

Keteri said he has been with the hospital 2 years, and during that time he and other staff members have put on a full court press in terms of infection control.

Allison Reid is the surgery nursing supervisor and said it feels great to learn about this recognition. We spend about 2,500 hours together every year, so we get to be a family. We have a lot of time together to get on the same page about this issue. We hold each other to high standards.

Reid has worked at the Albany hospital for 30 years and said staff members, take this subject very personally within our team.

Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis was ranked eighth on the list of hospitals.

Nationwide, Hospital Acquired Infections affect more than 1.7 million patients and lead to 99,000 deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
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I think the time has come to remind all Americans everywhere of a few things our forefathers wrote down about 200 years ago about the rights of man. I do this out of concern about our government, who seem to have forgotten the will of the people, and why they were elected.

Article 1: All men are born and remain free with equal rights.

Article 2: The purpose of all political parties is the safeguarding of the natural and alienable rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to tyranny.

Article 3: The principle of all government lies in the nation itself. No group or individual can excise any authority that does not expressly emanate from the people.

Article 4: Liberty consists of the freedom to do all that does not harm others.

Article 5: The law has the right to forbid only those things which are harmful to society.

Article 6: The law is an expression of the will of the people. All citizens have the right to assist personally or through their elected representatives.

Get involved, citizens! We are at a very dangerous point in our history. Voice and vote your opinion. It is critical to our survival as a free nation.

Bob Uriarte

Lebanon (Dec. 10)
THOMASVILLE  Police are investigating a bank robbery that occurred Tuesday afternoon.

A woman robbed the Wells Fargo at 804 Randolph St. just before closing, at 4:56 p.m., Thomasville police said.

Walking up to a teller's window, the suspect showed a gun and demanded money, police said. After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, the woman left the bank on foot.

No one was injured during the crime.

Police described the robber as 5-feet, 3-inches tall, weighing about 125 pounds and wearing a black jacket, black pants, black gloves and a black cap.

Anyone with information can call 336-475-4260 or Crime Stoppers at 336-476-8477.
Alexander C. Ewing, chancellor emeritus of UNC School of the Arts, died early Wednesday morning, surrounded by family members who had come from New York to be with him, according to Alexander Sandy Ewing Jr., his son. He died of respiratory failure.

Although his most beloved roles were those of university chancellor and father, Ewing played many parts in his 86 years, including journalist, arts administrator and cattle rancher.

He was enormously fun, Sandy Ewing said. He was an extraordinary storyteller. ... He had a fictional Uncle Louie from Hackensack who was always getting into trouble.

And he loved holidays. We lived in a very big house, and he would bring in 100 yards of greenery every Christmas. ... At Halloween, he would scare all of our friends. He made the most of everything.

Ewings generosity, big-heartedness and devotion to the School of the Arts have secured his legacy in the local arts community and beyond.

Alex Ewing led the School of the Arts through a decade of extraordinary growth and artistic achievement, said Lindsay Bierman, the current chancellor. He loved the school to this day and remained a guiding force and beloved figure on our campus. Long after retirement, he continued to give of himself to benefit future generations of aspiring young artists.

Personally, Ive lost a very special friend, mentor, role model and trusted confidant. He meant more to me and the UNCSA community than I could ever say.

Ewing was chancellor from 1990 to 2000.

He loved the School of the Arts and everything about it, Sandy Ewing said. Along with his family  and we competed hard to stay at the same level in his hierarchy  he would want to be remembered as the chancellor of UNCSA. He loved the faculty. He loved the students. They are so impressive and hard-working ... and he just loved them.

Before coming to Winston-Salem, Ewing was a founder and general director of the Joffrey Ballet, which began in New York, then moved to Chicago. He also was founder and president of the Foundation for American Dance.

A graduate of Yale University, Ewing came to the School of the Arts with a unique background as the owner of one of the foremost herds of champion Polled Hereford cattle in the country.

He had bought this big place in the country, and he wanted us to grow up there, Sandy Ewing said. Hes this city kid, but because he knows how to get along with people, he knows how to find the best people and treat them right and create loyalty, he was able to succeed at the most unlikely things.

He was so open to new things. How could this guy who never saw a cow in his life create a champion herd? And then this guy from New York with no connection to the South, absolutely no background or knowledge to run a university, gets himself hired to be the chancellor of the N.C. School of the Arts.

In 1993, Ewing presided over the founding of the School of Filmmaking, where the three-theater exhibition complex is named ACE  for Alex C. Ewing  in his honor.

The idea (of creating a film school) had been around for a while, Ewing said during an interview for a retrospective. It was not revolutionary.

But while others had only dreamed of the possibilities, Ewing made the film school a reality. I thought it was imperative to complement the training of the students, particularly those in Drama and Design and Production, he said. And there was a strong possibility of students getting jobs in film.

The school is now ranked among the best in the country.

During his tenure, Ewing oversaw the schools successful $25 million capital campaign, primarily for scholarships and the endowment, which was increased from $4 million to $15 million under his leadership.

Tom Brown was Ewings special assistant during his time at UNCSA.

We were lifelong friends to this day, Brown said. In all matters, large and small, I did whatever it took to make things work.

Among those matters was an eight-week summer institute in Festival Park at Manteo, which provided a showcase for the school to attract new audiences.

He came to the school, because he loved it, Brown said. He came to Winston-Salem, because he loved it, and a lot of people loved him in return.

In 2016, Chancellor Emeritus Ewing gave a $5 million gift to UNCSA, which serves as a lead gift in a comprehensive fundraising campaign now under way. One of the largest gifts in the 50-year history of the school, it will result in the renaming of the largest performance venue on campus: the Alex C. Ewing Performance Place.

At his heart, he was the most generous person I have ever known, Brown said. His love for the school was the defining thing in his life. His love for it literally drove him.

Also in 2016, Ewing made a $1 million scholarship gift in honor of his late wife, Sheila Cobb Ewing, who died in November 2015. Called the Alex and Sheila Ewing Scholarship Fund, small amounts go to each of the five arts schools each year, strictly based on merit, Brown said.

At Sheila Ewings funeral, he read the childrens poem, The Owl and the Pussycat, which Ewing had read to her when he first proposed marriage. It expressed Ewings love not only for his wife but also for art and whimsy.

Ewings mother, Lucia Chase Ewing, co-founded and was artistic director of American Ballet Theatre in New York. She was also a principal ballerina with the company.

In 2009, the University Press of Florida published BRAVURA! Lucia Chase & the American Ballet Theatre, written by Ewing. The book chronicles in lively detail the story of his mothers legacy.

Ewing had been associated with the School of the Arts since 1985, when he accepted the position as chairman of the Board of Visitors, succeeding Roger L. Stevens.

In 1988, he established the Lucia Chase Endowed Fellowship for Dance at the school, in memory of his mother. The fellowship provides funding for world-renowned guest artists in the School of Dance, including Margot Fonteyn, Bill T. Jones, Natalia Makarova, Agnes de Mille and Twyla Tharp.

Though from New York, Ewing continued to live in Old Salem after he retired.

It was because the School of the Arts and his enormous network of friends that he stayed here instead of returning to New York, Sandy Ewing said.

Milton Rhodes, president and chief executive of the Arts Council of Forsyth County from 1971 to 1985 and again from 2004 to 2014, worked frequently with Ewing.

Alex was to me a true Renaissance man. He was leader, distinguished, respected, Rhodes said. Ten years in an arts job is amazing. He could handle every aspect of the arts: dance, drama, design and production. He was so proud of the school.

He appreciated everybody. He loved all of us, all who knew him. He was a master of what it takes to run the School of the Arts. He was into diversity and inclusivity before any of the rest of us were.

I just loved him. We all loved him.

Ewing is survived by four children: son Sandy Ewing and daughter Caroline Ewing of New York; son Eric Ewing of Millbrook, N.Y.; stepdaughter Cecilia Clarke of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and eight grandchildren.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Pauls Episcopal Church, 520 Summit St.
WASHINGTON  Grit your teeth. Persevere. Just a few more days and this awful, rotten, no-good, ridiculous, rancorous, sordid, disgraceful year in the civic life of our nation will be over. Heres hoping that we all  particularly special counsel Robert Mueller  have a better 2018.

Many of us began 2017 with the consoling thought that the Donald Trump presidency couldnt possibly be as bad as we feared. It turned out to be worse.

Did you ever think you would hear a president use the words very fine people to describe participants in a torchlit rally organized by white supremacists, neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan? Did you ever think you would hear a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations thuggishly threaten that she would be taking names of countries that did not vote on a General Assembly resolution the way she wanted? Did you ever think the government of the worlds biggest military and economic power would reject not just science but empiricism itself, preferring to use made-up alternative facts as the basis for major decisions?

We knew that Trump was narcissistic and shallow, but on Inauguration Day it was possible to at least hope he was self-aware enough to understand the weight that now rested on his shoulders, and perhaps grow into the job. He did not. If anything, he has gotten worse.

By all accounts, the president spends hours each day watching cable news, buoyed by the shows that blindly support him  Fox & Friends, Hannity, a few others on Fox News  and enraged by those that seek to hold him accountable. His aides have had to shorten and dumb-down his daily briefings on national security in an attempt to get him to pay attention. Members of his Cabinet try to outdo one another in lavishing him with flowery, obsequious praise that would embarrass the Sun King.

Trump and his enablers have waged a relentless war against truth in an attempt to delegitimize any and all critical voices. He wields the epithet fake news as a cudgel against inconvenient facts and those who report them. Can a democracy function without a commonly accepted chronicle of events and a commonly acknowledged encyclopedia of knowledge? We are conducting a dangerous experiment to find out.

To understand how deviant the Trump administration is, consider this: Since its founding, the nation has treasured civilian control of the military as a restraint on adventurism. Now we must rely on three generals  Trumps chief of staff, his national security adviser and his secretary of defense  to keep this rash and erratic president from careening off the rails.

The presidents Republican allies in Congress, who have the power to restrain an out-of-control executive, have rolled over in passive submission. Many see clearly Trumps unfitness but continue to support him because they fear the wrath of his hard-core base and see the chance to enact a conservative agenda. History will remember this craven opportunism and judge it harshly.

I havent even mentioned Trumps nepotism  installing his daughter and son-in-law as high-ranking advisers, with portfolios they are in no way qualified to handle  or his inability to staff the executive branch with the best-and-brightest types who customarily serve. The Trump administration is not only transgressive, it is also mediocre.

The year has been terribly depressing  but not paralyzing. Lets end on a more positive note.

The day after Trumps inauguration, a much larger crowd descended on Washington for the Womens March, an immense show of resistance. That passion might eventually have faded away, but all evidence suggests it has not. If anything, it seems to have intensified.

In November, Democrat Ralph Northam won the governors race in Virginia, a purple state, by a surprisingly big nine-point margin. His coattails were long enough to elect so many Democrats to the state House of Delegates that control of the chamber is still undecided pending recounts. And then on Dec. 12, Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a special election for a U.S. Senate seat  in Alabama, of all places, one of the most Republican states in the nation.

These races were not about Ds versus Rs. They were about sanity versus insanity, reason versus chaos. They were about Trump, and he lost.

So Godspeed to the Mueller investigation, but let him worry about that. The rest of us  Democrats, independents, patriotic Republicans  should work toward the November election. Our duty is to elect a Congress that will bring this runaway train under control.
You know how Hollywood doesnt make original movies anymore? Well, Downsizing is here to fix that. Weird and wonderful, zigging where it should zag and zagging where it should zig, this wildly imaginative flight of fancy strikes an admirably poised balance between whimsy, screwball comedy, social satire and generous meditation on the foibles and highest aspirations of human nature.

Those contradictory, sometimes confounding tones are ably juggled by Matt Damon, who assumes his most unassuming dad-bod accessibility to play Paul Safranek, a mild-mannered occupational therapist who works at Omaha Steaks in Nebraska. Downsizing takes place in an indeterminate future, 10 years after researchers in Scandinavia have discovered a method of cellular reduction that can safely shrink human beings to the size of Barbie dolls, thereby dramatically staving off their ruinous impact on the globes vanishing resources.

As the film opens, not everyone has gone small. But Paul, whose dutiful sense of helpfulness at work extends to his marriage to Audrey (Kristen Wiig), is intrigued. When friends show up at a party extolling the virtues of tiny living, the couple embarks on a tour of an all-small development called Leisure Land, where even modest means can bankroll a lifestyle of McMansion-esque luxury and manicured safety. In Leisure Land, a little goes a long way  literally, and figuratively.

Directed by Alexander Payne from a script he wrote with Jim Taylor, Downsizing isnt played for broad, Honey, I Shrunk Matt Damon laughs. As is the case with so many of Paynes films, the comedy here is mostly observational, with gentle sight gags and inventive camera work and stagecraft drawing viewers almost immediately into an alternate but entirely believable world.

Supported by an ingeniously banal production design by Stefania Cella, Payne and his team never make their miniaturized aesthetic over-cute, or an obvious punchline (although theres a perfectly adorable moment when recently shrunk patients are gently transferred from gigantic gurneys to their now appropriately doll-sized beds). Instead, they create a world whose contours and dimensions feel at once alien and familiar, up to and including the geographic boundaries of Leisure Land that suggest it may not be the Edenic utopia its diminutive residents might think.

Tasked with leading viewers through what becomes an increasingly bizarre and labyrinthine adventure, Damons Everyman is a capable, if sometimes bemused guide, bringing his best self to bear when he falls in with a sybaritic neighbor named Dusan (Christoph Waltz), a South Asian domestic worker named Tran (Hong Chau) and, eventually, a polyglot cast of characters who embody a human race thats just as chaotic, pluralistic, tragic and inspiring at five inches tall as it is at five feet. There is cynicism on view in Downsizing: Along with such fellow directors as Darren Aronofsky and Guillermo del Toro, Payne is clearly distressed at the social, political and environmental degradation he sees around him. But rather than succumbing to despair, he chooses to honor the struggle between our worst and best selves.

Downsizing touches knowingly on such present-day issues as climate change, immigration, widening wealth disparity and terrorism. But its deepest philosophical issues, and their most confrontational crux, play out in Pauls evolving relationship with Tran, portrayed by Chau in a performance that is spiky, endearing, bracingly direct and touchingly expressive.

As the story makes its circuitous way through its surprising dog legs, what viewers suspect is going to be a patronizing fable of acceptance and tolerance instead becomes much tougher and more honest, with Pauls interior journey taking on an almost spiritual dimension of self-reckoning. You never quite know where Downsizing is going, and that is by design: Payne is unafraid to cultivate destabilization in his audience that some members will find off-putting, others liberating.

The rewards are rich and revelatory in a film that doesnt soft-pedal the woes facing the planet, but celebrates the kind of direct, healing action that makes it worth fighting for, even in the face of certain doom.
LAS VEGAS  Barrick Mining Corp. donated $324,370 to Communities In Schools of Nevada to support initiatives in northeastern Nevada, Southern Nevada and the state office that help improve student outcomes.

Our donation helps support the caring on-site professionals necessary to provide critical integrated student support services for children, said Michael Brown, president of Barrick U.S.A. Every student, especially those in vulnerable communities, deserves a chance to be successful. We at Barrick believe its our responsibility to help align resources that fit the needs of every child in Nevada.

We are so grateful for the incredible partnership Barrick provides the students in both Las Vegas and Elko, said Dr. Tiffany Tyler, CEO of CIS of Nevada. Through their financial and volunteer contributions to our organization over the years, we are able to tailor the support we can provide our students so they are able to stay in school and succeed in life.

Cumulatively, Barricks most recent efforts support more than 12,600 students across Nevada. Barrick has supported the organization since 2009 and during that period of time has donated $2.1 million to the CIS of Nevada.

In Northeastern Nevada, Barricks donation supports Adobe Middle School, Elko High School and the Little Red Caboose, the only childcare center that operates in Carlin. In Southern Nevada, Barricks donation supports Johnston Middle School and Cheyenne High School.

Barrick has also provided additional support in the form of senior staff on the CIS of Nevada board, computers, clothing and school supplies and field trips to the Nevada Ballet Theatres Nutcracker.

In addition to the corporate donation, Barricks employees also raised funds for CIS this year. On Dec. 16, employees at the Cortez and Goldstrike operations raised and additional $4,370 for CISNortheastern Nevada affiliate. CIS will use the funds for administrative costs in the 2018 school year.
KEARNEY  Fireworks are not allowed to be sold or discharged over the New Years holiday in Kearney, according to a press release today from the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department and city of Kearney.

Although the state of Nebraska has legalized the sale of fireworks from Dec. 28-Jan. 1, cities may prohibit the sale and discharge of fireworks within the limits of the city, the press release reminded Kearney residents.

Anyone with questions or concerns about the citys fireworks regulations can contact KVFD at 233-3226.
FILE- In this Dec. 17, 2015, file courtroom sketch, from left, defense attorney Baruch White, pharmaceutical entrepreneur Martin Shkreli, defense attorney Jonathan Sack and co-defendant Evan Greebel, appear in court in New York. Greebel, a lawyer accused of helping Shkreli cover up a financial fraud, was convicted of conspiracy charges Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, by a federal jury in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)
Dave and Patty Price of Kelowna carry their hot cups of coffee while walking through the snow along Water Street in front of Stuart Park. The Prices are getting used to Canadian winter weather after recently moving to the Okanagan from Texas.
A police car is parked outside an apartment building where the bodies of sisters aged four and six were found by police on Boxing Day in the community of Oak Bay in Victoria, B.C., on Wednesday, December 27, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
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FILE- In this Dec. 11, 2017, file photo, U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks at a campaign rally in Midland City, Ala. Moore is going to court to try to stop Alabama from certifying Democrat Doug Jones as the winner of the U.S. Senate race. Moore filed a lawsuit Wednesday evening, Dec. 27, 2017, in Montgomery Circuit Court. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
ELKO  Elko Police Department staff will be increasing patrols on New Years Eve.

The extra workforce over the holiday weekend is designed to address drunken driving and other safety concerns, according to Lt. Mike Palhegyi.

Police suggest anyone out drinking in public be sure to have a designated driver or take a taxi home, so they do not drive while intoxicated.

The blood alcohol limit in Nevada is 0.08 percent, and lower for minors and commercial vehicle drivers. Other substances, including legally purchased marijuana, can also result in a DUI conviction.

Drivers are required to submit to drug or alcohol testing at an officers request under the implied consent law.
A small group of supporters of former President Alberto Fujimori talk outside the clinic where the jailed leader was hospitalized, in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017. Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski granted a medical pardon to the jailed former strongman who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
FILE - This Nov. 8, 2008, file photo shows the house in St. Johns, Ariz., where Vincent Romero and Timothy Romans, of San Carlos, Ariz., were found fatally shot. Police said Romero's 9-year-old son, who was 8 at the time, used a rifle to shoot the men as they returned home from work. A judge overseeing the case of the now teenager, who was charged in a double homicide when he was 8 years old, heaped praise on him Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, for the progress he's made. He turns 18 on Friday, marking the end of probation. (AP Photo/Dana Felthauser, File)
FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2016 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves as she arrives to vote at her polling place in Chappaqua, N.Y. Vanity Fair is trying to defuse criticism of a video mocking Clinton and her presidential aspirations. In a statement Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, the magazine said the online video was an attempt at humor that regrettably "missed the mark." (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Rosanna Camilleri, right, the wife of late California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Camilleri Sr, hugs CHP officer Jonathan Velazquez following a bell ringing ceremony held at the highway patrol academy Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, in West Sacramento, Calif. Camilleri Sr, was sitting into the passenger seat of the patrol vehicle operated by Velazquez, that was parked on the shoulder of Interstate 880 Christmas Eve night when their vehicle was struck by vehicle that drifted off the highway. Velazquez suffered miner injuries, was treated and released from a nearby medical center. The driver of the other vehicle, who was believed to be under influence of marijuana and alcohol at the time of the accident, remains in the hospital with serious injuries. Officials fear such drug-impaired-accidents will increase after California legalizes the sale of recreational marijuana Jan. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Its that time of year again.

Wisconsin is one of 23 states reporting widespread influenza activity, along with nearby Illinois and Indiana, according to new findings from the Centers for Disease Control.

The state Department of Health defines influenza as a contagious disease caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract. The viruses cause mild to severe illness, sometimes leading to death. Influenza symptoms often begin suddenly, with fever, headache, tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches, according to the CDC.

The government is urging people to get a flu shot and people experiencing flu-like symptoms may benefit from antiviral drugs. Such drugs are an important second line of defense that can be used to treat flu illness and should be taken as early as possible, according to the CDC.

By protecting ourselves with a flu shot, were also helping to protect our family, friends, co-workers, and the rest of our community, said state health officer Karen McKeown in a news release.

Those who are strongly encouraged to receive the flu shot include:

People 65 years old and older.

People with chronic health issues, like heart disease and diabetes.

Pregnant women.

People around other people at work or school.

In addition to the flu shot, the Department of Health recommends people:

Wash their hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Cover their coughs or sneezes, and try to avoid touching the face area.

Never share drinking cups, straws and utensils.

When possible, avoid being exposed to people who are sick with flu-like symptoms.

Frequently clean commonly touched surfaces, like doorknobs, the refrigerator handles, phones and faucets.

National spike

Seasonal influenza activity increased sharply across the nation this month, according to the CDCs FluView report. The number of states reporting widespread flu activity jumped from 12 to 23, and the proportion of samples testing positive for influenza at clinical laboratories rose from about 8 percent to 14 percent.

In addition, the percentage of people seeking outpatient care for influenza-like illness increased from 2.7 percent to 3.5 percent.

Influenza-like illness has been at or above the national baseline for four weeks so far this season. During recent seasons, influenza-like illness remained at or above baseline for 13 weeks on average. H3N2 viruses continue to dominate.
ELKO  A new elementary school coming to Spring Creek was the most read education topic in 2017.

Overcrowding at Spring Creek Elementary led the Elko County School Board to buy an 11-acre parcel from the Spring Creek Association to build a school in the Marina Hills area.

After a study of the sites available in Spring Creek by third-party consultants, land at 250 Parkchester Drive was selected as the best place to build a new elementary school. Groundbreaking is expected next spring and will closely follow the design and plans used for West Wendover Elementary, completed in 2016.

The decision to build another school followed a study by Davis Demographics into projected population growth in Elko County, particularly Elko and Spring Creek.

With some schools at or near capacity, modulars at Sage Elementary School, Spring Creek Elementary and Southside Elementary schools and new classrooms at Sage Elementary were added for breathing room.

Superintendent Jeff Zander and said the district optimistically hopes to open the school in 2019.

In other top school stories:

 Elko County School District employees cheered when the school board approved 24 buyouts in April, releasing teachers, administration and staff from their contracts. Buyouts were denied by the board last year, prompting several teachers and staff to attend the meeting and petition for early retirement.

 The discovery of a rabid bat in a classroom ceiling at Grammar No. 2 Elementary School delayed the first week of school. The school district closed the school until the Nevada Department of Wildlife declared it safe. Crevices were caulked and nets were installed to prevent migratory bats from nesting in the buildings.

 Great Basin Colleges two-year and four-year nursing program was ranked No. 1 out of 13 nursing programs in the state. In 2017, for the fifth year in a row, 100 percent of graduated nursing students passed the NCLEX-RN exam.

 Lizzy Pritchett showed Great Basin College and Spring Creek High School graduates that anything was possible if you set your mind to it. A quadriplegic since an accident in 2011, Pritchett received her associates of science degree and embarked on a new career as a motivational speaker, giving her first speech at the SCHS commencement ceremony.
Gyms across the country will be packed this week with people vowing to get moving to lose weight this year.

Much of the effort will be for naught. And, in fact, some of it could lead to injury and frustration.

Currently, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exercise guidelines call for all individuals to do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week. In addition, the CDC recommends two days of strength training, or muscle strengthening, for obese people.

I am a physician assistant and exercise physiologist from the Lifestyle Modification Clinic at UConn Health. Current recommendations seem extremely unrealistic, considering less than 10 percent of all individuals meet these criteria for exercise, even without the resistance exercises.

Weve lost the focus on using the guidelines only as guidelines, and not individualizing an exercise prescription for our patients. We need to be smarter about prescribing it, and heres why.

A customized approach

The medical profession has learned a few things in recent years about exercise and the obese and those who have become diabetic as a result. All exercise is not created equal, and neither are its benefits.

For those who want to burn fat, aerobic exercise is important. Fat metabolism is greatest during aerobic exercise which is achieved during moderate intensity exercise.

Type 2 diabetes is due to insulin resistance, so the exercise that is more effective to increase insulin sensitivity is more specific to the duration of the exercise than the intensity.

But overweight and obese people may not be able to do either of these without injuring themselves. The Hippocratic oath, whereby doctors pledge to first do no harm, gets lost with the prescription of exercise with most individuals. The risk of injury and noncompliance should be the first two things when discussing an exercise routine.

The risk of injury for all individuals, especially of the lower extremities, such as plantar fasciitis and knee pain, is up to four times greater doing high-intensity exercise, such as jogging compared to moderate intensity, such as walking. Obese individuals are at even greater risk.

The risk of injury drives noncompliance, especially with higher-intensity exercise. Educating patients about the benefits of breaking up prolonged sitting throughout the day has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity for diabetics which will help motivate them to start making little changes to start. This will allow them to make realistic changes and even those will have benefits.

Walking the walk

Understanding the importance of exercise, you would assume that physicians spend a lot of time counseling on exercise.

However, in 2010, fewer than 31 percent of physicians recommended physical activity for overweight and less than 47 percent for obese people during an office visit. This was an increase, however, from fewer than 17 percent for overweight and 35 percent for obese in 2000.

This could be partly due to how health care providers are educated, with less than 20 percent of medical schools in the U.S. even requiring one class in physical activity or exercise. More than half of the physicians trained in the United States in 2013 received no formal education in physical activity and may, therefore, be under prepared to properly advise about exercise.

Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk up to 50 percent for all people from becoming diabetic, and since obese individuals are at greater risk, they would benefit the most. For physicians, the challenge is how to help obese patients understand this and help them become more active.

The first thing is to educate our health care professionals during their medical education on exercise physiology and the medical importance of physical activity which will help them give an appropriate exercise prescription.

It has been shown that the more the physicians focus on exercise, the more likely patients will exercise.

Also, the more we doctors go into our patients lifestyle and find ways to get them moving more and being respectful of them, the more successful they will be. We need to get outside of our box of guidelines and listen to our patients. An example would be to go for a walk during their visits.

Patients walking with their doctors can help doctors assess patients fitness levels. Health care providers can assess whether patients have any limitations such as knee or back pain. They also can explain the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise, which is best done by explaining the talk test. If you can talk but not sing while exercising, you are maintaining aerobic metabolism, which burns fats and is good for weight loss. If you are unable to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath, you will then be exercising anaerobically and burning sugar.
Aut Even Hospital has been granted planning for an ambitious 8 million investment which will see the development of a state-of-the art purpose built, radiology suite on the site of the existing facility.

The new diagnostics department will include the most technologically advanced diagnostic equipment available on the market and will offer patients access to a new MRI (with cardiac capability), CT (Computed Tomography), XRay and Ultrasound machines.

Considerable work has been going on in the background to ensure that this new development adequately addresses the future needs of patients and GPs in the South-East catchment area.

This includes the introduction of a new software solution which will provide instant access to image scans, making them accessible to any authorised personnel from any computer on the hospital network, thus improving patient care and workflow efficiencies.

This new system will also allow the Hospital to receive electronic referrals and electronically send reports back to GPs. The new system will bring huge improvements in staff workflow efficiencies and deliver benefits to both patients and their referring GPs.

Tireless work has also been done in terms of the design of the new unit to ensure that in-patients and out-patients are appropriately catered for. Decisions regarding equipment and service providers have also been progressing in the past few months. It is expected that the Hospital will commence initial ground works in December of this year.
Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE

Ameriabank Launches Google Pay and Google Wallet Support for Card Users in Armenia

Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases.

UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS

Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts

Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Google Ad

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces
HANOI, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0405 GMT.

December 28 USD/VND mid-point 22,426 USD/VND interbank 22,708/22,711 USD/VND unofficial 22,720/22,740 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.35/36.62

Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.8-1.6

1 week 0.8-1.8

1 month 2.2-3.0

3 months 4.4-4.8

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
* China copper imports trigger rally this week

* Chile labour negotiations come into view

By Pratima Desai

LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Copper prices jumped to a four-year peak on Thursday as funds bet on strong demand in top consumer China and supply disruptions in top producer Chile leaving the market short of the metal used widely in power and construction.

Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.3 percent at $7,264 a tonne at around 1215 GMT from an earlier $7,312.5, its highest since January 2014. It is up more than 30 percent so far this year.

"Funds are on a buying spree, but the timing and strength is surprising," said Quantitative Commodity Research consultant Peter Fertig. "Fundamentals are good. China is a growing economy, it will need more copper. The risk of strikes in Latin America due to labour negotiations is looming."

China accounts for about half of global copper demand estimated at around 23.5 million tonnes.

That is why a surge in its imports to 329,168 tonnes in November, up 19 percent from the same period a year ago, triggered a buying frenzy this week. Analysts estimate China's copper demand growth could be as high as three percent in 2018 from around two percent this year.

They will be watching surveys of purchasing managers in China's manufacturing sector and industrial production growth, which are typically used as lead indicators for copper demand.

"Heading into next year, a case can be made for a relatively higher trading range for copper compared to what we saw in 2017," INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir said in a note.

Meir expects the copper market to see a 130,000 tonne deficit next year after a shortfall of 95,000 tonnes this year.

"One variable that should help the market next year is the fact that there will be a series of key labor negotiations that could potentially impact a substantial amount of metal."

Given copper's 70 percent gains since hitting a 6-1/2 year low of $4,318 in January 2016, expectations are for unions to be more militant, particularly given the concessions they made when prices were tumbling.

Analysts at Citi say there are over 30 labour contracts, covering around five million tonnes of mine supply, due to expire next year, most of them in Chile and Peru.

"The largest identifiable potential issue concerns the Escondida contract due June, 2018, given the 2 month strike earlier this year," they said.

"To reflect elevated supply risks over the next 12 months we assume a 6.0 percent disruption allowance for 2018 or 1.26 million tonnes vs 5.2 percent average since the financial crisis or 970,000 tonnes."

Also helping copper is the lower U.S. currency, down 10 percent since the start of this year against a basket of other major currencies, making dollar-priced commodities cheaper for holders of other currencies. This relationship is used by funds which trade using buy and sell signals generated by numerical models.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ China Copper imports China manufacturing PMI vs LME price Chile copper output LME copper vs dollar index ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Editing by David Evans and Mark Potter)
VIENNA, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Erste Group Bank said on Thursday it sold its 10.21 percent stake in Austrian real estate group S Immo to Austrian investor Ronny Pecik's RPR Privatstiftung, which now holds the biggest stake in the company at around 22 percent.

According to Reuters calculations based on Wednesday's closing price, the 6.8 million shares are worth around 107 million euros ($127.82 million).

Erste said the two parties had agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Pecik had previously held a stake in Telekom Austria which he later sold to Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim's America Movil , which subsequently took control of the part-state owned group.

($1 = 0.8371 euros)

(Reporting By Shadia Nasralla, editing by David Evans)
ISTANBUL, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Thursday.

The lira was trading at 3.8140 against the U.S. dollar at 0510 GMT, unchanged from its close on Wednesday.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was at 11.93 percent in spot trade on Wednesday and rose to 11.94 percent in Thursday-dated trade.

The main BIST 100 share index rose 0.13 percent to 112,149.71 points on Wednesday.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares rose to a one-month high on Thursday and were on track for their best annual performance since 2009, while commodity-driven currencies were buoyed by a strong copper, which held near a four-year peak. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.5 percent at 565.92 points, a level last visited in late November. It has rocketed more than 32 percent in 2017. ERDOGAN

President Tayyip Erdogan will make a speech at an awards ceremony of the TUBITAK scientific and technological research council (1100 GMT). He will also meet Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono (1000 GMT) and the head of the MIT national intelligence agency Hakan Fidan (1530 GMT).

JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will meet his Japanese counterpart Kono and they will hold a joint news conference.

ECONOMIC CONFIDENCE INDEX The Turkish Statistical Institute will announce the economic confidence index for December (0700 GMT).

EMLAK KONUT The state-controlled real estate investment trust said a shopping mall in the Metropol Istanbul project had been sold for 1.36 billion lira ($357 million) including value-added tax, with Emlak Konut's share of the sale being 587.7 million lira.

For other related news, double click on:

Turkish politics Turkish equities Turkish money Turkish debt Turkish hot stocks Forex news All emerging market news All Turkish news For real-time quotes, double click on:

Istanbul National-100 stock index , interbank lira trading , lira bond trading ($1 = 3.8133 liras)

(Writing by Daren Butler)
* Over 9 bln euros of demand for 5 and 10yr Italian debt

* Italian parliament expected to be dissolved before end of week

* Most euro zone yields up 2-3 bps on the day

* Euro zone periphery govt bond yields (writes through)

By Fanny Potkin and Abhinav Ramnarayan

LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Investors hoovered up Italy's government bonds on Thursday both at an auction and in the secondary market, as demand for the country's debt picked up again at higher yields after a recent sell-off prompted by concerns over an upcoming election. The euro zone's third largest economy sold 4.9 billion euros of five and 10-year bonds, or BTPs, generating over 9 billion euros of demand in the process.

Meanwhile, Italy's 10-year government bond yield edged lower to 1.90 percent on the day - yields normally rise during an auction as investors make space for supply - suggesting that investors were buying whatever they could.

"I think the auction went quite well, especially for the current holiday period," said DZ Bank analyst Sebastian Fellechner.

"I think yesterday we saw some spread widening that has made Italian bonds more attractive, that is why maybe investors are taking advantage," he said.

The drop in Italian borrowing costs on the day was notable given most other euro zone government bond yields were up 2-3 bps in midday trading.

The gap between Italian and German 10-year borrowing costs narrowed 2.5 basis points to just below 151 bps at one stage. Italian government bond yields have risen in the last couple of weeks after reports emerged that a general election is set to take place in March.

Some investors sold Italian government bonds - which have been a stellar performer overall this year - on concerns that anti-establishment party 5-Star Movement is performing strongly in the polls. President Sergio Mattarella is widely expected to dissolve parliament before the end of the week, mostly likely later on Thursday, clearing the way for national elections planned for early March Italy's ruling Democratic Party (PD), hit by internal divisions and a banking scandal, has been sliding in opinion polls, with a survey on Saturday putting it more than six points behind the eurosceptic 5-Star Movement .

"It appears unlikely that any of the three large political blocks that could be formed ahead (of) elections will be able to secure the outright majority needed ... to appoint a government and to win power," Barclays analyst Fabio Fois told clients earlier this month.

But having the current prime minister stay in office, as is expected, "would help contain concerns over the risk of a sudden political stability cliff straight after elections", Fois said.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Decision Europe: Full election coverage cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=72745

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Fanny Potkin and Abhinav Ramnarayan; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
(Adds details, context)

MOSCOW, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Russia's top non-state gas producer Novatek may bid for gas fields owned by Russian diamond miner Alrosa , but oil giant Rosneft may stay away from the auction, citing tight deadlines, the companies signalled on Thursday.

Alrosa , the world's largest producer of rough diamonds, said this week it would sell its gas assets in the Yamalo-Nenets Region in a Feb. 19 auction with a starting price of 30 billion roubles ($520 million). The potential deal is subject to the approval of Russia's Anti-Monopoly Service, and Novatek has already informed the agency of its interest in buying Alrosa's gas fields, Novatek told Reuters. It declined further comment.

Russia's top oil producer Rosneft , however, is unlikely to take part in the auction because it believes the conditions are not transparent enough and do not give potential buyers enough time to prepare their bids, Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontyev said.

Rosneft's absence from the auction could reduce competition for the assets.

In 2013, Rosneft agreed to buy the same gas assets and other gas fields in Russia's far eastern region from Alrosa for $1.4 billion, in a drive to expand its natural gas business.

But the deal fell through because of disagreement over price. As of 2013, the fields were supposed to increase Rosneft's recoverable gas reserves by more than 200 billion cubic metres (bcm).

Russia will be on New Year holidays from Jan. 1 to 8. Under the terms of the auction, the 21-billion-rouble deposit must be paid by Jan. 10.

According to Rosneft, the two remaining working days do not provide enough time to make a decision and submit the deposit.

"It is indecent. They believe that everyone has gone on a binge ahead of the holiday and they file the auction conditions," Leontyev said. "Why do you hurry up? Especially when the deposit is 70 percent of the starting price."

"We are unlikely to take part in such an auction. We do not believe in the possibility of conducting the auction with such parameters," he added.

These assets are a non-core business for the diamond producer, and Alrosa has tried to sell them a number of times.

Previous attempts failed as would-be buyers backed away at the last moment due to lack of funds, Alrosa said.

Alrosa prepared for the auction throughout 2017 and discussed the terms with potential bidders several times, it added.

The finance ministry, which oversees Alrosa, told Interfax news agency there were no issues with the terms of the auction. ($1 = 57.6940 roubles)

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Polina Devitt and Diana Asonova; writing by Polina Devitt; editing by Adrian Croft)
(Adds details)

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 28 (Reuters) - South Africa's trade surplus soared to 13.02 billion rand ($1.06 billion) in November, its highest in a one-and-a-half years as exports of mineral and chemical products as well as commodities and vehicles grew briskly while imports were subdued.

It was a big jump in the surplus from 4.34 billion rand in October, according to revenue service data on Thursday, and well above market expectations of a modest 1.3 billion surplus in November - the 10th consecutive month in the black.

Exports in November expanded by 11.5 percent, with sales of precious stones and minerals up 21 percent, base metals rising 19 percent and vehicles and transportation equipment exports climbing 16 percent. Imports in the month grew by 3.3 percent

A rebound in global prices of commodities such as gold and platinum, driven by greater demand from China as well as the euro zone, coupled with a volatile currency in the last quarter of the year, have supported exports.

On a cumulative basis, the trade balance between January and November was at a 64.7 billion rand surplus, compared with a 11.22 billion rand shortfall over the same period in 2016.

The Reserve Bank said in November the positive trade account was supportive of the rand and, along with the narrowing current account deficit, would help the economy withstand some of the effects of a recent credit downgrade to subinvestment. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Ed Stoddard/Mark Heinrich)
* Over 9 bln euros of demand for 5 and 10yr Italian debt

* Italian parliament expected to be dissolved before end of week

* Most euro zone yields up 2-3 bps on the day

* Euro zone periphery govt bond yields (Updates to reflect shift in yields)

By Fanny Potkin and Abhinav Ramnarayan

LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Investors hoovered up Italy's government bonds at an auction on Thursday as demand for the country's debt picked up again at higher yields after a recent sell-off prompted by concerns over an upcoming election.

On a day when most euro zone government yields rose, the Italian debt agency sold 4.9 billion euros of five and 10-year bonds, or BTPs, generating over 9 billion euros of demand in the process.

"I think the auction went quite well, especially for the current holiday period," said DZ Bank analyst Sebastian Fellechner.

"I think yesterday we saw some spread-widening that has made Italian bonds more attractive, that is why maybe investors are taking advantage," he said.

Italy's 10-year borrowing costs actually dropped around the time of the auction, but were set to end the day 4 basis points higher at 1.95 percent on the back of some political headlines.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni met President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday in the first formal step ahead of the dissolution of parliament which is necessary before an election can be called, a government source told Reuters. However, the move in Italian yields was not out of step with the rest of the market. Most euro zone bond yields were 4-5 bps higher on the day, and going into a new year when the European Central Bank is set to halve its bond purchase programme.

The gap between Italian and German 10-year borrowing costs narrowed 2.5 basis points to just below 151 bps at one stage. The yield on Germany's 10-year government bond, the benchmark for the region, was up 5 bps to 0.43 percent, only a shade below a five-week high hit last week. Italian government bond yields have risen in the last couple of weeks after reports emerged that a parliamentary election was set to take place in March.

Some investors sold Italian government bonds - which have been a stellar performer overall this year - on concerns that the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement is performing strongly in the polls.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Decision Europe: Full election coverage cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=72745 Italian bond yield spread over Germany ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Fanny Potkin and Abhinav Ramnarayan; Editing by Gareth Jones)
* Starting price for auction is 30 bln rbls

* Rosneft says terms of the auction are unacceptable

* Previous attempts to sell the assets failed through

(Adds Finance Ministry comment)

By Polina Devitt

MOSCOW, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Russia's top non-state gas producer Novatek may bid for gas fields owned by Russian diamond miner Alrosa , but oil giant Rosneft may stay away from the auction, citing tight deadlines, the companies signalled on Thursday.

Alrosa , the world's largest producer of rough diamonds, said this week it would sell its gas assets in the Yamalo-Nenets Region in a Feb. 19 auction with a starting price of 30 billion roubles ($520 million). The potential deal is subject to the approval of Russia's Anti-Monopoly Service, and Novatek has already informed the agency of its interest in buying Alrosa's gas fields, Novatek told Reuters. It declined further comment.

Russia's top oil producer Rosneft , however, is unlikely to take part in the auction because it believes the conditions are not transparent enough and do not give potential buyers enough time to prepare their bids, Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontyev said.

Rosneft's absence from the auction could reduce competition for the assets.

In 2013, Rosneft agreed to buy the same gas assets and other gas fields in Russia's far eastern region from Alrosa for $1.4 billion, in a drive to expand its natural gas business.

But the deal fell through because of disagreement over price. As of 2013, the fields were supposed to increase Rosneft's recoverable gas reserves by more than 200 billion cubic metres (bcm).

Russia will be on New Year holidays from Jan. 1 to 8. Under the terms of the auction, the 21-billion-rouble deposit must be paid by Jan. 10.

According to Rosneft, the two remaining working days do not provide enough time to make a decision and submit the deposit.

"It is indecent. They believe that everyone has gone on a binge ahead of the holiday and they file the auction conditions," Leontyev said. "Why do you hurry up? Especially when the deposit is 70 percent of the starting price."

"We are unlikely to take part in such an auction. We do not believe in the possibility of conducting the auction with such parameters," he added.

The Finance Ministry, which oversees Alrosa, said the auction terms are "logical and clear". It added that there have been seven potential bidders.

"The requirements on the collateral are determined by the past negative experience when the deal fell through because the potential buyer lacked sufficient funds," it said in emailed comments to Reuters, without naming the potential buyer it was referring to.

These assets are a non-core business for the diamond producer, and Alrosa has tried to sell them a number of times.

Previous attempts failed as would-be buyers backed away at the last moment due to lack of funds, Alrosa said.

Alrosa prepared for the auction throughout 2017 and discussed the terms with potential bidders several times, it added.

($1 = 57.6940 roubles)

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Polina Devitt and Diana Asonova; additional reporting by Darya Korsunskaya; writing by Polina Devitt; editing by Adrian Croft)
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Gyumri residents waiting for Gagik Tsarukyan (video)

Today in Vardanants Square, Gyumri, and adjacent Amenaprkich Church, there was an emergency situation. A large number of Gyumri residents were waiting with letters for Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party. Many of them came with their children, a considerable number of people even brought their disabled children. Among the crowd there were also a large number of elderly people with walking sticks. They blocked the street separating Vardanants Square from the Amenaprkich church, the drivers were asking to open the way. There was a moment when one of the children was almost crushed by a car. The crowd was there to ask for material assistance, even an elderly woman who could not walk, said she had come to ask a table and a chair for a newly-renovated social apartment which she had got not so long ago. Haykanush Manukyan, a resident of 120/110 Teryan Street, also came to ask for material assistance. He said that though she was a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), she never had attended the meetings, and she had decided to meet with the party leader at Vardanants Square, asking him to pay for treatment. Full article is available here
Satik Seyranyan: I urge my colleagues working in the media and individual journalists to join the Union of Journalists of Armenia (video)

Astghik Gevorgyan, Head of the Union of Journalists of Armenia (AJU), summarized her 25 years in this position. "One of the journalists today asked me a question: what do you leave in the Union of Journalists? I said I leave a unanimous unity. During the meetings of the unity no insult was ever heard." 30 years ago was the last congress of the Union. There was no solidarity in today's congress. Lavrenti Mirzoyan, former member of the union, said that the congress was illegal, has no mandate, and there was no presidency. "Our last congress took place in 1986, a century ago; now we are in the 21st century, now most of the members of the presidency are dead, how can we find those people?" The issue of the age and death became the subjects of the congress of the Union. The average age of the members of the Union is 65. The AJU member Hakob Martouni said, "Forget about the Union of Journalists of Armenia, it it died 40 years ago, it is in grave, it is rotten, does not exist." 68-year-old Aram Sargsyan did not like the topic of the dead. "Why are you talking about the dead? Do you register who here are? It is a nursing home, a nursing home!" About 80-year-old man, Sergey Hayrapetyan, demanded from the union a civil stance. They immediately silence him for the sake of the reglament. "Oh, please, look at your age." 85 years' old Astghik Gevorgyan, who was the head of the Union for 25 years, leaves the post. The HHK (Republican Party) MP Margarit Yesayan had a young candidate, journalist Satik Seyranyan. "I look at the faces of the people, all of us are old, let's confess this, and I think this structure needs a new younger drive." Some of the members did not know the candidate. Satik Seyranyan represented the future Union of Journalists, the way she imagined it, with a trade union and funded projects. "I urge my colleagues working in the media and individual journalists to join the Union of Journalists of Armenia." Another candidate, Harutyun Tsatryan, a PhD student at the YSU Faculty of Journalism, said directly from the tribune that he had no right to be nominated as he had been the member of the Union only for three years. He also considered the convention illegal. "We seem to boost those illegitimacy." In the end, Satik Seyranyan became the head of the Union with 57 votes. Another candidate did not vote for himself.
The government said Thursday it is banning the use of anonymous virtual accounts in cryptocurrency transactions as part of efforts to curb virtual currency speculation.

Hong Nam-ki, minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, made the announcement after a meeting of vice ministers from related ministries, saying the government "can't let this abnormal situation of speculation go on any longer."

Under the measure, only real-name bank accounts and matching accounts at virtual currency exchanges can be used for deposits and withdrawals, while the issuance of new virtual accounts to cryptocurrency exchanges will be banned, Hong said. (Yonhap)
Office for Government Policy Coordination Minister Hong Nam-ki announces new rules on cryptocurrency trading at a press conference in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Park Hyong-ki



The government has launched a regulatory offensive against speculative investment in cryptocurrencies by banning the use of false or "borrowed" names to open virtual accounts for trading them.



It will not allow banks and cyptocurrency trading operators to offer new virtual accounts. Traders can only use their real names to open cyptocurrency accounts certified and verified by banks that are under state regulatory jurisdiction.



Those who own virtual accounts and have been trading digital tokens will have to switch their trading activities to bank accounts using their real names for deposits and withdrawals by the end of January.



These are some of the steps announced Thursday to cool overheating cryptocurrency speculation. Anyone who wants to trade virtual tokens such as bitcoin from now on will have to follow these new regulations.



If traders and cryptocurrency trading operators fail to follow the rules, the government will shut them down indefinitely and take legal action if appropriate.



It will even consider shutting down cryptocurrency exchanges permanently.



Office for Government Policy Coordination Minister Hong Nam-ki said that the regulations will be strictly enforced and no excuses will be accepted from those failing to abide by them.



The government will mobilize financial regulators and state prosecutors to clamp down on speculative cryptocurrency investments which have been allegedly used for money laundering and other illicit trading.



"We held a meeting of vice-ministers from 10 state agencies and the Ministry of Justice proposed the shutdown of cryptocurrency exchanges. The government will consider this suggestion," Hong told reporters.



Additional regulations are in store, including taxing capital gains from cryptocurrency trading.



This can only be done with financial transactions such as trading stocks, derivatives and bonds using accounts under real names.



However, this does not mean that the government will recognize cryptocurrencies as real money or tangible assets traded as if they were stocks, bonds and currencies in the financial market.



Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) chief Choe Heung-sik compared trading cryptocurrencies to playing slot machines at casinos, saying that when gamblers win, they too have to pay taxes on their winnings.



He also said that just because the FSS is considering taxing cryptocurrencies, this doesn't mean it is going to recognize them as part of the financial system.


By Nam Hyun-woo



Shinhan Card and KB Card said Monday their rewards programs allowing clients to purchase bitcoins with credit card bonus points will be no longer available next year. Shinhan will stop its program on Jan. 15, while KB will follow suit on Jan. 22.



The two card issuers have been providing the services through partnerships with blockchain company Coinplug. Shinhan offers a rate of one point per won and exchanges the points to an equivalent amount in bitcoins. KB also allows clients to exchange bitcoins worth between 1,000 points and 300,000 points.



According to the card issuers, they arrived at the decision after the government vowed to take action on speculation involving virtual currency.



On Dec. 13, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Choe Heung-sik said, "The government's stance is prohibiting financial institutions from entering the virtual currency market or nurturing environments for trading."



Against this backdrop, financial institutions are retreating from virtual currency-related businesses.



Commercial banks have stopped opening new virtual accounts for virtual currency exchanges. So far, local lenders have been providing virtual account numbers linked to an exchange's account. However, they've been stopping those services as several fraud cases exploiting such a system have been reported.



Woori Bank and Korea Development Bank will close virtual accounts provided to exchanges by the end of this week. Industrial Bank of Korea and Shinhan will not open new virtual accounts for exchanges.



In September, five domestic card issuers _ Shinhan, Hyundai, Hana, BC and Lotte _ halted their services to allow cardholders to purchase virtual currencies with credit cards, just two months after they partnered with Bithumb, one of the largest virtual currency exchanges in Korea.



Securities firms are also enhancing their control over employees by regulating that they should refrain from recommending virtual currencies trading.



Recently, Mirae Asset Daewoo sent emails to its employees requesting them "not to engage in virtual currency trading with clients or making recommendations to them."


Grand Hyatt Seoul



By Kim Se-jeong



If you have no plans for New Year's Eve, Seoul's luxury hotels are throwing countdown parties for your pleasure.



Grand Hyatt Seoul





The Grand Hyatt Seoul's annual countdown party takes place on the hotel's ice rink, Dec. 31.



The event will start at 10:30 p.m. with a skating performance by a local junior skating team and free skating time. At 11:50 p.m., the ice rink will turn into a countdown arena with all participants counting down the final 10 seconds to 2018 with fireworks. Entry to the countdown party costs 85,000 won per person, including tax. For information and reservations, call (02) 799-8520.



Conrad Seoul





The Conrad Seoul's countdown party will take place at the 37 Executive Lounge on the hotel's top floor. The lounge has a great view of the Han River.



A bottle of champagne, a platter of canapes and desserts will be served to each table, along with music by DJ Allzwell. This year's party is special in that party guests can make their own 2018 resolution cards with special calligraphy printed on them. The party will begin at 10 p.m. Dec. 31 through 1 a.m. Jan. 1 2018. A ticket to the venue costs 240,000 won per table and tax is included. For reservations and inquiries, call (02) 6137-7110.



Park Hyatt Seoul





The Park Hyatt Seoul's year-end party takes place at Timber House which will be filled with old movie soundtracks on vinyl records with unique analogue sound.



Guests will receive the Timber House's premium beverage _ sparkling wine and champagne _ and a box of high-quality cuisine. At the end of the meal, each guest will receive 10 Cuban mini cigars. The full course meal costs 250,000 won per person. If you want to replace wine and champagne with gin and vodka, the course will cost 500,000 won.

The Timber House opens at 7:30 p.m. for year-end party guests. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2016-1291 or 1234.



InterContinental Seoul COEX





Countdown party guests at the Sky Lounge at the InterContinental Seoul COEX will be able to watch the New Year bell-tolling ceremony and fireworks which take place at Bongeun Buddhist temple nearby.



The Sky Lounge on the hotel's 30th floor will offer a special liquor set in a private setting. Guests can also enjoy a snack buffet where they can enjoy various desserts and wines from 10:30 p.m. Dec. 31 till Jan. 1, 2018. The snack bar will also offer Tteokguk, rice cake soup, for the New Year. For more information and reservations, call the Sky Lounge at (02) 2320-8630.



The Westin Chosun Seoul





The Westin Chosun Seoul will broadcast the New Year's concert by the Vienna Philiharmonic Orchestra, Jan. 1, 2018. An exclusive concert and dinner event will begin at 5 p.m. with a multicourse meal accompanied by wine and sake.



The concert will be broadcast in the Grand Ballroom from 6:45 p.m. for 150 minutes. The music critic's interpretation of each piece and composers will be provided during the concert. The dinner price starts from 250,000 won. The broadcast of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year' concert has become the Westin Chosun's tradition since 2014.



The year 2018 marks the 77th anniversary of the philharmonic's New Year concert. The annual concert is broadcast internationally in more than 90 countries. For more information and reservations, call (02) 317-0220/0227.



Sheraton Seoul D Cube City





The Sheraton Seoul D Cube City's Lobby Lounge Bar will offer live crossover music and performances by bands throughout the night, Dec. 31. Included in the ticket is a glass of Moet & Chandon champagne, a special snack platter consisting of sashimi and seafood, jamon melon, Wagyu Beef Wellington, Christmas dessert and more. The guests will also receive a teddy bear as a New Year gift.



The hotel's buffet restaurant Feast also offers an all-you-can-eat snack buffet with unlimited draft beer and wine and steamed seafood, lamb chops, spicy noodles, assorted sushi and sashimi as well as strawberry desserts and more, Dec. 31. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2211-1740.



JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul





The JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul's rooftop bar, the Griffin, presents a luxury countdown party featuring a performance by social entertainer Jeremy Park, The Griffin's bartenders and chefs will serve a special menu of diverse cocktails, wine and cuisine.



Tickets cost 50,000 won per person, including tax and service charge. Admission will be free for Griffin members. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2276-3344.



Vista Walkerhill Seoul





The Vista Walkerhill Seoul premium social lounge Re:BAR's countdown party starts at 8 p.m., featuring performances by musicians Truedy, Microdot, MADK, Deletis and Sayah and Chic Angels, and DJs Lee Jae-won from H.O.T. and model Kim Ki-bum.



The tickets will costs 30,000 won per person for online advance reservations and 40,000 won at the door. Tax and service charges are included. A welcome drink will be provided. For more information, call (02) 2022-0333.


Investigators search Ewha Womans University Medical Center in western Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho



Ewha Womans University Medical Center in southwestern Seoul refused to answer any questions from the parents of four premature babies who died two weeks ago for unknown reasons.



The families of the newborns who died in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit Dec. 16 asked the hospital about the incident Thursday, only to be snubbed by President Chung Hye-won.



"Police and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) are investigating the case and we have been cooperating with them," Chung said in a statement. "Investigators will look into suspicions, including the questions you have. We believe we all need to wait for the results of the investigation. Please wait a little longer. Again, we apologize for what happened."



The families reacted with dismay.



"The questions we asked were not about the cause of the incident, which is under scrutiny," they said in a statement to the press. "We asked what happened inside the care unit during the timeframe between when the babies started showing symptoms and their deaths. But the hospital refused to answer that simple question."



On the same day, police searched the hospital for the second time to confiscate its medical devices and records.



According to investigators, hospital officials acknowledged one of the four babies was infected with Rotavirus, a contagious virus that can cause gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines), Dec. 11, but did not isolate the baby. The officials also did not inform the parents of the condition. Investigators are looking into whether they took proper actions to combat the virus.



Given the virus was found in all the deceased babies, investigators reckon the facility's poor level of hygiene may be a key factor in their deaths.



According to the families, the hospital also failed to properly respond when the heart rate of one of the babies started to soar; it reached 203 at 3:30 p.m., which is far above the normal rate of around 150. That baby eventually died around 8:50 p.m.



The families accused hospital officials of doing nothing to treat the baby until the doctor in charge came in at around 6:15 p.m. But it was already too late.



The ongoing investigation may affect the government's grading of the institution, currently designated as one of the highest-ranking general hospitals in the country.



Many people have already left the hospital due to their loss of trust.




By Park Si-soo





Chinese police have arrested a Chinese security guard for allegedly assaulting a South Korean photojournalist during President Moon Jae-in's visit to Beijing early this month, the foreign ministry in Seoul said Thursday.



But other guards who took part in the assault, in which another Korean photojournalist was severely beaten, were let off.



The ministry revealed this after receiving an interim investigation report from China.



The arrested guard is surnamed Li and works at a private security company, according to the Korean embassy in Beijing. He was charged with injuring a Korean reporter by kicking him in the face, it said.



If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison, according to the Korean newspaper the Chosun Ilbo.



Chinese authorities expressed "regret" over the assault but did not say whether anyone else would be charged.



The presidential office has called for a thorough investigation.



"This is an interim result, not the end of the investigation," a Cheong Wa Dae official said.



The journalist that Li allegedly assaulted had surgery to treat fractured nasal bones and an eye injury suffered in the Dec. 14 incident.



The other journalist is also being treated.



"Chinese police seem to think that there was no direct relation between the victim's injuries and the assault from the other security guards," an embassy official said.



Footage shows at least five guards surrounding and attacking the victim as he was trying to follow Moon into a hall at a trade fair.



The guards dragged the reporter into the hallway and assaulted him, even though he was showing his entry badge and protesting.










By Kim Rahn





Lee Byung-kee
By Choi Ha-young



President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that the 2015 Seoul-Tokyo agreement on Japan's wartime sexual slavery was "gravely flawed," indicating that his administration may push for a renegotiation of the controversial deal.



Moon said the deal, reached under the previous Park Geun-hye administration, cannot resolve the longstanding issue, and most of all, the surviving victims do not agree with it.



The statement signals that the government may even discard the deal to better address the feelings of the "comfort women." This also means Seoul's relations with Tokyo, which have soured largely due to their differences over historical issues, may go from bad to worse.



On Wednesday, a fact-finding team under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed the Park government concealed sensitive parts of the verbal agreement and failed to respect the opinions of the victims.



"The announcement from the team confirmed the deal signed in 2015 was gravely flawed, in regard to its content and outcome," Moon said in a statement read by presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun. "Above all, this was a political agreement that excluded victims and citizens."



"As a President, together with Korean citizens, I reaffirm the problem can't be resolved through the agreement."






By Yi Whan-woo



The upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics are emerging as a major factor in turning around South Korea's relations with Japan.

The Moon Jae-in administration's review of a controversial bilateral agreement on "comfort women" is expected to overshadow Seoul-Tokyo relations for the time being, but the Olympics could provide a turnaround, analysts said Thursday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has not yet responded to Moon's invitation to the opening ceremony for the Winter Games. If Abe comes to PyeongChang, that would be an encouraging sign for the future of Korea-Japan relations.

Abe, however, has linked his participation in the ceremony to Seoul's stance on the comfort women deal.

The Moon administration will decide whether to retain, modify or scrap the accord reached in December 2015 based on an assessment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' taskforce.

The taskforce did not explicitly ask to go over the deal struck between the governments of Abe and Moon's predecessor Park Geun-hye.

But its findings were apparently not in favor of the Abe administration, as it concluded the two neighbors failed to take the opinions of the former Korean sex slaves sufficiently and thus added fuel to public calls here to revise it.
















Opponents of the abolishment of the bar exam protest outside the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Police investigate the bus hit by a crane near the Gangseo District Office in western Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho



A crane collapsed onto a bus in western Seoul, Thursday, killing one passenger and injuring 15 others, according to police and firefighters.



The crane, set up at a construction site near the Gangseo District Office, suddenly collapsed at around 9:40 a.m. onto a city bus (No. 650) waiting at traffic lights, police said.



A few minutes later, rescue workers arrived at the scene and took the injured passengers to a nearby hospital, but a 53-year-old woman, surnamed Kim, was killed in the incident.



According to firefighters, one person is in intensive care after suffering serious injuries while the rest sustained minor ones.



"The horizontal strut called a boom hit the middle of the bus," a rescue worker said. "The people most seriously injured were those who were standing in the middle."



The 70-ton crane was being used to demolish a five-story building at the time of the incident. The crane, police said, collapsed as its operator was trying to lift a 5-ton excavator to the top of the building.



The excavator also fell to the ground but no one was hurt by it.



"There was a huge bang and I saw people fleeing the bus," a 36-year-old witness said.



Police said they are questioning the witnesses to figure out the cause of the incident.



This is not the first deadly crane collapse that has happened this month.



Three workers were killed and four others seriously injured after a 90-meter tall crane collapsed at a construction site in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The workers on the crane fell 78 meters to the ground after the crane snapped and collapsed for unclear reasons.



Only nine days later, another crane collapsed in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, killing one man who was working while standing on it. In November, a crane collapsed killing two people in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. In October, three others died in a crane accident in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province.



This year alone, 20 people have been killed in crane accidents across the country. Many are urging the government to come up with measures to reduce the incidences of such tragedies.



Experts point out that some of the incidents occurred because the cranes in use were old and also because of the laxity of inspections.



To respond to the increasing calls for improvement, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has started the inspection of 500 construction sites across the country.






By Kim Rahn



Former President Park Geun-hye unilaterally ordered the shutdown of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in February 2016 without any consultation or decision-making procedures, a reform committee under the Ministry of Unification said Thursday.



At the time, the ministry asked Cheong Wa Dae for more discussions on the shutdown as it would cause huge losses to the South Korean companies operating there, but the presidential office refused, it added



The Park administration announced the closure of the inter-Korean industrial complex Feb. 10, 2016 after North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test and launched a long-range missile. The complex has been out of operation since then.



Her government said it decided on the shutdown at a National Security Council (NSC) meeting in the morning of Feb. 10, three days after the North's missile test.



However, the committee found out Park gave a verbal order for the closure two days earlier. Senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security Kim Kyou-hyun notified Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo of this order, and the government made detailed plans about it in the afternoon.



"Such an important issue requires endorsement at a Cabinet meeting, but such a procedure did not take place," the committee said in its report. "Even though it was a presidential ruling amid a security crisis, such a decision should have been carried out according to the Constitution and due legal process."



There have been rumors that the shutdown decision was made by Park's longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil  the key figure in the massive presidential corruption scandal that led to the president's downfall  who allegedly meddled in various state affairs without holding any official title. But the committee said it failed to find out how and why Park made the order because many related documents were sealed under the name of presidential records.



After Cheong Wa Dae notified the ministry of the order, the latter said the sudden closure would cause tremendous financial losses to the South Korean companies, asking the presidential office to "temporarily suspend" operations or to delay the time of the shutdown. Cheong Wa Dae officials, however, said this was unacceptable because Park had given the order, according to the committee.



The Park administration said wages to North Korean workers at Gaeseong were being diverted to fund nuclear development was the reason for the closure. But the committee said Cheong Wa Dae offered insufficient information or evidence for this.



Regarding the mass defection of North Korean restaurant workers and that of former North Korean diplomat Thae Yong-ho, the committee said the unification ministry usually did not announce defections for the safety of the defectors; but it broke this rule for these two. The mass defection was announced four days before the general election in April last year.



"The nation needs to prevent North Korea-related intelligence cases from being used for political purposes," the committee advised.



The committee was formed in September with nine outside experts. The ministry plans to reflect the committee's recommendations in establishing policies on North Korea and unification.


Islamic State swept into northern Iraq in 2014, but the door opened for it three years earlier, when the U.S. withdrew its troops from the Middle East country.



Left on their own, Iraqi troops dropped their guns and fled the onslaught. Islamic State militants then ruled the northern city of Mosul and a host of other cities and towns with nihilistic brutality that entailed public beheadings and the use of women as sex slaves. It took three years for Iraqi troops to regroup, and with the help of U.S. military advisers and airstrikes, retake Mosul and the rest of Islamic State-held Iraq.



Today, Mosul slowly rebuilds. The remnants of Islamic State have scattered into the desert. Game over? Hardly. Yes, Islamic State has been vanquished, but Iraq remains fertile ground for a comeback.



The U.S. and Baghdad are stepping up talks about maintaining a U.S. military presence in the country, USA Today recently reported. It's not known how large an American contingent would be involved, but its role would likely mirror that of U.S. troops in the bid to defeat Islamic State  advising Iraqi commanders and providing surveillance and intelligence help.



James Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and now a foreign affairs analyst, told USA Today that the new contingent probably would be smaller than the current force of 5,500 soldiers.



Keeping American boots on the ground in a part of the world as unstable as Iraq is never an easy decision, but it behooves both Iraq and the U.S. to hammer out a deal.



Iraq's peace is desperately fragile. Shiite-led Baghdad continues to marginalize the country's Sunni minority, leaving the nation vulnerable to a resurgence of Sunni-led militancy down the road. Islamist insurgencies have a way of lying low and flaring up when the time and circumstances are ripe.



And consider this: Islamic State doesn't need a caliphate to maintain its online appeal to lone wolves, like the Uzbek immigrant who killed eight people in Manhattan in a truck attack on Halloween, or the Bangladeshi who tried to blow himself up in a crowded New York subway station Dec. 11.



An American military intelligence presence is needed in Iraq to ferret out and neutralize whatever Islamic State is up to, whether that be web propaganda or suicide bomb attacks in Baghdad. Though Islamic State is beaten in Iraq, "the fight is not over," Defense Secretary James Mattis said in November. "Even without a physical caliphate, ISIS remains a threat to stability in the recently liberated areas, as well as in our homelands."



Just as important: A continued American military presence in Iraq, even if smaller than the force there now, also serves as a counterpoint to Iran, which strives for the day when Iraq becomes its proxy state.



Though both Iraq and the U.S. paid a stiff price for the pullout of American troops in 2011, the Obama administration didn't have much choice. Barack Obama tried to negotiate a deal to keep a contingent of American soldiers there, but Baghdad refused. Opinions vary on whether Obama might have tried harder.



But the country's parliament balked at giving U.S. troops legal protection from Iraqi courts, a condition Obama was right not to accept. Obama was late, however, in realizing the gravity of the Islamic State threat, at one point shrugging off the terror group as "junior varsity." He later changed course.



Neither the U.S. nor Iraq can afford to again underestimate Islamic State and its bloodlust determination to sow destruction and chaos. A small, focused contingent of American troops can help serve as a firewall to that determination.





The above article appeared in the Chicago Tribune. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


By Dhananjay Shah



Saemaul Undong was a unique community development movement started in Korea by President Park Chung Hee in the 1970s. Also known as the "New Village Movement," the ethos of this program from the very outset of its inception was based on the ideals of the spirit of diligence, self-help, collaboration and cooperation. The movement accumulated the meager strength of individual men and women to form powerful communities. At its heart, the idea envisaged an ideal state where there was no "divide" in terms of region  whether village or urban, gender, culture, religion, and so on. The motto was the common good, feelings of fraternity, unity, cooperation, social harmony, women empowerment, social inclusion, rule of law and the foundation of an egalitarian society.



Today's developed Korea blooms on the seeds of the Saemaul Movement. A mosaic of small communities contributed to a healthy and egalitarian nation adhering to the principles of the Saemaul Movement. It proved to the world that togetherness, cooperation, self-help spirit and social harmony are the cornerstone of development. The living proof is today's Korea, a country that transformed itself from a poor nation to a prosperous one. The sweat of the Korean people, their cooperative attitude, their compassion, their willpower all teach the developing world a big lesson: "Development is possible if we adhere to the ideals of the Saemaul Movement."



To realize the potential of this movement, we can walk with the spirit of the Saemaul Movement to build a "Better Community Living Together" in the 21st century. Saemaul Undong appears rather to be pragmatic and practical. It inculcates in us the sense of coexistence, peace, mutual benefit, cooperation, non-violence, non-interference, cultural harmony, self-help, regional and rural development, equality, equity, and the feeling of the common good. This Korean movement is more like a strand of DNA that links people's progress with that of the community and ultimately with that of the nation. The Saemaul spirit is in the genes of the Korean people. This is indeed allusive to the principles of the UN Charter, the principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, the idealism of Rama Rajya of Hindu society.



Historically, the Saemaul Movement underwent primarily three stages of implementation in Korean society. In the very first stage (1971-1973), the objective was to upgrade basic rural infrastructure such as highways and farm roads through transportation and commercialization of farming. The objective of the second stage (1974-1976) was to maximize the income of households by enhancing agro production infrastructure, agribusinesses and developing self-help villages and medium grade villages in line with the Saemaul Spirit. The third stage (1977-1979) embodied the objective of expanding the number of self-reliant villages by increasing household earnings that came from animal husbandry and other agriculture-related initiatives and from the output from Saemaul factories. Overall, the main achievements of the Saemaul Movement were the development of village infrastructure, improved rural living conditions and at the core of all, a considerable rise in household income.



In general, the spirit of the Saemaul Movement is worth adhering to. It is a model for economic development in many developing and least developed nations, which are in the clutches of poverty, jealousy, racial discrimination, isolation, ostracism, gender differences, rural divide, a caste system, untouchability, overdependence on the state, and the state being apathetic to its communities, and marginalization.



In particular, the success story of the Saemaul Movement in Korea is a policy implication and a practical lesson for the socio-economic development of Nepal. Nepal is an agrarian society where agriculture contributes one third to GDP and two-thirds of the population are directly engaged in agriculture. Also, Nepal is an undeveloped country replete with villages and regional disparity in development. The Saemaul Movement spirit is very apt to adopt for inclusive development and modernization of agriculture. Nepal is a small country but with diverse cultures, languages, and religions. By upholding the ideals of Korea's Saemaul Movement, we can become one community, one prosperous nation, one identity with our diversity and one world with global citizenship.





The writer is a KOICA scholar from Nepal, currently pursuing a master's degree in the Korean Experience of Economic Development and Economic Cooperation at Kyung Hee University, Global Campus. Write to dj.gov.np@gmail.com.


By Andrew Hammond





As 2017 transitions into 2018, attention is turning to the wide range of key elections in the next 12 months. These span the globe from Asia-Pacific to the Americas, and will have potentially big impacts for domestic politics, economics, and international relations into the 2020s.



In the Americas, for instance, there are a U.S. congressional election, Venezuelan presidential ballot, Brazilian general election, Colombian presidential and parliamentary ballots, and Mexican general election.



The Mexican election is being closely watched because the frontrunner is a left-wing NAFTA critic, Andres Manuel Loprez Obrador, who has vowed to stand up against Donald Trump's "poisonous, hateful and xenophobic" policy toward his country.



In Europe, there is a Hungarian parliamentary election, Irish presidential ballot, Italian general election and Russian presidential ballot.



Although the expected result of the Russian poll is almost certainly a foregone conclusion, with Vladimir Putin the overwhelming favorite, it will be closely monitored given victory would mean he could achieve the remarkable feat of being prime minister or president from 1999 to 2024, a longer period at the top than all the Soviet Union's supreme leaders, except Joseph Stalin.



In the Middle East, there is an Egyptian presidential election, Bahrani parliamentary ballot, Iraqi general election and Lebanese parliamentary ballot.



The result of the Lebanese poll will be widely viewed coming soon after Prime Minister Saad Hariri's now rescinded resignation after he accused coalition partner Hezbollah and Iran of spreading discord across the region.



In Africa, there is a general election in Zimbabwe, a parliamentary ballot in Rwanda and Libya, and a presidential ballot in Egypt. The Egyptian poll, very likely to see President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's re-election, will nonetheless be closely monitored given the country's strategic importance in the region.



In Asia-Pacific, there is a Thai general election, Malaysian parliamentary ballot and Pakistani general election. The Thai election, the first since the military coup in 2014, will be particularly closely watched with the country still badly divided between the Puea Thai party, the military and urban elites.



While the exact statistical outcome of these ballots is uncertain, what is far surer is that foreign political consultants will be working behind the scenes in many of these countries trying to steer candidates to success. It is estimated that U.S. consultants, alone, have already worked in more than half of the countries in the world.



In 2018, that tally will only grow as firms reach out to more uncharted international territory. Indeed, originating in the United States, political campaigning has become a mini-industry driven by the potentially significant rewards on offer.



For instance, it is estimated by the U.S. Center for Responsive Politics that the overall cost of the 2016 U.S. presidential and congressional elections was around some $6.6 billion. Of that massive sum, consultants earned a significant slice for their services, including polling, campaign strategy, telemarketing, digital advice, and producing advertisements.



While the success, internationally, of this army of consultants is mixed, the phenomenon has had a lasting impact, prompting what some have called the globalization of politics. However, in the eyes of critics it is an international triumph of spin over substance that has tended to promote more homogenous campaigns with a repetitive, common political language.



A key underlying premise is that the technologies and tactics of the consultants can achieve success just about anywhere. Thus, many foreign countries are sometimes deemed as mere international counterparts of U.S. election battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Florida.



What started, in the 1960s and 1970s, as international elections and campaigning work soon branched out into providing more foreign governments, leaders and bodies such as tourism and investment authorities with international communications advice and ultimately what is now known as "country branding."



Country branding is founded on the realization that, in an overcrowded global information marketplace, countries and political leaders are, in effect, competing for the attention of investors, tourists, supranational organizations, non-government organizations, regulators, media and consumers.



In this ultra-competitive environment, reputation can be a prized asset (or a potentially big liability) with a direct effect on future political, economic, social and cultural fortunes. In some cases, a single highly damaging episode can fundamentally damage a country's standing, as China found after Tiananmen Square. In such situations, an approach involving a long recovery to rebuild that which is lost is often required.



Some countries may simply wish to promote an opportunity based on a specific single goal, such as wanting to attract more foreign direct investment or increasing tourism _ as the "Incredible India" campaign illustrates. Other states, for example the Maldives, may want to establish a presence in the public mind because of fears about a specific issue such as climate change.



Today, it is not just U.S. political consultants who are blazing a trail in this industry. London, for instance, has become a major country branding center fueled by its favorable European time zone.



Looking to the future, demand for elections, communications and branding advice may only grow. Indeed, in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, some of which remain uncharted territory for the industry, globe-trotting firms may be on the threshold of some of the most challenging work they have yet encountered with so many key ballots in 2018.





Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics. He can be reached at andrew.hammond.james@gmail.com .








It is shocking to know that the previous Park Geun-hye government decided to shut down the inter-Korean industrial park in February last year through her unilateral verbal order without proper consultations and due legal process.



A nine-member fact-finding committee of civilian experts disclosed Thursday that Park unilaterally ordered the shutdown of the Gaeseong Industrial Park following North Korea's fourth nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.



The finding is different from her administration's announcement that the complex closure was decided at a National Security Council meeting on Feb. 10, 2016. In fact, Park made the order two days earlier without convening any council meeting to discuss the important issue.



The committee, which was formed by the Unification Ministry to review the Park government's North Korea policies, pointed out the shutdown is a decision that transcends law. The finding shows how the impeached President Park disregarded the Constitution and laws in ruling the country and executing state affairs.



As seen in her deep involvement in the corruption case surrounding her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil, Park demonstrated how she exercised her presidential authority arbitrarily. That is she abused and misused the people's mandate to govern the nation.



Any president is required to make a decision or issue an order within the constitutional and legal framework. But Park ignored the democratic decision-making process and legal obligations to take due steps to carry out her job. She turned government ministries and agencies into a rubber stamp to approve and execute her unilateral decisions and orders.



Park may argue that the shutdown of the Gaeseong park, the last symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation, was inevitable to cope with Pyongyang's continued provocations. But she must bear in mind that such a decision should have been made in a democratic way. Any president or government needs to learn a lesson from Park to prevent a repetition of her misrule as well as graft scandal.




By Donald Kirk





WASHINGTON  Historical comparisons can be terribly flawed. Bearing that in mind, I could not help but think of talk about talks with North Korea while watching a new British film, "Darkest Hour," all about Winston Churchill in the darkest early days of World War II spurning pleas to negotiate with Hitler's Nazi Germany. Italy, Germany's axis ally, offered to mediate between the two.



Time and again, Neville Chamberlain, the prime minister who claimed to have won "peace for our time" after reaching an agreement with Hitler in September 1938, urged Churchill as his successor to make another deal with the Nazi tyrant. Instead Churchill, with "nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat," famously vowed, "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."



It would appear far-fetched to suggest that South Koreans and Americans adopt a similar stance about talks with North Korea, but the film does dramatically raise the question of how far to go to mollify an enemy. That's a topic we hear constantly amid debate here over whether to stage a "preemptive strike" on the North's nuclear and missile facilities or go on looking for a peaceful resolution while applying ever tougher sanctions in hopes that Kim Jong-un will agree to negotiate the nuclear program that he vows never to abandon.



There is a parallel too between Italy's offer to host negotiations between Britain and Hitler and the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urging the U.S. to take "the first step forward" to negotiations with the North. Lavrov's call is absurd considering that North Korea has already rejected Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's declaration that he would be glad to talk to the North Koreans about anything with no preconditions. Lavrov's purpose is to increase Russia's standing in Pyongyang, with which Moscow has been striving mightily in recent years to improve ties. Moscow's relations with Pyongyang soured after the end of Soviet rule in 1991, the break-up of the former Communist bloc and, most importantly, the refusal of the Russians to go on selling vital materiel to North Korea at official rather than actual free market exchange rates.



The parallel between Churchill's resolve and the North-South Korean impasse might work the opposite way too. To some Kim Jong-un might appear not as a tyrant in the Hitlerian mold but as a Churchill-like figure resisting mounting pressure from his enemies to give up all that he holds dear. It's easy for pro-Northers to fantasize the North Korean leader as the brave underdog standing up against foes all around, answering rising sanctions with rising resolve. Or, in yet another analogy, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in might be cast as a Chamberlain-like figure looking for dialog with a cruel enemy that will only exploit compromise and concessions, advancing steadily toward its goal of the conquest of South Korea.



One wonders if "Darkest Hour" was really intended to inspire such analogies or simply to dramatize a turning point in modern history dominated by a single towering figure, namely Churchill. Regardless of the intent of the film, the comparison that sticks is that of a hero resisting negotiations that would surely have ended in frustration and failure, giving the enemy an advantage that would bring about defeat. If there is no figure comparable to Churchill battling those who would sacrifice the integrity of their country for an illusory "peace," there is still a dictator with whom to contend.

Kim Jong-un has again betrayed his weakness with an extraordinary call for a "revolutionary offensive to uproot non-socialist practices." The public declaration of this campaign suggests that enemies real and imagined will surely suffer and die. The campaign also verifies what has long been suspected, that Kim faces severe hostility among a poverty-stricken populace fed up with the arrogance of the elite, notably the leader.



It's possible, even likely, that Kim will order more missile tests, perhaps a seventh nuclear test, more to impress his own people than to frighten his foes in Seoul and Washington. The fear of North Korea sending a long-range missile laden with a nuclear warhead to the U.S. raises the basic question of whether compromise and vacillation are a good idea against any threat. That's the message of "Darkest Hour" about one man's determination not to let anyone conquer, slaughter and enslave his people.





Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, has been writing about war and peace in Asia for decades.






By Kang Seung-woo







A grandson of the LS Group founder will donate 100 million won ($93,000) to help young people with disabilities enjoy physical and cultural activities.







According to Taein, Thursday, its CEO Lee Sang-hyun created a trust fund, to which he will give 20 million won a year for five years, to support disabled children and young people.







Taein is an electronics and electrical equipment manufacturer, based in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and LS Group founder Koo Tai-hwoi is Lee's maternal grandfather.







The Community Chest of Korea, the nation's largest charity organization, will oversee the fund, which the company says will boost transparency and credibility.







A trust fund is comprised of assets intended to provide benefits to an individual or organization. It brings in a third-party manager -- either an individual or an organization -- to check if the fund is well utilized in accordance with the grantor's intention.







The CEO has made social contributions since college.







When Lee was a student body president at Hanyang University in Seoul, he became the first subscriber to the Community Chest of Korea's "Good Family" program, under which a family member donates 20,000 won or more a month while also participating in the organization's other projects.







After receiving a master's degree in social welfare at Yonsei University, Lee achieved a second-class certificate in social work.







"I am happy to donate via a trust fund that is transparent and credible," Lee said.







"I hope my offering will be of help to disabled youths' cultural and physical activities."


Beijing Capital International Airport / Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons



By Laura Zhou

China is to allow some foreigners to visit Beijing and neighbouring Tianjin and Hebei province for up to six days without a visa.

The visa-waiver scheme is open to visitors from 53 countries who stop in China while in transit to a third country, the state-run People's Daily reported.

A similar six-day visa-free transit policy was introduced in Shanghai and neighbouring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces last year.

The new policy covering Beijing and neighbouring areas comes into force on Thursday. The countries in the scheme include most of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

The move forms part of government plans to more closely integrate the economies and development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

China's Civil Aviation Administration and the economic planning agency the National Development and Reform Commission have also pledged to construct new infrastructure to connect airports in the region by 2020.

Notices about the visa scheme have already been prepared in Chinese and English at Tianjin's international airport as well as the city's cruise port, the report said.

Wang Huiyao, director of the Centre for China Globalisation think tank, said the scheme would boost the tourism sector, especially in Tianjin and Hebei.

"The new policy covers citizens from almost all the developed countries in the world and six-day stays mean foreign visitors now have enough time to travel or to attend business conferences without needing to spend time and money on visa applications," said Wang.

Chinese tourists have become the largest contributor to the international tourism market, but China has long struggled to attract foreign travellers, with its strict visa policy often blamed as one of the factors deterring overseas tourists.

Chinese tourists made 62.03 million trips abroad in the first six months of the year, but foreigners only made 14.25 million trips to China, according to the National Tourism Administration.
A woman poses for pictures with Star Wars robots R2-D2 and BB8 at the China premiere of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," at the Shanghai Disney Resort in Shanghai, China, Dec. 20. / REUTERS-Yonhap



By Jane Cai





China has unveiled three-year plans to increase the country's economic competitiveness by developing "key technologies" in nine industrial sectors, from robotics to railways.

The initiatives mark Beijing's latest efforts to develop industries it deems will play a significant role the in the country's economic development in the future.

Among the plans published by the National Development and Reform Commission on Tuesday is one to develop magnetic levitation trains able to travel at up to 600km/h by 2020.

Other areas include smart cars, robotics, advanced shipbuilding and maritime equipment, modern agricultural machinery, advanced medical devices and drugs, new materials, smart manufacturing and machine tools.

The aim is "to make China a powerful manufacturing country" and upgrade the nation's industrial power through "the internet, big data and artificial intelligence", the commission said.

To achieve that goal, the agency has laid out specific targets to develop key technologies and guide research and the flow of funds in each sector.

Details for the automobile sector include encouraging greater use of computer chips by China's big carmakers.

The commission also wants Chinese carmakers to develop hi-tech equipment such as high-definition cameras and precise electronic systems to warn drivers if they are in danger of collisions.

The government will coordinate research efforts by carmakers and "enhance funding support" to seek breakthroughs in technological research, the agency said.

Similar instructions and plans have been set out for the other eight industrial sectors.

The plans were published as China's state-led industrial policies are receiving increased scrutiny among the country's trade partners in the US and Europe.

The European Union introduced new rules last week to guard against excessively cheap imports where overseas manufacturers are alleged to have gained an advantage through unfair trade practices.

It singled out China for special attention in a report spelling out how its economy is distorted by government subsidies and preferential policies for state manufacturers.

The European Commission concluded in a 465-page report that Beijing exerts a decisive influence over the allocation of resources, such as land or capital, and influences prices in various factors of production "in a very significant manner".

While the plans released on Tuesday are not specifically targeting foreign competitors, the message is about growing China's industrial muscle that can be leveraged by Beijing.

In the rail sector, for instance, Beijing's plan to develop a home-grown 600km/h maglev train would put China at the top of the world's rail industry in the use of the technology. A current line operating in Shanghai has an average speed of about 200km/h. The highest speed recorded by the technology is about 400km/h.

Zhao Jian, an economics professor at Beijing Jiaotong University said: "China is competing with the US to renovate its manufacturing sector. Government support in developing generic technologies are needed, but it should avoid being overstretching and setting up unrealistic goals.

"I doubt if any company would be interested in marketing the maglev train technology as the cost would be huge," he said.

The goals may be overly ambitious, but China's government is committed to pool resources to try to achieve them, according to analysts.

John Zeng, managing director of the consultancy LMC Automotive in Shanghai, expects the plans to be followed by preferential tax rates and other policies to encourage investment in the various sectors.

He added, however, that he was concerned it may be "ahead of time" to develop smart car technologies in China. "Compared to the US and some European countries, China's challenges to promote smart cars are much bigger, given the poor traffic conditions."

There is also a debate over whether the state should decide what technologies to focus on rather than market forces.

Beijing's industrial policies have often led to costly distortions. The Chinese government announcement a decade ago of 10 strategic emerging industries led to overheated investment and overcapacity in some sectors such as solar power.

Gary Liu, president of the China Financial Reform Institute, a Shanghai-based research group, said the government economic planner's role should be curtailed.

"What China should do is reduce government approvals. Enhancing administrative intervention will only lead to corruption, rent-seeking and disruption to the market," he said.

Barely a decade after the global financial crisis, China is on track to becoming a global leader in electric and driverless cars and the development of artificial intelligence.

However, the success can mainly be attributed to private companies' efforts. China's industrial policies, from subsidising solar panel producers to new energy car makers, have not fostered many successful firms. Instead, reports of fraudulent subsidy claims have been rampant.

Hu Xingdou, an independent economist, said: "Industry policies, even if working well, only work for the short-term. For the longer term, China is losing credit by allowing administrative power to play a big role in the economy and is destined to generate more complaints on an uneven playing field and criticism from foreign countries."
Mitakuyepi Audio Article Mitakyepi. Now that the votes have been counted and a new council with some returning and some first time serving,...
PRESS RELEASE

Sale of Lethal Weapons to Ukraine Will Lead to More Bloodshed, Russia Warns

Dec. 21, 2017 (EIRNS)The U.S. State Department has confirmed that U.S. manufacturers can now obtain export licenses to sell lethal defense weapons to Ukraine, and that Congress was advised of this on Dec. 13, according to spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS that this decision may well motivate "loose cannons" to unleash additional bloodshed in Donbass. Perhaps the sale of lethal weapons "will once again motivate loose cannons among those nationalists who are solely seeking to switch over to a use-of-force method to settle the situation in Donbassan absolutely dead-end technique, which would unleash bloodshed again," Peskov warned.

Speaking to reporters this week, Nauert emphasized that the U.S. government isnt supplying the weapons to Ukraine, but only allowing U.S. weapons manufacturers to do so. According to Voice of America, a commercial export license covers such weapons as semiautomatic and automatic firearms, and includes combat shotguns, silencers, military scopes, flash suppressors and parts. The equipment approved for sale is valued at $41.5 million. As of now, the Washington Post reports, Ukrainian requests for heavier weapons have not been approved.
PRESS RELEASE

Muellergate Building; DoJs Inspector General Probe Seen as Potential Landmine for Mueller

Dec. 27, 2017 (EIRNS)Attacks on Special Counsel Robert Mueller continue to grow, coming from conservative Republicans who call for Mueller to step down, given the obviously political nature of his investigation and the corruption of the FBI agents and Department of Justice personnel who are part of it. Panicked voices, meanwhile, shriek that Trump is planning to fire Mueller, and warn that, should he do so, hundreds of thousands of people around the country will pour out onto the streets to protest.

USAToday has a long analysis piece by Kevin Johnson today pointing out that the investigation of the Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal being carried out by DoJs Inspector General Michael Horowitz, could be a "potential landmine" for Mueller. It was Horowitz who unearthed the scandalous anti-Trump texts between FBI agent Peter Strzok and his lover, FBI lawyer Lisa Page. When the IGs final report is issued, Johnson argues, it will provide fresh evidence of wrongdoing, that will create real problems for Mueller.

From Texas, Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert warns that Mueller is not the "upstanding, fair guy that people have painted him as being...hes bad news." In an opinion piece in USAToday, Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona demands that the witch hunt be stopped and that Mueller resign.

"His investigation is clearly careening far beyond the scope of his original charge.... We should be deeply concerned with Muellers unlimited reach and unvetted hires."

The growing chorus of attacks on Mueller has worried his defenders. Huffington Post today quotes former President George W. Bushs ethics chief, Richard Painter, who warns FBI Director Christopher Wray to get his act togethertell Trump to back off and stop targeting the FBI, or else resign. He whines that Wray "is allowing himself and the FBI to be humiliated by Trump and by political hacks in Congress."

USAToday also leaps to Muellers defense in its main editorial,

"Smearing Robert Mueller," howling about "contemptible efforts to discredit Muellers investigation.... There is zero evidence that Mueller has done anything wrong and every indication he is making headway into the vital issue of foreign intrusion into American elections."

Former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks is trotted out by Newsweek to warn that Trumps attacks on the FBI are tantamount to obstruction of justice, as they are essentially threats against potential witnesses. Trumps attacks on FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe could be seen as "witness intimidation," Wine-Banks intones darkly. And, in statements to the liberal, Trump-hating MSNBC, neocon Bill Kristol spouted a similar line, wailing that Trump is trying to "systemically discredit" the FBI and charging that he is trying to shut down Muellers investigation and might even fire Mueller.
PRESS RELEASE

Prins: Corporate Tax Cut Wont Bring Growth, but More Speculation

Dec. 27, 2017 (EIRNS)American banking historian and former investment banker Nomi Prins wrote in yesterday's Truthdig on the just-passed GOP "tax reform": "In 2016, corporations collectively paid about $300 billion in federal taxes (or just 9% of all Federal tax receipts). In contrast, Standard and Poors 500 companies bought back over a half-trillion dollars of their own stock, indicating they were hardly hurting from undue tax burdens. Citigroup asked and received from the Fed permission to buy back $15 billion of its own stock over the year; Bank of America will buy back $17 billion and JPM Chase will purchase $19 billion of its own sharesthis in just over a year.

"Their choice to buy their own stock is legal manipulation of the market and a diversion of funds that could be deployed for small businesses, individual loan restructurings or long-term infrastructure or development projects that would employ more people in more secure jobs."

Since the biggest banks are the biggest corporations, they will get very large tax cuts. ThinkProgress, in a story on an estimate by Goldman Sachs itself, reports the eight major banks getting a total of $17 billion in lowered taxes for 2018the basis for buying back all that stock. The biggest tax savings will go to Wells Fargo, which epitomizes the rewarding of banks criminal behavior during this century.

Its clear why JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said, "Just think of it [the tax bill] as QE4," i.e., version 4 of the "quantitative easing" bailout policy.
PRESS RELEASE

Karasin: U.S. Arms to Ukraine Will Lead to War, Not Peace

Dec. 27, 2017 (EIRNS)Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin has offered another negative Russian assessment of the Trump Administrations decision to sell arms to the Kiev regime in Ukraine.

"We have been extremely disappointed by the news that the U.S. authorities had given one of its arms manufacturers a license for supplying Kiev with large-caliber sniper rifles. Washington hawks are thus attempting, the way they see it, to raise the price of the conflict in Donbass for Russia. This is a deficient and dangerous reasoning. It leads to war, not to peace,"

Karasin explained. TASS reports that Karasin was referring to the State Department approval of an export license for the sale of the sniper rifles, granted a few days before the transfer of Javelin antitank weapons was announced by the Trump Administration.

Karasin called on both the United States and Canada, which is also selling arms to the regime, to analyze the potential consequences of selling lethal weapons to Ukraine.

"Do Washington and Ottawa have the guarantee that their lethal weapons will not fall into the wrong hands? That they wont be picked up by terrorists? Or, for example, that they wont be sold by enterprising Ukrainian businessmen somewhere in the Middle East or in some other spot on the map that is sensitive to the United States itself, above all?"

Karasin noted. He stressed that the United States and Canada were opening a "Pandoras box" and "in fact, getting involved in the internal Ukrainian conflict, fanning the flames and making it international."
PRESS RELEASE

Gerasimov: U.S. Training Former ISIS Fighters at Two Syria Bases

Dec. 27, 2017 (EIRNS)Senior Russian officials in both the Foreign and Defense Ministries have been putting pressure on the U.S. military to withdraw from Syria for the past few weeks, particularly with the fight against ISIS practically wrapped up in the Euphrates River Valley. Gen. Valeriy Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, added his voice to the pressure, today, in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda, in which he accused the U.S. military of training former ISIS fighters in at least two bases in eastern Syria. In effect, Gerasimov is charging that the United States is remaking the remnants of ISIS and redeploying them to hold areas of eastern Syria not under government control.

U.S. military and State Department officials have repeatedly rejected the Russian charges regarding ISIS. While EIR has no independent confirmation of the specific claims made by Gerasimov, it is, indeed, clear that the U.S. military is not turning sovereignty of areas of eastern Syria back to the Syrian government.

Gerasimov said that U.S. forces have effectively turned their military base near the town of al-Tanf in southeastern Syria into a terrorists training camp.

"According to satellite and other surveillance data, terrorist squads are stationed there. They are effectively training there," Gerasimov said, when asked about whats going on at the base, reports RT.

Gerasimov also said the United States has been using a refugee camp in northeast Syria, outside the town of Al-Shaddadah in Al-Hasakah province, as a training camp for the remnants of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorist group, including those evacuated from Raqqa, and other militants.

"This is essentially ISIS," he said. "They change their colors, take different namesthe New Syrian Army and others. They are tasked with destabilizing the situation." Some 400 militants left Al-Shaddadah for Al-Tanf, launching an offensive on the Syrian forces from the eastern bank of Euphrates, after the main ISIS forces were routed there, Gerasimov said. At the moment, there are about 750 militants in Al-Shaddadah and 350 in Al-Tanf on the Syrian-Jordanian border, according to Gerasimov, who said the Russian military has been watching the training at the Al-Tanf base for some time.
The classicist Mary Beard opens her book Women & Power with a scene out of the Odyssey. Penelope leaves her room to approach the assorted suitors who more or less occupy her mansion, waiting for her to give up on long-lost Odysseus and marry one of them. When she requests they stop singing such songs, she is met with resistance from the youngest male there: Her adolescent son, Telemachus, chastises her. Return to your room, he tells her; public speaking is for men.

I read the Odyssey for 20 or 30 years before I noticed the line, Beard says. At a certain moment you just say, blimey, that is a founding moment in Western civilization! And Id read it however many times and not recognized it. And here we are in the first book of the poem and we have this moment: saying speech is male, and silencing a woman.

Adapted from a pair of lectures Beard delivered for the London Review of Books Winter Lecture series in 2014 and 2017, the twinned essays in Women & Power (Liveright) take on what Beard calls, in the books introduction, the culturally awkward relationship between the voice of women and the public sphere of speech-making, debate and comment: politics in its widest sense. Speech and power are inextricably linked, and male silencing of women is present at the very core of our cultural DNA.

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Beards voice, in person, is lively and warm; she sounds at once like the best possible coffee date and the extremely acclaimed academic she is (a longtime professor of classics at Cambridge University, Beard was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2013, one of the markers on a path to knighthood). Shes a relatable genius: Words like bloke and blimey pepper her speech.

Its this likability, in part, that led to such a strong backlash against A.A. Gill, a television critic who in 2012 wrote in the Daily Telegraph that Beard, then hosting a BBC program on ancient Rome, was too ugly for television. His attack seems to have been prompted by Beards audacity to be a woman, then in her mid-50s, who chose not to dye her hair or have plastic surgery.

The ancient temple of Parthenon in Athens, Greece (ARIS MESSINIS / AFP/Getty Images )

Curled in an armchair in her New York hotel room, Beard, who turns 63 on New Years Day, is naturally elegant and quite lovely. She wears her thick, silver-blond hair long and parted in the middle, and accents her dark tunic and leggings with golden high-tops. Her face, complete with the normal amount of laugh lines, is animated, intelligent and attractive.

Gills insults backfired. He got a lot of flack, Beard says. In terms of British public opinion, he got it wrong.

Beards spirited response to Gills insults  and to sexist attacks found in internet comment sections and Twitter  have made her, as the New York Times noted in 2016, a kind of folk hero for feminists of all ages (a 2014 New Yorker profile called her Troll Slayer).

The first person in her family to earn a university degree, Beard attended a womens college at Cambridge, entering in 1973 just as second-wave feminism took root in both the academy and the wider world. Scholars in her field began looking for written evidence of womens voices and found very little. By the time I was finishing my PhD, she says, we were much more interested in thinking not so much about trying to find the lost women, but to think how gender mattered in the ancient world  to see that preoccupation with the standoff between men and women absolutely, fundamentally lay the wellsprings of the literature we were reading.

The more you oppress, the more youre preoccupied by those you oppress.  Mary Beard

Throughout Women & Power, Beard draws a direct line between the silencing and invisibility of women in the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome and our own current and continuing problems with the patriarchy. Sometimes, she admits, it is depressing. But I think in a funny way theres a message for us in terms of saying, look, were a million times more lucky than any women in ancient Greece. But its really quite helpful to start to see that [our current gender landscape] is not an accident  this does actually have a long history.

In tracing the persistence of female disempowerment, Beard argues that we inherited a deep cultural preoccupation. Theres a basic rule of thumb, she said, that the more a culture oppresses women, or oppresses anyone, the more culturally preoccupied they are with that. Just as whites in apartheid South Africa were obsessed with racial classification and separation, the ancient Greeks and Romans spent a lot of time thinking about gender roles  and worrying about what would happen if women were to gain power.

The more you oppress, the more youre preoccupied by those you oppress, Beard said. When asked whether she saw any modern day parallels, say, to how often President Trump mentions Hillary Clinton, she laughed. She somehow, Im happy to say, keeps getting in his way! Beard said. Shes gotten into his head.

American journalists, Beard says, ask her all the time which Roman emperor Trump most reminds her of. My gut feeling is that its actually an insult to most Roman emperors, she said. Somehow I tend to think that most ancient observers would be just as horrified as us.

In her role as an academic, Beard says, its not your job to change the world. Nevertheless, she hopes her works nudges it a bit toward greater understanding and equality. That may be one reason she speaks up so frequently, both as a public intellectual and as a woman trying to be heard in an online world that is often hostile to female voices.

Every woman is always taught: Dont reply, dont give them the opportunity. I think, you know, hang on, thats leaving the bullies in charge of the playground, she said. When one man called her a filthy old slut and worse, she called him out and he apologized. Your audience in that encounter is not the guy  whos no doubt a sad old bloke with a bottle of cheap something with nothing better to do late at night than abuse women on Twitter, she says. Your resilience against it is seen by other women.

Beard hopes that the current atmosphere, in which sexual harassment and assault are finally getting widespread attention, will lead to lasting change. Shes not yet certain, though. She worries the focus on the rich and famous will overshadow the everyday oppressions: Im just as interested as the woman by the photocopier in the office. And shed like to see more focus on the future than the past. Im not interested in naming and shaming much, she said. Im interested in women not having to put up with it.

Its going to be hard to know right now whether the catharsis leads somewhere, she says. Or it could be that the catharsis is a kind of alibi, and things go on much as they always have. I think we should not lose sight of the fact of what the main aim is, which is for this not to happen.

For Beard, who has spoken about her experience being raped on a train in Italy, one lesson from studying classical literature is that the stories we tell reveal and then shape how we think about sex, gender, power and violence. We have to unpick these narratives, she said, untangling an invisible knot with her hands. In Greek mythology, Zeus raped women all the time. Youve got academics who will look at those stories of rape and say its not rape, its abduction. And when youve got abduction youre not very far from seduction. And then its just a love story.

Despite the misogyny she sees in the text, Beard says there is no way, absolutely no way, that I would want people to stop reading the Odyssey. But I want them to read it with their eyes open. To notice it and then to think what it says about us.

Tuttle is president of the National Book Critics Circle.
Despite a long recovery and record streak of job growth, the share of Americans moving to a new location continued a steady decline in 2017, reaching a new post-World War II low, an indicator of a less mobile workforce that reflects both an aging society and economic problems facing younger workers.

The decline marked the fifth straight year in which the share of the population moving dropped. In 2017, the number fell to 11%, according to the Census Bureau. The level was nearly twice as high in 1985, 20%, but has fallen steadily, except for occasional cyclical zigzags, for the last three decades.

For decades, high rates of mobility sharply distinguished the U.S. from other developed economies in Europe and Japan. The decline in mobility is due partly to what has become a less-dynamic and fluid American labor market, some economists believe.

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The decline also reflects social and demographic factors such as an aging population and declining birth rates; older people tend to stay put more and starting families often motivates people to go out on their own.

But economics has pushed the trend: Even though the job fortunes of young adults have improved after several difficult years following the Great Recession, many are still living in their parents homes or stuck in apartments with multiple roommates.

Stricter requirements for mortgages and large student debts may be keeping some from homeownership. But high prices, particularly in larger urban centers favored by young adults, also play a role. Builders have tended to bank on more-profitable, higher-priced houses or luxury apartments, and thats helped exacerbate a shortage of affordable homes in many cities.

Ive been waiting for now a long time for these young people to get out of their parents basement, said William Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer who compiled and analyzed the census statistics, which cover the period between March 2016 and March 2017 and also include a sliver of foreign migration in the U.S.

Part of the slowing mobility could be a lifestyle issue, Frey said. Maybe a little bit of inertia based on having not followed the norm of earlier generations. Still, given all the economic improvements, he added, its stunning to see the overall mobility the lowest ever.

There was, however, an encouraging sign in the data: Even as local moves, that is within counties, fell to a record low, pushing down total domestic migration, the percentage of the population relocating from one state to another picked up slightly over the last year. Those long-distance moves are driven largely by job changes, and the last year saw noticeable mobility gains on the part of adults 25 to 34 years old, those with college degrees and older people, according to Frey.

(Ellis Simani / @latimesgraphics )

In recent decades, the rate at which firms create new jobs has fallen; so has the rate at which they eliminate positions, said Steven J. Davis, a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. Both trends discourage workers from moving.

Lower gross job destruction rates mean less impetus from ones labor market experience to pick up and move locations, he said. At the same time, lower gross job creation rates mean less opportunity to find a job in a new location.

Some analysts say the recently signed GOP tax overhaul, and President Trumps efforts to reduce government regulations on business, could help strengthen the creative destruction in the American economy and spur migration. The tax bill, which mostly benefits corporations, is expected to increase economic growth next year. That could give a boost to mobility and in turn a lift to the housing market.

My sense is that we are on the verge of a little boomlet coming, said Los Angeles housing economist G.U. Krueger, principal of Krueger Economics. With that and some of the baby boomers exiting the labor market, there will be a lot of young people who will be moving around.

Just how much people will pull up stakes and relocate as a result of economic growth remains to be seen, however. No one expects a major reversal of the long-running trend of lower mobility, in part because of strong demographic trends that include slower overall population growth.

Separate census data released last week showed that as of July, the U.S. population rose by 2.3 million from the prior year to 325.7 million. Thats an annual growth rate of 0.72%  the second lowest since 1937.

Californias population increased by 0.61% from the prior year, slightly lower than the year before. Western states including Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Washington saw the fastest growth, while four states saw an overall decline in population, Illinois plus three states heavily dependent on declining energy industries  Wyoming, West Virginia and Alaska.

The slowing growth of the U.S. population reflects a steady decline in births and growing numbers of deaths. The resulting natural increase over the year was 1.2 million, the smallest in at least 17 years.

Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshires Carsey School, estimates that the Great Recession resulted in 4 million fewer births than what otherwise might have been. With the economy growing, some women who are in their 30s and who put off having children earlier could do so now and give a bump to the natural increase in the population.

Still, lingering effects from the recession and demographics suggest that many people will remain tethered to where they are. Young people account for the bulk of moves, and the U.S., like other developed countries, is aging, Johnson pointed out.

don.lee@latimes.com

Follow me at @dleelatimes
Many lower-paid workers in California will get a raise on Jan. 1 under the states new minimum-wage law, which will eventually boost hourly pay to at least $15.

Starting Monday, small companies  those with 25 or fewer employees  will have to pay workers at least $10.50 an hour, up from $10. For those companies, it marks the first of several pay increases mandated by the minimum wage law approved in 2016. Minimum-wage workers at larger companies, who saw their pay increase to $10.50 last January, will get bumped up to $11 an hour on Monday.

Wages will continue to rise incrementally over the next several years. By 2022, employees at large companies will get $15 per hour, a figure that has been the rallying cry of a national movement to boost pay for low-wage workers. Employees at smaller firms will reach $15 an hour in 2023. The increases can be delayed if the states economy falters.

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Many minimum-wage workers in Southern California, including those in the city of Los Angeles, are already being paid more because of local wage ordinances.

In Los Angeles, Pasadena and Santa Monica, the minimum hourly wage is already $12 for large companies and $10.50 for small firms. Those rates will climb to $13.25 and $12, respectively, in July, and reach $15 in 2020 for large companies and 2021 for small ones. Rules in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Santa Monica also require even higher minimum pay for some hotel workers.

Some Bay Area cities are set to hike wages even further. In Palo Alto, the minimum wage will rise to $13.50 on Jan. 1, up from the current $12. In Mountain View, the minimum wage will climb to $15 from $13, also on Jan. 1.

Proponents of the wage hike pitched the issue as one of economic justice, saying it would help shrink the growing divide between rich and poor and help working families struggling with Californias high housing costs. Business groups and other opponents, meanwhile, predicted a $15 minimum would kill off some small businesses, force others to raise prices and ultimately result in fewer job opportunities as employers cut back on hiring, especially in the Central Valley, Inland Empire and other regions where both wages and living costs are generally lower than in the states major coastal cities.

Dueling studies in California and Washington have sought to assess those claims, but came to wildly different conclusions.

A study from the UC Berkeley researchers suggested the wage hike would lead to more consumer spending and, as a result, to more jobs. One from the University of Washington, though, suggested that employers in Seattle, following a wage hike in that city, created fewer new low-wage jobs than expected based on activity in surrounding cities.

The coming raise will mean an extra $1,040 in income over a year for a full-time worker earning the minimum wage. Giannina Campos, 26, a bartender at Los Angeles Ale Works, a Hawthorne brewery, said any pay increase is nice, but that an extra 50 cents an hour wont have a major impact on her budget or help her move out of her parents home.

I dont think people can live off that with one job, at least if theyre renting, said Campos, who is working to pay off student loans while she looks for a full-time job as a teacher. But at least its something.

For businesses, the coming pay increase will mean thousands of dollars in additional payroll costs. Some say theyll raise prices accordingly, while others say theyre looking to trim non-labor costs to make up the difference.

At L.A. Ale Works, co-founder Andrew Fowler said he expects his payroll to rise between $5,000 and $6,000 in 2018 because of the wage increase. The brewery has 12 employees, half of whom make the minimum wage, plus tips. Those workers will go from $10 an hour now to $10.50 on Monday.

To make up for the added expense, Fowler said hes looking for small savings here and there. For instance, he said he found a new supplier for coasters that will charge 6 cents per coaster instead of 11 cents.Those 5 cents, multiplied by tens of thousands of coasters, adds up to a few thousand dollars in savings, he said.

Coasters are relatively expensive, but people look at them, they tear the corners off, they make shapes, dip them in their beer  it blows my mind, he said. People need livable wages, and I think [the minimum wage] is headed in the right direction, so its just going to be a matter of us figuring out how to reduce costs without reducing labor.

Finding cost savings to make up for a 50-cent pay bump is one thing, but Fowler said the brewery will have to grow its sales significantly to cover the additional minimum-wage increases coming over the next several years.

In nearby Torrance, Laurie Porter, co-owner of Smog City Brewing Co., said the 50-cent raise wont have a big impact, but that future raises will. Smog City has 26 employees, just enough that its already paying $10.50 to half a dozen minimum-wage employees and will start paying $11 on Monday.

Once it gets to about $14 an hour, I think well have to change our pricing on our beers, she said. The state minimum will reach that level for large employers in 2021.

Already the brewery, which also operates a tap room in Long Beach, decided to charge sales tax on top of the listed price of its beers. Like many of its peers, Smog City had previously listed a tax-inclusive price for pints.

Porter said that change was mostly a way to pay for additional benefits to workers but that it also helped take the edge off last years wage increase.

She and others in the restaurant and hospitality industry say theyd like to see the state amend its minimum-wage law so that tipped workers such as bartenders could be paid a lower hourly rate. Restaurateurs have long complained that without such a change, so-called front-of-house workers often end up with significantly higher pay than cooks and other back-of-house staff.

Joe Picarelli, owner of Picarellis restaurant in Long Beach, said servers make more than twice the minimum wage when tips are included, and that raising their hourly pay makes it more difficult to offer raises to others.

I can understand the laborer, the back-of-the-house guys. I can understand giving the kitchen a little bit of a raise, he said. But the wait staff? They work for the tips.

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkoren
Security officers at U.S. airports are on pace to confiscate nearly 4,000 firearms from travelers in 2017, surpassing a record set last year by nearly 15%.

The Transportation Security Administration on its blog publishes a weekly tally of weapons found. As of Christmas Eve, 3,888 firearms had been discovered on passengers at U.S. airport checkpoints for the year.

The final week of the year, when travel is busiest, is likely to push that total close to 4,000, according to TSA officials.

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At the end of 2016, the TSA reported it has taken 3,391 firearms from passengers, a 28% increase from the previous year.

Although the latest numbers show that the rate of increase in firearm seizures is slowing, other aspects remain about the same.

For instance, the share of guns found loaded over the past three years has held steady at 83%.

The three airports that have led the nation in most guns uncovered have been Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

The size of the airport doesnt seem to be a factor in the number of guns uncovered. Los Angeles International Airport, for example, is the nations second-busiest but hasnt been in the top five for firearms over the past few years, according to the TSA data.

Both Texas and Georgia allow people to openly carry handguns with a permit. California doesnt.

Most of the guns have been found in carry-on bags but some have been concealed in stuffed animals, potted plants and mixed in with tools, according to the TSA.

Federal law prohibits airline passengers from carrying firearms or other weapons into the cabin of a plane. If a TSA agent uncovers such a weapon, the traveler can face a civil fine ranging from $330 to $13,000 and be turned over to local police for prosecution under local guns laws, which vary by state.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.
As the wave of sexual harassment allegations reached seismic proportions, one solution touted repeatedly has been the need for more women in power.

But will the current watershed moment lead to more women in top management roles  or could it actually hold them back? Thats a question getting more attention as the #metoo movement takes root in workplace after workplace with acute, urgent risks like reputation-crushing headlines and expensive legal proceedings. Some experts worry any backlash to the moment  from overly cautious men to organizations with unfair expectations for the women who do get promoted  could hurt the numbers rather than help them.

Others are cautiously optimistic that the current tremors could finally start to move the needle. The recent allegations have really helped to spotlight the lack of women in powerful roles, said Brande Stellings, who leads advisory services for Catalyst, a research and consulting organization focused on women in leadership.

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Traditionally, she says, one thing we will sometimes see thats part of why women dont get the top job is theyre seen as a risky bet because of the stereotypes people have. But now, she said, maybe men are a risky bet and people are asking about the risk of not having women in power.

While years of headlines about the lack of gender diversity at the top have made a business case for getting more women into management, there hasnt been a lot of urgency for companies to take action. Now, ignoring diversity carries vastly more short-term risk, which could motivate employers to do more to advance female leaders.

You would hope that companies [promote women] because diversity matters or because its the right thing to ensure fairness, but often times companies are motivated from more of a compliance and risk management perspective, said Marianne Cooper, a sociologist at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University. I think there is an immediacy surrounding this issue of sexual harassment.

The other possibility is that an improved focus on sexual harassment and toxic workplace cultures will prevent more women from leaving certain industries, such as technology, allowing them to naturally rise through the ranks, work in more inclusive cultures and aim for top-level jobs.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, an economist and founder and chief executive of the Center for Talent Innovation, said her firms data show that women in technology, in particular, often opt to leave to avoid such frat boy cultures. If we were able to change that and make them more inclusive and not so predatory toward women, women would not just stick it out  they would be much more ambitious.

But she and others warn about the potential collateral damage of the #metoo movement, in which senior executive men could cut women out of social events, one-on-one dinners and informal after-work mentoring out of fear that they could say or do the wrong thing. Before the story about the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke, Hewletts research found that 64% of men were already hesitant to meet one-on-one with female co-workers because they were fearful of the encounter being misconstrued. That figure could be even higher now.

Another risk is that organizations promote women because they have a cultural problem that needs fixing and then expect them to do all the work.

In all jobs, women do more of these service roles, " said Stefanie Johnson, an associate professor of management at University of Colorado Boulder, such as working on diversity committees. They call it organizational housekeeping.

If that happens, playing the role of culture police puts women in a particular bind, setting them up for the risk of failure once they reach those leadership roles. As New York magazine writer Rebecca Traister put it in a recent piece, as designated guardians, entrusted  whether as colleagues or wives  with policing mens bad behaviors, [women] will get dinged for complicity if they dont police it vigilantly enough and risk being cast as castrating villainesses if they issue sentence.

To help ensure men continue acting as sponsors for more junior women, Hewlett suggests more communication and more accountability. Also critical: Make sure that both men and women are expected to sponsor other employees.

Such steps could guard against what some see as possible  if not inevitable  backlash.

I hate to say that, because I want to be more positive and optimistic, but this is about power, and mens dominant place in society, Johnson said. And I think when people feel threatened, an obvious response is to push back.
Apple Inc. announced Thursday that it will temporarily lower the price of replacing iPhone batteries, hoping to ease the backlash over its acknowledgment that it deliberately slowed down older-model iPhones.

The announcement  along with an apology  came less than two weeks after the company said that in order to prevent iPhones with aging batteries from drawing too much power and abruptly shutting down, it issued software updates to smooth out the power flow. Such smoothing can cause apps to launch more slowly and otherwise hinder the devices performance.

Since last weeks announcement, iPhone owners have filed at least 10 class-action lawsuits against Apple, saying the companys choice to keep quiet about that software led them to buy newer, more expensive iPhones instead of just replacing the batteries. Some accused the company of fraud.

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Apple pushed back. We have never  and would never  do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades, the Cupertino, Calif., company said Thursday.

Starting in early January and lasting through December of next year, Apple said, it will charge only $29 to replace the battery of an iPhone 6 or later whose warranty has expired. Thats $50 less than the current price of a battery replacement.

It also said it will release a software update that enables iPhone users to see whether their batteries condition is affecting the performance of their phones.

Apple has grown reliant on iPhone sales  the devices account for well over half of the companys revenue.

lauren.raab@latimes.com

UPDATES:

3 p.m.: This article was updated to note that iPhone sales make up more than half of Apples revenue.

This article was originally published at 2:40 p.m.
More than 20 years ago, film producer Barbara Broccoli told Annette Bening about a 1984 memoir recounting an affair between Oscar-winning actress Gloria Grahame  in her later years an England-based has-been  and the books author, Peter Turner  a fledgling actor 29 years her junior. Bening was excited enough that she briefly forgot her own age difference to the role.

We even talked about [me playing Gloria], says Bening, who delivers a poignant, squeaky-voiced performance as Grahame to Jamie Bells sweetly vulnerable Turner in Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool. Its more appropriate now. I was too young back then. What was I even thinking?

Bening and Bell came together at the Art Deco Blvd. Lounge to talk about their sweetly engaging love story, which opens this week.

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Jamie, youve said you didnt know who Grahame was when you first read the script. How did you respond to her and Turners story?

Bell: There was nothing in the script to tell me it was true. So I thought it was a very bizarre piece of fiction. [laughs] But I still felt [Peter and I] were similar in many ways. I always felt like a fish out of water. I was really into acting and classical music. I came from a family with a very strong identity. People from Liverpool are protective of one another, they wear their hearts on their sleeves. All that stuff I came to with the bags packed.

Did shooting in Liverpool illuminate how this regular guy and a fading Hollywood star could fall in love?

Bening: From what I understand, Gloria thought it was so exotic that he was from Liverpool and had this huge family. But who knows? She was always in the moment. It was pretty crazy: In her life, there was divorcing and custody battles and ending up with not much.

Bell: That didnt happen in Liverpool then. People from those communities, they stayed together through thick and thin. Thatd be incredibly appealing to someone who is not in their best time.

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Annette, talk about preparing to play one of cinemas great dames.

Bening: One of the things that got me [about watching her earlier films] was how often shed get beaten up. It was so common back then. And it wasnt just a smack, although that did happen. Theres a scene where Broderick Crawford literally beats her up  and I think that happened in Glorias life as well. There was a lot of booze. I dont think she was an alcoholic, but I think there was lots of wild partying.

Did you study her mannerisms?

Bening: I didnt want to try to do an imitation of her. I wanted to capture an essence, so I did it intuitively. There werent many interviews, but I watched a lot of her films, especially later. There was a very cheesy horror film, one of those psychedelic 70s TV movies, but she had a good scene in it. Shes running this scary house that these girls were housed in and I thought, Oh, yeah. Theres her craft. You could still see it.

Share some parting notions about Grahame after finishing the movie.

Bening: I think she was really ambitious, a bit of a live wire. She was wild. Gloria was married four times and she was gutsy. She did what she wanted to do. She fell in love with her stepson. And married him. And had children with him. Thered be a lot of people whod say, Im not going to go there. And Gloria, for whatever reason, she did it. I think that says a lot.

Jamie, what was it about Turner that you hoped to communicate?

Bell: I really wanted to get across that he just loves her 100%. He loved her for who she was. He didnt judge her. But I could also tell there were things that Peter didnt want to tell me about. In some ways, I think hes still her guardian now. Hes still protecting her.

What was Turners reaction to seeing a precious time in his life turned into a biopic?

Bell: Hes always a mess. I think hes seen it eight times  and hes still weeping.

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell star in Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool, " in which an aging famous actress and a young unknown become romantically involved. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

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Journalism isnt exactly held in high esteem these days. Yet despite a recent USA Today poll that found nearly two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the mainstream media, that hasnt deterred Hollywoods fascination with the Fourth Estate, particularly its print component. In 2016, Spotlight won the best picture Oscar for its portrayal of Boston Globe reporters uncovering a sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, and now director Steven Spielbergs The Post, starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, details the Washington Posts decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, a secret Defense Department report showing that the Johnson administration (among others) systematically lied about its conduct of the Vietnam War.

I certainly hope that our movie makes people aware of the kind of effort that goes into searching for and seeking and printing the truth, Spielberg has said. This to me is a patriotic movie. I made this as a believer in the free press, in our 1st Amendment rights.

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Spielbergs film is just the latest example of a genre that has been a staple of Hollywood  for better or worse  for nearly a century. Print journalists have been portrayed as heroes, as ink-stained wretches, as corrupt, says John Maynard, director of programs for the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The classic example is All the Presidents Men, the dogged determination of those reporters uncovering Watergate, shoe leather reporting, getting to the bottom of the story.

Movies throughout their history have had an affectionate spot for 1st Amendment rights and journalists who serve the public welfare, adds Joe Saltzman, who heads the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture project at USC. Many movies show the journalist performing in a way most journalists like to think of themselves: as the court of last resort for the underprivileged and underrepresented members of society.

Not that all portrayals of the press have been so high-minded. Particularly in the 1930s and 40s, an interest in tabloid journalism led filmmakers to show aspects of the profession that ranged from scathing to screwball. Five Star Final (1931) features a sleazy tabloid editor played by Edward G. Robinson who resurrects a 20-year old scandal with tragic results. The film ends with a shot of the paper in a gutter His Girl Friday (1940) stars Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell as a wisecracking reporter and editor using every means at their disposal to cover the upcoming execution of a convicted murderer.

What The Post gets right about 1970s newsrooms 

There wasnt the heavy reliance on the difficult complications of issues in movies like these, says Andrea Heiss, director of the Arts-in-Depth Program at the Missouri School of Journalism. There was maybe an attractive story line that doesnt necessarily follow the reality of everyday stories printed in those decades.

One thing films like this did do, however, was create a series of journalism stereotypes that, inspired by silent movies and 19th century pulp novels, have endured for decades. Says Saltzman: Publishers are still corrupt. Reporters still try to save the day. Editors still yell at everyone to get that story before another publication beats them to it. [Women] are still trying to be better than their male counterparts. And cub reporters are still the darlings of the journalism world because they always ask the questions the viewers want to know.

The perfect examples? Perry White, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and that most famous of all reporters, Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman,

Of course, this doesnt necessarily reflect reality  as seen in Liev Schreibers phlegmatic portrayal of Spotlights real-life editor Marty Baron. But at their finest, movies about the press shine a light on the doggedness of good reporting and the occasionally sleazy ways in which some writers and photographers will do anything, legal or not, to get a story. Early standouts in this respect are Billy Wilders Ace in the Hole (1951), a blisteringly cynical tale of a reporter (Kirk Douglas) manipulating a mine tragedy to enhance his reputation, and Call Northside 777 (1948), the true story of a Chicago newspaperman (James Stewart) saving an innocent convict from a life in prison.

Many newspapermen and women wrote some of the early to mid-20th century films about newspapers and telescoped years of experience into showing both the good (helping people in trouble) and some of the bad (alcoholism, do anything for a story) of the profession, says Saltzman.

In recent years, however, even though filmmakers do not shy from negative stories about the press  Shattered Glass, the 2003 film about journalistic fabricator Stephen Glass being a perfect example  they seem to particularly enjoy portraying the tenacity of investigative reporting, even though it is not inherently cinematic. In films like Spotlight and All the Presidents Men its not a glamorous thing, says Maynard. On the phone, driving to someones house, knocking on the door. Chasing a story, drama at every moment, obviously thats not how it is. Even today it can be viewed as more glamorous than it really is.

But, adds Heiss, one of the things filmmakers get right in these films is the incredible dedication of journalists to their profession and their code. They value accuracy, fairness, public service.

And theres this. Theres never a bad time for a good stop the presses tale, especially one like The Post that holds a mirror up to contemporary society. I thought this was an idea that felt more like 2017 than 1971, Spielberg has said about his film. I could not believe the similarities between today and what happened with the Nixon administration against their avowed enemies the New York Times and the Washington Post. I realized this was the only year to make this film.

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One arm shot off and hat brim slanted low, Frank Griffin, an outlaw predisposed to frontier wisdom and Bible brandishing, rides with 30 hard men in a fury that can empty a town by sunset.

Played by Jeff Daniels in the new Netflix series Godless, Griffin is an alluring villain, a man shaped by a boyhood tragedy he carries with him like a sin turned sacred. He is reflective and cruel, intelligent and brutal, a man of intricate and unfathomable parts who can kill the innocent one day and the next soothe strangers blistered with smallpox. He knows more intimately than a coyote the unforgiving land he roams.

This heres the paradise of the locust, the lizard, the snake, he says. Its the land of the blade and the rifle. Its godless country.

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The Scripture-quoting Griffin is one of many standout villains in what has been a banner year for bad guys in movies and TV. In an era when men from Hollywood to Congress are being called to task for generations of discrimination, sexual harassment and holding power, our latest round of miscreants tend to be white, some born of privilege, others not. They mark a notable evolution from films of the past that featured tomahawk-wielding Indians, shape-shifting Soviet spies, bandolier-laden Islamic terrorists and sharp-clawed aliens from distant galaxies.

Among the most resonant this year are Sam Rockwells racist, homophobic cop in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Michael Shannons menacing researcher in the foreboding and fantastical The Shape of Water; Alexander Skarsgards impeccably tailored, vicious husband in Big Little Lies; the council of men who imprison and impregnate women in The Handmaids Tale; the ape-hating Colonel in War for the Planet of the Apes; and the liberals and racists in the satire turned horror film Get Out.

Each has compelled audiences to reflect on the sins of these characters while also exploring what motivates them. How are notions of goodness  no matter how slight  blotted out by sinister impulses and pre-meditations that are the seeds of twisted spirits?

This recent group of tormented villains embodies a cultural war in an America anxious over its direction amid restive populations of women and people of color, and widening divides between liberals and conservatives and rich and poor. Frank Griffin, who perverts the Bible for his own malevolence, is emblematic of the toxic collusion of religion and politics. Hes as mesmerizing as an evangelical preacher speaking in tongues and as corrupt as a senator tangled in graft.

And yet, as Godless creator Scott Frank notes, you find yourself feeling strangely empathetic toward the savage Griffin.

Hes charismatic, as a lot of narcissists can be, says Frank, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter who wrote and directed Godless. Hes familiar to us, especially if you look at whats happening in the world right now. The notion that the ends justify the means has become extreme to a degree where you have religious figures back horrible human beings in order to accomplish what they see as pious goals. Weve gone so tribal that way in religion and politics.

The villain resides in our imaginations like a piece of darkness, rousing the hushed things deep within, part human, part something wed rather not contemplate. We revel in their cunning, recoil at their perniciousness and bloodlust. They are fallen angels who hold our fears and weaknesses to the light, coaxing us into accepting their vileness or granting them a measure of understanding.

Literature and film reach into our recesses to summon outsize and eerily accurate depictions of our world, which these days is a hyperdrive of suspicion and recrimination. News, depending on ones persuasion, has conjured many real and perceived villains from President Trump to Hillary Clinton, and from Harvey Weinstein to Matt Lauer to Roy Moore. Scheming in the distant wings are the ever-reliable bogeymen of Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The flaw is what we most often remember in our malefactors. It makes their acts more heinous because they are in so many ways like us, the poison in our well. Shakespeares conniving Richard III is rudely stamped with a hunchback, a metaphor for his deformities of flesh and spirit. Perry Smith, a killer in Truman Capotes In Cold Blood, is an emotionally stunted man-child whose feet dont touch the floor when he sits in a chair. In the 2004 film Downfall, Adolf Hitler, in one of the first times in German cinema, was not a caricature of evil but a scowling paranoid in a bunker trying to hide what was believed to have been Parkinsons disease.

Sam Rockwell, left, and Frances McDormand in a scene from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. (Merrick Morton / Associated Press )

Rockwells layered depiction of police officer Jason Dixon in Three Billboards is of an authoritarian buffoon who can explode into violence and then return home, sit on the couch, eat sandwiches and watch TV with his mother. He is the personification of the small-town cop with too much power. The vagaries and complexities of life elude, mystify and enrage him, but he is vulnerable and open for redemption, if only he could tame his baser instincts.

I wanted to show all of the characters ignorance and hatred, but it was important not to judge Sams character, says the films writer-director Martin McDonagh. I wanted to say there can be room for change and hope if you look at the humanity rather than the ism.  He added that the tone of the film is kind of the way I see the world. You see the darkness, the sadness or the bleakness, but you cant let it get you down, so you kind of laugh at it or with it or through it to get to a place, I dont know, thats cathartic or just livable.

Daniels thought of Griffin as someone spinning in all kinds of directions. He doesnt know which way hes going. Frank just keeps going from [reciting] biblical verses to revenge to rage to loving his son. He has these moments that overtake him like a drug. So I just made the decision to not understand him and just ride the wave.

One glimpses little hope in Perry Wright (Skarsgard), the taut, vain, abusive husband of Celeste (Nicole Kidman) in Big Little Lies. He has wealth and twin sons perched like Ralph Lauren models. But a speck of dust or a faint slight can set his fists alight. He beats Celeste (a gifted lawyer he will not let work) in their cloistered idyll by the sea, a home whose rage belies its sleek perfection. The cleverness of his character is that the animal fury that harms and bruises Celeste feeds in a perverse way their sexual passion.

Perry Wright was vilified on social media. He was evil in plain sight, the seducer, the perfect man with a heart of knives.

People seem quite disturbed by it, Skarsgard says of his character. I tried to avoid playing the stereotypical abusive husband and to find someone whos conflicted and tormented and who really struggles with this as opposed to playing a two-dimensional bad guy.  It was important to find that dynamic [between Celeste and Perry] that was toxic but theres also a lot of love there, a lot of desire. Its intense. That makes it more difficult for Celeste as well because she blames herself a bit at least in the beginning: Am I an instigator? 

The instigators for the Colonel (Woody Harrelson) in War for the Planet of the Apes are past and present calamities. The maniacal Colonel is bent on exterminating apes and infected humans to stop the spread of a virus he believes will destroy mankind. He is a manifestation of war against the other, a trope revealing how our fears can lead to divisive politics and anti-immigrant fervor.

Griffin has his own demons in Godless. He is haunted by the rape of his sister and massacre of his family by a rampaging Mormon sect dressed up as Native Americans. He is raised by that clan and grows into a messianic leader of a band of killers, a gunman with a preachers white collar but no sheen of redemption.

He has been hiding behind the Bible and religion and doing all these terrible things and feeling justified in all hes doing, the shows creator says. He doesnt realize it. Hes so delusional like a lot of people like that are. They are motivated and blinded by their own righteousness. I didnt write him thinking of him as the bad guy. I wrote him as a seriously screwed-up good guy.

But his contradictions  he nearly weeps after massacring one family and feels broken and betrayed by the adopted son who fled him  make him skilled at looking into the wounded souls of others.

Im just wondering what it was took the life out of your face, Griffin asks a sheriff who is pursuing him. Was it the weather like most men who live out this way or was it maybe things youve seen?

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Im just wondering what it was took the life out of you face. Was it the weather like most men who live out this way or was it maybe things youve seen?  Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) in Godless

Twitter: @JeffreyLAT

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If youre a movie buff living in Los Angeles, New York or a handful of other major American cities, this should be one of the most glorious times of the year for you. Whatever the critics have been raving about, you can see  either right now or by New Years Eve. I, Tonya? The Shape of Water? The Post? Phantom Thread? Theyre all heading your way, if theyre not at your local multiplex already.

Me? I live in Conway, Ark., a college town with a population of about 60,000 and one 10-screen Cinemark theater. Its a nice theater, granted: only a few years old, with stadium seating and good digital projection and sound. But if I wanted to see Lady Bird or Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri tonight, Id have to drive about 45 minutes to Little Rock.

Meanwhile, as some of my cinephile friends are talking about where they can go to see Phantom Thread projected through 70 mm celluloid, at the moment I honestly have no idea if Ill ever get to see Paul Thomas Andersons reported masterpiece on a screen any bigger than my TV.

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Honestly, Im used to this. I was born in Georgia, grew up in Tennessee, did short stints in Kansas and Virginia, and have spent the past 18 years here in Arkansas. Through all those moves, Ive remained a film fanatic.

There are a lot of us out here in the sticks who grew up watching Siskel & Ebert and reading Pauline Kael.  Noel Murray

Im far from the only one. There are a lot of us out here in the sticks who grew up watching Siskel & Ebert and reading Pauline Kael, and who see every top critics Ten Best Movies of the Year columns not as something to check against our own, but as a wish list.

In a lot of ways, its easier to be a cinephile in exile now than it was when my wife and I first moved to central Arkansas in 1999. Back then, Conway had two theaters, which together still held only 10 screens. The projection was underlighted, the sound was abysmal, and at least one house in each multiplex always smelled like rancid popcorn oil.

Under ideal conditions, I agree with my big city friends who prefer celluloid to digital. But where I live, the switch to digital has led to a more consistent presentation. The image is always bright and in focus; and the sounds never muddy.

One big change for the worse around here is that we dont have the number of video stores we once did. Most of the film buffs I grew up with and I made a habit of scouring not just every local mom-and-pop rental shop but also every Blockbuster and Suncoast, looking for the foreign imports and cult curios that sneaked onto the shelves between the dozen copies of Jurassic Park.

But you know what I can do today that I couldnt 15 or 20 years ago? I can check out The Lost City of Z and A Quiet Passion on Amazon Prime, or Nocturama and My Happy Family on Netflix. This year, when I noticed Columbus popping up on a lot of my favorite critics best-of lists, I bought it on iTunes. Movies that were the toast of major international film festivals not so long ago are just a couple of remote control clicks away from playing in my living room.

Thats one of the many ways that the conversation about cinema differs in a smallish Arkansas city, as opposed to Los Angeles, New York or Chicago. In the metropolises (not to mention in movie-mad cultures like France), Netflix has become the enemy, for buying up the kind of pictures that used to be art house staples, and keeping them out of theaters.

But the likes of Okja and Tramps were never going to come to Conway. These days I get to see those  and quite a few others  at almost exactly the same time that my colleagues on the coasts do.

That matters too, since so often lately, the discussion around certain movies gets thoroughly played out on Twitter and in online think pieces before the pictures even open widely. By the time Oscar nominations roll around, people in the media centers are sick of arguing about films that are just about to expand into my neck of the woods.

Aside from VOD and subscription services, another way folks in the middle of nowhere stay current on cinema is via regional film festivals, which to some extent have replaced the old art house circuit, bringing a handful of the years most acclaimed documentaries and foreign films to dedicated audiences around the country.

I personally travel to Toronto and Sundance every year in my capacity as a film critic, which covers a lot of the years big indie releases for me. But I also drive a few hours up the road to Columbia, Mo., for True/False, and occasionally zip back to my old hometown of Nashville for its big festival. Its a very different crowd that attends the local fests, made up of arty teens, eager academics and adventurous retirees. We all are also part of the fabric of America  red or blue.

By no means would I ever say that its better to be a film buff in Arkansas (or South Dakota, for that matter) than it is to be one in L.A. or New York City. Heck, Id like to live near a repertory theater. Id like to have seen Dunkirk in 70 mm.

But when I hear my urban friends complaining about digital projection, or about Amazon snapping up their favorite Sundance movie, or about how someones best-of list is too predictable, Im reminded of how much cinephilia is a spectrum, and how often the opinions on that spectrum are shaped by location.

So take it from a hick: Passion for the arts exists everywhere. Its just that not everyones venues are grand, and not everyone gets the good stuff at the same time.

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Probably no one movie could capture the scope of citizens forcing regime change in a dictatorial country, but the South Korean feature 1987: When the Day Comes valiantly tries in its own thriller-ish way.

Its a fast-paced, multi-character epic centered on the seeds of the countrys democratic uprising 30 years ago, starting with the death of student activist Park Jong-chul while in the custody of the governments powerful anti-communist squad, run by its torture-mad, ultra-patriotic leader Park (Kim Yoon-seok).

Director Jang Joon-hwan and writer Kim Kyung-chan whip through the story of a cover-up that never quite holds thanks to a series of actions taken by, in succession: a cynical, fed-up prosecutor (Ha Jung-woo) who insists on an autopsy in defiance of his superiors; an intrepid reporter (Lee Hee-jun) who writes up the findings; a sympathetic prison guard (Yoo Hai-jin) in secret contact with the states political enemies; and a female student (Kim Tae-ri) awakening to the fight for justice.

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Keeping track of the myriad primary and secondary figures takes close attention, especially since Jangs need for narrative speed precludes staying in one setting for too long. But theres an admirable dot-connecting quality to 1987, akin to HBOs The Wire, as it wends from backroom scheming among powerful men to street riots starring an angry public, all while touching on the various institutions that need to push back if corrupt people in power are ever going to feel real heat.

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1987: When the Day Comes

In Korean with English subtitles

Not rated

Running time: 2 hours, 9 minutes

Playing: CGV Cinemas, Los Angeles; CGV, Buena Park

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The reason to pay attention to "Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool" is the reason it got made in the first place: the opportunity it provides to see star Annette Bening in action.

Bening has always been savvy in the roles she selects, and for decades, ever since she first discovered the work of Gloria Grahame while preparing for her role in "The Grifters," she's been interested in taking on the story of the last years of the Oscar-winning actress.

Bening has done a remarkable job of capturing Grahame's look and her breathy way of talking, insuring that her performance is real and using it to explore still-relevant issues of aging, glamour and relationships.

Gloria Grahame (Associated Press)

In her day, Grahame was one of Hollywood's most accomplished creators of femme fatales, a film noir stalwart who won her Oscar for "The Bad and the Beautiful" and did memorable work in "The Big Heat," "Crossfire," "Sudden Fear" and costarring with Humphrey Bogart in In a Lonely Place.

Once seen, never forgotten, Grahame had a very particular wised-up affect ("unfathomable and ungraspable" is how critic Judith Williamson described it). But "Film Stars" doesn't deal with her time on screen so much as her life off it.

In the late 1970s, when Grahame was in her 50s and working on stage in England, she met a 28-year-old actor named Peter Turner, and their friendship turned into a romance and then something more.

In 1986, Turner published an affecting memoir on their relationship (it gives the film its title) and its been turned into an engaging feature by screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh and director Paul McGuigan.

Greenhalgh, whose previous scripts concerned the early days of rockers Ian Curtis of Joy Division ("Control") and the Beatles' John Lennon ("Nowhere Boy"), is in familiar celebrity territory here, and director McGuigan tries hard to bring visual interest to the proceedings.

"Film Stars" opens in 1981 in Lancaster, England, with Grahame in a theater dressing room, patting a cigarette case Bogart gave her after "Lonely Place" and preparing to go on stage in "The Glass Menagerie."

Annette Bening as Gloria Grahame in Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool. (Sony Pictures Classics / AP)

At the same time in Liverpool, Turner (effectively played by Jamie Bell) is working as an actor but back living with his parents, the silent Joe (Kenneth Cranham) and the way more vocal Bella (Julie Walters in familiar territory).

Then the phone rings in Liverpool and Turner finds out that Grahame has fallen suddenly ill. It's clear these two haven't spoken in awhile and that they have a past.

In the here and now, Grahame wants to go to Liverpool and recuperate in Joe's family home under the care of Bella, who shes always got on well with.

"I could get better there," the actress says, and though that doesn't seem completely likely, there's no doubt that Grahame believes it.

Liverpool shuttles regularly back and forth between its two time periods, from the pre-illness beginnings of the relationship to the way the end game played out.

The pair met in 1979, when they both lived in the same London rooming house. Their connection was immediate, and survived a first date watching Alien, which terrified him and made her laugh.

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell in Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool. (Sony Pictures Classics / AP)

Turner has no idea who Grahame is at first, but their landlady clues him in. She was a big name in black-and-white films, hes told. Not doing too well in color.

As with most romantic films that dont have happily ever after in their DNA, the best parts of Liverpool involve what happens when stresses manifest themselves, in this case when Grahame returns to the U.S. and Turner comes with her.

One of the films more astringent scenes showcases a dinner in Malibu with Grahames mother (an effective Vanessa Redgrave cameo) and her waspish sister (Frances Barber), who lets a lot of skeletons out of the closet.

Annette Bening, left, and Vanessa Redgrave in Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool. (Sony Pictures Classics / AP)

Even better is a sequence in New York, told first from Turners point of view, and then Grahames, that displays Benings ability to create a character both fragile and wilful but determined to deal with life on her own terms.

Benings performance deepens as Grahames situation grows in complexity, and the reasons she wanted to play this part for so long become increasingly clear. Not every actors dream works out well for the audience, but this is one Bening fans will not want to miss.

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Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool

Rating: R, for language, some sexual content, brief nudity

Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Playing: Landmark, West Los Angeles

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L.A. Times critics Kenneth Turan and Justin Chang on what makes 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' the best in the franchise.

L.A. Times critics Kenneth Turan and Justin Chang talk about their year-end movie picks.

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Our annual compilation of overlooked films. Each reviewer chose five films to highlight.

A River Below: Serving as a revealing reminder that you cant always judge an eco-doc by its cover, a pair of conservationists bringing attention to the plight of the Amazonian pink river dolphin drift into decidedly murkier waters as filmmaker Mark Grieco discovers an intriguing layer of ethical ambiguity lurking just below the well-intentioned whistleblowing.

A Taxi Driver: Played out against South Koreas 1980 Guangju Democratic Uprising, Jang Hoons deftly-directed buddy picture of a political thriller takes some affectingly unexpected turns driven by Song Kang-hos reluctant title character and Thomas Kretschmann as his dogged fare  a German broadcast journalist determined to bear witness to the brutal attacks.

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Ethel & Ernest: Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent give a master class in voice acting for animation in Roger Mainwoods movingly nostalgic ode to the workaday lives of author-illustrator Raymond Briggs parents. Coinciding with a dramatically eventful period in world history, the tender, hand-drawn film is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Free in Deed: Set along a particularly downtrodden stretch of Memphis, Jake Mahaffys fact-based, atmospheric indie is a powerful, bleakly spare depiction of two damaged souls (played with achingly raw conviction by Edwina Findley and David Harewood) seeking salvation beneath the harsh fluorescent lighting of a converted storefront Pentecostal church.

Window Horses: Coco wasnt the only 2017 animated release that avoided whitewashing another culture. Likewise Ann Marie Flemings stirringly original portrait of a stick figure of a young Canadian woman entering a poetry contest in Shiraz, Iran, which emerges as a vibrantly-rendered excursion (em)powered by universal themes of identity and belonging.

Yes, please: Refreshingly uplifting documentaries like Faces Places, Jane and Kedi, about the street cats of Istanbul, enlivened a field long dominated by films dealing with international conflict, the food chain and other inconvenient truths.

No more: Thin skin. Aggravated by Rotten Tomatoes and other review-aggregation sites, filmmakers and fanboys seem to be increasingly trolling those in the critical community who dare show their pet projects anything less than unconditional love.

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Our annual compilation of overlooked films. Each reviewer chose five films to highlight.

Lady Macbeth: Florence Pugh gives a ferocious performance in William Oldroyds mannered and meticulous Lady Macbeth, a haunted and angry depiction of lusty feminine rebellion in 1865 England. Vacillating between control and chaos, powerhouse Pugh makes Katherine one of the more unforgettable cinematic antiheroines of the year.

Band Aid: Star-writer-director Zoe Lister-Jones employed an all-female crew for her directorial debut, a funny, poignant and deeply affecting study of relationships and the messy business of creation of all kinds.

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Princess Cyd: Chicago-based filmmaker Stephen Cones latest feature is the kind of open and generous filmmaking we dont see too much of these days; its a pleasure to luxuriate in its warmth. Featuring two of the best undersung performances of the year from Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick, who stuns as Cyd in her first film role.

Kill Me Please: An audacious debut from Brazilian filmmaker Anita Rocha da Silveira combines gruesome slasher movies and teen coming-of-age comedies in a film that plays like Halloween meets Heathers. This abstract and visually striking film explores the fascinating psychological intersection of sex and violence.

Only the Brave: This impeccably directed and emotionally moving film, based on the true story of Arizonas Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite wildland firefighting crew, should have been an American Sniper-sized hit. Anchored by Josh Brolin in one of his best performances, Only the Brave becomes especially poignant and relevant after the wildfires that have devastated California this year.

Yes, please: 2017 brought a swath of fiercely smart and feminist genre films directed by women  from the French teen cannibalism romp Raw to the anthology film XX and the superhero triumph of the year, Wonder Woman. These films prove that feminist horror, sci-fi and comic book movies are the most exciting thing going today.

No more: Studios funding Woody Allen films. Weve had more than enough of his takes on women, aging and May-December relationships. Lets try some new perspectives.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

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As historic wildfires burned vast swaths of Southern California, Mike Love of the Beach Boys stood on a small stage at Amoeba Music and described an idealized landscape of good vibrations and fun, fun, fun.

To judge by the serene expression on his face, Love  a longtime proponent of the Transcendental Meditation technique he famously learned from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the late 1960s  had risen above any distress the blazes mightve caused him.

The West Coast has the sunshine, he sang with what still looked like pride, and the girls all get so tan. To punctuate the well-worn lyric, he pointed at people in the small but enthusiastic hometown crowd; later, he used his hands to form the shape of a heart.

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Yet a flicker of anguish showed itself earlier, before the Dec. 6 gig, as Love, 76, sat in a cluttered back room at the Hollywood record store.

I was looking out the window from our balcony, watching the plumes of smoke at like 7 oclock this morning, he said. Love explained that he and his wife, Jacquelyne, were staying at the Four Seasons on Doheny Drive, with a view of the Skirball fire in Bel-Air. I stood there and just thought, Oh, my goodness.

Then he said with a grin, Jackie wouldnt even let me go swimming down in the beautiful pool because of the air quality. I said, What kind of air quality you talking about? I grew up in L.A. Theres been smog here for 300 years.

A happy resident these days of Incline Village, Nev. (on the north shore of Lake Tahoe), Love was in town this month to promote Unleash the Love, the first solo album in decades from the only guy with the legal rights  and perhaps the fortitude  to tour under the Beach Boys brand name.

Its a double-disc affair, with 13 new songs about peace and positivity and a dozen re-recorded Beach Boys classics, including California Girls, Help Me Rhonda and Do It Again.

On that last one, Love shares vocal duties with his friends John Stamos and Mark McGrath, and its impossible not to recognize how much more relaxed Love sounds with them than he did a few years ago playing high-profile concerts with his cousin Brian Wilson.

As even casual Beach Boys fans know, Loves relationship with the groups troubled genius has been strained for years  theyve fought about money and creative credit  which is one reason the Beach Boys so-called reunion album, 2012s Thats Why God Made the Radio, made for a pretty miserable listen.

Unleash the Love, on the other hand, reflects no turmoil at all; its as even-keeled as Kokomo, the late-80s Beach Boys hit that Love famously shepherded without Wilsons involvement.

Thats not to say the album is good, exactly; new tunes like Pisces Brothers, about Loves friendship with George Harrison, and All the Love in Paris, with an appearance by the smooth-jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, are as corny as you might fear.

But its kind of fascinating to hear Love reclaim the old stuff as though he could protect it from the inferno that is his family history.

Part of what hes doing, of course, stems from his awareness of the market, a head for business that goes back to the 60s, when hed show up at the offices of the William Morris Agency and work with the Beach Boys promoter, Irving Granz, to book the groups opening acts.

Ive always been part of that process, Love said. Now its AEG and Live Nation  theyre the big Goliaths. But guess what? They dont run Texas Christian Universitys performing arts center. And we can go there, and people are totally fans and theyre not gonna have to pay too much.

At Amoeba, Love sang a handful of new tunes, including Only One Earth, which had one of his daughters delivering an incantation about winds and spirits. But he knew what folks had come to hear  and, as on Unleash the Love, he didnt make them wait long for Good Vibrations and Fun, Fun, Fun.

In its blandly crowd-pleasing aspect, there was something almost service-minded about the performance that made you think of a plumber or a lifeguard. Love typically plays more than 100 shows a year with his version of the Beach Boys (which includes Bruce Johnston), and he says his mission  his job, in fact  is to re-create the original records in order to inspire bliss in the audience. He credited his fathers work ethic for that approach.

Hed get up at 5:30 in the morning and go to work at 6 at Love Sheet Metal and make kitchen equipment, Love said, sipping an almond-milk latte. In World War II they made galleys for warships, and later on they did the Bobs Big Boy restaurants and the UCLA Medical Center.

But as suits the man who couldnt resist mentioning L.A.s pre-industrial smog, Love also plays the old music as a means of setting the record straight  of arguing that these are his songs as much as theyre Wilsons.

When I asked how long he and Jacquelyne had been married, he ended up telling a long story about how hed dictated the lyrics to Good Vibrations to one of his previous wives as he drove to the studio to record the song.

I said, Take this down: I love the colorful clothes she wears, Love recalled.

He has plenty of other tales, including the time the Beach Boys played a state prison in McAlester, Okla.

This was a while ago, Love said, referring to the show that took place in 1969. My cousin Carl was drafted but he didnt go; he became a conscientious objector. But there was a while where the FBI was looking for him. And so when they made the determination that this guy is not gonna go to Vietnam, we did a lot of things  prisons, hospitals  as part of his service.

Love remembered talking to bank robbers. Great guys, he said. Intelligent. But maybe not the right lifestyle choices. He also said he sat in the prisons electric chair. It wasnt occupied at the moment.

Recounting the episode, Love seemed to relish the details as they came back to him. There was a warden  tall guy, 64, big Stetson hat  and a weirdly cozy dinner before the gig. As he got going, though, Loves tour manager interrupted him; it was almost show time at Amoeba, and he still had his vocal warm-ups to do.

When he got onstage, Love quickly mentioned the fires after opening with Getcha Back, a tune he wrote for the Beach Boys self-titled 1985 album. He was sorry to hear about all the destruction, he said, as it had surely kept some people from coming out that night.

mikael.wood@latimes.com

Twitter: @mikaelwood
The confusing rollout of marijuana regulations in California has been underscored in Mendocino County, where local authorities licensed a company to deliver pot only to have state police arrest two employees who were trying to do just that with nearly a ton of weed.

The workers for Old Kai Distribution were transporting the marijuana from a farm when they were pulled over Friday afternoon by a California Highway Patrol officer on Highway 101 near Ukiah, according to Joe Rogoway, an attorney for the company. They were driving an unmarked van and were stopped for a traffic violation.

The workers showed the officer the companys county license and a manifest for the marijuana, but the officer insisted it was illegal, called for backup and arrested the men.

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The company argues it can transport marijuana within the county with its local license, and county spokeswoman Sarah Dukett backed that interpretation. She said Old Kai was issued a distribution license last week that allows it to legally transport marijuana under two local ordinances passed earlier this year.

The workers were cited for unlawful transportation of marijuana and unlawful possession for sale. Investigators also seized all of the marijuana and the companys van.

It is incomprehensible that this has occurred, said Rogoway, who sent a letter to the CHP demanding that the charges be dropped and the marijuana returned to Old Kai.

Acting California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley said the arrest was appropriate because a state license also is required for legal transport and those permits dont take effect until Monday, when broad legalization arrives in California.

They are following the laws that are in place now, Stanley said Wednesday, referring to his officers. And when Jan. 1, 2018, comes theyll start following the laws that come into effect on that date.

The officer who made the Ukiah stop was not targeting the business, said Stanley, who is not aware of any other arrests of a locally licensed marijuana operation. The CHP primarily is concerned with drivers who could be high behind the wheel, and the agency has trained 97% of its officers and sergeants in advanced drugged driving recognition skills, he said.

Stanley commented after a ceremony for CHP Officer Andrew Camilleri, who was killed on Christmas Eve by a driver believed to be drunk and high.

California has had legal medical marijuana for two decades. In 2016 voters approved broad legalization, and the state and communities that want such adult use marijuana businesses spent the last year writing complex regulations.

Some didnt get their regulations finalized in time to start issuing local licenses by Jan. 1; others decided to outlaw recreational pot altogether. Meanwhile, all forms of pot remain illegal under federal law.

The marijuana that was seized in Mendocino County, about 115 miles north of San Francisco, had been collected from a family-owned farm and was being brought to a distribution center to be sorted and tested.

This was basically their entire harvest, Rogoway said. Their entire year was in the back of this vehicle. If that cannabis is destroyed, it really puts at risk the safety and well-being of their family.

He worried the arrest could have a chilling effect as the state and local governments encourage marijuana businesses to come out of the shadows and adhere to regulations to ensure a level playing field for all.

This incident highlights the fear that many people have, he said. It takes a lot to be a compliant operator. Even if they follow through with the whole process, something bad can happen. This is a perfect example.

To read the article in Spanish, click here
On Christmas morning, 45-year-old Anthony Milan Ross posted a video on Facebook of him and his son smiling, laughing and singing Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.

Merry Christmas, everybody, says the vegan chef, a minor celebrity in the health-food world. Merry Christmas, says 11-year-old Nigel.

Four hours later, police responded to reports of gunshots at Ross Phoenix apartment complex and found a much different scene. He was arrested after a long standoff and accused of killing his ex-wife and their two children.

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When police arrived, 38-year-old Iris Lea Sutherland, who he divorced in September, was dead on the front patio of the complex.

Witnesses told officers that they saw Ross shoot her as she tried to run away, and that he proceeded to go through her pockets, according to court records. When the witnesses approached, he pointed a gun at them, they said.

Ross then ran to his apartment. Witnesses told police they heard two or three gunshots coming from the apartment and that they believed Ross two children were inside.

Police tried to negotiate with Ross for several hours, uncertain whether his children were still alive. At one point, officers sent a robot inside and saw that Anora, Ross 9-month-old daughter, was dead. When police tried to enter the apartment in search of Nigel, one officer was shot in the shoulder. Eventually they got in and found the boy dead.

At 10:15 p.m. Monday, Ross was taken into custody uninjured.

Ross told officers that he was going through his wifes pockets because he wanted the key fob to her vehicle because it was blocking his and he wanted to leave, according to court records.

Ross faces three counts of first-degree murder, 19 counts of aggravated assault on officers, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of discharge of a firearm within city limits.

He is being held without bail. Because the counts filed against him include a capital offense, prosecutors could seek the death penalty. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 5.

Ross is a vegan chef who has been featured on the cover of Vegan Lifestyle magazine and appeared as a guest on the CBS television show The Doctors. His biggest claim to fame was losing almost 200 pounds in one year, which he attributed to a lifestyle change.

He and Sutherland were married Sept. 24, 2009, in Houston, according to court records.

The marriage is irretrievably broken with no hope for reconciliation, their divorce decree from this September reads.

As part of their divorce, they had submitted a parenting plan to the court, which included joint decision making for their children, and Sutherland was to pay Ross $800 per month for child support.

The couples divorce decree notes that neither had been charged or convicted of domestic violence, child abuse or child neglect.

jaclyn.cosgrove@latimes.com

@jaclyncosgrove
So many people fleeing persecution in their home countries have asked for help in San Ysidro in recent weeks that federal officials have not been able to process all of them, leaving some stranded and running out of money while they wait in Tijuana.

U.S. border officials are trying to work through the backlog, but they can go only as fast as migrants can be processed and moved from temporary holding cells to immigration detention.

An official with U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency remains committed to meeting the care and safety needs of people in custody, and is working actively with partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to resolve the backup.

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There are potentially a number of reasons causing the San Diego area ports of entry to reach capacity; we do not have a definitive reason to offer at this time, the official added.

Because of the backlog, close to 100 migrants lined up last week in the plaza outside the walkway that leads to PedWest, the pedestrian border crossing that opened earlier this year, Tijuana media outlets reported. Migrants slept in line, afraid of losing their places and having to wait longer for CBP to process them.

Then, Mexican officials told them they couldnt stay in the plaza.

On Monday of last week, about 25 migrants were jailed overnight for waiting in the plaza outside the port, according to several Eritrean migrants.

In the days since, some found refuge in Tijuanas migrant shelters, particularly the Casa del Migrante. Each morning, they return to the port to ask if there is room in CBPs processing area. When theyre turned away, they walk over to a nearby plaza and wait until shelters open for the night.

We cant give up. We dont have option, said Mesfin Tesfaldet, a 33-year-old man from Eritrea seeking asylum in the U.S., who has been waiting to be processed for at least a week.

He was again shooed out of El Chaparral plaza on Friday along with about a dozen others from Eritrea and Cameroon.

When someone arrives at a port without documents for entry, CBP officials interview that person, take photographs and fingerprints and check law enforcement databases for records. If that person reports being afraid to go back to his or her home country, CBP is required by law to transfer that migrant to other federal agencies for a potential asylum case.

Most of the asylum process happens once the person has been transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement  or ICE  custody, and back-ups in that transfer system can leave CBP with limited space in its temporary holding cells at the border. Large groups of migrants arriving at once can also clog the system.

In the fall of 2016, San Diegos ports were overwhelmed by thousands of Haitian migrants. In partnership with Mexican officials, CBP established a ticketing system that scheduled appointments for migrants to be processed. As of November, the most recent data available from CBP, arrivals hadnt reached the levels of the wave of arriving Haitians.

In October 2016, more than 6,000 people came to San Diegos ports of entry asking to come in despite not having documents permitting entry to the U.S. That number included asylum seekers  CBP does not distinguish between those seeking asylum and other inadmissibles in its data collection. (In addition to asylum seekers, inadmissibles are those looking for better economic opportunities or anyone else who has asked to enter the U.S. at a port without the proper documents.)

In November 2017, the number of people deemed inadmissible was 2,824, more than double the low of 1,313 reached in March of this year.

Under current policy, asylum seekers are detained by ICE until they get results from credible fear interviews, which determine the likelihood that they will win their cases in immigration court.

If asylum seekers dont pass the interviews, they are sent back to their home countries. If they do pass, many stay in detention for the remainder of their cases, which can take a year or more to finish. Some are released from detention on parole or by paying bond while they wait for their turns to tell their stories to immigration judges.

Asylum seekers, like refugees, must prove that theyve been persecuted or fear persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.

Tesfaldet said he fled Eritrea to Sudan after he was jailed for his political views. In Sudan, he said, he couldnt go to a refugee camp because the two governments were working together to send Eritreans back to their home country.

He hid for several years before finding a way to fly to Brazil. From there, he followed a grueling and potentially fatal migrant trail up to Tijuana.

It was hard. Its very bad, that jungle. Many people is dying, especially in the river, Tesfaldet said. We sacrificed ourselves already. We dont expect to have a problem when we get here.

He saw children swept away by the water at river crossings  pulled right out of their mothers arms, he said.

He left his 5-year-old daughter in hiding in Sudan while he made the journey because he didnt want to risk losing her on the way. He hopes that if he is able to win his asylum case in the U.S., hell be able to bring her to join him.

He thinks about his daughter every day, he said. He doesnt care where he lives in the U.S. as long as he is allowed in.

I want safe. I want peaceful, Tesfaldet said.

Some of the migrants from African countries expressed frustration that they were the ones left outside after Mexican officials intervened.

We are human beings, said one man from Eritrea. They dont respect. Im feeling racism here, a big discrimination here. We dont want to be here in Mexico. Our target, our way is USA.

When Tijuana media first reported the line of migrants, many of those interviewed were Mexican asylum seekers fleeing gang violence in other parts of the country. By Friday, most of them did not appear outside the port.

An official from Mexicos immigration agency told a Mexican media outlet that his agency had asked CBP to find a way to take in more people because of concerns about how migrant children waiting in line could be affected when temperatures drop overnight.

The group of Eritreans and Cameroonians outside El Chaparral on Friday said many of those who didnt make it into the U.S. had traveled on to Mexicali or even Texas to try at other ports.

Friday afternoon, several of the remaining Eritrean men decided to try their luck in Mexicali as well.

Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence

Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the state of Arizona from enforcing a controversial law banning ethnic studies courses, bringing near a close a seven-year battle over teaching about Mexican Americans in Tucson public schools.

Wallace Tashima, a federal appeals court judge sitting in the district court in Arizona, said in his injunction that state legislators who passed the ban in 2010 violated the Constitution.

The decision came in a lawsuit brought by students in 2010 against the states board of education. Supporters of ethnic studies said the law, which banned courses designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group, was racist and targeted Mexican Americans.

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Tashima said the ban was not for a legitimate educational purpose, but for an invidious discriminatory racial purpose and a politically partisan purpose.

Tashima also said the state could not keep funding from schools for not obeying the ban. The states threat to withhold more than $14 million led Tuscon to drop its Mexican American studies program in 2012.

The judge added that the state cannot lead any inspections or audits of any program, curriculum or course to check whether a school district is following the 2010 law.

A former teacher in the Tucson program, Curtis Acosta, celebrated on Twitter. This! Happy New Year, mi gente! he wrote.

Richard Martinez, an attorney who represented the teachers and students in the lawsuit, said the judge gave us precisely what we asked for.

The Tucson district has not said whether it will revive the curriculum, which helped spur similar educational programs in schools around the country. The Arizona attorney generals office has also not said whether it will appeal the injunction.

When the law passed, activists protested it as a symbol of anti-Latino sentiment, and said state was using racism against Mexican Americans to sow political divisions. It was all the more controversial because it came to be the same year as the widely protested SB 1070 law, which required police to determine the immigration status of people arrested or detained when there was reasonable suspicion they were not in the U.S. legally.

The injunction follows an August ruling from Tashima in which he said said the law was unconstitutional and racially motivated. He not did not issue an injunction against it until Wednesday.

In August, Tashima said the law violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution by discriminating against Latinos and violating students 1st Amendment right to receive information and ideas.

Tashima also criticized John Huppenthal and Tom Horne, the former Arizona state superintendents of public instruction who pushed to pass the ban.

Defendants were pursuing these discriminatory ends in order to make political gains, the judge wrote. Horne and Huppenthal repeatedly pointed to their efforts against the [Mexican American studies] program in their respective 2011 political campaigns, including in speeches and radio advertisements. The issue was a political boon to the candidates.

jaweed.kaleem@latimes.com

Jaweed Kaleem is The Times national race and justice correspondent. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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President Trump flew to Salt Lake City this month to remove 2 million acres from two national monuments in Utah, and to rebuke distant bureaucrats for acting to safeguard the Wests public domain without adequately consulting neighboring communities.

Under my administration, we will advance that protection through a truly representative process, said Trump, one that listens to the local communities that know the land the best and that cherishes the land the most.

Though the presidents critics questioned the administrations fealty to more inclusion in managing the Wests natural bounty, one place that the president and his aides could look for a model of a truly representative process is how former foes have cooperated to manage millions of acres of national forest land in Idaho.

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We do things a little different here, said Rick Johnson, executive director of the Idaho Conservation League, Idahos largest state-based environmental group. In north Idaho, the timber industry is doing well. They are putting logs in those mills. They need us to get stuff done and we need them.

Agreed, said Marc Brinkmeyer, the founder and owner of the Idaho Forest Group, the states largest timber company. They tell us they want more wilderness protection. We tell them we want certainty of supply. We found a way to do both.

But in an era riven by ideological division, participants say a nearly decade-old program fostered by the U.S. Forest Service to form multi-stakeholder groups, called collaboratives, is under pressure from powerful political influences in Washington and Idaho.

Marc Brinkmeyer, founder and owner of the Idaho Forest Group, the nations eighth-largest timber company. (Keith Schneider / Los Angeles Times )

Its delicate. Weve managed until now to make collaboratives work well, said Brad Brooks, director of the Wilderness Societys national public lands campaign, who lives in Idaho. In 2008, he helped form the Clearwater Basin Collaborative, one of nine such groups that assist the Forest Service in managing Idahos 20.2 million acres of federal forest, more than in any state except Alaska and California.

We are not focused on picking fights with people, he said. We realize that there is opportunity when we work on the things we agree on.

In 2009, a budget bill approved by Congress directed $40 million a year for 10 years to fund projects that enable an array of interest groups to assist the Forest Service in developing timber management projects.

Three of the 23 collaboratives in 14 states that Congress funded are in Idaho. California and Oregon also each have three federally funded collaboratives. The groups are intended to reduce the considerable civic friction in timberland management programs.

In the last eight years, Idahos collaboratives helped the Forest Service design and execute projects that restored big stretches of degraded forest, removed hundreds of old roads, and repaired miles of wild stream banks. Participants, who meet regularly with Forest Service staffers, include county and state government officials, industry executives, Native Americans, environmentalists, recreational industry representatives, hunting and fishing groups, and off-road vehicle organizations.

Keith Lannom, supervisor of the 2.3-million-acre Payette National Forest, said collaboratives had helped cut the time needed to complete a forest restoration plan from four years to two, and increased the size of the forest projects from roughly 3,000 acres to as many as 80,000 acres.

All the different groups that participate in a collaborative and reach agreement go a long way toward getting a project implemented, Lannom said. Theyve been very helpful.

Federal law requires the Forest Service to carefully evaluate the ecological consequences of any major action to repair damaged timber land, cut trees, remove roads, and take other management measures on parcels of national forest. The collaboratives advance the process by removing features that are sure to invite challenges and delays  like proposing new roads in a roadless area.

An apt example of the groups work is how the Forest Service this month completed a 50,000-acre restoration plan for the Payette National Forest with the help of the Payette Forest Coalition, a collaborative formed in 2009. The land management plan, the third collaborative project developed on the Payette forest, calls for logging select areas, removing 76 miles of roads, applying prescribed fire techniques to 27,000 acres, and restoring the banks along 55 miles of streams.

Timber trucks dropping loads of 50-foot logs, and the screaming blades of the Idaho Forest Groups state-of-the-art sawmill here on the banks of the Clearwater River, are more evidence of collaborative benefits. The number of board feet of timber cut from the Payette and Idahos other national forests has almost doubled to 178 million since collaboratives got started. The Idaho Forest Groups executives participate in a number of collaboratives that encourage ecologically sensitive logging practices, which helped it grow into the nations eighth-largest timber company.

If diverse points of view get together, there is very little in this world that we cant solve, said Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), a champion of public land safeguards.

Collaboration isnt always successful. A congressional collaborative initiative started in 2010 by former Utah Sen. Bob Bennett to protect public land in southeast Utah fell apart after five years, prompting five Native American tribes to pursue safeguards for the 1.35-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument. President Trump, acting at the request of Utahs congressional delegation, removed 1.1 million acres from the monument this month.

Idaho, one of the wildest states in the country, is an apt place for once-warring factions to reach a truce. Years of ferocious conflict in the 1980s and 1990s over endangered salmon and trout, old growth forests, wild stream protection, and building roads in roadless areas caused deep psychic scars.

From a peak of 809 million board feet of timber felled in Idahos national forests in 1990, timber cuts plummeted nearly 90% to 92 million board feet in 2006, according to Headwaters Economics, a Bozeman, Mont., research group. Sawmills closed. Environmental damage left the states public forests more vulnerable to insects, erosion and drought, which dried underbrush and fueled wildfires.

The Forest Service has determined that about a third of the 188.3 million acres it manages in 154 national forests across the country are severely degraded. Idaho Forest Group executives assert that improving the condition of national forests is closely linked to cutting more trees. Some 7 million acres of Idahos national forest are eligible for logging  especially where trees were affected by forest fires or are growing on land that has already been logged.

Idahos collaboratives support cutting more trees, which has helped Brinkmeyer build Idaho Forest Group into an industrial powerhouse with six mills and 1,000 employees. Roughly 20% of the logs needed to manufacture the 1.2 billion board feet of lumber that the Idaho Forest Group produced this year comes from federal forests, double the amount five years ago. Idaho Forest Group is one of the nations top five buyers of national forest timber.

We have an Idaho timber company coming into its own, said Rick Johnson of the Idaho Conservation League. We have adult conversations about how to move things forward that are good for Idahos economy and environment. Its confusing for some people who are still locked into the old framework. Timber cutting bad. No logging good. People here have moved on. We found common ground.

Follow Keith Schneider, Western environment and public lands correspondent, on Twitter.

keith.schneider@latimes.com
Plunging temperatures across half the country on Thursday underscored a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars arent going to go as far this winter because of rising energy costs.

Forecasters warned people to be wary of hypothermia and frostbite from an arctic blast thats gripping a large swath from the Midwest to the Northeast, where the temperature  without the wind chill factored in  dipped to minus-32 degrees on Thursday morning in Watertown, N.Y.

Even before the cold snap, the Department of Energy projected that heating costs were going to track upward this winter, and many people are keeping a wary eye on their fuel tanks to ensure they dont run out.

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Elizabeth Parker, 88, of Sanford, Maine, said she lives in fear of running out of fuel and closely monitors the gauge outside her trailer, just in case, especially during cold weather.

She said she is allowed to request a fuel delivery thanks to federal aid  but only when her gauge dips to one-eighth of a tank.

I couldnt get along without it, said Parker, who lives with her 93-year-old husband, Robert, along with a cat, dog and four birds.

Prolonged, dangerous cold weather this week has sent advocates for the homeless scrambling to get people off the streets and to bring in extra shelter beds for them. Frozen pipes and dead car batteries added to the misery across the region.

In western New York and Erie, Pa., residents were still cleaning up from massive snowfall. Firefighters had to use a bucket loader to rescue a resident trapped in her home in Lorraine, N.Y.

In Ohio, a third body was recovered from a car crash in which a vehicle slid off an icy road and flipped into a canal days earlier in the town of Oregon, near the Lake Erie shoreline.

Despite the cold, there was some good news for recipients of federal aid from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. President Donald Trump released nearly $3 billion, or 90 percent, of the funding in October after previously trying to eliminate the program altogether.

But projected energy cost increases will effectively reduce the purchasing power by $330 million, making it imperative that the remaining funding be released, said Mark Wolfe, of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.

This winter, energy costs were projected to grow by 12 percent for natural gas, 17 percent for home heating oil, 18 percent for propane and 8 percent for electricity, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration.

But energy prices this winter may even be higher than those projections. According to Wolfe, colder weather could lead to even higher levels of consumption, and resulting prices could push the cost of winter heating up to $1,800 this winter for those using heating oil, 45 percent more than last years level.

Thats a scary situation for people whore really struggling to heat their homes, said Barbara Crider, of Maines York County Community Action Agency.

The cold air is lingering with more artic air sweeping into the region, reaching as far south as Texas and the Florida Panhandle through the weekend.

In northern New England, the region is experiencing one of the longest, most intense cold snaps on record. In the Midwest, temperatures in Minneapolis arent expected to top zero this weekend, and it will likely be in the teens when the ball drops during on New Years Eve in New York City.

It was so cold officials in New Jersey canceled a New Years Day polar bear plunge in which swimmers dash into the Atlantic Ocean.
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Thursday, Dec. 28, and heres whats happening across California:

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Healthcare outlook in 2018

Whether it was bracing for a possible repeal of Obamacare or pondering an ambitious single-payer program that would overhaul how California provided medical care to its residents, the issue of healthcare kept politicians and policy wonks busy in 2017. Thats not likely to let up in 2018. Decisions by Congress and the Trump administration could shift priorities in the state budget. The crusade for single-payer healthcare is sending lawmakers  and candidates  scrambling. And long-simmering issues such as rising prescription drug costs continue to draw attention in Sacramento. Los Angeles Times

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By the border

So many people fleeing persecution in their home countries have asked for help in San Ysidro in recent weeks that federal officials have not been able to process all of them, leaving some stranded and running out of money while they wait in Tijuana. U.S. border officials are trying to work through the backlog, but they can go only as fast as migrants can be processed and moved from temporary holding cells to immigration detention. Los Angeles Times

A tale of tragedy from Guatemala

If were attacked, well die together, 16-year-old anti-mining activist Topacio Reynoso in Guatemala told her family. But when the bullets came, they killed only her. Raynosos death shows how Latin America is the most dangerous region in the world for environmental activists, with at least 120 killed last year alone, according to the nonprofit Global Witness. Los Angeles Times

A year in review

Americas anxious and unsettled times made it a banner year for villains and bad guys in movies, TV and real life. From Alexander Skarsgard in Big Little Lies to Jeff Daniels in Godless, we were haunted and riveted by those with dark hearts. Los Angeles Times

BEST OF 2017

Over the next week, Essential California will reboot some of the stories that moved us most this year. Have a nomination? Let us know:

Nut job: Inside one of the most bizarre heists in California history: Who is stealing millions of dollars of nuts from Central Valley farmers? And how did the lowly almond and cashew become such a hot commodity? Peter Vigneron explores. Outside

A loss: Her son was killed by police in San Francisco. After the attention and shock faded, how a mother spent the year after such a profound loss. By Jaeah Lee. California Sunday Magazine

Whats that in the air?! More than a decade ago, California air quality officials warned cities to not put housing too close to freeways. The Los Angeles Times Tony Barboza and Jon Schleuss explained why in an amazing report. It details how, in Los Angeles alone, officials have approved thousands of new homes within 1,000 feet of a freeway  even as they advised developers that this distance poses health concerns. Los Angeles Times

Unraveling a mystery: In 1989, Josh Klaver, 10, was discovered in a barn at the farm where his dad and step-mom lived hanging from a hook normally used by his father to hang steers during butchering. In this serialized tale, which was also a podcast, the Mercury News Julia Prodis Sulek unravels this mysterious and also tragic case of a boy in the barn. The Mercury News

Yum yum yum: Sometimes the best journalism is explaining whats right before ones eyes. Why are doughnut boxes pink? The answer, David Pierson found, could only come out of Southern California. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Another big month: Southern California home prices surged 8.6% in November compared with a year earlier, tying an all-time high that underscores a tight housing market with few properties for sale, according to a report released Wednesday. Los Angeles Times

Nice: Preservation groups have purchased a 17-acre mountain ridge in Laurel Canyon for $1.6 million to set aside the land for permanent preservation. Los Angeles Times

Trend anyone? The increased popularity of the granny flat  a relatively small home addition in the backyard  has created a niche industry in Los Angeles. KPCC

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Makes sense: California and the U.S. Forest Service broke spending records fighting wildfires that blackened more than 9.5 million acres across the country in 2017, including about 1.2 million acres in California. Los Angeles Times

Another departure: Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas abruptly announced his resignation from the California Legislature on Wednesday, citing health reasons. Los Angeles Times

What to watch for: Here are three California housing issues to watch in 2018. Los Angeles Times

Great story: The harsh beauty and banality of the 105-110 Interchange. L.A. Taco

CRIME AND COURTS

Thats a drag: iPhone owners from several states have filed at least nine class-action lawsuits against Apple Inc. for not disclosing sooner that its software updates deliberately slowed down older-model phones so batteries would last longer. Los Angeles Times

Be wary: California legalizes marijuana for recreational use Monday, but that wont stop federal agents from seizing the drug  even in tiny amounts  on busy freeways and backcountry highways. Los Angeles Times

Thats new: Authorities say two Southern California people used a drone to deliver illegal drugs to their customers. Los Angeles Times

THE ENVIRONMENT

Survivors: In the middle of the torched wasteland that was once their Santa Rosa neighborhood  at the bottom of a pool of black, sludgy water  Logan Hertel and his friends spotted a tiny miracle. Within the toxic-looking water flecked with ash and studded with charred chunks of wood, there was movement. A dozen goldfish had somehow survived the raging inferno that devastated entire communities, killed 44 people and destroyed almost 9,000 homes and buildings. The Mercury News

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Check it out! Heres why you should see Hugo Crosthwaites L.A.-inspired mural, before he destroys it bit by bit. Los Angeles Times

Drink it in: The Temecula Valley, determined to shake off its reputation as the states second-tier  or possibly even third-tier  wine region, is taking steps to boost its meager profile among California tourists. The burgeoning Southern California wine region is in the midst of an ambitious, multi-pronged plan that includes improving the quality of its wine, doubling the number of wineries and opening or expanding several hotels and resorts. Los Angeles Times

Desert chic: Check out these homes for sale in and around Palm Springs. Wall Street Journal

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: sunny, 79, Thursday; sunny, 78, Friday. San Diego: sunny, 72, Thursday and Friday. San Francisco area: foggy, 59, Thursday; partly cloudy, 60, Friday. Sacramento: partly cloudy, 61, Thursday; partly cloudy, 62, Friday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Todays California memory comes from Terry Friedman:

I was born in Santa Monica in 1945 and moved to Hollywood in 55. The closest thing to snow that I remember is a bunch of hail in 1957. My mother, however, moved to Hollywood (at age 12) from Rupert, Idaho, in 1929, a month before the Depression hit. She told me several times of the snowstorm of 1932 and of sledding down Highland in front of Hollywood High School. It made quite an impression, even for a recent Idaho girl.

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste, went the memorable motto of the United Negro College Fund. Wise words. In the case of high rates of school absenteeism, theres a double waste: The students who miss a lot of school are, no surprise, more likely to fall behind academically and stay behind. In addition, because the state allocates money to schools based on their average daily attendance, high absentee rates mean reduced funding that might otherwise be used on more resources to help young minds learn.

Last year, about 80,000 Los Angeles students missed more than 15 or more days of school, at an enormous financial and academic cost to the L.A. Unified School District. Yet the district has made little progress in curbing those absences.

Its not as though district officials are unaware of the problem. They have set a goal of bringing more students to class regularly and have started 27 separate programs at various schools, at a cost of about $40 million per year, to reduce absenteeism. But according to a new report, released in early December by the Los Angeles Unified School District Advisory Task Force led by philanthropist and former Los Angeles Times publisher Austin Beutner, district officials have never measured the effectiveness of most of those programs. (In one case where the outcomes were tested, a relatively low-cost effort was found to have worked better than a more expensive one.)

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L.A. Unified has failed to distinguish between goals and true strategic planning.

Board member Richard Vladovic agreed with the advisory group on that score. L.A. has the greatest plans in the world and probably the worst follow-through, he said when the report came out.

No wonder the gap between the districts goals and reality is so large. In 2015-16, 14.3% of L.A. students  one of every seven enrolled  were chronically absent from district-run schools, the report says. The goal was to bring that down to 11% for the following academic year, which would have brought $20 million more in state funding to local schools. Instead, chronic absenteeism stuck at the previous years figure.

If every L.A. student came to school just one more day per year, the school district would be $30 million richer. Thats not a transformative cash infusion in a district with a budget of more than $7 billion, of course, but its nothing to sneeze at, either.

Adding students who miss eight to 14 days of school to the chronically absent total reveals that close to a third of the districts students are missing school too often. The most commonly missed days were Mondays and Fridays, which parents might view as harmless extensions of the weekend. Rainy days came in second.

Recouping dollars is actually the secondary benefit of increased attendance. The report points to a study showing that attendance in eighth grade is a bigger predictor of academic success the following year than scores on the annual standardized tests. In fact, its eight times more likely than test scores to predict performance in that first, pivotal year of high school.

Down the line, increased attendance also should lower district costs. Better-prepared students are less likely to need remedial help in future grades. They have a better chance of graduating within four years, without needing credit-recovery courses or other interventions.

Its time to start anew, and the odds for a smarter approach look good. District officials have been working in tandem with the outside advisory panel, and L.A. Unified might launch a pilot program as early as January in schools with the worst attendance records. Its an evidence-based approach, modeled on successful attendance programs at other school districts, and it includes public awareness campaigns, direct mail and phone calls to the parents of frequently-absent students and other strategies. The first phase will be kept small, with a $250,000 price tag that will be split between the district and the advisory group.

Most important are the plans to measure effectiveness, abandon efforts that dont work and expand those that do. Vladovic is right: On this and many fronts, L.A. Unified has failed to distinguish between goals and true strategic planning. This could be the moment to turn that habit around.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.
There were so many gigantic news events in 2017 that the merely huge, or yooge, got the dog-bites-man treatment. What happened while we were focused on the presidents tweets; the attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act; the hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico; the tax bill; and #MeToo? Opinion asked two close observers of the media environment, Adam H. Johnson (from the political left of center) and Sean Davis (from the political right of center), to list the top 10 under-covered stories of the year. Read Johnsons contribution below and Davis here.

1. Disenfranchisement of African American voters

While the outrage took place in 2016, the mainstream medias indifference to voter suppression was deafening throughout 2017. Investigations by academics and journalists alike have revealed extensive civil rights violations on election day, the culmination of a long-term ploy by Republicans to reduce the number of African American voters through ID laws and other devices.

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2. The South Korean peace movement

A sustained anti-war movement in South Korea has been pushing back against the Pentagons deployment of the provocative Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile system. Populating their stories with pro-THAAD quotes from defense contractor-funded think tanks and Western warmongers, the U.S. media have mostly ignored the fact that the majority of South Koreans oppose the defensive system, including their newly elected president who, this summer, suspended its deployment.

Trump managed to surpass President Obamas civilian deaths total in the anti-Islamic State campaign just seven months into office.

3. President Trumps unprecedented non-Russia corruption

Time will tell the extent of President Trumps connection to Russian officials and how it may or may not have influenced his campaign but  regardless  Trump has led the most nakedly corrupt administration in modern American history, enriching himself, his family and his friends and hiring a Cabinet of political cronies and billionaires. Many journalists have done great work revealing this corruption, but these stories have not turned into full-blown scandals, let alone harmed the president.

4. U.S. helped to starve and bomb Yemen

The U.S. has been fueling, arming and providing political cover to an almost three-year siege of Yemen by Saudi Arabia and other countries. The conflict has caused more than 10,000 civilian deaths and almost 1 million cases of cholera. But the media downplay the U.S. governments part. For example, two editorials in the Washington Post and a major CBS 60 Minutes report last month on the bombing and subsequent humanitarian disaster left out the U.S. role entirely.

5. Hate crimes against transgender people

Queer activists, including members of the New Orleans-based BreakOUT, have noted an uptick in violence against the transgender community. A recent Human Rights Watch report documented 102 killings of transgender people since January. Eighty-eight of the victims were transgender women, nearly all of them black or Latina. The report suggested two related causes: poverty, which is 30% higher in the trans community than the population at large, and a lack of legal protections for trans people in general. (Most states having zero laws prohibiting discrimination against trans people.)

6. Trumps aggression in Iraq and Syria

Despite dubious pledges to reduce Americas involvement overseas during his campaign, Trump has taken the wars in Iraq and Syria and expanded them beyond what even the most cynical analysts predicted. Trump managed to surpass President Obamas civilian deaths total in the anti-Islamic State campaign just seven months into office.

7. Dark money to seat a right-wing Supreme Court justice

According to MapLight, a single anonymous donor gave $28.5-million to a dark money organization, which, in turn, financed the PR campaign to block Obamas Supreme Court nominee  Merrick Garland  and seat Neil Gorsuch. In past years this campaign probably would have caused a stir, but in the Trump era of perma-indignation it hardly registered a blip.

8. Rise in deaths at the U.S.-Mexico border

While U.S. media have covered the rise in missing persons in Mexico, it has mostly overlooked the missing person crisis on the border. A USA Today investigation found that immigrant deaths over the last five years have increased between 25% and 300%  a range thats vague because, shockingly, local authorities dont officially count border-crosser deaths. The groups No More Deaths and La Coalicion de Derecho Humanos, which are working to document the problem, say that the known disappearance of thousands of people in the remote wilderness of the U.S.-Mexico border zone marks one of the greatest historical crimes of our day.

9. Ramping up war in Afghanistan

Other than the fawning over Trumps use of the Mother of All Bombs on faceless bad guys, the massive increase in U.S. involvement in Afghanistan during the last year has rarely made headlines. The U.S. now has 15,000 troops on the ground  up from 11,000 last year. Additionally, civilians deaths are up 50% since 2016.

10. Protester prosecutions

Despite an uptick in coverage since the trial began three weeks ago, for almost 10 months major U.S. media ignored that the Department of Justice was going after more than 200 inauguration protesters  the vast majority for merely being in the proximity of broken windows  with sentences ranging from 10 to 65 years in federal prison. What would certainly be an outrage if it happened in Russia or Venezuela was met with almost uniform indifference by U.S. media when done stateside.

Adam H. Johnson is a media analyst for Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting and co-host of the Citations Needed podcast

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
To the editor: I am annoyed that our Los Angeles Police Department chose to its violate professional standards when it dumped out the manure delivered in a box to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchins Bel-Air home. (L.A. psychologist claims to have left manure outside Steve Mnuchins home, Dec. 25)

That manure was a well-thought-out Christmas gift, and Mnuchin may have wanted to take delivery of it. The LAPD has no right to play the Grinch that stole our Treasury secretarys Christmas.

The LAPD should get its evidence locker up to par to accommodate such evidence as Mnuchins Christmas Eve manure may require.

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Paul L. DuNard Jr., Cypress

..

To the editor: Johnsons war in Vietnam makes America puke was written on the back of a federal tax return envelope sent to the government by a neighbor of mine in Davis, Calif., in the late 1960s. What happened to my graduate student neighbor was the subject of a magazine article.

One day, my neighbor answered his front door, where a federal officer was waiting. He told my neighbor he was being investigated for threatening the presidents life, apparently because if enough people were to vomit on the president, the president could be killed.

The agent, according to the article, knew he was being sent out to investigate activity that presented no threat to the president. That visit was the end of the investigation, which was apparently meant to intimidate my friend, whose opinion on the Vietnam War did not change.

Today, is a carton delivered by a known sender with manure inside as dangerous as an envelope containing the word puke was half a century ago?

James Odling, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Since Los Angeles psychologist Robert Strongs Secret Santa project triggered the emergency deployment of both the LAPDs bomb squad and special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, it has cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.

I sincerely hope the city and federal governments bill this immature psychologist for every penny spent responding to and investigating his frat boy prank.

John McDonald, Los Angeles

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Whether it was bracing for a possible repeal of Obamacare or pondering an ambitious single-payer program that would overhaul how California provided medical care to its residents, the issue of healthcare kept politicians and policy wonks busy in 2017.

Thats not likely to let up in 2018.

Decisions by Congress and the Trump administration could shift priorities in the state budget. The crusade for single-payer healthcare is sending lawmakers  and candidates  scrambling. And long-simmering issues such as rising prescription drug costs continue to draw attention in Sacramento.

Heres a primer on the healthcare agenda in California politics.

1. All eyes on Washington, D.C.

The GOP-led effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act fizzled, but in the tax overhaul, congressional Republicans managed to roll back a long-targeted provision of the healthcare law: the individual mandate that requires people to buy insurance or pay a penalty.

The repeal of the individual mandate will likely result in higher insurance premiums across the country, according to the Congressional Budget Office, because healthier people would drop out of the market, leaving insurers with a sicker  and costlier  risk pool.

The mandate repeal could upend insurance exchanges in states with few insurers or high costs. In California, the impact would be softened because there are more insurers participating and new consumers joining the market, said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, the states insurance exchange.

The individual mandate is an important element of the Affordable Care Act, but it is not the glue that holds it all together, Lee said. The secret sauce to affordability is the financial assistance provided through subsidies, which have not changed.

Uncertainty from the federal government has kept Covered California on its toes. In August, officials announced that premiums for insurance plans for the next year would rise by an average of 12.5%. The exchange also stepped up its marketing and outreach spending in hopes of addressing confusion stemming from Washington.

Some policymakers, including Lee, have mulled the possibility of a state-level individual mandate, but that would require a major legislative lift.

Also on the horizon: a potential tug-of-war over government healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has said he wants to tackle healthcare entitlements in the coming year.

Any changes to Medicaid funding could have drastic impact in California, where a third of residents get healthcare through Medi-Cal, as the program is known in the state.

We are very much girding for a mother of all Medicaid battles, said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a consumer advocacy group.

Gov. Jerry Browns administration will be closely monitoring the goings-on in Washington, but dont expect any contingency plans to be laid out in public when the governor unveils his budget plan.

Until and unless there is a change in federal law...the rule of thumb is we budget under current law, said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for Browns Department of Finance.

2. The brawl over single-payer continues

California Democrats put up a united front in opposing repeal of the Affordable Care Act. But another major healthcare proposal  a statewide single-payer system  fractured the party in 2017 and is poised to deepen those divisions.

Senate Bill 562, which would establish a system in which the state would pay for nearly all healthcare costs for its residents, electrified liberals. But Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) shelved the bill, calling it woefully incomplete because of a lack of funding and other unanswered questions about implementation, sparking a backlash from his partys leftward flank.

Seeking to redirect the debate, the Assembly has held a number of hearings in recent months to explore how to achieve universal healthcare, be it through a single-payer model or other ways to expand coverage. The hearings compared systems in other states and countries and looked into other ways to control costs.

Wright said its likely that new policy proposals will result from the hearings and the debate sparked by SB 562. Assembly Democrats already signaled theyll be seeking to expand Medi-Cal access to cover all uninsured adults, including those without legal immigration status.

There is a growing desire to figure out what are the major steps we can take forward to get to universal or near-universal coverage, Wright said.

The California Nurses Assn., which sponsored the single-payer bill, wants to see that legislation move forward.

Its full speed ahead as far as were concerned. Nothings changed, said Don Nielsen, policy director for the union. The momentum is there. We need to do single-payer guaranteed healthcare for all.

Expect the heated single-payer debate to ripple through the states marquee political races for governor and U.S. Senate, too.

3. Prescription drugs remain in the spotlight

Labor groups, consumer advocates and health insurers notched some major wins against the pharmaceutical industry in 2017. Two high-profile laws passed: increasing disclosure on how prescription drugs are priced and cutting back on the use of discount coupons, which some studies suggest help contribute to high premiums.

The battle is set to carry on into 2018. Drug manufacturers have sued in federal court to block the disclosure law, SB 17, arguing it is unconstitutional and intentionally exports California's policy choices regarding prescription drug pricing on the entire nation.

The Legislature will consider at least three additional bills to address drug prices. Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) is working with the Brown administration on AB 315, which would establish regulations of pharmacy benefit managers, which act as middlemen between drug makers and purchasers.

Also pending is SB 790 by Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), which would limit gifts that pharmaceutical companies can give to doctors, and AB 587 by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), which would require state agencies to meet regularly to find ways to curb drug costs.

We want to work with legislators on real solutions that will help patients, said Priscilla VanderVeer, deputy vice president of public affairs for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

melanie.mason@latimes.com

Follow @melmason on Twitter for the latest on California politics.
In 2017, Laguna Beach became a hub for a political organizations demonstrations and a place where smoking is banned in all public places.

The year also was noteworthy for a couple of decisions by the California Coastal Commission and the pending closure of the landmark Hotel Laguna.

Here are several of the years top stories in Laguna Beach, as selected by the Daily Pilot and listed with the most recent developments first:

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Hotel Laguna likely to close at years end

In December, U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton dismissed portions of a lawsuit that alleged members of a group had committed trademark infringement by using the name Hotel Laguna and advertising themselves as the new owners of the property at 425 S. Coast Hwy. without consent of its operator, Andersen Hotels Inc.

An attorney for Andersen Hotels, which has run the hotel, built in the 1880s, for 32 years, confirmed in November that the hotel would likely close when Andersens lease expires Dec. 31.

Andersen sued the property owner, E.W. Merritt Farms, in October, alleging that Merritt Farms, filmmaker Greg MacGillivray, real estate investor Joe Hanauer, James Ray and Kimbark Group LLC did not comply with lease terms to give Andersen the right of first refusal should Merritt Farms decide to sell the property or the hotel. Andersen alleged that the group structured a 99-year lease in an attempt to avoid Andersens right of first refusal.

In an October statement, MacGillivray said the groups primary interest is preserving Lagunas historical buildings.

Coastal Commission rejects Lagunas changes to short-term lodging rules

The California Coastal Commission in December rejected the city of Laguna Beachs proposal to ban new short-term lodging permits in all residential zones.

The city sought to amend its ordinance regarding the practice, in which people rent a house or an apartment for 30 consecutive days or less. Coastal commissioners said the prohibition would hinder opportunities for visitors to access beaches and parks.

The commission liked portions of the ordinance, including rules for the number of guests and the times of day visitors could be on the properties.

The City Council unanimously approved the revised ordinance in August 2016. It would have increased the number of commercial areas where short-term rentals were allowed. The issue divided the community, with short-term lodging proponents saying it provides people an opportunity to enjoy Laguna with the amenities of a house. Opponents said transient renters litter sidewalks and streets, have loud parties and take up parking on neighborhood streets.

Laguna police officer arrested in elder abuse and fraud case

The Laguna Beach Police Department placed one of its officers on paid administrative leave in December, pending the outcome of an investigation of allegations of elder abuse and fraud.

Fullerton police arrested Officer Rock Wagner, his sister Wendy Wagner and her boyfriend, Norman McBride, on Nov. 28, alleging they had defrauded two Fullerton residents out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Laguna Beach police said no criminal acts are alleged to have occurred while Rock Wagner, a nine-year department veteran, was on duty.

South Coast Water District moves ahead on desalination

After multiple public hearings in the past two years, the South Coast Water District board of directors agreed in November that the district should design and build a proposed desalination facility in Dana Point instead of establishing a partnership with a private company.

South Coast wants to build the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project on district property near Doheny State Beach. It could produce 5 million gallons of drinking water per day for customers in South Laguna, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. Board members noted South Coasts dependence on imported water as a reason to look for other means of supplying water to customers.

The board has not approved the project and would need to better determine the amount of water it would produce.

Doctor sentenced to probation in deadly 2013 collision

Laguna Beach physician Robert Pettis was sentenced to community service and three years probation after pleading guilty in October to misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter in a 2013 traffic collision on Laguna Canyon Road that killed Alberto Casique, 47, of Anaheim and Armando Gonzalez, 38, of Santa Ana.

Pettis, driving a Tesla Model S, crossed a double yellow line and hit them head-on, authorities said. Attorney Otto Haselhoff filed a civil lawsuit in 2014 on behalf of Casiques family that named Pettis, Dekker Nolan McKeever (who the suit alleged may have been speeding alongside Pettis before the wreck) and multiple cities and public agencies as defendants. A trial is scheduled for April.

Demonstrations raise tensions at Main Beach

More than 2,500 people descended on Main Beach in August when political action group America First held a rally to honor victims of crimes that organizers said were committed by immigrants living in the United States illegally.

A majority of those who attended opposed America First and alleged that the lead rally organizer, Johnny Benitez, is a racist. Benitez denied that and said pay scales in many jobs are low because employers hire workers from outside the country. Police arrested four people at the rally.

Benitez organized another demonstration in October to call attention to previous attacks on American installations in Benghazi, Libya. Police and Benitez ended the demonstration after an hour as arguments intensified among rally supporters and opponents.

City Council bans smoking in all public areas

On June 23, smoking became illegal on sidewalks and alleys and in multi-unit residential common areas such as laundry rooms.

The City Council in May unanimously passed an ordinance amending Lagunas municipal code to expand the number of public areas where smoking is off limits. The council cited complaints from residents about secondhand smoke on sidewalks and in parking lots.

Laguna already had prohibited smoking at city parks and beaches.

Owners of hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfast establishments can decide whether to allow smoking in areas such as guest rooms and pools.

Coastal Commission approves restoration of Crystal Cove cottages

In March, the Crystal Cove Alliance, which later changed its name to the Crystal Cove Conservancy, received approval from the California Coastal Commission to restore the remaining 17 cottages in need of such work on the beachfront property in Newport Coast, between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.

A total of 46 cottages were shuttered in 2001, when a developer proposed to convert them into cabins, add three swimming pools and a 150-seat restaurant.

Advocates of preserving the cottages, including Laura Davick, the conservancys founder and vice president, are raising money for a multi-year restoration project.

bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce
Connoisseurs of vintage automobiles who also have the means to purchase them can find paradise at a recently-opened classic car showroom in Newport Beach.

Through a partnership involving Miles Morris and Malcolm Welford, both with roots in the United Kingdoms vintage and race car industry, and JD Classics  a U.K.-based vintage car restoration and maintenance company  the 15,000-square-foot showroom titled Morris & Welford, a JD Classics Company, will take in vehicles on consignment and buy and sell cars outright.

I think there is a great need in this area, Welford said during a grand opening reception at the showroom Dec. 7. Its a beautiful part of the world. Its car rich. It was a dream. Now it is a reality.

Guests view an Aston Martin DB5 during the grand opening of Morris & Welford on Dec. 7. (Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer )

According to Octane, a website covering the vintage car industry, Morris & Welford has brokered close to $650 million worth of classic car deals in the past 10 years.

Gems currently on display and for sale in the showroom that was once the site of a Rolls-Royce dealership include a 1948 Maserati A6/1500 selling for $995,000; a 1920 Stutz Bearcat Model H listed for $635,000; a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 going for $1.9 million; and a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC for $675,000.

Vintage cars more affordable to the masses include a 1959 Rambler Ambassador Wagon, a classic Newport Beach surf wagon for $55,000 and a 1971 Fiat 500 for $25,000.

The showroom is believed to be the only one of its type in the state, Welford said.

We know that Los Angeles is a super car mecca, but (in Orange County), you can breathe a little bit more, Welford said. The idea of the experience we are giving people is to walk around the car, relax, have a glass of wine, have a cup of coffee, come back and see it. Test drive it and enjoy the whole experience.

A 1973 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI at the Morris & Welford showroom in Newport Beach. (Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer )

Welford formerly worked for British auction house Christies as a senior specialist in its motor car division in the U.K. before moving to California.

Morris was a former head of Christies motor car department in the U.K. before relocating to Los Angeles to expand Christies U.S. presence. In June 2000, he became the worldwide head of Christies International Motor Cars Division.

Morris & Welford also have the backing of former Formula 1 world champion driver Jenson Button, a classic car enthusiast.

Buttons 2016 McLaren 675 LT Spider is for sale in the showroom for $480,000.

Guests look at the 2016 McLaren 675 LT Spider during the grand opening of Morris & Welford on Dec. 7. (Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer )

There has one thing that has always been missing in California and that is good classic cars, Button said.

While every vehicle in the showroom could be a museum piece, these vehicles are meant to be driven, Welford said.

Driving one up-and-down the 405 is obviously not such a good experience for anybody but there are still beautiful roads in the States, Welford said. It can take a year to learn how to drive one till you understand the car and it understands you.

Morris & Welford is at 4040 Campus Drive, Newport Beach. For more information, call (949) 679-2414 or visit morrisandwelford.com.

Lou Ponsi is a contributor to Times Community News.
UC Irvine announced that L. Song Richardson will be the new dean of its 9-year-old School of Law following the departure of founding dean Erwin Chemerinsky.

Richardson will take the helm Monday as the only woman of color to lead one of U.S. News & World Reports 30 top-rated law schools, according to the university.

Richardson was named interim dean after Chemerinsky began his new position as dean of UC Berkeleys law school in July. Richardson has been part of UCIs law school faculty since 2014 and was a senior associate dean for academic affairs from 2016 to 2017.

She teaches and writes in criminal law, criminal procedure and law and social science.

Its rare to find an elite law school with a world-class faculty that excels at both teaching and scholarship, a creative and multi-disciplinary approach to legal education and a commitment to creating and disseminating knowledge that improves lives and communities around the world, Richardson said in a statement.

A statement from UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman described Richardson as a brilliant scholar and inspirational leader.

According to the university, Richardson previously was a law professor at DePaul University, American University and the University of Iowa.

She also was a partner at a criminal-law firm, a state and federal public defender in Seattle and an assistant counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella
Gloria Capitan couldnt have imagined her fate. Her cause felt just, and her community was behind her. Besides, who would kill a 57-year-old grandmother?

It had been a long two years. Since 2014, a coal stockpile down the road had been polluting her town, Lucanin, sickening her family and covering the coastline in ash. Capitan, like a Philippine Erin Brockovich, was campaigning for its closure when a mysterious man began visiting her at home and making vague threats of violence.

It happened on July 1, 2016, around 8 p.m. Capitan was in her small karaoke bar, a one-minute walk from her house, singing a saccharine pop ballad with her 8-year-old grandson, Jerson. Two men on a motorcycle pulled up outside. One entered, a yellow handkerchief covering his face. He shot Capitan three times  once in the arm, twice in the neck  then he fled. Jerson looked on, screaming.

Everybody cried when they saw Gloria, Jerson said later, as his parents nodded, their eyes downcast. Then we left the place. We went down to the house. But no police came.

Deceased environmental activist Gloria Capitans grandson Jerson, 8, plays on a motorbike at the familys home. (Jonathan Kaiman / Los Angeles Times)

The world is experiencing an epidemic of environmental killings, and its getting worse.

In 2016, 200 environmental defenders  anti-mining activists, indigenous protesters, workers for nongovernmental organizations  were killed worldwide, according to the London-based nonprofit Global Witness, more than any year since the organization began collecting data in 2002. This year, an estimated 150 had been killed by October, meaning the toll could be higher.

In Asia, the Philippines topped the list. At least 28 Philippine environmental defenders were killed in 2016, most of them anti-mining activists. This year, the death toll has reached 18, according to Global Witness.

(Los Angeles Times)

In January, Mario Contaoi, a radio reporter, university lecturer, and outspoken environmentalist, was shot while riding his motorcycle. In February, Renato Anglao, an indigenous activist on the southern island of Mindanao, was killed while fighting efforts to establish a plantation on his ancestral land. In March, Ramon Dagaas Pesadilla, an anti-mining activist, also on Mindanao, was shot to death at home with his wife.

ENVIRONMENTAL WARRIORS: Defending the environment has become a suicide mission in many parts of the world 

Billy Kyte, a Global Witness campaigner, said the rise in killings may have been inspired by President Rodrigo Duterte, who has promised to rid the country of illegal drugs  and in the process, has encouraged a rash of extrajudicial killings. The president has also targeted human rights activists. One of these days, you human rights groups, I will also investigate you, Duterte said in August. If they are obstructing justice, you shoot them.

In the 18 deaths this year, no perpetrators have been identified.

Bataan province, population 760,000, is a swath of emerald hills and fishing villages not far from the Philippine capital, Manila. Internationally, its best known as the staging ground of the Bataan Death March, in which Japanese troops forced defiant American and Filipino soldiers inland during World War II. At home, its also known as a hub for power generation.

The Philippines is one of Asias fastest-growing economies, and its government is exploiting cheap, convenient fossil fuels  especially coal  to fuel that growth. The country has 32 coal-fired power plants, and its planning an additional 25 by 2030.

(Los Angeles TImes)

Bataan is home to three coal-fired power plants and one oil refinery, which together generate more than 2,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 1.3 million American homes (and many more Philippine ones). Theyre owned by both local and international companies; one plant is owned by the domestic San Miguel Corp.

With new projects planned in coming years, the provinces energy output is expected to more than double, but as with coal plants around the world, the extra power comes at the cost of unhealthy air emissions and a sprinkling of soot. Power plant owners said they were working to hold down emissions, but even the cleanest plants mean more pollution  and Bataan now has plenty of them.

The power plants here, they're like mushrooms after rain, said Alvin Pura, 37, a landscaper in the town of Limay.

The power plants here, they're like mushrooms after rain.  Alvin Pura

Capitan was a hard worker with a simple life. Her 60-year-old husband, Efren, suffered a stroke in 2013, leaving her with outsize responsibilities in supporting her five children and 18 grandchildren. She cooked, cleaned, collected firewood, took care of Efren, and bred pigs. In 2014, she opened a roadside convenience store, a two-minute walk from her home, where she sold sodas and French fries for additional income.

Thats where the conflict with the energy companies started. A thin patina of black coal dust, almost certainly from a nearby stockpile, had begun covering the countertops and floor of her store. Capitan would clean it, but the toxic dust would always return. That May, the Mariveles sanitation department inspected her shop and ordered it closed.

The inspector was sympathetic. He advised her to lodge a complaint against Seafront Shipyard and Port Terminal Services, a Philippine company that helps supply nearby power plants with coal and cement imported from Indonesia. That year, Seafront had opened the coal stockpile a short drive from Capitans home  a long pier covered in heaps of the fossil fuel.

Capitan decided to act. She circulated a petition calling for the stockpiles closure, and about 1,000 people signed it. Yet the company didnt respond, so in January 2015, she formed a loose-knit advocacy group  the United Citizens of Lucanin Assn. About 30 neighbors joined.

There were so many people that she heard complaining about the same problem, said Capitans daughter Jovelyn, 30. She thought, Why dont we put ourselves together, and maybe we can find our strength?

A masked environmental activist wags mock dollars bills during a protest outside the JP Morgan Chase & Co. office to urge the multi-national company to stop its funding of a coal-fired power plant in the country. (Bullit Marquez / Associated Press)

Meanwhile, the pollution seemed to be getting worse. Her grandchildren suffered constant asthma attacks, chest colds and skin rashes. Her mango and coconut trees withered, their leaves thick with dust. When it rained, black sludge dripped from the rooftops and formed puddles in her courtyard.

Capitan threw herself into her cause. She petitioned, protested, deluged the company with calls. She continued to run the family business, converting her shop into a karaoke bar, which didnt require such strict health certification from the city.

In November 2015, she participated in a climate change advocacy march in Manila, where activists talked about how burning fossil fuels wasnt just causing local pollution  it was contributing to a dangerous increase in average temperatures. She was crying beside me in the march  weeping, said Derek Cabe, coordinator of the Coal-Free Bataan Movement, another NGO. She said she didn't know this thing was so big, so huge, compared to [her] problem, which is so little. She was inspired.

Capitans advocacy had some impact, at least while she was still alive. In May 2015, in response to Capitans petitioning, Mariveles sanitary inspector ordered Seafront to cover its coal stockpile, and the company installed a large, warehouse-style structure on the pier, reducing atmospheric dust.

Yet problems remained. To this day, coal-hauling trucks still kick up dust, said Ermin Hatol, 71, a neighbor of Capitan. Occasionally, the company burns coal and chemicals at the stockpile, creating a foul, rotten-egg stench, after which many people report stomach problems and migraines, said Cabe. (Seafront did not respond to repeated requests for comment.)

Mercy Tihim, who works at a clinic not far from the GNPower Mariveles coal-fired power plant, said reports of pneumonia, coughs, skin rashes and tuberculosis skyrocketed after the plant began operations in 2014. Last year, she said, at least nine cases of child tuberculosis were recorded. In the first half of 2017, there were four. Before, we had incidences, but it was very few, she said. Now things are different.

Officials from the power plant declined to comment on the health reports.

A short drive away, in Limay municipality, locals complained that a 600-megawatt expansion at the San Miguel-built coal-fired power plant had destroyed several vegetable farms, and about 2,000 trees, due to soot pollution. In December 2016, the Philippines Environmental Management Bureau sent a notice of violation to the plant, ordering it to halt emissions while activists claims of environmental pollution were investigated.

In January, the company deployed doctors to aid nearby residents, the Philippine Inquirer newspaper reported; in February, it said that its emissions registered as way below World Bank and government standards. Company President Ramon Ang denied that pollution from the plant was causing health problems. There is no smoke, no pollution there, he told the newspaper. Were committed to help the environment.

Yet months later, residents were still complaining about pollution. I worked in the plant for a month, and I think I got sick seriously because of the plant, whispered Gerald Respicio, a deathly thin 26-year-old, as he lay in his home near the plant, recovering from tuberculosis. He said he has received no compensation. His direct employer at the time, the contractor SM Blooming Phils, could not be reached for comment; its one publicly listed number is disconnected. Respicio and a Philippine corporate records website said the company has since closed.

In April 2016, a man who would not fully identify himself visited Capitan at her home, according to her son, Mar, 35, who was present during the encounter. The man gave his name only as Alex, and refused to say who had sent him. He vowed to give Capitans husband, Efren, a $300 medical allowance for top-notch treatment in Manila  but only if she stopped her anti-coal organizing activities. I care about all of you, Mar heard him say. Id hate to see any of you buried under a mound of earth.

Her answer was a big no, Mar recalled. The man came to the house three or four times altogether, Mar said, but each time, Capitan rebuffed him.

In May, Carlo Ignacio, Seafronts vice president for operations, called Capitan to his office. Several members of Capitans association  including Nanding Fernando, 65  waited outside as they met, Fernando said. Afterward, she recalled, Capitan told the group that Ignacio had urged her to halt her groups demonstrations.

He was slamming the table. He told her you should stop, you should stop because you're not making things better for yourself or your village, Fernando said. Gloria told us she was basically  she felt threatened.

Children swim near the Seafront coal stockpile down the road from Capitans home. (Jonathan Kaiman / Los Angeles Times)

It is not possible to verify firsthand what happened in that meeting  Ignacio did not respond to repeated attempts to contact him. Four public numbers for Seafront were disconnected, and a Los Angeles Times reporter was turned away at the companys guarded compound in Mariveles. One Seafront employee, reached via intercom, said that only Ignacio could comment on the case  but Ignacio was not available.

In a July 2015 article in the Manila Bulletin, Ignacio criticized an unnamed family  most likely Capitans  for launching a petition against the coal stockpile operated by Seafront. It is not us who will suffer severely but it is the public (due to power shortage) if the shipment of coal is stopped just because of the whims and caprices of this couple, he told the newspaper.

In the Philippine press, the company has defended its record on community involvement, while sidestepping allegations of pollution. Seafront donated two fishing boats to two groups of fishermen, complete with fishing gears and gadgets, the newspaper Punto! Central Luzon reported in 2015.

That year, the Manila Bulletin newspaper reported that Seafront had constructed churches in Bataan worth millions of pesos, sponsored charity healthcare projects and donated food to malnourished children. The article did not address citizens complaints about pollution, but reported that Seafront had been providing direct and indirect employment to 1,500 locals.

Heaven knows what weve been doing, Ignacio told the newspaper.

A small fishing village in Mariveles, Bataan, not far from the Mariveles coal-fired plant. (Jes Aznar / Getty Images)

It seemed clear that someone was targeting Capitan. On the day after Dutertes inauguration, Efren and Mar were sitting at home in the evening when they heard three gunshots. Mar ran to the bar and saw his mothers head tilted back, blood pouring from wounds in her neck. He and his brother Jerson jumped on motorbikes and chased the killers, but soon lost sight of them. Then they went to the police.

The police, Efren said, seemed reluctant to investigate. There was speculation around the community that maybe she was killed because of drugs or a land dispute, he recalled. They didn't want to admit it was because of the environment. He said police didnt even investigate the crime scene; family members retrieved the bullets themselves.

Loyd Opena, chief investigator for the Mariveles police, denied that account. He said detectives are building a case, and have identified a suspect; a warrant of arrest, he said, will be served soon. He suggested that the force considers Capitans case sensitive. "The victim is a leader of a pro-environment group, that's why the community is aware of the case, he said.

He said the police never received a formal complaint from the family, and had to open one themselves in order to launch their investigation.

Mar said the family had little confidence that filing a complaint with the police would lead to an arrest  and confronting the authorities might cause the family more trouble, he said. Efrens medical condition hasnt improved, and we don't want another parent to die because of stress and pressure, Mar said.

We think Gloria is already at peace now, and we're scared for our children, he said.

Soon after Capitans death, the local citizens advocacy group disbanded. Of course if you know Gloria, Mar said, she'd be very, very sad.

This story was reported with a grant from the United Nations Foundation.

Special correspondent Yas Coles contributed to this report.

jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com

For more news from Asia, follow @JRKaiman on Twitter.

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North Koreas totalitarian leader, Kim Jong Un, began 2017 by announcing his intention to launch a long-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.

The boast made headlines, but in one little noticed passage, the young leader Kim also admitted entering the year anxious and remorseful about his management.

I am hardening my resolve to seek more tasks for the sake of the people this year and make redoubled, devoted efforts to this end, said Kim, grandson of the countrys founder, Kim Il Sung.

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As the year unfolded, Kim stuck to his resolution.

In 2017, Kims nation overcame technological hurdles to its long quest to build a modern nuclear weapons program, conducting a large underground detonation and test launching at least 17 ballistic missiles. All the while, Kim weathered international pressure and battled rhetorically with President Trump.

By years end, Kim had changed the threat perception in the United States and declared his nation close to having a nuclear force, a fact that would complicate efforts to confront his government.

North Korea is no longer a threat [only] in its neighborhood, said John Delury, an associate professor at Yonsei University in Seoul. It now poses a threat to us, to the [U.S.] homeland.

Following Kims speech, then President-elect Trump took notice, vowing that his administration wouldnt allow the North to build an ICBM that could carry a warhead to the mainland. He tweeted: It wont happen!

Kim remained mostly quiet for weeks. Then his military launched a solid-fuel missile, a significant milestone because such devices are easier to deploy and to conceal from enemies.

The following day, Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong Uns half brother, was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur airport, allegedly at the direction of North Korean agents.

Tensions began to rise and, as periodic reminders of the Norths illicit pursuit, the missiles continued to fly.

A month later, the North Koreans test-launched four at once, three of which traveled 600 miles into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, where many of its tests descend into the water. There were also public rocket engine tests.

It essentially ended debate about whether North Korea has the capability to deliver a nuclear weapon to the United States.  David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists

Kim Jong Uns scientists suffered setbacks, to be sure. At least four missiles exploded or fizzled shortly after launch during the spring. But while the missiles didnt perform as planned, they delivered a message nonetheless.

A few launches appeared timed to coincide with key events. One came as President Trump was to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping; another when Vice President Mike Pence was to arrive in South Korea.

North Korea had a major breakthrough on July 4, another important date, launching its first intercontinental ballistic missile. It flew on a steep trajectory more than 1,700 miles into the space, for about 40 minutes, and landed in the waters east of the peninsula.

The accomplishment brought widespread concern and condemnation, but celebration by the Norths state media.

A few weeks later, the nation launched another ICBM that soared higher, flew longer and traveled farther. Experts believe that missile, on a flatter trajectory, could have reached Hawaii and Alaska.

This is when Trump and Kim started the rhetorical battle in earnest.

After the United Nations adopted a new round of economic sanctions in response to the tests, Trump boasted that the North might be met with fire and fury.

The North in turn suggested that it might target Guam, a United States territory in the Western Pacific, with an encircling strike to test its missiles.

This is perhaps when tensions were highest between the two countries, because North Korea made a direct threat to American national security, said Bong Youngshik, a research fellow with the Institute for North Korean Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul.

The U.S. could have justified its military actions in response to the attack  had North Korea gone ahead  in the name of right to self-defense, he said.

Guamanians braced for the worst, but Kim backed off the threat.

Meanwhile, the leaders kept trading taunts, and the North kept launching, including two tests over Japan that shocked leaders there.

The missiles fueled tensions all year, but it was the underground detonation of a hydrogen bomb in early September that could be Kims top achievement. Seismic tests backed the Norths contention that the device had unprecedented power compared with its previous efforts.

North Korean state television said the test was a significant occasion on its path to a state nuclear force, likely a reference to its desire to achieve military strength through modern nuclear capability.

Trump spoke to the United Nations not long after, saying he would totally destroy North Korea if it threatened the United States. Kim responded that a frightened dog barks louder. He also called Trump a mentally deranged dotard.

President Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 19, 2017. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images )

At times like these it seemed Kim and Trump were talking directly, albeit through the media.

Duyeon Kim, a visiting senior research fellow at the Korean Peninsula Future Forum in Seoul, said their exchanges were interesting but unfortunate. She would have preferred face-to-face talks between their two countries.

The rhetorical battles were childish and unhelpful because they unnecessarily added to tensions, she said.

Then, amid all the chatter, Kim Jong Un and his administration went largely quiet.

This pause in testing led some to hope that tensions might cool. Others believed the respite to be seasonal, not strategic.

The North refrained despite insults from Trump on Twitter, such as on Nov. 11: Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old, when I would NEVER call him short and fat?

Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017

Then, in late November, the North Korean government launched its most-powerful intercontinental ballistic missile yet, a device capable of reaching Washington, D.C. The North said it flew with a heavy warhead to replicate a nuclear device, a hint that the nation was ready to cross Trumps wont happen red line.

It essentially ended debate about whether North Korea has the capability to deliver a nuclear weapon to the United States, said David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

At the end of the year, Kims resolve seemed as strong as ever, despite efforts by the Trump administration and other nations with an interest in curbing the Norths nuclear advancement.

In just the last few days, the North said relinquishing its nuclear weapons was a pipe dream. It said the latest United Nations sanctions, which cut fuel supplies, were an act of war violating its sovereignty.

After this year, Kim, who has long sought a nuclear armed missile as a deterrent, seems on an inevitable nuclear path thats likely to shift the power dynamic in Asia.

It was a great year for the Kim familys regime security, said Robert Kelly, a political science professor at Pusan National University. The nukes now mean a United States attack on North Korea is extremely unlikely.

Stiles is a special correspondent.
A series of bomb blasts targeted a Shiite Muslim cultural center and news agency in the Afghan capital on Thursday, killing at least 41 people and wounding dozens in an attack that underscored the threats facing the countrys journalists and religious minorities.

Three explosions struck a compound that houses Tebyan, a cultural center with links to Shiite-dominated Iran, during a commemoration of the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, officials said.

Witnesses and journalists said that dozens of students and other visitors had gathered at the cultural center in Dasht-e Barchi, a western Kabul neighborhood with a large Shiite population. The majority of Afghan Muslims are Sunnis.

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The attack began when a suicide bomber walked into the building shortly after 10 a.m. and detonated a vest packed with explosives. That was followed by two more explosions caused by sticky bombs that had been planted on the walls of the compound, according to Afghan interior ministry officials.

The attack also wounded 84 people, according to the public health ministry.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted the center because it sends students to Iran to learn from the ayatollahs, according to the groups Amaq news agency.

The South Asian branch of the Sunni militant organization has previously targeted Shiites and other religious minorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. U.S. and Afghan forces have waged a sustained bombing campaign against its strongholds in eastern Afghanistan, where some 600 militants are believed to be based, but the group has continued to carry out major attacks in Kabul.

In October, at least 50 people were killed when an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in Dasht-e Barchi.

Zia Rezayee, a 22-year-old university student who lives near the Tebyan compound, said he heard the blast as he was walking and rushed to the scene.

Everyone was dead or injured, he said. There was no one in sight who hadnt been wounded.

He was helping move a wounded person into an ambulance when he heard the second and third blasts, he said.

Then we all, including the security forces, fled the area, Rezayee said. It was a nightmare. People were lying everywhere.

Video :at least 40 people including 4 journalists have been killed and 30 wounded who attended an event to mark the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of #Afghanistan.#Kabulattack #Hazara #Shia #IslamicState pic.twitter.com/GjfOv9uwZp  Rahmat Alizadah (@Rahmat_Ali22) December 28, 2017

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called the attack an inhuman act that is against all Islamic and human principles.

The suicide bomber struck on the ground floor of the building, which houses the Tebyan cultural center. The second and third floors are home to the Afghan Voice news agency and Ensaf, a daily newspaper.

Tebyan is one of several cultural and media organizations in Afghanistan that are sponsored by Iran, which has sought to project its influence in the neighboring country. Iran has also recruited Afghan Shiites  particularly members of the Hazara ethnic group  to fight Islamic State militants in Syria as part of militias loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Islamic States attacks against Afghan Shiites were part of an effort to weaken Irans influence in the region, analysts said.

Iran has been the main sponsor of Tebyan from the beginning, so the propaganda machinery of the Shiite theocracy in Iran has been targeted in Afghanistan, said Nader Karmi Juni, an independent analyst in Tehran. This is a bad sign for the influence of Iran in the future.

It was the second attack in as many months to strike an Afghan news outlet. In November, Shamshad, a television station broadcasting in the Pashto language, was bombed and two employees were killed in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, a nongovernmental group, reported 73 cases of violence against journalists and media workers, including 10 deaths, in the first six months of 2017: a sharp rise from the year before.

Human rights groups said Thursdays attack showed that Kabul is increasingly unsafe for civilians.

In one of the deadliest years on record, journalists and other civilians continue to be ruthlessly targeted by armed groups, said Biraj Patnaik, South Asia director for Amnesty International.

As representatives of Western governments also rushed to condemn the attack, advocates accused the officials of hypocrisy because European countries in recent months have deported Afghan asylum-seekers, arguing that the country is not an active war zone.

The European governments who insist on this dangerous fiction by forcibly returning Afghans are putting their lives in danger, Patnaik said.

Special correspondent Faizy reported from Kabul and Times staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India. Special correspondent Ramin Mostaghim contributed to this report from Tehran.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more Afghanistan and Pakistan news

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UPDATES:

2:50 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting and Islamic States claim of responsibility.

This article was originally published at 1:10 a.m.
Oxford Dictionaries recognized the power of the millennial generation earlier this month with its 2017 word of the year: youthquake. [Photo provided to China Daily]

LONDONOxford Dictionaries recognized the power of the millennial generation earlier this month with its 2017 word of the year: youthquake.

Oxford lexicographers say there was a fivefold increase in use of the term between 2016 and 2017.

It is defined as "a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people".

The word, coined almost 50 years ago by then-Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, has been used to describe phenomena including surging youth support for Britain's Labour Party and the election of 30-something leaders in France and New Zealand.

Each year, Oxford University Press tracks how the English language is changing and chooses a word that reflects the annual mood.

It beat eight other words on the shortlist.

These included "milkshake duck", a "person or thing that initially inspires delight on social media but is soon revealed to have a distasteful or repugnant past", and "white fragility", defined as "discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice".

Also shortlisted was "broflake", a man who is readily upset or offended by progressive attitudes that conflict with his more conventional or conservative views, and "newsjacking", defined as taking advantage of current events to promote a brand.

Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Dictionaries, says youthquake was a word everyone could rally behind.

"Youthquake may not seem like the most obvious choice for Word of the Year. It's true that it's yet to land firmly on American soil, but strong evidence in the UK calls it out as a word on the move," he says.

Oxford Dictionaries consultant Susie Dent says many of the year's standout words "speak to fractured times of mistrust and frustration".

"In 'youthquake' we find some hope in the power to change things, and had a little bit of linguistic fun along the way," she says. "It feels like the right note on which to end a difficult and divisive year."

Last year's word of the year was "post-truth".
Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Volachith received Major General Huynh Dac Huong (Photo: VNA)

The meeting was in the framework of the visit to the ancient battlefield from December 21st to 29th of the delegation.

The Lao leader emphasized that the visit took place at a time when the two countries were concluding the Year of Friendship and Solidarity 2017, contributing to developing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation fostered by the two Parties, States and peoples.

He expressed his sincere thanks to the Communist Party of Vietnam, government and people for providing valuable support for Lao people in the past as well as currently.

Mr. Bounnhang Volachith wished that Vietnamese people would reap greater successes in national construction and achieve the goal of building a modern, industrialized nation.

At the meeting, Mr. Huynh Dac Huong affirmed that former Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts would actively join people-to-people diplomatic activities, contributing to maintaining and nurturing the special bilateral solidarity.

He also believed that the young generations of the two countries will continue developing the bilateral special relations, deserving the sacrifice of previous generations.

On the same day, the Vietnamese delegation paid courtesy visits to Lao leaders such as Lao Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, and head of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committees Commission for External Relations Sounthone Sayachac.

On December 25th, the delegation had meetings with the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Association and the Lao War Veterans Association Central Committee./.
Dishes prepared by the restaurant (Photo: VNA)

Once you go to the restaurant It is difficult to forget, because Vietnamese cultural hallmarks are shown through the restaurants space, dishes, and way to display dishes.

Cuisine is a completely different business from other sectors, especially Vietnamese cuisine, because it is a precise combination of fresh and nourishing materials with specific spices and flavourings to make dishes imbued with the national identity.

The experience and enthusiasm of the chef of Asian Ruby restaurant have helped him achieve the target and attract the attention of local diners by private values.

Thanks to its unique Vietnamese culture, Asian Ruby was honoured to be broadcast on television of New Zealand and was introduced as a new special and attractive destination.

The restaurant has become a familiar cuisine address of many local people, international tourists and well-known businessmen such as billionaire Owen Glenn. It is also a place to welcome high-ranking Vietnamese officials and artists to New Zealand to work.

Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Viet Dung often visited the restaurant when paying working visits to Auckland. He said that the restaurant has many delicious dishes of Vietnams Northern, Central and Southern regions, so it not only attracts local diners but also overseas Vietnamese people, who enjoy Vietnamese space of the restaurant, that helps them reduce their nostalgia and feel honoured because Vietnamese cuisine is loved in a foreign country./.
The Facebook post is titled "Santa-Cops."

The story starts with a Grinch, stealing all the Christmas presents intended for a 10-year-old boy.

As the child's mom loaded the gifts into her car on Christmas Day in Bethlehem, she ran inside to say goodbye to relatives, city police explained Thursday on their Facebook page.

In the brief interlude, someone went into the car and stole all the presents, police said.

The gifts, some of them of a sentimental nature, included a Hess truck and a drone, police said.

Officer Luke Trevezo caught the call and wanted to do something beyond investigating.

With permission of his supervisor, he called Criminal Investigations Division Capt. Anthony Leardi, who in turn contacted police Chief Mark DiLuzio, the post says.

The captain emailed the entire department, telling the story of holiday woe.

"The response from police officers of all divisions was overwhelming," police said on Facebook.

Within two days, there was a new Hess truck , a new drone, several Toys 'R' Us gift cards and a sum of cash to go toward the sentimental gifts, police said.

At 11 a.m. Thursday, Trevezo, Leardi, DiLuzio and several other officers on street duty delivered the gifts to the boy and his family, police said.

"Santa-Cops" On Christmas Day, Officer Luke Trevezo was dispatched to a call where a woman was loading all of her X-Mas... Posted by Bethlehem Police Department, Bethlehem, PA on Thursday, December 28, 2017

"They were very happy and greatly thanked BPD," police said.

Commenters, as well, appeared thrilled on the department's Facebook page.

"This brings tears to my eyes," Beverly Mackaravitz Recchiuti wrote. "What a wonderful thing to do. Thank you Bethlehem Police Department."

It's a rare moment when police can actually undue a crime.

"It's not often police themselves get a chance to do things like this, so we wanted to take every opportunity to make at least one little boy and his family's Christmas a memorable one," the post says.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The Easton Area School District is once again fighting a decision ordering the release of a controversial video of a teacher slamming a student down on a school bus seat.

The surveillance video was shot on a school bus on the morning of Feb. 8, 2017, in front of Paxinosa Elementary School, which was temporarily housed at that time in the Easton Area Middle School building in Forks Township.

The video shows teacher Aaron Dufour yelling at a child, then picking him up and slamming him down on a school bus seat, according to a source who saw the video but was not authorized to release it.

Dufour has since been terminated, according to school district solicitor John Freund.

The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records ordered the release of the video to The Express-Times and lehighvalleylive.com, but the school district appealed the decision to Northampton County Court.

Northampton County Judge Samuel Murray upheld that decision, but the school district appealed it to Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court on Wednesday.

If the Commonwealth Court upholds the decision, the school district can appeal for a third and final time to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

TIMELINE

Feb. 8, 2017: Teacher Aaron Dufour picks up a child and slams him down on a school bus seat. The event is captured on a video, according to a source.

April 18, 2017: The Easton Area School District denies a right-to-know request filed by lehighvalleylive.com asking for a copy of the video.

May 24, 2017: The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records sides with lehighvalleylive.com and orders the release of the video.

June 22, 2017: The Easton Area School District appeals the decision to Northampton County Court.

Sept. 19, 2017: School district attorney Rebecca Young discloses in a court hearing concerning the video that the Pennsylvania Department of Education is investigating the Dufour discipline matter.

Dec. 1, 2017: Northampton County Judge Samuel Murray upholds the Office of Open Records decision and orders the school district to hand over the video to lehighvalleylive.com.

Dec. 27, 2017: The Easton Area School District appeals Murray's decision to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
A dog that was hit Dec. 13 by a vehicle on Easton's College Hill has come through surgery well but hasn't been reunited with his owner, city police report.

"The owner never reached out to the city," police Capt. Matthew Lohenitz said Wednesday afternoon.

The approximately 1-year-old German Shepherd-pit bull mix was operated on at Cummings Veterinary Hospital in Bethlehem Township, Lohenitz said.

Bear the dog is recovering following surgery after he was hit by a car on Easton's College Hill. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The "super friendly" dog, called Bear, had a shattered left rear leg, Hospital Practice Administrator David Peck previously said.

"Bear made it through surgery fine," Lohenitz said in an email. He "is being fostered by the vet tech until he is healed (14-16 weeks) after which he will be put up for adoption."

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Lower Macungie Township woman won a $675,000 judgment against Mack Trucks last week after suing the company for discrimination.

Melissa Koch worked as a production supervisor at the Macungie plant but was denied promotions and not provided the assistance her male counterparts received because of her gender and because she suffered from multiple sclerosis, according to her lawsuit.

The jury award came on Dec. 22 after a seven-day trial in federal court before U.S. District Court Judge Edward G. Smith, according to court records.

The jury award wasn't listed in the online court docket but the amount was made available in a news release from Koch's lawyers, Patrick J. Reilley and Samuel E. Cohen of Allentown. She retains the option to petition the court for attorneys fees, the news release says.

Her lawsuit says she was the only female production supervisor at the plant from 2010 to 2014. Prior to that she worked for Mack at Winnsboro, South Carolina, and New River Valley, Virginia, the news release says.

She sued after Mack Trucks conducted its own investigation and concluded there was no "intentional" discrimination against Koch.

Attorneys for Mack Trucks didn't immediate return messages seeking comment.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
A woman who sought several times to have her husband killed after he coerced her to stay in their marriage by threatening to reveal her sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy has pleaded guilty, Monroe County authorities said.

Robin and Keith Transue have pleaded guilty to charges she tried to have him killed and he coerced her to stay in their marriage, authorities say. (Courtesy photos | For lehighvalleylive.com)

And the husband who coerced her has also pleaded guilty, authorities said.

Robin Transue, 43, who has a listed address in the first block of Knox Street in Mount Pocono, and Keith Transue, 43, a Bushkill Township police officer who showed the same address in court papers, will be sentenced March 20, the county district attorney's office said.

Robin Transue pleaded to solicitation to commit aggravated assault and statutory sexual assault, authorities said. She faces up to 30 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine on the two felony charges. Numerous charges were withdrawn.

Keith Transue faces up to two years behind bars and a $5,000 fine on the misdemeanor charge of criminal coercion. Remaining charges were withdrawn.

Robin Transue drew friend Richard Warner into several incomplete plots to kill Keith Transue -- including a proposed hunting accident, a house fire and the use of medication to cause a heart attack, the district attorney's office said.

Warner alerted law enforcement and agreed to wear a wire, authorities said.

The death plots came after Keith Transue found out about Robin Transue's sexual involvement in 2010 with a 14-year-old boy, the district attorney's office said.

Keith Transue didn't report the crimes in return for his wife staying married to him, authorities said.

"He would later tell a fellow officer that he had dirt on his wife that he would use if she tried to leave him," the district attorney's office said in a news release.

Keith Transue's bail was $25,000 unsecured while Robin Transue's $50,000 bail was posted in January. Neither was in custody as of Wednesday morning, records show.

Keith Transue had been on paid administrative leave last spring, police Chief Mike McLouth said at the time. McLouth on Wednesday said Keith Transue had submitted his letter of resignation.

Robin Transue's attorney Steven Mills and Keith Transue's attorney Thomas Sundmaker couldn't immediately be reached Wednesday morning for comment.

Authorities thanked Warner for coming forward.

"We would commend the efforts of Mr. Warner whose cooperation with authorities likely prevented a homicide and also brought to light a sordid history of sexual assault and criminal coercion," First Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso said in the news release.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
A tip to the Pennsylvania SPCA's animal cruelty hotline over the weekend triggered an investigation and subsequent raid of a Bethlehem Township animal rescue farm, an official with the agency confirmed.

More than a dozen animals were seized from the Heaven on Earth Farm at 3868 Bethman Road, Pennsylvania SPCA spokeswoman Gillian Kocher said Wednesday night in an email.

SPCA agents went to the property to investigate the tip on Tuesday and returned with a search warrant on Wednesday afternoon "for concerns of lack of veterinary care and untreated medical conditions," she said.

"We are in the process of seizing a large number of animals including four goats, three calves, a pig, four bulldogs, two huskies and a number of cats," Kocher said in the email sent to lehighvalleylive.com shortly before 6:30 p.m.

Additionally, a second pig had to be taken to a veterinarian for emergency treatment, she said.

The severity of the animals' medical conditions weren't immediately clear. Kocher said more information on the investigation and search would be released sometime Thursday.

The farm describes itself as a non-profit animal rescue on its Facebook profile. Jahjah Melhem owned the rescue as recently as March.

That month, the Pennsylvania Department of Health closed the farm temporarily after an outbreak of an intestinal parasite that leads to severe diarrhea.

Efforts to reach the farm Thursday night were unsuccessful. No one answered at the listed phone number for the farm, and the number did not accept messages.

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The pain and suffering still endures for these men as a result of this atrocity. It happened to them whilst they were doing the essence of Garda work - protecting the citizens of this State.

- Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan confirming the award of the Scott Bravery Medal to gardai caught up in bomb ambush in Garryhincy in 1976.

We feel really powerless, we are five years fighting this, and the general population don't really care. They see wind as a beneficial, they don't realise the low CO2 savings, that these windfarms are only a way of making money for developers. On Cullenagh, our only hope is the European Court, but the wind industry is driven by Europe.

Henry Fingleton, chairperson Wind Aware Ireland, on proposed new guidelines on windfarms.

Portarlington is a town that has lost a lot of employment over the last couple of decades. It is a very resilient town that punches above its weight in many facets. We depend so much on the good will of the people of Portarlington and they never let us down.

Lions Club President, Gerry Dunne thanking the people of Portarlington for their support.

Shameful is the reluctance of our political representatives who on the one hand say they don't endorse drink driving, and yet to refuse to support the measures the Minister (Shane Ross) is making to protect people's lives, people like me, and people living in rural Ireland, from drink drivers.

Gillian Treacy's message to publicans and politicians against tougher new drink driving laws

It doesn't matter if you're in Pittsburg, Paris or Portlaoise, we all breathe the same air.

Taoiseach Leo Varadakar comments on Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change accord.

They went through the whole house, our attic, the fridge, the freezer. In the room where they found our jewellery, it was a complete mess. They went through all our clothing, our pyjamas, our underwear. It feels like somebody has entered your privacy.

Port family who were victims of a burglary.
The Irish sugar beet industry was one of the great economic success stories in this country since independence was declared in 1922. It was the one of the biggest and most reliable income earners for farmers throughout the country and provided lucrative employment for thousands of workers over an eighty year period.

It was a crop that was suited to the Irish climate and the Irish soil, it helped keep the countryside alive and its spinoffs helped the local businesses in towns and villages as well as boosting the fortunes of suppliers of goods and transport. It also helped the balance of payments by producing a product that otherwise had to be imported.

The infant state was only four years in existence when the first sugar company factory was opened in Carlow in 1926. It was followed by other factories established at Mallow, Thurles and Tuam. These towns became magnets for employment and while a big part of this was seasonal, there was also a huge full-time staff engaged by the sugar company. Everyone seemed a winner but due to some largely unexplained connivance between the government, the EU and big business, production of sugar beet ceased in this country in 2006.

For most people the history of sugar beet in Ireland began in 1926 with the opening of that first factory in Carlow but the reality is that the history of the industry in this country goes back much further than that and that Laois was the centre of it.

Irelands first beet factory, indeed, dates to the mid-19 century and was established in Mountmellick, which was known as the Manchester of the midlands because of the amount of industrial enterprises that existed there.

Up to that period European countries got their sugar from sugar cane imported from the West Indies and Central America which was refined here in this part of the world. The sugar cane industry was dependent on slave labour. There was a growing public outcry against this inhuman exploitation and the anti-slavery lobby eventually held sway and the evil trade was eventually outlawed in western society.

This was a major incentive for the production of sugar in countries on this side of the Atlantic. The uncertainty of supply because of naval wars and blockades also compelled European countries to look to their own resources for a substitute. Research and experiments were carried out in continental Europe, particularly in France where it was found that it was possible to extract sugar from the beet crop on an economic basis.

The Leinster Express kept a close eye on the opportunities presented by this new tillage crop. The first article I found was dated 23 September 1843. It quotes a letter from a very intelligent correspondent who revealed he was a former distiller but who remained unnamed.

The numerous distilleries which have either fallen into decay or become comparatively idle (because of the success of the temperance movement) could be converted into sugar manufactories and in the cultivation of beet root, for which our soil in peculiarly adapted. The correspondent told of the success of the industry in France on the one side and the Parliamentary Leviathan, the West India slave-trade interests in parliament which were blocking any attempts to foster this home industry, on the other.

Prof. William K. Sullivan of Queens University, Cork, made a detailed study of the sugar industry on the continent. In his booklet, The manufacture of Beet-Root sugar in Ireland, published in 1851, he argued convincingly that our soil, climate and rainfall were ideally suited to the growing of the beet root and that it gave a more profitable return than mangles or turnips as well as being an ideal rotation crop.

It is not clear why Mountmellick was chosen for the factory but, it seems likely, it was because of the big Quaker colony that had settled in this region and had been active in creating so many viable and progressive industrial enterprises here. The factory cost 10,000 to convert, extend and equip and 160 persons were employed there. The Company raised capital of 120,000 with a further facility up to 300,000.

Two brothers, Daniel and William Hirsch, were brought from Vienna to lend their expertise in the setting up of the factory. There were, unsurprisingly, difficulties experienced by farmers and by the factory in the first year of production. It was a new crop after all and there were teething troubles in the harvesting, the transporting, the converted machinery and buildings and in the production process.

The hitches in the first year were understandable but by year two things had, apparently, improved. A Leinster Express article of 5 March 1853 stated we are happy that the affairs of the Company appear to be such as to encourage an extension of their operations and that there was every prospect of factories being opened at Cork and Belfast and that the success story was mostly attributable to the Messrs Hirsch.

But there was a different outlook by the following year. A Leinster Express article of January 14, 1854, revealed the disappointment caused by the neglect of many farmers in the Mountmellick area to plant and supply the requisite number of roots. This led to a shortage in supply which affected production and consequent sales of the sugar.

But far worse news came the following month when it became known that there was considerable trouble between the Hirsch brothers and the Company. The brothers had been sacked and local people were very annoyed at this. The Company also drew forth the wrath of Chief Justice Monaghan who heard the Hirsch brothers appeal. He said that the Company presented one of the most scandalous defences that have ever been pleaded.

The Leinster Express of 10 March 1855, announced that an agreement had been reached whereby the factory was placed under the joint superintendence of William Dargan and John George Adair.

John George Adair, Bellegrove, Ballybrittas, is better known as Black Jack Adair, one of the most infamous Irishmen of the 19th century. Like Dargan, he had strong Laois connections. But thats where the similarities end. History has him branded as a notorious tyrant, never to be forgiven for his appalling record of evictions, the most notable of which was at his extensive property at Glenveigh in the Donegal highlands. Dargan on the other hand was a man of honour, dedicated to helping to get the country up off its knees during and in the wake of the Great Famine. He was the builder of a thousand miles of railway track and at one time employed as many as 50,000 men in his enterprises.

Fate brought these two men of very different dispositions together in the Mountmellick sugar beet venture but it is difficult to see how these two men, with polarised outlooks on life, could possibly work together in harmony. And it is unlikely that they did. The Mountmellick factory struggled on for a few more years producing sugar on a small scale but it soon gave up the ghost.

So the beet industry in Mountmellick opened with great promise, flourished for a few years  but was dead within a decade. A number of reasons for its failure have been put forward but perhaps the biggest factor was the British Governments determination to shelter their own new sugar beet industry, which was built up on the strength of the Mountmellick experiment.

Mountmellick TC proposed that a new sugar factory be built in Mountmellick in 1949 either as a replacement for the Tuam factory which was in danger of closing or as a fifth factory. They made a convincing case for Mountmellick with good transport links of road, rail and canal (at the time) and a location right in the midst of a big farming sugar beet producing community and hinterland. But this time there were no takers.

There have been attempts in recent years to resurrect the industry in Ireland and some influential names are involved. But it is a case of wait and see what the future holds for another Irish sugar beet industry.

See also: The Mountrath man who became a world handball champion

See also: Kellys Foundry was a landmark business in Laois
The three teenage males who were arrested by Gardai following this afternoon's crash on the N7 northbound at Johnstown had been stopped as part of an inquiry into a burglary in Athy.

According to a garda statement this evening, at approximately 3pm today, Thursday, December 28, gardai received a report of a burglary at a house in Athy. The intruders were disturbed and fled from the scene in a waiting car when the occupants of the house returned home.

During a follow up operation members of a Garda anti-burglary unit intercepted a car on the N7 Naas Road at approximately 3.45pm. The car initially stopped for Gardai but when approached took off a speed in the direction of Dublin.

According to gardai, moments later this car was involved in a collision with a second car at on the N7 at junction 8, Johnstown. A young man in his teens, who was one of the occupants of the car, was injured in the collision and was taken by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital, where his condition is described as serious. Three other youths, all male and understood to be in their teens, were arrested during follow up searches near the crash site a short time later.

All three are currently detained for questioning under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Naas Garda Station.

The driver and sole occupant of the second car was taken to Naas Hospital with minor injuries.

The scene of the collision is currently being examined and traffic diversions remain in place. The collision has been referred to GSOC (Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission) for investigation.

Investigations are ongoing and updates will follow.

The incident caused traffic chaos in the area all evening, but the tailbacks have since cleared. Traffic had been diverted via the Johnstown slip road, but the N7 has now fully reopened northbound.
A young man who was found by Gardai in his upside-down car in a ditch appeared before Naas District Court last week charged with drink driving, careless driving, and unauthorised taking of a car.

Kyle Boyle, 23, with an address listed as Baybush, Straffan, was found by Gardai on April 6, 2016, at Bawnogues, Straffan.

At Naas District Court on Tuesday, December 19, Judge Desmond Zaidan was told the defendant was trapped in his car and the fire brigade got him out. He was unhurt but the car was written off.

A urine sample revealed a concentration of 218 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of urine.

The car had been taken from Mr Boyles father without permission, although it was a company car. The defendant has a previous conviction for driving without insurance.

Mr Powderly explained that his client had only travelled a small distance in the car, as far as a local shop.

Judge Zaidan noted that the defendant is a lucky man. Gardai told the court that it was a bad bend.

Has your dad forgiven you? the judge asked.

Ah, he has, the defendant replied.

Mr Boyle works in the UK and is earning a wage. He was cooperative on the night in question and has learned his lesson, Mr Powderly explained. Youre lucky public transport is good in the UK, the judge said, in reference to the fact that he was going to be disqualified.

Ive no excuses. It was my own fault, Mr Boyle said. Ill never drink and drive again.

Judge Zaidan fined him a total of 1,750 and banned him from driving for three years, postponed to the end of January.
GARDAI in Limerick have spoken to more than 1,300 people as part of the intensive murder investigation into the horrific death of elderly widow Rose Hanrahan at her home in the city.

The 78-year-old pensioner was murdered at her small terraced home on New Road, Thomondgate, between the night of December 14 and December 15.

Gardai sealed off the crime scene for six days, after family members found Roses body at her home on the Friday afternoon. Rose was laid to rest on Saturday morning, one week after the murder probe was launched by Superintendent Derek Smart at Mayorstone garda station.

No arrests have been made yet. Supt. Smart commended the strong community spirit at last Saturdays vigil, and said that he wants to keep that sense of community going.

We appreciate at this time of the year, people are involved with families, we are still appealing that they not forget. It is very much a live murder investigation, and their support will be very much appreciated, he told the Leader.

He said that more than 1,300 people have been spoken to in connection with the murder, as part of the gardais house-to-house inquiries.

He added that around 150 callbacks have to be carried out.

I would appeal to those people, if we have left a message for you, to contact us in regard to it. We have covered almost all the houses in the Thomondgate area and the extended Thomondgate area, he explained.

Also urging the public to come forward with information is chief superintendent David Sheahan who said that there has been a certain amount of progress in the probe.

It just hurts me inside to think that this should happen to any member of our community, least of all a member of the community who is so well-regarded, of such an age that she wanted to enjoy the last couple of years of her life without having this happening.

Again, I am appealing to anybody for any information out there to help us along the way. Its a week today since the investigation started. We have made a certain amount of progress in respect of this investigation. But still, we are appealing to the community, if they have anything, no matter how small they think it is. For heavens sake, bring it forward, let us know.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Mayorstone gardai on 061-456980, and the confidential number of 1800-666111.
A YOUNG man who caused more than 50,000 worth of damage after setting a bale of hay on fire will has brought a lot of shame to his family, a Limerick court has heard.

Seamus McCarthy, aged 22, who has an address at Knocknasna, Abbeyfeale has pleaded guilty to a single charge of arson relating to an incident at Copeswood Dairy Farm, Shannon Grove Pallaskenry during the early hours of September 24, 2014.

The hay barn, which was located in the dairy yard at Pallaskenry Agricultural College, was completely destroyed in the blaze.

During a sentencing hearing before Christmas, Garda Aidan Haddock said the alarm was raised at around 4am and that the defendant was subsequently identified as a suspect by gardai.

Limerick Circuit Court was told the defendant who was a student at the agricultural college at the time had been drinking at a pub in the village earlier in the night before returning to the dormitory he was drinking with other students.

While the hay barn was completely destroyed, no animals were injured and no machinery was damaged as a result of the fire.

Garda Haddock said McCarthy, who has no previous convictions, made admissions in relation to the fire following his arrest sometime after the fire.

He said he told gardai he had been messing with a cigarette lighter and that he had panicked and returned to the dormitory when a bale of hay caught fire and took off.

The defendant, who was very drunk on the night, told gardai he had gotten an idea to burn the hay shed but that he didnt think it would blow up.

The shed, the court heard, was used to store a variety of different bales and it was accepted the defendant had not used any form of accelerant to start the fire.

Garda Haddock told Lily Buckley BL, instructed by state solicitor Aidan Judge, the damage caused totalled 53,646.43.

However, there was insurance in place and the shed has since been rebuilt.

Erin OHagan BL, instructed by solicitor John Lynch, said there was no risk of people being injured as a result of her clients actions.

She said her client cooperated with gardai, made full admissions and identified himself on CCTV during garda interviews.

Ms OHagan said her client left the agricultural college a short time after the incident and that he hasn'ts returned to education since.

She said it was his first time away from home and that alcohol was a factor on the night.

There was no malicious aspect to it, it was a foolish decision, it was a stupid, stupid thing to do, she said describing what happened as a showing off experiment that got completely out of hand.

Judge Tom ODonnell was told McCarthy is engaging with the Probation Service and that he is actively seeking employment.

However, given the rural location where he and his mother live she said his employment prospects are not good and that he plans to move to the UK to get up and running in the near future..

Ms OHagan said with the help of his mother, her client had raised 2,000 in compensation as a token gesture

Judge ODonnell noted this and he directed the money be paid over the agricultural college. He will finalise the matter on March 30, next.
A LIMERICK man has pleaded guilty to several charges relating to a high speed pursuit on the M7 motorway.

When arraigned at Limerick Circuit Court, Sean Kerins, aged 26, of Moylish Road, Ballynanty pleaded guilty to four charges of intentionally or recklessly engaging in conduct which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to other road users on October 27, 2016.

The defendant has admitted undertaking traffic at high speed and mounting a kerb at locations near Nenagh before driving through a red light and driving directly towards a garda patrol car at Ballysimon Road in Limerick.

Mr Kerins, who has more than 100 previous convictions, has also admitted driving against oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road at Castle Street, Limerick on the same date.

After John OSullivan BL, instructed by state solicitor Padraig Mawe, confirmed the plea was acceptable to the State, Judge Tom ODonnell was told there is a dispute as to the facts of the case.

Carol Doherty BL said while her client accepts the charges and had entered a guilty plea there would be a factual dispute during the sentencing hearing.

She requested that a number of reports be prepared for the court submitting they would be of great assistance.

Judge ODonnell noted this and directed that a probation report, an education report and a psychologist report be prepared.

The matter was adjourned for sentence on February 7, next when evidence will be heard in relation to the offences.

Mr Kerins is currently in custody having received a lengthy prison sentence at Dublin Circuit Court last month.

Judge Martin Nolan was told the defendant, who pleaded guilty to several charges, had reversed at speed in a stolen car at a garda patrol vehicle during a high speed chase on October 9, 2016.

Imposing a two and-a-half year prison sentence, the judge said Kerins was a menace to society who had endangered the public.
LIMERICK TD Jan OSullivan has renewed her call for Rent Pressure Zones to be introduced in the city.

It comes after alarming figures released just before Christmas show that the average rental rate in Limerick rose by a massive 19.1% year-on-year.

By comparison, the figures from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) show rent hikes by 10.4% in Dublin and 11.4% in Cork.

Ms OSullivan said rises like these are forcing people into homelessness because they simply cannot afford to pay the rent.

She wants Rent Pressure Zones  whereby landlords are only allowed to increase charges by 4% each year  introduced in the city.

It is no good to people in Limerick that rents have gone up less in Dublin and Cork. We need to be included as a matter of urgency and I am calling on the Housing Minister to respond to these figures by designating Limerick City as a Rent Pressure Zone, until such time as there is a fairer system introduced, the former Housing Minister said.

Rent control and security from unfair eviction are essential if we are to stop the number of individuals and families that face the horror of being without a home this Christmas season and in the New Year, Ms OSullivan added.

Sinn Fein TD Maurice Quinlivan called on Fine Gaels Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to change course on the crisis, or resign from office.

Rents are now 7% above the peak they reached in the Celtic Tiger, a worrying record to break. I have to wonder at what stage the government will realise the plans and initiatives they so often cite, are totally failing, and in fact the problems are continuing to substantially worsen under their guidance. Or does Fine Gael realise their policies are indeed failing, but they are unwilling to introduce the reforms and changes necessary for fear of a rebuke from landlords and special interests, he asked, Limerick is at the fore of these failed policies, with hundreds of people homeless, and rents skyrocketing to unaffordable levels.
THIS week marks the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help to the Redemptorists.

The Jubilee of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will take place from this Thursday December 28 to Sunday December 31 in celebration of the Icons anniversary.

The Icon arrived in Mount St Alphonsus on December 28, 1867 and has been venerated there ever since, according to Father Seamus Enright.

In 1865, Pope Pius IX gave the Redemptorists a special mandate to promote worldwide devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Following this, the Redemptorists commissioned copies of the Icon to be painted for veneration in Redemptorist churches around the world.

One of these early copies was sent to Limerick, arriving in 1867.

In 1959, the women of Limerick donated their jewellery, wedding and engagement rings to make crowns for the images of Jesus and Mary.

This year, the Redemptorists erected a new shrine in the grounds of Mount St Alphonsus featuring a statue carved by the Cork-born sculptor Seamus Murphy in 1959.

According to Fr Enright, devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help has long been a feature of life in the Redemptorists, with Limericks Novena continuing to attract large numbers.

A Jubilee Mass will be held at the church each evening at 7.15pm from December 28 to 31. Bishop Brendan Leahy will celebrate the Mass on Sunday with music from the Redemptorist Church Choir.
A LIMERICK man who was caught actively dealing ecstasy in the city centre has avoided a prison sentence.

Filip Lampart, aged 21, who has an address at Carrig Midhe, Corbally had pleaded guilty to possession of a significant quantity of the drug for the purpose of sale or supply.

Limerick Circuit Court was told the defendant was arrested at William Street on February 15, 2016 after he was observed acting suspiciously and looking up and down the street.

Seventeen deals of MDMA (found commonly in ecstasy tablets) was seized from him and a further quantity  in powder and rock form  was recovered when he was searched at Roxboro Road garda station.

The street value of the drugs was just under 5,000.

Mr Lampart, who is originally from Poland has been living in Ireland for more than a decade.

Rebecca-May Treacy BL said her client is an intelligent young man who lost control of his life after he first began taking drugs during a holiday to Ibiza. He regrets getting involved. He just wants to get his life back on track, she said adding that he is currently working full time.

Noting that Mr Lampart has learned a salutory lesson Judge ODonnell imposed an 18 month prison sentence which he suspended for 18 months.
A LIMERICK man has been jailed for four and-a-half years for the cold, cunning, pre-meditated and systematic abuse of his former partners two young daughters.

The 47-year-old defendant, who has an address in the city, has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexually assaulting the two girls at a house in a village in County Limerick on various dates between July 1, 2009 and February 28, 2013.

The victims, who cannot be identified, were aged four and seven when the first of the offences took place.

Earlier this year, the defendant also pleaded guilty to a single charge of sexually exploiting one of the girls at another house on the outskirts of the city on a date between March 1, 2009 and September 30, 2013.

During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Denise Moriarty said the girls mother only became aware of the abuse in June 2014 after the older victim threatened to commit suicide if she and her former partner were to get back together.

She told John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, she contacted gardai the following day and that a criminal investigation was launched.

During interviews with specially-trained gardai, the girls described how the defendant used to get naked with them and that he would make them play with his penis.

Detective Garda Moriarity who added that on at least one occasion the man, who has a son with the girls mother, had watched adult pornography during which he asked the younger girl to judge the size of his penis compared to that on the television.

In a victim impact statement, the girls mother described what happened as a devastating nightmare which has resulted in her daughters becoming withdrawn and being sceptical of most men.

For me this horrifying experience has been extremely painful and one I will never forget, she said adding that she has endured many sleepless nights wondering how her former partner managed to manipulate her.

(I have) wrecked my head trying to come to terms with how I was blinded and couldnt see what was going on. He had me fooled and manipulated the girls and made them fearful of speaking out and looking for help, she said.

She added that her son will never know his father and that it upsets her that he will never have a father figure in his life.

While the defendant initially denied anything inappropriate, Detective Garda Moriarty told Limerick Circuit court he ultimately accepted he had sexually assaulted the girls telling gardai he was turned on when doing so and had become aroused beforehand.

Urging leniency, Mark Nicholas SC said his clients admissions were very important in the case and he said he now has an insight into his behaviour.

He submitted the offending was in the lower half of the spectrum.

Imposing sentence before Christmas, Judge Tom ODonnell said there had been an appalling breach of trust given the defendants relationship with the victims and their mother.

He held a dominant position within the family structure, he commented adding that the age gap between the defendant and the girls was also an aggravating factor

He said the sympathetic and premeditated nature of the offending was an aggravating factor as was the fact it was for the 47-year-olds own pleasure.

He said considerable emotional and psychological trauma had been inflicted and that what happened was every parents worst nightmare.

He imposed sentenced totalling four and-a-half years imprisonment and directed. that the accused mans name be placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
A DEFENCELESS little rabbit has been rescued by Limerick Animal Welfare after suffering horrific cruelty from a group of youths.

The heartless youngsters had tied a rope to the rabbits leg, and had thrown it into the river before getting their dogs to head in after it.

Limerick Animal Welfare reported that the youths kept repeating this act, until a passer-by witnessed the shocking behaviour and demanded the male rabbit from them. They then brought it to the charitys sanctuary in Kilfinane, where it is being cared for.

Marion Fitzgibbon, Limerick Animal Welfare, condemned the torture.

She said: Sadly, rabbits are abused all the time. People put ropes onto their legs, and theyre thrown to teach greyhounds how to turn them.

Ms Fitzgibbon added that its often peer pressure among youths which leads to this cruelty taking place: One gets an idea they are going to do this, and its the younger lads who are pressured, while others join in, even if some dont want to do it.
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The year of love and hate A big thank you to all the Indians who chose to believe in the power of love over the politics of hate /relationships/it-s-complicated/the-year-of-love-and-hate-111646913630772.html 111646913630772 story

This was the year shadowy hate groups grabbed the spotlight and broadcast their anger across the country. Elected representatives made no effort to curb these vitriolic voices and steer public debate to the real concerns of millions of Indians: healthcare, education, jobs. It was easier to huff and puff and help the haters blow our house down.

Yogi Adityanath began the year by endorsing US President Donald Trumps immigration ban against travellers from a handful of Muslim-majority countries. Similar action is needed to contain terror activities in this country," Adityanath said. Two months later, he was appointed the chief minister of Indias most populous state. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs such as Sangeet Som, Shobha Karandlaje and Ananth Hegde all got into trouble for the hateful statements they made this year. These are not worth repeating here.

BJP president Amit Shah even said something that inspired me to write My Letter To Alia, Malia, Jamalia", which was my favourite column of 2017. And when I suddenly found myself on a stage in front of a largely Muslim crowd in Rajasthan, asked to talk about why I had hopped on to human rights activist Harsh Manders month-long Karwan-e-Mohabbat (KeM, or Caravan of Love), a response to the spate of bovine-related crimes earlier this year, I told them it was because, as a journalist, I felt it was my duty to record his special journey. But that it was also because I was grateful to live in an India where my daughter had already formed her gang of Alia, Malia, Jamalia (the seven-year-olds equivalent of Amar Akbar Anthony). I dreamt that every Indian child would have that same chance and not grow up in a religious ghetto where you learn to fear and distrust anyone who is not exactly like you.

This year, there were debates about Hanuman vs Tipu Sultan, Eid vs Diwali, patriot vs anti-national, Hindu vs Hindutva, mandir vs masjid. Twenty-five years after an angry mob tore down the Babri Masjid with the sheer force of their hatred and some basic tools, it was like we had come full circle.

It was the year we used a domesticated ungulate to disguise our hate crimes and cheered throatily as we revived old divisions. It was also the year we underlined in bold our refusal to acknowledge the right of interfaith couples to love and marry each other. Some of us hailed as hero a man who hacked and burnt another man in what looked like a macabre piece of performance art. Overnight, some of us suddenly became the Indians whose names sounded like Junaids and who now thought twice before going on an interstate train journey. Many Indians shared their accounts of the everyday bigotry they faced in this country. Of course, Christmas didnt escape unscathed.

This was the year you could easily have succumbed to the hate and begun to believe that all this misplaced present-day rage was the fault of the Mughals. That the majority community was the real victim. That minorities were finally being shown their place.

Or, if you were like me, you emerged from the flames charred by the antics of your countrymen yet more resolute, soldered by love that you instinctively understood was not yours to hoard but to spread. It was the year I began using the red heart emoji I had always dissed and chatting warmly with strangers on social media. I saw hope in every gesture of love, however small. I revisited and romanticized the ideal of national integration.

So heres to the Kerala village that defied the local mosques call to ostracize Kunnummal Yusufs family because his daughter Jaseela married a Christian. Hundreds of villagers participated in their reception, according to a news report.

And cheers to the courts that did their bit. Love has no barriers, said the Kerala high court, quoting poet Maya Angelou: It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." Or the Allahabad high court that stated the obvious: Every citizen has a right to celebrate any festival peacefully. Thank you, Delhi high court, for dismissing a plea for Vande Mataram to be recognized at par with the national anthem.

Props to the gurdwara in Joshimath that opened its doors to Muslims so they could offer their Eid prayers under a roof on an especially rainy daya snapshot of everyday India that might not have even been noticed in any other year.

Heres to the citizens who marched and sang and performed, all to communicate that this hate was #NotInMyName.

Great idea, to the Mumbaikars who went carolling to protest the hate against Christmas. Tonight I will go to Church not because I am a Christian, not because I am enamoured of Christianity, but as an Indian I want to reassure My Christian sisters and brothers that I respect their freedom to practice their religion," Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, tweeted on Christmas eve.

Well done to the children who reiterated this year that we live in a country where you dont have to be Hindu to win a Bhagavad Gita recital competition.

One salaam for Rahul Gandhiwhose election to the head of the Congress party was likened to the succession of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That barb didnt faze the younger politician, who opted instead to used the word love" in his speeches more than once in recent times.

Cheers to designer Manish Arora, who used the facade of the Jindal Mansion on Mumbais Peddar Road as the canvas for an installation titled All We Need Is Love. He strung together 2,000 embroidery hoops with different fabrics from all over India. The hoops in the centre form a pink heart and the entire installation glows at night, a small reminder that, as Arora put it, its love that connects us all.

Jai ho to the father who told his rabid neighbours to vamoose, that his daughter would marry the man of her choice and not theirs. Hurrah to those who quit bigoted WhatsApp groups. Double that if they explained why they couldnt bear to be part of the group before they hit exit. Yay to those who still believe all Indians are our brothers and sisters. Encore to those who refuse to believe secular Indians have no parentage. Yoohoo to those who still believe in old-fashioned ideals such as decency and humanity. Gratitude to the celebrities who used their clout to speak up against hate. Yes, Im talking about people like Anand Mahindra, who tweeted after the Rajsamand murder: If we are to lay any claim to being a civilised society, then justice for this act must be delivered decisively and swiftly."

Most of all, a big thank you to all the Indians who chose to believe in the power of love over the politics of hate. We need more of you in the new year.

Priya Ramani shares whats making her feel angsty/agreeable.

She tweets at @priyaramani
Marcus Raskin, an author and advocate who helped shape left-leaning thought for decades as a founder of one of Washingtons most prominent liberal think tanks, the Institute for Policy Studies  and who, as a college student, gave piano lessons to composer Philip Glass  died Dec. 24 at his home in Washington, D.C. He was 83.

The cause was a heart-related ailment, said son Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the U.S. House from Maryland.

Raskin, a child prodigy on piano and a University of Chicago Law School graduate, joined President John F. Kennedys administration while still in his 20s. He went on to become the author or co-author of more than 20 books on foreign policy, civil rights, political philosophy and the national security state, a term he originated in the early 1970s to describe a military, intelligence and security network that exists with little legal supervision.

From civil rights marches to antiwar protests to the Pentagon Papers, Raskin was a persistent and ubiquitous intellectual provocateur of the left. He and his fellow founder of the Institute for Policy Studies, Richard Barnet, were on President Richard M. Nixons enemies list in the early 1970s.

What were playing for, Raskin told the Washington Post in 1986, is the spirit of the time.

Raskin was the co-editor of The Viet-Nam Reader (1965), an influential historical anthology about Vietnam that helped inspire teach-ins about the war at colleges throughout the country. In 1968, he went on trial as part of the Boston Five for conspiracy to help young men avoid the military draft during the Vietnam War.

His four co-defendants  pediatrician Benjamin Spock, Yale University chaplain William Sloane Coffin, writer Mitchell Goodman and graduate student Michael Ferber  were sentenced two years in prison by a judge who likened their actions to treason. Raskin was the only one found not guilty.

I suppose I could demand a retrial, he said afterward. (The other defendants were acquitted on appeal.)

Despite its intellectual heft, the Institute for Policy Studies was often run on a shoestring. As a matter of principle, it accepted no money from corporations or the government. It survived on grants from private foundations and individuals.

For years, the institute was housed in a shabby building near Dupont Circle, in which paint was peeling and the elevator didnt work. Senior fellows sometimes took turns running the switchboard.

Nonetheless, it was a heady environment abuzz with many of the leading liberal thinkers, writers and political figures of the day. Raskin often contributed to the Nation and the New York Times, and Barnet, who died in 2004, frequently wrote for the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. Both churned out books, often together.

Others affiliated with the institute included 1972 Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern, writer and civil rights activist Roger Wilkins, documentary filmmaker Saul Landau, writer Barbara Ehrenreich and poet Ethelbert Miller.

Raskin and the institute were sometimes under surveillance by the FBI and became favorite targets of right-wing publications and ideologues, who charged that it was part of a Soviet-inspired Marxist cabal. Yet the institute went on unabated, even after the Soviet Union disappeared.

In some ways, the IPS was so successful that it became the model for a later generation of conservative think tanks, most notably the Heritage Foundation, which was founded in 1973.

The thought occurred to me, Paul Weyrich, the Heritage Foundations first president, told The Post in 1986, that if an operation as overtly left as IPS could get by with having an impact on the Hill, then a respectable conservative institution could have an even greater impact.

In 1971, Raskin surreptitiously received a mountain of paper, some 2,000 to 5,000 pages, that turned out to be excerpts from the Pentagon Papers, a secret government publication detailing the history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

The papers came from Daniel Ellsberg, a onetime government consultant. Raskin reportedly put Ellsberg in touch with New York Times journalist Neil Sheehan, who wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of articles based on the papers.

Marcus Goodman Raskin was born April 30, 1934, in Milwaukee. His father was a plumber, his mother a seamstress.

Raskin began playing piano at 4 and by the time he was 12, he was featured on a weekly radio program. He left high school to study at the Juilliard School in New York under acclaimed teacher Rosina Lhevinne.

At 16, Raskin decided to give up music as a career.

One, theres an enormous amount of nervous tension involved  even when youre playing just for yourself, he told the Dallas Morning News in 1999. Anyone with the slightest anxiety complex ends up in trouble. The other reason is laziness.

He transferred to the University of Chicago, where Glass, a student in the same dormitory, sought him out.

I asked Marcus for help with the piano, and he became my piano teacher, Glass wrote in his 2015 memoir Words Without Music. With him I started on a real piano technique, and he was serious about my progress.

Raskin graduated in 1954 and received a law degree, also from the University of Chicago, in 1957. He studied piano in Italy for a year before moving to Washington in 1958.

He worked on Capitol Hill before joining the Kennedy administration as a deputy to national security adviser McGeorge Bundy. After the failed U.S.-sponsored invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in 1962, Raskins relations with Bundy and other officials grew more strained. Barnet shared his disillusionment, and together they launched the Institute for Policy Studies in 1963.

His first marriage, to Barbara Bellman Raskin, a novelist and journalist, ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Lynn Randels Raskin of Washington; three children from his first marriage, Erika Raskin Littlewood of Charlottesville,, Virginia Jamie Raskin of Takoma Park, Maryland, and Noah Raskin of Vienna, Virginia; a daughter from his second marriage, Eden Raskin Jenkins; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Matt Schudel is a Washington Post writer.
Wonders Will Never Cease

By Robert Irwin

Arcade. 351 pp. $25.99

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Does the adjective "centoesque" exist? If not, it should, for Robert Irwin's ingenious historical fantasy "Wonders Will Never Cease" is a contemporary novelist's version of the poetic form known as a cento. Because the Middle Ages valued tradition over originality, erudite versifiers sometimes devised poems in which every line was borrowed from some previous work of literature. While reading a cento, one savored its imaginative repurposing of bits from Horace, Virgil and any number of lesser ancients. We see the remains of this tradition in allusion-filled modern works such as T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land."

Throughout "Wonders Will Never Cease," Irwin embeds lines and episodes from dozens of poems, legends and medieval romances. Some of these are acknowledged by name, others aren't. The sources easiest to spot include the tale of the giant Bran and the Welsh king Matholwch, the legend of the Wild Hunt, the sea-voyages of St. Brendan, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," "Jack and the Beanstalk," Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur," "The Song of Roland," "The Nibelungenlied," the poetry of Dante and Francois Villon, Julian of Norwich's "Revelations of Divine Love," and, of course, "The Arabian Nights."

I say "of course" because Irwin is most widely known as the author of "The Arabian Nights: A Companion" and several other excellent books about Arabic culture. Yet Irwin is hardly a dry-as-dust antiquary, and "Wonders Will Never Cease" frequently reveals the wide range of his reading: His description of the world's end was obviously adapted from H.G. Wells's "The Time Machine," and there's even an allusion to - shades of Sherlock - "a Red-Headed League."

Irwin's novel itself is set during the 15th-century's War of the Roses - the same conflict that inspired "A Game of Thrones"- and virtually all its main characters are historical figures. If you remember your Shakespeare, you will detect in these pages the backstory for "Richard III." This is a time when "genealogy and heraldry are the only two sciences worth knowing."

The book's action focuses on Anthony Woodville and his family: His sister Elizabeth eventually weds King Edward IV. In the first chapter, this young soldier undergoes an after-death experience during which he glimpses a strangely quiet procession and an old man with a bleeding wound. Only much later does Anthony realize that he has been vouchsafed a vision of the Grail King.

He also starts to see ghosts, so he visits the Abbot of Crowland for advice. As it happens, the Abbot and his monks have been temporarily stymied in calculating how old our world is:

"It now seems that there are too many centuries to fit their estimation of the age of the earth. However, after much thought and the consultation of old chronicles, the Abbot has succeeded in conclusively demonstrating that most of the centuries between 600 Anno Domini and 900 Anno Domini have been invented by a 10th-century Chronicler working for the German Emperor Otto III. These centuries were conjured up by him so that, when the year 1000 began, Otto could be hailed as the apocalyptic Emperor of the Millennium. ... It was most suspicious how very little happens in those phantom centuries and, once they have been done away with, the Abbot's chronology works perfectly."

Anthony eventually encounters Sir John Tiptoft, discovering that "The Butcher of England" is a cultivated bibliophile whose conversation is laced with surreptitious quotation. When Tiptoft declares, "People prate about how wonderful life is, but I swear to you that reading is better," one hears an echo of Logan Pearsall Smith's famous remark, "People say that books are the thing, but I prefer reading." Recalling his time in Rome, Tiptoft - who practices sorcery - mentions one night when "I had passed barefoot friars celebrating vespers in a ruined temple and I could still hear their singing as I began my conjuration." Edward Gibbon is the source here: "It was at Rome, on the 15th of October, 1764, as I sat musing amidst the ruins of the Capitol, while the barefooted friars were singing vespers in the Temple of Jupiter, that the idea of writing the decline and fall of the city first started to my mind." When Tiptoft confesses that he is "vowed to the service of the God that has failed," readers may remember a once-celebrated collection of essays about communism, "The God That Failed."

In every way possible, Irwin blurs story and history, fantasy and reality. "Our earth," says the Abbot of Crowland, "has trapdoors that are hidden and strange things go in and out of them." There's a talking head that can predict the future, an unfunny jester name Scoggin, fearful revenants, lovers who only couple in churches, a magnificent falcon used as a messenger from the land of the dead, a Secret Library, a dragon that guards an enchanted sword, Chaucer's lost "Book of the Lion" and a Museum of Skulls. The wonders never cease.

But neither do they go on for too long. Irwin keeps the action fast-moving and even somewhat schematic, though his few details can be telling. Describing the funeral of Anthony's witchy, fairy-obsessed mother, we are told that "just outside the churchyard there seem to be small children hiding in the bushes and whispering."

Stories within stories within stories. King Edward's alchemist and spymaster - his name is Ripley, believe it or not - tirelessly spreads "fake news" about Anthony, portraying him as a hero out of chivalric romance. But, as Sir Thomas Malory tells the young man, "it is not a comfortable thing to be a creature in someone else's fictions." True enough, but as Tiptoft also reminds us, "Search how you may you will never find happy endings in life. It is only there in books." And sometimes not even there.
Hellfire Boys: The Birth of the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service and the Race for the World's Deadliest Weapons

By Theo Emery

Little, Brown. 535 pp. $29

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Here is a book that will burn your nostrils and make your throat close. Its main characters are asphyxiants and vesicants - mustard gas, chlorine and other chemicals deployed in World War I - and author Theo Emery describes in vivid, bronchial language how they sowed agony through the fields and forests of Europe, and how they afflicted soldiers, scientists and innocent bystanders on the home front. Another kind of agent is at play here, too, and it's as insidious as any poison fog: the bureaucracy that ensured that the United States, late to the war, throttled its way to chemical supremacy, damn the cost, risk and moral peril. Emery's "Hellfire Boys: The Birth of the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service and the Race for the World's Deadliest Weapons" may lack suspense, but it brims with shock and surprise.

A century has passed since the United States entered the Great War - the last surviving veteran died in 2012 - and there has been enough ensuing horror on the battlefield to bury its particulars in the collective memory. The atomic bomb, a generation later, multiplied the horror of combat by a million. Vietnam became shorthand for military folly scented with napalm and Agent Orange. Over the past few years, the regime of Bashar al-Assad has practiced the dark sorcery of sarin gas and chlorine barrel bombs, which were "the original chemical weapon of the twentieth century," as Emery calls it, first used in 1915 in Belgium.

Though squarely a crackling history, "Hellfire Boys" is also a relevant primer on the past 100 years and on a kind of total warmaking that continues to haunt us - sometimes from another hemisphere, sometimes in our own backyard.

Emery's introduction opens on Spring Valley, a leafy upper-class neighborhood abutting the campus of American University in Northwest Washington. There, in 1993, the U.S. military disinterred 144 pieces of World War I-era munitions, including unexploded mortar rounds: the remains of the government's chemical effort to fight fire with fire against the Germans. With the university's permission, the area had been used as a giant laboratory to make and test some of mankind's nastiest concoctions.

"Hellfire Boys" is a story of collaboration, of public-private partnership, of a marriage between science and industry. Many corners of the country mobilized to aid the war effort. Twenty thousand pounds of phosgene, a choking gas, were produced daily in Niagara Falls, N.Y. In Gunpowder Neck on the Chesapeake Bay, shells were filled with chemicals before being shipped across the Atlantic. Lewisite, a blistering agent, was made in Willoughby, Ohio. Helium came from Texas, cyanide from Tennessee, mustard from Rhode Island, gas masks from Long Island.

This enterprise was possible only through the bureaucratization and industrialization of pain and death. "Hellfire Boys" shows how the United States, and the world, brought scientific sophistication and mechanical efficiency to the barbarism of war. Emery toggles among appropriators in the halls of Congress, chemists on noxious proving grounds, and shivering soldiers in Flanders Fields who had to fight with and defend against new and frightening weapons. The book overflows with characters, and Emery wisely provides a dramatis personae at the start of the book. Two individuals stick out: Harold "Higgie" Higginbottom, a 21-year-old chemist and early recruit to the First Gas Regiment, and Amos A. Fries, an engineer who became chief of the Army's nascent gas forces and a cheerleader for chemical warfare.

These men, a grunt on the front lines and a savvy bureaucrat in the halls of power, embody the fascinating spectrum of this war effort, an undertold story in a nation more fluent in the heroics and horrors of World War II. Emery's reporting is vast and meticulous, and his storytelling is focused and clean. He gathered a wealth of materials, including Higginbottom's detail-rich diaries and letters, which put the reader in the muddy trenches as thousands of shells fly through the sky.

"When he reached the billet," Emery writes, Higgie "was finally able to slow down and ponder what had happened in that moment of pure silence just before he pushed down the plunger on the detonator. When the projectors roared and sent six hundred pounds of gas at the Germans, he felt he was in the war at last."

Back in Washington, Fries told Congress that chemical warfare "is the most humane" kind of combat but then lobbied on behalf of its ghastliness: "If we could make war so terrible that there would not be any chance for it to last more than five or ten minutes, then they would stop all wars." Emery, in a rare but judicious editorial aside, notes the absurdity and "convoluted logic" of a man beholden to industry above humanity.

Chemists helped to make war terrible in new ways, but these ways were not terrible enough to stop it. "Hellfire Boys" is the story of a Rubicon crossed, a Pandora's box opened. The United States, goaded by its foes, flouted conscience and the conventions of war to ensure victory and achieve peace. This Faustian bargain, Emery writes, was prologue to the next world war; the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service was a dry run for the Manhattan Project 15 years later, when physicists took the baton on innovating weaponry. In a world where whole towns had already been poisoned by "the devil's perfume," the notion of incinerating a city seemed like just another scientific pursuit, just another do-or-die tactic for securing victory and achieving a more complicated and precarious peace.
The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France's Most Daring Anti-Nazi Commando

By Paul Kix

Harper. 286 pp. $27.99

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Robert de La Rochefoucauld had a lot to lose when he enlisted as a clandestine operative for a brand-new British spy outfit during World War II. The man could trace his family's history to the year 900. One ancestor served as a duke in Louis XVI's court; his claim to fame was waking up the king during the storming of the Bastille in 1789. Another wrote a book of maxims that influenced Nietzsche and Voltaire. A third, a friend of Benjamin Franklin, helped lead the movement to abolish slavery in France. Others earned renown battling in the Crusades or the Hundred Years' War. Naturally, La Rochefoucauld grew up in a 47-room chateau about 90 minutes northeast of Paris, a place his ancestors had purchased from the daughter of one of Napolean's generals.

But when the Nazis invaded France in 1940, the then-16-year-old wondered how he would contribute to the La Rochefoucauld legacy. How would he live up to his family's history - and yet not allow his patrician upbringing to lull him into contentment as the nation his family helped influence convulsed under Hitler's occupation?

Paul Kix, an editor at ESPN magazine, answers those questions with his thrilling book, "The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France's Most Daring Anti-Nazi Commando," a narrative reconstruction of La Rochefoucauld's life as an operative with the Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.), a British outfit that aided the French resistance.

The book is gripping for two reasons. La Rochefoucauld cut an extraordinarily plucky path in Nazi-occupied France, parachuting into danger zones, planting explosives at Nazi factories and other facilities, getting arrested, nearly getting executed, once dressing as a nun to disguise himself, getting arrested again, and yes, killing Nazis. When you turn the pages of "The Saboteur," you can't help but be astonished by this man's fortune and derring-do. La Rochefoucauld, who briefly met Adolf Hitler while attending boarding school in Germany and then later Charles De Gaulle as an aspiring commando, is ready-made for an espionage movie treatment. (Deadline Hollywood reported in 2013 that DreamWorks acquired Kix's proposal for the book when it was called "Noble Assassin.")

Thankfully, La Rochefoucauld earned a biographer worthy of his improbable life. Even though we know from the book's prologue that the French aristocrat winds up living a long life, Kix builds narrative tension with masterfully detailed scenes and cliffhanger endings for each chapter.

Kix is also a gifted reporter. His main character passed away five years ago at the age of 88 - on, of all days, May 8, V-E Day - but Kix persuaded his relatives to talk. More important, according to the book's epilogue and "Notes" section, Kix availed himself of hours of interviews La Rochefoucauld had given to an audio-recording service, plus the man's 2002 memoir. He also combed the records of the French military and certain resistance groups - sometimes finding errors in La Rochefoucauld's own book - and traveled extensively throughout France so he could re-create with accuracy the harrowing, often ludicrous acts of the saboteur's life.

The book excels most during its immersive moments. One of the very best sequences happens midway through the book, in the summer of 1943, when La Rochefoucauld, by now having trained in Britain as an S.O.E. operative, makes his first mission into Nazi France to help the resistance. But as the Nazis crack down, the movement weakens, and by the latter portion of the year, La Rochefoucauld retreats and hides in a barn in a town in central France before the Nazis find and arrest him.

But it's here where Kix's lack of an interview with La Rochefoucauld hurts his ability to tell the story as well as possible. In prison, the saboteur is routinely interrogated and presumably tortured. But La Rochefoucauld hardly spoke about those moments in his memoir, to his relatives or in the audio interviews. "It is likely a reflection of La Rochefoucauld's upbringing, and his parents' dictum to never cry, complain, or even discuss one's suffering, that Robert said little of what happened in those sessions," Kix writes.

To Kix's credit, he does describe some of the Nazis' more gruesome tactics used on other prisoners - slashing the soles of their feet and forcing them to walk on salt, or soaking pieces of wool in gasoline, sticking them between a prisoner's fingers or toes, and setting the fabric on fire. But hearing La Rochefoucauld's recollections of the brutalities he personally faced under arrest would have given us a truer sense of the odds he overcame to escape imprisonment and survive the war - let alone become one of its heroes who lived into his 80s.

Of course, this omission is no fault of Kix's. But the more intriguing his book became - thanks to his graceful writing and the adrenaline-pulsing plot - the more these omissions felt noticeable. I kept wondering: La Rochefoucauld died only five years ago. Had Kix just missed him? Or did he start the project while the saboteur was still alive, but perhaps not well enough or simply resistant to the inquiries of a journalist? It would have been intriguing to hear Kix discuss the backstory.

His distancing is admirable, but I kept longing for unintrusive paragraphs and sentences that would have shed light on his mission to excavate and make sense of his discoveries or dead-ends.

For instance, although the meat of the book mostly tracks the early 1940s, the prologue and epilogue focus on La Rochefoucauld's controversial and seemingly unlikely testimony in February 1998 on behalf of Maurice Papon, a Vichy official facing charges of deporting French Jews to concentration camps. He advocated for Papon because he had known decades earlier that Papon tipped off many resistance fighters in advance of German raids. La Rochefoucauld felt a bond with him. But how exactly did Papon's defense team recruit the famous saboteur, who by this point had been awarded France's Legion of Honor? Kix says his family was "furious" with his testimony, and I wish we could have heard their voices to explain why.

These questions, though, surface for only one reason: "The Saboteur" is completely engrossing and elegantly told, which means any reader of this work will inevitably want more and more.
Most charities are bracing for a significant decrease in giving next year because of the new tax law. Some experts estimate people will drop their giving by $13 billion to $20 billion in 2018 because charitable giving will no longer be tax-deductible for roughly 30 million households.

Under the new law, the standard deduction will nearly double from $12,700 to $24,000 for married couples filing jointly and from $6,350 for individual filers to $12,000. That will simplify tax season for the 30 million taxpayers who won't have to track down all their giving for the year when they itemize their deductions at tax time. However, they will also no longer get any extra tax benefit for their charitable gifts. That's why experts and charities expect a slowdown in giving. Many people will keep contributing to the organizations that are important to them, but without a tax incentive, they are expected to give less overall.

So here are some ideas on how to make your giving go further, despite the tax law's decreased incentives.

1. Give for next year today

If you give before the end of the year, you can do next year's giving now and still get a deduction. If you've been considering giving something extra, now's the time. Postmark your check by Dec. 30 (Dec. 31 is a Sunday) and you will be able to claim that deduction when you file your 2017 taxes.

2. Bundle your giving

A popular giving vehicle among affluent Americans is to give to a donor-advised fund. This is a charitable account that you can give to now while directing the money toward a charity later. In the meantime, the money sits in the account. By bunching two or three years' worth of giving into one year - enough to give more than the standard deduction - that money can be paid out to your favorite charities every year in the same way you always gave it. You will just get the tax benefit when you first transfer the money into the donor-advised fund.

Most charities will help donors open such accounts, and they're also available at financial institutions such as Fidelity, Charles Schwab and others. Some religiously based organizations provide donor-advised funds along with assistance to make them convenient and easy to use.

3. Give noncash gifts

Donor-advised funds also make it easy to give gifts of appreciated stock, property or other assets. With stock gifts, you can claim the full value of the stock as a gift. Giving assets that have appreciated significantly not only saves from paying taxes on the appreciated amount but allows you to "bundle" your gifts in another way.

4. Give some or all of your tax savings

The tax law gives as well as it takes away. While many taxpayers lose the tax benefit of their charitable deduction, most people will also pay less in taxes. Consider giving some or all of the savings to your favorite charities.

5. Give to charity with no strings attached

Many people give to a campaign or specific cause within a charity. Humanitarian organizations ask for gifts for goats or clean water, or to a specific disaster, such as a hurricane. Local charities might ask for a gift to a new building or to help the homeless in winter.

Specific appeals help many of us open our wallets a little wider. But giving attached to a specific cause can also limit your gift. A charity must have the money to feed the homeless, but it also needs the funds to pay the accountant. If the tax law really creates a $13 billion decline in giving, many charities are going to need all the financial flexibility they can get to survive.

So give a little extra for a goat or the local food drive. But in your giving, don't say what it's for, and trust the charity to know how best to help the people it serves.

- - -

Moll is an author and Christianity Today editor at large.
A few months after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a group of American investors and Russian scientists struck a deal to begin marketing one of the crown jewels of Moscow's strategic arsenal: an entire family of missiles designed for launch from submarines.

Up for sale were powerful missiles called "Calm" and "Ripple," built to lob heavy warheads into space from a barge or a submarine tube, and a new model called "Surf" that could be rolled off the side of a ship and fired straight out of the water. The idea of the joint venture, as one of its U.S. partners wrote in early 1993, was to link American satellite companies to a top Russian weapons laboratory to "convert potentially threatening submarine missiles into peaceful space boosters."

The Americans quickly ran aground on a series of legal and bureaucratic barriers, but the Russians forged ahead with a new partner willing to pay cash for Soviet military technology: North Korea. More than two decades later, some of the Soviet designs are reappearing, one after another, in surprisingly sophisticated missiles that have turned up on North Korean launchpads over the past two years. Now, newly uncovered documents offer fresh clues about the possible origins of those technical advances, some of which seemed to outside observers to have come from nowhere.

"The question that has long been raised is: Did North Korea get this technology from a [Russian] fire sale?" asked David Wright, a missiles expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Did they get plans years ago and are just now at the point where they can build these things?"

North Korea is known to have relied on Russian parts and designs for its older missiles, including the Scud derivatives that had dominated its stockpile since the 1980s. The newly uncovered documents include technical drawings for much more advanced missiles - designs that include features seen in some of the newest missiles in North Korea's expanding arsenal.

The documents from the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau include marketing brochures for an array of top-of-the-line Soviet missiles that were able to deliver nuclear warheads to U.S. cities. Initially designed for the Soviet navy's nuclear submarines, some of the models offered for sale could be launched from a large boat, a submerged barge, or a capsule dropped into the ocean, negating the need for a modern submarine fleet.

"The missile could be floated and ignited without any need for a launch platform," recalled Kyle Gillman, the former executive vice president for the U.S.-Russian joint venture known as Sea Launch Investors. Gillman, who negotiated the business agreement with Russia's Makeyev scientists, reviewed and authenticated the documents obtained by The Washington Post.

The evidence that the designs eventually ended up in North Korea is partly circumstantial. In the summer of 1993, with the U.S.-Russian project flagging, more than a 60 Russian missile scientists and family members from the Makeyev facility were arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport as they prepared to travel to Pyongyang to work as consultants. U.S., Russian and South Korean intelligence officials later concluded that some of the scientists eventually succeeded in traveling to North Korea to offer blueprints and technical advice for the country's missiles program.

But U.S. analysts see more persuasive evidence in the actual missiles that North Korea has put on display over the past two years. In the most striking case, the Hwasong-10, or Musudan, a single-stage missile successfully tested by North Korea in June 2016, appears to use the same engine and many design features as the Soviet Union's R-27 Zyb, a submarine-launched ballistic missile designed by Makeyev scientists and advertised in one of the brochures obtained by The Post.

The fact that it has taken Pyongyang so long to exploit the Russian designs is perplexing, but North Korea had long lacked the sophisticated materials, engineering expertise and computer-driven machine tools for the kinds of advanced missiles it has recently tested, weapons experts say. With an industrial base enhanced by years of slow, patient acquisition efforts, North Korea is only now in a position to capitalize on technology it had been sitting on for years or even decades, analysts say.

"North Korea was just recently able to acquire machine tools that were state-of-the-art in the 1990s, meaning they are still damn good machine tools," Wright said. "Once you have the plans, and are able to get your hands on the materials and the right kinds of tools, you have a real leg up."

The U.S. founders of Sea Launch Investors saw their joint project with the Russians as the profitable answer to two pressing global concerns, company documents show.

One was a shortage of launch capacity for a new generation of satellites servicing the rapidly expanding global telecommunications industry. The other was the problem of newly idle weapons scientists working in labs and factories across the former Soviet Union. The abrupt halt to the Cold War in 1991 had upended the careers of the thousands of physicists, chemists, microbiologists and engineers who built the Red Army's vast stockpile of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, along with the missiles for delivering them. Once among the elites of Soviet society, these highly skilled scientists now faced an uncertain future with little meaningful work and a plummeting standard of living.

The United States would ultimately commit billions of dollars to help secure or dismantle Soviet weapons stockpiles and repurpose former weapons laboratories. Yet, in the early 1990s, U.S. officials remained gravely worried about the possible leakage of Soviet weapons secrets, and perhaps of the weapons themselves.

The Americans who founded Sea Launch Investors in 1992 believed that their project could help prevent the poaching of Russian weapons experts by terrorists and rogue states, at least from the community of rocket scientists at the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau, the premier Soviet manufacturer of submarine-launched ballistic missiles headquartered in Miass, a small city in Russia's southern Ural mountains.

"We not only help the Russians to pay their bills and stabilize their country by showing them how the free enterprise system works," John Draim, a Navy pilot and engineer, wrote in the company's business plan in 1993, "but we also help those Americans who are looking for an economical way to get satellites into orbit."

In May of that year, a Protocol of Intent agreement was signed by retired Adm. Thomas Moorer, a former Joint Chiefs chairman and head of the American team, and retired Russian Adm. Fyodor Novoselov, a former deputy fleet commander for shipbuilding and armaments. The joint venture acquired exclusive rights to Makeyev's inventory of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and then developed marketing materials that showcased a line of products that could be converted for use in commercial ventures. These included a missile known as the R-27 Zyb - "ripple," in Russian - the squat, blunt-nosed workhorse of the Soviet Union's Yankee-1 Class submarine fleet, along with larger, more powerful missiles such as the 50-foot-tall R-29 Shtil ("calm," in Russian") and the newer, solid-fueled R-39 "Rif." The latter two were true intercontinental ballistic missiles with a range of more than 5,000 miles.

But the marquee item was the Priboi, or "Surf," a hybrid model that the investors planned to create by combining parts of the Shtil and Rif into two-stage spacecraft designed to put small satellites into orbit. The Surf's most extraordinary feature was that it could be fired into space without a submarine or conventional launchpad. Using techniques that both the United States and Russia had developed experimentally in the 1960s and '70s, the missile could be launched from a floating tube, virtually anywhere in the world. Here, Russian missiles had a distinct advantage, as their lower specific gravity allowed them to float vertically, like an ocean buoy. Moreover, the engines for Soviet submarine missiles were specifically designed to ignite while their nozzles were still in the water.

Backers of the plan envisioned a day when Russia's missiles could launch commercial satellites into space quickly and cheaply, using a nearly infinite number of launch sites across the world's oceans.

"Erection in the water, even for the largest rockets, will take less than a minute," Draim wrote in the 1993 business plan. Telecommunications companies would save millions of dollars, he wrote, while eliminating a real threat to U.S. national security.

As the months passed, Makeyev's managers became increasingly frustrated as their American partners ran into a series of obstacles, including reservations about whether the joint venture was permissible under U.S.-Russian arms-control agreements. In April 1993, then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Colin Powell informed Sea Launch Investors that the project could not proceed without a government review and a formal waiver of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. No waiver was granted, and by the spring of 1995, it was clear that the company was a dead end.

"The present ground rules . . . practically put us out of business," Moorer complained in a memo on April 26 of that year.

By then, some of the Makeyev drawings and blueprints had apparently gone out the door. The Russian scientists arrested at the Moscow airport in August 1993 acknowledged to investigators that they had been recruited as a group to assist North Korea in building rockets, ostensibly as space boosters for satellites. In "The Dead Hand," David E. Hoffman's Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the last years of the Cold War, a Russian security official describes how the North Koreans systematically chose experts from across Makeyev's entire production line, from fuels specialists to engineers who designed the nose cone and payload chamber. The salary offer, $1,200 a month, was 200 times as much as some of the scientists were earning at home.

"This was the first case when we noticed the North Korean attempts to steal missile technology," the security official is quoted as saying.

Other attempts would follow. U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials have confirmed that Makeyev scientists eventually did land jobs as consultants for the North Koreans, and technical drawings were passed to Pyongyang, either directly or through intermediaries.

Some of Makeyev's missile secrets appear to have left Russia before the joint-venture effort officially disbanded. Still, years later, the company's former vice president remains convinced that most, if not all, could have been kept locked away if Western governments had acted quickly.

"We just needed to be creative, and try and win the peace," Gillman said. "But our government and military and intelligence agencies were short-sighted."

On June 22, 2016, North Korea successfully tested a mysterious new missile that differed dramatically from anything in Pyongyang's known arsenal. The 36-foot-tall missile had a squat, snub-nosed frame and used a liquid propellent more powerful than the kerosene-based fuels the North Koreans had used in the past, potentially allowing it to fly farther, with heavier payloads.

The missile was dubbed the Hwasong-10, or Musudan. But experts noted striking similarities to the R-27 Zyb or "ripple" manufactured by the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau in Miass. Two months later, on Aug. 24, 2016, North Korea successfully tested the Pukguksong-1, a submarine-launched missile that also incorporates some of the same features as the Zyb. Both models are "generally regarded as derived from the designs of the Makeyev Bureau's R-27," said Joshua Pollack, an analyst at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at Monterey, California.

Those two tests were followed in recent months by even greater technological leaps, culminating in the successful tests this year of North Korea's first true intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of reaching every city in the continental United States. There have been no further tests of the Musudan, but satellite images released this month show that North Korea is building floating barges thought to be intended for tests of new submarine-launched missiles. The construction is occurring in two different ports on opposite sides of the country.

U.S. analysts also believe that North Korea is working on an improved version of the Pukguksong.

"I have to assume that Makeyev pitched part, if not all, of these concepts and proposals to other interested investors, including the North Koreans," said Michael Elleman, a former missiles scientist and a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank.

While there is "solid evidence" that North Korea acquired blueprints for the R-27 Zyb, there is no proof so far that Pyongyang is building a clone of the R-29 Shtil, with its more powerful engine and 5,000-mile range. But Elleman cautioned: "It may be there, and appear in the future."

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The Washington Post's Anne Gearan contributed to this report.

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Video: Russia helped North Korea advance its missile program. Here are the Russian brochures selling their missile technology. (Jason Aldag, Joby Warrick/The Washington Post)

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Video: Documents and brochures obtained by The Washington post show how Russian scientists marketed their technology after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some of the designs look very similar to new North Korean missiles.(Jason Aldag, Joby Warrick/The Washington Post)

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MEXICO CITY - Amid the roar of condemnation over the Trump administration's stance on Jerusalem, there were bleats of support from far-flung corners of the world.

In the vote at the United Nations last week on whether to condemn the decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Micronesia sided with the United States along with an archipelago of geopolitically obscure outposts: the Marshall Islands, Togo, Nauru, Palau. And then there was a pair of allies closer to home - Guatemala and Honduras, the only two countries in Latin America to support the U.S. move.

Guatemala followed up its U.N. vote by announcing this week that it would follow Trump's lead and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a decision that has caused a backlash in the region and beyond. Jordan's foreign minister described it as an "absurd provocation." Bolivian President Evo Morales, a veteran critic of the United States, wrote Monday on Twitter that Guatemala had "sold its dignity to the empire to not lose the crumbs from USAID."

After the vote on Jerusalem, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, invited those countries who didn't condemn Washington to come to a reception to thank them for their "friendship to the United States."

Guatemala and Honduras have a lot to lose by upsetting the Trump administration, as the crackdown on illegal immigration has raised the prospect of more deportations, and regional trade and foreign aid have been called into question. But analysts see their actions last week as more than just attempts to curry favor with Washington. Both countries have long-standing ties to Israel and are facing domestic challenges that are helped by aligning with conservatives in the United States and Israel.

Guatemalan President James Morales, a former television comedian and an evangelical Christian, relies on the support of his country's influential evangelical community, which has consistently advocated for Israel's right to have Jerusalem as its capital, considering it a biblical issue as much as a political one.

As the Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently noted, Morales's first visit outside the Americas as president, in 2016, was to Israel, where he received an honorary doctorate and the two countries signed agreements on agriculture and science. In addition, Israel gave military aid to the government for its fight against leftist guerrillas during Guatemala's civil war in the 1980s. Conservative members of the Guatemalan military remain key supporters of Morales.

"He's trying to please his political base," said Fernando Carrera, a former Guatemalan foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations. "He's also trying to close the gap of confidence with the United States."

That gap widened over the summer when Morales tussled with a U.S.-backed anti-corruption group. Morales's attempt to expel Ivan Velasquez, the head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (known by its initials in Spanish, CICIG), who was investigating campaign finance issues, caused an international uproar. After that, Carrera said, Morales was "not considered that credible and trustworthy in Washington."

"He's trying to strengthen his position," Carrera added. "He wants to push for an agenda that seems to be very much in line with the most conservative geopolitical analysts in the world."

On Tuesday, Guatemala's foreign minister, Sandra Jovel, defended the decision to move the embassy and called it "a foreign policy decision, therefore sovereign."

"What we are doing is being coherent with our foreign policy and the ally we have been for Israel," she said.

The president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, is also in a politically precarious position and could use the Trump administration's help. Protests have roiled Honduras for the past month after a disputed election. The State Department recognized Hernandez as the winner over challenger Salvador Nasralla, despite calls by the Organization of American States for a revote.

The Trump administration is still considering whether to deport some 57,000 Hondurans living with temporary immigration status in the United States. Honduras has also received military aid from Israel that has worried its neighbors and raised human rights concerns.

Many expect that Honduras could also announce its intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem. One Latin American diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said there is a "strong possibility of Honduras being next."

For the embattled leaders of Honduras and Guatemala, siding with the Trump administration seems their safest bet.

"It speaks to the isolation of these countries and their need to find friends," said David Holiday, a Central America expert at the Open Society Foundations. "Any chance they can get to earn Brownie points, they're going to do that."
BAGHDAD - The two Turkish men shuffled into the courtroom, their closely cropped hair, clean shaven faces and chubby waistlines hardly the look of fearsome fighters of the Islamic State.

Appearing in court for the first time since being arrested in August on charges of belonging to that group, they professed their innocence, telling the judge they were simply plumbers who migrated to Iraq from Turkey looking for work.

After an 18-minute trial, they were sentenced to death by hanging.

The men are among hundreds of foreigners detained in Iraq on terrorism charges after the toppling of the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate. The defendants - men, women and children hailing from Asia, Europe and Africa - are coursing their way through Iraq's criminal justice system, receiving harsh sentences in rapid-fire trials.

The trials and capital sentences are presenting foreign governments with a moral and political dilemma. Do they object to the Iraqi trials and claim their citizens, who could threaten their home countries and radicalize others if repatriated? Or should Iraqi courts be allowed to determine the defendants' fate in trials that human rights groups and the United Nations say are deeply flawed?

The issue has taken on a new urgency as major combat against the Islamic State ended this month. Iraq has fast-tracked executions under the year-old orders of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, aiming to "give comfort to the families" of Islamic State's victims.

Iraq's justice ministry has disclosed 194 terrorism-related executions since 2016, including at least 27 foreigners from other Arab countries, according to a review of ministry news releases.

Last week, the ministry said it had executed another 38 prisoners on terrorism-related charges, but it did not specify their nationalities, prompting a rebuke by the United Nations human rights office. At least one of those executed had Swedish citizenship, researchers into human rights and terrorism said.

Up to 6,000 more are on death row and their nationalities have not been disclosed, according to the United Nations. Many more suspected militants are in custody, including at least four Europeans.

European countries have given little indication that they want to claim their citizens.

In a statement, Turkey's foreign ministry said it is aware of their citizens being detained in Iraq for allegedly joining the Islamic State. "We are in touch with the Iraqi authorities in terms of finding out their whereabouts and ensuring their repatriation," the statement said.

The United Nations said last month that Iraq does not have jurisdiction to try Islamic State atrocities and that Iraqi investigators, prosecutors and judges do not have the capability to ensure due process. It urged Iraq to turn to the International Criminal Court for such cases, especially ones dealing with the attempted genocide of minority groups like the Yazidis whose reintegration into Iraqi society largely depends on the accurate prosecution of crimes committed against them.

Iraq's massive dragnet is ensnaring scores of innocent people, while rushed investigations and trials are failing to distinguish between Iraqis who embraced the Islamic State and others who cooperated with the group out of fear or coercion, human rights groups and the United Nations said.

The lack of due process could imperil national reconciliation by enshrining a cycle of revenge in Iraq's courts, these groups said. This dynamic raises the possibility of continued sectarian conflict between Shiites that dominate the government and legal system and Sunnis who account for nearly all those accused of terrorism.

But Abdulsattar Bayraqdar, a senior Iraqi federal judge, bristled at the criticism, saying his country's judges and lawyers have sacrificed their lives to guarantee fair trials and hold terrorists accountable. He said since 2003, at least 60 judges and more than 160 investigators and court employees have been killed in terrorist attacks stemming from their work.

As for foreigners affiliated with the Islamic State, Bayraqdar said crimes committed by extremists on Iraq's soil must be prosecuted in Iraq, and it is under no legal obligation to hand over suspects or convicts to other countries.

"But those who are acquitted are being handed over to their countries," he said.

- - -

The single courtroom where terrorism trials are heard is spartan. An imposing wooden cage sits in the middle of the room. From behind the bars, defendants face a panel of three judges on a high bench. Behind the cage are three rows of benches, typically occupied by lawyers. Defendants' families are not allowed in the room.

The walls are bare, except for a small banner above the judge's heads imprinted with a partial Koranic verse: "When you judge between people, judge with justice."

Last week, after court clerks finally located a Turkish language interpreter, the Turkish defendants were brought in wearing faded brown jumpsuits.

The lead judge, Suhail Abdullah, eyed their charge sheet, confirming their identities: Ramadan Hassan, 24, and Talat Yakout, 40. The judge advised them they were charged under Iraq's anti-terrorism law with joining the Islamic State and said they would be provided a lawyer at the expense of the state.

A lawyer from the audience stood up and accepted papers from the bailiff, hurriedly reviewing them as Abdullah recounted how the men had been taken into custody.

They had been arrested by soldiers while trying to flee Tal Afar, a western city near the border with Syria. They allegedly tried to blend in with hundreds of families fleeing the city as Iraqi forces stormed it to evict Islamic State militants.

Next, reading from what he said was their confession to investigators, the judge described Hassan and Yakout as small-time operatives for the Islamic State when they entered Iraq illegally in February 2014. He said they had admitted to coming to Iraq to fight.

The defendants, whispering to their interpreter, denied the charge. They said they had come to Iraq to make money. They argued they had never engaged in combat for the militant group.

"But that's your testimony, right here," the judge shot back.

"I said that after being tortured," Hassan said. "I came to Tal Afar to only work as a plumber."

"Welcome, welcome," Abdullah said sarcastically. "You expect me to believe you came to Tal Afar while it was occupied by Islamic State to work as a plumber?"

Yakout offered a similar defense, pointing to their surrender to the Iraqi army as evidence of their innocence.

"Of course you surrendered, because time had run out," the judge said.

Their lawyer, given the opportunity to speak, simply asked the court to acquit them saying there was no evidence except their confessions that were extracted through torture.

Hassan and Yakout were taken away to await the verdict.

- - -

Iraq's anti-terrorism law gives judges wide berth in deciding cases. Prosecutors must show that a defendant joined or supported a terrorist group but are not required to prove a specific charge of murder.

In a report released earlier this month, Human Rights Watch said prosecutors and judges were doing little to distinguish between fighters and others who did menial jobs for the Islamic State, like cooks.

But Bayraqdar, the senior judge, defended the legal process, saying every member of the militant group contributed to a cohesive unit that terrorized Iraqi citizens. He added that a terrorism trial is not a simple formality. In November, he said, trials resulted in 449 convictions and 1,490 acquittals.

In the hallways outside the courtroom, lawyers wearing black robes with emerald green trim busily roam the halls, quizzing prison guards and bailiffs on the whereabouts of their clients.

The defense lawyers say they never know whether they will get access to their clients or when they will appear. Defendants are often brought to court without notification. The lawyers complain that they aren't present when their clients are interrogated, and the suspects are often tortured into making false confessions. Court files often disappear, only to be found after a defendant has been convicted.

"With any civilian case, I can do what I want, defend them in the way they should be," said Nazhan Taha, a private attorney in Baghdad. "But with terrorism cases, I'm limited."

And the pressures that defense lawyers face is most extreme in cases involving detainees who were allegedly involved with the Islamic State in Mosul, which was liberated after an especially deadly nine-month fight.

"You will be questioned, arrested or killed for taking one of their cases," Taha said.

Cigarette smoke lingers in the hallways of the court, with smokes being passed around among prison guards, lawyers and even the defendants held in two cages at the end of the corridor.

The guards and bailiffs allow the detainees' families to briefly exchange furtive and tearful kisses with the defendants between the yellow prison bars. But they're gruff with the defendants themselves.

One bailiff shared that he had lost his brother, a police major, in the fight to reclaim Mosul.

"And now I look after the ones who killed him," he said, pointing to his eyes, an Arabic expression of duty and selflessness.

- - -

While the two Turks waited to learn their fate, the panel of judges heard nine more cases involving a variety of alleged crimes.

Among the defendants were two Turkish sisters, Raja and Najla Tahseen, aged 32 and 27, whose husbands were accused of being been minor administrative officials for the Islamic State in Tal Afar.

The women were briefly questioned by the judge and claimed to be housekeepers whose husbands eventually quit the militant group. The woman appeared nervous and confused. Their court-appointed lawyer asked the judge to show "mercy, because they are women."

A few minutes later, the judge barked "decisions!" All the defendants were herded back into the room.

He called the Tahseen sisters forward and sentenced them to life in prison.

Then he called Hassan and Yakout.

"I condemn you to hang until death," the judge said, not lifting his eyes from the papers in front of him.
The Los Zetas cartel has taken over certain Mexican prisons for their own use, according to a report detailed by InSight Crime.

A prison in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, which sits across the Texas-Mexico border near Eagle Pass, is controlled by Zetas inmates, according to the report.
Mug shots are public records available from law enforcement agencies across the country almost immediately after a suspect is booked into jail. In recent years, they have given rise to a troubling cottage industry.

There are multiple online companies whose business involves collecting and posting these types of public records. The companies are making money by charging the individuals whose photos they post hundreds of dollars to remove the mug shots from their websites.

Texas is one of 17 states with laws prohibiting companies charging to have mug shots removed, the Houston Chronicle reports. But this hasnt stemmed the practice.

RELATED: Before, after mugshots show effects of alleged meth use over time

Florida is the latest state to join the fray. Earlier this year, that states legislature passed a law with the primary intent of helping people who have had their criminal records legally expunged.

The law, which goes into effect in July, imposes fines of up to $1,000 a day on websites that do not remove mug shots of a person requesting the photo be removed. The law applies only to websites that charge to remove mug shots and is not limited to those with expunged records. There is no specific legal outcome in a case for the law to apply.

Seeking an expungement is no minor matter. It requires a defendant to petition a court and provide justification for having an arrest or criminal conviction sealed or erased.

This type of action is generally sought where there is no final conviction or the offense occurred at a young age. Once an expungement has been granted, it is illegal for the court to release any information about the case and it does not show up in a background check.

While a defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty, information about an arrest, the defendants name, age, offense, location of offense and mug shot are  and should be  public records.

READ MORE: A shocking overdose photo exposed her addiction  and may have saved her life

Its in the publics best interest that arrest records always remain public to maintain transparency in law enforcement.

But private companies should not be charging individuals to have their mug shot removed from their websites. If they are going to allow anyone the option of having their photo removed from site, it should be universal and available at no cost.

Doing otherwise creates an unfair advantage for those with economic means.
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The Warriors unveiled their new Chinese Heritage alternate uniforms Wednesday morning.

The Chinese Heritage uniforms are a nod to the Bay Areas strong ties to Chinese-American history. Three of the top five Asian populations in the U.S. are Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose, and Golden State has emerged as Chinas favorite team.

The Chinese characters for prosperity are on the waistline of the shorts, with the chest logo combining the Golden Gate Bridge and traditional Chinese symbolism. The Bay appears over the chest logo.

We worked closely with Nike on what could be a cool, more edgy reflection of Chinese culture in the Bay Area, said Chip Bowers, Golden States chief marketing officer. Nike and us went through a lot of the imagery and iconic images around Chinatown, going back to the gold-rush era.

The Warriors will wear their new Chinese Heritage uniforms in the following games:

 Thursday, Jan. 25 vs. Minnesota

 Saturday, Feb. 24 vs. Oklahoma City

 Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Washington

 Thursday, March 8 vs. San Antonio

 Saturday, March 17 at Phoenix

 Monday, March 19 at San Antonio

 Thursday, March 29 vs. Milwaukee

 Saturday, March 31 at Sacramento

 Tuesday, April 3 at Oklahoma City

This will be the fifth Warriors uniform this season, following the Statement Edition The Town uniforms honoring the city of Oakland, the Classic Edition uniforms that are a nod to the teams uniforms from the mid-1980s, and Golden States usual white and blue uniforms.

We look at these Bay jerseys as a way to continue that Chinese Heritage tradition, but we also took a step recently and asked ourselves what the Bays position could mean to us, Bowers said. How do we make sure were celebrating the cultures throughout the Bay Area? Weve got The City now, and weve got The Town. As we think about the Bay, we wanted to think about, What are the cultures more holistically that are embedded in the Bay Area?  For us this year, its Chinese Heritage.

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Con_Chron
1 Yemen conflict: The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen says Saudi-led coalition air strikes have killed 109 civilians over the past 10 days. Jamie McGoldrick said Thursday that those killed include at least 54 in air strikes on a market in the western province of Taiz, and 14 people from the same family in an air strike on a farm in Hodeida province. The coalition, backing an internationally recognized government, has been at war with Iran-allied Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, since March 2015. The stalemated war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced 3 million, damaged critical infrastructure and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

2 Zimbabwe swearing-in: A former general who led the ouster of Zimbabwes founding leader has been sworn in as vice president. The appointment of Constantino Chiwenga had been widely anticipated amid concerns about the militarys influence on new President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The military stepped in last month and forced the departure of Robert Mugabe as Zimbabweans feared his unpopular wife was preparing to succeed him. Mnangagwa has spelled out benefits for Mugabe, including government-funded accommodation, office space and personnel, a luxury Mercedes-Benz vehicle, security details, and first-class air travel abroad at least four times a year.
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COLLINSVILLE-With the Virginia State Police moving state inspection stickers to the left corner of the windshield, Henry County currently is figuring out the best new location for its recently introduced convenience center access stickers.

According to a Dec. 7 article from the Associated Press, the Virginia State Police recently announced that beginning Jan. 1, when Virginia motorists go to replace their expired state inspection sticker, the sticker will now be affixed on the bottom left-hand (drivers side) corner of the windshield rather than at the bottom center of the windshield.

The article adds that this will being the sticker placement more in line with other states, and that it was a necessary change because many new vehicles are equipped with crash-avoidance technology that utilizes the lower center of the windshield. Stickers that block that technology could prevent it from working.

According to Henry County Administrator Tim Hall, this presents a challenge to the county, since the convenience center access stickers that the county rolled out in late September currently are placed in the exact spot where the state inspection stickers will soon be located.

According to previous Martinsville Bulletin reports, when the county decal was eliminated as part of the fiscal year 2017/2018 budget, county staff had to create a new method to identify county residents who stop at convenience centers to drop off trash. The solution was a small orange sticker bearing the letters HC that is placed in the lower left corner of the windshield as seen from the drivers seat.

Hall said that the county found out about the change to the state inspection sticker location just a few days before the announcement was made public, and Henry County Attorney George Lyle is currently working to identify the best new location for the county sticker.

I dont think that theres any doable spot on the front windshield from what I have seen, Hall said. Im concerned that this is  the prelude to taking everything off the front windshield, so I dont want to have to move the county sticker twice. Were studying where we can put it. Most likely, it will be on the back window somewhere. George Lyle is reviewing that and researching it for us. Hopefully hell have a determination as to a place or places that we can consider going forward.

Hall said that the county will roll out a solution to the situation sometime in January. Until that determination is made, he said, the county has asked convenience center site monitors to handle vehicle trash drop-offs on a case-by-case basis.

Our site monitors see the same folks come in all the time, so they kind of get to know them, he said. Weve left it to the discretion of the site monitors, who have done a terrific job through this whole thing.

The only vehicles the county has to be concerned with at this time, Hall said, are those with inspection stickers that expire in January. Those who have inspection stickers that expire in February 2018 through December 2018 will not have to worry about moving their inspection sticker until it expires and they receive a new one.

With the benefit of hindsight, Hall said, it is fortunate that the county chose to eliminate the old county decal when it did, since having to change the location of the decal would have been far more burdensome than having to change the location of the convenience center sticker.

I think thats going to be an issue for the localities that still have decals, Hall said. Clearly, those will have to move as well. I think we kind of stumbled into some good fortune by getting rid of those when we did and going to the vehicle license fee. I think it would be problematic now if we had to figure out where to put the county decal.

The state police is doing what it thinks is appropriate for the safety of the drivers, and were certainly supportive of that, Hall added. Well figure out a place thats appropriate for our stickers, as well.
Judas Priest has added a stop in Worcester to its "Firepower" tour.

The band will play an all-ages show at The Palladium on March 23 at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the show are priced between $179.25 and $69.25 and are on sale through massconcerts.com.

The veteran metal band will also play Mohegan Sun Arena on March 22. Those tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

Judas Priest is touring to support its latest studio release "Firepower."
The city of Boston will spend $3.8 million to renovate Historic Faneuil Hall this winter. The historic building, which has served as a meeting place for American revolutionaries and civil rights pioneers for 275 years, will undergo what the city says are much-needed upgrades.

Historic Faneuil Hall sits adjacent to the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The historic building will remain closed until spring 2018, while the mix of retail and dining at Quincy, North and South Markets will stay open. Boston National Parks now operates the hall as a visitor center, which will close to the public on Dec. 31 at 6 p.m.

While the building is under renovation in January, Ranger staff will host a pop-up Visitor Center at 15 State Street. The temporary center will offer maps, books and expert advice from the Ranger staff.

According to the city, the building is in need of repairs to meet Building Code requirements. It has been 25 years since electrical and mechanical fixes were made to the hall.

This time around, plans include making the building more handicap-accessible. A new handicap chair lift will be installed for the Great Hall stage, and an old elevator will be completely replaced. Plans also include a major renovation of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

The nearly three-century-old building's fire alarm system will also be upgraded. Faneuil Hall already experienced one devastating fire in 1761. New control panels will bring the current system up to code, according to the city.

The Faneuil Hall building was completed in 1742 as a gift from Peter Faneuil, a wealthy merchant who emigrated from France and settled in the New York Colony. Originally intended to be a market, the addition of an upper event hall became home to town government meetings and banquets.

It too became a central meeting space during the heat of the American Revolutionary Period. Faneuil Hall held "meetings of the body," or men who wanted to participate in defiant acts like the Boston Tea Party.

The whopping renovation project is estimated to cost the city a combined $3.8 million. According to the Office of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, the design contract with CSS Architects -- a firm that has worked on Faneuil Hall before -- cost $386,730, while the construction contract with J.F. White Contracting Co. cost $3,449,000.
AGAWAM -- The town's aging stormwater management system and stricter federal requirements to prevent pollutants from entering waterways are expected to lead to higher system maintenance costs for Agawam.

For years, storm system maintenance work has been funded through the town's general fund. But considering the age of the system and new permit requirements of the federal Clean Water Act, the cost of caring for the aging system is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, according to town officials.

Just how much costs will rise remains to be seen, which is why the Agawam Stormwater Advisory Task Force was recently formed. It's also why Amec Foster Wheeler, a global utility and energy consulting firm, is evaluating the town's current stormwater system.

"When you align proper care of our aging storm system with these new permit requirements, we have our work cut out for us," said Chris Golba, director of the Agawam Department of Public Works.

The expanded federal permit requirements aim to reduce the amount of polluted runoff entering rivers and streams. These requirements mandate water quality sampling within the storm system, promoting stormwater management practices that better soak up rainfall rather than catch and move water, and more frequent street sweeping and street drain cleaning, among other actions.

To prepare for the changes, Agawam officials plan to meet next month with local business owners to receive feedback, review the progress of the Stormwater Task Force, and discuss options to meet future funding needs for the town's stormwater management program.

Michelle Chase, the town's engineer, and Patty Gambarini, principal environmental planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, are among the officials who are expected to be involved in these ongoing discussions.

Chase and Golba are both members of the Stormwater Task Force, a 10-member task force responsible for figuring out how to better fund Agawam's storm system and reduce pollutants from flowing into waterways.

Since its formation this past summer, the task force -- a mix of citizens and public officials -- has attended several meetings to learn more about stormwater management in Agawam, including current and projected program costs. More information about the task force is available online at www.agawam.ma.us/SW-TaskForce.

In Agawam, the DPW maintains over 4,700 street drains -- also known as catch basins -- 122 miles of drain pipe, and over 2,300 manholes that catch and move stormwater to the town's 512 outfall pipes that lead to local waterways.

To the everyday citizen, the storm management system is largely invisible until it starts to fall apart or fail. Roughly 17 percent of the system was installed over the past 30 years, but the remainder is far older or of indeterminate age, according to town officials.

Rainfall soaks into natural ground. But when it hits a hard or impermeable surface -- such as a road, roof, driveway or parking lot -- it tends to "run off" to the nearest street drain, where it then moves through a series of pipes leading to local streams and the Westfield and Connecticut rivers.
A dangerous accident in the southbound lane of Interstate 495 in Littleton on Wednesday afternoon saw a tractor-trailer land atop a Ford Focus, badly injuring both drivers, and is under investigation by state authorities.



Massachusetts State Police say the accident occurred around 2:40 p.m. and "preliminary investigation has revealed that the Ford Focus was changing lanes and collided with the tractor-trailer."



"The tractor-trailer driver attempted to brake and avoid collision with the Ford, however, both vehicles then exited the roadway, with the trailer rolling and then coming to rest on top of the Ford," a press release on the incident states.



The driver of the Ford -- a 41-year-old resident of Salisbury -- was left trapped in his vehicle, and required extrication before authorities transported him to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.



He was being treated for "serious, life-threatening injuries," while the 52-year-old tractor-trailer driver, a resident of Gardner, also suffered serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.



The crash, said authorities, could have been worse, as the tractor-trailer, was carrying home heating oil and came to rest laying on its side.



All lanes of the highway were reopened by 5 p.m. State and town police continue to investigate the cause of the crash.






NORTHAMPTON -- A Northampton homeless man is facing a charge of assault after allegedly stabbing a man in the face and neck during a fight early Wednesday morning.

Joshua Fidalgo, 25, was arraigned in Northampton District Court on Thursday on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. He was ordered held in lieu of $1,000 cash bail.

Alfred P. Chamberland was appointed as his attorney. A pretrial hearing has been set for Jan. 11.

Fidalgo allegedly stabbed another local man during an altercation at a "homeless camp" on Texas Road near the Mill River around 2:34 a.m., according to court documents.

The camp was "known to officers" for a number of prior incidents, including an earlier episode in which a firearm had been used to threaten an individual, according to police.

The fight, which was related to an earlier incident between Fidalgo and the alleged victim, started off as a verbal altercation but quickly escalated into a physical one, police said.

The victim suffered "several cuts in various width, depth, and length" throughout his body, but was most noticeably injured in the back of the neck and side of his face, where he had "notably" deeper cuts, according to police.

Officers discovered the victim on West Street "bleeding profusely from his head, face, and hand," police said. He was taken by ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for treatment, where police questioned him about the incident.

The victim described his alleged attacker, Fidalgo, as a "crack head-looking guy" whom he wanted to "do time," police said.

Fidalgo admitted stabbing the man, police said, but said that he did it to "defend himself" because Grant also had a knife and had drawn it first. The victim admitted to having a knife on him during the fight but told police he did not use it.

Multiple residents of the camp said the alleged victim showed up on Texas Road with the explicit purpose of fighting Fidalgo. The victim told police that he had gone to the camp to "talk" to Fidalgo and "had no intention of starting a fight," police said.
SOUTH HADLEY -- Municipal officials are pushing for changes to local bylaws that would ban all commercial sales of marijuana in the community.

To take effect, the proposal would need approval at Town Meeting next month and at the annual municipal election in April.

Town officials say a commercial sales ban would not infringe on the right of residents to grow their own marijuana.

At the request of Town Administrator Michael Sullivan, the town's Director of Planning & Conservation wrote proposed changes to local zoning bylaws -- as the Selectboard wants to put the ban before voters.

The South Hadley Planning Board, which will convene a public hearing on the proposal at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 at Town Hall, 116 Main St.

"Public Hearing on Proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendment to TOTALLY BAN Commercial Recreational Marijuana," reads the board's meeting notice posted on the town website.

A special Town Meeting will convene two days later on Jan. 10 to act on the proposal.

Article 6 asks if Town Meeting "will vote to amend the South Hadley General By-laws ... banning all types of marijuana establishments ... including commercial cultivation, retails sales, testing, manufacturing, packaging, distribution or any other type of licensed cannabis/marijuana related businesses."

Should Town Meeting adopt that article, voters will be asked via ballot question during the April election whether to endorse the ban. Language for the ballot question was unanimously approved by the Selectboard at last week's meeting.

Massachusetts voters legalized recreational marijuana in the November 2016 election. South Hadley voters favored legalization 4,779-4,445.

Retail establishments have not yet opened pending approval of state guidelines.
SPRINGFIELD- One city firefighter and a resident were injured as fire consumed a multi-family home on Thursday morning.

Around 9:45 a.m., firefighters were summoned to a two-family home on Sterling Street in the city's Liberty Heights neighborhood.

Upon arrival, firefighters reported a fully involved top floor of the structure. By 10 a.m., firefighters were called to evacuate the building, which signals it was no longer safe to occupy.

Dennis Leger, spokesman for the department, said the majority of the fire damage was on the second floor. Leger said a resident suffered a burn to his neck and was taken to Baystate Medical Center

A firefighter was taken to Baystate with a leg injury, Leger said.

The property, located at 39-41 Sterling St., is assessed at $148,900, according to city records, which also indicated it was built in 1904 and last sold in 2010 for $75,000.

This is a developing story which will be updated.
A Springfield police lieutenant has been placed on paid leave as the department investigates workplace harassment complaints lodged by at least two female officers, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Charles Howard, a former K9 officer and Sergeant in the department's school-based Quebec Unit, was stripped of his badge, gun, departmental ID and ammunition on Dec. 11, according to a copy of his leave order that a source read to MassLive.

The city's law office and police department have declined to confirm Howard's duty status or comment on the investigation.

"Personnel matters are confidential and we cannot comment at this time," Springfield Police spokesman Ryan Walsh wrote in an email.

But three sources well versed in the internal workings of the department and familiar with the inquiry confirmed to MassLive that at least two women in the department had complained of workplace harassment. The sources asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak about an ongoing personnel investigation.

Howard, who worked in the street crime unit with his K9 partner Justice, was promoted to Sergeant in 2010. His work there occasionally made the news, including a 2010 incident in which he used his dog to track a fugitive who had crashed into multiple vehicles after allegedly attempting to grab his 3-year-old son from his ex-girlfriend's home.

He then worked as a supervisor in the Quebec unit, a specialized team of officers stationed in Springfield schools that has been credited with helping reduce arrest and suspension rates among the city's students.

Howard participated in the department's philanthropic activities, according to media reports and press releases, including a Thanksgiving turkey donation to families of students and a visit to patients at Springfield Shriners Hospital for Children.

In August of 2017, Howard became a lieutenant in a ceremony at City Stage that also marked the promotions of 21 other officers.

Capt. Brian Keenan, the head of Springfield's police supervisors union, did not return an email seeking comment.

Another Springfield officer, Dushaine K. Goffe, was suspended with pay this week after he was arrested and accused of assaulting a former girlfriend Christmas night in Northampton.

Republican staff reporter Stephanie Barry contributed to this story.
SPRINGFIELD - A Springfield police officer has been suspended with pay following an off-duty incident in another community, reportedly Northampton.

Dushaine Goffe was suspended as of Tuesday, Ryan Walsh, spokesman for Springfield police, said.

Walsh referred additional information on the matter to the Northwestern District Attorney's office.

Mary Carey, spokeswoman for that office, referred a reporter's inquiry on Goffe to Northampton District Court.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported Goffe was arrested in Northampton early Tuesday following a report of a disturbance at Meadowbrook Apartments on Bridge Road.

Goffe denied charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation or suffocation and malicious damage to a motor vehicle during his arraignment in Northampton District Court later that day, according to the Gazette.

He was ordered held without right to bail pending a dangerousness hearing set for Friday.

Goffe was one of 25 recruits to join the Springfield Police Department in November 2008, according to a story published in The Republican newspaper.
WARWICK -- Verizon landline telephone customers in the tiny town of Warwick emerged Tuesday from four days of crossed lines, spotty service or no service at all.



While Verizon "repaired or replaced several pieces of equipment" and eventually fixed the problem, residents are not happy with what they see as a deteriorating situation.



"We're better off using carrying pigeons or smoke signals. It's more reliable," former Selectboard Chairman Stephen Pontz told the Greenfield Recorder.



Warwick still has outdated copper technology, with some telephone lines hanging on trees and not on utility poles. Verizon is not doing much to maintain the system, local officials said. Verizon has no plans to bring fiber optic technology to the Franklin County hilltown.

Warwick, with its 800 or so residents, considered building its own fiber optic network with state assistance, but balked at the $2.5 million price tag. Instead, taxpayers paid about $550,000 for a wireless upgrade.



Some people use a cellphone with the town's wireless broadband service, but the signal does not reach every residence. Plus, elderly people are more comfortable with landlines.



Verizon has continually promised to upgrade its system in Warwick, Pontz told the Recorder.
AMHERST -- The 33-year-old victim in a shooting last week told police he did not know his assailants, according to court records.

Meanwhile, Malek Bosmond, the 24-year-old Amherst man who allegedly shot him, is scheduled to be back in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown on Friday for a dangerousness hearing.

Bosmond and Akieli Brown, 24, of Amherst, were charged following the alleged attack Dec. 22 at Mill Valley Estates.

Bosmond was charged with assault and battery with a firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm within 50 feet of a building.

He denied charges Dec. 22 and is being held without right to bail at the Hampshire County Jail and House of Corrections in Northampton pending his hearing.

Brown was released Dec. 22 after a dangerousness hearing. He faces a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (metal pipe).

The victim was visiting his step-son at the apartment complex. According to a police statement from Officer Scott Soverino, the victim "assured me that he did not recognize either of the assailants." He did, however, describe both men.

The victim told Soverino the fight was over some issue involving his step-son, but did not elaborate. The step-son told police he did not know who the assailants were.

According to the police report, the victim was visiting his step-son when they heard a loud knocking on the door. A man attempted to enter and there was a fight. The victim told police that he was able to push the man out onto a grassy area and another man was there. They continued to fight and the victim saw that one man had a small pistol. The victim told police "he was fighting for his life" and tried to get away. At that point, he was allegedly shot by Bosmond.

Brown's attorney told Judge Jacklyn Connly last week that Brown "was as shocked as everyone was when his co-defendant shot (the victim)."

The victim, who was shot in the thigh, was treated at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and has since been released.
AGAWAM -- "We need to have sewers; it's 2018," Shelley M. Borgatti-Reed, a member of the Agawam School Committee, said bluntly at last week's City Council hearing on a petition to expand sewer service to Feeding Hills.

"I cannot do laundry when it rains," said the Shelley Lane resident, whose father bought the property off South West Street decades ago and named the street after her.

When her home was built over 30 years ago, Borgatti-Reed's family was told they'd have sewer service within three years. It never happened.

Speaker after speaker approached the lectern to implore the City Council to resurrect a long-tabled plan to expand sewer service to the part of town still served by septic systems.

Borgatti-Reed's husband, Doug Reed, said extending service to Feeding Hills -- home to about a quarter of Agawam's 28,700 residents -- was identified as a priority way back in 1972, when Nixon occupied the White House. But today's residents continue to grapple with all manner of septic-related issues, he said.

"Forty-five years ago, this was recognized by the Town of Agawam as a project that needed to be done, and we are talking about it still," said Reed, citing a 1972 study by the engineering firm Tighe & Bond.

The fact that the town's elected leaders have not advanced the sewer extension plan since then - when, Reed noted, "The Godfather" won the Oscar for best picture and swimmer Mark Spitz won seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Munich - is "an absolute embarrassment," he said.

"I live in Feeding Hills but, damn it, I'm a resident of Agawam," Reed said. "Yet we're treated like a second-class level of citizens. Is that fair? Absolutely not!"

There are also genuine health concerns to consider, including human wastewater from failed septic systems entering local bodies of water, according to Will Clark, the Feeding Hills resident who brought the petition to the City Council.

Other serious issues include poor soil quality, high water tables and small lot sizes, factors that can undermine septic systems, said Clark, who was among the many people to speak at the Dec. 18 hearing.

The fits-and-starts approach to extending sewer service isn't working, according to the Feeding Hills residents, urging officials to stop stalling the effort. Even Tighe & Bond has been critical of Agawam's decision to mothball the project.

Like many Feeding Hills residents, Michael Fortier, who grew up on Pheasant Run Circle and now lives on South West Street, learned to live with three-minute showers, backyard flooding, and helping his father tackle the various septic issues that popped up during his childhood.

"It's been 45 years that people have been begging and pleading," Fortier said, pressing the City Council to make sewer expansion a priority.

Joanne M. Cappuccilli, a Rhode Island native who has lived in Feeding Hills since 1976, said she and her husband will have to install a new septic system when it's time to sell their home on Red Fox Drive. But many prospective buyers, particularly younger couples, don't want to live in communities that don't have sewer service, she said.

"Now it's time for the town to think of the next generation," Cappuccilli said. "It just makes sense."

The past is the past, according to Melissa Izzo, a Barry Street resident since 2009.

"I don't care about the past," she told city councilors. "We have an opportunity to make it right - right now - to get this back on the table and done the right way," she said. "This part of town needs to be updated and kept up."

Some residents praised Councilor Robert Rossi for his ongoing efforts to expand sewer service to Feeding Hills. The councilor said his original plan is intact and could still be completed for roughly $10 million.

"The designing and the engineering is still there," he said. "We don't need to be assigning blame. What we need to do is get it done."
WESTFIELD - The city is one step closer to having a Transformative Development Initiative district.

Last week, city officials and community partners met with a group from MassDevelopment to present their vision for the district.

The Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) is a program for the state's so-called gateway cities designed to enhance public-private engagement and community identity, improve quality of life, and spur investment and economic activity. It is a program of MassDevelopment that uses the state's Transformative Development Fund.

Westfield is one of 14 communities vying for MassDevelopment funds.

City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell said he and Community Development Director Peter J. Miller attended the meeting with community partners Bob Plasse from Westfield on Weekends, Ann Lentini from Domus, Kate Phelon from the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, City Councilor Andrew Surprise, Andrea Allard of the Westfield YMCA and Daniel Paquette from the Westfield Athenaeum. Westfield Bank is also part of the partnership.

Mitchell said having the partners present was a plus.

"(MassDevelopment) said our vision is on the right track," said Mitchell. "The next step is to get our application in for Jan. 12."

The partners are hoping to have a TDI fellow as well. The TDI Fellows Program enhances a district's economic development capacity by providing additional expertise and leadership. The fellows work full-time for three years as lead community organizers, and serve as an extension of MassDevelopment's regional teams.

Fellows have professional backgrounds in community and economic development, planning, law, architecture, and workforce and business development. Each fellow's specific work plan is outlined in a memorandum of agreement between the TDI district and MassDevelopment.

Mitchell said there are six to eight new TDI spots opening and there could be a few communities with TDIs that may be selected for further assistance.

"It's going to be very competitive," he said.

Holyoke and Springfield already have TDI districts. Westfield Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said Chicopee is also applying for a TDI district.

Westfield applied two years ago and did not receive a TDI designation, but was encouraged to try again and did receive a $5,000 "placemaking" grant, which was used for the downtown concert series and the creation of the city's arts and cultural committee.

"They were happy to hear that the seed money they gave us resulted in the arts and culture committee," said Mitchell.

Mitchell said he expects MassDevelopment will announce recipients in March.
Three people were injured Wednesday after a woman veered off of Interstate 95 northbound in Boxford and went into the southbound lane, striking one car head-on and sideswiping another, State Police said.

A 54-year-old Bradford woman was driving a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee just north of Exit 52 around 1:30 p.m. when she went crossed over the median, State Police said in a statement. Why the woman crossed the median remains under investigation.

The Jeep drove the wrong way on the southbound side of the highway and sideswiped a 2018 Nissan Altima driven by a 68-year-old man from Naples, Florida, State Police said. Then, the Jeep struck a 2015 Toyota Corolla driven by a 32-year-old man from Everett.

State Police received calls reporting that the Jeep was driving the wrong way and struck a car head-on. A trooper arrived and saw the three-car crash.

The woman suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported by medical helicopter to Boston Medical Center, State Police said.

The driver of the Toyota and a passenger in the Nissan suffered minor injuries and were both taken to Beverly Hospital. The driver of the Nissan was not injured.

All northbound and southbound lanes of I-95 were closed when the medical helicopter landed. All lanes were reopened around 4:10 p.m.

Initially, State Police reported that the crash involved five cars.

No further information was immediately available.
Whole Foods Market, the anchor store of Shrewsbury's Lakeway Commons plaza, has announced the supermarket will open in January.

The 50,000-square-foot, two-floor store will open on Tuesday, Jan. 30, and will be the first Whole Foods location in the Worcester area, Whole Foods Market said Thursday.

The most unique feature of the store will be the Borgatti Bar, a restaurant on the second floor, Whole Foods said. The Borgatti Bar will have 12 craft beers on tap, wine and cocktails and menu items including snacks, sandwiches and salads.

That name honors Anthony "Spag" Borgatti, who owned and operated Spag's discount department store at the location. Spag's opened in the 1930s and amassed a massive following of dedicated, weekly shoppers for decades.

In addition to natural and organic groceries, the store will offer grab-and-go foods; a selection of local and craft beer, wine and spirits; a full-service Allegro Coffee Bar; and made-to-order pizza, tacos and burritos.

The store will also have Amazon Lockers for package pick up and returns.

"This community has been requesting a Whole Foods Market store for a very long time," said Alicia Cataldo, the store's team leader. "Our team has designed a beautiful store that will offer the Shrewsbury community not only a great grocery shopping experience, but also a place to gather and enjoy delicious food."

The store's grand opening on Jan. 30 will begin at 10 a.m. and continue through the day with giveaways and activities.

Daily hours at the 193 Boston Turnpike location will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Whole Foods will employ 150 local full-time and part-time team members.

The store fills out Lakeway Commons, which is also home to Starbucks, Tavern in the Square, Burton's Grill, Visionworks, UniBank, Jenny Boston Boutique, Especially for Pets, Scottrade, Tile Works, Lunch Box, Massage Envy, QDOBA Mexican Eats and Orangetheory Fitness.

A bronze memorial to "Spag" is placed at the center of a seating area next to Whole Foods. It was unveiled before his daughters and Shrewsbury residents during an October grand opening for the plaza.
Alabama officially certified Doug Jones as the winner of the state's recent U.S. Senate special election Thursday, allowing the Democrat to soon take his seat on Capitol Hill.

The Alabama State Canvassing Board, which includes Gov. Kay Ivey, Secretary of State John Merrill and Attorney General Steve Marshall, signed the certification to officially confirm Jones' stunning victory over embattled Republican Roy Moore.

Prior to the certification the Secretary of State's office noted that Jones' final margin of victory was 21,924 votes, AL.com reported.

Moore had vocally questioned the results and filed a last-minute legal challenge of them, according to the news outlet.

The State Canvassing Board certified the December election's results after a judge on Thursday denied Moore's request to to halt the process.

Jones, who is the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in Alabama in more than two decades, said he looks forward to working for his constituents in the new year.

"As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation," he said in a statement. "I will be an independent voice and work to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get Washington back on track and fight to make our country a better place for all."

Today marks a new day for Alabama and our nation. pic.twitter.com/iPgt4D1jPw  Doug Jones (@DougJones) December 28, 2017

The Democrat is not expected to take the Oath of Office and be officially seated in the Senate until early next year.

He will takeover the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The term will expire in January 2021.

Jones, a former U.S. attorney, claimed victory over Moore earlier this month, after various allegations of sexual misconduct plagued the Republican hopeful's campaign.

The win narrowed the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate to 51-49 -- a margin which political observers say could complicate efforts to move GOP-backed legislation through Congress in 2018.
Bozeman is a rapidly growing city with a high quality of life in part due to the easy access to the outdoors, burgeoning tech industry, and cultural experiences it offers.
Wolf Ametsbichler, the manager for Missoula Job Services http://jobservices.dli.mt.gov/about-job-services/missoula , led the transition. His team established what services to cut or supplement, then listened to what people said they need from Job Service. The Missoula group then developed a plan to address the needs in the Bitterroot Valley for a population that may not have a vehicle to drive to Missoula for services, or internet access.

Since Nov. 6, Job Service has been available four 10-hour days each week, with two of those days in Hamilton.

MICHELLE MCCONNAHA [email protected]

http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_9972a0ce-9d25-5b1a-bfc1-f262e8a01916.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2
This month, President Trump accepted Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes recommendations to shrink national monuments in Utah, affecting both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.

This was the first step in unraveling Theodore Roosevelts signature public lands policy, the Antiquities Act. This move will result in the largest reversal of public lands protections in American history.

We join hundreds of businesses and business organizations around the country who do not support Zinke and Trumps rollback of national monuments. It doesnt matter that these places are in Utah, what matters is that the precedent of removing protections from public lands like our national monuments is detrimental to surrounding businesses, and a slippery slope for threats to other, similar places.

This opinion is signed by Jeff Welch, Mercury CSC (Bozeman); Maggie Carr, Dropstone Outfitting (Choteau); Yve Bardwell, Dropstone Outfitting (Choteau); Jake Kreilick, Lake Missoula Tea Company (Missoula); and Maggie Doherty, Kalispell Brewing Company (Kalispell). They are members of Business for Montanas Outdoors.

http://missoulian.com/opinion/columnists/montana-businesses-to-zinke-public-lands-are-crucial-to-jobs/article_7209246e-82e0-53fe-a4c4-5cd94e19fc81.html
EIB provides Raiffeisen Bank Aval with EUR 12 mln in guarantees to support SME

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided Raiffeisen Bank Aval (Kyiv) with EUR 12 million in guarantees for the support of lending of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

The decision was approved on December 22, 2017, the EIB said on its website.

The guarantees are provided as part of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTA).

The total volume of the loan project is estimated at EUR140 million, it said.

No other details of the project are mentioned.

Raiffeisen Bank Aval was founded in 1992. As of January 1, 2017, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI, Austria) owned 68.27% of the Ukrainian bank's charter capital, while the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) held 30%.

Raiffeisen Bank Aval ranked fifth in terms of assets worth UAH 66.102 billion among 88 operating banks as of October 1, 2017, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.
The government of Ukraine has included Estonia, Iran, Cuba, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Monaco, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Georgia and Hungary in the list of countries whose transactions with contractors are subject to control under the Transfer Pricing Law.

The list also included Guadeloupe, Guatemala, French Guiana, the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Mauritius, the Independent State of Samoa, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry said on its website.

The total number of the countries for the monitoring increased from 65 to 85.

The ministry explained that the enlargement of the list is connected with changes in the criteria for its formation. The list was compiled of states (territories) where the corporate profit tax rate is five or more percentage points lower than in Ukraine (that is, below 13%); states with which Ukraine has not yet agreed on exchange of information, and states whose authorities do not provide fiscal information to the Ukrainian state fiscal service on time and in full.

"When considering the criterion for the corporate profit tax rate, which is five or more percentage points lower than that in Ukraine, we took into account not only the basic rate, but also reduced rates for individual industries, territories, and types of activity," the ministry explained.

The new regulation shall enter into force as of January 1, 2018.

The ministry reminds that transactions with a contractor registered in the state from this list are recognized as controlled for the purposes of transfer pricing from January 1 of the reporting year following the calendar year when the states were included in this list, and reports on them should be submitted to the regulatory agencies

As reported, under the law on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on transfer pricing, the transfer pricing rules are applicable to controlled transactions with residents of low-tax jurisdictions (where the profit tax rate is lower than the Ukrainian rate by 5 p.p. and more) as of September 1, 2013.

In the middle of May 2015, the Cabinet of Ministers added Austria, Turkmenistan, the Special Administrative Region of China, Hong Kong, and Niue in the list of countries whose transactions are subject to transfer pricing control, but at the same time it excluded Albania. However, on August 1, 2015, it deleted Austria after it had sent a note, and the total number of the countries (territories) on the list fell to 75.

Then in September 2016, the government excluded 10 states (territories) from the list: Switzerland, Georgia, Malta, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Morocco, Luxembourg, Jamaica, and Guadeloupe.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and France's BNP Paribas S.A., which have a combined 99.9998% stake in Kyiv-based UkrSibbank, have agreed on the mandatory squeeze-out of the latter's shares from minority shareholders.

Under the agreement concluded on December 21, the EBRD and BNP Paribas could be considered as parties that act jointly, UkrSibbank said in the Ukrainian Securities and Stock Market Commission's information disclosure system.

BNP Paribas will act as an authorized entity to acquire and fulfill all obligations under the agreement.

The squeeze-out will be conducted at a market price, which is to be set by a valuator of assets.

As was reported, amendments introduced on March 23, 2017, to some legal acts in Ukraine to facilitate corporate management at joint-stock companies have introduced such procedures as squeeze-out and sell-out (the forced purchase and sale of participation in share capital) to the country's legislative environment.

UkrSibbank was founded in 1990. BNP Paribas S.A (France) owned 59.9996% of the bank's charter capital as of the beginning of January 2017, while the EBRD held 40%.
Following the introduction of the visa-free regime with the European Union the number of applicants for one employment vacancy in Ukraine declined, Social Policy Minister Andriy Reva has said.

"The trend on the labor market is such that opportunities to work in neighboring countries has led to a decline in applicants who live and desire to work in Ukraine," he said at a press conference on Thursday in Kyiv.

Reva said employers need to change salary levels and work more closely with employment centers.

According to the minister, in 2017 employment centers found work for 746,000, of whom 45% were employed before losing work. He added that 11,000 persons participated in the Anti-terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine.

The total number of unemployed persons from December 1, 2016 has declined by 9%.

The number of registered unemployed persons at employment centers as of December 1, 2017 is 309,000.
Ukraine is ready to resume purchases of natural gas from Russia if it is cheap and if the signing of respective contracts is transparent, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"What has happened in the past two years? We are energy independent. They [Russia] are knocking: can you take our gas? No, everything is fine in our country. If it's cheap and fair, not corrupt, then please," he said during his working trip to Odesa region on Thursday.

Poroshenko said that if the abovementioned conditions are met, the Ukrainian authorities are ready to take such a step "in order to reduce tariffs for our people."

Explaining the presence among the demands of the Ukrainian side of the absence of a corruption component in a possible contract for natural gas supplies from Russia, the president noted that "for 20 years Ukraine has been dependent on Russian gas." And only through decisive actions, including in international courts, Ukraine managed to ensure energy independence and fair gas prices, he said.

Poroshenko recalled that Naftogaz Ukrainy had recently won a lawsuit against Russia's Gazprom at the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) is conducting a pretrial investigation involving possible embezzlement by the board chairman of Oschadbank and subordinates involving the write-off of $20.98 million on the accounts of Cypriot Opalcore Ltd and their further return to the state under the procedure special confiscation.

The corresponding information is contained in the decision of Kyiv's Solomiansky District Court dated December 6, 2017. The information was made public in the single court rulings register.

According to other information in the register, the criminal case was opened on November 7, 2017. Several companies, the assets of which were subject to special confiscation, including Akemi Management Limited and Wonderbliss Ltd., have filed suits against the NABU for its refusal to regard them as victims in the case.

In addition, according to case materials from the Solomiansky District Court from December 8, which were released on December 26, Opalcore is attempting to compel the NABU to open a case pursuant to its complaint against the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) of Ukraine. The company accuses the PGO of "organizing the embezzlement of company funds based on the groundless enforcement of the verdict by Kramatorsk City Court of Donetsk region of March 28, 2017." The court has scheduled a hearing on the matter for January 3, 2018.

The register contains several more cases initiated by other companies, from which funds were written off, including Foxtron Networks Limited and Loricom Holding Group Ltd.

As reported, on April 28, 2017 the National Security and Defense Council's press service said Oschadbank had begun special confiscation of $1.5 billion belonging to disgraced ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his cronies. Kramatorsk City Court of Donetsk region took the decision. Deadlines for filing an appeal have expired.

A number of media outlets on December 27 reported that the NABU apparently is seizing documents at Oschadbank relating to criminal proceedings on special confiscation.

The bank did not confirm or deny these rumors to the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and the NABU declined comment.
German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have welcomed the exchange of detained persons on both sides of the conflict in the east of Ukraine on Wednesday and called to continue the process until all the prisoners are released.

"Chancellor Merkel and President Macron called on the parties to the conflict to facilitate the exchange of remaining prisoners, to give full access to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and to support the ICRC search for missing persons," reads the statement by Merkel and Macron posted on the website of the Office of the Federal Chancellor of Germany on Wednesday evening.
Ukraine's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) has closed a criminal case involving Verkhovna Rada deputy Oles Dovhiy (Will of the People group), the Kyiv-based e-zine Ukrayinska Pravda has reported, citing a source in Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO).

According the article, SAPO closed the case due to lack of evidence.

As earlier reported, on September 22, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) chief Yuriy Lutsenko signed a notice of suspicion for Dovhy.

Lutsenko said Dovhy was a suspect in a criminal case on the illegal allocation by Kyiv City Council of a 100-hectare land plot in the Zhukov Island wildlife sanctuary on the southern outskirts of Kyiv in 2005 and may be prosecuted under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code (abuse of power and office).

Ukraine's Parliament on July 11, 2017, granted the PGO request to bring criminal charges against Dovhy, who asked colleagues in the Rada to remove his immunity from prosecution.

On July 14, head of Ukraine's Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) Nazar Kholodnytsky said investigatory actions involving Dovhy were underway.

In August, National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine chief Artem Sytnyk said suspicion of Dovhy had not yet been agreed upon.
French Ambassador to Ukraine Isabelle Dumont has said that Paris intends to continue work on the release of all illegally detained Ukrainians, and also assured of support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and independence.

"I want to assure that we will continue working so that all the hostages return home and I also want to assure that we support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Dumont said at the military airfield of the Boryspil International Airport (Kyiv) after the arrival of the aircraft with 72 hostages released by militants of uncontrolled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Wednesday evening.

In his turn, Permanent Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Ukraine Wolfgang Bindseil stressed that it is an important day and congratulated everyone on the successful exchange. "I especially enjoy the fact that relatives, friends and families will be able to embrace their dear ones before the New Year," he said.

"We took an important step today and now we need to continue other steps," Bindseil noted, stressing the importance of this day for the process within the framework of the Minsk agreements.
Contributed photo

MIDDLETOWN  The Buttonwood Tree will present an evening of acoustic music on Friday, Jan. 12, with nationally touring folk duo and married couple, The Promise is Hope.

This will be the groups first time performing in Middletown, and they will be sharing music from their 2015 debut album and new songs from their anticipated sophomore album, expected later this year.
Contributed photo

MIDDLETOWN  Melanie Carr - Recent Work will be shown at Middlesex Community Colleges Pegasus Gallery, Jan 17-March 2, with an opening reception and artists talk on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 5-7 p.m.

Carrs dynamic art practice includes sculpture, installation, and interactive projects. Viewer focused forms, materials, space and the human body are the basis of works that are soft, bright and visually inviting. Carr describes herself as consumed with touch, geometry, interactivity, andhuman experience, yet driven by intuition. Themes of dialog, play, rest and comfort are also present here in abstractions that that reside within and just outside of everyday experiences.
WINDSOR LOCKS  The New England Air Museum will hold its first Open Cockpit Day for 2018 on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special activities include climb aboard experiences in historic aircraft; flight simulators; hands-on Build & Fly Challenges, and much more.

A variety of aircraft will be open for visitors including the WWII era Republic P-47D, the Vietnam War era Bell UH-1B Huey helicopter, as well as supersonic jet fighters including the North American F-100 Super Sabre jet fighter and the Lockheed F-104C Starfighter.

Also on that day, there will be a plastic scale model show courtesy of the Wings and Wheels Modelers Club. Hundreds of beautifully crafted scale models will be on display for the enjoyment of the Museums visitors and will include aircraft, military vehicles, ships, automobiles and dioramas.

Club members will run instructional demonstrations throughout the day. All activities are free with museum admission.

The New England Air Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day. Closed on Mondays during the winter season. Admission is $15 for ages 12 and up, $14 for seniors 65 and up and $10 for ages 4 to 11.

New England Air Museum members and children under 3 are admitted free. Discounted admission is available for veterans and active duty military personnel. For more information and directions to the museum, please visit www.neam.org or call 860-623-3305. The New England Air Museum is located in Windsor Locks, Connecticut adjacent to Bradley International Airport.

The New England Air Museum is the largest aviation museum in New England comprised of three large public hangars, outdoor exhibits, and more than 100 aircraft ranging from early airships and flying machines to supersonic jets and helicopter. NEAMs mission is to celebrate and preserve New Englands air and space heritage.

The museum offers special events and programs including open cockpits, flight simulators, and tons of hands-on family fun. The New England Air Museum is located on 36 Perimeter Road (off Route 75) on the North end of the Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn. For more information please visit www.neam.org, call 860-623-3305 or find us on Facebook.

-END-
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger have welcomed the news of the large-scale exchange of prisoners and detainees in eastern Ukraine and urged the sides to build on this momentum in order to achieve further progress in reaching a peaceful resolution of the crisis in and around Ukraine.

"Allowing such a significant number of people, who have been held on both sides, to return home before the New Year and Orthodox Christmas is a very welcome development. Today's exchange is not only a humanitarian act but also a helpful step in confidence-building. We encourage the sides to continue their efforts to improve the life of people directly affected by the conflict," the chairperson-in-office said in a joint statement posted on the organization's website.

Greminger stressed that incremental steps such as this one can bring significant, tangible results. "Progress such as this is the result of tireless work facilitated by the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), and demonstrates the importance of this format. It is essential that the sides continue to work with the TCG in order to achieve sustainable progress towards peace."

Kneissl and Greminger stressed that the exchange of prisoners, together with the lower number of ceasefire violations during the last several days, represent a step forward. "Nevertheless, it is but one step and many others have to follow. We urge the sides to ensure a true cessation of hostilities in the coming days, as part of full implementation of the Minsk agreements," they said.
OLD SAYBROOK  The Saybrook Stage Company will present How The Other Half Loves live At The Kate, with performances Jan. 18-21.

Alan Ayckbourns farcical tale of matrimonial mishaps, How The Other Half Loves will have audiences in stitches. Aykbourn enthralls with his clever use of space and time as he intertwines the lives of two very different couples - a perfectly posh upper-class older one and a messy middleclass younger one - on the same stage.

As Bob Phillips and Fiona Foster clumsily try to cover up their affair, their spouses intervention only adds to the confusion. William and Mary Detweiler - the third couple - find themselves in the middle of the mayhem when they are falsely accused of adultery - with no idea how theyve become involved. The fact that all three of the men work at the same company - in the same department adds to the fun. The plot culminates in two disastrous dinner parties on successive nights, shown at the same time - on the same stage - after which the future of all three couples is definitely in question.

The fast pace and physical humor of this piece makes this one of Ayckbourns funniest and most exciting plays to experience. The play is set in 1969 which allows for plenty of comic routines around landline telephones, distinct class structures and changing sexual mores. The play originally opened in London in 1970 to rave reviews and ran for over 850 performances - it also opened on Broadway in 1971.

Alan Ayckbourns has spent over 55 years as a theatre director and a playwright. To date he has written 80 plays - the latest of which opened at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough in 2016 - and his work has been translated into over 35 languages, is performed on stage and television throughout the world and has won countless awards.

The Saybrook Stage Company is pleased to return once again to The Kate in How The Other Half Loves directed by Michael Langlois. Michael has previously directed Saybrook Stages A Piece of my Heart in January 2013. This will be their 15th production at The Kate - the more recent plays are The Farnsworth Invention, Noises Off, Deathtrap, The Wayside Motor Inn, Moon Over Buffalo and this past July, Barefoot in the Park.

Go to www.thekate.org or call 877-503-1286 and reserve your tickets now.

Visit www.SaybrookStage.org for more information about The Saybrook Stage Company.

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Middletown police reported the following arrests:

ASSAULT: Benjamin Scullion, 30, of Mapleshade Road, was arrested Dec. 19 on an outstanding warrant and charged with assault on a public safety employee, breach of peace and reckless endangerment. He was held in lieu of $50,000 bail and issued a court date for Dec. 29.

LARCENY: Ahmed Kakay, 34, of Warwick Street, was arrested Dec. 18 on an outstanding warrant and charged with fourth-degree larceny. He was held in lieu of $5,000 and issued a court date of the same day.

EVADING: Xavier Colon, 18, of High Street, was arrested Dec. 15 and issued a misdemeanor summons for evading responsibility and operating a motor vehicle in violation of license classification. He was issued a court date of Dec. 28.

LARCENY: Kelly Nowotynski, 31, of Summer Road, Portland, was arrested Dec. 20 on a warrant and charged with third-degree larceny. He was held in lieu of $15,000 and issued a court date of the same day.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Tenia Spruill, 31, of Center Street, Hartford, and Tianna Hardy, 26, of Stoneycrest Drive, were both arrested Dec. 19 and each issued a misdemeanor summons for disorderly conduct. While Spruill was removing food from the refrigerator, Hardy grabbed her by the back of her shirt, pulling her and the refrigerator into the middle of the kitchen, according to police. Both women then allegedly pushed and pulled each other as Hardy tried to push Spruill out of the apartment. They were both issued a court date for the following day.

DUI: Joseph Legge, 53, of Long Hill Road, Middlefield, was arrested Dec. 16 and issued a misdemeanor summons for driving under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane. He was release on $500 bail and issued a court date of Dec. 28.

POSSESSION: Zachary Hinds, 26, of Aspen Glen Drive, Hamden, was arrested Dec. 21 and issued a misdemeanor summons for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, operating a motor vehicle without insurance and possession of less than half an ounce of marijuana. He was issued a court date of Jan. 5, 2018.

POSSESSION: Sylvia Spruill, 59, of Liberty Street, was arrested Dec. 15 and charged with possession of a controlled substance and interfering with an officer. She was released on $5,000 bail and issued a court date of Dec. 29.

FAILURE: Meghan Fitzgerald, 43, of Town Colony Drive, was arrested Dec. 20 on a warrant and charged with failure to appear. She was released on $1,000 bail and issued a court date of Jan. 3, 2018.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Thomas Wysocki, 39, of Farm Hill Road, was arrested Dec. 21 and issued a misdemeanor summons for disorderly conduct. He is accused of pushing a woman he knew into a wall. He was released on a promise to appear the following day in court.

ASSAULT: Alvin Leary, 56, of Frisbee Street, was arrested Dec. 25 and charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct for reportedly punching a woman he knew in the face. He was held in lieu of $1,500 bail and issued a court date for the following day.

POSSESSION: Alex Niver, 33, of Main Street, was arrested Dec. 26 and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia after 0.41 grams of heroin and a suspected capped heroin needle were found in his possession. He was released on $1,500 bail and issued a court date of Jan. 12, 2018.

FAILURE TO APPEAR: Pamela Jeffcoat, 47, of Mrytle Street, Meriden, was arrested Dec. 22 on an active warrant and charged with failure to appear. She was released on $3,500 bail and issued a court date of Jan. 4, 2018.
PORTLAND  Faced with $800,000 in cuts in state aid, town officials are tightening their belts and being very careful about every expenditure.

One thing the Board of Selectmen has rejected, however, is sending out a supplemental tax bill. Instead, the town and school department are being very judicious and careful about reducing expenses wherever possible, First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield said Wednesday.

Bransfield is working closely with Director of Finance Tom E. Robinson to monitor the situation.

The 2017-18 fiscal year, which began July 1, will reach the halfway mark Sunday. That leaves six more months until the fiscal year ends and the state is still in financial flux.

Early this month, state Treasurer Kevin P. Lembo warned the state is on pace for a $207.8 million deficit, according to a report in the CTMirror.

The deficit mandates that the state prepare a deficit mitigation plan, the CTMirror reported. Further complicating the picture is the fallout from the tax plan adopted by Congress  and signed by President Donald Trump  last week.

Against that background, Bransfield said there are indications the General Assembly will convene a special session next month, which could involve further steps to reduce state spending.

She and Robinson are waiting to see how to proceed if the legislature takes further actions to reduce aid to the cities and towns, Bransfield said. At this point, I am looking very carefully at every purchase order thats put on my desk, she said.

The town adopted its 2017-18 budget in May. But the General Assembly did not approve a state budget until late October, about six months after the town did.

Reductions in aid, particularly for schools, after the town had adopted its budget, make things very difficult, Bransfield said.

So, among other things, Bransfield has put a hold on new hires and/or replacement hires. Were not calling it a hiring freeze, she said. Were calling it a hold.

That means Bransfield and Robinson evaluate each position individually to determine if it is necessary to immediately refill a position or defer action about appointing a replacement.

If it becomes necessary, the town could use some of the approximately $400,000 in surplus from the 2016-17 budget, Bransfield said. Meanwhile, We are pursuing economic development options, she said.

The proposed $30 million Elmcrest/Brainerd Place mixed-use development is currently under review by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Also, last week the town received PZC approval for the proposed purchase of 5.5-acres of riverfront property off Brownstone Avenue. Bransfield has said the land could be used for a visitors center and perhaps a riverfront restaurant.

The Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park, which Bransfield took the lead in pushing to bring to town, so far this year has paid $388,000 to the town as its share of the gate receipts from the water adventure park.

Reporter Jeff Mill covers East Hampton, Portland and Cromwell. Contact him at jeff.mill@hearstmediact.com.
Four humanitarian trucks crossed into the Donbas territories uncontrolled by Kyiv through the Novotroitske checkpoint in Donetsk region on Thursday morning, the State Border Service of Ukraine said in a statement.

The trucks are carrying over 73.3 tonnes of food, hygiene products, and office equipment with a weight exceeding, which are donated by the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the statement said.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Tonight's episode of the CNBC television series "The Job Interview" will feature an Ann Arbor restaurant management company on the hunt for a new employee.

Watershed Hospitality, the company behind Ann Arbor restaurants like Cantina Taqueria and BTB Burrito, along with local watering holes The Last Word and Alley Bar, is looking for a catering and events sales manager, a search highlighted by the episode airing Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 10:30 p.m.

CNBC describes "The Job Interview" as an inside look at employers interviewing candidates for real positions. Each episode is half an hour and concludes with one person landing the job offer.

In a sneak peek of the episode posted online, Watershed Hospitality co-owner Adam Lowenstein said the company is excited to bring in a new person with a new set of talents.

"We need someone with excellent customer skills because relationship management is going to be key in the repeat business," Lowenstein said.

The position offers between an annual salary between $30,000 and $45,000, and is based in Ann Arbor.

"The position requires equal parts organization and charisma. Candidates are assessed on their cold calling abilities, values, and long-term goals," said a description on the CNBC website. "Some seem too experienced, while others are far too blunt. Who will land the position and who will go back to the job hunt?"

The episode sneak peek features glimpses of some of Watershed Hospitality businesses like Cantina Taqueria, 1140 S. University Ave., and The Last Word, 301 W. Huron St.

Lowenstein and business partner Justin Herrick can be seen surveying candidates about what is most important in the restaurant business: staff satisfaction or customer happiness, and their reactions to candidates' choices.

The full episode airs at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on CNBC Wednesday, Dec. 27.
Everyone has a favorite way to celebrate New Year's Eve.

Some love to dress up and go party with friends. Maybe catch a ball drop or have a special date night with your sweetie, sealed with a midnight kiss.

Others prefer to keep their champagne toast at home, leaving others to battle the traffic, packed restaurants and this year's subzero temps.

What's your pick: Get out and party or stay home and be cozy?
AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP, MI - Seated at a cluster of desks, kindergartners and first graders at Bishop Elementary School spent a December afternoon playing a dominoes game that helped them practice counting and addition skills.

It was a typical elementary classroom scene, with one exception - teacher Brenda Gonzalez spoke to the students only in Spanish.

Lincoln's Bishop Elementary has offered a K-5 Spanish immersion program since 2012, where even the youngest students receive 90 percent of their instruction in Spanish.

The Spanish immersion program has proven popular over the years, with 40 incoming kindergartners requesting it this school year. Of Bishop's 491 students, 121 are enrolled in five Spanish immersion classrooms - including 31 Schools of Choice students, said Principal Robert Jansen, who is in his second year leading Bishop.

To add to the growing Spanish immersion program, the Lincoln Consolidated Schools board of education recently approved a new exchange program between Bishop and a school in Madrid, Spain.

Six Lincoln fifth graders will spend a week in Madrid this March, and then in June, students from Madrid will visit Bishop, Jansen said. The students in Ypsilanti and Madrid have been interacting over Skype to practice their second languages and get to know each other ahead of the exchange trip.

A strong parent support network also helps families adjust to the Spanish immersion program, Jansen said.

"A huge thing for our classrooms is routine - being consistent and having routine. That's any classroom in general, but in a Spanish immersion that helps," said Gonzalez, who taught at a Spanish immersion program in Detroit before coming to Bishop five years ago. "So when the language is in default, then the routine comes in. ... That also makes them feel kind of at home, so they're not as nervous."

In Bishop's Spanish immersion program, students in kindergarten and first grade aren't yet expected to speak much Spanish, but all of their instruction - other than elective classes - is in Spanish.

One boy was eager to share that he could already count to 10 in Spanish, although "ocho" and "nueve," he said, are tricky to pronounce.

The first three months of the school year are when young students and their parents tend to be the most nervous about learning a new language, Jansen said, and then they start to feel more comfortable with the format.

In second and third grade, students in the Spanish immersion program are expected to respond to their teachers in Spanish more often. Colorful curtains hang in the classroom doorways to remind students they are entering a Spanish-speaking area. Science, social studies and their elective classes are taught in English.

"Spanish is a little easier than English," said Aubin Allee, a third grader in the Spanish immersion program.

Third grader Natalyn Vasquez said it's good to be bilingual so you can communicate with people who don't speak English if your parents ever take you to another country.

Teaching young students to read and write in Spanish helps improve their reading and writing skills in English too, Gonzalez said. She's seen it happen with her own daughter, who is in second grade at Bishop.

"Last year, she just picked up a book and started reading in English. I'm like, 'I know I didn't teach you that. I know at school you didn't get taught that, because you're in a Spanish immersion program,'" Gonzalez said. "It's just amazing how the knowledge gets transferred over."

Bishop Elementary also has partnered with Eastern Michigan University, the University of Michigan and Washtenaw International High School to have college and high school students work with elementary students on their Spanish-speaking skills, Gonzalez said.

By fourth and fifth grade, students in the Spanish immersion program are fluent in Spanish, said teacher Cristina Heredia. At that point, science, social studies and math as well as electives are taught in English.

"They've been speaking it for so long, it's really the default language," Heredia said. "They're beyond (high school Spanish classes). I think when the EMU professors came and observed, they made the comment that they felt they needed to have 300-level Spanish speakers at the university come in to work with (the fourth and fifth graders)."

Students in the Spanish immersion program still take standardized tests in English, Jansen said. The first cohort of students to go through the Spanish immersion program - who are now in sixth grade - tested in the 62nd percentile on the English language arts portion of the NWEA standardized test this past spring, he said. The 50th percentile represents the national average.

Lincoln Schools is still developing a plan for students who have gone through the Spanish immersion to continue advancing their skills through middle and high school, Jansen said.
PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP - Firefighters continued to work against frigid temperatures Thursday to battle a blaze that burned for more than 36 hours.

The Pittsfield Township Fire Department was called to the 4100 block of Morgan Road near Carpenter Road on Tuesday, Dec. 26, at 9 p.m. and firefighters were still at the scene Thursday afternoon.

The frigid temperatures and yearly lows in southeast Michigan froze water lines and caused equipment failures, which extended the fire fighting process, officials said.

Fire Capt. Jeff Foulke said the warehouse, which was occupied by Hong Far Food Services, a Chinese food distribution center, was stacked with "thousands of pounds" of wax paper materials.

The wax paper materials caused "small spot fires" to occur and have presented additional problems, Foulke said.

No one was injured in the fire.

Pittsfield Township officials called on the Augusta Township Fire Department for additional support Thursday morning. Foulke said Augusta has access to a unique "Class A foam," which helps absorb flames.

Foulke said the township hoped to be finished by the end of the day.

The fire was contained and reduced significantly in size, Foulke said.

The building was destroyed in the process and was a "total loss," officials said.

Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Township, Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township firefighters assisted in the effort.

The owner of Hong Far Food Services was unavailable for comment.
HARPER WOODS - Police are searching for a red pickup truck in connection with highway gunfire that occurred during a road rage incident last week.

State police were notified of the road rage incident around 7:40 a.m. Dec. 20 on l-94 and Allard Avenue in Harper Woods.

The victim was traveling eastbound on l-94 in the left lane when he came up on what he described as a red Chevrolet pickup truck with Kentucky license plates traveling in the same lane.

The victim told police he flashed his lights in an attempt to get the pickup truck to move over, and when those efforts failed, passed the truck on the right.

The pickup then pulled alongside the victim's vehicle and produced a handgun before firing a shot at the victim, police said.

The victim was unharmed and there was no damage done to the vehicle. The suspect fled the freeway at the Eight Mile Road exit shortly after, police said.

Police on Wednesday released surveillance images of the suspect vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Michigan State Police Metro North Post at 248-584-5740 or the Michigan State Police tip line at 855-MICH-TIP.
SALINE, MI - After visiting an orphanage in South Africa this past August on a mission trip with his church, Bob Cindric realized there was more work to be done.

Middelburg Care Village, a nonprofit started by Rotary International, wanted to start a school to accommodate some of the approximately 100 children it cares for at a given time.

Cindric, a music teacher at Saline Area Schools, thought the Saline community could help.

"When we were there in August, just to see the gratitude the kids had for having a connection to the United States was amazing," Cindric said. "To help them create their dream of having a school on site is pretty amazing."

As Saline Schools began replacing its classroom furniture this fall with revenue from a 2015 bond, Cindric saw an opportunity to give the school district's old furniture a second life at Care Village. He said Superintendent Scot Graden was receptive to the idea of getting the school community involved in collecting items and making donations to support Care Village.

A shipping container filled with classroom furniture and other supplies on Dec. 18 began its journey from Saline to Care Village in Middelburg, South Africa - a city of more than 87,000 in the province of Mpumalanga.

"I don't know of any other school district doing something like this, starting a school that's 9,000 miles away," Cindric said.

A group of Saline Schools staff will travel to Middelburg in March to assist with setting up the school, developing curriculum and other needs.

Care Village is a residential facility that serves children ages 3 to 18 who are orphans or have been removed from their homes due poor conditions. Currently, Care Village transports the children to numerous different schools, Cindric said, and it can be difficult to find a school that will enroll the students since they cannot pay tuition.

Graden said the association with Care Village fits with Saline Schools' goal to have its students be globally connected.

"It would be great down the road if we were able to have students go (to Care Village) and experience that and enhance our global connectivity," Graden said. "I'm excited to kind of see where this project goes. I think it's a wonderful opportunity for our students, our staff and the community."

Members of First Presbyterian Church of Saline - which coordinated the August mission trip in which Cindric participated - and Saline Schools staff and students spearheaded efforts to collect items to fill the shipping container sent to Care Village.

In all, they sent 320 boxes of books; 60 student desks; 390 student chairs; 70 tables; five filing cabinets; eight pianos, four of which were donated by the Salvation Army in Ann Arbor and four from Saline families; five keyboards; 15 teacher desks; 60 iPads; 25 bicycles; and multiple boxes of shoes, uniform clothes and toys, Cindric said.

"It just caught on, as soon as I brought the idea home," he said. "It's so heartening to see the whole Saline community come together."

The Saline Schools staff members who will travel to Middelburg in March to help establish the school are paying their own way.

Those interested in contributing to pay for the trip, to hire teaching staff for Care Village or to cover outstanding costs from sending the shipping container can send a check to Saline Area Schools, 7265 Ann Arbor Street, Saline, MI 48176, or First Presbyterian Church of Saline, 143 E. Michigan Ave., Saline, MI 48176, with "Care Village" in the memo.
Ukrainian Social Policy Minister Andriy Reva has said his ministry intends to offer the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to allocate UAH 100,000 to each of the Ukrainian hostages released on December 27.

"We suggest that each of those who were released yesterday should be given UAH 100,000," the minister said during a press conference on Thursday.
The appeal of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to Russian President Vladimir Putin dated March 1, 2014 with the request to use the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine appeared "on the order of the Kremlin" to legitimize the aggression in Crimea, leader of the Force of Law NGO, ex-MP of the Batkivschyna Party Andriy Senchenko has said.

"It is quite obvious to me that this statement appeared on the order of the Kremlin, while what is said in this statement, in fact, contradicts the agreement signed by Yanukovych [on February 21, 2014 with the opposition with the participation of international mediators]," Senchenko said during the interrogation as a witness for the prosecution in the case on Viktor Yanukovych's treason in the Obolonsky district court of Kyiv.

He also expressed confidence that Yanukovych was not going to observe the agreement with the opposition signed on February 21, 2014. "On February 22, laws were passed in the Verkhovna Rada, including the law on the restoration of certain provisions of the 2004 Constitution, and he literally entered the president's administration within an hour. However, by the evening on February 22, Viktor Yanukovych was no longer there: he left the presidential administration, in fact, fled, and failed to comply with the clause of the agreement and did not sign this law," the ex-lawmaker said.

The witness pointed out that as of February 22, 2014, many then ministers, deputy ministers and 77 of the 186 deputies of the Party of Regions faction left Ukraine. "In my opinion, they thus demonstrated that the blame for what is happening lies with Yanukovych, and I think that the flight of his supporters caused such a reaction and the flight from the country. In my opinion, there are no grounds to say that there was some direct threat to his life," he said.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that he ordered the immediate resumption of talks with Russia regarding the return of Ukrainians who are held in Russian prisons and in occupied territories.

"I ordered the immediate resumption of negotiations with the Russian Federation regarding the return of those who are in Russia and those who are in occupied territories," he said during his visit to Odesa region on Thursday.

He said that Ukraine could not forget or betray them.

"The key point is that we promised that we would return several dozen Ukrainians who still remain in captivity, as well as the best of our fighters, special forces, National Guard servicemen. We will return all of them," Poroshenko said.

According to the president, Ukraine will fight for each of its citizens.

"This is a big contrast with the Russian Federation. We have a lot of their people which they say 'they are not there.' Nobody, including the president, cares about them. Their parents were told to forget about them. These are your children, husbands. This is the abyss that now distinguishes Ukraine from Russia. Take back [your people], just return our [citizens] Sentsov, Sushchenko, Kolchenko and many others," Poroshenko added.
(Representative image)

The Modi government will present its fifth Budget in 2018. While it is anticipated to be a populist budget ahead of a stream of assembly elections next year, the Budget may see an allocation of Rs 90,000 crore for development of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) spread over three years.

The government is expected to spend approximately Rs 1,00,000 crore on building new roads, including the ones in areas affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and upgrading roads already built under PMGSY.

The Budget is anticipated to push rural infrastructure in a big way and may allocate an additional Rs 11,000 crore for roads in LWE, through PMGSY.

Infrastructure creation, even the rural infrastructure, is core to Indias future growth story, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, had said at the annual general meeting of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci).

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, which began in 2000, was aimed at providing all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages in India. As per the government data, 47,447 kilometer of roads were constructed till 2016-17.

Source: Ministry of Rural Development

Out of 1,38,210 roads project sanctioned, 83.7 percent were completed as of December 2017. Out of 1,78,000 habitations where these rural roads were to be built, roads in the remaining 47,000 areas are targeted to be completed by March 2019.

It was learnt that Centre and states will share the financial burden in the ratio of 60:40 as the government has set itself a target of completing the work under the programme before the next Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

During the 2017-18 Budget, Jaitley had allocated a combined fund of Rs 27,000, inclusive of Centre's gross budgetary support (GBS) and state government funding, for the rural roads programme to promote the countrys sprawling rural economy in the aftermath of demonetisation. The finance minister had, however, kept the GBS same for FY18 as for FY17 at Rs 19,000.
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The government is looking at 2018 with renewed optimism for the coal sector in the wake of demand upturn and expecting 6-7 per cent growth in supply of the dry fuel next year.

Also, the government is hopeful of a better show by state-owned Coal India (CIL), which is expected to achieve an output of 600 million tonnes (MT) in 2017-18.

In 2017, there has been a resumption in demand for coal and this has been the greatest difference from the last year, Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar told PTI in an interview.

Bottlenecks in coal supply to power plants turned out to be a big issue this year.

While power producers held the coal ministry responsible for inadequate coal supply, the latter blamed the former for the low stock of fuel at plants.

"Because in 2016, we did not see any demand for coal, that's why all the year (2017), we were requesting power plants to take (coal) supplies... This year, they have been in the overdrive... and we have been trying to cope with (the demand)," the secretary said.

The coal ministry went to the extent of saying that there was no shortage of the dry fuel and power plants should have adhered to the Central Electricity Authority's guidelines for stocking of coal.

"Next year, I see further increase of (coal) demand and I see a better performance by Coal India because now, they (Coal India) have realised that whatever was the position in 2016 is not the normal. Normal is what 2017 is," Kumar stressed.

"So... I am sure that in the remaining months of the year (2017-18) and 2018, we would see robust demand and good supplies," the secretary said.

Hoping that coal supply will grow at 6-7 per cent in 2017-18 compared to 2016-17, he predicted that 2018-19 will see a more improved performance.

In October, the Karnataka government had asked the Centre to ensure adequate supply of coal and early allocation of a coal block in Odisha to meet the severe fuel shortage faced by power units.

In the same month, Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam had said that power generation at thermal power stations had reduced by 2,700 MW due to shortage of coal, forcing it to resort to load shedding in the state.

Asserting that the bottlenecks in logistics pose a challenge in the year ahead, the secretary said "this year, we have been able to ramp up supply, but it cannot be the case forever".

Stating that after all the demand of the non-power sector has also to be met, he said the coal ministry is in talks with the railways to handle the situation.

"Now that the minister (Piyush Goyal) is the same, I am sure we will find the solution," the secretary added.

Terming the improvement in coal quality as one of the achievements of the ministry, Kumar said "last year, the problem was of quality which I must admit... we identified that and we solved that problem".

Making the point that the satisfaction level of consumers has increased now, the secretary said, "I think a better coordination with the power sector, which is now visible, should be continued.
West Bengal is rolling out red carpet to entrepreneurs as it looks to shun the anti-business image of the state and attract investments to create jobs and erase pain caused to the world-famous Darjeeling tea industry by a long-drawn strike in the hills.

The year 2017 started on a mixed note with the bullish outcome of the annual Bengal Global Business Summit and prolonged strike taking a toll on the tea industry.

The annual business summit, a pet initiative of chief minister Mamata Banerjee to draw investments into the state, was attended by leading industrialists of the country and had received investment proposals worth Rs 2.35 lakh crore across sectors.

These proposals, Banerjee said, would help the state to erase away its negative perception of not being very investor friendly as compared to others like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and the like.

However, the Darjeeling tea industry faced a severe crisis during the crucial second flush season after the hills' political parties spearheaded by Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) called an indefinite strike for separate statehood from the first week of June this year.

The second flush commands a huge premium in the export markets, particularly in the orthodox variety consuming countries of the UK and Europe. The Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) estimated the industry was staring at a loss of around Rs 250 crore as there was no production as well as loss of export markets, and subsequently approached the Tea Board for a financial package.

Even after the strike which continued for 104 days, the tea planters were unable to resume production primarily on two counts. Firstly, the tea bushes had grown beyond plucking and the estates had virtually turned into forests owing to lack of upkeep during the strike period, and secondly, the workers had deserted the localities in search of alternative employment opportunities elsewhere.

A comforting news was that IT major Infosys agreed to set up its maiden software development centre in West Bengal without the SEZ tag, which it was seeking for long and put the project on hold for years. The state government agreed to provide sops to the IT firm which would help in reaping some benefits.

IT minister Bratya Basu had said that the advent of Infosys would send a strong message to other companies in the similar domain to get enthused in coming to the state. However, the subsequent blow of the GST, implemented from July across the country, left many small businesses in the state in a quandary and many of them had to close down owing to their inability to upload to the GSTN portal.

Banerjee and finance minister Amit Mitra had vehemently opposed the 'hasty' decision of the Centre to introduce the GST from April and urged to postpone it till the portal software stabilised. Recently, Mitra said that GST was causing revenue loss for the states and the compensation amount fixed by the Centre would seem insufficient.

For the first time in India, international think tank Horasis organised its Asia meeting in the metropolis. The state was able to showcase itself before a galaxy of international thought leaders and businessmen during the meet with the promise of attracting investments.

In a major initiative, the state government has decided to invest heavily to the extent of Rs 12,000 crore over the next two to three years in infrastructure development to build roads, highways, bridges and water projects.
The government does not want Air India to become defunct like the Kingfisher Airlines, promoted by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and wants it to serve the nation, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today.

The government does not want anyone working in Air India to lose job, Raju said in the Lok Sabha, adding that the disinvestment process of the national carrier has been initiated.

"Nobody wants anyone to become unemployed. We don't want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way. We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high," he said during the Question Hour.

The minister said a ministerial committee headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is looking into the matter of disinvestment of Air India and anyone, including MPs, are welcome to give their suggestions to this panel.

On June 28, the Union Cabinet had cleared disinvestment of debt-laden Air India but the final modalities, including the quantum of stake sale, would be decided by a group of ministers headed by the finance minister.

Surviving on taxpayers' money, Air India has been in the red for long and various proposals, including government think-tank Niti Aayog's recommendation for complete privatisation, have been made.

The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore and is surviving on a Rs 30,000 crore bailout package extended by the erstwhile UPA government in 2012.

The Kingfisher Airlines was established in 2003 by Mallya. The air carrier was suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation after it failed to address the regulator's concerns about its operations.

Kingfisher Airlines also defaulted on loans from various Indian banks amounting to Rs 9,000 crore. Mallya left the country for the UK after failing to repay the debt.
With 160 deals, IT and ITES was the busiest sector followed by manufacturing and healthcare (47). The banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) space was third, recording 41 deals. Let's take a look at the biggest mergers and acquisitions in India this year. (Representative image)

India Inc is looking at a huge M&A tally of over USD 60 billion (about Rs 4 lakh crore) for 2017, helped by some marquee domestic deals and rich valuations for various private equity investments.

The need to consolidate in the wake of financial stress, as also for cashing out from valuable businesses to meet debt obligations, will continue to give a further boost to the deal-making activities, experts feel.

Experts believe the new year also looks promising in terms of deals as political stability is in place, economic reforms are on a fast track and broader macro factors are also looking positive, though some pressure may come from stretched valuations and high capital market benchmarks.

According to global consultancy giant Grant Thornton, the overall deal activity -- including both M&As (mergers and acquisitions) and PE (private equity) -- has been about USD 59 billion in the January-November period of 2017, a 9 per cent rise from the last year.

The final tally for the year may cross USD 60 billion.

"Valuations expectations, lack of understanding of regulatory process resulted in decline of the deal volumes and values in 2017," according to deal-tracking firm Mergermarket India.

It, however, noted that M&As may see a slower pace in 2018, with 2019 being the election year and the growth still looking tepid on the economic front.

According to Amit Khandelwal, Managing Partner, Transactions Advisory Services at EY, the domestic deal activity is expected to dominate the overall M&A landscape going forward, on account of the ongoing consolidation wave across sectors and the resolution of insolvency cases.

In addition, digital disruption and sector convergence will likely support the deal momentum as businesses look to acquire capabilities to gain a competitive edge, Khandelwal said.

Experts believe, start-ups, banking and insurance, e- commerce, manufacturing, pharma, healthcare and biotech will be the key sectors in terms of deal action.

"We consider that manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and life sciences, financial services, insurance, renewables, telecom and fintech will attract significant interest," Aakash Choubey, Partner, Khaitan & Co said, adding several deals will be done out of distressed assets.

EY's Khandelwal also believes that "with the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code) taking effect in 2017, 2018 is expected to see domestic deals emerging from restructuring activities and distressed asset sale.

On the cross-border front, outbound activity is expected to remain "sub-par", except in sectors such as pharma and technology where Indian players keep looking for additional resources and leading-edge technologies," he said, while adding that inbound activity can see some traction as global players are trying to expand their presence in India.

Choubey further noted that changes in regulatory landscape (demonetisation in November 2016, followed by implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, coming into effect of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) from 1 April 2016, and rigorous implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016) had temporarily halted a lot of M&As that would have been undertaken in the due course in 2017.

Vodafone India and Idea Cellular merger to create the countrys largest telecom operator worth of more than USD 23 billion with a 35 per cent market share, was the top M&A deal of this year.

Other major M&As of the year included IndusInd Bank's acquisition of country's leading microfinance player Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd (BFIL); ONGC's acquisition of Gujarat State Petroleum Corp's (GSPC) entire 80 per cent stake in a Krishna Godavari (KG) basin gas block in the eastern offshore for Rs 7,738 crore among others.

For private equity investments in India, 2017 has emerged as the best year so far.

The momentum could be largely attributed to increased attention from sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), pension funds and family offices which were at the frontline of the PE activity, said Sanjeev Krishan, Leader (Private Equity and Deals) at PwC India.

Sectorwise, the technology sector (including e-commerce) retained its dominant position with USD 11 billion invested across 346 deals, accounting for 45 per cent of the investment value this year; the sector witnessed three of the largest deals this year with Softbank and Tencent being at the forefront.

Technology was followed by the financial services sector with USD 5.2 billion invested across 74 deals. This was partly owed a continued interest in Non-Banking Financial Companies/ Micro Finance Institutions in addition to announcement of Axis Bank's USD 1 billion capital mop-up from Bain, which would be the largest PE deal in banking sector.

"The pipeline for reforms in the run up to elections in the various states and the Government's persistent effort to attract foreign capital in core sectors is expected to keep the deal activity high in the coming months," Prashant Mehra, Partner, Grant Thornton India LLP said.
Representative image

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In an alleged case of fraud, an Isuzu India dealer in Pune took a payment of over Rs 15 lakh from a customer for a D-Max V-Cross pick-up truck but failed to deliver the vehicle.

When the matter was raised to the company, Isuzu Motors washed its hands of the matter.

Harshvardhan Tapaswi, 37-year-old Pimpri-Chinchwad resident later filed a case against Isuzu Motors India and Viiraaj Isuzu in the District Consumer Forum, Pune and the second hearing in the case is due in January 2018.

In a telephonic conversation with Moneycontrol, Harshvardhan Tapaswis younger brother Shrivardhan Tapaswi said, "In July, we had asked for a quotation from the local Isuzu Motors dealer Viiraaj Isuzu for its D-Max V-Cross model. Consequently, in August, we booked the vehicle for purchase from the dealer, which is run by M/s Sai Sakshi Auto World Pvt. Ltd."

A copy of the quotation provided by Viiraaj Isuzu to Harshvardhan Tapaswi. Source: Shrivardhan Tapaswi/Moneycontrol

The vehicle was booked in his elder brothers name who made the payment in full, Rs 15,29,760 on August 4, the documents with Moneycontrol show. The payment was by virtue of a loan from Axis Bank.

Tapaswi alleges that the dealer convinced him to get the full amount transferred in one go saying it would ensure swift delivery in 2-3 days. The quotation document, however, shows that as per dealers policy the tentative delivery of the vehicle happens within 10 to 12 days from the date of receipt of firm order with full payment.

A copy of the receipt of the payment towards Viiraaj Isuzu. Source: Shrivardhan Tapaswi/Moneycontrol

Nevertheless, after failing to deliver the vehicle as promised, the GM of Viiraaj Isuzu, Shashank Kukreja replied to a mail from Shrivardhan Tapaswi citing internal issues at the showroom and apologised for the delay. The mail seen by Moneycontrol states that Kukreja promised to deliver the vehicle latest by August 25, failing which he said, we would bear one EMI of the loantaken for the vehicle.

The dealer again failed to deliver the vehicle though they paid one EMI for the loan. Subsequent EMIs are still being paid by Tapaswi family.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki car sent for servicing returned after just a car wash



Tapaswi, who owns a bike garage, then contacted one of his acquaintances, Vinod Chandwani, (at the time of his communication with Tapaswi said that he was one of the senior officials at Isuzu India) allegedly said that he would intervene and sort out the matter in a week.

Meanwhile, Isuzu Motors withdrew the dealership from Viiraaj Isuzu with effect from September 12, 2017. The company published a public notice in local newspapers in this regard and said that consequentlyViiraaj Isuzu has no rights or authority to deal with our products and cannot take any bookings and/or carry out any after sales service or any other dealership operation with respect to the Isuzu brand and its product/services.

A picture of the public notice by Isuzu motors India published on September 16 in The Times of India (Pune Edition). Source: Shrivardhan Tapaswi/Moneycontrol

Point to be noted is that the payment for the vehicle was deposited before the ties between the company and the dealer were snapped.

Seeing no ray of hope, Tapaswi escalated the matter with senior officials of Isuzu Motors India. "Not a single mail was answered initially by the senior officials. We did get an email from Isuzu Care acknowledging the email on September 21, 2017 which looked like an auto-generated mail acknowledging the complaint. I then got hold of the Email-ID of Pravesh Dangi, Regional Manager - West in dealer sales department of Isuzu Motors India, who assured that he would look into the matter," said Shrivardhan Tapaswi.

Tapaswi alleges that for 2-3 months, the conversation between Dangi and him continued but to no avail. Meanwhile, the price of the vehicle increased and Tapaswi was allegedly suggested by Dangi that he buy some other vehicle of the same company. However, Tapaswi refused and asked for the promised vehicle.

Finally, Tapaswi was forced to file a case against both, the dealer and Isuzu Motors with the Additional District Consumer Forum in October. Records obtained by Moneycontrol show that a complaint (case number CC/17/387) is listed for a second hearing with the Additional DCF, Pune on January 23, 2018. The first hearing was held on December 20.

For the first hearing, neither the company nor the dealer was present. Isuzu Motors India, though, later filed its reply in which it termed contents of the complaint as wholly misconceived and "false", and said that the complaint is nothing but a flagrant abuse of the process of law.

The company brushed aside any notion of liability and said that issues related to booking, delivery, cancellation, servicing and customer relations were independently handled by Viiraaj Isuzu. The company had no role or nexus in the functioning and management of the dealer, the reply in the court added.

Incidentally, in a letter dated August 22, addressed to Viiraaj Isuzus director, a copy of which is with Moneycontrol, Isuzu Motors India had enquired about the status of 11 pending bookings including that of Harshvardhan Tapaswi.

The company, through its employee Pravesh Dangi, had raised the matter with the dealer and sought clarity in case of Tapaswi, saying despite a full payment by the customer Viraaj Isuzu had not transferred any payment against this to order for this customers vehicle.

Warning the dealer that by not servicing the requirements of the mentioned customers it was risking Isuzu Motors reputation, the company had sought a full report. If we do not see positive action on the above by 24 August 17, IMI (Isuzu Motors India) will be constrained to adopt measures to protect the interests of these prospective customers, the letter reads.

Isuzu Motors India didn't respond to Moneycontrol's queries at the time of publishing this report.
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Kolte-Patil Developer Ltd said that global investment firm KKR will invest Rs 193 crore in its township at Pune.

In a regulatory filing, Kolte Patil said KKR has committed Rs 193 crore in its Kolte-Patil I-Ven Townships (Pune) Ltd (KPIT), which is a joint venture of Kolte-Patil and ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Ltd.

KPIT is developing 'Life Republic' a 383-acre township located in Pune's IT hub, Hinjewadi.

The JV will utilise the funds from this investment to attain financial closure, meeting working capital requirements and reducing cost of outstanding debt attributable to the development.

The company's Group CEO Gopal Sarda said, "At Life Republic, we are developing a full-amenities township focused on Hinjewadi's digital economy workforce. With our new partnership, we see this landmark project accelerating further to meet the rising aspirations of middle-income home buyers."
3:30 pm Market Closing: Benchmark indices closed lower on the day of expiry of December futures and options contracts.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 63.78 points at 33,848.03 and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 12.90 points to 10,477.90.

About 1,474 shares advanced against 1,283 declining shares on the BSE.

Jubilant Life Sciences said Jubilant Pharma, a material wholly owned subsidiary of the company, through one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, has received a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) approval from USFDA for DRAXIMAGE DTPA (kit for the reparation

of Technetium Tc99m Pentetate Injection) powder for solution.

Technetium Tc99m pentetate is a radioactive diagnostic agent indicated for brain imaging in adults; renal visualization; and lung ventilation imaging and evaluation of pulmonary embolism.

3:10 pm Crude Shock: Rising commodity prices, especially that of crude oil that has hit a three-year peak last week, will double current account deficit (CAD) to USD 39 billion or 1.5 percent of GDP this fiscal year, warns a report.

In September, domestic rating agency Icra had pegged CAD which is the difference between inflows and outflows of foreign exchange based on sale of merchandise, services and remittances, to print at 1.3 percent of GDP.

The widening merchandise trade deficit will lead to a deterioration in CAD to USD 12-15 billion or 2-2.3 percent of GDP in the December quarter, it said.

However, seasonal factors will help CAD shrink sharply to under USD 5 billion for the March quarter, it said, adding settling the year at 1.5 percent of GDP at USD 39 billion. So far this fiscal, the country has recorded a CAD of 2.4 percent in the first quarter and 1.2 percent in Q2.

2:55 pm Gold Update: Gold prices rallied Rs 175 to Rs 30,250 per 10 grams today, largely on positive global cues, marking the rise for the fifth straight day.

Increased buying by local jewellers helped.

Silver followed suit and gained Rs 250 to Rs 39,500 per kg on the back of increased offtake by industrial units and coin makers.

2:45 pm Buzzing: Monnet Ispat shares jumped nearly 13 percent intraday after a media report indicated that Aion Capital and JSW Steel submitted a Rs 3,500-crore resolution plan.

Monnet Ispat, which has debt worth more than Rs 10,000 crore, is among the first 12 cases identified by the Reserve Bank of India under insolvency and bankruptcy code.

2:35 pm Market Check: Benchmark indices gained strength amid volatility in afternoon, ahead of last futures & options contracts expiry of the year.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 73.69 points at 33,985.50 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 29.90 points at 10,520.70.

The market breadth remained positive as about 1,455 shares advanced against 1,169 declining shares on the BSE.

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group stocks - Reliance Communications (up 14.5 percent), Reliance Infrastructure (up 6 percent) and Reliance Capital (up 11.4 percent) - were active on the National Stock Exchange.

2:25 pm Record Date: Persistent Systems has informed exchanges that the company has fixed February 5, 2018 as the record date for the purpose of payment of interim dividend, if approved.

2:20 pm Stake Buy: Steel Strips Wheels said Kalink Company had acquired 13,015 equity shares of the company during the quarter ended December 31, 2017 through open market under foreign portfolio investment. The date of purchase of shares was November 30.

Kalink is also holding 2,09,525 equity shares in the company, which had been subscribed under foreign direct investment on June 10, 2016.

With this, Kalink is now holding 2,22,540 equity shares (representing 1.43 percent of total paid-up equity) till date.

2:05 pm Subsidiary incorporation: Fiora Hypermarket (FHL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Trent, has incorporated a subsidiary namely, Fiora Online Limited (FOL) on December 28, 2017.

FHL holds 99.99 percent of the equity share capital of FOL.

Here are the top headlines at 2 pm from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak

1:55 pm Goldman on Sun Pharma: Goldman Sachs has maintained its Buy call on Sun Pharmaceutical Industries with a target price of Rs 600 per share after the US health regulator accepted NDA filing for OTX-101.

The stock saw profit booking today after its nearly 7 percent rally in previous day.

The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) accepted a new drug application (NDA), filed by its wholly owned subsidiary, for OTX-101 (cyclosporine A, ophthalmic solution) 0.09%, a novel nanomicellar formulation of cyclosporine A 0.09% in a clear, preservative-free aqueous solution, the pharma major said in its filing on Wednesday.

It is in-line with expectations, the research house said while expecting an NDA approval for OTX-101 over the next 12 months.

According to Goldman, OTX-101 may be commercially launched in FY20.

1:42 pm Expert Speak: Talking about the trends for 2018 with an eye on additional borrowing by government and its impact on overall macros, CNBC-TV18 spoke to Tushar Arora Senior Economist, HDFC Bank and Indranil Pan, Chief Economist, IDFC Bank.

The government will borrow additional Rs 50,000 crore during January-March, raising the gross market borrowing target of the government to Rs 6.3 lakh crore for the financial year 2017-18.

Pan said it is clear that the fiscal deficit of 3.2 percent will not be met in FY18 but it would around 3.6 percent and for the next year government would want to show 3.3 percent target in terms of consolidation path laid down by FRBM.

1:20 pm M&A deals: India Inc is looking at a huge M&A tally of over USD 60 billion (about Rs 4 lakh crore) for 2017, helped by some marquee domestic deals and rich valuations for various private equity investments.

The need to consolidate in the wake of financial stress, as also for cashing out from valuable businesses to meet debt obligations, will continue to give a further boost to the deal-making activities, experts feel.

Experts believe the new year also looks promising in terms of deals as political stability is in place, economic reforms are on a fast track and broader macro factors are also looking positive, though some pressure may come from stretched valuations and high capital market benchmarks.

1:04 pm Power Ministry target: By March 2019, all homes in the country will be provided uninterrupted 24-hour power supply throughout the year, Power Minister R K Singh said today.

Singh said by December 2018, 1,694 villages, which are yet to be electrified, will have electricity connection and works in this regard has been going on.

All homes will get 24-hour power by March 2019, he said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

Singh also said a new law will be enacted to impose penalties on power discoms in case of failure to provide uninterrupted power after March 2019, except due to technical reasons.

12:51 pm Rally continues in RCom: Reliance Communications surged 16 percent now, taking total three consecutive days' gains to more than 105 percent.

The rally is after Anil Dhirubhai Ambani announced mega debt restructuring plan for the company that has debt of Rs 45,000 crore.

12:40 pm Buzzing: Motilal Oswal has initiated coverage with a Buy call on Mahindra CIE Automotive (MACA) and set a target price of Rs 297 per share, implying a 19 percent upside from Wednesday's closing price. The stock gained 4.5 percent intraday.

The research house said MACA is all primed for a growth phase, after three years of consolidation.

In the last three years since it acquired MACA, CIE embarked upon restructuring and consolidation of operations under MACA. With phase-1 of consolidation largely done, MACA is now focused on growth in phase-2.

The brokerage house believes all ingredients are in place for sustained growth: India business high dependence on fast growing segments; scope to add customers in Metalcastello and focus on value add at MFE; limited growth capex; supportive parent; and focused M&A strategy.

Mahindra CIE is a multi-technology automotive components supplier, with annual revenue of Rs 5,300 crore in CY16. It is one of the top manufacturers of forging parts in India (leader in crankshafts and stub axles) and the EU.

The government is looking at 2018

with renewed optimism for the coal sector in the wake of demand upturn and expecting 6-7 per cent growth in supply of the dry fuel next year.

Also, the government is hopeful of a better show by state-owned Coal India (CIL), which is expected to achieve an output of 600 million tonnes (MT) in 2017-18.

In 2017, there has been a resumption in demand for coal and this has been the greatest difference from the last year, Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar told PTI in an interview.

Bottlenecks in coal supply to power plants turned out to be a big issue this year.

12:05 pm Management Interview: Harsh Mariwala, CMD, Marico said in an interview to CNBC-TV18 that the GST related issues are behind them and so are the issues related to demonetisation. One is seeing definite improvement in the overall business demand, he said.

The distribution channels were definitely impacted due to GST, but things are now settling down, he said.

Volumes for 2018 are definitely expected to be better than 2017, said Mariwala.

He said the two trending products like health foods and male grooming will continue to see investments because they are categories of the future.

When asked if lower edible oil prices would benefit them he said no, because the company is not so much into edible oil but higher copra prices have impacted their margins to some extent.

He is also hopeful of increase in rural demand next year on back of government reforms and focus on infrastructure etc.

Here are the top headlines at 12 pm from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak

11:55 am Gold Update: Tracking firm overseas trend, gold prices advanced 0.32 percent to Rs 29,034 per 10 grams in futures trade today as speculators created fresh positions.

At the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold for delivery in February rose Rs 92, or 0.32 percent, to Rs 29,034 per 10 grams in business turnover of 429 lots.

On similar lines, the yellow metal for delivery in April contracts was trading Rs 81, or 0.28 percent, higher at Rs 29,035 per 10 grams in 16 lots.

11:40 am Market Update: Benchmark indices remained volatile in late morning deals ahead of last F&O expiry of the year.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 0.66 points at 33,911.15 and the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 4 points to 10,494.80.

About 1,389 shares advanced against 1,026 declining shares on the BSE.

Metals stocks like Hindalco and Vedanta gained 2-4 percent as copper prices are at highest level in 4 years and rallied 39 percent in 2017 so far.

11:15 am Banking reforms in 2018?: The government is likely to push ahead with banking sector reforms alongside infusion of fresh capital in state-owned lenders in the new year as it looks to lift banks out of NPA crisis and revive lending growth from a 25-year low.

The government in October announced infusion of an unprecedented Rs 2.11 lakh crore capital over two years in public sector banks that are reeling under high non-performing assets (NPAs). Their NPAs have increased more than two-and-a-half times to Rs 7.33 lakh crore as of June 2017, from Rs 2.75 lakh crore in March 2015.

Of the Rs 2.11 lakh crore package, Rs 1.35 lakh crore would be infused through recapitalisation bonds.

11:00 am Drug Approval: Dr Reddy's Laboratories shares gained nearly a percent intraday on receiving approval from the US health regulator for drug that reduces blood phenylalanine.

The pharma major has received tentative approval from US Food and Drug Administration for Sapropterin Dihydrochloride (100 mg) tablets.

These tablets are indicated to reduce blood phenylalanine concentrations in patients.

10:51 am Order Win: The power transmission and distribution business of L&T Construction has bagged orders worth Rs 1,600 crore.

The segment has received an order from the Saudi Electricity Company for construction of 380kV double circuit overhead transmission line.

In UAE, orders have been won for design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of three 132 / 11kV substations and associated works, one each from Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Shamal Development LLC and Meraas Development LLC.

In the domestic market, the business has secured a major order for EPC construction of 250MW solar plant in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh.

10:42 am Buzzing: Shares of Axis Bank today tanked nearly 2 percent after market regulator Sebi ordered the lender to conduct a probe into the alleged data leak.

In its first order in the WhatsApp leak case, regulator Sebi last night ordered Axis Bank to strengthen its systems and conduct an internal probe to fix responsibility as the initial investigation showed that the leakage was due to

"inadequacy" of processes at the bank.

10:29 am Rupee Trade: The rupee fell 3 paise to 64.18 against the dollar today on concerns that the government's additional borrowing this fiscal may lead to a breach in the fiscal deficit target.

The American unit retained its appeal among importers and

banks.

The government yesterday said it has decided to make an additional borrowing of Rs 50,000 crore this fiscal through dated securities, a move that may put burden on the fiscal deficit target of 3.2 percent of GDP.

However, there will be no change in net borrowing as envisaged in the Budget for 2017-18, a finance ministry statement said.

10:15 am Buzzing: Shares of Kolte-Patil Developers added 5 percent in morning as the company is going to raise Rs 193 crore from global investment firm KKR.

"The company has announced that global investment firm KKR has committed Rs 193 crore in Kolte-Patil I-Ven Townships (Pune) (KPIT), a joint venture of Kolte-Patil and ICICI Venture Funds Management Company," company said in press release.

KPIT is developing Life Republic, a 383-acre township located in Pune's IT hub, Hinjewadi.

10:05 am FII View: Indranil Sen Gupta of Bank of America Merrill Lynch said the government's decision to borrow another Rs 50,000 crore was an avoidable negative surprise in an already nervous G-Sec market.

The sell off in G-Secs is delaying lending rate cuts, notwithstanding bank recapitalisation and pushing back recovery, he added.

While the Finance Ministry has pointed out that this will get funded by maturity of T-Bills, TB maturity typically releases liquidity in the 'busy' industrial season in the March quarter, he said.

According to Gupta, it would have been better for the Center to have drawn down its surplus balances with the RBI.

Here are the top headlines at 10 am from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak

10:00 am Market Update: Benchmark indices continued to be rangebound in morning ahead of last expiry of futures & options contracts of the year.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 24.71 points at 33,936.52 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 12.60 points at 10,503.40.

About two shares advanced for every share falling on the BSE.

9:50 am Market Outlook: Devam Modi, Director  Equirus Securities said in an interview to Moneycontrol that the Nifty is currently trading at TTM P/E & P/B multiple of 26.8 & 3.54 respectively. The average TTM P/E & P/B multiple of Nifty since January 2000 is 19.1 & 3.6, respectively. The markets have risen in the past few months on the back of strong liquidity and expectations of earnings recovery in second half of FY18.

"We are cautious on the broader markets since there are various risks related to USD depreciation, crude run up, higher inflation expectations, firming up of bond yields and relatively high TTM valuations. However, we have a bottom up approach in stock selection and any correction in these stocks because of dampening in general markets shall remain a buy on dip," he said.

9:38 am Fiscal deficit: Samiran Chakraborty of Citi said the last time government resorted to extra borrowing of roughly Rs 90,000 crore was in FY12 when the fiscal deficit was revised from the budgeted level of 4.6 percent of GDP to 5.9 percent of GDP.

After around 5 years of fiscal marksmanship, the spectre of extra borrowing and fiscal slippage has returned, he added.

The research house estimated a 30 bps slippage in FY18 fiscal deficit target (from 3.2 percent of GDP to 3.5 percent of GDP) after taking into account the shortfall in RBI dividend, revenue foregone from excise duty cut and supplementary grants, he said. "The extra borrowing announcement, therefore, vindicates our view of fiscal slippage."

9:29 am Subsidy Claim: Cement maker Star Cement said it has received Rs 158.82 crore towards capital investment subsidy claim from the government.

The company will use these funds to repay loans, it said.

Star Cement along with its subsidiary, Star Cement Meghalaya has received Rs 158.82 crore "towards capital investment subsidy claim from the central government and this amount will be utilised towards repayment of loans," the company said in a regulatory filing.

9:21 am SEBI on Axis Bank: The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has directed Axis Bank to conduct an internal inquiry in the WhatsApp leak case. The inquiry needs to be conducted within a period of 3 months from the date of order and the bank will need to file a report on it within 7 days from the completion of the inquiry.

Moneycontrol had earlier reported that the market regulator had initiated an examination into leakage of price-sensitive information through WhatsApp groups.

SEBI, in a release on Wednesday, said that before its earnings on July 25, 2017, "financial results circulated on the groups were either matching in totality or were close to the actual announcements". The only exception, it said, was the slippage figure as can be seen in the following table:

9:15 am Market Check: Equity benchmarks rebounded with mild gains amid volatility on Thursday morning, ahead of expiry of December futures and options contracts.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 51.96 points at 33,963.77 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 21 points at 10,511.80.

Hindalco Industries, Vedanta, Aurobindo Pharma, BPCL, Lupin, HUL, Tata Steel, Coal India and Dr Reddy's Labs were early gainers.

The Nifty Midcap was up 0.24 percent.

Star Cement, Monnet Ispat, Reliance Communications, Kolte-Patil Developers and Hindustan Copper rallied 4-12 percent.

The Indian rupee has slipped to its lowest level since December 18, trading at around 64.26 against the US dollar while 10-year bond yield rose to 7.33 percent, the highest level since July 13, 2016.
INDIA - OCTOBER 25: Vikram Bakshi, Chairman Ascot Hotels and Resorts Limited addressing 5th International Conference on Real Estate at Hotel Taj Mahal in New Delhi, India ( 5th Conference on Real Estate: The Changing Paradigm in Indian Real Estate Friday, 24 Saturday, 25 October 2008: Hotel Taj Mahal, New Delhi ) (Photo by Yasbant Negi/The India Today Group/Getty Images)

Nearly 20 of the 84 outlets of fast food giant McDonald's in the north and east are set to reopen after licencee Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL) managed to find a new logistics partner, reports Mint.

The earlier logistics partner Radhakrishna Foodland had cut off supplies to the firm on December 20 citing reduction in volumes and uncertainty of the future. The lack of supplies compelled the firm to shut 84 of its outlets.

CPRL is a joint venture between McDonalds India (MIPL) and Vikram Bakshi and the firm operates 169 outlets in total.

CPRL Managing Director Bakshi told the paper the firm is working with a strong group in logistics space so that raw material is delivered to the 84 outlets. He, however, did not name the new logistics partner.

Supplies to some of our stores are being made today; our stores will start reopening later in the day. Between today and tomorrow, about 20 outlets will be back in business and before the end of the year, we will have all our stores serving customers again, he told the paper.

The outlets were closed due to an ongoing legal tussle between Bakshi and McDonalds India Pvt Ltd (MIPL), following which McDonalds India had terminated its franchise pact with CPRL. However, the termination was challenged by Bakshi before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) which later asked MIPL not to interfere in the CPRL's business.
More than 500,000 persons made online appointment at doctor's in 2017 as part of medical reform

More than 500,000 people in Ukraine have signed up for an appointment with a doctor online and received a consultation without a "live" queue, the press service of the Helsi Medical Information System (MIS) has reported.

"Over a year, the possibility of preregistration has become available for almost all polyclinics in the capital and for some cities of Ukraine. Thus, in eight out of ten districts of Kyiv, there is a free Helsi service, where 7,000 people are registered to visit a doctor every day," a message reads.

Currently, consultants are working to help patients and doctors in case of any questions in each clinic connected to the electronic system.

"Henceforth, the queues will gradually disappear in the medical institutions, which will help to improve the quality of the service and positively affect the level of satisfaction of patients and doctors," the press service of the MIS of Helsinki Service Director, Artem Mykhailiuk, said.

At present, 667 medical institutions from all regions of the country, 4,200 doctors and about 18,000 patients have joined the electronic health system eHealth. More than 80% of all registrations took place through the Helsi service.

Helsi is one of the medical information systems connected to the national electronic healthcare system eHealth. It operates in 262 outpatient clinics and 64 polyclinics in Ukraine. The MIS has carried out 460,000 entries for admission to health facilities since its launch.
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If you thought Bharti Airtel's merger with Tata Tele was the last deal announced in 2017  a year when the highly competitive Indian telecom sector saw consolidation among players  RCom and Jio sprung a surprise just before the year is about to end.

Reliance Communications (RCom) has announced that it will sell its wireless assets to Reliance Jio. This could be one of the last but a major deal amidst consolidation in the telecom sector this year.

RCom will be selling over 43,000 towers, among the top 3 independent tower holdings in India, 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands and approximately 1,78,000 RKM of fiber with pan India footprint to Jio.

About 248 Media Convergence Nodes, covering 5 Million sq ft, used for hosting telecom infrastructure will also be a part of the deal.

Until now, barring Jio, almost every other player in the telecom sector has been in talks with other players to join hands.

In October, the Bharti Airtel announced merger of its mobile operations with struggling Tata Teleservices. According to the deal, Airtel would acquire Tatas consumer mobile business in 19 circles.

The merger was done on debt-free, cash-free basis. The deal also gave Airtel access to Tatas 1,800, 2,100 and 850 MHz bands spectrum, all widely used for 4G. This month, both the boards cleared terms for the customer business merger.

Some other deals that made news in 2017 included the announcement of merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. Though the approvals for the deal have still not come through.

Reliance Communications also completed merger with MTS earlier this year.

Airtel and Telenor India merger is also in the pipeline.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
Markets regulator SEBI on Thursday decided to relax entry norms for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) willing to invest in the Indian markets.

Besides, SEBI would allow listing of security receipts issued by an asset reconstruction company (ARC) on stock exchange platform.

Moneycontrol reported on December 21 that the regulator has a big bang reforms agenda for the board meet on December 28.

This will enhance capital flows into the securitisation industry and particularly be helpful to deal with bank non- performing assets (NPAs), SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi told reporters here.

Security receipt, in market parlance, means a receipt or other security issued by a securitisation company or reconstruction company.

With regard to FPIs, the regulator's board in its meeting held here, decided to ease some rules, including expanding the eligible jurisdictions for registration by including countries with diplomatic tie-ups with India.

Besides, the regulator may rationalise "fit and proper" criteria for FPIs as well as simplify broad-based requirements for such investors.

The moves are aimed at easing direct registration for FPIs and avoiding participatory notes (P-notes).

According to the new proposal, more jurisdictions such as Canada would be able to access the market due to change in FPI Regulations.

Category I and II FPIs, which are essentially government and regulated entities, should not need any additional documentation and procedural requirements. However, Category III FPIs should continue to be subject to such requirements.

In a major revamp, SEBI in 2014 had released norms that had clubbed different categories of foreign investors into a new class called FPIs.

Under the regime, FPIs have been divided into three categories as per their risk profile and the KYC (know your client) requirements, while other registration procedures have been made simpler for them.

Further, a rationale of broad-based criteria would be extended in other cases wherein the applicant funds have other institutional investors  sovereign wealth fund, insurance/reinsurance companies, pension funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) as their underlying investors, Tyagi said.

Currently, an FPI is considered to be broad-based in case such overseas investor has a bank as an underlying investor.

Broad-based fund means a fund, established outside India, which has at least 20 investors, with no investor holding more than 49 percent of the shares or units of the fund.

In case broad-based fund loses its status due to an exit of some offshore global investors then it may not result in immediate loss of Category II status. Three months time should be given to such funds to regain such status.

The regulator may discontinue the requirements of seeking its prior approval in case of a change in local custodian or designated depository participants (DDPs).

At the time of change of local custodian/DDP, the new DDP should be permitted to rely on the registration granted by previous DDP at the time of transition. The move is expected to avoid duplicate efforts and incremental documentation by the FPIs as well as the DDPs.

Further, private bank/merchant bank should invest on behalf of their clients provided details of beneficial owners are available and will be provided as and when required by regulators.

Besides, banks do not have any secrecy arrangement with investors and secrecy laws do not apply to the jurisdictions in which the bank is regulated for such relaxation.
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To avoid any potential conflict of interest, markets regulator Sebi today decided to put a 10 percent cross-shareholding cap in mutual funds.

The new measure may have an impact on the shareholding pattern of UTI Asset Management Company (AMC), requiring its promoters to lower their stake to 10 percent or below in next one year.

Moneycontrol reported on December 21 that the regulator has a big bang reforms agenda for the board meet on December 28.

State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bank of Baroda (BoB) and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) are having their own mutual funds and at the same time they hold 18.24 percent stake each in UTI AMC.

The board of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has decided that any shareholder owning at least 10 percent stake in an AMC will not be allowed to have 10 percent or more stake in another mutual fund house operating in the country, Sebi Chairman Ajay Tyagi told reporters here.

Further, a sponsor of a mutual fund, its associates, group company and its asset management company will be restricted from holding 10 percent or more stake in a rival AMC.

In addition, such entities will be barred from having a representation on the board of another mutual fund house.

The moves are aimed at avoiding any conflict of interest and help in strengthening the governance structure for mutual funds.

In addition, Sebi has decided to come out with a fresh consultation paper on Investment Advisor in order to segregate advisory and the role of a distributor, Tyagi said.

However, mutual fund distributors while distributing the investment product can explain the features of the product to client.

To prevent the conflict of interest that exists between 'advising' of investment products and 'selling' of investment products by the same entity/person, there should be clear segregation between these two activities, the regulator said.

Existing registered investment advisers who are offering distribution services through a separate division would be given an option to choose between providing investment advice and distribution service before March 31, 2019.

From April 1, 2019, any person, including their immediate relatives or holding or subsidiary or associate entity shall offer either investment advice or distribution services.

Sebi had first issued a discussion paper that outlined the road map of distribution and advice in October 2016 and a revised consultation paper was issued in June.

Further, the regulator will provide an additional method --qualified institutional placement (QIP) -- route for listed entities to achieve the minimum public shareholding requirements.
What a dream run it has been for the Indian equity market in 2017 - and who would have thought. If we rewind back and talk about all the gloom and doom that were surrounding us back in December of 2016; demonetisation and impending huge indirect tax reform. Well, the Indian market has come a long way and come on top.

In this CNBC-TV18 special show '18 for 18', SP Tulsian of sptulsian.com gave top stock ideas for 2018.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Surabhi: CG Power, a company that has gone through the motions splits its business into different verticals, is there a big turnaround in the works? What are you expecting from the performance going forward?

A: Actually, CG Power did a mistake of foraying into the overseas business and that was the biggest mistake they did in 2007. In fact their domestic business has been doing quite well and having realised that mistake the company has started in fact monetising all the overseas assets maybe for the last three years and now that seems to be coming to an end. They have sold their Ireland unit, Germany unit, Brazil, US everywhere except for Thailand, the transformer making unit which has turnaround and now contributing n a big way so practically if you see pending amount to be received because many of the deals having concluded in the last six months or so, still they have to receive the money from the buyers of those units.

And if one sees the financials of the company of September, 30, you will find that on a net of basis, it is a debt free company, maybe with some cash in their hand. And now, company is totally focusing on the Indian business. And as I said, the Thailand business also, which is profit making. If I just quickly go through, they have a very strong presence in power system and industrial system and now, the two areas, one is transmission and distribution and second is railways. We all know that railways are now migrating from the diesel to electric locomotives. There the company is enjoying a very good competence and that is going to give them a very good leeway going forward. In fact, an order of about Rs 111 crore has already been received from the railway recently in the last one month by the company.

If I quickly go through the financials of the company, it has already posted a standalone income of about closer to Rs 600 crore with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of about Rs 250 crore. And interest, as I said, major amount has been received in the second half or maybe is going to get received now. The interest liability was Rs 106 crore and in spite of that, company had a profit before tax (PBT) of Rs 85 crore and profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 70 crore. So going forward, maybe for FY19, I am not banking too much on FY18 because that is more for the balance sheet cleaning, this can, stock is seen to be an inflection point because of their core competence and focus on the domestic market.

So taking all this into consideration, equity is also seen to be quite low at Rs 125 crore. And if I take the market cap and enterprise value (EV) because as I said, it is a debt free, it is about sub-Rs 6,000 crore and generally, if you take a comparable peers, maybe like ABB, Siemens and all that, they always rule at an EV to sales of about six times, maybe five to six times, while this company is ruling at an EV to sales of 1x. So tremendous potential going forward from FY19 onwards. Promoter stake is 35 percent, but the institutional holding is at 52 percent. So taking all this into consideration, one can keep a target of about Rs 115 in the year 2018 on the stock.

Surabhi: Next stock on your list is AksharChem India, interesting place Speciality Chemicals, I was trying to do whatever little reading I could after the market, so vinyl sulphone I believe is a big product for them what could be the triggers here for this company?

A: In fact I would say that the company has two product profile one is dyes and pigment and second is dye intermediates. Take the dyes and pigments - CPC Green, CPC Blue are the main products and if you take dye intermediates then vinyl sulphone forms the big this one, they are foraying into the H-acid also which is again a dye intermediate plus they are foraying into precipitated silica also.

Under the expansion, company is carrying out an expansion of about Rs 175 crore which should get completed may be in six months time and in fact in spite of such a big Capex company will remain a debt free because for the simple reason that they raised about Rs 69 crore with the qualified institutional placement (QIP) having made in the month of July at Rs 776 and now the share is ruling closer to about Rs 700. If you see last year that is FY17 had fabulous year for the dye intermediate largely because of the increase in the prices of vinyl sulphone, H-acid, J-acid, gamma acid and in fact many of the players pure the dye intermediates have really shown excellent numbers. So, while comparing year-on-year in spite of company having posted an earnings per share (EPS) of Rs 21 for H1 share price has corrected because obviously market had disappointment because there was a drop of about maybe 50 percent in the profits after tax (PAT) and the share corrected from a top of Rs 990 to the present levels of Rs 700.

If you see the theme going for the dye intermediates and dyes and pigments both are doing very well. They are the largest exporter of vinyl sulphone from India having 45 percent market share plus they are having one amongst the largest producer of CPC Green amongst the world having the 10 percent market share. So, once they will be having this expansion completed in next six to eight months their topline will increase by about 80 percent giving excellent operating leverage.

As I said company will continue to remain debt free. So, if I have a H1 EPS of Rs 21, H2 is definitely better because of the increase seen in the realisation in margin of dyes and pigments and dye intermediates. So, take Rs 45 as EPS for FY18; for FY19 I think that will be a real big explosion in earnings. I wont be surprised to see an EPS of about Rs 75-80 also for FY19 and that will really be a big kicker for the company to post growth in its topline as well as in bottom-line. Maybe topline will show a growth of about 60-65 percent bottomline will show a growth of about 80-85 percent. So, taking that into consideration share can give you a level of about Rs 880 in a six months or so which is now ruling closer to about Rs 700.

Nigel: You are looking at a cement company? Give us details there. What is the target price?

A: In fact, we have been keeping extremely bullish view on cement and in fact, I will not be surprised to see the average capacity uitilisation which is now seen at around 70 percent across India will get increased to about 85 percent. And in that theme, JK Cement, in fact, what is happening, market is giving good valuation to the companies having capacity of 10 million tonnes. In fact there are three layers, 10 million, 25 million and 50 million.

And 50 million and above only falls one company that is UltraTech and there are many companies in the 25 million space and 10 million also. So if you take a call on this company, they have a 10.5 million grey cement capacity. Apart from that, they are into white cement also with a capacity of six lakh tonne per annum with a 45 percent market share and if you take a call on white cement, it is a duopoly market. Only two players are there. One is JK Cement, second is UltraTech.

Apart from that, they have the wall putty of seven lakh tonne per annum. And in fact, the financial performance for the first half, generally cement companies are posting an earnings of about 33-40 percent in the first half and with not a significant growth having seen in any of the companies for this H1 FY18, if I really take a call. But this company has shown extremely better numbers for H1 FY18 over H1 FY17. And if I just take a call, Rs 15 EPS was last year in the first half and this year it is Rs 25.

And second half, they had about Rs 25. So if you take in all, about Rs 37-38, EPS which they have posted for FY17, they are going to end this FY18 with an EPS of abut Rs 60. Now, come on the financials. Very low equity at about maybe Rs 70 crore with a face value of Rs 10 and market capitalisation or the EV is quite low, seen at about Rs 7,600 crore as market cap and EV at Rs 9,100 crore. And that translates into cement per tonne capacity at about USD 110. But the best part is that the company has already taken up the capacity expansion to 14 million tonne and that should get completed maybe in the next 12 months or so.

And I am expecting that company has given a capital outlay of about Rs 1,500 crore which translates at about maybe USD 65 per tonne. And since the company has cash accrual of about Rs 9,00,000 crore, they should be largely have this entire capex of Rs 1,500 crore from their internal accruals. That means not by increasing the debt, keeping the debt at constant level of Rs 1,500 crore. And excellent, maybe for FY19, I will not be surprised to see the EPS moving to about Rs 78-82 which is likely to be at about Rs 58-60 for FY18. So taking all this into consideration, share is likely to give a level of about Rs 1,370 in 2018 which is now ruling at sub-Rs 1,100.

Surabhi: Coming to your next pick and that is Jaypee Infratech, very interesting, people are wondering how it will eventually all pay out to the courts and through the bankruptcy proceedings, what is the sense and what is the trigger here?

A: Take this as a wild card entry and if you really take the situation, two stocks I will quickly I am not trying to give any comparison the two stocks one is DB Realty and second is Reliance Communication. The movement we have seen any kind of favourable indications coming in either by way of favourable 2G orders DB moved up by about 60 percent in two days or three days. RComm the moment we have seen debt resolution scene happening the stock moved up by about 100 percent in this last couple of week. If I just quickly come on Jaypee Infratech the company has 165 KM Pune Expressway with a residual concession period of 30 years. Generally, in all road projects you have a total concession period of 20 years here it was 36 years of which they have completed six years so they have residual concession period of 30 years. Apart from that they have Rs 27 crore sq feet of land under development at five locations. One in Greater Noida, two parcels in Gautam Budh Nagar, one in Aligarh and one in Agra.

If you really take a call right now affordable housing is the only sector where the tax free income is allowed by the government of India none other sectors have that. Of this Rs 27 crore sq feet company has only taken up development of Rs 6 crore sq feet for which the litigation in Supreme Court is going on. Supreme Court earlier directed the JP Associates the promoter to deposit Rs 2,000 crore but then they have reduced that to Rs 550 crore of which Rs 425 crore has already been deposited. I don\'t think that Rs 125 crore being the last instalment is going to get default by the promoter that is JP Associates on January 25th. Apart from that 20 potential acquirers, you just name who is who, they are lined up to take up this company they are going to be quite aggressive because two portfolio one is Rs 21 crore residual sq feet of land under development and 165 KM.

Today if you all have read the report about 5,000 flats will be delivered by the group by March 2018 of them some of the flats are of JP Associates also some of them are Jaypee Infratech also. So, once you have any kind of resolution seen in sight coming in and you will see the stock just running up. I just gave those two examples, the way it moves up on the downside, even on a valuation kind of bases if you take say Rs 500-600 sq ft land development that is seem to be quite low. So, given a target of Rs 24 in the year 2018 but one can even keep a time horizon on the stock till 2018 to see may be higher gains more than Rs 24 also.

Surabhi: Let us come to your last pick, Cineline.

A: This is purely a real estate company and if I just go through quickly, they have nine cinema halls in Mumbai, Thane and Nasik and all are leased to PVR. So they are getting a fixed annuity income. Apart from that, they have 84,000 sq ft of saleable area booked in Kanakia Wall Street. This is again a commercial complex coming on the Wall Street concept which will get leased out by them maybe for about Rs 15 crore on annuity and the possession should be given to them maybe in the next 12 months or so. Third property which they are owning is a shopping mall in Nagpur which is 90-95 percent occupied.

The intent to monetise and the amount which is estimated to get realised is about Rs 250 crore. In fact, if you see, amongst the realty space, generally either they do not have the earnings or they are overleveraged. But in the case of this company, they have consistent EPS of Rs 4 on an annualised basis and the debt is just Rs 130-140 crore with market cap of Rs 310 crore, EV of about maybe Rs 440-450 crore. And if you take the conservative valuations because as I said, nine cinema halls are all going to get developed maybe every couple of years, one or the other property which will keep giving them the further monetisation of each property as well.

So the net present value of the property insiders or maybe the experts are estimating to be about Rs 1,250-1,300 crore, promoter stake is quite high at 70 percent. So taking all this into consideration, share now ruling at Rs 109 can be looked to have a target of Rs 136 in 2018.
Bull's Eye, CNBC-TV18's popular game show, where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest.

Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well.

This week, Shahina Mukadam, Pankaj Jain and Ruchit Jain battle it out for top honours.

Below their top stock picks and analysis:

Shahina Mukadam, Independent Market Expert

Buy GMDC with a stoploss at Rs 155 and target of Rs 170

Buy Jindal Saw with a stoploss at Rs 128 and target of Rs 145

Buy Deepak Fertilisers with a stoploss at Rs 385 and target of Rs 425

Buy DCB Bank with a stoploss at Rs 180 and target of Rs 215

Pankaj Jain of SW Capital

Buy GHCL with a stoploss at Rs 312 and target of Rs 335

Buy HEG with a stoploss at Rs 2090 and target of Rs 2215

Buy Fortis Healthcare with a stoploss at Rs 156 and target of Rs 169

Buy Kolte-Patil with a stoploss at Rs 356 and target of Rs 383

Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking

Buy Divis Lab with a stoploss at Rs 1079 and target of Rs 1180

Buy Apollo Hospital with a stoploss at Rs 1166 and target of Rs 1260

Buy Radico Khaitan with a stoploss at Rs 274 and target of Rs 300

Buy Tamilnadu Newsprint with a stoploss at Rs 420 and target of Rs 470
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Addl Borrowing

Brokerage: IDFC

The broking firm said that fears of bond traders come true as government announces additional borrowing. Further, the government could head towards a fisc gap of additional 0.4% of GDP in FY18. Even as the market was factoring in some slippage in FY, gap appears to be large.

Brokerage: Citi

The global research firm said that news on fiscal front was once again negative. Further, it added that the last time government resorted to extra borrowing was in FY12. The announcement of additional bond supply of Rs 50,000 crore comes as a negative surprise.

Marico

Brokerage: Antique | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 363

Antique expects the firm to post 8% like-to-like growth in Q3 cons revenue. It estimate profit at rs 210 crore (10% yoy growth) in Q3. Parachute oil & value added hair oils continued to post double digit volume growth. It expects Bangladesh to record double digit constant currency growth.

Mahindra CIE

Brokerage: Motilal | Rating: Initiate coverage with a buy | Target: Rs 297

The brokerage expects consolidation & operating leverage to drive 29% EPS CAGR. Further, the firm is primed for a growth phase, after three years of consolidation. All ingredients are in place for sustained growth.

Sun Pharma

Brokerage: Goldman Sachs | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 600

The global investment bank said that delayed Halol resolution & US price erosion intensity key risks. Further, the US FDA accepting NDA filing of OTX-101, is in-line with expectations.

NTPC

Brokerage: Motilal | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 211

The brokerage said that declining PLF is impacting operating efficiencies of plants. Lower coal cost & relaxed regulatory norms provide some relief and revised regulatory norms can compensate earnings by 2 percent. As capitalisation outpaces capex, RoE will get a boost.
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Shares of Kolte-Patil Developers added 5 percent in the early trade Thursday as the company is going to raise Rs 193 crore from global investment firm KKR.

"The company has announced that global investment firm KKR has committed Rs 193 crore in Kolte-Patil I-Ven Townships (Pune) (KPIT), a joint venture of Kolte-Patil and ICICI Venture Funds Management Company," company said in press release.

KPIT is developing Life Republic, a 383-acre township located in Pune's IT hub, Hinjewadi.

"KPIT will utilize the funds from this investment to attain financial closure at R1 sector of Life Republic, meeting working capital requirements and reducing cost of outstanding debt attributable to the development," it added.

Gopal Sarda, Group CEO at Kolte-Patil Developers said, "With our new partnership, we see this landmark project accelerating further to meet the rising aspirations of middle-income home buyers.

"We will utilize KKR'S capital to further expand our focus on efficient execution that we see translating into improved demand from customers and strong project dynamics for all other stakeholders," he said.

The company in its board meeting held on December 27 has approved the resolution for fund raising of Rs 500 crore by various mode, including by issue of NCDs, or any other securities, equity shares and\or other securities convertible into equity.

It has also approved merger of Bellflower Properties, a wholly owned subsidiary with the company, subject to the approval of National Company Law Tribunal and such other regulatory authorities.

At 09:17 hrs Kolte-Patil Developers was quoting at Rs 375.65, up Rs 15.20, or 4.22 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
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Motilal Oswal has initiated coverage with a Buy call on Mahindra CIE Automotive (MACA) and set a target price of Rs 297 per share, implying a 19 percent upside from Wednesday's closing price. The stock gained 4.5 percent intraday Thursday.

The research house said MACA is all primed for a growth phase, after three years of consolidation.

In the last three years since it acquired MACA, CIE embarked upon restructuring and consolidation of operations under MACA. With phase-1 of consolidation largely done, MACA is now focused on growth in phase-2.

The brokerage house believes all ingredients are in place for sustained growth: India business high dependence on fast growing segments; scope to add customers in Metalcastello and focus on value add at MFE; limited growth capex; supportive parent; and focused M&A strategy.

Mahindra CIE is a multi-technology automotive components supplier, with annual revenue of Rs 5,300 crore in CY16. It is one of the top manufacturers of forging parts in India (leader in crankshafts and stub axles) and the EU.

India contributes 38 percent of MACA's overall business, while the European Union contributes the rest. It caters to top customers like Maruti, M&M, Tata Motors and Hero MotoCorp in India.

MACA's India (ex-BFL) business is focused on fast-growing/recovering segments of utility vehicles, light commercial vehicles and tractors, which contribute nearly 2/3rd of revenue.

Top-2 customers, M&M and Tata Motors, which contribute over 55 percent to revenue (ex-BFL), are witnessing good recovery in volumes, driven by product lifecycle as well as rural recovery (for M&M), the research house said.

According to the brokerage house, the share of India business is likely to grow from 38 percent to 48 percent by CY19, with the BFL acquisition driving higher growth and margin expansion.

The Bill Forge (BFL) acquisition is an excellent strategic fit for MACA, the research house said. It adds Japanese/Korean PV OEM, 2-wheeler and passenger vehicle driveline products, higher machining mix and higher exports.

Motilal Oswal feels European business is likely to grow slightly ahead of the underlying industry CAGR of 2-4 percent in EUR terms.

It said a strong, focused and disciplined parent, CIE has instilled financial discipline and high focus on delivering value-accretive growth.

MACA would play an important role in CIE attaining its 2020 targets of doubling profits and return on net assets of 20-25 percent, it feels.

The research house estimates consolidated revenue CAGR of around 8 percent over CY17-19, EBITDA margin expansion of around 260bp to around 15.1 percent by CY19 and EPS CAGR of around 29 percent.

Strong earnings growth and limited capex (5-6 percent of sales) would drive improvement in capital efficiencies (return on equities to improve 630bp to 12.9 percent), it feels.

Key risks according to Motilal Oswal are slowdown in key markets and customers; and faster than expected electrification of autos.

At 11:42 hours IST, the stock price was quoting at Rs 260.25, up Rs 10.00, or 4 percent on the BSE.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Can Fin Homes is a sell with a stoploss of Rs 485, target of Rs 460."

"Repco Home Finance is a sell with a stop of Rs 682, target of Rs 660."

"Hindalco Industries is a buy with a stoploss of Rs 274, target of Rs 289," he added.

At 13:20 hrs Hindalco Industries was quoting at Rs 276.90, up Rs 11.10, or 4.18 percent. It has touched a 52-week high of Rs 278.75.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Canara Bank is a sell with a stoploss of Rs 370, target of Rs 356. Punjab National Bank is a sell with a stoploss of Rs 174, target of Rs 162. State Trading Corporation of India is a buy with a stoploss of Rs 180, target of Rs 195."

He further added, "We started this year on Hindustan Unilever (HUL) at about Rs 800 and now it is at Rs 1,380. If you have a similar year you will be at Rs 2,000 that appears a bit unlikely."
SMC Global Securities has released their list of top stock ideas for 2018. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Saurabh Jain, AVP Research of SMC and Author of that reports spoke at length about the top ideas.

According to him, the government will boost defence expenditure ahead of the 2019 elections and Bharat Electronics (BEL) will be a key beneficiary.

The second stock on the list is NHPC and Jain believes that the dividend yield for NHPC is at a healthy level of 6 percent.

Last stock on his list is Engineers India and according to him, increasing oil prices will be beneficial for the stock and will also benefit from capex by oil marketing companies (OMCs).
The market could see a mildly higher opening based on trends on SGX Nifty as well as similar trends coming in from the global markets too. The bulls failed to maintain their control over D-Street in the last hour of the trading session on Wednesday and closed below its crucial support zone of 10500 levels. The index made a small bearish candle on the daily candlestick charts ahead of December expiry.

Here are stocks that are in the news today:

Axis Bank

Market regulator, SEBI issues directions to Axis Bank w.r.t leakage of unpublished price sensitive information. Axis Bank to conduct an internal inquiry into leakage of unpublished information. The bank also allotted 12,650 shares under ESOP scheme.

Auto stocks will be in focus:

The Lok Sabha today approved a bill to hike cess on luxury vehicles from 15 percent to 25 percent with a view to enhance funds to compensate states for revenue loss following the rollout of GST.

State Bank of India

The countrys largest lender SBI on Wednesday said its board had approved raising Rs 8,000 crore through various sources, including masala bonds, to meet Basel III capital norms.

Reliance Infrastructure

India Ratings upgrades long-term issuer rating to evolving from negative. The revision is reflective of the steps taken by the Company for deleveraging through various divestment initiatives sale of the Mumbai power business.

Vedanta

Mining billionaire Anil Agarwal- led Vedanta Limited announced the acquisition of a controlling stake in Japanese glass substrate manufacturer AvanStrate Inc from global private equity firm Carlyle Group for $158 million.

Kolte-Patil

Kolte-Patil Developers' joint venture company Kolte-Patil I-Ven Townships (Pune) has entered into an agreement to raise Rs 193 crore from global investment firm KKR. The said company is a joint venture between Kolte-Patil and ICICI Venture Funds Management Company.

Aurobindo Pharma

Aurobindo Pharma said it has received final approval from the US health regulator to manufacture and market its generic version of Fondaparinux Sodium injection used to prevent deep vein thrombosis.

Lupin

Lupin Ltd, the BSE listed Mumbai-headquartered pharmaceutical company, has dragged the Government of India to court, claiming the stock lying in its godowns could face double taxation when it's sold, said a report.

Indian Overseas Bank

IOB is selling Rs 600 crore worth exposure in debt-laden steel firm Bhushan Steel Ltd, Mint reported quoting two people who aware of the development.

Idea Cellular

The company announced allotment of 111,482 equity shares of Rs.10/- each under employee stock option scheme, 2006 and employee stock option scheme, 2013.

Dr Reddys Laboratories

The Board of Directors of the Company has allotted 6,260 equity shares of Rs.5/- each of the Company, fully paid up, on December 27, 2017, to Employees on exercise of their Stock Options.

Star Cement

Cement maker Star Cement today said it has received Rs. 158.82 crore towards capital investment subsidy claim from the government. The company will use these funds to repay loans, it said.

Tata Steel is ramping up production at its Khondbond iron ore mine in Odisha to fuel expansion of the Kalinganagar Plant, a company official said.

Dr Reddys Labs gets tentative US FDA nod for Sapropterin Dihydrochloride (100 mg) tablets (used to reduce blood phenylalanine concentrations in patients) Aurobindo Pharma arm Aurolife Pharma LLC gets US FDA nod for Lorazepam (0.5-2 mg) tablets (used to treat anxiety disorders, trouble sleeping, active seizures) Alkem Labs gets US FDA nod for Ezetimibe & Simvastatin (10mg) tablets (a drug combination used to treat dyslipidemia)

-Granules India gets US FDA nod for Cetirizine Hydrochloride (10 mg) tablets (used to treat hay fever, allergies, angioedema)

: K Srinivasa Murthy nominated as a part-time non-official director.: Closure of trading window from January 1: Closure of trading window from December 31Jubilant Consumer pledges and releases some shares of Jubilant Foodworks on December 21to list on Fridayties up with J&K Bank to finance Rs 2,000 crore hydropower projects: Mint-Aion- JSW Steel files Rs 3,500 crore resolution plan for
Hemant Thukral of Aditya Birla Money told CNBC-TV18, "Two sectors stocks I will recommend today. One is metals and in that we have chosen Vedanta. 61 percent positions have been rolled till yesterday and if you see its averages, t-1 is 45. So we are expecting it to cross 80 percent rollovers which Vedanta has not done from last six months."

"Importantly, Vedanta has closed yesterday above Rs 320 which was acting as a slightly stiff resistance on technical grounds. So we feel that one should keep a stoploss of Rs 322 and we expect a target of Rs 336 as the first target."

"Second sector is pharmaceutical and in that we have seen very good rollovers happening. In fact, Sun Pharmaceutical has done 76 percent, so we expect it to do like last month, it had done 90, and we are expecting it to cross 90-91 percent rollovers. However, this time the rollovers are happening when Sun Pharmaceutical has given a clear breakout on charts yesterday."

"We expect this momentum to continue. First target should be Rs 597-600 zone and we will keep a stoploss of Rs 565. So we are recommending two trades, one in Vedanta and one in Sun Pharmaceutical," he said.
The real estate sector made headlines in 2017. This was primarily on account of three factors  the crackdown on black money/benami transactions began with demonetisation in November 2016. This was followed by the coming into effect of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 on May 1 that hoped to improve transparency and empower homebuyers and change the way properties are bought and sold in the country. Finally, the roll out of the goods and services tax (GST) regime that came into effect on July 1 and was aimed at boosting transparency in taxes.

Structural reforms and immediate impact

The year 2017 started on a slow note with the sector still reeling under the shock of demonetisation. Demonetisation had a negative impact on both home launches and home sales. In the first couple of quarters following demonetisation, new home launches and demand for homes remained muted across the country. The secondary or the resale market was hit more than the primary market because of the predominance of cash transactions in the resale market. Transactions in the secondary market fell by as much as 50 per cent.

Demonetisation squeezed liquidity out of developers forcing them to change their business model. Developers began preferring joint development agreement with land owners over outright purchase of land. The positive impact of demonetisation from a home buyers point of view was a fall in home loan rates and home prices, says Sachin Sandhir, Global Managing Director  Emerging Business, RICS

May 1, 2017: Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA)

On May 1, homebuyers were armed with several new rights specified under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA), including the right to obtain information relating to sanctioned plans, layout plans along with the specifications, approved by the competent authority.

Buyers were also entitled to claim possession of apartment along with completed common areas such as parks, clubs, internal roads etc. But RERA also has a set of responsibilities underlined for homebuyers. Any non-compliance with the decisions of the appellate tribunal is punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend up to one year or with a fine for each day any default of payments continues. It also mandates that every allottee will have to participate in the formation of an association of allottees and take physical possession of the unit within two months of the builder getting the occupancy certificate. Homebuyers will also have to necessarily register the conveyance deed of the apartment, plot or building.

According to Anuj Puri, Chairman  ANAROCK Property Consultants, the Governments ambitious Housing for All by 2022 mission received a massive thrust in 2017 with the granting of the very vital infrastructure status to affordable housing. In addition, the definition of affordable housing and houses classified under MIG underwent a series of tweaks to cover a larger buyer base and help developers offload their budget homes inventory.

Overall, 2017 saw the Government making it clear that home buyers will no longer be at the mercy of real estate developers, and putting various measures in place to ensure that housing supply syncs up with demand and pertinent projects are developed. There are doubtlessly some teething troubles  some of them very obvious - in implementing and executing the new policies and reforms. However, they have made a deep impact even now, he said.

Agrees Rohit Gera, managing director, Gera Developments Pvt Ltd and VP Credai Pune Metro, through RERA, the government made delivery to the customer a priority and simultaneously ensured that developers who earlier could launch a project with virtually no capital now require financial strength and capability before entering the business. This led to a cleaning up and weeding out of fly-by-night operators whose sole objective was to prey on hapless home buyers. The introduction of GST will further streamline the supply chain of developers and bring many small-time contractors and vendors into the GST net.

Impact of GST on property market

According to Sandhir, it is difficult to quantify the exact impact of GST on property prices. While developers will be able to avail input credit on goods and services bought and used during the construction process, we will have to see if they will pass this benefit to home buyers. GST is nevertheless expected to benefit affordable housing. The new tax regime is expected to keep real estate costs low for the affordable housing segment, thereby making it cheaper.

2017 a buyers market; limited new launches keep prices in check

The year also saw limited new projects hit the market as developers shifted focus towards completing existing projects, so much so that not many new launches took place even during the festive season.

According to statistics shared by Anarock Property Consultants Pvt Ltd, at 94,000 homes, the number of new units added across seven leading cities in the country over the first three quarters of 2017 dropped by half from a year back. In fact, 97,000 units were launched in the first quarter of 2016, which was higher than that launched in all three quarters of 2017 so far.

Unsold units in top 7 cities of India declined by 8 per cent between the third quarter of 2016 and the third quarter of 2017. This decline was primarily due to restricted new launches amidst the green shoots of sales recovery. The cities in South India recorded a higher decline in unsold inventory as compared to the other cities, primarily due to strict control on new launches and the dominance of end-users in these cities.

Unsold inventory decreased by 22 per cent, 18 per cent, and 16 per cent in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru respectively between the third quarter of 2016 and the third quarter of 2017. NCR and MMR, which account for around 55 per cent of total unsold units across top 7 cities as of the third quarter of 2017, witnessed a mere 6 per cent decline in unsold units between the third quarter of 2016 and the third quarter of 2017, the report said.

The year 2017 remained a buyers market. The presence of a significant inventory of unsold units kept a tight control on average prices, which largely remained range bound between Q3 2016 and Q3 2017. Assessment of average prices for the past 5 years (Q3 2012 to Q3 2017) reveals that Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru were the front-runners in capital value appreciation, bucking the trends of larger cities such as MMR and NCR, said the report.

Home sizes were also impacted. After the launch of government initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) Urban, developers are now focusing on constructing compact homes. As per ANAROCK research, the average size of new units launched in 2017 has shrunk significantly over the previous year, across the top 7 cities of India. Notably, NCR witnessed the highest reduction of 21 per cent, followed by 15 per cent reduction in Pune, Kolkata and Hyderabad, and 12 per cent in MMR.

The Centre on November 16, 2017, approved the enhancement of the carpet area of houses for the middle income group (MIG) category, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana  Urban (PMAY-U). Under the MIG-I category, the carpet area of the houses has been enhanced from 90 sq metres to 120 sq metres, while under the MIG-II segment, it has been increased to 150 sq metres from the current 110 sq metre. Under the MIG-I category, a four per cent interest subsidy is provided to the beneficiaries, whose annual income is between Rs six lakh and Rs 12 lakh, on a loan of up to Rs nine lakh. Similarly, under the MIG-II category, the beneficiaries with an annual income of Rs 12 lakh to Rs 18 lakh, get an interest subsidy of three per cent on a loan of up to Rs 12 lakh.

Another report by Liases Foras that tracked the residential market in the second quarter of 2017-2018 said that sales across the eight Tier I cities decreased marginally from 64,881 in the previous quarter to 64,781 units in the current quarter. Hyderabad led sales with an increase of 11 per cent quarter-on-quarter. MMR sold 16,194 units to record a maximum share to overall sales at 24 per cent. Chennai and Kolkata witnessed a steep decline in sales at (--13%) and (--8%) quarter on quarter. Also, on a quarter-on-quarter basis, maximum sales growth of 11 per cent was witnessed in the affordable housing segment.

Institutional funds take notice of housing reforms

The governments emphasis on housing and its efforts to mitigate the risks in the real estate sector by introduction of RERA has not gone unnoticed by institutional funds.

A large number of these investors and funds have made changes to the portfolio allocation strategy allowing investment exposure to the Indian real estate. The pension and private equity funds are investing in commercial assets (office spaces and malls) and also in under-construction residential properties. Not just foreign investors but even domestic players are raising funds to invest in the sector. The interest of private equity players in particular has shifted towards pre-leased office and retail assets, says Shishir Baijal, Chairman and Managing Editor, Knight Frank India.

Data on private equity deals shared by E Y shows that the biggest players this year were Canadian Pension Funds, GIC, Blackstone and Brookfields among others. The total amount invested in real estate was US$ 3,293 million.

2017 has been the best year for PE investments in real estate sector. From an exits point of view as well it's been very good year. Some large positions in commercial real estate have been built up by big institutional players and we project a significant increase in real estate PE exits via REITS in 2018/2019. Post the sector clean up via regulatory changes like RERA, in 2018, we expect PE investments in real estate to increase significantly over 2017 levels, says Vivek Soni, Partner and Leader of Private Equity Services, EY.

Commercial real estate: co-working spaces witness momentum

In the office space, strong economic growth continued to generate demand. Vacancy levels in some cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune is around 5 per cent to 10 per cent while pan India vacancy was around 14 per cent to 15 per cent. On the supply side, there is a shortage of grade A office space. It is less than half of the current office stock across top eight cities at 280 million sq. ft.

The gap between demand and supply of good quality office space is keeping office rentals strong. In comparison, retail properties saw significantly less rental value appreciation, especially in the National Capital Region. Mumbai and Bengaluru fared better. While occupier demand continues to rise in the office sector, there was no change in demand in the retail segment, says Sandhir.

Dr Samantak Das, Chief Economist & National Research Director, Knight Frank India Commercial, says that co-working space is witnessing increasing momentum as seen in not just the volumes of space taken up but also the diversity of players that are now queuing up to serve occupiers in this quality starved office space market. In 2018, shrinking availability of quality leased office assets coupled with yields reaching historic lows will push investors to look at alternative segments like retail and warehousing. On the other hand, signing built to suit deals will become imminent for office occupiers.
The objective this time is to follow the East Asian model to make India into a hard state, a state than can ensure that its policies are enforced.

The Doklam crisis earlier in the year brought India and China to the brink of a war, says a report in the Chinese media outlet having close ties with the state. The report also stated that several factors are hampering the improvement of ties between the two powers.

The revelation was made in an opinion piece that was published in The Global Times. The article titled Where are China-India ties headed in 2018? by Long Xingchun said that the standoff that lasted for over two months put the Indo-China relations to the very brink by becoming the biggest crisis between the countries in the past 55 years. It also stated that amidst the presence of several other conflicting issues, control and management is the only way out.

The article pointed out that three major factors i.e. the border dispute, the Tibet issue, and China-Pakistan relationship hampers the bilateral relations. Bilateral ties have been blighted by three major strategic contradictions: the border dispute, the Tibet issue, and India's reckoning that China-Pakistan friendship poses a threat. However, it is unlikely that the three interwoven conundrums will be solved in the near future; control and management are the only way out.

The article further stated that newer problems too seem to be developing between the two powers. This includes, as per the article, the blocking of Indias bid for membership in Nuclear Suppliers Group by China, Chinas move that blocked attempts to impose sanctions against Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. However, the article suggests the countries to remain patient and exchange their views instead of any other means to exert pressure.

The article goes on to state that Indias attitude towards various Chinese economic initiatives including the Belt and Road initiative and other projects in Sri Lanka, Indochina etc along with the Indian support to Dalai Lama has been a big roadblock in improving the relations.

The article asserted that while 2017 was one of the worst ever period in India-China relations, it has also led to several positive developments too. The recent tensions, according to the article, has prompted the two countries to deepen strategic communication and control disputes. The new outlook can, as per the report, make 2018 the best year for India-China relations.
Dornier 228 aircraft (image courtesy: HAL)

The central government has admitted that it will not have added even one squadron to the Indian Air Force in its five-year term in power in the Lok Sabha on December 28, according to a report in the Business Standard.

The answer came in a question-answer session from Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha. The question was posed to the defence ministry by Anurag Thakur, a BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh.

The defence ministry stated that "IAF will have 32 Fighter Squadrons and 39 Helicopter Units by 2020." This means that the number of squadrons in the IAF will decline by 2-3 by 2020, compared to 34-35 squadrons in 2014 when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into office.

Answering another question by the Biju Janata Dal MP Arka Keshari Deo, the defence ministry pointed out that the situation will get worse by 2025 as 10 squadrons of Indian Air Force (IAF) equipped with MiG-21 and MiG-27 aircraft are scheduled to retire by 2024 on completion of their Total Technical Life.

The IAF has been in talks for procurement of 5-10 squadrons of 'single-engine fighters' which are more cost-effective than MiG-21s.

A 'request for information' has already been sent out to global vendors. The favoured contenders are Saab of Sweden, which proposes to build the Gripen E in India; and US major, Lockheed Martin, which wants to transfer its production line to India for building the F-16 Block 70.

As part of this procurement, there are proposals to assist Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in scaling up Tejas Mark 1A and Mark 2 production, in accordance with Make in India objectives.
Dalai Lama

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said on Thursday that India, a democratic and stable country, can make significant contributions towards peace in the world.

The Dalai Lama said anger and compassion were all part of emotion, which can be controlled by ancient Indian knowledge.

Addressing a conference on Ideas of Harmonious Coexistence: Religions and Philosophies of India here, the 82 -year-old leader said he would dedicate the rest of his life to revive the ancient Indian knowledge.

"I think India can make some contributions regarding peace. Only in a peace, real peace comes... This country being most populated and democratic is very stable... India can make certain significant contributions regarding a peaceful world."

"To decrease destructive emotions like fear, we must increase positive emotions like love," he said.

The Dalai Lama said ancient Indian traditions can make a better world through education.

Several religious leaders attended the conference. The Dawoodi Bohra Community's head Syedna Taher Fakhruddin Saheb presented the Syedna Qutbuddin Harmony Prize to the Dalai Lama.

Leaders of all faiths expressed their solidarity to the ideas of the Dalai Lama and emphasised that every religion promote understanding and harmony among human beings.
A cook at a street-side snack stall arranges "vada pavs" (L) and "samosas" in Mumbai August 23, 2007. Mumbai marked World Vada Pav Day on Thursday to celebrate the humble street food, a deep-fried potato cutlet spiced with sauces and wedged between a bun. A vada pav is sold for around five rupees (12 cents) apiece by street vendors. REUTERS/Arko Datta (INDIA) - RTR1T12A

Popular Indian snack samosa with Kashmiri chilli chicken fillings has beaten chocolate, cashew nuts and other exotic entries in a first such contest in South Africa.

The contest was organised by the largest national newspaper for the Indian community in South Africa.

Among the various entries in the competition were samosas that featured almonds and cashews drizzled with chocolate; chocolate covered in edible glitter; Margherita pizza filling and chicken jalapeno.

The South African Indian speciality samosa (also referred to as samoosa) is a deep-fried flat version of the traditional Punjabi snack, filled with a variety of savoury or sweet treats in a crispy pastry.

Salma Agjee won the contest organised by the weekly Post, after her daughter submitted her recipe.

"I love cooking and always believe in taking a recipe a step further by adding a twist to it," Agjee was quoted as saying by the news paper.

"My filling was my own invention based on what I had initially made as a chicken sandwich for my children. The chicken was cooked with Kashmiri chilli powder, then I added two types of cheese, mozzarella and gouda, and mayonnaise," she said.

There were also two other sections of the competition, which was held at a public fair in Durban.

Grandmother Roxana Naseem, 63, who has been running a samosa-making business for several decades, showed her skill to beat others by filling 10 samosas in under 60 seconds in a neat stack.

In the third section of the contest, Ebrahim Bux, 18, bagged the title of the 'fastest samosa eater' when he wolfed down 10 samosas in a minute.
Mumbai police on Monday arrested a man accused of fraud in multiple cases worth over Rs 1 crore. The man was found hiding in a washing machine in his 3-BHK apartment in Juhu.

Police said that when they reached to arrest the man, his wife stalled them at the door for three hours and denied entry into the apartment. However, when they finally managed to enter the apartment, the officials were unable to find the accused.

The police were about to abandon the search when one officer pulled a cloth from a washing machine and found the man hiding under it.

The 54-year-old man was declared an absconder by a court in a 2002 cheating case when he was accused of cheating three people of Rs 1 lakh on the pretext of getting them admissions in a Bachelor of Education course, reported Hindustan Times.

Besides, the man is also an accused in Rs 1 crore cheating case in Pune, informed Vasant Wakhare, senior police inspector at the Azad Maidan police station.

The police also lodged a complaint against the accuseds wife of obstructing a government official from doing his duty.

The police team had come into action after Mumbai police commissioner recently ordered that accused who are absconding be pursued, Vakhare said in the report.
21:33 That's all for today, readers. Thanks for staying on with our coverage of the day's action. Your enthusiasm encourages us to better our coverage every day. Do come back tomorrow for more news, views and insights.

21:24 Government takes back LPG price hike order after 'contrary' signal

The government has withdrawn its decision to raise LPG prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month as the move was seen contrary to its Ujjwala scheme of providing

free cooking gas connections to the poor.

The government had previously ordered public sector oil marketing companies to raise domestic cooking gas (LPG) prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month beginning June 2016 with a view to eliminating subsidies.

21:01 Gadkari asks Raju to explore norms for single-engine seaplanes

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has asked Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju to explore a regulatory regime for single-engine seaplanes with a view to facilitating introduction of such planes in the country, an official said.

The development comes against the backdrop of Gadkari along with Raju riding the trial run of seaplanes by budget carrier SpiceJet at the Girgaum Chowpatty off the Mumbai coast on December 9.

20:09 Uttarakhand earthquake: The earthquake, believed to have hit at around 16:46 with the epicentre in Chamoli, Uttarakhand was 4.7 on the Richter scale.

19:36 BREAKING | Lok Sabha has passed the 2017 Triple Talaq Bill

The Bill aims at criminalising the practice of Triple Talaq and proposes a 3-year jail term for the husband. The Bill now moves to the Rajya Sabha.

19:51 Constitution under attack by BJP, Congress: BSP's Mayawati

Close on the heels of Rahul Gandhi's assertion that the Constitution was under attack by the BJP, BSP president Mayawati on Thursday held the Congress equally responsible for doing so.

"The equality-based Constitution envisaged by BR Ambedkar is under attack today, but it is also a historical fact that the Congress has not failed any less in implementing the Constitution in its right spirit to ensure people's welfare," Mayawati said in a statement.

18:51 Fatal accident averted at Delhi airport after fuel spillage discovered on IndiGo flight

An IndiGo flight carrying 173 passengers had a close shave with disaster after the plane was found to be leaking fuel moments before take-off. The incident occurred on Tuesday on the Thiruvanathapuram-bound plane at New Delhis Indira Gandhi International airport.

As per reports, the spillage appeared on the right wing of the plane at around 4.30 pm. The pilot responded immediately and after shutting down the engines he sent the plane back to safety in the parking bay at the airport, while emergency services including fire engines were quickly brought in. Luckily no casualty was reported and the passengers were later shifted to another plane in which they continued their journey.

18:29 RCom to use money to pay off debt

In a filing with the BSE, RCOM has said that deal with Jio comprises primarily of cash payment and includes transfer of deferred spectrum instalments payable to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT).

RCom has said that it will utilise the proceeds of the monetisation of the cash deal solely for pre-payment of debt to its lenders.

18:26 RCom sells wireless assets to Jio: Transaction to close in phased manner during January-March 2018

In a BSE filing, RCom said, "RJIO emerged as the highest bidder in a transparent process conducted under the supervision of a high-powered Bid Evaluation Committee, comprising experts from banking, telecom and law. The Company expects the transactions to close in a phased manner between January and March 2018, subject to lenders and other applicable approvals."

18:16 BREAKING | Reliance Communications to sell its wireless assets to Reliance Jio

Reliance Communications (RCom) has announced that it has signed definitive binding agreements with Reliance Jio for sale of wireless spectrum, towers, fiber and media convergence node assets.

RCom will be selling the following assets to Jio:

- 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands- Over 43,000 towers , amongst the top 3 independent tower holdings in India- Approximately 1,78,000 RKM of fiber with pan India footprint

- 248 Media Convergence Nodes, covering ~5 Million sqft used for hosting telecom infrastructure

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.

18:15 Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah dismisses reports about changing constituency

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said he would contest the 2018 assembly elections from the Chamundeshwari segment in Mysuru district.

Dismissing reports that he was mulling changing his assembly constituency, Siddaramaiah said, "I will contest from Chamundeshwari itself, I'm not going anywhere."

17:58 India can significantly contribute to world peace: Dalai Lama

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said on Thursday that India, a democratic and stable country, can make significant contributions towards peace in the world.

The Dalai Lama said anger and compassion were all part of emotion, which can be controlled by ancient Indian knowledge.

17:35 Amazon India to battle with Paytm in mobile recharges

In a move that would give a fillip to its payment subsidiary Amazon Pay, online retailer Amazon on Thursday announced the launch of mobile prepaid recharges on its platform in India.

The move pitches Jeff Bezos owned Amazon directly against India's largest mobile wallet player Paytm which has built its transaction and e-commerce platform largely on the back of mobile recharge transactions.

17:20 SEBI defers norms for loan default disclosure by listed firms

Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Thursday decided to hold further discussions on its proposed norms mandating listed companies to make immediate disclosure about their loan defaults.

The new rules were to come into effect initially from October but deferred at that time and a revised proposal was presented before the SEBI board at a meeting here. The board, however, decided to defer a decision and felt further discussion was required, the SEBI officials said after the meeting.

17:05 Facebook confirms giving Aadhaar prompt for new users aimed at checking fake accounts

Facebook has started to test a new feature for new Indian users aimed at encouraging them to enter the site using their real names. The new feature on the popular social media site is aimed at bringing a check on the rising number of fake accounts.

As per a report in the Gadgets360, the new test feature which is not mandatory asks new users signing up for an account by giving their original name. The prompt comes up and asks for 'name as per Aadhaar whenever a user tries to open an account.

16:21 Credit rating agencies need to have governance structure, says SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi. Moneycontrol had earlier reported about this. He also says all exchanges to offer stocks & commodities trading from October 2018. Moneycontrol was the first to report about these developments. Read here

He said the issue of default disclosure on exchanges has been deferred and a decision on trade timing extension will be taken at an appropriate time.

SEBI chief also said more companies are under the scanner for the leakage of unpublished financial data. SEBI is conducting its own investigation in Axis Bank data leak case.

Other important points:

- REITs norms simplified to enable more cos to list via REITs.- Kotak committee recommendations will be discussed in the next board meeting- ARC listing will bring more liquidity and help bad loan resolution

- Broadbased foreign funds to be recognised as category 2 funds

16:02 Will the govt create a corpus to provide maintenance to divorced women waiting for compensation, asks Sushmita Dev, Congress in Lok Sabha (ANI)

15:54 Triple Talaq Bill doesn't give couple any chance of reconciliation, says Congress in Lok Sabha (News 18)

15:46 Government takes back LPG price hike order after 'contrary' signal

The government has withdrawn its decision to raise LPG prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month as the move was seen contrary to its Ujjwala scheme of providing free cooking gas connections to the poor.

The government had previously ordered public sector oil marketing companies to raise domestic cooking gas (LPG) prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month beginning June 2016 with a view to eliminating subsidies.

The order was, however, withdrawn in October, a top source said.

15:40 Vikram Limaye says NSE will certainly venture into commodities if SEBI approves the convergence of share & commodity convergence (CNBC TV-18)

15:35 Refer Triple Talaq Bill to the standing committee, says Congress

15:32 Securities and Exchange Board of India has approved the proposal of universal exchange, sources tell Moneycontrol. Universal exchange is an exchange that can offer both securities and commodities trading. Moneycontrol had earlier reported that the regulator is looking to expedite the process of finalising norms for the same.

15:27 This Bill should not be seen through the prism of politics and neither should be linked with any religious motive or vote bank politics, says Ravi Shankar Prasad (News 18)

15:22 Large number of countries, including Islamic countries, have regulated triple talaq, says Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha (News 18)

15:19 About 100 cases of triple talaq have come to light after Supreme Court's verdict: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha (ANI)

15:13 Tata Global Beverages to divest stake in JV EMPSL for Rs 120 crore (CNBC TV-18)

14:41 India successfully test-fires supersonic interceptor missile in Odisha's Balasore (PTI)

14:06 Hindutva includes equal rights for women. We are not taking any revolutionary steps, Subramanian Swamy tells News 18. #TripleTalaqBill

13:58 Congress will support Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament but will raise the issue of criminal provisions in the bill, say sources (ANI)

13:55 Those who oppose the Triple Talaq Bill have a regressive mindset. This law is progressive, says Kiren Rijiju (CNN News 18)

13:51 EY says word jointly is replaced by 'in concert with' in IBC Amendment Bill. Huge material change if the clearing process is 30 days past the bid date (CNBC TV-18)

13:34 Government tables amendments to Insolvency& Bankruptcy Code in Lok Sabha

13:25 Congress has supported the SC's judgment on Triple Talaq. It should go but if there are difficulties in the provisions that will be dealt with, Manish Tewari tells CNN-News18

13:03 Afghanistan government confirms at least 30 people were killed and dozens wounded in the suicide attack in Kabul (News 18)

12:59 Triple Talaq is immoral. We cannot allow such kind of cruelty against Muslim women: BJP MP Subramanian Swamy tells CNN-News18

12:47 This law is for women's rights & justice & not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion, says Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

12:43 This Bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions, says BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab

12:39 This Bill violates fundamental rights & lacks legal coherence, says Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha (ANI)

12:34 Triple Talaq Bill tabled in Lok Sabha

12:25 The meeting was started in absence of the Deputy High Commissioner, if he would have seen how clothes of the family members were changed, he would have registered protest there and then, says Sushma Swaraj in Lok Sabha.

12:14 It was specifically agreed upon by both sides that media will not be allowed to come close to the family but Pakistani press not only came close to them but also harassed them & hurled taunts at them, says Sushma Swaraj in Lok Sabha.

12:11 JUST IN: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm.

12:08 Consultant hired for auto policy, focus on clean tech: Anant Geete

The government has roped in a consultant to help in formulating an automobile policy, which will consider all technological options, including electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells for eco-friendly mobility, says Union minister Anant Geete.

The Department of Heavy Industry is taking the initiative towards formulation of the auto policy, but it is at an early stage and discussion with the industry is yet to start, the minister told PTI. "The department has appointed a consultant to study the issue. It (auto policy formulation) is at a primary stage right now," said Geete, who is the minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises.

12:04 Explosion reported in Afghan's Kabul. No reports of causalities yet. More details to follow, tweets News 18

12:02 TTV Dhinakaran reaches Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru to meet VK Sasikala

11:51 Misbehaviour of Pakistan with wife & mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav was misbehaviour with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nation's dignity & another country misbehaves with our mothers & sisters, it will not be tolerated: Ghulam Nabi Azad (ANI)

11:34 Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued, the intercom was switched off: Sushma Swaraj

11:32 Jadhav Ji's mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles & mangalsutras of both mother & wife were removed. Both the married women were made to look like widows: Sushma Swaraj

11:28 Not just his wife but bindi & mangalsutra of his mother were also removed. I spoke to her and she told me that as soon as she reached, Kulbhushan asked her 'Baba kaise hain?' because he thought a mishap has taken place when he wasn't around: Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha

11:26 Even after her repeated attempts, the shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife were not returned. Pakistan says there was a camera or a recorder in the shoes, nothing can be more absurd than this as she traveled in 2 flights with those shoes on. It is an absurdity beyond measure: Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha

11:21 Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM President has given a notice to oppose the introduction of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill) 2017 in Lok Sabha

11:11 PM Narendra Modi appeals for consensus on triple talaq bill

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for a consensus in passage of the bill on making instant triple talaq a punishable offence, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said on Thursday.

Briefing reporters on the proceedings of the weekly BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, he said the prime minister appealed for a consensus in passage of the 'Muslim women Protection of Rights on Marriage' Bill.

11:07 I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament & Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme for me, there can be no question on it, as a citizen I can never go against it: Ananth Kumar Hegde in Lok Sabha (ANI)

11:04 Congress legislators will meet on January 4 or 5 to elect the leader of Opposition in Gujarat. Ashok Gehlot, other leaders from Delhi to be present (ANI)

11:00 Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me: Ananth Kumar Hegde, Union Minister on his earlier statement (ANI)

10:53 I don't think we can support it because they didn't make us understand how this criminality of Triple Talaq will benefit women. If someone is lodged in prison as a punishment for saying Triple Talaq, who will take care of his family: Salman Khurshid (ANI)

10:50 PM appealed for unanimous passage of the Bill as it aims to give gender justice, protection & respect: Ananth Kumar after BJP Parliamentary meeting (ANI)

10:49 938 complaints received over sale of SIMs on fake IDs: Manoj Sinha

As many as 938 complaints covering 65,991 mobile connections have been received in the last five years with regard to sale of SIMs on fake identity proofs and disconnection was carried out in all such cases, the Rajya Sabha was informed.

"Licence Service Areas of Department of Telecom (LSAs) have received complaints that SIM cards for mobile phones are being sold on the basis of fake identity proofs," Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said.

10:16 What is happening today in or country is a web of deceit, The BJP operates on the basic idea that lies can be used for political benefit and it is the difference b/w us & them, we might not do well, we might even lose but we will not give up the truth: Rahul Gandhi (ANI)

10:11 The Constitution, the foundation of our country is under threat, it is under attack directly, statements are being made by senior members of BJP & it is under attack surreptitiously from the back & it is our duty, duty of Cong party & every single Indian to defend it: Rahul Gandhi (ANI)

10:07 I request all the opposition parties to help us pass this bill: Ananth Kumar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister on Triple Talaq Bill (ANI)

10:03 We work for the truth and fight for the truth, says Rahul Gandhi, Congress President, at the partys 133rd foundation day (ANI)

09:57 Inside visuals of BJP Parliamentary party meting underway at Parliament's Library Building (ANI)

09:55 Congress President Rahul Gandhi at party headquarters in Delhi on 133rd foundation day of the party (ANI)

09:53 Rupee drops 7 paise against dollar on fiscal deficit fears

The rupee started with a loss of 7 paise at 64.22 against the dollar today on concerns that the government's additional borrowing this fiscal may lead to a breach in the fiscal deficit target.

The American unit retained its appeal among importers and banks.

09:47 We can only fall on the feet of God, father and mother. No need to fall upon the feet of those who have money: Rajinikanth (News 18)

09:43 Congress to protest in front of Gandhi status inside parliament premises at 10 am over GST and Ananth Kumar Hegde's comment on the Constitution, tweets News 18.

09:25 #FreeBalochistan billboards by World Baloch Organisation (WBO) seen at New York's Times Square (ANI)

09:12 Government wants seaplanes to link small towns before 2019

According to a report in The Times of India, the government wants to start commercial seaplane operations before the 2019 general elections.

While the civil aviation ministry will frame regulations for seaplanes, the shipping ministry will set the norms for infrastructure, which include building temporary or floating jetties, sources told the newspaper.

08:52 Facebook is asking new users to use Aadhaar name

New users signing up on Facebook are being asked to register using their name as used in Aadhaar cards.

A Facebook spokesperson told TOI , "We want to make sure people can use the names they're known by on Facebook, and can easily connect with friends and family. This is a small test where we provide additional language when people sign up for an account to say that using the name on their Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise them. This is an optional prompt which we are testing, people are not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card."

Facebook declined to answer queries regarding the possibility of Aadhaar linkage in the future, and whether users in other countries are similarly prompted to use their real names with specific reference to relevant government IDs in the region.

08:42 71.24 crore mobile connections linked with Aadhaar

Close to 71.24 crore mobile numbers - both new connections and existing - and 82 crore bank accounts have been linked with 12-digit biometric identifier Aadhaar, the Rajya Sabha has been informed.

"Linking of Aadhaar with personal bank accounts is being done based on the amendments that have been effected in the Prevention of Money Laundering Rules 2005. Linking of Aadhaar with mobile number has been effected in pursuance of...Supreme Court order dated February 6, 2017," Minister for Electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

08:30 The Capital wakes up to a foggy morning, with minimum temperature at 9 degrees Celsius & maximum at 23 degrees Celsius (ANI)

08:27 New anti-trafficking law soon: Life term for repeat offenders

According to a report in The Times of India, the government is set to introduce a law to guard against human trafficking, proposing 10-year punishment for those engaging in aggravated forms of trafficking while seeking life imprisonment for repeat offenders.

The bill proposes the establishment of a national anti-trafficking bureau, which shall be entrusted with the gamut of issues aimed at controlling and tackling the menace under various forms.

08:12 Barack Obama most admired man among Americans: Gallup poll

Former US president Barack Obama is the most admired man in the United States and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton the most admired woman, according to a poll published on Wednesday.

Obama came out on top of the annual Gallup survey for the 10th year in a row while Clinton, who lost last year's presidential election to Donald Trump, was named the most admired woman for the 16th straight year.

08:06 Government hospitals may open doors to private doctors

According to a report in The Economic Times, the labour ministry is looking to hire private doctors at salaries equal to or higher than the market rate to serve in government-run employee state insurance hospitals.

The move is expected to broaden the coverage of government healthcare facilities for workers enrolled under the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) programme.

08:00 Government to table Triple Talaq Bill today and make a statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav in Parliament

07:57 A homemade bomb blast at a supermarket in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg injured 10 people Wednesday, officials said, sparking a probe into attempted murder.

Good morning readers! Welcome to Moneycontrols live news blog. Stay tuned to this space for the latest news from the country and across the world
Kulbhushan Jadhav

The government today slammed Pakistan for the "discourteous" behaviour meted out to the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav in Islamabad where they had gone to meet the Indian national who is in custody there.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in the name of security, Pakistani authorities forced his mother and wife to change clothes and take off their jewellery, including the 'mangalsutra', and bindi.

Swaraj said the Pakistani claim that there was a device in the shoes of Jadhav's wife is "absurdity beyond measure" as she travelled through Dubai airport security and their own security to reach Islamabad.

The government, she said, had earlier successfully stalled Jadhav's death sentence through a "farcical trial".

She also expressed lament that authorities there allowed media to come close to Jadhav's family members despite agreement that they would not do so.

In response, leaders of all political parties in the House condemned the Pakistani attitude.

Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the entire House calls upon the government to take steps for the safe, secure release of Jadhav.

He said the House also urges the international community to condemn Pakistan's attitude.
Representative image

As the trend of large number of vacant seats in technical programmes continues, six states are said to have written to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) urging it to disallow establishment of new engineering colleges in these states from 2018, reports Indian Express.

Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana have also petitioned with AICTE to impose a temporary ban on capacity expansion in existing institutes. Engineering makes up for 70 percent of technical education seats in India.

AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe has agreed to the suggestions of four of the six states (Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana) who have backed their plea with reasons and proposed a perspective plan. Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh still remain under consideration.

There are 3,291 engineering colleges(and 15.5 lakh BE/BTech seats) across the country, 51 percent were vacant in 2016-17, according to AICTE data.

In 2016-17, more than 50 percent of the engineering seats in Madhya Pradesh were vacant while three quarters of the BE seats were vacant in Himachal Pradesh.

According to the AICTE enrolment data, crisis in engineering education was at its worst in Haryana at 74 percent engineering seats being vacant in 2016-17. In its letter addressed to AICTE, the technical education department of Haryana has estimated that almost 70 per cent of its BTech seats were left vacant even in the current academic year.

Reasons for the vacant seats include bad infrastructure and no regulation which led to there being little to account for in terms of the technical labs and faculty.

This, and the fact that a BE or BTech degree fails to generate employment anymore has meant there has been a devaluation in the preference of students vying to pursue the degree.
Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad speaks in the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on Thursday during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. (PTI)

Opposition parties took strong objection to Union minister Anantkumar Hegde's remarks on amending the Constitution and said such a person should have no place in the council of ministers.

Hegde should either apologise or Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take a call on whether such a person should continue as minister, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters outside Parliament.

He said opposition parties had raised the matter with Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and claimed that the government has sought time till tomorrow to respond on their demands.

"Opposition parties are of the opinion that any minister who does not believe in the Constitution of India, should have no place in the council of ministers, in the Government of India, it is for the prime minister now (to take a call on him)," Azad told reporters.

"Either Hegde should apologise in both Houses and to the nation or the prime minister should take a decision on whether such people should continue," he said.

"The Government has asked us to give time till tomorrow. So, we have agreed. Let the Government decide," he added.

Azad said the Congress and other opposition parties have sought an apology from the minister concerned who has uttered these words. The apology should not be to Parliamentarians but to the entire nation, he said.

"This Constitution is applicable to each and every citizen of India irrespective of caste, religion. The prime minister should take a decision, whether such people should continue in the Government or not," he said.

Both Houses were disrupted by opposition members over Hegde's remarks.

The minister of state for skill development had said at an event in Karnataka that he respects the Constitution but "it will be changed in the days to come".
New Delhi: A view of Parliament in New Delhi on Sunday, a day ahead of the monsoon session. PTI Photo by Kamal Singh (PTI7_16_2017_000213B)

The government will table the triple talaq and make a statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav in Parliament on Thursday, hoping for smooth proceedings after Wednesdays uproar over Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegdes alleged remarks on the Constitution.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017, which criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq, will be tabled in the Lok Sabha. Under provisions of the proposed bill, a Muslim man who resorts to Talaq-e-Biddat or instant talaq would be jailed for three years and custody of any minor children would be granted to the affected woman.

The proposed bill makes instant divorce a non-bailable offence which can lead to imprisonment of up to three years upon conviction. It also makes it mandatory for the husband to pay maintenance to his wife and child support towards any children.

The government has maintained that "the legislation would help in ensuring the larger constitutional goals of gender justice and gender equality of married Muslim women,, but the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is a member of the Lok Sabha as well as the AIMPLB, have voiced their opposition to it.

On Wednesday, All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) chairperson Shaista Amber said the proposed legislation would not be acceptable if not in consonance with the Quran or the Constitution. Nikaah (marriage) is a contract. Whosoever breaks it should be punished. However, if it (Bill) is not in the light of Quran and the Constitution, no Muslim woman will accept it," Amber told PTI.

STATEMENT ON KULBHUSHAN JADHAV

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will make a statement in both Houses of Parliament on Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian Navy officer on death row in Pakistan, and the humiliation meted out to his mother and wife during their December 25 meeting in Islamabad.

During the Zero Hour on Wednesday, members of various political parties, including the Congress, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK, strongly protested the way Jadhav's family members were treated by Pakistan authorities at the countrys Foreign Office.

Jadhav, who was arrested in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

On Tuesday, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understanding on Jadhav's meeting with his family and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the External Affairs Ministry had said in a statement.

Pakistani authorities even confiscated the shoes worn by Jadhavs wife, claiming there was a metallic substance in them. A day later, it sent the shoes for forensic examination.

Both Houses of Parliament have been witnessing repeated disruptions since the Winter Session commenced on December 15; first over Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks on predecessor Manmohan Singh and then over Union minister Ananthkumar Hegdes statement on the Constitution and Secularism.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed various pro-people measures being undertaken in the BJP-ruled state, according to an official statement.

Chouhan invited the prime minister to attend the concluding ceremony of 'Ekatm Yatra' on January 22 in Madhya Pradesh's Omkareshwar, it said.

The Madhya Pradesh government has launched the 'Ekatm Yatra' with an aim to collect metal pieces to install a 108- feet tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar in Khandwa district.

The yatra will culminate at Omkareshwar on January 22 after traversing through Indore, Dewas, Rajgarh, Guna, Ashok Nagar, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Gwalior and Datia. It will cover a distance of 2,175 km while crossing 12 districts.

Chouhan also discussed 'Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana' being run by his government in the state for the welfare of farmers.

The yojana is a kind of direct benefit transfer scheme under which farmers will be paid the difference between the 'modal price' (to be determined by the government) and the minimum support price of crops.

"Madhya Pradesh will form a task force for promoting clean cooking. The task force will also inform people living in rural areas about the 'Ujjwala' scheme run by the Centre," according to a chief minister's tweet.

Under the Prime Minister Ujjwala Yojana, the central government aims to provide LPG connections to BPL households in the country.

Chouhan also discussed with the prime minister various other public welfare measures being taken by his government in the state.
Speaking in an interview for the BBC Radio 4's Today Program, Obama described to Prince Harry of the U.K. royal family the moment he left the presidency behind, while reflecting upon the work his administration had done.

When 44th U.S. President Barack Obama handed over the reins of the White House to Donald Trump, the former leader felt serene, even though there was work yet to be completed.

Speaking in an interview for the BBC Radio 4's Today Program, Obama described to Prince Harry of the U.K. royal family the moment he left the presidency behind, while reflecting upon the work his administration had done.

"I think it was a satisfying feeling. That was mixed with all the work that was still undone. Concerns about how the country moves forward but, you know, overall there was serenity there. More than I would have expected," Obama said.

Still, he believed his administration had "run a good race" during its eight years in office.

"One of the metaphors that I always used for the presidency is that you are a relay runner. There is the sense sometimes in any position of leadership that you, by yourself, do certain things and then it's over and I always viewed it as taking the baton from a whole range of people who had come before me. Some of whom had been heroic and some of whom had screwed up," Obama explained.

"But wherever you were in the race: if you ran hard, if you did your best, and that you then were able to pass that baton off successfully and the country was better off, the world was a little bit better off, then when you got there, then you could take some pride in that. And I think we were able to do that."

So when Jan. 20, 2017, rolled around, Obama felt a feeling of satisfaction, and that the work that he, first lady Michelle Obama and the administration had done had "preserved out integrity and left us whole."

Looking back, however, there are definitely elements that Obama misses from his time as president, in particular his team.

"Everything you do, every day you know can affect millions or billions of people in some cases. And to have really smart focused people who are there for the right reasons and who, over time, have built up trust and have learned to support each other and rely on each other  I miss that," said Obama, adding that the work itself was "fascinating."

Life after the White House

Since Obama left his role as president, he has remained somewhat active in the political space, weighing in on other elections such as those in France.

Meantime, Michelle Obama has turned her attention to philanthropy, officially launching the Obama Foundation with her husband earlier this year.

Based in Chicago, the foundation is "a living, working start-up for citizenship" which looks at promoting how to be a good citizen within the 21st century.

In the interview with the prince, Obama said that while it is "hugely liberating" to be able to make his own decisions and not have a constantly full inbox, which he had as president, the "things that are important" to him haven't changed.

"I still care about making sure that the United States and the world is a place where kids get a decent education, where people who are willing to work hard are able to find a job that pays a living wage," he said.

"And so, although I don't have the same tools that I had as president, I have to rely more on persuasion than legislation, for example, a lot of the things that still motivate me and move me continue to this day."
China's finance ministry said on Thursday profits reinvestment by foreign firms in China will temporarily be exempted from provisional income tax.

The ministry said on its website that the move is designed to encourage overseas investors to boost investment in the country.
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - JULY 10: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his meeting with Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen at the PM's Office on July 10, 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The two heads of state discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula and how Japan and Denmark could enhance their strategic partnership further. The Japanese PM said during their joint press conference that North Korea undermines the international order seriously. (Photo by Ole Jensen - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Japan said on Wednesday any attempt by South Korea to revise a 2015 deal meant to have resolved a row over "comfort women" forced to work in Japan's wartime brothels would make relations "unmanageable" after Seoul said the agreement had failed.

The two U.S. allies, which share a bitter history including Japanese colonisation, are key to international efforts to rein in North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes that it pursues in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha apologised for the controversial deal on Wednesday, as a panel investigating the negotiations leading up to the agreement unveiled its results.

The investigation concluded that the dispute over the comfort women, a Japanese euphemism for the thousands of girls and women, many of them Korean, forced to work in wartime brothels, could not be "fundamentally resolved" because the victims' demand for legal compensation had not been met.

South Korea wants Japan to take legal responsibility and provide due compensation.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said the 2015 settlement, which includes a 1 billion yen ($8.8 million) fund to help the victims, resulted from "legitimate negotiations", warning any amendment may complicate relations.

"If (South Korea) tries to revise the agreement that is already being implemented, that would make Japan's ties with South Korea unmanageable and it would be unacceptable," Kono said in a statement.

Kang apologised for "giving wounds of the heart to the victims, their families, civil society that support them and all other people because the agreement failed to sufficiently reflect a victim-oriented approach, which is the universal standard in resolving human rights issues".

Under the deal, endorsed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in's predecessor and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan apologised to former comfort women and provided the fund to help them.

They agreed the issue would be "irreversibly resolved" if both fulfilled their obligations.

Tokyo says the matter of compensation for the women was settled under a 1965 treaty. It says that in 2015, it agreed to provide the funds to help them heal "psychological wounds".

The South Korean government will review the result of the investigation and translate it into policy after consulting victims and civic groups that support them, Kang said.

The comfort women issue has been a regular cause for contention between Japan and neighbours China and North and South Korea since the war. Japan colonised the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945 and occupied parts of China before and after the war.

"(The Moon government) has said it will seek a two-track policy by separately dealing with the comfort women issue and the relationship in the face of North Korea's threats, but Japan may not agree with that", Lee Sung-hwan, a professor of Japanese studies in Keimyung University in South Korea, told Reuters.

Japan wants South Korea to remove statues near the Japanese embassy in Seoul and the Japanese consulate in Busan city commemorating Korean comfort women. Seoul says the memorials were erected by civic groups and therefore out of its reach.

According to the investigation, however, the sides struck a separate, secret deal in which South Korea promised to persuade the groups to relocate the statues, provide no support for their overseas statue-raising campaign and refrain from calling the women "sex slaves" on the world stage.

In 2014, the U.N. Human Rights Committee requested Tokyo to clarify the "comfort women" euphemism, with an independent expert on the panel calling for it to be replaced with "enforced sex slaves".

"Such an issue of universal value and historical awareness as that of comfort women cannot be resolved through short-term diplomatic negotiations and a political bargain," said Oh Tai-kyu, a former journalist who led the investigation.

Andrew Horvat, a visiting professor at Josai International University in Japan, said that the pact was flawed from the beginning because it failed to produce real reconciliation.

"The agreement was not reconciliation, but an agreement not to talk about it anymore", Horvat said.
Geopolitical issues | There are several geopolitical issues that serve as dormant volcanoes. The situation in Iran and the rest of the Middle East, Korea, are challenges that may persist and have far-reaching consequences for the world economy.

This year has seen its share of ups and downs in diplomatic relations. On one hand, the deals are proving to be beneficial for the parties involved and on the other, the agreement is resulting in hurting the economies.

Diplomatic ties play an important role in the internal growth of the economy and to an extent, the agreements and its results will eventually affect the global economy.

For instance, the India and Japan deal is bearing fruit. As per the deal, Japan will help India tap nuclear energy and develop bullet trains, which will, in turn, help India in spruce up infrastructure and boost growth. According to reports, Japan, which is facing the consequence of an ageing population, is fulfilling its workforce shortfall by setting up offices in India.

But some agreements don't always show positive results. The UK will exit from the European Union (EU) on March 29, 2019, at 11 pm. Since the time Brexit was announced, both the parties have been experiencing instability in their economies.

Here's a glimpse of the major developments which made the headlines -

India-China

The Doklam standoff was the most talked about India-China controversy this year. The two-month-long standoff was triggered when China started to build a road through Doklam  a trijunction plateau which joins China, India and Bhutan but on paper is a Bhutan territory. The Indian army physically blocked the Chinese army to construct the road and claimed to have intervened for Bhutan. Both armies stood their guard leading to a standoff. After negotiations between the two countries, the troops withdrew from Doklam. The negotiations were held days before the BRICS Summit.

Qatar-Gulf

This was probably one of the most unexpected developments of the year. The Gulf Coordination Council (GCC), once again after 2014, isolated Qatar, i.e., the Gulf countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar because it is believed that Qatar is intimately connected to Islamic-terrorist groups such as Muslim Brotherhood, among others. History repeated itself again this year, but this time, it persisted. It also, in fact, led to including three non-GCC countries, along with four GCC countries, cutting diplomatic ties with the nation.

India-Pakistan

Surprise surgical strikes across the LoC, which started with the one on December 27, 2016, continued this year. Besides, India and Pakistan's diplomatic ties were strained due to the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. Pakistan had ordered a death sentence for Jadhav after identifying him as 'Indian spy'. India, denying these claims, moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ is yet to come out with its verdict.

US-North Korea

North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-Un shook the world by claiming that the country has missiles that can hit the US mainland. Missiles were test-fired close to US allies - Japan and South Korea, forcing for the US and the world to not to take Kim's claims lightly. The US involved the United Nations Security Council to take action. The regulator then adopted US's drafted sanctions against North Korea, which cuts exports of gasoline, diesel and other refined oil products by a total of 89 percent, among other things. North Korea claimed this to be an act of war and rejected the UN sanctions. The US-North Korea rift is yet to reach a consensus.

US-Russia

Since the Cold War, the US-Russia relations have been shaky. Even though peace was made after, US President Donald Trump recently claimed that the relations are at 'dangerously low' levels. This was triggered when the former CIA Director Michael Hayden alleged that it is possible that Russia was involved in the meddling with the 2016 US elections. The allegations forced the US to sign sanctions which led to protests in Moscow.

Israel-Palestine

US President Donald Trump in a change of stance for the country declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in contrast to the Oslo Accord that recognised Jerusalem as an international city and divides the land between Israel and Palestine. Trump even officials to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the city. In reality, Palestinians recognise eastern Jerusalem as their capital and Jerusalem is still recognised as an international city.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, makes remarks at a meeting with members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on Monday and Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-five members of China's top leadership reached consensus, and highlighted Xi Jinping's position at the core of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and its Central Committee, at a two-day meeting, which ended Tuesday.

"It is the aspiration of the whole Party and the people to have Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, serve at the core of the CPC and its Central Committee," said a statement issued after the "democratic life meeting."

"Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core, China has made historic achievements and witnessed profound changes since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012.

"Xi has shown firm faith and will, clear commitment to the people, extraordinary political wisdom and tactics and a strong sense of responsibility, in leading the CPC and China in the great struggle with many new contemporary features," the statement said.

"The meeting has laid an ideological foundation for the whole Party and the nation to embark on a new journey in the new era," said Jing Junping, a professor with the school of Marxism at Wuhan University in central China's Hubei Province.

The meeting was the first of its kind by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee since the landmark 19th CPC National Congress, when "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" was written into the newly revised CPC Constitution.

Delivering a report to the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi gave a 14-point list of fundamental principles that underpin the endeavors to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The principles ranged from ensuring Party leadership over all work to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi's Thought represents the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to a Chinese context and is a long-term guide for action that the Party must adhere to and develop.

The meeting held from Monday to Tuesday reiterated the importance of studying Xi's Thought, upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core, as well as realizing the goals set at the 19th CPC National Congress.

Stressing the importance of the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, Xi urged members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to regard it as a "political benchmark."

On Wednesday, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided to discuss a proposal on amending part of China's Constitution as a major part of the agenda at the second plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in January.

The democratic life meeting, a long-time CPC tradition, saw members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee reflect on their own performance and criticize themselves and each other.

They should "highly identify with, firmly safeguard, willingly obey and closely follow the leadership of CPC Central Committee in terms of political stance, direction, principle and path," Xi said at the meeting.

"The meeting showed the CPC Central Committee's determination to implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and set an example for local authorities in terms of closely following the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core," said Dai Yanjun, a professor with the CPC Central Committee Party School.

Dai said that undesirable work styles were "intractable and recurrent," and that "only by containing misconduct of formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism, can the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress be implemented in practice."
NORRISTOWN  The Montgomery County Commissioners, on the advice of the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, have declared a Code Blue Cold Weather Emergency for Montgomery County based on a review of forecasts from the National Weather Service. The...
Letter to editor: Gas pump politics and the election
The Armed Police Force will be placed under the unified control of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Central Military Commission starting on Monday, the first day of 2018, according to the CPC Central Committee.

The decision, published on Wednesday night, stipulated that under the new command chain, Armed Police Force units will take orders directly from the force's headquarters, which, likewise, will follow directives from the Central Military Commission. It made clear that the Armed Police will be included in the Central Military Commission system and will no longer take orders from the State Council.

It also said that central and local Party organs as well as government departments at various levels will establish a new mechanism to ask for assistance from the Armed Police and to cooperate with the paramilitary force.

The decision requests that government bodies, the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police join hands to make sure the transfer will be smooth and orderly.

Under the current laws governing the Armed Police Force and the national defense system, the force takes instructions from both the State Council and the Central Military Commission.

On Nov 4, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, decided to suspend several clauses in the two laws that pertain to the Armed Police Force's command chain, responsibilities and deployment as of Nov 5, saying amendments to these clauses will be made when reform measures prove successful.

In an editorial published on Wednesday by People's Daily, the Party's flagship newspaper, the move was called "a significant political decision  that will strengthen the Party's absolute command over the PLA and other branches of the people's armed forces and will ensure the stability and prosperity of the Party and the nation."

The newspaper said the transfer was aimed to honor the stipulation in the Constitution that the Central Military Commission chairman leads and assumes responsibility over all of the nation's armed forces and will resolve institutional obstacles and major difficulties that hinder the Armed Police Force's development.

The history of the Armed Police can be traced to 1949, the year the People's Republic of China was founded, when its predecessor  the Chinese People's Public Security Central Column  was set up to take charge of internal security. In the following decades, the force's name and affiliation was changed, but most of the time it was administered by the Central Military Commission.

In 1982, some PLA units responsible for domestic security were merged with police forces in charge of border defense and firefighting to form a new Armed Police Force. At that time, the Central Military Commission and State Council began to share its administration.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission just recently gave Duke Energy the green light to move forward on the Catawba-Wateree recreation management plan. The plan, submitted for FERC review and approval in November 2016, includes public recreation requirements and agreements included in the new 40-year license FERC issued in 2015 for the Catawba-Waterees Hydroelectric Project. The project encompasses nearly 1,800 miles of shoreline along 11 reservoirs in nine counties in North Carolina and five in South Carolina, a release from Duke Energy said.

The recreation commitments in the plan are extensive and include 89 proposed public projects and enhancements at 32 existing recreation areas; 26 new access areas will be built at a number of lakes  including James, Norman and Wateree  over the course of the 20-year project. Construction phases are divided into five-year periods for 20 years, the release said.

"We appreciate the support of the many relicensing stakeholders, local, state and federal elected officials, resource agencies and others who were involved in developing the recreation plan and seeing it come to fruition, Steve Jester, Duke Energys vice president of Water Strategy, Hydro Licensing & Lake Services, said in a release. These projects will provide additional recreational opportunities to residents and visitors to the Catawba-Wateree area and enhance local economies with more leisure tourism.

Projects include new picnic facilities, fishing piers, swim beaches, campgrounds, expanded parking, restrooms and additional boating access areas.

The areas to affect Burke County and Lake James are:

 Hidden Cove Access Area  Two 1-lane boat ramps, courtesy dock, vehicle-only and vehicle with trailer parking.

 Black Bear Access Area  Six 1-lane boat ramps, three courtesy docks, vehicle with trailer parking, including ADA spaces. Proposed enhancements include restrooms, trails, primitive camping sites, picnic facilities, and either a fishing pier or bank fishing trail, if suitable conditions for a fishing pier are not available.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented at Black Bear in five years, according to information from Duke Energy.

 Canal Bridge Access Area  Three 1-lane boat ramps, courtesy dock, vehicle-only and vehicle with trailer parking, including ADA spaces.

 Linville Canoe/Kayak Access Area (currently known as Linville Access Area)  Two 1-lane boat ramps, courtesy dock, vehicle with trailer parking. Proposed enhancements include picnic facilities, restroom and conversion of the existing boat ramp to a canoe/kayak launch site.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in 10 years, according to Duke.

 Fonta Flora Access Area (formerly known as New Linville Access Area)  Proposed enhancements include two boat ramps for trailered motor boats, one courtesy dock, lighted and paved parking area and a restroom.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in 10 years, according to Duke.

 Pocket Park Access Area  Proposed enhancements include parking, picnic facilities, overlooks and a bank fishing trail.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in 10 years, according to Duke.

 Bridgewater Access Area  Fishing pier, gravel parking area, ADA parking for fishing pier and canoe/kayak launch. Proposed enhancements include restrooms, a boat ramp for trailered boats, additional parking and picnic facilities.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in 10 years, according to Duke.

 Bridgewater Canoe Portage  A portage trail with put-in and take-out.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in five years, according to Duke.

 Muddy Creek Access Area  Proposed enhancements include canoe/kayak access with approximately 10 gravel parking spaces.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in five years, according to Duke.

 Johns River Access Area  One 1-lane boat ramp, courtesy dock, vehicle-only and vehicle with trailer parking, including ADA spaces.

 Corpening Bridge Access Area  Proposed enhancements include a boat ramp for trailered boats, approximately 10 gravel parking spaces and wildlife viewing facility.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in five years, according to Duke.

 Huffman Bridge Access Area  Access path with vehicle-only parking.

 Castle Bridge Access Area  Six 1-lane boat ramps, three courtesy docks, vehicle with trailer parking, including ADA spaces. Proposed enhancements include restrooms.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in 15 years, according to Duke.

 Rhodhiss Access Area  Two 1-lane boat ramps, courtesy docks, vehicle with trailer parking, including ADA spaces.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in five years, according to Duke.

 Rhodhiss Dam canoe portage  A portage trail.

The measures are scheduled to be implemented in five years, according to Duke.

The companys recreation team is expected to start construction in 2018 on projects slated for the first five-year period, according to Duke Energy.
The holidays are a very special time for everyone at Burke Untied Christian Ministries. With the help of our wonderful community and some very special elves, our ministry was blessed to distribute more than 150 Senior Santa bags and treat bags for some very special individuals. BUCM also had the privilege of hosting an Evening with Santa and a Polar Express night especially for our children. A big thank you for everyone involved, especially our staff and all of our soup kitchen teams.

BUCM is truly blessed to have the greatest volunteers ever. Our soup kitchen teams prepare home-cooked meals every day, our food harvesters collect food from our sponsoring grocery stores and restaurants, our pantry workers assist our clients when they shop and then stock the shelves, the clothing store volunteers help sort, price stock and sell clothes and our clothing closet volunteers help stock the closet and assist clients and the homeless with their shopping. The majority of our volunteers work approximately four hours per week. I would encourage anyone who has a little time to assist others, consider coming by BUCM and talk with our volunteer coordinator, Elizabeth Norris, or me about the many opportunities that are available. Just email us at bucmdirector@gmail.com, call 828-433-8075 or come by and visit. We truly believe that Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nations compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another. - Erma Bombeck

Looking back, 2017 has been a truly outstanding year at BUCM. With the support of our sustaining churches, community donors, volunteers and staff, the needs of many have been met. Almost 63,000 meals were served in the soup kitchen, about 700,000 pounds of food was distributed in our food pantry and more than 100,000 in our mobile pantries, more than 1,000 clients were assisted in our clothing closet and more than 9,000 clients were provided with some type of crisis assistance. Also, the many food and clothing drives in 2017 have been instrumental in allowing us to minister to our clients. A big thanks to schools, clubs, churches, businesses and others that assisted with these drives. With the support of the HOWi (Homeless Outreach Warming Initiative) committee, assistance was provided to more than 270 homeless clients. From clothes to showers, food to encouragement, we take very seriously our ministry to the homeless of Burke County.

The successes of 2017 have motivated BUCM to expand our ministry for 2018. The need for education advancement is a need for many we work with at BUCM. Because of a very generous donation from the employees of James Tool and principal owner Jeff Toner, a computer lab and education resource room will be established at the Burke Mission Station. The Mull Foundation has also provided funding for technology upgrades. With this new computer lab and the support of Western Piedmont Community College, BUCM will be offering GED and ESL classes for anyone in our community who need them. Our vision for the future for the computer lab will be to also offer evening and summer tutoring for our younger clients, provide clients the opportunity to take online college classes, provide job skills training and budgeting classes, and provide clients access to job vacancies. By working closely with the Community Foundation of Burke County, cooking classes, nutrition classes and food preservation classes will be offered. We have been able to purchase a pickup truck with a grant from the Huffman-Cornwell Foundation to harvest fresh produce that will be used in the food classes. BUCM truly believes that education is the key to enhancing the quality of life for our clients.

BUCMs facility will also be getting a facelift in 2018. With funding from the Community Foundation of Burke County and the Rostan Foundation, an awning has been placed at the food pantry to allow clients to move food to their vehicles out of inclement weather. Changes are also being planned to expand the food pantry and create a new welcome center. With a grant from The Cannon Foundation, the plan is to move our pantry to the old clothes sorting area and convert the current pantry into a welcome center and meeting space for agencies to use to meet with clients. This grant also provides funding to upgrade our soup kitchen in order to better serve our clients.

These upgrades and enhancements provided by our community will be instrumental in supporting those we serve into the future. With continued support, encouragement and prayers of the supporters of BUCM the future looks very bright. May God richly bless you in this new year.

David Burleson is executive director of Burke United Christian Ministries.
Photo taken on Dec. 30, 2016 shows Chinese telescope AST3-2. Chinese scientists on Monday announced observation of the "optical counterpart" of gravitational waves coming from the merger of two binary neutron stars using a survey telescope in Antarctica. The gravitational waves were first discovered by the U.S.-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors on Aug. 17. The Chinese telescope independently observed optical signals resulting from the merger the next day, according to the Chinese Center for Antarctic Astronomy. It was the first time humans have detected gravitational waves and the corresponding electromagnetic phenomena resulting from a binary neutron star merger. (Xinhua/Chinese Center for Antarctic Astronomy)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- From gravitational waves seen in neutron star collision to life-saving gene therapy, the year of 2017 has seen major science breakthroughs, trends and events that will potentially shape the future of human life.

Following are ten science events, which have major impact on the world in 2017, and for many years to come.

GRAVITATIONAL WAVES USHER IN NEW ERA FOR ASTRONOMY

On Aug. 17, scientists detected gravitational waves -- the ripples in space and time, and light from the collision of two neutron stars. It was the first time a cosmic event has been "seen" from Earth in both gravitational waves and in light. In other words, the event helps to bring together traditional light-based astronomy with gravitational wave astronomy for the first time.

"I think this is a really major discovery in the history of astronomy," David Reitze, executive director of U.S.-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), told Xinhua in an interview shortly after he announced the discovery.

Gravitational waves were originally predicted in the early 20th century by Albert Einstein, but they were only detected for the first time by LIGO in 2015, a discovery that was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics this year.

LIFE-SAVING GENE THERAPY WITH HEFTY PRICE TAGS

Decades of research on gene therapy is finally paying off. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved not one but three life-saving gene therapy products this year.

The first, called Kymriah, was approved in August for certain pediatric and young adult patients with a form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Kymriah, known as "a living drug," uses a patient's own immune system cells, called T cells, after these cells have been modified to better recognize and kill the patient's cancer. The one-time drug is now priced at 475,000 U.S. dollars.

Two months later, the U.S. FDA endorsed Yescarta, a similar gene therapy, to treat adult patients with certain types of large B-cell lymphoma. The initial list price of Yescarta, also a one-time treatment, is similarly expensive at 373,000 dollars.

Then in December, the regulator green lighted a gene therapy called Luxturna to treat patients with a rare inherited form of vision loss that may result in blindness. The treatment delivers a normal copy of the mutated gene directly to retinal cells, leading them to produce a key protein that converts light to an electrical signal in the retina to restore patient's vision loss. Luxturna reportedly has a possible price tag of as high as one million dollars.

"I believe gene therapy will become a mainstay in treating, and maybe curing, many of our most devastating and intractable illnesses," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in announcing the approval of Luxturna. "We're at a turning point when it comes to this novel form of therapy."

CRISPR GENE EDITING SPEEDS INTO CLINIC AMID ETHICS DEBATE

The revolutionary gene-editing technology CRISPR is moving rapidly into the clinic, with a report from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommending in February that clinical trials for gene editing of a human embryo "could be permitted in the future, but only for serious conditions under stringent oversight."

This year, scientists using the five-year-old tool have made advances in fighting diseases, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, mosquitoes and much more. For example, researchers from the Temple University made the first successful attempt to use CRISPR to remove HIV from a living organism. In August, a team at the Oregon Health and Science University reported the first known attempt at creating genetically modified human embryos in the United States.

Meanwhile, major improvements have been made in the technology itself. The newly-developed systems are now able to target the smallest units of our DNA or RNA, and Chinese researchers demonstrated the power of the so-called base editing by fixing a disease-causing point mutation in human embryos.

Scientists have also made breakthroughs in their quests for solutions for the worldwide shortage of transplant organs. In January, U.S. researchers announced they have used CRISPR to successfully create the first human-pig chimera embryos, bringing us a step closer to growing human organs inside pigs. In August, researchers from the U.S., China and Denmark reported that they have edited the pig genome to deactivate a family of retroviruses in order to create piglets that can't pass the viruses on to transplant recipients.

BRIGHT FUTURE FOR QUANTUM COMMUNICATIONS &QUANTUM SUPREMACY

The past year has also seen a series of major advancements in quantum communications, which are currently described as "unhackable."

In June, Chinese researchers announced that they had transmitted pairs of "entangled" photons from the Micius satellite to two ground stations located more than 1,200 kilometers apart. Previous efforts to entangle quantum particles, such as photons, have been limited to about 100 kilometers.

"The experiment shows that long-range quantum communication is indeed technologically feasible and holds out the promise of the construction of long-range quantum communication networks in the near future," Seth Lloyd, director of the Center for Extreme Quantum Information Theory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Xinhua at that time.

In August, China inaugurated the world's first line of quantum communications between the cities of Beijing and Shanghai, which covers a total length of over 2,000 kilometers. "We hope to form a ground and space integrated quantum communications network in about 10 years, and apply it widely in fields such as national defense, government affairs, finance and energy," Pan Jianwei, lead scientist of the Micius project, said earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Google, IBM and several other tech giants are now in a seemingly tight race for quantum supremacy, a state which allows quantum computers to beat even the strongest supercomputers.

In November, IBM announced that it has successfully developed and tested an operational prototype processor that handles 50 qubits, which are believed able to exhibit what's known as "quantum supremacy."

Google was reportedly to unveil a 49-qubit device soon. Intel is also betting on a quantum-enabled future, with the revelation of a 17-qubit processor in October. There are also many other groups around the world pursuing different approaches to achieve the "supremacy."

"It's obvious that there's now a worldwide race to build quantum computers able to do things that are classically hard," Professor Scott Aaronson, director of the Quantum Information Center at the University of Texas at Austin, explained to Xinhua. "I'm just excited that it looks like someone will win this race within the next year or so."

ASTRONAUTS SET TO GO BACK TO MOON

In July of 1969, the U.S. space agency NASA succeeded in sending astronauts to the moon. About half a century later, U.S. President Donald Trump instructed NASA to do so again, with an alleged goal of laying a foundation there for an eventual mission to Mars.

The Trump administration has not yet laid out a detailed plan for returning Americans to the lunar surface, but NASA is exploring a concept of building a small space station around the moon known as Deep Space Gateway that would serve as a waypoint to the lunar surface and deep space.

China, the third country which has independently sent humans into space, is also working on an idea for manned lunar landing.

According to Wu Yansheng, general manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the mission will consist of a manned spaceship, a propulsion vehicle and a lunar lander. The manned spaceship and the lunar lander will be sent into circumlunar orbit separately.

Yang Liwei, deputy director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, said that China is in the preliminary stage of its manned lunar program and estimated that Chinese astronauts will be able to walk on the moon around 2030.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMES OUT OF LAB

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not only challenging and defeating human players in the ancient Chinese board game Go, it's also predicted to penetrate and even transform industries from manufacturing and transportation to finance and healthcare.

And scientists scouring data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope even used AI to discover an eighth planet around a star 2,545 light years away this year, making the distant solar system the only one besides our own that has eight planets orbiting a single star.

By 2025, annual worldwide AI revenue will grow to 89.8 billion dollars, according to Tractica, a U.S. market-intelligence firm, an increase from only 3.2 billion dollars in 2016.

"I think AI industry is now in its infancy and what we are seeing is just the tip of the iceberg," Zhang Yaqin, president of China's tech giant Baidu, told Xinhua earlier this year. "The impact of AI on human beings would surpass that of the steam engine, electricity and the Internet. It will open up a new era and transform business, lifestyle and society."

U.S. WITHDRAWS FROM PARIS AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change has become a global challenge that requires action from all countries across the world. But to the regret of almost all, Trump Administration announced in June that his country would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, which is regarded by many as the "best chance we have to save the planet."

"All nations much cut their emissions sooner and deeper than called for in the Paris agreement for the world to have any realistic chance of limiting global warming to no more than two degrees Celsius," John Sterman, professor at the Sloan School of Management of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Xinhua at that time in responding to the withdrawal.

"U.S. withdrawal makes the greater ambition needed to avoid the worst risks of climate change more difficult."

The Paris Agreement, agreed on by almost every country in the world in 2015, aims to tackle climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and sets a global target of keeping the average temperature rise no higher than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

In the face of the U.S. change of heart over the landmark deal, other major players including the European Union, China and India have reiterated their willingness to step up efforts to tackle the climate change.

NEW CANCER DRUG DEFEATS MULTIPLE TUMORS

In May, the U.S. FDA granted accelerated approval to a treatment for patients whose cancers have a specific genetic feature. This is the first time the agency has approved a cancer treatment based on its DNA rather than the location in the body where the tumor originated.

The drug, called Keytruda, which has previously been approved to treat metastatic melanoma and a handful of other tumor types, can now be prescribed for any advanced solid tumor that carry a common genetic defect referred to as microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient.

"This is an important first for the cancer community," said Richard Pazdur, acting director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and director of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence.

"Until now, the FDA has approved cancer treatments based on where in the body the cancer started -- for example, lung or breast cancers. We have now approved a drug based on a tumor's biomarker without regard to the tumor's original location," Pazdur said.

FIRST GENETICALY-MODIFIED ANIMAL HITS SHELVES IN CANADA

AquaBounty Technologies, a U.S.-based biotechnology company, announced in August that it has sold approximately five tons of fresh genetically-modified (GM) salmon fillets at "market price" to unnamed customers in Canada.

"Our salmon is only approved for production, sale and consumption in the United States and Canada," Dave Conley, a company spokesman, told Xinhua at that time. "It will not be sold in China until it is approved by your national biotechnology regulatory authority."

"This is an important step for the company and for the technology as a whole," William Muir, genetics professor at the Purdue University, commented in an email to Xinhua. "This will be the first GM animal approved for human consumption and now the next step is consumer acceptance... I see no scientific reason to be concerned about the sale or consumption of AquaBounty GM salmon."

7 EARTH-SIZED EXOPLANETS DISCOVERED AROUND NEARBY STAR

NASA announced on Feb. 22. that a compact analogue of our innersolar system about 40 light years away from the Earth has been discovered.

"The discovery gives us a hint that finding a second earth is not just a matter of if but when," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate said.

An international team of astronomers using powerful space telescopes and ground-based observatories have discovered the first known system of actually seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the nearby TRAPPIST-1, which is relatively close to us, in the constellation Aquarius.

And three of these planets are firmly located in the habitable zone, the area around the parent star where a rocky planet is most likely to have liquid water.

The discovery sets a new record for greatest number of habitable-zone planets found around a single star outside our solar system, according to NASA.
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China's top legislature on Wednesday adopted a decision to apply a one-stop boundary control cooperation arrangement for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

In the decision adopted by the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature confirmed that the cooperation arrangement, signed by Guangdong Province and the HKSAR on November 18, complied with the Constitution of China and the Basic Law of HKSAR.

The decision said that the HKSAR should ensure the implementation of the cooperation arrangement through legislation.

"It's a good thing as it makes it so much easier for people to travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the future," said a 33-year-old resident surnamed Zhuang who works in Shenzhen.

Under the arrangement, a port will be established at the railway station in West Kowloon in Hong Kong, which is part of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

The mainland and the HKSAR will respectively carry out exit and entry supervision at the port, including immigration inspection, customs clearance, and inspection and quarantine measures for people crossing the border, as well as their belongings.

The Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link is scheduled to open in the third quarter of next year.

The cooperation arrangement signed between the mainland and the HKSAR last month marked the first in a three-step process by the two sides.
A number of pipeline projects have been announced as Permian Basin producers continue to bring more crude and natural gas to the surface.

Among the most recent announcements is the Gray Oak Pipeline, a joint venture between Phillips 66 and Enbridge Inc. The Gray Oak is expected to have an initial capacity of 385,000 barrels a day, with expansion possible, depending on shipper interest.

Open season for the pipeline began Dec. 11. Michael Barnes, spokesman for Enbridge, said no decision has yet been made on when that open season will end. Nor has a decision been made on which company will construct or operate the pipeline, he said.

Significant expressions of interest from producers and other market participants resulted in the binding open season for the Gray Oak Pipeline, he told the Reporter-Telegram by email. The Gray Oak Pipeline is producer- and consumer-driven.

It will include originating stations in Reeves, Loving, Winkler and Crane counties and is anticipated to be in service in the second half of 2019.

Aaron Blomquist, managing director, investment banking with Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., predicts midstream companies will continue to focus on the region to build infrastructure and create jobs.

There will be billions spent, between natural gas, crude and natural gas liquids, he in a phone interview from his Houston office. Each project will be about $1 billion, so it will be tens of billions. The Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline (from West Texas to Corpus Christi) alone will cost $1.7 billion.

Blomquist said the focus is on the Permian Basin.

There is no question, regardless of the commodity price outlook going forward, a lot of production is going to come from the Permian Basin, he said. Our view is, the Permian Basin is the single largest growing basin in the U.S. and, more likely, in the world. That growth in pipelines is needed to handle the increased production.

The projects are being welcomed by Permian Basin producers, some of whom  such as Noble Energy and Apache Corp.  have already signed commitments.

Like many producers here in the Permian, Diamondback has grown our production to levels where we now pay closer attention to takeaway capacity, said Travis Stice, chief executive officer of Diamondback Energy, in an email. We believe at some point in the future additional capacity will be needed, and were glad to see several new pipelines announced. Economics are driving the decisions for the pipeline providers, and Diamondback believes these projects are positive for both local producers and Midlands economy.

Rich Dealy, chief financial officer with Pioneer Natural Resources, said, via email, The Permian is the largest and fastest growing oil field in the U.S., so adding additional takeaway capacity is critical to support the industrys growth. The recently announced oil pipelines will provide additional takeaway capacity for the expected 600,000 to 800,000 barrel per day annual growth over the next few years. These pipelines to the Gulf Coast will have access to the refinery and international markets, with the expectation that the majority of these barrels will be exported. Exports provide the needed outlet to ensure that we receive world oil prices; without access to world oil markets, we would likely be subject to larger price discounts compared to world oil prices.

Blomquist said that, in his opinion, the majority of the additional output will need to get to the Gulf Coast, either to the refineries or to the export hubs.

We think the Permian Basin will grow more, and has grown more, than any single market within OPEC, he said.

A number of the proposed pipeline projects will need to be completed, but there will be some winners and losers, he said.

On average, producers are less willing to make commitments on singular pipelines, he said. That makes the final decision on whether to proceed with a project a little more difficult. I think a number of projects will get done and a number will be postponed. In my mind, the big incumbent players who already have a presence will have an advantage.

Not only will rising crude production need to be moved to market but so will natural gas liquids and even natural gas, Blomquist said.

Our view is, we will see as much natural gas growth in the Permian Basin as we will in the Marcellus, he said. The difference is Permian growth will be based on oil prices and will be less sensitive to natural gas prices. When operators drill for oil in the Permian, they also get natural gas. And theres a lot of it.

When his company talks with midstream representatives, they want to talk about the Permian. (So) I feel confident about the growth in production and I think the infrastructure will be there.
Oil's bull run is grinding to a halt.

Hedge funds lowered their bets on Brent crude after they rose to a record a week earlier. And the net-bullish position on West Texas Intermediate, which hit a nine-month high last month, dwindled for a third straight week. The message: After a months-long build-up, investors are wavering, concerned U.S. crude will continue to boom in 2018, undercutting OPEC's push to drain a global glut.

"It seems like now most people have got their positions and are waiting to see what 2018 brings," said Rob Thummel, managing director at Tortoise Capital Advisors.

Oil futures in New York have jumped almost 40 percent since June as OPEC and its allies extended their production-cut deal and U.S. inventories shrank to two-year lows. But the decline in American stockpiles is largely due to refinery maintenance and exports near an all-time high. Meanwhile gushers in the country are producing at a record pace.

Global stockpiles won't fall enough to reach the level targeted by OPEC when the group meets in June, Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said last week.

American output is poised to reach 9.99 million barrels a day in May, according to the Energy Information Administration. That would surpass Saudi Arabia's curtailed production of 9.97 million barrels a day in November.

The Brent net-long position -- the difference between bets on a price increase and wagers on a drop -- fell 1.1 percent to 538,045 contracts in the week ended Dec. 19, according to data from ICE Futures Europe. That's after reaching a record 544,051 contracts in the previous week. Longs fell 1.2 percent, while shorts decreased 1.8 percent.

Money managers cut their WTI net-long position by 1.8 percent to 383,828 futures and options during the week, according to data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday. Longs fell by 1.2 percent, while shorts rose 3.9 percent.

"It's been a good year," but there's "some worry about what next month is going to bring," said John Kilduff, founding partner at Again Capital in New York. "There's not as much enthusiasm about the OPEC/non-OPEC accord as there was even a few weeks ago."

The North Sea's Forties Pipeline System, which carries crude used to price the Dated Brent benchmark, is set to return to normal flows early in the new year, according to a statement from operator Ineos Group. The outage, which gave a boost to prices, was the first time a force majeure had been declared in the North Sea since 1988. Repairs are expected to be completed by "around Christmas."

In the fuel market, money managers reduced their net-long position on benchmark U.S. gasoline by 2.1 percent. Meanwhile, the net-bullish position on diesel rose by 1.9 percent.

Heading into next year, investors will be watching how long it takes to get inventories back to the five-year average, Thummel said. The OPEC deal extension brought some certainty to the market, which is now waiting to see how the cuts and U.S. production play out.

"That was the big cloud overhanging the oil market and prices," he said.
Not even a collapse in oil prices has been able to keep down a good super basin.

Houstons IHS Markit this week released an analysis that said the Permian Basin set a new oil production record of at least 815 million barrels, racing past its previous record of 790 million barrels set in 1973. The company will release final production figures after operators report their 2017 year-end production.

Reed Olmstead, director, energy research and analysis at IHS Markit called the magnitude of the rebound unprecedented. He said it showed that unconventional resource plays could survive their first price downturn.

The most efficient way to measure a play is in the number of wells drilled and the adjustments operators make per thousand wells drilled, he said in a phone interview from his Houston office.

While the Eagle Ford and Bakken havent experienced significant changes per thousand wells drilled, the Permian Basin has really changed, he said.

He described the efficiencies gained and how operators apply lessons learned as impressive.

Permian operators have time to test methods and apply lessons learned, unlike in the Eagle Ford or Bakken plays, where wells have to be drilled to hold acreage.

The Permian Basin has come to have a very prominent effect on global supply and demand, he said. The Permian Basin has proven it can sustain activity, investment and production output even through a stressed price environment.

Even when prices were $40 to $45, the Permian was able to sustain production volumes and grow output, he said. He called that price range the tipping point and said current prices just shy of $60 a barrel are well above the sweet spot for the Permian. $60 opens up a lot of drilling opportunities.

Operators have delineated their acreage as well as the geology and geography, and the Permians multiple stacked pay zones also extend those drilling opportunities.

The only barrier he sees to continued growth right now is the ability to get things done. He said operators are able to drill wells, but are having difficulty securing the crews needed to hydraulically fracture and complete the wells so they can be placed on production.

Ive heard it takes six to eight months to train a frac crew. Since Thanksgiving 2014 when prices began falling, service companies would keep their best crews. The best ones made it through the downturn because they were more efficient and faster. As the industry adds crews, theyre not as efficient as the ones that have been working the last four, eight years. It takes a while to build up crews, and a lot of the guys who could come back quickly, who still had the skills, have moved on to other industries, he said.

That means the Permian will see production grow some in 2018, but as new crews go to work and improve their efficiencies, it will really grow in 2019, he said.

Olmstead predicted that Permian production volumes in 2017 will climb to roughly 2.75 million barrels per day, far above its previous peak of 2.16 million barrels per day in 1973. That surge will help push U.S. production to an all-time high of more than 10.5 million barrels per day by the end of 2018.

He said most of that new production will be consumed domestically, but some will be exported.

Domestic demand is on the rise. Despite the rise of electric vehicles, we have a strong appetite for products such as petrochemicals to be used in industries such as agriculture, Olmstead said.

The nation also will ramp up exports, he said.

If we didnt have exports, wed see a very different oil price, he said. Exports give operators access to global markets so theyre no longer captive to what domestic refiners can consume. It puts U.S. producers in a better arena.

It also lets operators put drilling crews and frac crews to work, he said.

The global industry would very much like to implement the Permian model, he said and questioned whether they can. He said the U.S. is unique in that it has thousands of operators and hundreds, if not thousands, of service companies and landowners, all wanting to benefit from crude production.

Producing basins in other parts of the world are largely under national oil companies, and it can be difficult to be as flexible and quick-moving as U.S. operators. At international conferences hosted by IH Markit, Olmstead said oil minsters around the world ask how they can implement that business model. Not only are international companies investing in domestic operators, theyre also studying them to understand how they operate, he said.

When crude prices sank from above $100 a barrel in 2014 to a 13-year low of $26 in February 2016, shale players were quick to divest assets, high-grade their portfolios and were still able to obtain credit to keep active, Olmstead said.

Everyone proved to be nimble, and that surprised the rest of the world, he said. The Permian Basin showed it could survive, and so the U.S. has taken on a global role in supply and demand and influencing prices.

The world will be watching to see how the Permian Basin reacts to market influences, he said.
Editors note: This is the last in a three-part series in which the railroad commissioners look back at 2017.

--

Wayne Christian has spent most of his political career as a representative from East Texas, but the Center native says he loves his new task at hand: being one of three commissioners for the Railroad Commission.

As a legislator, youre a jack of all trades but master of none, to a large extent. Theres always something going wrong in some direction and fires to put out everywhere, he told the Reporter-Telegram recently. At the RRC, you can focus on a specific industry, specific goals and specific problems. Im enjoying that.

Christian was elected to his RRC position in 2016, and while he admits that he has limited oil and gas industry experience, he follows certain tenets that have made his role at the agency fruitful.

Im one guy who learned a long time ago that Im usually never the smartest guy in the room, he said. Im always listening for what the industry has to say because I trust industry much more than I trust government.

His experience as a legislator helped the RRC pass sunset review after the agency failed to do so in three past sessions over eight years. Christian said he learned that for every $1 Texas invests in the RRC, the agency generates $51 in return for the state.

I took that number and brought it to more than 70 representatives and state senators, he said.

As a result, the agency not only passed sunset review, but also received its request for an increase in funding.

Christian said he is focused on educating the public about the importance of oil and gas, particularly because of employment issues the industry faces.

Through is work on the Interstate Oil & Gas Commission, a position Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him to, we found that the largest hindrance to the next boom is not the supply of gas or oil, but jobs, Christian said. We do not have enough bodies that want to work in the oil and gas industry to man what we have before us.

He attributes a lack of interest in the industry among millennials to politically driven science that gives oil and gas a bad name.

We need young people for these jobs, but part of this is the result of what I call the greenie movement, or the Al Gore movement, that has successfully taught our millennial generation that oil and gas is like tobacco: dirty, terrible and you should stay away from it, he said.

I have found in my first year of learning the business from the inside out is that we have been quite lazy, frankly, in allowing the political atmosphere to drive the evidence to the public, our universities and their professors and our high schools and their teachers to tell our children that oil and gas is bad and that we need clean, green energy, Christian said.

When you look at the facts and statistics pertaining to oil, gas and coal, the U.S. is by far the cleanest of any industrial nation, and were cleaner than we were four years ago, he said.

The commissioner has established a task force to bring together industry and organizations to brainstorm ways to better inform the public.

Being a railroad commissioner can be daunting, but Christian takes it in stride.

No. 1, I recognize that Im not in control of this. Its the 700-plus folks at the RRC that are doing the good work, so its not all on my shoulders.

Christian said the agencys hard work is demonstrated through a recent Environmental Protection Agency analysis of the RRC.

The EPA has commended a study we did at the RRC, he said. We reviewed nearly 63,000 injection well applications since 1982. We did on-the-ground inspections and turned in the report last week. The EPA observed it, looked over this report on water safety, earthquake safety, etc. to the public. There was nowhere in the state of Texas where anybody had polluted the groundwater. I was overwhelmed. Were talking zero contamination to groundwater.

Youre not expecting the EPA to brag on you, pat you on the back and say youre doing a good job, but they did to the RRC for protecting the public.
A Bay City high school teacher is charged with having an improper relationship with a 13-year-old after the victim's father found the two in the backseat of a car, police said.

Rachel Gonzalez, 44, of Bay City, was booked into a Matagorda County jail Friday on charges of online solicitation of a minor and having an improper relationship between an educator and student.
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U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke knows he faces major obstacles in winning Texas junior Senate seat from Ted Cruz.

How the hell are we going to do this? ORourke said during a visit to Odessa on Wednesday, one in a series of town halls hes having across the state. Its not going to be easy.

Cruz, who also faces some lesser-known primary challengers, has a greater campaign war chest and a national fundraising network after running for president. Polls show Cruz with low favorability ratings, but they also suggest a majority of Texans dont know of ORourke, a congressman from El Paso.

Then there is the fact that Cruz is a Republican in a state that has not elected a Democrat to a statewide office since 1994.

More Information To check out the favorability rating for U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, go to https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/set/beto-orourke-favorability-october-2017 See More Collapse

But ORourke said he is encouraged that his campaign has outraised Ted Cruz so far in this race.

The money for ORourke, who has vowed not to take money from any political action committees, is from individual donors, he said. He still said he expects his campaign to be outspent.

The second thing is that we are showing up, ORourke said. We are here in Odessa. This is my third visit this year to Odessa and to Midland, to listen to the people that I want to serve and to represent. Getting to know those issues, being able to run on them in a campaign  thats part of success. And its a slow, long process. But its the best way to connect with people that I want to vote for me in this election.

This story first appeared on the Odessa American. Read more HERE:
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Online survey shows India ranks second on unfriendly list

Chinese tourists take pictures as they pose in front of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney. Photo: CFP

Australia, in a landslide, won the title of "Least friendly country to China in 2017" in a recent online poll answered by Chinese netizens.

India, after trespassing into Chinese territory for more than two months this year, ranks second but the number of votes it gets is far below that of Australia.

The survey, conducted by Chinese news portal huanqiu.com, the Chinese website of the Global Times, opened on Monday. It asks one simple question "Which is the least friendly country to China in 2017?" Respondents are allowed to vote only once and pick just one choice.

By Wednesday, Australia had received 8,751 votes out of 14,667 participants, or 59.6 percent of all votes, followed by India (1,986 votes), the US (1,585 votes) and Japan (1,327 votes). South Korea ranked fifth with 572 votes.

This is the first time that huanqiu.com conducted such a survey.

Some Chinese experts say the result displays Chinese people's hatred of betrayal.

"In Chinese culture, treachery is really despised, and this is a key reason why Australia received the most votes," Yu Lei, a research fellow at the Oceania Research Center of Sun Yat-sen University, told the Global Times.

"China has made efforts to sincerely boost bilateral cooperation, but Australia has never stopped inflaming hostility on the South China Sea issue. Recently, Australian politicians' and the media's anti-China chorus became more rampant. Chinese netizens felt that China's efforts and sincerity in developing bilateral ties was not properly appreciated by Australia," said Yu.

In recent times Chinese students and businesspeople residing in Australia have been depicted as spies or government agents. And after a number of attacks on Chinese students in Australia, the Chinese embassy and consulates in the country issued a safety alert on December 19.

A great turn

China is Australia's largest trading partner and business is booming. When Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Australia in March, he and his counterpart Malcolm Turnbull witnessed the signing of many bilateral cooperation documents in fields including trade, innovation, agriculture, food and intellectual property.

However, Australia in 2017 has continually incited and allowed hostility to develop against China.

On December 7, Turnbull said at Australian federal parliament that he "took reports very seriously that China's Communist Party had sought to interfere in his country," a great turn from a month earlier when he took a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at an APEC conference in Vietnam and posted it on twitter saying that they are working together to secure "safety and prosperity."

Many comments were posted by survey respondents, some quite direct. One states "His (Turnbull's) fickleness is truly disgusting," while the others say "Australia is not qualified to be China's rival, and China doesn't need to treat it seriously, because it's just a US proxy in the Asia-Pacific region to fulfill Washington's will."

Yu said that "In the past, Japan was playing this role, but now with the Sino-Japanese relationship already at its lowest point with no space to fall, Australia has started to use its role to counter China's growing influence in the region."

The US ranks third in the survey. Shi Yinhong, director of Renmin University of China's Center for American Studies, told the Global Times that previously, Chinese public opinion of the US was more positive than most countries.

"Maybe after US' new national security strategy labeled China as a competitor, Chinese people began to harbor feelings similar to those felt by other countries toward the US," Shi said.
China's domestic navigation system has been gaining international recognition and use in the past five years and will integrate with Europe's Galileo satellites in the near-future, transport officials and developers announced Wednesday.

China is working to have BeiDou used by the International Civil Aviation Organization and other international systems, Peng Siyi, who is in charge of the Ministry of Transport's comprehensive planning department, said at a press conference on Wednesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"I am optimistic BeiDou will eventually be compatible with all other positioning systems, but it still has a long way to go to cover the entire globe," he said.

BeiDou is coordinating with the European Space Agency Galileo navigation satellites, said BeiDou Navigation Satellite System spokesman Ran Chengqi, director general of the China Satellite Navigation Office, at the press conference.

China and the US signed a joint statement on civil signal compatibility and interoperability between BeiDou and GPS in November, according to the BeiDou website.

The BeiDou satellite navigate - sat nav - system is now compatible with the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the US. All users of either system can use the other without much extra cost, Peng said.

In 2015, BeiDou achieved compatibility and interoperability with Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), thepaper.cn reported.

"Compatibility and interoperability could make good use of the respective advantages of different systems," Peking University space science professor Jiao Weixin told the Global Times on Wednesday.

BeiDou has high accuracy in navigation and positioning in the Asia-Pacific regions, while in other regions of the world users can choose other systems, Jiao said.

Compatibility and interoperability could solve the problem that different systems interfere with each other and realize a win-win result for all systems, Ran noted.

"Some day in the future, China's BeiDou will be compatible with all other navigation systems and users will enjoy better service from navigation apps supported by more than 100 satellites," he said.

The system has already been recognized by the International Maritime Organization and the International Satellite System for Search and Rescue, Peng noted.

Cooperation is also pushing BeiDou onto the international market, which calls for better accuracy, stability and reliability to attract users, Jiao said.

"It's a new challenge for BeiDou in the future," he said.

BeiDou on Wednesday celebrated the fifth anniversary of its system launch.

China has sold more than 50 million domestically manufactured BeiDou navigation and positioning system-related chips in the last five years, Ran said.

The chips have been downsized to 28 nanometers from 0.35 micrometers, and the cheapest are priced 6 yuan ($0.9) each.

"Big production and low price will ensure BeiDou wider application in civil use," Jiao said.
China on Tuesday unveiled the nations first cybersecurity innovation center developed under the national strategy of civil-military integration, amid Beijings call to step up its national cyber defenses.

The freshly-established center has set the ambitious goal of setting up a cutting-edge cybersecurity defense system for the military to help win future cyber wars.

It was set up under the instruction of the Central Commission for Integrated Military and Civilian Development and related military bodies, which will also supervise and manage the center during its operation by one of Chinas leading cybersecurity companies, 360 Enterprise Security Group.

According to Wu Yunkun, president of the security group, the center will focus on building cyber defense systems for military-related internet services and a threat intelligence sharing mechanism for military users in the first stage.

It will work to encourage more small- and medium-sized companies to cooperate on technology R&D projects in order to guarantee the supply of cyber defense services that can meet practical combat requirements, Wu introduced.

Specifically, the center wants to set up a special fund for cybersecurity innovation investment and teams of researchers that are supported by local governments, the military, and enterprises. It is also mulling to conduct a pilot study on cyber militia construction and to set up a mechanism to offer cyber emergency response services and advanced persistent threat (APT) analysis and monitoring services to the military and local government bodies.

China has long attached significance to cybersecurity, and the eminent influence of cybersecurity in the military domain in particular has been increasingly valued by the central government.

In a strategy paper released by Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) last December, China vowed to develop a cyber defense compatible with its international status as a major cyber power  a national goal with a development timeline by 2035.

Three months later, an international strategy document published by the Chinese foreign ministry and CAC made clear that national defense in cyberspace is one crucial part of Chinese military modernization, following the same military strategy of active defense.

Countries like the US and Israel that are taking the lead in cyberspace development have demonstrated how cybersecurity companies can help support a nations national defense needs in the virtual world. In turn, the development of cyber defense can help give a boost to the whole industry, Qi Xiangdong, Chairman of the 360 Enterprise Security Group, noted at the ceremony.
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File Photo: DPRK fires a missile

Recently, speculation that Chinese ships are illegally selling oil to DPRK vessels in violation of the UN Security Council sanctions ran rampant in the foreign media, although there was no solid evidence to back up the claim.

At a regular press conference on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying hit back at the speculation with eight questions to drive home the point that the conclusion is based on speculation and not facts.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying

Hua asked if the relevant media can specify which ship or ships were involved and if they are on the sanctions list, and questioned how such a conclusion was reached without any solid evidence that these ships violated the Security Council resolutions, adding that the media should consider the possibility that breaches can occur.

Hua said that Chinas position remains clear. The Chinese government has been comprehensively, accurately, faithfully and strictly implementing the Security Councils DPRK-related resolutions, Hua said, adding that Chinas attitude toward the DPRK nuclear issue is earnest and serious and its measures and actions are forceful and effective.

If there is solid evidence proving that there is on the Chinese side any violation of the Security Council resolutions, China will surely deal with it in accordance with laws and regulations, and not a single case of violation should get away with it, Hua said.

The spokesperson also offered some advice for the media outlets that hyped up the speculation, saying that instead of obsessing over the Chinese ship, they should be asking whether their government has fully and comprehensively implemented all relevant Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK.

All the DPRK-related Security Council resolutions call for the issue to be settled peacefully, diplomatically, and politically, and call on all parties to take measures to deescalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Hua pointed out. Is every party concerned working hard to comprehensively implement the relevant Security Council resolutions in entirety? she asked.

China wants to see the resolutions be implemented in whole, Hua noted, adding that curbing the DPRKs nuclear and missile development programs is just one part, and that more positive and constructive efforts are needed to bring the tense situation back on the right track of peaceful settlement through dialogue and negotiation.
Hurricane Irma was the most destructive storm to ever hit Duke Energy's coverage area, and that's why the company says it needs add a storm recovery fee to customer bills.

Duke Energy to seek a Hurricane Irma recovery fee from customers

Fee will be a monthly charge on bills for a 3-year period

Duke Energy says Irma was most destructive storm to hit its coverage area

The utility company will file for the fee with the Florida Public Service Commission, which will decide whether to allow the fee.

A Duke Energy spokesperson says as of right now the fee will be about $5 a month on a typical bill, but that could change by the time the official filing happens.

If approved, the fee would be on customer bills for a three-year period.

That Hurricane Irma was a historically destructive storm is not in dispute. Damage estimates are in the billions of dollars.

Duke Energy says 1.3 million of its 1.8 million customers experienced power outages in Florida because of Irma. Some of those people spent over a week without power.

Duke sent out more than 12,000 line and field workers to restore power, in some cases requiring rebuilding parts of the system.

"It was a massive effort that required us to bring in a small army," said AnnMarie Varga, a Duke Energy spokesperson. "So it was a massive storm that required a significant effort across the southeast region."

But Duke Energy was criticized for its recovery efforts by customers and state officials, particularly with the lack of communication and failure to restore power in the time periods promised.

At the time Duke Energy officials issued apologies to customers and officials, saying they did not live up to customer expectations and they would be looking at the lessons learned from Irma moving forward.

That likely will be part of the discussion over approving the fee in the Florida Public Service Commission.

Duke Energy says this is the first storm recovery fee it has sought since the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.

Florida Power and Light is also seeking a $4 monthly surcharge to recoup costs from Hurricane Irma.
Police are looking for a man who they say smashed the window of a veterinarian clinic with a hammer, frightening the staff and animals inside.

Police search for vet clinic vandal accused of smashing window



Man seen on surveillance video hitting window with hammer



Investigators think the suspect is 'Sandflea Jesus'

Nina Scharge was especially frightened. She was working the front desk at Aloha Pet and Bird Hospital at about 7 p.m. Tuesday night.

"It sounded like a car hit the building, because he had to hit it at least four times," Scharge described. "Then I realized what was happening and told everybody, "Lock the doors, just lock the doors!' "

Security cameras spotted a man who walked in the Eau Gallie Boulevard business, left, and then returned 10 minutes later. He then smashed an outside plate-glass window with a hammer.

Scharge said the man was trying to get to the kittens in their play area, where he attempted minutes before to get through the locked door inside.

"I'm guessing his intention was not to get in, but to set them free," Scharge said.

But this person wasn't a stranger to her, she said.

Police identify him a man known to locals as "Sandflea Jesus."

Scharge tried to stop him from stealing a 4-year-old domestic cat from Aloha in early November by putting it in a bag. The animal was found safe a week later.

Police also think the man is responsible for attacking a dog training group on nearby Paradise Beach on Aug. 8. Spectrum News 13 showed the GoPro video shot by the group of the incident.

After the suspect is arrested, he will be charged with criminal mischief and shoplifting. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Melbourne Police or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).
China will go all out to ensure four home-field diplomatic events in 2018 are a success in a bid to "open a new chapter" for win-win cooperation between China and other countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged in an exclusive interview with People's Daily.

The four events are the Boao Forum for Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China International Import Expo, said the foreign minister, describing 2018 as a starting year for Chinas diplomacy after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Wang pointed out that Chinas prosperity, which is an inevitable trend of history, will be accepted and supported by more and more countries, and also accompanied by various disturbances.

Faced with the changing international landscape, the country should stay calm and maintain strategic concentration, he noted.

China will join hands with the rest of the world to pursue peace and development, the progress of human civilization, the common interests of each country, as well as facts and truth, the foreign minister said.

Wang said that in 2018, China will implement the results reached at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and put in place follow-up mechanisms to boost cooperation based on the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

Infrastructure, international capacity cooperation, economic channels and corridors will be prioritized in the all-round efforts to construct the Belt and Road, he added.

He stressed that China will increase its efforts to engage in global governance, and make economic globalization more open, inclusive and beneficial to more people.

China will also implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, push forward international cooperation on climate change and counter-terrorism, participate in drawing up rules in emerging fields like the Internet and space, and oppose all forms of protectionism, Wang vowed.
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Ramon Regalado spent his last years giving a voice to his fellow Filipino veterans who feared they would be forgotten in American history.

A survivor of the 1942 Bataan Death March, Regalado died on Dec. 16 at an assisted-living facility in El Cerrito. He was 100.

He spoke frequently and eloquently about the history of Filipinos in World War II, said Cecilia Gaerlan, executive director of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society. One of his most lasting accomplishments was testimony that was part of Californias decision to add that history to its required public school curriculum, Gaerlan said.

It was not about himself, Gaerlan said. It was important to him, because he knows that their legacy will live on.

Regalado was born in the Philippines in 1917 in the town of Dauin, his son Raldy Regalado said. He set off on his own in his early teens, moving from island to island until he found himself near Manila as World War II was starting.

Regalado joined the Philippine Scouts under the U.S. Army and worked as a machine gun operator when the Japanese attacked in 1941. After months of fighting, with declining food rations and no malaria medication, the troops were forced to surrender on April 9.

The prisoners of war were marched over 60 miles in triple-digit heat with no food or water to a camp, Gaerlan said. Regalado escaped, but it is estimated that between 5,000 and 18,000 Filipinos, as well as 500 to 650 Americans, died in the Bataan Death March.

Regalado returned as a guerrilla fighter in the effort against the Japanese, Raldy Regalado said, rejoining a formal battalion near Manila as the war was ending.

Gaerlan said she first met Regalado in 2012 at the first event she hosted for her organization to commemorate the role of Filipino soldiers in World War II.

In the five years since, Gaerlan described Regalado as a passionate and inspiring advocate for his fellow veterans, who never saw the benefits promised to them for their service after the Rescission Act of 1946 retroactively erased their active military status.

The veterans never spoke of it to their own family members, said Gaerlan, whose father also survived the march. It was just too painful for them. They were abandoned.

After the war, Regalado continued to work for the military stationed near Manila, Raldy Regalado said, where he met his wife, Marcelina. When a friend told him about a job as a merchant seaman for the U.S. military, Regalado jumped at the chance.

Once in the United States, Regalado began saving until he had enough to buy a house in Berkeley and bring his wife and two children from the Philippines.

In their Berkeley home, Raldy remembers hearing only bits and pieces of his fathers military history until he and his siblings were older.

Looking back, in retrospect, Im thinking he didnt want us to have a resentful or vengeful attitude as kids, Raldy Regalado said.

Regalado was most recently honored as a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor Congress gives, along with the other surviving Filipino veterans of World War II.

Too sick to make the trip to Washington, D.C., Regalado was presented with the medal Dec. 1 in an intensive care unit in Richmond, just weeks before he died.

It meant a lot to him, because theyve been passed over for so long, theyve been marginalized participants, Raldy Regalado said.

Raldy said his father will be remembered for his ready smile. Regalado is survived by his wife, Marcelina, their five children and numerous grandchildren.

Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at St. John the Baptist Church, 11150 San Pablo Ave., in El Cerrito.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15
Lynne and Bill Seligman thought they were protecting themselves in 2008 when they agreed to allow an Oklahoma company to explore for natural gas under their 91-acre Sullivan County, Pa., farm. They even paid a lawyer to help negotiate the lease.

But since Chesapeake Energy Co. drilled a well to capture gas from the rich Marcellus Shale formation deep under that property, the Seligmans gas income has shrunk dramatically - and not just because production declined or gas prices fell.

I just feel they cheated us, said Lynne Seligman, a retired nursing-home consultant. They made us promises they didnt fulfill, and I guess thats what really irritates me.

Chesapeake has cut royalty payments to many like the Seligmans, subtracting post-production costs from income the landowners said they were promised under the states Guaranteed Minimum Royalty Act of 1979. The law provides that owners of mineral rights receive a minimum one-eighth share, or 12.5 percent, of the sale price of their oil and gas.

Many Marcellus producers began to deduct post-production costs after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sanctioned the practice in 2010. But Chesapeake, the states largest producer, has been the most aggressive about billing landowners for the costs.

Last year, Chesapeake reduced the Seligmans $317.57 royalty share for April and May by 90 percent, mailing the Kennett Square family a check for $30.96 for the two months. The deductions were attributed to the costs of gathering, compressing, and transporting the gas.

Other disillusioned landowners say Chesapeake has reduced royalty payments below zero, essentially docking them for the gas produced on their properties.

Russ Forba, whose siblings share ownership of a large family property in Wyoming County, said Chesapeake assessed them negative revenue for 10 months during the past two years, and estimated that the company has deducted $1.5 million from their royalty payments since its wells began producing in 2014.

The most recent check, for production in August and September, amounted to $2,400, a 96 percent reduction from the gross royalty of $55,000, Forba said.

Chesapeake is defending itself from an onslaught of lawsuits in federal and state courts. On Dec. 15, a Bradford County judge allowed a state attorney generals lawsuit to proceed, accusing Chesapeake and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. of cheating landowners, and the federal issues appear to be moving toward a settlement, according to court filings.

The landowners are also pressing the state legislature to rewrite the royalty law to limit deductions, affecting all gas producers. But they say they have been frustrated by the powerful gas industry, which argues that the government cannot constitutionally alter existing gas leases, and that the proposed revisions would make Pennsylvania less attractive for energy investment.

I have no desire at all to do anything to stop the industry from investing in Pennsylvania, but I think its very, very unfair that theyre not paying the landowners the royalties they deserve, said state Rep. Garth Everett, a Republican who has sponsored legislation for five years to require minimum payments to landowners of 12.5 percent.

In recent years, members of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners have staked out spots in the state Capitols corridors to buttonhole legislators. Their lobbying efforts have been unsuccessful, though the political neophytes say theyve learned a lot about lawmaking.

Its good to know how state government works, or why its not working, said Jacqueline Root, a Tioga County landowner who is president of the association chapter. She said she hopes the legislature will take up the measure in January, when it reconvenes.

Currently, the royalty legislation is attached to a House proposal to enact a severance tax on natural gas, which has also been stalled for years. The prospects of getting approval for either in the Republican legislature seem remote.

Gas-industry defenders say that not all landowners feel cheated. They portray Chesapeake Energy as the principal villain. It is accused in the lawsuits of shortchanging landowners by overpaying for post-production costs to an affiliated midstream company that processes and moves its gas to market.

Chesapeake denies wrongdoing. In federal court filings, the company says the Pennsylvania attorney generals office and landowners simply got its facts wrong about its business arrangements.

The gas industry and its supporters maintain that a resolution is best left to the courts.

The fix that people are looking for is not a legislative issue, said Republican state Sen. Gene Yaw. Its a contract issue. Its going to be resolved through litigation. There are probably a thousand different contracts out there, and every one of them is a little different, and to try to fix that issue legislatively is an impossibility.
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When Cuban ruler Raul Castro met recently with Igor Sechin, head of Russia's state-owned Rosneft oil company, it was an intimate gathering, held in the same office from where Castro announced the death of his brother Fidel last year.

No details of the Dec. 16 meeting have emerged, but it is now expected that Rosneft will take over Venezuela's stake in the Cuban-Venezuelan refinery in Cienfuegos, in central Cuba, under an agreement that will favor the island.

Just a few hours before his meeting with Castro, Sechin had met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who awarded two gas exploration contracts to the Russian company.

Castro later announced that he was delaying his retirement from February to April, which would give him enough time to sign an agreement with Rosneft that would help the Cuban economy.

Venezuela's political and economic crisis, plus Cuba's need for foreign investment, has opened the door to a stronger Russian presence in Latin America, a shift that has become part of a geopolitical game reminiscent of the Cold War.

"Russia is a much less important economic player in the hemisphere than China. Russia has fewer interests in the Americas but likes to meddle in what they perceive as our backyard," said Mark Feierstein, director of Latin American policy under President Barack Obama's administration.

President Donald Trump publicly warned in his recent national security strategy document that rival powers are finding "room to operate" in the hemisphere.

"Russia continues its failed politics of the Cold War by bolstering its radical Cuban allies as Cuba continues to repress its citizens," the document noted. Both China and Russia "support the dictatorship in Venezuela and are seeking to expand military linkages and arms sales across the region."

But in private, the Trump White House faces more urgent problems and believes that Russian spending to prop up two nearly bankrupt economies is not necessarily bad news for Washington, experts said. The Russian economy itself has been hit hard by U.S. and European Union sanctions, and Sechin is on a U.S. Treasury Department black list. The White House also faces more important problems with Russia, such as the FBI investigation of Moscow's efforts to meddle in last year's presidential election.

At the same time, the Trump administration has put added economic pressure on the Castro government and made it more difficult for U.S. companies to do business in Cuba.

"Trump's steps to limit U.S. commercial engagement with Cuba creates an opportunity for other countries. One of them is Russia," said Feierstein.

For Cuba, the gradual warming of relations with Moscow was almost natural, experts said. They have decades of history as allies and Raul Castro "has always been pro-Russia," said Andy Gomez, former interim director of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies at the University of Miami.

But Castro is also viewed as a pragmatist, and his renewed flirting with Moscow is likely more driven by Cuba's need for oil and its economic troubles than by ideology.

The Cuban and Venezuelan governments renewed their alliance during Maduro's visit to Havana in December. Even though the island's government officially claims its economy grew by about 1.6 percent in 2017 (independent estimates point to negative growth), Castro knows his situation is not sustainable.

The Minister of the Economy told the Cuban parliament during its last meeting of 2017 that fuel imports "have been very tight, and by the end of November deliveries fell short by 431,000 tons."

Most of the imports came from Venezuela under an agreement to exchange oil for medical services that at its peak in 2012 sent 125,000 barrels per day to the island, said Horacio Medina, former administrator of Venezuela's state-owned PDVSA oil company. But Caracas has been unable to keep up the deliveries, and Cuba has been withdrawing its medical personnel from struggling Venezuela.
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What had been a flood of taxpayers hoping to prepay 2018 property taxes before a cap on deductions takes effect under the new GOP tax bill turned into a trickle after the IRS issued guidelines Wednesday quashing those attempts.

Lisa Anderson, chief deputy of administration for the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, said 157 people rushed into the North Pecos Street office Tuesday and Wednesday after hearing they could lock in sizable deductions by prepaying their estimated property tax bills for 2018. The law signed by President Donald Trump last Friday limits deductions for state, local and property taxes to $10,000, combined. Under the law still in effect until Dec. 31, the deduction for all three is unlimited.

So as of Wednesday morning, a taxpayer who estimated 2018 property taxes at $15,000 thought he could prepay $5,000 that cant be deducted next year and write it off against his 2017 taxes that are due in April. The anticipated loophole set off a flurry of last-minute prepayment, especially in high tax states like New York and California.

Case in point: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed an emergency executive order to facilitate New Yorkers in prepaying.

Cuomos Dec. 22 order slammed Trump and the GOP majority for waging an all-out assault on this state and the nation and authorized local governments to issue warrants to levy property taxes by the end of the year.

Albert Uresti, Bexar County tax assessor-collector, issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, before the IRS issued its clarification.

We are not exactly sure how the new federal tax changes will affect those who pay their property taxes this year instead of waiting until 2018. We welcome our citizens to pay their property taxes early, regardless of the new tax laws, Uresti said. The Tax Assessor-Collectors Office will do everything possible to help our citizens complete their property tax transactions this year, if they feel it will help them receive additional federal tax benefits.

But many of those taxpayers will likely be disappointed.

Turn to Fridays front page or click here on ExpressNews.com to read the full article.

lbrezosky@express-news.net

This story will be updated later today on Express-News.com . A full version also will be available in Fridays edition of the San Antonio Express-News.

lbrezosky@express-news.net

What had been a flood of taxpayers hoping to prepay 2018 property taxes before a cap on deductions takes effect under the new tax bill turned into a trickle after the IRS issued guidelines Wednesday quashing those attempts.

Lisa Anderson, chief deputy of administration for the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, said 157 people rushed into the N. Pecos Street office Tuesday and Wednesday after hearing they could lock in sizable deductions by prepaying their estimated tax bills for 2018. The law signed by President Donald Trump last Friday limits the state and local tax deduction to $10,000 and disallows prepayment of state and local income taxes. Under the law still in effect until Dec. 31, the deduction is unlimited.

So as of Wednesday morning, a taxpayer who estimated 2018 taxes at $15,000 thought he could prepay that $5,000 over the $10,000 in 2017 and still write it off when filing 2019 taxes. The anticipated loophole set off a flurry of last-minute prepayment, especially in high tax states like New York and California.

Case in point: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an emergency executive order to facilitate New Yorkers in prepaying.

Albert Uresti, Bexar County tax assessor-collector, issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, before the IRS issued its statement.

We are not exactly sure how the new federal tax changes will affect those who pay their property taxes this year instead of waiting until 2018. We welcome our citizens to pay their property taxes early, regardless of the new tax laws, Uresti said. The Tax Assessor-Collectors Office will do everything possible to help our citizens complete their property tax transactions this year, if they feel it will help them receive additional federal tax benefits.

But those taxpayers will likely be disappointed.

A payment of anticipated real property taxes that have not been assessed prior to 2018 are not deductible in 2017, the IRS said in the statement.

The good news is, taxpayers who prepaid either in office, online or via postmarked correspondence can either consider themselves prepaid for 2018 or request a refund, which may take several weeks to process.

And those who still owe 2017 taxes are certainly urged to finish out the years payments if their bill is more than $10,000, Anderson said. If they paid those taxes in January, theyd lose out on the current deduction.

lbrezosky@express-news.net

This story will be updated later today on Express-News.com . A full version also will be available in Fridays edition of the San Antonio Express-News.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
An unmanned house serving steaming noodles recently appeared on a street in Xian, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province, cnwest.com reported on Dec. 26.

The machine at the noodle house can make noodles according to orders without any cook or waiter. It only takes one minute for a bowl of steaming noodles to be served after paying the bill on a smartphone.

Zhang Xiaobin, founder of the unmanned noodle house, said that his team spent five years developing the intelligent machine, which can ensure a 24-hour supply of noodles.

He added that the machine can also notify them of short supply in advance by sending a message to their phones.

Customers were all amazed by the machine, saying the noodles served by it are really delicious.
A 39-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in Santa Rosa on charges of attempted murder, after allegedly stabbing another man in the neck while both were eating separately in a restaurant last week.

The man arrested was Eulalio Miniz Orozco, who has lived in Santa Rosa for two months, Santa Rosa Police said. He was detained without incident around 7 p.m., and police searched the residence where he was believed to be staying. He later was booked into Sonoma County Jail.
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Schenectady

Matthew Douglas is not in a squad car patrolling city streets but he is an integral part of the police department's efforts to combat crime.

"Technically, he's not on the front lines, but the way I look at it, he is the front line because everything revolves around this for what we're doing right now," said Police Chief Eric Clifford during a recent interview with Douglas at police headquarters.

Douglas serves as the department's law enforcement analytical director. "The analysis is bringing a business approach to what we're doing as a department instead of just being reactive," Clifford said.

The police chief added that he considers Douglas, who has been with the department for a decade, to be part of his management team and takes his advice seriously.

The department has become more adept at pinpointing where crime is happening, the factors behind it, and devising strategies to ensure it's not a recurring problem, added Clifford.

He said the work Douglas and his staff do are a big part why violent crime is down 34.5 percent citywide this year, compared to the five-year average.

"The primary objective is to identify crime patterns and trends and when you see patterns and trends you make them known and then dive into that data," said Douglas, who works with two other full-time crime analysts. "The crime analysis is really to be a tool for the police department to implement data-driven approaches to be more effective and efficient in law enforcement actions and strategies."

He said the data can range from intelligence-gathering from cops in the field as well as parsing raw data and is invaluable to city officials when they are considering demolishing eyesore properties.

Two core principles are place-based and people-oriented strategies plus DDACT (Data Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety).

Specifically, Douglas said so-called "hot spot" policing helps police identify high-crime areas and the specific problems there.

He said the department also relies on risked terrain modelling, which assesses the impact that landmarks, such as a corner store or bodega, may have on crime.

"It's basically more predictive hot spot analysis," added Douglas. "The program showed me that based on the data, bodegas are one of the risk factors or aggravating factor of where violence will likely occur," he said. For years, Schenectady has been plagued by illegal activity around some corner stores.

Douglas also touted the success of focused deterrence, which identifies gangs, groups, and individuals that are more likely to be involved in violence.

These individuals, who are often parolees or on probation, are mandated to attend a session with police and prosecutors, as well as the family member of a victim, who send a strong message to stop the gun violence or there will be severe consequences. They are urged to convey that message to their friends and are offered a variety of services from job training to resume-writing to help them become productive.

"My role in that is having the databases and the intelligence behind that," he said, adding he will look at everything from traffic stops to the associates of that person and where they generally hang out.

Clifford said the department has done a lot more proactive details this year with more of a focused approach.

"The directive that has been given to the commanders is consult with Matt and his unit, find out where we need help, put a plan together, and then bring in the people to go after it," he said. "The analysis that we're doing post events is to look at the tactical report that Matt does to see where we're successful and where we're not as successful."

That report monitors property and violent crime on a monthly basis to determine if it is above or below the threshold based on a five-year average.

The document also tracks individual crimes like robberies and rapes in neighborhoods throughout the city.

Above-average numbers will trigger meetings with police supervisors and commanders and increased patrols in that area.

"That's the point of this report, is to help us identify when we do have increases of particular offenses and then to do something about it," added Douglas, who focuses on violent crimes, including shootings and homicides.

Clifford and Douglas also stressed the importance of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environment Design), which includes improved lighting and line of sight as well restricting access to buildings as another way to curb crime.

Clifford described it as a "social approach" to crime reduction instead of relying solely on making arrests.

He pointed to the old "environmental design" of the Liberty Park across from Schenectady County Community College that made it an attractive spot for people to drink and panhandle. The area is being redeveloped into the Mill Artisan District, which the chief said will make Lower State Street more safe and pedestrian-friendly.

Clifford said the department is also considering sending a person to a case worker instead of arresting them for low-level offenses where there are no victims that involve poverty, addiction or mental illness. An example of this would be a person stealing from a grocery store to feed their hunger or to feed an addiction.

Douglas, who is involved with the county's burgeoning street crime task force, once had his heart set on being a cop, but changed his mind as he studied more.

"The more I learned, the more I felt like, 'I want to get into law enforcement but I wanted to do something a little bit different than becoming an officer,'" he added.

The 33-year-old Gansevoort resident, who has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from University at Albany, is two courses away from earning his master's degree in criminal justice. He and his wife Jo-ann have two children, ages 2 and 7.

Clifford knows the department can't rest on is laurels but has to keep implementing crime fighting techniques.

"We want to turn Schenectady into a community that people want to come and live in," he said.

pnelson@timesunion.com  518-454-5347 @apaulnelson
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BRIDGEPORT  This would never have happened when Joe Ganim first ran for governor in the mid-1990s and Twitter was still a decade away from being launched.

But it is 2017. So shortly after it was reported Wednesday that Bridgeports returned Democratic mayor would on Jan. 3 formally launch his latest bid to run Connecticut, someone created a fake Joe Ganim for Governor Twitter account.

We suspect it was an over-enthusiastic supporter, said Rowena White, the mayors director of communications for the city, not the campaign, which has yet to name a manager or spokesperson.

The innocuous, bland-looking feed, which launched Wednesday evening, received some news coverage and attention from conservative Jack Fowler of Milford, former publisher and now vice president of National Review magazine.

As of Thursday afternoon, the account had been taken down and, White said, Ganim had launched a legitimate Twitter feed  Ganim-Joe@joeganim2018.

More for you Ganim to make gubernatorial run official

Ganim had a similar problem with Twitter after he waged a successful mayoral comeback in 2015 using, ironically, social media to help defeat incumbent Bill Finch in that years Democratic primary. That November the mayor elects Twitter feed was either hijacked or revealed to be a fraud.

After a series of seemingly legitimate tweets about the election and the upcoming Dec. 1 transition, the fake Ganim wrote: Heading down to the Bridgeport Police Department with Ernie Newton to get our pistol permits.

Ganim and Newton, a former state legislator who was last month elected to the City Council, were both convicted of corruption in the early 2000s. While voters recently gave each a second chance, the two returned politicians are prohibited by state law from owning firearms.

Before that 2015 Twitter feed was taken down, it had been followed by a handful of news organizations and politicians.

Joe Ganim for Governor was not up long enough between Wednesday and Thursday to receive much attention, though Fowler posted a response mocking the candidates criminal past: This is the face of the Democrat Party of CT.

Whoever created the fake account countered: Thanks for your support.

Ganim was not getting any love from the first respondents to his legitimate gubernatorial Twitter feed either.

You were arrested and went to federal prison, wrote Mattley_Crue. You are a con man.

And Jean Marie Wiesen responded with #nofelon4gov.

Brian Lockhart@blockhart1 on Twitter
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Despite chilly winter weather days after Christmas, several people on Wednesday protested the Confederate monument in Orange, which has faded from the public spotlight after provoking controversy in years past.

Tracie and Jeremy Parzen, who live in Houston, visited family for the holidays in Tracie's hometown of Orange. They decided now was as good a time as ever to take a stand against what they view as a "hurtful" and "insensitive" monument.

"Some people see the flag and they blow it off," Tracie Parzen, 42, said. "They don't think much of it ... and that comes from a point of privilege. But not everybody in this community has that luxury. Some people see it and it terrifies them. It just doesn't belong here."

> > RELATED: Racist, controversial moments of Texas in 2017

The 13-pillar circular stone "Confederate Memorial of the Wind" sits on a patch of private land next to Interstate 10, five miles from the Texas-Louisiana border. It was erected by the Sons of Confederate Veterans- Texas Division in 2013 despite immense pushback from the Orange community. Representatives of the group could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Original plans called for 32 flags for Texas Confederate regiments to fly from the monument, but none was ever erected. According to Enterprise archives, the flag of the Army of the Trans-Missisippi, the last major Confederate command to surrender, flew briefly on the spot in 2016.

No flags were flying in the late December wind on the corner plot of grassy land, which is surrounded by "no parking" signs. The group met at the public crosswalk, holding signs and waving at drivers heading down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

After the monument was finished, a lot of the public criticism quieted, the Parzens said.

"We're not here illegally and we're not here to be vindictive," said Jeremy Parzen, 50.

The couple was joined by a few members of the Southeast Texas Progressives, a Facebook group of about 700 that leans toward the left end of the political spectrum, said Marsi Patronella, one of the group's three co-founders.

Patronella said she was thrilled when the Parzens reached out about hosting an impromptu protest at the sites.

"Sometimes it's hard for people who believe like we do to speak out because they are afraid to go against the grain or be ostracized," Patronella said.

"You either love us or hate us but we are facilitating conversations," Patronella said. "There's another side of the story."

Most passersby were friendly, offering waves and honks in support. One man even tried to give the protesters money.

"We're not accepting money," Jeremy Parzen said. "But I'll accept a handshake."

Following a deadly protest by white supremacists at the site of a Confederate monument in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12, local authorities began questioning other Confederate sites across Southeast Texas.

Two Beaumont city council members suggested changing the "Our Confederate Soldiers" monument in Wiess Park. Port Arthur ISD's board of trustees considered changing the names of Robert E. Lee Elementary and Dick Dowling Elementary.

A few weeks later, Tropical Storm Harvey hit Southeast Texas and the subject faded from public discussion.

"It's easy to get distracted and fall into a place of complacency," Tracie Parzen said. "But the end of this year and going into the next is a great reminder to have these conversations. Maybe people will have courage to speak up in the new year."

"I have a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old who come here (to Orange) often," Tracie Parzen said. "One day, they're going to ask me what that is. How do I explain it?"

The family has taken their daughters, Lila, 4, and Georgia, 6, to several protests in the past, including a Black Lives Matter march in Houston.

"Of course I would never put my children in danger," Tracie Parzen said. "But I want them to grow up learning that they have agency in this world, especially as girls."

MGstalter@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/morgGstalt
TORRINGTON  Judge James Bentivegna denied a petition seeking to free three elephants from the Commerford Zoo Tuesday, rejecting the argument that the animals should be granted legal personhood.

The Nonhuman Rights Project filed the lawsuit in November, with the hopes of garnering a writ of habeas corpus for three elephants from the Goshen zoo  Beulah, Karen and Minnie.

The Florida-based group contended that, considering their cognitive abilities and sense of self, the animals should be considered autonomous beings and thus legal persons who cannot be detained under the law.

Its petition included an overview of research into the herbivores world view, pointing to a series of abilities possessed by elephants, including the ability to plan, communicate, have an awareness of self and of others, solve problems, understand causation and engage in teaching to pass down knowledge, claiming these as examples of their complex cognitive abilities sufficient for common law personhood and the common law right to bodily liberty, as a matter of common law liberty, equality, or both under Connecticut common law.

More for you Circus to eliminate elephant acts

Bentivegna denied the groups petition for a writ of habeas, writing that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction and the petition is wholly frivolous on its face in legal terms.

This decision was based on two conclusions, Bentivegna said  one, that the group did not have a prior relationship with the three elephants, and thus did not have standing to bring the petition; and two, that there was no precedent for providing elephants the rights of legal personhood.

Unlike in New York, where a court found the Nonhuman Rights Project had legal standing to pursue the release of two chimpanzees in 2015, Bentivegna wrote that Connecticut law does not specifically note that habeas petitions can be filed on the behalf of individuals in noncriminal custody.

They can be filed for those considered parents or legal guardians of a child  Bentivegna noted that the Nonhuman Rights Project were not the parents of the elephants, writing that the Commerford family (is) more akin to the parents of Beulah, Minnie and Karen or those found to have next friend status.

Bentivegna wrote that next friend status requires that the individual imprisoned cannot file for a petition on their own, that the petitioner must be dedicated to the individuals best interests and that the petitioner have some pre-existing relationship with the imprisoned person.

Because the petitioner has failed to allege that it possesses any relationship with the elephants, the petitioner lacks standing, said Bentivegna.

In its petition, the Nonhuman Rights Project argued that people who were strangers to the confined individual had standing to file habeas petitions under state law, and that Connecticut procedural statutes continued such a common-law tradition.

Bentivegna also declined to grant elephants the status of legal personhood, as such a claim has not been previously established through precedent.

Does the petitioners theory that an elephant is a person entitled to those same liberties extended to you or I have a possibility or probability of victory? The petitioner is unable to point to any authority which has held so, but instead relies on basic human rights of freedom and equality, and points to expert averments of similarities between elephants and human beings as evidence that this court must forge new law, said Bentivegna. Based on the law as it stands today, this court cannot so find.

In its petition, the Nonhuman Rights Project pointed to past instances where courts have granted non-human actors and objects the rights of legal personhood, indicating that four past instances, including the case of the New York chimpanzees, meant that the case had a possibility of victory, and argued that such a decision would be in accordance with Connecticut common law.

Bentivegna noted statutes pertaining to animal cruelty as a potential alternative method of ensuring the well-being of any animal.

The Nonhuman Rights Project noted but did not use past allegations of animal cruelty as the basis of its suit.

Steven Wise, founder and President of the Nonhuman Rights Project, said in a statement Wednesday that the group planned to appeal Bentivegnas decision. This was later retracted by the group.

Jennifer Fermino of the Fenton communications agency, working on behalf of the group, said late Wednesday that the Nonhuman Rights Project was reviewing the decision and would issue another statement in the future.

Representatives of R.W. Commerford & Sons could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

Tim Commerford, co-owner of the Commerford Zoo, has previously called the lawsuit preposterous and far-fetched, and described it as a ploy for money and media attention. The elephants are appropriately cared for, he has said.

If I dont see them on a daily basis, Im thinking about them, because I grew up with them all my life, he said. Theyre family. The animal activists can say what they want about it, but theyre part of our family.
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A single bell toll pierced the cold and quiet morning air at the California Highway Patrol Academy in Sacramento on Wednesday  signaling the final end of watch for Hayward CHP Officer Andrew Camilleri, who was killed Christmas Eve by an allegedly intoxicated driver.

With bowed heads and tear-filled eyes and clutching single white roses, the Camilleri family sat silently during the procession before hundreds of law enforcement officials and members of the public.

It had been three days of heavy sorrow for the officers wife, Rosanna, and their 12-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and 6-year-old son, Andrew Jr. The family, excluding Camilleris 2-year-old son, placed the flowers before a memorial to fallen CHP officers after the bell ringing. On Christmas morning after the crash, Rosanna reportedly waited until the children opened their presents before telling them their father was gone.

The officers partner, Jonathan Velasquez, who was also injured in the crash that claimed Camilleri, openly wept with the family.

Its a very sad and humbling day, acting CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said at the event. Its a tragedy for Officer Camilleris family. Its a tragedy for the California Highway Patrol. Its a tragedy for the state of California. Its a day that we shouldnt be here because this did not have to happen.

The emotional event came after Camilleri, a 33-year-old Tracy resident who graduated from the CHP Academy in March, was killed by a driver allegedly under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. As the CHP honored the officer, state officials began rolling out a planned public awareness campaign to publicize the dangers of driving while high as the state gears up for the first legal sales of recreational cannabis on Monday.

Officials said they found evidence of alcohol and marijuana in the 22-year-old drivers Cadillac after he plowed at high speed into Camilleris and Velasquezs patrol vehicle on the Winton Avenue on-ramp to Interstate 880 around 11:30 that night. The driver, whose name has not been released, remains hospitalized. The CHP is pushing for felony charges upon his release.

During an earlier news conference Wednesday on the steps of the state Capitol, officials said they expect a rise in stoned motorists  along with highway crashes and deaths.

We have seen marijuana usage increasing steadily for the last 20 years, starting with medicinal usage and through various stages of decriminalization, said Rhonda Craft, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. Jan. 1 ... marks the beginning of legal sales to adults. As has been the case in other states like Colorado and Washington, we fully expect to see an increase in crashes due to marijuana usage.

In fact, state officials said that 42.6 percent of drivers who were given toxicology tests after fatal crashes in 2016 tested positive for drugs  up from 26.2 percent in 2006. Of the drugs, marijuana was the most prevalent.

A 2012 study by the Office of Traffic Safety showed that more drivers tested positive for marijuana than alcohol.

But unlike the famed .08 percent blood-alcohol limit, which is measured with a breath, blood or urine test, testing for the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is more complicated.

Since voters passed Proposition 64 to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in 2016, California has not included specific THC blood-level amounts as part of DUI testing. Thats different from Washington, for example, which amended its law to say motorists whose blood contains more than 5 nanograms of THC within two hours of driving are considered under the influence.

Nevertheless, the CHP says its ready. Nearly all of its officers in the field have advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement training in techniques to determine whether a driver is under the influence of substances other than alcohol.

The training goes beyond a standard field sobriety test for alcohol and is used in states where marijuana is legal, along with states where it isnt.

Theyre taking your pulse, your heart rate, your blood pressure, CHP Chief Brent Newman said of the process. Theyre looking at all the crazy things your eyes are doing. Theyre looking at coating on the tongue, your skin.

The CHP launched its campaign Wednesday with a new television commercial along with electronic signs up and down the states highways reading, Drive high, get a DUI.

Though the campaign was scheduled weeks ago, Camilleris death brought a personal resonance to the effort for members of the CHP.

Were feeling this loss because its our officer, but theres families all over that experience this loss on a too-frequent basis, Newman said. We will mourn this officer and honor him because he was actually out there trying to prevent the type of incident he was involved in.

Camilleri had been on patrol for drunken and impaired drivers as part of a Christmas Eve maximum enforcement effort when he was killed. He particularly looked forward to such assignments.

His first night on the job, he arrested two drunk drivers and he was so excited, said Capt. Tim Pearson with the CHPs Hayward office. He talked about that for months. Thats what he loved doing. Unfortunately, thats what has taken him from us.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Jenna Lyons contributed to this report.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
China to green its construction to cope with climate challenge: State Council Counselor

China will green its construction to cope with climate challenge, said Qiu Baoxing, counselor of the State Council and former vice minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Green construction will become a new name card for China, one with global impact, he added.

Qiu made the remarks following a press conference on the 14th International Conference on Green and Energy-Efficient Building held in Beijing.

The counselor believes that the green construction industry will embrace a critical period of development as China enters the 40th year of the reform and opening up in 2018.

The long-term goal of green development, the establishment of the carbon market, and Chinese governments determination to make the skies blue again will all serve as significant opportunities for the industry, Qiu noted.

Qiu suggested constructors pre-fabricate each building part and assemble them on site, so that the process of house making will be more environmentally friendly.

In addition, the method could also serve as strategic supply for the country in times of emergency, as the construction parts are recyclable.

According to Qiu, green construction should be done in accordance with local environments in a bid to better adapt to local climate and reduce energy consumption.

He predicted that smart facilities would become a trend for green construction. These smart facilities can informationize the functions of buildings through artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data, and reduce the energy consumption to the minimum.

Moreover he said that the construction should take dwellers health into consideration by upgrading the construction materials and optimizing the design of patterns and public spaces.
Kameron Prescott, the 6-year-old boy fatally shot last week by Bexar County deputies, was laid to rest Thursday in San Antonio.

The funeral got underway at the United Methodist Church in Universal City at 10 a.m., with a lunch celebrating his life scheduled for 1 p.m.
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Family members, constituents and colleagues of the late state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon gathered for her funeral Thursday morning at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church to bid their last farewells.

The funeral mass began with the tolling of bells and the hymn, Soon and Very Soon. Pallbearers, including Speaker of the Texas House, Joe Straus, accompanied the coffin into the sanctuary.

Father Kevin Fausz called McClendon a champion of those who needed more education, healthcare and their voices to be heard.

He said before she was democrat or state representative, she was a child of God.

More for you 6-year-old boy slain in deputy-involved shooting laid to rest Thursday in San Antonio

May she rest in peace with all the saints and angels, Fausz said.

McClendon, died Dec. 19 at age 74.

The goodbyes began Wednesday night at a rosary, held at Holy Redeemer, located at 1819 Nevada St. More than 200 people filled the sanctuary for the service. Her husband, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Denver McClendon, said the service wasnt a sad occasion, but rather a home going.

Cars lined the East Side neighborhood for several blocks as parishioners and dignitaries, dressed for chilly temperatures, packed the pews to honor McClendon.

Her political career began in 1993, serving as District 2 Councilwoman for three years, before winning a special election for the District 120 seat.

Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins and former mayors, Henry Cisneros and Ivy Taylor were among those who paid respects to McClendons family. Her white coffin was draped with the state flag of Texas.

Taylor and fellow members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the San Antonio Links remembered McClendon as a champion of sisterhood and the disadvantaged. She said it was a privilege to be part of the service that honored the woman she respectfully called Miss Ruth.

Certainly, Miss Ruth exemplified that, Taylor said, and it was great to be part of her final rites for those organizations to underscore her life of service.

Angela McClendon Johnson, remembered her stepmother as a child of the Fifth Ward of Houston, where she learned that every one needs a helping hand sometimes in life.

Father Kevin Fausz, administrator of Holy Redeemer, said McClendons success in the political arena was a reflection of a lifetime living the gospel.

Even in her illness, Ruth would be here at church, Fausz said. Which was a real living testament of what it means to have faith in the midst of suffering.

That sentiment was echoed by many others who spoke at Thursdays Mass.

There were moments of laughter, such as when former state Sen. Rodney Ellis talked about how it wasnt a good thing to get on McClendons bad side. Former City Councilman Joe Webb and McClendon served as each others campaign manager. He drew laughs from the crowd when he said, she didnt like meddling.

Former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte called McClendon her sister with whom she bonded with over long legislative sessions. They shared family outings she said she still cherished.

She used politics for God, Van de Putte said, and not the other way around.

At the end of the service, attendants from Lewis Funeral Home draped a state flag of Texas upon the casket. The bells tolled one last time as the procession of cars prepared to depart the East Side neighborhood McClendon had advocated for during her storied career.

Once at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, just 10 blocks east of the Capitol building, pallbearers carried the casket up a grassy hill and set it beneath a green tent. There, state representatives and family members gathered around the plot where McClendon later would be buried beside other state leaders and lawmakers.

An honor guard made up of six state troopers, marched to the casked and ceremoniously folded up the Texas flag laid on top, handing it to Rep. Charlie Geren, who then presented it to a member of McClendons family. In the chilly evening air, a bagpiper played Amazing Grace under the graying sky.

She was a tireless fighter for justice, said Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, who as a freshman member in 2009 was advised by McClendon to make her own choice when voting for a House speaker and not let anyone make one for her. She could get people from the other side of the aisles to see her way.

Geren, R-Fort Worth, sat behind McClendon on the House floor for several sessions.

She was not afraid to speak her mind, and when she disagreed, she would tell me, Geren said. She is one of the most special women I ever met. She truly cared about her constituents.

vtdavis@express-news.net
A San Antonio man was arrested after a girl claimed he has abused her for five years.

The 12-year-old cried and hugged the officers as she detailed the alleged abuse, according to an arrest affidavit.
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A man was killed Wednesday evening in a rollover crash on the Northwest Side.

The driver, who has yet to be identified, rolled his vehicle off the roadway near Interstate 10 and Loop 410 around 10 p.m., police said.

RELATED: SAPD: 14-year-old finds mom and her boyfriend dead in upstairs bedroom

The driver was not wearing a seat belt and suffered serious head trauma in the crash.

Now Playing: A driver was killed Wednesday evening, Dec. 28, in a rollover crash on the Northwest Side. Video: San Antonio Express-News

When firefighters arrived, the driver was trapped inside his vehicle. Firefighters cut open the vehicle to free him, but when he was finally pulled from the wreckage, he was dead.

Police said they are unsure what caused the driver to crash, but speed was definitely a factor.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns
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Kendall County sheriff's deputies recovered more than $100,000 of stolen property after pulling over two suspects in a traffic stop.

Deputies opened an investigation after receiving reports of burglarized storage units, according to a Facebook post from the office.

RELATED: Firefighters work to free man from crushed vehicle only to find him dead

On the night of Dec. 10, deputies pulled over a vehicle that matched the description of the car possibly involved in the burglary.

The driver, identified as Bobby Luckett, was initially taken into custody for possession of marijuana. During the arrest, deputies allegedly noticed items that appeared to be stolen in the car.

After obtaining a search warrant, they found the rest of the stolen items. The items were not just tied to burglaries of storage units in Boerne and Kendall County, but some were also linked to burglaries of homes and cars in the area.

READ ALSO: Family identifies San Antonio mother found dead by teen son in apparent murder-suicide

Luckett has since been additionally charged with burglary of a building, according to the post. The investigation also led to the arrest of Antoinette Bibb, who was charged with theft of items worth $30,000 to $150,000.

Deputies have an arrest warrant out for a third suspect, Brittani Avera. Anyone with information on her can submit a tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-348-5323.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
City and county officials are dealing with what they say is an unprecedented surge of property owners paying taxes early, as homeowners - particularly in predominantly Democratic states with high local tax rates - try to avoid the effects of the tax-code overhaul signed last week by President Donald Trump.

That bill, which takes effect in 2018, limits the amount of state and local tax payments people can deduct from their federal taxes to $10,000. The provision was one of the most contentious in the tax bill shaped by Congressional Republicans, with critics saying it would unfairly penalize residents of blue states and cities with a heavy local tax burden.

Those fears have been dramatically illustrated this week in the Washington, D.C., region, as hundreds of homeowners have lined up at tax offices to pre-pay their property taxes for 2018 before the limit on deductions kicks in.

There is no guarantee this ploy will work: The tax bill is silent on whether 2018 property-taxes paid in 2017 will avoid the deduction cap that applies to income-tax filings for 2018 and beyond. (Income tax prepayments of this kind are specifically barred under the bill.)

A spokesman for D.C. Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey S. DeWitt said the District's tax attorneys presume the Internal Revenue Service will decide in the coming months whether property-tax prepayments can be deducted in 2017 filings.

But that hasn't stopped people - those with the ability to come up with a few thousand dollars on short notice - from trying.

More than 1,700 taxpayers lined up outside the Fairfax County, Va., government center Tuesday to pre-pay their property taxes, while 750 people sent wire transfers and about 650 dropped off payments in a government lockbox that normally gets two or three pieces of correspondence a day, said director of revenue collection Scott Sizemore.

"There is simply no comparison" to previous years, said Sizemore. "It's unprecedented."

Arlington County, Va., treasurer Carla de la Pava said about 30 people were waiting when her office opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

As of 10:45 a.m., the county had accepted more than $5 million in early payments from 644 taxpayers.

"This is completely unusual. They've been coming in for weeks," said de la Pava, adding that some taxpayers were paying up to three years of taxes in advance.

Homeowners were advised to seek professional tax advice before making a decision.

"We're making sure we tell people we can't guarantee it's deductible" on their 2017 federal tax forms, said Roger Zurn, treasurer in Loudoun County, where a steady stream of 10 people at a time have been waiting at the Sterling and Leesburg government offices.

Virginia, along with D.C. and Maryland, is among the places hardest hit by the loss of the deduction for state and local taxes. More than 37 percent of tax returns filed in Virginia in 2015 included the deduction, according to data from the Tax Policy Center.
LONDON - It was a case of the famous interviewing the famous. The BBC aired an interview Wednesday that was unusual in at least a couple of respects: The man answering the questions was former President Barack Obama, and the man asking them was his friend Prince Harry.

The prince took the seat as a guest editor for BBC Radio 4's flagship program, "Today," and broadcast a long-awaited interview in which he questioned the former president about the day he left the White House, his work since leaving office and his plans for the future.

Neither party mentioned President Donald Trump by name, but Obama's successor was never far from the conversation. The two men discussed the risks of using social media and the corrosion of civil discourse.

The interview was recorded in Toronto in September, when Harry and Obama met during the Invictus Games, a sporting competition for injured military members and veterans.

The highlights of the interview:

Life after the White House

Since leaving office in January, Obama has more time on his hands. He gets to wake up later, spend more time with his family and take control of his day, something he says he couldn't do as president. But the things that are important to him have not changed.

"I still care about making sure that the United States and the world is a place where kids get a decent education," he said. "Where people who are willing to work hard are able to find a job that pays a living wage. That we're conserving the amazing resources of our planet so that future generations can enjoy the beauty of this place. Like we did."

More Information Poll: Obama tops Trump as most admired Donald Trump may be the current president, but in terms of who Americans most admire, his predecessor and the person he beat in the 2016 election top the list. Barack Obama edged his successor as the most admired man for 2017, a Gallup poll finds, marking the first time since 2008 when a sitting president didn't win the annual accolade. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is the woman Americans most admire for the 16th year in a row. It was a close race. Seventeen percent of those surveyed named Obama as the man they most admire, to 14 percent for Trump. Bloomberg News See More Collapse

Now that he no longer has the authority that came with being president, Obama said he relies on persuasion rather than legislation.

"A lot of the things that still motivate me and move me continue to this day," he added.

Addressing Trump - sort of

While neither man mentioned Trump directly, they discussed the role of social media in leadership, a conversation that brought to mind Trump's blunt, unvarnished posts on Twitter.

Obama warned against the irresponsible use of social media by people in positions of power and expressed his concern about a future in which facts were discarded.

"One of the dangers of the internet is that people can have entirely different realities," he said. "They can be cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases.

"The question has to do with how do we harness this technology in a way that allows a multiplicity of voices, allows a diversity of views, but doesn't lead to a Balkanization of society and allows ways of finding common ground."

Obama also mentioned that he had developed a thick skin during his presidency. Trump, in contrast, has been criticized since the 2016 campaign as thin-skinned and unable to rise above provocation.

Passing the baton

During the presidential inauguration Jan. 20, many people - including Harry - wondered what Obama was thinking as he sat in the crowd, showing little emotion.

"The first thing that went through my mind was sitting across from Michelle, how thankful I was that she had been my partner through that whole process," he said.

Looking back, he said he felt a sense of completion as he handed over power to Trump. There was a "satisfying feeling that was mixed with all the work that was still undone," he said, adding that he had "concerns about how the country moved forward."

"But overall, there was serenity there," he said.

Working with the prince

Obama and Harry have a range of shared interests, and since meeting in London last year, they have been discussing ways in which they can work together to provide a platform to empower young people.

"How do we make it a reality?" the prince asked in the interview.

Obama used his 2008 presidential campaign as an example.

"You have this African-American, mixed race, born in Hawaii, named Barack Hussein Obama, and somehow he becomes president," he said. "How did that happen? Well, it happened primarily because you had a bunch of 20-year-olds and 23-year-olds and 25-year-olds who started going out into communities that oftentimes they'd never been in before and believed in the possibilities of a different kind of politics."

The campaign was fueled by a grassroots approach that was brought together by new technologies of the time, Obama added.

Prince Harry's wedding

Harry's engagement to American actress Meghan Markle was announced in November, long after the interview was recorded, so it obviously did not come up during the conversation with Obama.

It did come up as part of the prince's role as guest editor, however, and there was an Obama angle. British tabloids, citing unidentified sources, reported this week that senior government officials were putting pressure on Harry to leave the Obamas off the guest list, out of fear that a snub would enrage Trump.

Asked about the issue by a Radio 4 host Wednesday, Harry sidestepped the question, saying that he and Markle were yet to work out who would be invited to their wedding, which is set for May 19.
An Egyptian national who was assaulted on Friday in Jordan has died from his injuries, Egypt's Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan said in a statement on Wednesday.

The minister said Morsi's body will be returned to Egypt later today, and that the ministry is following up on developments in the investigation.

Ali El-Sayed Morsi had fallen into a coma earlier this week due to serious injuries sustained in the attack, and was receiving treatment at the intensive care unit at a local hospital.

The spokesman of Jordan's general security directorate said on Thursday that the incident took place on Friday when a grocery store owner beat the Egyptian man, causing him to fall and hit his head on a parked vehicle, which resulted in a brain haemorrhage, according to Jordanian state news agency Petra.

The assailant has turned himself in and is being detained pending investigations, according to the spokesman.

In an earlier statement, the Egyptian ministry quoted an official Jordanian report as saying that Morsi was beaten by a group of men over a dispute regarding a sum of money (around $2,800) for the sale of a car, adding that several suspects had been arrested.

The Jordanian labour minister has condemned the attack, stressing the brotherly relations between Egypt and Jordan and his appreciation for Egyptian labour in the country.

More than 600,000 Egyptians reside in Jordan, according to a 2015 census.

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It was momentous, an achievement beyond belief: The inevitable election of Hillary Clinton as president had been averted, leftism was down on its knees and the issue was whether President Donald Trump could follow through.

A year has passed, and he absolutely has, but a question lingers.

This is no longer America, or is it?

Trump is kooky, after all, and someone who has given fresh meaning to the cliche of being ones own worst enemy.

By way of alienation, he is rife with insults, vulgarity, juvenilia and narcissism. He has given us a White House reality show, and, by way of supposed rescue, weve had politicians, bureaucrats and others behaving worse than he has, dropping every pretense of old standards or honesty by way of impeachment ambitions.

Even being a successful president when everyone is cooing sweet tunes in ones direction is tough.

Crazy Trump has been successful when the cooing has been replaced by cursing, and the biggie, of course, was getting Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court.

The issue here was not so much rounding up the votes  the GOP Senate majority had them  but picking a man of solid integrity, deep intellect and, astonishingly enough in this day and age, respect for the Constitution.

The court long ago began discovering rights where there were none while rewriting American culture. Progressive justices have tended to see the Constitution as a weary, old, out-of-tune document.

Yes, it could be brought up to date by amendments, but legitimacy of that kind didnt happen often. So they resorted to their own moral intuitions, using obscure legalese to explain how their decisions somehow related to hints of broad principles maybe in the document that they were slowly destroying.

Other Trump victories?

Getting record numbers of appellate judges appointed to the relief of a federal system beleaguered by justices with progressive handicaps. A tax reform that could render all kinds of economic benefits. Repealing the Obamacare individual mandate. Getting the toughest U.N. sanctions ever against North Korea. Vitalizing our energy markets by approving pipelines and other moves. Facilitating the defeat of the Islamic State through affording generals more say in combat. Taking important steps to obstruct Irans imperial dreams emboldened by Obamas deal. Getting tough with Russia on Ukraine.

Often called an autocrat, Trump has contrarily helped defeat autocracy of the past through dismantling economically harmful regulations, insisting young illegal immigrants be legalized constitutionally and negating much of the Clean Power Plan that would illegally wipe out state laws.

He has delivered more support to beleaguered Israel, one of our greatest allies, which was as much as betrayed by the Obama administration.

Through support of police and other steps, he has helped achieve a crime decrease after President Barack Obama helped a crime upsurge by calling police systemically racist and making them less proactive.

By refusing to spur gun sales with threats of purchasing impediments, he has presided over a drop in gun sales far greater than any proposed new law could achieve.

A list of embarrassments could go on longer than this, but overall, on policy terms, this Trump year has been a significant boost to this country of ours, something far better than the debilitation likely under Hillary Clinton.

His low approval ratings, however, reflect his misconduct, something foreign to what this country has seen in its presidents, and for that and other reasons, we could see Republicans lose control of the Senate or House or both. That could mean impeachment. It would certainly mean an end to any legislative advantages.

The call then is for Trump to try self-improvement, which he wont, but more importantly to work with Congress to ameliorate the debt, reform welfare to actually help the poor, end mass incarceration through better crime deterrence policies and maybe pursue an infrastructure plan.

There are serious foreign challenges, and what is finally required is firm determination to do whats needed.

Jay Ambrose is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. Email: speaktojay@aol.com.
President Trump awarded himself a 10 out of 10 score two months ago for his response to Hurricane Maria, which leveled Puerto Rico.

If you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, Trump said as he toured Puerto Rico in October. What is your death count, as of this moment  17?

Sixteen certified, the governor of Puerto Rico replied.

Sixteen versus literally thousands of people, Trump said. You can be very proud.

How proud we are now.

We learned the truth recently. Some 1,065 more Puerto Ricans died in September and October of this year than in previous years, almost certainly storm-related deaths, according to the Center for Investigative Journalism. When all is tallied, the destruction in Puerto Rico will be very much on par with what Trump considers a real catastrophe like Katrina, which killed about 1,800.

Incredibly, a large portion of the island remains without power  three months after the storm. It was reported last week that power may not be fully restored until May. Puerto Ricans  American citizens  are still awaiting tarps and temporary roofs to shelter them.

A new report from Refugees International said, Thousands of people still lack sustainable access to potable water and electricity and dry, safe places to sleep.

This, in the United States of America, in 2017. Ten out of 10, Mr. President. A-plus for you!

In October, when Trump was tossing beautiful, soft rolls of paper towels at Puerto Ricans, he offered lavish promises of aid and said Wall Street lenders were going to say goodbye to Puerto Ricos $72 billion debt. But the debt was not written off, and disaster-relief aid has been inadequate. Now, Trump and congressional Republicans are hitting Puerto Rico with a man-made catastrophe.

The GOP tax bill, which Trump celebrated last week, treats Puerto Rico as a foreign country, imposing a 12.5 percent tax on the income that companies there receive from intellectual property  a big hit to its crucial pharmaceutical and medical-device sector.

You might recognize this pattern. Trump comes in with razzle-dazzle and self-congratulation, promising great things to come. Then, when the cameras are off, comes the quiet collapse.

The prototype is the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. In April 1990, it opened with much fanfare as the worlds largest casino-hotel complex. Six months later, it defaulted on payments. Nine months after that, it filed for bankruptcy.

Trump promises an easy peace in the Middle East but sets off a new wave of violence. He promises a tax cut for the middle class and winds up with a giveaway to corporations and millionaires. He promises to improve upon Obamacare but ravages the program with no replacement.

Nearly a million low-income Puerto Ricans are in danger of losing health care early in the new year because the territorys Medicaid program will soon be unable to pay providers. Federal law restricts Medicaid reimbursements for Puerto Rico to not-quite 20 percent, about a quarter of what it would get if it were a state. Puerto Ricos leaders have called for a few billion dollars to avert this latest crisis, but the request went unanswered as Congress rushed to complete the tax cut.

Puerto Ricos (Democratic) governor, Ricardo Rossello, made a dumb mistake in October when, appealing to Trumps vanity, he praised the presidents hurricane response. That gave Trump cover to do nothing for Puerto Rico. Now Rossello has apparently realized his mistake, and, in an interview with Politico last week, he vowed to mobilize the more than 5 million Puerto Ricans living in the mainland United States. That includes hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens fleeing Puerto Rico since Maria.

They are eligible to vote, in 2018 and 2020. One suspects they might award Trump something less than the 10 out of 10 he gives himself.

Dana Milbank writes a column for the Washington Post.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on Thursday with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi to discuss coordination on various regional issues and bilateral relations between Egypt and the UAE, a statement by Egypt's foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

The two ministers discussed developments in Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Palestine, as well as the situation in Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa, as it relates to the security of Arab nations and the Red Sea region.

The ministers stressed their countries' rejection of any form of interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, as well as their keenness to adopt common stances to preserve the interests of both countries and enhance Arab national security and stability in the region.

The two ministers also discussed Shoukry's recent visit to Addis Ababa where Shoukri discussed with Ethiopian officials the deadlock in talks on Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam, stressing Egypt's long-established stance on its water security.

The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations and means of increasing cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

The foreign ministry's statement added that the UAE foreign minister would visit Egypt soon to continue consultations and coordination on regional issues and challenges of mutual concern, as well as economic and trade relations between the two countries.

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By ANI

NEW DELHI: One year after the death of the most iconic Star Wars actor Carrie Fisher, many Hollywood stars took to their social media accounts to pay tribute to the late actress on the anniversary of her death.

Among those who remembered the actress were Billie Lourd (daughter of Carrie Fisher) and Mark Hamill, who appeared alongside Fisher in the iconic franchise as Luke Skywalker, who paid heartwarming tributes to the late actress.

Taking it to Twitter, Hamill paid homage to his late co-star with a quote from the new Star Wars film.

He wrote, No one's ever really gone, citing a line his character says to Fisher's in the current Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi.

Her daughter, Billie Lourd, also remembered the actress on Instagram, revealing that she travelled to Norway to honor her mother.

My momby [sic] had an otherworldly obsession with the northern lights, but I never got to see them with her. We journeyed to northern Norway to see if we might 'see the heavens lift up her dark skirts and flash her dazzling privates across [our] unworthy irises. And she did. I love you times infinity, wrote Lourd.

Actress Laura Dern, Fisher's co-star on The Last Jedi, wrote her own tribute on Instagram beside a split photo of Fisher in Star Wars: A New Hope and The Last Jedi.

She wrote, To a goddess, an icon, and a truth-teller. The deepest kind of inspiration. Thinking today of the privilege of knowing you.

Fisher's own pup also remembered his mom today. We miss you more than ever, read a message shared on an Instagram account for Gary Fisher, her beloved dog.

Fisher died on 27 December last year aged 60, after a heart attack.

NEW DELHI: One year after the death of the most iconic Star Wars actor Carrie Fisher, many Hollywood stars took to their social media accounts to pay tribute to the late actress on the anniversary of her death. Among those who remembered the actress were Billie Lourd (daughter of Carrie Fisher) and Mark Hamill, who appeared alongside Fisher in the iconic franchise as Luke Skywalker, who paid heartwarming tributes to the late actress. Taking it to Twitter, Hamill paid homage to his late co-star with a quote from the new Star Wars film. He wrote, No one's ever really gone, citing a line his character says to Fisher's in the current Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi. No one's ever really gone...#AlwaysWithUs #CarrieOnForever pic.twitter.com/zsfuKHRSub  @HamillHimself (@HamillHimself) December 27, 2017 Her daughter, Billie Lourd, also remembered the actress on Instagram, revealing that she travelled to Norway to honor her mother. My momby had an otherworldly obsession with the northern lights, but I never got to see them with her. We journeyed to northern Norway to see if we might see the heavens lift up her dark skirts and flash her dazzling privates across [our] unworthy irises. And she did. I love you times infinity. A post shared by Billie Lourd (@praisethelourd) on Dec 27, 2017 at 12:38pm PST My momby [sic] had an otherworldly obsession with the northern lights, but I never got to see them with her. We journeyed to northern Norway to see if we might 'see the heavens lift up her dark skirts and flash her dazzling privates across [our] unworthy irises. And she did. I love you times infinity, wrote Lourd. Actress Laura Dern, Fisher's co-star on The Last Jedi, wrote her own tribute on Instagram beside a split photo of Fisher in Star Wars: A New Hope and The Last Jedi. To a goddess, an icon, and a truth-teller. The deepest kind of inspiration. Thinking today of the privilege of knowing you. A post shared by @ lauradern on Dec 27, 2017 at 4:03pm PST She wrote, To a goddess, an icon, and a truth-teller. The deepest kind of inspiration. Thinking today of the privilege of knowing you. Fisher's own pup also remembered his mom today. We miss you more than ever, read a message shared on an Instagram account for Gary Fisher, her beloved dog. Fisher died on 27 December last year aged 60, after a heart attack.
By Online Desk

A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today. Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be bad or illegal and void.

It would be a non-bailable offence and would be applicable to the entire country except Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of three years and a fine.

The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

READ HERE | Bill criminalising Triple Talaq in Lok Sabha: Issue not about religion but justice for women, says Ravi Shankar Prasad

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a "historic day" amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League.

Here is what the various political parties and their spokespersons had to say during the debate in the House on the Bill:

1. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad | PTI Photo

The minister who tabled the bill made a strong pitch for gender equality. The law is about justice and respect for women and is not about any religion or community, he said, adding that the practice of instant triple has continued despite the Supreme Court order terming it void. Bringing up the point of the Bill violating the right to equality ( after some opposition members claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.), he countered: "What about the rights of the children and kin of the women divorced through triple talaq?"

Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said.



2. Congress leader Manish Tiwari

Manish Tiwari | PTI Photo

The Congress is in favour of the Supreme Court's judgement on triple talaq but the Bill would have to be scrutinised by the Parliamentary committee, former Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tiwari told TV channels. He added that difficulties arose, they would deal with it but the Bill would need scrutiny.

No member from the Congress was, however, allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha, as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that they had not given a notice in advance to speak on the issue.

6. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge

Kharge said that the party does not support the triple talaq bill, minutes before ruckus broke out in the Lok Sabha.

3. Asaduddin Owaisi, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi | PTI Photo

AIMIM head Owaisi opposed the Bill, stating that it violates the right to freedom and was against the law. He said that Muslims were not consulted while framing the provisions of the Bill. He added that it lacks basic legal coherence and is not based on existing legal framework. His argument was that

when there were sections in the Crpc for domestic violence and various existing legal provisions such as women's protection against divorce, what was the need to criminalise triple talaq. He also said three years jail term was an arbitrary form of punishment.

Owaisi added that the right to equality is against arbitrary punishment as well. If passed, the Bill would be an injustice to Muslim women and would lead to their abandonment.



4. Rashtriya Janata Dal

The RJD stated they were against the three-year jail term.

5. BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab

Mahtab is quoted by TV reports as saying that the bill is flawed and has many "internal contradictions".

6. Shiv Sena

The party stated that they were in favour of the Bill.

7. The BJD (Biju Janata Dal) and the MIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) found the Bill 'faulty'

(With inputs from PTI)

A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today. Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be bad or illegal and void. It would be a non-bailable offence and would be applicable to the entire country except Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of three years and a fine. The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue. READ HERE | Bill criminalising Triple Talaq in Lok Sabha: Issue not about religion but justice for women, says Ravi Shankar Prasad Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a "historic day" amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League. Here is what the various political parties and their spokespersons had to say during the debate in the House on the Bill: 1. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad | PTI Photo The minister who tabled the bill made a strong pitch for gender equality. The law is about justice and respect for women and is not about any religion or community, he said, adding that the practice of instant triple has continued despite the Supreme Court order terming it void. Bringing up the point of the Bill violating the right to equality ( after some opposition members claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.), he countered: "What about the rights of the children and kin of the women divorced through triple talaq?" Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said. 2. Congress leader Manish Tiwari Manish Tiwari | PTI Photo The Congress is in favour of the Supreme Court's judgement on triple talaq but the Bill would have to be scrutinised by the Parliamentary committee, former Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tiwari told TV channels. He added that difficulties arose, they would deal with it but the Bill would need scrutiny. No member from the Congress was, however, allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha, as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that they had not given a notice in advance to speak on the issue. 6. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Kharge said that the party does not support the triple talaq bill, minutes before ruckus broke out in the Lok Sabha. 3. Asaduddin Owaisi, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi | PTI Photo AIMIM head Owaisi opposed the Bill, stating that it violates the right to freedom and was against the law. He said that Muslims were not consulted while framing the provisions of the Bill. He added that it lacks basic legal coherence and is not based on existing legal framework. His argument was that when there were sections in the Crpc for domestic violence and various existing legal provisions such as women's protection against divorce, what was the need to criminalise triple talaq. He also said three years jail term was an arbitrary form of punishment. Owaisi added that the right to equality is against arbitrary punishment as well. If passed, the Bill would be an injustice to Muslim women and would lead to their abandonment. 4. Rashtriya Janata Dal The RJD stated they were against the three-year jail term. 5. BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab Mahtab is quoted by TV reports as saying that the bill is flawed and has many "internal contradictions". 6. Shiv Sena The party stated that they were in favour of the Bill. 7. The BJD (Biju Janata Dal) and the MIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) found the Bill 'faulty' (With inputs from PTI)
A public funds prosecution office in Giza launched an investigation on Wednesday into the theft of several items from Egypt's Agricultural Museum, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

According to preliminary investigations, the museum, located in the Dokki district in Giza, was burgled by thieves who stole six ancient objects from the museum's valuable collection.

The prosecutors ordered that the CCTV from the museum and the surrounding area be checked in order to identify the thieves.

The theft was discovered when a committee assigned to conduct an inventory of the museum's contents found that six items from the ancient Egyptian agricultural section were missing.

In June 2014, a group of thieves managed to steal the skeleton of a rare rhino after breaking into the museum through a window.

Inaugurated in 1930, the Agricultural Museum is considered the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East, dedicated to the history of agriculture in Egypt and its role in the development of ancient Egyptian civilization.

It is among the biggest museums in Egypt, boasting artifacts from pre-dynastic Egypt. It has been closed to the public for the past six months while it undergoes restoration.

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By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha today passed the hugely contentious bill that criminalises instant triple talaq and makes it punishable by up to three years imprisonment for the husband, a development hailed by the government as "historic" but disapproved of by a section of the opposition.



The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote after rejecting a string of amendments moved by opposition members.



The Congress said it supported the bill but wanted it to be scrutinised by the Standing Committee of Parliament, a demand that was rejected by the chair. The RJD and Samajwadi Party also backed the demand of referring the bill to the Standing Committee.



The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.



Given the Congress's stated support, the bill is likely to be passed by the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks a majority. However, the main opposition party may again insist on referring the legislation to the Standing Committee.



The Supreme Court had outlawed instant triple talaq in August and asked the government to frame a law within six months. Ending the controversial divorce practice was also the BJP's electoral promise.



Acting swiftly, the BJP-led government not only introduced the bill today but also got it passed by the Lok Sabha by evening despite its consideration and passage not being part on the agenda.



Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill as part of the listed business, had requested her to allow it to be considered and passed today itself, and the request was granted.

READ HERE | Bill criminalising Triple Talaq tabled in Lok Sabha: Who said what in the debate

"We are going to create history. Today is the day to create history," Prasad said while introducing the bill.



He insisted the government did not intend to politicise the issue and the legislation was brought after taking a humanitarian view of it.



"This is not about siyasat (politics) but about insaniyat (humanity)," Prasad said.



"If it is a crime to bring a bill in the favour of Muslims then we will commit this crime 10 times," he asserted.



Under the proposed law, instant triple talaq in any form --spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp -- would be illegal and void.



The proposed law would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir. It would make instant talaq punishable by a jail term of upto three years and a fine and would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence.



Members from RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, saying it is arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.



ET Mohammed Basheer of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM alleged that through the bill the government was trying to bring in a Uniform Civil

Code.



Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights.



Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi said that while the bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat."



Owaisi said through the law the government was trying to demonise Muslim men and claimed: "vested interests" were behind the legislation.



"The minister is a normal lawyer but a pathetic and a failed draftsmen," he said about Prasad.



B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was "faulty and "flawed". He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat'.



Seeking to allay their concerns Prasad said it is wrong link instant triple talaq, the divorce practice which the Supreme Court struck down as illegal, with the Uniform Civil Code.



"Some are trying to spread fear that the bill is being brought to put Muslims behind the bars," Prasad said.



Prasad cited instances of Karimul Haque, a tea labourer in Assam, who was awarded Padma Shree for ferrying patients on his "bike ambulance", and Imran Khan, a Sanskrit teacher from Alwar in Rajasthan who was lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making mobile applications for students.



Not pacified, members of the BJD, AIMIM, Indian Union Muslim League staged a walk out.



Although Congress supported the bill, senior leader Salman Khurshid, a former law minister, said the proposed law is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals and would bring the civil issue of divorce into the realm of criminal law.



The Congress did not push for a division in the Lok Sabha on amendments moved by its MPs, nor did the party support any amendment sought by other opposition lawmakers.



Divorce and marriage come under the concurrent list and both Parliament and state legislatures can enact laws on the subject.



In his speech, Prasad said despite the Supreme Court declaring instant triple talaq illegal, it was continuing.



He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha today passed the hugely contentious bill that criminalises instant triple talaq and makes it punishable by up to three years imprisonment for the husband, a development hailed by the government as "historic" but disapproved of by a section of the opposition. The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote after rejecting a string of amendments moved by opposition members. The Congress said it supported the bill but wanted it to be scrutinised by the Standing Committee of Parliament, a demand that was rejected by the chair. The RJD and Samajwadi Party also backed the demand of referring the bill to the Standing Committee. The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law. Given the Congress's stated support, the bill is likely to be passed by the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks a majority. However, the main opposition party may again insist on referring the legislation to the Standing Committee. The Supreme Court had outlawed instant triple talaq in August and asked the government to frame a law within six months. Ending the controversial divorce practice was also the BJP's electoral promise. Acting swiftly, the BJP-led government not only introduced the bill today but also got it passed by the Lok Sabha by evening despite its consideration and passage not being part on the agenda. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill as part of the listed business, had requested her to allow it to be considered and passed today itself, and the request was granted. READ HERE | Bill criminalising Triple Talaq tabled in Lok Sabha: Who said what in the debate "We are going to create history. Today is the day to create history," Prasad said while introducing the bill. He insisted the government did not intend to politicise the issue and the legislation was brought after taking a humanitarian view of it. "This is not about siyasat (politics) but about insaniyat (humanity)," Prasad said. "If it is a crime to bring a bill in the favour of Muslims then we will commit this crime 10 times," he asserted. Under the proposed law, instant triple talaq in any form --spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp -- would be illegal and void. The proposed law would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir. It would make instant talaq punishable by a jail term of upto three years and a fine and would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence. Members from RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, saying it is arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal. ET Mohammed Basheer of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM alleged that through the bill the government was trying to bring in a Uniform Civil Code. Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi said that while the bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat." Owaisi said through the law the government was trying to demonise Muslim men and claimed: "vested interests" were behind the legislation. "The minister is a normal lawyer but a pathetic and a failed draftsmen," he said about Prasad. B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was "faulty and "flawed". He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat'. Seeking to allay their concerns Prasad said it is wrong link instant triple talaq, the divorce practice which the Supreme Court struck down as illegal, with the Uniform Civil Code. "Some are trying to spread fear that the bill is being brought to put Muslims behind the bars," Prasad said. Prasad cited instances of Karimul Haque, a tea labourer in Assam, who was awarded Padma Shree for ferrying patients on his "bike ambulance", and Imran Khan, a Sanskrit teacher from Alwar in Rajasthan who was lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making mobile applications for students. Not pacified, members of the BJD, AIMIM, Indian Union Muslim League staged a walk out. Although Congress supported the bill, senior leader Salman Khurshid, a former law minister, said the proposed law is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals and would bring the civil issue of divorce into the realm of criminal law. The Congress did not push for a division in the Lok Sabha on amendments moved by its MPs, nor did the party support any amendment sought by other opposition lawmakers. Divorce and marriage come under the concurrent list and both Parliament and state legislatures can enact laws on the subject. In his speech, Prasad said despite the Supreme Court declaring instant triple talaq illegal, it was continuing. He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.
By AFP

KABUL: Around 40 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suicide blast targeting Shiites in Kabul Thursday, officials said, with chaotic scenes at the city's hospitals as anguished families sought loved ones.

The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the gruesome assault, which happened in the same building as the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could have been the target.

IN PICTURES | 40 dead in multiple blasts at Shiite cultural center in Kabul

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP the attack -- the deadliest since a Shiite mosque bombing in October that killed more than 50 worshippers -- was aimed at the Tabayan cultural centre in the west of the city.

"The suicide attacker detonated himself during a gathering at Tabayan cultural centre causing a lot of casualties," Rahimi said.

The main explosion was followed by two smaller bomb blasts as victims and survivors were leaving the scene.

Rahimi said the gathering was organised to mark the 38th anniversary of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan. An Afghan Voice Agency journalist told AFP that more than 100 people were at the event in the building's basement.

There were chaotic scenes at the Istiqlal hospital where ambulances and police pickups brought victims, including women and children. Many of them had suffered severe burns to their faces and bodies, as well as shrapnel wounds, AFP reporters said.

Visibly distressed relatives searching for their loved ones inside the medical facility slapped their heads in fury as they cried and cursed the government for seemingly being unable to end the regular carnage on their streets.

Some were so distraught they crawled on the ground pulling their hair.

AFP reporters saw more than a dozen badly burned bodies lying on the floor in a room inside the hospital and wooden coffins being delivered so families could take away the bodies of their loved ones.

Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in war-torn Afghanistan for civilians in recent months, as the Taliban step up their attacks and IS seeks to expand its presence in the country.

Thursday's assault comes days after a suicide bomber killed six civilians in an attack near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the city, which was claimed by IS.

The Middle Eastern jihadist group has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015, and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the country's Shiite minority.

'Big boom'

A man attending the anniversary ceremony at Tabayan said he heard a "big boom".

"We do not know the numbers (of casualties). When the explosion happened we immediately fled," he told Tolo News.

Mohammad Hasan Rezayee, a university student who was also at the ceremony, told Tolo News he had suffered burns to his face in the blast.

"We were inside the hall in the second row when there was an explosion behind us. I did not see the bomber," he said from his hospital bed.

"After the blast, there was fire and smoke inside the building and everyone was pleading for help."

The attack drew international condemnation, with NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan describing it as "heinous". Amnesty International said it was further evidence that Kabul was not safe.

"The European governments who insist on this dangerous fiction by forcibly returning Afghans are putting their lives in danger," Amnesty International's South Asia director Biraj Patnaik said in a statement.

Photos posted on Afghan Voice Agency's Facebook page showed the inside of a compound with debris and bodies lying on the ground.

Security in Kabul has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others -- mostly civilians. No group has yet claimed that attack.

Religious attacks in Afghanistan have skyrocketed in the past two years with the minority Shiite community the main target, the United Nations said in November.

IS, a Sunni extremist group, has claimed most of the attacks on Shiite worshippers as it seeks to stir up sectarian violence in the country.

The Afghan media has also previously been targeted by militants, underlining the risks faced by journalists in the war-torn country.

KABUL: Around 40 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suicide blast targeting Shiites in Kabul Thursday, officials said, with chaotic scenes at the city's hospitals as anguished families sought loved ones. The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the gruesome assault, which happened in the same building as the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could have been the target. IN PICTURES | 40 dead in multiple blasts at Shiite cultural center in Kabul Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP the attack -- the deadliest since a Shiite mosque bombing in October that killed more than 50 worshippers -- was aimed at the Tabayan cultural centre in the west of the city. "The suicide attacker detonated himself during a gathering at Tabayan cultural centre causing a lot of casualties," Rahimi said. The main explosion was followed by two smaller bomb blasts as victims and survivors were leaving the scene. Rahimi said the gathering was organised to mark the 38th anniversary of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan. An Afghan Voice Agency journalist told AFP that more than 100 people were at the event in the building's basement. There were chaotic scenes at the Istiqlal hospital where ambulances and police pickups brought victims, including women and children. Many of them had suffered severe burns to their faces and bodies, as well as shrapnel wounds, AFP reporters said. Visibly distressed relatives searching for their loved ones inside the medical facility slapped their heads in fury as they cried and cursed the government for seemingly being unable to end the regular carnage on their streets. Some were so distraught they crawled on the ground pulling their hair. AFP reporters saw more than a dozen badly burned bodies lying on the floor in a room inside the hospital and wooden coffins being delivered so families could take away the bodies of their loved ones. Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in war-torn Afghanistan for civilians in recent months, as the Taliban step up their attacks and IS seeks to expand its presence in the country. Thursday's assault comes days after a suicide bomber killed six civilians in an attack near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the city, which was claimed by IS. The Middle Eastern jihadist group has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015, and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the country's Shiite minority. 'Big boom' A man attending the anniversary ceremony at Tabayan said he heard a "big boom". "We do not know the numbers (of casualties). When the explosion happened we immediately fled," he told Tolo News. Mohammad Hasan Rezayee, a university student who was also at the ceremony, told Tolo News he had suffered burns to his face in the blast. "We were inside the hall in the second row when there was an explosion behind us. I did not see the bomber," he said from his hospital bed. "After the blast, there was fire and smoke inside the building and everyone was pleading for help." The attack drew international condemnation, with NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan describing it as "heinous". Amnesty International said it was further evidence that Kabul was not safe. "The European governments who insist on this dangerous fiction by forcibly returning Afghans are putting their lives in danger," Amnesty International's South Asia director Biraj Patnaik said in a statement. Photos posted on Afghan Voice Agency's Facebook page showed the inside of a compound with debris and bodies lying on the ground. Security in Kabul has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others -- mostly civilians. No group has yet claimed that attack. Religious attacks in Afghanistan have skyrocketed in the past two years with the minority Shiite community the main target, the United Nations said in November. IS, a Sunni extremist group, has claimed most of the attacks on Shiite worshippers as it seeks to stir up sectarian violence in the country. The Afghan media has also previously been targeted by militants, underlining the risks faced by journalists in the war-torn country.
Egypt condemns the terrorist attack in a St.Petersburg store on Wednesday in Russia in the strongest terms, a statement issued on Thursday by the Egyptian foreign ministry said.

The ministry expressed both the Egyptian people as well government's solidarity with the Russian people and their government in the fight against against terrorism.

The Wednesday evening a blast in a supermarket in the city of St. Petersburg left at least 13 injured.

The Egyptian foreign ministry's statement renewed Egypt's call for the need to unite international efforts to fight terrorism and its funding resources.

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Haven't bought your Thanksgiving turkey yet? A look at local prices.

While farms like Helgers in Tiverton have already sold out of turkeys, there are still frozen and fresh birds for sale at local markets.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. High 29F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 17F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Bardot's book will be titled Larmes de Combat (Tears of Combat) and will come out on January 25

French screen icon Brigitte Bardot will publish a book next month on her decades-long campaign for animal rights, she told AFP on Tuesday, taking a swipe at President Emmanuel Macron on the issue.

The 83-year-old star of And God Created Woman said the book, titled Larmes de Combat (Tears of Combat), will come out on January 25.

It will be "the record of my existence, of my fight on behalf of animals and the deep expression of my disgust".

"It will be the full record of my view of things, of society, of the way we are governed, of the way we treat animals in my country," said Bardot, known in France by her initials "BB".

She said she was "fed up" with what she called Macron's lack of support for animal rights.

"This government has got off to a very bad start," Bardot said. "Macron has no compassion for animals and nature."

Bardot slammed the 40-year-old president for holidaying with his family this month at Chambord, a hunting chateau in the Loire Valley.

"He congratulated hunters in front of their game while it was still warm," she said by telephone from Saint-Tropez. "It's scandalous and very inappropriate."

Bardot's publisher, Plon, described the upcoming book as "an original reflection, both calm and outraged at the same time, on her existence and the meaning of her fight."

The 1956 film And God Created Woman, directed by Bardot's first husband Roger Vadim, propelled her to stardom but she retired less than two decades later, in 1973, when she was 39.

Bardot withdrew to a secluded home on the outskirts of Saint-Tropez on the Riviera.

Crusading against bullfights, hunting, and all forms of cruelty to animals, she is rarely seen in public except to press home her campaigns.

The former actress will publish an open letter in the Paris daily Le Parisien on Wednesday as her Brigitte Bardot Foundation launches its latest campaign against fur.



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The Lok Sabha today approved a bill to hike cess on luxury vehicles from 15 percent to 25 percent with a view to enhance funds to compensate states for revenue loss following the rollout of GST. The GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017, was passed by the Lower House amid uproar by the opposition over controversial comments made by Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde on secularism and the Constitution.

The Bill seeks to replace the Ordinance which was issued in September to give effect to the decision of the GST Council. The Ordinance provided for a hike in the GST cess on a range of cars from mid-size to hybrid variants and the luxury ones to 25 percent.

In reply to a short debate, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the funds collected following the hike in cess on luxury vehicles will be used to compensate states for revenue loss on account of implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

He said the GST Council, which comprises state finance ministers, meets every month and takes a decision on the rationalization of taxes in the backdrop of revenue collection. Participating in the discussion, members demanded that the GST rate should be reduced on a variety of items including sanitary napkins, agriculture equipment, handicrafts, handloom items and sports goods.

Some members even suggested that there should be single tax slab instead of four. The debate over the GST compensation bill continued amid slogan-shouting by Congress and TMC members who demanded resignation of Hegde for his controversial comments.

At a function in Karnataka on Sunday, Hegde had reportedly said people should identify themselves by their religions and "those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity...They don't know about their parentage."

He had also said "we are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it." As the opposition forced four adjournments during the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anant Kumar sought to wriggle out of the situation by asserting that Hegde's remarks were being distorted.

Dissatisfied by Kumar's intervention, the Opposition continued to storm the Well shouting slogans.

Meanwhile during the discussion, Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD) said that the impact of GST roll out on exchequer will be known after January once the implementation of the new indirect tax regime is streamlined. In last three months the centre has provided over Rs 1,000 crore as compensation to Odisha and Rs 2,000 crore to West Bengal.

T G Venkatesh Babu (AIADMK), Kaushalendra Kumar (JDU), Prem Singh Chandumajhra (SAD) demanded special packages for their states of Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Punjab. Among others who participated in the discussion include Supriya Sule (NCP), C M Jayadevan (CPI), Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Dushyant Chautala (INLD).

Also Watch: Hyundai Weekender (Part 2) | Hyundai Verna Goes to Chandigarh | Road Trip India
New Delhi: In a major expose, CNN-News18 on Wednesday unveiled popular e-commerce websites duping consumers by selling them fake goods at the price and guarantee of originals. Management and advisory firms state that online markets will forever have a certain percentage of counterfeit products.

Perennial problem is can we make e-commerce 100% fake proof? No, that cannot happen. It has not happened in China, it will also not happen here in India in the next few years as well, said Anil Kumar, CEO, RedSeer Management, a management and advisory firm.

A News18 investigation, on Wednesday, found that spurious manufacturers and counterfeit sellers are using loopholes in the Information Technology Act to their favour and making unaccounted money from the same. Meanwhile, online retailers are shrugging off responsibility by claiming to be intermediaries.

The investigation carried out by a team of brand investigators and News18 has revealed that more than 60% of the sports goods available online are fake. In the case of apparels, at least 40% of the listings are by duplicate manufacturers.

There cannot be any explanation to these things. But as we saw in other countries like China as well, when the e-commerce market was growing with Alibaba, we saw a significant amount of fake products in the market. But then over a time, Alibaba tightened the screw. Still I think there are a certain number of fake products which are being sold in the Chinese market as well, added Kumar.

The latest instance of imitations on e-commerce platforms is, however, not the first time that online retailers have drawn flak over products sold.

A few years ago, in 2013, a Flipkart customer received a pair of stones after placing an order for an iPod. In October 2014, a Snapdeal customer received a bar of soap after ordering a Samsung phone.

Indian e-commerce market would be approximately 18 billion dollars in terms of gross merchandise value sold from these websites- a good deal of this is coming from flipkart, amazon, paytm and so on.

These large players are controlling quality better as compared to the long tail. Does this guarantee they would not have fake products? No. Companies like Amazon can have fake products as well. It is almost impossible for flipkart and amazon to tap fake products at origin, said the RedSeer CEO.

This could severely crimp near-term enthusiasm for online shopping among new-age, smartphone-savvy consumers and dampen the rise of online retail in India, which is widely seen as the worlds last remaining major e-commerce market. Several top investors including Japans SoftBank Group Corp., South Africas Naspers Ltd and Chinas Tencent Holdings Ltd have bet billions of dollars on the success of online retail in India, while a number of brokerages and analysts have predicted that Indias e-commerce market will touch $100 billion over the next decade.

If you think they are fake, return it. Customers have to be watchful about the kind of seller they are buying from. They must be able to see if the product meets a certain degree of standards and if they think it cannot, then they must return it, added Kumar.

These glitches are likely to become even more cumbersome to manage in the near future, with the likes of Flipkart and Amazon India aggressively adding thousands of sellers on their platforms every year. This, in turn, makes it harder for online retailers to ensure that third-party sellers and merchants sell original, first-hand products to customers.

Comparing Indias e-commerce market with those of the West, Kumar said, As the e-commerce market matures, the quality of reviews will ensure that things are automatically taken care of. If you go to the European or the US Market, the credibility of the ratings will also increase. The negative experiences will come down and the positive experiences will go up. The second thing regarding the markets in US and China were significant issues in Chinese market, a higher percentage of fake products are being sold in China vs in US, Europe.

Consumers generally boast of the weapon of consumer courts to fight injustice meted out to them by sellers, however, Kumar is of a different opinion. As far as consumer courts are concerned, they exist offline. If you see the pain which the consumer has to go through when they file a law suit is that there is a lot of problem in the entire process as well, said Kumar.
New Delhi: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio will acquire mobile business assets including spectrum, mobile towers and optical fibre network of Reliance Communications, owned by his younger brother Anil Ambani.

"Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, on Thursday announced signing of definitive agreement for the acquisition of specified assets of Reliance Communications Limited and its affiliates," Reliance Jio informed the BSE.

The deal is slated to bring relief to RCom which has a debt of about Rs 45,000 crore. Reliance Jio or its nominees will acquire assets under four categories towers, optic fiber cable network (OFC), spectrum and media convergence nodes (MCN) from RCom and its affiliates.

"These assets are strategic in nature and are expected to contribute significantly to the large scale rollout of wireless and Fiber-to-Home and Enterprise services by RJIL, the statement said. Jio will acquire all the assets without any previous liabilities attached to them.

"The acquisition is subject to receipt of requisite approvals from governmental and regulatory authorities, consents from all lenders, release of all encumbrances on the said assets and other conditions precedent. The consideration is payable at completion and is subject to adjustments as specified in the agreement," the statement said.

Reliance Jio said the process to acquire assets of RCom is supervised by an independent group of distinguished industry experts and it emerged as the successful bidder in the two-stage bidding process. "An asset monetisation process for RCom assets was mandated by the lenders of RCom, who appointed SBI Capital Markets to run the process," the statement said.

The parties are bound by confidentiality obligations and will make further disclosures at the appropriate time. RJIL is being advised by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Global Markets, JM Financial Private Limited, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Khaitan & Co and Ernst & Young on this transaction, the statement said.

(Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.)
Good news for those missing their go-to burger joint. Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd (CPRL), the north and east India licencee of American fast food chain McDonalds Corp., has partnered with a new logistics firm and started reopening at least some of the 84 closed restaurants. CRPLs original logistics partner Radhakrishna Foodland Pvt. Ltd discontinued supply chain services to the company on December 20.

Many vendors had also stopped supplying ingredients and packaging material to CPRL. This led to inconsistencies in the menu, with products such as its popular McFlurry and Soft Serve ice creams unavailable across some of its stores. Some outlets were even reportedly short on tomatoes and milk supplies.

CPRL is a joint venture between McDonalds India Pvt Ltd (MIPL) and Vikram Bakshi. It operates 169 McDonalds restaurants in north and east India. Bakshi, managing director of CPRL, said the company is working with a strong group in logistics space to deliver raw material to all 84 McDonalds restaurants (starting with the ones in north India) that were closed on Monday because of supply constraints.

By the end of 2017, all McDonalds restaurants will be up and running, said Bakshi, without identifying the new logistics partner.

Radhakrishna Foodland, which earlier managed the distribution network of CPRL, discontinued its services, citing reduction in volumes and uncertainty of the future as the reasons. The closure of the outlets came against the backdrop of an ongoing legal battle between Bakshi and MIPL. On August 21, McDonalds India terminated its franchise pact with CPRL.

According to the termination notice, Bakshi was supposed to cease using McDonalds name, trademarks, designs, branding, operational and marketing practice and policies and food recipes and specifications from September 6, 2017. This termination has been challenged by Bakshi before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for being in contempt of an earlier NCLT order, which had asked McDonalds to refrain from interfering in the functioning of CPRL.

McDonalds India and Bakshi landed in court in 2013, after the former voted against the re-election of Bakshi as the managing director of CPRL. Bakshi challenged his removal at the Company Law Board (now NCLT), accusing McDonalds India of mismanagement and oppression. NCLT reinstated Bakshi as managing director in July this year.
New Delhi: While the government is looking to disinvest Air India, the countrys national carrier has, over the last ten years, stacked up a massive debt. According to figures tabled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Air India owes has taken loans worth Rs. 51,890 crores that is yet to be repaid. On top of this crippling debt, Air India has accrued losses worth Rs. 19,619.28 crores between Financial Years 2013-14 and 2016-17.

Eight Members of Parliament, in a written question, asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation, whether it has been revealed that Air India has suffered huge losses due to the misuse of its resources, if so, the details thereof; whether the former ex-officers of Air India were grossly neglected in foreign deployment, if so, the details thereof; whether over staffing in Air India is affecting its efficiency and profit and if so, the steps taken to tackle this issue; whether the Air India has sought huge amount of loan to meet its immediate capital requirements and if so, the details thereof indicating various loans on Air India as on date; whether some private airlines have expressed their interest to operate International flights of Air India, if so, the details thereof; and the other steps taken/being taken by the Government for revival/turnaround of Air India and clear its huge debt burden?

Minister of State (MoS) Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, in his response, said, The total outstanding loans on Air India as on 30.09.2017 (Provisional) is Rs. 51,890 crore. Of the total amount, Rs. 18, 364 crore was for aircraft loans and Rs. 33,526 crore was for working capital loans.

While the losses incurred by the national airlines has reduced since FY 2013-14, it still remains significant. In 2013-14, Air India made losses worth Rs. 6,279.60 crore. The loss figure came down to Rs. Rs. 5,859.91 crore in 2014-15 and further down to Rs. 3836.77 crore in 2015-16. In 2016-17, the figure marginally dropped to Rs. 3643 crore in 2016-17.

One way out of this crisis facing the national carrier is disinvestment. In July this year, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had given in-principle approval for considering strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries.
New Delhi: Three Union Territories and three states dont have a single open defecation-free district, the government said in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's signature Swachh Bharat plan started about three years ago with only 47,000 ODF villages, in a country of almost 6.5 lakh villages.

Among the states which had no ODF villages until December 22 were Bihar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Manipur, Puducherry and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

The state with the highest number of districts among all the above states and UTs is Bihar with 38 districts, out of which none of them have been declared as ODF, said Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti.

The government also informed Parliament that the process of declaring a district ODF was through a transparent process at an aam sabha meeting, where citizens of the village come together and affirm that the village has become ODF and that all households use toilets.

To a question on whether the government was aware of any independent rapid studies by sanitation researchers like Institute of Development Studies, Water Aid and Praxis claiming that several ODF villages have actually not been free from open defecation, the government replied that since the study was on a very small size sample and not rigorously conducted, the study cannot be generalised.

The government informed that Institute of Development Studies and Water Aid undertook a research project to learn from the experiences of districts that had been declared open defecation-free. It was done in eight villages in Madhya Pradesh (3), Uttar Pradesh (2) and Rajasthan (3).

As part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, toilets were supposed to be constructed in people's houses in villages where none existed and then the villages were supposed to be declared open defecation-free.

According to recent reports, a probe by senior district level officials of Saharanpur, Meerut, Bulandshahr and other districts in western Uttar Pradesh, found that the nexus of officials on the ground and village head was involved in cases of corruption in the project related to the construction of toilets in several districts of western Uttar Pradesh.

However, replying to a question regarding irregularities in toilet construction in another question, the government said that under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), the incentive for individual toilet has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000, to provide good quality toilets. As per Swachhata Status Report 2016, published by National Sample Survey Office, in rural India, of the households having a sanitary toilet, 95.6% were found to be using them.

According to the data submitted by the government on Thursday, out of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh, only six were declared ODF, while 69 others are still in limbo.

Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat, and Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Chandigarh which had 100 percent ODF districts according to the data given by the government.
New Delhi: With the government introducing the Muslim Women (Protection of Marriage) Bill, 2017, questions have been raised in the Lok Sabha on the constitutional validity of the proposed legislation.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi and Biju Janata Dal leader Bhartruhari Mahtab strongly opposed the bill, saying it lacked legislative coherence and was conflicting with existing legal provisions.

The government said it was moving the bill as it had received 66 complaints of men resorting to the practice of instant divorce despite the Supreme Court declaring it void.

So what is this practice and why is it creating such a flutter. News18 explains:

What did the Supreme Court say while invalidating the practice of triple talaq?

The historic verdict was delivered by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, declaring the practice of unilateral divorce (also known as triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat) unconstitutional. It held that instant talaq had no place in Islam and declared it a void form of divorce which would not result in severance of ties between husband and wife.

The court, which did not touch upon the validity of personal laws, held that instant talaq was a violation of gender justice and equality. The Supreme Court, for the first time, made Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India absolute, despite these being subjected to restrictions.

However, the verdict did not rule that the man could be tried under a penal provision for resorting to the practice. However, there are laws present in the country that help a woman seeks justice against cruelty, adultery or desertion.

What is the new bill introduced by the government? What are its key provisions?

Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017, a Muslim man who resorts to Talaq-e-Biddat or instant talaq would be jailed for three years and custody of any minor children would be granted to the affected woman.

The proposed bill has made instant divorce a non-bailable offence which can lead to an imprisonment of up to three years upon conviction. It also makes it mandatory for the husband to pay maintenance to his wife and child support towards any children.

Why does government think this bill is needed even though an SC verdict struck down the practice?

The government in the recent Winter Session of Parliament had informed the Lok Sabha that "66 cases of triple talaq were reported" despite the apex court judgment, thus proving that the verdict had failed to act as a deterrent.

The government has maintained that "the legislation would help in ensuring the larger constitutional goals of gender justice and gender equality of married Muslim women and help subserve their rights of non-discrimination and empowerment.

Why Muslim women organisations are asking for the bill to be re-visited

Some civil society organizations have raised questions over the provisions of the bill, saying an amendment to the current legislation would have sufficed. They have also demanded that the bill be referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee so recommendations are added to the proposed law.

The law is intended to instill fear of the state by being able to walk into your home and incarcerate Muslim men, said Ayesha Kidwai, a professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Activists have questioned criminalising a practice which was anyway declared void by the Supreme Court. "When the marriage is not broken, why send the man to jail. The law will make me a divorcee," said Shabina Mumtaz, a social worker from Uttar Pradesh.

Some Muslim women have also claimed that such a bill would hamper chances of conciliation between the husband and wife. Others want it to be tried as a civil offence.

One of the Muslim organizations opposed to the bill in the current form is Bebaak Collective, which was also one of the petitioners in the case.

What is triple talaq?

First, before understanding what triple talaq is, we must understand what a Nikah (marriage) stands for in Islam. Nikah is essentially a contract laid down in a Nikahnama drawn between the husband and the wife. This contract can have conditions and has a compulsory consideration (Meher) to be paid at the time of the marriage. This consideration is paid by the man to the wife, and can be at time waived off by the woman as per her own will. So the basic difference between a Hindu Marriage and a Muslim Marriage is that for Hindus, marriage is a divine sacrament whereas for Muslims, it is contract drawn between the husband and the wife.

So to explore the question of triple talaq, one must understand that in Islam, everything is followed as per Sunnah (Deeds of the prophet). Hence, most Muslim women bodies opposing 'triple talaq want the Muslim bodies to adopt Talaq-e-Sunnah (Divorce as per the Prophets sayings and Quranic dictation) and discard Talaq-e-Biddah (Divorce as per a later formed mode of divorce which propagates instant divorce).

What is Talaq- e-Sunnah?

According to the Prophets sayings, giving talaq to a wife in a fit of rage or anger is strictly prohibited. The Quran advises the husband to settle the differences through a mutual conversation as the first step. This step is known as the Faizu Hunna.

If the differences continue between the husband and the wife, the parties should refrain from any conjugal acts till they settle their dispute. This step of physical separation known as the Wahjuru Hunna is prescribed so that the couple re-unites. However, even if this second step fails, it is recommended that the husband must attempt to talk to the wife, make peace with her and talk about the gravity of the situation.

This third step is known as the Wazribu Hunna. However, Quran advises that even if the third step fails, the fourth step of arbitration must be followed. In this step, a member from each of the spouses family is present and the parties try to make amends in the strained relationship.

It is only after all these four steps have failed that a husband pronounces the first talaq. The husband has to compulsorily wait for a wife's iddah (menses) to complete before pronouncing another talaq.

Not more than two talaqs can be pronounced during the course of iddah. Iddahs are considered to be the three monthly courses. During these three month cycles, a man cannot give his third talaq. This had been envisaged so that the couple sorts out their differences in this period.

Quran prescribes that if a woman has attained the age of menopause then the period of iddah is three months, whereas if a woman is pregnant, then the period of Iddah would be till the child is born or the termination of pregnancy.

If the differences still persists then the third talaq is pronounced, after which the relations between the husband and the wife are severed. Hence, the women groups who are claiming to revive this practice are only vouching for the fact that they get the maximum time to sort out their differences which is often not possible in an instant talaq.

What exactly is this instant talaq? How is it different from Talaq-e-Sunnah?

Instant Talaq is something which has its genesis is women being divorced through SMS or over a mere phone call. This instant talaq is essentially Talaq-e-Biddah. Biddah means innovation and essentially all Muslims are advised against introducing biddahs in their religion.

This practice of talaq was first promoted by Caliph Umar, and is staunchly opposed by all the petitioners who have approached the Supreme Court for a reform in the case of triple talaq. However, the Muslim Personal Law Board has not still spoken up on the issue and claims that this can be sorted out internally.

Dr. Asma Zehra, an executive member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, was questioned about this during a recent press conference and said, We have left it for our Ulema (scholars) to decide what is best for us. However, this answer is far from the truth, as something which is not mentioned in the Quran or is a part of the Sunnah can never be justified as a lawful act by a Muslim.

Can a man marry his wife after pronouncing the third talaq?

No. After the third talaq, a woman is supposed to marry another man, consummate the relationship, and only after following the original procedure of Talaq-e-Sunnah, will she be able to marry the former husband again.

This practice is known as the Nikah Halala, and many Muslim women have condemned this practice as barbaric and it assumes more importance, in case the talaq is given as Talaq-e-Biddah.

Women have often described it as a barbaric practice and there are demands to abolish it.

Do the women have any right to divorce the husband in Islam?

There are broadly two methods under which a wife can claim divorce. One is Talaq-e-Tafweez and the other is Talaq-e-Khula. Under Tafweez, the husband may delegate his power to give talaq to his wife or any third party.

This right has to be in the form of a contract with conditions, like, if a man marries again then there can be a divorce, etc. But a contract will not be without conditions or be absolute.

The second one is Khula. This is a divorce which is at the request of the wife. In this case the woman has to make an offer of divorce to the man. The man must accept the offer with consideration, which often means the woman, has to give back the Meher taken during marriage. After these two steps, a Khula is granted. The woman often approaches a qazi-court as well to demand a Khula from the man. There needs to be an execution of a Khulanama.

But something which needs to be broadly observed is that in both the cases, its only a request or a husband's wish to draw up a contract to give the wife an option to divorce him. Thereby, putting the husbands first, and somehow lacking in achieving gender equality in this regard.

Are there any other Islamic countries which have taken reforms in the mode of talaq?

Lets begin with our neighbour Pakistan. Pakistan in 1961 had passed the The Muslim Family Laws Ordinance. According to this law, if a man wishes to divorce his wife, he will pronounce talaq and approach the Chairman of the Union Council which is appointed by the state, and give him a written notice and forward the same to his wife.

Within 30 days of the receipt of the notice, the Chairman will set up an Arbitration Council which shall consist of himself, a representative of each of the spouse, and the boar would try to bring reconciliation. If any individual tries to bypass this legislation then they will be punished with simple imprisonment for a year or a fine which may extend to Rs 5,000 or both.

Another example is Morocco, which has a majority population of Islam. They have the Moroccan Family Code (Moudawana) passed in 2004. The code aims at putting both husband and wife on the equal footing, thereby prohibiting the man from pronouncing divorce unilaterally except when the procedure is being supervised by someone.

The code also attempts to bring arbitration and conciliation between the parties concerned. The code further states that if a man chooses to still divorce a wife, then a divorce can only be granted only if the husband pays off all the due rights held by the wife and the children.

Like Morocco, Algeria, Indonesia, Iran and Tunisia have similar legislations which do not recognise a divorce given by a husband unilaterally, and compel the parties to resort to a court of law.
New Delhi: A woman in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh was reportedly given triple talaq by her husband for waking up late in the morning.

The latest case of instant divorce, a practice declared void by the Supreme Court earlier this year, surfaced on a day when the government tabled the controversial triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha.

The case was even referred to in the lower House by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who said instances of instant divorce continue despite the Supreme Court order.

Gul Afshan said her husband Qasim, a truck driver, ended their four-year marriage by simply saying talaq thrice.

Afshan is now back to living with her parents, despite whose objection she had married Qasim.

My only fault was to wake up late and he immediately pronounced triple talaq. We had a love marriage, but soon the cracks emerged and I was beaten up by him almost every other day, Afshan said.

Qasim is now untraceable.

A police complaint was yet to be filed.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017, which criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq, was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday.

Under provisions of the proposed bill, a Muslim man who resorts to Talaq-e-Biddat or instant talaq would be jailed for three years and custody of any minor children would be granted to the affected woman.

The proposed bill makes instant divorce a non-bailable offence which can lead to imprisonment of up to three years upon conviction. It also makes it mandatory for the husband to pay maintenance to his wife and child support towards any children.
New Delhi: An article in a state-controlled daily in China has said that the year 2017 is doomed to be a special year in India-China relations history and that the Doklam standoff pushed the two Asian powers to the brink of war, becoming the biggest crisis between them in 55 years.

Bilateral ties have been blighted by three major strategic contradictions: the border issue, the Tibet issue and Indias reckoning that China-Pakistan friendship poses a threat. However, it is unlikely that the three interwoven conundrums will be solved in the near future; control and management are the only way out, an article in Global Times read.

The article further said the Doklam standoff might be a historical turning point in Sino-Indian history, as it drew the attention of the Chinese government and people to India. where is the bilateral military relationship headed in 2018 and beyond?. The article further said that from an optimistic perspective, the standoff will prompt the two countries to deepen strategic communication and control disputes to usher them in a new era of development. But looking through blue glasses, the confrontation has fully exposed all contradictions between the two neighbours and only urged them to maintain sharper vigilance against each other, the article read.

The article also said that the existing problems were made worse with new ones propping up, including Indias push for a membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the issue over putting Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list.

The article came just days after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said that the Doklam standoff had put a lot of strain on Sino-India ties. The article also brings forth Indias resistance to Chinas ambitious One Belt One Road initiative. The Indian government has been very negative about the Belt Road initiative. It refused to send delegates to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May and attacked the initiative for generating a huge debt burden for some South Asian nations, the article said.
Libya's self-styled national army in the east welcomes holding presidential and parliamentary elections in the country as soon as possible, the spokesman said, urging the east-based parliament to make haste with issuing elections laws.

Brigadier Gen. Ahmed al-Mosmari said in a press conference late Wednesday that elections, planned for 2018, should be monitored by international observers to ensure integrity. He also said the army will secure polling stations across the country.

"We should give the Libyan people the freedom to express themselves through ballot boxes," al-Mosmari said. He stressed that the army is supportive of an "elected civilian leadership."

Libya plunged into chaos following a 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. It is now split between rival governments in the east and the west, each backed by an array of militias.

Earlier in December, the United Nations said it was "intensively trying to establish the proper political, legislative and security conditions for elections to be held before the end of 2018."

Libya's military strongman and leader of the so-called Libyan National Army, Khalifa Hifter, had hinted in a televised speech on Dec. 17 that he might step up to fill the void but didn't clearly state whether he would run for president if a vote is held next year. Later, thousands of his supporters rallied in several cities calling on him to take charge of the country.

Hifter is a rival of the government backed by the U.N. in the west.

Fayez Serraj, head of the Tripoli-based government, had announced on several occasions that procedures are underway to hold the country's elections in 2018 but didn't specify an exact date. It's also not clear whether Serraj would run the elections.

During Wednesday's press conference, al-Mosmari touched briefly on a recent attack on a pipeline pumping crude oil to port of Sidr. He said the attack was meant to plunge the country further into "economic chaos" and added that the attackers fled to the west.

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New Delhi: The government will table the triple talaq and make a statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav in Parliament on Thursday, hoping for smooth proceedings after Wednesdays uproar over Union Minister Ananthkumar Hedges alleged remarks on the Constitution.

Triple Talaq Bill

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017, which criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq, will be tabled in the Lok Sabha. Under provisions of the proposed bill, a Muslim man who resorts to Talaq-e-Biddat or instant talaq would be jailed for three years and custody of any minor children would be granted to the affected woman.

The proposed bill makes instant divorce a non-bailable offence which can lead to imprisonment of up to three years upon conviction. It also makes it mandatory for the husband to pay maintenance to his wife and child support towards any children.

The government has maintained that "the legislation would help in ensuring the larger constitutional goals of gender justice and gender equality of married Muslim women,, but the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is a member of the Lok Sabha as well as the AIMPLB, have voiced their opposition to it.

On Wednesday, All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) chairperson Shaista Amber said the proposed legislation would not be acceptable if not in consonance with the Quran or the Constitution. Nikaah (marriage) is a contract. Whosoever breaks it should be punished. However, if it (Bill) is not in the light of Quran and the Constitution, no Muslim woman will accept it," Amber told PTI.

STATEMENT ON KULBHUSHAN JADHAV

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will make a statement in both Houses of Parliament on Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian Navy officer on death row in Pakistan, and the humiliation meted out to his mother and wife during their December 25 meeting in Islamabad.

During the Zero Hour on Wednesday, members of various political parties, including the Congress, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK, strongly protested the way Jadhav's family members were treated by Pakistan authorities at the countrys Foreign Office.

Jadhav, who was arrested in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

On Tuesday, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understanding on Jadhav's meeting with his family and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the External Affairs Ministry had said in a statement.

Pakistani authorities even confiscated the shoes worn by Jadhavs wife, claiming there was a metallic substance in them. A day later, it sent the shoes for forensic examination.

Both Houses of Parliament have been witnessing repeated disruptions since the Winter Session commenced on December 15; first over Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks on predecessor Manmohan Singh and then over Union minister Ananthkumar Hedges statement on the Constitution and Secularism.
New Delhi: As the year comes to an end, state-controlled Chinese media have produced two highly critical pieces on India. Just a day after it published that the Doklam standoff pushed the Asian countries to the brink of a war, another editorial in Global Times said that India should stop treating small countries around it as mistresses and showing no tolerance when they interact with major powers.

The article further said Indians should get rid of the "being besieged by China delusion." This delusion stems from the strong consciousness over a sphere of influence among Indian elites. They believe that South Asia and the peripheral area of India should be New Delhi's turf. Every nation in the region should respect only India and reject developing relations with other countries. Until today, India is keeping the diplomatic and defence sovereignty of Bhutan under control and many Indians are taking it for granted. 

It further said that China did not want to engage in geopolitical games with India as they do not accord with Chinas interests. But Beijing and New Delhi have different understandings of fostering friendly ties with each other. Beijing advocates the two sides' own diplomacy should not be restrained by friendly Sino-Indian ties. Yet India has been asking China time and again to show goodwill by sacrificing Beijing's interests and relations with other nations. This is immature capriciousness, the article further said.

The article also said that development is the primary strategic task for China and India. it also said that the western nations would enjoy watching Beijing and News Delhis suspicious manners towards each other.
New Delhi: While addressing Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said that Indian navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav thought something 'bad" had happened back home when he saw his mother without a bindi and 'mangal sutra' when they met in Islamabad on Monday.

The Pakistani authorities had forced Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna to change their attire and remove their bindi, bangles and mangal sutra before the meeting citing security protocol.

"When I talked to her (Avanti)) she told me that the first question he (Jadhav) asked was - how is Baba (father)? Because he may have feared that something bad had happened," Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha.

However, soon he realised that the 'mangal sutra', bindi and bangles were removed on security grounds when he saw his wife was also not wearing them, she said while describing how the human rights of the two women were violated by Pakistan.

Normally, a Hindu woman does not wear the 'mangal sutra' and bindi or vermillion after the death of her husband.

She said the removal of the 'mangal sutra' was a height of disrespect as Jadhav's mother had told the Pakistani officials that it was a symbol of marriage, but they did not relent.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, even the attire of the family members was changed. Jadhav's mother, who wears a Sari only, was instead given Salwar and Kurta to wear," said Swaraj.

Swaraj said Jadhav's mother had told the Pakistani officials that the 'mangal sutra' is a symbol of her marriage (suhag) and she never removes it, but they said they were following orders.

In identical statements in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said India has conveyed its objections to Pakistan in a note verbale on Wednesday over the way it had conducted Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife in Islamabad on Monday.

Swaraj also slammed Pakistan for making "absurd" charges of a chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the footwear of Jadhav's wife.

"At times they say, there was a recorder on it (shoe), at times they say there was a camera, there was a chip. There cannot be a white lie than this. Thank God they did not say there was a bomb inside it," said Swaraj.

The external affairs minister said the shoe was apparently seized so that they can make a "mischief".

"The meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his mother and wife was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture.

However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds," she said.

Swaraj further said, "There was a serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Shri Jadhav and an intimidating atmosphere was created for them during this meeting. There are not enough words to condemn the same."

The minister said Jadhav's mother wanted to speak to his son in Marathi, but Pakistani officials did not allow it.

"Two Pak officials continuously interrupted her. But when she was insisting on speaking in Marathi, the intercom was snapped," said Swaraj.

"The capital punishment was announced following sham proceedings at a military court in Pakistan. The danger to his life has been averted for now but now we are trying for permanent relief to him by the ICJ on the basis of solid facts," the Minister said.

(With PTI Inputs)
Mumbai: Angered by the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhavs mother and wife in Pakistan, a relative of the former Indian Navy officer said on Wednesday that the family was even more depressed than it had been before the visit.

We are very disappointed and not in a mood to speak on the familys Pakistan visit, the relative said.

I cant talk more as this is an international issue and being handled by the Indian government. If we speak something about it, that may hamper the process, he said.

Jadhavs mother Avanti and wife Chetna were in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet him, but the meeting took place with them being separated by a glass screen.

The treatment received by Kulbhushans mother and wife from Pakistan was not good at all, the relative said. We are even more depressed now than we were before the visit, he added.

The relative said he was horrified on learning that Pakistani officials had removed mangal sutra and bangles of Jadhavs kin before allowing them to meet him.

Even the bindi on the forehead of Kulbhushans wife was not seen while they were meeting him, he said.

Jadhav, 47, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation India has dismissed as concocted.

India says Jadhav was abducted in Iran where he had legitimate business interests and taken to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.
New Delhi: The family of a 58-year-old man, who was taken to Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh on Christmas Day for treatment of a heart condition, has alleged that he died due to the hospital's negligence, a charge the upscale facility has denied.

The allegation came weeks after the Court of the Financial Commissioner stayed an order of the Delhi government cancelling the hospital's licence for wrongly declaring a newborn dead.

Sarika, 35, daughter of the deceased, Kamlesh Chander, today said, "We are devastated by the incident. Tomorrow, we will try to reach out to Health Minister J P Nadda and the chief medical officer of Delhi. We want justice."

"My father was on his feet when he visited the hospital on December 25. He was sweating, so they took him to the emergency ward and an ECG test was conducted. The test revealed that he had a blockage in his arteries," she said.

Sarika said an angiography was performed on her father and the doctors told the family that Chander would need a bypass surgery.

"While we discussed the matter, they came and informed us that stents have been put in his body. They did that without even asking us. More so, my father was admitted under the supervision of a doctor who was on leave. This is fraud and negligence," she alleged.

"A few hours later, my father died... We demand justice."

The family said the hospital allegedly billed them Rs three lakh.

"We have submitted all relevant details and registered a complaint with the police," Sarika said.

A police official said inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC was initiated based on the complaint.

"A medical board was constituted to carry out the autopsy. On the basis of the autopsy, further action will be taken," the official said.

Sources at Safdarjung Hospital said the autopsy of the deceased man "has been carried out", but did not give details.

Max Healthcare in a statement late tonight said, "The family was informed that Dr Navin Bhamri was on leave. The patient had reported with an emergency condition and was attended to without any delay."

"The family was fully informed about the diagnosis, the patient's condition and the treatment plan at various stages which was signed by the family. Only one stent was used in the angioplasty procedure," the hospital group claimed.

The Max Healthcare authorities in a statement on Wednesday, after the family levelled the allegations, said, "The patient was brought to the emergency (ward) in the afternoon of December 25, with complaints of chest pain and breathlessness. Initial ECG confirmed acute STEMI."

ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) is a type of heart attack during which one of the heart's major arteries is blocked.

"Further investigation revealed Triple Vessel Disease blockage in three major arteries. The patient was 58 years old and had a history of diabetes, hypertension and smoking. Despite due efforts by the medical team, the patient could not be saved," it had claimed.

Sarika, however, countered the hospital's claim, saying, "My father was a vegetarian, non-smoker and non-alcoholic."

The Max Healthcare authorities said, "We are really disturbed by the false allegation that the body was held pending payment. It is a part of our ethics charter to peacefully hand over the body under all circumstances."
Bhopal: Madya Pradesh forest minister Gauri Shankar Shejwar finds himself at the centre of a controversy with Lokayukta registering a case against him over alleged misuse of government money for taking his family members, which include his wife, sister-in-law and another woman, on a government trip.

The complaint was filed after an anti-graft activist obtained the said information through an RTI query.

Ajay Dubey, RTI activist, armed with RTI information, had complained to Lokayukta that the minister in February 2016 had toured Karnataka as its state guest.

The senior minister of Shivraj Singh Chouhan government was accompanied by his wife Kiran, sister-in-law Shashi Thakur and one of the Eco Tourism Board employee Varsha Parihar. The expense for the trip was borne by Eco Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Vinay Burman.

The tour bill amounted to Rs 2,00,000 lakh, but the minister deposited only Rs 63,884 with the board.

"The allegations are baseless. Those who went in official capacity were funded by state government and I paid for those who went in personal capacity. Regular audit also did not object to the tour. Let the probe happen," said Shejwar.

Congress, however, is in no mood to spare the minister and wants his resignation.

"Mr Shejwar is a senior politician and knows all the rules. He took family on government trip and later deposited money as Lokayukta got the complaint. He should step down," Congress spokesperson Ravi Saxena said.

Interestingly, senior Shivraj ministers, like, Narottam Mishra and Lal Singh Arya are already facing the heat after being disqualified by Election Commission of India over paid news case and arrest warrant in Congress MLA murder case, respectively.

Lokayukta has registered a case against Shejwar, Eco Tourism Development Board CEO Vinay Burman. It has also directed the Chief Secretary Madhya Pradesh to furnish all the records on January 16, 2018.
New Delhi: The government has tabled the triple talaq bill, which criminalises the controversial practice of instant divorce, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

While the government maintains that the bill is meant to ensure gender justice and gender equality for married Muslim women, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and other minority institutions claim that it violates minority rights. Social activists, too, have objected to the bill, questioning the need to criminalise a practice declared "void" by the Supreme Court.

Heres a look at what The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017 provides for:

 Under proposed bill, a Muslim man who resorts to Talaq-e-Biddat or instant talaq would be jailed for three years

 The custody of any minor children from the marriage would be granted to the affected woman

 The makes instant divorce a non-bailable offence which can lead to an imprisonment of up to three years upon conviction.

 It also makes it mandatory for the husband to pay maintenance to his wife and child support towards any children.

A five-judge bench of the Supreme had declared the practice as unconstitutional and not an essential part of Islamic law and faith, but cases of Muslim men divorcing their wives through instant triple talaq did not subside.

The government has informed Parliament that "66 cases of triple talaq were reported" even though the apex court struck any such form of divorce thus proving that the verdict had failed to act as a deterrent.

Coinciding with the introduction of the bill in the Lok Sabha, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), too, has decided to hold an executive body meeting at Nadwa-tul Ulema in Lucknow on December 24 to finalise its response to the bill.
New Delhi: The CBSE has not mandated schools to prescribe only NCERT text books, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

"The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has not issued any advisory/directive to schools affiliated to it to compulsorily prescribe textbook published by NCERT," Minister of State for HRD, Upendra Kushwaha, said in a written response to a question.

He also informed the House that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has conducted a review of all its textbooks and rectified factual errors, if any, besides updating data.
Chandigarh: The family members of Sarabjit Singh were humiliated when they went to meet him with Pakistani authorities even wiping off the 'sindoor' from his wife's forehead, his sister Dalbir Kaur said on Thursday amid outrage over the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife.

Dalbir Kaur said that Singh's family had gone to meet him in a Lahore jail in 2008.

"We had no clue of the shocking things that were to unfold before our meeting with Sarabjit," Dalbir Kaur, who hails from Amritsar district, told PTI over the phone. Singh's wife Sukhpreet Kaur, his teenaged daughters Swapandeep and Poonam, besides Dalbir Kaur went to Lahore to meet the Indian national for the first time in 18 years. The ordeal was similar to what Jadhav's family endured in Islamabad recently, according to Dalbir Kaur.

Jadhav's mother and wife were stripped of their bindis, bangles and 'mangalsutra', made to change into different clothes and wear slippers by discarding their shoes.

"Even before the meeting was to take place, the behaviour of Pakistani authorities was bad. A female cop took out a handkerchief and wiped out the 'sindoor' from Sukhpreet's forehead. Both Sukhpreet and I were asked to take out hair pins as well. Sarabjit's teenaged daughters were also mistreated, and authorities were rude even after I raised objections. We were even asked to take out our 'kadas' (bracelets)," Dalbir Kaur said.

She recalled that as Singh loved "bharwan karela", a bitter gourd dish, the family cooked it at their home in Amritsar and brought it for him.

"However, again the Pak authorities were rude. They opened the container and forcibly stuffed it into our mouths asking us to taste it first," she said. That was not the end of the ordeal, she said.

"Before proceeding to meet Sarabjit in jail, a manager at a Lahore Gurudwara asked us to keep our passports there. When we were to leave after the meeting, we were told to show our passports. When reminded that we had been asked to deposit these at the Gurudwara, the Pak authorities delayed our departure telling us that the documents were not traceable," she said.

Dalbir Kaur said that in 2011 too she met Singh in jail. "I was the only one to be granted a visa. But this time too their treatment was no different. They took my 'kirpan' forcibly and when I asked them to at least keep it safely, they flung it in some corner showing disrespect which deeply hurt my religious sentiments," she said. When I met Sarabjit, he cried a lot, asking me to help prove his innocence, she recalled.

In 2013, Sarabjit's sister, wife and two daughters had again travelled to Lahore, but this time the distraught family were allowed just a glimpse from a distance of a comatose Singh who had been admitted to a hospital after a brutal assault in a Pakistani jail.

He passed away barely a few days later. On the treatment meted out to the family of Jadhav, who is in custody in Pakistan for alleged spying, Dalbir Kaur said after playing a cruel joke by not allowing the family to meet the Indian national freely, Pakistan was now making baseless charges of a chip, camera or a recorder in the footwear of his wife.

"First Pakistan portrayed the meeting of Jadhav's family as a humanitarian gesture, they then humiliated the family by asking them to remove bindis, mangal sutras etc and separated the family from him by putting up a glass screen. Now, they have come up with this baseless charge of chip, camera etc.

"I think India has responded as strongly and appropriately as it should in such circumstances. From now on, we should be even more firm towards Pakistan because they deserve such treatment and can only understand tough language," she said.

Dalbir Kaur's brother Singh had died following an assault by the inmates at a Lahore prison in April 2013. He was convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court and sentenced to death in 1991.

However, the Pakistani government had stayed his execution for an indefinite period in 2008.
LIVE HIGHLIGHTS: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the triple talaq bill and all amendments to it were defeated. The bill now goes to Rajya Sabha. Speaking on behalf of the government, MoS MJ Akbar called into question the credibility of All India Muslim Personal Law Board for opposing the move. He asked who made them community representatives? Earlier, BJPs Meenakshi Lekhi called for a law against maulvis who oversee instant triple talaq. She said talaq-e-biddat has nothing to do with religion. She further said women are the biggest minority in this country and this is why they have been oppressed in the society. Earlier, speaking in the Lok sabha Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the legislation meant to ensure gender justice to women is affected by instant divorce. The Congress has sought the bill to be sent to the Standing Committee, while few other opposition parties like the AIMIM and Biju Janata Dal have called the legislation an injustice to Muslim women". The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill 2017 makes instant triple talaq a non-bailable warrant with imprisonment of up to three years in jail.

Stay tuned as Ashish Yechury brings you LIVE updates:

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
A suicide attack on an office of the Afghan Voice news agency and a neighbouring cultural centre in the capital Kabul killed dozens on Thursday, officials and witnesses said, with many of the victims students.

IS group claimed the attack, the group's Amaq news agency said in an online statement.

Interior Ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said at least 40 people had been killed and 30 wounded in the blast, the latest in a series to have hit media organizations in Kabul.

The attack occurred during a morning panel discussion at the centre, many of those attending students, witnesses said.

Sayed Abbas Hussaini, a journalist at the agency, said there appeared to have been more than one explosion during the attack, following an initial blast at the entrance to the compound. He said one reporter at the agency had been killed and one injured.

Photographs sent by witnesses showed what appeared to be serious damage at the site, in a heavily Shi'ite Muslim area in the west of the capital, and a number of dead and wounded on the ground.

Afghan Voice has Shi'ite links but there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued statement on Twitter denying involvement.

The attack, the latest in a series to hit Afghan media groups in recent years, follows an attack on a private television station in Kabul last month.

Backed by the heaviest U.S. air strikes since the height of the international combat mission in Afghanistan, Afghan forces have forced the Taliban back in many areas and prevented any major urban centre from falling into the hands of insurgents.

But high-profile attacks in the big cities have continued as militants have looked for other ways to make an impact and undermine confidence in security.

According to a report this month by media freedom group Reporters without Borders, Afghanistan is among the world's most dangerous countries for media workers with two journalists and five media assistants killed doing their jobs in 2017, before Thursday's attack.

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New Delhi: Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who recently gave up court practice in wake of his courtroom spat with Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, has reconsidered his decision on the request of his client to appear in the Supreme Court in the Ram Janamabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.

Seventy-four-year-old Dhavan had on December 11 called it quits after what he described as a "humiliating end" to the Delhi government-Centre dispute case following heated exchanges between him and the CJI.

Advocate Ejaz Maqbool, who is representing some of the Muslim bodies in the Ayodhya land dispute case, said that they had urged Dhavan to represent them in the matter and the senior counsel has accepted the request.

He said that before Dhavan announced that he had given up court practice, the senior lawyer was appearing for them in the Ayodhya dispute case.

"We requested him (Dhavan) to make an exception for the Babri Masjid case and he has accepted our request and he will continue to appear for us in the Babri Masjid case," Maqbool said in a letter sent to the media.

"He (Dhavan) will be writing a letter to the Chief Justice of India that he will continue to appear in his pending matters," he said.

Dhavan had earlier addressed a letter to the CJI saying he had decided to give up court practice.

"After the humiliating end to the Delhi case, I have decided to give up court practice. You are entitled to take back the senior gown conferred on me, though I would like to keep it for memory and the services rendered," he had said in his letter.

His surprise announcement had come days after the apex court reserved its verdict in the Delhi-Centre case, i.e whether the Lieutenant Governor or the Delhi government enjoys supremacy in the administration of the national capital.

On December 6, just before the conclusion of the hearing in the case, heated exchanges were witnessed between the Chief Justice and Dhavan.

The senior lawyer was appearing for the Delhi government in the case besides their lead counsel Gopal Subramanium.

In the Delhi-Centre dispute hearing, Dhavan had made some submissions which were not appreciated by the bench.

Besides the Delhi-Centre case, Dhavan has represented a number of high-profile cases like the Ayodhya dispute, SEBI-Sahara, Rohingya refugees among others.
New Delhi: Pakistan Army Spokesperson, Director General of Inter Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor, on Thursday addressed a press conference lashing out at India over the recent cross-border retaliatory strike conducted by a Ghatak team in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK). Ghafoor called it Indias false propaganda and even hit out at the United States and Afghanistan, asking the superpower and its ally Afghanistan to do more for Pakistan.

India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistan's territory and killed Pakistani soldiers. But this is all false propaganda for their domestic audience to take the focus off the effective political struggle they are facing for Kashmir's freedom, he said, adding, You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings.

He then went on to congratulate the Pakistani press for not giving in to Indian propaganda. Ghafoor also responded to United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who had asked Pakistan to contribute more by combating terrorism on its own soil.

"Whatever we are doing and we will do is solely for the people of Pakistan. The aid we received (from the US) was reimbursement for the support we gave to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda. Had we not supported the US and Afghanistan, they would never have been able to defeat Al Qaeda, he said, It is time that Afghanistan and the US do more for Pakistan.

Tillerson in an opinion piece in the New York Times had said of Pakistan, Pakistan must contribute by combating terrorist groups on its own soil. We are prepared to partner with Pakistan to defeat terrorist organizations seeking safe havens, but Pakistan must demonstrate its desire to partner with us.

Indian Army personnel on Moday crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to enter Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), killed three Pakistani troops and injuring another, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday. This mission was reportedly undertaken as a retaliatory measure against a ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Army on Saturday, which claimed the lives of four Indian troops.
Bengaluru: VK Sasikala may not have to appear personally before the Justice Arumugasamy committee that is probing the death of former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, in December 2016.

The former aide of Jayalalithaa is currently serving a jail term, convicted of corruption charges.

While the committee has sent a notice to Bengaluru Central Jail authorities about the issue, it has asked her to file objections if she wants to, and doesnt insist on an appearance either in person or through video conference, jail sources told CNN-News18.

She may file any statements or objections through her lawyers. It is left to her. There is no questionnaire or any such thing attached either, to the notice, a jail official said. She could still be summoned at a later stage if need be, he added.

The clarification comes amid reports of a summons to Sasikala and her family members in the ongoing probe by a retired judge. The probe was ordered by the Tamil Nadu government as questions have constantly been raised by both party workers and family members of Jayalalithaa about the mystery surrounding her illness between September 22, 2016, and December 5, 2016, when she was admitted at the Apollo Hospital.

Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran (the newly-elected MLA from Jayas erstwhile constituency, RK Nagar), along with other family members, have been under a cloud of suspicion on why they maintained such secrecy about any information about Jayas state of health and why they refused to allow any visitor to see or meet her while she was ailing. There had been attempts by VIP politicians during that period to meet her, including the then governor and Rahul Gandhi.

Jayas niece Deepa Jayakumar too had not been allowed access to see her at the intensive care unit where Jaya was, and an entire floor had been cordoned off to maintain secrecy.

Dhinakaran, who met Sasikala on Thursday, told newspersons later that he had received summons and will be appearing before the probe committee.

One MLA supporting him had leaked a video showing Jayalalithaa sitting up on her hospital bed and sipping juice just a day before RK Nagar went to polls on December 20  a video whose authenticity has not been established but the purpose of which was obviously to stave off suspicion of any foul play by the Sasikala/ Mannargudi family in her death  as allegations about this have been many.

Dhinakarans meeting with Sasikala was rather muted, as Sasikala is on a maun vrat (oath of silence) till the 31st of December, as a mark of mourning for her friend who passed away in December last year.

He has been kept away from the party by the ruling AIADMK government headed by Edappadi Palanisamy and O Panneerselvam, but says his win in RK Nagar shows that the people are with him and that Sasikala gave him her blessings as well.

With speculation rife on whether there is some coldness within his family over his sudden popularity after the election victory, Dhinakaran said, Im not in politics for my bread and butter. Many years earlier (2004 to 2010), Amma (Jayalalithaa) had asked me to join politics and I did. After some time, she told me to go mind my own business and I did. Last year, Chinnamma (Sasikala) asked me to be active in the party as the circumstances were such that she could not become CM. I have been given a task and I want to do it properly. If they say I must go away from this tomorrow and someone else in the family must take over, Im ready for that too.

There have been reports that one of his cousins, Krishnapriya, is taking a greater interest in politics after the RK Nagar elections.

Dhinakaran said the AIADMK had lost this election purely because the people are angry that they (AIADMK) have been bowing with folded hands before the BJP.

Asked if MLAs from the EPS-OPS regime will back him in the coming months, Dhinakaran said that his sleeper cell MLAs will come and act when the time is right.

The whole world knows that EPS used to be with us, but they are keep their distance from us as they are scared of the BJP, he told the media.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has accused Pakistan of using Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife for propaganda, punching holes in Islamabad's justification of their treatment. Delivering a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said Pakistan forced the two women to change their clothes and remove their mangal sutra, bindi and bangles, prompting Jadhav to intitialy think that his mother had been widowed. She also questioned Pakistans claim that the shoes worn by Jadhav's wife had "something metallic" in them, saying she had passed security checks of two airlines wearing the same footwear.

Here's a look at top 10 quotes in Sushma Swaraj's speech

1. Pakistan used the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family for propaganda.

2. I spoke to Jadhav's mother and she told me that Kulbhushan first asked her about his father as he saw that she was not wearing my mangal sutra or bindi.

3. The mother and wife were presented like widows to Kulbhushan.

4. Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother told me that he was looking very tense. It appeared that he was not keeping well.

5. Humanity was missing in the meeting.

6. Human rights of Jadhav's family members were violated, an environment of fear was created.

7. We had an agreement with Pakistan that the media would be kept away from the family, but that was not honoured.

8. Shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife were kept by Pakistan claiming that it had some chip or recorder. How can that be possible when she took a flight to Dubai first and then went to Pakistan? If no alarms were raised then, how did the Pakistan government discover something in the shoe?

9. What Pakistan is doing is absurdity beyond measure.

10. We are seeking permanent relief from the ICJ. We will place more solid proof in front of them. The ICJ has postponed the death penalty handed out to Kulbhushan Jadhav. We will now go with bigger proof to bring him back. I call upon this Parliament to condemn Pakistan's act and support Jadhav.

Statement by EAM in Rajya Sabha on the meeting of the family of Mr Kulbhushan Jadhav with him and the situation arising from there

Hon'ble Chairman,

I rise to apprise the House of recent developments pertaining to Shri Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian national in the illegal custody of Pakistan. As the House is aware, his mother and wife met him on 25 December 2017 in Islamabad. The meeting was arranged through diplomatic channels.

2.In April 2017, I had made a statement in this House underlining the Government's determination to do everything possible to ensure Shri Jadhav's well-being and secure his release from illegal detention. Since then, the House is aware that we approached the International Court of Justice and obtained provisional measures that stayed the execution of the death sentence that was passed on Shri Jadhav through a farcical Pakistani military court process. While the imminent threat to Shri Jadhav's safety was averted as a result, we are now engaged in seeking a permanent relief, based on stronger arguments, through the legal avenue offered by the International Court of Justice.

Hon'ble Chairman,

3. I had also conveyed that we were in constant touch with the family at this difficult time. It was, therefore, natural that we took up the cause of family members who sought access to Shri Jadhav with a view to ascertaining his well-being for themselves. These efforts were pursued persistently through diplomatic channels. As a result, this month, the Pakistani authorities consented to a meeting between Shri Jadhav and his mother and wife.

4.While the meeting could have been a step forward, it is a matter of great concern that there was departure from the agreed understandings between the two countries in the conduct of this meeting. The emotional moment between a mother and her son, and a wife and her husband after a period of 22 months, was misused by Pakistan as an instrument to further its propaganda. The Ministry of External Affairs has stated our position in this regard publicly day before yesterday. Our concerns arising from this meeting were conveyed to Pakistan through diplomatic channels yesterday. I would like to highlight a few of them in this House:

(i) There was a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access to the mother and wife of Shri Jadhav. However, not only the Pakistani press was allowed to approach family members closely, but the family members were also harassed through use of offensive language by the media. The Pakistani media hurled false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav;

(ii) Under the pretext of security precautions, even the attire of the family members was changed. Mr Jadhav's mother, who wears a Sari only, was instead given Salwar and Kurta to wear. Bindi, bangles and mangal sutra of the wife were removed;

(iii) The mother of Shri Jadhav wanted to talk to her son in mother tongue Marathi, as this is clearly the natural medium of communication between a mother and son. However, the mother of Shri Jadhav was not allowed to speak in Marathi. While doing so, she was repeatedly interrupted by the two Pakistani officials present in the meeting. When she persisted, the intercom was closed and she was prevented from proceeding further with the conversation in Marathi;

(iv) The family members were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the Deputy High Commissioner of India, who had accompanied the family members for this meeting. Consequently, he could not see that the family members were being taken for the meeting after changing their attire and removing their bindi, bangles and mangal sutra. Otherwise he would have objected then and there. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials;

(v) The car for the family of Mr Jadhav and accompanying Indian diplomat was delayed after the meeting so as to give another opportunity to the media to harass them;

(vi) The shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were removed before the meeting and she was given slippers to wear to the meeting. The shoes were not returned to her despite her repeated requests after the meeting. The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday.

5. The mother and wife, after their return, conveyed to me that Shri Kulbhushan Jadhav appeared under considerable stress and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. As the meeting evolved, it was clear to them that his remarks were tutored by his captors and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities. His appearance also raised questions of his health and well being.

Hon'ble Chairman,

6. The meeting of Mr. Kulbhushan Jadhav with his mother and wife was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture. However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. There was a serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Shri Jadhav and an intimidating atmosphere was created for them during this meeting. There are not enough words to condemn the same.

Hon'ble Chairman,

7.I am fully confident that this entire House and through this House, the people of India, strongly condemns, in one voice, the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family.
Egypt is postponing for one year the annual lowering of tariffs on cars imported from EU countries, which is part of an Egyptian-EU partnership agreement to gradually reduce tariffs every year until they are entirely eliminated in 2019, Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Tarek Qabil announced in a statement on Thursday.

Qabil explained that the ministry has determined that the reduced tariff would have a negative impact on the local car manufacturing industry.

The Egyptian-EU partnership agreement, which was implemented in 2010, stipulates that tariffs on imported European automobiles are to be reduced by 10 percent annually until 2019.

The agreement allows Egypt to postpone the lowering of tariffs for one year.

Qabil added that a new strategy will be adopted to boost the car sector in cooperation with European partners.

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New Delhi: Moving closer to making instant triple talaq a criminal offence, the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill. All amendments to the bill were defeated.

The government hailed the passing of the bill as 'historic'.

The bill would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat'. It gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be illegal and void.

The Congress said it supported the bill but wanted it to be scrutinised by the Standing Committee of Parliament, a demand that was rejected by the chair. The RJD and Samajwadi Party also backed the demand of referring the bill to the Standing Committee.

The Supreme Court had outlawed instant triple talaq in August and asked the government to frame a law within six months. Ending the controversial divorce practice was also the BJP's electoral promise.

Moving swiftly, the BJP-led government not only introduced the bill today but also got it passed by the Lok Sabha the same day despite its consideration and passage not being part of the agenda.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill as part of the listed business, had requested her to allow it to be considered and passed today itself, and the request was granted.

"We are going to create history. Today is the day to create history," Prasad said while introducing the bill.

He insisted the government did not intend to politicise the issue and the legislation was brought after taking a humanitarian view of it.

"This is not about siyasat (politics) but about insaniyat (humanity)," Prasad said.

"If it is a crime to bring a bill in the favour of Muslims then we will commit this crime 10 times," he asserted.

The proposed law would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir.

Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM alleged that through the bill the government was trying to bring in a Uniform Civil Code. Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights.

Owaisi said through the law the government was trying to demonise Muslim men and claimed "vested interests" were behind the legislation.

Seeking to allay their concerns, Prasad said it is wrong link instant triple talaq, the divorce practice which the Supreme Court struck down as illegal, with the Uniform Civil Code.

"Some are trying to spread fear that the bill is being brought to put Muslims behind the bars," Prasad said.

Prasad cited instances of Karimul Haque, a tea labourer in Assam, who was awarded Padma Shree for ferrying patients on his "bike ambulance", and Imran Khan, a Sanskrit teacher from Alwar in Rajasthan who was lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making mobile applications for students.

Not pacified, members of the BJD, AIMIM, Indian Union Muslim League staged a walk out.

Although Congress supported the bill, senior leader Salman Khurshid, a former law minister, said the proposed law is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals, and would bring the civil issue of divorce into the realm of criminal law.

The Congress did not push for a division in the Lok Sabha on amendments moved by its MPs, nor did the party support any amendment sought by other opposition lawmakers.

Divorce and marriage comes under the concurrent list and both Parliament and state legislatures can enact laws on the subject.

The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.

(With PTI inputs)
What can be a good start of the New Year than heading to the picturesque and charming landscapes of Kerala  Gods Own Country! Heres the list of 7 best places in Kerala you can explore:

1. Alleppey

Allepey is ideal for a romantic getaway or to relax in the lap of nature. With loads of options to explore, some options that stand out are the exquisite houseboats on backwaters, kayaking or simply a dip in the beautiful waters of Pozhiyoram Beach. In addition to this, there are also body massages to rejuvenate your mind and body. If you seek solace then Marari Beach and Allepey Beach are your goto places, whereas for party animals there are places like Vijay Park Amaze World, Alappuzha; Le Coffee Time; Cafe Paradiso and many more.

2. Kumarakom

The stunning houseboat cruises here are an absolute delight. In addition, you could explore the streets, experience the rustic village life and relish the traditional food. You could also visit Aruvikkuzhi Waterfall, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Kumarakom Backwaters and Vagamon which is swamped by nature lovers.

3. Munnar

The first known paradise of Kerala, Munnar is a popular destination for the nature lovers, renowned for its tea plantations and picturesque landscapes along with exotic flora and fauna. When in Munnar, you could also trek to some of the high peaks like Anamudi. Mattupetty Dam, Kundala Lake, Top Station and Echo Point.

4. Kochi (Cochin)

Kochi is a tranquil mix of medieval Portugal, Holland and a small English village. Apart from the charming festivals held here, it also has various landmarks in the form of museums like the Kerala Folklore Museum, Indo-Portugese museum; Palaces like the Mattancherry Palace and beautiful Churches. You can also get to see some of the finest Keralan arts here along with Kathakali and Kalarippayatu.

5. Kovalam

Beaches lined with coconut trees oh what a sight! The beaches offer a lot to the tourists - you can just bask in sun, swim and a number of other water activities are also available. You could also visit the Lighthouse Beach, Artificial Off-Shore Coral Reef, Vizhinjam Village and Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Kovalam is 180 kms approximately 5 hours drive from Allepey and is a 15 minute drive from the city of Trivandrum.

6. Varkala

Varkala is the place to be for soul searching. The beaches here are clean and serene and you could just lie there and watch the day pass. It also offers rejuvenating activities like boat riding, sun bath and Ayurvedic rejuvenation. Other places to visit are the Janardhana Swami Temple which is 2000 years old; Sivagiri Mutt; Kappil Lake; Anjengo Fort and Light House. There are also a few places in case you get into the party mood like Rock N Roll Cafe, Chill Out Lounge, Sky Lounge, and Ginger Lounge / Mango House.

7. Trivandrum

Also known as the Evergreen city of India, Trivandrum is famous for multitudes of ancient temples and their beautiful architecture. Some of the popular tourist spots are Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Kanakakunnu Palace. Trivandrum has its own Thiruvananthapuram International Airport which connects it to major cities in India.
In times like these, where a celebrity's follower count on social media -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram -- determines their popularity and the kind of influence and attention they command, it is often that our popular stars (mostly female) have to face the wrath -- criticism, insults, slut-shaming, body-shaming and even threats -- of online trolls, when the latter do not approve of their looks.

In the world of social media, everyone, including people with verified handles (accounts with blue ticks) and those without, have an opinion about everything under the sun. From being political, economic, sociocultural, fashion experts to being saviors of religious cultures and traditions and at times, just being the badass trolls, each and every account holder has multiple areas of expertise.

And when we talk of trolls - an army of faceless people on the Internet who not only have 'views and opinions' that they so often express, but who also think they have the right to abuse, threaten, slut-shame and rattle women online and demand that they dress or behave in a certain way - are nothing but a spineless, virtual gang of humans who do not have the courage to come out in the open and therefore take to such platforms to express their views.

Celebrities have had a tough time on social media and have learnt their lesson the hard way ever since opinions in the virtual space became nothing more than threatening people to fall in line. From insulting, shaming, calling names to intimidating, trolls have done it all. But some celebs know how to stand their ground and hit back. In fact, some know how hard they have to hit to be heard.

Here are a few instances when celebrities were trolled online and how they handled it like a boss.

Esha Gupta

Earlier this year, actress Esha Gupta made headlines for featuring in a hot photo-shoot, pictures of which the B-town diva shared on Instagram. The star was slut-shamed and trolled by several Instagram users for posting 'inappropriate' photos online. But, Esha did not succumb to the online trolls and gave it back to them with a lot of swag. Each time people commented on her post insulting her, Esha came back with an even sexier picture of herself to teach a lesson to those who trolled her for sporting an outfit and featuring in a photo-shoot out of choice.

Credit: @ Esha Gupta

Fatima Sana Shaikh

Dangal girl Fatima Sana Shaikh was trolled online for sporting a monokini during the holy month of Ramadan. From being called names to shaming her for insulting Islam, trolls left no stone unturned in abusing the actress for choosing to wear an outfit of her choice. But Fatima wasn't one to be cowed into silence by intimidation. After uploading a black and white photo on Instagram, Fatima uploaded yet another, this time a colored photograph where she is seen sporting the same monokini. Without speaking a word, Fatima gave it back to her trolls and sent out her message loud and clear that she isn't one to be rattled by some faceless, online abusers.

Credit: @ Fatima Sana Shaikh

Priyanka Chopra

When global icon Priyanka Chopra was targeted for not wearing a 'sanskari' attire and shamed her for showing off her legs during her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Berlin, the desi girl hit back with another picture in which she actually flaunted her long, well-toned legs with her mother Madhu Chopra sitting right next to her and the diva captioned the image 'legs for days #itsthegenes with @madhuchopra nights out in #Berlin #beingbaywatch'. The desi girl surely got some swag.

Credit: @ Priyanka Chopra Credit: @ Priyanka Chopra

Deepika Padukone

In another instance, B-town beauty Deepika Padukone was called names including 'cheap', 'vulgar', 'disgusting' and more for donning some bold garments during a photo-shoot. When the actress shared the photos on her Instagram, she was advised by trolls to wear 'traditional Indian wear' and not insult Indian culture by showing off her skin in 'short clothes'. But the diva hit back hard by posting several photographs from the same photo-shoot sporting daring outfits, flaunting her well-toned body. The message from Deepika was crystal clear - it is her choice and no one can demand that she make amends to her choices and decisions.

Credit: @ Deepika Padukone Credit: @ Deepika Padukone

In yet another instance, Deepika was trolled for being 'too skinny'. The Piku actor was criticized by social media users for looking 'starved', 'malnourished' and 'anorexic'. And while several online users were busy calling her names, others took the opportunity to advise the actor to eat better and gain some weight.

Sonam Kapoor

Bollywood actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor, too, was a victim of online trolling. When the diva sported a black Rosario Atelier ruffled-sleeve jumpsuit for an event, earlier this year, online users trolled her right, left and center for revealing too much. They called her names and slut-shamed her for donning an attire that was inappropriate. But Sonam, known for never mincing her words, later took to social media and said that the photographers went out of their way to take certain shots of her, but she couldn't care less as she is proud of her body.

sexist nonsense. The photogs went out of their way to take these pics.. and frankly I don't give a damn,I'm proud of my body! https://t.co/zryjBBYI6B Sonam Kapoor (@sonamakapoor) March 3, 2017

Credit: @ RASARIO

Disha Patani

Actress Disha Patani was abused online for wearing a 'revealing' black Nicolas Jebran outfit for the Filmfare awards held earlier this year. People on Instagram called out the actress for exposing too much and not respecting the Indian culture and traditions. When the matter escalated, Disha lashed out at the haters for being hypocrites. She wrote, "it's easier to judge a woman on the basis of how much they cover up their skin, but it's hard to accept your own cheap mentality when you can't stop staring at those inappropriate areas which you are asking her to cover". "Wake up and start accepting that we are not going to be anybody's idea of an 'Indian girl," she added.

Credit: @ disha patani (paatni) Credit: @ disha patani (paatni)

Taapsee Pannu

Judwaa 2 star Taapsee Pannu was trolled online not once or twice, but several times this year. Her bikini photos invited trolls to give her dressing lessons and her photo in 'short clothes' on another occasion prompted an online user to write ""Due to such stuff male's attract to seduce girl. And harassment." But Taapsee didn't hold back. She gave it back to the trolls each time and hit them hard with her strong opinion.

"When you are against the tide, it's YOU who needs to stand up for yourself......But don't forget the smile " #Judwaa2 #AaTohSahi pic.twitter.com/qIimdBSkHY taapsee pannu (@taapsee) September 13, 2017

Then THOSE males need to do something about their sickness, its not about such stuff Btw- get well soon  https://t.co/PHbO5dJTMB taapsee pannu (@taapsee) November 18, 2017

In an interview to News18.com earlier this year, Taapsee said, "We have a lot of torch bearers of nationalism and culture (self-proclaimed ones) in our country and it's always nice to have an opinion, but, don't shove it in my face. You keep your opinion to yourself, I have not asked for it, so, don't give it to me. I have worked extremely hard on that body, to get into that shape. It's really very hard for a 'Delhi sardarni' to compromise on food. I have made it happen, I am going to flaunt it. And, it is nobody else's business."
Kochi: The Kochi police on Wednesday arrested a fan of superstar Mammootty for 'cyberbullying' actor Parvathy after she publicly stated that some of the dialogues in the Mammootty-starrer Kasaba were strongly prejudiced against women.

Pinto, a person hailing from Wadakanchery near here, was arrested by the police and, during questioning, he said he is part of the Mammootty fan club from his area.

The police probing the complaint of the actor have indicated that more arrests are likely.

Trouble started for the young award-winning actor ever since she expressed her reservations regarding the dialogues in the film at the recently concluded International Film Festival of Kerala.

She, however, never took any names when she expressed her reservations in the dialogues of the film.

Since then, social media was full of angry responses against the actress and when it crossed all limits, she filed a police complaint here, following which the cyber police swung into action.

In the 2016 released film, Mammootty plays the role of a police officer and the comments from the young actress had irked a section of the huge fan base of the superstar, who for the past two decades is the number one actor in the state.
New Delhi: West Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was seen hurriedly scribbling a letter to the Lok Sabha secretariat on Thursday morning. The Behrampur MP was writing to the chair seeking to withdraw his objection to the introduction of the 'Triple Talaq Bill' in the legislative list of business of the House.

Behrampur has a sizable minority population. As their MP, Chowdhury, it seems, had decided to voice concerns of his constituency. That Chowdhury, out of his own volition or otherwise, decided to withdraw the objection is indicative of the caution with which Congress party has decided to tread on the issue of Triple Talaq.

So when the speaker Sumitra Mahajan called out all MPs to speak at the time of the introduction of the Bill by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, all those who had given a notice objecting to the introduction were given an opportunity to speak. Congress MPs were on their feet, but none got a chance to go on record, because no notice had come from the Congress party.

Congress stand on the issue was, however, being articulated this morning outside the House by the party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. The common refrain in his statement was that the party does not oppose 'Triple Talaq Bill' per se, but was seeking to strengthen it for the welfare of Muslim women.

For a party singed by the Shah Bano Case during Rajiv Gandhi government, Congress is being extra cautious. It was an unknown case in the overburdened courts that sprang out to acquire large political overtones that ultimately gave enough leeway to both the BJP and other regional players to grab a large section of loyal Congress voters.

Three decades later, as the Congress party attempts to put its house in order after the worst-ever defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it is treading with great care.

The narrative built around the Gujarat Campaign with its new President Rahul Gandhis temple hopping has been carefully choreographed. It is an image makeover exercise which Congress may take forward in other elections as well, especially in Karnataka and other poll-bound states in 2018.

So at this point, as the party is setting out to set its agenda for the next general elections, Congress has made it clear  it has no time for jarring notes that may disrupt the delicate equilibrium.

Which is why Sushmita Dev was chosen by the party to speak on the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. And young party MP from Assam started her speech by applauding the women who gathered courage to go against a very regressive practice of instant Triple Talaq".
Congress marks its 133rd foundation day on Thursday. It has to be said that the last three years have probably been the toughest since the formation of the party on December 28, 1885.

While the Gujarat result has been a shot in the arm, it is still too early to claim that the Congress has turned the corner. The grand old party, though, has been much more confident of doing so, ever since it took the sting out of BJPs war cry of a Congress Mukt Bharat (Congress Free India) in its formers den in Gujarat.

The ruling party was given a mighty scare, which even shook the markets before it managed to eke out a slender lead.

Three BJP antagonists  PAAS chief Hardik Patel, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor and Dalit face Jignesh Mevani  and the general discontent around GST, demonetisation helped the Congress win 77 seats, its highest total in almost a quarter of a century. The BJP, meanwhile, was limited to 99 seats.

ON A LOSING WICKET

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have been on a mission to wipe out the Congress. Ever since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when the then Sonia Gandhi-led party was reduced to just 44 seats, the BJP has been trying to completely shunt the party.

The Congress is currently in power only in Puducherry, Punjab and poll-bound Karnataka, Meghalaya, Mizoram. Together, these states account for just 45 of the 543 elective seats in the Lok Sabha. The tally will further dip if the party loses any of the three poll-bound states next year or is not able to make a mark in Nagaland, Tripura or BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

On the other hand, the BJP has emerged as the dominant pole of Indian politics with 14 Chief Ministers and governments in 19 of the 29 states, including five with allies in J&K, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland.

PUNJAB BREAKS THE CYCLE

The first glimmer of a fightback came early in 2017 when the Congress won Punjab. The success, however, was not attributed to the party, rather the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh. The victory too was not over the BJP but the Akali Dal, which was heading the coalition with the former playing a junior party.

If reports are to be believed, two factors came into play here. One, conscious that the coalition was on its way out, the BJP sought to scuttle the chances of Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party and quietly threw its lot with Singh, choosing him to be the better of two evils as a successor. Two, before he was named the CM candidate by his party, Singh had reportedly threatened a split and even broached a tie-up with the BJP provided the latter broke ranks with the Akali Dal.

Gujarat, however, is a different story.

No one gave Congress a chance, given that the party has not been in power for 22 years in the state. Slowly, and steadily, the party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi climbed its way up to become serious contenders. They built a coterie with the aggressive OBC, Patidar and Dalit leaders in a re-tweaked version of Madhavsinh Solankis famous KHAM (Khastriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Muslim) alliance, which fetched the party 149 seats in 1985  a tally that even Modi with his charisma has not been able to match.

Learning from past mistakes, Rahul deliberately steered clear of raising controversial issues like the 2002 riots and tried to change the perception that Congress was anti-Hindu. He visited over two dozen temples in during his campaign and prevented the BJP from communalising the elections.

He even promptly suspended senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for dubbing the Prime Minister neech (low-life), but the damage had already been done. Modi played on the insult to Gujarats asmita (pride) while flagging Kapil Sibals role as a lawyer in the Ram Temple issue and even alleged that the elections were discussed at a dinner hosted by Aiyar for Pakistan delegates, which was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh among others.

The BJP did manage to get the mandate for its sixth term but the numbers were short of what anybody would have bet on and were far short of the exit polls. The Congress exceeded analysts expectation but did fall short of Rahul Gandhis zabardast (incredible) result.

Questions remain about Congress ability to stop and reverse the BJPs onward march, as the Gujarat performance came essentially thanks to the young trio who helped tap the pain of agrarian distress, demonetisation and GST. Patels recent statement claiming credit for the Congresss improved seat share is as much an expression of the ground reality as it is an insurance of his own saleability and longevity in politics.

LITMUS TESTS FOR CONGRESS POST-GUJARAT

The Congress has to pass three litmus tests before it can claim that Gujarat was no flash in the pan.

One, it has to dislodge the BJP from its enclaves. The saffron party has been ruling in states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh since 2003. Elections will be held in both states late-2018. Rajasthan will also poll around the same time, but unlike the other two states, power in Jaipur has alternated between the BJP and the Congress since 1993.

The winds of change in the arid state cropped up recently when the Congress won all four zila parishad seats, 16 of the 27 panchayat samitis and six nagar palika seats in the elections held on December 17.

Two, it has to showcase the ability to retain seats that it is ruling. The first of that test will be when Karnataka goes to poll in the first half of 2018.

For inspiration, the party can look towards Odisha or West Bengal. Both Naveen Patnaiks BJD and Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress have been zealously protecting their turf against challengers. Down south, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti is in complete control of Telangana. While the Telugu Desam may be part of the NDA but Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is no pushover.

The third test lies in finding out if the Congress can rebuild its social, organisational base and win on its own without seeking props. This seems like a tall order for the party that is struggling to stay afloat after being hit by the Modi tsunami. Unless Rahul Gandhi rebuilds the organisation and crafts a solid support base for it, the party cannot emerge as a serious challenger to the BJP the way the saffron party has been for the 132-year-old political outfit.

Unlike its arch rivals, the Congress lacks ground-level worker support and a proper booth-level management system to convert into votes the support that Rahul had garnered during his rallies in Gujarat. Ground-level workers had abandoned the party, particularly in states where it has been out of power for several decades  UP, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. In many of these states, the Congress machinery has rusted or crumbled and requires a long stretch of sustained nurturing before it can invite attention or pose a challenge to its rivals.

Furthermore, the Congress lacks a solid social base of its own. The partys traditional supporters among the upper castes, Dalits and minorities have long deserted it in favour of forces that articulated its interests like the SP, BSP and the RJD. It needs to rebuild itself from square one to recover part of the vast ground it has lost to rivals and marauders.

There are enough examples to underscore the significance of this. The BJP, for instance, was thrashed in Bihar in 2015 because two strong region-based parties, the JD(U) and RJD came together in a Grand Alliance, of which the Congress was only a small part, and formed a formidable social coalition. The highly successful experiment, though, fell apart when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar abandoned his partners and renewed the ties with BJP.

(The author is a veteran journalist. Views expressed are personal)
New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at the governments clarification in the Rajya Sabha on Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement against predecessor Manmohan Singh, saying the PM "never means what he says or says what he means".

Gandhi's dig on Twitter came hours after the Leader of the House and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made a short statement in Rajya Sabha to end the impasse over Modi's remarks made during the Gujarat election campaign.

"Dear Mr Jaitlie (sic) -- thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means," Gandhi tweeted, using the hashtag "BJPLies".

Dear Mr Jaitlie - thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means. #BJPLies pic.twitter.com/I7n1f07GaX Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 27, 2017

The Congress president also attached with his tweet a video of the prime minister's speech at a poll rally in which he made the "conspiracy with Pakistan" remarks against Singh, along with Jaitley's statement made in the House.

In Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Jaitley said Modi in his statements and speeches, "did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president.

"Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation," Jaitley said.

Replying to Jaitley, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad said apparently distanced his party from the chaiwala jibe made by Mani Shankar Aiyar against PM Modi, and said no such comment would be made in future.

I thank the Leader of the House for clarification on what has been issue of contention. I, on behalf of my party, say that we disassociate from any comments made by any member during elections that may have hurt PM's dignity. Also, we don't want any such thing to be said in future, Azad said.
New Delhi: TRS members in the Lok Sabha on Thursday again demanded setting up of a separate high court in Telangana, with a union minister from the TDP urging the government to take early steps in this regard.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had to remind Y S Chowdary, a minister of state, of his ministerial position before he stood to speak on behalf of TDP to put forth his views.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad made it clear that while the Telangana high court would continue to function from the same complex, the Andhra Pradesh high court would be shifted to a temporary location till the time a new complex is ready.

A P Jithendra Reddy (TRS) said till the two high courts are not bifurcated, no judges should either be appointed or elevated.

To this, the Law Minister said it was the prerogative of the Supreme Court collegium and he cannot give any assurance. Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the chief ministers of the two states should sit together to sort out the pending issues, except the one relating to the bifurcation of the high courts.

The TRS MPs had on Wednesday trooped into the Well of the House, showing placards and raising slogans demanding setting up of a High Court for Telangana.
Global tech giant Apple's average profit per handset was USD 151 (over Rs 9,600) in the July- September quarter, five times more than that of its closest rival Samsung, according to research firm Counterpoint. Samsung, which had one of the highest numbers of models across price bands in its portfolio, had a profit per unit of USD 31 (over Rs 1,900) in the same period, Counterpoint said in its 'Market Monitor program for Q3' report. The report noted that the global mobile handset profits had grown 13 percent year-on-year in the July-September 2017 quarter "due to the strong performance of Samsung and Chinese brands". "Apple's per unit profit is five times higher than Samsung and approximately 14 times higher than the average per unit profit of Chinese brands. Apple's per unit profit stood at USD 151 in Q3 2017," the report said. "Samsung made a strong comeback in the third quarter with its Note 8 series while S8 series continues to perform on par.

The profit share reached 26 percent as compared to its loss during Q3 2016 due to Note 7 debacle," it added. Huawei witnessed highest profit growth of 67 percent y- o-y in the said quarter due to its portfolio expansion across price bands. "Chinese brands like Huawei, Oppo and Vivo are all performing similar in terms of profits per unit, each having an average per unit profit of USD 15, USD 14 and USD 13, respectively," the report said. However, Xiaomi -- when compared with its Chinese peers -- had a lower per unit profit of USD 2 as it plays on very thin margins, the report said. Apple accounted for nearly 60 percent of the total profits generated in mobile handset segment, followed by Samsung (26 percent) and Huawei (4.9 percent). Oppo and Vivo captured fourth and fifth spot, mainly driven by their performance in China. "This is the first time ever when the cumulative profits of Chinese brands crossed USD 1.5 billion for the first in a single quarter," Counterpoint Associate Director Tarun Pathak said. He added that usually all the profits have been shared by just two brands -- Samsung and Apple.

"The growth of Chinese brands can be attributed to the diligent efforts in streamlining the supply chain with rising mix of mid to high-end smartphones in their portfolio," he said adding that even in the premium segment, players like Huawei are positioning their flagship models. "This strategy is designed to penetrate premium market while maximising revenue and profit," he noted. Counterpoint Research Director Neil Shah said Apple still generates more than USD 150 profit per iPhone sold and this will continue to grow into the holiday season quarter, buoyed by the high price iPhone X series. "Our recent channel checks across key Apple markets showed, the demand for the 256GB version of iPhone X is higher which will boost Apple's profits even higher," he added. In India, the MRP of Apple iPhones ranges between Rs 26,000-Rs 1.02 lakh. The high-end iPhone X is available for Rs 89,000 onwards.

Watch: Tech and Auto Show | Ep 24 | Honor 7X, TVS Apache RR 310, Volvo XC60 & More
Huawei sub-brand Honor announced that the Honor 7X became the No. 1 Seller on Christmas on Amazon and because of this stellar response, the company has decided to extend the open sale for the Honor 7X till January 05. Honor has decided to further extend the open sale by seven more days until January 05 exclusively on Amazon.in. The Honor 7X, priced at Rs. 12,999 (for 32GB Version) & Rs. 15,999 (for 64GB Version), was launched at an event in London and has sold over 40million since its launch in early November.

Honor X-series have achieved over 40 million unit sales in the global market with the Honor 7X being recognized as the best-seller during the Christmas week sales on Amazon.in according to the company. Now with flash sales in the association, no cost EMI with Axis, Bank, Citibank and HDFC Bank (Credit) the Honor brand is providing monetary benefits along with 90GB Airtel data, and 80% off on eBooks up to Rs 300 on the Kindle app.

As for its specifications, the Honor 7X is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 659 octa-core SoC and will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat, topped with EMUI 5.1. The storage variants of the smartphone include 32GB, 64GB and 128GB options, with the capacity of expanding the memory up to 256GB using an external microSD. Following the industry trend, the device boasts of a 5.93-inch near bezel-less, Full-HD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It will run on a 4GB RAM and will be backed by a 3340 mAh battery.

Optics of the smartphone include a dual-lens camera setup at the back, with a 16-megapixel primary and a 2-megapixel Secondary lens with features like PDAF, LED-Flash, Face Detection, HDR and 1080p video recording @30fps. There is also an 8-megapixel shooter at the front, while the fingerprint sensor of the device has been shifted to the back. Connectivity options on the Honor 7X include 4G-LTE, Dual Nano-SIM (Hybrid), Wi-Fi Direct, Micro-USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.1.

Watch: Tech and Auto Show | Ep 24 | Honor 7X, TVS Apache RR 310, Volvo XC60 & More
American tourist John Robert Massi handed over $1,000 toward the construction of the new museum and was rewarded with a tour of the site

The Ministry of Antiquities has announced its first donation in response to a new campaign to help fund ongoing construction work at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).

The gift of $1,000 was made by American tourist John Robert Massi, who arrived in Egypt on Wednesday to embark on an inspection tour of the GEM site.

Tarek Tawfik, Supervisor-General of the GEM, told Ahram Online that Massi was impressed by the construction work and the state-of-the-art laboratories.

He told Tawfik that he hopes to return to Egypt for the museum's soft opening in 2018.

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Rome: Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday dissolved parliament ahead of an election which is expected to produce a period of instability in the euro zone's third largest economy.

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's cabinet began meeting to fix the date of the vote, which political sources have said will probably be March 4.

Earlier on Thursday Gentiloni defended the record of his year-old government and said he would remain in office and ensure continuity until a new government is in place.

With opinion polls pointing to a hung parliament, he told reporters Italy should be prepared to deal with instability but should not fear it, noting that it was now common to many European countries.

"We mustn't dramatise the risk of instability, we are quite inoculated against it," he said, in reference to Italy's frequent changes of government, adding that elsewhere in Europe there has been "an Italianisation of political systems".

All Italy's main parties are promising to raise the budget deficit and slash taxes despite record high public debt, and immigration is set to be a central theme of the election, with right-wing parties frequently warning of a migrant "invasion".

The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement leads opinion polls with about 28 percent of the vote, followed by the ruling Democratic Party (PD), of which Gentiloni is a member, on around 23 percent.

However, most seats in parliament are seen going to a conservative alliance made up of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy!) on around 16 percent and the right-wing Northern League and Brothers of Italy, with 13 and 5 percent respectively.

Speaking at the prime minister's traditional end of year news conference, Gentiloni appealed to political parties not to spread fear and make unrealistic promises in the "imminent" election campaign.

"I think it is in the interests of the country to have an election campaign that limits as much as possible the spreading of fears and illusions, these are the risks we have before us," he said.
A man claiming to be the person who delivered a gift-wrapped package of horse manure at the Los Angeles home of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday he did it to protest the federal tax overhaul signed into law last week by President Donald Trump.

Robert Strong, 45, a psychologist for the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department, said by telephone he left the poop-filled parcel addressed to Mnuchin and Trump in the driveway outside Mnuchin's home in the posh Bel Air community.

KNBC-TV, an NBC television affiliate in Los Angeles, reported Mnuchin was not home at the time. The package was found by Mnuchin's neighbour.

"Protest really should be funny," Strong told Reuters. "People's eyes glaze over when they just see angry people in the streets." He believes the new tax law will hurt poor people.

Neither the U.S. Secret Service nor the Los Angeles Police Department, both of which investigated the incident, would confirm Strong was responsible. The Secret Service interviewed an individual who admitted delivering the package, but no charges had been filed against him as of Monday afternoon.

LAPD Lieutenant Rob Weise said it was possible whoever left the package did not break any criminal laws. While he is not assigned to investigate the incident, Weise said if the box did not present any danger, it would not be illegal. The LAPD bomb squad X-rayed the box before opening it on Saturday.

In a photo of the card Strong posted on Twitter, he wrote "Misters Mnuchin & Trump, We're returning the 'gift' of the Christmas tax bill" and signed it "Warmest wishes, The American people."

Strong said a Secret Service agent, accompanied by six police officers, showed up at his house to question him on Sunday night, and the agent chided him, asking, "'Are you ashamed of your behaviour?'"

The White House declined to comment on Monday and officials with the Treasury Department could not be reached.
Karachi: Al-Qaeda's slain chief Osama bin Laden had shifted to Afghanistan to supervise a plot to assassinate Pakistan's former premier Benazir Bhutto and then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, a media report said on Thursday.

Citing intelligence gathered by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the News reported that the explosives to execute this plot were provided by the courier of bin Laden.

Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007 outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. The revelation comes exactly on the 10th anniversary of Bhutto's assassination.

This information was provided to the Interior Ministry in December 2007 by the Army and the ISI in three reports and the letters obtained from the bin Laden's residence.

In these secret intelligence reports, the ministry was warned that bin Laden had issued orders to kill then President Musharraf, Pakistan People's Party's chief Bhutto and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman, the paper said.

The most important letter by the ISI to the Interior Ministry was written on December 19, 2007; the letter was directed to the Interior Ministrys then-director coordination of the Crisis Management Cell Colonel Muhammad Imran Yaqub, the paper said, citing the documents.

The letter, titled 'President Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Fazlur Rehman's murder plan', signed by Lt Col (retd) Zaigham Islam Butt for DG Intelligence said bin Laden has issued the order to kill Musharraf, Bhutto and Rehman.

"He (Osama bin Laden) has planned to send his courier, who is a national of Pakistan and a resident of Multan, named Musa Tariq, through Waziristan with explosives to be used in executing the murder plots. On coming Sunday which is December 22 this person will be in the area of Dera Ismail Khan," the letter read.

"Osama bin Laden is personally supervising this entire plan and for this reason, he has shifted to Afghanistan," read the last three lines of the letter.

The ISI had requested the interior ministry to make urgent security arrangements, the paper said, adding that this information was so important that the copies of this letter were also dispatched to the Military Intelligence Directorate, GS Branch and General Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

After receiving the letter, the General Staff Branch of the Military Operations Directorate of General Headquarters, on the next day December 20, 2007 sent a letter to then-interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah.

Six days before Bhutto's assassination, another letter was issued with the signature of then-chief of the general staff Lt-Gen Salahuddin Satti's Lt-Col Staff Khurram Shahzad, warning about the terror plot.

Following the assassination of Bhutto, a short letter was sent to bin Laden after two days.

"We have taken revenge for our brothers and sisters of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid," read the letter which was recovered from bin Laden's home.

Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in a covert raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011.
Indias largest software company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is facing a legal trial in the US over allegations of being biased against American workers. According to a Bloomberg report, TCS request to dismiss a 2015 lawsuit that accused it of violating anti-discrimination laws by favouring South Asian workers was rejected by a federal judge in California.

The federal judge expanded the case filed by American workers who lost their jobs at TCS offices in the US into a class-action suit, adding to the worries of the IT giant.

On Wednesday, the federal judge in Oakland, California, rejected a request from TCS to dismiss the 2015 lawsuit accusing it of violating anti-discrimination laws by favouring South Asians workers.

Interestingly, TCS hired 12,500 people in the US between 2011 and 2016, creating more, according to a study by The Cambridge Report.

The software major spent over $3 billion (Rs 19,360 crore) on employment, education and academic partnerships over the past three years in the US.

While the case predates President Donald Trumps election, its objective mirrors one of his campaign promises: To reduce the use of overseas workers in US.

A class action suit is a case wherein one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member of that group. In such a case, a representative sues a defendant or a number of defendants on behalf of the group, or class of parties. This differs from a traditional lawsuit, where one party sues another party for redress of a wrong, and all the parties are present in court.

Earlier, TCS bagged a $2.25-billion outsourcing contract from Nielsen, global data and measurement firm. The partnership, signed in October this year, is a renewal of

TCS existing collaboration with Nielsen. The two companies had struck a 10-year deal in 2008 for $1.2 billion, which was expanded to $2.5 billion in 2013.

Under the new deal, the terms of the agreement have been extended for an additional five years to expire on December 31, 2025, with three one-year renewal options granted to Nielsen.
Once per week, about 20 seniors from Gladstone gather at the Gladstone Fire Department to catch up on what happened during the week, exercise, make crafts, have lunch and participate in other activities.

Theyre great. They love to laugh and joke and have fun, and its just a good ol time with them. Its just interesting to listen to them and talk to them and have a good time with them, said Teresa Justus, who cooks lunch for the group every week.

Members of the group have been meeting at the Gladstone Fire Department since they were asked to vacate the former Gladstone YMCA building, located at 960 Gladstone Road, in September. CSX Railroad, the Jacksonville, Florida-based corporation that owns the building, asked the group to vacate due to plans to demolish the structure because of safety concerns.

The fire department has been real nice to us. They try to help us every way we know how. They were nice enough to let us use their building on Wednesdays, said Shirley Gunter, the president of the group.

Since September, Gunter, along with a few other members of the senior group, have been removing items from the former Gladstone YMCA building and storing them in a shed the group purchased, as well as donating items to the fire department.

Some of the items that still need to be removed from the YMCA building include everything thats in the office, craft supplies, clothes and a desk.

Theres a big desk in there we tried to get rid of, but its an old-fashioned metal desk. If you know anybody that wants one, call me. Itll go for cheap. Its been there ever since the flood of 85. It was a railroad desk, Gunter said.

With a goal of being completely vacated from the former YMCA building by Jan. 1, Gunter said she was at the building a few weeks ago giving items away and only asking for a donation in return.

We just told them come in, get what you want and drop a donation in the jar. We dont care what. Were just trying to get out of there. We have about two rooms that are clothes that we would love to give to anybody who wanted them, Gunter said.

As the first of the year approaches, Gunter said they most likely wont have everything removed from the building because of the cold temperatures, and she and other members are sick.

Were hoping and hoping to get everything moved, but I dont think itll happen in the next week or two because I have gotten sick, and I can only do so much at a time, Gunter said.

Although the fire department has been very generous to the group, Gunter said the facility has a few restrictions such as not being able to make their meals on site.

I like the Y[MCA] better because it was my kitchen, and I could cook what I wanted to when I wanted to, and [at the fire department], we have to pick up stuff and move it out every week, Justus said.

Gunter said they would like to find a location in the Gladstone area they can make their own.

We would love to have another place where we could put everything of ours in it and decorate it up like we had [at the YMCA building] and keep our stuff in there. We had senior pictures all over the walls in the meeting rooms and pictures of trains and all in the dining room, Gunter said.

Gunter said the group would pay for insurance on any building they would be able to use.

If anybody knows of somewhere in Nelson County thats available and close to Gladstone, let us know, Gunter said.
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Russell Martin Breeden of Rustburg, Va., departed this life on Sunday, December 24, 2017. He was born on May 8, 1924, in Lynchburg, Va., to the late Wesley and Nannie Bruffy Breeden. He was preceded in death by his stepmother, Ruth Breeden Scott; stepfather, John Scott; his two brothers, Wesley and Odell Breeden; his first wife of 51 years, Betty Turner Breeden; mother- and father-in-law, Anna and Ronald Turner; his daughter, Delores Breeden Wells; and his grandson, Kevin Boyd. He is survived by three children, Judy (Jim) Brower and Bonnie (Jerry) Boyd of Evington, and Rusty (Lucy) Breeden of Rustburg; his son-in-law, Charlie Wells of Murrells Inlet, S.C.; and several nieces and nephews. He is survived by 11 grandchildren, 17 great-children, and three great-great-grandchildren. He also leaves Nellie Bruffy Breeden, his wife of 18 years and her children, Sandra Witt, Carlton Bruffy, Melvin Bruffy (Angie), and Faye Brooks (Don); and Nellie's grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In his younger days he delivered papers and worked at the Pepsi Cola Company and Fort Hill Shoe Factory before joining the United States Navy where he served 25 years. His tours of duty in the Navy included three tours at NOB Norfolk, Va., one tour each at the Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Va., NAS Jacksonville, Fla., and Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Md. and two tours at Camp Lejune, N.C., in addition to tours on the USS Argonne AG31, USS Piedmont AD17, USS Shenandoah AD26, USS Independence, and his final tour aboard the USS America before retiring in April 1966. He also participated in the Korean War, World War II, and the Vietnam Conflict. After his retirement from the Navy he moved his family to Lynchburg and was self-employed in the dental business for many years. His military career gave him, Betty and their children the opportunity to do a lot of traveling throughout his twenty-five year career with the Navy. They kept in touch with many of their military friends and enjoyed the many get-togethers they shared. He enjoyed reading, watching and attending Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Lynchburg Hillcats games, visiting with friends, watching birds, and enjoying nature in general, as well as traveling with Nellie. Weather permitting he could be found most days sitting on his front porch enjoying the scenery. Russell was the type of person to help anyone in need. It was not unusual for him to laugh and tell on himself when he did something out of the ordinary and he enjoyed reminiscing about his Military days. He was a member of Marsh Memorial United Methodist Church and attended Hyland Heights Baptist Church. He was member of the Fleet Reserve Association and the Lynchburg American Legion Post 16. The family would like to thank the Lynchburg Health & Rehabilitation South Wing Staff and Al & Allison from Therapy Department for all of their special care that was given to Russell during his stay. A special thanks to Hollie Bruffy Arthur for checking in on her Papa throughout the day. The family appreciates all of the calls and visits during his illness. A funeral service will be conducted on Friday, December 29, 2017, at 1 p.m. in the Chapel of Tharp Funeral Home on Breezewood Drive with the Rev. Carl Weiser and Pastor Gene Steele officiating. Burial will follow in Spring Hill Cemetery with military honors by American Legion Post 36. The family will receive friends at Tharp Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 28, 2017, and other times at the home of Russell and Nellie. "A Veteran-whether active duty, retired, National Guard or Reserve- is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life". "That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it (Author Unknown) Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family. To send condolences please visit tharpfuneralhome.com.
The late, great Don Younger (founder of the Horse Brass Pub) used to encourage beer competition by saying that a rising tide raises all boats. If that's true, thae 2017 may be the year those boats began taking on water. In our annual report on breweries that closed in 2017, we count more than ten, almost twice as many as 2016 and with a few others still for sale or changing ownership. That said, we are being liberal with our count, as some like Lompoc Brewing's Hedge House did not brew on-site, and Amnesia Brewing is located in Washington (though it was founded in Portland). Still, it's clear that the craft beer boom is coming to an end, or at least a hurdle in the road as increased competition and slowing growth is making for a tumultuous time for some.Here is our annual reprt on the breweries and taprooms that closed, changed ownership, or are for sale in Oregon and SW Washington.

Portland U-Brew/Unicorn Brewing - SOLD

Homebrew shop and brew-on-premises place Portland U-Brew opened in May of 2011. The business also produces its own beers that are sold in-house and at local fests under the name Unicorn Brewing. Founder Jason Webb and his father have sold the successful operation in the Sellwood area of southeast Portland. The sale will allow Webb's father to retire and Jason to become the brewer at Underdog Kombucha in Estacada, OR. The new owner of Portland U-Brew/Unicorn Brewing is a Portland 5th grade teacher and homebrewer. He plans to remodel the outside of the building, improve the kitchen, stay open later hours, and add karaoke and trivia to the bar.

Drinking Horse Brewing - FOR SALE

Little-known Drinking Horse Brewing opened in 2014 in a non-descript business park in Clackamas with a 7bbl operation and industrial tasting room. The operation is run by three homebrewing friends and is distributed through LGM, but may have a cash flow problem. Recent postings on craigslist and probrewer traced back to Drinking Horse say the business has been moderately successful but needs a substantial investment to keep growing. In a later post on probrewer, the owners are offering to sell the whole brewery as a turnkey operation, but will retain the name Drinking Horse Brewing Company and their cooperage. We reached out to Drinking Horse co-owner Emerson Lenon for confirmation, but he declined to comment, neither confirming or denying our conclusions. Interestingly, the classified listing on probrewer has since been deleted.

Ross Island Brewing - CLOSING/FOR SALE

This Portland brewery has sadly only made it through about a year in business due to astronomical build-out costs and a much delayed opening due to city permitting that erased its operating capital. Factor that into a space with no foot traffic and bad parking options and it was in trouble from the beginning. That's not to say that owner and experienced brewer Carston Haney has not been making good beer; from tasty rye ales to cask beer and old school IPAs, the lineup is solid across the board, but perhaps not the trendy buzz-worthy styles that beer geeks are lining up for. Ross Island Brewing is basically now closed but is entertaining offers for new investors or an outright sale. Hit them up if you are interested!

The Commons Brewery - CLOSED

The most high profile closure of the year was of Portland's beloved The Commons Brewery. Luckily founder Mike Wright may find a new lease on life for his farmhouse brewery, though the details have not been worked out. One thing is for sure, though--the brewery and tasting room on SE Belmont is closed and has been leased to San Diego's Modern Times Beer, which will reopen the space as its own in 2018. More info and the full story on the closure and what Modern Times is planning is here.

Amnesia Brewing - CLOSED

Predicted in last year's annual story on brewery closures, Amnesia Brewing tried unsuccessfully to sell its operation for over a year. Originally founded in Portland on N. Mississippi Avenue where Stormbreaker Brewing now sits, the brewery made an ill-fated move to Washougal, Washington, where its distribution business dropped out and the taproom was not as busy. The pub and brewery are now closed, possibly with a new brewery taking their place.

Tugboat Brewing - CLOSED

Equally beloved and reviled, Tugboat Brewing was a Portland institution since 1989, and was often referred to as Downtown Portland's oldest brewery. The tiny bar in the alleyway across from Baileys Taproom made beers on a small 4 barrel homebrew type setup using plastic buckets. The beer was sometimes OK and sometimes piss poor, but most went there for the ambiance. It was the type of dimly lit and dusty space in which to quietly read a book, chat with the bartender, and smoke a pipe (before that was banned). Sadly, the owners and staff actually looked down upon beer geeks, refusing to participate in any beer events or festivals and bemoaning the beer geeks they referred to as "beer sniffers" who lined up next door at Bailey's Taproom. Earlier in 2017 the ghetto apartments above them had a fire that briefly shut down the brewery and eventually lead to its final closure, partially possibly because the ownership was tired of moving kegs. I only ever went in there a handful of times, but I will miss knowing that it was there.

BTU Brasserie - CLOSED

Extensively covered by The New School and local media, BTU Brasserie offered a refreshing concept in Portland, a combination Chinese restaurant and brewery in one pub. Unfortunately, the two elements never fully meshed and the beer was hit and miss. The food was good and vegans loved it, but the atmosphere was not great and the place quickly fell off the radar. I wrote a full autopsy on BTU here while covering Second Profession Brewing that took over the space.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Pub/Gasthaus - CLOSED/REIMAGINED

Though the companyy insists it never closed, the Widmer Brothers Brewing empire did shutter its restaurant and brewpub this year to reopen it as a new concept for pilot beers showcase. The restaurant/kitchen part is closed for a remodel and the staff was laid off, with some able to re-apply for gigs at the reimagined innovation brewery tasting room. The full-service brewpub aspect is gone but you can now visit a smaller more tasting room type space for beers and snacks. Just don't plan to eat any meals there.

Bazi Bierbrasserie - CLOSING/SOLD

The European-inspired bier bar Bazi Bierbrasserie has been a local Portland favorite for Belgian brews, Timbers and Thorns matches, street parties, and killer events like Cherry Festivus, but owner Hilda Stevens recently sold to Asheville, NC-based Thirsty Monk. While Bazi is not a brewery, it will become one when Thirsty Monk installs a brewhouse to complement its international beer selection. Paperwork is processing and Hilda will remain on staff for a limited time in the new year to oversee the transition to the new ownership, though it's unknown when the pub will undergo a rebranding and presumably close for a refresh. At least we will still have a Belgian beer bar in Bazi's place, even if it's own by someone from Portland's arch-nemesis beer city, Asheville.

Fat Head's Brewing Portland - CLOSING

Though it has been successful, Cleveland, Ohio-based Fat Head's Brewing is closing its northwest Portland location due to a licensing agreement ending with the Portland pub's owner, Tom Cook. Cook had opened the Portland location with a licensing franchise agreement but will now break the operation off as its own operation unattached to Fat Head's. So the brewpub will stay open, but with new branding, new beers, and a new menu, with some similar items to the established hits. The new operation is Von Ebert Brewing and it will replace Fat Head's when it closes sometime in the first quarter of 2018.

Lompoc Brewing Hedge House - CLOSED

One of the oldest brewpubs in Lompoc Brewing's small local empire was also my favorite. The Hedge House was located in a 1912 Craftsman bungalow-style house on southeast Division St. in Portland and had a lot of charm and some solid food and brews, though they did not actually brew there. I used to walk over there for $2.50 pints on Tuesdays and nachos on the front porch. It was a great spot to bring a dog onto the patio or let kids play on the front lawn. Blame it on rising rents, slower beer sales, and more of that lowering tide sinking all ships. The Hedge House closed at the end of December and our full story on that is here. It will be missed.

Swing Tree Brewing - CLOSED

Ashland, Oregon, is a great town that does not have enough breweries. Sadly, the nano-brewery and taphouse Swing Tree Brewing ceased operations earlier this year. The brewery had four year-round beers and a family friendly taproom with local distribution. On its website Swing Tree touted planned growth in 2017, with an expansion and remodel, but the company facebook page announced in February that it was closing. Swing Tree never reported why it was closing, but claimed to be successful and with a supportive community and enough popularity that it could not keep up with demand. So it's anyone's guess why this well-liked small brewery threw in the towel earlier this year.

Plough Monday Organic Brewing and Hops Farm - CLOSED

This was a pretty cool brewery out in the sticks of Veneta, Oregon. One of the things that made it unique was the operation was on a hop farm and it specialized in Organic beers and organic hops. Veneta is a small rural town outside of Eugene with very little traffic, and I would imagine it would have had trouble getting visitors even if the planned taproom had gotten open. Not to mention were the realities of self-distributing beer across the state and trouble sourcing and growing organic hops without pesticides or much money. One of the owners, Charlie Whedbee, was a veteran of the beer bar industry. He managed Uber Tavern in Seattle and had stints at Lompoc Brewing and Brouwers Cafe. Charlie moved with his wife onto the Plough Monday farm in 2006. I didn't see a lot of the beers around, but when I had a chance to try them they were pretty good. Check out our full article about Plough Monday when it opened in 2013.

Juniper Brewing - CLOSED

This three-year-old, two barrel nano brewery and taproom in Redmond outside of Bend announced it was closing last June. The brewery was covered on The New School when it opened in our Rural Brewer series. Like many nano brewers, the owners found they had to maintain regular jobs and the demands of running a small brewery without any scale proved too much to bear. In an article in the Bend Bulletin, co-owner Curtis Endicott said, Theres not enough time or money...We couldnt quite get free from our day jobs to make this a full-time priority. I never had a chance to try it out, but it definitely had some local fans.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has ruled out legislation against arbitrary price increases and instead directed Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development Minister Dr Mike Bimha to bring together stakeholders and take corrective measures.



In a brief interview after the swearing-in of Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi at State House in Harare yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the spirit of profiteering should stop to ensure economic development.



We are very concerned as Government about the general prices on the market. I had a meeting yesterday with the Minister of Industry (Commerce and Enterprise Development) Dr Bimha (and directed him) to call the manufacturers, sellers and retailers and discuss with them. We dont think it is good to go for legislation; we need to come to an understanding and have the people in these categories appreciate where we are coming from and where we want to go, President Mnangagwa said.





The President went on: They must have a human face. They mustnt be profiteering because in some cases we find the same article is sold at this price in this shop, different from that shop. Why should the difference be 15-20 percent on one item? We have to interrogate those issues.





Prices of basic goods have been spiralling since late September 2017 when social media speculated on commodity shortages ahead of the festive season, but that never happened.

This is the second time in as many weeks that President Mnangagwa has condemned price hikes. Addressing delegates attending the 6th Buy Zimbabwe Annual Awards in Harare last week, President Mnangagwa said the practice was counter-economic and could not be allowed to continue.





He said business should complement Government efforts to revive the economy by refraining from counter-productive measures like selling cash and use of a multi-tier pricing system.





We need to examine our modus operandi as captains of industry and commerce if we are ever going to move forward. There are some dealers, suppliers and business owners who are in the habit of increasing prices willy-nilly without proper justification. Let me hasten to say my Government says no to such counter-economic practices, President Mnangagwa said.

A survey report by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe ahead of the Christmas holiday showed that the cost of some items had gone down in major supermarkets.





CCZ executive director Ms Rosemary Siyachitema said: We did a survey on major supermarkets (last week) and we have noticed that basic commodities prices in some supermarkets have decreased. Some goods have decreased by $1 compared to other shops, so we advise consumers to shop around. The basic goods whose prices have slightly decreased include cooking oil, sugar, mealie-meal and poultry products.





Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president Mr Denford Mutashu said prices would continue to decline following the National Competitiveness Commissions intervention.





He said: We expect the prices to go down further after Christmas. We have been engaging various stakeholders across the value chain, and have roped in the National Competitiveness Commission with a view to bringing down prices.





We have also been engaging beef producers over the past week so that they reduce beef prices. Some of them have been taking advantage of avian flu which was affecting poultry products to increase prices of beef, which was now on demand. Beef producers were putting exorbitant mark-ups. So, we have been engaging them to reduce prices. In addition, we have also engaged Government on the issue; we are working on the matter. Herald
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She was a middle-aged woman working at a Nestle plant in Kentucky when she was arrested in 2011, but Azra Basic had a much darker past. On Wednesday, a war crimes court in Sarajevo sentenced the 58-year-old to 14 years in prison for torturing and killing civilians during the Balkan war of the 1990s, reports the BBC. During that conflict, Basic had the nickname of "mistress of life and death" as she oversaw the treatment of Serbs detained by Bosnian-Croat forces. The details are grisly. Prosecutors say Basic forced prisoners to crawl over broken glass, killed one detainee by stabbing him in the neck, carved crosses into prisoners' foreheads, forced one man to drink gasoline before setting his hands and face on fire, and more.

Basic left for the US in 1994, settled in Kentucky under an alias, and became a naturalized US citizen in 2007, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader. She was arrested four years later by US federal marshals and eventually lost a legal battle to avoid extradition to Bosnia-Herzegovina for trial. Her 14-year sentence is the longest given to a woman for atrocities during the Balkan war. The court convicted her of "killing and inhumane treatment, infliction of great pain and violation of bodily integrity and health" of imprisoned civilians, per the AP. (Read more war crimes stories.)
China may be officially adhering to tough new sanctions against North Korea, but it appears that some Chinese ship captains aren't so willing. The Chosun Ilbo, a prominent South Korean newspaper, reports that US reconnaissance satellites have captured images of Chinese vessels transferring oil to North Korean vessels at sea. And it's no one-off: The report says such transfers have happened 30 times since October. The Financial Times reports that diplomats have confirmed the allegations. The transfers would be in violation of a Security Council resolution passed in September prohibiting ship-to-ship transfers of oil and other goods to North Korea. The big question, however, is whether the central government in Beijing knows about the deals and is turning a blind eye.

If so, that could have consequences, according to Bill Bishop of Axios: "If the Trump Administration views Beijing as not faithfully implementing what it agreed to then new sanctions against more Chinese individuals and firms, including a major oil company and a large financial institution, are increasingly likely." The transfers appear to have picked up after the Security Council imposed tough new limits on the amount of oil North Korea can import. An analyst tells the Financial Times that it's likely government officials on the local level are aware of what's going on, but his guess is that "the central government wouldn't know." (Read more China stories.)
A Michigan man who was critically injured when a sandbag crashed through a car windshield has died from his injuriesand now the four Ohio teens accused of throwing that sandbag could end up in prison for a long time. Authorities in Toledo have charged the four youths, ages 13 to 15, with murder, reports ABC News. Police say they deliberately tossed the bag from a highway overpass onto I-75 below, killing 22-year-old Marquise Byrd, who was a passenger in the car that got struck on Dec. 19.

Byrd, the father of a 1-year-old son who was traveling to Toledo to meet friends, suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. A cousin tells the Toledo Blade that the family has a request. I would appreciate if [the boys' parents] could at least call my auntie and tell her they're sorry, says Shaveontae King. (Read more murder charges stories.)
In what a Utah boy's father calls a "Christmas miracle," the 8-year-old is "awake and coherent" after spending up to 30 minutes submerged in an icy pond on Christmas Day. The Washington County Sheriff's Office says the boy, identified only as Jason, is "doing very well" after a dramatic rescue, NBC News reports. The boy, who fell through ice 25 feet from shore while chasing his dog, was rescued by a sheriff's deputy who removed his police gear and entered the pond instead of waiting for a dive team. In a statement, the boy's family thanked the public for the "prayers and thoughtful messages they have received during this difficult time." After the rescue in New Harmony, Jason was airlifted to a hospital.

"The father said Jason's situation has been an example to their family that 'God hears and answers prayers,'" the sheriff's office said, per Deseret News. The office said Jason has been responding to questions from family members and hospital staff. Sgt. Aaron Thompson, the officer who pulled the boy from the pond, says he "just made the decision" to go in the water. He was treated for cuts and hypothermia. Sheriff Cory Pulsipher tells the Spectrum that Thompson is a hero. "A lot of people would probably like to think they would have dived in too, but how many actually would have?" the sheriff says. "He hates having the spotlight on him, but he's a hero." (Read more rescue stories.)
It's going to be a happy new year for Rangeela and Sridevi: A wildlife group says it has rescued the sloth bears from owners in Nepal who forced them to dance to entertain crowds, National Geographic reports. The bears were swiped from the wild at a young age and their owners "had pierced their noses with a burning hot rod and shoved a rope through it so he could control them," World Animal Protection says. The group says the bears are believed to have been the last two dancing bears in Nepal, which officially banned the practice 40 years ago. Police confiscated the bears after the owners were tracked down in a remote village. The animals are now at a national park in Nepal and will be given a permanent home at a wildlife sanctuary next year.

The rescued sloth bears, 15 and 17 years old, showed signs of trauma including cowering and paw-sucking, wildlife officials say. Mary Hutton, founder of the Free the Bears group, tells the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that dancing bears are generally kept in "appalling" conditions, often by owners who can't afford to feed them more than a few pieces of bread a day. The group says it has helped end the practice in several other countries, including India, where more than 600 bears were freed during a 15-year campaign. Wildlife protection groups say a major part of the effort is finding new employment for the owners of dancing bears, which is why two of the owners in Nepal were given temporary jobs helping to look after the animals instead of being charged or fined. (Read more animal cruelty stories.)
Nestle extracted roughly 32 million gallons of water from Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest in 2016 and sold it as Arrowhead bottled water. An investigation has determined the company's permits only allow it to take about 8.5 million gallons per year. The AP reports the news is being hailed by opponents to Nestle's actionand by Nestle. The company reportedly described itself as pleased that the State Water Resources Control Board's report confirms it has the right to access "a significant amount" of water. "We will continue to operate lawfully according to these existing rights and will comply fully with California law," Nestle said in a statement.

The longer view isn't quite as favorable sounding: NPR reports that between 1947 and 2015, Nestle extracted an average 62.6 million gallons annually, with the rights unchanged at 8.5 million. Nestle told the state its claim to the water dates to an 1865 claim held by the owner of the Arrowhead Springs Hotel; the board found that claim was limited to "riparian"meaning at the water's originuse "and is not valid for Nestles current appropriative diversion and use of water" from the forest. The company was notified of the findingsthe result of an investigation begun in 2016 and borne from complaints spurred by the state's droughton Dec. 20. A letter accompanying the findings recommended that Nestle immediately halt unauthorized distributions and outlined steps it recommends the company take over the next 18 months. (Read more Nestle stories.)
Vanity Fair's new editor-in-chief has kicked off her tenure with a scandal. The magazine issued an apology Wednesday, four days after a video mocking Hillary Clinton drew outrage on social media, per Deadline. In it, six editors suggest New Year's resolutions for the 2016 presidential candidate while holding glasses of champagne. They suggest Clinton teach a class on alternate-nostril breathing and "take more photos in the woods." But they also say she should abandon her "James Comey voodoo doll," and take up knitting or "literally anything that will keep you from running again," despite the fact that Clinton has stated she is done running for president. "Get someone on your tech staff to disable autofill on your iPhone so that typing in 'F' doesn't become 'Form Exploratory Committee for 2020,'" an editor quips.

Though Fox News sees the video as "light-hearted and in good fun," Erik Wemple's interpretation of it as "snarky and demeaning" is more in line with social media users, who were quick to point out the sexist, ageist air, per the Washington Post. "Hey STOP TELLING WOMEN WHAT THE F--- THEY SHOULD DO OR CAN DO," tweeted Patricia Arquette. One Clinton adviser even used the hashtag #CancelVanityFair, while another burned his copy of the magazine. An editor included in the video initially defended it, noting "this wasn't a Hillary hit piece" and similar videos were made for other politicians, including President Trump, per the Huffington Post. By Wednesday, however, the magazine was trying to quash the backlash. The video "was an attempt at humor and we regret that it missed the mark," a spokesperson said. (Read more Hillary Clinton stories.)
Authorities say an attack on a Shiite Muslim cultural center in the Afghan capital has left at least 35 people dead and 20 wounded. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish says an unknown number of suicide attackers set off an explosion outside the Kabul center before storming it, the AP reports. They then set off explosive devices in the basement of the building, where scores of people had gathered to mark the December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union, the spokesman says.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani called the attack a "crime against humanity." In a statement released by the presidential palace, Ghani says: "The (terrorists) have killed our people. The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places and now our cultural center." He says the attacks are against Islam and "all human values." No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan has claimed several brutal attacks on Shiites in recent months in Kabul.

(Read more Afghanistan stories.)
Just after 3am on Christmas Day, police in Little Rock, Ark., found Jamie Shipp soaking wet and freezing coldand telling an incredible tale. The 42-year-old says she witnessed a double shooting in Lonoke County, was kidnapped by the perpetrators, and thrown off a bridge on I-430 on the 32-degree night and into the Arkansas River, report KARK and Arkansas Online. Shipp told police she had to swim to the river's shore and provided one of the names of the men allegedly involved: Richard Gilliam.

The 33-year-old was arrested that same day and charged with capital murder and kidnapping, among other crimes. Lonoke County deputies found two people shot in a home in Scott; 49-year-old Arlin Nugent died of his injuries. NBC News reports Deymon Webb, 28, a second suspect in the crime, turned himself in Wednesday night. Shipp was treated at an area hospital; the second shooting victim reportedly suffered serious injuries. (Read more witness stories.)
The biggest nuclear power plant in the world sits idle, as it has for nearly seven years. But that state is set to change, and not without public trepidation. The Guardian reports that Japan's nuclear watchdog this week gave Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) the green light to restart two of the seven reactors at Kashiwazaki-kariwa, which fell victim to the country's nuclear power moratorium in the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. That calamity occurred on TEPCO's watch, and the utility says the money it will generate from Kashiwazaki-kariwa's power is key to funding its continuing decommissioning efforts at Fukushima. It has poured more than $6 billion into Kashiwazaki-kariwa in an effort to make it immune to the series of disasters that befell Fukushima.

A 50-foot seawall provides tsunami protection, for instance, and 22,000 tons of water sit in a nearby reservoir, ready for the taking if reactors need sudden cooling. But locals aren't convincedthe Japan Times reports some people shouted at the meeting where the restart approval was grantedand that matters: Though the restarts are penciled in to occur in spring 2019, the AFP reports local authorities need to give their OK, and that process could take years. The plant is located in Niigata prefecture, and locals there cite the active seismic faults in the area as a major concern; the Guardian notes "evidence that the ground on which Tepco's seawall stands is prone to liquefaction in the event of a major earthquake." A second is the fear that should an evacuation be necessary, it would be much less successful than that of Fukushima due to the bigger population. (Read more Fukushima Dai-ichi stories.)
Friends and relatives of an American man paralyzed after falling from a roof in Indonesia have this explanation: A monkey stole his favorite hat. Jeff "Swede" Swedenhjelm had taken shelter from rain under a pavilion in Bali on Dec. 18 when he encountered several monkeys, one of which plucked a Pittsburgh Steelers hat from his head, reports People. "If you know him, he ain't just gonna give that thing up," says a friend, adding the 40-year-old Bali resident later admitted to climbing to the top of a three-story pavilion in the hope of getting it back. "He was trying to get the monkey to just drop it and run away," the friend says. "That's the last memory he had." Swedenhjelm, who fell 33 feet from the roof, awoke from a medically-induced coma to find he was paralyzed from the chest down.

He's since been taken to a hospital in Malaysia where doctors hope he'll make a full recovery. He's undergone several surgeries to repair damage to his spinal cord and was able to sit up Thursday for the first time since the fall, according to a GoFundMe page. "He's been very strong and very optimistic so we're feeling really good that he'll be able to walk again if he just gets the rehab that he needs," his daughter, Lyric, tells People. "He really understands that the way that he got into this mess is honestly pretty silly" and "he really just says that he's gonna be back on his feet soon." She tells the Northwest Florida Daily News that her fatherwho moved to Bali from Destin, Fla., several years agohas no medical insurance and no money. Nearly $80,000 has been raised for his recovery. (Scientists got paralyzed monkeys to walk again.)
Police say a hunter's trip home hit a snag in Las Vegas after security screeners found a dead cougar in his luggage. No crime was committed because the man had a hunting tag, reports the AP. But police Lt. David Gordon told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that TSA agents held the man at McCarran International Airport late Tuesday to confirm the validity of the Utah hunting tag. His name and where he was headed weren't released. An airport spokeswoman says the man ended up shipping the cougar carcass home, not on the airplane. Gordon says it's not a crime to transport legally possessed game on an airline flight. But he says airlines can refuse to transport certain items. (Read more strange stuff stories.)
It's being called "the most historically significant automobile ever offered for public sale": the 1939 "Super Mercedes" once occupied by a standing Adolf Hitler. The AFP reports just four of the Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser models were built, and the one being put up for sale in Arizona on Jan. 17 famously carried Hitler through Berlin as the country celebrated its victory over France. In its listing, Worldwide Auctioneers asks that the car be cut some slack: "It did not choose its user or its use. ... If the original Hitlerian provenance of this Mercedes can be set aside, if only momentarily, surviving examples of the Mercedes-Benz 770 'Grosser' ... remain quite likely the worlds greatest achievement in terms of automotive design, engineering, and construction." The car could fetch up to $14 million.

As far as its engineering goes, it boasted a 7.7-litre supercharged engine that could push the car to speeds in excess of 100mph; design-wise, there were "built-in security measures" that included bullet-resistant glass and protective armor plating. Deutsche Welle reports the car was known to be used by Hitler from 1939 to 1941, but was subsequently sent for repairs and the paper trail temporarily ends. It was used by American military police in France, then sent to the US, where it entered the possession of a Veterans of Foreign Wars branch and was featured in military parades. "Rediscovered" in 1976, it was restored, displayed at the Chicago Historical Antique Automobile Museum, sold to the owner of a Vegas casino, and finally sold to a European collector in 2004 and then a Russian in 2009. (Did one snub of Hitler change history?)
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New Delhi:

India on Thursday tore into Pakistan for presenting the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav as "widows" during their highly controlled meeting, and accused Islamabad of turning an emotional moment into "an instrument to further its propaganda."

In identical statements in both houses of Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said there was "serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Jadhav", who is on death row in Pakistan for alleged spying.

She pointed out that Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna were forced to remove their mangalsutra, bindi and bangles and footwear, and even made to change their attire on the pretext of security.

"Both married women were presented as widows in front of a son and husband. There can be no greater insult than this," said Swaraj as other members chorused "shame, shame."

"There are not enough words to condemn the same," she said.

Jadhav's mother and wife met him on Monday inside the Pakistan Foreign Office building in Islamabad under unusual circumstances -- he was separated from the two women by a glass screen, and they conversed through an intercom. Avanti was not allowed to speak in their native Marathi language. Chetna's footwear was confiscated. Jadhav's words appeared tutored and the atmosphere was intimidating.

Swaraj said Pakistani authorities are now talking of chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes. This is "absurdity beyond measure," she said, pointing out that the two women had cleared security at airports in India, Dubai and Pakistan when nothing suspicious was detected.

Also read: Jadhav-family meet: Pak restrictions 'inhuman', says VP Naidu



After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhav's wife despite repeated requests.

"The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday," she said.

"This meeting could have been a step towards moving forward. But,it is a matter of great disappointment, that the meeting took place flouting all the understandings both countries had agreed to," she said.

Following the statement, members cutting across all party lines in both Houses voiced full-throated supported for the government.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congresssaid the misbehaviour with Jadhav's wife and mother was "misbehaviour with wives and mothers of 130 crore Indians."

"We will not tolerate insults to the wives and mothers and to the country's dignity," Azad said, adding the government should ensure that Pakistan ensures Jadhav's saftey in custody.

Pakistan says Jadhav, an ex-Indian Navy officer, was arrested in Balochistan in March with a fake passport, a charge denied by India, which says he was kidnapped from Iran where he has legitimate business.

The 47-year-old Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, but the execution has been stayed by the International Court of Justice following India's efforts.

Swaraj said Jadhav's mother and wife were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the accompanying Deputy High Commissioner of India.

Before they could see Jadhav, a security official told the two women to remove their mangalsutra and bindi, the Hindu symbols of matrimony.

Swaraj said that Avanti told her this morning in a choked voice that she had protested against the removal of the mangalsutra but her plea was turned down by the security official.

Swaraj said that as soon as Jadhav saw his mother without the mangalsutra and bindi, he asked "baba kaisey hain" or "how is dad," because he might have feared that "something bad has happened" back home.

"The meeting of Kulbhushan Jadav with his mother and wife was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture. However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds," she said.

Also read: Pakistan sends shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife for forensic testing



"I am fully confident that this entire House and through the House, the people of India, strongly condemn, in one voice, the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family."

Most of the BJP members in Lok Sabha responded with shouts of "Pakistan murdabad."

Swaraj said while the imminent threat to Jadhav's life has been averted, "we are now engaged in seeking a permanent relief, based on stronger arguments, through the legal avenue offered by the International Court of Justice," she said.

She said the mother and wife, on their return from Islambad, had conveyed to her that Jadhav appeared "under considerable stress and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion."

"As the meeting progressed, it was clear to them that his (Jadhav's) remarks were tutored by his captors and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities. His appearance also raised questions of his health and well-being," she said.

Before the statement, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the sensitive matter was before the ICJ and urged the MPs should exercise restrain in making statements keeping the welfare of Jadhav in mind.

Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Derek O'Brien (TMC), Harivansh (JD-U), Dilip Tirkey (BJD), Tapan Kumar Sen (CPM), T Devendra Goud (TDP), Veer Singh (BSP), Thiruchi Siva (DMK), D Raja (CPI), Sukhdev Singh Dindsa (Akali Dal), Abdul Wahab (IML), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) and Ram Das Athavale (RPI) supported the government in the matter.

Naidu said the entire House joins together to appreciate the efforts of the government and asks it to take steps to ensure safe and secure release of Jadhav.

He also wanted the government to convey to the international coummunity that Pakistan behaved in an inhuman manner.

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New Delhi:

India on Thursday slammed Pakistan for making absurd charges of a chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the footwear of the wife of Indian death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav and said Islambad has frittered away an opportunity to move forward in ties by turning his meeting with his family as a propaganda tool.

In identical statements in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India has conveyed its objections to Pakistan in a note verbale on Wednesdy over the way it had conducted Jadhavs meeting with his mother and wife in Islamabad earlier this week.

This meeting could have been a step towards moving forward. But, it is a matter of great disappointment, that the meeting took place flouting all the understandings both countries had agreed to, she said. Making a stinging attack on Pakistan, she said an emotional meeting of a mother with his son and of a wife with her husband after 22 months has been used by Pakistan as a tool of propaganda.

Following the statement, the members of all parties in the Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha supported the government on the issue.

Swaraj said Jadhavs mother and wife were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the accompanying Deputy High Comissioner of India, stripped of their bindi, bangles and mangalsutra, made to change into different clothes and wear slippers by discarding their shoes.

If he had seen them (without bindi, bangles and mangalsutra), he would have protested and would never have allowed them to go to the meeting that way. In his absence, the meeting was started, Swaraj said.

She emphasised that both the wife and the mother were asked to remove their bindis and jewellery, which had led Jadhav to ask about the welfare of his father as soon as they sat down for the meeting. Normally, a Hindu woman does not wear the mangalsutra and bindi or vermillion after the death of her husband.

She said removal of the mangalsutra was a height of disrespect as Jadhavs mother had told the Pakistani officials that it was symbol of marriage, but they did not relent.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhavs wife despite repeated requests. Swaraj said not returning the shoes has given rise to suspicion that Pakistan was up to some mischief.

The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday, she said.

Now, Pakistani authorities are talking of chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes, she said. The charge is absurdity beyond measure, she said, adding that the two women had cleared security at airports in Delhi and Dubai and in Pakistan and no such device was detected during these thorough airport security checks there.

The meeting of Kulbhushan Jadav with his mother and wife was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture. However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, the External Affairs Minister said.

She said there was serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Jadhav and an intimidating atmosphere was created for them during this meeting.

There are not enough words to condemn the same, she said. I am fully confident that this entire House and through the House, the people of India, strongly condemns, in one voice, the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family.

The Minister said the government had approached theInternational Court of Justice and obtained provisional measures staying the execution of the death sentence that was passed on Jadhav through a farcical Pakistani military court process.

While the imminent threat to Jadhavs safety was averted as a result, we are now engaged in seeking a permanent relief, based on stronger arguments, through the legal avenue offered by the International Court of Justice, she said.

She said the mother and wife, on their return from Islambad, had conveyed to her that Jadhav appeared under considerable stress and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion.

As the meeting progressed, it was clear to them that his (Jadhavs) remarks were tutored by his captors and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities. His appearance also raised questions of his health and well- being, she said.

Before the statement, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the matter was sensitive and was before the International Court of Justice and urged the MPs should exercise restrain in making statements keeping the welfare of Jadhav in mind.

Members cutting across party lines supported the government on the issue with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the misbehaviour with Jadhavs wife and mother was misbehaviour with wives and mothers of 130 crore Indians.

We will not tolerate insults to the wives and mothers and to the countrys dignity, Azad said, adding the government should ensure that Pakistan ensures Jadhavs saftey in custody.

Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Derek OBrien (TMC), Harivansh (JD-U), Dilip Tirkey (BJD), Tapan Kumar Sen (CPM), T Devendra Goud (TDP), Veer Singh (BSP), Thiruchi Siva (DMK), D Raja (CPI), Sukhdev Singh Dindsa (Akali Dal), Abdul Wahab (IML), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) and Ram Das Athavale (RPI) supported the government in the matter.

Naidu said the entire House joins together to appreciate the efforts of the government and asks it to take steps to ensure safe and secure release of Jadhav.

He also wanted the government to convey to the international coummunity that Pakistan behaved in an inhuman manner.

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New Delhi:

A special CBI court on Thursday granted bail to senior journalist Vinod Verma, who was arrested on October 27 for allegedly circulating a sex CD of Chhattisgarh PWD Minister Rajesh Munat.

The news was also confirmed by Vermas lawyer Faisal Rizvi, who said the CBI court granted bail after taking cognizance of the fact that police could not file challan within the stipulated time period.

Following journalist Verma's arrest on October 27 from his Ghaziabad residence by the Chhattisgarh Police, he was sent to judicial custody on October 31 for 14 days. Later, his judicial remand was extended till December 11.

Also Read | Journalist Vinod Verma arrest: Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Munat calls CD claims fake

According to the Raipur police, a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station based on a complaint by a BJP leader Prakash Bajaj who said he was being harassed over the phone by an unidentified caller who told him that he had a CD of his aka (master).

After investigation, a search team was sent to Delhi and Verma was held from Ghaziabad in this connection, the police had said and also claimed to have recovered 500 sex CDs, a pen drive and a laptop from him.

The Chhattisgarh government had recommended a CBI probe.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

A bill making triple talaq or instant divorce a criminal offence for Muslim men passed in Lok Sabha on Thursday with voice vote.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill will ensure gender equality and protect the dignity of Muslim women, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The practice of Triple Talaq is very common in Muslims where a husband can give instant divorce to his wife by saying "talaq" (divorce) three times in any form - spoken, written or electronic.

In August, The Supreme Court had declared Triple Talaq unconstitutional and directed the government to enact a law on the issue.

Also Read | Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq Bill: Here's timeline of events

Here is all you need to know about the Triple Talaq bill

# The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill makes "any pronouncement of Talaq" by a person in any form  written, spoken or electronic  void and illegal.

# If any Muslim man gives divorce to his wife by pronouncing Talaq (divorce) three time, he shall be sentenced to jail up to three years and a fine shall also be imposed uopon him.

# The proposed law will make Triple Talaq a cognisable offence and a woman will not need to approach court. The police can straightaway arrest the man.

# The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill makes Triple Talaq a non-bailable offence and only court can release the man on bail.

# Under the proposed law, women who are divorced will be entitled to the custody of her children as well as subsistence allowance from husband. The amount of allowance will be decided by the magistrate keeping in mind the income of husband.

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New Delhi:

The Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with an objective to criminalise instant divorce among Muslims. The Triple talaq bill has met strong opposition from other parties, including Congress, Left and BJD, and various Muslim organisations expressing reservations over the proposed jail term for violators.

The draft bill says, "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".

The bill proposes to make the triple talaq practice a punishable offence and describes it against constitutional morality and gender equity.

Anyone who pronounces instant divorce "shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and a fine", the bill proposes.

Here are the live updates -

# This law is for women's rights & justice & not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha

# BJD opposes triple talaq bill, the Biju Janata Dal said that the bill has fundamental flaws in it

# This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill :BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab in Lok Sabha

# This bill violates fundamental rights & lacks legal coherence: Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha

# Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha. The Shiv Sena extended its support to the govt on the bill.

# PM appeals for consensus on triple talaq bill

# Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM President has given a notice to oppose the introduction of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill) 2017 in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill

# I don't think we can support it because they didn't made us understand how this criminality of Triple Talaq will benefit women. If someone is lodged in prison as a punishment for saying Triple Talaq, who will take care of his family: Salman Khurshid, Congress on #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/C6OgzzGH07

# PM appealed for unanimous passage of the Bill as it aims to give gender justice, protection & respect: Ananth Kumar after BJP Parliamentary meeting

# Agra: We are really happy that the procedure started by Modi Ji & Yogi Ji for Muslim women is going to succeed. This day will be more significant in Muslim women's life than Eid or Bakrid: Faiza Khan, victim on #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/vbbY6WmHaM

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 28, 2017

# Lucknow: People like us who have been divorced & those who are threatened with divorce would be benefited from this law. If a law is formed for Triple Talaq just like there is a law for domestic violence, we will get some relief: Huma Khayanat, victim on #TripleTalaqBill

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 28, 2017

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New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the contentious bill making instant divorce illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, a development hailed by the government as ahistorica.

The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.

MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or atalaq-e-biddata. It gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking asubsistence allowancea for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any forma spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsAppawould be illegal and void.

Here are the live updates from the parliament:

#A Women in Varanasi celebrate after Triple Talaq Bill was passed in Lok Sabha

Women in Varanasi celebrate after #TripleTalaqBill was passed in Lok Sabha pic.twitter.com/uHl7E3TwUy a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 28, 2017

#A SC banned Triple Talaq because it believed that a couple should get time for reconciliation.With this bill,offence will be now a non-bailable offence,there'll be no chance of reconciliation.I mvd an amendment over compensation for Muslim women frm govt, it was negated: S Dev, Cong

SC banned #TripleTalaq because it believed that a couple should get time for reconciliation.With this bill,offence will be now a non-bailable offence,there'll be no chance of reconciliation.I mvd an amendment over compensation for Muslim women frm govt,it was negated: S Dev, Cong pic.twitter.com/rTt3qJJusF a ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

#A Its a historic day, we are confident that it will be passed in Rajya Sabha as well: Home Minister Rajnath Singh

Its a historic day, we are confident that it will be passed in Rajya Sabha as well: Home Minister Rajnath Singh #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/4Br0yBDpIO a ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

#A The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill passed by Lok Sabha by voice vote.

#A This is a victory for Muslim women. They have fought for this for long. This will act as a deterrence: Noorjahan, Triple Talaq victim on Triple Talaq bill passed in Lok Sabha

This is a victory for Muslim women. They have fought for this for long. This will act as a deterrence: Noorjahan, #TripleTalaq victim on Triple Talaq bill passed in Lok Sabha #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/IduD6ZQTGh a ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

#A The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.

# The bill is likely to sail through the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks majority, given the Congressas stated support to the legislation.

# Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq Bill by voice vote making instant divorce illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband.

#A Amendments moved by Asaduddin Owaisi,A BJDas Bhartruhari Mahtab,A Congressas Sushmita Dev and CPIMas A Sampath negated.A

#A Voting over amendments in Triple Talaq bill has begun.

#A Women are pleased with the bill. Media reports suggest that people all across the country have welcomed the bill, it is important for the equality of Muslim women. It is important for gender equality, gender dignity; Ravi Shankar Prasad says.

# Congress has demanded to refer theA matter to the standing committee, Ravi Shanakr Prasad says why no suggestions were given before tabling the bill.

#A For those who are opposing the bill saying that it will break the families, why those donat people raise their voice when women are thrown out of their home: Ravi Shankar Prasad

#A There should be a 10 year punishment for those who give instant #TripleTalaq: Wasim Rizvi, Shia Waqf Board

There should be a 10 year punishment for those who give instant #TripleTalaq: Wasim Rizvi, Shia Waqf Board (file pic) pic.twitter.com/GqGH26APLu a ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

#A TripleTalaq should be banned, and I support the bill being brought to ban it: Gul Afshan, a resident of Rampur's Azimnagar who said her husband gave her Triple Talaq because she woke up late in the morning

#A This slogan 'Islam khatre mein hai' was used before independence to divide India and is now being used to divide society, poison is being spread: MJ Akbar,Union Minister in Lok Sabha

This slogan 'Islam khatre mein hai' was used before independence to divide India and is now being used to divide society, poison is being spread: MJ Akbar,Union Minister in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/ZPtONHzCWN a ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

# What is the credibility of All India Muslim Personal Law Board? Who chose them to be community representatives? : Union Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill



#The meeting was started in absence of the Deputy High Commissioner, if he would have seen how clothes of the family members were changed, he would have registered protest there and then: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Lok SabhaA

#It was specifically agreed upon by both sides that media will not be allowed to come close to the family but Pakistani press not only came close to them but also harassed them & hurled taunts at them: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Lok SabhaA



#Jadhav Ji's mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles & mangalsutras of both mother & wife were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Rajya SabhaA

# Misbehaviour of Pakistan with wife & mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav'sA was misbehaviour with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nation's dignity & another country misbehaves with our mothers & sisters, it will not be tolerated: GN Azad, Congress in RS



#mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi, 2 Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued, the intercom was switched off: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha



#It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again & again & an environment of fear was created for them: EAM in Rajya Sabha

#Pakistani Journalists harassed and heckled Jadhav's wife and mother - Sushma SwarajA

#Pakistani authorities exhibited inhuman behaviour towards Jadhav's mother by telling her to remove her Mangalsutra and Bangles - Sushma Swaraj

#We expressed our discontent over how Kulbhushan Jhadav's family was treated in Pakistan - Sushma Swaraj

#Sushma Swaraj makes her statement over the Kulbhushan Jadhav row in the Rajya Sabha

#A Rajya Sabha passes Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Bill, 2017

#A Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge objected to Ananth Kumar Hegde's clarification, following which Hegde said, 'If anyone was hurt by my statements I tender an apology.' #LokSabha

#A I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament & Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme for me, there can be no question on it, as a citizen I can never go against it: Ananth Kumar Hegde in Lok Sabha

#A Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me: Ananth Kumar Hegde, Union Minister on his earlier statement

# Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi & GN Azad, protest in front of Gandhi status inside Parliament premises over Ananth Kumar Hegde's comments on the constitution.

# Delhi: Inside visuals of BJP Parliamentary party meeting underway at Parliament's Library Building. pic.twitter.com/li5yp0Oivp

#A Rahul slams BJP for creating a 'web of deceit'

#Sushma Swaraj to make statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav row in Lok Sabha

# Govt to table the Triple talaq bill

# BJP Parliamentary meeting beginsA

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New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Bill that makes Triple Talaq or instant divorce illegal with jail up to three years. The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill would only be applicable on triple talaq or Talaq-e-Biddat.

The Bill gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking subsistence allowance for herself and also seek custody of her minor children.

Triple Talaq Bill: Here's a timeline of events

# December 28, 2017: Bill to criminalise triple talaq passed in Lok Sabha.

# December 28, 2017: Narendra Modi-led NDA government tabled triple talaq in parliament.

# December 15, 2017: BJP-led NDA government approved a draft law under which the practice of triple talaq was made illegal.

# August 22, 2017: The Supreme Court held triple talaq practice unconstitutional.

# August 15, 2017: PM Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech applauded Muslim women for staging protest against the age-old practice.

# May 18, 2017: Supreme Court reserves verdict.

# May 17, 2017: Supreme Court asks the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) if Muslim woman can be given an option of dismissing triple talaq at the time of nikahnama or Islamic marriage contract.

# May 16, 2017: AIMPLB says triple talaq is a matter of faith and is 1,400-year-old practice.

# May 15, 2017: Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi tells Supreme Court that the Centre was willing to bring in a law to regulate marriage and divorce among Muslims if the practice is declared unconstitutional.

# May 12, 2017: The Supreme Court says triple talaq practice is the worst and not desirable form of dissolution of marriages.

# April 16, 2017: PM Modi says Muslim women should get justice.

# March 27, 2017: AIMPLB tells Supreme Court that religious issues should not be touched by court.

# February 16, 2016: Supreme Court says a five-judge constitution bench would be set up to hear and decide the challenge on 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy.

# December 9, 2016: The Allahabad High Court says that personal laws can't be above than constitutional rights.

# October 7, 2016: Centre opposes triple talaq hearing in Supreme Court.

# March 28, 2016: Supreme Court asks centre to file a copy of panel report on 'Women and the law: An assessment of family laws with focus on laws relating to marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance and succession'. SC also impleads various organisations, including the AIMPLB, as parties in the suo motu matter.

# February 5, 2016: Supreme Court asks Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to assist it on the pleas challenging constitutional validity of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy.

# October 16, 2015: Supreme Court bench asks Chief Justice of India to setup an appropriate bench to examine if Muslim women face gender discrimination in cases of divorce while dealing with a case of Hindu succession.

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New Delhi:

Hours after India on Thursday tore into Pakistan for presenting wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav as "widows" during their highly restricted meeting, Islamabad reiterated its defiance of the diplomatic protocol and said, Consular access will not be given.

Pakistan Armys Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Islamad will not provide India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said, "India should be thankful for the meet. India always opposes whatever we do."

Also read: Pakistan sends shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife for forensic testing



He further said, Kulbhushan Jadhav is serving Indian Naval officer and was allowed to meet his family even though he is a terrorist.

Ghafoor also denied that there was pressure on Pakistan for arranging the meeting between Jadhav and his family members. "There was no pressure on Pakistan to arrange the meeting. If there would have been pressure, we would have given him consular access," he said.

Ghafoor further claimed that the western countries have hailed Pakistan for its humanitarian gesture. He also denied abduction of Kulbhushan Jadhav from Iran by a terror group, which handed him over to the ISI.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in an identical statement in both the houses of Parliament said there was "serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Jadhav", who is on death row in Pakistan for alleged spying.

Also read: Jadhav-family meet: Pak restrictions 'inhuman', says VP Naidu



She pointed out that Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna were forced to remove their mangalsutra, bindi and bangles and footwear, and even made to change their attire on the pretext of security.

"Both married women were presented as widows in front of a son and husband. There can be no greater insult than this," said Swaraj as other members chorused "shame, shame."

"There are not enough words to condemn the same," she said.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife and mother were made to look like widows as they were forced to remove their mangalsutra, bindi and bangles when they met him in Islamabad, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said while making a statement in Parliament on the way the family was treated by Pakistan.



"Avanti Jadhav choked up as she told me the first question her son asked was - how is Baba (father)? Because looking at me like this, he feared something bad had happened," Sushma said in a moving and hard-hitting statement in the Rajya Sabha.



The emotional reunion of a "mother with her son and a wife with her husband" after 22 months was used by Pakistan as a propaganda tool, she said.



"There was violation after violation of human rights. There was no humanity in the gesture. Pakistan should be condemned in the strongest words for this behaviour," said Sushma.

The Pakistanis forced Jadhavs mother and wife Chetankul to change clothes in the name of security, she added. "His mother, who wears only saris, was forced to wear a salwar kameez," Swaraj said as cries of "shame" echoed across the house.



"His mother told me she told the Pakistani officials she had never removed the mangalsutra, the symbol of her marriage...but they said nothing doing. This is the height of be-adabi (misbehavior)."

ALSO READ | Parliament highlights: Sushma says Pak let journalists heckle, hassle Jadhav's kin

Swaraj said it was "absurdity beyond measure" when Chetankul Jadhavs shoes were taken and not returned.

Her shoes were taken, and she was given a chappal. She was not given her shoes back. We were right in suspecting mischief ...they keep saying there was a camera or chip or recorder in the shoes. The same shoes were accepted by two airlines - Air India and Emirates," she said.

The minister said according to the family, Jadhav "looked tense and appeared to be talking under pressure". "It was clear that he was tutored...his manner of speaking and behavior showed he was not in good health, she added.

Jadhav met his family for the first time since his arrest by Pakistan last year, but behind a glass screen, and spoke through intercom. The family was not allowed to speak in their native Marathi language.

ALSO READ | Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife's shoes had metallic substance, claims Pakistan



Here is what all EAM Susham Swaraj said on Kulbhushan Jadhav in Parliament:

#Thank God they didn't say that there was a bomb in her (#KulbhushanJadhav's wife) shoes! If for security reasons she was made to take off shoes, they should have returned them when she was leaving but no, they had to commit some sort of cruelty



#The meeting was started in absence of the Deputy High Commissioner, if he would have seen how clothes of the family members were changed, he would have registered protest there and then

#It was specifically agreed upon by both sides that media will not be allowed to come close to the family but Pakistani press not only came close to them but also harassed them & hurled taunts at them

#Jadhav Ji's mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles & mangalsutras of both mother & wife were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows

#mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi, 2 Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued, the intercom was switched off

#It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again & again & an environment of fear was created for them

#Pakistani Journalists harassed and heckled Jadhav's wife and mother

#Pakistani authorities exhibited inhuman behaviour towards Jadhav's mother by telling her to remove her Mangalsutra and Bangles

#We expressed our discontent over how Kulbhushan Jhadav's family was treated in Pakistan

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New Delhi:

The Triple Talaq Bill criminalising the practise of Talaq-e-Biddat was on Thursday passed by the Lok Sabha after an intense debate. The bill was tabled by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in the parliament on Thursday morning.

The Triple Talaq Bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage, where the NDA does not enjoy a majority. The Triple Talaq Bill was passed after voting in Lok Sabha.

The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members. MPs from the AIMIM, RJD, AIADMK, All India Muslim League and BJD opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress did not oppose the bill. However, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge suggested the bill should be sent to standing committee as it has certain loopholes.

The Bill was tabled in the parliament by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who said it is about womans honour and not religion.

Also read: Also read: SC judgment on Triple Talaq: Petitioners, defenders, bench and arguments - all you need to know about controversial case

Earlier in the day, Prasad had said in parliament that the bill proposes to declare pronouncement of Talaq-e-Biddat (Triple Talaq) by Muslim husbands void and illegal in view of the Supreme Court verdict.

The bill also proposes that a victim of instant divorce can seek custody of her minor children and ask for maintenance from her husband by approaching a magistrate after registering a complaint with police.

Also read: SC declares instant triple talaq unconstitutional, illegal, void; says it is against basic tenets of Quran

Triple talaq in any form including spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS or WhatsApp would be banned.

Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet on December 15 had cleared the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.

The NDA government prepared the draft law in the backdrop of the August 22 landmark verdict of the Supreme Court. The top court said in the ruling that the practice of Muslim men uttering "talaq" three times for an instant divorce is unconstitutional.

The draft Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill was prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Other members part of the group were External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and his junior in the ministry P P Chaudhary.

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New Delhi:

Born in Bulgarian city of Strumica in 1911, Baba Vanga formerly known as Vangelia Pandeva Dimitrova or Grandmother Vanga was a blind mystic, who conspiracy theorists believe had predicted natural disasters and major global events including 9/11 attack and the rise of ISIS.

Vanga lived an ordinary life until the age of 12 when she, according to folklore, lost her eyesight in a massive tornado.

According to the oral history, she was lost in tornado and found several days later with her eyes sealed in dirt and dust.

She told her family that she experienced her first vision and was blessed with the powers of healing people and predict future.

Soon, her miraculous stories attracted a cult of followers among which one was the Bulgarian tsar Boris III, who even visited her during World War Second.

She later served as an advisor to Bulgarian Communist Party leader.

Also Read | Blind mystic lady's few major prophecies leave the world astonished!

What are Baba Vangas predictions for 2018

The blind mystic Baba Vanga, who died in 1996 left many predictions upto 51st Century, when she believed the world would end.

Baba Vangas major predictions that came true included 2004 Tsunami, destruction of Fukushima nuclear plant, the crisis that 45th President of the United States will bring in the world and her own death.

For 2018, Baba Vanga predicted two major world changing events. According to the predictions Baba Vanga left for 2018, China will become the world's next "super power", taking over from the US and a new form of energy will be discovered on Venus.

Though, China continues to grow rapidly and show great signs of becoming world power but is highly unlikely to take over the US in 2018.

However, the scientists have taken her second prediction seriously and started talking about the viability of the alleged prediction of new form of energy on the second planet of our solar system.

Baba Vangas famous major predictions that came true

Conspiracy theorists believe that before her death, Baba Vanga predicted 9/11 attack at World Trade Centre by saying the American brethren will fall after being attacked by steel birds.

Vanga had also predicted the rise of Islamic State and said that by the 2043, Islamic Caliphate will rule the Europe.

Known as Nostradamus of the Balkans, Baba Vanga had also predicted the assassinations of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son Rajeev Gandhi.

It is believed that 85% of her predictions turned out to be true.

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New Delhi:

Instant messaging app, WhatsApp, receives a legal notice by a Delhi-based advocate to remove the middle finger emoji from the application.

Gurmeet Singh, a Delhi-based advocate who practises in city courts, has sent a legal notice to the social application to remove the middle finger' emoji because it is a lewd and obscene gesture.

The notice which Singh sent to the company, said, ...showing of middle finger is not only offensive but a highly belligerent, invasive, obscene, lewd gesture.

The notice read, As per the Indian Penal Code Sections 354 and 509, it is an offence to show obscene, lewd, offensive gestures to women. Use of a lewd, offensive, obscene gesture by anyone is hereby illegal also as aforesaid. As per Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, showing of the middle finger is also an offence in Ireland. By offering to use middle finger emoji in your app, you (WhatsApp Inc) are directly abetting the use of offensive, lewd, obscene gesture.

Emojis are digital icons, such as smileys, which are used in electronic messages for expressing emotions. Emojis include facial expressions, common day-to-day objects, places and types of weather, and animal faces and animals too.

Also Read: WhatsApp to launch 'standalone' business app; Details revealed

They are used to express emotions during a conversation.

Gurmeet Singh, on the basis of this argument, sent a legal notice to the company asking them to remove the emoji from the list. He also threatened to file a civil or criminal case against the App if they company refuses to do so.

WhatsApp is yet to respond over the situation.
New Delhi:

Social media platform, Facebook, which was in news for linking Aadhaar to the account, has clarified its stand on this part.

The company denied the speculations that Aadhar linking with user accounts is going to happen. The company cleared the rumour on its blog post.

The blog post read, There have been a number of reports about a small test we ran in India to help new users sign up to Facebook. Some have interpreted this test as a request for peoples Aadhaar information when you sign up for a Facebook account. This is not correct. The test, which has now finished, merely includes additional language on the account sign-up page to explain that using their Aadhaar name will help family and friends recognize them. We are not collecting Aadhaar data and do not require people to enter their Aadhaar name when they sign up to Facebook.

The blog post also told why the social networking site performed the test in India.

The goal of this test was to help new users understand how to sign up to Facebook with their real name and connect with their friends and family. At the point of account sign-up, users who were part of the test saw language that said, using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognize you. This is an optional prompt that we were testing. People were not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card, and there is no integration or authentication with Aadhaar, read the post.

The controversy began when Facebook started testing the use of Aadhaar as an example to the users in India to put forth their real names while creating a new account.

Also Read: Be aware! All you 'Angel Priyas' out there, Facebook is testing Aadhaar authentication for its users

This move was seemingly made to control the number of fake accounts on the site in India, which is Facebooks second largest market after the US.

The test, limited to only mobile sites of the platform, prompted new users to use name as per Aadhaar card to make it easier for friends to recognise you. The test has now been concluded and the company does not have any plans to further roll the test out, according to Facebook.

The blog post ended by clearing all rumours, The test ran with a small number of users in India and has now finished. As with all tests, we may learn new things that help us provide a better sign-up experience for people joining Facebook, but we currently have no plans to roll this test out further.
Kabul:

At least 40 people were killed and dozens more wounded in multiple blasts at a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul on Thursday, officials said, in the latest deadly violence to hit the Afghan capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Taliban was quick to deny involvement in the assault near the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could have been the target.

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP the blasts were in fact aimed at the Shiite Tabayan cultural centre.

A ceremony was being held to mark the 38th anniversary of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan when the explosion went off, he said.

We have 40 killed, 30 wounded, but this is not the final toll. It might go up.

Rahimi said the main blast was followed by two smaller bomb explosions that did not cause casualties.

Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in war-torn Afghanistan for civilians in recent months, as the Taliban step up their attacks and the Islamic State group (IS) seeks to expand its presence in the country.

Fridays assault comes days after a suicide bomber killed six civilians in an attack near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the city, which was claimed by IS.

The Middle Eastern jihadist group has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015 and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the countrys Shiite minority.

A hospital official told local TV that 18 wounded had been brought to his facility.

Five of the wounded are in critical condition and our doctors are working to save their lives, Sabir Nasib, head of Istiqlal hospital, said.

A man attending the anniversary ceremony said he heard a big boom.

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We do not know the numbers (of casualties). When the explosion happened we immediately fled, he told Tolo News.

Mohammad Hasan Rezayee, a university student also at the ceremony, told Tolo News he had suffered burns to his face in the blast.

After the blast there was fire and smoke inside the building and everyone was pleading for help, he said.

Photos posted on Afghan Voice Agencys Facebook page showed the inside of a compound with debris and bodies lying on the ground.

Security in the city has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others mostly civilians.

Afghan media has previously been targeted by militants, underlying the risks faced by journalists in the war-torn country.

In November an attack on Afghan broadcaster Shamshad TV in Kabul, claimed by the Islamic State group, left at least one person dead and two dozen others wounded.

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Selfoss:

Police in Iceland say one person was killed and 12 more were critically injured after a bus carrying 46 Chinese tourists skidded off the road after a rear-end collision with a compact car.

The Icelandic blood bank sent out an alert for donations of blood type O following the accident on Wednesday on Route 1, a national road that runs around the island.

The car and bus crashed near the Eldhraun lava field about 250 kilometres east of Reykjavik, Iceland's capital.

Police say the bus flipped on its side when it went off the road, trapping two passengers underneath. One died on the scene.

Bus company owner Fjalar Ulfarsson said the Chinese group was on the fourth day of a week-long visit to Iceland when the accident took place. "The road there is narrow and had some icing from what I gather," Ulfarsson told The Associated Press.

Three helicopters were used to transport the most severely injured to a hospital emergency room in the capital.

A relief station was set up for the other 33 passengers in nearby Kirkjubaejarklaustur village.

Also Read| Honduras: Helicopter crash kills six including President Juan Orlando Hernandez's sister

The car's driver and a passenger also were tourists, visiting Iceland from Lithuania. They were not injured, officials said.

South Iceland Police said an initial investigation suggested the car slowed down in front of the bus while attempting to turn toward a lookout point.

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Kampala:

Uganda's army has claimed that its operations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed over 100 members of a Ugandan Muslim rebel group accused of murdering UN peacekeepers.

"Over 100 terrorists were killed with several others wounded and their logistic stores destroyed," said general Richard Karemire, the defence ministry spokesman, in a statement on Wednesday.

The ministry said Ugandan forces (UPDF) had launched air and artillery strikes in a joint operation with DR Congo's army (FARDC) on December 22 against the Allied Democratic Forces, a group that the UN says killed 14 of its troops from Tanzania earlier in December.

"It has been established that eight enemy camps were successfully attacked. These were ADF historical strongholds in eastern DRC," Karemire said.

"Those who survived the assault are roaming in different areas of North Kivu (province) but FARDC forces are pursuing them," he added.

Karemire also stressed that no Ugandan infantry troops were deployed in DR Congo nor suffered any casualties in the operation.

The intervention came after intelligence reports that the ADF rebels were planning "hostile activities" against Uganda, the army said.

The ADF, whose basic motives and ideology remain unclear, has been accused of attacking the Tanzanian peacekeepers' Semuliki base in Nord Kivu -- the deadliest attack on UN forces in 24 years.

Both Uganda and DR Congo insist on a jihadist motive to ADF's actions, however many observers and experts say there has been no proven link with the global jihadist underground, and that this is a "simplistic" explanation for their acts.

The ADF started out in 1989 with the aim of overthrowing Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who was seen as hostile to Muslims. But it went on to absorb other rebel factions into its ranks and started carrying out attacks in 1995.

Forced westwards by the Ugandan army, the group relocated most of its activities to DR Congo, finding a lucrative niche in the country's lawless, resource-rich east.

It has also been accused by Kinshasa and the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO of killing more than 700 people in the Beni region since October 2014.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Hanoi:

Vietnamese courts have handed down harsh prison sentences to two dozen people after finding them guilty of terrorism and subversion including a case linked to an exiled group.

A court in Ho Chi Minh City convicted 14 people for a petrol bomb attack at the city's international airport in April and sentenced them to between five and 16 years in prison on Wednesday.

The bomb caused a scare but no casualties. It was linked to an exiled group of the defeated South Vietnamese republic.

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A court in south-central province of Binh Dinh sentenced nine people to between three to 14 years for attempted subversion and spreading propaganda against the communist state.

Both cases were reported by state-run Thanh Nien newspaper. Court officials were unavailable for comment on Thursday.

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A South Korean task force released on Wednesday a report elaborating on the contents of secret high-level talks between the South Korean and Japanese governments on the bilateral accord to resolve the issue of so-called comfort women.

The accord, announced on Dec. 28, 2015, was wrapped up largely in the secret talks, the task force of the Foreign Ministry said, announcing the results of its probes into bilateral negotiations on the deal about the women forced into prostitution for Japanese troops chiefly during World War II.

The high-level talks progressed consistently in the form of secret negotiations held separately from official bureau-chief-level meetings, bringing together then South Korean National Intelligence Service chief Lee Byung-kee, who also has work experience as ambassador to Japan and chief of the president's secretary office, and Shotaro Yachi, head of the secretariat of Japan's National Security Council, according to the task force report.

The team criticized then South Korean President Park Geun-hye for not releasing contents that could be negative to her country.

The issue of comfort women will inevitably be rekindled even if the two governments declare that it has been resolved finally and irreversibly, unless victims in South Korea accept such a declaration, the task force warned.
Around 9 a.m. on a certain day, reporters belonging to the press club attached to the Ministry of Justice were informed that at 11 a.m. the same morning, the justice minister would hold an unscheduled press conference.

"Can this be it?" they wondered with a growing sense of tension and excitement.

"The mail didn't go into details, but from the wording we knew it would be an announcement of an execution," a reporter who covers the ministry for a national daily told Shukan Shincho (Jan 4-11). "We only had 90 minutes from the notification to hustle and find out who'd been executed, but we sensed it just might be a 'big shot' -- Shoko Asahara."

After a lengthy trial, the 62-year-old Asahara (whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto), founder and head of the Aum Supreme Truth religious cult, was found guilty of 13 out of 17 capital charges, including instigating toxic nerve gas attacks in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture in June 1994 and on the Tokyo subway system in March 1995. He was sentenced to death in February 2004 and lost his final appeal in September 2006, After one of the last two fugitives from the cult, Katsuya Takahashi, was finally arrested and prosecuted, attorney Taro Takimoto told the magazine: "Once the Supreme Court had ruled on Takahashi's final appeal, I was expecting Asahara's execution to proceed."

Indeed, such a view was common in the nation's legal circles. However the aforementioned reporter gave the opinion that, "Under Prime Minister Abe's administration, practically anything can happen. In July of this year, two people were executed; one's case was still under appeal from six months earlier. Also in December, two more death row convicts were hanged. One had been 19, a minor at the time of his crime. It's been two decades since a similar execution, of Norio Nagayama, who was also a minor when he committed murders, has been carried out."

The magazine also noticed that as the end of this year approached, scuttlebutt about the "decision to proceed with Asahara's execution" has been making the rounds in government and political circles.
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The tax bill passed last week by Congress was hailed by President Donald Trump as really something special. In southwestern Connecticut, large companies have been much quieter about the legislation.

American companies will see the corporate tax rate drop from 35 percent to 21 percent, in one of the key changes resulting from the most sweeping federal tax reform passed since 1986. While one Stamford company has said it would reinvest its savings from lower tax bills in employees and services, most multinationals headquartered in the area have not revealed their plans. Also uncertain is the overhauls impact on Connecticuts economic competitiveness.

Its a very complicated piece of legislation, and how it affects individual industries will be interesting to see, said Joe McGee, vice president of public policy for The Business Council of Fairfield County. And I dont think were sure yet of the impact. It will unfold over the next six to eight months.

ISG leads with response

Stamford-based technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group appears to be the first public company in southwestern Connecticut to announce changes related to the bill.

As a result of an expected reduction of $10 million to $15 million in its cash taxes during the next four to five years, ISG said last week it planned to allocate most of its savings for business-building initiatives, including expanded digital services for clients and employee training. It also plans to add $500 to the 401(k) retirement accounts of its approximately 500 U.S. employees on April 17, which is U.S. Tax Day.

Our people and our clients are the keys to our success and we believe continued investments in their future are the best response to the rationalization of the corporate tax code, ISG Chairman and CEO Michael Connors said in a statement. We firmly believe (tax reform) will spur growth and investment across many businesses, including those of our clients in such industries as financial services, manufacturing, health care, energy and retail.

Other major companies in the area so far have not committed to enacting similar changes.

Stamford-based United Rentals and Greenwich-based XPO Logistics declined to comment on whether they would make changes in response to the new law. Officials at Stamford-based Synchrony Financial and Harman International Industries were not available to comment.

Messages were not returned from any of Fairfield Countys other 2017 Fortune 500 companies: Charter Communications, EMCOR Group, Frontier Communications, Praxair, Priceline Group, Terex, W.R. Berkley, and Xerox.

Officials at Stamford-based technology firm Pitney Bowes, which is a Fortune 1000 company, did not commit to changes, but said in a statement that the tax reform will increase our competitiveness globally. It also creates opportunities for American companies to invest further in the United States and bolster our local economies.

Status quo with state rates

The tax reforms impact on Connecticuts economic competitiveness is questionable. While corporations will ostensibly benefit from the drop in the corporate rate, many affluent residents in the state will feel the pinch of local and state tax deductions being capped annually at $10,000.

We dont have an indication yet from any of the economists in the state that this will be a major boost to the Connecticut economy, McGee said. It will probably be modest at best.

Proponents of Connecticuts tax system cite its total effective business tax rate, which measures the ratio of state and local taxes to private-sector gross state product. At 3.5 percent, the effective rate ranked in the 2016 fiscal year as the lowest in the country alongside those of Michigan and Missouri, according to a report by professional-services firm EY, the State Tax Research Institute and the Council on State Taxation.

Connecticuts effective rate runs well below the national average of 4.5 percent largely because it hosts a number of high-output industries, including insurance, aerospace and financial services, that contribute significantly to the gross state product, according to the report.

But other assessments do not rate Connecticut well. A report earlier this year by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Tax Foundation ranked Connecticut as the seventh-worst business tax climate. New York ranked second worst, and New Jersey received the lowest score.

Connecticuts comparative position to other states doesnt change, but Connecticuts position compared with other countries does, said Pete Gioia, economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. This lower corporate tax rate means it is more likely for companies to produce stuff and invest and hire here. All those things are benefits compared to competitors in Europe and Asia.
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Theres no way to avoid chaos if youre trying to prepay taxes in 2017 that arent due until 2018 in order to lessen the blow of the Trump tax reform limits on deductions for state and local taxes.

The short answer is, you should at the least be able to prepay municipal property taxes due on or after Jan. 1, which are normally paid in January and cover the current fiscal year, 2017-18. That would give you an extra deduction for 2017 but it might still leave you with hefty non-deductible taxes in 2018.

Whether you can prepay for taxes not due until the start of the fiscal year in July  which have not yet been assessed  is a more complicated question. Heres what we knew as of Thursday afternoon:

The governors office said its up to the towns, and that it cant issue a blanket order as some governors did, notably Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York. More on that in a minute.

Most cities and towns arent accepting prepayments for taxes not yet assessed, but some, including Stamford and West Hartford, are doing so. West Hartford, for example, is accepting amounts equal to the current years local taxes.

The IRS issued an advisory late Wednesday saying those deductions wont be allowed.

A prepayment of anticipated real property taxes that have not been assessed prior to 2018 are not deductible in 2017, the advisory said. Other than the obvious grammatical error  apparently English majors are scarce at the IRS  that seems blunt and clear.

Some tax advisers were telling clients to go ahead and make those future payments where towns were accepting them, but in light of the new IRS statement, thats probably not wise, especially if towns dont have the mechanism to calculate totals, said Russell L. Abrahms, a CPA in Fairfield.

From everything were seeing right now, I wouldnt do it unless its assessed and calculated, Abrahms said Thursday. There could possibly be a penalty because you violated the advice of the IRS.

It might seem a good bet to tie up your money for seven extra months in the hopes of gaining a deduction that could be worth one-third of the total, or even more.

Its even possible a court could rule that payments on unassessed taxes could be deducted in the prior year. But thats a longshot in part because unassessed tax payments are subject to possible reimbursement, so the IRS could be on solid ground in rejecting the deductions.

I wouldnt go that far out, Abrahms said.

Kevin B. Sullivan, the state revenue services commissioner, concurred that the IRS could levy a penalty on taxpayers who take a 2017 deduction for payment of unbilled taxes  and therefore underpay in 2017.

I dont give tax advice, I can only say I would not do it, Sullivan said.

So lets say youve decided to prepay at least the assessed portion of your taxes and you have the cash. Just getting the money into the right hands in town hall could pose a challenge in the waning days of the year, as many town tax offices are closed Friday.

The good news is, if you know how much to send, all you need to do is postmark a check by the end of the year.

Its the mailbox rule. If it hits the mailbox and youve mailed it, dated it by the 31st, you get credit for it, said Abrahms, who suggested taxpayers consider a certified letter for proof of a postmark.

Then theres the problem of coordinating payments with your bank or mortgage servicer. Most of the time, they pay the tax based on escrow payments youve made every month.

I called my mortgage company, a big national outfit, first thing Tuesday morning and asked it to make the January payment in advance, this week. I got an actual person, who logged the request and said it takes three to five days for an answer, let alone an actual payment  so Im not holding my breath.

My mortgage servicer said it would pay me back from the escrow account if I made my own payment. Some towns were requiring a letter in advance from a mortgage servicer in order to accept payment directly, according to my colleague, Michael Mayko  but that seems preposterous. Cant pay your assessed taxes directly? Really?

Finally, officials in some towns were miffed that Gov. Dannel P. Malloys office didnt just clear up the matter with an order on advance payments for non-assessed taxes, as some states did. Unfortunately, Malloys office said, Connecticut tax law doesnt work that way

To be clear, we are not prohibiting local governments from accepting pre-payments of property taxes. Rather, we are leaving this decision to towns to make for their local property taxpayers, Malloy spokeswoman Kelly Donnelly said.

Ben Barnes, Malloys budget chief, said in a letter to municipal officials that his office is in no position to offer an opinion as to the federal tax treatment of property tax payments made in December 2017 to Connecticut local governments.

Barnes addressed the New York issue directly.

New York has a less uniform system of property taxes overall, and various starting dates for fiscal years in different types of jurisdictions, Barnes said. In Connecticut, he said, all communities have laid a tax for the year that ends June 30, 2018, but none have done so for the following year which begins in more than six months. For this reason, New Yorks approach would not be practical in Connecticut.

As for paying your state income taxes in advance and claiming a deduction  fuhgetabout it. You havent even earned the income yet and the federal law specifically disallows that deduction.
Former COO of Seagram's Int. Bringing 40+ Years of Global Beverage Sector Experience

VANCOUVER, Dec. 28, 2017 /CNW/ - Phivida Holdings Inc. ("The Company" or "Phivida") has appointed veteran food and beverage executive Mr. Jon David Silverman as the Chairman of the Phivida Advisory Board.

Mr. Silverman joins Phivida with forty plus years of experience building major beverage brands and maximizing shareholder value. As an experienced senior executive in the global food and beverage sector, Mr. Silverman has proven success in strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, operations as well as marketing and distribution.

Mr. Silverman has served on the board of directors and executive of major multinational beverage corporations.

Mr. Silverman is the former Executive Vice President of Seagram's global emerging markets division where he oversaw the growth of Seagram's International Inc. Mr. Silverman was also a long-term strategic advisor at John Labatt Ltd. where he concentrated on optimization of operations and corporate structure. John Labatt was later sold to Interbrew Belgium in 1995, which later merged with AmBev to form InBev in 2004. Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) later consolidated with SABMiller in 2016, in a merger valued at over US $100 billion. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV is now the largest alcohol based beverage brand manufacturing and marketing company in the world and is publicly traded as "BUD" on the New York Stock Exchange.

Mr. Silverman also served as a member of the Executive Committee of Bavaria Colombia with leading brands in their respective markets across Latin America. Mr. Silverman simultaneously served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Bavaria Colombia Inc. Mr. Silverman planned and led the reorganization and restructuring and streamlining Bavaria thereby significantly increasing annual EBITDA, on efficiency.

During his tenure as EVP/COO at Bavaria, Jon and his operations team led the increase of per capita consumption of core beverage products, while maintaining in-market share of core brands - in excess of 95%. Bavaria was later sold to SABMiller in 2005 for US $7.8 billion, the largest investment by a foreign buyer in Colombia at that time, and a deal that enabled SAB Miller to become a major player in the Latin American beverage market. Bavaria is a known beer brand, but also marketed non-alcoholic food and beverages, including juices, water, and soft drinks.

Post his tenure at Seagram's and Labatt, Mr. Silverman was focused on building accretive shareholder value through corporate planning and selecting assets for merger and acquisition. Jon's consulting clients have included; Allied Lyons, Scott Paper, PepsiCo., Manufacturers Hanover/Morgan/Chase Bank, Mechanical Plastics, etc.

"We are honoured to have Mr. Silverman help guide our corporate development strategies," said Phivida Chief Executive Officer John David Belfontaine. "Jon's depth of experience and breadth of network makes him the ideal incumbent Chairman of the Phivida Advisory Board. Moreover, Jon shares our passion for getting Phivida branded cannabinoid infusions onto store shelves around the world, and for making a real difference in people's lives."

In a community context, Mr. Silverman served as both Vice Chair and Chairman on the board of directors at United Hospital over a span of fifteen years. Mr. Silverman was born in Montreal and maintains his Canadian citizenship, and has earned a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and an MBA from Cornell University.

"I am proud to join the Phivida Advisory Board," said Mr. Silverman. "I was drawn to Phivida because of its high-quality executive and operations teams demonstrating; competence, vision, ethics and drive and passion. Clearly, cannabinoid-infused beverages, foods and supplements provide significant growth opportunity for major alcohol, and non-alcohol related food and beverage companies. Growing brands like Phivida are nimble in this burgeoning space, and are built to innovate quickly and efficiently, making Phivida a potential sector catalyst for larger companies looking to develop cannabinoid infused portfolios through collaboration and consolidation."



Phivida has officially listed and is now trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the CSE ticker symbol "VIDA." For investor information please e-mail all requests to [email protected] or via the contact details below.

About Phivida

Phivida ["fiii-vee-daa"] is a publicly traded company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol "VIDA" and in the United States as "PHVAF". Phivida is a premiere brand of cannabidiol ("CBD") infused functional foods, beverages and clinical health products, poised for global distribution.

Using nanoencapsulation technology, Phivida converts lipid based cannabinoids into water soluble delivery format, enhancing bioavailability, and timed released within the body. Phivida's nanoencapsulated CBD is infused into CBD beverages, foods and supplements containing a proprietary blend of phytonutraceuticals studied to target a range of health conditions, from chronic pain to terminal diseases.

Phivida Nutrition (a wholly owned subsidiary of Phivida Holdings Inc.), is the cannabinoid infused functional foods and beverage division sold under the brand name "Phivida". The Phivida label cannabinoid infused beverage products target daily preventative health and enhanced performance, and include; CBD-Iced Teas, CBD Vitamin Juices and Shots, and CBD-Vegan Nutritional Shakes with up to 25mg of CBD in every bottle.

Celebrating; Health and Wellness, In Harmony, Phivida's mission is to lead the alternative health care sector as the benchmark quality standard in premium cannabinoid infused foods, beverages and clinical products, with a dedicated to research, education and investing back into communities that we so proudly serve.

SOURCE Phivida Holdings Inc.

For further information: For investor information please e-mail all requests to [email protected] or via the contact details below. Website, www.phivida.com, Toll free: +1 (844) 744-6646 (ext. #2), E-mail: [email protected]
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Story update, Dec. 27 at 2:15 p.m.: The Santa Barbara News-Press employee who changed another employee's name and byline to reflect an offensive slur is no longer an employee at the newspaper.

***

The Santa Barbara News-Press sparked outrage after printing its Christmas edition with a gay slur added to a reporter's byline.

On a story about last-minute Christmas shopping appearing on page A3, the last name of staff writer Paul Gonzales was changed to "Gayzalez." The following line read "News Press Faggoat."

An unnamed employee made the change, and news editor Donald Katich says Gonzales is the victim of a hateful act.

ALSO: Ex-NFLer grapples with violent urges and memory loss. He thinks it's CTE.

"It was a very poor decision made by an employee who is no longer in a position to make that same mistake," Katich said.

The paper ran an apology in an editor's note on Wednesday: "The News-Press has taken immediate and swift action with this employee; we do not tolerate any form of harassment in the workplace. We apologize to our readers."

As for the employee who changed the byline, Katich says, "The employee is represented by the Teamsters. There is a process we are obligated to follow when it comes to discipline or termination. The employee is no longer in the building."

ALSO: Court seeks justification for unusual hate crime order

The News-Press made national headlines in September when it was the only newspaper in California to endorse Donald Trump for president.
As if the U.S. newspaper business didn't have enough trouble coping with decades of lost readers and advertising dollars, an escalating trade dispute with Canada is poised to make every edition cost a lot more to publish.

Newsprint prices have jumped since October to a three-year high and may keep increasing if, as expected, the administration of President Donald Trump slaps duties on imported paper from Canada next month. America's northern neighbor accounts for about three quarters of what gets used in the U.S., from the Wall Street Journal to local news providers like the Idaho Press-Tribune.

The higher costs will squeeze U.S. newspapers already coping with 28 straight years of declining circulation and increased competition from the internet. Many publications have closed as print-advertising revenue plunged 80 percent since 2005. The New York Times Co. alone spent $72 million last year on newsprint, or 5 percent of operating costs. But the biggest impact may be at the hundreds of smaller papers with fewer financial resources.

"It could have a catastrophic impact on community journalism," said Matt Davison, the publisher and president of the Idaho Press-Tribune, which publishes six days a week and has a circulation of 15,000 in Nampa, about 20 miles west of Boise.

A metric ton of newsprint in the U.S. cost about $570 as of Dec. 26, according to FOEX Indexes Ltd., a provider of global pulp and paper data. Prices are the highest since December 2014 and are up 4.8 percent since Oct. 3, after the U.S. began investigating imports of Canadian newsprint.

Prices will probably rise even further in 2018 because it's "pretty much a guarantee" that the U.S. will impose preliminary countervailing duties of 15 percent to 25 percent, said Kevin Mason, managing director Vancouver-based ERA Forest Products Research.

Canada, with its vast forests and timberland, is the world's biggest maker of newsprint and the U.S. is its top customer. But North Pacific Paper Co., a producer in Longview, Washington, filed a trade complaint alleging Canada subsidizes its industry, giving companies like Montreal-based Resolute Forest Products Co. an unfair advantage in preserving a dominant market position.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is scheduled to announce in January whether it will impose preliminary countervailing duties on Canadian imports of uncoated groundwood paper, used in everything from book publishing to newsprint. It's the latest dispute between the two countries, which have a growing list of trade spats that also includes dairy products and softwood lumber.

If duties are imposed, Canadian newsprint exporters will have to boost prices, causing immediate hardship for smaller U.S. publications that operate on thin margins, said Paul Boyle, senior vice president of public policy at the Arlington, Virginia-based News Media Alliance. The group represents almost 2,000 news organizations from the Journal Star in Peoria, Illinois, to the New York Times.

"It's a killer," and the pain of higher newsprint costs is compounded by U.S. mills that already are unable to produce enough to meet domestic demand, Boyle said. "In some cases, you're going to see smaller newspapers go out of business."

Look no further than the struggles at the Idaho Press-Tribune. Last year, it stopped publishing on Mondays to save money. In early 2017, the paper took another hit when the local Macy's department store closed, ending a source of advertising revenue. To cut costs, the Press-Tribune renegotiated the rental contract on floor mats in its building and installed more-efficient automatic paper-towel dispensers in the restrooms, which use less paper, according to Davison, the publisher.

"When you lose an account like that in a market like this, it's a significant impact," said Davison, who declined to provide specific figures. Newsprint is a big expense, so any increases probably will force the paper to consider "an immediate reduction in publication days" to "keep the lights on," he said.

A group of more than 1,100 local newspapers was so alarmed about rising newsprint costs that it sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross this month saying that the market is being upended by just one company, North Pacific Paper, known as Norpac.

The company, formerly a joint venture of Weyerhaeuser Co. and Nippon Paper Industries Co., was acquired in November 2016 by One Rock Capital Partners LLC. Norpac's trade claim appears to be driven by the "short-term investment strategies of the company's hedge fund owners," the newspapers said in their Dec. 4 letter.

"This is really egregious," said Seth Kursman, a spokesman for Resolute Forest Products, the world's largest newsprint maker. "This is one company. The entire U.S. domestic industry is against them."

In its petition, Norpac notes that the market share of Canadian producers in the U.S. has risen even as demand has slowed since 2012. "Norpac is simply trying to level the playing field to stay competitive to help preserve rural manufacturing jobs in the U.S.," David Richey, a company spokesman, said by telephone Friday.

It's not just newspapers that will be affected. Costs will rise for all kinds of commercial printers and publishers, according to ERA Forest Products Research.

Sussex, Wisconsin-based Quad/Graphics, a commercial printer that makes retail inserts for newspapers, may lose business as advertisers shift to digital platforms or cut back on printed materials, said Patrick Henderson, the company's director of government affairs. Quad/Graphics already is trying to avoid price increases by trying to find $100 million in cost savings in its operations, he said.

If there's a silver lining for newspapers, it's that the nationwide slump in print circulation has had the perverse effect of reducing their exposure to newsprint price fluctuations. At Dallas Morning News publisher A.H. Belo Corp., newsprint spending slid 9.1 percent last quarter from a year earlier to $3 million, even as the cost per metric ton increased 3.3 percent.

--With assistance from Gerry Smith
This past calendar year proved bountiful to Elm City theatergoers. Both of our Tony Award-winning regional companies, Yale Repertory Theatre and Long Wharf Theatre, produced an interesting and often bold variety of world premieres and timely classics. The Shubert presented fine touring productions of tried and true musicals and Elm Shakespeare Company offered outstanding, free family fare al fresco in Edgerton Park at the end of summer.

Yale Rep kicked 2017 off with a daring, quirky world-premiere production of Aditi Brennan Kapils Imogen Says Nothing in January. Artfully directed by Laurie Woolery, this play is perhaps the most imaginative and metaphoric of the year. Set in 17th-century London, the titular character, beautifully inhabited by Ashlie Atkinson, is a unique creature, defying accurate description from all who encounter her. While shes quite human, hers is a beastly countenance invariably doomed for derision. After her natal village has literally been erased from England, she strikes out in search of her identity, which she does amid Shakespeares company of actors. She perseveres in the face of an institutionalized ban on females performing on stage. Kapils play is fanciful, funny, outrageous and, either in spite of or because of the plays exotic unities of time, place and action, hauntingly pertinent to contemporary life.

Yale Reps world premiere of Amy Herzogs Mary Jane in May is as quiet and understated as Imogen Says Nothing is boisterous and bold. Director Anne Kaufman and her exquisite cast  Emily Donahoe, Kathleen Chalfant, Shona Tucker, Miriam Silverman and Vella Lovell  take their audience along a contemplative, fraught journey of unconditional love and endurance. Donahoe deftly played the title character who alone must care for her invalid son (unseen by the audience) without respite, save for a sympathetic friend (Chalfant), unflappable nurse (Tucker) and musical therapist (Lovell). The play demonstrates the human (accent on the females) will to survive ones almost-endless, darkest days gracefully.

Fireflies premiered at Long Wharf in October and was most notable for its lean and powerful cast rather than Matthew Barbers relatively slender script adapted from Annette Sanfords 2003 novel, Eleanor and Abel. Jane Alexander and Denis Arndt rendered such richly honest and openhearted performances as reluctant yet deeply yearning lovers of a certain age. The fact that the play proved that theres an audience for a love story between 70-somethings (at least with name actors) is a welcome and healthy sign for theatergoers of all ages.

Alexander and Arndt werent alone in this production. Director Gordon Edelstein nurtured winsome performances from Judith Ivey as the nosy, caring neighbor and Christopher Michael McFarland as the compassionate police officer. While these fine actors played in the less dramatic, expository scenes, they did so brilliantly.

Bess Wohls chamber piece Small Mouth Sounds, which Long Wharf presented in September rather than produced, deserves mention in this discussion simply because its a beautiful play where action literally speaks louder than words. Directed just so by Rachel Chavkin, Small Mouth Sounds examines a handful of characters presumably seeking personal and spiritual growth on a silent weekend retreat. Wohls skill, herein at least, lies in her ability to reveal her characters bit by bit, yet completely. She also deftly reinforces Aristotles principle that action defines character: all else is mere chatter.

Yale Reps riveting production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidmans six-chamber musical Assassins last spring was so compellingly haunting and invigorating that one wonders why Yale Reps Artistic Director James Bundy, known almost exclusively for staging straight plays, hides his mastery of musicals under a bushel. Armed with a killer cast and a gorgeous, 13-piece orchestra under the musical direction of Andrea Grody, this fantastical revue humanizes nine historical figures that assassinated our presidents or took their best shot. Bundys airtight ensemble cast and design team, and the sheer brilliance of Sondheim and Weidman, made this one of the years most compelling and profound theatrical experiences.

Long Wharfs January production of Samuel Becketts Endgame was another insightful handling of a modern classic. Director Edelstein and his superb cast  Brian Dennehy, Reg. E. Cathey, Joe Grisafi and Lynn Cohen  made Becketts mysterious and otherworldly story concretely accessible and, better still, fiercely funny. Clearly, everyone involved, including the production designers, tapped into the plays humanity and black humor, denying neither of its due. Anyone forced to read this play in college and unsure how to make heads or tails of it need only see this production for clarification.

Yale Reps masterful production of An Enemy of the People in October was the clearest and most even-handed production of Henrik Ibsens 19th-century classic that Ive seen. Yalie Paul Walshs intelligent and accessible translation gave director Bundy and his stellar cast much to explore. The play pits Reg Rogers medical doctor against Enrico Colantonis mayor (as well as his brother, no less) in a battle of science versus politics that comes across so vividly and contemporary that should one simply listen to a performance it would sound as if written recently. Under Bundys sensitive hand the production played without affectation. In short, a shattering experience.

Long Wharfs year-end production of Aaron Posners play The Chosen, adapted from Chaim Potoks 1967 coming-of-age novel of the same name, was another example of unaffected acting and direction of a modern classic. Though set in a specific time and place (1940s Brooklyn) and concerning exclusively Jewish characters, director Edelstein cultivated exquisite performances from his four leading actors  Max Wolkowitz, Steven Skybell, Ben Edelman, and George Guidall. Potoks themes of loyalty, friendship, tradition and father-son relationships, nimbly adapted in concretely actable terms, ensured a touching and satisfying theatrical experience.

Thank the deities of drama for Elm Shakespeare, which nourished all otherwise bereft of theater during the summer with a boisterous, passionate and intelligent production of Romeo and Juliet. Director Raphael Massie had his young and able cast performing at a roaring tempo with a strong shot of hormones born directly from the text rather than any imposed conceit. It felt real, human, alive and tragic.

E. Kyle Minor is the Register theater critic.
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Residents attempting to prepay their yet-to-be billed July 1, 2018, property taxes in order to claim those deductions on their 2017 federal returns might be in for a rude awakening.

In keeping with city policy, the city will accept early payments for property taxes, a news release from Stamford Mayor David Martins office reads. However, the city cannot, and does not, provide any assurance or opinion that the IRS will allow these payments to be deductible on federal income taxes for the calendar year ending on Dec. 31, 2017.

While Stamford is accepting prepayment, most area tax collectors offices are not.

Weve had people coming in and asking about this, said Lisa Theroux, Sheltons tax collector. Weve gotten a lot of phone calls about this.

So many calls that Theroux and other collectors have either put messages on their phones or issued explanatory notices on their municipal websites.

More News Dan Haar: Prepaying tax chaos strikes state

Like most tax collectors, Theroux, Johanna Figueroa of Ansonia and Dana Flach of Seymour explained that since their municipalities have not set a mill rate, no tax bills have been computed. And since no tax bills have been computed  theres no authorization to accept them.

As a result, most tax collectors said they are only accepting payments on tax bills due Jan. 1 or in some towns, like Fairfield and Westport (which offers four installments, with the last bill due April 1). However those payments are all for the current fiscal year and can be deducted on the 2017 federal income tax returns.

More Information Here are the office hours for area tax collectors on Dec. 29. Some municipalities allow tax payments to be made online with a credit card. Residents should check with their local tax collector's office or consult the municipalities website. ANSONIA - Closed Friday BRIDGEPORT - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. DERBY- 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. EASTON - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. FAIRFIELD - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. GREENWICH - 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. MILFORD - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MONROE - 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. OXFORD - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. SEYMOUR - 8 a.m. to noon SHELTON - 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m STAMFORD - 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. STRATFORD - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 30 9 a.m. to noon TRUMBULL - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. WESTPORT - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See More Collapse

Edward Snyder of New Haven was frustrated when he learned that officials in the citys tax offices werent taking prepayments of 2018 taxes.

Its only a one time thing, but the city should have stepped up to accommodate people who want to do this, Snyder said.

All of this confusion and concern stems from the new federal tax laws taking effect for 2018. That law caps real estate and motor vehicle property tax deductions at $10,000.

More than likely thats going to impact many taxpayers who own more than one home and car -- or one very expensive home.

Fairfield Tax Collector David Kluczwski said at least 50 residents have asked about prepaying the next fiscal year taxes. His town also accepts payment for taxes due April 1, but those bills apply to the current fiscal year.

On Wednesday afternoon a line of people flowed out the Milford tax office into the hallway while offices in Ansonia, Derby and Shelton had no waits. Lines in the New Haven tax office were more than a dozen people deep for much of Thursday afternoon.

Additionally some tax collectors said payments sent through the mail using checks dated and showing envelopes postmarked by Dec. 31 are usually allowed to be deducted.

If all this isnt taxing enough, Seymour Tax Collector Dana Flach has been confronted with another issue.

Her office and probably others had to deal with taxpayers wanting to personally prepay residential taxes they owed Jan. 1, instead of allowing their mortgage holder to use the funds being held in escrow.

Flach said shes advising taxpayers to come back with a permission letter from their mortgage holder.

Still, that could create an Excedrin headache for municipalities. What happens when one payment is made by the taxpayer using their personal funds and a duplicate payment is made between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1 by the mortgage holder using the escrow funds? Are those duplicate funds refunded? To whom? Or are they applied to future taxes?

All the confusion led Ben Barnes, the secretary of the states Office of Policy and Management, to email municipal chief executives encouraging them to advise their taxpayers of the local policy and procedure.

In the email, Barnes said his office is in no position to offer an opinion as to the federal tax treatment of property taxes made in December, 2017, to Connecticut local governments. Furthermore, OPM does not have a role in the supervision of local tax collection beyond a role in the certification of tax collectors.

Barnes said prepayment of Jan. 1 bills and supplemental motor vehicle bills by Dec. 31, appears to be a lawful way to take advantage of the expiring deduction.

Any taxpayers who have prepayment questions should consult their tax preparer or accountant.

And anyone upset by this should contact their U.S. Representatives and Senators.


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NEW HAVEN  Connecticut Food Bank marketing director Paul Shipman tried finding the words for the unusually large squash a Shelton farm donated to the organization.

Before helping organize the squashs delivery to the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen on Temple Street Thursday, Shipman stood inside the soup kitchens cafeteria and tried to describe the long-neck butternut squash donated by Laurel Glen Farm in Shelton.

They are..., Shipman started, before DESK program manager Meagan Howard finished his sentence.

Massive, she said, laughing.

The large, bent orange squash are popular with restaurants for their size, Shipman said. One squash weighed outside the pantry was about 15 pounds. One pulled from the group weighed 23 pounds, Shipman said.

These are something that Laurel Glen Farm grows for restaurants, but they were able to make a donation to us and its places like DESK, because they have a kitchen ... it works really well for them to be able to use the squash, Shipman said.

DESK received 500 pounds of the squash. Shipman said Laurel Glen Farm (which has been in the same family since the early 1900s, its website notes) donated about 3,000 pounds in all, which Connecticut Food Bank is helping to distribute.

In an email Thursday, Laurel Glen Farm owners Victoria and Randy Rogowski said this season brought a, fantastic yield of spaghetti, butternut, and acorn squash. The two said they were filled with happiness, to know that the squash will be enjoyed by hundreds of people.

Despite our attendance at local farmers markets and providing it weekly to our CSA (community supported agriculture) customers, we had a huge surplus at the end of the season, the Rogowskis said in the email. Rather than compost it, we wanted to share it with those in need. We are so grateful that the Connecticut Food Bank came to pick it up and are looking forward to partnering with them again in the future.

DESK was among the first organizations to accept the donated squash. The food bank works with local growers to encourage donation of local surplus crops, Shipman said.

Were still trying to place the rest of the donation, Shipman said. The beauty of a winter squash is that it keeps.

Howard said the donation is such a large quantity that most of it will be chopped-up and stored in freezers for later use. Howard said the squash will be made into mashed butternut squash with brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper.

Howard estimated 15 pounds of squash will serve 80 people, depending on the size of the portions. The squash will be used for the evening meal program, one of several Howard helps to manage. DESK is opened Sunday through Thursday and typically serves about 80 to 90 people an evening during the winter season and roughly 200 people during warmer seasons.

Our whole mission here is to provide meals for people experiencing homelessness and living in poverty, Howard said.

The vision is one day that nobody has to come here, that they will come here because they want to.

Reach Esteban L. Hernandez at 203-680-9901
NEW HAVEN  In anticipation of the bitter cold temperatures over the next several days, the state activated its severe cold weather protocol Tuesday and New Haven will open warming centers Wednesday and find overnight availability in city shelters for those in need.

In many cases when it gets this cold, the shelters are at capacity and not allowing people in, but [right now] thats not the case, said Rick Fontana, director of New Haven Emergency Operations.

Fontana said once a threshold of three days with 17-degree weather is met, the city then implements the severe cold weather protocol, which allows use of the libraries as warming centers and for the shelters to increase the number of beds and hours they remain open. He predicts next week to be much, much colder than that.

Jamil Sanchez, a residential aide at the New Haven Emergency Shelter Management System, 645 Grand Ave., said people can come to the shelter at any time of the day. He said while the shelter can only hold 75 people, we usually let 10 extra [people] in, even if they have to sleep on a chair, because at least they are warm.

Having worked at the shelter for 10 years, Sanchez said staff is prepared to house people for the week, noting they have done it before.

While the overnight warming centers dont open until Jan. 3, daytime warming centers are available at: the New Haven Free Public Library Main Building, 133 Elm St.; the Fair Haven Branch Library, 182 Grand Ave.; Mitchell Branch Library, 37 Harrison St.; Stetson Branch Library, 200 Dixwell Ave.; and Courtland Seymour Wilson Branch Library, 303 Washington Ave., all during regular hours. Visit http://nhfpl.org/ or call 203-946-8130 for more information on hours.

The Police Department will conduct increased patrols at homeless encampments to let people know the shelters are open, Fontana said. The Emergency Operations Center can be reached at 203-946-8221.

A lot of those people may feel that they dont want to go to a shelter and they would feel better going to a library and keeping warm, he said. Thats a personal decision and we understand that. But we want to make people aware of how dangerous the temperatures are going to be, where sometimes you may not realize that you are subjecting yourself to the dangerous temperatureswhich in extreme cases can be deadly.

Serious cold-related injuries and health risks can occur when the body loses its ability to warm itself, a condition known as hypothermia. Hypothermia can result in permanent tissue damage or even death if the warning signs are ignored, according to a press release.

Signs of hypothermia can include fatigue, drowsiness, uncontrolled shivering, cool bluish skin, slurred speech, clumsy movements along with irritable or irrational and confused behavior. Hypothermia can slowly overcome a patient who has been chilled by low temperatures, a brisk wind or wet clothing, the release said.

What can occur with hypothermia is that the onset can happen gradually, and thats the real danger, said Dr. Gail DOnofrio, medical director of the department of emergency medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital. People often can think they are just cold and will gradually warm up but when that doesnt happen due to prolonged exposure to cold weather, wind or wet clothing, hypothermia can quickly move in and effect a person without their realizing it. It then becomes imperative for that person to seek out medical treatment by understanding the warning signs.

DOnofrio also warned that as the colder weather approaches, those who work outside are the ones most likely to fall victim to inclement weather. Prolonged exposure to the elements can place a person in danger of frostbite, which usually affects the extremities such as fingers, toes, hands, feet, ears and the nose.

Frostbite is the deep freezing of layers of skin and tissue where the skin becomes hard and numb, and can look pale and waxy white, she said. This is extremely dangerous and requires immediate medical attention.

According to DOnofrio, people can help protect themselves by being aware of changing weather conditions, learning signs of hypothermia and frostbite, selecting proper clothing, taking short breaks in warm shelter, avoiding fatigue and exhaustion, keeping their body energized with warm, sweet beverages and using the buddy system.

With bitter cold temperatures expected over the next couple of days, we must all take precautions and continue to protect the most vulnerable among us, Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement. If anyone is in need of shelter, call 2-1-1 to find the nearest available location. I also encourage local communities to consider opening warming centers or other facilities to assist those in need.

While activated, the protocol directs staff from the states Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Department of Social Services, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Department of Housing to coordinate with 211 and Connecticuts network of shelters to ensure the most vulnerable populations are protected from severe cold weather, according to a press release.

DESPPs Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security activates its internet-based system that enables local, regional and state emergency management officials and first responders to share up-to-date information about situations and conditions. The system is used to monitor capacity at shelters across the state, enabling 211 toto assist in finding shelter space for those who need it. Local officials, working through the system, can alert 211 and the state when they open temporary shelters or warming centers.

This is the first time this winter season that the protocol has been enacted. The current protocol, in effect from 5 p.m. Tuesday, will not end until 5 p.m. Jan. 2.

Its serious. We want people to know the conditions will be dangerous and let them know there is an alternative to staying out in the streets, Fontana said. The mayor has made it clear; she doesnt want anyone out in the streets. If we could do anything in our power to put people in the shelters, thats clearly what were doing.

jessica.lerner@hearstmediact.com; @jesslerner on Twitter
NEW HAVEN  Through tears, about 40 people said the names of the 13 people experiencing homelessness known to have died this year, some without known surnames.

For a second year, Trinity Episcopal Church on the Green hosted the memorial service Thursday sponsored by the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center.

Phil Costello, clinical director of homeless care at the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, said people experiencing homelessness can often be separated from their friends on the streets, leaving people unsure if theyre alive or dead.

He said other municipalities often have a similar recognition on Dec. 21, but the city saw fit to put it after Christmas instead.

Its a rough time of year anyway, said Keith Richardson, Sr., who attended the hour-long service.

For those experiencing homelessness, being absent a family or secure home can be especially difficult around the holidays, he said.

Any recognition is better than none, he said.

Richardson said the memorial service can be helpful psychologically, because those experiencing homelessness often dont have time to mourn because the hurt of survival is so severe.

The Rev. Kevin Ewing of Center Church on the Green said during the service that it is easy to feel abandoned by Jesus in times of struggle, but his role is one of guidance.

His role is not to keep us from troubles, but to get us through them, Ewing said. Jesus himself had troubles, and he was Jesus.

Richardson said he believes the turnout to the service was low because information can only travel by word of mouth for people experiencing homelessness.

Who is the voice for the voiceless? he said, giving credit to the Trinity Episcopal Church on the Green for helping those in need.

Costello said he believes that there has been a willpower from the city and state to make housing available for residents, but many aids to ending homelessness are met with more of its causes, such as the rising opioid abuse epidemic.

Were seeing a different age group and a diversity in ethnicities (among people experiencing homelessness), he said.

Three major causes, he said, are addiction, mental illness and traumatic brain injuries.

In December, some of the biggest health risks to people experiencing homelessness are hypothermia and frostbite, but theyre vulnerable year-round to abuse, beatings and theft.

In the basement of the church, the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center had hand warmers, basic supplies and shoes as well as food donated by Ferraros, Elm City Market, Claires and Elm Diner.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
Our worst railroad nightmare has happened again - tragic fatalities in a derailment resulting from entirely preventable excessive speed. It was preventable by Positive Train Control, a life-saving technology that can slow a speeding train and stop a collision. Three people might be alive in Washington State if Congress had not delayed the deadline for implementing PTC from 2015 to 2018.

In 1970, after a head-on collision in Darien, the National Transportation Safety Board first called for installation of technology that could remove human error and automatically control train speeds and operations at critical junctures. PTC existed then as it does now, we just lack the political will to implement it.

The NTSB has been consistently urging adoption of PTC technology since then. For decades, railroads dithered and delayed, investing more time and energy in excuses than solutions. Meanwhile, more than 300 people died, thousands were injured, and millions in property damages were incurred during preventable rail collisions.

Then in 2008 in Chatsworth, Calif., a freight and passenger train collided head-on, killing 25 people and injuring 135 more. Congress took action, mandating implementation of PTC by the end of 2015.

In the next three years, railroads did next to nothing and then demanded Congress extend the deadline. Against my strong objections, Congress caved and gave railroads until the end of 2018 to complete PTC implementation. With one year left to meet the extended deadline, many railroads have little progress to show.

Shamefully, Metro-North has made little progress in implementing PTC, despite derailments that have killed and injured passengers. That includes the Spuyten Duyvil derailment in 2013 that killed four and injured more than 60 others. Today, PTC is operational nowhere on Metro-Norths 384 miles of tracka stunning failure.

Amtrak has made some progress 67 percent of its routes have PTC in operation. That was little consolation for the eight passengers killed in the Philadelphia Amtrak derailment in 2015when PTC should have been operational, but wasnt.

The U.S. Department of Transportation must be aggressive and assertive in imposing strong fines and penalties for any railroad that fails to meet the 2018 deadline. Congress must hold their feet to the fire and refuse additional extensions. We cannot afford further delay of this lifesaving technology.

It will cost Amtrak an estimated $150 million to install PTC on its tracks nationwide. The Philadelphia derailment and resulting service disruptions alone cost the Northeast regional economy billions. Amtrak paid out more in claimsreportedly $265 millionthan the cost to implement PTC. The cost in lives is immeasurable. This basic math is played out across all railroads nationwide.

Following the law and implementing Positive Train Control by the 2018 deadline is the least we can do, but theres more. Many railroads still lack other basic, proven safety technology, including redundant signal protection, inward-and-outward facing cameras and alerters to keep passengers and worker safe. Our rail grade crossings rely on 19th century technology. Nationwide, our tracks and bridges are decaying and we lack modern technology to inspect them.

Patch and pray is our nations rail funding plan today. We pour meager resources into our system and hope our decrepit and dated infrastructure and technology will hold out for one more day. Service disruptions along Amtraks Northeast Corridor alone cost our national economy over $500 million each year. The U.S. DOT estimates we have a $90 billion backlog in projects needed to repair our nations public transportation infrastructure. Experts have concluded the passenger rail line between DC and Boston needs an investment of nearly $40 billion just to keep pace with growing needs. My Democratic colleagues and I proposed a plan to reverse the backloga plan that would put 1.9 million people to work, reduce injuries, save lives and bring our transportation infrastructure into the 21st century. We need bipartisan work but the president has no proposal after a year in office.

The costs in lives and dollars from crashes on our railroads can be saved, but only by investment now.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal is Connecticuts senior U.S. senator. He is a Democrat.
A suspended member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Thursday met President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.The member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State who was at a time the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, refused to give details of the meeting while speaking with State House correspondents. He simply said it was a meeting between a son and a father.As you are aware, I have not seen the President for a while now. It was a meeting between a son and a father, he said.When asked if the purpose of the meeting was to seek Buharis intervention on his travails, Jibrin said, I cannot comment in that regard. The most important is that I saw him and he was in a very high spirit. I greeted like a son and he spoke to me like a father.
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has lambasted Governor Ayodele Fayose over the latters comments and actions about hi...

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has lambasted Governor Ayodele Fayose over the latters comments and actions about him.

He also described the attempt being made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reclaim power in 2019 as plot to continue to loot the country.





The Minister of Mines and Steel Development urged Nigerians not to use the current fuel scarcity to rate President Muhammadu Buharis performances.





What we are witnessing is just a normal curve in the life of any administration. We will get over it and move on, but largely President has not disappointed Nigerians, he said.





The Minister described the panel of enquiry inaugurated by Fayose to probe his administration as a kangaroo one, noting that it was an attempt to smear his reputation and render him unpopular.





Fayose stock in trade is lying against someone to score political gains. They started with the probe of N852 million UBEC fund and when they knew they could not go far, they started concocting lies and said.I looted N17 billion.





Let t us wait and see who will go to jail between Fayose and I. I have been out of office and I am still moving free, but I am sure he wont be able to walk free on the streets after losing immunity because of the way he has run the state aground, he stated.





Addressing the pressmen in Isan Ekiti in Oye local government area of Ekiti State on Wednesday, Fayemi said Nigerians would ensure that PDP didnt return to power because of the high level of looting it perpetrated while in the saddle.





Fayemi, who didnt say categorically whether he is still nursing governorship ambition, said the APC is very committed to making sure that Ekiti rejoins the league of developing states by ensuring that the party wins the 2018 governorship poll.





What the PDP want to come back and do is stealing. The options for Nigerians in 2019 is to either return to the old age of criminalization and brigandage by voting for the PDP, because nothing to convince Nigerians that they have changed with the shenanigans that characterised their national convention and poor performances by their governors.





Up to now, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and his henchmen have not apologized about how they ran the country aground. So, there is nothing to suggest that PDP remains a credible alternative to APC in 2019, he said.





Fayemi further discountenanced attacks by his political adversaries that he has not used his ministerial position for the benefit of the state.





What I have done is measurable and clear. This government has began the construction of a federal secretariat and housing estate in Ekiti; the rail-line was extended to this state in the FGs proposal due to my intervention.





4,000 Ekiti indigenes are benefitting from N-power and very soon it will go up to 12,000. The proposal for kaolin exploration in Ekiti has just been completed; that of the bauxite will begin soon.




The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to Liberia has released its preliminary report on Tuesdays presidential runoff polls in the countr...

The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to Liberia has released its preliminary report on Tuesdays presidential runoff polls in the country, declaring it as peaceful, transparent and fair.

Head of the mission and former President of Ghana, Mr John Mahama, presented the report at a joint press conference with the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) in Monrovia on Wednesday evening.





However, Mahama was quick to note that the declaration was limited to the point of vote counting.





The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission noted with satisfaction the peaceful conduct of the Dec. 26, 2017 poll in the Republic of Liberia.





Most of the polling places visited opened not later than 15 minutes after the official opening time of 8 a.m., with an effective presence of representatives of both parties (CDC and UP) in all the polling places covered.





On the whole, the processing of voters and the casting of ballots followed acceptable standards and were in accordance with the laws and procedures governing elections in the country, he said.





The mission appealed to the two candidates in the runoff and their supporters to accept the will of the electoral, and explore legal means of seeking redress in the event of genuine grievances.





While congratulating Liberians for their patience, determination and peaceful conduct so far, the ECOWAS team appealed to them to sustain the spirit until the end of the process.





In its preliminary report presented by its Head of mission, Mr Erastus Mwencha, the AU team said the runoff was conducted in an orderly and efficient manner and in a peaceful atmosphere.





The mission concludes that despite the legal challenges faced by NEC, compounded by the limited timeline to prepare, the Dec. 26, 2017 presidential runoff election was conducted in an orderly and efficient manner, within a calm and peaceful environment.





The mission commends all Liberians for their patience during the legal challenges, which demonstrated their strong commitment to peace and democratic consolidation.





All stakeholders should continue to strive for a sustained peace and peaceful transition and democratic consolidation.




The Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu has made a strong case for parliamentary system of government in the country.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu has made a strong case for parliamentary system of government in the country.

He argued that the presidential system of government have a disconnect with the people, which makes the system too expensive and cumbersome.





Senator Ekweremadu spoke during a parliamentary session of the Enugu West Peoples Assembly which took place in Udi Local Government Headquarters of Enugu State.





At the session, opportunities were given to the people in the grassroots to interact and hold the leadership of the Senatorial District accountable.





Ekweremadu explained that the Enugu West Parliamentary session was an example of democracy in action which enabled everyone to air his or her opinions, ask questions and demand answers.





He said you can see that all your representatives are here from the Senate to the house of Assembly, including the Chairman of Local Government Areas and Councilors, taking questions and giving answers.





This is democracy in action. I can assure you that this is how democracy is practiced for the benefit of the people.





Our parliament which is the Enugu West Peoples Assembly is the best in the world because every body who is supposed to be here is in attendance and actively involved in process. It is face to face. The people and their representatives.





The Deputy President of the Senate also argued that the parliamentary system of government will not only make it faster and easier to pass legislation but will help institute the will of the people, which will clearly quicken legislative action.





He maintained that the parliamentary system of government will engender more robust debates which always brings out the best in a democracy and assured the people that all their requests will be captured in both the Federal, State and Local Government budgets.





He used the opportunity to announce the state governments intention to establish two industrial Parks in the State- one at the 9th mile area and the other at Emene, arguing that it will help boost youth empowerment.





Chief Ekwermadu encouraged the youths to avail themselves of the opportunities offered by the European Vocational School, that was facilitated by him to learn skills that will help empower them in no small ways, advising other well meaning Nigerians to sponsor the youths to the school.





Most legislators and government officials in attendance took questions from the people, including Hon Toby Okechukwu, member representing Aninri/Awgu/Orji  River Federal Constituency, Hon. Dennis Amadi, Representing Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency, Traditional Rulers, Constituents among others.




Abdulmumin Jibrin, the suspended member of the House of Representatives, on Thursday, met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidenti...

Abdulmumin Jibrin, the suspended member of the House of Representatives, on Thursday, met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja.

Jibrin, told State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with Buhari, that his encounter with the president was a meeting between a son and a father.





He dismissed the assertion that he was in the villa to seek presidential intervention over his political crisis in the House of Representatives.





He said: I cannot comment in that regard. The most important is that I saw him and he is a very high spirit. I greeted like a son and he spoke to me like a father.





On the agitation for his recall by some concerned individuals, Jibrin, who has been on suspension for the past 16 months, said it was only normal for people to cry for justice in the society.





Of course Nigerians like justice, my constituency has been suspended for 16 months.





So, is only normal that people will talk and ask questions, why are we not back on the aspect of court case that has been lingering in the court for the past 16 months.





I think these are some of the reasons people are raising issues in the public glare, he said.





Commenting on the recent recall of Sen. Ali Ndume by the Senate, Jibrin said his situation was similar to that of Ndume, saying that Ndume was however lucky to be recalled.





That is the interesting thing about the situation. The same case, similar case, identical case was dispense with within two months but Im is still hanging in the court system but again I know the Nigerian judiciary is just so Im pretty sure that soonest I will be able to get judgement and my constituency will soon get back to the house.




Much of the year, this column spotlight bad business practices and companies that hurt consumers.

But today, we want to highlight the good.

Here are Bamboozled's heroes of 2017.

A HELPFUL NEIGHBOR

When Pete Hamerslag of Martinsville learned his neighbor was in trouble, he stepped in and made a huge difference.

The neighbor, Joe Becker, 90, purchased a long-term care insurance policy when he was 72 years old.

Over the years, he paid $75,000 in premiums to make sure the policy would be there to help should he ever need long-term care.

Becker knew how important it was to keep the policy in force. After his wife had a stroke, he spent years caring for her until her death in 2015.

A few months after becoming a widower, Becker had a fall, breaking several ribs. He had moments of confusion during his recovery, and he missed a payment on his long-term care policy.

Joe Becker and Pete Hamerslag look over the long-term care insurance policy.

When Hamerslag learned Becker received a missed payment notice, he tried to help. He contacted the insurance company - Senior Health Insurance Company of Pennsylvania (SHIP) - and sent a check for the full premium.

SHIP said no. The policy was cancelled, and it would only be reinstated if either state regulations or the policy's language required it to.

The company said Becker could file a request for reinstatement, but when he did, it was denied. SHIP didn't accept that Becker, at the time of the missed payment, was suffering from "cognitive impairment," a condition that would allow for reinstatement -- despite what Becker's doctor said.

Hamerslag wasn't ready to give up. He contacted Bamboozled, but our efforts didn't change the company's mind, either.

So he filed a complaint with the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI), submitting evidence to support the temporary "cognitive impairment."

Before long, a DOBI investigator told the pair that SHIP agreed to reinstate the policy.

Kudos to Hamerslag for all his efforts. (He wants to give a shout-out to the others in the Spring Run neighborhood who help Becker with everything from food to transportation and more.)

He is a good neighbor, indeed.

MOTOR VEHICLE COMMISSON

Yes, the Motor Vehicle Commission. MVC. Rarely is this agency on a list of good. It is this time, and well-deserved.

MVC has gone above and beyond to help our readers even though the stories never appeared in this column.

You see, Bamboozled can't always write about every reader complaint that comes in. But we can sometimes get the complaint in front of the right people. That's what has happened here.

MVC has in the past offered to help our readers even if Bamboozled won't feature what's going on in a story.

And it certainly has helped.

There was the reader who mailed in his registration renewal along with a check for $71.50. Nearly two months after the check was cashed, he still hadn't received the new registration. The driver asked for the status at an MVC location, but was told he would have to pay the fee again. He knew that wasn't right. When Bamboozled asked MVC to investigate, it resolved the issue on the same day.

Then there was the reader whose husband suffered a spinal cord injury. He was in a rehab facility when his driver's license was set to expire, and the renewal was required to be in person. The wife called MVC to see if he could get an extension on the renewal . She was told to send an email but she didn't get a response. When we asked MVC to look, it found an answer because of the special circumstance. The husband didn't get a new license, but a letter extending the validity of his current license for a year.

Cheers to you, MVC, for all the help.

'DO-THE-RIGHT THING' LEGISLATORS

It's pretty common to hear complaints about "do nothing" legislators -- public servants who don't seem to get anything done for their constituents.

Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz and Senator Tom Kean get a Bamboozled high-five for taking action that didn't result in legislation, but instead encouraged -- some might say pressured --hospices to make things right for their customers.

The backstory came when Margaret Shaw's mother Ida Shaw needed hospice care.

The family chose Center for Hope in Scotch Plains.

Margaret Shaw and photos of her deceased mother, Ida Shaw.

The cost was $390 a day, and they would have to pay for seven days to reserve a bed. The seven days would start on a Monday, even though Ida Shaw wouldn't move in until Tuesday.

Margaret Shaw paid the non-refundable $2,730.

Ida Shaw died on the Thursday after two-and-a-half days of care.

Margaret Shaw thought it wasn't right to pay for days of care that her mother didn't receive, but the contract said the money was non-refundable.

Shaw next reached out to several legislators with a plea for new legislation banning hospice centers from charging fees for services not rendered.

Munoz and Kean took it on, introducing matching bills in their respective houses.

"This would prevent a hospice from charging a patient or family member for time periods in which the hospice is not providing services and the hospice is free to place another patient in the bed," the Assembly version said.

Of course, the hospice industry didn't like that one bit.

A hospice industry group reached out to the legislators, hoping to avoid a new law.

The Home Care & Hospice Association of New Jersey instead promised hospices would change their billing practices.

"To better assist families during stressful times, all these licensed hospices that own residences have adopted policies that provide for a refund of facility deposits for any day in which a patient is not a resident in the facility," said Chrissy Buteas, the group's president and CEO, in a letter.

The group said it would make sure "this policy is consistently applied statewide."

The result is that same as what would have come from the legislation.

Hats off to Munoz and Kean for applying just the right amount of pressure so seniors and their families are protected.

'DO THE RIGHT THING' CONSUMER

If your insurance company sent you $14,000, would you keep it?

Jim Quinn didn't.

His is a story of insanely high medical bills and why we should care, even if our insurance will cover the costs.

Quinn had a bicycle accident and ended up in the emergency room. He left with a broken wrist and a broken clavicle, and a bill for nearly $30,000.

The charges included more than $17,000 for "surgery," but he didn't have surgery. He was seen by two residents, X-rayed and sent home.

Quinn's insurance company had no problem paying the bill.

Jim Quinn sits with his medical bills.

After investigating the charges, which included fees for two ambulances, Quinn was unsatisfied.

He didn't want the insurance company to pay what he believed were exorbitant charges.

We learned the "surgery" charge was simply a code for the bill submitted by the orthopedist -- who Quinn never actually saw -- but that wasn't good enough for Quinn.

He kept fighting, and eventually got the orthopedist to lower his fee.

Because the doctor was out-of-network, Quinn had in hand a check from his insurance company that he was supposed to use to pay the doctor. Now that the doctor had lowered his fee, Quinn had $14,000 left over.

He didn't keep it. He returned it to the insurance company.

We need more people like Quinn to fight over questionable medical charges, even if they're covered by insurance. Otherwise, we're all going to pay more.

BAMBOOZLED READERS

Our final hero of 2017 is you, dear reader.

This column couldn't be possible if you weren't willing to come forward with your complaints, putting yourselves out there with your real names and faces, to try to resolve disputes. Your bravery not only helps you, but it helps other Bamboozled readers as we all learn about consumer protections and how to battle questionable company practices.

Thank you for trusting us.

Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com.

Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.
Q. My son passed away on Nov. 15, 2017. He left delinquent notices from four police departments and the amount owed on is enormous. Is the parent of an adult child responsible? He also has a very large surcharge owed to New Jersey for traffic fines.

-- Mom

A. We're sorry to hear of your son's untimely passing.

It looks like you're off the hook for these debts.

"Unless your son had assets that you kept, or you are the representative of the estate and estate has the means to pay the fines, you as the parent are generally not responsible for those debts and most other debts -- unless you made an agreement with a creditor or court, signed a guarantee or were a co-signor on the debt," said Anthony Vignier, a certified financial planner and attorney with Vignier Investment Group in Kearny.

If your son had assets, it is possible that you may need to probate the estate, Vignier said.

If there are no assets, you should send a letter by certified mail explaining that he died and provide a copy of his death certificate, Vignier said.

"Since you mention that he had a large debt it may be beneficial for you to meet with a probate attorney to review your case in more detail just to be safe," he said.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.
The last week of the year inside the Montclair tax collector's office is usually a quiet one, interrupted by the occasional shuffling of old paperwork.

But this year, the six-member staff is all hands on deck. Residents, worried about the impact of a tax bill championed by President Donald Trump are rushing to prepay their property tax bills, hoping to cash in on full deductions before new caps set in.

The blitz is happening across New Jersey -- the state with the nation's highest property taxes.

"We are getting a ton of phone calls, a ton of emails and a lot of traffic in person," Montclair's tax collector Lidia Leszczynski said Wednesday. "Absolutely nonstop."

To assist property owners, Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday issued an executive order directing municipalities to accept pre-payments from taxpayers for at least the first and second quarters of 2018. Several towns, including Lambertville and Union Township (Union County) have already announced plans to remain open this weekend to allow residents to prepay their taxes. The tax payments must be postmarked before the end of the year Sunday.

Those who prepay hope they will be able to claim the payments on their 2017 federal income tax returns, before the new law kicks in on Monday. However, it's not yet clear whether the IRS will allow all who prepay to take advantage of the deductions.

The Republican-passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts caps the total deduction for state and local property taxes and income or sales taxes at $10,000-- less than half of what an average New Jersey homeowner claims, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Currently, there is no limit on how much New Jersey homeowners can claim in property taxes on their federal income tax returns.

Leszczynski said at least 50 people a day are showing up in her Montclair office, and all six of her staff members are chipping in to help process tax payments.



"Usually, it's nothing at all like this. It's quiet toward the end of the year, we start setting up for next year and filing stuff away," she said. "This has been maybe even busier than the tax quarter."

Rumson's tax office said its phones have not stopped ringing all week. Offices in Loch Arbour, Alphine, Deal, Tenafly, Middletown and Princeton all confirmed an increase in people coming to prepay their property taxes. An Essex Fells official said twice as many people are prepaying their taxes, compared to last year.

"The lines have been out the door and we're taking in a few million (dollars) more this year," said Summit spokeswoman Amy Cairns.

Mike Cerra, assistant executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, said while prepaying is not common, it's not unprecedented.

"Snowbirds often do it," he said. "They want to take care of it in advance and not have to think about it until they get back." He said media attention has prompted more questions from residents and municipalities.

"I think when all is said and done, the universe that's able to take advantage of this is probably relatively small," Cerra said.

Montclair resident Sharyn Taylor told NJ Advance Media she paid her 2018 property taxes in full on Wednesday. Taylor said her accountant sent an email to her clients last week recommending they prepay their property taxes if they exceed $10,000.

"I'm hoping to take the most advantage, I'm hoping to pay fewer taxes and be able to take the deduction this year," said Taylor.

Officials in Millburn and Old Tappan said they, too, have had residents pay property taxes for the entire year, not just the first two quarters. Millburn Business Administrator Alex McDonald said the prepayment spike was a result of tax code overhaul.

"That could be the only explanation there is," McDonald said. "I think they're just being cautious in case they have the ability to deduct some of their property taxes from 2017."

While McDonald said while his office can't give tax advice, it is telling residents to seek guidance from their tax consultants or other appropriate people.

The Montclair tax collector's office is extending its hours to Saturday and will be open from 10 - 3 p.m.

"We've never been open on Saturday before, it's never happened before," Leszczynski said.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Claude Brodesser-Akner, Brent Johnson, and Samantha Marcus contributed to this report.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Molly J. Smith | The Jersey Journal

By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal

The biggest political news of the year in Hudson County came out of The Mile Square City. Ravi Bhalla, the 43-year-old lawyer and Hoboken councilman, eked out a win in the six-way mayor's race to become the first Sikh elected mayor in New Jersey history. He attributed his victory to an army of volunteers and the popularity of incumbent Mayor Dawn Zimmer. His critics think a last-minute controversy in the race  fliers appeared in Hoboken calling the turbaned Bhalla a terrorist  garnered sympathy from voters and swung votes in his direction.

Don't Edit

Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, 40, said he wanted a re-election win for the record books and voters granted him that wish: on Nov. 7 he won a bigger share of the vote than any other popularly elected Jersey City mayor. His final total was a smidgen under 78 percent, beating the old record-holder, Jerramiah Healy, who won re-election in 2005 with 75 percent of the vote.

More good news for Fulop: when he begins his second term next week, he will have six allies on the nine-member City Council, the same number he had going into November's municipal contest.

Don't Edit

Seth Wenig | AP Photo

It was the threat heard 'round the state: U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat whose federal corruption case ended in a mistrial on Nov. 16, told members of the press gathered outside a federal courthouse in Newark, "To those who were digging my political grave so they could jump into my seat, I know who you are and I won't forget you." The target was anyone who thought they could succeed him if he went to jail (the consensus is Fulop and Bob Torricelli were the chief targets).

Menendez's fans thought it was hilarious. His critics thought it sounded like a warning worthy of the mafia. Menendez clearly has no second thoughts: when Jersey City artist Amy Wilson turned the quote into an iron-on patch, the senator showed it off to the press down in D.C.

Don't Edit

Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal

Thirty-four men and women ran for the nine seats on Jersey City's council this year and there were a few hotly contested races. But James Solomon's win in Ward E stands out as the most consequential. Solomon, 33, was the only candidate who ran an anti-Fulop campaign and won (Fulop's chief council critics, Rich Boggiano and Michael Yun, took a largely gloves-off approach to the mayor during their winning campaigns). Solomon says he will work with the mayor. Few believe that.

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Michael Dempsey | The Jersey Journal

Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, 54, was hit with a sexual harassment scandal in May when a now-former city worker, Stacie Percella, went public with lewd texts Davis sent her during and after his successful bid for mayor in 2014. Davis' camp has shrugged off the messages as off-color banter between two friends (Percella is a former Davis supporter), while the mayor's critics are relentless in their attempt to tie Davis to the countless men who have since been accused of sexual misconduct. Davis is seeking a second term in May.

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Carolyn Kaster | AP Photo

Hudson County is not Trump country (just 23 percent of voters here opted for Trump over Hillary Clinton in November 2016) so it should not surprise anyone that the Republican president became Democrats' favorite new boogeyman here just as he did nationwide. The Jersey City teachers union tried to tie two of the city's assembly reps to the president, officials around the county said new sanctuary city orders would send a message to Trump and locals protested outside Jersey City's Trump towers. For now there seems to be no better way for local pols to gain popularity than to bash the president.

Don't Edit

Three years ago, Jersey City's then-chief of staff, Muhammed Akil, and city official Shawn Thomas had a conversation about, among other things, an energy consultant contract the city was about to award. Unfortunately for them, Akil accidentally recorded the highly profane conversation on a voicemail to Business Administrator Bob Kakoleski when Akil called Kakoleski and forgot to hang up the phone. Though the recording, which surfaced this year as part of a harassment lawsuit filed by a city worker, is garbled, it sounds like Akil and Thomas are talking about an effort to steer the contract to a favored bidder. The campaign of Fulop's mayoral foe, Bill Matsikoudis, tried to use news about the voicemail to ding Fulop in the mayor's race. It didn't work, but one Downtown voter wrote in "Kakos voicemail box" for mayor.

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Michael Dempsey | The Jersey Journal

Mussab Ali, 20, made history in November when he was elected to the Jersey City school board. School officials believe he is the youngest person ever elected to the nine-member panel. Ali's victory was also a lesson in the importance of getting out every vote: his edge over his sole opponent was just 68 votes.

Don't Edit

Jared Kushner's decision in 2011 to start scooping up properties in Jersey City started giving him headaches when he became a senior adviser to President Trump in January. Kushner's newfound power led to a brighter spotlight on his and his family's real-estate dealings in Jersey City, including a deal that allowed them to use the high jobless rates on the city's south end to win foreign investment in a luxury residential tower in the upscale Downtown.

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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

In one of those only-in-Jersey tales, Leona Beldini, a burlesque dancer-turned Jersey City deputy mayor-turned federal inmate behind bars for taking bribes, revived her burlesque act (the clean bits anyway) for a one-night-only benefit in May to raise money for local dance troupe The Kennedy Dancers.

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Don't Edit

2017 year in review continues all week

Here are some of the year-in-review stories scheduled for the rest of the week:

-- Top Bayonne stories

-- Top court stories

-- Photos of the year

-- Sports photos of the year

-- Top stories of the year

-- 2017 homicides

Also be sure to check out our most unbelievable stories from 2017, as well as our most viewed online stories of the year.

Don't Edit

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
BAYONNE -- A city man wanted in four states was arrested this week after police caught him breaking into a car, authorities said.

Miguel A. Sanchez Jr., 47, of East 25th Street, was arrested Tuesday just before 4 a.m. when police found him rummaging through a white BMW sedan in the area of Newman Avenue and West Seventh Street, police Capt. Joseph Scerbo said.

After telling police the car did not belong to him, Sanchez attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended by officers, police said.

A subsequent investigation revealed the 47-year-old had also burglarized four other vehicles -- all of which were left unlocked -- and was found in possession of "numerous items" that were taken from the cars, Scerbo said.

Sanchez was charged with five counts of burglary, two counts of theft, and one count of obstructing a governmental function, authorities said.

He also had two warrants out of Bayonne with a bail of $300.

Additionally, the Bayonne man was charged with four counts of being a fugitive from justice -- he wanted in Detroit for breaking and entering; Reading, Pennsylvania for burglary; and Lebanon, Pennsylvania for failure to appear.

He is also wanted out of Florida.

Sanchez was remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Facility He appeared in Hudson County Superior Court on Wednesday and was detained. A hearing will be held on Tuesday.

Journal Staff Writer Michaelangelo Conte contributed to this report.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
HOBOKEN - Three Hoboken police officers were assaulted during arrests this week, prompting a social media response from the police chief, who said his cops are being assaulted by bar-goers far too often.

The latest assaults left an ex-Marine in jail for Christmas and a New York man slapped with terroristic threat charges after saying he would come back and shoot a police sergeant when he was released from custody, authorities said.

The chief said the attacks on police are fueled by alcohol and drugs.

At about 3 a.m. on Sunday, police spotted "pushing and shoving" on Hudson Street near Newark Street. The officers met 24-year-old Vincent Bordano, who identified himself as a former Marine, said he was angry that someone had hit his girlfriend, Hoboken police said in a statement.

Police said his girlfriend, 30-year-old Eileen Boyce, was drunk and the officers requested an ambulance for her. Bordano tried pulling Boyce away from police because he did not want her to go to the hospital. Boyce punched an officer in the chest and the officer fell to the ground, police said.

Bordano "took a fighting stance" and bit an officer during his arrest. Boyce started kicking and flailing, forcing officers to use their pepper spray. A few minutes later, both were placed under arrest. Boyce was released on a summons and Bordano was remanded to the Hudson County jail.

Then just after midnight on Wednesday, police were called to break up a fight involving a knife at 1 Republik. The officers arrived and arrested 28-year-old Christopher Spillane, who started banging on a glass window with his sister. He was holding a fork, which authorities first thought was a knife, and threatened to kill the officers, police said.

The officers handcuffed him in front of his body because he had a metal brace on his arm. He and his sister were able to break away from police. When police finally brought him into custody, he tried hitting the cops with the brace, the release indicates.

At police headquarters, Spillane repeatedly threw himself to the floor and kicked an officer. Police used restraints to bring him under control and he was transported to a hospital for treatment. Before he was taken away, he said he would come back to shoot one of the sergeants, police said.

One officer, who was punched and bit, was out of work for several days, while another officer, who restrained Spillane, suffered a cut near his eye.

Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante commented about the incidents on Twitter, saying at least 10 officers have been assaulted in past two months. Some of those assaults stemmed from the rowdy SantaCon bar crawl earlier this month.

Lieut @ecruz38 will be sending out press releases on both incidents shortly. Over past 2 months, situations of individuals under infl of alcohol or drugs, fighting officers or attacking officers as they makw arrests is becoming too frequent. Approx 10 officer assaults in 2 months https://t.co/b32mdsmOsn  Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) December 27, 2017

Over past 2 months, situations of individuals under (the influence) of alcohol or drugs, fighting officers or attacking officers as they (make) arrests is becoming too frequent," he wrote.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Drivers getting off the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 15E this afternoon were faced with a tight squeeze in the wake of the closure of the eastbound lanes of the Hudson County Extension bridge.

UPDATE: Repairs will be completed after rush hour Thursday

Traffic patterns at the Lincoln Tunnel and Port Authority Bus Terminal have been modified this evening to accommodate drivers who would normally use the New York-bound Holland Tunnel, the P.A. said in a statement.

Because of the indefinite closure of the eastbound lanes of the Turnpike Extension bridge from Interchange 14 in Newark to 14A in Bayonne, the P.A. will maintain three lanes in each direction through the Lincoln Tunnel tubes to ease traffic flow and the arrival of buses to the bus terminal in Midtown.

The New York-bound express bus lane will be operational during the Thursday morning commute, the P.A. said.

The P.A. is advising commuters to leave additional time as the closure is causing tie-ups for travelers who normally use the bridge to get to Bayonne, Jersey City and the Holland Tunnel.

The bridge was closed due to a "critical'' structural problem this morning, according to the Turnpike Authority. At the time, engineers estimated repairs would take at least 36 hours.
JERSEY CITY -- A Texas marina company and the state Department of Environmental Protection have agreed on the terms of a new lease that would allow the company to expand its current marina in Liberty State Park and build a new one on the park's south end.

The tentative agreement between Suntex Marinas and the DEP puts the controversial marina expansion plan one step closer to reality. The proposal, criticized by park advocates as a commercial takeover of the 1,200-acre park, must be reviewed by the DEP and approved by the State House Commission.

The DEP, which oversees the park, has argued that the marina expansion is necessary to pay for bulkhead repair on the north end of the park that the state estimates could cost as much as $43 million. The tentative agreement requires Suntex to pay reduced rent to the state in exchange for paying up to $25 million for the bulkhead repair.

"The new agreement between DEP and Suntex aims to improve and enhance the park's current infrastructure and its amenities," DEP spokesman Robert Geist said.

The next step is a public information session Suntex must host at Liberty State Park in the next month. A Suntex representative was not immediately available to comment on whether one has been scheduled.

The plan would allow Suntex to lease 45 acres (including land and water) on the south end of Liberty State Park for a 300-slip marina and potentially a restaurant or office. Right now the area is largely open space used for passive recreation.

The lease would also allow Suntex to expand the marina it runs on the north end by 10 acres.

Park advocates like Sam Pesin, who runs Friends of Liberty State Park, have urged the state to halt the marina expansion plan, saying it would ruin the peaceful nature of that side of the park and possibly endanger wildlife. Jersey City has hired a law firm to fight the plan.

Reached by phone, Pesin said Suntex has not responded to his questions about the plan.

"I thought that maybe they had a heart and maybe they had a conscience but evidently they are only interested in their profits," he told The Jersey Journal.

Pesin added that he wants Suntex to host its meeting on a Saturday to allow for "maximum public participation."

Pesin's late father, Morris, lobbied for the creation of Liberty State Park and also fought plans to add various commercial ventures.

In addition to Suntex's information session, the DEP will host two public hearings on the marina expansion plan.

The proposed lease between the state and Suntex would run for up to 50 years. Suntex would pay $900,000 in annual rent to the state for the first three years, an amount that increases by between $150,000 and $250,000 every year, according to the terms of the proposed lease.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
A 14-year-old Secaucus High School student was arrested in the school and was charged with possession and distribution of marijuana oil, Secaucus police said.

The boy faces a number of counts, including intent to distribute on school property and possession of drug paraphernalia, Secaucus police Capt. Dennis Miller said. The boy was arrested on Dec. 21 at 10:49 a.m. after a school resource officer was contacted by the principal.

The 14-year-old was selling the hash oil to be used in vape pens, Miller said. He was processed and released to a parent.

The police report did not mention any other arrests at the Millridge Road school, which is connected to the middle school. Superintendent Jennifer Montesano could not be reached for comment.

Despite the arrest, Miller said the high school is a safe environment for the children. He also noted that there is a school resource officer, a town police officer, stationed at the school every day.
JERSEY CITY -- A Newark woman was arrested on Christmas Eve after authorities say she went on a shoplifting spree at two stores in Kearny and bit an employee at one of them.

Tawana Edwards, 48, of Georgia King Village, is charged with shoplifting $1,200 worth of merchandise from Marshalls in Kearny and $135 in items from the nearby ShopRite.

Officers responding to the Passaic Avenue grocery store on a report of a disorderly shoplifter found the apparently intoxicated Edwards being detained by store employees, according to a criminal complaint.

One employee told police that Edwards bit his hand while she was being stopped but he had not suffer a serious injury, the complaint says. The use of force during a theft raises the charge to robbery, a more serious offense.

A second complaint states Edwards was captured on security video taking items at the nearby Marshalls and leaving the store without paying on the same day.

During a search at the police station, Edwards was found to be have a pipe and she was additionally charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, the complaint says.

She made her first appearance on the charges Tuesday in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.

At the hearing, the state moved to detain her through the course of her prosecution. A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.
A 10-acre property with nearly a half-mile of trout stream has been permanently preserved through a partnership between Lebanon Township and the Bedminster-based nonprofit Raritan Headwaters.

The partnership just purchased the former Dempsey family property at 97 Red Mill Road for $134,200. The land will be owned and managed by Lebanon Township for passive recreation, including fishing, hiking and nature observation.

"We're happy to preserve this land as a public park, and grateful to partner with Raritan Headwaters," said Deputy Mayor Mike Schmidt. "The property has about half a mile of frontage along the Spruce Run. It's a trout-stocked stream, so it provides significant recreational benefits."

Funding for the purchase came from a state Green Acres grant to Raritan Headwaters, and Hunterdon County grants to both Raritan Headwaters and Lebanon Township.

The New Jersey Water Supply Authority contributed funds for surveys, appraisals and related costs.

"This wonderful piece of property is only a few miles upstream from the Spruce Run reservoir, an important drinking water resource for millions of New Jersey residents," said Cindy Ehrenclou, executive director of Raritan Headwaters. "Preserving this land and a half-mile of the Spruce Run helps protect clean water, so we were excited for the opportunity to work with Lebanon Township to buy it."

The property is site of a former grist mill dating back to 1770, for which Red Mill Road is named. Because of the deteriorating condition of the mill, said Schmidt, it had to be demolished before the sale.

However, he said, the former mill race - which diverted water from the stream to power the mill - still exists and will be converted to a trail. Parts of the mill's stone foundation are also still there, along with old mill stones. "Our intention is to keep the history there, to tell people the story of the mill," Schmidt said.

With the purchase of the Dempsey property, several sections of the Spruce Run are now protected.

"The parcel across the stream is already protected through farmland preservation, and both sides of the Spruce Run are forested," said George Schaberg, RHA's land projects manager. "This creates the perfect buffer and shade that the river needs to flow clear and cool."

The source of the Spruce Run is in the Crystal Springs Preserve, a Hunterdon County park in the northern corner of Lebanon Township. The purchase of that preserve was funded by a consortium of Hunterdon County, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Water Supply Authority, Hunterdon Land Trust, Washington Township Land Trust and Lebanon Township.

Significant portions of the Spruce Run located upstream and downstream from the Red Mill property are also preserved, including a large section that passes through the Miquin Woods Preserve, a former Boy Scout camp in Lebanon Township that is now owned by Hunterdon County.

Submitted by Raritan Headwaters
On Dec. 6, 2017 Freedom House was one of the treatment centers selected by Jiangsu Province, China to visit on their trip to the United States. Their mission was to visit successful drug treatment, rehabilitation and recovery programs and learn treatment methodologies here in the United States. During their research they learned that Freedom House is recognized as an international model having a treatment center in Denmark which follows the Freedom House programming structure. The meeting was a learning experience for both parties, which included cultural and the substance of choice differences between countries. While heroin is a rising epidemic in the United States , crack cocaine and synthetic methoxetamine is the rising epidemic in China.

Freedom House's guests from Jiangsu Province, China consisted of Gao Rujun, Director General for Drug Administration, Liu Jian, Director for Drug Administration, and four Commissar's from Jiangsu Fangqiang Enforced Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Centers: Fang Xianquan, Yin He, Liu Weizhen and Shen Jianping. Baker and Rannells Attorneys at Law were the liaison and local host to the contingent from Jiangsu Province. Representatives from the law firm included John M. Rannells, Senior Partner and Pei-Lun Chang, Senior Associate Attorney who also acted as the meeting's translator.

As a token of appreciation Gao Rujun presented a gift to Freedom House. Mr. Rujun explained these are the gifts presented to Kings. The visitors from China were grateful for the hospitality and formally invited Freedom House to visit them in Jiangsu Province, China.
A Trenton man serving a New Jersey prison term for three crimes - including running over a detective's foot - was sentenced to nine to 18 years behind bars in Pennsylvania Wednesday.

Kevin Lewis

Kevin Lewis, 28, is currently at a prison in South Jersey serving a five-year term for drug dealing, assaulting an officer and eluding police, from incidents in Trenton in the spring and summer of 2015.

During that summer, Lewis was also dealing drugs in lower Bucks County, Pa., the Bucks County District Attorney's office said. Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to making two heroin sales - in Morrisville and Lower Makefield.

The office said a confidential informant bought 50 bags of heroin from Lewis for $240 outside the Hampton Inn on Stony Hill Road in Lower Makefield on July 29, 2015.

And on Aug. 4, 2015, an undercover Lower Makefield officer who had dealt with Lewis during the July buy bought 49 more bags from him behind the Smokin' Joe's tobacco shop on East Trenton Avenue in Morrisville, the office said.

That deal ended with police trying to arrest Lewis, who bolted in his car.

Lewis hopped a curb, nearly struck the officer and raced toward Trenton at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, the district attorney's office said. He disappeared in the city, but a U.S. Marshals' task force arrested him the next day.

At the time, Lewis had pending drug dealing cases in Trenton.

In June 2015, he and an accomplice ran over Trenton Detective Jason Astbury's foot as he and his partner were investigating a suspected heroin deal behind Perry Street.

Lewis was arrested and later sentenced to prison in New Jersey in December 2016 on that case, and one from May 2015.

Lewis is eligible for parole in New Jersey in March, and his sentence is scheduled to end in March 2020.

When he's released he will start serving 33 to 66 months for each of the two heroin deals in Bucks County, Pa. and three to seven years for fleeing and eluding, and the judge ordered them to run consecutively, for a total of nine to 18 years, due to his extensive criminal past, the district attorney's office said.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
North Brunswick police are continuing to search for a missing 18-year-old man.

Zion Westbrook was last seen around 6 p.m. on Wednesday near North Oaks Boulevard in North Brunswick, police said in a post on Facebook.

He is described as black, 5 feet 5 inches, about 130 pounds, last seen wearing a mustard-colored hooded sweatshirt and pajama pants, police said.

Anyone with information call 911.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A new year on Monday will bring a slight increase in New Jersey's minimum wage.

The rate will climb 16 cents to $8.60 an hour. That hike will bump up annual wages for the state's estimated 300,000 minimum wage workers by about $469 apiece, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal policy group.

A full-time minimum wage earner makes less than $18,000 a year, less than half of the estimated $37,974 advocacy groups say a single person needs to cover basic expenses in New Jersey.

Annual increases are determined by adjustments in the consumer price index after the state's voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2013.

The minimum wage rose from $8.38 in 2016 to $8.44 in 2017.

Last year, Democrats who control the Legislature pushed through a $15 an hour bill that was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie.

Gov.-elect Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has said he is in favor of gradually hiking the minimum wage until it reaches $15.

New Jersey is one of 18 states where the minimum wage will increase on Jan. 1.

In most of New York state the minimum will increase to $10.40 an hour from $9.70. New York City's minimum wage increases to $13 an hour for businesses with at least 11 employees, according to NRN.com. Pennsylvania's minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour -- the same as the federal amount.

The amount of the increase in New Jersey was announced by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development in late September.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
You'll have to forgive me if I don't share in the sense of awe that seems to surround New York City.

Growing up as I did on the Jersey Shore, I always saw it as a place that people flee when the weather is good. When the weather is bad, they drink. But you can drink a lot cheaper on this side of the river.

For that reason, I howled in protest back in 2011 when our political class handed the state's TV license and four radio licenses to the New York. But mine was a lonely voice.

Based on what's been going on lately at New York Public Radio, I believe I can now claim vindication. I'm talking about the episode of the avocados.

A couple of the long-time hosts at the station were canned recently on charges they "violated our standards for providing an inclusive, appropriate, and respectful work environment" according to an article on radio station WNYC's website.

The station didn't go into great detail about exactly what Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz did to deserve being fired. But there is one thing the 77-year-old Lopate didn't do. And that is to misinterpret the origin of the word "avocado."

There are many serious allegations of sexual harassment that have come to light in recent months. But this one drags the debate down to the level of farce.

According to a WNYC news report detailing several complaints against Lopate, an unnamed producer told the station's management that while she was preparing to do a segment on a cookbook, Lopate offered an explanation of how the avocado got its name. He told her it derives from an Aztec word meaning "testicle."

When I read this, I was not in the least surprised. Mexicans commonly use the word "huevo" - which means "egg" - in the same manner.

Sure enough, a look in the British Dictionary revealed this etymology: "from Spanish aguacate, from Nahuatl ahuacatl testicle, alluding to the shape of the fruit."

I emailed the station management to ask if anyone there had access to a dictionary. But I got no comment. (However National Public Radio, which is carried by WNYC, had in 2006 done this piece explaining the etymology.)

The station offered this statement on the charges against Lopate:

"The investigation into Leonard Lopate's conduct was prompted by recent allegations of inappropriate behavior, following a previous substantiated investigation in February of this year of inappropriate remarks made by Lopate to staff. That previous investigation resulted in one-on-one anti-harassment training for him and a warning to Lopate that he was creating an uncomfortable work environment."

Perhaps he misbehaved in those instances. But he was certainly justified when he told the New York Times he was "incredulous" upon being hauled up on charges of giving an accurate description of a word's origin.

I suspect that in London, a city I prefer to New York, such an incident could occur only in a skit by the comedy troupe Monty Python.

But in this case the joke may be on the New Yorkers. The news coverage of the flap brought to light a fact far more interesting to the station's listeners, at least those here in New Jersey.

That is the fact that the chief executive of New York Radio, Laura Walker, makes more than $860,000 a year ($887,000 in the latest filing). I learned that when Bob Hennelly, a former WNYC reporter who lives in Morris County, wrote a piece for Insider NJ on the flap.

In the piece, Hennelly charged that the station relies on the work of many employees who accept low salaries in the hopes of attaining permanent positions at the station.

"The point I was making is about the question of young people in the shadow work force scraping by, juxtaposed with someone being president making close to a million dollars," Hennelly said when I phoned him.

That point was not lost on Facebook commenters. After state Senator Loretta Weinberg - one of the few pols to fight the license transfers back in 2011 - posted the article, the Bergen County Democrat got numerous comments like, "I'm a sustaining member and had no idea that Laura Walker earned $861,956. This is shocking to me."

It should be shocking to every radio listener who lives in this state. I certainly can't fault Gov. Chris Christie for wanting to dissolve the state-funded TV and radio network six years ago. But when Rudy Giuliani did the same thing as mayor of New York, he kept the licenses in state to be purchased by a private nonprofit.

In this case it would have made a lot more sense to just give the state's radio licenses to a home-grown station like WBGO in Newark, which has good news coverage and a reputation as one of the best jazz stations in America.

The people there could have used those licenses to create something New Jersey is sorely missing, a statewide radio network.

They could have also contributed something the New Yorkers are sorely missing - common sense.
By Justin Zaremba | NJ Advance Media

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With stories ranging from the downward spiral of a former Playboy resort, to a controversial photo of a lawmaker with a Confederate flag, to a pair of wedding crashers, Sussex County has seen its share of news in 2017.

Included below are some of the biggest stories to impact Sussex County this year.

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How a $40 parking ticket grew into $1.4M payday for ex-cop

A Hamburg police officer was awarded $1.4 million this year over a lawsuit sparked by a $40 parking ticket.

Hamburg Police Officer Daniel Farruggio ticketed the illegally parked vehicle of a corrections officer's wife in mid-2012, but was later told to rescind it.

After he refused, Farruggio was retaliated against by the department, and eventually forced from the job a year later. He then filed a whistleblower lawsuit and was awarded $1.4 million by a jury over the summer.

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N.J. lawmaker's photo with Confederate flag sparks criticism

Parker Space, the state assemblyman representing the 24th district, refused to make apologies for a Facebook photo of him and his wife standing by a Confederate flag while awaiting a Hank Williams, Jr. concert.

The flag, known as the "Hank Williams Jr. Rebel Flag," features an inscription: "If the South would've won, we would've had it made." Only the second part of the inscription is visible in the photo.

Despite the controversy set off by the flag, Space secured his re-election to his Assembly seat this past November.

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Accused killer who gouged out his own eyes still unfit for trial

Viktor Razumov, now 22, remains in jail and unfit for trial for the killing of 73-year-old woman during a 2012 burglary. Razumov was first declared incompetent to stand trial in September 2015 after he gouged his eyes out during separate incidents while in custody.

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Bear hunt protesters, hunters gearing up for last stand

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Matthew Schmarr, 35, of Hopatcong (Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility)

Man lived with woman's dead body for 3 days while getting high, cops say

A 35-year-old Hopatcong man was arrested this past spring after a woman living with him died and he continued to reside with her body and get high for three days, police said.

Matthew Schmarr was found by officers in his bed and the body of the 52-year-old woman in another bed across from him when they investigated on March 21, police said.

Police also said Schmarr drove to Paterson while his child was in his care in order to buy drugs.

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A postcard from the former Playboy Club in Vernon (photo courtesy of Sussex County Historian Wayne McCabe)

The downward spiral of a one-time Playboy Club

Once a getaway for celebrities and the wealthy in the 1970s, Hugh Hefner's "Playboy Club" in Vernon is now unrecognizable from its heyday.

This year, eviction notices were issued to the building's 70 residents  most of whom are low-income workers at a nearby resort  as part of a guilty plea by the landlords for violating a 1999 municipal ordinance barring anyone from staying longer than 30 days.

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Newlyweds want to meet wedding crashers who ate, danced and left $1 gift

A couple on a first-date made headlines this past August when they crashed a Sparta wedding.

The couple didn't try to blend in at the party, as they asked for an extra seat, ate dinner, drank, danced, convinced others at the table to dance, and danced with the bride's nieces, the bride told Patch.

Carly Wolfson and Barry Ritchie photobombed dozens of pictures and then left a note behind at the conclusion of the party, which read, "congratulations, sorry for crashing your wedding and best of luck."

However, instead of being angry, the bride said she wanted to buy the couple a drink.

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Mountain Creek files for bankruptcy

The latest owner of Mountain Creek filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past May.

The company's CEO, Jeff Koffman, said in a statement he attributed the bankruptcy filing to "legacy debt we inherited from the property's former owners."

Of the $26.2 million listed in the filing for the Vernon Township Municipal Utilities Authority, the biggest creditor, more than $20 million is for potential future use of the sewer system.

The proceeding has yet to be finalized as it is still winding its way through federal bankruptcy court, with deadlines still being set for creditors to file claims against the company.

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Man who drowned in N.J. lake was father of 2 on vacation

This past July, a father of two drowned while swimming in Lake Conway on vacation.

Rashad Milfort, 23, of Lauderhill, Fla., was spending time at a family vacation home in Vernon his wife, his 7-year-old daughter, 1-year-old son and his sister when he drowned in the lake. First responders were unable to resuscitate him after pulling him from the bottom of the lake.

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The Chatterbox as seen on a 'bike night' in 2012 (

Dawn J. Benko / For the Star-Ledger

)

Owner of 1950s-themed restaurant selling to Wawa

One of the co-owners of the 1950s/60s-themed restaurant, The Chatterbox Drive-in, said this past October a sales agreement had been reached with Wawa.

The Chatterbox is known for bike nights on Thursdays, classic car shows on Saturdays and celebrity appearances by favorites such as the Fonz, aka actor Henry Winkler, from TV's 'Happy Days.' His visit in 2013 drew a couple of thousand fans.

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Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us. nj.com/tips
Here are the top 10 musicals on New Orleans stages in 2017
New Orleans police are searching for two men and a woman they say were involved in a wallet snatching on Dec. 19 in the French Quarter. (NOPD)
Police are searching for Orethean Morgan, who is wanted for questioning in connection to a Dec. 19 shooting in the Lower Ninth Ward. (NOPD)
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry speaks with the editorial board of The Times-Picayune February 1, 2017. (Photo by G. Andrew Boyd, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
This photo from 2012 shows Jody Demeyere of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and her husband, Dave, remove the chain from a bundle of Christmas trees that had just been dropped by helicopter into Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge for a restoration project.(Michael Democker, staff archive)
Former President Donald Trump is preparing to launch his third campaign for the White House with an announcement Tuesday night. Trump is looking to move on from disappointing midterm defeats and defy history amid signs that his grip on the Republican Party may be waning. The former president had hoped to use the GOP's expected gains in last week's elections as a springboard to win his party's nomination by locking in early support and keeping potential challengers at bay. Instead, Trump now finds himself being blamed for backing a series of losing candidates in last week's midterm elections.
What can you buy with $284 billion?

You could own all of Netflix. Or purchase 747 Boeing 747s, with change to spare. Or erase the national debts of Venezuela, Nigeria, Peru and Iceland, combined.

Or, if youre Mary Horomanski, you could pay for one months worth of electricity.

Horomanski, from Erie, Pennsylvania, was shocked recently when she received an erroneous electric bill displaying an account balance of 284,460,000,000, with a first payment due of $28,176.

I opened it up and there it was, she told The Washington Post.

Horomanski, 58, began counting the commas  Hundreds. Thousands. Millions. Billions. ... Can most people even count that high?  then taking her glasses off and putting them on again.

It wasnt due until November of 2018, she said. It was like, well, I guess we have a year to come up with this billion-dollar bill.

Horomanskis husband and one of her sons were home with her when she checked her bill online, and they began asking if she was OK.

Im looking around the room and theyre looking at me now, caause Ive got this funny look on my face, Horomanski recalled. When you see something like that, your heart starts beating, you break out into a little sweat, like, What on Earth just happened? 

In a brief moment of self-doubt, the stay-at-home mother of five boys also took stock of the electricity her household was using.

We had Christmas lights outside, but we dont have the (National Lampoons) Christmas Vacation lights, Horomanski said. And Im looking at my Christmas tree, and Im like, no, that wouldnt have caused it.

Horomanski texted an image of the bill to her oldest son, who immediately contacted Penelec, their electric company. The company quickly reassured him it was an error, Horomanski said.

The correct amount was $284.46  still a little high, to be honest, compared to the previous months bill of $161, Horomanski thought. But at least not a figure that threatened to send her into cardiac arrest.

She also sent a picture of the bill to her local newspaper, The Erie Times-News, which wrote about the mistake in a story that went viral.

Mark Durbin, a spokesman for First Energy, Penelecs parent company, told The Times-News he didnt know what caused the error.

I cant recall ever seeing a bill for billions of dollars, Durbin told the newspaper. We appreciate the customers willingness to reach out to us about the mistake.

Horomanski said shes been receiving text messages from friends telling her that her surreal electric bill has appeared in the likes of Time magazine and The New York Post.

In retrospect, there was something universally relatable about the mistaken bill, along with the cold horror Horomanski felt at the thought of how much worse it could have been.

My son Mike and I were both saying, almost simultaneously, Holy bologna, could you imagine if I had that automatic payment and it just came out of the account?  she said. I could not stop thinking about this.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the postponement of a previously scheduled hearing. A new hearing will be set at a later time.

The Iowa School for the Deaf alerted followers of its electronic newsletter last week to proposed changes for how Iowa students with individualized educational plans earn their high school diplomas.

The two proposed amendments to Chapter 41 of the Iowa Administrative Code are based on changes to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that were made by Congress with the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

The U.S. Department of Education issued final regulations on June 30, according to the Iowa Department of Education in a summary provided to the Iowa Board of Education.

The changes made by the Every Student Succeeds Act represent a practice change for many Iowa educators, the state agency said.

One amendment would make clear that a regular high school diploma must be fully aligned to the states standards  the graduation requirements set forth in Iowa Code  while another amendment addresses the requirements for students with disabilities related to statewide and district-level assessments, including how children with significant intellectual disabilities can take alternative assessments that are aligned to alternative academic achievement standards.

A public hearing will be held at an unspecified date in spring 2018 after a hearing originally set for Jan. 8 was postponed due to a scheduling conflict. Written comments will be accepted through the new hearing date, which has not yet been set by the Iowa Department of Education.

Anyone wishing to attend the hearing who has special requirements, such as those related to hearing or mobility impairments, should contact the Iowa Department of Education at 515-281-5295.

Written comments can be emailed to thomas.mayes@iowa.gov, faxed with Attn: Thomas Mayes on a cover sheet to 515-242-5988 or mailed to Thomas A. Mayes, Department of Education, Third Floor, Grimes State Office Building, Des Moines, IA 50319.

Questions can be directed to 515-242-5614. Find a copy of the notice of proposed rule at bit.ly/2BY0G4O.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources have cancelled the annual First Day Hikes planned on Monday at a number of state parks because of expected frigid temperatures.

While its a great disappointment to us to cancel this event, the safety of park visitors comes first, Todd Coffelt, state parks bureau chief, said in a release. We know that frost bite can set in fairly quickly at those cold temperatures, so we are using caution in making this decision.

The department had planned hikes to kick off the new year at 27 state parks, including a handful in southwest Iowa. Last year in Iowa, more than 1,200 people participated in hikes across the state, the department said.

We definitely will plan on hosting hikes again next year, and anyone can visit state parks during the winter and enjoy the beautiful scenery thats unique to this time of year, Coffelt said.

Editor's note: The original story is below.

Sure, it might be frigid  the sort of cold where frostbite is a real concern  but that shouldnt keep anyone from enjoying the outdoors to kick off 2018.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is organizing 27 First Day Hikes in participating state parks, inviting hikers to take in the quiet beauty of nature in winter and experience spectacular views, beautiful settings and the culture treasures offered by Iowas state parks, according to a news release.

Hikers should dress to stay warm, though, as the forecast calls for a sunny day with a high of around a balmy 10 degrees. (For evening hikes, the forecast is partly cloudy with a low of about 4 degrees.)

Parks in all 50 states are hosting hikes through the Americas First Day Hikes initiative, the Iowa DNR said in a release. The national event, now in its seventh year, encourages starting the new year with guided outdoor exploration.

We are excited to host First Day Hikes again as part of this effort to get people outdoors and into our parks, Todd Coffelt, chief of the Iowa DNRs State Parks Bureau, said in a release. These hikes are a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the new year with friends and family.

More than 1,200 people across Iowa visited a state park for last years event. Hikes average between 1 and 2 miles, although some hikes are longer  with nearby DNR hikes rated as easy or moderate.

Those hikes planned in the region include:

 Wilson Island State Recreation Area, Pottawattamie County, 9 a.m., meets at the park office at 32801 Campground Lane in Missouri Valley. A 1-mile, easy hike. Friends of Wilson Island will offer warm drinks and cookies following the hike. Expect to carpool to the campground and explore trails at the heart of the park. Call 712-642-2069 for cancellation information.

 Prairie Rose State Park, Shelby County, 5:30 p.m., meets at the park office at 680 Road M-47 in Harlan. A 1-mile, easy hike. Naturalist Christina Roelofs will lead an evening owl prowl through the park. Prairie Rose Friends Group will provide hot chocolate and treats. Bring a flashlight, but follow directions on when to use them so you dont spook the owls. Call 712-579-1801 for cancellation information.

 Waubonsie State Park, Fremont County, 1 p.m., meets at the Wa-Shawtee Lodge on Waubonsie Park Road in Hamburg. A moderate hike of 1.5 to 2 miles. The hike will be moderately hilly, so wear appropriate footwear and bring a walking stick. Friends of Waubonsie State Park and local Boy Scouts will provide refreshments. Photo opportunities with wildlife are usually abundant this time of year. Call 712-310-3460 for cancellation information.

 Lake Anita State Park, Cass County, 10 a.m., meets at campground entrance. Moderate hike of about 4.4 miles with shorter routes available. Hot chocolate and snacks will be provided after the hike at the park office. Call 712-762-3564 for cancellation information.

 Viking Lake State Park, Montgomery County, 9 a.m. run or 10 a.m. hike, meets at Viking Lake restaurant. An easy pace 6-mile run around the lake or a 2-mile hike, both of which end at the restaurant, where drinks and snacks will be available. Public meeting to learn about Viking Lake will be held at about 11:15 a.m. Trail has a few hills. RSVP by email at Viking_Lake@dnr.iowa.gov. Call 712-250-4499 for cancellation information.

For a complete list of First Day Hikes, visit iowadnr.gov/firstdayhikes. A comprehensive national map of First Day Hikes can be found at stateparks.org. Those participating are asked to post on social media using the hashtags #IowaStateParks and #FirstDayHikes, a release stated.
DES MOINES  There appears to be consensus among Democrats and Republicans in the Iowa Legislature that there are problems with the states privatized Medicaid program, but there is less agreement over what, if anything, legislators should do about it when they return to the Capitol in a few weeks.

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled statehouse are expected to address a range of topics when they gather in January, including taxes and water quality.

But Medicaid, the massive health care program for poor and disabled people, is less certain to be on their to-do list. Thats because there are a range of opinions on whether lawmakers should enact legislation to respond to ongoing issues, or if change should come administratively through the state agency that contracts with private insurance companies now running the program.

During a recent legislative health oversight meeting in Des Moines, lawmakers from both parties agreed that reduced coverage on a type of coordinated care service was not communicated fairly to affected providers and patients. Legislators offered broad ideas on how to proceed, ultimately agreeing to follow up on the issue.

Sen. Mark Costello, a Republican from Imogene who led the meeting, later said while he has frustrations with the privatized Medicaid system, he thinks those issues can be figured out without introducing a bill.

My hope would be that we can work it out without making legislative changes, he said. If we find some that we feel are necessary, Im not ruling that out.

Sen. Mark Chelgren, an Ottumwa Republican, said after the meeting that he is open to legislative activity, though he declined more specifics. He noted the private insurance companies, known as managed care companies or MCOs, are required to do things differently with updated language in the state contracts they sign.

The contracts define what the roles and responsibilities are of the state versus the roles and responsibilities of the MCOs, he said. Therefore the only way to change those contracts is if the state changes the laws.

Rep. Lisa Heddens, a Democrat from Ames, said the meeting offered a clear indication that both parties want action, adding, Theres a little more of a drive behind us to do something legislatively.

Iowas Medicaid program, which was privatized in 2016, has been under extra scrutiny in recent weeks. One of the three insurance companies overseeing the system dropped coverage recently over failed negotiations with the state over money. Since then, the Iowa Department of Human Services announced there would be limited choice temporarily for patients between the remaining two companies.

The roughly $4 billion program, which is funded through a combination of federal and state funds, serves more than 600,000 people.

Democrats, in the minority and with little legislative power, sent an open letter recently to Reynolds and Republicans that alluded to switching back to a state-run program.

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is a staunch supporter of Medicaid privatization, which was created when she was lieutenant governor for former Gov. Terry Branstad. He pushed privatization without legislative approval, arguing it would save the state money and provide better care to patients. Reynolds has maintained that argument.

There is inconclusive data available on whether Iowa has saved money or provided better care, though state officials insist its happened.

A state ombudsman office that receives calls about privatization released a report recently that said reduced, denied or terminated services were a top complaint lodged against the program between portions of 2016 and 2017.

Meanwhile, some health care providers that treat Medicaid patients say theyre not getting paid on time or theyre being denied full reimbursement for services theyre providing.

One lawsuit claims the system has hurt health care access for disabled individuals.

Representatives for the insurance companies have defended their work and say theyre improving the system. Officials for DHS, the state agency that could be expected to make changes if lawmakers dont step in, have also defended the program and mostly praise it.

Brenna Smith, press secretary for Reynolds, declined to answer directly whether the governor thinks the Legislature should play a role in changing Medicaid. Smith said in a statement that Reynolds and her administration look forward to working with legislators to ensure our Medicaid program is improving quality and access to care.

A message left for Senate leadership was not returned, but House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, a Clear Lake Republican, said in a statement she believes new leadership at DHS can handle need changes.

Jerry Foxhoven became the departments director earlier this year, and a new administrator was hired recently to oversee Medicaid. That official, Michael Randol, ran a privatized Medicaid program in Kansas that has had similar complaints about reduced care.

I think they may have some new ideas to improve our system without legislative approval, Upmeyer said of the new DHS staff, adding shes happy to work with them on that.
After a slow start under the administration of President Donald Trump, the Republican Party notched a win last week  that is, passage of a major overhaul of tax policy, the biggest changes since Ronald Reagans 1986 tax reforms.

While the jury remains out, and likely will remain out for at least a couple years, on the Trump tax cuts, everyone can agree that they will have a significant impact on the economy  whether thats stimulating sustained high levels of growth and prosperity or whether thats encouraging even more corporate money-hoarding and shareholder profiteering.

The tax cuts come with an official price tag of at least $1 trillion, which will only be higher if the GOP is right about individual tax cuts being renewed by a future Congress.

As a result, we can expect that what budget deficit hawks remain will begin squawking in the new year about the need for spending cuts  likely in the form of entitlement reform, which means cutting spending intended to help the poor and needy members of our society.

Thats not to say that some trimming of the budget isnt a good idea, or that entitlements are always effective programs, but the cost always seems to be a bigger concern for them than for tax cuts, regardless of what history says about the value of cutting taxes for the economy.

But it seems inevitable that the recurring debate on spending priorities will return in the new year. Another sure bet is our lawmakers will resume posturing for the 2018 midterm elections, with a potential fight for control of the Senate.

Health care is likely to be a battlefield where political war continues to be waged in the new year, too. The GOP tax bill eliminates the individual mandate from the Affordable Care Act, meaning that healthy and young people no longer have an incentive to push them to pay for health insurance they dont expect to actually use.

An estimated 13 million Americans will no longer have health insurance once the effect of dropping the individual mandate is realized, or at least thats what is forecast. As healthy people drop out of the insurance system, it drives up the costs, which in turn drives away some less healthy people who cant afford insurance.

Many children could also be without insurance if Congress fails to approve a lasting extension to the Childrens Health Insurance Program, which was given a life preserver in the latest stopgap legislation to avoid a government shutdown  yet another example of government spending disputes.
LINCOLN - At least 50 Nebraska children, some as young as 4 years old, have suffered sexual abuse while in the state's care or after being placed in an adoptive or guardianship home.

Thats according to an investigative report released Wednesday by Julie Rogers, the inspector general of Nebraska child welfare.

All of the cases were reported to the states child abuse hotline from July 2013 through October 2016 and all were substantiated, either by the courts or by child welfare officials.

Rogers said the true scope of sexual abuse of current and former state wards may never be known. Many cases are not reported and others cannot be substantiated.

But she said her offices investigation concluded that the states child welfare system has concerning deficiencies in its ability to prevent and respond to the sexual abuse of children in state care.

The state becomes involved to protect children, Rogers said. Any case of maltreatment, including sexual abuse, of a state ward is unacceptable.

The Inspector Generals Office launched the investigation last year after getting a stream of reports concerning sexual abuse of youths with current or former involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

The study sought to determine whether the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and others involved with the child welfare system were taking adequate steps to prevent and respond to sexual abuse of children in state care.

Among the deficiencies found:

>> Both caregivers and child welfare professionals held problematic attitudes about child sexual abuse. Some assumed children who made allegations were lying or acting out because they were troubled. Others blame children for causing the abuse.

>> Some child sexual abuse allegations were not appropriately reported or screened for investigation. Some reports were poorly investigated or left incomplete for long periods of time, in some cases, years. Others were never investigated.

>> Child welfare workers were not consistently prepared to prevent or respond to sexual abuse of state wards. Factors included high levels of worker turnover, high workloads, lack of training and workers lack of comfort in dealing with the topic.

>> Out-of-home placements, both foster homes and residential care facilities, were not properly reporting sexual abuse in some cases and were not equipped to prevent it. Oversight and standards for both types of placements need improvement.

The report summarizes each of the 50 substantiated cases, as well as seven cases in which the sexual abuse allegations were listed as unfounded or were never investigated.

Among the 50 cases were 27 children who were in foster homes, state-licensed residential homes or state-run facilities. The 23 other children were former state wards who were sexually abused in the adoptive or guardianship homes where the state had placed them.

Rogers said the impact of child sexual abuse can be lifelong. Survivors are more likely to develop physical and mental health problems, face academic difficulties, engage in risky behaviors and earn less over their lives.

National estimates show that one in 10 children will be subject to sexual abuse before the age of 18, either by an adult or another youth.

In 90 percent of those cases, the abuser will be someone the child knows and trusts.

In Nebraska, there were 1,284 children who experienced substantiated sexual abuse between 2013 and 2016. Child sexual abuse can include child rape and molestation; sexual touching; coercing or persuading a child to participate in sex acts; and exposing a child to pornography, voyeurism and sexual communications by phone or via the Internet.

The Nebraska Legislature created the Inspector Generals Office to provide independent oversight of child welfare and the juvenile probation system.
INDIANOLA (AP)  Three people have died in an early morning house fire in central Nebraska.

Authorities responded to the fire about 1 miles south of Indianola shortly after midnight Thursday. Indianola Fire Chief Tom Davidson said the single-story house was engulfed in flames, and firefighters spent most of the day battling the flames.

Davidson said four people lived in the home, and only one was able to escape. The Indianola, McCook and Red Willow fire departments all responded to the emergency call.

Davidson said cold temperatures made it difficult to battle the fire. He said flames were coming through the roof of the home.

None of the people inside the house were identified. The Nebraska State Fire Marshals Office was requested for a fire investigation.
CROWN POINT  An alleged serial robber is accused in four more business robberies in Highland.

Dionysios T. Doukas was charged Wednesday in Lake Criminal Court with six counts of robbery.

Doukas, 35, of Schererville, is accused in the Nov. 6 robbery of Subway restaurant, 9515 Indianapolis Blvd.; the Nov. 8 robbery of Subway Restaurant, 2305 Main St.; the Nov. 8 robbery of L.A. Tan, 2233 45th St.; and the Nov. 12 robbery of Fannie Mae, 3949 Ridge Road.

Doukas is also charged with the attempted robbery Nov. 6 at Sav-A-Stop gas station, 3205 45th St. in Highland.

The suspect in all the robberies was described as a white or Hispanic man dressed in a camouflage ski mask and armed with an item wrapped in a plastic bag.

Doukas was identified as a suspect in the robberies after his arrest Nov. 19 for allegedly robbing a Subway restaurant in Lowell.

The defendant is charged with four other robberies or attempted robberies at businesses in Hobart, St. John and Munster.

An ex-girlfriend told police Doukas had talked earlier this year about committing robberies, suggesting he would use a toy gun wrapped in tape and a plastic bag.

Doukas allegedly stole a designer purse from an employee during one of the Highland robberies.

His ex-girlfriend said he offered her a designer purse similar to the one stolen, though she declined the gift.

Doukas is scheduled to appear Jan. 2 at a bond hearing in Lake Criminal Court.
CALUMET TOWNSHIP  Lake County sheriff's police on Tuesday found footprints leading to and from a garage and tools scattered in the garage at the property of a man who shot a would-be burglar last month, a spokesman said.

Nothing appeared to be taken and no shots were fired in the latest suspicious incident at the 66-year-old man's home in the 6100 block of West 41st Avenue, sheriff's spokesman Emiliano Perez said.

Sheriff's police responded to the property about 10:30 p.m. for a report of someone trying to break in to the home. The homeowner told police his dog alerted him to someone on his property, Perez said.

Two Gary men were charged this month in connection with a burglary Nov. 28 at the property, Lake Criminal Court records show.

The 66-year-old homeowner shot and wounded Leventes A. Strong, 24, of Gary, on Nov. 28 after Strong entered the home, a probable cause affidavit states.

The homeowner told police he fired his .380-caliber handgun after he saw someone emerge from his kitchen, thought he heard a shotgun being racked and saw the person aim the shotgun at him.

Strong was shot in the groin area, dropped the shotgun and fled the home, court records say.

Strong and Nicholas J. Reeves, 24, of Gary, later told police they broke into the home because they heard the residence had "a lot of guns" to sell, the probable cause affidavit states.

Strong and Reeves each face two counts of burglary and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm as a serious violent felon.
HAMMOND  The Indiana Department of Environmental Management last week approved an air permit for a lead reclamation business operating at the site of a former smelter where EPA is investigating off-site contamination.

IDEM never scheduled a public hearing or meeting on the permit for Whiting Metals, despite requests from the Hammond City Council and residents.

Whiting Metals reclaims and blends lead and solder from scrap, records show. Its 10-year permit was renewed Dec. 22.

The company operates on part of the former Federated Metals site at 2230 Indianapolis Blvd., where remediation plans started in 1992 under the Environmental Protection Agency's Resource Conservation and Recover Act program.

A 10-acre landfill on the shore of Lake George was capped in 2005 as part of a six-year, $3.35 million RCRA cleanup. The site also includes the 9-acre former smelter.

EPA began sampling at city-owned properties in November 2016 near the former Federated Metals site to determine if heavy metals from the plant might have contaminated nearby residential areas. More sampling was conducted in March.

EPA sampled the landfill in May, and analysis showed a link between materials in the landfill and materials in soils to the north of the plant.

Residential testing area ID'd

The federal agency has now designated a soil sampling area north of Lake George Trail and south of Community Court and Fischrupp Avenue. The sampling area includes a stretch of Indianapolis Boulevard, the Whiting Family YMCA, St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church and St. Adalbert Catholic Church.

"Letters were sent to all residents in the defined area from the respective cities encouraging the property owners to allow EPA to sample their property," an EPA spokeswoman said. "Further outreach efforts will be determined after data is evaluated from the initial sampling effort."

The site was referred to EPA's removal program by the remediation and reuse branch chief of EPA Region 5's Land and Chemicals Division, according to IDEM.

David Dabertin, an attorney and Hammond resident, had submitted public comments raising questions about whether a prior permit was legally transferred to Whiting Metals. He also had urged IDEM to delay a decision on the air permit until after the full extent of off-site soil contamination has been determined.

Dabertin on Wednesday slammed IDEM's decision to issue the permit and criticized the department's decision to refer back to letters its former director wrote in 2014 and 2015 in response to his recent comments.

"I think the issuance of a lead permit in an area where lead may be an issue without obtaining the test results is foolish and bordering on the negligent," he said. "The refusal to hold a public hearing is plain cowardice. And IDEM's attempt to address my concerns about the prior ownership of the facility by relying on the unintelligible correspondence of its prior director is so nonresponsive it is insulting."

IDEM's responses to public comments were included in the Dec. 22 final permit approval. In the document, IDEM said it eliminated all references to zinc in the permit, because Whiting Metals told the department it no longer engages in that business.

IDEM said it decided not to conduct a public hearing because there were "few changes contained in the renewal permit," "substantive permit changes will decrease actual emissions" and "extensive information was provided" in the permit application and in the final approval document.

Mayor: Nothing 'really scary' found so far

In response to Dabertin's comment about soil sampling, IDEM said it doesn't regulate zoning, listed a number to report environmental emergencies and said it operates eight lead-monitoring sites in Northwest Indiana  the closest of which is about 3 miles from Whiting Metals.

The department responded to Dabertin's questions about ownership of the property by reiterating two letters former IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly sent to Dabertin in 2014 and 2015.

Whiting Metals took over the existing permit as a transfer from the previous owner, IDEM said.

IDEM said it "previously provided adequate response to Mr. Dabertin's comments related to the matter of whether proper permitting had been obtained by Whiting Metals." The department referred to a 2011 inspection, saying, "IDEM found no evidence that the equipment operated by Whiting Metals was different than the equipment operated by" a company that occupied the site before Whiting Metals.

Whiting Mayor Joseph Stahura said the levels of contamination found so far have not been "really scary" or severely above EPA's threshold.

EPA offered to conduct more extensive testing on private property and complete cleanups if contamination levels exceeded thresholds, he said.

"I don't know where you could lose on that," he said.

Ronald Novak, director of the Hammond Department of Environmental Management, said he's taken some questions from residents in the sampling area, but refers everyone back to EPA.
VALPARAISO  Porter County Animal Control officers were called out on Christmas Day to rescue an elderly dog covered with ice and snow and spotted lying in a ditch alongside a roadway.

The dog was reunited with its family, who said it had escaped during all the holiday confusion, according to Porter County Animal Shelter Director Toni Bianchi.

While this story had a happy ending, it isn't always the case when pets, particularly those accustomed to living inside homes, are confronted with the types of dangerously low temperatures predicted across the Region through much of next week.

"If youre cold, your pets are cold, said Dr. Lori Ross, an emergency veterinarian at North Central Veterinary Emergency Center, which operates in Highland and Westville.

The general rules are to keep indoor cats inside and limit outdoor time for house dogs, she said.

When the thermometer plunges below 25 degrees and winds are creating a dangerous chill, dogs, like people, are susceptible to frostbite, Ross said. They are most vulnerable on their paws, and the tips of their ears and tails.

The frostbit areas turn dark and may have to be removed, she said.

"It's painful," Ross said. "Avoidance is key."

Dog jackets and booties provide some protection for those animals willing to tolerate wearing them, she said. But time outdoors still should be limited during periods of extreme cold.

"It's a cost-benefit ratio," Ross said. "It's just not worth it to get that little bit of exercise."

She suggested seeking out indoor dog play parks or exercising pets at home.

While cats can take care of all their needs inside thanks to litter boxes, most dogs will eventually need to go outside a couple of times a day for potty breaks. Ross suggested having an area in the yard with some of the snow cleared away and then wiping down paws and removing any attached snow or ice when the animals return to the house.

Pet-safe ice melt products can help reduce risk, she said, but that too should be wiped from paws to avoid being licked and causing irritation to a dog's mouth.

Outdoor animals

LaPorte County has an ordinance requiring dogs and cats be brought inside a shelter when the temperatures reach 10 degrees or less, said Eric Hayes, assistant animal shelter director.

Shelter is required to be available at all times for horses, he said.

"The best case scenario is to have them inside," Hayes said.

As shelter officials returned to work Wednesday after a holiday break, they expected cold weather to become an issue.

"I'm assuming we're going to get calls," he said.

Bianchi said she would like to see Porter County also adopt a requirement of moving dogs and cats indoors when the temperature reaches a dangerous level.

But in the meantime, she urged pet owners to take action on their own when the mercury plunges and provide access to at least a barn or garage for animals typically kept outside.

"Especially at night," she said. "They have no way to warm themselves."

Information is available online about building warming shelters for feral cats, Bianchi said.

Ross urged caution when moving outdoor animals into barns or garages. She said antifreeze and other products that can be deadly to dogs need to be moved out of reach and any heating devices need to be monitored to avoid burns to the animals or a fire.

Water also should be monitored for all outdoor animals to make sure it does not freeze, she said.

While some breeds of dogs are more able to withstand the cold of winter and seem to be enjoying the weather, if they are typically kept inside, they remain at risk for frostbite and other problems, Ross said.

Extreme cold also is not the time to attempt to potty train a puppy outside with the "wait-and-encourage" approach, Ross said. It's smarter to move it inside using puppy pads.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump is plunging deeper and deeper into the cold depths of foreign policy issues from the Middle East to Asia.

He appears highly uncertain what to do about North Korea, despite colorful quotes about inflicting fire and fury on North Korea, and hes in danger of totally turning off any real support that he might have hoped to get from China and Russia.

In the Middle East, his problems are different but equally pronounced. Hes alienated a number of countries in the region by threatening to cut off aid to those voting in the U.N. General Assembly for a resolution calling for the United States to retract his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Its hard to know where Trump is in worse trouble, but hes definitely getting on the wrong side of Chinas President Xi Jinping with a lengthy foreign policy declaration castigating China for just about everything from unfair trade practices to regional expansionism.

In his statement of national security strategy, Trump declared his purpose during his campaign for president last year is to make America great again, but the speech deepened rifts with rival powers.

His sharp criticism of China inspired rebukes from Chinese officials, who denounced him for reverting to the hard-line confrontational policies of the Cold War when the late Mao Zedong was Chinas leader.

It seems all the more odd that Trump should alienate Xi after hes courted him on a number of occasions, hosting him at his estate at Mar-a-Lago, then seeing him most recently for what appeared as highly cordial talks in Beijing.

Stranger still, Trump accused Russia along with China with attempting to undermine Americas global role as a military power as well as the U.S. economy.

Trumps declaration of security strategy would appear to mark a reversal of the warming of U.S. relations with China and Russia, but its difficult to discern exactly what Trump is thinking.

In fact, Trumps chats with Russia's Vladamir Putin have seemed so good-natured that James Clapper, former U.S. director of national intelligence, has famously remarked, Putin, as a former KGB operative, knows how to handle an asset, and thats what hes doing with the president.

There is no doubt Russia, under Putins orders, has been attempting to subvert the United States, doing whatever it could to bring about Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton.

If Trumps security strategy is any guide, however, he may not be so pro-Russian as suspected. Rather, he wants to counter what he sees as the potential of China and Russia, acting together or separately, to destroy American prestige and power.

Not since the end of the Cold War have the lines appeared so sharply drawn with much of the confrontation focusing on what to do about North Korea.

Trumps problems in the Middle East are worsening at exactly the same time. His decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem does make sense from one point of view. The fact is, the Israeli government is in Jerusalem. Its standard practice for embassies to be in the capitals of countries.

From the public relations and diplomatic viewpoint, however, the U.S. decision has alienated Arab and Islamic forces throughout the Middle East. It deepens the antagonism with Iran,

The net result of Trumps security strategy is to risk isolating the United States from much of the world, including Americas European allies.

In an atmosphere of rising tensions, especially surrounding the Korean peninsula, Trump is daring Americas adversaries to stand up against him.
It was November 1992 when I got the call from George H.W. Bush  just a week removed from the bitter re-election campaign he had lost. When he asked me to go to China, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Hanging up the phone, I wondered, Why China? Why me? Why now?

President Bush had a very clear idea about what he wanted me to do and why. He asked me to go to Beijing to reconvene the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade with my counterpart  and do it right away. This would restart the economic relationship that had been stalled since the Tiananmen Square crisis of 1989. Since then, the Sino-U.S. relationship had been at a low point.

Besides restarting the economic relationship, my trip would signal the end of the ban on high-level government-to-government contact. This had another salutary effect, Bush said. It would give the Clinton administration a clearer path to continuing the relationship with China. Maintaining engagement with China, despite our disagreements, was something Bush felt keenly about.

After all, he had served as our chief liaison to China in the 1970s, even before diplomatic recognition occurred in 1979.

I realized not only that this mission was important, but also that time was of the essence. Inauguration Day was only a few weeks away, so we hurriedly assembled a delegation.

From the right side of the political spectrum, Sen. Jesse Helms, of North Carolina, called and told me emphatically that I should not go. They are communists, he said, and we should not deal with them.

From the left, there was considerable concern and anger at China over human rights after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

From the outset, this mission was controversial.

I understood there was a diplomatic aspect to this mission, but knew I was the secretary of commerce  not the secretary of state. That meant I better develop some business for U.S. companies. Before we left, we sent messages to our Chinese counterparts about the new business relationships I hoped would result from this mission. At the top was an order for six Boeing 777 aircraft from China Southern airlines. The entire order had been put on hold by the Chinese side.

We arrived in Beijing on Dec. 16, 1992, with admittedly some trepidation, not knowing how our delegation would be received. My counterpart was Minister Li Lanqing. His first words to me were, Youll get your aircraft order.

A fantastic start.

We reconvened the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade and had two days of productive meetings during which we covered many issues.

We met with Premier Li Peng. In addition, I presided over the signing of several new business contracts. At the end of the day, we brought back nearly $1 billion worth of signed contracts for U.S. companies.

Today, decades later, the U.S.-China economic relationship is huge, enormously complex, multi-faceted and interdependent  and there are disagreements, differences of approach and tensions. The current administration is looking to rebalance the economic relationship.

I believe a rebalance is in order, and sooner rather than later. My hope is the Chinese side will make many of the structural changes for which the U.S. side, especially the business community, has been advocating for years.
Our state and Region are becoming better at identifying and pursuing new ways of expanding our economy, improving our quality of life and growing available jobs.

But sometimes we forget to celebrate the existing assets that continue the self-perpetuating cycle of reinvesting in our community.

Merrillville-based candy giant, Albanese, recently announced a $33 million expansion serving as a prime example of this beneficial cycle.

The company is slated to add up to 150 jobs to its Region candy manufacturing business.

Its delicacies of gummy bears, chocolates and so many other treats continue to pay off for our Region through jobs, tax revenue and tourism for the folks who flock to the Willy Wonka-esque factory and store on U.S. 30.

The Albanese announcement was just the chocolate-covered cherry on top of a wave other stellar Region and state economic news in recent days.

New York financial technology company, Smart Asset, reported Lake County had the second-fastest growing economy in Indiana during the last four years.

Lake County, the state's second-most populated, generated $1.1 billion in gross domestic product growth within the last four years, a 4.87 percent increase. The county ranked 154th in economic growth nationally.

Marion County, where Indianapolis is based, experienced $2.7 billion in economic growth over the same four-year period, a 7.32 percent increase, according to Smart Asset.

Lake County ranked ahead of Allen, Hamilton, Saint Joseph, Vanderburgh and Elkhart counties.

Porter County ranked eighth statewide and 360th nationally in economic growth with a GDP increase of $577 million, or 3.93 percent, over the four-year period that was tracked in the study.

For a Region regularly down on its self for perceived deficiencies, this study certainly offers a different financial light.

None of these things happened by accident. Good planning, our Regions prime crossroads location and the proliferation of viable businesses are to be thanked, among other factors.

These economic successes are a reminder to keep forging ahead, seeking new opportunities for growth while celebrating the things that make our Region work so well.
The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) is investigating an attack on a correctional officer that occurred at the St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville on Wednesday.

Prison officials said Daryl Rowell, 27, attacked the officer with a makeshift weapon when the officer was escorting him to a housing area inside the prison at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, according to an ADOC release.

The correctional officer was cut in the assault and was treated for his injuries at a local hospital. Hospital officials report the officers injuries are non-threatening.

Rowell is serving a life-without-parole sentence on a 2016 murder conviction in Macon County, according to the release. ADOC is investing the incident and will charge Rowell with the assault.
In October 2017, Uganda welcomed its second grid-connected solar photovoltaic power plant, the Tororo Solar North Plant, which boosts the countrys electricity generation capacity by 10 MWp.

In December 2016, the 10 MWp Access Uganda Solar Limited Power Plant was commissioned in Soroti district. Presently, Uganda uses a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy resources/technologies for power generation, with the former making the greater supply to the national grid.

The contribution of renewable energy includes hydro  708.34MW (81%); bagasse co-generation  46MW (5.3%), and solar  20MW (2.3%), which adds up to 774.34MW.

The rest of electricity supplied to the grid is derived from thermal (non-renewable energy) at 100MW (11.4%), which brings the total grid installed capacity to 929.6 MW, as of December 2017.

Tororo Solar North Plant

Over the next two to three years, Ugandas total generation capacity is projected at 1,800MW. Peak demand, on the other hand, is projected at 735MW during the same period.

It is, therefore, critical that stakeholders in the industry address the likely energy consumption deficit so that the benefits of the country generating more than sufficient electricity may not be diminished.

The government and other stakeholders have developed plans to align electricity generation with demand for the attainment of a supply-demand balance.

The measures to grow the countrys demand for electricity are intended to increase utilisation of power and utilisation of power generation plants at their maximum installed capacity, which would lead to reduction of the electricity tariffs.

The demand-growth measures include the establishment of 25 industrial parks whose industries will consume a significant amount of energy. These include the Osukuru industrial complex in Tororo district which is expected to consume 200MW; and from power trade within the East African region.

Ugandas electricity export potential currently stands at 690MW, for exports to Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. Further, the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, through the Rural Electrification Agency, will implement free universal electrification, at a projected rate of 300,000 connections per year.

This will translate into 10MW to 15MW of additional demand from households per year. Growth in demand for electricity is associated with significant investments in the transmission and distribution infrastructure to reinforce and expand the grid for efficient evacuation, transmission and distribution of all electricity generated.

A study by ERA has revealed that funding worth $4,510 million would be required to cater for evacuation of power, expansion of the network, establishment of substations at industrial parks, and reinvestment into the network. The funding is expected to be contributed by both the Government of Uganda and the private sector.

As the country prepares for the commissioning of the large hydropower plants by the end of 2019, a critical consideration for stakeholders in the electricity supply industry should be  how best can we use the available electricity resource to achieve socio-economic transformation?

The author is principal communications officer, Electricity Regulatory Authority.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our preparations for the annual end-of-year business party.

We are keeping it light and soft this year as a true reflection of the poor health of the economy. Things have been so rough in the economy we shall, in respect of our fallen comrades - Crane bank Limited and Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited ahem! - meet up at the public Constitution Square and suck in whatever little fresh air is left of those once beautiful greens.

Snacks and light drinks will be served from the new Pearl of Africa hotel. We decided to call up the hotels chief executive officer, Mohammed Hamid, to do the catering, hoping that his court run-ins with suspended state minister for Labour, Herbert Kabafunzaki, over a purported solicitation of a Shs 5 million bribe to sweep a labour dispute case under the carpet, had slowed down. Hamid obliged.

We have a rich invitation list this year. We have decided to place Sudhir Ruparelia, the chairman of the Ruparelia Group, in the middle row. We were not sure whether to place him at the front row with the heroes or at the back with the villains.

A court case against Bank of Uganda, linked to the collapse of Crane bank, which Sudhir previously owned, has left many of us puzzled over whether the decision to sell off the bank was justified.

What looked like a straightforward case, where Bank of Uganda accused Sudhir of defrauding his own bank, has shifted momentum with Sudhir scoring a court victory over the regulators appointment of lawyers that were once on his payroll.

Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebiles seat has been reserved at the front row, for now. That is down to the simple reason that Ugandas banking system was hardly shaken after Bank of Uganda sold Crane bank to dfcu bank in January.

We dont mind Juma Kisaame, the managing director of dfcu bank, sitting next to the governor; those two struck the deal of the year when dfcu acquired Crane bank. When we called Kisaame to invite him to our party, he sounded upbeat.

And why wouldnt he be? Dfcu Limited has had an impressive year. Its half-year profit before tax for 2017 jumped by a whopping 398 per cent to Shs 151bn due to the gain realised from the acquisition of Crane banks assets.

George Inholo, the managing director of Uganda Clays Limited, will sit just behind Kisaame. Perhaps no company has made a bigger turnaround this year than Uganda Clays.

For a long time, Uganda Clays Limited was the lame duck of the Uganda Securities Exchange, weighed down by a huge pile of debt and fractured by management changes and hostile minority shareholders.

Uganda Clays share price at the securities exchange more than doubled in the last quarter of 2017. Its profit before tax grew to Shs 2.1bn, representing a growth of 70 per cent.

This turnaround is partly attributed to NSSFs conversion of its debt into equity, which ultimately made it a majority shareholder.

While we are still with the construction sector, we have called up Daniel Pettersson, the former chief executive officer of Hima Cement Limited, whose business acumen, seen from the improvements he made at Hima, was at one time unrivalled. We thought Pettersson could do with a drink seeing how he was unceremoniously shown the door at the cement firm.

Another figure that has exited a firm is Sam Kutesa, and we thought he could come to our party too. The minister of Foreign Affairs sold off his stake in Entebbe Handling Services to a company from Kuwait.

Some people have whispered to me that getting the transaction completed was not easy as banks tend to raise a red flag on politically-sensitive figures.

Kutesa might as well share the same table with Jimmy Mugerwa, the country manager at Tullow Oil Uganda. The oil company has struggled to get government approval for the farmdown of about 22 per cent of its stake to Total E&P and Cnooc with disagreement over how much tax that transaction should fetch, and how the oil fields should be operated.

Our invitation list could not be more complete without Alain Goetz, the chief executive officer of African Gold Refinery. The company officially launched in February this year, seeking to become the biggest company in the Great Lakes region to refine gold to 99.99 purity.

The company is now in the process of making finished products such as gold bars and jewellery. We could all do with some jewellery this festive season, seeing few of us benefited from the oil handshake this year.



jeff@observer.ug

Twitter: @jeff_mbanga
Some Kenyan opposition lawmakers are calling on the government to investigate why 90 percent of the 600,000 students who took the 2017 secondary education exams failed. The minister of education, however, expressed satisfaction with the results.



Speaking to reporters in Nairobi, opposition legislator Caleb Amisi said parliament must understand what led to only 10 percent of students scoring high enough to enter university.



"Kenya National Examination Council must be ordered to prepare and present a comprehensive report over this perceived mass failure, and an independent investigation should as well be incorporated," Amisi said. "This should be conducted by some of the most credible auditing companies in Kenya."

President Uhuru Kenyatta in a group picture with secondary students

The results sparked an uproar among parents, teachers and others concerned about the fate of the students and the quality of Kenya's education system.



A key question is what caused the high failure rate. Was it the fault of the students, the teachers, the curriculum, or an accelerated grading process that saw educators plow through the exams in just three weeks?



Mark Nyamita, an opposition lawmaker, says the problem needs to be fixed or millions of young Kenyans will be barred from higher education.



"If this goes on in this government over the next five years, we are going to have a whopping 2.5 million-plus people with their future shuttered," he said.



Some officials say the mass failure resulted from efforts to reduce cheating. In an interview with Citizen Television, Education minister Fred Matiangi hinted that might be true, saying the results reflect the real state of Kenyan education.



"I am very satisfied with the results we had in the last two years, 2016 and 2017, because we have lived a lie for such a long time," Matiangi said. "Time is here for us now to deal with the truth."



Calls are growing for a national conference to resolve the crisis and decide what to do about the students who failed the exams.



The issue is expected to be discussed in the National Assembly in February.
Government has proposed a Shs 100 tax increment on fuel in FY 2018/19 with the aim of raising Shs 202 billion for road maintenance.



"In the roads and works sector, government will scale down on new projects and shift focus to road maintenance. Shs 100 tax will be imposed on fuel to raise about Shs 202 billion annually for road maintenance", reads part of the 2018/2019 financial year budget frame work paper.

The Shs 100 tax increment on fuel is one of the proposed reforms by government mentioned in the frame work paper with the aim of addressing the current budget implementation and governance challenges.

Motorists will have to pay for fuel if government goes ahead to impose an additional Shs 100 on fuel

Finance state minister, David Bahati tabled the budget framework before parliament last week. The paper lists new policy and administrative measures, which government intends to undertake in the next financial year. They include among others halting of the creation of new agencies, administrative units and public universities.

"Freezing the creation of new units is necessary for government to create financial space to accommodate implementation of a comprehensive pay reform for all categories of government employees, starting in financial year 2018/2019. Relatedly, the policy of one secondary school per sub-county and a technical school per constituency will be reconsidered," reads the framework paper.



The Finance, Planning and Economics Development ministry, also recommends that government stops extending grants to private schools and hospitals starting FY 2018/19 on onwards. The paper also shows that government plans to freeze all planned recruitment under all sectors such as health and education except under very special circumstances.

Government says the recruitment will strictly be done on replacement basis and also say there will be no selective pay awards to avoid agitation and piece meal management of the pay increment pressures from the individual employee cadres. The Finance ministry says all enhancements will be addressed in the comprehensive pay reform.



"In line with on-going Public Finance Management (PFM) reforms, effective financial year 2018/2019, all non-tax revenues (including appropriation in aid) will be collected by Uganda Revenue Authority, channeled to the Consolidated Fund and released normally to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for the spending institutions," states the budget framework paper.

Also effective next financial year, there will be no more creation of special funds, which the Finance ministry says normally results in disjointed interventions and fragmentation of resources that in most cases do not create the desired impact.

The sectoral committees of parliament are expected to discuss and adopt policy statements from the ministries, departments and agencies. The policy statements spell out areas of focus in the ministries, unfunded priorities and the total budgets.



The Budget committee of parliament is also expected to scrutinize the proposals in the budget framework paper and write a report to parliament for approval.
Now that The Observer is weekly again, by the time you read my next column, it will be January 3, 2018.

Let me, therefore, wish you a happy and prosperous 2018. The year 2017 has ended on a bad note on my side after failing to stop the prohibitively NRM-dominated 10th parliament from changing our Constitution to entrench the life presidency.

Before the Wednesday, December 20 vote on age limits in parliament, our Constitution, under Article 102(b), prohibited a 75-year-old person from running for president. That is why Gen Museveni, who will be 76 in 2021, pushed for its removal so he can die in office.

A big section of NRM MPs know that removal of age limits from the Constitution is probably the biggest sin they have ever committed against Uganda. Their electorates warned them against it. That is why they have illegally extended their term of office by two years.

Just like their master, they fear elections. The extension of the term of office for parliament and the presidency from five to seven years gives them some breathing space. Already, some have privately told us that they will not subject themselves to another election.

That is why Gen Moses Ali lost his cool during a cabinet meeting when Museveni attempted to shelve the seven-year-term proposal. Some colleagues and I have asked Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago to help us petition court over this whole circus. We hope courts will have the courage this time to grant us something.

Of course what happened on December 20 should serve as a big lesson to those of us opposed to the life presidency. There are many political mistakes we have individually and collectively committed in the last couple of years.

One such big mistake has been the refusal to work together and over concentration on winning the presidency. In this confusion, we lost parliamentary seats that we should never have.

Constituencies such as Entebbe Municipality, Busiro South, Nansana Municipality, Jinja Municipality East, Jinja Municipality West, Wakiso Woman MP, Mukono Woman MP, Busia Municipality, etc, should be in the hands of the opposition had we worked as a team.

Col Kizza Besigye won elections in Tororo district but all their MPs are from NRM. We lost seats in West Nile that we should never have lost. The life presidency went through on about 30 votes. If we had increased our numbers in parliament in the last elections, maybe we could have blocked it.

While I agree that a popular uprising can terminate the life presidency even before the next elections, opposition political parties, civil society and elements within NRM that believe in orderly succession (peaceful transfer of power) must return to the drawing board immediately.

For me, the dividend from the Togikwatako campaign has been the ability to work together. I think for the first time in recent history, I have seen opposition groups wearing the same colour (red) and speaking the same language. My desire is to see this continue. I have no problem with people associating with whoever they like, but on national issues, we must act together and speak the same language.

I have also learnt by chairing many meetings of MPs at parliament that forcing people to act the same way is detrimental to causes. There are MPs who pleaded with us that before we exchange kicks with NRM or Museveni security agents, we must afford them an opportunity to put their points on record.

The activists dismissed them as cowards and agents of the state. Hours of meetings helped reconcile these differences. I think our political parties must at all times struggle to accommodate and appreciate the contribution of everybody.

I also learnt that in whatever we are doing, we must try to accommodate the interests, sometime conflicting ones, of each component of our forces.

Finally, we have a duty to pick up pieces, and press on. Museveni has already started. On Thursday night, he met Busoga MPs and I have learnt he has lined up many meetings in the next couple of days.

And because staying in power is his main job, he is going to be active once the year begins. The opposition must not go on holiday. We must work as if parliament has not touched the Constitution. That is how we will be able to break the old, vulnerable man.



semugs@yahoo.com



The author is Kira Municipality MP and opposition chief whip in parliament.
Last week, I met a leading (old-guard) NRM ideologue.

A long-standing public servant of with a stellar CV, he is among those who have held high positions in different offices and at different times and left with a clean name. A day after the sad events in parliament on Wednesday, I asked him what he thought: Betrayal, he said.

His perceptive view contrasts sharply with the pitiful coterie that has been supplicating for the master in exchange for material crumbs from the State House dining table. Political neophytes working with, or perhaps more accurately commanded by, mercenary-like courtiers based in parliament have fallen on each other trying to advance the most laughable arguments.

Consider the deeply-sickening assertion that a constitution is there to be amended as and when it is necessary. This assertion grossly betrays a lack of grasp of basic tenets of modern constitutional governance. A constitution cannot be amended at the whims of individuals lest it loses meaning as an enduring supreme law.

Shifting constitutional goalposts whenever the need arises is simply antithetical to constitutionalism. Meanwhile, within the spirit of deception and misleading claims, MP Margaret Muhanga, the ruling party caucus spokeswoman, took matters a notch higher, claiming that MPs are not delegates who have to take the views of the public!

This of course is ludicrous, to say the least. MPs do not represent themselves in parliament; rather, they represent the people who elected them and the public on whose behalf they legislate.

On a matter that is so critical and controversial, MPs cannot ignore the views of their voters and the public. In another sense, Ms Muhanga was alluding to a serious political reality in Uganda, that is, the fact that voters are not actual holders of power as provided in the constitution. Power has been lost, from the people to political entrepreneurs.

Because MPs like Ms Muhanga are able to procure their way to parliament, they ipso-facto buy the power to transact on their own and cut deals in total disregard of the voters.

In the weeks leading to last Wednesday, the emergent general view, backed up by some opinion polls results reported in the media, was that amending the constitution to remove the cap on the age limit of a presidential candidate is something many Ugandans are decidedly against.

Be that as it may, we were told, MPs have the powers to decide for the public by disregarding what the public thinks. This view underlines the arrogance of power.

For a country seething with intractable problems, we are ending the year mourning yet again on a note of battered political immorality. One can add that to the criminal scheme of political brinkmanship.

The upshot of it all is that with the naked greed for power, Mr Museveni can no longer lay any claim to being a statesman with the credentials that qualify him to fellowship in the club of illustrious African leaders.

He has presided over immense political fraud, the high point of which was clinched in parliament last week. Mr Museveni has ably written his epitaph in quite uncertain terms such that in all likelihood, there wont be much controversy in his absence.

But why would a ruler be so desperate to cling to power that he has to engage in egregious and shameless machinations that utterly wipe out an otherwise a modest legacy worth salvaging? The curse of power!

Rulers in the mould of Mr Museveni construe the state as their personal estate for which they have a lifetime entitlement to manage or, more accurately, mismanage. The spirit of constitutional checks such as term and age limits is precisely to avoid that eventuality.

Every challenge to the rulers hold on power hardens his resolve to stay put at all costs, to dig in and to summon all possible illegal responses. And urged on by hangers-on and schemers seeking to cash in from a system of spoils, the ruler can effortlessly switch positions and lie with no remorse.

Today, he will say he has no interest in removing the age limit provision in the constitution, tomorrow he will be the chief author of the same. Ugandan politics has entered a most worrying state.

Going forward, the polarization accentuated by the toxic age limit amendment will only work to undercut progressive politics. The fight to stop the so-called Magyezi bill in parliament included deeply-disturbing gutter tactics. Some of the scenes on the floor of parliament showed just how low Ugandan politics has sunk.

Money and force have gained the status of arbiters, and they will for hold firm years to come. From the trend over the past few years, the emergent police state will become more pronounced in the wake of the latest constitutional manoeuvring that has further discredited the ruler. If coercion wont work, bribery might.



moses.khisa@gmail.com



The author is an assistant professor of political science at North Carolina State University.
Greek eco-terrorists claim to have started injecting hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive substance, into supermarket foods and drinks. The anarchist group even posted photos of themselves injecting soda, milk, and meat with acid, on social media.

Several Greek supermarkets were forced to withdraw specific products from their shelves after the threats of contamination. Authorities urged citizens in Athens and Thessaloniki not to buy or consume Coca-Cola, a local milk brand, and packaged meat for fear of them being contaminated with the dangerous substance. The two cities have a combined total of about 1 million residents affected by these precautionary measures.

Photo: IndyMedia

I would categorize this as terror activity, Mary Bossis, an associate professor of International Relations at the University of Piraeus and an expert on left-wing militancy, told VICE Munchies. They are not political activists; they are criminals.

The anarchists, who go by the name Blackgreen Arsonists, released a manifesto declaring:

These days, thousands and thousands of Christians will leave their couch to make the necessary shopping for their Christmas tables, to fill their empty lives with consumable rubbish covered in beautiful, glittering wrapping. The victims of this feast are the millions of living creatures that are slaughtered to arrive at the tables of the living, drained to the last drop of blood to satisfy their palates.

Photo: IndyMedia

For some reason, the group even mentioned which specific items would be contaminated, citing practical reasons: 1.5-liter bottles of Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Light, a lunch meat called Yfantis (350- and 500-gram packages) and Delta whole milk. The group claims to have collected these items in the month leading up to Christmas, and proceeded to clandestinely return the products to shop shelves from December 20th to the 24th.

Hydrochloric acid is a colorless, odorless solution of hydrogen chloride in water used in research and industry. The acid is considered a toxic substance by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and it is highly corrosive, causing immediate damage when ingested, inducing severe throat pain, shock, bloody vomiting, and even death.

Similar threats have emerged several times in the past, including last Christmas, but no cases of hydrochloric acid poisoning were ever actually recorded. In this case, however, the group included photos as part of their online threat. Authorities currently have no information on the identities of the terrorists, and they do not appear to have a cohesive political message or aim.

Photo: IndyMedia

They only think within their own category of thinking., Bossis said. Its a group of people that believes [] they are hurting multinational corporations, which is not true. This terror activity [] alienates them and puts them in the category of criminals and not political activists. This targets predominately young people, as they are the main consumers of these products.

So far, no cases of hydrochloric acid poisoning have been reported.
The Committee for Responsible Foreign Policy has retained DGSR LLC to promote its goal of pursuing a realistic and restrained foreign policy.

Washington-based DGSR is the home of William Dolbow, a top aide to former Majority Leader Eric Cantor and legislative director to Cantors predecessor Tom Bliley.

The Committee wants Congress to retain its Article I authority of the Constitution, giving it the exclusive power to declare war.

It maintains that Congress often takes a backseat in directing military action, acquiescing to the President.

The group points to the US participation in Saudi Arabias brutal campaign in Yemen as an unconstitutional war.

Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, President Obama sent troops in 2015 to support the Saudi effort to defeat an uprising by Yemens Houthi rebels.

Foreign Policy magazine though saw the US intervention as Obamas way to curry favor with Saudi Arabia. The Shiite Houthis have no connection to the Sunni extremists of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The Committee backs legislation introduced by Democrats Ro Khanna (CA), Mark Pocan (WI) and Republicans Walter Jones (NC) and Thomas Massie (KY) to remove US forces from Yemen within 30 days unless Congress declares war.
Wearing a hijab of her Muslim faith, a high school sophomore stood quietly amid the colorful deities and sanctums of another faith  at Omahas Hindu Temple.

Its a beautiful building  I love it, said Sumayyah Rab of Central High. If you know more about other religions and cultures, you can come closer to knowing more about other people.

Evan Harris, a senior and a Christian, described the visit to the ornate temple another way: It takes you out of your comfort zone and puts you in other peoples shoes.

Michaela Atkins, a junior who was raised Baptist, called the Hindu Temple gorgeous. More than appreciating its striking appearance, she said, getting to study other faiths is part of her personal journey.

I want to decipher things for myself, to branch out and know other religions, she said. This class is perfect for that.

The honors class in world religions is taught by Gary Groff, chairman of Centrals social studies department. In addition to the recent trip to the Hindu Temple, students this semester visited Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Temple Israel synagogue and the American Muslim Institute mosque.

World religion classes were rare in American high schools in the 1980s and 90s, Groff said, and they still are far from standard. But as the U.S. population has become increasingly diverse, he said, the creation of such classes was natural.

Certainly after 9/11, he said, the need to better understand Islamic traditions was apparent.

Grace Tschudin, a junior, said a world religions class isnt something shed necessarily expect in a public school.

But once you take the class, she said, you kind of realize why its important for public education to provide it. Theres no bias. And its important not to be ignorant.

Groff created a world religions class 20 years ago at Bellevue West. After he retired from that district in 2009, he started the class at Central, a school long known for its diversity.

You can see it in the hallways, he said. We probably have 40 or 50 girls wearing a full hijab, and Jewish boys might wear a yarmulke all day long. Students are very open and very much aware of religious plurality.

Students always ask about his own faith, the teacher said, but he doesnt reveal it until the end of the semester. He is Presbyterian.

Though the students appreciate religious diversity, for most the visit to the Hindu Temple of Nebraska was a first. It is close to the major intersection of 132nd Street and West Center Road, but most Omahans probably havent seen it.

Its tucked out of view of major streets, behind a shopping center  a block north of West Center and two blocks east of 132nd Street at 13010 Arbor St.

In the early 1990s, local Hindus converted the former S.P. Ghettis Italian restaurant into a temple, though the exterior still kind of looked like a restaurant. But a major transformation occurred with the 2004 opening of an addition with towers and intricate carvings sculpted by skilled artisans from India.

The temple welcomes visitors, including tour groups from other states as well as local church groups and book clubs. Vandana Singh, a volunteer who greeted the Central students, said Hindus are happy to let others see what our culture and religion are about.

About 5,000 Indian-Americans, people with roots in India, live in the Omaha area, she said, adding that the growth in recent decades is similar to that in the country as a whole.

The Migration Policy Institute says that in 1960, about 12,000 people from India lived in the U.S. The number of Indian-Americans today is near 3 million, many of them highly educated in STEM fields  science, technology, engineering and math.

Many in the Omaha area are professionals, such as Singhs husband, Dr. Sanjay Singh of Creighton University, chairman of the department of neurology.

In 2011, Boys Town elected its first non-Catholic board chairman, banking executive Rajive Johri, a Hindu born in India.

A Hindu influence is appearing at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, which is building a $20 million Asian Highlands addition. Photos of the Himalayan region inspired the re-creation of Hindu structures that zoo leaders say will give the addition its personality.

But the most striking Hindu site locally is surely the temple.

Atop a tower are figures of watchmen, each with one finger extended. That symbolizes the belief in one God, though sanctums inside recognize a number of deities described as manifestations of the supreme being.

The 2.5-ton elephant-headed Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, sits in the main sanctum.

Singh, the temple guide, explained to students the Hindu belief in mastering control of ones senses and desires and of peacefully accepting the good and the bad of life.

There is a sense of detachment from everything in the world, she said. We should absolutely enjoy the good life that we have, but we shouldnt be attached to it  because tomorrow for some reason we might lose it all.

Students had removed their shoes before entering the main prayer hall with the sanctums and quietly moved about. Some saw the temple as a hidden jewel.

Ive never seen anything like it in Omaha, said sophomore Rozlyn Olson, who was raised Christian but calls herself agnostic. Its beautiful. Im amazed and completely flabbergasted.

The world religions class has taught her a lot, she said, adding that the more she learns, the more she realizes what she doesnt know.

The class has learned about Omahas unique Tri-Faith campus near 132nd and Pacific Streets  blocks north of the Hindu Temple  which includes a synagogue, a mosque and a church that is to open in a year.

Groff said its a pleasure to teach engaged students in the class, which is part of a dual enrollment through the religious studies department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Kind of the gist of the whole class, he said, is that the more we understand, the less we fear. I try to avoid the word tolerance, which, to me, means you put up with something. We focus on appreciating and understanding different beliefs.
MINNEAPOLIS  On Cargills new FedByTrade website, the Houfek family tells how selling meat to foreign countries has supported two generations working at the companys packing plant in Schuyler, Nebraska.

Four hundred miles north, in Hopkins, Minnesota, Brian Donovan, an operations manager in Cargills salt division, stands ready to explain how providing de-icing and water conditioning products to Canadians keeps dozens of U.S. workers on the payroll.

As President Donald Trumps disparagement of free trade agreements pushes America away from deals like the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership and the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, Cargill, one of the worlds largest private companies, is pushing back.

The Minnesota-based shipping and agriculture giant has enlisted its 155,000-person workforce in a political trade war. It just launched FedByTrade, where its employees, customers and communities can tell stories of regular Americans who depend on international trade for their livelihoods.

The company also plans more direct outreach to rural communities and other places that profit directly and indirectly from global trade.

Cargill CEO David MacLennan said Trumps America First agenda in his first year in office defies past conventions and defies history. The Trump administrations insistence that big trade deals cost American jobs reveals that the White House does not have a full enough understanding of the complexity of negotiating (trade) agreements, MacLennan said.

So at a time when MacLennan says free trade has become surprisingly out of favor politically and therefore socially, Cargill believes it must connect the dots from things like meat packing and salt production in the global economy back to individual jobs in America.

I can go to Washington and talk to politicians and to Cabinet members, MacLennan said. But we think engaging our employees and our rural communities to connect with Washington will put things in perspective.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who is renegotiating NAFTA and who would be responsible for negotiating future deals, believes in tariffs to protect U.S. jobs. He thinks trade deficits are bad. And he specializes in two-nation trade deals instead of multinational pacts like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, on which Cargill worked for years.

Lighthizers office declined to comment on Cargills new program. It referred questions to the White House, which did not respond to requests for comment. But in a September talk at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Lighthizer noted that Trump has long been critical of the prevailing U.S. trade policy of so-called free trade deals and of their effects on workers. So we will have change in trade policy.

Minnesota corn and hog farmer Bruce Peterson said free trade agreements have treated him fairly. Peterson sells some of his products to Cargill. He said hes glad the company is standing up to the administration. If international trade, which is worth billions of dollars to Minnesota farmers, all of a sudden falls apart, that could be really disruptive, he said.
Following a year of dizzying news cycles, Twitter flame wars and increasingly deep political divisions, getting engrossed in a meaty book on leadership lessons, in-depth career advice or ideas for improving the way we work may sound pretty tempting.

So weve pored through 2018 book lists from publishers, asked business thinkers for recommendations, and sorted through upcoming galleys sent our way for the leadership titles that most pique our interest. From high-profile names  former FBI Director James Comey is releasing a book on leadership in May  to lesser-known authors whose books sound like worthwhile reads, this list is a roundup of 11 titles coming in the first half of the year to consider adding to your business bookshelf.

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

By Dan Pink, expected Jan. 9

Pink dives into the research behind not just what makes people good at their jobs or how they do it, but when: The most productive time of day to do the hardest work, the right time of year to start a new project, the best time in life to change jobs. Pink tackles the science behind how we organize our time and how we should set up the routines of our days.

Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility

By Patty McCord, expected Jan. 9

The former chief talent officer at Netflix, McCord led human resources at the streaming video company when a popular slide deck about its culture went viral years ago. With the title Freedom & Responsibility, the slides described how Netflix thinks about retention (adequate performance gets a generous severance package), hiring (no brilliant jerks) and its efforts to curtail rule creep (the company was one of the first to say it had no vacation policy). Now a consultant, McCord promotes the idea of radical honesty in the workplace.

Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More

By Morten Hansen, expected Jan. 30

Written by a co-author of famed business guru Jim Collins, Hansens book is based on a five-year research study of 5,000 managers and employees that resulted in seven practices that the best of them share. The leaders he profiles have more compelling stories than the typical CEO: A principal who turned around a failing high school, a sushi chef in Tokyo who received three Michelin stars and the first explorer to reach the South Pole, in 1911.

The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

By Daniel Coyle, expected Jan. 30

Recommended by both organizational behavior expert Adam Grant and The No A-hole Rule author Robert Sutton, Coyles book examines how successful groups of people work together so well. Coyle, who works as an adviser for the Cleveland Indians and is the author of other books about talent, promises to demystify the murky topic of organizational culture by examining the key skills that prompt group cooperation.

Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Dont Have all the Facts

By Annie Duke, expected Feb. 6

This books subhead describes exactly what leaders so often have to do: Make decisions before they know everything. And for those interested in getting ideas from diverse fields, Dukes background certainly offers one: A former World Series of Poker champion, she was earlier awarded a National Science Foundation fellowship to study cognitive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Duke is now a business consultant who speaks on decision strategy with corporate clients, the lessons of which are distilled in this book.

Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership

By Martin Dempsey and Ori Brafman, expected March 6

Dempsey, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commander of the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad, wrote this book with Brafman, an author and consultant who writes about networks and organizational culture. The connection makes sense: Brafmans well-known first book, The Starfish and the Spider, was about the power of decentralized organizations, and Dempsey served as an Army leader amid the growth of decentralized terrorist networks. Their joint effort argues that in todays complex world, leaders should focus on radical inclusion, involving as many people as possible, rather than the exclusionary direction in which the world appears to be headed.

Dying for a Paycheck

By Jeffrey Pfeffer, expected March 20

Stanford professor Pfeffer, who has written about power, leadership development BS and the need for more evidence-based management practices, takes a frank look at the health risks of modern work life. The book has nothing to do with physically dangerous jobs: Pfeffer examines how the long hours, family conflicts and economic insecurities in professional workplaces can lead to health problems, some life-threatening, even while they dont help corporate bottom lines. He argues that the stresses of the professional workplace, not subject to Occupational Safety and Health Administration reporting or intervention, must be dealt with by organizations that promote their environmental sustainability records while doing too little to enhance the sustainability of their own employees.

Dear Madam President: An open letter to the women who will run the world

By Jennifer Palmieri, expected March 27

Palmieri, the communications director for Hillary Clintons campaign, White House communications director for President Barack Obama, and a longtime figure in Democratic circles, writes a letter to future women leaders based on her experiences. Arguing that the world still hasnt adjusted to what it should look like for a woman to be president, the book offers lessons from the campaign trail, directed at the women who will aim for the countrys top office in the future. The book is likely to offer an insiders look at Clintons campaign as well as insights for female leaders.

On Grand Strategy

By John Lewis Gaddis, expected April 3

While hardly the sort of book that populates the business shelf  Gaddis, a distinguished Cold War historian at Yale University, is no consultant with a schtick to peddle  On Grand Strategy offers a serious look for leaders interested in strategy and the art of leadership. In the book, its publisher writes, Gaddis reflects on what hes learned from a program he, Charles Hill and Paul Kennedy have co-taught at Yale for years. There are chapters extending from the ancient world through World War II, in which he assesses grand strategic theory and practice in Herodotus, Thucydides, Sun Tzu, Octavian/Augustus, St. Augustine, Machiavelli, Elizabeth I, Philip II, the American Founding Fathers, Clausewitz, Tolstoy, Lincoln, Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Isaiah Berlin.

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership

By James Comey, expected May 1

The former FBI director  fired by President Donald Trump  inked what was reported to be a multimillion-dollar book deal in August. The books publisher has said the book by Comey, also a former Justice Department official and lawyer, promises to give readers unprecedented entry into the corridors of power, and a remarkable lesson in leadership itself.

A Good Time to be a Girl

By Helena Morrissey, expected June 5

Morrissey, an investment management executive in Britain, founder of the 30% Club campaign to get more women on boards, and mother of nine, offers another response to Sheryl Sandbergs 2013 book Lean In. Morrisseys book has been described as a manifesto for new ways women and companies can work and manage rather than trying to get ahead in a patriarchal system that is out of date. Morrissey told Londons Evening Standard newspaper that it will be a handbook for young women, those midcareer and also companies, because it matters what you lean in to.
Bluffs police said they determined that the man forced his way into the location, then choked a 46-year-old woman and assaulted a 50-year-old woman, kicking her in the head. Police said the man pulled a 9-inch knife and threatened to kill the women.
They were loving grandparents who seemingly never met a stranger. She was a successful student and the apple of her dads eye.

John and Jean Dalton and their granddaughter, Leonna Dalton-Phillip, were being remembered Wednesday for all the good things they brought to the world. The three were slain Tuesday in the Daltons home.

The Daltons own son, who previously spent time in prison for killing his wife, was arrested Wednesday on a first-degree murder warrant. John Dalton Jr., 46, was apprehended outside Jackson, Tennessee, and was being held in the Madison County Jail in that state Wednesday night.

Police have not described a motive.

Claude Phillip said he just saw Leonna, his oldest daughter, over the holiday. A Des Moines resident, Phillip came to Omaha for the holiday and spent time in the Dalton home on Christmas Eve.

They loved everybody, Phillip said. They even treated my other kids like they were their own grandkids.

The violence appears to have unfolded quickly, Phillip said.

Dalton-Phillips car was still running outside her maternal grandparents home at 3912 N. 37th St. when police arrived to investigate the shooting Tuesday night. The 18-year-old Burke High senior had gone to the house to pick up her younger sister, Phillip said.

Leonna was stopping by after work to pick up her sister and get a plate of food from her grandmother, Phillip said Wednesday. Her car was still running. Thats how fast all this happened.

The younger sister, London Dalton, ran to a neighbors house about 7:30 p.m. and said, They shot my family.

Police found John W. Dalton Sr., 70, his wife, Jean, 65, and Leonna Dalton-Phillip all dead inside the home. Dalton-Phillip was Dalton Jr.s niece.

Leonna had a bright future, her father said. She received straight As and had scholarship offers for college.

She thought she might want to go to school in California, he said. We were just investigating that.

Phillip described his daughter as a very loving person who worked at the Target store at Sorensen Park Plaza.

She was so smart and bright, he said. Last April or May, she won an essay contest on the Holocaust. There were 300 entries, and hers was the best one.

Leonna lived with her mother, Jalisa Dalton, a daughter of John and Jean Dalton. In addition to her sister London, Leonna is survived by three brothers and four sisters, Phillip said.

Jalisa is just in shock, he said. We all are. I cant believe this happened.

Even though Phillip and Jalisa Dalton were no longer together, Phillip said John and Jean Dalton always welcomed him into their home. John Dalton Sr. was a retired packinghouse worker and his wife retired from Lozier Store Fixtures last spring.

John Dalton Jr. was pulled over Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 40 in Jackson, Tennessee.

Radio dispatch traffic indicates that Dalton was eastbound in a Black GMC Terrain SUV.

A trooper who was tracking him radioed dispatchers: Hes weaving in and out of traffic. I think hes going to exit the first chance he gets  Looks like there is only one occupant in the vehicle.

After more troopers were in place, they pulled Dalton over about 5 miles farther down the road, on the northeast side of Jackson.

Jackson is about 130 miles west of Nashville, where Dalton was captured in a traffic stop after killing his wife in Omaha in 1998. Following that arrest, he was held without bail because he was considered a flight risk.

Given the chance, hed run again, Jennie Dugan-Hinrichs, a deputy Douglas County attorney, told a judge.

John Dalton Jr. served more than 11 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter in the death of his wife, Shannon Dalton.

He lived just a couple blocks away, but I dont think (his parents) saw him a lot, Phillip said. Jean would try to talk to him, but she said he was never the same after he got out of prison.

On Wednesday, a woman who came out of the Daltons home said the family is still grieving and trying to deal with what happened. She also said that more family members are coming into town.

A First Responders Prayer Walk has been scheduled for 5:15 p.m. today outside the familys home at 3912 N. 37th St..

The Omaha Public Schools put out a statement after the news of Dalton-Phillips death.

We extend our deepest, heartfelt sympathy to the family, it said. Counselors were available at Burke High on Wednesday afternoon, the district said.

In the 1998 killing of his 22-year-old wife, Dalton initially faced a second-degree murder charge but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The couple had been married about five years.

The couples three daughters, who were 6, 5 and 3 at the time, were at their home at 3489 Ruggles St.. They heard, but did not see, the shooting.

After the death of their mother, the children were put in the care of Jean Dalton, and she had custody of them until they became adults.

The oldest daughter, Brittiney Faison, wrote heartfelt tributes to her grandparents and cousin on social media.

This cant be, she posted above photos of them smiling. She recalled the talks they had and her cousin imploring her to come over.

I wish I said yes to her every time she wrote.

World-Herald staff writers Alia Conley and Andrew J. Nelson contributed to this report.
Nearly two decades ago, John Dalton Jr. fatally shot his wife in Omaha and spent 11 years in prison.

Prosecutors had agreed to a manslaughter conviction, instead of a more serious murder charge, partly because they did not want to put the couples three children on the witness stand. In the end, Dalton was sentenced to 20 to 30 years, and under a state law that cuts most sentences in half, he was released in 2010.

Now Dalton is accused of killing three more relatives  his parents, John and Jean Dalton, and a niece, Leonna Dalton-Phillip  in a Tuesday evening shooting in north Omaha.

The parents had raised Daltons three girls after he killed their mother. Wednesday, the children either declined to comment or could not be reached.

On Facebook, however, oldest daughter Brittiney Faison wrote:

My dad literally has taken everything from us. He took my mother now my grandparents and my little cousin. I dont think I can handle this pain. ... I know what hate feels like.

On Labor Day in 1998, Dalton shot his wife, Shannon Dalton, 22, in their home at 3489 Ruggles St.

Shannons mother, Floria Cullum, told The World-Herald at the time that her daughter had wanted to get out of the relationship.

She had made up her mind, she said.

Her body was found on the floor of the living room.

The couples children, ages 6, 5 and 3 at the time, were sleeping in a bedroom down the hallway at the time of the shooting, prosecutors said.

Cullum said in 1999 that the three girls saw the gun and heard the shots but did not directly witness their mothers death.

Right now, I dont think the children are old enough to understand, but they talk about it, said Cullum, who died in 2004.

Dalton was charged in a warrant with second-degree murder, and police looked for him for two days before he turned up just north of Nashville, Tennessee, driving his slain wifes Ford Tempo.

Deputy County Attorney Brenda Beadle said at the time that she agreed to reduce the murder charge out of consideration for the children. A weapons charge was added as part of the plea agreement and it gave the judge the option of sentencing Dalton to up to 90 years in prison, Beadle said in 1999.

Instead, Douglas County District Judge Robert V. Burkhard sentenced Dalton to 20 to 30 years in prison.

Cullum said of the sentence at the time, It was just.

Beadle didnt respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Reached Thursday, Burkhard declined to comment.

Dalton wrote a letter to the judge before his 1999 sentencing, expressing remorse for the crime.

I wish I could go back and change that whole day around, Dalton wrote. I miss my wife so much.

He also told the judge he missed his children and wanted to be a father to them.

The children  Brittiney, Shanel and Alysha Dalton  were placed in the care of Jean Dalton. She and her husband remained their guardians until the children became adults.

After a 2010 hearing attended by Jean and Brittiney, the Nebraska Board of Parole voted 4-0 to grant Dalton supervised release, according to board records.

Dalton said he would live in Omaha with his daughter Brittiney.

He was discharged from parole about 2 years later. Absent parole, he would have been released on Sept. 3, 2013, from the State Penitentiary in Lincoln.

Prior to his parole hearing, Dalton had undergone two psychological evaluations. Although the records released by officials did not list details of the evaluations, the Parole Board ordered Dalton to receive outpatient mental health counseling as a condition of his release.

Dalton did not appear before the board again, which indicates that he did not commit any violations to warrant a revocation hearing. Additionally, Nebraska court records indicate that Dalton hasnt been charged with a crime since his release from prison. Nor are there mentions of protection orders.
With the ink just dry on the new federal tax law, some local taxpayers are getting ahead of the coming changes before the calendar rolls over to 2018.

The Douglas and Sarpy County treasurers said Wednesday that their offices are busy as some taxpayers aim to record an extra property tax payment for the year. Friday is the last chance to do it in person.

Theres a potential benefit of such a payment for certain taxpayers on their 2017 federal income taxes as the old rules switch over to the new law.

The high end of Nebraskas property taxpayers could be affected by a new $10,000 cap on how much property, state and local taxes they can deduct on their federal taxes. In addition, some middle class homeowners who itemize deductions on their federal return could shift to simply taking the higher standard deduction on their 2018 taxes. In those cases, they may benefit from increasing the items they can itemize for 2017.

Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing said the federal tax law has created a ripple effect down to his office.

The office has been busier than normal for this time of year, he said, and the volume of phone calls and mail are up.

Ewing said hes careful to not give tax advice. But he said taxpayers can make a payment on their 2017 taxes now because they are actually due by Dec. 31  although the first half of the tax bill doesnt become delinquent until after March 31 and the second half until after July 31.

Taxpayers dont have to stand in line to make a payment, Ewing said. His office will accept payments for 2017 that are placed in a Treasurers Office drop box by Dec. 31 or postmarked by Dec. 31.

Sarpy County Treasurer Rich James said his office is seeing a jump in December tax collections of some 40 percent, although he said hes not certain whether thats because of the tax law changes. But James said some customers have made it clear that the new law prompted them to make their tax payments.

James said he understands why.

Youre never going to get this opportunity to pay it again in 2017, James said. It makes sense for a lot of folks.

Whether the move makes sense depends on an individuals situation, said Ryan Parker, chairman of the Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants. If someone pays the alternative minimum tax, for instance, paying ahead may not matter, Parker said.

The Washington Post, in a Q&A on the topic, specified: If you dont itemize your tax deduction (and most Americans dont), it will have no benefit for you.

But Parker said a good example of someone who would benefit is a person who expects to switch from itemizing to taking the standard deduction. Among the variety of changes, the new law increases the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly from $12,700 for 2017 to $24,000 for 2018.

If the benefit of itemizing is going away for 2018, Parker said, its possible that such a person could make a property tax payment now and add to whats itemized this year.

Pat Meyer, chairman-elect of the Society of Certified Public Accountants, advised that taxpayers who are paying a mortgage and are considering the situation should contact their mortgage institution.

If you pay taxes through an escrow account, the Post said, some lenders could ask individuals to make a property tax payment themselves, then take steps to confirm the payment before making any adjustments to the account.

Said Meyer, It doesnt fit everybodys situation.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb.  Children and their parents were able to learn more about how to properly care for their pets during the winter months at a presentation Wednesday morning.

About a dozen elementary-aged children came to the Grand Island Public Library to hear a presentation on winter pet care by Central Nebraska Humane Society Executive Director Chasity Cross and shelter manager Maggie Cates.

Cross brought her rescue dog, Charlotte, an American bulldog-pit bull mix who is training to be a service dog, to help with the lesson. Charlotte was equipped with a blue backpack that included necessary items for pets during the winter months, including a food and water bowl, a sheet, treats and a dog toy.

Cates said it is important for a dog to be able to play inside during the winter months as it allows them to be smart and release energy, while also staying out of the cold.

Cross noted that Charlotte was wearing a pink sweater, which allowed her to have an extra layer of warmth for the cold winter months.

Other important items: a brush, nail clipper, waste disposal bags, a collar and tags.

Cates said it is important, during the winter months, for pet owners to take proper care of their pets, especially those who keep their pets outside.
WASHINGTON  Citing North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile threat, the Trump administration is moving to vastly expand the problem-plagued homeland missile defense system despite warnings that the upgrades may not succeed.

Immediate plans call for building two $1 billion radar installations and adding 20 rocket interceptors to the 44 already deployed in underground silos at Fort Greely in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The Pentagon also is taking steps to launch new satellites to help each interceptors kill vehicle find, crash into and destroy incoming ballistic missiles high above the atmosphere.

The expected cost is about $10.2 billion over five years, on top of more than $40 billion already spent for the system. Last week, Congress passed a bill that includes $200 million to start preparing construction of additional missile silos in Alaska.

But government reports and interviews with technical experts suggest that the planned upgrades, including a redesigned kill vehicle, are unlikely to protect the United States from a limited-scale ballistic missile attack, which is the systems mission.

One concern is the administrations rush to expand the system.

The first new radar is scheduled to be made operational in 2020 before any flight testing is conducted. And the first set of redesigned kill vehicles will be installed in late 2021, following just one flight test of a prototype. All the new interceptors and kill vehicles are supposed to be in place by the end of 2023.

Theres no way to prove out the design  let alone its reliability  without more flight tests, said L. David Montague, a former aerospace executive who co-chaired a National Academy of Sciences panel of 16 experts that recommended ways to improve U.S. missile defenses in 2012. Its stupid.

On Oct. 11, President Donald Trump said the interceptors can knock out a missile in the air 97 percent of the time. But the Pentagon says the interceptors have only a 50 percent success rate in controlled flight tests.

The stakes are high because North Korea has developed an arsenal of nuclear weapons and last month tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that American officials said appeared capable of reaching the entire United States. Some experts fear that U.S. overconfidence in the missile defense system could lead to miscalculations in the standoff with North Korea.

The response to North Korea is, Lets spend billions of dollars more on missile defense,  said Laura Grego, a physicist who led a 2016 study of the anti-missile system for the nonpartisan Union of Concerned Scientists. But we ought to be very careful that were not fooling ourselves.

The Pentagons Missile Defense Agency did not respond to questions for this article.

Pentagon officials have told Congress that they have confidence in the system  but that it needs improvements. In April 2016, Vice Adm. James Syring, then head of the missile agency, told a Senate subcommittee that he wanted to replace the less reliable kill vehicles.

Even more ambitious missile defense projects may be on the way.

On Dec. 12, Trump signed a defense authorization bill that requires the missile agency to develop plans to ultimately deploy 104 interceptors  perhaps by building new missile silos in the Midwest or on the East Coast. The agency also is preparing options to deploy space-based laser weapons for missile defense.

The interceptors form the core of the existing Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, or GMD. It is designed to track and destroy a limited number of incoming missiles from an adversary.

The GMD system has been beset with multiple shortcomings. Since flight testing started, interceptors have failed to destroy target missiles in nine of 18 attempts. Since 2004, the system has failed in six of 10 of the flight tests.

Military planners estimate that four or five interceptors would be needed for each incoming missile to ensure its destruction. A dozen nuclear-tipped missiles thus could overwhelm the current U.S. arsenal.

The systems inadequacies have been described by the Pentagons operational test office as well as the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the National Academy of Sciences panel and in interviews with other defense specialists.

For instance, 34 of the 44 existing interceptors use circuit boards that flight testing suggested are vulnerable to electrical shorting. And U.S. officials have no reliable way to know whether an interceptor has hit and destroyed an incoming warhead and not just a decoy or large rocket debris.

Each of the new missile defense projects faces significant technical obstacles.

Every new interceptor will have a redesigned kill vehicle at its tip. If they are launched, the kill vehicle is supposed to separate from the three-stage rocket and, aided by an on-board sensor and rocket thrusters, slam into the target at a speed of 4 miles per second.

Although missile agency officials say the new kill vehicle will perform more reliably than earlier versions, some outside experts are skeptical. The Government Accountability Office, which investigates federal programs for Congress, reported on May 30 that a heat-seeking sensor designed for the kill vehicle may not have sufficient performance to defeat some intercontinental ballistic missile threats.

The report said several Defense Department units, including the Nebraska-based Strategic Command, have raised concerns about the sensors ability to detect and track enemy missiles.

The missile agency plans only one flight test of the redesigned kill vehicle before deploying the first set of new interceptors, however. That commits the Pentagon to buying a product prior to demonstrating the system is operationally useful, according to the GAO.
An Omaha company on Thursday was caught up in an Alabama Senate candidates unsuccessful attempt to stop the state from certifying the results of a special election.

Late Wednesday, Republican Roy Moore filed a legal complaint alleging election fraud and asked the state to consider holding a new election.

The complaint was rejected by a judge, however, and a state board Thursday officially declared Doug Jones the winner of the Dec. 12 election.

The complaint, filed in state court, mentions Election Systems & Software, an Omaha-based company that provides equipment, software and services for election support.

Moores complaint said it is believed that the company and others contract with Alabama counties to tabulate and store voting records or evidence.

Neither ES&S nor the Alabama Secretary of States Office immediately returned messages Thursday asking about the companys role in Alabama elections.

In the complaint, Moores campaign also argued that Alabama would suffer irreparable harm if the election results are certified without preserving and investigating all the evidence of potential fraud.

The Secretary of States Office had already investigated much of what was in Moores complaint, filed in the circuit court of Montgomery.

Moores spokeswoman, Janet Porter, also appeared to have referenced ES&S in a CNN interview Thursday morning: Youve got this private company out of Omaha, Nebraska, that has all the votes and the voter images, and no ones allowed to see them.

She did not name the company, and the court filing doesnt contain more details about her allegation.

Shortly before the official certification, Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick denied Moores request to stop the process, and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Secretary of State John Merrill  all Republicans  signed off on election results from all 67 counties.

After late-counted provisional and military ballots were added to the total, Jones defeated Moore by 21,924 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast.

The Alabama race, a special election to fill Attorney General Jeff Sessions former seat, was closely watched nationally. It gained attention after several women accused Moore of sexual impropriety from when they were teenagers.

Jones is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Alabama since 1992.

Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse said ES&S provides voting machines to the county and the State of Nebraska, as well as special machines for those with disabilities.

Kruse said he is not concerned about voter fraud like what Moore has alleged.

Its essentially nonexistent in Douglas County, Kruse said. We dont have a problem with it here.

This report includes material from the Washington Post.
Last week, Democrats and many in the mainstream media became highly perturbed by the Trump administrations suggestion that the United States might tie continued foreign aid to support for its agenda abroad. Foreign dictators agreed. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who spent the last year arresting dissidents, announced, Mr. Trump, you cannot buy Turkeys democratic free will with your dollars, our decision is clear.

Herein lies the great irony of the United Nations: While its the Mos Eisley of international politics  a hive of scum and villainy  and it votes repeatedly to condemn the United States and Israel, the tyrannies that constitute the body continue to oppress their own peoples. Among those who voted last week to condemn the U.S. for recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital and moving its embassy to Jerusalem were North Korea, Iran, Yemen and Venezuela. Why exactly should the United States ever take advice from those nations seriously?

We shouldnt. And we should stop sending cash to an organization that operates as a front for immoral agenda items.

The United Nations spends the vast majority of its time condemning Israel: According to UN Watch, the U.N. Human Rights Council issued 135 resolutions from June 2006 to June 2016, 68 of which were against Israel; the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization only passes resolutions against Israel; and the U.N. General Assembly issued 97 resolutions from 2012 through 2015, 83 of which targeted Israel.

Meanwhile, the U.N. has done nearly nothing with regard to Syria. It has instead suggested that Israel turn over the Golan Heights to the Syrian regime. The U.N. cant even successfully prevent the slaughter of the Rohingya in Myanmar. But they certainly have something to say about whether the United States ought to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital.

One of the great lies of the Obama administration was that diplomacy is a foreign policy. We often heard from it that the only two alternatives were diplomacy and war. That was the stated reason for pursuing a one-sided nuclear deal with Iran that left Iran with burgeoning regional power and legitimacy. What? Do you want a war or something? it asked.

But the moment that the Trump administration uses tools of diplomacy, including financial pressure, to achieve American ends, the left complains. Would it prefer war? Diplomacy is a tool, not a foreign policy, and the use of diplomacy to pressure other nations to follow our lead is not only smart but also necessary. That is why the Trump administration was exactly right to negotiate a $285 million cut to the U.N.s budget. Now we ought to slash our contributions to the counterproductive organization, since we pay one-fifth of the total bill.

The U.N. has always been a foolish fantasy, a League of Nations knockoff thats been about as productive and twice as irritating. Its an outmoded organization thats outlived whatever small usefulness it once had. Theres no reason for us to continue cutting checks to prop up regimes that condemn us publicly for exercising the most basic standards of morality.
In the annals of President Donald Trumps odd dealings with Russias Vladimir Putin, give Trump credit for making a straightforward decision to defy Putin by supplying arms to Ukraine.

The State Department says the U.S. will provide Ukraine with enhanced defensive capabilities to protect itself against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. What this means is that the U.S. is finally prepared to help Ukraines military punch back in a murky conflict cooked up by Putin. American weapons going to Ukraine will include Javelin anti-tank missiles and sniper rifles.

Shelling in eastern Ukraine intensified in recent days, though an ostensible cease-fire has been in place for more than two years. Violence there has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014 and driven 1.5 million people from their homes.

Putin is the scheming villain responsible for splintering Ukraine as part of his ambition to reassert Russian power. In 2014, he waltzed into Crimea (there is no better verb to describe his actions). Putin seized and annexed that vital region of Ukraine in the wake of Ukrainian political upheaval. He followed up by orchestrating the uprising in eastern Ukraine, intentionally destabilizing a country that had dreams of joining the European Union and NATO.

President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia but did little else after Putin took the Crimean Peninsula in what was the first big European land grab since World War II. Obama decided that providing lethal weapons to Ukraine would accomplish little but antagonize Putin. Yet refusing to arm Ukraine had the opposite effect: It emboldened Putin.

Trump, who generally sees himself as an active defender of U.S. interests, has his own problems figuring out Putin. Certainly Trumps not the first American leader to underestimate Putin, but hes the first to sound admiring of a foreign aggressor whose government meddled in an American election.

U.S. officials have been signaling new support for providing Ukraine with arms. The point is not to encourage an escalation of fighting or draw Russia into direct confrontation with the United States but to make Russian interference in Ukraine more costly.

Javelin missiles are tank killers. The separatists possess Russian armored vehicles. Are Russian soldiers fighting alongside the separatists? The Russian government insists it is not directly involved, but its interesting to hear the concerned tone of Moscows reaction to America providing arms. The American weapons can lead to more victims in the neighboring country, and we couldnt stay indifferent to that, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Will that Russian reaction translate into a more lethal conflict? Yes. But war in Ukraine is a reality, and a West that flinches from the prolonged Russian incursion will only please Putin.

The bottom line is that Putins meddling in the affairs of other states wont stop unless he is challenged. Trump has done that. Ukraines ability to fight back against the separatists has been hampered by a lack of firepower. Now it will get some. Now Ukraine can punch back.
Pull the blankets over your head. Youre not going to like this.

The record-breaking cold thats settled over the region is about to get worse.

Merl Heinlein, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hastings, said a reinforcing shot of arctic air is headed into the central U.S. this weekend.

Below-zero temperatures are forecast from Saturday evening through Monday morning.

In Omaha, daytime highs arent expected to climb above zero on Sunday, and the overnight lows are forecast to drop to 15 degrees below zero New Years Eve, according to the weather service.

Omaha may get a wind-chill reading of minus-32.

It could be the coldest air in at least seven years.

Hallie Dusselier, a meteorologist with the weather service, said Omaha hasnt had a temperature that low since January 2010, when the city was in the midst of one of its harshest winters in years. That was the winter that Omaha saw successive blizzards and set a record for the length of time  88 days  that snow blanketed the ground. On Jan. 4, 2010, Omaha dropped to 20 below zero, and the next day it had a low of 16 below, Dusselier said.

The coldest spot in the state on Wednesday was Alliance, where the temperature fell to 21 below, much lower than the previous record of 13 below, set there in 1911.

Several other cities also have set records in recent days, including Lincoln, Norfolk, Hastings and Grand Island.

Lincoln dropped to a low of 17 below zero Wednesday morning, breaking its record of 15 below, set Dec. 27, 1924. The low of 15 below in Norfolk broke that citys record of 14 below, set in 1894.

Omaha, however, has yet to set a record. On Wednesday, the temperature bottomed out at 9 degrees below zero, well above the record for the date of 15 below. It hasnt been that long since Omahas seen a lower temperature. A year ago, Dec. 18, 2016, Omaha had a low of 11 below zero.

Heinlein said the unusual cold is due to a strong shot of arctic air making a deeper dive than usual into the United States. Canada is blanketed in snow, as is most of the northern U.S., which helps further chill the air mass as it drops south.

The forecast offers no hopes for a break in the near term, Heinlein said.

It looks like a pretty stable pattern for at least another week or so, he said. Looks like it will be unseasonably cold for at least a week if not more.

The weather service also said odds favor continued cold and snowy conditions through the first part of January.

Overnight, Lincoln received a trace amount of snow, Norfolk 1.4 inches, Eppley Airfield 1.0, Florence 1.0 and Valley 1.0.

The latest Omaha-area forecast, according to the weather service:

Today  Gradually becoming mostly sunny with a high in the lower 20s.

Tonight  A chance of flurries after midnight with a low in the upper single digits.

Friday A chance of snow with a high around 15.

Friday night  A chance of flurries with a low around zero.

Saturday  A 30 percent chance of snow with a high in the lower single digits.

Saturday night A 30 percent chance of snow with a low around minus-8.

Sunday  Partly sunny and cold with a high around minus-2.

Sunday night  Partly cloudy, with a low around minus-15.

Monday  Sunny and cold, with a high around 5.

Monday night  Mostly clear, with a low around minus-7.

Tuesday  Mostly sunny with a high in the mid- to upper teens.

Tuesday night Mostly cloudy with a low around 5.

Wednesday  Partly sunny with a high in the mid- to upper teens.

Staff writer Jay Withrow contributed to this report.
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By Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The new year is almost here. If you're celebrating 2018's arrival at home, you need good recipes for both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. These 26 recipes for fondue, crepes, appetizers and black-eyed peas are sure to user in the new year in tasty fashion. And there's Pink Champagne to wash it all down.

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A trio of creative crostini

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Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

New Years parties call for delicious finger food  one- or two-bite wonders that pair well with a glass of bubbly. This trio of crostini was originally created with an Oscar party in mind, but they are perfect for welcoming the new year.

Recipes: Mushroom Pate; Crostini With Herbed Goat Cheese and Orange Zest; Olive Crostini.

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Classic Cheese Fondue

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Faith Cathcart, The Oregonian/OregonLive

On New Years Eve, classic fondue is a sure crowd-pleaser. Steve McCarthy, the founder of Clear Creek Distillery, says it needs to be made with real kirsch, a cherry-based liqueur that his business produces. This fondue features two pounds of gruyere and emmentaler cheese, along with white wine. Pair it with an Oregon chardonnay.

Recipe: Classic Cheese Fondue.

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Savory Salmon Cheesecake

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Nathan Hostler, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

Portlands Kathlyn Meskel created this appetizer when she catered private events, and its been a crowd-pleaser for more than two decades. The recipe features a cool trick: the smoked salmon and herb filling is topped with seasoned crushed crackers. After the dish has cooked and cooled, it's inverted onto a serving platter -- and the tasty topping becomes a scrumptious, crunchy base.

Recipe: Savory Salmon Cheesecake.

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Butternut Squash, Mushroom and Sage Crepes

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Rita Maas, Ten Speed Press

These beautiful vegan crepes from New York City's acclaimed Candle 79 restaurant would make the perfect main dish for a sit-down New Year's Eve dinner or a New Year's Day brunch. Just add Champagne cocktails like Mimosas or Bellinis. Round out the menu with a simple green salad.

Recipe: Butternut Squash, Mushroom and Sage Crepes.

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Spiced Bacon Pecans

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

Crispy bacon gets tossed with pecans and an array of seasonings in this easy yet elegant recipe thats perfect for celebrating the arrival of the New Year. It's also perfect snack fare while watching New Year's Day football games.

Recipe: Spiced Bacon Pecans.

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Fondue for Two

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Faith Cathcart, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Luan Schooler, the former co-owner of the now-closed cheese and specialty shop Foster & Dobbs, created this small-scale fondue thats perfect for a quiet New Years Eve celebration at home. The fondue works well with apple or pear slices, artisan bread, and charcuterie.

Recipe: Foster & Dobbs' Fondue for Two.

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Puff pastry appetizers

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

Puff pastry is absolute magic for holiday parties, because it can be used in so many different ways. This master recipe from the legendary Sara Moulton creates enough puff pastry dough for several dozen appetizers, and she uses them to make everything from upscale Smoked salmon Napoleons to fancy versions of Pigs in a Blanket.

Recipe: Rough Puff Pastry Hors D'oeuvres.

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Artichoke and Oyster Mushroom Rockefeller

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William Morrow Cookbooks

Chef Tal Ronnen dreamed up this vegan riff on traditional oysters Rockefeller when he realized how closely the large artichoke leaves resemble oyster shells. Nori seaweed, which he toasts and turns into a fine powder in a coffee grinder, gives the dish the flavors of the ocean.

Recipe: Artichoke and Oyster Mushroom Rockefeller.

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Bacon-wrapped dates

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

Sweet and savory make an ideal New Years combination. The toasted cumin seeds are a great contrast to the sweet dates, but if you don't care for those you can leave them out or substitute a chunk of walnut. Or if you like things on the spicy side, you could substitute a couple red pepper flakes.

Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Parmesan-Stuffed Dates.

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Black-Eyed Peas and Farro

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Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Black-eyed peas and collard greens, when eaten on New Years Day, are said to bring great fortune. True or not, they are a culinary match made in heaven. The first time cookbook author J.L. Fields made this dish she rolled it up in large, raw collard green leaves (a crunchy, healthy alternative to a tortilla wrap). For this version, she serves the peas and farro over sauteed greens.

Recipe: Black-Eyed Peas and Farro.

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Bananas Foster Crepes

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

This version of Bananas Foster from Sara Moulton incorporates elements of the classic New Orleans dessert, and puts them into a crepe. This is a perfect finale for a New Years Even dinner.

Recipe: Bananas Foster Crepes.

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Spicy Chickpeas

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Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

These habit-forming nibbles from the one and only Martha Stewart just might become your new party favorite. You can adapt the basic formula to suit your own taste preferences, swapping out cayenne and cumin for ground dried chiles, pimenton or zaatar.

Recipe: Roasted Spiced Chickpeas.

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Polenta With Wild Mushroom, Hazelnuts and Figs

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Emily Brooke Sandor, Chronicle Books

Author Joseph Shuldiner lives in Los Angeles, but the combination of wild mushrooms, hazelnuts, figs and thyme evokes the earthy flavors of Oregon. The preparation may seem a bit elaborate, but it's worth the effort, particularly if you're having guests over for New Years. To save time you can prepare the polenta and lentils a day ahead.

Recipe: Polenta With Wild Mushrooms, Hazelnuts and Figs.

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Artichoke Dip

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David Malosh

Recipes for hot artichoke dip have been passed down for generations, yet the familiar starter is still going strong. After all, the combination of canned artichoke hearts, Parmesan, and mayonnaise is as good as it gets, though garlic, lemon juice, and scallion are added here for even more unbeatable flavor. Save some of the artichoke leaves for the top; theyll turn golden and crisp during baking. Serve with toasted bread and crunchy vegetables.

Recipe: Hot Artichoke Dip.

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Black-Eyed Peas With Smoky Grits and Greens

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Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This new recipe is actually an adaptation of recipes from chef Bryant Terry and cookbook author Virginia Willis. The peas get the smoky treatment in this grits-and-greens combo, thanks to smoked paprika and smoked sea salt, which you can find at well-stocked grocery stores and specialty markets.

Recipe: Black-Eyed Peas With Smoky Grits and Greens.

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Cheesy mushroom puffs

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

These cheese puffs from Alison Ladman are basically dough balls studded with chopped mushrooms and crumbled blue cheese. They are delicious right from the oven or at room temperature. And as an entertaining bonus, they can be prepped ahead and frozen on the baking sheet. Just add a few minutes baking time when you're ready to cook them off.

Recipe: Blue Cheese and Mushroom Gougeres.

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Raclette Fondue

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Randy L. Rassmussen, The Oregonian/OregonLive

When he was cooking at downtown Portlands now-closed Brasserie Montmartre, chef Michael Hanaghan shared this fondue made with raclette cheese. Unlike traditional raclette, where the cheese is melted plain and eaten with knife and fork with accompaniments, his version is a thick sauce built on a bechamel base, producing a creamy fondue that's perfect for dipping.

Recipe: Raclette Fondue.

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Crepes With Sauteed Pears, Aged Gouda and Fresh Thyme

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James Baigrie

Former Foodday editor Martha Holmberg created this beautiful showcase for sauteed pears. Fresh thyme keeps the dish from becoming too sweet, and pulls together the fruit and aged gouda. The recipe easily doubles or triples, depending on the size of your New Years party.

Recipe: Crepes With Sauteed Pears, Aged Gouda and Fresh Thyme.

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Black-Eyed Pea Salad

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Brian Feulner, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Black-eyed pea salad is sometimes referred to as "Cowboy Caviar" or "Texas Caviar." This recipe is best with dried beans, not canned, and it can be made the day before, allowing the flavors to meld. Depending on the freshness of the beans, they can take as little as 30 minutes to become tender, so check them early and often. For best results, chop and add the fresh parsley just before serving.

Recipe: Black-eyed Pea Salad.

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Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Stew

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Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This vegan black-eyed pea stew from chef Mark Reinfeld is the perfect thing to eat on New Years Day while watching football on TV. Pair it with crusty bread, hard cider or your favorite winter ale.

Recipe: Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Stew.

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Black-Eyed Pea Falafel

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

Falafel are traditionally made with chickpeas, but this version uses black-eyed peas, making it perfect for New Years Day. You can make the falafel bite-sized  just the things for a football-watching buffet.

Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Falafel With Spicy Aioli.

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Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

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Lynne Palombo, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Another Mediterranean twist on black-eyed peas for New Year's. Hummus normally is made with garbanzo beans, but this recipe is made with black-eyed peas, which work well with the flavors of tahini, lemon juice and garlic. And the dish is low in fat -- perfect if you're already thinking about New Year's resolutions to eat healthier.

Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Hummus.

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Chocolate Fondue Duo

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

This delicious, yet simple pair of fondue sauces is designed to be easy for even the most clueless cook. But it still has plenty of wow-factor. For an easy New Years celebration, pair them with purchased items for dipping -- biscotti, pound cake, fresh strawberries, you name it!

Recipe: Fondue Duo of Chocolate-Mango and Five-Spice Caramel Sauces.

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Pink Champagne

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

Champagne cocktails go with everything for New Years. We love this version, which combines Champagne with brandy and Angostura bitters. Pure elegance in a glass.

Recipe: Pink Champagne.

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-- Grant Butler

gbutler@oregonian.com

503-221-8566; @grantbutler

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Elliot Njus/Staff

Peter Jenkins views a house for sale in North Portland with real estate broker Javier Alomia of Re/Max Equity Group. Jenkins is looking for a home he can remodel to include an accessory dwelling unit, which he could rent out to supplement his income.

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By Elliot Njus | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Using his cellphone as a flashlight, Peter Jenkins poked his head into a basement crawlspace. He mentally remapped walls, looking beyond the trappings of the 1943 ranch thats showing its age.

Jenkins is a first-time homebuyer but seems like an old pro. Hes toured a dozen houses, maybe more, and made offers on two.

This two-bedroom in North Portland seems to check all the boxes  it's the right vintage, in an up-and-coming neighborhood, easy to remodel  but it's a little out of his price range.

I want to think about it, he told Javier Alomia, his broker.

Thats a luxury few homebuyers had as recently as a year ago. In Portlands frenzied real estate market, where bidding wars had become the norm, buyers had to be ready to make an offer on the spot. Nor could they bank on swooping in during the traditional winter lull  the last one was negligible and had little effect on prices.

But even brokers whod welcome some market cooldown say theyre not holding their breaths that one will emerge in 2018, especially on the approach to the peak spring and summer shopping seasons.

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The U.S. housing market is buzzing, pushed by a slim supply of homes for sale. And few metros have had the frantic energy of Portland, which led the nation in rising prices in 2016 and was second only to Seattle for much of 2017.

But the latter half of 2017 brought an unexpectedly cooler market than 2016. Sales through November were down 6.9 percent compared with the year prior, according to the Regional Multiple Listing Service, and in November, homes spent nearly a week longer on the market on average than a year before.

Thats at least in part because the selection of homes for sale remains thin. Houses continue to sell at about the same rate theyre listed. Thats left a two-month supply of homes for sale, a figure that indicates a strong sellers market.

But there are signs buyers are less willing to compete for a house, and more willing to walk away from a deal.

Mindy Carnese, a broker with John L. Scott in Portland, has a pair of clients who started their home search in the summer only to give up against relentless competition from investors willing to pay in cash, which is attractive to sellers who want to close a deal quickly.

This past summer they found a couple really cute, great properties, but got beat out constantly, Carnese said.

After hitting the pause button, the couple spent a few months building their savings and improving their credit in hopes of making their bids more competitive. They started looking again in September.

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At least, now, bidding wars are no longer the rule.

I was so excited at the first sale Ive had in probably two years with no multiple-offer situation, Carnese said.

A few years removed from the Great Recession, during which a lot of people who might have otherwise bought homes didnt, the pent-up demand that helped fuel the housing frenzy might be fading.

Prices have continued to climb, though more slowly. The median Portland-area home hit a record $385,000, 8.5 percent more expensive than the previous year.

Would-be buyers are worried about rising costs and being priced out of the market. But theyre increasingly wary of bidding wars and overextending their finances.

And sellers who have tracked the years-long upswing might now be overreaching. Brokers are reporting more listings that have had to drop prices after failing to attract a buyer.

Because houses have been just selling without much effort at all, and at crazy prices, there have been homes that have had to correct, said Kimberly Ainge Payne, a broker with Windermere Realty Trust.

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Thomas Boyd/Staff/2012

Construction of new homes remains slow, which is helping keep demand  and prices  high.

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Theres more room, too, for bids below asking price.

Cristina Reyes was looking for a house near downtown Portland for less than $500,000, but there wasnt much available. What did come on the market sold quickly.

That is, until she raised the price range while searching online. She found a house in a neighborhood she and her fiance were interested in and visited it twice. She didnt bid, and the house sat.

I really liked it, and I wondered if they would take something below what they were asking, Reyes said. You just never know.

They did. They negotiated to a price that was between the $550,000 asking price and the $500,000 Reyes was looking for. The sale is still pending.

It was more than we wanted to pay, she said, but I feel like we got a good ideal.

Its not at all clear whether this relief might stick around for the spring and summer, when more buyers and sellers jump into the market.

The short supply of homes might be undermining sales, but it also drives competition, particularly during the years busier months.

And there are few signs there will be significantly more inventory in 2018 than the year before. Construction of new homes is slow, and more homeowners are choosing to stay in their homes longer. Fewer people are moving for work, and far fewer people are leaving the Portland area than arriving from elsewhere.

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Peter Jenkins (right) views a house for sale in North Portland with real estate broker Javier Alomia of Re/Max Equity Group in Portland.

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Were in a situation where the price were at right now, it just becomes remarkably hard for a would-be first-time homebuyer to get on the ladder, said Matthew Gardner, chief economist for Windermere Real Estate. That requires somebody to be selling their house to the next person on the ladder.

Jenkins decided not to bid on the North Portland house, which was well over his price limit and would have required significant remodeling. He said he has the luxury to be patient.

I only need one, he said. If its the right house, whether it comes along in December or in January, Im a happy clam.

But he also saw the window of opportunity closing. At age 50, hes looking ahead to retirement, and he only foresees rents and home prices climbing in the meantime.

Rising rents are going to make it very difficult to be a person whos retired, Jenkins said. And if I dont buy now, I might lose to opportunity, at least within the city limits.

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-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus
The Oregon Court of Appeals Thursday reversed the manslaughter conviction of a man accused of fatally shooting his gay cousin in a Gresham parking lot.

The Appeals Court ruled that two Gresham police detectives continued to interrogate suspect Brandon Hickman even though he said he wanted a lawyer.

"I really don't wanna say too much (unintelligible) I would rather have my lawyer with me," Hickman told the detectives during a recorded interview after they tracked him down in Las Vegas a month after the killing.

Detectives Tim Snider and Brandon Crate continued to talk to Hickman without a lawyer present, and Hickman made incriminating statements after that, according to the Court of Appeals summary of the case.

Hickman was convicted by a jury of first-degree manslaughter in the killing of 37-year-old Makeitho "Tito" De Monz Herring. Herring was shot in the head in September 2013 at the Pine Square Apartments, 665 N.E. 178th Avenue.

Prosecutors said they believed Hickman held homophobic beliefs and killed his cousin because of them.

Hickman, now 32, is about four years into serving a 10-year prison sentence.

After Hickman said he wanted a lawyer and detectives continued to question him, Hickman implied involvement in the killing by stating "it was an accident" and "it wasn't no premeditated thing."

Defense attorney Erik Eklund said that although the prosecution characterized Hickman's statements as a "confession," Hickman never admitted to pulling the trigger. Hickman's statements to detectives were allowed despite a defense objection, Eklund said.

Eklund and defense attorney Brian Schmonsees represented Hickman together before Multnomah County Circuit Judge Jerry Hodson, who presided over the September 2015 trial.

Kirsten Snowden, chief deputy district attorney, said the Appeals Court decision doesn't present a legal barrier to prosecutors retrying the case.

The Appeals Court decision was made by Judges James Egan, Roger DeHoog and Bronson James.

Read the opinion here.

-- Aimee Green
Tavis Smiley's allegation, "PBS making a huge mistake" (Time Magazine, Dec. 18) should be taken as true until proven wrong as any allegation is taken in American Jurisprudence.

From the face, it looks like PBS retaliated against Smiley as a black journalist among all-white media producers on some past grievances.

Here is a challenge to a PBS-written policy of allowing consensual relations between employees. Smiley was not a PBS employee, but a producer. As long as Smiley has not broken the PBS written policy, he should not have been ousted and shamed in public against the public policy.

Just because PBS is well-respected like ABC, CBS and NBC for its news stories, its story against Smiley should be judged by a jury.

-- Shantu Shah, Southwest Portland
In a July 5 email, Ryan Payne's lawyers asked prosecutors for copies of all threat assessments prepared before the April 2014 standoff between Cliven Bundy's supporters and federal officers trying to impound Bundy's cattle for years of failing to pay grazing fees and fines.

Prosecutors characterized the defendants' continued push for the assessments as another in their "long list of frivolous and vexatious pleadings.''

Prosecutors didn't turn over the assessments to Payne, Bundy and Bundy's two sons, Ammon and Ryan Bundy, until the four were in the midst of a trial last month and a government witness under cross-examination acknowledged familiarity with one of the reports.

The threat assessments by the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Task Force, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and Gold Butte Cattle Impound Risk Assessment found the Bundys weren't likely to use violence.

They were just one example of the prosecution team's callous disregard of its constitutional obligations to share with the defense any potentially favorable evidence, according to Payne's lawyers, assistant federal public defenders Brenda Weksler and Ryan Norwood.

The date of the defense attorneys' initial request for the crucial threat reports and their late disclosure is among the information revealed in newly unsealed motions by Payne's lawyers to dismiss the case.

The motions contain redactions throughout as the trial judge had requested.

The paperwork discloses that prosecutors had sought to continue the trial, once U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro on Dec. 11 signaled she was concerned about more than a handful of potential evidence violations by the government attorneys.

Prosecutors argued that much of the material turned over late to the defense was "irrelevant'' and that the defense theories that the Bundys recruited militia to the Bunkerville area in 2014 because they feared federal snipers or federal surveillance weren't valid legal arguments.

Instead, Navarro on Dec. 20 declared a mistrial, finding at least six types of Brady discovery violations and that prosecutors "willfully'' withheld the evidence, resulting in due process violations. She set a hearing for Jan. 8 to determine if the case should be dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be retried. The government and defendants have until Friday to file their written arguments.

The unsealed motions filed by Payne's lawyers also signal what his lawyers are likely to argue in Friday's legal brief: that prosecutors repeatedly failed to abide by deadlines set to share favorable evidence with the defense, were dismissive of specific requests for evidence, engaged in a "pattern to ridicule and disparage the defense'' requests and then made "brazen proffers'' to the court that specific information sought didn't exist, only to find out later they were mistaken.

Further, the government has continually failed to take responsibility for its misconduct, Weksler argued in a December motion.

"Here the government cannot seem to recognize what constitutes Brady material, maintains it has done nothing wrong, blames the defense for improper and 'late demands,' and for 'filing serial motions to dismiss based on proclaimed discovery violations,' '' Payne's lawyers wrote. "This Court should be 'troubled' by the government's actions and its 'failure to grasp the severity of the prosecutorial misconduct' involved here, as well as the importance of its constitutionally imposed discovery obligations.''

Beyond the threat assessments, other evidence that defendants obtained "piecemeal'' during the trial included information about an FBI surveillance camera on a hill overlooking the Bundy home with a live-feed image viewed in a command center and snipers positioned outside the Bundy ranch.

Those would have bolstered the defense argument that Payne summoned militia members and supporters to Nevada because he feared the Bundys were surrounded by federal officers and isolated before the April 12, 2014, standoff.

The information also directly refutes the federal indictment, which alleges the Bundys and Payne used deceit to draw supporters, by falsely claiming snipers were surrounding the Bundy home.

The threat assessments, as well as evidence on a surveillance camera and federal snipers, also wasn't shared with the defendants prosecuted in two earlier Nevada trials this year, Payne's attorneys pointed out.

"It bears reminding that this Court sentenced one of these defendants in the Trial 1 group to 68 years and another one is pending sentencing,'' Weksler and Norwood wrote.

The government's delay in turning over the evidence prejudiced Payne and his co-defendants, his lawyers argued. The material would have been helpful for Payne's opening statement to jurors and to impeach the government's first witness, Mary Jo Rugwell, former head of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management office in southern Nevada, who referenced one of the threat assessments. She was cross-examined and excused as a government witness before the defense got the report.

The Bundys and Payne are charged with federal conspiracy to impede federal land managers through intimidation, threat or force, assault on a federal officer and extortion stemming from the standoff.

Here's some other details from the motions:

-- Prosecutors dismissed a defense request for an Office of Inspector General's report on fired Bureau of Land Management agent Dan Love as something of an "urban legend.'' In early December, though, prosecutors turned over nearly 500 pages of internal affairs reports on Love.

-- After Rugwell, the Bureau of Land Management manager, testified in November, prosecutors sent defense lawyers an email on Dec. 1, saying they inadvertently had forgotten to share notes the FBI had taken prior to Rugwell's testimony when she was being prepped as a witness. In those notes, Rugwell referenced a 2012 FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit Threat Assessment. Rugwell also referenced it during testimony. Defense lawyers demanded a copy of the assessment after Rugwell testified, yet prosecutors questioned its relevance before they were ordered to share it with the defense.

"The defense is anxious to learn how, even based on that discussion alone, it did not occur to the government to turn over information it knew the witness was relying on,'' Payne's lawyers wrote in their motion.

-- By late November, the defense had asked the court at least twice to appoint a "discovery monitor'' to make sure defendants were receiving all the evidence they were entitled to receive. None was appointed.

However, a day after the judge declared a mistrial, the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement saying Attorney General Jeff Sessions took "this issue very seriously and has personally directed that an expert in the Department's discovery obligations'' be sent to Las Vegas to examine the case and provide advice as to next steps.

-- Payne's lawyers briefly suggest that a Nov. 29 whistleblower memo from a Bureau of Land Management agent, complaining that the U.S. Attorney's Office didn't want to hear about potential evidence being withheld by his agency, should disqualify the prosecutors from future work on this case, if it's allowed to be retried.

--The U.S. Attorney's guidelines on sharing evidence in criminal trials state prosecutors' obligations clearly: "It is the obligation of federal prosecutors, in preparing for trial, to seek all exculpatory and impeachment information from all members of the prosecution team. Members of the prosecution team include federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and other government officials participating in the investigation and prosecution of the criminal case against the defendant.''

DOCUMENTS UNSEALED WEDNESDAY:

-Ryan Payne motion to dismiss based on discovery provided Nov. 17, 2017

-Ryan Payne motion to dismiss based on discovery provided Nov. 21, 2017

-Ryan Payne motion to dismiss based on continuing pattern of evidence violations

-Ryan Payne reply to a government response to motion to dismiss



-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
The Oregon Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld a decision by Oregon's labor commissioner that forced two Gresham bakers to pay $135,000 to a lesbian couple for whom the bakers refused to make a wedding cake.

Melissa and Aaron Klein made national headlines in 2013 when they refused to bake a cake for Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer, citing their Christian beliefs. The Bowman-Cryers complained to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, saying they had been refused service because of their sexual orientation.

An administrative law judge ruled that the Kleins' bakery, Sweetcakes by Melissa, violated a law that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in places that serve the public. Brad Avakian, the state labor commissioner, affirmed heavy damages against the Kleins for the Bowman-Cryer's emotional and mental distress.

The decision will likely be the most controversial ruling, and the one with the biggest impact, handed down by Avakian during his nearly 10 years in the role. He has decided not to seek re-election when his term expires next year.

The Kleins appealed Avakian's decision, arguing for a religious exemption from the Oregon Equality Act, the anti-discrimination law. They also argued Avakian was biased against them, that his actions violated their rights to free expression as artists and their right to due process, and that the fine was excessive.

But in their ruling Thursday, a panel of state appeals court judges sided with Avakian, saying the Kleins did, in fact, deny the Bowman-Cryers because they were lesbians. The justices also rejected the Kleins' argument that Avakian's ruling violated state and federal free speech protections.

In the ruling, Judge Chris Garrett wrote that Avakian's order does not violate the Klein's free speech rights because it simply "requires their compliance with a neutral law." Garrett also wrote that the Kleins "have made no showing that the state targeted them for enforcement because of their religious beliefs."

In a statement, Avakian said the Appeals Court ruling "sends a strong signal that Oregon remains open to all."

Through their attorney, the Bowman-Cryers said Thursday's ruling affirms "the long-standing idea that discrimination has no place in America."

"All of us are equal under the law and should be treated equally," the couple said. Any ruling to the contrary would "create a sweeping license to discriminate," they said.

The appeals court ruling represents an "important victory" for the Bowman-Cryers, who faced humiliation, harassment and death threats after their wedding preparations turned into an ordeal, said Nancy Marcus, senior attorney at Lambda Law, a national pro-LGBT rights group. Marcus said the court's ruling is critical yet "completely unsurprising" because it aligns with courts in other states, which have not allowed businesses to exempt themselves from anti-discrimination laws.

Adam Gustafson, lead attorney for the Kleins and the former White House counsel for President George H.W. Bush, was not immediately available for comment. Gustafson had argued the bakers' religious beliefs should shield them from being compelled to conduct speech -- in this case, baking a cake. Such a requirement would "offend the conscience and the constitution," Gustafson argued.

The First Liberty Institute, a religious freedom law firm whose attorneys also represented the Kleins, said it is disappointed by Thursday's ruling. "The Oregon Court of Appeals decided that Aaron and Melissa Klein are not entitled to the Constitution's promises of religious liberty and free speech," said Kelly Shackelford, the institute's president.

The Kleins paid the fine following Avakian's order and closed their baking business around the same time. Donors gave the bakers more than $500,000, money they say has been spent on legal fees. The $135,000 damage award belonging to the Bowman-Cryers has been locked in an escrow account pending appeals.

The Kleins' case is one of several similar cases that has attracted significant media attention. Another, stemming from a Colorado ruling, was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month. The court justices are reportedly divided over whether a baker was justified in turning away a gay couple seeking a wedding cake because of their religious beliefs. That baker, like the Kleins, contends that creating and custom-decorating a cake is an act of artistic expression that deserves more free speech protections than the sales of other goods and services.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

503-221-8209; @GordonRFriedman
As 2017 winds to a close, we're sharing some of the most stunning and memorable photos of the year.

From natural disasters, like the numerous hurricanes which battered the US, to the eclipse and other natural delights, here are 60 of the best pictures shot by photographers from The Oregonian, The Associated Press, Getty Images, and others.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton remain the world's most admired man and woman among Americans, according to a new Gallup poll.

The poll found Obama and Clinton have retained their most admired status as they have for the past 10 years, but by much narrower margins compared to past yearly surveys.

Seventeen percent of those questioned said Obama was the world's most admired man, compared to 14 percent for President Donald Trump who came in second. Clinton, also a former secretary of state, edged out former first lady Michelle Obama, 9 percent to 7 percent, respectively.

This is the 16th straight year the poll showed Clinton was the most admired woman.


Throughout the years, I have had the pleasure of spending New Year's Eve with family and friends in many places around the globe. Whether here in Midland or in a mountain chalet in Austria, the celebrations have always included lively conversation and good food.

I feel that there has always been so much to be learned during these occasions since people often tend to speak of family traditions and interesting events of past years. And the evening has often been an opportunity to try the foods and learn how others say good bye to the old year and usher in the new one.

The first place I really remember spending New Year's Eve far away from my parents was when I lived in Paris, France. I remember the decorations being rather simple but beautiful. For example, the trees along both sides of the picturesque Champs-Elysees (the avenue that leads up to the Arch of Triumph) were decorated with pretty white lights. Although it was chilly, the lights somehow seemed to add a special warmth to the streets.

That first year there I was lucky since my sister, Laurie, had travelled to France to spend the holidays with me. And my new friend from Denmark, Susanne, was my other special "date" for the last evening of the year.

New Year's Eve in France is usually the time to spend with family and friends and the special meal can be indeed creative and may seem "fancy" to those outside of France. Dinner often includes quite a bit of seafood, such a smoked fish and oysters, along with "foie gras" (duck or goose liver pate) as well as bottles of real Champagne (true Champagne comes from an area of France called Champagne and has to be produced according to strict guidelines).

Since I really didn't really have a huge kitchen, my contribution to the party we attended consisted of smoked salmon on a plate with finely chopped onions, lemon slices and thinly sliced baguette (French bread). It was a simple but followed the traditions for the evening.

Our celebration took place at the American Church in Paris, a non-denominational church along the Seine River. That evening was a true party for people from all over the globe and each one brought some type of food from his or her nation. There was "boudin" (blood pudding) from the French Caribbean islands, smoked fish from France, American pies and cakes, and much more.

After the party, my sister, Susanne and I went to Notre Dame Cathedral for a New Year's Eve organ concert and then headed up the Champs-Elysees to be there for the stroke of midnight. When the clock struck midnight, traffic suddenly stopped, people got out of their cars and all began to hug and kiss each other on the cheeks and wish each other a Happy New Year. Among those participating in the tradition were gendarmes (police). I had certainly never experienced anything like that before and have never relived such a spectacle since that night.

When I lived in southern Austria, friends decided that a chalet in the mountains would be the perfect venue to welcome in the New Year. As preparations were made, we all decided that the dinner should be delicious but practical. By that it was meant that the foods served that should require little or no cooking so we all could really enjoy the night without anyone feeling the need to spend lots of time in the kitchen other than for the clean up after the meal.

I remember plates of locally smoked meats, locally produced cheeses, sliced rye and wheat breads, cold salads made with potatoes and beans. The one must that evening was the "Linsensalat" or lentil salad that is said to bring good luck in the New Year. There was lots of locally produced wine and beer and well as sparkling wine.

I prepared a simple Swedish "sockerkaka" or sugar cake that evening since I didn't really have the facilities to do anything too fancy. But it worked out perfectly with the sparkling wine. As soon as midnight got closer, we could hear the bells of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna on both radio and TV. Then, at midnight, the Blue Danube waltz was played and everyone began to dance the waltz to welcome in the New Year. I remember it being such a neat experience to see everyone at the party doing the waltz and outside of the chalet we could all hear the music echoing in the mountains. What a beautiful scene, I thought!

By the first time I ever spent New Year's Eve in Denmark, Susanne and I had been married for some years and we were in the country for a family visit. Susanne and I welcomed in the New Year in her native Denmark a few times and have usually spent the evening with friends. Regardless of the place we welcome in the New Year, our Danish friends are usually very practical and make the dinner into a sort of pot luck where each family takes care of one of the courses of the sit-down meal for the evening.

We have had everything from tuna mousse (quite light and tasty), to grilled pork loin with root vegetables (very popular in Denmark during the winter moths), as well as all of cod with mustard sauce. A typical "must" for the occasion is the "kransekage," a "cake" that consists of multiple layers of rings that get increasingly smaller and smaller. The cake itself is quite dense since the ingredients are almonds, sugar and egg whites. It is usually decorated with Danish flags and is shared during the evening.

Regardless of the party, each year our friends have always paused at 6 p.m. to watch the Danish queen's New Year's Eve speech and then at midnight the New Year is welcomed in with a traditional song as well as both the national and royal anthems. The party usually continues with fireworks and sometimes dancing.

It has always been fun to see how people spend the last day of the year and prepare to welcome in the New Year. At home, Susanne and I have sometimes chosen to make our celebrations rather involved with special foods that require long preparation times. On other occasions, we have decided to do as my friends did that time in Austria, and serve mostly cold foods. All celebrations have been nice. In reality, the most important part of the evening has been the company of family and special friends. May 2018 be a good New Year for you and your family!

Sockerkaka - Swedish sugar cake

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cups milk

Butter and flour to coat the pan

Use a small circular cake pan (like a Bundt pan) for this cake. Melt the butter and allow it to cool. In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the vanilla and blend well. Carefully pour the butter, milk and flour mixture into the egg and sugar mixture and blend slowly but do not beat or the dough will be dry. Lightly coat the inside of the baking pan with butter and flour and then add the dough. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 40 minutes or until the cake tests done. Allow to cool completely in the form before removing the cake and serve it when it is completely cooled.

Greg Lopez is a Midlander who enjoys food and travel. He combines both in a monthly column for the Daily News.
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In the emergency restoration business, technicians at ServiceMaster of the Tri-Cities have been on the front lines of local and national disasters including Hurricane Harvey.

ServiceMaster is a national disaster restoration company that formed a branch, ServiceMaster of the Tri-Cities, about four years ago in Midland. Technicians in the Midland branch were busy during June flooding and mostly work locally. But when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in mid-August, ServiceMaster asked other branches to volunteer because of the enormous devastation the hurricane caused in Texas.

Two project managers and four technicians from the Tri-Cities branch embarked on the 2,000 mile trip to the Greater Houston area about a week after the hurricane swept through the Lone Star State. Upon discovering most people did not have insurance, the crew from Michigan offered flood restoration services at a 50 percent discount in most cases, said senior project manager Tim Muller.

"A lot of companies went down there just to make money, and one of the things we went down there for was just to help out," Muller said.

They could not offer their services for free, Muller said, but they tried to at least offer heavily discounted disaster restoration to help the huge need.

And the need was huge. Technicians helped homeowners gut, dry out and professionally treat homes that had up to 6 feet of standing water, Muller said.

The devastation was amped up when the city released water from reservoirs into areas where flooding did not usually occur, explained project manager Nate Dilas. Especially in these areas, people were without flood insurance, Dilas said.

"It was pretty cool all of the community support we saw," Dilas said. "There were a lot of church groups that helped out, a lot of volunteers and neighborhoods getting together."

The crew rented a house in the Houston suburbs, and serviced about 50 households during their month-long stay in Texas.

"Most people were just devastated," Dilas said. "Their whole life just got turned upside down. It just really puts things into perspective. When you get home from something like that you're really thankful for what you do have."

ServiceMaster wouldn't have sent people from the Tri-Cities branch to help if there was a lack of volunteers from their branch, Muller said. This was important, he said, because the crew that went really wanted to help.

"We didn't go to Houston to get rich; we went to give back," Muller said. "We're selling a stamp of approval that a 50-year-old company came in and dried (out your home) and got you ready to put back together."

Dilas previously conducted disaster relief work with FEMA related to Hurricane Sandy, and traveled across the country to aid in other disasters with ServiceMaster.

"Harvey is the biggest catastrophe I've been involved with," Dilas said. "It was a fun trip, and very eye-opening. You feel a little bad when at the end you get to go home."

When they rode back to Michigan, Muller was grateful to have a peaceful car ride back so he could reflect on the trip.

"I just thought we would be so busy and there wouldn't be a lot of emotions involved," Muller said. "But for me it was an eye opener."
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame.

Tuesday, Dec. 26

12:47 a.m. -- Deputies were sent to a Warren Township home to assist Michigan State Police troopers in investigating a suspicious situation.

12:57 p.m. -- A deputy was sent to Greendale Township to investigate a report of a domestic assault. A report is being sent to the prosecutor for review.

1:24 p.m. -- Deputies fielded a complaint regarding a neighbor snow blowing in Homer Township.

1:57 p.m. -- A Sanford woman, 22, was arrested for domestic assault.

2 p.m. -- A girl, 16, was caught after taking personal property and cash, valued at a total of $400, at a Lee Township home. All but $100 cash was recovered.

2:59 p.m. -- A Greendale Township woman, 26, was arrested on a warrant as deputies investigated a report of an assault.

4:02 p.m. -- A deputy was called to a Lee Township home to check the well being and shelter conditions of an outdoor dog. The animals were found to be properly cared for with appropriate shelter. The caller was informed of the deputy's findings.

6:12 p.m. -- A Jerome Township woman, 46, was arrested in the Village of Sanford for drunken driving with a high blood alcohol content.

7:24 p.m. -- An Edenville Township resident reported someone tried to use their personal information to file for unemployment benefits.

11:57 p.m. -- A deputy was sent to a wooded area in Ingersoll Township for a report of a man, age 69, who had become lost and drove down an impassable trail. The man's vehicle was damaged on the rugged trail, and he was hurt when he fell on ice. Paramedics were sent to the scene and a wrecker driver gave the man a ride home.
The holiday season is filled with much joy in many lives.

But sometimes it is also filled with sadness, the result of crime or poverty or other common failures. It is disappointing, but it does happen and it must be reported.

We cannot help but notice some of the amazing stories of goodwill and joy that have occurred lately. And they help to fill us with hope.

Just in the last week we reported about a local couple, Robert and Virginia Clipper, who celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. They have worked together for a lifetime and have each others company and friendship as a reward.

We watched how students at Meridian High School know there are local residents with financial needs, so they gathered together to spend their time and money to make sure the families received an enjoyable Christmas.

We heard how a bus driver in the Bullock Creek school district spent his money to make sure the children on his route received gifts and a personal note of appreciation. It brought at least one person to tears that this man, who is really only an acquaintance to these kids, would invest that much in these young people.

And we read about a story of triumph from the Associated Press about how two lifetime best friends in Hawaii learned that they are actually brothers. They started a childhood friendship that lasted 60 years and capped it off with an unbreakable bond of brotherhood.

So when the world or even our community seems to have more strife and discord than joy, its good to think back to stories like these. We live in a community of many strengths. Lets draw on those in the coming year to inspire each other to do good.
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"According to preliminary information, an explosion of an unidentified object occurred in a store," Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement.

Ten people were injured and sent to hospitals when a homemade bomb detonated in a supermarket in St. Petersburg, Russia, officials said Wednesday.

The blast was caused by a "homemade explosive device with the power equivalent to 200 grams of TNT filled with lethal fragments," she said.

Investigators said they have opened a criminal case on the grounds of attempted murder. Health officials said none of the 10 victims suffered life-threatening injuries.

The motive for the attack was not immediately known.
Coming soon

Insidious: The Last Key : The eight-year-old franchise continues with this fourth installment, in which parapsychologist Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) and her team travel to Five Keys, N.M., to investigate a man's claim of, you guessed it, a haunting. Terror soon strikes when Rainier realizes that the house he lives in was her own family's old home. This time, then, it's personal! Leigh Wannell and Angus Sampson co-star.

Film clips

Back to school: The fourth semester of the Normal Theater's Six-Week Film School is about to convene. The free Wednesday night series premiered in fall 2016 with a Film Noir theme, followed by a Hitchcock-themed course in spring 2017 and, just completed, a Scorsese-themed course. For the spring 2018 session, again curated and moderated by ISU film professor William T. McBride, the theme is Wonder Women Directors, and features a half-dozen titles helmed by same, including Dorothy Arzner's "Christoper Strong" (1933), Ida Lupino's Outrage (1950), Penny Marshall's "A League of Their Own" (1992), Sophia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" (2003), Ava DuVernay's Selma (2014) and Patty Jenkins' "Wonder Woman" (2017). More details to come.
BLOOMINGTON  When Howard Edmondson woke up about 7 a.m. Wednesday at his home on Bunn Street in Bloomington, he quickly realized he had a problem.

He was cold and his alarm clock was dark.

I knew I was a little late on making my last payment, but I started getting mad that they cut my power on such a cold morning, even though I had mailed it in, he said. Im between jobs right now and was planning on getting an early start to job hunting.

Edmondson spotted a neighbor and quickly discovered he wasnt the only one who woke up cold Wednesday. In fact, power was knocked out at 6:38 a.m. to about 7,000 households on the south and east sides of Bloomington and the south end of Normal.

"We had a fault on a power line and that led to a problem at a substation," said Kelly Hendrickson, a spokeswoman for Ameren Illinois. "Our crews isolated the problem quickly.

Power was restored to all Ameren Illinois customers by Wednesday evening.

Approximately 1,754 Cornbelt Energy customers in Bloomington also were without power in what was described as a transmission issue impacting the Beltline substation that was related to the Ameren failure, according to a company spokesman. Those issues were cleared up by mid-morning.

Still, the outages happened at a time when the National Weather Service said Central Illinois air temperatures ranged from zero to 10-below and a wind-chill advisory was in effect.

Its always an inconvenience when your power goes out, Edmondson said. But when it is this cold, it goes well past an inconvenience. Its almost a nightmare.

Amanda Athena was waiting for a bus near her home on Clinton Avenue in Bloomington during the outage, looking forward to being any place that had heat.

Im chilled to the bone, she said. I need that bus just so I can warm up some.

When Athena realized that she could be without power for several hours, she decided she had to get out of the house.

There isnt any way I am standing around there freezing, she said. Im not even sure where Im going. I think the mall. I just have to warm up. Even the bus is going to be warmer than that house.

Motorists had to contend with several stoplights that were out of commission. There were no reports of serious injuries due to crashes caused by the power outage Wednesday.

The cold weather that made it rough for Central Illinois residents Wednesday is going to stick around, say NWS forecasters in Lincoln.

Thursdays high is expected to be about 17 degrees, and the Friday afternoon high may reach 19 degrees with a chance of light snow. The weekend will remain bitterly cold with afternoon temperatures around 10 degrees and overnight lows below zero.

Temperatures on Monday and Tuesday are expected to be around 14 degrees in the afternoon.
BLOOMINGTON  The ability to prepay property taxes early varied this week in Central Illinois, depending on which county treasurer collected the money.

McLean and DeWitt counties were among the counties that opted not to allow taxpayers to prepay 2017 tax bills normally due in mid-2018, but Tazewell and Logan counties were among those taking the early payments.

The tax overhaul signed last week by President Donald Trump puts a new $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local taxes people can deduct from their income when calculating their federal tax liability. That had thousands of people across the country lining up to prepay their property taxes and claim the uncapped deduction on their 2017 income taxes.

McLean County Treasurer Rebecca McNeil views the practice of accepting tax payments before their due date as outside the bounds of state law. The last-minute taxpayer requests that followed the passage of the legislation also would have required new procedures to accept and tracks payments, said McNeil.

"When you deviate from state statute and make up your own rules, you put the county and taxpayers at risk," said the treasurer.

McNeil cited results of a survey she conducted of Illinois' 102 counties that showed 45 counties had previously established early collection systems and 15 others that made the decision to allow such payments in December. Another 26 counties don't have an early payment plan, based upon their interpretation of state law, said McNeil.

Bloomington taxpayer Carl Woodward, who owns an accounting business, said McNeil told him last week that her office could not legally collect the payments.

"I don't think there's any law that keeps any government agency from collecting payments from citizens," said Woodward, who said the county's decision will cost him and others several thousand dollars in additional taxes.

The state has no plans to get involved in the dispute between taxpayers and local officials over how tax collection laws should be interpreted.

"This one is strictly a county issue," said Illinois Department of Revenue spokesman Terry Horstman.

In response to McNeil's requests Wednesday for an opinion on the tax issue, Terry Shafer, bureau manager for local government services for the IDR, said "I am told there is nothing that requires counties to accept a prepayment for the next year."

Shafer did not reply to McNeil's request for a more specific opinion.

In a story published late Wednesday afternoon in the Washington Post, the Internal Revenue Service clarified that taxpayers may claim an additional tax deduction when paying their 2017 taxes if they pay them this year and the local taxing authority has notified homeowners prior to 2018 how much they owe.

The new law bars deductions for income taxes paid early but is silent on prepaid property taxes, prompting the IRS clarification.

Assistant McLean County Administrator Don Knapp said the amount owed by taxpayers will not be finalized until levies are finalized and tax bills are prepared early next year. The state's attorney's office concurs with McNeil's view that the county lacks the authority to accept early payments, said Knapp.

In neighboring Tazewell County, State's Attorney Stewart Umholtz agrees with county Treasurer Mary Burress' decision to offer the service days before the close of 2017.

"Until this year, there hasn't been a lot of interest in paying taxes early. This is a situation that will benefit the taxing bodies and the taxpayers," said Umholtz.

The treasurer "wanted to accommodate people and there's no law to prohibit it," said the Tazewell County prosecutor.

In DeWitt County, Treasurer Gloria Wills said the time crunch involved in creating a new system kept her office from collecting the early taxes. She said her office received calls from about a dozen people inquiring about the policy.

"It was such a fast turnaround. We had seven days to figure out what to do and we didn't want to do it wrong," said Wills.

DeWitt County does offer taxpayers the option of paying up to 50 percent of their property taxes in the spring after the arrival of income tax refunds. The remaining balance is due after property tax bills are mailed in June.

In Logan County, Treasurer Penny Thomas has continued the early collection system in place at least four years before she took over as treasurer in May.

The several thousand dollars in interest received by the county on the prepayments is distributed among 130 Logan County taxing bodies. Unlike some counties that charge a fee for the service or require that taxes be paid in person, Logan allows payments to be submitted by mail and has no fee.

"We see it as a convenience for the taxpayers. I think it's been a good thing," said Thomas.
SPRINGFIELD(AP)  An Illinois judge on Thursday dismissed a challenge to a state law that would expand Medicaid and state-employee group health insurance to cover abortions.

Associate Circuit Judge Jennifer Ascher ruled the judiciary should not intervene in "political questions" in the General Assembly such as a law's effective date or whether there's an appropriation to fund it.

State Rep. Peter Breen is a Republican from Lombard and a Thomas More Society lawyer who challenged the law , which is set to take effect Monday.

He argues that lawmakers didn't adopt the legislation in time for it to take effect by Jan. 1, nor did they appropriate money to pay for the procedures.

Breen says his clients will file an appeal in state appellate court Friday and seek an injunction to halt the law.

Conservative activists and legislators pressed the lawsuit against publicly funded abortions in Illinois and sought an emergency injunction to prevent the law from taking effect on Monday.

This story will be updated.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have "agreed to continue to work toward a diplomatic solution to achieve a denuclearized Korean peninsula," the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.

A U.S. statement said the two spoke by phone Tuesday to discuss concerns related to North Korea's "destabilizing nuclear program and emphasized that neither the United States nor Russia accepts" Pyongyang as a nuclear power.

A day earlier, Russia's Foreign Ministry said that Lavrov told his American counterpart that "Washington's aggressive rhetoric" has heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula. Russia also said Lavrov called the U.S. rhetoric unacceptable.
On Dec. 21, The Pantagraph editorially questioned Gov. Bruce Rauners strange statements, yet still blamed Speaker Michael Madigan for Illinois troubles.

On Dec. 4, our state chief executive said, I am not in charge. With the Chicago Tribune editorial board on Dec. 19, he admitted to fermenting crisis. As he told the Tribune when newly elected in 2015, Crisis creates opportunity. Crisis creates leverage for change. On Dec. 19 he admitted, We had the possibility of a transformation for the state with the crisis we had.

A chief executive who thinks its wise policy to create crisis? How about a chief executive who is willing to work constructively? I was in awe of Republican Gov. Jim Thompson, who brought diverse groups together to move the state forward.

Remember the last three years of Pantagraph local stories: budget shortfalls for local schools; social service agencies cutting staff; lower-income, disabled and elderly Illinoisans suffering because the governor wanted to create a crisis.

Also, read the Illinois Constitution. The governor drafts a budget. Rauner continually blamed Speaker Madigan for no budget, when it was Rauners responsibility.

The governor can blame the speaker, can blame his caucus, can blame the General Assembly. As Rauner said, I am not in charge. Being governor means taking charge and displaying leadership, not fabricating a crisis. There are other, more conciliatory ways to move an agenda  hopefully our governor can learn them in his terms final year.

Mike Matejka, Normal
Who would've thought Merriam Webster's word of the year would be "feminism" when clearly 2017's most-used word has been problematic. Politics (mostly) aside, PAPER has compiled the most wildly misguided, depressing and bizarre moments of this year that made us all squirm  from some seriously unfortunate advertising to Sean Spicer. There's no better time than before we dive head first into 2018 to review all that left us shaking and/or screaming this year, so take my hand and let's reminisce.





1. FYRE Festival



Image via Twitter

There are few things more problematic than defrauding thousands of people by duping them into investing in a "once-in-a-lifetime" luxury experience in the Bahamas with all of their favorite artist, only to find more Lord of the Flies than luxury. While it was pretty entertaining to watch this PR-crisis-to-end-them-all unfold (as well as many entitled millennials squirm) FYRE Festival was nothing short of criminal. Hats off to the supermodels who apologized for their faux pas in promoting this piping hot mess, and to those who didn't? Well, you know who you are.









2. Pepsi's notorious "protest" commercial



I know, I know. In a world riddled with hatred, you're 11/10 done with hearing about the most tone-deaf offering from a company of the year, but this is 2017 in a review and who could forget Pepsi's infamous take on "woke" advertising? Nonetheless, watching Kendall Jenner whip off a blonde wig, wipe her lipstick and join a diverse group of teens in standing up to riot police (even though she eventually settled all conflict by offering an officer a can of sugary soft drink) did inspire something deep down in each of us  turns out that something was pure rage.









3. Harvey Weinstein and CO.

On a very serious note, the liberal media's exposure of Harvey Weinstein as a long-time sexual predator and terrorizer of young women was horrifying and deplorable. However it did kick off an avalanche of accusations against some of the most-revered and powerful men operating in the public eye. Kevin Spacey's (alleged) abuse of many young  often underage  men, Ed Westwick's (alleged) rape and attempted rape of multiple women, James Toback's (alleged) hideous harassment of actresses, Bruce Weber's (alleged) sexual misconduct involving male models and many, many others. In 2017, some very problematic men got their just desserts.





4. Kendall and Kylie's Tupac and Biggie Tees



It has, unfortunately, been a very problematic year for Kendall Jenner. She and sister Kylie found themselves in hot water after they reproduced the images of hip hop heroes, Tupac and Biggie Smalls, on t-shirts for their Kendall + Kylie collection, then superimposed their own images on top. All without, of course, obtaining permission from the late rappers' estates. While the move was likely just a misguided attempt for the budding designers to gain street cred, it was white privilege and blatant disrespect that came through loud and clear. This one, Kendall apologized for.









5. That time Gigi Hadid mocked Asians



Image via Twitter

Remember when Bella Hadid posted that video of Gigi Hadid pulling out the corner of her eyes to imitate a Buddha cookie? A mess, and apparently enough to (maybe) get her banned from China. Forever yikes @ the below tweet:



6. That ol' Moonlight mix-up



In what might have made for the most iconic Oscars moment of all time, cinema legend Warren Betty announced that the winner of Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards was the overwhelmingly white and light La La Land, rather than the powerful depiction of drug abuse, poverty and sexuality in Moonlight. The gaffe was probably just that, but given the Oscars have been consistently criticized for the lack of inclusion among its nominees the mistake felt very on the nose. Only when the cast and crew of La La went onstage did they realize the mistake and chaos ensued, which became known as "#envelopegate."





7. VLONE Designer/A$AP Mob Co-founder A$AP Bari's alleged sexual assault



Earlier this year, a video emerged of A$AP Bari ripping the sheets off a naked young woman, commanding her to "suck his dick" and slapping her butt as she ran out of frame, sobbing. It was massively triggering to say the least, but also shone a spotlight of how hip hop heavyweights treat women. Affiliates Playboi Carti and A$AP Rocky both denounced Bari, who is now reportedly being sued for $1 million.





8. Rob Kardashian's revenge porn rampage



Ah, revenge porn. Rob Kardashian set the world alight when he posted a series of nude photos sent to him from baby mama and ex-girlfriend Blac Chyna on Instagram (she later accused him of assault). It all ended in Chyna securing a restraining order against Kardashian, but not before the images were viewed by everyone with a social media account. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present peak problematic and, in the state of California, a crime.





9. Kathy Griffin vs. Trump



While Kathy Griffin did her best to ride the general 2017 sentiment of heavy disappointment (to say the least) in our president, she took it too far when she photographed herself holding a bloody, decapitated head of Trump. What will become of Griffin's career now, we just don't know.







10. Sean Spicer everything  but mostly the Holocaust



Little Sean-y. They were the worst of times, they were the most bizarre of times. Sean Spicer certainly made his time as Press Secretary of the White House memorable. When discussing Syrian President Bashar Assad at a press briefing, he somehow went ahead and claimed that "even Hitler" didn't deploy chemical weapons during the Holocaust. He then misnamed Nazi death camps "Holocaust centers." It's a no.

There you have it! It's been one problematic year. Happy holidays everyone, and have a woke 2018.

Splash image via Twitter/Instagram


As 2017 comes to a close, we've predicted 11 names you'll undoubtedly know in the New Year. Between art and fashion, music and film, discover who'll be on fire in 2018.

Aaron Philip has been defying expectations her whole life. The 16-year-old's family, originally from the Caribbean's "small, beautiful island of Antigua" immigrated to the United States when she was just three years old to find better medical options for her (Philip's cerebral palsy emerged when she was a toddler).

This wasn't an easy journey, as Philip's father and mother frequently took turns traveling back to Antigua. In 2010, Philip and her father lived in a Manhattan homeless shelter before settling in her current Bronx apartment with little brother Aren. Philip's father now works in a school cafeteria and recently obtained American citizenship.

Related | PAPER Predictions: 11 Names You'll Know in 2018

Amidst the tumult, Philip became an advocate for the physically disabled by living openly and proudly as a regular teen with big dreams and a poetic voice that engages her followers. After a tweet she wrote about wanting to become a fashion model went viral, several big names in the industry reached out to the high school junior, offering guidance and support.

Philip's creative approach to community building and clear-headedness about how the world's perception of her can be used to further rights of marginalized people makes her one to watch in 2018.

What draws you to modeling?



The idea of being a muse and getting big job opportunities for simply and proudly being yourself. That aspect of modeling is so beautiful, and I feel as if it's getting even better with the diversity that's currently taking over the industry. I personally want to become a successful, acclaimed, signed model in order to dismantle negative stigma that surrounds the community and spaces I'm a part of  with me being Black, physically disabled, and trans. I want to be involved in everything from runways to beauty campaigns to magazines because I know my perspective should matter as long as I'm confident and beautiful.

honestly when i get scouted/discovered by a modeling agency it's OVER for y'all! by y'all i mean the WORLD! it's real inclusivity/diversity hours folks, get into it! pic.twitter.com/58VOSafAm6

 aaron (@aaronphilipxo) November 24, 2017

Some big names like PAPER cover star Duckie Thot reached out to you after your tweet went viral. What did that feel like?



Duckie is truly such a humble and kind person. It's an honor to have had the chance to interact with her. I very much hope to meet and work with her some day. I'm beyond grateful and honored for all the attention I've received, regardless as to whether that was negative or positive. Everything happened so fast, but I felt so accomplished and optimistic for the future. And I still feel that way. I remember one of my Twitter mutuals direct messaging me the screenshot of Duckie quoting my tweet and I literally yelled!

Related | Beautiful People: Duckie Thot Is Going to Shock Us

What would you like to see change in the fashion industry?



The fashion industry is such a special place to me, being that there's such an interdependence between models and designers. I'd like to be a part of this and show the world that muses can be Black, physically disabled, trans and accomplish big things as models if we're given the attention and platform.

What do you like about having an online community?



An online community is my equivalent of a safe space. The Internet is my safe space  I've been nurtured by a network of so many different people of various backgrounds and professions for years, and I've found myself through being exposed to that at a young age. I learned to love myself through art, music videos, different subcultures and trends. The Internet has both matured and nurtured me into becoming the individual I am today creatively, artistically and socially.

Do you consider yourself an activist?

I think of myself as a social rights advocate, but I don't necessarily think of myself of an activist. It doesn't feel right to discredit actual activists who have put their lives on the line for what she cares about just for a nice title. I do, however, credit myself as an advocate for LGBTQ+ and disability rights with my work in fine art and writing. At the beginning of the month, I flew back to Antigua for a week to be a part of my country's first national conference for people with disabilities as a guest speaker and panelist. I'm very honored that I was chosen to be a part of history.

Related | Casting Director James Scully on Diversity During Fashion Week

What are the biggest misconceptions people have about you? What would you tell them?



A lot of people assume that the opportunities I've been given from going viral are handouts, and actions out of pity due to what comes with my physical and social identities. Little do they the work and dedication I've put in as an aspiring model before any of this even happened to me. I guess I'd just want them to know that nothing comes easy or free, and that my entire life has been a series of trials and errors. A lot of people also have the mentality and misconception that just because I'm physically disabled, I can't be a good model, which is exactly why I'm doing the work I do currently.

What inspires you?



One of my biggest inspirations is my mother, Lydia Philip, who has worked so tirelessly as an intellect and a mother to make me the person I am today. I'm grateful for my father, Petrone Philip, and for my not-so-little brother Aren. I am also inspired by my friends, some of whom are also talented artists and models. They push me to be my best self every day and I'm so thankful for that.

What are you goals for the future?

In addition to modeling, I plan to go to college and pursue a degree in fine arts, psychology or guidance counseling. The emotional and mental side of humanity is something I'd love to know more about. I also plan to continue my work in writing, digital art and photography. I want to enjoy high school and be the best I can be in and out of my life as a model, and my life as a teenager.

Click here to discover 10 more PAPER predictions.

Photography: Ryan Duffin
As 2017 comes to a close, we've predicted 11 names you'll undoubtedly know in the New Year. Between art and fashion, music and film, discover who'll be on fire in 2018.

As a Junior in college, Hana Quist has already outgrown the label "student." Throughout 2017, she's solidified herself as one of New York nightlife's most sought-after drag queens, styled her biological parents for an instantly iconic "drag family" portrait series and caught fashion's attention as a rising designer with a penchant for all things over-the-top. Unsurprisingly, it didn't take Quist long to be recognized  with her powdered face, wild wigs and luxe corsets, she's not difficult to spot (or remember).

Related | PAPER Predictions: 11 Names You'll Know in 2018

The Philadelphia native discovered and began privately experimenting with drag as a teen in her bedroom, and after her move to the Big Apple quickly made a name among the city's most illustrious queens. Her early crotchet creations became a must-have after she cemented her place as a nightlife heroine, and she's since elevated her drag persona to new heights with floral morph-suit gowns, satin bunny-eared masks and head-to-toe looks Marie Antoinette would have salivated over.

Now turning her attention to a thesis collection, Quist is breaking down barriers with gowns built for all sexualities and gender identities, proving why she's truly the trailblazer fashion needs now.

You're a nightlife staple in NYC and a rising fashion designer. How do you balance both?

For me fashion and nightlife go hand-in-hand. I joke that drag queens raised me, but it's sort of true. I learned so much from drag queens and from nightlife. It really influences and inspires my work. Nightlife is a way for me to play around with ideas and experiment without the judgment of "fashion," which can sometimes be very intimidating whereas drag is more fun and open. My drag helps my fashion and vice versa.

Related | Portraits of Queens From DragCon NYC

How did you first discover drag?

I've always felt like a drag queen but I never had the term "drag" to describe what I was doing. Ever since I was little I loved dressing up and playing with my appearance. Just like all the other millennial drag queens, I found out about drag through Drag Race. I didn't make the connection between the drag queens on TV and what I was already doing because I don't consider myself a performer and drag race is really big on performance. Through my love of the show I later found out about club kids and more of the broader world of drag and nightlife. That's when I realized that I was already doing drag and it was the community I wanted to be a part of.

Are you noticing a rise in female drag queens?



Woman have always played a role in nightlife and have been doing drag without it being called "drag." Now with Drag Race and social media, the larger visibility means a lot of different types of queens. I remember starting drag a couple years ago and there were very few "bio/faux/hyper" or whatever you want to call it queens, and now there are lots. Before I moved to New York, I was so worried and defensive about being a woman doing drag because I thought it was this huge issue, and I moved to New York and it really wasn't. Everyone was so accepting, kind and it was never really brought up. As long as you're pulling looks, participating and contributing to your drag community, you're a drag queen.

Related | The World According to RuPaul

Is it a fight to get the same recognition for Hana Quist, the designer, as Hana Quist, the nightlife star?

I love both the world of drag and the world of fashion, but it's very easy to get praise for drag. In fashion, it's much harder to have people like what you're doing and take it seriously. I've been so lucky to have amazing opportunities because of drag. I was able to travel to Vienna for Life Ball, I've been shot by amazing photographers, I've had my designs published and I've been able to work with lots of people in the fashion and drag industry that I respect, but as soon as you say drag or nightlife people just stop listening and respecting you, which is sad because nightlife is so important to fashion.

How long does it take you to create a look from start to finish?

My looks take me a long time  usually 15-20 hours to make and then the additional time the night of to get into hair and makeup. I'll start with an idea and sketch it out, then I'll go and buy supplies and fabric. I'll take a couple days to make the look. I always give myself lots of time the night of an event because seeing the full look with the hair, makeup and shoes really changes things and I want to be able to tweak things if I have to.

There's a very regal, almost Victorian theme running through your designs.

I love corsets. I find historical clothing so inspiring and I love trying to take something I've seen in a costume, painting or book and try to make it fit my style  make it more modern. I love the idea of a drag queen and trying to be as large and regal as possible.

Related | Meet the Contestants Slaying Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race

Drag has become popularized as a result of Drag Race. What're your thoughts on the landscape, right now?

It's bittersweet. On one hand the popularity of the show is helping people discover drag as this amazing thing, and it's making drag queens famous and giving them opportunities they otherwise wouldn't have had. But it also creates a whole group of people who consider the show to be everything. If you just know drag from the show you're missing so much of the history of drag, nightlife, and the community. At the end of the day I just want to see drag queens succeed and do amazing things, so if the show helps them do that then it's a wonderful thing.

Do you feel a responsibility to get political with your work?

Recently I've been thinking about how few major designers are queer or gay women, and how a lot of the queer imagery I see in fashion is geared for gay men. Another thing that has been on my mind is how fashion is still categorized as womenswear and menswear, which feel are outdated terms. Everything I design is so feminine, but at the same time I'd hate to say I do womenswear because I know lots of people who aren't woman who I'd like to wear my clothing. It's such a difficult area because I don't really feel like the terms womenswear or gender-neutral would apply to what I like making.

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Photography: Ryan Duffin



Full Look: Hana Quist
Earlier today Patently Apple posted a first statistical report titled "Apple Took the Lion Share of Smartphone Industry Profits in Q3 2017 at Close to 60%." In this second statistical report we cover Flurry Analytics report published today that covers smartphone and tablet holiday activations. Once again Apple has dominated the holiday sales and activations by a fairly large margin as noted in our first chart below.





With all of the smartphone OEM's battling it out with new models, it would appear that Apple and Samsung walked away the winners with 44% and 26% respectively. Cocking Google was handed bad news that their Pixel 2 didn't even make it on the top vendor list wih Vivo being in last place with a measely 2%. Google with their snobbery about being the AI leader got their head handed to them over the holidays.

Apple iPhone Activations by Single and Family Models

Single iPhone Model stats: Flurry's next chart presented below breaks down iPhone model activation statistics for Christmas 2017 by model type. In this segment, Apple's iPhone 7 model rang in as the top single model mover with the iPhone 6 being a close second. Rounding out the top three was Apple's iPhone X.





Combined iPhone Models: in this segment, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus took top spot with a combined total of 27.5% of activations followed by the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with a total of 25.5% of activations and the iPhone iPhone 8 and 8 Plus clocking in third with a combined total of 16.8% of activations.

In the last Flurry chart noted below they cover the breakdown of holiday activations for Apple devices by form factor. Here we're able to see that the shift of the Phablet or 'Plus' Models took the lead by a large margin over last year by growing 16% over the smaller iPhone models.





The iPhone SE is going to sport a larger display in 2018 and we can see why coming in with a measly 1% of activations. It's probably why Amazon is having a fire sale of that model in India.

Another obvious trend that we could see from this last chart is that smaller iPad sales/activations are decreasing as iPhone Plus models increase. Larger iPad models have remained stagnant over the last year in the 8-9% even with the advances from the iPad Pro. Without the iPad Pro, we may have seen the activations cut in half like the smaller iPads.

All in all, the Flurry analytical stats provides us with a nice annual look at the trend for the year. It tells us that Apple is still leading and fans are happy with Apple's iPhone evolution; that Google is still a loser in smartphones; that the Chinese smartphone OEMs can't touch Apple's successful aura and that small iPads are all but dead as a category.

For the record: Flurry Analytics is owned by Oath and is used by over 1M mobile apps and has insight into 2.1 billion devices worldwide. Oath Inc. is a subsidiary of Verizon Communications that serves as the umbrella company of its digital content subdivisions.





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The South Korean government is doing everything in its power to charge Apple with 'something' of late. On November 23 Patently Apple posted a report titled "South Korean Authorities have Raided Apple's Offices Prior to the Launch of iPhone X in their Country." A month later we posted another report titled "Korean Government Continues to Harass Apple with yet another Investigation into Infringing KAIST Processor Technology." The Korean tech press was also screaming for a recall of the iPhone 8 before it ever landed in South Korea. Now the Korean broadcasting and telecom regulator is breathing down Apple's neck.

In a new Korean tech report posted today we learn that the Korean broadcasting and telecom regulator has formally sought an explanation from Apple on allegations that it tried to defraud customers by deliberately slowing down devices without warning.

the Korea Communications Commission stated that "We are hoping to get some answers on whether Apple intentionally restricted the performance of old iPhones and tried to hide this from customers."

The report further noted that the "KCC has no jurisdiction over Apple, which is categorized as a multinational firm. It cannot launch an official probe and can only seek an explanation at the most."

So why is the KCC doing it all so publicly then? Right, it's political and just part of a larger concerted campaign to smear Apple. The Korean tech press made no bones about it a year ago that it's over the recall of Samsung's Note 7 last year. They blamed the U.S. Government for forcing the recall as a protectionist move to protect Apple.

While the KCC has no jurisdiction over Apple today, the Korean report noted that the "Korean lawmakers are proposing law revisions to regulate overseas-based tech firms such as Apple."

It should also be noted that Korea's FTC is investigating Wireless Carrier complaints about Apple's Unfair Advertising Policies and for forcing carriers to pay for a new computer system.

Being under constant government harassment, you have to give it to Apple for staying cool and pushing forward with the opening of their first Apple Store in Seoul sometime in the coming weeks.

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.
Before Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube made their entry in the media market, the PatnaDaily had already registered its presence in...
Patna: Janata Dal  U general secretary R C P Singh, at a press conference in Patna on Wednesday, slammed the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders for attempting to taint the judicial system of India by casting doubts on its integrity to gain political advantage.

"Since their leader was convicted in the fodder scam and sent to the jail, RJD operatives in Patna are showing their desperation in their attempt to somehow turn a political disaster like this to an advantage. They are even talking about going on a 'sympathy tour' to tell the people of Bihar how bad or corrupt the nation's leading investigative agency and the judicial system was," Singh said.

The JD-U MP further said that all these RJD leaders, including Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejaswi Yadav, have said that they had full trust in the judiciary and they respected the court's verdict but the moment a verdict goes against them, the entire judicial system is declared biased and tainted.

"They can call it a conspiracy all they want but no one is taking them seriously except those who already are their supporters. People are smart enough to know that such language is used only by those who are guilty as charged and those who favor corruption," he said.

Singh also took shot at his own party leader and former Speaker of Bihar Assembly Uday Narayan Chowdhary for 'speaking the language of the RJD leaders.

"We all know whose side Chowdhary is on. He has been speaking the language of the opposition and is looking a way out to join the RJD," the JD-U leader said.

When asked if the party will take any disciplinary action against him, Singh said that that would be a 'waste of party's stationery'.

As reported, Chowdhary had been rallying against his own party by first claiming it to be anti-dalit (Chowdhary is a dalit) and then accusing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of being hand in glove with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that, according to him and other NDA opponents, is out to exact revenge on the RJD chief and his family members.

Meanwhile, it was reported that nearly 300 Chowdhary supporters on Wednesday resigned from the party in Gaya district in a show of solidarity for their leader.

It may be recalled that Chowdhary was defeated by Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi in the 2015 Assembly elections. Since then, the former Speaker of the Assembly had been gnawing at the heels of Nitish Kumar by accusing him of being 'anti-dalit'.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
"The whole issue of postponing the military drills... I believe, is a legitimate issue and a sound issue," Gen. Burwell Bell, the USFK commander from 2006 to 2008, told VOA.

They said the suggestion is "legitimate" but warned that Seoul must not "abrogate the security treaty" and use military readiness as "a bargaining chip," Voice of America reported Tuesday.

Former chiefs of the U.S. Forces Korea have urged caution over President Moon Jae-in's proposal to postpone joint military drills until after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

"But it is crucial that those exercises be conducted to their full range of requirements immediately following the Olympics."

"They could be postponed for very short period of time so as to accommodate the conducts of the Olympics," but "any notion by anyone that exercises should be postponed to achieve some kind of diplomatic engagement is wrong," he said.

He added he himself would not have allowed a postponement to be used as a diplomatic carrot.

"If either party ever told me when I was in command to lower the readiness of the force, so as to appease the North, my immediate recommendation to both presidents, particularly to the president of the United States, would be because of the increased risk to failure, it would be necessary for the United States to withdraw its forces from South Korea and abrogate the security treaty" altogether, he added.

Gen. John Tilelli, who was USFK commander between 1996 and 1999, said postponing the drills is worth considering, but the primary duty of the leader of a country is to protect its own people.

And Gen. James Thurman, who was USFK chief between 2011 and 2013, said, "We must be careful appeasing North Korea. It has never worked, and I do not think cutting deals with them will be effective... The alliance must remain strong and vigilant."


Khamenei Lambasts Ahmadinejad's Camp In Rare Speech

12/28/17

By Hooman Askary, Radio Farda

The Islamic Republic Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has accused some individuals inside Iran of "doing the enemy's job".



Source: Besharate No daily

Addressing members of the Islamic Publicity Organization on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei lambasted "those who hold, or used to hold, all means in the country" saying that "they do not have the right to play the role of the opposition". This was an apparent reference to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his team who have engaged in an intense war of words with the Judiciary.



The Islamic Publicity Organization, is one of the propaganda entities within the Iranian theocracy tasked with promoting the Islamic revolution's ideology.



Khamenei also warned about the consequences of recent tensions feeding Western media.



"Today they [Ahmadinejad and his close aides] say something and it gets a massive coverage on the British Radio and the American Radio, such approach makes the enemy happy", the Iranian leader stated.



American Radio and British Radio are apparent references to Radio Farda and BBC Persian that have been denounced on several occasions by Khamenei. He accuses Western powers, led by the US and Israel of having waged a "soft war" against the Islamic Republic.



Ayatollah Khamenei also compared the cyber space to a war front, saying that "Western artillery" is targeting the Islamic government therein.



Elsewhere in his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei taunted Western media: "the first day after the victory of the Islamic revolution they said it would last only six months, then they said it would fall after two years. They kept repeating similar statements but the Islamic Republic has survived and lived its blessed life for forty years".



In another indirect criticism of Mr. Ahmadinejad's camp, Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated "I, having all means at my disposal, cannot be a claimant, I have to be held accountable as to what I did with all those means".



He voiced his displeasure, accusing the critics of lacking reverence: "Their religion is political, instead of having religious politics, their religion is politicized".



"Every child can throw stones and break windows, this is not a virtue. The virtue is if one speaks logically and justly and does not speak in order to seek power, one has to deem God witness to their deeds", the Islamic Republic leader stated.



Meanwhile, Ayatollah Khamenei, admitted he was aware that the Islamic judiciary was not faultless: "I am not unaware of the problems with the judiciary and the executive branches of power ...however...we do not have the right to treat everyone alike".



In 2009, following the street protests to the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a highly disputed election, Ayatollah Khamenei came full force to the aid of Mr. Ahmadinejad. In a famous statement, the Islamic Republic leader announced that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's views were close to his.



The war of words between Ahmadinejad and judiciary flared up when Hamid Baghaei, a senior former aide of Mr. Ahmadinejad, was detained last June charged with financial corruption. Baghei was later released on a heavy bail.



Meanwhile, according to a former member of Iran's parliament, there are seven definitive legal verdicts issued against Ahmadinejad, who is charged with financial violations amounting to around $3 billion, asserts a former member of the Iranian Parliament.



The Iranian Parliament's Audit Court has also announced that Ahmadinejad, in the last 18 months of his presidency, spent 4.6 trillion Tomans or approximately $1.3 billion of Iran's oil income illegally.



The court ordered the former president to repay the money, according to parliament's website. The ruling said that during his tenure, Ahmadinejad spent oil revenues without proper transfer from the Oil Ministry to the treasury.



Although the court found Ahmadinejad directly responsible, it has issued no other measures against him.



The Audit Court has limited powers of punishment. It can reduce an official's pay or at most fire officials from government jobs but is not empowered to issue harsher verdicts.
Fire put out at Iran's Rag-Sefid oilfield, after 59 days

12/28/17

Source: Tehran Times

Fire in the well No. 147 of Rag-Sefid offshore oilfield in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan Province was put out at Tuesday's night, Shana news agency reported.

A blowout occurred at Rag-Sefid oilfield on October 29. The accident happened when drilling operation was ongoing in depth of 2,403 meters in the well No. 147 of the field. It burned the drilling rig and killed two persons working for the National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC).



One week after the blowout, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that the blaze would be brought under control within one and half month, but it took 59 days.



Fire at the Rag-Sefid offshore oilfield

Although, Iran has the experience of controlling such accidents in the oil and gas fields, as the country has brought 12 blowouts under control over the past 12 years, this one was a rare case given the high pressure of the oil exiting from the well.



At Tuesday night, when the blaze was extinguished, Mohsen Paknejad, the deputy managing director of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for production affairs, said putting out fire at Rag-Sefid by Iranian experts has been one of the most difficult operations for controlling fire at an offshore field in the country.
The host of the Kokrokoo Morning Show on Peace FM and recently named Ghana Journalists Association 2016 journalist of the year Kwame Sefa Kayi says he disagrees with those who say he is above the title of the journalist of the year. Some say Im above it. I dont know whether to reject it. I dont think Im better than anybody he added.



Mr. Sefa Kayi was speaking on the Uniiq Breakfast Drive on GBC UNIIQ 95.7 Megahertz this morning with host Cecil Wentum. His award has generated some debate but for him, it is not surprising to be named as such adding that even if the Konkomba yam sellers call me for an award, I will go and receive it.



He said contrary to speculations that this is coming to reaffirm other awards won in his professional life, he believes he has worked hard enough and I deserve this award. He highly appreciated this one as he chipped in  Theres nothing like being honoured by your own peers. Its a good feeling.



When the conversation veered into the nitty gritty of good journalism, he was quick to state that  a good journalist may not be perfect but should always strive for excellence, not perfection. That person must be fair, objective and should report the issues dispassionately. To him, a good journalists work is well-researched and that person should have the ability to nose around for what is important and should try as much as possible to be even-handed.



When pushed further by the host as to what is happening especially in the private media with all that he had mentioned, he mentioned that people liked sensational stories. That, he believes is why some in the private media go on that tangent. Thats why sex sells, talking about rape and other related reports. He however disagreed with the trend and stated that to create a sensational story is not good. He said he will not defend it because he is in the private media and he will not encourage it.



Mr. Sefa Kayi is a winner of a state award in 2008 and is a recipient of other privately organised awards. He acknowledged his earlier years with the Public broadcaster GBC and believed it really helped his foundation in the field but was against any suggestion of returning to the place again.

Source: GBCONLINE









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.

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A member of ruling New Patriotic Party's communication team, P.K Sarpong has chided former Vice President Paa Kwesi Armissah-Arthur for criticising NPP's flagship Free SHS policy.



According to Mr. Sarpong "the former Vice President of Ghana stance conflicts with the one he and his boss used to exude prior to the 2016 elections".



"The only solution to the myriad of challenges that our educational sector was facing was just access, according to them, and that anything in the region of free education should be dispensed with.



Such a bold policy, as far as they were concerned, could and should be embraced in 2032, and therefore, any attempt to do otherwise would prove to be counterproductive.



In the light of this, huge sums of monies were injected into advertisements all tailored to dismiss the relevance of a free senior high school programme.



Countless numbers of adverts were made in their relentless efforts to tell Ghanaians that the Akufo-Addo proposed free senior high school policy would be unwholesome and should be discounted", he emphasized.



According to him, "Having given the proposal a great deal of thought, Ghanaians were able to decipher the senseless arguments the then governing NDC members were making and the futuristic yet sane proposition from the then opposition New Patriotic Party and came to the conclusion that the policy ought to be given room to operate, and thus voted massively for the New Patriotic Party".



He added that, "One would expect that a modicum of common sense would prompt these people to eat the humble pie and apologize to the populace over their insensitivity towards their vehement opposition to the free senior high school concept, what was fed to us, consistently, was the National Democratic Congress stoically sticking to their unholy sermons against the Free Senior High School programme".



"They have been furiously highlighting the teething issues the policy is being confronted with, making sure that they drum home the mantra that the policy should not have been given the green light this time around.



It could be recalled that quite recently, the former President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama, at their skewed unity walk event, highlighted the ills of the programme, and said a future NDC government would discontinue the programme. He was soundly lambasted for his anti-free education sentiments and had to quickly retrace his steps.



Okudzeto Ablakwa, Solomon Nkansah, Kofi Adams and many of their party gurus have not hidden their intents of scrapping the free education policy if they come back to power in future.



In effect, the National Democratic Congress as an entity believes the Free Senior High School policy is not ideal and should be relegated to the background of insignificance.



It is therefore extremely difficult reconciling the position Amissah-Arthur is espousing with what the large majority of the members of the NDC believe should be the case.



Are we to believe that Amissah-Arthur is setting himself apart from the position the NDC holds in high esteem or this is his method of showcasing to the world that should he be given the opportunity to lead the NDC he would depart from what is considered to be the norm in the party?



Much as his suggestion may not be that oafish, it is important to also reiterate the fact that the NDC doesn't have anything worth considering to contribute to the discussions around the Free Senior High School policy.



The guaranteed truth is that none of these NDC members has anything sound to add to the discussion since the only avenue to deal with the challenges confronting the policy is to scrap it.



Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur should know that comedy doesn't sell any longer, and should, therefore, get serious if he is nursing an ambition to lead the NDC in the next elections".

Source: ghanaweb









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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reiterated his commitment to banishing the spectre of galamsey, describing his commitment as resolute and immutable.



According to President Akufo-Addo, upon his assumption of office on 7th January, he had the responsibility to say no to galamsey for our own common survival, and the survival of those who are to come. I was of the view that, if we allowed it to continue, we would be jeopardising both our present and our future. Our responsibility, to this end, was clear.



It was for this reason that, in March this year, the President, on the advice of Cabinet, set-up the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, which is also actively supported by the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, the Minister for National Security, and the National Security Advisor.



President Akufo-Addo made this known on Friday, when he commissioned the Secretariat of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, at a brief ceremony in Cantonments, Accra.



The President noted that at the commencement of its work, the Committee recommended a 6-month ban on small scale mining activities, a request to which he assented. The ban was further extended for another 3 months, after the expiration of the initial ban.



He indicated that during the period of the ban, Government gave directives to the Committee to carry out certain activities to bring sanity into the artisanal gold mining sector.



These directives included, launching of Operation Vanguard on 31st July, 2017; training of some 1,300 small-scale miners, by September 2018, in sustainable mining at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa; a nationwide tour by the Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to solicit the support of Chiefs, Queen Mothers and other traditional and opinion leaders in the fight against illegal mining; and regular interaction between the Inter-Ministerial Committee and the Small Scale Miners Association to craft a Code of Practice for small scale mining operations.



Additionally, the President stated that District Committees against illegal mining will be formed, before the first week of January, with the Committees expected to address all issues concerning small scale mining in the mining communities in their districts. The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives have already been informed about the composition of the District Committees, which will be inaugurated before the end of the first week of January.



To champion the cause, the media has also formed the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, which is waging the battle against galamsey across all fronts of the media landscape. The Coalition is doing invaluable, patriotic work, he said.



President Akufo-Addo also told the gathering the Ghana, this year, ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury, as the 40th Party, whose objective is to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions, and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.



He also commended the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for allowing the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) to constitute the Advisory Committee of the Minamata Convention on Mercury National Action Plan (NAP).



New Era for small scale mining



The President told the gathering that Government is entering a new era in its efforts to formalize the small scale mining industry, so as to achieve sustainable mining with sound environmental practices.



In the weeks and months ahead, I expect to see optimal co-ordination amongst participating Ministries and the District Mining Committees, as well as close interaction with Operation Vanguard, small scale miners and the general public. I expect the Committee to receive regular reports from mining centers, so that illegal activities can be dealt with immediately, he said.



With the inauguration of the District Committees, President Akufo-Addo noted that about 1,400 small scale miners in all the mining districts of Ghana, allegedly the total population of small scale miners in the country, will be vetted.



This will enable us to know, in full, their details and whereabouts, and to monitor their activities, he said.



The President stressed that with the office for the Inter-Ministerial Committee in place, there is going to be constant, close and effective monitoring and reporting of anti-galamsey activities, so that the right thing is done all the time. This new phase will demonstrate our resilience and commitment to ensuring that our water bodies, land and forests, with their biodiversity, are not destroyed.



To the Small Scale Miners Association, from the national to the community level, President Akufo-Addo appealed to them to help in self-regulation of activities of their members, and also ensure that no one engages in illegal activities, especially mining in our water bodies.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chinese police have arrested a Chinese security guard for assaulting a Korean reporter during President Moon Jae-in's state visit early this month, but the others who took part in the attack were let off scot-free.

According to the Korean Embassy in Beijing, Chinese police arrested the security guard, who works for a private security company in Beijing, for intentional assault. The man, identified as Li, is charged with injuring a Korean reporter by kicking him in the face.

Footage shows at least five guards surrounding and attacking the victim on Oct. 14 as he was trying to follow Moon into a hall at a trade fair, dragging him out into the hallway and assaulting him, even though he was showing his entry badge and protesting.

The victim had to have surgery in Korea for fractured nasal bones and is being treated for a ruptured blood vessel in his eye.

But Li is only being charged with causing minor injuries, which carries a prison term of up to three years. Chinese authorities expressed "regret" over the assault but did not say whether anyone else would be charged.

An embassy official said, "Chinese police seem to think that there was no direct relation between the victim's injuries and the assault from the other security guards."


Seven out of nine firefighters from a Lebanon County fire company are accused of being under the influence of alcohol when they responded to a call earlier this month, according to a Lebanon Daily News report.

Speedwell Fire Company has been suspended and decertified by West Lebanon Township, according to a Dec. 21 letter from township commissioner John Brenner sent to Lebanon County Emergency Management Agency Director Robert Dowd that was obtained by the Lebanon Daily News.

The investigation into the firefighters conduct began when the West Lebanon Township received a complaint about the company's response to a call at 10:10 p.m. Dec. 14 at Pete's Pizza on the 1100 block of Quentin Road. The matter was reported to North Lebanon Township police and investigators determined several members of the fire company responded to the fire after consuming alcoholic beverages -- including the operators of the engine and squad, according to the report.

North Lebanon Township police declined to say whether criminal charges would be filed, while confirming the investigation into the matter, according to the report. A meeting with the fire company's board of directors and West Lebanon Township commissioners is scheduled for Jan 2 at the township building. The meeting is not open to the public or other fire company members.

The fire company's Facebook page has been deactivated following the suspension. West Lebanon Township lists Leonard Miller as the fire chief and Dennis Horn as the deputy chief. Ebenezer Fire Company in North Lebanon Township has been responding to emergency calls in West Lebanon Township since Dec. 22.
UPDATE: Harrisburg gunman Ahmed El-Mofty was depressed, had money, family issues before shooting spree

Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marco said Thursday that Ahmed El-Mofty, the gunman who was killed by police after a rampage in Harrisburg last week, has no known ties to terror groups.

However, family members have told investigators that El-Mofty was depressed about lack of contact with his family and money issues, Marsico said.

The investigation, which is ongoing, showed El-Mofty, a naturalized U.S. citizen, spent about three years in Egypt before returning the the U.S. in October.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated soon.
While the motive for his shooting spree remains unclear, Harrisburg gunman Ahmed El-Mofty does not appear to have been tied to the Islamic State or any other terrorist group, Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said Thursday.

Instead, Marsico said there are indications that personal troubles were plaguing El-Mofty before he shot at a Capitol Police cruiser, wounded a state trooper and then was gunned down by police last Friday.

It has been determined that El-Mofty, a 51-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, spent about three years in his native Egypt before returning to the U.S. in October, Marsico said.

"There is no known nexus to any organized terrorist group. There was no red flag that he was allied with ISIS," he said. "He was not to anyone's knowledge radicalized."

He said there is no evidence El-Mofty had accomplices.

"Family members say he was depressed recently, upset about lack of contact with his family, with money issues," Marsico added.

He said El-Mofty first fired shots into the air in the 100 block of State Street and at Third and State streets before shooting at the Capitol Police car at 4:06 p.m. near the Capitol and the Ronald Reagan Federal Building at Third and Walnut streets. A bullet struck the windshield of the cruiser, but the officer wasn't injured.

At 4:43 p.m., a female state trooper who was responding to a call about the gunfire in Harrisburg encountered El-Mofty at Fifth and Market streets. Both were in their vehicles. Marsico said El-Mofty fired shots into the trooper's car. Shrapnel from the rounds struck her in the head.

"Two shots hit the (driver's seat) head rest," Marsico said. "It's lucky she was not seriously injured."

El-Mofty briefly chased the trooper's vehicle, he said. He said an unknown woman went to the aid of the injured trooper. Police want to talk to her, Marsico said.

The fatal encounter occurred when El-Mofty pulled over at 17th and Mulberry streets when a police officer activated his cruiser's lights and siren, the DA said. He said El-Mofty "got out of the car with a gun," he said.

"The police backed off at first and took cover" before returning fire, Marsico said. He said at one point El-Mofty ran back to his car to retrieve something, perhaps more ammunition.

El-Mofty died from multiple gunshot wounds. "We know at least four officers fired shots at him," Marsico said. "The officers said they didn't hear him say anything."

He did not rule out the possibility that El-Mofty's motives won't ever be determined. The lack of an evident terror link contrasts with a statement the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued Saturday describing El-Mofty's actions as a terrorist attack.

The police-involved shooting also is under investigation, Marsico said. He said he has determined, preliminarily, that the officers were justified in using deadly force.

"Not only were they justified, they acted courageously," he said. "They ended a threat."

A final ruling on officer justification will be left to incoming District Attorney Fran Chardo, who will take over when Marsico is sworn in as a county judge next week.
Ahmed El-Mofty met with his children a few days before he died.

Inside a Mechanicsburg mosque, he talked about school and told them he loved them.

"He always told them he loved them," Ola Soweilam said of her ex-husband.

Days later, El-Mofty died in a shootout with police on Allison Hill in a final act his ex-wife thinks was suicide by cop.

"Muslims can't take their own life," she said. "In the Quran, if you kill yourself, you go to hell. He had to find someone else to do it for him."

Just before sunset on Friday, El-Mofty got out of a maroon car in the 100 block of State Street and fired multiple rounds into the air. He did this twice before driving east toward the State Capitol Building, according to Rev. Joshua Brommer who was presiding over a wedding inside nearby St. Lawrence Chapel.

Once El-Mofty rounded the bend on State Street to travel south along North 3rd Street, he shot at a Capitol Police car. The driver's-side window was shattered, but the officer was not injured.

At 5th and Market Streets, he encountered a state police trooper who was responding to shots outside the Capitol. El-Mofty fired shots at her, and she was struck in the head by shrapnel.

El-Mofty pulled over near Mulberry and 17th streets in Allison Hill when a police vehicle came behind him with flashing lights. He had a gun in his hand when he stepped out of the vehicle and fired at officers. Police returned fire, with at least four officers shooting at him.

"I wish they would've captured him instead of killed him," Soweilam said. "He's the only one with the answers why he did this."

This level of violence or targeting police doesn't make sense to his ex-wife, who had not lived with him since they separated in 2011.

Ola Soweilam makes falafel at her store, El Ola Mediterranean in Camp Hill, on July 16, 2016.

They were officially divorced Dec. 19, 2013, for reasons Soweilam described as "normal couple problems," and she said they have barely talked since then. All conversations have been about the kids and child support, she said.

Soweilam did not see El-Mofty in her home or in her Camp Hill market, she said. He saw the children at the mosque or in other public spaces, but not because she feared violence. It was because they were divorced and he was not a part of her life anymore, she said.

"He was always calm," El-Mofty's ex-wife said. "I knew him. He wouldn't hurt anyone."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Saturday labeled the shootings as "a terror attack." Local authorities on Thursday said El-Mofty had no connections to terrorist organizations and no accomplices in the shooting.

There may have been a quicker rush to judgment because they're Muslim, Soweilam said.

"Just because someone is Muslim doesn't make them a terrorist," she said. "If it was just about a religion, all Muslims would be shooting."

Soweilam wanted to be clear that she's not minimizing the Harrisburg shootings in any way, but she believes her ex-husband wasn't trying to kill people.

The trooper who was hit with shrapnel made a full recovery and is returning to work.

"He did enough to scare everyone, but I don't think he ever intended to really harm anyone," El-Mofty's ex-wife said.

The only reason he had a gun was because of a security job he once had. El-Mofty was required to have a gun for that job. It's a place now closed and she couldn't recall the name, she said.

Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said, within the last two months, El-Mofty legally purchased two 9mm handguns at Bass Pro Shop and Trop Gun Shop.

Marsico said El-Mofty had "a boatload of ammunition" during the Harrisburg shooting - at least 300 rounds - and depression stemming from issues with family and finances.

Soweilam earlier this year sought and won full custody of their two children, ages 10 and 14.

She did this mainly because he was unreachable in Egypt and she needed his signature on passports, so she and the children could travel together on vacation. By having sole custody, only her signature would be required on passports, she said.

El-Mofty had trouble finding work in Egypt and the Harrisburg-area, Soweilam said.

"Life is hard. Everyone knows it's not easy, but why do this?" she said.

It's a question she struggles to answer and a situation that's difficult to explain to her kids.

"I just keep saying what the Quran says - that when it's your time, it's your time. Nothing can stop it. You can't hide from it. It's your time," Soweilam said. "This was his time. I just wish it came in a different way."
The ministry said it must crack down on "reckless learning-oriented early childhood education," but some parents are protesting that a blanket ban is excessive.

The Education Ministry announced Wednesday that it will ban English-language education in kindergartens and daycare centers for fear of overburdening young children with study pressure.

It is already illegal to teach English in kindergartens or daycare centers in their regular classes which usually end around 1 p.m., for fear of hampering Korean-language acquisition.

But there is no rule on what can be taught outside regular hours, which results in small children spending long hours studying when they should be playing.

The ban came after the ministry announced last month that it will prohibit after-school English classes for first- and second-graders in elementary school from March next year.

Some parents have protested and started a petition to Cheong Wa Dae. They point out that early learning is the best time for children to acquire an easy familiarity with a second language, and warn that the ban will only boost demand for private crammers, which will drive up the cost burden for parents.
Interstate 83 has reopened following

Wednesday evening.

Shrewsbury fire officials said the tractor-trailer was cleared at around 1 a.m. The tractor-trailer caught fire at around 7:20 p.m. just north of Exit 4 -- PA 851 - Shrewsbury.

Part of the interstate was closed for about two hours before northbound lanes were reopened. Southbound lanes reopened early Thursday morning.

Shrewsbury Volunteers Engines 61-2, 61-1, Rescue 61 along with units from Loganville FD, Rose FD, Eureka Fire and EMS... Posted by Shrewsbury Volunteer Fire Company on Wednesday, December 27, 2017

For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources.

Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here.

Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com.
BY WALLACE McKELVEY | wmckelvey@pennlive.com

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HARRISBURG  When the FBI arrested a 19-year-old Harrisburg man for spreading ISIS propaganda on social media, the Hadee Mosque organized a vigil to decry extremism and violence.

Jalil Aziz, the suspect, wasn't a member of the Harrisburg mosque. For that matter, neither was Omar Mateen, whose killing of 49 people at an Orlando nightclub prompted another vigil last year.

Mohammed Safiullah

Regardless, the Muslim-American community felt compelled to take a stand.

"We try to let the community know that Islam is a religion of peace," said Mohammed Safiullah who, as outreach director, serves as a public face for Hadee Mosque and the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. "Islam categorically rejects any act of violence, whether it happens in Harrisburg or any part of the world."

Muslims spoke out again this week following a shooting spree that left one state trooper injured and the perpetrator, Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty, dead. The feds quickly described the incident as a terror attack. Local law enforcement, still investigating his motive, pointedly chose not to use those words and, on Thursday, said El-Mofty had no known links to terror groups.

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Hadee Mosque, on Division Street in Harrisburg, has held a number of vigils for peace following terrorist attacks all over the world. "We try to let the community know that Islam is a religion of peace," said Mohammed Safiullah, its outreach director. (Daniel Zampogna file photo)

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Safiullah said such incidents put Muslims in a difficult position. On one hand, basic empathy compels them to denounce violenceas anyone should. On the other, violence committed by Muslims is treated differently from violence committed by non-Muslims.

"When this thing happened in Las Vegas, 58 people were killed," he said, referring to the Oct. 1 sniper attack at an outdoor concert. "Why is that a 'lone wolf' shooting and not an act of terrorism? How is it any different?"

Hadee Mosque tries to provide compassion and leadership to its members and the larger community, said Safiullah, who emigrated from India and has lived in America for 28 years. Elders teach young worshippers to reject violence and they host routine vigils, like the ones spurred by Azizs arrest and the Orlando shooting, to send that message beyond its walls.

But theres so much violence, Safiullah said. If we try to do a vigil for every thing that happenswe just cant keep up.

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Mass shootings, even aborted ones, are fraught subjects for any community.

Invariably, TV crews and press reporters come around to question the perpetrators' families in the moment they are most vulnerable. Often, there are no easy answers for why a shooter took action or why no one saw it coming. El-Mofty and his wife, for example, had been separated for six years but that didn't stop a TV crew from camping out on her lawn. "He is a chicken; he is not a terrorist," her brother told ABC, a variation on the "he seemed normal" response so commonly given by shell-shocked families and neighbors in the wake of mass shootings.

Muslim-Americans, however, face even greater pressure to speak publicly and to have satisfying answers to impossible questions. No one demanded answers from Lutherans after one of their fellow worshippers, Dylann Roof, killed nine people at an African Methodist Episcopal church in South Carolina. (Nor were Lutherans asked to condemn other mass murderers, such as John List and Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer.) But the airwaves and Internet comment sections are rife with calls for Muslims to denounce terrorism and suspicions that their condemnations aren't sincere or came too late.

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Ola Soweilam, who said she has been separated from Harrisburg shooter Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty since around 2010, asks a videographer to stop filming at her Camp Hill-area property. (Daniel Simmons-Ritchie photo)

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Its also unclear whether El-Mofty, a naturalized U.S. citizen, attended any of the dozen or so mosques in the capital region. Dauphin County DA Ed Marsico said the Egyptian native recently traveled to the Middle East and El-Moftys estranged wife told PennLive she thought hed moved out of the country.

But those mosques still issued a joint statement condemning El-Mofty's actions within 24 hours.

"The acts of Friday night go against any sense of mercy," their statement read. "We, the Central PA Muslim Community, are absolutely horrified and sickened by the targeting of those who serve to protect us each day. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us."

Like many Muslims, the author of that statement is of two minds on the best response.

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Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty, a naturalized U.S. citizen and Egyptian native, recently traveled to the Middle East, according to authorities.

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Atizaz Mansoor, of Harrisburg's chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America, said he doesn't see why he should have to comment on the actions of an extremist whose views are antithetical to his own and the rest of the community.

Im usually of the opinion to just ignore it, he said.

On the other hand, Mansoor fears that if he doesnt condemn those actions, some will conflate the views of one extremist with the views of all Muslims.

In a city like Harrisburg where the Muslim community is still relatively smallMansoor estimates there are about 6,000 Muslims in the Harrisburg-Mechanicsburg areahe believes that is a real possibility.

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Harrisburg Police block off Mulberry St. in the Allison Hill neighborhood after an apparent shootout with Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty. (Mark Pynes photo)

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Mansoor, whos a cardiologist and second-generation Pakistani-American, said he wrote the statement in less than five minutes on Saturday morning. He simply wrote how he felt in that moment and later made a few minor changes based on input from the various mosques.

Im a physician by trade, he said. Im dedicated to saving peoples lives and helping them live a happy life. It goes against my being that there are people destroying life and sowing chaos.

Mansoor said he hopes that eventually American society can reach a point where he doesnt have to speak out about every incident.

This type of event is basically an attack on everybody, including us, he said. We are a community that wants to live in a safe environment.

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Atizaz Mansoor, of Harrisburg's chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America, is of two minds on how Muslims should respond to terror incidents involving extremists. (Mark Pynes file photo)

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Asgar Rizwan, council president of the Steelton-based Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg, said the fear of misplaced anti-Muslim reprisalssomething many Muslim communities saw after the Sept. 11th terror attacksis still very real. Last December, for example, the society received a photocopied hate-filled letter that had been mailed to mosques across the country.

So far, we havent seen any, he said, referring to Fridays events, but Im not sure if there will be others down the road.

According to FBI data, hate crimes against Muslims nationwide increased 26 percent in 2016, to 381 offenses. That's the highest recorded number since 2001, when the FBI recorded 546 incidents following the Sept. 11th terror attacks.

The society, like the Hadee Mosque, does a great deal of community outreach. It has routinely held open houses for non-Muslims to mingle with worshippers and will participate in the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. day of service next month.

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Asgar Rizwan, center, speaking out last December after the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg received a photocopied hate-filled letter that had been mailed to mosques across the country. (Mark Pynes file photo)

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[Our goal] is to reach each and everyone to let them know what Islam teaches, Rizwan said, because many people dont know what our teachings are.

Theres also work to do within the community.

Like all public institutions, Rizwan said, mosques are aware of the connection between mental illness and radicalization. Their leaders do what they can to speak out against violence and to identify people who may be susceptible to extremism.

What I heard was [El-Mofty] was mentally depressed, he said, based on rumors hes heard since Friday. But getting to the bottom of thisand these feelingsis very difficult. You cannot see it from the outside and unless the person says something, its very difficult.

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Muslim men pray together as children run around the cavernous space of the Mosque of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg as they worship during the month of Ramadan. (James Robinson file photo)

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Jacob Bender, a religious scholar and documentary filmmaker who became the first non-Muslim executive director of a Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter, said the Muslim-American experience echoes that of his own Jewish ancestors.

Jacob Bender

The Trump administrations immigration ban, which targets predominantly Muslim nations, calls to mind Americas policy of turning away Jewish immigrants fleeing the Nazi Germany in the lead up to World War II. Bender, who leads CAIR Philadelphia, said hostility toward and mistrust of Muslim immigrants puts a great deal of pressure on the Muslim-American community.

Some people in the community feel that when an act of violence is committed by someone in the communityeven someone with a tangential connectionthat there is a need to separate the community from the voices of extremism, he said.

The impulse to denounce the actions of extremists does have grounding the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. Bender pointed to a verse in the fourth surah, which reads:

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The Muslim community, however, is not a monolith.

As with any religious group, Bender said Muslim-Americans are comprised of different ethnic and national subsets who respond differently to external pressures and whose beliefs may overlap or diverge on specific theological questions.

In Philadelphia, for example, the largest single group of Muslims, African-Americans, rose to prominence with the Nation of Islam in the 20th century. Many Muslims in the Harrisburg area came from India and Pakistan, with smaller groups of African-Americans, Africans from places like Somalia and Sudan, Persians and southeast Asians. Most of the region's mosques cater to a broad cross-section of those groups.

Theres not one answer to your question of will we ever get to that day when Muslims dont feel obligated to denounce every act of violence, Bender said, in much the same way Christians dont rush in to denounce mass shooters.

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Staff writer Daniel Simmons-Ritchie contributed to this report.

This story was updated to include Dauphin County DA Ed Marsico's public statements that El-Mofty had no known connection to terror groups.

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Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook and YouTube.

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Five days later and we still can't put Friday afternoon's cross-city shooting spree by Ahmed El-Mofty into a neat box, and that's frustrating in the age of instant information... Continue reading.
Carlisle police asking the public to help them find three people believed to have been involved in a $4,000 jewelry theft.

Police said the man and two women committed the crime just after 1 p.m. Nov. 18 at a store in the first block of South Hanover Street. Surveillance cameras filmed the man opening a display case repeatedly to take items, they said.

Investigators released surveillance photos Thursday.

"The male suspect and the two female subjects entered and left the business together, and it is apparent from video surveillance that they know each other," police said.

Anyone with information can call police at 717-243-5252.
It's a Pennsylvania law built on at least one solid plank: to prevent Pennsylvania tax collectors from pocketing 2017 taxes and using 2018 taxes to hide the theft.



But right now, it's also preventing many Pennsylvania property owners from cashing in on a temporary loophole that might give them a lower tax bill than they would otherwise pay under the new tax law recently passed by Congress with the approval of President Donald Trump.



The new law will put a $10,000 cap on the amount of local taxes, including real estate taxes, that taxpayers can deduct from their taxable income in 2018.



For some taxpayers, especially those living in areas with high property and local tax rates, that could cost them serious money. [The new law also increases the standard deduction, which could offset those losses for many, or result in lower taxes overall.]



So, according to news reports from several states, people have been flocking to tax collectors to pre-pay their 2018 real estate taxes, in hopes of being able to deduct them from their 2017 taxes.

In Pennsylvania, however, the law doesn't allow such prepayment, according to various experts. And if a particular municipality or taxing body decides to try, it could set off a chain reaction of problems, and potentially run afoul of the Internal Revenue Service, which late Wednesday stated a policy that seems to narrow the possibilities for early payment.



Three experts interviewed by PennLive said state law essentially makes it illegal to collect 2018 taxes during 2017.



"There's nothing in the tax law that allows for pre-payent," said John Gross, the treasurer for Cumberland County.



In much of Pennsylvania, people pay their taxes to an elected local tax collector. In some cases, a municipality or county collects some or all local taxes.



Janis Creason, the treasurer for Dauphin County, said state law prevents tax collectors from collecting taxes for a new year before the old one is settled. It means that 2017 taxes will officially be settled by a mid-January deadline. That prevents them from accepting 2018 taxes in advance of that, according to Creason and others.



She said that portion of that law is designed as a protection against fraud, as it would prevent a tax collector from stealing money and using new tax revenues to cover it up.



She said there are assorted other nuances of the law that could lead to confusion and legal problems up if a tax collecting entity decided to allow pre-payment of 2018 taxes. "There are so many ripples," she said.



Still, some Pennsylvania taxing entities are trying. The City of Harrisburg said Wednesday that people can begin prepaying 2018 real estate taxes, and the city will accept payments postmarked through Dec. 31.



But at roughly the same time, the IRS posted the notice that seemed intended to narrow the possibilities for making a prepayment that can legally be applied to 2017. A Harrisburg official couldn't immediately be reached on Thursday morning to discuss what impact that stance might have.



Meanwhile, Creason said it's unusual to hear of people rushing to pay their taxes. People usually try to delay.

"It would be great for the county to have an [early] infusion of money," she said. "I just don't see a way to do it, based on what we know."
UPDATED: I-83 northbound reopened, southbound detour set after tractor-trailer fire

A vehicle fire has closed all lanes of Interstate 83 in York County just north of the Maryland border.

PennDOT reported the vehicle fire at around 8 p.m. just north of Exit 4 -- PA 851 - Shrewsbury. All lanes are closed between Exit 4 and Exit 8 -- PA 216 - Glen Rock.

The York Dispatch is reporting that a tractor-trailer caught fire at around 7:20 p.m. Officials at the scene say the highway will be closed until around 10 p.m.

Stay with PennLive for updates on the interstate closing.

For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources.

Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here.

Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com.
Some 10,135 patients have registered to participate in Pennsylvania's nascent medical marijuana program so far with 1,188 of them certified by physicians to participate in the program, according to the state Department of Health.

"Patients have started to receive their medical marijuana identification cards, bringing us one step closer to getting medication to patients in the next four months," Gov. Tom Wolf said in a news release.

"Our grower/processors are well underway, and our dispensaries are approaching the point where they will be ready to open their doors. Patients who are desperately waiting for this medication will soon find relief."

To date, eight of the 12 grower/processors that received permits have begun their operation.

The other four are in the final stages of the department's inspection process. "We have been working with them to make sure they are meeting all of the standards set out by the regulations and their facilities are safe and secure," said Dr. Rachel Levine, the state's acting health secretary and physician general. "At this time, we do not foresee any issues with the remaining facilities that would prevent them from becoming operational."

To become operational, the grower/processors must pass several inspections and have a fully integrated seed-to-sale tracking system. After that, they can begin accepting seeds and clones to grow medical marijuana.

Physicians also are continuing to register to participate in the program. To date, 550 have registered and of those, nearly 250 have completed the training to become certified practitioners. A fifth continuing education provider, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, also has been approved.

"Physicians play a critical role in this medically-focused program," Dr. Levine said. "The response has been encouraging from the medical community as more doctors are becoming educated on how medical marijuana can help their patients."

Wolf signed the law on April 17, 2016, establishing the medical marijuana program. Pennsylvania is now among 29 states, plus the District of Columbia, to legalize medical marijuana.
Coalition Avenir Quebec, a six-year-old party that is looking to unseat the governing Liberals, is heading into the 2018 election year with fewer donations than the far-left Quebec solidaire, which has three of the 125 seats in the national assembly. Coalition Avenir Quebec Leader Francois Legault responds to reporters questions during the end of session new conference at the National Assembly in Quebec City Friday, December 8, 2017 . Legault is flanked by Genevieve Guilbault, from the left to right, Simon Jolin Barrette, Francois Bonnardel, Jean-Francois Roberge, Andre Lamontagne, Nathalie Roy and Eric Lefebvre. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Family and friends arrive at the funeral for Lionel Desmond and his mother Brenda Desmond at St. Peter's Church in Tracadie, N.S. on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. Desmond killed his mother, wife and young daughter before taking his own life earlier in the month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
A controversial deal struck by the Park Geun-hye administration with Japan on the indirect compensation of Korean wartime sex slaves was wrapped up in secret concessions from Seoul, a report published Wednesday shows.

The report written by a Foreign Ministry task force says that the deal signed in December 2015 came with an "undisclosed agreement" about Seoul's promise not to support statutes and other memorials honoring the victims.

It also promised Tokyo not to use the term "sex slaves" for the women but call them "Japanese military comfort women victims," which obscures the nature of their ordeal.

The Park government also failed to immediately inform the victims that the deal was "final" and "irreversible" when it tried to persuade them to accept it, according to the report.

The report puts the new government in a bind, with Tokyo warning that relations will become "unmanageable" if Seoul were to seek a change in the deal.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is pictured in Edmonton on Monday, December 18, 2017. Notley says 2018 will focus on Alberta's fragile but rebounding economy, specifically a road map to get back to budget balance in five years.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
South Korean students shout slogans during a press conference about the 2015 agreement between South Korea and Japan near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday the country's 2015 agreement with Japan to settle a decades-long impasse over Korean women forced into wartime sexual slavery was seriously flawed. The letters read "Immediately nullity, the agreement between South Korea and Japan". (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
This photo taken May 25, 2013, shows an aerial view of Colstrip power plants 1,2,3 & 4 and the Westmoreland coal mines near Colstrip, Mont. U.S. officials have approved a 60-million ton expansion of a southeastern Montana coal mine that serves one of the largest power plants in the western United States, Interior Secretary Ryan ZinkeAos office said Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. The approval will extend the life of Westmoreland Coal CompanyAos Rosebud Mine by 19 years and adds 10.5 square miles (27 square kilometers) to the 40-square-mile (104-square kilometer) strip mine, Zinke spokeswoman Heather Swift said. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)
Franz Welser-Most to conduct New Years concert in Shanghai

By:Pan Chenxiao | From:english.eastday.com | 2017-12-28 15:39

Franz Welser-Most

Shanghai Grand Theatre New Years Concert will be held on December 30-31. It will be presented by the orchestra and chorusof Shanghai Opera House and conducted by Franz Welser-Most, a master in today's classical music.

Most serves as the music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, dubbed one of the top five American orchestras. He was the music director of Wiener Staatsoper during 2010-2014 and has twice directed Vienna New Years Concert. It will be the first time that Most has come to China, and the fans are looking forward to his first show in China.

We can see the German-style rigor and the Austrian resplendence and gentleness in Most's conducting. On December 30, Most will bring seven easy, bright and colorful Strauss family tracks he selected including waltz, march, operetta, polka, fully embodying the tradition of the New Year's concert in the capital of music, Vienna. And he selected Beethovens Symphony No. 9 for the day after.

The concert will kick off Shanghai Opera Houses performance season in 2018.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  Alaska political leaders on Wednesday hailed as historic the passage of federal legislation that will allow for oil and gas drilling in a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The states Republican congressional delegation sees it as a win decades in the making, one they say will provide a boost for this oil-reliant state. Environmental groups see it as a big mistake and say the fight isnt over.

The drilling provision was part of a larger package _ a major restructuring of U.S. tax policy _ that also repeals a requirement that Americans carry health i...
Reuters/David Mercado Deposits of lithium brine are seen at the lithium pilot plant of Llipi at the Uyuni salt lake in the Potosi Department, Bolivia, November 29, 2017.

Bolivia hopes surging global lithium demand can lure foreign investors to the country where nearly a decade of state-led development has left output far short of goals for the metal, coveted by makers of batteries for devices from laptops to electric cars.

The poor South American nation boasts nearly a quarter of the world's known resources of the world's lightest metal. Still, production lags far behind neighbouring Chile and Argentina. Bolivia hopes to sign a deal with at least one foreign partner to invest up to $750 million in factories to meet rising demand from China and other countries for lithium-ion batteries.

The country is eager to cash in on tightening supplies of lithium. Experts say spot prices have more than doubled to around $25,000 per tonne from below $10,000 in 2015.

Rain and other natural challenges, along with execution hiccups, have hampered state-run operations. Foreign companies with more expertise may be spooked by the left-leaning government of President Evo Morales, whose interventionist policies in other sectors have riled some big corporations and made others hesitant to invest, analysts said.

Bolivia had hoped its project at Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, would produce 40 tonnes per month of lithium carbonate by 2011. Nine years and $450 million into the project, it is producing just 10 tonnes per month.

Elsewhere in South America's Lithium Triangle, Chile produces 70,000 tonnes a year and Argentina 30,000. Total global production is about 230,000 tonnes. Bolivia has sold exports at far below market prices; an employee of state-run lithium company YLB said it was trying to secure market share.

YLB CEO Juan Carlos Montenegro dismissed concerns about slow production.

That criticism does not hurt us or interest us, he said. The important thing for us is ... the results we are going to see in 2018 and 2019.

He said Bolivia was talking with potential partners it hopes will invest up to $750 million. He declined to name them but said a deal could be awarded this month for a 49 percent stake in a major expansion that could include up to seven new plants for cathodes, batteries and more.

Next month, bids are due to build an industrial lithium carbonate facility designed by Germany's K-UTEC. That plant, which was slated to produce 30,000 tonnes per year in 2017, is now expected to produce half that in 2019.

However, critics doubt whether foreign industry heavyweights such as Albemarle Corp and Chile's SQM will risk their capital in Bolivia. Morales has expropriated a series of foreign holdings since taking office in 2006.

Last year, Swiss-based mining and trading firm Glencore Plc said it would begin arbitration against Bolivia over nationalisation of some assets.

( reut.rs/2CezVbK )

Foreign companies with the right expertise, including one from Korea, have turned down the opportunity to operate in Bolivia, said Robert Baylis, managing director at Roskill Information Services Ltd, a consultancy.

They felt either the risk that they would be nationalized or they would face a lot of problems, he said, adding that no one has yet completed a study that shows Bolivian resources could be extracted economically.



JIGSAW PUZZLE

The lithium market is ripe for new entrants. The niche market for electric vehicles is gearing up for substantial growth as regulators globally tighten limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

China, the world's largest auto market, has pledged to make electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles a fifth of auto sales by 2025. Britain and France have pledged to ban sales of combustion engine cars starting in 2040.

Suppliers like Japan's Panasonic Corp and Korea's LG Chem, and U.S. electric car maker Tesla Inc , which makes its own batteries, are eager to secure long-term lithium supplies.

At Bolivia's Uyuni project, lithium-infused brine lies beneath 10,000 square kilometres of shining white salt, the remains of a vast prehistoric lake on a high Andean plateau that draws thousands of tourists each year.

In a corner of the salt flat, turquoise-colored brine slowly evaporates in rows of vast square pools, leaving behind lithium crystals. These are transferred to a pilot plant and turned into lithium carbonate.

Over a hundred miles east, nestled in the arid mountains that ring the historic silver-mining town of Potosi, another pilot plant in an abandoned Russian tin facility turns the lithium carbonate into cathodes. A third plant next door makes these into simple batteries.

The project was designed to show the Bolivian state could exploit its own lithium, unlike top producers Australia, Chile and Argentina where private firms extract the lion's share of the metal.

Rains often flood the salt flats, lengthening the extraction process. Evaporation, Bolivia's chosen technique, leaves around half the lithium in the brine. Also, the ratio of magnesium to lithium at Uyuni is four times greater than in Chile's Atacama desert, making extraction harder.

Marcelo Castro, leader of the Uyuni efforts from 2007 to 2016, said workers went weeks without washing their hair to conserve water in the project's early days, before water and electricity supplies were set up in the inhospitable landscape. He recalled watching evaporation pools near the salt flat fail, contaminated by dirt carried on the wind.

Castro said he had not planned to spend a decade at the Uyuni project, but when the needs are urgent you stay.

The project aimed to create an integrated supply chain, helping free Bolivia from overreliance on the whims of volatile commodity markets. Yet the battery plant was built in 2013, four years before the cathode plant. Chinese companies still supply the battery plant with cathodes from abroad.

None of the nearly 3,000 batteries sitting in storage has been sold, according to the plant production manager. Bolivia plans to use at least some of these for rural electrification.

Few outside analysts see a clear path for Bolivia to become a major player in the booming industry.

It is a puzzle with so many missing pieces. Who can put it together? said Juan Carlos Zuleta, a Bolivian lithium analyst, who called the project disastrous. It's a bad use of our scarce resources.
In general, men are twice as likely to cheat on a spouse than women are. That frequency increases over the lifespan, peaking among the elderly. Among men 18 to 29 who have ever been married, about 1 in 10 is
I have a modest proposal for Philadelphia City Council in its dispute with Asian merchants who run delis that mainly sell beer. Don't see the protective glass as bulletproof or prison-like. See it as "harm-reduction" glass. I say this because I've just seen an interview with Philadelphia's new harm-reduction czar.

Allison Herens is the first person to hold this title in Philadelphia, and one of very few such people in the United States. To me, it signals another radical move by Philadelphia and a very clear preliminary step toward city government setting up so called safe-injection sites for heroin addicts.

At WHYY.org, she said: "I think it signifies as a city we are finally starting to, at least, address the fact that you can't force people into treatment. We can have this moral code, but people still have their own choices in life, and part of helping people is really respecting and acknowledging those choices." Her diminishing of our collective moral code jumps out at me. Do the majority of Philadelphians really think we should be setting up sites where addicts can inject themselves and if they overdose, a doctor or other medical personnel will use Naloxone to save them?

This proposal is an extension of the free-needle programs operating in Philadelphia in which addicts, at designated times and places each week, are given clean needles to curtail the sharing of needles and the spread of various diseases through the reuse. I have been to these sites and it is a painful thing to witness. Of course, when the debate raged against these places, the proponents told us any ethical or morality debate had to give way to saving lives.

Needle-exchange proponents have won the debate, and they have normalized the idea of giving needles to addicts. They didn't have the advantage of a harm-reduction czar or the network of harm-reduction gurus who have spent a good deal of time and money weaponizing the philosophy to tear down the moral components that drive our laws.

A key player in all of this is incoming District Attorney Larry Krasner. During the recent election campaign, he said that we have a moral obligation to establish a safe-injection site. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross, another key player, told Fox 29 that it would be problematic for police officers to be present where illegal narcotics are being used. The police and federal authorities could raid the site and arrest doctors and nurses.

I find Krasner's "moral obligation" comments to be most interesting. He mustn't have gotten the memo from the harm-reduction czar. She says that a moral code must give way to allow drug users to minimize damage from their choices. So, despite these inconsistencies, does an injection site reflect the moral code of Philadelphia? That is an open question.

However, it's clear that there are not progressive pressure groups and activists that are in love with the idea of making Philadelphia the center of every progressive initiative. The city has all the liberal touchstones such as the obsession over bike lanes, potty parity, restrictions on the rights of business to hire people, and the lessening of laws involving marijuana. In addition to this, Philadelphia is the home of the sugary-drink tax and the attack on inanimate such objects as bulletproof glass that protects merchants in many high-crime neighborhoods.

The big benefit of all this is that even when these utopian ideas fail, the proponents have the benefit of virtue on their side. They care about the lives of addicts, poor people, and those being served in Asian delis. They reek of virtue signaling.

I predict that by late spring, Philadelphia will approve safe-injection sites. Why not do what Montreal is doing and make the site mobile? Pull into places such as Rittenhouse Square and other chic neighborhoods and let people feel good about the new "morality." It should be easy to move on to safe prostitution sites next.

This is very difficult stuff. How about if we put it on hold and focus on something completely lacking in controversy. The Mummers Parade is just days away, and sensitivity training has been a great harm-reduction answer.
Theresa Nightingale, a medical marijuana activist in Pittsburgh, received her registration card two days before Christmas 2017. Federal law prohibits such card holders from owning a gun. Read more

The town drunk can buy firearms. So can someone who has been involuntarily placed in a mental hospital for a short stay. But anyone who wants to treat Crohn's disease with medical marijuana is forbidden from owning a gun.

Pennsylvania is preparing to roll out a statewide program in early 2018 that will provide medicinal cannabis products to patients suffering from 17 serious health conditions.

But some sick people will have to make a difficult decision: Is taking the medicine worth surrendering what gun-owning advocates see as an enshrined constitutional right?

"It's hypocritical," said lawyer Andrew Sacks, the co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Medical Marijuana and Hemp Law Committee.

"You can be an opioid addict, or buy a bottle of rum, drink it and go to a store and buy one," Sacks said. "But a person who is registered as a medical marijuana patient in Pennsylvania, and has a very small dosage of THC, can't own a gun to protect themselves or hunt."

A state police spokesman strongly suggested that patients also consider the consequences of holding on to any guns bought before enrolling in the medical marijuana program.

"It's unlawful to keep possession of firearms obtained prior to registering," spokesman Ryan Tarkowski said. "The Pennsylvania State Police is not in the business of offering legal advice, but it might be a good idea to contact an attorney about how best to dispose of their firearms."

Twenty-nine states, including Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, have legalized marijuana in some form.

But under federal law, all forms of marijuana remain strictly forbidden. The DEA considers it a Schedule 1 drug, on par with heroin and LSD, with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regulates the sale and ownership of guns and ammunition across the nation. ATF spokeswoman Cherie R. Duvall-Jones said any use of marijuana is a disqualifier.

"There are no exceptions in federal law for marijuana purportedly used for medicinal purposes, even if such use is sanctioned by state law," said Duvall-Jones.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled last year that the federal prohibition does not violate the Second Amendment.

The NRA has remained silent on the issue. A spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Gun dealers last year were sent an ATF bulletin that left no room for loopholes. A dealer who even suspects that a customer may be using cannabis is obliged to stop a sale, ATF's Duvall-Jones said. Federal regulations bar firearms ownership to anyone who illegally uses a controlled substance or might be addicted to any drug.

Alcohol is not considered a controlled substance, Duvall-Jones said. "Therefore, a person who is addicted to distilled spirits, wine or malt beverages would not be prohibited" under the law.

A federal judge in Pittsburgh ruled last week that the government could not restrict the gun ownership rights of a man who had been involuntarily placed in a psychiatric hospital.

In Pennsylvania, firearms dealers must conduct a background check on each customer. A registry, administered by the state police, identifies medical marijuana patients.

"If you're a card holder, you'll be flagged," said Tarkowski, the state police spokesman.

But even before the background check is run, all customers must fill out a Form 4473, a firearms transaction record required by the U.S. Department of Justice.

One yes/no question asks:

Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance? Warning: the use of possession marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.

"It's game over if you check 'yes,' " said Jim Benoit, owner of Cajun Arms in West Chester. "I can thank you for coming by, but I'll have to tell you I can't sell you this gun."

Patients also may be required to surrender guns and ammo bought before joining the marijuana program, whether they are using the medicine or not. Police in Honolulu, Hawaii, fired off letters this month to patients ordering them to turn in their weapons. The following outcry had the department put the order on hold two days later. No other jurisdiction has made a similar request.

The issue has been a hot-button topic in New England states that have legalized marijuana, said Becky Dansky, legislative counsel of the national Marijuana Policy Project, which opposes prohibitions.

"The compromise most of those states are reaching is 'no new guns for patients,' but they're not tracking down guns and asking them to be surrendered," Dansky said.

Commenters on one Second Amendment online group had mixed feelings about the law.

"How far of a jump is it to extend this process to other medications?" said Cephas, a longtime member of the Pennsylvania Firearms Owners Discussion Forum. "Antidepressants and warning of suicidal thoughts come to mind. Someone has a rough spot in their life, gets help, and the next thing they know they're prohibited."

Forum member GMAN106 of Delaware County took a more nuanced view.

"I'm against government promotion of the narcotization of its citizenry. A doped-up, dumbed-down electorate is certainly no bulwark against tyranny," he said. "As for stoners and firearms, I vote no, but they probably present less a public threat than the alcohol-fueled maniacs who wreak havoc among us already."

And that's part of the problem. According to Dansky, law enforcement agencies are operating under the belief that medical marijuana patients are just looking to get high. But for stoners, it's less of a hassle, and probably cheaper, to find a dealer of illegal pot on Reddit or Instagram.

"You have to go through a significant amount of work to get a medical marijuana card," Dansky said. Those hoops include state charges, doctor fees that aren't covered by insurance, and a criminal background check. Buying illicitly "is a lot easier."
A new, multibillion-dollar business levy  global intangible low-taxed income, or GILTI  implies that it targets foreign earnings from intangible intellectual property, hitting tech firms and drugmakers like Apple and Pfizer. Its reach goes much farther, observers say. Read more

The name given to a new, multibillion-dollar business levy implies that it targets foreign earnings from "intangible" intellectual property  hitting tech firms and drugmakers such as Apple and Pfizer.

But observers agree that the little-understood "global intangible low-taxed income" levy, or GILTI, will also apply to earnings that go far beyond patents, royalties and licensing, and could end up snaring many global firms that earn little such income. Private-equity partnerships that aren't publicly traded stand to pay rates three times as high as their corporate competitors', tax lawyers say. Law and advertising firms with overseas offices may also be hit  as will many U.S. companies that make "excess" profit from foreign plants, equipment and inventory.

"Orwellian" is how James Duncan, of the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, described the tax in a Dec. 20 webcast. "Its most significant effect is on income that is neither intangible nor low-taxed."

GILTI has been commonly viewed as a minimum tax on foreign earnings from intangible property, one that's meant to prod American technology and pharmaceutical companies into holding their valuable intellectual properties in the United States. Currently, many hold their patents in subsidiaries in Ireland or other low-tax countries.

Yet the tax "doesn't attempt to actually characterize income as tangible or intangible," said David Miller, a lawyer with Proskauer Rose LLP. It will apply to both, Miller and others said.

In writing the biggest tax overhaul in three decades, congressional Republicans made two major changes for corporate income taxes: They cut the rate to 21 percent from 35 percent, and they ended the tax's "global" reach.

For years, the American system has taxed corporations on their foreign profits, but allowed them to defer paying that tax until they brought their overseas earnings back to the U.S. The new system ends that deferral  and will require companies to pay a cut-rate tax on an estimated $3.1 trillion in income that they've stockpiled offshore.

At the same time, the legislation's drafters sought new ways to prevent companies from shifting profit offshore  to countries with tax rates even lower than the new 21 percent corporate rate. The GILTI is key to that effort; for corporations, the tax applies only in cases in which a company's cumulative overseas tax bill is below a minimum threshold.

The new tax applies to excess foreign profit, and it allows significant deductions that  for those eligible  take its effective rate to 10.5 percent through 2025. After that, the rate increases to a little more than 13 percent. Next year, corporations could take a 50 percent deduction and an 80 percent credit for foreign taxes they've paid. Together, the provisions mean that any corporation that pays foreign taxes at a rate of at least 13.125 percent could avoid the GILTI entirely before the rate rises in 2026.

But those low rates are available only for corporations. Partnerships and other so-called pass-through entities would face much higher rates on some foreign income. Pass-through entities don't pay taxes themselves, but pass their income to their owners, who pay tax at their ordinary rates. As of Jan. 1, the top individual income rate is 37 percent.

In effect, experts say, a corporation would pay no more than $10.50 on every $100 of income that's hit by the GILTI. A pass-through would pay as much as $37.

Three other tax experts  Proskauer Rose's Miller; David Sites of Grant Thornton LLP; and Robert Scarborough of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP  agreed that global private-equity partnerships that are not publicly traded wouldn't be eligible for the GILTI deduction.

Moreover, a separate tax break for partnerships and other pass-throughs applies to domestic income only  not to the global earnings caught up by the GILTI. Scarborough said the tax will hurt such firms as Bain, TPG Holdings and Warburg Pincus, which are all private. By contrast, he said, Blackstone Group, Apollo Global Management, and Carlyle Group  all partnerships traded like corporations  would get the GILTI deduction.

Generally speaking, the GILTI will apply to many companies that might not seem to depend on intellectual property. Potential payers "will include lots of other businesses that don't depend on factories or turbines to make money," said Cleary Gottlieb's Duncan.

It is estimated the GILTI will raise $112.4 billion over a decade.
Buzz: Hey, Marnie, someone told me that champagne comes only from France, and that over there they use it to make cognac. But I've had plenty of champagne from other places. That makes someone a liar, right?

Marnie: There's quite a bit of confusion about that, Buzz. The trouble is that when most people say "champagne," they mean any wine with bubbles.

Buzz: Ha! That means lots of people stole that French name, right?

Marnie: In one sense, yes. The term is allowed on American wine labels as a generic description for any sparkling wine. But outside the U.S.A., the term "Champagne" refers specifically to the sparkling wines made in the Champagne region of France.

Buzz: That means we Americans stole the name, but the rest of the world still gives the French a monopoly on that word.

Marnie: Well, Champagne is the world's original sparkling wine and remains the most respected. Many international sparkling wines are made according to the "Champagne method," often with the native grapes of Champagne, including most of the best American sparkling wines. Technically, though, they are not considered true Champagne wines, and few serious vintners label them as such.

Buzz: OK, that makes sense, but do the French make Cognac out of it too?

Marnie: That's a myth, I'm afraid.

Buzz: Another lie! How come none of these people get arrested?

Marnie: Well, it's complicated. It's true that all brandies are by definition distilled from wines, but Cognac is from France's western coast near Bordeaux; Champagne comes from a northeastern region near Paris. The reason people get this mixed up is that some Cognac labels refer to "Grande Champagne" or "Petite Champagne." But that's only because Champagne is a very common place name in France.

Buzz: That's like Springfield here. There's a Springfield in nearly every state!

Marnie: Precisely. Just like Champagne, actually. In French, fields are called champs and the word for countryside is campagne, so it's not all that surprising that there would be about a dozen places in France named Champagne.

Buzz: To be honest, "Champagne" is a way sexier name than "Springfield."

Marnie: Not only sexier, but great wine! The most famous by far is the northern region surrounding the city of Reims, which makes the legendary sparkling wines. But there's another Champagne region just south of Cognac, so it has given that name to the best subdistrict for making brandy.

Buzz: This is why everyone loves or hates the French. They look good. They taste good. But it's complicated.
N is for #NotMyPresident, which was initially spelled #NotACitizen and became popular during the last administration, writes columnist Christine Flowers. Read more

This was a very busy year for words. I calculated that in the approximately 50 columns I've written since Donald Trump was inaugurated, I marshaled at least 40,000 words to make various points. (And I couldn't even begin to count the number of words  most of them with four-lettered profanities  that readers have sent to me in the last 365 days.)

Some words I've written stand out from the rest, both because of their frequent appearance and their significance in the context of this annus horribilis (or annus mirabilis, depending upon your point of view).

With that in mind, I created a glossary of Words That Mattered in 2017  filtered, of course, through my own unique perspective. You might not agree with my selections, but you have to admit that they are at least as creative as Alec Baldwin's sleepwalk of a Trump impersonation.

I'm sure that I've missed a few that you might consider important, like #ShePersisted (in annoying everyone, including real Native Americans) or Kathy Griffin (who was last seen posting shots of a headless Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper on Instagram).

I'd love to hear what words mattered to you this year. But, so that I can differentiate it from my usual mail, please make sure the words have more than four letters.

A is for Antifa, which describes a group opposed to a totalitarianism that only exists on The Rachel Maddow Show and at coffeehouses that refuse to carry processed sugar.

B is for Bannon, as in Steve (or Satan).

C is for Charlottesville, which has all sorts of people on both sides.

D is for Democrats, who are "woke."

E is for Emoluments, which is neither a lotion nor, as of the latest court ruling, a problem for Donald Trump.

F is for  take your pick  Flynn (as in Michael) or for Felony (as in how many Trump associates have been charged so far?). Or perhaps it's for F-U (as in F-U, Mr. President).

G is for Gorsuch, who is going to make this country safe for unborn babies again.

H is for Hate, which has no home "here," except if the president is knocking at the door.

I is for Ivanka, who wants to be liked again. Or is it that she wants to be left alone? Or that she wants to be anywhere but here?

J is for Jared and Jerusalem, neither of which is helping out with Middle East peace negotiations.

K is for Kellyanne, who, until Laura Ingraham joined the network, was the only blonde on Fox News with smarts, guts, and visible roots.

L is for Little Rocket Man, which is not an abbreviated version of a song by Elton John.

M is for #MeToo, which can be cross-referenced with "W" for Witch hunt.

N is for #NotMyPresident, which was initially spelled #NotACitizen and became popular during the last administration.

O is for Omarosa, or Obama, depending upon whom you hate more (assuming, of course, that hate has a home here).

P is for Pink Pussy Hats. P is ruined.

Q is for Que sera, sera, which is what Nancy Pelosi replied when asked when she was planning to retire.

R is for Republicans, who don't need to be "woke," because they're in power. It is also for Roy Moore, who isn't.

S is for Streep, which rhymes with "creep," another word for Harvey Weinstein. Streep claims she had no idea about Weinstein's bad behavior, which is why she didn't say a peep.

T is for Trump, of course. Or Tax Reform. Or Tavis, who is not so smiley these days.

U is for U.N., U.K., Ukraine, and U gotta be kidding me, Kevin Spacey is gay?

V is for Very, our president's favorite word. Everything is very big, very strong, or very much not our business (especially when it comes to his taxes).

W is for Wisconsin  and why on earth didn't Hillary Clinton campaign there?

X is for Xenophobe, which means you don't like foreigners. Or Xanax, which is now covered in prescription plans issued to registered GOP members in Alabama.

Y is for Yellowstone National Park, whose rivers will now match their name if the EPA wants to decriminalize peeing on federal lands. Or whatever else it is they claim to want to regulate these days.

Z is for Zombie, which is what Gen. John Kelly looks like whenever he has to stand behind the president at a public event.
Drexel professor George Ciccariello-Maher, who has come under fire on social media multiple times, says he is leaving the university. Read more

An outspoken Drexel University professor known for stirring controversy on Twitter over current events, including October's mass shooting in Las Vegas, is leaving the school.

George Ciccariello-Maher, an associate professor of politics and global studies, will "no longer work" at Drexel after Dec. 31 due to continued threats made against him, he said in a statement posted on social media Thursday.

"This is not a decision I take lightly; however, after nearly a year of harassment by right-wing, white supremacist media outlets and internet mobs, after death threats and threats of violence directed against me and my family, my situation has become unsustainable," he said in the statement. "Staying at Drexel in the eye of this storm has become detrimental to my own writing, speaking, and organizing."

In the lengthy post, Ciccariello-Maher went on to comment on free speech on college campuses, remarking that "we are at war, and academia is a crucial front in that war."

Ciccariello-Maher also included messages to faculty and his students, who he said have "earned [his] admiration and the admiration of many by standing up for [their] rights."

"In the face of aggression from the racist Right and impending global catastrophe, we must defend our universities, our students, and ourselves by defending the most vulnerable among us and by making our campuses unsafe spaces for white supremacists," he wrote in the Thursday afternoon message.

Ciccariello-Maher was placed on administrative leave in October after making controversial comments on social media on Oct. 2, a day after 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of music festivalgoers in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and injuring nearly 500.

"White people and men are told that they are entitled to everything," Ciccariello-Maher wrote Oct. 2. "This is what happens when they don't get what they want."

Ciccariello-Maher also raised eyebrows with comments in March that took on the U.S. military, saying it made him want to "vomit or yell" to see a airline passenger give up a first-class seat to a service member. He first drew ire when he tweeted on Christmas Eve 2016 that all he "wanted" for the holidays was a "white genocide." He later said that the comment was posted as satire.

The university had said it decided to place Ciccariello-Maher on leave to protect its students, faculty, and staff, but previously defended the professor's decision to express his own opinions.

Drexel confirmed that Ciccariello-Maher had resigned, citing his decision "to pursue other opportunities."

"Drexel University has accepted his resignation and recognizes the significant scholarly contributions that Professor Ciccariello-Maher has made to the field of political thought and his service to the Drexel University community as an outstanding classroom teacher," the university said in a statement. "Drexel University wishes Professor Ciccariello-Maher well in his future pursuits."

Ciccariello-Maher did not respond to a request for comment.

Staff writer Rob Tornoe contributed to this article.
The accused killer of Caleer Miller, left, and Salvatore DiNubile, right, was held for trial on Dec. 27, 2017. Read more

An Instagram beef among feuding teens may have led to the October slayings of two high school students in South Philadelphia, a crime that stunned the city, devastated several families, and for weeks left a neighborhood on edge.

But just as prosecutors unveiled the possible motive in court Wednesday, their lone witness  a 15-year-old who is friends with the accused killer, Brandon Olivieri  suddenly turned hostile, refusing to answer their questions and testifying that his initial statement was full of lies he told police or fabrications by detectives.

The striking turn of events came during the preliminary hearing for Olivieri, 16, charged with fatally shooting Salvatore DiNubile and Caleer Miller, both also 16.

Judge Patrick F. Dugan ordered Olivieri held for trial on all counts, then punctuated the morning-long hearing with a thundering soliloquy about the toxic mix of teens, violence, and easy access to guns in Philadelphia.

"When the hell are we going to stand up in our society and stop this crap?" he said.

The proceeding was the latest development in one of the year's most shocking crimes, a case that sparked retaliatory violence against Olivieri's family home and spurred hundreds of mourners to attend memorial services for both DiNubile, a junior at St. Joseph's Preparatory School, and Miller, a junior at a Mastery charter school.

The courtroom was packed with friends and relatives of Olivieri, DiNubile, and Miller. The families declined to comment afterward, although a DiNubile family spokesman, Frank Keel, said they were still reeling from their unexpected loss.

Olivieri, wearing a black T-shirt, sat with his hands clasped and displayed little emotion during the hearing.

The lone witness to testify, a high school sophomore, repeatedly declined to answer questions from Assistant District Attorney Carlos Vega, leading the prosecutor to read from the statement the witness allegedly gave to police days after the crime.

The Inquirer and Daily News are not identifying the witness due to the sensitive nature of the case and because he is a juvenile.

The narrative presented in the statement painted a tragic portrait of a trivial teen feud gone wrong, with Olivieri, Miller, and the witness  all of whom were friends  walking around South Philadelphia after school Oct. 24, looking to fight with people they had been sparring with on Instagram. The statement did not specify what the feud was about.

The teens couldn't find their first set of potential targets, according to the statement, but they eventually made their way to 12th and Ritner Streets, where Olivieri pulled a gun on DiNubile, then shot him and accidentally shot Miller during a scuffle while the witness ran away.

Both DiNubile and Miller were declared dead that night.

The witness allegedly told police that he and Olivieri, a student at SS. John Neumann and Maria Goretti High School in South Philadelphia, later went to the home of another friend's grandmother to avoid being picked up by investigators. He also told police that Olivieri was the shooter, and identified him in photos and surveillance videos, according to his statement. Prosecutors also read text messages he allegedly exchanged with Olivieri in the days after the crime.

But the witness testified that most of that information was either a lie or concocted by detectives. Olivieri's defense attorney, James Lammendola, sought to portray the witness as being scared of police, prosecutors, and even his own lawyer  willing to say anything to appease them and avoid being charged with conspiracy or other crimes.

William J. Brennan, the teen's attorney, said such allegations were "wildly irresponsible."

"Any suggestion that there was intimidation is ridiculous and a rank obscenity," Brennan said in an interview after the hearing.

The teen now faces a court hearing of his own: Because of his refusal to answer dozens of Vega's questions, a judge will have to decide next month whether to hold him in contempt of court.

Olivieri remains in custody without bail while awaiting trial. A date has not been set.
Co-anchors Al Roker (from left), Savannah Guthrie, and Hoda Kotb on the set of the of the "Today" show Wednesday in New York, after NBC News fired host Matt Lauer. Since Lauers firing, NBC has developed a new anti-harassment policy. Read more

When Philadelphia lawyer Deborah Weinstein counsels men accused of harassing women at work, she's often asked: How do you know something you're about to do or say will be unwelcome?

Weinstein said there's no "bright line," so when she's conducting anti-harassment training, she gives this guide: "If you would not like to see yourself covered by the news media doing what you are about to do or saying what you are about to say, that would be the line."

Companies across the country are grappling with how to define, police, and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace as the #MeToo movement has resulted in powerful men being accused of sexual misconduct nationwide.

But what's the best way to do that?

Should companies develop a "zero-tolerance" policy that prohibits everything from sexually charged jokes to penis pictures, or should they establish a hierarchy of sins with proportionate responses? How should they distinguish between romantic relationships and sexual misconduct? And is there potential for overcorrection, where a company creates so many rules that it begins policing everything down to the manner in which employees hug each other?

Alyssa Kovach, an employment lawyer and an associate at Duane Morris, based in Philadelphia, said that in the last several months, she's heard from more clients than ever before who are seeking advice reevaluating their sexual harassment policies. That appears to be a trend. Major companies like Microsoft, Facebook, and NBC have recently revisited, altered, or publicized their sexual harassment policies, while government entities, media organizations, and other institutions are reviewing how they respond to complaints.

"Right now, the sexual harassment topic is forefront in all employers' minds, as it should be," Kovach said. "I think everyone just wants to make sure they have a policy in place that meets the legal standard in this new era, where there's really sort of a limelight on sexual harassment."

Some say that in the midst of the #MeToo movement, society shouldn't rank which traumatic experience is "worse." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D, N.Y.) said cataloging bad behavior is "the wrong conversation." The actress Minnie Driver told the Guardian that "there is no hierarchy of abuse" and "you cannot tell those women that one is supposed to feel worse than the other" in response to comments the actor Matt Damon made, referring to "a spectrum of behavior."

Others  to some criticism  say that not distinguishing between verbal harassment, groping, and rape is detrimental to the #MeToo movement itself. New York Times columnist Bret Stephens wrote that a zero-tolerance approach "may sound admirable, but it's legally unworkable and, in many cases, simply unjust."

Human resources professionals and employment lawyers in the region say there isn't a blanket sexual harassment policy that works for every company. While zero-tolerance policies can work if the behavior that's not tolerated is spelled out, they say, employers should think more about how they'll respond to accusations of sexual impropriety and how that response might differ based on a number of factors.

Kovach said she counsels employers to recognize a continuum of behavior, "both vertically and horizontally." She said the vertical continuum is based on the severity of the complaint. The horizontal one considers other factors: Who is involved? Is this the first complaint against this person? And if there were previous incidents, what were they?

She added that it's possible for employers to discipline anyone who engages in any kind of sexual harassment while also responding proportionately. For example, a bad joke or a hand up a skirt would merit punishment, but in different degrees  so long as the approach is fair to both sides.

Heather Herrington, a partner at Haddonfield-based Ritigstein Law and a board member for the Philadelphia chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, said she's experienced an uptick in clients asking for counsel in developing stronger sexual harassment policies. Her advice? Keep policies consistent companywide.

"When something arises where an employee feels they're being treated differently than someone else because a rule is being applied differently," Herrington said, "that's where companies can find themselves subject to lawsuits  or ending up with a disgruntled workforce."

That's especially true as more women are coming forward to report harassment in the workplace, and men are asking: Am I a harasser, too? A New York Times/ Morning Consult poll released Thursday showed that in a survey of 615 men, a third said they did something at work in the past year "that would qualify as objectionable behavior or sexual harassment." One in 25 men surveyed self-identified as a harasser.

For harassment to violate federal standards, it must be "severe or pervasive." But that's not enough for employers working to create an environment where women feel safe and respected. Dee Yingst, a human resources consultant with Pennsylvania Chamber Insurance in Harrisburg, said she's heard from more employers in the last several months asking about how best to implement a sexual harassment prevention strategy. She said employers should develop a sexual harassment policy that's broad and then explained staff-wide.

"You can put out a policy as often as you want, but until you sit and talk to people and help them understand," she said, "the policy doesn't help you."

Some human resources professionals and employment attorneys are concerned about "overcorrection." NBC recently issued an anti-sexual harassment policy in the wake of Today anchor Matt Lauer's firing, stipulating employees could be fired for not reporting coworkers' behavior and even spelling out how to hug a colleague  "you have to do a quick hug, then an immediate release"  an anonymous source told the New York Post.

Weinstein, who founded The Weinstein Firm in Center City, said that she's seen "a lot of overcorrecting," and that companies should "exercise good judgment in making these decisions so that people really understand that they will be treated fairly."

Michael G. Trachtman, president of the Powell Trachtman law firm in King of Prussia, said that when responding to accusations of sexual harassment, there's potential for the pendulum to swing too far in favor of either the accused or the accuser.

"No one is well-served by treating a sexual assault or a quid pro quo, sleep-with-me-or-you-get-fired situation [the same as] someone who incessantly asks an employee out on a date," he said.

What employers should do, Trachtman said, is establish a sexual harassment policy that goes beyond the legal definitions. He added that company policies should also cover consensual romantic relationships, expressly prohibiting relationships in a chain of command where one person has direct authority over the other.

That, he said, is "horribly dangerous" and should be distinguished "from a workplace relationship among people in different departments or not in any sort of supervisory relationship." If a consensual relationship between two people in a chain of command develops, Trachtman said, many companies will work with those individuals to transfer one person elsewhere, if possible.

Yingst said employers must respond to sexual harassment, but avoid over-policing because "fear is not what you want your employees to feel while they're at work."
Police videotape the scene at Nedro Avenue and Opal Street in the citys East Germantown section Wednesday Dec. 27, 2017, after police shot a man, who later died. Read more

A Philadelphia man fatally wounded by a police officer in the city's East Germantown section Wednesday night had been driving a vehicle sought in connection with a homicide this month, police said Thursday.

He was identified by police late Thursday afternoon as Dennis Plowden, 25, of the 1600 block of East Walnut Lane in West Oak Lane.

Police said Plowden hit another officer with the car during a traffic stop and drove away. Then he crashed it, and was shot after refusing to show his hands to the officer who found him outside the car.

Investigators have since determined that Plowden was not connected to the homicide, First Deputy Commissioner Myron Patterson said at a news conference at Police Headquarters.

About 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Patterson said, plainclothes officers in two unmarked vehicles spotted a 2013 white Hyundai sedan with a Pennsylvania tag that was connected to a Dec. 21 shooting death in Kensington.

The officers, who activated their police lights, stopped the Hyundai at 16th Street and Nedro Avenue in Ogontz. As one officer was trying to get out of his vehicle, the driver struck the officer and the unmarked police unit with the Hyundai, then drove off, Patterson said.

Plowden drove west on Nedro before crashing the car into two parked vehicles on the 1900 block, police said.

Two plainclothes officers in the undamaged vehicle pursued the car. Plowden, who had gotten out, had at least one hand in his jacket pocket while sitting on the sidewalk and refused repeated commands from the officers to show his hands, a police spokesman, Capt. Sekou Kinebrew, said.

That's when one of the officers fired one shot, hitting Plowden in the head, police said. He was taken to Einstein Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 7:18 a.m. Thursday.

Patterson said homicide detectives have determined that he was not connected to the Dec. 21 homicide on the 1800 block of East Atlantic Street.

No weapon was found on or near Plowden after he was shot or in the Hyundai, police said. He was not the owner of the Hyundai, police said. They declined to say why the car was sought in connection with the homicide, which remains under investigation.

A woman, 27, who was a passenger in the car, was taken to Einstein for treatment of bruises and scrapes from the crash, police said.

The injured officer was treated and released from Temple University Hospital for injuries to his right arm and hand.

This was the 13th police-involved shooting this year, Kinebrew said.

Mayor Kenney released a statement Thursday night saying his prayers were with Plowden's family and friends.

"It is always tragic to lose someone you love," the statement said. "I am relieved there were no serious injuries to the officer or to the other passenger in the car. The Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Unit will do a full investigation. I look forward to them coming to a speedy resolution for the sake of Mr. Plowden, his family, the officers and for Philadelphia."
Gail Trachtenberg and Lewis Eron prepay part of their 2018 property tax bill at the township building in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2017. People across the country have been trying to prepay property taxes before a federal tax overhaul kicks in and caps deductions for state and local taxes. (AP Photo/Geoff Mulvihill) Read more

Less than a day after the IRS declared that some taxpayers might not be able to claim deductions from prepaying their 2018 local taxes, government officials across the region and beyond scrambled Thursday to interpret and respond to the unexpected warning.

The IRS advisory, issued late Wednesday, seemed to throw a wrench in efforts by thousands of taxpayers to get the biggest benefit before the new federal tax law takes effect next week. It said taxpayers can't claim deductions for prepayments on estimated local taxes, just for taxes that have been calculated and assessed by their municipality this year.

Whether taxpayers who already rushed to pay 2018 property taxes will still somehow be allowed to deduct those payments remains "the big open question," said Nicole Kaeding, an economist for the Tax Foundation. "The worst case is that individuals have actually given an interest-free loan to their municipal government."

Though it is likely too late for local governments to issue last-minute tax bills or blanket assessments to let taxpayers prepay their 2018 bills, lawyers and government officials have been examining the issue. Kaeding predicted "there would likely be some litigation next year for individuals who have already prepaid."

Taxpayers can rest easy in Philadelphia, where officials said prepayments fit the IRS guidelines. The city sent out its 2018 tax bills this month and payments are due at the end of March. About 14,000 prepayments, totaling $32 million, have been made so far, city spokesman Mike Dunn said Thursday. At this time last year, Dunn said, the city had received just $4.9 million.

And the IRS news didn't seem to slow the pace of prepayment activity in some communities. In Haddonfield, tax collector Terry Henry said his office had been even busier Thursday than the day before, with more than 100 residents making such payments before mid-afternoon.

"We've been actually doing two stations today," he said.

The new law raises the standard deduction for a couple to $24,000, but limits the state and local tax deduction for those who itemize. The new $10,000 cap will have a significant impact in high-tax states like New Jersey, which has the highest property taxes in the nation. Gov. Christie signed an executive order Wednesday instructing all municipalities to accept prepayments. But it came before the IRS advisory.

Pennsylvania officials in many municipalities have been hesitant to take similar steps. Montgomery County's treasurer forbade its municipalities from doing so, saying it was not permitted under state law. And state officials announced Thursday that Pennsylvania cannot issue an order like Christie's.

State law "does not specifically address the situation that many in the commonwealth are now facing," the state's Departments of Revenue and Community and Economic Development said.

Pennsylvania officials also directed residents to the new IRS guidelines and encouraged residents to speak with their own financial advisers or accountants.

In Haddonfield, Henry said taxes had already been assessed for the first and second quarters of 2018, so residents could prepay them and claim the deductions. His office had been allowing residents to estimate and pay their taxes for the second half of next year  the kind of prepayment that the IRS said is not deductible and may have to be refunded.

"We're still taking it," he said. "And if it gets kicked back, it gets kicked back."
He resigned from local office amid a sexual harassment scandal and went to prison for lying to the FBI. His office was seen as so corrupt that voters abolished it. Now he wants a fresh start  in Congress.

"Even though I made some mistakes, I'm not a mistake," Willie Singletary, a former Philadelphia Traffic Court judge, says in a video announcing his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the First Congressional District in 2018. "And just like many in our community, we all could use a fresh start."

Singletary, now 36, was one of several judges charged in 2013 in a ticket-fixing scheme that prosecutors said benefited the "politically and socially connected," and cost the state and city hundreds of thousands of dollars in unrealized fines.

A federal jury in 2014 found Singletary not guilty of the public corruption charges but convicted him of lying to federal investigators. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison and was released in November 2016. Traffic Court was abolished that year by voters in a statewide ballot measure; moving violations were absorbed by Municipal Court.

Singletary and the other former judges are appealing their convictions.

Singletary, a pastor who took the bench in 2008, is asking for a second chance at elective office under the slogan "A Fresh Start for Pennsylvania." The First District seat is held by U.S. Rep. Robert Brady, the longtime chairman of Philadelphia's Democratic City Committee.

"Yes, I've made some mistakes, some of which I am not proud of," Singletary says in the campaign video. "And for those who are affected by my mistakes, [I] truly, truly apologize to you today."

His lawyer, William J. Brennan, added: "He was found not guilty of every single corruption charge. Marion Barry was the mayor of D.C. He was on film smoking a crack pipe, and he was elected mayor. So I think voters are forgiving people."

In his video, Singletary notes that he rose from poverty  his father was in and out of prison and his mother had an addiction. He grew up in West Philadelphia with 21 siblings, six of whom were also named Willie.

Nothing in the law prohibits Singletary, as a convicted felon, from running for Congress. The Constitution sets three qualifications for the House of Representatives: 25 years or older, a citizen for at least seven years, and live in the state to be represented.

But Singletary may face other hurdles. For starters, he resigned from office in 2012 after a female court employee filed a complaint saying Singletary had shown her photos of his genitals. "Do you like that?" he asked her, according to the Judicial Conduct Board.

Asked if he had made amends with the woman, Singletary said Wednesday that the matter had been resolved.

"My gift took me to a place where my character couldn't keep me," Singletary said Wednesday, referring to his time on the bench. "I made some decisions that were not so good. I also made some mistakes. I've apologized for that. I don't want to be stuck in my past, and neither should my past hinder me from my future."

Singletary noted that Brady has served in Congress for two decades. "We thank him for his service," he said, adding: "You don't have the same car you drove 20 years ago."

Singletary, of Southwest Philadelphia, said he wants to raise the minimum wage, make housing more affordable, and find more funding for the city's schools.

Brady declined to comment. Nina Ahmad, Mayor Kenney's former deputy mayor for public engagement, has also declared her candidacy for the primary in the First District.
John Rhoden, who passed away in 2001 and is best known in Philly for the landmark sculpture outside the African American Museum, will have a new presence at PAFA thanks to a gift from the sculptors estate of 278 works. PAFA plans to keep about 20 pieces and finding home for the rest. Read more

Good morning, Philadelphia. Today we're taking a look at a slew of new work coming to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and a different kind of work headed to the Port of Philadelphia.

If you like what you're reading, tell your friends it's free to sign up to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday. I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback, so please email me, tweet me @aubsn, or reach our social team on Facebook. Thank you for reading.

 Aubrey Nagle

 READ MORE: PAFA becomes keeper of famed sculptors legacy

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is acquiring 278 works by acclaimed American sculptor John Rhoden. The school will keep 20 pieces or so and find homes for the rest, taking a chunk of responsibility for raising Rhoden's profile around the country.

You may recognize Rhoden's name from a popular local work: Nesaika, a nine-foot-high bronze sculpture, sits at Seventh and Arch Streets in front of the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

PAFA also recently began work on a brand new concert hall under its Hamilton Building. Art lovers should check out an exhibit that's open through Feb. 4 featuring the work of Thomas Eakins, Cecilia Beaux and other great Philly painters.

 READ MORE: Phillys port prepares for growth

The Port of Philadelphia is about to see some big changes. The port already saw more containerized freight, more cars, more cargoes, and the promise of two larger cranes in 2017.

Next year, work will finish up on ship berths at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. Designs for new warehouses at the former Philadelphia Produce and Seafood Terminal will go out to bid. A 100,000-square-foot warehouse at the Tioga Marine Terminal will break ground in Port Richmond. And a vehicle-processing center for Hyundai and Kia imports is also expected to join the Southport terminal at the Navy Yard.

What's it mean for Philadelphians? Well, work for one. Nearly 9,000 new jobs are expected to be created thanks to port improvements. A rising tide lifts all boats.

 READ MORE: Case against shooter of two South Philly teens takes sharp turn

Yesterday a preliminary hearing for 16-year-old Brandon Olivieri, accused of shooting two high school students in South Philly in October, took a striking turn. Just as prosecutors revealed a possible motive for the slayings, their lone witness turned hostile, testifying that his initial statement was full of lies.

The shooting stunned the city, drawing hundreds of mourners to memorial services for Salvatore DiNubile and Caleer Miller, both 16. Olivieri's family home faced retaliatory violence soon after the killings.

A tale of a trivial teen feud gone horribly wrong, the slaying is the latest in a trend of crimes escalated thanks to easy juvenile access to guns.

What you need to know today

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Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we'll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out to build those followers!

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"As we approach the end of President Donald Trump's first year in office, the list of extraordinary things he has done  for both good and ill  is nothing short of remarkable."  Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen names the  Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen names the 10 best things Trump has done in 2017.

Thousands of American schools have changed their discipline policies to try to reduce student suspensions. But, as Manhattan Institute senior fellow Max Eden writes, the policy hasn't worked and Philly schools are feeling the consequences.

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Signe Wilkinson, whose editorial cartoons grace the Inquirer, the Daily News and this very newsletter, chooses a dozen of her favorite cartoons from 2017 as a retrospective on the year.

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Your Daily Dose of | Motherhood
What Philadelphia recognizes as Mummers in the modern era began taking shape throughout the 19th century, as the many traditions of Philadelphias neighborhoods contributed to larger, public celebrations of the citys working-class communities. Pictured here: Mummers Woodland String Band in 1937. Read more

Swedish immigrants to the Southeast Pennsylvania region brought their traditions from Northern Europe with them when they settled along the Schuylkill in 1643, including the celebration of "Second Christmas" on Dec. 26. Having spent time with family the previous day, people would roam their neighborhoods, entertaining friends and sharing drinks and food. Some integrated costumes into the holiday and began celebrating through New Year's.

As other groups arrived in the area, more and more traditions blended together. Finnish, Irish, German, English, and African cultures shaped the way that Philadelphia and the surrounding region celebrated at the end of December, which became more raucous as the years passed. Many Philadelphians owned guns, which they sometimes turned into noise-makers during New Year's festivities in colonial times.

The Mummers Parade grew out of this variegated background, resulting in Philly's famous (and famously peculiar) New Year's tradition. The name  taken from the mummers plays that have been a tradition in England since the 13th century  etymologically traces back to the Momus of ancient Greece, a character personifying mockery and satire who appeared in Aesop's Fables. Today's celebration does justice to its namesake.

What Philadelphia recognizes as Mummers in the modern era began taking shape in the 19th century, as the many traditions of Philadelphia's neighborhoods contributed to larger, public celebrations of the city's working-class communities. The city actually attempted to ban masquerade halls  centers of influence that would eventually inform the style, dress, and practices of Mummers  in 1808, though the interdiction ultimately failed. There are 1840s reports of men donning clown attire for New Year's celebrations.

Roaming groups of partiers would barge into taverns, requesting free booze and acting rowdy, generally spurning the civil norms dictated by the city's still-nascent police force (officially founded in 1854) and governing elite. The city's time-honored tradition of shooting guns off continued unabated.

While the authorities sometimes cracked down on unruly December celebrations in the final decades of the 19th century, a reporter and vaudeville promoter named H. Bart McHugh saw an opportunity for the city to celebrate New Year's in a spectacular fashion. McHugh appealed to Mayor Samuel Ashbridge to include Mummers in the city's New Year's parade, suggesting that the move would simultaneously provide a reliable spectacle for onlookers (Mummers clubs had already popped up and attracted fans) while enabling the city to exert control over the historically chaotic celebrations. Thus, 1901 marked the first, officially sanctioned Mummers Parade.

Over the decades, the parade grew in size and stature, with the city offering cash prizes to clubs fielding brigades and individuals dressed in extravagant, eye-catching outfits for the competition's five separate divisions. There have been only two cancellations of the parade, in 1919 and 1934. (The first was a result of World War I, which had just ended, and the second was due to a lack of funding during the Great Depression.)

There have been changes over the years. Firing guns on New Year's is now  of course  strictly forbidden, as the practice poses mortal danger. Authorities underscore this each year during a news conference with a victim of New Year's gunfire, vowing to arrest offenders.

Though the Mummers Parade has provided an outlet for joy and revelry (not to mention an excuse for heavy drinking) for Philadelphians throughout the years, it has also been a flash point for bigotry. The costumes and makeup of Mummers from the first half of the 20th century made use of blackface, a practice that was only banned by court order in 1964 to protests by participants that their traditions were under attack. More recently, there have been displays suggestive of blackface, as well as discriminatory depictions of Native Americans, Latin Americans, and transgender people.

There is an initiative to eliminate such expressions of intolerance, and participants and onlookers alike can learn from the historical record. Note: James A. Bland, a black composer, wrote the parade's unofficial anthem, "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers."

Patrick Glennon is a communications officer at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. pglennon@hsp.org
The departures include many engineers responsible for fixing bugs and preventing service outages, raising questions about the stability of the platform amid the loss of employees.
From orbital images, scientists have determined that Jezero once hosted a lake, about the size of Lake Tahoe or Lake Winnipeg, that had a watershed of over 30,000 square kilometers. It was an open basin, with two inflow channels and one outflow channel. To form a delta, water must flow through an area for a very long time, for thousands of years or more. The longer liquid water is present in an environment, the more hospitable it would have been for life. Deltas are also great for preserving evidence of life, if it developed on Mars. In Jezero crater, we see signs of clay minerals having been transported in to the lake, and we also see carbonate minerals that would have precipitated in the lake. On Earth, these kinds of minerals occurring in relatively low-energy sedimentary delta environments can preserve organic matter. So if life ever developed on Mars and occurred in Jezero crater or its watershed, the delta deposits could potentially preserve it.

Outside of potential organic matter preservation, investigating Jezero geology could also help us put limits on how old the surface of Mars is. The crater floor appears to contain volcanic lava flows. One of the objectives of the Mars 2020 rover is to cache samples for their eventual return to Earth. If this mission succeeds and we are able to return samples, we could use radiometric dating to determine the absolute age of those lava flows. That, in turn, would allow us to pin one point in Mars' geologic history to a specific age and inform us about the maximum and minimum absolute ages of other terrains that pre- and postdate the lava flows on the crater floor.

Columbia Hills

Site location: 14.5478S, 175.6255E, -1930m elevation, ellipse 9.6 x 8.7 km

Detailed fact sheet about Columbia Hills (PDF)

The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit explored the Columbia Hills during its seven-year mission, from 2004 to 2010. Spirit's science team found a variety of geologic units along the traverse near the Columbia Hills within Gusev crater, including one volcanic unit and one potentially hydrothermal region. The landing site is volcanic, similar in composition to the Columbia River Flood Basalts in the U.S.'s Washington state. The main potential landing area of interest for Mars 2020 is a proposed hydrothermal site, which may have once been like some of the hydrothermal regions within Yellowstone National Park. The rover would have to land on the flat-lying volcanic rocks and trek about five kilometers to the interesting hydrothermal deposits. The drive could take from three to six months because Mars rovers move at only a fraction of average human walking speed, and available power usually limits their drives to one to two hours per day.
Dr. Sydney Vail is a trauma surgeon and one of the nation's leading authorities on tactical medicine and the care of gunshot victims. His articles"9mm Vs. .40 Caliber" and "Stopping Power: Myths, Legends, and Realities"are some of the most popular and most controversial in the history of POLICE Magazine and PoliceMag.com.

Vail, who has studied the performance of handgun ammunition in both the gunshot wound patients he has operated on and in the works of researchers like Dr. Martin Fackler, is a strong believer that size of ammunition used in a handgun has much less effect on stopping a threat than shot placement.

In "Stopping Power" he wrote: "I believe the definition of stopping power should be a particular ammunition's effectiveness to render a person unable to offer resistance or remain a threat to the officer, an intended victim, or self.

"So how does ammunition accomplish this? You have two options. You can use a really large round at very high velocity like the 30mm cannon rounds from an Apache helicopter's M230 Chain Gun, which produces substantial kinetic energy, or you can place your shot where it has the most effect. Obviously, shot placement is the only realistic option for a law enforcement officer."

Vail's argument that the stopping power of handgun ammunition is not based on caliber has elicited howls of protest from members of the firearms community who are devotees of particular cartridges, especially the .45 ACP. Vail says he enjoys the debate and he reads the comments on his articles, but he stands by his conclusions about ammo performance based on his experience as a scientist, a surgeon, a shooter, and a tactical medical provider.

The following is an excerpt of a longer interview covering tactical medicince, tourniquet use by officers, and wound ballistics that will be published in the January 2018 Police Magazine and on PoliceMag.com.

POLICE: What's the highest number of rounds you've seen shot into a person who's survived?

Vail: The largest number of bullet wounds has been 22. Some were just entry, some were entry/exits. But 22, I think, was my maximum number. It's not uncommon for me to get 8 or 10 or 12 wounds and people survive.

I got involved in wound ballistics and what it really took to stop a threat during residency in Philadelphia because I had a friend on the police force who lost his job for use of excessive force by shooting somebody, I think it was, 18 times, and I always thought, maybe he needed to shoot that person 18 times to stop the threat.

As a surgeon, I saw what bullets don't do to the human body, meaning they don't kill it, they don't just stop it...which is why I wrote that article about stopping power; it's really a myth. I know that the human body can tolerate many gunshots and still function so that the person is still a threat to the police officer. So I make it known that I am willing to help defend a police officer who is accused of excessive force based on the number of shots fired. If it's a clean shoot, I'm happy to review it. If I can agree with them after that review, then I'll be there to testify for them.

POLICE: Is there really a significant difference in terms of wound ballistics between a 9mm, .40, and .45?

Vail: Other than the size of the ballistic projectile, nope. Because unless you hit something vital, it doesn't matter what you hit them with. You could hit them with a .45 in the shoulder, they're gonna survive. You hit them with a 9mm in the shoulder, they're gonna survive. You hit them with a .22 in the brain they could die. So, stopping a threat really does not come down to caliber, it is shot placement.

Handguns are lousy stoppers; it doesn't matter the caliber, they are just not great at stopping threats. Because of the ballistics profile and the amount of energy that a rifle round carries with it and dumps into the body, a rifle is a much better instrument to stop a threat.

POLICE: Can a significant temporary wound cavity be produced by a handgun bullet?

Vail: You really don't get much of a temporary cavity with a handgun. It's there, but it's minimal as compared to a rifle round and, you know, I think that's where ballistic gel [has value]. It's not my favorite substance in the world, but it demonstrates that if you fire a rifle round into it, the temporary cavity is extremely large. You don't really get much damage from the hydrostatic "pressure" of tissues ripping from a handgun.

Police: Can agencies learn anything about their ammo through gelatin testing?

Vail: Yes. You can look at certain characteristics of the ammo: expansion and depth of penetration. But that's all. And you're comparing those two things in gelatin. How those relate to the human body is where I argue you're getting misinformation because the bullets will not act the same in the human body as they act in gelatin.

POLICE: What ammo do you carry in your personal defense pistol?

Vail: Well, for my SWAT team I carry a .45 with Speer Gold Dots issued. Personally I generally carry my 9mm most often because of its capacity (loaded with Federal HST rounds).
Benjamin Paul Baldassarre and Ashley Lauren Carroll allegedly used a drone to deliver drugs. (Photo: Riverside PD)

A California couple were charged on Tuesday after they allegedly used a drone to deliver drugs to customers while a 9-year-old girl lived in their drug-littered home, police said.

The pair, Benjamin Paul Baldassarre, 39, and Ashley Lauren Carroll, 31, were charged with possession of controlled substances for sale, child endangerment and possession of drug paraphernalia, City News Service reported. Carroll pleaded not guilty to the charges and was held on $100,000 bail. Baldassarre was expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, reports Fox News.

Police began investigating the couple's Orangecrest neighborhood in Riverside earlier this month after someone reported drugs being dropped to customers from a drone. Last Thursday, police served a search warrant at the pair's house, where they found uncapped hypodermic syringes and unpacked powders, believed to be fentanyl, littering a bedroom.

Detectives also located methamphetamine and suspected LSD-laced candies, as well as the drone used for the delivery of the illegal narcotics, police wrote on Facebook.
Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA) President Marshall McClain penned a letter to the editor responding to a recent Los Angeles Times editorial that "erroneously blamed police unions for the state's inability to deal with 'problem' officers," according to a LAAPOA press release. LAAPOA included with the press release the entire letter submitted to the Times:

To the editor:

In response to your recent editorial on police unions' supposed interference with California's efforts to deal with "problem" officers, I'd like to address a few things:

Vilifying police officersalong with the police unions that defend themwithout granting them due process is against everything this country stands for. While it may be "in vogue" to dump on police, let's keep this in context: There are over 700,000 sworn police officers who protect our nation. Among them are the numerous on- and off-duty law enforcement officers in Las Vegas who ran into spraying bullets to save concertgoers; the NYPD/NY Port Authority police who entered the World Trade Center when everyone else was running out (losing 37 of their own that day); and the LAXPD officers who, without eyes on their subject and not knowing if he was preparing to ambush them, took down a shooter who killed a TSA agent and wounded others at the airport.

Image: Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA)

Are there problem officers? Yes. Are there "bad" prosecutors? Yes (including those who leaked sensitive information to your reporter to stack a story). Are there reporters who have an agenda and those who have flat-out fabricated information? Yes. Are the disciplinary records of prosecutors and reporters available to the public? No. These professions have a direct impact on our nation's ability to support the fundamental values in our Constitution. The L.A. Times constantly defends those values for its own, but has a different standard when it comes to law enforcement.

These kinds of articles do nothing more than add to the plethora of one-sided stories casting a negative light on the law enforcement profession. What these stories forget is that while there are some "bad officers" (who, like prosecutors and reporters, deserve due process), the vast majority of officers are great at their jobsthey work hard and keep the safety of our communities at the forefront of what they do, and often do so while putting their lives on the line. Case in point: There are over 9,000 deputy sheriffs in Los Angeles County alonewhich has one of the largest sheriff's departments in the nationbut you failed to provide the larger number for context in your reporting so that readers can make a judgment on the potential depth of the issue here.

And, contrary to widespread belief, associations are not hubs for corrupt individuals. I loathe the blanket assumption that was made in your article that law enforcement unions keep egregious information a "secret" from the public. Police unions are not the warehouses for peace officers' personnel files, and like the public, we don't condone the behavior of "problem" officers, either. We don't want to work with dishonest people, and we take concerted efforts to discipline our officers when needed.

Furthermore, you make it sound as though there is no process in Los Angeles County to identify problem officers. That is simply not true, and I would be happy to provide a lengthy list of the processes to you. We agree that a problem arises when police chiefs, sheriffs or others attempt to circumvent the established processes with impunity. The information on which you base your article most likely circumvented those processes, but because it works toward a sensational story you elect to disregard how it was obtained. There must be accountability.

We accept that we have a dangerous profession and that we are held to a high standard. We strive every day to build and be worthy of the public's trust in us. But those who have been unfairly pulled into the media's spotlight for alleged wrongdoing should not be labeled a "problem" until they've had their day in court. Further, there shouldn't be an orchestrated effort to erode the public's trust of peace officers by disseminating misleading and widely inaccurate information through lopsided reporting. It gives the inaccurate impression of a nationwide pandemic of law enforcement labor unions enabling rogue peace officers to work in our communities.

Your megaphone is massive. Ours is nonexistent. You can say what you want, and even if it is wrong or without context, it becomes embedded in the psyche of thousands of your readers. We do not have the capability to have our response heard. Nonetheless, in my small way, I wanted to go on the record to provide some balance to your recent article and the many others I have read that stack the scale and play into a narrative that is wholly unbalanced. I am proud of my job as advocate for our officers, and I cannot let your paper's portrayal of our unions in California be left as gospel. And while I can't defend the inexcusable actions of some officers (who are the very, very small minority), even they deserve the same rights of all Americans: the fundamental right to due process.

Sincerely,

Marshall E. McClain

President, Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA)
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In the latest sign that the White House is running scared about the ongoing Russia investigation, a new report indicates that the Trump administration plans to paint former national security adviser Michael Flynn as a liar if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing.

This comes after months of Donald Trump calling Flynn a wonderful man and repeatedly saying he doesnt think he did anything wrong with respect to Russia.

More from the Washington Post report:

President Trumps legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy.  Attorneys for Trump and his top advisers have privately expressed confidence that Flynn does not have any evidence that could implicate the president or his White House team. But since Flynns cooperation agreement with prosecutors was made public earlier this month, the administration has been strategizing how to neutralize him in case the former national security adviser does make any claims.



Flynn is the most senior former Trump adviser known to be providing information to Muellers team. The lenient terms of his plea agreement suggest he has promised significant information to investigators, legal experts said.

Trump is going to try to paint Flynn as a liar and someone who cant be trusted, just like hes attempting to do with special counsel Robert Mueller, but its going to be a tough sell.

Just recently, Trump suggested that he may issue a pardon for his disgraced former national security adviser, who was forced to resign in February for supposedly misleading the White House about his communications with Russia.

Earlier this month, Flynn pleaded guilty to the FBI for lying and will now cooperate with the investigation, leaving the administration terrified about what information he may hand over to authorities.

The fact that Donald Trump and his team are already planning to trash Flynn, before even knowing what hes going to hand over, makes it more likely  not less  that Flynns information is damning and credible.
WINONA, Minn.  The various types of berries Blue Fruit Farm offers are so unique, owners Jim Riddle and Joyce Ford have turned the tables, teaching local extension about growing them.

"There's just not much university research on anything except blueberries. They just don't know about growing black currants or elderberries," Riddle said.

Blue Fruit Farm is an organic farm outside of Winona, Minn., that has sold blueberries, cherry plums, elderberries, honeyberries and black currants alongside blueberries for six years.

While growing vegetables to be sold at the Winona Farmers Market in the mid-1990s, the couple decided in 2009 to plant about 800 blueberry shrubs, a few cherry plums, two rows of juneberries and a row of aronia berries. In the 2011, they expanded the blueberry planting and added black currants, elderberries and blue plum trees. The following year, they added more blueberries  1,600 bushes total  with several black plum trees, and more aronia and elderberries bushes.

Riddle said the most difficult berry to plant has been the blueberries, but blueberries are the easiest to sell. Hundreds of pounds are frozen for sale during the winter.

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The berry business keeps them busy all year. Ford said if they had just planted blueberries, their harvest would've been done between July and August, now they harvest from June to October.

The couple met years ago when Riddle, a central Iowa resident, visited his sister in the Winona area, when he met Ford, who was already an avid organic farmer.

Organic farming may be a broad term, but is an important way of life for Riddle and Ford.

"This has been our life's work, essentially, being organic farmers and promoting organic agriculture to people," Ford said. "For me, organic agriculture production is a system of prevention. It's identifying the problems, keeping your fertility up, but identifying the problems then researching then doing a multitude of management strategies to prevent that problem."

Riddle said organic farming means "living in harmony with the earth," believing that people are concerned about what they put into their body, wanting to stay away from food grown or produced with pesticides and GMOS.

"Personal health is the strong motivator for the consumer," he said.

The farm has seen a steady growth in business since the couple gambled on fruit, doubling the amount of fruit sold from last year  3,000 pounds in 2016, and 6,000 pounds in 2017.

The maturity of the plants helps. Their black currant plants are now able to produce 900 pounds, all of which were sold.

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The couple doesn't usually attend farmers markets, but recently participated in Feast! in Rochester, Minn., a showcase of locally produced food, and made their yearly appearance at the Winona Farmers Market.

Instead, they have an ordering system through their website (www.bluefruitfarm.com) where people can sign up for what kind of berry, fruit juice, or jam they will pick up at the farm. Rarely do they ship their products.

The couple offer guided farm tours and tastings to help customers understand what kind of berries are being raised and how they can be used. If interested, contact Blue Fruit Farm through their website.
ZUMBROTA  The former director of Zumbrota Area Ambulance faces charges of embezzlement of public funds and theft after an investigation discovered more than $11,000 of misappropriated funds.

Sara Carlson, 55, of Wanamingo, faces one count each of embezzlement of public funds and theft, both felonies. If convicted, she could face 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.

The thefts occurred between Jan. 1, 2016, and Aug. 7, 2017.

Rochester Police Department Investigator Todd Schwanke conducted the investigation because of conflicts with area law enforcement jurisdictions, according to court documents.

The results of the investigation were forwarded to the Goodhue County Attorney's office on Dec. 12.

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Carlson had served as a paramedic and director for Zumbrota Area Ambulance since July 2012. As director, she was responsible for overseeing funds, performing daily functions and managing paramedics. She was in that role until June 22, when she was placed on administrative leave by the ambulance service's board for inappropriate use of the Zumbrota Ambulance credit card. Carlson resigned July 6.

Tim Mack was appointed to serve as interim ambulance director after Carlson's resignation, and Brett Rima was hired in November as the new director.

Zumbrota Area Ambulance provides emergency medical services for Zumbrota, Wanamingo, Mazeppa, Goodhue, Bellechester and Pine Island, as well as surrounding townships in Goodhue County and Wabasha County.

What happened

Zumbrota Police Chief Patrick Callahan was contacted by Zumbrota Area Ambulance Treasurer Warren Majerus, who claimed Carlson was embezzling funds from the ambulance service.

Callahan then submitted a report to Schwanke, along with an audit completed by a certified public accountant from Hemann, Grover & Co. of Zumbrota.

According to the criminal complaint, the audit revealed the following:

 Carlson had given herself an extra paycheck on Aug. 3, 2016 in the amount of $1,200.

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 Carlson received 31 paychecks in 25 weeks, with each check written for $1,230, resulting in overpayment of $7,380.

 Carlson received $500 per month as a medical reimbursement; she received $5,978.09 in medical reimbursements during 2017, even though she was entitled to receive $3,500.

The overpaid salary in 2016 of $1,200 plus the overpaid salary of 2017 of $7,380 plus the overpaid medical reimbursement of $2,478.09 equaled $11,058.09.

It was reported that Carlson had previously "misused a company credit card," and had agreed to pay back the money.

According to the complaint, Majerus said he had spoken to Carlson, who told him that she struggled with addiction and was going to counseling. Majerus said that the ambulance service made a claim to the League of Minnesota Cities and was reimbursed for the entire amount that was missing, resulting in a loss of the $500 deductible paid to the League of Minnesota Cities.

Six months into 2017, Majerus authorities that Carlson "took double" what she was supposed to receive in salary. Officials claimed that they did not know Carlson had direct deposit and sometimes paid herself both by direct deposit and by check.

Carlson was not approached by the ambulance service board about the pay discrepancies, but was confronted about the credit card misuse. When the executive board hired a new ambulance director to replace Carlson, they conducted the audit that resulted in the discovery of embezzlement.
Since being formed in 2013, the Destination Medical Center Corp. Board has only known one chairwoman.

Today, that chairwoman sent a letter to the board announcing she is stepping down.

"I am proud of the work that we accomplished together and am confident that under your leadership DMC can continue to move ahead," Lt. Gov. Tina Smith stated in the letter. "During the past four years, we have made significant progress  with $297 million in private investment, and 19 projects either proposed, under construction or completed."

Smith was selected by Gov. Mark Dayton earlier this month to replace Sen. Al Franken after he announced he would resign from the U.S. Senate amid sexual misconduct allegations.

A Franken spokesman has said the senator will leave office Tuesday, with Smith slated to step in Wednesday.

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It was also a Dayton decision that originally put Smith on the DMC Corp. board.

"Tina Smith has been a tremendous champion for Rochester's Destination Medical Center," Dayton said this morning in a statement sent to the Post-Bulletin. "She led our administration's efforts to secure passage of the legislation that created this historic public-private partnership. As the first chair of the DMC Board, Tina has been crucial to the project's successes.

"My administration will continue our strong support for the Destination Medical Center."

Under DMC legislation, the governor selected four of the board's eight members. Another of his initial picks for the board, R.T. Rybak is expected to serve as interim board chairman until the board elects a new leader, according to Smith's letter.

With Smith's resignation, Dayton has two positions to fill. Board member Susan Park Rani resigned earlier this year. Smith and Rani have been the board's only female members since it was created.

The DMC Corp. Board is designed to oversee the use of $455 million in public funds as part of the planned $3.5 billion effort.

Last week, Lisa Clarke, executive director of the DMC Economic Development Agency, said she expects both open seats could be filled by the board's next meeting if Smith stepped down.

The full board is scheduled to meet March 22, but the executive committee is slated to meet Feb. 8. In addition to Smith and Rybak, Olmsted County Commissioner Jim Bier serves on the executive committee as the board's treasurer.

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On Wednesday, Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede, another board member, cited some uncertainty with Smith's appointment as U.S. senator but said he expects one of Smith's priorities would remain in place if she stepped down.

During the board's last meeting on Nov. 2, Smith said she wanted to make affordable housing a priority for the board in 2018,

Brede said with Bier and Rochester City Council member Mark Hickey on the board he expects there is enough local support to keep the goal intact, regardless of who replaces Smith and Rani on the board.

In her new position, Smith said she anticipates staying connected to the DMC mission.

"As Rochester becomes 'America's City for Health,' we also must ensure it remains one of the most livable cities in America," she wrote in her letter. "We have more work to do to provide all Rochester area residents with quality, affordable housing and transportation choices."
DULUTH  On May 4, 2013, Julie and Matt Svatos had their first child, Stella, at the Fairview Range Medical Center in Hibbing.

The delivery went fine, but the next morning, a doctor gave them some bad news: Stella might have a brain abnormality, and she needed several tests, including a CT scan.

Julie could hear the doctor, but Matt is deaf, and the sign language interpreter who was there for the birth had left.

So, the exhausted new mother tried figuring out how to hold her baby and sign to her husband at the same time, while trying to comprehend what the doctor was telling her.

"It was hard," Julie recalled, "and I felt that I couldn't communicate to my husband everything that was going on."

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Over the next couple of days, the Svatos said, they continued to ask doctors and nurses for an interpreter, but never got one.

"They would just kind of ignore me as if I wasn't there," Matt Svatos said. "And they would only talk to Julie, as if she was the only one in the room. I just felt like they were treating me like a piece of furniture just standing there in the corner."

When the Svatos got home, they filed a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Eventually the couple, and the state, sued Fairview Health Services.

REQUIRED BY LAW

The Svatos' case is one of dozens of complaints filed against Minnesota hospitals in recent years  many in rural areas  where patients who are deaf, or their companions, say they aren't getting the interpreter services that are required by law and are essential for them to make informed health care decisions.

Hospitals in Owatonna, Northfield, Fergus Falls and elsewhere have also faced recent human rights complaints alleging they discriminated against deaf people, said attorney Heather Gilbert, who's representing the Svatos.

Fairview has faced similar accusations before, too. In 2004, the health care network signed a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to provide sign language interpreters to deaf patients and their companions in all its hospitals.

The health care system faced two other more recent lawsuits in the past two years for allegedly failing to provide interpreters for deaf family members. Fairview settled one and prevailed in the other, although that decision has been appealed.

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The company declined an interview for this story, citing health privacy rules. In a written statement, a spokesperson said it's "our priority to provide interpreter services to facilitate effective communication between patients, their families and companions and the health care team.

"We want to assure you that Fairview does comply with the law, and we take our obligations under the law to provide effective means of communication very seriously."

In several cases, health care networks  including Mayo Clinic, Essentia Health West in Fargo and Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls  have reached settlements with those alleging discrimination.

'THEY TOOK THAT AWAY FROM US'

For patients like the Svatos family, the trauma from the experience lingers.

"It still makes me emotional after four and a half years," said Julie Svatos. "This was our first and only child. I feel like that experience of becoming a parent, you know it's the best day of your life, and then they took that away from us."

Rick Macpherson, an attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center, said he has settled 15 cases against hospitals since Fairview signed that consent decree in 2004.

Some organizations just don't consider providing interpreters a very high priority, he said.

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"It gets pushed way down the list of budget items," Macpherson said. "This isn't a very expensive item to fix. But I think many entities just push it out of their minds."

Some hospitals, he said, don't do a good job training their staff how to work with people who are deaf.

"It's not just a favor for the deaf person, but it's necessary for the institution to make sure they're getting information correctly as well," he said.

Hospitals in the Twin Cities, he said, have made strides in the past decade. Most of the complaints now are happening in greater Minnesota, where many hospitals are providing interpreters via video.

But Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, recent president of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, said that's often not an adequate substitute for an in-person interpreter.

There are often glitches in the video, she said. And if the patient is lying down, they may not be able to see the screen.

Akerman-Frank said deaf people should be able to decide for themselves how they want to communicate.

Hospitals "don't get to decide for us," she said, "because we know our own effective communication, what the method is, and we would know best."

But it's often a challenge for hospitals to find a qualified interpreter.

"The main thing is we don't have enough interpreters in our area to be able to fulfill all the requests that come in," said Natalie Stanley, the sign language program manager at Essentia Health East in Duluth.

She said Essentia has a video system that works well for most situations in its rural clinics in Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.

If a patient wants an in-person interpreter, she said, they connect with video first, and then put out a call to interpreters in the area, to see if someone can cover in-person.

Last week, Fairview agreed to implement a similar protocol in a settlement of their case with the Svatos and the state. Fairview also agreed to improve training for staff, and report regularly to the state on the interpreting services it provides.

The Svatos also received a confidential settlement. But Julie Svatos said the most important aspect of the settlement is that Fairview has changed its policies, which she says should help provide equal access to care for people who are deaf  including her own daughter, Stella, who was found to be deaf shortly after her birth.

"I hope that she doesn't have to still fight this when she's an adult. I hope we can make some changes now."
As a functional obsessive-compulsive, I'm never happier than at year's end when I get to make lists. Herewith, my picks for the most important stories of 2017:

This year my list is short: "Fake News" -- from which all cursings flow.

Not only has the president's frequent "fake news" defense against any story he dislikes helped codify the idea that the media, especially CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, seek only to misinform, but this strategic deception has created a volunteer class of the arrogantly ignorant.

While such consistent dishonesty is annoying, my greater concern is for the future of the republic. The health of our democratic system of government relies at least somewhat upon a reasonably well-informed citizenry. When truth is relative, facts are fungible and the loudest voice wins the day, why, anyone really can become president.

How do journalists combat the rallying cry of the president himself? It's impossible to argue with a fool or a liar. It is also difficult to convince people of one's earnestness or commitment to standards if they fundamentally don't care. In exasperation, one can be tempted to say such things as "Democracy Dies in Darkness," which happens to be the rather self-regarding slogan emblazoned on the Post's masthead -- and also happens to be true.

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Art, it seems, has come to the rescue. Voila:"The Post."

"The Post" may be the best rebuttal yet to the "fake news" mantra. It's the story of the Post's publication of parts of the Pentagon Papers, a classified history of the Vietnam War, which revealed that three presidents (John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon) had lied persistently about the war and its human toll. The New York Times actually broke the story but was forced to cease publishing under a Justice Department injunction, which ultimately was reversed by the Supreme Court in 1971.

The injunction, nevertheless, provided the Post an opportunity to intercept the ball and run with it, publishing excerpts from its own, subsequently acquired copy of the documents. The movie traces the partnership of then-publisher Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) and former executive editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) as they struggle with the decision to publish the papers.

Much of the focus is on Graham, who assumed control of the Post after her husband and co-owner, Phil Graham, committed suicide in August 1963 -- hardly a tepid time to be in the news business.

Underlying the story of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers was an unsubtle, feminist subtext that will be familiar to women of a certain age. In 1963, "Kay" Graham was the only woman in the boardroom and one of only a few women when she glided through the newsroom. Thus, this wife-turned-publisher had to face not only business challenges for which she was ill-prepared, including a risky public offering, she also had to convince skeptical men that she was up to the job. Her fear, convincingly portrayed and palpably disabling at times, was an obstacle to overcome, which she did with the help of the fearless Bradlee.

Pivotal in Graham's transformation was the decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, portrayed as torturous owing to two concurrent problems: One, she feared the banks would abandon her during the then-imminent public offering; and, two, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who had commissioned the study that became known as the Pentagon Papers, was one of her dearest friends.

Both she and Bradlee, who had been close to Kennedy, were forced to choose between loyalty to friends -- or the truth. Their respective struggles with this essential question was, for me, the essence of the film.

The message embedded therein is that facts and truth matter most of all. In newsrooms where real-life journalists pursue both, the very real struggles on view in "The Post" are replicated every day. There may be less drama, but the stakes are just as high. In a time of "fake news," darkness settles when people can no longer tell the difference.
Israels minister of transportation has announced that a planned train station in Jerusalem will be named for President Trump to honor his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. So reports Ken Klukowski of Breitbart.

Trump station wont be just any old stop. It will be near the Western Wall, the holiest place in the world for Jews:

[The government] is planning to extend a rail system from Tel Aviv into Jerusalem, including two underground stations in the capital city. One will be in an area of the Old City referred to as the Jewish Quarter. Katz intends to name the planned station near the Western Wall after Americas 45th president. The Western Wall is part of the structure that once held Jerusalems holy temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70.

Its easy to understand the governments desire to honor for recognizing that Jerusalem is Israels capital. Every legitimate nation has the right to choose its capital and, though it shouldnt matter, Jerusalem is the natural capital for a Jewish state.

By recognizing that Jerusalem is Israels capital, the U.S. simply acknowledges the full legitimacy of Israel. It also strikes a blow for realism and against fantasy. The demise of fantasy is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for any meaningful peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, at least ten countries are in talks with Israel to move their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely. Guatemala has already announced that it will do so.
I dont know whether Roy Moore molested Leigh Corfman 38 years ago. I dont have a strong opinion one way or the other about that charming question.

I do know that Moore was an awful nominee for the Alabama Senate seat, and that his nomination cost Republicans what is as safe a seat as exists in the Senate.

Now, the candidate from hell has filed a lawsuit in an Alabama Circuit Court to try to block the state canvassing board from officially declaring his opponent, Doug Jones, the winner. You can read the complaint here.

Moore cites irregularities at 20 precincts in Jefferson County. The main irregularity appears to be the fact that many Republicans didnt vote for Moore, just as polling indicated might be the case. Moore cites an enormous, implausible drop-off in the votes reported for Moore relative to the votes for the Republican party. Enormous, maybe. Implausible, no.

Moore also claims, based on the signed affidavit of a single poll worker, that there was an unusual, unexplained pattern of voters having out-of-state drivers licenses at one particular polling place. In addition, the complaint alleges that Highway 31, a Democrat-backed super PAC, practiced voter intimidation tactics in its pro-Jones advertisements.

The intimidation consists of an attempt at shaming, via an ad that stated: Your vote is public record, and your community will know whether or not you helped stop Roy Moore. Here, Moore trivializes the concept of voter intimidation. If the result of an election could be blocked on the basis of an ad like this, no close election would ever be certified.

Moore relies on an expert who speculates about a conspiracy, stating:

I believe that ES&S [Elections Systems & Software], Hart Civic, and Dominion have access by wireless technology to all their computers which are counting votes, and they can monitor, query and even ALTER the election results inside their computers during election day and election nights. Thus in may opinion and from my experience and expertise only ES&S in Alabama monitor and would know of alterations to electronic votes. And the only method to ensure a true count, is to ensure that unaltered hard and unaltered ballot images are preserved, which has not been done in Alabama in the case of ballot images.

Apparently, Moore wants the court to believe that Alabamas voting machines are secretly connected to George Soros. Or something.

The impression that this is a crank lawsuit finds reinforcement in the bizarre decision by Moores lawyers to include in attachments to the Complaint weird comments by kooky Moore supporters. Its unlikely that the court will read far enough to see these comments, however. I expect the suit to be shrugged off and the election certified today.

The only consequence of Moores suit will be to provide ammunition to the left as it tries to discredit the very important election integrity movement.
Pursuant to the discussion here and the podcast Scott and I produced about Darkest Hour, a number of readers have asked for recommendations for good biographies and books about Churchill. Here are ten recommended authors and titles.

Right off the top, it should be acknowledged that even the most ambitious reader might not be up to getting through all eight volumes of Martin Gilberts official biography (the longest biography ever written, I am told), though thats what youd do if you really want to know the story in complete detail. Gilbert did produce an excellent one-volume biography, Churchill: A Life, back around 1996. Its still over 1,000 pages, though, and therefore requires some commitment.

William Manchesters three-volume biography, The Last Lion (the third volume being completed ably by Paul Reid) is marvelous reading, as Manchester was a wonderful narrative stylist, although there are some factual errors and mistakes of interpretation in these books. (You can find my review of the last volume here.)

Roy Jenkins produced a good one volume biography in 2002, Churchill: A Biography, in which he offered the conclusion that Churchill was the greatest prime minister in Britains historya judgment not necessarily to be expected from a former Labour Party grandee like Jenkins. Jenkins, also the author of a good biography of William Gladstone, ends the book thus: When I started writing this book I thought that Gladstone was, by a narrow margin, the greater man, certainly the more remarkable specimen of humanity. In the course of writing it I have changed my mind. I now put Churchill, with all of his idiosyncrasies, his indulgences, his occasional childishness, but also his genius, his tenacity and his persistent ability, right or wrong, successful or unsuccessful, to be larger than life, as the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street.

For those not inclined to tackle a large biography, there are a number of excellent shorter books analyzing Churchill while providing ample biographical detail. Start with Paul Johnsons very brisk and concise Churchill. Rather than trying for a compressed biography, this 192 page book concentrates on 10 key factors and virtues of Churchill. These ten points, Johnson concludes, are essential to answering the question: Did Churchill save Britain? The answer must be yes. No one else could have done it. (My review can be found here.)

No Churchill reading list would be complete without the excellent work of John Lukacs, the Hungarian-born historian who writes with great perception and insight about Churchill (also Hitler and Stalin). Start with The Duel: The Eighty-Day Struggle Between Churchill and Hitler. This covers the period from Churchills ascension to the premiership in May 1940 through late August, after which the German conquest of Britain became impossible.

Then see his Five Days in London: May 1940, which tells in great detail the story that is the climax of Darkest Hourthe clash with Lord Halifax and the remaining appeasers over whether to seek a mediated peace with Germany through Italy. (Lukacs is mentioned in the credits of Darkest Hour as the historical consultant for the film.)

Finally, not to be missed is Lukacss Churchill: Visionary. Statesman. Historian, which like Paul Johnson offers a good crisp analysis of the varying facets of Churchills life. Here I should pause to note that Lukacs and Roy Jenkins both explicitly repudiate the tacit premise of the Manchester biography contained in the titleThe Last Lionwhich embraces the historicist premise that Churchills greatness derived from the fact that he was a man of the past, specifically the high Victorian era in which he grew up. Jenkins wrote at the end of his biography that explaining Churchill as a product of Victorian aristocracy is unconvincing. . . Churchill was far too many faceted, idiosyncratic and unpredictable a character to allow himself to be imprisoned by the circumstances of his birth. Lukacs adds: Contrary to most accepted views we ought to consider that [Churchill] was not some kind of admirable remnant of a more heroic past. He was not The Last Lion. He was something else. The something else at the root of Churchills greatness in 1940 derived not from being a Victorian man, but from being, in a larger sense, an ancient manthe kind of great-souled man contemplated in Aristotle and other classical authors. The ultimate putdown of the historicist view of Churchill came from Leo Strauss in a private letter to the German philosopher Karl Lowith: A man like Churchill proves that the possibility of megalopsuchia [the great-souled man] exists today exactly as it did in the fifth century B.C.

For a good account and analysis of Churchills statesmanship, see Larry P. Arnn, Churchills Trial: Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government. This, along with a very short and hard to find Martin Gilbert book, Churchills Political Philosophy, is the best analysis of the substance of the man.

Finally, anyone with genuine curiosity about Churchill should include some of the great mans writing, and not rely solely on biographers and other secondary treatments. His major multi-volume works, Marlborough: His Life and Times, The World Crisis, and The Second World War, are probably more than most readers are up for. Try either his short and charming early autobiography, My Early Life, or one of his terrific essay collections, Great Contemporaries and Thoughts and Adventures.

There are a lot of excellent specialized studies of Churchilltwo excellent books on the Dardanelles fiasco, for examplethat would require another long list to enumerate. Perhaps Ill do this some other time. There is, however, one specialized study that everyone should have on their shelf: Richard Langworths Winston Churchill, Myth and Reality: What He Actually Did and Said. Langworth, a meticulous researcher, corrects the record on many of the inaccurate or apocryphal Churchill quotes (there are a ton of these), and corrects the record on some of the irrepressible attacks on Churchill.

Postscript: Somewhere in the back and forth with Scott and others about Darkest Hour, a reader suggested to meI forget where exactlythat I check out Ian Kershaws account of the Churchill-Halifax clash in his book Fateful Choices. I dashed out and got a copy, and the reader is correct that Kershaws account lends some verisimilitude to the somewhat equivocal portrayal of Churchill and his position in May 1940 in Darkest Hour:

It is not easy to imagine, in the light of later events, how insecure Churchills position was in the middle of May 1940. His hold on authority, soon to become unchallengeable, was still tenuous. No raptures of the Conservative benches greeted his first appearance in the House of Commons as Prime Minister on 13 May. The cheers that day, apart from those from the opposition side, were for Chamberlain, not Churchill. The latters speech that day, later seen as epitomizing Churchillian rhetoric, promising blood, toil, tears, and sweat, met with a cool reception among Conservatives. The distrust remained. Some thought it would be a short-lived premiership. . . [T]here was no such dominance as the crisis worsened. Churchill could not override or impose his will on the other members of the War Cabinet. He recognized his dependence, in particular, on Chamberlain and Halifax. As Chamberlain had written privately of his successor the day after he took office, I know that he relies on Halifax and me and as he put it in a letter, My path depends largely on you.

Kershaw goes on to relate that there was a War Cabinet paper prepared on May 26, entitled Suggested Approach to Signor Mussolini. But this initiative died within two days as Churchill outflanked Halifax in his dramatic speech to the full Cabinet. Kershaw returns to the scene in at the end of the book:

The immediate context of military catastrophe in France, together with the known readiness of some figures in the British establishmentincluding, at the very heart of government, the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifaxto consider such an outcome [as a negotiated peace], and the relatively weak position at this point of the new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, meant it could not be dismissed out of hand. But when three days of debate in the War Cabinet eventually concluded with a firm decision to fight on, it was on the basis of reasoned argument, led by Churchill but accepted by a collective decision of all those involved, including Halifax.

So you know what to do: Go see the movie.
Picking up from where I left off yesterday in Jim Sciuttos got plenty of nothing, I want to invite readers to take a look at the Trump/Steele dossier for themselves. I have embedded it at the bottom of this post.

Consider that the dossier was bought and paid for by the Clinton presidential campaign through the campaigns general counsel at the Perkins Coie law firm, which contracted Fusion GPS, which contracted former British MI-6 officer Christopher Steele at Orbis Business Intelligence, Ltd. Why the cutouts? One might get the impression that the dossier was not to be traced to the Clinton campaign.

Steele was supposed to produce opposition research in the style of an intelligence operation. Drawing on his professional background, he called in part on the friends of Vladimir Putin to deliver the goods on Donald Trump. Steele refers to them in his memos as Source A (a senior Russian Foreign Ministry figure) and Source B (a former top level intelligence officer still active in the Kremlin) and the super mysterious Source E (an ethnic Russian and close associate of Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump). Steele reported that the friends of Vladimir Putin apprised him of Russias efforts to intervene on behalf of Donald Trump in the presidential campaign.

Why, you might ask, would the friends of Vladimir Putin entrust Christopher Steele with the goods on Russias alleged efforts to intervene on behalf of Donald Trump in the presidential campaign? I have not seen a good answer to that question.

Today in dossier news Byron York reports:

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes has issued a subpoena to David Kramer, a former State Department official who, in late November 2016, traveled to London to receive a briefing and a copy of the Trump dossier from its author, former British spy Christopher Steele. Kramer then returned to the U.S. to give the document to Sen. John McCain. Kramer is a senior fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University. McCain later took a copy of the dossier to the FBIs then-director, James Comey. But the FBI already had the document; Steele himself gave the dossier to the bureau in installments, reportedly beginning in early July 2016. McCain, recovering in Arizona from treatments for cancer, has long refused to detail his actions regarding the dossier. For his part, Kramer was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee on Dec. 19. The new subpoena stems from statements Kramer made in that interview. In the session, Kramer told House investigators that he knew the identities of the Russian sources for the allegations in Steeles dossier. But when investigators pressed Kramer to reveal those names, he declined to do so.

Byron has more, all of it worth reading. Byrons reporting tactfully raises the question whether the dossier reflects a Russian disinformation operation. Paraphrasing committee investigators, Byron wonders whether it is likely that all the Russians involved in the attempt to influence the 2016 election were lying, scheming, Kremlin-linked, Putin-backed enemies of America  except the Russians who talked to Christopher Steele? Now that is a good question.

Whatever the case, at this point that one would have to be a knave or a fool to take the Steele dossier at face value. Given the interests involved, however, there is no shortage of either.

Here, in case you havent seen them before, are the memos that constitute the Steele/Trump dossier.

Trump Intelligence Allegations by Grant Stern on Scribd
For today's weather, partly cloudy skies with a high of 29 degrees. Winds will be coming from the northwest at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight, mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low temperatures near about 17 degrees with light and variable winds.

You can read Meteorologist Joe Martucci's full forecast here. You can follow Joe throughout the day as he updates his forecast on Twitter or Facebook.

TODAYS TOP STORIES

The weekend's forecasted cold weather has event organizers reconsidering several first day dips in the ocean.

Multiple fire companies battled a house fire on Somers Landing Road for at least an hour with temperatures in the teens Thursday night, according to John Mooney, chief of the Oceanville Volunteer Fire Co.

A legendary airport robbery recounted in the movie Goodfellas came back to haunt an 82-year-old mobster Thursday, when a judge cited evidence of his role in it while sentencing him to eight years in prison for an unrelated road-rage arson.

On the final Culture Club podcast of 2017, Max and Dan pick their favorite TV shows of 2017. Listen here.

The host EHTHS Eagles edged defending champion Haddonfield 149-147.5 to win the team title at the Arthur O. Marinelli Tournament championship on Thursday. Clearview Regional finished a close third with 146.5 points.

Nick Foles expects to be the Eagles starting quarterback in Sundays regular-season finale against Dallas at Lincoln Financial Field.

What else would you like to see in your Kickstart? Email wdiez@pressofac.com or newstips@pressofac.com

Download the FREE Press of Atlantic City app in iTunes and Google Play.
The current cold snap is causing a commotion, as towns cancel or delay polar plunges, Atlantic Countys Code Blue stretches into January and the threats of snow and record low temperatures linger.

On Thursday, Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian announced the annual Polar Bear Plunge into the ocean was canceled because of safety concerns surrounding the areas extreme cold weather.

The decision was made by the First Night Board of Directors in consultation with the city administration, the police chief and the fire and rescue chief, said Doug Bergen, the citys public information officer.

Cold conditions are, of course, the idea of any polar plunge. But Ocean Citys event attracts about 1,000 people, many who may not be conditioned for the extreme temperatures expected this year, he said.

The decision to cancel came one day after Ventnor decided to cancel its own Polar Bear Plunge.

That decision was made by the events organizer, Mike Weissen, after he consulted the citys mayor and commissioners.

Unlike Ocean City, the plunge in Ventnor is not a city event, according to previous reports.

Later Thursday, Brigantine announced its annual Polar Plunge would be postponed until Jan. 13.

Residents and visitors should not expect warmer temperatures any time soon.

Atlantic County extended its Code Blue alert to Jan. 3 on Thursday following forecasts showing temperatures will remain well below freezing for the next several days.

We have air straight from the Yukon coming down, Press Meteorologist Joe Martucci said. Were going to be in this pattern until at least the first weekend in January.

Snow is also possible Saturday, and temperatures are expected to drop again afterward, Martucci forecasted.

A Code Blue alert comes into effect when temperatures are projected to be 25 degrees or lower without precipitation, 32 degrees or lower with precipitation, or wind chills of 0 degrees or less for a period of two or more hours, according to a statement from the county.

The Code Blue Alert is intended to help municipalities protect people who may be living outdoors or in poorly insulated settings and are at risk for weather-related exposure and death.

Earlier this year, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblymen Bob Andrzejcak and Bruce Land requiring all 21 counties to work with municipal emergency management coordinators to ensure Code Blue plans are in place, which may be carried out by designated volunteer organizations.

The law applies to all municipalities with more than 10 homeless residents.

It also provides a liability shield for churches, nonprofits and volunteers who participate in Code Blue shelter programs.

In Cumberland County, shelters continue to see increases in people staying overnight as the cold streak continues.

Robin Weinstein, the Cumberland County Code Blue Coalition Chair who also is president of the M25 Initiative, a nonprofit that supports Code Blue, said 75 people were staying in shelters in Millville, Bridgeton and Vineland Wednesday night.

He expects that number to increase in the coming days.

Homeless individuals many times make their homes in abandoned houses or cars, he said. Those types of things can only last so long before people look for warmer places.

Tracy Faulkner, director of the Turning Point Day Center for the homeless in Atlantic City, said its typical for more people to come in when its cold outside and they will let people inside in the morning before the center opens if they see people standing outside.

We dont really have to make too many changes because were open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., she said.

But we make sure that everyone here has the information they need about Code Blue Alerts and let them know that they can stay overnight at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. The police usually come and give people free rides there.
ATLANTIC CITY  A former city police detective already convicted for his role in a cocaine trafficking ring was one of two men arrested and charged last week with more than 5,000 of packages of heroin, police said.

Michael Stewart, 58, of Atlantic City, was indicted in 1989 for his involvement with a cocaine distribution ring.

Ten years later, Stewart was charged with drug possession and sentenced to three years in prison and court-ordered drug rehabilitation, according to archives.

Stewart, who appeared in court Thursday, was charged Dec. 22 after a concerned citizen tipped off police to a drug sale on Baltic Avenue.

The six-year veteran of the Police Department was suspended without pay and ordered to resign after pleading guilty to official misconduct, according to Press archives.

Officers stopped a vehicle on Dec. 22 and found Stewart in possession of 350 bags of heroin, police said.

The passenger, Peter Whitted, 46, of Atlantic City, was in possession of 550 bags of heroin, and a search of the vehicle found an additional 87 bricks of heroin, which is equivalent to 50 bags per brick, police said.

Both men were charged with drug possession and intent to distribute and taken to the Atlantic County jail in Mays Landing.
Two bills to encourage volunteers to plant milkweed on state lands to help the monarch butterfly, whose population has fallen 90 percent across the U.S. in the past 20 years, await signing by Gov. Chris Christie.

Christie has not indicated whether he supports them.

The bills would allow people to plant milkweed  the food plants of the monarch caterpillar  in stormwater drainage basins and on other public lands and parks. They would also allow them to adopt tracts of milkweed and nectar plants like goldenrod and other flowers they would then maintain.

While this years monarch migration was stronger through Cape May Point than it has been in four years, it was still below 2012s numbers, according to the Monarch Monitoring Project at New Jersey Audubons Cape May Bird Observatory.

Monarch butterfly numbers up dramatically this year, data show The average hourly count of migrating monarch butterflies through Cape May Point increased to about 95 this year from about 15 last year, according to the Monarch Monitoring Project.

The average hourly count of migrating monarch butterflies through Cape May Point increased to about 95 this year from about 15 last year, according to the project. In 2012, it was 183 per hour.

Its too early to report on numbers of overwintering monarchs in Mexico, where the monarchs that migrate through New Jersey meet up with those that migrate through the Midwest, said Project Director Mark Garland.

We wont know the acreage they cover until sometime in February, Garland said.

They let the monarchs settle and then go in and do a careful survey, Garland said of researchers in the Transvolcanic Mountain Range, about 62 miles north of Mexico City. It takes quite a while.

Chip Taylor, director of Monarch Watch, a nonprofit associated with the University of Kansas, predicted on his blog that the overwintering population will increase from 7.25 acres last year to 10 acres or better this winter.

Late season monarchs put on show at Cape May Point CAPE MAY POINT  So many monarch butterflies are still migrating through the southern tip of

The Midwestern migrants have been hit hardest by population declines, said Kelly Mooij, New Jersey Audubon vice president of government relations.

Its mainly due to habitat loss and pesticides, she said. Farms that used to have a lot of milkweed scattered among crops now eliminate it all through stronger pesticide use and use of seeds impregnated with pesticides.

Garland is leading a CMBO trip Feb. 23 to March 1 to three monarch butterfly reserves in the Transvolcanic Mountain Range. The trip is full and has a waiting list, he said.

We are hoping it will be an annual event, he said.

Milkweeds are the only plants monarchs will lay eggs on, and the only plant their larvae will eat. But as their name implies, they have been considered weeds, and so not wanted by many landowners. Huge swaths of them in open fields have been replaced by housing and other development.

A promising start to monarchs' migration CAPE MAY POINT  Her friends arent surprised when Rebecca Zerlin suddenly calls out Monarc

There are several types of milkweed that can be planted, Mooij said.

Common milkweed is a favorite of monarchs, but its tall and weedier-looking than other natives such as swamp milkweed and butterfly weed, she said.

The neat thing about swamp milkweed is its a great native wetlands species, with the added benefit that it holds onto water, said Mooij. Its good for water quality and will reduce and alleviate flooding issues as well.

The milkweed bills  S1986 and S1732  passed both houses of the Legislature Dec. 7.

Christie leaves office when Gov.-elect Phil Murphy is sworn in at noon Jan. 16. State law says Christie can either sign the bills before then, veto them in full or in part, or do nothing and they will become law.

The governor does not comment on legislation until he takes action, a spokesman said.

For us this is a really commonsense approach to citizens being able to provide support for an amazing species, said Mooij. Her organization was behind the legislation and helped garner support for it.

The programs wont stretch the budget or staffing of the state Department of Environmental Protection, Mooij said.

It enables citizens to make a difference by adopting waystations and doing planting, providing resources, things like that, she said.
As this year closes, there is a lot to be thankful for and hopeful about regarding abusive relations of many kinds.

Several South Jersey women recently talked candidly about their personal experiences as victims of domestic abuse  on camera for videos in our Breaking the Cycle series (still available at pressofac.com). That provides the best kind of help and encouragement to others in abusive relationships.

Their words make clear that victims, the people in their lives and the public need to recognize the many forms domestic violence can take. They must understand the severity and variety of its consequences, and the help that is available. And the responsibility for it must fall squarely on the abusers, freeing the victims to go forward with their lives and society to sharpen its intolerance of abusive actions.

The willingness and courage of victims to go public with their stories is a very good sign that steady progress over decades is leading to a breakthrough. The rate of violence against partners has fallen by two-thirds since 1994, says the U.S. Justice Department, but now Americans seem to be aligning with a social norm that abusive relations of any form arent acceptable.

Domestic abuse is the most acute kind  even with the improvement, it resulted in 52 deaths in New Jersey last year  but many other abuses have been targeted with increased attention and demands for action this year.

Egregious cases of sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood quickly prompted others to come forward with similar allegations against politicians and media stars. Business leaders, right on up to founders and CEOs, were next, and corporations quickly took action against anyone subject to credible accusations.

Last week the trend reached the nonprofit Miss America Pageant and broke into slightly new territory  toxic bosses and management.

In the midst of such dramatic, rapid and profound change, seeing the destination society is headed for is difficult. But the path looks pretty clear.

America seems to have reached a tipping point. A generation of work toward stopping bad behavior  mostly directed against women, but also men, teens, children and people with disabilities  has built awareness and resolve into a storm that strikes with corrective bolts at the most prominent offenders.

This is a thrilling advance in civilization. Sure, care must be taken that its power and enthusiasm dont overshoot and harm innocent people or essential American qualities such as due process and free speech, but human life is changing for the better and everyone is part of it.

And it all started with everyday people seeing a problem and speaking out.
Non-hunters uninformed

The recent stories published in the paper about hunting were interesting, but ultimately not very helpful. Hunters know very well when they are allowed to hunt what kind of prey and with which weapons. They have to obtain a license to pursue their sport. Its the uninformed thousands of people who run, hike, bike, canoe and kayak throughout the state parks and wildlife management areas in the Pine Barrens who need to know when to avoid certain areas for safety reasons.

The states website information on hunting is impossible for non-hunters to navigate, since you need to know which zone particular parks and WMAs are in. While Parker Preserve puts up a notice on the trailheads informing hikers that the area is closed for shotgun week, few other sites do the same.

Perhaps The Press could occasionally publish information on when and where hunting is legal and with what kind of weapon.

Its disconcerting to hear gunshots in the woods or near South Jerseys many waterways and not know if someone is hunting, if its a terrorist attack or if a neighbor is running amok.

Vera C. Stek

Egg Harbor City

Tax reform irresponsible

I support comprehensive tax reform, but I do not support the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

This irresponsible law will add $1.4 trillion to the deficit and could add as much as $1.7 trillion. The development of the bill completely left out Democrats. The proposal relies on magical thinking about economic growth in order to pretend there wont be massive increases to the federal debt, and uses gimmicks to make it look like the changes in law will cost less down the road.

In 1986, the last time Congress did comprehensive tax reform, it was an inclusive, bipartisan process, and the Senate finally passed it by a vote of 97-3.

Congress is took it in the wrong direction and played tricks in order to get it done. They need to go back to the drawing board.

John de la Cretaz

North Cape May

Poll outweighs voters on Trump allegations

There is a theory circulating that the allegations of sexual misconduct against Donald Trump have been judged by the public in the 2016 election. I dont necessarily agree with the theory but Id like to address it.

Trump won the election, but a poll showed more Americans believed the women accusing him than believed Trump. To me that means he lost the case.

Philip Briglia

Linwood
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Guwahati, Dec 22 : Ahead of the publication of a draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam on December 31, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Friday said there was no need to be afraid as there will be ample scope to raise objections if anyone's name does not appear in the document.

He also reviewed the law and order situation in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Gauba said he was in the state to look at the progress of the Supreme Court-monitored NRC in the wake of the apex court order directing its publication before 2017-end, adding a lot of work needs to be done still.

Although the Central government had sought extension of the draft publication date, the Supreme Court directed its publication on or before December 31.

"The updation of the NRC is a massive exercise conducted by the Registrar General of India. The state machinery is getting mobilized for the exercise closely monitored by the Supreme Court.

"While substantial work has already been done, lot of work still needs to be done," said Gauba.

"It has been repeatedly emphasized that this is just a draft. There were 68 lakh applications and the NRC authority had received six crore documents for verification," he said, asking for everyone's cooperation in the exercise.

On the government expressing doubts about part publication of the NRC draft, he said: "It is our duty to place all the facts in the court.

"The NRC exercise was mooted to weed out illegal immigrants from the state," he reiterated.

Meanwhile, the Home Secretary said the India-Bangladesh fencing work will be completed by 2018. "During a meeting, we have reviewed the ongoing border fencing along the India-Bangladesh border. We will complete it by 2018."

He said use of state of the art technology and electronic gadgets on the border have also been discussed in the meeting and that the state has sought trade linkages by opening more integrated check posts along the border in both land and riverine areas.

"We will take up with the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry the construction of 264 km road along the India-Bhutan border. The road will connect Jamduar to Sikaridanga," he said.
Moscow, Dec 22 : Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday met his British counterpart Boris Johnson and said that the ties between the two countries are "at a low point".

Lavrov and Johnson held a joint press conference following their meeting in Moscow in which they openly discussed the policy disagreements between Russia and the UK.

Lavrov said that his government preferred to talk about their differences face-to-face.

"It's no secret relations are not good," Lavrov said, adding, "You prefer to talk about our differences publicly, we prefer to do it face-to-face, not through microphones."

Meanwhile, Johnson -- in the first visit by a British Foreign Secretary to Russia in five years -- said that although it was important to discuss their disagreements, "we musn't let ourselves be defined by these problems", Efe news reported.

He also warned the Kremlin to cease its alleged cyber attacks against the West, saying that the UK had the capability to retaliate in kind.

However, Johnson also stressed the need for the two permanent members of the UN Security Council to cooperate on crucial international matters such as settling the Syrian conflict, fighting to preserve the nuclear deal with Iran and keeping the North Korean threat in check.

Tensions between Russia and the UK have risen in the past few years over issues such as Moscow's military intervention in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, as well as the 2006 murder in London of former Russian intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko, who had defected to the UK.

A criminal inquiry found that Litvinenko had been poisoned with polonium-210, an extremely rare and toxic radioactive element, and concluded that the assassination was sponsored by the Russian state and likely approved by President Vladimir Putin himself.
Chennai, Dec 24 : The massive victory of sidelined AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dinakaran in the Radhakrishnan Nagar (R.K.Nagar) bypoll is a combination of various factors but in any case, a big setback for ruling AIADMK headed by Chief Minister K.Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam as well as the opposition DMK, said political analysts.

Dinakaran contested the by-polls held on December 21 as an independent candidate majorly crossing swords with the ruling AIADMK and the DMK, that was supported by two communist parties, Indian Union Muslim League, MMK, VCK, MDMK and others.

He secured over 89,000 votes and won the seat with a margin of over 40,000 votes.

"The losing parties would complain about voter bribing by Dinakaran. But it is not the only factor that people and also the AIADMK cadres voted in his favour. He was seen as a fighting leader, whereas the ruling party headed by Chief Minister K.Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam were seen as submissive to the central government," political analyst Jhon Arokiasamy told IANS.

He said that the AIADMK cadres seems to have made up their mind to exercise their franchise against the ruling group in order to protect the party's "very existence".

"The government and the party under current leadership is seen as subservient to the Central government. And if this continues, there will be no AIADMK. The cadres at the grass root level want the party to exist," Arokiasamy said.

He said this aspect was drilled into the minds of AIADMK cadres in R.K.Nagar constituency during the door-to-door campaign by Dinakaran supporters.

According to Arokiasamy, the party cadres do not see mass leadership trait in the current AIADMK leadership.

"Earlier they bowed to late Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa and her close aide (and now jailed) V.K.Sasikala. Now they are bowing to BJP," he said.

Arokiasamy said Dinakaran supporter P. Vetrivel's releasing of a video clip of Jayalalithaa purportedly on her hospital bed was a master-stroke, as it sort of absolved the Sasikala-Dinakaran camp of the earlier campaign about Jayalalithaa's health condition in Apollo Hospital.

"Six months back, the cadres would not have gone to back Dinakaran, but now he is seen as a the party's strengthening factor," Ramu Manivannan, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Madras, told IANS.

"The victory of Dinakaran is a bigger setback for DMK as the party was supported by several other parties in this election. Further DMK has 89 legislators in the assembly and losing out to an independent candidate and get ranked third in the election is not an acceptable one," he added.

DMK leader M.K.Stalin seems to be not putting his resources in place and effectively using the 87 legislators - excluding him and his father and DMK President M.Karunanidhi, Manivannan added.

"The DMK has failed to cash on the vacuum in the leadership in AIADMK. An independent candidate has eaten into DMK's vote share is something serious for the party to ponder over," Arokiasamy added.

The by-poll was held on Dec 21, 2017, the day on which DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi and former Telecom Minister A.Raja were acquitted in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

The acquittal of the two leaders from the case that shook the nation seems to have nil impact on the R.K. Nagar voters to favour DMK.

"On the other hand, it seems to have worked in favour of Dinakaran. He is fighting the central and the state government. Late Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa and her close aide V.K.Sasikala (Dinakaran's aunt) were convicted in a corruption case. Now Sasikala is in jail. The ruling AIADMK is bowing to the central government," Arokiasamy said.

The allocation of two leaves symbol by the Election Commission to the AIADMK ahead of the by-poll after it was freezing it for couple of months has not helped the ruling party.

"People saw the candidate and not the poll symbol," Dinakaran told reporters in Madurai. He also predicted that the government headed by Palaniswami will fall in three months time.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of AIADMK and former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016, who represented the seat.

Counting of votes began on Sunday morning and from the start Dinakaran built a considerable lead over major rivals, AIADMK's E.Madhusudhanan, DMK's N.Marudhu Ganesh.

Messages were spread on social media, punning on the candidates' election symbols.

One said: 'Two leaves wilts, Lotus got burnt and Rising Sun did not rise. But the whistle of Pressure Cooker is deafening."

Two leaves is AIADMK's symbol, lotus is BJP's symbol, rising sun is of DMK and pressure cooker is for Dinakaran.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Chennai, Dec 25 : A day after suffering a massive defeat in Radhakrishnan Nagar (R.K.Nagar) bypoll, Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK on Monday removed six party officials and supporters of sidelined leader T.T.V.Dinakaran, who had contested and won the seat as an Independent.

The decision was taken at a high level meeting held at the party headquarters which was attended by party Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.

The six AIADMK District Secretaries who where removed from the party were: P.Vetrivel, V.P.Kalairajan, Parthiban, Muthiah, Thangatamizhselvan and Rengasamy.

The party also dismissed actor C.R.Saraswathi, Pugazhendi (Karnataka unit) and Nanjil Sampath.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Palaniswami said action against party traitors will be taken.

Panneerselvam said the Election Commission should probe the allegation of bribing of voters by Dinakaran.

On a video of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa - which she was undergoing treatment in the Apollo Hospital here in late 2016 - circulated before the polling, he said that none of the ministers had seen her in the hospital where she breathed her last on December 5, 2016.

Reacting to the action taken against him, Thangatamizhselvam told reporters that as per party constitution, only the General Secretary can dismiss a member from the party.
Vatican City, Dec 25 : Pope Francis on Monday called on Christians to pray for all the children living in places ravaged by war and conflict in his traditional Christmas Day message.

In his annual "Urbi et Orbi" (to the City and the World) nativity address, which he delivered from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, the pontiff stressed the importance of recognising Jesus Christ in the children suffering in various ways around the world, Efe news reported.

"Today, as the winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline, Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child and to recognise him in the faces of little children, especially those for whom, like Jesus, there is no place in the inn," the Pope said.

The Pope also urged the congregation to commit to "making our world more human and more worthy for the children of today and of the future".

He said that Jesus could be seen in the faces of children affected by conflicts such as the wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen; by the growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, and by the bloodshed in African countries such as South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Nigeria.

In addition, the Pope called for a de-escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in Venezuela and in Ukraine.

The head of the Catholic church emphasised the struggles of children of unemployed parents, of child soldiers forced to work by "unscrupulous mercenaries" and children forced to emigrate alone who are often targeted by human traffickers.

Furthermore, he expressed hope that the international community would work to ensure that the dignity of persecuted minority groups in Myanmar and Bangladesh is adequately protected.

"Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a place to lay one's head," he said, adding: "May our hearts not be closed as they were in the homes of Bethlehem."

The Pope ended his message by offering a "warm greeting" to people from throughout the world.

"May the birth of Christ the Saviour renew hearts, awaken the desire to build a future of greater fraternity and solidarity, and bring joy and hope to everyone... Happy Christmas," he said
Mumbai, Dec 26 : Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani on Tuesday said the company has achieved full resolution of Reliance Communications' (RCOM) debt, reducing it by Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore by monetising assets.

"We have achieved full resolution that involves Reliance Communications exiting strategic debt recast. What we have achieved, in the face of extraordinary challenges, is truly historic and unprecedented in Indian corporate history. RCOM debt will reduce by Rs 25,000 crore. The entire monetisation process to repay debt of lenders will be completed by January-March 2018 in a phased manner," Ambani told reporters here.

Ambani said that in the debt reduction, there would be no write-off for any lender or bondholder. "There will be no conversion of debt to equity as well," Ambani added. Reliance Communications had close to Rs 45,000 crore debt on its books in October 2017, he had said.

The RCOM stock rose sharply on announcement, closing at 30.78 per cent higher at Rs 21.33.

He said the company had faced a lot of headwinds in the last few months with respect to National Company Law Tribunal.

"It was challenge... how do you really manage 35 global and Indian banks to come on the same page," Ambani said.

Saying that going forward Reliance Communications will be a business-to-business (B2B) company, he added the company achieved this debt restructuring by asset monetisation of wireless business and selling real estate. The new company would have a debt of Rs 6,000 crore representing reduction of over 85 per cent of the total debt.

"RCOM's continuing operations will comprise stable and profitable B2B focused businesses, including Indian and Global Enterprise, Internet Data Centres and the largest private submarine cable network in the world. These B2B businesses are stable, capital light and have sustained and predictable annuity revenues and profits, with immense growth potential amidst relatively low competitive intensity," he said.

The company has worked closely with all lenders and SBI Capital Markets Limited, the advisors appointed by the lenders, to monetise its valuable assets comprising 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands; over 43,000 towers; 178,000 RKM of fiber with pan-India footprint; 248 Media Convergence Nodes, covering 5 million sq ft, used for hosting telecom infrastructure and real estate located in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Jigni and Tirupati.

"The commercial development of the DAKC (Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City) campus will lead to reduction of RCOM's debt by a further Rs 10,000 crore, with the SPV holding the real estate assuming non-recourse long-term debt financing of the said amount," Ambani said.

"The combination of the above transactions will lead to 85 per cent reduction in RCOM's total debt and liabilities, the largest ever in the history of corporate India, and has been achieved in a record 40 working days from the time the plan was presented to lenders," he said.

He said for the new RCOM 50 per cent of revenue will come from outside India.

"Reliance Communications will be now one of the strongest enterprise business of India," Ambani said.

All stakeholders of RCOM, including lenders, bondholders, customers, vendors and employees, and over 1.3 million shareholders will benefit from the fast track debt resolution, a company statement said.

He also said that, according to an estimation done by Credit Suisse, the new RCOM will have an enterprise value of Rs 15,000 crore.
Taipei, Dec 26 : Taiwan's Defence Ministry has called frequent Chinese military drills close to the island an "enormous threat" to its security, in an annual report published on Tuesday.

The Taiwanese Army said this week that China had carried out at least 20 drills with warplanes around Taiwan and Japan, 10 of which were after the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

Taiwan's Defence Minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the report that the growing frequency of the exercises created an enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait, Efe news reported.

President Tsai Ing-wen said last week that the increasing number of drills was affecting regional stability.

The annual defence report stressed Taiwan's preparedness to defend the island in the event of a Chinese attack amid growing tensions with Beijing after Tsai, from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, came to power in May 2016.

Last week, China carried out drills with fighter jets close to Taiwan for three consecutive days.

The report urged "multiple deterrence" and "asymmetric warfare" against the military power of China. It said Taiwan could not compete with China's military budget or its arms development, highlighting that Taiwan deploys 210,000 soldiers compared to China's two million.

The support of the US is key for Taiwan to deter China, although the island has developed a weapons programme, apart from a cyber army command with 1,000 members, according to defence sources.

China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and has threatened to attack the island if it makes a formal declaration of independence.

Taiwan maintains the position that it is a sovereign and independent country under the official name of the "Republic of China" and that it does not need to make a declaration of independence.
Guwahati, Dec 27 : Assamese peasant leader and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi on Wednesday walked out of a district jail and vowed to launch a massive movement against the Centre's move to grant citizenship to the "Hindu Bangladeshis" by passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

"I am happy to come out of the jail today. The charges framed against me by the BJP-led government in Assam were all baseless and this is why the Gauhati High Court has quashed the detention order against me under the National Security Act (NSA)," said Gogoi to the media waiting outside the Goalpara District Jail.

Gogoi was arrested by the Assam Police on charges of sedition on September 23, after he spoke at a public rally at Moran. On September 24, Gogoi was booked under the NSA.

Gogoi who leads the farmers' body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) challenged the detention order under the NSA and the Gauhati High Court has quashed the detention order after hearing the petition filed by Gogoi's counsel.

However, immediately after the High Court's order, the Goalpara police arrested Gogoi and sent him to judicial custody.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Goalpara after hearing the case on Tuesday granted bail to Gogoi.

"The Assam government has alleged that I had links with the ULFA and Maoists and framed me under NSA. However, they failed to prove the charges in the court and hence the court released me," he said adding that there was no democracy in the BJP-ruled Assam.

"The BJP wants to settle the Hindu Bangladeshis in Assam by amending the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. However, we are not going to tolerate any Bangladeshis who had entered the state after March 25, 1971.

"We are going to oppose the move to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Parliament," Akhil said.

Asked about the publication of a part of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), Gogoi said that KMSS wants a flawless NRC which helps in detecting and deporting the illegal Bangladeshis living in the state.
Kolkata, Dec 27 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday launched search operations across three jewellery showrooms of Adrija Gold Corporation which had allegedly obtained long term loans from various Rose Valley Group firms owned by chit fund scam-accused Gautam Kundu.

"We have commenced raid operations at the Adrija Gold Corporation's three showrooms at Howrah, Baguihati and Lake Place in the city," an ED official said.

The agency has been probing the diversion of funds from the Rose Valley Group's deposit taking companies.

According to the official, the agency focused on the jewellery company as it appeared to be one of the channels through which funds were routed from Rose Valley group's main firms.

In 2016, in the Rose Valley chit fund scam case, the Enforcement Directorate attached assets of the company including eight hotels and 12 high-end cars with a value of Rs 1,250 crore.

Thousands of people were allegedly cheated in West Bengal, Odisha and in some northeastern states in the chit fund scam.

Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency had registered an FIR against the company and its Chairman Gautam Kundu in 2014.

Kundu was arrested by the agency in 2015.
Washington, Dec 27 : Former US President Barack Obama has warned against the irresponsible use of social media that fosters division and leads to the "Balkanisation of society", in what was seen as a dig at his successor and prolific tweeter Donald Trump.

Obama was speaking to Britain's Prince Harry in an interview for the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme which was broadcast on Wednesday morning.

Obama warned that the Internet risked reinforcing people's prejudices and leading to a fractured society. "All of us in leadership have to find ways in which we can recreate a common space on the Internet."

He expressed concern about a future where facts are discarded and people only read and listen to things that reinforce their own views.

"One of the dangers of the Internet is that people can have entirely different realities. They can be cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases," he said.

Obama did not mention Trump by name during the interview, which he said was his first since leaving office. However, Trump's campaign and presidency have been characterized by his outspoken use of Twitter.

"The question has to do with how do we harness this technology in a way that allows a multiplicity of voices, allows a diversity of views, but doesn't lead to a Balkanisation of society and allows ways of finding common ground," Obama said in the interview, which was taped in September.

Asked how he felt on the day he left office in January, Obama described mixed feelings. "The sense that there was a completion, and that we had done the work in a way that preserved our integrity and that we hadn't fundamentally changed, I think was a satisfying feeling," he said.

"That was mixed with all the work that was still undone and concerns about how the country moves forward. But overall there was a serenity there."

Obama also paid tribute to former First Lady Michelle Obama, describing her as a "spectacular, funny, warm person" who despite not being politically inclined herself had supported him throughout the process.

After quizzing Obama, Prince Harry said: "I haven't done that many interviews but it was quite fun, especially interviewing President Obama despite the fact he wanted to interview me."
Kiev, Dec 28 : Ukraine and separatist rebels in the east of the country have exchanged hundreds of prisoners, in one of the biggest swaps since the conflict began in 2014.

Around 230 people were sent to rebel-held areas in return for 74 prisoners who had been held by pro-Russia rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, BBC reported on Wednesday.

It was the first swap in 15 months.

The release and exchange of prisoners was one of the points in the Minsk peace agreement, signed in 2015.

The deal has stalled since and analysts say the swap does not signify wider progress. Both sides continue to hold other prisoners.

The number of prisoners swapped was lower than initially announced after dozens of people who were meant to be returned to rebel-held territory refused to go to the other side.

"Some of them have already been released and the charges against them have been cleared by the Ukrainian authorities and then they prefer to stay in the government-controlled side," Miladin Bogetic, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine, told the BBC.

Two Ukrainians - a man and a woman - opted to stay on the rebel side.

The months-long negotiations for the exchange saw the involvement of Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine, as well as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Buses and other vehicles carrying the prisoners assembled at the Mayorsk checkpoint near the city of Horlivka in Donetsk for the swap.

Historian Igor Kozlovskiy, 63, who was captured by Donetsk rebels on suspicion of storing weapons, said: "I was in captivity for two years... Still a lot of prisoners remain (in Donetsk)."

The UK government said the prisoner swap was a "welcome step towards meeting the commitments all sides have made".

The conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in April 2014, soon after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. The UN says more than 10,000 people have died in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Cairo, Dec 28 : Arab League Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Hossam Zaki has said the pan-Arab organisation is optimistic about achieving progress on the situation in war-torn Yemen.

"In spite of the difficult situation in Yemen and the humanitarian crisis there, we are optimistic that progress could be achieved in the Yemeni file next year," he said on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The AL official rebuffed the possibility of holding an Arab-Iranian dialogue in an endeavour to bring a solution to the Yemeni crisis, noting that Iran is interfering in Arab affairs.

"Threats by Iran do not go in harmony with the calls for dialogue," he pointed out.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile.

The war has killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children, and displaced 3 million others, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The United Nations has listed Yemen as the world's number one humanitarian crisis, with 7 million Yemenis on the brink of famine and cholera causing more than 2,000 deaths.
Canberra, Dec 28 : The Australian government has spent more than $8 billion on weapons and military equipment from the US in the past four years, a report has found.

More than half of the money was spent on Information Technology (IT), telecommunication, broadcasting, engineering and research contracts, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) analysis, released on Thursday, found that from 2012-13 through 2016-17, $8.01 billion were spent by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) on US Foreign Military Sales (FMS).

The sales were administered by the US Department of Defence which has responsibility over the transfer of American equipment and weapons.

Andrew Davies, a defence expert from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), said the figure was not surprising considering technological advancements within the ADF.

"We've been buying a lot of systems, from America in particular, because we're in the middle of recapitalising the Air Force and also buying weapons that help support the operations in Iraq and Syria," Davies said.

Although, the government has announced its intention to create a sovereign defence industry, Davies said that the defence force would continue to rely on the US for the foreseeable future.
New Delhi : Amidst border tension, India steps up to be net security provider, pushes defence manufacturing (2017 in Retrospect)

By Anjali Ojha

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) Amidst tension on both the eastern and western borders, and continuing terror attacks, India in 2017 took a step toward playing the role of the "net security provider" in the region and also pushing domestic defence manufacturing in the country.

The year also saw India getting its first full-time woman Defence Minister in Nirmala Sitharaman who, since taking over, has visited a number of installations across the country, including the forward areas. The minister also started a new norm of meeting the services chiefs daily and vowed to clear all pending projects under consideration of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) by year-end by holding fortnightly meetings.

The year saw India bring in a new system to push the private sector in defence manufacturing in the country, with a chapter on Strategic Partnership being added to the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) in May.

The first contract under this arrangement, where an Indian private company will be selected for tying up with a foreign company to manufacture certain crucial defence equipment, is yet to be signed.

India being the largest importer of arms -- accounting for 13 per cent of global arms imports between 2012 and 2016 -- both former Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and his successor Sitharaman have talked about the significance of domestic defence manufacturing and the need for the country to have more local components in its military equipment.

Ceasefire violations spurted along the India-Pakistan frontier, with 771 being reported on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir -- that is under the Army's operational control -- up to December 10 this year. This is a three-fold rise compared to 228 by Pakistani forces in 2016.

Along the India-China border, while no bullets have been fired in 40 years, a 73-day stand-off was witnessed at Doklam in Sikkim over the building of a road by the Chinese military in the area that is claimed by Bhutan. Indian troops stalled the work citing the disputed status of Doklam and its proximity to a key artery in the northeast. The crisis was resolved on August 28 after both the armies retreated from the point of the face-off.

As the two nations were in a wait-and-watch mode, Indian Army tightened its preparedness at the eastern border and so did China. The period also saw a scuffle between Chinese and Indian soldiers in Ladakh and a spurt in the number of Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean.

Submarines and ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) have maintained a regular presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in the name of conducting anti-piracy patrols, with an average of seven to eight PLAN ships in the region at any given time. But, in August, for about two weeks there were 14 Chinese Naval ships in the IOR, which has been attributed to the vessels heading for an exercise, and a changeover in anti-piracy patrol duties.

Maritime security came in the forefront of India's defence and diplomatic negotiations with a number of friendly nations, and the trilateral Malabar naval exercise between India, the US and Japan from July 9-17 that saw China bristling.

The Indian Navy re-oriented its deployment philosophy to Mission-Based-Deployments to fit its role of being a "net security provider" in the region and had its ships in international waters from the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden in the west to the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman sea in the east on permanent deployment.

A total of 65 Indian Navy warships had been deployed at various times on anti-piracy operations till December 17, safely escorting more than 3,788 ships, including 405 Indian ships. Till date the Indian Navy has thwarted 44 piracy attempts and apprehended 120 pirates.

Maritime security also remained in the forefront of India's diplomatic and defence engagements with a number of countries, including the US, France and Singapore, which has offered its Changi Naval base close to South China Sea to India for logistic support to Indian Navy ships.

While Malabar saw India's prominent naval exercise with the US, India and Russia held their first ever tri-services exercise -- Indra--in 2017.

The armed forces also pitched in for search, rescue and relief operations after a number of natural disasters in the country, including flood relief operations in several states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Bihar, the Ockhi cyclone in Kerala and also in providing aid to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Some progress, though small, was made in the inclusion of women in the armed forces. The three women fighter pilots inducted in the Indian Air Force in 2016 continued their second phase of training and two more women fighter pilots -- Flying Officers Shivangi Singh and Pratibha -- were inducted in the force this year.

Six women officers of the Indian Navy, meanwhile, started their circumnavigation -- Navika Sagar Parikrama -- on an Indian-built sailing vessel, INSV Tarini, the first by an Indian all-women's crew under sail. The expedition was flagged off from Goa in September and is likely to conclude in March 2018.

Also in September, the Indian Army announced it would induct women in the Corps of Military Police.

(Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in)
Chennai, Dec 28 : Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday summoned the state Legislative Assembly to meet on January 8.

The duration of the session would begin with Purohit's customary address that would be decided by the Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly.

The first session of 2018 will see sidelined AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dinakaran entering the house as an Independent member.

On December 21, Dinakaran won the by-election for the Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency, trouncing AIADMK and DMK candidates.

In addition, this will be the first session post the disqualification of 18 lawmakers owing allegiance to Dinakaran by Speaker P. Dhanapal.

The 18 legislators were disqualified for submitting a memorandum to the state Governor seeking a change of Chief Minister in the place of K. Palaniswami.
Ankara, Dec 28 : Turkish police on Thursday detained at least 38 people over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) terror group in the city of Bursa.

Counter-terrorism units launched simultaneous operations in various areas in Bursa earlier in the day, reports Xinhua news agency.

Turkey has lately tightened operations against IS suspects while stepping up security measures across the country as the New Year is approaching.

Twelve suspects, who were allegedly planning to carry out lone-wolf attacks during New Year celebrations by using vehicles and knives, were captured in the southern province of Adana on Tuesday.

Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national, shot dead 39 people at Istanbul's Reina nightclub on New Year's Eve last year. The IS claimed responsibility.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said he has in the past tried negotiating with terrorists and can now "accept the challenge" of brokering peace between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

The comments of the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs came after members from various opposition parties complained about the "elected government of Delhi being deprived of all powers by the Centre" and the constant friction between the Lt Governor and Delhi Chief Minister, as the former wields all the administrative powers.

"In the four decades of my public life, I faced many challenges. I have tried to negotiate with terrorists, etc. This (dealing with Kejriwal) is going to be a difficult one but I will accept your challenge and try and negotiate," Puri told the Rajya Sabha.

"Maybe, I invite both of them for a lunch or something and will try and sort this out," he added after Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien asked Puri to "sort out the friction between Lt Governor and Delhi Chief Minister".

Kejriwal and Puri exchanged some heated official communication on the issue of hike in fares of the Delhi Metro in October this year. While Kejriwal demanded a rollback of the hike, Puri categorically declined it citing the mechanism of the Fare Fixation Committee.

Earlier, as the House discussed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Third Amendment) Bill, 2017, many members raised the issue of division of powers between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor and said that the latter wielded all the powers and not the elected government.

While members from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI-M and the CPI forcefully stressed the need to give more powers to the Delhi government, Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Agarwal went on to say that the Lt Governor treats Delhi Chief Minister like a "chaprasi" (peon).

Veteran Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also raised the issue of the Delhi Chief Minister not being invited at the inauguration of the Delhi Metro's Magenta line a few days back.

"Every person with a common sense was heard saying that this (not extending invitation) was not proper," Yadav said as he cited an example of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee once declining to go to the inauguration of a project in a state until its Chief Minister was invited.

The House later unanimously passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Third Amendment) Bill, 2017 that extends the validity of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 till December 31, 2020.

In simple terms, the extension of the law would defer any action against the unauthorised colonies and slum clusters in the city for another three years -- till 2020.
Ranchi/New Delhi, Dec 28 : The Sashastra Seema Bal(SSB) on Thursday said it has apprehended a "hardcore" Maoist in a joint operation with police in Ranchi.

Manoj Bhokta, 22, was held on Wednesday in a joint operation launched by the 26th Battalion of SSB and the state police following a tip-off, and a pistol, a country-made pistol, six live cartridges and one motorcycle were recovered from his possession.

He, along with the recovered arms, was handed over to Hazaribagh police, the SSB official said.

A resident of Chatra district in Jharkhand, Bhokta belongs to Sashastra People's Morcha -- a splinter group of Maoists, he said.

The official said the paramilitary force on December 26 also arrested a 35-year-old Maoist Bijoy Karmali -- a member of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Parishad -- in a similar operation launched in Lurunga area in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district.
Kohima, Dec 28 : Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday arrived here to review the security situation in poll-bound Nagaland.

Elections to the 60-member Nagaland assembly are scheduled to be held in February next year.

Soon after he landed at the Dimapur airport, Gen. Rawat reviewed the prevailing law and order situation at the army's Spear Corps headquarters in Dimapur.

He will also call on Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang to discuss vital aspects pertaining to the state and visit important locations in Nagaland apart from Assam and Manipur.

Besides the prevailing security situation in these states, facilitating the ongoing peace process as well as improving employment generation opportunities will also figure in the discussions.

During the visit, the Army chief will be accompanied by Lieutenant General Abhay Krishna, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command, and Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan, General Officer Commanding Spear Corps.

The Spear Corps, besides undertaking extensive Counter Insurgency operations in the three northeast states -- Nagaland, Assam and Manipur, is also responsible for conduct of operations along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh.

During the visit, Rawat will undertake an appraisal of operations of Spear Corps along the Line of Actual Control as well as Counter Insurgency Operations.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : The Congress on Thursday said it supports the triple talaq Bill but suggested that it be strengthened in favour of Muslim women and the law must ensure that subsistence allowance and maintenance to the women and the children is not stopped.

"Congress was the first political party to welcome the Supreme Court's decision to ban the practice of instant triple talaq and that this is a firm step towards the protection of women's rights," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

The party supported the law to ban instant triple talaq and "we believe that there is a need to strengthen this law". "We have certain suggestions to strengthen it to protect the rights of these women," he said.

Surjewala said Section 5, which was proposed in this law, stated that 'subsistence allowance would be given to Muslim women'.

"But we want to ask how much that allowance would be, and what are parameters for deciding it? What percentage of it would be taken from the husband's income? These things are not mentioned in this bill. This needs to be mentioned and considered to secure the rights of women," he said.

Surjewala also said that in the Muslim Woman Protection of Rights on Divorce Act, 1986, sections 3 and 4 already spoke about maintenance, "but the current bill does not".

"This bill also does not mention that if the woman is provided subsistence allowance, then will she also be provided with maintenance. This has to be included in the new law so that the woman is not denied maintenance by her husband which is clearly mentioned in sections 3 and 4 of the 1986 Act," he added.

He said that under the proposed law, the responsibility of proving triple talaq had been put on the woman. "Why can't this responsibility be shifted to the husband? The government should give a thought on these points which will make this law even more solid," he said.

Surjewala added that this law also stated that the accused would be put behind bars for three years.

"But the government should think that if the man, on whom there is the responsibility of providing subsistence and maintenance, is in jail, how will the children and the woman get the allowance and who will then be responsible for providing that amount?

"It is also not mentioned that if the husband does not have any tangible property then how will the woman and children survive? These points have to be considered by the government for the welfare of women," he said.

The Congress leader said the Bill needed to be strengthened in favour of women and Muslim women per se. "The concern that the Congress has expressed... have any punishment that you want... but ensure that the subsistence allowance under this act and maintenance under the 1986 Act for the children and Muslim women is not stopped.

"If the person, who is supposed to pay maintenance as also subsistence allowance, is in jail, does this Bill ensure that both maintenance and subsistence allowance would be recovered from his estate or property. The answer is no," he added.

"... Can such a provision be made, the government should consider it. What if the property is joint. Does the Bill provide that the property can be divided and maintenance paid. The answer is no. Should the government consider it. The answer is yes."

Surjewala also asked what if the person did not have enough property to pay for that subsistence allowance and maintenance, "has the government made any other provision, the answer is no".

All issues of payment of maintenance and subsistence allowance had been placed and the government would have to answer to those, he added.
Jaipur, Dec 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Rajasthan on January 14 to lay the foundation stone for Rs 43,129-crore Barmer refinery, and later in the month he would visit Jhunjhunu, which has won recognition under the "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" programme.

Talking to IANS, Additional District Magistrate O.P. Bishnoi said the administration was making security arrangements for Modi's expected visit. However, he added that confirmation of the Prime Minister's visit was still expected.

Modi is also likely to visit Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan at the end of January or in the first week of February.

Dinesh Kumar Yadav, the Jhunjhunu District Collector, said the Women and Child Health Department had conveyed that the Prime Minister might visit Jhunjhunu on January 22, or in the first week of February.

The Jhunjhunu administration has started making preparations for Modi's visit.

Modi had flagged off the ambitious Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme on January 22, 2015, from Panipat in Haryana.

Jhunjhunu has won awards at the national level for registering success in improving its skewed sex ratio.

Jhunjhunu has also been ranked among the 10 best performing districts under the programme in the country.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia called a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the preparations and security arrangements during the visit of PM Modi in Barmer.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Ashok Jain, O.P. Galhotra and Additional Chief Secretary N.C. Goyal, among several other senior officers.
Harare, Dec 28 : Zimbabwe's former Army commander Constantino Chiwenga, who led a military takeover that saw former President Robert Mugabe ousted, was sworn in on Thursday as one of the southern African country's Vice Presidents.

Chiwenga was sworn into office as joint Vice President alongside former Minister of National Security Kembo Mohadi, who following the takeover in November was named Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at President Emmerson Mnangagwa's palace in the capital, the public broadcaster ZBC reported.

According to critics, Chiwenga's appointment as Vice President was considered a reward for his role in getting Mugabe to step down after 37 years in power.

Chiwenga resigned from his position as head of the Army days after Mugabe removed himself as President on November 21, paving the way for Mnangagwa, former Vice President under Mugabe, to become Zimbabwe's new President.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Jordan on Thursday called for an increased role for India in the Middle East peace process while appreciating New Delhi's support for a two-state solution to end the Palestinian conflict.

"We also value an increased role for India in our region," Jordan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Ayman Al Safadi said while delivering the 27th Sapru House Lecture organised by the Indian Council for World Affairs here.

"Your support for our efforts to end regional crisis and bring about stability has had a tremendous impact," Safadi said. "We strongly appreciate your support for the two-state solution."

After US President Donald Trump this month recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution opposing this, India went along with the rest of the world and voted for an Arab resolution against Washington's decision in the UN General Assembly.

Stating that the two-state solution is the only path to bring about peace, Safadi said that the Palestinians too agree that conflict is the root cause of instability in the region.

"Its resolution on the basis that guarantees establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is the key to this," he said.

"The injustice of occupation has persisted for far too long. It has caused so much pain and indignity. It has to end so that this pain and anger that it produces can give way to hope and to promise."

Stating Jerusalem is a city of peace and is of tremendous importance to three religions, the Jordanian Minister said: "By international law, East Jerusalem is an occupied territory and the final status of Jerusalem must be determined through direct negotiations."

He said that peace is a "strategic choice" for Jordan and all Arab nations and everybody should work together to achieve this.

Safadi said that the Arab peace initiative is the most comprehensive solution to bring comprehensive peace in the region by bringing reconciliation between Israel and all Arab countries.

Stating that the Israeli occupation was the greatest injustice, he said that the threats it posed are enormous, including the lack of job opportunities.

Regarding foreign interventions in the matter, he said "in the Arab world, we want relations based on mutual respect".

Stating that terrorism "threatens all of us", he said that terrorists do not represent Islam.

"We are happy that Daesh (Islamic State) has been defeated in Syria. Daesh have lost all territorial control," Safadi said. "But foreign terrorists are leaving (Syria) now and pose a security threat to all of us."

He said that with terrorists using the the social media to spread their messages, "we must create a counter-narrative".

The Jordanian Minister said that Syria continues to be an open wound and still has a long way to go.

"There is only a political solution to it and the talks in Geneva should go on," he said Safadi also said that region cannot continue fall into an abyss and sectarian conflicts cannot be allowed.

"We have to have the support, we have to have the engagement of our partners in the international community and India is such a power that has a tremendous role, enjoys tremendous respect across the region. It has historically been a voice for peace and reconciliation," he said.

Regrading India-Jordan bilateral ties, Safadi said that Jordan's King Abdullah II, who will be visiting India next year, wants to see ties expand in every field, be it in Trade, investment, tourism, education, cultural exchanges and intelligence and security cooperation as both countries face the common enemy of terrorism.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday led a protest in the Parliament over Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde's "amend the Constitution" remarks as the party said "there is a systematic sinister attack on the Constitution, its ethos and the value system by BJP and RSS".

All Congress MPs joined Gandhi in the protest over Hegde's remark.

"The Congress Party's protest today (Thursday) was on a systematic sinister attack on the Constitution, Constitutional ethos and the value system "..as also an attack on the rights of the oppressed and downtrodden sections of the populace that is being systematically engineered by BJP, RSS and their ministers," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewal.

Surjewala said the statement of the Minister should not be treated as an isolated instance.

"None less than RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat had advocated abolition of reservation. The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe sub-plan which is part of the 'Jadav Committee' has been abolished by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

"The backlog of Scheduled Caste vacancies is at 93 per cent high, the recruitment of members of SC, OBCs and STs in the government jobs has gone down by 80 per cent. The Scheduled Caste schemes have been drastically reduced by over a 100 per cent," he added.

Surjewala also said the rights of the oppressed and downtrodden are being diluted and the ultimate dilution being the attack on the reservation.

"Congress was protesting against the same. Many other political parties joined us inside the Parliament yesterday.

"We will carry all opposition parties, every individual and every political group who believes that the ethos of the Constitution and the rights of the oppressed classes cannot be compromised," said Surjewala.
Thiruvananthapuram, December 28 : Ranking IPS officer and former vigilance chief Jacob Thomas, who is under suspension over his alleged anti-government remarks, has taken a fresh dig at the CPI(M)-led LDF government.

In a facebook post on Thursday, Jacob Thomas alleged that the state government frittered away crores of taxpayers money to take out advertisements on the occasion of the governments first anniversary and to erect flex boards advertising government programmes and achievements.

In a post titled Lesson Two: Accounts for the future, he wrote that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government expended Rs. 3 crores to take out newspaper and television advertisements to mark the first anniversary of the government coming to power.

The post also alleges that the government took Rs. 5 crore more from the state exchequer for erecting flex boards and for the proposed reality show We Forward, which will feature chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and will be anchored by mediaperson-turned-CPI(M) legislator Veena George.

The reality show is conceived as a weekly show meant to tom-tom the achievements of the LDF government over the last year and a half.

In a swipe at the government, Jacob Thomas concludes the facebook post with the pejorative phrase advertisement schemes for the welfare of the people.

The IPS officer had earlier kicked up a row by puting up a facebook post titled Lesson One alleging that the Rs. 7,340 crore financial package the state government had sought from the centre for the relief and rehabilitation of cyclone victims in coastal areas was an inflated figure and that Rs. 700 crore would suffice for the purpose.

Finance minister Thomas Isaac had then hit back at Mr. Thomas, saying that the IPS officer was acting out of ignorance and failed to realise that the financial assistance the state government requested for from the centre was not just for the relief of the victims of cyclone ockhi but also for a holistic rehabilitation scheme for the welfare of the people living in coastal areas.

Jacob Thomas is presently placed under suspension by the LDF government over his alleged anti-government remarks at an anti-corruption day function on December 9.

An internal probe by the government had reportedly found Mr. Thomas comments at the anti-corruption day function inflammatory in nature with the potential to incite hostile feelings among the public towards the government.

At the function, the ranking IPS officer had come down on the LDF government over its alleged ham-handed handling of the search and rescue operations in the wake of the havoc wreaked by cyclone ockhi in the coastal areas of the state, especially in the state capital.

According to the government, Mr. Thomas critique of the governments handling of the cyclone disaster had the potential to exacerbate the already volatile situation in the coastal areas of Poonthura and Vizhinjam.
Mumbai, Dec 28 : In a milestone development, an aircraft carrying perishable items arrived from Kabul at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here, marking the launch of a dedicated air freight corridor between India and Afghanistan, an official said on Thursday.

The initiative was planned during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Afghanistan when he met Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani in September 2016.

The connectivity was subsequently implemented by Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao and Afghanistan Vice President Danish Sarwar, providing the landlocked country (Afghanistan) greater access to markets in this state (Maharashtra).

"It will permit Afghan businessmen to leverage economic growth, enhance trade networks and offer their farmers direct connection to the markets in western India for their perishable goods," a CSMIA spokesperson said.

The flight, carrying 40 tonne fresh apples, arrived here on Wednesday from Kabul and returned on Thursday with a cargo of 20 tonne bananas and 20 tonne fresh tomatoes from Mumbai.

The current trade volume between the two countries stands at roughly $350 million with a goal to increase it to around $1 billion in the next three years.

While India exports man-made filaments, apparel and clothing accessories, pharmaceuticals, cereals, man-made staple fibres, dairy and poultry products, spices, Afghanistan sends fresh fruits, dried fruits and nuts, vegetables, oil seeds, precious and semi-precious stones among others.

Earlier, transportation of perishable goods by road was impractical due to logistical problems and increased costs as they passed through various states.

The newly-inaugurated Kabul-Mumbai air freight corridor resolves that problem and has received a tremendous response from traders in both countries.

With the likely increase in the frequency of cargo exchange in the coming months facilitated through the CSMIA, India-Afghanistan will strengthen their trade relations and become long-term business partners.
Dhaka, Dec 28 : Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj on Thursday disagreed with the oft spoken concept of a "golden era" in music, saying there is a time in every generation which can be called its finest.

"There is golden age in every era. It's not that there was a golden age yesterday, and today it is not there. There is a golden period now also and in this moment," Jasraj told a select group of mediapersons at the Bengal Classical Music Festival where he is performing for the first time.

"I think the time we are in, any era, is the golden period because 100 years earlier we do not know what used to happen. We tell from what we read. But we are not accurate about it. Jo dekhte hai, jo sunte hai, jo mehsus karte hai hum batate hai (what we see, hear and feel is what we say)," said the 87-year old fifth generation classical vocalist of the Mewati gharana.

Jasraj said during his formative years, people used to listen to the greats back then and gloat over their craft saying this will never come back. But the audiences now equally revel in the afterglow of today's maestros.

"When we used to listen to renowned musicians, we liked them and there people used to say 'aaha ustaad, panditji...this won't be replicated again.

"But today, they say the same thing listening to even youngsters who are good that 'ustadji aapne kya kar dia (what magic did you do)? Why do these things happen. It's because the moment we are standing in is the golden period.

"Even if its not the golden period, we can make it the golden period," he said.

Sitting beside the Sangeet Martand, his daughter and television figure Durga Jasraj underlined the argument by recounting an incident where her father used his vocal powers to drum up a dust storm and bring rains during a private concert in New Delhi.

"I have witnessed his journey very closely. We have read about Tansen ji's 'die jaale', 'baarish hui' ...I have experienced that with his music.

"He has made us believe that golden period is what you make of it many times. I will give you one incident. It was May and it was a full moon night in Delhi. Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister. His biggest advisor had called us at his residence for some inauguration.

"At his house, the Who's Who of Delhi was there. He said: 'I will sing Dhulia Malhar' and described that it is sung before the monsoon and that it means a duststorm will come before it starts raining. I was on the stage with him wondering why was he singing Dhulia Malhar in May. Trust me, he sang and within 20 minutes there was a dhul ki aandhi (duststorm) from nowhere and it rained and how," she narrated.

Asked about the scenario of Indian classical music, Jasraj said there is enough patronage for today's artists and that is the reason there are so many youngsters taking up the genre.

"Indian classical music is in good hands. The patronisation is also very good. From India, you see mostly young artists coming to perform.

"The other day (at the festival), we saw two youngsters (flute-sitar jugalbandi by Rakesh Chaurasia and Purbayan Chatterjee) combining so well. If they are playing so well this early in their careers, it shows good patronisation is there. Public support is there that's why they are such good artists."

He also indirectly praised the BJP government at the centre, saying because of it, India is living in peace these days.

"We are living in a peaceful environment today and there is no infighting (among musicians). That also helps us make better music."

(Debayan's visit to Dhaka is at the invitation of the Bengal Classical Music Festival's organisers)
Srinagar, Dec 28 : Three militants of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Thursday, police said here.

The three, arrested by the security forces in the district's Kunzar area, include one Pakistani national and two locals. Some arms and ammunition were also recovered from them.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill that criminalises instant divorce with three years of imprisonment for Muslim husbands after the government rejected an overwhelming demand from the Opposition to refer the legislation to a Parliamentary standing committee for detailed consideration.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was passed by a voice vote after rejecting a resolution moved by Revolutionary Socialist Party member N.K. Premachandran that the legislation be circulated for public opinion.

Various amendments moved by opposition members, including Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) and Premachandran, were negatived in divisions.

The government's determination to get the Bill passed could be gauged from the fact that it was introduced in the morning and taken up for consideration in the afternoon by suspending relevant rules and then passed in the evening by sitting late beyond the scheduled close of the House.

Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill and later piloted it in the Lok Sabha, said history was being created today.

He said the issue was not of religion or faith but of "gender justice and gender equality" and appealed to all the parties to rise above political considerations and politics of votebank. "Women are seeing that justice will be done to them. Let us speak in one voice that we are for gender justice and gender equity and pass the Bill unanimously," Prasad said, winding up the discussion.

He said instances of instant triple talaq continue despite the Supreme Court ruling it as unconstitutional in August this year. The bill seeks to declare pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat (three pronouncements of talaq at one go) by Muslim husbands void and illegal in view of the Supreme Court verdict.

Prasad said while Justice Rohington Nariman and U.U. Lalit held in their judgment in August that instant divorce was unconstitutional and the government should look at bringing a law, Justice Kurian Joseph had observed that what is a sin in Islamic laws cannot be legal.

The Minister saw no justification in the demand for referring the Bill to a standing committee saying the affected Muslim women were crying for justice and were fully backing it. He said there was contradiction in members wanting it to be referred to a standing committee and some arguing why it was not brought earlier.

The Bill makes the act of pronouncing talaq-e-biddat punishable offence. There is provision for subsistence allowance from the husband for the livelihood and daily supporting needs of the wife as also of the dependent children. The wife would also be entitled to the custody of minor children.

Intervening in the debate, Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar said time was now ripe for the passage of the legislation in the interest of Muslim women. He recalled an instance of a British journalist interviewing the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after the passage of the Hindu code Bill when she asked when would the government introduce reforms in Muslim laws.

Nehru was not opposed to reforms of Muslim personal laws but merely said the time was not opportune then, Akbar said. "That time has come now."

Though Opposition members, including from the Congress, supported the legislation, they wanted it to be referred to a parliamentary committee so that several lacunae can be removed and the provisions strengthened in favour of Muslim women. The law must ensure that subsistence allowance and maintenance to the women and the children was not stopped, they felt.

Some felt that the BJP government was in a haste to pass the Bill not because of its concern for Muslim women but because it sees this as a first step towards bringing in a uniform civil code. They wanted the measure to be given up immediately.

During the debate, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi accused the Congress of appeasing Muslims and said there is a need for codification of Muslim personal laws in the country.

"They (Congress) always did appeasement politics for which the country has paid for 30 years and today we have this chance. If we lose this chance today we will not have another chance.," she said.

"Codification of Islamic law is needed in this country. No one knows what is Sharia, Talaq-e-Biddat... No one knows the difference," she added.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued directions to thermal power plants to ensure compliance with its revised implementation plan for installation of flue gas de-sulphurisation (FGD) and other emission control equipment, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

Power Minister R.K. Singh told the Lok Sabha in a written reply said the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) had submitted a revised phased implementation plan to be implemented by 2022 for installing flue gas de-sulphurisation in plants for 414 units with a total capacity of 1,61,402 MW, and upgradation of electrostatic precipitators in 222 plants for a capacity of 64,525 MW.

"The CPCB has issued directions on 11.12.2017 to thermal power plants to ensure compliance as per the revised plan submitted by the Power Ministry," the Minister said.

"The CPCB has informed that the plants which do not have space for setting up of flue gas de-sulphurisation (FGD) systems are to explore alternate technologies such as dry sorbent injection or use of low sulphur coal to comply with the new norms," he added.

To meet the new emission limits for sulphur oxides, thermal power plants are required to install flue-gas desulphurisation, a technology that helps remove sulphur dioxide from the exhaust gases.

The industry has voiced concern about this technology being expensive and that it would take years for them to install it without affecting operations.

Under the earlier plan, thermal power plants were required to start complying with the new standards by December 7, 2017.
Naypyidaw, Dec 28 : Two foreign journalists who were jailed for flying a drone near Myanmar's Parliament will be released on January 5, the authorities said on Thursday.

The crew -- cameraman Lau Hon Meng from Singapore and Malaysian reporter Mok Choy Lin -- work for Turkish broadcaster TRT and were detained in Myanmar while shooting a documentary in October, the BBC reported.

Their interpreter Aung Naing Soe and driver Hla Tin, both from Myanmar, will also be released. All four were serving a two-month sentence for breaching anti-aircraft laws in the country.

Further charges, which could have led to years in jail, were dropped.

In addition to the alleged violation of the anti-aircraft act, the four were investigated for breaching rules on importing the drone without a licence. The two journalists were also accused of immigration offences.

TRT insisted that the Myanmar authorities had been informed about the planned filming activities. The Myanmar police said they dropped the additional charges because the journalists "had not endangered national security".

Myanmar has over the past years seen increasing curbs on press freedom, especially on issues around the powerful military.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi will visit Himachal Pradesh on Friday to review the poll debacle which saw the BJP wresting the state from the party with a comfortable majority in the recently-concluded assembly elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comfortably beat the Congress, winning 44 of the 68 seats. The Congress won 21 in the hill state where it had previously held 36. Two seats went to Independents and another was taken by the CPI-M.

Rahul Gandhi will meet the MLAs, assembly election nominees and district presidents at 11.30 a.m. on Friday at state party headquarters Rajiv Bhawan in Shimla and analyse the party's poor showing in the election.

At 2.00 p.m., Rahul Gandhi will also attend a party workers' meeting.

Even though outgoing Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural) won their respective seats, the party suffered a drubbing in the state.
Jaipur, Dec 28 : The Election Commission on Thursday announced by-elections to the Lok Sabha constituencies of Alwar and Ajmer as well as Mandalgarh assembly seat of Rajasthan on January 29, 2018. The counting will take place on February 1.

The last date of filing nominations is January 10 and date for scrutiny is January 11. The last date of withdrawing candidature is January 15.

While the Congress has declared Karan Singh Yadav's candidature for Alwar parliamentary constituency, the BJP is still undergoing rounds of discussions to finalise the list of candidates for these elections.

Bypolls to West Bengal's Uluberia parliamentary seat and Noapara Assembly seat will also be held simultaneously.

With the announcement of bypolls, the Model Code of Conduct comes into force with immediate effect "in the district(s) in which the whole or any part of the Parliamentary or Assembly Constituency" going for bypolls is included.

The Commission has decided to use EVMs and VVPATs at all polling stations.

"Adequate number of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the polls are conducted smoothly with the help of these machines," EC's Principal Secretary Sumit Mukherjee said.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Alwar Member of Parliament Mahant Chand Nath had passed away on September 17 after a prolonged illness.

Earlier, BJP's Ajmer MP Sanwar Lal Jat had collapsed in the MLAs and MPs meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah in Jaipur on July 22. Jat breathed his last at AIIMS, Delhi, on August 9.

In the same month, BJP's Mandalgarh legislator Kirti Kumari passed away on August 28 in Jaipur while being treated for influenza A (H1N1) or swine flu.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will on Friday chair a pre-Budget consultation meeting with financial sector regulators, according to official sources on Thursday.

Finance Ministry sources here said that Jaitley would chair the meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) which is likely to discuss issues related to the fiscal position, external sector environment, financial sector reforms, rising non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, in the banking system and regulatory matters in the run-up to the Union Budget presentation in February.

The FSDC members include the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor as well as heads of regulatory bodies like Sebi for the capital markets and IRDAI for the insurance sector.

Senior Finance Ministry officials would also be attending Friday's meeting, the sources said.

They also said that apart from offering proposals for the forthcoming Budget, the FSDC would also review the measures taken by the government and the RBI for dealing with NPAs and initiating insolvency proceedings against defaulting promoters.

The government announced on Wednesday that it will undertake additional market borrowing of Rs 50,000 crore in the remaining period of the current fiscal to meet expenditure, raising concerns about it being able to meet the fiscal deficit target for the year.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : The teachers' body at JNU on Thursday slammed the administration's "compulsory attendance" decision as a "malicious" act to create a problem "where none exists", maintaining that it was taken despite objections of several teachers.

In a circular dated December 21, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration informed the students of attendance being made compulsory from the upcoming winter session.

The circular said that the decision was taken as per a resolution passed in the 144th Academic Council (AC) meeting held on December 1.

However, the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) said no decision was taken on the said matter and when the proposal was put through the Council, it was "met with dissent".

"The overwhelming opinion among teachers of the University is that the diktat for compulsory attendance seeks to manufacture a problem where none exists," the JNUTA said in a letter to the 'Compulsory Attendance Committee', formed after the AC meeting to elicit recommendations on the issue and take decision.

"The JNUTA also looks to your Committee to bury the malicious motivation behind this unilateral announcement of compulsory attendance -- namely, that there exists a problem that has to be addressed. There is none. We believe the motive is what has become routine since February 2016 -- the defamation of JNU and its student and teacher communities," it read.

The students have also opposed the move unanimously and the JNU Students' Union has called an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the issue.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a Bill that criminalises instant divorce with three years of imprisonment for Muslim husbands after the government rejected an overwhelming demand from the Opposition to refer the legislation to a Parliamentary standing committee for detailed consideration.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was passed by a voice vote after rejecting a resolution moved by Revolutionary Socialist Party member N.K. Premachandran that the legislation be circulated for public opinion.

Various amendments moved by opposition members, including Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) and Premachandran, were negatived in divisions. The BJD and AIMIM later staged a walk out.

The government's determination to get the Bill passed could be gauged from the fact that it was introduced in the morning and taken up for consideration in the afternoon by suspending relevant rules, and then passed in the evening by sitting late beyond the scheduled close of the House.

Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill and later piloted it in the Lok Sabha, said history was being created today.

He said the issue was not of religion or faith but of "gender justice and gender equality" and appealed to all the parties to rise above political considerations and politics of votebank. "Women are seeing that justice will be done to them. Let us speak in one voice that we are for gender justice and gender equity and pass the Bill unanimously," Prasad said, winding up the discussion.

Opposition parties accused the government of bringing the bill with "ulterior political motives".

Prasad said instances of instant triple talaq continue despite the Supreme Court ruling it as unconstitutional in August this year.

He said the government had hoped the situation will improve after the Supreme Court verdict. "We had hope. The judgment came on August 22. There were 300 triple talaq cases in 2017 of which 100 had taken place after the Supreme Court verdict. This raises a big question," Prasad said.

He also referred to media reports on Thursday about an incident at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh in which a woman had been given talaq-e-biddat for waking up late.

The bill seeks to declare pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat (three pronouncements of talaq at one go) by Muslim husbands void and illegal in view of the Supreme Court verdict.

Prasad said while Justice Rohington Nariman and U.U. Lalit held in their judgment in August that instant divorce was unconstitutional and the government should look at bringing a law, Justice Kurian Joseph had observed that what is a sin in Islamic laws cannot be legal.

The Minister saw no justification in the demand for referring the Bill to a standing committee saying the affected Muslim women were crying for justice and were fully backing it. He said there was contradiction in members wanting it to be referred to a standing committee and some arguing why it was not brought earlier.

The Bill makes the act of pronouncing talaq-e-biddat punishable offence. There is provision for subsistence allowance from the husband for the livelihood and daily supporting needs of the wife as also of the dependent children. The wife would also be entitled to the custody of minor children.

Intervening in the debate, Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar said time was now ripe for the passage of the legislation in the interest of Muslim women. He recalled an instance of a British journalist interviewing the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after the passage of the Hindu Code Bill when she asked when would the government introduce reforms in Muslim laws.

Nehru was not opposed to reforms of Muslim personal laws but merely said the time was not opportune then, Akbar said. "That time has come now."

Though Opposition members, including from the Congress, supported the legislation, they wanted it to be referred to a parliamentary committee so that several lacunae can be removed and the provisions strengthened in favour of Muslim women. The law must ensure that subsistence allowance and maintenance to the women and the children was not stopped, they felt.

Some felt that the BJP government was in a haste to pass the Bill not because of its concern for Muslim women but because it sees this as a first step towards bringing in a Uniform Civil Code. They wanted the measure to be given up immediately.

During the debate, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi accused the Congress of appeasing Muslims and said there is a need for codification of Muslim personal laws in the country.

"They (Congress) always did appeasement politics for which the country has paid for 30 years and today we have this chance. If we lose this chance today we will not have another chance.," she said.

"Codification of Islamic law is needed in this country. No one knows what is Sharia, Talaq-e-Biddat... No one knows the difference," she added.

She also said that Muslim women need not be in any fear as they had a "brother" in Narendra Modi Owaisi took several digs at the Modi government and also said those who "marry and abandon" their wives should be punished and the government should bring a law to this effect.

He termed the bill as "bad law".

Prasad, who responded to the concern of opposition members about making triple talaq punishable, said such concerns were not raised when punishment was provided under Dowry Prohibition Act. He said the amount of subsistence will be decided by courts.

He said the bill was against those who seek to keep women in fear.

Sushmita Dev of Congress said the government was not legislating on the issue of marital rape citing that the law might be misused, and asked if the law on Talaq-e-Biddat may not be misused.
Rome, Dec 28 : Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni on Thursday said his political mandate has been fulfilled, paving the way for general elections.

Holding a traditional year-end press conference at the lower house, Gentiloni stressed that his Cabinet achieved "what I always considered a crucial goal of the government, which was reaching an orderly end of this legislature", Xinhua reported.

"This parliament's term has been fruitful, in my opinion," the Prime Minister said. "Italy has recovered from its worst (economic) crisis after World War II, and mostly thanks to Italian families and businesses."

The outgoing Prime Minister urged all political forces and the next parliament "to not waste such efforts, nor put the achieved results at risk. The next legislature should not lack ambition, nor (the will of) reforms".

Italian President Sergio Mattarella is expected to dissolve parliament later, putting an official end to the five-year term that began in March 2013.

Before such a step, Mattarella will hold consultative talks with Speakers of both Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Once the parliament is dissolved, Gentiloni's centre-left Cabinet will gather to decide the day for general elections, and would remain in charge for current affairs up to the vote.

A most likely date for the elections would be March 4, 2018, according to Ansa news agency and other major media outlets.

Opinion polls in mid-December showed anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) was the most popular force with about 27.5 per cent of the vote, followed by the ruling centre-left Democratic Party at 24.3 per cent.

Centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was in the third at 16.1 per cent, while right-wing, anti-immigration Northern League was at 13.7 per cent.

Under the new electoral law, any party gaining 40 per cent of votes could govern alone. But according to the recent polls, no party was likely to gather enough votes to govern alone, and the M5S was seen at a disadvantaged position compared to the other big parties because it expressed refusal to form alliances with other parties.

As political forces from the centre-left remained deeply divided, a centre-right coalition of Forza Italia, the Northern League, and a minor far-right ally may have the best chances to win the majority of seats in parliament, according to local media analyses.
Kolkata, Dec 28 : Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have seized 11 gold biscuits worth over Rs 40 lakh near the Indo-Bangladesh border in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, a BSF release said on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off about smuggling of the yellow metal, the BSF intensified vigil at the Bansghata border outpost and spotted a man coming suspiciously from the Bangladesh side.

He hid himself in the bushes on the Bangladesh side. Later, troops of the nearby border outpost Mustafapur saw the man coming out from the bushes and stealthily approaching the Indo-Bangladesh Border Fence (IBBF).

He threw a packet over the fence into the Indian side and fled back to the Bangladesh territory taking advantage of darkness.

The troopers later recovered the packet wrapped with white scotch tape. On opening the packet, 11 gold biscuits weighing approximately 1.310 kg with a market value of Rs 40.14 lakh were found.

The seized gold biscuits had been handed over to the customs office Bagdah for further disposal, the release added.

So far this year, the BSF South Bengal Frontier has seized 35.418 kg gold worth around Rs 10.26 crore and apprehended 11 gold smugglers.
Horizon Power Catamarans are making Power Cats sleek, luxurious, and cool.

Boat show season is underway and after wrapping a successful Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Horizon Power Catamarans is now gearing up for another great show - the 2018 Miami Yacht Show, February 15-19. Making her debut, will be the new PC74 power catamaran, a 74 foot luxury yacht with mega yacht amenities and comfort.

The latest addition to the Horizon PC series fleet is the 74 foot PC74, luxury power catamaran with Mega Yacht luxury with the performance and superior sea keeping abilities of a Power Catamaran. Features include an expansive open plan main deck area, with a large galley and Island, formal dining and a spacious, ultra-comfortable salon with seating for eight.

The PC74 offers unparalleled comfort, space and privacy coupled with the superior performance of a power catamaran. The PC74 will also make for a highly desirable crewed luxury charter yacht and will command premium charter fees, giving the esteemed owner the opportunity to offset the operating expenses of owning this prestigious luxury yacht.

The en-suite master stateroom on the main deck level has a vanity, sofa, large bathroom and full walk around King bed. The two VIP's have full King beds with en-suite bathrooms. The 4th Guest en-suite Stateroom can be made up as two twins or an oversized Queen. There is comfortable accommodation for 3 crew.

The PC74's generous 28'-6 beam results in an impressive aft deck area offering dining for ten, a large comfortable sofa with two side cabinets, a TV, bar with fridge, basin and an ice-maker.

Swimming access is superb with two water-line platforms with showers and a central stern Hi/Lo adjustable platform suitable for diving.

Alongside the PC74 will be the PC60, 60 foot Luxury Power Catamaran, the 3 cabin owners layout plus room for 2 crew, has proven to be very popular amongst clients looking to upgrade from their charter sailing catamaran into a luxury power catamaran.

The PC60 Power Catamaran is a custom built, luxurious blue water cruising yacht, specifically designed, engineered and built to meet the demands of the most demanding yacht owner. She is available in both Open Flybridge and Skylounge configurations, beautifully designed and crafted.

The PC60 series comfortably accommodates six guests in three cabins. The lavish on-deck master stateroom, with full walk around King bed, gourmet galley and spacious salon ensures the ultimate comfort.

Miami Beach, Florida will host their 30th annual Miami Yacht Show on Collins Ave, the citys premier luxury yacht show, across from the legendary Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels. The in-water-only display of new and pre-owned vessels, covers more than 1.2 million square feet of space from 41st Street to 54th Street with the world's most extraordinary and uniquely designed yachts and superyachts from the world's foremost custom boat builders.

ABOUT HORIZON POWER CATAMARANS:

Horizon Power Catamarans is a joint venture between The Power Catamaran Company and Horizon Yachts created to build state of the art luxury power catamaran yachts. This joint venture unites the catamaran design experience from The Power Catamaran Company with the yacht manufacturing capability of Horizon Yachts. Founded in 1987, Horizon Yachts is the fifth largest custom luxury yacht builder in the world as well as the number one builder in the Asia Pacific region. Over the last 27 years, Horizon has delivered over 700 luxury yachts, with more than 150 of these over 80 feet in length.
San Francisco Bay Area Employment Law Firm Our law firm is very committed to the education of the public as to their rights and responsibilities as employees and employers.

California Civil Rights Law Group, a law firm specializing in employment law including discrimination, wrongful termination, and harassment at http://www.civilrightsca.com/, is proud to announce new posts to its blog on harassment. The law firm is well known as one of the leading California law firms working in the area of workplace harassment, and the new posts represent outreach to the public on the topic.

"Our law firm is very committed to the education of the public as to their rights and responsibilities as employees and employers," explained Larry Organ, principal attorney at the Bay Area-based law firm. "Our new blog posts represent efforts in that direction, though we always caution that every individual situation is unique and the best step anyone can take is to reach out for a confidential attorney consultation on potential workplace discrimination or harassment."

To read the new posts, visit the blog at http://www.civilrightsca.com/blog/. There, for example, one can read a new post commenting on the issues surrounding harassment by elected representatives. The blog sheds lights on the problematic situation of employees of elected representatives, and - in combination with other posts - helps employees to understand their rights vis-a-vis employers. The website makes it easy for anyone to reach out for a confidential consultation by simply clicking up to the "contact" button. The reality is that the blog is no substitute for the professional analysis of an active San Francisco Bay Area harassment lawyer.

Growing Awareness and a Need for Education

It is no secret that our culture is reaching some type of turning point with respect to harassment. Victims are being empowered to speak out and are being empowered by the collective experience of an end to silence. Employers, at private, nonprofit, and governmental organizations, are becoming more aware of the nature of the problem and many are taking steps at education. Even Congress is beginning to address the need for education of elected representatives, staff, and others. With all of this publicity, however, harassment is, by definition, a very personal experience and a victim may not understand what he or she went through, not to mention the responsibilities of employers or the landscape of the law. For this reason, the first step may be an Internet search and the perusal of a blog post on the topic. The anonymity of the Internet makes this relatively easy. For this reason, California Civil Rights Law Group is enhancing its blog with new, timely posts for the public while, at the same time, encouraging people to reach out for confidential consultations.

About California Civil Rights Law Group

Headed by renowned trial lawyer Larry Organ, California Civil Rights Law Group (http://www.civilrightsca.com/), is a leading employment law firm with San Francisco Bay Area offices in Oakland, Alameda County and San Anselmo, Marin County, California. Employees experiencing harassment, race harassment, disability discrimination, LGTBQ discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, whistleblower retaliation and/or wrongful termination should reach out for an attorney consultation in either our Oakland/East Bay or San Anselmo/Marin County office.

Media Relations.

Tel. 415-453-4740
The research discussed in this webinar will give decision makers some insight about what happened after some states implemented a fee schedule or a change in fee schedule approach.

In response to higher and rising hospital costs for medical care received by injured workers, several states have made changes to their hospital reimbursement, specifically Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and North Carolina.

Join the Worker Compensation Research Institutes (WCRI) Senior Analyst Carol Telles for a one-hour webinar on Thursday, January 18, 2018, at 1pm ET (12pm CT, 11am MT, and 10am PT) as she discusses the impact of these policy changes in the above states and takes your questions. Ms. Telles will be sharing findings from WCRIs CompScope Medical Benchmarks, 17th Edition, which examined the costs, prices, and utilization of workers compensation medical care in 18 states through March 2016 for injuries occurring mainly in 2010 to 2015.

In many states, system stakeholders are looking to control the growth of hospital costs in their workers compensation systems without causing access-to-care issues, said Ramona Tanabe, WCRIs executive vice president and counsel. The research discussed in this webinar will give decision makers some insight about what happened after some states implemented a fee schedule or a change in fee schedule approach.

Questions addressed:



What was the hospital reimbursement policy change made in each state?

How did the changes to hospital reimbursement impact costs and cost growth?

Were there any unanticipated consequences from these reimbursement changes?

Webinars are $50 for Non-Members and FREE for WCRI Members, members of the press, legislators as well as their staff, and state public officials who make policy decisions regarding workers' compensation. Attendance is limited to 500 people, and all attendees receive a free copy of the slides. To register, visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4000154531267367682.

About WCRI:

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Cambridge, MA. Organized in late 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches; rather, it provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate is pleased to announce that Tammy Dunn has recently joined the team of professionals at the St. Simons Island Ocean Boulevard location.

An experienced real estate professional, Dunn brings a wealth of knowledge to the table in each real estate transaction. She uses her diverse background in real estate development and mortgage banking to help walk her clients through the process of buying, selling, or renting there home.

Tammy specializes in delivering boutique-quality service during each transaction. She is a Georgia native with a deep knowledge of the Golden Isles who truly loves where she lives. You can often find Tammy on the beach or enjoying an early morning bike ride by the pier.

Tammy comes to us with a wealth of experience in real estate and development, said Pat Cooper, President and Broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate. Her in-depth local knowledge, energy and passion for real estate, combined with her extensive background are a recipe for success. We are so excited to work with her and support her efforts as she grows her business in the Golden Isles.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, which is independently owned and operated, became a member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokerage network, operated by HSF Affiliates LLC, in 2017. Since that time, it has earned a host of honors and welcomed several new professionals to the highly successful real estate team.

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate

Hodnett Cooper Real Estate is a family-owned and operated company with three offices throughout the Golden Isles offering a full range of real estate services including real estate sales, residential rentals, property management and commercial sales. The brokerage is the premier real estate company in southeast coastal Georgia with a professional and diverse team of agents. Visit http://www.BHHSHodnettCooper.com.

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, based in Irvine, CA, is a brand-new real estate brokerage network built for a new era in residential real estate. The network, among the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name, brings to the real estate market a definitive mark of trust, integrity, stability and longevity.

About HSF Affiliates LLC

Irvine, CA-based HSF Affiliates LLC operates Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate franchise networks. The company is a joint venture of which HomeServices of America, Inc., the nations second-largest, full-service residential brokerage firm, is a majority owner. HomeServices of America is an affiliate of world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Large Wall Clock for Living Room Beautiful clocks and 5 star customer service from Anna who goes way beyond the extra mile to ensure her customers are happy with the end result

Shabby Chic look has been very popular for the past 20 years in interior design. This beautiful eclectic style is mixing soft pastel colours with romantic feminine touch. Most people when asked about the shabby chic immediately think about the furniture, paint and distinct wall decor. Nobody really thinks about large handmade wall clocks as something that could complement shabby chic home decor.

The Internet is changing the landscape for Interior Design trends every day. Small businesses around the world in a matter of seconds can show their products to a Global Audience. Websites like Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus allow social media sharing without boundaries. People on all continents can search for products that they wouldnt find in the shop window.

Anna has founded Peak Art Clocks in the late 2014 with the goal to influence interior design trends across the globe. She wanted to change the old habits and challenge accepted thinking. Together with her husband she designed and handmade multiple remarkable shabby chic clocks that make a very strong statement to everyone coming across them. She wanted to show that filling this large empty wall space doesnt have to be done with large painting or mirror. Her work also proves that Shabby Chic look isnt only about the furniture.

In the end of the day, Shabby Chic or Vintage style embraces any imperfection, scratches and dents. The large wall clocks offered by the traditional manufacturers cant offer this mysterious uniqueness because they are all made to be identical. The shabby chic wall clocks from Peak Art on the other hand, are often tailored to match individual needs.

It is really important for Anna to ensure that each back-order meets the unique requirements of her customers. She often designs a new timepiece based on the photographs received from them. According to Anna, the most fascinating part of her job is the process of creation and unique bond with clients around the World. It is the community of people that are looking something different that made her business so successful in 2017.

Today Peak Art offers wide range of extra large wall clocks including not only Roman Numeral but also more eccentric and contemporary designs. Each timepiece can be made in three different sizes measuring 30, 40 or even 48 in diameter. Any of those stunning timepieces can be shipped to over 30 different countries including United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia and United States.

Peak Art don't usually take part in any seasonal sales because almost all their products are made to order. They do however often reward people that help promote their business by social media sharing or linking to their website. This unique approach to marketing helped them build strong relationship with individual clients, bloggers and interior designers from Sydney to New York.
Indonesia aims to attract 3.8 million Muslim visitors in 2018, and 5 million by 2019, which will contribute towards its target of 20 million international visitors by 2019.

The Global Islamic Economy Indicator (GIEI) is an annual ranking of the Islamic Economy pillars - of which travel is a key pillar  and is part of the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2017/18 produced by Thomson Reuters in collaboration with DinarStandard. The ranking assesses the countrys ecosystem, including supply and demand drivers relative to the countrys size, governance, awareness and social considerations.

Indonesias substantial efforts to develop Halal tourism are reflected in its enhanced ranking. The Ministry of Tourism allocated a larger budget towards Halal tourism that is being invested in sales missions and trade shows, educating the local industry, promoting Halal tourism, and developing regulations to strengthen the local Halal tourism sector. It appointed a Halal Tourism Acceleration and Development Team that reports directly to the Ministry that is tasked with developing Halal tourism.

The Halal Tourism Acceleration and Development Team, headed by Mr. Riyanto Sofyan, has been focusing on capacity building of local industry players to improve their product, while educating them on this market and on Muslim traveler preferences based on their country of origin, as well as on the importance of certification. In addition to the educational seminars and interactive workshops, the team has been incentivizing the industry through nationwide competitions. To motivate destinations within Indonesia to focus on Halal tourism, we launched a series of local awards, which succeeded in creating a healthy competition among destinations. These internal competitions propelled Indonesia to win a series of international awards including the Worlds Best Halal Tourism Destination and the Worlds Best Halal Honeymoon destination for Lombok, the Worlds Best Halal Destination for West Sumatera, the Worlds Best Halal Culinary Destination for Padang, West Sumatera, and the Worlds Best Halal Cultural Destination for Aceh, said Mr. Sofyan.

The Halal Tourism Acceleration and Development Team focuses on four key areas as a part of their strategy in developing Halal Tourism in Indonesia, which helped propel the countrys position to the fourth rank in the indicator. Our main strategy in developing Halal Tourism in Indonesia is focused on four key areas. The first one is policy/regulation development, which mainly involves lobbying top government officials to get their support and commitment on Halal Tourism. Next, we support and boost marketing and selling activities through developing and launching integrated marketing campaigns. The third focus area is destination development, where we improve industry and destination competitiveness by improving existing attractions, improving accessibility to the attractions, as well as enhancing the amenities provided. The final focus area is on capacity building through increasing the awareness of industry players and community stakeholders on the importance of the Halal travel market and how to address it, as well as developing Halal certification, said Mr. Sofyan.

The Ministry of Tourism as well as the Halal Tourism Acceleration and Development Team are closely monitoring performance to ensure continued improvement. We established a tourism dashboard through which we measure key performance indicators, which include tourism growth, tourist satisfaction, industry satisfaction and global engagement. For Halal tourism we are developing the Indonesia Muslim Travel Index which monitors the performance of Halal tourism. The Index covers product related aspects including attractions, amenities and accessibility; marketing related aspects, including branding, advertising, selling; local industry health, and Muslim Tourists arrival, said Mr. Sofyan.

Indonesia aims to attract 3.8 million Muslim visitors in 2018, and 5 million by 2019, which will contribute towards its target of 20 million international visitors by 2019. Next year we will hold an Indonesia Halal Tourism Expo to which we will invite buyers from our target markets. In addition, our team will embark on a series of sales missions to top targeted cities such as Jeddah, London, Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney. This is from an industry level, from a traveler perspective we will also launch a three-city month-long mega festival to attract Muslim visitors, said Mr. Sofyan.

It is to be noted that the global Muslim market spending on travel is estimated to have reached $169 billion in 2016, which represents 11.8% of global travel expenditure and is expected to reach $283 billion in 2022 according to the State of the Islamic Economy Report 2017/2018. Ahead of Indonesia in the Halal travel indicator are Malaysia at first place, followed by the United Arab Emirates, then Turkey.
Jay Ferguson to be featured on Premiere of Lake House Hunters To be able to expose a national audience to Deep Creek Lake and its distinctive real estate was an amazing opportunity.

Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales, a leading vacation rental and sales firm located in McHenry, Maryland, is pleased to announce that Jay Ferguson, Broker & Co-Owner of the real estate company, was chosen to be featured on HGTVs new series Lake House Hunters. It is a spin-off of the wildly popular House Hunters series.

Premiering January 1, 2018 at 6PM EST (check local listings to confirm), the Deep Creek Lake episode follows Ferguson and the DuPlessis family as they search for the perfect lakefront property.

A lifelong resident of the Deep Creek Lake area, Jay Ferguson is a top-producing agent who started his real estate career in 2000. He became co-owner of the Taylor-Made real estate company in 2014. His extensive knowledge and dedication to client relationships have bolstered his reputation as a Deep Creek Lake real estate expert.

It was a fun experience," said Ferguson. To be able to expose a national audience to Deep Creek Lake and its distinctive real estate was an amazing opportunity.

About Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales

Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales was founded in 2008 and has grown to become a leader in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland vacation rentals, real estate, and property services. Taylor-Made rental homes and sales listings are conveniently located within a few hours drive from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Washington, DC.
Sterling Immigration Ltd. Best of Vancouver Award 2017.

With offices in Birmingham and London in the UK, 2017 has been a successful year for Sterling Immigration.

With the uncertainty surrounding the UK economy and the implications that Brexit may have on several industries, many British residents are looking towards Canada as a land of opportunity and a safe place to raise a family.

The number of Canadian immigration applications filed by British citizens or those resident in the UK have increased by almost 40% since late 2015. The most popular categories include the federal skilled worker, federal skilled trade, family sponsorship, investor and student visas. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of British companies looking to open a branch office or subsidiary in Canada, thereby gaining access to the North American market.

Harjit Grewal, Director of Sterling Immigration notes:

"Following the Brexit vote we have seen a huge surge in inquiries from British residents and EEA nationals looking to move to Canada. Canada offers a generous and welcoming immigration policy in contrast to the UK and USA. Its cities are rated in the top 10 worldwide in all reputable quality of life surveys."

Sterling Immigration have been well placed to capitalise on the increasing demand for Canadian immigration services in the UK. With offices in central Birmingham and London, Sterling Immigration provide easy access by phone or in-person with an expert team of ICCRC Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants. In-depth legal advice sessions on Canadian immigration law can be scheduled through their convenient online calendar.

The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) is a Canadian government organization created with the objective to regulate Canadian immigration consultants. Members are known as Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants or RCICs. Sterling Immigration are proud members of the ICCRC, their license number is R507916.

Mr Grewal notes that one unintended effect of this rise in demand for Canadian immigration, is a corresponding rise in the number of unqualified agents offering Canadian visa services. These agents dupe members of the public into believing that they are registered by the ICCRC. They often make false or inflated promises to mislead the public.

"One of our key missions is to protect and educate the public about seeking advice and representation from an ICCRC qualified and regulated company. By choosing an ICCRC regulated representative your confidentiality, legal fees and documentation will be protected under the law and you will have recourse to the ICCRC in the event of a dispute."

The consequences of hiring an unauthorised agent can be terrible for an Applicant. This includes not having a regulatory body to turn to in the event that there is a dispute between you and the agent. If the agent makes an error in your application, then you wont have insurance coverage to cover you for any financial losses you have sustained. If your file is lost, you have no insurance coverage. If the agency collapses or goes bankrupt, you have no recourse to compensation.

In addition to this you are putting your future in the hands of an untrained and unqualified agent who will not be able to advise you regarding the subtle nuances of Canadian immigration law.

The primary goal of the unauthorised agent is to paint Canadian immigration as being fast and easy. They offer guaranteed results to ensure that you part with your hard-earned money.

Mr Grewal urges the public to exercise caution and always request their representatives six-digit ICCRC reference number and cross reference it on the ICCRC website.

Mr Grewal recommends that prospective applicants schedule an in-depth legal advice session in order to determine their eligibility for Canadian immigration so that they can understand the process, their ranking vis-viz other applicants, their prospects of success, the documentary requirements, timescales and applicable fees. Sterling Immigration have written a helpful article on the benefits of booking an in-depth legal advice session on their website.

About Sterling Immigration

In addition to their UK offices, Sterling Immigration was recently recognized as being in the top 3 Canadian immigration law offices in Vancouver for 2017. This was the third straight year that Sterling Immigration have finished in the top 3. Harjit Grewal states:

"This recognition has placed us at the forefront of Canadian immigration in Vancouver and makes us easily the leading Canadian immigration specialist in the UK."

Sterling Immigration has long been recognized as a leaders in Canadian immigration law due to its knowledgeable staff, regular training and attendance at Canadian immigration seminars and events. The firm has contributed several articles regarding Canadian immigration and case law commentaries as well as comparisons of Canadian immigration law with other jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom.

"What separates our firm from several others in the UK is the fact that we practice both Canadian and UK immigration law. We are also the only ICCRC regulated company with offices based in both countries. Please note that Sterling Immigration are also regulated by the OISC to provide UK immigration advice (Reference Number F20170008). Please visit our dedicated UK immigration website for further information.

Our experience of British and Canadian immigration law, places us in a unique position when assisting British citizens or points based migrants in the UK to move to Canada."

Specialisms

Sterling Immigration provide Canadian immigration solutions for individuals and corporate clients. They regularly assist Canadas leading employers in hiring qualified foreign workers and applying for Labour Market Impact Assessments. We specialise in investor immigration, business visas, skilled worker applications, work permits, common-law partner and spouse visas.
By becoming self-certified, CATS is one step closer to becoming the best software solution for recruiters around the world.

As part of our continuous efforts to be the most user-friendly applicant tracking software for recruiters around the globe, we are proud to announce that CATS Software is now EU-US Privacy Shield-Certified via self-certification.

"CATS is more than happy to go the extra mile when it comes to our customers and their data," said Product Manager Tony Sternberg. "By becoming self-certified [and compliant with Privacy Shield policies], CATS is one step closer to becoming the best software solution for recruiters everywhere."

What is the EU-US Privacy Shield?

In 2015, the European Union and United States set out to design a framework in which both parties comply with the same data protection policies. Under this new policy, which replaces the International Safe Harbor Privacy Principles, US-based companies agree to comply with EU laws pertaining to data management and collection when working with EU-based clients and businesses. These laws ensure the protection of private data and free and timely resolution for complaints regarding Privacy Shield compliance.

About CATS

CATS Software is a Minneapolis based company that serves over 1,800 companies in more than 70 different countries. Originally conceived as an open source platform, CATS' ATS is a tried and true product, serving recruiters and hiring managers for over ten years. They are pioneers of workflow driven recruitment: highly customizable and intelligent software that accelerates the hiring process. With tools such as resume parsing, a plethora of integrations, and workflow triggers, hiring is made quick and easy by taking away screen time and replacing it with more important, human interactions. In dedicating themselves to listening, understanding, and acting on customer feedback, CATS stands as one of the best choices for an ATS on the market.
Vionic Group LLC is proud to announce it has been certified as a great workplace by independent analysts at Great Place to Work, the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Vionic earned this credential based on extensive ratings provided by its employees in anonymous surveys, which resulted in 92% of Vionic employees reporting that Vionic is a great workplace for reasons including atmosphere, leadership, rewards and a sense of pride.

We are proud to be awarded as a great place to work, says Vionic President Connie Rishwain. Our employees are a priority and were always striving to give back.

"We applaud Vionic Group LLC for seeking certification and releasing its employees' feedback," said Kim Peters, Executive Vice President of Great Place to Work's Certification Program. "These ratings measure its capacity to earn its own employees' trust and create a great workplace - critical metrics that anyone considering working for or doing business with Vionic Group LLC should take into account as an indicator of high performance."

A decade following its U.S. launch, Vionic has grown to become a market leader in contemporary footwear, offering shoes with unmatched style and addictive support. With over 125 employees worldwide, Vionic offers a number of programs to support employees both within and outside the workplace. Instilling wellness as a company priority, Vionic covers 100% of the cost of each full-time employees healthcare premium, sponsors quarterly wellness events, a fitness reimbursement program, and offers fresh organic snacks and juices in the office. Vionic also offers employee perks including free and discounted shoes, company-wide subsidized meals, and monthly first Friday themed parties.

Support is at the heart of the Vionic Group company philosophy, extending beyond the relief provided by its footwear line. The companys charitable giving arm, Vionic Supports, is a platform for giving back, and supports employees in volunteer efforts including at the Marin Food Bank, Marin 100, Center for Domestic Peace, and yearly Avon 39 walk. Most recently, Vionic launched a scholarship program to support students, and awarded $3000 each to two recipients in partnership with the Queen Mary Hospital in London.

As a company that celebrates its core values of curiosity, growth, excellence and integrity, Vionic proudly embraces the Great Place to Work certification. A summary of Vionics Great Place to Work ratings can be found at http://reviews.greatplacetowork.com/vionic-group-llc.

About Vionic

Vionic Group LLC is a privately held company based in San Rafael, CA. Its products  Vionic footwear and Vasyli Medical  were introduced to the North American markets in 2007, and the company has shown consistent growth from the start. The companys flagship brand, Vionic, brings together the best of style and science, combining innovative biomechanics with the most coveted trends for women and men. Vionic has been featured in press including O, The Oprah Magazine, The Today Show, InStyle, Good Housekeeping, Womens Health, Redbook, Buzzfeed, Refinery29, Mens Health, Travel + Leisure, and PeopleStyle. Its products are sold at VionicShoes.com, Dillards, Nordstrom, Zappos, QVC and better independent stores nationwide. Learn more about Vionic at http://www.vionicshoes.com.

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For" list and a series of Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists including lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small and Medium Companies and over a half dozen different industry lists.

Follow Great Place to Work online at http://www.greatplacetowork.com and on Twitter at @GPTW_US.
Attorney Stephanie Lake This was a collaborative seminar with Social Security attorneys and Federal Judges and Magistrates, so there were some interesting differences of opinion as well as important areas of dispute that we could resolve. Past News Releases RSS Attorney Stephanie Lake Illustrates...

During the recent Social Security Bench-Bar Conference, District of Arizona, attorney Stephanie Lake, founder of the Law Offices of Stephanie Lake, P.C., discussed attorney fees and Social Security cases in federal court. This was a collaborative seminar with Social Security attorneys and Federal Judges and Magistrates, so there were some interesting differences of opinion as well as important areas of dispute that we could resolve, said Lake, a board-certified specialist in Social Security disability law.

Topics covered included how the government can actually pay an attorneys client fees if they win the Social Security case, getting the government to agree and settle those fees, how to document ones work and more. I also talked about how once you win a remand or reversal, if you can get the government to pay as much as the attorney fee as possible, the less you have to charge your client, added Lake.

In addition to the Social Security Bench-Bar Conference, Lake in the past has presented at the Bench-Bar Federal Court Self-Service Clinic, where she discussed putting together material and strategies for unrepresented plaintiffs trying to handle cases in federal court to try and get volunteer attorneys to handle the case with the guidance they put together at the bar. She also this past summer attended a Bench-Bar with Social Security Judges.

This event focused on finding ways to expedite critical cases. Our goal was to come up with strategies to highlight those cases and help judges make quicker decisions, concluded Lake. Currently, the wait time for hearings is 600 days, so if someone turns up with stage 4 cancer, for example, we try to get them to the front of line as quickly as possible and help the Judge.

About Stephanie Lake, Law Offices of Stephanie Lake, P.C.

Stephanie Lake leads one of the most successful Social Security law firms in Arizona. She focuses exclusively on Social Security law, and is one of the few disability attorneys in the Phoenix area fluent in Spanish. For more information, please call (602) 200-9090, or visit http://www.stephanielake.com. The law office is located at 3737 North Seventh Street, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85014.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
Hypnosis could help you reach the finish line with your New Year's resolutions. Hypnosis is simply relaxing deeply and using your imagination to see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that allow your subconscious mind to help you reach your goals. Its especially natural for people who practice meditation or are creative, or people who sometimes get lost in daydreams.

Whether a New Years resolution is to break a habit or make one, Mahesh Grossman, a professional hypnotist at Berkeley Hypnosis & Pain Management, says you are more likely to succeed by using hypnosis. A wide range of studies show that hypnosis is extremely beneficial for behavior modification, including quitting smoking and weight loss, he says. Rachmaninoff even credits hypnosis with helping him write his Concerto #2.

Only 8% of the 40% of Americans who make New Years resolutions actually reach their goal, according to Forbes.com. Grossman believes that percentage would increase drastically if more people took advantage of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a tool that almost anyone can use. Research shows that two-thirds of people are hypnotizable. (For a quiz that will tell if you are hypnotizable, click here.)

Though working with a professional hypnotist provides the optimal benefit, Grossman says most people can use self-hypnosis successfully. Hypnosis is simply relaxing deeply and using the imagination to see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that allow the subconscious mind to help with your goals. Its especially natural for people who practice meditation or are creative, or people who sometimes get lost in daydreams.

The first step in self-hypnosis is to de-stress and become peaceful. Start by taking a few deep breaths and then imagine warm, pink sand slowly filling the body, section by section, from the feet to the very top of the head, Grossman says. As this takes place, there will be a sense of becoming more relaxed.

This is the tranquil state from which self-hypnosis may be attempted.

Here are three techniques Grossman suggests to help accomplish New Year's resolutions:

1) The Control Room

Imagine ambling down a path in a beautiful place in nature. See, hear, feel and even smell everything thats present. A flight of ten stairs appears a hundred feet away. Slowly walk down the stairs and notice a sense of deeper relaxation with each step. At the bottom of the stairs is a cottage with a red door. Open the door and go in. Inside is a set of controlsdials or levers. Each dial is for something related to your New Years resolution or goal. Perhaps these dials even have numbers on them, from one to ten. Each dial is movable so that the level is appropriate for the chosen resolution. They can be moved in the same way as one would raise or lower the temperature on a thermostat. The first control is for something that it would be necessary to increase for the resolution. For example, for weight loss, it could be beneficial to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables that are eaten. Set the control to the number that seems most appropriate. Fully experience this action; see it, feel it and hear it move.

The next control is for something that would make sense to do less of. If the goal is to publish a book, it might be a good thing to spend less time on social media in order have more hours to write. Lower this control to a number that seems suitable. Continue to set dials, being as specific as possible. Set controls for whatever aspects of the goal are necessary for success. When all the controls have been set, close the door to the cottage and go back up the stairs. Return to ordinary consciousness.

Any time the New Years resolution seems difficult, imagine a dial and re-set it to the level that will lead to success. (A full audio version of this technique is available here.)

2) The Rehearsal

The rehearsal technique trains the subconscious mind to help accomplish the behaviors one wants to achieve in real life by practicing them in the mind. Just like in the hypnotic control room, its important to see, hear, feel (and even smell and taste if for weight loss or smoking cessation) everything that needs to happen in great detail. Imagine going step-by-step through the items that need to be done in order to successfully complete, at the highest possible level, what it is you want to do. For making or breaking a habit, visualize the situations that may have been challenging in the past. Imagine choosing the behaviors that will lead to success.

At the end of the process, imagine what it will feel like when you accomplish the goal.

3) Red Reminder

The red reminder technique will train the subconscious mind to remember to help you achieve the goal. Start by coming up with a simple, positive sentence for this reminder. For example,I love to meditate daily for a meditation practice or I get full easily to lose weight. To give up something, use the phrase I am free of_____. Just fill in smoking, overeating, alcohol or whatever needs to eliminated

Now, in the minds eye, visualize the color red. From now on, notice it everywhere it appears in life. Whenever something red is seen, whether its a piece of clothing or a brick building, say the positive sentence and feel the peace and satisfaction that will come from succeeding at the goal. In a few days, this association will become automatic and it will make it easier and easier to accomplish a New Years resolution.

Mahesh Grossman is a clinically certified hypnotherapist and owner of Berkeley Hypnosis & Pain Management. Mahesh specializes in stop smoking hypnosis, as well as hypnosis for weight loss, pain management, medical issues, anxiety and depression. His personal mission is to help people make the changes they want to experience by breaking through the unconscious material that causes them difficulties to the unconditional love and joy that lies hidden just below the surface of everyday life. He offers in person sessions in northern California as well as phone and Skype sessions throughout the world. For a quiz to see how hypnotizable you are, click here.

For more information about Berkeley Hypnosis & Pain Management or this and other story angles, please call or text Mahesh Grossman at (510) 813-8004 or email info(At)BerkeleyHypnosis(dot)com
Swansea Elementary 10 for 10

Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) is excited to celebrate with Denver Public Schools and Anderson Mason Dale on the multiphase project that revitalized the 1976built school, located next to the I70 widening project. Using a mentorprotege program with Latcon Corp, Accent Electric and NM Industrial, AP exceeded the required 70% MWBE participation goal and attained a combined participation total of 85.05% on Phases I and II.

Phase 2 consisted of replacing classroom flooring and retrofitted light fixtures in current spaces. Exterior windows and doors were replaced to meet NFRC and new ceilings and paint were included throughout. The school received a full mechanical system replacement, including boiler replacement, and roof modifications. Upgraded security systems and electrical gear was also replaced, as well as upgraded panels and distribution. A two (2)classroom addition was built on the north end of the building and an administrative addition was built on the east side.

Mayor Michael Hancock spoke at the event as well as Gilberto Munoz, school principle. The event was also attended by the community and CDOT dignitaries. Denver Public Schools has nicknamed the project 10 for 10, as it was built in 10 weeks with 10 million dollars.
Students from District 2s Career Readiness Academy (CRA) conducted demolition and framing at the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs' offices on Dec. 14-15

The Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs (CSHBA) welcomed 10 students from District 2s Career Readiness Academy (CRA) to their offices at 4585 Hilton Parkway on Thursday, Dec. 14 and Friday, Dec. 15 for a very hands-on class project: demolition and framing preparatory to a total remodel of the organizations offices.

The CRA students are all participants in CSHBAs Careers in Construction (CiC) program, which has helped reinvigorate vocational education in four school districts across the Pikes Peak region. Today, 320 students participate in the program, which was launched in 2015.

Under the guidance of CRA instructor Jeff Stuber and Lain Chappell of Solid Rock Custom Homes, the general contractor of the project and a CSHBA member company, the students helped prep the office space for a remodel and garnered valuable experience on an active job site.

It was really gratifying to see these kids spring into action and watch the program come to life on the ground, said Renee Zentz, CSHBAs CEO. We love seeing their progress; were hopeful that this mini-internship model is something that can be applied to all CiC programs so we can further connections and opportunities for students and the building industry.

Getting out of the workshop lab and into a working jobsite was just awesome, added Stuber. You can just picture them walking into different career paths. The CiC program is a wonderful option for our students.

Careers in Construction is a nonprofit workforce development initiative formed by the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs and the Associated General Contractors. It is funded and supported by both residential and commercial industry member businesses. Learn more and support the program here.

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About the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs

Homes are a cornerstone of the American dream and a major driver of our economy. The Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs (CSHBA) was founded in 1950 as the voice of the homebuilding community and associated trades. We advance best practices, advocate for affordable housing, contribute expertise to regional development issues and serve our community through our workforce initiatives and HBA Cares programs. Find out how were helping to build a better Colorado Springs at cshba.com.
The Academy of Hair Technology is proud to announce that it is the only college in the Upstate that now offers Pivot Point's (TM) fully-digital training program. Students can now review all materials demonstrated in class, as well as those contained in their texts, in a fully digital format. Students can also share their progress with other students in their class and begin preparing a visual portfolio to help them show their capabilities to prospective employers. Their progress through each unit can now be tracked by their instructor, allowing for a personalized approach to overcome problem areas.

Why choose the Academy of Hair Technology? They have serviced South Carolina from their Greenville location for more than 28 years. They are widely recognized as South Carolinas premier cosmetology college. Their graduates are in high demand and work in the best salons in the area. Students will experience hands-on training in a structured environment that produces consistent winners in hair contests around the country and successful graduates.

Academy of Hair Technology instructors have years of experience in salons and teaching, and have even won styling and cutting contests at national and international events themselves. Their focus is on providing students with quality training and full access to the most advanced training materials available anywhere. The Academy of Hair Technology is a Pivot Point Member School, which means they offer the finest in cosmetology training worldwide. Visit their website today for more information, http://www.hairchamps.com/.
Bill Cimbrelo for US Congress

Local businessman and former environmental chemist Bill Cimbrelo is announcing his official bid to run for Congress in Massachusetts 9th Congressional District as a Democrat, looking to unseat Democratic incumbent Bill Keating. Cimbrelo is running on a bold, progressive populist platform to restore the power of the people in government.

For Cimbrelo, this is a moment 6 years in the making. Cimbrelo ran for Congress in 2011 as an Independent candidate against the Republican incumbent Scott Brown. Since the election, he has focused on growing his home remodeling business and his political activism.

Cimbrelo is running a grassroots, people-powered campaign and will not accept contributions from corporations or lobbyists. Cimbrelo believes bringing real change to Washington requires a change in how candidates run for office and how those campaigns are funded. He maintains his independent status, but believes that because of the way both federal and Massachusetts law favors the two major parties, a third party run is not currently viable.

Cimbrelo has previously been critical of the Democratic party establishment, which he feels has become too beholden to corporate donors. He advocates for a viable third party or ranked choice voting, but believes that the deck is currently stacked against those who run outside of major parties. In order to circumvent the institutional roadblocks, Cimbrelo is running as a Democrat to return the party to its progressive roots.

Im not just running against an individual. I'm running against a very broken system that once resembled a democracy, but through campaign finance deregulation now resembles an oligarchy, Cimbrelo said. I feel that the citizens of the 9th district deserve a progressive representative who will truly represent the people.

Cimbrelos vision for Massachusetts and America includes creating thousands of living wage jobs through growth in renewable energy, supporting legislation to make public colleges and universities tuition free, reining in waste in the defense budget, and guaranteeing health care as a right to ALL, not a privilege for the elites.

For more information on Bill Cimbrelos campaign, as well as links to volunteer or contribute to the campaign, please visit http://www.billcimbrelo.com.
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According to Aaron Shapiro, the CEO of the marketing firm Huge, brands will take a backseat as technology like artificial intelligence and machine learning become more prevalent.

"As machines start to take more decisions for people it makes it harder for marketers to figure out how to enter into that equation and how to influence consumer behavior," Shapiro told Markets Insider. "It's very disruptive for many companies."

Artificial intelligence powers technology like Apple's new face-recognition unlock tool and Google's smart assistant. AI is in its infancy, but it already is showing up in users' lives in a big way, which could be a big problem for marketing firms like Shapiro's.

Shapiro says to understand AI's impact on brands, picture a futuristic smart fridge. The fridge has cameras to track the food inside, and it sees that your milk is running low. Because it's connected to your credit card and your preferred online grocery store, it automatically orders new milk based on data it has gathered about your previous shopping habits. The fridge already knows which kind of milk you prefer based on what it's already seen you buy, so you don't have to pick the brand or even type of milk to reorder.

"You're already locked into your preferences, and you're done," Shapiro said. "You're not even deciding what food you want to buy anymore."

But AI won't just affect your snacking habits. Shapiro said Amazon's Alexa assistant already let you order products without being too specific.

When asking for more soap, for example, Amazon will pick a soap it thinks you will like based on its algorithm, and while it has you confirm that choice, Amazon already is able to sort through hundreds of brands and pick a soap for you.

"Most of the internet up until today has been about more options," Shapiro said. "Now with machine learning, it's not about everything  it's about the perfect product just for me."

Shapiro says this means the companies that own the most successful versions of these AI-equipped systems will wield immense power in the future.

That's probably why Google is working so furiously on its smart assistant. As Shapiro noted, Google's business today is ad-supported; it sells brands spots at the top of search results. If users stop searching for the best types of soap and instead rely on algorithms to pick out soap for them, Shapiro said, soap brands will stop buying those ads and Google will lose its biggest source of revenue.

When asked what the future of advertising looks like in a world dominated by smart fridges and voice assistants, Shapiro says he doesn't know but is excited to find out.
A complaint filed on behalf of the Roy Moore campaign alleges that "election fraud" contributed to Moore's loss in the US Senate race in Alabama. A statement posted on the Moore campaign's Facebook page late Wednesday night called on the Alabama secretary of state to delay certification of the election results until the claim could be investigated.

Moore lost the December 12 election to his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, by more than 20,000 votes, but he has refused to concede. Alabama officials are scheduled to certify the election results on Thursday.

Moore's statement alleges that "election integrity experts" concluded "with a reasonable degree of statistical and mathematical certainty" that some level of fraud contributed to his defeat.

The Alabama Senate election ended on the heels of a scandal in which multiple women accused Moore of various levels of sexual misconduct they said occurred when he was in his 30s and they were as young as 14 years old.

Moore had offered conflicting statements about his accusers  at points acknowledging that he had known some of the women and then later saying he did not.

Jones, a career prosecutor once considered a long-shot candidate in deep red Alabama, raised over $10 million in the final weeks of a race that remained close, despite the firestorm surrounding Moore.
In a move that has angered Russia and fueled massive uncertainty over the future of the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump has approved the sale of lethal munitions to the Ukrainian government in its fight against Russian-backed separatists in the country's Donbas region.

ABC News reports that according to four sources in the State Department, Trump is expected to approve the deal soon. The US military's European Command "is moving ahead with the plan for the weapons to be delivered," according to ABC News.

The controversial $47 million sale includes 35 FGM-148 Javelin launchers and 210 anti-tank missiles.

The Javelin, a fire-and-forget anti-tank missile, is one of the most advanced anti-tank systems on the market due to its top-attack flight profile, and has been repeatedly requested by the Ukrainians as a way to counter Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers.

The self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics have a large inventory of tanks and other armored vehicles reportedly supplied by Russia. Ukraine alleges that the Russian Military also operates such vehicles in Ukrainian territory.

"The United States has decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told ABC News.

Nauert stated that the weapons were to be used purely for defensive means. "US assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," she said.

It seems that ABC News' report angered Russia, as Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, said that the US was "an accomplice in fueling a war," according to a statement cited by the Associated Press.

Ryabkov said that the US had "crossed the line," and implied that Russia may respond. "American weapons can lead to new victims in our neighboring country, to which we cannot remain indifferent," he said.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said that the decision "will once again motivate the hotheads" and "unleash bloodshed again."

It's not new for NATO countries to sell weapons to Ukraine  earlier this month, Canada started to allow the sale of lethal weaponry to Ukraine, and Lithuania has been giving Ukraine lethal aid since 2014.
Guy Fieri, the host of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," has become one of the best-known food personalities  but on December 31, one major part of his empire will be no more.

According to Eater New York, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, in New York City's Times Square, will close on New Year's Eve.

The restaurant's food has not been well-received over the years. In a zero-star review in 2012, The New York Times' Pete Wells effectively destroyed the restaurant, comparing its Awesome Pretzel Chicken Tenders to "chewy air" and its watermelon margarita to "some combination of radiator fluid and formaldehyde."

As Fieri's first and only restaurant in New York, the place is decked out in everything Guy  everything on the menu is Guy Fieri-branded, the decor represents things he likes, and a gift shop features his merchandise.

And at 16,000 square feet and with 500 seats, the place is huge. It's in the building that was The Times' headquarters for nearly a century.

We visited the restaurant shortly after it opened in 2012  here's what it was like.

Kim Bhasin contributed reporting to an earlier version of this article.

Here we are at the three-floor complex in the former New York Times Building. It's right next to Bowlmor Lanes and Discovery Times Square.

And there's Guy Fieri on a screen near the entrance, promoting his Food Network show.

Inside, the gift shop is packed with all sorts of Guy Fieri memorabilia.

One of the trio of bars up front had some activity, even though we went around 4 p.m.

Classic American brands were touted everywhere  like Jack Daniel's ...

... Budweiser (though yes, it's owned by InBev, a Belgian company) ...

... and, up top, Miller and Pabst.

The restaurant's decor is personalized for Fieri  like this, a tattoo of his in memory of his sister.

American flags are everywhere.

Multiple shots of Fieri's red 1968 Camaro SS are on the walls.

The restaurant features a big bar on the second floor, complete with branded glasses.

In the back is the Studio, filled with some tchotchkes and things Fieri likes ...

... like guitars ...

... Apple, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

There's a huge chandelier outside the Studio, next to a giant American flag.

Time to head downstairs. This was where workers would load newspapers when The New York Times was here.

On the way down to the lowest level, you can peek into the kitchen, "floating" halfway down.

A cool wall is decorated with a ton of utensils.

The downstairs space is huge.

The 16,000-square-foot establishment can seat 500 people.

Where does this odd door lead to?

The rotisserie is downstairs. As you can see, it can cook 12 chickens at a time.

Though we're in New York, a bunch of other cities are represented downstairs.

This is the media cage  a testament to all the screens, speakers, and other electronics dispersed throughout the restaurant.

At the bar, we met these three tourists who walked in when they saw the Guy Fieri sign. They're from his hometown of Ferndale, California.

All right, enough looking around. Time to check out the Guy Fieri-branded menu.

As you open the menu, you're immediately reminded that the chicken dinner has indeed been won.

This is Guy's Big Bite Burger and Rojo Ring.

And here's the Cedar Plank Salmon with jalapeno-apricot jam.

The bartender mixed some drinks for us ...

... an El Azul Watermelon ...

... and a Caliente Margarita.

If you're not interested in cocktails, the American mainstays are always available ...

... along with all the top-shelf essentials.

While getting ready to head out, we ran into Guy's culinary team.
According to KHON2, the information was revealed through Ancestry.com, a family history website that allows one to discover those associated to one by birth. The Daily Mail UK reported that the pair who had known each other throughout their lives met in sixth grade while growing up in Oahu, Hawaii.

Before making the discovery, Macfarlene was reported to have sought for answers concerning his father but had failed in his search on the internet and social media. A phone call and a comparison of arms proved to suffice for a confirmation that he is Robinson's brother.

Describing his excitement over the new findings, Robinson said:

"It was an overwhelming experience, it's still overwhelming. I don't know how long it's going to take for me to get over this feeling,"

"This is the best Christmas present I could ever imagine having," Robinson said in respect to the news which was shared among friends and family.
The suspect is alleged to have stabbed Mr. Cao during a heated argument over the rent, leading to his death.

READ MORE: Family disowns woman for marrying a Nigerian

However, known only by his surname, Zheng has reportedly lost his ability to speak because as part of his hiding strategy, he refused to speak throughout the entire 12 years.

According to odditycentral.com, Zheng even turned himself into a mute beggar at a point in time, before he eventually began working in construction after settling in a small village in Anhui Province, 700 km north of Hangzhou.

Reports say he even got married to another woman with whom he had a child, but never spoke with them verbally; for fear that he might say something that could lead his discover.

Following his arrest just recently, the Zhejiang Daily in China reported that Zheng who adopted a fake name, Wang Gui, has really lost his ability to speak due to such a long time of pretending to be mute. His vocal cord, according to the newspaper had wasted away as a result of nonuse.

His arrest was as a result of a household survey conducted by police earlier this year when he could not produce any identification papers. A DNA test subsequently traced him to the alleged murder case.

Zheng who could only communicate by writing told the police The less I say, the less chance Ill make a mistake, when he was asked why he chose to be mute.
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Corporal Adjei Shaibu was earlier reported to have opened fire on five students when he came across them on their way to a rap concert at Shama Junction, in the Western Region.

He had allegedly accused the students of being armed robbers.

The case was called at the Takoradi District Court on Thursday and has been adjourned to January 12, 2018.

Counsel for the accused, Edmond Acquaah Arhin however told journalists that the request for adjournment was against the right of his client.

He said that my client has told me that he did not shoot anybody, the gunshot was not from him. The police is supposed to proof that my client had a gun, shot it and the resultant shooting is what has happened. So my client tells me he did not shoot, he was not wielding a gun, he was not at that particular place at that particular time. So we are here for the prosecution to prove that indeed he did that.

The lawyer added that he has so many doubts that his client committed the act.
The government on Wednesday explained in a statement that out of the over GH1 billion that is at issue, only GH1.5 million is available to the Ministry directly.

It said that the rest of the amount is only an appropriated ceiling made available in the 2018 Budget for the three Development Authorities to validate, properly budget with, plan and execute their on-ground projects, once established.

But in a reaction, the Member of Parliament for Bolga Central and member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Isaac Adongo, said the governments explanation does not make sense.

The reason we approve appropriation is because you come with reasonable estimates. Now, when you bring estimates and the estimates are unreasonable you now say, even though theyre unreasonable when were spending well be mindful. What informed the estimates, you would have done your own analysis of what you want to do, you would have done your own estimates of the various components of expenditures that should go into it.

Today youre now telling us that we should wait until youve spent. What type of government is this, that tells the people of Ghana that dont worry about our budget, no matter how unreasonable they are you have a second chance of getting value for money. Where did this ever happen?

"That clearly shows a government of incompetence, a government that is clueless, a government that has corruption in its DNA and if the people of Ghana had not seen this, they would have gone through with it.
According to him, his government is fully committed to fight the canker by punishing those found to be corrupt.

He added that he will not be distracted by accusations of corruption which he described as attempts to tarnish his government adding that Ghanaians will soon witness the real corrupt people in the country.

He cited the bribery allegation levelled against the Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko by some MPs, the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff - Francis Asenso Boakye and Abu Jinapor and the recent case of extortion of expatriate businesses by the Trade Ministry headed by Alan Kyeremanten.

He said "Boakye Agyarko went for vetting at parliament and was accused of bribery. We looked into it and it was spurious. It was a lie. There was no truth whatsoever in it.

"There are two hardworking men in my office who were accused of corruption  my two deputies. The CID looked into it but there was nothing. CHRAJ, with a boss John Mahama appointed, also looked into the allegations but there was nothing there.

"They are trying every means soil us but it wont wash."

He added: the recent allegation of corruption against the Minister of Trade, Alan Kyerematen, and his deputy Carlos Ahenkora as the latest hoax desperately calculated to stigmatise his government as corrupt.
A high-speed railway linking Hong Kong to the sprawling southern mainland cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou is due to open next year.

But the proposal for a joint immigration checkpoint, which would see mainland police and other officials stationed at the new terminus in the heart of Hong Kong, has intensified fears among some that Beijing is tightening its grip on the self-governing city.

The station is sited on Hong Kong's famous harbourfront in Kowloon, not on the border with the mainland further to the north.

The Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress approved the project.

"The NPCSC session said the arrangements are in line with the principle of 'One country, two systems', the constitution and the HKSAR Basic Law," state news agency Xinhua reported, referring to Hong Kong's post-1997 mini-constitution.

The immigration checkpoint would not affect "the high degree of autonomy, nor impair the rights and freedoms enjoyed by residents" of Hong Kong, Xinhua said, adding that the rail link would promote the city's economic development.

Britain handed back Hong Kong to China in 1997 under an agreement which preserved the city's own government and legal system and guaranteed rights and freedoms unseen on the mainland.

But there are fears these rights are being gradually eroded. Beijing has recently stressed its overall authority over Hong Kong.

Li Fei, a high-ranking Beijing official, said Wednesday that decisions by the Standing Committee are "unquestionable" and "have the highest judicial power".

Hong Kong supporters of the rail project say the joint immigration checkpoint will be no different to arrangements overseas such as at the Channel Tunnel.

But pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong expressed dismay.

Legislator Tanya Chan said the plan was the "most serious violation" of the Basic Law since the handover in 1997.
The ruling all but guarantees a victory for premier Hun Sen, an authoritarian leader who has been methodically sweeping out rivals as he looks to extend his 32-year run in office.

Western powers and rights groups have warned that the unprecedented crackdown could spell the death of democracy in the Southeast Asian nation.

But Beijing -- a top ally and benefactor -- has stuck by Cambodia's side, offering to provide an array of equipment for the July 2018 election.

"China pledged to give the equipment to serve the election in 2018,"Dim Sovannarum, a spokesman for Cambodia's National Election Committee (NEC), told AFP.

He could not confirm the total cost of the donated gear, which includes computers, ballot boxes and voting booths.

The official -- who denied Beijing was filling the gap left by the EU and the US -- said the Chinese assistance would help "ensure transparency, accuracy and accountability" in the poll.

China is Cambodia's biggest source of foreign aid and regularly provides electoral support, including vehicles and other supplies worth $11 million for local polls held this year.

Beijing's total investment in the country topped $11.2 billion in 2016, according to official Cambodian data.

The flood of Chinese cash has significantly cut Hun Sen's reliance on Western donors, whose aid often comes with pressure to safeguard human rights and democratic institutions.
Opposition spokesman Christophe Lutundula said the reform "automatically" banned certain hopefuls from running against Kabila in the next election, scheduled for December 23, 2018.

The opposition says the law automatically excludes certain candidates by setting a minimum threshold of the share of the national vote that a candidate must win in order to obtain a seat.

The changes "have put into place provisions which exclude independent candidates and are a flagrant violation of the constitution," Lutundula told AFP.

He said more than 50 lawmakers have so far signed a petition to contest the changes in the constitutional court.

The petition has not only been endorsed by opposition members but also by MPs from the parliamentary majority, according to Lutundula.

Some small parties in the ruling bloc had criticised the electoral package passed by the National Assembly on December 4.

Majority spokesman Andre-Alain Atundu accused the opposition of using "delaying tactics to hold up the election".

The reforms mark the first official step in the countdown to next year's ballot aimed at bringing about Kabila's belated departure and restoring stability in the crisis-hit country.

In power since 2001 when he took over from his assassinated father Laurent Kabila, he refused to step down at the end of his second and final term in office in December 2016.

Elections had been due to take place by the end of 2017 under a deal with the opposition aimed at avoiding bloodshed.
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, the state's chief elections officer, certified the results Thursday of this month's special US Senate election despite calls from Republican candidate Roy Moore to delay the process.

A complaint filed on behalf of the Moore campaign alleged that "election fraud" contributed to Moore's loss to Democrat Doug Jones. A statement posted on the Moore campaign's Facebook page late Wednesday night called on Merrill to delay certification of the election results until the claim could be investigated. That complaint was thrown out on Thursday after a judge dismissed it.

When asked whether Moore's challenge would affect anything, Merrill told CNN on Thursday that "the short answer to that is no."

Merrill met with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and the state Attorney General Steve Marshall to officially certify the results and confirm that Jones will be sworn in as the state's next senator when Congress returns from recess in January.

Jones defeated Moore earlier this month by a 1.5-point margin, winning by more than 21,000 votes. Moore initially refused to concede, arguing that remaining write-in votes and provisional and military ballots from overseas still needed to be counted. But those remaining ballots, which have since been counted, did not narrow Jones' lead.

Moore has nonetheless remained defiant.

Just days after the election, the Moore campaign emailed supporters asking for donations that would be used for an "election integrity fund" to investigate and submit cases of voter fraud and other irregularities.

"I also wanted to let you know that this battle is NOT OVER!" Moore said in the email. "My campaign team is busy collecting numerous reported cases of voter fraud and irregularities for the Secretary of State's office."

President Donald Trump and other republicans have called on Moore to concede.

"I think it's ridiculous," Republican Rep. Leonard Lance of New Jersey said on CNN Thursday, referring to Moore's refusal to step aside. " I'm a strong Republican, but I did not support Roy Moore and he should concede the election."

The Alabama Senate election ended on the heels of a scandal in which multiple women accused Moore of various levels of sexual misconduct they said occurred when he was in his 30s and they were as young as 14 years old. Moore had offered conflicting statements about his accusers  at points acknowledging that he had known some of the women and then later saying he did not.

When Jones is sworn in next month, the former prosecutor will be the first Democrat to hold an Alabama Senate seat since 1992.
Richard Painter, the former chief ethics lawyer who served under George W. Bush, snapped at a Republican congressman Francis Rooney on Wednesday after Rooney suggested there should be a "purge" at the FBI to root out agents who have a political bias.

Rooney made that comment on Tuesday and it follows a long-playing drumbeat of criticism from Trump and his allies who have sought to question the integrity of the nation's top law-enforcement agencies. And that effort has unfolded as the ongoing Russia investigation gains steam.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Painter said of Rooney, "tell that congressman and all the rest of them who are shooting their mouths off without any knowledge of the facts that they are just flat-out wrong."

"Theres not going to be any purge of the FBI on his watch," Painter said, referring to the Trump-appointed FBI Director Chris Wray. "He needs to stand up to these people. Theyre acting like dictators.

Painter continued: "That doesn't appeal to my type of Republican. That doesn't appeal to patriotic Americans, to see the FBI attacked that way."

One day earlier, Painter suggested Wray should "stand up" to Trump and the president's supporters who have rehashed the president's criticisms about the FBI. He accused Wray of "allowing himself to be humiliated" by Trump.

Political observers have asserted that Trump's attacks indicate that he is trying to cast doubt on the integrity of the Russia investigation, which was launched in response to the Kremlin's interference in the 2016 election, and to determine whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians

While four people linked to the Trump campaign have been criminally charged so far, the president and several other close associates who have been caught up in the Russia firestorm have denied any wrongdoing.
Scott Rogowsky: I'm as ready as I'll never be.

Q1: What popular game is "Hollywood Squares" based on?a. Hangman b. Tic-Tac-Toe c. Crossword Puzzles

Scott: I'm gonna say Tic-Tac-Toe?

You fool! Ok ... Loved "Hollywood Squares." Shout out Gilbert Gottfried.

Q2: What is the name of the AI that competed on Jeopardy in 2011?a.Watson b. Winston c. Siri

Scott: Watson!

Q3: How many years did Bob Barker host the Price is Right?a. 10 years b. 25 years c. 35 years

Scott: 35 years. You're talking to the bad and boujee Barker right here.

Q4: What was the popular catch phrase from Press Your Luck?a. Survey Says b. No Whammies! C. Physical Challenge

Scott: No Whammies! Big Bucks, big bucks! No Whammies!

Q5: How many people are surveyed on Family Feud?a. 10 b. 100 c.1000

Scott: 100. Survey says: 100!

Q6: What is the name of the Oscar-nominated film about a game show starring John Turturro?a. The Truman Show b. Magnolia c. Quiz Show

Scott: "Quiz Show!" Ding, ding, ding!

Q7: What is the longest running game show in U.S. history?a. The Price is Right b. Wheel of Fortune c. Jeopardy

Scott: "Jeopardy."

What is "Wheel of Fortune?"

"The Price is Right!" I should have guessed Bob Barker!

Q8: What famous game show did Anne Robinson host?a. The Weakest Link b. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire c. Deal or No Deal

Scott: "The Weakest Link."

You are the weakest link. Goodbye!

Q9: On Who Wants to Be a Millionaire contestants can Phone a Friend, Ask the Audience or what?a.50:50 b. Get a Hint c. Skip the Answer

Scott: 50:50.

Q10: Who was the first host of Wheel of Fortune?a.Pat Sajak b. Chuck Woolery c. Merv Griffin

Scott: Merv Griffin.

Woolery! Oooh ...

Q11: What was the very first televised game show?a.Jeopardy b. Spelling Bee c. Lets Make a Deal

Scott: "Spelling Bee." That was a guess.

Q12: Who is the current record holder for the highest earning contestant on a US game show?a. Ken Jennings b. Neil DeGrasse Tyson c. Brad Rutter

Scott: Brad Rutter? Who is Brad Rutter?

I don't know who he is. I just know that he's got a lot of money.

See, if the questions were all about trivia, or game shows, I'd do pretty well.
The truth is that the Islam Holy Book does, in fact, discuss who Jesus is, how he lived. Actually, both Islam and Christianity have some things in common when it comes to Jesus.

Birth of Jesus

Both the Bible and Quran share details on the birth of Jesus. Christians believe that Angel Gabriel gave the news of his birth to Mary, Muslims believe the same thing.

Quran 3:45 reads, O Mary! Allah gives thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: His name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of those nearest to Allah.

Differences

Unlike Christians who believe that Jesus was born in manger, Muslims believe that he was born under a palm tree.

Another difference is that Muslims see Him as just one of Gods chosen prophets while Christians see him as the son of God.

This is seen in Quran 4:171, which says, Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, was an apostle of Allah.

According to Yusif Ali, one of the most popular translations of the Quran into English, adds, Jesus says in 19:30, I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet.

ALSO READ: Muslim man puts up tall Christmas tree to honour Christians

The interesting thing is that despite seeing Jesus as just a prophet, Muslims believe that he is in heaven and that he performed miracles when he was alive.

Allah said to Jesus in 3:55, Yusif Ali, O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee of those who blaspheme.

 I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me.

Despite the differences, it is clear that both Islam and Christianity can agree that Jesus is an extremely important figure.
Today, we explore the second kind of leaders. Meet the Pontiffs with the shortest reigns ever in Catholic history.

Stephen II

This pope holds the title for the shortest time in this position, so short that many people do not see him as a real Pope.

His Papacy began on March 23, 752 and ended March 26, 752, quite unusual, right? He was Pope-elect who unfortunately suffered apoplexy that led to his death three days after his election.

He was succeeded by a Pope who took his name Stephen II, but is now referred to as Stephen III.

Urban VII

Next is Urban VII who was elected Pope in 1590. He chose this particular name because it signified kindness. This characteristic played out during his time as Pope as he reportedly ordered for bigger and cheaper loaves of bread.

It is also said that that he paid off debts of all the poor in the city of Rome. Despite these kind deeds, he only lasted 13 days as a result of an illness that led to his death.

Boniface VI

This pope lasted 15 days before dying from gout. Reportedly, his election was declared null and void by John IX two years after his death. This does not change the fact that he is still on the official list of Popes.

Celestine IV

He was sworn into office in October 1241. His papacy lasted just 17 days.

Fun fact- He was born Goffredo Castiglione and not much is known about him including the exact location of his grave.

Theodore II

Very little is known about this pope other than the fact he held this title for only 20 days.
Joining the right clubs and societies on campus allows fresh students to make new friends and enhances their academic pursuit on campus.

Again, playing active roles in a campus legitimate club or society also strengthens new students with leadership skill and could also protect them from being hijacked by cult groups on campus.

So, to prevent the new students from joining the wrong groups, here are the different societies and clubs they will find in Nigerian universities and polytechnics.

Professional Clubs and Societies:

Every department has an association that draws its members only from within the departments and faculties. This association is guided and supported by departmental heads and faculty Deans.

So, freshers are free to join such associations as Engineering Students Society, Association of Mass Communication Students and any faculty-based society on their campus.

Religious Societies:

There is a noticeable presence of two religious societies on every campus as every institution has at least a mosque and a church in the school premises.

ALSO READ:5 ways to avoid getting lured into cultism

These Campus Houses of Gods are managed by the religious societies on campus. It is, therefore, advisable for a fresher who wants to maintains his or her religious practices either join the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, MSSN or the Nigerian Christian Students Fellowship. Other religious associations are; Evangelical Christian Union, Agape, Methodist Student Union, Ahmadiya Students Society etc.

Home-based Societies:

Freshers can also associate themselves with groups that are formed to promote unity among students that come from particular regions or towns.

Such associations or unions include Delta State students' Association, Egba Students Union, Ijebu Students Association, Afikpo Local Government Students Association and so on.

Press Club:

New students of Mass Communication or communication-related courses and other students who have interest in writing will find Campus Press Club very useful.

This could also serve as a training ground for the students to cut their teeth and sharpen their skills in writing and reporting.

Philanthropic Clubs:

The aim of these clubs is to render selfless services to the institution. A fresh student can join one of these clubs which include, Man O' War, Junior Chamber International JCI, Rotary Club, Lion Club, Red Cross etc.

Social/Cultural Societies:

Social and cultural groups abound in Nigerian campuses. The most popular among them is the Kegite group.

The Kegite group is believed to be a social group that makes university campus lively with their songs and gyrations. The membership of these groups are open to all students and freshers are not exempted from joining these social groups.
The victim in a report by Vanguard News revealed that her tormentor who also threatened to kill her if she divulged details of their activities acknowledged that he deflowered her.

It was further confirmed that the former military person also known as 'Papa Soldier' gave her a higher N200 denomination in a subsequent meeting.

He interchanged between these values according to the teenager who insisted that she didn't not resist the septuagenarian because of the money but due to a fear for her life. All these began when she was sent by her sister to Papa Soldier's house to collect some compact discs. A day she will forever remember in horror.

Sometime last year or thereabout, my sister sent me to Papa Soldiers (Papa Soldier) house to collect some compact discs for her.

The man was sitting in front of his house when I got there. He said the CD was inside on the table. As I went inside, he tiptoed in after me and hurriedly locked the door when I had entered. He removed my clothes, underwear and forced himself on me.

I tried to shout, but he blocked my mouth and threatened to kill me. After he was through, I saw some whitish substance on me. It was then he told me he had deflowered me and that I should not tell anybody about it.

Since then he has been having sex with me and each time he would warn me and even threaten to kill me.

At times, he will give me N100 or N200. The day he deflowered me, he gave me N100. I was not enticed by money; it was his constant threats that frightened me.

I could not tell anyone because I didnt want to die. I just finished JSS 1. I had not started menstruation when he first forced me. It was after that encounter I started seeing my period," she narrated.

Thanks to a woman who lives in her neighbourhood who noticed that the physical changes in her was suggestive of pregnancy, the girl's father who was quite distraught upon learning that his child was sexually abused, has informed the police who now have the suspect into custody at Mokola Police Station.

According to the neighbour who spoke anonymously, Papa Soldier has been transferred to the state police's Criminal Investigation Department.

Trusted people are mostly the rape culprits

Several cases of rapes against minors were perpetrated by those close to the family of the victims who are slow to suspect due to trust. Other times it is often based on the naivety of the abused.

A police officer in Anambra State, Corporal Barau Garba offers a good example.

The security agent reportedly abducted a 14-year-old girl who he turned into a sex slave. According to a human rights activist and journalist, Comrade Alhassan Haruna Dambatta, the officer accosted the girl who lost the money given to her for an errand that took her to the city of Onitsha from Asaba, Delta State.

Garba reportedly promised to take the teenager who was of northern heritage to her parents but that never happened until the child reached out to them over the phone.

Perhaps, there is a relationship between the high rate of rape in Nigeria and the way women are perceived in the society.

Numerous tribal cultures see folks of the female gender as objects who have limited influence in decision making. Their natural role remains domestic duties in their homes.
The sad incident was made known by the Nigerian Prison Service in a statement by ASP Ogbajie J. Ogbajie, the Akwa Ibom Command Public Relations Officer on Wednesday, December 27, 2017

How it occurred

According to the statement by ASP Ogbajie the jailbreak took place about 1147hrs on Wednesday, 27 December 2017.

"There was an attack on kitchen staff that were on duty at Ikot Ekpene Prison in Akwa-Ibom State by some prisoners.

"They seized an axe from fellow inmate attached to the kitchen, inflicting a deep cut to inmates head in the process and immediately made for the rear entrance to the prison. They broke the door with the axe and engaged the staff that chased after them in battle."

ALSO READ: Over 14 killed as inmates, prison officers clash in Ebonyi

Jailbreak casualties

Ogbajie noted that at the end of the scuffle between the prisoners and members of staff of the prison, four of the prisoners that sustained gun shots lost their lives while seven of the fleeing prisoners were recaptured.

However Ogbajie said 36 prisoners are still at large while search parties have been activated to effect their recapture.

Controller of Prisons orders investigation into jailbreak

The Controller of Prisons Akwa Ibom State Command, Alex Oditah has ordered an investigation into the circumstance surrounding the unfortunate incident.

ALSO READ: 23 prison officers sacked, 11 others suspended in Kuje jailbreak

Ogbajie noted that the inquiry into the unfortunate incident is expected to reveal the circumstances and individuals involved in the plan behind the jailbreak.

The CP has thereby, appealed to members of the public to assist the authority with useful intelligence that will aid arrest of the fleeing prisoners.

The CP also assured the public that security has been strengthen in all prison formations in the State to forestall breach of security or further recurrence.
This he said was in a bid to end the ongoing fuel crisis and the untold hardship it was presently unleashing on Nigerians.

This was contained in a press statement from Sarakis Media Office.

Consequently, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Sen. Kabiru Marafa, said the committee has invited the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr Maikanti Baru and other relevant stakeholders to a crucial meeting on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018.

ALSO READ:6 steps Nigeria can take to stop petrol crisis

Marafa said the meeting would address the lingering fuel scarcity bedevilling the nation in the last few weeks with a view to putting a complete stop to the unsavoury development.
The accident occurred at the Gwarimpa district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The Presidents son suffered injuries on his head and limbs as his power bike crashed while he was racing with his friend.

Mixed reactions have continued to trail Yusufs accident.

While most Nigerians prayed for his quick recovery, others are concerned about President Buharis aides swift reactions to the matter as compared to the health of their principal.

Here's are some reactions on Yusuf Buhari's accident via Twitter.

Meanwhile, Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 revealed that Yusuf had undergone surgery and is in a stable condition.

"Yusuf Buhari had a bike accident last night around Gwarimpa in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He broke a limb and had an injury to the head as a result. He has undergone surgery at a clinic in Abuja. He is in a stable condition.
The decision of the committee was sequel to the directive by Senate President Bukola Saraki urging the senators to suspend their recess and tackle the fuel scarcity crisis head-on.

Chairman of the committee, Kabiru Marafa disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday, December 28, 2017.

Other relevant stakeholders in the petroleum sector are expected to attend the meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 4, 2018.

The minister of petroleum, President Muhammadu Buhari was, however, not invited by the Senate.

ALSO READ: 10 ships laden with petrol to arrive in Lagos ports

Senator Marafa further added that the meeting which would be held at the Senate Hearing Room 221 and its proceedings aired live on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), is meant to address the lingering fuel scarcity bedevilling the nation in the last few weeks with a view to put a complete stop to the unsavoury development.
It was the culmination of days of insult and invective hurling between both men over what Jibrin and the rest of the nation would come to refer to as budget padding.

Hon Jibrin, who was Chairman of the House Appropriations committee before he was sent fleeing from the green chamber, had accused Speaker Dogara and other principal officers of the House, of criminal insertions with respect to the annual budget.

As tempers flared, Jibrin would call Dogara a criminal, shameless thief and rogue.

Suspension

Dogara responded by making sure Jibrin was suspended from the legislature for 180 lawmaking days.

Its been over 400 days now and Jibrin hasnt been recalled to the House.

Hes travelled the world in that time, sought justice from his social media accounts, asked to meet with the president to tell his side of the story and screamed blue murder through every other channel he could latch onto.

But Dogara hasnt looked his way.

It has been Dogara who has been holding meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari over the sensitive subject that is budget padding--and everything in between--as Jibrin continued with licking his wounds.

The meeting

Until today when Jibrin showed up at the presidential villa for a meeting with President Buhari.

As you are aware I have not seen the president for a while now. This was a meeting between a son and a father, a giddy Jibrin told State House correspondents after the meeting.

Asked if the meeting had anything to do with his suspension by the speaker and his prolonged stay out of the lawmaking chamber, Jibrin took the evasive route.

Well, I cannot comment on that. The most important thing is that I saw the president and he is in very high spirits. I greeted him like a son and he spoke to me like a father.

Jibrin decried that the people of Kiru/Bebeji constituency of Kano which he represents at the national assembly, have been denied representation on account of his suspension and refusal by Speaker Dogara to recall him.

Jibrin also said he'll continue to fight his suspension in court.

Its only normal for Nigerians to clamour for my recall, he said. Of course, Nigerians like justice, my constituency has been suspended for 16 months, so it is only normal that people will talk and ask questions. Why are we not back on the aspect of court case that has been lingering for the past 16 months? I think these are some of the reasons people are raising issues in the public glare.
There, he restated his resolve to collaborate with the people of the South-East geopolitical zone, in moving the country forward.

He however dispelled rampant allegations that he has much hatred for the people of the South-East saying: all these accusations, permutations are all lies calculated to create bad feelings of the Igbo people and also described it as mischief-makers handiwork.

Furthermore, he recalled three notable instances when he has demonstrated his love and companionship for the Igbo people.

He said: I will remain a friend to Ndigbo. I recall that in 2002, I invited the late Akimbo Chukwuemeka Ojukwu to my hometown of Duara. We discussed about the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.

In 2003, I picked Dr. Chuba Okadigbo as my running mate in that years presidential election. If I hated Ndigbo, I wouldnt have done that.

In 2017, the Federal Government, under my leadership, commenced work on the Second Niger Bridge following its abandonment by the previous government all these years.

While speaking about the plans for the widows, the Chief Executive Chinedu Ogah Foundation, Mr. Chinedu Ogah, commended the President for his leadership style and delivery of his delivery democratic dividend to Nigerians.

Meanwhile, President Buhari commended the Ndigbo, describing their entrepreneurship nature as unique, while encouraging other ethnic nationalities to emulate them for it to the improve the progress of the country.

President Buhari was conferred Chieftaincy title of Ochi Oha Ndigbo (leader of all) of Igboland by the South-East Traditional rulers, and Enyi Oma 1 (number one good friend) of Ebonyi State by the Ebonyi State Traditional Council, on November 13, 2017.
Fujimori, 79, had been serving a 25-year prison sentence for the murder of 25 people by death squads and other human rights abuses committed during his time in office from 1990 to 2000.

"The presidential pardon granted to Alberto Fujimori on politically motivated grounds undermines the work of the Peruvian judiciary and the international community to achieve justice," UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and Pablo de Greiff said in a statement Thursday.

"We are appalled by this decision. It is a slap in the face for the victims and witnesses whose tireless commitment brought him to justice," the experts said.

"It is also a major setback for the rule of law in Peru: a humanitarian pardon has been granted to someone convicted of serious crimes after a fair trial, whose guilt is not in question and who does not meet the legal requirements for a pardon."

Kuczynski said his pardon was given on humanitarian grounds, based on the former president's ill health.

Fujimori, who has been in a Lima clinic since Saturday, was transferred from prison after suffering low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

As president, Fujimori earned respect from many Peruvians for his ruthless campaign to defeat leftist Shining Path guerrillas, but his brutal, illegal methods were also condemned by other parts of Peruvian society and foreign observers.

The timing of the pardon was seen by many in Peru as suspicious, coming days after Kuczynski barely survived an impeachment motion in the opposition-controlled Congress.

It was only because Kenji Fujimori convinced some members of a party led by his sister Keiko not to support the impeachment that Kuczynski was not removed from power.

"The government should not give in to political pressure and ignore its domestic and international obligations," the UN special rapporteurs said.

jpegMpeg4-1280x720"Fujimori must be treated like any other person convicted of serious human rights crimes."
The investigative weekly Canard Enchaine, citing an internal memo, said those receiving jobless benefits would be required to submit a monthly report on their job-hunting efforts.

Politicians both to the left and the right of the centrist president assailed the idea of a monthly reporting requirement, with the Socialist Party tweeting that it was first mooted by the head of the employers' federation, Pierre Gattaz.

But Macron defended the plan in an interview with French radio LCI.

"If there are no rules, things cannot move ahead. That doesn't mean that we'll chase everyone," the 40-year-old said Wednesday evening.

Macron, elected in May on a pro-business platform, repeatedly pledged on the campaign trail to overhaul unemployment insurance -- along with his landmark labour reforms -- with a view to reining in unemployment.

Employers regularly point to the unemployment benefit system, seen as among Europe's most generous, as one of the main reasons for France's chronically high joblessness.

Some five weeks of negotiations on the sensitive issue are set to begin on January 11.

Alexis Corbiere of the radical left France Unbowed party told news channel BFMTV: "All this bureaucracy around unemployment has only one goal: to strike people (off the rolls) and then be able to say, 'Look, thanks to us unemployment is down'."

Far-right National Front spokesman Jordan Bardella questioned a policy of "generalised suspicion" towards the unemployed, saying the government should instead focus on rooting out "notorious cheaters".

Under the plan, those who refuse two job offers deemed "reasonable" or who refuse training will have their benefits halved for two months compared with the current 20 percent cut, said the Canard, which combines biting satire with regular investigative scoops.

If they fail to step back into line the benefits will be totally withdrawn for the next two months, it said, citing a confidential labour ministry memo.

Macron eyes 'major results'

Thanks to the comfortable parliamentary majority enjoyed by Macron's LREM party, the president has been on a legislative roll, notably pushing through his overhaul of France's complex labour code in September.

On Wednesday the former investment banker told the Spanish daily El Mundo he expected the labour reforms to produce "major results within 18-24 months" for the employment situation.

Since Macron's election, unemployment has dipped to around 9.6 percent -- still about twice that of Britain or Germany and well above the European average of 7.8 percent.

"The first year of one's term is crucial," Macron told El Mundo. "That's why I wanted to move fast."

Joblessness was a constant thorn in the side of Macron's Socialist predecessor Francois Hollande, who failed to move the needle much below 10 percent during his single term in power.

His short tenure saw massive, sometimes violent street protests against proposed labour reforms.

Macron's reforms are designed to give employers more flexibility to negotiate pay and conditions with their workers while making it easier and less costly to shed staff.

Unemployment is expected to stabilise at around 9.4 percent by mid-2018, its lowest level since early 2012.
A Saudi-led military coalition has since 2015 been intervening in Yemen to support its internationally recognised government against Huthi rebels backed by Iran.

Air strikes and a far-reaching blockade on Yemen's air and sea ports have massively reduced the amount of food reaching the country, heavily critical international aid organisations say.

In early November, the coalition tightened that blockade in response to a missile fired by the Shiite Huthis that was intercepted near Riyadh airport.

Mark Lowcock, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said that month unless the coalition ends a blockade of the country, Yemen will face "the largest famine the world has seen for many decades, with millions of victims".

The blockade was partially lifted three weeks later under massive international pressure, namely over the closure of Hodeida port -- key to humanitarian and commercial deliveries.
They point to a series of scenes -- Fujimori in a hospital bed, late former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in a wheelchair, former Guatemalan president Efrain Rios Montt immune from sentencing because of alleged dementia -- to underline their argument.

In Fujimori's case, a presidential pardon that freed him of a 25-year sentence for brutal human rights abuses triggered protests by thousands of angry Peruvians.

It also drew sharp criticism from the representative in Latin America of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amerigo Incalcaterra, who called for any situation "that could lead to impunity" to be avoided.

Fujimori, said to be ailing from high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat at age 79, admitted to having "let down" Peru's citizens and asked them "to forgive me with all my heart."

It was an oblique reference to crimes he was convicted of, which included the murder of 25 people by death squads he commanded during his 1990-2000 rule.

He made the comments in a video from a hospital bed, where he looked visibly weakened and surrounded by medical equipment.

Age as 'mitigating' factor

Seventeen years earlier, General Pinochet, 84 and retired, arrived in a wheelchair at the airport serving Chile's capital. He had just been freed on health grounds after being detained 503 days in London.

But, as soon as he descended from the plane, he got up and walked away, accompanied by his family. Opponents called it a deliberate provocation.

"Age is a factor that works as a mitigating circumstance," said Lissell Quiroz-Perez, a specialist in Latin America at Rouen University in France.

"These are old men," she said, and "they played it that way too: Fujimori is always seen in bed, Pinochet was the same, he always appeared very weak. That created a feeling of compassion in the population."

In Guatemala, Rios Montt, a former dictator today aged 91, is waiting to hear the verdict from his closed-door retrial started in October for a massacre by his security forces of 1,770 indigenous people who were accused of supporting leftwing guerrillas during his 1982-1983 reign.

But even if convicted, he will not go to prison. The court has been persuaded his mental state has deteriorated too far to countenance such punishment.

"He has very few moments of lucidity," his former lawyer Jaime Hernandez stated in October.

'Less impunity' than before

"From a certain point of view, it's regrettable that those who violated human rights... might be protected by those same rights," said Patricio Navia, a Chilean sociologist and academic advisor for the CADAL Center for Openness and Development in Latin America.

"But such is democracy."

Navia rejected the term "impunity" for Fujimori, who had already spent 12 years in detention.

"Fujimori's case harks back to the past, but in a way that happens in a context of greater justice against those who violate human rights in Latin America," he said.

"There is a lot less impunity than before," he said. "Thirty years ago, no ex-president in Latin America would have gone to prison."

Now, several are behind bars, notably Otto Perez in Guatemala, pending trial for corruption; and Ollanta Humala in Peru, also on charges of graft.

Gaspard Estrada, director of the OPALC Political Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean at Paris's Sciences Po institute, took a more nuanced view.

"Sure, Fujimori was convicted, and he served part of his sentence. But if we want to see impunity reduced and the rule of law progress, creating some exceptions can open the door to other exceptions," he said.

Fundamentally, there are "societies that are divided by their past, but that happens to all societies -- one can think of France, for example, with its war in Algeria."

"There are minority fringe groups that express sympathy with their torturers, while others, the majority, reject them."
Trump has been lauded by the Jewish state -- and sparked international condemnation -- by breaking with years of US policy to recognise the holy city as Israel's capital.

Minister Israel Katz approved a plan on Tuesday to extend a high-speed rail line under construction between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem into the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and build a station next to the Western Wall, a statement said.

The station close to the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray will be called "Donald John Trump", the minister ordered, in tribute to his "historic and courageous decision" on Jerusalem.

Israel seized the eastern part of Jerusalem -- including the Western Wall -- in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community.

Israelis see the whole city as their indivisible capital, while the Palestinians view the east as the capital of their future state.

The Western Wall, the last remnant of the second Jewish temple, is at the foot of the Haram al-Sharif compound housing the Al-Aqsa mosque and the golden-topped Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam.

The new railway line is scheduled to start linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in 2018, cutting the journey time to less than 30 minutes.
General Constantino Chiwenga, 61, took the oath of office at the presidential office in Harare, pledging to obey, uphold and defend the constitution of the country, according to an AFP journalist who witnessed the ceremony.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday named the former army chief as one of his two deputies in the ruling party, the presidency said.

Presidential press secretary George Charamba said in a statement, retired general Constantino Chiwenga and long-serving state security minister Kembo Mohadi were appointed as Mnangagwa's deputies in the ZANU-PF party "with immediate effect."

The party appointment is a first step in their elevation to state vice presidents. Two other top military officials were earlier this month awarded ministerial posts.
Moon's comments came a day after Seoul's foreign ministry said the deal -- which was pushed and endorsed by his predecessor, Park Geun-Hye -- was faulty and had "failed to reflect the victims' views".

The unpopular agreement was meant to end the decades-long dispute with a Japanese apology and a total of 1 billion yen ($8.8 million) payment of money to survivors.

But it sparked anger among some survivors seeking an explicit apology from the Japanese government for the wartime abuses.

Following Moon's decision to order a review of the deal after being elected to office this year, a task force published a report Wednesday saying the agreement was rushed and did not do enough to seek out the opinions of the victims, often known by the euphemism "comfort women".

"It has been confirmed that the 2015 deal...was seriously flawed," Moon said in a statement released on Thursday.

"Although the 2015 deal was an official agreement endorsed by the leaders of both countries, I'd like to make it clear that the deal cannot solve this issue of 'comfort women,'" he said.

The latest revelation by the task force is "regrettable but unavoidable," Moon said, telling officials to "come up with follow-up measures at the earliest date" without elaborating further.

It is unclear whether Seoul will call for renegotiations or walk away from the deal.

Tokyo has urged Seoul to stick with the 2015 agreement.

Mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women -- mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including China -- were forced to become sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during the war.

The Japanese government denies it is directly responsible for the abuses, insisting that "comfort women" were recruited by civilians and that the army brothels were commercially operated.
"We affirmed the desire of the two states to strengthen cooperation... taking into account the circumstances affecting Tunisia," the North African country's President Beji Caid Essebsi said.

The Tunisian leader went on to praise "the understanding shown by the Turkish president regarding these circumstances".

Turkey and Tunisia have deep political and commercial ties, but their free trade agreement has been the subject of fierce discussion during debate on financial legislation.

Tunisia's trade imbalance has increased considerably, reaching 1.6 billion dinars ($649 million, 565 million euros) in the first 10 months of 2017, and the country has reinstated customs duties on certain products imported from Turkey.

"Turkey supports Tunisia in difficult times," said Erdogan. "The development of Tunisia is the development of Turkey."

Erdogan said he hoped to "reinforce our economic ties, particularly in commerce and investments, and develop cooperation in the energy, tourism and agriculture sectors".

Agreements were signed on Wednesday for cooperation on defence, including for Tunisian soldiers to be trained in Turkey, as well as investments, said Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui.

The Turkish delegation was keen to increase the importation of Tunisian products such as olive oil and phosphate, he added.

Erdogan arrived in Tunisia along with about 10 government ministers and more than 150 businessmen, on the final leg of a tour that has also taken him to Chad and Sudan.

jpegMpeg4-1280x720Journalists staged a protest when Erdogan arrived in Tunisia on Tuesday night to denounce violations against freedom of expression in Turkey and the imprisonment of numerous media workers there.
The contract includes Tier 4 and Tier 3 certified to Tier 4 locomotives which will be equipped with GEs GoLinc platform, trip optimiser system and LocoTrol Expanded Architecture for distributed power. The three systems are part of GEs train performance suite designed to optimise distributed power, train handling, brake control and fuel consumption.

Production of the locomotives will begin in 2018 at GEs plant in Fort Worth, Texas, and the first unit will be ready later in 2018 with delivery completed in 2020.

We are bullish on the North American economy and on our ability to compete and win new business with our superior service model, says Mr Luc Jobin, CNs president and CEO.
Lot 1 comprises the operation of 3.5 million train-km per year on four electrified lines radiating from Karlsruhe main station (Hbf):

 Karlsruhe Hbf  Bretten  Eppingen - Heilbronn Hbf

 Karlsruhe Hbf  Rastatt - Achern- Kehl

 Karlsruhe Hbf  Rastatt  Forbach  Freudenstadt  Eutlingen  Bondorf  Herrenberg, and

 Karlsruhe Hbf  Rastatt  Forbach.

Lot 2 involves operating 1 million train-km per annum on the Karlsruhe Hbf - Bruchsal - Heidelberg Hbf - Mannheim Hbf line which is also electrified.

The winner of each lot will be obliged to introduce new trains. The lot 1 trains must be able to cope with steep gradients and have an access height of 55cm above the rail head, compared with an access height of 76cm for the lot 2 trains.

The state of Baden-Wurttemberg is offering two options to finance the acquisition of the new trains, although the operator will be expected to conclude the contract with the vehicle manufacturer. The two financing models are:

 the classic model in which the operator will order and take delivery of the rail vehicles from the manufacturer to operate the services under the regional contract, and

 the Baden-Wurttemberg model: the winner of the tender will order new rail vehicles and transfer the contract to the Baden-Wurttemberg train fleet manager (SFBW) which will then deal directly with a bank and the manufacturer. SFBW will work with the public transport authority during the tender process and the execution of the operating contract.
Prorail chose this line as it is already equipped with ERTMS and does not have any level crossings. Alstom will work with Prorail on the project which will involve trials with freight trains and shunting in the port of Rotterdam.

Prorail also plans trials with the driverless operation of passenger trains in the north of the Netherlands on non-electrified regional lines operated by Arriva Nederland, and negotiations are already underway between Prorail, the Province of Groningen, which is the public transport authority, and Arriva. This will be the first test of ATO in passenger traffic on conventional lines which include level crossings.

Prorail hopes that the introduction of ATO will help to increase capacity on regional lines by cutting headways as well as reduce energy consumption through the more consistent operation of trains.

Prorail has invited other organisations and rail infrastructure managers from outside the Netherlands to become involved in the project in order for them to gain more experience with ATO. Through the ATO trial programme, Prorail is keen to become a leader in this technology and for the Netherlands to become a test centre for rail innovation.
Russian Supreme Court upholds sentence of "Crossbow Coup" plotter for inciting hatred

MOSCOW, December 28 (RAPSI, Nikita Shiryayev)  The Supreme Court of Russia on Thursday upheld a 1.5-year prison sentence given to retired Russian military intelligence colonel Vladimir Kvachkov, who is currently serving a term for attempted instigation of an armed riot, for inciting hatred and enmity, RAPSI correspondent reports from the courtroom.

The court dismissed an appeal filed by defense seeking to acquit Kvachkov.

A criminal case over pushing for terrorist activities or justifying terrorism was opened against Kvachkov in March 2016.

According to case papers, Kvachkov, who is serving his sentence in a Mordovias prison, made a video appeal via his cellphone in 2015. Investigators believe that other inmates sent the video to email of persons at large. These people later posted it on the Internet.

Experts found that the video contained linguistic and psychological elements of inciting the public to violent coup and acts of violence against Russian authorities, press service of the prosecutors office of Republic of Mordovia reported earlier.

Kvachkov, who was acquitted of charges in the attempted murder of former UES CEO Anatoly Chubais in 2005, was found guilty on February 8, 2013, of organizing an armed coup and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Later, the Supreme Court mitigated the sentence to eight years in a high security prison.

Kvachkov is thought to have masterminded plans to oust the government with a small group of followers. Kvachkov has denied all charges but during the trial defended the right of Russian citizens to hold an uprising."

A career military officer, Kvachkov commanded a Special Forces unit in Afghanistan in 1983. In 1984, after sustaining a head injury, he was awarded the prestigious Order of the Red Star and later received the Order of Courage.
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Pussy Riot members sentence for unauthorized protest action upheld

Context Pussy Riot member sentenced to community service for unauthorized protest action

MOSCOW, December 28 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Thursday upheld a lower courts ruling sentencing Maria Alyokhina, a member of the infamous feminist punk group Pussy Riot, to 40 hours of community service for unauthorized protest action near the Federal Security Services (FSB) headquarters, the courts press office told RAPSI.

Alyokhina was arrested along with several other people after an authorized picket near the FSB building on December 20. The next day, the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow found her guilty of violating the established order for organizing and holding public events. She appealed the ruling in the Moscow City Court.

Feminist punk group Pussy Riot became known in February 2012, when Alyokhina along with four other young women wearing brightly colored balaclavas staged a punk rock prayer in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral. An edited video of their performance was posted on the Internet and caused a public outcry.

In August 2012, the Khamovnichesky District Court in Moscow sentenced Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova to two years in a prison settlement for hooliganism. In October 2012, the Moscow City Court changed Samutsevich's verdict to a suspended sentence and released her immediately based on her new attorneys' argument that she had been seized by security guards prior to reaching the altar. In December 2013, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were pardoned under the amnesty dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution.
Police arrest former owner of Moscow factory after fatal shootout

MOSCOW, December 28 (RAPSI)  Former owner of a confectionary factory in Moscow Ilya Averyanov has been arrested after shootout that left one person dead, press-service of the city police has stated.

According to the police, Averyanov is being transferred to investigators. Earlier it was reported that the Investigative Committee launched a criminal case over murder and unlawful possession of firearms.

Investigators believe that on Wednesday there was a conflict between former and current owners of the factory. Ex-owner allegedly took out the gun and shot several times, fatally wounding a guard.

The confectionary factorys bankruptcy case is being reviewed by the Moscow Commercial Court. Hearings are to commence on January 18, 2018.
Putin: Explosion in St. Petersburg supermarket was terror attack

ST. PETERSBURG, December 28 (RAPSI)  Explosion in a St. Petersburg supermarket that left 10 persons injured was a terror attack, according to a statement of Russias President Vladimir Putin quoted on the official website for the head of state.

The statement was made during the presidential meeting with servicemen, who participated in military operation in Syria.

Putin noted that he ordered head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) to apprehend the perpetrators by the book but also to eliminate them on the spot if they are going to present danger to life and health of law enforcement officers.

According to the main directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies for St. Petersburg, notification about the explosion was received on Wednesday evening. There was no fire at the place, 50 visitors and store employees were evacuated.

Vice-governor of St. Petersburg Anna Mityanina said that 10 persons were hospitalized. One of them was discharged, others remain in condition varying from satisfactory to moderately serious.

The Investigative Committee reports that a homemade explosive was placed in the supermarkets storage chamber.
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The tax forces young startups to part with a portion of the capital they have raised from investors due to disagreements over the valuation of the company by Income Tax officials.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

The startup investor community in India has once again raised concerns over the so-called Angel Tax with the government, pointing out that if the issue is not fixed Indias dreams of becoming the startup hub of the world will not be realised.

The Angel Tax as it has come to be known forces young startups to part with a portion of the capital they have raised from investors due to disagreements over the valuation of the company by Income Tax officials.

The capital is often considered to be income, and startups have long been complaining of receiving letters from the tax authorities asking them to pay up.

So far, neither the government nor investors have agreed upon a middle ground, causing immense pain to startups who have raised money.

There is no need to get rid of the existing rules, but we do suggest that genuine start-ups backed by established angel investor groups be seen in the same light as venture capitalists (VC) , said Padmaja Ruparel, co-founder and president of the countrys largest angel investment grouping, Indian Angel Network.

The government had put a check on startups raising money from angel investors to curb money laundering activities which were being set up in the guise of startups.

Unfortunately, the tax authorities which are not privy to the way startups are valued are struggling to differentiate between genuine investments and money laundering outfits.

Ruparels solution is for the government to adopt the mechanism it uses to verify investments in startups by venture capital firms.

Similarly, money coming in from established angel networks into startups should be exempt from being seen as income.

The issue was rekindled when T V Mohandas Pai, former Infosys CFO, co-founder and chairman of tech VC Aarin Capital Partners, tweeted to the finance minister on Tuesday urging him to act in favour of startups in the country.

...startups are getting harassed by IT (Income Tax Department) for raising capital, threatening to consider it as income! Very bad scene and very many are angry and upset, may shift overseas, Pai had tweeted.

This year, angel investments and seed funding deals have fallen by 40 per cent, ringing alarm bells amongst the startup community in India.

While a large part of the fall can be attributed to the end of a euphoria period in 2015 and 2016 where startups raised money too easily, the Angel Tax is to blame too.

While some have asked for the government to continue with existing laws and figure out a better way to exempt money being invested into startups from legitimate sources, other argue that laws towards startups cannot be so damning.

Instead of putting a blanket ruling that makes it harder for startups to raise money, laws should prevent and punish people who use startups as a way to launder money.

Several investors feel the government has taken the easy way out by implementing the Angel Tax while not really putting in place any mechanism for genuine startups to navigate the red tape.

Pai added that around this time of the year many start-ups start receiving notices from the IT department questioning their investments.

Under Section 56 of the law, the I-T officer has to be satisfied with the valuation but they do not always have the investment background to do so, said Pai.
While global majors like JetBlue, RyanAir, Southwest sell almost 90 per cent of their tickets through their own websites or apps, airlines in India have a minuscule share of around 25 per cent through direct channel booking.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Vistara, the countrys youngest full-service carrier, promises a reward if you directly buy your ticket from the airline - an extra five-kilo luggage allowance.

Thats Rs 1,428 the airline is willing to forgo to directly own a passenger.

In a similar effort, the countrys biggest private airline IndiGo offers an in-flight meal at half the price if you book your ticket through its mobile app.

With oil price moving north, airlines in India are increasingly turning active to grab a larger slice of the ticketing pie, instead of conceding it to travel agents.

It also helps them to know their passenger better to build customer loyalty and promote ancillary products, thereby generating new revenue streams.

Selling a ticket through travel agents involves a high cost as they depend on global distribution systems to provide price and schedule data to passengers.

These distribution systems, which enable the transaction between airlines and agents, in turn, collect hefty fees from airlines for handling the data, and then share the fees with agents.

In fact, recently Jet Airways decided to scrap the basic one per cent commission to travel agents, mirroring a similar decision by global airlines to cut cost.

Jets sales and distribution cost are significantly higher than that of its global peers such as Delta, Singapore Airlines, and United.

There is a direct benefit for the airline and the passenger if the ticket is booked directly with us. Also, we get to reduce our distribution cost, whereas the flyer gets access to our ancillary products, a senior Vistara executive said.

Owning the passengers data also helps the airlines to connect with passengers in a more efficient manner.

Sometimes flyers vent their anger saying they were not informed of a flight delay. Actually, the airline doesnt even have his/her mobile number as agents refuse to share passenger data with us, a SpiceJet official said.

Travel portals are anxious that the airlines will directly market themselves to the customer, he said.

Airlines in India have always been a laggard indirectly owning a passenger, compared to their global peers.

While global majors like JetBlue, RyanAir, Southwest sell almost 90 per cent of their tickets through their own websites or apps, airlines in India have a minuscule share of around 25 per cent through direct channel booking.

An IndiGo official reasoned that an overwhelming number of corporate bookings happen only through travel agents and it is impossible to overlook any distribution channel the market offers.

If an executive is visiting on business, the ticket is booked through the partner travel agent of his office.

"The trend is similar for group bookings too, he said.

Though it is costly, IndiGo has taken a conscious decision to be present on all channels in the market, he added.

IndiGo sells around 18 per cent of its tickets through its own channel, while the rest is through travel agents.

Travel agents disagreed that they are competing with the airlines in the distribution system.

I dont think a Vistara or an IndiGo is competition for us. In fact, we are allowing them more access to the market. An airline has the job of flying its planes, maintain the fleet.

"If our distribution channels are stronger, it ultimately helps the airlines, said Deep Kalra, founder and chief executive officer of Makemytrip, which has the largest pie of the online travel market.

Airlines hope that the tide may turn in their favour as the government looks to promote biometric entry.

According to the proposal, flyers can use Aadhaar number to book their air ticket, which will be shared by the airlines with the airport operator to hasten check-in process through the biometric entry.

Any technology solution that can make the passenger data available to the airline would be a game changer for the travel industry, said the SpiceJet official.
Analysts say large issue sizes and high prices were key reasons for the poor response to IPOs of other public sector insurance entities. The high share price meant small investors did not foresee any listing gain

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Government-owned National Insurance has postponed its initial public offering (IPO) of equity to the next financial year (beginning April 1).

Earlier, its offer was expected by March 2018. The government is more occupied with Budget preparations, K Sanath Kumar, chairman, told Business Standard.

After the IPOs of New India Assurance (NIA) and General Insurance Corporation (GIC), also government-owned, National Insurance was next.

Those prior IPOs, however, got only lukewarm response from small investors. The Kolkata-based insurer had studied how both the IPOs fared and given its assessment to the government.

We presented the government with various scenarios, as to how much we can raise and the growth capital requirement over the coming years. It is now up to the government to decide on price band, etc, said Kumar.

Analysts say large issue sizes and high prices were key reasons for the poor response to IPOs of other public sector insurance entities.

The high share price meant small investors did not foresee any listing gain.

And, the combined ratio, a key measure of financial health for insurers (dividing the sum of claim-related losses and general business costs by earned premiums over a period), has been higher for public sector firms.

For NIA, the IPO price band was Rs 770-800; for GIC, Rs 855-912. Against this, it was Rs 651-661 a share for private sector ICICI Lombard, which recently had an IPO.

Retail (small investor) subscription for NIA was around 11 per cent of what was allotted for the category; for GIC, 60 per cent. For ICICI Lombard, it was around 1.2 times the number of shares on offer in the segment.

Also, it appears, since many insurance IPOs had got bunched over recent months, the government wants a time gap with the next public sector one, say sources at National Insurance.

Although having a big pool of investments, public sector general insurance companies have been struggling to make profit in the core business.

At end-March, National Insurances combined ratio was as high as 134.93 per cent, although its solvency ratio had improved to 1.9 per cent by then, from 1.26 per cent at the end of September 2016.

Similarly, NIA's combined ratio has consistently remained high for five years, at a little more than 115 per cent, according to a report by Angel Broking.

In 2016-17, the company reported a combined ratio of about 120 per cent, the report adds, though this had improved in the final quarter to 112.57 per cent.

It was 118 per cent at the end of the first quarter of the present financial year.
'It is only for a particular kind of Indian. The thing is: Even some of those types of Indians do not like it,' says Aakar Patel.



Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

The election in Gujarat was a clear win for the Bharatiya Janata Party. We can speculate about the reasons why, but the results are unambiguous. They are in keeping with the way Gujarati voters have spoken for the last 20 years.

To call the Congress rise in voteshare a sign or a trend of something larger in the nation will need to await more data and more results from other states. In Gujarat the BJP triumphed.

Having clarified that, let's examine why so many people were hoping that the Congress would perform well. Or more accurately why the BJP would not win again.

Such people are usually called Modi-baiters, though it is unclear what that is supposed to mean.

I have not met many people who will offer an outright defence of dynastic politics. So we should assume that many of these people who are worried by another BJP victory are not supporters of Congress in the positive sense. They are merely concerned about something else.

What is it?

The answer is religious nationalism of the sort that the BJP deliberately pushes.

Nationalisms can be of many types. You can have composite nationalism which includes all Indians of all religions and all communities and all geographies. This is not what BJP champions.

Can a Naga or Mizo assert her Indian identity with pride if she feels it? In the way that the BJP has framed it, this individual can do so only through Hindi slogans (like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'), and through stopping eating beef, even if that has been their traditional food for thousands of years.

Can a Muslim from Kerala assert Indian identity? Only if he promises he will not fall in love with a woman who is Hindu.

The nationalism of the BJP is not meant for all Indians. It is only for a particular kind of Indian. The thing is: Even some of those types of Indians do not like it.

I am a Hindu male from north India (assuming Gujarat is north India, though that is debatable). I do not want to be a part of a nationalism that excludes other Indians.

I have a problem with all nationalisms generally speaking because they are used to mobilise one group against another. And the other group is then caricatured and demonised in a way which I find repulsive.

Nationalism usually leads to violence and so it should be handled with great care. But within the set of nationalisms, I find religious and ethnic nationalism particularly nasty and dangerous, and especially in our part of the world.

I don't like Pakistan's Muslim nationalism. I don't like China's Han nationalism.

Many Indians feel the same way as I do and that is why they view the BJP with alarm. You could be opposed to nationalism that is based on one religion and be a Bahujan Samaj Party voter, as I am.

You could be a Trinamool Congress voter or an Aam Aadmi Party supporter or someone who prefers NCP, TDP, PDP, JD-U, CPI-M or any party anywhere. But if you are a supporter of religious nationalism, anywhere in India, you will back the BJP.

There is only one party that deliberately pushes this as its primary agenda. This is why those who are concerned by its actions and its rhetoric and the damage they do to our nation, will have wanted to see the party decline in Gujarat, no matter what their political affiliation is.

If one removes the element of religious nationalism, one finds that the policies of the BJP are not very different from other parties.

I am not saying that these common policies are good. In fact, they are not.

Almost all the issues that the human rights organisation I work for are problems created under Congress rule. For example, the use of AFSPA and the criminal exploitation of Adivasi lands. None of these is a creation of the BJP or Modi.

However, the BJP is adding to these, rather than reducing them. And the fallout of its aggressive pushing of religious nationalism is visible in the news every day.

The frequent episodes of violence like beef lynchings we are reading about now are the deliberate creation of the BJP.

If they do not pursue the course of dividing Indians on the basis of religion mainly but also on the basis of geography and caste and gender, most of these incidents would not happen.

The violence on our streets, and the violence in our media (the calling of individuals as 'dalals' of Pakistan) is the physical manifestation of religious nationalism. It brings an urgency to the problem that many of us cannot look away from.

We wish it would end so that Indians would not get harmed and we could focus on real national priorities like poverty, health and education.

This, more than anything else, is the reason why many people wished that the BJP would not have triumphed again in Gujarat. But it has, and we have to accept it and resume the dialogue with its supporters to try and make them see our perspective.

Aakar Patel is Executive Director, Amnesty International India. The views expressed here are his own.
'(Upper caste) leaders talk against the Constitution, reservations and the nation and still get away.'

IMAGE: Lalu Prasad Yadav being escorted by police officers after his conviction in a fodder scam case. His son Tejashwi Yadav is to his left. Photograph: PTI Photo

After being convicted in yet another case related to the fodder scam, Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad Yadav tweeted (external link): 'Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished.'

Lalu's tweet resulted in a furious online debate whether only politicians belonging to the lower castes are punished.

"The administrative structure is headed by forces who don't like lower caste politicians," Professor Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, author and social activist, tells Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf in an interview.

How true is Lalu Yadav's statement that only OBC and Dalit leaders are being 'targeted by the system' once they rise to power?

If you look at the incidents of major arrests on corruption charges in the political domain you get names like Lalu Yadav, Mayawati and DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) leader A Raja.

Raja actually liberated the telecom sector from the elite and middle class down to every labourer. He too was targeted. And look at the accusation against him and what happened.

I don't know what kind of official traps are possibly laid for these politicians.

The administrative structure is headed by forces who don't like lower caste politicians. So naturally, one does not know how these politicians get trapped into it.

The amount of money which was involved in Lalu's case was not huge. It was only Rs 86 lakh.

But corruption is corruption, isn't it?

Yes, but why are only SCs, STs and OBCs caught?

Take, for example, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader Anant Kumar Hegde. His language is anti-constitutional and anti-national.

Even in the Congress, Mani Shankar Aiyar, (for example), comes from a particular caste.

Basically, these leaders love the Manu Dharma system and not the Indian Constitution.

They come from that end and they project that Dalit and OBCs who come to rule are corrupt, as if others are not corrupt.

Even (Nationalist Congress Party leader) Chhagan Bhujbal, who is in jail, is a known OBC leader. (Former Jharkhand chief minister) Madhu Koda (who was convicted in a coal scam case), I think, is a tribal.

But we also have instances like the late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, a Brahmin, being convicted.

She is the only Brahmin (leader who was convicted). Tell me about a second one. I need numbers.

(Upper caste) leaders talk against the Constitution, reservations and the nation and still get away. No arrests are made and no action is taken against such leaders.

On the contrary, Dalit (politicians) get arrested (on minor charges).

Look at Chandrashekhar (founder of the Bhim Army), a Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested in a small case.

The same was true for Jignesh Mewani, the Dalit leader from Gujarat.

So our system is designed in a way where crores are spent in hiring SC/STs and OBCs, but political power is not in their hands.

Money and power are with the upper castes, but the corruption of only lower caste (politicians) is highlighted.

The likes of Lalu Yadav and Mayawati who are against the caste which has been ruling historically are in trouble.

Mayawati has said she will convert to Buddhism.

India gives equal opportunities to everyone. SCs, STs, OBCs get reservations.

Reservation is not an equal opportunity. Where is the equal opportunity in education?

You establish English medium schools for the rich and the upper class.

Earlier, they used to establish Sanskrit gurukuls for themselves. Now only government schools are run in regional languages. So where is the equal opportunity for them?

Look at case after case of corruption and you will find only one section (of politicians) is getting caught.

Now, how could the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India), who accused Raja of Rs 1.76 lakh crore scam, say such things?

Raja had to spend time in jail. His entire political career was over.

In the BJP too, its first Dalit president Bangaru Laxman was caught taking a bribe. No one from other castes was caught.

Why was Laxman alone caught? Does it mean that no other people in the BJP take money? Are there no funds coming to the party? Laxman died a sad man.

BJP leader Dilip Singh Judeo resigned as a minister of state in the Vajpayee government after being accused of allegedly taking a bribe. He was not a Dalit.

Maybe it wasn't a major case. I don't know.

Corruption, according to Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru, is like greasing oil in Indian politics.

Since 1947, Dalits, tribals and OBCs constituted only four per cent of the ruling class. But the number of people held under corruption charges has the highest proportion of such politicians. Why?

Corrupt people are corrupt. Why cite their caste?

If that is the case, what about Vijay Mallya?

What about industrial corruption which completely ruined the banks?

Talk about the industrial sector, 90.6 per cent of which is controlled by Banias and Brahmins -- 46 per cent by the Banias and 44.6 per cent by the Brahmins.

The Shudras account for just 3.8 per cent. So why is India so poor?

Why is India not like China? Which is the main ruling class? They are the Banias and Brahmins.

It is a market economy. Those who are good, get jobs.

Why is China not like us? Why are they innovating? The answer is the working class has become the rulers.

The feudal system has gone out of China. Now, these people compare India with Pakistan, but I want to compare it with China.

Where has China reached in social equality and economic equality? And where are we? Why?

Who should be blamed -- only the SC/STs and 'their corruption'?

Have you ever found...

(Interrupts) My question is that they say if SC/STs come to power, they will become corrupt, they aren't meritorious.

But the moment the SC/STs ask for English education they (the ruling class) refuse by stating they (the lower castes) want to become Christians.

What is this? Brahmins and Banias who are running industries and education centres in India are English educated. Have they become Christians?

Why target OBCs, SCs, STs?

Lalu Yadav is making such statements to target (Prime Minister Narendra D) Modi on caste lines, isn't he?

When Amit Shah called Gandhiji a 'chatur bania', journalists didn't speak against it.

Modi said since he was an OBC, Mani Shankar Aiyar was attacking him.

So, if Mani Shankar Aiyar is referring to a caste, so is Modi.

If an OBC like Modi can become prime minister, what is the point of saying such things?

Modi is not a Shudra. He is not from a land tilling background or a production background. He is from the business community.

(Note: The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government included (external link) Modi's ghanchi community into the OBC list in 1999.)

Caste and culture are an inherent institutional factor in India.

Whether in higher or lower politics, the upper castes ruled India for 2,000 years and they can escape from any problem.

Indian rulers, by and large, were corrupt for centuries. It is not that only one group is corrupt.

But the lower (castes) gets caught and gets punished, the higher caste escapes through various mechanisms. This is a fact.

Don't you think it is wrong to speak in such a manner? Is it good for the country?

Untouchability is there in the country. Do you mean to say we should not talk about such things?

In every sphere of our society, there is caste. It is like cancer in our body.

Without discussing, how do you operate or remove it?

How do you find a solution or medicine to this cancer?

Even during the times of the Buddha, there was untouchability and he spoke about its removal.
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the hugely contentious bill that criminalises instant triple talaq and makes it punishable by up to three years imprisonment for the husband, a development hailed by the government as 'historic' but disapproved of by a section of the opposition.

The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote after rejecting a string of amendments moved by opposition members.

The Congress said it supported the bill but wanted it to be scrutinised by the Standing Committee of Parliament, a demand that was rejected by the chair.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party also backed the demand of referring the bill to the Standing Committee.

The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.

Given the Congress's stated support, the bill is likely to be passed by the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks majority.

However, the main opposition party may again insist on referring the legislation to the Standing Committee.

The Supreme Court had outlawed instant triple talaq in August and asked the government to frame a law within six months.

Ending the controversial divorce practice was also the Bharatiya Janata Party's electoral promise.

Acting swiftly, the BJP-led government not only introduced the bill today but also got it passed by the Lok Sabha by evening despite its consideration and passage not being part on the agenda.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill as part of the listed business, had requested her to allow it to be considered and passed on Thursday itself, and the request was granted.

"We are going to create history. Today is the day to create history," Prasad said while introducing the bill.

He insisted the government did not intend to politicise the issue and the legislation was brought after taking a humanitarian view of it.

"This is not about siyasat (politics) but about insaniyat (humanity)," Prasad said.

"If it is a crime to bring a bill in the favour of Muslims then we will commit this crime 10 times," he asserted.

Under the proposed law, instant triple talaq in any form --spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be illegal and void.

The proposed law would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir. It would make instant talaq punishable by a jail term of upto three years and a fine, and would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence.

Members from RJD, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Biju Janata Dal, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Indian Union Muslim League opposed the bill, saing it is arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

E T Mohammed Basheer of the IUML and Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM alleged that through the bill the government was trying to bring in a Uniform Civil Code.

Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi said that while the bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, 'including our bhabhi from Gujarat'.

Owaisi said through the law the government was trying to demonise Muslim men and claimed 'vested interests' were behind the legislation.

"The minister is a normal lawyer but a pathetic and a failed draftsmen," he said about Prasad.

B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was 'faulty and flawed'.

He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat'.

Seeking to allay their concerns Prasad said it is wrong link instant triple talaq, the divorce practice which the Supreme Court struck down as illegal, with the Uniform Civil Code.

"Some are trying to spread fear that the bill is being brought to put Muslims behind the bars," Prasad said.

Prasad cited instances of Karimul Haque, a tea labourer in Assam, who was awarded Padma Shree for ferrying patients on his 'bike ambulance', and Imran Khan, a Sanskrit teacher from Alwar in Rajasthan who was lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making mobile applications for students.

Not pacified, members of the BJD, AIMIM, Indian Union Muslim League staged a walk out.

Although Congress supported the bill, senior leader Salman Khurshid, a former law minister, said the proposed law is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals, and would bring the civil issue of divorce into the realm of criminal law.

The Congress did not push for a division in the Lok Sabha on amendments moved by its MPs, nor did the party support any amendment sought by other opposition lawmakers.

Divorce and marriage comes under the concurrent list and both Parliament and state legislatures can enact laws on the subject.

In his speech, Prasad said despite the Supreme Court declaring instant triple talaq illegal, it was continuing.

He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.

IMAGE: A group of Muslim women at a market in Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan /PTI Photo
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday hailed the bill passed by the Lok Sabha that makes instant triple talaq a punishable offence while the Congress sought strengthening of the law to safeguard rights of divorced Muslim women and provide them with adequate allowance.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking 'subsistence allowance' for herself and minor children.

MPs from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Biju Janata Dal, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Indian Union Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier called for consensus in passing the bill.

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said the bill is to demonise the Muslims and has sent a wrong message to the Muslims of the country.

He also said a message has gone down as to who was playing 'vote bank politics'.

Those Muslim women, who are celebrating its passage, are 'not aware' of its provisions, he said, adding they will realise its negative impact in the future.

He also said the Congress also stands exposed by not opposing the bill.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat criticised the government for attempting to push the bill through Parliament without holding any discussions or consultations with Muslim women and women's organisations.

While the BJP termed the legislation as 'historic', the Congress said it needs to be strengthened to safeguard the rights of divorced Muslim women so they live a life of dignity with adequate subsistence allowance.

'This bill is a historic step towards ensuring dignity for Muslim women. I thank all fellow Parliamentarians who have supported this bill, which will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women,' BJP chief Amit Shah tweeted.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the bill is not about any religion but about the issue of women justice and dignity.

Union minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi termed the passage of the bill as 'historic and landmark step towards women empowerment' and congratulated Prime Minister Modi and Law Minister Prasad for it.

His colleague Mahesh Sharma said it is a bill that respects humanity and helps provide dignity to our mothers and sisters.

Supporting the bill, the Congress said Parliament must ensure the protection of rights of Muslim women and children under all circumstances.

Congress's communications department in-charge Randeep Surjewala said it was the first political party to welcome the Supreme Court verdict banning triple talaq, and had hailed it as a decisive step towards women empowerment and victory for the rights of Muslim women.

"The Congress has always believed that the issue of instant triple talaq 'Talaq-e-biddat' is about gender justice and gender equity. The Congress will support any and every law abolishing instant triple talaq.

"The present bill needs to be strengthened to safeguard the rights of women to a life of dignity with adequate subsistence allowance. Parliament must ensure protection of rights of Muslim women and children under all circumstances," he said.

However, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, a former union law minister, struck a discordant note, insisting the proposed law will be an 'intrusion' into the personal lives of individuals and bring divorce, a civil issue, into the realm of criminal law.

He, however, said, "It is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals. Taking criminal law into the family, you have to be careful. To make divorce in any form a criminal matter is unacceptable anywhere in the world."

"Criminal law is kept out of family as far as possible, which is a general policy everywhere. Why are we bringing criminal law into something which is a non-existing factor? Triple talaq is no institution or institutional fact of life, the Supreme Court has made it very clear," Khurshid said.

CPI-M leader Karat said the bill 'itself is very objectionable, and equally objectionable are the efforts of BJP to push it through Parliament without any consultation or discussion with those in whose names the bill is been passed'.

The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the president for signing it into law.

BJP Spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted, 'To Appeasers' Alliance comprising Owaisi, RahulG, Mamata; Mulayam, Lalu: Stop communal politics! Jail provision of up to 3 years for Instant Triple Talaq is reasonable. Hindu Marriage Act has stronger provisions: for 2nd marriage jail term is up to 7 years under IPC Section 494.'

BJP's youth wing president and party MP Poonam Mahajan said, "For so many years, politics took precedence over women's rights. A historical step is taken today in Parliament for empowerment of women with the passing of the Triple Talaq Bill. I thank Narendra Modi and Ravi Shankar Prasad for this significant decision."

Surjewala said Section 5 of the bill merely states that Muslim women are entitled to subsistence allowance without defining subsistence allowance and explaining the method of calculating it.

He said the bill should ensure payment of maintenance and/or subsistence allowance to women and children if the husband is in jail for 3 years, as envisaged under the law.

Terming the bill as 'very important' and 'significant', Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said her party will work with the government to bolster the rights of Muslim women.

IMAGE: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad speaks on Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
Pakistan on Thursday again defended imposing harsh security procedures during the meeting of death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife and mother, which it claimed had been bilaterally agreed with India.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected Indian allegations and stated that the meeting of Jadhav with his wife and mother on December 25 was permitted on humanitarian grounds.

He said the meeting was initially scheduled for 30 minutes but was extended to 40 minutes on request and claimed Jadhav's mother had thanked Pakistan after the visit.

Pakistani authorities had sent the shoes worn by Jadhav's wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, media reports in Islamabad said on Wednesday.

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal was quoted as saying that authorities had to ascertain whether the 'metallic object' in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip.

The foreign minister said Pakistan's 'humanitarian gesture' did not obviate the fact that 'Jadhav is a serving Indian naval officer and a convicted Indian terrorist and spy'.

He said a comprehensive security check was therefore essential.

This was agreed between both countries, in advance, through diplomatic channels, adding that Jadhav's family members were treated with 'respect and dignity' and the change of clothes and removal of jewellery and ornaments was purely for security reasons.

He said the visitors changed into their own clothes after the meeting and all their belongings were returned to them before they left, though the wife's shoes were retained as they did not clear the security check because a 'metal chip' was found in one of the shoes, which is being analysed.

India on Wednesday accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav's family members on the pretext of security, pointing to the 'removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire not warranted by security'.

Asif said Pakistan has been open and transparent throughout the meeting, offered in good faith.

"We do not wish to indulge in fallacious accusations and blame game and should focus on the bigger positive outcome that the meeting happened, despite immense challenges and impediments, instead of distortion of facts and baseless propaganda, which vitiates the atmosphere and is counter-productive," he said.

Later, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused the Indian media of shaping public opinion for its 'nefarious designs'.

"Let me assure you that we can win any argument on this (Jadhav meeting), as we have all the paperwork and record with us. However, the intent and the purpose behind this gesture is very important and needs to be registered."

"Unfortunately, the visit has become more about the shoe and less about the meeting," the spokesperson said.

He said that the Indian External Affairs Minister mentioned a Note Verble in her speech in the Indian Parliament.

"We will be responding to it shortly," the spokesperson said.

During the December 25 meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side.

They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Jadhav, 47, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan.

To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

IMAGE: Kulbhushan Jadhav meets his mother and wife, Avanti and Chetankul, at the ministry of foreign affairs in Islambad. Photograph courtesy: Pakistan foreign office
Al-Qaeda's slain chief Osama bin Laden had shifted to Afghanistan to supervise a plot to assassinate Pakistan's former premier Benazir Bhutto and then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, a media report said.

Citing intelligence gathered by the Inter Services Intelligence, the News reported that the explosives to execute this plot were provided by the courier of bin Laden.

Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007 outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. The revelation comes exactly on the 10th anniversary of Bhutto's assassination.

This information was provided to the interior ministry in December 2007 by the army and the ISI in three reports and the letters obtained from the bin Laden's residence.

In these secret intelligence reports, the ministry was warned that bin Laden had issued orders to kill then President Musharraf, Pakistan People's Party's chief Bhutto and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman, the paper said.

The most important letter by the ISI to the interior ministry was written on December 19, 2007; the letter was directed to the interior ministrys then-director coordination of the Crisis Management Cell Colonel Muhammad Imran Yaqub, the paper said, citing the documents.

The letter, titled 'President Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Fazlur Rehman's murder plan', signed by Lt Col (retd) Zaigham Islam Butt for DG Intelligence said bin Laden has issued the order to kill Musharraf, Bhutto and Rehman.

"He (Osama bin Laden) has planned to send his courier, who is a national of Pakistan and a resident of Multan, named Musa Tariq, through Waziristan with explosives to be used in executing the murder plots. On coming Sunday -- which is December 22 -- this person will be in the area of Dera Ismail Khan," the letter read.

"Osama bin Laden is personally supervising this entire plan and for this reason, he has shifted to Afghanistan," read the last three lines of the letter.

The ISI had requested the interior ministry to make urgent security arrangements, the paper said, adding that this information was so important that the copies of this letter were also dispatched to the Military Intelligence Directorate, GS Branch and General Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

After receiving the letter, the General Staff Branch of the Military Operations Directorate of General Headquarters, on the next day -- December 20, 2007 -- sent a letter to then- interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah.

Six days before Bhutto's assassination, another letter was issued with the signature of then-chief of the general staff Lt-Gen Salahuddin Satti's Lt-Col Staff Khurram Shahzad, warning about the terror plot.

Following the assassination of Bhutto, a short letter was sent to bin Laden after two days.

"We have taken revenge for our brothers and sisters of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid," read the letter which was recovered from bin Laden's home.

Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in a covert raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011.
India on Thursday tore into Pakistan for presenting the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav as "widows" during their highly controlled meeting, and accused Islamabad of turning an emotional moment into "an instrument to further its propaganda."

In identical statements in both houses of Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said there was "serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Jadhav", who is on death row in Pakistan for alleged spying.

She pointed out that Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna were forced to remove their mangalsutra, bindi and bangles and footwear, and even made to change their attire on the pretext of security.

"Both married women were presented as widows in front of a son and husband. There can be no greater insult than this," said Swaraj as other members chorused "shame, shame."

"There are not enough words to condemn the same," she said.

Jadhav's mother and wife met him on Monday inside the Pakistan foreign office building in Islamabad under unusual circumstances -- he was separated from the two women by a glass screen, and they conversed through an intercom. Avanti was not allowed to speak in their native Marathi language.

Chetna's footwear was confiscated. Jadhav's words apppeared tutored and the atmosphere was intimidating.

Swaraj said Pakistani authorities are now talking of chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes. This is "absurdity beyond measure," she said, pointing out that the two women had cleared security at airports in India, Dubai and Pakistan when nothing suspicious was detected.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhav's wife despite repeated requests.

"The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday," she said.

"This meeting could have been a step towards moving forward. But,it is a matter of great disappointment, that the meeting took place flouting all the understandings both countries had agreed to," she said.

Following the statement, members cutting across all party lines in both Houses voiced full-throated supported for the government.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress said the misbehaviour with Jadhav's wife and mother was "misbehaviour with wives and mothers of 130 crore Indians."

"We will not tolerate insults to the wives and mothers and to the country's dignity," Azad said, adding the government should ensure that Pakistan ensures Jadhav's saftey in custody.

Pakistan says Jadhav, an ex-Indian Navy officer, was arrested in Balochistan in March with a fake passport, a charge denied by India, which says he was kidnapped from Iran where he has legitimate business.

The 47-year-old Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, but the execution has been stayed by the International Court of Justice following India's efforts.

Swaraj said Jadhav's mother and wife were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the accompanying the deputy high comissioner of India.

Before they could see Jadhav, a security official told the two women to remove their mangalsutra and bindi, the Hindu symbols of matrimony.

Swaraj said that Avanti told her this morning in a choked voice that she had protested against the removal of the mangalsutra but her plea was turned down by the security official.

Swaraj said that as soon as Jadhav saw his mother without the mangalsutra and bindi, he asked "baba kaisey hain" or "how is dad," because he might have feared that "something bad has happened" back home.

"The meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his mother and wife was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture. However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds," she said.

"I am fully confident that this entire House and through the House, the people of India, strongly condemn, in one voice, the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family."

Most of the Bharatiya Janata Party members in Lok Sabha responded with shouts of "Pakistan murdabad."

Swaraj said while the imminent threat to Jadhav's life has been averted, "we are now engaged in seeking a permanent relief, based on stronger arguments, through the legal avenue offered by the International Court of Justice," she said.

She said the mother and wife, on their return from Islambad, had conveyed to her that Jadhav appeared "under considerable stress and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion."

"As the meeting progressed, it was clear to them that his (Jadhav's) remarks were tutored by his captors and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities. His appearance also raised questions of his health and well-being," she said.

Before the statement, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the sensitive matter was before the ICJ and urged the MPs should exercise restrain in making statements keeping the welfare of Jadhav in mind.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien, Janata Dal-United MP Harivansh, Biju Janata Dal MP Dilip Tirkey, Communist Party of India-Marixts MP Tapan Kumar Sen, Telugu Desam Party MP T Devendra Goud, Bahujan Samaj Party MP Veer Singh, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Thiruchi Siva, CPI MP D Raja, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Sukhdev Singh Dindsa, Indian Union Muslim League MP Abdul Wahab, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Bhupendra Yadav and Republican Party of India MP Ramdas Athavale supported the government in the matter.

Naidu said the entire House joins together to appreciate the efforts of the government and asks it to take steps to ensure safe and secure release of Jadhav.

He also wanted the government to convey to the international coummunity that Pakistan behaved in an inhuman manner.

Image: Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav's mother, Avanti, and wife, Chetankul, arrive to meet him at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Christmas day. Photograph: Faisal Mahmood/Reuters
'My husband will never forget the torture nor forgive those responsible for it.'

IMAGE: Aparna Purohit and her husband Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit celebrate Durga Puja together, their first in nine years, this year at the pandal at Navy Nagar, Colaba, south Mumbai Photograph: Kind courtesy, Aparna Purohit

Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, who was charged with conspiracy in the 2008 Malegaon blast case nine years ago, found partial relief on Wednesday, December 27, 2017, when the National Investigation Agency court dropped the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against him and six others in the case. A partial relief, as it were, as the court did not dismiss their plea for discharge in the case.

Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, accused #9, will now face trial under sections 16 (committing a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and sections 120(b) (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (intentionally causing harm to others) of the Indian Penal Code.

On September 29, 2008, a bomb went off near Bhiku chowk at Malegaon in Nashik district, killing six people and injuring 100 others. The blast was caused by an improvised explosive device fitted upon an LML Freedom motorcycle.

The lieutenant colonel, who was working for military intelligence and posted in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, was accused, along with 13 others, of conspiring to cause the blast, floating an organisation called Abhinav Bharat in 2007 with the intention to propagate a Hindu rashtra with its own constitution, with the intent to threaten the unity, integrity and security of India.

He was also accused of collecting funds to procure arms and explosives and organising meetings where the Malegaon blast was planned.

Lieutenant Colonel Purohit has maintained that he was assigned by military intelligence to infiltrate various terror organisations and that his superiors had been kept in the loop about his actions, his meetings, and his associations with Abhinav Bharat.

On April 13, 2009, the Indian Army instituted a court of inquiry against Lieutenant Colonel Purohit which exonerated him. In August this year, the Supreme Court granted him bail.

Tellingly, through the nine years he spent in jail, the army did not suspend or dismiss Lieutenant Colonel Purohit. When he was released on bail, an army vehicle was sent to pick him up at the Taloja jail and bring him to Mumbai where he is now stationed.

All through the trial Lieutenant Colonel Purohit has said he was made a scapegoat in the case and the statements of witnesses against him were fabricated.

He also produced the court of inquiry report to prove that he had informed his superiors about all his meetings. However, the military court of inquiry report does not have any standing in a civilian court.

Standing beside Lieutenant Colonel Purohit through his nine year trial has been his wife Aparna Purohit, who is fully convinced of her husband's innocence.

"My stand is very simple. If you have evidence, place it before us. There is no evidence, Aparna tells Rediff.com's Swarupa Dutt in an exclusive interview.

It is a big relief that MCOCA has been dropped. Baaki ke charges also, we will fight it out.

I would like to say that we had expected the charges to be dropped because in 2015 the Supreme Court had dropped MCOCA saying there was hardly any evidence against him and therefore he could be granted bail in the case.

So in a sense, I sort of expected this. I am very sure the other charges against him will be discharged and the other cases against him will be dismissed.

I was in Pune when the verdict was given by the special NIA court so I wasn't really aware of what was happening. He had to explain everything to me.

He told me, "We will fight it out."

The court is framing charges on January 15, but I won't be there.

Actually, ever since he has been given bail, I have become less involved with the case. I don't go to court any more. That has been the biggest blessing because now he can handle the case himself.

When he spoke to me after the verdict on Wednesday, he sounded happy but cautious, because as much as we believe that he will be discharged from the case, you never know what will happen.

The court's decision hasn't really sunk in. Maybe it will take a day or so. Also, he hasn't seen the order as yet so we don't know the details.

After he was released on bail (August 17, 2017), his mother, sister and I came to Mumbai to see him.

You know it was just such a high seeing him for the first time in the open, stepping out of the car and simply walking towards us.

He wept a lot when he saw us, as did we.

That evening we simply sat down and had a long talk.

Nothing specific, just general conversation.

We had meals together. We went for a walk after dinner.

It is these small things in life that matter, and it is these little simple, ordinary, things we missed the most.

It has been a long journey, a long battle getting him back.

Leaving my young children home, travelling to Mumbai every other day, to handle the case.

When I think back to that day in Pachmarhi in 2008, when he told me he was going on temporary duty to Delhi... it was just such an ordinary day, but it changed our lives forever.

I packed his bag, his uniforms, and he left.

He was asked not to take his mobile phones. What struck me odd, later on, was that there was no communication from him for the whole day. Or for a couple of days thereafter. This is not normal for the army.

After a couple of days I happened to hear snatches of a news bulletin that an army officer had been arrested for terrorism, but I missed the full bulletin and frankly, it never even occurred to me he was the person in the news.

Then I get a call saying he will be arrested and produced at the Nashik court within four hours. I was still in Pachmarhi, so it was practically impossible for me to get there or arrange for a lawyer.

I actually heard about the Malegaon blast for the first time when Colonel R K Srivastav from Military Intelligence headquarters came to Pachmarhi.

He started questioning my husband about the blast. My husband told him everything he knew.

After questioning him for two or three days, the colonel told him to go to Delhi and explain everything to his seniors. Baat khatam (Matter ended there).

He said my husband had been in touch with certain people which needed to be explained at MI HQ in Delhi. So that was why he was going to Delhi. There was never any indication that he was going to be arrested.

(em>Colonel) Srivastav had kept his seniors in the dark. The colonel did not tell the army that he had handed my husband over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad.

Whatever investigations were to be carried out was supposed to be at the unit itself. That never happened.

He was taken directly to the ATS and not allowed to report to the unit. This is unheard of in the army.

There is not a single minute when an officer is not accounted for. In fact, if that happens, a court martial is held. It is that serious.

I couldn't even speak to my husband unless he was in court. I didn't understand a thing of what was happening in court, the procedures, the legal terms, nothing. It was a nightmare.

I realised that if I have to help my husband, I have to help myself first. I began by reading the charge-sheet thoroughly.

If I didn't understand, I would ask Shrikant Shivade sir (Lieutenant Colonel Purohit's lawyer). I also attended each and every one of his arguments in court.

The bail applications alone would be heard at least three to four times a week for months. At every hearing, the accused used to be produced in court.

Each and every statement had to be analysed, responses had to be typed out, filed. I did all this myself. It was insane.

My husband was formally arrested on November 5, 2008, and taken into custody on November 29. I met him for the first time on November 18.

I was not even aware of the rights of the accused. I was not aware that you can go and meet him every day in custody if required.

We put up an application for his medical to be done and he got a complete medical check-up at INS Ashwini (the military hospital in Colaba, south Mumbai) -- and it's there in black and white: He was severely tortured in ATS custody.

My husband will never forget the torture, nor forgive those responsible for it. Neither will I.

He was tortured to such an extent that he couldn't even recognise me properly, let alone walk.

I thought why is he behaving like this? It was as if he was in a trance.

We filed a complaint in the Pune and Mumbai special courts and on that basis he was moved to judicial custody.

His ulnar nerves were severed, there were injuries on his knees.

I have heard people say that my husband would not have got bail nor would the case have been transferred from the ATS to the NIA had Hemant Karkare been alive (Karkare, the former Maharashtra ATS chief, was investigating the Malegaon blast and had red-flagged the threat from Hindu terrorist groups. He was killed in the 26/11 terror strikes).

I am not able to understand why Hemant Karkare's death has made any difference to the case. I believe that if Mr Karkare is not there, someone else is there. So it is not the person holding the post, it's the post which is important.

Yes, the ATS filed the charge-sheet, but not under Mr Hemant Karkare, but I think under Mr K P Raghuvanshi (former Maharashtra ATS chief).

My stand is very simple. If you have evidence, place it before us.

There is no evidence. I feel very strongly that there was no need to torture him.

He keeps telling me one thing, that he has also interrogated hardcore terrorists, but the army has never treated them so badly.

He says there are ways and means to cull information from an accused, you have to know the way, but this is not the way.

If someone beats me and tells me ke yeh likh lo (write what I say), I will do it to stop more torture. So do you really get the truth out of this?

Quite naturally, his family has also suffered. I have two sons who have grown up without their father. We have lived apart from my husband several times (when Lieutenant Colonel Purohit was assigned field postings) in all these years.

It was only when my younger son was born that we started staying together. I am used to not staying with him, but not in these circumstances.

So when he was arrested, I told my younger son that my husband was posted on the border and it is not a family posting. During those five to six years, my younger son never saw his father. They wrote to each other, or rather I would write on my son's behalf since he was too young to even write.

Then one day, he saw a report in a newspaper saying bail had been denied yet again to my husband. He may not have understood the report, but there was a picture to go with the report.

He asked me and I told him. Everything. I told him to go to school, to continue doing what he has been done in the last five years. But yes, it was a shock for him.

My older son knew. He was in the 8th, 9th standard when this happened and in fact he used to help me with drafting letters, the paperwork in court.

I began taking them to court to meet their father, even made them skip classes. We would get between two and three hours in court with him, but after a while my son didn't want to come as frequently because it broke his heart to see his father being taken away from him at the end of the court session.

My husband was initially in the Arthur Road jail, then they moved him to Nashik (2009 to 2011), and then when the case came back to Mumbai he was moved to Taloja jail, which was where he was till he got bail.

Is that how my children want to remember their father? In and out of jail for crimes he did not commit?

We would never have been able to come this far without the support of our families.

My mother-in-law, my sister-in-law and my parents have been what they call pillars of strength.

Without actually verbalising it, we split the work between us. So his sister handled the finances, his mother looked after the house, the kids and I worked on the case. My parents also chipped in a lot, financially.

There are so many expenses to consider. He received 75% of his salary all these years.

Mr Harish Salve (the senior Supreme Court lawyer and Purohit's counsel) has done it pro bono. I wouldn't have been able to afford him. But we had decided that if he asks for his fees, we would try and find the means to pay him.

Right from day 1, Shrikant Shivade has been handling the case and he has not taken a single rupee from us in all these nine years. I am telling you none of the lawyers, the team of lawyers, has charged a single paisa.

I remember there was this one argument which had to be made and Mr Sudeep Pasbola (the counsel for co-accused, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retd)) was doing it.

I sent him the papers and the cheque and he argued the case and returned the cheque and said for this kind of a person (Lieutenant Colonel Purohit), he would not charge any money.

That is the kind of person my husband is.

I believe the new year will bring good tidings. It will, I know it will.

We have a long, long, way to go, but we will make it together.
Contributed photo

LITCHFIELD  Residents are invited to join the Litchfield Historical Society in welcoming Regina Mason, international speaker, author, playwright, and producer, for a screening of her award-winning documentary, Ginas Journey: The Search for William Grimes. The screening and following discussion will be held at Forman Schools Visual and Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Feb. 4 at noon. This free event is sponsored by the Connecticut Community Foundation.

The film follows Masons path as she traces the steps of her ancestor, William Grimes, who traveled the Underground Railroad from Georgia to freedom in Connecticut. Grimes spent time in Litchfield, owned several businesses and worked for many Litchfield Law School students.
KENT  Connecticut resident Sam Ducharme recalls his journey from Georgia to Maine at the Kent Memorial Library, presenting a lecture on Thru Hiking the Appalachian Trail, Saturday, Jan. 20, at 3 p.m.

The program follows the Kent Library Associations annual meeting at the Kent Town Hall, 41 Kent Green Blvd.

Those who attend this program will be treated to a modern day adventure. Ducharme set out on a 2,180 mile, 14 state backpacking trip from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. During his six-month journey he documented the rugged beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, the wildlife, the hardships encountered on the trail, as well as the people, culture and humanity at its finest. Come join him as he takes you through the trail towns, over the mountaintops and through the backcountry. The images and stories will leave visitors with a renewed awe of the beauty of our country and its people.

See his gear, how he cooked, and hear what it is like sleeping in a hammock for six months through three seasons.

You will also hear how he returned to the trail the following year, connecting with aspiring Thru Hikers, paying it forward, and his return to the summit of Katahdin one year later.

Ducharme is a retired K9 Officer and is a lifelong resident of Connecticut. He has two adult sons, both serving in the United States Air Force. As an avid outdoorsman, and finding the empty-nest, Sam decided to buy a backpack and a plane ticket to Georgia. From there, he started walking north. With no prior backpacking experience, he learned on the trail. Gear, trail nutrition, enduring the elements, and the logistics involved in a long distance backpacking trip were hard lessons. After 20 years working within Connecticuts prisons, the search for a positive recharge resulted in a life changing journey.

The program begins at 2 p.m. and is free and open to the public. To register or for more information call the library, 860-927-3761; email kmlinfo@biblio.org; stop by the library; or visit the online calendar at kentmemoriallibrary.org.
LITCHFIELD - The Womens Forum of Litchfield welcomes all to The Ghosts in our Oceans: Preserving Marine Wildlife presented by Elizabeth Hogan, Jan. 4 at 2:30 p.m. at the Litchfield Community Center, 421 Bantam Road.

Hogan is the Program Manager for Oceans and Wildlife with World Animal Protection, where she specializes in marine wildlife entanglement in addition to work on marine debris, illegal wildlife trade, whaling policy, and wildlife in captivity. For the last five years she has researched the impact of derelict fishing gear on marine mammals and worked on establishing rescue networks and protocols for entangled marine life. She previously worked with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) on protective policies and fishing gear modification for the conservation of North Atlantic Right Whales. Prior to working in the animal welfare sector, she developed 15 years of experience with government, corporate, and non-profit organizations, including four years as a consultant on climate change, deforestation policy, and sea level rise. She has also worked in ecotourism development in Ecuador and with the Camara de Industrias of Costa Rica to assist Central American businesses in adopting environmentally sustainable business practices.

Hogan is a contributing author to two books on corporate social responsibility. She has a degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a dual Master of Science in Marine & Coastal Natural Resources and a Master of Science in Sustainable Development from the University for Peace in Costa Rica and American University in Washington, DC.

The event will be open to non-Forum members with a $10 fee at the door, which includes a High Tea reception. The contacts for more information are 860-567-3966 and womensforumoflitchfield.org.

Book donation continues at CFLC library

TORRINGTON  Community Family Learning Center (CFLC) Resource Library is open during Christmas Vacation Week. The CFLC is located at KidsPlay Children's Museum, up the back steps. The library is open Thursday, Dec. 28 from 12:30-3 p.m.

The Wrap a Book Program is still offered during Christmas week. Bring gently used children's books to donate to the community and choose a free new book to wrap and give to someone as a gift. To reach the center, call 860-800-CFLC or visit www.torringtoncflc.org or on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Torrington-CFLC

CHH Auxiliary offers healthcare scholarships

TORRINGTON  The Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) Auxiliary is offering ten $1,000 scholarships to local students pursuing an education in the healthcare field. Two additional scholarships, the Doctor Alfred Fabro Award and the Doctor Joseph Curi award will also be presented in the amount of $1,000 each.

Applicants must be planning to matriculate at a college or institution of higher education for a healthcare degree prior to applying and accepted before the scholarship is awarded; or be currently working toward a degree or certificate in healthcare and planning a healthcare career. Applications and instructions for completing the application may be obtained by e-mailing CHHscholarship@gmail.com. Area colleges and high schools also have applications available on line through their Guidance Departments.

All completed applications must be printed out and sent by mail, postmarked no later than March 14. Send finalized applications to the attention of Judith Hogan, 15 Minerva Lane, Litchfield, CT, 06759.

A letter will be sent to all applicants the first week of May notifying them of their status. Recipients of the scholarships are expected to be present at the award ceremony scheduled for May 8 at 7 p.m. For more information call 860-567-4381.

Church holding services at community center

BARKHAMSTED  While area churches are preparing for Advent and the coming Christmas season, the First Congregational Church of Barkhamsted will hold its Sunday services at 10 a.m. at the Barkhamsted Community Center located next to the Town Garage at Barkhamsted, 33 New Hartford Road, Pleasant Valley. There is ample parking off Rte. 44. A traditional coffee hour follows the church service. For information, visit www.barkhamstedfirstchurch.org.

Following the late August inspection of the roof and framing damage to our historic meeting house, the engineers did not think the building was safe for assemblies or any gatherings until the final repairs are complete. Members have been holding services at the Barkhamsted Senior Center, and for a variety of reasons they recently voted to relocate. All are welcome. For more information call Rev. Susan Wyman at 860-379-7300. Messages to the church phone are no longer answered promptly, only once a week so it is best to call the pastor.

Parenting class begins Jan. 5

TORRINGTON  The Torrington Area Youth Service Bureau, in conjunction with New Opportunities, Inc. will be offering a free, 10-week parenting course, The Parent Project. This is a nationally recognized curriculum designed to give parents of older children tools to deal with difficult behaviors including skipping school, substance abuse and defiance. This course will take place on Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at New Opportunities, Inc. (Field St. location) beginning Jan. 5.

Dinner, childcare and Spanish language manual/translation will be provided, thanks to the generosity of the Torrington Club Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation and the City of Torrington. Other funding for this program is provided through the Torrington LIST (Local Interagency Service Team).

Anyone interested in finding out more or to register can contact Jaimee Eldred at 860-496-0356 ext.4, or e-mail jaimeetaysb@snet.net, or Maria Gonzalez at New Opportunities, Inc. at 860-482-9749.
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China will donate equipment to assist in Cambodias elections next year, including computers and ballot boxes, according to Cambodias top electoral body, weeks after the U.S. and EU withdrew support amid a crackdown on the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).



NGOs in Cambodia expressed concern Thursday over the plans, saying the Communist nations involvement undermines the ballots and calling instead for election officials to seek assistance from democratic governments.



In a statement posted to its website on Wednesday, Cambodias National Election Committee (NEC) listed planned donations from China that consisted of 30 different types of equipment, including computers, printers, photocopiers, cameras, ballot boxes, and voting booths.



The NEC was unable to confirm the cost of the equipment, but said China had pledged to provide the committee with additional assistance in coming months to ensure that the next elections run smoothly, fairly, transparently, and with accountability.



Cambodia will hold a Senate Election on Feb. 25 and a National Election on July 29, and plans to spend around U.S. $50 million organizing the two votes.



The statement followed announcements by the U.S. and EU that they had withdrawn funding for next years elections in response to a crackdown by Prime Minister Hun Sens government on the CNRP, which saw its chief Kem Sokha arrested on charges of treason and the party dissolved for allegedly trying to incite a rebellion with Washingtons backing.



The U.S and EU said that Kem Sokhas arrest and the dissolution of the CNRP had essentially eliminated any viable challenge to Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) and called the legitimacy of the ballots into question.



On Thursday, NGOs urged Cambodias government to reconsider accepting the aid from China, which they said has little interest in upholding democratic standards, and instead seek assistance from the U.S. and EUwho have made Kem Sokhas release, the reinstatement of the CNRP, and an end to recent restrictions on the media and civil society preconditions to their participation.



Yong Kim Eng, president of the People Center for Development and Peace (PDP), told RFAs Khmer Service that Chinese electoral aid should end with supplies and funding.



Im afraid there will be issues if China provides technical assistance to the NEC as well, he said.



Chinas involvement is not good for Cambodia, as China is a communist country that has no experience in democratic elections.



Yong Kim Eng called on the government and the NEC to instead find support from democracies such as the U.S. and EU to promote the legitimacy and credibility of the elections.



Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC) executive director Sam Kuntheamy noted that China was quick to step in after the U.S. and EU withdrew support.



But he said that China doesnt seem to care about the process of the elections, as long as they take place, and suggested assistance is better sought elsewhere.



China is the largest source of foreign aid to Cambodia and has provided electoral support in the past, including equipment valued at U.S. $11 million for local elections held in June.



Election legitimacy



Hun Sen has repeatedly stated that Cambodia does not need any foreign nation to legitimize its elections, saying that it is sufficient for Cambodians to recognize them. The prime minister has also said that Cambodia will be able to fund the NEC to organize the ballots.



Last month, while addressing factory workers in the capital Phnom Penh, Hun Sen urged the U.S. to cut the assistance to the NEC, saying such an act would be akin to killing democracy in Cambodia.



He also called on the U.S. to cut all other assistance as well, adding that by doing so all local NGOs will die.



Just beware that those who die first are the local NGOs who are destroying [our country], he said at the time.



Kan Savang, coordinator of election observers for the Committee on Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel), said that the governments crackdown on the opposition, media and NGOs had created a difficult situation for the country in the lead up to the elections.



Free and fair elections are elections in which all stakeholders are allowed to participate freely, he said.



NGOs are monitoring very closely and we hope the current political situation will be resolved in order for the next elections to be conducted in a free and fair manner. We will need to observe further before we decide whether we should engage in the elections or not.



No investigation



The controversy over Beijings assistance in the elections comes as Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak confirmed that the royalist Funcinpec party will face no investigation for soliciting funding from China, despite an article in Cambodias Law on Political Parties which bans parties from receiving financial support from foreign governments and organizations.



Funcinpec President Norodom Ranariddh told reporters on Monday that he had requested financial assistance from Wang Weiguang, the president of the official Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He said Funcinpec had already received some equipment.



According to a report by the Phnom Penh Post, Funcinpec spokesman Nheb Bun Chhin denied the request was ever made, despite a recording of Norodom Ranariddhs comments, and Khieu Sopheak said Wednesday that there is no evidence of wrongdoing.



The same law that was used to dissolve the CNRP for its alleged ties to a foreign government also bans political parties from receiving contributions from foreign institutions, companies, foreigners or organizations that are financed by foreign sources.



The Post quoted CPP spokesman Sok Eysan as saying that the situation was different from the CNRPs because Funcinpec aims to improve relations, solidarity and friendship to serve Cambodia, whereas the CNRP took a foreign plan  to topple the legal government.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
A small group of protesters defied a weekday ban on protests in Hong Kong's Civic Square, a main focus of the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy Central movement, after it reopened on , three years after the protests ended.



Around 10 protesters led by Hong Kongs Labour Party marched into the square, defying security guards who tried to stop them, amid growing fears from pro-democracy groups that the citys residents may be losing their cherished right to public protest.



In August, a court in Hong Kong jailed three former student leaders of the city's 2014 pro-democracy movement over their occupation of the closed-off square at the start of the Occupy Central civil disobedience campaign for fully democratic elections.



In a move widely criticized as a form of political retaliation, former student leader Joshua Wong, now general secretary of the political party Demosisto, was handed a six-month jail term, while ousted lawmaker Nathan Law was imprisoned for eight months and former student leader Alex Chow for seven months by the city's Court of Appeal.



The three had previously been sentenced to community service and a suspended prison sentence by a magistrate after being found guilty of charges relating to "illegal assembly." They are currently out on bail pending appeal.



Law said he believes the re-opening of the square is timed to distract attention away from Chinas announcement on that it will impose its laws on sections of a high-speed railway station inside Hong Kongs city limits.



I think [chief executive] Carrie Lam wants to take away the nasty taste of the rude imposition of the ruling [on the railway station checkpoint] by opening Civic Square again, Law said.



But if citizens arent allowed to express their political demands here, then its a fake re-opening, he said.



The government has announced that protests will only be allowed in the square on Sundays and public holidays, while anyone wanting to protest in the area outside the government's headquarters, officially called the East Wing Forecourt, must apply for permission in advance.



We all remember the protesters who stormed Civic Square in 2014, who were detained as they right here on this platform, Labour Party chairman Steven Kwok, who took part in s protest, said at the scene.



They may have reopened Civic Square, but only with a variety of restrictions, he said. I think Carrie Lam is trying to prevent something like that from happening again.



Under the new rules, the square is only open from 6.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m, and protesters wishing to enter the area outside government headquarters must apply for permission in advance.



If they are truly going to re-open it, you shouldnt need to apply, Kwok said. It should be open 24 hours a day, because it should belong to the people of Hong Kong, who should have the right to come here to protest and to make the government hear their voices.



Conditions and barriers

The Square was ordered closed by then chief executive C.Y. Leung in 2014, who cited security reasons.



Protest leader and Civil Human Rights Front convenor Sammy Ip said the re-opening of Civic Square on such terms isnt good news for the citys traditional freedom to protest.



I dont think this is a good thing, Ip said. The Civil Human Rights Fronts view has always been that you shouldnt need to apply, but so many conditions have been attached to the re-opening of Civic Square.



There are also special barriers, which isnt ideal, he said. I think it should be open to ordinary people, and the opening hours should be extended, otherwise its pretty pointless.



Hong Kongs second-in-command Matthew Cheung defended the limits on protests, saying staff also need to use the area, along with vehicles.



If it was open all hours, then that would make things very difficult for more than 3,000 employees, several hundred visitors and vehicles [that come here daily], Cheung said.



You can hold a protest outside the gates on Tim Mei Avenue without needing a permit, he added.



A treaty signed in 1984 by then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang set out how Britain would end its century-and-a-half long rule over Hong Kong, and how China would govern the city using the "one country, two systems" principle promising the maintenance of the city's traditional freedoms for at least 50 years.



But a string of top-down rulings by China's parliament on internal debates in the city, as well as cross-border detentions of five Hong Kong booksellers who sold banned political books to customers across the internal border, have left many fearing that the city's traditional freedoms of press and association, and its judicial independence, have been seriously eroded.



The recent disqualification of six pro-democracy lawmakers in a row over their oaths of allegiance following an intervention by China's parliament last November, and the jailing of Law, Wong and Chow indicate that Beijing has scant respect for the "high degree of autonomy" promised to the city, activists and rights groups say.



Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFAs Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Chinese authorities have reportedly imposed punishments on two journalists in recent days who questioned Mao Zedongs officially sanctioned reputation on social media, while detaining an outspoken leftist intellectual who thought Maos vision for a communist utopia should never have been abandoned.



Xiao Peng, a former journalist for the Beijing News, had his professional license taken away after he posted to his WeChat friends circle questioning the late supreme leaders greatness, according to a leftist academic.



How can we call him great? He was personally responsible for wreaking havoc and causing countless deaths, Xiao wrote. When he died, everyone in China was finally able to get enough to eat.



This is your great man? A violent, evil dictator. Its kind of scary how many Mao fans I am seeing in my friends group, he wrote.



Xiaos comments were quickly picked up by Wu Danhong, a leftist scholar who uses the pen-name Wu Fatian, who announced on the Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo that Xiaos license to practice journalism had been taken away, and that he is now being dealt with by his work unit, which is investigating.



Xiaos website Beijing Time, a joint venture with the Beijing municipal state broadcast, the Beijing New Media Corp and Qihoo 360, made no mention of the sanction against him, however.



Calls to Beijing Times parent company rang unanswered during office hours on Wednesday.



The sanctions against Xiao come as Chinas rubber-stamp parliament, the National Peoples Congress (NPC), is considering criminalizing anyone deemed to have smeared the reputation and honor of the ruling Chinese Communist Partys canon of heroes and martyrs.



The Communist Party already retaliates harshly against anyone abusing late supreme leader Mao Zedong or his image, as this is held to represent an attack on the founding supreme leader of the People's Republic.



It also recently passed laws banning the desecration or insults to the national flag and other symbols of the Chinese state.



Three protestersYu Dongyue, Yu Zhijian, and Lu Dechengwho helped splatter Mao's portrait with red paint during the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy movement all served lengthy prison sentences during which they were subjected to torture and ill treatment.



In August 2015, Bi Fujian, a popular TV host for China's state-run broadcaster CCTV lost his job after a private joke at the expense of late supreme leader Mao Zedong that was leaked online.



The ousted former editor of Baixing magazine, Huang Liangtian, said the reports that Xiao has had his license revoked are in keeping with the treatment meted out to Bi.



If this is confirmed, that he gets fired or something similar  then the party leaders in his company will likely also get punished, Huang said. But if he is a genuine freelance, then theyll just get rid of him; it wont be a question of formally firing him.



Microblog tweet



Meanwhile, authorities in the central province of Henan are probing an officially backed microblog account run by the provincial party committees civilization office after it posted an on this day in history tweet marking the beginning of the end of the former Soviet Union in 1991.



This may seem trivial to some, but the collapse of a large, utopian empire is worthy of remembrance, the tweet said.



An official microblog account for the European edition of Communist Party mouthpiece the Peoples Daily hit out at the tweet, saying: Whered that come from?



The Henan account deleted the tweet and issued an apology on the same day, saying that the incident had been harshly dealt with by the provincial party propaganda department, and that the duty editor for the microblog account had been fired.



Beijing-based constitutional scholar Chen Yongmiao said plenty of people still criticize Mao Zedong online, but high-profile, officially sanctioned opinion-makers arent supposed to join in.



Officials are basically not allowed to comment on Mao or the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Chen said.



A lot of people insult Mao, a huge number, while those who praise him are in a very small minority, he said. But they are more marginalized.



There is no way that the authorities are going to tolerate criticism coming from within the system, from civil servants, he said.



Symbol of resistance



However, the government is also wary of anyone using Mao as a potential symbol of resistance against the current administration.



Authorities in the southern province of Guangdong last month detained an outspoken intellectual, Zhang Yunfan, on charges of "organizing mass gatherings that disturbed social order, prompting a petition from fellow academics for his release.



Zhang was detained after running a group discussion at a local university on the authorities' response to leftist speech.



U.S.-based China scholar Xie Xuanjun said the administration of President Xi Jinping is just as intolerant of dissent from the left as from other quarters.



This is because there are signs of social instability in the lowest echelons of society, for example, unrest among Chinas low-income population, Xie said, in a reference to low-income migrant workers who have recently been evicted en masse from rented accommodation in Beijing.



The Chinese government is trying to deal with this low-end population, so now anyone on the left is potentially dangerous, because the low-income population has the potential to be a rallying point [for political opposition], he said.



Reported by Hai Nan for RFAs Cantonese Service, and by Xi Wang for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
A North Korean nuclear scientist who defected to China has killed himself after being forced home, taking poison in a state security cell while awaiting interrogation, RFA has learned.



The defector, a researcher in the physics center of the State Academy of Sciences in Pyongyang, was one of a group of North Koreans detained in Shenyang city, China, on Nov. 4 and sent back on Nov. 17, a source in North Hamgyong province told RFAs Korean Service this week.



He killed himself only a few hours after he was placed in solitary confinement at the State Security Department in Sinuiju city just across the border from China, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



He died before he could be questioned about the reasons for his escape, who had helped him, and what his route had been, he said.



He must have been searched many times while being taken from China to Sinuiju, so its a mystery how he was able to conceal the poison he took, he said.



The defector, who led a research team at the physics center at the State Academy of Sciences in Pyongyangs Unjong district, had reportedly taken vacation leave from his job because he was showing signs of anxiety over his research projects, the source said.



Suddenly, he visited relatives near the border without letting his family know and without carrying valid documents for travel. And when he learned that the authorities were looking for him, he simply disappeared.



Security officials are now trying to discover how the scientist was able to cross the Tumen river into China and join up with other defectors, he said.



High-level sources in North Korea identified the defector in early December as Hyun Cheol Huh, aged in his early 50s, RFAs source said.



But we dont know if this was his real name or not, he said.



Generally, State Security will use numbers or fake names when referring to important persons [in their custody], he said.



For some reason, the defector had kept it to himself that he was a nuclear scientist when he was captured by the Chinese police, who had been tipped off to the group by a North Korean state security agent posing as a defector, the source said.



If the Chinese government had known who he was, they would have wanted to learn what he knew and would never have sent him back, he said.



Reported by Sunghui Moon for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Myanmar journalists Thet Oo Maung (R), also known as Wa Lone, and Kyaw Soe Oo (L) in undated photos.

A Myanmar rights organization has filed a complaint with the U.N.s human rights office about the detention of two Reuters journalists charged with violating the country's colonial-era Official Secrets Act.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a group dedicated to the release of political prisoners in Myanmar, lodged the complaint with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) under the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Dec. 20, eight days after the arrests of Thet Oo Maung, also known as Wa Lone, and Kyaw Soe Oo.

Police have detained the pair for possessing illegal government documents about security forces in northern Rakhine state, where a military crackdown has driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims into neighboring Bangladesh. They also have been accused of sending important security documents regarding security forces in Rakhine state to foreign agencies abroad.

We sent it [the complaint] because the arrest of two Reuters journalists violates Article 347 of Myanmars Constitution as well as Articles 9, 14, 19, and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, AAPP spokesman Myo Kyaw told RFAs Myanmar Service on Thursday.

Article 347 of Myanmars 2008 Constitution guarantees equal rights and equal protection before the law.

The international covenant is a multilateral treat adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in December 1966 and put into force on March 23, 1976, which sets forth the rights of individuals who have been arrested and detained and ensures them the right to freedom of expression.

The Working Group looks into information submitted by NGOs, individuals, their families, or their representatives concerning the protection of human rights in alleged cases of arbitrary detention.

If it determines that an arbitrary deprivation of liberty has occurred, it issues an opinion to that effect and makes recommendations to the relevant government, which is given 60 days to respond to the allegations in terms of facts, applicable laws, and the outcome of any investigations that have been ordered.

On Wednesday, a courthouse in Yangons Mingaladon township extended the detention of the two Reuters journalists by two weeks at their first hearing following 15 days of interrogation by police.

They are being held in Insein Prison on the outskirts of the commercial capital until their next court appearance on Jan. 10.

If they are found guilty of violating the Official Secrets Act, they could face up to 14 years in jail.



A question of entrapment

The two received the documents during a meeting in Yangon with two policemen who had been stationed in northern Rakhine. Though the two policemen with whom the journalists met just before their arrests were also taken into custody, they have not been charged.

A few days after the arrests, President Htin Kyaw issued an approval for police to proceed with the case against the journalists.

Yet on Dec. 18, the spokesman of the ruling National League of Democracy (NLD) party described the arrests as entrapment because Thet Oo Maung and Kyaw Soe Oo had been apprehended with the documents shortly after they finished their meal with the two officers.

But Thant Zin Aung, the attorney representing the journalists, said he doubts whether the arrests constitute entrapment.

I have doubts about whether it is entrapment, he said on Thursday. I have many things to talk about because we have been studying this case, and we learned new facts today, but I cant say what weve got now.

Thet Oo Maungs wife Pan Ei Mon on Thursday insisted that her husband had not done anything illegal during the course of his reporting.

I know my husband hasnt done anything against the law, she told RFA. I am just waiting for his release, but I dont know what to say.

The case has struck fear in the media in Myanmar, where a series of arrests of journalists or editors and defamation lawsuits against the media has taken place under the civilian-led government of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

What I think is that authorities have threatened other journalists that they will act the same way if those journalists do what they dont want them to do, said Zayar Hlaing, editor of Mawkun Magazine, an investigative publication owned by the Yangon-based Myanmar Observer Media Group.

We see their arrest as entrapment because they met the policemen, got papers from them, and then they were arrested soon after these policemen left them, he said. They have been charged under the Official Secrets Act only because the police found these papers on them.

It is a lie, and it is as if the police are stirring up a battle between the media and the people, he said.

Thein Than Oo, an attorney with the Myanmar Lawyers Network, said the government has handled the situation poorly and agreed that journalists have a right to access information.

First, the Ministry of Information didnt follow journalism ethics when it published news about these journalists in the newspaper, he said. Second, it is not a crime when journalists work to cover news. They have the right to access information.

Also on Thursday, a group of 50 Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists called on authorities in Myanmar to immediately release the two reporters.

Their arrest is an outrageous attack on media freedom, said a joint statement issued by the group. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are brave, principled and professional journalists who were working in the public interest and were jailed simply for doing their jobs.

We call on the Myanmar government to immediately release Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, reunite them with their families, and drop all charges against them.

Myanmar interpreter Aung Naing Soe (L) and driver Hla Tin (R) look out from a prison transport vehicle after they are sentenced to two months in prison for illegally flying a drone, in a court in Naypyidaw, Nov. 10, 2017. Credit: AFP Charges against others dropped

Meanwhile, a Myanmar court on Thursday formally dropped additional charges against two foreign journalists who have been serving time since their arrest in October for illegally flying a drone over the parliament building in Naypyidaw.

Singaporean journalist Lau Hon Meng, and Malaysian journalist Mok Choy Lin, their Myanmar interpreter, Aung Naing Soe, and driver, Hla Tin, were arrested on Oct. 27 as they worked on a documentary for Turkish Radio and Television Corporation subsidiary TRT World.

They are all serving two months in jail for violating Myanmars colonial-era Aircraft Act and are scheduled for release on Jan. 5.

Naypyidaws Zabuthiri township court had also charged them with illegally bringing a drone into Myanmar under the 2012 Import-Export Act, and the two journalists were further charged with violating Myanmars Immigration Act on Nov. 27, after their visas expired while they were in custody.

On Tuesday, Myanmar police withdrew the additional charges related to the importation of the drone and immigration violations.

Domestic and international rights groups have criticized the NLD government for appearing to backpedal on press freedom in the still-developing democracy.

Myanmar ranks 131 of a total 180 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index issued by the Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an NGO that promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press.

Reported by Tin Aung Khine, Win Ko Ko Latt, and Khin Khin Ei for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
A former official in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang who became a citizen of Kazakhstan is missing, believed kidnapped amid an ongoing crackdown on ethnic minority groups with overseas ties, sources told RFA on .



Askar Azatbek, 41, a former ethnic Kazakh official from the grain bureau of Qabqal Xibe county in Xinjiang's Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, which borders the independent state of Kazakhstan, was last seen at around 4.30 p.m. on Dec. 7, a Kazakh source told RFA.



"They took someone away [on the Chinese side of the border] from the international market inside the Khorgos border checkpoint," the source said. "They have been petitioning up as far as the Kazakhstan president and the Kazakhstan police and foreign ministry."



Azatbek's passport, issued by Kazakhstan on Oct. 6, shows his place of birth as China, according to a copy of the document seen by RFA.



He is currently being held in an unofficial "black jail" in Khorgos county, the source said.



An official who answered the phone at the Ili police department said queries would only be taken from journalists in person.



Meanwhile, authorities in Narat township of Xinjiang's Xinyuan county detained Nurdanhas Baizhuma, sending him to a 're-education center for extremists' in August, then placing him under criminal detention on his release, a source said.



Nurdanhas, 35, was placed on a blacklist after borrowing a bank card belonging to an ethnic Uyghur friend, the source said.



Wide crackdown on Turkic Muslims

Nadiya, a 32-year-old ethnic Kazakh woman, was released earlier this month from a political re-education center after being sent there last May. She was redetained shortly afterwards and was handed a five-year jail term by a court in Xinyuan county last week for possessing images of a greeting on her cell phone, marking the weekly day of prayers for Muslims.



And a Kazakh high-school teacher known by her social media nickname Sara38 was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for having "close dealings" with a previously sentenced ethnic Kazakh student who returned from Turkey.



China regularly conducts strike hard campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people.



The government has detained large numbers of Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other ethnic minorities simply for posting religious videos not approved by officials, or for possessing copies of the Quran, prayer mats and traditional clothing, all of which have been described as evidence of "extremism" by Chinese police in recent months.



Although the campaign has fallen most heavily on the region's Uyghurs, sources estimate that Chinese authorities in Xinjiang also have detained hundreds of ethnic Kazakhs in recent months, freezing their bank accounts and assets pending "investigation," also for extremist behavior that includes normal Islamic practices.



Both Kazakhs and ethnic minority Uyghurs are being detained in political study centers in unprecedented numbers across the region, sources have repeatedly told RFA.



The camps are in operation throughout Xinjiang and contain detainees from the Uyghur, Kyrgyz and Kazakh communitiesall Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim minorities in Chinaunder policies introduced by hardline Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo, sources have said.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Dot Patrick was one of the first people Lee Schaffer met after moving to Richmond in the 1960s.

They discovered they both loved to read and began talking about forming a book club. Schaffer had grown up in Durham, N.C., where her father was a professor of English at Duke University and her mother belonged to two book clubs. Patrick was a nurse who liked the idea of hanging out with girls who graduated with degrees in English lit.

I wanted to pick their brains some, she said.

So, they invited a couple of friends, picked a book and held their first meeting in 1967.

The club, which they took to calling First Edition Book Club a few years ago when it was reaching the age that it needed a name, is still going strong.

Fifty years is a long time to keep anything going, much less a casual book club, but here it is. People have come and gone and come again, and members are mostly in their 70s and 80s, but it remains a vibrant group.

The club invited me to their Christmas meeting, held this year at Hermitage Country Club, to talk about Bob Browns and my Back Roads books, our travels around Virginia and where to find good pie.

Answer: There is no bad pie.

Over lunch (I highly recommend the fish tacos), we got to talking about the history of the club, and it became clear their fondness for one another and for the written word runs deep  Schaffer is such a voracious reader that when she was recuperating from back surgery a few months ago she read a book a day, as her husband burned a path to the public library  and goes way back.

Its a big part of my life, Jenks Marrow said of reading. I was an only child, so my entire life was in a book. That was where my friends were. In a book.

Members decide every May what theyre going to read  generally fiction, though occasionally nonfiction  during the next club year (which coincides with the school year). They meet monthly on a Friday at a members home for coffee, goodies and a discussion of their book of the month. One member will review the book and lead the discussion, though the format varies. Sometimes one of the members has researched the book and even interviewed the author, and occasionally an author shows up for the meeting (Lee Smith did that while she was teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University).

Were a very flexible group, Bev Evans said.

Donna Wright, who joined in the 1970s, has sort of become designated as the person to contact authors and ask for interviews or even extend invitations to a meeting, though thats usually a long shot for a group that has about 30 members and typically attracts a dozen or so to each meeting.

Im just adventurous and maybe stupid, she said with a laugh when I asked how she got picked for the job of placing cold calls. I guess I just didnt know any better. If (authors) say, No, it didnt matter to me. Didnt hurt my feelings. There was a good chance some of them might say, Yes, and some of them did.

Lee Smith, who lives in North Carolina and grew up in Southwest Virginia, was one who said, Yes. Jan Karon was another.

We read one of her books, so I called her and she said, Ive just gotten back from a book-signing, and Im absolutely exhausted. Can I call you back? Wright recalled. I thought, Oh, Ill never hear from her, but she did call me back and gave me a wonderful interview.

Then there was the time she called Clare Boothe Luce, an author, politician and ambassador. Wright just assumed an assistant would answer the phone. She assumed wrong. Luce picked up.

Wright became immediately flustered and couldnt spit out words in any decipherable order.

I told her, Excuse me a minute, I have to get myself together, Wright said.

Eventually, Wright told Luce the club was reading one of her books and wanted to invite her to a meeting. Luce looked at her calendar and said she would be in Nicaragua or some place like that on the date of the meeting, but she asked for Wrights address and later sent her a book.

Wright had worked as an art teacher before coming to Richmond and raising a family. With young children at home in the 1970s, she said, I felt like I needed to be around women who knew things and who were educated and who wanted to read. The club filled that need for her.

Reading books together and talking about them and understanding them better or seeing different points of view, she replied when I asked what she liked about being in the club.

Members of the club not only read books. At least one has written a book: Mary Angela Morgan is the author of Mary Angelas Best of Everything Cookbook.

When I started college, I thought I wanted to be a journalist, she said.

But her first experiences in the field were more frustrating than rewarding. As a freshman, her articles never seemed to make it into the school newspaper, though the young woman who was the editor always seemed to read Morgans articles on the college radio station without giving proper credit. She complained to her professor, who told her shed have to be thick-skinned and aggressive to be a journalist.

I said, Im neither aggressive nor thick-skinned, so I think I need to change my major, she recalled, and I did.

She went into home economics.

And got published.

Even though its an older group, the club is far from stuck in its ways. As technology has evolved, so has the club. Some of the women prefer ebooks now, and at least one, Marrow, enjoys audio books. That way, she can read while shes mowing the grass or painting or even walking. She finds she walks farther when shes listening to a book because she doesnt want to stop in the middle of a really interesting passage.

In other words, Reading Is Good Exercise. (Ill make millions from the bumper sticker.)

Funny thing, I asked Patrick and Schaffer if they remembered whose home they met in for that first meeting 50 years ago (they dont) or what book they read (Heavens, no! Patrick said. Are you kidding?)

If we had known it would turn out to be historic, Schaffer said with a laugh, we would have written it all down.
Why you know them: Sheena Jeffers and Ryan Carroll sold their homes, quit their jobs and moved on to a catamaran that was docked in Norfolk when we visited them over the summer as they prepared to sail away to a new untethered life of exploration.

Whats new: Jeffers and Carroll, both in their 30s, left Norfolk at the end of November and began sailing down the coast toward the Caribbean.

When we reached Jeffers and Carroll in early December, they were navigating the Intracoastal Waterway through North Florida on a warm weekday morning after spending several days out on the ocean. Carroll was steering the catamaran, and Jeffers was on the phone.

It is beautiful out here, said Jeffers, who grew up in Mechanicsville, majored in mass communications at Virginia Commonwealth University and later worked in the newsroom of the Richmond Times-Dispatch as a copy messenger before going to jobs as a legal assistant, dance and yoga teacher, and freelance writer. It is stunning beyond words. The sunrises and the sunsets. Weve seen countless pods of dolphins that just ride with us. Its really something out here. We wake up now at sunrise every morning without an alarm clock.

We came out here on a huge risk. We left our jobs. We didnt know what was going to happen. Its so incredibly freeing and fun. This is living.

She is surprised at how things have fallen into place, including a job offer to run a chartered cruise from the Bahamas over the holidays. They had wondered if they would be able to find enough work to sustain them financially, and the Bahamas gig is a good sign.

An old sailor told us to stop worrying, that work would appear, she said, and he was right.

They docked their boat in Florida and flew to the Bahamas. They will return to Florida after the cruise to continue their personal travels. Their plan is to island-hop through the Caribbean and eventually head to Central America.

The goal is to go full-speed ahead with this adventure for the foreseeable future, as long as we love it and our finances allow, she said.

This, said Carroll, who worked in real estate and has been sailing for years, is a dream come true.

To follow along, visit https://www.seaslifeforgood.com/.
A man who exchanged gunfire with police in Chester on Wednesday was found dead inside a home, authorities said.

Chesterfield police later identified the man as Kenneth J. Perna-Rutsky, 38.

Officers had responded about 10:34 a.m. to the 300 block of Sunset Boulevard for a report of a man who had barricaded himself in a house, said police Lt. Peter Cimbal.

There were reports that shots had been fired, but not at anyone.

But Cimbal said that when police approached the residence, the man fired at the officers. The police returned fire and the man retreated into the home.

No officers were injured.

Shortly before 1 p.m., police approached the house after making several unsuccessful attempts to contact the gunman, said Daniel Kelly, interim police chief.

Authorities used a camera to look through a window and saw the man lying on the floor, Kelly said. Officers entered the home and found him dead.

Kelly said they do not know if the man died of a self-inflicted wound or if he was killed by police gunfire.

Earlier Wednesday, police said they believed the man was alone in the home.

Jim Winegar, who lives in the 300 block of Bermuda Hundred Road near the shooting scene, said his daughter in-law called the house around 11 a.m. to tell him that a lot of police were in the area.

I came out in the yard, said Winegar. The cops were here ... They came up to my fence and said, Get back in your house. We got a situation over here. So I went in my house.

Police continue to investigate the incident and ask anyone with information to contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at (804) 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660 or through the P3 app.
An attorney representing Jason Kessler in a perjury case asked Albemarle County Circuit Judge Cheryl Higgins on Wednesday to set a motions hearing to argue for a change of venue for his clients trial.

Kessler, the main organizer of the Unite the Right rally on Aug. 12, was charged with perjury in October. The charge stems from a statement Kessler made in January related to an incident that took place on Charlottesvilles Downtown Mall.

At the time, Kessler swore before an Albemarle magistrate that he had been assaulted by a Charlottesville man, who in turn accused Kessler of punching him in the face.

The case against the city man was dropped when prosecutors found video evidence disproving Kesslers claim. Kessler then pleaded guilty to assaulting the man and was sentenced to perform 50 hours of community service.

In court Wednesday, Michael Hallahan said his client would not be able to have a fair trial in the area because of negative news coverage concerning Kessler. He also said attorneys in the Charlottesville Commonwealths Attorneys Office have been quoted in local news making negative comments about Kessler.

Albemarle Commonwealths Attorney Robert Tracci did not object to setting a date for the motions hearing.

Kessler sat quietly during the status hearing, occasionally writing notes.
The youngest son of U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay $236 in fines and fees for resisting arrest after he and others disrupted a Minnesota rally in support of President Donald Trump.

About 400 people attended the Trump rally March 4 at the Minnesota state Capitol in St. Paul, and about 75 to 125 counterprotesters arrived, according to criminal complaints.

Fireworks and smoke bombs were set off inside the capitol and several people were arrested. Minnesota state officers had to call for backup from St. Paul police.

Linwood Michael Woody Kaine, 25, of Minneapolis, was arrested outside the capitol and later charged with three misdemeanors.

Two of them  concealing identity and fleeing a peace officer by means other than a motor vehicle  were dismissed Dec. 11, according to online court records for Ramsey County, Minn. Kaine pleaded guilty to obstructing legal process/interfering with a peace officer.

According to the St. Paul City Attorneys Office, Kaine ran when an officer told him that he was under arrest. After police pulled him to the ground, the defendant continued to fight the officers on the ground, bucking and flaring his arms and legs.

A judge sentenced Kaine to 90 days in jail but stayed 86 days, leaving four days to serve (which he had already served). In addition to the fine, he was ordered to remain on probation until Dec. 11, 2018, according to online court records.

While some were charged for disruptive activity at the rally, Woody behaved peacefully there and faced no such charges, Miryam Lipper, a spokeswoman for Sen. Kaine, said by email. He has pled guilty to a misdemeanor in connection with actions during an arrest after leaving the rally.
Thierry Dupuis, who retired in September as the police chief in Chesterfield County, has been hired as interim police chief for the city of Charlottesvilles Police Department.

Charlottesvilles previous chief, Al Thomas, announced Dec. 18 that he had retired effective immediately, two weeks after a scathing independent review about how the city dealt with the violent white nationalist rally Aug. 12. Thomas had been Charlottesvilles police chief since May 2016.

Dupuis, who takes office Jan. 2, succeeds Charlottesvilles Deputy Chief Gary Pleasants as interim chief. Pleasants was named in the independent review as the police supervisor who approved the use of tear gas after a July 8 Ku Klux Klan rally, The Daily Progress reported.

The paper reported that Pleasants will retire at the end of next year, in accordance with a department policy of mandatory retirement at age 60.

In addition to Thomas, Charlottesville City Attorney Craig Brown recently announced his resignation to take a similar position in Manassas.

The review commissioned by the city of Charlottesville found widespread law enforcement failures as city and state officials responded to a series of white nationalist rallies over the summer.

The day after Thomas stepped down, Gov.-elect Ralph Northam announced that Virginia State Police Superintendent W. Steven Flaherty will retire early next year after 14 years at the helm. Flaherty said at a Dec. 19 news conference that his departure was unrelated to events in Charlottesville.

Dupuis retired as police chief in Chesterfield in September after serving 10 years in that role and 38 years on the force.

Chief Dupuis established a distinguished record during his nearly 40 years as a law enforcement official in Chesterfield County, Charlottesville City Manager Maurice Jones said in a news release. We have many dedicated officers in our department and Im confident Chief Dupuis will do an excellent job of guiding them and our civilian staff as we search for a new police chief.

In Dupuis decade as Chesterfields chief, the departments ranks grew, the police headquarters was renovated, and a substation and driving training center opened. Dupuis worked to expand dialogue among diverse groups in the community. The departments Community Partners Breakfast developed and grew.

Dupuis said Charlottesville is a special place and I look forward to working with the members of the community, the police officers and the staff during this interim period.

Dupuis began his law enforcement career on his 20th birthday as a deputy in what is now the Richmond Sheriffs Office. He then worked patrol with Virginia Commonwealth University police before joining Chesterfields department in 1979.
The folks at SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) have probably been doing a happy dance since Dec. 16, when they heard Pentagon officials admit that for years the Department of Defense quietly ran a classified program called the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program. From 2007 until it was defunded in 2012, the operation collected and analyzed reports of anomalous aerial vehicles  military speak for UFOs.

As news of the story emerged, we also learned former Sen. Harry Reid played a large role in the creation of the bizarre program. The onetime Senate majority leader has held a keen interest in UFOs since the 1980s. He apparently had many conversations about unknown aerial objects during the 1990s with the astronaut-turned-senator, John Glenn. Reid secretly pushed for the military study of UFOs, and recently told The New York Times the program was funded through secretive black money.

The $22 million program was headed up by a now-retired, high-ranking intelligence officer named Luis Elizondo. He resigned in October because the UFO issue wasnt receiving the attention he felt it warranted. Elizondo was responsible for the recent release of three puzzling videos from the Pentagons top-secret vaults. Raw footage from one video shows U.S. fighter jets encountering strange aircraft with glowing auras around them. The aircraft appear to hover just beyond the pilots before flying off at speeds that leave the humans stunned. We have to admit the video left us amazed as well. It can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIciPSOWn_A.

There have been thousands of reported sightings of UFOs over the years, many by the American military and U.S. astronauts. The Air Force ran a series of studies on the subject from 1947 to 1969, most of which concluded that of the more than 12,000 sightings it investigated, only 701 could not be explained.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Thierry Dupuis has been hired as interim police chief for the Charlottesvilles Police Department, effective Jan. 2.

He will replace city Deputy Chief Gary Pleasants in the role. After the announcement was made that Pleasants would take the helm, citizens loudly voiced their complaints at a recent meeting of the City Council.

Most of the complaints cited a scathing independent review by former federal prosecutor Tim Heaphy of the citys response to the deadly Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally. In the review, Pleasants was named as the police supervisor who approved the use of tear gas after July 8 Ku Klux Klan rally.

Pleasants will retire at the end of next year, as per a department policy of mandatory retirement, at age 60.

After 19 months, former Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas retired, effective immediately, on Dec. 18. The move came in the wake of the Heaphy report.

Dupuis, 60, retired as police chief in Chesterfield County in September.

Chief Dupuis established a distinguished record during his nearly 40 years as a law enforcement official in Chesterfield County, City Manager Maurice Jones said in a Wednesday news release. We have many dedicated officers in our department and Im confident Chief Dupuis will do an excellent job of guiding them and our civilian staff as we search for a new police chief.

I would like to thank Mr. Jones and the city council for this incredible opportunity, Dupuis said in the release. Charlottesville is a special place and I look forward to working with the members of the community, the police officers and the staff during this interim period.

Dupuis began his 40-year law enforcement career on his 20th birthday as a deputy in what is now the Richmond Sheriffs Office, according to an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on his September retirement. He then worked patrol with Virginia Commonwealth University police before joining the Chesterfield Police Department in 1979. From there, he rose through the ranks, holding every rank in the department, before becoming chief in 2007.

Dupuis is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Executive Board of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and Foundation, the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation and the Board of Trustees for the Fork Union Military Academy, according to the release.

It is unclear how much Dupuis salary will be while in the position, as human resources staff at CPD was out of the office on Wednesday.

Calls to Chesterfield, Hopewell and Henrico County law enforcement officers who know Dupuis also were not immediately returned Wednesday.

Stories from the Richmond Times-Dispatch about Dupuis:
Joe Cobb, the former pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge in southeast Roanoke, will formally announce his candidacy for Roanoke City Council next week.

Cobb, 55, is the fourth person  and third Democrat  to announce a bid for council, with three seats up for election on May 1. Cobb served as pastor of Metropolitan Community Church  whose fellowship emphasizes inclusiveness and LGBTQ outreach  for eight years. He left in May.

Earlier this year, he accepted a job at a church in Los Angeles, but then he turned down the offer and remained in Roanoke. Hes an Old Southwest resident.

I really found that, as exciting as the opportunity was, there was more I needed to do here in Roanoke, Cobb said Wednesday. Running for office was the next logical step to me. Roanoke has been good to me, and this is a good way for me to give back.

Cobb cited his experience working on issues in leadership capacities: education, justice, homelessness and equality.

Cobb is community outreach coordinator for Highland Park Elementary School. He is the former executive director of Interfaith Hospitality Network, now Family Promise of Greater Roanoke.

He volunteers in various ways, including his participation on the steering committee of the new coalition Roanoke Valley Unites, which brings people together to tackle questions about how the region deals with issues of diversity, community and other imperatives.

Cobb will formally announce his candidacy at the Gainsboro Branch Library on Jan. 4 at 4 p.m.

I feel a sense of calling in doing this, Cobb said. I feel passionate for this city, for it to grow and become all its meant to be. I want to help all those who are here to see that and celebrate that within themselves and others.

Magazine publisher Robert Jeffrey announced last month hes running as a Democrat. Djuna Osborne, a social worker and Democrat whos fresh off a run for the House of Delegates, entered the hunt last week.

Also last week, Grover Price, who operates the Hope Center on Eleventh Street Northwest along with his mother, announced his run for council.

Its unclear yet what nomination process the Democrats would use, but unless four or more candidates emerge within the party, no nomination process would be needed.
By Michael Town

Town is executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. Contact him at info@valcv.org.

Over the past year, the environmental community has faced a constant barrage of attacks.

With everything from bedrock clean air and water protections to public lands management in the Trump administrations crosshairs, weve had to work harder than ever here in Virginia to ward off the worst of attacks while still pushing forward good policy at the state level.

Knowing full well what was at stake if we lost the Governors Mansion to one of Trumps allies, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters was all-in during the 2017 election cycle, running the biggest electoral program to-date in this organizations history to elect Ralph Northam our next governor.

The results of Election Day 2017, however, exceeded anything we could have hoped for and offered further peace of mind that the extreme agenda weve been fighting at the federal level will not take root here in Virginia.

While we amped up our own electoral efforts to ensure success on Nov. 7, the results made one thing clear: Virginias electorate was already determined and motivated to stand up to the dangerous and destructive policies coming out of Washington. As such, Virginians overwhelmingly elected conservation leaders at all levels, resulting in historic pickups in the House of Delegates as well as the election of three environmental leaders to statewide office.

With Ralph Northam in the Governors Mansion, Justin Fairfax serving as lieutenant governor, and Mark Herring re-elected to another four years as our states attorney general, along with increased power in the legislature, we now have the opportunity to make long-term gains for conservation in the commonwealth  gains that will improve the lives of all Virginians and protect clean water, clean air and open spaces for years to come.

Overall, our Political Action Committee invested more than $3 million in this race, which went toward direct voter contact, digital persuasion and mobilization, and investment in individual campaigns directly from our PAC and through grassroots fundraising.

Close to half of our spending focused directly on voter mobilization by running one of the largest field programs in 2017 outside of the campaign itself. Since the program launched in June, our organizers knocked on more than 350,000 doors, with a focus on persuading and turning out voters in metro-Richmond and Hampton Roads. This effort went all the way down to the wire, with Virginia LCV organizers and volunteers reaching out to 100,000 voters in just the few days before Election Day.

We went in big knowing we needed to elect officials who will build on the progress we had made over the past four years, not work alongside the Trump administration to tear it down. Now, our attention turns to transforming the Nov. 7 mandate into conservation victories. And right off the bat, our incoming elected officials will have to address pressing environmental issues here in Virginia.

From protecting our drinking water from Dominion Energys toxic coal ash impoundments and stopping their destructive Atlantic Coast Pipeline, as well EQT Midstream Partners Mountain Valley Pipeline, to moving forward with our states first-ever rule to curb carbon emissions in Virginia as a way to address the climate crisis, the incoming administration and newly-elected members of the House of Delegates will have a full plate.

Accomplishing these tasks while moving the ball forward on other water quality and land conservation efforts is going to be a big lift, but we have full faith the Northam administration, with newfound support in the legislature, will do the right thing for our environment.

Judging by the groundswell we saw this year, Virginia voters expect nothing less, and well be working to ensure we make big progress on the environment over the next four years and beyond.

As an organization, we envision a future for the commonwealth where we dont have to worry whether our waters safe to drink or if the air we breathe is making our children sick, and where all Virginians have access to a clean and safe environment. This is our end-goal.

Nov. 7 got us a lot closer to this vision, but our work is just beginning.
A spit guard

SUSPECTS arrested by police may be made to wear controversial spit guards from next month.

The spit guards  labelled primitive, cruel and degrading by human rights group Liberty  will be used to protect officers from being spat at and bitten.

The mesh guards are put over a persons head and have a reinforced section around the mouth and jaw to prevent the detainee from spitting or biting.

They wil initially be used in custody suites and from March other officers can use them when transporting prisoners.

South Yorkshire Police will become the 23rd out of the 43 forces in the UK to use the guards after it said staff was being spat at once-a-day.

Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts, said: Spitting on or at an officer is an assault.

Our staff should be able to come to work and do their job, protecting the public of South Yorkshire, without being assaulted.

The introduction of spit guards will offer a safe and practical barrier to protect our officers.

A police spokeswoman said the guards would only be used when a suspect has already spat or threatened to do so.

Mr Roberts added: A spit guard will only be used when absolutely necessary, following verbal warnings where the detainee will be informed that a spit guard will be used should they continue with such behaviour.

The safety and welfare of our officers is paramount in order to allow them to continue their role in protecting the public of South Yorkshire.

Spit guards will ultimately allow us to minimise a certain level of risk to our staff in preventing them from being assaulted, as well as allowing officers to bring a situation under control quickly and safely when someone is spitting or biting.
The BrilliAnt diamond show, formerly known as the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair, is being delayed to a later date, IDEX Online reported citing the organizers of the event.

The ninth edition of the show was due to be held from January 28 to 30. The show's website said that the new dates will be revealed soon.

BrilliAnt is open to Antwerp companies as well as to international diamond and coloured gemstone firms affiliated to the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB). The Fair's organizers are targeting jewelry manufacturers, retailers and designers.

"BrilliAnt 2017 brought successfully foreign exhibitors from India, China, Italy, Russia, and Scandinavia that have already expressed their interest to return to BrilliAnt 2018," said Michel Nasielski, member of the organizing committee.

BrilliAnt - the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair is a joint initiative of the Antwerp Diamond Bourse, the Diamond Club of Antwerp and the Antwerp Diamond Kring, and is powered by the AWDC.




Federal and provincial funding has been committed toward freight rail analysis of Ontario's Peterborough-Toronto-Havelock-Blue Mountain corridor.

The government of Canada and the province of Ontario are each contributing CA$65,000 (US$51,599) for the Peterborogh-Toronto Freight Rail Analysis project, which will define freight infrastructure requirements and outline the projected economic impact of potential future freight rail improvements along the rail corridor. Specifically, the project will evaluate the benefits and impacts associated with enabling increased freight rail capacity along the corridor.

Officials say the funds will build on economic and engineering work already completed and that modern and efficient transportation routes are crucial to encouraging and supporting economic activity, facilitating trade and creating jobs.

I am pleased to see the support for developing a project to increase freight rail services throughout the Peterborough-Toronto-Havelock-Blue Mountain corridor. This is an important step to ensure reliable freight service in our community, said Jeff Leal, member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough.
Israel's ambassador to New Zealand has requested a meeting with Lorde after she canceled her June 2018 concert in Tel Aviv due to the ongoing cultural boycott.

"It is regrettable that you have canceled your concert in Tel Aviv and have disappointed all your fans in Israel," Dr. Itzkah Gerberg wrote in a Facebook open letter. "Music is a wonderful language of tolerance and friendship, which brings people together. Your concert in Israel could have spread the message that solutions come from constructive engagement that leads to compromise and cooperation. Music should unite not divide, and your performance in Israel could have contributed to the spirit of hope and peace in the Middle East."

"Boycott and hate, on the other hand, represents hostility and intolerance, and I was sorry to see that you have succumbed to the supporters of a small fanatic group of BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) movement that denies the right of the State of Israel to exist and spreads hatred and animosity. I invite you to meet me in person to discuss Israel, its achievements and its role as the only democracy in the Middle East."

Lorde was scheduled to perform at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre on June 5 as part of her Melodrama world tour.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Entertainment News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Colcap, the benchmark stock market index in Colombia, was up 0.49% near the end of Wednesday's session to 1,500.73 points, boosted by an end-year rally as traders square positions in bluechip stocks, said Erika Baquero, an analyst at Alianza Valores.

Avianca had a neutral behavior during the session after announcing that it is still negotiating a strategic partnership with United Airlines.

Cemargos(1,22%), Ecopetrol (1,20%), Corficolombiana (1,18%), Cemex (1,11%) and Preferencial Bancolombia (1,02%) were among the stocks rising at the end of the day, while Nutresa (-1,36%) and Conconcreto (0,90%) lose terrain.

The locally traded US dollar rose 0.32%, to 2,975.70 Colombian pesos, as falling oil prices weighed on the local currency, according to Wilson Tovar, an analyst at Acciones & Valores.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Colombian exports of Hass avocado to the United States are still ongoing, according to a work plan signed by CorpoHass and U.S. sanitation authorities.

The Colombian Agricultural Institute is moving forward with a program to eradicate pests from Hass avocados in 21 municipalities from seven Colombian states and, in January, the country should export the fruits from the Antioquia state.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) disclosed in the annual proxy statement that it has increased its Chief Executive Tim Cook and other leaders total compensation in 2017 as the company exceeded its sales and profit goals for the year.

According to the filing, Apple's CEO Tim Cook received total compensation of $12.8 million in 2017, which was 47 percent higher than the prior year. The compensation includes a $3.06 million base salary and a $9.33 million Non-Equity incentive plan compensation and $440 thousand of other compensation.

In 2016, Cook received a $3.00 million base salary and $5.37 million non-Equity incentive plan compensation and $378 thousand of other compensation, after Apple's financial performance declined slightly, and had total compensation of $8.75 million.

The company's Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri received total compensation of $24.14 million in 2017, which was also higher than $22.8 million received last year.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
South Korea's government said it plans to implement special measures to control virtual currency speculation.

The government has repeatedly warned that virtual currencies are not legal tender and its prices can fluctuate drastically causing great losses, the Office for Government Policy Coordination said in a statement on Thursday.

The virtual currency speculation has irrationally overheated in South Korea, the government said, adding that it is not in a position to neglect these unusual speculation.

New measures will require real-name cryptocurrency transactions and plans to ban cryptocurrency exchanges deemed necessary, a measure proposed by the Ministry of Justice.

Singapore's central bank last week advised the public to act with extreme caution and understand the significant risks they take on if they choose to invest in cryptocurrencies.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore cautioned investors that there is no regulatory safeguard for investments in cryptocurrencies.

After Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by value, suffered a major sell-off on December 22 that saw the digital currency fall below $11,000, governments, stock market regulators and central banks across the world repeated their warnings and some even initiated crackdown measures.

In Israel, the stock market watchdog has sought a ban on companies trading in cryptocurrencies from listing on the Tel Aviv stock exchange. The Israel Securities Authority also wants a suspension of such firms currently operating on the stock exchange.

Meanwhile, the Israeli media reported over the last weekend that the central bank was planning to launch a cryptocurrency, which was dubbed the digital shekel, to make payments faster and to reduce the use of cash.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
(Agencia CMA Latam) - The government of Argentina wants to cut the amount of central bank financing to the country's Treasury. said the monetary authority governor, Federico Sturzenegger, during a press conference.

Central bank financing to the government in 2018 should reach 140 billion pesos - US$ 7.5 billion, or 1.1% of the country's GDP) - decreasing to 70 billion pesos in 2019 - US$ 3.7 billion, or 0.5% of the Argentinean GDP.

Argentina's Finance minister, Luis Caputo, added that in 2018 the financing needs of the country would reach US$ 30 billion and decrease to US$ 26 million in 2019.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Report: Saudi conducts over 45 airstrikes, kill 6 civilians in 24 hours





SANAA, Dec 28 (Saba)  The US-baked Saudi aggression coalition warplanes launched over 45 air strikes over the past 24 hours, killing at least six Yemeni civilians, including a woman, and wounding a person when targeting several Yamani cities, officials and medics told Saba on Thursday.



In the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, five civilians, from Yusif Saeed Rami family, were killed when the aggressions warplane waged an strike on their house in Jahrofah area of Tahita district.

Also in Hodeidah province, the Saudi aggression airstrike targeted a civilians car in Jurahi district, and another one on Khokha junction road of Hais district, leaving heavy damage to public and private properties.



In northern province of Jawf, an old woman was shot dead by a Saudi aggression mercenary sniper in Almutoon district, as the aggression warplanes also waged five airstrikes at the same district.



In the southern province of Dhalee, a civilian was injured in an aggression airstrike on farms water pump in Damt district.



In the province of Hajjah, some 127 km northwest of the capital Sanaa, the fighter jets waged ten strikes on Medi and Haradh districts, and another one on Mahabisha triangle.

In Sanaa province, the aggression fighter jets carried out nine strikes on several area of Nehm district.



In the northern province of Saada, the warplanes launched three strikes on Shaeer valley in Baqem district and other six on Boqa and Sawh areas of Ketaf district.



Meanwhile, the Saudi aggression missile and artillery forces shelled several areas of Razeh border district, also in Saada.



In the border province of Najran, the enemy air force carried out two raids on Al-Shorfa site.



In border province of Jizan, an airstrike was waged on Qiwa village and three on Qaim AL-Siyabah area, while Apaches launched more than 198 rockets on Huraira and Romdhah area.



In central province of Marib, about 173 km to the northeast of Yemen's capital, the US-Saudi-paid aggression mercenaries fired artillery shells at civilians farms in Hurib Al-qramish district.





Writing by Sameer H.; Editing by Zak

saba

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[28/December/2017]
The children patients of the Pediatric Ward at Motootua Hospital got to feel the Spirit of Christmas when Digicel staff brought Santa to visit and gave out lovingly wrapped presents for each child.

In doing so last week, Digicel continued its proud Christmas tradition where each staff donates presents to give to the children at the Motootua Hospital.

Digicel Samoa C.E.O, Farid Mohammed explained that it was one way to help them enjoy their stay in the ward during the festive season.

The joy in it for us is the thought of how you can make the Christmas spirit rise for yourself and how you can make it rise for someone else. When you feel joy that deeply and you recognize that somebody cared enough about you and showed you love, you will never forget that, said Mr. Mohammed.

It was a visit appreciated not only by the children and their parents but it was also a grateful experience for the doctors and nurses at the ward.

About 20 Digicel Samoa staff paraded through the hospital aisles dressed in Santa hats and happily distributed gifts to every child including their younger brothers and sisters who were also present.
As 2017 draws to an end, perhaps now is the time for our leaders to make a serious and a more meaningful decision to eliminate this rot called corruption from our nation.

We know this is not going to happen overnight. Its going to take a while but for the sake of the future and the young generations of Samoa, leaders of today owe it to them to get started sooner rather than later.

Indeed, there is no time to waste. We agree that the issue is not new and it has been raised time and time again.

But the need for action becomes more and more apparent each time.

If there is a more pressing issue thats holding this country back from progressing to where it should be, it is corruption. There is corruption in the public service, corruption in the church, villages and corruption in most places where money, power, positions and promises of riches are involved.

Some people casually joke that corruption is way of Samoa today. Its a hard thing to accept but when people deliberately turn a blind eye on the smallest acts of wrong doing pretending that it is normal, thats when we really have to worry.

But can we blame them? Are they not merely following the examples they see and are being set before them?

We live in a country where big fishes get away with so much wrong doing all the time while your ordinary people are thrown to jail for the theft of $20 and toothpaste. Which is the travesty of justice in Samoa today.

This is why as a community we cannot continue to pretend that this is normal. This is not normal. Abuse of power, corrupt practices in the public service and churches and everywhere else needs to be stopped.

We say this because its undeniable that the impact of corruption is there for all to see. It has enslaved so many of our people today so that all they see is suffering, hardship and shameful poverty up ahead.

Many of them are yearning for the basics of life.

We are talking about a clean supply of water, electricity, affordable health care, decent education, jobs, clothes food and so much more.

But because funds that should have been allocated for those needs have been misused, abused and in some cases used as a result of collusion to defraud the public, the mess is hard to accept.

The irony is that perpetrators and the people who benefit from the fruits of corruption live as if they are invincible. They are protected by scaremongering laws designed to allow them to continue to enjoy their pathetic lives. They carry on like its normal because corruption has become so entrenched in the system that it feels like it has been legistimised. They do not care at all about the suffering of people whose lives have been ruined and affected by their actions. They drive around in their pimped up cars  some funded by the poor taxpayers  live in their flash houses, travel from one luxurious destination to the another on the sweat of the poor taxpayers. This is the irony of Samoa today.

We accept that corruption is not confined to Samoa. It happens everywhere around the world. But we get the feeling that our leaders do not care and perhaps are doing everything to avoid addressing it.

This is why we need to be talking about this. This is why we are reminding them today, as we countdown to the new year in 2018.

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. We cannot allow corruption to reign and expect the end to be a happy one for everyone. Things need to change.

Perhaps a good start would be to revisit the call made by former Member of Parliament, Afualo Dr. Wood Salele, a few years ago about an Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

Afualo said instances of alleged corruption identified by the Controller and Auditor General and backed up by the Officers of Parliament Committee give more than sufficient reasons for the establishment of such a body.

No one, and I repeat no one, is above the law, Afualo said.

If we break the law we will make sure that justice will be served. But that cannot be fulfilled unless we have the Anti Corruption Tribunal.

Afualo reminded that the country has been suffering as a result of the governments inability to address issues of corruption and abuse of power over the years.

Nothing has been done (about the O.P.C report), Afualo pointed out at the time.

Our belief is that Samoa has been independent for more than 50 years and it is about time we have a tribunal to answer to the public and how their funds are being used.

We couldnt agree more.

What do you think?

Have a wonderful Friday Samoa, God bless!
Dear Editor

Re: Father cautions against rising number of Asian businesses

Samoans should concentrate on business and services related to tourists, export, and aspects of Samoan culture, food and customs, which foreign-born immigrants do not yet understand.

Any immigrant can open a store to sell imported goods but only a Samoan can make good koko alaisa or palusami, explain the meaning behind a pea or weave a fine mat!

Collin Law
The Land Transport Authority (L.T.A.) has promised that it will make fixing a dangerous piece of road at Apaula Heights in Lalovaea a priority.

The promise comes from L.T.A.s Chief Executive Officer, Leasi Ioane Galuvao, in response to questions from the Samoa Observer about why the road has not been fixed despite many members of the public complaining about.

This week, the Samoa Observer received a number of calls from angry motorists living in the area. They expressed disappointment about the lack of action by the government in fixing the road, which they say is a major threat to lives.

Leasi confirmed their office has received the complaints.

However as you can see from the photos, there is quite a steep hillside on the left where a land slide has taken out most of the road shoulder and pavement, he said.

Fixing it will require some time, he added.

The work is not straight forward. It requires proper engineering investigation and designs.

Once the designs have been checked and approved, the works will then be tendered out for construction.

Tenders are then evaluated and assessed and a recommendation is submitted for approval from the Governments Tenders Board.

Once this approval is received, we inform the winning bidder and the works then commence.

If the works include any materials which need to be ordered from overseas (which is the case in these works  gabion baskets are required for these works and have to be ordered from overseas), adequate time is given for these orders to arrive.

That is the process (in simple terms) for these works and as you can appreciate it takes some time for the process to get from initial investigation and design to construction stage.

But I am happy to inform that tenders board approval have been obtained and we should be commencing construction sometime soon in January 2018.

Leasi explained there other factors. This includes negotiations with families whose land is affected.

The works will be using gabion baskets to rebuild the hillside and the base of this gabion basket wall will actually be well within the boundary of the family.

I can understand the peoples perception that nothing has been done however as I have explained, there is a process for these works and it takes time.

We therefore ask and thank the public for their patience as well as their cooperation during construction as the whole road will be closed off during construction.

The upper side will however be opened for use.
The Managing Director of Samoa Water Authority (S.W.A.), Seugamaali'i Jammie Saena has dismissed reports that government-funded water provided for the residents of Asau is contaminated.

The Director was responding to questions raised with her after some Asau residents contacted the Samoa Observer to express their concerns about the water they are receiving.

They claimed that the water was not clean and that it was contaminated. They went on to say that instead of S.W.A. fixing the problem, they were given a 30 per cent concession by the Authority.

The concerned residents asked for their names to be withheld because they feared repercussions from the government and the village.

Contacted for a comment yesterday, Seugamaali'i said the concerns are not true. She said contaminated water occurs only when the water is infected with e-coli bacteria, which comes from leaked septics or human waste.

That is not the case in Asau, she said. We have conducted testing and the water is not contaminated in Asau.

The Asau water supply has improved and come next month, Asau residents will be charged in accordance with normal water rates.

The Managing Director added that the Asau borehole supplies the area which feeds Asau residents.

Asau supply has now improved so we will start charging normal come next year, said the Director.

She explained Auala, Papa, Sataua, Vaisala, Fagasa and Asau residents are the ones getting the 30 per cent concession due to high salinity levels.

Salinity is the measure of all the salt dissolved in water.

Regarding Satauas borehole supply, Seugamaali'i explains that this borehole feeds Sataua, Papa, Fagasa and Vaisala.

She explained that Satauas borehole supply caters to four villages and when the residents use the water all at once, they encounter an issue of over pumping.

In this specific area it hardly rains and so the usage of water is faster and there is not enough rain to replenish the water supply and thats when the salinity issue occurs.

The salinity issue or sea water is pumped together with the drinking water and that is why the water taste different, she explained.

The S.W.A. is currently working on a solution.

Remedial works underway for Sataua supply includes renewed pipelines which has already started and re-drilling of a new borehole at a site further inland.

The estimated costs are around $2million and that should improve salinity problem.

The $2million comes from the allocated funds from E.U. of $8million tala specifically for water supply developments for the whole of Samoa.

The rest of the $6million is to help with the rest of the country that has no water.

Currently S.W.A. is working on new water systems for villages like Sapulu Faleasiu, Lepale, Fasitoo Uta, Saleaumua, Afiamalu Seesee Uta who does not have water supplies.

We have also received request from Maagiagi residents for meter water, explained Seugamaali'i.

Regarding Auala, Seugamaali'I says there is no other location further inland due to re-drill due to geological issues.

However we have renewed all pipelines to decrease leakage and gotten rid of illegal connections and metered the supply to control usage.

She further explained that Auala residents they cant lower the salinity issue.

We will have to turn off the pump and pray for rain to recharge the underground aquifer and start carting water to tanks.

However the Auala village have asked us not to turn off the pumps, so they can continue using their water supply despite the salinity issue.

So we have to weigh out the needs and wants of the village of Auala.
A family is much like a tree.

While the branches grow apart, the roots remain the same and it becomes stronger.

That is what the Gatoloai family believes as they are reuniting in Samoa for the first time this year after years of branching out around the world.

The family reunion, held at Aai O Niue, is guided by the theme Family are Forever with an aim to strengthen current and create new bonds with one another.

The children of the late Aiolupotea Liamanaia Gatoloai and Faoa Falasii-Pasi Gatoloai are gathering for a week full of activities and fun.

According to the family spokesperson, Priscilla Lavea Gatoloai, an important part of any family is to remember their roots and where they came from. She says this is their first family reunion.

The main purpose for our family reunion is to bring families together, she said. We all left at a certain age and we all grew outwards, but this family reunion brings everyone back to their roots.

So yeah, thats the purpose of this family reunion, to know where we come from and to appreciate who came before us and the sacrifices they had made to bring us here.

This is the first Liamanaia and Faoa Gatoloai family reunion for their immediate children and their families. Its the beginning of many great things to come and we are very excited about that.

Priscilla also expressed how this family reunion worked well to strengthen family and church values they shared.

The theme for our reunion is that family are forever as it is written on our t-shirts, she said. As members of the Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, we believe that families can be together forever. This is a way for us to remind ourselves not only about our gospel values that will enable us, but also our family values that work well with each other to support that vision that families are forever.

According to Priscilla, the family put together various activities all focused around family health, unity and togetherness.

Learning family history was also an important part of the reunion.

This is actually the closing day of our family reunion. We started last Friday. We had activities involving family history which we feel is very important, knowing where we come from and knowing how far weve come from our grandparents.

We also had a lot of family bonding activities such as exercising and promoting health, unity and togetherness. I feel the greatest activity that has been happening is seeing the children who were separated at such a young age and moved over to other countries coming together and just connecting like no other.

Also seeing the younger generation connect on another level the way their parents are as siblings. Other than that, there has been a lot going on in the name of bonding.

Asked about the highlights of the family reunion, Priscilla explained that feeling the presence of their grandparents as they paid homage to them was significant to each of the family members.

I feel one highlight would be this morning, she said.

Being able to pay homage to our grandparents and to feel their presence as we stood over their graves and shared testimonies of the values they have instilled and passed onto us and hopefully we will be able to pass onto our children.

That has been the most beautiful part of this reunion, feeling their presence. Although they may not be with us physically but we can see a little bit of them in everyone here.

We look forward to future family reunions because as I mentioned, this is the first one.
A man, who was found unconscious in a pool of blood, is fighting for his life at the hospital from severe injuries to his head.

The Police has launched an investigation to find who was responsible for the attack.

This was confirmed by Police Superintendent and Media Spokesperson, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo, in response to questions from the Samoa Observer.

The young man is at the Intensive Care Unit of the Tupua Tamasese Meaole hospital in Motootua.

Preliminary reports indicate that a machete was involved, he said.

As of now (yesterday morning) the man is undergoing emergency surgery.

The matter was reported to us around 4am.

We are now looking for the suspect(s).

An elderly man who lives nearby the area told the Samoa Observer the man is from Motootua and was found unconscious in the parking lot.

Who could do such a thing, beat up another person and leave them to die? he said.

The injuries were severe and we pray that this man will make it. He is in a pretty bad shape.

Another woman in the area told the Samoa Observer that she was surprised to wake up and found Police Officers in the area.

They roped off where the victim was found and we were asked to answer some questions but we were not aware of anything going on, she said.
A familys home at Lalomalava, Savaii, has been totally destroyed by fire.

A video of the fire taken by Daisy Grace Lafaele today and shared with the Samoa Observer shows the flames engulfing the familys home.

The burning building is not far from nearby homes.

An attempt has been made to get an official comment from the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority.
If you were the Commissioner of Prisons, what would you do to keep the prisoners securely locked in and the public safe from these ongoing prison breakouts? Nefertiti Matatia, found a very angry and vengeful public when she asked this question.

Faafoi Ale 50, Tafitoala

In my opinion the first thing that needs to be done is to erect a proper fence around Tafaigata for the reason that just by looking at how poor the fence is, they can easily climb over. There are no proper high gates where they would find it difficult to leave the compound. Not only that, but over the years some police officers have been associated with some of the prisoners by helping them get out and do their dirty work for them, which is why some of those police officers were terminated back then. Cases like that we should always have in our minds We might never know if the some of the police are helping them escape once again due to the results which we have seen with the same prisoner who continues to break out.

See Faaifo 50, Faleasiu

I believe that with any prisoner we must always be cautious with the skills and the thoughts that they have in mind. They did not commit a crime by mistake or a coincidence. There is always a deliberate cause or a thought in mind which indicates destruction that led them down that path which is why I think it is best to lock up any prisoner for good. Never release them out on the holidays for the reason that I just place myself in the shoes of the victims that they have hurt. The person that they have ruined is not only a mother she is also a sister and a spouse of another man. They would feel a certain way which they would definitely not run into that person again anywhere on the face of this earth. Seeing them again doesnt only bring back the memories of the past but also the pain they went through.

Vito Filisi 37, Laulii

We should without any doubt take it back to how Samoa was in the olden days. This is what I think we should do. Back in the days before the missionaries arrived and Jesus never existed within the hearts of the people, there was one village that would punish people by hitting their ankles. We should start doing that to the prisoners. They should get chained up at all times when they are out in the field working the land. Make sure that they are fully cuffed and that they will not be able to wonder off too far which will lead them to run away. The biggest question that we must ask ourselves is WHO IS NEXT? Who knows it could one of your relatives or your daughter or your wife> These are things we must always be mindful about.

Samuelu Toleafoa 47, Vaitele

In this life of sin, there is good but there is also evil. With our love for Christ and His word which is written in the gospel I feel that it is the time for us to change things. I feel that we are taking His grace for granted and all that He has done we forget the value of His love for us. I will be very honest and I would recommend that we should open up a new level of punishment such as death. Doing it more than once is not a mistake, it is deliberate Not only are we losing our people with these fearful experiences by escaped prisoners, but also our tourism. Some people never learn despite how long they get to spend their time in jail. They are released and forgiven by the law but they do it again. So why not put a stop to this nonsense and bring in the death penalty?

Tupuivao Naoupu 67, Faleolo

So often we think that torturing the prisoners to create fear within them, is the way but it usually gets out of control. I think it is pointless beating them up. Teach them a lesson which would prevent them from ever causing another crime again. In my opinion they should be tied up, both hands and feet and drown them in the middle of Savaii and Upolu. Drowning them between Manono and Apolima is too shallow. It is those kinds of life lessons that not only teach them to not mess with the law, but also not to harm other citizens.
Less than a month after Tesla Inc. unveiled a new backup power system in South Australia, the worlds largest lithium-ion battery is already being put to the test.

It appears to be far exceeding expectations. In the last three weeks alone, the Hornsdale Power Reserve has smoothed out at least two major energy outages, responding even more quickly than the coal-fired backups that were supposed to provide emergency power.

Teslas battery last week kicked in just 0.14 seconds after one of Australias biggest plants, the Loy Yang facility in the neighboring state of Victoria, suffered a sudden, unexplained drop in output, according to the International Business Times. The week before that, another failure at Loy Yang prompted the Hornsdale battery to respond in as little as four seconds  or less, according to some estimates  beating other plants to the punch. State officials have called the response time a record, according to local media.

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The effectiveness of Teslas battery is being closely watched in a region that is in the grips of an energy crisis. The price of electricity is soaring in Australia, particularly in the state of South Australia, where a 2016 outage led 1.7 million residents to lose power in a blackout. Storms and heat waves have caused additional outages, and many Australians are bracing for more with the onset of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Hornsdale battery system, which uses the same energy-storage tech found in Teslas electric cars, is one of Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musks newest projects.

In March, Musk, who is known for setting high goals and only sometimes meeting them, vowed on Twitter to deliver a battery system for South Australias struggling grid within 100 days or it would be free. By early July, the state had signed a deal with California-based Tesla and the French-based energy company Neoen to produce the battery. And by Dec. 1, South Australia announced it had switched on the Hornsdale battery.

Fed by wind turbines at the nearby Hornsdale wind farm, the battery stores excess energy that is produced when the demand for electricity isnt peaking. It can power up to 30,000 homes, though only for short periods  meaning that the battery must still be supported by traditional power plants in the event of a long outage.

Nonetheless, the Hornsdale reserve has already shown that it can provide whats known as contingency service  keeping the grid stable in a crisis and easing what otherwise would be a significant power failure.

And, more important, the project is the biggest proof of concept yet that batteries such as Teslas can help mitigate one of renewable energys most persistent problems: how to use it when the sun isnt shining or the wind isnt blowing.

Fung writes for the Washington Post.
New shops on the North County scene:

West Elm, 212 S. Cedros Ave., Unit 101, Solana Beach. Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Call (858) 350-3769. Facebook, www.facebook.com/westelmsolanabeach; Instagram, @westelmsolanabeach.

West Elm has opened a showroom in the Cedros Avenue Design District featuring local products as well as the brands home furnishings and decor. The 11,560-square-foot store is expected to bring about 30 jobs to the district. West Elm will also offer Williams-Sonoma, Inc.s cross-brand design consultation program Design Crew, which pairs customers with experts who can provide design, installation and registry services. Locally made products by 14 makers and artisans based in California will be showcased as part of the West Elm Solana Beach LOCAL assortment, including: Way Way Out There, beach- and surf-themed prints designed by artist and surfer Andy Davis in Solana Beach; Art by JLeighV, inspired colorful tea towels made in Encinitas; Eric Trine, colorful geometric planters handmade using metal in Long Beach; Homegrown Maps, prints and handpainted rustic wood featuring maps of Solana Beach made in Encinitas; Nickel Designs Shop, doormats with playful sayings and colorful designs made in Costa Mesa; Kasia Jewelry, global-inspired, handmade fine jewelry with gems, metals and stones from San Diego.

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West Elm enlisted Solana Beach artist Andy Davis to contribute to the unique design of the new store. Widely recognized as one of the worlds best surf artists, Davis created an original work of art for the back of the new stores cash wrap. Printed on Baltic birch wood, Davis employs his trademark style depicting a surfer riding a wave.

Monroe Boutique, 301 Mission Ave., Suite 101A, Oceanside, (760) 231-5060; https://www.monroeboutiquellc.com. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Monroe Boutique LLC is a family-owned business catering to womens contemporary fashions. Owners Ashley and Travis Christian created the business in July after selling dresses at street fairs and other events in 2016. The Oceanside store opened this winter. Its kind of fun fashion, a little bit of everything, said Ashley, from formal to casual, soft sweaters and leggings to cocktail dresses.

RE/MAX Liberty, 805 College Blvd., Suite 103, Oceanside; (760) 385-8211; www.teamanthonyglenn.com.

Retired U.S. Marine Anthony Glenn II has opened the first veteran-owned and operated RE/MAX firm in Oceanside, RE/MAX Liberty. His entire staff is composed of veterans or family members of service members. After serving 20 years in the Marine Corps, being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, Glenn served as a drill instructor at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego before retiring at Camp Pendleton. He and his team decided to focus on educating veterans on the homebuying process and established the nonprofit Veteran Homeowners Club Inc. This organization helps veterans stay connected through serving their community. Since then, Glenn and his team have contributed through various community service events.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
Early on in his career, comedian Alec Mapa declared himself to be Americas Gaysian Sweetheart.

Wearing a suit jacket and his signature shorts, he made self-deprecating jokes about being a diminutive, gay Filipino with standup routines that included outdancing Beyonce in Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) and sharing that, as a child, his entire battalion of GI Joe dolls never went to war.

Today the sweetheart title feels apropos.

The idea that America would embrace a gay Asian person to its bosom was such an outlandish concept, said Mapa, who performs Wednesday, Sept. 2, and Thursday Sept. 3, at Martinis Above Fourth in Hillcrest.

An Evening with Alec Mapa When: 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 2-3) Where: Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest Tickets: $25-$35 reserved seating; $15 per person food/drink minimum Phone: (619) 400-4500 Online: martinisabovefourth.com

But my audience has grown with me and ironically it turned out to be true, so Im sticking with it.

One of the reasons for Mapas mushrooming popularity is his fundraising efforts. In 2005, he won a GLAAD Award for promoting equal rights for the LGBT community and more recently he has supported RaiseAChild and The Human Rights Campaign.

Mapa describes himself as a political person and activist who grew up in San Francisco and came of age during the AIDS crisis. He cites Lily Tomlins comic portrayal of feminist issues as an inspiration.

There is a black hole of earnestness you can fall into if you are really passionate about something and Lily Tomlin never did that, Mapa said.



If you want to drive a political point across, it better be funny. A laugh is a physical, visceral thing that means: I identify.

Besides standup, Mapa has appeared in films such as Marley & Me and You Dont Mess with the Zohan with his fellow New York University alum Adam Sandler.

Mapa also has had recurring roles in more than 40 television shows, including Ugly Betty (ABC), Switched at Birth (ABC Family) and Devious Maids (Lifetime).

Filipino family life and growing up gay are included in the Whitmans Sampler of stories Mapa will bring to San Diego.

In kindergarten, Mapa said, he realized he was gay because he was the only kid who cared about picture day and chose a V-neck sweater to de-emphasize the roundness of his face.

In 2008, Mapa married film producer Jamison Hebert and five years ago, the couple adopted Zion, an African American child.

Adoption wasnt that difficult for us because there are so many kids and a shortage of foster adoptive parents, Mapa said.

We wanted an older kid and my husband and I did not specify a race. We are really lucky because when our kid showed up, he was our kid. He needed parents and we needed to be parents so it was a perfect match.

In his Showtime special Baby Daddy, a dramedy released in June and available at alecmapa.com, Mapa tells the story of adopting his son and describes the challenges of parenting.

He is a straight boy, a total jock, who has the humor and wit of an evil queen, Mapa bemoaned. When you get hit with your own darts, its hard to be mad.

On stage, Mapa tells his audience that his perspective comes from a deep well spring of pain.

The reason Im here is because Im a bottomless pit of need, aching to be loved, Mapa said.

Thats showbiz, kid.
The Marine Corps has honored seven firefighters and paramedics for their role in saving the life of Leeanne Ericson, the Vista woman who nearly died after being mauled by a shark at San Onofre State Beach on April 29.

During a special Dec. 19 ceremony, Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Killea, the commander of Marine Corps Installations-West, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, presented lifesaving awards to Fire and Emergency Services Chief Jeff Moore, 40, of Lake Elsinore; Capt. David Lewis, 42, of Temecula; Lt. Tom Klein, 41, of San Diego; firefighters Justin Myers, 34, of Santa Ana, and Lou Santos, 45, of Simi Valley; and firefighters/paramedics Steve Chavez, 35, Brea; and Chris Braun, 38, of Menifee, for the rapid treatment and transportation of the the woman who lost parts of her leg and buttocks to a Great White shark attack.

Witnesses described watching the single mother of three yanked under the water around 6:30 p.m. on April 29. Her surfer boyfriend dove in to pull her to shore on his board, aided by several swimmers.

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Ericson, 36, received emergency care at the sliver of beach thats part of Camp Pendleton and then was flown by helicopter to Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, for a series of surgeries to save her life.

A video released by the Marines after the ceremony detailed how Camp Pendleton rescuers used a makeshift tourniquet from the surfboard leash to prevent more blood from gushing from her mangled right leg, adding that Ericson was walking again.

She spent three months in the hospital receiving care for extensive soft tissue and sciatic nerve damage, trauma surgeon Dr. Gail Tominaga said during a June press conference.

An online fundraising campaign started by relatives to defray Ericsons medical bills has tallied more than $129,000 in pledges.

While shark attacks remain rare, six of the dozen recorded in San Diego County since 2004 were at San Onofre, according to the nonprofit Shark Research Committee. Experts have pointed to the areas sea mammals, stingrays, halibut and other shark prey as key reasons for so many sharks venturing near shore.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
A La Jolla couple has pleaded not guilty to 10 misdemeanor charges, accused of allowing dangerous conditions  including mold, rodents and roaches  in a City Heights apartment complex they own.

San Diego city prosecutors filed the case against John and Mahin Nobel, ages 78 and 70 respectively, earlier this year. The couple was arraigned last month.

The case centers on the living conditions endured by seven Congolese refugee families with young children who lived in a 37-year-old complex on Rex Avenue, in the vicinity of University Avenue and 54th Street.

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The families had been placed in the apartments in summer 2016 by Catholic Charities of San Diego.

Earlier this year, following complaints, an inspector with San Diegos code enforcement division found pest infestations and mold, inadequate heating and sanitation, and improper electrical connections at the apartments, according to documents provided by the City Attorneys office.

The inspector also found that two-bedroom units had been illegally converted into three- and four-bedroom units. In the common areas inside the complex, the inspector found graffiti, human waste and accumulated junk, according to the documents.

In a statement announcing the criminal case last week, City Attorney Mara W. Elliott said her office will prosecute slumlords who refuse to comply with the law and exploit vulnerable people to maximize their personal gain.

Richard Katzman, the attorney representing John Nobel in the criminal case, said last week that he was still researching the matter. Mahin Nobels attorney did not immediately respond to an interview request.

Aside from the criminal case, an administrative law judge earlier this month found the Rex Avenue property to be substandard and a public nuisance. That judge ordered the couple to pay upwards of $51,000. That includes more than $34,000 the city spent to relocate the seven families.

James Finigan, the attorney who represented the couple in the administrative case, said his clients flatly refute the accusations and charges brought against them. He also said he was unable to put on an adequate defense of his clients at the hearing because the criminal case  based on the same set of facts  was pending.

Finigan said his clients will appeal the administrative finding. He also said use of the word slumlord in the matter was ridiculous.

No one can live at the now-vacant Rex Avenue property until the city certifies that fixes have been made.

This is not the first criminal case the couple has faced. In 2014, they faced a litany of misdemeanor violations for conditions at Motel San Diego on Mission Bay Drive. In that case, they pleaded guilty to two counts  maintaining a mobile home on the site as a dwelling, and excessive outdoor storage.

Prosecutors dismissed remaining 11 counts, including charges of installing a plumbing system and filling in the pool, both alleged to have been done without a permit.

That same year, John Nobel was fined $250,000 for renting storefront property to illegal medical marijuana dispensaries in San Diego.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
IPhone owners from several states have filed at least nine class-action lawsuits against Apple Inc. for not disclosing sooner that its software updates deliberately slowed down older-model phones so batteries would last longer.

The lawsuits  filed in U.S. district courts in California, New York and Illinois  allege that Apples silence led the iPhone owners to wrongly conclude that they had to buy newer, pricier iPhones instead of simply replacing the battery.

Three of the lawsuits were filed by Los Angeles-area residents. One accuses Apple of fraud through concealment and unfair business practices. Another accuses Apple of breaching an implied contract  that is, it argues that when people buy iPhones, they do so with the assumption that Apple wont purposefully interfere with the phones usage or value. The lawsuit says Apple did not get iPhone owners consent before meddling with the phones speed. The third alleges a slew of misdeeds, including fraud, false advertising and unjust enrichment.

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And in Israel, iPhone owners filed a class-action suit against Apple on Monday, accusing the company of a breach of duty toward customers by failing to disclose that software updates would slow the performance of older phones, local news outlets reported.

The lawsuits came after Apple confirmed last week what high-tech sleuths outside the company had already observed: The company deployed software to slow some phones. Apple said the software was intended as a fix to deal with degraded lithium-ion batteries that could otherwise suddenly die.

Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices, Apple said in a statement. The Cupertino, Calif., company said it released the fix for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE and later extended it to iPhone 7.

Apple did not respond to a message Wednesday seeking additional comment.

The Illinois lawsuit suggests Apples motive may have been sinister, though it offers no evidence in the filing.

Apples decision to purposefully ... throttle down these devices, it says, was undertaken to fraudulently induce consumers to purchase the latest iPhone.

Kirk Pedelty, a North Carolina resident who is a plaintiff in the Illinois lawsuit, contacted Apple as his frustration grew. However, the lawsuit says: Nobody from Apple customer support suggested that he replace his battery to improve the performance of his iPhone. ... Frustrated by slowdowns and intermittent shutdowns of his iPhone 7, Pedelty purchased an iPhone 8.

James Vlahakis, an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the Illinois lawsuit, said he has been contacted by more iPhone users who say they suffered the same problem and is considering amending the lawsuit to include a request for Apple to provide battery replacements or offer refunds to consumers who bought devices unnecessarily.

A lot of people are upset, because phones arent cheap, Vlahakis said. He said he thinks Apple should have disclosed that a software update could affect the phones performance so consumers would have known replacing the battery was a possible solution.

We think they could have extended the phones life if [Apple] had been more honest, he said.

Attorneys representing Los Angeles residents Stefan Bogdanovich and Dakota Speas said Apple, as a global tech giant, should have been savvy enough to alert customers about their phones diminished performance.

We bought Apples smartphones in part because they were able to run applications quickly, Bogdanovich and Speas said in a joint statement. That is part of what we bargained for. When Apple admitted to this secret practice, it was clear we needed to take legal action.

Karl Manheim, a professor of law at Loyola Law School, said the lawsuits could have merit under state consumer protection or unfair business practice laws.

This could be like the modern version of planned obsolescence, Manheim said.

News of the throttling has led to surging interest in battery replacements, said Kyle Wiens, co-founder and chief executive of iFixit, a seller of repair parts and publisher of repair guides. Three times as many customers have inquired about iPhone 7 battery replacements, he said.

Weve been flat out busy since Apples admission, Wiens said. Replacing batteries in phones is like replacing tires. The difference is car manufacturers say you should be replacing your tires.

The Associated Press was used in compiling this report. Chicago Tribune staff writer Lauren Zumbach contributed to this report.

tracey.lien@latimes.com

Twitter: @traceylien

UPDATES:

3:45 p.m.: This article was updated to include comment from Karl Manheim, a professor of law at Loyola Law School, and Kyle Wiens, co-founder and chief executive of iFixit.

1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from plaintiffs Stefan Bogdanovich and Dakota Speas.

This article was originally published at 11 a.m.
Doug Jones on Thursday became the first Democrat in 25 years to be confirmed as the winner of a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, just hours after his opponent, controversial Republican Roy Moore, filed a lawsuit urging officials to delay certification because of systematic election fraud.

The three Republicans who make up Alabamas canvassing board  Gov. Kay Ivey, Atty. Gen. Steve Marshall and Secretary of State John Merrill  certified Jones as the victor of the closely watched Dec. 12 special election.

I am looking forward to going to work for the people of Alabama in the new year, Jones said in a statement. As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation. I will be an independent voice and work to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get Washington back on track and fight to make our country a better place for all.

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Official totals indicated Jones won by 21,924 votes, his margin of victory up to 1.6 percentage points from the previous unofficial total of 1.5 points.

Late Wednesday night, attorneys for Moore and his campaign filed an election complaint in the Circuit Court of Montgomery, Ala., to postpone Jones certification until officials had conducted a thorough investigation of potential election fraud that improperly altered the outcome of this election.

But an Alabama circuit judge on Thursday rejected Moores request to halt the certification, arguing the court did not have jurisdiction. Meanwhile, officials from the secretary of states office dismissed accounts of voter fraud provided by Moores attorneys.

There have not been any issues at this time that have been reported and determined to be verified as fraud, said John Bennett, Merrills deputy chief of staff.

Still, Moore, 70, the defiant former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, refused to concede.

Ive had to fight not only the Democrats but also the Republican Senate Leadership Fund and over $50 million in opposition spending from the Washington establishment, he said in a statement after Republican state leaders certified Jones win. I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama

I have no regrets, he added. To God be the glory.

In the 80-page complaint filed in state court, Moores attorneys asked that state officials be ordered to preserve election-related documents and data, block the certification, and direct state officials to set a new special election.

On Thursday, an attorney for Jones filed a motion to dismiss Moores complaint on the grounds that there is a lack of subject matter jurisdiction; [the complaint] fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; and/or [it] has no basis in the law.

In a statement, a spokesman for the Jones transition team urged Moore to bow out of the race.

This desperate attempt by Roy Moore to subvert the will of the people will not succeed, Sam Coleman said. The election is over, its time to move on.

In the complaint, Moores attorneys maintain that he will suffer irreparable harm if the election results are certified without preserving and investigating all the evidence of potential fraud. He would be denied his full right as a candidate to a fair election, they argue.

Roy Moore at a campaign rally in Midland City, Ala., on Dec. 11. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press )

Merrill, a Republican, maintains his office has found no evidence of voter fraud. Last week, he issued a statement noting that his office had discounted one widely publicized report of potential voter fraud  a viral video in which a male voter claimed in a local news broadcast that he and others had come all the way from different parts of the country to vote and canvass for Jones.

The Alabama Secretary of States Office was able to identify the young man who was anonymously featured on the news broadcast, Merrill said in a statement. After additional research was conducted, it was determined that this young man has lived and worked in Alabama for more than one year and is currently a registered voter in this state.

Yet Moores campaign states in the complaint that Merrill never conducted a meaningful, in-depth investigation of voter fraud.

They also list a series of election anomalies, claiming there were an unusual number of out-of-state drivers licenses and suggesting that Democrats attempted to intimidate voters, with a Democratic super PAC running fraudulent, false and misleading advertisements against Moore.

The complaint cites statistical analyses by election fraud experts that clearly indicate voter fraud. One expert, Richard Charnin, who argues in an affidavit that the election result is a statistical improbability, has previously claimed to have mathematically proved a plot to assassinate John F. Kennedy.

Another, James Condit Jr., has railed against Zionist control of world politics, media and the Catholic Church, and alleged that Israeli agents played a role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

They also state that high Democratic turnout in some precincts of Jefferson County  Alabamas most populated county and a Democratic stronghold  resulted in an implausible, unexplained 35 percent drop in votes for Moore relative to the vote share of Republican Party straight-line votes.

Though Alabama has long been a solid Republican state, many moderate Republicans are wary of Moore, who has said homosexuality should be outlawed and Muslims should be barred from Congress. He was twice ousted from his position as chief justice for violating court orders  in 2003, for insisting on placing a biblically inspired monument in the state judicial building, and in 2016, for refusing to recognize same-sex marriage after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

After defeating Republican incumbent Sen. Luther Strange in the primary, Moores campaign faltered after multiple women stepped forward to accuse him of pursuing them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens.

Rick Hasen, a law and political science professor at UC Irvine who specializes in election law, said Moores complaint had little legal merit. Under Alabama law, he said, a candidate for a federal office is entitled to contest an election only if the results are close enough to fall under the provisions of an automatic recount  less than a 0.5% difference between the candidates.

While Moore could file a complaint with the U.S. Senate or file a federal lawsuit, Hasen said, this too seemed quite a stretch without any serious claims of irregularities that would come close to a 0.5% margin of victory.

I dont think theres anything to it, Hasen said, noting the few specific cases of alleged fraud Moore pointed to had been investigated and found to be lacking in substance. It really seems to be a lot of smoke and no fire.

Just a few days after the election, Moore wrote an email to supporters, declaring this battle is NOT OVER! and urging them to donate to an election integrity fund.

In a post-election video statement posted two weeks ago, Moore claimed immorality sweeps our land, and he railed against abortion and same-sex marriage.

We are indeed in a struggle to preserve our republic, our civilization, and our religion and to set free a suffering humanity, he said. Today, we no longer recognize the universal truth that God is the author of our life and liberty. Abortion, sodomy and materialism have taken the place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Jarvie is a special correspondent.

UPDATES:

3:15 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Roy Moore and other details.

11:43 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Doug Jones and other details.

11:15 a.m.: This article was updated with the certification of the election.

9:30 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting.

This article was originally published at 4:35 a.m.
A judge has placed a temporary gag order on women who have sued influential labor leader Mickey Kasparian, preventing them from sharing some information about their cases with the public.

At a hearing Wednesday morning, San Diego Superior Court Judge Ronald Styn ordered the three plaintiffs and their lawyers to stop giving third parties, including the media, transcripts of sworn testimonies given outside of the courtroom. Court records show that the terms of the order were discussed during Wednesdays hearing, but a transcript was not immediately available. Manuel Corrales, a lawyer representing the women, described the nature of the order.

Corrales said Kasparian and his attorneys are trying to step on his clients free speech rights.

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That seems to be their modus operandi, to gag everybody, Corrales said over the phone.

A long-term order will be considered on Feb. 2. Corrales said hell argue against it by detailing how Kasparian, head of both the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135 and the San Diego Working Families Council, has spoken with the media, his unions thousands of members, and other parties about his case.

Kasparian did not respond to a request for comment, but his lawyers said in a legal filing that the transcripts contain untrue allegations, and that sharing them with third parties hurts Kasparians and Local 135s reputations and their right to a fair trial.

The allegations are an attack on Mr. Kasparians character and morality intended to taint the general communitys view of him, Kasparians lawyer wrote in the filing. The dissemination of such allegations is an unwarranted annoyance, embarrassment and oppression of Defendants and violates, or is at least an attempt to violate both Defendants rights to a fair jury trial and Defendant Kasparians right to privacy as well.

Corrales said the judges order will not have any real impact because the transcripts can still be included in court filings that are available for public inspection.

I got around it. And if its filed with the report, its included and thats fair game, he said. They really didnt accomplish anything.

A limited number of third parties, including law enforcement officers and other attorneys involved in the case, can also have unfettered access to the transcripts, Corrales said.

The documents the women and their lawyers are now prohibited from sharing, formally called depositions, are given under penalty of perjury during the discovery phase of the lawsuit and often include discussions about the allegations against Kasparian.

Recorded and transcribed by a court reporter, lawyers from both sides question and cross-examine defendants, plaintiffs and witnesses. The details in the depositions range from ordinary biographical details to serious allegations.

In one instance, Melody Godinez said that Kasparian pinned her onto his offices sofa and groped her on several separate occasions. Kasparian denies all the allegations.

I felt like I was being raped, Godinez said in a deposition.

Vasquez, a 15-year employee at Local 135 until she retired, also sued Kasparian and alleged that he pressured her into an unwanted sexual relationship during her tenure at union. Kasparian denies any intimate contact with Vasquez, but Vasquez described a distinct mole on the labor leaders penis.

Kasparian, also in a deposition, said Vasquez did not see his penis or moles, but suspected she heard about the markings from her fiance, Terry Hunt, whom he told about the markings because he was concerned they might be cancerous. Hunt, in his own deposition, said Kasparian never mentioned the moles to him.

Another woman, Sandy Naranjo, has also sued Kasparian, alleging that she was fired from Local 135 in retaliation for a stance on a political matter taken by her husbands rival union. Kasparian denies her accusations as well.

Kasparian, an ally of Democrats who support organized labors interests, resigned from his position in the San Diego Democratic Partys Central Committee just after the Union-Tribune reported on Godinezs allegations of sexual assault. Kasparian made no reference to his legal troubles in his resignation letter but rather cited commitments with Local 135.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
San Diego police were investigating at a Skyline-area home where a 5-month-old baby apparently fell into a trash can and was knocked unconscious on Wednesday.

CPR was started before the child was rushed to a hospital. The babys condition was not immediately clear.

Child abuse unit detectives were investigating whether the incident was an accident or result of criminal negligence, Officer Tony Martinez said.

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Someone at the Cardiff Street home called 911 shortly before noon to report the babys injury.

Martinez said the babys 9-year-old brother found the child in a trash can. He had bumped his head and became caught in the trash cans plastic liner.

Martinez said the children were not home alone, but he did not know who else was with them.

Both parents were at the babys side at the hospital later and cooperating with investigators, Martinez said.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
A potentially dangerous situation was averted Wednesday morning when San Diego firefighters evacuated about 100 residents and staff members from the Kearny Mesa senior care home LifeHouse after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected in the building.

Firefighters were dispatched to the building at 2828 Meadow Lark Drive at about 9:40 a.m. after receiving call about of possible gas leak and a person who felt sick, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokeswoman Monica Munoz.

Mike McBride, battalion chief with San Diego Fire-Rescue, told a freelance videographer with OnScene TV that crews with carbon monoxide detectors found high levels of the gas throughout the building and began evacuating the center.

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McBride said evacuations usually are done if detectors find 10 parts per million of carbon monoxide in the air, and one room had 90 ppm.

Some charts about the dangers of the gas show it can be fatal at 400 ppm after three hours of exposure.

McBride said the cause of the gas was determined to be from a crew that had inadvertently put plastic sheets over air condition units and sewer gas exhaust piping while working on the roof, trapping the carbon monoxide inside. The plastic was removed, and doors and windows were opened to clear the air.

Carbon monoxide detectors read zero at about 10:30 a.m. and everybody was allowed back in the building, McBride said.

The staff here did an amazing job, McBride said. Theyre the ones who really did the evacuation and kept all the clientele calm outside. They served coffee and juice, and talking with their patients kept all their anxiety levels down.

The only person evaluated by paramedics was found to be OK and declined to go to the hospital for further examinations, McBride said.

Homeless Playlist  On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
The Union-Tribune profiles a wanted suspect each week in an effort to make our community safer. We partner with Crime Stoppers and local law enforcement to prole known fugitives as well as draw attention to unsolved crimes. This weeks wanted suspect:

Karthik Nerella, 19

Wanted: Nerella is wanted on a felony warrant for transporting and selling marijuana. His criminal history includes other instances of illegally selling marijuana.

Description: Asian, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

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Frequented areas: He is known to frequent San Marcos.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546
Editors note: A Dec. 27, 2017, commentary by former Ashford University student and employee Jermaine Long headlined, Deceptive marketing lawsuit against Ashford should surprise no one has been removed from The San Diego Union-Tribunes website. It had been packaged with an essay by Bridgepoint Education CEO Andrew Clark headlined, Why Ashford University is indispensable to nontraditional students. Subsequent to publication, the U-T learned, and confirmed through university documents with Longs permission, that Longs piece did not disclose pertinent information about his interactions with the school. Disclosure would have influenced readers assessments of his opinions about a lawsuit the California Attorney Generals Office brought against Ashford and its parent company, Bridgepoint. It is our goal to provide commentary with context so readers can fully and fairly weigh all issues. We fell short in this situation and apologize. We will keep trying to meet that standard every day.

UPDATES:

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The initial article was replaced with this editors note on Jan. 24, 2018 at 4:55 p.m.
Kathryn Daniels gave birth to her son on her 18th birthday. A few years later, Kathryn and her husband welcomed their daughter into the world. With a growing family, Kathryn began to think about long-term plans. A key part of those plans was a college degree. I wanted a more financially stable future for my family and myself, and I knew the fastest and most efficient way to do that would be to finish my degree, she said. Kathryns husband is in the U.S. Army, and the family moved around frequently as a result of his military service. Attending college on a traditional campus was not a realistic option.

At Ashford University, Kathryn found the mobility and flexibility she needed to pursue a degree. The faculty at Ashford posts its lessons and study materials online, and the school provides interactive electronic textbooks, an online writing center and free 24/7 tutoring programs for some of its most challenging courses, all effectively enabling students to fit their education into their already busy schedules. This increased flexibility allows students like Kathryn to pursue a degree that would otherwise be impossible at a traditional college.

Related: A note to readers of The San Diego Union-Tribune

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The reality is that traditional schools do not work for nontraditional students. For 18-to-24-year-old students, a campus environment works fine. For parents trying to provide for their families, a campus environment may not be the right alternative.

Going to a campus for a class scheduled during work or family time doesnt work for working parents. Our society thrives when we provide people with choices so individuals can make decisions on what is best for them. Schools like Ashford University are leading the way by providing the ability to choose.

Additionally, the barriers for entry into traditional colleges and universities are increasing exponentially. Admission rates are dropping at schools around the state. By last year, for example, the CSU Long Beach admission rate had dropped from 53 percent to 33 percent over just 10 years.

If applicants are somehow able to earn admission into a school of choice, they then have to address often debilitating tuition and fees. Over the past 20 years, the cost of attending state schools has more than tripled, and these numbers do not yet reflect the increasing costs associated with attending school  housing alone rivals the cost of tuition at most of these schools.

At Ashford University, we are extraordinarily proud of our well-deserved and hard-earned reputation for improving the lives of thousands of students by providing a high-quality education that serves communities and gives families like Kathryns the opportunity to succeed.

In addition to providing students with increased flexibility about where, when and how to study, Ashford is also a more cost-effective way of getting a degree. The average cost of tuition and fees is approximately $11,000 per year for Ashfords students, as opposed to almost $20,000 per year for students enrolled at an in-state four-year institution. Thats a critical difference in savings of $9,000 per year for Ashfords students.

Because of the work we do to tailor education to the needs of each student, thousands of our current enrollees and graduates can attest to the educational value provided by our programs. In our 2015-16 alumni survey results, 89 percent of our graduates said they would recommend Ashford to others.

Of the survey respondents who had previously attended a four-year university, 89 percent said the quality of education at Ashford is the same as or higher than a traditional college. In addition, a recent online petition showing support for veterans attending Ashford University has close to 5,000 signatures. The comments on the petition reflect the thousands of students who have had positive experiences at Ashford and value their degree and our programs.

We are proud of the critical role we play in the lives of our students. In an environment where partisan agendas have led to misinformation, we are excited about the opportunity to show how enhancing educational opportunities, not attacking them, will help those looking to build a better future for their families and communities.

A degree earned from Ashford is critical in students ability to accomplish their goals, and we are extremely gratified in being able to play a part in their journeys.

Clark is CEO of Bridgepoint Education, Ashfords parent company.
Poway is planning to build a pedestrian tunnel beneath State Route 67 that would connect a network of hiking trails in north San Diego County. Tijuana is planning to redevelop a pedestrian border crossing that would make walking into Mexico a safer, shorter and more pleasant experience.

Those projects are deserving of the regions focus  and funding. Meanwhile, Horton Plaza, one of San Diegos most recognizable venues and biggest attractions  a landmark that like Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo and the USS Midway Museum every San Diegan must walk through at least once to officially be a San Diegan  needs an overhaul of its own to make it more walkable. And not just so visitors dont get lost along its labyrinthine walkways.

As a recent column, news story and blog post in The San Diego Union-Tribune all showed, Horton Plaza was a ghost town over the holidays, portending even gloomier Ghosts of Christmas Yet to Come. But the Westfield chains recent sale to Unibail-Rodamco, a French real estate company, for $15.7 billion offers hope that San Diegos signature mall can become something better, something lasting, in an era of online shopping and denser development. San Diego needs the same sort of vision that is on display now in Poway and Tijuana. What would you do? Email ideas to letters@sduniontribune.com, and we will publish yours and ours in the new year.

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Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
A hundred years have passed since President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones-Shafroth Act, granting U.S. citizenship to the inhabitants of Puerto Rico, a Caribbean territory that the United States seized from Spain in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. And its hard to think of a more disgraceful way to mark this centennial than with the Trump administrations passive response to the U.S. commonwealths desperation since being slammed by Hurricane Maria in September.

Thursday marked the 100th day since the storm pounded the island, but unlike similarly hurricane-hammered parts of Texas and Florida, life has never returned to normal for many residents. An astounding half of Puerto Ricos 3.3 million people are still without power, and concerns about the safety of water supplies are only growing because steady power supplies are crucial to water treatment plants. An analysis in The Washington Post last week detailed the health risk from tap water with high rates of bacterial contamination.

In another wrenching story, the Associated Press detailed the hardships facing the town of Morovis in central Puerto Rico, which was just visited by Federal Emergency Management Agency crews this month. In Morovis and hundreds of neighborhoods and towns without power this holiday season, people are alternately despairing, furious, resigned and sometimes in disbelief that the United States remains unable to help restore power to its citizens more than 90 days after a natural disaster, AP reporter Danica Coto wrote. The Army Corps of Engineers expects full power wont be restored until May  eight months after Hurricane Maria hit.

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Yes, there are reasons why FEMA and local recovery efforts have been hampered. Even before the storm hit, much of Puerto Ricos power and water infrastructure was in decrepit shape after decades of poor maintenance stemming from chronic budget problems, and the local communities that have received the least help are often in mountainous areas that are difficult to access. Puerto Ricos government also has been unimpressive. Its credibly accused of both grossly exaggerating its residents access to clean water and of grossly underestimating the number of lives lost by the disaster. A story by The New York Times this month detailed how Maria-related deaths were likely to be at least 15 times greater than the official estimate of 64.

Nevertheless, it is impossible to compare the U.S. response to the ravages of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area and Hurricane Irma across much of Florida to its response to Puerto Ricos storm disaster and not see disparities. There was an urgency to FEMAs actions with the American states that hasnt been on display with the American territory.

Yet on Oct. 19, President Donald Trump  after a White House meeting with Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello  rated his administrations response to Hurricane Maria a 10 out of 10. While Rossello praised the federal response, he also urged Trump to treat us equally. Its not too much to ask.

While Caribbean historian Carrie Gibson and TV host John Oliver have attributed Trumps response to a nativist presidents disdain for the Spanish-speaking Latinos who constitute nearly all of Puerto Ricos population, plenty of Latinos were helped in Texas and Florida. Whatever the reason, the U.S. failure to adequately help suffering Americans in Puerto Rico has been shamefully appalling.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Former cop Mike Woods (Issa, Hunter ready to make us less safe, Dec. 5) speaks of Californias laws on concealed weapons  leave the guns at home, not on the streets. The problem is that the criminals ignore this. As he knows, a cop cannot be everywhere at once to save you.

Therefore, when someone is trying to take your life or that of a loved one, you must depend upon yourself for defense, because in that moment it is unlikely that a cop will be there to help you.

Arizona seems to do just fine with its more liberal policy of issuing concealed weapons permits. Maybe a new sheriff in San Diego County will feel the same?

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Charles Kirohn

Alpine

Five years after Sandy Hook and still no real progress on gun control. The opponents say we need more armed citizens to protect us from the bad guys. The media recently reported that at a mall shooting in Utah, the police had difficulty identifying the shooter because of the many armed citizens.

Consider this hypothetical situation. Three armed citizens, Tom, Dick and Harry, do not know each other. They are at a public event when a shot rings out. Thinking to thwart the bad guy, each draws their weapon. Tom, seeing Dick with a weapon shoots him. Harry seeing Tom shoot Dick, shoots Tom. In the confusion, the bad guy slips out the side door.

When the dust clears, the police determine that the only one shot by the bad guy was his ex. But now they have several dead armed citizens to be processed.

David Hand

Chula Vista

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.

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In 2017, San Diegans were tested in life-altering ways, and San Diegans came through to help.

As the year comes to a close, heres a look at five emotional local stories that surfaced on the site of San Diego company GoFundMe (a partner of The San Diego Union-Tribune) and compelled San Diegans to help each their own through charitable giving.

San Diego man turns his luck around

On April 18, Sergio Juarez found a stray cashiers check for $676 on the ground near a post office in Imperial Beach and returned it to its rightful owner, Yesenia Ortiz-Del Valle. The check was intended to pay for her taxes. Upon seeing it again, Ortiz-Del Vallee learned Juarezs story  he and his family were down on their luck living in a Motel 6.

To return the favor, Ortiz-Del Valle launched a GoFundMe campaign and raised more than $22,000 to help him and his family get back on their feet.

Woman who intervened in attack is helped herself

The GoFundMe site says it all: Iesha Booker is the 34 year old female MTS employee who was at the KFC when El Cajon Police Officer Sioson was attacked. While Officer Sioson was trying to make an arrest, the suspect aggressively assaulted him, knocking him unconscious.

While unconscious, the suspect continued to assault him, causing significant injuries. While everyone else at the KFC stood around shocked, Iesha quickly stepped in, using Officer Siosons police radio to transmit Officer Down at the KFC!

An effort to help her out of her own hardship  she was living in a vehicle while raising seven children  raised $34,000.

Community helps animals displaced by Lilac fire

On Dec. 7, a wildfire broke out in northern San Diego County and over the course of several days it swept across populated areas that burned mobile homes and the San Luis Rey Downs training center. The fire displaced people and animals alike.

But soon after, more than 100 crowdfunding campaigns helped raise more than $630,000 for those affected by the fires in San Diego County, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. One GoFundMe campaign alone had raised more than $12,000 for displaced horses driven out by the fires.

San Diegans come to the support of family of fallen firefighter

Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson became the first firefighter to die in the line of duty while battling the massive Thomas Fire in Ventura County, which subsequently became the largest wildfire in modern state history. Iverson, who lived in San Diego and is survived by his pregnant wife and a 2-year-old daughter, received an outpouring of support from firefighting agencies and residents.

As of Wednesday, San Diegans had raised more than $632,000 in a crowdfunding campaign to help support his family.

San Diegans join to save Rebeccas Coffee Shop

After 25 years in business, the South Park coffee shop known for its homemade scones, live music and strawberry jam, announced it would close this week, the owner told The San Diego Union-Tribune on Tuesday.

Owner Rebecca Zering said the cost of rent for her business nearly doubled and she simply couldnt afford it anymore. In an effort to help Zering, San Diegans banded together to raise money to recover some of the money she spent in legal fees trying to save her business and to help her open in a new location.

That effort had raised more than $16,000 by nightfall on Wednesday.

Do you know of other big ways San Diegans helped one another? Share your story with us.

Have some thoughts to share?

Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.
Over the past few days, homeowners in high-tax states across the country have raced against time to pre-pay their 2018 property taxes and take advantage of federal deductions before the new Republican tax law signed by President Donald Trump takes effect next week on Jan. 1.

At issue are state and local tax deductions, known colloquially as a SALT deduction, that will soon be capped at $10,000. This year there is no limit for such deductions.

The coming change loomed large this week as people stood in long lines to illustrate the lengths homeowners took to take advantage of the disappearing federal tax deduction.

In Delmar, New York, student journalist Barry Wygel posted a photo of easily hundreds of people in Bethlehem trying to prepay their property taxes.

What does all of this mean? Lets break it down:

What does the new law do to state and local tax deductions?

The Wall Street Journal explains this section of the law like this:

The new legislation ... caps at $10,000 the amount of state and local taxes that filers can deduct from their federal tax bill. That means those whose tax bills regularly exceed that amount could benefit by paying more tax in 2017, when the deduction has no limit.

Which states are most affected by the cap on tax deductions?

The tax bill, passed entirely with Republican backing and signed into law by Trump last week, affects mostly higher-tax states that, coincidentally, tend to lean Democrat.

Those include New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Virginia and even Washington state, according to IRS data cited in a Business Insider report.

Will it benefit homeowners to prepay their property taxes?

It depends, according to several reports.

In a statement, the IRS warned that some of those payments could be deducted in some limited circumstances. Heres how The Washington Post explained it:

The IRS said Wednesday that filers could only avoid the cap by paying property taxes that have been assessed in 2017. Many local governments, including most Washington-area jurisdictions, have not completed assessments for upcoming years.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the SALT deductions are left up to local governments to figure out, saying that the new law didnt address the issue. For example, most towns in New Jersey were not encouraging homeowners to prepay their property taxes because it isnt clear whether the IRS would allow them to be accepted early, The Journal reported.

In California, it depends on whether homeowners have already paid their first installment. Larry Stone, the Santa Clara County assessor, told The Mercury News:

Assuming taxpayer has paid the first installment in 2017, the taxpayer may choose to pay the second installment on Dec. 31, 2017, and may claim a deduction for this prepayment on the taxpayers 2017 return.  you cant pay any of your 2018 property taxes in California right now because you cant pay a tax that hasnt yet been levied.

Are people lining up in droves to prepay their taxes in California?

On Tuesday, there were long lines of people waiting to pay their taxes in Sacramento, sometimes 50 or 60 people at a time, The Sacramento Bee reported.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Los Angeles County residents are not allowed to prepay their 2018-2019 property taxes and therefore cannot be deducted from tax return filings for 2017.

Have some thoughts to share?

Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.
The father of two children who died in an Oct. 28 Rancho Bernardo condominium fire faces several felony charges and the possibility of 14 years in prison if convicted.

Henry Lopez, who was seriously injured in the fire, was charged on Dec. 21 and surrendered to authorities the following day. He entered not guilty pleas to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of child endangerment causing death, and one count of recklessly starting a fire resulting in great bodily injury to more than one person.

He is accused of drinking himself to sleep and passing out with a lit cigarette, causing the fire in the upstairs unit of a building on Bernardo Terrace. A prosecutor said that a melted whiskey bottle was found in Lopezs charred bedroom.

Witnesses spotted flames coming from the unit at about 3:20 a.m. and dialed 911. Firefighters arrived within minutes and found 7-year-old Isabella Lopez and 10-year-old Cristos Lopez upstairs with their father. Both children died later at separate area hospitals.

Lopez was legally separated from his wife but the estranged couple owned the home together. The children would stay with their father every other weekend. Both children attended Sunset Hills Elementary School in Rancho Penasquitos. Their mother, Nikia Lopez, works as a preschool teacher and is a breast cancer survivor who is caring for her own mother battling cancer, according to family friends. The children were the grandchildren of Chargers Hall of Fame player Paul Lowe.

Deputy District Attorney Kyle Sutterley asked for Lopez to be held on $1 million bail, but Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren allowed the defendant to remain free on supervised release. He will be required to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet while hes out of custody.

According to court documents, Lopez threatened to burn the residence down during a conversation about selling the condo and finalizing their divorce.

He will be back in court on Jan. 18 for a readiness conference and Feb. 27 for a preliminary hearing.

The City News Service and The San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this story.
For the fourth year running, San Diego had the lowest murder rate among the countrys ten largest cities.

The department investigated 32 homicides, down from 39, giving San Diego, the eighth largest city in the nation, a murder rate of 2.4 killings per 100,000 residents, according to data compiled by U-T San Diego.

By comparison, Phoenix, which has a slightly larger population than San Diego, had a murder rate of 7.7 per 100,000, while San Antonio, another city of similar size, had a rate of 7.3. Philadelphia had the highest rate of the nations ten top cities, with 16 killings for every 100,000 residents.

San Diego County saw a large drop in homicides from 2012 to 2013, from 110 to 70. The city of San Diego also saw a drop, from 48 to 39.

Those closest to the departments homicide investigations credit a continued drop in gang violence for fewer slayings, but no factor gets more credit than community policing.

San Diego police homicide Lt. Paul Rorrison said it is contributor No. 1 to the citys low count.

Its directly related to the fact that homicides are down so low, he said. ... Its been huge.

Community policing hinges on departments forging close relationships with the communities they serve. It took hold in San Diego in the early '90s, around the time homicides across the nation started to decline. Rorrison emphasized combating all crime  including homicides  is a community affair.

When murders happen, people dont lock their doors and stay inside, he said. They dont tolerate it, which is a great thing. People are... letting the criminal element know its unacceptable in their neighborhoods.

Determining what leads to more or fewer homicides is a complex question, even for experts who study the topic.



Theres been a gradual decrease in homicides across the nation since the early 1990s, said University of Central Florida Professor Jay Corzine, a former president of the Homicide Research Working Group, an organization of criminologists who hope to reduce the incidence of homicides.

A fall in the crack-cocaine trade, better access to improved medical care and more sophisticated policing strategies have all been credited, he said. A police departments relationship with its community also plays a role.

Corrections An earlier version of this story said San Diego had a large drop in homicides from 2012 to 2013, from 110 to 70. It should have said San Diego County. It also incorrectly stated how many agencies had no cases of domestic violence homicides in 2014. Four agencies did not have such cases.

I think most police departments would agree, citizen cooperation is more important that DNA in solving crimes, Corzine said.

Police departments that are well respected are more likely to get that cooperation, and theyre more likely to be called before situations get lethal.

Gang violence

There were 10 gang-related homicides in 2014, the same number as in 2013.

Gang-related killings tend to be tricky to solve because witnesses and others who might know about the crime are reluctant to come forward with information, Rorrison said.



Detectives and prosecutors are combating gang violence in part with a controversial gang conspiracy law passed by voters in 2000. It allows gang members to be charged for benefiting from or promoting crimes of others in their gang. Detractors argue it amounts to guilt by association or merely for living in a gang-ridden neighborhood.

But Rorrison argued the law sends an effective message of deterrence.

They arent necessarily the actual shooter in a homicide, but they are being held culpable as part of a criminal enterprise, he said. Thats cutting-edge stuff.

Across San Diego County, 74 people  from business owners, children, and transients to gang associates, inmates and doctors  fell victim to homicide last year. That number is only slightly higher than in 2013, which saw 70 homicides.

Some departments saw notable increases in homicides. The San Diego County Sheriffs Department, which patrols nine cities and the unincorporated areas of the county, investigated 20 deaths, double the number from the year before.

The countys second-largest city, Chula Vista, had seven homicides, up from two.

Chula Vista Capt. Lon Turner said the city has seen an increase in gang activity, which may have contributed to an uptick in homicides, but its difficult to say definitively.

He said the department had to stop patrols by its street team, which focuses on problem areas across the city, to meet patrolling requirements.

We think theres been less gang enforcement going on because we had to make some changes in other areas of the department to accommodate the minimum number of staffing for patrol, Turner said.

The department hopes to have the team back on the streets in a couple of months.

The toll of domestic and family violence

Gunshot wounds claimed the most lives, identified as the cause of death in 35 killings, followed by blunt force trauma in 20 deaths. Fights  over teen crushes, between neighbors and in fast food drive-throughs  led to about 17 percent of the slayings.

But across the county, an even greater percentage of people met their deaths at the hands of family members. More than 25 percent of those slain in San Diego County in 2014 were killed in instances of domestic or family violence (Though that tally could shift as cases continue through the court system.) Of the 16 women killed last year, 11 are suspected of being killed by family members, significant others or former partners.

Most law enforcement agencies investigated a homicide case involving domestic or family violence last year.

 In Carlsbad, 37-year-old Ariflor Gonzalez was stabbed more than 30 times in the parking lot of her workplace. Her husband, who also works at the location, was arrested in the crime. The two separated about four months before the April killing.

 In Chula Vista, 63-year-old Martha Huffman was dragged to the back of her home, where her estranged ex-husband, who she hadnt spent time with for 23 years, beat her head in with a brick. She died of her injuries several weeks after the February attack.

 In Oceanside, a 28-year-old mother is suspected of twice holding her toddler son underwater in their homes bathtub until he drowned in September.

Mothers were fatally stabbed to death by sons, brothers beat brothers to death, and spouses killed spouses before committing suicide.



The Chula Vista department, which investigated two domestic violence deaths last year, was one of three police departments in the country to receive a grant to specifically combat the crime.



Domestic violence is a serious issue that negatively impacts our communities in so many ways, Capt. Turner said. It is not just the victims physical and emotional scars that are created from the abuse, but, more tragically, it is the way the behavior is passed on to our children who become the next generation of abusers and victims.

Turner said the department is working with a researcher on the East Coast to help develop an evidence-based scoring system for domestic violence suspects.

Some of the background history of the offender we think can tell us some information about the potentiality for violence, he said.

Gauging the likelihood of violence or death in domestic violence situations will help officers better plan how to respond.

San Diego County is known across the nation for its coordinated, countywide response to domestic violence, said Deputy District Attorney Tracy Prior. Every agency follows a single domestic violence protocol developed in 1990 and revised in 1998 and, most recently, last week.

Prior said the county tries to take a 30,000-foot view of domestic violence cases to better predict and thus prevent injuries and death. Every month, a panel called the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team analyzes any instances of domestic violence that resulted in homicide or death to try to see what should have been done differently.

Its a cycle, it doesnt just stop, Prior said. Which is why we try to be so active in misdemeanor domestic violence cases. We have to get in there for the early slaps. A murder case is too late. Theres always a seed of misdemeanor in these murders.



Cases solved

Whatever the circumstances, most  68 percent  of 2014s homicides have been solved by arrest, death or outstanding warrant.

Investigators say technology  from surveillance devices to more accurate DNA test  is contributing to solving San Diego murders.

It was DNA evidence that led San Diego homicide investigators to a suspect in the brutal death of 14-year-old Claire Hough  30 years after her death. Kevin Brown, a 62-year-old former SDPD lab worker, was implicated in the teen's death when a 2012 DNA test popped positive. Brown committed suicide in October  days before he was set to be arrested. His widow asserts he was innocent.

Thats why we are continually working these old cases and constantly submitting in evidence for re-evaluation, Rorrison said, because every once in a while we get a hit.
The mild, dry weather San Diego has been experiencing for weeks will last through New Years Day while much of the nation experiences excruciating cold.

A dome of high pressure continues to linger on the West Coast, blocking winter storms from dropping into Southern California.

San Diego has received only 0.09 inches of precipitation since the rainy season began on October 1. The average for this period is 2.88 inches. If the city doesnt receive more rain through January 5, San Diego will have notched the driest start to the rainy season on record. Right now, its the second driest.

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The high pressure system has moved a little west, a little east, then back to where it was, so the weather has been nice, said Derek Schroeter, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

Were not expecting any rain through January 5.

San Diegos average high temperature this time of year is 64 degrees. The figure will be several degrees higher on Friday, then it will gradually turn cooler, dropping to the 61- to 65-degree range on New Years Eve and 62 to 67 on New Years Day.

San Diegos low temperatures also are expected to be comparatively mild. Shortly before midnight on Dec. 31st, the temperature will be about 50 degrees. By contrast, it will be 8 to 10 degrees in New Yorks Times Square.

The countys inland valleys will be in the upper 70s to mid-80s on Friday, then decline to 73 to 81 on Saturday, 70 to 77 on Sunday and 71 to 77 on Monday.

Forecasters say the surf will be in the 3- to 4-foot range at favored spots on Friday, and a bit higher on Saturday, especially in North County. But then the waves will drop to the 1- to 2-foot level for several days. The sea surface temperature is in the 59- to 62-degree level.

The mild weather might continue well into winter. The U.S. Climate Prediction Center says that a La Nina has developed in the equatorial Pacific. Such systems often result in below average rainfall in Southern California.

Earlier this week, the center said that Southern California is likely to have below average rain and above average temperatures through March.

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
Are cryptocurrencies legitimate and, if so, should you be investing in them?

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Steve Weisman is a lawyer, college professor, author and one of the countrys leading experts in cybersecurity, identity theft, and scams. See Steves other Con Watch articles.

With the incredible rise in value in the last year of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, many people are asking themselves if cryptocurrencies are legitimate and, if so, if they should be investing in them.

Subscribe and get unlimited access to our online magazine archive. Subscribe Today

A significant number of investment gurus, such as the legendary Warren Buffett, believe cryptocurrencies are not a good investment but, rather, are a bubble that will burst, leaving unwary investors with tremendous losses. However, many other investors see increasing value in cryptocurrencies. As with any investment, be sure to follow the primary rule: Never invest in anything unless you understand what youre investing in.

What Is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrencies first appeared in 2009 on the heels of the international financial meltdown. Bitcoin was one of the first to be developed, but there are more than a thousand others. Cryptocurrencies are entirely digital in nature; there are no physical tokens. As the crypto part of their name suggests, they use cryptography for security. Cryptocurrencies are not issued or regulated by any government authority.

Hacking Threats

Digital currencies such as bitcoin carry the same inherent vulnerabilities of anything digital and are susceptible to being hacked. On August 2, 2016, $78 million worth of bitcoins were stolen through a data breach at the popular Hong Kong bitcoin exchange Bitfinex, which resulted in a 20 percent drop in the value of bitcoin. In the last year, there have been increasing attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges by hackers from North Korea.

Hackers have a number of different methods for stealing cryptocurrencies: They take over the accounts of unsuspecting cryptocurrency owners who fail to change their initial default login credentials. They establish malicious trading sites and lure in unsuspecting cryptocurrency investors. Or they use a specific type of malware called CryptoShuffler. CryptoShuffler works with numerous types of cryptocurrency, including bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Monero, and Dash. When downloaded onto your cellphone or computer, most often through clicking a link in an infected spear phishing email, it will wait to see when you are paying for something with a cryptocurrency and then automatically transfer the amount to a wallet controlled by the criminal. There are security software programs that can protect you from CryptoShuffler.

Investor Threats

The highly unregulated nature of cryptocurrency has led to a number of scammers taking advantage of consumer interest. Trendon Shavers was convicted and sentenced to prison on charges of securities and wire fraud in relation to his offer to investors of 7 percent weekly interest on bitcoins deposited with his Bitcoin Savings and Trust Company. This promise of an annual percentage interest of 3,641 percent managed to lure investors to turn over 740,000 bitcoins, valued at the time at $4.5 million. Shavers advertised his scheme on the internet bulletin board Bitcoin Forum and other online discussion groups. He claimed that by using his market-arbitrage strategy, which included lending and trading bitcoins online, he could achieve these incredible returns. Shavers Ponzi scheme initially appeared to be legitimate by paying profits to early investors. However, as with Ponzi himself, there were no profits, and the early investors were paid with the funds provided by newer investors to make the phony investment scheme appear legitimate.

With cryptocurrency receiving increased consumer attention, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are particularly attractive to people who think that any cryptocurrency involves huge investment payoffs. What many investors fail to understand is that an ICO is merely the issuing of virtual tokens by companies raising capital without having to register the investments with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). While in some instances, these ICOs do not need to be registered with the SEC, in other cases, the SEC is bringing legal action against the companies, arguing that the ICOs are not exempt from securities regulation laws.

SEC Chairman Jay Clayton cautioned investors about ICOs, saying, if a promoter guarantees returns, if an opportunity sounds too good to be true, or if you are pressured to act quickly, please exercise extreme caution and be aware of the risk that your investment may be lost.

Protecting Your Cryptocurrency

If you do decide to invest in bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency, its important to take the steps necessary to store it securely because cryptocurrencies will always be a prime target for hackers.
Mississippi's 2018 U.S. Senate race is poised as the next possible front in the fight between rival wings of the Republican Party, a campaign that could test how the GOP's populist and establishment forces engage in the aftermath of this month's bitter Alabama contest.

If state Sen. Chris McDaniel, the hard-right's top recruit for the seat, decides to challenge U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, he will be up against the incumbent's well-funded allies and President Donald Trump, who has pledged Wicker his support.

Those dynamics could trigger a broad intraparty clash such as the one that played out in Alabama, where the GOP lost a Senate seat for the first time in a quarter-century.

But Mississippi's insurgent faction faces brisk head winds in its bid to topple another incumbent.

McDaniel has held back from launching a high-profile challenge to Wicker as he has explored lower-risk options, including possibly succeeding Sen. Thad Cochran, who narrowly defeated him in 2014. Cochran, 80, has been battling health problems this year, and has appeared to be in delicate condition at times in the Capitol, sparking speculation about how much longer he intends to stay in office. However, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant has indicated that he is not interested in naming McDaniel if the seat opens up, according to people familiar with his views.

In an interview last week, McDaniel, 45, said he will announce in January whether he will challenge Wicker. By this point in the 2014 cycle, he had launched a campaign against Cochran.

"It certainly is on my mind. I think the race will be very compelling. Nevertheless, I still have to make a final decision," said McDaniel, who added that he is also contemplating a possible 2019 run for lieutenant governor.

A Wicker-McDaniel battle before the June GOP primary could reprise many of the internecine attacks that played out in Alabama, where conservative former judge Roy Moore defeated Sen. Luther Strange, only to lose the general election to Democrat Doug Jones. And it would force national Republicans to contend with yet another fraught party fight as the 2018 congressional election season ramps up.

Trump would have to determine how vocal and visible a role he would be willing to play for Wicker after his political brand took a hit in Alabama, where he backed both losing candidates. Some White House aides are hoping the president will stay out of Mississippi if it becomes a messy primary.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has encouraged Trump to back Wicker, and in an October call the president privately assured Wicker of his support, according to two White House officials and a Republican close to the senator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private conversation. On the call, Trump noted that he is popular in Mississippi and could be of help in the state. The president did not seem very familiar with McDaniel, these people said.

A White House spokesman declined to comment on Trump's view of the race. McConnell spokesman Don Stewart declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Wicker's allies at the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Senate Leadership Fund, a well-heeled group helmed by allies of McConnell, would also have to determine how to most effectively navigate the race. The Alabama contest exposed the dangers of appearing too cozy with their preferred candidates, as detractors branded Strange as a tool of the party establishment.

And Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist who has encouraged McDaniel to run, would have to judge how big a role he should play in the race after his candidate lost in Alabama. His critics are warning him to stay away.

"Is Bannon going to huff and puff and blow up another Senate race? Or is he going to leave it alone?" said Scott Reed, the senior political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Bannon did not respond to a request for comment.

If McDaniel does not run, there is no obvious alternative with the name recognition and resources to wage a competitive campaign against Wicker. The filing deadline is March 1 and the primary is June 5.

McDaniel has said he favors replacing McConnell as majority leader and has sought to cast Wicker as insufficiently conservative, following the playbook that other insurgent challengers have used in recent years.

He told a member of Bryant's inner circle in mid-October that he was interested in being appointed to Cochran's seat, if Cochran were to retire or die prior to his term expiring after 2020, according to two people familiar with the situation. Around the same time, Mississippi Conservative Daily, a website that backs McDaniel, sent out an action alert calling on supporters to flood the phone lines of the governor's office requesting that he appoint McDaniel.

In the interview, McDaniel said he has had "no official conversation" with the governor's staff about an appointment.

"I know all the governor's people. They know my people," said McDaniel. "And there's been a lot of speculation about who might receive the appointment. But there's been no official conversation. No detailed conversations on it."

He said he would "potentially" be interested in filling the seat, but that there are several factors he would have to consider.

Clay Chandler, a spokesman for Bryant, said that the governor has not spoken to McDaniel about the Cochran seat.

"Mississippi is stronger because of Sen. Cochran's service, and I look forward to it continuing," Bryant said in a statement. "Speculation about anything else is insensitive, irresponsible and unfair."

Brad White, Cochran's chief of staff, said the senator "has not made any statements regarding leaving office or relinquishing his responsibilities with the Appropriations Committee. He continues to enjoy his work for Mississippi and the nation."

Cochran narrowly defeated McDaniel in a 2014 runoff, relying on a coalition of mainstream Republicans and black Democrats in the final stretch of the campaign. The race was ugly and personal. To this day, McDaniel sounds aggrieved about the outcome of the open primary, which he said was effectively decided by Democrats rather than Republicans.

Republican strategists see Wicker, 66, as better prepared for a primary challenge now than Cochran was in 2014. He has stockpiled much more cash than Cochran did and has hit the airwaves with a television ad touting the sweeping tax bill Senate Republicans passed and the judges they confirmed to the bench. A recent poll showed Wicker with a double-digit lead over McDaniel.

"We're going to be ready for a competitive race no matter what Sen. McDaniel decides," said Wicker campaign manager Justin Brasell.

But there are questions about how Wicker's Capitol Hill allies would navigate the contest, which has become a sensitive topic in some quarters of the party.

As he boarded a subway in the Capitol recently, NRSC Chairman Cory Garner, Colo., declined to comment on what the Senate GOP campaign arm has been doing to help prepare for a potentially contested primary.

One possible potential line of attack against McDaniel could be questioning his loyalty to Trump, even as McDaniel has pledged to fight alongside the president to "drain the swamp," according to a Republican allied with Wicker.

McDaniel was a supporter of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in the 2016 presidential primary, serving as his state co-chair in Mississippi. Cruz, who fought Trump bitterly last year, said he thinks "very highly" of McDaniel, but will not break from his practice of staying out of GOP primaries involving his colleagues.

In recent months, McDaniel had discussions in Texas about his emerging plans with strategists who worked on Cruz's campaign, including Jeff Roe, Cruz's 2016 campaign manager, according to Republicans familiar with the conversations.

McDaniel said his chat with Roe was among several conversations he has had with Republicans about his future. Roe declined to comment.

A pro-McDaniel super PAC called "Remember Mississippi" has been publicly encouraging him to enter the race against Wicker. "We like McDaniel's chances and are prepared to back him 100 percent should he enter the race," said Thomas Barnett, the super PAC's treasurer.

The group, named after the rallying cry taken up by McDaniel supporters after his 2014 loss, had received just one donation through the end of June: $50,000 from New York financier Robert Mercer, a longtime patron of Bannon.

A spokeswoman for the organization said the super PAC has sufficient financial commitments to make the race competitive.

So far, there are no signs that Bannon is walking away from Mississippi.

"Steve's a warrior," McDaniel said. He said Bannon has given him "advice," but added that "it's not been orders."

Still, some Republicans think that Bannon's support of Moore, who was accused in the campaign of making sexual advances to teenage girls as young as 14 when he was in his 30s, has blunted his effectiveness.

McDaniel called the Alabama race an "anomaly," given the allegations Moore faced, and said the outcome did not affect his plans in Mississippi.

---

The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey contributed to this report.
Press Release

December 28, 2017 Sen. Bam warns public: Brace for increase in prices in 2018 Senator Bam Aquino informed the public to brace for the increase in prices of basic commodities in 2018 due to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) that was enacted into law recently by the government. "We won't be surprised by the increase in prices in 2018. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit kumontra tayo sa pagsasabatas ng TRAIN dahil masasagasaan nito ang mga kababayan nating mahihirap," said Sen. Bam. Sen. Bam made the reaction after the Industrial Group of Zamboanga warned that prices of sardines will increase starting next year due to the excise tax imposed on petroleum products. "Ito'y isa lang sa inaasahan nating pagtaas sa presyo ng bilhin na ang papasan ay ang mahihirap nating kababayan," Sen. Bam said. Sen. Bam rejected the TRAIN's approval due to the inability of government to implement the financial assistance program in time for the increase in prices due to provisions on excise tax on fuel and sweetened beverage tax. The Department of Finance (DOF) proposed a cash transfer program with a P200 monthly financial assistance on the first year and P300 monthly financial assistance for the second and third year to help cover the increase in prices of basic goods. During the period of amendments, Sen. Bam pushed for the immediate implementation of the cash transfer program to help poor Filipinos absorb the expected increase in the prices of goods and services. However, Sen. Bam's proposal was not accepted by the DOF. "In the end, poor Filipinos will bear the brunt of this tax reform program as it will increase the prices of basic commodities without the immediate cash transfer assistance to the poor" said Sen. Bam. Sen. Bam renewed his call to the government to speed up the implementation of the cash transfer program so poor people won't be burdened by the increase in prices. Sen. Bam is also hoping that the increase in take-home pay will be enough to offset the increase of prices of goods and services. In addition, the lawmaker urged the government to focus on improving the performance of revenue-generating agencies such as the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Data from the Finance Department shows that an additional P726 billion can still be collected by government by addressing inefficiencies and removing loopholes in the BIR. The government can also collect at least P231 billion if the importation gap and smuggling is resolved by BOC.
Press Release

December 28, 2017 Coron Island in 4th Episode of Protected Areas Series Senator Loren Legarda invites everyone to watch the fourth episode of the documentary series Our Fragile Earth: Protected Areas of the Philippines, which features the beautiful and pristine island of Coron in Palawan. "Coron Island is simply a paradise. It boasts of limestones that are 216 million years old with unique 'karst' topography, crystal clear lakes and lagoons, and virgin beaches where one can sink his or her tired feet in warm, powdery white sand. It is a place where anyone gets a soul-soothing view of the sun setting in the horizon," Legarda said. "These and more have attracted wanderers and investors to Coron Island, but it is this attraction that threatens the very beauty and immaculate condition of Coron. Its rich biodiversity and the profound culture of its indigenous communities remain endangered as interest to develop the island increases," she added. "This is the predicament Coron Island faces, and it is one that is communicated in the fourth episode of Our Fragile Earth for the public to recognize the effects of the harm being done to our environment and to seek help to ensure that we maintain ecological balance," Legarda explained. The protected areas documentary series was narrated and conceptualized by Legarda, directed by Brillante Mendoza and produced by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). "This series aims to educate citizens on our protected areas, which are critical in conserving our biodiversity that is essential to our existence and survival. Through this documentary series, Filipinos will learn more about our protected areas--the richness of these areas and the challenges in conservation. We want Filipinos to appreciate the unique natural heritage that we have and enjoin everyone to protect them," said Legarda. Protected areas are identified portions of land and water set aside by reasons of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation. There are 240 identified protected areas in the country. Our Fragile Earth: Protected Areas of the Philippines airs every Saturday, 7:45 a.m., on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), with replays every Sunday, 1:45 p.m.
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Even as California readies for the rollout of recreational marijuana starting Monday morning, elected officials and industry leaders are wrangling over a pivotal question: How widely available should the drug be?

With the sale of buds and edibles and other products set to begin New Years Day in a handful of cities  including Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, San Jose, Sebastopol and Cotati, where launch parties will feature food and live music  some cannabis advocates are urging local officials and state legislators to let the free market flow as they dole out adult-use licenses in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Without healthy competition among retail outlets in what is expected to be a multibillion-dollar market, they say, prices will rise, while the difficulty of obtaining a potentially lucrative government license could breed corruption.

The market should decide what the retail accessibility is for cannabis, said Joe Rogoway, a Santa Rosa lawyer who helped draft Proposition 64, which voters passed in November 2016 to legalize recreational marijuana.

Comparing cannabis and licensed alcohol sales, he said, I dont see the justification for limiting retail outlets. That is anticompetitive, anti-capitalist and anathema to the free-market principles that govern our society.

But many others, both inside and outside of the cannabis world, support some restrictions on recreational sales, as long as they arent onerous.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

Henry Wykowski, an attorney who represents clients in the marijuana business, said it is important to limit the quantity and placement of cannabis shops if for no other reason than to work to gain public acceptance of the drug, which remains illegal federally.

Alcohol is more widely accepted than cannabis is. Thats why they are making these restrictions, said Wykowski, who co-founded the California Cannabis Industry Association. By limiting it, you have greater control over quantity and placement. You dont want a dispensary across from a school.

Another view was expressed by Robert MacCoun, a law professor and social psychologist at Stanford University who has studied recreational marijuana legalization in California and other states.

He has written that Prop. 64 could yield benefits, such as increased quality control and fewer arrests, as well as drawbacks, such as higher overall use of cannabis because it will be easy to obtain and commercially marketed like other consumer products.

In my opinion, there is a credible concern that the more cannabis is available, the lower its price and the greater the increase in the amount of cannabis that is consumed, MacCoun said. Compared to the harms of other drugs like tobacco or the opioids, that may not sound catastrophic, but I see it as something the state has an interest in discouraging.

The specter of cities setting quotas on the number of marijuana shops, either medical or recreational, has long made for cutthroat politics. Those with an established business sometimes favor a cap, so as to limit their competition.

The debate is one reason only a small number of purveyors of recreational marijuana  each of them medical dispensaries that will expand to offer recreational cannabis as well  will open their doors Monday.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

The state began issuing temporary licenses Dec. 14, but only to outlets that first obtained a permit from the city or county where they plan to operate. The lucky few include Harborside, Purple Heart and Blum in Oakland; the Berkeley Patients Group and the Cannabis Buyers Club of Berkeley; 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center in Richmond; Sparc and Solful in Sebastopol; and Mercy Wellness in Cotati. Shops will also open in San Jose, Sacramento and Santa Cruz.

Californias new system, overseen by the Bureau of Cannabis Control, will charge both recreational and medical buyers a 15 percent excise tax, which is expected to eventually bring in $1 billion or more a year for marijuana research, addiction prevention and boosted law enforcement, among other things.

Recreational customers must pay sales tax as well, unlike those with a state-authorized medical identification card. In addition, cities can choose to impose local cannabis taxes.

Among the cities that wont be ready for recreational sales on New Years Day is San Francisco, where officials have been debating how to regulate recreational and medical sales for months.

The Board of Supervisors recently voted to allow the citys nearly 50 medical dispensaries and delivery services to sell recreational marijuana as well, possibly starting Jan. 6. Some in San Francisco favor setting a cap on marijuana sellers, but the board hasnt done so.

Many communities are still haggling over how many retail shops to allow, if any, and come up with a process for choosing proprietors. Legalization has set off a geographical scramble, with entrepreneurs looking to get started where they can bloom  and where local politics will allow them to flourish.

Moving forward, marijuana businesses will have to obtain either a medical-sales license, a recreational-sales license or a dual license that allows for both.

Emeryville is one city that wants to be on the front edge of the industry. After a long application process, the City Council recently voted to allow a pair of dual retailers in the city.

Chadrick Smalley, Emeryvilles economic development and housing manager, said the initial plan was to allow one shop but that council members selected both Rochambeau and East Bay Therapeutics because of the quality of their applications. Both still need to acquire a number of permits to open.

We have a regional retail presence here  were a shopping destination for the region  so with this new retail cannabis market it makes sense for us to have a presence in that as well, Smalley said.

Other cities and counties have banned cannabis sales outright, citing the potential for crime or for increased use by children. Marin County officials recently rejected 10 dispensary applications after every city and town council, except Fairfax, either banned retail sales or took a public position opposing it.

As a result, businesses that manage to obtain licenses stand to make more money. In Washington, where more than 450 retailers operate after the state voted to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012, some shops collect more than a million dollars in revenue during busier months.

Hezekiah Allen, the executive director of the California Growers Association, an advocacy group for more than 1,000 cannabis farmers, business owners and retailers, opposes limiting retail outlets because hes afraid big industry firms could more easily corner the market.

The goal here from our perspective, and the most important metric of success, is how many businesses are succeeding, Allen said. We could have 100,000 small businesses or we could have a small handful of millionaires. We prefer the former.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite

Recreational marijuana: what you need to know

Whats happening: As a result of California voters passing Proposition 64 in November 2016, the state will begin allowing commercial sales of cannabis to adults 21 or older on Monday, Jan. 1.

Whos selling: Marijuana will be available with proper identification to anyone 21 or older  state resident or visitor  at about 65 outlets scattered across the state that obtained local and state licenses, including Harborside, Purple Heart and Blum in Oakland; the Berkeley Patients Group and the Cannabis Buyers Club of Berkeley; 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center in Richmond; Sparc and Solful in Sebastopol; and Mercy Wellness in Cotati. Sales begin as early as 6 a.m. Recreational sales cant begin in San Francisco until at least Jan. 6, and some conservative counties may not approve any sales for the foreseeable future.

What already happened : Personal cannabis laws took effect earlier, in November 2016, allowing adults 21 or older to possess, transport and gift of up to 1 ounce of cannabis flowers to other adults 21 or older, as well as possess up to 8 grams of extract or infused foods, and grow up to six plants. Smoking in public is still prohibited, and marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Whos paying: California will charge both recreational and medical buyers a 15 percent excise tax, which is expected to eventually bring in $1 billion or more a year for marijuana research, addiction prevention and boosted law enforcement, among other things. Recreational customers must pay sales tax as well, unlike those with a state-authorized medical identification card. In addition, cities can choose to impose local cannabis taxes.

What about medical marijuana? For the states vast medical marijuana system, Jan. 1 is very much business as usual. Medical stores will remain open to patients who can show ID and a valid doctors recommendation to use cannabis. In the coming weeks and months, more medical dispensaries and delivery services will obtain state licenses to sell to recreational customers.

For more information: Visit the California Cannabis Portal at www.cannabis.ca.gov or GreenState, The Chronicles digital magazine navigating the new cannabis culture, at www.greenstate.com.
I have lived in San Francisco on and off since 1974 and in this, my final word as a San Franciscan, I would like to explain why Ive gone and left. Its the driving.

San Francisco has always been notoriously difficult to drive in. We take our sometimes seemingly and sometimes genuinely random one-way streets, our insane hills, our unannounced dead ends and our secret alleyways seriously. I, for instance, live on a terrace that you cant actually find on Google Maps, and not one resident here wants that to change. As a town, we didnt so much explode the typical grid as let a spoiled and angry child fling shards of blocks into the air and then declare their scattered testimony to be city planning. What kind of monsters made Market, the key street in the city, diagonal to everything else, and then used it to bisect the Financial District, then threaded traffic across it to get to the main commuter bridge and the ballpark?

Guidebooks for tourists discuss most of the above but demur when it comes to the worst part of driving here: drivers. For most of my life, San Francisco had the worst drivers Id ever encountered. I eventually made peace with them when I realized it was obvious that about 7 in 10 had never actually driven before. This was why they seemed to have woken up behind the wheel of a car, puzzled as to what all those switches and pedals did, nervous about doing anything wrong, coasting to a stop when there was a green light ahead, baffled by how angry everyone else was when they had worked so hard to center their car over those dotted white lines, suspicious of accelerating, as that seemed aggressive or even Republican in its intent. If San Francisco ran on a kind of European elan, driving was, like coveting your neighbors summer home, something that might occur but was simply not talked about.

There is a newer kind of bad driver here. I could do a taxonomy of the types of vehicle, from the mud-spattered Land Rover just back from Burning Man (even if its, I dunno, February) to the gold-plated Lamborghini Aventador that we all made fun of when it seemed to be an outlier. But the specific model doesnt matter so much as the attitude expressed, somewhat by the car, but mostly by how it is driven: I am going places. That is short hand for selfishness, the same way I deplore voter fraud is shorthand for racism. Because if youve watched how these new bad drivers maneuver down Gough or Fulton or Mission or Geary, you already know that their more complete motto is I am going places and Im going to get there (wherever there is) ahead of you (no matter who you are) because  (well, well get into that a little later).

When you throw a bag of Adderall-infused fish into the aquarium of meek, thoughtless San Francisco drivers, the result is a bizarre ecosystem of flamingos and hippos, each of them constantly startling the other with what appears to them like witless and inexplicable dominance displays.

Washington Square is one of my favorite San Francisco places, because it isnt square, its not on Washington Street, and the statue there isnt of Washington but Ben Franklin, placed in part to disguise the universally loathed temperance fountain donated to encourage San Francisco to stop drinking booze. In other words, the only thing that could make it a more traditional San Francisco spot is if neighborhood opposition had kept it from being built in the first place.

Im fond of eyeing the intersections near here to see what the state of the art in four-way-stop etiquette looks like. In the old days, taking right of way was made almost impossible because no driver wanted to trash his or her progressive ideals by taking anything, much less what someone else might deserve more. The Subaru Outback with Eugene McCarthy stickers on it would only cross the intersection when convinced they were doing it not for themselves but for the indigenous people of El Salvador.

Its not that this is untrue now. Its that these same people are still here, only 20 years older. They are now hood-to-taillight with new drivers who have absolutely no problem taking the right of way, especially if it doesnt belong to them. Because that is the rule when you are new San Francisco: if someone has yielded right of way to one car, or one pedestrian, or one confused tourist hokey-pokeying at the corner with one foot in the road, he has yielded to you, too, wherever you are. It turns out right of way belongs to whomever feels most entitled to take it. There are no consequences. At least not that they admit to. I, on the other hand, see a pretty dire consequence.

My girlfriend and I were recently standing in front of Golden Boy, where the sun somehow shines constantly on that line that lasts all afternoon, and ahead of us were people who were Part of the Problem (#PotP, if you like) and one was explaining to the rest that no, parking was not hard anymore. He gestured toward the street, where his Infiniti was double-parked. As long as you turn your hazards on, youre good. You can park anywhere in San Francisco like that. His friends werent skeptical. Instead, they seemed suddenly enlightened. You can now do anything.

The reason youre not supposed to double-park is that its dangerous for other drivers. The reason theres a right of way is so that we dont all run into each other. The reason there are rules is that theres a society here, and were all supposed to fit in somehow. But not anymore. The progressive, fussy, overly sensitive, yammering groups of San Franciscans asserting that we need to have our needs understood and rights acknowledged in order to get along together dont matter anymore.

San Francisco has frequently been the nose cone of a missile that the rest of the continent follows during times of social change. We were early to gay rights, Beats, hippies, the human potential movement, AIDS, every wax and wane of tech, not to mention that whole Gold Rush thing. I would have been annoyed to live here in the 1850s, 1880s and even the 1960s, but for every era like that, a new era arises to torment the previous generation. So, but for one problem, I can say: this too will pass, and in 20 years something else will be here that will also seem dire. The problem is that 20 years time frame, because Im not sure its going to happen.

Right now we are a citywide incubator of unbridled capitalism, the masters of our digital future working toward the end of the troublesome concept of we. And driving is where it comes out most obviously to me.

Why do people sometimes lose the will to drive, coasting to a stop? Why is right on red a secret so many are excluded from? Why does using a turn signal feel for some drivers like giving away their Social Security number? There are so many bad behaviors to catalog, but heres the most terrifying:

Why do folks need to get there before you do? Its because as a city, our current contribution to American culture is that we no longer see the future as a renewable resource. Were a smart people  smart people tend to move here  and we as a species are suffering a dawning awareness that we have gone past sustainability and into darkness. Its over. We as a city believe weve got about 20 years left before everything collapses. It is lovely that we recycle, and its charming that we charge for paper bags. But Im not talking about those cosmetic touches, those sustainable cocktails we serve in first class as the plane goes down. I mean something much bigger. Optimism depends on faith, and our faith in organizing to prevent disaster has been co-opted. Which is embarrassing for San Francisco.

This feeling has been engineered here. We have a cultural pessimism that pre-existed the insanity in Washington. It makes jettisoning we much more easy. If theres not much left at the end of the rainbow, then one of us is going to get there first, and take it. This attitude crystallizes every time someone gets behind the wheel of a car here, but you see it unfolding on sidewalks, in restaurants, in real estate, in the absurd construction of skyscrapers on landfill.

We are all in this together. We always have been and we always will be, no matter where things go. But for the past few years in San Francisco, its been apparent the counter-myth is ascendant. And this is why I left  it turns out there are places that havent yet conspired in the assisted suicide of we. There are places where people look each other in the eye, even when they drive.

A friend at a party a few nights ago said that San Francisco has lost its mission statement. I disagree  its just that the mission has changed, to protect that which is yours, before we get to the end, which we all see coming, hard and fast. Thats our mission statement.

Buckle up.

Glen David Gold is the author of the novels Carter Beats the Devil (2001) and Sunnyside (2009) and the forthcoming memoir I Will Be Complete (Knopf, June 2018). He has moved, ironically, to Los Angeles. Email: books@sfchronicle.com
Starting Monday, California employers can no longer ask most job applicants about their criminal records until a conditional offer has been made, and cant ask any job seekers about their salary history unless the applicant volunteers this information.

These are two of more than two dozen state workplace laws passed in 2017 that take effect in the new year.

Another one will require employers with 20 to 49 employees to give eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to bond with a new child within the first 12 months of the childs birth, adoption or foster placement. Larger employers in California already had this requirement.

The statewide minimum wage also will go up by 50 cents per hour Monday to $10.50 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer workers and to $11 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees. That increase was mandated under a 2016 law that is gradually increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Some California cities already have higher minimum wages.

Experts say the most significant new law is AB1008, the California Fair Chance Act. It prohibits public- and private-sector employers with five or more employees from seeking information about a prospective workers criminal history in job applications or interviews or running a criminal background check until a conditional offer of employment has been made. The goal is to reduce recidivism by preventing employers from rejecting ex-offenders out of hand.

The act goes further than Californias existing ban-the-box law, which prevents employers from asking applicants about arrest records that did not result in a conviction, juvenile offenses, expunged convictions and nonfelony marijuana-possession convictions more than 2 years old. The existing law also prohibits state and local government agencies (but not companies or federal agencies) from asking applicants about criminal convictions until the agency determined that the applicant meets minimum employment qualifications.

The old and new laws exempt certain positions, such as those where a criminal background check is required by law.

Under the new law, once an employer has made a job offer contingent on a background check, it may seek an applicants conviction record, but must take certain steps before it can rescind the offer. It must conduct an individualized assessment that considers the nature and gravity of the offense, how old it is and whether its relevant to the job. Before withdrawing the offer, the employer must give the applicant a copy of the conviction record and at least five business days to dispute it or provide evidence of rehabilitation. The employer must consider any response and notify the candidate in writing if it still revokes the offer.

In 2012, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published guidance recommending that employers nationwide conduct this type of individualized assessment to prevent inadvertent discrimination against people based on their race or national origin. Studies have shown that African Americans and Latinos are arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than whites and Asians.

However, Californias new law is more robust and protective than the EEOC guidance, said Chaya Mandelbaum, a San Francisco attorney who represents employees. Guidance is not binding on courts the way statutes are, and an agency can reinterpret its past guidance, as we have seen in other contexts with the new administration, he said. More importantly, the individualized assessment is mandatory under the new state law.

Thirty states and about 150 cities or counties have passed ban-the-box legislation, but Californias new law is one of the strongest because rejected applicants can file a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing to enforce it and, if necessary, go to court, said Maurice Emsellem of the National Employment Law Project.

It goes further than San Franciscos ordinance, which lets employers consider an applicants criminal record during the first live interview and applies to employers with at least 20 workers.

The new law will help ex-convicts even before they get out of prison because it will give them the opportunity to dream they could have a different life, said Dorsey Nunn, executive director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children in San Francisco, who campaigned for it.

Michael Hannigan, president of Give Something Back, also supported it. His Oakland company, which sells wholesale office supplies, has donated more than 70 percent of its profits to nonprofits and plans to ultimately donate 100 percent.

Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle

We hire the best people for the job, including those with criminal records and other barriers to employment, Hannigan said.

It has never run criminal background checks on job applicants, but will check their driving record if its insurance company requires it. The company has hired ex-offenders through agencies that help them find jobs and had to fire one who later got arrested for an off-the-job crime. Its open-minded employment policy has not adversely affected our ability to be a very competitive company, Hannigan said.

A report published by the Urban Institute this year summarized research on ban-the-box policies in cities and states that have adopted them. It found some evidence that they increase callback rates for job applicants with criminal records but little evidence that their hiring rates actually improve.

It also found a potential negative unintended consequence. One study found that after New York City and New Jersey banned the box, the disparities in callbacks between black and white applicants jumped from white applicants receiving 7 percent more callbacks than black applicants to 45 percent more. The reason could be that as information about potential job applicants is restricted, employers may shift their decision-making cues to other sources, which could include relying on racist stereotypes, a form of illegal discrimination, the report said.

Another new workplace law with broad impact is AB168. It prohibits all public- and private-sector California employers from asking about a job applicants current or prior salary in job applications, interviews and through outside recruiters. They also cannot consider salary history in determining whether to hire someone, unless the applicant voluntarily discloses the information.

It also requires employers to give an applicant, upon request, the pay scale for the position. The main goal is to stop the perpetuation of gender pay gaps from one job to the next.

Another new law, SB63, requires California employers with 20 or more employees to give up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected job leave to eligible workers to bond with a new child. They also must maintain the employees health coverage during this leave. Employers with 50 or more employees already have this requirement.

This is called baby bonding leave. Mothers and fathers, including foster and adoptive parents, can take it. Some employees may get partial pay for up to six weeks during this leave through the states Paid Family Leave program.

Baby bonding must be taken within 12 months of the childs birth, adoption or foster placement. Although the law does not take effect until Monday, parents covered by it could take at least some of this leave for a child born, adopted or placed in foster care in 2017, said Erika Frank, general counsel for the California Chamber of Commerce.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender

For more information

For an overview of new California workplace laws, see http://bit.ly/2zaAbGg

For information on the California Fair Chance Act, see http://bit.ly/2pKxHvC

For more on the law preventing salary questions, see http://bit.ly/2hKxS2D

More than minimum

The statewide minimum wage goes up by 50 cents per hour on Monday to $10.50 for employers with 25 or fewer workers and to $11 per hour for larger employers. These Bay Area cities have higher minimum wages, and some are also going up next year.

City Minimum hourly wage (effective Jan. 1, 2018) Berkeley $13.75 Cupertino $13.50* El Cerrito $13.60* Emeryville $14** Los Altos $13.50* Milpitas $12* Mountain View $15* Oakland $13.23* Palo Alto $13.50* Richmond $13.41* San Francisco $14 San Jose $13.50* San Leandro $12 San Mateo $13.50 Santa Clara $13* Sunnyvale $15*

*These wages represent increases from current rate.

**Emeryville minimum wage is $15.20 for business with more than 55 employees
As her 7-year-old daughter ripped open the wrapping paper that concealed the dolls and science kit her father had gotten her for Christmas, Christine Miller was thinking of how to tell the little girl she was now fatherless.

On Wednesday, still not knowing how to put the tragedy into words, Miller had some semblance of a plan to tell her daughter that her father, Dominique Johnson, had been shot to death on the streets of Oakland.

Her former boyfriend, Johnson, was gunned down Saturday night  two days before Christmas  on the 2200 block of Brush Street, near the intersection of West Grand Avenue, in West Oakland.

My friend is a psychologist and I asked her, how do I do this? I didnt want (my daughter) to associate Christmas with the passing of her dad, Miller, 28, of Richmond, told The Chronicle on Wednesday. She senses something, but she doesnt know yet.

No suspects have been identified in the slaying.

With four days to go in 2017, Johnsons death marked the 73rd homicide in Oakland this year. The city had 85 homicides in all of 2016, said Officer Johnna Watson of the Oakland Police Department.

Johnson, 30, of Berkeley, was a community activist who first hit the streets in 2011 during the height of the Occupy Oakland movement.

The next year, he was out again to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American boy who was fatally shot in Sanford, Fla., by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer.

He was the person in the community. Everybody knew him. He gave back to people. Thats how my brother was, said Johnsons brother, Desmond Johnson, 25, of Concord. He would never say no to anybody. He would give what he could to you.

Johnson volunteered at Qilombo, a community center in Oakland that focuses on social justice issues and services for the homeless. The center hosts open mike nights and poetry slams  which Johnson participated in.

He also focused his activism on the Black Lives Matter movement and criminal justice, Miller said.

He had a really strong voice and a loud voice, Miller said. He was a person that was a voice for everyone.

The night of his death, Johnson left the Qilombo Community Center, 2313 San Pablo Ave., alone about 10:30 p.m. to go to a store. His friends, who left the center after him, stumbled upon his body in the middle of Brush Street  less than a quarter-mile from the center, Miller said.

Desmond Johnson was at work at Walmart in Martinez when he received a call from one of his brothers friends, saying, your brother got shot.

I was the first person to the hospital. I lost my mind. I was hysterical, said Desmond Johnson, adding that his family is still reeling from the loss of their mother to breast cancer in 2015.

Desmond Johnson, and his other brother, Trevor, 29, called Miller.

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Her daughter, Priscilla, overheard the conversation and started crying, Miller said.

I said, Your dad is really strong, dont worry, Im going to go down there and everything is fine, Miller said of going to Highland Hospital, where Johnson was pronounced dead. I knew something was wrong once I got there.

Since then, Priscilla has assumed her father is recovering at the hospital, Miller added.

He would always refer to Priscilla as his twin, Miller said. The two would spend their time at batting cages, shooting hoops, swimming or dancing to Michael Jackson songs.

Miller said she plans to tell Priscilla the tragic news on Thursday when Desmond Johnson, her mother and sisters gather at her home in Richmond.

She doesnt know Daddy is not coming back home. I dont know how shes going to take it, her dad being gone, Desmond Johnson said. We need more information to find out who did this to him and why, and the person needs to be brought to justice.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
#FIFA World Cup Ghana coach 'happy' to see old pupil Son Heung-min in Qatar When South Korea and Ghana square off in their second Group H match of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this month, it will also set up a reunion for a coach and a former player o...
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A UC Berkeley math major explains his work as the study of abstractions of abstractions of abstractions.

For those willing to follow Ajay Kumar Raja into the nebulous world of category theory, hold onto your algebraic structures  youre entering a multiverse of objects and morphisms, functors and transformations. As for Ajay, he could leave the world-class university with a math degree in 2019 if he wanted to. But he doesnt.

He just turned 15.

As UC Berkeleys youngest student this year, Ajay (pronounced AH-jay) prefers to graduate in four years with the Class of 2021.

Hes made friends from his math classes this semester  honors linear algebra and honors introduction to analysis  and they often meet up at math talks and gatherings. But they dont know how old he is, he said. Nor do his professors. At 6 feet, with thick, chin-length dark curls, Ajay can pass for a few years older if no one looks too closely for shaving stubble. He likes it that way.

One of the hardest things about growing up smart, he said, was people saying I was a genius. They kept harping: Youre brilliant! I dont really think thats true. I just started earlier, and I worked hard. I think most anybody could do that. They can just find their own interest.

At age 13 last year, Ajay enrolled at UC Berkeley part-time while taking classes at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. This fall, at 14, he became a full-time student at UC Berkeley with enough credits to be a junior. But he chose to enroll as a freshman.

I would like to take that extra time to do research and make connections with math professors, Ajay said on a recent day at a Berkeley cafe. In academia, connections are one of the most important things you can have.

Noah Berger/Special to The Chronicle

Ajays best connection so far has been Suji Rajagopal, his mom. She brought him to the Bay Area from Singapore in 2005, when he was 3. Now, too young for a college dorm, Ajay lives with his mom in Concord. She joined him at the cafe.

Ajay loved solving puzzles  crosswords, codes and ciphers, as a child, Rajagopal said. Turning to her son, she reminded him with a laugh: You would create your own that youd force us to solve.

Ajays father lived with the family then, before the couple divorced, and they enrolled the boy in a San Jose kindergarten at the usual age of 5. He lasted three weeks.

Technically, Im a kindergarten dropout, Ajay said, smiling. My mom coined that.

Ajay remembers an extraordinarily mean kindergarten teacher holding up his artwork as a class lesson in what not to do. He recalls tedious assignments in syllable recognition, and endless coloring.

What scared me was how Ajay changed, Rajagopal said. He stopped asking questions. He would shrink behind the backpack.

Alarmed, Ajays parents withdrew him and became his teachers  checking out books from the library, solving and inventing math puzzles with him, experimenting with dry ice.

Rajagopal said her guide in deciding what to teach him was how sparkly his eyes were.

When a topic bored him, Ajay receded into the twilight realm of my own secret thoughts, he said, quoting that great scholar Frank Zappa.

But it was mostly fun, with dance classes at the community centers, Rajagopal said, her own eyes sparkling at the memory.

Ajays father lives in another city and works in engineering. Rajagopal is a paralegal and office manager at a Corte Madera law firm, and has started a business helping other parents who want to homeschool their kids.

Ajay isnt the first to accelerate into UC Berkeley. Five years ago, 12-year-old Kiavash Garakani enrolled at UC Berkeley to study biology and bioengineering. In 2014, Sage Ryan enrolled as a junior at 15. A former child actor who graduated last year with a degree in theater and no taste for math, he echoed Ajay when he told The Chronicle that any kid can do this.

Maybe. Online classes and the open-door policy at many community colleges make it increasingly possible  though not necessarily easy  to acquire the academic skills and course credits needed to leapfrog over the high school prom and into the student union. So does the growing popularity of enrichment groups like Math Circles, collectives of math-loving kids and adults who gather to solve problems for fun.

Ajay joined Math Circles in San Jose and Berkeley. He also completed a Euclidean geometry course with an online tutor at age 9 before moving on to an advanced version of the class with the tutor, among other courses.

Ajays resume declares him an aspiring pure mathematician and contains phrases that need translation, like excluded permutation matrices, Harmonic series and Subdividing regular n-gons.

Prodigies are common in math, shrugged Professor Jenny Harrison, who taught Ajay in honors linear algebra last semester and couldnt help but notice him because he sat front row and center. Ajay also raised his hand often and answered nearly every question right.

More than nine out of 10, estimated the math professor. She hadnt known until a reporter told her that Ajay was just 14 when he started her class. She wasnt impressed.

I actually discourage it, she said. Its easy to get out of balance.

What she meant, Harrison said, is that sometimes, a young child will become obsessed with mathematics and not develop in other ways. For example, socially. Oh, Ive seen that.

Yet, in addition to mysterious math jargon, Ajays resume lists comedy improv theater among his skills. Hes also played jazz piano, volunteered at the Concord public library, and distributed lanterns for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societys Light the Night fundraiser. This fall, he studied Dantes Inferno. He loves reading James Joyce and Jorge Luis Borges, and enjoys writing fiction. Hes taken zumba fitness classes.

If Ajay is extraordinary, Harrison said, its not because hes good at math.

He listens well, she said. And in the classs online forums, whenever Harrison answered Ajays questions, he did the most impressive thing of all.

Hed say, Thank you, Professor.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
Joe Murphys booth stands out at Berkeleys Telegraph Avenue Holiday Street Fair  and not just because hes been in the street market business for 26 years. Murphy makes and sells ceramic pendants featuring the words for peace in 123 languages. Something about it, maybe his cool signage or the connection each of us have with certain languages, consistently attracts shoppers from all stripes of life. Murphy, in a knit cap featuring fuzzy green dreadlocks, remained in his permanent state of bliss as he chatted with each and every passerby.

I imagine that constantly researching and creating the word peace in different languages comes with an almost automatic side effect of inner calm and happiness. Its hard to be a jerk when youre known as the peace guy. But I suspect that Murphy, who is 51, has always been this Zen-like, even before he spent decades making 594,853 peace pieces  and counting.

I didnt know what I was going to do, Murphy said of his lifes work, but I knew I was going to do something big.

Murphy left his home state of Colorado and headed to Venice Beach (Los Angeles County), where he began to sell his works amid the sunbaked boardwalk vendors. On April 23, 1991  a little after lunch, as Murphy likes to say  the idea for pieces of peace came to him. He began to create quarter-size ceramic coins, each printed with a word or phrase for peace. Most of the $5-$10 pieces are glazed in earthy colors, with peace on one side and an intricate pattern designed by Murphy on the other. He began venturing to Grateful Dead concerts throughout California, selling his peace pieces in the parking lot before and after shows. They had such a parking lot scene, Murphy remembered of his early days following the Grateful Dead. It used to be like an open flea market.

Eventually Murphy settled in the Bay Area. Hes married to a yoga instructor, and the couple own a home in Richmond. I imagine them to be the last of the Bay Area dreamers, people who create super personal art and teach independent yoga classes while managing to legally own real estate and book world travel. Recently, Murphy traveled to Myanmar to attend a monthlong Buddhist meditation retreat. Naturally, he brought along some pendants featuring the word for peace in Burmese.

I spent Christmas Eve afternoon hanging out with Murphy in his booth. Up and down Telegraph Avenue, vendors sold tie-dyed T-shirts and handmade earrings. A few would pack up early, wrapping up early to start their own holidays. They would stop by the peace booth and wish Murphy well, offering a fist bump and kind words.

Murphy is not so Zen that he wont reveal a little street fair gossip. Yep, there is occasional drama between the vendors, disagreements over the loose rules of who sells what and where they sell it. But in all of his time selling peace pieces on California streets, sidewalks and parking lots, the artist generally avoids trouble. Hes the peace guy. Murphy cant very well throw a tantrum over who gets to be on the good corner.

Murphy sells his art at about 50 markets and festivals throughout the year, including the San Mateo Makers Fair and the High Sierra Music Festival. This year, he sold peace pieces  and a few larger wall hangings  at the Womens March in Oakland and the March for Science in San Francisco. Hes translated peace into languages like Sanskrit, Klingon and American Sign Language.

But what really makes the project sing to Murphy is seeing where his pendants land. Hes been cut off by cars that have one of his ceramics dangling from the rearview mirror. A longtime customers peace pendant collection was the only possession that survived the recent Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County. And when Murphys mother died, he found a handful of his work in a treasured drawer, otherwise filled with religious artifacts and beloved tokens. His mom was never quite on board with Murphys chosen profession but, unbeknownst to him, kept his art among her most sentimental pieces.

As the winter sun began to set on Christmas Eve, a young man approached Murphys booth and pored through peace in 123 languages. I appreciate the movement from the human standpoint, the man said. Keep doing your thing.

Murphy beamed, fully intending to.
The Environmental Protection Agency has ignored many years of evidence of dangerous levels of lead paint in millions of Americans homes and must propose tighter standards within 90 days to protect children from lead exposure, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.

Lead-based paint was banned by federal law in 1978, but it remains on the walls of many homes built before then. It is particularly dangerous to children and has been described by the EPA in past years as the No. 1 environmental threat in the U.S. for children ages 6 and younger. A federal study found that 23.2 million homes had hazardous levels of lead paint in 2005-06, including 3.6 million homes with children younger than 6.

The agency set standards in 2001 for lead contamination levels in dust and soil at the homes, but has acknowledged since then that scientific research has shown the need for tougher restrictions. The American Academy of Pediatrics has said the current rules allow 50 percent of children in older homes to be exposed to potentially dangerous levels of lead.

In response to requests for new rules in 2009 by organizations that included California Communities Against Toxics and the Sierra Club, the EPA, under President Barack Obama, agreed to take action, without specifics. When the same groups went to court in August 2016, the agency said it would issue new regulations by about 2023.

That is not enough to comply with a 1992 law that was meant to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the risk of lead poisoning to children in older homes, said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Congress did not want EPA to set initial standards and then walk away, Judge Mary Schroeder said in the 2-1 ruling. EPA is under a clear duty to act.

The court ordered the agency to draft new rules within 90 days and issue final regulations no more than a year later. The court said it would modify those deadlines only if the EPA provided new information showing the need for a further delay.

The rules will not require homeowners to take immediate action, but they must disclose lead-contamination information when selling or renting a home and must reduce lead to safe levels when renovating their homes.

California law goes further and requires paint companies to pay for the cost of removing lead paint from many of the older homes, according to a state appeals court ruling last month. The court ordered three paint companies to fund lead paint removal in homes built before 1951 in 10 cities and counties, including San Francisco, San Mateo and Alameda counties.

In Wednesdays ruling, Schroeder was joined in the majority by Lawrence Piersol, a federal judge from North Dakota temporarily assigned to the appeals court. Judge N. Randy Smith dissented, arguing that federal law established only the grand goals of eliminating lead paint risks and did not require the EPA to change its rules.

The ruling is a much-needed win, said Hannah Chang, a lawyer for the environmental groups. EPA doesnt dispute any of the science. They realize that these standards are outdated. Now theyre forced to do something about it.

The EPA said it was reviewing the ruling. It could ask the full appeals court for a rehearing or seek review in the Supreme Court.

Lead exposure remains a significant health threat to children, the EPA said in a statement. The agency said it will continue to work diligently on a number of fronts to address issues surrounding childhood lead exposure from multiple sources, although no details were provided.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@egelko
Alabama on Thursday certified the result of Doug Jones' upset Senate victory, clearing the Democrat's path to Washington just hours after his Republican rival filed a lawsuit asking for a new election.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Secretary of State John Merrill - all Republicans - signed off on election results from all 67 counties and after late-counted provisional and military ballots were added to the total, Jones defeated Republican nominee Roy Moore by 21,924 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast.

Moore, the first Republican to lose a Senate race in Alabama since 1992, had attempted to stop that vote from being counted. Late Wednesday night, the former state judge filed a legal complaint alleging "election fraud," and asked the state to consider holding a new election. But shortly before the official certification, Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick denied Moore's request to stop the process.

In the complaint, filed in state court, Moore's campaign argued that Alabama would "suffer irreparable harm if the election results are certified . . . without preserving and investigating all the evidence of potential fraud."

Moore's campaign cited rumors of election fraud that had already been investigated and refuted by the Alabama secretary of state, argued that high Democratic turnout in key areas was statistically unlikely, and reported that Moore himself had taken a polygraph test - an attempt to disprove allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances toward teenagers when he was in his 30s.

Moore's lawyers filed the complaint at 10:33 Wednesday night and announced it to reporters less than two hours later. Early Thursday morning, Merrill's office said that it would move ahead with the election certification unless ordered to do otherwise.

"This desperate attempt by Roy Moore to subvert the will of the people will not succeed," said Jones transition spokesman Sam Coleman. "The election is over, it's time to move on."

At 12:26 p.m. Thursday, Hardwick dismissed Moore's complaint, which contained little that election observers had not already investigated. Moore's campaign argued that the election result, a 1.6-point margin of victory for Jones, was "contrary to most of the impartial, independent polls conducted prior to the Special Election." In fact, the result was well within the margin of error across numerous polls; the tabulation of provisional and military ballots expanded Jones's margin to 1.6 points.

The complaint went on accuse the secretary of state of failing to properly investigate claims of "election fraud," and suggested there were unanswered questions after sample ballots in one heavily Democratic County were found pre-marked for Jones. (Sample ballots are clearly marked and often in a different color than Election Day ballots.)

The complaint also recounts how the secretary of state investigated a viral video of a man saying people had come from "across the country" to help beat Moore - but goes on to argue that the investigation was not transparent. The man in the video turned out to be a legal Alabama voter.

"That was all fictitious," Merrill said of the voter fraud complaint after certifying the election. "It was made up; it was just a lie that started on the Internet."

The Moore campaign's main argument was that high Democratic turnout and low support for Moore in the state's most populous, urban counties resulted in an "implausible, unexplained 35 percent drop in votes for Roy Moore relative to the vote share of Republican Party straight-line votes."

While Moore dramatically underperformed other Republican candidates in Alabama when he last ran for office, in 2012, the campaign cites four "experts" to argue that the state should "order a new special election to be held based upon the already known fraud which Secretary Merrill had acknowledged and taken action against and the further fraud alleged in this Complaint."

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The experts came to the case with baggage of their own. James Condit Jr., one of the election analysts who signed an affidavit on behalf of Moore's campaign, has written and spoken about "Zionist" control of world politics, and alleged a Jewish role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"The terror attacks of 9/11 were done by, in effect, Israeli agents," Condit said in a 2016 radio broadcast. "These Israeli/Zionist/Jewish agents that are in on this crime syndicate - they did 9/11, covered it up with their five TV networks, which are run by the same crowd."

Richard Charnin, who provided the court with an argument that there was just enough possible fraud to swing the election, claimed to have "mathematically" proved a conspiracy behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In 2016, Charnin alleged that mass election fraud had stolen key Democratic primaries from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to the benefit of eventual nominee Hillary Clinton.

When Jones takes office in January, he will become Alabama's first Democratic senator since 1997. An election night vote count gave him a 20,715-vote margin over Moore, with 22,819 ballots cast for write-in candidates. Since then, provisional and military ballots were counted, expanding Jones's lead, while county-by-county tabulations of the write-in vote found that Sen. Luther Strange, R-Ala., who was appointed to the seat then defeated by Moore in the Republican primary, was the candidate most frequently chosen by protest voters.

After the election was certified, Jones said in a statement that he looks forward "to going to work for the people of Alabama in the new year." Moore said in a statement that "this was a fraudulent election," making no reference to Jones' victory.

"I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama," said Moore. "I have no regrets. To God be the glory."
A run for supervisor in a mink-lined San Francisco district is turning out to be anything but genteel. In a bid to erase a formidable opponent, one candidate wants voters to rewrite term-limit laws that have governed city officeholders for years. Its a too-slick stunt that should be rejected if it makes the ballot.

Nick Josefowitz is campaigning for the job to represent District Two, which includes the wealthy Pacific Heights, Marina and Sea Cliff areas. But he has a trick up his sleeve: a wonky-sounding rule change that would limit an officeholder to a lifetime maximum of two terms in the same job. Under current rules, enacted in 1990, a mayor or supervisor could serve two terms, wait four years, then run again for the office.

Josefowitz is kicking in $80,000 to get the rule-change campaign rolling and headed to the June ballot. If voters bite, the charter change would produce a definite pro-Josefowitz edge in his November race for the supervisorial slot. A leading candidate is Michela Alioto-Pier, who served two terms representing the same district and is running to do the same again. Under the proposed change, she would be disqualified. Naturally enough, she has denounced the idea, as has a string of other city political figures.

Josefowitz is spinning his idea as a way to inject fresh blood and new thinking.

The timing of his proposal is too obviously self-serving to take seriously. It rejects the ability of voters who may want to give a veteran another shot at the job. Case in point: Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who was termed out after eight years and then ran successfully for a new term after a break.

Josefowitz, a BART board member, won his current seat the democratic way: by defeating entrenched incumbent James Fang with a vibrant campaign.

If Josefowitz wont drop his disingenuous idea, voters can. Dont sign the petition hes circulating to get the rule change on the June ballot. If this idea ever gets that far, dont vote for it. San Franciscos laws shouldnt be manipulated to advance any individuals political ambition.

Josefowitz will have the chance to make a straight-faced case that the district would be better served by a newcomer instead of the return of Alioto-Pier. That opportunity will come in November, when District Two voters can decide whom they want to represent them.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
The fire that closed a San Jose street for two hours Tuesday night was among the most recent examples of what has become a disturbingly routine feature of California life: burning homeless camps.

Such camps have caught fire in recent weeks in Berkeley and at least twice near Interstate 880 in Oakland  which also saw a series of such blazes in the spring, two of them at a city-sanctioned encampment.

A Southern California fire traced to a homeless camp destroyed several homes in one of Los Angeles toniest neighborhoods this month, drawing national attention. While it made for a remarkable juxtaposition of extreme wealth and poverty, the fires origin wasnt unusual. In fact, another blaze in the region that week was also attributed to a homeless encampment.

Flames have spread from cooking and heating fires in makeshift camps across the state this year. They have started alongside an interstate in Tracy and in a storm drain near San Diego.

Like the hepatitis outbreak that has afflicted San Diego and other parts of the state, the fires underscore not only the severity of the housing crisis but also its capacity for unforeseen and uncontrollable consequences.

One recent analysis found that human activity causes 84 percent of wildfires nationwide and an even greater share in California. The more than 90,000 unsheltered homeless people living in the state, who, according to the most recent government estimate, account for nearly half the nations total only heighten the risk.

Perhaps the suffering of fellow Californians should be enough to make housing and homelessness services pressing and welcome throughout the state. But given that it isnt always sufficient, the consistent threat to public health and safety provides a more practical reason for urgency.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
Alcohol-related traffic accidents  which kill more than 10,000 Americans each year  spike between Christmas Eve and New Years Day.

The economic and social damage caused by drunk driving, estimated at $44 billion a year, demands that we look harder for new solutions, including the use of public subsidies to encourage ride-sharing during periods when revelers are most likely to put themselves and others at risk. An investment in subsidized rides may be a valuable alternative or supplement to traditional drunk-driving interventions such as ignition interlock devices, license suspensions, education programs and vehicle impounds.

In a recent study of the 22 largest U.S. metropolitan areas (including Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland-San Jose and San Francisco), we found that a 1 percent increase in ridership search intensity on Google Trends translates into 2.19 fewer lives lost overall to traffic accidents per metro, and 0.3 fewer lives lost specifically to alcohol-related collisions. Given that services such as Lyft and Uber reach areas that are not served by public transportation systems, it makes sense to consider subsidies that encourage their use.

Many cities, nonprofits and businesses already subsidize public transportation on holidays in an attempt to reduce drunk driving. For example, rides on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency buses, cable cars and Muni Metro will be free on New Years Eve, and AAAs Holiday Safe Ride Program provides free transportation and tows to people in some areas of Northern California. Some local governments have begun to experiment with ride-sharing subsidies, as well. Last year, Seattle teamed with Uber to provide a $10 discount for rides on New Years Eve.

In our study, we relied on Google Trends search terms including ridesharing, uber, and lyft, to serve as an approximation of actual ridership and usage of Uber and Lyft. In doing so, we followed a methodology first used by researchers from the University of Toronto in a recent study on the effects of ride-sharing on public transit usage. Though this means that our results have to be treated with caution and cannot be interpreted directly as the effect of ride-sharing services on drunk-driving, they are in line with findings from previous studies that associate ride-sharing with declines of 3 percent to 7 percent in traffic fatalities.

In effect, the rise of public-private partnerships between ride-sharing services and city governments is a testament to the emerging evidence of the positive side effects associated with ride-sharing. In addition to drunk-driving initiatives, partnerships have been formed to fill gaps in local transportation networks. For example, an arrangement between Philadelphias transit authority and Uber offers discounted rides to and from certain remote train stations at the outskirts of the metropolitan area.

Our research adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that ride-sharing can reduce drunk-driving by providing cheaper, more readily available alternatives to younger, largely urban populations that are commonly thought to be at higher risk.

The issue isnt whether Uber and Lyft need or deserve public money. Its whether the public deserves our every effort to keep drunk drivers off the road.

Marlon Graf is a health researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Milken Institute in Santa Monica.
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Charlie Hallowell, the chef-owner of three popular and celebrated Oakland restaurants, is stepping away from day-to-day operations at his businesses in the face of numerous allegations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse of employees.

Hallowells restaurant group  which includes Pizzaiolo, Boot & Shoe Service and Penrose  has retained an outside human resources consultant to perform a full investigation into the company, Hallowell said in an email to The Chronicle Wednesday.

Hallowells action comes after 17 former employees accused him in interviews with The Chronicle of sexual harassment and pervasive verbal abuse. The workers, from all three of Hallowells restaurants, described a demoralizing work environment where his indecent propositions and abuse of his power were the norm, along with a near-constant stream of sexually explicit language.

It was just this constant need to talk about sex or anything sexual, said former Boot & Shoe bartender Jessica Moncada, 31.

Hallowell acknowledged in the email Wednesday that his behavior as a business owner was unfiltered and often completely inappropriate and that he was deeply ashamed and saddened.

I can see very clearly that I have participated in and allowed an uncomfortable workplace for women. For this I am deeply ashamed and so very sorry, Hallowell said in the email. We have come to a reckoning point in the history of male bosses behaving badly, and I believe in this reckoning and I stand behind it.

I understand that I cannot right the past wrongs, and at the same time, I take full responsibility for all of my actions, he added.

After The Chronicle began speaking with former staffers about their allegations, Hallowells business partner Richard Weinstein sent an email to both current and former employees, inviting them to a company meeting Thursday. His email indicated that the company had begun retaining the services of an HR specialist to conduct an independent investigation.

According to Hallowell, the company will decide what steps it may take after the investigation is complete.

Hallowell, 44, has been a star in Bay Area restaurants since he began his cooking career at Chez Panisse in the late 1990s, where he was mentored by Alice Waters and former chef Cal Peternell. When he left to open Pizzaiolo on Telegraph Avenue in 2005  a pizzeria with a trendy vibe and cocktails named for poets  he brought new excitement to the East Bay dining scene, creating a paragon of modern California cuisine. He followed with the similarly themed Boot & Shoe Service in 2009 and Penrose in 2013.

The restaurants critical acclaim and popularity created lucrative jobs for servers and bartenders, and many said Hallowell could be a generous boss and supportive to community causes. But despite his charismatic and often charming persona, some employees said, Hallowells behavior created an emotionally damaging work environment from which they have yet to recover.

There were times he would shine all this light on you and others. Other times he would take you down, said Journey Meadows, 39, who was bar manager at Pizzaiolo for five years. It felt like an abusive relationship.

One former employee described her experience as having to endure Hallowells sexual Tourettes disorder.

Another employee, Molly Surbridge, said she was in the middle of a meeting with Hallowell on the first day of June 2015 to discuss a possible promotion to wine buyer at Penrose, the Oakland bar and grill where she had been a head server for almost two years. As she began presenting her detailed proposal for a wine program to Hallowell, she said, he cut her off mid-sentence.

He told me that he really wanted to have sex with me, said Surbridge, 38. And that he just wanted to make sure I knew that.

Surbridge said she ignored his advances and never got the promotion to wine buyer, while he regularly praised her appearance in front of co-workers. Other employees told The Chronicle that Hallowell had long promised her the post.

Surbridge said she stayed at the company until March 2017, despite Hallowells treatment, with the hope of advancement. Hallowell said that she was offered other promotions but turned them down.

Many of the former employees who spoke with The Chronicle said Hallowells treatment of Surbridge was one of many situations that created an insidious culture for many women.

They said that Hallowell expressed an obsession with female bodies, particularly pregnant ones, detailing romantic partners bodily functions and sexual acts. He also routinely made vivid comparisons between food and sex or female anatomy, former employees said.

Moncada recalled him saying, If a pizza dough is formed properly, it should feel like a fat girls tit. Meadows and several other women recalled how Hallowell effused about spaghetti puttanesca, the traditional Italian dish named for prostitutes: I love it. Have you ever smelled a bowl full of p?

During the time she worked at Pizzaiolo, Celeste Cooper had a young daughter and became pregnant with her son, prompting Hallowell to call her a hot mom, she said. Like four others interviewed for this story, she said he also spoke about having sex with pregnant women.

Explosive stories about sexual harassment in restaurants have recently made headlines across the country, such as those surrounding celebrity chef Mario Batali in New York and John Besh in New Orleans, highlighting just how a busy restaurant can become a sexually charged  and abusive  atmosphere for workers.

In the Bay Area, Ken Friedman, a co-owner of San Franciscos Tosca Cafe, was accused by 10 female employees of unwanted advances, groping and blacklisting, according to a Dec. 12 story in the New York Times; Friedman issued an apology. Michael Chiarello, who owns Coqueta in San Francisco and Bottega in Yountville, has been sued twice in recent years for sexual harassment. The suits have been settled.

Industry members said the environment described at Hallowells restaurants are representative of a common situation, where there is a lack of systems to report harassment and staff members may fear being blacklisted within the insular restaurant community if they speak up.

Hallowells restaurants have never had a human resources department or a system for confidentially reporting harassment.

Several female managers at Hallowells restaurants were so frustrated by his behavior that they left the company.

Cate Smith, 43, who worked at Hallowells restaurants as a bar manager for over six years, said she tried to talk to him about the inappropriateness of his behavior to employees on a daily basis. Theres this thing about his personality, where he just thought I was being sensitive or over-reactionary, she said.

Some former employees said Hallowells inappropriate comments were so frequent that they became no longer remarkable.

Its kind of this big question mark of why hes able to say the types of things he says, said Surbridge. Everybody knows its unacceptable. And the excuse is, Thats just how hes always been, and, Thats just how he is.

Because they happened so often, former workers said, the sexual propositions sometimes seemed harmlessly flirty, such as when Hallowell said, Are you going to take a bubble bath with me? at the end of a shift, to at least two women.

Others, they said, were more pointed and traumatizing.

Multiple women described getting the exact same unsolicited relationship advice, on different occasions. Charlie would tell me constantly, You just look so unhappy. If you just gave your husband more blow jobs, he would be more happy, said Cooper, the former Pizzaiolo barista, now 46.

Cooper said he repeated the comments more times than she could count, and always in front of co-workers. It was humiliating, she said.

On a busy night, a bartender, now 30, said he came behind the bar, put his arms around her and leaned in to whisper a few words that are burned into her memory: When was the last time you let someone come inside you?

In shock, she pushed Hallowell away and returned to her customers, she said. (Hallowell said he has no memory of this particular incident.)

Without a human resources department or similar system in place for reporting abuse at Hallowells restaurants, Cooper never complained about the abusive language to her manager.

I didnt think anyone would listen, she said. I didnt think that it would be taken seriously, because he did that to everyone.
BOSTON  As midnight approaches on New Years Eve, when much of the country will be glued to the broadcasts from Times Square, Anthony Amore will be waiting for his phone to ring.

He is no lovelorn teen: Amore, director of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, is a detective of sorts on the trail of the worlds largest unsolved art heist, in which thieves purloined 13 items, valued at half a billion dollars, from the museum in 1990. They stole works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas and others.

The museum is offering a head-spinning reward of $10 million for information leading to their recovery, an amount it says is the largest private reward ever offered for stolen property. The offer expires Jan. 1, when it reverts to $5 million.

Its conceivable that some criminal organization or people might be wishy-washy about the $5 million, Amore said the other day as he sat in his cramped office at the museum, surrounded by copies of the stolen works. But its not conceivable that theyre feeling the same way about the $10 million.

The magnitude of the Gardner heist, and the fact that it remains unsolved, is an open wound for Bostonians, many of whom have a soft spot for the museum and remain enthralled by the enduring mystery behind the theft.

This is our equivalent of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, but weve never had a satisfactory conclusion to it or any clue about what happened, said Thomas Whalen, a social scientist at Boston University.

And, he said, the fact that no informant has stepped forward in all these years speaks to a quintessential Boston characteristic  the closed culture and tribal nature of its people, especially small-time hoodlums, he said, who would likely confess to a murder before informing on someone.

Gardner, an art patron and philanthropist who died in 1924, stipulated in her will that the vast art collection in her home here, modeled on a 15th-century Venetian palace, remain on permanent display exactly as she left it. To comply, six empty gilded frames are on view just as they were the night their contents  five paintings and a Rembrandt etching  were cut out of them. The empty frames serve not only as reminders of the works that are gone; they look like open arms, waiting to welcome them back.

The museum doubled the long-standing reward to $10 million in May to underscore its determination to recover the art and set a limited time only offer as an added incentive. Since then, dozens of tipsters have called Amore  most with unsubstantiated theories.

As if on cue during the interview, Amores phone rang. It was a man who calls so often with outlandish claims that Amore has affixed a Post-it note to his phone reminding him not to answer calls from that number.

But a few callers have been credible and have helped fill in some blanks, he said, declining to be specific. Although he is no closer to locating the missing works, he said, he feels closer to understanding where they have been.

I have a better picture of what happened, where they moved, perhaps, he said, but not a better sense of where they are right now.

No one has ever been charged in connection with the brazen theft, carried out just after midnight on March 18, 1990. Two thieves gained entry to the museum by posing as police officers and left after 81 minutes with the 13 objects.

The statute of limitations on the theft ran out in 1995. Still, the FBI and federal prosecutors have joined the museum in what they say is an active, ongoing investigation.

The FBI announced in 2013 that it knew the identities of the Gardner thieves but did not reveal their names, and later said they were dead. The bureau said they belonged to a criminal organization based in New England and the Mid-Atlantic and that it had traced the paintings to Connecticut and Philadelphia, but those trails had grown cold.

Authorities have been playing cat and mouse for years with a Connecticut man, Robert V. Gentile, 81, a reputed member of the mob, whom they believe to be the last living person who might know where the objects are. His lawyer has said he does not.

The investigation has had many twists and turns, promising leads and dead ends, said Kristen M. Setera, a spokeswoman for the bureaus Boston office. There is no part of the world the FBI has not scoured following up on credible leads.

The focus now, Amore said, is on the network in which the thieves operated  a complicated task, he said, because these sorts of people live complicated lives with mistresses and girlfriends, ex-wives, kids, illegitimate kids, friends and enemies.

His own best guess is that the paintings are somewhere within a 60-mile radius of Boston, he said, because most recognizable stolen art is found close to home. Thieves quickly learn that they cant fence these items, so theres no point in moving them, he said.

Among the many hurdles in solving the mystery today is that few people might recognize the stolen objects, including the most valuable.

Most law enforcement and prosecutors in Boston dont know this painting, Amore said, staring up at a life-size photograph of The Concert that hangs over his desk. One of only three dozen Vermeers, The Concert, which has been valued at $300 million, is the most expensive missing painting in the world. Amore said that the breathtaking $450 million paid last month for Leonardo da Vincis Salvator Mundi, the highest price ever for a painting sold at auction, raised the relative value of all masterpieces and only enhanced that of The Concert, as did the mystique of its disappearance.

The publics lack of familiarity with the stolen items has prompted the museum, finally, to produce a book about the heist. The book, called Stolen, comes out next year.

For his part, Amore is looking forward to New Years Eve. He thinks that anyone credible might wait until the last minute to call.

Ive spent more than a decade preparing for any scenario, he said. Im very ready. Ill go anywhere. Ill meet with the devil for these paintings.
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A San Francisco Bay Area man who survived the infamous 1942 Bataan Death March and symbolized the thousands of unheralded Filipinos who fought alongside American forces during World War II has died. He was 100.

Ramon Regalado died Dec. 16 in El Cerrito, said Cecilia I. Gaerlan, executive director of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society, which has fought to honor Regalado and others. She did not have a cause of death.

He really embodied the qualities of the greatest generation and love for country, she said.

Regalado was born in 1917 in the Philippines. He was a machine gun operator with the Philippine Scouts under U.S. Army Forces when troops were forced to surrender in 1942 to the Japanese after a grueling three-month battle.

The prisoners were forced to march some 65 miles (105 kilometer) to a camp. Many died during the Bataan Death March, killed by Japanese soldiers or simply unable to make the trek. The majority of the troops were Filipino.

Regalado survived and slipped away with two others  all of them sick with malaria. They encountered a farmer who cared for them, but only Regalado lived.

Afterward, he joined a guerrilla resistance movement against the Japanese and later moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to work as a civilian for the U.S. military.

In his later years, he gave countless interviews to promote the wartime heroics of Filipinos, who were promised benefits and U.S. citizenship but saw those promises disappear after the war ended.

More than 250,000 Filipino soldiers served with U.S. troops in World War II, including more than 57,000 who died.

The veterans have won back some concessions, including lump-sum payments as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package.

In an October ceremony in Washington, D.C., remaining Filipino veterans of World War II were awarded the coveted Congressional Gold Medal, the nations highest civilian award.

Gaerlan said Regalado did not make the trip due to poor health, but he received his medal in December in an intensive care unit in Richmond.

He is survived by his wife, Marcelina, five children and many grandchildren.
Derek Dammann / Getty Image

An injured man was rescued early Thursday after falling about 10 feet down an embankment near the Guadalupe Reservoir in Los Gatos after a car full of college students found him, authorities said.

A group of friends in their late teens and early 20s was driving on Hicks Road near the Guadalupe Reservoir about 12:30 a.m. when they noticed a flashlight shining near the cliff, said Luisa Rapport, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Fire Department.
A group of workers were preparing a home in Menlo Park for power-washing when they discovered a colony of 83 nesting bats on Wednesday.

The Mexican free-tailed bats were tucked behind a mural of St. Francis of Assisi (the patron saint of animals) that the team removed from the side of the house.

"When the bats started to fall to the ground, the workers called us for assistance," Buffy Martin Tarbox, a spokesperson for the Peninsula Humane Society said in a statement. "Our staff quickly arrived and were concerned the bats may have been injured so we carefully scooped them up and brought them to our wildlife center for evaluation."

Humane Society and SPCA staff carefully provided the bats with oxygen and placed them in incubators to help with circulation and increase their body temperature, before transporting the creatures to the wildlife care center for evaluation.

Now Playing: A colony of 83 Mexican free-tailed bats was discovered behind a mural of a Menlo Park home on Dec. 27, 2017. (Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA) Video: Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA

"The bats responded well to the oxygen and heat treatment and were released back to the wild yesterday at dusk," according to Tarbox. "This is the highest number of bats we have ever received at one time in our Wildlife Care Center. On average we receive one bat a month, so 83 bats were quite unusual for us."

ALSO: SF woman says 50 packages were stolen from her doorstep. So she fought back with kitty litter.

Mexican free-tailed bats are medium in size (3.5 inches in length on average) and native to the Americas. They feed mainly on moths including the larvae that eats farmers' crops.

They are considered a species of special concern in California as their population is declining due to the destruction of their habitat and pesticide poisoning.
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New year, new laws.

In 2018, the lives of Californians will change dramatically thanks to laws regulating marijuana, community college tuition, immigration policy and  less pressingly  entering a crosswalk before the countdown hits zero.

The most controversial laws surround the creation of a "sanctuary state" in defiance of President Donald Trump. SB54 prevents law enforcement from arresting individuals based on civil immigration warrants, inquiring about immigration status or participating in joint task forces with federal officials enforcing immigration law.

MORE: We moved from the Midwest to San Francisco for 10 weeks. Here's what we noticed.

Although Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce federal immigration laws, state law enforcement will now no longer participate in aiding those actions.

Now Playing: San Francisco has some antiquated laws and ordinances on the books. Did you know about these? Video: SFGATE

"It will put a large kink in Trump's perverse and inhumane deportation machine," Senate President Kevin de Leon said when Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law in October.

MORE: Notable Bay Area restaurant closures in 2017

The law is popular among Californians, according to a poll by USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times; 53 percent of those surveyed said they approved of the legislation. The poll also found that a majority of respondents believe undocumented individuals make cities better.

"We have seen this in California forever," Jill Darling, the survey director for the Center for Economic and Social Research at USC told the Los Angeles Times. "People, including Republicans, have been more supportive of immigrants and reform, even to the point of supporting a path to citizenship, more so than Republican leadership."

To see more of California's most important  and unusual  laws going into effect in 2018, check out the gallery above.
In the last months of Steve Jobs life, the Apple co-founder fought cancer while managing diabetes.

Because he hated pricking his finger to draw blood, Jobs authorized an Apple research team to develop a noninvasive glucose reader with technology that could potentially be incorporated into a wristwatch, according to people familiar with the events, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the company.

It was one of many medical applications that Apple considered for the Apple Watch, which was released in 2015. Yet because many of the health features proved unreliable or required too many compromises in the watchs size or battery life, Apple ended up positioning the device for activity tracking and notifications instead.

Now, the Apple Watch is finding a medical purpose after all.

In September, Apple announced the Watch would no longer need to be tethered to a smartphone and would become more of a stand-alone device. Since then, a wave of device manufacturers have tapped into the watchs new features like cellular connectivity to develop medical accessories  such as an electrocardiogram for monitoring heart activity  so people can manage chronic conditions straight from their wrist.

What is happening with the Apple Watch is one of the first signs of a leap forward in the utility of wearable devices. Many people had wondered why they would need a smartwatch at all when most already carry more powerful smartphones with them. But as the Apple Watch becomes capable of handling more medical tasks on its own, they may now have an answer.

This is an important step in the evolution of wearables, said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, an advisory and research firm. The Apple Watch can now be on you all the time doing this type of medical monitoring.

The Apple Watch has dominated competitors in the nascent smartwatch market, but it has not taken a place alongside the iPod, iPhone and iPad as the next breakthrough Apple product. Apple does not disclose specific sales numbers for the watch, but the company has said its sales have risen 50 percent compared with a year earlier for three straight quarters. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment further.

A digital health revolution has been predicted for years, of course, and so far has been more hype than progress. But the hope is that artificial intelligence systems will sift through the vast amounts of data that medical accessories will collect from the Apple Watch and find patterns that can lead to changes in treatment and detection, enabling people to take more control of how they manage their conditions instead of relying solely on doctors.

Vic Gundotra, chief executive of Mountain Views AliveCor, a startup that makes portable electrocardiograms, said this would put patients on a more equal footing with doctors because they would have more information on their own conditions.

Its changing the nature of the relationship between patient and doctor, he said, adding that doctors will no longer be high priests.

Last month, AliveCor introduced a band for the Apple Watch with a built-in electrocardiogram to detect irregular heart activity such as atrial fibrillation, a form of arrhythmia and a potential cause of a stroke. AliveCor uses the watchs heart rate monitor to alert patients to take an EKG when their pulse quickens or slows unexpectedly.

The band, known as the KardiaBand, was the first Apple Watch accessory approved by the Food and Drug Administration. When a thumb is placed on the bands sensor, EKG readings are taken in 30 seconds and sent wirelessly to the patients cardiologist. That helps resolve one of the biggest headaches in detecting atrial fibrillation  catching it during an episode so a cardiologist can properly assess it.

Elena Remus, 36, a digital marketing consultant from Alameda, has experienced what the KardiaBand can do. She had suffered heart palpitations on and off for the last five years, but there was little her doctors could do because they could never catch the incidents as they happened.

Shortly after buying a KardiaBand for her Apple Watch a few weeks ago, Remus felt the onset of palpitations as she was making morning coffee. She looked down at her watch and saw that her normal heart rate of around 75 beats a minute had surged to 205 beats a minute. She started taking an EKG reading on her wrist and was finally able to record the activity, allowing her doctor to diagnose her condition as atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia  or in nonmedical speak, an abnormally fast heart rhythm  and plan a course of treatment.

Now, I dont feel like Im going to pass out at home alone, Remus said.

Apple is also looking for its own medical breakthroughs. Last month, the company announced a joint research study with the Stanford University School of Medicine to see whether the Apple Watchs heart rate sensors could detect irregular heart activity without an electrocardiogram to notify people who might be experiencing atrial fibrillation.

Apple is also looking at potentially building an electrocardiogram into future models of the Apple Watch, according to a person familiar with the project, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details were confidential. It is unclear whether the EKG development, earlier reported by Bloomberg, would be introduced; such a product would most likely require FDA clearance.

Separately, Apple is continuing research on a noninvasive continuous glucose reader, according to two people with knowledge of the project. The technology is still considered to be years away, industry experts said.

The current solution used by many diabetics is also coming to the Apple Watch. Dexcom, a maker of devices measuring blood sugar levels for diabetics, said it is awaiting FDA approval for a continuous glucose monitor to work directly with the Watch. Continuous monitors use small sensors to pierce the skin to track blood sugar levels and relay those readings through a wireless transmitter.

Kevin Sayer, Dexcoms chief executive, said that patients could opt for a monitor to communicate directly with the watch for convenience, but that the big payoff could come with combining sleep or activity data from the watch with glucose readings from its device to find correlations.

Were just beginning to unlock the potential of that data, Sayer said.

Health care professionals said there is a risk of too much information. Dr. Khaldoun Tarakji, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Cleveland Clinic, said doctors needed to guide patients about who would benefit from more information and how much data was the right amount.

We need to think about when too much information becomes just noise, said Tarakji, who has worked with AliveCor to test KardiaMobile, a portable electrocardiogram that works with iPhones.

A flood of information, albeit potentially useful, may overwhelm doctors instead of assisting them. Initially, KardiaMobile patients sent their doctors an email each time they took an EKG reading. The flood of emails became confusing and raised questions about where the doctor should store that information. In response, AliveCor introduced a software service for doctors that could populate the readings from patients and help detect early signs of atrial fibrillation.

A wearable device does not equal a wearable physician, Tarakji said. As a medical community, we have to be intelligent about how to use these new technologies.

Daisuke Wakabayashi is a New York Times writer.
South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday demanded a 12-year prison term for Samsungs jailed billionaire heir, Lee Jae-yong, who maintained his innocence during an appeal of his conviction on bribery and other charges.

In August, a lower court sentenced Lee to five years in prison for offering bribes to former South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her confidante while Park was in office. Both Lee and prosecutors, who earlier had requested a 12-year prison term, appealed that ruling.

Prosecutors said Wednesday during Lees appeal hearing that they still want Lee to receive 12 years in prison, according to the Seoul High Court. South Koreas Yonhap News Agency cited the court as saying it will issue a ruling on Lee on Feb. 5, but calls to the court went unanswered.

If the courts ruling is appealed again either by Lee or prosecutors, his case will be handed over to the Supreme Court, which will make a final ruling on him.

Lees bribery case is part of a huge political scandal that led to the ouster of Park in late March after millions of South Koreans took to streets for antigovernment rallies for months. Park and her friend, Choi Soon-sil, were arrested and charged with taking bribes from Samsung in return for helping Lee cement his control of the company for a smooth transfer of power.

Prosecutors have also charged both Park and Choi with pressuring Samsung and other big businesses to donate a total of $68 million for the launch of two nonprofit foundations controlled by Choi.

Samsung, founded by Lees grandfather, is the worlds largest maker of smartphones, television sets and microchips.

Retail

Transgender

woman sues

A transgender woman said in a lawsuit Wednesday that she was called it and thing by co-workers and then wrongfully fired from a North Carolina Sams Club store after repeatedly complaining about harassment.

The federal lawsuit by Charlene Bost seeks unspecified monetary damages and asks the court to order the retailer to train employees to prevent future harassment of transgender workers. It says Bost was wrongfully fired in 2015 from the Kannapolis store in retaliation for her complaints.

The lawsuit said the harassment by co-workers and multiple managers began around 2008 and escalated as Bost began wearing her hair longer and adding makeup to her appearance. In 2014, one co-worker told a customer as Bost walked by: Here comes that thing with an attitude, the lawsuit says.

A spokesman for Wal-Mart Stores, the parent company of Sams Club, said the company doesnt agree with Bosts account.

Her termination was for performance reasons, said spokesman Randy Hargrove. He said that the company maintains a strong anti-discrimination policy.

Economy

Consumer

confidence falls

Americans were a bit less confident about this economy this month than they were in November, but their spirits remained high overall during the holiday shopping season.

The Conference Board said Wednesday that its consumer confidence index dipped to 122.1 in December from a revised 128.6 in November.

Consumers expectations remain at historically strong levels, suggesting economic growth will continue well into 2018, said Conference Board economist Lynn Franco.

Chronicle News Services
LONDON  To the rest of the world, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is simply one of the worlds biggest makers of generic drugs. In Israel, it is the corporate version of a national celebrity.

The first homegrown, global success story and one of Israels largest employers, Teva is both a source of pride and a symbol of the countrys financial ambitions. Its place in the Israeli publics imagination is similar to the one General Motors, in its heyday, occupied in America  but in a nation with a population about the size of New York City. The companys shares are owned by so many pension funds that it is known informally as the peoples stock.

Today, many of those people are furious. Management missteps and tectonic shifts in the pharmaceutical business have battered Teva, which faces declining prices for generic drugs and the loss of a patent on a major branded drug. More than $20 billion has been shorn from the companys market capitalization since 2017 began, cutting Tevas value roughly in half.

Everyone in Israel knew that layoffs and plant closings were coming, but what was expected was something akin to painful trims. Instead, on Dec. 14, Teva announced what amounted to an amputation.

Roughly 14,000 jobs will be slashed, about one-fourth of the companys worldwide workforce, with 1,700 of those jobs in Israel. Manufacturing plants will close, and parts of the company will be sold. Bonuses were canceled, and the stocks dividend was suspended.

About the only positive reaction to this news came from investors, who sent Teva shares up about 14 percent. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that he would urge the company to retain its Israeli identity, words that seemed to mollify no one.

Three days after Tevas announcement, some workers burned tires outside a Teva plant while others tied up rush-hour traffic with street protests. It went beyond workers, with people across the country taking part in a half-day strike that closed banks, government institutions, the stock exchange and Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.

Teva employees continued to protest for days. There is uncertainty, fear, said Lital Nahum, a 25-year-old lab worker who was sitting on a wall outside a Teva plant in Jerusalem last week, as two dozen other striking workers milled around. Nobody thought it would come to this.

With domestic plants targeted for closing, many people argued that Teva factories in India and Ireland should be closed before any in Israel. Netanyahu agreed and said that the government would use various means at our disposal to urge the company to keep its plants in Jerusalem open.

Netanyahu did not specify what those means might be, but a guilt trip appeared to be his only weapon. Teva has enjoyed tax breaks and subsidies worth nearly $6 billion over the past decade.

Whatever approach Netanyahu used, it did not work. A meeting on Dec. 19 with Kare Schultz, Tevas recently hired chief executive, yielded little more than a curt statement from the prime ministers office announcing plans for studying ways to provide fired workers with training and to help them find new jobs.

Schultz, in a statement of his own, sounded like a man ready to carry out the unhappy task he had been hired to perform. Unfortunately, Teva is unable to consent to the request of the prime minister and ministers and avoid the closure of the plant in Jerusalem, he said in the statement. He described this and other measures as painful but absolutely vital, and he added that it was designed solely to achieve our shared aspirations to sustain Teva as a strong global company, managed out of and based in Israel.

This is a crushing moment for a company that has been the pride of Israel for decades. Its origins date to 1901, when its predecessor opened in Jerusalem as a drug wholesaler, distributing products throughout the area on camels and donkeys.

Teva went public in 1951 on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Its biggest break came in 1967, when Israel passed a law allowing domestic manufacturers to make clones of drugs produced by foreign pharmaceutical companies.

Many of those companies had ceased doing business in the country in response to the Arab boycott. Teva gained expertise in producing copycat drugs and its revenue soared.

I used to say that we should thank God for bringing us the Arab boycott, Eli Hurvitz, who retired as Tevas chief executive in 2002 after more than 25 years at the helm, said in 2004. Without it, our company wouldnt exist.

Through aggressive expansion, Hurvitz built Teva into the worlds largest producer of generic drugs. By the time he died in 2011, 1 in 6 prescriptions in the United States  for arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure and the list goes on  was a Teva drug.

A businessman and a Zionist, Hurvitz built factories in economically distressed parts of Israel, hoping to employ citizens in need. He insisted that Tevas soul and brain remain in Israel, even as the company built factories and hired thousands of workers around the world.

The company has edged away from having an Israeli-centric identity, in ways small and large. Schultz, the new chief executive, is Danish, and although he is not the first foreigner to hold the job, he is the first non-Jew. This has led to some grumbling among Teva employees, who believe that he lacks an emotional stake in the country.

But several pharmaceutical experts have applauded his arrival. They say that his track record at Novo Nordisk, the drug company based in Denmark where he spent much of his career, is impressive, and that an unsentimental eye is precisely what Teva needs.

Hes very blunt and direct and that works very well in Israel, said Ronny Gal, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein. But cuts are just a way to balance the books, not a long-term strategy. So there will be a long process of recovery. I expect twists and turns for years to come.

Tevas most immediate problem is its $35 billion debt. The company is so squeezed for cash that it might have to renegotiate deals with banks and even bondholders, said Sabina Levy, the head of research at Leader Capital Markets, an Israeli brokerage.

There are not a lot of other things the company can do right now, she said. They cant bring another growth driver into the company in a short period of time. And they dont have the cash to buy a growth driver. The only thing they can do is cut costs.

Some high-profile pundits in Israel have inveighed against Tevas leadership, blaming greed and hubris for the companys predicament. But even detractors acknowledge the challenges facing the generic-drug market. Prices have been on a downward trend since 2010, mostly because retail chains have combined with pharmacy-benefit managers and drug wholesalers, creating buying giants with vastly enhanced bargaining power.

There is also a significant threat to Tevas balance sheet that has been looming for years. The company sells a branded drug that it patented called Copaxone, which treats multiple sclerosis. A huge success, Copaxone has provided as much as 40 percent of Tevas operating profit in some years.

Copaxone went off patent this year and generic-drug makers are now producing their own versions, eroding Tevas profits. This may be the essence of turnabout as fair play, given that Teva has been cashing in on expiring patents for decades.

Tevas management anticipated the patent and pricing issues well in advance, and decided that the company should buy its way out of the problem through major acquisitions. Several of those deals are now considered disasters, none more so than the $40.5 billion acquisition of Actavis from Allergan, a rival generic-drug maker, in July 2015.

David Segal and Isabel Kershner are New York Times writers.
A former lawyer for Martin Shkrelis companies might be heading to prison after a jury convicted him of conspiring with the former biotech executive to defraud investors.

Evan Greebel, who advised companies including Retrophin, was found guilty Wednesday of helping Shkreli steal $11 million to pay back investors after the hedge-fund-manager-turned-drug-executive lost their money in risky trades.

Greebel was expressionless as the verdict was read in federal court in Brooklyn.

Shkreli, who was convicted in August of defrauding investors, is being held in prison while he awaits sentencing. He was ousted from Retrophin in September 2014 and went on to found Turing Pharmaceuticals, where he incited public outrage by jacking up the price of a life-saving drug more than 5,000 percent. Just four months later in December 2015, he was arrested and charged with fraud. Greebel was tried separately from Shkreli.

Greebel was accused of conspiring with Shkreli by helping him devise sham settlement and consulting contracts to repay investors, using assets from Retrophin, as well as helping Shkrelis share-control scheme. Jurors were treated to a virtual repeat of testimony from Shkrelis case, with most witnesses, including investors, consultants and board members, appearing at both.

This time around, Greebels defense lawyers were able to dig up more dirt on the witnesses to impugn their credibility, including an admission from an accountant testifying about an alleged fraud that he had engaged in his own possible ethical breach by making a $200,000 loan off-the-books to another client. Defense lawyers also accused a former Retrophin employee testifying about questionable transactions of engaging in cybercrimes to gather evidence. A lawyer advised him not to answer those questions on grounds of his privilege against self-incrimination.

Greebel was a corporate lawyer at Katten Muchin Rosenman, and he advised Retrophin as outside counsel. Current Retrophin CEO Steve Aselage and former chairman Steve Richardson alleged that Greebel appeared to show more loyalty to Shkreli than to the company, including by advising him about the terms of his employment agreement when the board was in the process of ousting Shkreli in late 2014.

Emails also showed the young executive berating Greebel, calling him and his colleagues lazy and stupid and paid too much. Prosecutors alleged that Greebel showed deference to Shkreli and hatched a plan with him to engage in fraud.

Other lawyers who worked with Greebel, testifying for the defense, said he was a talented attorney and that Shkreli was a just a difficult client. Witnesses for Greebel said that they believed the consulting agreements were legitimate.

Greebel was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for helping Shkreli steal from Retrophin and conspiracy to commit securities fraud for helping Shkreli manipulate shares.

Christie Smythe is a Bloomberg writer. Email: csmythe1@bloomberg.net
Uber shareholders are said to have agreed to sell a sizable stake in the ride-hailing leader to an investor group led by SoftBank Group, allowing the Japanese conglomerate to amass a piece of the company at a steep discount to the last valuation.

The transaction implies a $48 billion value for Uber, according to a person familiar with the deal. The investor group, which includes SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, TPG, Tencent Holdings and Sequoia Capital, also will put at least another $1 billion directly into the San Francisco business at a higher valuation of $69 billion, according to the person, who asked not to be named because the transaction isnt yet complete. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the share sale.

The deal will make SoftBank one of Ubers largest shareholders and comes with two board seats. It will also put in motion a slate of governance reforms that were dependent on the deal going through, which will expand the board to 17 and revoke outsize voting power given to early backers. Benchmark, Ubers largest venture capital backer, will also drop a legal case its pursuing in arbitration against former CEO Travis Kalanick.

SoftBank had been seeking a stake of at least 14 percent in the deal. The Journal reported at least 20 percent of Ubers shares had been tendered.

Dara Khosrowshahi has been a champion of SoftBanks proposal since taking over as CEO in September. In addition to the governance reforms, hes looking to appease early employees and investors who dont want to hold onto their shares until 2019, when Uber is expected to conduct an initial public offering. It would also give the business some additional capital to beat back rivals, which have gained steam after a succession of setbacks for Uber. Didi Chuxing, the main ride-hailing option in China, recently said it raised another round of financing from SoftBank, this time topping $4 billion.

This year, Uber faced a politically motivated boycott, employee claims of sexism, a high-profile lawsuit over trade-secrets theft, a video published by Bloomberg showing Kalanick berating an Uber driver and questions about his business tactics. The unwanted attention has brought intense government scrutiny. The U.S. Justice Department was exploring at least five criminal probes in recent months, and London moved to ban the service.

Khosrowshahi is looking to quickly move past a disastrous 2017. He replaced the companys legal chief, ousted the head of security who oversaw some of the most controversial projects and hired the former CEO of Orbitz to run operations. However, more ghosts of Ubers past continue to emerge. In November, Bloomberg reported on a hack from a year earlier that exposed data on 57 million people and that Uber paid a ransom to keep the breach quiet.

For SoftBank, the deal will make founder Masayoshi Son an influential investor across the ride-hailing sector. He will hold stakes in five of the worlds biggest startups, including the market leaders in China, India, Southeast Asia, Brazil and the U.S. SoftBank earlier this month took part in Didi Chuxings fundraising, adding to an earlier $5.5 billion investment in the company.

SoftBank-backed startups compete with each other in several key markets. Son may use his influence to encourage mergers among the competitors in certain countries.

Eric Newcomer and Pavel Alpeyev are Bloomberg writers. Email: enewcomer@bloomberg.net, palpeyev@bloomberg.net
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After employees at Vox Media announced plans to form a union last month, German Lopez, a senior reporter at the companys general news website Vox.com, posted a thread on Twitter that inspired a heated debate more than 1,000 comments in length.

In the first tweet, Lopez said, I am against #VoxUnion. He followed that one by arguing that some writers wanted a union as protection for laziness. He added that Vox was a generous company and some people want to take advantage of that.

Then a couple of weeks ago, Lopez changed his mind, swayed by the idea that the companys generosity is not set in stone and that new management could roll back benefits.

The organizing effort at Vox is part of a growing union movement at more than a dozen digital publishers. When they entered the media fray, these and other online players sought to shake up the status quo, but while their traffic soared, their profits did not. Now they confront the same job cutbacks and financial uncertainty as their more established brethren.

Employees at now-defunct Gawker Media joined the Writers Guild of America East labor union in the summer of 2015. Members of the editorial staffs at Vice Media, ThinkProgress and HuffPost followed suit, organizing unions that their companies recognized and that subsequently ratified contracts.

Writers and editors at other digital publications  including the Intercept, Salon, Slate, Thrillist and MTV News  have since affiliated themselves with the Writers Guild of America East, citing a need for better wages and benefits. Their unions have been recognized by the people who run those companies and are negotiating contracts with management.

Daniel Marans, a reporter at HuffPost, said the treatment of employees at digital media companies should not remain stuck in a time when websites were small and scrappy, staffed by younger workers who were happy to see their names in pixels.

That comes to things like transparency on pay, having a decent pay scale that allows a ladder of sustainability where you can support yourself on such an income, and having due process and a guarantee of severance in the case of layoffs, Marans said.

Kim Kelly, an editor at Noisey, Vice Medias music and culture section, said fair wages had played a central role in Vice Media employees decision to go union.

People were fed up and broke and anxious about the future, and the union gave them a way to take control and force things to change, Kelly said.

It is a labor model that has been in place for years among the big media operators. The New York Times, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal all have unions, as does The Chronicle.

That digital players are moving in that direction reflects the broader business troubles in the media industry as a whole. Digital writers and editors live with the uncomfortable possibility that their bosses could enact a sudden change in strategy, resulting in layoffs.

In recent months, 50 employees at Mashable were let go after digital publisher Ziff Davis bought the website for $50 million, BuzzFeed fired 100 business and British editorial employees after missing its 2017 revenue targets, and Refinery29 laid off 34 staff members.

Lowell Peterson, the executive director of Writers Guild of America East, denounced the tendency of executives at online media companies to make important decisions concerning company strategy without the input of employees.

They just open their email inbox and go, Oh, dear, what next? he said.

The owners of several digital publishers  even those with a decidedly liberal editorial voice  have opposed their employees attempts to form unions. Jonah Peretti, the founder of BuzzFeed, has repeatedly spoken against the need for a union at his company.

In October, employees of the New York news sites Gothamist and DNAinfo voted in favor of forming a union through a National Labor Relations Board formal vote. Rather than negotiate an agreement with a union, the websites owner, Joe Ricketts, closed both sites.

And Lopez, the Vox reporter, said he had received text and Twitter messages from people both inside Vox Media and outside thanking him for his tweets, saying they were too scared to voice these concerns and were happy he was bringing up counterpoints to unionizing.

Vox Medias publisher, Melissa Bell, said in a statement: Weve been in productive discussions with (the union) for the past few weeks with the collective goal of ensuring that our company is one of the best places to work in all of media. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with our growing team on building the strongest modern media company out there.

Lopez said he had taken his doubts to the Vox Media union organizing committee, which explained to him that if the company was bought out or the current management retired, the generous benefits and comfortable salaries could disappear. On Dec. 14, he wrote on Twitter that he had signed a union card, but added that the onslaught of Twitter comments was not what had changed his mind.

The population of Twitter users who skew to the left is pretty big and obviously pro-union, Lopez said. In some ways, I understand the response. Theyre fighting for unions in a broad political and philosophical sense, and one guy downing on unions is pretty annoying.

Matthew Sedacca is a New York Times writer.
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As her 7-year-old daughter ripped open the wrapping paper that concealed the dolls and science kit her father had gotten her for Christmas, Christine Miller was thinking of how to tell the little girl she was now fatherless.

On Wednesday, still not knowing how to put the tragedy into words, Miller had some semblance of a plan to tell her daughter that her father, Dominique Johnson, had been shot to death on the streets of Oakland.

Her former boyfriend, Johnson, was gunned down Saturday night  two days before Christmas  on the 2200 block of Brush Street, near the intersection of West Grand Avenue, in West Oakland.

My friend is a psychologist and I asked her, how do I do this? I didnt want (my daughter) to associate Christmas with the passing of her dad, Miller, 28, of Richmond, told The Chronicle on Wednesday. She senses something, but she doesnt know yet.

No suspects have been identified in the slaying.

With four days to go in 2017, Johnsons death marked the 73rd homicide in Oakland this year. The city had 85 homicides in all of 2016, said Officer Johnna Watson of the Oakland Police Department.

Johnson, 30, of Berkeley, was a community activist who first hit the streets in 2011 during the height of the Occupy Oakland movement.

The next year, he was out again to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American boy who was fatally shot in Sanford, Fla., by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer.

He was the person in the community. Everybody knew him. He gave back to people. Thats how my brother was, said Johnsons brother, Desmond Johnson, 25, of Concord. He would never say no to anybody. He would give what he could to you.

Johnson volunteered at Qilombo, a community center in Oakland that focuses on social justice issues and services for the homeless. The center hosts open mike nights and poetry slams  which Johnson participated in.

He also focused his activism on the Black Lives Matter movement and criminal justice, Miller said.

He had a really strong voice and a loud voice, Miller said. He was a person that was a voice for everyone.

The night of his death, Johnson left the Qilombo Community Center, 2313 San Pablo Ave., alone about 10:30 p.m. to go to a store. His friends, who left the center after him, stumbled upon his body in the middle of Brush Street  less than a quarter-mile from the center, Miller said.

Desmond Johnson was at work at Walmart in Martinez when he received a call from one of his brothers friends, saying, your brother got shot.

I was the first person to the hospital. I lost my mind. I was hysterical, said Desmond Johnson, adding that his family is still reeling from the loss of their mother to breast cancer in 2015.

Desmond Johnson, and his other brother, Trevor, 29, called Miller.

Her daughter, Priscilla, overheard the conversation and started crying, Miller said.

I said, Your dad is really strong, dont worry, Im going to go down there and everything is fine, Miller said of going to Highland Hospital, where Johnson was pronounced dead. I knew something was wrong once I got there.

Since then, Priscilla has assumed her father is recovering at the hospital, Miller added.

He would always refer to Priscilla as his twin, Miller said. The two would spend their time at batting cages, shooting hoops, swimming or dancing to Michael Jackson songs.

Miller said she plans to tell Priscilla the tragic news on Thursday when Desmond Johnson, her mother and sisters gather at her home in Richmond.

She doesnt know Daddy is not coming back home. I dont know how shes going to take it, her dad being gone, Desmond Johnson said. We need more information to find out who did this to him and why, and the person needs to be brought to justice.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
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A 32-year-old Napa man was arrested early Thursday in Geyserville after a deputy identified him as a suspect on Napa Countys Most Wanted list, authorities said.

Michael Dunne was booked at Sonoma County Jail without bail and is facing felony and misdemeanor drug-related charges.

Dunne was pulled over about 12:50 a.m. on the 5000 block of Highway 128 when a sheriffs deputy noticed that the license plate on his Jeep was dark  a violation of the Vehicle Code, said Misti Harris, a spokeswoman for the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office.

Initially, Dunne gave the deputy a fake name and insisted that he did not have his drivers license with him. When the deputy checked the name provided by Dunne, it was linked to an expired drivers license.

Dunne was set to sign a citation for driving without a license when the deputy spotted a methamphetamine pipe hidden under his sweatshirt, Harris said.

After a search, the deputy found Dunnes real drivers license, another pipe and methamphetamine in the car.

While checking Dunnes identification, the deputy discovered a misdemeanor warrant and a felony no-bail warrant for Napa County, Harris said.

Dunne was immediately arrested and taken to jail, where correctional deputies found heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and two hydrocodone pills when they searched him before booking, Harris added.

In addition to a slew of new and outstanding misdemeanor and felony drug possession charges, Dunne faces charges for providing false identification to a peace officer and bringing a controlled substance into jail.

He was previously wanted for failing to appear in court on numerous felony drug possession charges.

Dunnes next court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday in Sonoma County.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
A Redwood City man shot and killed his own dog when it attacked him on a walk Wednesday, police said.

The 76-year-old man was walking his dog, a large mastiff, in the 1300 block of Elmer Street in unincorporated Belmont when the dog turned and bit him in the lower leg. The attack continued, police said, until the man pulled out a handgun and fatally shot the dog.
A drug-impaired driver, charged with murder for killing a 2-year-old girl in a crash, wanted jurors at his second trial to learn that he had already been convicted of vehicular manslaughter, so they wouldnt think hed be set free if acquitted of murder.

A Los Angeles County judge refused the proposed instruction, and Marvin Hicks was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 22 years to life in prison. On Thursday, the state Supreme Court upheld the verdict in a 6-1 ruling and said it was justified for a driver who acted with complete disregard for human life.

The case required the court to weigh two delicate issues. First, how to discourage jurors who are weighing guilt and innocence from considering the punishment the defendant faces, which is supposed to be irrelevant to their verdict. And second, what evidence is needed to convict an intoxicated driver of knowingly committing a life-threatening act that can be charged as murder.

Hicks, 45, of Palmdale was high on marijuana and PCP when he was pulled over by sheriffs deputies in the town of Lancaster in December 2012. After giving what a deputy described as a blank stare, he sped away, ran a red light and, while driving at least 70 mph with officers in pursuit, smashed into another car at an intersection, killing Madison Ruano and seriously injuring the girls mother, Tina Ruano.

Hicks had previous convictions for reckless driving and driving while intoxicated and had attended DUI education programs as part of his sentences. He testified that he had known what he was doing when he started driving and officers said he was alert and coherent after the crash. Officers also testified, however, that Hicks was hanging out the window and screaming incoherently when he was first stopped.

Jurors at his first trial convicted him of gross vehicular manslaughter, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but deadlocked on second-degree murder charge, which required proof of a conscious disregard for human life. He was convicted of murder at a retrial in October 2014 after the judge denied the defense request to tell jurors about the manslaughter conviction.

ALSO: CHP officer killed in Christmas Eve freeway crash in Hayward

In Thursdays ruling, Justice Ming Chin said informing jurors about the earlier verdict would have kept them from wrongly assuming that an acquittal would let Hicks escape punishment, but could also have unfairly harmed the prosecution by leading jurors to question why he was being retried.

Judges can strike a proper balance in future cases by telling the jury not to consider punishment or speculate about any previous trials, Chin said. But in this case, he said, such an instruction would not have changed the outcome, since the evidence showed that Hicks was in an alert state of mind before the fatal crash.

In dissent, Justice Goodwin Liu disagreed with the majoritys view of the evidence and said the second jury probably would have acquitted Hicks of murder, or deadlocked, if it had been told of his manslaughter conviction.

Omitting that information may have led that jury to believe it faced an all-or-nothing choice and unfairly hampered the defense, Liu said.

The case is People vs. Hicks, S232218.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
Happy End is the latest from Michael Haneke, an uncompromising filmmaker whose work is sometimes brilliant and sometimes hard to watch  and sometimes both, but not this time. Happy End is just hard to watch.

Its a movie that seems to have been made with little regard for the fact that other human beings will have to sit through it. True, to his credit, Haneke does point his camera in the direction of the actors, but thats his last concession to convention. Haneke, who also wrote the screenplay, takes material that might have been dramatic, and deliberately renders it stultifying, filming irrelevant scenes while skipping over any moment that might possibly interest somebody.

Its the story of a wealthy industrialist family in the Normandy region of France. Dad (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is 85 and painfully aware that he is slipping into dementia. His daughter, Anne (Isabelle Huppert), is running the company but is being undermined by her drunken son, Pierre (Franz Rogowski), who may be responsible for a workplace accident resulting in the death of a worker.

Meanwhile, one of the grandchildren, little darling Eve (Fantine Harduin), has just poisoned her mother, although no one knows it. Everyone thinks that Eve is a sweet little girl grieving over Moms irreversible coma.

So the point is, there is stuff going on here, more than enough to fill a 107-minute movie. Oh, but to make something entertaining out of all this, well, that would be socially irresponsible, or artistically ordinary, wouldnt it? So we never see Mom getting poisoned, for example, but we do see little Eve packing a suitcase. Just packing. And packing some more. Then zipping up the suitcase. Then walking out of the room.

Nor do we see the old man attempt suicide in his car. That would be cheap. That would be typical. That might even, horror of horrors, be interesting to watch. Instead, we see him later, in a wheelchair, rolling down the street. He rolls down one block, then he wheels himself down another. And another. At the end of the street, he has a conversation with several men, but we dont hear it. We have no idea what hes saying.

Are you still there? The boring nature of this movie is having an impact on the review, so lets just put it this way: It is actually possible to fall asleep during a shot, have an entire dream and wake up to find the same shot still going on. No, really, its easy. Ive tried it.

At one point, the old man says, Now Im a captive of this damn chair with no hope of escape  anticipating exactly how audiences will feel while watching the movie.

Heres the shame of it. Trintignant is a great actor, and his depiction of dementia, in that particular middle stage where the consciousness and intelligence are still there but the memory and awareness are going, is haunting and precise. And Isabelle Huppert is quite interesting, or could have been, as the publicly adept businesswoman dealing with multiple problems simultaneously. Even Fantine Harduin, as the bantam Borgia, suggests a tumultuous, twisted inner life.

Yet having creating these fascinating characters , and cast his film with the best possible actors, Haneke gives them nothing to play. They just arrive on screen and exist. Its not enough. Its not drama. Its not cinema. Its an endurance test, and theres no reason that anyone should take it.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle

Happy End

Drama. Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Isabelle Huppert and Fantine Harduin. Directed by Michael Haneke. In French with English subtitles. (R. 107 minutes.)
MONTGOMERY, Ala.  Alabama officials unhesitatingly pushed aside on Thursday a legal challenge from Roy Moore and certified Doug Jones as the winner of this months U.S. Senate election.

The action, during a brief meeting at the state Capitol, was essentially the states final step before the seating of the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Alabama in a quarter century. It was also a swift rejection, by some of the states most powerful Republicans, of Moores complaint that he was the victim of systematic voter fraud.

Jones margin of victory was 21,924 votes with more than 1.3 million ballots cast.

The certification leaves Moore, 70, a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court whose campaign faltered partly because of allegations of sexual misconduct against teenage girls, with almost no avenues to derail Jones ascension to the Senate. The election aftermath followed a familiar pattern for Moore, who in the past has been eager to declare victories and pronounce grievances  but loath to concede defeats. To this day, Republicans note, Moore has not conceded his losses in the 2006 or 2010 Republican primaries for governor, and there is already speculation in Montgomery that he might run for governor or attorney general next year.

You win with class, you lose with class, and he just cant do it, Angi Horn Stalnaker, a Republican strategist who ran campaigns, with mixed success, against Moore, said acidly.

On Thursday, Moore seemed to come close to acknowledging his loss. I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama, he said in a statement. I have no regrets. To God be the glory.

Before the results of the Dec. 12 special election were certified and in the candidates statement afterward, Moore and his campaign left little doubt about their assessment of the vote.

In a lawsuit filed in a state court late Wednesday, Moore, who denied the allegations of sexual impropriety, complained that pervasive fraud had tainted the election, and that Alabama authorities had inadequately investigated potential misconduct.

But Moore found himself aligned against Democrats and Republicans alike. Secretary of State John Merrill, a Republican who voted for Moore, said he had found no evidence of endemic fraud and refused to postpone the certification. Judge Johnny Hardwick of Montgomery County Circuit Court, citing a lack of jurisdiction, dismissed Moores complaint minutes before the vote was certified.

Jones, whose transition team had called the lawsuit a desperate attempt by Roy Moore to subvert the will of the people, said in a statement that his victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation.

Although the state ultimately certified the results, Moores litigation infused a strain of drama into a day that Alabama officials had hoped would be procedural and perfunctory. Moores lawsuit was late in coming: His lawyers filed their lawsuit at 10:33 p.m. Wednesday.

Alan Blinder is a New York Times writer.
PORTLAND, Maine  Plunging temperatures across half the country Thursday underscored a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars arent going to go as far this winter because of rising energy costs.

Forecasters warned people to be wary of hypothermia and frostbite from an arctic blast thats gripping a large swath from the Midwest to the Northeast, where the temperature, without the wind chill factored in, dipped to minus 32 Thursday morning in Watertown, N.Y.

Even before the cold snap, the Department of Energy projected that heating costs were going to track upward this winter, and many people are keeping a wary eye on their fuel tanks to ensure they dont run out.

The burden caused by higher prices and higher energy usage is felt by all Americans, especially those who struggle to stay warm.

Elizabeth Parker, 88, of Sanford, Maine, said she lives in fear of running out of heating fuel and remains vigilant in monitoring the gauge outside her trailer. She said she is allowed to request a fuel delivery thanks to federal aid, but only when her gauge dips to one-eighth of a tank.

I couldnt get along without it, said Parker, who lives with her 93-year-old husband, Robert Parker, along with a cat, a dog and four birds.

Despite the cold, there was some good news for recipients of federal aid from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. President Trump released nearly $3 billion, or roughly 90 percent, of the funding in October after previously trying to eliminate the program.

Prolonged, dangerous cold weather this week has sent advocates for the homeless scrambling to get people off the streets and to bring in extra beds for them. Warming centers also were set up in some locations. Frozen pipes and dead car batteries added to the misery across the region.

In western New York and Erie, Pa., residents were still cleaning up from massive snowfall. Firefighters had to use a bucket loader to rescue someone trapped in her home in Lorraine, N.Y.

In Ohio, a dog was found frozen solid on the porch of a house in Toledo, and a third body was recovered near a car that slid off an icy road and flipped into a canal days earlier in the city of Oregon.

On Thursday, cold weather records were set from Arkansas to Maine, and the cold air will linger through the weekend, reaching as far south as Texas and the Florida Panhandle through the weekend.

In New Hampshire, the cold set a record for the day of minus 34 atop the Northeasts highest peak, Mount Washington.

In the Midwest, temperatures in Minneapolis arent expected to top zero this weekend, and it likely will be in the teens when the ball drops on New Years Eve in New York City.

David Sharp is an Associated Press writer.
1 Tobacco settlement: A judge in Florida ordered R.J. Reynolds to continue paying the state millions of dollars in tobacco settlement money despite selling off major brands. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Dana Gillen in Palm Beach County issued his ruling this week. R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies were part of a landmark multibillion-dollar settlement with Florida to compensate the state for treating sick smokers. But the company sold cigarette brands Kool, Winston, Salem and Maverick to Imperial Tobacco Group in 2015 and neither company continued to make payments to the state. When Attorney General Pam Bondi filed the suit last January, she said Florida was already owed $45 million and could lose $30 million a year going forward.

2 Forced labor: Federal prosecutors say a seventh person has been charged with participating in a scheme to smuggle teenagers into the U.S. and force them to work at an egg farm in central Ohio. The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that border patrol agents arrested Pablo Duran Ramirez on Saturday as he tried to cross the border between Mexico and the United States. Three others already have been convicted in the investigation that included the 2014 rescue of 10 young Guatemalans brought to work at the egg farm. Prosecutors say the teens were kept as virtual slave laborers.
YUBA CITY, Sutter County  With a sharp crack of the gavel, Preet Didbal made history this month as the first known Sikh woman in the nation to preside as a city mayor.

Didbal, 49, was elected to Northern Californias Yuba City council in 2014. The mayor is elected annually by the five-member council. Her rise to mayor was celebrated as a long-awaited affirmation of the Sikh communitys contributions in California.

Yuba Citys annual Sikh parade attracts upward of 100,000 visitors every November to honor the teachings of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, who preached the religions main tenets: Selfless service to others and the belief in one god who sees all people as equal.

The religious minority has an estimated 500,000 followers in the U.S. and 25 million worldwide, and Didbals ascension comes as Sikhs have made political inroads nationwide. But those gains have been accompanied by heightened discrimination since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Followers have faced violent, sometimes deadly, attacks by people who mistake Sikhs for Muslims, especially men who wear a customary turban and unshorn beard.

A single mother of a college freshman and political independent who has been registered as a no party preference voter for her entire adult life, Didbal took a challenging path to becoming mayor of the city where she was born in the late 1960s.

Its breaking barriers because as a Sikh woman, just in the general culture, we are subservient, even growing up, Didbal said. Say a son is born, theres all these festivities that happen. A girl is born, and its usually uh-oh.

As the daughter of farm workers who immigrated from Punjab region of India 50 years ago, Didbal talks about picking peaches alongside her parents and overcoming the cultural barriers faced by Sikh women, particularly after she was raped as a young woman. She earned a bachelors degree in physical education and a masters of business administration on her way to jobs at the state Department of Corrections and State Compensation Insurance Fund, where she currently works.

She ran as an independent because of all of the stuff thats going on right now  the divide ... Are you serving the people or are you serving your personal agendas? Are you being rubber stamped into a party? I certainly dont want to be rubber stamped.

Our biggest thing as Sikhs is to serve our community. Its called seva. My goal is that every day when I go home and go to bed and put my head on the pillow, everything I had done during the day has been in good faith and a good heart.

Phil Willon is a Los Angeles Times writer.
WASHINGTON  American lives are shorter on average than those in other wealthy nations and the gap is growing ever wider, according to the latest data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As recently as 1979, the typical American could expect to live roughly 1.5 years longer than the average resident of one of the other countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development  a group of 35 wealthy, predominately Western nations.

The typical American baby born in 1979 could expect to live about 73.9 years, while the typical baby born in one of the other 34 OECD countries would live roughly to age 72.3.

But by 2015 that gap had flipped. The average American born that year could expect to live a little less than 79 years, while the typical baby born in an OECD country had an expected life span of nearly 81 years.

In 2016, U.S. life expectancy dropped for the second year in a row, a statistical event that hasnt happened since the early 1960s.

The United States remains one of the wealthiest countries in the world. So what happened?

We can start with our health-care system. We spend thousands of dollars more per capita on health care than any other country in the world, but in return we live shorter lives than people in most other rich nations.

While the care itself is generally quite good, access to it remains spotty: the U.S. is the only OECD country without some sort of universal health-care coverage and, as a result, millions of Americans currently have no form of health insurance.

Violence is also taking a toll on our life expectancy. Americans are still more likely to be murdered than people in nearly any other rich nations.

The United States also stands out for the stinginess of our social safety net relative to other rich countries.

The U.S. is the only high-income country in the world that does not mandate paid maternity leave.

Ditto for sick leave and vacation time.

Housing assistance in the U.S. is minimal, relative to other wealthy nations.

Because the American tax code is more generous to the wealthy than tax systems in other rich countries, U.S. income inequality is among the highest in the OECD.

Christopher Ingraham is a Washington Post writer.
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A Dallas woman is facing felony charges after police say she destroyed at least $300,000 worth of sculptures and original paintings - including two original Andy Warhol works - at the River Oaks home of well-known Houston trial lawyer Anthony Buzbee.

Lindy Lou Layman, 29, was charged Saturday with felony criminal mischief in the incident, Houston police said in court documents. Police allege that Layman threw two abstract sculptures and destroyed three original paintings at Buzbee's mansion. She was released on $30,000 bond.

In court, prosecutors said Layman was on a first date with Buzbee, according to KHOU-TV.

Buzbee told police he called Layman an Uber after she became intoxicated, the news station reported, after which she refused to leave and hid inside the home.

The suspect allegedly tore down two original Andy Warhol paintings each worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, the news station reported. Police said she also poured some sort of liquid on some of the paintings.

Layman's LinkedIn profile says she has worked as a freelance court reporter.

Buzbee is a high-profile attorney who successfully defended former Texas Gov. Rick Perry in an abuse-of-power case.

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He hosted a fundraiser at his multimillion-dollar home in June 2016 for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, though he later said he was "completely" done with Trump's candidacy after a 2005 video of Trump bragging about groping woman surfaced that fall. Buzbee said in October 2016 that he planned to write in veteran Dan Moran on his ballot.

Buzbee later donated $500,000 to Trump's inauguration committee, Law.com reported in April.

He also raised more than $100,000 for Houston mayoral candidate Adrian Garcia during a fundraiser at the home in 2014.

Buzbee's landmark victory came in 2009, when he won $100 million for Texas City residents affected by toxic discharge from the local BP plant. It was heralded as the largest verdict ever against the oil giant, winning Buzbee much acclaim. A federal judge cut the award by $99 million months later.

His home, which was listed for $14 million before he bought it, "includes five wood-burning fireplaces, a 17th Century French mantle, limestone floors, mahogany ceiling beams and a slate roof that was cut in Spain."

It set a record for a single-family home sale when Buzbee purchased it in 2013. Buzbee said he paid cash for the house but was reluctant to disclose the final sales price.

"I'm all about setting records, but I'm not sure this is one I should be proud of or not," he told the Houston Chronicle at the time. "All I'll say is the owner wasn't budging that much."

Last year, outgoing Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson personally dismissed a drunken-driving case against Buzbee, who was arrested in March 2016 for misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.

Robert Downen is a metro crime reporter at the Houston Chronicle. Send him news tips at robert.downen@chron.com or follow him on Twitter.
Before the Luxor casino in Las Vegas was even a twinkle in a developer's eye, Henderson, NV, architect Harry Wilson was busy building his dream home. The resulting twin pyramids built by Wilson were described by the Las Vegas Sun as "a giant discarded Madonna bra, one pointy side larger than the other." To be fair, the Sun article is from 1996, so the reference was timely.

Wilson's pyramid house juts out on a residential street, and has three bedrooms and two baths in 2,887 square feet of space.

Inspired by a trip to Egypt, Wilson started construction on his pyramids in 1981. The similarities to Egypt's marvels aren't simply superficial. According to the Sun, the pitch of the roof is the same as the great pyramid at Cheops (52 degrees), the home faces true north just like Egypt's pyramids, and the bedroom is proportionally where the king's chamber would lie.

Back of pyramids realtor.com

So how does living in a pyramid even work? Listing agent Brad Whiting explains that from the inside, the pyramid feels like a relatively traditional house.

The master bedroom is upstairs, along with a bathroom and small sitting room. The bedroom ceiling used to go all the way to the tip of the pyramid (which lights up, naturally) until Wilson and his wife started to feel weird about all the space above them and installed a translucent ceiling. Wilson also put stained glass in the upper windows of the pyramid, so that when the sun rises in the morning one window's scene is projected on the tall bedroom wall, and as the sun sets, the other scene is visible.

Stained glass in master bedroom realtor.com

Downstairs, where the two other bedrooms are located, the walls are squared off below the windows, creating angled storage areasand keeping wall angles from steeply sloping.

"You'd have to have an extra-long broom handle to sweep that," jokes Whiting.

The downstairs also features a living room, dining room, family room, and kitchen. The second pyramid houses a two-car garage. There's a covered porch, several balconies, and a pool.

"It's been a very unusual listing," says Whiting, and not just because of the home's shape. The property, which was listed at $425,000, is currently in a contingency contract to a family with two special-needs kids who fell in love with the offbeat dwelling.

"The couple that wanted to buy the house got in touch and let us know they were interested but needed to wait for some money to come through before closing," he explains.

Living room realtor.com

Their two children use wheelchairs, and the layout of the house was perfect for them.

"They thought it would be a neat experience for the kids," he says. The angled storage spaces of the pyramid's base are the perfect size for the kiddos to use as hiding spaces and clubhouses.

The home is a famous locally, and the prospective buyers were excited to be able to give their kids a unique place to live.

"The owners are really great people, and they agreed to let the family live in the house until they can close," he said. "Real estate is so much more than buying and selling. It's more than just a house. Its peoples lives."

Whiting adds this deal was "a perfect matching of the right buyer with the right seller, and it ended up being a great thing."

The post Don't Miss the Completely Bonkers Double Pyramid House in Henderson, NV appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Budget airlines may not be the most comfortable way to get from one place to another, but it's hard to knock them when they're offering one-way fares to iconic European destinations for roughly the cost of two nosebleed seats at a Warriors game.

Norwegian Airlines, a low-cost carrier that's also the third-largest airline in Europe (in terms of passengers), is preparing to kick off the new year with a massive sale on many of its routes between the United States and European points of interest.
It may lack the Botticellis, Guccis and touristic icons of Venice, Florence or Rome, but Sicily still packs a punch.

This island, which is a little smaller than Massachusetts, is home to some of Europes most important ancient Greek sites, the most active volcano in Europe and some of Italys most intriguing architecture and tastiest food.

While part of Italy, Sicily really is a world apart. Midway between Africa and Europe in the middle of the Mediterranean, over the past 2,500 years its been ruled by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and Spaniards. Its complicated past makes it distinct  with spicier food, a more festive lifestyle and people who are Sicilian first, Italian second. Italian Americans have a special bond with the island  almost one-third of all Italians who arrived in the U.S. between 1880 and 1930 were from Sicily.

This past spring, I found Sicily had changed quite a bit since my last visit. Years ago, I considered Palermo, the capital city, seedy and sketchy. My latest visit demolished my lingering Mafia images. The city is still gritty and colorful, yet its bustling center feels safe and trendy. Quattro Canti, the fountain-filled intersection of Palermos two main thoroughfares, is a fine focal point to a pedestrian area where people enjoy their evening passeggiata (walk). As I strolled, I found that thriving marketplaces abound in the morning and squares in nearly every neighborhood are lively and inviting after dark.

The Cathedral of Monreale (just outside of Palermo), one of Sicilys greatest art treasures, is something that hasnt changed. Though dedicated to the Virgin Mary, this massive church was built to show off the power of the Norman King William II. Famous for its exquisite 12th- and 13th-century mosaics, each panel tells a story: Adam and Eve being tempted by the serpent, angels climbing Jacobs ladder and Noah building his arc.

Palermo also offers a great bone experience  skull and shoulders above anything else youll find in Europe. Its Capuchin crypt is a subterranean gallery filled with 8,000 bodies without souls. For centuries, people would line up to be not buried here. They would actually choose their niche in death and even stand there getting to know their macabre neighborhood. Then, when they died, dressed in their Sunday best, this is where they would end up.

On this years trip, I made a point of exploring the entire island. On the west coast, I sailed through salt flats and across a lagoon to the humble little island of Mozia. This salt-making region was a Carthaginian stronghold centuries before Christ, and you can still see Carthaginian ruins amid Roman ruins: Here, like elsewhere on the island, youll enjoy many layers of history.

Near Sicilys south coast is Agrigento, with its Valley of the Temples  the largest, best-preserved collection of ancient Greek buildings outside of Greece. Its top temple rivals the Parthenon  not a surprise, since Agrigento was one of the richest Greek colonies and a thriving democracy 2,500 years ago.

One of Sicilys most famous sights is Taormina, a spectacular resort city on the east coast. Hanging high above the sea, with handy cable car access to the beach, its long been the islands romantic cliffside haunt of aristocrats at play. Taorminas setting impressed the ancient Greeks, probably more for its strategic location than the view. Its Greek-Roman theater must be the most dramatically situated theater from the ancient world, and it still hosts open-air concerts. (Paul Simon, Tony Bennett and Elton John have performed here.)

Nearby looms Mount Etna  at nearly 11,000 feet, its Europes biggest volcano. Its anything but extinct  a serious eruption comes about every three years. On my visit, a gondola swept me up into a barren land of spent lava flows. At the edge of the volcano, I surveyed the landscape: The flows seemed to rumble like big black buffalo toward Sicilys teeming second city, Catania. In the distance, a crescent beach stretched all the way to Taormina. And to my right was the hazy, high and harsh interior. In a vineyard on the slopes of this steaming volcano, I was served a glass of full-bodied red wine by a woman who could have been Sophia Lorens younger cousin.

In addition to the wine, the food is what nearly all visitors rave about. The cuisine is Mediterranean and rich in seafood. Along with pasta, you may see couscous on the menu, a reminder that this island is just 100 miles from Tunisia. And for dessert: cannoli, which tastes best here in its homeland. Connoisseurs of cannoli insist on having one freshly filled  not with cream, but with sweetened ricotta cheese. I now know why they say, Holy cannoli.

Sicily, with a culture enriched by wave after wave of conquerors, is one of Europes most fascinating corners. I think of Sicily as Italy in the extreme. If you like Italy for its people, tempo and joy of living, youll love Sicily.

Rick Steves writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television. Email: rick@ricksteves.com
(NOTE: This post has been updated from a previous version.)

There's been a lot of confusion and uncertainty about what exactly the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will accept as a personal ID at airport checkpoints starting in January  but now the agency is backing off an earlier demand that some travelers would have to use passports instead of driver's licenses as soon as next month.

This week the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved that deadline to October 11, 2018 for states that are in non compliance with the new standards.

This means that if you have a driver's license from one of the yellow-colored non-compliant states on the DHS website, your license could only be good for air travel through October 11, 2018. If you live in a green-colored compliant state, you have until Oct 2020 to be sure you have a compliant ID.

DHS

Even if you currently have a drivers license in a compliant state, you may have to get a new one -- it depends on when your license was last renewed.

How do you know if you have a Real ID compliant license? You need to look for a gold star in the upper right hand corner of the license.

Here's an example from Wisconsin:

Previously, the TSA had suggested that those from states whose drivers licenses dont comply with the specific requirements of the federal Real ID Act would no longer have those licenses accepted as a form of ID at the airport starting January 22, 2018  and they would have to use something else, like a U.S. passport.

There was even some confusion about whether or not California's driver's licenses were compliant with the Real ID law, although they apparently are good at least through October 2020. At least that's what the California DMV website states. When we asked the California DMV for some clarification, a spokesperson said:

The California DMV will begin offering customers that option to apply for a REAL ID driver license or ID card on January 22, 2018. Once we issue the first REAL ID card, we will ask DHS to be deemed REAL ID compliant  which will occur before our extension date of October 10, 2018.

Californians can use valid California driver licenses or ID cards until October 1, 2020. After that date, they will either need a REAL ID driver license or ID card  or a passport or other federally accepted document.

The TSA is now saying that its enforcement of the Real ID law for drivers license IDs at the airport is being pushed back for those living in compliant states until October 1, 2020.

Chris McGinnis Travel Tips sponsored by: See More Collapse

Those with licenses from non-compliant states (or those that have not come into compliance) have until October 11, 2018 to get new licenses, or to begin traveling with another form of government ID such as a passport or several other options.

Like California, other non-compliant states could come into compliance between now and then, or be granted extensions.

So for now, sit tight. No immediate action is required-- and likely won't be until October 2020.

We'll continue to monitor and update on this important (and confusing) issue so stay tuned.

Chris McGinnis is a travel blogger and editor of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia  Undocumented Ethiopian migrants who are being forcibly deported from Saudi Arabia by the thousands in a new crackdown say they were mistreated by authorities while detained.

In interviews upon their arrival home, the returnees described beatings, theft and stays in dirty prison camps. Their accounts brought to light one of the worlds busiest and most dangerous migrant routes but one that remains overlooked amid the larger rush toward Europe.

Saudi Arabia, like other rich gulf nations, is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of people from impoverished East African nations like Ethiopia and Somalia. They pay traffickers for rides in boats across the narrow waters to Yemen, where they make their way by land through a war zone.

In August, traffickers heaved scores of migrants into the sea off Yemen, leaving more than 50 to drown. In March, more than 30 Somali migrants, including children, were killed  apparently in a helicopter gunship attack by a Saudi-led coalition at war in Yemen.

More than 111,500 migrants landed on Yemens shores last year, up from around 100,000 the year before, according to the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat. Those who make it to Saudi Arabia often find employment as domestic workers and farm workers, sending money to support families back home.

Saudi Arabias latest wave of deportations began Nov. 11 after several months of warnings by the government. Saudi authorities say the kingdom has detained around 250,000 people violating its residency laws in the crackdown, with approximately 50,000 already forcibly flown out of the country.

Of those who entered the country illegally, 72 percent were from Yemen and 26 percent were Ethiopians.

Those arriving home in Ethiopia described the process as jarring and unfair. The six who spoke at the airport in the capital, Addis Ababa, said they were robbed of their possessions by Saudi police officers who shared their money between them. Some of the returnees said they saw compatriots being shot and wounded when they tried to escape police roundups.

The prison cell I was put into was so dirty that some of us were severely sick. It was like a toilet, said Sadiq Ahmed, a former teacher who went to Saudi Arabia five years ago and was detained for 11 days before his deportation. As if this was not enough, we were robbed of our belongings. I came here with nothing. I know lots of people who went insane because of this torment.

Human Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle said that in interviews with dozens of Yemeni migrants in a previous Saudi crackdown in 2014, many described serious abuses during the process of detention and deportation, including attacks by security forces.

Saudi authorities did not respond to requests for comment.

Ethiopias government says more than 14,000 of its citizens have been deported since mid-November and 70,000 have returned voluntarily, but the International Organization Migration says the number that has left forcibly or voluntarily since the amnesty period ended in June has reached 96,000.

Saudi Arabia ordered all undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily in March, an order later extended until June. The majority of the migrants chose to remain and now face forced deportation.

Elias Meseret is an Associated Press writer.
MOSUL, Iraq  For nearly 2 miles along the western bank of the Tigris River, hardly a single building is intact. The warren of narrow streets of Mosuls Old City is a crumpled landscape of broken concrete and metal. Every acre is weighed down by more than 3,000 tons of rubble, much of it laced with explosives and unexploded ordnance.

It will take years to haul away the wreckage, and this is just one corner of the destruction. The Iraqi military and U.S.-led coalition succeeded in uprooting the Islamic State across the country, but the cost of victory is nearly incalculable.

Three years of war devastated much of northern and western Iraq. Baghdad estimates $100 billion is needed nationwide to rebuild. Local leaders in Mosul, the biggest city held by Islamic State, say that amount is needed to rehabilitate their city alone.

So far no one is offering to foot the bill. The Trump administration has told the Iraqis it wont pay for a huge reconstruction drive. Iraq hopes Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will step up, and Iran may also take a role. The United Nations is repairing some infrastructure in nearly two dozen towns and cities around Iraq, but funding for it is a fraction of what will be needed. As a result, much of the rebuilding that has happened has come from individuals using personal savings to salvage homes and shops as best they can.

Nearly every city or town in former Islamic State territory needs repair to one degree or another. The longer it takes, the longer many of those who fled Islamic State or the fighting remain uprooted. While 2.7 million Iraqis have returned to lands seized back from the militants, more than 3 million others cannot and they languish in camps. Worst hit is Mosul; the United Nations estimates 40,000 homes there need to be rebuilt or restored, and some 600,000 residents have been unable to return to the city, once home to around 2 million people.

Corruption and bitter sectarian divisions make things even harder. The areas with the worst destruction are largely Sunni, while the Baghdad government is Shiite-dominated. The fear is that if Sunni populations feel theyve been abandoned and left to fend for themselves in shattered cities, the resentment will feed the next generation of militants.

Susannah George and Lori Hinnant are Associated Press writers.
1 Syria conflict: Syrias Foreign Ministry says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supports terrorism and bears prime responsibility for the bloodshed in Syria. The ministry fired back after Erdogan on Wednesday called Syrian President Bashar Assad a terrorist who should have no part in Syrias post-conflict future. Erdogans comments came as Turkey, Russia and Iran are trying to advance peace efforts. Turkey is a supporter of the Syrian opposition, which says Assad should have no role in any future political transition. The Syrian government has adamantly rejected that demand.

2 Congo rebels: Ugandas military says its forces have killed more than 100 rebels in eastern Congo accused of carrying out the attack that left 15 U.N. peacekeepers dead earlier this month. The military said in a statement Wednesday that several other Allied Democratic Forces rebels were wounded in air and artillery raids. The military says the operation has been carried out from Ugandan territory and no Ugandan forces are on the ground in Congo. The Dec. 7 attack on a U.N. base that killed peacekeepers from Tanzania was the deadliest single assault on a peacekeeping mission in almost 25 years.
General Finance Ltd., a finance company registered as a Non-Bank Deposit Taker (NBDT) has been sold Corporate Holdings Limited, whose Managing Director is Mr Brent King.

Mr King said,  General Finance is a strong and well-respected name in the finance sector. The previous owners have built a solidly profitable finance company. When the opportunity arose to purchase General Finance we were interested in reviewing the business. After completing our investigation with Due Diligence we proceeded to negotiate a Sale and Purchase Agreement.The approval process for the change of ownership was robust and we obtained final approvals earlier this week.

Mr. King commented  This is a very interesting time in the market for finance companies. There clearly is market demand for the Investment and lending products. It is my view that a well-structured and well-capitalized Finance company will have significant opportunities in the current market. The changes to the legislation have changed the environment significantly and the reporting regime has given investors confidence. There is a shortage of medium term (1 to 3 years) investment opportunities. The short-term (less than 6 months) and the long-term opportunities (5 to 7 years) are well catered for. We see this is an opportunity for General Finance Ltd. General Finance Ltd.s lending policy is focused on residential property.

 We intend to review opportunities to allow us to grow the business and we expect to be able to advise progress in January. 

A Product Disclosure Statement for General Finance term deposits is available at General Finances offices on the Ground Floor, 638 Great South Road, Ellerslie, Auckland 1543 and can be obtained by phoning freephone; 0800 500 602.

For Further information:

Brent King

Chairman

Brent.King@irg.co.nz

021-632 660





Background

Brent King B.Com, C.A., R.F.A., is an Auckland based Investment Banker. He is the owner of Equity Investment Advisers Ltd, Money online Ltd and The business website www.sharechat.co.nz. He is part owner of Corporate Holdings Ltd. the new owner of General Finance Ltd and Investment Research Group Ltd, (The publisher of the IRG Yearbook which is now in its 43rd Issue. IRG is also an NZX and NXT sponsor).

Mr King setup Dorchester Pacific in 1988 and listed it in 1992. He was Managing Director for 17 years until he resigned in 2005, citing concerns about market practices in the sector at that time. Dorchester Pacific had assets of $480m at the time of Mr Kings resignation and held cash of in excess of $60m. Subsequent management took actions that Mr King criticized in the media.

Mr King has acted as Sponsor or adviser to some of New Zealands more innovative listings including 42 Below, Charlies, Finzsoft Solutions Ltd., Chow Group Ltd, Dorchester Pacific Ltd etc.





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The New Zealand dollar edged higher as the greenback remained out of favour in holiday trading, reinforcing demand for risk-sensitive assets such as commodities and currencies linked with raw materials.

The kiwi traded at 70.82 US cents as at 8am in Wellington from 70.75 cents yesterday. The trade-weighted index was at 74.02 from 74.07 yesterday.

The US Dollar Index slipped 0.5 percent as the greenback continued to underperform in the final stretch of 2017, stoking demand for risk-sensitive assets such as the euro and pushing up commodity prices including oil, gold and copper. That underpinned support for commodity-linked currencies such as the kiwi dollar, which is trading near a two-month high during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

"The euro has been the big gainer and commodity prices have benefited from the weak US dollar," said Stuart Ive, senior dealer foreign exchange at OMF in Wellington. "We've seen gold, oil and copper all rise and that's dragged the kiwi along with it."

Ive said the local currency didn't break resistance levels overnight, rising as high as 70.98 US cents, and that it will stay in a holding pattern heading into the year-end, when institutional investors typically reassess their portfolio weightings.

Concerns about the impact of US tax reform may also be weighing on the greenback, although Ive said investors won't get a clear idea of its influence until 2018.

The local currency slipped to 59.24 euro cents from 59.39 cents yesterday after Italy set the path for a general election, expected to be in early March. The eurozone's third-biggest economy may face a hung parliament in the poll with growing support for the Five Star Movement, which wants a referendum on leaving the European Union.

The kiwi traded at 52.66 British pence from 52.72 pence yesterday and decreased to 79.92 yen from 80.05 yen. It was little changed at 90.85 Australian cents from 90.89 cents yesterday and declined to 4.6261 Chinese yuan from 4.6289 yuan .

(BusinessDesk)

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The graduation rate at the College of Staten Island (CSI) has lagged significantly behind the borough's other two universities, Wagner College and St. John's University.

A recent report, published by the Center for an Urban Future, found that just 52 percent of CSI students earned a bachelor's degree within six years, below the City University of New York (CUNY) average of 55 percent.

However, the rate may actually be even lower.

According to the CSI Office of Institutional Research, the six-year baccalaureate graduation rate is just 48 percent.

WAGNER COLLEGE

The six-year baccalaureate graduation rate at Wagner College is 64 percent, according to the school's website.

Wagner College acknowledged that several factors contribute to its high graduation rate, noting that class size and student-teacher ratio as two of the major driving forces.

"Nearly two-thirds of our classes (62 percent) have fewer than 20 students, making it easy for students to work directly with professors on class material. And our student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1," said a Wagner College spokesperson.

ST. JOHN'S

Meanwhile, the St. John's Staten Island campus boasts a six-year baccalaureate graduation rate of 68 percent, according to a school spokesperson.

"The six-year graduation rate for students who study at St. John's Staten Island campus is a point of pride for the University as it outpaces the national average," said Jorge Rodriguez, vice provost and chief enrollment officer.

"However, we always look to improve upon academic outcomes -- which is in keeping with our highly personalized focus to ensure student success," he continued.

ADVISER-TO-STUDENT RATIO

The Center for an Urban Future report cited a poor ratio of full-time advisers to students as a possible reason for the low graduation rate at CSI, claiming one full-time adviser per 940 students.

The college refutes this claim, stating that there is one academic adviser per 424 students, according to the CSI Office of Institutional Research.

"The ratios of professional academic adviser to student are only one metric in a complex system of student support at a college," said Ralf M. Peetz, associate provost, Undergraduate Studies and Student Success.

"What is not captured in that number are professional counselors and faculty who help students make decisions along their journey as well," he continued.

Peetz went on to explain that CSI uses a mixed model with professional advisers providing guidance in early years and general support throughout, while departmental faculty in the student's discipline take over advising in later years.

"These faculty advisers help students make difficult decisions about choosing and sequencing elective courses that align with the degree requirements and potential future employment opportunities," Peetz said.

He also referenced the fact that CSI was selected by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, through the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, to participate in a national group of universities considered to be leaders in best practices surrounding student success.

"This group, called the Frontier Set, receives generous funding and other support to improve metrics around student success even further by focusing on areas of high impact and best practice," said Peetz.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Erica Garner, the activist daughter of Eric Garner, "is close to death, but still showing her fighting spirit," according to the New York Daily News.

She remained on life support as of Thursday morning, her mother Esaw Snipes told the News.

The website amended an earlier report that she was brain dead with no hope of recovery after Garner's official Twitter account, which has been operated by a worker since she was stricken, disputed that information.

I know that the @NYDailyNews didn't get their information from anyone that heard it straight from a doctors mouth because only one person was in the room when the results were read. That person was me. I called each family member. So they are reporting 3 person hearsay.  officialERICA GARNER (@es_snipes) December 28, 2017

"We got the wrong information, she's not gone," Snipes told the News. "She's still here with us. She just needs some time to heal, that's it.

Her Twitter account stated Wednesday night that a "cat scan shows Erica suffered major brain damage from a lack of oxygen while in cardiac arrest. Please continue to pray hard for Erica and pray for her family and kids just as much."

The 27-year-old was put into a medically-induced coma after going into cardiac arrest Saturday night, which was brought on by an asthma attack, her family has said in media interviews and on social media.

Garner's father, Eric Garner, died while he was being arrested in Tompkinsville for allegedly selling loose cigarettes in 2014.

She became an outspoken and sometimes controversial activist following his death, holding marches and speaking often to the media about her father's case.

This was the second heart attack Garner experienced since the birth of her second child four months ago, named after her father.

She suffered her first heart attack after the delivery and doctors believe the pregnancy stressed her already enlarged heart, according to the News.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - An Annadale resident was arrested in New Jersey after he allegedly obtained employment with a public entity using a fraudulent address.

Anthony Savino, 52, of Newton Street, was arrested Friday after an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Financial Crime Unit.

Authorities initially received a complaint from Savino's employer, the Bergen County Utilities Authority, in October because they believed that Savino obtained employment at the establishment utilizing a bogus New Jersey address, a Bergen County Prosecutor's Office press release states.

At the time of Savino's application, New Jersey Civil Service employment regulations required applicants to maintain their primary residence in New Jersey.

Prosecutors allege that in 2013 Savino obtained a New Jersey driver's license using a fraudulent mailing address in Bergen County even though, at the time, he lived on Staten Island.

Using this fraudulent license, Savino applied for the Bergen County Utilities Authority and received employment, and changed his residency to a second fraudulent address in Bergen County this past November, prosecutors allege.

Because of his employment, Savino applied for and received health insurance benefits by completing an insurance application using the fraudulent address, according to the release.

Savino was arrested in Paramus, N.J., and given a summons.

Following his release, Savino was turned over to the Port Authority Police Department because of an unrelated matter, the press release states.

According to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, Savino was wanted by the PAPD and had a total of 343 E-ZPass violations. He allegedly wracked up more than $21,000 in unpaid tolls and fees on an account he had access to -- $4,912 in tolls and another $17,015 in fees, a Port Authority Police spokesman said.

Savino was charged by Bergen County prosecutors with one count of insurance fraud and one count of falsifying records, the press release states.

He was released and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 10.

Savino was also charged by the PAPD and issued a summons for one count of theft of services and is scheduled to appear in court on that matter on Jan. 5.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In a peaceful procession down New Dorp Lane to Rep. Daniel Donovan's office, about 25 DREAMers and their supporters recently joined in prayerful song to urge Congress to pass a clean Dream Act.

Sponsored by the Staten Island Youth Immigrant Leadership, the gathering --which took place a couple of days before Christmas -- was referred to as a "Posada."

Meaning "inn" in Spanish, Posadas are ritual re-enactments of Mary and Joseph's search for a place to sleep and give birth to Jesus in Bethlehem. They're traditionally held in Mexico and other Latin American countries around Christmas time.

The recent Posada was meant to remind Congress to not be like the innkeepers who turned Mary and Joseph away, but to welcome DREAMers into the country they call home, said the Rev. Terry Troia, president and CEO of Project Hospitality.

"We need to be generous and not close the door," she said.

Undocumented immigrants aided by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are often referred to as DREAMers, a term that comes from the proposed Dream Act, first introduced in 2001, which offered legal status for those who attended college or joined the military. While the latest version of the Dream Act was voted down in the Senate in 2010, the name DREAMers continues to be used.

President Donald Trump repealed DACA in September, leaving thousands of DREAMers on Staten Island and worldwide worried about being forced to leave the only country they know.

"These kids pledged allegiance to the flag on the first day of kindergarten. They know themselves as Americans," Troia said. "We need to love these kids as Americans."

The procession to Donovan's office was meant to thank him for his support thus far, but to urge him and other members of Congress to pass a clean Dream Act.

"Congressman Donovan has been an advocate for immigrant communities, but of course we want him to do more," said marcher Caesar Vargas.

A spokesman for Donovan said the congressman believes it's time to finally tackle the issue.

"Congressman Donovan, President Trump, and Speaker Ryan have consistently said they plan to fix DACA. The president gave Congress until March to find a solution. Politicians have kicked the can down the road on immigration for a decade, and Congressman Donovan believes it's time for the political courage to finally tackle this issue," he said. "Importantly, that includes border security, because reform is pointless if we don't stop illegal entries."

After singing religious hymns in Spanish, the marchers stopped in front of Donovan's New Dorp office, as a handful came forward to speak about the importance of a clean Dream Act in both English and Spanish.

"I feel heartbroken for America. It's the land of opportunity and they're hurting hundreds and hundreds of children and families who are here to not only dream, but to fight for equality, for everybody -- not just for one race, not just one family," said Guadalupe Alvarez, a DREAMer who has been active with Immigrant Youth since eighth grade.

Vargas, New York's first openly undocumented lawyer, also spoke out to fellow supporters, saying that Staten Island is different than what some people may think it is, as a typically conservative political area. He was inspired by his fellow marchers who bravely shared their stories on New Dorp Lane.

"Staten Island is undergoing a political change. This is a borough where everyone is welcome," he said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Erica Garner, the activist daughter of Eric Garner, suffered "major brain damage" after suffering an apparent heart attack, according to updates being posted on her Twitter account.

The 27-year-old was put into a medically-induced coma after going into cardiac arrest Saturday night, which was brought on by an asthma attack, her family has said in media interviews and on social media.

She remains in critical condition in a Brooklyn hospital.

Her official Twitter account, which has more than 35,000 followers and has been operated by "a worker" since she was stricken, posted the following update Wednesday night:

"Cat scan shows Erica suffered major brain damage from a lack of oxygen while in cardiac arrest. Please continue to pray hard for Erica and pray for her family and kids just as much."

The woman's father, Eric Garner, died while he was being arrested in Tompkinsville for allegedly selling loose cigarettes in 2014.

Erica Garner became a vocal and sometimes controversial activist following his death, holding marches and speaking often to the media about her father's case.

A mother of two, she gave birth to a son four months ago and named the boy after her father. However, she suffered her first heart attack after the delivery and doctors believe the pregnancy stressed her already enlarged heart, according to the New York Daily News.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Library of Congress has decided to stop saving every single public tweet starting in the new year.

The Library said in a statement it will continue to acquire tweets on a "very selective basis under the overall guidance provided in the Library's Collections Policy Statements and associated documents."

Tweets collected and archived will be thematic and event-based, including important events such as elections, or themes of national interest.

The decision was made as Twitter expands and continues to make ongoing changes, such as: expanding its tweet limit word counts; the volume of tweets being sent; and that tweets are more visual than textual.

The Library only collects tweets that are textual-based.

The Library of Congress has been collecting every single public tweet for the past 12 years, when it signed an agreement with Twitter providing the public tweet text from the company's inception in 2006 through April 2010.

Twitter then agreed to provide tweets on an ongoing basis under the same terms.

"The Library saw an opportunity to document the emergence of online social media for future generations," the Library wrote in a statement. "Its first objectives were to acquire and preserve the 2006-10 archive; to establish a secure, sustainable process for receiving and preserving a daily, ongoing stream of tweets through the present day; and to create a structure for organizing the entire archive by date."

The Library of Congress said it will work to preserve the Twitter collection for future generations.

"The Twitter Archive may prove to be one of this generation's most significant legacies to future generations," the Library of Congress wrote. "Future generations will learn much about this rich period in our history, the information flows, and social and political forces that help define the current generation."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A newly proposed plan calls for a significant increase in speed cameras throughout the city to reduce bus and subway fares for some riders.

On Thursday, the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), a group that caucuses with Republicans, is expected to announce its two-point Rider Relief Plan to reduce fares and improve the city's subway system through the expansion of speed cameras and the use of NYC sales tax revenue.

SPEED CAMERAS

The plan calls for the expansion of speed cameras within school zones, which the current law caps at 140 school zones throughout the city.

The IDC is looking to expand this program to install speed cameras outside all schools, including charter and parochial schools, bringing the city total between 1,000 and 1,400 school zones.

Once fully operational, the expanded program is anticipated to generate $425 million to $500 million annually, a significant increase from the $59 million generated in fiscal year 2016.

The IDC plans to use the money generated by the expanded speed cameras program to fund fare relief for MTA riders.

The group acknowledges that the program will take some time to get up and running, and has developed a three-phase fare relief plan that will grow alongside the camera program.

PHASE 1: 'FAIR FARES'

The IDC would use revenue generated from the first round of newly installed cameras to implement a "Fair Fares" program.

This would allow those living under the poverty line to purchase MetroCards at a reduced price.

The program would be similar to the existing reduced fare program for seniors (65 and older) and individuals with qualifying disabilities.

The IDC anticipates that the participation rate in this program would be approximately 361,000 riders, and would cost the MTA $194 million in lost revenue.

The program would cost an estimated $115 million to start, which would be funded by the first round of revenue generated by the expanded speed cameras program.

It would then be funded long-term by the continued revenue being generated by the new speed cameras.

PHASE 2: REDUCED EXPRESS BUS FARE

The IDC acknowledged many residents' dependence on expensive express bus routes, particularly those living in outer boroughs.

Currently, the express bus costs $6.50 per ride.

The IDC proposes using excess revenue generated from the expanded speed cameras program to cut the fares of express bus routes by as much as half.

The anticipated annual cost of reducing the express bus fare would be approximately $110 million.

PHASE 3: FREEZING FARE INCREASES

Finally, the IDC is calling for the MTA to freeze its next fare hike, which is slated for 2019.

The MTA currently has fare hikes set for 2019 and 2021, continuing its 4 percent biennial increase.

The IDC is calling for the MTA to freeze the 2019 toll hike, which would cost approximately $188 million, and supplement that money with revenue generated from newly installed speed cameras in 2019.

SUBWAY IMPROVEMENT

The second point of the IDC's Rider Relief Plan calls for the use of New York City sales tax to fund the city's half of the first part of the MTA's NYC Subway Action plan.

The MTA plan, developed by MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota this past summer, was designed to provide immediate relief to subway riders within a year's time.

Implementing the first phase will cost approximately $863 million, with the MTA willing to front half ($431.5 million), and looking for the city to cover the other half.

However, Mayor Bill de Blasio has been unwilling to cover the second half of the project, claiming that state deductions from MTA finances are the cause of the agency's lack of repair funds.

The IDC has proposed taking money generated by New York City sales tax to fund the city's half of the project.

The $431.5 million required would only amount to about 6 percent of New York City's generated sales tax, which totals approximately $7 billion annually.

The IDC also noted that New York City had a budget surplus of $4 billion in 2017, $310 million above the de Blasio administration's forecast for the year.

State Sen. Diane Savino, a member of the IDC, was supportive of the Rider Relief Plan's proposed use of the New York City sales taxes to fund improvements to the subway system.

"Our transportation system is in need of immediate repair, and it makes sense to fund the most urgent problems now with money pledged by the MTA and a small fraction of dedicated funds from the city's sales tax," said Savino.

"This plan deals with the most critical needs and will utilize funds that are here, not go in search of a pot of gold that may never materialize," Savino continued.

According to Savino, the New York State Senate was close to passing legislation to expand speed cameras within school zones during their last session.

"If the city and state are going to collect these fines, they should be used to keep fares down," said Savino.

The senator went on to discuss the MTA's proposed fare increases set to take place in 2019 and 2021.

"It's unfair to riders, it's unfair to drivers and it's unfair to Staten Islanders, in particular, to keep getting hit with toll hikes," she continued.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet to see the IDC's Rider Relief Plan, and, according to a spokesperson, is awaiting to view proposals from the Fix NYC advisory panel to "...reduce gridlock, cut emissions and provide a dedicated funding stream to mass transit."

The mayor's office could not be reached for comment.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police responded to an incident involving a car that occurred on Mosel Avenue in Grasmere at approximately 3:30 p.m.

A heavy police presence was noted on the block and a car was seen crashed through a chain link fence in front of 349 Mosel Ave.

The car sustained damage to its front end and the airbags were deployed, however, it is unclear if there are any injuries at this time.

The homeowner of the location stated that he "heard a boom," came outside "and then saw this," referring to the car slammed through his fence, nearly resting on his front step.

An NYPD spokesman was not able to immediately provide information about the incident.

This is a breaking news story. More details will be posted when they become available.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island cop who was accused of shoplifting from a Banana Republic store in Manhattan has quit the force, according to a report by the New York Post.

Sgt. Tamas Balatoni, 49, a 20-year veteran of the force who served as a driver for Assistant Chief Edward Delatorre, the borough's top-ranking police official, was not arrested or charged in the incident, but had been placed on modified duty and stripped of his badge and gun.

Balatoni was accused of switching price tags on clothing at the popular retailer located at 552 Broadway on Thursday night, police said.
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Bentley Suites owners will write to the ACT government following a tense meeting to discuss alleged fire safety breaches at the apartments.

Residents were recently told about the discovery of steel beams at the Forrest apartment complex that allegedly breached building codes because of "greatly reduced fire resistance levels".

Bentley Suites unit owner Peter Fiegehen has previously spoken out about issues within the building. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Engineers found the beams would be resistant to fire for just 10 to 15 minutes, rather than the 120 minutes that was required at the time they were installed, according to a letter sent to residents in late November by the building's executive committee.

A general meeting was held with residents on December 20 to discuss the possibility of taking legal action against the ACT government.
The year that was in the visual arts may be best summed up as the year in which the arts were forced to make do with less.

The public cultural institutions have not recovered from the so-called "productivity dividend cuts" imposed by the Abbott-Turnbull governments with staff cuts and cuts to exhibitions and public programs.

The commercial art galleries are surviving in an economic climate where many art collectors and the occasional art buyers are living within tighter economic constraints and are spending less on art than in previous years.

A friendly accountant, who has many artists on his books, told me that he had never seen it so tough before for the visual arts.

Nevertheless, outstanding art exhibitions have been held in the nation's capital and here is a list of five highlights for the year.
Esque residents have been left in the dark as the property's developer moves into administration, says the real estate company selling units inside the building.

The M and A Group property development company was placed under administration earlier this month, according to documents filed with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission.

The Esque building on the corner of Flemington Road and Manning Clark Crescent in Franklin. Credit:Rohan Thomson

The company responsible for selling apartments inside the Esque building, the Independent Property Group (IPG), said it was aware of a number of complaints from residents.

"We are working with buyers in documenting any defects - major and minor - and passing these on to the developer/ builder for either urgent rectification or maintenance depending on the issue," IPG project manager Jack Mason said.
Bitcoin fell as much as 11 per cent to as low as $US13,500 as of 2:02 p.m. in New York, erasing modest gains after the South Korean release, composite Bloomberg pricing shows. It's now down 30 per cent from the record $US19,511 it reached on December 18.

The latest blow to the world's biggest cryptocurrency came from South Korea, where the government said it was eyeing options for stamping out a frenzy of speculation, including a potential shutdown of at least some exchanges.

Bitcoin resumed its slide Thursday, dipping below $US14,000 as the cryptocurrency's dizzying drop from a record set 10 days ago intensified.

Bitcoin's plunge comes after futures contracts started trading on CME Group's exchange, giving investors new ways to bet on the digital coin's price moves.

The news from South Korea unnerved traders because the country has been ground zero for a global surge in interest in bitcoin as its rally this year reached 1,600 per cent, prompting the nation's prime minister to worry over the impact on Korean youth.

South Korea has been ground zero for a global surge in interest in bitcoin as its rally this year reached 1,600 per cent Credit:AP

While there's no indication Asia's No. 4 economy will shutter exchanges that have accounted by some measures for more than a fifth of global trading, the news is a warning as regulators express concerns about private digital currencies.

South Korea will require real-name cryptocurrency transactions and impose a ban on the offering of virtual accounts by banks to crypto-exchanges, according to a statement from the Office for Government Policy Coordination.
The owner of brands including Freedom Furniture and Best & Less has hired financial advisers specialising in helping distressed companies, but says it remains profitable despite problems at its parent company.

Steinhoff Asia Pacific said the appointment of Minter Ellison and Ferrier Hodgson to provide legal, financial and corporate advice was supported by its local lenders and was a "prudent step" while Steinhoff International Holdings worked through "significant uncertainty".

Steinhoff Asia Pacific owns brands including Fantastic Furniture, Freedom, Snooze and Harris Scarfe. Credit:Louie Douvis

"Steinhoff Asia Pacific and its business are not in distress and are trading normally," the company said in a statement on Thursday.

Steinhoff International's chief executive, Markus Jooste, stepped down earlier this month after the company said it had launched an investigation into accounting irregularities.
Five years ago, the Labor government started giving universities a bag of money for every undergraduate they enrolled  with few limits. This sparked a five-year feeding frenzy in higher education that only ended in mid-December when the Turnbull government announced it would reimpose caps on publicly funded undergraduate places.

The 'uncapped era' had benefits and costs. It widened access by bringing in people who in the 20th century would not have gone anywhere near a university. This presented pedagogical challenges for those of us teaching 'first-in-family'/ working class/ minority students, but university managements have generally not provided sufficient resources to allow us to meet these challenges.

Minister for Education Simon Birmingham. Credit:AAP

Rather than employing more staff to deal with increased student numbers, they cut corners while telling the world they had "improved productivity". This meant casualising and outsourcing teaching work, cutting face-to-face hours or replacing them with online. Many of the new students have been short-changed and this is reflected in the drastic increase in the numbers of those who fail to complete their degrees.

Although they all deny diminishing the quality of education, vice-chancellors frequently complain that higher education has for a long time been underfunded, notwithstanding the uncapping of places. This is true. Despite the misgivings of conservative politicians about the ballooning costs of higher education, public funding for Australian universities is less, as a proportion of GDP, than almost any OECD nation. And universities receive much less per student today than was the case 20 years ago.
Amid the buzzing media commentary of the commission's wrap-up, the Defence Department announced a revised defence reparation scheme for its own abuse survivors. It offers a second chance to the many survivors who missed out under the first defence abuse response taskforce scheme, which closed in November 2013.

But on that same Friday afternoon that the commission's findings were released, I received an email from the Defence Ombudsman that gave me renewed hope for survivors.

But I secretly worried that now that the commission's blowtorch was taken off them, the institutions might slowly revert to their old ways. I worried because it is now up to the institutions and the government to act on the recommendations. The baton has been passed to them and we must now wait to see how they respond.

December was momentous for survivors of historic sexual abuse in the Australian Defence Force and not just because it marked the official close of the royal commission. A few Fridays ago, when the report was handed to Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, we celebrated the fact that survivors had finally had their stories heard.

The problem with the original scheme was that very few survivors knew it existed. I know many survivors from institutions such as HMAS Leeuwin, Nerimba, Cerberus and Balcombe who have been living with the horrors of child abuse and who were simply unaware of any such process.

It's promising that, on the same day the commission ended, we saw one institution step up immediately and effectively say: "We have already tried once to reach out to survivors of abuse but maybe we could have done better, so we're going to give it another crack." It's not something that institutional leaders struggling with systemic abuse issues have often been seen doing to date.

By reopening a scheme for these abuse survivors (and making it less restrictive by removing the age restrictions on when the abuse happened), something much more than just "a scheme" has been created. It is renewed hope. Not only for ADF survivors, but for all survivors, because it says that our institutions are capable and willing to step up.

Under the defence reparation scheme, survivors will be able to start receiving payments from early 2018 and they'll have a lot of time to think about it. In fact, they'll have until June 30, 2021 to lodge a complaint and apply for a payment. That gives survivors a lot more time than the old scheme did, which Defence has learnt a lot from how that scheme was administered.

Defence abuse survivors will be able to apply for up to $45,000 for the most serious forms of abuse or up to $20,000 to acknowledge other abuse. It's important to draw the distinction here between reparation and compensation. This is not compensation but a reparation amount, so it doesn't affect any other entitlements, nor will it compromise any rights the survivor may have.
The Institute of Public Affairs has done well to highlight the way new laws have been eroding the basic rights of Australians over the past 12 months. The organisation's annual survey of laws passed this year, on which we reported this week, details 19 new infringements during 2017. Added to previous years' examples, this steady erosion has allowed, on the institute's calculation, 324 instances where federal laws breach basic rights and freedoms. Little by little our elected representatives are limiting our freedom of speech, reversing the onus of proof and the presumption of innocence, denying the right to silence, and undermining other foundations of democracy and the rule of law.

In the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, anti terrorism legislation has been a major source of such limits on ordinary freedoms. Freedom of speech in particular has been suppressed when reporting or commenting on cases, or allegations, of terrorist activity. Perhaps in response, there has been countervailing pressure to relax the limits on freedom of speech under the 1975 Racial Discrimination Act.

Commonwealth laws are not the only ones which breach rights and freedoms; state laws can too. Credit:James Davies

The Abbott government set up a Law Reform Commission inquiry into the ways Commonwealth laws encroach on traditional rights and freedoms. When it reported in 2016, the then Attorney-General, George Brandis, attempted to reform section 18C of the act, which prohibits actions which may "offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate" a person of a certain race, colour or national or ethnic origin. His hamfisted management of that legislation, however  including the famous claim in Parliament that people "have a right to be bigots"  turned a justifiable reform which enjoyed support across the political spectrum into a piece of obnoxious flag-waving, stranding it on the extreme right of politics where unfortunately it remains today.

With the collapse of that attempt to implement just one of the commission's many recommendations, any idea that other federal laws might be amended to reduce their effect on customary rights and freedoms also vanished. That effort should be revived.
I can't recall a politician ever revealing his or her new year's resolutions, unless it was exercising more, drinking less and promising to spend more time with their family.

They are the banal promises to the future I might make. But politicians have an obligation not just to themselves but also to those of us who vote for them.

Malcolm Turnbull's latest cabinet. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

So here's my wish list of what I would like politicians to do over the next 12 months: some specific requests of particular ministers; some general requests for all of them.

Kelly O'Dwyer, you're first. As you're the new Minister for Women, I'd like you to clean up the mess left behind by the previous two ministers. Neither Tony Abbott nor Michaelia Cash was able to make any inroads into the level of violence against women in Australia, nor even develop any policies that had a reduction as a possible outcome. Pressure your colleagues to restore the women's budget. The serious process of looking at the budget through a gender lens was dumped by Paul Keating when he was prime minister but, as Marie Coleman of the National Foundation for Australian Women points out, successive governments continued to produce women's budget statements until 2014, when Abbott killed even those off.
Swift, however, also encountered backlash for glossing over current events during a grueling, divisive year in which it has been impossible to avoid politics in pop culture. Even chatter in her new app, the Swift Life, reportedly quickly devolved into a political debate with President Donald Trump supporters on the platform.

But Swift herself is constantly criticised for not taking a political stance, as she didn't endorse a candidate in the presidential election. Many were disappointed that she simply tweeted about the Women's March in January instead of attending, despite using feminism to fuel her brand over the years. The American Civil Liberties Union sent her a harsh letter after her legal team threatened to sue a blogger who wrote a convoluted post about Swift not publicly denouncing the white supremacists who continue to support her.

So Swift's "tone-deaf" Instagram was apparently the tipping point for some. The caption could have just been a few quick sentences that she fired off on her birthday - but Swift is nothing if not strategic. Although she has hit some road bumps in her image management, thanks to some well-publicised feuds with the likes of Calvin Harris and Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West, Swift has typically been very deliberate about what she says and how she says it.

She is clearly aware that the public wants her to open up about some of these issues. She's the type of star who knows what people say about her; the entire music video for Look What You Made Me Do tackles every bit of mockery lobbed her way. Yet Swift won't address anything controversial, and she also won't put herself in a situation where she could be asked. She hasn't given an in-person interview in well over a year, and her only TV spots during the Reputation launch were performances or scripted skits.

It appears, however, that Swift has no plans to address anything. As her Instagram post emphasised, in a photo where she's performing hit songs to packed arena, it doesn't seem to matter.
An escalating dispute over "iconic views" of Sydney Harbour from James Packer's planned $2 billion Crown casino resort at Barangaroo and nearby apartments proposed by developer Lendlease is threatening to boil over into the courts.

Crown has permission to build a 71-storey casino, hotel and apartment complex at Barangaroo South, while Lendlease is set to construct three high-rise residential towers on the same site.

But the companies are understood to be furious about a push for increased building heights at neighbouring Barangaroo Central that they feel threaten revenue flowing from their developments due to a loss of sight lines across the harbour.

The development approvals struck with the state government's Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) state Crown and Lendlease must be consulted "should there be any changes to Barangaroo Central that could affect sight lines to iconic views".
A Wollongong man awaiting sentence over a drug-fuelled police chase between Figtree to Cataract six months ago has fronted court for failing to report on bail on Christmas Day.

Paul Robert Mark Gauci, 43, was required to report to police every Monday under the conditions of his bail, but claims he was unaware he still had to do it even if it was Christmas Day.

Paul Robert Mark Gauci drove up Picton Road, throwing bottles, a battery pack and rubbish through his car window at the pursuing police. Credit:Kirk Gilmour

Court documents reveal Gauci is on conditional liberty while awaiting sentence in the new year for his erratic driving behaviour on the evening of June 19, which occurred at the end of five-day "ice bender".

A police statement of facts said officers attempted to stop Gauci's unregistered Alfa Romeo hatchback at Figtree just after 6pm however he continued driving along the Princes Highway, ignoring police.
A 21-year-old man has had his motorcycle confiscated after being caught doing 150km/h in an 80km/h zone in Carwoola, NSW police say.

They said the man was stopped on Captains Flat Road about 4pm on Wednesday.

NSW Traffic & Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, said too many innocent people had died because of the irresponsible and reckless actions of others. Credit:Marina Neil/Fairfax Media

"He was issued a $2384 in fines, had his licence suspended, and motorcycle confiscated on the spot," they said in a statement.

A 35-year-old man would appear in Queanbeyan Local Court accused of being a disqualified driver in an unrelated incident that happened about the same time. This man was stopped on Kosciuszko Road, Berridale.
The woman only has flashes of memory from a car crash: blacking out while driving, waking up as her car was airborne, then a paramedic scooping broken teeth out of her mouth.

The former nurse fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a sandstone wall soon after being discharged from Brisbane Waters Private Hospital, having been cleared to drive home despite a history of insomnia, "spontaneous" sleeping, and being on a combination of psychoactive drugs.

The 52-year-old woman was awarded nearly $100,000 in damages last week , with a NSW District Court judge finding the Central Coast hospital and psychiatrist Dr Larissa Grund breached their duty of care in allowing the woman to be discharged alone on the afternoon of January 17, 2012.

The court heard the woman became seriously depressed after she suffered a back injury and lost her job as a phone triage nurse. She was admitted to the hospital's mental health ward, where she was treated for several weeks.

During that time she could not sleep at night and paced the hospital corridors, or sat in the TV room. Hospital records showed she was given sedatives, including Stilnox, and the opioid painkiller OxyContin and often fell deeply asleep during the day.
Seven tonnes of fireworks are being shipped into central Brisbane ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations.

Brisbane deputy mayor Adrian Schrinner said 85,000 people were expected to join in the celebrations at South Bank Parklands, with fireworks shows also at Eagle Street Pier and Portside.

Crowds at South Bank watch the New Year's Eve fireworks. Credit:Glenn Hunt

There will be shows at 8.30pm and midnight at all three locations.

"Our New Year's Eve fireworks are becoming more and more popular every year, and we are this year extending the celebration with six shows across three inner-city locations," he said.
Outgoing senator George Brandis has fired a parting shot at Queensland's Liberal National Party merger, claiming he had long warned against far-right parties filling the power vacuum it would create.

Senator Brandis, who will soon head to London as Australia's high commissioner, criticised the party's poor performances at state elections and said he opposed the 2008 merger from the start.

George Brandis says the Liberal-National merger in Queensland left the LNP vulnerable on its right flank. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"I thought in the long run, a power vacuum would open up, particularly in regard to regional Queensland, which would be occupied by other right-wing parties," he told News Corp on Thursday.

"The LNP has fought four state elections and lost three."
A traditional welcome from the local Jinibara people opened Australias largest week-long outdoor festival on Wednesday night, with 120,000 people expected to flock to the Woodford Folk Festival this week.

A flaming "welcome" sign greeted the crowd on the opening night.

Wednesday night's opening ceremony. Credit:Woodford Folk Festival

The Woodford Folk Festival, held in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, showcases over 2000 performers from home and around globe, featuring artists such as John Butler, Montaigne and science communicator Karl Kruszelnicki.

In its 32nd year, the theme for this years festival was connecting with the environment.
The exact number of UFO sightings investigated, and witnesses interviewed, is also classified but Mr Elizondo says there had been "lots". Geographical "hotspots" emerged during the investigations, sometimes near nuclear facilities and power plants. Common factors between the movements of separate unidentified objects had also been identified by the Pentagon team. "It was enough where we began to see trends and similarities in incidents," he says. A video released by AATI depicts a 2004 encounter near San Diego between two US fighter jets and an unknown object. Credit:Handout/NYT

"There were very distinct observeables. Extreme manoevrability, hypersonic velocity without a sonic boom, speeds of 7-8000 miles per hour (11,000 to 13,000 km/h), no flight surfaces on the objects. A lot of this is backed with radar signal data, gun camera footage from aircraft, multiple witnesses. "There was never any display of hostility but the way they manouevred, in ways no one else in the world had, you have to be conscious something could happen." After the existence of the secret programme was revealed this week attention focused on the release of footage of an unidentified object off San Diego in 2004. Commander David Fravor, a US navy pilot flying an FA-18 near the object, described seeing a "white Tic Tac, about 40ft long with no wings" which was "something not from the Earth".

Mr Elizondo says Commander Fravor is a "national hero" for speaking out. He says: "The social stigma about this is unbelievable, it's very challenging. There are many other Commander Fravors out there who have come forward [to us], but he's brave enough to discuss his experience publicly." Mr Elizondo says he had no preconceived ideas when he took the helm of the Pentagon program, but later became convinced by what he saw. "We [career intelligence officers] tend to be sceptics by nature. For some of us working on it the time came as an 'Aha!' moment, for others it was a slow progress towards the realisation that these are probably not any type of aircraft in any national inventory. "I don't want to pre-suppose where they're from. We were looking at two things: What is it? How does it work?

"As to who's behind the wheel, and why is it here, that will fall into place. I think it's pretty clear it's not us, and it's not anyone else. "What we were trying to do was basically take the voodoo out of voodoo science." He refuses to confirm or deny whether any technology had been recovered from any of the objects investigated. However, buildings were modified by a private contractor in Nevada as a place to store anything discovered linked to the UFO incidents. Witnesses to UFO sightings were also examined to see if there had been any physical effects on them. Mr Elizondo says his team had developed theories about what was propelling the objects. "There are some tell tale clues," he says.

"We are getting to how it works, that's a significant step." Despite the Pentagon saying funding for AATIP ended in 2012, Mr Elizondo says his team's UFO work carried on for another five years. "When you're given a mission you guard your post until you're relieved of responsibility, and that never came for us," he says. "There was an expectation that you continue to do what you're doing." He eventually resigned in October, frustrated at excessive secrecy surrounding the programme.
The family of a young woman who died after taking a euthanasia drug smuggled into Australia through the postal system say the "incompetence" of border officials probably cost the nursing student her life.

Danni Michelle Smith, a 26-year-old former triple-zero operator who was awarded for her work during the Black Saturday fires, took a fatal dose of the drug in August 2015, despite authorities being tipped off that she had been attempting to import the substance.

Danni Smith was a keen traveller. She spent more than a year in China learning martial arts.

A "postal stopper" alert had been placed on mail addressed to her after an anonymous tipster contacted the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in mid-2015 saying she had ordered a euthanasia drug.

Victoria Police also discovered that Danni had sent money to a person in Mexico linked with the importation of the drug.
Eight cars were damaged after crashing into counterweights that fell off a crane truck on the Western Ring Road on Thursday morning.

Cars travelling behind the crane truck sustained flat tyres, dented bumper bars and scratches after hitting the weights just after 7am.

Nobody was injured in the collision.

It's not yet clear what caused the counterweights to fall from the truck.
Fifty years after prime minister Harold Holt disappeared after allegedly overestimating his swimming ability at a Victorian beach, risk-taking men make up the majority of the state's drowning cases.

Victoria's drowning death toll is at its second-highest level in a decade, with at least three men dying on the state's beaches in the past week.

Live Saving Victoria fears the number of drowning deaths will increase, with men making up nearly 80 per cent of drowning deaths. Credit:Louise Kennerley

And that number could continue to rise.

Asked if fatalities would climb in the next financial year, Life Saving Victoria's general manager, Paul Shannon was frank.
Soon after, during a 34-second window, the incident later used to justify the officer's dismissal occurred. While statements about the incident had discrepancies, the board found that police alleged the officer struck Jay, forcing him to the floor, before putting his knee in Jay's back while he lay on the floor, pulling him by the hair, punching him to the right side of the face, and then putting him in a headlock before leaving him crying in the corner. The officer claimed he properly restrained Jay, using police techniques known as a clearance strike and three-point hold that are included in the Operational Safety and Tactics Training manual, but the incident was soon subject to an internal investigation. Police charged the officer with unlawful assault, and a magistrate found him guilty in 2015. He was not convicted, but was put on an 18-month good behaviour bond, ordered to donate $1800 and complete anger management training. He was dismissed from the force in July this year.

The Age has decided not to name the senior constable, a father of six who has battled mental illness since the incident that he says "destroyed his life". The board published decisions in September and late last month in relation to the dismissal. "It is crucial for any observer of this matter to understand that the allegations originally made...in the laying and prosecuting the assault charge (knocking Jay to the ground, hair-pulling, headlock, punch to the face) simply did not occur," board president Andrea Lester found. "There is only one account presented...which is a) entirely consistent with the CCTV footage; and b) which has been internally consistent. That is the account presented by the [officer]...his accounts are factual, not exaggerated and not self-serving. "In contrast, the board notes with deep concern the descriptions used in the material used by Victoria Police to prosecute and dismiss the applicant are inconsistent with the CCTV evidence."

When police were asked to explain the inconsistencies in their statements, the board was told it was "not uncommon" for officers to provide rough summaries of the allegations as it would "all come out" during court. "The board would be concerned if such a lack of care was taken in making serious criminal allegations towards any member of the public," Ms Lester found. Victoria Police defended the decision to dismiss the officer - despite agreeing during a board hearing that the CCTV footage did not support the evidence used in the criminal prosecution - in part because of the impact his behaviour had on perceptions of the force. It argued that overturning the decision in circumstances where an unlawful assault had been found proven would be perceived as a "green light" for officers to be violent towards youths, and as a sign Victoria Police did not support the rights of youths to engage with them without fear of brutality. Liana Buchanan, Victoria's Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People, also gave evidence that community confidence in police would be eroded if the officer was reinstated, and said that after reviewing the CCTV she found the officer's behaviour unduly aggressive.

Victoria Police also argued that under the act governing the review process it did not have to reinstate an officer after the board made an order to set aside a dismissal - a submission rejected by the board. The officer is on a temporary pension because of a depressive illness, and Ms Lester found that while he wished to return to the force, that may be unlikely because of his condition. He had previously been dismissed from the force and reinstated more than 17 years ago for an incident of an entirely different nature, she found. It is the second time this year the board has been asked to review a decision relating to a police assault on a boy in DHHS care. In September, The Age reported on the case of Jack*, a 15-year-old who was in handcuffs when he was punched in the ribs by a police officer outside the Melbourne group home where he lived. That officer, Senior Constable John Whichello, did not have his dismissal overturned.
Salvation Army stalwart Major Brendan Nottle has conceded his organisation "got it wrong" in its handling of donated concert tickets for homeless people.

Beatles fanatic Chris McDonald donated seven Paul McCartney tickets to the Salvation Army.

But Major Nottle also took a swipe at the gesture, questioning whether homeless people need tickets to concerts or more practical donations.

Diehard Beatles fan Chris McDonald donated seven tickets so members of Melbournes homeless community could have a night out. But when he arrived at the Paul McCartney concert he was dismayed to find Major Nottles daughter and her partner were using two of the tickets, after two of the homeless recipients returned them at the last minute.

Mr McDonald, who is unemployed due to a chronic illness and on Centrelink payments, said it took him more than a year to save up the more than $2350 it cost to buy seven tickets, which he donated to Salvation Army Melbourne Project 614.
A Rockingham security company has been forced to repay more than $200,000 to its employees after under-paying them for just over 12 months.

Sureguard Security Pty Ltd landed in the Federal Court of Australia over the underpayments, and was fined last week for the offences which affected 22 employees.

A security company has been forced to repay more than $200,000 to its employees. Credit:Louie Douvis

The company admitted contraventions of the Fair Work Act by failing to pay casual loading, allowances, and minimum, overtime and penalty rates of pay between December 29, 2014 and January 10, 2016.

The underpayments left security guards employed by Suregurd Security out of pocket to the tune of $205,408.40, with one underpaid by $20,563.27, 10 underpaid by more than $10,000, and eight by more than $4000.
Timoci Naulusala, from Fiji, delivers a speech during the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP) climate talks in Bonn, Germany in November. Credit:AP

Below are five people who helped lead the way in 2017:

But action to address worsening climate threats has gathered pace globally, from business boardrooms to city mayors' offices to kitchen dining tables, renewing hopes in the fight against climate change.

London: From US President Donald Trump pulling his country out of the Paris climate change deal to devastating hurricanes, floods and droughts wreaking havoc around the world, 2017 has been a rocky year when it comes to climate change.

His village in Fiji was devastated by Cyclone Winston in 2016, and he didn't mind telling world leaders that. Timoci made an impassioned plea for climate action at the UN climate change talks in Bonn in November.

"My home, my school, food, water, money were totally destroyed," he told negotiators at the annual climate conference. "My life was in chaos."

The Pacific Island nation is seen as particularly vulnerable to climate change, with some of its 300 low-lying islands susceptible to rising seas.

Young people in Fiji - and around the world - have the most to lose if aggressive action isn't taken to solve the problem, and they are increasingly speaking up to protect their rights to a future like the one their parents enjoyed.

"Climate change is here to stay unless you do something about it," Naulusala urged in his speech.
Seoul: South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Thursday that a 2015 agreement with Japan over South Korean "comfort women" was seriously flawed and urged follow-up measures to resolve the historic contentious issue.

Japan had earlier reacted angrily after a South Korean government-backed panel said on Wednesday that the nations' two-year old agreement over wartime sex slaves didn't properly reflect the views of the women coerced into military brothels before and during World War II.

A woman puts a scarf on a statue of a comfort woman sitting in a installation of empty chairs symbolising sex slave victims in Seoul on Wednesday. Credit:LEE JIN-MAN

After a five-month review, the nine-member taskforce found procedural faults in what was hailed as an "irreversible" accord, adding that Japan didn't voluntarily offer an apology and compensation.

"The agreement cannot solve the comfort women issue," Moon said, calling the deal a "political agreement that excludes victims and the public" and violates general principles in international society concerning resolution of historical issues, according to a Blue House statement.
Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was "very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea" and that such moves would prevent "a friendly solution" to the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program.

"Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

China earlier on Thursday said there had been no UN sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea after a South Korean newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea.

The Trump administration has led a drive to step up global sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the United States.
Gothenburg: Swedish police say an Australian man who died last week from multiple stab wounds in central Gothenburg was likely in the wrong place at the wrong time, and are appealing to the public for leads.

Kai Foley, believed to be 28 years old, from Melbourne, was found in the early hours of the morning last Wednesday in Odinsplatsen, close to the city's central train station.

Tributes in Gothenburg for Australian Kai Foley who was killed on December 20. Credit:Lily Ray

Police were not alerted to the crime, but rather came across the man during their rounds at 4:50am.

Foley was already essentially unconscious and in "very bad condition" upon discovery and died soon after being taken to hospital, police told Fairfax Media. He had severe spinal and abdominal injuries.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent plenary public meeting on Friday, December 29, 2017 at 10.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Finance will be present for this meeting.

The agenda point is:

Ontwerp van Landsverordening tot wijziging van de Landsverordening begroting 2017 in verband met wijzigingen van de Gewone Dienst (IS/252/2017-2018 d.d. 21 December 2017) (ZJ 2017-2018-105)

Draft National Ordinance to amend the National Ordinance Budget 2017 in connection with changes to the Ordinary Service (IS/252/2017 - 2018 dated December 21, 2017) (ZJ 2017 - 2018 105)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, Internet www.sxmparliament.org and Parliaments Facebook page: Parliament of Sint Maarten.
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Montevideo (Uruguay), Dec 28, 2017 (SPS) - The Senate of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay unanimously adopted a resolution expressing support to the cause of the Saharawi people.

The speech that was delivered by the deputy Frente Amplio, Martinez Huelmo, made a review of the history of the conflict, highlighting the resolutions of international law, which endorse the aspirations of the Saharawi people.

The legislator of the political force that governs Uruguay, did not hide the "serious situations that violate the human rights of the Saharawi people, such as the repression of peaceful demonstrations, detentions, torture, etc., which signify that the Kingdom of Morocco would not have the will to implement the decisions of the United Nations and pave a path of justice and peace ".

In this regard, Uruguay demands "compliance with the Charter of the United Nations and the provisions of the aforementioned organization," to resolve the conflict peacefully. warning that the status quo "takes away credit from the United Nations itself regarding the resolutions of its General Assembly and the Security Council and, simultaneously, the actions of the African Union, which also calls for the necessary decolonization process of Western Sahara ".

It should be recalled that both countries, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, are linked by diplomatic sources. SPS

125/090/TRA
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Apple chief executive Tim Cook apologized to customers Thursday for not being clear that the company slows down phones with aging batteries. Cook promised that, in the future, Apple will "give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone's battery" and let people see if their battery's age affects their phone's performance.

Apple is offering a discount on battery replacements to anyone with an iPhone 6 or later, the company said in a statement. A replacement will now cost $29 instead of $79 starting in late January 2018. The cheaper price is more in line with third-party repair shops.

While Cook's message was apologetic, he still rejected allegations that Apple slowed down phones with older batteries as a way to push people into buying new phones. "First and foremost, we have never - and would never - do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades," he said.

The company said previously that unless it reduces the performance of its phones, the older batteries run a higher risk of spontaneously shutting down. This explanation makes technical sense, many experts have said.

Apple's disclosure last week that it slows down phones has sparked much criticism and a string of lawsuits. A French consumer rights group filed a suit on Dec. 27 that accuses Apple of degrading its old phones in order to sell new ones. In France, it's illegal to degrade old products to promote the sale of new ones, meaning that the suit filed in France by the group Halte a l'Obsolescence Programmee is the only lawsuit that carries the possibility of up to two years in prison.

RELATED VIDEO: Apple is facing eight lawsuits due to slowing down old iPhones

Now Playing: This potentially impacted millions of iPhone owners nationwide. Video: Fortune

The group, which lays out its case in an online statement, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has also previously sued printer companies including Epson over claims that they violate the same law. The printer case is currently under investigation.

Apple also faces at least eight lawsuits from iPhone owners in places including California, New York, New Jersey and even Israel that claim Apple owes its customers money for not previously disclosing the slowdowns. The suits ask the company to pay iPhone owners varying amounts. One California suit seeks nearly $1 trillion in damages.

South Korean government telecommunications officials have also said they will look into the reports, according to the Korea Herald.

The argument of the people criticizing Apple largely have rested on two claims: one, that Apple hurt the performance of the phones in secret and two, that doing so made it more likely that someone would buy a new iPhone rather than fix their old one.

That, argues one lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of New York, amounts to a sort of fraud: "Had Plaintiffs been informed by Apple that a simple battery replacement would have improved the performance of their iPhones, Plaintiffs would have chosen to replace their batteries which was clearly a more cost effective method rather than upgrading to a new iPhone that was extremely costly."

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suits or the investigation.

The suits cap off a rocky year for Apple, which saw a lot of financial success but also a good deal of small controversies - including a bug that prevented iPhone owners from typing "i" and several software issues. It also faced criticism over a lukewarm reception for its iPhone X and had to delay the release of its smart speaker, the HomePod, to 2018.

That said, Apple's not hurting on the business front, though. Cook earned his $9.33 million end-of-year bonus thanks to strong stock market performance. And Apple appears to be finishing the year strong, with more people starting up new iPhones and iPads than devices from any other gadgetmaker this year, according to research firm Flurry Analytics.
Every Thursday and Sunday through the end of the year, the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time will publish short stories about local families and people in need of a helping hand. The names of those included have been changed to protect their privacy.

Each case will include an estimated dollar amount that would help them face everyday challenges like rent payments, child care costs and transportation. Every dollar donated to the Giving Fund goes directly to the clients in need.

Case #396

Jim recently became unemployed and is searching for work to provide for his family. He is also working hard to go back to school in the health care field to get a better paying job. Jim needs help with basic bills and transportation to interviews. A gift of $500 would allow him to continue to work toward his future.

Case #397

Ron is a public housing resident in Stamford. Rons income is based on a disability pension that is not enough to support his family. Rons wife lost her job last month as a caretaker, which was the familys only source of income. Rons wife is looking for a job and bills are piling up. A gift of $500 would allow Ron to remain current on his electricity bill.

Case #398

Noel is a devoted 66-year-old grandfather who has legal custody of his two grandchildren. This past year, the oldest of the two children became sick and had numerous visits to the doctors and specialists. Noel is struggling to pay his $10,000 deductible and is facing eviction from his apartment. A gift of $500 would allow Noel to pay some back rent so his family keeps a roof over their heads.

Case #399

Eduardo, 53, takes care of his wife and 18-year-old son. Eduardo suffered a back injury back in May and was unable to work as a landscaper for five months. Eduardo used his savings to support his family during this time. Eduardo is now struggling to pay his rent and keep up with his medical bills. A gift of $500 would provide some relief from his mounting debt.

Case #400

Joanne has had sickle cell anemia since birth. She has struggled with the symptoms and has made drastic lifestyle changes to help alleviate some of the pain and discomforts associated with this disease. Joanne has several days each month when she is bed-ridden in excruciating pain. Her employer has cut her work hours and placed her on a per diem status. With her hours cut, Joanne is concerned she will not be able to pay her rent and her monthly utilities. A gift of $500 would give her some relief.

Case #401

Ashley took her two grandchildren into her Stamford public housing unit this year after their mother fled to the Dominican Republic. When Ashley lost her full-time job, she continued to support her family working a part-time job and doing odd jobs around town. A gift of $500 would allow Ashley to purchase groceries for two months as she continues to improve her situation.

Case #402

Ginny is a recent college graduate and has been applying for positions since June. She has received some short-term assignments and has been offered an internship in New York City. However, she does not have money for public transportation and will not receive a stipend until the end of the assignment. A gift of $400 would help Ginny purchase Metro-North and subway tickets for the two-month internship, and put her on the path to securing her dream job.

Case #403

Pete is unemployed and seeking work, but has had issues with transportation. His car died several months ago, and he hasnt had the funds to purchase a reliable used car. Without transportation, its often difficult for Pete to schedule job interviews. A gift of $250 for a train pass would help improve his chances of gaining employment.

To contribute, visit http://bit.ly/2jU5O1H and select from case numbers above.
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As 2017 comes to a close, it's time to remember the lives we lost in southwestern Connecticut over the past year.

Some were famous  well known outside of the boundaries of the region, like Greenwich's Mary Tyler Moore, who died on Jan. 25. The Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actress was best known for her roles in the TV sitcoms "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

Bridgeport native Gary DeCarlo, who sang the lead vocals on pop anthem "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," went to rock 'n roll heaven in June 2017. Popular jazz guitarist John Abercrombie, raised and educated in Greenwich, died just months later, on Aug. 22.

Emmy winner, groundbreaker and longtime New York TV anchor Michele Marsh died of complications of breast cancer at her home in South Kent, Conn., in mid-October.

Related - Final Goodbye: Roll call of celebrities who died in 2017

Other lives lost were famous in their own right  celebrated for their impact on their own communities.

Former South Norwalk postmaster Ralph DePanfilis, who died in February, was heavily involved in local political and charitable organizations. Biddy Roger, "founding mother" of New Milford's Loaves and Fishes Hospitality House, died on April 11, 2017. The "woman who should have been mayor" of Stamford, Dahlia 'Pobie' Johnston  who ran for the seat three times in days when it was uncommon for women to do so  died in June. Retired science teacher and longtime Danbury City Council member Gregg Seabury died just before Election Day.

Some lives were lost tragically. Danielle 'Danni' Kemp of Milford, a star softball player for Foran High School, died in March from an inoperable brain tumor diagnosed the previous August. Six-year-old Mia McCaffrey of Trumbull died on March 17 from a rare childhood cancer. The fatal shooting of Jayson Negron in Bridgeport roiled the city for months, with continued calls for investigations and reform.

Former Sacred Heart Academy student Caroline Dym, along with her mother, were shot to death in their New York home by her father, who later killed himself. Barber Deon Rodney was hailed as a hero for protecting his customers when a masked gunman chased his intended target into the Bridgeport business. Rodney was shot and died the next day.

Others will be remembered for their long lives spent achieving milestones, like Stamford's Frank D'Andrea Jr., a former Superior Court judge who "made Stamford a better place, the courts a better place, and as a result he made the world a better place." Norwalk's first black firefighter Sanford "Sandy" Anderson died at 85 in late September. Gloria Heath of Greenwich, who died in December at 95, capped off a long career in flight safety and navigation with a Congressional Gold Medal in 2010 for her wartime service during WWII.

Look through the slideshow above to remember these lives lost and the many other locals we said goodbye to in 2017.
Australia Calls World to Praise in the New Year

New Year's Day Sunrise Prayer Relay 2018



Contact: Warwick Marsh, 61-418-225212; Pat Steele, 61-433-006934



UNANDERRA, Australia, Dec. 28, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Australia Christian prayer leaders invite their brothers and sisters in Christ, prayer groups, prayer networks and churches to join with them all over the world to pray at sunrise on New Year's Day 2018 at a public location such as a hill, lookout or landmark in your city or town. Already we have registrations from USA, South Africa, Cameroon, India, North Korea, Thailand, Germany, Czech Republic, UK, Switzerland, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Zealand, and Australia.



See 2018 short promo video: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=LSTHRAixKOQ



Warwick Marsh, coordinator for Australia's National Day of Prayer & Fasting said, "David said in Psalm 108:2, 'I will wake the dawn with my song.' So, during this time of prayer we want to focus on giving great praise to God. We also want to pray for revival and transformation, that God will bring healing to our land as it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Let us all pray for a great harvest of souls for the Lord Jesus Christ."



Marsh continued, "In declaring Jesus Christ as Lord at this worldwide Sunrise Prayer Relay we are circling the globe with prayer, praise and worship and surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ for the glory of God. Psalms 113:3 says, 'From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.' Use the prayer resources on the website and social media and register your location at: www.sunriseprayerrelay.org. Our prayer is that with your help, this worldwide Prayer and Praise Relay will go viral."



Pat Steele, a prayer and worship leader in Wollongong Australia, said, "We encourage you to pray the Lord's Prayer together aloud as the sun rises and make a declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life, your family, your region and your nation. At your location we encourage you to include praise and worship, prayers, and scripture readings. We suggest 30 minutes, but you can pray for longer. You could even take communion, shine a torch, or light a candle. What you do for your sunrise celebration is up to you."



Share photos and videos from your location on social media.

Use the hashtag: #sunriseprayerrelay

Website: www.sunriseprayerelay.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sunriseprayerrelay

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sunriseprayerrelay

Longer Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FybiSXxbl6Q

Contact: Warwick Marsh 61 418 225212 or Pat Steele 61 433 006934


After skit from a West Iredell High School social studies class, there have been more questions than answers about what exactly was meant to b
President Donald Trump managed his first major legislative victory last week with the passage of a massive tax overhaul. It was no mean accomplishment. But watching the spectacle of senior members of Congress verbally prostrating themselves before him on the lawn of the White House shortly after final passage of the bill made my skin crawl. Let me be clear: I favored the bill, even with its many shortcomings and its failure to deliver a big tax cut to the middle class as promised. I did so because I still believe that economic growth is the best way to advance the fortunes of all Americans, rich and poor, old and young, and everyone in between. The corporate tax cut was the heart of this legislation, and I expect it will deliver on the promise of incremental growth in gross domestic product as companies invest their savings by expanding.
Nearly 100 days after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, much of the island is still without power  creating conditions thought to have contributed more to the storms death toll than officially reported.

The federal response to the storm has attracted criticism for everything from its speed, controversial tweets from President Donald Trump, and a since-rescinded $300 million contract for grid repair work awarded to a two-person Montana company from the hometown of a Cabinet official.

Now, the push to restore power is turning, in part, to Ameren, which is among nearly 20 investor-owned electrical utilities coordinating with government agencies to send equipment and personnel to the island for rebuilding efforts.

The St. Louis-based power provider announced Wednesday that it was preparing to dispatch workers and equipment  including trucks and trailers  to the island. Starting Thursday, the supplies will be trucked to Norfolk, Va., from two area locations and then sent by barge to Puerto Rico. After the cargos anticipated arrival in mid-January, close to 75 Ameren line workers and other support personnel will leave to begin work in the Carolina region in the northeastern part of the island, immediately east of San Juan.

Ameren workers will be rotated to the island every three weeks, the company said. They will be part of 1,500 additional personnel from the mainland U.S., raising the number of power restoration workers in Puerto Rico past 5,500.

Helping with power restoration efforts in storm-battered areas is not new to electric companies such as Ameren, which often swap emergency assistance. But the scale of destruction in Puerto Rico is unlike anything encountered before, said Ray Wiesehan, Amerens vice president for corporate security and crisis management.

A study conducted Dec. 11 by a group of area engineers estimated about half of the islands 3.3 million people remained without power.

What has happened down on the island of Puerto Rico is really unprecedented in terms of what our industry has seen. We really havent seen anything like that on the mainland, Wiesehan said.

He characterized the task as more of a complete rebuild of the infrastructure on the island, which was pounded by 155 mph wind recorded when the hurricane made landfall on Sept. 20.

Wiesehan said that in early November, the local utility, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, reached out to investor-owned utilities from the mainland U.S. to formally request assistance.

Our industry has been engaged in really trying to work with (the Federal Emergency Management Agency), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and PREPA to develop an overall plan to get infrastructure and support structure in place, Wiesehan said.

He said damage assessment across the island was still ongoing, led by regional incident management teams coordinating across PREPA, FEMA and the corps.

Ameren and other utilities involved in the response will be compensated for their work through FEMA.

Wiesehan said that, for decades, the company has participated in the utility industrys mutual assistance program, but that its involvement seemed to have intensified in recent years, amid a busy succession of big, expensive storms  events climate change threatens to make more frequent.

I think we have seen more significant events in recent years with Sandy, Irma and others, Wiesehan said.

As for Marias aftermath, it will still be a while before power is fully restored across Puerto Rico, he cautioned.

Theres still many weeks ahead in terms of rebuilding the infrastructure on the island, Wiesehan said. Well stay until the completion.
COMMENTARY

Companies love wellness programs for a number of reasons. These smoking-cessation, weight-loss, and disease-screening programs give workers the impression that their employers really care about their health. Ostensibly they save money, too, since a healthy workforce is cheaper to cover and less prone to absenteeism.

Thats the touchy-feely story. The dark downside is that wellness programs also give employers a window into their workers health profiles that is otherwise an illegal invasion of their privacy, under the guise of forcing them into voluntary wellness programs.

Thats the aspect that bothered U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of Washington, D.C., just before Christmas, when he overturned a federal rule that arguably permitted employers to coerce their workers into giving up private medical information that could be used to discriminate against them. The rule will be nullified as of Jan. 1, 2019, unless the government comes up with a better version before then.

The rule had come from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which oversees how employers comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Both limit how much information companies can demand from their employees and how they use what they know.

The laws say its all right for workers to give up the information voluntarily, so the legal question became: Whats voluntary? The question is important, because some companies were generous incentives for participation, such as large discounts on health plan premiums; seen another way, this was the same as equally large penalties for nonparticipation.

In 2015, the EEOC proposed a rule treating wellness programs as voluntary if they involved premium differences of no more than 30 percent of the full cost of a health plan. Worker advocates were aghast  30 percent of a full-price premium could amount to thousands of dollars, and since the workers share of their health plan premiums often was only 30 percent or so, the penalty could double their annual costs. For many families, that made voluntary programs effectively mandatory.

The critics included the AARP, which sued to block the EEOC rule in 2016. In ruling in AARPs favor in August, Bates observed that the 30 percent incentive is the equivalent of several months food for the average family, two months of child care in most states, and roughly two months rent. He recognized that a fee of that magnitude could be especially coercive to lower-income employees and people with disabilities, who on average have lower incomes than those without disabilities.

Bates found the EEOC rule unlawful but, strangely, left it in place while the EEOC tried to rewrite it, on the grounds that it would be too difficult for employers to rejigger their programs in the near term. On Dec. 20, however, he overruled himself, finding that a year is more than enough lead time.

Before we get further into Bates reasoning, a few words about wellness programs are in order. Weve questioned the usefulness of these programs, and the indulgence theyve been given by the EEOC, in the past. About half of all employers offer wellness programs in one form or another, ranging from nutritional advice, free health screenings and discounts on health club membership (so-called lifestyle management programs) all the way up to proactive therapy for those with such chronic ailments as diabetes, asthma, and depression. The lighter versions are by far the more prevalent.

The biggest problem with wellness programs is theres no evidence that they work. The most frequently cited statistic in their favor came from Safeway, whose claim to have saved on per capita health care costs after implementing a wellness program prompted drafters of the Affordable Care Act to liberalize the incentive rules. But Safeways story was soon debunked. Other supposed success stories came from wellness program promoters themselves, who were engaged in selling their wares to big employers.

Empirical evidence of the programs efficacy is sparse, and what does exist is of questionable validity. According to a paper published this year by health care experts Adrianna McIntyre, Nicholas Bagley, Austin Frakt, and Aaron Carroll  the all-pro front-line of the health policy blog The Incidental Economist  the most consistent conclusion is that lifestyle management programs are almost entirely ineffective, but programs focused on managing workers chronic diseases hold substantially more promise.

A 2013 study by the Rand Corp., for instance, determined that participants in workplace weight-reduction programs lost an average of a single pound by the second year of participation, an effect that had all but evaporated by year four. A seven-year study of a large wellness program at PepsiCo, however, found that while the company saved $1.46 for every dollar it spent, the savings came entirely from disease management  lifestyle management lost more than fifty cents of every dollar spent.

If the programs dont save on health care costs, their real attraction for employers may be the ability to shift costs to workers  especially sicker and older workers. Coercive penalties that force workers to reveal sensitive information that could prompt employers to discriminate against them, sometimes through the subtle means of steering them away from certain jobs or limiting their promotion opportunities. Millions of Americans dependent on their employment for health coverage may not feel free to deny their employers access to their private lives or a voice in their medical treatment.

That concern was at the heart of Judge Bates rulings. Initially, he found that the EEOC had done nothing to establish that a 30 percent incentive or penalty was consistent with voluntary participation in wellness schemes. But at first he accepted the commissions argument that vacating its rule immediately, in the middle of the 2017 health plan year, would cause potentially widespread disruption and confusion for employers, their insurance companies and their workers.

But he was uneasy at the EEOCs plan to give itself until October 2019 to rewrite and issue a new rule, which meant that it might not be effective until the beginning of 2021. If left to its own devices, the EEOC will not have a new rule ready to take effect for over three years, he wrote, adding that such a time frame wouldnt meet his order that the commission act in a timely manner. Instead, he said, the old rule will die at the end of 2018. Its up to the EEOC to have a new one in place by then.

But the right approach would be to do more than narrow the definition of voluntary. The EEOC should consider why any incentives and penalties should be acceptable. Most programs do not work, McIntyre and her colleagues concluded. It is time for employers and policymakers to rethink their enthusiasm for the wellness movement.
CLAYTON  As the region prepares for single-digit temperatures in the days ahead, an animal rights group sued to stop carriage rides at Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park in Ladue.

St. Louis County officials responded Thursday, with a late afternoon announcement that carriage rides at the annual Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park would cease when temperatures hit 15 degrees or colder.

Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the horses and patrons, we have decided this is the best course of action, County Executive Steve Stenger said in a statement.

Dan Kolde, a lawyer and animal rights activist who has fought for stricter regulation of horse-drawn carriages in downtown St. Louis, filed the lawsuit Thursday on behalf of the nonprofit St. Louis Animal Rights Team. The suit sought a St. Louis County judges order halting the use of carriage horses in frigid temperatures.

The suit claimed that horse-drawn carriages are regulated by the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission and that St. Louis County ordinances require the health department to comply with the commissions Vehicle for Hire code.

Winter Wonderland, an annual light display in Tilles Park from Nov. 22 through Saturday, includes carriage rides offered by the St. Louis Carriage Co.

Meanwhile in St. Louis, city aldermen have been weighing a bill to bar horses from city streets following a judges order blocking enforcement of rules for carriages for at least a year.

The same animal rights group sued after the 2013 death of a carriage Clydesdale named King in Tilles Park at the parks Winter Wonderland event. The Clydesdales owner, Brookdale Farms of Eureka, said at the time that King was 22, died of a heart attack and had demonstrated no signs of distress.
A Belleville boy was killed and three people injured in a single-car crash the morning of Christmas Eve on Interstate 55 in a suburban area of Chicago.

The Will County Coroner identified the boy killed as Malcolm Townsel, 5, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He was pronounced dead of his injuries at a hospital about an hour after the crash on I-55 near Route 6.

Malcolm was a passenger in an SUV speeding south on I-55 when the driver lost control shortly before 9 a.m., Illinois State Police told the Sun-Times. The vehicle traveled off the road into a ditch, hit a guardrail and pole and rolled onto its roof.

A 3-year-old boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition. A female passenger, 42, and the driver, a 42-year-old Belleville man, were also taken to hospitals with injuries.

Emergency workers called to the crash found the SUV on its roof just south of the Route 6 entrance ramp, according to the Channahon Fire Protection District.

One of the child passengers had to be extricated from the vehicle.

The driver was cited for driving too fast for conditions, according to the Sun-Times.

Illinois State Police are investigating the crash. Authorities could not be reached Wednesday night for comment.
A man found fatally injured in Spanish Lake last week now appears to have been the victim of a hit-and-run, not a shooting as authorities originally believed.

The man, Aaron Simpson, 25, was found by police who were called to the 1100 block of Reale Avenue about 8 p.m. on Dec. 20. That's off Larimore Road near Larimore Park.

Simpson had what emergency workers first thought to be gunshot wounds to his upper body, police said. He was taken to a hospital and died early the next morning, police said.

An autopsy determined that Simpson died of other injuries, not from gunshot wounds, police said in an update to the case Thursday. The incident is now being investigated as a fatal hit-and-run.

Police are looking for a white 2011 Nissan Altima with Missouri license plate HH2-Z1T. The vehicle likely has front end damage and is missing its front license plate, police said.

It wasn't immediately clear how police got the description of the vehicle, whether the front license plate was left at the scene, or whether the car was reported stolen.

Authorities say Simpson lived in the 800 block of Cordova Street, about a half-mile away from where he was found.

Police asked anyone with information to call investigators at 636-529-8210 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477.
WASHINGTON, Mo.  A Washington, Mo., man admitted to sneaking into a home here in October while a mother and her daughter were inside to try to steal a pair of women's underwear, police say.

Cody R. Hassler, 34, charged Wednesday with first-degree burglary, first-degree stalking and stealing.

Hassler admitted to the burglary, telling officers he had an "underwear fetish," according to police. He also admitted to spying on the occupants of the home through bedroom windows on several occasions.

He told officers that he "went too far" that night, police said.

A homeowner in the 200 block of Johnson Street called police Oct. 9 to report a burglar, according to police.

She told police "someone had been in her home and was heard running out of it through the basement door," police said. The woman had been sleeping at the time, but her teenage daughter woke her up when she heard footsteps in the kitchen.

Officers who responded to the home found a pair of underwear in the living room the alleged burglar had apparently dropped while fleeing the home, police said. The home's occupants told police the underwear had been in the basement laundry room.

Investigators eventually questioned Hassler, who admitted to sneaking into the house through an unlocked basement door, police said. He also admitted that he took the pair of underwear that police had found from the laundry room.

Authorities ask anyone who thinks they may have been a victim of a similar type of burglary to call Washington Police detectives at 636-390-1050.

Hassler also lived in the block, according to court records. He being held with bail set at $75,000.
Officers were called to the shooting scene in the 5700 block of Goodfellow Boulevard about 9:20 p.m., police said. They found the teen, Lashon Sesson of the 4800 block of Lee Avenue, with a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
ST. LOUIS  After months of deliberation, the formation of a citizen advisory committee and a series of forums to gather public feedback, St. Louis leaders opted to hire a new police chief from within their own ranks: John Hayden, a 30-year veteran of the St. Louis Police Department.

Hayden, 55 and a St. Louis native, has been commander of the North Patrol Division since September 2015, meaning hes often been the face of the department at crime scenes in the citys highest-crime area.

He replaces interim chief Lt. Col. Lawrence OToole, 59, effective immediately. OToole was appointed in April after then-Police Chief Sam Dotson abruptly retired on Mayor Lyda Krewsons first day in office.

Haydens salary will be $153,000 annually.

OToole will stay on and again serve as the assistant chief of police, said Koran Addo, a spokesman for Krewson. His salary will increase from $108,000 to $115,000, a decision made by Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards to make sure OToole stayed on to complete certain projects and initiatives, Addo said.

Announcing Haydens promotion on Thursday, Krewson acknowledged the criticism of a months-long, national search to permanently replace Dotson. The search marked the first time in modern history that St. Louis considered external candidates for top cop. The department had been under state control before 2013, and Missouri law forbade hiring a chief from outside of the department.

Many of you thought we were taking too long to find a new chief, Krewson said. Our thought has always been, well take as long as it takes to get it right. And today, we got it right.

Edwards, the director of public safety, made the final decision, with input from the mayor.

Hayden was chosen over three finalists from out of state: Maj. Stephen Max Geron of the Dallas Police Department; Norman, Okla., Police Chief Keith Humphrey; and Chief Patrick Melvin of the Port Arthur Police Department in Texas.

Internally, Capt. Mary Edwards-Fears and OToole were also finalists for the position.

OTooles inclusion on the list of finalists rankled St. Louis activists. Many of them called for OToole to be fired after his remark that city police owned the night during the early days of demonstrations over the September acquittal of Jason Stockley, a former St. Louis officer who was tried for murder in the on-duty shooting death of a drug suspect in 2012.

The fact that OToole didnt get the top job is a relief, said state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr., a city Democrat who has been a fixture at protests.

I think if the city wanted to go in the direction of having a chief internally, I think they made the best possible choice they could have made. Now, its just time to see what Chief Hayden does, said Franks, who added that hed heard from many in the community who felt it was important to hire a police chief who knew and understood St. Louis.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said Haydens selection was the result of an exhaustive process, with his qualifications setting him apart from candidates from throughout the country.

I am pleased with the selection and look forward to working with Chief Hayden in a joint effort to reduce crime in our city, she said in a statement.

Hayden joined the department in the Fourth District and served in the Vice and Narcotics Division, Detective Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Police Academy. He also served as an aide to former Chief Joe Mokwa.

Hayden has a bachelors degree in mathematics from Washington University, where he played college football, and a masters degree in management from Fontbonne University.

At a public forum with his fellow finalists this month, Hayden said hes been married to his wife for 28 years, and has three daughters.

Rebuilding trust, fighting crime







In his new position, Hayden will oversee a department of 1,300 sworn officers and 400 civilian employees, and a yearly budget of $170 million.

Hell also grapple with a homicide total for the year that reached 204 late the night before he was named. Thats higher than any year in the last two decades and matches the total for 1995, the last time the number of murders topped 200. The citys population was nearly 20 percent higher then than it is now.

And hell be tasked with leading a department currently under investigation and facing lawsuits over tactics used by law enforcement to contain protests in recent months. On Thursday, Hayden vowed to get neighborhood input along with input from protesters to develop a response plan to demonstrations.

There were some things we thought worked well during the protests, and there were some things that obviously didnt work as well as we would have liked, he said. He didnt go into specifics.

His first steps, however, will be sitting down with command staff to address violent crime, which will include a discussion of crime prevention and putting more resources into areas with the most challenging crimes, he said.

Hayden said he wants to focus on community policing to rebuild public trust in the department, particularly among black residents. He says when residents know and trust officers, they are more willing to step forward when needed to help solve crimes.

We talk about community-oriented policing, Hayden said. I believe in leading by example. Ill be in a lot of those neighborhoods that often  in fact, Ill start in the neighborhoods that dont have the level of trust that they deserve.

Hayden said at a public forum this month that he supported an outside agency investigating officer-involved shootings and highlighted his time running the departments Internal Affairs Division.

Ive held a lot of officers accountable for misconduct and unfortunately in some instances they even had to go to prison, he said. So Im no stranger to holding people accountable. I hold myself accountable as well.

The board of the Ethical Society of Police, which represents city police officers of color, released a statement supporting the appointment of Hayden, who was the unions top choice among the six finalists. The Ethical Society has been critical of the departments leaders.

From their new chief, members of the Ethical Society hope to see a fair application of the rules and regulations for officers, said the organizations general counsel, Anthony Gray.

The organization is confident at this point that they will receive that, and thats all anyone wants as an officer, and an employee of the department, is fair and equitable treatment, Gray said. Were looking forward to a new day in policing.

Haydens selection was also praised by Ed Clark, president of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, which represents more than 1,100 city police officers.

The rank-and-file holds Chief Hayden in high regard and he has consistently shown a great deal of respect for our members and the union, Clark said. This is a man we know we can work with. We also know that his selection will go a long way in restoring the communitys trust in the police department.

Franks, meanwhile, was encouraged by Haydens pledge to reach out to the people who have been protesting for months.

Being able to do that, and come to the table with the folks who are out there, thats where it starts, he said.

Others had some lingering questions.

His response on community policing I thought was somewhat tepid, said John Chasnoff, co-chair of the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression. Its great to build trust in the community, and thats an important part of law enforcement, but what I heard from him was you want to do that so you can get further information so that you can arrest more people.

I think that true community policing moves away from this arrest and incarcerate model that weve been stuck in so long, thats only led to mass incarceration and the disruption of our communities, Chasnoff added.

Despite the potential baggage that comes with an internal candidate, Chasnoff said Hayden had a reputation for being a fair and decent officer.

Franks agreed.

Hes going to be held accountable just like everybody else, Franks said. But this is kind of like a fresh start. So well see.
After 26 children and educators were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and President Barack Obama talked about increasing gun control, Americans bought more guns. But instead of offering protection, at least in some cases, the sales increased the chances that people would be accidentally shot and killed, according to a study published Thursday in Science magazine.

An additional 20 children and 40 adults, beyond what would be expected, died in accidental gun violence in the five-month period after Sandy Hook, the study found. This is considered a statistically significant increase during a time in which, the authors estimate, 3 million additional guns were sold beyond the general rate at which people typically buy guns.

No other spike in accidental deaths "of that magnitude" matches what happened after Sandy Hook, the authors wrote, and the states that had the biggest increase in sales saw the biggest increase in accidental gun deaths. The states with the smallest increase in gun sales saw the smallest number of additional accidental deaths.

The authors suggest that these numbers again confirm the theory that increasing access to guns increases the risk of accidents.

Licensed gun dealers check with the background check system when someone buys a gun, but the database does not account for people who buy guns at shows or from private dealers. The number of people run through the system increased beyond the standard number after Sandy Hook, they found.

Google searches using the terms "buy gun" -- including phrases like "where can I buy a gun?" -- and "clean gun," meaning "how often should I clean my gun?" also spiked after Sandy Hook, and that was especially true on the days Obama talked about gun control.

"What's nice about Google data is that you can see specific cause and effect like this," Levine said. "Right after President Obama made his gun speech, search terms like 'buy a gun' immediately went up."

Dr. Jonathan Fielding of the University of California, Los Angeles' Fielding School of Public Health agreed that the numbers confirm the theory about increased access to guns. He complimented the strength of the study and its approach.

"It is so interesting to me, this phenomenon that happens that our initial reaction to hearing about mass shootings like Sandy Hook is to protect ourselves. It would make common sense to some people to think 'what I need to do to protect myself is to have a gun,' but the unfortunate truth is that this normal reaction is wrong," said Fielding, who was not involved in the new study.

Fielding pointed out that studies have shown that having a gun increases your risk of being killed by firearms, when it comes to homicide and suicide. Other studies have found that is true even regardless of storage practice. The new study did not find that more sales equated to more suicides or homicides, only that gun accidents increased.

"If you have an estimated 3 million more guns in homes, in all likelihood, not all of those guns will be safely stored and may be loaded and accessible, and that results in unintended harm. Humans are imperfect, despite their best intentions," said Dr. Stephen Hargarten, a professor and chairman in the Department of Emergency Medicine and director of the Injury Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "We don't even know the whole story, though, because this doesn't get at the whole scope of the gun violence, since presumably there are a lot of nonfatal gun events that happen, too."

David Hemenway, a professor of health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, agreed that the study is solid and that it will be helpful in public health discussions. "It is nice to say 'yes, this is actually the case; here are the numbers,' " he said. "Again, keep in mind, it is only one study."

There are limitations spelled out in the study: Vital Statistics typically undercounts the actual number of people who die from gun violence, and this study counts only deaths. The data do not capture the number of people injured in gun accidents, and it's unclear what impact these sales have on long-term trends toward gun violence.

"Personally, I think it's pretty convincing data overall, and I hope others will as well," Levine said. "We see a causal effect here is pretty strong one, and when it happens at the same time like this, it's probably not an accident."
Updated at 4:43 a.m.

WASHINGTON  People across the United States rushed this week to pay their 2018 property taxes early, hoping to take advantage one last time of a federal deduction for state and local taxes that will be scaled back under the tax-code overhaul signed by President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, however, the Internal Revenue Service announced that those prepayments could be deducted only in limited circumstances, a decision that appeared to invalidate many taxpayers' efforts and raised the prospect that local governments could come under pressure to refund millions of dollars.

The announcement stoked confusion surrounding one of the most controversial elements of the tax law  a $10,000 cap on deductions for state and local taxes that will disproportionately affect higher-tax, Democratic-leaning states. It also offered a glimpse of the kind of hiccups that could arise in coming weeks as the IRS releases guidance on other facets of the bill, the largest overhaul of federal tax law in three decades.

In affluent states with high taxes and property values, local officials have been besieged in recent days by people trying to pay their 2018 property taxes early so they can deduct those payments before the cap takes effect.

However, the IRS said Wednesday that filers could only avoid the cap by paying property taxes that have been assessed in 2017. Many local governments have not completed assessments for upcoming years.

Critics said the last-minute confusion underscored the haste with which Republicans passed their tax bill, completed in record time for such a far-reaching piece of legislation.

"This is not the way to do legislation that will massively impact the entire economy. It sets off a flurry of action from people trying to save money, and they act as rash as the legislators who pushed this thing through," said Philip Hackney, a tax expert at Louisiana State University.

That confusion was echoed among taxpayers  some following the advice of their accountants  who interrupted their holiday activities to line up in sub-freezing temperatures at tax offices.

Affluent Fairfax County, Va., collected nearly $16 million in tax prepayments on Tuesday alone, county spokesman Jeremy Lasich said, with more money flowing in Wednesday. He said the county would devise a reimbursement plan if it cannot accept the prepayments. "We don't know the full impact of that [IRS] statement yet," he said. "We're still studying that."

Brian Lowit, 43, of Baileys Crossroads, Va., said his accountant told him that prepaying his 2018 property taxes this week could save him more than $1,000. He then checked with his mortgage company, where an operator told him there were 150 people on hold behind him ready to ask the same questions.

Eventually, he wired $5,100, a full year's payment, to Fairfax County. Soon afterward, he learned of the IRS announcement.

"It's a nightmare," Lowit said. "I'm definitely frustrated, annoyed and irritated. The rush to get that bill done screwed everyone up. It's insanity and it's stupid."

The deduction for state and local taxes is especially popular in high-income, highly taxed and often left-leaning states: More than 37 percent of tax returns in Virginia included the deduction in 2015, compared with 23 percent in Texas, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. In the District, 40 percent of returns deducted state and local taxes, and in Maryland, 46 percent.

Nationally, more than 96 percent of tax increases resulting from the loss of the state and local deduction will be paid by those in the top 20 percent of the income distribution, a recent analysis by the Tax Policy Center found.

Republican supporters of the bill say the cap on deductions and other changes were needed to offset a reduction in personal and corporate income tax rates.

The tax law explicitly states that the $10,000 deduction cap cannot be avoided by prepayment of 2018 income taxes but had left open the question of whether it applied to prepaid property taxes.

"There are so many questions around this," said Sean Zielenbach, a business owner in Alexandria, Virginia, who prepaid his $12,000 property tax bill for 2018 early Wednesday only to learn later in the day, after the IRS announcement, that he might not benefit.

In Virginia, counties mail out tax assessments in February.

"It's as though they set up just to harm folks who live in higher-tax states," Zielenbach said. "There are definitely winners in this tax bill, but it's not ordinary folks and it's not folks who live in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or places like Alexandria, which, oddly enough, didn't vote for [Trump]."

While the IRS announcement sought to clarify rules regarding prepayment, many questions remain. Counties across the country have different laws and timelines for assessing property taxes, potentially making it difficult for the agency to enforce its interpretation, tax experts said.

"It's really difficult to guess what will happen if folks don't follow this ruling," said Bradley Heim, a professor at Indiana University who worked in the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Analysis under President George W. Bush.

Andy Grewal, a tax expert at the University of Iowa, said local lawmakers could try in the remaining days of the year to formally change their assessment dates but cautioned that doing so retroactively "would raise some thorny legal questions."

On Wednesday night after the IRS announcement, Montgomery County, Md., council member Nancy Floreen took to Twitter, saying that those still wondering if they could prepay should seek out expert tax advice before doing so.

"The plot thickens," she wrote.
As always, the StogieGuys.com list of the absolute best cigars we smoked throughout the year is small: just four. That is, though, the same as in 2016. In fact, through the years, the number of five-stogie cigars has been relatively consistent.

Another constant in our five-stogie ratings is diversity. This years list, for example, features the debut of MBombay, a stellar line of cigars rolled in Costa Rica for Californian Mel Shahs Bombay Tobak, and Cornelius & Anthony, a firm with longstanding ties to the tobacco business but is relatively new to premium cigars.

On the other hand, youll spot the familiar name Tatuaje. This marks its 10th five-stogie cigar, quite a few more than any other brand.

In order to achieve a five-stogie rating, a cigar must be better than good. As we note in the explanation of our rating system, a five-stogie cigar is tasty, complex and truly an occasion.

Heres a chronological look at this years top-rated cigars:

MBombay Gaaja Maduro Torpedo: While this is the first cigar from MBombay to score five stogies, it is not the first to be rated highly. Two others got four stogies and one received four and a half. The Gaaja Maduro was introduced early in 2017 and made a strong impression. Our review called it delicious, harmonious, well-balanced, and up there with the finest. It also urged readers not to be put off by the $15.50 MSRP: This is one not to miss.

Tatuaje Reserva Broadleaf Collection Havana Cazadores: When Tatuajes Pete Johnson introduced a 100-cigar collection rolled in Miami with a price tag of $1,200, the brands devotees were captivated. One of the distinguishing features of these cigars over similar earlier releases was the use of a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper rather than an Ecuadorian. The review found this lonsdale-sized smoke featured tempered strength that walks the fine line between balance and full flavor. It also called it a perfectly constructed combination of full Nicaraguan flavors with the restrained richness that Connecticut Broadleaf provides.

Cornelius & Anthony Aerial Robusto: In just a few years, Cornelius & Anthony has created an impressive line of cigars. The Aerialrolled at Erik Espinosas La Zona factory in Nicaraguahas a creative combination of an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with Nicaraguan filler and an unnamed U.S. binder. The Robusto has a $9.25 MSRP. As the review noted, the first few puffs are bursting with spice and a strong finish. By the start of the second third, the spice has backed off and tobacco sweetness moves to the fore. In the final third, the spice amps up again, mingling with leather and a light earthiness.

Muestra de Saka Nacatamale: Since reentering the cigar business in 2015, Steve Saka, with his Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, has knocked em out of the park like Aaron Judge: a five-stogie rating in 2015 followed by numerous four-and-a-half rated smokes. This years entry comes packed in a wooden coffin with an MSRP of $15.95. What makes Nacatamale so outstandingand, yes, it is absolutely outstandingis not any individual flavor, said our review. This cigar is a great example of how the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.

You can find all 58 five-stogie rated cigars with reviews dating back more than a decade here.

Heres to many more wonderful cigars in 2018!

George E



photo credit: Stogie Guys
In todays weather forecast we are expecting a fine day with cloud increasing in the evening and southwesterlies.

Its a two-clothing layer day today with a high of 23 and overnight low of 12 degrees.

Low tide is at 8.50am and high tide is at 3pm. Sea temperature is 20 degrees. Theres an average sea swell of .3m. Sunset tonight is at 8.35pm.

If youre going fishing today the best fish bite times are between 8-10pm.

In world history on this day in 1694 George I of England got divorced. In 1904 farmers in Georgia burnt two million bales of cotton to prop up falling prices.

In 1933 President Franklin D Roosevelt stated The definite policy of the United States, from now on, is one opposed to armed intervention.

In 1946 the French declared martial law in Vietnam as a full-scale war appeared inevitable.

In 1951 the United States paid $120,000 to free four fliers convicted of espionage in Hungary.

Today is the birthday of Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, an English astronomer who confirmed Einsteins theory of relativity. He was born in 1882.

It is also the birthday of Mortimer J Adler, American philosopher, educator and writer. Born in 1902, he wrote "In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you." He also wrote "The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live."

To get involved in activities and events, please check out our Whats On page.

Have a great day!
The MetService has issued a severe weather warning and watches for the northern Hawkes Bay and Gisborne region for strong wind and heavy rain due to a low sitting to the east of the island.

Weather is expected to deteriorate this evening with wind increasing and rain developing. The worst of the weather is expected to be over by mid-morning Friday.

If you are on the east coast make sure your camping equipment and any loose objects are secure and take care if traveling, advises MetService forecaster Cam Coutts.

Also, for those out fishing or enjoying our oceans, there are large swells to contend with on top of the wind and rain.

Elsewhere, there will be mainly fine weather on Friday. A front is expected to approach the southwest of New Zealand late Saturday, moving up the South Island on Sunday, bringing rain to the West Coast.

By New Years Eve celebrations MetService is forecasting generally fine conditions for the North Island and the north of the South Island.

Warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine for all from Martinborough to Hicks Bay, says Cam, and it is followed by a fine and mild evening.

It is also a similar story heading further north, says Cam, with a pleasant evening likely for the beach spots such as Mount Maunganui and Whangamata.
Jason Butler is a second generation circus performer and juggler. He also calls himself a dyslexic clown. I find that hard to believe, particularly when he glides past me adeptly juggling three balls whilst riding a unicycle.

Rowan Ford Dawson, on the other hand, was upside-down on one hand when I first met him. Linking his Circus in a Flash with Jasons Butlers Circus Warehouse, the two have joined forces and are making circus spectacular in Tauranga.

My father was working for Whirling Brother, Rigbys and other circus companies, says Jason. After he had a family, hed go and see his old mates when they came to town and wed get free tickets to the circus, so I was immersed in that culture from an early age.

I started training when I was 16, doing juggling, street performance, unicycle and roller bowler balance board. I failed miserably through school, but in terms of being funny I was the class clown.

Rowans circus career, however, started after he broke his collarbone riding a bicycle.

I was 23, says Rowan. I spent months on ACC.

On recovering, he headed to Wellington to see some friends.

There was a guy who unicycled along with my friends, and I realised I wanted to learn how to do that, says Rowan. There were no handle bars to fall over. I met the local unicycle gang. Theyd jump over bollards, do grinds, jumps, balance tricks and flips. Id ride three days a week with them.

His new friends took him to a juggling festival where he was immediately wowed.

I spent the next year getting fit and in shape so I could audition for Circus School in Christchurch.

He completed the two-year diploma, simultaneously working as a presenter on What Now.

Jason, meanwhile, had also been supporting himself while honing his skills.

Being a full=time circus entertainer in NZ is rare, says Jason. For the first five to six years of my career I had a part-time job, but weve got to the point now where this is our income and this is what we do.

He has toured New Zealand for more than 20 years, covering a range of work from street performance up to corporate events. He has also secured a contract with a promotion company that manages charity work up and down the country.

We do 25 locations nationwide, four times per year.

Jason Butler

Jason and his wife Shan have three children and a granddaughter and decided to start up a space in Tauranga for training the next generation of circus performers.

Meanwhile, Rowan met his wife Tessa in Christchurch, discovering they lived in the same apartment building. When her business moved to Auckland, they moved too, establishing and building up their Circus in a Flash circus company over the next five years and employing others.

We wanted to buy a house and realised we just couldnt do that in Auckland, says Rowan. So we moved here and bought a house in Welcome Bay.

Living in Tauranga over the past two years, the couple continued to grow their circus company while travelling between centres.

ts a journey back and forth. I got here last night from Auckland, then I take off again straight after this for Auckland, and return for my sons birthday. Then Ill do the Bethlehem Baptist volunteers dinner, back up to Auckland on Tuesday, then back here to do three different jobs on Wednesday.

Rowan was a clown doctor at Starship for about six years, and has worked with children with disabilities.

I love what I do, I love making people happy.

Joining forces with Jason was a natural step forward.

Circus in a Flash came into the picture, and we subcontract to each other quite frequently, says Jason. Rowan was doing the network business meetings. I book him for events and he books me for events.

Ive been working with Jason for the past five years on and off, says Rowan. Hes been juggler clown man and Ive come with the acrobatics.

Jason secured a commercial building in Windermere.

Its a great venue to run classes, and is also available for drumming workshops and fitness people, says Jason.

Well have hoop classes, an introduction to unicycle, juggling, acrobatics and mixed circus skills. The parkour boys come in and practise their somersaults in a safe environment.

Companies can also come in and do a team-building exercise. Learning to juggle is about setting small achievable goals and then adding in the next step, just like in business.

Tessa, a fashion designer, creates character costumes, with the performers often sought after for events. The faces are familiar - Batman, Superman, a Christmas elf, Christmas fairies, Captain America, a circus strong man and many more. Often a performer can be two or more characters in a single day or event.

We have about 40 performers, says Tessa. But theyre all over. They might be away three years studying circus, so when they come back we support them with work as much as we can. Circus people move around a lot. Well wait while they train, and hire them out on weekends.

Separate circus companies but working together  its a team enterprise. Both are big on mentoring and both believe in investing in the next generation of performers.
On 23 December 2007, a high-speed train arrived for the first time at Malaga's main railway station, Maria Zambrano. The arrival of a Series 103 at about 12.30pm was a historic moment in Malaga province. The commercial service began the following day.

Tomorrow, Saturday, it will be ten years since that landmark event. That day brought an end to a decade of projects and works. Rather than bringing something to a close, though, this proved to be a new beginning in linking Malaga and the Costa del Sol to the rest of Spain and the world.

The service is marking its first major anniversary in fine form, with 20.5 million people having travelled between Madrid and Malaga during that time, and it has reached a new record this year with more than 2.44 million users. That is about 3.8 per cent more than last year, which was already very positive.

Over the past ten years more direct connections have been added, with cities such as Barcelona, Zaragoza and Valencia, and next year there will also be a service to Granada. The journey to Seville from Malaga is also expected to become much faster in 2020. Lines are being built to other destinations as well, so the AVE high-speed services will continue to expand in coming years. The whole rail network with its epicentre in Malaga has been used by 27.5 million people since 2007.

The AVE has brought Malaga and Madrid closer together with an optimum journey time of just over two and a half hours, especially impressive for the inhabitants of the Spanish capital, where any journey within the city can take around an hour. From a business perspective, it can be said that the Costa del Sol has already become a technology park and hub for investment which is accessible from Madrid, and from a tourism point of view, it has become one of three major destinations for those seeking sunshine and beaches, together with Valencia and Alicante.

The key to making all this possible is the Cordoba-Malaga High Speed Line (LAV), which cost 2.53 billion euros, of which 890.3 million were financed by the European FEDER regional development funds. The track, which is 154.5 kilometres in length, runs through 19 municipalities in Cordoba, Seville and Malaga. Since it opened, more than 75,000 trains have run between Madrid and the capital of the Costa del Sol, according to figures from the Ministry of Public Works and the Renfe railway company.

Continual improvements

This infrastructure, which was highly complex technically, made it possible to reduce the journey time to Madrid by an hour and a half (on the Talgo 200 trains), with considerable improvements in comfort, reliability and twice as many seats.

It also meant that a rail network could be developed progressively so that today, in addition to those already mentioned, there are direct connections to places such as Tarragona, Lerida, Ciudad Real and Cuenca, and others can be reached via connections.

In January 2009, Renfe began to offer direct routes between Barcelona and Malaga, without stopping in Madrid, taking advantage of a rail 'bypass' which meant the trains could continue straight on to Aragon and Catalonia. This new route reduced the travelling time to Barcelona to five hours and 40 minutes. The high-speed rail services were completed in June 2013 with direct services to Valencia at weekends.

The options for rail travel will continue to grow in the medium term. Tests are already being carried out on the Granada line, which could become operative in 2018, and it will mean the city can be reached in just one hour from the Costa del Sol. Work is also being carried out on a new 1.9 kilometre bypass at Almodovar del Rio, which will mean the journey between Andalucia's two main cities will take an hour and 35 minutes.

Every day, 46 high-speed trains pull into Malaga's Maria Zambrano station. The arrival of the AVE ten years ago, then, was not an end; it was the beginning of a story which still has a great deal to tell.

Anniversary ticket sales

As part of the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of high-speed rail travel in Spain, Renfe is putting 50,000 tickets on sale for 25 euros on its website at midnight tonight (22 December). The tickets are for AVE and long distance services around Spain. On previous occasions however, the offer has sold out in less than an hour.
Now that 2017 is (almost) over, were looking back on the biggest stories of the year. Washington County found itself in the middle of council controversies, cold cases  and a lot of inconvenient construction. Heres our list of the years top stories:

1. County hits record number of murders

The Washington County Sheriffs Office investigated four homicides in 2017, including a double murder. Major Byron Ashbrook said it was the most homicides reported in the county in several years.

The last homicide was reported on Nov. 30 and resulted in the arrests of two Bristol, Tennessee, men. Three of the homicides have cases pending in court. A man charged in the fourth case killed himself, police said.

2. The Meadows fight comes to an end

Since the Town of Abingdon announced plans to team up with Food City to build a massive retail-sports complex on the historic land of The Meadows plantation, the project has been fraught with controversy. The Friends of Abingdon, a citizen group fighting to preserve the land, appealed a lawsuit all the way up to the Virginia Supreme Court, which dismissed the suit after determining it was too late to reverse any zoning errors that might have occurred.

Claims that slave graves existed on the property were never fully verified, and the Town declined allowing a third party surveyor to take one last look for a gravesite. Construction crews finally broke ground in November, and Food City expects to have a fully functioning, state-of-the-art store ready to open by late 2018 or early 2019.

3. Arrest made in killer clown case

A 27-year-old cold case turned a stunning corner in September, when an Abingdon woman was arrested for the murder of Marlene Warren, who was shot on the doorstep of her Florida home by someone dressed in a clown costume in 1990.

Police now believe the clown was Sheila Keen-Warren, 54, an Abingdon resident and original co-owner of Kingsports popular Purple Cow restaurant. In the intervening years, Keen-Warren had married Marlene Warrens widower, Michael Warren, who owned a car repossession business in Florida. Keen-Warren worked for him at the time of Marlene Warrens murder.

Although police suspected Keen-Warren at the time, it took recent DNA evidence to credibly link Keen-Warren to the crime. Keen-Warren is currently awaiting trial in Florida, where prosecutors have not ruled out the death penalty if a jury convicts.

4. Local residents thwart rock quarry project

The Washington County Board of Supervisors declined a companys request to rezone land for a rock quarry close to Sugar Hollow Park and nearby residential areas. After two years of fighting the request, residents felt as though their voices had finally been heard.

This is a community, not an industrial site, said Toby Jordan, who lives close to the proposed site. Jordan admitted she had been brought to tears in the two years the quarry has been up in the air.

But residents cried tears of joy on Nov. 27 when the Board of Supervisors voted 3-3, with one abstention, to halt rezoning plans. Those who voted against the move cited health and safety concerns for their opposition.

5. Two incumbents tossed from county board

Voters flipped the makeup of the Washington County Board of Supervisors by seating Dwayne Ball and Mike Rush after the November election, edging out incumbents Vernon Smith and James Baker. Chairman Randy Pennington won re-election. Incoming board members Ball and Rush were both endorsed by Washington County Independent Neighbors (WIN) in September.

6. Celebrities, politicians make stops in Abingdon

This year saw Abingdon hosting several big names. In October, Vice President Mike Pence stopped in Abingdon to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie. Actor Robert Duvall stopped by the Barter Theatre for an evening to chat about his performances and his favorite memories. Virginia politicians also witnessed some of Washington Countys art and medical programs, with Gov. Terry McAuliffe and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine making stops. Kaine also performed at Bristols Rhythm & Roots Festival, along with Tennessees Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander in a unique display of bipartisan musicianship.

7. Abingdon loses FOIA suit after council dispute

What started as a discreet inquiry into a council members domestic assault case became a full-blown lawsuit against Abingdon Town Council.

Councilwoman Cindy Patterson had received a protective order from her ex-husband, who claimed she had assaulted him. When the council learned about the charges, three of its members, Mayor Cathy Lowe, Vice Mayor Rick Humphreys and Councilman Bob Howard asked Town Attorney Deb Icenhour to contact Circuit Court Judge Deanis Simmons for guidance, hinting that they feared for their safety. Patterson learned about their inquiries when another judge sent her a copy of their letter.

That led to Patterson using a Town Council meeting to firmly assert her innocence. (She has since been cleared of all charges.) The fallout led to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, claiming the three council members violated public meetings law by leaving the rest of the council (and the public) out of the loop. A judge ruled against the council in September, but the council is appealing the decision.

8. Movie based on Abingdon, Permanent, premieres

Abingdon got some time in the spotlight with the December premiere of Permanent, a film written and directed by Colette Burson, who lived in Abingdon during her childhood, which provides the rich source material for her coming-of-age comedy about life in a small town. The film opened on Dec. 15 and stars Rainn Wilson, Patricia Arquette and teenage actress Kira McLean. Dont expect a direct Abingdon shout-out, though; the film takes place Somewhere in Virginia, 1982.

9. Exit 14s construction becomes hazardous

Construction around Abingdon became so dense in 2017 that an exit had to be shut down during the week of the Virginia Highlands Festival. Many of the projects are still ongoing, and the crash totals have jumped twofold since 2015, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. So far in 2017, 76 crashes have been reported between Interstate 81s Exit 10 and Exit 17, with 21 of those originating from Exit 14. Most of the construction is scheduled to be wrapped up by Fall 2018.

10. Emory & Henry develops new programs

Emory & Henry College has been rapidly expanding in 2017. A $13 million residence hall community opened in November, featuring brand-new dorms that offer a more independent style of living than traditional dorm rooms. The college also opened a new diversity center, responding to the demands of students who hoped to provide a space for minority students to engage with the university. E&H also opened its Falls Prevention Center, part of the School of Health Sciences, which helps patients with physical therapy.
VIRGINIA

NATURAL TUNNEL, Va.  Gretchen Pope offers options when it comes to New Years Day hiking at Natural Tunnel State Park.

Thats why youll find two hikes at the upcoming annual First Day Hike on Jan. 1.

Weve been careful to have various levels of difficulty, said Pope, the director of the state parks Cove Ridge Center.

Natural Tunnel is among dozens of Virginia state parks offering First Day Hikes as part of a national program encouraging outdoor exploration and fitnes.

We had several show up last year. We were all surprised by the turnout that we had, Pope said. All different sorts of people come. We have families. And this is very family-friendly. We want people of all ages to be able to come out and start the New Year off right.

The early morning hike is what Pope calls very moderate. Its a stroll of less than a mile.

The afternoon hike, heading to Lovers Leap, is more strenuous. And you could add the option to go down to the tunnel, Pope said. Going back up, its difficult. And even to go down, its difficult because its such an incline.

From shore to stone

Across the Old Dominion, guided hikes are as diverse as the parks that make up the Virginia State Park system  from the rocky cliffs of Natural Tunnel State Park in Scott County to First Landing along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach.

Uniquely, too, at Virginia Beachs False Cape State Park, hikers during the first few hours of 2018 can take the Terragator  a beach transport vehicle  down the beach and then hike to the North Carolina border.

Closer to Bristol, the New River Trail State Park of Wythe, Carroll, Grayson and Pulaski counties is slated to feature a hike-and-bike outing on its new mountain biking trail at Hiwassee.

More than just hiking on New Years Day, consider Jan. 1 an open invitation to return to the state parks  for free  with waived admission.

That means you can stop for a picnic. Or you can create your own hiking plan  from Fairy Stone State Park near Stuart to High Bridge Trail State Park running through the heart of Farmville.

Bring your camera: Virginia holds a First Day Hikes Photo Contest and New Year Challenge  with $500 gift certificates as the top prize.

Southwest journeys

Even in Southwest Virginia, hikes vary as much as the state parks  from the linear path of the New River Trail to the spacious Wilderness Road State Park in Lee County at Ewing.

Have a look:

 Hungry Mother State Park, 2854 Park Blvd., Marion, features the Lake Trail Hike (2.5 miles roundtrip, moderate), running 10 a.m.-noon. The goal? Look for wildlife by interpreting signs of animals. Meet at the Discovery Center (276-781-7400).

 Grayson Highlands State Park, 829 Grayson Highland Ln., Mouth of Wilson, is hosting a moderate hike starting at the Massie Gap Parking Area. The jaunt runs 1-3 p.m. An interpretive ranger is guiding the two-mile hike as it meanders along the rocks and balds of Wilburn Ridge, offering views of snow-capped mountains and wild ponies (276-579-7092).

 Natural Tunnel State Park, 1420 Natural Tunnel Parkway, Duffield, offers a moderate morning hike, 10 a.m., of less than a mile, meeting at the blockhouse parking lot; and a Tunnel Trek at 1:30 p.m., meeting at the visitor center (276-940-2674).

 New River Trail State Park, 116 Orphanage Dr., Max Meadows, is hosting a bike ride and hike, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., on the new Hoover Mountain Bike Area in Hiwassee, near the Allisonia boat ramp. This leisurely hike follows a 1.1 mile path along the moderate Miners Loop Trail with park rangers. Bicyclists, in turn, can explore the 3.2 miles of newly-built mountain bike trails (276-699-6778).

 Southwest Virginia Museum, 10 West First St., Big Stone Gap, Virginia, offers a two-mile stroll, 1-3 p.m., along the streets of Big Stone Gap. Visitors can learn local history and even find sites that were used in the Big Stone Gap movie while also discovering the towns Greenbelt. Meet at the front gate (276-523-1322).

 Wilderness Road State Park, 8051 Wilderness Rd., Ewing, offers a guided hike on the Pioneer Trail, running 2-3 p.m., for a 1.25-mile journey (276-445-3065).

TENNESSEE

You can make a New Years resolution and keep it easily by vowing to hike at a Tennessee state park on Jan. 1.

This year, 55 state parks are set to offer a free, guided hike as part of the annual, nationwide First Day Hikes event.

Still, just as soon as it was announced, the insanely popular moonlight stroll at Warriors Path State Park on Jan. 1 was already stuffed to its capacity of 90 people in Kingsport, said park ranger Marty Silver.

Its full, Silver said.

But, Silver suggested, you can still come to the park and hike along one of the various trails overlooking Fort Patrick Henry Reservoir in the Kingsport area of Sullivan County.

Or you can take the strenuous five-hour journey to the Hidden Lake  a five-acre waterhole called Birchfield Camp Lake  at Rocky Fork State Park in Unicoi County near Flag Pond.

But, for that, you better come prepared, warned park ranger Tim Pharis.

Theres about two major creek crossings and about a mile section where youre in a seasonal creek-bed, said Pharis, 33. And you gain about 1,400 feet elevation in about three miles.

Similar to the First Day Hikes of Virginias state parks, Tennessee State Parks First Day Hikes are part of Americas State Parks First Day Hikes initiative in all 50 states.

Last January, more than 60,000 people took part in a First Day Hike across the country, said Kim Schofinski, deputy communications director for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

Want to know more? Have a look at a few local outings:

 David Crockett Birthplace State Park, 1245 Davy Crockett Park Rd., Limestone, is where youll find the Happy Homestead Sunrise Hike, 6:30-8 a.m., on the Bluff Loop Trail. Meet at the visitor center for coffee and donuts then watch the sunrise (423-257-2167).

 Roan Mountain State Park, 1015 Highway 143, Roan Mountain, offers a hike along the frosty Doe River, 9-11 a.m., with a two-mile round trip on the Tom Gray Trail. Meet at Picnic Shelter 3 in the campground (423-772-0190).

 Rocky Fork state Park, 501 Rocky Fork Rd., Flag Pond, takes its annual trip to the Hidden Lake, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., with a tough and strenuous hike that spans six miles. Meet at the Lower Higgins Creek Road Trailhead (423-271-1233).

 Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area, 1651 West Elk Ave., Elizabethton, is offering a tour of the circa-1775 Carter Mansion, 9-10:30 a.m., at 1031 Broad Street (423-543-5808).

 Warriors Path State Park, 490 Hemlock Rd., Kingsport, has reached capacity on its two-mile moonlight stroll for the First Day (midnight-1:30 a.m.) but encourages visitors to try other trails at the park (423-239-8531).
ABINGDON, Va.  Two Washington County, Virginia, deputies crashed late Thursday while responding to a serious domestic situation, authorities said.

Washington County emergency dispatch received a report of a domestic situation at 11:29 p.m. at a home on Fall Hill Road, which is located off Rich Valley Road.

Michael Roark is beating a female, chasing her on feet, the caller told dispatchers, according to a report provided by the Washington County Sheriffs Office.

A number of deputies were called to the scene.

The deputies were en route from different directions and collided at the intersection of Cummings Street and Main Street in Abingdon, Sheriff Fred Newman said.

Officers with the Abingdon Police Department said they responded to the intersection at 11:33 p.m. after two marked Sheriffs Office patrol units crashed, according to a news release. Police noted that the two deputies were responding to the domestic violence call.

Fire and EMS crews, as well as Appalachian Power, were also dispatched to the crash scene. Newman said one of the deputies suffered injuries in the crash. The police cruisers appeared to have sustained extensive front-end damage.

As emergency personnel responded to the crash, other deputies continued on to the domestic call. Upon arrival along Fall Hill Road, the deputies said they heard screaming and yelling from a camper on the property, said Sheriffs Office Maj. Byron Ashbrook. When they approached the camper, the officers could hear a woman crying, he added.

Ashbrook said officers made contact with Roark, who was extremely belligerent and combative.

While deputies were trying to separate the parties, Mr. Roark assaulted the female in front of deputies, Ashbrook said. Mr. Roark remained combative and assaulted both deputies as they effected this arrest.

Deputies charged Roark with two counts of felony assault on a law enforcement officer and one count each of domestic assault, obstruction of justice and being intoxicated in public. He was taken to the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon, where hes being held without bail.

A report on the domestic situation had not yet been filed Friday.

Abingdon Police continued to investigate the crash on Friday as the Sheriffs Office conducts an internal administrative review.

The Police Department noted that emergency vehicle operations in Virginia are governed by code section, according to the news release. The section stipulates that emergency operations can occur if the emergency vehicle is using lights and sirens and there is a certificate of insurance in place. The vehicle must also be operated with due regard for the safety of others, police said.

Abingdon Police will ensure that each of the criteria was met by the officers who were operating vehicles in an emergency manner, the release states. The results of the investigation will be forwarded to the Commonwealths Attorney for charging determination.

Ashbrook said deputies go through extensive training in regards to responding to emergency calls and how to do so safely.

We also take domestic violence calls very seriously, as we know from past experience that they can have tragic results, he said.

Ashbrook added that both officers were OK on Friday afternoon.

We are also aware that law enforcement call related accidents often have tragic results as well, Ashbrook said. We will be reviewing the accident and use it to strongly remind our deputies of that fact.

Authorities did not identify the two deputies involved in the crash.
A flesh-eating bacteria is mysteriously spreading in Japan, with over 500 people infected in 2017.

The bacteria is potentially fatal, so doctors and researchers are racing to find the reason for the alarming increase in the number of victims this year.

What We Know About The Flesh-Eating Bacteria In Japan

A total of 525 patients have been rushed to the hospital with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, which is caused by an infection of the flesh-eating bacteria known as Streptococcus pyogenes or group A streptococcus.

The number, which is the highest annual number of STSS cases since 1999, has steadily increased since 2013 in which only 203 cases were reported. Out of the 525 patients, 66 are from Tokyo, 40 from Kanagawa, 32 from Aichi, 31 from Fukuoka, and 28 from Hyogo. Most of the infected people are aged 30 years or older, with many of the patients being elderly.

Group A streptococcus mainly brings strep throat to children. However, a part of the bacteria may possibly develop into a severe and often fatal strain, leading to symptoms that include fever plus pain and swelling in the hands and the feet. The swelling then takes several hours to spread, leading to necrosis on some tissue surrounding the muscles and multiple organ failures.

Patients who suffer from STSS may die within hours after the onset of multiple organ failures, with their bodies entering critical stages after short periods of time. The fatality rate at this point is 30 percent.

Penicillin-based antibiotics present a proven treatment against group A streptococcus and STSS, but it is necessary to give the patients the drugs at an early stage before the bacteria have spread throughout the body.

Ken Kuchi, an infectious diseases professor at the Tokyo Women's Medical University, said that Japan, especially the elderly, need to be careful about possibly being infected with the disease.

Kuchi believes that the first symptoms likely appear at the victim's feet, so people who notice that their feet are swelling up should visit the hospital right away to check if they have been infected.

The exact cause of the increasing number of STSS cases in Japan, however, is still under investigation.

Other Reports Of Flesh-Eating Bacteria

Unfortunately, reports of flesh-eating bacteria have not been limited to within Japan. Two recent cases of flesh-eating bacteria were related to Hurricane Harvey. In September, 77-year-old Nancy Reed died of the flesh-eating infection known as necrotizing fasciitis, which she received after she fell into the contaminated water from the flood caused by the storm.

In October, two months after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, the same kind of infection claimed another life in 31-year-old Josue Zurita, a carpenter who helped repair homes that were damaged by Hurricane Harvey.

Also in October, Lindsey Hubley filed a lawsuit against the Canadian hospital where she gave birth after she lost her limbs due to necrotizing fasciitis.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google Maps and Waze may be a godsend for those who are directionally challenged but others don't feel that way. Rush hour traffic may be the norm on highways and busy streets, people in residential streets don't want to have to deal with it.

Leonia, New Jersey wants to put their traffic problems to an end.

Traffic Ban

Residents of Leonia are tired of having residential streets being turned into parking lots during rush hour. Drivers using apps such as Google Maps and Waze are looking for the fastest way to their destination. When they see a notification for a faster path to their destination they will take it right away.

To stop more drivers from flooding Leonia's streets police will start giving out $200 fines. Cars that don't have a yellow tag hanging in their cars will begin getting fined in January. They will be closing 60 streets to all drivers except for residents and people who work in Leonia during morning and afternoon rush hour.

Leonia police chief Tom Rowe told the New York Times that the problem gets so bad, some "people can't get out of their driveways."

Leonia is right in the shadow of New York City. It is one of the first places cars go through after going over the George Washington Bridge. One side of the town is surrounded by Interstate 95.

Changes in the traffic pattern in Leonia are set to take effect on Jan. 22. The police department alerted the major traffic and navigation apps of the upcoming change. It will run from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week.

Google Maps And Waze

Waze uses crowd sources information to gather traffic data. To curb outside drivers from using local roads, some residents have started to create false reports of traffic accidents in the area.

Waze defends its practice of rerouting cars through local streets. It says that it shares free traffic data with municipal planners who may need it when testing the effectiveness of new time sequences for a traffic signal.

A spokesman for Waze says that the company makes a change when a road is reclassified into a private road. Waze also assured its working with the community of drivers, map editors, and city officials for a better experience.

Sam Schwartz is a former traffic engineer for New York City. He says the situation is a "slippery slope." The streets are, after all, public. While the Leonia City Council says that the move is legal, the state has the ultimate authority over local roads.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
This Christmas, the most in-demand tech product on Amazon is none other than the Echo Dot.

That doesn't come as much of a surprise considering that smart speakers have been gaining popularity, not to mention that the retailer offered a ton of bargains for the Echo lineup this holiday season, from Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to a last-minute $20 discount for the second-generation Echo and Echo Dot.

Echo Dot Tops The Charts

In a press release, Amazon made the big announcement, saying that not only was the Echo Dot the top-selling Amazon device but also the best-selling product from any manufacturer across every category on Amazon, with millions sold.

Second Place: Fire TV Stick With Alexa Voice Remote

Coming in hot on the heels of the Echo Dot is the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, and according to Amazon, it sold twice as many as it did in the previous holiday back in 2016, boasting that it's still the number 1 streaming media player in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.

Other Highlights

Other Alexa-powered Amazon devices that deserve recognition include the Echo Spot, the Echo Dot, and Echo Buttons. All three of them sold out this holiday, but those who want to get ahold of them can already preorder. Take note that it's on a first-come-first-serve basis, though.

It should be noted that the Alexa app was one of the most downloaded apps this Christmas, hinting that smart speakers were indeed all the rage.

On an interesting note, Amazon also added in one fun fact regarding Whole Foods, which it now owns: 500,000 pounds' worth of desserts at the cookie bars of the grocery chain across the United States were sold.

The Bottom Line

Long story short, Echo Dot is the best-selling product on Amazon, followed by the Fire Stick TV with Alexa Voice Remote.

Recently, the retailer brought back the Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra, and two models of the Apple TV 4K on its platform to hold out an olive branch to Google in a bid to keep YouTube on the Fire TV and perhaps get the video app running on the Echo Show again.

With all said and done, it's worth mentioning that we have a guide or two on how to get started with the Echo and Alexa, which is for those who find the virtual assistant's thousands of Skills and whatnot to be a bit overwhelming. It's also to help owners make the most out of their new devices from the get-go.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Nintendo Switch Online, the planned paid online subscription service for Nintendo's hybrid console, is rumored to launch in the fall of 2018.

Nintendo Switch Online, which will function similarly to PlayStation Plus for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox Live Gold for the Xbox One, has long been delayed. How long will Nintendo Switch owners have to wait for it to launch?

Nintendo Switch Online To Launch Fall 2018?

Wccftech spotted in Nintendo's Italian website that Nintendo Switch Online will launch in the fall of 2018. If that date is true, then the service will be about one-and-a-half years delayed from the release of the Nintendo Switch in March this year.

The website has since been changed to simply state a 2018 release. There are two explanations for this: either Nintendo Italy made a mistake of unveiling the Nintendo Switch Online launch date too early, or the website stated wrong information.

It should be noted, however, that in an earlier announcement of Nintendo Switch Online, it was said to be first arriving in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Does this mean that the initial launch date of the service will be much earlier than the fall of 2018? Or will the service launch worldwide simultaneously, since it has already been delayed?

There are other rumors that there will be a Nintendo Direct in January, which would be the perfect time for Nintendo to divulge more details on the timeline for Nintendo Switch Online. Hopefully Nintendo Switch owners will soon find out when they can expect the hybrid console's subscriptions service to become available.

What Will Nintendo Switch Online Offer?

It has been a while since Nintendo has provided an update for Nintendo Switch Online, so here is a quick refresher on what it will offer to Nintendo Switch owners once it arrives.

For an annual fee of $19.99, a quarterly fee of $7.99, or a monthly fee of $3.99, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription offers online gameplay, access to a voice chat app and an online lobby, free game downloads each month, and exclusive Nintendo deals.

The Nintendo Switch Online release date was initially set for late 2017, but it was delayed to sometime in 2018. It was also later revealed the subscription will offer access to a Classic Game Selection service that will allow gamers to play retro games from Nintendo's old-school consoles.

A Nintendo Switch Online app was rolled out in July in line with the launch of the multiplayer shooter Splatoon 2. However, the app was criticized by gamers for its voice chat feature.

The Nintendo Switch Online delay is one of the few hiccups for the hybrid console this year though, as the Nintendo Switch had a very successful 2017.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Felix Dorante, of Lafayette, started slip-avoidance, floor-surfacing company GripOn, with Roberto Navarro and Leonardo Chavez. The three men, all natives of Venezuela, met about 11 years ago when they were working in Columbia for an oilfield service company and decided to go into business together after the latest downturn in the energy sector.
One of the consequences of the long spell New Orleans Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell must spend waiting in the wings is that her honeymoon period will evidently be over before she takes office.

True, her supporters have so far managed to play down Attorney General Jeff Landry's investigation of the charges she ran up on the credit card she was issued as a member of the City Council. That she reimbursed the city to the tune of thousands only after qualifying to run for mayor may be tantamount to an admission of misuse, but, shoot, they say, everyone else does it, if not quite on the same scale.

Any taxpayer who is not greatly reassured to know that it is standard practice for council members to play fast and loose with the public dollar is invited to give Cantrell the benefit of any doubt anyway because she is a Democrat and Landry is a grandstanding Republican.

According to that theory, Landry would stop at nothing to get elected governor. It is not the most far-fetched idea to come down the pike.

Cantrell ruffles feathers by bringing ex-con, former state Sen. Derrick Shepherd to meeting What could be a critically important relationship between the city's newly elected mayor and

Meanwhile, Cantrell is embroiled in a brouhaha that suggests it will not be easy to believe anything coming out of City Hall when she is running the show. She and her mouthpieces have failed to quell doubts about her discretion and veracity that arose after a meeting she held with state legislators a week before Christmas.

Legislators arriving for the meeting were surprised to find Derrick Shepherd helping to set the tables for breakfast. The meeting was held at a church, but it was not eggs and hash browns that seemed out of place. It was the very presence of Shepherd that raised eyebrows, for, once a state legislator himself, he was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and has been arrested a couple of times on domestic violence charges.

That was all a few years ago, and redemption was certainly a suitable topic for discussion in such a setting. Indeed, Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, reported that Cantrell did make a reference to second chances, while Shepherd sat there and said nothing. Several legislators in attendance, however, were alarmed by the intrusion and wondered whether Cantrell planned to give him a job at City Hall.

Her spokesman, David Winkler-Schmit, asked why Shepherd was at the meeting, just did the old flack shuffle. Shepherd had no defined role, he said, but Cantrell was meeting with many community members, and the future looked bright as we move forward together as a city. Evading the question was as close as Winkler-Schmit could come to an explicit confirmation that Cantrell had invited Shepherd to the meeting because he was destined for rehabilitation in the new administration. Nothing happened to change that perception until more than a day later, during which time the meeting was widely reported.

Evidently it dawned on the transition team that Winkler-Schmit's bromides had merely added to the consternation, and an outside consultant was called up. In a statement issued by Karen Carvin, Cantrell averred Shepherd did not accompany me to that meeting, nor was he invited to participate.

As to why Winkler-Schmit did not say so in the first place, why so much time had elapsed before the denial was issued and how Shepherd knew the meeting was scheduled, even such an old pro as Carvin was stumped for an explanation. Nobody, however, would ever suggest that Shepherd lacked the chutzpah to gatecrash any gathering. Two years ago he tried to run for the state house but the courts ruled that his felony conviction disqualified him.

In the statement issued by Carvin, Cantrell vowed that Shepherd has no future with her, but the public reaction to the prospect had been so hostile that she clearly had no choice. If this is a foretaste of her executive style, maybe we'll have to head for the hills for the first disaster to hit when she is mayor.

Shepherd was put under house arrest when booked with assaulting a woman while awaiting trial for money laundering in 2008. Two years later, before he was sentenced in the money-laundering case, his bond was revoked when he was picked up on another domestic charge. Imagine finding this guy at your breakfast table.

Email James Gill at Gill1407@bellsouth.net.
The Institute of Public Affairs has done well to highlight the way new laws have been eroding the basic rights of Australians over the past 12 months.

The organisation's annual survey of laws passed this year, on which we reported this week, details 19 new infringements during 2017. Added to previous years' examples, this steady erosion has allowed, on the institute's calculation, 324 instances where federal laws breach basic rights and freedoms.

The Greens have renewed their call for a federal bill of rights following the same-sex marriage vote and the setting up of the Ruddock inquiry into religious freedoms. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Little by little our elected representatives are limiting our freedom of speech, reversing the onus of proof and the presumption of innocence, denying the right to silence, and undermining other foundations of democracy and the rule of law.

In the years since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 in New York, anti terror legislation has been a major source of such limits on ordinary freedoms. Freedom of speech in particular has been suppressed when it comes to reporting or commenting on cases, or allegations, of terrorist activity. Perhaps in response, there has been countervailing pressure to relax the limits on freedom of speech under the 1975 Racial Discrimination Act.
A LONG WAY FROM HOME

Peter Carey Another novel with a road trip at its heart. The two-time Booker winner is in effervescent form as Irene and Titch Bobs, along with their navigator Willie Bachhuber, embark on the Redex Round Australia Reliability Trial in the early 1950s. But there are discoveries to be made along the way about the country and its dark past and the hidden background of at least one of the major characters. Carey excels in this fizzing, darkly comic novel that addresses white Australia's relations with the Indigenous population while rattling from Bacchus Marsh to Broome and back with plenty of diversions along the way. Two-time Booker winner Peter Carey. Credit:Steven Siewert KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

David Grann This is an astonishing story of murder, conspiracy, cover up, a dogged investigation and the early days of the FBI. New Yorker writer David Grann, who wrote The Lost City of Z, digs and digs into the mysterious deaths of members of the Osage nation, who in the early 20th century were, per capita, the richest people in the world thanks to headrights to minerals discovered under their Oklahoma land. Much of the book deals with what is already on the historical record but Grann's additional research and conclusions are truly breathtaking. An appalling, brilliantly told story from the last days of the old west that is now being adapted for a Martin Scorsese film.

MANHATTAN BEACH

Jennifer Egan The first surprising thing about this follow-up to the technically audacious Visit from the Goon Squad is that it is really quite a conventional historical novel, albeit with an added touch of noir. But it's a novel that intrigues with its mix of characters and time settings. Anna becomes a diver in the Manhattan naval yards during World War II. Years earlier her father disappeared after an encounter with the enigmatic gangster Dexter Styles and soon she falls into his orbit. As you would expect from Egan, it's a remarkably assured novel peopled by characters who seem on the cusp of new lives in a world that has plunged into flux. Jennifer Egan's Credit:Pieter Van Hattem THE RESTORER

Michael Sala Maryanne decides to go back to her husband Roy, giving him one last chance. The couple and their two children, Freya and Daniel, move to Newcastle where Roy has bought a run-down terrace house to restore. Can he restore the family though? Michael Sala's second novel is a scrupulously written, scarifying story of impending tragedy, which is to give nothing away. Narrated largely from the points of view of Maryanne and Freya, it's a picture of domestic tension, violence and disintegration. Worth reading in concert with Sala's first novel, The Last Thread, which is virtually a memoir of his early life.

RELEASE

Patrick Ness This American author of YA fiction is best known for A Monster Calls, but this is perhaps his most personal book, the sort of book he would have reportedly liked when he was in much the same situation as his protagonist. Release is inspired by Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway and relates the intense events in a single day in the life of Adam, who is yet to come out, has already loved and lost, is now falling in love with Linus. It's frank about sex and the difficulties Adam has negotiating adolescent life in a conservative family in a small US town. HOME FIRE

Kamila Shamsie While this might be a reimagining of the classical Greek myth of Antigone and her brother Polynices, Kamila Shamsie's novel about two British muslim families whose fates become dramatically entwined under the cloud of global geopolitics is bang up to date. At its heart lies the tricky problem facing western democracies: how to deal with jihadis who want to return home. It is also about how the decisions of fathers can impact so significantly on their children. Shamsie crafts a riveting novel and ratchets up the tension towards an ending that will leave you gasping. Kamila Shamsie ratchets up the tension in Credit:Zain Mustafa
Prosecuting drug dealers for the crime of selling ice to customers who go on to commit murder would be unenforceable, warns critics of Matthew Guy's latest "tough on crime" policy.

If elected in 2018, the Coalition has promised to bring in a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence for dealers who provide ice or other drugs to someone who then carries out serious violent crimes, including "mass casualty attacks" and murder.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy's latest crime policy has been criticised as impractical. Credit:AAP

But Sentencing Advisory Council chair Arie Freiberg cast doubt on the viability of the plan, saying the proposed offence would face a "number of issues of proof".

Emeritus Professor Freiberg said proving that a dealer should have known one of their customers would go on to commit the crimes would be a major hurdle.
Sao Paulo: Brazilian federal police have arrested an alleged Mexican drug boss, prosecutors said on Wednesday, in a blow to one of the most powerful organisations in Mexico's criminal underworld.

According to the arrest warrant, police detained Jose Gonzalez Valencia, 42, a leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), with the intention of fulfilling a US extradition request.

Presidio Beach in Aquiraz, Fortaleza, Brazil. Credit:Aquiraz Tourism

Once a little-known gang, the CJNG has grown in recent years to challenge the Sinaloa Cartel of captured kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman for primacy of the drug trade in Mexico.
Beirut: Turkey's leader has denounced Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a terrorist mass murderer with no place in that country's postwar future, scrapping a softened approach that Turkish officials had taken toward Assad in recent years.

The statement by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came as Assad seemed more confident than ever that he has won the war and will remain Syria's leader for the foreseeable future. It also came against the backdrop of maneuvering by many powers - most notably Russia and Iran, Syria's most important allies - to influence the outcome of a devastating conflict that has reshaped Middle East politics.

One of the first leaders in the region to condemn Assad when the conflict began in 2011, Erdogan had in recent months signalled a willingness to accept Assad's political longevity.

His shift on Wednesday was a reminder of their hostility, coming as Assad has demonstrated greater swagger over his grip from military gains over the past year, largely with Russia's help.
New York: It would have seemed unbelievable in 1990, when there were 2245 killings in New York City, but as of this week there have been just 285 murders in the city this year - the lowest since reliable records have been kept.

In fact, crime has fallen in New York in each of the major felony categories murder and manslaughter, rape, assault, robbery, burglary, grand larceny, and car thefts to a total of 94,806 as of Sunday, well below the previous record of 101,716 set last year.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Credit:CHARLIE NEIBERGALL

If the trend holds just a few more days, this year's murder total will be well under the previous low of 333 in 2014, and crime will have declined for 27 straight years, to levels that police officials have said are the lowest since the 1950s.

The numbers, when taken together, portray a city of 8.5 million people growing safer even as the police, under Mayor Bill de Blasio, use less deadly force, make fewer arrests and scale back controversial practices like stopping and frisking thousands of people on the streets.
Bangkok: An Australian grandmother acquitted of drugs charges in Malaysia will not be allowed to return home for months after prosecutors lodged an appeal against the verdict.

Malaysia's High Court found on Wednesday that 54-year-old Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto was the victim of an online romance scam when she unwittingly flew into Kuala Lumpur's international airport from Shanghai with 1.1 kilograms of methamphetamine in her luggage in December 2014 .

Australian Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto leaves her hearing at the Shah Alam High Court after being found not guilty of drug charges. Credit:Sadiq Asyraf

But Exposto's hopes of returning to her family in Sydney for the new year were crushed when prosecutors announced the appeal.

Earlier they had asked the court to order her deportation.
Berlin: A 40-year-old man has died in a used-clothes container in Germany, while in Chicago a man was rescued after being trapped in one.

In the Germany incident, the unidentified man became stuck head-first in the container's chute in the western German town of Wetzlar on Christmas Day, police said on Thursday.

Police believe the tilt mechanism of the container flap held the man around his waist.

Witnesses called police and rescue workers after they saw the apparently lifeless man in the container.

Initial attempts by the police and the fire department to assist the man failed.
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Citys Pet of the Week Mallas is Columbia Animal Services adoptable pet of the week. This leggy two-year-old has three passions in lifegoing for walks, meeting new people, and snuggling. He rides well in cars...

Pet of the Week Snoopy is approximately two years old, neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, heartworm negative, and just looking for the right match. Please refer to ID number A279828 when visiting www.columbiasc.net/animal-services.
1 EVENT TO MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR

The Computer Club for Seniors is having a 2018 planning session at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the Southwood Community Center to discuss topics and speakers for 2018. For more information, contact College Station Parks and Recreation Department, Senior Services at 979-764-6371 or kpeterson@cstx.gov or cstx.gov/seniors.

THURSDAY

CLUBS

Coffee for Veterans, 8 to 10 a.m., American Legion Post Home, Texas 21 East and Waco Street, Bryan. Open to all veterans.

Bible study for seniors, 9:15 a.m., Lincoln Center. 764-3779 or awilliams@cstx.gov for more information.

Canasta, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Brazos County Senior Citizens Association, 1402 Bristol St.

FRIDAY

CLUBS

Star Duplicate Bridge Club, 9:15 a.m., Pebble Creek Country Club. For partnerships, call ahead 703-1769.

Brazos County Senior Citizens Association: dominoes from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., quilting and/or crafting from 9:30 a.m. to noon, potluck luncheon at noon and progressive bridge from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. 1402 Bristol St., Bryan. Visitors welcome. 822-6873.

Friday Night Jam Session, 6 to 10 p.m., VFW Post 4006. Everyone is welcome. Admission is free.

SATURDAY

EVENTS

Brazos Valley Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon., Downtown Bryan at Main and 22nd Streets. Selling local produce, poultry, eggs, jams and jellies and pickled items. www.brazosvalleyfarmersmarket.com or email wisefamilyfarm@gmail.com or 229-5503.

SUNDAY

EVENTS

Noon Year's Eve, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Green at Century Square. A send-off to 2017 that's fun for the whole family, featuring a live DJ on The Green, lawn games, balloon artist, face painting, photo booth and more, and concluding with a countdown to noon with bubbles. centurysquare@midwaycompanies.com.

Queen's Ball, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Ice House on Main. Featuring hors d'oeuvres, dancing, drinks, casino games and a glass of Champagne for the midnight toast. Tickets range from $40 to $60. The proceeds benefit the Queen Theatre. www.downtownbryan.com.

Sons of Hermann New Year's Eve Dance, 8 p.m. to midnight. Featuring black eyed peas and cornbread at midnight. $20 at the door, $15 in advance. 779-5440.

Hurricane Harry's Biggest New Year's Eve Party in Town, 8 p.m. Free party favors, free champagne toast at midnight, free food buffet at midnight. Reserve at 846-3343.
A Dallas woman has been charged after police say she destroyed at least $300,000 in art at Texas A&M University System Regent Tony Buzbee's Houston home.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Lindy Lou Layman, 29, was charged Saturday with felony criminal mischief in the incident after authorities say she threw two abstract sculptures and destroyed three paintings at Buzbee's home. She was released on $30,000 bond.

Prosecutors said Layman was on her first date with Buzbee, according to KHOU-TV.

Criminal mischief where the damage is $300,000 or more is a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in prison.

Buzbee referred The Eagle to comments he made to the publication Texas Lawyer.

In the Texas Lawyer article, Buzbee said he had not met Layman before the incident and that she had been at his central Houston home with several other people.

"She at some point appeared too intoxicated, and she was asked to leave," Buzbee told Texas Lawyer. "She wouldn't and got angry because she didn't want to leave. The police dealt with it.

"It's not the first time I've had guests at a party of mine over-imbibe. Most leave when you ask them. She didn't."

The Texas Lawyer article cites a police complaint that states Layman tore paintings off the walls, threw sculptures across the room and poured a drink on at least one painting.

Buzbee told the publication the incident could have been worse.

"I collect art. I don't want it damaged," he said. "She also pulled a Renoir and a Monet off the wall. Luckily, those weren't damaged."

KHOU-TV reports officials said Buzbee called an Uber for Layman, but she refused to leave and hid inside the home. Buzbee located her and called her a second Uber, but authorities say Layman became aggressive.

Layman's LinkedIn profile lists her as a "freelance court reporter."

Buzbee attended Texas A&M, where he was a battalion commander in the Corps of Cadets. He served in the Marine Corps, and the Buzbee Leadership Learning Center at Texas A&M is named in his honor. He earned his law degree at the University of Houston and practices law in the Houston area.

According to the Texas A&M University System website, he was named a top lawyer in Texas Lawyer's "Top Five Go-To Lawyers" in 2002. Buzbee was appointed to the System Board of Regents in 2013, where he serves as a member of the Committee on Audit and the Committee on Buildings and Physical Plant.
TEMPLE -- Authorities say a Milam County jailer has been charged with stealing funds.

Milam County Sheriff David Greene said Milam County Jail Capt. Katrina Douglas had been arrested by the Texas Rangers and charged with theft of more than $30,000 but less than $150,000, a third-degree felony.

Greene says the Texas Rangers investigated Douglas for several months after a large amount of money was found missing. She was arrested Dec. 21 in Temple.

"We looked at this long and hard for several months because we wanted to make sure we were right," Greene told the Temple Daily Telegram. "She was in a position of high trust."

Greene says Douglas was released from Bell County Jail after posting bail. A phone number couldn't be found to reach her for comment.

Douglas is the third Milam County employee in the past two years to be accused of having a connection to missing funds.

In September, Milam County Treasurer Donna Orsag resigned after she was confronted with theft allegations. Orsag was charged in October with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

Milam County tax assessor collector Kolette Barrett Morgan received three years probation in December 2015 after she pleaded guilty to attempted theft of more than $1,500 but less than $20,000 by a public servant, according to a previous article in The Eagle. She resigned from her position after 17 years of service.
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Ask Siri whether you should believe in God and youll receive the reply, I would ask that you address your spiritual questions to someone more qualified to comment. Ideally, a human. Or, Its all a mystery to me. Or the too-cute, I believe in the separation of Silicon and spirit.

Not surprising answers, given the nature of the question. Why should Apple put itself in the middle of a centuries-old discussion?

Apples Siri is a virtual intelligent assistant, but there is nothing intelligent about Siri or its peers, such as Microsofts Cortana, Googles Assistant and Amazons Alexa. Virtual assistants are not conscious and do not think like humans. Their machine-learning software has enabled them to provide greater high-value content to humans. They are getting better at understanding the idiosyncrasies of peoples voices, accents and colloquial speech. A person can carry out a conversation with these devices giving the appearance of intelligence and consciousness.

There are large customized versions of intelligent assistants found in call centers that interact with customers unaware of the artificial voice on the other end. Another version involves virtual assistants that can take facts and write articles much like a reporter.

Darn near human

The reason these virtual assistants are getting better is because the content they collect from all these questions is used to improve the machine-learning software performance. The more content the virtual assistant acquires, the more complex answers it can handle.

Specifically, advances in machine learning and sensors have allowed for the development of smart content. Smart content is derived from virtual assistants, sensors collecting data from millions of conversations, thousands of internet sources, and sensors collecting data on physical surroundings. The machine-learning software determines the meaning of the data and creates the smart content verbalized by the virtual assistants.

The best example of smart content is robo-advisers, a combination of tremendous amounts of data and machine-learning software that use this data to make investment decisions for financial portfolios. Other examples can be found in our cars, as on-board software makes decisions thousands of times a second to ensure a smooth and safe ride. Autopilots on airplanes and automated farm machinery do the same thing.

Soon, smart content will be in an emergency room, making decisions on treatments faster than the ER staff.

The hard part

What happens when people ask questions that are more philosophical and metaphysical in nature? We cannot assume that our dependency on these devices will stop at mundane questions and requests.

A college student faced with the daunting task of writing a paper for a course on Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics eventually will be able to turn to a virtual assistant and ask it the homework question. The student probably will copy the reply verbatim, without considering the meaning of the piece or understanding it.

The responses provided by smart content to spiritual and moral questions are randomly selected canned answers. However, these canned answers soon will have to give way to didactic answers drawn from broad sources of content. And who decides the didactic themes present in virtual assistances?

We should expect these answers to be subject to the demands of secular forces. Ask Siri I dont want an abortion. Where do I go? and the answer is Fine. Ask Siri I want an abortion. Where do I go? and the answer is a list of Planned Parenthood centers.

This occurred due to pressure from Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union when they deemed the smart content for Siri to be unacceptable to this question.

This example is a leading indicator of the future of smart content. It will become secular and atheist because secular organizations will demand it and the technology companies acquiesce.

It will be easier to ignore the church than the ACLU.

People are realizing the power of an on-demand answering service that goes beyond the simple questions (Siri, what is the capital of Illinois?) to the more complex questions that require education and insights (Siri, what is a technology architecture? or Siri, what is the contingency argument that explains the existence of God?).

The companies in control of developing the content for complex questions will find that the path of least resistance is secularism. And once they start down this path, they cannot easily reverse or change course. The Catholic Church cannot insist that Apple modify Siris responses to undo secularist answers for questions asked about the church and incorporate the church catechism into its answers.

Secular challenges

Siris evolution is more reflective of scientism and reductionist thinking because the smart content it verbalizes is shaped by moral relativists. This is the challenge smart content presents to Christian faith leadership and the Catholic Church: How it will ensure a Christian presence in this version of the future where smart content is created and maintained by those who marginalize religion?

This challenge goes far beyond the need to participate in social media or to ensure Catholic theology is present in the cloud. Smart content enables devices to make decisions. Smart content also is persistent. It is difficult or next to impossible to change the ethics of smart content once a substantial amount of content has been incorporated into it. The process has already started to drive the themes of smart content used by virtual assistants to align to a secularist society.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to date has not considered the impact of smart content on evangelization and other outreach efforts. The work of evangelists and apologists is already tough enough in having to confront human secularists and atheists. It is an altogether different challenge to argue with a virtual assistant and convince people to not listen to it when the person listens to it for everything else.

Who will our children believe? Siri or the priest? Siri and its peers will be in our childrens lives forever and become increasingly important. They will depend on their virtual assistants for increasingly difficult questions and help. Eventually, a person in need and trouble will turn to Siri and not a priest or lay minister for help. What then?

A first step would be to work with technology companies to understand the smart content creation process and make sure the companies understand the concerns of the church.

A second, more long-term step, would be to create a series of questions that the church creates to monitor the evolution of the smart content. The answers to these questions, that is, the smart content verbalized can be assessed for changes and trends. These analytics would be leading indicators of the secularization of smart content, the rapidity of the change, and where the changes are headed. The church then can take action to change the content.

The church should not want Siri being the religious leader to our children and others in need. That should be and must be the purview of humans.

Timothy Carone is an associate teaching professor at the University of Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business. A former astrophysicist, Carone specializes in automation and artificial intelligence and is the author of Future Automation: Changes to Lives and to Businesses.
What was supposed to be a sunny $2 billion acquisition of U.S. television manufacturer Vizio by Chinese company LeEco went south when the latter had trouble coming up with the money. The deal reportedly included a $100 million fee should LeEco terminate the agreement, prompting Vizio to file a lawsuit.

Vizio alleges that LeEco executives deliberately misrepresented the companys financial situation and used the merger to obtain confidential information. The situation between Vizio and LeEco seems particularly volatile, but its not unusual for mergers to go belly-up once both parties gain access to each others books.

While numerous companies attempt to journey through the mazelike jungle of mergers and acquisitions, Harvard Business Review reports that 70-90 percent of those attempts end in failure. The terms of mergers can be complex, but experienced business leaders should learn to recognize the red flags that indicate they might be headed into a tumultuous situation.

Related: 3 Entrepreneurial Lessons From the Amazon/Whole Foods Mega-Merger

Doing your due diligence.

Selling your company -- or buying one -- involves digging up the skeletons of a poorly managed balanced sheet. In the earliest stages of a startup, its not uncommon for entrepreneurs to have a somewhat cavalier attitude. They might loan themselves money or use a company credit card for personal expenses. These decisions can come back to haunt companies when someone digs into their financials.

Any companies involved in a merger should have spotless balance sheets. Both parties should be in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service, with updated tax information, sound legal documents and completed I-9s for all employees.

In instances where a public company is acquiring a smaller company that will comprise a substantial portion of the new body, all financials must comply with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure requirements. Revising financials to this standard can take weeks, so its a good idea to plan ahead.

It's equally important to allow plenty of time for due diligence. Even if you have the legal, compliance and tax knowledge necessary to navigate the process, it often takes much longer to complete than anticipated. It's exhausting, but unexpected surprises can derail the entire agreement if both sides don't exercise due diligence before the deal closes.

Related: Deal or No Deal? Here Are 7 Ways Due Diligence Can Help Before a Final Commitment

There are plenty of ways for mergers to fall through, but not all are destined for failure. To prevent any last-minute meltdowns, follow these steps to get everything in order:

1. Clean up your balance sheet.

Your companys assets, liabilities and equity shouldnt contain any line items that you arent comfortable discussing. Be ready to explain everything to potential buyers and illustrate the earning potential of your business.

CB Insights has conducted research that indicates that 29 percent of startups fail because they run out of money. Yours isnt one of them, but your balance sheet needs to provide plenty of transparency regarding your financial position.

2. Update your capitalization table, and prepare it for pro forma analyses.

This step is important for your company and potential investors. A capitalization table can indicate how much youll be diluted in certain situations -- such as if an acquiring company issues more shares. A report by Capshare found that company founders typically own far less of their company than they think.

Work to get your cap table as organized as possible, clarifying everything from various classes of stock and options to warrants. Whatever format you take -- there is no right way to organize your cap table -- be sure to include stockholder names, date of issuance, the number of shares owned, type of shares owned, date of disposition and some high-level commentary.

3. Have a sell-side due diligence team dive into your numbers.

A buy-side diligence team will dig into all details and scrutinize every last penny of your bottom line. Instead of being blindsided, hire a sell-side team to run your numbers and give you a chance to fix mistakes before buyers find them.

This might be as simple as cleaning up your customer database. If you dont have a standard naming convention for your customers, a quick outside analysis might indicate a heavily inflated churn rate rather than inconsistent naming.

Be sure to look beyond numbers, too. One of the biggest issues in the mergers and acquisitions world, according to a survey by Morrison & Foerster, is unrelated to financials -- 82 percent of respondents said cybersecurity is a major concern. Its much easier to fix mistakes ahead of time than it is to explain the situation to an exasperated and unsympathetic buyer at the last minute.

4. Make sure your data room can be updated.

An online data room -- also known as a virtual data room -- is a storehouse for your key information and documents. Critical documents such as contracts, financial statements, employee data and intellectual property information should all be housed in your data room, making the due diligence process as efficient as possible. The market revenue for virtual data rooms has ballooned to more than $800 million, underscoring the growing demand for this capability.

At the same time, the odds of you finding a buyer, signing a letter of intent, blazing through due diligence and closing in the same calendar month is next to impossible. As additional months of data are created during negotiations, youll need to make that information available. Make it easier on your team by using an online data room that can be continuously populated with information as needed.

5. Create a timeline of priorities and responsibilities for due diligence.

Before you begin the due diligence process, do some self-diligence. Examine your contracts for any change of control provisions, which can make acquiring your company less valuable for a buyer.

When you pass over control of a company, it can trigger certain agreed-upon rights -- maybe youre required to pay out employee bonuses, or key suppliers might retain the right to renegotiate the terms of their contracts. Research by Meridian Compensation Partners found that about 75 percent of 160 companies involved in one study include cash severance for named executive officers in their change of control provisions. Be aware of any provisions and transparent about them throughout the process.

It's also important to shop around when youre debating selling your company. If youre approached out of the blue, take a moment and analyze the market. Your board members can prove a valuable resource in this instance because they have a fiduciary responsibility to get your shareholders the best deal possible.

Related: 5 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask Potential Investors

The due diligence process is not for the faint of heart. Its long and drawn out, and some major issues might not bubble up to the surface until late in the process. Be thorough, but realize that time truly does kill all deals -- whether its the loss of negotiating power or simply lost interest from a buyer.

In spite of all the due diligence in the world, merging with a company inherently carries some level of risk. Once youve had the opportunity to fully vet any deals and negotiate, you have to decide whether the reward is worth the risk.

Related:

Don't Even Think 'Merger' Without Taking These 5 Steps First

Check Out the 43 Most Active Fund Managers in India

5 Insider Tips on Selling Your Startup to Google



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


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NORWALK  Norwalk will receive a $125,000 state grant to develop a transit-oriented development plan for the area around the East Norwalk Train Station.

Transit-oriented development places housing, retail, office space and attractions within walking distance of public transportation facilities.

The boundaries for East Norwalk TOD will be determined as part of the study, said Norwalk Director of Planning and Zoning Steve Kleppin. I dont want to set any timeframes yet, but assuming the Citywide Plan schedule holds and that is close to the adoption stage by late summer (2018), we could conceivably begin this plan around that time frame.

The grant  announced Wednesday by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy  will allow the city hire a consultant and develop an East Avenue Transit-Oriented Development Plan for the areas near the train station.

The planning study will analyze existing conditions, opportunities and constraints, develop a clear framework and vision for the future of the area, and establish guidelines for design and development, according to statements released by Malloy and state Senate Mayor Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk.

For Norwalk to continue to grow as a vibrant community we must plan not just for the next year but for the next generation, Duff said. Smart, targeted development like this will boost economic activity, create jobs and improve Norwalks livability.

Deb Goldstein, a Third Taxing District commissioner, said the district, the East Norwalk Business Association and the East Norwalk Neighborhood Association sent letters supporting the citys application for the grant. She welcomes the TOD plan provided its comprehensive, respects East Norwalks assets and isnt focused solely on greater housing density.

To the extent that TOD is going to be a fully comprehensive plan for the area, and not just an excuse to put more density around the train station, I think its a good idea, Goldstein said.

The effort comes as the Norwalk Zoning Commission considers implementing the recommendations of the South Norwalk TOD Redevelopment Plan as approved by the Common Council and Norwalk Redevelopment Agency in 2016.

That plan, which encourages redevelopment of former industrial and other underused properties through infill development, has generated debate over gentrification of neighborhoods near the South Norwalk Train Station.

During a joint public hearing before the citys Planning and Zoning commissions at City Hall on Dec. 18, developers and affordable-housing advocates disagreed over whether requiring a higher percentage of affordable units (20 percent versus 10 percent) would help or hinder multi-family housing development in South Norwalk.

The grant to develop a TOD plan for areas around the East Norwalk Trains Station is among $15 million announced Wednesday to support 11 projects statewide. The projects are intended to create jobs and generate economic activity, according to Malloys office.

The funding comes through the states Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development Grant Program, which is administered by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) and relies on a combination of funding from the Responsible Growth Incentive Fund and the Transit-Oriented Development and Pre-development Fund, Malloys office said.

Transportation isnt just about cars, trains and buses - its about building vibrant communities and continuing to make Connecticut a more attractive place to live, visit, and do business, Malloy said. Todays grant awards will build upon the smart, targeted investments we have made in recent years, which have already lead to significant growth in transit-oriented development across the state.
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WESTPORT  Beloved former music store owner Sally White died Wednesday at Autumn Lake Healthcare in Norwalk. White, who was in her late 80s, owned Sallys Place on Main Street in Westport for 27 years, where she sold vinyl records, tapes, and CDs and inspired generations of music lovers.

In the music business on Westports Main Street since 1956, White started out at Melody House and then transitioned to the record section at Kleins, where she worked until the department store closed in 1985 and she set out to open her own shop.

A lifelong Norwalk resident and single mother of two, White was an honorary Westporter and remembered as a mythic figure in town.

Resident Morley Boyd grew up in town and remembers Sallys non-judgmental manner.

With Sally there were no stupid questions, so even the musically challengedsuch as myselffelt right at home. I marveled at her passion and sometimes wondered what it would be like if she ran the town, Boyd said.

First Selectman Jim Marpe said Whites knowledge of music was encyclopedic and called her the epitome of the locally-owned and -operated businessperson.

One memory of White stuck out in Marpes mind.

I remember chatting with Sally about a relatively-obscure jazz musician and arranger who was a friend and part of a large jazz band. She knew more about him that I did and had never met him, Marpe said.

Wendy Crowther grew up in Westport and lives here still. She said her mother, Alice Crowther, used to teach an aerobic dance class at the YMCA in town and would go to Sallys to pick out music for her class.

My mom would go into Sallys and often wouldnt know the name of a song she liked but would sing the song to Sallysay, It goes like thisand Sally knew exactly what she was saying. She had this incredible brain for and knowledge of music, Crowther said. She radiated enthusiasm and warmth and was so helpful. She could find anything for you from jazz to rap. She knew everything.

Chip Stephens, a resident of Westport since he was four, said he appreciated Whites ability to point customers in the direction of music they may like in a time before streaming services did that for you.

Once in the 1970s, Stephens said he and his school friends went into the music section at Kleins and Sally told them about a great Simon & Garfunkel concert she attended. Sallys description and enthusiasm for the band inspired Stephens to want to see the band perform live, so when he got the chance 10 years later in New York City he took it.

Sallys place closed in 2013 due to the easy availability of music on the internet that made it difficult for retail music stores to compete, White said in a 2013 interview.

Brick and mortar music stores may be a thing of the past, but memories of White will certainly live on in the minds, and music, of many Westporters.
The Grand Island Historic Downtown District, roughly bounded by South Front Street, Walnut Street, an alley south of Second Street and Kimball Street, has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Nebraska State Historical Society announced in a press release Wednesday.

The district contains 64 contributing resources that demonstrate the commercial development of Grand Island from roughly 1870 to 1960. Since it was established, it has remained a core of commercial activities in Grand Island. The district contains an intact collection of late-19th and early- to mid-20th-century commercial and public buildings that reflect nine decades of commercial development in Grand Island.

The National Register of Historic Places is the nations inventory of properties deemed worthy of preservation. It is part of a national program to coordinate and support local and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect the nations historic and archeological resources. The National Register was developed to recognize historic places and their role in contributing to the countrys heritage.

Properties listed in the National Register either individually or as contributing to a historic district are eligible for state and federal tax incentives. For more information on the National Register program in Nebraska, contact the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office at the Nebraska State Historical Society at (402) 471-4775 or visit history.nebraska.gov.
For The Edge

Adventure Stage Chicago presents the first annual Adventures in Storytelling festival! Stories from tellers of all ages will be on display as audiences are whisked into unique worlds and narratives. Discover new cultures with bilingual bards, witness the budding talents of youth tellers and participate in numerous workshops as ASC celebrates the art of the story. The line-up for artists includes Jasmin Cardenas, Rives Collins, Emily Lansana, Dorothy Milne, Scott Whitehair, 2nd Story and more to be announced.

Adventures in Storytelling will take place as part of Choose Chicago and The League of Chicago Theatres annual Theater Week. All events take place in the Northwestern Settlements Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble. Individual tickets range from free to $5. Opening and closing ceremonies are $17, and workshop tickets are available for $30. Tickets are now on sale at adventurestage.org or by calling 773.342.4141.
A new piece of legislation signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner is hoping to be a positive step for those wanting to open a small businesses.

The new law, Senate Bill 867, has substantially reduced startup, annual filing and other fees for limited liability companies, the preferred organization structure for many small businesses.

Jo Ann Di Maggio May, director of Metro East Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIUE, said the legislation is a huge step toward helping small businesses.

With this legislation, I believe 2018 will be a huge year for new business start-up and growth, May said. Cutting these fees will allow small businesses to focus on their business and not have to focus on how to pay the high regulatory fees.

The new law lowers the LLC filing fee from $500 to $150. Reinstatement fees have been cut from $500 to $200. The annual report filing fee has been cut from $250 to $75. Filing amendments fees have been slashed from $150 to $50 and the name transfer fee has been cut from $100 to $25.

May says the lowering of the regulatory fees makes Illinois more competitive with neighboring states.

In Missouri, the LLC filing fee is $50.

Because of these regulatory fees, Illinois hasnt been as competitive, May said. This might make the difference between someone opening a business in Illinois as opposed to Missouri. The lower fees might have business coming back to Illinois.

Small Business Advocacy Council CEO Elliot Richardson said the bipartisan initiative was about more than lowering some of the highest LLC fees in the nation.

This will level the playing field for small business, encouraging new businesses to form in our state and growing our way toward economic stability.

In a press release, Rauner said the legislation is a clear win for businesses in Illinois.

This is a step in the right direction for our small businesses, Rauner said. The new rates are more competitive with other states. By easing the fee burden for LLCs here, we are sending a message to entrepreneurs and small business owners in Illinois: Start here and stay here.

The new fees took effect on Dec. 20.
Anderson Hospital must sometimes implement temporary visitor restrictions during the flu season.

Due to recent increased flu cases seen in our ER and admitted patients, as of December 27, we are taking these precautionary steps as advised by the Illinois Department of Public Health:

* No visitors displaying flu-like symptoms (cough, runny nose, etc.)

* No visitors under age 18 allowed on patient floors

* Visitors in the Pavilion for Women are limited to baby's sibling(s) and 4 others as determined by the mother.

"Patients are recovering from various illnesses, so we cannot risk subjecting them to the flu and other cold viruses," said Lisa Klaustermeier, Chief Nursing Officer at Anderson Hospital. "We regret any inconveniences, but the health of our patients is our priority."

Please check back before visiting to see what restrictions may be in place due to this year's widespread Flu cases.

For statistical information regarding the flu, we recommend contacting the Illinois Department of Public Health and/or the Madison County Health Department.
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Linkedin Sinar Mas Land (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Thu, December 28, 2017

The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, property developer Sinar Mas Land is supporting the Jakarta administrations renovation of Lapangan Banteng Park in Central Jakarta, where locals often gather to conduct communal activities such as exercise.

The highlights of Sinar Mas Lands part of the renovation project include the restoration of a statue commemorating the liberation of Irian Jaya from the Dutch, which incorporates an open-space concept featuring souvenir shops. It is also restoring the monument area, which has not been well-maintained, with walls covered by graffiti and vines.

The project also seeks to maximize the parks function as a public space, with the addition of an amphitheater and playground as alternative venues where locals could conduct their communal activities. The renovation projects progress has exceeded its initial completion target by 23 percent.

The park has been revitalized to boost public activities and to maximize its function to bring people together. The park can also be used to boost peoples enthusiasm for the upcoming 2018 Asian Games, Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno said on the sidelines of a morning inspection to monitor the parks renovation progress.

He added that the park renovation should be completed in March 2018. The project is not financed by the Jakarta administrations city budget, but through Sinar Mas Land.

According to Sinar Mas Land permit director Gandi Salistjanto, the Lapangan Banteng Park renovation project is Sinar Mas Land's contribution toward beautifying Jakarta and welcoming the upcoming Asian Games.

Lapangan Banteng is a site with deep roots in Central Jakartas history. The area is located near Jakarta Cathedral and not far from Istiqlal Grand Mosque. Lapangan Banteng is a historic landmark that has been around since Dutch colonial rule.

The statue commemorating the liberation of Irian Jaya from the Dutch was commissioned by former president Sukarno and has since served as an icon for the capital. The Jakarta administration is revitalizing this area with the involvement of the private sector.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 15:01 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f47d0a 1 Lifestyle Meghan-Markle,Prince-Harry,Royal-Family,beauty,eyebrow,micro-blading Free

The public just cant get enough of Prince Harry and fiance Meghan Markle.

The United States actress has even served as inspiration for beauty trends that are predicted to reign over 2018.

Sian Dellar, a London-based micro-blading expert told Hello magazine that her customers have been requesting to shape their eyebrows to resemble Markles.

Markles eyebrows have been a popular choice this year. A lot of my clients asked for that specific shape as it adds definition and instant structure for the whole face, she said.

Read also: Meghan Markle attends Christmas service with royal family

Markles natural makeup style can easily be replicated by using the micro-blading technique for the eyebrows. The natural eyebrow shape requires minimum maintenance and only 90 minutes to achieve with micro-blading.

For her beauty regimen, Markle doesnt hide her fondness for several beauty products and this help boost sales numbers.

Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipstick in the Very Victoria shade soared 65 percent in sales, following Markles engagement announcement in which she wore the lipstick. (asw)
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Linkedin Shin Ji-hye (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network)  Thu, December 28, 2017 13:07 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f4033a 2 Science & Tech Samsung,smartphone,foldable-phone Free

Anticipation is rising over Samsungs foldable smartphone, with concept images and videos of the so-called Galaxy X making the rounds every month.

However, industry insiders are cautious about the high expectations, saying there are still many unaddressed technical challenges.

A new concept video of the Galaxy X from US tech media outlet Tech Configurations caught attention Wednesday. It showed that the devices 5-inch display can be used as a normal smartphone in the folded mode and as an 8-inch tablet when unfolded.

This is just the latest of many stories that have emerged in recent years. A series of concept images, videos and patents have fueled speculation that the new foldable phone will be unveiled soon.

And lending weight to the rumor were remarks by Samsungs mobile division chief Koh Dong-Jin in September. At a media conference, the chief said We are targeting to launch foldable phones next year, although we are in the process of overcoming some hurdles for mass production.

The remarks caused a stir in the industry, but insiders appeared doubtful that foldable phones would be launched next year.

It is quite unlikely we will see the mass production of foldable phones next year due to unaddressed technical challenges, a source familiar with the matter said.

Read also: What will Samsung Galaxy S9 look like?

Another industry insider cited issues related to durability, such as ensuring the device can be folded and unfolded many times, and costs involved in making the device thinner.

However, even if the foldable smartphone is not produced next year, Samsung still faces saturation in both the market and innovation in one of its mainstays, smartphones. It will have to make efforts to develop new phones, according to industry watchers.

The global mobile phone has seen slow growth in recent years. The market is expected to see sales of around 1.82 billion units this year down from 1.89 billion units last year, according to Gartner. The figure is expected to slightly increase to 1.92 billion units next year.

Samsung will for the first time see its market share fall to 19.2 percent next year from a 20.5 percent share this year, with shipments dropping to 315 million units from 319 million units, Strategy Analytics predicted, citing fiercer competition with Apples premium phones and Chinese firms budget smartphones.

The biggest fear for tech firms is to see consumers no longer want to change their devices so they will keep innovating both hardware and software, said Lee Byung-tae, a professor at KAIST College of Business.

The foldable phones matter to Samsung to satisfy the needs of consumers whose appetite for bigger screens -- yet in small sizes -- appears endless, he added.

Topics :

This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin by Mushtaq Mojadiddi (Agence France-Presse) Kabul, Afghanistan  Thu, December 28, 2017 19:34 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f51f42 2 World Afghanistan,terror-attack,shia Free

More than 40 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suicide blast targeting Shiites in Kabul Thursday, officials said, with chaotic scenes at the city's hospitals as anguished families sought loved ones.

The Sunni Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the gruesome assault on the pro-Iranian Tabayan cultural centre, the third deadly attack it has claimed in the Afghan capital this month.

Up to 100 people had gathered at the centre to mark the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It is located in western Kabul, in the same building as affiliated Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), an anti-IS media outlet.

"The latest figures we have from this tragic incident shows 41 people have been killed and a further 84 people injured," health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told reporters.

Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in war-torn Afghanistan for civilians in recent months, as the Taliban step up their attacks and IS seeks to expand its presence in the country.

Thursday's attack saw chaotic scenes at the Istiqlal hospital where ambulances and police pickups brought victims, including women and children. Many of them had suffered severe burns to their faces and bodies, as well as shrapnel wounds, AFP reporters said.

Visibly distressed relatives searching for their loved ones inside the medical facility slapped their heads in fury as they cried and cursed the government for seemingly being unable to end the regular carnage on their streets.

Some were so distraught they crawled on the ground pulling their hair.

AFP reporters saw more than a dozen badly burned bodies lying on the floor in a room inside the hospital and wooden coffins being delivered so families could take away the remains of loved ones.

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP the attack -- the deadliest since a Shiite mosque bombing in October that killed more than 50 worshippers -- was followed by two smaller bomb blasts as victims and survivors were leaving the scene.

A journalist with AVA, which is located above the cultural centre, said that more than a hundred people were at the event in the building's basement, with a number of AVA staff among the victims.
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Linkedin Patrick Lee (AFP) Shah Alam, Malaysia  Thu, December 28, 2017 07:48 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f35fe2 2 World #Malaysia,#Australia,#DrugSmuggling Free

An Australian grandmother who said she was tricked into carrying drugs into Malaysia after falling for an online romance scam was Wednesday cleared of trafficking, a crime punishable by death.

Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto wept and hugged her son after being found not guilty of smuggling crystal methamphetamine, a rare outcome in a country where hundreds of people have been sentenced to death for drugs offences in recent years.

"I'm happy now that I'm free," said the 54-year-old, as she was ushered out of the courtroom after the verdict.

But prosecutors have indicated they want to appeal the acquittal, her lawyer said, meaning Exposto won't be able to go back home yet and there is still a chance she could be sentenced to death.

She was arrested in December 2014 while in transit at Kuala Lumpur airport with 1.1 kilos (2.4 pounds) of the drug stitched into the compartment of a backpack she was carrying.

The mother of four argued she did not know about the hidden stash of "ice". She said she had been fooled into carrying the bag after travelling to China to see someone she met online called "Captain Daniel Smith", who had claimed to be a US serviceman.

Anyone caught with at least 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of crystal meth is considered a trafficker in Muslim-majority Malaysia, and death by hanging is mandatory in the case of a conviction.

However handing down his verdict at the High Court in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Judge Ghazali Cha accepted the defence's argument that Exposto did not know the bag contained drugs and acquitted her.

"I agree with the defence lawyer that the accused did not have knowledge about the drugs," he said.

"I believe that at that time her (Exposto) feelings of love towards 'Captain Daniel Smith' overcame everything, including her own husband, her family and her future."

- Hundreds on death row -

Exposto's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah welcomed the verdict but said he was surprised at prosecutors' intention to appeal as the judge had sided firmly with the defence. Prosecutors have 14 days to lodge the challenge.

After engaging in a long online romance, Exposto had travelled to Shanghai to see "Smith".

But she did not succeed in meeting her supposed love interest while there and ended up being given a bag by a stranger, who asked her to take it to Melbourne.

When she arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to change flights, she mistakenly went through immigration as she was unfamiliar with the airport.

She voluntarily offered her bags for customs inspection and the drugs were discovered.

There are at least 900 people on death row in Malaysia, officials have said, but executions have been rare in recent years.

Malaysian lawmakers voted last year to amend legislation so that capital punishment is no longer mandatory in drug-trafficking cases.

But the changes have not yet come into force as they must be passed by the upper house, meaning that in the case of a conviction in Exposto's case, the judge would have had to impose the death penalty.

Two Australians were hanged in Malaysia in 1986 for heroin trafficking -- the first Westerners to be executed in the country -- in a case that strained relations.

In 2013 Dominic Bird, a former truck driver from Perth, was acquitted of drug trafficking charges after he was allegedly caught with 167 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
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Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam, Riau Islands  Thu, December 28, 2017 22:29 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f58969 1 National Batam,immigration,ImmigrationOffice,immigration-violations,Riau-Islands,foreigners Free

Several foreign nationals from various countries have been detained in Batam, Riau Islands, for allegedly violating immigration rules.

They were arrested in separate raids jointly conducted by personnel of the Batam Immigration Office and other agencies across Batam.

Batam Immigration Office head Lucky Agung said on Thursday that personnel dispatched for surveillance purposes since Wednesday had arrested a total of 21 foreign nationals in three locations, but some of them were quickly cleared of any wrongdoing.

After quick inspections of their immigration permits, it was found that [some of the foreign nationals] were guilty of violating Article 75 of the 2011 Immigration Law, Lucky said.

They have been brought to the immigration office to undergo further inquiries.

According to the offices data, a first raid, conducted at the Queen Victoria Apartment building, led to the arrest of 11 foreign nationals: three from South Korea, one from India and seven from Singapore. However, all of them could present temporary living permits, so they were swiftly released.

In the second raid, conducted at the Smiling Hill Guest House and Apartment, three Australian nationals were questioned. One of them, Ewen Errol Grant, 41, was brought to the immigration office for alleged violations of the Immigration Law.

The last spot was in Kampung Bule, Nagoya, where the officers detained three Japanese nationals, three from Mauritius, one from the United Kingdom, one from Singapore and one Australian national for questioning at the immigration office.

If they are proven to have violated the law, chances are that they will be deported. As for the others [in the case], we are still investigating them, said Lucky. (nmn/ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 17:15 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f4bcfd 1 National agrarian-reform,land-reform,Agrarian-Reform-Consortium,KPA,land-conflicts,Joko-Widodo,oil-palm-plantations Free

The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) recorded an increase in the number of agrarian conflicts in 2017, reaching 659 cases, covering 520,491.87 hectares of land and involving 652,738 households.

This year's number of agrarian conflicts shows an almost 50 percent increase from the 450 conflicts recorded in 2016.

Approximately two agrarian conflicts occurred every day in Indonesia this year, KPA secretary-general Dewi Kartika said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.

The KPA revealed 208 cases, or 32 percent of the total number of agrarian conflicts, were related to the plantation sector, which covers 194,453.27 ha of land, followed by 199, or 30 percent of cases related to property and 94 cases related to infrastructure.

Dewi said in terms of commodities, agrarian conflicts in the plantation sector were dominated by oil palm plantations. Oil palm and its derivative products are among the largest contributors to the countrys export revenue.

The governments moratorium on the issuance of new permits for oil palm plantations has not yet reduced or settled agrarian conflict, since it has not yet reviewed the permits issued in the past, she said.

The KPA also recorded 21 cases of violence involving members of the National Police among the 659 conflicts. The police reportedly arrested people who tried to defend their land without proper procedures, Dewi said.

Vigilante groups were involved in 15 cases of violence and Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel in 11 cases of violence related to agrarian conflicts.

KPA recorded 1,361 agrarian conflicts that took place during President Joko Jokowi Widodo's tenure. (afr/ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 18:39 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f5032e 1 City umrah-business,umrah-pilgrims,travel-agency,Scam,First-Travel Free

Police at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have arrested the manager of a haj travel agency for allegedly selling customers forged visas and plane tickets in what appears to be the latest case of fraud against would-be pilgrims.

The chief of the airport police, Adj. Sr. Comr. Ahmad Yusep, said the scam had been organized by the manager, Hermansyah, without the knowledge of the travel agency's owner.

"Dozens of customers received fake plane tickets," Ahmad said, as quoted by kompas.com on Thursday.

The 28-year-old manager had reportedly been instructed by the travel agency's owner to buy plane tickets for 79 customers who bought umrah (minor haj) travel packages. However, 58 of the customers found out that their tickets were fake as they tried to depart from the airport.

Only 21 customers were able to proceed with their departure.

According to Ahmad, the travel agency has already compensated the defrauded customers by replacing their tickets with new ones. All of them have meanwhile departed for Saudi Arabia.

Hermansyah, who is currently detained at the airport polices detention center, is also alleged to have been involved in similar scams at other travel agencies.

Earlier this year, thousands of umrah pilgrims failed to reach Mecca after the First Travel agency used the money they had paid for the trip to afford the agency owners' luxurious life. (dpk/wit)
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 19:35 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f52925 1 Business government-debt,PLN,pertamina,ignasius-jonan,Sri-Mulyani Free

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan has called on Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati to immediately repay the governments debts to state energy giants Pertamina and PLN to ease their financial burdens.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry announced on Wednesday its decision to maintain the prices of electricity sold by PLN as well as Premium gasoline and Solar subsidized diesel fuel sold by Pertamina within the first quarter of 2018.

Subsequently, Pertamina and PLN will be forced to bear the burden of increasing crude and coal prices. Coal accounts for 55 percent of PLNs electricity supply costs (BPP).

Hence, I have asked the finance minister to make the allocation to pay the bills from Pertamina and PLN, Jonan said on Wednesday.

As of 2016, the government still owed Pertamina Rp 22 trillion (US$1.54 billion) in subsidies for the sale of subsidized 3 kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters and subsidized Solar diesel. Moreover, the government had yet to pay Rp 8.4 trillion for gasoline supplied by Pertamina to the Indonesian Military since 2014.

The government has only repaid Rp 5.5 trillion of the military-related debt. We hope the remaining [Rp 2.9 trillion] can be settled in January, Pertamina president director Elia Massa Manik said.

Meanwhile, PLN president director Sofyan Basir said the government still owed the electricity firm Rp 10 trillion in subsidies for electricity sold by the company to customers. The government might repay this debt by the end of 2017. (bbn)
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Linkedin Djemi Amnifu (The Jakarta Post) Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara  Thu, December 28, 2017 11:34 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f3d045 1 National #environment,#TimorSea,#OilSpill,#Australia Free

Indonesian seaweed farmers from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) have called on the government to revise their lawsuit at the Central Jakarta District Court against Thailand-based oil producer PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) Australasia over the 2009 Montara oil spill.



They feared that several mistakes in the dossier could impact the class action lawsuit filed by 15,000 seaweed farmers against PTTEP Australasia at the Federal Court of Australia.



Daniel Sanda, one of the plaintiffs from Rote who also represents the farmers, said the government had misspelled the name of the company allegedly responsible for the oil spill in its lawsuit dossier.



The government identified The Petroleum Authority of Thailand Exploration and Production Australasia (PTTEP AA) as the first defendant in the case, instead of PTTEP Australasia (Ashmore Cartier) Pty Ltd, Daniel said on Wednesday.



He went on to say that the government had demanded the company pay for environmental damages the oil spill caused in only two regencies, namely Kupang and Rote Ndao, while the spill had actually impacted 13 regencies and cities.

(Read also: Indonesia calls on Australia to expedite legal process of Montara oil-spill)

Meanwhile, Ferdi Tanoni, chairman of an advocacy group supporting the oil spill victims, said the accident had affected around 10,000 seaweed farmers and fishermen in NTT, and their families in 13 regencies and cities.

The case has been under deliberation at the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney since August last year. (fra)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 15:55 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f4953a 4 Business tourism,Indonesia,Southeast-Asia Free

The Tourism Ministry is eyeing travelers from Southeast Asian countries in its efforts to achieve its target of 17 million foreign tourist arrivals next year.

We see the potential of tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam, said Tourism Ministry Southeast Asia market promotion head Rizki Handayani Mustafa in Mangapura, Bali, on Thursday.

Rizki said Many Malaysians, for example, were reluctant to visit Bali because they worried that it would be difficult to get halal food in the resort island.

Read also: Going all out to save Bali tourism as threat eases

Meanwhile, she added, that promotion was also needed because many Malaysians still did know about tourist destinations in Indonesia.

We need to distribute brochures about Bali tourism in Malaysia that also inform about the places where they can easily get halal food, she said, adding that Indonesia could still be able to increase the number of tourist arrivals from Singapore.

Many destinations in Indonesia could become travel destinations for tourists from Southeast Asian countries because of the proximity, Rizki said.

To help Bali tourism recover, we need to eye markets in neighboring countries, she added as reported by Antara.

Meanwhile, for Thailand, Indonesia needed to approach aviation firms and tourism operators because the country is also major tourism destination for international tourists. Tourism businesspeople in Bali have to be able to attract foreign tourists who visit Thailand.

Rizki acknowledged that the average length of stay of Southeast Asian tourists was only about three to four days, but their spending was promising. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 17:50 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f4d36d 4 Business satellite,procurements,premarket-sounding-event,BKPM Free

The investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) in collaboration with the Communications and Information Ministry has held a premarket sounding event for a public private partnership (PPP) project on the procurement of a multifunctional satellite, an official has said.

The premarket sounding event is not only to inform potential investors about the project, but also to obtain feedback about the investment model, said BKPM investment plan deputy head Tamba Parulian Hutapea in a statement issued on Wednesday.

A high throughput satellite is to be procured by the Telecommunications and Informatics Funding Provision Management Agency (BP3TI).

The investment scheme for the 15 year concession is based on an availability payment with a government guarantee, according to the BPKM press statement.

It said the board had invited more than 100 participants, consisting of VSAT firms, satellite makers, telecommunications operators, financial firms and consultants.

The government needs to procure the satellite to fulfill its universal service obligation, particularly for the areas that are not served by terrestrial broadband, Tamba said.

BP3TI has identified 149,000 locations of service demand for broadband connections that could be served by the new satellite. They include education facilities, healthcare centers, police offices, defense and security buildings and other government bodies.

Among the companies that attended the premarket sounding and expressed their interests to the project included Arianespace, Aerospace Industrial Development Taiwan, Aerospace Long-March International Trade Co. Ltd, Thales Indonesia, Anhui Sun Create Electronics Co., Ltd, PT Selindo Alpha, PT Iroda Mitra, PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, SES Network, PT Damai Persada Investama, China Telecom, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, PT Indosat, Telkomtelstra, Deloitte, PwC, Bank of China, Credit Agricole CIB, Citibank, China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure). (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 17:14 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f4b1c6 4 Business Indonesia,Mahakam-block,takeover,Pertamina-Hulu-Indonesia Free

State-owned energy firm Pertamina will complete the takeover of the Mahakam Block in East Kalimantan on Jan. 1, 2018 from Total E&P Indonesie and Inpex Corporation, the companies that managed the block since 1966.

Pertaminas subsidiary, Pertamina Hulu Indonesia, president director Bambang Manumayoso assured the smooth takeover of the block, saying that his company had prepared for the continuity of the block's production.

A number of preparations have been made, including the transfer of workers from Total E&P Indonesia, he said in Jakarta on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co, adding that 98.23 percent of Totals workers would join Pertamina Hulu Indonesia.

Bambang said Pertamina had also drilled 14 wells out of the targeted 15 wells in 2016. He said his company could also cut drilling costs by 23 percent from the targeted spending.

He also claimed that the drilling time was 25 percent faster. We believe we can [takeover the block]. We have proven that we can carry out drilling as targeted that is more cost efficient and faster, he added.

Previously, Pertamina said it was preparing Rp 24.3 trillion (US$1.8 billion) to start managing the Mahakam oil and gas block.

Bambang said his company would allocate $700 million in investment and $1.1 billion in operational funds, all of which will come from internal funds. (bbn)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java  Thu, December 28, 2017 13:58 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f41b2c 1 Business LPDP-scholarship,finance-ministry,Sri-Mulyani-Indrawati,State-Perpetual-Education-Fund Free

Indonesia is set to have a State Perpetual Education Fund, an upgrade of the Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) currently managed by the Finance Ministry, according to an official.

In the next two weeks, we will present the plan in detail," Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said at the Bogor Palace in West Java on Wednesday, after a cabinet meeting discussing the upgrade.

The LPDP was established in 2011. The ministry allocated Rp 10.5 trillion (US$175 million) for the fund this year and Rp 15 trillion for 2018.

As of November 2017, the LPDP has collected around Rp 20 trillion in perpetual funds, plus a Rp 6.4 trillion yield from the investment within the last three years.

About 50 percent of the funds is invested in government bonds, 10 percent in corporate bonds and the remaining 40 percent as bank deposits.

The LPDP has provided scholarship to 18,400 students, around 11,000 of whom are now pursuing their masters and doctoral degrees. Meanwhile, 51 percent of the scholarship recipients furthered their education abroad.

Sri Mulyani added that with the new status, the LPDP would receive its funds directly from the state budget instead of the Finance Ministry's budget.

"If we allocate Rp 20 trillion per year, we will have Rp 200 trillion by 2025, she said, adding that his ministry would evaluate the implementation of the LPDP program. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 16:19 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f49fcb 1 City Ok-Otrip,Anies-Baswedan-Sandiaga-Uno,jakarta,public-transportation Free

The cards for Jakarta's one-fare public transportation system called OK Otrip, one of Governor Anies Baswedan's campaign promises, have met with a poor response since they first went on sale on Saturday.

Up until Wednesday only 125 cards had been sold from a total of 5,000 provided by the city administration.

Commuter Syarifatun Nisa Nurdhi, 29, said on Thursday she had considered buying the card at the Harmoni Transjakarta bus station but decided to use a regular e-money card instead.

"There are [cooperative Koperasi Wahana Kalpika] KWK minivans operating near my house, so I thought of buying one. But I changed my mind because of the time limit," Nisa said, referring to the fact that the cards expire if the trip is not made within three hours of purchase.

Using the OK Otrip, passengers can travel across the capital using different modes of transportation for three hours by paying only Rp 5,000 (36 US cents).

Living in Pondok Ungu, Bekasi, West Java, Nisa regularly commutes to Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta using Transjakarta and online motorcycle taxis.

Earlier, KWK, whose drivers serve the Pulogadung, East Jakarta, to Grand Mall, Bekasi, route said its public minivans would be integrated into the system.

Currently the cards are sold at 12 bus stops including Grogol, Enggano, Lebak Bulus, Harmoni and Dukuh Atas 2.

Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno said the poor sales performance was because of a lack of promotion. (dis/wit)
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Linkedin Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Palu, Central Sulawesi  Thu, December 28, 2017 21:57 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f58071 1 National Pantoloan-Port,KEK,KEK-Palu,pinesap,gondorukem,Hongthai-International,China,Guangzhou Free

Hongthai International, a company in the Palu, Central Sulawesi, Special Economic Zone (KEK) made the inaugural export of its pine sap products to Guangzhou, China, via Pantoloan Port in Palu on Thursday.

Hongthai International president director Firman Lapide told The Jakarta Post the pine sap exported on Thursday was a half-processed commodity called gondorukem, which would later be processed into health and beauty products in factories in China.

For the first time, we exported 475 tons of half-processed pine sap, Firman said. The international markets demand for the product amounts to about 1 million tons per year.

He said Hongthai International could only process pine sap into gondorukem because it did not yet have the technology needed to process the commodity into final products.

Firman said Hongthai was preparing to build a factory that would produce health and beauty products from pine sap.

Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola said factories operating in KEK Palu had made considerable investments. For instance, asphalt company PT Asbuton Jaya Abadi has invested Rp 100 billion (US$7 million) and will recruit about 120 employees, he said.

Hongthai International has invested Rp 15 billion and has 30 employees. In the coconut industry, PT Sofi Agro Industries has invested $1.3 million and employs 625 people.

Rubber-processing company PT Agro Sulteng has invested Rp 2 billion and currently employs 100 people while in the essential oil industry, PT Artha Palu has invested Rp 50 billion and has 35 employees. (nmn/ebf)

Prime commodity: More than 400 tons of half-processed pine sap products were exported to Guangzhou, China, from Pantoloan Port, Palu, on Thursday. (JP/Ruslan Sangadji)
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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta, Central Java  Thu, December 28, 2017 19:43 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f536b8 1 National surakarta,New-Year,New-Year-Celebration,Christmas,Hotel,occupancy-rate Free

The year-end holiday has resulted in a drastic increase from normal days in the occupancy rate of starred hotels in Surakarta, Central Java, with several hotels recording an occupancy rate of 80 to 100 percent ahead of New Years Eve celebrations on Sunday.

For peak season like now, usually there are no discounts. They [hotels] offer normal rates, the chairman of the Central Java chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Heru Isnawan, said on Thursday.

He said around 50 starred hotels in Surakarta and its surrounding areas were ready to welcome New Years Eve celebrations and that the average occupancy rate was above 80 percent.

Sunan Hotel general manager Retno Wulandari echoed Herus statement, saying its hotel occupancy rate had continuously increased starting Sunday.

Around 80 percent of bookings came from big cities, such as Bandung [West Java], Jakarta and Medan [North Sumatra]. Around 100 rooms were booked from Jakarta, all for Dec. 31, she said, adding that the hotel was set to hold a New Year's Eve event -- themed Glory Land Year-End Party" -- focusing on food and fashion.

The marketing communications officer of the Best Western Premier Hotel in Solo Baru, Denis Adhaniswara, said 346 rooms were booked from Dec. 30 to 31.

Most of our guests are families who will be traveling around Surakarta.

Hotel Brothers Solo Baru public relations officer Dwi Aryani said that, by Christmas, the majority of the hotel's rooms were booked. (nmn/ebf)

Preserving culture: Models in colorful attire made from traditional fabric pose for photographs at an event at Sunan Hotel in Surakarta, Central Java. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
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Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 10:20 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f3b035 1 Business PT-INKA,LRT,Jabodetabek,syndicated-loan Free

State-owned train manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA) signed on Wednesday a syndicated loan agreement totaling Rp 4.05 trillion (US$298.8 million) to build 186 train cars to be operated along the Greater Jakarta light rapid transit (LRT Jabodetabek) network.

The company, the only train car manufacturer in Southeast Asia, obtained the loan, which has a 30-month tenure, from Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Sumitomo Indonesia and state-owned infrastructure financing company PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI).

INKA finance director and acting president director Mohamad Nur Sodiq said during the loan-signing ceremony that the loan was part of Rp 5.2 trillion that was needed by the company to construct train cars as well as for their maintenance and service over the next five years.

Read also: Government to subsidize LRT fares for 12 years

This is our second LRT project after the first one, which is the LRT project in Palembang, South Sumatra, Sodiq told reporters.

Sodiq voiced hope that the loan would be disbursed in January so that his company could meet the April 2019 deadline for its LRT contract.

The Greater Jakarta LRT will run from Bogor through Bekasi, Cawang and Kuningan to Sudirman Station. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (AFP) Washington  Thu, December 28, 2017 07:04 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f34e86 2 World #USA,#NorthKorea,#Russia,#NuclearDisarmament Free

The United States sanctioned two North Korean officials on Tuesday over the development of ballistic missiles, as Russia and America's top diplomats held talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Tensions have escalated after the isolated but nuclear-armed regime staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, most recently on November 28. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un have also traded personal insults.

"Treasury is targeting leaders of North Korea's ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the DPRK and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement, referring to North Korea by the abbreviation of its formal name.

The two officials were listed last Friday in a new United Nations Security Council resolution sanctioning North Korea, it said.

"Kim Jong-Sik reportedly is a key figure in North Korea's ballistic missile development, including efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong-Chol is reported to be a key official involved in North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile development," the Treasury statement said.

Solid-fuel missiles can be fired on shorter notice, as they do not have to be filled with liquid fuel prior to launch.

"As a result of today's actions, any property or interests in property of those designated by OFAC within US jurisdiction are blocked, and transactions by US persons involving the designated person are generally prohibited," Treasury said, referring to its Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The sanctions announcement came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held talks by phone in which they discussed North Korea's nuclear program.

- New UN sanctions -

"The sides were united in the opinion that nuclear missile projects in North Korea violate the demands of the UN Security Council," the Russian foreign ministry said after the call.

Lavrov "once again highlighted that it is unacceptable to exacerbate tensions around the Korean peninsula with Washington's aggressive rhetoric toward Pyongyang and increasing military preparations in the region," it said.

Trump habitually refers to Kim as "Little Rocket Man" and has threatened to utterly destroy his regime with "fire and fury." North Korea has branded Trump a mentally disturbed "dotard."

"It was underlined that it is necessary to move from the language of sanctions to the negotiating process as soon as possible," the statement said, adding that it was Tillerson who initiated the call.

On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously passed new, US-drafted sanctions that will restrict oil supplies vital for North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

The third raft of sanctions imposed on the North this year, sparked by last month's ICBM test, also received the backing of China -- the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline.

The sanctions also order the repatriation of North Korean workers sent abroad to earn much-needed revenue for Kim's regime.

North Korea slammed the fresh UN sanctions as an "act of war."

"We fully reject the latest UN sanctions... as a violent breach of our republic's sovereignty and an act of war that destroys the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and a wider region," Pyongyang's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.

The latest launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM, theoretically capable of hitting all major US cities, further heightened global alarm over the rapid advance in North Korea's weapons technology, which has made significant progress since Kim took power in 2011.
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Linkedin Francisco Jara (AFP) Lima  Thu, December 28, 2017 08:35 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f36524 2 World #Peru,#Fujimori,#impunity,#HumanRightsAbuse Free

Families of victims of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori prepared Wednesday to intensify protests against a pardon given to the ex-leader, who was released from a 25-year term for murder and other human rights abuses.

They planned a fresh march on Thursday denouncing both the pardon and current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who ordered Fujimori's pardon on Sunday, three days after narrowly surviving impeachment on graft allegations thanks to Fujimori's son Kenji.

In a sign of the heightened political tensions created by the pardon, Peru's culture minister, Salvador del Solar, announced on Twitter he had submitted his resignation.

The minister -- a 47-year-old popular movie and TV actor -- had been fiercely opposed to a pardon for Fujimori.

The manager of Peru's public broadcaster, Hugo Coya, also told AFP he was stepping down following the pardon.

Their resignations came amid a public backlash against Kuczynski for decreeing the pardon.

"This is the second time I've put my trust in a president who's failed me," one relative, Rosa Rojas, told AFP.

Rojas lost her husband and eight-year-old son in a 1991 massacre in Barrios Altos, a district in the capital, by a death squad acting under Fujimori's orders.

Thursday's protest will be the latest by various political and victims groups triggered by the pardon. They are denouncing the crimes committed during Fujimori's brutal 1990-2000 reign and say the ex-president should not be shown leniency.

One rights group said it has asked the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to examine a challenge to the legality of the pardon. An official at the court told AFP it was closed until January 8 and could not consider accepting any request until then.

- 'Forgive me' -

"We believe this is an illegal pardon because it doesn't meet the conditions that Peruvian norms require for giving a pardon," said Gisela Ortiz. She is the sister of one of nine university students who were kidnapped and murdered along with their professor by a death squad in a rural area near the capital in 1992.

Fujimori, 79, has been in a Lima clinic since Saturday. He was transferred from prison after suffering low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

His doctor, Alejandro Aguinaga, said Wednesday that for now, Fujimori "will continue to be hospitalized with restricted visits, except for family."

The former leader admitted in a video recorded from his hospital bed that he had "let down" Peruvian citizens and "I ask them to forgive me with all my heart."

He was sentenced in 2007 to 25 years in prison for the death-squad murders, as well as the kidnappings of a journalist and a businessman in 1992. Lesser convictions for corruption were subsumed into his maximum 25-year term.

Fujimori earned respect from many Peruvians for his ruthless and unflinching campaign to defeat leftist Shining Path guerrillas during his time in office.

But his brutal, illegal methods were also condemned by other parts of Peruvian society and foreign observers.

- Suspicious timing -

A UN human rights official and international rights groups warned his pardon would send the wrong signal about impunity in Latin America, a region still dealing with scars left from a number of dictators and autocrats in past decades.

Kuczynski said his pardon was given on humanitarian grounds, based on Fujimori's ill health. Seven other prisoners were also pardoned on the same grounds.

A lawyer for the jailed Shining Path leader, Abimael Guzman, now 83, urged a pardon for his client, too, stressing that he was also ailing while serving life in prison on terror charges.

The timing of the pardon for Fujimori was seen by many in Peru as suspicious.

Last week, Kuczynski barely survived an impeachment motion in the opposition-controlled Congress. It was only because Kenji Fujimori had convinced some members of the Fuerza Popular party led by his sister Keiko not to support the impeachment that Kuczynski was not ousted.

Kuczynski was accused by lawmakers of lying to hide his financial links to Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction firm that has admitted to paying millions of dollars in bribes across Latin America to secure inflated public works contracts.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 16:32 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f4a664 1 News feeder-bus,airport-train,jakarta,Airport,#airport Free

Launched on Thursday, a new service of 15 feeder buses will serve passengers of the newly operational Soekarno-Hatta International Airport train.

The buses will depart from Gatot Subroto, Pacific Place and Gambir Station to Sudirman Baru Station in Central Jakarta with a fare of Rp 3,500 (less than 50 US cents).

The service aims to support the airport train, which is scheduled to run 42 round trips every 60 minutes.

Read also: Long-awaited airport train finally running

Head of the Transportation Ministrys Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) Bambang Prihartono told tempo.co that it specifically requested PT Transjakarta to provide feeder buses to and from Sudirman Baru Station.

Separately, Jakarta Transportation Agency head Andri Yansah said it fully supported the service. We will ask all the airport trains feeder buses to travel to the [state-owned commuter line operator Kereta Commuter Indonesia] station."

He added that passengers would be able to get on and off inside the station area. So [the service] will be integrated to ease passengers when transferring with their luggage.

Among the routes is Sudirman Baru Station-Gambir Station (Corridor 1), which covers Hotel Indonesia - Sarinah - Bank Indonesia - Patung Kuda - Gambir Station - Presidential Palace - National Monument (Monas). It also travels to Bank Indonesia - Sarinah - Hotel Indonesia - Jl. Blora - Sudirman Baru Station. (wir/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 09:06 1786 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f3823b 1 Activities tolerance,tour,tourism,travel,religious-tolerance,religious-tourism Free

Nuniek Handayani, a 37-year-old mother from Bogor, was dismayed when she first realized that the tour group she signed up for would not be going by bus.



After hearing about the Wisata Kebhinnekaan, or Diversity Tour, from a friend, she brought along her 10-year-old daughter Nicole and eight-year-old son Daniel on a train ride to Gambir Station in Jakarta as an educational way to fill their end-of-year vacation.



Oh, its a walking tour! she exclaimed shortly after arriving at the meeting point for the tour, a minimart near the stations entrance.



Worried that her children would not be up for a long walk, she almost pulled out of the tour altogether. However, at the urging of her friend, she decided to give it a try, thinking she could always leave earlier if the kids got tired.



On Dec. 23, Nuniek and her children were among 15 people  nine Catholics and six Muslims  who braved the heat and humidity of a Central Jakarta afternoon and walked some 4.2 kilometers over the better part of four hours to visit five different houses of worship that encompassed Indonesias six officially recognized faiths.

Read also: Five places to go in Jakarta to observe religious diversity

The tour would stop at Immanuel Church, Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta Cathedral, the Sin Tek Bio temple and the Sri Nilacala Dhama Hare Krishna temple.



Journalist-turned-tour-guide Ira Lathief led the trip. She started the tour as a way to raise money for Diversity Festival, which she plans to hold next month and is to include interfaith discussions, movie screenings and walking tours.



Ira, a Muslim, is committed to the idea of tolerance and diversity, which are enshrined in Indonesias national motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Sanskrit for Unity in Diversity) and the state ideology Pancasila.



The goal of this tour is not just to see the houses of worship, but also to hear the stories of

diversity and pluralism and how the different religions interact with each other, she told the participants before they set off.



Immanuel Church, the tours first stop, is an impressive sight. With its white pillars and tall, domed roof, it is recognizable even from a distance. One of the oldest churches in the country, it was built in the 1830s by colonial Dutch Lutherans, and is now home to the Western Indonesian Protestant Church, a Calvinist branch of Protestantism.



The next house of worship on the route was Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. After removing their shoes, the group members went up three flights of stairs to a balcony overlooking the main prayer hall. There, Ira described the mosques pluralist history and nationalist symbolism.



Its architect was Frederich Silaban, a Christian from North Sumatra who won a design competition for the mosque in 1955.



The dome is 45 meters in diameter, representing the year of Indonesias independence, Ira said.



And the mosque has five floors, symbolizing Pancasila and also the five pillars of Islam.



She also explained how former president Soekarno decided that the mosque should be built right across the street from Jakarta Cathedral and how the two houses of worship shared parking spaces on each others holy days.

Read also: Jakpost guide to Monas area

Next up was the cathedral, whose neo-Gothic ivory spires were visible as the group exited the mosque.



There, the nationalist symbolism was significantly less subtle: a large Garuda Pancasila, Indonesias national emblem, sits right next to a Christmas tree near the church entrance.



The last two stops on the tour were significantly less imposing than the first three. The Sin Tek Bio temple and pagoda, first built in the 17th century, are tucked away in the corner of a back alley in Pasar Baru, while the Hare Krishna temple is a similarly modest building located less than 200 m from the markets entrance.



Despite her aching feet, Nuniek ended up staying until the end of the tour, and was happy that she did. A Muslim, she is married to a Catholic and their children are raised under the Catholic faith.



After this tour, I think it is even clearer to me that all the religions basically teach the same thing: to love our fellow humans, she said.



Theres really nothing to debate.



She prayed at Istiqlal Mosque, she said, but she also prayed at the cathedral, and at the pagoda, and at the temple.



If the different religions knew each other better, and everyone followed their religions teachings, then there wouldnt be any problem, she said. (kmt)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 16:04 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f49dd2 1 News bali,tourism,Mount-Agung,eruption,Chinese-tourists,Tourist Free

The Badung regency administration in Bali and local tourism players have welcomed the lifting of a Chinese travel warning.

"We're grateful that the Chinese government has lifted its travel warning, since the Indonesian government has convinced them that Bali is safe to visit and has given guarantees if visitors get stranded due to a Mount Agung eruption by issuing a cooperation statement," said Badung Tourism Agency head I Made Badra on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Following the move, Badra said foreign arrivals was estimated to reach 16,000 per day in January and hotel occupancy 75 percent of the 130,000 starred-hotel rooms available in Badung.

"We're optimistic that our target of attracting at least 5,000 Chinese tourists to Bali during Imlek in February 2018 can also be reach," he said.

Read also: Rossa to hold Mount Agung charity concert in Bali

The number of Chinese visitors to Bali decreased by 200,000 people per month after Mt. Agung erupted. "The decrease is quite big and we continue to make the best efforts for Bali tourism," said Badra, adding that Badung was usually visited by 16,000 foreign tourists per day, but the number had dropped to 15,000 after the eruption.



Badung Tourism Promotion Agency head IGA Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya said if Ngurah Rai Airport was closed because of an eruption, hoteliers were prepared to provide one free night accommodation.

"I'm still optimistic that many Chinese tourists will come to Bali, especially in February to celebrate Imlek," he said. (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, December 28, 2017 17:03 1785 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f4ac21 1 News Garuda-Indonesia,Wakatobi,Kendari,Airlines,#airlines,new-route Free

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has opened a route from Kendari to Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi using ATR 72-600 aircraft with a capacity of 70 passengers.

Flights depart from Haluoleo Airport in Kendari on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12:05 p.m. and arrive at Matahora Airport on Wangi-wangi Island, Wakatobi, at 12:55 p.m. Return flights leave Matahora Airport on the same days at 1:25 p.m. and land at Haluoleo Airport at 2:25 p.m.

Passengers can connect to the flight through national hubs, such as Jakarta, Surabaya in East Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi.

Read also: Garuda Indonesia to adjust year-end fare to boost tourism to Bali

The airlines director of marketing and information technology, Nina Sulistyowati, said in a press release that the new service was aimed at increasing connectivity, especially since Wakatobi was one of 10 prioritized tourist destinations.

Wakatobi Regent H. Arhawi expressed hope that flights would operate daily in the future.

Wakatobi is being increasingly popular. In 2013, more than 11,000 passengers arrived at Matahora Airport. The number reached more than 19,000 in 2015.

This year, 18,000 foreign tourists have visited the area, mostly from Sweden and Australia.

The government has set a target of attracting 500,000 foreign tourists to Wakatobi in 2019. (wir/kes)
Every day there are stories documenting the Trump administrations crackdown on American immigration. Non-profit groups, including some on the Lower East Side, are working to help people overcome the new barriers to U.S. residency and citizenship. Just before Christmas, we met a young doctor from Venezuela who has been seeking asylum, with the assistance of the LES organization Vision Urbana.

In the past few years, record numbers of Venezuelans have sought asylum in the United States, as political turmoil, oppression, violence and economic hardship sweep the South American country. Oswald Chacon, a pediatric physician, is one of those who got out. We first heard about his case from Eric Diaz, director of Vision Urbana. We were invited to speak with Chacon and some of the people who have been working on his behalf following an AIDS/HIV awareness event held at Primitive Christian Church on East Broadway earlier this month.

Yudith Ortiz, who runs Vision Urbanas immigration programs, said the organization is now handling four asylum cases. All of the clients are from Venezuela or Guatemala. Under normal circumstances, these types of cases can take four to six years to process, sometimes even longer. Private attorneys often charge around $10,000 to handle an asylum application. In Chacons case, Ortiz said she received a quick response from the Department of Homeland Security. Within two weeks, the government indicated his paperwork was being processed. If all goes according to plan, Chacon will have his papers within a year.

According to Vision Urbana, hell be able to stay in the U.S. for four years without risking deportation. A judge will review his case at the end of four years.

In order to stay in America, asylum-seekers must prove they faced persecution in their home countries. Dr. Luis Laviena, a psychologist, has worked with Vision Urbana clients for many years to help tell their stories. The issue of immigration, said Laviena, is very close to my heart. A lot of the cases we deal with, the people have been abused. Theyre victims of violence. People are singled out because they are ethnic minorities in their countries, or because of sexual orientation, or due to political issues. Governments, he noted, have marginalized them, prevented them from working, taken away their livelihoods.

Laviena helped piece together Chacons personal history and, provided the assessments to prove without a doubt that his is a hardship case.

When Chacon left Venezuela, he spent a period of time in Spain before coming to the U.S.. Today his family is dispersed, with some relatives in Barcelona and others, including his mother, in Mexico. The Venezuelan government would not allow Chacon to work as a doctor because he refused to support the current regime under President Nicolas Maduro. I come from a very good family, he explained during an interview in the church basement. We lost everything for no reason. We did nothing wrong.

Chacon said hes working on improving his English, and then hell focus on obtaining a medical license to practice in this country. In the future, he may try to bring his mother to New York. For the moment, however, Chacon is just relieved that his asylum application is on track. Im so happy right now. Its been very difficult.
The podcast scene continued to grow and diversify in 2017, with a whole host of new broadcasters offering stories and discussions on everything from green economics to folk music to European tech.

Choosing what to listen to in a scene literally dominated by voices has become increasingly difficult, but fear not: this list has you covered. These are five of the best podcasts available to download right now, featuring everything from gender issues to film debate.

Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle focuses on the lives of prisoners inside San Quentin jail: Californias oldest prison with over 3,000 inmates. It is co-produced by inmates Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, giving the podcast a palpable authenticity and realism. Earlonne and Antwan share anecdotes on a variety of issues regarding prison life: including finding cellies (roommates), the shu (solitary confinement) and racial divisions among inmates. Their stories, honest and uncompromising, succeed in demystifying prison life for the outsider, encouraging us to see inmates as human beings rather then mere prisoners.

The Gender Knot

The Gender Knot is hosted by BBC reporter and presenter Nastaran Tavakoli-Far, and aims to untangle the new masculinity and femininity. Episodes cover a range of gender issues in depth: from the crisis of masculinity to workplace sexism to LGBTQ+ voices in politics. Her guest speakers are consistently engaging and bring relevant, nuanced points of view to the discussion.

Song Exploder

Song Exploder is one for the music nerds. Famous musicians are invited on to dissect their songs, giving an insight into their lyrical inspiration and the production process. It has featured artists from Bjork to Solange to Iggy Pop. Unsurprisingly, their songs often have fascinating backstories, and the podcast helps to add a more personal dimension to our consumption of music.

The Canon

The Internet has long been lacking a credible podcast devoted specifically to film, but it has arrived in the form of The Canon: a weekly debate on film history chaired by Amy Nicholson from MTV. On the show, Amy and her guests discuss whether some films have earned their place in cinema history, and which have been unfairly ignored. Listeners can then cast their vote on the weeks film on the Earwolf forums, so if you care passionately  like I do- about the sacred reputation of The Matrix then you can make your voice heard.

Reasons to be Cheerful with Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd

As the Milifandom mourned his absence from the shadow cabinet, Ed Miliband would embark for pastures new, including the world of podcasts. Combining a depthless knowledge of British politics with an underappreciated, warm sense of humour, Miliband provides political commentary that is simultaneously entertaining and astute. Ed broadens his discussion beyond Westminster, tackling everything from transphobia to air pollution: showcasing a genuine passion for social justice. Co-host Geoff Lloyd is also a good foil for Miliband, keeping the discussion on course during Eds occasionally complex rambles and asking important questions. It is not to be missed for anyone even vaguely interested in politics and big ideas.
A photo of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with the newly engaged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has gone viral.

Karen Anvil, a 39-year-old single mother from Norfolk, snapped the now famous picture outside of the St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham where crowds of people gather to spot the royals attending Christmas service every year.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry featured heavily in the press after their November engagement announcement. The engagement has faced some controversy due to Ms Markle being a divorcee, something generally frowned upon by the church.

Ms Anvil spotted the royals with her 17-year-old daughter, Rachel, who will be attending university next year. The photograph, which she posted on Twitter, has been retweeted over 14k times and gained huge of media attention.

After being approached by several news sites, Ms Anvil lawyered up in the hopes that payment from the use of the photo will help fund her daughter's tuition fees.

Anvil said she wished the couples a loud merry Christmas and took the photo at the exact moment they were looking at her.

Not bad for a quick iPhone snap.
Placed on top of a hill skirted by the Tajo river we find Toledo, a medieval city where, centuries ago, the Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures clashed, leaving for us a truly magical place where to get lost and experience the magic.

Visiting Toledo is like flying back in time to a medieval era, so much that you almost expect to run into a knight wearing an armour while walking around its enigmatic streets. Situated barely an hour away from Madrid, taking the bus to the medieval city feels like time travelling, a feeling that only gets reinforced when you go through the doors of the old wall to get into the city centre. And, once youre there, it only gets better.

Being placed on top of a hill, Toledo is all slopes and stone pavement. Nevertheless, tiring as it can get, just roaming around its streets is a magical experience. The city is packed with medieval shops and traditional taverns. If there is a place in Spain where you can buy a medieval sword or costume, that is Toledo.

Toledo is known as the city of the three cultures. For centuries, the city was populated by Christians, Jews and Muslims, which is reflected in its architecture. Apart from the monumental cathedral, Toledo has several churches, synagogues and mosques. The clash of cultures is more than obvious when you go from the muslim styled streets (narrow and sinuous, with the tile roofs almost touching) to the Jewish Quarter. Toledo is also known as the Imperial City, for it was where the king Carlos I chose to take his court in the 16th Century.

Toledo is a city vibrant with culture and history. From religious temples to historical architecture, one can never be bored in Toledo. One of the most interesting things to do in the city is to visit the Iglesia de Santo Tome to see El Grecos paiting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, a massive piece of art definitely worth seeing at least once in your life.

But the best thing to do in Toledo is, ironically, to get out of it. On the other side of the river, up in a place called The Valley (El Valle), theres a viewpoint. From there, on of the most spectacular landscapes youll ever see can be spotted. The panoramic view of both the river and the whole city is unquestionably the best thing to see in the city. My advise is that you take a bus or a taxi to get there, and then walk back to Toledo following the river and crossing one of the medieval bridges. That way, you skip having to climb all the way up to the Valley and only have to walk downhill, in what is, indeed, one of the most pleasant walks Ive ever taken.

Its no wonder Toledo has been a World Heritage Site since 1986. Its medieval aura and historical and artistical richness make Toledo one of the hidden treasures of Spain. While tourists choose Barcelona and Ibiza instead, Toledo awaits, as it has been doing since pre-roman times, guarding its secrets within its surrounding walls. If ever traveling to Spain, consider a visit to this marvelous medieval enclave. You wont be disappointed.
Right off the bat, it feels like a more wintery affair than last year, with the mountains of snowdrifts right from the off. I mean the sunny vistas of South Africa were lovely, but this feels like a much more British affair: Sun in December? Can't relate. Freezing your butt off in December: yup, been there, done that!As usual, Call The Midwife's Christmas special delivered a rollercoaster of emotions. Whilst there were lighter storylines, like Phyllis facing off against a local policeman, a Christmas pantomime - including many of the cast dressed in varying ridiculous costumes - and new mum Shelagh Turner (Laura Main) trying to squeeze into her girdle to assist her struggling husband at work, the majority of this festive episode focused on tugging at the hearstrings.Anita Dobson guest stars in one of the episode's main storylines, as elderly Mabel Tillerson, and gives a glorious performance. I truly didn't even recognize that it was her during the episode. Dobson's storyline starts out as something relatively simple - as the next of kin of a man who died in the big freeze - but it turns into something much darker than that. Without giving too much away for those who have yet to watch, this is a story that will tug at the heartstrings. Nurse Valerie Dyer (played by Jennifer Kirby) gets the other major storyline of this year's Christmas special, which was lovely to see given her limited appearance in Series 6. Valerie is involved with a young pregnant woman and her boyfriend who are living in a caravan when the Big Freeze hits. This particular storyline was incredibly difficult to watch, as Valerie delivers the seemingly dead baby inside the frosted caravan. While the acting chops of everyone involved are applaudable (particularly Kirby and the actress playing the mother, Francene Turner), one does wonder if perhaps it was a little too much for Christmas Day - even given the way the storyline is wrapped up. Several familiar faces are missing from this year's Christmas special, as Patsy (Emerald Fennell), Delia (Kate Lamb) and Sister Mary Cynthia (Bryony Hannah) have all departed the series following the broadcast of Series 6 earlier this year. It had previously been reported that the trio were leaving, but it would have been nice to see them one last time and have them given a proper goodbye. Goodbyes are still in the air during the special though, not just for the cast members who have left prior, but also for Tom (Jack Ashton) and Barbara (Charlotte Ritchie), as the newlyweds head off to Birmingham to help out in a local parish. The two have some sweet moments together during the episode before the big goodbye. Still, it seems we may be returning to a very slimmed down cast when the show comes back next year, with Tom and Barbara off in Birmingham, Patsy, Delia and Mary Cynthia gone and Trixie likely to be out for a few episodes given Helen George's real life pregnancy (which is hilariously hidden during this episode), it seems like Nonnatus House may be rather short staffed during 1963! Although it delivers much in the way of heartwrenching drama, the special also ends with the classic Christmas message of hope. This is something Call The Midwife always does very well - no matter how dark and depressing the storylines may seem, there is always hope there, which is lovely, especially at Christmas! Whilst last year's special is difficult to top, given that it featured such standout moments for our favourite midwives (like Trixie performing her first ever Caesarean section and Tom and Barbara's beautiful engagement), seeing the midwives back at home this year, surrounded by snow and delivering both babies and standout, emotional performances was the perfect Christmas treat.
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Haryana Enterprise Promotion Board (HEPB) on Thursday approved seven mega investment proposals, which have requested for the special incentive package as provisioned in Enterprise Promotion Policy.

The HEPB which met under the chairmanship of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, recommended package of incentives for projects Panasonic India, Enrich Agro, Kandhari Beverages, Star wire (India) Limited, Gurutech Infra Earth Private Limited, Atotech Development Center Private Limited and KAP CONES Private Limited.

It was informed that cumulatively Rs 1,587 Crore investment, having employment potential of 2,200, would be on grounded very soon across the districts such as Panchkula, Rewari, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Ambala, Faridabad and Gurugram.

Further, one of the objectives to attract the investment in thrust sector also would be met through these investment which is proposed across the sector such as R and D, Food Processing, ESDM, and Component Manufacturing for Aerospace and Defence Sector.

The customise package approved basis a very objective tool which estimate the tax benefit to the state and a certain proportion, depending on the location, out of that benefit to be shared with the investors.

Further it was informed that the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) would initiate production of 2nd Generation Ethanol by utilising surplus crop residues and other biomass as feedstock at village Baoli, district Panipat. The capacity of proposed plant would be 100 Kilo Litre of Ethanol per day.

As pr official information, the Indian Oil has proposed to procure over two lakh tonnes rice straw, that is total production of four districts Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Kurukshetra.

It is considered that this would help in curbing the pollution emission to a significant extent, by utilising the straw as raw material, which currently is being burnt by the Farmers resulting in occurring of pollution menace every year especially during winter season.

It was also informed that this project would also help reduce the effort farmers have to undertake for the burning process as the firm would be setting up the extensive infrastructure for speedy collection of these straws so that farmers would not be missing on crop cycle.

Moreover, it would also add on to the farmers income as they would be offered a reasonable price for the straw firm would procure. This project has a considerable potential to generate direct and indirect employment, said an official spokesperson.
State Bank of India on Wednesday said it has received board approval for raising Rs 8,000 crore to meet Basel III capital adequacy norms through various instruments, including masala bonds.

The state-run lender said it has time till March 2018 to raise the funds required to meet the Basel III capital adequacy norms put in place to guard against a repeat of the situation following the 2008 US financial crisis.

The Central Board at its meeting held today accorded approval to raise additional tier 1 (AT 1) capital by way of issuance of Basel III compliant debt instruments in USD and/or INR to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore from domestic/international market including masala bonds, the SBI said in a stock exchange filing.

Rupee denominated debt instruments that can be floated in overseas markets only to raise capital are known as Masala Bonds.

According to estimates earlier, public sector banks would need additional capital of up to Rs 2,40,000 crore by 2018 to become Basel III compliant.

Banks in India have to comply with these norms of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision by March 2019, which is three months later than the internationally agreed deadline of January 2019.
Saudi Arabia used to fund itself through gas royalties. Either its budget has increased or it can't sell royalties at the same price it used to, or both.Imagine if Canada could reduce its budget enough to live off of royalties and fines and nothing more than that?Now Saudi Arabia also requires that people give 1/20th of their accumulated wealth to the poor. That doesn't count as a tax there since that money goes straight to the poor. I suppose Canada could do something similar. But again, it would require a significant reduction to the Canadian government budget.'Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have long lured foreign workers with the promise of a tax-free lifestyle, plan to impose a 5 percent tax next year on most goods and services to boost revenue after oil prices collapsed three years ago.''Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia recently unveiled the biggest budget in its history, with plans to spend 978 billion riyals ($261 billion) this coming fiscal year as the government forecasts a boost in revenue from the introduction of VAT and plans to reduce subsidies. Still, Saudi Arabia is facing a budget deficit until at least 2023.'
With the setting up of a sub-committee to monitor unauthorised structures in Punjab, over 1,500 illegal colonies are now set to face action. As per the records available with Punjabs Housing and Urban Development department, as many as 1,565 such illegal structures are yet to be regularised in the state.

In a recent survey conducted, Punjab Urban Development Authoritys sister bodies Jalandhar Development Authority having 332, Amritsar Development Authority having 335, Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority having 113, Patiala Development Authority having 330, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority having 255 and Bathinda Development Authority having 200 pending applications which are seeking the regularisation of structures. Sources said that the government is mulling over to give the go-ahead to regularise these structures, but the issue of such colonies built by private promoters, on Municipal Corporation land and on land outside MC limits has become a major issue.

After coming to power, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh-led Congress government had ordered to set up a committee to formulate legislation for regularisation of illegal colonies and transfer of ownership rights to the occupants.

The state government has already launched a mobile App to check unauthorised construction.

A new web portal of the housing department, for the issuance of electronic change of land use (E-CLU), was also unveiled. On Wednesday, the sub-committee, headed by Health Minister Brahm Mohindra, was asked to submit its report within 30 days on the review of unauthorised colonies in the state.

Besides finalising the legislation and the policy, the sub-committee will also fix composition fee rates for regularisation of the unauthorised residential colonies falling under various categories.

Officials said the unplanned areas would be brought in the planning framework with the proposed legislation, thus facilitating basic amenities for the citizens of these colonies and better quality of life for them.

Sources, in PUDA, a subsidiary of Housing and Urban Development department, however, said, as many as 1759 applications seeking regularisation of illegal structures have been given a positive nod.
TRS members in the Lok Sabha on Thursday again demanded setting up of a separate high court in Telangana, with a union minister from the TDP urging the government to take early steps in this regard.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had to remind Y S Chowdary, a minister of state, of his ministerial position before he stood to speak on behalf of TDP to put forth his views.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad made it clear that while the Telangana high court would continue to function from the same complex, the Andhra Pradesh high court would be shifted to a temporary location till the time a new complex is ready.

A P Jithendra Reddy (TRS) said till the two high courts are not bifurcated, no judges should either be appointed or elevated.

To this, the Law Minister said it was the prerogative of the Supreme Court collegium and he cannot give any assurance.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the chief ministers of the two states should sit together to sort out the pending issues, except the one relating to the bifurcation of the high courts.

The TRS MPs had yesterday trooped into the Well of the House, showing placards and raising slogans demanding setting up of a High Court for Telangana.
Its that time of the year when we all want to let our hair down and bring in the new year with utmost ease & fun.

Everyone in B-Town is ready to welcome 2018 with open arms. Parties, vacations and stay-at-home celebrations are all in the works. With that festive spirit, the B-Town beauties are all set in to indulge in a holiday mood.

Lets have a look at what our girls are upto

Alia Bhatt:

Alia has left for a holiday with her girl gang to Bali. Alia whos best friend is getting hitched cannot contain her excitement for her fun girls trip. The actress will resume Brahmastra once back from her holiday.

Shraddha Kapoor:

Shraddha whos just back from her Saaho schedule will have a rather quiet new year. Shraddha plans to spend her new years eve doing something she loves the most. Yes! Shraddha would be celebrating new year reading her recent pick Mindfulness and The God of small things.

Parineeti Chopra:

Parineeti who was shooting for Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar in the chilled Pithoragarh will be back in town to bring in the new year with her near and dear ones in Mumbai

Its good to see these girls take some time off work and celebrate the new year like any of us.
Business confluence

FORE School of Management in association with Associate Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India organised the New India confluence for public and private enterprises recently at New Delhi. MukulitaVijayawargiya, member of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, graced the occasion as chief guest. More than180 delegates from various corporate and academia participated in this conference.

The eminent dignitaries who attended the summit were D. S. Rawat, secretary general, Assocham; Rajiv Bajaj, council member, The Institute of Company Secretaries of India; CMA Sanjay Gupta, president, The Institute of Cost Accountants of India among others.

Scholarships available

University of Sheffield, UK is offering Social Science International Scholarships to undergraduate students that are nationals of or are domiciled in India and are starting their studies in the faculty of social sciences on September 2018.The scholarship is worth 2,000 per year and will be awarded automatically.

Subject to meeting the eligibility and award criteria, the scholarships will be guaranteed in the first year of study. The award is applicable to each subsequent academic year, subject to achieving 60 per cent or above and a minimum of 120 credits in the previous academic year.

The scholarship can be awarded in-conjunction with any other scholarships of the university, discount or reward as long as one doesnt become fully funded. They will take the form of a tuition fee reduction only. One must not be a sponsored student.

Also 50 per cent Merit Scholarship is available to international undergraduate social science students. For details, contact: [email protected]

Encouraging designers

Lexus Design Award India will be held in partnership with the Association of Designers of India-created Pune Design Festival. The first of the annual awards will be handed out in conjunction with the festival on February 2018. The competition is open to entries effective immediately, with the deadline being 31 January 2018. Prizes include opportunity to be showcased at the festival, and the winning design prototype will be displayed at Lexus Guest Experience Centres in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai and New Delhi. All shortlisted entries will also be featured across Lexus Indias social assets, and winners will receive trophies designed specially by Michael Foley. For details, visit: www.lexusindia.co.in

Visa pilot

A pilot is a streamlining process for international masters students wanting to study in UK. It has been further extended by 23 universities. It support students who wish to switch to work visa and take up a graduate role, by allowing them to remain in UK for six months after they have finished their course.

Universities taking part are given responsibility for eligibility checks. Applicants that do not meet immigration rules will be refused. All students will continue to require home office security and identity checks.For details, visit, http://www.shef.ac.uk/news
The Supreme Court dealt with hostile high court judge C S Karnan and the issue of trust deficit among its judges in 2017 and delivered historic verdicts like banning triple talaq and gifting citizens the most cherished fundamental right of privacy.

The year also saw a judgement in the J Jayalalithaa graft case whereby her close aide Sasikala Natarajan was convicted and put behind bars which virtually created political upheavals in Tamil Nadu and a spilt in the AIADMK. However, the apex court, which gave a reprieve to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by trashing a plea for an independent probe into the Birla-Sahara diary case allegedly speaking about bribes being paid to top politicians, kept his government on tenterhooks for its stand on Rohingya Muslims by making it clear that human rights of the refugees need to be protected. In yet another case in which the Centre courted controversy was the issue of forcible conversion of women in Kerala by linking it to love jihad in which NIA alleged that the marriage of 25-year-old woman Hadiya was a classic example of the concept in which it said that the man who married her was purportedly connected with terror group ISIS.

In the midst of all these developments, the verdicts cherished most by citizens and that hogged the international glare was the history-defining decisions by five judges trashing the 1,400-year-old Islamic practice of triple talaq and the path-breaking ruling by nine judges adding right to privacy as a fundamental right in the Constitution.

While triple talaq among Sunni Muslims was declared as against the basis tenets of the Holy Quran and the Shariat, the top court which ruled that right to privacy was protected as an intrinsic part of right to life and personal liberty under Article 21, grappled throughout the year with yet another sensitive issue of Aaadhar having bearing on the privacy. Though a five-judge constitution bench will examine if Aaadhar scheme violated privacy, it has been made clear that government notifications making national biometric identifier mandatory for various services and welfare schemes would not be enforced by extending the deadline to March 31, 2018.

Notwithstanding all these matters, the year would go into the annals of history as for the first time the apex courts seven senior-most judges took upon themselves the task of fixing rogue elements inside the judiciary by holding sitting Calcutta High Court judge C S Karnan guilty of contempt and sending him to jail for six months for levelling allegations against serving and retired judges. Justice Karnan had gone to the extreme of staying his own transfer from Madras High Court to Calcutta High Court.

Even before the judiciary could overcome from the Karnan episode, internal squabble among the judges of the apex court surfaced with the number two judge in the seniority, Justice J Chelameswar usurping the administrative function of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in allocating and setting up the bench when CJI court was seized of the constitutional matters. The incident led to the constitution of five-judge bench which held as wrong the decision of Justice Chelameswar by holding that chief justice is the master of the roster.

The issue drew lot of media attention as an activist lawyer and an NGO had raised the issue of bribes being taken in the name of judges for favourable orders in a medical college matter.Keeping aside the two sordid saga concerning the judges, the apex court, which in the year 2017 saw three Chief Justices  T S Thakur, J S Khehar and Dipak Misra  at the helm, delivered a plethora of path-breaking verdicts including the terming as corrupt practice the use of caste and religion in elections, notwithstanding the over use of Hindutva and soft-Hindutva cards in bitterly-fought recent Gujarat polls.

Shedding the cloak of opaqueness, the most common criticism of judiciary, the apex court for the first time since its inception decided to allow video-recording of proceedings, besides ordering to upload on its website the decisions taken by its collegium on elevation, transfer and confirmation of High Courts and Supreme Court judges. The vexatious 25-year-old Babri demolition case and the Ayodhya land dispute matter came up in the apex court which paved way for day-to-day trial of BJP veteran LK Advani and others and rejected the plea of Muslim bodies like Sunni Wakf Board to hear the title dispute post 2019 general elections.

The Ayodhya matter would also be remembered as the BJP utilised the statement of senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal in Gujarat polls that the issue be not heard till next general election to the hilt. Cracking the whip on rising pollution, the apex court termed health of citizens as far, far more important than the commercial interests of the manufacturers and banned sale of vehicles, which are not BS-IV compliant, from April 1.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which criminalises instant triple talaq was on Thursday tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad even as some members accused the bill of violating the fundamental rights of Muslims.

While a majority of parties are supporting the bill, some members including All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the bill lacked legal coherence.

The bill lacks basic legal coherence The bill is violating fundamental rights If the bill is passed, it will be an injustice towards Muslim women, he said.

The triple talaq bill violates the Right to Freedom. Muslims were not consulted for this bill, he added.

BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab too opposed the bill and said: This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in it.

However, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the bill was for womens rights and justice.

This law is for womens rights & justice & not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion, he said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for consensus in passing the bill, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said after the BJP Parliamentary meeting.

The Union government has tabled the bill after days of logjam in both houses over Congress demand for apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat assembly election campaign.

The Centre had on Wednesday extended an olive branch to the Congress, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified that the Prime Minister didnt question Singhs commitment to the nation.

Following Jaitleys statement, the Congress also reciprocated by disapproving Mani Shankar Aiyars criticism of the Prime Minister after which the House resumed normal business.

With both sides reaching a truce, the triple talaq bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament without any hurdles.

However, clerics and several Muslim organisations, cutting across sects and schools of jurisprudence, have opposed the bill, terming the governments stand as uncalled for interference in the personal laws of the community.

The AIMPLB has even accused the Centre of not following the laid procedure in drafting the bill, which was against women and children, and if implemented, would destroy many families.

In a historic judgment in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims was void, illegal and unconstitutional.
The Union government will on Thursday introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 in Parliament even as the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has urged the Centre to withhold the bill which criminalises instant triple talaq.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar on Wednesday asked all opposition parties to help pass the Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament on Wednesday.

After days of logjam in both houses over Congress demand for apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat assembly election campaign, the Centre had on Wednesday extended an olive branch to the Congress, ending the impasse.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified that the Prime Minister didnt question Singhs commitment to the nation.

Following Jaitleys statement, the Congress also reciprocated by disapproving Mani Shankar Aiyars criticism of the Prime Minister after which the House resumed normal business.

With both sides reaching a truce, the triple talaq bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament without any hurdles.

The BJP is believed to have issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

In a bid to ensure that the introduction is smooth, the BJP is understood to have issued the whip so that any stiff opposition from members on the other side at the introduction stage could be thwarted.

However, clerics and several Muslim organisations, cutting across sects and schools of jurisprudence, have opposed the bill, terming the governments stand as uncalled for interference in the personal laws of the community.

The AIMPLB has even accused the Centre of not following the laid procedure in drafting the bill, which was against women and children, and if implemented, would destroy many families.

In a historic judgment in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims was void, illegal and unconstitutional.
Amid cries of Pakistan murdabad and shame, shame in Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday accused Islamabad of gross violations of human rights of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhavs family members and creating an intimidating atmosphere during their meeting with him.

The meeting In Islamabad was used by Pakistan as an instrument to further its propaganda, and there are not enough words to condemn the same, Swaraj said in identical statements in both Houses.

She slammed Pakistan for portraying the meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife as a humanitarian gesture when both humanity and compassion were missing.

I am fully confident that this entire House and through this House, the people of India, strongly condemn the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family, the minister said.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the entire House wanted the government to take steps to secure Jadhavs safe release.

Swaraj said while the meeting could have been a step forward in India-Pakistan relations, it was a matter of great concern that there was a departure from the agreed understanding between the two countries.

The emotional moment between the mother and her son, and a wife and her husband after a period of 22 months, was misused by Pakistan as an instrument to further its propaganda, she said. The minister said Indias concern arising out from the meeting had been unequivocally conveyed to Pakistan through diplomatic channels on Wednesday.

She said there was a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access to Jadhavs mother and wife. However, not only was the Pakistani press allowed to come close to them but they were harassed through the use of offensive language by the media.

Under the pretext of security precautions, even the attire of the family members was changed. Jadhavs mother, who wears a sari only, was instead given salwar and kurta to wear. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutra of the wife were removed, she added.

The minister said the mother wanted to talk to Jadhav in their mother tongue Marathi but was not allowed to do so.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for consensus in passing the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 which criminalises instant triple talaq and will be tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

PM Narendra Modi appeals for consensus in passing bill on triple talaq at BJP Parliamentary Party meet, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar informed the media after the meeting.

The Union government will table the bill in Parliament after days of logjam in both houses over Congress demand for apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat assembly election campaign.

The Centre had on Wednesday extended an olive branch to the Congress, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified that the Prime Minister didnt question Singhs commitment to the nation.

Following Jaitleys statement, the Congress also reciprocated by disapproving Mani Shankar Aiyars criticism of the Prime Minister after which the House resumed normal business.

With both sides reaching a truce, the triple talaq bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament without any hurdles.

The BJP is believed to have issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

In a bid to ensure that the introduction is smooth, the BJP is understood to have issued the whip so that any stiff opposition from members on the other side at the introduction stage could be thwarted.
Newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hoisted the party flag at the party headquarters here, marking the 133rd Congress Foundation Day and accused the BJP of attacking the Constitution.

Presiding over the function for the first time as Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi addressed party workers at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office at 24, Akbar Road and asked them to defend the nation from the lies and deceit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Constitution, the foundation of our country is under attack directly. Statements are being made by senior members of the BJP and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back, Rahul said.

Its our duty duty of the Congress party and every single Indian to defend the constitution and the right of every single Indian, he added.

The Congress party commits itself to work for truth and fight for truth. We might lose, we might suffer but we will never give up fighting for truth, he said further.

The Gandhi scion was accompanied by senior party leaders including Ahmed Patel, Janardhan Dwivedi and Motilal Vora.

The Congress President also distributed sweets among children on the occasion.

Founded on December 28, 1885, the Congress held its first session on this day in Mumbai. It was attended by 72 delegates.

The state units of the Congress will also celebrate the day with a series of events during which tributes will be paid to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and other Congress leaders.
Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who recently gave up court practice in wake of his courtroom spat with Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, has reconsidered his decision on the request of his client to appear in the Supreme Court in the Ram Janamabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.

Seventy-four-year-old Dhavan had on December 11 called it quits after what he described as a humiliating end to the Delhi government-Centre dispute case following heated exchanges between him and the CJI.

Advocate Ejaz Maqbool, who is representing some of the Muslim bodies in the Ayodhya land dispute case, said that they had urged Dhavan to represent them in the matter and the senior counsel has accepted the request.

He said that before Dhavan announced that he had given up court practice, the senior lawyer was appearing for them in the Ayodhya dispute case.

We requested him (Dhavan) to make an exception for the Babri Masjid case and he has accepted our request and he will continue to appear for us in the Babri Masjid case, Maqbool said in a letter sent to the media.

He (Dhavan) will be writing a letter to the Chief Justice of India that he will continue to appear in his pending matters, he said.

Dhavan had earlier addressed a letter to the CJI saying he had decided to give up court practice.

After the humiliating end to the Delhi case, I have decided to give up court practice. You are entitled to take back the senior gown conferred on me, though I would like to keep it for memory and the services rendered, he had said in his letter.

His surprise announcement had come days after the apex court reserved its verdict in the Delhi-Centre case, i.e whether the Lieutenant Governor or the Delhi government enjoys supremacy in the administration of the national capital.

On December 6, just before the conclusion of the hearing in the case, heated exchanges were witnessed between the Chief Justice and Dhavan.

The senior lawyer was appearing for the Delhi government in the case besides their lead counsel Gopal Subramanium.

In the Delhi-Centre dispute hearing, Dhavan had made some submissions which were not appreciated by the bench.

Besides the Delhi-Centre case, Dhavan has represented a number of high-profile cases like the Ayodhya dispute, SEBI- Sahara, Rohingya refugees among others.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will on Thursday address both houses of Parliament on the issue of Pakistan insulting the wife and mother of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav during their meeting in Islamabad on Monday.

Leaders across party lines had on Wednesday condemned the incident and issue had figured inside the Lok Sabha as well as in the Parliament galleries. The Lower House also saw some members raising slogans against Pakistan.

Amidst the ruckus, Sushma Swaraj, who was in the House, told the members that she will make a statement on the issue on Thursday.

Jadhavs mother Avanti and wife Chetankul had on Tuesday met Sushma Swaraj at her residence.

In a meeting described as a humanitarian gesture by the Pakistan government on the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Indian national on death row in Pakistan came face to face with his mother and wife after a gap of 22 months at the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad on Monday.

Separated by a glass partition in the heavily-guarded building, they spoke through an intercom watched by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh who escorted them to the meeting.

Jadhavs family was later taken to the Indian High Commission before their return to India late on Monday night via Oman.

On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging, after India approached it against the death sentence.

India in a strong statement accused Pakistani authorities of making the mother and wife of the death row prisoner remove their bindi, mangal sutra and bangles ahead of the meeting.

(With inputs from agencies)
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which criminalises instant triple talaq, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Now, the Bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for approval. The Bill has a provision of three-year jail term for Muslim men who divorce their wives through instant triple talaq.

While tabling the Bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad urged members not to see the Bill from the political prism. It should not be constrained by the walls of politics, should not be weighed in terms of religion and not be seen in terms of vote bank, Prasad said.

Referring to the 3:2 judgment of the Supreme Court which set aside talaq-e-biddat as a manifestly arbitrary practice, Prasad said two judges had termed it unconstitutional, one as illegal and two others had ordered an injunction on triple talaq at least for six months  by when the government should consider steps to initiate legislation on the issue.

The Bill proposes to declare pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat (three pronouncements of talaq at one go) by Muslim husbands as void.

It says the illegal act of pronouncing talaq-e-biddat shall be a punishable offence. There is provision for subsistence allowance from the husband for the livelihood and daily supporting needs of the wife as also of the dependent children. The wife would also be entitled to the custody of minor children.

Prasad said that talaq-e-biddat has been regulated in many Muslim-majority countries such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia and even Pakistan, which is a terror state.

Already the government side is depleted in the Rajya Sabha, with the Triple Talaq bill being opposed by parties like the Biju Janata Dal and AIADMK, considered government-friendly as they regularly help it pass bills. The ruling BJP and allies are in a minority in the Rajya Sabha and so need the help of such parties to push bills, according to media reports.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress, which draws substantial support from Muslim voters, has not made its stand on the bill clear yet. The Samajwadi Party, which too counts on Muslim votes, has said it opposes the bill in its current form, media reports added.

Bill tabled

The Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad even as some members accused the bill of violating the fundamental rights of Muslims.

The discussion on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was taken up hours after it was introduced in the pre-lunch session.

While a majority of parties are supporting the bill, some members including All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the bill lacked legal coherence.

Appeal for consensus by PM Modi

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for consensus in passing the bill, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said after the BJP Parliamentary meeting.

The Union government has tabled the bill after days of logjam in both houses over Congress demand for apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat assembly election campaign.

The Centre had on Wednesday extended an olive branch to the Congress, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified that the Prime Minister didnt question Singhs commitment to the nation.

Following Jaitleys statement, the Congress also reciprocated by disapproving Mani Shankar Aiyars criticism of the Prime Minister after which the House resumed normal business.

However, clerics and several Muslim organisations, cutting across sects and schools of jurisprudence, have opposed the bill, terming the governments stand as uncalled for interference in the personal laws of the community.

The AIMPLB has even accused the Centre of not following the laid procedure in drafting the bill, which was against women and children, and if implemented, would destroy many families.

In a historic judgment in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims was void, illegal and unconstitutional.

(With agency inputs)
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and other party leaders, on Thursday, wished Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his birthday. Many took to Twitter to wish the BJP leader.

Jaitley previously held the cabinet portfolios of Commerce and Industry and Law and Justice in the Vajpayee government (19982004) and serving as the Minister of Defence in the Narendra Modi-led government as additional charge.

Jaitley was an Akjil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) student leader in the Delhi University campus in the seventies and rose to be the President of the Students Union of Delhi University in 1974.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a Twitter message wished Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his birthday and prayed for his long and healthy life.

Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah wished Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his birthday and tweeted; May you be blessed with a long life, filled with good health.

Wishing Finance Minister Shri @arunjaitley ji a very happy birthday. May you be blessed with a long life, filled with good health.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 28, 2017

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu wished Arun Jaitley a long and healthy life on Finance Ministers 65th birthday.

Birthday wishes to Shri Arun Jaitley. May God bless him with long and healthy life. @arunjaitley pic.twitter.com/MI4abzbyEb  VicePresidentOfIndia (@VPSecretariat) December 28, 2017

Union Minister Rajnath Singh gave warm wishes to his colleague and wished him good health.

Warm wishes to my colleague Shri @arunjaitley on his birthday today. May God bless him with good health and long life.  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 28, 2017

Law and Justice, Information Technology Minister of India, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda also took to Twitter to wish Finance Minister on his birthday.

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to the Finance Minister of India Shri @arunjaitley Ji. pic.twitter.com/eO7Ptdvj4K  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) December 28, 2017

Warm birthday greetings to Finance Minister Shri @arunjaitley ji. May you be blessed with a long life and good health.  Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) December 28, 2017

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani wished Arun Jaitlry and prayed for his good health and continued success.

Greetings to @arunjaitley ji on his birthday. Prayers and wishes for his good health, long life & continued success.  Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) December 28, 2017

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani greeted Finance Minister on his birthday.

Heartiest Birthday Greetings Hon Finance Minister @arunjaitley ji!

Wishing you a long life and good health !  Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 28, 2017

Birthday greetings to Shri @arunjaitley ji. Wish him a healthy life ahead.  Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) December 28, 2017

Minister of Railwways Piyush Goyal took to Twitter to wish Arun Jaitley and said may your decisive leadership and profound experience continue to steer the nations economy to new heights.

Warm birthday wishes to @ArunJaitley ji. May his decisive leadership and profound experience continue to steer the nations economy to new heights.  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) December 28, 2017

Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan also wished his dear friend on his birthday.

Best wishes to my esteemed colleague and dear friend @ArunJaitley ji on his birthday. May you live a long and healthy life. pic.twitter.com/5lRkLWM0N9  Dr. Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) December 28, 2017

Union Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi wished Arun Jaitley and said that may you continue to be successful in all your endeavours for the nation.

Heartfelt birthday wishes to you, my friend and colleague Shri @arunjaitley ji. May you be blessed with a healthy life and may you continue to be successful in all your endeavours for the nation.  Maneka Gandhi (@Manekagandhibjp) December 28, 2017

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti wished Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Twitter.

Warm birthday wishes to @arunjaitley.  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 28, 2017

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs of India, Kiren Rijiju, wished Jailtey on his birthday and said that Finance Minister is an erudite man whom I look up at whenever theres a confusion.

Happy birthday to our senior leader @arunjaitley ji, an erudite man whom I look up at whenever theres a confusion. Wish him good health & long life to serve the nation.  Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) December 28, 2017

Andhara Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu greeted the visionary Minister of Finance on his birthday.
It has been a year full of revelations. Some of them have been shocking: the corrupt dealings of some political leaders and the lewd habits of other Hollywood producers, all have been exposed on the pages of newspapers. The #MeToo hashtag that began a few months ago gave women who had access to the internet a venue in which to share the alarming extent and breadth of workplace harassment.

For women, particularly those who work or study outside the home, the stories that have been told are painfully familiar: bosses who demand illicit relationships, superiors who fire women who do not return their advances, the promotions denied, the pay reduced, all making up the horrific landscape of harassment.

What the stories have told, statistics have backed up. According to UN Women, 120 million girls around the world have experienced forced sexual acts. According to a 2015 survey completed by the charity Action Aid, huge percentages of women  57 per cent in Bangladesh, 79 per cent in India and 87 per cent in Vietnam  report having faced sexual harassment. The misery begins even before they get to work; over half reported that they experienced harassment by the operators of public transportation that they had to take to get there. If it wasnt the operators, it was the men they encountered on the way to work, men who perceived them as morally loose or available simply because they were on their way to work.

According to the NGO What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women, the harassment is particularly bad in South Asia because there is massive sexual entitlement in the region. This means that men believe they have a greater right to occupy public places than women. The attitude carries over into the workplace, where even educated men believe they have a greater right to a job than women.

Often, when a male boss is supervising a team of men and women, he is more likely to give men the opportunity to lead projects and avail themselves of promotion opportunities. In their turn, women are considered rude or intractable if they are not acting like pleasers and not conforming to the gender stereotypes that are attached to them.

These attitudes translate into wage differentials that are, like sexual harassment itself, a global problem. Research conducted by Pew in the United States revealed that at least a quarter of the women surveyed were paid less than their male counterparts for doing the same job and that pay differentials were the most common form of workplace discrimination. A similar percentage reported being treated as less competent and many more complained about being subjected to constant slights in office conversations, meetings and other work-related discussions.

In sum, the workplace is a battlefield for women; if they are lucky enough to never face actual sexual assault, unwanted physical touching, groping, etc they are still going to be subject to lower pay and to the perception that their commitment to work is not as serious as that of their male counterparts.

In South Asia, the misery follows women back to their homes. In many cases, women have to undertake complex negotiations with fathers, husbands and brothers to even be able to work. In many cases, women will choose to wear the hijab or burqa and hand over their entire paycheck to their male guardians just to be able to continue to work. The money that they do make and the economic power that they do get by participating in the workforce is hence rendered somewhat superficial because the permission to work continues to rest with the men of the household.

Recent research focusing on working women in Bangladesh substantiates this; women in that country were found to be more vulnerable to domestic violence if they worked outside the home. One possible explanation for this is that while their husbands want them to continue earning, they feel that their masculinity is somehow impacted by the fact that their wife works outside the home.

Jealousy and accusations of infidelity or immorality abound and regularly erupt into violence. The situation then is a two-sided hell, harassment by bosses at work and abuse by husbands at home.

Socially and culturally, Pakistan is not that different from Bangladesh. In recent decades, rural-to-urban migration and rising education levels of women have meant that many of them are participating in the workforce.

While legislation protecting women is being passed, it is rarely enforced and informal surveys of Pakistani working women have revealed that very few of them believe that reporting harassment will actually lead to repercussions for the harassers. In the few high-profile cases involving Pakistani women working in NGOs and in academia, results have not been particularly promising.

None of this is particularly surprising. Cultural values that constantly establish male superiority make it almost impossible for legal actions or even internal disciplinary actions against harassers to succeed. Men cover up for other men, believing that if their friend, or colleague or brother is disciplined, then they too could be next. Other women, raised in a culture of male superiority, also cover up for men by routinely blaming the women involved. With everyone covering up for them, it is no surprise at all that no men are punished.

Perhaps a number of men reading this article feel its okay to harass women who cross the thresholds of their home and enter the public space. Some of them may rationalise their behaviour as just being friendly, as jokes, as good fun. Others may believe that when they pay women to do a certain job, they are automatically entitled to their affection, to their friendship and to their attention.

Still others may imagine that what no one sees, what happens behind office doors or in stairwells or corridors or online, doesnt hurt or doesnt matter. Those who think this way are wrong; their mindset would reflect the thinking of sexual harassers who, it can be guaranteed, are detested by the women around them.
The rather disconcerting curtain-raiser to the Russian election on 18 March is suggestive of Vladimir Putins determination to sustain his monolithic leadership. That anxiety partially explains the decision of the Election Committee ~ an echo chamber of the Kremlin ~ to bar the governments critic, Alexei Navalny, from running against the President of Russia. The move could well undermine the legitimacy of the vote in a purported democracy more than 26 years after the Communist architecture was demolished (August 1991). The Opposition has, equally legitimately, called for a boycott ~ a threat that has swiftly been greeted by the Kremlin with hints at reprisals.

The government is scarcely in a mood to compromise; if it has its way the Russian election could well turn out to be a shambolic contest between Mr Putin versus none. It could be a partyless election as well given the Presidents resolve not to flaunt the United Russia party label, but to go solo in the election to the highest office of the land. To go to the polling station now is to vote for lies and corruption, was Navalnys immediate response. There is little doubt that Putin will conduct the election on his terms. He might be nominating a handful of contestants between now and March, making sure that they dont pose a threat.

The conduct of the polls, more importantly the decision to bar Navalny, has already had repercussions in Europe. On closer reflection, Putin is on notice once again after the cache of Western sanctions in the wake of the intervention in Ukraine. The EU has said in a statement that the bar casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year. The decision doesnt hold water when contextualised with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, specifically that Navalny had been denied the right to a fair trial on the charges cited by the Russian authorities. The boycott call is an intrepid response to the challenge and even the Kremlin isnt too sure whether it is in violation of Russian law.

Hence its spokesman, Dmitry Peskovs suggestion that it ought to be rigorously studied, a statement that has been interpreted as a thinly veiled threat of punishment. Calls for election boycott are not illegal under Russian law, but authorities had last year blocked several websites that had been urging Russians not to vote in parliamentary elections. Putin is almost certain to win re-election for the fourth term that will keep him in power until 2024. Navalnys participation would doubtless have heightened interest, and even resulted in a higher turnout. A boycott by the Opposition and liberals can scarcely stall Vladimir Putins inevitable election victory, however.
On the completion of World Trade Organisations (WTO) 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) at Buenos Aires, India might have returned empty handed as a permanent solution to the issue of Public Stock Holding remained elusive due to the adamant attitude of US, despite the fact that it was on the mandated agenda of the MC11.

In the last ministerial conference, MC10, held at Nairobi in 2015, it was decided by all member countries unanimously that a permanent solution would be found by 2017. But the United States went back on its promise and said it was not ready to give a permanent solution to PSH, at least this time, and by its adamant posture over new issues, the US became instrumental in causing the collapse of Buenos Aires MC11.

From the very beginning, the US made it very clear that this issue was not going to get resolved as its interest primarily was in a fast track work program on rule-making in e-commerce, investment facilitation and also limiting fisheries subsidies for illegal and unreported fisheries. Out of these issues, only fisheries subsidy was part of the Doha development Agenda. However, subsidy India wanted that this issue should be sorted out in such a manner that interests of our traditional fishermen do not get hurt. It may be noted that so far as rules of WTO are concerned, unless there is an explicit consensus among member countries about inclusion of one or more issues, it cant be done unless all members agree. However, it is equally true that US and other developed countries have been able to get new issues included by way of pressure, lure or even arm twisting.

Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu in his speech at the Plenary session made it very clear that the public food stock holding issue is very dear to India, as it is not a matter of trade. Its a matter of life and death for more than 800 million people worldwide, a large proportion of whom live in India.Their food security depends upon the public distribution system, based on stock of food maintained by the government. In his later speeches, he stated that this issue is important for poor children suffering from malnutrition who are provided food by public programmes like Anganwadis. School-going children are provided mid-day meals in schools, which fulfils their food needs. It thus increases enrolment ratios and reduces drop outs. He also said that improving food security is a global goal, and India is committed to take care of its needs.

The most important thing is that calculation of subsidy for public stock holdings for nations is flawed. On the one hand WTO rules are circumvented by developed countries. For instance, US provides a total subsidy of more $60,000 per farmer and still doesnt face any hurdle and India which pays hardly $108 per farmer faces objections. The US and other developed countries have cleverly shifted their subsidies to green box, which they are legally not bound to reduce. Further they are also allowed to give aggregate measure of support, which developing countries cant. Adding insult to injury, the formula for calculating subsidy has been made such that 1986-88 prices are taken as reference prices. According to this provision if during 1986-88 price of wheat was Rs 385 per quintal, and government is procuring wheat today at a price of Rs 1600, Rs 1215 would be considered as subsidy. From any angle this provision is absurd; still US is finding ways and means not to correct it. Therefore, a permanent solution to the issue of PSH is not a concession; its merely correction of a wrong done previously.

About e-commerce, Indias stand has been that it is an emerging area, and it can benefit the people in many ways. Therefore, it should develop further. However, Prabhu rightly pointed out that, Indias view is that gains from e-commerce must not be confused with gains from negotiating binding rules in this area. It is for this reason that we support continuation of the 1998 Work Programme with its non-negotiating mandate. India made it clear that different issues including e-commerce could be discussed in WTO. But we need to follow a process, and cant circumvent the defined procedures to accommodate one or more members. Moreover, constantly changing technology in e-commerce calls for a wait-and-watch policy.

During MC11, Prabhu while addressing a press conference said it is advisable to first conclude the agenda mandated in MC10 Nairobi and then move on to other issues. Since, there is a limited scope in WTO to discuss issues, old issues will die down if we burden WTO with new issues. And this cant be allowed to happen.

The issue of development as underlined in Doha Development Round is important, and that is related to unjustified subsidies given by developed nations, and this cant be sacrificed. Discussion on Doha Development Round is still pending and that has to be completed.

It was proposed to disallow subsidy for illegal and unreported fishing. The argument behind the proposal is to encourage sustainable fishing to avoid overfishing. However, Indias concern is that there is no mechanism of reporting by Indian traditional fishermen. Therefore, any agreement on Fisheries Subsidies must take into the consideration interests of traditional fishermen.

Denial of a solution to PSH, which was the primary concern of India due to the adamant attitude of the US, on the one hand and obvious opposition to the introduction of new issues by a majority of member countries, leading to an inconclusive MC11, underlines the fact that the Ministerial Conference at Buenos Aires actually failed. Legitimate concerns of developing countries like food security are not getting addressed and developed countries are trying to bind developing countries in a web of rules in e-commerce, investment facilitation etc. to serve the interests of their companies.

Indications from USs Trump administration are that Washington will follow America First with utter disregard for WTO rules. If this attitude of US continues, multilateral institutions like WTO may lose their legitimacy. Indian representatives at WTO might be disappointed that they could not get a permanent solution; they should rather be proud for not getting cowed down by developed countries, as they had to be satisfied with formation of a 70-nation group that would discuss ways to evolve a consensus to bring e-commerce under the WTO ambit.

For the time being, thanks to Indias tough stand, new issues have been kept at bay and issues of DDR are once again in focus. Though there is no guarantee that they will be actually discussed, the developing world has been able to put its point of view across.

(The writer is Associate Professor, PGDAV College, University of Delhi)
The Ganga originates in the glacial peaks of Gangotri and flows to a point below Farakka, where it bifurcates. The main channel, known as Padma, flows towards Bangladesh, while the other channel called Bhagirathi enters India at a place close to Jangipur in Murshidabad district. Lower down, the name of Bhagirathi changes to Hooghly. The Ganga flows across 2,500 km and yields a large volume of silt and sand.

The deterioration of the Bhagirathi began centuries back due to sedimentation. This resulted in a variation in its gradient and hydro-dynamic environment. In addition, over the years the flow was progressively reduced due to a fall in the availability of water at the source of the Ganga and from its tributaries, the large-scale use of river water for irrigation, power plants and industries on the downstream. The changing pattern of the unpredictable Bhagirathi and the Hooghly posed a formidable challenge. The Hooghly, virtually a backwater of the sea and vulnerable to tides, had to contend with an unpredictable morphological phenomenon, especially in its lower reaches. Flooding twice a day brings in a lot of sand from the estuary, which settles down during the slack period between the ebb and the flow. Ebb being slower, the flushing of the river-bed is not carried out and the muck that is brought in settles down. This leads to shoalling. Owing to its alluvial nature and mobility of the river-bed, blocks of sand and shoals are prone to shifting, changing their shape, size and orientation leading to shoalling and formation of land masses or bars in the river-bed. This threatens the depth of the navigational channel.

Below Diamond Harbour, the navigational channel of the Hooghly flows either along the East Bank, known as Rangafela channel or along the West Bank called Bellari Channel. When one channel opens, the other closes down. The changeover of channels is influenced by Nature. The Bellari channel was eventually closed in 1987, and direct navigation between Kolkata and Haldia was stopped in consequence. The receding nature of Jiggerkhali Flat, north of Haldia and extending to Bellari Bar, has been threatening Haldia Oil Jetty No. 1 as well.

The flow being lower than the projected volume because of the water-sharing agreement with Bangladesh and the execution of river-training projects at various locations have failed to have any impact on the lower reaches below Diamond Harbour. A committee, comprising a former finance secretary and Governor of Reserve Bank, appointed by the Centre, recommended in 1988 that the government should reimburse the total expenditure on river maintenance as Calcutta Port Trust had been entrusted with the conservancy of about 350 miles of the National River Way No. 1 on its behalf. The responsibility of conservancy is limited to 10 miles at all other major ports, except Kandla where it is 25 miles. The recommendations were based on the practice prevailing in the US, Europe and some Asian countries and on the analogy of maintenance of highways. In 1976 another committee ratified the recommendations.

In the 1970s, a comprehensive project named Bhagirathi Hooghly River Training scheme was formulated, corrective measures identified and priorities fixed. These were accepted by the government-appointed technical advisory committee comprising experts and technical officials of several ministries and other agencies. The project was sanctioned by the government and cleared by the Public Investment Board in 1982 and the financial provision made in the Sixth Five-Year Plan. The first phase of the project was completed in 1992 barring the most vital component of the scheme ~ dredging of the menacing Juggerkhali Flat and Bellary Bar, north of Haldia and partial execution of river training projects.

River conditions deteriorated as the BHRT scheme was incomplete. The upland discharge also declined following the1996 India-Bangladesh water-sharing treaty. The reservations of Kolkata Port Trust were ignored by the Centre. To that can be added the ineffective dredging in the approach channel. Such factors have affected the depth of the river, specifically the navigational channel. The sanctioned capital for dredging, as recommended by the expert committees, continued to be deferred by the Government of India citing shortage of funds .

Till the 1970s, 87,000-tonner crude tankers visited Haldia regularly drawing about 42 feet draft against todays draft of approximately 25 feet. Kolkata Port is the countrys only port which compulsorily had to deploy Dredging Corporation of India dredgers and did not have the option to approach any other agency. Payments to DCI are made in terms of dredger working hours, irrespective of quality of the work done and not on the basis of actual output. Other ports have the privilege to avail the services of dredging companies on the basis of competitive bidding and payment is effected on the basis of productivity. Poorly maintained DCI dredgers of 15 to 40 years vintage with non-functional equipment on board are subject to frequent breakdowns. Its officers, without the knowledge of the latest instrumentation and technology to ensure more effective dredging operations, require extensive training. This had been admitted by DCI in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan Formulation Report.

The Dredging Corporation of India is a sick PSU and, the shipping ministry will have to provide budgetary support to keep it afloat. To avoid that, Kolkata Port Trust has been forced to entrust DCI with the dredging of the river so that the amount reimbursable by the government towards the cost of maintenance of the Hooghly could be passed on to DCI, ignoring the actual performance and deterioration of shipping channels in the estuary. The port management has failed to examine the intricacies of port-related matters.

The Parliamentary Committee of the Ministry of Shipping has been extremely critical of the government for not providing funds to Kolkata Port Trust for capital-dredging in the estuary. It observed: The GoI has, in principle, decided to reimburse the cost of dredging and maintenance of the river Hooghly and the shipping channel. However, the allocation for capital dredging has been reduced in an arbitrary manner. The committee strongly recommends that there should be no constraint of funds for dredging as silting at Kolkata Port is a recurring problem and provision must be made in the Budget. Around 2007, another scheme designed by Mr Sunderman, an internationally acclaimed hydraulic expert, was airbrushed by the Ministry to avoid bearing the cost as decided.

In 2008, better dredgers were allowed to be diverted to Sethu Samudram Project in Palk Strait. This was not included in the 10th Five-Year Plan. The virtual stoppage of effective maintenance led to further deterioration. This raised serious doubts as to why Kolkata Port allowed the dredger withdrawal. Exploring new avenues to solve the ever worsening river regime continued. IIT, Chennai has now been roped in to overcome the adversity. There has been no dearth of studies and recommendations since 1853 for improvement of the Hooghly river regime. But failure of the port management, especially the government, has impeded improvement. The biggest hurdle has been the failure to evolve comprehensive development projects. It is imperative to identify the requirements in order to address the problems at the earliest.

(The writer is retired Director (Planning) Kolkata Port Trust and MD, Indian Ports Association, New Delhi)
In a rare expression of unanimity ~ after the prevarication over Libya and Syria ~ the Security Council has tightened the screws on North Korea in the immediate aftermath of the latest intercontinental ballistic missile test. By its very nature, it isnt merely a US counter-mobilisation, but the concerted decision of the five permanent members ~ America, Russia, Britain, China, and France. The economic reprisal, however severe, is unlikely to bring the likes of Kim Jong-un to their knees; President Hassan Rouhani of Iran soldiers on with his nuclear programme regardless of the curbs. The Korean Peninsula now bears witness to an international war of nerves, almost a battle of attrition. The North Korean President has swiftly condemned the latest cache of sanctions as an act of war and tantamount to a complete economic blockade.

Chiefly, the sanctions will restrict Pyongyangs access to refined petroleum products and crude oil, and its earnings from workers abroad. The UN resolution seeks to ban nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and, in a last-minute change, demands the repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 24 months. The resolution, drafted by the US, has capped crude oil supplies at 4 million barrels a year; the Security Council will effect further reductions if the North conducts another nuclear or ICBM test.

The economic blitz will not only affect the petroleum sector; no less significant is what has been called a last-minute change, demanding the repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 24 months. Verily, the sanctions are a double whammy for Pyongyang ~ the North will be deprived of adequate crude supplies as well as the remittance from non-resident North Koreans, indeed a critical component of its revenue earnings.

The crippling curbs thus imposed are the harshest ever and are bound to rock the countrys economic base to its foundations. For all that, such are the complexities of geostrategy that there is little or no guarantee that the North has tested an ICBM missile for the last time. It hasnt, if the nature and frequency of its defiance is any indication. The sanctions have been greeted with stout condemnation, even a categorical rejection of the UN resolution ~ The US is terrified by the Norths nuclear force and is getting more and more frenzied in the moves to impose pressure on our country.

There is little doubt that the P-5 members have abided by the certitudes of international law against a rogue state, if indeed the Security Council has imposed a complete economic blockade, which Pyongyang sees as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability. The North is yet to acknowledge the fundamentals ~ every missile test is tantamount to beating the war-drums and it has been doing its bit to destabilise the region.
The US authorities have arrested 143,470 illegal immigrants this year, according to a latest report.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in its annual report that it has made 143,470 administrative arrests in fiscal year 2017, increasing 30 per cent Year-on-Year, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

An administrative arrest is the arrest of an alien for a civil violation of the immigration laws, which is subsequently adjudicated by an immigration judge or through other administrative processes.

Of the total arrests, 110,568 occurred after January 20, which is a 42 per cent increase over the same time period last year, according to the report.

US President Donald Trump took the oath of office on January 20 this year. On January 25, Trump issued an executive order to set forth the Administrations immigration enforcement and removal priorities.

Trumps controversial policies to put a travel ban on citizens of some Muslim-majority nations, scrap the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program shielding immigrants who came to the country illegally as children from deportation, and withdraw from the global migration compact, a United Nation-led process toward safe, orderly and regular migration, have ignited protests across the country.

While supporters cheered tough immigration policy, citing national security concerns, others slammed it as discriminatory.
A malfunctioning appliance in a garage is believed to have caused a fire that severely damaged a Fremont home, while the fire at a former local business remains under investigation.

The State Fire Marshals office has determined that a refrigerator which malfunctioned in a garage at 2140 N. Nye Ave., led to a fire on Tuesday, said Fremont Fire Chief Todd Bernt.

No one was injured in the fire, but a dog at the home didnt survive.

Fire crew members were called to the house at about 11:30 a.m.

The fire started in the garage and extended into the house. The house had heavy smoke damage and some fire damage. The attached garage is totaled.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to get the fire under control, said Lt. Todd Coffey of the Fremont Fire Department.

Coffey estimated structural damage of about $50,000, but was unsure of an estimate for contents of the home.

The cause of a fire at the former Uncle Larrys nightclub is still being investigated, Bernt said.

Fremont Rural firefighters were dispatched at about 10:50 a.m. to the building at 2200 Proctor St. No one was reported injured.

The building had been used for storage of tanning beds, Coffey said.

Fremont Fire Department went to the scene as that area recently has been annexed and is now under the citys jurisdiction, he said.

Firefighters from Cedar Bluffs, Waterloo and Valley also responded. Fremont and Cedar Bluffs both brought aerial ladder trucks.

Coffey said firefighters had the blaze under control in about 30 minutes.

Firefighters fought the blaze in bone-chilling, single digit temperatures.

Smoke rolled out of the blue building as some firefighters made their way into it, while others got onto the roof via a ladder truck. Other firefighters filled a large, yellow portable tank with water to help battle the blaze.

Capt. Tom Christensen of the Fremont Fire Department estimated the damage at more than $200,000.

Tuesday morning was filled with other calls for local firefighters, who also responded to a single-vehicle rollover accident at about 11 a.m. on U.S. Highway 30 on the west end of town. One person was taken to Fremont Health.

Besides the car accident, the Fremont station received about five other rescue squad calls. Midwest Medical and Arlington were called as mutual aid to staff the town for those calls and any other fires.

Both off-duty shifts from the Fremont Fire Department were called in, Coffey said.

Everything just hits at once, Bernt said.

Bernt noted the help that came from mutual aid departments and commended firefighters for their work.

Under the elements, everybody did an excellent job, Bernt said. The mutual aid definitely helped us out. That help was tremendous. The fires were under control pretty quickly.

Temperatures for today are only expected to reach a high of 21 with a low of 7.
Turkish police on Thursday detained at least 38 people over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) terror group in the city of Bursa.

Counter-terrorism units launched simultaneous operations in various areas in Bursa earlier in the day, reports Xinhua news agency.

Turkey has lately tightened operations against IS suspects while stepping up security measures across the country as the New Year is approaching.

Twelve suspects, who were allegedly planning to carry out lone-wolf attacks during New Year celebrations by using vehicles and knives, were captured in the southern province of Adana on Tuesday.

Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national, shot dead 39 people at Istanbuls Reina nightclub on New Years Eve last year. The IS claimed responsibility.


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Organisation: United States US Embassy, US Mission in

Uganda

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Salary Grade: FSN-9 Ugshs 75,718,515 p.a. inclusive

of allowances

Vacancy Announcement Number: 35-17

About US Embassy:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic

relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador Deborah R. Malac

currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of

several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy

and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:

United States Agency

for International Development (USAID)

Centers for Disease

Control (CDC)

Peace Corps

Job Summary: The Public

Health Administrative Management Assistant serves as the Senior ADS Program

Assistant assisting the ADS for all related CDC activities. The purpose of this position is to provide

guidance and expertise in human subjects protection and ethical conduct of

science, and to examine and process protocol submissions, amendments, and

continuation requests for all CDC/PEPFAR supported studies involving human

subjects. The Senior ADS Program Assistant provides information and education

on CDC clearance policies, procedures and processes, and examines new and

continuing requests for completeness and scientific integrity. The Assistant also handles reports from CDC

offices including the Division of Global HIV/AIDS & TB Programs (DGHT)

Associate Director for Science (ADS) Office (now called the DGHT Science

Integrity Branch, SIB), the CDC Institutional Review Board (IRB), and responses

from investigators. The Assistant acts as the primary liaison with local ethics

regulatory bodies including Uganda National Council for Science & Technology

and performs monitoring of study compliance with Good Clinical Practice. The Assistants duties also include the

education & provision of ethics and research technical guidance &

support to CDC and implementing partner staff, provision of consultation to CDC

Uganda program cooperative agreement, and scientific staff, as well as

maintenance of organized records including of all regulatory submissions. In addition, this position is intended to

consult with investigators, senior staff, Implementing partners and Head

quarter staff regarding protocol submissions policies and procedures. The Assistant serves as backup for the

Associate Director for Science.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

NOTE: All applicants must address each

selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information

supporting each item.

The applicants for the

United States US Embassy Public Health Administrative Management Assistant

job placement should hold a Masters degree in Public Health

(Epidemiology, Behavioral Science/Health Education, International Health,

Public Health Management, Biostatistics) or other health-related field is

required; Bachelors degree is required.

Five years experience

working in a public health program or research project with a research

organization, university, or public health services implementing agency is

required.







Organizational skills

are imperative.

Highly self-motivated,

able to work with minimal supervision.

Good oral and written

skills at writing and presenting reports on human subjects activities and

responding to both written and verbal requests for information.

Skill in developing

and maintaining effective working relationships utilizing positive

interpersonal skills.

Skill in analyzing,

interpreting, and making decisions related to human subjects protocols,

amendments and continuation requests, manuscripts and abstracts.

Computer knowledge and

experience and skills with Word Processing (Word); familiarity with

spreadsheets (Excel) is required for maintenance of the data bases of the

office and preparation of reports.

Knowledge of research

principles and HIV/AIDS is required. Knowledge and thorough understanding

of CDC Human Subjects policies and the Federal Regulations for protecting

human research subjects (45 CFR 46)

Knowledge of CDCs

organizational structure and operations in order to relate to commitments

and work processes of the human subjects activities/ADS office.

Language: Level 4

Fluency (speak/read/write) in English is required. Level 2 Fluency (speak/read/write)

of Luganda or other local Ugandan language.

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates who wish to join the

United States Embassy in Kampala are encouraged to Apply Online by following

the instructions below;



required to register under the careers page for US Embassy Kampala using

the link, Applicants shall berequired to register under the careers page for US Embassy Kampala usingthe link, Click Here

You will receive

confirmation of registration and proceed to apply.

On completion of this

process you will receive an auto response via your email.

NB: Applicants claiming a U.S. Veterans preference must

submit written documentation confirming eligibility (e.g., Member Copy 4 of

Form DD-214, Letter from the Veterans Administration, or certification

documenting eligibility under the VOW Act with an expected discharge no later

than 120 days after the certification is submitted) by the closing date of the

vacancy announcement. If the written documentation confirming eligibility is

not received in the HR office by the closing date of the vacancy announcement,

the U.S. Veterans preference will not be considered in the application

process. Specific criteria for receiving a U.S. Veterans preference may be

found in HR/OEs Family Member Employment Policy (FMEP).

Deadline: 16th January 2018

The US Mission in Kampala provides equal opportunity and fair and

equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color

religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital

status, or sexual orientation. The Department of State also strives to

achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through

continuing diversity enhancement programs.
Job Title: Noncommunicable Diseases Program Officer

Organisation: Global Health

Corps (GHC)

Placement Organisation:

Ministry of Health (MOH) Uganda

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Eligible Citizenship:

Ugandan

Salary: Monthly Stipend of

550 dollars per month

Position Code: G13-Nat

About GHC:

Global Health Corps pairs intelligent and passionate fellows with

organizations that require new thinking and innovative solutions. We provide

these young leaders with the tools to remain connected after their fellowship

year finishes, deepening their ability to enact change through heightened

skills and strong partnerships. We currently place fellows in Malawi, Rwanda,

Uganda, the United States, and Zambia.

About MOH:

The Ministry of Health (MOH) Uganda is a government body charged with:

Policy formulation and policy dialogue

with health development partners

Resource mobilization and budgeting

Strategic planning

Development and enforcement of regulations

Advising other ministries on health

matters

Setting standards and quality assurance

Capacity development and technical support

Provision of nationally coordinated

services such as epidemic control

Coordination of health research

Monitoring and evaluation of the overall

sector performance.

Job Summary: The

Noncommunicable Diseases Program Officer will be based in Kampala. Working with

the Ministry of Health (MOH) team, the Noncommunicable Diseases Program Officer

will implement, monitor, and evaluate existing noncommunicable diseases program

activities. The position will involve driving related research and ensuring

that the Noncommunicable Diseases Program is in line with the missions of the

MOH and the department.



Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Working with the MoH team, the

Noncommunicable Diseases Program Officer will:

Review and update the existing

noncommunicable disease policy and strategic plan in alignment with the

noncommunicable diseases global and national agenda

Review and finalize existing

noncommunicable disease guidelines in alignment with current global

guidelines

Network with various stakeholders (public

and private) to promote the noncommunicable disease agenda at all levels

while implementing various noncommunicable disease program activities

Liaise with the Health Promotion Division

in implementing noncommunicable disease health promotion activities

Organize and participate in meetings,

workshops and other noncommunicable disease events

Proactively identify funding opportunities

for noncommunicable diseases in Uganda

Develop fundable research proposals for

various noncommunicable disease program activities

Develop operational work plans and budgets

in line with approved noncommunicable disease activities and budget lines

Prepare and ensure adherence to six-month

work plans for agreed noncommunicable disease activities

Spearhead noncommunicable disease research

including proposal writing, data analysis, publication, and dissemination

Develop a database for all existing

noncommunicable disease research in Uganda, both published and unpublished

Monitor and evaluate noncommunicable

disease activities and interventions in various health programs

Prepare activity reports and participate

in making semi-annual progress reports

Actively participate in the development of

appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools for various noncommunicable

disease activities

Periodically compile, analyze, and report

HMIS/DHIS data on noncommunicable diseases

Participate in noncommunicable disease

training of health care workers and regular revision of the training

curriculum

Review and update noncommunicable disease

Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials targeting

different population groups and settings











Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:

The ideal candidate for the Global Health

Corps Noncommunicable Diseases Program Officer career placement should

hold a Bachelors degree

Experience in creating project work plans,

budgets, and summary documents

Excellent writing skills, able to

translate technical information into accessible language for diverse

audiences

Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other

relevant computer applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, STATA)

Knowledge of at least one local Ugandan

language

Experience with planning

meetings/workshops/events, including shaping the agenda and coordinating

logistics

Database experience

Experience assessing and reporting on

program/project impact

Experience drafting grant proposals for

research projects or programs

Experience managing multiple stakeholders

to ensure a project stays on time and on budget

A strong interest in noncommunicable

disease issues locally, nationally, regionally, and globally, including an

understanding of their linkage to development and poverty

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills,

including the ability to manage multi-stakeholder processes

Strong organizational and leadership

skills

Good analytical and decision making skills

Ability to take initiative; innovative,

hardworking, and results-oriented

Ability to work under pressure;

conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines,

and achieving results

Ability to work well in team settings, but

with self-sufficiency and self-motivation

Ability to multi-task with flexibility and

demonstrated priority-setting ability



and Logistics: Fellowship Stipend, Benefits,and Logistics:

In addition to the intensive leadership development and professional

growth that the fellowship offers, the Global Health Corps fellowship includes

the following benefits. GHC arranges several logistical details on fellows

behalf with the expectation that fellows will take ownership of their overall

experience. Read on below to learn more about how these items apply to specific

placements:



Monthly living stipend of $550



Award of $1500 upon successful completion of the

fellowship year



Housing, including utilities assistance



Health or travel medical insurance



Support in applying for visas and/or work

permits, as necessary



Travel costs covered to and from placement site,

GHC training and retreats



Professional development funds of up to $600

How to Apply:

All applicants who desire to be placed by the Global Health Corps in

the aforementioned organization should express interest by clearly following

the instructions at the web page below.



11:59pm EST Deadline: 17th January, 2018 at11:59pm EST
Job Title: Senior Administration Officer

Organization: Catholic

Relief Services (CRS)

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Reports to: Administration

Manager

About US:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-profit

organization which implements the commitment of the Bishops of the United

States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at

the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and

as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values

and our commitment to serving those in need.



Job Summary: The Senior

Administration Officer will provide support with Administrative and Logistical

functions of the CRS Kampala Office which will include general Office &

residential premises management, Inventory and Stores Management, Office

Security and staff safety management and other Administrative Activities as

based on the Country Program requirements.



Key Duties and Responsibilities:

General Administration

Support the management of the

Administration function of the office

Support the liaison with key project staff

to identify and plan for their support needs ensuring timely responses to

requests for administrative support.

Provide administrative support for the

office and ensure smooth running of meetings, workshops, and conferences.

Maintain relationships with outside

vendors (hotels, printers, caterers, etc.), ensure transparent and fair

deals with these vendors, and that all work adheres to CRS procurement

policy.

Ensure that stores are properly organized

and secured against theft whilst maintaining required stores management

practices

Maintain key relationships with service

providers, and ensure timely processing and payment of bills.

Support in the management of a centralized

filing system for all admin letters/correspondence, contracts, including a

regularly updated file index list and orient new staff in the system.

Fixed Assets Handling  Recording:

Maintain an accurate inventory of all

CRS/Uganda assets, ensuring proper numbering.

Ensure invoices, vouchers and all relevant

purchase documents are filed.

Print CRS property numbers on all assets

at time of acquisition.

Ensure that all assets are engraved prior

to dispatch to field locations or assigning to staff.

Quarterly review files against the

relevant checklist for accuracy and completeness of records and filing

(i.e. label all files and maintain a systematic filling list; open new

files and recommend old files for closing; file all documents promptly and

retrieve them when requested.)

Prepare Fixed Asset Notice form (FAN) in

triplicates for purchases above $5000.

Conduct physical verification of assets

every six months  March & September, reconcile master inventory and

report to the Administration Manager.

Inventory & Storage:

Ensure proper storage of goods

Regularly check stock records and ensure

that they are up dated on a regular basis to reflect the movement of goods

Regularly check and ensure that the

correct procedure and proper documentation is carried out by all personnel

requesting items from stock.

Office and international staff residence support

Support the maintenance of contracts/leases

and other service contracts to ensure that they are updated regularly.

Ensure that CRS assets are well maintained

and secure.

Manage maintenance and repair works of the

office facilities and international staff houses.

Arrange for routine equipment servicing or

repairs when necessary, and communicate with the Administration Manager on

replacement plans.

Staff safety and security

Ensure equipment are in place to guarantee

staff safety in the workplace and at residential premises, for example

fire, first aid, protective equipment, etc.

Regularly monitor the maintenance

schedules and ensure equipment are regularly maintained

Support in identifying and recommending

improvements towards staff safety requirements.

Support in ensuring that staff and visitors

are aware of and comply with the required safety policies.

Ensure timely and accurate reporting of

all safety incidents at the office.

Staff supervision

Ensure that the Administrative assistants,

Office assistants and all other direct reports receive proper supervision,

including coaching/mentoring, capacity building, and that reports adhere

to CRS performance management protocols.

Review the performance and development

plans for direct reports to support implementation of appropriate personal

development plans and ensure effective performance.

Identify the development needs for direct

report.











Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:

The ideal candidate for the Catholic

Relief Services (CRS) Senior Administration Officer job

placement should preferably hold a Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences,

Business Administration/Management or equivalent.

Five years of related work experience in a

similar position, preferably with an international NGO or UN Agency.

Person of high integrity, interpersonal

and customer care relations.

Excellent writing, listening and good

communication skills.

Culturally sensitive and patient.

Ability to work with minimum supervision.

Ability to manage multiple tasks at a time

and work effectively with colleagues from different backgrounds.

Computer literacy skills i.e. proficiency

in MS word, MS Excel, and E-mail communication.

Agency-Wide Competencies:

Serves with Integrity, Develops Constructive Relationships, Models

Stewardship, Promotes Learning

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested Ugandan candidates are encouraged

to send their cover letters, CVs and three work references (names and contact

information only) to ug_recruitment@crs.org

NB: Large files and/or scans

of documents will lead to rejection of your application in the subject line of

the email, copy and paste SENIORADMINISTRATIONOFFICERKAMPALA

only.

th January

2018 by 5:00PM Deadline: 5January2018 by 5:00PM
The Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday it was the source of initial sexual abuse reports provided to Inspector General of Child Welfare Julie Rogers, and it responded to all additional requests for information, and actively participated in meetings to provide feedback and interpretation of data and policies for the report, according to HHS spokeswoman Jennifer Brantley.

The department assesses risk of harm each time an intake is received, and has plans to reinforce current protocol, said Matt Wallen, HHS division of children and family services director.

When the child abuse hotline receives a report of abuse and/or neglect, including a report of suspected sexual abuse, a comprehensive review of the allegation is completed using the structured decision-making model created by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, Wallen said.

Structured decision making is used to assess risk and safety for children. HHS investigates cases where abuse is related to a caregiver, Wallen said. If abuse or neglect is suspected by someone other than the caregiver, the report is referred to law enforcement.

Child Advocacy Centers across the state, whose staff have training and expertise specific to sexual abuse, receive notice of every sexual abuse report and can contact the hotline or law enforcement to recommend and discuss the cases.

Rogers' report, released Wednesday, said the child welfare workforce could better prevent or respond to sexual abuse. Wallen said all members of the child welfare team have rigorous sexual abuse training. This year's Child and Family Services Review lauded the department's workforce training program, he said.

HHS has been selected one of eight sites to partner with the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development and is working to strengthen its workforce and support the children and family services team in the field, Wallen said. It works closely with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Children, Families and the Law to provide education to child welfare workers.

"The passion, commitment and dedication of our case management team to protect children and preserve families is one of the best in the nation and does a remarkable job at fulfilling those objectives -- protecting children and preserving families," Wallen said.

The inspector general highlighted that foster homes and residential facilities were not equipped to prevent sexual abuse, and called for improvement of oversight and standards for home placements.

Additional staff training that is planned, and development of policies to address the timeliness of investigations and preparation of final reports, will result in improvement in this area, Wallen said.

The department provides extensive information on sexual abuse and other types of abuse in foster and adoptive parent training, he said, and has met all requirements to inspect, license, and investigate the 29 licensed child caring agencies in Nebraska.

These efforts include the successful implementation of various initiatives specifically designed to better serve the children in DHHS care, and address any concerns regarding workforce turnover, he said.
But the tribe has a long way to go
Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, announced the signing of a "definitive agreement" for the acquisition of specified assets of Reliance Communications (RCOM) and its affiliates.

Consequent to the agreement, Jio or its nominees will acquire assets under four categoriestowers, optic fibre cable network, spectrum and media convergence nodesfrom RCOM and its affiliates, Jio said in a statement.

RCOM's assets which were put up for monetisation include 122.4 MHz of 4G spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands, over 43,000 towers, around 1.78 lakh km of fibre with pan-India footprint and 248 media convergence nodes, covering five million sq. ft used for hosting telecom infrastructure.

"These assets are strategic in nature and are expected to contribute significantly to the large scale roll-out of wireless and fibre-to-home and enterprise services by RJIL," Jio said.

In a release, RCOM said: "The company expects the transactions to close in a phased manner between January and March 2018, subject to lenders' and other applicable approvals. The Reliance Jio deal consideration comprises primarily of cash payment and includes transfer of deferred spectrum instalments payable to the Department of Telecommunication.

"The company will utilise the proceeds of the monetisation of this cash deal solely for pre-payment of debt to its lenders."

Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani had on Dec 26 said the company has achieved full resolution of Reliance Communications' debt, reducing it by Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore by monetising assets.

Saying that going forward Reliance Communications will be a business-to-business (B2B) company, he added the company achieved this debt restructuring by asset monetisation of its wireless business and selling real estate. The new company would have a debt of Rs 6,000 crore representing reduction of over 85 per cent of the total debt.

An asset monetisation process for RCOM assets was mandated by the lenders of RCOM, who appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited to run the process. The process is supervised by an independent group of industry experts from banking, telecom and law. RJIL emerged as the successful bidder in the two-stage bidding process.

"The acquisition is subject to receipt of requisite approvals from governmental and regulatory authorities, consents from all lenders, release of all encumbrances on the said assets and other conditions precedent. The consideration is payable at completion and is subject to adjustments as specified in the agreement," the Jio statement said.

RJIL is being advised by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Global Markets, JM Financial Private Limited, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Khaitan & Co and Ernst & Young on this transaction.
The temperature may be dipping in Assam, but the political heat is rising as the politics of citizenship is set to reach a climax when the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) will see the light of the day on December 31.

Against the backdrop of a bitter struggle between the 'natives and aliens' since the early eighties, people are waiting with bated breath to finish off the issue once and for all.

Having ones name in the NRC is supposed to be the ultimate and invincible proof of his/her being an Indian national. The All Assam Students Union (AASU), which has been spearheading the anti-foreigner movement all along, is pinning their hopes on the NRC to segregate the illegal immigrants from the genuine citizens.

Expectedly, there are fears among a large section of the Bengali-speaking Muslims of erstwhile East Bengal (now Bangladesh), whether their names will figure in the draft NRC or not. And if not what will happen to them.

Mians as the Bengali-speaking Muslim immigrants are scornfully called in Assam are a worried lot. Do you think we will meet the same fate as the Rohingyas in Myanmar or worse ? they ask.

Indeed the situation is volatile in the char or riverine areas where there are large settlements of migrant population.

When the draft NRC will be out on December 31 midnight, about 2.38 crore names will figure in the list. That will leave about 76 lakh people out of the draft NRC.

According to officials involved in the NRC, this is because doubts have been raised in as many as 47 lakh cases over parental linkages. And decisions in 29 lakh cases, mostly pertaining to married women, have been kept pending as they had submitted certificates issued by Panchayat secretaries to support their citizenship, which has been struck down by the Gauhati High Court. The High Court's decision was later set aside by the Supreme Court.

It was in this backdrop that Attorney General K.K. Venugopal had observed before the Supreme Court that part publication of the draft NRC could result in a law and order situation as a large segment of the people would think that their names have been excluded.

The Supreme Court Bench, however, rejected Venugopals argument, saying, We do not see how the aforesaid situation can even remotely arise as we have already indicated in the earlier part of the present order that claims of 47 lakh persons and 29 lakh, mostly married women, are still pending and would be subject to verification and covered by publication of another draft NRC

But, in a charged atmosphere, such legalese may fail to make people see reason because there are illegal migrants who need to be identified, and there are definitely genuine citizens bracketed as aliens. What naturally follows this kind of fear is bitter politics.

Seized of the situation, an apprehensive state government, with the help of the Centre is mobilising forces to keep people in check.

Some reports say the Assam government, led by Sarbananda Sonowal of the BJP, who had earlier actively participated in the Assam agitation as the AASU president, is planning massive troop deployment. At least 50 additional para-military companies will back up the state police and the Army has been asked to be kept on standby. But according to state government officials, these are normal administrative precautions ahead of any important announcementin this case, the release of the draft NRC on December 31 midnight.

Such precautionary measures have been hailed by the people, given the bitter political engineering by religious fanatics. For instance, Jamiat Ulema-E-Hind leader Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said at a seminar in New Delhi recently that Assam would burn, and that there could be killings and retaliation if 50 lakh Muslims are left out from having their names in the NRC.

Perhaps such fears are being articulated by controversial leaders like Madani because of certain cases of alleged harassment of people by officials during the verification process.

As per the Assam Accord signed in December 1985, ending the six-year long Assam agitation against the illegal immigrants of all huesboth Hindus and Muslims, the cut-off date for claims to Indian citizenship is 24 March 1971.

Those who have entered Assam after the cut-off date will be deemed to be illegal immigrants whose names will not figure in the soon-to-be released updated NRC.

The National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC) has gone on to issue a notice to the Assam Chief Secretary after taking suo moto cognisance of the allegations about the harassment. The allegations that in the name of verification, the poor people are being subjected to harassment and humiliation is a matter of concern for the Commission... an NHRC statement said.

As things stand, the brand-new NRC may not really resolve much, but certainly promise to heat up Assams socio-political firmament. That would mean there could be more elections to be won or lost in the state over the murky politics of citizenship.

Jati, mati, bheti or identity, land, homesteads was the catchphrase of the last Assembly elections in Assam in 2016, which propelled the BJP to power.
Kashmiri political activists have sharply criticised Mushaal Mullick, the wife of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, for blaming India for keeping her and their daughter from meeting Malik for the past three years.

This comes after former naval officer and alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is imprisoned in Pakistan, was allowed to meet his kin in Islamabad earlier this week.

A Pakistani national, Mullick, released a self-made video thereafter castigating the Indian government for barring her and their daughter from meeting Malik.

Mullick said in a video message, A Kashmiri has no right to meet his wife and child; he is being treated worse than a proclaimed terrorist."

Sajjad Raja, former president of Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (UK), said, I think this is false propaganda by the lady who doesn't have any political or ideological connection with her husband and who is just using her husband's political stature to make personal gains. This lady is working for (the) Pakistani establishment and is duty bound to speak against India.

She never utters a single word against Pakistan for the miseries being faced by the people of Pakistani-controlled Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. This is a Pakistani lady who is using her relationship to play Pakistani games," Raja added.

I believe people of Indian-administered Jammu Kashmir are enjoying much more political, civil and constitutional rights as compared to the people of the areas under Pakistani control. People of Jammu and Kashmir have no political affiliation and any social link with this lady. She is a Pakistani spokesperson and doesn't enjoy any following in Jammu and Kashmir, said Sajjad Raja.

Mullick, who married Yasin Malik in 2009, had applied for a visa in 2013 and has been allowed to travel to India twice.

As per sources, she has not shown any interest in visiting India nor has she applied for a visa since her visa expired in 2015.

Speaking from Brussels, Jamil Maqsood, an activist of United Kashmir Peoples National Party (UKPNP) said, Mullick should provide the proof of the visa application first to have a comparison with (the) Kulbushan case.

Secondly, (the meeting of Kulbhushan Yadav) comes after his case was lodged at the International Court of Justice. However, Mullick has no such international jurisprudence. So, she should avoid launching propaganda while sitting in the safe hands of Pakistan and supporting Hafiz Saeed and other terrorist groups.

Malik heads the JKLF, which has spearheaded armed militancy in the Kashmir Valley.

He continues to be associated with hard-line separatist elements in Jammu and Kashmir.
As was expected, MPs belonging to various opposition parties, including the RJD, AIMIM and Indian Union Muslim League, raised objections to the bill to criminalise the practice of triple talaq (or instant divorce) prevalent among Muslims, as it was introduced in Parliament on Thursday.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, provides for a maximum jail term of three years and a fine for violators and also empowers Muslim women to seek maintenance and the right to custody of children.

Introducing the bill in the Lok Sabha, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad called it a historic day and said the bill aimed to ensure gender justice to Muslim women. However, soon after he moved the bill for introduction, opposition members started raising objections. RJD leader Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav termed the penal provisions as unfair while AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi alleged it violated fundamental rights and lacked 'basic legal coherence.'

Meanwhile, Prasad said the government was attempting to evolve a consensus when the bill is introduced in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP's numbers are lower. He said the government had already 'begun' the process of building a consensus. Media reports indicate that the BJP has reached out to the Trinamool Congress, BJD and other parties to ensure passage of the bill.

Congress playing safe?

The Congress was circumspect in its response to the bill. While party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said outside Parliament that the party supported the bill, other leaders declared that it should be referred to Parliament's Standing Committee.

'Justice for our bhabhi in Gujarat'

Asaduddin Owaisi did not lose the opportunity afforded by the debate in Parliament to take pot-shots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Opposing the government's stance on the bill, Owaisi demanded a law to give justice to 20 lakh women from other religions who had been abandoned. He noted that this includes our bhabhi in Gujarat.

(With agency inputs)
The 'walking dead' of Uttar Pradesh are back in the news again. The High Court will take up another curious case for hearing on January 15, where a living person who was wrongly declared deceased has demanded compensation of Rs. 25 crore for the period in which he was declared dead in government revenue records.

The court has directed the district magistrate of Azamgarh in eastern UP, where the matter pertains to, to take appropriate action in the matter.

The petitioner, Lal Behari Mritak, who hails from Azamgarh district, has filed the case asking for compensation. Lal Behari, a resident of Azamgarh, never thought in his life that he would have to fight for 18 years to prove that he is alive. He was declared dead in revenue records in 1976, when some relatives bribed revenue officials to usurp five acres of his land. It took him 18 years to be reborn in government papers, when the records were corrected. Lal Behari was officially declared alive on June 30, 1994.

Interestingly, Lal Behari came to know about this paper death when he went for a bank loan.

While struggling to prove his existence, Lal Behari found out that he was not alone as a victim of such land-grabbing tactics, but there are hundreds of walking dead like him in Azamgarh. The first step he took was to add a prefix mritak (dead) to his name.

Then he formed a body of similar victims and named it the Mritak Sangh (association of dead). The motive behind the move was to shake up the administration and to prove that we are alive, he said. He founded the association in the late 1970s.

Presently, the association has hundreds of such walking dead members across entire UP. It is a major fraud and the administration has adopted an ostrich-like policy in this connection, said Lal Behari.

His continuous efforts to make these 'dead' alive bore fruit and 221 people declared dead in revenue records were declared alive in 2008 after his association had organised a mass movement in Lucknow and New Delhi. A couple of years ago, he had organised a march of around 100 waking dead people in Azamgarh to open the eyes of the administration.

Earlier, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court had also taken up the case of compensation to living deadon a writ petition filed in 2005 by Lal Behari Mritak. Lal Behari has sought compensation of Rs. 25 crore from the state for having lost his immovable properties and for the ordeal that he went through during his 18-year-long fight.

In order to prove that he was alive in revenue records, Lal Behari did many interesting things like kidnapping a boy so that an FIR could be registered against him in government records and contesting Lok Sabha elections against former prime ministers Rajiv Gandhi and V.P. Singh in the late 1980s.

Now, he spends his whole time fighting for those who have been declared dead in government records. A couple of years ago, filmmaker Satish Kaushik had announced a plan to make a biopic on him with Anil Kapoor, but the film is yet take off.
A Myanmar Court extended the detention of two journalists for another 14 days, who are accused of breaching the country's Official Secrets Act, despite being condemned by the international community as an attack on press freedom.

Reuters journalists, 31-year-old U Wa Lone, and 27-year-old U Kyaw Soe Oo, were arrested while reporting on Rakhine State, which is where the Rohingya crisis is going on.

The two were charged with violating Myanmars Official Secrets Act, a broad colonial-era law that carries a maximum sentence of 14 years.

The duo were arrested on December 12 after they allegedly obtained photographs from residents of a village in which, the armys chief said, a mass grave was found, reported the media.

The United States, has called these arrests highly irregular.

More than 655,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, escaping a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which many countries and human rights bodies have described as ethnic cleansing.

The military action, which was triggered after their posts became targets of terrorist attacks, invited ire of the international community.

On October 12, a United Nations' report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh found that brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes.

The Rakhine state is home to a majority of Muslims in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the extremists.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on December 28 that a 2015 agreement with Japan over South Korean comfort women was seriously flawed and urged follow-up measures to resolve the contentious issue.

The 2015 deal with Japan over comfort women forced to work in Japans wartime military brothels failed to meet the victims needs, throwing ties into doubt as both countries seek to rein in North Korea.

The agreement cannot solve the comfort women issue, Moon said, calling the deal a political agreement that excludes victims and the public and violates general principles in international society concerning resolution of historical issues, according to a Blue House statement.

Seoul's previous conservative government did not communicate with the victims before reaching the deal, it was revealed. And the statement came a day after a state-appointed panel got to know about this.

Certain terms of the deal weren't made known like the term 'sexual slavery' would be avoided and there would be a specific plan to remove a bronze statue representing sex slaves in front of its Seoul embassy, said the panel.



Under the 2015 deal, endorsed by Moons predecessor and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan apologised to former comfort women and provided 1 billion yen ($8.8 million) to a fund to help them. While South Korea said it will try to resolve Japanese grievance over the statue in front of the embassy.

The deal came under heavy criticism in South Korea where many thought the government settled for far too less. Japan has been angry that South Korea hasn't taken specific steps to remove the statue and similar monuments in other places in the country, insisting there has been a clear understanding to do so.

"It has been confirmed that the 2015 comfort women negotiation between South Korea had serious flaws, both in process and content," Moon said in a statement read out by his spokesman.

"Despite the burden of the past agreement being a formal promise between governments that was ratified by the leaders of both countries, I, as president and with the Korean people, once again firmly state that this agreement does not resolve the issue over comfort women."

The Foreign Ministry said government officials will hold extensive discussions with victims and experts before deciding whether to pursue changes to the deal. Japanese officials have said a renegotiation is unacceptable.

Some experts see it as unlikely that Moon's government will spark a full-blown diplomatic row with Japan by scrapping the deal when the allies face pressing needs to form a strong united front against North Korea's growing nuclear threat.

Historians say tens of thousands of women from around Asia, many of them Korean, were sent to front-line military brothels to provide sex to Japanese soldiers during World War II.
Geekologie has shut down.

Thank you to everybody.

Now go be happy.
A senior UN official has said that children waiting to be evacuated from a besieged rebel-held area of the Syrian capital city of Damascus, were being used as bargaining chips, the media reported on December 28.



UN special envoy to Syria Jan Egeland told the media on December 27 night that rebels had supposedly agreed to release government workers in exchange for the children from Eastern Ghouta.



Another 12 patients were evacuated on December 27, following four on December 26.



Thirteen more urgent cases were expected to be evacuated on December 28.



News of the latest evacuations from Eastern Ghouta came in a tweet from the Syrian American Medical Society (Sams).



However, a doctor with Sams, Mohamad Katoub, told the media that it was hard to keep up with who urgently needed to be evacuated as people continued to die.



About 400,000 residents in the war-torn district have been under siege by government forces since 2013.



The main rebel group in Eastern Ghouta, Jaysh al-Islam, had said earlier that the government had agreed to the evacuations in exchange for the release of 29 of its prisoners.



Egeland told the BBC that those still in Eastern Ghouta had very little left in the way of medical facilities.



"The Syrian war has been a war against the medical profession in many ways... Too many hospitals have been bombed, have been hit on both sides, hundreds of doctors and nurses have been killed or wounded so what is left in Eastern Ghouta for the 400,000 civilians is not that much."



Eastern Ghouta has been designated a "de-escalation zone" by the Syrian government's main allies, Russia and Iran, along with Turkey, which backs the opposition.



But hostilities intensified six weeks ago when the Syrian military stepped up attacks in response to a rebel offensive, reportedly killing dozens of civilians.



There were also severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines, and the cold weather is threatening to worsen the hardship.



On Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed that four critically ill people had been taken with their families to hospitals in Damascus, and that it hoped a total of 29 people would be evacuated "over the coming few days".
You can now meet the maestro, painter prince Raja Ravi Varma, in virtual space and discuss his style that revolutionised Indian art. The Royal Lithography and Legacy and other masterpieces, an online venture of the Bengaluru-based Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation and Google, has the main lithographs of Ravi Varma showcasing his 136 popular works.

Says Gitanjali Maini, CEO of the foundation, which was launched in 2015, We are striving to promote the legacy of Indias foremost artist. And, we are happy to be rubbing shoulders with those like the Louvre Museum in the virtual space, as our foundation is one of the youngest, and the 50th partner of Google in its art initiative.

The exhibits in the main section can be viewed in museum view, where the visitors can walk through the exhibition, stop over at any exhibit and zoom in for a high definition view. Google has used an art camera with gigapixel technology that captures multiple close-up images that are stitched together to give the highest detailing and resolution, says Ganesh V. Shivaswamy, honorary secretary of the foundation, who painstakingly collected the lithographs.

Many calendars printed after 1946 have used lithographs produced between 1894 and 1974decades after Ravi Varmas deathto symbolically depict historic events. The calendar of Hanuman and Sanjeevi printed in 1947 symbolises the end of the battle of Rama and Ravana, much like the end of the British rule. The 1950 calendar of Goddess Rajarajeshwari, the primordial mother, represents the reorganisation of states to form a united India.

A Purpose for Art, a mini exhibition by the foundation, explains how lithographs were made into calendars by business establishments. For instance, a 1927 calendar featuring goddesses Saraswathi and Lakshmi was used in a Vinolia soap ad, and a portrait of Vishnu mounted on Garuda in an ad for Mortons strawberry and apricot jam.

The Japanese used images of Shiva and Radha-Krishna on matchbox labels, altering the faces to portray mongoloid features. The Czechs printed the Arjuna-Subhadra lithograph on Solo matchbox labels, and the Manini-Radha lithograph was reproduced on Austrian match labels.

Ravi Varma was well known for capturing complex emotions on canvas. His portrayal of Sita as a six-year-old during her swayamvara, of the drama that unfolds when Menaka entices Vishwamitra and of the birth of Shakuntala are a few examples that reflect his deeper understanding of characters and sense of aesthetics.

Says jewellery historian Usha Balakrishna, Studying Ravi Varma paintings is like cataloguing jewellery of the late 19th and early 20th century. The saris and their draping patterns not only reflect the social and political class, but also give out the geographical indicator.

Ravi Varmas lithographs changed stereotypes and created new formats. For instance, while depicting the descent of Ganga, he gave Shiva and Ganga equal prominence. In a painting of Saraswathi, Ravi Varma made two changes from the traditional depictionher vehicle was changed from swan to peacock and the pose of the hand holding the book was changed to show that the book was offered to the viewer.

Unlike the works of European maestros like Rembrandt or Picasso, Ravi Varmas paintings were not lost with time, as he reached out to the masses with his lithographs which were affordable, said his great-great-granddaughter, Princess Bharani Thirunal Rukmini Bayi of Travancore.
Syrias peace efforts cannot include President Bashar Assad, Turkeys leader said Wednesday, calling him a terrorist.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke during a visit to Tunisia at the end of a four-day Africa trip focusing on economic issues.

At a joint news conference with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, Erdogan called Assad a terrorist who engaged in state terrorism and should not be part of Syrias post-conflict future.

How can we embrace a future with a Syrian leader who has killed close to a million of his citizens? said the Turkish leader, whose country has seen a flood of refugees from neighboring Syria during the fighting.

Turning to another highly sensitive Middle East issue, Erdogan and Essebsi said their nations would never accept changes to Jerusalems historic status after President Donald Trumps recognition of the city as Israels capital.

Jerusalem is our red line. Any steps against Jerusalems historic status and holiness are unacceptable, Erdogan said, adding that his country will work toward international recognition of the Palestinian state and seek the support of the European Union.

The Turkish leader also vowed to help support Tunisia overcome economic hardships and combat extremism. Erdogan, who also was attending a Turkish-Tunisian economic forum, was accompanied by a delegation of nine ministers and 200 businessmen.

Erdogan earlier visited Sudan and Chad, where he signed military and economic deals.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was paying a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met Wednesday with King Salman.

The two countries recently have been at odds over regional issues.

Following his accession to power in 2015, King Salman sought to improve relations with Turkey to form a so-called Sunni axis against rival Shiite-led Iran. However, the kingdoms move in June to lead a four-nation boycott of Qatar and cut off ties with the Gulf state led to new tensions with Turkey, which has sided with Qatar.

The Turkish prime ministers office said Yildirim and King Salman exchanged views on regional challenges and problems. They also emphasized the importance of Jerusalems status and the need for the Islamic world to act in unity to protect the rights of Palestinian brothers.

Yildirim was also expected to meet Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

(AP)
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked conducted a visit to the Netzach Yehuda Association, which accompanies chareidi soldiers in the IDF, during which she met with the rabbis of the organization. Shaked also met with Battalion rav, Rabbi Shaul Avdiel, IDF officers, graduates of the battalion and businessman David Hagar, who is a senior supporter of the recruitment of chareidi men in the IDF, and spoke with them about the problems faced by chareidi youths who decide to enlist in the military.

The rabbis of Netzach Yehuda took advantage of the visit to thank Shaked for her support of chareidi soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. Shaked was awarded a special recognition for her work on behalf of chareidi military personnel, including her dealing with those who attack them.

Rabbi Yitzchok Bar-Chaim told the justice minister: Once a soldier who comes to a chareidi neighborhood was not subject to attack. Today, he and his family become targets of incitement by the extremist factions, which also harms the soldier and his extended family in matters of matchmaking and childrens education. Not only in places like Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh but also in Ashdod, Haifa, Netivot and more.

Another issue raised in the meeting is the problem of the lone soldiers, dozens of soldiers who are not actually in contact with their parents on the one hand, and the other cannot accept the status of a lone soldier from the army. This true in part because the army demands that their parents sign the documents while the parents refuse to cooperate.

On the other hand, even those who are recognized as lone soldiers cannot enjoy the benefits involved because they include living in Beit HaChaiyal, where the conditions are not suitable for the chareidi lifestyle. Netzach Yehuda has a number of apartments in Jerusalem  where soldiers can live during their military service.

Minister Shaked thanked the rabbis for their work on behalf of the soldiers and said after the visit that Netzach Yehuda has great merit in recruiting chareidim into the IDF in recent years, and will do everything possible for chareidi soldiers serving in the IDF and encouraging them to serve in the public service in the years to come.

Having chareidim in the employment market is a primary interest of the State of Israel and it is its duty to care for its workers.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The gag order was lifted, the indictment was filed, and details of the stabbing attack in Jerusalem have now been released. It has been learned that the inciteful materials used to teach children in the PA (Palestinian Authority) contributed to this attack.

On 22 Kislev 5778, a stabbing attack was carried out at the central bus station in Jerusalem, which left security guard Asher [ben Saada] Elmaliach in critical condition, stabbed in his heart. Bchasdei Hashem, officials at Shaare Zedek Hospital this week reports improvement in his condition, and he has been removed from the ECMO unit but remains in a medically induced coma, intubated and on a respirator, in serious condition. He is still in need of tefilos.

The suspect in the case, the terrorist apprehended near the scene is Yassin Abu al-Kara, 24, a resident of the village of Wadi Farah near Shechem, who was found inside Green Line Israel illegally. He used an entry permit to the seamline zone that was issued for him to cross the Separation Fence for agricultural purposes.

During the interrogation, it emerged that the attack was planned and carried out by the assailant without the involvement of others. He told interrogators that he was influenced by incitement on the Internet following the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

To date, Israel Police and the Shin Bet have learned he wrote a will prior to setting out for the attack, using phrases from other shahids that he found in school books used in the PA.

The attack stresses the severe incitement to which PA residents in Yehuda and Shomron are exposed as well as the influence of material studied in PA textbooks as a motivating factor and source of inspiration for terrorist attacks against Israelis.

An indictment was filed against him on Thursday, 10 Teves.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
PR fixer Roland Rudd is very keen to become the next Tate chairman

The jostling to succeed ex-BP chief Lord Browne as chairman of the Tate provides welcome intrigue.

Fingers-in-every-pie PR fixer Roland Rudd, 56, is mustard keen but worries that interim chairman, Financial Times editor Lionel Barber, could scupper him.

Relations between them while colleagues at the FT were not warm, and Barber might fancy the position himself.

Meanwhile, the careful consideration being given to dainty Royal Mail boss Moya Greene's credentials threatens to leave both accomplished poseurs disappointed.

Barclays' announcement that it will take a 1billion hit from Donald Trump's tax reforms was an unwelcome birthday present for 8.2million-a-year boss Jes Staley, who was 61 yesterday.

What was Jes's birthday wish for 2018, I wonder? 'Clinging to his job, if that's not too fanciful,' suggests a City observer.

Bloomberg's billionaires' index has no place this year for Poundland owner Christo Wiese, whose 5billion fortune fell to just over 1billion when his firm Steinhoff was embroiled in an accountancy scandal.

Trouble has a habit of following the South African tycoon, 76. He once tried to board a London flight to Luxembourg with 700,000 stuffed in cases, which he nonchalantly explained was less than two week's earnings.

Secretive hedge fund boss Spencer Haber, 49, whose firm H/2 Capital Partners is poised to take over the Four Seasons retirement homes, has a fish named in his honour.

The Lipogramma Haberi, which was discovered last year during a dive Haber funded, is a yellow-banded basslet, and is described as a docile species which has no predatory instincts. Unlike Haber then.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's 533ft yacht Eclipse is moored in St Barts, suggesting he'll press ahead with his New Year's Eve party on Sunday.

Regulars are said to be giving the Caribbean island a swerve this year after the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in September.

A welcome absentee: Thuggish film producer Harvey Weinstein, who's lying doggo after accusations of sexual indecency.
Rio Tinto has bought back 1.1billion of its shares

SHARES SWOOP Global miner Rio Tinto has bought back 1.1billion of its shares and now plans to buy back another 1.4billion. The firm wants to return cash to shareholders from the sale of its Coal and Allied division for 1.8billion to Chinese-controlled Yancoal Australia this year.

SITE SALE Asset manager Gresham House is selling its five-acre site at Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, for 2.1million to property developer Countryside Properties.

WIND DEAL Investor The Renewables Infrastructure Group has bought a 14.7 per cent interest in the 316.8-megawatt Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm in the North Sea, off Norfolk, for 80million.

Its first investment in offshore wind increases its generating capacity by roughly 47 megawatts to 820 megawatts.

PAY GROWTH Salaries for advertised UK jobs have grown 1.2 per cent in the year to November, to an average 32,598, said jobs website Adzuna.

There were 1.2m advertised vacancies as of November 2017, down 1.3 per cent from November last year.

BUREAUCRACY FEARS Large investment firms could crush their smaller rivals because of new Brussels red tape, experts have warned.

All asset managers have been ordered to reveal how much they charge savers for research bought from investment banks  leading many large players to announce they will pay for this research out of their own budgets in future.

But smaller companies do not have enough cash to easily do this, sparking concerns that they will be shunned by investors and therefore lose business.

BANK STAKE Japanese bank Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is joining the scramble to squeeze profits from Asias emerging middle classes.

It has decided to buy 73.8 per cent of Indonesias fifth-largest lender, Bank Danamon.

CRYPTO CRISIS The price of bitcoin was stable at just below $16,000 yesterday, despite growing efforts by regulators to tackle what they fear is a dangerous bubble.

But after a week-long slide, which saw prices drop back from almost $20,000, there was little movement in quiet trading yesterday.

CHIEF DETAINED The head of sales at smartphone giant Huawei, Teng Hongfei, has been detained by police in a Chinese corruption probe. He is accused of taking bribes.
British tycoon Mark Dixon is in line for a 600million payday after Canadian funds made an approach to buy his global office empire.

The 58-year-old built IWG, formerly called Regus, from nothing into a 1.8billion business but is on the verge of selling it.

IWG says joint takeover talks are under way with Onex Corporation and Brookfield Asset Management, the biggest real estate manager in the world.

Cashing in: British tycoon Mark Dixon is selling his his global office empire IWG to Canadian funds for 600m

They have yet to make a formal offer but the prospect of a deal sent shares soaring by more than 27 per cent yesterday.

It was the first time markets had been open since bosses revealed they were considering a deal on Saturday. Analysts said rival bidders could also emerge.

Dixon, IWGs biggest shareholder, holds a 25 per cent stake in the firm.

He is estimated to be worth about 900million by Forbes but could trouser another 600million if IWG is taken over for a reported 2.5billion.

The father-of-five, who sold hot dogs after leaving school in Essex, founded Regus in 1989.

He is said to have had the idea for the firm after sitting in a cafe in Brussels and noticing the lack of office space for travelling business people, as they were holding meetings at tables around him.

WHEELBARROW BOY DONE GOOD IWG founder Mark Dixon was an entrepreneur from the moment he left school. The Essex lads first venture was selling peat from a wheelbarrow to a local housing estate. He then began a sandwich making business called Dial-a-Snack. When this failed he travelled the world and was a barman, a miner in Australia and also sold encyclopedias. Back in the UK he bought a burger van for 600, but having struggled to find good baps, set up a firm called the Good Bread Roll company which he eventually sold for 800,000.

IWG now runs Regus, Open Office and Signature offices across 3,000 locations in 1,000 cities, with annual sales of 2.2billion.

But its shares have fallen over the past year in the face of tough competition from rivals such as US-based WeWork.

Despite having far fewer locations, WeWorks valuation is more than eight times higher  at almost 15billion.

It has attracted trendy technology start-ups with perks such as free beer and prosecco, helping to rapidly expand its presence in London.

IWG took another hit when it issued a profit warning in October, sending its shares plunging by more than 32 per cent in a day.

Andrew Shepherd-Barron, an equity analyst at Peel Hunt, said the company offered a ready-made global brand.

He said: Much depends on founder Dixons attitude, but the approach could lead to IWG finally being taken over after a long and frequently volatile relationship with the equity market.

'The approach is from private equity at the moment, but we see potential bidders from a range of parties.

IWG said it had received an indicative proposal from Brookfield Asset Management and Onex Corporation for a possible cash offer to buy out the company.

In a statement, it added: There can be no certainty that any offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any offer might be made.

Brookfield and Onex now have until January 20 to put forward a firm proposal.
Co-op is extending a programme of buying local beer following a pilot scheme

The Co-op is increasing the number of supplies it buys from smaller breweries as it aims to sell 5m pints.

The retailer is extending a programme of buying local beer following a pilot scheme in Yorkshire, and is set to complete a UK-wide roll out in the coming weeks.

Almost 200 smaller suppliers will benefit from the move, which is in line with the Co-op's policy of backing British products.

Fierce Brewery of Dyce, Aberdeen, will supply stores with three of its ales, Easy Shift, Day Shift and Moose Mousse.

Hucknall-based Lincoln Green Brewing Co will supply food stores in Nottinghamshire.

The move is also a landmark deal for Derby's Dancing Duck brewery, representing its largest order to date.

The award-winning brewery employs eight people, and will be supplying the Co-op with three of its beers. And Swansea's Boss Brewing is to supply around 100 stores with canned ale.

Jake Woods, Co-op beer buyer, said: 'Locally produced ale is an exciting category.

'We see significant potential for continued sustainable growth.'
Sweeping US tax cuts are to cost Barclays bank 1billion  raising fears it may be unable to hike dividends as quickly as it had hoped.

President Donald Trump last week secured the biggest changes to revenue collection since Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, slashing corporation taxes from 35 per cent to 21 per cent to get the economy moving.

But one side-effect has been to reduce tax credits falling for businesses which suffered losses in previous years.

President Donald Trump last week secured the biggest changes to revenue collection since Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, slashing corporation taxes from 35 per cent to 21 per cent

When firms lose money, they can offset some of this it future profits to keep tax bills down.

But because corporation tax will be lower in coming years, the savings they can make will fall. Barclays said this will result in a one-off 1billion hit in its 2017 results in February.

Oil titan Shell says it could face a charge of between 1.5billion and 1.9billion.

GOLDMAN'S JOB MOVE Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs is moving 20 people from the City to Dublin so its asset management arm is not disrupted by Brexit. International lenders are reorganising operations so that they can continue to serve clients on the Continent after Britain leaves the European Union. They threatened to shift tens of thousands of jobs abroad before the referendum, but this figure has since been scaled back. Goldman is also expected to bulk up investment banking operations in Paris and Frankfurt, but it is widely expected to move substantially fewer than 1,000 staff.

But it added that the reforms will be favourable in the long run, and shares rose 0.7 per cent, or 16p, to 2487.5p.

The Barclays announcement could force it to put off a possible increase to the dividend, following a year in which profits are likely to have been lifted by better global growth and reduced bills for mis-selling PPI.

Despite the extra tax hit, Barclays said: This reduction in the statutory US federal rate is expected to positively impact Barclays future US after-tax earnings.

The bank added it is still working out the implications. Shares were up 0.3 per cent, or 0.5p, to 202.65p.

Other lenders have already warned they will face extra costs because of the new corporation rate.

Credit Suisse is expecting a 1.7billion bill when it reveals 2017 results, potentially dragging the stuttering business to a full-year loss.

Fellow Suisse bank UBS has said that it is expecting a 2.3billion charge.
Mick Davis has closed his mining venture X2 Resources

Tory treasurer Mick Davis has closed his mining venture X2 Resources without making a single deal.

The former Xstrata chief executive, known as Mick the Miner, blamed the failure on his giving six major investors the ability to block any deal.

Davis told the Wall Street Journal: That was really stupid of me. He was on the verge of buying coal assets from Rio Tinto for about 1.8billion in 2015, but investors refused to back it.

Davis, 59, launched X2 in 2013 to buy mining giants assets during an industry downturn.

It raised about 4.5billion from investors, including Noble Group and TPG, but made no deals and is no longer looking for any.

Accounts filed at Companies House this week show turnover at the partnership in charge of the fund rose 10million to 17.3million in the year ending March 31, with profit rising from 1.2million to 12million.

Its main activity is advising mining and metals businesses.
The price of bitcoin has dropped by over $1,000 in a day after South Korea became the latest in a string of countries to announce a crackdown on the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin was down over nine per cent to around $10,552, having recovered from 10,168 in early morning trading. Earlier this week the price was around $12,000.

With fears increasing that the bitcoin bubble is set to burst, prices are swinging up and down wildly, with the cyrptocurrency shedding 18 per cent of its value in a single day last week.

Falling: The price of bitcoin has dropped by over $1,000 in a day on Thursday

Bitcoin prices have shot up by 1,600 per cent this year, with increasing numbers fearing that this represents a bubble about to burst.

In a bid to stamp out the frenzy of speculation, authorities in South Korea have confirmed they are eyeing up plans to ban anonymous cryptocurrency accounts and introduce legislation to enable regulators to close coin exchanges if deemed necessary.

South Korea's government said: 'Cryptocurrency speculation has been irrationally overheated in Korea.

'We cannot leave the abnormal situation of speculation any longer.'

At present, South Korea is home to one of the biggest markets of bitcoin in the world.

Earlier this month authorities in South Korea said they were considering imposing a capital gains tax on cryptocurrency trading.

Elsewhere in Asia, authorities in China, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore have all warned against the potentials perils of bitcoin while grappling to tighten their grip on the market.

Swings: The price of bitcoin has moved both up and down since August this year

In September, China passed a 'comprehensive ban' on platforms allowing people to buy or sell virtual currency such as bitcoin or etherium. Vietnam took similar steps in November.

In the UK, having conducted research into cyrptocurrencies, the Bank of England said: 'While they are interesting, they do not currently pose a material risk to monetary or financial stability in the UK.'

Earlier this year, JP Morgan's chairman and chief executive Jamie Dimon branded people who purchased bitcoin 'stupid', before hastily stating that he would not be discussing the cryptocurrency again in future.

Meanwhile, Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund said 'it may not be wise to dismiss virtual currencies.'

In a sign of its increasing legitimacy in certain parts of the world, the trading of bitcoin was given the green light on the Chicago Board Options Exchange and via CME Group's network earlier this month.

In November, Donald Trump's press secretary Sarah Sanders said the president was 'keeping an eye on' bitcoin and other cyrptocurrencies.

Bitcoin was created in January 2009, litecoin in October 2011 and ethereum in July 2015.

If you do buy into bitcoin Find out how bitcoin and the blockchain works, so that you have some understanding of the system, the ledger, the major players and the public and private key elements. Remember bitcoin yields nothing and its main source of value is scarcity. Most bitcoin activity is trading not investing. Research coin wallets, the digital vaults where cryptocurrency is held, and consider security carefully. Bitcoins have been stolen before, understand how this happened. Be prepared for extreme volatility. The price can move by 20 per cent in one day and you could easily lose half of your cash in a far quicker time that investing in the stock market. Consider how you would cash in any gains. There are reports that this has proved hard for some people. A time of market stress could lead to people being locked in and unable to trade. Read our guide to How to be a successful investor, which looks at the far less high octane world of long-term investing and how to make it a success.
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Prefab housing is returning to the UK after a council started work on 28 new pre-built two-bedroom homes.

Authorities in Reading are spending nearly 2million on so-called 'modular houses' like those thrown up during the 'homes for heroes' campaign of the post-war years.

The 28 homes being built in the Berkshire town are timber clad with uPVC windows and doors and each contain two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen-diner and a living room.

They will be used the house to homeless families who would otherwise be put up in B&Bs in a move the local council hopes will save money over time.

Prefab homes were delivered to a site in Reading this week, where they will be used to house homeless families from the area

A total of 28 homes like these ones are being used to house families who would otherwise being stay in bed and breakfasts

Photos from inside the homes show the modern-looking kitchens and laminate floors which will greet new residents next year

The homes come pre-built to the site on a back of lorries before being hoisted on top of one another using large cranes

Three bedroom semi-detached houses in the same road have sold for as much as 335,000 this year, with the prefabs costing a fraction of that at an average cost of just 71,400 each.

According to the council it costs around 13,000 a year on average to house a family in a bed and breakfast.

The new development itself will also have a children's play area, car parking and bike shed. The council applied for five years of planning permission for the homes, which are described as 'temporary' in official documents.

Each house has an internal area of 50.6 sq m. Each bedroom is 12.2 sq m in area and the living area is approximately 24.4 sq m.

Each unit is timber-clad with UPVC windows and contains two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen-diner and a living room

It is hoped the return to the easy-to-build methods of the 1940s will help councils deal with the UK's current housing shortage

The development, still under construction, features 32 car parking spaces, bicycle sheds, a play area and communal space

The site plan shows seven buildings composed of stack prefab homes at the site in the north of the Berkshire town

The housing crisis affecting Reading In 2016, it was revealed that almost 23,000 people were on the housing waiting list with Reading Borough Council. The Labour-run authority said population growth is being driven by international migration and a high birth rate. Officials also said the amount of people needing a new home had doubled in five years, leaving the council with its highest levels of demand in more than 20 years. The lack of housing has been attributed to several factors, including high land prices and the lack of new affordable housing developments. An increase in Right to Buy sales has also led to reduced social housing. The housing crisis has also forced up the price of homes, with the average house in Reading - 250,000 - costing more than eight times the average wage, while the cost of rent is 200 above the national average. Advertisement

Work is underway to install and furnish the homes and the first families are expected to move in in January.

Thousands of prefab homes were built in the late 1940s as the post-war government threw up homes for returning servicemen and their families.

But the low quality materials and quick construction meant many of the homes became synonymous with being cheap and nasty.

Reading is now among the local authorities hoping the new generation of prefab homes won't suffer the same fate, and will be an answer to Britain's housing shortage.

Cllr John Ennis, Reading's Lead Councillor for Housing, said: 'This development will reduce the number of families requiring emergency accommodation being placed in bed and breakfasts and provide them with a comfortable and well-equipped temporary home.

'Not only will this be much better for the families involved, it will also save the Council money in the long run.'

But the plans did not receive universal approval. A letter from residents of the nearby Caversham Park Village last year accused the council of 'resurrecting a bad and failed solution of the past'.

Last month, it was announced that prefabricated bungalows made from cream corrugated sheets in Moseley, Birmingham had been named alongside Windsor Castle and Blenheim Palace on a list of the top ten historic places in England.

Cranes have this week being hoisting the houses into place at the site of the old caravan park in the Caversham suburb

The plans have been criticised by some locals, who say the idea of return to refabs is a return to 'failed policies of the past'

But the local council says it will save them from having to hand over huge amounts to B&Bs for homeless accomodation

The use of pre-fabs is also taking off in the private sector with home-buyers seeing it as a way of building their own home
MBABANE  The festive weekend proved to be a traumatic experience for local comedian Smallz.



Lungelo Gina otherwise known by his stage name Smallz and a friend were returning home to Manzini after a private performance at the Royal Swazi Hotel last Saturday at 11pm.



I wasnt too afraid at the time, the only thing that went through my head right at that time was a short prayer for our lives, as I immediately realised these were thugs, said Smallz.

Narrating the ordeal a visible shaken Smallz had this to say.

I remember it like it happened yesterday.



After performing at a gig at The Royal Swazi Hotel, I invited my friend from South Africa who had driven into the country to take shots of my performance to sleep over at a guesthouse near my homestead.



Driving home I thought about the successful day I had as we happily drove around Manzini looking for a guest house where we would book , little did I know that I was inviting trouble .

After hours of driving and being turned away from the different guest houses that were fully booked due to the Christmas holidays, we had one more option which was at Fairview.



Unfortunately when we got there we were also turned awaydue to the fact they too were fully booked.

Just as we got to the gate, three men came out of nowhere and started banging the door demanding that we come out of the car.










MANZINI  I left Tanzania with the intention to run a clothing business, however, I later realised that I had been trafficked by Swazi businessmen after I was given a gun and ordered to rob people.



This was revealed in court by Tanzanian national Emmanuel Wana Makasa (31), who was yesterday sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with an option of a E12 000 fine by Magistrate Sebenzile Ndlela.

Makasa was arrested in Fairview after he had pointed a gun and shot four times at the late businessman boy Motsas son, Zolile and his friend, Mpendulo Dlamini.



Prior to the shooting, Zolile and Mpendulo came across Makasa who was emerging from a homestead he had just broken into.

The duo chased after him and when they caught up with him, they asked Makasa a few questions with the intention of finding out what he was doing in the area but he failed to give them clear answers.



While trying to find out his intentions, Makasa ran away.

Again, Zolile and Mpendulo chased after him until they got hold of him near Mzimnene River where Makasa turned and told them he was tired of running.



He then drew a pistol and fired shots at them.

Upon hearing the gunshots, other residents joined in the chase and Makasa was eventually apprehended near Mphembekati. He was in possession of a pistol, a Black Glock Jes MB 9mm fire arm with eight live rounds of ammunition, which he had hidden in his trousers.

The accused had broken into a house of Gordon Colile Sihlongonyane of Fairview North and stole clothing, a Nokia cellphone and a perfume among other items.
MANZINI - It will be jobs galore in the textile industry as factories which were a casualty to the countrys loss of AGOA look to reopen and expand businesses by mid January



Leo Garments Swaziland, the second largest casualty after Tex Ray Factory, is set to double the number of current employees. Currently, the textile factory has 450 workers and it will hire the same number of new employees at least for a start when it opens in January 2018. Meanwhile, another factory which had previously promised to re-open immediately when the country retains AGOA and further employ more Swazis is Tex Ray.



Leo Garments Swaziland Director Leo Tsai said following the readmission of the country into AGOA, they would surely expand their business when they reopen in January 2018.



As we just heard the good news about three days ago, we are already planning on how to expand the Leo Garments business. By mid January we will have a clear picture and add at least 450 more workers.



The director said when expanding their business, they would welcome former employees and new ones.

Leo Garments was the second casualty to the loss of AGOA after Tex Ray as it retrenched almost half of its employees and took others to work in Lesotho where the company had opened a new factory.

The director said all the workers who went to Lesotho came back to Swaziland by October 2017. It is worth noting that those who were left in the country continued to produce for the USA market and the company paid about E1 million per shipment as custom levy.
Each winter, birds that typically live much further north venture south in search of food. Many of these birds are small songbirds such as juncos, siskins, red-breasted nuthatches, redpolls, purple finches, and tree sparrows. But, some are larger, including snowy owls. And, this winter, it appears we will see a lot of snowy owls!

Although some snowy owls are looking for food, not all are. Snowy owls spend most of the year in the Arctic, feeding mostly on lemmings, voles, and other small tundra mammals. If populations of these animals are high in the spring, then snowy owls eat well and produce more young. This population explosion then causes many of those birds (usually the younger ones) to head south in the winter in search of their own space, as well as food. Thats called an irruption and it appears that this winter well see an irruption in Iowa.

Most years, that population explosion doesnt happen and we only see a handful of snowy owls in Iowa. But, during irruption years, as this year is turning out to be, we may see dozens, possibly hundreds, of snowy owls. This year, just since October, weve already had at least 50 snowy owl sightings here in Iowa. And the winter is just beginning!

Snowy owls are different than other owls we see in Iowa because they are uniquely adapted to living on the Arctic tundra. They are white to blend in with the Arctic snow and they have very thick feathers to insulate them against the cold Arctic climate. (Those large feathers make the snowy owl the heaviest of all the owls, averaging about 4 pounds.) Unlike other owls, they are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the daytime. Although they can also hunt at night, when you live in an area where days can be almost 24 hours long, it does help to be able to also hunt during the daytime! Another characteristic that distinguishes them from most other owls is that they are very comfortable on the ground. In fact, they even nest on the ground. Thats because on the tundra there are few, if any, trees; so theyve adapted to living on the ground.

If you spot a snowy owl, you may be surprised that they are often not as white as you may expect them to be. Adult males are often close to pure white, but adult females are usually more spotted. Young birds tend to be very spotted, losing their spots as they get older.

Since snowy owls are Arctic birds, they prefer open landscapes. So, look for them in open fields. They can often be seen perched on a fence post, a telephone pole, or a traffic sign, or sitting on a hay bale, searching for small rodents to eat. Unfortunately, in that search, they sometimes venture too close to highways and get hit by cars. Flying into power lines and eating poisoned rodents on farms are also common causes of death here in Iowa. Some birds also become physically exhausted from the long migration and become too weak to hunt, starving to death.

If you do see a snowy owl, consider yourself lucky! Even in irruption years, they are not a common sight here in Iowa. But, please keep your distance. Snowy owls are not used to people and can be easily disturbed, stressing them out or flushing them into oncoming traffic. Staying in your car and using it as a blind is a good way to safely observe them. Also, dont feed them to get them to come closer. If you do, they will begin to associate people with food which can be dangerous for the birds.

So, this winter, keep your eyes open for these large, white owls! If you see one, think about how far it has come and enjoy the fact that youre able to see a little piece of the Arctic right here in Iowa!
MBABANE  The Swaziland Revenue Authority (SRA) has extended the olive branch to its employees who want to return to work.



The SRA management yesterday decided to temporarily lift the lockout it enforced on its employees on December 15. The lockout was in relation to employees who have been on strike since December 12. The temporary lifting will only be for 24 hours, effective yesterday and will elapse today at 10am.



This lockout meant employees who were on strike were not allowed to enter any of the organisations offices until their union, the Swaziland Revenue Authority Workers Union (SRAWU), calls off the industrial action.



News of the lifting was communicated to managers and directors through an internal memorandum which was sent to them yesterday. According to the memo, which this publication has in possession, which was signed by the SRA Commissioner General Dumisani Masilela, the organisations management was flooded with requests from employees who were on strike. In the memo, Masilela said the employees declared their intention to abandon the strike and return to work.



In order to enable these staff members to return to work, management has made a decision to suspend the lockout, reads the memo.

It further states, The temporary lifting of the lockout shall be effective from 10am on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 until 10am on Thursday, December 28, 2017.



Masilela ordered line managers to assist employees who will show interest in returning to work. The memo stipulates that employees who will show interest will have to fill in a Voluntary Resumption of Work Form which was emailed to the managers. For the employee to be eligible to return to work, he or she will submit the completed and signed form to their line manager for authorisation purposes. The forms will thereafter be taken to the organisations Human Resources Division.



It seems there will be no vetting process for employees who will show interest in returning to work. This was confirmed by SRA Director Communications Vusi Dlamini during an interview yesterday. Dlamini said employees who wanted to resume their duties would have to follow laid down processes and vetting was not part of that. He said they only had to go to their workstations and formally declare to their line managers that they wanted to return to work.



They are coming back on their own volition; they chose to come back and they are still our employees and have not been fired by SRA, said Dlamini. When asked whether SRA was lifting the lockout because the organisation was not coping without its employees, Dlamini said it was solely because many employees had engaged their line managers informally and requested to return to work. He clarified that the organisation deliberately lifted the lockout for a short time to allow those who were serious about recommencing with their duties to do so.
MBABANE  Could the Grade VII results be ut this Friday?



This is the hint that was given by the Examination Council of Swaziland (ECoS) Registrar Dr Edmund Mazibuko based on the progress they had made regarding the markings. With Christmas out of the way, pupils who sat for their external examinations have nothing on their minds, but the results.



Mazibuko has said they were not sure when the results would be released because there were still logistics which needed to be addressed.

I could say that maybe on Friday, but its not a confirmed date, said Dr Mazibuko. He said they were still going to meet as the ECoS management, a meeting that was scheduled to take place yesterday afternoon.



We are also expected to meet with the ECoS Council and this meeting could take place tomorrow (today), but I definitely cannot give the nation a specific date, said Mazibuko on the release of the Grade VII results.



Mazibuko said the lack of markers had really set them back in terms of releasing the results earlier.

We were even working over the Christmas holidays to ensure that the results are out on time, he said.

The registrar said after the meeting with council, only then could they contact the Minister of Education and Training Phineas Magagula to confirm that the results were ready.



According to Mazibuko there were a very few markers yet the volume of the scripts was very large particularly since over 20 000 pupils sat for the Swaziland Primary Certificate (SPC) Examination.
DUNKERTON | As plans move forward for a new addition at Dunkerton Community School, the last days of the buildings oldest section are looming.

But there is still time to own a piece of the 96-year-old structure. Bricks can be reserved and auditorium seats purchased. In fact, anything former students or others nostalgic about the aging school are interested in can be had for a price.

Weve had a lot of people asking, said Superintendent Jim Stanton, if they could get mementos from the building.

Seats from the third-floor auditorium can be bought now for $35 each. But you have to buy a whole row, he said, of 12 to 20 seats at a cost of $420 to $700. Once purchased, they can be divided into smaller groupings.

Other items will be for sale during an April 7 auction.

Anything else thats left in the building will be auctioned at that time, said Stanton. But entire rooms and all their contents will be put on the auction block, a la the A&E networks Storage Wars. You bid on the room and whatevers in the room you get.
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The list of Capital Region municipalities accepting pre-payments for 2018 property tax bills is expanding.

Property owners across the Capital Region have been streaming into tax offices to pre-pay 2018 taxes as concerns abound in New York state about how the newly enacted federal tax plan will impact deductions.

More for you Tax pre-payments start in municipalities throughout Capital Region

Town Supervisor Paula Mahan tweeted Thursday morning that the town Tax Office will be open for pre-payments on Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mahan's tweet also asked residents to call ahead on Thursday to "obtain the exact amount of the bill and request that a duplicate bill be printed."

The Guilderland Receiver of Taxes' office will also be open for tax pre-payments until 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. A Guilderland community notice added that payments can be made online or by mail, through Dec. 31, by accessing tax bills at www.taxlookup.net.

Albany is also accepting tax pre-payments as of Thursday. The city's website stated that the best way to pre-pay taxes is online, however it is also accepting payments by mail postmarked in 2017 (taxpayers can receive a copy of their tax bill by emailing taxbill@albanyny.gov) and in person at City Hall.

School taxes for 2018-2019 will not be accepted until Sept. 1, 2018.

The new federal tax plan, signed into law last week, has caused consternation for residents in high-tax states like New York where property taxes for some can easily top the new $10,000 threshold for federal deductability.

Filers often itemize those property taxes to maximize their deductions. But how the tax plan will impact each individual is difficult to know, as it also offers new benefits like doubled standard deductions and child tax credits.

Not all localities are as accommodating: Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget director on Thursday sent a letter to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino calling on him to order the county to accept pre-payments. Astorino, a Republican who ran against Cuomo in 2014, is about to leave office after losing his re-election bid last month.

"One would assume this is of special interest to you as Westchester has extraordinarily high property taxes, the highest in the state and often the highest property taxes in the nation," wrote state Budget Director Robert Mujica.

Cuomo lives with his partner, Sandra Lee, in Westchester County.
Albany

Innovate 518, a program hosted by the University at Albany that connects startups and local business owners with programs and services, plans to use a state grant to expand its services next year.

The program received $1.25 million in the state's Regional Economic Development Council awards on Dec. 13. Ten regions across the state compete for money through a process launched by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2011. The Capital Region was awarded $85 million this year.

The funds awarded to Innovate 518 will be used to help offset personnel and administrative costs, raise awareness of the program, offer workshops and networking events, develop commercialization plans for different sectors and companies and match fledgling businesses with potential investors. Innovate 518 manages a network of more than 20 incubators, accelerators, co-working space and service providers in the region.

One priority for 2018 is offering more services to under-represented communities in the area, said Matt Grattan, director of community and economic development at UAlbany. The university manages the program and directs it in partnership with the Center for Economic Growth, IgniteU NY, NYSTEC and SUNY Adirondack. IgniteU is a program in Troy that provides services to help entrepreneurs, including an eight-week accelerator program, and NYSTEC is a nonprofit technology consulting company in Albany.

More for you Capital Region awarded $85 million for development projects

Another priority is recruiting potential investors from both inside and outside the Capital Region.

"Trying to attract investors from more metropolitan areas like Boston and New York City, that's where we really struggle," Grattan said. "We're trying to educate those investors in other parts of the country about what's happening here."

Funds will also be used to support startups looking to scale up through teaching different business skills, work with regional institutions and assist with market research and developing new products.

Since its founding in 2015, Innovate 518 has worked with roughly 300 companies and seen eight businesses transition from concept to commercialization, according to a statement by the program on Thursday.
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Albany

With billionaire investor Warren Buffett removing obsolete railroad oil tankers from storage on an Adirondack line after a complaint by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the line's defiant owner is vowing to store even more tankers.

The lawyer for Iowa Pacific Holdings, which owns the Saratoga and North Creek Railroad, said the company will continue to accept tankers for long-term storage, unless the state agrees to buy the freight easement held by the company.

The company "would require that the purchase price reflects a recoupment of (its) investment in the railroad, including the investment in hiring of hundreds of workers over the years despite a negative working capital," wrote David Michaud, general counsel to the railroad, in a Wednesday letter to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

"Short of such an agreement, however, SNCR will continue to store rail cars on its line and, in fact, has plans to bring in hundreds of more cars over the next few months," wrote Michaud.

This fall, Iowa Pacific started accepting obsolete DOT-111 oil tanker cars for storage as part of plans to lease enough track space to store 2,000 cars or more. That many cars could stretch for 20 miles if stored end-to-end.

This week, the Union Tank Car Co., a company controlled by Buffett, announced it was pulling its 65 tanker cars from storage on the rail line, in response to a request by the state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo also had the state Department of Environmental Conservation ask the federal Surface Transportation Board to rule that Iowa Pacific Holdings has legally abandoned the line for the allowed purpose of freight hauling.

Such a ruling could allow the state to retake possession of the 30-mile line, which runs from Tahawus in the Adirondacks High Peaks to North Creek in Warren County.

Michaud dismissed the state's request to the federal government, saying even it if succeeds, it would not stop the company from continuing to store tankers.
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Northumberland

One of the Capital Region's largest private trash haulers has purchased a Saratoga County landfill from a local paper-making company.

Waste Management, which already controls three other landfills elsewhere in the state, this month purchased a 98-acre landfill in Northumberland from Finch Paper Co.

Waste Management spokesman Garrett Trierweiler declined to disclose the purchase price for the property, which is located off Kobor and Peters roads.

In 2013, Finch bought 63 acres of the property, which had a state landfill permit but was not being operated, from Saratoga County for $4 million and other considerations. Finch later joined that land to its own adjoining 35-acre parcel that was being used to dispose of paper sludge from its mill in Glens Falls.

The purchase comes as officials in the city of Albany are preparing for the closure of its landfill, now projected to happen in 2023. In Colonie, officials are seeking to expand the landfill, which is quickly approaching capacity, but face opposition from the neighboring towns of Waterford and Halfmoon.

Trierweiler said there would be "no operational changes" at the Northumberland landfill, which has been accepting residential trash for about four years. Saratoga County designed and built the landfill at a cost of $10 million, but never operated it before selling to Finch.

As part of the sale to Finch, the county got another $2 million once Finch got state approval to combine the county property and the Finch sludge landfill into a single permitted landfill.

Waste Management took control of the consolidated landfill by purchasing an affiliated company Finch Waste Co. LLC  that Finch had used to buy the county property and then operate the combined landfill.

Finch spokeswoman Beth Povie confirmed the sale, but had no further comment.

The current state permit, which expires in 2021, along with the conditions that the county obtained as part of the sale, will continue to apply, said Northumberland Supervisor Bill Peck.

Under the terms of that agreement, Finch must collect at least 51 percent of its garbage from within Saratoga County or nine surrounding counties. There were no restrictions on where the remaining waste could come from.

The county will also receive $100,000 a year in host payments, or $2 million over the facility's estimated 20-year life. The company also was to share 50 percent of all solid waste tip fee revenues over $38 a ton with the county and its municipalities.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation estimated that the Northumberland landfill, which is permitted to accept up to 106,000 tons of trash annually, has another 15 years of capacity. The paper sludge portion of the landfill is permitted only to accept sludge, and not municipal waste.

Waste Management also owns or operates landfills in western New York, including:
Planning to visit the Amazon? You might want to look at the controversy over wildlife selfies before choosing tours.

World Animal Protection, an advocacy group, issued a report saying animals like sloths suffer when they're kept in captivity for tourists to hold and photograph. Instagram is educating users about the issue by responding to hashtag searches like #slothselfie with this warning : "You are searching for a hashtag that may be associated with posts that encourage harmful behavior to animals or the environment."

"We want tourists visiting the Amazon to know that if they care about wildlife, they should not use animals as photo props on their vacation," World Animal Protection's global wildlife adviser Neil D'Cruze said in an email interview. "The reality is that these 'wildlife selfies of a lifetime' actually involve significant animal suffering." He said animals presented to tourists have typically been pulled from natural habitats, are kept in "unsuitable conditions" and are handled by dozens of visitors a day, with tourists "typically unaware of the stress and injury" the creatures experience.

D'Cruze says the solution lies in educating travelers. He saluted Instagram's animal selfie warning as well as efforts by TripAdvisor , which since 2016 has declined bookings for attractions where tourists come into physical contact with captive or wild animals. D'Cruze also said there's "enormous potential" for developing tourism in the Amazon around alternatives like stays at jungle lodges or experiences with indigenous culture.

National Geographic reporter Natasha Daly traveled to the Amazon to confirm the World Animal Protection's findings She found that officials in Manaus, Brazil, have been actively clamping down on the use of wildlife as tourist props.

"By the time I was there in mid-August, a lot of tour operators had stopped going to locations where the animals are brought out," she said. But the practice persists in Puerto Alegria, Peru, where she saw 20 species brought out for tourists in three days. Tourists embarking on Amazon trips from nearby Leticia, Colombia, often spend time in Puerto Alegria.

One challenge in steering tourists away from these selfie encounters, Daly said, is that Amazon wildlife is elusive, and day trips where sloths, kinkajous and snakes are offered up for photos make it easy for visitors to see them. An alternative experience might involve staying in a jungle lodge for a few days, but that's more expensive for travelers and takes more time and planning. Still, she said, educating consumers about these issues may impact their choices, especially among animal-lovers who may not realize the harm in petting and photographing creatures. "As soon as an activity crosses the line from observation to interaction, it's probably going to be bad for the animal," she said.

D'Cruze disputed claims by some guides that keeping wildlife as pets is not much different from having a cat or dog. "Many tourists will not realize, for example, that the caiman crocodile mouth is being held shut with tape, or that the anaconda is severely dehydrated," he said. And sloths aren't really smiling and hugging you, the way it appears in so many selfies, he said: That's just the animals' mouth shape and tree-climbing behavior.

Many national parks in the Brazilian Amazon have guidelines for how tourists and guides may interact with animals. For example, the Anavilhanas National Park has detailed rules limiting interactions with the region's famous freshwater dolphins.

Te Batista, who has been a guide on the Rio Negro for 20 years, makes a distinction between observing animals in the wild and in captivity. "When tourists tell me, 'I want to take the kinds of pictures I've seen on social media,' I tell them they have to understand that those were taken with animals in captivity," he said, adding that usually quells interest. But he might pull a caiman out for a few minutes to show it up close. "Within 10 minutes, it will be back in the water," he said. "It's a different thing if that caiman is in captivity."

Enilson Mesquita, a guide for 28 years, does not permit tourists to touch animals. "When you go to the Amazon, you bring bug spray, your medicines, sunscreen. That could all be on your hands. When you hold an animal, it goes straight to its skin."

But some locals and officials think it's unreasonable for outsiders to judge or impede local tourism efforts or dictate how they should be run.

Vinicius Lummertz, president of Embratur, Brazil's tourism board, said it would be impossible to police how tourists interact with animals across such a massive territory. Brazil is larger than the continental United States, and the Amazon basin is roughly 60 percent of Brazil's territory.

"Brazil is in a position where it inherited this huge responsibility from developed countries that did not, during their own developments, preserve enough of their ecosystems," said Lummertz, expressing a common frustration of many Brazilians around the issue. "Developed countries have not done their job throughout history. Look at Europe. How many ecosystems have been saved there?"

He added: "This is a developing country that needs resources for education, health care, and then the world expects us to police the touching of a caiman on the head in an area about 60 percent size of the United States? It's not possible."
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Albany

Can Harry Wilson be the next Charlie Baker?

Given that Wilson and Baker are not exactly household names in these parts, that's a question that probably has many of you saying: Can Whozawhat be the Whatnow?

So I'll explain.

More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

Charlie Baker is the Republican governor of Massachusetts. With approval ratings routinely higher than 70 percent, he is arguably the most popular governor in the country.

Think about that. In the age of Trump and the #resistance, the nation's most popular governor is a Republican from liberal Massachusetts. It's a remarkable accomplishment that has made Baker a model for politicians such as ...

Harry Wilson.

If you pay close attention to state politics, you'll remember Wilson as the guy who nearly upset Tom DiNapoli in the 2010 race for comptroller.

Wilson, 46, is from Johnstown, the faded city in Fulton County. He's rich, having made his mark turning around failing businesses.

Wilson lives in Westchester County. He's married with four children. He served in the Obama administration's Treasury Department, including a role on the task force charged with saving the auto industry.

And he's thinking about running for governor.

This is good news for those of us who believe New York's current governor has a rather poor record on issues of importance  endemic corruption and the crummy upstate economy among them. At the very least, Andrew Cuomo deserves a challenge. He shouldn't win in a cakewalk.

There are reasons to think Wilson could make Cuomo squirm.

For one, Wilson could pour millions of his own money into a campaign, leveling the playing field, somewhat, against a governor who has amassed a formidable war chest despite embarrassingly few small donors. He has upstate roots and a downstate address. He's an outsider from the business world who could campaign as a reformer.

Then, there are Wilson's similarities to Baker.

Baker is 15 years older, but both are handsome in a blond hair and strong jaw kind of way. They are Harvard guys with names that are almost comically WASPy. They are relentlessly nice and inoffensive  bland even.

Nice and bland are good when you're challenging an incumbent as personally unlikable as Cuomo. Nice and bland are also good for Baker, Wilson and other Republicans who are better off not reminding voters of the vulgarian in the White House.

"Baker is not a flashy politician," said Matt Barron, a Democratic political consultant from western Massachusetts. "He's a technocrat. He's following the recipe of the effective manager."

Barron, who believes Baker could coast to re-election with more than 70 percent of the vote next year, noted that the governor is savvy about staying away from social issues and the national Republican brand, which is about as popular as leprosy in Massachusetts.

That would be Wilson's challenge, too. In fact, you can bet one of the first problems he'd face would be this treacherous question from reporters: Did you vote for Donald Trump?

If Wilson says yes, he alienates the Democrats and independents who consider Trump abhorrent. If he says no, he angers the Republican base.

Good luck with that one, Harry.

Yes, the pessimist about Wilson's chances could note that next year's expected Democratic wave may wash away even the best Republican candidates in blue states like New York.

But the Wilson optimist could counter by noting that the FBI is investigating Cuomo hiring practices and that corruption trials involving the governor's top associates will provide a grim backdrop to the campaign. Nobody really knows how damning those trials might be.

Downstate, where the economy is humming, Wilson could run on cleaning up Albany. He could pound Cuomo for failing to curb endemic corruption at the Capitol.

Upstate, in areas where the economy is sputtering, Wilson could run as the turnaround master who  potential campaign slogan here  will do for New York what he did for General Motors. He could slam Cuomo on corrupt crony capitalism that benefits donors but has failed workers and taxpayers.

Wilson could effectively lament the continuing decline in places like his hometown of Johnstown, which lost 5 percent of its population from 2010 to 2016. He could note, as he did recently on Twitter, that upstate job growth would be among the nation's worst if the region were a separate state.

Few would claim that Wilson would be the favorite if he enters the race. But Charlie Baker proves that Republicans can win (and succeed) in even the bluest states.

Here's hoping that Wilson goes for it. Run, Harry, run.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
SIOUX CITY  A couple who manufacture and sell honey are feeling the sting after their Sioux City operation was vandalized overnight, killing at least half a million bees.

Justin and Tori Engelhardt, the owners of Wild Hill Honey, went to go dust the snow off 50 hives stored in a grove on their 18-acre property on Sioux Citys west side around 10 a.m. Thursday.

As they approached the area where the hives were kept, Justin Engelhardt noticed their beekeeping supplies shed had been ransacked.

He feared that whoever committed the act had done much worse, a thought that unfortunately came true for the apiarist.

They knocked over every single hive, killing all the bees. They wiped us out completely, Engelhardt said. They broke into our shed, they took all our equipment out and threw it out in the snow, smashed what they could. Doesnt look like anything was stolen, everything was just vandalized or destroyed."

Engelhardt called the crime completely senseless.

He and his wife started Wild Hill Honey about six years ago after he became interested in bees after hearing an interview with world-renowned animal behaviorist Thomas Seeley on National Public Radio.

Wild Hills sells jars of pure, raw and creamed varieties of honey and other honey byproducts at Pierce Street Coffee Works, Sioux City Gifts, Palmers Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe, trade shows and other spaces.

Were really well known around Sioux City, Engelhardt said.

Engelhardt estimates the vandalism caused $50,000-$60,000 worth of damage. He said insurers don't offer beehive coverage, so he doesnt foresee a way the couple can financially rebuild their business.

This probably sunk us, he said.

The Sioux City Police Department is investigating the crime. Engelhardt said he was impressed by the departments quick response, noting they came out and dusted for fingerprints and measured footprints left in the snow.

Maybe somebody knows something, right? he said. It may produce a lead for the police.
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Troy

Pedestrians traversing city streets often tread of over history and art with each step.

Take a glance down and you might spot a city of Troy manhole cover that celebrates the city's rich history. The city has 1,836 manhole covers and an increasing number are decorated with the city's ornate coat of arms.

"It's a miniature beautiful piece of art in the streets," said Chris Wheland, the city's superintendent of public works.

The city's seal ended up in the street for a simple reason: It was circular and fit perfectly onto a cast-iron manhole cover. It joined a two-century-old tradition of companies and governments leaving their mark on the street.

"The city seal is round and the manhole cover is round. It just fits," Wheland said.

According to the website Sewerhistory.org, manholes date back about 5,500 years. It was in the 19th century that the modern manhole cover was developed. Some manholes are rectangular though most  like Troy's  are round. They can weigh up to 300 pounds, according to the website.

The Capital Region's urban areas, its cities and villages, grew during the 19th century leaving a great deal of history that is out in the open.

"On your daily walk, slow down to half-speed. Look up, you'll see the art and history in the cornices, the buildings and in the street manhole covers," said Karin Krasevac-Lenz, executive director of the Rensselaer County Historical Society.

If local people notice the historic covers in Troy, they don't call the historical society, Krasevac-Lenz said.

It's when people start traveling that they notice the ties to home, she said. Troy was once home to an impressive iron works industry and manholes with "Troy, N.Y." stamped on them are spotted from time to time in communities around the country.

Those discoveries, she said, often generate excited calls to the historical society.

Scanning local streets, one can see a variety name stamped on manhole covers. There's HRT Co., which is the old Hudson River Telephone Co. There is also NYP&L Corp. for the New York Power and Light Corp. There's NM and NMP for Niagara Mohawk. Or there might be a lightning bolt on a cover for electric power. And the old Ma Bell, the original AT&T, has its own litany of manhole covers with Bell System or just a simple bell. There's also simple designs that adorn the covers.

About the only time a manhole cover is noticed when a spark triggers an underground gas explosion and fire. The detonation can often launch manholes into the air. The blasts that sent manholes in Albany and Troy flung a few years ago were due to underground cable fires.

Albany has its shield printed on its sewer covers. In other communities, they simply say "Sanitary Sewer."

Troy chose to decorate its manholes covers with the city seal about 10 years ago, Wheland said. That's a time when manhole covers were stolen for scrap despite the weight  150 to 200 pounds.

David Badgley, a project supervisor for Troy, learned from sales representative that the city could have custom designed covers. Badgley said they quickly settled on the city seal, because it was round and didn't require extra work to fit on a manhole cover.

"They look good. They're really able to be tucked in securely." Wheland said.

Troy's iron works are history so the city turns to the East Jordan Iron Works, in Michigan. "They're American made," Wheland said.

Wheland said it's becoming more common to see communities getting their own designs placed on manhole covers.

The city seal covers are placed solely on the sewer manholes. Waterlines are pressured and city officials fear a ruptured water main could send one flying.

kcrowe@timesunion.com  518-454-5084  @KennethCrowe
Yaounde, Cameroon

A New York literature professor held in the Central African nation of Cameroon since early this month after writing an article that criticized the government was released Wednesday, his lawyer said.

Stony Brook University Professor Patrice Nganang was expelled from Cameroon and has been told not to return to the country where he was born, lawyer Emmanuel Simh said.

Nganang, 37, who has dual citizenship in Cameroon and the United States, had faced a Jan. 19 hearing after being detained Dec. 7. The court in Yaounde early Wednesday announced he would be let go and that all charges against him were dropped.

The charges included issuing a death threat; insulting constitutional bodies, specifically the military; and inciting violence in a Facebook post, according to the New York City-based Committee to Protect Journalists and other supporters.

Nganang, an essayist and novelist, wrote an article for weekly news magazine Jeune Afrique that was critical of how Cameroon's government has handled a sometimes violent secessionist movement in some English-speaking areas of the country.

The English-speaking minority in Cameroon has complained about discrimination by French speakers. Dozens have been arrested and killed in protests supporting independence for some Anglophone regions.

Tensions have mounted since November 2016, when lawyers and teachers called for a strike to stop what they believe is the overuse of the French language. Violence erupted when separatists joined in and started asking for complete independence.

Human rights groups, which have accused Cameroon authorities of trying to silence opposition voices, had urged Nganang's release.

"We can only be very happy, when we have an unlawfully and arbitrarily detained client, to see him released," Simh said.

Nganang's wife, Nyasha Bakare, said by email Wednesday that her husband had begun his trip back to the United States and would arrive in Washington D.C. on Thursday.

"We are so very happy that this 21-day ordeal is over," Bakare wrote from Zimbabwe's capital of Harare, where she was with the couple's 8-year-old daughter.

Bakare has said Nganang was on his way to join them in Zimbabwe for the holidays when he was detained at the airport in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde. The family will reunite in New Jersey on Friday, she said. "As I write this from Zimbabwe, where I recently witnessed firsthand the fall of a dictator, Robert Mugabe, who was only 2 years longer in office than Cameroon's Paul Biya has been, I have to continue to hope that tyrannies in Africa will soon come to an end," Bakare wrote.

Robert Harvey, a distinguished professor at Stony Brook University who helped lead a campaign to get Nganang released, said his colleague's supporters were overjoyed by the news.

"It's just wonderful, we're all ecstatic," Harvey said. He described Nganang as a professor "who believes profoundly in the power of literature to improve us as human beings."

Nganang has been teaching in the United States since 2000 and at Stony Brook University on eastern Long Island since 2007, according to Harvey. He is scheduled to work as a visiting professor at Princeton University in the spring. He has published scholarly essays, novels and books of poetry.

Last week, a military appeals court in Cameroon acquitted and freed Ahmed Abba, a correspondent for Radio France International's Hausa service, who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for not denouncing acts of terrorism and laundering proceeds of terrorist acts.

Cameroon had also faced international pressure over his conviction.
ALBANY - A state canal project is joining the list of upstate revitalization efforts that have seen their deadlines extended to give people more time to apply -- and hopefully to get more applicants.

The application deadline for the Reimagine the Canals competition has moved up to January 12, 2018.

Canal spokesman Steve Gossett couldnt immediately say how many applications had been received by the original Dec. 4 deadline for the competition announced in September.

He said the Canal Corporation concluded there wasnt enough time for local groups to organize applications given the vacation periods before the Dec. 4 deadline. That was less than two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday and three weeks before the current Christmas-to-New Years break that many government agencies observe.

It was more of an administrative thing, he said of the deadline extension. We thought it was too close to people coming back from vacation.

More for you State drops effort to retool Mount McGregor prison site

The Reimagining competition, under the auspices of the Canal Corporation and its parent organization, the New York Power Authority, includes a pot of $2.5 million that can tapped by organizations that come up with new ideas for using the 524-mile waterway as a draw for tourism or industry.

The judges in the competition are looking for visionary, implementable concepts and initiatives that promote the Canal Systems heritage, foster economic development and tourism, and improve the Canal Systems long-term financial sustainability.

While viewed as a seminal project when it was built in the early 19th century, the canal was long ago eclipsed by rail and then highways as a major commerce route. For decades, now its been a substantial money loser.

Responsibility for running the canal was transferred last year from the state Thruway to the Power Authority.

Earlier this year, the deadline for proposals to revive the dormant Frontier Town amusement park in rural Essex County was extended. And after an initial extension, the state halted the solicitation of buyers for the now-closed 325-acre Mount McGregor prison site in Saratoga County. Officials say they may entertain direct discussions with developers instead.

In addition to the Reimaging contest, the Power Authority is bringing other changes to the canal, including one that has sparked controversy in the Rochester area.

Residents who live along the canal there have been protesting NYPAs recent cutting of large trees close to the waterway.

The ones to the west of the city are gone, said Rochester-area resident Elizabeth Agte, who has started a Facebook page called Stop the Canal Clear Cut.

Gossett said the tree cutting was part of a maintenance program that NYPA prioritized when it took control of the canal. He said some of the trees are too close to the canal and accompanying dams and needed to be removed to avoid damaged done by the trees' roots.

The roots can weaken dams, he said.

The focus is on the Rochester area since the canal is above some surrounding communities, meaning a burst dam could cause flooding.

Gossett said trees along the Champlain Canal may also eventually be considered for cutting. That canal connects Lake Champlain and the Hudson River.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU
West Palm Beach, Fla.

Eager for more legislative achievements before Washington's focus shifts to the midterm elections, President Donald Trump plans to start the new year by meeting with Republican congressional leaders to plot the 2018 legislative agenda, the White House said.

After returning to Washington from Florida, where he is spending the holidays, Trump will host House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky at the rustic Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland during the weekend of Jan. 6 and 7.

Spokesmen for Ryan and McConnell have confirmed they will attend.

The powwow will follow the recent enactment of legislation to cut taxes, beginning next year, for corporations and individuals at an estimated cost of $1.5 trillion added to the national debt over 10 years.

The bill marked the first big legislative achievement for Trump and congressional Republicans, who made cutting taxes a must-do this year after the Senate failed to close the deal to repeal and replace the Obama health care law.

While the tax bill ends the requirement that all Americans buy health insurance or pay a fine, it leaves intact other features of the health care law. No Democrats voted for the tax bill, which Trump signed during a hastily arranged White House ceremony, without any lawmakers present, before he flew to Florida last Friday.

The agenda for next year is lengthy, and 2018 is still a few days away.

Trump predicted in a tweet earlier this week that Democrats and Republicans will "eventually come together" to develop a new health care plan. The president is also forecasting unity between the parties on spending to upgrade aging roads, bridges and other transportation. The White House has said Trump will unveil his infrastructure plan in January.

Ryan, meanwhile, has talked about overhauling Medicaid and Medicare and other welfare programs, but McConnell has signaled an unwillingness to go that route unless there's Democratic support for any changes. Trump has also said he wants to pursue "welfare reform" next year because "people are taking advantage of the system."

Congress will open the year facing a backlog from 2017.

The list includes agreeing by Jan. 19 on a government funding bill to avert a partial government shutdown and to boost Pentagon spending. Lawmakers also must agree on billions in additional aid to help hurricane victims, lifting the debt ceiling so the United States can pay its bills, extending a children's health insurance program and drafting protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Trump gave lawmakers until March 5 to come up with a legislative solution, or the individuals will face the risk of being deported.

Much of the work will need to be done before Republicans shift their focus to retaining their House and Senate majorities in midterm elections in November.
Washington

Despite tweets that the GOP will fare well in the 2018 midterm elections, President Donald Trump appears to still be stewing over the party's most recent loss  the Alabama special election to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate.

According to the Associated Press: "Recently, Trump bemoaned the Republicans' loss in a special election in Alabama and in part blamed Sessions, whose departure from the Senate to head to Justice necessitated the election."

But it was Trump who chose Sessions to head the Justice Department, calling him one of his most trusted campaign advisers and praising him for having a "world-class legal mind."

And it was an easy presumption back then that whoever was chosen by the Republican Party would easily win election to replace Sessions. But as we all know, it didn't turn out that way: see Roy Moore.

And next month, Doug Jones will become the first Democratic senator from Alabama since 1993, whittling the Republican hold on the Senate to 51-to-49, and threatening both the GOP and Trump's agenda going into the crucial midterm elections.

So it is not surprising that Trump is trying to lay the blame of the loss in the Alabama election at someone else's feet: see former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

And this, of course, isn't the first time the president has reportedly expressed regret over appointing Sessions as attorney general. It has been reported that Trump was especially peeved that Sessions removed himself from being involved in any investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including possible ties to the Trump campaign.

So, add Sessions to the list of fall guys for the Alabama defeat. But, again, it was Trump's choice of Sessions for his Cabinet that started the ball rolling.

Years before entering the White House, Trump used his social media to challenge business leaders to take responsibility for their poor decisions and actions. He tweeted:

"Entrepreneurs: Listen and learn from others, but make your own decisions. Take responsibility for yourself. It's a very empowering attitude!"

And he often criticized President Barack Obama for what he considered his predecessor's failure to take responsibility for his actions and decisions.

But when you talk to most voters across the country, their low approval of Trump is tied to the commander in chief's actions, words and policies. And when one reflects on the November 2017 elections, it appears that voters punished Republican politicians not primarily for their own platforms, but for their affiliation with Trump.

After the GOP's loss in Alabama, Republican National Committee officials along with Republican lawmakers warned Trump that the GOP could suffer sizable failures in the 2018 midterms if things don't change in Washington. And for many voters, the place in need of the most significant changes are in the Oval Office. But as of now, it does not seem that Trump is moving in the direction of taking responsibility for how voters are viewing Trump-backed candidates.
Washington

President Donald Trump's legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy.

The approach would mark a sharp break from Trump's sympathetic posture toward Flynn, whom he called a "wonderful man" when Flynn departed the White House in February. Earlier this month, the president did not rule out a possible pardon for Flynn, who is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Attorneys for Trump and his top advisers have privately expressed confidence that Flynn does not have any evidence that could implicate the president or his White House team. But since Flynn's cooperation agreement with prosecutors was made public this month, the administration has been strategizing how to neutralize him in case the former adviser does make any claims.

Flynn is the most senior former Trump adviser known to be providing information to Mueller's team. The lenient terms of his plea agreement suggest he has promised significant information to investigators, experts said.

Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of lying to the FBI, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Prosecutors said they will recommend a sentence from zero to six months in prison as part of his cooperation deal. Flynn's son, who served as his chief of staff, also faced the risk of criminal charges, according to people familiar with the plea negotiations, but was spared.

Trump's legal team has seized on Flynn's agreement with prosecutors as fodder for a possible defense, if necessary. In court filings, the retired lieutenant general admitted he lied to the FBI about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the 2016 transition.

"He's said it himself: He's a liar," said one person helping craft the strategy.

Robert Kelner, an attorney for Flynn, declined to comment. Ty Cobb, the White House attorney overseeing the response to the special counsel investigation, also declined to comment.

Defense lawyers have said privately that Flynn will be unable to point to White House or campaign records turned over in the probe to bolster any claims of a criminal scheme. None of those suggest a conspiracy by Trump or his inner circle to improperly work with Russians to defeat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, according to people who have reviewed the documents.

The private talks about assailing Flynn's credibility come even as Trump has signaled that a pardon is not off the table.

"I don't want to talk about pardons for Michael Flynn yet," the president said Dec. 15. "We'll see what happens. Let's see."

Some of Flynn's family members appear to be counting on Trump to act. On Tuesday, one of Flynn's brothers tweeted a message urging the president to pardon his former adviser. Joseph Flynn did not respond to requests for comment.

Outside legal experts said discussing ways to undermine a possible witness is a natural first step for defense lawyers.

"It's pretty predictable," said Randall Eliason, a former public corruption prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington. "Defense will always argue that a cooperator who lied previously should not be believed, and that there is insufficient evidence of the conspiracy. It's Defense Strategy 101."
MASON CITY | The Christmas Cheer Fund is still accepting donations to help North Iowans through the holiday season.

This year marks the first time since the Cheer Fund was created in 1927 that it hasnt surpassed its goal before Christmas.

As of Tuesday, the fund was $7,157.25 short of its $125,000 goal.

The Christmas Cheer Fund was established by Globe Gazette Publisher Lee Loomis in 1927 so every child could have a present on Christmas morning, and in the years since, it has come to mean a little help at Christmastime for people of all ages.

Since the Cheer Fund began, more than $3 million has been raised to help thousands of North Iowans.

This year, more than 2,600 applications were received by the Cheer Fund from individuals and families, like a Charles City couple with three teenage children, seeking assistance.

According to the application received from the Charles City couple, they were both laid off from work. The husband, 45, due to the cold weather, and the wife, 45, because of thyroid cancer.

The woman said she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in October, and she had surgery to remove 40 lymph nodes and her thyroid. She hasnt started chemotherapy yet but has a lot of weakness from the surgery.

I would really appreciate the help if any that you could/would provide, she wrote. My left shoulder has been affected, and Im not sure how long it will be before I can return to work.

She said her husband wont be returning to work until spring thaw, when concrete can be poured.

The couple has three children between 13 and 18. If granted Cheer Fund assistance, they plan on using it to purchase towels and clothes for their children.

Other Cheer Fund applicants are struggling with homelessness, family hardships, unexpected disasters and more.

Donations may still be dropped off or mailed to the Globe Gazette office, 300 N. Washington Ave., Mason City, IA 50402-0271 until the Cheer Fund goal is met.

Any remaining funds not distributed for the holidays will be given to local nonprofits. The Christmas Cheer Fund balance will return to $100 in January to maintain the checking account.
Silvermines Historical Society has once again dug deeply into its community's shared past to mine a treasure trove of memories for their sixth edition of Mining the Past, The History, People and Places of Silvermines District.

As Seamus O Cinneide, chair of the historical society says in his introduction: "Exploring the past gives us all a chance to contextualise our own memories in a rapidly changing world".

It's a world that changed the Mines from a rural community to the heyday of the mining companies and back again to being a rural area.

And this history is explored in a number of articles, chiefly by Donal Quinn in his writings on the Families Uprooted by Mogul of Ireland Mine.

Donal recalls that despite a rising tide of optimism after the discovery of high grade lead and zinc, this was not shared by the farming families who owned land where the proposed mine plant was to be built.

"The families would have to relocate to other areas, leaving their farms and homesteads where their ancestors had lived and existed maybe as far back as mining in the Silvermines," he writes. The townlands of Garryard and Gortennadiha went through a huge transformation between 1965 and 1968 and this tranquil, rural setting became an abandoned area.

There has been mining in Silvemines since the 13th century, and Denis Gleeson and Padraig Collins recall the names given to the many shafts sunk down the years, going back to the 1860s when the King shaft was sunk.

The journal also celebrates the people of Silvermines and Danny Grace tells the story of historian Dermot F Gleeson, who, despite being a district court judge managed to publish five books, 41 articles in journals, as well as some 50 articles for the local and national press.

Gleeson had an uncle equally as interested in local history, but Danny argues that there is a case for regarding Dermot as the father of local studies ahead of his uncle, Fr John Gleeson.

"Fr John's output was scarce compared to that of his nephew and its work lacks the depth of research and scholarship," says Danny.

Dermot was one of eight children, born in 1896, qualifying as a solicitor in 1920, and while at UCD studying for his BA, one of his lecturers was executed Easter Rising leader Thomas MacDonagh from Cloughjordan.

At 26 he was appointed a district justice for Clare by Kevin O'Higgins, serving on the bench for the next 40 years. As an historian, his first book was The Last Lords of Ormond, published in 1938 and hailed as a "tour de force of local history".

Dermot was also a writer of verse under the pseudonym LacLiag. Among his best known are The Mountainey Men, A Ballad of Ormond Fair and The Place Where I Was Born.

Sadly, Danny Gleeson writes, save for the work of Donal and Nancy Murphy, Dermot Gleeson goes unrecognised in his own community, with no plaque or other memorial in his honour in the town of Nenagh.

Articles on other notable people include Tommy Riggs Miller writing about the scientist John Desmond Bernal from Brookwatson, Nenagh, who was related to his great-grandfather Thomas John Riggs-Miller. Bernal one of the best scientific minds of the 20th century, was also active in politics and was a committed socialist, which many feel may have held him back academically, though he did serve as a top scientific advisor to Lord Louis Mountbatten, chief of Combined Operations during World War 2.

Largely ignored in Ireland and his native Nenagh, a plaque in his honour was unveiled in Nenagh Heritage Centre in 2006, and in 2015, a 52m strategic investment in research excellence at University of Limerick was completed. Other people recalled are Prof Sean Mackey, Dolla, pioneering lecturer in engineering in colleges from Leeds to India and Hong Kong.

One of the saddest stories is that of George Sheehan by his grandson Pat Sheehan. George was shot trying to resist volunteers from taking his son's British army rifle in 1918. Three local brothers, Patrick, John and William O'Brien, was acquitted of the killing.

"Growing up, this tragedy was never spoken about in our house and I first heard of it from a classmate on the way to school. There are no photographs of my grandfather, George Sheehan, who died in January 1918 - 100 years ago," writes Pat.

It is impossible to do justice to all the memories, stories and events covered in Mining the Past, but the comical escapades of Pat and Biddy Murphy by Anthony Collins are in stark contrast to the prison diaries of James Madden, written by Tom Madden, while the uplifting work of Sr Columba Ryan is recalled by Patricia Mulqueen and Maureen Steed.

Other areas covered are fair days, farming, the local ICA guild, and the Great Famine and its effects on Silvermines. Too late for the Christmas stocking, Mining the Past will still make a truly wonderful gift to ring in the new year. It is an eclectic mix of articles, photos, poems and musings, brilliantly put together by the local historical society, winners of the Nilsson Local Heritage Writing competition at Listowel Writers Week.
It's that time of the year when Nenagh Community Rail Partnership invites young and old to put on their skates for the group's annual trip to Limerick on Ice in Limerick.

This year's trip from Nenagh will take place on Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

The group has arranged a special entrance ticket to Limerick on Ice, costing 10 on production of a valid rail ticket. The normal price of a ticket to Limerick on Ice is 14 for children and 16 for adults.

The cost of a rail ticket is 6 return for adults and 3 return for children from anywhere along the line. This rail offer is available throughout the year.

The train leaves Nenagh at 11.10am, returning at 4.55pm.

As usual, there is also a trip organised from Cloughjordan, on Wednesday, January 3, and Friday, January 5.

The Birdhill / Ballina / Newport trip is on Thursday, January 4.

The Cloughjordan train departs at 10.50am, returning at 4.55pm, while the Birdhill train departs at 11.37am, returning at 4.55pm.

Those travelling are asked to be at their local station in plenty of time to purchase their tickets.

Virginia O'Dowd of the rail partnership thanked Irish Rail for their help and support and also thanked Limerick on Ice for such a generous reduction on the normal entrance fee, pointing out that both had supported the day out since it began 14 years ago.

"While each station has a designated day, if that does not suit, people can travel on any of the days but must produce a rail ticket at Limerick on Ice to avail of the discount," she said.

"This is always a great community event and I am looking forward to having the normal huge numbers taking part," she said.

Limerick on Ice operates a policy of allowing only those 92cms (three feet) and over on the skating rink.
[December 27, 2017] "What's hot to wear on this New Year's Party": JustDating India Survey

NEW DELHI, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Holidays are officially upon us and party season is in full swing. Be it the celebrities or common people, Indians are becoming more conscious of how they look at parties. New Year's is always a great opportunity to meet new people and an avenue to look out for prospective dates. Global dating app, JustDating conducted a survey asking its users how the other gender should dress up for this special occasion. From a sample size of 4,000, 71 percent showed an inclination on dressing up the way the opposite gender would like and it found the top 3 elements that contribute to an attractive look, viz. dressing up style, clothing colour, and the brands. When dressing for New Year's Eve party, it's important to know what kind of impression one is giving off with the dressing style. 8% of male users indicated that they like women dressed in solid coloured dresses over multi-coloured (18%) or shimmery dresses (14%). This shows that men prefer women who keep it subtle and classy hosting their poise and strong impression. Whereas, 54% of female users reported that they like men wearing nicely fitted shirts, followed by 37% who like men in casual t-shirts. It was also found through the survey that men are 48% more likely to be noticed if they wear a blazer along with their shirt or t-shirt. Women who wear high heels are also 39% more likely to be noticed by men at parties.



It is a given that different colours affect others' perception of an individual. The survey results indicate 66% women favoured men with a crisp look, wearing solid-coloured shirts like black, blue or white. On the other hand, 59% men admitted liking girls wearing warm colours like red, orange and yellow, followed by 30% who like cool colours like blue, green and purple. Surprisingly, 67% of female users reported that they would consider whether men are wearing branded clothes or not. However, merely 32% male users were bothered about the brand as they consider how the clothes fit the women over brands or designers. Needless to say, both men and women dress to impress at parties. But while attending this year's new year party, make sure you get these 3 elements ticked in the checklist this New Year.

SOURCE JustDating

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[December 28, 2017] MeaWallet Delivers Contactless Payment Solution to Swedbank

STOCKHOLM, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MeaWallet A/S ("MeaWallet"), part of Invuo Technologies AB (former Seamless Distribution AB), has signed an agreement with the Swedbank Support OU (Swedbank) for delivery of MeaWallet's technology for contactless card payments on the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian market. The HCE technology with MasterCard MDES support will be delivered as a managed service, integrating MeaWallets tokenisation platform with Swedbank's mobile banking application. The solution will enable Swedbank clients to perform digital contactless card payments through the banks existing mobile banking application. The order value of the contract is between 500,000 and 600,000 Euro over a three-year period. "The Baltic market is rapidly developing towards contactless payments, in fact there are several field tests and pilots in the three markets exploring different mobile payment technologies. MeaWallet has a proven technology and we aim to deliver the solution in production to Swedbank in stages from the first quarter of 2018, hence delivering on our "short time to market" promise, says Lars Sandtorv, Head of MeaWallet. "Swedbank is the major bank on the Baltic market according to the European Payment Card Yearbook for 2016/17 and we are proud that they have selected our technology and services for maintaining that position." CEO of Invuo Technologies, John Longhurst, comments: "MeaWallet has been able to sign four orders over the past six weeks. The market is accelerating. Our stated goal is for MeaWallet to sign a minimum of 20 orders over the course of 2018. In so doing, we aim to meet the financials goals laid out for Invuo Technologies next year, as disclosed in recent public statements. As further orders are signed, we hope investors begin to share the confidence we have for the period ahead." This information is such that Invuo Technologies AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at CET 08:50 on December 28, 2017. About Invuo Since 2001 Invuo has been providing its proprietary solutions and systems for mobile phone transactions. Invuo operates in two main business areas; mobile phone payment solutions provided through the brand MeaWallet, and distribution of e-products. www.invuo.com For further information, please contact: John Longhurst

CEO

[email protected]

+46-8-564-878-00 Martin Schedin

CFO

[email protected]

+46-8-564-878-00 Lars Sandtorv

Head of MeaWallet

[email protected]

+47-909-55-111 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/invuo-technologies-ab/r/meawallet-delivers-contactless-payment-solution-to-swedbank,c2423113 The following files are available for download:







http://mb.cision.com/Main/4815/2423113/772378.pdf Press release (PDF)

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meawallet-delivers-contactless-payment-solution-to-swedbank-300575706.html SOURCE Invuo Technologies AB

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[December 28, 2017] Kontrol Energy establishes Blockchain Advisory Board and Appoints Mr. Manie Eagar

TORONTO, Dec. 28, 2017 /CNW/ - Kontrol Energy Corp. (CSE:KNR) (the "Company" or "Kontrol") is pleased to announce that, further to its announcement in the press release dated November 1st and December 20th, it has established a Blockchain Advisory Board that will assist the Company's expansion into Blockchain technology solutions. The Company welcomes Mr. Manie Eagar, Chairman of the Blockchain Association of Canada, the leading industry body representing cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in Canada to the Advisory Board effective immediately. "We are excited to have a globally recognized blockchain and cryptocurrency leader such as Manie join our Advisory Board. As we evaluate acquisitions and investments in the rapidly growing blockchain technology sector, his experience will be a major asset for Kontrol", said Paul Ghezzi, CEO of Kontrol Energy Corp. Manie Eagar is the founder and CEO of Digital Futures B.U.I.L.D. (Blockchain User-centric Innovation & Leadership Development), an independent strategic business development and investment consultancy with a focus on the latest innovations in fintech, cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies and ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) at the convergence with AI, M2M, predictive analytics, IoT and cybersecurity technologies. He is an advisor since 2013 to Decentral Toronto, an innovation hub for disruptive and decentralized technologies. He is an advisor to the Equibit strategy committee, building applications for the global securities industry; Dubtokens, an all mobile, video creation patented technology and the IVEP Association a social media posting and monetization platform; Blockedge/Rythm, an advanced crypto-exchange platform; the fintech startup Paycase, a KYC, remittance and exchange platform; and Playmarket 2.0, a decentralized Android App Store that accepts payments in cryptocurrency combned with an ICO platform for developers.



Manie has supported numerous international corporate and public events delivering thought provoking trends analysis and future insights and is a sought after global expert on all things blockchain and cryptocurrency. About Kontrol Energy Corp.

Kontrol Energy Corp. (CSE:KNR) is a leader in energy efficiency solutions and technology. Through a disciplined mergers and acquisition strategy, combined with organic growth, Kontrol Energy Corp. provides market-based energy solutions to our customers designed to reduce their overall cost of energy while providing a corresponding reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Additional information about Kontrol Energy Corp. can be found on its website at www.kontrolenergy.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com Neither IIROC nor any stock exchange or other securities regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain information included in this press release, including information relating to future financial or operating performance and other statements that express the expectations of management or estimates of future performance constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding possible future acquisitions and/or investments in operating businesses and/or technologies, accelerated organic growth, the provision of solutions to customers and Greenhouse Gas emissions reductions, proposed financial savings and sustainable energy benefits and energy monitoring. Where the Company expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief are based on assumptions made in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. Such assumptions include, without limitation, that suitable businesses and technologies for acquisition and/or investment will be available, that such acquisitions and or investment transactions will be concluded, that sufficient capital will be available to the Company, that technology will be as effective as anticipated, that organic growth will occur, and others. However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, lack of acquisition and investment opportunities or that such opportunities may not be concluded on reasonable terms, or at all, that sufficient capital and financing cannot be obtained on reasonable terms, or at all, that technologies will not prove as effective as expected that customers and potential customers will not be as accepting of the Company's product and service offering as expected, and government and regulatory factors impacting the energy conservation industry. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as at the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements or any forward-looking statements contained in any other documents whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities law. SOURCE Kontrol Energy Corp.

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[December 28, 2017] The United Nations International Organization for Migration(IOM) Agency Deploys TAC-PAK Videoconferencing Systems for Refugee Camp Support

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic(CAR) has received plenty of media attention in recent years. Since civil war broke out in CAR 115,000 Chad refugees have been displaced in the remote region, countless people have been killed and many more have been the victims of rape and other forms of abuse. The situation in Chad would be worse were it not for the tireless peacekeeping work of the United Nations International Organization for Migration(IOM) agency that is providing basic facilities such as temporary shelters, water and sanitation facilities, health centers, schools, children-friendly spaces, as well as vouchers for their food subsistence. The IOM recognized the need for more communications resources in the remote communications sterile refugee camps and selected the 308 SYSTEMS TAC-PAK videoconferencing kits for deployment to multiple refugee sites. These "mobile command in a box" systems, manufactured by 308 Systems in Fort Collins, Colorado (www.308systems.com), are custom-configured to meet specific IOM Chad mission field communication requirements. "Life in transit and temporary sites is never easy. Rains make it even more difficult. The emergency response that we have provided cannot solve the problem. Management of sites must be improved," said IOM Chief of Mission in had, Sufi Qasim.



Following the massive influx from CAR into Chad, the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) on behalf of the Humanitarian Country Team decided to reactivate the Shelter/Camp Coordination Camp Management (CCCM) cluster that is led by UNHCR and co-led by IOM. The aim is to provide technical support for the management of both transit and temporary sites as well as to advocate for durable solutions for the displaced persons in the sites in the long run. The IOM's TAC-PAK videoconferencing flyaway kit deployment addressed the shortfall of voice and data infrastructure and equipment experienced by the IOM teams on a daily basis in the remote refugee camps.

Deploying the TAC-PAK mobile command systems, the United Nations has been able to create a satellite and cellular communications based continent-wide wireless network that enables Shelter/CCCM cluster teams to coordinate, share information and request support. The TAC-PAK's have created an invaluable and fast communications infrastructure where there once was none. About 308 Systems For over 20 years 308 Systems (www.308systems.com) has supplied governments around the world with a broad range of flyaway kit command and communication systems utilizing satcom/radio/cellular backhaul. This product lineup comes in a series of small man-portable and airline checkable packages. These systems are completely customizable to meet the deploying agency's unique needs. Products address mobile networking and mobile command needs, logistics tracking, etc and have been successfully deployed at major disasters worldwide. These technical capabilities are complemented by a focus upon technical excellence, quality products, and uncompromised integrity. For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact Mr. Mark Lueker, Director of Advanced Projects at 970/282-7006 or email [email protected]. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-united-nations-international-organization-for-migrationiom-agency-deploys-tac-pak-videoconferencing-systems-for-refugee-camp-support-300575766.html SOURCE 308 SYSTEMS Inc

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[December 28, 2017]

Lick the Plate on 93.9 The River Celebrates 10 Favorite Shows From 2017 With Guest Host Eli Boyer

DETROIT, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lick the Plate on 93.9 The River where the Detroit, Windsor, and Michigan culinary and foodie communities tell their stories, is celebrating it's 50+ guests in 2017 with special guest host Eli Boyer, proprietor of Voyager in Ferndale, Michigan and the upcoming Lovers Only in the Capitol Park neighborhood of Detroit. Eli is taking over as host and interviewing regular Lick the Plate host David Boylan who will share 10 of his favorite episodes from 2017. His list includes a wide variety of culinary personalities from Detroit, Windsor, and Northern Michigan and special shows like his Great Lakes Surfing week that included stories featuring the freshwater surfing scene and the food that fuels it with Ella and Beryl Skrocki, of the family owned and operated, Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak. Other guests include Luciano Del Signore from Bacco Ristorante and Bigalora, Justin Near of Near Perfect Media, Rodney Srodek from Srodek's Campau Quality Sausage Co., Matt Romine from Farm Field Table, Dan Riley owner of Axle Brewing Company, Lea and Keith Schofield from Bistro 82, Melissa Muscedere of Muscedere Winery, John Alvarez and Tom Scully from F&B, Mark Kurlyandchik, restaurant critic at The Detroit Free Press and the trio of Eli Boyer, Jennifer Jackson and Justin Tootla from Voyager.

Host David BoylanDetroit and Windsor plus our Road Trip series every summer in Northern Michigan, coming up with a "best of" list is nearly impossible. I can honestly say that I would enjoy having long conversations over drinks with every person I have on the show. For this week tried to come up with 10 shows that represented a diverse mix of folks who had some fun stories to share. From sampling Cuban rum on a Thursday morning with Luciano Del Signore and Justin Near, to my annual show with Detroit Free Press Restaurant Critic Mark Kurlyandchik at Gusoline Alley to talking Wilco and Jim Harrison with Daniel Riley from Axle to recording a show surrounded by sausage grilling at a Detroit City FC soccer game with Rodney Srodek, it was another fun year for Lick the Plate. I should also mention that my sound engineer Brooks Venters does an amazing job editing what can sometimes be long winded conversations into the format that fits the on-air space alloted on 93.9 The River."







Lick the Plate on 93.9 The River airs Monday  Friday during the first commercial break at 7pm and 10pm and can also be found on The River website in podcast format at http://www.iheartradio.ca/93-9-the-river/lick-the-plate-podcast-1.1930772

Lick the Plate also airs on 93.9 The River in Detroit and Windsor, MyNorth.com in Traverse City, KSON, FM94/9 and Sunny98.1 in San Diego, Edible San Diego and The Coast News in Encinitas, California.

Media contact and sponsorship inquiries:

[email protected]

858.395.6905

About Lick the Plate

Lick the Plate has interviewed over 700 chefs, restaurateurs, growers, brewers and culinary personalities over the past 10 years as a column in the Coast News in Encinitas, California and in Edible San Diego. It's on-air and podcast presence began on 102.1 KPRI in San Diego in 2011, then in 2014 moved to the Entercom group of stations in San Diego that include KSON, FM94/9 and Sunny98.1 where it still resides. In 2015 it expanded to 93.9 The River in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario and recently joined MyNorth.com, a part of MyNorth Media in Traverse City, Michigan. Its unique format allows the radio audience to really get to know the culinary talent behind their favorite restaurants. Besides their culinary background and experience, guests share the road to their current position, music memories and dream concert lineup, where they eat and drink around town, and an in-depth look at their current menu. The original format has proven to be very popular with both the culinary community and their foodie audience. The shows are edited by Brooks Venters. More at www.lick-the-plate.com

About The River

93.9 The RiverCIDR-FM is an adult alternative radio station located in Windsor, Ontario. With 100,000 watts of power, the signal is able to reach southeast Michigan and northern Ohio. In 2016, The River joined the iHeartRadio family of stations. The River plays a unique blend of new, classic and retro alternative hits alongside special programming such as "Lick The Plate." www.939theriverradio.com

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lick-the-plate-on-939-the-river-celebrates-10-favorite-shows-from-2017-with-guest-host-eli-boyer-300575768.html

SOURCE Lick the Plate on 93.9 The River
[December 28, 2017] Outbound Telemarketing Market: Business to Consumer Telemarketing Type to Drive Global Market to US$ 12,201.4 Mn by 2025 - TMR

ALBANY, New York, December 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research titled "Outbound Telemarketing Market [By Application - Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Consumer Goods & Retail, Consulting (Education, Job, etc.), IT & Telecom, Government and Others (Manufacturing, Healthcare, Life Science, etc.); By Type - Business to Business, and Business to Consumer]" the global Outbound Telemarketing market is expected to reach a value of US$ 12,201.4 Mn by 2025. The market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. The global outbound telemarketing market, by geography, has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South America. In the global outbound telemarketing market, Asia Pacific dominates the market in terms of revenue owing to low labor cost for outsourcing services in specific countries like China, Philippines, India and others. Within Asia Pacific, China is the biggest revenue contributor and is anticipated to drive the growth of Outbound Telemarketing market, followed by Japan. The cost effective and direct sales marketing involved in outbound telemarketing is one of the major drivers in this region. Furthermore, growing number of business organizations in these regions is increasing the share of the outbound telemarketing market. Get a PDF Brochure for this Research Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21644 In the global outbound telemarketing market, South America is anticipated to witness relatively faster growth rate as compared with other regions. Reasonable cost of implementing server-based contact centre and reduction in travelling cost to resolve client queries is aiding the growth of business to business segment in this region. Brazil has one of the largest markets for outbound telemarketing in South America and is prominently driving the growth in the region owing to the rapid technology developments in the region. Increasing spending in IT sector and implementation of advanced technologies are the major factors fuelling the growth of the market in South America region. Outbound Telemarketing market in the North America region is anticipated to witness relatively slower growth than the South America region during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. However, it is expected to be the second largest market in termsof revenue, after Asia Pacific, contributing to the overall outbound telemarketing market. Countries in North America, such as U.S. and Canada are anticipated to drive the growth of Outbound Telemarketing market. Technological advancements and qualified marketing professionals in companies such as Convergys Corporation and Concentrix Corporation and others that are based in U.S. and have vast experience in the telemarketing industry are driving the growth of Outbound Telemarketing in this region. Furthermore, rising initiatives by the governments in this region in terms of providing job opportunities for the people in this region, so as to improve the employability.



Request a Custom Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=21644 As compared to North and South America, outbound telemarketing market in the Europe region is anticipated to witness relatively slower market growth during the forecast period. However, Europe is expected to contribute significantly to the overall outbound telemarketing market. Countries including U.K., Germany, and France among other regions are projected to witness high growth.

Outbound Telemarketing market in Middle East and Africa occupies a relatively smaller pie of the global outbound telemarketing market and is expected to register steady growth, with rate relatively closer to that of the South America region. Within Middle East and Africa, GCC countries and South Africa are driving the growth. Key players profiled in the global Outbound Telemarketing market include TeleTech Holdings, Inc., Atento S.A., Concentrix Corporation, Alorica Inc., Arvato AG, MarketOne International LLP, Teleperformance Group, Inc., and Convergys Corporation. Other players such as MarketMakers Inc. Ltd and OnBrand24, Inc. have also been included in the report among others. The global Outbound Telemarketing market is segmented as below: Global Outbound Telemarketing Market, By Service Type BFSI

Consumer goods & retail

Consulting (Education, Job, etc.)

IT & Telecom

Government

Others (Manufacturing, Healthcare, Life Sciences, etc.) Global Outbound Telemarketing Market, By Type Business To Business

Business To Consumer Global Outbound Telemarketing Market, By Geography North America The U.S. Canada Rest of North America

Europe U.K. Germany France Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific (APAC) China Japan India Rest of APAC

(APAC) Middle East and Africa (MEA) GCC South Africa Rest of MEA

and (MEA) South America Brazil Rest of South America

Popular Research Reports by TMR: Marketing Analytics Market : https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/marketing-analytics-market.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/marketing-analytics-market.html Asset Management IT Solution Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/us-asset-management-it-solution-market.html About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. Contact

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GARNER | A Forest City woman accused of kicking a police officer in the groin while being arrested in September at Heritage Park of North Iowa has been sentenced to jail.

Dawn Marie Baker, 37, pleaded guilty in Hancock County District Court to an amended charge of misdemeanor public intoxication  second offense.

Charges of assault on persons in certain occupations and unlawful possession of a prescription drug (Duloxetine) were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

On Dec. 15, Baker was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with all but 10 days suspended. She was also placed on probation for one year and fined $315.

Two off-duty police officers working security at the park Sept. 6 when they received a report about 1 a.m. of an intoxicated woman causing a disturbance at the campground, according to a news release from the Forest City Police Department.

When officers approached Baker, she reportedly fled on foot before kicking one of them in the groin when they detained her, according to charging documents.

Baker's sentence will be served consecutively with an operating while intoxicated  first offense  charge she pleaded guilty to on Dec. 13. She was sentenced to two days in jail and fined $1,250 for that charge.

 Ashley Stewart
[December 28, 2017] Sandhills East Opens Office Location In Amsterdam, Netherlands

AMSTERDAM, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills East announces the addition of an office location in Amsterdam. The company's local brands include Machinery Trader Europe, TractorHouse Europe, and Truck Buy & Sell Internationalprint publications and online marketplaces that serve buyers and sellers of heavy machinery, agriculture equipment, and commercial trucks and trailers. The new office location continues a larger trend of companywide growth for Sandhills East, which has acquired a number of brands across Europe over the last two years. With its office in place, the company has turned focus to recruiting for internships and full-time sales positions in Amsterdam. Sandhills East is a subsidiary of Sandhills Publishing, the Nebraska, USA-based tech company behind Machinery Trader, TractorHouse, Truck Paper, and AuctionTime.com. Its print publications and websites are the go-to resources for buying and selling farm and agriculture equipment, commercial trucks and trailers, plant equipment and heavy machinery, as well as parts and attachments for these assets. Fortnightly and weekly editions of its print publications distributed by Sandhills reach buyers at key distribution points in markets across Europe, and local website domains help buyers source the equipment theyneed quickly and easily.



Over the last two years, Sandhills East has acquired a number of brands including: Farm & Plant Buyers Guide, MOMA Agri, agri-Business.fr, A Come Agricoltura, Farm Machinery Locator, trucks-Business.fr, Truck Buy & Sell International, Truck Locator, Transporter, Commercial Vehicle Dealer, CercoCamion.com, Camion SuperMarket, tp-Business.fr, Trasporto, TODO V.I., Resale Weekly, Plant Locator, Maquinaria OP, Trattori SuperMarket, and Cantierissimo con Carrellistica. Sandhills East also builds and hosts custom websites, and provides a number of cloud-hosted business apps and resources to dealers and manufacturers in its core industries. These mobile-friendly added-value resources include everything from inventory management to equipment valuations and market trends powered by real-time market data. Sales reps at offices all over the world work closely with equipment sellers to implement effective sales and marketing campaigns that deliver results for their businesses.

"Our products and services are actively growing in markets all over the world, and especially in Europe," explains Sandhills Publishing's Chief Administration Officer Nancy Paasch. "Establishing an additional office location in the Netherlands enables us to build on that growth by adding the support staff needed to serve buyers and sellers as effectively as possible." Sandhills East and Sandhills Publishing are actively recruiting for positions in Amsterdam, the U.S., and offices worldwide as it looks to expand its workforce by nearly 400. Openings in Amsterdam include both full-time sales positions and internships. For more information or to submit an application, visit www.Sandhills.jobs. About Sandhills

Sandhills Publishing has served the heavy machinery industry since 1978. The company has since added publications and websites serving the trucking, agriculture, aviation, and technology industries. Its successful brands include: Machinery Trader, CraneTrader, Truck Paper, TractorHouse, AuctionTime, RentalYard, MarketBook, Controller, Executive Controller, Charter Hub, and more. As a subsidiary of Sandhills Publishing, Sandhills East builds on the company's decades-long presence in its core industries. Sandhills East was established in 2011, expanding to include office locations across Europe. The company continues to expand its existing presence in the markets it serves through the ongoing international growth of new and existing products and services that meet the needs of buyers and sellers worldwide. Contact Sandhills East

+44 (0) 1618718760

[email protected] Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/473503/SandhillsEast_Logo.jpg

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[December 28, 2017] Carter Validus Leaves its Mark on Charitable Organizations in 2017

Carter Validus Advisors II, LLC ("Carter Validus"), a real estate investment company and the external advisor to Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II, Inc., rounds out the year having raised a total of $64,592.10 for charitable organizations in the community. Employees and the company participated in, or hosted, several fundraisers throughout 2017 benefiting non-profit organizations that support causes important to the company's employees and their families, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Joshua House Foundation, Inc., Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County Florida Inc., Big Cat Rescue, Children's Home Society of Florida, and Metropolitan Ministries, to name a few. In addition, employees completed over 200 hours of personal volunteer time by participating in 22 events throughout the year. Carter Validus has been recognized for its philanthropic work by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a 2017 Top 5 Finalist for the "Big Category" in the publication's annual Corporate Philanthropy Award program. The program is designed to spotlight orporate-sanctioned giving and volunteer programs that stand out in the local business community.



Carter Validus encourages employees to get involved with organizations and causes important to them personally and will continue in 2018, allocating 24 hours of sponsored volunteer time to each full-time employee annually. "It has been great to see our employees come together on so many events to contribute to nonprofit organizations in need throughout the year. From hosting silent auctions benefiting different local nonprofits, to employees receiving paid time off to volunteer, philanthropic giving has always been an important part of our company culture," said John E. Carter, Co-Chief Executive of Validus.

"The amount our team has raised this year and our recognition as a company that supports Corporate Philanthropy shows how much our employees care about making a difference in the community and that is something I could not be more pleased to support and be a part of. We look forward to what we will accomplish and contribute to the community in 2018," said Michael A. Seton, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Carter Validus About Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II, Inc.: Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II, Inc. is a public, non-traded company headquartered in Tampa, Florida that has elected to be taxed, and believes it qualifies, as a real estate investment trust. Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II, Inc. intends to acquire mission critical real estate assets located throughout the United States and abroad. Mission critical real estate assets are purpose-built facilities designed to support the most essential operations of tenants. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171228005319/en/

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[December 28, 2017] TipRanks: Harness the Wisdom of the Crowd With the New Investor Sentiment Feature

NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TipRanks, a leading provider of big financial data tools, today announced the release of a powerful new feature that allows investors to optimize their portfolios by harnessing the wisdom of the crowd. TipRanks currently analyzes over 200,000 portfolios with its award-winning Smart Portfolio platform, and now allows its users to see what average portfolios of similar and better-performing investors look like. The data extracted from portfolios is completely anonymized. The new 'Individual Investor Sentiment' feature can be found on the TipRanks.com website covering over 5,000 different stocks. Investors can now get real-time answers to questions such as "how do similar investors allocate their portfolios" and what better-performing investors think about stocks and ETFs. The new feature will also enable investors to see which other stocks similar investors are buying. For exampe, many of the top investors who bought Micron Technology also bought these popular stocks: Amazon, Alibaba and Apple.



By profiling investors by age as well as performance, TipRanks drives fascinating insights into how age and investing interact. Is older wiser? Investors can now track not only which generation has the best investing performance, but also the most popular stock picks of millennials or baby boomers. Uri Gruenbaum, the CEO of TipRanks, said, "The new Investor Sentiment tool is a perfect example of how TipRanks democratizes the capital market. If most of our focus went on tracking and measuring financial experts, such as analysts, now we can show our users not only what experts are recommending but what other investors are actually buying."

About TipRanks: TipRanks is continuously updating its functionality to ensure that investors have the very latest tools with which to optimize their returns. TipRanks' algorithms analyze information from numerous online data sources, tracking the recommendations and transactions of over 40,000 financial experts. Individual investors can use these unique market insights to discover the most reliable financial advice. TipRanks was awarded First Place for Outstanding Achievement at the IBM Watson awards in 2015 and was named one of the world's 50 Fintech "Emerging Stars" by KPMG and H2 Ventures. For additional information please contact:

[email protected]

+972 525566244 Related Links TipRanks Individual Investor Sentiment Feature View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tipranks-harness-the-wisdom-of-the-crowd-with-the-new-investor-sentiment-feature-300575774.html SOURCE TipRanks

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SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Reminds Investors of an Investigation Involving Possible Securities Fraud Violations by the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group AG

Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation of Credit Suisse Group AG ("Credit Suisse" or "the Company") (NYSE:CS) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.

The investigation concerns Credit Suisse's possible failures to adhere to risk control protocols and the Company's accumulation of billions of dollars in illiquid securities in violation of those protocols.

To obtain additional information, go to:

http://www.zlkdocs.com/CS-Info-Request-Form-6321







or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171228005540/en/
By Trend





Turkey will pay a part of the cost for Russian S-400 Triumph air defense systems through a loan, the Turkish media quoted National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli as saying on December 27.

Canikli added that the sides signed a final agreement on the supply of S-400 systems to Turkey.

Turkey purchased four divisions of the S-400 air defense systems from Russia, CEO of Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov said earlier.

Chemezov noted that the total purchase price was $2.5 billion and the first supplies are scheduled for late 2019-early 2020.

Chemezov added that the Russian and Turkish finance ministries have completed negotiations on issuance of Russian loans for the purchase of S-400.

"The final documents are to be approved, he said. I can say that the Turkish side will pay 45 percent of the total amount in advance and 55 percent through a Russian loan. The first supplies are planned for March 2020."

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Russia and Turkey are negotiating the terms of a loan for the purchase of S-400.
GARNER | A Garner man who pleaded guilty to possessing meth after a traffic stop in mid-October has been sentenced to prison.

In November, Sam William Velau, 54, pleaded guilty in Hancock County to amended charges of felony possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, third offense, and misdemeanor operating while intoxicated  first offense.

Charges of driving while barred and possession of marijuana  third or subsequent offense  were dismissed through a plea agreement.

In December, Velau was sentenced to a prison term not to exceed five years and two days in jail, which will be served concurrently. He was also fined $2,250.

His prison sentence will be served consecutively with one from Cerro Gordo County for possession of meth, third offense as a habitual offender. In 2015, Velau was sentenced to a prison term not to exceed 15 years on those charges, according to court documents, and must serve at least three years of that sentence.

 Ashley Stewart
Image 1 of 4

Taipower just announced the new Mirage NP900 NVMe SSD, which is the first announced product to use the new SM226x controllers from Silicon Motion that we expect to see sweeping CES in a few weeks.

The SSD market in China is poised for explosive growth in 2018. In many ways its like the U.S. back in the mid-2000s when memory companies first launched this innovative new category with hopes and prayers that it would catch on. Large companies like Samsung and Intel still sell products on the other side of the Great Wall, but regional companies are more in-tune with local buyers (and offer lower prices).

We like to watch their market because it reminds us of the early days when companies like Corsair and Kingston were hungry and not the diverse juggernauts they've become today. Flash played a large role in that expansion, and we're watching the same happen with smaller Chinese firms now.

Swipe to scroll horizontally Controller SM2263 SM2263XT SM2262 SM2262EN Host Interface PCIe 3.0 x4 PCIe 3.0 x4 PCIe 3.0 x4 PCIe 3.0 x4 PCIe Protocol NVMe 1.3 NVMe 1.3 NVMe 1.3 NVMe 1.3 NAND Flash Channels 4 4 8 8 CE/Channels 4 4 4 4 DRAM Yes No Yes yes Host Memory Buffer No Yes No No Package TFBGA288 TFBGA288 TFBGA472 TFBGA472 Sequential Read 2,400 MB/s 2,400 MB/s 3,200 MB/s 3,500 MB/s Sequential Write 1,700 MB/s 1,700 MB's 1,900 MB/s 3,000 MB/s Random Read 300,000 IOPS 280,000 IOPS (HMB)140,000 IOPS (No-HMB) 370,000 IOPS 370,000 IOPS Random Write 250,000 IOPS 250,000 IOPS 300,000 IOPS 300,000 IOPS

The Mirage NP900 uses the SM2262 controller and sits just one tier down from Silicon Motion's flagship SM2262EN. The drive will not make its way to the U.S. or Europe in any significant numbers, but the release gives us a chance to preview one design prior to CES. Silicon Motion has several named partners that most are familiar with. Adata, Intel, SanDisk/WD, and Micron/Crucial are the most recognizable. Many of these companies are in line to release new high-performance NVMe SSDs in early 2018 with new 64-layer NAND flash technology that's significantly faster than the previous generation.

Silicon Motion's new SM226x controllers are ready to take the market by storm. In the image above provided by Taipower we see what the Mirage NP900 NVMe SSD has to offer. This controller will be used by companies in the upper mainstream NVMe segment of the market, a tier above the Samsung 960 EVO but not in the premium sphere where the 960 Pro and Intel Optane SSD 900p play.

The big news here is that Toshiba and IMFT 64-layer NAND will resurrect the performance wars, this time on the NVMe battlefield.
KCPD warns against celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Police are urging people not to ring in the new year by firing a gun into the air. It is illegal to fire a gun in city limits, but in 2015, more than 1,400 celebratory gunshots were detected in Kanas City.

The latest word of caution that will go completely unnoticed by a great many locals firing their weapons wildly on NYE and beyond. Read more:
Celebrate Kansas City Hobo-Care

Volunteers in Kansas City bring medical care to the homeless On this frigid night, a group of doctors and nurses are out in the cold trying to keep the homeless as healthy as possible. Betsy Webster has details on the volunteer effort that makes a difference.

Urban Core Hipster Hobby Crackdown

Social Media Scours Town For Doggie

Florida couple visiting Lee's Summit desperately searching for missing dog out in freezing weather LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - A Florida couple visiting the metro is frantically searching for their missing puppy who ran off Saturday. Brittany Green and Brett Kreikemeier brought their two dogs with them to visit relatives in Lee's Summit for the holidays. The couple's lab mix, Daisy, ran away one day after they arrived.

Massive Local Tribute After Tragedy

Hundreds mourn 4 Kearney women killed on icy bridge KEARNEY, Mo. - A small Missouri community is grieving after four Kearney women were killed in a free-fall crash Tuesday night. "It still does not feel real," said Chase Daniels, a friend of the family. Wednesday night, hundreds of people packed into the sanctuary and lobby at St.

Kansas City Hard Times Repeat

Residents won't be returning to condemned KCMO apartments any time soon after second fire in less than a month KANSAS CITY, Mo - Several people, including families with children, used to call the apartment building at East 30th Street and Indiana Avenue home -- that is until Dec. 8, when an electrical fire forced them out. Four days later the building was condemned.

Luxury Shopping District Cutbacks Cont'd

The Country Club Plaza is shutting down its customer service center, gift card program The Country Club Plaza is losing some customer amenities as it prepares to close its expanded service center, which includes a public restroom, and discontinue its Plaza gift card program. The Plaza Customer Service Center at 4750 Broadway will shut down at 5 p.m. Sunday on New Year's Eve.

Slight Temperature Uptick Today

First Alert: Thursday's temps will be in upper 20s Thursday's weather will still be cold, but temperatures will be headed in the right direction. But another push of arctic air arrives for the new year.

We begin our early morning news cycle withalong with some of the top Kansas City stories to start the day.Take a look:is the #TBT song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .
Like it or not, this local dude has an outright progressive campaign that's gaining momentum in a District that is up for grabs and could turn blue amid a Midterm 2018 show-down.So far, Mr. Welder is the only candidate who refuses to mince words and runs as an avowed liberal against Congressman Kevin Yoder who has always had a love/hate relationship with the hardline GOP and simply isn't a part of the Prez Trump populist backlash.To be fair, establishment support and a solid resume have earned Congressman Yoder a substantial war chest that will likely overpower any challenger.However, changing demographics and increasing antipathy toward establishment GOP candidates are enough to create a moment of doubt for Johnson County Republicans who must swallow their pride and offer Congressman Yoder their enthusiastic support.In the meantime, there's no crisis of conscience among 3rd District progressives who are rallying behind Welder.Developing . . .
Diaspora Greeks have traditionally set up very active communities across the globe boosting tourist inflows to the Metropolis over the years

Deputy Foreign Minister for Overseas Greeks Terens Quick met with the vice president of the Greek community in Malawi Christos Skordis, at the Foreign ministry in Lilongwe, the capital where the community has the church of Agios Nektarios, ANA reports.

Malawi has 120 residents of Greek origin - including third-generation children - who are mostly involved in tobacco cultivation and trade. The majority originate from the North Aegean island of Limnos. Diplomatically, Malawi belongs to the jurisdiction of the Greek embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Skordis told Quick that their main concern is keeping their Greek language, and asked for a digital language-learning program and access to the national broadcaster ERT, to see films, programs and news.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Tilemahos Efthimiadis License: CC-BY-SA
MASON CITY | A North Iowa judge has denied closing a sentencing hearing for a Charles City woman charged with sexually abusing a child while working as a Mason City day care provider.

Judge Rustin Davenport has ruled the sentencing hearing for Tawny Symonds, 31, will remain open, after Iowa Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown filed a motion to resist her attorneys' request to close it earlier this month.

In the motion, Brown said Symonds, her attorneys and prosecutors "may be uncomfortable or disagree with the objections" to the plea agreement, but noted people have the right to express opinions and view the court process first-hand.

"Hopefully, once the public has all the information there will be a complete understanding of the agreement that was entered," Brown wrote.

Neither Davenport or Steve Kloberdanz  a public defender representing Symonds and who filed the motion to close the hearing  could be reached for comment by phone Wednesday afternoon.

Davenport's decision follows a period when there was an uproar on social media about a plea deal for Symonds.

Symonds submitted a written Alford plea in Cerro Gordo County District Court to child endangerment, in exchange for the felony second-degree sexual abuse and assault charges being dropped.

An Alford plea is when a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges the state can likely prove the charge.

Police say Symonds victimized a child at her home-run daycare in southeastern Mason City. She was arrested in December 2016.

Brown, the state assistant attorney general, said Wednesday he had not heard Davenport's ruling, and quickly reviewed it in an interview with the Globe Gazette. He added he was not surprised about the decision.

"Its no more dangerous than any other court hearing," he said. "Emotions can run pretty high in anything we do."

Brown said the court may "beef up" security with the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office to allow the hearing to proceed in a civil manner, if that protection is needed.

Disturbances in the courtroom, disrespectful conduct and threats towards those involved in the case can result in contempt charges, Brown's motion noted.

Symonds' sentencing has been rescheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 12, 2018, at the Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Complex.
Omans Ministry of Housing recently signed a usufruct contract with the Poultry Farms Company to set up a poultry project on an area of more than 12 million sq m, at a total cost of more than RO15 million ($38.9 million), said a report.



The project will be set up in the Wilayat of Al Sinaynah in the Governorate of Al Buraimi, said an Oman News Agency report.



Khamis bin Saif al-Abdul Salam, director general of the Directorate General of Housing in the Governorate of Al Buraimi, signed the usufruct contract in the presence of Hamad bin Juma al-Rasbi, assistant director general and Said bin Ali al-Muqbali, director of Usufruct Department, added the report.
Oman's tourism revenues exceeded RO1.2 billion ($3.1 billion) at the end of last year, with a large share of the revenues coming from local tourism.



According to the Tourism Statistics Bulletin issued by the Omani National Centre for Statistics and Information, local tourism accounted for 73.5 per cent (RO 882.5 million/$2.28 billion) of the total revenue while foreign tourists contributed 26.5 per cent of the total revenue, equal to RO319 million ($827.6 million).



"The total tourist spending in 2016 increased by 10.3 per cent to reach RO319 million compared to RO289 million ($749.8 million) at the end of 2015," the report said.



"The average expenditure of tourists during the last year was RO101.21 ($262.5) and the outbound tourism expenditure increased to RO490 million ($1.2 billion) and domestic tourism to RO882.4 million ($2.28 billion)," it said.



The number of incoming tourists to the sultanate increased by nearly 40 per cent every five years. The number of incoming tourists stood at 1.1 million tourists in 2005, increasing to 1.5 million in 2010 and then to 3.2 million in 2016.



Visiting relatives and friends (41.9 per cent) topped the list of the main purpose of tourism, followed by recreation (33.5 per cent) and work trip (17.7 per cent). - TradeArabia News Service
Travellers expectations have changed drastically during the pandemic and the travel industry needs to better understand the behaviours and expectations of the new traveller in order to respond to them, says Roshan Mendis of Sabre.
Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

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CLEAR LAKE | There appears to be no evidence of a crime related to a report of armed robbery Tuesday evening in Clear Lake, police say.

The Clear Lake Police Department received a report of armed robbery about 6:10 p.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of Seventh Avenue North, according to a news release from the department.

Police along with Iowa State Patrol troopers and Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's deputies checked the surrounding neighborhood and conducted a preliminary investigation. Law enforcement determined area residents were not at risk.

After a follow-up investigation Wednesday, the department said it was not able to corroborate a report of robbery occurring at the residence.

Police say the reporting party had a consensual conversation with a man who was invited into the home, according to a news release. After a brief conversation, police say the man was asked to leave, and complied with that request.

The relationship between the reporting party and the man is unclear, police said. There was no theft, damage or injury, and no arrests were made.

Police say the incident remains open and has been reclassified as suspicious activity instead of robbery.

Anyone with information about the case should contact the Clear Lake Police Department at 641-357-2186.
MASON CITY | State Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, has endorsed State Sen. Nate Boulton of Des Moines for governor.

Steckman, a retired school teacher, cited Boulton's commitment to education as well as his interests in the environment and health care.

Boulton is in a crowded field of Democrat candidates who will face off in a June 2018 primary. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 6
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 27

A man identified as Raghav Ram sustained burn injuries after an inebriated man threw acid on several persons over a dispute. The victim was admitted in Guru Nanak Dev hospital here. The incident occurred at Professor colony on Majitha road last evening.

Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Professor Colony said to the police that, a neighbour, who is a habitual drinker used to create ruckus every now and then. Yesterday, in an inebriated condition he created nuisance in the neighbourhood and used abusive language. However, he was advised by the neighbourers to go inside his house and not to create any problem. However, he got infuriated and hurled abuses at them and went away.

Soon after, he again came outside with an acid bottle in hand. The people tried to intervene but before anybody could understand, he threw acid on him. The acid fell on Raghav Ram, who sustained burn injuries on his face and chest while the accused fled away from the spot. SHO Sadar police station, Sukhbir Singh, said that the matter is under investigation and statements of the victims are being recorded.
Jalandhar: Anshi Singh, who hails from Jalandhar, and resides in Finland, has recently been crowned Miss India Europe 2017 at a grand finale held at Stockholm, Sweden. The dazzling finale witnessed a massive participation from various European nations, meant only for the Indian diaspora. Preety Dhillon from Holland, who hails from Phagwara, bagged the runner-up position. The event was judged by Madhur Bhandarkar, film director, along with others. Seventeen-year-old Anshi Singh has been studying in the second year of high school in Finland. She participated in the beauty pageant for the first time. Preety Dhillon is a professional model. Prior to the event, the finalists underwent a week-long grooming and training session, which included a classical dance workshop, yoga and skin care session, stage presentation and speaking skills workshop and finally a grooming session. TNS

3 held with drugs

Phagwara: The police have arrested three persons and seized drugs from them. Charanjit of Subhash Nagar was arrested with 50 intoxicating capsules. Manjinder of Rihana-Jattan village and Daljit alias Kaka of Mehatiana were nabbed with 12 bottles of illicit liquor and 20 litres of lahan, respectively, on Tuesday night. The accused were nabbed at checkpoints laid at different places. OC

Intoxicants seized

Nakodar: The Nakodar police arrested four persons for possessing drugs on Wednesday. Narindar Kumar alias Bau and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, both residents of Shankar village, were held with 90 gm of intoxicating powder. Meanwhile, Debo and Manso, both of Thablke village, were nabbed with 2 kg of poppy husk. The police said a case under Sections 15, 22, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act had been registered. OC
Srinagar, December 28

Security forces today arrested three militants with arms and ammunition in north Kashmir and one among them is suspected to be a foreign militant, sources said.

Though the identity of the foreign militant and group affiliation could not be established immediately, sources said he was arrested along with two local accomplices when they were moving in a load carrier at Kuzer, Baramulla.

The load carrier was intercepted by a joint teams of forces after a tip-off and the foreign militant was arrested along with a weapon and three magazines, the sources said. The foreign militant was being questioned by top security officials in Srinagar, they added. The sources said the forces were trying to collect more information from the arrested militant. Two locals militants, who were also in the load carrier, were also being questioned.

J&K police chief Shesh Paul Vaid said out of the three militants arrested by a police team, one could not speak Kashmiri.  TNS
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ziyen Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Caithness as the new General Manager for Ziyen U.K. in Aberdeen, Scotland.



Ron will be largely responsible for strategy, budgets, financial outcomes and will be in charge of all revenue and cost elements of the company. Ron will work with Head of Business Development, Greg Simpson and Business Development Manager, Cameron Murray who were also recently appointed to their roles at Ziyen U.K. after holding previous roles in a leading procurement company.

With over 35 years of corporate banking experience and most recently as head of U.K. Branch Network for the Bank of Scotland, Ron will lead the effort to increase revenue as well as establish effective business strategies and targets.

Greg Simpson, Head of Business Development at Ziyen UK, said,

We are very pleased have such an experienced executive lead our Ziyen Inc. U.K. team. Ron will help build upon our existing strengths and ensure the company experiences sustained growth. Rons professional experience in banking and customer service will further augment our teams capabilities and will ultimately help us provide better service to our valued customers.

Click to watch Ron Caithness Interview about joining the company and the role at Ziyen Inc.

Ron was awarded a Fellowship from the Institute for Services to Banking (FCIBS) and following his banking career set up a consultancy business which supported small businesses and the agricultural industry, specializing in financial planning and loan negotiation.

Alastair Caithness, CEO at Ziyen Inc., said,

Opening the UK Division of the company was one of the significant milestones met by the company in 2017, and I believe that the Software Division run out of Scotland is key for the growth of the company in 2018. Bringing in my Dad as General Manager, not only brings in a wealth of experience into the company but will allow Greg Simpson and Cameron Murray to focus on sales, product development and customer retention.

About Ziyen Inc.

Founded in 2016, Ziyen Inc. is a Scottish-American company developing cutting edge procurement software to provide clients with industry specific government and private contracts via procurement portals. In 2017, Ziyen diversified, instating the Ziyen Energy Division, with intent to produce oil in the U.S. with advanced extraction methods and technology implemented and guided by career experts in the oil and gas industry. In June 2017, Ziyen acquired the mineral rights to its first oil field in Indiana, and now has two assets. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently qualified Ziyen Inc. in November 2017 for our second round of funding, with a pre-IPO share price of $1.50. More information may be found in its Offering Circular filed with the SEC, or on their website www.ziyen.com

About Granite PR

Founded in 2008, Aberdeen-based Granite PR offers the full spectrum of PR services with an emphasis on the energy, technology, hospitality, food and drink, professional services and healthcare sectors. The company has developed strong links in domestic and overseas markets, particularly the US and Scandinavia, and these have been enhanced by Granite PRs Gateway series of business events which encourage trade between key locations. For more information visit www.granitepr.co.uk

Forward Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements related to anticipated commencement of commercial production, targeted pricing, performance goals, and statements that otherwise relate to future periods are forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in the Company's periodic reports filed with the SEC- specifically the most recent reports which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made and based on information available to the company on the date of this press release. Ziyen Inc. assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release.

Contact:

Brett Jackson

Managing Director

Granite PR

info@granitepr.co.uk
London/Brussels, December 28

Kashmiri political activists have sharply criticised Mushaal Mullick, the wife of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, for blaming India for keeping her and their daughter from meeting Malik for the past three years.

This comes after former naval officer and alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was allowed to meet his kin in Islamabad on Monday.

A Pakistani national, Mullick, released a self-made video thereafter castigating the Indian government for barring her and their daughter from meeting Malik.

Mullick said in a video message, A Kashmiri has no right to meet his wife and child; he is being treated worse than a proclaimed terrorist.

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Sajjad Raja, former president of Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (UK) said, I think this is false propaganda by the woman who doesn't have any political or ideological connection with her husband and who is just using her husbands political stature to make personal gains. This woman is working for Pakistani establishment and is duty-bound to speak against India.

She never utters a single word against Pakistan for the miseries being faced by the people of Pakistani-Controlled Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. This is a Pakistani woman who is using her relationship to play Pakistani games, Raja added.

I believe people of Indian-Administered Jammu Kashmir are enjoying much more political, civil and constitutional rights as compared to the people of the areas under Pakistani control. People of Jammu and Kashmir have no political affiliation and any social link with this woman. She is a Pakistani spokesperson and doesnt enjoy any following in Jammu and Kashmir, said Sajjad Raja.

Mullick, who married Yasin Malik in 2009, had applied for a visa in 2013 and has been allowed to travel to India twice.

As per sources, she has not shown any interest in visiting India nor has she applied for a visa since her visa expired in 2015.

Speaking from Brussels, Jamil Maqsood, an activist of United Kashmir Peoples National Party (UKPNP) said, Mrs Mullick should provide the proof of the visa application first to have a comparison with the Kulbushan case. Second, (the meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav) comes after his case was lodged at the International Court of Justice. However, Mrs Mullick has no such international jurisprudence. So, she should avoid launching propaganda while sitting in the safe hands of Pakistan and supporting Hafiz Saeed and other terrorist groups.

Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik heads the JKLF which has spearheaded armed militancy in the Kashmir Valley.

He continues to be associated with hard-line separatist elements in Jammu and Kashmir. ANI
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 28

Tassaduq Mufti, brother of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, was inducted into the council of ministers on Thursday morning.

Javed Mustafa Mir, a three-time MLA, who was dropped from the council of ministers in 2016 when Mehbooba took over as chief minister, was also re-inducted as cabinet minister.

In a simple and brief function, Governor NN Vohra administered the oath of office and secrecy to the two at the Raj Bhavan lawns. Mir took the oath first and was followed by Mufti.

Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Mehbooba Mufti, members of Mufti family, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, cabinet ministers and legislators were present on the occasion.

On December 22, Vohra had nominated Mufti as a Member of Legislative Council.

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Mufti was nominated on the seat vacated by Vikramaditya Singh, who had resigned as MLC in protest against the state government not declaring holiday on Maharaja Hari Singhs birthday.

Tassaduq, 45, had resigned as head of the Chief Ministers grievance cell on December 15. Tassaduq was also the candidate for the Anantnag Lok Sabha by-election, scheduled for April 12, which was deferred indefinitely after violence in Srinagar on the polling day.

A cinematographer by profession, Tassaduq Mufti holds a masters degree in fine arts from the American Centre. He had joined politics after the demise of his father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in January 2016.

Mir, who represents Chadoora constituency, had earlier served as Revenue Minister under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He was, however, dropped by Mehbooba on April 4, 2016.

Mir was also minister in the PDP-Congress government from 2002 to 2008.
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 28

Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, brother of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, took oath as a Cabinet minister at a ceremony held at Raj Bhawan here on Thursday morning.

A three-time MLA and former minister Javaid Mustafa Mir was also re-inducted as a Cabinet minister along with Tassaduq. In a simple and brief swearing-in ceremony, Governor NN Vohra administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers on the Raj Bhawan lawns this morning. Javaid followed by Tassaduq took oath in English.

Tassaduq has been given the tourism portfolio while Javaid has been given disaster management, relief rehabilitation, and reconstruction and floriculture.

With the joining of Tassaduq and Javaid, the number of ministers in the PDP-BJP coalition government goes up to 25  the maximum permissible limit in the Council of Ministers. The BJP has 11 members in the ministry.

Besides legislators, political leaders and prominent citizens of the state, the ceremony was attended by First Lady Usha Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Legislative Council Chairman Haji Anayat Ali, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, ministers, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of various boards and commissions. The Chief Secretary, DGP, and senior civil and police officers were also present.

Members of Mufti and Javaid Mirs families were also present during the swearing-in ceremony. On December 22, the Governor had nominated Tassaduq as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC). He was nominated after a seat was vacated by Vikramaditya Singh, who had resigned in protest against the state government for not declaring holiday on last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singhs birth anniversary.

Tassaduq, 45, had resigned as head of the Chief Ministers Grievance Cell on December 15. Tassaduq was also the candidate for the Anantnag Lok Sabha byelection, scheduled on April 12, 2017, which was deferred indefinitely after violence in Srinagar on the polling day.

A cinematographer by profession, Tassaduq holds a masters degree in fine arts from the American Center. He had joined politics after demise of his father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in January 2016.

Javaid, who represents the Chadoora constituency, was re-inducted into the Council of Ministers. He had earlier served as Revenue Minister in the ministry of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. However, he was dropped by Mehbooba after taking over as Chief Minister on April 4, 2016.
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 28

The police have arrested five alleged snatchers during two separate operations launched against criminals. The police have also recovered 21 stolen mobile phones, one bike and an air pistol used by the accused during crime.

In the first incident, three snatchers were arrested by a police team led by Sub-Inspector (SI) Malkiat Singh at a police naka in the Raseela Nagar area on Chandigarh Road. Those arrested by the police have been identified as Mandeep Singh, alias Prince, of Mundian Kalan, Pushpinder Singh of Bhamian Kalan and Gagandeep Singh of Mundian Kalan.

According to the SI, the accused had snatched a mobile phone and 1,500 cash from Mohamad Arshad of the Jeewan Nagar area three days ago. Besides, the accused were also wanted by the police in some other looting cases registered against them at different police stations of the city, he added.

The police have recovered 20 stolen mobile phones, one bike and an air pistol used by the accused for threatening people. A case has been registered against the accused at the Focal Point police station under various sections of the IPC, he said.

In a separate incident, a police team from the Jamalpur police station arrested two snatchers from 33 Futa Road in the Mundian Kalan area following a tip off. The accused arrested by the police have been identified as Navdeep Kumar of Bhogpur in Jalandhar district and Sagar of Chabewal in Hoshiarpur district. The police recovered two stolen mobile phones and one motorcycle from their possession.

The Jamalpur SHO, Avtar Singh, said the accused had snatched a mobile phone and Rs 600 in cash from Sunny Kumar of Mundian Kalan three days ago.

During the preliminary interrogation, the accused have confessed their involvement in more than half a dozen snatchings in the city. Some more revelations are expected from the accused during further interrogation, the SHO said.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 28

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the contentious bill making instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, a development hailed by the government as "historic".

The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.

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MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e- biddat'. It gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be illegal and void.

The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.

The bill is likely to sail through the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks majority, given the Congress's stated support to the legislation.

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote. The Bill makes instant triple talaq illegal with a provision of a jail term of three years for the husband.

Earlier, amid protest by several Opposition members, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday introduced the Bill.

Rejecting the protest by Opposition benches and the criticism of its provisions, Prasad said it was a historic day, as he also asked if opposing members are with hapless Muslim daughters and sisters.

Claiming that the proposed law, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, is not about any religion or community, the law minister insisted that the practice of instant triple talaq has continued despite the Supreme Court order terming it void.

Even today such an incident took place in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, he informed, adding that the law is about justice and respect for women.

Countering the arguments put forward by dissenting members belonging to RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League, Prasad said, Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not.

According to the proposed law which would be applicable to the entire country except Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of three years and a fine. It would be a non-bailable offence.  With agencies
Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 28

The Congress led by party president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday mounted pressure on the government outside Parliament pressing for resignation of Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Employment Anantkumar Hegde for his remarks on secularism and Constitution.

Minutes before commencement of proceedings in both the Houses of Parliament, top Congress MPs, including senior party leaders, gathered at Mahatma Gandhis statute in the precincts of Parliament for the agitation.

Many of them were holding placards against Hegde. Some younger MPs used the occasion to register their presence before a beaming Gandhi. The MPs raised slogans against Hegde.

The MPs continued with their agitation for about 15 minutes. Among others, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, party leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Ahmad Patel took part in it.

An MP said BJP leaders, including ministers and MPs, deliberately kick up controversies to divide the society. The Congress will press all the buttons for action against the minister, he said.

He further said that the BJP leaders create a row with a political purpose.

Hegde is from the Congress-ruled state Karnataka, which will go to polls next year. His remarks were intentionally made with a political context.

The MPs made it known that they will force the issue with the government in both the Houses.

Hegde had made the remarks at a function in Karnataka, last Sunday. He reportedly asked the secular people to identify themselves with their religion.

He described seculars as people who dont know their parentage, and further proposed changes in the Constitution to do away with the ideal of secular.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 28

With Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde on Thursday tendering his apology in the Lok Sabha for his reported remarks, which he claimed were distorted, the controversy and standoff in the House came to an end.

Initially, when the minister stood up to speak, he only offered clarification on his remarks pertaining to secularism, Constitution and Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

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But with a nudge from Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, he offered his apology, though he claimed that his speech at a function in Karnataka was distorted.

As soon as the House assembled, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the issue of Hegdes controversial remarks on secularism and changing the Constitution, but the speaker prevented him saying the minister of state for skill development would make a statement.

Hegde first said he held the country, the Constitution and its architect BR Ambedkar in high esteem and there was no question of showing disrespect to them.

As a citizen, I cant think of violating the Constitution, he added.

After this, the Congress, led by Kharge, again protested and demanding an apology from Hegde.

The speaker then intervened and told Hegde that there was no question of anyone showing disrespect to Ambedkar but, at times, if someone says something, his or her statement sometimes hurt someone else and for that if the person tenders apology, his stature would not get lowered.

With Mahajans nudge, Hegde said his speech was presented in a distorted manner which was not correct.

If someone is hurt, I have no hesitation to tender my apology, he said.

Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, the opposition members, however, continued to persist with their demand for resignation of Hegde from the Council of Ministers.

The House witnessed two adjournments over the issue as Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, How can a minister continue in the Council of Ministers after showing distrust to the Constitution.
Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 28

India on Thursday tore into Pakistan for presenting the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav as widows during their highly controlled meeting, and accused Islamabad of turning an emotional moment into an instrument to further its propaganda.

In identical statements in both houses of Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said there was serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan for alleged spying.

She pointed out that Jadhavs mother Avanti and wife Chetna were forced to remove their mangalsutra, bindi and bangles and footwear, and even made to change their attire on the pretext of security.

Both married women were presented as widows in front of a son and husband. There can be no greater insult than this, said Swaraj as other members chorused shame, shame. There are not enough words to condemn the same, she said.

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Jadhavs mother and wife met him on Monday inside the Pakistan Foreign Office building in Islamabad under unusual circumstances--he was separated from the two women by a glass screen, and they conversed through an intercom. Avanti was not allowed to speak in their native Marathi language.

Chetnas footwear was confiscated. Jadhavs words apppeared tutored and the atmosphere was intimidating.

Swaraj said Pakistani authorities are now talking of a chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes. This is absurdity beyond measure, she said, pointing out that the two women had cleared security at airports in India, the UAE and Pakistan when nothing suspicious was detected.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhavs wife despite repeated requests.

The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale on Wednesday, she said.

This meeting could have been a step towards moving forward. But, it is a matter of great disappointment that the meeting took place flouting all the understandings both countries had agreed to, she said.

Following the statement, members cutting across all party lines in both Houses voiced full-throated supported for the government.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress said the misbehaviour with Jadhavs wife and mother was misbehaviour with wives and mothers of 130 crore Indians. We will not tolerate insults to the wives and mothers and to the countrys dignity, Azad said, adding that the government should ensure that Pakistan ensured Jadhavs saftey in custody.

Pakistan says Jadhav, an ex-Indian Navy officer, was arrested in Balochistan in March with a fake passport, a charge denied by India, which says he was kidnapped from Iran where he has legitimate business.

The 47-year-old Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, but the execution has been stayed by the International Court of Justice following Indias efforts.

Swaraj said Jadhavs mother and wife were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the accompanying Deputy High Commissioner of India.

Before they could see Jadhav, a security official told the two women to remove their mangalsutra and bindi, the Hindu symbols of matrimony.

Swaraj said that Avanti had told her in a choked voice that she had protested against the removal of the mangalsutra but her plea was turned down by the security official.

Swaraj said that as soon as Jadhav saw his mother without the mangalsutra and bindi, he asked baba kaisey hain or how is dad, because he might have feared that something bad had happened back home.

The meeting was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture. However, the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, she said.

I am fully confident that this entire House and through the House, the people of India, strongly condemn, in one voice, the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family.

Most of the BJP members in the Lok Sabha responded with shouts of Pakistan murdabad.

Swaraj said while the imminent threat to Jadhavs life had been averted, we are now engaged in seeking a permanent relief, based on stronger arguments, through the legal avenue offered by the International Court of Justice, she said.

She said the mother and wife, on their return from Islambad, had conveyed to her that Jadhav appeared under considerable stress and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion.

As the meeting progressed, it was clear to them that his (Jadhavs) remarks were tutored by his captors and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities. His appearance also raised questions of his health and well-being, she said.

Before the statement, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the sensitive matter was before the ICJ and urged that the MPs should exercise restraint in making statements keeping the welfare of Jadhav in mind.

Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Derek OBrien (TMC), Harivansh (JD-U), Dilip Tirkey (BJD), Tapan Kumar Sen (CPM), T Devendra Goud (TDP), Veer Singh (BSP), Thiruchi Siva (DMK), D Raja (CPI), Sukhdev Singh Dindsa (Akali Dal), Abdul Wahab (IML), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) and Ram Das Athavale (RPI) supported the government in the matter.

Naidu said the entire House joined together to appreciate the efforts of the government and asked it to take steps to ensure safe and secure release of Jadhav.

He also wanted the government to convey to the international community that Pakistan behaved in an inhuman manner. With PTI
Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 28

A defiant Pakistan has rejected allegations levelled by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Parliament even as the war of words intensified over the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family.

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Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif responding to queries said farfetched conspiracy theories were being advanced through Indian media about modalities of the visit.

The Foreign Minister underscored that Pakistans humanitarian gesture did not obviate the fact that this was not an ordinary meeting between a mother and wife with their son and husband. The reality remains that Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav is a serving Indian Naval Officer and a convicted Indian terrorist and spy responsible for multiple deaths and destruction in Pakistan, said a formal statement.

On questions raised about change of attire and retention of the wifes shoes, Asif stated a comprehensive security check was essential. A metal chip has been found in one of the shoes, which is being analysed, said the formal release, an accusation Swaraj had called absurdity beyond measure in the House.

Pakistan has also asked India to not distort an agreed security check and attempt to portray it as a deliberate religious/cultural disrespect on the issue of removal of mangalsutra, bindi and bangles.
Islamabad, December 28

Pakistan on Thursday freed 145 Indian fishermen, held for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters, as a goodwill gesture amidst a war of words between Islamabad and New Delhi on the circumstances in which a recent meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family took place.

They were released following last weeks announcement by Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal that 291 Indian fishermen would be released in two phases till January 8.

The fishermen were taken amid tight security to Karachi Cantonment Railway Station, from where they would be sent to Lahore, a police official said.

They will be handed over to Indian officials at the Wagah border crossing, the official said.

The remaining 146 fishermen are expected to be released and repatriated on January 8.

Those released were also given gifts and cash prizes by Edhi Foundation charity, which traditionally helps in repatriation of Indian fishermen.

Fishermen from Pakistan and India are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each others territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away. PTI
NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guggenheim Investments, the investment management division of Guggenheim Partners, announced today that its fixed income exchange traded funds (ETFs) (the Funds), including the Guggenheim BulletShares Corporate Bond ETFs (the Guggenheim BulletShares ETFs), have declared regular monthly and year-end distributions.

For more information on year-end distributions related to Guggenheim Investments ETFs, please visit https://www.guggenheiminvestments.com/etf/annual-distributions/2017-etf-annual-distributions or call the Guggenheim ETF Knowledge Center at 888.WHY ETFS.

Past performance is not indicative of future performance. To the extent any portion of the distribution is estimated to be sourced from something other than income, such as return of capital, the source would be disclosed on a Section 19(a)-1 letter located on the Funds website under the Literature tab. Distributions may be comprised of sources other than income, which may not reflect actual fund performance.

For more information, please visit https://www.guggenheiminvestments.com/etf

About Guggenheim Investments

Guggenheim Investments is the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners, with $243 billion1 in total assets across fixed income, equity, and alternative strategies. We focus on the return and risk needs of insurance companies, corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, consultants, wealth managers, and high-net-worth investors. Our 275+ investment professionals perform rigorous research to understand market trends and identify undervalued opportunities in areas that are often complex and underfollowed. This approach to investment management has enabled us to deliver innovative strategies providing diversification and attractive long-term results.

Media Contact

Ivy McLemore

Managing Director, Investment Communications

Guggenheim Investments

Ivy.mclemore@guggenheimpartners.com

(212) 518-9859

1 Guggenheim Investments total asset figure is as of 09.30.2017. The assets include leverage of $11.6bn for assets under management and $0.4bn for assets for which we provide administrative services. Guggenheim Investments represents the following affiliated investment management businesses of Guggenheim Partners, LLC: Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC, Security Investors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, Guggenheim Real Estate, LLC, GS GAMMA Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Partners Europe Limited, and Guggenheim Partners India Management.

Read a funds prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) carefully before investing. It contains the funds investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information, which should be considered carefully before investing. Obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) at http://guggenheiminvestments.com/home or call 800.820.0888.

The referenced funds are distributed by Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC. Guggenheim Investments represents the investment management businesses of Guggenheim Partners, LLC (Guggenheim), which includes Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC ("GFIA") and Guggenheim Partners Investment Management (GPIM), the investment advisors to the referenced funds. Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, is affiliated with Guggenheim, GFIA and GPIM.
Jaipur (Rajasthan), December 28

Resident doctors in Rajasthan on Wednesday ended their strike after a meeting of nearly eight-hour-long with government officials turned out to be a successful one.

The doctors were on a strike over demands related to better work conditions, including salary benefits.

The meeting was held between a delegation of doctors led by Ajay Chaudhary, president of All Rajasthan In-service Doctors Association (ARISDA), and state Health Minister Kali Charan Saraf along with others.

Earlier on December 25, Rajasthan High Court directed the state government to take action the striking doctors.

An agreement between the ARISDA and the state government was earlier signed following the strike in November, but that proved to be in vain.

ARISDA then announced they would go on strike from December 18 again. But, the state government invoked the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) to prevent doctors from going on strike.  ANI.
Kannur (Kerala), December 28

A CPI(M) worker suffered serious injuries in an attack by suspected BJP workers at Panoor in the politically volatile district.

Police said the legs of the 55-year-old Chandran were almost severed in the attack and he has been rushed to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

The ruling CPI(M) alleged that the BJP activists were behind the attack.

The attack comes a day after a bilateral peace meeting of the leaders of the CPI(M) and BJP was held in Kannur in the presence of District Collector Mir Mohammed Ali, in which both parties agreed to initiate peace efforts in areas that had witnessed violence recently.

In Thiruvananthapuram, CPI(M) area committee member of Vanchiyoor, S L Saju, was attacked by an armed gang late last night.

He has been admitted to the medical college hospital here with serious injuries.

CPI(M) district secretary Anavoor Nagappan alleged that BJP-RSS activists were behind the attack. A hartal is being observed in the area of the incident.

On December 19, Praveen, an RSS worker, was critically injured after he was attacked by a group of unidentified persons in Kannur. He suffered injuries in the attack. PTI
Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 28

In display of rare unanimity, both Houses today jointly endorsed Foreign Minister Sushma Swarajs statement on the Kulbhushan Jadhav matter and condemned strongly Pakistans obnoxious behaviour.

Apprising Parliament of the meeting between Jadhav and his wife and mother in Islamabad on December 25, Swaraj dismissed Pakistans claims of it being a humanitarian gesture. The truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. There was a serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Shri Jadhav and an intimidating atmosphere was created for them during this meeting, the minister said amid thumping of desks.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Swaraj recalled the manner in which Jadhavs family was treated by Pakistani authorities and harassed by an abusive local media despite a prior understanding not to allow access to press.

She said India sent a note verbale to Islamabad on Wednesday to register its diplomatic protests against its ill-treatment of the family. While the meeting could have been a step forward, it is a matter of great concern that there was departure from the agreed understandings between the two countries in the conduct of this meeting. The emotional moment between a mother and her son, and a wife and her husband after a period of 22 months was misused by Pakistan as an instrument to further its propaganda, said Swaraj.

India had issued a battery of charges a day after the meeting, which the Pakistani foreign ministry dismissed as baseless and false.

The family members were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the Deputy High Commissioner of India, who had accompanied the family members for this meeting. Consequently, he could not see that the family members were being taken for the meeting after changing their attire and removing their bindi, bangles and mangal sutra. Otherwise, he would have objected then and there, stressed Sushma with JP Singh, Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad, also present in Parliament during her statement.

Reacting to reports that Pakistan is testing some metallic substance found in wife Chetana Jadhavs shoes that were confiscated before the meeting and not returned, Swaraj called the accusation absurdity beyond measure.

Opposition members in Rajya Sabha had given notice under Section 267 to discuss the issue, but Chairman Venkaiah Naidu reminded members of the sensitivities involved with Jadhav still in Pakistani custody.

Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress associating with the statement added that the behaviour meted out to Jadhavs family was an ill-treatment of all Indians. D Raja of the CPI appreciating the governments efforts to secure Jadhavs release hoped as a mature country, India would not allow the situation to worsen hostility between the two neighbours. In Lok Sabha, Pakistan murdabad slogans were raised as parties joined in asking the international community to take note.
Beijing, December 28

A Tibetan filmmaker jailed in China for making a film about the Olympics and Tibet has arrived in the United States after escaping from China, an activist group that campaigned for his release said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Dhondup Wangchen was jailed for six years in late 2009 in the western province of Qinghai after he made a documentary in which ordinary Tibetans praised the Dalai Lama and complained about how their culture had been trampled upon.

The film, Leaving Fear Behind, features a series of interviews with Tibetans who talk about how they still love their exiled spiritual leader and thought the 2008 Beijing Olympics would do little to improve their lives.

The film was shown in secret to a small group of foreign reporters in Beijing during the Olympics.

In a statement late on Wednesday in Beijing, the group Filming for Tibet said Dhondup Wangchen had arrived in San Francisco that day.

After many years, this is the first time Im enjoying the feeling of safety and freedom, the group quoted him as saying.

I would like to thank everyone who made it possible for me to hold my wife and children in my arms again. However, I also feel the pain of having left behind my country, Tibet. Dhondup Wangchen had been released from prison in June 2014 in the Qinghai provincial capital of Xining but remained under tight surveillance with his movements and communications monitored, the group said.

Dhondup Wangchen was able to successfully evade the authorities and flee from his home area in Tibet and then the Peoples Republic of China altogether, it added, without giving details.

Asked about the case, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing that she was not aware of it. The Xining police declined to comment and the Qinghai provincial government did not answer telephone calls.

Qinghai, which borders the Tibet Autonomous Region, is home to a large ethnic Tibetan population and is considered by many Tibetans as part of greater Tibet. It is also the birthplace of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Chinese forces entered Buddhist Tibet in 1950 in what the government terms a peaceful liberation, and says its rule has brought prosperity and freedom to what was a backward and feudal society, including freeing a million people from serfdom, China routinely rejects accusations from exiles and rights groups of repression and human rights abuses in the region.

There have been sporadic protests against Chinese rule in Tibetan parts of China for the past few years, most seriously in 2008 ahead of the Beijing Olympics. Reuters
Washington/Seoul, December 28

The United States and South Korea will hold talks on the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) on January 5 in Washington, US and South Korean trade officials said on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw from the trade deal, which was hammered out by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump wants to change the agreement to help cut the United States nearly $28 billion trade deficit with South Korea.

Senior US lawmakers and the US Chamber of Commerce, Americas biggest business lobby, have urged Trump not to pull out of the five-year-old deal.  Reuters.
Caracas, December 28

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says the cash-strapped country has picked an oil field to back its proposed digital currency called the petro.

Maduros comments on Thursday proposed the crypto-currency to shed some light on the governments project for which few public details have been released.

He identifies the field as the Ayacucho Block of the Orinoco Belt and says it has proven reserves of more than 5 billion barrels of oil.

Maduro says each barrel of oil pumped there will equal one petro.

The president first proposed the crypto-currency early in December as a way to fight what he calls a financial blockade by the Trump administration against the socialist- run country.

Venezuela has been in a deepening financial crisis since global crude prices fell and its production levels crashed.  AP.
A truck-tolling project in Rhode Island, fought by the trucking industry, has received a federal go-ahead. It's expected construction of the first two electronic truck-only tolling locations on Interstate 95 will begin in January.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation received notification from the Federal Highway Administration that the environmental assessment process has been concluded for the first two electronic truck-only tolling locations on I-95.

The FHWA determined that the implementation would have no significant impact on the human environment and signed a Finding of No Significant Impact for the Environmental Assessment, conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

RIDOT will direct its tolling contractor to begin final design of the tolling gantries and associated technology. Construction of the gantries is expected to take place in January, with a period of testing to follow. RIDOT anticipates revenue collection to begin by late February, but only go live with the system when the tolling contractor has certified that all systems are working properly.

In early December, American Trucking Associations challenged the states own environmental assessment, urging the FHWA to reject the findings. ATA claimed that the report contained several errors and made clear its opposition to the truck-only tolls, stating that they set a dangerous precedent for other states. ATA president Chris Spear vowed to fight against the truck tolls for as long as it takes and declared the lobbys intent to defeat the tolling portion of Rhode Works through any legislative, regulatory, and legal means.

Peter Alviti, RIDOT director, said the FHWA's "Finding of No Significant Impact confirms what we have been saying all along, that truck-only tolling will not have an adverse impact on the communities along our highways. It is a fair system addressing a user fee for the large trucks who do the most damage to our roads and bridges, and will provide a dedicated and reliable revenue stream to help maintain our transportation system."

Toll Locations 1 and 2 are both located along Interstate 95 (I-95) in the southwestern part of Rhode Island. Each toll location functions independently of one another and is associated with the reconstruction or replacement of specific bridges in accordance with the Rhode Island Bridge Replacement, Reconstruction, and Maintenance Fund state law known as RhodeWorks.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands - 28 December 2017 - Intertrust N.V. ("Intertrust" or "Company") [Euronext: INTER], a leading global provider of high-value trust, corporate and fund services, today announces that it has repurchased 116,300 ordinary Intertrust shares at an average price of EUR 15.4588 per share in the period from 18 December 2017 up to and including 22 December 2017.

The aggregate consideration for this repurchase was EUR 1.80 million. This repurchase was made as part of the Company's share repurchase programme, which was announced on 13 November 2017.

The total number of shares repurchased under this programme up to and including 22 December 2017 is 869,811 shares for a total aggregate consideration of EUR 12.99 million.

Approximately 850,000 shares will be used for employee stock ownership and incentive plans vesting in 2018 and 2019, with the remainder of the repurchased shares to be cancelled (after approval by the general meeting of shareholders). Further details on the share repurchase transactions can be found on the Company's website.

This press release contains information which is to be made publicly available under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014.

For further information

Intertrust N.V. marieke.palstra@intertrustgroup.com

Marieke Palstra Tel: +31 20 577 1157

Director of Investor Relations, Marketing & Communications

About Intertrust

Intertrust is a leading global provider of high-value trust, corporate and fund services, with approximately 2,500 employees located throughout a network of 39 offices in 28 jurisdictions across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle-East. The Company delivers high-quality, tailored services to its clients with a view to building long-term relationships. Intertrust's business services offering is comprised of corporate services, fund services, capital market services, and private wealth services. Intertrust has leading market positions in selected key geographic markets of its industry, including the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Jersey, and the Cayman Islands. Intertrust works with global law firms and accountancy firms, multi-national corporations, financial institutions, fund managers, high net worth individuals and family offices.
A Boston Avenue high-rise is preparing for a new look.

Plans call for a Hyatt Place Hotel in the 13-story building at 400 S. Boston Ave., according to building permits filed in December. The hotel is scheduled to have 103 units, documents show.

Backing the project is River City Development, whose managing member is Jim Hawkins.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Hawkins declined to comment.

River City has been a leader in downtown development.

Earlier this year and just down the street from the 400 South Boston building, it opened The Meridia, a nine-story, 93-unit apartment complex with first-floor retail (Poke Bowl Love) at 522 S. Boston Ave. That project revived the former Enterprise Building, which had sat virtually unoccupied for more than two decades.

River City also redeveloped the upper floors of the Philtower into lofts in the mid-2000s in what was among the first major revitalization projects downtown.

The 400 South Boston Building opened in 1967 as headquarters of the Home Federal Savings & Loan Association, which later became Sooner Federal Savings & Loan, according to Tulsa World archives.

The curtain walls of the building were made of a new reflective glass developed by Pittsburgh Plate Glass and designed to save the builders 22 tons of air conditioning that would have been required had regular glass been used, according to the buildings 1967 grand opening brochure.

The top floor features an exclusive board room/event center, with a brick and copper fireplace, pegged oak floors and 18-foot walnut wall panels, according to the River City Development website.
A Sand Springs resident recently celebrated the publishing of his book From Praha to Prague: Czechs in an Oklahoma Farm Town about how Czech immigrants embraced their new home of Prague, Oklahoma, while maintaining their cultural identity.

Thousands of Czechs left their homes in Bohemia and Moravia to come to the U.S. around the turn of the twentieth century. Many settled in major cities while others settled in rural areas out west to claim land of their own for farming, according to a press release.

The author, Tulsa Community College Assistant Professor of History Philip Smith began his story when a group of Czech immigrants came to Oklahoma during the 1891 land run and settled in east-central Oklahoma.

Its really about America alsoabout (immigrants) coming here to make a better life for themselves, Smith said of the book.

He wrote that by 1930, the Czechs in Prague joined churches and worked to become assimilated into their community while maintaining their unique traditions, such as participating in the Bohemian Hall society.

Smith noted three of the towns seven city council members were Czech immigrants at one point.

A lot of native-born (people) were voting for them, he said.

Smith said it took about a year and a half to conduct research for the book. The research included going through personal family histories and records in Prague.

The more I got into it, the more I felt I came to know these people, he said.

From Praha to Prague: Czechs in an Oklahoma Farm Town was published by the University of Oklahoma Press.
Parent Sherita Brown had been at her job working with disabled high school students for 11 years but hit a ceiling.

The 32-year-old couldnt get any more promotions without more education. But with five children  four of whom are adopted nieces and nephews  finding the time and money was difficult.

One day, she received a flier from her 3-year-old daughters early childhood program about an opportunity to enter a nursing career at no cost. It was already something she had been considering.

My grandma was a nurse, and growing up I heard her stories about nursing, Brown said. Id always been interested in the medical field. When this came up, I took it as a sign to go for it.

The CareerAdvance program has been offered as part of the Tulsa Head Start program (administered by the Community Action Project of Tulsa County) since 2009 as the parent training part of a two-generation approach to ending generational poverty.

In the past year, the program has received national attention as results from researchers at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, show positive outcomes in parent education and employment, parent psychological well-being and child attendance.

Surprise findings: Its unique to marry an early education program with workforce development for parents. Usually, programs have only one focus.

As Northwestern University researchers were conducting a study of Head Start centers across the country, they learned that parents, staff and board members wanted to add workforce training to improve economic stability. They started searching for a place offering such an opportunity.

We discovered the innovative work of CAP Tulsa and their CareerAdvance program, said Teresa Eckrich Sommer, research associate professor of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University.

CareerAdvance offers intensive, quality services for children and their parents to promote the education of both generations simultaneously.  We were attracted to the comprehensive, aligned and intensive nature of CAP Tulsas services to parents and children alike.

Adult workforce training programs have had some positive, yet mixed, results, Sommer said. Those focused on parents have not been historically effective because of a light-touch nature.

Unlike most adult workforce training programs, two-generation programs see parenthood as a motivation rather than a barrier to improvements in parents education and employment, Sommer said. Two-generation programs help parents see the connection between their own educational advancement and their childrens.

Northwestern University has concluded the first year of the three-year study. It found that 61 percent of Head Start parents in the CareerAdvance program obtained a career certificate, compared to 3 percent of a comparison group of parents not in the program.

Also, 49 percent of participating parents were employed in the health-care sector, compared to 31 percent of the comparison group.

Participating parents childrens attendance rate was 3 percentage points higher, and their absenteeism was 17 percentage points lower.

The surprise findings were in the emotional outlook of Head Start parents returning to school. Researchers originally thought these parents would have high stress levels.

Surprisingly, we did not see increases in either stress or psychological distress, Sommer said.

Moreover, parents who were enrolled in the program had higher rates of optimism, self-efficacy and career attachment compared to the matched comparison group.

We look forward to learning more about the effects of the program on children after parents have participated in the program for two years.

Mutual benefits: A single mother, Brown had been focused on providing food, shelter and clothing for her family rather than on finishing college. She lives with her parents to help with the bills.

I had to make sure I had money instead of education, she said.

She graduated from Union High School and had attended some college. She had a child at age 23 and adopted four family members. Her children include a 10-year-old boy, two 9-year-olds (boy and girl), a 7-year-old boy and a 3-year-old daughter.

As she got into the intensive, six-week CareerAdvance program to become a certified nursing assistant, she noticed a change in the children.

They came home and would do their work versus me having to tell them to do it, Brown said. At first, they asked, How do you go back to school? Youre a mom. I said, Moms do go to school. We have to do better for ourselves to do better for you.

The children do try to work hard, help me and try to be the best students.

Brown recently graduated and landed a job in the Pediatrics Unit at St. John Medical Center. She plans to seek even higher education and licensing.

Im interested in working with, helping and caring for people. Im going to stick with the medical and nursing field, Brown said. I did not expect this and am so thankful I had this opportunity. Im more confident in getting my education.

Before, I wasnt able to do that because I had to take care of the kids. Now I know I have a support system. They were there to make sure I didnt fail. Having that support system  with child care  helped me to get the most out of my education.
Because Democrats have been wandering aimlessly since the 2016 election, I thought it would be helpful to give them some suggestions to help them get out of their funk in my fourth annual "Suggestions for Liberals" column. So here goes:

We reap what we sow.

The 1960s Sexual Revolution is why there is a #MeToo movement. We are reaping the toxic side effects from the highly sexualized culture you created. As much disdain as you have for moral absolutes, understand they exist for good reason. Rather than being morally honest with yourself, you've weaponized your newfound principles for political purposes. Moreover, you have the audacity to appoint yourself as judge and jury over this monster you created. Please know that conservatives have no interest in your fake "moral awakening." It's your problem. Fix it.

Quit howling over tax reform.

While it's not perfect, the GOP's $1.5 trillion tax overhaul is a historic victory for Americans and should be celebrated. Even left-leaning groups like Tax Policy Center confirm the bill helps the vast majority of taxpayers. And the evil corporations getting big breaks may end up hiring some of your snowflake sons and daughters, so lighten up. If you are not interested in having more of your money, give it back. Better yet, act like a conservative and donate it to charity.

Choose a side.

The struggle between the Sanders-Ellison-Elizabeth Warren Progressive wing and the corporate interest wing of your party is mutual assured destruction. You are hemorrhaging supporters. A study done by Global Strategy Group discovered many of your party's base voters did something extraordinary in 2016. They voted for Donald Trump. In fact, the study found the Obama-turned-Trump voters, "effectively accounted for more than two-thirds of the reason Clinton lost." No wonder you wanted to blame it on Russia and are gung-ho on destroying President Trump. You would be better served cleaning up your own house.

Ditch the arrogance.

Doug Jones' victory in Alabama's United States Senate special election wasn't the earth-shattering, seismic win some suggest. Democrats didn't win as much as Republicans defeated themselves. Flawed candidates lose. Ask Hillary. If there was one candidate in Alabama a Democrat could beat, it was Roy Moore. Odds are, Senator-elect Jones' will not win re-election in 2020 because his political views put him extreme left of most Alabama voters.

Drop the drama.

You'd need less therapy appointments if you quit acting like spoiled children whose parents took away their favorite pacifier since Trump's election. Utilizing totalitarian methods to accuse Trump of totalitarianism is a little rich, wouldn't you say? As kindhearted as they are, everyday Americans are sick of your antics. They've decided the only way to thwart your misbehavior is fight back because they know you have no interest in compromise or coexistence. Relinquishing unresolved anger will add quality to your life, so why not just let it go, man, let it go.

Consider the good.

One year into Trump's presidency and ISIS is defeated. That alone is "yuge," but add to that Trump decertified the Iran deal, pulled out of the Paris accords, and declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On Nov. 9, 2016, voters resurrected consumer confidence from the grave in which Obama buried it. Now the stock market soars and the economy roars, unlike former President Obama's crummy economy that stalled to a pathetic 1.6 percent growth. "Obamacare"'s mandate is repealed and ANWR is open to oil and gas exploration, thanks to the GOP tax bill. Neil Gorsuch's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court along with the flurry of young, judicial appointments means the judiciary system is positively reshaped for decades.All this winning is awesome. Celebrate it.

I hope this helps.

2018 Susan Stamper Brown. Brown lives in Alaska and writes about culture, politics and current events. She is a regular contributor to Townhall and The Christian Post. Susan's nationally syndicated column is published in scores of newspapers and publications across the U.S.She was selected as one of America's 40 Best Conservative columnists for 2017, and one of the 50 Best for 2015 and 2016. Contact her by Facebook or at writestamper@gmail.com.
THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MGX Minerals Inc. (MGX or the Company) (CSE:XMG) (FKT:1MG) (OTC:MGXMF) is pleased to announce that it has closed the second and final tranche of a non-brokered, private placement for 2,434,716 flow through units ("FT Units") at a price of $1.05 per FT Unit for gross proceeds of $2,556,451.80 (the Offering). The aggregate gross proceeds raised under the Offering was $5,803,253.40 through the issuance of an aggregate of 5,526,908 FT Units. The FT Offering was made concurrently with a private placement of non flow through units (NFT Units), which raised aggregate gross proceeds of $7,137,000 (see press release dated December 21, 2017).

Each FT Unit is comprised of one Common Share issued on a flow-through basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a FT Warrant). Each FT Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional Common Share, on a non-flow through basis, for a period of 36 months at a price of $1.15.

The FT Unit proceeds will be used for qualified mineral exploration expenses on the Companys projects in Canada.

In connection with the private placements for NFT Units and FT Units, the Company paid a finder's fee to EMD Financial Inc. (EMD) equal to a cash payment of 8% of the gross proceeds raised from purchasers of the NFT and FT Units introduced to the Company by EMD, common shares of the Company equal to 4% of the total number of NFT and FT Units sold to purchasers introduced by EMD, and non-transferable warrants equal to 4% of the total number of NFT and FT Units sold to purchasers introduced by EMD (the Finder Warrants). Each Finder Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at a price of CA$1.15 for a period of 36 months following the closing date. In connection with the NFT and FT Unit financings, EMD received a total of $722,740.27 in commission, 439,556 finders shares and 439,556 Finders Warrants. EMD also received a corporate finance fee of $50,000.

The securities issued pursuant to the Offering and the other above matters are subject to a hold period of four months and one day.

About MGX Minerals

MGX Minerals is a diversified Canadian resource company with interests in petrolithium, magnesium and silicon assets throughout North America. Learn more at www.mgxminerals.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

This news release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements including the completion of the rights offering (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "potentially" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.
NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTC PINK: TAUG ) ("Tauriga" or the "Company"), engaged in building business through the development, distribution, and licensing of proprietary products as well as the evaluation of potential acquisition opportunities/equity investments, today announced that the entirety of its retail grade HerMan product inventory (marketable inventory) has now been delivered by the New Jersey based Manufacturer (10,000 Units). These 10,000 units of product inventory have been received at the fulfillment center of Taurigas licensor, Cleveland, Ohio based cosmetics firm Ice + Jam LLC (Ice + Jam). The Company previously disclosed, on December 7, 2017, that multiple customer orders had been placed for the product; there have also been a number of orders received via the internet ( http://www.iceandjam.com/shop/herman-cupuacu-butter-balm) .



From a composition analysis, HerMan is primarily composed of the compound Theobroma Grandiflorium (Cupuacu Butter or Superfruit) to leverage the potential benefits that have been well documented historically (see paragraph directly below).

Cupuacu Butter is derived from the fruit of the Cupuacu Tree; a tropical rainforest tree related to Cacao (the base of chocolate production). Common throughout the Amazon basin (South America), it is widely cultivated in the jungles of Colombia, Bolivia and Peru and in the north of Brazil, with the largest production in Para, followed by Amazonas, Rondonia and Acre. Cupuacu Butter is a good plant-based alternative to lanolin, offering the capacity to attract 240% more water allowing it to function much more effectively as a skin hydrator and moisturizer. In addition, though its not recognized as an SPF (Sun Protection Factor), Cupuacu Butter is well known for its ability to absorb damaging UVA / UVB rays (Ultra Violet Rays) for natural sun protection.

ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES, INC.

Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTC PINK: TAUG ) is engaged in building business through the development, distribution, and licensing of proprietary products as well as the evaluation of potential acquisition opportunities/equity investments. The Company is presently focused on its upcoming contemplated launch of a Cupacu Butter based lip balm product branded under the name: Herman. The Company believes that one of its most important strengths is its access to and relationships with potentially substantial distribution systems and networks. The Company intends to capitalize on distribution opportunities and will continually update shareholders on such developments. Please visit the Corporate Website at www.tauriga.com

ABOUT ICE + JAM LLC

Ice + Jam LLC is a fast growing cosmetics products firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Ice + Jam LLC fuses bold color & luxe ingredients with a dash of wit to create rule-breaking beauty products with one goal in mind: empower your lips. Founded in June 2013 by Ivy Evans & Jamie A. Murphy, Ice + Jam harnesses their industry experience, passion and creativity into a beauty brand that's all about being crazy, clever and confident. It's time to put your best lip forward with Ice + Jam's unreal lip-plumper and bold, long-lasting colors. The company's website: ( www.iceandjam.com )

This press release contains information about Ice + Jam, its business, products and other information contained on Ice + Jam's website. Tauriga is not responsible for this information, the accuracy of it or the practices of Ice + Jam or the content or the information on Ice + Jam's website, nor is any such information deemed to be or actually incorporated into Tauriga's website or this press release.

NON SOLICITATION:

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is not permitted. Any securities offered or issued in connection with the above-referenced merger and/or investment have not been registered, and will be offered pursuant to an exemption from registration.

DISCLAIMER:

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation: expectations, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, beliefs, plans and objectives regarding the development, use and marketability of products as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones (i.e. SEC Periodic Filings, Filing of Proxies, etc.). Such forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on Tauriga's predictions with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences and timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in documents filed from time to time by Tauriga with the Securities and Exchange Commission.




Sustained coop vital to address Somalias challenges

United Nations, Dec 28 (UNI) In a year which saw millions of Somali civilians displaced by armed conflict and thousands more killed and wounded in violence, the United Nations envoy to the country has called for sustained cooperation to tackle a number of pressing challenges.

No one should underestimate the many challenges ahead, and the serious issues that continue to retard and even threaten further progress, said Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia.

These include pervasive corruption, most obviously in politics, and powerbrokers willingness to use violence, or the threat of violence, against opponents, he added. Noting that the militants have retained the capacity to mount such devastating attacks, Mr Keating also emphasized that the terrorist group thrives, among other things, on the absence of functional local government and on the many conflicts around the country.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tower One Wireless Corp (CSE:TO) (OTCQB:TOWTF) (Frankfurt:1P3N) (Tower One or the Company) announced today that it intends to apply for a warrant price reduction with the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE).



Under a previous early warrant exercise program, the Company was successful in raising $1,132,340 pursuant to the early exercise of 3,744,466 Placement Warrants, inclusive of 585,117 agents warrants. As part of this previous early exercise warrant program, Tower One issued an additional 3,774,466 warrants (the Bonus Warrants) to those warrant holders that exercised their Placement Warrants. The Bonus Warrants are exercisable at a price of $.50 per shares until July 21, 2018.

Tower One proposes to conduct another early warrant exercise program pursuant to which it reduces the price of both the Placement Warrants, of which 11,740,446 remain, and the Bonus Warrants to $.25, and in consideration of their exercise by February 16, 2018 grants each warrant holder who has elected to exercise their warrants a bonus warrant (the New Bonus Warrant), with each New Bonus Warrant being exercisable into an additional common share of TO at a price of $.40 for a period of 6 months from date of issue.

The Company believes this will give warrant holders the right incentive to exercise their warrants (which in the case of the Placement Warrants will otherwise expire unexercised on January 12).

Further, subject to CSE approval of the warrant price reduction, Tower One wishes to engage Mackie Research Capital Corporation (MRCC) to provide services in connection with the incentive program, including the solicitation of the warrant holders to participate in the incentive program. In consideration of such services, the Company has agreed pay MRCC a fee of 8% of the amount of funds raised under the incentive program (other than from insiders) and to issue MRCC a new warrant equal to 8% of the New Bonus Warrants, entitling MRCC to acquire units of the Company at an exercise price of $.25 per unit, with each unit comprising one common share and one non- transferable share purchase warrant entitling MRCC to acquire an additional common share in the capital of the Company at a price of $.40 per share for 6 months from issuance.

There are no guarantees of CSE approval, and the Company will provide investors an update once it receives a decision from the CSE.

About Tower One Wireless Corp.

Tower One builds, owns, and leases a portfolio of wireless infrastructure assets to wireless carriers on long term contracts. Tower One is one of a few publicly traded small cap companies in the tower and wireless infrastructure industry. Tower One is operated by a team of telecom and finance professionals with a long history in the telecom and wireless infrastructure business. At Managements election 30 million shares issued to Tower One Management cannot be sold for three years. Tower One Wireless is currently focused on 4G & 5G LTE infrastructure expansion in Latin America.

The CSE has not reviewed, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities law and may not be offered or sold in the United States, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

Contact:

Robert Nick Horsley, Director

nick@toweronewireless.com

(604) 559-8051

www.toweronewireless.com

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which include regulatory approvals and other matters. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding looking wording such as may, expect, estimate, anticipate, intend, believe and continue or the negative thereof or similar variations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward looking statements will not occur. Forward-looking statement are necessarily based upon a number of factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements express or implied by such statements. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the state of the economy in general and capital markets in particular, present and future business strategies, the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. There can be no assurance that the proposed Transaction will be completed or, if completed, will be successful.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events, level of activity, performance or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: (i) that environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous; (ii) that the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; (iii) risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions with the business; (v) competition; (iv) the uncertainty of profitability based upon the Companys history of losses; (xiii) risks related to environmental regulation and liability; (vi) risks associated with failure to maintain community acceptance, agreements and permissions (generally referred to as social licence); (vii) risks relating to obtaining and maintaining all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations relating to the continued operation and development of the Companys projects; (viii) risks related to the outcome of legal actions; (ix) political and regulatory risks; (x) risks related to current global financial conditions; and (xi) other risks and uncertainties related to the Companys prospects, assets and business strategy. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include, litigation, global economic climate, loss of key employees and consultants, additional funding requirements, changes in laws, competition, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements.
LOS ANGELES, CA, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: ENDV) ("Endonovo" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage developer of non-invasive electroceuticals for the treatment of vascular diseases and inflammatory conditions, today provided an update on the acquisition of the PEMF assets from Rio Grande Neurosciences, its clinical pipeline targeting central nervous system disorders and its pre-clinical study on post-MI remodeling.

The Company is currently in the process of transferring all of the assets it has acquired from Rio Grande Neurosciences and registering with the Food and Drug Administration to become regulatory compliant. These important steps must be completed in order for the Company to pursue the commercialization its tPEMF technology.

Endonovo's pipeline in central nervous system (CNS) disorders includes currently planned clinical trials to evaluate its tPEMF therapy in post-concussion syndrome, acute sports-related concussion and an open label study to generate preliminary clinical data on adjunctive tPEMF therapy in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The Company is seeking to further expand its clinical pipeline to evaluate its tPEMF therapy in ischemic stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The Company believes that its non-invasive technology has the potential to become standard care in the treatment of CNS disorders because its technology operates via induction (the generation of small electric currents in brain tissue) to quell neuroinflammation; promote neuroprotection and the formation of new blood vessels. The Company believes that its technology addresses the major setback limiting the development of treatments for CNS disorders, the blood-brain-barrier (BBB), which prevents the delivery of efficacious levels of drugs to the central nervous system (CNS). Unlike pharmaceutical-based treatments, the blood-brain-barrier cannot hinder the delivery of the Company's tPEMF therapy to the brain parenchyma, which is one of the major hurdles to the effective treatment of CNS disorders.

Furthermore, the Company is finalizing the data on its pre-clinical study to assess the efficacy of its non-invasive electroceutical for the treatment and prevention of heart failure following myocardial infarction and will release the results early in the first quarter of 2018. Endonovo had previously released data from its pre-clinical study, which found treatment with the Company's non-invasive electroceutical two or three times per day resulted in significantly increased cardiac function and reduced ventricular remodeling. Treatment with the Company's Immunotronics technology two or three times per day resulted in significantly improved Ejection Fraction (EF), Fractional Shortening (FS), Heart Weight-to-Body Weight Ratio (HW/BW), Left Ventricular Diastolic Pressure (LVDP), Left Ventricular End-Systolic Diameter (LVESD), and Interventricular Septal Dimension at Systole (IVSS).





About Ischemic Stroke:

Ischemic strokes occur because of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain and accounts for about 87 percent of all strokes, according to the American Heart Association. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , about 800,000 new strokes occur in the United States each year. The total, direct medical stroke-related costs are expected to triple between 2012 and 2030 from $71.6 billion to $184.1 billion, according to the American Heart Association . There is currently only one FDA Approved treatment for ischemic stroke, which must be administered within three hours of stroke. However, according to the American Stroke Association , only 22 to 31 percent of acute ischemic stroke patients present themselves to the emergency department within 3 hours of the onset of symptoms. This hyper-acute treatment window means that individuals that experience a stroke during the night, alone, or in a rural area may have significant trouble in reaching the hospital in time and benefiting from this treatment.





About Targeted-Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (tPEMF):

Targeted-Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (tPEMF) use radiofrequency waves at 27.12 MHz to deliver electromagnetic energy to tissues. The Company's tPEMF technology works by restoring key electrochemical process that initiate the anti-inflammatory and growth factor cascades necessary for healing to occur. tPEMF technology has been shown to accelerate the production of the endogenous constitutive nitric oxide synthase systems (cNOS): the anti-inflammatory system, resulting in increased blood and lymph flow, and decreased pain and edema.

The Company's tPEMF technology has been evaluated in 5 randomized controlled clinical trials and has demonstrated significant reductions in pain, edema and use of pain medication.

In pre-clinical studies of neuroinflammation and brain injury, the Company's tPEMF technology has demonstrated significant reduction of neuroinflammation, including a 5-fold reduction of IL-1 beta, a master regulator of neuroinflammation, when compared to untreated animals. Furthermore, in pre-clinical studies of angiogenesis (promotion of new blood vessels), the Company's tPEMF technology demonstrated a 500 percent increase in angiogenesis at 8 weeks.

An Overview of the Company's tPEMF Technology can be found in the presentations page on the Investor Section of the Company's website.





About Endonovo Therapeutics

Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage developer of non-invasive electroceuticals for the treatment of vascular diseases, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and inflammatory conditions. The Company's non-invasive electroceuticals use targeted-Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (tPEMF) to induce micro-currents in tissues to target proinflammatory, fibrogenic and regenerative signaling pathways for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as for the treatment of chronic kidney and liver disease. Endonovo Therapeutics' is developing a pipeline of electroceutical-based therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and chronic wounds. The Company's tPEMF technology using short wave radiofrequency at 27.12 MHz has been FDA-cleared and has a CE Mark for the treatment of soft tissue injuries and post-operative pain and edema, as well as CMS National Coverage for the treatment of chronic wounds. Endonovo is developing a clinical pipeline using tPEMF for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including post-concussion syndrome, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), and multiple sclerosis.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, trends, analysis, and other information contained in this press release including words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," and other similar expressions of opinion, constitute forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results described within the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could contribute to such differences include those matters more fully disclosed in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of the press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Investors: Sign Up for Email Alerts on Endonovo




Editors note: UTSA students, faculty, staff and alumni are building a legacy of excellence locally, across the nation and around the world. Theyre tackling societys grand challenges and making impactful contributions through research, innovation and engagement.

To celebrate Roadrunner Nations biggest accomplishments, UTSA Today is looking back at the top news stories of 2017. Heres number four.

(Dec. 28, 2017) -- UTSA is ranked among the top four young universities in the United States and among the top 68 young universities in the world under 50 years old, according to Times Higher Education's prestigious Young University Rankings. UTSA's international standing increased nine places from 2016, when it was ranked No. 77.

The 2017 ranking, released today, included 200 universities under the age of 50 from around the world and measured excellence in teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income.

UTSA scored particularly strong in the citations category, which measured research influence by examining the number of times a university's published research was cited by scholars around the world. To develop the measurement, which accounted for 30 percent of the ranking's overall score, Times Higher Education reviewed the citations of more than 11.3 million journal articles from 2011 to 2015.

UTSA also ranked high in research, which accounted for an additional 30 percent of the overall ranking. UTSA s a top-tier research university with core strengths in cybersecurity and cloud computing, brain health and biomedicine, social issues, education, advanced materials and sustainability. Over the last decade, it has expanded its research initiatives and created additional research opportunities for students by recruiting faculty members who are highly sought-after in their fields. These researchers joined UTSA from universities such as Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Stanford, Purdue and MIT.

Other UTSA strengths included international outlook, reflecting its ability to attract students, faculty members and research collaborators from around the world, and industry income, which measured UTSA's commercialization activity including innovations, inventions and industry consultancies.

"Times Higher Education's rankings are widely considered some of the most respected international measures of excellence in higher education," said UTSA Interim President Dr. Pedro Reyes. "This ranking is an affirmation that our academic and research programs are among the top in the world and our students are getting world-class education and training to prepare them for their careers."

Only four other U.S. universities made this year's Young Universities list. They include UT-Dallas (#21), Rush University (#33), George Mason University (#47) and Florida International University (#89).

This is the fifth time that UTSA has been included in Times Higher Education's Young University Rankings. The university also was included in the publication's 2012, 2013 and 2014 and 2016 rankings.
English Finnish

Municipality Finance Plc

Stock Exchange Release

December 28, 2017 at 4.30 pm (EET)

O-SII buffer requirement of MuniFin is subject to change

Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA) has set an addition capital requirement of 1.0% for Municipality Finance Plc as a credit institution significant for the Finnish financial system (O-SII) at its meeting of 21 December 2017.

MuniFin is able to meet clearly all capital requirements set to it, including this O-SII buffer requirement. The O-SII buffer requirement will take effect on 1 July 2018. The current O-SII buffer requirement for MuniFin is 0.5%.

The change is based is based on the scoring specified in the current guideline of the European Banking Authority (EBA) and supervisory information for the periods following Nordea's restructuring in January 2017, reported to the FIN-FSA on 30 June 2017.

MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

Esa Kallio

Interim CEO

Tel. +358 50 3377 953

Measured by the group's balance sheet, MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is Finland's second largest credit institution: the company's balance sheet totals nearly EUR 34 billion. The company is owned by Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the Republic of Finland. MuniFin is an integral part of the Finnish public economy.

MuniFin's mission is to help its customers thrive in changing circumstances. The company ensures competitive funding for its customers in all market conditions. Its customers are Finnish municipalities, municipal federations, municipally controlled companies and non-profit housing corporations. Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centers, schools and day care centers, and homes for the elderly.

MuniFin's customers are domestic but the company operates in a completely global business environment. It is the most active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.

The Municipality Finance Group also includes the subsidiary company, Financial Advisory Services Inspira Ltd.

Read more: www.munifin.fi
GAITHERSBURG, MD, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



RealBiz Media Group, Inc. (OTCQB: RBIZ), currently operating as Verus Foods (the Company), announced today that it entered into a settlement agreement dated December 22, 2017 (the Settlement Agreement) with respect to the lawsuits between the Company and Monaker Group, Inc. (Monaker). The Settlement Agreement represents a global settlement that resolves all lawsuits between the Company, Monaker and other parties named in these lawsuits.

Pursuant to the terms of a court order dated August 2017, all negotiations on behalf of the Company were handled by Alex Aliksanyan, the Companys former Chief Executive Officer. Pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Company shall reissue 44,470,101 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and 10,559,890 shares of common stock to Monaker. In addition, NestBuilder.com Corp. (NestBuilder) shall issue Monaker 44,470,101 shares of its common stock. Furthermore, Monaker shall (i) pay NestBuilder $100,000 in cash, (ii) issue NestBuilder 20,000 shares of its common stock and (iii) transfer 8,326,630 shares of the Companys common stock to NestBuilder.

Additionally, former RealBiz Chairman and current Monaker Director, Don Monaco, has agreed to provide the Company with favorable, non-dilutive, debt financing effective January 2, 2018. I believe in Verus Foods business model and want to help the company begin its growth phase, explained Mr. Monaco. This funding provides the company with the solid footing it needs as it lines up additional sources of working capital. I am looking forward to watching the Verus story unfold in 2018.

The Company will update investors in the near future concerning the planned name and symbol change, reverse split, and other anticipated corporate actions that can now move forward following these events.

I am happy that all of the pending lawsuits with Monaker have been resolved and am eager to focus on building our international food business, commented Anshu Bhatnagar, the Companys CEO. But, equally important, we are grateful to Don Monaco for his vote of confidence in our future. His funding gives us some much-needed breathing room and allows us to finally put our business plan into action as well as paying off other more dilutive debt. We have a great deal of work ahead of us, but we can now enter 2018 with a renewed sense of optimism and momentum for Verus Foods.

About RealBiz Media Group, Inc.

RealBiz Media Group, Inc. consists of two business segments: an international food subsidiary (Verus Foods) that sells products to customers worldwide; and a real estate digital media and technology company. RealBiz Media Group, Inc. (OTCQB: RBIZ) trades on the OTCQB venture stage marketplace for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies. Investors can find Real-Time quotes and market information for the company on www.otcmarkets.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified by the use of the words could, believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, expect, may, continue, predict, potential, project and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake 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.






Carson Kitchen, known for its urban neighborhood style decor and award-winning comfort food, is pleased to announce the addition of Scott Simon as the new executive chef. After a four-year stint in the Windy City, Chef Simon  brother of the late Kerry Simon  will return to Sin City to helm the Downtown restaurant, just in time for the new year.

We are thrilled to announce Scott Simon as our new executive chef, said Cory Harwell, president of Simon Hospitality Group. Chef Simon was mentored by Kerry throughout the beginning of his culinary career and for many years the duo worked side-by-side  his expertise and exceptional talent reflect that and we are very excited to welcome him back to Las Vegas and have him a part of the team at Carson Kitchen.

The Illinois native left home at the age of 18 to follow in his older brother Kerry Simons footsteps to pursue a culinary career. Kerry Simon mentored Scott Simon and taught him everything, from knife skills to time management and how to deal with the high pressure of the restaurant business. Scott Simon kicked off his culinary career in Miami at Blue Star, the restaurant at the iconic Raleigh Hotel, where Kerry Simon was part owner and executive chef. Under Kerry Simons mentorship, Scott Simon refined his talents at a number of Kerry Simons restaurant ventures in South Beach and later worked for five years as a sous chef in Arizona for a large fitness facility.

In 2002, Scott Simon moved to Las Vegas and worked for various restaurants such Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Cathouse at the Luxor and the famous Simon Restaurant and Lounge at Palms Place. In 2013, he moved back to his hometown of Chicago to open Chucks: A Kerry Simon Kitchen, and since then has also consulted on other national and international projects such as Simon Kitchen + Bar in Palm Springs and Simon Mansion in Punta Cana. Now with over 26 years of culinary experience and many years alongside his brother Kerry Simon, Scott Simon is ready to embark on a new journey at Carson Kitchen.

Kerry and I shared a passion of food and cooking, and I am excited to carry on his legacy at one of his last restaurant ventures, here in Las Vegas, Carson Kitchen, said Scott Simon. Since the opening, Carson Kitchen has continued to keep Kerrys spirit alive, and I am beyond honored to serve as the executive chef, and bring a new energy and enthusiasm to the restaurant.

In addition, Carson Kitchen has debuted an all-new winter menu. Guests are invited to indulge a variety of comfort food-inspired dishes  perfect for the wintertime. Highlights include Black Mussels with toast to dip in a white wine, shallot, and nduja broth; Young Beets salad tossed with pistachios, red and green grapes, and goat cheese; Chicken Thighs served on a bed of pumpkin puree and sherry jus, as well as a Red Snapper in a panang curry topped with crispy rice noodles, to name a few. To finish the meal just right, guests can try the Banoffee Pie served in a mason jar, topped with Baileys whipped cream and a homemade chocolate biscotti.
Disneyland park workers stop people from approaching the entrance as the turnstiles are roped off at the entrance of the park in Anaheim, California. (Photo source: Dan Greenspan via AP)

Visitors at "Toontown" and "Fantasyland" attractions were plunged into darkness, as was the monorail that runs through the park, local media said.

It was not immediately clear how long it might take to restore power fully at one of California's most popular attractions.

The park was near full, during the busy Christmas vacation season.

"We had an issue with one of our transformers. So we lost power to certain areas of Disneyland park earlier today," said Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown.

"Power has been restored to Toontown and we still have some areas of the park that are without power.

"The monorail is one of the attractions that are down ... (but) the majority of the park is operating," she added.
Big shot Hanoi buyers are looking to spread the wealth to the provinces

A range of real estate projects have been introduced to Hanois market from Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Danang and Nha Trang. The projects include The Charm, Sunrise City, Ocean Villas, Hyatt Regency, Olalani, Fusion Alya, Azura and Blooming Park.

Talking with VIR at a recent road show to introduce Sunrise City, located in Ho Chi Minh, in Hanoi, Novaland Joint Stock Company marketing deputy director Huynh Du An said many units were sold to Hanoians and those from northern provinces.

Meanwhile, a range of other central and southern projects have been rushing into Hanoi. Setia Becamex launched Binh Duong provinces Ecolakes My Phuoc in the capital late last week, a week before TD Group introduced the Costa Nha Trang to Hanoians. This week Singapores Guoco Lands Canary, located at the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Binh Duong province, will be unveiled to northern customers.

Bringing Ecolakes My Phuoc to Hanois market is one of our key marketing strategies. Hanoians are paying more attention to higher standards of living and are interested in ecological housing, said Khoo Teck Chong, general director of Setia Becamex.

VIR was told that for many projects in the central and southern parts, roughly 70 per cent of customers were from Hanoi and other northern provinces.

Matthew Koziora, sales director of VinaCapital - developer of the Azura in Danang, said the first 60 units, out of 225, were launched in Hanoi recently.

Out of the 40 units sold, 90 per cent of the buyers had come from Hanoi.

Hanoi has, according to Koziora, proven itself to be a key market for most new projects in Vietnam, given the demographics of these immediate catchments.

While condominium offerings will always be available in Hanoi due to previous pent-up demands, we can see that not all projects will enjoy a healthy sell-through, as was seen 12 months ago.

We do see, however, given the price differentials between house and land packages in Hanoi versus Ho Chi Minh City, that this market will be better received in the current marketplace and over the next six months as opposed to condominium project offerings at this time, Koziora said

Ngo Huu Truong, managing director of a real estate agency in Ho Chi Minh City, said many customers from Hanoi and Haiphong had come to Ho Chi Minh City to find out information about new projects there.

Demand is real and many projects investors have realised this trend and they are coming to Hanoi to promote their projects, Truong said.

He also said the jury was still out on how effective the promotions were.

I think that these developers [who bring their projects to Hanoi] have at least seen their target to raise their image and brand names in northern customers, Truong said.
Mondelez International took over Kinh Do Corporations confectionery business and rebranded it Mondelez Kinh Do, Photo: Le Toan

Local brands in foreigners hands

Last week, Vietnams number-one brewery Sabeco was acquired by Thai Beverage (ThaiBev) in a $4.8 billion deal. This is the latest development in Vietnams booming merger-and-acquisition (M&A) market, which usually sees foreign investors purchasing top domestic firms and renaming their brands.

Another recent high-profile transaction came in Mondelez International taking over Kinh Do Corporations confectionery business and rebranding it Mondelez Kinh Do. In 2016, the Korean conglomerate CJ bought out Cau Tre Foods and changed the brands name to CJ Cau Tre.

Some other takeovers, such as the Daesang takeover of Duc Viet Foods and the ThaiBev purchase of Sabeco, have not included any rebranding, but at the very least, foreign buyers have gained control of the market share and distribution network that these Vietnamese firms have built up throughout the years.

This trend started in the 1990s, when the British-Dutch conglomerate Unilever took over the Vietnamese toothpaste brand P/S and brought its own brand Close-Up to Vietnam through the P/S distribution network. In a more extreme case, Da Lan toothpaste, which was a top consumer brand in the late 20th century, disappeared after being acquired by the American firm Colgate.

Some experts are concerned that, as Vietnam becomes more open to overseas M&As, the country may lose its well-established brands to foreign investors. Following the Sabeco sale, economic expert Pham Chi Lan expressed her concern that foreigners may treat long-standing Vietnamese brands as disposable vehicles for their market expansion.

Im sad to see Vietnamese brands, after so many years of development, being taken over by overseas buyers. I think of this as a big loss for Vietnamese pride, she said.

Branding has also been a cause of dispute between Vietnams Bibica Corporation and its major shareholder, South Koreas Lotte Group. Bibica refused to rebrand itself as Lotte Bibica or distribute Lottes products in Vietnam, which has led to tension between the partners. This conflict was only resolved when a Vietnamese investor acquired enough shares to counterbalance Lottes influence in Bibica.

Local brand Da Lan toothpaste disappeared after being acquired by the American firm Colgate

Let the market decide

Other experts acknowledged their concern in losing Vietnamese brands, but shared a more positive viewpoint on this sensitive matter. Kelvin Tan, CEO of HSBC Thailand, told VIR that M&As should be considered long-term partnerships rather than hostile takeovers.

Thai investors and Vietnamese companies can collaborate to provide the highest-quality products to Vietnamese consumers, as well as help Vietnamese brands expand overseas. Competition between Thai and Vietnamese products will result in more choices to consumers in Vietnam, which I believe is a good thing, said Tan.

Similarly, Tran Manh Hung, head of Baker & McKenzies Intellectual Property Department in Vietnam, said that these M&As will force Vietnamese domestic brands to change, adapt, and comply with international rules, outweighing concerns about the brands losing out in their home market.

According to Hung, foreign investments in Vietnamese brands will make them stronger and more competitive in international markets. M&As should be seen as encouraging news as they show that Vietnam is continuing to be regarded as one of the most dynamic and attractive markets in Asia and the world.

In the Sabeco case, Thai Beverage is expected to improve the state-owned firms productivity and efficiency, as well as helping it export products overseas.

Nguyen Duc Hung Linh, director of Retail Research and Investment Advisory at Saigon Securities Incorporation, said that he understood the feeling of national pride attached to popular Vietnamese brands. However, he believes that the Vietnamese economy needs foreign investments to grow and help develop domestic companies.

Vietnamese businesses are not strong enough on their own to expand overseas, so the country still needs to woo foreign capital. Hopefully, with the help of foreign investors, we can see more Vietnamese brands in global markets in the next three to five years, Linh said.

Linh also pointed out that foreign investors should not be accused of mistreating Vietnamese brands if they conducted the M&As according to market rules and help to improve efficiency.

In some cases, according to Linh, domestic investors are more likely to be guilty of exploiting companies for their own gain, without contributing to corporate governance or market expansion. This practice is usually called group interests in Vietnam, in which domestic investors partner with dishonest government officers to buy out firms via questionable transactions.
FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):

The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:

Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Ladbrokes Coral Group PLC (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:



(e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:

For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 27 December, 2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?

If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" YES, GVC Holdings plc

2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:



28 1/3p ordinary



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



63,740,677 3.3266



(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL: 63,740,677 3.3266





All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit





(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. CFD Nature of dealing

e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit 28 1/3p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 400,000 1.7700 GBP

(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type

e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit





(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing

e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:

Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



NONE





(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:

(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or

(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:

If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" NONE









(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO

Date of disclosure: 28 December 2017 Contact name: James Gange Telephone number: 212-446-4029

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.
During 2016-2017, the Vietnam-based branch was recorded to sustain a strong and consistent sales performance, demonstrating a positive contribution to customer experience through upgrading its services and products, such as advanced innovations in delivering suitable protection products. Additionally, the company has been raising the standards of service quality over its six years of operation in the country.

The representatives of Generali Vietnam received the "Excellent Brand 2017" award

To date, the insurance firm introduced a diversified portfolio comprising of major product lines, such as VITA-Wealthy Health, VITA-Sheer Security, and VITA-Live Jolly.

The majority of the firms insurance products and services were designed with distinctive characteristics, such as simple and transparent policy wording and reasonable cost, in order to meet the huge demand of Vietnamese people.

Additionally, the insurance firm was the first in the field to initiate the modern net promoter score (NPS) programme, the sole purpose of which is to support customer experience by for instance paying more attention to each customer and gauging the loyalty of the firms clients.

Tina Nguyen, CEO of Generali Vietnam, asserted, We (Generali Vietnam) pride on being part of one of the most famous and oldest insurance groups in the world with a strong international presence. The Generali brand in Vietnam has been built through not only marketing activities, but also other initiatives such as recruitment, human resources development, product development, and service improvement. Generali Vietnam has nearly 18,000 brand ambassadorsemployees and financial advisors providing insurance services to over 160,000 customers nationwide.

Members of the firm's board of management receiving the award and certificate

Launched in 2011, Generali Vietnam is regarded as one of the fastest-growing firms in the Vietnamese life insurance sector in terms of revenue. The Vietnamese branch recently raised its charter capital to VND2.8 trillion ($123.4 million), making it one of the largest firms in the life insurance market.

Generali Group, founded in 1831, is an Italy-headquartered insurance group which earned its position as one of the leading insurance groups in Western Europe with total premium income exceeding $83.52 billion in 2016.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

"Though I very much hoped to be able to recover my vocal cords in time to pick the tour back up in January, and after exploring many options to that effect, I have accepted that this is an injury that simply needs more time and care to heal," Shakira said in a statement on her website.

The "Hips Don't Lie" star cancelled the European leg of her "El Dorado World Tour" in November.

She said she hoped to resume the tour in June 2018 with concerts in Europe, the United States and Latin America.

"I feel for all of you who planned ahead to come to these shows and who have been so patient as I took the time needed to figure out the best course of action with my doctors," Shakira said.

"I really can't wait for June!" she added. "I promise to give you all of me and more from the minute I get on that stage and I am counting the days till showtime!"
Samir Dixit, managing director of Brand Finance Asia Pacific

Brand Finance, in association with local representative Mibrand Vietnam, a branding consulting firm today held the conference titled "Managing and Strengthening Brand Strength Index" and certified Vietnams Top 50 most valuable brandsconfirming the development and brand strength of the domestic enterprises in 2017.

In particular, the total value of the Top 50 brands in Vietnam was recorded at $11,279 billion. There are many big brands on the list, showing that Vietnamese enterprises are gradually catching up with the global trend of investing in intangibles, typically brand value.

Vietnam's 10 most valuable brands in 2017

There are two billion-dollar brands. Viettel was valued at $2.57 billion and Vinamilk at $1.36 billion. These are followed by VNPT ($726 million), VinHomes ($604 million), Sabeco ($598 million), PetroVietnam ($456 million), Mobifone ($391 million), Vinaphone ($314 million), Vietnam Airlines ($310 million), and Thaco Truong Hai Auto ($298 million).

According to the report, the top 10 brands make up 68 per cent of the total brand value on the list.

Out of the top 50, Vinamilk managed to improve its brand the most in terms of absolute value, posting an increase of $352 million compared to 2016. Vietnam Airlines improved the most by brand strength, from rating A (55) in 2016 to AA (74).

Hoa Binh rose the fastest this year by jumping up 14 places, and VTEC has the highest brand value/enterprise value ratio of 56 per cent.

At the conference, Samir Dixit, managing director of Brand Finance Asia Pacific focused on the hot issues in the Vietnamese business community and managing and strengthening the Brand Strength Index.

He said: Vietnamese corporates have always focused on promoting sales through marketing activities with little or no focus on branding. The brand is a key business asset that drives the price premium, competiveness, and significantly higher shareholder value. It is also the only appreciating asset that a company owns yet it is also the least invested into.

The value of the brand as an intangible asset, therefore, must be managed as part of a structured management agenda and not left to simple sales and promotional activities. These, in fact, destroy the value of the brand, Dixit said.

Lai Tien Manh, director of Mibrand and country representative of Brand Finance in Vietnam

Talking about managing and strengthening brand strength, Lai Tien Manh, director of Mibrand and country representative of Brand Finance in Vietnam, said: Brand Finance and Mibrand are developing a long-term programme aiming to effectively improve brand value for corporations in Vietnam. It starts with awareness of the importance of intangible assets, measurement of capabilities according to international standards, strategic communications planning for effective positioning, increasing competitiveness, and incorporating the brand value on the balance sheet. Todays event is part of this strategic branding programme.

At the conference, the managing director of Brand Finance Asia Pacific handed over certificates to the representatives of Vietnams Top 50 brands.

Samir Dixit handing over a certificate to Vietnam Airlines

Brand Finance Plc. is a world-leading independent brand valuation and business strategy consultancy firm, with a global footprint of over 20 offices worldwide. Annually, Brand Finance valuates more than 70,000 brands all over the world.

This is the second year Vietnam has been listed among the countries to be evaluated by Brand Finance. This is the only ranking qualified by ISO 10668 on evlaluation standards. The brand value estimated by Brand Finance is accepted in tax declaration, auditing, and M&A.
MIAMI, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miami-based United American Corp ("UnitedCorp"), (OTC:UAMA) announced today that it has created a new wholly-owned subsidiary, United Blockchain Corp (United Blockchain) (Delaware), in order to commercialize BlockNum, its patent pending blockchain technology.



This follows UnitedCorps announcement last week of the BlockNum(TM) technology, a Proof-of-Consensus PSTN SIP-based distributed ledger network architecture. BlockNum(TM) uses a token engine which transports them over the Public Switched Telephone Network. Using BlockNum, United Blockchain will be able to provide any company the capability to operate a cryptotoken-based business using smart contracts and blockchains.

UnitedCorp believes that this is the future for financial and service transactions between parties and that most if not all businesses operations and personal transactions will eventually occur via some form of cryptotoken using Smart Contracts on a decentralized blockchain environment. BlockNum(TM) is designed for easy implementation within existing company financial processes.

United Blockchain will focus initially on telecom and technology companies that wish to transport their Smart Contract tokens and currencies over the PSTN for instant global reach. The first such project will be with TNW, a Canadian based carrier where United Blockchain will transform TNWs mobile, fixed and Internet services as well as its cloud based services voice and data service exclusively to a token-based ecosystem using the GIGA transport token.

When fully implemented all service payments for mobile, residential Internet, voice, private networks as well as social media monetization will be manageable and rendered through a single transport token under BlockNum(TM).

The entire United Blockchain back end is expected to be managed by smart contracts by the end of Q2 coinciding with the production release of BlockNum, 2018, improving scalability and efficiency of the company as the PSTN by its very nature is universal and instantly scalable as BlockNum allows the creation of personal wallets based on phone numbers.

Cryptographically-based distributed ledger currencies such as Bitcoin and Smart Contract-based networks such as Ethereum will provide amazing improvement in our lives, but simply are not sustainable or scalable as standalone technologies, stated Benoit Laliberte, UnitedCorps President. We believe that BlockNum will eventually permit anyone to have immediate and global access to both fiat and crypto currencies or Smart Contract-based tokens through the use of the most basic and widely available network - their phone numbers.

UnitedCorp recently completed an initial round of private placement funding and is currently working on a second round that is planned for early in the new year.

About United American Corp

Established in 1992, United American Corp is a Florida-based development and management company focusing on telecommunications technologies. The company currently holds the rights to manage a portfolio of patent and proprietary technology in telecommunications, social media and more recently in Blockchain PSTN technology. For more information, visit: www.unitedcorp.com



This news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors that may be beyond the Companys control. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Companys management on the date the statements are made, and the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances in managements expectations or opinions change.

Source:

United American Corp



Contact:

Jenna Trevor-Deutsch

Investor Relations

investorrelations@unitedcorp.com

604 398 5000 ext: 109

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/69688a50-a223-4e7e-9a34-501012e1af77
'Thank you' hardly seems like enough
No matter which holiday you observe at the end of the year, a Criterion release of The Breakfast Club with never-before-seen footage is a gift that film fans everywhere can celebrate together. Thats right, in addition to all that 4K digital-restoration jazz and interviews with cast members, there will also be 50 minutes of previously unreleased scenes. This is the epic cut of John Hughess detention classic, so prepare to remember the joy of experiencing The Breakfast Club for the first time. Vulture has a sneak peak of a deleted scene featuring Molly Ringwald trying to make some headway in her relationship with Ally Sheedy while they have bathroom girl time. Sheedy has other plans.
Bookseller One Grand Books has asked celebrities to name the ten titles theyd take to a desert island, and theyve shared the results with Vulture. Below is graphic designer and author Chip Kidds list.

Batman:Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

So many Batman stories and graphic novels to choose from, but I think this ranks No. 1  with Millers The Dark Knight Returns a close second. To civilians (noncomics fans), I describe this work as a great urban crime drama that just happens to have Batman in it. With a little Dostoyevsky mixed in  really.

Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov

As a brilliantly merciless portrait of mid-20th-century middle America alone, this book is a masterpiece. But we all know it is much more than that. I tend to see it as an intriguingly fiendish parody of Moby-Dick.

Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, by Chris Ware

Full disclosure: I was the acquiring editor of this book for Pantheon, and back in 1999, I pitched it to the Random House sales force as The Ulysses of comics. I think that description holds up just fine 18 years and just as many reprintings later.

Obedience to Authority, by Stanley Milgram

This book completely changed the way I think about design problem-solving and how it can work. The descendant of Polish Jews who escaped 1930s Europe just in time, Milgram somehow re-created the workings of Nazi Germany in a small laboratory at Yale University in 1961.

Hazmat, by J.D. McClatchy

Another full disclosure: The author is my husband of 22 years and counting, and this is my favorite of his books that I designed for him (my favorite cover, too). But I must add that it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, so its not like Im entirely biased.

Our Town, a play by Thornton Wilder

I might be cheating by putting a play on this list, but so what  its the best one of the 20th century (okay, let the arguments begin); and it bears endless revisits. The juxtaposition of a thoroughly homespun premise of two families at the turn of the century eventually evolves into a stunning and groundbreaking example of what it means to understand the value of life while youre living it. Have tissues at the ready.

Rabbit, Run, by John Updike

Whenever anyone asks me where Im from, I ask them if theyre familiar with Updikes Rabbit books. If they are, then they know exactly what it was like where I grew up. Updikes father was my fathers high-school math teacher in tiny Shillington, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Reading. That the author returned to this completely unremarkable place for inspiration throughout his lifelong career is a source of endless fascination for me. I used to joke that it was like a great painter being inspired by the color beige.

Nine Stories, by J.D. Salinger

I know this is more than a little obvious, but its also the only book of his that I enjoy rereading. There, I said it. In both A Perfect Day for Bananafish and For Esme With Love and Squalor are two very different and devastating depictions of PTSD, a full seven decades before it was a thing.

Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Forbidden love so intense and torturous that the characters patiently endure decades of its aching promise just to see if it can ever be consummated. No spoilers here, except to say, Fuck!!

Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami

Its hard to pick just one of Murakamis works, but this is my favorite. Impossible to adequately describe here, but its probably the only novel in which Colonel Sanders (yes, that one) will scare the hell out of you, and then later make you cry tears of joy.
Dylan Sprouse. Photo: Rowan Daly

In 2013, exDisney Channel star Dylan Sprouse turned up behind the counter of a coffee shop in the East Village, pouring lattes and craft beers. It startled more than a few customers.

I think they were just confused, Sprouse says. At 25, he retains the wide-grinned mischief of his Disney Channel days, and his lustrous blond hair has grown down to his shoulders. I was just doing what I impulsively thought I needed to do. And I knew Id have a great time doing it. At the time, he felt obliged to reassure his fans, via Tumblr, that he wasnt struggling or destitute. People would come up to me and be like, You must have fucked up.

Along with his brother, Cole, Dylan Sprouse is best known as one half of the Sprouse twins, the identical-twin duo who starred in 158 episodes of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and its spinoff, The Suite Life on Deck, not to mention The Suite Life Movie and the Thats So Suite Life of Hannah Montana crossover special. At the height of Zack & Cody, they were earning a reported $40,000 per episode combined, and on track to be a sibling phenomenon of Olsen proportions.

In 2011, the twins withdrew from the public eye in extraordinary fashion. They quit the Suite Life, and the Disney Channel, and enrolled at NYU  Dylan embarking on a course in video-game design, and Cole studying photography. The two had been an onscreen package deal since they were 8-month-old co-stars in a diaper commercial. For much of their lives, and especially during the seven years of Zack & Cody, their very inseparability and interchangeability have been essential to their collective appeal and identity.

But lately, theyve forged their own, distinct paths. Earlier this year, Cole reemerged in Riverdale, CWs shadowy Archie series, playing a raven-haired Jughead. In August, he won the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor in a drama. Dylan is becoming increasingly visible, too (Dylan Sprouse is New Yorks newest party boy, W magazine declared after he was spotted at Heidi Klums Halloween party, dressed as Fabio), but, career-wise, hes sticking to the fringes.

In fact, his choices suggest a deliberate retreat from the mainstream and into the more esoteric corners of geek culture. Hes lent his voice to an upcoming RPG video game, plays Dungeons & Dragons in a YouTube/Twitch web series, and is developing an animated fantasy-series project of his own, set in ninth-century Scandinavia and populated by characters with names like Garm, Wotan, and Kvelduf.

His screen-acting work has been determinedly under the radar, too. This year, he shot an Italian neorealist-style short film, Carte Blanche, playing a hot young actor who has a breakdown, and starred in the video-on-demand thriller Dismissed as a sociopathic student. A couple of days after we spoke, he played a part in The Illuminati Ball, a promenade theater production in Brooklyn, and started shooting an indie comedy called Banana Split in early December.

I think Coles in a place where hes very happy right now, Dylan says, whereas I would be happiest doing more films with a lower budget  independent, expressive, really small-scale. I tend to enjoy roles that I very closely identify with: fringe people and complicated characters, who might even be bad guys, or bad characters that have one redeeming quality. Thats closer to my idea of what my acting trajectory should be.

Lately, most of Sprouses attentions have been focused on his yet-to-open Williamsburg bar, the All-Wise Meadery, originally meant to open its doors in the summer, then the fall, but almost certainly opening, Sprouse assured me, by the end of winter.

Sprouse developed a passion for brewing while studying at NYU, at first to avoid having to get a fake ID. He eventually acquired that fake ID anyway, but kept brewing  making beer, vodka, moonshine, and bourbon  and interned for a time at a Brooklyn bourbon distillery. He became especially fond of mead, and hit upon an early form of his current recipe a couple of years ago. I really developed a love for it, he says, as an expression [of myself].

Sprouses bio on the All-Wise Meadery website  hes listed as Head Mazer  omits his House of Mouse past and notes that, when he is not brewing, he is managing things and often having a glass or two with patrons.

Ill definitely be doing that, he promises. Im a people person. Thats my bread and butter. Sprouse says hes happiest when showing everyone else a good time. The eagerness to please is partly due to his Disney media training, hes realized  he and his brother were holding court on morning talk shows well before their teens  and not always a positive thing.

I had to unlearn a lot of things that I had learned going to school. I used to be very scared of silence because I felt it was my responsibility to keep people occupied, he explains. That definitely spawns from an insecurity in myself. When people arent enjoying themselves, when Im involved, it somehow comes back to it being my fault. But I do want people to have a good time.

One challenge of interacting with the public, which Sprouse encountered during his coffee-shop stint: the phrase former child star, either uttered in a scandalous whisper or thrown in his face. That term is so derogatory. Isnt it always derogatory? Even young actor sounds better, Sprouse says. Youre already in a box. But they put you in a smaller box inside that box. It also implies past tense. It implies youve already failed, right? I was actually naive enough to think that people wouldnt think of it in that way.

Mickey Mouse Club Alums Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling Were Incredibly Close As Kids

In 2013, another Disney Channel alumnus, Joe Jonas, spoke at length to New York about the burden of being a Jonas Brother: the stifling pressure to conform and the desperate urge to defy his squeaky-clean image. Sprouse didnt empathize. I think its bullshit that they were being robbed of choice or creativity, he wrote of the Jonas Brothers at the time, again on his Tumblr page. If they wanted too [sic], they could have told Disney NO. Cole and I did this hundreds of times and we ended up all right. The only reason they didnt is because, like many of the people on that channel, I think they fell for the allure of fame. For their part, the Sprouses quit The Suite Life after Disney refused to give them the level of creative control they desired. I mean, we had a really awesome idea for where the show needed to go. We were 18, he says, meaningfully. If that isnt old enough to know exactly what the show needs, then  well, I would beg to disagree. (He also recalls that they picked their roles for themselves in the first place: Dylan a natural fit for the impudent Zack, Cole opting for the upstanding Cody.) I dont think [Disney] were willing to work with us, really ever. So we stopped the show.

But Sprouse has no regrets or ill feelings about any of it. If anything, apart from the former child star jibes, hes remarkably indifferent. Meh, he says with a theatrical shrug, then laughs. Im not one of those people that looks back at that experience and says, Oh, I want to rebel. I dont care that much. Its only stood to benefit me most of my life. Im opening up my brewery because of it  Sprouse put most of his money into it, he says  so I cant complain that much.

Life after Disney did bring some more existential challenges into focus. For one class assignment, Cole wrote an essay about the dual burdens of identical twindom and celebrity: When you are born into a body that takes the image of another, you ask yourself a question much like the famous chicken and egg conundrum. Do you take the form of he or does he take the form of you? Cole called the twins ostensible relationship a media dramatization  the behind-the-scenes reality, he suggested, was far more competitive, even claustrophobic.

Sprouse is wary of speaking for Cole, but admits that the two of them discussed the feelings in Coles essay in some detail. Those things always exist with your siblings, he says, especially if youre twins. People always want to compare you. But any sort of competition and claustrophobia that my brother and I have felt is usually enforced, either societally or through the media. And our primary role as each others, you know, not only twin, but biggest supporter, is to dispel that with each other. Right? Through conversation, and through, just, love.

By the time the brothers graduated in 2015, they were untroubled enough by their twindom that  in a switcheroo worthy of Zack & Cody  they traded places and accepted each others diplomas.

They do hang out  We got hamskied in a bowling alley just on the weekend, reports Sprouse  and continue to look at their fame with some amusement. Dylan cracks up at the mention of the old Zack & Cody video games (Theyre not exactly renowned), but will proudly point out that we have marijuana strains named after us. Theyre even intimately familiar with one of the creepier by-products of celebrity: Zack and Cody/Cole and Dylan twincest erotic fan-fiction. We used to troll each other with that gross-out shit, he says. Its  pretty gross. But its funny as fuck, come on. Some people get really creative.

Archie aficionados (and Sprouse enthusiasts) have pointed out that, in the comics, Jughead has a familial doppelganger of his own, named Souphead. Slim chance of Dylan making a Riverdale cameo, though. Dont tell my brother, he says, but Ive only seen the first episode.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cannabix Technologies Inc. (CSE:BLO) (the Company) reports at the request of IIROC (Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada), Cannabix wishes to confirm that the Company's management is unaware of any material change in the Company's operations that would account for the recent increase in market activity.



About Cannabix

Cannabix Technologies Inc. is a leader in marijuana breathalyzer development for law enforcement and the workplace. Cannabix has established breath testing technologies in the pursuit of bringing durable, portable hand-held tools to market to enhance detection of marijuana impaired driving offences on roads at a time when marijuana is becoming legal in many global jurisdictions. Cannabix is working to develop drug-testing devices that will detect THC - the psychoactive component of marijuana that causes intoxication - using breath samples. In Particular, Cannabix is focused on developing breath testing devices for detection of recent use of THC, in contrast to urine testing for THC metabolite that requires an invasive collection and reflects use days or even weeks earlier. The devices will also be useful for other practical applications such as testing employees in the workplace where intoxication by THC can be hazardous.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Cannabix

Rav Mlait

CEO & Director

Cannabix Technologies Inc.

For further information about Cannabix Technologies Inc. or this news release, please visit our website at www.cannabixtechnologies.com or contact the Company at info@cannabixtechnologies.com.
Enjoy. Photo: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Earlier this year, Milo Yiannopouloss book deal for his memoir Dangerous roiled the publishing industry  a decision that Simon & Schuster took back after comments Yiannopoulos made condoning pedophilia surfaced. Not one to back down from controversy, Yiannopoulos sued Simon & Schuster for $10 million for breach of contract. (Eventually, he self-published the book and threw himself a party.) Now at the close of 2017, the internet celebrates as evidence from the active lawsuit has been uploaded by the New York County Clerks office, including email exchanges between Yiannopoulous and his editor, Mitchell Ivers, as well as the entire annotated manuscript with every comment Ivers made. Weve pored over all of the documents and present to you Iverss best burns without context, because its really better that way.

When you refer to Leslie Jones in this book  AND YOU MUST  dont resort to jokes about her looks.

Delete irrelevant and superfluous ethnic joke.

Gratuitous.

I will not accept a manuscript that labels an entire class of people mentally ill.

So much inappropriate humor is irritating.

Lets leave cuck out of it here.

This is what people say about you.

You cant say ugly people are drawn to the left. Have you seen people at a Trump rally?

Dont start chapter with accusation that feminists = fat.

No need to drag the lesbians into this! And DONT use lesbian as a slur!

Feminists can care for children. (So can lesbians.)

This section is very incendiary. Every syllable will have to be carefully measured and then vetted.

Not worth explaining why the Kardashians are anti-black.

Paris Hilton is NOT the best authority to quote here.

The way you casually bring up the KKK makes no sense.

This is not true.

This is not true either.

Lets leave fecal waste analogies out of this chapter.

Stick with virgins. Perverts is unnecessary.

This is not the time or place for another black-dick joke.

Lets not call South Africa white.

Autists sounds like a mental-health slur.

Dont use trannies here  it just derails your argument.

Absurd name calling.

The use of a phrase like two faced backstabbing bitches diminishes your overall point.

Smorgasbords dont have bottoms.

Careful that the egotistical boasting that your young audience finds humorous doesnt make you seem juvenile to other readers.

This entire paragraph is just repeating Fake News. There was NO blood, NO semen and there was NO Satanism. Delete.

Stop spreading fake news.

If you want to make a case for gay men going back into the closet and marrying women just to have children, youre going to have to employ a lot more intellectual rigor than you use here.

This rumor cannot appear in this book.

Throughout the book, youre [sic] best points seem to be lost in a sea of self-aggrandizement and scattershot thinking.

This is a stupid way to end a terrible chapter.

NO!

DELETE UGH

Early on in the editing process in January, Yiannopoulous gave his own suggestions for improving the book  Im used to writing for people who already know me, he explains  which sounds like all he really wanted to do was write a lifestyle book:

- We need more personal anecdotes/more insight into my life  shopping, hotels entourage secret celebrity rendezvous, spending habits, haircare regime  proper 90s girl glam and the whole Ken doll from the underworld thing as I relate that to a tortured adolescence.

- Each chapter could start with a little tableau (see the Ugly chapter for an example) each designed to give a flavour of the MILO Experience and tips on how to be more like me, ending on something redeeming or amusing.

Other suggestions include:

- day I got banned [from Twitter] and how it felt? (I can pretend I felt something)

- how lovely the Trump movement really is

- letters from people i fat-shamed telling me how i changed their lives

- does it need more jokes?

- I still need to add more contemporary pop culture references and disses to really wind up social justice warriors aged 22 and not just SJWs 32 as currently

In his original email correspondences with Yiannopoulos, Ivers noted that the publisher still reserved the right to additional review and discussion of acceptability.

Full disclosure: New York Media has a four-book publishing deal with Simon & Schuster.
The old year ends Monday with a fresh 2018 ahead and whether your reaction is to kick the past year out with a good riddance or an open-armed welcome to a new year continuing more of the same, there are plenty of places to celebrate.

In contrast to past years when public celebrations seemed minimal, this years New Years offers multiple ways to mark the calendar turning from parties with the traditional food, drink and dancing to vintage jazz, exotic themes and even theatrical murder.

Heres a sampling of New Years Eve events, several in downtown Waco.

New Years Eve Murder Mystery, Dinner and Dance, 6:30-12:30 p.m., Hilton Waco, 113 S. University Parks Drive; $125.

Someone at Sundays New Years Eve party at the Waco Hilton doesnt make it out of 2017 alive  theatrically speaking, of course  and its the job of the remaining revelers at the Brazos Theatres New Years Eve Murder Mystery and Dance to find out why.

The mysterys presented by 10 players from Brazos Theatre, said theater director Beth Richards, with the storyline from the murder mystery Murder Plays a Sour Note.

It takes place within a 1955 supper club and theres a Guy Lombardo atmosphere to it, she said, referring to the Big Band leader whose orchestra became known for playing Auld Lang Syne on New Years Eve on the radio. We hope to make this a New Years tradition.

Theres also a three-course dinner by Hilton executive chef Nathaniel Gay, prizes for Best Sleuth, Best Dressed and Best Dancer, and dance music from the Texas Heatwave Band. The Hilton is offering a discounted room rate for those whod rather spend the night than drive home after the party.

Sparkle & Shine New Years Eve, 7 p.m.-1 a.m., Cultivate 7twelve, 712 Austin Ave.; $35 individual, $60 couple, $100 family.

Those looking for a place to mark the new year with family and friends without staying up so late might consider downtown arts space Cultivate 7twelves Sparkle & Shine New Years Eve. One of the options is an 11 oclock East Coast Ball Drop  a celebration of the new year an hour earlier than midnight in Texas (well, except for Hudspeth and El Paso counties).

Jeremy Hagman, who owns and operates Cultivate 7twelve with his wife Rebekah, said the earlier time is meant to accommodate parents with kids as well as those ready to call it a new year early, but the party doesnt stop there.

Were hoping to have a lot of families. The second ball drop is for the rest of our over-21 crowd, he said. Theres heavy hors doeuvres for all, plus mocktails from Luna Juice Bar and champagne from Barnetts Public House. The Hagmans are also steering interest to a rooftop wine tasting by Waco Winery next door at the winerys tasting room, 708 Austin Ave., for an additional $10.

Sunshine Recovery Houses will provide rides home for Sparkle & Shine New Years Eve partygoers and part of the evenings proceeds will benefit the organization.

New Years Eve Barkin Ball, 7 p.m., Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave.; $200.

The Barkin Ball, the largest New Years Eve party in town, continues to welcome the new year as it has for more than a decade as a fundraiser for non-lethal animal welfare organization Fuzzy Friends Rescue.

This years edition is themed Black & White Masquerade with food and drink catered by Eddie Deen & Company and music provided by the Fort Worth-based Taylor Pace Orchestra. Hilton Waco also is offering a discounted room rate for the night.

Shanghai Nights, 9:30 p.m. Hotel Indigo, 211 Clay Ave.; $125.

Hotel Indigo will transform its bar and lower level into a lantern-lit Asian atmosphere for its New Years Eve celebration, Shanghai Nights. Sales manager Cassie Garrett said its the hotels fifth year to host a themed New Years Eve and anticipates a crowd of about 200 for the occasion.

Shanghai Nights will feature heavy hors doeuvres, music provided by Austin DJ Smoov Q, and drinks, with higher-end bottle service available. Its always a theatrical event . . . Its like a getaway to Dallas or Austin, she said. Hotel Indigo is offering a discounted room rate for overnight guests.

Great Gatsby New Years Party, 7 p.m., Kissing Tree Vineyards, 109 W. Third Street, Eddy; $100. Call (254) 859-8039.

The music and dancing are blasts from the past at the Great Gatsby New Years Party at Eddys Kissing Tree Vineyards. Waco jazz pianist Dave Wild, guitarist Chuck Jennings and trumpeter Byron Swann lead a combo in a night of vintage jazz and dance music.

The evening starts with swing dance lessons for those who want to try new old-school steps and attendees are encouraged to dress in 1920s styles, said Vineyards manager Jake Taylor. A half-dozen stations in the winerys tasting room will pair foods with the vineyards wines. Kissing Tree Vineyards held a farm-to-table dinner limited to approximately 30 people for New Years Eve last year, he said, with two to three times that expected for this years event.

Other New Years Eve events include:

Sloppy Joe, 9 p.m., The Backyard, 511 S. Eighth St.; $10, $75-$100 for table for six.

Roger Kirby and Texas Heartbeat Band, 7:30 p.m., Geneva Hall, 740 S. Connally Drive, Elm Mott; $15, $25 per couple.

Bobby Dean & Timeless Country, 8 p.m., American Legion Post 121, 722 Leroy Parkway, Elm Mott; $15, $25 per couple.

The Ballou Cats (Cedric Ballou Band with Classie Ballou), 8 p.m. Rosatis Pizza, 824 Hewitt Drive.

Bubba Haze, 8 p.m., Papa Joes Texas Saloon, 1505 N. Frontage Road, Lorena; $10.

Tejano Crossroads Band with Conjunto Villarrial and Moses Villarrial, 8:30 p.m., Mutualista Hall, 2214 S. 15th St.; $10, with proceeds benefiting Waco Hispanic Museum.

Huser Brothers, 10 p.m., Lakeside Tavern, 6605 Airport Road; free.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued earlier today by Santa Fe Gold Corporation (OTC:SFEG), with the headline, "Santa Fe Gold Expected to Announce At Least Four New Acquisitions in The First Quarter of 2018," we are advised by the company of a change to the headline. The new headline is, "International Investment Group Increases Stake In Santa Fe Gold To $6M To Expand Portfolio of Production Assets." In addition, subheadlines have been added to the release. The corrected release follows:

International Investment Group Increases Stake In Santa Fe Gold To $6M To Expand Portfolio of Production Assets

Company Expects to Complete 100% of Purchase of Silver Mines: Bullard's Peak Corporation and Black Hawk Consolidated Mines In Opening Days of 2018, With Production Expected to Begin In The Interim Thereafter

Nearly $850,000 Recently Received As Additional Investment With More To Come, Demonstrates Increasingly Strong Statement Of Confidence In The Company's Strategic Development Plans And Highly Experienced Management Team

Santa Fe Gold Expected to Announce At Least Four New Acquisitions In The First Quarter of 2018

Santa Fe Gold Corporation (OTC:SFEG), a U.S. based mining and exploration enterprise with emphasis on Gold, Silver, Copper, Precious, Industrial and Base metals and owner of multiple claims, including the Malone Mines complex incorporating 20 associated mine sites, the Playas Lake Bed area of Hidalgo County, New Mexico and a Silver mining opportunity with a potential major Porphyry Silver discovery, is pleased to announce it has received an additional US$849,958.17 with additional funding expected from International Investment Group and its associated investors, bringing their overall stake in SFEG to upwards of $6 Million converted to equity at prices close to recent market quotes.

Completion of Purchase of AG1 Silver Mines Group

The Company expects to Complete 100% of Purchase of Bullard's Peak Corporation and Black Hawk Consolidated Mines comprising the AG1 Silver Mine and Potential Silver Porphyry Discovery and all other related assets within the first week of the New Year.

Four Highly Prospective Exciting New Acquisitions

The Company also anticipates announcing at least four new acquisitions within the early part of the first quarter, details of which will be announced in the near future with other potential acquisitions already being negotiated or in the process of acquisition. Company's aim is to continue to add quality high grade Gold and Silver mines and valuable metals and mineral deposits to its portfolio as outlined from inception under its new management.

President and CEO Tom Laws Comments

"We are delighted with the increased investment in Santa Fe Gold which demonstrates confidence in our ongoing near term plans. We expect to close on the AG1 Silver Mines early in the new year as well as being able to give additional details on why we are really excited about this and other new acquisitions. In addition, we are confident in our overall strategy and continued ability to secure very attractive properties and additional investments which reflects favorably on our capacity to identify, research, qualify and secure some exceptional additional acquisitions we are currently working on: We expect 2018 to be a very exciting year for Santa Fe shareholders."

About Santa Fe Gold

Santa Fe Gold is a U.S.-based mining and exploration enterprise and owns the following mining assets: The Knights Peak region of Grant County, New Mexico comprising the Malone Mines, Patanka, Hillcrest Barranca and Principal Mines, altogether incorporating some twenty mine sites and all located at Knights Peak, together with an expanded area surrounding the Malone Mines in the southern region of Burro Mountains, New Mexico. The company also owns very significant holdings in the Playas Lake Bed Area of Hidalgo County that includes the presences of Titanium ore and other rare earth minerals and deposits.

Santa Fe Gold is in the process of adding additional properties and two mining companies to its portfolio, with very substantial Silver holdings including Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese, Nickel and other rare earths currently being investigated. Currently historic data is being utilized to develop a current estimate of the gross value for these mines.

Santa Fe Golds Exploration and Development Team continues to be very active re acquisition of multiple additional properties as it finalizes analysis of a number of attractive, economically viable prospects. The company continues to execute on its aggressive acquisition program that is totally focused on positioning Santa Fe Gold to resume mining and production operations as expected in the near to medium term.

For more information and to register for updates:

Please visit www.santafegoldcorp.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Please refer to the Forward-Looking Statements link at the bottom left of Santa Fe Gold's website for all relevant disclosures.

Contact:

Santa Fe Gold Corporation

Frank Mueller, CFO

(505) 255-4852
The Area Agency on Aging is seeking volunteers to be trained in preventing health care fraud, with an emphasis on the rollout of new Medicare cards.

A training class is scheduled for Jan. 11. Anyone interested should call volunteer coordinator Janice Mancherian at 292-1871 by Jan. 4.

From April 2018 through April 2019, Medicare will be rolling out new Medicare Cards, which no longer use the beneficiarys Social Security number. This will help prevent future Medicare fraud and identity theft, but fraud may still occur before and during the distribution of the new card. The Area Agency on Aging is already receiving calls concerning fraud regarding the new Medicare Cards.

Scammers are asking for bank account or credit card numbers to pay for shipping and handling of the new cards. The agency reminds Medicare recipients that no one will call before sending new cards.

Medicare help

The Area Agency on Aging of the Heart of Texas is offering to send people to organizations to present a program on the new Medicare Card change for 2018. To request a presentation, call Janice Mancherian at 292-1871.

Fit 4 A Cause

Fit 4 A Cause, an organization with the purpose of bringing families together through fitness activities and to help nonprofit organizations in the Waco community, will host a New Year, New Fit You Bash from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at the Woodway Family Center.

The free family fitness event, appropriate for all fitness levels, will feature zumba with Lizette Luna, Raychel Mynarcik, and Ben Rosas; tabata with Van Davis; and yoga with Michelle Williams. Participants are asked to bring their yoga mats, water to drink, and jars of peanut butter to be donated to Caritas.

For more information, email Van Davis@baylor.edu or call 716-8605.

Spirit Bells perform

Spirit Bells, the 2017 winner of the National Federation of Music Clubs Handbell Award, will perform a short recital Jan. 6 as part of the Waco Euterpean Clubs celebration of 124 years of continuous involvement in promoting music.

The free event is from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Waco Federation of Womens Club, 2900 Bosque Blvd. For more information, call 723-1139.
A couple months into The Coves second year offering support to homeless Waco Independent School District students, attendance at the nonprofit has almost tripled, board members and co-founders said.

The Cove had 619 visits during a 59-day span this fall. In the 2016-2017 school year, the nonprofit had 440 visits across 118 days, said Kenneth McAdam, the organizations new program manager. The increase in visits is a sign more students are using The Cove as a safe haven after school, McAdam said.

This semester at The Cove has been an exciting semester, McAdam said. Its my first semester on staff, but Ive really enjoyed getting to work there and being part of the staff. Ive seen a lot of transition happen with students or a lot of transition with the way we do things.

The average nightly student-count has almost tripled compared to last school year, to more than 10 per night. The Cove has served 54 individual students so far this year, compared to 61 overall in the 2016-2017 school year, he said.

When The Cove opened in October 2016, students used about four hours after school to come and go as needed. Students have access to hot showers and laundry facilities, snacks, a family-style dinner, counseling, medical and hair-cutting services, case management and more. Students do not spend the night, but volunteers work diligently to make sure students have a safe place to go when necessary, board member Rosemary Townsend said.

The same services are offered, but because of the recent increase in demand, The Cove has tailored its operating hours to give the students a more structured schedule, with designated homework times, free time, time for motivational speakers and more, McAdam said.

At the beginning of the semester, that was hard for a lot of our students because they werent used to that structure at The Cove, he said. Now were seeing they love the structure and need the structure. Its something they want.

Outreach efforts have likely driven the increase in students coming in, McAdam said. After getting feedback last year that homeless students were scared to visit some place where they did not know anyone, McAdam and volunteers held luncheons at Waco ISD schools to meet in a familiar place with students who might need a little help.

From that, in the next two weeks, we saw eight new students, McAdam said. The thing that made the difference was us coming and saying hi to them, instead of just being at The Cove and waiting for them to come.

Overall, Waco ISD has about 1,600 students classified as homeless or unaccompanied youth: those who do not have an official legal guardian and often bounce from one location to another for shelter.

Im just so proud of Kenneth and the manner in which the students not only come for a hot meal, but can see The Cove as a resource and tool to get them to where they need to go, Townsend said.

A newly published study about homeless youth by the University of Chicagos Chapin Hall highlights how essential intervention is, said Cheryl Pooler, a Cove co-founder and board member. Pooler was also Waco ISDs homeless liaison before she left this year to continue her education in social work at Baylor University.

The study found at least one in 10 young adults age 18 to 25 experienced homelessness during a 12-month study period and that one in 30 youths age 13 to 17 experienced homelessness during the same time period. The study also fount that students who are homeless as youth are also likely to be homeless as adults, and students of color are even more at risk.

The study primarily confirmed what people who work with homeless youth already knew, Pooler said. One finding that stands out to her is that youth homelessness affects rural areas at similar rates as urban areas, she said.

The Cove has received calls this semester from surrounding school districts, like Connally, La Vega, Midway and Robinson, requesting services for their students, Pooler said. Officials are exploring options for other districts, but, for now at least, The Cove is limited to Waco ISD, she said.

Funding remains a top priority, Townsend said. Before the center opened last year, representatives were struggling to find enough support to make the operation self-sustaining. Now, that goal is achievable, and the center already has raised enough money to continue operating through next fiscal year, she said.

Were like any nonprofit. Donations are always welcome. Not only welcome, but needed, Townsend said. But Im so proud of a couple of things. Were extraordinarily grateful for individual donors, which right now, has been the backbone of The Cove. But we need not only individual donors, but grants and sustainable fundraisers.

The Cove needs about $100,000 to operate each year, Townsend said. Officials are also in the process of applying for a couple federal grants to help, Pooler said.

I just think because were new, were learning, and most importantly were listening to the students and incorporating their voice and what feels best for them, Pooler said. We sit down as a team and ask, What does this need to look like? and we figure it out together.
The love of libraries is real in Moody. In the past year, residents of the small town have joined forces to raise enough money and donate enough time to bring a new resource to their community.

The new Moody Community Library has enough room to host more community-oriented events and classes, and plans are in place to extend its hours to meet the expected demand.

Plus, there is no more fear of mouse sightings.

Library board members a little more than a year ago launched a fundraising effort to move into a new space that would be able to serve as more of a community center, a growing role for many libraries in the digital age.

The building that originally housed the library on Fifth Street in downtown Moody was built in 1916 and was long past its prime, board members said.

The board will try to sell the old space, but hope is limited because of damage and deterioration. Board members considered repairing the century-old building but found that renovation and maintenance costs would far outweigh a move to a new building.

Now located in the former home of K&E Trading Post LLC on Avenue D, just north of Lucys Cafe, the Moody Community Library will hold an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 6. Yoga classes have already started up, and a genealogy class will start at 10 a.m. Jan. 11 and continue for about six weeks.

Donations of time, money, materials and equipment made the project possible, board members said.

Lake Air Interiors donated the carpet. Net1 provided the library complimentary internet. A $50,000 grant from the Tocker Foundation paid for some new furniture. The Rapoport Foundation also donated money for the project, and the list goes on, said Jane Gates, the library boards fundraising chair.

Moody is that way, Gates said. They just come together and get things done.

Board President Anne Grimmett said even her grandchildren donated to the cause.

These guys could not imagine living in a place without a library, Grimmett said.

The nonprofit library will need continued financial support to maintain the jewel in Moody, but the maintenance work the old facility needed is no longer looming over board members heads, she said.

The library operates on $7,500 from the city, $5,000 from McLennan County and relies on donations and grants for the rest. It has one full-time employee.

In the previous location, the library averaged between 300 and 350 visits per month during most of the year, with brisker attendance during summer months.

Board members still want to purchase a sign and outdoor lighting for the new location and are in need of new front doors that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Its minor compared to where we started, Grimmett said.

The new location also has a fenced in green space along the side of the building, and the board hopes to eventually turn that into an outdoor reading and activity area, she said.
Billy Mack Dagley

1950 - 2017

Bill Dagley, 67, of Richmond, Texas went to his heavenly home on Friday, December 22, 2017. A celebration of his life will be at 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 29, at Grand Parkway Baptist Church, 12000 FM 1464, Richmond, TX. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 28, at Sugar Land Mortuary, 1818 Eldridge, Sugar Land, Texas.

Bill was born in Waco on August 8, 1950, and was a graduate of Richfield High School; he received his bachelors and masters degrees from Baylor University.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Dagley.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Donna Dagley; sons, Geof Dagley and wife, Kelly, Greg Dagley and wife, Amber, and Jason Dagley; brother, Larry J. Dagley and wife, Norma; mother, La Verne Dagley; and nine grandchildren.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the American Heart Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Association.
Lonnie Graves

Oct. 6, 1915 - Dec. 21, 2017

His motto and one of his favorite songs "Wait on the Lord" describes his faithful journey to Heaven102 years agoLonnie was born in Satin Texas to parents Mike and Luvella Graves. They loved and cherished him and his seven siblings. Lonnie lived his entire life in Satin, Texas.

He attended school at Rock Dam School in Satin where he finished ninth grade at the top of his class. Although he was encouraged to attend college he chose to stay home to work and help his father care for his siblings after the early death of his mother. He was a bible scholar; self-taught musician, and authored two books at the age of eighty-seven! He had a remarkable memory for facts and statistics!

In 1940, he married his one and only wife; the love of his life Bertha Mae Scott. They lived on a farm where he worked as the foreman. He fathered five children; Lonnie Graves Jr., Cecil Graves (deceased), Robert Bernard Graves, one daughter, Norma Sue Graves Robinson, and Mike Graves (deceased). He also raised his nephew Larry McGill. All four men served in the Armed Forces. Bertha died in 1974 after thirty-four years of marriage.

He accepted Christ as his Savior at an early age and joined Cedar Grove Baptist Church where he attended and served his entire lifetime! In his early thirties he answered the call from God to step up and lead the music department. The outstanding thing about this is he didn't have any musical ability up to that point. He began going to the church every night after he finished working on the farm (which at that time was located next to the cemetery) and taught himself to play the piano and then the organ. He served as musician, choir director, Deacon, chairman of deacon board, brotherhood president, and Sunday school bible teacher. He attended the state conventions over forty years faithfully until the age of 96!He lived through many eras of social issues and changes. He often talked about the first day blacks voted in Falls County. He described the tension and reluctance for blacks to approach the polls to vote. He stepped up and was the first black to exercise his right to vote and then the others followed. He was also the first black school board member in Chilton ISD. He was always influential in the community and active with the Masonic lodge. He initiated the idea to start the West Brazos Water company which supplies water throughout the surrounding Falls County communities. His Legacy will continue through the lives of many!

Survivors include daughter, Norma Sue Graves Robinson of Satin Texas; sons, Lonnie Graves, Jr. of Houston, Texas, Robert Bernard (Gladys) Graves of Golinda Texas; nephew, Larry (Frances) McGill of Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee; sister, Victoria Graves McDowell of Waco Texas; 11 grandchildren, Cecelia Rene Robinson Williams, Vickie Robinson, Barbara Goodson, Lyndon Robinson, Marc Graves, Melissa Ann Graves Taylor, Robert Graves, II, Deidre Robinson, Johnny Berry Jr., Angela Graves Davis, Bert Robinson, and LaLinda Hubbard; forty-five great grandchildren; twenty-four great-great grandchildren. And a great host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends!

The family extends a special thank you to Royal Manor and St. Catherine's Nursing Homes for their love and care of Lonnie. Also, a thank you to all for your prayers and loving kindness during this period of sorrow.

Viewing will commence at 9 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017 until 4 p.m. at Pecan Grove Funeral Home and again Friday, Dec. 29, 2017 at 9 a.m. until the Wake Service from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pecan Grove Funeral Home. His homecoming celebration will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, at Cedar Grove Baptist Church, 106 CR 4044, Satin, Texas 76685, where his body will lie in state for final public viewing.

Interment will follow in Cedar Grove Cemetery, under the direction of Pecan Grove Funeral Home, 3124, Robinson Dr.

Online guestbook www.pecangrovefuneral.com.
Chicago, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Daniel A. Givan, DMD, PhD, FACP, was elected as Secretary for the Board of Directors of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP), the national organization representing the dental specialty of prosthodontics.

The Secretary of the ACP Board of Directors ensures that the records of the ACP are maintained properly and made available when required. The Secretary also serves as Chair of the Council for the American Board of Prosthodontics, which selects examiners for the board certification assessment.

Since first joining the College in 1993, the specialty of prosthodontics has evolved with many positive and exciting changes, said Dr. Givan. The need for a strong, vital, and responsive organization representing our specialty continues to be essential. I would like to contribute to help advance the ACP as we face the current the challenges and opportunities in prosthodontics.

Dr. Givan is a professor of restorative sciences at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry, where he also serves as Associate Chair for the Department, Division Head of Prosthodontics and as the Assistant Director of the Graduate Prosthodontics Residency. He also maintains an active faculty practice limited to prosthodontics and is involved in clinical research and applications of technology to dentistry.

Within the ACP, Dr. Givan is a Fellow and has served on several committees. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics and is a member of numerous other professional organizations.

Dr. Givan received his dental degree from the University of Mississippi and completed his prosthodontics training at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry. He also earned a PhD in Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in dental materials from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

About Prosthodontists

A prosthodontist is a dental specialist who focuses on the restoration and replacement of missing teeth and correcting other oral or facial issues. With their advanced training, prosthodontists are able to help patients with implants, dentures and veneers, all the way to full mouth and jaw reconstructions.

About the ACP

The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) is the only ADA recognized organization for the specialty of prosthodontics, and is the only prosthodontic organization whose membership is based solely on education credentials. Founded in 1970, ACP is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing patient care, advancing the art and science of prosthodontics, promoting the specialty of prosthodontics to the public and other dentists and healthcare professionals, ensuring the quality of prosthodontic education and providing professional services to its membership. For more information, consumers can visit GoToAPro.org and dental professionals can visit Prosthodontics.org.

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e0cf8397-fc61-4c86-8645-7f16ba82d2a8
When President Trump announced on Dec. 6 that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, Israelis cheered; support for the move in Israel was almost universal. When the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly repudiated Trumps announcement last week, Israelis just shrugged.

Israelis have long seen the UN as unremittingly hostile to the Jewish state and no longer pay it much attention. A consistent pattern of recent UN votes on matters involving Israel drives home that point. In 2012, when the UN decided to give Palestinians nonmember observer status over Israeli objections, 138 countries voted yes. Then in 2015, when the UN allowed the Palestinians to fly their flag there, again over Israeli protests, 119 nations approved. This year, 129 states voted against Israel. Abstentions followed a similar pattern. In 2012, 42 nations abstained; in 2015, 45 did so. On the Trump announcement, 38 countries abstained. The uniformity of the voting contradicts a theory preferred by some on the Israeli left that this months UN move should be regarded more as a referendum on Trump than as a condemnation of Israel.

Even the 1947 vote to create the Jewish state was a nail-biter. In the days before the vote, the pro-Israel side feared that it was shy of the two-thirds majority it needed. The vote was scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 26; when Uruguay launched a filibuster, the Zionists worked around the clock over the long Thanksgiving weekend. Resolution 181 for the Partition of Palestine passed on Nov. 29, but barely, with 33 nations in favor, 13 opposed and 10 abstentions.

Israelis knew that if the UN voted again, the result might be different. A year later, when the U.S. State Department got the Security Council to discuss whether to place Palestine under international trusteeship amid the first of many Arab-Israeli wars, Israelis understood that the United States saw the UN as the most effective way to unmake the state that had just been created.

Over time, the Palestinian movement learned how to use the UN as a forum for Israels delegitimization. In 1975, the UN passed a resolution asserting that Zionism is a form of racism, meaning that the UN had formally declared that the movement that led to Jewish independence was fundamentally evil.

Though it revoked the Zionism-is-racism resolution in 1991, the culture of the UN never changed. In 2001 and 2009, UN-sponsored conferences against racism in Durban, South Africa, decreed that Zionism was colonialism, that Israel was an apartheid state and that Israel had been born in sin and established through ethnic cleansing. Copies of the two most notorious anti-Semitic tracts of the 20th century, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf, were distributed at these conferences.

Between 2003 and 2012, the UN issued 314 resolutions concerning Israel, nearly 40 percent of all resolutions passed in that time. At the end of 2013, Israeli deputy foreign minister Zeev Elkin pointed out that of the 103 resolutions about individual countries from the UN Human Rights Council, 43 condemned Israel. During the councils 2013 March session alone, six resolutions were adopted criticizing Israel, while only four addressed all the remaining countries of the world. Israel was the subject of more emergency sessions in the council than any other country, yet the body failed to pass a single resolution condemning 200,000 deaths in Darfur or human rights violations by China, Cuba, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan or Zimbabwe.

It is in light of this history that Israeli indifference to the Jerusalem vote must be understood. David Ben-Gurion, Israels first prime minister, called the UN the theater of the absurd, and Israelis agree. They may not recall that Abba Eban, Israels eloquent ambassador to the UN and the United States in the 1950s, once said of the UN: If Algeria introduced a resolution declaring that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions. But they share the sentiment.

Israelis are also secure enough about their future to regard UN hostility as irrelevant to their well-being. Infinitely more important than any UN vote is the developing Saudi-Egyptian-Israeli alliance, which  despite those countries predictably joining rhetorical forces with Israels enemies  strengthens Israels position in the Middle East and which, some people surmise, the United States might use to pressure or even attack Iran.

But its not just because former enemies have become allies that Israelis are feeling optimistic and confident. When Israel joined the UN in 1950, it became the 60th member. Today, there are 193 member states; Israel is thus older than two-thirds of the worlds countries and is infinitely more successful and stable than virtually all the countries created since its founding. Israelis have no expectation that the UN will change. They simply respond by continuing to build what, by any measure, is a state wildly more successful than anyone could have imagined when the UN barely passed a vote to create it in November of 1947.
In recent days, the drumbeat of criticism directed at Robert Mueller III and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has become deafening. I continue to believe in the honor and integrity of both men, whom I not only know well but also served with during a period of years. But neither the special counsel nor the deputy attorney general has been served well by key personnel. To the contrary, recent revelations of deep-seated bias against President Donald Trump within the Mueller staff call for both a thoroughgoing re-evaluation of the executive branchs approach and a fundamental reset.

I understand the concerns forcefully articulated by the presidents allies about political bias. Throughout my service as Whitewater independent counsel during the Clinton years, my colleagues and I were continually branded as partisan Republicans, part of Hillary Clintons vaunted vast right-wing conspiracy.

In truth, my colleagues were a mixed bunch politically. A number had voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 and I didnt ask, ever, about party affiliation. As I see it, Rosenstein is right to flag First Amendment considerations when pressed about the Mueller teams one-sidedness in their virulently anti-Trump political leanings. But what has been revealed thus far implicates the integrity of the entire process. Unfortunately, in these hyperpartisan times, Mueller has chosen poorly by having smart but deeply politicized senior aides.

The cascading revelations of anti-Trump bias should give all fair-minded observers pause. The appearance of politically inspired prejudice of power-wielding investigators and prosecutors has taken hold in the public consciousness. Calls are increasingly heard for appointment of yet another special counsel. Other voices suggest creating an ad hoc, temporary position within the Justice Department to examine the landscape of Justice-FBI actions in the chaotic events of Campaign 2016, including recently revealed connections to the infamous Fusion GPS dossier.

What to do? From my perspective, the answer lies not in appointing more special counsels or anointing an internal senior counsel. Dont go there.

First, I join my friend Alan Dershowitz in decrying the heavy overreliance on the criminal-justice system. We need to move toward decriminalizing presidential politics, relying instead on basic policy and legal measures, such as disclosure and anti-bribery laws.

Second, as to process, the Mueller experience reminds us that any special counsel  even a Vietnam veteran boasting an impeccable record of service in the administration of justice  will sooner or later be subject to withering, confidence-eroding attacks. So, too, will any senior counsel armed with a broad mandate to examine the FBIs handling of the Hillary Clinton investigation and the launch of the Trump inquiry. Among other impediments to getting the truth-finding job done, either a special counsel or senior counsel would have to set up an office, secure personnel and otherwise create what would be, in effect, a startup operation. That takes time.

All things considered, the best way forward in our separation-of-powers system is suggested by our basic structure of government. Its time for the Article I branch  the legislature  to step up and carry on more effectively its historic role of truth-seeking oversight. Its time to consider the appointment of a bipartisan Select Committee, preferably in the Senate, with highly experienced, respected members chosen by majority and minority leaders. This is the Watergate model. The Select Committees mandate would be broad  to examine all issues relating to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and to open the hearings to the fullest extent practicable.

History shows the wisdom of repairing to the institutions ordained at the American Founding. The Watergate Select Committee uncovered the Nixon tapes; during the Clinton years, a House committee uncovered the FBI files scandal. To amend Alexander Hamiltons insight about the executive branch, at this time in our history the country needs energy in the Congress. Of course, its harder to imagine pulling this off in these hyperpartisan times. But thats our system. We should use it.

Whatever the mechanism, congressional deference to the executive branch  whether its conduct of criminal investigations or of internal ethics inquiries  should be jettisoned. As the months roll by, the primary goal should be comprehensive truth-finding and prompt reporting to the American people. The executive branchs operations are ill-suited to achieving those compelling goals.

For this to happen will require a fundamental  and unwelcome  reset within the halls of the executive branch. Both the Justice Department and FBI need to voluntarily  without threats of contempt proceedings  embrace the reset. Its high time for the U.S. government to embrace the Louis Brandeis solution: sunshine as the great disinfectant. The Justice Department and the FBI should amend their Article II executive-branch playbook of internal review (through the inspector general) and substitute a radically reformed policy of full cooperation with Capitol Hill.

This is the time for the FBI and Justice Department to err on the side of credibility  restoring disclosure and cooperation with Congress. In the process, Mueller will do well to assure the American people that he has Marine-like command over a fundamentally honest criminal-justice process, where investigators and prosecutors leave their politics at the door. Honor needs to be restored to the battlefield.
WAHOO  Former village clerk Ginger Neuhart appeared in Saunders County Court last week, charged with embezzling funds from the Saunders County villages of Memphis and Ithaca.

Neuharts case in Saunders County was bound over to district court and she will appear before Judge Mary Gilbride Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. to be arraigned.

Neuhart has been charged with two counts of theft and four counts of forgery in connection with missing money from Memphis and Ithaca.

The amount of money she allegedly stole from Memphis  nearly $160,000 over a 12-year period  was revealed Oct. 19 in a report from the Nebraska State Auditor.

The State Auditor released a report Oct. 27 detailing alleged fraud committed by Neuhart in her capacity as Ithaca village clerk/treasurer. A total of $38,000 was paid to Neuhart without authorization from the village board of trustees from July 2014 to August 2017.

Her next appearance in Cass County District Court is Jan. 22 for a pre-trial conference and a jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 7.
WAHOO  JEO Consulting Group is ready to take the next step in its building projects a little earlier than expected.

But, JEO President Rob Brigham said the opportunity to move into design and build phase for a new office in Wahoo is an exciting one.

It was announced last week that JEO and Saunders Medical Center had reached an agreement for SMC to purchase JEOs building at 142 West 11th Street. SMC will initially use the building to house office staff, but will look at the potential for storage and potential programing expansion in the future.

JEO, which has its headquarters in Wahoo, has been in the building for decades.

Brigham said the company fully intends to keep its headquarters in Wahoo, but has been talking about building a bigger office in Wahoo.

This is something that we have been looking at for a long time, he said.

Needing more space, however, is not solely a Wahoo office problem. Brigham said the plans for a new building here have been delayed because of projects going on for offices in other towns.

For example, he said a building project in Ankeny, Iowa will provide a new office for JEO there.

With that and other projects going on, it got pushed to the back, Brigham said about the idea to build new in Wahoo.

That changed when SMC was trying to solve a problem created by a remodel at its facility and heard that JEO might have a building for sale.

Brigham said he saw it as an opportunity when SMC approached him about the possibility.

JEO already knew where it wanted to build. The company purchased an area on the southwest corner of 23rd and Chestnut streets on the north side of Wahoo. The development has both residential and commercial lots.

We were trying to focus on the residential development first, Brigham said. But, this might accelerate the commercial side.

Design of the JEOs new office building is expected to take four to six months. Construction will add another 12 to 16 months onto the timeline.

Until JEO staff is ready to move into their new office, they will continue where they already are. JEO will be leasing up to 60 percent of the building from SMC.

We are fortunate that we were able to work out a leasing arrangement, he added.

Once JEO personnel do make the move north, they wont be the only ones in the neighborhood.

Brigham said of the 15 residential lots available on the west side of the development, six have already been sold.

And, we have others interested, he added.

He said that was encouraging, given that JEO only put the lots up for sale in August.

Brigham added that the new office in Wahoo will help JEO as it continues to grow. The company that started in Wahoo now has seven other office locations in Nebraska and two in Iowa.

The main message is we are not going anywhere. We are staying in Wahoo, he said.
Charlottesville, VA, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To help support its mission, the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau (CACVB) maintains ongoing and robust media relations efforts to promote the Charlottesville area as a premier tourist and meetings destination. The articles generated as a result of these efforts are unpaid, third-party endorsements of the area that ultimately reach a wide variety of audiences throughout the country and the world. Media outlets which published articles due to the CACVBs recent media relations efforts include: BuzzFeed, Travel + Leisure, Southern Living, Fodors, FOX News, CNN Travel, USA Today, The Travel Channel, and Orbitz. The media value of these articles is in the millions of dollars and amounts to free advertising for the Charlottesville & Albemarle County area. In the year 2017 alone, the accrued earned media value resulting from the CACVBs media relations efforts has reached nearly seven million dollars.



Additionally, the CACVB hosted several groups of travel writers and journalists in 2017, which subsequently generated a large amount of positive media coverage about Charlottesville & Albemarle County. These articles appeared in media outlets on a regional, national, and international scale and helped share the story of the Charlottesville areas tourism assets with a diverse array of audiences and readers throughout the world.



Some of the more notable media visits included groups of international travel journalists who came to the Charlottesville area prior to and after the IPW trade show in Washington, D.C. in June 2017. Attended by more than 6,000 delegates, IPW, sponsored by the U.S. Travel Association, is the travel industrys premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the United States. Another group of travel journalists visited the region prior to the Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance (MATPRA) Media Marketplace in September. During all of these visits, travel journalists experienced the regions historic sites, vibrant vineyards, and the historic pedestrian Downtown Mall which resulted in a flurry of positive articles about Charlottesville & Albemarle County.



About the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB):

In addition to serving as the global resource for marketing the tourism assets of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, through www.visitcharlottesville.org, the CACVB assists tour operators, meeting planners, reunions and other groups in planning visits to the destination. CACVBs mission is to enhance the economic prosperity of City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets. CACVB operates the Downtown Visitor Center (610 E Main St) which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a second visitor center, the Albemarle Tourism and Adventure Center in downtown Crozet (5791 Three Notchd Rd) at the historic train depot; it is open Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sunday Noon - 5:00 p.m. The CACVB also provides a touch-screen kiosk at Monticellos Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center. The official website of the CACVB is www.visitcharlottesville.org. In addition, the organization manages powerful social media channels; ExperienceCharlottesville on Facebook, @VisitCVille on Twitter, CVilleVA on Pinterest, and @CharlottesvilleVA on Instagram and Vimeo.

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Population growth will help propel Australia to become the world's 11th biggest economy within a decade, a report predicts.

The London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research is forecasting Australia will climb two places on its world economic league table by 2026 from its current ranking of 13.

Countries that depend on brainpower to drive their economies will generally overtake those dependent on natural resources, with China tipped to replace the US as the world's biggest economy in 2030, the centre says.

While Australia's economic growth has been fuelled by resources in recent years, the centre also noted that it's become one of the most popular countries in the world for inward migration.
To paraphrase the Fast and the Furious, it doesn't matter what day's Lotto draw you win on, winning's winning.

And while the big focus for Lotto players is this Saturday's $30 million Lotto Megadraw, a Bunbury local has managed to pocket a cool million dollars from a Division 1 win on Wednesday.

A Bunbury local is WA's latest Division One winner.

The winning ticket was sold at the Nextra newsagent in Bunbury and is the fourth Division 1 winner for WA in the last four days, with the winners sharing in almost $2.5 million in combined prize money.

And there's still plenty up for grabs, with Lotterywest spokeswoman Pina Compagnone saying there's almost $100 million up for grabs over the next week.
Beirut: Wrapped up in thick blankets and woollen hats, the critically-ill children forced a smile as they boarded ambulances bound for Damascus hospitals.

For most, it was the first time they would see life outside the Syrian capital's Eastern Ghouta suburb, which has been blockaded by Bashar al-Assad's government forces for four years.

A member of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent stands with a girl during the evacuation of four sick people from the eastern Ghouta, near Damascus on Wednesday. Credit:SANA/AP

The regime allowed a handful of the most desperate patients - three sick children and a woman- out of the rebel-held enclave for treatment in Damascus hospitals, after months of delays that left more than a dozen dead of starvation or a lack of medical care, the Syrian Red Crescent said. Some 400,000 other people remain trapped in the district.

So far, 29 women and children - suffering from heart disease, cancer, blood diseases or requiring surgery have been granted permission to leave - under a rare deal negotiated by the government and the opposition.
CLEARWATER, Fla., Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the 21st of December, Savoy South Dance Hall hosted the monthly Swing Dance for Charity. Forty dancers gathered on this evening in the Fort Harrison, the Church of Scientologys international religious retreat, to show their support to the young women in the Miracles Outreach program.

Miracles Outreach is a Clearwater/Tampa based non-profit organization that assists young women who are in need of a safe place to call home. One-hundred percent of the proceeds went directly to helping the organization bring Christmas joy to the girls.

To start off the dance, Arleene Norman, owner of the Savoy South Dance Hall, did a short dance lesson to improve Swing Dancing skills. Dancers  young and old, amateur or experienced  were taught the basics of Swing before the main event began. The dance also featured authentic Swing music, performed by the Jive Aces, the UKs number one Swing Band. Many of those attending came in classic 40s outfits and costumes, further adding the ambience of the event.

The Swing Dance for Charity is held monthly at the Fort Harrison to benefit a different non-profit each time. This month was for Miracles Outreach. Michelle Walker, the Founder and Executive Director of Miracles Outreach, attended the dance and spoke of her organizations continuing effort to help young women, some of whom victimized by human trafficking.

Open for over 20 years, the Savoy South Dance Hall has provided group and private dance instructions for many different dances including Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Flamenco. This dance studio was named after the Savoy, a dance club in Harlem, New York with a ballroom 10,000 square feet in size and which was very popular in the 20s, 30s and 40s.

The next swing dance will be held on the 19th of January 2018, featuring a new non-profit organization.

For more information or to attend the next dance, please contact Arleene Norman at 727-564-6847, or email her at msrightstep@gmail.com.

The Fort Harrison Religious Retreat:

Since its construction in 1927, the Fort Harrison in downtown Clearwater has been the home for many community events and charitable organizations. The Fort Harrisons current owner, The Church of Scientology, has hosted over 500 Community events there since a complete restoration of the hotel in 2009. The Scientology religion was founded by humanitarian and philosopher, L. Ron Hubbard, and incorporated in 1954. To learn more, visit www.scientology.org.

Michael Soltero

727-467-6860

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CLEARWATER, Fla., Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Florida Chapter of The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a group established by the Church of Scientology in 1969, announced that due to the overwhelming number of complaints about unjust Baker Acting of children in 2017, CCHR is re-launching their campaign in 2018 to protect children from unnecessary involuntary psychiatric examination.



The Florida chapter of CCHR applauded state lawmakers earlier this year when the Baker Act was amended to decrease the time a child can be detained for involuntary psychiatric examination from 72 to 12 hours. The Baker Act, however, continues to allow a child to be taken into custody and transported by law enforcement to a psychiatric facility without parental knowledge or consent.

The original intent of the Baker Act, named after Maxine Baker, the sponsoring State Representative from Miami, was to ensure patient rights and prevent abuse. But the 2017 Annual Report of Baker Act Data* revealed that an alarming 32,000 children were Baker Acted in 2016.

In our opinion and based on existing law, a parent should be brought into the process before something as traumatic as a Baker Act is initiated on a child, stated Diane Stein, President of CCHR Florida. This is not being done and we believe this is a violation of the rights of the parent and the child.

Since the launch of the campaign, CCHR Florida has educated some 160,000 families on their rights under the mental health law. Anyone living in Florida who is interested in protecting children from abusive Baker Acting may obtain more information on this campaign by contacting CCHR at 727-442-8820 or visiting the center at 109 N. Fort Harrison Ave in Clearwater, Florida.

About CCHR: Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHRs mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. It was L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, who brought the terror of psychiatric imprisonment to the notice of the world. In March 1969, he said, Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the free world tortured, castrated, killed. All in the name of mental health. For more information please visit www.cchrflorida.org

*The Baker Act The Florida Mental Health Act Fiscal Year 2015/2016 Annual Report, Released March 2017  Prepared for the Florida Department of Children and Families by the Baker Act Reporting Center - http://www.usf.edu/cbcs/baker-act/documents/annual_report.pdf

Media Contact:

Diane Stein

President, CCHR Florida

727-442-8820

diane@cchrflorida.org

www.cchrflorida.org
Effingham, IL, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heartland Dental, the largest dental support organization in the country, held its annual Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida on December 8th and 9th. This event brings Heartland Dental supported dentists from around the country together to celebrate the years achievements and learn from renowned clinical, leadership and business speakers.

Our Winter Conference advances every year, both with the number of attendees we have and the number of great speakers we are able to include. This year was no different, said Patrick Bauer, president and chief executive officer at Heartland Dental. Its always an honor and pleasure to host such an event for our supported doctors and celebrate our successes together, as well as offer them invaluable learning opportunities.

The 2017 Winter Conference featured several prominent keynote speakers including Olympic medalist, speaker and author, Bonnie St. John, finance expert, Dave Ramsey, author and founder of The Table Group, Patrick Lencioni, and international lecturer, Dr. Brian Gray. Additional speakers included dental educator and president of Homoly Communications Institute, Dr. Paul Homoly, as well as a variety of Heartland Dental supported dentists and leaders. This event was an excellent opportunity for attendees to meet with fellow Heartland Dental supported dentists and team members. You can read more about the event on the Heartland Dental blog.

One of the best things about Heartland Dental is the open, collaborative environment in which we operate. This event is a great example of that. Hundreds of supported dentists came together to share ideas and encouragement, who all work together for the same cause, explained Dr. Rick Workman, founder and executive chairman of Heartland Dental. They all came together to learn from each other, as well as the fantastic lineup of speakers we had. This camaraderie is one of the most beneficial aspects of our company and one that sets us apart.

About Heartland Dental

Heartland Dental, LLC is the largest dental support organization in the United States with more than 800 supported dental offices located in 34 states. Based in Effingham, Illinois and founded by Rick Workman, DMD, Heartland Dental offers supported dentists and team members continuing professional education and leadership training, along with a variety of non-clinical administrative services including staffing, human relations, procurement, administration, financial, marketing, and information technology. For more information, visit www.Heartland.com. Follow Heartland Dental on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Visit Dr. Workmans Blog, Dentistry Leaders at www.dentistryleaders.com.

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TORONTO, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIMCO Canada Corp. (PIMCO Canada) today announced the final December and annual cash distributions for the ETF series (ETF Series) of the PIMCO Canada mutual funds (Funds). Estimated distribution amounts were announced by PIMCO Canada on December 19, 2017.



Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, at the close of business on December 29, 2017, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on January 2, 2018.

Details of the per-unit cash distribution amounts are as follows:

Fund Name Ticker Cash Distribution per Unit ($) PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) PMIF 0.07658 PIMCO Investment Grade Credit Fund (Canada) IGCF 0.07562

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 a leading global investment management firm, with offices in 11 countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1971, PIMCO offers a wide range of innovative solutions to help millions of investors worldwide meet their needs. Our goal is to provide attractive returns while maintaining a strong culture of risk management and long-term discipline. 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 Funds, 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 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
TORONTO, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Internet of Things Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ITT) (OTC:INOTF) (FRANKFURT:71T) (ITT Inc. or the Company) a software and solutions provider to the Internet of Things (the IoT) market, announces a proposed non-brokered private placement of up to 15,000,000 equity units of the Company ("Equity Units") at a price of $0.10 per Equity Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000 (the "Private Placement").



Each Equity Unit will be comprised of one (1) common share of the Company and one-half of one (1/2) common share purchase warrant of the Company (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one (1) common share of the Company for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance of the Warrant, at an exercise price of $0.18 per share.

Closing of the Private Placement is expected to occur in January 2018. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Private Placement for working capital purposes.

The Company may pay a commission or finder's fee to eligible parties in connection with the Private Placement of up to 8% cash, common shares of the Company equal to 4% of the number of Equity Units sold and finders warrants equal to 4% of the number of Equity Units sold, each finder warrant exercisable into a common share of the Company for a period of 24 months at $0.10 per share.

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

About Internet of Things Inc.

Internet of Things Inc. (www.iotintl.com) is an Internet of Things (IoT) software and solutions provider. The Company acquires and implements strategic and disruptive technology solutions targeting the industrial IoT markets, including manufacturing, energy management, agriculture, transportation, social, cybersecurity, e-commerce and fintech. ITT Inc. has a joint venture partnership with New Hope Data Technology Co. Ltd for China. The Company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Follow Internet of Things Inc. On:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternetofThingsInc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iotintl

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/internet-of-things-inc-

For further information, contact:

Internet of Things Inc.

Michael Frank

President & CEO

Tel: (416) 677-9277

Email: mfrank@iotintl.com

To learn more, visit: www.iotintl.com

Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, certain information presented constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information, includes, but is not limited to, the closing of the Private Placement. While such forward-looking statements are expressed by the Company, as stated in this release, in good faith and believed by the Company to have a reasonable basis, they are subject to important risks and uncertainties. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, given that they involve risks and uncertainties. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly revisions to any forward-looking statement, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Investors should not assume that any lack of update to a previously issued forward-looking statement constitutes a reaffirmation of that statement. Continued reliance on forward-looking statements is at an investors' own risk.

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
City of Paducah gets update how $6.5 million ARPA funds will be spent
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Dec. 28, 2017 | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 28, 2017 | 09:33 AM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

A Union City, TN man has been arrested after a hit-and-run crash on Tuesday.



Graves County Sheriff Dewayne Redmon said deputies responded to a crash on the Purchase Parkway near the 17-mile marker. They said a vehicle hit the rear of a camper pulled behind a vehicle driven by 54-year-old Richard Nail. The impact caused the camper to jackknife and roll over. The vehicle that struck Nail then fled the scene.



Nail and his passenger, 21-year-old Christopher Nail, were treated at the scene. Another passenger in the vehicle, 20-year-old Rachel Forbes, was removed from the vehicle by firefighters and taken to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville for treatment of non life-threatening injuries.



Witnesses got the license plate number from the vehicle that fled, and police contacted the owner, Ashley Vassquez of Union City. She reportedly told deputies her boyfriend, 34-year-old Gary Moore had taken her car. Deputies used GPS to track the vehicle, where they found it abandoned at the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Facility on US 45.



Moore contacted deputies later and told them he wanted to turn himself in, but then did not show up to do so. Deputies arrested Moore Wednesday evening in Union City. He is awaiting extradition to Graves County.



Moore is charged with first-degree assault, three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, felony leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid, first-degree criminal mischief and driving on a revoked/suspended license.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Dec. 28, 2017 | CARLISLE COUNTY, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 28, 2017 | 11:55 AM | CARLISLE COUNTY, KY

A Kentucky State Police trooper was arrested Wednesday night on DUI charges in Carlisle County.



According to a citation filed in Carlisle County Circuit Court on Thursday, Trooper Paul Hale made a call shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday to another KSP trooper, saying he was driving to someone's house to confront them about threats of violence being made against his wife. The arresting trooper said in the report that Hale admitted to drinking alcohol, and had slurred speech. The trooper said he told Hale, who was off-duty at the time, to stop driving and wait for officers to arrive.



Troopers arrived at Hale's home about half an hour later and administered a sobriety test, which Hale failed. Hale reportedly told them he had only driven down to the end of the road that runs in front of his house before returning home.



Hale was arrested and charged with DUI.
Overland Park, Kan., Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prime Capital Investment Advisors is riding its growth momentum with a pivotal addition to its leadership team. Glenn A. Spencer has joined Prime Capital as Chief Executive Officer. With this appointment, current CEO, Scott Colangelo, and President, Tim Hakes, will assume titles of Managing Director, Chairman, and Managing Director, Vice Chairman, respectively.

Spencers joining the firm bolsters Prime Capitals focus on attracting world-class talent, mergers and acquisitions and building out products and services. It also coincides with a planned growth strategy for Prime Capital, including plans to double the size of the firm over three years.

Spencer will report to Colangelo and Hakes and will be responsible for running the day to day operations of Prime Capital. He will also work with senior leadership to develop and execute the firms strategic plans.

Under the firms new leadership of Colangelo and Hakes, Prime Capital has taken steps to invigorate the firms culture, empowering employees and encouraging innovation and technology for the benefit of their clients and advisors.

Spencers addition is a catalyst to achieve not only Prime Capitals growth objectives but also realizing its vision of inspiring people to achieve their lifes ambitions.

I couldnt be more thrilled about joining such a dynamic organization that keeps client focus, innovation and simplicity at the center of everything we do, said Spencer. Im looking forward to working with our teams to build the industry leading firm in our space.

Spencers career to date spans 30 years in financial and professional services space including 11 years with Lockton where he served as U.S. Chief Operating Officer, Global Chief Operating Officer, and most recently as Global Chief Executive Officer. During his time at Lockton, the firm grew from $300 million in revenue with 10 offices to $1.5 billion in revenue with over 1000 offices.

The addition of Glenn to our team fits perfectly with our growth strategy, said Scott Colangelo, Chairman of Prime Capital. He brings three decades of experience and leadership at the highest levels to our associates and clients.

About Prime Capital Investment Advisors

Prime Capital Investment Advisors provides a client-centric, team approach to full-service financial planning, including fee-based asset management and wealth management. The firm has several locations throughout the United States, with investment advisor representatives serving clients across the nation.

Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., Cambridge, a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Prime Capital Investment Advisors, LLC. Prime Capital, a Registered Investment Advisor. Prime Capital doing business as Qualified Plan Advisors, QPA, 6201 College Blvd., 7th Floor | Overland Park, KS 66211 | p: 913.491.6226 | f: 913.491.3214 | primecap-ia.com | Cambridge and Prime Capital are not affiliated.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/719dc622-42d8-47f4-9785-8c5ccc1d8217
TORONTO, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brigadier Gold Limited ("Brigadier" or the "Company") (TSX-V:BRG.H) announces that it has received the resignation of Herb Kokotow as a member of the Board of Directors. The Company would like to thank Mr. Kokotow for his service to the Company.



For further information, please contact Grant Hall, President and CEO at (520) 668-4101.

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.

Contact Information

Brigadier Gold Limited

Grant Hall, President & CEO

(520) 668-4101

info@brigadiergold.com
Welcome to The Independent Herald E-Edition! Check back each week on Tuesday to see our[Read More]
Amsterdam, December 28, 2017 at 11:00 PM - Following the formal announcement on December 17, 2017 in respect of Thales' intended recommended all-cash offer for all issued and outstanding ordinary shares ("Shares") of Gemalto N.V. ("Gemalto") (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), all transactions by Gemalto concerning Shares are to be announced in a press release under the Dutch public offer rules. Accordingly Gemalto makes the relevant disclosures below.

Transactions related to Gemalto's Global Equity Incentive Plan

Today Gemalto delivered a total number of 500 Shares to one eligible employee having exercised his stock option rights granted under Gemalto's Global Equity Incentive Plan ("GEIP") for an exercise price of EUR 26.44 per Share.

Investor Relations Corporate Communication Media Relations Agency Jean-Claude Deturche Isabelle Marand Frans van der Grint M.: +33 6 2399 2141 M.: +33 6 1489 1817 T: +31 20 404 4 707 jean-claude.deturche@gemalto.com



Sebastien Liagre

M.: +33 6 1751 4467

sebastien.liagre@gemalto.com isabelle.marand@gemalto.com Frans.vanderGrint@hkstrategies.com



Arien Stuijt

T: +31 20 404 47 07

arien.stuijt@hkstrategies.com

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements represent trends or objectives, and cannot be construed as constituting forecasts regarding the Company's results or any other performance indicator. Actual results may differ significantly from the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties, as described in the Company's Registration Document, which has been filed with the French financial markets authority (Autorite des marches financiers - AMF).

This is a press release by Gemalto, pursuant to the provisions of Section 5, paragraph 4 of the Decree on Public Takeover Bids (Besluit Openbare Biedingen Wft). This announcement does not constitute an offer, or any solicitation of any offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities in Gemalto. Any offer will be made only by means of an offer memorandum. This announcement is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in or into, directly or indirectly, in any jurisdiction in which such release, publication or distribution would be unlawful.

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the global leader in digital security, with 2016 annual revenues of 3.1 billion and customers in over 180 countries. We bring trust to an increasingly connected world.

From secure software to biometrics and encryption, our technologies and services enable businesses and governments to authenticate identities and protect data so they stay safe and enable services in personal devices, connected objects, the cloud and in between.

Gemalto's solutions are at the heart of modern life, from payment to enterprise security and the internet of things. We authenticate people, transactions and objects, encrypt data and create value for software - enabling our clients to deliver secure digital services for billions of individuals and things.

Our 15,000+ employees operate out of 112 offices, 43 personalization and data centers, and 30 research and software development centers located in 48 countries.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/575574e9-7de2-4eba-aa57-1a1215a94099
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Talon International, Inc. (OTCQB:TALN), a leading global supplier of zippers, apparel fasteners, trim and stretch technology products, today announced that on December 28, 2017 it voluntarily filed a Form 15 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission" or "SEC") to voluntarily deregister its common stock and suspend its reporting obligations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). As a result of the filing, the Company will no longer be required to file certain reports under the Exchange Act, including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, annual reports on Form 10-K, and current reports on Form 8-K. Other filing requirements will terminate upon the effectiveness of deregistration, which is expected to occur 90 days after the filing of the Form 15 with the Commission.



Upon suspension of its reporting obligations, the Company expects its common stock to continue trading on the OTC Pink marketplace, however, there can be no assurance that any broker-dealer will make, or continue to make, a market in the Company's common stock. The Company currently intends to provide at least limited financial information to allow for public trading of Company securities on the OTC Pink marketplace, although there can be no assurances that the Company will undertake to provide, or continue to provide, such limited information.

After a detailed analysis and thoughtful deliberation of the advantages and disadvantages of being an SEC reporting company, the Company's Board of Directors unanimously voted to file the Form 15. The Board considered many elements in reaching its decision, including: the substantial costs associated with the preparation and filing of periodic reports with the SEC, including the costs of outside legal and accounting resources, the amount of time management spends on reporting documents, the nature and extent of the trading of the Company's common stock and the views of the Companys largest stockholders.

We believe that suspending our SEC reporting obligations will allow us to better direct our financial and management resources to support the long-term growth of our business, including by focusing and developing our proprietary technologies, for the benefit of all of our stockholders, stated Larry Dyne, the Companys Chief Executive Officer.

About Talon International, Inc.

Talon International, Inc. is a major supplier of custom zippers and complete trim solutions including Tekfit stretch technology products to manufacturers of fashion apparel, specialty retailers, mass merchandisers, brand licensees and major retailers worldwide. Talon develops, manufactures and distributes custom zippers exclusively under its Talon brand (The Worlds Original Zipper Since 1893); designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes complete apparel trim solutions and products including stretch technology products for specialty waistbands, shirt collars, and other items all under its trademark and world renowned brands, Talon and Tekfit to major apparel brands and retailers. Leading retailers worldwide recognize and use Talon products including VF Corporation, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, Polo Ralph Lauren, Kohls, JC Penney, FatFace, Victorias Secret, Wal-Mart, Phillips-Van Heusen, Levi Strauss & Co., Express and many others. The company is headquartered in the greater Los Angeles area, and has offices and facilities throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's views on the expected future trading of its common stock following the filing of the Form 15, and are generally identified by phrases such as "thinks," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," and similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are inherently subject to uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statement. These statements are based upon, among other things, assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management, including management's own knowledge and assessment of the Company's industry, competition and capital requirements. These and other risks are more fully described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which should be read in conjunction herewith for a further discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact:

Talon International, Inc.

Rayna Hernandez

Tel (818) 444-4128

raynah@talonzippers.com




DEAR DR. ROACH: Im a 94-year-old male. Three and a half years ago, I was able to walk with a cane, until I had a pacemaker implanted. After the procedure, I was able to walk only with a walker, and not very well. Prior to the procedure, I had a CT scan that did not show stenosis, but I had a scan two years later that showed mild to severe stenosis throughout my spine. Ive been told that the anesthesia could have caused my problem. Could that be true? Also, Ive seen ads for laser surgery claiming that the surgery has a 1-inch incision and you can walk the same day. True?  T.K.

ANSWER: I have never heard of someone losing function during a pacemaker placement, which normally is a short and straightforward procedure. It certainly is true that bad events can happen during anesthesia, but a pacemaker is usually performed under light (or no) sedation and using local anesthetics.

I dont think the anesthesia has anything to do with spinal stenosis, which is a type of arthritis of the spine that leads to compression of the spinal cord or one of its roots. When someone suddenly loses function, like going from walking with a cane to having to use a walker, I would think about a neurological event, such as a stroke. A small stroke on top of existing arthritis of the spine could explain your sudden inability to walk with a cane. However, its possible that under anesthesia, you had a movement in your neck that did damage to a nerve structure.

As far as treatment of spinal stenosis goes, I would be very, very cautious about any kind of surgery. Back surgery should not be entered into lightly, and although in some people surgery may take away the pain and leave them walking pain-free immediately, that is not at all the experience I have seen with most of my patients. I certainly have seen people come from spine surgery (including laser spine surgery, which most academic institutions do not perform) with significantly worse symptoms and greater impairment. When contemplating surgery for my own patients, I generally refer to a very conservative surgeon who does not operate unless very sure he or she can help the patient, and even then we both caution that there are no guarantees from surgery.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 83 years old and in good health. Last week I was watching television and suddenly had bright lights flash in my eyes. They seemed to move fast, from right to left. It went away after five minutes. I had a recurrence this week, but not as bad. I did not have any dizziness. Should I see a doctor, or is this something that just happens at my age?  D.F.

ANSWER: This is not something that normally happens at any age, and you should see a doctor. My first thought is that of an aura that precedes a migraine. Going away after five minutes or so would be very compatible with migraine. Some people can have the aura of migraine without headache, and that could be whats going on. However, age 83 is very unusual to start having migraines.

A retinal detachment may present with flashing lights. This would need to be evaluated right away. However, you should notice changes in the vision and an usually large numbers of floaters (bits of cellular debris that can obscure the vision). I would recommend a visit to your doctor.

READERS: The booklet on macular degeneration explains this common eye ailment. Readers can order a copy by writing:

Dr. Roach

Book No. 701

628 Virginia Dr.

Orlando, FL 32803

Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipients printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a rather healthy 35-year-old female. I drink a lot of water daily  approximately 5-6 liters, just because I feel the need to. My doctor does not seem concerned, as she says it may be normal for my body. I've been drinking these amounts for five to six years (I think it started during pregnancy). My family is concerned, as they say it is too much for the kidneys. I would truly appreciate your opinion. Also, I do not know whether any of this may be relevant, but I am not diabetic (but I am insulin-resistant); I do not use any medication; I am a smoker; I have gastritis; and I am slightly overweight.

ANSWER: Five liters a day is more than most people need. However, it is well within the ability of the normal kidneys to handle, assuming you are getting enough of the electrolytes and minerals the body requires.

People taking diuretics, which affect the kidney's ability to regulate salt, can develop dangerously low sodium levels with excess water intake.

DEAR DR. ROACH: In 2010, my husband had an abdominal/pelvic CT scan (for an unrelated reason), and they found a 14-mm mass in his lower right kidney. In 2017, a repeat scan showed that the mass was much larger, and he had the kidney removed. The pathology showed a 48-by-40-mm papillary kidney cancer, type 1. We were told that removing the kidney would be curative, and no other testing (scans) have been ordered. We have not been told of specific type or staging. I had breast cancer in the past (mastectomy and radiation) so am familiar with the process. Is renal cancer different? We just feel out of the loop and that we should have more information on this cancer. He has lost a lot of weight.  K.K.

ANSWER: Several kinds of cancers start in the kidney, but papillary kidney cell cancer is a less common type. Fortunately for you and your husband, type 1 generally are not as aggressive, and people with this kind of kidney cancer have a better prognosis than people with other types. It is completely obvious, at least in hindsight, that the 14-mm mass should not have gone so long without a follow-up.

Around the time of diagnosis, an evaluation is undertaken to look for evidence of spread, including a CT scan of the lungs. Kidney cancer also can go to the bone, so if he had any bone pain or elevated blood tests showing bone damage (called alkaline phosphatase), most experts would recommend a bone scan as well. If there is no spread, the five-year survival in people with this type of cancer is greater than 90 percent. No chemotherapy is indicated if there is no evidence of spread. I would recommend a visit with a medical oncologist, just to make sure his workup is complete.

The weight loss is concerning. It may indeed have been the tumor; cancers can make substances that cause people to lose weight. However, I personally wouldn't stop looking, especially if the weight loss continues.

DR. ROACH WRITES: A recent column on multiple myeloma noted that myeloma is uncommon in younger people. About 3.5 percent of myeloma cases occur in people under 45; however, that is still a lot of cases, and many physicians are unaware that this cancer can occur in young people. You can learn more about this cancer at myeloma.org.

READERS: The booklet on restless leg syndrome and nighttime cramps offers more tips. Readers can obtain a copy by writing:

Dr. Roach

Book No. 306

628 Virginia Dr.

Orlando, FL 32803

Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or request an order form of available health newsletters at 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. Health newsletters may be ordered from www.rbmamall.com.
The Wisconsin State Park System is offering plenty of opportunities to welcome the new year with healthy outdoor activities.

The park system will host first-day hikes on 17 state properties in all corners of the state this New Years Day. The hikes give visitors a chance to begin the New Year rejuvenated and connected with nature, according to a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources press release.

At Devils Lake State Park, a guided hike will depart from the Steinke Basin parking lot off Highway DL at 4 p.m. The group will traverse the Johnson Moraine trail. Devils Lake State Park Naturalist Sue Johansen said the annual first-day hike has become a popular event at the park, drawing as many as 80 participants.

People have been cooped up over the holidays, and theyre ready to go out and explore, she said. Its promoted as a way to kick off the New Year outdoors and get some exercise.

The National Weather Service in Milwaukee forecasts a cold, sunny New Years Day with a high near 6 degrees. Park staff will set up a campfire to warm up before and after the hike, and will have snowshoes to loan as well.

Johansen said the Johnson Moraine trail, which is about a 2-mile hike, offers numerous views of glacial landforms.

Thats where the glaciers came in, so you can see moraines and kettle ponds or kettle lakes, where the ice broke off and created depressions, she said. Its nice to get out and hike the trail on that first day.

Another 2-mile hike will depart at noon from the beach picnic area at Mirror Lake State Park. Participants can observe the lake and the beautiful sandstone rock outcroppings that surround Mirror Lake as they traverse the parks Echo Rock and Sandstone trails.

Last year, 679 participants hiked 1,748 miles at 13 Wisconsin state park properties, according to DNR figures. Nationwide, more than 62,000 people took part in guided hikes that covered over 114,165 miles on 1,300 hikes across the country, according to data from the National Association of State Park Directors.

The Lodi Valley Chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance also will hold a first-day hike Monday.

Trail coordinator Bill Welch said the group will meet at the old parking area at Gibraltar Rock on Highway V south of Okee at 1 p.m. and make a 1-mile trek to the top of the rock.

We walk through a prairie along the rocks that lead up to the summit to the overlook, he said. Once were at the overlook, were up about 300 feet. Its quite a view and its always a beautiful place to visit.

Welch said the trek generally takes about one hour. Hot chocolate, cookies and other sweets are traditionally served at the end of the hike.

Its always nice to see people get out, Welch said. A good way to start the year is by getting out in nature and exercising and being with like-minded people who enjoy those activities.
Its been more than a year since investigators uncovered what they believe is evidence of contractor fraud involving the construction of dorms at two University of Wisconsin System campuses.

Subcontractors that helped construct the student housing facilities at the Sytems Baraboo and Marshfield campuses in 2014 remain unpaid. Yet no charges have been filed.

A Baraboo police spokesman said complications involving out-of-state witnesses, defunct businesses, and the nature of the allegations have prevented the investigation from reaching the prosecution phase.

The contractor fraud that was identified by our investigator can be associated only to an entire business entity; not an individual, Baraboo Police Department Capt. Rob Sinden wrote in an email.

In 2014, local government and university officials in Sauk and Wood counties entered agreements with an Iowa firm called Bluffstone to construct and manage residence halls at the two campuses.

As the projects moved forward, subcontractors began to complain that they were not getting paid, and were collectively owed about $750,000. Two state lawmakers called on the Wisconsin Department of Justice to investigate.

In 2015, three subcontractors sued Bluffstone, the company that owns and operates the two dorms. A year and a half later, Bluffstone settled and paid two of the firms a total of $293,000. A third firm has not confirmed its portion of the settlement.

However, other subcontractors who were not party to the lawsuit remain unpaid for their work on the two student housing facilities.

Somebody should be prosecuted, said Scott Katzenberger, owner of Gaffney Plumbing of Marshfield. It doesnt give me a real good vibe from the justice system.

More than three years after the university dorms opened, his firm still is owed $19,000. Katzenberger says he filed a complaint with the Marshfield Police Department in March 2015.

Marshfield Police Department Detective Allan Neinast confirmed in an email that his agency has completed its investigation and forwarded possible charges of contractor theft to the Wood County District Attorneys Office.

Any further information will have to be released by their department, Neinast said. Wood County District Attorney Craig Lambert could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Sinden said a Baraboo detective identified evidence of possible contractor fraud as early as November 2016. The matter was forwarded to the Sauk County District Attorneys Office, which requested further investigation.

Numerous businesses involved in the project have filed for bankruptcy, and people associated with them either cannot be located or refuse to speak to us and are out of state, Sinden said.

He said federal law enforcement agencies that would have jurisdiction to act out of state have declined to take over the investigation. The case is being reviewed, Sinden said, for potential charges by the Sauk County District Attorneys Office.

A phone call Wednesday to the district attorneys office was not returned.
The year began with portentous questions: How will Donald J. Trump govern? How will the markets, which crave stability, react to a president who creates chaos? Can the Republicans, stricken with doubts about the chief executive and riven by factions, unite to redeem their fondest dream, the repeal of Obamacare? Will Trump, a magnet for publicity and controversy, continue to command the center ring in a nation with compelling sideshows in the arts, in sport, in commerce and finance?

This is the unusual year in which all the pertinent questions actually were answered. But it is also the unusual year in which the answered questions merely raise fresh ones for the year that follows. We can agree that 2017 was a breathtaking, exhausting year. We can probably agree that 2018 will be even more so.

So, as we pause for holidays, reflection and far too many refreshments  pass the peppermint bark, stir the eggnog and bring on the apple pie  lets linger for just a moment on the questions being posed for next year:

Will the Trump boom persist?

No one, except perhaps Trump himself, predicted the magnitude of the economic surge, which his detractors  somehow forgetting that Bill Clinton crowed about the economic recovery he inherited  feel had little to do with the president. This is an eternal debate, never to be resolved. (Did John Kennedy produce the economic boom that began two weeks after he was inaugurated, or is that Dwight Eisenhowers legacy?)

The one sure thing about booms is that they do not last.

Republicans are arguing that the tax cut they passed last week will extend the boom, maybe even boost the boom, but the public is skeptical; only a quarter of Americans, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, consider the tax bill a good idea, as opposed to 41 percent who think it wasnt.

Trump expressed an entirely different view on Twitter moments before final passage of the legislation: This is truly a case where the results will speak for themselves, starting very soon. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

Will Republicans reach some kind of political and cultural equilibrium?

Republicans have grown accustomed to what commentators inevitably call a struggle for the soul of the GOP. They had one in 1865, and again in 1952, and again in 1960, 1964, 1976, 1980 and 1992  a remarkable record of tumult for a party whose image is steadiness and stability.

This one is quite significant because unlike any of the seven previous struggles for the partys soul, this is not only ideological and temperamental. It is also generational. Figures such as Bush and former Senate Majority Leaders Howard H. Baker Jr. of Tennessee and Bob Dole of Kansas  indeed, even the current GOP floor leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky  are clearly figures from the Republican past.

The future is raucous, rancorous  and unpredictable. At stake here is the profile of the new GOP, the (dimming) prospects of bipartisan legislation, and the fate of House Speaker Paul Ryan of Janesville, who in any case is no friend of the contentious Freedom Caucus, doesnt like his job and deplores the difficult position it puts him in.

Which leads to the next vital question:

What are each partys prospects in next years midterm congressional elections?

This is perhaps the greatest domestic uncertainty of the year. The Democrats harbor hopes of taking over the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-49 advantage, and they take comfort from this months victory in the Alabama Senate race and from Trumps low poll soundings, which show the president with an approval/disapproval rate of about 37 percent to 57 percent.

But here is a more sobering figure: Next years Senate elections involve 26 seats held by Democrats or independents loosely aligned with them and only eight seats held by Republicans. Thats a strong Republican advantage, with 10 of the Democratic seats being contested in states Trump carried last year.

At the same time, the entire House, now under Republican control, is up for grabs. House races tend to be local, affected only marginally by national factors, though Trump is so dominating a figure in the American imagination that Democrats inevitably will try to transform individual races into referenda on the president.

The first political test of the year, on March 13, is in southwestern Pennsylvania, a special election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of GOP Rep. Tim Murphy. The 18th district of Pennsylvania is in many ways an enigma  older and whiter than America as a whole, it has a Democratic registration advantage, but it delivered precisely 58 percent to both Mitt Romney in 2012 and Trump in 2016.

Those three questions  about what fate has in store for the economy, the Republican Party and the midterm congressional elections  loom large for next year. But theres more. Terrorism. North Korea. Immigration. The looming HQ2 decision from Amazon. Plus, of course, the unanticipated crises  perhaps the termination of the endangered NAFTA agreement, maybe an imbroglio involving China, surely something to do with the Russian factor in the 2016 election.

But for now, enjoy the soothing flavor of that peppermint bark. Hard days lie ahead.
JUNEAU  A 48-year-old Sun Prairie woman made her initial appearance in Dodge County Circuit Court on Tuesday after being charged with lying under oath.

Tammy M. Ring is charged with a felony count of perjury before a court and could face up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of the charge.

Dodge County Circuit Court Commissioner Steven Seim released Ring on a $1,000 signature bond.

According to the criminal complaint, Ring made a false statement under oath during a restitution hearing on Nov. 21, 2016. Ring requested $1,500 as restitution claiming that she lost work and eventually lost her job as a bartender after a former neighbor had punched her multiple times. The neighbor had been found guilty of misdemeanor charges and Ring was awarded $1,400.

However, the manager of the restaurant in Fox Lake where Ring had worked said she was terminated for her till coming up short on several occasions.

Ring had submitted paychecks and told authorities that her employer had told her that she couldnt work with the black eye she had gotten from the assault. The former manager said she stopped scheduling her because of the till shortages.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators from the Dodge County Sheriffs Office believed that Ring also had used paychecks from busier periods in order to request an amount that was in excess of the wages she would have lost.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled on Feb. 15.
MARKHAM, Ontario, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MBMI RESOURCES INC. ("MBMI" or the "Company") (NEX:MBR.H) announces that it has filed its unaudited interim financial statements for the three months period ended October 31, 2017 ("Financial Statements"), and the related management's discussion and analysis of those financial statements ("MD&A"). Copies of the Financial Statements and MD&A can be accessed on SEDAR at www.sedar.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 or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

The foregoing information may contain forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of MBMI Resources Inc. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from MBMIs plans and expectations. These plans, expectations, risks and uncertainties are detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by MBMI with the TSX Venture Exchange and securities regulators. MBMI Resources Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Winter headlines are full of their stories, and the tragedies that befall them.

They are the people who have a tendency to wander, putting them at risk of being found dead from exposure or some other tragic circumstance.

Project Lifesaver can help prevent those tragedies by monitoring those people, and giving law enforcement officers and firefighters the tools to prevent deaths and injuries of friends, relatives and family members.

The idea is being promoted by Kristi Hartzheim, a Beaver Dam Citizens Police Academy graduate and mother of an autistic child, Beaver Dam police officer Erik Smedema and Beaver Dam police Lt. Brandon Stommel.

Crystal Boeck is retired from a law enforcement career in Florida, and is helping raise funds to meet the financial needs of the local program.

I was told that Kristi was pursuing this program and Im here to help, Boeck said.

Stommel said the Beaver Dam program is the same one being used by the Dodge County Sheriffs Department. Local leaders had the option of becoming an associated member of the sheriffs program, but since that came with certain restrictions, opted to launch their own initiative.

They came and did a little presentation for us, and some autism training, and discussed working with them in the future, Stommel said. Were going to have guys who really want to be involved and to train others in the future. So instead of having our hands tied, we decided we wanted to go out on our own.

Member departments are required to share their expertise, so collaboration with other Project Lifesavers is guaranteed.

The cost for training and equipment is between $5,000 and $10,000 (including a reserve for equipment updates and other expenses). People who wander must wear a monitor, which searchers can locate using a small antenna. The monitor can be located up to a half-mile in any direction. Officers on the move can scour large tracts of land given that ability. Each individuals monitoring unit has a unique frequency, so not only local residents can be found using the system, those from other locations can share the monitor frequencies. Clients from other states can also be found if they wander off while traveling or being lost miles away from home.

Officers are in a unique position of knowing and recommending those who might benefit from having a monitor.

A lot of the people we help now suffer from dementia  a husband or a wife who wanders off, Smedema said. This will give them great peace of mind that we can easily locate them.

When we make contact with people out in the community who are eligible for the program, we can sign them up right away. We dont have to refer them. We know who needs the program because were out there responding to the calls. We save time doing it ourselves instead of referring them to an agency, which would then refer them back to us.

There are rules, so not just everybody can get into the program, Stommel said. But if they qualify, this is a good way to get the help they need in any emergency.

The process is simple. A caregiver calls 911, and dispatch alerts the nearest Project Lifesaver agency. That agency tracks the missing individual(s), who are introduced to officers through the sign-up process.

I give my sons frequency number and his last location and Beaver Dam and Dodge County come out and track him, Hartzheim said.

Having a more local connection helps as well.

Beaver Dam officers will have had previous contact with my son, Hartzheim said. Police come every three months and change the batteries, so there is personal contact. They ask how he is, whats going on. We have shared information about where my son likes to go, and they know he wants to be a fireman, so there is less fear on his part. Beaver Dam will also have all the equipment here, so thats a plus as well.

The devices are about the size of a watch and are designed to be worn on the wrist. They are not easily removed unless cut off with a scissors.

There is no guess how many people will need the service, but numbers are not the top priority.

If I recall, the sheriffs office was called out five times since they started this program and four of those times the people were located before officers even got there, Stommel said. Having this program is especially important this time of year when the temperatures are so low. It may not be a huge number of people involved, but if there are one or two, it will be worth it.

It gives peace of mind to a parent, Smedema said. Knowing that this will be here when they need it is a real comfort to them.

It makes us all feel safer, Hartzheim said. It will make a world of difference to me and my family.

A nominal fee is charged for the service, but no one who needs it will be denied the service.

Well find a way for them to get the help they need, Smedema said.

Donations are welcome and will be held in a separate account. Funds may be contributed at the police department, with a link to a GoFundMe page on the departments Facebook page, or at BMO Harris Bank. United Way will be holding a fundraiser, with details to be announced at a later date.
A Necedah man faces drug charges for selling heroin to an undercover officer and confidential informant.

Karl Binter, 41, is charged with delivery of schedule II narcotics. He faces up to fifteen years imprisonment for the charge.

According to the criminal complaint:

An undercover officer met with Binter on June 7 to purchase 0.3 grams of heroin. The officer was accompanied by a confidential informant during the investigation.

The undercover officer and informant drove to a predetermined location set by the informant and a woman working with Binter. The woman told the informant over the phone she could not access transportation at the time and asked instead to meet her and Binter near Milwaukee Street near the church in Mauston.

Upon arriving at the Milwaukee Street address, Binter entered the vehicle with the undercover officer and informant. An officer monitoring the vehicle noted he recognized Binter from previous professional contacts. A short time later, Binter exited the vehicle and met with the undercover officer at a predetermined location. It was at this time Binter supplied the officer with 0.3 grams of heroin.

The Juneau County Sheriffs Office later found the substance was identified to have the presence of Fentanyl.

Binter was released on a signature bond of $10,000 on Dec. 14. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for Jan. 24 at the Juneau County Justice Center.
A Mauston man faces criminal charges for operating a motorcycle with revoked driving privileges while intoxicated, injuring a passenger and himself.

Adam Taylor, 30, is charged with operate a motor vehicle while revokedcause great bodily harm to another, and operating with restricted controlled substance in blood. He faces up to three years imprisonment for the first charge.

According to the criminal complaint:

A motorcycle crash was reported to Juneau County deputies on July 4 near the intersection of County Highway G and County Highway O in the town of Lindina.

Upon arrival, a deputy observed a motorcycle lying in a ditch along County Highway G. A subject was found lying in the ditch. The subject said no one had witnessed the crash.

While another deputy was attempting to open the radway for emergency vehicles, the deputy observed an individual, later identified as Taylor, standing nearby. The deputy noticed his face and black t-shirt covered in still wet blood.

The deputy asked Taylor if he had been involved in the crash and where he was injured. He denied being involved in a crash, and stated he was not bleeding or covered in blood. The deputy told him to look down at his shirt. Taylor looked down and appeared surprised.

The deputy asked what happened and Taylor replied he had parked his motorcycle. When asked where he parked the motorcycle, Taylor began to look around as if he could not find it.

After the deputy directed his attention to the motorcycle by pointing to the ditch, Taylor acknowledged it was his. Taylor continued to deny he had crashed the motorcycle, but remembered he had a passenger.

When asked to produce identification, Taylor got his wallet from his pocket and paged through his wallet approximately 3 times, going by his identification card each time. When he handed it to the deputy, he was identified as Adam Taylor.

The deputy could smell a strong odor of intoxicants coming from his breath and his speech was slurred.

The other deputy, who had been with the individual in the ditch stated he had been informed by the individual Taylor had been the driver of the motorcycle.

Taylor and the injured individual were loaded onto backboards and transported by Mauston Area Ambulance. Both had to be flown to trauma centers due to the severity of their injuries. It was reported Taylor had sustained a significant head injury from the crash.

Upon running a check of Taylors driving status through dispatch, the deputy was informed his operating privileges had been revoked for a prior operating while intoxicated offense.

The deputy advised hospital staff he would need Taylors blood drawn.

Results were received from the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene for Taylors blood on Nov. 16.

The results showed Taylor had marijuana in his system when the blood was drawn. The criminal complaint against Taylor was filed on Dec. 18.

Taylor is due for his initial appearance in court on Jan. 10 at the Juneau County Justice Center.
New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo charged Republicans Thursday with intentionally crafting their tax bill to target Democratic-leaning states to pay for tax cuts that benefit Republicans.

"This tax provision hits the blue states by eliminating the state and local tax deductibility and uses that money to finance the tax cut in the red states," Cuomo said on CNN's "New Day."

Cuomo said the move to eliminate the state and local tax deduction "put a dagger in the heart of New York and California," and that the Republicans leading Congress basically said, "Let's pillage the blue to give to the red."

"You want to hurt New York? You want to hurt California? They're the economic engines," Cuomo said.

The decision to eliminate that deduction led to pushback from many hailing from states with high incomes and high state taxes, like California and New York. Members of Congress hailing from those states voted against the bill, including several House Republicans.

Outside of hitting those high-tax blue states, Cuomo said the tax law was sold to the public with a "bait and switch" campaign by packaging it as a boon to the middle class while being skewed in reality toward the highest earners and corporations.

"They sold it as 'we're going to help the middle class,' " Cuomo said. "It wound up being a benefit for the rich and the rich corporations."

Cuomo said in response to the law, they would "propose a restructuring of our tax code" and indicated his support for some kind of legal challenge.

Cuomo said he was not sure what the Republicans did is constitutional and that there were "legitimate grounds" for legal action, but added the final retribution for the new law would come at the ballot box.

"They know exactly what has happened, and they're going to remember," Cuomo said. "Democracy ultimately works."
Despite controlling all three branches of government, Republicans haven't been able to accomplish much in Washington. And since the election of Donald Trump, they have to forced to abandon many of their core principles.
PARDEEVILLE  Village officials here are exploring the possibility of offering an amenity thats available in some neighboring Columbia County communities  an indoor space for parties, meetings and other events.

Because there are many details yet to be ironed out, the Pardeeville Village Board decided at its Dec. 19 meeting to continue the discussion of a new community center at the boards next meeting on Jan. 16.

Among those details: what kind of building it might be, and where it might be located.

Trustee Brian Hepler said hed like the community center to have space for about 300 people, so it could be used for events such as wedding receptions.

Hepler said he has a concept for a building that would include a meeting space, offices and other rooms, on multiple levels.

Village Administrator David Tracey said another option might be a single-story building, designed and constructed by a firm such as Cleary Building Corp., based in Verona. Clearys products include not only pole barns and other agricultural structures, but also municipal structures such as garages, fire stations and village halls.

Trustee James Buckley said he envisions a Cleary building as being a more open structure than the building envisioned by Hepler.

Buckley said he sees the community center as something for people of all ages, including senior citizens organizations and youth groups.

But Hepler said he thinks the kind of building should be decided only if and when the Village Board agrees on a location.

There are two, possibly three, locations that could be considered, Tracey said.

If someone were to make a firm proposal for a location that village officials could consider acquiring, he said, then that proposal would be discussed in closed session, and the closed session would have to be included on the Village Boards agenda. Wisconsin law allows public bodies to discuss negotiations for property acquisition in closed session.

Tracey said its possible that a grant could help pay for a community center. If village officials should apply for the grant, he said, its likely that theyll need firm plans to present, even if they dont yet know where a community center would be located.

Wherever it is, Hepler said, its important that it have ample parking.

In 2010, Cambria village officials accepted a grant of $76,800 and a loan of $435,200 from the U.S. Department of Agricultures Rural Development program for community facilities, to acquire property on Highway 146, formerly the location of the Enerson and Eggen implement dealership, for a new fire station.

Cambria Village Clerk Lois Frank noted that the community room, created as part of the new fire station, is a popular gathering place for all kinds of events, such as high school graduation parties.

However, the USDA loan and money was granted to acquire the land and buildings for use as a fire station. The creation of a community room  whose primary use is as a training facility for firefighters from throughout the area  was an effort of the Cambria Fire Department, Frank said.

The firefighters put their blood, sweat and tears into fixing up that room, she said. They cleaned it up, redid the counter area and finished off the kitchen.

The fire department, and not the village, oversees the operation and rental of the community center at the fire station.

The village of Wyocena, seven miles south of Pardeeville, also has a community space available for the public to rent  a gymnasium that is part of the village offices.

Frank added that Cambria also has a community room with capacity for 100 people at a time. Theres a kitchen, but alcohol cannot be served there. In the fire departments community room, alcohol can be served with state-required licensing for whoever is renting the room.

The question of whether alcohol would be permitted in a Pardeeville community room is one of the issues that need to be addressed.
TORONTO, Dec. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (BlackRock Canada), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK), today announced the final December 2017 cash distributions for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF. Unitholders of record on December 29, 2017 will receive cash distributions payable on January 4, 2018.



Details regarding the final per unit distribution amounts are as follows:

Fund Name Fund

Ticker Cash

Distribution

Per Unit ($) iShares Premium Money Market ETF CMR 0.04504 CMR.A 0.03977

Further information on the iShares ETFs can be found at http://www.blackrock.com/ca .

About BlackRock

BlackRock helps investors build better financial futures. As a fiduciary to our clients, we provide the investment and technology solutions they need when planning for their most important goals. As of September 30, 2017, the firm manages approximately US$5.977 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/ca | Twitter: @BlackRockCA | Blog: www.blackrockblog.com/can

About iShares ETFs

iSharesis a global leader in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with more than a decade of expertise and commitment to individual and institutional investors of all sizes. With over 800 funds globally across multiple asset classes and strategies and more than US$1.5 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2017, iShares helps clients around the world build the core of their portfolios, meet specific investment goals and implement market views. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock, trusted to manage more money than any other investment firm1.

1 Based on US$5.977 trillion in AUM as of 9/30/17

iShares ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited.

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. The funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.

Contact for Media:

Julia Koene

T  416-643-4010

Email: Julia.Koene@blackrock.com
Law School honored as Military Friendly for outstanding commitment to veterans

William & Mary Law School has been ranked fifth among Top 10 Military Friendly graduate schools in Victory Medias GI Jobs and Guide to Military Friendly Schools. The school was ranked sixth among graduate schools in 2017.

William & Mary is the only law school in Virginia to receive a 2018 Military Friendly School designation and is ranked first among law schools receiving the 2018 designation.

We are once again glad to be recognized as a military friendly law school, and at a higher ranking, said Patricia Roberts, vice dean of W&M Law School, co-director of the Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic and director of clinical programs. Our staff and students do outstanding work every day, and the Military Friendly designation inspires them to work even harder on behalf of veterans. We are hopeful this will encourage more student veterans to consider applying to William & Mary Law School.

Since its beginning in 2005, the Military Friendly program has sought to provide the most accurate and viable designation program for the military community as they seek to make critical life decisions regarding their education, employment and consumer choices. The program is committed to ensuring the highest degree possible of data accuracy, transparency and third-party validation.

This year introduced new levels of data auditing, made available through technological advancements to further separate authentic Military Friendly institutions from the rest of the field.

To be considered for the awards program, companies and schools must have successfully completed a 2018 Military Friendly survey and been designated as a 2017 Military Friendly School or Employer.

The awards provide a more competitive view of how an organization is performing compared with similar organizations. A school or employer can be awarded: Top 10 (the best of the best); Gold (within 20 percent of a 10th-ranked organization); Silver (within 30 percent of a 10th-ranked organization); Bronze (within 40 percent of a 10th-ranked organization); and Designated (deemed Military Friendly based on results from the survey).

The Top 10, Gold, Silver and Bronze winners are published online in December at https://militaryfriendly.com and in the annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools.




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Further delay to completion of Rokkasho facilities

28 December 2017

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Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited has announced a further three-year delay in the schedule for completing the Rokkasho reprocessing plant and J-MOX mixed-oxide fuel fabrication plant. The delay is due to additional regulatory requirements.

The Rokkasho fuel cycle centre in Japan's northern Aomori prefecture (Image: JNFL)

JNFL said the reprocessing plant is now scheduled for completion in the first-half of fiscal year 2021 (ending March 2022) instead of in the first-half of FY2018. Completion of the MOX plant has been put back from the first-half of FY2019 to the first-half of FY2022.

The company said that, during the additional three years, safety measures at both the reprocessing plant and the J-MOX fuel fabrication plant would be enhanced.

At the reprocessing plant, additional equipment and systems will be installed for the recovery of radioactivity in the event of a severe accident. An evaluation will also be carried out of the impact on control devices and equipment in the event of a leak of high-pressure and high-temperature steam, and the development and installation of relevant countermeasures, if deemed necessary. A new emergency control room will also be constructed at the reprocessing plant. Additional safety-related countermeasures will also be put in place, such as internal flood protection, strengthening of the seismic resistance of pipework, improving cooling water tower resistance against tornadoes and improving measures against internal fires.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) will also carry out a safety review and associated procedures at the reprocessing plant during this period. JNFL noted that obtaining approvals for design and construction methods will also take some time.

At the J-MOX fuel fabrication plant, work will be carried out to enhance the earthquake resistance of structures in operations rooms. Equipment to counter internal fires will also be installed. JNFL noted that the plant floor space will need to be expanded in order to accommodate both these measures. Again, the NRA will conduct a safety review of the J-MOX plant.

JNFL said it will prioritise safety during all construction activities at both the reprocessing plant and MOX fuel plant. It added, "JNFL will use this scheduling opportunity to continue improving its quality assurance program, thoroughly inspect equipment and devices, and conduct intensive training for operators and maintenance technicians." It will also continue to make "company-wide efforts to achieve safe and stable commercial operation" at both plants.

Construction of the Rokkasho reprocessing plant began in 1993 and was originally expected to be completed by 1997. However, its construction and commissioning have faced several delays. Problems in the locally-designed vitrification plant - where dried out and powdered high-level radioactive waste is mixed with molten glass for permanent storage - have contributed to these delays. JNFL designed the vitrification unit to go with the reprocessing section supplied by Areva. The Rokkasho reprocessing facility is based on the same technology as Areva's La Hague plant in France.

Construction of the J-MOX plant at Rokkasho began in late 2010. Construction of the 130 tonne per year plant had been delayed by three years from the planned 2007 start by revision of seismic criteria following on from the powerful Niigata-Chuetsu-Oki earthquake.

Revised safety standards

Following the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, new safety standards for power plants were introduced by the NRA in July 2013. In December of that year, new standards came into force that apply to the country's fuel fabrication plants and its reprocessing facilities. Used fuel and radioactive waste storage and disposal facilities are also subject to the revised rules, as are research reactors and nuclear fuel research centres.

The requirements vary from facility to facility, but generally include reinforcement measures against natural threats such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and in some cases tornadoes, volcanoes and forest fires.

The standards require that fuel fabrication plants are able to contain radioactive material in the event of an accident, and have measures in place to prevent accidental criticality events. Reprocessing plants need to demonstrate these as well as countermeasures specifically for terrorist attacks, hydrogen explosions, fires resulting from solvent leaks and vaporisation of liquid waste.

The NRA has allowed Japan's fuel cycle facilities to continue operating, but they have until the end of 2018 to undergo inspections to ensure they meet the revised safety standards.

In November 2015, JNFL announced that completion of the Rokkasho reprocessing plant and J-MOX plant had been postponed by around two years as work continued to comply with new the safety requirements.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Online retail giant Amazon commenced operations early December in Australia, opening a fulfilment centre in outer Melbourne.

The move forms part of Amazons continuing global expansion, based on the accumulation of profit through the brutal exploitation of low-wage warehouse workers. The companys CEO, Jeff Bezos, is now the worlds wealthiest individual, with a personal fortune estimated at more than $US100 billion.

Amazons entry into the Australian retail market is expected to undermine the existing corporations that currently enjoy monopolistic control.

Morgan Stanley earlier this year predicted that the value of rival retailers, including JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and Wesfarmers (owner of the Coles, Bunnings, Kmart and Target chains), would plunge by more than $1.2 billion. A UBS survey of fund managers and brokers in April reported expectations that Amazon would cut sales of rival retailers by 5.2 percent in the next 3-5 years, with earnings slashed by 16 percent. Specific retailers, especially in the electronics sector, will be even worse hit, with JB Hi-Fi earnings expected to decline by 33 percent.

The profit squeeze will trigger a sector-wide restructuring, including store closures, job losses and even greater pressure for lower wages and worse conditions for retail and warehouse workers. Fairfax Media this month reported secretive plans by grocery giant Woolworths to fight Amazon by creating four dark stores, solely devoted to packing and shipping online home deliveries, using 400 workers paid up to $3,000 less a year than regular Woolworths supermarket workers.

Amazon is notorious internationally for its appalling treatment of warehouse workers. In the US and Europe, the company has presided over multiple workplace injuries and deaths. Its warehouses feature physically harmful demands, relentless speed-up, total surveillance of its workforce, dangerously hot conditions and minimal toilet and meal breaks.

The situation will be no different for workers in Amazons 24,000 square-metre facility in Dandenong South, a largely immigrant, working class outer suburb of Melbourne. Operations remain on a small scale, but the company has declared its intention to quickly expand and employ several thousand workers. Already, advertised jobs include physical warehouse activities that would require lifting and moving material up to 16kg each and standing and walking for up to 1012 hours a day.

Workers entering the warehouse car park have been greeted with a large billboard declaring: Welcome Amazonians. Its still day one! Are you ready to make a difference?

The state Labor Party government in Victoria hailed Amazons decision to set up operations in Melbourne rather than Sydney, which the company previously considered as a base. Industry Minister Wade Noonan declared Amazon the latest global company to choose Victoria for its Australian operations. He claimed it would be opening up retail opportunities for thousands of local businesses.

Amazon is adept at minimising its tax and avoiding regulations by playing rival governments off against one another. In the US, more than 200 cities are engaged in a bidding war to lure the companys second headquarters, with Chicago offering a $2.25 billion incentive package and Stonecrest, Georgia, offering to change its name to Amazon and appoint Bezos mayor for life. According to media reports, the Victorian government did not lure Amazon with subsidies. Its standard pro-business planning regulations and tax system proved enough to attract the corporate giant.

Several business figures have responded to Amazons entry into the Australian market by promoting nationalism, advancing the false notion that working people in Australia have a stake in the accumulation of profit by their corporations. Former electronics retailer Dick Smith declared: It is extreme capitalism. Amazon will make a fortune, and take hundreds of millions of dollars out of this country and send it back to the United States As it gets greedier and greedier there is no doubt in my mind they will do well. All of the money will not stay here, like from Harvey Norman, or JB Hi-Fi, the money will go back to the United States.

The trade unions hope to establish a relationship with Amazon as soon as possible. In existing retail warehouses, the union bureaucrats serve as an industrial police force, overseeing the exploitation of low-wage workers. The National Union of Workers (NUW), which covers most warehouse staff, is responsible for numerous industrial betrayals and is currently overseeing the planned orderly closure of Woolworths Broadmeadows facility in northern Melbourne, at the cost of more than 700 jobs.

NUW national secretary Tim Kennedy told the Guardian he wrote to Amazon in August seeking a meeting to discuss plans for Australia but never heard back. He later told the Age: We want to organise them; we will really focus on this as a big opportunity.

The unions plans to capitalise on the opportunity provided by Amazons operations have been backed by the pseudo-left group, Socialist Alternative. This organisation works very closely with the NUW in several Melbourne warehouses, serving as its left apologist for every sell-out and manoeuvre. Before Amazons entry to Australia, Socialist Alternative declared that the company presents a challenge for the Australian trade union movement and published a fawning interview with a NUW official.

To fight for decent wages and conditions, Amazon workers need to turn not to the unions and their pseudo-left accomplices but to the Socialist Equality Party and the International Amazon Workers Voice, a worldwide publication of the World Socialist Web Site that tells the truth about conditions in Amazon facilities globally. Warehouse workers need to unite within Australia and internationally, forming independent rank-and-file committees, based on the socialist perspective of mobilising the entire working class in a fight to abolish the profit system itself.

We urge all Amazon workers in the new Australian warehouse to follow the International Amazon Workers Voice Facebook page and contact us to discuss how to take this struggle forward.
The Volkswagen Group worked closely with the CIA-backed military dictatorship in Brazil, which held power in from 1964 to 1985, and collaborated in the persecution, torture and murder of militant autoworkers. That is the finding of an investigation of VW do Brasil, published by the Brazilian Federal Prosecutors Office in mid-November.

The 406-page document produced by lead investigator Guaracy Mingardi is a damning exposure of the German-based auto giant. Not only does it confirm research published by broadcaster NDR and newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung last July, it also reveals much more. Mingardi concludes that VW had an active role. It was not forced. The company took part because it wanted it that way.

VW do Brasil workers who were persecuted by the military junta have joined forces in the Workers Forum for Truth, Justice and Reparation (Forum de Trabalhadores por Verdade, Justica e Reparacao). They filed a legal complaint on September 22, 2015, raising five allegations against Volkswagen do Brasil:

First, the company actively participated in the arrest of VW employees. Second, it harassed and dismissed oppositionist workers. Third, it aided and abetted the government in torture. Fourth, VW officials financially supported the Operacao Bandeirante (OBAN) torture centre and the DOI-CODI (Departamento de Operacoes de Informacoes-Centro de Operacoes de Defesa Interna). Fifth, VW is guilty of conspiracy and participation in the military coup of 1964 and the two decades of military rule that followed.

The OBAN torture centre was established in 1969. A year later, it was renamed DOI-CODI and directly subordinated to the military. An estimated 2,000 people were imprisoned there, most without trial. At least 66 were murdered, 39 of them under torture.

The workers charges have now been fully vindicated by the investigation.

Mingardis research also confirms the statements of former VW employees Lucio Bellentani and Heinrich Plagge that they were arrested by secret police at their workplace under the supervision of armed VW plant security and taken to the DOPS torture centre.

Knowing that the federal prosecutor in Sao Paulo has been investigating VW since 2015 and would submit his findings in autumn 2017, the VW board in October 2016 commissioned historian Christopher Kopper, the son of former Deutsche Bank boss Hilmar Kopper, to investigate the case and submit his findings by the end of 2017.

This VW report was published last Thursday in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Originally, VW had hoped to stage a PR event with VW Human Resources Director Karlheinz Blessing personally shaking hands with torture victim Lucio Bellentani. This did not happen, however, because workers refused to participate in the farce.

None of the workers will appear at this event, Bellentani declared. We will stand outside the factory gate expressing our dissatisfaction with the companys behaviour. So far, VW refuses to contact us officially. Workers Forum wrote in a letter, Despite international reporting, VW has not commented on the allegations During the various witness hearings, in which former employees reported repression by the VW plant security, the links to the repressive organs of the state and of torture and arrests, the VW lawyers remained silent... So far, there is no signal from VW that the company really wants to work with the investigators.

The VW Group apparently still believes it can escape any accountability.

In the press release published last Thursday, the VW board tried again to dodge responsibility. Against the background of the scientifically evaluated sources, Professor Kopper concludes that cooperation between individual members of the Volkswagen do Brasil plant security and the Political Police (DOPS) of the former military regime has taken place. But no clear evidence has been found that the collaboration was based on institutional action by the company.

The company statement cites Koppers assertion that a labour relations and cultural transformation began in 1979 when Volkswagen do Brasil became a pioneer of employee participation by establishing a works council. By 1982, the historian claimed, the existence of the works council, democratically elected by workers in a secret ballot, meant that union members were no longer disadvantaged, Kopper asserted.

The companys press release was reported by most German newspapers without mentioning, let alone quoting, the Brazilian investigators findings. But even the Kopper report admitted, The management of VW do Brasil remained completely loyal to the military government and shared its economic and domestic policy goals. In another place, it says that the chief of the plant security service, Adhemar Rudge, had acted on his own initiative, but with the tacit knowledge of the board.

The tacit knowledge of the board can only mean that VW corporate board members, at least of VW do Brasil, were well aware of and supported the factory security service when it handed over oppositionist workers for torture. In legal terms, this is called, at the very least, aiding and abetting the criminal acts of torture and murder.

The Mingardi report is even clearer. It quotes from a document of September 11, 1975, in which VW plant security chief Rudge describes in detail the procedure for the preparation and transfer of data to the intelligence agencies. It clearly shows, says Minardi, that Volkswagens plant security organization coordinated things with [intelligence agency] SNI. And above all, that information about these processes was known on the part of the company director [Wolfgang Sauer].

So, the question is not how much the VW board knew. The evidence on this is clear: all information about unionized and politically active workers first went across the table of company director Wolfgang Sauer. He decided what went to the secret police of the Brazilian military junta, and thus who was arrested and tortured.

Another revelation could have serious legal and financial consequences for the VW group. Mingardi proves that VW do Brasil had also financially supported the Brazilian military dictatorship. On page 63 of his review, he writes, There is no doubt that there was real support from Volkswagen for the OBAN [torture centre] and maybe even for the [future torture centre] DOI-CODI.

Kopper too had to accept this. While claiming, There was no clear evidence to suggest that VW do Brasil materially supported the operation of an Army Torture Centre (DOI-CODI), he admitted, Indirect financial contributions through membership fees to the industrial association FIESP were just as possible as was the free provision of vehicles.

Kopper explains elsewhere: Since the FIESP industrial association actively supported OBAN, and VW was one of the largest members of the association, direct (through the provision of vehicles) or indirect material support of the OBAN (via membership fees to FIESP) by VW do Brasil appears probable.

Since almost all documents have been destroyed, evidence of the involvement of companies such as VW and wealthy individuals has long been concealed. It is well known that OBAN was financed, especially in its early days, by large donations from business figures in Sao Paulo. The average donation is said to have been $100,000 a year. Just how much the Volkswagen Group contributed is still unknown.

VW is responsible for these crimes. Workers must demand that the company and German political officials who are responsible be held to account and that the former VW workers and all the surviving victims of the OBAN torture centre and their relatives be made as whole as possible.

Last week, business daily Handelsblatt reported there had been a willingness on the German side at VW to set up a Victim Support Fund for South America, comparable to the fund from which forced labourers under the Nazi regime were compensated.

But even this proposal, which would be largely for public relations purposes, has been resisted.

[T]he idea from Germany met with little favour from South American Volkswagen colleagues, continues Handelsblatt. They warned against paying compensation in Brazil. It will be boundless, Volkswagen will open the tap with that, the Brazilian management informed the head office in Wolfsburg. The financial consequences are incalculable.

The article concluded, The South Americans prevailed in the end; there will be no compensation fund for the time being.
Thousands of UK families are suffering acute social distress, their lives blighted by low income, debt or homelessness.

Last week, a committee of MPs in the cross-party Public Accounts Committee were forced to acknowledge that homelessness was a national crisis. They cited a report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that more than 9,000 people are rough sleepers and 78,000 families are living in temporary accommodation in England alone, including 120,000 children. Many of these are working families who have been made homeless due to the rocketing cost of private rent.

Fourteen million people live in poverty in the UK todayone in five of the populationincluding 8 million working age adults, 4 million children and 1.9 million pensioners.

And the numbers are rising.

Among the poorestthose at or below 60 percent of the median incomeare some one-and-a-quarter million people classed as destitute, including 312,000 children.

The destitute, as defined by the Joseph Rowntree Trust, are people [who] have: slept rough, had one or no meals a day for two or more days, been unable to heat or to light their home for five or more days, gone without weather-appropriate clothes or gone without basic toiletries.

The figures are startling in one of the richest countries in the world. Hunger has now become endemic, with severe levels of poverty forcing many to turn to food banks or other charities just to survive.

Research by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation indicates that one in five children in the UK live with an adult who is moderately or severely food-insecure and one in ten live with a severely food-insecure adult. Parents or carers skip meals to feed their children.

Earlier this year, a cross-party panel of MPs warned that up to 3 million children risk going hungry during the school holidays, when children from poorer families can no longer access free school meals.

A recent article in the Manchester Evening News alerted readers to a food bank in the town of Heywood, outside Manchester, which had run out of food.

Father Paul Daley, who runs the food bank from nearby St. Josephs church, told a World Socialist Web Site reporter that this crisis was caused not because people are giving less, but because demand is increasing.

There has been a phenomenal response [donations from the public] since the article, he said.

Last year, the Wood Street Mission charity, based in Manchester city centre and established in 1869, helped 2,000 Greater Manchester families with donated food and toys over the Christmas period. Due to their work, 4,500 children were able to receive gifts on Christmas Day last year.

Just before Christmas, the manager of the Wood Street Mission, Des Lynch, who has worked for the charity for 20 years, spoke about its work to the WSWS.

He explained that the families the Wood Street Mission staff meet are referred to them by health visitors, mental health nurses or social workers. The help they give is variedfrom donations of nursery equipment such as cots and prams, to the provision of school uniforms in the SmartStart project at the beginning of the school term.

Last New Year we distributed 6,000 worth of brand new coats, explained Lynch, because poorer kids turn up at school cold and wet.

To help children live normal lives, 10,000 chocolate eggs were distributed to them last Easter. Every year we have a book club, he said. We hire a venue, take 3,000 books, and invite the kids inthey can take the books they want.

Lynch emphasised, There are 50,000 in poverty in Salford and Manchester today. ... If were dealing with 7,000 over Christmas last year, the point is were not even scraping the surface.

Since the international banking collapse in 2008 and the bailout by the Labour government, it is the working class, not the rich, who are paying the pricethrough endless austerity cuts, the creation of precarious work and a low-wage economy, and changes to the benefits system. Successive Labour and Conservative governments have eviscerated the welfare state.

We have seen an increase in families coming to us who are in work of some kind, said Lynch. Zero hours contracts are not helping. You can be the best budgeter in the world, but if youre only working 12 or 14 hours a week, how can you possibly budget?

When asked if he thought the election of a Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour government would do anything to alleviate poverty, he replied with an emphatic No!

Weve had multiple changes of government since the Mission was founded in 1869, and no government of any colour has ever tackled child poverty, whether Labour, Lib[eral] Dems [Democrats] or the Tories. If we change the government tomorrow, would it make a difference?

Increasing inequality is visible in all the major cities of the UK. Manchester is extremely affluent.  But walk 20 minutes out of the city centre, the people on the outskirts dont venture in, they dont feel they belong, its too expensive for them. ... Take Ancoats [a gentrified former working class city centre district], its totally socially cleansed.

From Manchesters main Piccadilly railway station, every few feet there are homeless people snatching some rest in shop doorways, with their only protection against the elements a few blankets and perhaps a sleeping bag.

In 2015, the Labour-run Manchester City Council obtained a court injunction to remove makeshift tent cities that had sprung up to provide rough sleepers with some shelter from the cold.

This month, the Salford Star reported there has been an explosion in homeless squats in the past three years in Greater Manchester, coinciding with the rollout of Universal Creditthe new benefit system aimed at cutting welfare spending and further impoverishing the working class. A Freedom of Information request from Greater Manchester police files revealed 850 squat incidents and 39 evictions.

The number of privately owned empty properties far exceeds the number of homeless adults and families. The skyline of Manchester, as in other major cities, is being transformed by cranes and new residential tower blocks. These are not being built for working people, but as luxury apartments to be sold as buy-to-lets at exorbitant rents. No cheaper council homes are being built, when at least 80,000 are needed nationally.

People sleeping rough since 2011 has increased by 134 percent, while the number of families in temporary accommodation has risen by 60 percent since 2010. The Public Accounts Committee report condemns the attitude of the Department for Communities and Local Government as unacceptably complacent. The government has cynically committed to eliminating rough sleeping by 202710 more winters!
An investigation by Sky News highlights the role of profiteering by corporations in the Grenfell fire.

Conducted over four months, the report reveals a culture of intimidation, bullying and lies within the plastics industry. Not only were the rules manipulated to have more plastic fitted to buildings, but people were also silenced who would speak out against criminal practices.

Senior figures in the fire safety sector had warned well in advance that a disaster of the type seen at Grenfell was likely to happen. Moreover, many advisers had been telling successive Labour and Conservative governments about the dangers and that the building regulations were not fit for purpose.

Sky News found that no one would go on camera because they were told that speaking out about [the plastic insulation industry] was impossible and that people involved had had threats to sue.

Rockwool, which produces non-combustible mineral-based alternative to plastic insulation, was sued for malicious falsehood because they made the claim that their product did not burn and that plastic does.

In 2013, an insurance firm investigated the safety of plastic insulation. It found that the panels burned more fiercely in real life than in official tests. As the result of posting the footage on YouTube, they were threatened with legal action and had to conceal the brand of insulation.

Just a week after the Grenfell fire, the insulation industry was making sure it was business as usual. Sky revealed that six European plastic industry lobby groups had complained in a letter about a paper that highlighted the dangers of toxic smoke from burning plastic. It said, We request that the article is withdrawn.  The consequences [] are enormous and could well lead to significant consequential losses.

The main lobby group for the plastics industry changed its name in the wake of Grenfell. They went from being the British Rigid Urethane Foam Manufacturers Association [BRUFMA] to the Insulation Manufacturers Association [IMA]. The group cited events of the year as the reason for the change.

Sky found evidence that the BRUFMA/IMA had driven government policy on building regulations. It reported that the body has high level involvement in the drafting and regular revision of British and European standards [and] the Building Regulations. It even boasts that as a member you have the opportunity to influence Government bodies and NGOs and direct input into relevant British Standards committees.

How this took place was seen in 2011 when the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) invited industry members to create a committee around the Green Deal. This was an initiative to push more insulation into homes to meet climate change targets. Of the 10 firms and construction industry groups on that committee, four were members of BRUFMA. One of them was Celotex, the firm whose plastic insulation would be fitted to the outside of Grenfell Tower four years later.

Celotex was embedded in government policy, with its technical director, Rob Warren, a leading committee member. He boasted that he was working inside government to shape this critical policy enabling the insulation industry to maximize the benefits.

By 2015, Warren was even more brazen with the trade magazine Urethanes Technology International, reporting he had said regulatory change was the greatest driver of plastic insulation sales.

Without new regulations, Warren was reported as saying, You cannot give insulation away and the public are not really interested. As a result of the new legislation that the insulation corporations were instrumental in formulating, the market value of the plastic insulation products doubled between 2012 and 2016.

This coincided with fire safety being virtually ignored. Sky News spoke to Simon Hay who also sat on the DECC committee and who recalled that fire [was not] mentioned in any of the meetings.

Instead the governments 2012 Green Deal launch report Opportunities for Industry, contains 126 mentions of cost and 119 of saving, but nothing about fire safety.

Fire safety expert Niall Rowan from the Passive Fire Protection Association told Sky: Due to the green agenda weve had a push to insulate buildings and the easiest and cheapest way to insulate was using these combustible materials [] our eye was off the ball.

One government department was peddling combustible plastic products, even as another was being warned of the massive risks in the use of plastic insulation in residential homes.

In 1999, a group of flats caught fire in Ayrshire, Scotland, killing one and injuring others. A government inquiry found that the building regulations were totally inadequate. In 2009, the Lakanal House fire in London saw six people killed due to the use of combustible plastic insulation, but resulted in no change to regulations.

After being refused access by the DCLG to 54 submissions they received in a 2010 consultation into how the fire safety rules needed to change, Sky News used the Freedom of Information Act to try to read them [but] our application was refused on the grounds that releasing them was not in the public interest.

They managed to gain access to one from the Fire Protection Association (FPA). Urgent research is required, it warned the government, into whether building regulations were fit for purpose. The submission continued, building regulations enforcement is not effective with inspectors turning up less frequently if at all. Ministers should act.

The plastic industry utilised deregulation to amass large profits. In 1984, under the Thatcher Conservative government, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) was formed to allow the privatisation of Building Control. There are now over 150 companies that provide the service, speeding up the completion of building works to save money for the firms involved.

Under the Blair Labour government, the Regulatory Reform Order 2005 scrapped fire certificates for buildingsleaving landlords responsible for ensuring fire risk assessments are carried out.

Technical expert Ian Abley said that the 2005 legislation was a significant weakening of fire safety protection.  A system of self-certification by building owners is weaker than a system of certification by a fire officer, somebody whose interest is directly to make sure his men and women fire officers dont die in fighting fires.

Abley continued, There are holes in the regulatory reform order that dont necessarily include the outside of a block of flatswhich is Grenfell.

Despite myriad warnings, there have been no changes in fire safety in the last 12 years. The government has continued to seek advice from the industry that has profited from the reckless use of flammable material on buildings.

The fire tests to prove the validity of plastic cladding are monopolised by one company: the Building Research Establishment (BRE). Sky News revealed that in 2005, to manage the risk from plastic insulation and cladding [BRE] creat[ed] a fire test called BS 8414. With millions of pounds spent on these tests and with vast profits at stake, BRE told the Government that the building regulations could cope.

In April 2016just 14 months before Grenfellplaying down the risks of adding combustible cladding to high-rise buildings, the BRE said that with the exception of one or two unfortunate cases, there is currently no evidence from BRE Globals fire investigations for DCLG to suggest that current building regulation recommendations, to limit vertical fire spread up the exterior of high rise buildings, are failing in their purpose.

Simon Hay, an architect who sat on the DECC committee in 2011, said, Im afraid there will be buildings that are unsafe, and that must be a worry for people who are falling asleep in them.
Hundreds of thousands of workers in Puerto Rico are struggling to make ends meet through the holiday season as over two-thirds of the islands 45,000 small and mid-size businesses remain closed. Those that are open are often forced to operate on limited schedules due to ongoing power outages.

For those workers who are employed, conditions are onerous: Christmas bonuses were withheld for many and regular hours were dramatically slashed. US Department of Labor figures show that in October employers in Puerto Rico cut payrolls the most they ever had in 21 years, while unemployment claims surged to an 11-year high the following month.

At the unemployment office in San Juan, Madeline Vasquez of Bayamon explained to WSWS reporters what impact these conditions have had on the lives of the working-class and poor residents on the island.

Holding up a letter from the unemployment office, she explained, I am supposed to be receiving $138 a month, but they havent sent me anything even though this letter says I was approved in September. I have two kids. Even if I were to receive this money, how am I supposed to live on $138 a month? This is why so many people have left the island. There is nothing left for them here. They are forcing people to make decisions, between food and health care, or buying the things they need to survive.

If you are lucky enough to have a generator you will be spending maybe $75 week for fuel. We have one and have been doing this since Irma, even before Maria. If it wasnt for my family helping me, I think I would have to leave the island.

Mrs. Vasquez lost her job working in an administrative office, which has not reopened since the storm. Other residents sitting nearby Mrs. Vasquez nodded along as she spoke about her situation. Each person had a similar story: they had lost their jobs from the hurricane damage, applied for unemployment, and received nothing in response. Each showed us their letters granting them a paltry sum of moneynot one over $138. Of the dozen or so workers who spoke with WSWS reporters not one had received even one cent of aid, several exclaimed, since the storm hit in September.

Employees of the Department of Labor office told our reporters that in the immediate aftermath of the storm the line to apply for unemployment benefits in San Juan was so long that the office had to set up tents outside for the overflow. Director of the unemployment insurance department, Carmen Morales Rivera, reported to various media outlets that officials in the capital saw between 800 and 1,000 people a day.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate has increased every month since the storm and is on track to rise again by the end of December. The current unemployment rate stands at 10.8 percent, nearly 118,000 people. These numbers are likely an underestimation of the real figures as it is unclear how the nearly 200,000 workers who have left the island are considered. Many who reached the US mainland are still jobless.

One former clothing shopkeeper sitting nearby speculated, I think the government is hiding the real number of people who will now be unemployed from the storm. There are so many industries which were affected, administrative offices of all types, shopping, tourism, nearly every industry.

Mrs. Vasquez noted that the economic situation of the island had been bad before the storm. In August, a month before Maria, Puerto Rico had an unemployment rate of 10.1 percent with a poverty rate of 43.5 percent, more than double that of Mississippi, the poorest state in the US.

The government has really done nothing. I mean what are these people thinking? And it is not just here but on the mainland too. Do they know how many kids and people are hungry? Or how many need houses and benefits? I often wonder who is really doing more damagethe Republicans who are on a rampage or the Democrats who are doing nothing! Neither of those parties is for us. We have two parties here on the island as well and they are the same.

A row back, Marta Feliciano voiced her agreement, The rich can have generators but what about the working class and poor? We have to just make do. I heard today that a person in San Juan died of hungerof hunger! We are human beings. How can this be happening?

Mrs. Feliciano explained, My husband lost his job at the airport. They sent him a letter initially saying they were temporarily laying him off because of the damage to the airport. They opened other positions back up but they never called back my husband, and they never sent him a letter or anything. He just had to keep calling. I dont think many people know just how many jobs have been cut but I know for sure they still havent called back at least 200 people at the airport, but there are probably many more.

I have two daughters, both in elementary school, and the truth is we are really surviving now on our food stamps.

Another airport worker, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal at his job, explained that many companies who work at the airport are preparing to start massive layoffs. I am the head of my department. I have meetings with my bosses each week where they threaten to start laying off the workers below me. It feels so horrible but I have to tell my employees to do their jobs as best as they can, to not spend lots of money on their families at Christmas, to start saving, to not buy new things, because I really dont know what is going to happen with their jobs.

The same worker was at the unemployment office with his wife who lost her job working with special needs children. While they waited for his wifes turn at the office, he worked on a university assignment, so he can finish school and try to get a better job.

The fate of thousands of more jobs and livelihoods hang in the balance as corporations and politicians work through the implications of the Trump administrations new tax bill. One provision, which will treat Puerto Rican subsidiaries of American companies as if they are located in a foreign country, excluding various tax breaks and subsidies, is predicted to eliminate as many as 200,000 additional jobs, spurring even further economic depression on the island.

The system, which granted the island both foreign and domestic status, has made Puerto Rico a tax haven for drug and medical device makers, who can incorporate in the commonwealth as foreign subsidiaries but label their products as made in the US.

The response of much of the islands political establishment, including Governor Rossello, a Democrat and member of the islands pro-statehood New Progressive Party, has been to double down on offers of corporate tax cuts and incentives, and to accelerate the campaign to privatize the publicly owned electrical grid, school system and other public services. This will also lead to a wave of job-cutting and the destruction of the wages and benefits of teachers and other public sector workers.

If it is looking this bad for us now I cannot imagine what it will be like after the tax bill, Mrs. Feliciano declared. And what are the Democrats going to do about it? Nothing!
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - As 2017 comes to a close, we're taking a look back at crime in the Capital City and Leon County.

2017: a year of ups and downs for crime in Leon County. While several types of crime dropped from 2016, the county still had the highest crime rate in the state for a third straight year.

22 people have been killed in Leon County so far this year, though not all of them are considered murders.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's annual crime reports, the record for murders in a year in Leon County was 21 in 2015. We spoke with Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo in October about the violence.

"Each of these incidents, there's witnesses. But yet some of them, there's no one that's willing to talk to police and provide that information, and it's critical that there is some social responsibility and community ownership of what can we do to help," said Chief DeLeo. "If we don't want this behavior in our community, then people have to be willing to step forward and be part of the solution."

While the murders have headlined what seems to be a violent year, other data shows drops in overall crime and violent crime.

The Tallahassee Police Department has also made efforts to stop crime before it happens, installing safety cameras in the bond neighborhood and creating a program called T.E.M.P.O. to work with disconnected youth.

TPD has incorporated crime data from the Leon County Sheriff's Office to give a full overview of the community. The TOPS application was also upgraded recently.

Both Chief DeLeo and Sheriff Walt McNeil were unavailable for comment for Wednesday's report. We've reached out to both to ask them about their plans for the upcoming year.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - As the year comes to an end, development in the Capital City remains steady.

While some businesses are saying goodbye, others are ready to open next month.

Time is running out for Yosties Chili Parlor. The hot dog joint in All Saints is planning to close after lunch Friday as developers come in to start the transformation to more housing.

We talked to owner Gary Yost earlier this month, who's trying to keep his business alive.

"I dropped my money and six weeks of labor to turn it into this, and it's just disheartening that when you get to the hump, now all this change happens," said Yost.

The future for Connie's Ham is unclear, too. The Market Square staple has served the community for more than 30 years but developers aren't sure whether the business will have to go to make room for a movie theater.

The owner says they'll stay open until developers figure out what's next.

While some businesses are either closing or planning their future, some new faces are coming to Tallahassee, including here in Midtown.

Right behind Waterworks on Thomasville Road, Journeyman Coffee is opening a new location called the hideaway. Owner Jason Card says he's excited about the concept.

"We're going to have a mid-century modern, kind of old Florida feel, and it's going to be a really good place for people to hang out and get some food, get some amazing coffee," said Card. "We'll have a lot of indoor and outdoor seating, and places to read and chat."

Over in Frenchtown, Southern Velvet Cafe is getting ready to bring a much-needed food option for residents. The bakery and tea shop was a hit at this year's Frenchtown Heritage Fest and hopes to open in January.

The new year will see several projects either start or finish as the Capital City continues to grow.
HAVANA, Fla. (WTXL) - A three-hour long standoff in Havana has ended in an arrest.

John Clayton Partin was arrested on Thursday for active warrants out of central Florida and Leon County.

Thursday morning, the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office responded to a SWAT situation at a home on Tree Bark Court, which is off Wayside Farm Road. Wayside Farm Road sits just off Highway 27, near the Wayside Food Store.

The call came in around 8 a.m. from a woman who lives at the home. The woman said that her husband tried to barricade them inside the home, but she managed escape and call 911.

GSCO says that Partin was distressed over the active warrants for his arrest.

Once authorities arrived, residents on 159 Tree Bark Court were evacuated and held in the Leon County Mobile Command Unit. Others living on neighboring streets were not evacuated but were advised to stay inside.

Around 11:40 a.m., Leon County negotiators were able to talk to Partin and get him out of the home. He was arrested after the standoff.

"To no incident, without incident, Mr. Clayton surrendered himself. So everybody goes home safe," said Sgt. Angie Hightower, the PIO for Gadsden County. "Nobody was hurt and we're just glad it's over with."

An officer on scene said that a hostage negotiator knew Partin, which helped them talk him out of the house. He was taken to Gadsden County Jail with a bond set for $910,000.

Partin was wanted in Levy County for false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery and sexual battery.

There were more than 30 squad cars from both Leon and Gadsden counties on scene during the incident. No injuries were reported.
TIFTON, GA (WALB) - Tifton police have announced a reward for information in the death of 15-year-old who was killed Saturday.

According to Lt. Adam Story with TPD, Jamiles Taylor was killed in a homicide around 3 p.m. at Peterson's Apartments.

Story also said that the Tifton Police Department is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest James Robert Pritchett, 17.

MORE: Community reacts to 15 year old's death

Joe Thompson, Tift County Deputy Coroner, said the cause of death is pending, but Taylor has injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.

On Tuesday, Thompson said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiners in Macon will conduct an autopsy.

Someone also left balloons where neighbors said the crime scene was on Saturday.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for malice murder on Pritchett, who is considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information about Pritchett, and the young woman he is thought to be with, Naryah Redding, 15, can call the Tifton Police Department at 229-382-3132.

Copyright 2017 WALB. All rights reserved.
JENNINGS, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is looking into allegations that two Jennings police officers raped an adult victim.

An FDLE spokesperson says there is no investigation at this point, but that could be the next step depending upon the results of their initial inquiry.

The two officers were accused are no longer employed with the city, according to Jennings Police Chief Vincent Robinson.

He declined to name the officers, as the inquiry is ongoing.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 19:36:51|Editor: Chengcheng

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Afghan security force members stand guard at the site of a suicide attack in Lashkar Gah, capital of southern province of Helmand, Afghanistan, on Dec. 27, 2017. One army soldier and an assailant were killed and 14 soldiers wounded when a suicide car bomb struck an army convoy near a police station in Lashkar Gah, capital of southern province of Helmand on Wednesday, a local official said. (Xinhua/Abdul Aziz Safdar)

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- One army soldier and an assailant were killed and 14 soldiers wounded when a suicide car bomb struck an army convoy near a police station in Lashkar Gah, capital of southern province of Helmand on Wednesday, a local official said.

"The blast occurred near 505 Bost Police Zone in Lashkar Gah at around midday when an army convoy was passing by the area," the source told Xinhua anonymously.

The army convoy was moving for a military operation on outskirts of the city, he said, adding that more details would be made public later as an investigation was underway.

The injured were shifted by army personnel to nearby hospitals.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

The Taliban insurgency has been on the rampage since the beginning of 2015 when the Afghan security forces assumed full responsibilities of security from the U.S. and NATO troops.

Helmand, notorious for poppy growing, is also a known Taliban stronghold.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 23:58:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TIKRIT, Iraq, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- About 200 families returned to refugee camps in central Iraq's Salahudin province on Wednesday as attacks by Islamic State (IS) militants increased recently in neighboring Kirkuk province, an official told Xinhua.

"The Tal al-Seibat refugee camp in northern part of the town of al-Alam, some 30 km east of Salahudin's provincial capital Tikrit, has received some 200 families who left their homes, mainly in the town of Ryadh, Rashad and Abbasi and villages in Hawijah Pocket in southwestern part of Kirkuk province," the official from the local government of Alam said on condition of anonymity.

During the past few months, hundreds of families returned to their homes in Hawijah area after the Iraqi security forces dislodged IS militants from their redoubts in Hawijah, but the almost daily attacks, killings and abductions by remnants of IS militants recently pushed the families to flee their homes again, the official said.

The extremist militants are controlling the areas near the rivers Tigris and Zab and Himreen mountainous area, and are carrying out attacks on the towns and villages of Hawijah area, he added.

Khalaf al-Obeidi, a resident of a village near the town of Ryadh, told Xinhua that he and his family fled their home to save their lives.

"The Iraqi forces cannot secure us; Daesh (IS) militants are taking control of most of our villages and roads during the night," Obeidi said.

On Sunday, IS militants set up a fake checkpoint on a road connecting the town of Ryadh and Hawijah in Kirkuk province, and intercepted a car carrying five people, including Colonel Fadhel al-Sab'awi, head of a police station, and shot them dead.

During the past few months, dozens of IS militants fled their former bases in Salahudin province and Hawijah area west of Kirkuk after the Iraqi forces cleared these areas during major anti-IS offensives.

On Dec. 9, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

However, small groups and individuals of IS militants melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas in many areas in Iraq looking for safe havens.

They are still capable of carrying out attacks from time to time against the security forces and civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 05:24:29|Editor: Chengcheng

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TRIPOLI, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army spokesman on Wednesday announced that the army welcomes the upcoming elections in the country.

"We, as army command, welcome the elections, of which (voters) registration started a while ago," said the army spokesman, Ahmad Mismari, in a press conference in the eastern city of Benghazi.

"The elections in Libya must be internationally monitored by the UN and Arab countries in order to ensure neutrality and integrity," Mismari added.

"We, as the Libyan army, will secure polling stations in Libya," he said.

Mismari also called on the eastern parliament to "speed up the issuance of the elections law" according to the constitutional declaration that authorizes the parliament to issue the law before the elections begin.

The Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, Ghassan Salame, proposed an action plan in September to end the Libyan political crisis.

The plan includes amendment of the current UN-sponsored political agreement and holding presidential and parliamentary elections before the end of 2018.

The mission and the Libyan Elections Commission signed an agreement earlier in December to provide logistic and technical support for the upcoming elections.
A policeman stands guard near a supermarket after an explosion in St Petersburg, Russia December 27, 2017. (REUTERS PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 10 people were injured on Wednesday in an explosion at a supermarket in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, the Russian authorities said.

The incident took place at about 18:45 (15:45 GMT), when an explosive device placed in a locker went off at a supermarket in a shopping center in the northern part of the city, causing injuries and damaging the shop.

"10 people have been taken to hospitals. The wounded people's lives are not in danger," head of the Russian Investigative Committee's St. Petersburg department Alexander Klaus said.

Dozens of people were evacuated from the building after the explosion, and traffic control surrounding the crime scene was temporarily lifted, local media reported.

The Russian National Anti-terrorism Committee said in a press release that its operational headquarter is coordinating the activities of emergency services, security agencies and law enforcement forces, and that measures are taken to search for those involved in committing this crime.

The Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case over the incident, and an investigative team consisting of experts and officers from the committee, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Interior Ministry is currently working on the site of the incident, the committee said in a statement.
The parents of a former student have filed a federal Title IX lawsuit against Frenchtown School District and its superintendent, saying they did not take adequate steps to protect her from being sexually harassed and assaulted by a teacher.

The lawsuit also said the school did not take steps to address harassment the girl reportedly experienced after her allegations against the teacher became public.

The girl also is involved in the criminal case against teacher Troy Bashor, who is accused of molesting her.

In late October, Bashor was charged with one count of misdemeanor sexual assault, and last month pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance. His next hearing, a routine appearance where further deadlines will be set, is scheduled for Jan. 17.

After the criminal charge was filed, the school district announced that Bashor was placed on paid administrative leave indefinitely, and confirmed Wednesday that still is his status.

According to records in the criminal case, the girl told sheriffs office investigators that Bashor touched her inappropriately over her clothing during the course of more than a year, and had lifted up her shirt and touched her belly button. She also said that in December 2016, Bashor grabbed her buttocks and put his hands up her shirt while she was working to take down the set of a school play. In that incident, the girl reported that Bashor also attempted to kiss her.

While allegations against Bashor make up a significant portion of the federal Title IX complaint that was filed last week, that action and the criminal case are distinct court matters, and Bashor is not named as a party in the lawsuit.

In the federal lawsuit, the girl and her parents are represented by attorney Mike Meloy  the same lawyer representing author Jon Krakauer in a legal fight with the states Commissioner of Higher Education over records related to sexual assault investigations  and Colorado-based John Clune, who specializes in prominent Title IX cases.

On Wednesday, Frenchtown Superintendent Randy Cline and attorney Elizabeth Kaleva, who represents the school district, said they had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit yet and declined to comment.

In addition to allegations that also were raised in the criminal case, the lawsuit said the school did not take adequate steps to protect the girl and other female students from Bashor after it had received a complaint from another student years earlier that Bashor had been inappropriately touching her.

The suit said that by failing to address that complaint, the district created an unsafe educational environment and was partly to blame for the girls eventual sexual harassment and assault by Bashor.

According to the lawsuit, Bashor engaged in grooming behaviors with the girl, repeatedly texting and hugging her, and discussing issues with his marriage.

Bashor also began to pay significant attention to the girls menstrual cycle after convincing her to tell him why she was leaving to go to the restroom. The lawsuit said Bashors attention to her period became more disturbing as the girls sophomore year progressed, including him allegedly telling her that her cramps would go away if she became pregnant, and also offering to massage her abdomen.

Bashor also convinced her to become a teachers aide for him, which meant she would be spending more time alone with him outside class, and tried to get her to sign up for a percussion class he taught. While she never signed up for the class, the lawsuit said when the next semester of school started, the class was on her schedule, and that Bashor would compliment her physical appearance in class.

After the December incident that is the primary basis of Bashors criminal charge, the lawsuit said the girl attempted to avoid Bashor but that he would call and text her, come to her locker at school, and try to find her in the hallways. The girl eventually left the school and her family moved away from Frenchtown.

In January, after hearing the girls allegations against Bashor as well as allegations from the other student who had previously complained about Bashors advances  who reported that his actions started again after the school talked to him  the district conducted an internal Title IX investigation.

According to Cline and a summary of the investigation he provided to the Missoulian, Bashor admitted giving students side hugs but said they were mutual, although he regretted doing them. The schools investigation found Bashor had violated professional boundaries and put him on unpaid suspension for three days.

In a guest column published in the Missoulian in March, Cline said the district found a significant discrepancy in the information the girl in the lawsuit provided to Frenchtown, but when they tried to interview her she refused to participate.

The federal lawsuit said the girl went through many interviews with the district until the detective with the sheriffs office investigating a criminal case against Bashor told the girl and her mother to stop meeting with the school, and that he would share his notes with the district. The lawsuit said when the district tried to meet with the girl again, her mother told them about the deputys instructions.

The lawsuit claims that Cline broke federal law both in writing the guest letter in the Missoulian and forwarding a copy of the Title IX investigation report to a Missoulian reporter, which it called breaches of her privacy rights and retaliation against her.

In March, the girl in the lawsuit and criminal case was granted an order of protection against Bashor that forbade him from having contact with her at the school or approaching her outside of school.

After receiving the order of protection, the lawsuit said the girl received a letter from the school district that in part told her to report any retaliation against her for making the complaint against Bashor immediately so the district could act on it, which the lawsuit termed a promise they repeatedly failed to uphold.

Over the following months, the lawsuit said the girl was bullied and threatened both at the school and over social media, and said that the school did nothing about it when she reported it to the administration.

The bullying behavior included several students telling her to kill herself, accusing her of lying and referring to her as a slut, the lawsuit said. It also said other students moved their desks away from hers so she sat alone, and that a teacher at the school told a class that the girl was trying to get attention.

When alerted to various threatening messages she received over social media, a principal at Frenchtown allegedly told the girl there was nothing he could do about such harassment. He also told her, when Bashor allegedly would stand outside her classrooms despite the restraining order forbidding him from doing so, that it was not the schools job to enforce the court order, the lawsuit claims.

The federal lawsuit seeks an undetermined amount of money in damages to the girl and her family. No further hearings regarding the suit had been set as of Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 09:20:15|Editor: pengying

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KATHMANDU, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Investment Board Nepal (IBN) and Huaxin Cement Narayani Private Limited have signed a Project Investment Agreement (PIA) for the Chinese firm to set up a cement factory in Nepal.

The PIA came weeks after Nepal's Department of Mines and Geology (DoMG) awarded a limestone mine in Dhading district in central Nepal to the Chinese company.

The DoMG on Wednesday invited Huaxin to sign an agreement regarding the detail exploration of the mine within 30 days.

IBN's Chief Executive Officer Maha Prasad Adhikari and Liu Jianguo, overseas development director of Huaxin, signed the initial PIA, according to a statement issued by the IBN.

"This agreement has conveyed message to the foreign investors that Nepal is attractive place to invest," said Adhikari. "Once the company starts producing cement, there will be availability of quality cements."

Huaxin is bringing the second largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nepal's cement sector with the IBN on Dec. 20, 2015 approving the company's FDI pledge of 140 million U.S. dollar. Initially, it will be producing 3,000 tons of cement per day, according to the IBN.

Another Chinese company Hongshi Cement has also entered into Nepal's cement sector with investment of 360 million U.S. dollar under a joint venture arrangement with Nepal's Shivam Group. The joint venture company Hongshi-Shivam Cement has been constructing factory in Nepal's southern Nawalparasi district.

According to the IBN, Huaxin will be setting up its cement factory soon. "After acquiring mine, it now can find location of setting up the factory," an official of the IBN told Xinhua.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 09:20:16|Editor: Chengcheng

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Russia to ease violence in eastern Ukraine over a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

During their phone talk, Tillerson underscored the U.S. concern with the rising violence in eastern Ukraine and asked Russia to lessen the violence, said U.S. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert in a statement.

Disputes over the eastern Ukraine issue added tensions to the U.S.-Russia ties which have remained strained amid the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Washington announced on Friday that it has decided to sell advanced weapons to Ukraine to help update its defense capabilities. The move infuriated Russia, which said the U.S. decision will lead to "new bloodshed."

The arsenal sale is reportedly to include Javelin anti-tank missiles, which Kiev has long desired.

Tillerson also asked Russia to return its representatives to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (JCCC), according to the statement.

The JCCC, consisting of Russian and Ukrainian officers, was set up in September 2014 under an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to assist the implementation of the Minsk agreements for a settlement in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the Russian military will abandon the JCCC due to Kiev's "obstruction" of its activities.

Ukraine launched a military operation in its southeastern Donbas region in April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new pro-West Ukrainian authorities and sought independence.

Armed conflicts have been plaguing Donbas since then and have claimed more than 10,000 lives.

In Tuesday's phone call, Tillerson and Lavrov also discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula, with both sides agreeing to continue to work toward a diplomatic solution to the denuclearization of the peninsula, said the U.S. State Department statement.

Tensions have been mounting in the region following one nuclear test and multiple ballistic missile launches conducted by Pyongyang earlier this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 10:20:29|Editor: Chengcheng

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SYDNEY, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A new emergency loudspeaker warning system was being tested in downtown Melbourne on Thursday as part of the Australian city's measures against terrorism and other public threats, according to the police.

The speakers around the Victoria state capital's library were to be activated in the late morning, with a warning signal for the public that it was a test, state police said on its Twitter account.

More than 60 speaker sets were installed in the city earlier this month, as part of measures to deal with emergencies such as terrorist attacks, hijacks and riots, reported the Nine News channel. More than 90 sites will have the speakers by the end of next year.

"This new tool is a quick way for us to alert the community of any imminent risks and ensure their safety," Acting Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Shane Patton was quoted as saying.

"We can also communicate via SMS and our social media pages, which would be regularly updated during an incident."

State authorities are rolling out a security upgrade following a counter-terrorism review that includes street barriers to guard against vehicle attacks and new laws to detain terrorist suspects, amid a number of incidents this year.

On Dec 21, a 32-year-old Australian man allegedly drove his SUV into a crowded downtown Melbourne intersection, leaving 20 people hospitalized. Saeed Noori, who arrived in the country as an Afghan refugee in 2004, has been in custody and is facing 18 counts of attempted murder.

The incident follows a similar one in January, when a 27-year-old suspect drove his car into pedestrians on nearby Bourke Street at lunchtime, claiming six lives and injuring at least 30 others. The driver pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges earlier this month.

Last month, authorities foiled a terror plot to gun down revelers during New Year's Eve celebrations in Melbourne's Federation Square tourist spot.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 10:25:30|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Officials and experts across the world have applauded the vision and ideas presented at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and expressed confidence in China's contribution to world development.

In the wake of the 19th CPC National Congress in Beijing in October, more than 20 CPC delegations have visited about 40 countries in less than two months to explain the key decisions made at the congress and to exchange views with foreign audiences on China's vision.

LONG-TERM VISION FOR CHINA, WORLD

In mid-December, Fan Ruiping, secretary of the Chengdu Municipal Committee of the CPC, during his visit to Mexico, gave local audience a detailed introduction to the CPC's social, political and economic goals to ensure high-quality growth.

As examples of China's economic vision, Fan said around 13 million jobs have been created annually in the past years. Also, China was advancing projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The guidelines established during the CPC congress, such as raising the quality of life of the Chinese, have shown China's ability to set and follow ambitious goals, Mexican academics and politicians have said.

"Something we value about China and which we must learn is its long-term vision," said Paul Ospital, president of the Institute of Political Development and Training of Mexico's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party.

The CPC's plan reflected that the experiences China has acquired over its long history enable it to face difficulties, said Alberto Rodriguez, a philosophy professor at the National Polytechnic Institute.

At a seminar held in Athens, Greece on Dec. 14, Qu Qingshan, head of the Party History Research Center of the CPC Central Committee, gave a thorough presentation about the congress and the most important messages included in the report delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

"The 19th CPC National Congress is not only a significant landmark in the history of China's development, but has an important impact on development worldwide," said Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zou Xiaoli in the opening remarks at the seminar.

Tassos Kourakis, deputy speaker of the Greek parliament, praised the strategic partnership between the two countries and underlined the significance Greece attaches to China's roadmap to the future.

"The discussion on China's course to the future opens new horizons of thinking and new roads in general regarding mankind's course to the future," Kourakis said.

"It is important that China is setting goals and is implementing them and this can be also a model for other countries," George Tzogopoulos, a lecturer on international relations at Democritus University of Thrace in northern Greece, told Xinhua.

"Within this framework and also the new normal is a target which is in the process of being achieved and it is attracting the interest of the West on how China is changing its growth model," he said.

"At the same time, domestic problems such as the fight against corruption, the will of the Chinese government to better respect and protect the environment and also the will of President Xi Jinping to bring prosperity are at the epicenter of attention and today's presentation highlighted that China is well implementing and achieving these goals," he added.

CHINESE EXPERIENCE TO HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT

Attending a lecture held in Panama City this month, Jose Luis Varela, president of the Panamenista Party of Panama, underscored the importance of China's long-term planning and visionary outlook which have helped lift millions out of poverty.

"All of the experiences they have presented are of great interest to us as a government and as a political party," he said.

Oyden Ortega, president of the Panamanian Association of Friendship with China, said some of the goals put forward at the CPC congress, such as protecting the environment, combating corruption and fighting poverty, are important for the entire world, and particularly for Panama.

Finland was also a stop on the CPC delegation's roadmap. Li Shulei, deputy secretary of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, explained to a Finnish audience the key decisions made at the congress and the key assembly that is held every five years and assesses the current social reality and drafts plans for the future.

At a gathering of Finnish officials, business leaders and think tank members in Helsinki in December, Li explained how China is deepening its reform to improve the management system and attain better and more modern governance.

The more China opens up and the wealthier the Chinese get, the more opportunities there are for China and Finland to work together, Li said. One example of that was the boom of Chinese tourists in Finland in recent years.

Jyri Hakamies, director general of the Confederation of Finnish Industries, said economic cooperation between China and Finland was experiencing a historic high.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Song Xiuyan, a member of the CPC Central Committee, met representatives of Argentine political parties, academics and media during her visit.

The key contribution of the October congress, said Song, was updating the guidelines of the CPC with Xi's thoughts and ideas on modern socialism and their application to the changing society.

Argentine officials and scholars said the outcome of the congress can have a positive impact not just on China, but also on the rest of the world.

Azerbaijani officials have also praised China's proposals made at the CPC congress. The principles outlined at the congress coincide with Azerbaijan's position while the direction of the Chinese economy has a global impact, said Siyavush Novruzov, a member of Azerbaijan's parliament.

China has achieved great success in the fields of economy, politics and culture in the past five years, said Novruzov, also deputy executive secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party.

"China's domestic and foreign policies aim to provide decent living conditions for the Chinese people, as well as to build harmonious relations with the international community and to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 10:30:31|Editor: Lifang

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YANGON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will hold a symposium on anti-corruption in Yangon on Jan. 22-23, 2018, under the theme of "Promoting integrity to Counter Corruption," Myanmar News Agency reported Thursday.

The symposium is jointly organized by the Myanmar Anti-Corruption Commission and the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC).

The anti-corruption commission has drawn up a strategic work plan for 2018 to fight corruption.

According to a statement released Wednesday, the anti-corruption commission has received 4,516 complaint letters from across the country since the opening of its office on Nov. 30. The letters complained about department action, management and administration error, land management, judiciary cases, land acquisition, abuse, bribery and wilful misconduct.

Myanmar is a member country to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and South East Asia Parties against Corruption (SEA-PAC).

Moreover, Myanmar has signed a memorandum of understanding with Thailand and Vietnam to fight against corruption.

Myanmar's Anti-Corruption Law took effect in September 2013 and the Anti-Corruption Commission was formed in 2014 but was reformed in November 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 10:40:33|Editor: Lifang

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HOUSTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- An American energy company will send crews to Puerto Rico in January as part of a national effort to repair the island's power grid hit by Hurricane Maria in late September.

Houston-based CenterPoint Energy, a local energy delivery company which runs electricity and gas distribution for the Houston area, will send 68 employees to Puerto Rico for six weeks to help repair the island's grid, local media quoted the company as saying on Wednesday.

The company will deliver trucks and other equipment to the disaster-ridden island later this week, said Ed Scott, director of operation for the company.

The CenterPoint crew is among some 1,500 utility workers from around the country to be dispatched to Puerto Rico. Its arrival will bring the total number of power restoration workers on the island to 5,500.

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, causing at least 48 deaths as well as widespread flooding. Puerto Ricans have been complaining about the U.S. government's insufficient response in disaster relief operations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 10:45:36|Editor: Lifang

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HOUSTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is disbursing an additional 27.6 million U.S. dollars to 28 local non-profit organizations to provide relief for Hurricane Harvey flood victims in Houston area, the Houston Mayor's Office said in a news release Wednesday.

This brings the total distribution of money by the fund to 64.4 million dollars.

The fund, which was founded by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, will distribute another 43 million dollars or more in future rounds.

The latest grants will provide direct financial aid and services for an estimated 12,470 households with 71,328 individuals.

"As recovery and rebuilding efforts continue, new challenges and needs arise. The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is specifically designed to address these evolving needs," said Turner.

Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and damaging some 200,000 houses in a path of destruction that stretched for more than 480 km. The Houston area was hit by severe flooding, after receiving heavy rain.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 10:45:37|Editor: Lifang

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CANBERRA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has spent more than 8 billion U.S. dollars on weapons and military equipment from the United States in the past four years, a report has found.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) analysis, released on Thursday, found that from 2012-13 through 2016-17, 10.3 billion Australian dollars (8.01 billion U.S.) were spent by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) on U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS).

The sales were administered by the U.S. Department of Defence which has responsibility over the transfer of American equipment and weapons.

More than half of the money was spent on Information Technology (IT), telecommunication, broadcasting, engineering and research contracts.

Andrew Davies, a defence expert from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), said the figure was not surprising considering recent technological advancements within the ADF.

"We've been buying a lot of systems, from America in particular, because we're in the middle of recapitalising the Air Force and also buying weapons that help support the operations in Iraq and Syria," Davies told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The government has announced its intention to create a sovereign defence industry to maximize Australian Industry Content in ADF contracts but Davies said that the defence force would continue to rely on the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

"There'll always be a component of 'off-the-shelf' purchasing in Australia's Defence budget, even for things like ships we build here we'll be buying weapons systems, combat systems, sensors, those sorts of things from overseas anyway," Davies said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 12:00:49|Editor: Liu

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Containers are loaded to a freight train of China Railway Express at a railway container center in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, Dec. 25, 2017.The Zhengzhou-Europe express railway service, which opened in 2013, hit 1,000 journeys as a freight train bound for Germany departed from Zhengzhou Monday. (Xinhua/Feng Dapeng)

by Xinhua writer Chen Shilei

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- On Christmas Day, a cargo train loaded with 90 standard containers of goods left Zhengzhou, central China's transport hub, for Hamburg in northern Germany. It marked the 1,000th such trip between the two cities.

The first cargo train departed from Zhengzhou for Hamburg on July 18, 2013. That year saw only 13 such trips.

Other routes between Chinese and European cities also saw a similar rocketing growth in the number of cargo trains in the past few years.

The number of China-Europe freight trains reached a new high in 2017, surpassing the past six years combined, with more than 3,000 cargo trains traveling on 57 lines between the two sides. The number of such train trips is expected to reach 4,000 in 2018, according to China Railway Corporation.

The China-Europe rail service, a significant part of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is expected to boost trade between China and Europe.

In the first 10 months of 2017, trade between the two sides increased 16.2 percent year-on-year to 3.4 trillion yuan (513 billion U.S. dollars).

BASIS FOR CHINA-EUROPE TIES

The astonishing growth of China-Europe trade shows that the European economy is recovering.

"The European economy is stabilizing and picking up, with its GDP growth in the first three quarters of 2017 surpassing that of the United States," Zhao Chen, chief of European International Relations Department at Institute of European Studies under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua.

"With a developed high-end manufacturing industry, Germany, a leader in the European economy, maintained a financial surplus in 2017," said Zhao.

He believed that the recent failure to form a coalition government in Germany is temporary and a stable government will be established at the beginning of 2018.

"Led by the German economy, Europe's internal demand and exports are expected to increase gradually," Zhao said.

"The basis for the China-Europe relations lies in economy," he said. " China will expand exports in 2018 and the improvement of the European economy will promote a more balanced bilateral trade relationship."

In the eyes of Lai Suet Yi, lecturer and researcher with the Center for European Studies at China's Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China-European Union (EU) trade relations will be "more bumpy" than before.

"Due to the rise of anti-globalization sentiment as well as populism inside the EU, China-EU trade relations will be more bumpy than before, especially on steel over-productivity, anti-dumping duties and China's outward investment to the EU," Lai told Xinhua.

But such disputes will not affect China-Europe trade at large. "In the over-560 billion-U.S.-dollar bilateral trade, disputes cover only less than 3 percent of the total and most of it is win-win," Zhao said.

"Therefore, cooperation far outweighs divergence," he said.

STABLE RELATIONS AMID EUROPEAN UNCERTAINTIES

The year 2017 saw great uncertainties in Europe. "Brexit negotiation has just passed stage I. Stage II and stage III will be much tougher," Lai said.

On Dec. 15, leaders of the 27 EU members who gathered in Brussels for the winter EU summit approved the second phase of Brexit talks.

According to a guideline submitted by the General Secretariat of the European Council to the leaders, negotiations in the second phase can only progress as long as all commitments undertaken during the first phase are respected in full and translated faithfully into legal terms as quickly as possible.

"Besides, we are still waiting to see if Germany will sign up with France for an ambitious plan for further EU integration," Lai added.

But Lai believes that despite so much uncertainty facing the EU, its relations with China will not be affected, "as China is its second largest trade partner and key partner in international affairs."

"Europe is at a phase of reform and European integration is at a crossroad as populism has swept the continent," Zhao said. "Whether Europe will deepen its integration or prevent such events as Brexit, China will not interfere in the continent's internal affairs."

"Notwithstanding the various uncertainties in Europe, China's Europe policy remains consistent and rock-firm," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a symposium in December. "We firmly support the European integration process and welcome EU's unity and development."

"We are committed to managing and handling differences on the basis of mutual respect, and will work to expand converging interests and explore new growth areas in regional cooperation to enrich and expand the strategic substance of China-Europe relations," Wang said.

BUILDING MUTUAL TRUST

On how to boost mutual trust between China and Europe, Zhao said the two sides can enhance mutual understanding through communication between media and think tanks.

Gerhard Stahl, a visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, and the Peking University HSBC Business School, said China and Europe can enhance people-to-people exchanges through cultural activities and tourism.

"To make sure people understand the diversity or differences of this colorful Chinese population, art is one of the most interesting channels where people very quickly realize that Chinese citizens have the same problems as Europeans and where people develop sympathy," Stahl told Xinhua.

"Also, what builds trust? It is tourism if it is well done, so that people can explore the beauty, the history of China, and some modern part of China. And vice versa, if Chinese people come to see Europe, it also helps a lot," he said.

Mutual visits of Chinese and European tourists have seen an annual growth of 10.6 percent since Europe was listed as a tourist destination for Chinese citizens in 2004, according to Dai Bin, director of China Tourism Academy, a research institution affiliated with the China National Tourism Administration.

In 2016, more than 3.1 million Europeans visited China and over 3.4 million Chinese citizens visited European countries, Dai told a recent meeting on China-EU tourism.

The China-EU Tourism Year 2018 will be inaugurated in January.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 12:20:53|Editor: pengying

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HANOI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's total goods retail sales and consumer service revenues were over 3,934 trillion Vietnamese dong (174 billion U.S. dollars) this year, up 10.9 percent against last year, according to the country's General Statistics Office on Thursday.

Specifically, Vietnam's goods retail sales stood at more than 2,937 trillion Vietnamese dong (nearly 130 billion U.S. dollars), with sales of automobiles growing 14 percent, precious metals and gemstones growing 13.2 percent, wood and construction materials growing 12.8 percent, and food and foodstuffs growing 11.1 percent.

Restaurant and accommodation revenues were 494.7 trillion Vietnamese dong (roughly 21.9 billion U.S. dollars), up 11.9 percent on-year, and tourism revenues were 35.9 trillion Vietnamese dong (nearly 1.6 billion U.S. dollars), up 10.4 percent.

Vietnam hosted 12.9 million international arrivals this year, posting a year-on-year surge of 29.1 percent, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Steve Daines, Nov. 4, 2014 (at his election): We need to ... pass balanced budgets in both houses, and weve got to stop spending more than were taking in.

Steve Daines, Dec. 20, 2017: Votes for a rushed, hastily written tax bill that adds at least $1 trillion to our deficit, and that gives 83 percent of its benefits to the top 1 percent over the next decade.

Not only that, the last-minute #CorkerKickback real-estate provision added by Sen. Orrin Hatch will put millions into Steve Daines pockets, along with 13 other GOP senators. This same Senator Hatch is quoted as saying we dont have the money anymore for the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

This naked corruption and absolute hypocrisy on the part of a Montana senator is breathtakingly appalling. It is certainly not Montana values and Daines is not fit to serve Montana.

Julie Chapman

Huson
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 12:35:56|Editor: pengying

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VIENTIANE, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Laos has made important steps in regional and international integration, actively participating in international cooperation in the region and worldwide.

These achievements were highlighted at the annual foreign affairs meeting held in Lao capital Vientiane on Wednesday, local daily Vientiane Times reported Thursday.

Laos has diplomatic relations with 140 countries and has 39 diplomatic representative offices, 26 of which are embassies, three are permanent representative offices, nine are general consulates, and one is a consulate office.

These diplomatic representative offices have enabled the promotion of cooperative relations between Laos and foreign countries, protected the interests of Laos, sought assistance from the international community, served to attract foreign investment, and enhanced economic ties, said the report.

The Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the ruling communist party, enjoys relations with 130 political parties worldwide. This is viewed as the successful outcome of the country's foreign policy, which focuses on peace, independence, friendship, cooperation and the expansion of multilateral and multi-directional cooperation through bilateral and multilateral frameworks, said the report.

Speaking at Wednesday's meeting, Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith said 2017 had been filled with professionalism in foreign affairs and there had been many overseas visits by high-ranking leaders and officials at various levels.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 12:50:59|Editor: Liu

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The lower House of Indian parliament or Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up a bill Thursday that would criminalize the practice of instant divorce - Triple Talaq, officials said.

"Today Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 is listed in the legislative business of the lower House of parliament," an official said. "The bill criminalizes the practice of instant Triple Talaq."

According to officials, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will move the bill in the parliament.

The bill, officials said, is aimed at protecting the rights of married Muslim women and prohibiting divorce by mere pronouncement of Talaq (divorce) by their husbands.

The bill has already been cleared by Indian government this month.

India's Supreme Court described the practice unconstitutional in a landmark judgment in August.

Triple Talaq is a practice which authorizes a Muslim man to divorce her wife by uttering word Talaq (divorce) thrice.

The landmark court decision came in response to petitions filled by five Muslim women who had been divorced in this way. Two rights groups had also petitioned in the apex court, seeking an end of the custom.

Women activists have long been opposing the practice describing it "discriminatory" and "injustice."

The move to abolish Triple Talaq had backing from the Hindu nationalist government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Muslims in India with population of 155 million are the largest minority community. Their marriages, customs and the issues related to it are exclusively governed by the Muslim Personal law, commonly referred to as Islamic law or Sharia.

Muslims religious groups in India opposed the court's intervention in the issue of Triple Talaq and viewed it as the interference in their religion. Muslim organisations like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have opposed court's verdict of these matters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 13:51:11|Editor: Zhou Xin

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MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Six Afghan children dead in an explosion in the country's northern province of Balkh, a local official said Thursday.

"A group of children were playing near a school in Dawlat Abad district Wednesday evening, but one of the kids stumbled on a piece of stray ordnance, causing a blast which left the innocent children killed," district Administrative Chief Karim Bay told Xinhua.

The victims ranged from six to 12 in age, the source added.

Landmines and anti-personnel mines kill or maim more than 50 people every month in the militancy-hit country, according to officials.

Unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war also frequently cause casualties among the Afghans elsewhere in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 13:51:11|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HANOI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- By the end of 2017, Vietnam had 127.4 million fixed and mobile phone subscribers, down 2.1 percent against late 2016, the country's the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority said on Thursday.

Specifically, the number of mobile phone subscribers declined 1.3 percent to 119.7 million, mainly because the Ministry of Information and Communications tightened management over prepaid mobile phone subscriptions.

According to Vietnam's new regulation, new postpaid and prepaid mobile phone subscribers are supposed to provide their personal information and a portrait photo of themselves, while existing ones to add the photo.

After April 24, 2018, if existing subscribers still do not supply telecommunications firms with photos and accurate personal information, the subscribers' contracts will be terminated, and the service providers will be fined.

Millions of spam messages are sent a day, mostly from prepaid mobile phone subscriptions which are not registered, or registered with false personal information, so the new regulation is aimed at reverse the situation, as well as to prevent swindling, said local officials.

This year, the number of wired broadband internet subscriptions in Vietnam surged 18.7 percent to 10.8 million.

Meanwhile, the country made telecommunications revenues of 380 trillion Vietnamese dong (16.8 billion U.S. dollars), up 7.3 percent over last year, said the authority under the ministry.

Vietnam currently has a population of 93.7 million people, including 32.9 million urban dwellers, according to its General Statistics Office.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 14:31:18|Editor: pengying

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BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has made strides in expanding the network of free trade areas (FTAs) in 2017.

The country has signed two new free trade agreements this year, taking the total number of FTAs to 16, benefiting 24 countries and regions, said Zhang Shaogang, an official at the Ministry of Commerce.

"The next year will be a year of bumper harvest for FTA development, as there will be negotiations on 10 new FTAs and a joint feasibility study of another 10 FTAs," Zhang said.

Zhang also expects solid progress to be achieved on the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, an FTA scheme of the 10 ASEAN member states and its six FTA partners - China, Australia, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

"China has vowed to open wider to the world, and accelerating the development of FTAs will be a crucial part of the country's opening-up," said Bai Ming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 14:36:19|Editor: pengying

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SHANGHAI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's bike-sharing giant Mobike has filed a lawsuit against a Shanghai-based company for illegally putting advertisements on its bikes.

Mobike claim that Shanghai Huijia Information Technology put seat covers printed with advertisements on around 200,000 Mobikes in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

It says that Huijia took advantage of Mobike's users and reputation to promote its own brand and service, which has damaged Mobike's image.

The bike-sharing company filed a lawsuit to the Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court in mid-December, demanding compensation of 1 million yuan (150,000 U.S. dollars) as well as a public announcement to alleviate the negative impact of the actions from Huijia.

Huijia is a Shanghai-based company and runs an online platform to provide search and reservation services for customers who need meeting venues.

The court accepted the case Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 14:46:21|Editor: Liangyu

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by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- With tensions on the Korean Peninsula hitting new heights this year, it remains unknown what will occur between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2018.

The coming year could be the "decisive time" between Washington and Pyongyang, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua, adding that it remains unclear whether the international pressure on Pyongyang will deter its missile and nuclear programs.

West noted that to press DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un to slow down weapons testing, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened military action.

"That could put the region on a path to greater escalation," West said.

Other analysts, however, have a different view.

Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence group, said in a press statement Wednesday that the United States may actually end up standing by as the DPRK promotes its nuclear weapons development.

"Though we cannot rule out a preventative strike against North Korea (the DPRK) entirely, the threat of a messy war in East Asia that shoves the world back into economic recession is a steep price to pay," said Stratfor Vice President of Strategic Analysis Rodger Baker.

The year 2017 has seen an ongoing war of words between Trump and Kim, with Trump threatening "fire and fury" against the DPRK if it endangers the United States, and Kim threatening to turn the United States into a "sea of fire."

The businessman-turned-president wanted to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons, and is trying to ratchet up the pressure on the DPRK, in a game of brinkmanship that has had many nations on edge over this past year. This came amid continued missile tests by the DPRK, as well as the joint military drills by the United States and South Korea.

Despite Trump's heightened rhetoric, U.S. experts said the DPRK would not be letting go of its nuclear weapons program anytime soon.

Analysts said DPRK leaders have always been astute geopolitical observers.

They saw how leaders in Iraq and Libya were toppled by the United States, and Kim did not want to suffer the same fate. Pyongyang sees nuclear weapons as the only ticket to its survival, many U.S. experts say.

Troy Stangarone, senior director at the Korea Economic Institute, told Xinhua that the DPRK faces a security dilemma, as it is surrounded by hostile powers such as South Korea, the United States and Japan.

"From the (DPRK's) perspective, in the absence of nuclear weapons it would not be able to secure its survival," he said.

Other experts argue that the DPRK has always sought nuclear weapons.

The DPRK "has been seeking nuclear weapons since the beginning of its existence," Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Xinhua.

When asked whether Trump's rhetoric will help his goal of ridding the DPRK of nukes, Stangarone said that unlike political opponents and U.S. companies, "Kim Jong Un cannot be intimidated" by Trump's rhetoric.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 15:01:24|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. top aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced Wednesday that it has finalized an order to sell four state-of-the-art passenger airplanes to Morocco to help expand its international service.

Boeing said in a statement that the order includes four 787-9 Dreamliners sold to Morocco's flag carrier, Royal Air Maroc, at a cost of 1.1 billion U.S. dollars.

The new purchase will bring Morocco's fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft to a total of nine.

Royal Air Maroc has operated direct flights from Casablanca to 80 international destinations, including in North America, South America, the Middle East and Europe.

"With more than 850 flights per month to Africa, Royal Air Maroc has the broadest presence across the continent of any airline," said Abdelhamid Addou, CEO and chairman of Royal Air Maroc.

"Ordering new-generation planes such as the Dreamliner puts our airline on the right track to fulfill our vision" to become the leading airline in Africa, Addou said.

The Casablanca-based Royal Air Maroc has a fleet of more than 56 Boeing airplanes, including 737s, 767-300ERs, 787s and a 747-400 jet.

Boeing is ready to enhance its 50-year-long relationship with Morocco and support its Royal Air Maroc in growing its market shares in Africa and beyond, said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Global Sales and Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the most advanced next-generation, super-efficient airplane produced by the Seattle-based aircraft company of the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 15:16:26|Editor: ZD

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People attend an anti-Japan protest with a statue of "comfort women" in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Lee Sang-ho)

SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that the wartime sexual slavery issue cannot be resolved by the 2015 deal with Japan as a secret agreement was found between the two countries after reviewing the procedure of the deal.

Moon said that though the deal was an official promise approved by the leaders of both countries, he as a president of South Korea should make it clear again that the comfort women issue cannot be resolved by the 2015 deal.

The South Korean leader said he felt a heavy heart when he was reported on the review result over the 2015 deal, presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a press briefing.

Moon's comments came a day after Seoul's foreign ministry confirmed a secret deal in the 2015 agreement between the previous South Korean government under ousted President Park Geun-hye and the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Park government reached a "final and irreversible" agreement with Japan over South Korean victims who were forced into sexual servitude for Japanese military brothels during World War II.

Under the deal reached on Dec. 28, 2015, Japan agreed to offer 1 billion yen (9 million U.S. dollars) to a foundation dedicated to supporting the South Korean sex slavery victims in return for the final and irreversible agreement.

Moon said a grave fault was found in procedures and contents of the 2015 negotiations between the governments of the two countries, noting that it cannot be escaped unfortunately.

It was a costly blunder, Moon said, as it was a political agreement excluding the victims and ordinary South Koreans.

Moon noted that the 2015 deal was against the international community's universal principle of resolving historical issues, saying people were deeply disappointed at the existence of undisclosed agreements.

He expressed his deep consolation for the victims who were scarred once again by the existence of the undisclosed agreements, saying truth is the most important thing in facing history.

Moon stressed that courage will be needed to squarely face up to history when history was painful enough to shun, saying cure, reconciliation and future can begin when facing up to the painful history.

He vowed not to damage truth and principle in dealing with history, but he noted that he will try to restore normal diplomatic relations with Japan for future-oriented cooperation separately from the historical issues.

President Moon, who took office in May, ordered a review over how the 2015 deal was reached and whether there was any procedural fault, saying the 2015 deal was not "emotionally" acceptable to ordinary South Koreans.

The task force team under Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha announced the review result Wednesday, saying secret agreements were found in the 2015 deal.

According to the 31-page review report, Japan demanded South Korea persuade advocacy groups supporting the sex slavery victims to accept the 2015 deal. Then South Korean government vowed to make efforts to persuade the groups, actually accepting Japan's demand.

Behind the scenes, Japan demanded South Korea not use the word "sex slave," and the South Korean side replied that it only used the word "comfort women" in the past, actually accepting Japan's demand, according to the report.

The Japanese side asked South Korea about how to move the girl statue erected outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Then South Korean government replied that it will make efforts to appropriately resolve that issue.

The girl statue, which symbolizes young girls forced into sexual slavery, was placed in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul in December 2011 to mark the 1,000th rally demanding Japan's sincere apology and legal responsibility for the wartime atrocity.

Surviving South Korean victims and peace activists have held rally outside the Japanese embassy for more than two decades.

South Korea's governments had maintained a position that it has no right to move the girl statue as it was funded and placed by private citizens voluntarily, but the Park Geun-hye administration agreed on efforts to move the girl statue, the task force team said.

The Park government also lacked communications with the victims and failed to get understanding and agreement from the victims, the review report said, noting that the 2015 deal was reached from the government perspective.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 15:26:27|Editor: Jiaxin

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KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people were killed and 40 others injured after a double suicide bombing rocked a cultural center in western neighborhood of Afghan capital of Kabul Thursday, authorities said.

The blast came when a meeting was underway in the building where a local media office is also located.
DECATUR  Richland Community College will soon offer a new program to meet the growing demand for medical assistants in Central Illinois, where the closest training opportunities are now in Springfield and Champaign.

Students will join a rapidly expanding field, with the Department of Labor predicting employment would grow 29 percent through 2026, faster than all other occupations in the medical field. Locally, Richland President Cris Valdez said Decatur Memorial Hospital and HSHS St. Mary's Hospital representatives asked Richland to develop a program because they need more workers.

We started on (the process) probably six to nine months ago, said Valdez, who anticipates approval by the Illinois Community College Board at its Jan. 19 meeting. Because it's a national curriculum, we have to follow what the national curriculum says and align to that curriculum.

The Richland board approved the program in December, and it could start in fall 2018. Currently, the nearest training opportunities are at Midwest Technical Institute in Springfield and Parkland College in Champaign.

Ellen Colbeck, dean of health professions, said the program must be approved by the Illinois Community College Board before Richland can begin accepting applications.

Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in hospitals, clinics and physicians' offices. Training is a certificate program, rather than a degree, and median pay in 2016 was $31,540 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Richland's program will begin with 15 students, Colbeck said. They must be eligible for English 101 and Math 098 and complete the medical terminology course with a grade of C or higher.

The tentative schedule is for each class to take four courses in the fall, five in the spring and one in summer, for 34 total credit hours. Five courses are offered already at Richland, and five are new courses specifically for medical assistants.

A memo provided to the board of trustees for its Dec. 19 meeting laid out the rationale for the program. The memo noted that DMH said in May it had hired 28 medical assistants in the past year, with six full-time and three part-time positions still open and eight new providers to be added before the end of 2017. By Nov. 30, DMH reported it had 15 medical assistant openings, the memo said.

According to Emsi, a medical services information provider based in Moscow, Idaho, available positions within 25 miles of Richland will increase 24.6 percent through 2022. The average monthly job postings on Illinois workNet for medical assistants was 29.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 15:36:28|Editor: Jiaxin

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SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's military on Thursday kicked off a two-day maritime defense drill near the Dokdo islets, called Takeshima in Japan, local media reported.

South Korea's Navy was quoted by local media as saying that the Dokdo defense exercise will be conducted for two days from Thursday to carry out the regular drill aimed at defending against an invasion of external forces.

Mobilized to the drill would be five battleships, including a 3,200-ton destroyer, as well as maritime patrol aircraft, fighter jets and helicopters.

It marked the second defense drill to protect the Dokdo islets since the Moon Jae-in government was inaugurated in May. The latest was staged in June.

Japan has strongly protested against the exercise as it laid territorial claims to the rocky outcroppings lying roughly halfway between South Korea and Japan.

South Korea regained the islets after liberating from the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. The islets were incorporated into Japan during the colonization.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 15:46:30|Editor: Jiaxin

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ISTANBUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Thursday detained at least 38 people, including Syrian nationals, over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) in the northwestern city of Bursa, local media reported.

Counter-terrorism units launched simultaneous operations in various places in Bursa, in which police smashed doors with battering rams, state-run Anadolu Agency said.

Turkey has lately tightened operations against IS suspects while stepping up security measures across the country as the New Year is approaching.

Twelve suspects, who were allegedly planning to carry out lone-wolf attacks during New Year celebrations by using vehicles and knives, were captured in the southern province of Adana on Tuesday.

Abdulkadir Masharipov, a Uzbek national, shot dead 39 people at Istanbul's Reina nightclub on New Year's Eve this year. The IS claimed responsibility soon after the shooting spree.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 15:51:35|Editor: Liangyu

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GUANGZHOU, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were sentenced to prison Thursday for involvement in a telecom fraud case linked to the death of a high school student last year.

Chen Minghui, the prime suspect in the case, was handed a life sentence for fraud by the Intermediate People's Court of Jieyang City, Guangdong Province. The court also ordered the confiscation of all his personal assets, and deprived him of his political rights for life.

The sentences for his accomplices range from 1 year and 4 months to 15 years, according to the court.

Cai Shuyan, a high school graduate from Jieyang, committed suicide by jumping into the sea after being defrauded out of 9,800 yuan (nearly 1,500 U.S. dollars), which she intended to use to pay university tuition fees, according to the court.

The suspects were also found to have made over 1.04 million yuan from victims from June to August 2016, the court said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 15:56:36|Editor: Jiaxin

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by Kaswar Klasra

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- As a trilateral foreign ministers meeting among Afghanistan, China and Pakistan concluded in Beijing recently with focuses on cementing relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as extending an economic corridor between China and Pakistan to the Afghan side, the three parties are making efforts to restore long-waited peace and stability to the region after 17 years of turbulence.

Pakistan on Wednesday stated that improved bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan would bring peace and development in the entire region. Efforts made by China over the first trilateral dialogue among the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan "is a good step and it will yield positive results," Pakistani Press Information Department quoted the country's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, who visited China for the trilateral discussion, as saying.

Tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan has become a hurdle in rebuilding peace and stability in the region as well as in the Afghanistan peace process. The two countries accuse each other of providing militants groups with safe zones to launch attacks across the border. Skirmishes between their forces at the border areas were also on media reports.

"Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to improve bilateral relations as soon as possible and to realize harmonious co-existence, promising to resolve their concerns through comprehensive dialogue and consultation," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters after the trilateral meeting on Tuesday.

The three countries also reaffirmed their commitment to pushing forward the reconciliation process in Afghanistan, calling on the Taliban to join in the process. China and Pakistan expressed support for peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Another focal point being regarded as a success of the meeting is that the three parties have agreed to discuss to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

"In the long run, through Afghanistan, we will gradually connect the CPEC with the China-Central and Western Asia Economic Corridor," said Wang.

As an important neighbor of China and Pakistan, Afghanistan has an urgent desire to develop its economy and improve people's livelihood, and it is willing to integrate itself into the process of regional interconnection, according to Wang.

Pakistani analysts think China's efforts of hosting the meeting and offering the extension of CPEC are an active move to improve the current scratched ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Speaking to Xinhua, Aamir Ghauri, a veteran editor of Pakistan's influential daily The News in Islamabad welcomed the trilateral meeting and termed it as a positive development.

"Extension of the corridor to Kabul offers Afghanistan a chance to be part of a global tomorrow rather than remain a bombed and battered yesterday," said Ghauri.

"China's economic strategy in South and Central Asia is based on the fact that building up economic prosperity in the region will help reduce threat posed by radical groups," said Mustansar Abbas Klasra, an Islamabad based security expert.

In the trilateral meeting, Pakistan and Afghanistan reiterated their willingness to synergize their own development strategies with China's Belt and Road Initiative, in which CPEC is a flagship project, and to explore the possibility of trilateral partnership under this initiative.

Sohail Iqbal Bhatti, an Islamabad-based foreign policy expert, termed the trilateral meeting as an excellent step to the prosperity in the region.

"China has taken another excellent step by bringing Pakistan and Afghanistan across the table. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan need to improve bilateral ties and China has provided them with a platform," Sohail said.

He was of the opinion that China has invested heavily in Pakistan on CPEC and wants to make it a great success. It is trying to bridge the gap between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

China knows that the uneasy relationship between the two neighboring countries would sabotage the progress CPEC brought to the region. That's the reason China is trying to bring the two closer, Bhatti told Xinhua, adding that China will be successful in this venture.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 16:05:24|Editor: Liangyu

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The cartoon shows China has made remarkable progress in agricultural supply-side structural reform in farming, especially in corn production. After one year of reform, corn planting area in the country dropped, while soybean plantation increased.(Xinhua/Meng Lijing, Zhai Guixi)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 16:01:36|Editor: ZD

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FUZHOU, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A new regular cargo service was launched Thursday between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

A ro-ro cargo vessel named "Taipei Express" set sail for Taipei from Pingtan Jinjing Port in eastern China's Fujian Province. The freighters depart every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Pingtan. A single journey takes five and a half hours.

The service is jointly operated by Taiwan Wagon Group and Pingtan Transportation Group. The freighters have a maximum capacity of 230 standard containers.

"The new cargo service is to meet growing logistic demand across the Taiwan Strait and will bring more convenience and openness to the cargo trade," according to Lin Li, deputy director of Pingtan cross-Strait express delivery management center.

Pingtan, an island about 126 kilometers away from Taiwan, has been encouraging cross-Strait logistics in recent years. In October, Pingtan set up a commercial warehouse in Taipei.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 16:11:40|Editor: Jiaxin

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Afghan security force members stand at the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 28, 2017. At least 40 people including two assailants were killed and many others injured after a double suicide bombing rocked a building in western neighborhood of Afghan capital of Kabul Thursday, sources and witnesses said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 40 people including two assailants were killed and many others injured after a double suicide bombing rocked a building in western neighborhood of Afghan capital of Kabul Thursday, sources and witnesses said.

The toll is likely to go up as many were shifted to multiple hospitals and a number of them remained in critical conditions, officials said.

The attack came roughly at 10:30 a.m. local time when two suicide bombers detonated their jackets at the building where a cultural association and a local media office are located.

"A public gathering was underway in the building before the blasts and the two attackers were also killed on the spot. A probe is still on and more details will be shared with media later in the day," a security source told Xinhua near the site.

He said the targeted building is home to a local news agency and a cultural center.

Security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Photo taken on Oct. 16, 2016 shows South Sudan's government troops patrolling in Malakal town, South Sudan, after fresh clashes between government and opposition forces near the northern town of Malakal killed at least 56 people. (Xinhua/Gale Julius)

JUBA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The South Sudanese army and the main rebel group have accused each other of breaking a truce that came into effect on Dec. 24.

The cease-fire agreement signed between the South Sudanese government and several rebel groups on Thursday last week was brokered by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African regional bloc.

The truce asked warring parties to stop military operations and keep forces in their bases while calling for release of political detainees.

Lul Ruai Koang, Spokesman for the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) told Xinhua Wednesday that rebels loyal to the country's former deputy president Riek Machar launched multiple attacks on government-controlled areas in northern and southern parts of the country between Dec. 22 and 25.

He said the rebels, known as Sudan People's Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), attacked the town of Koch during Christmas Eve and further carried out similar attacks in the regions of Kajo-Koji and Yei on Dec. 25.

"This is a very serious violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement because their intention is to capture more territory from the SPLA before the peace monitors arrive for verification," Lul said.

He said the SPLA would not go into offensive as they still respect the terms of the truce, urging the IGAD to investigate the latest escalation in violence across the country.

"It is our right to defend ourselves from hostile forces. So we call upon IGAD to investigate and do verification so that they know who violated the cessation of hostilities agreement," he added.

Lam Paul Gabriel, SPLA-IO deputy military spokesperson, however, accused the government of launching attacks on their bases in many parts of the country.

"Our forces repulsed the attackers and pursued them to their base in Kansuk where more than 20 of them lost their lives and several injured. Our forces also destroyed their store full of weapons and ammunition," Lam said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

The warring factions had previously violated several cease-fires since the conflict erupted four years ago.

In his Christmas massage, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised peace and stability in the war-torn East African nation in 2018.

South Sudan has been embroiled in four years of conflict that has taken a devastating toll on the people, creating one of the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 16:26:45|Editor: Jiaxin

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BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- As the year 2017 is ending, the United States again has moved to confront Russia over the eastern Ukraine issue, preparing to sell advanced weapons to Ukraine and asking Russia to ease violence in eastern Ukraine, among others.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a discussion with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, underscoring the U.S. concern with the rising violence in eastern Ukraine and requesting Russia to ease it.

Tillerson had also asked Russia to return its representatives to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (JCCC), which was set up in September 2014 under an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to assist the implementation of the Minsk agreements for settling the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has said that it will abandon the JCCC, which consists of Russian and Ukrainian officers, due to Kiev's "obstruction" of its activities.

Washington announced on Friday that it has decided to sell advanced weapons to Ukraine to help update its defense capabilities. This move infuriated Russia, which said the U.S. decision will lead to "new bloodshed."

The arsenal sale is reportedly to include Javelin anti-tank missiles, which Kiev has long desired.

"The U.S. weapons can lead to new victims in our neighboring country (Ukraine), to which we cannot remain indifferent," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a statement on Saturday.

Ukraine launched a military operation in its southeast Donbas region in April 2014, after the pro-Russia local residents refused to recognize the pro-West Ukrainian authorities and sought independence.

Ever since, Armed conflicts have been plaguing Donbas, having claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.

Kiev and the insurgents reached a peace agreement brokered by Russia, France and Germany in Minsk, capital of Belarus, in September 2014, with a more detailed renewal of the agreement signed in February 2015.

The pact spells out a cease-fire, a withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the line of separation between the two warring sides, exchange of prisoners, and holding local elections in Donbas.

But the agreement has been breached from time to time, and more than 30 previous rounds of truce attempts have failed, with the two sides accusing each other of cease-fire violations.

On Dec. 20, the Trilateral Contact Group, a group of representatives from Ukraine, Russia and OSCE to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the war in the conflicting Donbas region, reached an agreement for a cease-fire starting from Dec. 23 for civilians to be able to celebrate the winter holidays.

The Trilateral Contact Group also agreed on a prisoner exchange between the conflicting sides.

The Ukrainian government and pro-independence insurgents in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday carried out their largest prisoner swap since the start of the conflict in April 2014.

During the exchange, the insurgents transferred 74 Ukrainian soldiers and pro-government civilians to Kiev, while the government released 75 supporters of Lugansk insurgents, but two of them refused to return to the insurgent-controlled area.
NAIROBI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has been playing a crucial part in improving Africa's transport over the years, giving a much-needed boost to the continent's efforts to achieve regional integration.

The most remarkable of the Chinese contribution perhaps has been the construction by professional Chinese companies of numerous railways that now criss-cross the continent.

Data from the Chinese government shows that China, through aid and financing support, has helped build or are building more than 6,200 kilometers of railways in Africa.

Quite a few railways, such as the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Kenya and Ethiopia-Djibouti railway, have become Africa's new flagship projects that will better connect nations in East Africa.

Following is a list of some major railways undertaken by Chinese firms since 2015.

1. Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, Kenya

Aerial photo taken on May 12, 2017 shows the Mazeras Bridge of the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Kenya. China in May 2014 signed a deal to build the rail link worth 3.8 billion dollars between Kenya's Mombasa and Nairobi. Around 480 km long, the project's passenger service was launched in mid-2017. The project, which marks the first phase of a line that is expected to cover a distance of about 2,935 km and eventually connect Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, will facilitate transportation and boost trade in the eastern African region. It features passenger trains with a speed of 120 km per hour and freight trains designed to move at 80 km per hour. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

2. Ethiopia-Djibouti railway

A train runs on the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway during an operational test near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 3, 2016. The railway will help landlocked Ethiopia improve access to the sea and speed up a burgeoning industrialization process. The 752.7 km railway, with a designed speed of 120 km per hour, took six years to complete. It was constructed by the China Railway Group and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, with a total investment of 4 billion U.S. dollars. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

3. Lobito-Luau railway, Angola

In 2015, a 1,344-km railroad project spanning Angola was complete and put into operation. The railway, linking the coastal city of Lobito in the west and Luau city which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, is the second longest railway built by a Chinese company for Africa after TAZARA. The railway is expected to be linked with the Angola-Zambia railway and the Tanzania-Zambia railway in the future. (Xinhua/Pang Shuguang)

4. Abuja-Kaduna railway, Nigeria

A train is pictured at a train station in suburban Abuja, on July 26, 2016. The railway, built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, covers a distance of 186.5 km and links the capital city Abuja and the northwestern state of Kaduna. It has nine stations and a designed speed of 150 km per hour. Built in 2011, the railway became operational in July 2016. (Xinhua/Yang Hongjie)

5. Lagos-Ibadan railway launch, Nigeria

Photo taken on March 7, 2017 shows the scene of the ground breaking ceremony for Lagos-Ibadan railway project in Lagos, Nigeria. The new standard gauge railway project was awarded by the Nigerian government to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. (Xinhua/Jiang Xintong)

6. Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit, Ethiopia
DECATUR  An unprecedented rush to prepay next year's property tax bills has enveloped the Macon County offices as homeowners here and across the country hope to take advantage of a major tax deduction before it is wiped out in the new year.

Macon County Treasurer Edward Yoder said Wednesday that his downtown Decatur office has experienced much greater activity since last week when President Donald Trump signed the Republican-backed tax overhaul. The law puts a new $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local taxes people can deduct from their income when calculating their federal tax liability.

"One (long-time county employee) remarked that they took in more prepays in one day then they did during the last 30 years," said Yoder, who has served as treasurer since 2010.

Just Tuesday alone, the treasurer's office received 125 bill payments by 3 p.m., Yoder said.

Similar scenes played out at tax collection offices around the country in places with high local taxes. In Hempstead, New York, town Tax Receiver Donald Clavin said thousands of people packed his office. Oyster Bay, New York, Tax Receiver James Stefanich described the scene as "almost chaotic," saying homeowners began lining up in the cold an hour before his office opened.

The deduction caps were introduced by Congress to offset some of the bill's deficits. Policy observers predict they could translate into a tax hike of hundreds or even thousands of dollars in mostly wealthier, high-tax communities like Chicago's northern suburbs and other high-wealth, high-tax areas in California, New York, and other states.

By prepaying, people in some communities are trying to effectively delay that hike for a year, though it isn't clear whether doing so will pay off. The new law bars deductions for income taxes paid early but is silent on prepaid property taxes. The IRS hasn't yet said how it would handle prepayments.

The change would affect homeowners who continue to use itemized deductions in 2018, particularly those who pay high property taxes. For instance, county records show that a house in Mount Zion with a three-car garage, assessed by the county at a value of $118,000, owed more than $9,000 in property taxes in 2017. When coupled with state income tax, it's likely that homeowner would exceed the new limit for deductions.

"Someone who makes $50,000 (a year), their income taxes are going to be (near) $2,500, and that goes into that calculation," said Mark Wood, a certified public accountant at May Cocagne & King, P. C. in Decatur.

Wood and accountants across the country are still sifting through the fine print of the law. He said he's been recommending his clients prepay their property taxes if they can afford it.

"A lot of people don't have $7,000 or $8,000 sitting around, (but) if you got it in the bank and you can afford to do it, you're not going to earn 10 percent on your savings account," he said, estimating how much the move would save.

Still, the Macon County treasurer said some with much smaller property tax bills are hedging their bets as well. "In Thursday's mail, I got (property tax) prepayment of $60," Yoder said.

Part of the equation involves the new tax law's increase of the standard deduction to $12,000 for individuals. Republicans say that makes it unnecessary for 95 percent of taxpayers to use itemized deductions. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said in a statement that 75 percent of people in his district, which includes Decatur, already take the standard deduction of $6,300.

The move to prepay property taxes before Jan. 1 might cause some confusion in the spring, when homeowners receive their initial property tax bill from the treasurer. Yoder said those bills will not reflect any prepayments. "But we have the amount that was paid (recorded), so if there is a difference, they still owe the difference," he said.

The discrepancy comes from the fact that assessments have not yet been finalized, so officials do not yet have a final bill amount for what will come due next summer. Yoder's office is allowing homeowners to pay as much as 5 percent more than the previous year's bill, and if that exceeds the final bill, they would be refunded.

Those interest in prepaying their property taxes can appear in person at the treasurer's office, 141 S. Main St., or they can send their payment through mail. Yoder says as long as the mail is postmarked in 2017, it will be accepted.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 17:06:50|Editor: ZD

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Ambulances of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) wait to evacuate kidnapped people in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta countryside of the Syrian capital Damascus on Dec. 27, 2017. Another batch of kidnapped people as well as others with tough medical conditions were evacuated from the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region of the capital Damascus overnight, state news agency SANA said Thursday. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

DAMASCUS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Another batch of kidnapped people as well as others with tough medical conditions were evacuated from the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region of the capital Damascus overnight, state news agency SANA said Thursday.

The evacuation is a part of a deal that demands the rebels to release pro-government detainees in exchange for the government approval to grant access to the people with hard medical conditions into the capital's hospitals.

SANA said 10 abductees were released Wednesday evening by the rebels including two children, a day after the release of the first batch of six kidnapped people from Eastern Ghouta.

The state news agency also said a number of patients from eastern Ghouta were taken to hospitals inside Damascus, stopping short of giving the exact number.

While activists blamed the government forces' siege on eastern Ghouta for the tough humanitarian situation, where 400,000 people are under siege, SANA blamed the rebels for the hard situation, saying the armed groups have taken the civilians inside Eastern Ghouta as "human shields."

The evacuation of the ill people from the Eastern Ghouta happened in cooperation between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

The spokesperson of the ICRC, Inji Sidki, told Xinhua Thursday that 12 ill people, mostly children, were evacuated from Eastern Ghouta on Wednesday evening.

She said that the evacuees have heart, blood, and other chronic diseases, adding that the families of the children accompanied them out of Eastern Ghouta.

She added that altogether 29 people with hard medical conditions will leave in batches as part of an ongoing process.

Eastern Ghouta has emerged as a stronghold for various strong rebel groups, mainly Jaish al-Islam, and other groups affiliated with al-Qaida such as the Levant Liberation Committee.

The area has been a launching pad for attacks on the capital and various battles have been launched by the army with the backing of airstrikes to quell the momentum of the rebel groups inside the sprawling area that contains several towns and agricultural terrains.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 17:11:51|Editor: ZD

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DHAKA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The year 2017, designated as the Year of Friendship and Exchanges between China and Bangladesh, saw the friendly ties between the two nations further cemented, as both sides pushed forward cooperation based on mutual benefit.

Experts here said Bangladesh and China have, in the year past, enjoyed very strong relations. They said both countries share many similarities and as such should maintain the momentum of cooperation.

China-made, high-quality and affordable products, ranging from daily necessities to large machinery, can be found all over Bangladesh.

China's leading technology, from communications and automobiles, continue to be in great demand in Bangladesh, with China's increasing tech-footprint here, which has helped elevate Bangladesh's economy.

Relations between the two peoples date back thousands of years, Bangladeshi Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu told Xinhua recently, adding that the relationship has been gradually cemented.

"So, Bangladesh and China now enjoy a very strong people-to-people, state-to-state and government-to-government, three-dimensional relationship," Inu said.

Dhaka and Beijing, through a variety of programs and events throughout 2017, made their best efforts to promote the relationship that is now a visible rainbow of friendship for all to see.

Seven friendship bridges have already been completed across Bangladesh thanks to Chinese grants, and the eighth one is under construction, with Beijing providing funding for construction of the ninth one.

Among other major China-funded infrastructure projects, Chinese enterprises have also signed deals with Bangladesh to build a two-lane tunnel underneath the Karnaphuli River, the first of its kind in Bangladesh and to construct a 220-km pipeline to carry oil from tankers in the Bay of Bengal to storage plants on the mainland.

Other deals also involve the detailed engineering design for a four-lane expansion of a national highway.

Bangladeshi Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said China has been contributing greatly to the infrastructure development of Bangladesh. Describing China as a "trusted friend" and an "important stakeholder in the global economy," Quader said he hoped for more Chinese assistance in implementing major projects across the country.

The construction of friendship bridges assisted by China have greatly improved the infrastructure in Bangladesh and enhanced the country's economic development, Quader added.

Building friendship bridges has surely underscored the ongoing friendship between Bangladesh and China, and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on several occasions has thanked China for its contributions to Bangladesh's economic development.

Hasina expects that Bangladesh will be able to reach its goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041, with the support from China and other friendly countries.

Apart from the friendship bridges, China is also building the Padma Bridge, termed a "dream bridge" for Bangladeshis.

The 6.15-km-long complex, undertaken by a Chinese company, is the largest and most challenging infrastructure project in the country's history. It will make it more convenient for neighboring countries to use Bangladesh's seaports, and promote trade with neighboring countries.

The multipurpose road-rail bridge, which local residents have dubbed "a dream come true," will span the Padma River to link Bangladesh's northeast and southwest.

Through such engagements, experts have said Bangladesh and China have taken their relationship beyond just conference rooms and contracts, with the cooperation truly benefitting people all across Bangladesh in many spheres of life.

Bangladeshi Information and Communication Technology (ICT) State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak said recently Bangladesh wants China to be its major partner in making the country's digital dreams come true.

"For a long, long time we have been time-tested friends and in the field of ICT we are grateful to China and the Chinese government for helping us by providing all kinds of technical and financial support for building our infrastructure," he said.

The Bangladeshi government, in collaboration with Chinese companies, implemented the country's largest-ever ICT project which brought nearly 20,000 government offices across the country under nationwide connectivity.

"We have been able to setup our first TR4 data Center under a line of credit kindly extended from China," said Palak.

Meanwhile, experts have also lauded China's efforts to help resolve the Rohingya issue, as well as China's offer of relief materials for the Rohingya people.

China proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue in Myanmar's Rakhine state. China's proposal has been backed by both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a deal in November on the repatriation of the Rohingya people. According to the agreement, both governments would arrange for the voluntary return in "safety, security and dignity with options for recommencing livelihood" after they had been verified to be Myanmar residents.

ANM Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, said a rising China that follows the policy of a peaceful rise does not only lay the ground for internal development but is also a force for regional and international peace and stability.

Muniruzzaman, also an ex-major general of the Bangladesh Army, said China's Belt and Road Initiative is a massive game changer.

"It will not only stimulate trade and commerce but will have multi-directional benefits in many sectors. China's idea is also to revive the ancient silk route along which different continents once traded with China. It will bring together many countries in Asia, Africa and Europe under this visionary initiative."

China's role in the region has been constructive and in the fundamental interests of both peoples in developing mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, and others, Eminent Dhaka University professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque said recently during a discussion organized by the Bangladesh-China Friendship Center.

"We were deeply pleased to see the development that has taken place in China," said retired Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Faruk Khan, who recently visited China on a nine-day tour at the invitation of the Chinese government.

"I do believe that strengthening all-round bilateral friendly relations of cooperation with China will immensely benefit Bangladesh," said Khan, who is also a former government minister.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 17:21:56|Editor: Jiaxin

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KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 40 people were killed and more than 20 others injured after a twin suicide attacks and an ensuing bomb blast rocked a cultural center in the western neighborhood of Afghan capital of Kabul Thursday, authorities said.

The initial findings showed that 40 people were killed and over 20 others injured in Thursday morning's terrorist attacks against Tebyan Social and Cultural Center in Dasht-i-Barchi locality of the western part of Kabul, an official told Xinhua anonymously.

The Kabul police and health authorities were collecting more information and the number of casualties may rise, he said.

A meeting was underway before the blasts in the populated area. Unofficial sources said more than 100 people were affected in the incident.

One journalist was among the killed as the office of Sada-e-Afghan, a local news agency, is also located in the targeted building.

Earlier, conflicting numbers about the casualties were reported by officials and local media reports.

Najib Danish, spokesman of Interior Ministry, told Xinhua earlier that 13 people were killed and 21 were injured in the serial blasts, adding the figures were likely to change.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in the area, which is mostly dominated by Shiite Muslims.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 18:02:09|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with a delegation led by Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary general of Komeito, LDP's ruling coalition partner, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 28, 2017. Representatives of the Communist Party of China and Japan's ruling coalition, formed by the LDP and Komeito, met in east China's Fujian Province from Dec. 25 to 26 to convene the seventh meeting of the China-Japan ruling party exchange mechanism. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on China and Japan to enhance party-to-party exchanges and cooperation.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with a delegation led by Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary general of Komeito, LDP's ruling coalition partner.

Xi spoke highly of the role of China-Japan ruling party exchange mechanism in promoting bilateral relations, and hailed the efforts made by Nikai and Inoue to promote exchanges between the ruling parties of China and Japan, saying they have strengthened bilateral practical cooperation and friendship.

For their part, Nikai and Inoue said Japan's ruling coalition stands ready to enhance communication and exchange with the Communist Party of China (CPC) and make greater contributions to the development of Japan-China relations.

Representatives of the CPC and Japan's ruling coalition, formed by the LDP and Komeito, met in east China's Fujian Province from Dec. 25 to 26 to convene the seventh meeting of the China-Japan ruling party exchange mechanism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 18:22:12|Editor: Jiaxin

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MOSCOW, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Moscow's police have detained a man suspected of shooting dead a security guard at a confectionery factory in the northwest of the Russian capital Wednesday, the Russian Interior Ministry said Thursday.

In a statement, the police said the suspect, former owner of the factory, was arrested north of the central Moscow and was delivered to an office of the Investigative Committee for interrogation.

On Wednesday, the ministry said the suspect killed the guard in a clash with the current management.

The office of the Moscow Prosecutor Vladimir Churikov said in a separate statement on Wednesday that the shooting took place after bailiffs came to collect money from the indebted factory following a ruling by the Moscow Arbitration Court.

Local media reported that the suspect, Ilya Averyanov, took hostages in the factory building. But the Interior Ministry denied the reports.

Averyanov said he was the victim of an illegal seizure of his property and of an armed attack.

He confessed shooting one person, saying that he intended "to fight to the end," according to a transcript published Wednesday by Business FM Radio, which managed to reach the suspect via phone.

Averyanov managed to escape from the factory before a police cordon was set up.

The Russian Investigative Committee said it had initiated a criminal case against the suspect for homicide and illegal possession of weapons.
Source: Xinhuanet| 2017-12-28 18:36:27|Editor: Liangyu

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Xinhuanet holds a seminar on major global events in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 26, 2017. (Xinhuanet/Guo Xiaotian)

by Zhou Xin

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhuanet)  Xinhuanet has held the 8th seminar on major global events recently in Beijing.

Themed "New Landscape for the World, New Era for China", the seminar gathered together 12 renowned scholars and experts on Tuesday.

The scholars and experts participated in three panel discussions, covering topics on the United States under the Trump administration, the prospect of European integration and the Middle East situation.

They also reviewed developments in China's diplomacy in the new era.

Where is the U.S. headed in the Trump era?

The political polarization of the United States in the Trump era is becoming more aggravated, said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of China Institute of International Studies.

Ruan held that the Trump administration is bringing fundamental, long-term changes to the American society.

Qiao Liang, professor at the National Defense University of People's Liberation Army, said that Trump wants to restore America's real economy, which is a right idea adopted at a wrong time.

Moreover, he added, America's economic woe nowadays can be attributed to the over promoting of virtual economy.

Is European integration possible under the shadow of populism?

Populism is a special phenomenon derived from the European democratic system, Tian Dewen, deputy director of Bureau of International Cooperation of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted.

It leads to the rise of protectionism in Europe and will hinder European integration, and eventually speed up the decline of the continent, Tian continued.

Chen Zhirui, professor at China Foreign Affairs University, believed that populism is not necessarily a bad idea.

If political parties in Europe can tolerate and absorb the rational political views of populists, integrate and optimize the power of the general public, they will seize the opportunity to revive Europe, he said.

Will more proxy wars erupt in the Middle East?

The stability of the Middle East requires internal and external balance, said Li Shaoxian, director of China-Arab Research Institute at Ningxia University.

Li pointed out that the old regional landscape has collapsed and a new one is yet to be established, which leaves a gap for instability and potential danger.

Yin Gang, researcher at Institute of West-Asian and African Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the Arab countries are creating a balance of power with Iran, which will facilitate peace in the region and avoid more proxy wars.

China's diplomacy in the new era

After heated panel discussions, six scholars gave speeches on China's diplomacy.

Su Ge, director of China Institute of International Studies, said that while facing major changes in the international landscape, building a community of shared future for mankind charts the course for China's major-country diplomacy in the new era, which provides China's solution for global governance.

Prominent problems in Western nations, such as anti-globalization, fragmentation and radicalization, pose challenges to China's diplomacy, said Jin Canrong, vice president of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China.

Gao Zugui, deputy director of Institute for International Strategic Studies of Party School of CPC Central Committee, said that China has gradually formed a new framework for its major-country diplomacy in recent years.

Cui Hongjian, director of European Studies at China Institute of International Studies, held that China should grasp the principle of balance in its foreign policy on Europe and assist Europe in becoming a positive force in the multi-polarization process of the world.

Zhang Huanli, former Tokyo correspondent of Xinhua News Agency, is optimistic about the improvement of China-Japan relations in 2018.

However, it will only happen with concrete actions to be taken by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Zhang added.

Chen Fengying, researcher at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that China and the world have both entered a new era, when the major contradiction facing the world economy is one between the emerging markets' as well as the developing countries' demand for voices and influence in global economic governance and the inadequate, lopsided Bretton Woods system.

China should correctly choose a strategy of foreign economic relations according to the changing of times, Chen concluded.

The annual event has become a high-standard platform for vibrant, in-depth discussions among scholars and experts of international relations on global issues held by Xinhuanet.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 18:27:13|Editor: Jiaxin

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DOHA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Qatar announced approval of a draft law on regulating non-Qatari ownership and use of real estate, Qatar News Agency reported Thursday morning.

During the regular meeting of Qatari cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, the draft law stated that non-Qataris may own and use real estate in accordance with the conditions specified by a decision from the cabinet, which will be applicable on land space, buildings and residential units, and detachment units in residential complexes, the report said.

With the attendance of ministers and other senior officials, the cabinet then reviewed other hot issues on its meeting's agenda.

The cabinet discussed the Jerusalem issue and welcomed the UN General Assembly's resolution, and hoped the global community would translate the resolution into practical steps to achieve just and sustainable peace.

Ever since the Gulf crisis erupted and the Saudi-led blockading countries imposed an embargo on Qatar, accusing it of destabilizing the region, Doha has been taking bold steps to facilitate nation-building.

Earlier, Qatar has established a legal framework which allows foreign investors full ownership of businesses in certain sectors and a competitive tax environment, with a flat corporate tax rate of 10 percent on locally sourced profits, no withholding tax, no personal income tax.

Also, Doha started promoting local entrepreneurs to improve self-sufficiency. In August, Qatar announced allowing citizens of 80 countries visa-free entry, so as to be the most open country in the Gulf region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 18:42:16|Editor: Jiaxin

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TEHRAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) has signed over 200 leasing contracts for its vessels since the lifting of the Western-imposed economic sanctions two years ago, Financial Tribune reported on Thursday.

"From the easing of the sanctions (in January 2016) until the end of last month, foreign companies signed 215 time-charter and single-voyage deals for NITC tankers," the company's Chief Executive Officer Sirous Kianersi was quoted as saying.

NITC signed agreements with France's Total, Royal Dutch Shell, Spain's Cepsa, Vitol, Hanwha Total of South Korea, India's Essar, Turkish refiner Tupras, China's CNPC, among others.

According to the report, Total, which became the first major western company to reenter Iran's energy market after the lifting of sanctions, placed the first purchase order for Iranian crude in February 2016 alongside Cepsa and Russia's Lukoil.

Leasing idle vessels is a source of revenue for the Iranian state oil shipping company that operates one of the world's largest tanker fleets. NITC has yet to disclose the value of its contracts.

"The most lucrative charter deals belong to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) with the capacity to haul up to 320,000 tons of products, followed by smaller types of carriers, including Suezmax (120,000-180,000 tons) and Aframax (75,000-120,000 tons)," said Kianersi.

Kianersi said Iran exports around 2.6 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate, a type of ultra light crude, with NITC-owned vessels handling about 30 percent of shipments.

Most of Iran's crude consignments are destined for customers in Asia, including China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 18:47:17|Editor: Liangyu

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JAKARTA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The government of Indonesia has welcomed the termination of travel advice to Bali by China, saying it would generate the number of foreign tourist arrivals in the beautiful resort island, a government official said on Thursday.

Senior official at the Indonesian tourism ministry Vinsensius Jamadu said that Chinese tourists have contributed the highest to foreign tourist arrivals in Bali and other tourist destinations so far.

Besides, this could also boost airliners' activities as the number of passengers from China will rise, the official said.

According to the national statistics bureau, the number of Chinese visitors to Bali from January to July this year reached 896,000 people, the highest among foreign tourists.

The second position was placed by Australia with 632,000 on the period, the bureau said.

The lift of the travel advice will give restaurants, shops, hotels, taxi services, and tourist destinations a boost to get higher revenue, Jamadu said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 19:02:19|Editor: Jiaxin

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TEHRAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned killing of an Iranian national by the Canadian police, calling for Ottawa's explanation over the issue, Press TV reported on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, we have been informed that an Iranian citizen residing in Canada, Babak Saidi, who was also sick, has been killed by a police gunshot," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Thursday.

"We are examining the details; we will follow up the matter through competent authorities to clarify its different aspects, and we will ask the Canadian government for explanation," Qasemi said.

Babak Saidi, 43, was shot and killed at the Ontario Provincial Police detachment in Morrisburg on Dec. 23.

Babak, who had schizophrenia, was required to check in weekly at the detachment after his conviction for assault and battery in 2014, his sister said.

No further details are available about the incident so far.
JOLIET  A Chicago-area woman has been charged with murder in the death of her 8-month-old daughter whose skull was fractured in two places.

The (Crystal Lake) Northwest Herald reported that 24-year-old Shanquilla Garvey was charged Wednesday.

Deputy Police Chief Al Roechner said last week that Garvey was staying at a Joliet motel when officers responded to a report of a baby that wasn't breathing.

Cherish Freeman was rushed to a hospital. She died Sunday night after being taken off life support.

Assistant State's Attorney Chris Messina said the child also had bleeding on her brain, a cut liver and fractured clavicle.

Garvey has been assigned a public defender. She is scheduled to return to court Jan. 12.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 19:27:28|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Over 42,400 people were prosecuted in the first 11 months of this year on charges such as child abuse, indecency with children and child trafficking, said China's top procuratorate.

During the same period, 31,400 were arrested on suspicion of these crimes, said Zheng Xinjian, head of the minor case division of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), at a press conference Thursday.

Besides pressing charges, procuratorates also made suggestions to the court on banning suspects' reentry into child-related occupations, according to Zheng.

Zheng highlighted the procuratorates' efforts in introducing civil authorities and medical organizations, as well as professional help from judicial social workers and psychological consultants, to help child victims recover.

More than 22,000 victims received various legal aid, psychological services and rehabilitation treatment, said Zheng.

In response to questions on child abuse cases at kindergartens, Zheng reiterated the resolution of the SPP and called on all procuratorates to work with kindergartens to set up a system to prevent harm to kindergarten students.

A number of accusations of child abuse at kindergartens have been made public in the past few months.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 19:27:29|Editor: Liangyu

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"Confucian doctrines concern human nature, and human nature is the same the world over. Confucianism has a universal appeal. It is for us to make use of it," said Alan Chan, 85, a Singaporean businessman who now devotes himself to promoting Confucianism.

"Many things in Confucianism are outdated or inappropriate, but it still has a lot of wisdom," said Chan, a descendant of Chinese philosopher Zengzi, a disciple of Confucius.

Having published his own English translation of part of the Analects of Confucius, Chan funded the construction of a Confucius Neo-Institute in Qufu, in 2013.

The Analects reflect Confucius's political views, moral principles and educational ideas. "How happy we are to have friends from afar" and "Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you" are among the classic sayings.

The World Confucian Conference or the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations is held in Qufu each year, attracting hundreds of scholars around the world. The town also hosts the International Confucius Cultural Festival each year.

TRANSMISSION AND MODERNIZATION

The Communist Party of China governs the country by both law and virtue. The report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC in October said "we will draw on China's fine traditional culture, keep alive and develop its vision, concepts, values and moral norms, and do so in a way that responds to the call of our era."

The ideas of Confucius, including rule by virtue, self-discipline in appeasing others and harmony in diversity, have been central to personal, family and social life in China.

Confucianism concerns the cultural rise of China, said Yan Binggang, deputy head of the Advanced Institute of Confucian Studies.

China is the center of international Confucianism, with the most research institutes, civil groups, academic exchanges and publications in this field, said Yan.

Yet Confucianism is often misinterpreted.

A study by Qin Hongwu and Kong Lei at Qufu Normal University, showed

that unlike the studies of dissemination that focus on concepts and notions of Confucianism, the ideological and receptive aspects of communication are given more priority in overseas media of some countries.

Basic research into Confucian classics should continue to accurately transmit the concepts, said Liu Xubing, deputy head of Confucius Research Institute in Qufu.

Meanwhile, new research is necessary to combine traditional culture with the contemporary world, he added.

"We need not only cultural self-confidence. We should also work to make others understand our fine traditions," said Li Jingxue, president of Jining Cadres Political and Moral Education College in Qufu, dedicated to enhancing the ethics of trainees.

Chen Li has given lectures to high-level public servants from Vietnam, Cuba and Fiji and several Latin American countries. She conducted a survey among foreign learners during the lectures and found only half of them knew about Confucius.

"The foreign trainees showed strong interest in Chinese culture as represented by Confucianism," said Chen.

Cultures in the world have distinctive advantages regarding important subjects such as the relationship between man and nature, said Lu Zequan, researcher with Confucius Research Institute.

With an open attitude, the Chinese are willing to share the wisdom of their culture but it is up to others to judge and absorb it, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 19:34:27|Editor: Liangyu

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JINAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- On a bitter winter afternoon, more than 100 villagers gather in a large, warm hall to listen to a lecture on Confucianism delivered by a teacher.

Using simple language, Zhang Heng, one of Qufu City's Confucian Volunteers, explains the need for virtues and how to solve trivial disputes through consultation, in pursuit of harmony.

The newly-built hall is named the "home of happiness and harmony" in Gongjia village. Qufu, in east China's Shandong Province, is the birthplace of Confucius. Such lectures are common in Qufu and many other cities in the province.

Confucius (551 B.C.-479 B.C.) set up the first private school in China and had 3,000 disciples, of whom 72 became accomplished. The teachings of Confucius center on peace and social harmony. His proverbs were collected in the "Analects" by his students.

Confucianism, which steered Chinese society for more than 2,000 years, is having a revival in China and attracting interest from around the world.

In Qufu, each of its 405 villages has a Confucianism teacher and a lecture hall for regular classes. These lectures are usually given by retired teachers or prominent figures who know Confucianism.

Students at primary and middle schools in Shandong as well as Qufu Normal University have compulsory classes on traditional values of Confucianism.

LIFE CONFUCIANISM

"With promotion of traditional virtues, disrespect for elders has almost disappeared and disputes between villagers have dropped dramatically," said Gong Jian, Communist Party chief of the village.

The few disputes there, are resolved in the village's "harmony first" mediation room, said Gong, who often interprets core key Confucian concepts such as "ren" (benevolence) and "yi" (righteousness) before villagers.

Zhang, the volunteer, said lectures enlightened villagers, most of whom no longer worry about their basic living needs, but pursue a richer life, both materially and spiritually.

Huang Yushun, deputy head of the Advanced Institute of Confucian Studies at Shandong University, put forward his theory of Confucian life in an attempt to bring the spirit of Confucianism to contemporary daily life.

The theory enables the traditional philosophy to keep pace with the realities of society, he said.

In Shandong, nearly 10,000 villages have set up halls for learning about Confucianism.

UNIVERSAL VALUE

Confucianism has global value. "Some basic tenets, such as benevolence and righteousness, remain universal, while some ideas have been discarded," said Huang.

Oei Kiem Ma, a Chinese Indonesian who majors in Chinese philosophy at Shandong University, is a follower of Confucianism.

People with a sense of egoism and superiority would disturb others if there was no code of conduct for mankind, said Oei.

She cited the Confucius principle that "Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you."

"Such a doctrine will never be outdated," she said. "Confucianism is about life and requires practice."

In Indonesia, Confucianism has been recognized and is followed by many people, she added.

"Confucian doctrines concern human nature, and human nature is the same the world over. Confucianism has a universal appeal. It is for us to make use of it," said Alan Chan, 85, a Singaporean businessman who now devotes himself to promoting Confucianism.

"Many things in Confucianism are outdated or inappropriate, but it still has a lot of wisdom," said Chan, a descendant of Chinese philosopher Zengzi, a disciple of Confucius.

Having published his own English translation of part of the Analects of Confucius, Chan funded the construction of a Confucius Neo-Institute in Qufu, in 2013.

The Analects reflect Confucius's political views, moral principles and educational ideas. "How happy we are to have friends from afar" and "Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you" are among the classic sayings.

The World Confucian Conference or the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations is held in Qufu each year, attracting hundreds of scholars around the world. The town also hosts the International Confucius Cultural Festival each year.

TRANSMISSION AND MODERNIZATION

The Communist Party of China governs the country by both law and virtue. The report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC in October said "we will draw on China's fine traditional culture, keep alive and develop its vision, concepts, values and moral norms, and do so in a way that responds to the call of our era."

The ideas of Confucius, including rule by virtue, self-discipline in appeasing others and harmony in diversity, have been central to personal, family and social life in China.

Confucianism concerns the cultural rise of China, said Yan Binggang, deputy head of the Advanced Institute of Confucian Studies.

China is the center of international Confucianism, with the most research institutes, civil groups, academic exchanges and publications in this field, said Yan.

Yet Confucianism is often misinterpreted.

A study by Qin Hongwu and Kong Lei at Qufu Normal University, showed

that unlike the studies of dissemination that focus on concepts and notions of Confucianism, the ideological and receptive aspects of communication are given more priority in overseas media of some countries.

Basic research into Confucian classics should continue to accurately transmit the concepts, said Liu Xubing, deputy head of Confucius Research Institute in Qufu.

Meanwhile, new research is necessary to combine traditional culture with the contemporary world, he added.

"We need not only cultural self-confidence. We should also work to make others understand our fine traditions," said Li Jingxue, president of Jining Cadres Political and Moral Education College in Qufu, dedicated to enhancing the ethics of trainees.

Chen Li has given lectures to high-level public servants from Vietnam, Cuba and Fiji and several Latin American countries. She conducted a survey among foreign learners during the lectures and found only half of them knew about Confucius.

"The foreign trainees showed strong interest in Chinese culture as represented by Confucianism," said Chen.

Cultures in the world have distinctive advantages regarding important subjects such as the relationship between man and nature, said Lu Zequan, researcher with Confucius Research Institute.

With an open attitude, the Chinese are willing to share the wisdom of their culture but it is up to others to judge and absorb it, he said.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa delivered his inaugural State of the Nation Address in Harare, Zimbabwe, Dec. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

HARARE, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Retired army boss Constantino Chiwenga and veteran politician Kembo Mohadi were on Thursday sworn in as Zimbabwe's co-vice presidents.

The two were sworn in by Chief Justice Luke Malaba at a ceremony at State House following their appointment by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa took over from former president Robert Mugabe last month and has vowed to resuscitate the economy, fight corruption and create jobs for the people.

Chiwenga led the military intervention that led to the resignation of Mugabe last month, and is among military leaders that have been appointed into government positions by Mnangagwa.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 19:47:34|Editor: Jiaxin

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Afghan security force members stand at the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 28, 2017. At least 40 people including two assailants were killed and many others injured after a double suicide bombing rocked a building in western neighborhood of Afghan capital of Kabul Thursday, sources and witnesses said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Forty-one people were killed and 84 others were injured after a twin suicide attacks and another bomb blast rocked a cultural center in the western neighborhood of Afghan capital of Kabul Thursday, authorities said.

"Among those killed in Thursday's terrorist attacks were four women and two children and eight women were among the injured," Wahid Majroh, a spokesman of the Public Health Ministry, told reporters.

The attack occurred in the morning after the assailants struck the Tebyan Social and Cultural Center in Dasht-i-Barchi locality.

Five of the injured people were in critical conditions and the most of the wounded were suffering from serious burns, the official added.

A meeting was underway in the three-story building before the blasts occurred in the populated area.

A office of Sada-e-Afghan, a local news agency, is also located in the targeted building.

Earlier, conflicting numbers about the casualties were reported by officials and local media reports.

The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group claimed responsibility for the incident.

The capital city, with a population of around five million, has been hit by series of attacks over the past couple of years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:02:40|Editor: Jiaxin

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JERUSALEM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israel's parliament approved on Thursday a law banning the police from going public with their findings, a legislation sponsored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's faction as he faces corruption investigations.

The so-called "recommendations law" was passed in a final reading early on Thursday morning after 43 of filibuster speeches by opposition lawmakers. And 59 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, 54 against it, and seven abstained.

The new law ends a long-time police practice to release its conclusions whether they believe there is enough evidence for an indictment. Under the new law, the police investigators will transfer their recommendation only to the prosecution.

The bill was pushed by Netanyahu's close allies David Bitan, who recently stepped down as chairman of the coalition in the wake of a major corruption affair in which he is a suspect, and David Amsalem, the newly appointed coalition chairman.

Netanyahu himself is also involved in two criminal graft investigations. In these cases, dubbed by the police "case 1,000" and "case 2,000", Netanyahu is suspected of receiving luxury gifts from Israeli-U.S. Hollywood tycoon Arnon Milchan and allegedly making secret deals to receive favorable coverage in Yediot Aharonot, one of Israel's largest daily newspapers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:02:42|Editor: Jiaxin

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ANKARA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Thursday issued detention warrants for a total of 23 staff members from Ankara's Hacettepe University over their alleged links to Gulenists, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

According to the warrants issued by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, among the suspects, four are currently working at the university while the others were dismissed after last year's coup attempt.

Police launched the detention process early in the morning, and detained seven suspects in the province of Malatya, Ordu, Kony, Aksaray, Tekirdag and Bursa.

Fetullah Gulen, a U.S.-based priest, is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt, which left 250 people killed and nearly 2,200 others injured.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:07:43|Editor: ZD

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CAIRO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court sentenced on Thursday 15 defendants to 10 years in prison over inciting riots and protests and assaulting security forces in 2013 in the southern province of Minya.

The 15 convicts are supporters of the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted by the army in early July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

The prosecution also charged them with joining a banned group and calling for protests in response to Morsi's ouster and the later security crackdown on his loyalists.

One of the 15 is in custody while the rest have been sentenced in absentia.

Morsi's angry supporters attacked many security men and churches of the Coptic minority in several provinces nationwide, particularly in Upper Egypt, following the deadly security dispersal of two major pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo and Giza in mid-August 2013 that left hundreds dead and thousands arrested.

Last week, 26 defendants were similarly sentenced up to 10 years in prison over committing violence and sabotage and storming a police station in January 2014.

Most Brotherhood leaders, members and supporters, including Morsi himself and the group's top chief Mohamed Badie, are currently detained.

Many of them have been handed appealable death sentences and lengthy jail terms over charges varying from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:12:45|Editor: Jiaxin

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LONDON, Dec.28 (Xinhua) -- The first of a more than 40-strong medical team left Britain Thursday on a mission to help combat a deadly diphtheria outbreak in Bangladesh.

The Department for International Development (DfID) said the British Emergency Medical Team (EMT) includes doctors, nurses and firefighters.

The team is heading to Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh where thousands of lives are at risk from a rapid and deadly outbreak of the disease. It is the first ever deployment of Britain's EMT since it was certified by the World Health Organisation in 2016.

DfID said the response follows a formal request for assistance from the WHO and the government of Bangladesh after more than 2000 suspected cases and 22 reported deaths from the airborne virus. There are not enough staff or hospital beds to manage the outbreak which is expected to increase significantly over the current festive period.

DfID said there are a reported 160 new cases every day in Cox's Bazar which is home to more than 600,000 Rohingya people. It is especially dangerous for children who are particularly vulnerable. It causes extreme difficulty breathing, inflammation of the heart which can lead to heart failure, problems with the nervous system and fatal paralysis.

People in Britain are routinely vaccinated against diphtheria; however, the overcrowded camps are a breeding ground for this fatal disease. DfID is already providing vaccines in response to the crisis, said a spokesman for the department.

Following pre-deployment training, the first wave of medics flew from Manchester Airport.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said: "This will be an absolutely critical deployment, in a race against time for men, women and children at risk of dying from one of the world's cruellest infections."

Mordaunt said the British medical team would be acting rapidly in the crisis to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:17:45|Editor: Liangyu

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Power-generating equipments of a solar expressway are seen in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 22, 2017. China on Thursday opened a 1-km section solar expressway for testing. Solar panels are laid beneath part of a ring road surrounding Jinan. The road surface is made of a transparent, weight-bearing material that allows sunlight to penetrate. The panels, covering 5,875 square meters, can generate 1 million kwh of power in a year, enough to meet the everyday demand of around 800 households.(Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

JINAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday opened a 1-km section solar expressway for testing.

Solar panels are laid beneath part of a ring road surrounding Jinan, capital city of Shandong Province in east China. The road surface is made of a transparent, weight-bearing material that allows sunlight to penetrate.

The panels, covering 5,875 square meters, can generate 1 million kwh of power in a year, enough to meet the everyday demand of around 800 households, according to Qilu Transportation Development Group, the project developer.

"The project will save the space for building solar farms and shorten the transmission distance," said Xu Chunfu, the group's chairman.

Electricity produced by the test section will be used to power highway lights, signboards, surveillance cameras, tunnel and toll gate facilities. Surplus power will be supplied to the state grid, Xu said.

Future functions to be developed include mobile charging for electric vehicles and providing internet connection.

Xu did not reveal the cost but said it was half of similar projects in foreign countries.

"With the development of solar power in China, the cost can be further reduced," he said.

China leads the world in solar power development. Its annual increase of new installed generation capacity has been the largest in the world since 2013. As of the end of September, China's installed photovoltaic capacity hit 120 gigawatts.
CHICAGO  Starting in January, Illinois will bar a rare criminal defense allowing the use of a victim's sexual orientation as justification for violent crime, a ban gay rights advocates say they will attempt to replicate in about half a dozen states next year.

Defense attorneys will no longer be able to mount the so-called "gay panic defense" in Illinois, the second state after California to prohibit the tactic. It isn't common, but one study shows it has surfaced in about half of all U.S. states and has been used with some success. Advocates say bans are necessary because crimes against gay and transgender people are on the rise, but some attorneys remain skeptical, calling the ban politically motivated and unnecessary because the old-fashioned defense wouldn't hold up in court today.

After a lackluster attempt in 2016, the Illinois ban sailed through the Legislature in May with no opposition and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed it into law without comment. Supporters called it a major victory for LGBTQ rights  especially as advocacy groups including the Human Rights Campaign report spikes in murders of transgender people  that could provide momentum for change elsewhere.

"For us, it was important to eradicate (the defense), regardless of use," said Brian Johnson, the CEO of Equality Illinois, which backed the ban. "It makes our identity sufficient reason for murder. We never wanted it to be used going forward."

There are variations, but it generally goes like this: A person doesn't realize someone is gay or transgender and engages in a flirtation, then discovers that person's sexual orientation and that discovery triggers a passionate involuntary response such as murder.

Advocates point to the beating death of Islan Nettles, a transgender woman who died on a New York City street in 2013. James Dixon, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced last year, flirted with Nettles before realizing she was transgender. He punched her in the face and she fell and hit her head.

Legal experts including Anthony Michael Kreis, a Chicago-Kent College of Law professor who helped write the Illinois law, said Dixon got a lenient 12-year prison sentence in a plea deal because of the "trans panic" defense. Dixon has said he doesn't hate transgender people.

Supporters plan to revive legislative attempts to ban what's also known as the "trans panic" defense, in statehouses in Washington and New Jersey, where proposals haven't yet received committee votes. Advocates also hope to make inroads in New York, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Texas.

"The gay and trans 'panic' defenses are outdated relics reminiscent of a time when widespread antipathy was commonplace for LGBT individuals. It asks jurors to find that a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity excuses the actions of a violent criminal," said D'Arcy Kemnitz, the National LGBT Bar Association's executive director. "Our nation's courtrooms cannot truly be places where law rules supreme while these defenses are still allowed to persist."

Such "panic" defenses have come up in court opinions in about half of U.S. states since the 1960s, according to a 2016 study by the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles' law school. But the defense is hard to track and identify. No state recognizes it as a free-standing defense in the criminal code and it's often used in conjunction with insanity or self-defense claims.

The American Bar Association called for a prohibition in 2013. California outlawed the defense in 2014.

Kreis called the Illinois law a "remarkable" win and perhaps the first unanimous roll-call vote in a statehouse on a gay and transgender issue. But while no one voted "no," over two dozen legislators  Democrats and Republicans  didn't vote. Their reasons varied from non-attendance to human error.

Chicago defense attorney Steve Greenberg, who represented former police officer and convicted killer Drew Peterson, said the ban wouldn't have much practical effect in courts where the defense is hardly used.

"That's just not a defense," he said. The legislation is "political pandering and window dressing."

The last time the defense came up in Illinois was in two suburban Chicago murder cases, but the 2009 court proceedings illustrate divided opinion on the tactic.

In one, Joseph Biedermann of Hoffman Estates admitted killing Terrance Hauser, who was stabbed over 50 times. Biedermann said Hauser threatened to sexually assault and kill him. He was acquitted. Advocates say the "gay panic" defense was in play, but Biedermann's attorney called it self-defense.

In another, Timothy Bailey-Woodson pleaded guilty in the murder of Bloomingdale mechanic David Coungeris, receiving a 25-year sentence. Prosecutors said Bailey-Woodson claimed he killed Coungeris after the mechanic made sexual advances toward him. Bailey-Woodson's public defender declined comment on that aspect, but argued at the time that his client was abused as a child.

Attorney Kathleen Zellner, who has won several high-profile wrongful conviction cases, supports the ban, but says the defense wouldn't survive in court.

"Most attorneys would find it very flawed," she said. "I would never stand in front of a jury and try to get somebody acquitted on a first-degree murder charge with that."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:22:46|Editor: Jiaxin

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BANGKOK, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A large number of Myanmar migrant workers are leaving for their home country during the New Year holiday via a border pass in northwestern Thailand, police said on Thursday.

While many Bangkokians are traveling to the provinces during the long holiday, thousands of Myanmar migrant workers are crossing Mae Sot border checkpoint in Tak province daily into Myawaddy township on their way home in Myanmar.

They ride on ferry boats to cross Moei River from Mae Sot to Myawaddy.

Most are expected to come back to Thailand for jobs which they currently have after the New Year festival, which may last up to five days from Friday.

More than 1 million Myanmar nationals are currently employed in Thailand, either legally or illegally. Most are hired in fishing and seafood processing industry in Bangkok's outlying provinces.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:37:49|Editor: Jiaxin

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By Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Autonomous cars will drive people to work. Clothes will send signals to doctors about impending diseases. Groceries will arrive at doorstep according to the list refrigerator sends to supermarkets.

This sounds like a science fiction, but it's coming true.

The pace of technological change the world is currently experiencing is dizzying. What seems beyond imagination might turn into reality in near future.

Meanwhile, disagreement emerged among scientists and scholars on whether a fourth round of industrial revolution is approaching.

Alon Peled, a professor studying technology and politics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, believes the scope of current development is endless, confined only by the people, not the technologies available to them.

"The question becomes: what are the limits of the human imagination?" asks Peled. "We can do so much more and we are so limited in what we imagine and where it can take us."

As artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent, developments in this technology will make it omnipresent in daily lives.

"AI has all the DNA needed in order to create revolution. Like the internet, it seeps into every area of life: car, refrigerator at home and software the bank uses to manage our accounts," said David Mendlovic, a professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering-Physical Electronics at the Tel Aviv University.

Changes in transportation, medicine and other fields are expected. Our experience today in an airport is nothing similar to what it was in the past. Who remembers issuing a paper ticket at the travel agent's office?

According to the MIT Technology Review, 2017 has seen the development of several technologies with staying power to impact people's lives greatly in the decades to come.

Payment by facial recognition, solar power conversion that will lower prices of energy, and human cell mapping are just a few mini-revolutions under way.

However, a coin has two sides.

The automation of daily functions is expected to cut out most professions. Governments will have to address the issue before facing millions of unemployed citizens.

"How do you find employment for those who are going to be out of the industrial working force because of robots and machines that took their place? This is something that we have to think about now," Peretz Lavie, president of Technion Israel Institute of Technology, said in an interview by Xinhua.

Moreover, as daily lives become increasingly online, exposure to invasion of privacy grows. Medical data between patients and physicians is shared through the internet. Banking and fiscal transactions are frequently done online.

"If your imagination is only limited to bad things, then probably the next things that will come out of big data will be bad things," proposed Peled.

The information revolution is another astonishing achievement with remarkable innovations changing people's social behavior in digital era.

U.S. psychologist Jean Twenge has named the current generation the iGen. in her research. She has found both positive and negative impact of what she calls the "twin rise of the smartphone and social media" on youths nowadays.

Twenge says they are "on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades," with a sharp increase in depression and suicide levels amongst teens. In short, phones are making them a "grouchy" crowd.

"We need to make sure that the heavy reliance on technology is not going to change our social behavior," Lavie said. "I believe we are still not aware of the impact."

Also with speedy changes spread all over the world, whether the gap between developing and developed countries would narrow triggered different opinions.

Lavie believes the gap will narrow even disappear with respect to applying new technologies, not generating them.

But Peled says "I always see the gap increasing, not decreasing," focusing on the people's capability to use open data in different countries with different level of development.

Recent figures show that Africa's rate of internet connectivity is similar to that of the U.S. 20 years ago.

In the end, the fate of this current round of industrial development boils down to education, in both the developing and developed world. Making classrooms "smart" is not enough, the content needs to change and broaden.

"You cannot advance humanity only through internet ... we need to progress everything in the same line," Mendlovic told Xinhua. "We need education for innovation, for initiative, for searching for the unknown."

Lavie thinks the currently education system is too conservative. Universities will have to adapt quicker than they are now. Sciences and arts must be given the equal attention.

"Our tools of the trade are developing very fast, our information is exploding ... and the one thing that is not evolving equally is the concept of our education, the way we teach people, the way we fix things, how we teach to solve problems," Peled lamented.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:42:51|Editor: Chengcheng

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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with a delegation led by Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary general of Komeito, LDP's ruling coalition partner, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 28, 2017. Representatives of the Communist Party of China and Japan's ruling coalition, formed by the LDP and Komeito, met in east China's Fujian Province from Dec. 25 to 26 to convene the seventh meeting of the China-Japan ruling party exchange mechanism. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on China and Japan to enhance party-to-party exchanges and cooperation.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with a delegation led by Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary general of Komeito, LDP's ruling coalition partner.

Xi spoke highly of the role of China-Japan ruling party exchange mechanism in promoting bilateral relations, and hailed the efforts made by Nikai and Inoue to promote exchanges between the ruling parties of China and Japan, saying they have strengthened bilateral practical cooperation and friendship.

For their part, Nikai and Inoue said Japan's ruling coalition stands ready to enhance communication and exchange with the Communist Party of China (CPC) and make greater contributions to the development of Japan-China relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:52:52|Editor: Jiaxin

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TIRANA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Around 200 workers from oil refinery of Ballsh (southwestern Albania) staged a protest Thursday in front the Ministry of Energy, demanding that Albanian authorities intervene in their problems with unpaid wages.

The oil refinery workers marched on foot from the refinery to Tirana in protest against the managing company ARMO which hasn't paid their wages and social insurances, they claim.

Workers are demanding payment of two months of unpaid wages, plus 13 further months of wages that they say have gone unpaid for several years.

They also demand authorities intervene and make the refinery's operations resume after a period of suspension.

After talks held between the workers and energy ministry's representatives, authorities said their payments would be ready Friday.

Kamber Iljazi, head of petroleum workers' union, told reporters Thursday that workers would continue to protest.

Ballsh refinery has faced repeated financial difficulties since its privatization by ARMO in 2008. The Ionian Refining & Trading Company (IRTC) then took over management of the refinery.

IRTC said in a press release on Wednesday that the workers' concerns were also their concerns and that they were working to solve such problem.

According to company, work in this refinery has been suspended several times during this year due to lack of crude oil supplies, creating financial difficulties.

Ballsh is seen as the main source of employment in the region, employing about 1,000 of the 7,600 inhabitants of the town.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:52:53|Editor: Jiaxin

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THE HAGUE, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- An international train was evacuated near Oldenzaal station close to the border with Germany on Thursday afternoon following a "suspicious situation", said the Dutch police on its twitter.

ProRail said that the evacuation happened because of a threatening letter. "We are investigating what's happening now," said the police. "About 100 travellers have been evacuated."

Police dogs are searching in the train and the surrounding of the train station has been blocked as a precaution, added the police.

According to ProRail, the train goes from Amsterdam to Berlin. It crosses the border with Germany at Oldenzaal.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:52:53|Editor: Jiaxin

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ISLAMABAD, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned the "dastardly terrorist attacks" in Afghan capital Kabul, in which at least 40 people including two attackers were killed and many others injured after a double suicide bombing rocked a building in western neighborhood of Kabul.

"We express our heartfelt condolences with the families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones in these brutal terrorist attacks and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded. We express our abiding solidarity with the Government and the brotherly people of Afghanistan," the Pakistan foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Pakistan reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in its all forms and manifestations and firm resolve to eradicate this menace," said the statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:57:53|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's armed police will continue to safeguard national security and social stability after its command mechanism adjustment, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman said Thursday.

"The core of the adjustment is to strengthen the centralized, unified leadership of Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Central Military Commission (CMC) over the armed police," Ren Guoqiang told a news briefing.

The spokesman said the armed police is not listed under the People's Liberation Army and its fundamental function and nature will not change.

Ren's remarks came one day after a statement by the CPC Central Committee that the armed police will be put under the command of the CPC Central Committee and CMC from Jan. 1, 2018.

The armed police will no longer be listed under the State Council, it said.

The spokesman said China will uphold peace, development and win-win cooperation as always while continuing to pursue a national defense policy that is defensive in nature.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 20:57:54|Editor: Jiaxin

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RAMALLAH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Riad Malki said Thursday that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) will urge in the upcoming Arab League (AL) summit to boycott countries that move their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem.

He said that the Palestinians will call on five Arab countries to implement the 1980 AL summit resolution to boycott those governments which relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The AL is expected to hold a ministerial conference on Jan. 6 in the Jordanian capital Amman and look into mechanism to press the United States to withdraw its decision on Jerusalem.

"We will urge the convention to demand Arab states to implement the resolutions of Amman summit in 1980, to suspend commercial and political ties with countries who move their embassies to Jerusalem or acknowledge the city as the capital of Israel," said Malki.

He added that Guatemala, which recently announced it would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, would pay a price if it did not retrieve its decision, as the Latin American country sells more than 90 percent of cardamom to Arab nations.

Malki also expected that 10 other governments would move embassies to Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel's capital, whom the Palestinians have contracts with, "part of which asserted that they will not take such a move."

Earlier this week, 138 members of the United Nations voted in favor of a resolution that rejected any changes to the position or status of Jerusalem, which was against Trump's declaration that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel on Dec. 6.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 21:02:56|Editor: Jiaxin

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KAMPALA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people from two families were killed on spot and four others seriously injured in two road accidents on Wednesday in eastern and northern Uganda, a traffic police spokesperson said here on Thursday.

Charles Ssebambulidde, the directorate of traffic and road safety spokesperson, told Xinhua that four people from the same family who were traveling to join relatives for the festive holiday were killed on spot in the northern district of Lira.

The accident occurred after a driver of the car lost control at Angwet, along Lira-Soroti highway, killing a church pastor, his wife, mother and a relative.

Three other people from the same family traveling to relatives for the festive season celebrations were killed in a fatal accident in the eastern district of Serere, according to Ssebambulidde.

The accident occurred after a driver of Spacio car lost control and rammed onto a tree at Ojama, along Soroti-Serere road, killing three occupants on spot.

A mother, her daughter and sister perished on the spot while four others survived narrowly after sustaining critical injuries and rushed to Soroti Regional hospital for treatment.

The bodies of the deceased were taken to Lira and Soroti Regional Hospitals for autopsy respectively.

"We have launched investigations to ascertain the causes of the accidents. We can't rule out over speeding, reckless and careless driving," said Ssembabulidde.

The traffic police last week issued strict guidelines including avoiding over speeding, over loading and drink drinking to reduce road accidents during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

Uganda registers at least 20,000 accidents with over 2,000 deaths each year, making it one of the countries with the highest road accident fatality rates in the world, according to police figures.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 21:02:57|Editor: ZD

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TEHRAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's trade with the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) has experienced a meaningful growth, reaching 2.63 billion U.S. dollars during the last eight months until Nov. 22, Financial Tribune reported on Thursday.

Iran exported 1.28 billion dollars and imported 1.34 billion dollars of non-oil goods to and from the ASEAN nations over the same period, the report said.

The figures registered 80 percent growth in exports and 37 percent rise in imports compared with the same period in the previous year.

Thailand was Iran's largest ASEAN partner with 619 million dollars of trade exchange, accounting for 24 percent of Iran's trade with all ASEAN states.

Singapore was Iran's second largest ASEAN partner with 487 million dollars in mutual trade, a 10-percent rise compared with the year before.

Iran-Malaysia trade grew by 69 percent to 486.5 million dollars, while, Iran's trade with Indonesia and Vietnam amounted to 485 million dollars and 325 million dollars, respectively.

The major exports of Iran to the ASEAN nations included steel, pistachio, butane, propane and figs.

Iran's imports from ASEAN included sugar cane, palm oil, soybean, food products, rice, home appliances, medium-density fibreboard, POS terminals, and cell phones.
SPRINGFIELD  An Illinois judge dealt a blow to anti-abortion groups Thursday, dismissing a lawsuit aimed at stopping a law that's about to take effect that would expand Medicaid and state-employee group health insurance to cover abortions.

Associate Circuit Judge Jennifer Ascher ruled that the judiciary should not intervene in "political questions" in the General Assembly, such as a law's effective date or whether there's an appropriation to fund it.

Those are the pillars of the lawsuit seeking to stop the law from taking effect Monday. It was filed by the Catholic Thomas More Society on behalf of 11 conservative and Christian groups and a dozen legislators.

State Rep. Peter Breen, a Republican from Lombard and special counsel to the Thomas More Society, said he will appeal the ruling on Friday in Springfield's 4th District Appellate Court and seek the same injunction he sought from Ascher.

Breen argued that lawmakers passed the measure too late in the year for it to take effect Jan. 1 and that they didn't appropriate funding to cover the cost of the abortions through the publicly funded insurance plans. Despite the ruling, he remained upbeat after the hearing.

"After today's argument, I'm more confident than ever in the truth and the correctness of our position," Breen said. "I heard nothing today ... that caused me to think that somehow, the General Assembly has done its job any more than it had a few days ago."

John Wolfsmith, an assistant attorney general representing the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and other defendants, claimed Breen's clients are simply trying to buy time by delaying the law's implementation to June 1.

The law, signed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in September, expands Medicaid and state group health insurance plans to cover abortions.

Breen contends that taxpayers will be billed for 30,000 elective abortions annually in Illinois. They will cost $1.8 million, according to the state health care agency.

Democrats in the General Assembly initially sold the measure as a way to keep abortion legal in Illinois if a U.S. Supreme Court, bolstered by anti-abortion justices President Donald Trump has promised to appoint, reverses the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

After Roe, Illinois restricted public funding for abortions under the 1977 Hyde Amendment  named for Illinois Congressman Henry Hyde  to women who were victims of rape or incest or in cases where pregnancy endangers a mother's life.

More than two dozen states follow the Hyde Amendment, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group supporting abortion rights. But a state can use the state portion of Medicaid state-federal program funding for women seeking abortions for other reasons. Seventeen states do that, 13 because of a court order.

The issue generated a subplot when Rauner signed the plan in September. The private equity investor ran for governor in 2014 supporting abortion rights and maintaining that he had no social agenda. But after signaling last spring that he would veto it, his signature so infuriated conservatives that he invited a primary challenge from state Rep. Jeanne Ives, a Republican from Wheaton who is a plaintiff in the abortion-funding case.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 21:38:04|Editor: Liangyu

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WUHAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A new hydrogen fuel cell bus was unveiled in central Chinese city of Wuhan on Thursday.

The 8.5-meter vehicle, which can carry 56 passengers, can run more than 450 kilometers on single refuel of hydrogen, which takes three to five minutes, said its developer, Wuhan Tiger Fuel Cell Vehicle Co., Ltd.

The vehicle is able to start at temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius and intelligently detect malfunctions, according to the company.

The company signed an agreement Thursday with Wuhan Skywell, a new energy vehicle manufacturer, to produce 3,000 such buses in the next two years.

The first batch is expected to hit the road in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, in the second quarter of 2018.

Wuhan Industrial Technology Research Institute of Geo-resources and Environment and the Hubei branch of China National Petroleum Corporation will set up a hydrogen station in Wuhan in 2018, and bring the number in the province to 21 within three years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 21:38:04|Editor: Jiaxin

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BERLIN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Local police found no traces of explosives and gave all-clear following an investigation into two suspicious postal items discovered in the German state Thueringen on Thursday, local media, MDR Thueringen, reported on its Twitter account.

Radioactive, chemical, or biological substances could also be excluded, said the MDR Thueringen.

Due to two suspicious postal items, the area around the State Chancellery of the German state Thueringen had been closed off for a while. Fire fighters and police were deployed to the ground.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 21:43:05|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years has stoked fear that the technology will one day take control of human destiny. However, experts believe humans are still able to be the masters of their own fate by making the machines they have invented work for their benefit.

WIDESPREAD APPLICATION

Given its extensive application in industrial production and everyday activities, AI is nothing new nowadays both as a concept and in actual practice.

It not only has liberated humans from trivial and repetitive work, but also can satisfactorily accomplish tasks that are otherwise unachievable for mankind due to either physical or intellectual constraints.

AI's stunning power has been demonstrated, for example, by the successive wins by Google's AlphaGo over the best human Go players early this year, which have occupied international news headlines and shocked the whole world.

Tech companies have used the technology's ability to make sophisticated choices based on deep learning to facilitate traders in the stock market.

EquBot LLC, a San Francisco-based company which launched the world's first AI-powered Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) in the New York Stock Exchange in October, said its product can simulate the work of equity research analysts and work around the clock in an "almost fully automated" process.

"The process of choices is almost as complicated as AlphaGo," EquBot CEO Chida Khatua said. "We train our AI models to see how the market will react, let the AI models look at it and see how they behaved," he told Xinhua in a recent interview, explaining the way AI makes decisions.

The AI technology employed by Equbot can process more data than the portfolio managers whom it has replaced and "generate unbiased decisions under a set of investment criteria," according to the company.

In addition, AI has also been applied in the diagnosis of skin cancer, in which the algorithm involved has reached a level on par with professional doctors in dermatology.

It is also featured in the latest iPhone's facial recognition function, and helps Facebook to target users showing intention to commit suicide so as to prevent the tragedies in advance.

Despite these astounding achievements, experts have pointed out that for the time being, the use of AI is still limited to isolated fields and lacks universal applicability.

MAN STILL MASTER OF OWN FATE

People familiar with the AI industry have warned, though, that there will be a time when the technology will evolve into something mature enough to break the sectoral confines.

Elon Musk, CEO of both aerospace manufacturer SpaceX and electric car producer Tesla, has predicted a future scenario where "super AI" will pose real threats to the very existence of mankind, and human beings will have to face that challenge.

However, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, views AI as something to be embraced and not feared.

He said that it is up to humans themselves whether AI would prove to be an aid to humanity or end up destroying it. He gave the remarks while launching his book "Hit Refresh" in London in October, according to local media reports.

In a 2016 essay calling for coordination and collaboration on AI, Nadella listed six principles for the design of AI so as to guarantee that the technology works together with human beings instead of harming them.

He said AI must assist humanity, must be transparent, must maximize efficiencies without destroying the dignity of people, must be designed for intelligent privacy, must have algorithmic accountability, and must guard against bias.

He argued in the article that rather than spending time on debating "good versus evil," people who are closely tracking the development of AI are better advised to focus on "the values instilled in the people and institutions creating the technology."

Similar to Nadella's emphasis on human values, Li Feifei, chief scientist of Google Cloud AI and Machine Learning, also believes that humans have ultimate control over AI and are able to make it work in harmony with mankind.

"Machines don't have independent value. The value of machines is the value of human beings," Li said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua in December.

In an effort to champion international cooperation on AI, Google announced in December that it is launching an AI research center in Beijing, the first of its kind in Asia. Li said the center will seek to employ local talents.

"I hope to mobilize global talents to participate in the research of AI because it's such an important science and technology field," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 21:48:05|Editor: Jiaxin

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THE HAGUE, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The police action following a "suspicious situation" in an international train near the station of Oldenzaal has ended and the situation is safe, announced the Dutch police on Thursday afternoon.

"It was a case of a possible dangerous situation in the train. We did not take any risk, the train was evacuated as a precaution. By now it is clear that the situation is safe," said the police.

At the train station of Oldenzaal, the international train to Berlin has been evacuated because of a threatening letter, according to ProRail, the Dutch operator of national railway network. The police did not comment on this information.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 21:58:07|Editor: ZD

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PHNOM PENH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese construction firm on Thursday won a bid to carry out a road upgrade and maintenance project in Cambodia.

Cambodian Transport Minister Sun Chanthol said the ministry awarded the 20-million-U.S.-dollars contract to Guangdong Provincial Changda Highway Engineering Co., Ltd after the firm won a public tender.

"Under the contract, the Chinese firm will upgrade and maintain a 107-km section of the National Road No. 7 in eastern part of Cambodia," he said after a contract signing ceremony here, adding that the company would also construct sewer pipes along the road.

The firm will take one-and-a-half years to upgrade the road and another three years for the maintenance of the road, the minister said, adding that the project work will start in March 2018.

He said the project was made possible under a concessional loan from the World Bank.

Xu Ke, deputy general manager of Guangdong Provincial Changda Highway Engineering, said that the company would strictly comply with the contract and he promised to upgrade the road with high quality.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 22:03:27|Editor: Liangyu

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Students learn to make paintings on gourds at a middle school in Xinyang Town of Wudi County, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 28, 2017. The school has been inviting experts on traditional cultural arts and techniques to teach and enhance students' understanding of traditional culture. (Xinhua/Liu Yuhe)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 22:03:09|Editor: Jiaxin

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JAKARTA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian central bank Governor Agus Martowardojo said on Thursday that the nation may see a 5.05 percent growth this year as most of the nation's economy indicators were improving throughout the year.

Agus said the growth this year would be even higher than 4.88 and 5.02 percent recorded in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

The Southeast Asia's largest economy posted 5.06 percent growth in the third quarter this year, after it recorded equal rate of 5.01 percent in the previous two quarters this year, Agus told a press conference in his office here.

According to Agus, the economy improvements were seen from increasing investments, imports and exports.

The central bank governor said one of the best national economy's achievements was the trade balance surplus in November that reached 12 billion U.S. dollars, far higher than 8.48 billion dollars in the same period last year.

Agus said the nation also recorded forex reserves at 125.9 billion dollars, which could be capable to cover 8.1 months of the country's foreign debts.

Positive condition was also seen in the stability of national financial sector as national banks' Capital Adequacy Rate (CAR) showed sound figure of 23.2 percent with liquidity rate of 22.7 percent as of October, he said.

Thanks to more investment grade ratings awarded by international rating agencies, Agus said that it would significantly help the nation seeing more investment which would eventually bring positive impacts to the nation's economy in 2018.

Indonesia won a second sovereign rating upgrade this year, with Fitch Ratings raising its assessment to investment grade this month after Standard & Poor's (S&P) Global Ratings lifted the nation out of junk status in May.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 22:13:10|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China will further cut red tape to create a better business environment for foreign banks, the country's banking regulator said Thursday.

The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) will revise rules on administrative licensing for foreign banks to minimize the approval items and unify market entry standards for Chinese and foreign banks, the CBRC said in an online statement.

The CBRC will clarify procedures and application materials for foreign and joint venture banks to invest in domestic banking institutions after a notice issued in March approved such behavior.

In the notice, the CBRC also eased license requirements for foreign and joint-venture banks in services including treasury bond underwriting and financial advising.

Foreign banks will only need to report to authorities after they launch certain services, rather than obtaining approval in advance, according to the revised rules.

The public has until January 27 next year to give suggestions on the revised rules, the CBRC said.

China has been gradually opening up its financial sector, with authorities pledging to ease caps on foreign ownership in Chinese banks and financial asset management companies.

The CBRC also said earlier that it would broaden the business scope of foreign banks, including easing restrictions on renminbi retail banking for foreign banks.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 22:33:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Passengers go through the procedure of 24/144-hour International Transfer at the Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 28, 2017. China on Thursday extended its visa-free period for people transitting through Beijing to 144 hours, and added neighboring Hebei Province and Tianjin City to the program. Transit air, train, and ship passengers entering either of the six border ports in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei can stay in the region for six days before heading for another destination, according to Beijing's Port Office. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China extended its visa-free period for people transitting through Beijing to 144 hours Thursday, and added neighboring Hebei Province and Tianjin City to the program.

Transit air, train, and ship passengers entering either of the six border ports in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei can stay in the region for six days before heading for another destination, according to Beijing's Port Office. A valid travel document and a connecting ticket are required.

People from the 53 nationalities that previously benefited from Beijing's 72-hour visa-free transit policy are eligible for the new policy.

Beijing offered 72-hour visa-free transit from 2013. In 2016, the border office logged more than 26,000 such visits, up 32 percent from a year earlier.

Beijing Vice Mayor Cheng Hong welcomed the first foreigners exempted from visas at the Beijing Capital International Airport.

Cheng said the visa-free period was extended after about 40 percent of the foreign guests enjoying the previous transit policy said time was too short.

"We open rail and land ports for the first time and allow passengers to visit more places (Tianjian and Hebei)," she said. "The policy is expected to boost Beijing's economic and cultural exchanges with the world and is good to the city's image."

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei is the second region in China where transit passengers can stay up to six days. In January 2016, Shanghai and neighboring provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu began offering the visa-free service.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 22:43:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A police officer shot dead his boss before injuring his two colleagues at southeast Kenya's Makueni County, police said Thursday.

The suspect is on the run after the Wednesday evening incident, in which he shot dead the local deputy Officer Commanding Station (OCS) inspector and injured two other officers at the Makueni police station.

The suspect's seniors said he is armed with an AK47 rifle, which he used to commit the crime. It is not clear what prompted the confrontation.

Police said the suspect, identified as Barasa, on Wednesday had been deployed to the report office, where he became uneasy, saying he was going to kill someone.

One of his colleagues overheard him say so and informed other officers at the station. And after the deputy OCS was informed, he and two constables went to the report office for a check-out.

"Upon seeing the officers, Barasa opened fire killing the OCS and injured two other officers," said a senior officer in the area.

A man hunt was immediately launched on the officer who is still armed and in uniform.
While wrangling over a state budget hogged the spotlight for much of 2017 in the General Assembly, state lawmakers still found time to pass more than 200 new laws that take effect in 2018 and touch nearly every corner of residents' lives.

Some attracted media attention at the time of their passage, such as the law designating Aug. 4 as "Barack Obama Day," or House Bill 40, a measure under which the state will pay for abortions for Medicaid recipients and women covered by state employee health insurance.

Other measures flew under the radar, but affect everything from who gets Fido in the divorce to how police officers are educated about mental illness. Here are five of them:

In divorce, treating pets as children

Senate Bill 1261, or Public Act 100-0422, calls for courts to treat animals the same way that children are treated in divorce cases. Before pets were considered as property, like furniture, but now it will be up to the court to determine who will be the best person to have custody of the pet.

"The court is to consider the well-being of the companion animal," said Nrupa Patel, partner at Bolen Robinson & Ellis in Decatur. "What that means, no one really knows."

Alaska became the first state last year to enact a similar provision in its divorce laws.

Patel said it is likely the court will now have to determine factors such as who takes the dog for a walk, who buys the pet food and other parts of normal care when determining who will keep the animal.

The law could create some interesting situations for courts in the future. Patel said she would not be surprised to see instances in which judges award joint ownership of the animal, set visitation rights and determine who will cover certain costs of pet care.

The law would not apply to service animals. Patel said she did not think it would apply to animals purchased before the couple got together.

Government consolidation

Senate Bill 3, or Public Act 100-0107, will allow township boards to hold referendums for voters, which will ask them whether they want to dissolve their townships. It also allows townships to follow a similar process to abolish road districts with less than 15 miles of road.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has long pushed for consolidating more units of local government. The measure was also praised by the conservative Illinois Policy Institute, which has argued the state has too many taxing bodies.

But the way Township Officials of Illinois Executive Bryan Smith sees it, townships already have the ability to consolidate with neighboring townships.

"I've told folks that for years, there are some cases where it just makes sense for a township to consolidate," Smith said. He pointed specifically to a case in Macon County when voters approved the consolidation of the Milam Township with the Mount Zion Township in 2008.

Smith said he did not perceive the law as an attack or effort to eliminate townships across the state.

Mental health training for law enforcement

House Bill 375 or Public Act 100-0247 requires law enforcement officers to take a course on mental health issues to learn signs, symptoms, common treatments and medications for various illnesses. Courses, which could be available in an electronic format, will also cover possible interactions between officers and individuals with mental health issues, their families and their service providers.

Decatur Police Chief Jim Getz estimated that half his officers have already had "crisis intervention training" and he supports the new law mandating the education for all officers.

We always have money in our training budget, and well adjust it to achieve what we have to get done, Getz said.

He said the biggest obstacle with having to pull officers off the streets and into the classroom is covering those gaps, but he said this training is worth the time and effort.

I attended CIT Class several years ago and, Im telling you, its some of he best training ever to deal with people in a non-forceful way. It just gives you more options, its really good training, he added.

Getz said cutbacks in mental health treatment budgets and a shortage of facilities means people with mental illness find themselves on the streets where police have to cope with them. And we are seeing more and more of these issues, he added.

Know what you're paying for

Senate Bill 298, or Public Act 100-0207, requires hair stylists, barbers, dry cleaners and people who alter clothing to provide price lists for services upon request. The bill's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Melinda Bush of Grayslake, said it was meant to expose gender-based discrimination.

Women have been unfairly charged more than men for the same services for far too long, Bush said earlier this year. Transparent pricing among service providers will help women know whether they are getting a fair deal for services.

The law does specify that it is not an unfair business practice to charge different prices based on time, difficulty and market conditions.

Kalle Ryan, owner of Studio 7 Salon & Day Spa in Decatur, said she had not heard of the new law, but there's a good reason why men are often charged less than women for haircuts.

"Men can take 15 minutes and women can take up to an hour (to cut)," she said. "We want to get paid by the hour just like everyone else, you know."

The salon has seven stylists and two nail techs, she said, and they all charge different prices. To comply with the law, each one would have to provide her own price list, she said.

Corn as the state grain

House Bill 470, or Public Act 100-0109, makes corn the official state grain of Illinois. It joins state symbols that include the state dance (square dancing, since 1990), state snack food (popcorn, since 2003), state fruit (the GoldRush apple, since 2007) and the state pie (pumpkin, since 2015). Dennis School students successfully pushed for the designation of the monarch butterfly as the state insect in 1975.

With Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Tate & Lyle operations in Decatur, corn has been a lifeblood of the city's economy for generations, and its state designation might be stating the obvious to anyone driving the highways of Central Illinois. Agricultural commodities generate more than $19 billion annually for Illinois, and corn accounts for 54 percent of that total, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Field corn, as distinguished from sweet corn that people purchase for eating, finds its way into livestock feed, ethanol, cereal, corn starch and corn syrup among its many uses that contribute to the state's economy.

"Corn is by far the largest grain produced in the state of Illinois and No. 2 in the U.S. I view it as a recognition for corn," said Rodney Weinzierl, executive director of the Illinois Corn Growers Association, based in Bloomington. "Agriculture is a very large sector of the overall economy (in Illinois)."

Field corn is different than sweet corn, which was already recognized when lawmakers made sweet corn the state vegetable in 2015 after a push from Chatham elementary students.

Not everyone is keen on the idea of so many state symbols. Earlier this year, Republican Sen. Tom Rooney of Rolling Meadows proposed a bill that would eliminate all but a few of them, saying the quantity of state symbols has decreased the value of the "important" ones. Rooney's bill, which was stalled in a legislative committee, would only keep the state flag, seal, motto and song.

Herald & Review staff writers Tony Reid and Tom Lisi and editor John Reidy contributed to this story.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 22:43:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JUBA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Renewed clashes between government troops and opposition forces in the northern South Sudanese town of Koch have killed at least 32 people since the Dec. 24 cease-fire, a local government official said on Thursday.

Lam Tungwar, Information Minister for Northern Liech State, said that the deaths occurred during fresh fighting that broke out between government soldiers and rebels loyal to the country's former Deputy President Riek Machar since the declaration of the truce on Sunday.

Lam said normalcy has returned to the town but government forces are still engaging the Sudan People's Liberation Army-in Opposition (SPLA-IO) rebels in a nearby town.

"On the 24th of December, 13 people were killed on the side of the government. Most of them were civilians. 19 were also killed on the side of the rebels who came to attack us while 15 others were injured," Lam said.

"We have to pursue them to make sure that they are far away from the civilians because they are causing a lot of havoc to the civilians," he added.

The cease-fire agreement signed between the South Sudanese government and several rebel groups on Thursday last week was brokered by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African regional bloc.

The truce asked warring parties to stop military operations and keep their forces in their bases while calling for the release of political detainees as well as unhindered humanitarian access.

Lam Paul Gabriel, SPLA-IO Deputy Military Spokesperson on Thursday accused the government of further violating the cease-fire by launching fresh attacks on their bases in Koch and the Western town of Mundri.

He accuses the government of trying to capture more territory from the opposition before the start of second round of the IGAD-led High Level Revitalization Forum early next year.

The warring factions had previously violated several cease-fires since the conflict erupted four years ago.

South Sudan has been embroiled in four years of conflict that has taken a devastating toll on the people, creating one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 22:53:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOGADISHU, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government on Thursday announced that it has officially regained control and management of its airspace after 27 years being run by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regional office in Nairobi.

Somali President Mohamed Abdulahi Farmajo officially inaugurated the offices and equipment installed at Mogadishu International Airport on Thursday and said that the move represents a significant step towards the development of the country.

"It is a great honor for us to witness this historic day that we retake control and management of our airspace. This did not come simply and luckily, but through hard work," Farmajo said.

He thanked the officials of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation for their efforts as well as ICAO which has been running the airport.

He added that taking over the running of Somalia's airspace is part of his government's commitment to restore important public services.

Somali Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Abdulahi Salad, said that all equipment for the control of the airspace is ready and secure with its staff who are currently based in Kenya's capital city of Nairobi.

Salad thanked all those who have played a role in the return of Somalia's airspace control back to local oversight.

He added that the government has also reestablished direct flights between Mogadishu and Nairobi, which previously required a stopover in Wajir in North East Kenya for security reasons.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 23:28:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISLAMABAD, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani army is committed to provide security to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the military has taken special measures in this regard, a senior army officer said Thursday.

Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, Asif Ghafoor, Director General of Pakistani army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations, said the army has raised a whole division which is deployed on the security of CPEC.

Ghafoor also rejected U.S. allegations of Pakistan having safe havens of terrorists on its soil, saying that there is neither any organized infrastructure nor any facilitator of militants in Pakistan and the country has made many sacrifices to support peace in the region.

Commenting on U.S. demand from Pakistan to take action against terrorist elements in the territorial boundaries of the country, Ghafoor said that Pakistan has fought an imposed and imported war twice and now it cannot do any more for anyone.

He added that the aid, which the United States provided to Pakistan, was used to fulfill U.S. mission of fighting Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

The officer said that Pakistan has controlled terrorism to a great extent in the country in 2017, and is contributing in a big way to assist peace in Afghanistan.

"No other country than Pakistan is interested in peace in Afghanistan because we understand that peace in Afghanistan is essential for peace in Pakistan as well," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 23:28:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CHENGDU, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The first Malaysian-born giant panda Nuan Nuan, who returned to China last month, finished her stay in quarantine and met the public on Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The female panda was born on Aug. 18, 2015, to two pandas on loan to the giant panda conservation center at the Malaysian national zoo. She returned to the Dujiangyan base of the China conservation and research center for the giant pandas on Nov. 15.

The center and the government of Dujiangyan city held a New Year gathering for Nuan Nuan and gave her the world's first panda ID card. Dujiangyan will issue an ID card to every giant panda living in the city.

Nuan Nuan spent a month in quarantine after returning. Panda keepers and volunteers helped decorate her new home on Thursday.

Panda keeper Liu Juan said, Nuan Nuan is outgoing and enjoys playing with people. She loves eating carrots and is not interested in bamboo shoots.

Nuan Nuan's parents are continuing their stay in Malaysia.

Under the agreement between China and overseas giant panda hosts, panda cubs born to parents on loan must be returned to China when they are two years old.

The China conservation and research center now has 12 pandas returned from overseas. The center has established long-term partnership with 15 zoos in 13 countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-28 23:53:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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VILNIUS, Dec.28 (Xinhua) -- Consumption of illegally sold alcoholic beverages increased in Lithuania in 2017, ending up a three years decline trend, Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LLRI) announced in a statement on Thursday.

According to a survey, commissioned by research company RAIT and published by LLRI, the share of shadow activity in Lithuania's strong beverage market rose to 24 percent this year, from 22 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, the share of shadow activity in the whole economy fell to 24 percent, from 26 percent two years ago, the institute noted.

"We are noting different trends in the area of excise goods compared to other areas of economy. The overall economy is growing and people's income is increasing, therefore, the overall level of shadow economy in Lithuania has been decreasing," Vytautas Zukauskas, vice president of LLRI, was quoted as saying in the statement.

However, in his words, the scale of shadow in alcohol market increased.

As the RAIT survey showed, 12 percent of residents admitted that they purchased illegal alcohol, such as home made spirits or smuggled beverages, during the recent year, compared to 8 percent in 2015.

Share of residents against buying and using illegal alcoholic beverages decreased to 45 percent, compared to 55 percent two years ago, the survey showed.

The institute did not submit the corresponding data for 2016 in the statement.

"It is people's reaction to significantly increased excise taxes and a sharp hike of alcohol prices. When legal alcohol becomes more expensive, a space for shadow activities occurs," Zukauskas said.

In recent years, Lithuania's authorities have been considering and adopting measures aimed at restricting access of alcohol, due to concerns over alcohol abuse in the Baltic country.

Raising the minimum drinking age to 20, restricting alcohol sale hours and alcohol advertising ban are among the amendments to the Alcohol Control Law adopted earlier this year. The measures will come into effect as of January 1, 2018.

According to the World Health Organisation, Lithuania is among the countries with the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in Europe.
File Photo: Policemen and investigators inspect the site of car blast in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, June 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Chen Junfeng)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Russia to ease violence in eastern Ukraine over a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

During their phone talk, Tillerson underscored the U.S. concern with the rising violence in eastern Ukraine and asked Russia to lessen the violence, said U.S. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert in a statement.

Disputes over the eastern Ukraine issue added tensions to the U.S.-Russia ties which have remained strained amid the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Washington announced on Friday that it has decided to sell advanced weapons to Ukraine to help update its defense capabilities. The move infuriated Russia, which said the U.S. decision will lead to "new bloodshed."

The arsenal sale is reportedly to include Javelin anti-tank missiles, which Kiev has long desired.

Tillerson also asked Russia to return its representatives to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (JCCC), according to the statement.

The JCCC, consisting of Russian and Ukrainian officers, was set up in September 2014 under an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to assist the implementation of the Minsk agreements for a settlement in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the Russian military will abandon the JCCC due to Kiev's "obstruction" of its activities.

Ukraine launched a military operation in its southeastern Donbas region in April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new pro-West Ukrainian authorities and sought independence.

Armed conflicts have been plaguing Donbas since then and have claimed more than 10,000 lives.

In Tuesday's phone call, Tillerson and Lavrov also discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula, with both sides agreeing to continue to work toward a diplomatic solution to the denuclearization of the peninsula, said the U.S. State Department statement.

Tensions have been mounting in the region following one nuclear test and multiple ballistic missile launches conducted by Pyongyang earlier this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 00:23:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HOHHOT, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Qu Bo's restaurant in northern China is known for its Russian and local specialties -- Russian bread, Russian lamb soup, mushrooms, and fish.

Qu, 38, is an ethnic Russian from Enhe township in Hulun Buir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. With its Russian flavors, the restaurant has attracted a lot of tourists and helped Qu's family escape poverty.

China's Russian ethnic minority group is relatively small in population, numbering about 15,000 in the country, a third of whom live in Inner Mongolia.

Like many ethnic Russians in the township, Qu's family used to rely on stock farming and forestry, industries that have gradually weakened. In 2004, China started a program to help bring areas inhabited by ethnic minority groups with a population of less than 100,000 out of poverty. The local government decided to develop family tourism.

"At first, few believed that people would travel to this poor and remote area, and didn't want to try. We decided to open a restaurant and set an example," said Wang Jing, Qu's wife.

They set up two tables in their Russian log house, where the family has been living for more than a century.

As one of 10 families that took the lead in developing family tourism, Qu's household received a subsidy of 20,000 yuan from the Ergun city government. The city government also invested to build better roads and improve water and power supply.

Last year, Qu's family made an annual income of 300,000 yuan (about 45,000 U.S dollars), but ten years ago, they earned no more than 10,000 yuan per year by raising cows.

Now, about 500 people dine at their restaurant each day in the summer. Additionally, they have built six new log houses and opened a family inn, and more tourists keep coming.

More than 110 families have followed Qu's example. Last year, tourists made about 600,000 trips to the township, and the average annual net income of these families increased to about 90,000 yuan.

"The township was impoverished ten years ago, but now all ethnic Russians have gotten out of poverty," said Zhan Kecheng, director of the city's poverty alleviation and development office.

While ethnic Russians have developed family tourism, the Ewenki ethnic minority are shaking off poverty with traditional handicrafts.

Hasgrolo, 48, makes traditional ethnic clothing for a living in the Ewenki Autonomous Banner.

Last year, she was registered as living below the poverty line as she sustained losses from raising sheep and her husband suffered from serious heart disease.

Hasgrolo is good at making traditional clothing, a handicraft that has been passed down in her family, so the local government encouraged her to produce clothing.

As part of the poverty-relief program, the local government offered her a two-story shop, which she may use for free for two years, as well as financial support to buy the necessary equipment.

Thanks to all the efforts, she now earns about 6,000 yuan a month, able to pay her debt and leave poverty behind.

China has about 30,000 ethnic Ewenki people, and a third of them live in the banner. Many Ewenki women are good at needlework, embroidery, carving and paper-cutting, so the local government encourages and supports locals to open ethnic handicraft businesses. All households registered as living below the poverty line are expected to be out of poverty by the end of this year, said Li Zhidong, the banner's deputy party chief.

Inner Mongolia aims to accelerate development of areas inhabited by ethnic minorities with small populations in the next three years. In recent years, the country and the region have invested 2.58 billion yuan. So far, the registered poor population in these areas has dropped from 60,817 at the end of 2015 to 36,849 early this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 00:53:47|Editor: Liu

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Vehicles run on a solar expressway in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 28, 2017. China on Thursday opened a 1-km section solar expressway for testing. Solar panels are laid beneath part of a ring road surrounding Jinan. The road surface is made of a transparent, weight-bearing material that allows sunlight to penetrate. The panels, covering 5,875 square meters, can generate 1 million kwh of power in a year, enough to meet the everyday demand of around 800 households.(Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

JINAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday opened a 1-km section solar expressway for testing.

Solar panels are laid beneath part of a ring road surrounding Jinan, capital city of Shandong Province in east China. The road surface is made of a transparent, weight-bearing material that allows sunlight to penetrate.

The panels, covering 5,875 square meters, can generate 1 million kwh of power in a year, enough to meet the everyday demand of around 800 households, according to Qilu Transportation Development Group, the project developer.

"The project will save the space for building solar farms and shorten the transmission distance," said Xu Chunfu, the group's chairman.

Electricity produced by the test section will be used to power highway lights, signboards, surveillance cameras, tunnel and toll gate facilities. Surplus power will be supplied to the state grid, Xu said.

Future functions to be developed include mobile charging for electric vehicles and providing internet connection.

The road has a designed life of 20 years. It has three layers -- a concrete layer pervious to light on top; thin amorphous silicon panels in the middle; a waterproof insulate protection layer at the bottom.

"The top layer has good flexibility which can both withstand the pressure of large vehicles and protect the fragile amorphous silicon boards underneath," said Zhang Hongchao, chief scientist with Shandong Pavenergy company which was involved in the development of the project.

Xu did not reveal the cost but said it was half of similar projects in foreign countries.

"With the development of solar power in China, the cost can be further reduced," he said.

China leads the world in solar power development. Its annual increase of new installed generation capacity has been the largest in the world since 2013. As of the end of September, China's installed photovoltaic capacity hit 120 gigawatts.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 00:53:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that it will fully resume its visa services in Turkey, a move further releasing strained bilateral ties over diplomatic disputes between the two NATO allies.

The United States "is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey," said the U.S. State Department in a statement, citing Ankara's assurances on no more detain or arrest of local employees of the U.S. mission for "performing their official duties."

On Thursday, the Turkish embassy in Washington has reportedly announced that it had also lifted its visa restrictions for U.S. citizens.

In October, the U.S. embassy announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa services to Turkish nationals following the arrest of a local employee at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul on terror charges and over alleged links to followers of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based preacher blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed coup attempt in July.

The U.S. decision prompted a tit-for-tat response from Ankara, which stopped issuing visas to the U.S. nationals, leaving bilateral relations to an all-time low.

In early November, the U.S. Embassy began to process visa applications on a limited basis, followed by similar action from the Turkish missions in the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 00:53:51|Editor: pengying

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WINDHOEK, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Namibian Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah survived a fatal crash on Thursday in which three people lost their lives, local media reported, citing police sources.

Informante reported that the prime minister's motorcade collided head on with a light pickup truck along the Oshivelo-Tsumeb road in Northern Namibia.

The deputy prime minister is currently hospitalized in Tsumeb in a stable condition and will be airlifted to a hospital in the capital Windhoek later on Thursday.
(FILE PHOTO)Photo taken on July 23, 2014 shows the exterior view of the U.S. embassy in Ankara, Turkey. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

ANKARA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and the United States on Thursday announced that they allowed full resumption of visa services after three months of suspension caused by diplomatic crisis.

The U.S. embassy in Ankara first announced that the Department of State has resumed full visa services in Turkey.

Based on assurances given by Ankara, "the Department of State is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey," the U.S. embassy said on its Twitter account.

According to the embassy, Ankara assured the U.S. embassy that "there are no additional local employees of U.S. mission in Turkey under investigation, and local staff of U.S. embassy and consulates will not be detained or arrested for performing their officials duties, including communicating with Turkish officials also working in an official capacity, and Turkish authorities will inform the U.S. government in advance if the government of Turkey intends to detain or arrest any member of U.S. local staff in the future," the U.S. embassy tweeted.

Shortly after the U.S. statement, the Turkish embassy in Washington declared on Twitter resumption of visa services on U.S. citizens.

However, Ankara stressed that the detained staff of the U.S. consulate in Turkey was not arrested due to his official duty and no assurances was given in that regard.

"We find it wrong to misinform the Turkish and the American public by claiming that the U.S. received assurances from Turkey," the statement said.

It also said Turkey was seriously concerned about legal cases in the U.S. involving Turkish citizens.

The U.S. visa imposition began after Turkey arrested Metin Topuz, a local employee in U.S. consulate in Istanbul, on Oct. 4 over espionage charges and alleged links to the group of U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed by Ankara for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 01:28:59|Editor: pengying

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TRIPOLI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan eastern-based army on Thursday took over Sidi Ekhrebish area in the center of the eastern city of Benghazi, the last terrorist stronghold in the city, after operations that lasted more than five months.

"The army units, led by the special forces, have taken full control of the area of Sidi Ekhrebish, the last stronghold of the remaining terrorist groups in Benghazi where they have been stationed for months," the army's special forces spokesman, Milud Al-Zwai, told Xinhua.

"The army units began combing and securing operations in the area. Some of the terrorists fled after our units tightened their grip on them and carried out a major attack on their positions," Al-Zwai said, confirming the army is pursuing some fleeing militants in western Benghazi.

Major General Wanis Boukhamada, commander of the special forces, confirmed that Sidi Ekhrebish "has been completely freed and that the military operations are over."

A source of the army told Xinhua that an army unit pursued and ambushed fleeing militants, killing 12 of them.

The source confirmed that the army suffered no casualties, pointing out that the fleeing extremists are no more than ten, who are unlikely to launch any attack against the army.

The army published on its official Facebook page images of scattered bodies, saying they belong to terrorists who have been killed.

Benghazi, Libya's second largest city and the birthplace of the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi, has witnessed a three-year war between the army led by General Khalifa Haftar and extremist groups.

Haftar announced earlier in June taking over the entire city of Benghazi and defeating the rival armed groups. However, some militants remained in the city and mainly used landmines.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 01:54:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIGA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A record-haul of amphetamine has been seized from an illegal lab operating in an uninhabited dwelling house near the Latvian capital Riga, police said on Thursday.

Police officers earlier this month seized roughly 45 kilograms of the narcotic from the lab in the central Latvian district of Ropazi, Andrejs Sinavins, the head of the Organized Crime Enforcement Department of the Latvian State Police, told reporters at news conference, adding that this is nearly four times more than the average amount seized by the police per year.

The amphetamine, made to be sold in Nordic countries, is estimated to be around 600,000 euros in black market, according to police.

Of the three suspects detained in connection with the probe, one remains in custody.

The criminals in Latvia had been working with partners in foreign countries whom the Latvian law enforcement authorities are now searching with the help of foreign colleagues, Sinavins said.

The underground lab had been operating for about two months, and the police managed to seize nearly all the drugs it had produced.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 02:04:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Egypt on Thursday strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Russian city of St. Petersburg.

Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement that Egypt stands by Russia in face of terrorism, wishing the injured quick recovery.

On Wednesday, an explosive device placed in a locker went off at supermarket in a shopping center in the northern part of St. Petersburg, injuring 13 people.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the blast.

The statement renewed Egypt's call for the need to unite international efforts to face terrorism and drain its sources of funding.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 02:24:13|Editor: pengying

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CAIRO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- About 28 Egyptian marble companies will participate in an international stone fair scheduled to open in China in March 2018, official MENA news agency reported Thursday.

"The Xiamen International Stone Fair is one of the biggest fairs for stones in the world and it displays the latest techniques in this field," MENA quoted Walid Gamal al-Din, chairman of the Export Council for Building Materials, as saying.

Xiamen is a coastal tourist city in South China's Fujian Province.

As the largest trading partner with Egypt, China is also the largest importer of Egypt's marble and granite, followed by Libya and Saudi Arabia.

Egypt's exports of marble and granite hit 2.127 million tons during the past 11 months compared to 1.739 million in the same period last year, Gamal al-Din noted.

Egypt and China enjoy strong bilateral relations which have been elevated to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership.

The trade volume between China and Egypt hit 11 billion U.S. dollars in 2016 and 5.2 billion in the first half of 2017, thus ranking Egypt the third biggest African trading partner with China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 02:34:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representatives on Thursday ratified a 70 million Euro (83 million U.S. dollar) loan deal which will finance the construction of a modern abattoir in the capital Addis Ababa.

According to the report presented to members of the Ethiopian parliament, the new abattoir is expected to boost the east African country's exports of meat and meat products to the international market.

"The new abattoir is designed in cognizant of the ever increasing demand for modern, healthy and quality slaughterhouse, which will serve both local and international markets," the report read.

The 83 million U.S. dollar loan will fund Addis Ababa Abattoirs Enterprise's plan to finance the relocation and modernization of the enterprise by relocating the old slaughterhouse with a modern one.

The report also said that the current abattoir, which is located at the heart of Addis Ababa, has been serving residents of the capital for more than 60 years and has been negatively affecting the environment and its surroundings.

According to the Addis Ababa Abattoirs Enterprise, the facility, which is said to rest on a 20 hectare plot of land in the capital, will be finalized within four years period.

The planned modern abattoir will have five slaughter lines with a capacity of slaughtering 100 cattle in an hour and additional three lines that can slaughter 450 goats and sheep in an hour, it was indicated.

Ethiopia has only managed to achieve half of its target from meat export sub-sector during the 2016 / 2017 Ethiopian fiscal year, according to the Ethiopian Ministry of Livestock Development and Fisheries.

The ministry, which had an initial plan of exporting 38,600 tons of meat, was only able to export 19,779 tons.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks to the Oval Office after returning to the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Trump White House has seen a record rate of first-year staff turnover, according to The Wall Street Journal.

During Trump's first year in office, his administration saw a 34-percent turnover rate, higher than that of any other administration in the past 40 years, The Journal reported Thursday, citing Brookings Institute senior fellow Kathryn Dunn-Tenpas.

The rate of staff turnover is twice as high as in 1981, the second highest, when then-President Ronald Reagan's administration had a 17-percent turnover.

Per The Journal, 21 of the 61 senior officials tracked have either resigned, been fired or reassigned.

"Not only is the percentage double, the seniority of people leaving is extraordinarily high," Dunn-Tenpas said.

"The first year always seems to have some missteps on staffing, often because the skills that worked well running a campaign don't always align with what it takes to run a government," she noted. "In this case, it's a president with no experience in government and people around him who also had no experience."

The Trump administration has been plagued by controversy over those departures, including the firing of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and the removal of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.

Other high-profile names to have left the administration include former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, former press secretary Sean Spicer, and former advisers Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 02:59:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MADRID, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- 77.8 million foreign tourists visited Spain in the first 11 months of the year, according to data published by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Thursday.

The figure is 9.1 percent up on the same period in 2016, and means Spain has already beaten the previous 12-month record for foreign tourists, which was 75.6 million last year.

November saw 4.4 million foreigners visit Spain, with 28.2 percent of them visiting the Canary Islands, 22.4 percent going to Catalonia and 13 percent to the southern region of Andalusia.

Britons continue to be most numerous visitors to Spain, with 18 million visitors from the UK between January and November, while 11.4 million Germans have spent holidays in Spain, along with 10.7 million French.

There has also been a large rise in the number of Scandinavian tourists, with a 14.6 increase on 2016, taking the number to 5.45 million.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 03:59:32|Editor: pengying

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Young Syrians ride a motorcycle while flashing the victory sign in the town of Dibsi Afnan in the countryside of Raqqa province, Syria, Dec. 23, 2017. The Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces fought the Islamic State separately in Raqqa province this year, driving out IS from its main stronghold in Syria. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The major achievement for Syria in 2017 was perhaps the defeat of the Islamic State (IS), a development that nourishes hopes and paves the way for a possible political solution to the nearly seven-year-old civil war in 2018, after several setbacks in the course of negotiations.

FALL OF IS

On Oct. 17, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the U.S., fully captured the northern city of Raqqa, almost three years after the terrorist group declared the city as the capital of its self-styled caliphate in Syria.

It took the SDF four months to defeat the IS in Raqqa, with the heavy backing of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group, 3,250 people, including 1,130 civilians, were killed during the four-month intense battles in Raqqa.

The London-based watchdog also said 80 percent of Raqqa was destroyed owing to the heavy bombing by both the SDF and the U.S.-led coalition.

In tandem with the SDF's attacks on Raqqa, the Russian-backed Syrian army was making strides in the battles against IS militants in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, which boasts key oil and gas fields and was thus deemed as the economic capital of the IS.

On Nov. 3, the Syrian army declared the liberation of the entire city of Deir al-Zour from the IS, after months of battles in the capital city that bears the same name with the province.

The army later defeated the IS in two key strongholds in the countryside of Deir al-Zour Province, namely the cities of al-Mayadeen and al-Bukamal along the Iraqi border.

To reach Deir al-Zour, the Syrian government forces with the backing of pro-government fighters, and the Lebanese group of Hezbollah launched a wide-scale military offensive in the Syrian Desert in the remote eastern countryside of Homs Province in central Syria.

The campaign started in May and initially focused on eliminating rebel threats along the highway from the capital Damascus to the border with Iraq.

Its first goal was to capture both the highway and the al-Tanf border crossing, thus securing the Damascus countryside from a potential rebel attack.

Later, multiple other fronts were opened throughout the desert, in addition to the anti-IS operation "Grand Dawn" which aimed to reopen the Damascus-Palmyra highway and prepare for an offensive toward Deir al-Zour.

Along the way in the desert toward Deir al-Zour, the army recaptured Palmyra and other key IS strongholds.

During the offensive in the desert, key gas and oil plants, including the Hayyan gas fields, the largest production facility of gas feeding electricity stations in central and southern Syria, were recaptured from the IS.

The series of operations stripped the IS of its political and economic strongholds, so that the eradication of its remnants in the countryside of Deir al-Zour is just a matter of time.

TENSION BETWEEN GOV'T AND KURDS

In the meantime, the Kurdish-led SDF was also attacking the IS in the northern countryside of Deir al-Zour, yet with different aims.

The Syrian army's aim was to get all the areas captured by the IS back to the government control, while the U.S.-backed SDF was to consolidate its presence to realize its old dream of establishing an autonomy in Syria.

There was no military or political confrontation between them at first.

The Kurdish-led groups, however, repeatedly accused the government forces of targeting their areas, while the Syrian government refused to acknowledge the liberation of Raqqa, saying the city was occupied by the U.S. and Kurdish forces.

Syrian officials repeatedly said the government will regain all lost areas, including those under the Kurdish control, while Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Kurdish autonomy was not non-negotiable.

On Dec. 20, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad described the SDF as "new Daesh (IS)," saying the SDF should be a part of Syria.

The sharp comments came as the government perceives the Kurdish activities as separatist, despite the repeated remarks from the Kurds that they were not seeking independence.

PROSPECT OF POLITICAL SETTLEMENT

While the war on terror was successful in 2017, the wheels of political solution were moving slowly, as no concrete ground has been agreed on despite rounds of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva.

The latest round of talks ended earlier this month, where the opposition renewed its stance that President Bashar al-Assad should leave as a prelude to the political solution, while the government maintained that no preconditions should be set ahead of the talks, and tried to give priority to counter-terrorism.

On Dec. 14, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura warned against the repercussion of the failure of the eighth round of the Geneva talks.

He said two weeks of talks failed to yield the intended results despite great efforts, which he described as a "missed golden opportunity."

In parallel with the Geneva talks were several rounds of talks in Astana, which were supported by Russia, Turkey and Iran. The Astana talks achieved the de-escalation zones deal for the cease-fire in four major hotspots in Syria.

The first zone includes parts of the northwestern province of Idlib, as well as parts of the countryside of Latakia Province in northwestern Syria, western areas of Aleppo Province in northern Syria and northern areas of Hama Province in central Syria.

The second zone includes Eastern Ghouta countryside of the capital Damascus, while the third one includes the towns of Rastan and Talbiseh in the northern countryside of Homs Province in central Syria.

The fourth zone includes areas in the southern provinces of Daraa and Qunaitera.

Eyes are now shifted toward the upcoming talks in Sochi brokered by Russia, Iran, and Turkey, particularly after the visit of Assad to Sochi last month and the visit of Putin to Syria this month.

These visits were seen by analysts as paving a strong way for the Sochi talks, which are scheduled for early next year.

On Dec. 18, Assad said his administration welcomes any role of the UN in possible Syrian elections as long as it respects the Syrian sovereignty, according to the Syrian presidential media office.

The elections and constitution in Syria are expected to be discussed in the upcoming talks in Sochi.

Assad said if there is a constitutional amendment, there will be elections based on it.

After the most dangerous terror group Syria has ever known is collapsing in 2017, the best hope in 2018 should be that a better agreement could be reached to pave a stronger way for the final political solution.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 04:24:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MINSK, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Belarus will increase export duties on oil and oil products, which are exported outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) since Jan. 1, 2018, the Belarusian government said Thursday.

The export duty on crude oil will be increased from 105 U.S. dollars to 111.4 dollars per ton, and the duty for straight-run gasoline will be increased from 57.7 dollars to 61.1 dollars per ton, the government said in a statement.

Export duty on commercial gasoline will be raised from 31.5 dollars to 33.4 dollars per ton, the statement said.

The duty on light, medium distillates will be 33.4 dollars per ton, up from 31.5 dollars. The same rate will be applied to diesel fuel, benzene, toluene, xylene, lubricants, and other oils.

The export duties on crude oil and some categories of derivative oil products were previously revised upwards on Dec. 1.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 04:24:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIYADH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia has released two more princes in the corruption case, Sabq local news reported on Thursday.

They were released similar to others detained in the case after accepting the settlement.

Local news websites reported this week that around 20 individuals accused of corruption were released after accepting the settlement.

An advisor to the Saudi government said that most of the arrested officials and princes accepted the financial settlement to end their cases and many of them were released in recent days as part of the government dedication to close the largest corruption case in the country that attracted the attention of the world.

The Saudi government officially announced early this month that 159 individuals were arrested in corruption-related cases and most of them accepted the settlements.

Early last month, the local news confirmed the arrest of 11 princes and 38 sitting and former ministers and deputy ministers over corruption charges. The arrest orders were made by a panel formed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 04:34:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HELSINKI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Finnish parliament will soon have to decide whether to withdraw a new reform plan to warn those reluctant to work, as a civic initiative to repeal the reform attracted 50,000 signatures on Thursday.

In Finland, civic initiatives need to collect at least 50,000 signatures within half a year in order for the parliament to put it to discussion.

It took only eight days for the initiative against the employment stimulus reform to reach the required number after the bill was passed in parliament by a vote of 103 to 90 last week.

The envisioned legislation requires that an unemployed person must show that he/she has worked 18 hours, earned 240 euros (287 U.S. dollars) as an entrepreneur, or participated in five days of activities arranged by the public employment service offices during a three-month period, otherwise, the person will face an under-five-percent-reduction in the benefits for 65 days.

The legislation is supposed to revise the current system according to which salary-based benefit is paid for 400 days and thereafter all unemployed get the same basic level without time limit.

The move has been described by opposition parties as "cruel punishment". Jarkko Eloranta, chairman of the central labor organization SAK, said the new law should be abolished.

On Thursday, Lauri Ihalainen, former chairman of SAK and current Social Democratic Member of Parliament, said the reaction of the citizens was "good and expected".

The initiative was launched by private citizen Martin-Eric Racine from Helsinki. The co-initiator was citizen Mika Luoma from Pori, western Finland.

The reform takes affect on Jan. 1. The parliament will spend months processing the repeal initiative when it convenes in February 2018, but is free to either accept or dismiss it.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 05:29:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A strong blast occurred near a police station in Turkey's southern province of Adana late Thursday, local Dogan news agency reported.

The explosion took place in the central town of Seyhan in Adana at around 19:10 p.m. (GMT 1610), Dogan said, adding that the number of casualties is not available yet.

According to Adana Police Chief Selami Yildiz, an explosive device, which is possibly a home-made sound bomb, was placed under an electrical pole.

The police and medical teams were dispatched to the scene immediately after the explosion.

The investigation is still underway.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 05:39:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ROME, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Italy will hold general elections on March 4, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's cabinet said in a statement on Thursday.

The announcement came after Italian President Sergio Mattarella dissolved the parliament earlier in the day, paving the way to the next political campaign.

The president's move put an official end to the five-year legislature that began in March 2013, after Gentiloni had declared the political mandate of his government was fulfilled.

The cabinet also decided to set the date for the first gathering of the next parliament on March 23, according to the statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 05:49:49|Editor: Liu

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File photo: U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson makes his second address to all Department employees in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, May 3, 2017. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The United States, while maintaining "a poor relationship" with Russia, still needs to work with Russia in areas of mutual interests including Syria, said U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson on Thursday.

Washington and Moscow remained widely confrontational this year amid the ongoing investigation of Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election, the diplomatic row and the disagreements over issues including the eastern Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has denied evidence exists of any Russian interference in the U.S. elections in 2016. The statement came after charges were filed in the U.S. against former aides of the Trump campaign.

"The United States today has a poor relationship with a resurgent Russia," wrote Tillerson in a commentary published in the New York Times.

"There cannot be business as usual with Russia" with absent a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine situation, the top U.S. diplomat added.

Earlier this month, the United States has again moved to confront Russia over the eastern Ukraine issue, preparing to sell advanced weapons to Ukraine and asking Russia to ease violence in eastern Ukraine.

Reacting to the U.S. arms sale decision, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that it will lead to "new bloodshed."

In the article reviewing the U.S. foreign policy, Tillerson also noted that the United States still needs to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect, and "nowhere is that more evident than in Syria."

Tillerson acknowledged Russia's commitment to the United Nations-backed Geneva political process to achieve peace in Syria.

Earlier this month, the latest round of Geneva peace talks on Syria ended without any "real negotiations."

In parallel with the Geneva talks were several rounds of talks in Astana, which were supported by Russia, Turkey and Iran. The Astana talks achieved the de-escalation zones deal for the cease-fire in four major hotspots in Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 05:54:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PARIS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A man and a woman suspected of planning attacks in France have been arrested by France's internal intelligence agency DGSI, French television channel BFMTV reported on Thursday night.

The two people had no apparent link between them, BFMTV said. The suspects were a 21-year-old man detained in Lyon and a 19-year-old woman arrested in Paris.

In the past several years, France has become a major target of terrorist attacks.

On Nov. 13, 2015, about seven simultaneous shootings and fresh explosions rocked central Paris during the evening. One of the shootings resulted in a hostage taking crisis at the Bataclan theater and concert hall, killing at least 140 people and wounding many.

Following the attacks, France had imposed emergency security rules, since which, the country has been overwhelmed again by another wave of attacks, with the bloodiest at Rivera city of Nice where a man drove his truck into a crowd on Bastille Day in 2016, killing 86 people.

In October of 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron signed the anti-terrorism law which he said was necessary to ramp up security at home to combat high terrorism menace.

The bill enshrines emergency security rules into ordinary law which empowers the police to search or arrest criminals without prior judicial approval and restrict people's movements or gatherings.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 06:09:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- American financial markets jumped after a report that holiday retail sales were up 4.9 percent from last year, with American President Donald Trump quickly taking credit.

"It's premature for the president to be taking credit for the increased retail sales," said business economist Douglas Hubscher.

"The economic programs sparking these sales were put into place by (former President Barack) Obama. If sales jump again next Christmas, then Trump can get credit for his tax breaks and economic incentive programs that would have spurred consumer confidence and spending," Hubscher told Xinhua Wednesday.

Few question the robust U.S. economy - where unemployment is at 4.1 percent, hiring up for 86 consecutive months - the longest streak in history - and the DOW hitting 24,823 Thursday - up from 19,650 in 2016.

U.S. consumer confidence and unemployment are at 17-year records - factors economists credit for the increased holiday sales.

President Trump tweeted the day after Christmas that "the market is up nearly 10% and Christmas spending is over $1 trillion," a figure refuted immediately by the National Retail Federation (NRF).

NRF said Wednesday its holiday sales projections were at 656 billion U.S. dollars.

Influential MasterCard released data the day after Christmas that retail sales between Nov. 1 and Christmas Eve were up almost 5 percent from last year - the biggest bump since 2011.

U.S. media were quick to validate the MasterCard SpendingPulse report with the Washington Post, USA Today, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, the Associated Press, and Reuters all reporting the news.

"It's the same thing that happened in 2006-2007," Hubscher said. "Increased sales are just a small part of the economic picture."

"The market was driven up artificially by a number of factors and people started feeling they had more spending power with wealth that wasn' t really there," Hubscher told Xinhua.

"The market has gone up a ton in the past 2 months - to almost 2,400 points. That's 20 percent in the past two months - and that has driven retail spending," Hubscher said.

"But it's a false perception by buyers that they' re financially better off," he said.

According to the MasterCard report, 2017 Online sales (up 18.1 percent) and last minute spending surges, amped up the 2017 holiday shopping season totals.

It was the second straight year that Online sales, with Amazon leading the way, were up almost 20 percent.

"Wait until the Visa sales come in," said Garrett Jones, a businessman in Carbondale, Colorado. "From what I have heard, their sales were even stronger this year."

Jones said recent retail spending has "gone off the charts." "Consumer confidence - that is propelling these record sales," Jones told Xinhua.

According to the MasterCard report, electronics and appliances increased 7.5 percent in 2017, the strongest growth in a decade. Home furniture, furnishings, and improvement areas popped 5.1 percent as well.

Ironically, the late season, positive retail news comes on the heels of one of the worst years in American business history.

Retail store closures are up 200 percent over last year, according to a FGRT (formerly Fung Global Retail & Technology) report released last week.

Charming Charlie, Perfumania, Crocs and GameStop were among the 6,985 store closure announcements made in 2017, according to FGRT, with more on the horizon.

Ascena Retail Group, for example, which owns names such as Dressbarn, Loft and Ann Taylor, could close as many as 667 stores by mid-2019, depending on how negotiations pan out with U.S. mall and shopping center landlords, CNBC reported Tuesday.

Other economists question the surging stock market as an accurate measure of economic stability.

"Many Americans are not in the stock market," Raphael Bostic, CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, told CNN's Richard Quest earlier this month.

"So it's a wealth effect that is really focused in a certain segment of the population, and a lot of folks are left out," Quest said.

On average, only 18.7 percent of U.S. taxpayers directly own stocks, a figure that does not include those who are in the market through employer-sponsored retirement plans, according to a Pew analysis of Census Bureau data.

"The benefits of roaring equities are not equally shared, and those at the top -- who have money to burn -- get the biggest payoff," Quest noted.

According to a MasterCard website, SpendingPulse is "the only macro economic indicator of U.S. industry performance based on actual near time retail spending data," and called itself "an industry standard."

MasterCard was not available to comment on the length of time SpendingPulse has been tracking these economic indicators.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 06:19:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CHICAGO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Midway Airport canceled nearly 90 Southwest Airlines flights early Thursday because of delays caused by the de-icing of planes.

This is the highest number of flight cancellations in the U.S. early Thursday, claimed Chicago Tribune, citing FlightStats, a website that draws information from airports and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Chicago O' Hare International Airport cancelled two flights early Thursday.

Southwest Airlines blamed freezing conditions at the airport for slowing down crews in charge of de-icing planes in a statement. The airline had 251 flights scheduled to leave Thursday from Midway Airport.

The temperature at Midway Airport was minus 12 Celsius degrees at 10 am Thursday, and fluffy snow began to fall on Chicago after the noon.

Little relief from the cold is expected in the next few days. According to the National Weather Service, the high will be minus 8 Celsius degrees on Friday and the low will be minus 15 Celsius degrees. By Saturday, the high will further dip to minus 13 Celsius degrees with snow expected.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 06:19:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Citigroup was fined by a U.S. regulator 5.5 million U.S. dollars and required to pay at least 6 million in compensation to customers for displaying inaccurate stock ratings.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), an independent, non-governmental regulator for all securities firms doing business with the public in the U.S., said the New York based bank displayed inaccurate research ratings for numerous equity securities during a nearly five-year period.

From February 2011 through December 2015, Citigroup displayed to its brokers, retail customers and supervisors inaccurate research ratings for more than 1,800 equity securities, said FINRA.

Because of errors in the electronic feed of ratings data that the firm provided to its clearing firm, the firm either displayed the wrong rating for some covered securities, displayed ratings for other securities that Citigroup did not cover or failed to display ratings for securities that it in fact rated, according to FINRA.

The firm's actual research reports, however, were not affected by these errors, the regulator added.

"The display and use of incomplete and inaccurate research ratings can have widespread, adverse consequences to customers. Even when such inaccuracies are caused by technology problems, firms should react quickly to address those errors," said Susan Schroeder, FINRA Executive Vice President and Head of Enforcement.

Citigroup did not admit or deny wrongdoing, but the sanctions reflected its cooperation, FINRA said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-29 06:44:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A shuttle van jumped a sidewalk and crashed into a building in downtown Seattle on the U.S. west coast and wounded six people, including the van driver himself Thursday afternoon, a local TV report said.

Five people were rushed to Harborview Medical Center, a disaster control hospital for Seattle in Washington state.

One person was in critical condition while the other four were in serious condition.

No information was available about the sixth patient injured in the accident.

"Southbound lanes on 5th Ave from Olive Way to Pike St is blocked due to collision. Westbound on 5th Ave & Pine St also blocked," the Seattle Department of Transportation tweeted.

Police have called the incident "not terrorism related" and treated it as a traffic accident.

The Seattle Police Department (Seattle PD) tweeted that "Traffic Collision detectives will be conducting the investigation of the van into the building."

The busy intersection of Fifth Avenue and Pine Street where the crash occurred has been closed to traffic.

This intersection is expected "to remain closed for a while during investigation," Seattle PD said.

The driver was said to have suffered some type of medical episode, which caused the van to jump the sidewalk and hit the building.
Last week, Miguel Gonzales worked quickly to pluck apples from trees in an orchard north of Tieton before the snow season arrives.
You are the owner of this article.
Isaac Marion, author of the best-selling novel "Warm Bodies," answers questions at an Authors Out Loud speaking event at the Yakima Valley Central Library in Yakima, Wash. on Thursday, April 27, 2017. (JAKE PARRISH/Yakima Herald-Republic)
YORK  Court hearings have been set for Barbara Jiron, 70, and Patrick Jiron, 80, who were allegedly caught last week with $336,000 worth of marijuana they said was intended to be Christmas gifts.

This case began on Tuesday, Dec. 19, when deputies with the York County Sheriffs Department stopped the Jirons Toyota Tacoma on Interstate 80, near the Bradshaw exit, after they allegedly saw the vehicle going over the center line and the driver failing to signal.

Lt. Vrbka said when they initiated the traffic stop, deputies could immediately smell the strong odor of raw marijuana. Dundee, the countys drug dog, alerted to the presence of a controlled substance and a search was conducted.

Lt. Vrbka said the Jirons acknowledged that the marijuana was in the back of the pickup, under a topper, and deputies found 60 pounds of marijuana inside boxes. Because the marijuana was such high grade, the street value was equally high.

The couple told investigators, according to Lt. Vrbka, that they were traveling from California to Vermont and they intended to give away the marijuana as Christmas presents.

Vrbka said they also told deputies they didnt know it was illegal to transport marijuana in Nebraska.

Both have been charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver, a Class 2A felony, and having no drug tax stamp, a Class 4 felony.

Barbara Jiron was not jailed due to health issues.

Patrick Jiron was jailed and was able to pay 10 percent of his $100,000 bond, so he is no longer in custody.

A court hearing has been set for Barbara Jiron, at 2 p.m., on Jan. 10.

A court hearing has been set for her husband at 2 p.m., on Jan. 17.

Both hearings will be held in York County Court before Judge Linda Caster-Senff.
Over the course of this week, we are featuring some of the most notable moments in this community during 2017. We reviewed the stories that were the most read online, the stories of success, moving moments, the stories of change, stories regarding crime and justice, and events that that had strong local impact during 2017.

Through Saturday, we will look back at five stories (each day, for a year-end total of 20) that stood out in the past year.

Now grown child-killer is resentenced for murder

Sydney Thieszen, who at the age of 14 killed his 12-year-sister, Sacha, at their Henderson-area home, had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Hes been in prison nearly 30 years.

But because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, saying juvenile defenders sentenced to life must be given the chance of parole, he was resentenced (in April) in the same courtroom where he was convicted in the first place.

After days of testimony, York County District Judge James Stecker pronounced Thieszens new sentence  70 years to life. That means that after good time calculations (in which his credit for time already served is determined), Thieszen could be eligible for parole in five years, as he must serve at least 35 years before being considered.

It should be noted that Thieszen is also serving a consecutive sentence for use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. That sentence, which was handed down in 1996, remains and was not considered by Judge Stecker. The department of corrections will determine how that sentence affects Thieszens parole eligibility, in terms of time served.

After Thieszen and 25 other Miller defendants (who had been sentenced to life as juveniles) were identified for resentencing in Nebraska, these types of proceedings have been taking place in district courtrooms across the state.

And in April, in the courtroom in York County, dozens of people were on hand to hear allocution by the state and the defense . . . and witness Judge Stecker proclaim the sentence.

This crime was violent, brutal and utterly senseless, Judge Stecker said to Thieszen. In execution style, you shot her in the back of the head, put her in the tub and with precision shot her twice more, once in the head and once in the chest. You robbed her of the rest of her life, you took away her teenage years, her time in high school and college, you took away her opportunity to have a profession, to marry and have children. You left her with no escape, no way for her to be saved.

Corey OBrien, an attorney with the Nebraska Attorney Generals office, said, We forget about people, emotions and loss. Ive been doing this 20 years, Ive handled many homicide cases and these Miller cases. The seriousness of it all is staggering. What this victims family had to endure . . . This dates back to 1987, as they dealt with the shock and awe because a family member committed a brutal murder of another family member. To deal with that tragedy  a brother who committed murder and a sister who was killed. It is mind blowing. The family began the long road to healing, but was delivered another jolt in 1996 when his conviction was reversed because some words were missing from a statute. And then they had to go through a jury trial, day after day of gut wrenching testimony. I feel for them. I realize the court system is an insensitive beast not designed for victims where defendants have more rights than they do. There was another conviction and this family was able to say they would never have to worry about this again. Then came the Miller decision which was another blow and now they have to go through this.

Thieszen also addressed the court, on his own behalf, saying Theres not a day in my life that I dont feel sorry and remorse for what I did . . . I took the precious life of that little girl. She died alone and afraid at the hands of her brother, a person she loved and trusted. What I did was unfathomable. And the family and the community suffered as well. What is proven here today is that time does nothing to diminish this crime. It is nothing less than heartbreaking. It will never leave me, even after all this time. I wake up with it in the morning, I go to bed with it at night. The only relief I ever find are in the moments when I am giving of myself to others. My search for penance and atonement are sincere and never ending.

New mayor and council members have first year in office

This was the first year in office for new mayor of York, Orval Stahr, and three council members, Mat Wagner, Ron Saathoff and Clarence Hoffman.

In Mayor Stahrs first year were numerous conversations about proposed changes in policies, ordinances and ways of doing business.

Some of the topics brought to the table involved the employees step-program (regarding advancements and pay increases), department heads pension programs, possible consolidation of a variety of services, changes in the formulation and function of committees, budget structure, cost savings, efficiencies, etc.

The debates on a number of topics sometimes were heated and most city council meetings this past year have attended by large audiences (depending on the number of people affected by proposed changes).

City, county officially on board with consolidated emergency call center

Officials from the City of York and York County officially agreed to consolidate their emergency communications centers and the project is moving forward.

By this time next year, it is likely the new 911 dispatch center will be up and running.

Throughout 2017, there have been talks about how this would work.

It was eventually determined that the two entities will share the operational costs of the center but the actual physical construction of the location will be the financial responsibility of the county.

It was also determined that the new consolidated center will be located in the courthouse  so that will lead to a future expansion project to add square feet to the courthouse. An architectural firm has been hired to design the project and construction bids will be taken in the near future. There was extensive consideration given to other locations  including the building that once housed the administrative offices for the Upper Big Blue Natural Resource District, the building that currently houses District 5 probation which is leased by the county, the city auditorium which is owned by the city, the basement of the courthouse and currently vacant locations where a building could be constructed.

When the courthouse expansion project takes place, it will also include space for the sheriffs department  as the sheriffs department will have to be reconfigured in this effort as well.

There was a great deal of conversation regarding the employees of the emergency center  which will be county employees. City dispatchers have been encouraged to apply for the positions, along with current county dispatchers, although there was some controversy regarding city employees benefits and other issues when that entity is dissolved.

County officials have long said that the intention of creating this new communications center is to avoid redundancy of services, and to improve response times and efficiencies. At the same time, there might be some future cost savings because two sets of communications equipment and facilities will not have to be upgraded  just one.

New county attorney is named

This past year, Candace Bottorf announced she would be resigning from her position as county attorney to pursue another career opportunity, and Christopher Johnson was appointed to be her replacement.

Bottorf had been the York County Attorney since February, 2012. Prior to that, she was the deputy county attorney in York County for two years.

Bottorf announced her resignation in June and it was also announced that she would be taking the position as general counsel for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

At that point, applications were taken in August the York County Commissioners announced their appointment of Johnson.

Johnson, who was an attorney with the Svehla Law Offices in York was appointed to fulfill the position through the end of 2018 and he has the option of running for election in next years election cycle as the position will be on the ballot.

Johnson earned his bachelors degree in political science, in the honors program, from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2011. He graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2013.

He has practiced in the areas of criminal, juvenile and family law, civil litigation and as a guardian ad litem.

Johnson told the oath of office on Aug. 21 and has been serving in that capacity since.

Focus changed for Epworth Village, residential services discontinued

In April, it was announced that residential treatment at the campus located along Division Avenue, in York, would be discontinued.

As the landscape in caring for abused and neglected children changes in Nebraska, Epworth Village is adapting to better serve the needs of at-risk children and families. In keeping with their strategic plan and vision for the future, Epworth Village will discontinue residential group home services in order to focus their time, energy and resources to their in-home family services and foster care programs. Employees have been notified of the transition and Epworth Village is committed in helping the residential care and learning center staff find positions within Epworth Village and new employment opportunities.

To best address the needs of children, we first must prevent dysfunction in the family before it is too late. This new focus will allow for more preventative work before children and families enter the system," Louise Niemann, president of the Epworth Board of Directors, explained.

With this shift in focus, the organization will be positioned to serve even more children, both boys and girls, and their families. Epworth Village will be on the front lines in providing preventative support and tools to families in need of healing. With the strategic focus centered on providing the best in home family services and foster care in Nebraska, this change will also allow broader expanded services, better support, and stronger families in our communities.

Margaret Donovan, CEO of Epworth Village states, Through our partnerships with the State of Nebraska, other agencies, and our strategic plan, it is apparent that a move towards providing family services as a whole needs to happen now. Epworth Village is dedicated to providing hope and healing to youth and families and has been doing so for the last 128 years and will continue to do so. We are grateful for the tireless and generous support from staff, donors, friends, volunteers, the United Methodist Churches and United Methodist Women who make Epworth Village possible and look forward to our continued partnerships as we focus on providing these services for families.

The physical campus of Epworth Village began as Mothers Jewels Home. In 1889, the old Munson dairy farm was purchased with funds provided by churches throughout the nation to house orphans. In 1890, it began to serve orphaned children from across the nation and other parts of the world  most of them arriving via the orphan trains.

In 1930, the ministry began to focus more on children and youth experiencing family problems.

In 1959, it came to be known as Epworth Village.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Learn home theft prevention tips at the Main Library! On Monday, January 8th, retired Yuma County Sheriffs Office Detective Eric Frost will present Home Safety and Burglary Prevention at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library. One of the easiest crimes to prevent -- burglary -- is also one of the most common.

Somewhere in the U.S., there's a burglary committed every 15 seconds. If it happens at your home, you lose more than a few possessions. A break-in, even when you're not there, has a major impact on you and your family's sense of safety and well-being. There are a lot of things you can do to boost home security and make your house burglary resistant. During this presentation, you will learn tips to help you keep your family safe, and your home and its contents intact. There is no charge to attend.



Eric Frost graduated from Central Arizona Regional Law Officers Academy in 2006, and was hired by the Yuma County Sheriffs Office. During his tenure as a Deputy Sheriff, he worked as a Hostage Negotiator on the Crisis Management Unit, Special Operator on the Special Response Team, Gang Officer, and Narcotics Officer on the Yuma County Narcotics Task Force. From 2010-2015, Mr. Frost supervised the Criminal Investigations Division as Lead Detective, and had a 100% solvability rate on homicides and attempted homicides. During his career with the Yuma County Sheriffs Office, he received the Outstanding Achievement award, Agitator of the Year, Special Merit award, and Officer of the Year.



In October 2016, Mr. Frost had to retire from the Yuma County Sheriffs Office after being seriously injured on duty. After retiring, he launched Eric Frost Consulting to teach companies, small businesses, families, schools, and winter visitors to protect their property, loved ones, employees, customers and themselves. For more information, visit www.ericfrostconsulting.com



The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - On Tuesday, January 9th, the Main Library will host Massacre at Caborca: the Ill-fated Crabb Expedition of 1857 at 1:00 p.m. In 1857, American Henry Crabb led a filibuster into Sonora, Mexico with devastating consequences. Political historian Ian McDougall takes a fresh look at a still controversial conflict.

There is no charge to attend.



The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871.
KARACHI: Al-Qaeda's slain chief Osama bin Laden had shifted to Afghanistan to supervise a plot to assassinate Pakistan's former premier Benazir Bhutto and then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, a media report said on Thursday.

Citing intelligence gathered by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the News reported that the explosives to execute this plot were provided by the courier of bin Laden.

Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007, outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. The revelation comes exactly on the 10th anniversary of Bhutto's assassination.

This information was provided to the Interior Ministry in December 2007 by the Army and the ISI in three reports and the letters obtained from the bin Laden's residence.

In these secret intelligence reports, the ministry was warned that bin Laden had issued orders to kill then-President Musharraf, Pakistan People's Party's chief Bhutto and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman, the paper said.

The most important letter by the ISI to the Interior Ministry was written on December 19, 2007; the letter was directed to the Interior Ministry?s then-director coordination of the Crisis Management Cell Colonel Muhammad Imran Yaqub, the paper said, citing the documents.

The letter, titled 'President Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Fazlur Rehman's murder plan', signed by Lt Col (retd) Zaigham Islam Butt for DG Intelligence said bin Laden has issued the order to kill Musharraf, Bhutto and Rehman.

"He (Osama bin Laden) has planned to send his courier, who is a national of Pakistan and a resident of Multan, named Musa Tariq, through Waziristan with explosives to be used in executing the murder plots. On coming Sunday, which is December 22, this person will be in the area of Dera Ismail Khan," the letter read.

"Osama bin Laden is personally supervising this entire plan and for this reason, he has shifted to Afghanistan," read the last three lines of the letter.

The ISI had requested the interior ministry to make urgent security arrangements, the paper said, adding that this information was so important that the copies of this letter were also dispatched to the Military Intelligence Directorate, GS Branch and General Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

After receiving the letter, the General Staff Branch of the Military Operations Directorate of General Headquarters, on the next day, December 20, 2007, sent a letter to then- interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah.

Six days before Bhutto's assassination, another letter was issued with the signature of then-chief of the general staff Lt-Gen Salahuddin Satti's Lt-Col Staff Khurram Shahzad, warning about the terror plot.

Following the assassination of Bhutto, a short letter was sent to bin Laden after two days.

"We have taken revenge for our brothers and sisters of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid," read the letter which was recovered from bin Laden's home.

Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in a covert raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011.
When the Pakistani government announced that they would allow the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav to visit Islamabad and meet with the imprisoned Indian in Pakistan, it seemed like relations between the two neighbours were going to move in a positive direction, and that too after a long time.

But this hope for progress was short-lived, and if anything, the relations have actually worsened, ever since 25th of December when the wife and mother of Mr. Jadhav met him at the Ministry of Foreign Office's compound in the Pakistani capital. Shortly after the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi lambasted the treatment Jadhav's family received during their one-day-long stay in Pakistan. Their counterparts in Islamabad refuted the accusations of ill-treatment, citing security protocol for the treatment the two women were subjected to. Insiders say that the meet-up was not in the hands of the civilian authorities, and the military was in charge of all affairs and therefore concerns for security overshadowed considerations for hospitality.

Adding fuel to this fire is the Line of Control (LoC), which has also heated up, and may very well be linked to the fall-out from the Jadhav meet-up.

But as is always the case with the LoC - both sides have a different version of what has happened there and it is almost impossible to independently verify the information disseminated by the militaries on both sides.

In this latest cross-border incident, Pakistan claims to have lost three of its soldiers while thwarting an Indian-backed non-state actors' infiltration bid. The government further claimed that the non-state actors were attempting to plant mines on the Pakistani side of the border.

On the other hand, India says its soldiers went inside Pakistani territory and killed three enemy soldiers in retaliation to Indian uniformed men killed a day earlier.

What really happened? We may never get to know. And while on both sides the military guns have gone silent for now, the diplomatic spat continues with the latest controversy surfaced on Wednesday over the missing shoes of the wife of Jadhav, which the Pakistani officials confiscated, claiming that the shoes had some metallic object hidden in them. The shoe has been sent for testing at a lab.

Somedays we do a story tht disgusts us. Today was one such day. But it wasnt cuz of what I covered. Rather it was cuz of how my fellow journos behaved with mother & wife of #KulbushanJadhav whn they left FO building. They shouted taunts. It was very shameful  Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) December 25, 2017

As a Pakistani journalist working for an Indian news outlet, I have been covering all of the happenings closely, and most of it is repetitive of what I have seen before, thus making it quite predictable. But there is one aspect this time that was and continues to surprise or rather shock me: the behaviour of my fellow journalists who waited alongside me at the Pakistan Foreign Office complex for the arrival and exit of Jadhav's relatives accompanied by an Indian diplomat.

Many of these journalists are familiar faces at Foreign Office briefings and have a number of years of experience before being allotted such an important news beat to cover. And yet on Monday, when they were covering the meet-up, they seemed to have lost all sense of ethics when it comes to reporting.

In my profession, it is understandable to ask questions even if the subject is unwilling to answer them, and since the advent of television news, such interactions are often aired to show the audience the reluctance of the subjects being covered and make a point.

But that day, the reporters did not ask questions, especially when the family was leaving the venue.

They shouted accusations, allegations and slogans at the two women who may have met their loved one for the last time, given that Jadhav is on death row and can be executed any day.

Whatever his alleged crimes are, the two women did not deserve such harassment, and that too from supposedly trained professionals.

One reporter screamed how Jadhav's mother felt "being a parent to a terrorist?" Another one asked the wife if she supported her husband who was "a killer of hundreds of Pakistanis?" Another one asked if the women "felt ashamed of his activities?"

The Pakistani Foreign Office had ensured that the reporters stayed at a distance so there was no up close interaction, and we did stand at a distance from the trio when they were exiting. But I had heard one of the government officials promising some of the journalists "an interaction" with the family once they came out. And not so surprisingly, when they exited the building, the Pakistani government's vehicle they were to be transported back was nowhere to be seen, giving enough time for the journalists to hurl taunts at the Indian visitors. As the four-wheeler arrived and the guests sat inside it, another journalist went even one step further and started to chant "Pakistan Zindabad" (Long-live Pakistan). This riled up others around too, and soon a large number of them joined in the chorus. Only once the vehicle was out of sight did they stop their self-perceived patriotic demeanour.

While all this may have taken then less than ten minutes to transpire, it left me in a shock. Also, I felt like I was the only one who thought this was wrong, as I saw most of my brethren pack-up and move away from the location. Some of them even laughed about how they did a great job.

I thought of talking to the foreign office officials about it, since they could perhaps put some sense into the reporters who misbehaved this way. But I stopped myself short of doing so, when I received a message, sent out to journalists on the Pakistani Foreign Office WhatsApp list, thanking everyone for "being responsible media."

I did not know what else to do but to report it for my channel. But I also decided to tweet about it - not only vent out the disgust I felt but also tell my neighbors that among the journalists present to cover the meeting between Jadhav and his family, reporters like me were also present who have publicly condemned such conduct by my fellow colleagues. Thankfully, the tweet has gone viral since then. And while the Indians may think that all Pakistani media personnel is unprofessional, I hope to give them a reason to think otherwise.

(Taha Siddiqui is WION's Pakistan Bureau Chief, and looks after news and current affairs in the Afghanistan, Pakistan region. He has reported for leading international news organisations including the New York Times, the Guardian and France24.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)
Mumbai: Katrina Kaif is on cloud nine over the record-breaking run of her latest release "Tiger Zinda Hai", calling it an "overwhelming and extremely satisfying" feeling.

The 34-year-old actor, who reprised her role as super-spy Zoya opposite Salman Khan's Tiger in the Ali Abbas Zafar-directed film, said she is glad the audiences loved the film.

"It feels incredible. When we set out to make 'Tiger Zinda Hai', we knew that we had a very good script in hand and Ali has done an outstanding job in translating the script to a mind-blowing film that is entertaining audiences of every age-group and across the nation.

"As an actor, I always want to be part of movies that audiences thoroughly enjoy and the feedback that I'm getting from audiences is overwhelming and extremely satisfying," Katrina said in a statement.

The sequel to the 2012 movie has raced past 173-crore in barely five days. It recorded the biggest ever single day collection in the history of Bollywood by earning 45.53 crore nett on day three.

"Tiger Zinda Hai" also went on to record the highest ever three-day weekend, followed by the biggest ever four-day extended holiday weekend.
FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar: Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi, stars likely to play their last WC
New Delhi: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Thursday stepped in to bail out younger brother Anil Ambani's debt- ridden Reliance Communications by acquiring spectrum, tower, optical fiber network and other wireless assets.

While the two companies did not disclose the deal size, banking sources pegged the transaction value at Rs 24,000- 25,000 crore.

The announcement comes just two days after Reliance Communications - promoted by Anil Ambani - disclosed a new deal with the lenders under which nearly Rs 40,000 crore will be raised through sale of assets, averting an imminent takeover by the 35 local and foreign banks.

The mega deal also coincides with the 85th birth anniversary of Reliance founder Dhirubhai Ambani.

The deal will bring an immediate relief to Reliance Communications (RCom), which is reeling under Rs 45,000 crore debt, and the company hopes to use the entire proceeds to pare its debt.

"Reliance Communications Limited today announced it has signed definitive binding agreements with Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJio) for sale of wireless spectrum, tower, fiber and Media Convergence Node (MCN) assets," RCom said in a statement.

A statement by Jio -- which has 160 million customers just over a year into 4G operations -- said these assets are strategic in nature and are expected to contribute significantly to its large scale roll out of Wireless and Fiber-to-Home and Enterprise services.

RCom said the deal packs in 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands, over 43,000 towers, 1,78,000 kilometres of fiber and 248 media convergence nodes.

The transaction, subject to approval from lenders and other authorities, is expected to be completed in a phased manner between January and March 2018.

"The RJio deal consideration comprises primarily of cash payment and includes transfer of deferred spectrum instalments payable to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT). The company will utilise the proceeds of the monetisation of this cash deal solely for pre-payment of debt to its lenders," RCom said.

Reliance Jio will acquire all the assets without any previous liabilities attached to them.

"The acquisition is subject to receipt of requisite approvals from Governmental and regulatory authorities, consents from all lenders, release of all encumbrances on the said assets and other conditions precedent. The consideration is payable at completion and is subject to adjustments as specified in the agreement," Jio said.

It further said process to acquire assets of RCom is supervised by an independent group of "distinguished industry experts" and that it emerged as the successful bidder in the two-stage bidding process.

"An asset monetisation process for RCom assets was mandated by the lenders of RCom, who appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited to run the process," the Jio release said.

The parties are bound by confidentiality obligations and will make further disclosures at the appropriate time, Jio said without disclosing the value of the transaction.

RJio is being advised by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Global Markets, JM Financial Private Limited, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Khaitan & Co and Ernst & Young on this transaction.

The beleaguered RCom was forced to close its mobile voice business a month back as it was not in a position to support the operational expenses.

Earlier this week, RCom announced its exit from the strategic debt restructuring (SDR) and outlined an ambitious revival plan that involved zero write-offs to lenders.

The revival plan had the backing of the Chinese lender which had dragged it to the National Company Law Tribunal for defaulting on USD 1.8 billion loan, and sale of residual spectrum, towers and realty assets, besides a possible minority stake sale to a strategic investor.
NEW DELHI: A massive crack has appeared between two girders on Ashram-Lajpat Nagar flyover in Ring Road that connects south Delhi to Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

The Ring Road or Mahatma Gandhi Road is considered to be one of the busiest routes.

Meanwhile, regular commuters have expressed their fear saying, "It's like risking your life daily".

A commuter further accused the Delhi government and Centre of avoiding the issue. "The issue is neither addressed by Delhi government nor by the centre that runs Municipal Corporation of Delhi," said Vijay Singh, a commuter.

"Because of the gap, each and every commuter are suffering. I have witnessed many bikers falling on the street," he added.

Delhi: Massive crack/gap has developed between two girders on Ashram-Lajpat Nagar flyover, regular commuters say 'its like risking your life daily' pic.twitter.com/LuGWdy2Foh  ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017

The crack of around one-feet has appeared on the flyover that also leads to the major traffic jam in the area. In recent times, many accidents have reportedly occurred due to the gap.

Earlier in January, a gap between two girders was noticed in the Lajpat Nagar flyover itself.
New Delhi: Reacting sharply to the humiliating treatment of Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife - Avanti and Chetankul - when they visited him in Islamabad, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday told the Parliament that Pakistan was guilty of violating basic human rights and their conduct was 'absurdity beyond measure.'

Jadhav, an Indian prisoner sentenced to death by Pakistani military court on false charges of spying, met Avanti and Chetankul from behind a glass barrier on Monday. While Pakistan called it a humanitarian gesture, the two women were subject to a number of humiliations including verbal assault from Pakistani journalists and being asked to take off their shoes, bangles, mangal sutra and bindi.

Swaraj unequivocally slammed Pakistan and said a number of pre-agreed conditions were deliberately violated. "A mother met her son, wife met her husband after 22 months but it was used as a propaganda weapon by Pakistan," she said. "We had asked that Pakistani media not be allowed near the family but they were permitted to come in close proximity from where they humiliated them, accused them."

An emotional Swaraj also said she spoke to Jadhav's mother who confirmed a number of shocking incidents - including that she was forced to wear salwar kameez. "She (Avanti) told me that she was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials kept stopping them from speaking in their language and intercoms were also turned off when Marathi was spoken. That is not all. Both the mother and the wife were made to remove their mangal sutra and sindoor before meeting Jadhav. His mother told me when Jadhav saw her, his first question was if his father was alright," said Swaraj, hitting out at Pakistan's basic sense of respecting symbols of a married Hindu woman.

Swaraj then went on to counter Pakistan's charge that Chetankul wore shoes with a metallic object. "Jadhav's wife was forced to take off her shoes, they said it had a camera. Then they said it had a recorder. What I want to know is that she took two flights - one Air India and then Emirates - and even if we assume that Air India allowed her safe passage, was recorder, chip not noticed during checking at Dubai Airport?"

A day earlier, on Wednesday, politicians cutting across party lines condemned authorities in Islamabad and demanded that the government leaves no stone unturned to bring back the retired Indian Navy officer.
Black Hawk Middle School teacher Erin Anderson purchased "Zenergy Ball" chairs for her classroom. Anderson said flexible seating options help with student engagement.
New Delhi: Ruling BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday hailed the passage of a bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void by a voice-vote in the Lok Sabha.

Reacting to the development, the BJP national president said it's a "historic step" which will bring a "new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women".

Shah even congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire BJP-led NDA government for the passage of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which brings the practice of triple talaq within the ambit of a criminal offence.

I congratulate PM Shri @narendramodi and the entire government for successfully passing the Triple Talaq Bill - The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, in Loksabha and bringing the practice of Triple Talaq within the ambit of criminal offence.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 28, 2017

"This bill is a historic step towards ensuring dignity for Muslim women. I thank all fellow Parliamentarians who have supported this bill, which will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women," Shah tweeted.

This bill is a historic step towards ensuring dignity for Muslim women. I thank all fellow Parliamentarians who have supported this bill, which will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 28, 2017

The contentious bill, which makes instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.

The Congress said it supported the bill but wanted it to be scrutinised by the Standing Committee of Parliament, a demand that was rejected by the chair. The RJD and Samajwadi Party also backed the demand of referring the bill to the Standing Committee.

The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.

Given the Congress's stated support, the bill is likely to be passed by the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks a majority. However, the main opposition party may again insist on referring the legislation to the Standing Committee.

The Supreme Court had outlawed instant triple talaq in August and asked the government to frame a law within six months. Ending the controversial divorce practice was also the BJP's electoral promise.

Acting swiftly, the BJP-led government not only introduced the bill today but also got it passed by the Lok Sabha by evening despite its consideration and passage not being part on the agenda.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the bill as part of the listed business, had requested her to allow it to be considered and passed today itself, and the request was granted.

"We are going to create history. Today is the day to create history," Prasad said while introducing the bill.

He insisted the government did not intend to politicise the issue and the legislation was brought after taking a humanitarian view of it.

"This is not about 'siyasat' (politics) but about 'insaniyat' (humanity)," Prasad said.

"If it is a crime to bring a bill in the favour of Muslims then we will commit this crime 10 times," he asserted.

Under the proposed law, instant triple talaq in any form - spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp - would be illegal and void.

The proposed law would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir.

It would make instant talaq punishable by a jail term of upto three years and a fine, and would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence.

Members from RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, saying it is arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

ET Mohammed Basheer of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM alleged that through the bill the government was trying to bring in a Uniform Civil Code.

Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi said that while the bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat."

Owaisi said through the law the government was trying to demonise Muslim men and claimed "vested interests" were behind the legislation.

"The minister is a normal lawyer but a pathetic and a failed draftsmen," he said about Prasad.

B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was "faulty and "flawed". He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat'.

Seeking to allay their concerns Prasad said it is wrong to link instant triple talaq, the divorce practice which the Supreme Court struck down as illegal, with the Uniform Civil Code.

"Some are trying to spread fear that the bill is being brought to put Muslims behind the bars," Prasad said.

Prasad cited instances of Karimul Haque, a tea labourer in Assam, who was awarded Padma Shree for ferrying patients on his "bike ambulance", and Imran Khan, a Sanskrit teacher from Alwar in Rajasthan who was lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making mobile applications for students.

Not pacified, members of the BJD, AIMIM, Indian Union Muslim League staged a walk out.

Although Congress supported the bill, senior leader Salman Khurshid, a former law minister, said the proposed law is an intrusion into the personal lives of individuals, and would bring the civil issue of divorce into the realm of criminal law.

The Congress did not push for a division in the Lok Sabha on amendments moved by its MPs, nor did the party support any amendment sought by other opposition lawmakers.

Divorce and marriage come under the concurrent list and both Parliament and state legislatures can enact laws on the subject.

In his speech, Prasad said despite the Supreme Court declaring instant triple talaq illegal, it was continuing.

He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.

The bill gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

(With PTI inputs)
NEW DELHI: Facing flak for his remarks on the Consitution, Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde on Thursday apologised, saying If someone was hurt by my comments, I tender an apology.

The BJP MP apologised and said the Constitution is supreme to him.

Making a statement in Lok Sabha, Hegde said, Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that the Constitution and Parliament are supreme to me.

Hegde said, I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme for me, there can be no question on it, as a citizen I can never go against it.

Earlier in the day, Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad staged a protest in front of Gandhi statue inside Parliament premises over Hegde's comments.

Hegde apologised after Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan urged him to apologise if he had offended anyone with his comments.

The Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship at a function in Kukanur in Karnataka on Monday urged people to "claim with pride that they are Muslim, Christian, Lingayat, Brahmin, or a Hindu" and said: "Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity...They don't know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals.

"Some people say the Constitution says secular and you must accept it. We will respect the Constitution, but the Constitution has changed several times and it will change in the future too.

"We are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it soon."

The Narendra Modi government on Wednesday disapproved of Union Minister and BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde's controversial remarks that the ruling BJP was "here to change the Constitution" and remove the word "secular" from it.

Amid uproar over Hegde's remark, Union Minister Vijay Goel told the Rajya Sabha that the government does not subscribe to views expressed by his party colleague.

Goel's statement came after the Opposition on Wednesday disrupted the Parliament proceedings saying Hegde has "no right" to be in the House or in the government.
NEW DELHI: The BJP is believed to have issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present in the Lok Sabha on Thursday when the government plans to introduce the bill that criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights and Marriage) Bill that seeks to protect the rights of married Muslim women and prohibits "any pronouncement (of divorce) by a person upon his wife by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form, or in any other manner".

In a bid to ensure that the introduction is smooth, the BJP is believed to have issued a whip so that any stiff opposition from members on the other side at the introduction stage could be thwarted.

The bill proposes to make the triple talaq practice a punishable offence and describes it against constitutional morality and gender equity.

Anyone who pronounces instant divorce "shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and a fine", the bill proposes.

Meanwhile, clerics and several Muslim organisations, cutting across sects and schools of jurisprudence, have opposed the bill, terming the government`s stand as "uncalled for interference" in the personal laws of the community.

On Wednesday, some Muslim women's organisations said that the proposed legislation would not be acceptable if not in consonance with the Quran or the Constitution.

"Nikaah (marriage) is a contract. Whosoever breaks it should be punished. However, if it (Bill) is not in the light of Quran and the Constitution, no Muslim woman will accept it," All India Muslim Women Personal Law board (AIMWPLB) chairperson Shaista Amber said.

"I had sent a letter to the Law Commission requesting it to show the draft bill to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), AIMWPLB, Jamait Islami, Jamiat Ulma-e-Hind and organisations working for women who were given talaq. I got a reply that if needed, it will be discussed but that did not happen," she added.

AIMPLB chairman Maulana Rabe Hasani Nadwi said he will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withhold or withdraw the proposed bill that criminalises the practice of instant divorce, an official spokesperson of the Muslim body said.

Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar asked all opposition parties to help pass the bill in Parliament.
New Delhi: The by-elections for the three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Rajasthan and West Bengal will be held on January 29, the Election Commission of India announced on Thursday.

Three Lok Sabha seats where by-elections are due are Alwar and Ajmer, both in Rajasthan, and West Bengal's Uluberia.

The polling will be held to fill up Rajasthan's Mandhalgarh and West Bengal's Noapara Assembly seats.

"Gazette Notification for the by-election will be issued on January 3. The last date for filing the nomination will be January 10. The date for scrutiny of nominations will be January 11 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature will be January 15," the Election Commission said.

It added that the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) and VVPATs (Voter-verified paper audit trail) will be used in the by-elections in all the polling stations.

The votes will be counted on February 1.

The electoral roll of these constituencies will be finally published on January 2.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with an immediate effect in the district(s), in which the whole or any part of the Parliamentary/Assembly Constituency going for by-election is included, subject to partial modification as issued vide Commission's instruction No. 437/6/INST2016-CCS, dated 29thJune, 2017 (available on the Election Commission's website).

(With ANI inputs)
New Delhi: A war of words erupted between the Centre and the Congress over latter's suggestion for sending the bill criminalising triple talaq, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, to Parliament's Standing Committee.

The demand was made by Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha.

Responding to it, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, ''I thank Kharge ji for supporting the Govt on triple talaq bill, whatever suggestions they have they should tell us here, if fine, we can incorporate them in the law.''

Prasad, however, added, that sending the triple talaq bill to the Parliament's Standing Committee will serve no purpose and it would be a sheer wastage of time.



The reactions and counter-reactions came on a day when the Centre introduced the bill criminalising triple talaq in the Lok Sabha amid protests from the Opposition objecting to some of its provisions.

The issue prompted the Union Law Minister to give an assurance that the bill "was not about religion but about justice and respect for women".

Members from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Biju Janata Dal and some other parties spoke against the introduction of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.

However, no member of the Congress party was allowed to speak as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that they had not given a notice in advance to speak on the issue.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Prasad called it a historic day and stated that the Bill was to ensure gender justice for Muslim women.

The Bill was introduced after a voice vote as all treasury benches members supported the introduction.

The Bill criminalises triple talaq, or oral divorce, and has provision for a maximum three-year jail term and a fine for practicing this form of divorce.

It also gives Muslim women the right to seek maintenance and the right to a child's custody.

Soon after Prasad moved the bill for introduction, Opposition members raised objections.

RJD leader Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav said the provision for three-year imprisonment was unfair and said it could disturb the social fabric.

On his turn, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said the Bill violated the fundamental rights and lacked "basic legal coherence".

He also questioned the need to create another law for this, while there was an existing law on domestic violence.

"There is an absence of consistency with the existing legal framework. The bill says the husband will be sent to jail, and it also says he will have to pay allowance... How can a person in jail pay allowances," he said referring to the provision that a woman given triple talaq will have the right to seek maintenance.

He said not enough consultation was done on the Bill, and added, "This will be an injustice to Muslim women... Make a law where the 20 lakh women from other religions, who have been abandoned, which also includes our Bhabhi in Gujarat, they should be given justice".

IUML MP ET Mohammed Basheer said it was in violation of Article 25 of the Constitution that provides for freedom of practising and propagating religion.

BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said there were many internal contradictions in the Bill.

"This Bill will only bring more cases in court, the government should go back and redraft it," he said.

Prasad said, "This law is not about religion, it is about gender justice, the dignity and pride of a woman. The Supreme Court called it illegal, but the practice still prevails. Are not the basic rights of our sisters a part of the basic structure of Constitution".

The Bill was then introduced in the House and was to be taken up for debate later in the day.

Speaking outside Parliament, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala later said the party supported the Bill, adding that there was a need to strengthen the law.

"The party supports the law of banning instant triple talaq and we believe that there is a dire need to strengthen this law. We have certain suggestions to solidify this law in order to protect the rights of these women," he said.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha last week, Prasad had said that there have been 66 cases of triple talaq in the country since August when the Supreme Court judgment termed the practice as "unconstitutional".

Meanwhile, a large number of Muslim women exchanged sweets as the proposed law was tabled in the Lower House for approval.

"We are very happy that the bill has been tabled. Women will get the relief they deserve after this bill is passed. We thank the government for this," said Hashmi, a victim of triple talaq from Kanpur.

(With Agency inputs)
Johannesburg: Popular Indian snack samosa with Kashmiri chilli chicken fillings has beaten chocolate, cashew nuts and other exotic entries in a first such contest in South Africa.

The contest was organised by the largest national newspaper for the Indian community in South Africa.

Among the various entries in the competition were samosas that featured almonds and cashews drizzled with chocolate; chocolate covered in edible glitter; Margherita pizza filling and chicken jalapeno.

The South African Indian speciality samosa (also referred to as samoosa) is a deep-fried flat version of the traditional Punjabi snack, filled with a variety of savoury or sweet treats in a crispy pastry.

Salma Agjee won the contest organised by the weekly Post, after her daughter submitted her recipe.

"I love cooking and always believe in taking a recipe a step further by adding a twist to it," Agjee was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

"My filling was my own invention based on what I had initially made as a chicken sandwich for my children. The chicken was cooked with Kashmiri chilli powder, then I added two types of cheese, mozzarella and gouda, and mayonnaise," she said.

There were also two other sections of the competition, which was held at a public fair in Durban. Grandmother Roxana Naseem, 63, who has been running a samosa-making business for several decades, showed her skill to beat others by filling 10 samosas in under 60 seconds in a neat stack.

In the third section of the contest, Ebrahim Bux, 18, bagged the title of the 'fastest samosa eater' when he wolfed down 10 samosas in a minute.
New Delhi: Denial of information for the lack of Aadhaar card is a serious breach of the right guaranteed under the RTI Act and amounts to harassment of the applicant, the Central Information Commission has held.

The Commission has imposed the maximum penalty under the act on the then RTI handling officer of the Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for not providing information on gifts purchased by it and expenses incurred by its CMDs on the grounds that identification documents were not provided by the applicant.

The case pertains to Vishwas Bhamburkar who had sought details of amounts "spent from the coffers" of HUDCO on gifts for years 2013 to 2016, renovation of the official residence of its Chairman and Managing Director in ASIAD village, electricity bills of the official residence, and remunerations paid to the CMDs among others.

CPIO D K Gupta wrote a letter on August 5, 2016, demanding the proof of identity and proof of address by producing Aadhar card, voter ID Card or passport as proof of citizenship from Bhamburkar, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu noted.

"He did not say anything about giving information sought. No information was given within 30 days. The applicant filed this complaint. He has also filed first appeal, asking for information without insisting on the proofs," he said.

Acharyulu noted that in his response Gupta said because some others filed repetitive RTIs he wanted to verify bona fides of this applicant.

"This contention is not legal and hence not acceptable. He also failed to justify the denial of information, as he could not site any clause of exception under Section 8 or 9. From his submissions it is clear that the information sought did not attract any exception prescribed under the RTI Act," he said.

Not only in 30 days but even after that the information was not given until the CIC ordered, thus, deemed refusal of RTI application was proved in this case and that should attract the penal proceedings, Acharyulu said.

"The CPIO can deny information only under Section 8 and 9. He cannot invent new grounds for denial like lack of Aadhaar Card, Voter Id Card, Passport etc. This Section was violated by Dr D K Gupta as he did not give any information in 30 days and beyond also," he said.

Acharyulu said Gupta is liable and deserves maximum penalty. He is directed to pay a sum of Rs 25,000 in five equal monthly instalments, the commissioner said.

"Most, unfortunately, successor CPIO S K Gupta also exhibited the similar anti-RTI attitude and made it clear that his intention was also not to give information for the same reasons given by D K Gupta," he said.

"Denial of information for lack of Aadhaar card will be a serious breach of right, which was guaranteed by the RTI Act and also amounts to harassment of the applicant," he said.
NEW DELHI: Train services were badly hit on Thursday after a blanket of fog engulfed the many oarts of north India. At least 26 Delhi-bound trains are running late, seven have been rescheduled and 19 other cancelled due to low visibility and other operational reasons.

Come winter and all north-bound trains get delayed for hours due to poor visibility during foggy weather, causing a ripple effect on the congested network. The dense fog forces drivers to slow down train speeds up to 15 kmph as a safety requirement  resulting in delays ranging between four and 22 hours.

The Government on Wednesday informed the Parliament that more than 3,000 trains were delayed due to fog between November 1 and December 21 in 2017.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said 3,119 trains were delayed during the period on account of fog.

Goyal said portable global positioning system (GPS)-based fog pass devices were being issued to the loco pilots for the regions which get seriously affected due to fog.

According to the data provided by the minister, the Northern Railways has received 3,185 of such devices, North Eastern Railways has got 975, North Western Railways 802, East Central Railways 617, North Central Railways 282 and the Northeast Frontier Railways has received 183.

"The reported outcome of the fog pass devices from the zonal railways has been satisfactory. The device provides a visual indication of the approaching level-crossing gates and other signal landmarks to the loco pilots, 500 metres in advance," Goyal said.

Rattled by the massive disruption in services year after year in winter, the railways has initiated several steps to use technology to fight fog. The steps include a Train Protection Warning System (TPWS), a Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), and a Terrain Imaging for Diesel Drivers (Tri-NETRA) System, with the latest one being LED fog lights to improve visibility so that drivers can maintain normal speeds.

The Tri-NETRA system enables the driver to view the terrain on a computer installed in the cabin. However, all these systems are in the pilot stage. As for the LED fog lights, the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of the railways is currently finalising their specifications on these. The railways expects that once these systems are installed, it will help in enhancing the vision of locomotive drivers in difficult weather conditions, such as fog, heavy rains and during the night time so that they have enough time to react to an emergency.
The government on Thursday tabled the triple talaq bill, which criminalises the practice, in the Lok Sabha amid opposition by some members of the house. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill) was tabled in Parliament by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Even with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for consensus on the triple talaq bill, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill in Parliament.

Speaking in Lok Sabha, Owaisi said that the bill is not required as triple talaq is already illegal in the country.

He said that the bill violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence, adding that the issue must be incorporated in the domestic violence bill.

The AIMIM leader also questioned how a victim would get compensation if her husband is sent to jail.

He had earlier given a notice to oppose the introduction of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill) 2017 in Lok Sabha.

Owaisi made the statement on the floor of the House as the government tabled the bill in Lok Sabha.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) also opposed the bill, with party MP Bhartruhari Mahtab saying that "there are many internal contradictions in the bill".

Dismissing the opposition to the bill, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that if the bill is not brought, many Muslim women won't be able to get justice. He pointed that despite the Supreme Court calling it illegal, many still suffer from this menace.

"This law is for women's rights and justice, and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion," said Prasad.

Earlier, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid had said that the party would oppose the bill in its present form, questioning how a victim would get compensation if her husband is sent to jail.

The triple talaq bill seeks to protect the rights of married Muslim women and prohibits "any pronouncement (of divorce) by a person upon his wife by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form, or in any other manner".

ALSO READ: WHAT TRIPLE TALAQ VICTIMS SAY ABOUT THE BILL
NEW DELHI: Disturbing details have emerged after alleged Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav, who has been lodged in a Pakistan jail, met his mother and wife in a 40-minute meeting recently.

As he met his family for the first since his arrest, the first thing Jadhav asked his mother, "What has happened to father" after he saw no 'mangalsutra' and 'bindi' on her.

Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna were in Pakistan on Monday to meet him. The meeting took place between them being separated by a glass screen.

As per reports, the Pakistani authorities forced Jadhav's mother as well as his wife to remove 'mangalsutra' and 'bindi' and take off bangles they were wearing before allowing them to meet him. The women were also forced to change their attire.

After the meeting, the women were harassed in heavily guarded foreign ministry office by Pakistani journalists who hurled insensitive questions on them.

"Your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?" and "How do you feel after meeting your killer son?" were some of the questioned raised to the women.

Meanwhile, Jadhav's relatives have claimed that they were horrified and depressed after the meeting, that was strictly controlled by Pakistani authorities. "The treatment given from Pakistan was not good at all," they said.

In fact, one of the relatives told reporters that the family was 'even more depressed' than it had been before the visit.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj while making a statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav in Rajya Sabha earlier today, said, Pakistan used emotional meeting between Jadhav, his mother and wife after 22 months as propaganda.

As per Swaraj, Jadhav was appalled on seeing his mother without her 'mangalsutra' and vermillion, so much so that it compelled him to think of the unfortunate with regards to his father.

"Not just his wife, but the bindi and mangalsutra of his mother were also removed. When I spoke to her, she told me that as soon as she reached, Kulbhushan asked her 'Baba kaise hain?' (How is father?), because he thought a mishap had taken place when he wasn`t around," Sushma said.

The union minister while speaking in the House today said that a fear of environment was created for Jadhav's kin, who were both "made to look like widows."

"Jadhav's mother, who only wears a saree, was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both women were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows," she said.

The environment, Sushma stated, was curated in such a way that Jadhav was not even permitted to communicate in his mother tongue (Marathi), as the officials constantly interrupted his mother when she did so.

Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly, and when she continued, the intercom was switched off," said an emotionally-charged Sushma.

Jadhav, 47, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation India has dismissed as concocted.

India says Jadhav was abducted in Iran where he had legitimate business interests and taken to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.
NEW DELHI: During a discussion on the triple talaq bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government laid out an emotional appeal focussing on how the bill is needed for the empowerment of Muslim women.

Representing the government's stand on the bill, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi claimed that when women have a brother like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they do not need to worry.

"I want to say this to all Muslim women that when they have a brother like Narendra Modi, they do not need to be afraid of anyone," she said.

Lekhi also strongly stated how women have been facing oppression in the society. "Women are the biggest minority in this country. This is why they have been oppressed in the way they have. It is high time we do away practices that oppress women," she said.

Hitting out at those opposing the bill stating religious reasons, she said: "Talaq-e-biddat has nothing to do with religion. It is customary." She also called for a law to be made for maulavis who oversee instant talaq.

The bill criminalising triple talaq, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid protests from the Opposition objecting to some of its provisions.

Speaking on the issue, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad assured that the bill "was not about religion but about justice and respect for women". Prasad had earlier stated that there have been 66 cases of triple talaq in the country since August when the Supreme Court judgment termed the practice as "unconstitutional".

Soon after the bill was introduced, victims of the practice expressed their gratitude to the makers of the new provision.

"Nobody thought of us till now, and I would like to thank the government for this, firstly. The men will understand what we go through, and will now decide if they really want to get married or not. The bill will benefit the generations to come. We are really happy that the procedure started by Modi Ji and Yogi Ji is going to succeed. This day will be more significant in Muslim women`s life than Eid or Bakrid," Agra`s Faiza Khan said.

Triple talaq is the practice of Muslim men divorcing their wives by saying "talaq" three times. The constitution allows Muslims, the biggest minority in the country, to regulate marriages, divorces and inheritance through their own civil code.

But in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional". And now there is a growing demand to formulate a law, making the practice an offence.

Also known as the Triple Talaq Bill, its draft says, "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".

There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance ad has a provision for them to have the custody of their minor children.

The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable. The Bill, if passed, shall extend to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir.
NEW DELHI: The All-India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), that has been opposing the central government's decision to table a bill on triple talaq in Lok Sabha, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to withdraw the bill.

The board's president Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadwi wrote in a four-page letter to the Prime Minister that the bill was against Saria or Islamic law and infringes constitutional rights guaranteed to religious minorities.

"Should the Centre go ahead with the bill, the AIMPLB would oppose the move and make people aware that neither it nor other true representatives of Muslim women were consulted before preparing the legislation," the letter said.

Reacting to the letter, the All-India Muslim Womens Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) described the AIMPLB as anti-women for opposing the bill and trying to create a divider to block the proposed law in Parliament.

"Triple talaq is a draconian way to destroy the lives of women and it should be banned as it is un-Islamic. We support the government for bringing the bill as it protects the right of Muslim women who are treated as slaves by men," AIMWPLB president Shaista Amber said.

The move against triple talaq follows numerous complaints by Muslim women, who were divorced through the customary practice and denied alimony and other rights.

Talaq-e-biddat involves Muslim men divorcing their wives by mentioning the word 'talaq', meaning divorce, three times in quick succession, sometimes over email, WhatsApp messages or letters.

In August, the top court struck down the custom as arbitrary and unconstitutional in a verdict that was hailed as a watershed moment for gender justice in India.

The triple talaq debate forged an unlikely coalition between women groups, Prime Minister Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party which wanted the customary law quashed, against some Muslim outfits that contended the state had no right to interfere in religious matters.

Talaq-e-biddat is banned in 22 Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan and ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia. Muslim men in India can still divorce using two other forms of talaq that have a three-month cooling off period.

The proposed law would be applicable only to instant triple talaq and it would empower Muslim women to approach a magistrate seeking subsistence allowance for herself and her minor children.

The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights and Marriage) Bill in the Lok Sabha today.

The bill proposes to make the triple talaq practice a punishable offence and describes it against constitutional morality and gender equity.

Anyone who pronounces instant divorce "shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and a fine", the bill proposes.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday rejected India's allegation of giving a harsh treatment to the mother and wife of death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav during their recent visit to the country.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif also defended putting in place harsh security procedures during Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother.

Asif also rejected New Delhi's allegations that December 25 meeting was permitted on humanitarian grounds.

He said the meeting was initially scheduled for 30 minutes but was extended to 40 minutes on request and claimed that Jadhav's mother later thanked Pakistan after the visit.

Pakistani authorities had sent the shoes worn by Jadhav's wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, media reports said yesterday.

Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal was quoted as saying that authorities had to ascertain whether the "metallic object" in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip.

Asif said that Pakistan's "humanitarian gesture" did not obviate the fact that "Jadhav is a serving Indian naval officer and a convicted terrorist and spy".

He said a comprehensive security check was, therefore, essential.

This was agreed between both countries, in advance, through diplomatic channels, adding that Jadhav's family members were treated with "respect and dignity" and the change of clothes and removal of jewellery and ornaments was purely for security reasons.

He said the visitors changed into their own clothes after the meeting and all their belongings were returned to them before they left, though the wife's shoes were retained as they did not clear the security check because a "metal chip" was found in one of the shoes, which is being analysed.

India yesterday accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav's family members on the pretext of security, pointing to the "removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire not warranted by security".

Asif said Pakistan has been open and transparent throughout the meeting, offered in good faith.

"We do not wish to indulge in fallacious accusations and blame game and should focus on the bigger positive outcome that the meeting happened, despite immense challenges and impediments, instead of distortion of facts and baseless propaganda, which vitiates the atmosphere and is counter-productive," he said.

Later, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused the Indian media of shaping public opinion for its "nefarious designs".

"Let me assure you that we can win any argument on this (Jadhav meeting), as we have all the paperwork and record with us. However, the intent and the purpose behind this gesture is very important and needs to be registered," he said.

"Unfortunately, the visit has become more about the shoe and less about the meeting," the spokesperson said.

He said that Sushma Swaraj, the Indian External Affairs Minister, mentioned a Note Verble in her speech in the Parliament.

"We will be responding to it shortly," the spokesperson said.

During the December 25 meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through an intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Jadhav, 47, who was arrested in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

(With PTI inputs)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday freed 145 Indian fishermen, held for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters, as a goodwill gesture amidst a war of words between Islamabad and New Delhi on the circumstances in which a recent meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family took place.

They were released following last week's announcement by Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal that 291 Indian fishermen would be released in two phases till January 8.

The fishermen were freed from the Malir jail and taken amid tight security to Karachi Cantonment Railway Station, from where they will be sent to Lahore, a police official said.

"They will be handed over to Indian officials at Wagah border crossing tomorrow," the official said.

The remaining 146 fishermen are expected to be released and repatriated on January 8.

Those released were also given gifts and cash prizes by Edhi Foundation charity, which traditionally helps in repatriation of Indian fishermen.

Fishermen from Pakistan and India are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other's territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away.

Since the last five weeks, the Pakistan Maritime Security personnel have arrested around 168 Indian fishermen with the last contingent of 28 being arrested earlier this week from the Arabian sea.
Jammu: Pakistani troops on Thursday violated ceasefire twice in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir as they resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from across the border, targeting forward posts and villages, an official said.

The Indian troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) retaliated the firing but there was no immediate report of any casualty, the official said.

He said the small arms firing from Pakistani side was reported for nearly three hours in the morning in three villages of Digwar sector, causing panic among the border residents.

The firing from across the border again started this evening at Khari Karmara sector in Poonch and the exchange of firing between the two sides was continuing when last reports were received, he said.

The nearby Rajouri district witnessed heavy exchange of firing between Indian and Pakistani army after the latter initiated the firing in

Noushera sector.

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement from Pakistan comes a few days after their troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers in Keri sector of Rajouri district on December 23.

On December 24, Pakistani troops had also targeted forward posts and villages in Shahpur sector of Poonch district for nearly four hours but there was no report of any casualty.

The Indian troops also killed three Pakistani soldiers and injured another in retaliatory action at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot on December 25.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a total of 881 ceasefire violations this year, highest in past seven years, along the LoC and the International Border (IB), resulting in the death of 34 people.

According to officials, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end.

In these incidents of firing from across the border, 30 people -- 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel -- were killed.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2016, there were 449 incidents of ceasefire violations in which 13 civilians and 13 government forces personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel were injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed for a consensus on the triple talaq bill, which aims to criminalise the practice. The Prime Minister made the appeal during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary party meet ahead of tabling of bill in Parliament.

The Prime Minister appealed for unanimous passage of the Bill as it aims to give gender justice, protection and respect, said senior BJP leader and Union minister Ananth Kumar.

The meet was held in the library building of Parliament, and was attended by all MPs of the party.

The Congress party, however, has expressed its reservation on some provisions of the bill. Senior party leader Salman Khurshid said that the Congress has reservations about the criminality clause, questioning as to who would take care of the family if the husband is jailed.

"I don't think we can support it because they didn't made us understand how this criminality of Triple Talaq will benefit women. If someone is lodged in prison as a punishment for saying Triple Talaq, who will take care of his family," he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP has also issued a three line whip to its MPs asking them to be present in Lok Sabha when the government introduces the bill.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights and Marriage) Bill that seeks to protect the rights of married Muslim women and prohibits "any pronouncement (of divorce) by a person upon his wife by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form, or in any other manner".

In a bid to ensure that the introduction is smooth, the BJP is believed to have issued a whip so that any stiff opposition from members on the other side at the introduction stage could be thwarted.

The bill proposes to make the triple talaq practice a punishable offence and describes it against constitutional morality and gender equity.

Anyone who pronounces instant divorce "shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and a fine", the bill proposes.

Meanwhile, clerics and several Muslim organisations, cutting across sects and schools of jurisprudence, have opposed the bill, terming the government`s stand as "uncalled for interference" in the personal laws of the community.

On Wednesday, some Muslim women's organisations said that the proposed legislation would not be acceptable if not in consonance with the Quran or the Constitution.
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will make a statement in the Lok Sabha on Thursday on the treatment meted out by Pakistan to the family members of Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Leaders across party lines on Wednesday condemned Pakistan's "misbehaviour" with the wife and mother of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav during the meeting in Islamabad on Monday, with the issue figuring inside the Lok Sabha as well as in the Parliament galleries.

During the Zero Hour, members of various political parties, including the Congress, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK, strongly protested the way Jadhav's family members were treated by Pakistan authorities when they had gone there to meet Jadhav, who is languishing in a Pakistani prison.

The meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife took place on December 25 at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad after repeated requests by India for family access.

On Tuesday, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understanding on Jadhav's meeting with his family, and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry had said on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Foreign Office on Wednesday said the shoes of Jadhav's wife were confiscated as a "metallic substance" had been detected in them.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, is on death row in Pakistan on charges of spying and terrorism. His mother and wife met him in Islamabad on Monday after 22 months, since his arrest by Pakistan. On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging, after India approached it against the death sentence.
New Delhi: In a major victory for Indian Muslim women, a bill to make instant 'triple talaq' illegal and void and awarding a jail term of up to three years to the husband was adopted by a voice vote hours after it was introduced in the Lok Sabha amid strong protests by several opposition parties on Thursday.

By introducing the bill, the Narendra Modi government also fulfiled its electoral promise made to several Indian Muslim women victims of triple talaq.

Within minutes of Lok Sabha clearing the bill, widespread celebrations began across the country and Mulsim women distributed sweets and welcomed the move.

This is a victory for Muslim women. They have fought for this for long. This will act as a deterrence: Noorjahan, #TripleTalaq victim on Triple Talaq bill passed in Lok Sabha #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/IduD6ZQTGh  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

The government earlier rejected an overwhelming demand from the Opposition to refer the legislation to a Parliamentary standing committee for detailed consideration.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was passed by a voice vote after rejecting a resolution moved by Revolutionary Socialist Party member NK Premachandran that the legislation be circulated for public opinion.

The government's determination to get the Bill passed could be gauged from the fact that it was introduced in the morning and taken up for consideration in the afternoon by suspending relevant rules and then passed in the evening by sitting late beyond the scheduled close of the House.

During the crucial voting on the bill, two amendments - one moved by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and the other by BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab  were defeated in Lok Sabha.

Similar amendments moved by Congress's Sushmita Dev and CPIM's A Sampath were also negated in Lok Sabha.

Introducing the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill earlier, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was a "historic day". He urged the members to pass the measure, saying the bill should not be linked to or seen through the prism of any religion or politics.

"I appeal to this House and the biggest panchayat that please do not see this bill from the prism of politics," he said, adding that, ''it should neither be confined within the walls of political parties nor should it be looked as vote bank politics.''

He said that Muslim women were victimised by instant triple talaq. On August 22, Supreme Court passed a judgement saying it was unconstitutional and arbitrary.

But before he introduced the legislation, several opposition parties opposed its introduction saying it was arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

Members from RJD, AIMIM, BJD, Indian Union Muslim League and AIADMK, who had given the notice to oppose its introduction, spoke against the measure. But members of the Congress and the Left, who were also opposing it from their benches, were not allowed to speak as they had not given notice.

SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav was also seen opposing the bill. The TMC, which had opposed the draft bill earlier, was silent.

While JPN Yadav of RJD questioned the proposed three-year jail term, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi said Parliament lacks the legislative competence to pass the law as it violated fundamental rights.

He said while the bill talks only about Muslim women being abandoned, the government should also worry about nearly 20 lakh women of various religions who are abandoned by their husbands, "including our bhabhi from Gujarat".

Muslim League's ET Mohammed Bashir said the proposed law was violative of personal laws and was a politically motivated move.

B Mahtab (BJD) said while he would not talk about the merits of the bill, its framing was "faulty and "flawed".

He said if the proposed law makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and void, how can a person be jailed for pronouncing 'talaq-e-biddat'.

A Anwar Raja of the AIADMK opposed the bill.

Soon after the introduction of the bill was approved, Prasad wondered whether Parliament can remain silent if the fundamental rights of women were being trampled upon.

He said the legislation was not aimed against any religion but was framed to provide a sense of justice, security and honour to women.

He said the law was required as even after the Supreme Court had struck down the practice of 'talaq-e-biddat' in August, it was continuing. Several Islamic nations have regulated triple talaq and India should take a step in this direction, Prasad said while defending the bill.

He claimed that as recently as today, a woman in Rampur was given instant triple talaq by her husband for getting up late.

Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said after some opposition members claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

"It is a historic day. We are making history today," Prasad said.

The proposed law would only be applicable to instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children.

The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be bad or illegal and void.

According to the proposed law which would be applicable to the entire country except in Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of upto three years and a fine. It would be a cognisable, non-bailable offence.

(With PTI inputs)
NEW DELHI: A bill seeking to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

August 22, 2017: In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court by a 3-2 decision struck down the centuries-old practice of instant triple talaq among Indian Muslims as unconstitutional, manifestly arbitrary and void in law.

May 18, 2017: After six days of historic hearing on a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the triple talaq, the Supreme Court concluded arguments and reserved its verdict in the case.

May 11, 2017: The Constitution bench begins day-to-day hearing.

March 30, 2017: SC says these issues are "very important" and involve "sentiments" and says a constitution bench would start hearing from 11 May.

March 27, 2017: AIMPLB tells SC that these pleas were not maintainable as the issues fall outside judiciary's realm.

February 16, 2017 : SC says a five-judge constitution bench would be set up to hear and decide the challenge on 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy.

February 14, 2017: SC allows various interlocutory pleas to be tagged along with the main matter.

October 7, 2016: For the first time in India's constitutional history, Centre opposes in SC these practices and favours a relook on grounds like gender equality and secularism.

June 29, 2016: SC says 'triple talaq' among the Muslims will be tested on "touchstone of constitutional framework".

March 28, 2016: SC asks Centre to file a copy of the report of a high-level panel on 'Women and the law: An assessment of family laws with focus on laws relating to marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance and succession'. SC also impleads various organisations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), as parties in the suo motu matter.

February 5, 2016: SC asks Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to assist it on the pleas challenging the constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy.

October 16, 2015: SC bench asks CJI to set up an appropriate bench to examine if Muslim women face gender discrimination in cases of divorce while dealing with a case of Hindu succession.
NEW DELHI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday slammed the government for introducing the triple talaq bill in Lok Sabha.

Owaisi said that the bill violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence. He also claimed that the bill is not required as triple talaq is already illegal in the country.

The AIMIM leader also questioned how a victim would get compensation if her husband is sent to jail. Owaisi made the statement on the floor of the House as the government tabled the bill in Lok Sabha.

He had earlier given the notice to oppose the introduction of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill) 2017 in Lok Sabha.

The Bill, which seeks to criminalise the practice of triple talaq, was tabled in Parliament by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday.

As pet the draft 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".

There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance.

It has a provision for the divorcee Muslim women to have the custody of their minor children. The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.

The Bill shall extend to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir.(ANI)
The Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission awarded Veit and Company Inc. of Rogers, Minnesota, the bid for the stabilization of the Sauk City railroad bridge during a special meeting of the commission on Dec. 22.

Five companies submitted bids for the bridge demolition work on Dec. 14, and Veit and Company had the lowest bid at $884,100. The highest of the five bids came from Yahnke General Contractors at $2.999 million, followed closely by Kraemer North America out of Plain, who bid the project at $2.964 million.

All were considered responsible bids, said Ken Lucht of Wisconsin and Southern Railroad. The lowest responsible bidder was Veit and Company at $884,100 which is about $130,000 under our intended budget.

Lucht said all the bidders were discussed by Wisconsin and Southern along with Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and both concurred Veit and Company was the lowest responsible bidder for the project.

A letter of award was drafted by Wisconsin and Southern and the Department of Transportation and was subsequently reviewed by Eileen Brownlee, the attorney from Boardman and Clark, LLC., who represents the commission. After the letter is sent to Veit, the company needs to issue a performance bond, insurability, insurance certificate and return the signed contract to the commission. From the date of the bid opening  Dec. 14  the commission has 30 days to award the bid, Lucht said.

Veit and Company has informed us that they would like to and are eligible to get going on this work, if awarded, by Jan. 1, Lucht said. According to our contract, the project demolition has to be substantially completed by March 31, with a final bill by June 1.

Lucht said the DNR has been informed of the project and has laid out a number of conditions of which the contractors have to abide by; all contractors were aware of those conditions when making their respective bids.

Brownlee said prior to the bids being awarded she received notification from the commissions insurance agent saying it was satisfied with the contracts insurance limitations. However, it suggested workers compensation insurance include longshoremen and harbor workers coverage, due to the fact the project is being done over navigable waterway. Brownlee said based on that recommendation, she is also recommending the contract spell out that workers compensation be extended to those workers.

Other than that, I think everything has gone about as well as  if not better than anticipated, Brownlee said.

One commission member questioned why there was such a difference  almost $2 million  between the high and low bidder.

Lucht said it likely depends on the workload of the bidders.

In my opinion, the higher bidders have other work to do in the wintertime and if their bid was awarded, the work is going to be at a premium, Lucht said. Other work would have to be put on hold.

Lucht assured the commission all work will be certified and checked to ensure it is being done properly.

Veit and Company does a lot of commercial, concrete work in the state of Wisconsin, Lucht said. They are very, very well-known.

Lucht said although Wisconsin and Southern has never directly contracted with Veit before, the company has been a subcontractor on a previous project.

The contract includes the disposal of all debris from the project as well.

The motion made was to approve and authorize commission chair Alan Sweeney to sign the contract, and was amended by Sweeney to include authorization for a notice to proceed be signed after the signatures from Veit are returned.

Other details of the contract included a motion made by commission member Marty Krueger to authorize David Bierman of Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, who is serving as bridge structure supervisor for the project, to approve a single change order up to $20,000. That motion was approved by the commission.

Sweeney said the commission is choosing to go this route with the change orders because change orders are often abused.

I think the point of this is that the contractor has a short time to get the work done, Krueger said. By the time it takes us to get together to approve something, it might hold work up.

Lucht told the commission he would be giving the commission updates on the project at every meeting.

The demolition cost was estimated at $1,080,000 by the state, based on projected bid amounts. The Department of Transportation is responsible to cover $360,000 for the work, and the Commission was covering $720,000  with $160,000 coming from the commissions 2018 budget. The remaining $200,000 was to be funded through a loan with repayments spanning the next decade. Wisconsin and Southern Rail would reimburse the commission $360,000. However, because the bid amount was lower than the projected budget amount, the commission has to reevaluate its portion of the financial structure.

The breakdown of project cost sharing will be revisited at the commissions January meeting.
NEW DELHI: Hailing Narendra Modi government for raising voice against the injustice meted out to women through triple talaq, the victims of the 'evil' practice hoped the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights and Marriage) Bill, which is to be introduced in Parliament on Thursday, is passed by the legislatures.

One of the triple talaq victims from Agra thanked PM Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for coming forward and call for the quashing of triple talaq.

While hoping for the triple talaq bill to be passed in the Parliament, Faiza Khan said, We are really happy that the procedure started by Modiji and Yogiji is going to succeed. This day will be more significant in Muslim women's life than Eid or Bakrid.

Another victim of the centuries-old practice Huma Khayanat said, Women, who have been divorced and those who are threatened with such practice would be benefited from this law.

A bill seeking to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on August 22 by a 3-2 decision struck down the centuries-old practice of instant triple talaq among Indian Muslims as unconstitutional, manifestly arbitrary and void in law.

PM Modi and Adityanath had advocated for the rights of Muslim women and had called for the abolition of the triple talaq and nikah halala.

PM Modi had repeatedly urged people belonging to the Muslim community not to "politicise" the issue and requested them to come forward with a "solution".

Terming triple talaq a "bad social practice" PM Modi had earlier said that such practices can be ended by social awakening.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights and Marriage) Bill that seeks to protect the rights of married Muslim women and prohibits "any pronouncement (of divorce) by a person upon his wife by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form, or in any other manner".

The bill proposes to make the triple talaq practice a punishable offence and describes it against constitutional morality and gender equity.

Anyone who pronounces instant divorce "shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and a fine", the bill proposes.
Tokyo: Imports of Iranian crude oil by major buyers in Asia tumbled 29 percent in November from the same month a year ago to the lowest volumes since April 2016, government and ship-tracking data showed.

In total, China, India, Japan and South Korea imported 1.36 million barrels per day (bpd) last month from Iran, the data showed. The drop comes after imports hit highs earlier this year and last when Tehran ramped up exports after the lifting of sanctions that had targeted its disputed nuclear programme.

The slowdown had been expected, as oil loadings bound for Asia fell below 1.5 million bpd in October, a person with knowledge of Iran`s tanker schedules had told Reuters.

Tehran is pushing to retain its prized Asian customers, hoping price reductions will boost the appeal of its crude compared with other Middle Eastern grades even as the potential threat of a renewal of U.S. sanctions looms.

China, the biggest buyer, purchased 8.8 percent less oil from Iran year-on-year, taking around 557,900 bpd.

Meanwhile India`s refiners cut Iranian oil imports by more than half in November, ship tracking data showed, squeezing them to a 21-month low in protest at Tehran`s decision to award a giant gas field to a Russian company.

Imports to Japan were down 19 percent from a year earlier to 193,141 barrels per day, data released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed on Thursday.

The tables below outline Iran crude imports in bpd by Asia`s biggest buyers for last month and year-to-date.
RANCHI: In a disturbing incident, a Hindu woman was first gang-raped and later murdered by her in-laws after she reportedly refused to convert herself to Islam post her marriage with a Muslim man.

The incident happened almost a month back in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand. The dead body of the victim, who had gone missing since November 6th, was recovered with her hands and legs tied, near the bank of river Garna.

The post-mortem confirmed the victim was gang-raped before being murdered.

The police acted swiftly after the body's recovery and arrested the girl's lover, Adil, who made several revelations during an investigation.

As per the police, the victim married Adil against their parents' choice last month and the couple reached his uncle's home in Bokaro. The uncle, in return, informed Adil's father and called him at his place.

The couple, then were told by the father-uncle that since the girl is of different religion, she has to convert herself to Islam first. However, this demand was immediately turned down by the girl, after which the father offered to drop the duo to a nearest railway station so that they could head to Ranchi and live there.

However, the father-uncle took the couple to a jungle route via Rajabeda Halt where they took turns to rape the girl and later killed her in the bushes.

The girl's lover Adil told the police that while he resisted his father-uncle's motives, he too was tied by them while they committed the crime.

On the other hand, the victim's family alleged that Adil's family misled them for over a month about the whole affair.

Meanwhile, after the news spread, several Hindu groups protested against the murder and called it a case of love-jihad.
MUMBAI: Salman Syyed has come a long way from his humble background as a ragpicker and street vendor in Mumbai to joining an undergraduate course at the Houston Community College in Texas. Salman had faced hardships that many of us would even shudder to think. But this young lad refused to surrender to what his meager life had to offer, and as he set out this incredible journey of his life, he ended up being an inspiration to all.

Like any other street children in this megacity, it was a daily struggle for Salman to make his ends meet. While his mother was a ragpicker, Salman sold books at the traffic signals. I eventually graduated being a ragpicker to selling books on footpaths, he declared.

However, Salman was different from his peers as he chooses the path of hard work and honesty, and besides all, he liked reading books. Although Salman had to drop out of school in Class II to help earn money for the family, he never abandoned his studies.

Back then, I would read the books to know, read and write some English words, he told DNA in an interview from Houston. However, on a lighter vein, he added, he liked some books more than others because he sold them more.

Salman, now an avid fan of the Kite Runner fame Khaled Hossaini, said he really had a tough time growing up because of meager income of the family back then.

On some days, she (mother) would have money, but on others, it was tough, Salman said in a video produced by Voice of Ram and shared on this year's Teachers Day.

Salman has great respect for Caroline 'didi' who helped him in his studies and also to travel abroad. She was my guardian angel, who ensured that I studied and then helped me go abroad. I visited New York and it was an amazing experience, said Salman in the video.

Ram Subramanian, the head of Voice of Ram, said he first met Salman while he was selling books at Haji Ali footpath. We spent some time together and I was amazed at how he was able to perceive individuals. His observation skills are quite brilliant, he said.

Salman was spotted by Caroline, a teacher with the NGO Akanksha, who encouraged him to go back to school. He passed his Class X and XII with flying colours and then studied sociology at KC College in Mumbai. To pay for his education, Salman worked as a tour guide in the city, Subramanian told DNA.



I have dreams of starting my own tour company. I will start in Mumbai, branch out throughout India, and then go global, Salman said.

The video was shot before Salman went to the US where he is studying entrepreneurship.
London: Director Ridley Scott has said that Disney will never allow him to helm a "Star Wars" movie as he feels he is "too dangerous" for it.

The "Alien: Covenant" director was asked in an interview whether Scott would ever make a "Star Wars" movie.

"No, no. I'm too dangerous for that," Scott told Vulture.

"Because I know what I'm doing. I think they like to be in control, and I like to be in control myself," he added.

He also said his years of experience would not fit Disney's trend of enlisting new and rising directors.

"When you get a guy who's done a low-budget movie and you suddenly give him USD 180 million, it makes no sense whatsoever. It's f**cking stupid," he said.

"You know what the reshoots cost? Millions! Millions. You can get me for my fee, which is heavy, but I'll be under budget and on time. This is where experience does matter, it's as simple as that," he added.
Mumbai: Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi  son of Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan - is arguably the most photographed celebrity baby in the country. He is a photographers delight and a hot favourite of the paparazzi.

Ever since he was born on December 20, last year, images of the toddler have surfaced online time and again and now there are fan clubs on social media solely dedicated to him. Now isnt that adorable?

The baby was seen taking steps soon after getting off a car along with his parents outside late actor Shashi Kapoors residence here for Christmas lunch.

Now videos of Taimur taking baby steps have surfaced online and we cant stop gushing over them. And if you are a fan of Saifeena, these videos embedded below will make your day.

Check them out here:

We can clearly see Taimur looking at fans and paparazzi that had gathered outside Kapoors residence for photo-ops. He smiles at them with an expression that reflects his amusement level. We can also hear a loud cheer as the baby gets off the car and starts walking. And later, on being requested by a photographer, Saif takes the baby in his arms and waves at media before moving into the house.

Taimur celebrated his first birthday in a private ceremony at his ancestral palace in Pataudi. His birthday bash was attended only by family members and mothers close friend  Amrita Ladak, her spouse and kids.

The toddler has inherited his fathers royal looks and his mothers pout. No wonder why the baby has already attained superstar status.
New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will pay a day-long visit to Shimla on Friday where he will review his party's dismal performance in the recently held assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh.

The Gandhi scion will meet party legislators, defeated party candidates and district presidents, and discuss with them the reasons for the defeat.

The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Rajiv Bhawan, the Congress party's headquarters in Shimla.

Rahul Gandhi will also address a meeting of the party workers later

The ruling Congress was defeated by the BJP in the hill state where it had been in power for the last five years.

The party managed to bag just 21 seats out of 68, while the BJP won 44 seats.

According to party sources, the Congress president will seek the views of party workers and evolve ways to strengthen the party in the state.

He has already held a similar post-poll review in Gujarat, where the party failed to regain power even after over 22 years of BJP rule, despite putting up a spirited fight.

(With PTI inputs)
CHENNAI: Days after the RK Nagar bypoll debacle, the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Thursday expelled at least nine members of Amma Peravai, a party wing named after former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, from their posts and also primary membership of the party.

The nine members of the AIADMK had backed sidelined party deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran.

The decision was taken at a high-level committee meeting called by the two top party office-bearers to analyse the party's performance after the thumping defeat in RK Nagar polls by TTV Dhinkaran of the rival faction.

The ruling AIADMK urged EC to probe alleged irregularities committed by supporters of Dhinakaran in the bypoll held on 21 December.

As per a report, while four district secretaries, including P Vetrivel (North Chennai) and Thanga Tamilselvan (Theni), were removed from their posts, five others, including Karnataka state secretary V

Pugazhendhi and women's wing deputy secretary C R Saraswathi, were expelled from the party.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Assembly will meet for its next session from January eight, 2018.

The session would commence with the customary address by the Governor Banwarilal Purohit, his first after taking over last month.

According to a government notification, the Governor has summoned the assembly to meet on January 8 at 10 AM.

The duration of the session will be decided later by the House's Business Advisory Committee.

The session will also see rival AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran making his debut in the Assembly after having won the December 21 Radhakrishnan Nagar bypoll by a thumping margin of 40,000 votes against E Madhusudhanan of AIADMK.

This will also be the first session after Speaker P Dhanapal disqualified 18 rival AIADMK MLAs supporting Dhinakaran, for revolting against Chief Minister K Palaniswami in August.

These MLAs had met the then governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and said they had lost confidence in the Chief Minister, a day after the formal merger of the two factions led by Palaniswami and then rebel leader and now Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on August 21.
Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth on Thursday met his fans for the third day of his six-day long fans meet-and-greet programme in Chennai where the fan club is getting an opportunity to take a photograph with their matinee idol.

His six-day long fans meet-and-greet programme began on December 26 in Raghvendra Kalyana Mandpam in Chennai.

Rajinikanth is holding such a meeting for the second time this year. He had earlier met his fans in May and clicked pictures with them which fuelled intense speculation about his entry into politics with remarks like this: "If God wills it, I will enter politics tomorrow"..On the opening day of a six-day-long photo session with followers, the Tamil superstar said he was hesitant to enter politics since he knew its dynamics.

"I am not saying that I will come to politics...I will announce my stand on entering politics on 31 December," Rajinikanth said.

The actor met nearly a thousand fans from different districts of the state on the third day of the six-day fan interaction event at Raghavendra Marriage Hall in Kodambakkam.

The superstar expressed pleasure that fans acted in an orderly and disciplined manner during the photo shoot.Rajinikanth is scheduled to meet about 1000 fans during the six days ending December 31.

The session is scheduled to begin by 7 am. and go on till about 3 pm.


Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly will meet for its next session from January 8, 2018. The session would commence with the customary address by the Governor Banwarilal Purohit, his first after taking over last month.

According to a government notification, the Governor has summoned the assembly to meet on January 8 at 10 AM.

The duration of the session will be decided later by the House's Business Advisory Committee.

The session will also see rival AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran making his debut in the Assembly after having won the December 21 Radhakrishnan Nagar bypoll by a thumping margin of 40,000 votes against E Madhusudhanan of AIADMK.

This will also be the first session after Speaker P Dhanapal disqualified 18 rival AIADMK MLAs supporting Dhinakaran, for revolting against Chief Minister K Palaniswami in August.

These MLAs had met the then governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and said they had lost confidence in the Chief Minister, a day after the formal merger of the two factions led by Palaniswami and then rebel leader and now Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on August 21.


CALEDONIA  A Kenosha man and woman are facing charges after allegedly stealing a Salvation Army red kettle, its stand and the donations inside it.

Alicia R. Wojtowicz, 34, and Jacob A. Doppke, 35, both of the 3300 block of 26th Avenue in Kenosha, are charged with misdemeanor charges of theft and entry into a locked coin box, both charges as a party to a crime.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Friday, a Caledonia Police Department officer was dispatched to Walgreens, 5005 Douglas Ave., after a Walgreens manager said a Salvation Army kettle and stand that were in the store had been stolen the previous day.

The officer spoke with a Salvation Army officer who said one of its kettles-stand combinations, which cost $325 to replace, was missing and contained approximately $200 cash. The kettle had been locked to deter theft.

On surveillance footage, the officer saw a female, later identified as Wojtowicz, pull the stand and kettle out of Walgreens at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21. Wojtowicz allegedly loaded the kettle and stand into a vehicle, got into the passenger side of the vehicle and left the scene at 6:31 p.m.

On Friday, a complainant who had seen the surveillance footage on the news called the police and allegedly identified Wojtowicz as the suspect. The complainant also said Wojtowicz has a drug problem and was reportedly fired from Taco Bell after stealing from a donation collection display there.

Other callers also corroborated the first complainants statements, saying Wojtowicz had a heroin problem, was fired from Taco Bell for theft and was a panhandler at a local Walmart store. They also said her boyfriend, Doppke, also had a suspected drug problem.

On Sunday, the Caledonia Police Department went to Wojtowiczs mothers residence, where Wojtowicz was known to live. While Wojtowicz was not there, her mother and Doppke allowed an officer to search the residence and garage. The officer found the Salvation Army kettle and stand, open and empty, in the garage.

Doppke denied being involved in the theft. Another officer stopped Wojtowiczs vehicle. After being pulled over and told the kettle was found in the garage, Wojtowicz reportedly admitted to stealing it. She said Doppke was driving her minivan when she took the kettle and stand.

Doppke reportedly told officers both he and Wojtowicz are heavy heroin users, and an officer allegedly saw multiple track marks on Doppkes arms.

During their initial appearances on Wednesday, a cash bond was set of $3,000 for both Wojtowicz and Doppke. A pretrial conference for both is scheduled for Feb. 1 at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.

Both remained in the Racine County Jail as of Wednesday afternoon, online records show.
New Delhi: Samsung and Xiaomi together contributed to almost half of the Indian smartphone market, according to research firm Counterpoint.

Karn Chauhan, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research said, Samsung and Xiaomi together contributed to almost 45 percent of the Indian smartphone market.

This is the first time since 2012, that the top two brands have reached this level of combined share, signaling that key brands are ramping up their presence in India, he added.

The report added that driven by strong sale of both feature phones and smartphones, India's handset shipments reached an all-time high of over 84 million for the first time ever.

In terms of performance during the quarter, Smartphone shipments in India grew by 18% YoY while featurephone shipments declined by 4% YoY.

The rise in sale was driven by online channels such as Flipkarts Big Billion sale and Amazons Great Indian festival in September, it said.

Offline players also contributed to some of the shipment growth filling the channel ahead of Diwali, the report said.
Mumbai: We can expect tonights Bigg Boss 11 episode to be loaded with sentiments. It will be all about striking a chord and triggering emotions. The contestants will be making a gift basket for their loved ones, who are lodged at the Padosi house.

A feeling of positivity flows through, as contestants remain overwhelmed with their loved ones being in the padosi house!

Each of the contestants  Vikas Gupta, Shilpa Shinde, Hina Khan, Akash Dadlani, Luv Tyagi, Priyank Sharma and Puneesh Sharma have been away from home and family for over three months and hence they are earnestly looking forward to meeting their dear ones.

The best gifts, they say, come from the heart and not from a store; and Bigg Boss will test this thought in todays task. Contestants are asked to put together a gift basket. And the padosis will be asked to judge the emotional quotient of each gift.

The Gharwale can add any of their personal belongings in the gift basket that they feel will make their loved ones happy. Hina Khan puts together a personalized basket for beau Rocky with Coffee Powder that she had previously won in a task; along with her favorite perfume. Luv gifts his mother his lucky shirt  the one he had worn during his Bigg Boss audition along with the medal he won in the Sultaani Akhada.

Vikas decides to send a ring to his mother that she had gifted him during his childhood when finances were rather low. Upon receiving the gift, his mother is seen battling many emotions. Shilpa cuts out a picture of her father and sticks it on a family photo frame saying that she has missed his picture in the frame.

Given that it is their last day in the padosi house, Bigg Boss puts the family members in immense pressure by asking them to select the best gift basket with mutual consent. Lastly, the family members and contestants are counting on Bigg Boss to allow them to meet each other.

Will there be Aapsi Sehmati among the family member? Will the contestants be allowed to meet their loved ones? Tonights episode will have answers to all these questions.
Mumbai: Hina Khan is perhaps the only Bigg Boss 11 contestant who is mocked for her animated expressions. Remember how Shilpa had mimicked her reaction after Rocky Jaiswal ( Hinas boyfriend) was asked by Bigg Boss to exit the house during his last visit? Hina reacted in a similar way on realising that Rocky would stay in the Padosi house.

But something really irked Hina and you will be surprised to know what upset her.

Hina was apparently not happy to see Rocky repeating his jacket on national television.

Yes, you read that right.

According to a Bollywoodlife.com report, in video published on Voot in the BB Extra Dose category, Hina is seen telling Luv that Rocky shoudnt have repeated his jacket. She argues that Rocky has many jackets and he could have picked something else for his TV appearance.

But Rocky hadnt really worn the same jacket. But maybe Hina was referring to the jacket Rocky will be seen wearing in tonights episode.

For the unversed, Hina, best known for her role as Akshara in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, is one of the most popular contestants. However, her behaviour has irked many of her colleagues in the industry including Karan Patel and Kamya Punjabi.

She is competing against Shilpa Shinde, Akash Dadlani, Priyank Sharma, Luv Tyagi and Puneesh Sharma for a spot in the grand finale. Vikas Gupta is the only contestant to get a direct entry into the semi-finale.

Priyank and Luv have been nominated this week for eviction and only one of them will continue to play the contest post the weekend ka vaar episode.
New Delhi: At least two people died and several others were injured when 12 cars crashed into a stationary truck on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in the early hours of Thursday.

The truck was reportedly parked after a breakdown and dense fog resulted in the cars behind not seeing it in time. While many managed to steer clear, several others crashed into the parked truck.

Low visibility has resulted in numerous accidents across expressways in the state. On December 2, four people, including an Italian man, were injured when their cars collided on the Yamuna Expressway. On December 18, ten cars were involved in a nightmarish pileup near Bangarmau in Unnao district. Several passengers were injured in the accident.
New Delhi: Even as its own aggressive foreign policy is being widely frowned upon - from Bhutan to South China Sea, China appears more keen on advising India on how to deal with neighbours. A Chinese daily recently sought to question India's approach to countries around it.

State-controlled Global Times said India is disillusioned about China's growing influence in South Asia. "India should stop treating those small countries around it as its mistresses and showing no tolerance when they interact with other major powers," read a report on the news website. "They believe that South Asia and the peripheral area of India should be New Delhi's turf. Every nation in the region should respect only India and reject developing relations with other countries."



The report was published on the backdrop of the first-ever dialogue between Foreign Ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Beijing assumes the meeting has tickled India the wrong way. After all, the joint press release after the meet outlined that none of the three countries would allow terrorist outfits to operate from its soil.

The irony of it all though is in the fact that Kabul has repeatedly accused Pakistan of sponsoring terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The irony is also in the fact that recent reports have suggested that China has been fortifying its border with Afghanistan because of a possible threat from rising Al-Qaeda here. At times like this, many diplomatic and security experts firmly believe that join statements tend to remain statements at best.

Instead, China - a country that has openly rejected a judgment by an international tribunal in The Hague favouring Philippines' claims in South China Sea - seeks to repeatedly establish itself as a peaceful country committed for closer economic co-operation with the world.

And while preaching about how relations are maintained with smaller countries, China often tends to forget that its activities in disputed Doklam have been strongly contested by Bhutan, that China was dragged to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by the Philippines over its 'nine-dotted line' claim in South China Sea, that it has disputes here with even Vietnam and Malaysia, that it does not even recognise Taiwan, that it is accused of human rights violation in Tibet and that it is engaged in a tussle over The Senkaku Islands with Japan.
CAIRO: Islamic State claimed a suicide bomb attack carried out on Thursday on an office of the Afghan Voice news agency and a neighbouring Shi`ite cultural centre in Kabul, the group`s Amaq news agency said in an online statement.

The suicide attack was carried out by one bomber wearing a vest and followed three other bomb blasts in the same area, the statement said.

The agency offered no evidence for the claim of responsibility for the attack, which killed dozens of people.

Interior Ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said at least 40 people had been killed and 30 wounded in the blast, the latest in a series to have hit media organizations in Kabul.

The attack occurred during a morning panel discussion on the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Sunni-majority Afghanistan at the Tabian Social and Cultural Centre, with many of those attending students, witnesses said.

Sayed Abbas Hussaini, a journalist at the agency, said there appeared to have been more than one explosion during the attack, following an initial blast at the entrance to the compound housing the two offices. He said one reporter at the agency had been killed and two wounded.

Photographs sent by witnesses showed what appeared to be serious damage at the site, in a heavily Shi`ite Muslim area in the west of the capital, and a number of dead and wounded on the ground.

Deputy Health Minister Feda Mohammad Paikan said 35 bodies had been brought into the nearby Istiqlal hospital. Television pictures showed many of the injured suffered serious burns.

President Ashraf Ghani`s spokesman issued a statement calling the attack an "unpardonable" crime against humanity and pledging to destroy terrorist groups.

The attack, the latest in a series to hit Afghan media groups in recent years, follows an attack on a private television station in Kabul last month.

Backed by the heaviest U.S. air strikes since the height of the international combat mission in Afghanistan, Afghan forces have forced the Taliban back in many areas and prevented any major urban centre from falling into the hands of insurgents.

But high-profile attacks in the big cities have continued as militants have looked for other ways to make an impact and undermine confidence in security. Islamic State, which is opposed to both the Taliban and the Western-backed government, has claimed a growing share of such attacks.

"This gruesome attack underscores the dangers faced by Afghan civilians," rights group Amnesty International said in a statement from its South Asia Director, Biraj Patnaik. "In one of the deadliest years on record, journalists and other civilians continue to be ruthlessly targeted by armed groups."


JERUSALEM: Israel wants to name a train station after Donald Trump to thank him for recognising Jerusalem as its capital, but the site of the planned building could be as divisive as the U.S. president`s declaration.

Transport Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday he had chosen a proposed subway stop near the Western Wall in Jerusalem`s Old City - right in the middle of the area that the Palestinians want as their own future capital.

"I have decided to name the Western Wall station ... after U.S. President Donald Trump for his courageous and historic decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel," Katz said in a statement.

The envisaged underground extension of a high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is still on the drawing board and a transport ministry spokeswoman said other departments still needed to approve it.

The announcement was quickly condemned by Palestinian leaders already angered by Trump`s Dec. 6 decision to overturn decades of U.S. policy on the city.

"The Israeli extremist government is trying to race against time to impose facts on the ground in the city of Jerusalem," Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization`s Executive Committee, told Reuters.

Trump has said he has simply acknowledged the reality on the ground by recognising Jerusalem as Israel`s capital - but the Palestinians and most world powers have said he undermined the long-held position that Jerusalem`s status must be settled by future negotiations.

A ministry spokeswoman said the proposed station and underground extension still required the approval of various governmental planning committees, and gave no date for when a final go-ahead might be given. She said she did not know where funds for the estimated $700-million rail add-on would come from.

Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem - among whose shrines is Islam`s third-holiest mosque, Al-Aqsa - as the capital of a state they seek in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
New Delhi: A top Pakistani Army official on Thursday warned that there would be no compromise over the death sentence awarded to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on spying charges and his case would be pursued according to the country's law.

The warning came from Major General Asif Ghafoor, the Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR).

DG ISPR Press Conference https://t.co/U9kAIeTpGX  Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) December 28, 2017

Ghafoor said that there will be no compromise over the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, during a press briefing in Islamabad.

The reaction from Pakistan came shortly after the Government of India accused the hostile neighbour of committing the serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and creating an intimidating atmosphere for them during their meeting with him which was used as an instrument to further its propaganda.

"There are not enough words to condemn the same," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in both the Houses of Parliament as members endorsed her statement, which also stated that the meeting on Monday in Islamabad was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture "but the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing".

"I am fully confident that this entire House and through this House, the people of India, strongly condemn in one voice the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family," the Minister said in identical statements in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

Speaking on behalf of the Government of India, Swaraj also slammed Islamabad for making "absurd" charges of a chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the footwear of the wife of Indian death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav.

''Islamabad has frittered away an opportunity to move forward in ties by turning his meeting with his family as a propaganda tool,'' she said.

In identical statements in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said India has conveyed its objections to Pakistan in a note verbale yesterday over the way it had conducted Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife in Islamabad earlier this week.

"This meeting could have been a step towards moving forward. But, it is a matter of great disappointment, that the meeting took place flouting all the understandings both countries had agreed to," she said.

Making a stinging attack on Pakistan, she said an emotional meeting of a mother with his son and of a wife with her husband after 22 months has been "used" by Pakistan as a "tool of propaganda".

Following the statement, the members of all parties in the Lok Sabha, as well as Rajya Sabha, supported the government on the issue.

Swaraj said Jadhav's mother and wife were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the accompanying Deputy High Commissioner of India, stripped of their bindi, bangles and 'mangalsutra', made to change into different clothes and wear slippers by discarding their shoes.

"If he had seen them (without bindi, bangles and 'mangalsutra'), he would have protested and would never have allowed them to go to the meeting that way. In his absence, the meeting was started," Swaraj said.

She emphasised that both the wife and the mother were asked to remove their bindis and jewellery, which had led Jadhav to ask about the welfare of his father as soon as they sat down for the meeting.

Normally, a Hindu woman does not wear the 'mangalsutra' and bindi or vermillion after the death of her husband.

She said removal of the 'mangalsutra' was a height of disrespect as Jadhav's mother had told the Pakistani officials that it was a symbol of marriage, but they did not relent.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhav's wife despite repeated requests.

Swaraj said not returning the shoes has given rise to a suspicion that Pakistan was up to some "mischief".

Now, Pakistani authorities are talking about chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes, she said. The charge is "absurdity beyond measure," she said, adding that the two women had cleared security at airports in Delhi and Dubai and in Pakistan and no such device was detected during these through airport security checks there.

The Minister said the government had approached the International Court of Justice and obtained provisional measures staying the execution of the death sentence that was passed on Jadhav through "a farcical Pakistani military court process."

"While the imminent threat to Jadhav's safety was averted as a result, we are now engaged in seeking a permanent relief, based on stronger arguments, through the legal avenue offered by the International Court of Justice," she said.

She said the mother and wife, on their return from Islamabad, had conveyed to her that Jadhav appeared "under considerable stress and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion."

"As the meeting progressed, it was clear to them that his (Jadhav's) remarks were tutored by his captors and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities. His appearance also raised questions of his health and well- being," she said.

Before the statement, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the matter was sensitive and was before the International Court of Justice and urged the MPs should exercise restraint in making statements keeping the welfare of Jadhav in mind.

Members cutting across party lines supported the government on the issue with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the misbehaviour with Jadhav's wife and mother was "misbehaviour with wives and mothers of 130 crore Indians."

"We will not tolerate insults to the wives and mothers and to the country's dignity," Azad said, adding the government should ensure that Pakistan ensures Jadhav's safety in custody.

Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Derek O'Brien (TMC), Harivansh (JD-U), Dilip Tirkey (BJD), Tapan Kumar Sen (CPM), T Devendra Goud (TDP), Veer Singh (BSP), Thiruchi Siva (DMK), D Raja (CPI), Sukhdev Singh Dindsa (Akali Dal), Abdul Wahab (IML), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) and Ram Das Athavale (RPI) supported the government in the matter.

Naidu said the entire House joins together to appreciate the efforts of the government and asks it to take steps to ensure the safe and secure release of Jadhav.

He also wanted the government to convey to the international community that Pakistan behaved in an inhuman manner.

(With PTI inputs)
Islamabad: Pakistan's anti-graft body has given the nod for launching a corruption case against ousted premier Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Javed Iqbal yesterday approved the registration of the corruption case during an executive board meeting.

NAB officials said the case was related to alleged loss of over Rs 120 million to the national exchequer over the construction of a two-way road in 2000 from Raiwind to the Sharif family home in Jati Umra in the suburbs of Lahore.

The Sharif brothers have so far not reacted to the new allegations of corruption.

Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam, son-in-law Muhammad Safdar, and sons Hassan and Hussain, are already facing three NAB cases filed in September on the basis of the Supreme Court's decision of July 28 in the Panama Papers case that led to Sharif's ouster as premier.

However, the new case also includes Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who has been tipped as a future prime minister if Nawaz's PML-N party wins the election next year.

Officials said the NAB in the same meeting also approved filing of six corruption references, complete four pending inquiries, and 11 investigations against different politicians and officers.

The meeting also decided to probe former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf who as minister for water and power from 2008-2011 caused a loss of Rs 113 billion to the national exchequer by delaying a key energy project.

NAB will also launch investigations into alleged corruption by another former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani who was disqualified by the apex court in 2012 and replaced by Ashraf.
ISTANBUL: Turkish police detained 38 people, some of them Syrian citizens, over suspected links to Islamic State in an operation on Thursday in the northwestern province of Bursa, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Counter-terrorism police carried out simultaneous raids on homes in various districts of Bursa, smashing doors open with battering rams and searching the properties, it said.

Islamic State militants have carried out gun and bomb attacks in Turkey. Many foreign fighters passed through Turkey in recent years on their way to join the jihadist group in territory it controlled in Syria and Iraq.

A year ago, the group claimed responsibility for a New Year`s Day mass shooting by a lone gunman who killed 39 people in a packed Istanbul nightclub. A trial of those allegedly behind the attack began this month.
La Crosse police recovered about $10,000 worth of methamphetamine Monday after someone reported finding the drugs on a bridge.

According to a police report, a 53-year-old woman was walking across the Cass Street bridge Christmas morning when she noticed a dark red cloth bag. Inside were seven gem bags of a white substance and one bag with leafy green contents.

The woman turned the bag over to police who found the seven bags contained a little more than 100 grams of meth. The other bag contained 3.2 grams of an undetermined substance.

No one has claimed ownership of the drugs.
Steve Barry and Sanitary Tortilla Factory

It felt trite to be saying it once again, but there I was, cupping a drink in my hand at a bar, surrounded by friends and still bundled up from the cold outside, through my scarf commenting on the approaching year's end, astutely noting that time goes by too fast. 2017 had raced by, whole months coming and going before I was sure I'd seen them at all and soon I'd be really old, I said, probably saying the same thing, but speaking about life more in the past tense.

Working at a weekly paper, the year is measured in 7 day intervals, remembered, at least a little bit, as 52 articles. Passage after passage, 50-some interviews, hundreds of conversations, lots of comps (thank you!), millions of words and investigating the nuance of the subsurfacewho makes art, why, all this interiority put out into the world. Our attraction to certain pieces is as personal and subjective as anything. For that reason, this feels like a diary entrywhat I loved is the end result of my particular and circumstantial view on the world.

Trying to catalog the last year of this column underscores all the more the scary fast flow of time as I ask myselfwas that yesterday? A week ago? Last month? Inventorying like that is a trialwhat I remember, I suppose, is what moved me, though it invokes a certain sadness, too, over the strangers who passed through and the stories I'll never learn. But it's nice that the allowance of winter is more time spent in the dark, hopefully sleeping, but also reflecting on the time that has passed before saying the old invocations of a new year.

Of those weeks and months gone, I strongly remember sitting down in Tricklock Company's small theater for two pieces, performed seasons apartHands Up: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments and Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. Each of these felt so important and so timely, that their performances felt like more of a public service than a piece of theater, but perhaps that is one of the highest functions of artto offer education at important moments. Following up these performances at Tricklock was a more escapist outingthat's necessary, tooat Vortex Theatre in the shape of She Kills Monsters. This piece brought us poignantly into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, using humor and fantasy to move forward the search for a loved one. There was a lot of great theater in Albuquerque this year, at a dozen venues, brought to bear by so much local talent.

In-between weekend theater performances, I made it to the UNM Museum of Art several times for knock-out, nationally performing shows like Frida Kahlo: Her Photos and Long Environmentalism in the Near North. The exhibition of photos from Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's personal collectiona traveling show whose origins, of course, are at Casa Azul in Mexico Citywas extremely well trafficked, and rightfully so. The gallery was painted in that brilliant shade of blue that visitors to Kahlo's home no doubt remember, and the carefully curated glimpse into the life of an artist turned cultural icon proved fascinating. To similar effect, Subhankhar Banerjee (who you may have heard recently on Democracy Now!) displayed a collection of work that included essays and photographs that illustrate the realities of climate change and the importance of environmentalism, as it can so powerfully be observed in the north, where the changes of the world are so readily discernible.

Downtown, interior wonders surfaced in installation work at Sanitary Tortilla Factory during local sculptor Steve Barry's exhibition, Wave. Here, Barry used repetitive imagery and modern machinery to bring us closer to ourselvessometimes literally, sometimes figuratively. Heading south from Sanitary Tortilla to GRAFT in Barelas, another group show had the power to simultaneously put us squarely in our bodies and take us out of themNear Death Experience. Culturally, it seems that we shy away from discussion of death, but for a month-long run, death was at the forefront in this group show curated by the GRAFT Collective and Adri De La Cruz. Cozy coffins, performance art, paintings on the floor, audio pieces and more all vitally led visitors to the important admittance: We're all going to die, and acknowledging that can be serious, funny, thought- and conversation- provoking.

There are always too many things to do on the weekends in Albuquerquebut precious weekend hours were well spent at ABQ Zine Fest Seven, perhaps the most expansive zine fest to-date. Founder and organizer Marya Errin Jones along with organizer Liza Bley coordinated dozens of zinesters tabling their wares and facilitating workshops. Visitors included Tomas Moniz and Ariel Gore. I picked up Gore's latest at the fest, We Were Witches, which wound up also being one of the best books I read over the course of 2017. There was also the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics, New Mexico's only shop prioritizing Native voices and those of People of Color, which hosted dozens of events throughout the year and made Albuquerque's Downtown corridor all the cooler.

A whole different experience was had at the 2017 Festival Flamenco hosted by the National Institute of Flamenco. Over the course of 10 days, we were treated to world-class performances by a host of masters from afar, as well as workshops, classes and other experiences that are unheard of in other cities. A standout came in the shape of Compania Jesus Carmona's Impetua powerhouse of a performance that made flamenco resonate as contemporary and singularly alive.

Looking to another yearmeasured in 52 weeks, which never feels like much when you're living themwe can expect no less than those weeks to be full of events, performances, art openings and readings. They'll go by fast, but in the meantime, taking in all the art that Albuquerque has to offer gives the year texture, making space for contemplation, excitement, and thought.
Earlier this year, after teaching art classes for more than a decade and courses like movement, meditation and expressive arts at UNM's Center for Life, Nicole White decided to centralize her expertise in a single location, now called Raven Art Center (301 Washington SE). After connecting with a community of women also interested in teaching the arts, and emphasizing the relationship between art making and mental health, the center got a firm grounding. White and other instructors will hold several classes to welcome the new year, and enunciate how to meet it successfully. A New Years Art Intention workshop will be held on Dec. 30, from 11am to 2pm, and will be followed on Dec. 31 with a Year in Review Oracle Cards and Intuitive Process Art and Journaling workshop from 2 to 5pm. (For registration and further information, visit ravenartcenter.com.) White explained her relationship with intention-setting and how this speaks to art and life.

Alibi: How do you see intention setting working in the lives of other artists you know?

Many artists or people [with] their craft find that they dont have enough time, and I believe that setting the intention to work on ones craft everyday, even if its just five minutes, will create a new ritual or habit that can eliminate blocks and help someone move towards their artistic or life goals however works for them. Setting an intention is the light bulb of focus.

What is the power of identifying goals at the turn of the new year in your eyes?

Identifying what someone really wants, or their goal creates a focus and intention, putting it to work is the real way to make this happen. Its one thing to make a list of all the things you want to accomplish, next its time to take that further. Its time to flesh out the list into action steps. Having a daily, weekly, monthly goal to get one to where they want to go. Writing down a goal is a good first step, but without taking it further, it may just remain a list that gets lost somewhere. Its time to flesh out the list, create a mind map or vision board. Making notes, hints and reminders around your environment and on your calendar keeps the goal in mind on the daily. I personally love a physical calendar to assist with this. Just writing a goal in a notebook and not looking at it again until a week, month, year or years later just keeps that dream trapped, the way through is to make it a project, to spend time with what you want and give it solidity through process to make it happen.

What is going to happen at the art intention workshop?

 First, we will first do a stream of consciousness writing exercise with a few prompts. Then I will pull an oracle card and do a mini-reading for each participant; this will help solidify the direction for each person for the class. Next, the participants will be guided through [a] visualization process. Attendees will have access to art supplies as well as paper and pen. After the visualization, participants will be guided through the intuitive art process (those who wish to journal are welcome too). We will repeat steps two to four one more time; I will pull an oracle card, do a reading on the new card and then the interpretation of the two cards together, take [guests] through the visualization process then lead them to the intuitive/process art. Based on the card readings, their visualization and what comes out in the process art portion of the class, we will then go through the action step process. Each participant will describe their goal and will be guided to chunk it down into doable action steps to keep them motivated and find their success. At the end of the class, participants will have the opportunity to share their insights and action plan.

What do you hope visitors will get out of it?

I hope that the participants will receive clarity about clear action steps to help them achieve their goals. I hope to assist each participant in pushing through any barriers, including the ones in [their] mind so that they can accomplish this. I also hope to leave each participant with a sense of can-do and [they can take] the process we used in class towards any goal for life and for art.

What will the new year bring for Raven Art Center?

This new year, Raven Art Center is looking forward to hosting a variety of art and wellness classes. We will focus on enhancing the awareness and importance of art by offering articles through our website and newsletter as well as a free video series. [Also] this new year, Raven Art Center is going to branch out, we will be traveling  going to schools, community centers, businesses and retirement facilities to expand the awareness of art and its therapeutic properties.
Baked Goods

The Second Annual Baked Goods Award Ceremony

The years best dispensaries and strains

Rob M.

Well it's been almost a full year under Great Leader Trump, andwouldn't you know itthe world didn't end. The sky remains intact, women are still allowed to vote and (despite the president's repeated threats and insults) President Donald Trump has actually deported around 177,000 fewer people than Obama did in his first year. And so far, we still have our medical cannabis cards. Does that mean I plan on sending him a Christmas card? Of course not, dear reader. But it does mean that I can take refuge in my I was right dance, since I told you all last year that the sky would most likely not be falling anytime soon.

My more mild assessment of 2016's votethe same one that left so many of my more reactive friends running naked through the streets and preaching hellfire (a trans friend of mine even quoted a Bible verse at me in what might have been the most surreal moment of my entire life)has been proven right, and I can go back to worrying about real (as opposed to imagined) fears. At least until Kim Jong Un throws the ultimate temper tantrum in response to our fair presidents thoughtful words. Or until the Environmental Protection Agencys (quotes are mine) decision to drill for oil in a part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska results in the devastation of the local environment and wildlife.

But keeping ones cool in such trying times doesnt come naturally., and I give all the props to cannabis, my wise guide through the ridiculous pitfalls of the human condition. Thanks to my regular intake of strong sativas, I've learned the difference between paranoid obsession and legitimate anxiety. Paranoia is actually one of the benefits of using cannabis.

See, the problem is we're soft as hell. We go out of our way to avoid even the smallest discomfort, which has led to paranoia being listed as one of THC's negative effects. But cannabis doesn't make you paranoid in the schizophrenic senseyou don't start imagining dangers that aren't there. Instead, cannabis yanks out all the fears you've been trying to avoid your whole life and makes you look in their eyes.

Holy shit. Everyone I know is going to die. The sun's going to burn out one day. The human race means nothing in the full extension of time. The mean things I say to people stay with them. I don't pay enough attention to my dog.

Compared to that, Trump hardly seemed like anything to worry about. My advice for the next year: be more paranoid.

But you aren't here for a lecture. You're here to find out where my ever-judgmental eye landed this year. To the ceremonies!
Award-winning documentary filmmaker and fine-art photographer Miguel Gandert shows his work highlighting his mestizaje heritage, and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas. Runs through 12/29.

Querer means to want, to desire, to be in a place, with its people. In folk terminology, querencia is such a place, the center space of desire, the root of belonging and yearning to belong, that vicinity where you first beheld the light. Querencia, in collective terms, is homeland. ~Enrique Lamadrid, Nuevo Mexico Profundo

Miguel Gandert tells stories. He tells stories of his homeland, New Mexico (and beyond), its people and the cultural practices that distinguish communities from each other while simultaneously revealing their kinship. You will have to form your own words, however. Ganderts stories are told through penetrating, black and white photos. A primary focus of his work is his own mestizaje heritage and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas.

Miguel Gandert, a native of Espanola, NM, is an award-winning documentary and fine-art photographer and filmmaker. His photographs have been shown in galleries and museums throughout the world and are in numerous public collections including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the National Museum of American History and Art at the Smithsonian.

Querencia: Rituals of the Rio Arriba opens Friday, October 6 at the New Mexico Humanities Council, 4115 Silver Ave SE, Albuquerque. An artists reception will be 6:00 pm  8:00 pm with an artist's discussion at 7:00 pm. The exhibit closes December 29, 2017.
The Art of Christmas: New Mexico Style

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!)
Blade Runner 2049

Not everyone loved this follow-up to Ridley Scotts 1982 cult film. Then again, not everyone loved Ridley Scotts 1982 cult film. Maybe, like the original, it will take another decade before Blade Runner 2049 is truly appreciated. Franklyand speaking as a fanboy who, for real, owns a Rick Deckard costumeits hard to imagine a better team than director Denis Villaneuve (Incendies, Sicario, Arrival) and screenwriter Hampton Fancher (who, yup, penned the original). Theres no arguing that the film isnt eye-bogglingly beautiful to behold. But its deeply humanistic core hides under a chilly robotic surface, and repeat viewings may be required for some people to really warm up to it. Pay attention to Ryan Goslings subtle character work as the dutiful but painfully lonely replicant, though, and youll be rewarded with a sci-fi parable that is alternately heartbreaking, satirical, tragic, romanticand above allartful.

Dunkirk

Epic historical dramas are a dime a dozen. Heck, Joe Wrights Darkest Hour, released later in the year, covers largely the same storyalbeit from the domestic angle. Its not the true story of the Dunkirk evacuation that makes this World War II drama (although it was a crazy turning point in history all right). Instead, Christopher Nolans time- dialating/ time- condensing script and meticulous direction intertwines a trio of perspectives (soldiers on the ground, citizens at sea and pilots in the air) to express the utter chaos of war. The fractured timelineconflating past and presentkeeps the tension from ever letting up. The result is a heart-pounding drama that finds everyday loyalty and heroism turning even brutal defeats into hear-swelling victories.

Get Out

Writer-director Jordan Peele was the first of many fresh voices this year. Hes a familiar face (having headlined the sketch comedy series Key and Peele for five seasons). His premise liberally borrows from The Stepford Wives, updating its social satire for post-Obama America. But there is something refreshingly and surprisingly vivid in this tale of a young, African-American man who meets his girlfriends upper middle-class liberal parents for the first time and finds himself descending into an overly polite suburban horror show. What could have been just another all-too-easy attack on racist conservatives is instead a heavy think piece designed to weigh on the consciences of progressive votersplus, its a damnably entertaining shocker with some serious scares and a pitch black sense of humor.

Lady Bird

Coming-of-age dramedies are something of an indie film staple. But Greta Gerwig, graduating from actress-writer (Hannah Takes the Stairs, Frances Ha, Mistress America) to full-fledged writer-director, infuses this semi- autobiographical film with her own charming sense of humor and a magnificent attention to detail. Mother-daughter stories are rare in Hollywood, and the opportunity to watch overbearing- but- loving mom Laurie Metcalf engage in all-out combat with smart- but- unmotivated teen daughter Saoirse Ronan is one of this years greatest joys. Blisteringly funny, painfully well-observed, this tiny look into the joys and attendant horrors of our teenage years is a sweet and cynical delight.

Lady Macbeth

This down-and-dirty anti-romance isnt your typical BBC fare. It takes its inspiration not from Shakespeare but from Nikolai Leskovs obscure 1865 novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. In 19th-century rural England we meet our semi-titular character Katherine (fresh face Florence Pugh in a savage debut). Shes been married off to a cruel and uncaring coal magnate nearly twice her age. But Katherines frigid traditional marriage soon warps into a nasty, sadomasochistic game when she takes up a lover and positively dares anyone to cross her path. Mid 19th-century mores and gender roles are flipped, and our heroine teeters between righteously sympathetic and callously over the top. Far too stark to call Gothic, way to bleak to call romantic, Lady Macbeth is a violent heartbreaker for those who prefer broken hearts to happy endings.

Logan

No doubt about it, 2017 was a hell of a year for superhero movies. If youre going to turn to comic books for inspiration, you might as well produce the sort of bright, bold, highly entertaining blockbusters we saw this year. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 was pure, unadulterated fun. Thor: Ragnarok dropped a flippant bomb in the middle of what has been an occasionally self-serious genre. And the newly empowered Wonder Woman proved its not the juvenile source material that remains difficult to translate. All you need is the right people behind the camera (and, yes, more women making the big decisions particularly when it comes to female characters). Logan, however, was a true bellwethershooting down just about every preconception about comic book movies. Firstly, its successful R-rated release proved audiences are hungry for serious, mature storieseven if they involve superpowered mutants. Secondlyfollowing on the heels of the preposterously overproduced X-Men: Apocalypsethe films stripped-down, minimalist style proved that bigger budgets and more guest stars are not the end-all, be-all solution to these sequels. The ninth film in Foxs X-Men franchise broke a hell of a lot of rules to create a grim, expressive, brutally honest and positively mesmerizing rumination of the burden of exceptional gifts and the responsibility of family.

The Red Turtle

Maybe this tiny animated gemproduced by Japans legendary Studio Ghibli, but written and directed by Dutch filmmaker Michael Dudok de Witis only here to prove that slow, silent and contemplative isnt a death knell for films. With no dialogue and minimal action, the film chronicles the tale of a sailor, shipwrecked on a small tropical island. (Where and when, were not privy.) He does what he can to survive. Thats pretty much it. Eventually, the film does drop in a supernatural element, relieving the man of his crushing loneliness. But its so delicately handled that it creates barely a ripple in the films gentle, natural rhythm. Like the steady in-out movement of the tide, theres something ineffable and hypnotic about this luminously animated film that lingers in the eyes, the ears and the soul.

The Shape of Water

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro loves his monsters. And here he lets that lifelong passion boil over, mutating the original Creature From the Black Lagoon template into a steamy, interspecies romance. British actress Sally Hawkins is magnificently understated as the Plain Jane mute woman who befriends and eventually falls for a (mostly) gentle amphibian man captured by government scientists in the early 60s. The writer-director finds multiple layers to this beautifully assembled adult fable, touching on everything from xenophobia in Cold War America to the sweeping melodrama of Hollywoods Biblical epics.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Crime films dont come more morally confused than this thorny but lovable tragicomedy from Martin McDonagh (In Bruges). Frances McDormand, who has already delivered several performances of a lifetime, offers up another as Mildredthe bitter, bruised mother seeking closure in her daughters unsolved murder. The object of her wrath (summed up in the titular billboards) is congenial, small-town sheriff Woody Harrelson. What McDonaghs corrosively funny, sympathy-flipping script does so expertly is make us realize that everyone is alternately right and wrong, good and bad, in near-equal measure. The film ponders whether people are capable of such niceties as change, forgiveness and contritionbut it sure as hell doesnt offer up any easy answers.

Your Name

This beautifully animated sci-fi story was a massive hit in its native Japan (the highest grossing anime in history and the fourth highest grossing film period). As expected, it made barely a blip on Americas radar. Nonetheless, this enjoyable, easy-to-access tale of two teenagersan urban boy and a rural girlwho mysteriously switch bodiesis hard to shake off. The Freaky Friday-esque setup gets played for a few laughs, but the meticulous details of the surroundings ground the film is an unexpected layer of reality. Plus, the narrative has a doozy of a kink in the middle of it alltrading the Disney-esque high school rom-com in for an apocalyptic tale of cosmic interconnectedness. Emotional, funny, exciting and vividly realized, this crowd-pleasing genre film deserves a bigger audience.
Middleton-based American Girl has set its sights higher than ever for its 2018 Girl of the Year doll, who dreams of being the first person on Mars.

In the story revolving around the dolls introduction on Monday, Luciana Vega is an 11-year-old girl of Chilean descent who wants to be an astronaut and explore space.

American Girl said it worked with a NASA team  astronaut Megan McArthur Behnken; former NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan; Deborah Barnhart, CEO and executive director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center; and Maureen OBrien, NASA manager of strategic alliances  to make sure Lucianas story, and the accessories and clothing that will be sold with her, accurately reflect the science involved.

A group of American Girl editors and product designers also visited the Johnson Space Center in Houston and Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

Katy Dickson, American Girl president, said Luciana is a role model for girls, empowering them to defy stereotypes and embrace risks that will teach them about failure and success as they chart their own course in life.

The 18-inch Luciana doll, which comes with a book, will be available for one year, starting Monday, for $115. Lucianas story is told in books written by Erin Teagan and published by Scholastic.

Why Mars?

In working with NASA, we were inspired by their Mars exploration program, American Girl spokeswoman Susan Jevens said. Lucianas desire to go to Mars and venture beyond our current understanding of space empowers girls to push boundaries, defy stereotypes, and see failure as an opportunity for learning.

American Girl is touting science-oriented messages through interactive science demonstrations at Luciana debut events at American Girl stores; by sponsoring 20 scholarships to attend Space Camp; and by funding Blast Off to Discovery, an educational program aimed at third- through fifth-grade students created through a partnership with Scholastic, NASA and Space Camp, that will be available Jan. 31 on www.scholastic.com. American Girl and Scholastic also are co-sponsoring a sweepstakes with a grand prize of a family trip to Space Camp.

Jevens said American Girl is spending more than $200,000 on the education program and the sweepstakes.

Parent company Mattel has said American Girls revenue for the third quarter that ended Sept. 30 was down 30 percent from the same period last year. For the first nine months of 2017, American Girl reported sales of $234 million.

The upscale doll, book and accessories company has about 470 employees in Middleton.
Dateline: Mexico

Scientists say a species of fish can be so loud during copulation that it deafens dolphins. According to marine biologists from the University of Texas and the University of San Diego, all adult Gulf corvina migrate to the Colorado River Delta in the northernmost part of Mexicos Gulf of California every year for a spawning aggregation. The number of corvina involved in the aggregation can reach into the low millions. Researchers say each fish projects a mating call that sounds like a really loud machine gun, and when they get together to spawn each year, they generate a sound level that is the highest recorded for a fish species. It can reportedly cause the hulls of nearby ships to vibrate. A recent study published in Biology Letters measured the fish's volume and found that under water, the sound was loud enough to damage the hearing of sea creatures in the vicinity. The researchers noted that the behavior has caused the fish to become easily targeted by fisherman, who are reportedly overfishing the aggregation. They warn that precautions like raising the market price for corvina should be taken to protect the species.

Dateline: United Kingdom

Amazon UK removed a home circumcision training kit from its website last week. The National Secular Society (NSS) wrote a complaint letter to Amazon UK after they discovered the internet commerce and cloud computing company was hosting a kit meant to train users how to perform circumcisions in their own home. The kit, sold by ESP, comes in a variety of skin colors and includes a model of a boys genitals made from what is described as lifelike material, multiple artificial replacement penises, scissors and scalpels. It sold for between 365 and 456. The chair of the NSSs secular medical forum, Dr. Antony Lempert, wrote in his letter to Amazon: Non-therapeutic circumcision is unethical and unnecessary and is putting infant boys at risk of death and serious injury. This practice could be encouraged by the morally negligent sale of infant circumcision training kits to the public. In response to letter, Amazon removed the kit from its UK website The NSS praised Amazon for the move. The kit is currently available on the US Amazon website through Nasco for $196 at time of printing.

Dateline: New York

A man was arrested for waving his toupee at his son-in-law, who is afraid of the Tasmanian Devil cartoon. Mazen Dayem, a 36-year-old from Staten Island, told reporters that his father-in-law, Yunes Doleh, has harassed him on numerous occasions, using his bushy wig to take advantage of Dayem's debilitating fear of the Looney Tunes' Tasmanian Devil. Dayem says his father in-law's toupee looks like the character, and Doleh, knowing about his fear, would gesture with it and make growling sounds to frighten him. Earlier in the year, Dayem reportedly filed a restraining order against his father-in-law in the hopes of preventing future harassment, following an incident in which Doleh allegedly kicked Dayem's car. But the issue arose again in November when, at a funeral, Doleh allegedly began gesturing with the wig while in Dayem's line of sight. Doleh was arrested for the incident on felony charges for violating a restraining order. Doleh faces charges of criminal contempt and aggravated harassment. His attorney called the situation a family dispute and says he believes the criminal charges will be dropped against his client.

Dateline: Australia

Federal police in Sydney accidentally broadcast their arrest plans over social media. Earlier this month, Australian police arrested a man suspected of being a North Korean agent for attempting to sell missile parts illegally, allegedly to raise money for the North Korean government. But days before, around a minute of audio was broadcast on Periscope and linked to on Twitter wherein officers could be overheard during the operation briefing discussing the timing of the arrest and the potential need to brief the country's Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. No mention of the suspect's name were reportedly made. The tweet was quickly deleted, but the live broadcast continued until The West Australian contacted authorities and alerted them to its presence. According to reports, about 40 people listened to the recording before it was deleted. Law enforcement officials confirmed that the broadcast was an accident, saying it happened while testing a piece of social media broadcasting equipment. Authorities say steps have been taken to avoid future incidents. Despite the mistake, the suspect never learned of the plan, and the operation proved successful.
It was a tumultuous time in New Mexico over the last year. Here are some of the state's top stories in 2017:

The Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights Actmore commonly known as the Anti-Lunch Shaming Billwas signed into law by Gov. Martinez earlier this year, making national headlines for being the first of its kind. The bill, introduced by former candidate for lieutenant governor Michael Padilla, outlawed practices like throwing away lunches when students can't pay for them or making them work off lunch debts with chores. It also requires schools to assist students in signing up for free or reduced-price meals.

The Office of the State Auditor has been asking if the New Mexico Environment Department's settlement policies caused the state to miss out on millions of dollars in a settlement with the US Department of Energy over a radiation leak at the Waste Isolation Power Plant (WIPP) in 2014. According to auditors, NMED allowed the DOE to avoid millions in civil penalties in return for providing funding for special environmental projects, which they were reportedly obligated to do, anyway.

Dem. Gubernatorial Candidates Plagued by Accusations

The early stages of the 2018 gubernatorial race have brought a round of allegations leveled between the Democratic candidates. Earlier this month, Democrat Michael Padilla abandoned his campaign for lieutenant governor after gubernatorial candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham, also a Democrat, called for his resignation over decade-old harassment allegations. Last week, rival Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jeff Apodaca was accused of trying to kiss a staffer with the Albuquerque Teachers Federation while smelling of beer at a wiffle ball gamea claim his campaign flatly denied and alleged was an attempt by Lujan Grisham's campaign to divert attention from the recent accusation that she had discriminated against a transgender woman who was fired from an internship in Lujan Grisham's office.

Former Albuquerque mayoral candidate Wayne Johnson was named as the state auditor last month, replacing rival Tim Keller. Keller and Johnson publicly struggled with one another when Johnson filed a complaint with Albuquerques Board of Ethics alleging that Keller violated public campaign financing laws. The board confirmed the violationKeller's political consulting firm counted cash donations as in-kind donationsbut said it was unintentional and didn't fine Keller.

Religious Militia Members Accused of Child Abuse

The state received national attention when eight members of a paramilitary Christian sect from Fence Lake, N.M. were arrested on charges of various counts of child abuse and neglect, including sexual assault. Federal law enforcement called the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps. a religious militia, and said the fundamentalist group organizes themselves by military rank. Claims of child abuse rose after a woman came forth and accused members of the organization of sexual assaulting her as a child.
Letters

#GOPvalues

Dear Editor,

After the shooting in San Bernardino California in 2015, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez slammed the president for politicizing the tragic attack on Americans by calling for gun control measures.

Almost three years later, after a failed pipe bombing in New York, President Trump is calling for tougher immigration measures. Why does Gov. Martinez suddenly have nothing to say?

After the worst mass shooting in American history, this year, in Las Vegas, Gov. Martinez didn't even offer her thoughts and prayers like most National Rifle Association Republicans often do.

When President Trump politicizes a tragedy, why doesn't Gov. Martinez hold him to the same strict standards she held President Obama to? Gov. Martinez has been on just about every side of either supporting or denouncing our current president, so perhaps she's just trying to finish her last year in public office, with no more PR disasters like 5 star burgers or her infamous peetza party!

Given her silence on the Roy Moore candidate, is it fair to ask if she condones child predation?
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Recovering what has been destroyed with determination and belief: Jirair Reisian  Armenian lawmaker of Syria's Parliament, told ARMENPRESS talking about the situation in Aleppo, the recovery process.

2017 was full of difficulties, but also with positive developments. The Armenian lawmaker attaches importance to the liberation of Aleppo in December 2016 which gave hope in the context of having expectations for future positive developments. And so, Deir ez-Zor was soon liberated which plays an important role for the Armenian people.

Yes, the Armenian complex in Deir ez-Zor became a target of terrorism like the other numerous buildings of the city, but we in Aleppo and elsewhere are determined and full of belief to recover what is destroyed. In fact we cannot say that the war is completely over, but there were victories and achievements, and we can state that the situation in Syria gradually improves, he said.

Talking about the situation in Aleppo, Jirair Reisian said compared to the previous year the situation was different during 2017. Aleppo was deprived of electricity for a long time, but today, although not the whole day, electricity is provided. The water supply is already in normal process. There is no water alarm anymore, we hope it will not repeat again. The military incidents in the city are almost over, they are reached to minimum. Life has been brought to its normal course. Of course, there are economic difficulties, but the state and people are united. We can state that at the moment the recovery stage is underway. People gradually restore their houses and workshops, the Armenian lawmaker said. The Armenian community examined and registered the Armenian institutions affected and recovers them in phases.

The roads in general are safe. The Armenian life in Aleppo is normally developing, unions, clubs, culture houses returned to their works, but Jirair Reisian states that these structures were also operating during the difficult times. The Armenian schools, churches were not closed during the years of war. Now the Armenian centers, clubs started more actively operating, especially when the holidays are coming. The Armenian clubs are active with New Year events, he said.

As for the movements of the Aleppo residents, the local Armenians after the citys liberation, the lawmaker said there are people who returned to the city, and the return of some people is on process. Our compatriots, who left Aleppo and moved to other cities of Syria, as well as those who were living temporarily in Lebanon, Armenia and different Western countries, now return to the city. The lawmaker expressed confidence that this number will increase within the course of time.

Anna Gziryan






YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. 2017 was historical for Turkey in a sense that based on the results of the constitutional referendum that countrys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan eventually succeeded in changing the countrys governance system from parliamentary to presidential one. Such change will enable Erdogan to govern the country in the upcoming years and concentrate all the levers in his hands.

ARMENPRESS tried to identity the most important and key events held in Turkey during 2017.

Terrorism on New Years Eve

2017 started in Turkey on the New Years Eve by the terror attack in the Reina night club in Istanbul on January 1. 39 people were killed and 70 were wounded in the terror attack. The Islamic State terrorist group assumed responsibility for the attack.

The author of the terror attack was arrested on January 16. He is to face live imprisonment.

Constitutional referendum

The constitutional referendum was held in Turkey on April 16 with 51.4% in favor and 48.59% against. As a result the country shifted from the parliamentary system to the presidential one. The referendum aimed at further concentrating the power in the hands of Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development party. After these changes Erdogan can remain in power until 2029.

Overall, 18 articles of the current Constitution will change. The main changes will come into force starting from 2019.

However, some provisions of the new Constitution started to be applied immediately after its adoption. In particular, the talk is about to allow the countrys president have a party affiliation. During the extraordinary session of the Justice and Development party on May 21 Erdogan after a 33-month pause again returned to the ruling party.

Although the opposition announced the results of the constitutional referendum as being fake, the referendum results remained unchanged.

Scandal involving ministers

The passing year was also distinguished by inter-state scandals involving Turkish ministers. Some European countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Netherlands banned the Turkish ministers entry to their countries. The Turkish political figures planned to visit European countries on the 1st anniversary of the failed military coup attempt in Turkey and meet with the Turkish community representatives.

However, the Netherlands on March 11 withdrew the permission to land the plane transporting Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The Netherlands government announced that they took such a step since Cavusoglus visit was putting the public order and security under risk.

The Netherlands was followed by Germany and Austria which cancelled the speeches of the Turkish ministers and events with their participation. In particular, the speeches of the Turkish President were banned in the German cities of Dortmund, Oberhausen, Cologne and Dusseldorf.

Of course, official Ankara strongly reacted to this incident by sending notes of complaint and threatening to cut the relations.

Germany withdrew its troops from Incirlik airbase

The existing tension in the Turkish-German relations after the adoption of the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution by the Bundestag in 2016 continued this year as well. Already this year after banning the speeches of the Turkish political figures in Germany the tension reached culmination over the issue of the visit of German lawmakers to the Incirlik airbase.

Official Ankara again banned the German parliamentary delegations visit to their troops in the airbase. In response to the decision of the Turkish side the Bundestag on June 22 adopted a decision by majority of votes to withdraw its troops from the Incirlik airbase. For the first time in history the German army withdrew its troops from the airbase of NATO member state and transported to the airbase of Jordan, which is not a member of NATO. The last German troops left Turkey in September.

Establishment of new party by Meral Aksener

2017 was significant in the Turkish political life by the establishment of new political party: famous Turkish politician, former defense minister Meral Aksener established the Good party. Its worth mentioning that hundreds of former members of the Nationalist Movement party joined the Good party who were not satisfied with the current policy of the nationalist party, in particular, with the fact that the Nationalist Movement party closely cooperates with Erdogan and the political force led by him.

Meral Aksener is expected to be Erdogans main rival in the upcoming 2019 presidential election.

Erdogans dictatoriship demonstrated in Washington D.C.

Erdogan, who constantly violates the fundamental human rights and freedoms, tried to export his policy to the United States. In particular, on May 16 the whole world witnessed how Erdogans security details attacked peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. who were complaining against Erdogans policy.

As a result of the attack a number of wounded people, including Armenians were hospitalized.

The video of the attack shows that Erdogan personally gives the order for the attack.

The Washington Mayor and Police Chief on June 15 announced declaring arrest warrants for 12 supporters of Erdogan. Two Turkish citizens involved in the attack have been immediately arrested. During the December court hearings they pleaded guilty for the attack.

The worlds biggest prison for journalists

Like the previous year, this year as well the restrictions on fundamental human rights and freedoms continued in Turkey. During 2017 dozens of local and foreign journalists have been arrested. Its not a coincidence that Turkey was ranked 155th among the 179 countries in the Media Freedom Index 2017 of the Reporters Without Borders organization. The organization again recognized Turkey as the worlds biggest prison for journalists.

Araks Kasyan
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The government approved the draft on making changes in the Electoral Code, reports Armenpress.

The changes aim at preventing the cases of abuse of the administrative resource and forced voting.

Justice minister Davit Harutyunyan said despite that several negative incidents happened during the elections, these changes aim at preventing them. Of course, our Electoral Code has some provisions relating to the abuse of the administrative resource, but we are making new proposals for some issues. In particular, the circle of persons in case of whom we put restrictions to participate in the election campaign is being expanded. If previosly we had public servicemen, now we touch upon the healthcare and medical organizations, educational and pre-school institutions, the minister said.

He added that such restrictions are spread also on the employees of the public and community structures, as well as the companies where the state or the community have more than 20% participation.

Commenting on the incidents of forced participation in the election campaign, the minister said: We consider this as a very serious case, and thus we criminalize it. Moreover, we also toughen the responsibility by some norms , he said.

The justice minister asked the government to give 5 days since one provision of the Electoral Code has been declared as anti-Constitutional by the Constitutional Court, and there is a need to make the law in accordance with the Constitution.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service of Armenia prevented the entry of a foreign citizen suspected in being affiliated with an international terrorist organization to Armenia.

The NSS confirmed the information in an interview with Aravot newspaper.

The NSS did not disclose other information because of an ongoing investigation, but said that similar preventive actions are always being implemented in case of having credible information of danger.

In 2017, the entry of 960 foreign citizens to Armenia was prevented due to suspicion of being affiliated with terrorist organizations.

The NSS said it is actively cooperating with security agencies of other countries to prevent the possible entry of terrorist-affiliated suspects to the country.

Earlier Aravot reported that the NSS prevented the entry of an ISIS affiliated suspect to the country from the airport.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Newly appointed Ambassador of Lebanon to Armenia Maya Dagher presented the copy of credentials to Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian, the foreign ministry told Armenpress.

The Armenian FM expressed hope that the activity of the newly appointed Ambassador will contribute to further expanding and deepening the traditionally warm and friendly Armenian-Lebanese relations.

FM Nalbandian said the ties between the two friendly peoples contribute to further strengthening the inter-state relations.

The Lebanese Ambassador thanked for the reception and said during her tenure she will make the maximum efforts to give new impetus to the bilateral cooperation in different spheres with Armenia.

At the meeting the sides attached importance to the important role of the Lebanese-Armenians and their productive activity in the countrys socio-political life.

The meeting also touched upon a number of other issues of bilateral agenda, such as holding high-level visits, deepening the cooperation in international structures, boosting the commercial ties, expanding the legal framework and holding consultations between the foreign ministries.

The officials also discussed the recent developments in the Middle East region. They also highlighted the key role of Armenian peacekeepers in UNIFIL on strengthening security and stability in the country.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Based on our 25-year-old friendship Im looking forward to where we should reach together in the future, US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills said in Armenian in a video message addressed to the Armenian people on the occasion of the New Year, reports Armenpress.

In the video message the embassy staff, all speaking in Armenian regardless of the nationality, briefly introduced the 25-year-old activity of the US-Armenia diplomatic ties with numbers and congratulated on New Year.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting December 28 with renowned pianist Evgeny Kissin, who is in the country for the 18th Yerevan Prospects music festival, the Presidents Office said.

During the meeting the president welcomed the pianist in Armenia and said that not only are his talent, mastery, wonderful performances appreciated in the country, but he is also beloved for his human characteristics, beloved as a friend of the Armenian people.

Mentioning that the Armenian people will never forget Evgeny Kissins support during the 1988 earthquake, the President also thanked the pianist for his participation in the New York concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide commemoration, and the unique performance of Komitas Krunk, which touched the hearts of all Armenians.

The pianist said his love and honor for the Armenian people, who have centuries old culture and history, is mutual, and reassured that as long as he lives, he will visit the country.
Two young Madison companies are among 360 named by Entrepreneur magazine as the best entrepreneurial companies in America.

Ideas that Evoke, a marketing agency, and DotCom Therapy, a transplant to Madison that offers speech and language therapy online, are on the 2017 Entrepreneur360 list.

Ideas that Evoke is No. 273 and DotCom Therapy is No. 332.

Entrepreneur says it chose companies whose leaders expertly balance impact, innovation, growth and leadership to grow their business.

DotCom Therapy offers speech and occupational therapy and mental health services via videoconferencing. Emily Purdom and Rachel Robinson were school-based speech therapists in Springfield, Missouri, and started the company two years ago after they were recruited to serve clients as far away as rural Alaska because of a lack of available speech therapists.

Purdom and Robinson moved company headquarters to Madison earlier this year and have been attracting attention ever since.

DotCom Therapy claimed twin wins at the entrepreneur-focused, eight-day Forward Fest in August, topping both the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerces Pressure Chamber pitch competition and StartingBlock Madisons Challenge Cup.

The company also took first place in the information technology category of the Wisconsin Governors Business Plan Contest in June.

As for the companys latest recognition, Robinson said, We were excited and thrilled to make this list. Entrepreneur is a publication we follow closely, and to be recognized as one of the top 360 small businesses is an absolute honor.

Companies can submit an application to be considered for the list.

Robinson said DotCom Therapy has nearly 100 employees and has served clients in at least 18 states and three foreign countries.

The company still has an office in Springfield, where several of its administrative staff members work, and recently closed the office space it received in University Research Park as a prize from the business plan contest, choosing instead to work remotely.

We still very much consider Madison our home, as thats where Rachel and I both reside along with several key members of our team, Purdom said.

Ideas that Evoke has been around for nearly nine years and has drawn other national attention.

This is the companys second time on the Entrepreneur360; it made the magazines list in 2015, as well.

The agency also has been on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in 2016 and 2017, ranking No. 325 in 2016  and fourth among Wisconsin companies on the list  and No. 633 in 2017, which was eighth highest of the Wisconsin companies listed.

The most recent Inc. 5000 listing pegged the companys 2016 revenue at $3.2 million, with a three-year growth rate of 714 percent.

I hope ... as Wisconsin-based businesses are awarded recognition such as this, it continues to put Wisconsin on the map for continued innovation and leadership, Kelly Ehlers, founder and president of Ideas that Evoke, said.

The company, at 301 S. Blount St., has 39 employees.

Ehlers is now a serial entrepreneur. She opened a second company in November, Hello Salon Pro, a subscription service that sends a box of various beauty products to salons, six times a year.

Entrepreneur magazine says it selects companies for its Entrepreneur360 list based on an analysis of factors that reflect major pillars of entrepreneurship: innovation and technology, management efficiency and business sustainability, and revenue.

Two other Wisconsin companies made this years list: Quest CE, No. 161, a Milwaukee company that provides training and services for the insurance industry, and Prestige Paints, No. 283, a Delavan paint business.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan invited the representatives of mass media to the Government on December 28.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Government of Armenia, the Head of the Executive congratulated the representatives of mass media on the occasion of the coming new Year and Christmas holidays, wishing them health, happiness, love, peace and warmth in their families. We all dream to see our country in a better condition and stronger, and here you have an extremely important and necessary mission and responsibility. You can indicate the issues of public concern, diagnose the problems, detect the obstacles and why not, offer solutions. You can inspire our citizens to good deeds, encourage them, make heroes, create the right image of a citizen and you can shape a new culture through professional disputes, but you can also do the opposite thing, without wanting that, and demotivate fair and patriotic people, the Premier said.

Karen Karapetyan stressed that the Government is interested and is ready to shape new communication norms together with the media world.

A number of mass media representatives and press service officers of a number of state bodies received thank you letters of the Prime Minister of Armenia for keeping the Government of the Republic of Armenia in constant focus and covering its activities.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian delivered opening remarks during the reception held at the MFA Armenia on the occasion of the New Year and Christmas holidays. President Serzh Sargsyan and Ambassadors accredited in Armenia also attended the event. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Ministry, FM Nalbandian said in his speech,

Honourable Mr. President,

Ambassadors,

Dear colleagues and friends,

This year again the President of Armenia has honoured us with his high presence to celebrate together the upcoming New Year. The Ambassadors accredited to Armenia have also joined us.

I am confident that today are also with us the thoughts of the diplomats of the Republic of Armenia who serve overseas to their country with great dedication.

Not only in Armenia, but in many countries of the world there is a tradition to celebrate the New Years Eve among friends. Today we are gathered here with friends who are also united by the joint efforts to further strengthen Armenias friendly bonds in bilateral and multilateral relations.

During the passing year we have filled together many new pages in our foreign relations. In 2017 we marked the first quarter of a century of establishment of diplomatic relations of the newly independent Armenia with a number of countries and its membership to the international organizations.

Is this a long period or short? It is indeed short if we consider the millenia-old history of our nation. However, those were unique twenty-five years, where due to the exerted great efforts and establishment of friendly relations with numerous countries in different continents, Armenia stands today in the international arena as a reliable partner.

Every and each New Year of these twenty-five years was a unique test to summarize what has been accomplished, to look forward and outline the future steps. The 2018 will be marked with a number of important jubilees in Armenia, as well as will be full of unprecedented events and diplomatic events.

Let the coming year be a year of peace, success and achievements for you, Mr. President, for our country and nation, for all of us.

Now with great pleasure I pass the floor to the Honorable President of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Serzh Sargsyan.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) positively assesses the passing political year, RPA spokesperson, Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov told the reporters after the Executive Body meeting of the party. First, we held very positive parliamentary elections, that deserved exclusively positive feedback from the international organizations and international observer missions. Moreover, we have stable political situation, which is one of the most important factors for both economic growth and for development in general, ARMENPRESS reports Sharmazanov saying.

He added that the Republic of Armenia pursues a path of clear democratization. The signing of the agreement between Armenia and the EU on November 24 documents this, Sharmazanov said, adding that in 2017 Armenia also managed to take serious steps for strengthening its security. We managed to ensure some positive move both in the direction of Artsakh problem and the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the Vice President of the National Assembly said.
LOS ANGELESPremier clip conglomerate iWantEmpire welcomed 7,500 new artists to its clips platform during 2017, marking a major milestone for the fast-growing lifestyle brand. These entrepreneurs each created a new revenue stream, and are being recognized by company executives today for building stores on the acclaimed platform.

On behalf of everyone at iWantEmpire, I would like to congratulate those artists who saw the potential in owning their content and creating their future, said Jay Phillips, founder and president of iWantEmpire. Special thanks to everyone who has chosen the iWantEmpire network as their online place of business. As a result of our partners trust and feedback, weve had an opportunity to build an empire of sites which cater to artists unique needs and visions, and weve experienced an incredible year of growth, and prestige. We are looking forward to more expansion in 2018, with our devoted partners by our side.

Since its subsidiary site iWantClips launched in 2014, iWantEmpire has attracted a steady stream of entrepreneurial artists with unique talents and visions including webcam personalities, porn stars, financial domination specialists, foot fetishists, femdoms, humiliatrices, body worshipers, members of LGBTQ communities, cosplayers and everything in between. The diverse and comprehensive artist offerings from these members are celebrated and encouraged, as they allow iWantEmpire to celebrate the fantasies and wide-ranging interests of fans around the world.

For more information about iWantEmpire, visit iWantEmpire.com.
The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day?

Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount.

Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what so called "Democracy" does exists.
Poachers and traffickers would capture animals, including elephant calves, from forests in Northeast India, and sell them at a de facto wildlife auction at the Sonepur fair. Photo by Alamy

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At the annual Sonepur fair in India, trading in wildlife became something of a global spectacle for people drawn to this sordid and sickening enterprise. Poachers and traffickers would capture animals, including elephant calves from forests in Northeast India, and sell them at a de facto wildlife auction through the fair in Bihar, an Indian state bordering Nepal. Traders would acquire the animals and ship them from Nepal to customers in Asia, and possibly to neighboring China with its large market for wildlife and wildlife body parts. It was one of the ugliest illegal wildlife trading posts happening right out in the open.

Not anymore.

Thanks to a strong, well-planned, and methodically executed campaign by our Humane Society International/India team that included litigation, partnering with local law enforcement, and daily on-the-ground monitoring, the month-long fair has just wrapped up this year without the sale of any exotic and native wildlife species.

The Sonepur fair, which dates back to more than a century, used to be Asias largest cattle fair, but over the last few decades it gained notoriety as a hub for the illegal wildlife trade. In 2016, research commissioned by the Animal Welfare Board of India revealed that illegal trade in animals, from protected birds like parakeets and owls to reptiles and mammals like elephants, was rampant at the fair. The traffickers would create a fake document trail to sell young elephants to buyers. What is even more shocking is that all of this was happening in flagrant violation of an Indian law passed in 1972 that bans all sale of wildlife. While the illegal sale of wildlife at the Sonepur fair was common knowledge, not much was being done to end it.

Our team, working the local group People for Animals, began by using the Animal Welfare Board of India report to strengthen an existing petition in Bihars high court, and won a ruling instructing the Bihar government to create a task force to protect the interest of animals. Eventually, we won a recommendation for an absolute ban on the sale and display of any wildlife at the fair.

Once the month-long fair began this year in November, our HSI/India team was on the ground every day, on the lookout for even a single wildlife sale. Government agencies, acting on the courts recommendation, posted signs around the fair warning people about the illegality of buying and selling wildlife. Working with local authorities, we ensured that traders could not exhibit or sell any wildlife, including exotic birds. An infamous market within the fair that sold exotic and native species of birds, Chidiya Bazaar, was completely shut down due to strict police vigilance.

India is in the midst of a wildlife trafficking epidemic, with poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking on the rise. While the country has strong laws to protect its wildlife, enforcement has been lax in this country of a billion-plus people, with animal body parts fetching thousands of dollars on the international market. But the work of our HSI/India team at Sonepur shows that persistence and a well-planned campaign can make a difference, as weve seen with our other forays to stop the trade in animals for animal sacrifice purposes between India and Nepal. In 2018, our team will concentrate on prosecuting people who have illegal custody of elephants in India, and we will continue our work to monitor and maintain strict vigilance at the Sonepur fair in coming years. But today, let us take a moment to celebrate this incredible victory for wildlife in the subcontinent of Asia.
5 Causes of Nursing Home Resident Anxiety Unfortunately, for many reasons anxiety happens more often by long-term care residents than by those who live in
If you're an oligarch in the former Soviet Union, chances are you owe your billions to corruption and even overt criminal activity, and your ability to hang onto that money is entirely contingent on the sufferance of the even-more-corrupt strongmen at the top, like Vladimir Putin  one wrong move and you may find yourself stripped of your assets (or even assassinated in broad daylight).



So the looter classes in Russian (and client states like Belarus, Moldova, etc) devote a lot of time to anonymizing their money and moving it out of the country  that way, they can recover some or all of their fortunes if they go into exile in order to spend the rest of their lives hanging around on superyachts and dodging assassins.





Enter Scotland: long notorious for its Scottish Limited Partnerships (which allowed for anonymous shell companies to hold significant assets with no beneficial owners), the country claimed that it had tightened up its rules to prevent abuse by requiring every SLP to list at least one "person of significant control" (PSC)  who could be called in for an interview by the tax authorities or the police.





But the new SLP rules allow the PSC to be an English or Northern Irish Limited Partnership  corporate structures that, themselves, can be fully anonymous. Thus an SLP can be owned by English LPs which are in turn owned by numbered companies in tax havens. The Scottish authorities then rubberstamp these companies, allowing them to be entered into the registry at the UK-wide Companies House, ready to do business.





Companies House is notoriously understaffed, with a handful of accountants overseeing 4,000,000 companies. The registry bans the use of English and Northern Irish LPs as PSCs, but lack the resources to investigate the corporate structure of SLPs, taking the Scottish government's word for it when it says that the companies are in compliance.

Enter the looters of the former USSR. Investigations by the Herald Scotland show that SLPs have become a preferred vehicle for laundering money out of Russia and its client states  it's allegedly Oleksandr Yanukovych (son of deposed dictator Viktor Yanukovych) got his money out of Ukraine before going into exile in Russia after being convicted by a court in Kyiv, for example.





The Herald found that only 2,000 SLPs had an actual human being as their PSC  and of these, three quarters were in the former USSR, especially Ukraine. SLPs were also used to launder the proceeds of the "heist of the century" robbery of three Moldovan banks.





Theresa May says that Russia is a "hostile state," but London's fanciest neighbourhoods are full of mansions owned by Russia's most powerful leaders, and their money sloshes through the country in a torrent.

Kellano Inter has become something of a test case for transparency rules. It was supposed to say who its true owner was back in August. Instead it listed its "person of significant control" as a Birmingham partnership called London and Loch Ness, whose formal partners are anonymous shell firms in tax havens. So are Kellano Inter's. There is no way of knowing for sure who owns Kellano Inter or London and Loch Ness. However, credible news media in Ukraine believe they have the answer. They have reported Kellano as a vehicle for Oleksandr Yanukovych who, like his father ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, is currently hiding in Russia from mass corruption charges. Kellano Inter, which is registered at a former draper's shop in the South Lanarkshire mining village of Douglas, was linked to Mr Yanukovych junior back in 2014.



Revealed: how shell firms avoid transparency [David Leask and Richard Smith/The Herald]

Analysis: Britain rails against Russia while helping its rulers launder their loot [David Leask/The Herald]

(via Naked Capitalism)
Featured Post COP27 Draft Fails to Recognize Role of Environmental Human Rights Defenders Indigenous Lenca water protector Berta Caceres was killed in March 2016, less than three months after the COP21 climate summit, for her oppo...

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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 40 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

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A former Madison man indicted 4 years ago for crimes including withdrawing cash on a counterfeit check appeared Wednesday in federal court, charged with a dozen felonies.

The indictment against James G. Dudgeon, 59, issued by a grand jury in June 2013, was unsealed Wednesday after Dudgeons arrest. It charges Dudgeon with six counts of bank fraud, four counts of uttering a counterfeit security, one count of money laundering and one count of wire fraud, all dating from 2008 and 2009.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Anderson said authorities had been unable to find Dudgeon, possibly because he has lived in different places since 2013.

Dudgeon was arrested in Rockford, Illinois, where he had moved recently.

Dudgeon was released from custody after appearing in court.

Social media accounts in Dudgeons name say he is chairman of Balantrodoch Ventures LLC, an investment firm specializing in technology, financial instruments, corporate financing and shareholder investments.

Prior to that, from 1992 to 2015, according to Dudgeons LinkedIn page, he was managing partner of Torosay Properties LLC.

Corporation records at the state Department of Financial Institutions dont list a company called Balantrodoch Ventures, and indicate that Torosay Properties was listed by DFI as administratively dissolved in March 2008.

Court records state that Dudgeon was convicted in 1998 in Dane County of theft in a business setting and theft by false representation, and in 2002 of issuing worthless checks. He served time in prison after revocation of the probation he received in both cases.

According to the indictment:

On Aug. 5, 2008, Dudgeon opened an account for Torosay Properties at Associated Bank in Madison, listing himself as its president. He deposited a counterfeit check for $48,210 in Canadian funds, purportedly from Marsh Canada Limited, an insurance company.

Within days, he withdrew cash from the account and had Associated Bank wire $39,709 to accounts overseas. He told bank employees that Torosay Properties helped people around the world find locations to start businesses and that the Marsh Canada checks were to pay him for deals from a couple of years earlier. He also told the bank he had been paid with Marsh checks in the past and had never had a problem.

In addition to the money withdrawn in cash, $31,709 was wired to a company in Japan through a Japanese bank, and two $4,000 payments were sent to another person through a bank in London.

On Aug. 25, 2008, and April 16, 2009, Dudgeon possessed three other counterfeit checks, one purportedly from Marsh Canada for $56,504, another for $158,850 from Hilite International of Carrollton, Texas, and one for $25,000, purportedly from Antelope Valley Federal Credit Union of Lancaster, California. Two were written to Torosay Properties, while the third was issued to Dudgeon.

The indictment doesnt state why Dudgeon had those checks or if he attempted to deposit them, but the charge states that he possessed the checks with the intent to deceive another person.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

The heavy rains that characterised most parts of the country this week left a trail of destruction in Epworth as several homes were destroyed.More than 200 families in Epworth were left homeless after the heavy rains that hit the country this Sunday destroyed their homes.The Epworth residents festive spirit was dampened by a heavy down pour which left them counting their losses.Although no fatalities were reported, residents appealed for relevant authorities to speed up the regularisation of stands in the area.Member of the National Assembly for Epworth Zalera Makari who visited the area to assess the extent of the damage, appealed for the corporate world to assist in addressing the situation at hand.There is serious need for infrastructure development in the area otherwise Epworth remains a ticking time bomb.
News / Press Release

by Farai Mbira, ZUNDE President

Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) is happy that this Christmas we had something to celebrate; the departure of the evil Robert Mugabe, courtesy of General Chiwenga. We, however, will celebrate it cautiously because we are yet to be assured of peace, freedom and meaningful democratic change. We are not sure yet that next year elections will be free and fair.It's sad that Zanu PF declared that it will not reform itself out of power and that they will not relinquish power because of mere X (vote). In both cases we hear them loud and clear. It's no rocket science to conclude that only he who can play rugby politics will dismantle the still intact Zanu PF dictatorship.We have been waiting for the army to complete its national operation Restore Legacy to make an informed decision. Now that President Mnangagwa and General Chiwenga, the architects and beneficiaries of Operation Restore Legacy have come in the open we can now make a full understanding of what they did and why.First, they did not restore anything not even a legacy, they propped themselves up and forced their own legacy on Zimbabwe. It was abusive of the masses to march them onto the streets to remove an evil person and his criminals from office only to declare a holiday in honour of the same evil person. How can we tell our children we removed Mugabe from office and then ask them to celebrate him?How can we expect the people of Matebeleland, Midlands and Murambatsvina victims to celebrate Mugabe? This is an insult. How can the millions of Zimbabwean victims scattered in the diaspora be asked to celebrate Mugabe every year! The army is not constitutionally empowered to grant after office immunity to Mugabe. Whatever has been agreed is binding only between them and Mugabe. We have issues with Mugabe and the constitution provides remedial procedures that we have a right to pursue. We have many people who have disappeared and Mugabe needs to tell us where they are; dead or alive. We will forgive him but he must let us know.Secondly; it was claimed that Operation Restore Legacy was after criminals who had surrounded President Mugabe. These criminals where never named and as it has turned up, the so called criminals where political pillars holding the Mugabe regime, albeit through corruption or criminal means. Surely Chombo, the only significant arrest, could not have stolen all the missing money and property. Did we need tanks to arrest Chombo? The government must publish this list of criminals around the President that warranted troops and tanks to come out of the barracks!The army must remember that it is compromised in this matter. In accordance with General Zvinavashe still standing orders, the military has all along secured and underwritten Zanu PF into office through sheer force. All this fits very well into the Mugabe doctrine our-guns-our votes which states that Zanu PF guns and votes are complimentary, they insure each other. That Mugabe had to go is not debatable but what that meant was that Mugabe and his likeliness or image had to go. On removing Mugabewe gave and still give comrade Chiwenga thumps up. But he can't remove Mugabe the way he did so that he could takeover. He removed Mugabe and the VPs with the participation of all of us and, therefore, he cannot take the same power on a one person nomination.General Chiwenga can only be a true hero if he seeks public vote from the same public he worked with to remove Mugabe. To assume power simply by Mnangagwa's single nomination he is no longer a hero but a mere contractor who is being paid for services rendered. Our appeal to comrade General Chiwenga is that, now that he has retired from the army, he cannot morally take-up the VP post after removing the incumbent in the manner he did.General Chiwenga can join and contest for political positions in any of the political parties, including ZUNDE, or openly compete in the general elections in 2018 for public office. Constitutionally he could not have been a member of Zanu PF. For him to hold positions in Zanu PF he must be seen to be following the basic membership and promotion laws of the Zanu PF constitution. We understand that some positions will require him to having been a card carrying member of the party for a minimum number of years. However, how Zanu PF will do it it's up to them!Thirdly, and now that Zanu PF has used unorthodox and unconstitutional means to retain power, and, in light of its declaration that it won't reform itself out of power and that it will not give up power just for a mere vote (X), we can only conclude that that the democratic struggle has now a new enemy and task master.Fourthly; unless President Mnangagwa condemns and apologise for Zanu PF atrocities especially Gukurahundi and all post-independence election violence, abductions, torture and violent farm seizures, his credentials remain suspect and no better than Mugabe. To be taken serious Mnangagwa must reverse General Zvinavashe's standing order that the military will never salute anyone without liberation struggle credentials, renounces the Mugabe doctrine our-votes-our guns, agree to comprehensive democratic reforms and implements them, agree to a credible 2018 election, scrap the oppressive legislations like AIPA and allow democratic practice (including not pursuing me for this article), he remains an image to the dictator Robert Mugabe.President Mnangagwa must apologise for the abuse of the security forces, intelligence community, war veterans and collaborators for using them as tools and agents of gross human rights violations. President Mnangagwa must target corruption not individuals or political foes.Lastly; unless the new service commanders give a public pledge and assurance never to interfere in politics, the generality of politicians from both sides will perpetually live in fear. There will never be freedom in this country for as long as that fear or risk remains. Even President Mnangagwa is no longer safe in his office for as long as this fear persists. Anytime, Operation Restore Legacy may crank into motion. This is how serious our situation has become.The fear of the army must be resolved now and not later. The army must assure us that it will serve the government of the day and respect the constitution of Zimbabwe. The army cannot meddle directly, as it has done in any affairs of a political party, especially ruling party, under the guise of national security.ZUNDE remains anxious whether in Mnangagwa and Chiwenga we have found freedom or just younger dictatorship. We fear the later. To the oppressed mases of Zimbabwe we say it's not yet Uhuru until General Chiwenga and President Mnangagwa clarify all these issues or vabuda pachena. Freedom is a right from God and not dependent on politicians' goodwill. We are free because God created us thus and not because of the government.As a party, ZUNDE is available and ready to offer any assistance to make Zimbabwe a better place for all of us. We can participate in national events and occasions if President Mnangagwa's government assures the security of opposition political parties. We will oppose where it is necessary and applaud where due.It must be clear to President Mnangagwa and General Chiwenga that, as a nation, we have justified, through recent street action, the removal of a failing and non-performing President. If they perform well and fine, but if not, they risk going the Mugabe way. President Mnangagwa is equally captured as was President Mugabe; he squandered a clear opportunity to rebuild Zimbabwe. Closely monitored by the hungry power brokers surrounding him, he was and may remain a mere captured lame duck!Merry Christmas Zimbabwe and Happy New YearLet's be on the watch until we live and experience freedom.
Pheramor App Will Find You A Date Using Your DNA

Trending News: This Dating App Promises To Find You True Love Using Your DNA

Long Story Short

A new dating app called Pheramor claims it can find you the perfect match based on your genetics.

Long Story

The problem with online dating these days isn't 'where can I find someone to meet?' It's how do I narrow it down and find that perfect match?

But what if there was a way to narrow down exactly who you'll like, not based on some photos or matchmaker's feeling, but based on science?

Pheramor's co-founder Brittany Barreto claims that it can use genetics to find exactly who you'll have sexual chemistry with.

"Scientists can actually predict who's attracted to whom," she told The Houston Chronicle. "I'll know who you think is hot and who you won't like."

Pheramor takes a swab of your cheek to test your pheromones, that sweet smell you give off that attracts you to him or her. It'll also grab your social media info because meeting someone with a ton of stuff in common tends to work out.

After plugging your DNA and social media info into its system, an algorithm will pop out some matches for you to chat with. Ideally, you'll get that love at first sight feeling before you even meet in person.

"Evolution is very strong. So we're smelling each other, trying to figure out who is the best person to mate with," Barreto said to The Chronicle. "And that's what love at first sight actually is. It's smelling someone's pheromones from across the room, and your brain says, 'Oh my Gosh, that's the most perfect pheromone profile I've ever smelled in my entire life. I love them.'"

In case you're worried about your personal information like heritage and disease history getting out, you needn't be. All the DNA info gets destroyed after the test is done.

This isn't the first dating site to use smell for attraction. There was that one that asked people to smell stinky shirts to find out if they're attracted or not. However, it is the first of its kind to use a genetics-based algorithm in the United States.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

If genes are indicators of true love, wouldn't your matches (creepily) be your relatives?

Drop This Fact

A study found that women are attracted to the smell of garlic, so get cooking!
Daniel Kryger is a writer and a political analyst. He lives in Israel.

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

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.. MiDA ..26 December '17..The conflict between Muslim Arabs and Jews over a tiny sliver of land remains the most misrepresented conflict in modern history. Headed by the EU and the UN, the world community obsessively pretends that this is a conventional conflict over land and specific borders.The harsh reality that the world refuses to acknowledge however, is that this unique conflict is an Islamic ideological opposition to the existence of a Jewish state within any borders. Even if Israel would shrink to Tel Aviv, it would still be considered an unacceptable affront in the eyes of countless of Muslims from Morocco to Indonesia. Muslim fundamentalists make no distinction between the Jewish settlement Tel Aviv and Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.Many American and Israeli liberals have joined the European ideological bandwagon that regards territorial compromise and kindness as the greatest of human virtues. In a characteristic Eurocentric fashion, the European experience is mistakenly believed to fit the entire world including the Middle East.Historically, Europe used to be the most violent continent on earth where neighbors were locked in seemingly never-ending wars over borders, resources and influence. Europe was the epicenter of two world wars. World War 2 alone claimed over 50 million lives, including 6 million murdered Jews in the Holocaust.Post-1945 Western Europe decided to build its future based on democracy and settling disputes through peaceful means. However, this only works with a counterpart that shares your fundamental values. Sweden and Denmark fought for centuries over borders but did not oppose each others existence. Today, both countries are peaceful secular democracies that would not dream of waging war against each other. The same thing applies to France and Germany.The situation in the Middle East is entirely different. With the exception of Israel, genuine democracy and settling disputes through peaceful means are alien concepts. Unlike post-Christian Europe, religion remains crucial to most peoples identity throughout the Muslim world. According to Islamic tradition, Jews must live as submissive Dhimmis under Islamic rule and they are not allowed to bear arms. In the eyes of countless Muslims, Jews are not entitled to any national independence and military power within any borders.Western liberals naively believe that if only Israel is nice, cedes territory and gives into Muslim Arab demands, peace will automatically follow. In reality, the opposite is the case. In the Middle East, compromise is seen as a sign of weakness and an invitation to further aggression.In 1974, the terrorist organization PLO adopted a genocidal Phase Plan against Israel that remains in operation to this day. It was adopted because of Arab failures to destroy Israel in the military battlefields. Another reason was to dupe naive Western observers into believing that PLO embraces territorial compromise and a peaceful settlement with Israel.According to the Phase Plan, any territory that Israel cedes will automatically be transformed into a new war front against the Jewish state. Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Gaza and parts of Judea and Samaria attest to this. Ceding territory did not give Israel even a fraction of the peace that only exists in the Orwellian world of Western self-appointed Middle East experts. In return for uprooting thousands of peaceful Jewish residents, territories controlled by Hamas and PA have been transformed into failed states and laboratories of genocidal Jew-hatred that will settle for nothing less than Israels destruction.Being nice might work if your neighbors are Denmark and Switzerland, but will only invite further aggression when your neighbors are Hamas, PLO, Hezbollah and Syria.Western self-appointed experts do not merely refuse to admit the fallacy of their Orwellian fantasies regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict. They also hypocritically expect Israel to turn the other cheek, when the vacated territories are used as launching pads for aggression against Israeli civilians. No country in the world would tolerate the launching of thousands of rockets against its citizens, as is the case with Gazas aggression against Israel.When London was under attack during the Nazi German Blitz in World War 2, the British air force flattened German cities. Up to 25,000 Germans were killed during the Allied bombing of the German city Dresden during 13-15 February 1945. That is far more than the number of people killed by the Israeli air force during years of conflict in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.Critics that systematically accuse Israel of using disproportionate force hardly blinked when NATO bombed Iraq and Afghanistan into oblivion. Unlike Israel, NATO forces do not bother to send mass warnings through leaflets and SMS in order to minimize casualties among enemy civilians . NATO forces do not protect enemy civilians at the expense of their own soldiers safety. NATO forces are also not subjected to a fraction of the obsessively hostile international media coverage that is the daily reality for the Israel Defense Force.Israel has not only been fighting for her existence since her rebirth in 1948. The Jewish state is at the forefront in the epic ongoing battle between civilization and barbarism. By betraying the sister democracy Israel, much of the West is spinelessly betraying its own fundamental values.Genuine peace based on territorial compromises is only possible when borders represent peaceful coexistence. As long as Israels genocidal enemies view borders as war fronts against the reborn Jewish state, only overwhelming Israeli military deterrence will keep the wolves at bay.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A common anti-seizure drug may pose a birth defect problem for pregnant women, a new study warns.

Researchers found that pregnant women with epilepsy who take the drug topiramate during their first trimester may boost the risk that their child will be born with a cleft lip or cleft palate.

That risk increase specifically applies to women with epilepsy, who typically take topiramate at an average daily dosage of 200 milligrams (mg).

However, topiramate is also sometimes taken at a lower dosage to control migraines, treat bipolar disorder or in combination with other drugs to lose weight. Pregnant women who take it for these reasons also may face an increased risk.

The study found that pregnant women who take it during their first trimester at an average dosage of 100 mg for reasons other than epilepsy boost their child's risk for a cleft lip or palate by roughly 50 percent.

The findings were reported online Dec. 27 in the journal Neurology.

The greater risk among women with epilepsy is "likely due to the higher doses of topiramate when used for controlling seizures," study author Dr. Sonia Hernandez-Diaz said in a journal news release. She's a researcher with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

Hernandez-Diaz acknowledged that steering clear of topiramate during early pregnancy can sometimes be difficult, given that "unplanned pregnancies are common."

Because of this, she said, "the best course may be to avoid prescribing high doses of topiramate to women of childbearing age unless the benefits clearly outweigh the risks."

The findings came from a review and analysis of a decade's worth of Medicaid data on about 1.4 million women who gave birth during that time.

The researchers compared those who took topiramate during their first trimester at various doses, and for various purposes, with women who took no anti-seizure medication. They also compared taking topiramate with taking lamotrigine, another medication used to treat seizures.

Among the 1.3 million women not taking anti-seizure drugs, the rate of risk of having a baby with cleft lip or palate was 1.1 per 1,000. In the 2,800 mothers who took lamotrigine, the risk was 1.5 per 1,000. In the more than 2,400 mothers who took topiramate in the first trimester of pregnancy, the risk was 4.1 per 1,000.

Overall, the investigators calculated that topiramate taken at any dosage significantly raised the risk for cleft lip or palate, compared with lamotrigine or with taking no anti-seizure mediation. And higher doses led to higher risk, the study found.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on topiramate and pregnancy.
THURSDAY, Dec. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Even levels of air pollution deemed "safe" by U.S. government standards may shorten the life spans of seniors, new research suggests.

In fact, hundreds of older Americans may die prematurely each year due to the effects of dirty air, the study found.

The finding stems from a computer prediction analysis that correlated fine particle and ozone pollution levels between 2000 and 2012 with death rates on roughly 93 percent of all Americans who were covered by Medicare at the time.

"This is the most comprehensive study of short-term exposure to pollution and mortality to date," said senior study author Francesca Dominici, co-director of the Harvard Data Science Initiative in Boston.

"We found that the mortality rate increases almost linearly as air pollution increases. Any level of air pollution, no matter how low, is harmful to human health," Dominici said in a Harvard news release.

During the study period, 22 million people covered by the investigation died.

While the study only found an association, the investigators found that for every tiny incremental increase in either particulate pollution or ozone levels, the daily death rate bumped up between roughly 0.5 and 1 percent.

Though the figures may seem small, Dominici and her colleagues pointed out that it adds up when multiplied across the entire population of American seniors, amounting to more than 7,100 premature deaths over the study period.

What's more, the research team noted that some groups of seniors are even more vulnerable to such exposure, with low-income seniors facing a three times higher risk than more well-off seniors.

In a similar vein, women were found to face a 25 percent greater premature death risk following pollution and ozone exposure compared with men. The same was true of nonwhite Americans, relative to their white peers.

The findings were published Dec. 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More information

There's more on air quality and seniors at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Torture. Denial of medical care. Repeated interrogations and accusations of collaborating with enemies: Yemeni journalist Youssef Ajlans story of his detention, which lasted over a year, hews closely to those of many journalists imprisoned for their work.

This month, CPJ published its annual prison census, which found that governments around the world are holding at least 262 journalists behind bars for their reporting.

But CPJ never listed Ajlan on the census, because he wasnt jailed by an internationally recognized government and therefore wasnt covered under our methodology. Rather, he was detained by the Ansar Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthistechnically, a non-state actor.

Yet the Houthis have detained dozens of journalists and are currently holding at least 13, according to CPJ research. If the Houthis were considered a governing authority, Yemen would have the fifth highest number of journalists in jail in the world, after Eritrea and ahead of Azerbaijan and Vietnam.

The effect on the climate for media, and the flow of information to the public, is the same, whether the entity enforcing such brute censorship is an internationally recognized government or not. The Houthis detentions of journalists has silenced those who wouldnt toe the line, according to one freelance Yemeni journalist who asked not to be identified for security reasons.

My colleagues and I think that there [is] no real reporting from inside the capital or anywhere Houthis are controlling, the freelance journalist said.

CPJ has documented how all sides in Yemens conflict commit abuses against journalists, and how the disintegration of state structures and accountability have further amplified the threats. The freelance journalist told CPJ that in addition to being attacked by the Houthis, he received criticism online from the Houthis opponents  members of the government run by President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and based in Aden.

The Houthis have risen from a rebel group based in the mountainous north to controlling the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and effectively taking over what remained of the Yemeni national government. After consolidating their hold on Sanaa in September 2014, the group seized control of the main intelligence and security agencies, including the National Security Bureau and the Political Security Organization which according to a report to the U.N. Security Council were competing yet feared instruments of state control under former President Ali Abdullah Saleh (Hadis predecessor, who was killed this month). Then they started detaining journalists.

On June 9, 2015, nine journalists were detained at the same time when Houthi fighters raided a Sanaa hotel where they had gathered because it offered electricity and internet access:

Abdulkhaleq Amran, Islah Online

Hesham Tarmoum, Mareb Press newspaper

Hareth Hameed, Al-RabeaNet news website

Akram al-Waleedi, Al-RabeaNet news website

Essam Balghaith, Nass FM radio station

Hisham al-Yousifi, Yemen Tube website

Haitham al-Shihab, Al-Ahali newspaper

Hassan Anaab, Yemen Shabab TV channel

Tawfiq al-Mansouri, Al-Masdar newspaper

According to Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, an independent human rights NGO based in Sanaa, these nine are being held in a Sanaa prison run by the Political Security Organization and their cases were transferred to a criminal court on June 17, 2017.

Since then, the Houthis have detained four more journalists, including:

Salah Al-Qaedy, of Suhail TV channel, on Aug 28, 2015, held in the Political Security Organizations Sanaa prison

Hussein Saeed Al-Easi, of Nahthat Watan newspaper, on Feb 18,2016, held in the Sanaa al-Thawra Temporary Prison

Abdullah Al-Munifi, of Al-Sahwa net news website, on Feb 18,2016, held in the Sanaa al-Thawra Temporary Prison

Abdel-Raheem Mohsin, who freelanced for a number of outlets such as news websites Al-Hadath and Yemen Voice, on August 24, 2017. CPJ was unable to determine where Mohsin is being held.

CPJ was not able to determine the status of those four cases under the Houthi-controlled institutions.

Ajlan, who had worked as a reporter for the newspaper and news website Al-Masdar from 2008 until 2015, was arrested October 16, 2016 and released November 23, 2017. He told CPJ that he was beaten and subject to ill-treatment, particularly during the first month of his detention; his Houthi captors questioned him repeatedly, punched and kicked him, and beat him with a stick all over his body. He said they later tied his arms and legs to an iron rod and suspended him from between two desks.

They asked me about my work as a journalist and my contact with journalists outside the country, Ajlan said. He said he had been detained by the Houthis for several hours on March 26, 2015, and had stopped working in media after this first detention.

Ajlan said he was held in six different locations, and suffered from stomach ailments and urinary tract infections but was denied access to medical care, forcing his family to bring him medication prescribed by doctors outside of prison. Houthi authorities often barred his family from visits, he said.

CPJ could not independently verify Ajlans account of his treatment in detention. CPJ emailed Mohammad Abdulsalam, spokesman for the Ansar Allah movement, with questions about the treatment of journalists in areas under the groups control, but has not received a response.

Even though I told them that I had stopped working as a journalist and had bought a taxi in order to support my family, they rejected everything I said and accused me of being an agent for Saudi and American aggression, Ajlan said, referring to his second detention of over a year.

Aside from the arrests, there is the disappearance of journalist Waheed al-Sufi, the editor-in-chief of the Yemeni weekly al-Arabiya. Al-Sufi was abducted by unidentified gunmen in Sanaa on April 6, 2015, while paying the newspapers bills at the post office, and his whereabouts are unknown. There has been no verified claim of responsibility, and the Houthis have denied responsibility, but the kidnapping happened in Sanaa, where the Houthis exercise control.

Instead of investigating al-Sufis disappearance, the Houthis have continued to obstruct and detain journalists. For example, on December 2, they seized the TV channel Yemen Todays office and held dozens of employees hostage until December 13. Many journalists have fled for areas under the control of the government in Aden. Under Houthi control, the environment is a combination of the hollow shell of Salehs authoritarian rule of law with the rebel rule of the gun. Silence or exile are the only options.
Lok Sabha passes Triple talaq Bill

Published: December 28, 2017

The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill 2017 dclaring instant triple talaq illegal and criminalises it with up to three years in jail for the husband. The bill will now will be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for assent to come into force as law.

Key Features of Bill

The Bill makes all declaration of talaq, including in written or electronic form (text message, email etc) to be void and illegal i.e. not enforceable in law. It defines talaq as talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form of talaq pronounced by Muslim husband resulting in instant and irrevocable divorce to his wife.

It refers Talaq-e-biddat to practice under Muslim personal laws where pronouncement of word talaq thrice in one sitting by Muslim husband to his wife results in instant and irrevocable divorce.

Offence and penalty: It makes declaration of talaq a cognizable and non-bailable offence i.e. offence for which police officer may arrest an accused person without warrant. Moreover, if Muslim husband declaring triple talaq can be imprisoned for up to 3 years along with a fine.

Allowance: It entitles Muslim woman against whom triple talaq has been declared to seek subsistence allowance from her husband for herself and for her dependent children. First Class Magistrate will decide this allowance amount.

Custody of minor children: Muslim woman against whom triple talaq has been declared, is entitled to seek custody of her minor children. First Class Magistrate will make determination of custody of her minor children.

Background

The Constitutional bench of Supreme Court in 3:2 majority judgment (verdict) given in August 2017 had declared Islamic practice of instant divorce through triple talaq as unconstitutional, illegal and void and not protected by Article 25 (freedom of religion) of the Constitution. The three majority judges had held that triple talaq is manifestly arbitrary and violative of the constitution and fundamental right under Article 14 (equality before law) so it must be struck down.

It was alleged that practise of triple talaq adversely impact rights of women to a life of dignity and is against constitutional principles such as gender equality, secularism, international laws etc. It also undermines gender equality is a sacred principle of our constitution and modern society. Even 21 Islamic theocratic countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan have abolished it.



Month: Current Affairs - December, 2017

Topics: Bills and Acts  CLAT  Lok Sabha  Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill  Triple Talaq  Triple Talaq Bill  Women Related Issues

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Jakarta. In 2017, the National Narcotics Agency, or BNN, killed 79 drug dealers in raids across the country, recorded 465,070 drug-related cases, and rehabilitated 1,523 addicts, a top official said on Wednesday (27/12).





"There is a narcotics emergency, we take tougher measures to overcome the crime," BNN head Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso Budi said during a year-end press conference in Jakarta.





Budi said 580,365 people have been arrested this year in drug-related cases.





He added that BNN is closely cooperating with the Directorate General of Customs in combating the crime.





Customs director general Heru Pambudi said the cooperation is necessary, as most of the drugs sold in Indonesia come from abroad.





"We seized 2,2124 tons of narcotics this year, [last year] it was 1.1 tons," he said.





Rehabilitation





President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo last year ordered rehabilitation of 100,000 drug users.





Unfortunately, only 1,523 people could undergo therapy, due to limited availability of beds at rehabilitation centers. However, the quality of rehabilitation programs has improved, Budi said.





"We have improved our facilities in January 2017  we can guarantee that those who finish the rehabilitation programs are clean [of drugs]."

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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
Sira Diallo, 22, works part-time jobs in retail sales and at a temp agency and estimates her annual earnings at about $35,000. Her younger brother, who is also her roommate, goes to school and works part time.

Curtis Stamps, 56, left his full-time job as a custodian after 17 years to take care of his ailing, 79-year-old mother, who otherwise would have had to go into a nursing home. Their rent is covered by her federal Section 8 voucher.

All four recently moved into the Carbon at Union Corners apartments  one of a growing number of publicly subsidized, private apartment developments aimed at solving a worsening problem: Too many of Dane Countys residents dont have enough income to afford decent housing in the communities where theyve long lived and worked.

If you want to live somewhere and work somewhere, its difficult at existing wages, said UW-Madison public affairs and economics professor Tim Smeeding, who studies income inequality. The bottom end of the labor market has fallen out and theres been a hollowing out of the middle class.

Stamps said he was on a waiting list for an apartment for almost a year before he was approved for an apartment at Carbon in about two weeks. Diallo said she had been able to find other apartments in her price range, but none that was as nice.

I really like it because its brand new, Diallo said of her new digs on Madisons East Side.

A January 2015 UW-Madison report commissioned by Dane County found that 28,469 renter households and 36,057 owner households  nearly 33 percent of all households in the county  were cost-burdened, meaning more than 30 percent of household income went toward housing. About 12,000 lower-income households devote more than 50 percent of income to housing costs, according to the report.

They make the rents so ... high that you cant afford it, Stamps said of the Madison rental market, and they dont really want Section 8 people, even though not all of us are trouble-makers.

Difficult choice

Without efforts to create more affordable housing, workers are often left to choose between commuting to their jobs from outlying areas with cheaper housing, or scrimping on health care, child care, food and other necessities to live and work in the same community. Employers say those who commute are hard to retain if they happen to find a job just as good closer to home.

In response to a need for lower-cost housing and a hard-to-ignore homeless population  including a 2-year-old homeless encampment on the front steps of the City-County Building Downtown  the city of Madison in 2015 created an affordable housing fund and launched an effort to spur the development of up to 1,000 subsidized units over five years, including 250 for the homeless.

That same year, Dane County created its own affordable housing fund to pump $2 million a year for four years into creating more housing and partnered with developers, social-service agencies, banks and others to create the Dane County Housing Initiative, a kind of clearinghouse for information on housing availability for residents and financing opportunities for developers.

As of mid-December, Madison had worked with developers to create 234 low-cost units, and 333 more are under construction, have received federal tax credits to help in their financing or both. About 275 more are awaiting decisions on tax credits.

County senior planner and Housing Initiative lead staffer Olivia Parry said there is more workforce housing being developed and preserved because of Dane Countys leadership and the increased profile that has brought.

Madison officials have been clear that their housing initiative is aimed at those with lower incomes, including people who have been homeless for years due to substance abuse or mental illness.

Low-income

vs. workforce

County officials and officials with cities outside of Madison, however, typically describe their initiatives as attempts to create workforce housing.

The differences can be a matter of semantics, or marketing.

My experience is the terms are pretty much used interchangeably, said Madison community development director Jim OKeefe. As you might imagine, workforce housing has a different connotation than low-income housing, particularly when youre trying to gain neighborhood acceptance.

Sometimes when people hear the term affordable housing, they assume the people there are not working, and thats not true, said UW-Madison associate professor of urban and regional planning Kurt Paulsen, who wrote the 2015 housing report.

The term workforce housing can be used to broaden the conversation and reduce the stigma of affordable housing, he said.

There can be more substantive differences, though, in that certain federal programs  such as housing vouchers  can be used only by those with incomes much lower than the median income for the area where they live, called area median income, or AMI. That typically means people getting vouchers cant make more than either 30 percent or 50 percent of AMI.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits can be used to finance the construction of subsidized units reserved for people making no more than 60 percent of AMI, but there are also housing block grants and other subsidies, and local help through tax incremental financing.

Meadow Ridge

in Middleton

The Meadow Ridge apartments in Middleton, for example, offers most units to renters with incomes of up to 30 percent, 50 percent or 60 percent of AMI, according to its developer, Jacob Klein. The $16.7 million project benefited from $2.1 million in Middleton TIF funds, $850,000 in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and a $805,000 federal grant.

It opened this year and Emily McAteer, 31, was among its first residents. She said her income consists of a disability check and wages from a part-time job at a day care center.

They have really good people here, and management, too, she said  people that I can talk to and hang out with.

Why dont employers in communities with high housing costs simply pay their workers more, thus alleviating the need for government to step in?

Jon Emerick, who works for a Sun Prairie staffing agency and sits on the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce Workforce Housing Committee, said thats a very common question.

He and other workforce housing advocates note that the workers needing housing are easily considered middle class. Emerick said hes aware of wages locally of up to $18.87 an hour for unskilled labor.

The companies that I spoke with are already way above minimum wage, and as high as $17 to $20 an hour, said Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ann Smith.

Paulsen said that wages and housing prices tend to be very similar over a metropolitan region but that wages for a particular industry in a region are determined by wages in that industry on a national scale, more or less.

Businesses in Dane County that produce products or services traded in a national (and international) market cannot simply raise their wages because they would no longer be competitive, he said.

Meanwhile, generally good schools, employment opportunities, quality of life and other amenities make the county an attractive place to live and help drive up housing prices, he said.

There has always been a gap in affordable housing, but the crisis proportions we are seeing now in Dane County are much worse than before, Parry said, especially for people of color.

The cost of housing versus wages has widened so significantly since the Great Recession, she said. If you combine this with our historically low vacancy rates, it makes the situation even worse.

The Madison areas apartment vacancy rate hovered between 2 percent and 4 percent from 2011 to the first quarter of 2017, according to estimates by Madison Gas and Electric. It topped 4 percent in the second and third quarters of this year. A balanced rental market  where neither landlord nor renter has a price advantage  has a vacancy rate of about 5 percent.

Paulsen noted there is no cap on the number of home-owning households that can take a tax deduction on their mortgage interest  which is effectively a government housing subsidy.

By contrast, only about 25 percent of those eligible for federal low-income housing assistance get it, Paulsen said  not because they dont apply but because Congress doesnt allocate enough money for the programs.
Dinh La Thang is facing up to 30 years in prison for the two charges brought against him so far.

Vietnam's top prosecutors on Wednesday ratified charges against the once-rising political star Dinh La Thang and six other former oil officials for their roles in the infamous multi-million-dollar graft case at OceanBank.

Thang, who served as board chairman of the state-owned oil giant PetroVietnam (PVN) from 2006 until 2011, may receive 10-20 years in jail if found guilty of "deliberately violating state regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences.

The remaining six suspects, including OceanBank's former deputy general director Nguyen Xuan Son, as well as PVN's former deputy general director Ninh Van Quynh, also face similar charges and punishments.

Additionally, Quynh has been charged with abuse of power and embezzlement, for which he faces up to life imprisonment.

According to investigators, despite OceanBanks small and inefficient operations back in 2008, Thang plowed ahead with a 20 percent stake purchase without appraising it or reporting the venture to the then prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung. This led to PetroVietnam holding a VND800 billion ($35 million) stake in the lender, but that was completely written off when the central bank took over it in 2015.

Meanwhile the other six suspects are prosecuted for agreeing with Thang's decision. Quynh has also been accused of abuse of power and embezzlement for receiving VND20 billion from Son in order to influence PVN's decisions in favor of OceanBank.

Son was already sentenced to death for his role in the OceanBank graft case in a different trial in September. At the time, the defense lawyer for Son, who was PVNs chairman from 2014 until his arrest in 2015, said his client had just been enforcing executive orders already sanctioned by Thang when the latter was at the helm of the state energy giant.

The trial for the seven officials is currently scheduled for late January, once another trial for violations at PVN's subsidiary PetroVietnam Construction (PVC) concludes.

Thang, 57, is also charged with violating state regulations on economic management and faces 10-20 years in prison for his role in the PVC case. If found guilty in both cases, he may receive up to 30 years in jail, the longest prison term allowed under Vietnam's Penal Code.

After leaving PetroVietnam in 2011, Thang's political career took off as Minister of Transport in Prime Minister Dungs cabinet.

His political career was all but doomed in May, when he was voted out of the then 19-member Politburo, the Partys decision-making body, and later fired as the top leader of Ho Chi Minh City. He was later appointed as deputy head of the Central Economic Commission, which advises the Party on economic policies.

Thang's charges for his roles in the two cases came shortly after his arrest on December 8 that riveted the nation. Thangs younger brother Dinh Manh Thang, another oil executive, was arrested the next day as part of the corruption crackdown.

Vietnams energy and banking sectors have been the center of the sweeping corruption crackdown spearheaded by Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong. Scores of people have been ensnared.
Philly Schools Tormented by Decision to Reduce Suspensions

Max Eden, Philadelphia Enquirer

We Don't Need the Government to Tell Us Smoking Kills

George Will, Washington Post

Right and Left Agree on Licensing

George Leef, Forbes

GOP Business Tax Cuts Force Other Countries to Compete

Dan McLaughlin, National Review
Ciudadanos leader Ines Arrimadas on Wednesday. Joan Sanchez

Spains Ciudadanos party is refusing to give in to pressure from anti-independence parties in Catalonia that are calling on the group to take the initiative in the region after elections last week.

The Socialists (PSOE) on Wednesday joined the Popular Party (PP) in calling for the leader of Ciudadanos in Catalonia, Ines Arrimadas, to take action in the wake of her party being the most-voted in the Catalan election: Ciudadanos won 25.4% of votes and picked up 36 seats in the snap poll called by Madrid using emergency constitutional powers.

The PP have left their calculators at home Miguel Gutierrez, Ciudadanos

However, Ciudadanos has insisted it is waiting to see if the pro-independence bloc  which won a majority 70 of 135 seats in the regional parliament  will reach an agreement to form government.

The cross fire between the three so-called Constitutionalist parties in the run-up to the Catalan election is now, during the hangover period, centered on Ciudadanos. The PP and the PSOE have decided to focus on the candidacy of Arrimadas for regional premier despite the fact this is a remote possibility given it would only occur if pro-independence parties fail to form government. It is also likely deputies from those parties would abstain in an investiture vote for Arrimadas.

The Socialists are calling on Arrimadas to take some form of action while the PP have gone a step further by demanding not only that she start an initial round of talks on the make-up of the management board of the regional parliament known as the Mesa but also attempt to form an executive. However, the PP has not specified how this could be done.

The PP have left their calculators at home. We would have loved a constitutionalist government but the majority is not there, said Miguel Gutierrez, the secretary general of the Cuidadanos parliamentary group in the Spanish Congress on Wednesday in response to the criticism from its main source of opposition in Catalonia.

The big challenge is not winning elections but showing this counts for something Jose Luis Abalos, Socialists

If the PP is nervous, they should calm down. We havent given up on anything. It is just that we know how to add up. And we dont have the numbers to bid for the premiership, said Cuidadanos deputy in the Catalan parliament Carlos Carrizosa, who is close to Arrimadas. Carrizosa has linked the criticism of his party with the electoral failure of the PP and the stagnation of the Socialists in last weeks Catalan election.

The PP saw their total number of seats fall to just four while the Socialists only won one new seat, raising its total to 17.

It was the PP leader in Catalonia, Xavier Garcia Albiol, who was the first to raise his voice regarding Ciudadanos after the election. Ciudadanos has the obligation to claim to the right to govern, he said on Saturday.

Meanwhile PP congressional spokesperson Rafael Hernando has said: Its surprising that Ciudadanos has handed the initiative to the pro-secessionists.

Ciudadanos insists it is waiting to see if the pro-independence bloc will reach an agreement to form government.

The Socialists are of a similar opinion calling on Arrimadas to exercise leadership although not going as far as on her to try to run as a candidate for the premiership. The big challenge is not winning elections but showing this counts for something, said PSOE organizational secretary Jose Luis Abalos.

The Catalan employers association Fomento del Trabajo has called on Arrimadas to try and form government. But sources within the Ciudadanos leadership circle have said there will be no change of position.

English version by George Mills.
Barcelona's Barceloneta beach in August. Joan Sanchez

Spain welcomed 4.4 million foreign tourists in November, 7.4% up on last year. Though December figures are not yet available, the 2016 record of 75.3 million was already broken by mid-November. By the end of November, a total of 77.8 million foreign tourists had arrived, 9.1% more than in the first eleven months of 2016, according to figures from the Spanish statistics office (INE).

If December figures match the 3.99 million foreign tourists welcomed in the last month of 2016, Spain will close the year having entertained more than 80 million foreign tourists.

Despite dips in October and November, Catalonia has welcomed more tourists this year than in 2016

The Canary Islands was the favorite destination in November with 1.24 million foreign tourists  6.7% more than last November, and a figure that represents 28.2% of all visitors to Spain last month. Over the course of 2017 to date, the Canary Islands has already welcomed almost 13 million foreign tourists.

Catalonia was the second most popular region in November for foreigners, welcoming 22.4% of the national total. However, the total of 986,712 visitors was 2.3% less than in November 2016 and the lowest since 2014. November was the second consecutive month where a fall in numbers was seen, following a 4.67% drop in October presumably due to the tensions surrounding the independence referendum. During this period of political instability, Catalonia has welcomed 96,000 fewer foreign tourists than in 2016.

Over the course this year, however, Catalonia has welcomed more tourists than last year despite anti-tourist attacks and terrorists attacks in the region in August that left 16 dead. In the first 11 months of 2017, 18.2 million foreign tourists visited Catalonia, 6.06% more than in the same period in 2016, trumping all other regions for foreign tourism.

The 2016 record of 75.3 million foreign visitors was already broken by mid-November

However, in the second half of the year, growth slowed. In April and May, there was a 16% increase on the same period of 2016, in June this dropped to 9.7% and in July 6.5% while in August when tourism was soaring in the rest of Spain, it rose by just 2.3%. Growth recovered in September, registering a boost of 6% on 2016 numbers, but dropped again in October and November.

Catalonia is the region with lowest growth over the year: 6.06% compared to 9.1% in the rest of Spain. The Balearic Islands industry grew only slightly more at 6.17%, while growth in Madrid and Valencia was over 15%, Andalusia saw a 9% rise in numbers and the Canary Islands 7.9%.

Tourists are coming from all over but this November the Brits outstripped the Germans with 913,373 visitors to 594,000 while tourism from France  Spains third biggest market stalled. This November saw 535,781 French tourists crossing the Pyrenees, just 0.5% more than November 2016. The biggest growth areas, however, were the American market  up 31.5% on November 2016 numbers  and the Russian segment  up 25.7%.

English version by Heather Galloway.
At least sixteen businesses run by Bahai citizens are sealed off in recent weeks in Tabriz, the largest city in northwestern Iran, reports say.

In an interview with Radio Farda, the Bahai International Community, BIC spokesperson, Simin Fahandej confirmed the reports on Thursday, December 28.

The reason for forced closure of Bahai owned businesses has not yet been officially disclosed.

Earlier, President Hassan Rouhanis special aide for citizens rights, Shahindokht Molaverdi had announced that she had correspondence with relevant officials over the closure of Bahais businesses.

Thousands of the followers of the Bahai Faith have been imprisoned, tortured, or executed since the rise of the Islamic Republic, almost forty years ago.

Many followers of this Faith have been deprived of their basic civil, social and economic rights. Bahai youth are systematically denied admission to institutes of higher education, and Bahais suffer economic pressure through bans from government jobs and forced business closures.

According to some sources, the number of Bahais who have been deprived of entering universities in the current year is more than 100. They were all denied entry solely for believing in their faith, Bahaism.

Iran officials have not yet reacted to the news.

All of the Bahai applicants who checked their test results online received a short message saying, Dear applicant, theres a flaw in your file. Please contact the Response Unit of the Appraisal Agency.

According to Article 1 of Irans Supreme Cultural Revolution Councils Student Qualification Regulations, approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 1991, students who take the national enrollment exam must either be Muslim or followers of other constitutionally sanctioned religions.

Article 3 states that if a student is discovered to be a Bahai after enrolling in a university, he or she will be expelled, Center for Human Rights in Iran, CHRI had earlier reported.

However, supporting citizens rights regardless of their faith, race and ethnicity has been one of Hassan Rouhanis promises since he started running for presidency in 2013.

Furthermore, president Rouhani signed an official proclamation last year labelled as Citizens Rights Charter to promote respect for all citizens and social groups.

Nevertheless, the charter has yet to be implemented

Reportedly since the 200th anniversary of the BahaI prophet last month, there has been a marked increase in pressure on adherents of the faith. This includes summons and arrests, as well as forced closure of Bahai owned businesses in various cities of Iran.
US Secretary Of State Rex W. Tillerson has said that the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), is no longer the focal point of Americas policy toward Tehran.

In an op-ed for The New York Times on December 27, Mr. Tillerson echoes Trump's view that the Iranian nuclear deal is flawed.

The chief of American diplomacy writes in the op-ed that Washington has shifted its policy to confronting what he describes as the "totality of Iranian threats."

Elaborating on the details of the new US approach towards Iran Mr. Tillerson writes Part of this strategy entails rebuilding alliances with our partners in the Middle East, and in November we helped re-establish diplomatic ties between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

The flawed Iran nuclear deal is no longer the focal point of our policy toward Iran. We are now confronting the totality of Iranian threats.

In far as the JCPOA is concerned, Rex Tillerson says the State Department will work with US allies and Congress to find options fix the agreement. He also warns that the U.S. government is trying to gather support for punishing Iran for its violation of limitations put on its ballistic missiles program and its destabilizing activities in the region.

The Islamic Republics support of Hezbollah in Lebanon and its alleged involvement in Iraq, Yemen and Syria plus its outright support of the Syria's Bashar Assad and its controversial ballistic missile program are some of the reasons US accuses Iran of violating the spirit of JCPOA.

The Islamic Republic says it is Washington that has not been adhering to the JCPOA by imposing new sanctions against Iranian entities. According to Tehran its missile program is solely for defensive purposes and cannot be the subject of another round of talks similar to what led to the conclusion of JCPOA in 2015.

US President Donald Trump has criticized the Obama Administration for the nuclear deal with Iran calling it the worst deal. He has threatened that US could pull out of the deal should Iran continue its current policy.
Gov. Scott Walkers administration on Wednesday calculated that the typical family of four in Wisconsin will get a $2,508 tax cut under the Republican tax overhaul signed into law last week.

The analysis drew criticism from Democrats and others who said Walkers Department of Revenue cherry-picked the most favorable numbers to cast the tax cut in the best light possible.

Walkers analysis looked only at the impact on a typical family of four with two children eligible for an expanded child-care tax credit. He did not offer any numbers showing the impact on other families with more or fewer qualifying children, or on single filers or couples with no children.

The governor said in a statement that the Revenue Department was still looking at the full impact of the new law on Wisconsin taxpayers. The changes take effect on income earned in 2018 for taxes that will be paid in 2019.

Walkers analysis also did not look at what happens beyond the first year of the tax cut. Multiple analyses of the law have found that middle-class tax cuts will gradually fade and then morph into tax increases as individual tax cuts expire after 2025.

Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance president Todd Berry said the biggest problem with Walkers analysis is that it chose a two-income, two-child family, which is no longer typical.

The largest number of filers in Wisconsin are single, Berry said. And, among those who file jointly, two kids of tax-credit age are less and less the norm.

The analysis does show the positive impact of doubling the child-care tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000, Berry said. It also shows that for many taxpayers, the process of filing a return will get simpler as they will take the $24,000 standard deduction over itemizing state and local taxes, the deduction of which will now be capped at $10,000.

Democrats argued that the biggest problem is the GOP tax plan benefits corporations and the wealthy more than the middle class.

Its the unfairness of the plan that is the flaw, said Scot Ross, director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now. When you have $1.5 trillion in deficit spending, certainly some cherry-picked families will come out ahead for a little while.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling said Democrats want to restore tax fairness and create a better deal for communities, children and working families.

But Walker stood by the analysis, touting the family of fours projected $2,508 tax cut.

Thats $200 a month more in the pockets of the typical Wisconsin family, Walker said. Thats real money.
Labor activist, Reza Shahabis wife was detained along fifty others while demanding her husbands release from Rajaei Shahr prison, near the capital, Tehran.

They were assembled in front of the Ministry Of Labor and Social Welfare in Tehran when security forces rounded them up and took them to the notorious Evin prison.

Before being released, they were told to stop participating in protest assemblies, an informed source told Radio Farda on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier, Shahabis wife, Robabeh Rezaei, had publicly declared that since the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare was responsible for supporting workers, she would go there on Tuesday morning, December 26, to demand her husbands immediate release.

The Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (UWTSBC) and several social media rights activists declared that they would also gather in front of the ministry to support Mrs. Shahabis demand.

Shahabi, treasurer and a board member of (UWTSBC), was arrested in June 2010 and sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of propaganda against the state and assembly and collusion against national security for peacefully advocating labor rights in Iran. He was also banned from engaging in civic activism for five years, Center for Human Rights in Iran, CHRI reported.

After two strokes, Reza Shahbis health condition has been reported grave.

During a prison visit on Wednesday [December 13, 2017], his relatives noticed that the left side of Shahabis face was drooping and that his left eye had sunken in, UWTSBC said in a statement.

Shahabi said when he went to the prison clinic, the doctor told him he had suffered a mild stroke.

Even after the stroke, Shahabi was not transferred to the hospital for a checkup to prevent him from getting worse, noted the UWTSBC.

His stroke proves that the doctors were right when they determined he is not healthy enough to endure prison conditions---Therefore, he must be freed immediately and unconditionally.

We hold the security agencies, the Tehran prosecutor, and prison officials responsible for Shahabis life, added the statement.

Meanwhile, riot police and plainclothes stormed into the gathering on Tuesday morning, beating up protesters, Free Labor Union of Iran, FLUI reported.

According to FLUI, a member of the union, Hassan Saeidi was so brutally battered that he was taken to a hospital.

However, Saeidi, after being treated was also detained and taken to Evin prison.

The elements affiliated with the ministry were also involved in battering the demonstrators, FLUI maintained.

The report has not yet been confirmed or denied by the Islamic Republics officials.

According to CHRI, in September 2014, Shahabi was granted medical leave but nearly three years later was informed that the time he had spent outside the prison on medical furlough was not counted as time served and that he would have to return to the prison.

When Shahabi returned to Rajaee Shahr Prison on August 8, 2017, he was told he would have to serve the five months that remained on his sentence before he was released on furlough as well as a year for his alleged role in a clash between guards and prisoners in Evin Prison on April 17, 2014, that left many prisoners injured.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Rashid Shirinov - Trend:

Twenty six years pass since the occupation of Khankendi city of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenian invaders occupied Nagorno-Karabakhs center Khankendi and its Kerkijahan settlement, which had significant strategic importance for the city and surrounding areas, in 1991. Khankendi turned out fully occupied after the capture of the Kerkijahan settlement on December 28.

Defense of Kerkijahan was organized by self-defense units formed of villagers, the newly established group of military police and the National Army of Azerbaijan. As a result of Armenians attack with military vehicles and heavy weapons, those who defended Kerkijahan had to retreat. Azerbaijani families who had suffered Armenias attacks left Khankendi and took refuge in Aghdam, Shusha, Khojaly, and other neighboring regions of the country.

As a result of the occupation of Kerkijahan by the Armenian armed groups, 34 of 1,796 habitants of the village, including three women and two children, were killed and more than 150 people were wounded. Armenian troops destroyed two high schools, a kindergarten, library, club, ATS, 10 shops, a hospital, 15 production shops and other facilities of the settlement.

Unlike most other cities in Azerbaijan, Khankendi was one of the youngest cities of the country. Archives say that the city was founded at the end of the 18th century by Karabakh khans. At first, it was a settlement for resting of khans family members and the inner circle. Therefore, the area was called Khanin kendi (Khans village) and then its name was transformed into Khankendi.

In the 20th century, Khankendi became one of the industrial and cultural centers of Azerbaijan. Modern enterprises were built in the city, and by the end of the Soviet period in Azerbaijan, a famous silk combine, shoe, carpet and sewing factories, dairy plant, winery and dozens of smaller enterprises were operating in Khankendi. Products of the electrotechnical plant, furniture factory, building materials combine and asphalt plant gained popularity in Azerbaijan and beyond.

Today, after more than a quarter-century have passed since the occupation of Khankendi, Azerbaijani internally displaced people still wait for the return to their native places. Regrettably, their desire remains unnoticed by the world community  Armenia keeps ignoring four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

Azerbaijan tries to resolve the conflict as soon as possible, while the aggressor Armenia does the opposite by making every effort to preserve the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh. Currently, 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territories remain under Armenian occupation and over 1 million of refugees and IDPs have to live far away from their homes in hope of returning there someday.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

The recent meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and of Armenia in Geneva is important and to some extent encouraging, Gunther Bachler, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, said in his interview to the OSCE website.

He further stressed that for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict there are some principles about final status on the table, but no real negotiation architecture.

Bachler noted that there was also drafted a non-paper on a mechanism for investigating ceasefire violations, another confidence-building measure that has yet to be implemented.

He reminded that the 2014 OSCE Swiss Chairmanship developed a non-paper on a structured negotiation process with all elements and details of a full-fledged negotiation process.

"We have presented it repeatedly to succeeding Chairmanships and all the people involved, and maybe one day they will use it," he said.

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, Dec. 28

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to approve the 2018 budget of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ).

According to the approved budget, SOFAZs revenues for 2018 are set at 11,559,956,200 manats, expenditures are set at 9,730,221,800 manats.

SOFAZs revenues from the sale of profitable oil and gas are forecast at 9,723,786,100 manats, acre payments at 3.612 million manats, income from oil and gas transit through Azerbaijan at 16.34 million manats.

Meanwhile, SOFAZs revenues from placement and management of assets are forecast at 1,042,046,100 manats, bonuses paid by investors within oil and gas agreements or in connection with their implementation  at 774,172 manats.

A lions share in SOFAZ expenditures will account for transfers to the state budget  9.216 billion manats.

Expenditures for improvement of living conditions of refugees are stipulated at 200 million manats, expenditures for reconstruction of the Samur-Absheron irrigation system  at 90 million manats, expenditures for financing the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project  at 176,128 manats, expenditures for financing the state program on education of Azerbaijani youth abroad in 2007-2015  at 16,218 manats.

The expenses for SOFAZs management have been approved at 31,875,800 manats.

At the same time, 9,412,288 manats of expenditures will account for salaries, expenditures for the purchase of goods and services - 5,276,520 manats, for grants and other payments - 682,360 manats.

Expenditures for pensions and social payments are stipulated at 65,000 manats, for purchase of non-financial assets  at 6,034,460 manats, while 10,405,172 manats are stipulated for other expenses.

SOFAZ was established in 1999 with initial assets worth $271 million. As of October 1, 2017, assets of SOFAZ increased by 8.67 percent as compared to early 2017 and amounted to $36.02 billion.

The main purposes of SOFAZ are the accumulation of funds and the placement of assets abroad to minimize negative trends in the economy by preventing "Dutch disease".
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Preparatory work is carried out for the mid-term Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, which is to be held in Baku on April 3-6, 2018, said Spokesman of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev.

He made the remarks at a press conference on the outcome of 2017 foreign policy in Baku Dec. 28.

Azerbaijan will chair the Non-Aligned Movement in 2019-2022, he noted, adding that the next summit will also be held in Azerbaijan in 2019.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend

Azerbaijan has sent humanitarian aid to five countries this year, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the outcome of 2017 foreign policy on Dec. 28.

"Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA) was established in 2011 under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and supports poverty reduction, development of science, culture and health, application of communication and information technologies, efficient use of energy resources, various grant programs, as well as other humanitarian and technical projects within the framework of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the developing countries. More than 40 African, Asian and Latin American countries have benefited from the programs implemented by AIDA," reads the statement.

The ministry stressed that the delivery of the humanitarian aid, mainly food products sent by the Emergency Situations Ministry of Azerbaijan in accordance with the presidential order with the purpose to render aid to Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar on Sept,9, 2017 was ensured with the help of AIDA and Embassy of Azerbaijan in India.

"Also, in response to the call of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres with the order of the President of Azerbaijan through AIDA Azerbaijan provided financial aid via the United Nations for the people in Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and north-eastern Nigeria stricken by famine threat as the result of humanitarian crisis and to Yemen within the framework of High Level Donor Conference," reads the statement.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Azerbaijan positively responded to proposals on increasing the number of staff members of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representatives office, said Spokesman of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev.

He said that this issue was discussed during the year.

Hajiyev made the remarks at a press conference on the outcome of 2017 foreign policy in Baku Dec. 28.

The spokesman noted that this issue was also reflected in the latest statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

He added that the increase in the number of staff members of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representatives office should be conducted in parallel with substantive and intensive negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagornom-Karabakh conflict.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Azerbaijan condemns rocket attacks on Saudi Arabia, said Spokesman of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev at a press conference on the outcome of 2017 foreign policy in Baku Dec. 28.

Hajiyev noted that such negative circumstances can cause tension in the region.

We call on to increase the political and diplomatic efforts in order to ensure peace and stability in the region, added the spokesman.
Details added (first version posted on 11:25)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The list of undesirable persons of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry includes 600 people, said Spokesman of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev at a press conference on the outcome of 2017 foreign policy in Baku Dec. 28.

In 2017, Azerbaijan was asked to remove the names of 10 people from the list of undesirable persons, said Hajiyev.

The names of some of them were removed from the list, the appeals of others are being considered, he said.

Speaking about the Turkish citizens who illegally visited the Nagorno-Karabakh, the spokesman noted the Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies continue staying in contact with Turkish law enforcement agencies in this regard.

Hajiyev emphasized that as a result of propaganda and awareness-raising efforts, people have no longer believe in Armenias lies, and foreign ministries of some countries have posted news on their websites that there is legal liability for such visits.
Headline changed, details added (first version posted on 10:41)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Armenias aggression against Azerbaijan remains as the major threat to the country, said Spokesman of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev.

He made the remarks at a press conference on the outcome of 2017 foreign policy in Baku Dec. 28.

Hajiyev said that in 2017, Azerbaijan continued its policy of restoring the countrys territorial integrity, ensuring security in the region, strengthening the international authority of the country, developing mutual relations with other countries, as well as implementing a multilateral policy, a course of humanitarian and cultural policy, measures to ensure the rights of Azerbaijani citizens living abroad, and work on foreign policy and other areas.

Work was carried out against the disinformation policy of the Armenian lobby and its patronizing circles towards Azerbaijan, and the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, continued the spokesman.

He noted that Armenias attempts to disrupt the negotiation process and to preserve the status quo did not allow the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He emphasized that the illegal referendum, held by the unrecognized regime in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, was not recognized by the international community, and respect was demonstrated for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The spokesman added that the Armenian side again resorted to military provocations during the year, aggravating the situation on the line of contact of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

Deliberate shelling of Azerbaijani civilians by Armenia and the murder of several peaceful Azerbaijani citizens was strongly condemned by the international community, said Hajiyev.

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 two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Details added (first version posted on 17:49)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on further improving the management of small- and medium-sized businesses.

Under the decree, a public legal entity, Agency for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises of Azerbaijan, has been created under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to the decree, the Agency is a public legal entity that supports the development of small- and medium-sized businesses in the country, provides a range of services to the SMEs, coordinates and regulates the services of state bodies in this field.
Details added (first version posted on 18:12)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the main directions for using the funds and investment policy of the State Oil Fund (SOFAZ) for 2018.

According to the decree, the forecast aggregate value (weighted average volume) of investment portfolio of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) for 2018 is set at 60.67 billion manats.

In 2018, SOFAZ funds will be mainly used for financing some measures related to accommodation and improvement of social and living conditions of refugees and IDPs; transfers to the state budget of 2018; transfers to the Central Bank of Azerbaijan to ensure financial stability; financing reconstruction of the Samur-Absheron irrigation system; financing the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project; financing the state program on education of Azerbaijani youth in foreign countries in 2007-2015; financing Azerbaijans share in the Southern Gas Corridor projects.

Under the decree, the currency structure of SOFAZs investment portfolio is as follows: up to 50 percent of assets can be in US dollars, 35 percent in euros, 5 percent in British pounds, and 10 percent in other currencies.

Meanwhile, SOFAZs investment portfolio can consist of four sub-portfolios: a portfolio of debt instruments and money market instruments (60 percent of total portfolio value), a portfolio of shares (25 percent), a portfolio of real estate (10 percent), and a portfolio of gold (5 percent).
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

Trend:

In the meeting chaired by the rector of UNEC, participated the heads of the relevant structural divisions and the chairman of the Public Supervisory Board of UNEC, the head of the Non-governmental Organization XXI Century Etibar Aliyev.

The rector, professor Adalat Muradov, pointed out the importance of the objectivity in the assessment of the knowledge of the students, ensuring the transparency, the participation of the public and civil society representatives in the examination process and said that this year the control over the winter semester was entrusted to the Public Supervisory Board of UNEC, as well.

The members of the Supervisory Board will organize conducting by any Non-governmental Organizations (NGO) operating in the field of education, the anonymous inquiries regarding the written examinations provided in the economic-oriented speciality disciplines. During the semester, the members of the Supervisory Board, will held without the participation of the UNEC authorities, the Open Doors, receive the appeals of the students and their parents. At the same time, they will discuss the results of the semester, as well.

In addition, the examination commission under the chairmanship of deans will be established in all faculties. The commission will make appropriate decisions in solving the problems arising during the semester and take the necessary measures to elimiate the deficiencies in the subordinate chairs related to the substantive appeals. The inquiries of the students will be responded promptly through the UNEC examination Facebook page.

Within semester, the students and parents will have the opportunity to address to the rector the questions related to the process of conducting exams. As, on January 12 the rector of the UNEC will be the guest of the UNEC Radio live broadcast.

Within semester, along with the 146-1-3 Hot line service, the examination headquarters will also operate in all campuses of the university. In each campus of the university the special auditoriums equipped with the internet will be allocated for the preparation of the student to the exams and the working hours of the reading halls will be extended.
On the eve of upcoming Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis Atabank OJSC has remitted a credit debt of the veteran of the battle for Karabakh.

Pashazade Vusal Adalat oglu took part in the protection of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan as an intelligence officer of a special unit No N during the destruction of the enemy's positions and liberation of the height of Leletepe and was seriously injured there.

Veteran was invited to the central office of AtaBank OJSC and met with Deputy Chairmen of the AtaBank OJSC Etibar Babashli and Sabuhi Aliyev. During the meeting Mr. Babashli noticed that:

Our soldiers stand as a shield against the enemy for the integrity of our homeland, for the welfare of us and our children and give their health and lives to protect our independence. Each company must remember its responsibility to the country and society. Also, each of us must remain committed to our homeland and our patriotic spirit. Our soldiers give their lives for our homeland, and we, as AtaBank OJSC, must support them, demonstrating unity and solidarity with them. This is the sacred duty of every Azerbaijani.

We would like to remind that that earlier AtaBank OJSC has remitted credit debt of another veteran of battles for Nagorno-Karabakh in honor of the Armed Forces Day.

AtaBank OJSC congratulates the people of Azerbaijan on the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis.

Operating since 1993 AtaBank OJSC is a hi-tech universal Azerbaijani bank with 100% domestic capital. The Bank provides a full range of services to corporate and private customers through 31 branches and divisions in Baku and regions of the republic.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Samir Ali  Trend:

Prosecutor Generals Office has commented on the reports alleging that the exit from Azerbaijan was banned for Fatma Abdullazade, who formerly headed the Department for Humanitarian Policy Issues at the Presidential Administration.

In an interview with Trend, head of the press service of the Prosecutor Generals Office Eldar Sultanov dismissed the claims.

He said the reports about ban on Abdullazades leaving the country are not true.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

Trend:

Azerbaijan's budget is traditionally socially oriented, said Samir Sharifov, the countrys Finance Minister in an interview with state TV channel AzTV.

"Azerbaijan is a developing state and has achieved many tasks over the past 10-15 years. If we analyze our investment costs, we will see that they were quite high. In this case, as a rule, the most part is the expenditure of social orientation. The head of state pays much attention to this", he said.

According to Sharifov, the volume of social spending in the budget for 2018 is 7.7 billion manat. "And this is more than about 650 million manat compared to the current year, which is an indicator that additional funds will be allocated to social spending next year. Social spending is primarily wages, social security issues, pensions, and their share in the budget is traditionally high enough, only the expenses of the wage fund are 4.2 billion", the minister said.

Finance Minister noted that the country's spending on education is very weighty. "Next year they will amount to 2 billion manat, which is 211 million more compared to the current year", he added.

Samir Sharifov also said that in the state budget for 2018, funds are provided for the construction of social apartments. "It is planned to allocate 250 million manat in this direction next year," he said.
Gulf Arab energy companies issued record debt this year as producers opted to exploit lower borrowing costs to fund expansion plans, Bloomberg reports.

Oil and gas producers, pipeline operators and refiners in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar borrowed a record $28.7 billion through bonds and syndicated loans in 2017, eclipsing the previous high set two years earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Those companies borrowed about $71.4 billion in the past three years, more than twice the amount in the previous period.

The annual average of the J.P. Morgan Middle East Composite Indexs debt yield, an indication of borrowing rates in the region, declined 12 basis points to 4.58 percent in 2017, a two-year low. Global energy demand will jump 35 percent by 2040, from 2015, OPEC estimates. Its Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo says oil investment is needed now to meet that growth and to make up for declining production at older fields.

State-owned companies in the Middle East have leaned on debt since 2014 as revenue fell with energy prices. Benchmark oil prices in the region tumbled as much as 60 percent in the period.

I think we will see more debt-raising by state energy companies in 2018, said Robin Mills, chief executive officer of Dubai-based consultant Qamar Energy. Even after record borrowing, the debt levels of Gulf energy producers lag behind that of publicly traded companies, he said.

Oil and gas producers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the U.A.E. plan to spend more than $500 billion on energy projects over the next five to 10 years, officials from the countries have announced. Global energy investment was $1.7 trillion in 2016, according to the International Energy Agency.

Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline LLC, a unit of state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., raised $3 billion in a bond offering in October to finance projects. Kuwait National Petroleum Co. borrowed $6.2 billion in May for a refinery and clean fuels projects. Saudi Arabian Oil Co. sold $3 billion in Sharia-compliant bonds in April.

Adnocs fuel retailing unit took out a loan and revolving credit facility totaling $2.25 billion in November before its initial public offering this month. Saudi Aramco, as the state energy producer is known, has a $2 billion loan guarantee from the U.K. government in the run-up to its proposed IPO next year, likely to be the largest in history.

Further debt may be issued next year to finance power plants in Saudi Arabia and petrochemicals in the region, Mills said.

Over the next decade, Saudi Aramco will invest $300 billion to maintain its spare oil-production capacity and explore for natural gas, President and CEO Amin Nasser said in July.

Adnoc plans to spend $109 billion on refineries, petrochemical plants and gas exploration in the next five years, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in November on Twitter.

And Kuwait Petroleum Corp. has earmarked $112 billion on oil production, refinery, petrochemical and natural gas facilities over the next five years, the companys managing director of planning and finance, Wafaa Al-Zaabi, said in September 2016.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

Uzbekistan in the coming year intends to significantly expand the geography of exports of fruit and vegetable products, said Chairman of Uzbekzokovaktholding Tohirjon Zhalilov, Russian media reported.

Zhalilov said that in 2017, Uzbekzokovaktholding reached an agreement with partners from Russia, China, Turkey, Latvia, South Korea and Pakistan. Thanks to these, it was possible to expand the spheres of cooperation, to enter new markets, and arrange regular export of products to these countries.

Among the individual events that affected the company's activity, Zhalilov noted the II International fruit and vegetable fair, where more than 350 foreign companies from 30 countries of the world were represented. During the fair, more than 200 contracts worth $ 1.5 billion were signed.

In 2017, the company also concluded deals with several large retail chains in Russia, including X5, "Magnet", "Meridian", "Holiday", "Maria-ra" and others.

"To date, fruit and vegetable products from Uzbekistan are supplied to Russia in three ways: by rail, by road and by air. Moreover, we began to use air transport only from this year. This method of delivery significantly increased the speed of delivery, allowed the products to keep their freshness longer," he said.

Zhalilov said that the company inked export contracts not only at the exhibitions, but also during interstate and inter-departmental visits. In particular, agreements on the supply of fruit and vegetable products for 2018 and 2019 have been signed with South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Indonesia, Germany and other countries.

The company plans to expand the geography of exports to the countries of Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North and Latin America.

The plans for 2018 also include creation of a network of logistics centers for further export, where the preparation, labeling and packaging of products will be carried out, introduction of advanced technologies in production and processing, and creation of a unified system for exporters of agricultural products.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

The trade turnover between Russia and Uzbekistan from January to October this year amounted to $28 billion, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Uzbekistan Vladimir Tyurdenev said during the conference dedicated to the results of the year.

The trade turnover increased by 25 percent compared to the same period last year. In physical terms, the volume of trade increased by 6.3 percent - from 3.6 million tons to 3.8 million tons.

He further said that to date over 900 enterprises with the participation of Russian capital operate in Uzbekistan, and there are about 600 Uzbek economic entities in the Russian Federation.

Among the major investment projects implemented in the country with Russian participation, the ambassador named the construction of the Kandym gas processing plant, the first stage of which was put into operation in early November 2017.

In addition, there was reached agreements on the implementation of such projects in Uzbekistan as the production of trucks under the brand KAMAZ. also there was established a joint venture for the production of agricultural machinery on the basis of the Chirchik plant of agricultural machinery with the participation of Rostselmash.

Tyurdenev said the strengthening of ties between Russia and Uzbekistan at the regional level played a huge role in achieving such results. Over the past year, 24 Russian business missions visited Uzbekistan.

"In total, about 70 Russian regions cooperated with economic entities of Uzbekistan in the outgoing year, the most active of which were the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the Republic of Tatarstan, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Moscow, Sverdlovsk, Kemerovo, Ivanovo, Samara and Rostov regions" the envoy said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations will continue supporting development of beekeeping in Azerbaijan, Melek Cakmak, head of the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office, told reporters in Baku Dec. 28.

She said that the FAO intends to launch another project in this sphere in 2018.

This project is the continuation of the first one, Cakmak said. We have already supported improvement of the gene pool of honey bees. The new project will be aimed at increasing the export potential of Azerbaijani honey, which is the best in the world, according to many experts.

She noted that it is planned to resolve issues related to packaging and international certification of Azerbaijani honey within the framework of the project, the initial cost of which is estimated at $800,000.
Madisons largest and deepest lake officially froze over Wednesday, thanks to days of frigid temperatures and low winds.

The closure of Lake Mendota came just seven days past the Dec. 20 median freeze date, despite warm weather for much of December and temperatures in the mid-40s as recently as last week, according to the Wisconsin State Climatology Office.

Two weeks ago ... the lake was wide open, said Adam Sodersten, spokesman for the advocacy group Clean Lakes Alliance.

Ice has to hold on the lake for 24 hours for the office to declare the lake frozen over. The determination is normally made visually, but due to Lake Mendotas unusual shape, researchers have long relied on a less scientific method, Sodersten said: Whether someone can row a boat between Picnic Point and Maple Bluff to deliver a case of beer.

Lake Wingra, the smallest lake in the Yahara Watershed, officially froze on Dec. 10. Lake Monona froze Tuesday.

The official freezing of Lake Mendota doesnt mean its safe to venture out on it yet. While the ice could be a few inches thick near shore, its likely still very thin as you get farther out, Sodersten said.

Ice can never be 100 percent safe, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which recommends waiting for ice to be at least 3 inches thick before walking on it  and then only with someone else.

Sodersten said he expects the ice to get thicker in the coming days because temperatures are expected to stay cold.

Its going to keep freezing, he said.

The official freezing of the lake is also tied to a competition the Clean Lakes Alliance has held for six years to correctly guess the freeze date.

Madison resident Dawn Hearn won a $1,000 Lands End gift card and Jon Voichick, also of Madison, won an overnight stay at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells for correctly guessing the date.

Last year, Lake Mendota froze over on Jan. 1. The latest freeze date on record was Jan. 30, in 1932.

The median number of days the lake is frozen a year is 104, Sodersten said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kazakhstan expects the increase of investments from Ireland through the elimination of double taxation, said the Minister of Finance of Kazakhstan Bakhyt Sultanov at the plenary session of the Kazakh parliament.

The officials of the parliament adopted the law on "Ratification of the Convention between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of Ireland on the avoidance of double taxation on income taxes and the protocol to it" during the meeting.

"Presently 16 Irish companies operate in Kazakhstan on the basis of joint ventures. Of course, we create conditions for the attraction of new investment inflow. For instance, "Air Astana company works in Ireland, teaching Irish pilots. I believe that the ratification of the Convention will help to increase the volume of investments from Ireland to Kazakhstan," Sultanov said, Kazakh media outlets reported.

According to the minister, 85 percent out of all foreign investments attracted to Kazakhstan accounts for the countries with which Kazakhstan concluded conventions on avoiding double taxation.

The volume of investments from Ireland to Kazakhstan over the past 10 years amounted to $118 million.

Sultanov added that the Convention allows to avoid double taxation of income of legal entities and individuals from the two countries, by dividing the rights of taxation between the contracting states. It also will provide an opportunity for strengthening and expanding economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Ireland.

Separate articles of the Convention provide for the procedure for taxing the income of artists, athletes, public servants and students, working in the contracting states.

The volume of trade between the two countries over the past 10 years amounted to $1 billion. The main item of Kazakhstan's export is coal. The structure of imports is dominated by vaccines, production of beverages, perfumes and medicines.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

Uzbekistan and Russia continue active work on creation of a "green corridor" for the supply of cotton and textiles, Uzbek media reported.

Deputy Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in Uzbekistan Leonid Pokrovsky said that the issue was raised for the first time at the talks of the parties in Tashkent in October 2017 during the visit of the Russian delegation led by Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov.

Within the framework of the created mechanism, it is planned to simplify the customs procedures, as well as organize warehouse logistics. Furthermore, the textile hub, where supplies of Uzbek products will be concentrated, will be located in the Ivanovo city, which remains the center of the textile industry in Russia.

"From there, all products will be distributed all over Russia. All these will create opportunities for expanding and increasing production volumes both in the Russian Federation and in Uzbekistan," Pokrovsky said.

However, Pokrovsky faced difficulty to name the exact date of the launch of the green corridor, since the process would require time. All the necessary documents have already been signed, he added.

Uzbekistan and Russia plan to increase the volume of trade in the textile industry to $700 million in 2018 compared to $300 million in 2016.

The trade turnover between Russia and Uzbekistan from January to October this year amounted to $28 billion. The trade turnover increased by 25 percent compared to the same period last year. In physical terms, the volume of trade increased by 6.3 percent - from 3.6 million tons to 3.8 million tons.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

A memorandum has been signed between Russian and Azerbaijan on organization of sea trips, the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC told Trend Dec. 28.

A delegation led by Director General of Moscow River Shipping OJSC Konstantin Anisimov visited the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC.

The memorandum was signed by Director General of Moscow River Shipping OJSC Konstantin Anisimov and Chairman of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC Rauf Valiyev.

Participants of the meeting noted that these trips will attract tourists not only from the Caspian littoral countries, but also from the United States, Australia, Europe and China.

Under the memorandum, the first visit of tourists to Baku will be organized on the Pyotr Velikiy (Peter the Great) ship, which is currently under construction, until the end of 2019.

It will have a fitness room, swimming pool, restaurants, cinema and others.

At the first stage, trips will be organized on the Astrakhan-Baku route, and the route will be expanded until 2020.

For this purpose, the parties will conduct research to organize round trips on the Moscow-Baku, Astrakhan-Makhachkala-Baku, Baku-Enzeli-Noushehr-Turkmenbashi-Aktau-Astrakhan and other routes.

The two sides also discussed the opportunities of shipbuilding.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kazakhstans new Customs Code stipulates the duty of customs services to complete customs declarations for passengers.

"The new customs code clearly states that the customs authorities are obliged to make a declaration for passengers. It is not easy for anyone to fill in a declaration - for example, you flew to another country, and you have a cargo that is subject to declaration. You need to look for a broker, pay him. Now, starting from January 1, you can approach any customs officer and ask to fill out the declaration. You will only need to sign it, "- said the deputy chairman of the State Revenue Committee under the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan, Gosman Amrin during a press conference in Astana, Kazakh media reported.

He stressed that the new type of public service is not mandatory, and people may turn to other options if they want to.

Amrin also added that the government intends to provide such an opportunity to exporters.

"We plan to do the same for exporters, taking into account the need to support them. The exporters will be able to apply directly to the customs service to fill in the declaration for them.

In December 2017, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed three laws on customs regulation, including the law "On ratification of the Agreement on the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union" and the new Customs Code.
Details added (first version posted on 12:12)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Belarus will expand its store network of national brand goods in Azerbaijans districts in 2018, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Azerbaijan Gennady Akhramovich said at a press conference in Baku Dec. 28.

We continue the development of our commercial network, and it is quite successful, he said. Four Belarusian supermarkets operate in Baku, and the store network is already developing in Azerbaijans districts. A store will be opened in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and we are also preparing to open stores in other districts of Azerbaijan.
Details added (first version posted on 12:22)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijan and Belarus are planning to establish a joint venture for production of pharmaceuticals, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Azerbaijan Gennady Akhramovich said at a press conference in Baku Dec. 28.

He noted that it is planned to build the plant in Azerbaijan.

First agreements in this regard were reached during the visit of Healthcare Minister of Belarus Valery Malashko to Azerbaijan, said Akhramovich. Today we are at the preliminary stage of establishing a Belarusian pharmaceutical facility in Azerbaijan. We have the relevant experience, personnel and technologies.

The ambassador noted that presently, Belarus meets 50 percent of the demand for medicines through domestic production, and there is a great demand for these drugs in Azerbaijan.

Financing issues will be discussed during the forthcoming bilateral meetings and there arent any particular problems in this regard, he added. If Azerbaijan wishes, Belarus is ready to build the facility partially or completely at its own expense.

The ambassador stressed that the facility will be producing a small amount of the most popular modern antitumor drugs.

The drugs produced at the facility may be exported to markets of third countries, the ambassador noted. Discussions are underway with Azerbaijani specialists. In early 2018, we plan to reach certain agreements, sign the relevant documents and, possibly, start work on the establishment of the facility in the second half of the year. As a rule, this process takes from one and a half to two years.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The period, during which banks can carry out voluntary restructuring of their liabilities, may be extended in Azerbaijan.

The relevant amendments to the Law on Banks are envisaged by a new draft law that is being discussed by the Azerbaijani parliament.

Currently, the period of voluntary restructuring of liabilities is 180 days for banks.

However, they could extend the period by additional 90 days with the permission of financial regulator [Financial Market Supervisory Authority].

The new amendments suggest extending this additional period from 90 to 180 days. At the same time, the number of requests for extending the restructuring may be unlimited.

If the draft law is adopted, the amendments will also affect those restructuring processes that began before the adoption of the amendments.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Obligations of the Azerbaijani bank ombudsman will be increased in 2018, Elchin Hasanov, executive secretary of the bank ombudsman, said in an interview to the newspaper of the Azerbaijan Banks Association Dec. 28.

He said the work is underway to rename the bank ombudsman and establish the institute of financial ombudsman.

"The work is also underway to adopt legislation regulating the activity of the institute of financial ombudsman, he said. The adoption of this law will allow the population to resolve disagreements that arise not only with banks, but also with insurance companies and other participants of the financial market without appealing to judicial instances. A bill has been already prepared and it is being discussed.

Hasanov also stressed that in the future the bank ombudsman will consider financial disputes worth over $2,000.

"Presently, the ombudsman considers financial disputes worth up to $2,000, Hasanov said. The reason is that the initial goal was to solve the problems of low-income layers of the population."

Hasanov said that since the beginning of the activity of the bank ombudsman, 163 appeals have been submitted for consideration.

The bank ombudsman in Azerbaijan launched activity in September 2017.

Twenty-three banks and one non-bank organization have signed agreements with the bank ombudsman of Azerbaijan.

The bank ombudsman in Azerbaijan is Ikram Karimov.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

Trend:

Azerbaijan's Public Association of Councils of Commodity Exchanges will become an official representative of the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (BUCE) in Azerbaijan, BelTA quoted BUCE spokesman Roman Yaniv as saying.

The relevant agreement was signed between Chairman of the BUCE Board Arkady Salikov and adviser of Azerbaijan's Public Association of Councils of Commodity Exchanges Rauf Hajiyev.

The document is a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding signed by the parties during the working visit of Deputy Chairperson of the BUCE Board Irina Narkevich to Baku on November 30, 2017.

The agreement envisages that the official representative will help the BUCE establish and advance business contacts with Azerbaijan's government bodies, commercial entities, and other organizations. It will also encourage Azerbaijani companies to take part in or visit the auctions at the BUCE.

Azerbaijan's Public Association of Councils of Commodity Exchanges shall also advertise the opportunities and advantages of commodities trading in the Azerbaijani business community, consult Azerbaijani commercial entities on participation in the auctions, and help the BUCE arrange and hold business meetings, negotiations, seminars, and other events to promote its services and information products in Azerbaijan and the neighboring countries.

The official BUCE representative in Azerbaijan is expected to step up cooperation between the commodity exchange and Azerbaijani companies, attract new participants to the BUCE's electronic marketplace, and give a massive boost to Belarus-Azerbaijan commodities trading.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to include the offices of trade missions at Azerbaijan's embassies and consulates abroad into the structure of the Ministry of Economy.

According to the decree, the Ministry of Economy is responsible for ensuring material, technical and financial support to the offices of trade missions at Azerbaijan's embassies and consulates abroad.
In the annals of President Donald Trumps odd dealings with Russias Vladimir Putin, give Trump credit for making a straightforward decision to defy Putin by supplying arms to Ukraine.

The State Department says the U.S. will provide Ukraine with enhanced defensive capabilities to protect itself against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. What this means is that the U.S. is finally prepared to help Ukraines military punch back in a murky conflict cooked up by Putin. American weapons going to Ukraine will include Javelin anti-tank missiles.

You may be surprised to learn there still is a conflict in eastern Ukraine. Indeed there is, with reports of intensified shelling in recent days, though an ostensible cease-fire has been in place for more than two years. Violence there has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014 and driven 1.5 million people from their homes.

Putin is the scheming villain responsible for splintering Ukraine as part of his ambition to reassert Russian power. In 2014, he waltzed into Crimea (there is no better verb to describe his actions). He seized and annexed that vital region of Ukraine in the wake of political upheaval. He followed up by orchestrating the uprising in eastern Ukraine, intentionally destabilizing a country that had dreams of joining the European Union and NATO.

President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia but did little else after Putin took the Crimean Peninsula in what was the first big European land grab since World War II. Obama decided that providing lethal weapons to Ukraine would accomplish little but antagonize Putin. Yet refusing to arm Ukraine had the opposite effect: It emboldened Putin. ... Obamas hesitance is one reason why Russia-backed rebels control eastern Ukraine today.

Trump, who generally sees himself as an active defender of U.S. interests, has his own problems figuring out Putin. The president at times sounds strangely enamored with the Russian strongman. Certainly Trumps not the first American leader to underestimate Putin, but hes the first to sound admiring of a foreign aggressor whose government meddled in an American election.

U.S. officials have been signaling new support for providing Ukraine with arms. The point is not to encourage an escalation of fighting or draw Russia into direct confrontation with the United States but to make Russian interference in Ukraine more costly. Defensive weapons are not provocative unless you are an aggressor and clearly Ukraine is not an aggressor since it is their own territory where the fighting is happening, Defense Secretary James Mattis said in August.

Javelin missiles are tank killers. The separatists possess Russian armored vehicles. Are Russian soldiers fighting alongside the separatists? The Russian government insists it is not involved, but its interesting to hear the concerned tone of Moscows reaction to America providing arms. The American weapons can lead to more victims in the neighboring country, and we couldnt stay indifferent to that, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Will that Russian reaction translate into a more lethal conflict? Yes. But war in Ukraine is a reality, and a West that flinches from the prolonged Russian incursion will only please Putin.

Putins meddling in the affairs of other states wont stop unless he is challenged. Trump has done that. Ukraines ability to fight back against the separatists has been hampered by a lack of firepower. Now it will get some. Now Ukraine can punch back.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.21

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The Southern Gas Corridor project is the old dream of Europe, which could come to fruition very soon now, Cyril Widdershoven, a Middle East geopolitical specialist and energy analyst, a partner at Dutch risk consultancy VEROCY and SVP MEA-Risk, told Trend.

He noted that the project will change Europes energy map mainly in the way that it provides additional stability to the overall energy system of the European Union.

"It will open up a more environmentally friendly energy source to the Balkan region, and possibly all of Eastern Europe. Azerbaijan option is an old dream that could come to fruition very soon now. It also links Europe more to its own Hinterland, which is the Central Asian and Caspian Sea regions," said the expert.

Widdershoven believes that diversification of supplies is not always providing security of supply, if the partner is not trustworthy or can change its geopolitical alliances. For Azerbaijan, this risk is seen as very low, he added.

"Looking at the still continuing political-economic conflict with Europe's main gas supplier, Russia, and the possible constrictions on oil and gas production in the Netherlands (holding Europe's largest onshore gas field) and Norway (going to diversify and block possible expansion of gas and oil operations), a need for additional suppliers is clear. Azerbaijan, as has been historically proven, is the main option," said the expert.

Widdershoven noted that the Southern Gas Corridor will ensure diversification of supplies, in addition to Russia, Norway and the Netherlands.

"It is also looking at primary supplies going to a still non-gas based region in the European Union, which is the Balkan Area. As EU Commissioner of Energy Union Maros Sefcovic stated, it is of the utmost importance to open up new energy supplies to the Balkans, while trying to push or counter possible coal fired projects," he added.

The expert said that even if Europe is going for a more green energy environment, gas will be the main choice of energy, not only during the transition phase to a green CO2 neutral economy, but also as a backup for electricity production in future.

"Gas is a low CO2 energy source, much cleaner than coal or oil," said the expert.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.



At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.



As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Details added (first version posted on 12:27)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Belarus and Azerbaijan intend to work out the issue of opening a network of filling stations of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR in Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Azerbaijan Gennady Akhramovich said at a press conference in Baku Dec. 28.

Belarus is open for such cooperation and is ready to discuss this topic, the ambassador said.

The ambassador noted that he will also discuss further supplies of Azerbaijani oil to the Belarusian refineries for processing, as well as the sale of oil products in markets where SOCAR is particularly active, in particular, in Ukraine and Romania.

Belarus is also working on the issue of supplying its own high-quality oil products to Azerbaijan, however, the implementation of this project depends on its commercial feasibility, he added.
Details added (first version posted on 18:01)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to approve the 2018 budget of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ).

According to the approved budget, SOFAZs revenues for 2018 are set at 11,559,956,200 manats, expenditures are set at 9,730,221,800 manats.

SOFAZs revenues from the sale of profitable oil and gas are forecast at 9,723,786,100 manats, acre payments at 3.612 million manats, income from oil and gas transit through Azerbaijan at 16.34 million manats.

Meanwhile, SOFAZs revenues from placement and management of assets are forecast at 1,042,046,100 manats, bonuses paid by investors within oil and gas agreements or in connection with their implementation  at 774,172 manats.

A lions share in SOFAZ expenditures will account for transfers to the state budget  9.216 billion manats.

Expenditures for improvement of living conditions of refugees are stipulated at 200 million manats, expenditures for reconstruction of the Samur-Absheron irrigation system  at 90 million manats, expenditures for financing the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project  at 176,128 manats, expenditures for financing the state program on education of Azerbaijani youth abroad in 2007-2015  at 16,218 manats.

The expenses for SOFAZs management have been approved at 31,875,800 manats.

At the same time, 9,412,288 manats of expenditures will account for salaries, expenditures for the purchase of goods and services - 5,276,520 manats, for grants and other payments - 682,360 manats.

Expenditures for pensions and social payments are stipulated at 65,000 manats, for purchase of non-financial assets  at 6,034,460 manats, while 10,405,172 manats are stipulated for other expenses.

SOFAZ was established in 1999 with initial assets worth $271 million. As of October 1, 2017, assets of SOFAZ increased by 8.67 percent as compared to early 2017 and amounted to $36.02 billion.

The main purposes of SOFAZ are the accumulation of funds and the placement of assets abroad to minimize negative trends in the economy by preventing "Dutch disease".
Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov received today chairman of the State Migration Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic Medetbek Aidaraliev, Kabar reports.

The press service of the Kyrgyz Government reported that, during the meeting the Prime Minister stressed the special need to conduct close work to protect the rights and improve the situation of labor migrants in cooperation with the relevant state bodies of the country and the diasporas of compatriots abroad.

Chairman of the State Migration Service Medetbek Aidaraliev reported on the results of work for 2017 and the nearest plans of the department, as well as informed about issues of external and internal migration.

He also said that the department is considering all issues raised during the meeting of the head of government with compatriots in the city of Moscow of the Russian Federation in September this year. In addition, he said, negotiations are under way with the relevant services to extend the terms of renewal of labor contracts up to 30 days in the territory of the Russian Federation and the possibility of registration at the place of work, and not at the place of residence on the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union member countries.

Aidaraliev added that within the framework of the implementation of the governmental program 40 Steps to a New Era, the department is working on implementing the national initiative "Meken-kard", which will create more favorable conditions for visiting compatriots living abroad.

Moreover, they are working to launch a portal, where every citizen who is abroad will have the opportunity to apply to the Kyrgyz Migration Service for consultations.

"The portal will work in Kyrgyz, Russian and English so that not only our compatriots, but also citizens of other states located on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, could receive the necessary information," Aidaraliev said.

Isakov noted the need for extensive information work among compatriots to increase awareness of the possibility of obtaining government services from a distance: filling out individual documents and certificates through the electronic portal of public services www.portal.tazakoom.kg

In addition, he instructed to strengthen the work on legal support for compatriots abroad. At the same time, the Prime Minister noted that one of the most pressing problems of compatriots remains a low level of awareness of the rights of labor migrants and migration legislation, and therefore instructed the State Migration Service to step up work in this direction.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 28

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The State Migration Service of Turkmenistan hosted a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia Giorgi Karalashvili, said the Migration Service in a message.

The dynamics of Turkmen-Georgian migration relations is growing after the expansion of projects in the field of economic cooperation, which shows the possibility of increasing investments by leading companies in Georgia, says the message.

The parties expressed their confidence that cooperation between the countries will develop dynamically.

Ashgabat hosted a meeting of Turkmenistans Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov with Georgias Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze in November 2017.

Speaking about Turkmenistans energy policy, the two sides expressed their interest in consolidating efforts in the development of international energy cooperation.

Earlier, Tbilisi drew attention to the fact that Georgia is an important link in the South Caucasus transportation and energy corridor, and is ready to provide reliable and secure transit of energy carriers through its territory from the Caspian basin and Central Asia. Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world in terms of its natural gas reserves.

Moreover, Ashgabat and Tbilisi are studying projects to create a transport and transit infrastructure between the Caspian and Black Sea regions, the use of which will ensure broad interregional integration with the states of Europe and the Middle East.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 28

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The State Migration Service of Turkmenistan hosted a meeting with representatives of the Italian Embassy in Ashgabat, the Turkmen Migration Service said in a press release.

The sides exchanged views on the possibilities of partnership in the field of migration, and discussed issuing visas to Italian citizens.

The parties expressed confidence that the established cooperation in the field of migration between the two countries will continue to develop dynamically in the interests of the peoples of the two friendly countries, said the press release.

In recent years, Turkmenistan and Italy, which take active stance in addressing various topical issues, support each other in the international arena by actively developing productive ties not only on a bilateral but also a multilateral basis within the framework of the biggest international organizations and structures, according to the press release.

Earlier, the two countries identified the fuel and energy sector, trade, transport and communication sector, as well as agriculture as key directions for building up interstate cooperation.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 24

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Over 14.149 million tons of crude steel was produced in Iran during the first eight months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Nov. 22, 2017).

The figure shows a rise by 15 percent compared to the same period last year, the Iranian Steel Producers Association, said.

Irans privatized (state-run companies which recently have been handed over to the private sector) steel companies produced 10.486 million tons of crude steel during the period, meanwhile output of the private sector producers stood at 3.663 million tons.

Iranian steel producer companies also produced about 12.993 million tons of various steel products including beam, wide sheets, hot rolled sheets, galvanized steel and tubes during the 8-month period, indicating a rise by 9 percent compared to 11.915 million tons of products in the same period of the preceding year.

The privatized steel companies produced 7.798 million tons of steel products, meanwhile the share of the private sector producers stood at 5.195 million tons.

Iran exported 4.225 million tons of crude steel (84 percent increase year-on-year) and 940,000 tons of various steel products (35 percent fall) in the first eight months of current fiscal year.

The country also imported 1.491 million tons of steel products in the 8-month period, 26 percent less year-on-year. Meanwhile 33,000 tons of crude steel was imported in the same eight months (80 percent fall).

Based on a 2025 outlook, Irans steel output is to reach 55 million tons, 15 million of which should be exported. For the current Iranian year, it is predicted that Iran will produce 18 million tons of steel, exporting 6 million tons of it.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 25

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran and Oman has signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the fishing sector, Ali-Akbar Khodaei, secretary general of Irans Fisheries Production and Trading Union, said.

Under the memorandum, Iran will export trout eggs to Oman, Khodaei said, the state-run IRINN TV reported Dec. 25.

He further said that Oman will supply Iran with tuna as well.

Iran's fishery exports during the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 20) is expected to reach $450 million, he said, adding that the figure stood at $200 million in the first seven months of the year(March 20-Oct. 22).

Last fiscal year Iran exported $412 million worth of fishery products, Khodaei said.

He added that Iran has received the needed permissions from the EU to export sea foods including shrimps.

However, other agreement needs to be signed for export of aquaculture products, the official underlined.

The countrys fishery output also stood at 460,000 tons in the last fiscal year (ended March 20).

About 200,000 Iranians are active in about 70,000 aquaculture and fishing centers across Iran.

Iran has the capacity to produce 1 million tons of fish in cages in the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, according to the countrys fishery officials.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

At least 8 members of the EU held their positions among the top 20 exporters of goods to Iran in the current fiscal year, started March 2017.

Germany was the top exporter to Iran among the EU countries during the first eight months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Nov. 22) with $1.792 billion worth of goods.

The European country stood fifth after China, UAE, Turkey and South Korea.

Germanys exports to Iran registered a rise by 20 percent year-on-year, according to the latest statistics released by the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran.

Germany shared 5.5 percent of Irans overall imports in terms of value in the 8-month period.

However the volume of the countrys exports to Iran amounted to 529,000 tons, 29 percent less year-on-year, which indicates that the European country has exported more valuable goods to Iran during the current fiscal year.

Besides Germany, Switzerland ($1.121 million, a 10percent increase), France ($970 million, a 45 percent increase), Italy ($863 million, a 28 percent increase), the Netherlands ($723 million, a 16 percent increase), the UK($585 million, 61 percent increase), Belgium($377 million, 82 percent increase) and Sweden($327 million, 80 percent increase) were the European countries that took place among the top exporters of goods to Iran in the mentioned period.

The EU's trade with Iran was subject to restrictions derived from United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions between 2006 and 2010. EU exports to Iran plummeted to 7.3 billion euros in 2012, down from highs of 11.3 billion euros in 2006. Under the sanctions, the Islamic Republic shifted its trade eastward, and expanded economic ties with countries such as China and India as well as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which took the advantage of the sanctions, and acted as re-exporting intermediary to Iran.

During the first eight months of current fiscal year, Iran purchased 61.3 percent of its imported goods from five countries  China, the UAE, South Korea, Turkey and Germany.

China was the main exporter of goods to Iran in the mentioned period. Chinas exports accounted for 24.5 percent of Irans total imports in terms of value. During the 8-month period, Iran imported $7.95 billion worth of goods from China, indicating a 22-percent increase year-on-year.

Iran also imported $5.749 billion worth of goods from the UAE (a 23 percent increase), which makes 17.7 percent of Irans total imports value.

Turkey exported $2.221 billion worth of goods to Iran in the 8-month period, 26 percent more year-on-year.

South Korea and India exported $2.162 billion and $1.547 billion worth of goods to Tehran, respectively.

Imports from India registered an increase of 18 percent, meanwhile South Korean exports to Iran did not register any change compared to the preceding year.
The European Union (EU) is offering 140 million GEL (about $54.37m/48.1m) to Georgia in support of reforms, announces the Delegation of the EU to Georgia, Agenda reports.

The EU has transferred this non-reimbursable aid to Georgia in acknowledgement of commonly agreed reform progress in 2017 in several sectors:

Trade and business development

Vocational education and employment

Agriculture

Integration of internally displaced people (IDPs)

Payments were also made for Georgia's justice sector, public administration, public finance management and regional development policy.

Based on independent reports, the EU assessed progress in regards to Government commitments in each of the mentioned sectors and came to the following conclusions:

Support to EU-Georgia Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) and Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs)

Employment and Vocational Education and Training (EVET) Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD II)

Support to conflict-affected/displaced population and its host communities in Georgia

Support to reforms in the Justice sector: The EU welcomes the following achievements: Public Administration Reform

Support to Public Finance Policy Reforms (PFPR) in Georgia

Support to Regional development policy implementation in Georgia

Budget support is an instrument for EU cooperation which involves direct financial transfers to the state budget of the partner country. Funds are transferred annually, and only when commonly agreed results are met. Government is required to maintain a satisfactory track record of implementing macroeconomic policies, public financial management, and budget transparency for all payments, and in addition specific targets are included in various policy areas, such as SME development, education, public financial management, etc.

If the EU considers performance on any of these points is insufficient, it withholds a part or the whole disbursement until credible reassurances or measures have been established.

This is a way of fostering partner countries' ownership of development policies and reforms, and addressing the source, not the symptoms, of underdevelopment.

Most budget support for Georgia is part of a wider support package to a specific sector and is combined with funding for accompanying projects, for example grants and technical help for cooperatives under the ENPARD Programme.
We wont know the full impact of the massive Republican tax bill for a year or two. Supporters and detractors have spewed opinions almost without restraint, though in candor, the Democrats seem to have more credible analysts on their side of the argument.

Only time will settle the macro-economic debate. It will take only a month or two of hard reporting to figure out whats buried in the 500-page bill that was hammered out in the wee hours by Republican dealmakers.

Who knows? We could wake up one morning and discover the Everglades National Park is for sale. More likely, Republicans will make good their stated goal to fix Social Security and Medicare, a fix that should make Floridians especially wary, given the states heavy population of elderly.

While backers and detractors of the tax plan have exaggerated to one degree or another, it is the deal-maker-in-chief, President Donald Trump, who has won the war of rhetorical excess.

Trump calls the tax rewrite the biggest, most ambitious, most sweeping, most expansive economic boost to the working people of America than anything ever conceived  now and for all times. And to counter assertions from the other side that the tax bill is a giveaway to the rich and privileged, he offers:

This is going to cost me a fortune, this thing, believe me. Believe me. This is not good for me. Its not so. I have some very wealthy friends. Not so happy with me, but thats OK. You know, I keep hearing Schumer. This is for the wealthy. Well if it is, my friends dont know about it. I think my accountants are going crazy right now.

His stream-of-consciousness speech to a crowd of supporters in St. Charles, Missouri, was a model of Trump-style incoherence and exaggeration bordering on prevarication.

Anyone asking to be believed twice in a 14-word sentence probably shouldnt be.

We will have to see his income tax returns to see how much he will be hurt under the provisions of the new tax code. But Trump refuses to release his returns, the only modern president to do so. And Congress refuses to compel him.

But this much is certain, the top personal tax rate drops from 39.6 percent to 37 percent and the estate tax is twice as generous. And treatment of pass-through income, the kind that applies to most Trump business, is dramatically lower in the new code. And, of course, if any of Trumps businesses operate under a corporate structure, that much-talked-about rate drops from 35 percent to 21.

So, at least on the surface, Trumps interests suffer none of the blows and enjoy almost all of the advantages in the new code. Its the hidden clunkers that will tell the real tale.

The tax return will settle the question once and for all. In typical Trump fashion, he started out with a promise to release his tax returns as have virtually all of his predecessors.

He modified his position to promise a release after the completion of an IRS audit. Told by the IRS that the audit wasnt a bar to release, he told us his tax return was none of our business.

But it is our business, President Trump. You gave up your financial privacy when you decided to run for public office.
Two Romanian men have been charged with illegally disabling more than one hundred computers associated with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in the days just before President Trump's inauguration, according to a police press release, The Hill reports.

Mihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, and Eveline Cismaru, 28, of Romania, were arrested last week at the Otopeni airport in Bucharest, Romania, according to a release issued Thursday afternoon by D.C. police. The two are charged with "conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit various forms of computer fraud."

An affidavit obtained by CNN last week states that the two are accused of disabling 123 of the city's 187 outdoor police security cameras between Jan. 12 and Jan. 15. Trump's inauguration took place on Jan. 20.

The arrests were made with the assistance of The Netherlands National High Tech Crimes Unit, the U.K.'s National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police, as well as Romania's national police force, according to the police statement.

The Secret Service was aware of the hack and alerted the public in January, but the suspects have until now been unknown. The two are also accused of spreading ransomware, or malware that is used to hold valuable data hostage for money.

The two planned to target at least 179,000 email addresses with ransomware, according to police. An undisclosed amount of email addresses were afflicted with the ransomware during the time the police computers were compromised.

The two remain in Romania while they await further legal developments, Isvanca in police custody and Cismaru on house arrest. If convicted, the pair face up to 20 years in prison.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey rejected the demand of the International Criminal Court to arrest and extradite Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir during his visit to Istanbul to attend the Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, the countrys media reported Dec. 28.

He added that during the recent OIC Summit in Istanbul on Jerusalem, the International Criminal Court sent a letter demanding to arrest the Sudanese president and extradite him to the court.

Since Turkey is not a member of this international organization, we simply ignored the appeal, Erdogan said.

On March 4, 2009, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir on charges of genocide in connection with the conflict in Darfur region of Sudan, where ethnic cleansing was allegedly carried out. Al-Bashir became the first sitting president to be indicted by the International Criminal Court. The decision of the International Criminal Court was criticized by member countries of the League of Arab States, the African Union and the Non-Aligned Movement, which refused to implement it.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the terrorist attack in Kabul.

The terrorist attack, which led to the death of civilians, is contrary to the values of Islam and humanity, OIC said in a message Dec. 28.

"OIC expresses condolences to the Afghan people and government, and supports the Afghan government in the fight against terrorism," the message said.

An explosion occurred near one of the mosques in Kabul, Afghanistan, leaving 40 dead and 30 injured.

Reportedly, another explosion occurred later in a cultural center.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
A team of US Marines called in an airstrike to eliminate a suspected Taliban leader on December 20, but conflicting reports suggest the so-called Taliban shadow governor has been dead for a while, Sputnik reported.

Military.com's Hope Hedge Seck reported December 27 that Qari Fida Mohammad had finally been taken out after planning improvised explosive device and suicide attacks in Afghanistan for more than a decade.

"Through the work of the intelligence sections as well as the operations in here," US Marine Corps Capt. Brian Hubert explained to Military.com, "we were able to conduct a strike on [Mohammad] a few days ago."

"We're very familiar with the battlespace now," Hubert said, which makes sense given the US military's 16-year presence in Afghanistan. Mohammad was evidently first noticed by a US surveillance drone in a vehicle with some deputies and a cousin. "When he was well-positioned as a target, the Marines called in two [US] Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons to execute the strike," the captain said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Thirty-eight members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group have been detained following a special operation in Turkeys Bursa province, the police of the province said in a message Dec. 28.

Turkish citizens are also among the detained, according to the message.

Meanwhile, 62 foreigners, who are members of the IS terrorist group, were detained in Istanbul during the special operation on Dec. 1.

The Istanbul police said that 117 operations were conducted in Istanbul against the IS members from August 2016 to August 2017, as a result of which over 1,000 people were detained.

It was also reported that 940 people were deported from Turkey as part of the fight against the IS during the reporting period.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey has condemned the terrorist attack in Kabul, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a message Dec. 28.

According to the message, the Turkish Foreign Ministry also expresses condolences to the Afghan people and the government.

An explosion occurred near one of the mosques in Kabul, Afghanistan, leaving 40 dead and 30 injured.

Reportedly, the second explosion occurred later in a cultural center.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Serbian Ambassador to Croatia Mira Nikolic on Thursday refused to receive a protest note at the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia press service reports.

Nikolic informed her interlocutors that it was established, based on checks and interviews with a number of potential witnesses and participants in the event from which competent authorities took statements, that the motive of an incident in the village of Sonta in Serbia was not "the national affiliation of the injured party, or the perpetrators."

It is unclear how the incident could have received such a qualification, considering that persons of the same national affiliation (ethnic Croats) took part in it, the ambassador said.

The incident in question happened in Sonta on December 24 shortly past midnight, when a fight broke out between several persons after a verbal altercation. The police in nearby Sombor in the meantime identified three young men who caused the incident.



The Sombor police then announced that the incident was not ethnically motivated, and that those who took part were under arrest.



However, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic condemned "the attack on three Croat youths in Sonta" and announced a protest note to Serbia.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkeys defense industry has come under the control of the countrys presidential administration, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, the countrys media reported Dec. 28.

Turkeys defense industry is a unified system, and it cannot operate under the control of different structures, he added.

Erdogan noted that if such military-industrial structures as Havelsan, Aselsan, TAI companies are managed from a single center, it will be possible to achieve great results in the Turkish defense sphere.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Three servicemen were wounded in an attack on a military unit in the eastern Turkish province of Hakkari, the Turkish media report Dec. 28.

Reportedly, the military unit was subjected to mortar shelling by members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Turkey's conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which demands establishment of an independent Kurdish state, has lasted for over 30 years claiming more than 40,000 lives.

The United Nations and the European Union recognize PKK as a terrorist organization.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
KYODO NEWS - Dec 28, 2017 - 20:01 | Urgent, All

A 33-year-old woman, who was confined in a tiny room in Osaka Prefecture by her parents for 15 years, was found by police naked under a blanket and frozen to death without any heating in the room, investigative sources said Thursday.

The police suspect her parents, arrested for abandoning her body, left Airi Kakimoto to die knowing she was becoming weak without heating or sufficient food. The police may try to build a case for false imprisonment or abandonment resulting in death.

An autopsy has shown the victim, weighing only 19 kilograms, had frozen to death around Dec. 18 and was in a state of extreme malnutrition. Her father Yasutaka Kakimoto, 55, and mother Yukari Kakimoto, 53, have told the police they had confined their daughter since she was 16 or 17 because mental illness made her violent.

The parents had a surveillance camera installed inside her room, about 3 square meters in size without a window.

They were quoted as telling the police they went inside the room to check on her as she had stopped moving, but she was already dead, according to the sources.

Outdoor surveillance cameras discovered at Osaka confinement site
By Akiko Yasuhara, KYODO NEWS - Dec 28, 2017 - 10:00 | Feature, All

The heir of a store specializing in a confectionary style with more than 300 years of tradition in Japan's ancient capital is hoping her youthful reimagining of "yatsuhashi" sweets will help attract a new generation of Kyoto locals and carry on its legend.

Kanako Suzuka, daughter of the owner of the famous Shogoin Yatsuhashi Sohonten Co., has transformed the traditional treats into delicate and colorful miniatures with her new "nikiniki" brand.

The 35-year-old said that while yatsuhashi remains popular among tourists who visit Kyoto, it is sad to see how it has become more of a souvenir than a common snack for locals.

"The nikiniki brand is an introduction to the original yatsuhashi," Suzuka said. "I am hoping that nikiniki will be the catalyst to bring back the Kyoto natives, especially the younger generation and have them enjoy yatsuhashi more."

Yatsuhashi has been the most famous treat from Kyoto since 1689, honoring Yatsuhashi Kengyo, a famous harp player who passed away in 1685.

They usually come in two basic styles: the harp-shaped thin brown cookies with a crispy perfection, or white floppy steamed layers with sweetened bean paste inside. Japanese nikki, or cinnamon, provides yatsuhashi with its essential final touch.

Suzuka has completely recreated the yatsuhashi image to offer a whole new lineup that is almost too cute to eat.

The nikiniki brand uses colorful layers of the steamed version that are cut into various shapes or rolled up into tiny pieces that are intricately folded and put together.

In March, there are dolls in kimonos for Japan's Hinamatsuri -- or girls' day -- festival, while Christmas sees Santa Claus and his reindeer in miniature, edible form, and characters from Japan's old fairy tales or fancy gems are made throughout the year.

At the store in downtown Kyoto, customers are also introduced to a selection of jams, including strawberry, apple and rum-soaked raisins, and can wrap their choices in yatsuhashi layers that turn into a blossom.

While Kyoto's elder generation still visits the Shogoin store that has been in operation at the same site since the Edo period (1603-1867), Suzuka has met young people who have never even tasted yatsuhashi. There also seems to be a perception that nikki is a somewhat unusual ingredient.

"But I think the (cute) image of the nikiniki products have attracted more young people and has made it easier for them to give yatsuhashi a try," Suzuka said. "I've been told 'hey, I didn't know I could eat yatsuhashi!'"

For Suzuka, yatsuhashi has been part of her life since, as a baby, her mother fed her pieces of the steamed version. Suzuka always ate it as her daily treat and her playmates were the employees of the company run by her father.

By the time Suzuka was in elementary school, she already knew that she wanted to succeed her family's company.

After graduating from the prestigious Kyoto University in 2005, Suzuka joined the family business a year later after working at a major research firm, and launched the nikiniki brand in 2011.

The concept came naturally to her as she had always imagined as a little girl how cute her favorite snacks would be if they were also pink or the shape of a heart.

But while the nikiniki style may seem like a totally new approach in the Shogoin yatsuhashi's near 330-year history, Suzuka says the basics have not changed.

The proportion of nikki used in nikiniki products has stayed exactly the same as in traditional yatsuhashi.

"The most important thing is not to change the taste of the yatsuhashi. That's one aspect I want to stay loyal to for our long-time customers," she said, adding that the family philosophy has always been to "respect the local area and its people."

"We are using the original yatsuhashi to make nikiniki products, so in that sense, nothing has been changed," she said.

Suzuka often gets her inspiration from traditional Japanese tea lessons where she wears kimonos that reflect perennial flowers. Meanwhile, the Japanese waka poetry she studies has offered a whole new sensibility toward the four seasons.

The heir has also trotted around the globe, studying English in England and taking pre-MBA courses at the University of California at San Diego as an undergrad, all of which has helped her acquire a stronger sense of her identity as a Kyoto native.

The nikiniki outlet in the corner of downtown Kyoto is now visited by male and female customers of all ages and backgrounds.

A 37-year-old woman said she had never enjoyed yatsuhashi until nikiniki, despite being a Kyoto local. "I now buy them for myself and even bring my friends here," she said.

For now, Suzuka has no plans to expand her nikiniki business outside of Kyoto and hopes that it will attract more people to her hometown. "I want Kyoto to progress and shine...It really makes me happy when people tell me nikiniki brought them here," she said.
Airbnb is set to book its first full year of profitability, putting it in a rare class among large venture-funded Silicon Valley companies."The third quarter was the strongest quarter in the company's history and this year, we will be profitable, as measured by EBITDA," Laurence Tosi, chief financial officer of the home-sharing company, told CNBC.A source familiar with Airbnb's financials said the company will end 2017 with bookings up approximately 50 percent from 2016. CNBC reported previously that revenue last quarter hit about $1 billion, up more than 50 percent from the same period last year. Making money  not losing it  puts Airbnb in stark contrast to other tech upstarts such as Uber, Lyft and Spotify.Uber's losses widened last quarter to $1.46 billion, a jump of nearly 40 percent year over year, as the ride-hailing company faced increased competition from global rivals such as Didi, and as Lyft gains market share in the U.S.As Uber retreats from global markets such as China and Russia, Airbnb is scaling up its international presence. To woo Chinese users, it rebranded its Chinese operations with a Chinese name, Aibiying, and CEO Brian Chesky pledged to double investment.According to the company, that push is showing early results. Airbnb told CNBC that guest arrivals at listings in China grew 180 percent from the previous year to 1 million in the third quarter, making the market its second-fastest-growing country during the period, after Cuba. Just 3 years ago, in 2014, Airbnb had roughly 10,000 guest arrivals in China in the third quarter.Airbnb expects to end 2017 with another China milestone  it's the top trending country for travelers on New Year's Eve, with the city of Suzhou, about 60 miles from Shanghai, taking the top spot.But the company is facing challenges in China too  fierce competition from local rivals, an abrupt executive departure and regulatory crackdowns. Chinese home-sharing platform Xiaozhu raised $120 million in a funding round led by Jack Ma's Yunfeng Capital this year, while another, Tujia, tapped investors for $300 million, led by Chinese online travel giant Ctrip. In October, the head of Airbnb's China business left just four months after taking the position.Beyond China, Airbnb faced other challenges in 2017. Growth of listings is slowing in some of Airbnb's biggest cities, where it also faced stricter regulations. Investors have focused on the bright spots, putting another $1 billion into the start-up, bringing its valuation to $31 billion  more than the valuations of publicly traded hotel giants Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and Hyatt (NYSE: H) . Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Laurence Tosi's first name. Airbnb is set to book its first full year of profitability, putting it in a rare class among large venture-funded Silicon Valley companies. "The third quarter was the strongest quarter in the company's history and this year, we will be profitable, as measured by EBITDA," Laurence Tosi, chief financial officer of the home-sharing company, told CNBC. A source familiar with Airbnb's financials said the company will end 2017 with bookings up approximately 50 percent from 2016. CNBC reported previously that revenue last quarter hit about $1 billion, up more than 50 percent from the same period last year. Making money  not losing it  puts Airbnb in stark contrast to other tech upstarts such as Uber, Lyft and Spotify. Uber's losses widened last quarter to $1.46 billion, a jump of nearly 40 percent year over year, as the ride-hailing company faced increased competition from global rivals such as Didi, and as Lyft gains market share in the U.S. As Uber retreats from global markets such as China and Russia, Airbnb is scaling up its international presence. To woo Chinese users, it rebranded its Chinese operations with a Chinese name, Aibiying, and CEO Brian Chesky pledged to double investment. According to the company, that push is showing early results. Airbnb told CNBC that guest arrivals at listings in China grew 180 percent from the previous year to 1 million in the third quarter, making the market its second-fastest-growing country during the period, after Cuba. Just 3 years ago, in 2014, Airbnb had roughly 10,000 guest arrivals in China in the third quarter. Airbnb expects to end 2017 with another China milestone  it's the top trending country for travelers on New Year's Eve, with the city of Suzhou, about 60 miles from Shanghai, taking the top spot. But the company is facing challenges in China too  fierce competition from local rivals, an abrupt executive departure and regulatory crackdowns. Chinese home-sharing platform Xiaozhu raised $120 million in a funding round led by Jack Ma's Yunfeng Capital this year, while another, Tujia, tapped investors for $300 million, led by Chinese online travel giant Ctrip. In October, the head of Airbnb's China business left just four months after taking the position. Beyond China, Airbnb faced other challenges in 2017. Growth of listings is slowing in some of Airbnb's biggest cities, where it also faced stricter regulations. Investors have focused on the bright spots, putting another $1 billion into the start-up, bringing its valuation to $31 billion  more than the valuations of publicly traded hotel giants Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and Hyatt (NYSE: H) . Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Laurence Tosi's first name.



More From CNBC


The A380 has an uncertain future - 2006 Getty Images

Airbus is preparing to halt production of the worlds largest passenger jet as it waits anxiously on a key order from Emirates.

The Toulouse-based aircraft manufacturer, which developed the A380 at a cost of 11billion (9.7bn), was hoping to sign a deal with the Gulf carrier, and largest operator of the superjumbo, for 36 new planes worth $16billion (11.9bn).

But after talks broke down at the Dubai Air Show in December, it is understood Airbus is now establishing plans for shutting down production of the A380.

If there is no Emirates deal, Airbus will start the process of ending A380 production, a person briefed on the plans told Reuters. A spokesperson for the manufacturer told Telegraph Travel: "We do not comment on any such speculations especially while campaigns are active and ongoing."

The collapse of the order from Emirates would be the final nail in the the coffin for an airliner that, despite praise from passengers, has underperformed in terms of sales since its launch in 2007.

Emirates has the largest number of A380s in its fleet Credit: Getty

Built to rival the bulk of the Boeing 747, the A380 can carry 525 passengers in a three-class cabin layout and was designed to meet a growing demand for air travel. However, as airlines moved towards flying smaller, twin-engined models, which are easier to fill and cheaper to maintain, the popularity of the A380 fell.

At a glance | The Airbus A380

It is understood that, while Emirates is a proud user of the A380, welcoming its 100th in November, the airline is only keen to purchase 36 more if Airbus pledges to continue production.

And though other airlines, including British Airways, Air France and Etihad, fly the A380, Airbus is reluctant to keep its factories open without the certainty that an Emirates order would provide. Production rate of the aircraft is already set to fall from 27 a year to just eight by 2019.

In numbers

Should production of the jet end, it could mean the value of existing A380s falls. In November, Singapore Airlines handed back the first A380 ever to enter service back to the leasing company which owns it. The jet, which first flew in 2007, has now gone into storage.

Story continues

In November an Irish aircraft leasing company, Amedeo, said it was planning to create its own airline because it cant find anyone to borrow its A380s.

Looking to the future, though double-decker, four-engine aircraft may continue to serve routes such as London to Dubai, airlines are increasingly turning to modernised twin-engined aircraft such as the 787 Dreamliner or A350.

The 18 most important aircraft of all time

Equally, long-standing models such as the 737 and A320 remain in demand. Such is the popularity of the A320 that the company claims one takes off or lands somewhere in the world every two seconds. Airbus says an A380 takes off or lands somewhere in the world every two minutes.

Its latest version, the A320neo, has so far been ordered by 70 airlines, winning it the accolade of being the fastest-selling commercial aircraft in history. Boeings answer to the A320neo, said to be quieter and more fuel efficient, is the 737 MAX, of which Ryanair has ordered 200.

Boeing's new 737MAX Credit: Boeing

Hypothetically, should every single A380, capable of carrying 853 passengers in a single class, be grounded, the Boeing 747-8 would become the largest passenger aircraft in the world, capable of carrying 700 passengers in a single class.

However, the original jumbo jet is not long for this world, as carriers begin to phase out the 747s from their fleet. KLM, United and Delta all retired their last 747 in 2017.

That would leave the Boeing 777 as the worlds largest, capable of carrying up to 550 passengers.
Apple CEO Tim Cook must fly only private aircraft for business and personal use "in the interest of security and efficiency," according to a directive from the board at the world's most valuable company (AFP Photo/JUSTIN SULLIVAN) (GETTY/AFP/File)

San Francisco (AFP) - Apple's board has instructed chief executive Tim Cook to use only private aircraft "in the interests of security and efficiency" at the world's most valuable company, regulatory documents show.

A filing with securities regulators this week said the board determined that its CEO must use private aircraft for "all business and personal travel."

The policy was implemented in 2017 "in the interests of security and efficiency based on our global profile and the highly visible nature of Mr. Cooks role as CEO."

The filing noted that the value of the private flights is calculated as "imputed taxable income" which is not reimbursed by Apple.

The filing showed Cook received some $12.8 million in compensation for 2017, including a salary of $3 million and incentive awards.

Cook took home far less than other top Apple executives including chief financial officer Luca Maestri and senior vice president Angela Ahrendts, who received some $24 million for the year.

Yet Cook's previous stock awards vested in 2017 were worth an additional $89 million for the CEO, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The market capitalization for the iPhone maker has been hovering around $900 billion and is up nearly 50 percent for the year.
Tim Cook, one of the worlds most prominent technology executives and an outspoken advocate for human rights, takes a private jet for personal and business travel to ensure his safety.

Apple disclosed it spent $224,216 on security services this year to protect its CEO, and footed the bill for $93,109 in air travel expenses for his personal use of private aircraft.

For security reasons, the board requires that Mr. Cook use private aircraft for all business and personal travel, Apple reported in a filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Cook earned roughly $12.8 million in total compensation in 2017, the filing noted, an amount that includes his $3 million annual salary, bonuses of $9.3 million and other forms of compensation  including contributions to his retirement savings plan, his life insurance premiums and security expenses.

Other Apple executives brought in bigger packages, with retail chief Angela Ahrendts, hardware head Johny Srouji and chief financial officer Luca Maestri all receiving total compensation exceeding $24 million this year.

Cooks payday as head of the worlds largest corporation (by market cap) looks modest when compared with some of his counterparts in the media world, like Disney CEO Bob Iger, whose package totaled $43.9 million in 2016, or CBS Leslie Moonves, whose $68.6 million package made him one of the highest-paid CEOs in American business.

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Bitcoin dropped as fourth country announces plans to regulate cryptocurrency - Bloomberg News

Bitcoin fell more than 11pc on Thursday after South Korea announced a clampdown on cryptocurrency.

The new rules will target anonymous trading of virtual currencies and crack down on money laundering activities, Seoul said.

South Korea is a hub for digital currency trading, reportedly accounting for 20pc of global Bitcoin transactions.

Regulation will including a ban on opening anonymous accounts and new legislation to allow regulators to close virtual currency exchanges.

"Officials share the view that virtual currency trading is overheating irrationally ... and we can no longer overlook this abnormal speculative situation," Hong Nam-ki, thw South Korean minister for government policy co-ordination said. Anonymous accounts currently in use will be closed next month, it added, without explaining how it planned to do this.

Copy of Bitcoin price: last 365 days

Money laundering activities and financial fraud like price manipulation are a growing concern. "We will ... resolutely respond to such crimes by slapping maximum sentences possible on offenders," it said, promising to "leave all policy options open, including closure of a cryptocurrency exchange when deemed necessary."

A fortnight ago Seoul banned financial firms from dealing in Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. Thursday's announcement caused Bitcoin to tumble from $15,300 (11,400) to as low as $13,700.

Israel, China and Russia have announced similar plans to reign in trading of digital coins as its popularity has soared.

Bitcoin hit a record high of just under $20,000 earlier this month - increasing more than 25 times its price in the beginning of 2017. It suffered a pre-Christmas tumble, dropping 30pc in one day last week, but stabilised at around $16,000 on Wednesday.

A man walks past a bitcoin ATM Credit: Reuters

It is understood that one million South Koreans own Bitcoin and demand is so high that prices are around 20pc higher than in the US.

Story continues

Two South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges were hacked this year, with Kim Jong-un's North Korean regime widely regarded to be the culprits. North Korean hackers are believed to be behind a heist that lost an exchange called YouBit nearly 4,000 Bitcoins in April, according to South Korean reports. On December 19 it was hacked for a second time, forcing it to file for bankruptcy.

Thieves made off with $70m worth of Bitcoin after hacking another Seoul-based exchange called NiceHash.

The largest digital exchange in South Korea is Bithumb which accounts for 70pc of the country's cryptocurrency. Bitcoin exchanges and wallets are prime targets for hackers and it is feared they will become more vulnerable as valuations rise.
By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - The former head of Kit Digital Inc and a business associate were convicted on Tuesday on charges related to what prosecutors said were wide-ranging fraud schemes involving the bankrupt video technology company.

Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, a former Goldman Sachs analyst who achieved brief fame as an internet entrepreneur before becoming Kit Digital's chief executive, was found guilty by a federal jury in Manhattan of charges including that he conspired to commit securities fraud, prosecutors said.

Omar Amanat, an investor in media, finance and technology companies including at one time the studio behind the "Twilight" movie franchise, was convicted of charges that included conspiring to commit wire fraud and securities fraud.

Tuzman's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Amanat's lawyer declined to comment.

Tuzman was arrested in 2015 in Colombia and extradited last year after spending time in jail conditions his lawyers said led him to fear for his life.

The rise and fall of Govworks.com, the company he started with a friend, was the subject of the 2001 documentary "Startup.com."

Prosecutors accused Tuzman, 45, and others at Kit Digital of engaging in a scheme to deceive investors and regulators about the company's financial health by among other things booking revenue on sham software license agreements.

Prosecutors said that Tuzman, Amanat and a hedge fund manager, Stephen Maiden, also conspired to manipulate the market in Kit Digital shares from 2008 to 2011. The video technology company filed for bankruptcy in 2013.

Amanat, 44, also engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in Maiden Capital, Maiden's hedge fund, prosecutors said. Maiden became a cooperating witness for the prosecution while serving a seven-year prison sentence for running a Ponzi scheme.

Prosecutors said that in 2008, Tuzman at Amanat's request arranged for Kit Digital to invest $6.5 million in a fund affiliated with Amanat, Enable Invest Ltd.

Story continues

To encourage the investment, Amanat told Tuzman he would raise money for a Tuzman-controlled investment vehicle, leading to him arranging for Maiden's Maiden Capital Opportunity Fund to invest $1 million into it, the indictment said.

The indictment said Tuzman without permission redirected funds from Maiden Capital's $1 million investment and used the money as part of Kit Digital's $6.5 million investment in Enable.

Prosecutors said that when Enable suffered losses later in 2008, Amanat helped Maiden conceal them from Maiden Capital's investors, including by providing loans to repay investors, prosecutors said.

The case is U.S. v. Amanat, U.S. District Court, District of New York, No. 15-cr-536.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Andrew Hay)
China's Securities Regulatory Commission has ordered Jia Yueting, founder of heavily indebted Chinese tech firms LeEco and Leshi as well as electric automaker (and Tesla Motors rival) Faraday Future, to return to the country to address Leshis debts.

It's not entirely clear where Jia is, but he lately has been spending a lot of time in the U.S., where he has had a heavy hand in running Faraday Future after stepping down from other roles. That would-be Tesla rival reportedly has its own deep financial and management issues.

According to the South China Morning Post, the order was publicized in a letter from the Commission yesterday. The letter, according to the Post's translation from Chinese, said Leshis failure to repay debts "has severely hurt the interest of the listed company and investors and has had an extremely adverse social impact." According to the Post, the public letter is an unusual move, and may represent a strengthening of Chinas approach to securities regulation.

Leshi, founded as a video streaming service, is specified in the letter. But LeEco, of which Leshi is a subsidiary, also has major unanswered debt. LeEco's debts triggered protests by LeEco suppliers outside a Leshi meeting in July. The protesters in that incident alone said they were owed nearly $50 million.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune's technology newsletter.

The Commission has apparently been requesting Jia's return to China since September. He stepped away from both LeEco and Leshi over the summer.

The order comes just days after reports that Jia had announced a massive new outside investment in the U.S.-based electric car startup Faraday Future, and taken on the CEO role there. The announcement was met with some skepticism given the company's deeply troubled state, and Faraday Future still hasn't responded to Fortune's request for confirmation of that investment.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
* Egypt government wants to be major energy hub by 2021

* Well-developed oil, gas infrastructure in place

* ENI, BP making advances in production

By Patrick Werr

CAIRO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Egypt is set to inaugurate a new wharf for natural gas and petroleum product tankers on the Gulf of Suez in the coming days, another step in its plan to become a regional energy hub.

The new 2.5 km wharf is being built by SUMED, which for decades has operated two pipelines from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.

The wharf will have three berths to receive natural gas and petroleum products carriers. It is due to be completed by the end of the month, Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper quoted SUMED chairman Mohamed Abdel-Hafez as saying. Abdel-Hafez confirmed the remarks in a text message to Reuters.

The country has been building fuelling depots for ships along the Suez Canal and expanding its refining capacity. It has an extensive pipeline network and two idle gas liquefaction plants ready to export new gas as it arrives.

SUMED, owned 50 percent by the Egyptian government and the rest by Arab oil exporters in the Gulf, is spending $415 million to expand its facilities, mainly at the Red Sea end.

It is also building nine 300,000 cubic metre petroleum storage tanks and loading and offloading facilities. The tanks are due to be completed by the end of 2018, Abdel-Hafez said.

NBK-Egypt provided $300 million in financing for the project, the bank said in May.

The country believes its strategic location straddling the Suez Canal and the land bridge between Asia and Africa and its well developed infrastructure will help turn it a trading and distribution centre for countries in the region and beyond.

A slew of announcements of new gas production and the expansion of its infrastructure have helped advance the plan.

Italy's Eni this month delivered the first gas from Egypt's giant offshore Zohr field, whose estimated 30 trillion cubic feet (tfc) makes it the biggest gas field in the Mediterranean, and BP delivered the first gas from another offshore field, Atoll, north of Port Said.

Story continues

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government has announced the hub approach part of its energy policy, but still faces logistical and political obstacles to its goal.

"By the beginning of 2021, Egypt will be a main regional hub for gas and crude oil," Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla told a press conference last month.

CHEAP SUPPLY ROUTE

Energy analysts say the cheapest way for Egypt's neighbours to send their gas supplies abroad would be through Egypt's two unused liquefaction plants, but this is complicated by legal and logistical problems or by financial constraints.

"The lack of a political framework between all these countries is still an obstacle," said Riccardo Fabiani, a Middle East and North Africa analyst at Eurasia Group.

Sisi on Nov. 20 also visited Cyprus, where he discussed construction of a pipeline to deliver gas to Egypt from Cyprus's Aphrodite field, and a delegation representing Israel's Tamar gas field came to Cairo to discuss possible imports into Egypt.

Officials from Exxon Mobil have also recently held talks with Egypt to discuss investments in oil and gas.

One plan now is to reverse the flow on the pipeline to send gas from Israel's 7 trillion cubic feet Tamar field and the roughly 20 tcf Leviathan field to Egyptian liquefaction plants.

But this has been stymied by a dispute over gas that Egypt failed to deliver after 2012. The late-November visit to Cairo by Tamar field negotiators was their second in as many months.

The Israelis may prefer to build a new undersea pipeline that would bypass Sinai to avoid sabotage or use a separate pipeline that Egypt has built to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, analysts said.

The challenge with Cyprus's 4.5 tcf Aphrodite field is mainly economic. At current gas prices, it is not big enough to justify an undersea pipeline to Egypt unless more discoveries are made elsewhere in Cyprus, analysts say.

Alternative routes for Egypt's neighbours, such as direct pipelines to Turkey, Greece or Italy, could be prohibitively expensive because of the depth of the seabed.

"Egypt is the least bad candidate. And it is also going very fast, which gives it a head start," Fabiani said. (Reporting by Patrick Werr, additional reporting by Abdelrahman Adel; editing by Patrick Markey and David Evans)
In an echo of the Black Friday hordes that follow Thanksgiving, the post-Christmas lull has given way to winding lines of taxpayers. Worried about the recently passed tax reform bill that caps federal tax deductions for state and local taxes at $10,000, citizens in areas with pricey real estate are rushing to prepay the property taxes that account for a significant chunk of their deductions, the Wall Street Journal reports.

In most cases, theyre aiming to pay their taxes for both 2017 and 2018 before calendar 2017 comes to a close, since the new cap goes into effect in 2018.

Its been insane here, Milton, Mass., town treasurer James McAuliffe told the Journal, describing the lines of citizens attempting to prepay their property taxes.

A similar scene also played out in Fairfax, Va., where hundreds of homeowners stood in line, WTOP radio reported.

Hundreds of people in line at the Fairfax Govt Center. They'll be prepaying their property tax, since the new tax law caps property tax deductions at $10k. pic.twitter.com/Z4sKUoIBnh  Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) December 26, 2017

According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, homeowners in the three U.S. counties with the highest average property-tax billsNew Yorks Nassau, Rockland and Westchester countieshave median annual tax liability exceeding $10,000.

Not all counties are allowing their citizens to prepay property taxes. While New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for instance, signed an executive order Friday allowing New Yorkers to make partial prepayments on their 2018 taxes, Westchester County said it cannot collect those taxes early.

Westchester County has looked into the feasibility of having residents pre-pay their county taxes, Ned McCormack, senior advisor to the Westchester County executive, said in a statement. It is just not possible for the county to issue its 2018 tax warrants to localities within the next four days for a whole host of legal, operational and practical reasons.

Local municipalities are responsible for property tax collection.

Theres a chance that, even in counties that allow prepayment, waiting in lines could be a wasted effort. Its still unclear whether the IRS will allow taxpayers to take deductions for 2017 based on those prepayments of 2018 taxes.
Brazils antitrust watchdog has been suggested to give conditional approval to Itau Unibanco S.A., a subsidiary of Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. ITUB for its share purchase agreement with XP Investimentos, S.A. (XP Holding), a Brazil-based brokerage firm. This news was reported by Reuters.



Per a statement issued on Wednesday, the watchdog has been suggested by the superintendent of Cade, a competition regulator in Brazil, to give consent to the deal. However, the condition that remains is that both companies will have to abide by the terms of the deal that were decided on earlier.



In October, Cades superintendent had termed the deal as complex on grounds of competition and demanded to conduct additional scrutiny to analyze how customers are likely to profit from the deal.



Itau Unibanco had announced the deal in May 2017. As per the terms of the agreement, the company would be entitled to 49.9% of the total share capital as a part of the initial acquisition, which would make it a minority shareholder of XP Holding.



In exchange, Itau Unibanco will pay about R$5.7 billion to the General Atlantic LLC and Dyna III fund, existing of shareholders of XP Holding, for the stake. Further, the acquirer will also add R$600 million as capital. Apart from this, Itau Unibanco had the right to appoint two out of seven members of the board of directors of XP Holding.



Itau Unibancos focus on expanding business in Brazil and internationally is reflected from its inorganic growth strategy. However, elevated expenses and stressed conditions in Brazil make us apprehensive.



Shares of Itau Unibanco have rallied 16.7% in the past six months, outperforming the 9.4% growth for the industry.





Currently, Itau Unibanco carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Some better-ranked stocks in the same space are KB Financial Group KB, Macro Bank BMA and ING Group N.V. ING. All these stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



KB Financial witnessed 3.6% upward earnings estimate revision for the current year in the past 30 days. Moreover, its shares have gained 17.3% in the last six months.



Macro Banks earnings estimates were revised 16.2% upward for the current year, in the past 30 days. Also, its share price jumped 29.5%, over the last six months.



ING Groups current-year earnings estimates were revised upward by one cent per share, over the last 30 days. Further, its shares increased 5.9%, in the last six months.



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By Tom Polansek

CHICAGO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Minnesota became the latest U.S. state on Tuesday to restrict controversial weed killers made by Monsanto Co and BASF SE that were linked to widespread crop damage, while Arkansas took a step back from imposing new limits.

The United States has faced an agricultural crisis this year caused by new versions of the herbicides, which are based on a chemical known as dicamba. Farmers and weed experts say the products harm crops that cannot resist dicamba because the herbicides evaporate and drift away from where they are applied, a process known as volatilization.

Monsanto and BASF say the products are safe when used properly.

Monsanto is banking on its dicamba-based herbicide and soybean seeds engineered to resist it, called Xtend, to dominate soybean production in the United States, the worlds second-largest exporter.

However, Minnesota will prohibit summertime sprayings of dicamba-based herbicides after June 20 in a bid to prevent a repeat of damage seen across the U.S. farm belt this year, according to the state's agriculture department.

Farmers also will not be able to apply dicamba-based herbicides if temperatures top 85 degrees Fahrenheit because research shows high temperatures increase crop damage from volatilization, according to Minnesota.

"We will be closely monitoring the herbicide's performance with these restrictions in 2018," said Dave Frederickson, Minnesota's agriculture commissioner.

U.S. farmers planted 90 million acres of soybeans this year, and about 4 percent showed signs of damage linked to dicamba, according to University of Missouri data.

Missouri and North Dakota have separately announced deadlines for spraying dicamba-based herbicides next year.

In Arkansas, a legislative panel advised a state plant board to review its proposal to ban the use of dicamba herbicides after April 15, in a win for the agri-chemical companies.

The panel recommended that the board consider scientific-based evidence among other factors to revise the proposal, the state said.

Story continues

Monsanto believes there is no scientific evidence to support cutoff dates for spraying dicamba herbicides, said Scott Partridge, vice president of global strategy.

"They have essentially hit the pause button here," Partridge said about Arkansas.

Monsanto, which is being acquired by Bayer AG for $63.5 billion, has sued Arkansas to prevent the state from prohibiting sprayings after April 15.

The company and BASF have said that proposal would hurt Arkansas growers by denying them access to products designed to be sprayed on dicamba-resistant soybeans and cotton during the summer growing season.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
FILE PHOTO: A pump jack operates at a well site leased by Devon Energy Production Company near Guthrie, Oklahoma, U.S., September 15, 2015. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo

Dec 28 (Reuters) - OPEC and Russia's efforts to curb oil output, combined with forecasts for strong global demand growth, are expected to keep crude prices close to $60 a barrel in 2018, a Reuters poll of analysts showed on Thursday.

The survey of 32 economists and analysts forecast Brent crude LCOc1 would average $59.88 a barrel in 2018, up from the $58.84 forecast in the previous monthly poll.

Oil prices, which hit 2-1/2 year highs this week, have rallied by more than 30 percent since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers agreed to limit production from January 2017.

The producers last month extended the deal to curb output throughout 2018. (Full Story)

"Oil demand will be high in 2018, with solid economic growth worldwide ... Supply will be relatively tight because of high OPEC commitment," said Frank Schallenberger, head of commodity research at LBBW.

Large supplies of crude will head to Asia to satisfy strong demand from the region, analysts said.

U.S. exports to Asia have already increased with higher Middle East oil prices because of the OPEC-led output cuts and a wide WTI-Brent spread.

Total crude oil imports to China, one of the world's biggest oil consumers, rebounded to the second-highest level on record in November at 9.01 million barrels per day (bpd). (Full Story)

U.S. light crude CLc1 was expected to average $55.78 a barrel next year, up from last month's forecast of $54.78.

Strong OPEC compliance with the supply pact should lend support to prices, analysts said. However, price rise will be capped by booming shale output in the United States, which is not participating in the global deal to curb production.

U.S. oil production C-OUT-T-EIA, which has risen more than 16 percent since mid-2016, is expected to surpass 10 million bpd next year, some analysts said.

"We see U.S. supply continuing to grow next year but are less concerned about a sudden supply glut re-emerging as rising D&C (drilling and completion) costs will likely slow production growth," said Ashley Petersen of Stratas Advisors.

Production disruptions in Libya and Nigeria and a possible renewal of U.S. sanctions on Iran are also likely to support prices in 2018, analysts said.

(Reporting by Swati Verma in Bengaluru; Editing by David Goodman)
Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldnt want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?



One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Lets put Primerica, Inc. PRI stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:



PE Ratio



A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stocks current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.



On this front, Primerica has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 20.0, as you can see in the chart below:









This level actually compares favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 21.5. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Primericas current PE level puts it above its midpoint over the past five years, with the number having risen slightly over the past few months.









However, the stocks PE compares unfavorably with the industrys trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 12.9. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively overvalued right now, compared to its peers.









Nonetheless, we should point out that Primerica has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this years earnings) of 19.2, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Primerica stock in the near term too.



P/S Ratio



Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stocks price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.



Right now, Primerica has a P/S ratio of about 2.8. This is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.4 right now. As we can see in the chart below, this is just slightly below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.





Story continues





If anything, Primerica is towards the higher end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, which suggests that the companys stock price has already appreciated to some degree, relative to its sales.



Broad Value Outlook



In aggregate, Primerica currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Primerica a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.



For example, its P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 11.5, which is better than the industry average of 12.2. Clearly, PRI is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.



What About the Stock Overall?



Though Primerica might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of F and a Momentum score of D. This gives PRI a Zacks VGM scoreor its overarching fundamental gradeof D. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)



Meanwhile, the companys recent earnings estimates have been encouraging. The current quarter as well as the full year has seen three estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower.



As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 4.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has increased 2.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Primerica, Inc. Price and Consensus



Primerica, Inc. Price and Consensus | Primerica, Inc. Quote

This somewhat favorable trend is why the stock has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and why we are looking for better performance from the company in the near term.



Bottom Line



Primerica is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. With a good industry rank (among the Top 43%) and strong Zacks Rank, Primerica looks like a strong value contender. In fact, over the past one year, the industry has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:









So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the companys prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.



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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 27, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Banc of California, Inc. ("Banc of California" or the "Company") (BANC). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.

The investigation concerns whether Banc of California and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here to join a class action]

On December 8, 2017, Bloomberg reported that a former Banc of California employee had filed a lawsuit against the bank alleging, in part, that: (1) revenue generated by the Company in 2016 was improperly carried over to the following year in order to inflate 2017 profits; and (2) the Company had ignored its former Chief Financial Officer's use of Company funds to patronize strip clubs.

On this news, Banc of California's share price fell $0.60, or 2.76%, to close at $21.15 on December 8, 2017.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
In a bid to proceed with its transition to gas and renewables generation, TransAlta Corporation TAC recently announced a few strategic initiatives.

Details of the Transition Strategy

Under the initiative, the company has signed a letter of intent with Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. for building a 120 kilometer natural gas pipeline from Tidewater's Brazeau River Complex to TransAlta's generating units at Sundance and Keephills. The pipeline with an investment worth $150 million will have an initial capacity to supply gas of 130 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) by 2020. It may be expanded to supply up to 340 MMcf/d, which represents approximately 50% of TransAlta's gas requirements at full capacity. Per the terms, TransAlta may invest up to 50% in this pipeline. This natural gas pipeline project is anticipated to aid in the companys initiative to offer low-cost clean energy.

Additionally, TransAlta has expedited the conversion of its Sundance Units 3 to 6 and Keephills Units 1 and 2 from coal-fired generation to gas-fired generation and now expects to complete the procedure in the 20212022 timeframe, a year earlier than previously planned.

As announced earlier, TransAlta intends to retire Sundance Unit 1 and temporarily mothball the operations of Sundance Unit 2, from Jan 1, 2018 and Units 3 and 5, from Apr 1, 2018. Unit 4 will be temporarily mothballed from Apr 1, 2019. The mothballed plants are anticipated to begin operations starting 2020, when the demand for electricity is expected to rise and market fundamentals are likely to support the excess generation of electricity.

Notably, TransAlta believes that, once operational, at least two pipelines supplying natural gas will reduce operational risks. Management expects mothballing these units during 2018 2019, will allow the remaining units to operate at strong utilization capacity, thereby providing competitive cost structures.

Story continues

Notably, once these coal fired units are converted to gas, they are anticipated to remain operational through to 2031 to 2039.

Our View

A comprehensive study by the Department of Energys National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that renewables will contribute more than 80% of total electricity generation in the United States by 2050, compared with the present level of 30%. To this end, governments and businesses globally are making concerted efforts to speed up the process of clean energy generation.

With rapid expansion of the renewable energy market, this transition initiative adopted by TransAlta appears to be a profitable decision as providing clean energy at low costs will bolster its shares in the booming alternative energy market. Further, as laid down by the Government of Canada, the rules regarding the conversion is expected to extend the life of the company's gas conversion units by five to 10 years that will mainly depend on lower carbon dioxide emissions, subject to finalization.

Being the largest producer of wind power in Canada, TransAlta already enjoys a solid position in the nations renewable market. With this conversion to gas generating units, surely it will gain more in this market.

Realizing the growth prospects of renewable energy, other Utilities like MDU Resources Group, Inc. MDU, NiSource Inc. NI and Duke Energy Corporation DUK are undertaking steps to expand further in the clean energy market.

Price Movement

Shares of TransAlta underperformed the industry in the last three months. The companys shares have lost 2.7%, wider than the industrys decline of 0.3%.

Such underperformance can be attributed to the companys high operating expenses that have hurt performance in previous quarters.

Zacks Rank

TransAlta (TAC) currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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U.S. stock index futures are posting modest gains ahead of Thursday's open, as investors turn their attention to what the next year will bring for markets. This week, markets are opening back up following the festive holiday break although trading remains thin. U.S. stocks finished Wednesday slightly higher , lifted by gains seen in the real estate and utilities sectors. In economic news Thursday, weekly jobless claims came in at 245,000 versus the 240,000 estimate. After President Donald Trump signed a $1.5 trillion tax bill into law last Friday, which aims to cut tax rates for both individuals and companies, it will be of key importance as to whether more economic news will boost markets. The energy market will also be at the front of investors' minds after crude futures hit a more than two-year high earlier this week. In today's session, oil prices posted mild gains on the back of solid data out of China. Elsewhere, copper has hit a fresh four-year peak . Investors will also be paying attention to the latest in bitcoin , as the cryptocurrency continues to see volatile price moves. In individual stock news, retailers will be of key importance, as investors await news as to how the industry performed during the festive period . Meantime, Apple and Amazon are reportedly in licensing talks with Riyadh, when it comes to investing in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported citing two sources.No earnings are set to be released. U.S. stock index futures are posting modest gains ahead of Thursday's open, as investors turn their attention to what the next year will bring for markets. This week, markets are opening back up following the festive holiday break although trading remains thin. U.S. stocks finished Wednesday slightly higher , lifted by gains seen in the real estate and utilities sectors. In economic news Thursday, weekly jobless claims came in at 245,000 versus the 240,000 estimate. After President Donald Trump signed a $1.5 trillion tax bill into law last Friday, which aims to cut tax rates for both individuals and companies, it will be of key importance as to whether more economic news will boost markets. The energy market will also be at the front of investors' minds after crude futures hit a more than two-year high earlier this week. In today's session, oil prices posted mild gains on the back of solid data out of China. Elsewhere, copper has hit a fresh four-year peak . Investors will also be paying attention to the latest in bitcoin , as the cryptocurrency continues to see volatile price moves. In individual stock news, retailers will be of key importance, as investors await news as to how the industry performed during the festive period . Meantime, Apple and Amazon are reportedly in licensing talks with Riyadh, when it comes to investing in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported citing two sources. No earnings are set to be released.



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SHEBERGHAN, Afghanistan -- Schoolteacher Asadullah, 45, is among thousands of Afghan civilians who have fled persecution by Islamic State (IS) militants in a remote province of northern Afghanistan.

Asadullah, who goes by one name only like many in Afghanistan, says constant threats from IS fighters forced him to leave his village, Khoja Arab in Jawzjans restive Darzab district, two months ago. He now rents a ramshackle house in the provincial capital of Sheberghan to provide shelter for his mother, wife, and four children.

"All schools in Darzab are shut. Teachers and students cannot go to school. We ran away from Daesh, he told Radio Free Afghanistan, referring to IS with the Arabic acronym commonly used to identify the hard-line group in Afghanistan.

Local authorities say the closure of more than 58 local schools in Darzab district has affected more than 30,000 students.

Asadullah says IS fighters demand extortion, which sometimes exceeds hundreds of dollars in the local currency.

If you refuse to pay, they will set your house on fire, he said. They randomly slaughter cows and sheep, which are precious possessions for locals to feed their soldiers."

Many residents of Darzab and neighboring Qush-Teppa have similar complaints. They say civilians have suffered after IS militants joined some renegade Taliban in Darzab two years ago. They now appear to have established a resilient enclave after resisting government forces and Taliban assaults.

Abdul Jalil, a farmer in Darzabs Moghul village, says IS militants forced him to flee this fall.

Daesh militants are both foreigners and locals. They include Uzbeks, Tajiks, and others, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. They are defaming Islam by making people homeless.

A community elder from Darzab says that IS has overtaken the whole region. He requested his identity be withheld to avoid reprisals by the militants.

He told Radio Free Afghanistan that young bearded IS fighters riding on motorbikes are a frequent sight in Darzab.

"They simply grab cattle from locals by terming it as booty. They threaten and killed those who work with the government, he said. They don't let locals carry their belongings from one place to another. They even take away the salaries of local teachers [who typically earn less than $150].

He says groups of fighters randomly descend on civilian homes to demand food.

"After evening prayer, they suddenly arrive at local houses. Irrespective of whether they are rich or poor, the militants order them to prepare food for groups larger than 50 people, he said. They warn that if anyone fails to comply they will be slaughtered.

Mohammad Sadiqs escape from Sardara village in Darzab was harrowing.

The whole area was taken by Daesh fighters. There was fighting for three days. My brother-in-law was killed, and our house was completely destroyed, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. That day, taxi fares to Sheberghan jumped to 2,000 Afghanis [$30] per person from 200 Afghanis [$3]. Still, we could not find any vehicle, so I hid in the house of our relatives [in a nearby village].

According to Jawzjan Governor Lutfullah Azizi, IS militants are still competing against Taliban fighters.

"There are more than 500 IS fighters and between 600 and 700 Taliban fighters in Darzab, he said. They frequently fight against each other.

Local officials say that most areas in Darzab are controlled by IS militants save for the district compound and a few outposts.

Rehmatullah Hashar, a former district governor of Darzab, says Uzbekistani fighters form the core of IS ranks in the region. He says they are boosted by Abdul Malik. His father, Tohir Yuldash, led the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) until his death in northern Pakistan in 2009.

The presence of battle-hardened Central Asian fighters in Jawzjan, which borders Turkmenistan, now apparently worries Russia, which views Central Asia as its soft underbelly.

Zamir Kabulov, Russian President Vladimir Putins special envoy for Afghanistan, recently voiced concern over the IS presence in northern provinces bordering Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

Kabulov claimed the number of IS fighters now exceeds 10,000 in Afghanistan because new fighters are arriving from Syria and Iraq.

"Russia was among the first to be sounding the alarms in connection with the emergence of Daesh in Afghanistan, Kabulov told the Sputnik news agency. Daesh has significantly increased its power in the country recently.

Afghan authorities, however, reject such claims.

"The number of IS fighters in Afghanistan is not in the thousands but only a few hundred. If we take Daesh into consideration from the beginning [in 2014], they might have been between 6,000 and 7,000 people, said Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri. But thousands of these have been killed or captured [during the past two years].

The IS affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan emerged in late 2014 and formally announced their presence in early 2015 as the Islamic State Khorasan Province, which is sometimes referred to as ISIS-K in U.S. government reports.

During summer 2015, it swept several districts of eastern Nangarhar Province along the countys border with Pakistan. U.S. and Afghan forces are still fighting the group in Nangarhars mountain districts.

From June 1, 2017, to November 24, 2017, [Special Operations Joint Task Force  Afghanistan] SOJTF-A components conducted 2,175 ground operations and 261 kinetic strikes in which they enabled or advised ASSF units, noted a Pentagon report to U.S. Congress this month while referring to the Afghan Special Security Forces by its acronym.

These operations included 420 ground operations and 214 air strikes against ISIS-K, resulting in more than 174 ISIS-K killed-in-action, the report added. Although weakened, ISIS-K will most likely continue to plan and execute high-profile attacks in populated areas.

Back in Jawzjan, officials say they are preparing for a major military operation to cleanse Darzab and Qush-Teppa of IS.

For now, many displaced Darzab residents like Abdul Jalil can only wait.

"Now the Daesh militants issue a death sentence on a daily basis, he said. After the government operation, Daesh and the Taliban will take over the areas again. We cannot go back; we're scared.
Mourners have gathered at the shrine of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to mark the 10th anniversary of her assassination.

Television images showed an estimated 20,000 people on December 27 converging in Garhi Khuda Baksh, the site of the family's mausoleum in Sindh Province.

Bhutto, the first woman to lead a Muslim country and an ally of the West, was killed in a gun and suicide-bomb attack on December 27, 2007, in Rawalpindi, the headquarters city of Pakistan's military. No one has been convicted for the killing.

Bhutto, who ruled from 1988-90 and 1993-96, was campaigning for a return to office when she was assassinated.

Unanswered questions surrounding the assassination remain, leading to a multitude of conspiracy theories.

In August, an antiterrorism court in Pakistan declared former president and military ruler Pervez Musharraf a fugitive in connection with the killing as part of a broad conspiracy to have Bhutto, his political rival, killed before elections.

He has denied the allegation.

Musharraf ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup in 1999. He resigned in 2008 to avoid possible impeachment and went into exile overseas.

"There are theories only, and even after 10 years we don't know who was behind the murder," Muqtida Mansoor, a political analyst, told the AFP news agency.

The United Nations in a 2010 report held Musharraf's administration responsible for failing to provide Bhutto with the necessary security, saying her assassination was preventable.

Based on reporting by AFP, PakTribune, and Daily Pakistan
is spot on!As an international student one place you would want to avoid is Washington.Here is a quote from one of moderators(PiyushK) who did his MBA in Washington DC -->

Quote:

A piece of advise for internationals give last priority to schools based in Washington DC. 99% jobs and internships are in federal sector and internationals are not eligible for them (even in companies like E&Y, BAH, PWC, Deloitte, TCS, etc.) , and I hope nobody would be interested in unpaid internships. Ground reality is quite different; contact current international students to understand the challenges they are meeting. As per my knowledge story is just opposite in schools located in commercial hubs such as Chicago, Boston, North California and New York, so keep your focus on such similar commercial locations.

My 2 cents ->In case of international applicants -> What I feel is a lower ranked school in Texas/California/Atlanta/ looks more viable than McDonough.There are two reasons to go to DC -->1) You get a free ride and don't end up getting any money from other schools.Take the money and run as fast as you can yo.IF YOU ARE an international => ALWAYS GO WITH THE MONEY!2) You are a domestic applicant. Then McDonough makes so much sense. Who wouldn't want to study in the Georgetown right ?
New York, Dec 28(Just Earth News): In a year which saw millions of Somali civilians displaced by armed conflict and thousands more killed and wounded in violence, the United Nations envoy to the country has called for sustained cooperation to tackle a number of pressing challenges.

No one should underestimate the many challenges ahead, and the serious issues that continue to retard and even threaten further progress, said Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia.

These include pervasive corruption, most obviously in politics, and powerbrokers willingness to use violence, or the threat of violence, against opponents, he added.

Noting that the militants have retained the capacity to mount such devastating attacks, Keating also emphasized that the terrorist group thrives, among other things, on the absence of functional local government and on the many conflicts around the country.</p

Severe and growing humanitarian needs

At the same time, there is severe and growing humanitarian needs across the Horn of Africa nation.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), food security needs are nearly double the five-year average due to limited rain, increased displacement, lack of access to basic services, and continuing insecurity and conflict.

The number of people in [humanitarian] emergency [phase] have increased tenfold from 83,000 in January to 866,000 people in November 2017, OCHA said in a humanitarian bulletin.

Humanitarian Emergency is a state in which the acute malnutrition rate has surpassed the emergency threshold of 15 per cent. In Somalia, the rate stands at 17.4 per cent.

Across the country, some 6.2 million are in need of humanitarian and protection assistance and more than half that number require urgent life-saving assistance. This year witnessed the displacement of a further one million Somalis, taking the total across the country to more than two million.

Prospects of humanitarian recovery in 2018 grim

However, with forecasts for poor rains during the two main crop seasons and as well as a heightened risk of the La Nina weather phenomenon in early-mid 2018, the prospects for recovery next year look grim, said the UN relief wing.

Life-saving assistance will, therefore, remain an urgent priority, it said, noting the need to also address the underlying causes of recurring humanitarian crises.

In line with the New Way of Working and building on efforts since 2012 to create household resilience, humanitarian and development partners are pursuing more sustainable mid- to longer-term investment in reducing risk and vulnerability, said OCHA.

In the same vein, Keating, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), underscored the need the need for greater cooperation to overcome the obstacles.

Lessons can be drawn from 2017, both good and bad. A central one may be that when the most powerful actors cooperate, whether the Federal Government, Federal Member States, parliamentarians, clan elders, business or the international community, great progress can be made, he said.

When they do not cooperate, the risks are enormous.

Photo: UNICEF/Makundi

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Other Iranian officials have apparently been working to leverage the Trump administrations aggressive tone as motivation for existing and potential Iranian allies to join in an axis opposed to Western interests in the region. Naturally, the Islamic theocracy has focused particularly on the Muslim world in pursuing this project, though it has also enjoyed growing alliances with both Russia and China.

Additionally, Kurdistan 24 reported on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic had reportedly secured an alliance with an Iraqi Christian militia in the Nineveh Plains. The article explains that this is a complicated development insofar as it is predicated on that militias relationship with one of several Shiite proxies of the Islamic Republic, even though those proxies in general are contributing to the persecution of Christian populations in the area.

Despite Iranian animosity toward this and other religious minorities, it is in the interest of the Islamic Republic and its established allies to retain cooperative relationships with the Nineveh militants because they serve as a link in the chain between Tehran and Damascus. This overland route, which also extends to Beirut and the headquarters of Lebanese Shiite paramilitary Hezbollah, is widely referred to as the Shiite crescent and is apparently central to Irans efforts to extend its influence across the region and to ultimately establish its own hegemony there.

Some reports indicate that that route has already become active, largely thanks to the numerous Shiite paramilitaries that comprise coalitions in both Syria and Iraq. But Irans broader aims will likely require buy-in from entities representing the competing Sunni branch of Islam as well. Relations have recently improved between Iran and some of these organizations, including the Afghan Taliban and Palestines Hamas. This latter ally represents a potentially important tool in Irans encouragement of Muslim unity that is simultaneously organized under its own banner and in opposition to American influence in the Middle East.

The Iranians sought to exploit the Palestinian issue on Wednesday around the same time that the Supreme Leader weighed in on more general aspects of the conflict between Iran and its main Western adversary. The Hill reports that the Iranian Parliament easily passed a measure declaring Jerusalem to be the eternal capital of a future Palestinian state, and it did so specifically in reaction to Trumps move earlier in December to declare that the US would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and would move its embassy to there from Tel Aviv.

Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament used the measures passage as an opportunity to expound upon the regimes rhetoric regarding both the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the nature of the Trump administration. The White Houses announcement on Jerusalem, he claimed, constituted an attempt to strike a blow against all Muslims. However, such rhetoric cannot be expected to change the attitudes of American allies in the region who are particularly threatened by Irans expanding influence. Although Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were quick to join much of the world in opposing Trumps measure, this does not seem to have seriously slowed the development of an anti-Iranian coalition that includes both of those nations, the US, and Israel itself.

The Trump administrations assertive Iran policy clearly entails efforts to advance that development and to broaden the coalition, as evidenced by this months presentation in Washington D.C.

egarding the apparent Iranian origin of missiles fired at Saudi Arabia by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Some US allies such as France have intensified their tone on the issue of Iranian missiles, calling for multilateral restrictions on related activities. And although France and much of Europe have been earnestly pursuing new trade relations with Iran in the wake of the 2015 nuclear agreement, there are tentative signs that the White House public relations campaign may be curtailing this trend.

Azer News reported on Tuesday that Iranian non-oil exports had decreased respective to the same period last year in vritually all regions of the globe except for member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, after having previously escalated throughout much of the globe. Unsurprisingly, though, overall economic cooperation remains vigorous with allies like Russia. The Financial Tribune reported on Tuesday that Russias Eximbank had signed an agreement with Iranian partners for unlimited financing of domestic development projects.

Other nations apparently remain on the fence about their position in the widening split between allies of the Islamic Republic and those of the United States. Although the Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Ali Larijani on Tuesday as boasting about ongoing increases in Turkish investment, Turkeys Hurriyet Daily News issue a report the following day that described the Turkish government as denying that any mutual cooperation deals had been signed among it, Iran, and Qatar.

Turkish officials specifically made reference to a supposed axis centered on Iran, and they did so in order to deny that it exists or that Turkey is involved in it. The officials also highlighted the issue of Muslim unity but criticized the advancement of one regional countrys interests over anothers. In this way, Ankara tacitly rejected the notion of unity under an Iranian banner. But it still remains to be seen whether this attitude will be borne out over the long term, since relations between Iran and Turkey have traditionally been complicated but have grown closer in recent months while Turkish relations with the US have deteriorated.

Generally speaking, the strength of Irans position in the broader region remains uncertain, but the countrys leadership has a number of opportunities to become more entrenched with the help of various proxies and emergent allies. The longevity and durability of these relationships will no doubt depend in large part upon Western policies in the months and weeks ahead, and specifically on the breadth and overall success of the competing coalitions reach.
The DEA team worked for nearly a decade, with the objective of bringing down Hezbollahs sophisticated drug ring. Hezbollahs network smuggled cocaine into the US and laundered the profits by, among other enterprises, purchasing used cars in the United States and reselling them in Africa, according to Politico.

The Justice and Treasury departments turned down the DEA teams prosecution and sanctions requests  some say to facilitate the signing of the JCPOA.

According to Bloomberg, the DEA had two operatives, Ali Fayad and Abdallah Safieddine, who were to face justice.

The first operative, Fayad, was suspected of being Hezbollahs operative, and Bloomberg said that evidence showed he directly reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin, supplying weapons in Iraq and Syria.

Former DEA agent Jack Kelly, who established the task force, discussed the other operative, Safieddine. Hezbollah operates like the Gambino crime family on steroids, and [Safieddine] is its John Gotti, he said. Whatever Iran needs, Safieddine is in charge of getting it for them.

A global Hezbollah network is believed to have been responsible for the movement of large quantities of cocaine in the United States and Europe. This global network, referred to by law enforcement as the Lebanese Hezbollah External Security Organization (BAC), was founded by slain Hezbollah Senior Leader Imad Mughniyeh and subsequently operated under the control of Abdallah Safieddine and recent U.S.-designated Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) Adham Tabaja.

However, Safieddine was never prosecuted, and Project Cassandra was shut down after the nuclear deal was sealed, according to the report.

The landmark Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was designed to ensure that Irans nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful. The agreement was reached on July 14, 2015, between the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), the European Union (EU), and Iran.

Some claim the deal was merely able to pause Irans march to obtain nuclear weapon, and that the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, was ineffective, as it was unable to inspect military sites. US President Trump called it an incomprehensibly bad deal, as also provided around $150 billion to Iran to boost its failing economy, but was said to have been used to channel more state sponsored terror across the region.
From the Narendra Modi-led BJP continuing its winning steak in elections to midnight developments sending editors in stop-the-press mode, 2017 was filled with a number of surprising and exciting moments. Here is a recap.

By Dev Goswami: There is never a dull moment in politics. Especially so, when it is Indian politics.

2017 in Indian politics saw the Bharatiya Janata Party continue its electoral dominance even as India's grand old party, the Congress, attempted a turnaround.

There were also plenty of moments that surprised (the choice of chief minister in Uttar Pradesh), befuddled (a politician sitting on public meditation at midnight), and awed the electorate (a party's ability to win a state despite losing its election).

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Here's recapping the year's top political moments:

MIDNIGHT MEDITATION AT MARINA

Around the turn of the year, all was (mostly) well in Tamil Nadu politics. Yes, there was a power vacuum left behind by the death of J Jayalalalithaa, the beloved Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK supremo who died in December 2016.

But, that vacuum was being filled pretty smoothly. Ottakkarthevar Panneerselvam, a long-time AIADMK loyalist, had replaced Jayalalithaa as CM within hours of her death. And come January, Amma's close aide VK Sasikala was on the homestretch of a plan that would see her become CM.

And as an apparent part of this plan, O Panneerselvam resigned from the CM's post on February 5. Pretty straight-forward politics, so far.

It all changed on February 7 when Panneerselvam made a late-night dash to Jayalalithaa's memorial at Marina Beach and sat there on meditation. He did not utter a word even as curious onlookers, befuddled supporters and startled journalists gathered around.

O Panneerselvam at Jayalalithaa's memorial on February 7 (PTI) O Panneerselvam at Jayalalithaa's memorial on February 7 (PTI)

Finally, after a 40-minute meditation session, Panneerselvam awoke, said 'Amma's soul had called out to him', and declared war on Sasikala. He said he would "continue to work in Amma's name" and take back his resignation if people were with him.

The night pushed Tamil Nadu politics into turmoil. Panneerselvam wasn't able to hold on the CM's chair (though he ultimately joined hands with his successor Edappadi Palaniswami and became deputy CM), nor was Sasikala, thanks to a criminal conviction, able to become the chief minister.

AIADMK still remains divided into warring factions and the state's politics saw a fresh twist this month when TTV Dhinakaran, Sasikala's nephew and part of the camp railing against the OPS-EPS combine, won the by-poll in RK Nagar, the assembly seat vacated by late Jayalalithaa.

THE MAN FROM GOKRAKHPUR

The political firestorm that followed the Narendra Modi government's shock demonetisation decision from November 2016 was very much raging in 2017. And in March, note ban, just one of the many expressions used to describe the invalidation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, became an election issue in Uttar Pradesh.

The ruling Samajwadi Party joined hands with the Congress to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party. Unsuccessfully so. The BJP, led by the master campaigner Narendra Modi, won a staggering three-fourths majority in Lucknow.

The BJP won a landslide victory in the Uttar Pradesh election (IndiaToday.in) Click here to Enlarge The BJP won a landslide victory in the Uttar Pradesh election (IndiaToday.in)

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The biggest surprise of the election was what happened after the results were announced: the appointment of Yogi Adityanath, a firebrand saffron leader and a four-time MP from Gorakhpur, as chief minister.

Adityanath's becoming Uttar Pradesh CM was widely critiqued by commentators, both positively and otherwise, and his decisions as chief minister were intensely scrutinised.

FAST-MOVING BJP CATCHES CONGRESS COLD

If Uttar Pradesh was the headline of the five-state assembly elections from March this year, then Manipur and Goa were its post-scripts. Of the five states, the BJP won in two (UP and Uttrakhand), lost in one (Punjab) and finished second in the remaining.

In Goa and Manipur, neither of which gave a majority to a single party, the Congress won the most number of seats. However, it was the BJP that ended up forming governments in both the states, and ending with 4-1 tally in the five-state polls.

Once the results were announced on March 11, the BJP moved quickly to stitch up alliances with local parties and - the very next day -announced it had enough numbers to form governments in both the states.

The BJP came second in Goa and Manipur, but still managed to form governments in both the states (AP)

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PM Modi sacrificed his defence minister - Manohar Parrikar - so that he could return to his home state Goa as chief minister (a condition alliance partners in the coastal state put forth for their support) while in Manipur the party managed to secure the backing of two independent MLAs, a TMC legislator and even a Congress defector.

The Congress claimed the BJP had used money power to 'steal' the two states, but it is worth noting that while saffron party had vote share in Goa and Manipur even though it ended up fewer seats than the grand old party.

MAHAGATHBANDHAN NO MORE

On July 26 evening, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resigned from his post. The next day morning - barely over 12 hours after he resigned - Nitish was at Bihar's Raj Bhavan taking the oath of office, once again, to become the state's chief minister, once again.

The hours between saw the spectacular end of the 'mahagathbandhan', a grand alliance starring Nitish's Janata Dal (United) (JDU) and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Bihar CM's return to the NDA fold.

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Nitish's July 26 evening resignation, a result of his discontent over allegations of corruption against his deputy and Lalu's son Tejashwi, was followed by a series of 'coincidences'.

Moments after he announced his decision to step down, the BJP, which just happened to be holding a parliamentary meeting in New Delhi, announced it would support the JD (U) in Bihar. Soon after, MLAs of the two parties managed a late-night meeting in Patna and signed letters of approval backing Nitish's return to the CM's chair.

2017 saw Nitish Kumar's return to the NDA fold (Reuters)

In between, PM Modi, on Twitter, praised Nitish for "joining the fight against corruption", Nitish replied with a thank you and the RJD raged. Tejashwi, left to hold the fort with father Lalu having to (coincidently) travel to Ranchi for a court hearing, even embarked on a post-midnight march to Raj Bhavan in protest of the developments.

But, it all came to naught. Nitish was sworn in as chief minster on July 27 and on July 28, won an assembly floor test, bringing about the end of the mahagathbandhan that just two years earlier had handed the BJP a humiliating defeat in the 2015 Bihar election.

ELECTION AT MIDNIGHT

This was the third major political moment of the year for which journalists and writers liberally - and justifiably - used the phrase 'midnight drama'. The usually dull Rajya Sabha elections were an electric, nail-biting affair in Gujarat this year, with results for the polls coming only after midnight on August 8.

As polling began on August 8, Congress' Ahmed Patel needed the support of 45 MLAs to win. And, the Congress had 51 MLAs in the Gujarat assembly.

However, thanks to cross-voting, Patel apparently managed the support of just 44 MLAs, one short of the number required to win his re-election.

And so, as day turned into night, the Congress went to the mattresses. Counting was held up for six hours as the Election Commission office in New Delhi was besieged by delegations from the Congress and the BJP.

The grand old party alleged two of its MLAs had broken voting rules by showing their ballots to BJP chief Amit Shah and union minister Smriti Irani (the two were contesting the other Gujarat Rajya Sabha seats which they won comfortably). The BJP, on the other hand, wanted the poll panel to get on with the counting.

Finally, close to midnight the Election Commission ruled in favour of the Congress and disqualified the votes of the two MLAs in the question. This brought the number needed to win down to 44, which meant that nearly at 1.53 am August 9, Ahmed Patel was able to tweet this:

This is not just my victory. It is a defeat of the most blatant use of money power,muscle power and abuse of state machinery- Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) August 8, 2017

OF PAKISTAN AND 'LOW-LIFE'

More than a 'top moment' this marked a low for Indian politics in 2017. In the heat of the Gujarat assembly election, political attacks turned ugly and below-the-belt comments were common.

The two incidents that stood out for how they dominated the popular discourse were Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'neech kisam ka aadmi' comment and Prime Minister Modi's insinuation that ex-PM Manmohan Singh conspired with Pakistani diplomats and officials to influence the Gujarat election.

Aiyar's comment, directed at PM Modi, saw him lose the primary membership of his party, the Congress. His clarification (that he hadn't called the PM a 'low-born') and half-apology notwithstanding, PM Modi went to town using the comment to corner the Congress during his election rallies.

At one of these rallies, while talking about the Aiyar comment, PM Modi suggested that ex-PM Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari secretly met with some Pakistani officials at Aiyar's residence in New Delhi before the Gujarat polls.

The Congress took umbrage at the PM's suggestion and the controversy continued even ar the Gujarat election results, with the grand old party disrupting Parliament over its demand that the prime minister apologise for his remarks.

The impasse finally ended days before New Year's Eve, with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying the government does not question Singh's or Ansari's commitment to the nation and that it holds the former PM in high regard. The Congress, in response, disavowed of any attacks that may have been made on PM Modi, which was seen as a reference to Aiyar's 'neech' remarks.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

The verdict in the 2G spectrum scam case was a shocker for many. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena has announced plans to quit the state-level alliance with the BJP in the coming year.

The Supreme Court, in January 2017 delivered a crucial judgement that held that political parties and politicians cannot seek votes in the name of caste, community, religion or language.

And, speaking of electoral politics, 2017 also marked the year the Election Commission decided that all future elections will conducting using Electronic Voting Machines connected to Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices.

What will the future hold for Indian politics? We would be foolish to predict that. But, what we can predict with certainty is that it will be as exciting as the year gone by.

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By PTI: Noida, Dec 28 (PTI) A 26-year-old woman was found killed at her home in the Chhijarsi colony here today afternoon, police said.

Noida Phase 3 police station incharge Jitendra Kumar said that today afternoon police got information about the killing.

A police team went there and the body was sent for post mortem, he said.

"The body had injuries. It appears to be a case of murder. The deceased was identified as Shweta," the official said.

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Her husband Pankaj works in a factory and the couple had a 4-year-old child, he added.

"Pankaj had gone to the factory and when he called his wife in the afternoon there was no response. He then called a neighbour who went there and found her lying in pool of blood," Kumar said.

Further investigations are on and some neighbours involvement was suspected, he added. PTI CORR ADS

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Miki Sikabwe is a fashion designer from Congo. She has trained in Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya. She has never had the chance to show her work in Congo because of security issues.

But that changed over the weekend. A handful of designers presented the first fashion show in the eastern Congo city of Beni in years. It was a welcome distraction for residents who have faced attacks by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels and other armed groups. They have killed thousands of people over the past three years.

Sikabwe said, I am happy to be exhibiting my necklaces and clothes made with local products here in Beni and I believe this will give hope to the people here.

She and thousands of others in eastern Congo wonder when the violence will end. Earlier this month, the ADF attacked a local United Nations peacekeeping group. The attack killed 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers and five Congolese soldiers. It was the deadliest attack on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in nearly 25 years. Uganda and Congo have launched a joint military offensive against the rebels.

Nyonyi Bwanakawa is the mayor of Beni. He said he believes the city is becoming safer.

We would like to show the world that in Beni, and in northeast Congo, there is life and tourists can come here, he said.

Over the weekend, nearly 600 people attended the Beni fashion show. Some of the items on display were colored loincloths, masks and traditional materials designed into modern styles.

Roselyne Mbiya was the lead designer. She used Congolese fabrics mixed with flower designs and lace.

Mbiya said some of the shows proceeds will go to women who have been raped by the ADF. She said the women need to feel they are still loved by society.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro reported this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________

Words in this Story

distraction  n. something that amuses or entertains you so that you do not think about problems, work, etc.

lace  n. a very thin and light cloth made with patterns of holes

loincloth  n. a piece of cloth worn to cover the sexual organs especially by men in very hot parts of the world

proceeds  n. the total amount of money or profit that is made
3 An Israeli Sikorsky CH-53K helicopter performs during an air show at the graduation ceremony of Israeli air force pilots at the Hatzerim Israeli Air Force base in the Negev desert, near the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva.
If you're planning to have a baby or have already conceived, living in a polluted city is the worst thing you can do to yourself.

By Asian News International: A shocking new study revealed the significant association between air pollution and birth defects.

The 2017 study, published in Journal of Pediatrics, found that women exposed to air pollution during preconception period or one month after the conception have increased risk of their children being born with birth defects like cleft lip or palate or abnormal hearts.

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The birth certificate data was used from the Ohio Department of Health and particulate matter data from the US Environmental Protection Agency's 57 monitoring stations throughout Ohio to study the impact of air pollutants on children's development.

Researchers calculated the average exposures by linking the geographic coordinates of the mother's residence for each birth with the nearest monitoring station.

Also read: Air pollution can also impact a child's brain development, says UNICEF

The result came after studying the association between abnormalities at birth and the mother's exposure to increased levels of fine particulate matter in the air during pregnancy.

Dangerous of air pollution seems to be growing on each passing day but not much progress have been made to curb its deadly spread, concerns that have been raised by many experts, environmentalists, public and private sectors and NGOs. Measures to curb air pollution needs to be one of the high priorities in national agenda since improving air quality (both indoor and outdoor) has potential to provide healthier future for children.

Also read: Only masks can save you from air pollution in Delhi

Emphasising on the importance of clean air, especially for women during preconception period, Arvind Chabra, India Head, Blueair, said, "Improving the air quality in our surroundings can be most effective way of avoiding harmful effects of breathing polluted air. Considering the fact that the mother spends 90 percent of their time indoor but the indoor air is up to two to five times more polluted than the outside air. An effective air purifier helps in eliminating the minutest of the air pollutants like fine dust, allergens VOCs and Bacteria etc. Breathing clean air is important to insure healthy life for the child".

Dr Praveen Gupta , Director Neurology, Fortis Gurgaon, said, "With the current scenario, the situation is getting worse. Air Pollution has adverse effect on children, it causes irritability, suffocation, decreased attention and concentration leading to poor performance. The pollutants through their blood travels to different parts of the body including brain, which causes decrease in IQ level and other related problems."

Dr. Himanshu Garg, Head, Department of Respiratory and critical care, Artemis Hospital, said, "The high pollution levels are now a new reality, at time when the change from hazardous to very severe level is welcomed. New and striking evidence is emerging linking the increasing levels of pollution and increasing birth defects. The high incidence of neural tube in newborns where the spinal cord is not formed well even amongst the well nourished mother's is an example which thought to increasing because of higher pollution levels"

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Also read: Delhi government issues health advisory over pollution

Though, there has been increasing sense of awareness in people regarding its harmful effects and they are also on lookout for measures to improve the air quality in their vicinity.

In fact, sale of air purifiers, masks and indoor plants have increased in recent times which indicates that people are taking the situation seriously.

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Chinas leading policy makers plan to discuss next month a proposal to amend the national constitution for the first time since 2004, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The decision was made yesterday at a Politburo meeting headed by President Xi Jinping, according to the report. It provided no details on the possible change to the constitution, which was first adopted in 1982 and revised four times. The partys Central Committee will discuss the amendments at a plenum some time in January.

Speculation has swirled that Xi might seek to stay in office beyond 2022 after he unveiled a new leadership line-up in October that didnt include a clear potential heir. Under the current national constitution, the president can only serve two five-year terms. There are no limits on Xis two other key titles: Head of the party and military chief.

Any change involving term limits would require consensus among lawmakers, according to Ji Weidong, dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong Universitys KoGuan School of Law. Either way, he said a constitutional revision is needed to set up the new National Supervision Commission, an all-encompassing anti-graft body.

The new supervision commission needs a constitutional basis for its power, as it involves a structural change in Chinas political system, Ji said. The national constitution defines Chinas major state institutions, including the judiciary, the top prosecuting body and the State Council, or the cabinet.

Xi became one of Chinas most powerful leaders ever in October, when the Communist Party charter was revised to elevate him to a status that eluded his two immediate predecessors. Many of Xis major initiatives of his first five years in power were added to the revised charter, from his anti-corruption campaign to his Belt- and-Road Initiative.

At an earlier two-day meeting that ended Dec. 26, members of Chinas Politburo each vowed to implement Xis agenda two months after he mapped out an ambitious three-decade vision for the country. Xi said the priority for all Politburo members is to aggressively and comprehensively carry out tasks set out at the party congress in October, according to Xinhua.

Each of the 25 Politburo members made a speech at the meeting in which they reflected on their own performance and pledged loyalty to the overall mission, according to a statement issued by Xinhua.

Words are not enough while actual actions are needed, Xi was quoted by Xinhua as saying. Holding meetings and handing out papers are not enough while actual implementation is needed.

The meeting yesterday also reviewed a work report from the partys top graft-busting agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and set the dates for the bodys plenary meeting as Jan. 11-13. Leaders pledged to seriously punish disloyal party members, and crack down on vested interests and clique-forming behavior.

Xi on Tuesday called on Politburo members to set an example of self-discipline and to avoid granting privileges to their family members and close aides. His sweeping anti-corruption campaign has brought down former Politburo members, including Sun Zhengcai and Guo Boxiong.

Xi also urged the elite party body to have a strong sense of urgency while warning of barriers and risks both at home and abroad, according to the statement. Senior officials should also take the lead to solve the most difficult problems, he said. Ting Shi, Bloomberg
Particulates are air-borne microscopic materials that enter the upper and lower parts of lungs through breathing and lead to a variety of diseases like asthma, heart attack and cancer.

By Baishali Adak: More cities in India are coming in the grip of air pollution, shows recent evidence gathered by think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

While in 2007, 60 per cent of the cities monitored by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had Particulate Matter (PM) 10 levels officially classified as critical, this increased to 88 per cent in 2016.

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Smaller cities are more polluted. Of the 46 million plus cities, whose data is reported in the Parliament, the most polluted are Allahabad, Varanasi and Lucknow - all in UP.

These are followed by Delhi, Ghaziabad, Agra, Dhanbad, Jaipur, Kanpur & Amritsar.

Particulates are air-borne microscopic materials that enter the upper and lower parts of lungs through breathing and lead to a variety of diseases like asthma, heart attack and cancer.

The 24-hour permissible level of PM 10 is 100 ug/m3 and for PM2.5, it is 60 ug/m3.

CSE director general, Sunita Narain, said, "The CPCB submits readings of pollutants for 46 cities with million plus population to the Rajya Sabha. This data is available from 2007 to 2016. CPCB classifies annual average pollution levels in terms of low (50% less than standard), moderate (meeting the standards), high (1.5 times the standards) and critical (more than 1.5 times the standard)."

"We realised that the share of cities in critical category has increased from 60 per cent in 2007 to 88 per cent in 2016. It is also evident that out of 255 cities, nearly 78 per cent cities exceeded the standard in 2016," she said.

The multi-pollutant crisis is also growing, CSE's statistics showed. While Nitrogen Dioxide (No2), produced by vehicle exhaust and emission from factories, exceeded annual average standards in 17 per cent of cities in 2007, it increased to 29 per cent in 2016.

Nitrogen Dioxide is not just toxic, but it also contributes to the formation of very harmful Ozone on coming in contact with sunlight and in high temperature.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE, said, "Another problem is that limited air quality monitoring across India limits our knowledge of state of air in most cities and towns."

"Only 303 cities out of 6,166 census cities towns are monitored - this is a mere 5 per cent. Only 57 cities have continuous real time monitoring stations. The rest are manual which does not allow daily reporting of real time air quality data and smog alert for action and public health protection."

Delhi has the highest number of monitoring stations - more than 30.

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There were 11 real-time air quality monitoring stations earlier but after an SC directive, 21 more have been set up. Even Kolkata and Mumbai have limited stations.

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British customs officials have seized 70m of Colombian cocaine which is thought to be directly linked to the Mafia.

The discovery of more than a quarter of a tonne of cocaine came after British Customs and Excise officials were tipped off by Italian anti-Mafia investigators.

The international operation also involved the help of Colombian police.

More than a tonne of cocaine was seized, 263 kg of it was impounded in Britain and the rest in Sicily where two Italians were arrested.

In Britain two men, from north London and Chelmsford, Essex, were remanded in custody at Ipswich magistrates court charged with smuggling.

A third man was released on police bail.

This is the first confirmed involvement of the Mafia in drugs smuggling into the UK. The job was the province of the police in Rome and we acted after we received instructions from them, a Customs and Excise spokesman said.

The Colombian merchant vessel, Maipo, travelled directly to Britain and docked at Felixstowe where customs officers had been preparing for their arrival since last week.

Customs officials were in waiting as a container adapted to hide drugs was unloaded on the dock.

The three men were kept under surveillance for two days when they were arrested as they returned to Felixstowe to pick up the drug.

The haul is believed to have originated from one of the worlds largest drug cartels  the Medellin in Colombia.

Investigators claim it is unusual for parties from a third country to be involved in smuggling from South America.

They suggest it indicates the Mafia is increasing its grip on the worlds drug trade by filling the gap created by the death of the Colombian drugs baron, Pablo Escobar, the head of the Medellin cartel.

He was ambushed and shot by Colombian police earlier this month.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

British, Italian, and Colombian anti-drug officials hailed a new era of international co-operation following the seizure in Britain that partly disrupted Colombias Cali cartel.

In total, 13 people in three countries were arrested.

The seizure was part of a larger operation by Italian forces to curb the activities of the mafia who had apparently identified Britain as a safe place to be on the run.

British detectives said the mafia had established cells in the country and they were involved in at least nine areas of serious crime, including fraud, arms dealing and drug trafficking.
The government has granted a total of MOP760 million for the construction of school and education facilities on plot CN6a at Seac Pai Van, Coloane.

The contract is made out to a consortium of companies consisting of Companhia de Decoracao San Kei Ip, Limitada and Sociedade de Construcao e Engenharia  Grupo de Construcao de Xangai  SCG (Macau), Limitada that will undertake the works over 669 days. The Chief Executives order, published yesterday in the Official Gazette, authorizes the contract which is a result from the public tender that concluded on April 19 this year. A total of 17 proposals were tendered.

The consortium proposed to perform the works in 669 days for MOP762.9 million. The final contract price is a slight reduction from the original tender, and sets out a total of MOP759.01 million, split into three installments. The first instalment of MOP98.15 million was paid this year, the second instalment (MOP260.6 million) is due in 2018, and the third instalment (MOP400.34 million) is due in 2019.

According to the public tender, the educational facilities will include construction works for kindergarten, primary and secondary education, technical-professional training, a center for language training, dormitories and a technical-professional training center for artistic, cultural and creative education.

During the policy address for the sector for 2018, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam stated that the technical- professional training center is intended to be devoted to training culinary and gastronomical skills, in light of UNESCOs recent classification of Macau as a creative gastronomy city. RM
The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council revealed that the Chief Executives of both SAR governments have made a proposal to the central government, asking it to allow them to operate medical and teaching institutions in the Greater Bay Area.

Earlier this month, Macaus Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam visited Beijing to meet with the state leaders and deliver reports about their works.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said that the two CEs, while they were in Beijing, expressed their hopes that the central government would support the two SARs in opening hospitals, schools and nursing centers in the Greater Bay Area.

Recently, the State Councils division for Hong Kong and Macau organized a meeting to report on the Central Governments working spirit concerning the two SARs.

Zhang Xiaoming, Director of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong, who hosted the meeting, urged all the involved governmental parties to carefully implement the Central Governments plans It was noted that said parties should particularly focus on the Greater Bay Area development plan, and should also conduct research on policies regarding human resources, logistics, capital and information technology, among other topics.
Hong Kong is poised to lose its ranking as the worlds fifth-busiest container port if cargo-handling trends continue.

Sea freight processed in the city dropped for a second straight month in November, making Hong Kong the only container port among the worlds top five to report weaker traffic, based on statistics compiled by port authorities. South Koreas Busan, ranked sixth, has narrowed the gap and is set to overtake Hong Kong on an annual basis in 2018, said Rahul Kapoor, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.

As China expanded its manufacturing prowess to become the biggest exporter of everything from fabrics to machinery, the nation also boosted capacity at its ports, making it possible for larger ships to start direct services to major cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen. Until 2004, Hong Kong was the worlds busiest container port as it served as a conduit for cargo moving in and out of China.

The hollowing of manufacturing activities in Hong Kong has been the main driver, Corrine Png, chief executive officer of Crucial Perspective, a specialist in Asian transportation equity research. Hong Kong faces stiff competition, mainly from the Chinese ports, especially as the Chinese have been investing heavily in port infrastructure in recent years and working on improving their operating efficiency.

Hong Kong handled 18.97 million 20-foot containers in the first 11 months of 2017, 6.4 percent more than a year earlier. That trails the 8.3 percent increase for Shanghai and 9.1 percent growth in Singapore.

Hong Kong has slipped steadily through the annual rankings over the last decade. The citys port lost its No. 1 status to Singapore in 2005, No. 2 to Shanghai in 2007, No. 3 to Shenzhen in 2013, and its fourth placing to Ningbo in 2015.

Its set to be overtaken again, this time by Busan, which has seen increased traffic from transshipment cargo to the Bohai Bay area in northeastern China, according to Drewry Financial Research Services. Based on available ports data, traffic at Busan exceeded Hong Kongs for three of the 11 months so far this year.

Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong, has been expanding its capacity as it serves as a major port for exports of goods manufactured in factories in southern China. The citys harbor is the worlds third-busiest after Shanghai and Singapore.

Most of the biggest container ships worldwide  even the ones operated by Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd.  favor calls at Chinese ports en route to Europe.

Theres a general trend of increased direct services to China, so theres reduced demand for transshipment in Hong Kong, said Victor Wai, an analyst at Drewry in Singapore. For Busan to overtake Hong Kong, it will be because Hong Kong is losing its volume. Kyunghee Park, Bloomberg
Pakistan said that Indian forces killed three of its soldiers near the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.

A military statement said the unprovoked cease-fire violation took place Monday in Rawalakot in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir. It came two days after Indias army said four of its soldiers were killed by Pakistani fire along the de facto border between the South Asian rivals.

In the latest shooting, the Indian military said that its soldiers targeted Pakistani posts after they were fired upon. The Indian troops did not suffer any casualties, officials said.

The confrontation happened hours after the wife and mother of an imprisoned Indian naval officer who faces the death penalty in Pakistan for espionage and sabotage were allowed to meet with him in Islamabad.

After Saturdays shooting, the Indian military had said in a statement that the soldiers killings will not go in vain. India said Pakistani soldiers had violated the 2003 cease-fire accord by targeting Indian forward posts in the Rajouri sector.

On Tuesday, Pakistan summoned an Indian diplomat and lodged a protest over the killing of Pakistani soldiers.

The Pakistani army initially said the three soldiers were killed by Indian fire, but the Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal later said the Indian fire provided cover for non-state actors to plant explosive devices, which killed the soldiers.

The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced, he said in a statement.

India and Pakistan have a long history of bitter relations over the Himalayan territory, which both claim in its entirety. Both countries have repeatedly accused the other of initiating border skirmishes that led to the deaths of soldiers and civilians.

They have fought two of their three wars over the region since they gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

Meanwhile, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understandings on Tuesdays meeting between the imprisoned Indian naval officer and his wife and mother. Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating.

It was the first meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family since he was arrested in March 2016 after allegedly entering the country from Iran.

A Pakistani military tribunal found Jadhav guilty of espionage and sabotage and sentenced him to death, but India obtained an order from the International Court of Justice to halt the execution.

During the meeting, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen in the Pakistani Foreign Office while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through an intercom for nearly 40 minutes.

Faisal said Pakistan allowed the meeting as a humanitarian gesture following a request from India. MDT/AP
Vietnam is deploying a 10,000-member military cyber warfare unit to combat what the government sees as a growing threat of wrongful views proliferating on the internet, according to local media.

Force 47 has worked pro-actively against distorted information, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported, citing Nguyen Trong Nghia, deputy head of the general politics department under the Vietnam Peoples Military. The disclosure of the unit comes as the Communist government pressures YouTube Inc. and Facebook Inc. to remove videos and accounts seen damaging the reputations of leaders or promoting anti-party views.

Facebook this year removed 159 accounts at Vietnams behest, while YouTube took down 4,500 videos, or 90 percent of what the government requested, according to VietnamNet news, which cited Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan last week. The National Assembly is debating a cybersecurity bill that would require technology companies to store certain data on servers in the country.

Vietnams youthful population  almost 60 percent are under 35  has made the country a leader globally in terms of penetration of social networks, according to EMarketer Inc. More than 60 percent of Vietnamese are online, according to Nghia.

Representatives for Facebook and YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment. MDT/Bloomberg
Zhuhai announced several projects this week concerning the integrated development of the Greater Hengqin area.

Zhuhai launched several key projects regarding the citys free trade zone, the Hengqin district, and the Hongwan area.

The projects are part of the Zhuhai governments development plan for the area, spanning 26 square kilometers, that aims to build an economic zone and new urban center for Zhuhai.

The integrated regional operations at Hengqin will be implemented by a recently launched company dedicated to the development of the Greater Hengqin urban center, Macao Daily News reported.

The company is also responsible for developing the integrated areas, investments and attracting external investment.

Nine infrastructure projects were revealed, including the construction of three tunnels, and the Hengqin science city. These projects involve a total of RMB 48.2 billion in investments.

The Hengqin district has also signed a cooperation agreement with six of Chinas state-owned companies.

Nine major social investment and construction projects were also signed this week. These projects include the second theme park of Zhuhais Chimelong international marine resorts; a Macau future center; and a cultural and recreational center. JZ
(HealthDay)Powerful magnetic fields created during an MRI scan were thought to play havoc with some pacemakers, but a new study says these scans are safe for people with the heart devices.

Researchers tested the safety of MRIs on more than 1,500 people who had older pacemakers or implantable defibrillatorscalled legacy devicesthat the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not consider safe for MRIs. The result: No long-term adverse effects were found.

"Many patients have implanted pacemakers or defibrillators that were not designed to be used with MRI scans," said senior study author Dr. Henry Halperin. He's a professor of medicine and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Imaging Institute of Excellence in Baltimore.

A majority of people who have these devices will need an MRI at some point, he noted. The study results show that "it's really safe to do MRIs in these patients," he added.

When MRIs were first introduced, problems with scanning those patients with implanted devices did exist, according to Halperin.

"There were some real issues, like the devices would stop working, and there were 13 to 15 deaths reported," he said. Based on those reports, the FDA said that people with these devices should not have MRIs.

Since 2000, devices have been modified to make them safe during an MRI. But many people still have legacy devices that the FDA does not consider MRI-safe.

MRIs are also safe for people who have wires that connect the devices to the heartcalled leadsleft in place after new leads were implanted, Halperin added.

According to Dr. Byron Lee, a professor of medicine and director of electrophysiology laboratories and clinics at the University of California, San Francisco, "This is important research that affects patient care immediately." Lee was not involved with the new study but was familiar with the findings.

"Contrary to the official word from the device manufacturers and many doctors, almost all patients with pacemakers and defibrillators, and even those with older-generation devices, can get MRIs," Lee said.

To do the scan safely, however, special equipment and extra personnel are required, he explained.

"Currently, many facilities cannot or choose not to provide this service," Lee said. "Therefore, patients sometimes need to advocate for themselves and push for referral to capable centers."

For the study, Halperin and his colleagues tested the safety of MRIs in just over 1,500 people who needed an MRI to diagnose various conditions. However, they had either a pacemaker or an implantable defibrillator not considered to be safe for MRIs.

Before the scans, the investigators changed the pace setting on pacemakers or the defibrillating mode on implanted defibrillators so they would not react to the electromagnetic field created by the MRI.

Halperin's team found no long-term significant problems when the devices were reset after the scan.

In one patient, the battery in the pacemaker was near its expiration date and could not be reset. This patient had a new pacemaker implanted, the study authors noted.

Although some patients experienced changes in the pacemakers' function, these changes were not life-threatening or significant and did not require the device to be reset, the researchers said.

Dr. Saman Nazarian, the study's first author, said, "Given the results of our study and others, it is hard to understand the position of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to restrict access to MRIs in patients with implanted pacemakers and defibrillator systems."

Limiting people with legacy pacemakers and defibrillators from access to the potentially lifesaving diagnostic data attainable from an MRI is outdated, said Nazarian, who is associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

"If you are one of the millions of patients with a pacemaker or defibrillator system in place and have been told you need an MRI, contact a center with the expertise to enable the imaging," he said.

The study was published in the Dec. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

More information: Henry Halperin, M.D., professor, medicine, and co-director, Johns Hopkins Imaging Institute of Excellence, Baltimore; Saman Nazarian, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Byron Lee, M.D., professor, medicine, director, electrophysiology laboratories and clinics, University of California, San Francisco; Dec. 28, 2017, New England Journal of Medicine, Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required) Henry Halperin, M.D., professor, medicine, and co-director, Johns Hopkins Imaging Institute of Excellence, Baltimore; Saman Nazarian, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Byron Lee, M.D., professor, medicine, director, electrophysiology laboratories and clinics, University of California, San Francisco; Dec. 28, 2017, The American College of Cardiology has more on pacemakers and MRIs. Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Facial flushing in a 22-year-old before (left) and after (right) drinking alcohol. Credit: Brooks PJ, Enoch M-A, Goldman D, Li T-K, Yokoyama A - Brooks PJ, Enoch M-A, Goldman D, Li T-K, Yokoyama A 2009. The Alcohol Flushing Response: An Unrecognized Risk Factor for Esophageal Cancer from Alcohol Consumption. PLoS Med, CC BY

If your face goes red when drinking alcohol, you're not alone. More than one in three people with East Asian heritage (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) experience facial flushing when drinking beer, wine or spirits.

In Asian populations, it is due to an inherited deficiency in one of the enzymes involved in the breakdown of alcohol: aldehyde dehydrogenase. This type of reaction is very rare, but not unknown, in other ethnic groups.

But there is more to this deficiency than just an embarrassing reddening of the face. There are positive and negative health implications. And it provided a lightbulb moment, helping us understand how a common treatment for alcoholism works.

How you digest alcohol

Alcohol is broken down in your liver in two steps. In the first step, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase converts alcohol into a rather nasty chemical called acetaldehyde. A build up of this toxic chemical is one of the reasons you feel sick when hungover.

Then a second enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase, converts the acetaldehyde into acetic acid (the harmless acidic component of vinegar).

Aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency is common among Chinese, Korean and Japanese people. Some inherit two copies of the defective gene for this enzyme; one from each parent. Their liver makes a faulty version of the enzyme.

Others inherit the defective gene from just one parent and they produce both normal and faulty enzyme. However, this partial deficiency results in only 1% of full enzyme activity, rather than the 50% you might expect. This is because the faulty version is less stable and multiple copies of the enzyme need to work together as a unit.

If you inherit full or partial deficiency in aldehyde dehydrogenase, you will experience prolonged high levels of acetaldehyde very soon after drinking alcohol  and all the unpleasant sensations that go with that. Think of it as an instant hangover: nausea, sweating, headache, racing heart, dizziness, along with facial flushing.

What does it mean?

The good news is that because of aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, alcoholism and alcohol-related cancers are much less prevalent in East Asian populations. This is because people feel so bad after drinking alcohol, they tend to drink very little, if at all.

Now for the bad news. If you do have aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, but still drink, you are at a higher risk of alcohol-related cancers, such as cancer of the oesophagus (the tube between your mouth and your stomach).

The risk is highest for those with partial deficiency. This is because their low residual enzyme activity allows them to develop some tolerance to the unpleasant effects of drinking, but they are still exposed to high levels of acetaldehyde.

It may come as a surprise that anyone with aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency would drink. But the reasons why we like alcohol are complex. Some of it is metabolic, some is brain chemistry and some is social.

Certain people feel more intense pleasure than others when drinking alcohol and this can contribute to addiction.

Studies of the drinking habits of Asian-American university students have shown that social influences, such as exposure to drinking culture, peer pressure and family attitudes to alcohol can help override the unpleasant physical effects that come with aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency.

What can you do about it?

It is regularly reported in the media and online that "antihistamines" prevent "Asian flush."

There are drugs that can reduce facial flushing, but they are not the classical antihistamines, such as you take for hay fever. Certain drugs used to treat gastric acid reflux (such as Zantac and Tagamet) have the side effect of reducing alcohol-induced facial flushing. We don't normally think of these drugs as antihistamines, but technically they are, because they block the histamine H2 receptors in the stomach, which are associated with the release of stomach acid.

The drugs we commonly call antihistamines (Zyrtec, Telfast and Claratyne) target the histamine H1 receptor and they have no effect on alcohol-induced facial flushing.

H2 blockers have few side effects and are relatively safe drugs. But while they mask the symptoms, they won't reduce the toxic effects of acetaldehyde. Popping a pill and drinking to excess can lead to acetaldehyde tolerance and increase the risk of cancer.

So, if you have aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, it's better to avoid alcohol altogether. But if you do drink, just drink a little and let the flush happen.

It doesn't matter what form the alcohol comes in, it is metabolised the same way. But how much alcohol a drink contains and how fast you drink it will affect the concentration of acetaldehyde in your body.

How this helps treat addiction

The rareness of alcoholism in Asian populations has a surprising parallel with a treatment for this addiction.

It had long been noted that workers in rubber factories suffered similar symptoms when they drank alcohol. In the 1930s, the offending chemical, Disulfiram, was identified and by the 1950s it was marketed as the drug Antabuse. In the 1980s experts realised Antabuse blocks the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase.

So, taking Antabuse creates temporary aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency and one drink is enough to bring on the same unpleasant symptoms felt by those that inherit the deficiency.

But it isn't a silver bullet and doesn't work for everyone. Just as some people with inherited aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency still drink to excess and develop alcoholism, an instant hangover is not enough to drive some people with alcohol problems away from the "demon drink."

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

To measure a person's sleep, researchers have always relied on costly and time-consuming approaches that could only be used in a sleep lab. But now researchers reporting in Current Biology on December 28 have found a way to capture detailed information on human sleep cycles over long periods of time while individuals slumber at home in their usual way. According to the researchers, the findings represent a major breakthrough in sleep research because, for the first time, it will now be possible to objectively capture the real-life sleep habits and sleep quality of large numbers of people.

"There has been practically no possibility of getting detailed sleep structures in a normal life setting over a long period of time," says Till Roenneberg of LMU Munich in Germany. "You can't easily give somebody an EEG to take home and have next to the bed. You can't do this over six weeks or six months. We are going to see things nobody has seen before."

The key is a simple, wrist-worn research gadget that can be purchased for as little as $150. They are akin to commercially available self-trackers used by consumers. The gadgets, called actimeters, record data on wrist movement from which one can obtain activity patterns for up to three months. The researchers used the actimeters to assess rest/activity cycles not just over the course of the waking day, but also during sleep itself.

The findings are the latest in a larger, ongoing human sleep project, designed to learn more about sleep and its essential role in our lives by collecting sleep data on thousands of people in the real world. Roenneberg's team had been collecting information on sleep duration and quality via questionnaire. The next step was to find a way to collect objective measurements of sleep characteristics on similarly large numbers of people.

In the new study, Roenneberg and colleagues, including Eva Winnebeck, looked to actimeter data collected over more than 20,000 days from 574 subjects, aged 8 to 92 years. But the patterns of activity during sleep collected using the devices appeared rather messy. It was hard to discern the cyclical sleep patterns normally seen with other, more complicated devices in the lab.

Then, they noticed something: by focussing on periods of inactivity during the night, a much clearer cyclical pattern began to emerge. The researchers used a simple conversion to measure inactivity (as opposed to activity) on a scale of near zero to 100, with 100 representing total inactivity.

"It was flabbergasting how it clarified the structures," Roenneberg says.

The researchers call the new measure "locomotor inactivity during sleep" (LIDS). Those measures showed that movement patterns reflect sleep cycles and replicate the dynamics seen in the lab. The data showed no sex differences in LIDS-derived sleep dynamics, although men move more than women do. They did observe large differences among individuals based on their age and work schedules.

Roenneberg said that it wasn't clear at first how the inactivity cycles matched up to the patterns of rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep typically measured in the lab. Further study revealed that periods of least activity reflected deeper sleep. Those of greater activity corresponded to light and REM sleep. That's because, during REM sleep, the extremities frequently twitch and those twitches are detected by the actimeters.

As the researchers collect data in this way on many more people, they hope to come up with new and much more objective ways to measure not just sleep but also sleep quality. Such measures are essential for evaluating whether interventions to improve sleep actually work.

"Right now, we're not able to judge the outcome of interventions," Roenneberg says. "If, for example, we change school times, is sleep quality changed? What about shift work times or indoor lighting? All interventions necessary to improve sleep today are only judged by sleep duration and by asking people how they feel they have slept. There's no objective way to measure sleep quality, and we need this desperately."

Roenneberg says they are now poised to measure and compare sleep of people living in different cultures, climates, latitudes, and lifestyles. They ultimately plan to build online infrastructures to allow anyone to upload actimetry recordings and receive meaningful feedback on their sleep.

"Many devices have tried to use activity to assess sleep structures, but our method is simple, transparent, and works especially in long-term recordings," Roenneberg says. "This will help many who have sleep problems and will hopefully increase the appreciation for the importance of sleep for our health and well-being."

More information: Current Biology, Winnebeck et al.: "Dynamics and Ultradian Structure of Human Sleep in Real Life" DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.11.063 Journal information: Current Biology , Winnebeck et al.: "Dynamics and Ultradian Structure of Human Sleep in Real Life" www.cell.com/current-biology/f  0960-9822(17)31588-9
Zenit rocket which flew after 2 years, launched Angola's debut satellite from Kazakhstan today. With its successful launch, Angosat-1 is all set to provide telecommunication services.

By India Today Web Desk: A Zenit rocket , which flew after two years, launched Angola 's debut satellite Angosat-1 in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Russian state corporation Roscosmos confirmed the satellite's successful launch, which separated from its rocket after almost eight hours.

Angosat-1 launch. Source: Roscosmos

The Angosat was not only Angola's first satellite, but also the first mission of Russian Aviation Company, the 'S7 Group'.

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According to the Angolan National Office for Space affairs, Angosat-1 carries 16 transponders in C band and 6 in Ku band payload for TV broadcasting and telecommunications.

It has been designed to have a life span of 15 years and had been constructed for over 5 years.

Angosat-1 launch. Source: Roscosmos

Weighing 1,647 Kilograms, the Angosat's communications payload was built by Airbus Defence and Space. It is expected to cover Angola and other nations of Africa and Europe to provide its services.

It was initially planned to be used for a 2016 sea launch mission but after the project saw a halt in 2014, it shifted to be a land launched Zenit.

Angosat-1 launch. Source: Roscosmos

S7 now targets to regenerate the Sea Launch, preferably with the Russian-Ukrainian rocket Zenit. Sea Launch's last mission Eutelsat 3B telecommunications satellite. It was launched in May 2014.

UPDATE:

Angosat-1 satellite lost contact after a day it got launched. The cause of communication loss is yet to be identified by controllers. Although the satellite was successfully put into orbit, it stopped responding shortly.

However the Angolan space agency believes that it is too early to jump to conclusions and are hoping to revive communication soon.

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Apple and Amazon are in licensing discussions with Riyadh on investing in Saudi Arabia , two sources told Reuters news agency.

Both companies already sell products in Saudi Arabia via third parties but they and other global tech giants have yet to establish a direct presence.

According to Alexa internet rankings, Amazon.com is the 23rd most visited website in Saudi Arabia as of December.

Amazons discussions are being led by cloud computing division Amazon Web Services (AWS), which would introduce stiff competition in a market currently dominated by smaller local providers like STC and Mobily.

Riyadh has been easing regulatory impediments for the past two years, including limits on foreign ownership which had long kept investors away, since falling crude prices highlighted the need to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

Saudi Arabias young and relatively affluent market boasts some of the highest internet and smartphone use in the world.

About 70 percent of the Saudi population is under 30 and frequently glued to social media.

Amazons talks are in earlier stages and no specific date has been set for investment plans, Reuters sources said.

Amazon acquired Dubai-based online retailer Souq.com earlier in 2017, opening access for Amazon retail goods to be sold in the kingdom.

Saudi investments

During an official visit to the United States last year Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met executives at Facebook, Microsoft and Uber, in which the sovereign wealth fund he chairs later took a $3.5bn stake.

Since then, he has also set up a $45bn technology investment fund with Japans SoftBank and announced plans to create a futuristic $500bn mega-city with more robots than humans.

Apple and Amazon have both been on a Saudi priority list of foreign firms which officials hope to attract to further their reforms, one of the sources said.

Many tech multinationals now in Saudi Arabia are either vendors to the Saudi government or, in the case of Uber, have benefited from a sizable Saudi investment, said Sam Blatteis, who heads Dubai-based tech advisory MENA Catalysts Inc. Cloud market

For Amazon, the move underscores how AWS is looking to take an early lead in selling data storage and computing services to customers in the Middle East.

AWS, the worlds biggest cloud business by revenue, has embarked on a slower global expansion than Number two Microsoft, which now offers cloud services in twice as many regions.

However, Microsoft has yet to announce plans for data centres in the Middle East, with three regions in India serving as its closest operations.

AWS said in September it would set up data centres for the region in neighbouring Bahrain.

The kingdom has been streamlining its many overlapping laws which could apply to cloud computing for more than a year in order to attract service providers.

If completed, a cloud deal could pave the way for an expansion of Amazon retail warehouses in Saudi Arabia.

Al Jazeera

Now read: Amazon Web Services to launch physical presence in South Africa
2017 was a challenging year for South African telecommunications companies, with tough economic conditions, and political and regulatory uncertainty.

Despite this testing environment, Vodacom continued to grow revenue and increase its South African subscriber base to over 40 million.

What this means is that our strategy of sustained and targeted investment in our network has paid off, said Vodacom.

So too is our quest of offering customers even greater value, and ultimately this translates into an enhanced experience for customers.

2017 was also a year in which the company completed two major projects outside of South Africa.

Vodacom acquired a stake in Safaricom in Kenya, and was given the green light to list 25% of Vodacom Tanzania on the countrys stock exchange.

The Safaricom transaction is the largest in Vodacoms history, which the company describes as getting our hands on one of Africas prized assets.

The Vodacom Tanzania listing is significant as it is the largest IPO in the history of Tanzanias stock exchange.

Vodacom was also the first local mobile operator to announce the commercial availability of its NarrowBand-Internet of Things network.

This holds great significance for IoT in South Africa, as the rollout of NB-IoT is expected to accelerate local IoT adoption rates, said Vodacom.

Vodacom is currently averaging over 60,000 new IoT connections per month.

Into 2018

High mobile data prices made headlines in 2017, with consumers calling for reduced data prices and regulatory developments.

To address this, Vodacom is committed to transforming data prices in the new year.

Without additional spectrum, however, it will be challenging for it to drop prices and improve its network.

We continue to invest significantly in infrastructure at a time when the lack of available spectrum means that input costs are being pushed higher.

Its a simple equation: without new spectrum, we need to densify our networks  which includes building more base stations.

With spectrum, we can invest that money more efficiently and with it drive down communication costs.
2018 will see the commercial launch of Root  a bank account which comes with a programmable credit card, online banking interface, mobile app, and APIs.

OfferZen said Root is developed in partnership with Standard Bank, which provides the underlying banking service.

A Root account enables software developers to build a fintech product without special access to the banking world.

The platform is currently in beta, with a group of programmers developing commercial services.

Malan Joubert, cofounder of OfferZen, told MyBroadband they have also expanded Root to include programmatic access to your bank account and insurance APIs.

The insurance APIs have already been used by a team of beta users to create an insurance product which is live in the market, said Joubert.

OfferZen is currently finalising legal infrastructure, after which it will launch the product.

How Root works

At the centre of the account is the Root credit card, which allows a user to write code that interacts with transactions in real-time.

The code, dubbed RootCode, is securely stored in the cloud by Root.

Through RootCode and other APIs to the bank account, users can build any feature they like and integrate it with other services to expand their accounts functionality.

As an example, Root beta users have written RootCode apps, including:

Sending their transaction data to a Google Sheet in real-time, to make budgeting easy.

Limit the days on which they can buy fast food, as part of a diet plan.

Create a dedicated card and budget for Uber rides.

If a user has built something with Root, they can share it with other developers on the Root platform.

Standard Bank will also provide support for developers to scale Root apps.

High-potential applications developed in Root can also be launched to all Standard Bank customers through Standard Banks dedicated API strategy.

Now read: The most popular programming languages in the world
The investigation into the murder of a Russian military serviceman in Gyumri, Armenia, is completed.

According to the respective indictment, Arman Janjughazyan, with assistance by yet-unidentified persons presenting themselves as supporters of the Islamic State terrorist group, and motivated by religious fanaticism, stabbed Russian citizen, 102nd Russian Military Base serviceman Dmitry Yalpaev several times, and killed him in Gyumri, on April 22.

A criminal charge has been filed against Janjughazyan; he is under arrest.

The case will be examined in court.

As reported earlier, a soldier of the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri was killed in the city on April 22. Several hours later, the police found out that the murder was committed by Arman Janjughazyan, 20, who, according to various information, has some mental health issues.
Marukyan reminds Aliyev: The UN, OSCE and EU do not deal with the 'internal matter'

Azerbaijani MP demands 'serious conversation with adherents of Iranian influence in Azerbaijan'

Inflation in Japan accelerates to 40-year high

Seoul and Riyadh sign $30 billion investment agreements

Ronaldo: I want to finish at 40

North Korea launches intercontinental ballistic missile that lands near Japan

FBI: U.S. concerned about China 'setting up' unauthorized 'police stations' in U.S. cities

Portugal stronger than Nigeria (VIDEO)

Globe Soccer Awards: Sergio Ramos is best defender in history

Prime Minister of Finland: Europe is now too reliant on Chinese technology

Turkey to require insurance from oil tankers when passing through its waters

Warner Bros. to ban Russian TV channels from showing studio's films

Brendan Fraser refuses to come to Golden Globes because of harassment

EU to provide Ukraine with generators and kits to repair power grids

Turkey sentences sect founder to 8,658 years in prison

On November 18 maximum phase of Leonid meteor shower is expected: Where will it be best seen from?

Xi Jinping urges world to abandon any Cold War mentality

Documentary on Rust camerawoman Halyna Hutchins in works

Aliyev rules out talks with Artsakh State Minister

FP: Ukraine's appetite for weapons depletes Western stocks

Putin and Aliyev discuss energy cooperation

Armenian financial technologies to enter international market: VISA and Idram sign memorandum in Yerevan

Incident in Poland causes disagreement between Kyiv and West

Smartwatch can detect heart failure

Mark Milley urges Kyiv and Moscow to find political solution: Chances of military victory are unlikely

New NATO Secretary General to be announced at Vilnius summit in 2023

Snoop Dogg launches pets' clothing line

Japan creates robotics copy of minister. What is its purpose?

Finnish Defense Ministry announces largest batch of military aid to Ukraine

Pashinyan receives Ukrainian businessmen of Armenian origin

Armenian soldier wounded in Azerbaijani shooting

Erdogan: Turkey-Israel relations entered a new phase of development

Shakira, Du Lipa and Rod Stewart refuse to sing at opening of World Cup 2022

Mishustin: Cooperation between Moscow and Baku has become truly strategic and allied

Igor Khovaev to visit Baku

Mishustin arrives in Baku

Russian Foreign Ministry: South Caucasus is a strategic transport hub for Eurasia

U.S. general lays flowers at eternal flame at Armenian Genocide memorial

Republicans stand for same-sex marriage rights

Pallone says US State Department should not hesitate to speak about Azerbaijani aggression

Aliyev refuses to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh and threatens Armenia with new aggression

Quentin Tarantino announces plans to make TV series in 2023

Australian Football League will try to invite Ronaldo

Greek minister doesn't get off plane to meet head of Libya's presidential council

More than billion young people can lose their hearing to headphones

Sergey Lavrov to visit Yerevan

Christopher Nkunku to miss six to eight weeks

Meeting titled 'IT Sector Dialogue 2022' discusses problems of relocating companies from Russia to Armenia

Lebanese parliament fails to elect president of country

Kremlin on Zelenskyy's proposal to hold 'public' talks

National Assembly Speaker: Armenia is extremely interested in establishing strategic relations with Georgia

Over past seven months, four IT companies liquidated in Armenia, four bankrupt, 17 more are in liquidation, 342 individual entrepreneurs deregistered

Canada provides additional military aid to Ukraine

Representatives of defense agencies of CSTO countries discuss crisis response issues

Armenian Defense Minister and American General discuss defense cooperation

Changes in blood begin two years before breast cancer is detected

Armenian Safe YOU app is winner of BOOST Women Innovators program

Lily Rose-Depp graces cover of Elle magazine

World Cup 2022: Teams with transfer value of more than 1 billion

Tehran accuses Israel and West of trying to organize civil war in Iran

Armenia becomes full member of COST: What opportunities does it offer?

Oppositionist: No guarantees that war with Azerbaijan can be avoided

Issue of biometric passports to Armenian citizens is temporarily suspended

World Cup 2022: Messi names favorites

Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement to be signed till end of year? Pashinyan's associate voices conditions

Erdogan says Russia and US agreed to refrain from using nuclear weapons

Azerbaijani oppositionist complains of torture by police

Kyaram Sloyan and Andranik Zohrabyan posthumously bestowed 'Hero of Artsakh' title

UN Secretary General Guterres welcomes parties' agreement on renewal of food deal

Eurasian Development Bank: Armenia is the leader among EEU countries in terms of economic growth

Greece promises to continue military support to Ukraine

Number of appeals from Azerbaijan to ECHR is growing

Pashinyan: The wheel of processes related to confiscation of illegal property is spinning

Fire hits Baghdad airport

Russian brokers faced most powerful series of DDoS attacks in history

Inter and Juventus target N'Golo Kante

North Korea fires ballistic missile towards Sea of Japan

Istanbul agrees to extend 'grain initiative' for another 120 days

'Hayastan' Fund to build 6 residential houses in Nerkin Khndzoresk village

Vocal as Russophobic propaganda: Azerbaijani singer sings about 'disgusting peacekeepers'

The IV International Congress of Geriatrics and Gerontology will be held on December 1-2

Actress Denise Richards shot at in road rage incident

Biden congratulates Republicans on winning majority in House of Representatives

Legendary Russian figure skater Alexander Gorshkov dies

14 freight cars derailed in Kazakhstan, train traffic suspended

Newspaper: Ruben Vardanyan does not hurry to make changes in composition of Karabakh government

Russia attacks Ukraine with missiles in morning: Explosions heard in Dnieper, air defense works in Kyiv region

U.S. National Security Council: It is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia

Gold prices decline

Russian Trade Representative to Armenia: Situation at Upper Lars checkpoint is not related to geopolitical issues

Trade Representative of Russia: Trade turnover with Armenia sets new record

Flick is dissatisfied with defensive work of his team

Elon Musk is being called Voldemort on Twitter, fears of Tesla investors are confirmed

Copper falls in price

Gas explodes in Fatih district of Istanbul, 10 people injured

Oil prices go down

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YEREVAN.  At the last meeting of 2017, the government of Armenia has set a record in terms of the number of bills and draft decisions that were debated on.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan expressed such a view at the end of Thursdays regular Cabinet session of the government.

In particular, a total of 71 law proposals and draft decisions were discussed at this meeting.

This was one of the longest sessions of the government of the Republic of Armenia, noted the PM. From this, we can draw two conclusions: either we are tired, or we are not tired at all.

Congratulating everyone on the coming New Year, Karapetyan assured that the governments work routine will intensify in 2018, and therefore he advised his colleagues to rest well.
YEREVAN.  This year has become a year of stabilization for Armenias economy.

Mkrtich Minasyan, the National Assembly speakers adviser on political affairs, stated the aforesaid at a press conference on Thursday.

In his words, when the serving government was formed, Armenias economy was in a very dire situation; but in late 2017, the situation stabilized; and next year, the economy and situation in the country will improve, overall.

Also, next year we will celebrate the centennial of the First Republic [of Armenia], which is a major event in the life of our country, said the parliament speakers adviser.

At the same time, Minasyan recalled that capital city Yerevan will turn 2800 years old in 2018, and that this will be celebrated with great fervor.
By PTI: Kohima, Dec 28 (PTI) Chief of Army Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat arrived in Dimapur today on a two-day official visit to three North East states - Nagaland, Manipur and Assam, to get first hand information about the security situation in the region.

On arrival at Dimapur Airport, Rawat was appraised of the operations of Spear Corps along the Line of Actual Control as well as counter insurgency operations in Nagaland by General Officer Commanding Spear Corps, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan.

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The Spear Corps besides undertaking extensive counter insurgency operations in the three North East states is also responsible for conduct of operations along the line of actual control in Arunachal Pradesh, stated a release issued by PRO Defence Col C Konwer.

Rawat is being accompanied by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command, Lt Gen Abhay Krishna.

The Army chief also called on Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang at his private residence in Dimapur, wherein issues concerning the prevailing security situation in the state, facilitating the ongoing peace process as well as improving employment generation opportunities were discussed, Col Konwer said.

Other vital aspects pertaining to the state were also discussed, the Defence PRO said.

Rawat also visited the office of the Inspector General of Assam Rifles (North) and was briefed about the various activities undertaken by the Assam Rifles.

The Army Chief then flew to Manipur and after halting overnight he would move to Assam tomorrow, the PRO said. PTI NBS RG PS

--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN.  The most important event for Armenia in 2017 was the signing of the framework agreement with the European Union (EU).

Political scientist and former deputy foreign minister of Armenia, Ambassador Arman Navasardyan, noted the aforementioned at a press conference on Thursday.

In his words, the implementation of this accord is highly interconnected with Armenias position.

This is a bilateral agreement, said Navasardyan. And if we do not have what we should have, then all the reforms and talks will remain solely on paper.

He added that even though there is a reason for motivation, there is a need to work a lot and with purpose, since there are domestic political phenomena in Armenia that are interconnected with foreign political events.

At the same time, Arman Navasardyan noted that if everything to be done is left to the state, there is no need to expect success.
For the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict OSCE has some principles about final status on the table, but no real negotiation architecture, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus Gunther Bachler said in an interview with OSCE website.

There is always a kind of urgency communicated by both sides to do something about implementing those visions and principles, and this leads to escalation and flaring up of fighting, Bachler said. With respect to Nagorno-Karabakh, after the 2016 April violence the little bit of confidence that was there is now challenged, too. The recent meeting of the presidents of Armenia and of Azerbaijan in Geneva is of course important and to some extent encouraging. However, just a bilateral meeting of the presidents will not automatically establish a process of negotiation.

Gunther Bachler added that the 2014 OSCE Swiss Chairmanship developed a non-paper on a structured negotiation process with all elements and details of a full-fledged negotiation process. It was repeatedly presented to succeeding Chairmanships and all the people involved, and maybe one day they will use it.

Also, last year, under the German OSCE Chairmanship, we spent quite some time, first of all to develop the idea of strengthening the monitoring mission of the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on the Conflict Dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference. There was agreement between the presidents in St. Petersburg, but it has not yet been implemented. It is a very small mission monitoring the Line of Contact and state border of Armenia and Azerbaijan; we speak about an increase from six to thirteen international staff. The Austrian Chairmanship has further developed this concept and recently there has been some movement in this question, so the perspectives for an implementation in 2018 appear realistic. At the same time we also drafted a non-paper on a mechanism for investigating ceasefire violations, another confidence-building measure that has yet to be implemented, he added.
The new policy also reduced residual service for Army Commander's appointment from 24 to 18 months.

By Sudhi Ranjan Sen: As the Line of Control, the de facto border with Pakistan, and the Line of Actual Control, the existing but disputed border with China, see more activity, the Indian Army has decided to have younger Generals lead formations in order to ensure a fitter fighting force.

The promotion policy has been tweaked so that officers are promoted young, thereby increasing the tenure of Generals leading formations, that is, the army Divisions and Corps.

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Earlier, a committee comprising experts looked into causes of the Kargil conflict (1999) and suggested remedial measures. It had pointed out that average age of Colonels - who command regiments and are therefore required to be part operations - was between 40-45 years and suggested that Indian Army go for younger leadership. Over the years, the average age of Colonels has been brought down.

But the profile of the senior leadership of the Indian Army comprising Major Generals (who lead Divisions of 15,000 soldiers) and Lieutenant General (who lead Corps comprising at least 40,000 soldiers) hasn't changed. Besides, the tenure of Division Commander and Corps Commander is limited to an average of 12-14 months only. The average age of Major General commanding a Division is about 54 years and that of a Lieutenant General is about 56 years.

The new promotion policy comes into effect from 23 December 2017.

And to ensure a smooth transition, the number of annual vacancies of Major General will be cut down to 33 from 44, and that of Lieutenant Generals to 9 from the existing 12.

"If lesser number are promoted, the existing officers will have a longer tenure. Cutting down on the promotions over the next three to four years will achieve the required equilibrium," a senior Ministry of Defence official explained.

And, in a first, the Indian Army has relaxed the rigid rule of "residual service" for Army Commanders. Earlier, a Lieutenant General, after commanding a Corps, needed 24 months of residual service to be considered for the post of an Army Commander. Under the new promotion policy, this has now been reduced to 18 months.

Also watch | Indian Army avenges the killing of its soldiers by Pakistan

--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN.- Statements of the Azerbaijani president's aide are absurd, RPA spokesperson, Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov told the reporters after the Executive Body meeting of the party, commenting on the statements of Azerbaijani president's aide for public and political affairs, Ali Hasanov, who noted that Baku is ready to grant broad autonomy to Karabakh and ensure the civil rights of the local Armenian community.

"How can an independent country give status to another independent state? Karabakh is an independent country. The statement was made for domestic consumption, but it was groundless, absurd, and did not give anything," Sharmazanov said, adding that there is the OSCE Minsk Group for the solution of this problem.

Sharmazanov noted that Hasanovs statements have nothing in common with reality, and Armenia does not negotiate on this issue.

Karabakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan in any status.
The BJP government in Assam has decided to increase the office timings of employees by half-an-hour from 1st January.

By Manogya Loiwal : The BJP government in Assam has decided to increase the office timings of employees by half-an-hour from 1st January.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet in Guwahati today that the government employees will now have to work from 9:30 am on all working days.

From 1st January 2018, Assam government offices will be starting from 9:30 am instead of 10am and will continue till 5pm.

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During the new office hours, the state government employees will get a 30-minute lunch break from 1-30 pm to 2 pm.

Public Works Department Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said, "The state government has decided to increase the official hours of the government offices from 10 am to 9-30 am and it will improve the work culture. I don't know it is the first initiative taken by the Assam government in the country or not."

Chandra Mohan Patowary, Industry and Commerce minister confirmed, "The new office hours timings to be implemented from January 1st. This decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday evening."

There are around 4.30 lakh employees in various government departments in the state.

With inputs from Hemant Nath in Guwahati

--- ENDS ---
Bigg Boss 11 housemates will have an emotional reunion with their near and dear ones tonight.

By India Today Web Desk: After all the unrest in the main house and padosi house, thanks to some heated discussions among the family members about the housemates, the last leg of Ghar Aye Gharwale will bring positivity and happiness in the BB 11 house.

Contestants will tonight be asked to put together a gift basket and the padosis will be put in a tough spot as Bigg Boss will ask them to judge the emotional quotient of each gift.

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The gharwale can add any of their personal belongings in the gift basket that they feel will make their loved ones happy. Hina Khan will put together a personalised basket for beau Rocky with coffee powder that she had previously won in a task along with her favorite perfume. Luv will gift his mother his lucky shirt--the one he had worn during his Bigg Boss audition along with the medal he won in the Sultaani Akhada.

Vikas will send his mother a ring that she had gifted him during his childhood when the family was facing financial difficulties. Shilpa will cut out a picture of her father and stick it on a family photo frame saying that she has missed his picture in the frame.

Padosis will now have to choose the best gift basket with mutual consent.

Later in the day, Bigg Boss will allow the housemates to meet their family members. Priyank will apologise to his mother who in turn will ask him to not lose his cool. Luv will cry like a child upon seeing his mother. Akash will touch his mother's feet and she will be seen advising him about the show. Vikas' mother will break down on seeing him and he will ask her not to cry. Puneesh and Bandgi will be seen in a warm embrace and would be reluctant to leave each other.

The #BB11 house is filled with emotions! Tune in tonight at 10:30 PM to watch Puneesh & Bandgi reunite! #BBSneakPeek pic.twitter.com/3XhsICckGm- Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) December 28, 2017

Hina Khan will hug Rocky and ask him to bring loads of gifts for her when she gets out of the house.

--- ENDS ---
Kishwer lashed out at Puneesh for making fun of housemates' mothers.

By India Today Web Desk: Bigg Boss 11 got all the more interesting with the entry of housemates' near and dear ones in the padosi house.

The padosi house is no less than the main house, as we often see the mothers defending their children and even getting into arguments to prove them right.

Viewers got to witness Akash's mother's breakdown in yesterday's episode.

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Shilpa and Puneesh, were seen making fun of the situation in the padosi house, as they are suspecting that the mothers are at loggerheads. Puneesh called Vikas' mother don and Luv and Priyank's mother innocent as cow.

Actress Kishwer Merchantt, who closely follows the show was disgusted with their behaviour. She took to Twitter and wrote, "Totally disgusted by the last scene of #BB11 .. how easy for all those sitting and talking shit jinki moms wahan nahi hai .. u guys shud have really behaved !!! ." (sic)

Totally disgusted by the last scene of #BB11 .. how easy for all those sitting and talking shit jinki moms wahan nahi hai .. u guys shud have really behaved !!!- Kishwer M Rai (@KishwerM) December 27, 2017

She further wrote, " Shilpa and puneesh agar tumhari mom andar aati toh kya Tum dono phir bhi Aisa behave karte ? #BB11 shameless behavior !!!" (sic)

Shilpa and puneesh agar tumhari mom andar aati toh kya Tum dono phir bhi Aisa behave karte ? #BB11 shameless behavior !!!- Kishwer M Rai (@KishwerM) December 27, 2017

On the other hand, she praised Priyank for being true to his words and giving Akash reaction during the task. She wrote, "Priyank u won hearts today. Others very cheap behavior !!! #BB11"

Priyank u won hearts today A??AA?AA Others very cheap behavior !!! #BB11- Kishwer M Rai (@KishwerM) December 27, 2017

She even retweeted writer Salil Sand's tweet who said that Priyank Sharma 's behaviour is improving with every passing day while Luv is getting devious.

--- ENDS ---
Television actors are following this season of Bigg Boss like never before.

By India Today Web Desk: Television actors are following this season of Bigg Boss like never before. From Kara Patel, Kishwer Merchantt to Gauahar Khan, actors have been appreciating and slamming contestants for their actions and reactions. Another actor who has jumped on to the bandwagon is Kritika Kamra.

Recently, the makers decided to bring relatives of all the housemates as padosis. Hina Khan 's boyfriend Rocky Jaiswal, Shilpa Shinde's brother, Luv Tyagi's mother, Priyank Sharma's mother, Vikas Gupta's mother and Puneesh's girlfriend Bandgi Kalra entred the Bigg Boss mansion.

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And this 'family angle' has disappointed many fans, including Kritika.

She took to Twitter to express her disappointment and wrote, "Mehh.. what a boring episode! I thought we were done with the family angle. It doesnA??t have the same impact anymore. Strange nomination task. And amateur stand up comedy...Seriously?! As if the songs werenA??t enough!! #BB11 #pakaoing"

She further tweeted, "I swear if anybody sings A??yeh big boss ka ghar haiA?A to me, IA??m going to punch them in the face. Phew.. IA??m done with that.

Mehh.. what a boring episode! I thought we were done with the family angle. It doesnA??t have the same impact anymore. Strange nomination task. And amateur stand up comedy...Seriously?! As if the songs werenA??t enough!! ?? #BB11 #pakaoing- Kritika Kamra (@Kritika_Kamra) December 26, 2017

I swear if anybody sings A??yeh big boss ka ghar haiA?A to me, IA??m going to punch them in the face. Phew.. IA??m done with that.- Kritika Kamra (@Kritika_Kamra) December 26, 2017

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: truth: Rahul Gandhi

(Eds: Adding details)

New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi today accused the BJP of attacking Indias Constitution and using lies for political benefits, while asserting that the truth and its defence were pivotal for his party.

Addressing a gathering at a function to mark the Congress 133rd Foundation Day, Gandhi hit out at the BJP for weaving a "web of deceit" and said his party would defend the truth even if it suffered or lost elections.

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Gandhi, who was appointed party president earlier this month, unfurled the Congress flag at the Congress headquarters in Akbar Road, a first for him. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior leaders, including Congress Working Committee (CWC) members, were present at the event.

Making a reference to Union minister Anantkumar Hegdes comment on amending the Constitution, but without naming him, the Congress president said one of the most important moments in Indias history was the day it got its Constitution. And this was under attack now.

"Today, it is distressing to see that this document, the foundation of our country, given to us by the Congress party, given to us by Mr Ambedkar, is under attack.

"... Statements are being made by senior members of the BJP and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back. It is the duty of the Congress party, the duty of every single Indian, to defend the Constitution and every persons rights and views," he said.

The Congress president, who has been accusing the BJP for spreading lies, spoke of a "web of deceit" in the country. The BJP, he asserted, operates on the basic idea that a lie can be used for political benefit.

"And this is the difference between us and them," he said.

"We might suffer, we might not do well, we might even lose, but we will not give up the truth, we will defend the truth," Gandhi added.

He also highlighted the Congress "glorious" history, stating that the party has been working in the interest of the country for over a century.

The central idea of the party was truth, he said. "We work with the truth, we fight for the truth."

Gandhi, who distributed sweets to children on the occasion, said the Congress had many achievements to its credit, achieved with the help and together with the Indian people.

The party was "jointly responsible" for bringing independence to the country, he said.

Hegde, the Union minister of state for skill development, reportedly said at a function in Karnataka that people should identify themselves with their religion and "those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they dont have their own identity..." AAAAHe also reportedly said, "We are here to change the Constitution and well change it." PTI SKC MIN

--- ENDS ---

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By Mail Today Bureau: Bleisure travel - one that combine a business trip with leisure - has become a commonly used term for travellers. With the trend catching up among the corporate world, firms are increasingly organising trips where professionals mix leisure with business. This serves to provide a much needed respite to professionals while also taking care of the business needs. The trend has given a major boost to travel solution providers who are now crafting intelligent campaigns and packages to attract bleisure seekers.

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For hoteliers and travel suppliers, bleisure travellers offer a clear opportunity to increase revenues from business travellers extending stays. The travel providers are themselves approaching companies with offers and discounts at large to lure more and more people for the bleisure experience. As this is a new concept, there are no special deals offered by the city, but hotels and airlines are moving towards the concept. These trips are not depended on the demography, so this is a great chance for the residential cities to promote the tourism.

Photo : Mail Today

"Combining business trips with leisure is specifically famous among millennials who are quite ambitious about travelling," says John Nair, Head, Business Travel, Cox & Kings Ltd.

"Also a majority of people get their families along with them on such trips. This new wave is a definite boost to the travel industry", says Mr. Kapil Goswamy, Founder of BigBreaks.com, a leading online travel agency which provides customized solutions to travel enthusiasts. He adds, "There has been about 40-45 per cent increase in the bleisure tourism since last 7-8 months as we have seen a rapid increase in the number of bleisure trips being taken by Indians , both within the country and to foreign destinations . This is a growing trend in part because both male and female executives , particularly those working in high pressure corporate jobs."

Photo: Mail Today Photo: Mail Today

"We have observed majority of the corporate travel to foreign destinations including Hong Kong, Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, London and Sydney in 2017. While these destinations have an array of activities and experiences, there have been a considerable number of businessmen and businesswomen who have combined business with leisure," Nair of Cox & Kings comments. Among the domestic destinations, cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Chandigarh are the places that have witnessed much of the business trips. These places also have great tourist spots for people travelling for business purposes.

Photo: Mail Today

Also Read: 6 hacks to pull off the perfect bleisure (business+leisure) trip

"We provide 15-20 per cent discounts to companies which regularly organize these trips. But it also depends on the destinations and package they pick," says Goswamy who also adds, "It should also be noted that women are more likely than men to combine business and leisure regardless of how much they travel." Nair says social media is also one of the factors that is driving bleisure trips. "Especially, the millennials update their travel trails on social media platforms be it business or leisure quite frequently. This acts as a motivation factor for others, thus, facilitating bleisure trips," he says.

Photo: Mail Today Photo: Mail Today

--- ENDS ---

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By PTI: go for it in month

Mumbai, Dec 28 (PTI) The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received "good" response to its special male sterilisation drive, with as many as 520 men undergoing vasectomy within a month, a civic health official said.

This single-month figure is more than the eleven month number of 390 males, who underwent the procedure between January and November this year.

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The civic body had launched the special drive on November 21, which it had earlier planned for two weeks. However, since it evoked a good response, it was extended by two weeks.

But as the BMC is still witnessing a flow of men willing to undergo the surgery, it has decided to extend the exercise for some more time, the official said.

"What we could not achieve in the entire year (from January to November), we could witness in a month. We got more response from the people in the last four weeks," Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer of the BMC told PTI.

"From January to November, total 390 males underwent the vasectomy procedure. But when we launched our two-week drive from November 21, we started getting a good response. Therefore, we decided to extend it for two more weeks till December 23.

"So far, 520 men came forward, which is why we have now decided to continue our drive. Our door is open for them," she said.

Talking about the reasons that led to this rise, Keskar said this time all the administrative ward-level health employees had been given a target.

"We also asked male health workers to motivate the beneficiaries and it really worked," she said.

As per the figures provided by the BMC health department, the number of men undergoing vasectomy did not cross 1,000 annually in the last five years.

The civic authorities said that there is still misconception in the minds of people that the surgery would affect their physical strength and virility.

"These are only myths and the operation leaves no such adverse effect on them. It is a minimally-invasive surgery. It is safe, simple and is done in ten minutes. Most importantly, the patient is discharged within two hours of the operation," Keskar said.

Under the scheme launched by the Centre, an incentive of Rs 1,451 is given to each man, who undergoes the surgery. The BMC also offers Rs 200 to the motivator for each participant.

"If any participant comes on his own, then the BMC adds this reward amount in the Centres incentive and he gets total Rs 1,651," she said. PTI APM NP

--- ENDS ---

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Bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan will be held on January 29, 2018 while the model code of conduct in respective districts has come into force with immediate effect.

By Rohit Parihar: Bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan will be held on January 29, 2018 while the model code of conduct in respective districts has come into force with immediate effect.

Election Commission of India in a press release has announced election schedule for the three byelections along with two in West Bengal.

Rajasthan will have elections for Ajmer and Alwar parliamentary constituencies and Mandalgarh assembly on January 29. All three vacancies were created following the death of sitting BJP members.

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The model code of conduct has come into force in Ajmer, Alwar and Bhilwara districts of Rajasthan and any other district if parliamentary constituency extends into it.

The West Bengal parliamentary constituency of Uluberia and assembly, Noapara will also have poll the same day.

The gazette notification will be issued on January 3, the last date of filing nominations will be January 10, scrutiny January 11 and withdrawals, January 15.

Elections will be held on January 29 and the counting will be on February 1.

Electoral rolls will be published on January 2, 2018.

The EVMS and VVPATs will be used in the polling.

Meanwhile, Congress has declared candidate for Alwar. Veteran Karan Singh Yadav, an ex-medico, will be contesting from there.

While BJP and Congress have yet to announce its remaining candidates.

--- ENDS ---
NY Times FAIL: Paper heaps praise on MERCY of NYC bomber, while hailing Army of Darkness group as peaceful Muslim org

Its becoming more and more clear that The New York Times editors and reporters, like the president they adored  Barack Obama  have more love and affection for Americas avowed enemies than for America or Americans themselves.

In a recent news article, reporter Jeffrey Gettleman gushed over a mysterious act of mercy by the NYC subway bombing suspect, Akayed Ullah, who detonated an explosive device at the Port Authoritys Bus Terminal subway station earlier this month.

Act of mercy, no less.

While reflecting on the Bangladeshi terrorists past, Gettleman also described the Islamic fundamentalist group Tabligh Jamaat as a peaceful Muslim outreach organization.

Welcome to the Alt-Left medias Bizzaro World, where bad is good, good is bad, and Americas enemies are the do-gooder heroes.

As reported by Breitbart News, Gettleman  a Pulitzer Prize-winning South Asia bureau chief  wrote on Dec. 18:

As a boy, Mr. Ullah and his mother made the rounds in Hazaribagh, knocking on doors and asking neighbors to go with them to the mosque to pray. They were members of Tabligh Jamaat, a peaceful Muslim outreach group.

The piece goes on to focus a great deal on Ullahs assistance to Rohingya refugees, a persecuted, mostly-Muslim minority group that has large populations in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia:

After visiting relatives here in the capital city, Dhaka, he traveled across the country, slept in a mosque and under a tree, and passed out a few hundred dollars of medicine in the crowded refugee camps.

When he left, he seemed happy, said his mother-in-law, Mahfuza Akhter. But when he returned, he was so upset. He said those people were living in hell, each and every minute.

Like the Palestinians, the persecution of the Rohingya has been leveraged by Middle Eastern terrorist groups, including al Qaeda and the Islamic State, for their own causes and advancement. But that said, members of the Tabligh Jamaat have been linked to a large number of terrorist incidents throughout the West in the past decade alone, including the mass shootings in San Bernardino and bombings in London. (Related: How the Left-wing media is COMPLICIT in domestic terrorism.)

This isnt one ideology or one nation that is waging war on us. There are a plethora of countries creating terrorists with their cultural, religious and education systems, noted Breitbart News correspondent, Raheem Kassam, in comments to Fox Business.

This latest attempted attacker I bet will be from the Deobandi school of political Islam, which is very popular in Bangladesh, India and England and growing in the U.S.

He noted in his book No Go Zones  places in the West where Islamic Sharia Law prevails and local police stay out  that Tablighi activism is one of the least discussed indicators of radicalization.

Theyre called the Army of Darkness outside of the United States because of their stealthy abilities, Kassam wrote. Theyre also able, like water, to take the shape of any group they come into contact with. Theyre pro-Jihad. Theyre encouraging brethren to go back to the way of prophet Muhammed. Theyre essentially accepted by virtually every branch of Islam all over the world. Especially Sunni.

And a New York Times reporter and bureau chief is referring to one of its members in a complimentary way that completely understates his blatant act of violence against Americans.

And in the very same city where The New York Times is published.

You cant get any more tone deaf than that  or more blatantly anti-American.

Kassam said he reached out to Gettleman to ask him about his use of the phrase peaceful Muslim outreach group to describe the Tablighi. As you might have expected, Kassam didnt get a response.

And he wont, because apologists for radical Islam in the Alt-Left American press have never felt obligated to justify their #AmericaHate.

Read more of J.D. Heyes work at The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com

Submit a correction >>
The panel is set to review the film as it continues to await a nod from the censor board for release in theatres.

By Mail Today Bureau: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has constituted a six-member panel comprising historians, experts and members of the former royal family to vet the authenticity of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial magnum opus Padmavati .

The panel is set to review the film as it continues to await a nod from the censor board for release in theatres.

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Sources in the ministry of information and broadcasting said that the erstwhile royal family of Mewar had refused to be a part of the panel and instead sought a formal written clarification on the points raised by him earlier.

The panel constituted by Censor Bboard Chief Prasoon Joshi to "scrutinise the authenticity" of the script will make its observations following which the CBFC is expected to send a formal report to the ministry.

The film was earlier sent back to the producers after it was found that the column for stating whether it was a work of fiction or was based on historical facts was left blank.

Censor board members said that the film has been unnecessarily caught in controversy due to an ambiguous disclaimers in its application for a certification that it is 'partially based on historical facts'.

Bhansali had refused to call it a work of fiction. Bhansali's Rs 190-crore film slated for release on December 1 has been mired in controversy with the Karni Sena in Rajasthan alleging it "distorts history".

Several chief ministers, including that of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, have already called for a ban on the movie till relevant portions that depict Rani Padmini in the wrong light are removed.

--- ENDS ---
Why is Meghans sister coming off so desperate

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My extended family would be far worse than this chick is, sadly. Lol



Edited at 2017-12-28 02:11 am (UTC)

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Did they have a bad relationship or something?

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GAWD same. motivation enough to stay a nobody for my entire life.

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Her sister is marrying a prince , she's not .

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Cuz she is

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idk, read her book with facts and photos and maybe you'll find out

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Messy. Loves it

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Read my book complete with facts and photos

lol ok

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Mte

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LMAO, right

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oh God she is reminding me of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway's dad who had a damn contract with the tabloids where he keeps producing articles and photos... forget a one-time book deal, the guy hustled for a regular job and they even paid for his phone bill and everything

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Yo he said that? What's the full quote?

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5214723/Prince-Harry-said-Meghan-Markle-fantastic-Christmas.html#article-5214723 Kinda a dick thing to say even if true, but w/e

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Ida. If it's true people should know they weren't a true family. Especially because her sister wants to sell family secrets~

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Did you actually listen to him talking? Because that's not what he said, it's not the whole quote and they way you've presented it is out of context. He was asked if there were things about his family he had to explain to her.



He said yeah, lots of things, and he went on to list them, saying he had a huge family and they were all on holiday at Balmoral and it was a mix of family and royal duties and that she was doing wonderfully with it all and he ends by saying, "It's a family I suppose she's never had." --a family that was also like a job. That's a family she's never had--one where she has to go out and greet the public, shake hands, do a real job, not just have dinner, watch TV and open presents over the holiday.

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considering the last line of this woman's statement, I venture that Harry said something close to the truth.

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He said yeah, lots of things, that he had a huge family and they were all on holiday at Balmoral and it was a mix of family and royal duties and that she was doing wonderfully with it all and he ends by saying, "It's a family I suppose she's never had." Meaning one where there was more than just hanging out eating turkey was involved--his family is also like a job where she has to go out and greet the public, shake hands, open museums, etc.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1596822/Meghan-greets-wishers-Royals-attend-Christmas-service.html

Yeah, that's not what he said at all. He was on BBC radio, and he was asked if there were things about his family he had to explain to her.He said yeah, lots of things, that he had a huge family and they were all on holiday at Balmoral and it was a mix of family and royal duties and that she was doing wonderfully with it all and he ends by saying,Meaning one where there was more than just hanging out eating turkey was involved--his family is also like a job where she has to go out and greet the public, shake hands, open museums, etc.

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I'd be "too busy" too if I had a racist sister who wrote a book about me without my permission.

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Just like ha sister!

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the one thing they have in common.

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mte. Funny how her handle is Samantha M Grant, but her username is Samantha Markle.

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"read my book!!" lmao holy shit

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This is messy and sad.



People feel a lot of ways about this pairing, esp at how excited people are but it was such a nice little respite/merciful reprieve from the shit show that is American politics and the need for the powers that be to, idk, destroy safeguards, healthcare and so on.

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Ending it with product placement? That is funny.

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Aw, here it goes

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Read my book complete with facts and photos





AHLSASHAJSHALJLSH LMAO

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Queen of hustle!

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get that book promo coin sis ??

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is it weird that i like ... kind of half believe the sister? LOL

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Nah. I've read so many sketchy blind items about Meghan and her social climbing, nothing she says or does seem sincere tbh.



Lol @ me taking b.i. seriously but still.

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wendy williams did expose her trying to get on the show last spring so lmao those BIs are probably true



regardless, who cares, that royal family doesnt deserve any better

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its also been said that she was with someone else when she met harry lmao

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Ohh tell me more about the sketch BI stuff!!

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is that Meghan is her half sister.





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This half sister was an adult when Meghan was born and has never been apart of her life. She will say anything for tabloid $$$.

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this is getting so messy so quickly

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Not really. The half-sister has been blabbing since Harry confirmed the relationship with his public statement. In fact, most were positive that was one reason the relationship would fizzle because the royal family would see the messy family as a liability. But instead, he still proposed to her.

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Trying to meet your @goodreads challenge? Heres a list of quick reads https://t.co/yfdbtkQdpH  The Weekly Standard (@weeklystandard) December 26, 2017

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.A brilliantly imaginative and poignant fairy tale from the modern master of wonder and terror, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Neil Gaimans first new novel for adults since his #1 New York Times bestseller Anansi Boys.This bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery and survival, and memory and magic, makes the impossible all too real.John Harper is in hiding in a remote hut on a tropical island. As he lies awake at night, listening to the rain on the roof, he believes his life may be in danger. But he is less afraid of what is going to happen than of what hes already done.In a local town, he meets Rita, a woman with her own tragic history. They begin an affair, but can they offer each other redemption? Or do the ghosts of the past always catch up with us in the end?Moving between Europe during the Cold War, Civil Rightsera California, and Indonesia during the massacres of 1965 and the subsequent military dictatorship, Black Water explores some of the darkest events of recent history through the story of one troubled man.America likes to tell itself that it inhabits a postracial world, yet nearly every empirical measurewealth, unemployment, incarceration, school segregationreveals that racial inequality has barely improved since 1968, when Richard Nixon became our first law and order president. With the clarity and originality that distinguished his prescient bestseller, Twilight of the Elites, Chris Hayes upends our national conversation on policing and democracy in a book of wide-ranging historical, social, and political analysis.A gorgeous novel by the celebrated author of When the Emperor Was Divine that tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as picture brides nearly a century ago. In eight unforgettable sections, The Buddha in the Attic traces the extraordinary lives of these women, from their arduous journeys by boat, to their arrival in San Francisco and their tremulous first nights as new wives; from their experiences raising children who would later reject their culture and language, to the deracinating arrival of war. Once again, Julie Otsuka has written a spellbinding novel about identity and loyalty, and what it means to be an American in uncertain times.Sources: 1
If you guys know of any more actors who were outed by others to know of his behavior, plz let me know! I could only find Damon and Affleck

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Did you look into Russell Crowe? He didn't address any of the Weinstein controversy when he was tied to the 2004 story that got killed, I just thought it was weird that Damon took the heat and he got off scot free

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I mentioned Russell Crowe in what I wrote about Damon but theres been nothing about Crowe since then

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2 things were working against Damon, the first being that he and Ben were tied so closely with Weinstein from the beginning of their careers and the second that he had two movies that were being pushed as Oscar bait this year (both of which flopped HARD lol) so he had to do tons of press and got asked about what he knew a LOT.



This wasn't like a Casey Affleck situation where he could use his fame to leverage getting out of hard questions. The story was so big entertainment journalists had to ask him basic questions and he exposed himself for the cad he was every time.

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George Clooney:



"Knowing what I know now, I wonder if it wasn't my friendship with them  and Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney  that saved me from being raped." - Thanks for the post!George Clooney: http://people.com/movies/george-clooney-is-furious-over-harvey-weinstein-allegations-says-he-didnt-know-extent-of-the-rumors/ "Knowing what I know now, I wonder if it wasn't my friendship with them  and Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney  that saved me from being raped." - Salma Hayek

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Bless this post OP. I'm so sick of people dragging actresses they assume knew when there are so many men who have brazenly admitted they did know including Matt "spectrum of assault" Damon.



This list is missing Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, both of whom admitted they knew about various incidents of rape, and/or sexual harassment and kept working with Weinstein anyway. Bless this post OP. I'm so sick of people dragging actresses they assume knew when there are so many men who have brazenly admitted they did know including Matt "spectrum of assault" Damon.This list is missing Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, both of whom admitted they knew about various incidents of rape, and/or sexual harassment and kept working with Weinstein anyway.

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Thanks my love! I'll go ahead and add Tarrantino/Rodriguez!



Edited at 2017-12-28 03:51 am (UTC)

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ita

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YES, agreed! I mean, why are we holding high standards for women who probably have accepted this behavior due to being raised around it / needing to in order to survive?



Let's point fingers at the men.

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this is a great post. burn them all!

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http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/quentin-tarantino-speaks-harvey-weinstein-1202594644/ A+ post OP

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thanks boo

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I still can't believe Matt Damon didn't get into more shit for this comment. It's so vile, but I guess unsurprising for a guy who thinks Louis C.K. should be forgiven.



I knew the story about Gwyneth [Paltrow] [being sexually harassed by him] from Ben [Affleck], because he was with her after Brad [Pitt].I never talked to Gwyneth about it. Ben told me. I knew that they had come to whatever agreement or understandingshe was the first lady of Miramax. He treated her incredibly respectfully. Always.

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omg yes wtf @ that comment. if he treated her respectfully, he never would've done that shit in the first place

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hes gonna come out in a few weeks with some half-ass apology over everything, explaining that his fathers death/illness clouded his judgment, etc.

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Weinstein probably made every actress think they were the queen of Miramax. Gwyneth, Meryl, Uma, Renee, etc. He's a manipulative asshole.

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This makes me rage. FUCK HIM.

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Fantastic post, OP.



Ive said before. If this is really the watershed moment on global institutionalised sexual assault and harassment against women and men, we need to topple the system that encourages the abuse.



Weinstein clan needs to be destroyed. All of them. Thats a stronger message to send to these power insulated, white men.

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People defending Damon on (where else?) reddit with 'omg because he didn't say it TOTALLY PC the FEMINAZIS think he's a bad person'



like no, he's always been trash, but of course none of ya'll saw that.

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i cannot wait for matt damon to be launched into space

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martian ha! (but without the rescuing)

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he needs to fall off a cliff into a pit of rocks.

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Can we send him without the heat shield protection?

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Or a potato.

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That'd be a waste of money. Feed him to the sharks.

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And look how white those men are.

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does it feel to anyone else that no one took matt damon's comments seriously? like he got media attention but it feels like almost everyone laughed him off. at least anyone i know irl lmao. it was like "okay matt damon"





also, no one in the world was shocked @ quentin tarantino

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Hit them in the pockets. Thats the way to reduce their power and embolden exposure.



Im personally never using my money to watch movies from any of these people again. This includes Affleck, demon, clooney and Pitt.





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Bryan Lourd should fuck off .. But Sadly He will stay ..



I think he knew and protected Kevin Spacey too . CAA is shady AF .

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One of the standardized measurements taken at all CARICOMP Caribbean monitoring sites is water turbidity, an indicator of water quality. Decreases in visibility were most likely where human populations increased the most. Credit: Karen Koltes

Forty percent of the world's 7.5 billion people live in coastal cities and towns. A team including Smithsonian marine biologists just released 25 years of data about the health of Caribbean coasts from the Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity Program (CARICOMP). The study provides new insights into the influence of both local and global stressors in the basin, and some hope that the observed changes can be reversed by local environmental management.

The largest, longest program to monitor the health of the Caribbean coastal ecosystems, CARICOMP revealed that water quality decreased at 42 percent of the monitoring stations across the basin. However, significant increases in water temperature, expected in the case of global warming, were not detected across sites.

"We're seeing important changes in local conditions, like decreases in visibility associated with declining water quality and the increasing presence of people, but we're not picking up global-scale changes, like climate warming," said Iliana Chollett, post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Marine Conservation Program in Fort Pierce, Fla..

"Our data set did not reveal significant increases in water temperature," Chollett said. "Satellites only measure temperature at the surface. Underwater temperatures are much more variable, and it may take decades of data to reveal a significant change, so we're not sure if this means that we just don't have enough data to detect it yet."

More than 25 years ago, in 1992, researchers at institutions across the Caribbean began to set up stations to gather environmental data on mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs at coastal sites.

They began to take weekly measurements of water temperature, salinity and visibility at stations placed to avoid direct interference from cities, towns and other direct human impacts.

By measuring ocean health in the same way at sites across the Caribbean, it's possible to understand where coastal environments are the most stressed out. "If people get their act together very soon, there is still hope of reversing some of these changes," said Rachel Collin, director of the Bocas del Toro Research Station at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, one of the participating marine-monitoring stations. Credit: Karen Koltes

The team gathered CARICOMP data from 29 sites in Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Colombia, Costa Rica, Florida, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saba, and Venezuela and organized it into a single data set. This includes data taken for periods from three years, at stations added to the network more recently, to 22 years.

Despite attempts to locate monitoring sites in places not affected by human activities, the stations are picking up signals of human influence throughout the Caribbean basin.

"One positive implication of this report is people are capable of dealing with local change by regulating pollution and runoff," said Rachel Collin, director of the Bocas del Toro Research Station at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, one of the participating marine-monitoring stations. "If people get their act together very soon, there is still hope of reversing some of these changes."

More information: Iliana Chollett et al, Widespread local chronic stressors in Caribbean coastal habitats, PLOS ONE (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188564 Journal information: PLoS ONE
Mars. Credit: NASA JPL Caltech cd f d o.

Everyone wants to go to Mars, or so it seems.

Elon Musk, NASA with Lockheed Martin, and now Boeing are all looking towards the red planet, with heady predictions of missions during the 2020s.

But at what cost? And could we even survive any long-term colonisation on Mars? Given the problems we face here on Earth it's important to ask whether we should be better tasked with looking after the only planet we know (so far) that can harbour life.

The race to Mars

Boeing says it wants to be involved in the first mission to send humans to the red planet. The company's chief executive Dennis Muilenburg told a US TV host in December 2017:

"I firmly believe the first person that sets foot on Mars will get there on a Boeing rocket."

A key rival is Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX, which is already launching rockets. At the 68th Annual International Aeronautics Congress, in Adelaide in September 2017, Musk spoke of airline-like connections between Earth and Mars, with cargo missions to begin by 2022.

Lockheed Martin says it plans to send humans to Mars in the next decade.

Even the famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has argued that it is "essential that we colonise space" although he doesn't see it happening that soon:

"I believe that we will eventually establish self-sustaining colonies on Mars and other bodies in the Solar system although probably not within the next 100 years."

Exploring other planets

Scientific exploration of Solar system planets constitutes one of the most exciting achievements the human race is realising.

But by contrast, the idea of colonising Mars or other planets or moons is misleading. It yields an impression in many people's mind that an alternative exists to Earth, a unique (so far) haven of life in the Solar system, currently suffering from global warming, rising oceans, extreme weather events, mass extinction of species and growing risk of nuclear wars.

Microbial life may exist on Mars or may have existed in the past. According to NASA:

"Among our discoveries about Mars, one stands out above all others: the possible presence of liquid water, either in its ancient past or preserved in the subsurface today. Water is key because almost everywhere we find water on Earth, we find life. If Mars once had liquid water, or still does today, it's compelling to ask whether any microscopic life forms could have developed on its surface."

But doubts have been raised recently with regard to the distinction between water and sand flow on Mars.

This high-resolution scanning electron microscope image shows an unusual tube-like structural form that is less than 1/100th the width of a human hair in size found in meteorite ALH84001, a meteorite believed to be of Martian origin. Credit: NASA

No atmosphere for life

At present there is no evidence of a liveable atmosphere under which plants or other organisms would survive on Mars.

Its thin atmosphere is less than 1% of Earth's, consisting of 96% carbon dioxide, 1.9% nitrogen, 1.9% argon and trace amounts of oxygen and carbon monoxide. It provides little protection from the Sun's radiation, nor does it allow retention of heat at the surface.

Suggestions as to whether biological-like textures in a Martian meteorite (ALH84001) signify ancient fossils have not been confirmed.

In July 2017 researchers reported that the surface of Mars may be more toxic to microorganisms than previously thought.

A Mars colony warning

There is no lack of warnings regarding the colonisation of Mars.

If a colony was established it would take continuous efforts and major expense to keep it supplied, including likely rescue missions. Furthermore, the long-term isolation of the colonists may take its toll.

When the Mars One project announced in 2013 that it was looking to recruit four people to send on a mission to colonise Mars, Chris Chambers, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at Cardiff University, warned of the psychological risks the colonists would face.

Yet dreams stay alive. According to NASA's mission statement:

"Even if Mars is devoid of past or present life, however, there's still much excitement on the horizon. We ourselves might become "life on Mars", should humans choose to travel there one day."

Earth calling Mars

Space colonisation dreams are not entirely devoid of economic interests. The international space industry is said to be worth in the order of some US$400 billion a year, and predicted to grow to nearly US$3 trillion over the next three decades.

Space travel and colonisation ideas are mostly promoted by engineers and entrepreneurs who stand to gain from these schemes, but far less so by biologists and medical scientists who understand the terrestrial origin and physiological limitations of the human body.

There can be little doubt that, given modern and future computer and space technologies, space stations could be constructed on Mars, where a few privileged humans may be able to live for periods of time.

Should humans colonise a life-bearing planet, we should ask whether organisms would fare any better than species extinguished on Earth.

The ethical polarity between those dreaming of conquering space and those hoping to defend Earth from global heating and a nuclear calamity could not be greater.

The billions and trillions of dollars required to develop and maintain colonies in space could approach the estimated US$1.69 trillion military spending globally in 2016.

As a scientist who examines how a changing climate influences human evolution, I argue that funds on this scale would be better directed at the defence of the lives of more than 7 billion humans on Earth, as well as protection of animals and of nature more broadly.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Figure 1. Representative examples of bioactive molecules having hydronaphthofurans scaffolds. Credit: Osaka University

Osaka University researchers developed a highly efficient way to produce chiral multi-centered fused tricyclic compounds of which core structure is often found in bioactive compounds including medicines.

Chemists have devoted tremendous efforts to develop a way to build molecules as they want. A single enantiomer (specific special arrangement of atoms) is essential for molecules of specific biomedical properties because of chiral nature of biological receptor sites (usually proteins). A very challenging goal in organic chemistry is asymmetric synthesis, selective preparation of a single enantiomer of a molecule.

Recently, chemists at Osaka University has synthesized highly enantioselective polycyclic chiral compounds with multiple chiral centers in an elegant and selective manner that could open new avenues in research and industry.

In their report in Nature Communications, the Osaka team focused to develop a novel and practical way to synthesize tricyclic molecules, named hydronaphthofurans. These scaffolds are abundant in natural products of important biological activities. The representative members of this family are morphine, azadirachtin, teucvidin and momilacton that are well-known to show a range of biological activities such as analgesic, anti-tumor, insecticides, and allelochemicals (Figure 1). Although some are found in nature, preparing them in the synthetic laboratory with the complete control of selectivity is a major challenge to the synthetic chemists.

Figure 2. Chiral ligand. Credit: Osaka University

A reported synthesis by a Spanish group used an organic molecule based chiral catalyst to produce a tricyclic scaffold with three chiral centers. On the other hand, the Osaka team adopted a conceptually different strategy to build the tricyclic scaffold with five chiral centers (Scheme 1). Starting with a cheap raw material with just one ring (phenols), they used an organometallic nickel-based chiral catalyst to construct further two rings through a reaction termed oxidative cyclization (1 to 2). In situ displacement of nickel from an intermediate 2 with another reactive molecule of desired substituents afforded a variety of hydronaphthofurans. The final product is formed as single isomer and that contained at least five chiral centers, distributed among all three rings.

Ravindra Kumar, a one of the team member explains, "The catalyst is key to chiral selectivity, since it is chiral itself." In fact, although the application of nickel catalysts are widespread in organic synthesis, none had used in this reaction before. "In an organometallic catalyst, it's crucial to attach a suitable ligand [organic molecule, L*] to the metal atom to determine the reaction outcome. The ligand is typically a bulky organic molecule with multiple ring systems (Figure 2). In our case, it was a process of informed trial-and-error to find a suitable ligand that gave the desired product as a single compound (out of possible sixteen) both in high yield and with excellent chiral purity.

With the suitable catalyst in hand, the team successfully produced over twenty compounds in good yields and with 94 to 99% enantioselectivity of all five chiral centers  a spectacle achievement! Tolerance of a wide range of substituents (R) (halogens, benzene rings and esters) in the developed method and presence of functionalizable group (carbonyls and olefins) expand the potential synthetic utility of tricyclic products to bioactive molecules after functional group transformation. Apart from offering excellent chiral purity, the reaction is also rapid and economical in terms of starting raw materials, which are crucial requirements for scaling up the research from laboratory to industrial production.

Scheme 1. Two step enantioselective synthesis of hydronaphthofurans scaffolds. Credit: Osaka University

"These tricyclic products have traditionally been made by stepwise ring construction, but that tends to be slow and inefficient," Sensuke Ogoshi, the team director, says. "Our direct two-step cyclization provides access to a range of very useful scaffolds for natural products. In the long run, this could not only simplify the production of known medicines, but perhaps lead to the discovery of new compounds with medicinal or other biological properties."

More information: Ravindra Kumar et al. Two-step synthesis of chiral fused tricyclic scaffolds from phenols via desymmetrization on nickel, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00068-8 Journal information: Nature Communications
A jaguar named Aquiles caught in a camera trap image taken in Cana, Panama. The number one cause of jaguar deaths in Panama is retaliation for livestock predation. Enclosing livestock in corrals during the night can significantly reduce encounters with predators. Credit: Ricardo Moreno

According to a new survey of residents living near two major national parks in Panama, jaguars deserve increased protection. Nature and wildlife are considered national treasures. But because most residents still support road-building in the parks, the survey teamincluding Ricardo Moreno, a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute research associaterecommends further education to emphasize the connection between healthy ecosystems and jaguar survival.

"Attitudes of stakeholder groups are especially important to consider, as they can significantly affect policy, thus making the foundations of carnivore management as social and political as they are scientific," the study concludes.

Cerro Hoya National Park is an isolated tropical forest remnant (325 square kilometers, 125 square miles) on Panama's Pacific coast, whereas Darien National Park is Panama's most extensive park (5,790 square kilometers, 2235 square miles) in the area between Panama and Colombia, the only gap in the Pan-American highway from Alaska to Chile.

"According to our study, there is more humanjaguar conflict in Darien National Park, probably because communities are near larger tracts of unbroken forest, which is much better jaguar habitat," Moreno said. "Ironically, the respondents' ideas about roads into the parks are likely to increase this conflict and make effective park management significantly more challenging."

Moreno's jaguar camera-trapping work is featured in the new Smithsonian Channel production, Panama's Animal Highway. He was recently chosen as one of National Geographic's 2017 Emerging Explorers.

Ninon Meyer, Fundacion Yaguara Panama, inspects fresh jaguar skin. This jaguar was killed by a farmer after it killed several animals on his farm. Ricardo Moreno, research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and founder of Fundacion Yaguara seeks funds to compensate farmers for their losses. Credit: Ricardo Moreno

The survey team, including Jessica Fort, Clayton Neilsen and Andrew Carver from Southern Illinois University with Moreno and Ninon Meyer from Fundacion Yaguara Panama and the Sociedad Panamena de Biologia, surveyed 85 residents of 23 rural communities around Cerro Hoya National Park and 54 residents of five communities around Darien National Park. They interviewed one adult over 18 years of age per household, focusing on residents such as landowners and cattle ranchers, who were most likely to be affected by jaguars.

Retaliation for livestock predation is the primary cause of jaguar deaths: 96 percent of the estimated 230 jaguar killings between 1989 and 2014 were attributed to this cause.

Road building is another well-known cause of environmental degradation. Earlier this year, STRI research associate William Laurance published a paper in Science, stressing the importance of considering wildlife conservation during transportation infrastructure planning, because it is well known in the conservation community that roads "can unleash a Pandora's box of environmental ills, such as land encroachment, wildlife poaching, forest fragmentation, exotic species invasions and illegal mining."

At the beginning of the survey, respondents were asked to identify jaguars, pumas and ocelots from photographs. Only respondents who could distinguish between these species were included in the analysis. In both study areas, the majority of respondents were male. Researchers asked 32 questions to assess their socioeconomic status, personal experience with jaguars, perceptions and attitudes about jaguars and perceptions of the park and its management.

A higher number of respondents in Darien had personally seen a jaguar in their lifetime. Communities in Darien report more livestock losses: Six respondents in Darien reported 33 predation events involving cattle, whereas only one reported a predation event in Cerro Hoya. Nearly a third of respondents at Cerro Hoya admitted to hunting within park boundaries during the previous year, their preferred prey being the collared peccary, Pecari tajacu. No respondents in the Darien National Park group said they had hunted in the park in the previous year, but those who had in the past preferred the spotted paca, Cuniculus paca. Women in the survey were more likely to agree than men that they would be happier without jaguars.

At Cerro Hoya, 71 percent of respondents were worried about the future of the park and 51 percent thought that it was adequately protected. Near Darien National Park, 54 percent of residents were unsure or had no opinion about whether they were worried about the future of the park, but only 35 percent believed that the park was adequately protected.

More information: Fort, J.L., Nielsen, C.K., Carver, A.D., Moreno, R. and Meyer, N.F.V. 2017. Factors influencing local attitudes and perceptions regarding jaguars Panthera onca and National Park conservation in Panama. Oryx. DOI: 10.1017/50030605317001016 Laurance, W.F. and Burgues Arrea, I., 2017. Roads to riches or ruin? Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaao0312 Journal information: Science , Oryx
Two Romanian nationals have been arrested and charged with hacking into computer systems which controlled surveillance cameras for the Metropolitan Police Department in the US capital earlier this year, officials said Thursday.

A criminal complaint unsealed in Washington said the twoMihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, and Eveline Cismaru, 28were arrested in Bucharest on December 15 and charged with conspiracy and various forms of computer fraud.

The Justice Department said the pair managed to disable 123 of the police department's 187 outdoor surveillance cameras in early January by infecting computer systems with ransomwarean effort "to extort money" in exchange for unlocking the computer, according to an affidavit filed in court.

The case "was of the highest priority" because it impacted efforts to plan security ahead of the 2017 presidential inauguration, according to officials.

The Secret Service and other agencies "quickly ensured that the surveillance camera system was secure and operational" and the investigation found no security threats as a result of the scheme.

Isvanca remains in custody in Romania and Cismaru is on house arrest there pending further legal proceedings, the Justice Department said.

 2017 AFP
Credit: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology

Scientists at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology have determined through mathematical modeling that the process of erosion optimizes the shapes of disintegrating materials.

Natural wind and water erosion often creates spectacular landforms such as natural arches and bridges, balanced pillars and domes. The national parks of Utah in the United States are a true showcase of these beautiful structures. And this phenomenon may not be limited to Earth's surface; recent evidence shows that similar landforms might also be common on Mars. The beauty, stability and engineering precision of natural arches have always inspired amazement and curiosity among geologists, as well as architectsnature tends to form so-called "catenary" arches, the most stable among possible freestanding arches.

Questions about the mechanisms of formation of such structures have long remained unanswered. The absence of convincing explanations of how random erosion processes are capable of sculpting such non-trivial shapes as catenary arches has gained particular interest in the context of the geomorphology of Mars and other planets, sometimes inspiring fanciful speculations on the architecture of extraterrestrial civilizations.

Skoltech researchers were inspired by a recent study in which scientists from Charles University in Prague suggested that the mechanism behind the formation of natural arches is the negative feedback between stress and the rate of surface erosion. In other words, natural erosion tends first to remove unstressed material that is inefficient in terms of load transfer. The reason for such behavior is a well-known law of dry frictionthe greater the particle of a rock that is compressed between its neighbors, the harder it is to remove it.

Credit: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology

"This simple idea captured our attention. We could not help but note that very similar methods of search for optimal shapes of engineering structures were widely used in modern industry. These methods, known as evolutionary structural optimization, are based on the subsequent removal of inefficient material. The most striking aspect of this resemblance is the fact that the mathematical criterion for material removal used in engineering optimization approaches is almost exactly the one that follows from the physics of the erosion process," said Skoltech research scientist Igor Ostanin, the study's lead author.

In their work Skoltech scientists proposed considering the phenomenon of erosion as the process of shape optimization. They demonstrated that, under a set of reasonable conditions, erosion performs the shape optimization of disintegrating material, locally minimizing the elastic strain energy stored in the rock bulk. It was also shown that during the process of the formation of a stable and well-balanced structure, the rate of erosion drops dramatically, since the structure does not contain any more unstrained and inefficient material. Therefore, the structures that were initially eroded at rates observable with the naked eye become stable at geological time scales of thousands, and even millions, of years.

The formation of columns, arches and other exotic morphologies was illustrated in numerical modeling, using the software for the optimization of topology, developed at Skoltech earlier. The results of the study have been published in Nature Scientific Reports.

More information: Ostanin, I., Safonov, A., & Oseledets, I. (2017). Natural Erosion of Sandstone as Shape Optimisation. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 17301. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17777-1 Journal information: Scientific Reports
From where (orange) about what place (blue) people in Tokyo post. Credit: University of Electro Communications

Social media is expected to be a good source of data for analyzing human behavior and statuses of locations. It is possible to provide location-based information simply by geospatially filtering archived data.

However, this naive approach causes problems for practical applications. For example, with Twitter, in general, the location from which a tweet is posted is attached to a geotagged tweet. Specifically, the location coordinates attached to the geotagged tweet, "Heavy rain in Miura Peninsula" by NHK (Japan's public broadcaster) are not those of the Miura Peninsula, but of Shibuya in Tokyo, where NHK is located. Therefore, the tweet is be found by a spatial search around the Miura Peninsula or even Kanagawa Prefecture, where the Miura Peninsula is located.

Hideyuki Fujita at the University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo has proposed a new framework that considers the relationships between data meaning and their spatial structures.

In this research, Fujita particularly focused on the distinction between locations of interest (LoI) and locations of activity (LoA). In example above, Miura Peninsula is LoI and Shibuya is LoA. Fujita proposed a method for automatically classifying tweet locations into LoI and LoA.

The evaluation experiment that used 600,000 tweets showed good results about the precision and recall of the classification. The method was also successfully applied to extract frequently mentioned locations while classifying them into those which were globally mentioned and those locally mentioned.

The results imply that this method could be applied to analyzing the relationships between location names and the signified locations.

More information: Hideyuki Fujita. Information Extraction and Visualization from Twitter Considering Spatial Structure, Cartographica: The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization (2017). DOI: 10.3138/cart.52.2.3875
By PTI: Ahmedabad, Dec 28 (PTI) The Coast Guard today detained six Pakistani nationals and seized a fishing boat off Gujarat coast near Kutch, a defence spokesperson said.

These Pakistani fishermen were detained by the Coast Guard when they were catching fish in Indian waters after crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), the spokesperson was quoted as saying in a release.

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During its routine patrolling in the Arabian Sea this afternoon, Indian Coast Guard ship C-408 spotted a Pakistani fishing boat Sindh Singhar inside the Indian waters, the spokesperson added.

Acting swiftly, the Coast Guard detained all the six Pakistani crew members and seized their boat.

"They were brought to the coast. The boat and the fishermen were handed over to the local Marine Police Station for a further probe," said the spokesperson. PTI PJT PD NRB SMN

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MeaWallet A/S (MeaWallet), part of Invuo Technologies AB (former Seamless Distribution AB), has signed an agreement with the Swedbank Support OU (Swedbank) for delivery of MeaWallets technology for contactless card payments on the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian market.

The HCE technology with MasterCard MDES support will be delivered as a managed service, integrating MeaWallets tokenisation platform with Swedbanks mobile banking application. The solution will enable Swedbank clients to perform digital contactless card payments through the banks existing mobile banking application. The order value of the contract is between 500,000 and 600,000 Euro over a three-year period.

The Baltic market is rapidly developing towards contactless payments, in fact there are several field tests and pilots in the three markets exploring different mobile payment technologies. MeaWallet has a proven technology and we aim to deliver the solution in production to Swedbank in stages from the first quarter of 2018, hence delivering on our short time to market promise, says Lars Sandtorv, Head of MeaWallet.

Swedbank is the major bank on the Baltic market according to the European Payment Card Yearbook for 2016/17 and we are proud that they have selected our technology and services for maintaining that position.

CEO of Invuo Technologies, John Longhurst, comments: MeaWallet has been able to sign four orders over the past six weeks. The market is accelerating. Our stated goal is for MeaWallet to sign a minimum of 20 orders over the course of 2018. In so doing, we aim to meet the financials goals laid out for Invuo Technologies next year, as disclosed in recent public statements. As further orders are signed, we hope investors begin to share the confidence we have for the period ahead.

This information is such that Invuo Technologies AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at CET 08:50 on December 28, 2017.

About Invuo

Since 2001 Invuo has been providing its proprietary solutions and systems for mobile phone transactions. Invuo operates in two main business areas; mobile phone payment solutions provided through the brand MeaWallet, and distribution of e-products.

Other Point of Sale News:
By PTI: Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 28 (PTI) The Congress in Kerala today joined its activists across the country in celebrating the partys 133th party foundation day with various programmes in the state.

Inaugurating the celebrations at the KPCC headquarters here, Congress state president M M Hassan said the party was committed to resisting the challenges to democracy and securalism in the country. "Congress slogan is to uphold nationalism, securalism and to strengthen democracy," Hassan said.

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The congress leader hit out at the CPI-M , alleging that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan were trying to create an impression that there was no alternative to the BJP in the country.

Former chief minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the party celebrations in Kottayam while opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala did so in Kochi. PTI JRK BN

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From the eMail Bag: Carbon Isotopes, Part 2: The Delta Notation

Posted on 28 December 2017 by David Kirtley

We occasionally receive excellent questions and/or comments by email or via our contact form and have then usually corresponded with the emailer directly. But, some of the questions and answers deserve a broader audience, so we decided to highlight some of them in a new series of blog posts.

In Part 1, we learned about carbon isotopes: how 14C forms in the atmosphere, how different isotopes move through the Carbon Cycle, and how isotopic measurements reveal clues about our changing climate. In this post we will look at how measurements of changing isotopic ratios are described.

Here, again, is the IPCC graph (Figure 1) illustrating the rise in atmospheric CO2 (panel a, black saw-toothed line) and the decreasing 13C:12C ratio in the same CO 2 (panel b, red line).

Figure 1. Recent CO2 concentrations and emissions. (a) CO2 concentrations over the period 1970 to 2005 from Mauna Loa, Hawaii (black) and Baring Head, New Zealand (blue). In the lower right of the panel, atmospheric oxygen (O2) measurements from flask samples are shown from Alert, Canada (pink) and Cape Grim, Australia (cyan). (b) Annual global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning and cement manufacture in GtC yr1 (black) through 2005. Annual averages of the 13C/12C ratio measured in atmospheric CO2 at Mauna Loa from 1981 to 2002 (red) are also shown. The isotope data are expressed as 13C(CO2)  (per mil) deviation from a calibration standard. Note that this scale is inverted to improve clarity. (IPCC, AR4)

One of our readers was puzzled by this graph (which appears in our rebuttal "How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?") and emailed us these questions about it:

Can you help me interpret the red line? Does it indicate a decline (negative change) in the C13 isotope (i.e. -7.7 = -7.7 parts per thousands) or are the values showing a ratio of C13/C12 because of the delta symbol? If the red values do represent a ratio can you illustrate with a hypothetical example how a negative value was calculated; for instance how do you get a negative value by comparing C13 with C12 (I would have thought a ratio would produce a fraction of some sort)?

The concentration of atmospheric CO2 is most commonly measured in parts per million (ppm) as seen in the top (a) panel of the graph. The current value is about 405 ppm, which means that for every million molecules in a sample of air there are 405 CO2 molecules. This can be shown as a fraction or a ratio:

or as a decimal: 0.000405

We can also turn this into a percentage:

The carbon isotope ratios are measured in something quite different: the -value or notation: 13C(CO2), or "delta 13C (of CO2) per mil". The "per mil" (symbol: ) might lead you to think that this too is a measure of concentration, except, instead of a percentage ("per cent" or "per 100") the carbon isotopes might be a measure of "per mil" or "per 1000". But this is not the case. (Or try this link if that last one doesnt work.)

Here is the equation used to calculate the -value:

Notice that this equation contains a multiplication by 1000, which is where the "per mil" comes from. The values are multiplied by 1000 because they are very small numbers and this multiplication trick makes the values more "user-friendly". Look again at the IPCC graph which gives the -value in 1981 as -7.6, the "per mil" symbol tells us that the original value was multiplied by 1000, thus the original value was -0.0076.

But what does -0.0076 mean? Has the 13C decreased by 0.0076...somethings?

Look again at the -value equation. You can see that the top part of the fraction within the bracket is the ratio of 13C:12C from some sample containing carbon. The bottom part of the fraction is another 13C:12C ratio from a standard sample which has a known, unchanging ratio of 13C:12C. For carbon isotopes, the standard used is a limestone formation from South Carolina called the Pee Dee Belemnite (or PDB)1, which has an unusually high amount of 13C.

The -value is basically a ratio of ratios and can be thought of as a scale to compare different isotope ratios (Figure 2). The standard sample is the zero point of this scale. If there is more 13C in our sample than in the standard, then the -value will be positive; if there is less 13C in our sample than in the standard, then the -value will be negative. The -value doesn't give us a specific number about our sample, as in x ppm of 13C, rather it tells us the relative difference between the sample and the standard.

Figure 2. Isotopic ratios of samples are compared to an unchanging isotopic ratio of a standard. The standard defines the zero point of the scale. Samples with more 13C than the standard will have positive 13C values, while samples with less 13C than the standard will have negative 13C values.

Why not just give us the specific numbers of carbon isotopes? (Show me the data!) Isotope ratios are measured by mass spectrometers but it is impossible for these devices to perfectly measure the 13C to 12C ratio in a sample. Lauren Shoemaker, in her in-depth NOAA website on isotopes, explains:

Isotope ratio mass spectrometers measure relative isotopic ratios much better than actual ratios. By comparing to a standard, the precision of the data values are much, much better since all values are relative to a given standard.

She also points out that -values make it "easier to compare results both among isotope laboratories and within a single laboratory over a long time period".

Delta-values also make the numbers associated with isotopic ratios much more "user-friendly". To see this let's work through some examples using the -value formula. The IPCC graph shows that in 1981 the -value for atmospheric CO 2 was -7.6. The PDB standard ratio is 0.011237. With these two numbers we have enough information to calculate what the 13C:12C ratio was in 1981:

This works out to a ratio of 0.0111516 for the 1981 sample. For 2002 the -value was -8.1, which gives a ratio of 0.0111459.

Lets broaden our view out a bit further than that twenty year time span. This graph in Figure 3 (from CSIRO, the Australian agency for scientific research) shows that before the Industrial Revolution the -value was -6.5. In today's atmosphere, the 13C:12C ratios give a -value of -8.5.

Figure 3. There has been an increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2 (in red), as identified by the trend in the ratio of different types (isotopes) of carbon in atmospheric CO2 (in black, from the year 1000). CO2 and the carbon-13 isotope ratio in CO2 (13C) are measured from air in Antarctic ice and firn (compacted snow) samples from the Australian Antarctic Science Program, and at Cape Grim (northwest Tasmania). (Copyright CSIRO Australia).

The table below shows the -values for various times along with the corresponding isotopic ratios, expressed both as decimals and as percentages of 13C and 12C in the atmospheric samples. You can see why scientists use -values rather than the actual 13C:12C ratio numbers, which only show changes far to the right of the decimal points! These ratios change by very small amounts over time, but they clearly illustrate big changes in the atmosphere's composition of 13C and 12C, pointing to the fossil fuel origins of more and more of the atmosphere's CO2.

Here is one final comparison to help make the -values more understandable. Annual global average temperatures are usually presented as anomalies with reference to some "base period". Figure 4 is a familiar graph of this from NASA-GISS with data from 1880 to 2016. The "base period" for this graph is 1951-19802, the annual temperatures for these thirty years are averaged together and this is set as the zero point of the anomaly scale. So, the base period is like the standard sample used as the zero point in the -notation scale. Then, each individual year's data point is compared to that zero point. If a year's temperature was warmer than the base period, then the anomaly for that year is positive, such as 2016's record high anomaly of 0.99C. This is comparable to positive -values. Years with colder values than the base period would be negative, like 1904's record low value of -0.5C. This is similar to the negative -values described above.

Figure 4. Land-ocean temperature index, 1880 to present, with base period 1951-1980. The solid black line is the global annual mean and the solid red line is the five-year lowess smooth. The blue uncertainty bars (95% confidence limit) account only for incomplete spatial sampling. (NASA-GISS).

In both instances, -values and temperature anomalies, cumbersome numbers are converted into more meaningful and useful values. In the case of -values, very very small changes in isotopic ratios in the natural environment are more easily described, and we can see more clearly how the Earth's climate system works and changes over time.

1. "The original PDB sample was a sample of fossilized shells of an extinct organism called a belemnite (something like a shelled squid) collected decades ago from the banks of the Pee Dee River in South Carolina. The original sample was used up long ago, but other reference standards were calibrated to that original sample. We still report carbon isotope values relative to PDB but now use the term "VPDB" ["Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite"] to indicate that the data are normalized to the values of that standard." (USGS).

2. Any time period, and any length of time, may be used. A thirty year period is often used because thirty years is a long enough time to describe "average" climate variables.
Danny M. Lavery, aka Dear Prudence, is online weekly to chat live with readers. An edited transcript of the chat is below. (Read Prudies Slate columns here. Send questions to Prudence at prudence@slate.com.)

Readers! Ask me your questions on the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast. Just leave a message at 401-371-DEAR (3327), and you may hear your question answered on a future episode of the show.

Q. Schoolgirl crushbut Im 37 and married: Ive made a terrible mistake. I flirted heavily with a co-worker at our holiday party, much more so than a married woman should flirt. Lots of touching, and there was a moment where we almost kissed but held back. Afterward we exchanged very suggestive texts for a day or two. If Im totally honest I really enjoyed the tension and thrill of it, and I definitely did more than my part to start and keep the situation going.

Now I feel extremely guilty and ashamed, but do not plan to burden my husband by telling him what happenedit would devastate him and destroy the trust in our relationship. My dilemma is that I genuinely like this co-worker and now realize I am also really attracted to him. I dont want to have these feelings. I am married and too old to have a crush. Ill be more cautious about spending time with him alone now that these unexpected feelings have surfaced, but what else should I do to protect my marriage?

A: I dont think trying very hard not to have feelings and telling yourself that 37 is too old to be swept away by a powerful crush is going to be a useful strategy. You may not want to experience these feelings, but thats the trouble with feelings. They dont come based on whether or not we want them, and they dont vanish just because they make us feel uncomfortable.

I think your plan to limit your time with this co-worker is a good one. But when those feelings resurface, dont try to deny or negate themthat will only make them feel all the more forbidden and exciting. Just say to yourself, Yeah, I have a crush on this man, and I want to find excuses to flirt with him and get his attention. That doesnt mean you have to do those things, but it may help to acknowledge your attraction in the moment, rather than try desperately to convince yourself youre too old to feel this wayyoure demonstrably not, by dint of, you know, feeling this way.

Q. Couch lover: This fall, I gained sole custody of my 11-year-old sister, Ada, from our mother. Ada is on the autism spectrum, which was too much for our mother to handle, and she took it out on my sister when she wasnt abandoning her at home for days outright. Adas transitioned well to living in my apartment with me. One thing worries me though: She refuses to sleep in her bed.

Her room was previously used as a rec room, so across from her bed was a couch that I had planned to move as soon as I could. Somehow she decided that the couch was a much better place to sleep, and has completely abandoned her bed. Even if I put her to bed in her actual bed, by the time I go to sleep shes curled up on her couch. When I ask her why she likes sleeping on the couch instead of her bed, she shrugs and says its comfier. She has limited communication skills, so thats the most concrete answer Ive gotten from her.

I dont want to force Ada to sleep in her bed, or stress her out to the point of a meltdown by getting rid of the couch, but Im also worried that people might think Im neglecting her needs if I continue to let her sleep on the couch. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Im glad to hear that Ada has you, and that she doesnt have to deal with your mothers neglect and dislike anymore. A lot of kids on the spectrum have sensory issues, and may feel marked discomfort at certain sensationslike a bed thats too soft or otherwise uncomfortable. If shes happy on the couch, then I think you should let her continue to sleep there. You might try putting a couch (or a futon) in her bedroom at some point, but if the couch is working for her now, then thats all that matters. Hopefully no one will ask or judge you about where your sister is most comfortable sleeping, but if it comes up, you can just say that its what she wants, and leave it at that.

Q. Breaking up with my psychiatrist: I have been seeing the same psychiatrist for over 10 years for depression and anxiety. In some ways, hes been greataccessible by phone when Im in crisis, and seeing me on a cash basis when I havent had insurance. But it feels like our relationship has been deteriorating for months now. He is dismissive of how routine sexism and sexual harassment corrode my quality of life. He sometimes tells me my thoughts are just crazy, or accuses me of being irrational, which undermines my confidence in my own ability to make decisions without his help.

Most recently, I felt like he was gaslighting me in a session: first telling me I was being irrational, then denying he has ever called me irrational; treating me like I was acting out of control when I was trying to have a calm conversation; interrupting me and talking over me. After 15 minutes of this he basically said we would have to end the session if I couldnt calm down. When I said I was calm, he interrupted me again and went back to barking at me that I needed to calm down. I told him I didnt think we could continue the session and left. It felt really good to leave!

Since then I have used the holidays as a reason not to see him again and am in the process of finding help elsewhere. What, if any, responsibility do I have to break up with this psychiatrist? Do I owe him an explanation?

A: You dont owe him an explanation. You dont have to convince him that you have sufficient justification to look elsewhere for help with your mental health, especially since he has a history of ignoring you and speaking over you. If it feels important to you to say why youre leaving, you can absolutely say, Im going to find a new psychiatrist; when you call me crazy or irrational, or dismiss my experience with sexual harassment, I dont feel comfortable being honest and vulnerable with you. Last month was our last session. Remember that he does not have to agree with you in order for you to move on. I think youre making the right decision, and I wish you a lot of luck in finding a psychiatrist who doesnt routinely bark at you.

Q. Re: Schoolgirl crushbut Im 37 and married: I had been married for almost 15 years when I got an intense crush on someone I worked with. Unlike you, I told my husband. It was like popping a balloon. The words came out of my mouth, and the crush just evaporated.

I dont necessarily recommend this for you, as your situation is different and involves heavy flirting and sexy texts. We never went there; though the attraction was pretty obviously mutual, we stayed friendly but professional. It depends on what kind of relationship you have with your husband. For me, telling him got rid of the whole feedback loop Mallory mentioned. It was no longer a shameful secret, but just some weird thing happening. I still have a great, friendly, professional relationship with the guy (and also kind of wonder what I saw in him).

A: Im so glad to hear that was helpful! I agree it may not be right for the letter writer to share this with her husbandthey may not have the kind of relationship you share with your husband, and theres a difference between Im attracted to someone at work and Im attracted to someone at work I almost kissed and sort-of sextedbut even just saying it out loud, to herself if to no one else, may take some of the heavy, forbidden, secretive power out of their interactions. Im so glad to hear from someone who felt a powerful attraction to someone who wasnt their partner, acknowledged their feelings, and moved on. Its a helpful reminder that feelings, while powerful, arent the only things in the world that can drive our behavior.

Q. Other kids: My marriage collapsed after my son was born. He was a miracle, but a costly one. Fertility treatments bankrupted our savings, my wife suffered from several miscarriages, and our son was born premature. When my son was 2, my wife told me she wanted another child. I refused. We fought. A lot. At the time I thought her to be selfish and shortsightedwe were tapped out financially and emotionally. I wanted to finally enjoy ourselves as a family. She filed for divorce.

My son is 9 now, and I have remarried a widow with a girl who I have adopted. My ex has never remarried. We have a good working relationship and she is an excellent mother to our son. My bitterness has faded. My new wife is pregnant. This is unexpected and everything seems to be going well. We have not told anyone. How do I tell my ex-wife? It feels like cheating to let the news come from social media or our son, but telling the news to her face feels like rubbing it in. I want to keep our good rapport, but I am afraid of bringing up bad blood.

A: Its been seven years since your divorce, and the relationship you have with your ex-wife now sounds markedly different from the one you had back when you were fighting every day. I think theres an excellent chance shell respond to the news gracefully, or at least politely. But even if she gets upset, she has to hear it from youdont let her find out from Facebook or her 9-year-old son. That almost guarantees a bitter reaction.

Be frank and friendly when you tell hertheres no reason to go into detail about whether or not the baby was plannedand if it seems like shes having a difficult time absorbing the news, find a way to keep the conversation relatively brief and let her go deal with whatever feelings may come up for her on her own. You shouldnt apologize for having a child with your new wife seven years after your divorcejust because you didnt want a child at that particular time, in that particular context, doesnt mean that you are banned from ever changing your mind.

Q. Dominating sister: What is the best way to deal with an older sister (56) who treats me, her little brother (46), like a 3-year-old? She has never stopped talking about me in the third person when Im standing next to her. When Im working with subtitles for my job on my laptop, Im playing a game. She claims I own many guns (Ive never touched one), never knocks before entering my room or the bathroom, and if a fire starts anywhere in California, she asks if I started it, because I played with matchesonce40 years ago.

I have to spend a week with her for the holidays and Im ready to block her number. We went to the same prep schools and were raised in the same house, yet Im supposedly a sociopath whos never been arrested or even been in a fight. How to handle this?

A: I think that blocking her number is certainly an option. It sounds like your sister is likely unwell if shes experiencing delusions and/or compulsively lying, and while I dont think shes likely to respond well to the suggestion, I hope very much that someone in her life is able to tell her that she needs to seek professional treatment. That person probably shouldnt be you, given that you seem to be a frequent target of her delusions. If you need to limit or even eliminate contact with her for your own well-being, then I think you should do so. If it helps to spend a few sessions with a therapist talking about how being targeted by your sisters lies has affected you and what you need to do in order to protect yourself, I encourage you to find one. But you canand absolutely should!say, I cant spend time with you if youre going to invade my privacy, lie about me, or suggest that Im a danger to other people when Im not.

Q. Re: Couch lover: I really liked small spaces when I was a teenit made me feel comforted to be surrounded on all sides. Let the kid have her couch. Tell anyone who doesnt like it to take a flying leap.

A: I imagine some of the letter writers anxiety about being perceived as neglectful comes from the fact that their mother was, in fact, neglectful. But I dont think other people would necessarily see the couch-bed setup and think, Oh no, this kid is being neglectedI think its not as unusual as the letter writer fears it might be.

Q. The constant whistler: My roommate and colleague of three months, Lisa, has a habit of humming and whistling quite constantly. Because we share the same living space, office space, and work schedule, this means I hear it quite a bit, and what I initially thought was a quirky habit is now extremely irritating to me. If we make the 15-minute walk to work together, shell begin to whistle three to four times during lulls in our conversation, for about 1020 seconds each time. Ive begun to head in to the office early to avoid walking with her, and make excuses to head back on my own when work is over. She hums or whistles relatively often in the office, and even more frequently in our small apartment, in buses, taxis, et cetera. Shes a nice girl, and by default my closest friend here (we are expats in a foreign country, in a city with few English speakers), but I find her lack of self-awareness so frustrating!

I know I need to do it, but I just cant think of a polite yet firm way to ask her not to hum or whistle so frequently around me without upsetting her; it seems to be a habit thats pretty ingrained in her. I would love to take bigger steps like moving apartments, but unfortunately thats not an option for me at the moment.

A: I dont know if youre conscious of this, but you whistle and hum a lot of the time when were at home together, and that makes it hard for me to concentrate if Im working or relax if Im trying to unwind. Do you mind keeping it to a minimum when were at home? Im glad you enjoy it, and I dont want you to feel like you have to be totally silent, but Id really appreciate it if you didnt whistle so often. If she responds positively but occasionally forgetsafter all, it sounds like a pretty unconscious habit, and it may take a while for her to become aware of how frequently she does itjust mention it casually. Hey, youre doing it again; do you mind stopping? Its a very gentle, very reasonable request, and if shes otherwise a good roommate, Im sure shell be happy to cut back.

Q. When do I tell girlfriend about sexual assault?: When I was in high school, I (a male) was repeatedly sexually assaulted and harassed by a female classmate for years. Some of my friends knew about it, but thought it was funny or that I was lucky. After high school, I never told a single person about it. The assault caused me to experience depression and a crisis of faith. It also made me afraid to become close to females, and to have physical interactions with them, thus damaging and dooming pretty much every romantic relationship Ive had since.

Due to the #MeToo movement, Ive started telling a few people about my assault. I recently started dating a great girl. It is still early in the relationship, and we havent kissed or anything due to my trauma, which she doesnt know about. Im starting to think she thinks there is something wrong or that I dont like her. When and how should I tell her? Im afraid that going too dark and serious too soon may damage the relationship. I really like her.

A: Im so sorry that you were sexually assaulted, and Im even sorrier that the people you trusted as your friends responded by dismissing and mocking the repeated violations you experienced. I hope that the friends youve started sharing your experience with recently have responded with compassion, belief, and support. If youre anxious about talking to this girl about being assaulted and harassed, it may help to speak to your friends first about what youre afraid of, and to enlist their support before and after you speak to her.

First, of course, its worth pointing out that youre not obligated to disclose anything if you dont want to. You can absolutely say, Id prefer to take our physical relationship slow, but I really like you and I want to keep seeing each other. Or you can offer her a quick sketch of where youre coming from without going into detail: When I was younger, I was assaulted and harassed by a female classmate, and Im still dealing with the aftermath. I dont want to talk about it in detail right now, but I do want you to know where Im coming from and what Im dealing with. Your reluctance is understandable, given how in the past you were met with dismissal and laughter when you tried to tell people you suffered sexual violence at the hands of a teenage girl. But if this woman youre seeing now is a good personand it sounds like she isI think shell be understanding and respectful. Whenever you feel ready is the best time to tell her. I hope she responds with compassion.

Q. Re: Couch lover: My son is on the spectrum and has some very specific needs for sleep. The letter writer may not be aware of what routine Ada followed in her mothers home, and that routine could help explain why she wants to sleep on the couch. It may be the place where she feels most comfortable. Also, it may provide the best source of sensory deprivation.

Sleeping on a couch is so far away from neglect, especially when the letter writer is providing his or her sister with a stable, loving home. There are a lot of organizations that can provide the letter writer with support as he or she starts navigating parenting a child with autism. Take care.

A: Thanks so much for this. The most important thing to remember, I think, is that the letter writer is doing whats best for his or her sister. Its much better to give Ada a place to sleep where she feels comfortable and relaxed than to try to get her to sleep in a bed because of what other people might thinkthe letter writer is doing the absolute best thing for Ada.

Lavery: Thanks for stopping by during a quiet week! See you next time.

If you missed Part 1 of this weeks chat, click here to read it.

Discuss this column with Dear Prudence on his Facebook page!
A young Slovak sculptor, living in Brussels and Banska Bystrica, donated her Holy Family work to a parish in Luxembourg.

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The work of Slovak sculptor Veronika Bianchi Priehodova was festively handed over to the Wincrange parish in northern Luxembourg on December 14. The symbolic statue called Holy Family was unveiled in attendance of the author and the Ambassador Plenipotentiary for Belgium and Luxembourg, Stanislav Vallo.

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He mentioned, in an interview with the TASR newswire, that this parish is administered by Slovak reverend Lubomir Fabcin, who also a priest for the Slovak community in Brussels in the past.

The author of the statue from Carrara marble is young Slovak sculptor Veronika Bianchi Priehodova, who lives alternately in Brussels and Banska Bystrica. The artwork, which is now part of the interior of the church dating back to 1950, lies on 11 pedestals meant to symbolise 11 cancelled parishes. In Luxembourg, the new law made financing of parishes fall under the local self-administration and now many smaller municipalities cannot afford to finance their own parish, Vallo explained for TASR. Thus, 11 parishes in the Clervaux canton in the north of Luxembourg were cancelled and concentrated in a single parish, that of Wincrange.
There have been hints that the secret service was planning to murder Oskar Fegyveres, from the abduction case of the president's son. The police has had testimony since last year. But the case is now time-barred.

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In May 2016, former secret service agent Lubos Kosik testified about the alleged plans of the Slovak Information Service (SIS) to murder Oskar Fegyveres, the crown witness of the abduction of the presidents son. It is unclear whether the police investigated that case, and with what result.

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Kosik spoke out publicly about the plan to eliminate Fegyveres in an interview with the Sme daily last week. He also confirmed that as a secret service member he was personally involved in the abduction of Michal Kovac Jr. He now claims that the former SIS deputy head, Jaroslav Svechota, who died in 2004, issued the order to murder Fegyveres. At that time Fegyveres was hiding in Switzerland.

They were suppossed to take him and throw him from the rocks somewhere near Mont Blanc in Italy, Kosik told Sme. There is some mountain pass between Switzerland and Italy.

Read also:

Read also: Kovac passes, but his struggle continues Read more

Kosik is currently hiding in Mali due to another case, unconnected to the Fegyveres and the abduction case.

The entire plan was allegedly orchestrated by former SIS member Michal Hrbacek, but Kosik did not want to talk about the case in any more detail, saying that he has already testified about it before the police and is ready to say more in court.

Report to the police

Kosik fled Slovakia in the summer of 2016, when the Supreme Court handed him a prison sentence of 14 years in a case concerning the falsification of obligations. He was detained in Mali in November 2017 and is still there awaiting an extradition decision.
By PTI: Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 28 (PTI) The Congress in Kerala today joined its activists across the country in celebrating the partys 133th party foundation day with various programmes in the state.

Inaugurating the celebrations at the KPCC headquarters here, Congress state president M M Hassan said the party was committed to resisting the challenges to democracy and securalism in the country. "Congress slogan is to uphold nationalism, securalism and to strengthen democracy," Hassan said.

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The congress leader hit out at the CPI-M , alleging that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan were trying to create an impression that there was no alternative to the BJP in the country.

Former chief minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the party celebrations in Kottayam while opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala did so in Kochi. PTI JRK BN MVV

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi has sparked off a controversy by misspelling Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's surname as 'Jaitlie'. The subsequent developments indicate the error was not inadvertent.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: A tweet by Congress president Rahul Gandhi has created immense curiosity among his supporters and critics alike besides the onlookers.

It has also set off an intense debate whether Rahul called Finance Minister Arun Jaitley a liar.

The Twitter post appears to be an innocuous one if read casually. The spelling 'Jaitlie' also appears to be a typo error.

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It says: "Dear Mr Jaitlie - thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means."

Dear Mr Jaitlie - thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means. #BJPLies pic.twitter.com/I7n1f07GaX- Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) 27 December 2017

The initial reaction on the social media to Rahul's post suggested that people took 'Jetlie' as a misspelling.

For instance, this tweet said, "So our foreign studied @officeofRG can't even spell @arunjaitley's surname Jaitley, spells it as Jaitlie. Seems #piddi is at work again."

So our foreign studied @officeofRG canA??t even spell @arunjaitley A??s surname Jaitley, spells it as Jaitlie. Seems #piddi is at work again. pic.twitter.com/qvR82cF8hc- Varun Singh (@singhvarun) 27 December 2017

Dear RAHUL Baba he is Mr. Jaitley @arunjaitley not Mr. Jaitlie .. pic.twitter.com/AcBOdml6Jc- Amit Choudhary (@amitkumarchy) 27 December 2017

However, when read in context, there hardly remains any doubt that Jaitley's name has been misspelt deliberately.

These are the reasons why:

#BJPLIES

The video clip which Rahul has posted along with his tweet belongs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election speech in Gujarat.

The clip shows Modi talking about former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari (though the PM does not name him), Pakistan high commissioner and its former foreign secretary holding a "secret meeting" at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence.

Modi raised questions over the purpose of the meeting at a time when Gujarat elections were happening.

The tweet includes the second video clip of Jaitley's statement issued in the Rajya Sabha yesterday as a clarification for Modi's controversial remark. The finance minister's clarification followed the consistent demand of the Congress for Modi's apology.

The Congress had been disrupting Parliament to press their demand.

Jaitley, who is also the leader of Rajya Sabha, clarified that the PM in his speeches neither questioned nor meant to question the commitment to this nation of either Manmohan Singh or Ansari.

The Congress accepted Jaitley's clarification and curtains were drawn over the contentious issue.

Without naming Aiyar, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad referred to his disparaging "neech aadmi" remarks for Modi and said the Congress disassociated from such comments which may have hurt the PM's dignity.

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Though the matter was considered to be closed, Rahul raked it up again by posting the tweet late last night.

The Congress president's Twitter post ended by saying #BJPLies. Hence, the word 'Jaitlie' seems to have been written deliberately to match with "BJP Lies".

CONGRESS FOUNDATION DAY

Rahul timed the Twitter post quit strategically. It came at 8.52 pm yesterday, a few hours before Jaitley's birthday and the Congress' foundation day.

Today, as the Congress president Rahul addressed his party workers and leaders on the party's 133rd anniversary, he talked again about the BJP's alleged lies and compared it with his party's "truth".

He said, "What is happening today in the country is a web of deceit... BJP operates on the basic idea that lie(s) can be used for political benefit. This is (the) difference between us and them. We might even lose but we will fight for truth."

Rahul's tweet also highlighted his intention. He said, "The central idea of the Congress party is truth, we accept the truth, we work for the truth, we fight for the truth."

The central idea of the Congress party is truth, we accept the truth, we work for the truth, we fight for the truth. #CongressFoundationDay https://t.co/IE2m6BoJ9t- Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) 28 December 2017

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REACTIONS

Some of the Twitter reactions gave away the purported import of Rahul's post.

They said 'Jaitlie' was deliberate. While one said it took him one hour to decode the error, the other one equated Jaitley to BJP.

That's deliberate : Jait+lie, it took me 1 hr to decode it. A??A Jaitley is Jait+lie now.- manoj vyas (@mjbill2014) 27 December 2017

Due to the confusion over the spelling, the BJP seems to be lying low. Or, it may be waiting to counter it with similar pun.

Whatever, 'Jaitlie' was certainly creative.

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"We are doing everything possible to speed up the search of Pavel Lerner. Any information regarding his whereabouts is very much appreciated," PR-department of EXMO said.

"Despite the situation, the exchange is working as usual. We also want to stress that nature of Pavel's job at EXMO doesn't assume access either to storages or any personal data of users. All users funds are absolutely safe."

, a prominent Russian blockchain expert and known managing director of one of the major crypto-exchanges EXMO, has allegedly been kidnapped by "unknown" criminals in the Ukranian capital of Kiev.According to Ukraine-based web publication Strana , Lerner, 40-year-old citizen of Russia, was kidnapped on December 26 when he was leaving his office in the center of town (located on the Stepan Bandera Avenue).Unknown kidnappers in dark clothes and balaclavas dragged Lerner in their black Mercedes-Benz Vito brand (state number AA 2063 MT) car and drove away in an unknown direction.The information comes from an anonymous source in Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, though multiple investigations are currently underway to find out why and by whom Lerner was kidnapped.Lerner is a recognized IT specialist in Ukraine who led a number of startups related to blockchain technology development and mining operations.Lerner is also the managing director of EXMO , a major UK-based cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2013 and well-known with Russians for accepting ruble payments.Law enforcers in Kiev have begun an investigation and are currently conducting search operation, working out all possible leads in the case which is described as the kidnapping.EXMO's representatives confirmed media reports in a statement to a local crypto journal BitNovosti and appealed for any information that could lead to the finding of Lerner.The company representatives also assured its customers that EXMO operations were not affected by the incident and that Lerner did not have direct access to any cryptocurrency account or other personal data.Lerner case has been considered to be yet another case involving a Russian national with cryptocurrency background.In July this year, Alexander Vinnik , a 38-year-old Russian citizen and operator of cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, was detained in Northern Greece at the request of US law enforcement authorities. The Greece court in October also ruled to extradite Vinnik to the United States.The US authorities accused Vinnik of crimes related to the hack of Mt. Gox , which was shut down in 2014 following a massive series of mysterious robberies, which totaled at least $375 million in Bitcoin.
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.
A Ho Chi Minh City court on Wednesday handed jail terms ranging from four to 16 years to 15 terrorists, totaling 128 years of prison time, for those involved in plotting several terrorist attacks in southern Vietnam this year.

The 15 defendants began their trial on Monday faced with charges of acting to overthrow the people's government, participating in terrorism to overthrow the government, damaging property, and stockpiling military weapons.

By Wednesday, two days before the trial was scheduled to end, a guilty verdict had been given for the groups role in detonating bombs at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and at a motorbike impound warehouse belonging to a police station in Dong Nai Province.

The girlfriend of one of the defendants also appeared in the same court on charges of failing to denounce crimes.

Police escort Nguyen Thi Chung (front) and Ngo Thuy Tuong Vy to a court in Ho Chi Minh City on December 27, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Tough sentences

The terror attack on Tan Son Nhat took place on April 22, when three of the accused, Dang Hoang Thien, Truong Tan Phat, and Ngo Thuy Tuong Vy arrived separately at the Ho Chi Minh City airport with two petrol bombs equipped with remote detonation devices.

Phat and Vy were supposed to plant the bomb at the departure hall of the international terminal while Thien was responsible for blowing up the airports parking lot.

However, Phat and Vy made a last-minute decision to remove the battery from of the device after rethinking the consequences of their actions. They then alerted Thien that the bomb would be unable to explode.

Thien attempted to detonate a second bomb by dropping it onto the third floor of the parking lot but it failed to explode. He then picked up the explosive and placed it at the international departure hall where it was remotely detonated by Vy.

As the bomb maker, Thien was sentenced to 16 years in prison followed by a five-year probation period, the toughest penalty handed to any of the 15 convicts.

Vy was given an 11-year jail term plus three years of probation while Phat got five years in jail.

Ngo Thuy Tuong Vy (white shirt) is seen at a court in Ho Chi Minh City in this photo taken from a TV screen. Photo: Tuoi Tre

In a separate moderately successful attack carried out by the same terrorist group, Nguyen Duc Sinh, Thai Han Phong, and Vu Mong Phong set fire to a warehouse belonging to the Bien Hoa police department using a petrol bomb, causing total damages of VND1.3 billion ($57,269).

Sinh, who threw the bomb, was given ten years behind bars while Han Phong got 14 years in jail and five years of probation and Mong Phong received eight years.

The terrorist cell attempted several other attacks, all of which were foiled by authorities.

The Lee&Man paper mill in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang, Tan Son Nhat Airport, the Big C chain, and the house of a ward chairman in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City were among the targets of those botched attempts.

Police escort Nguyen Duc Sinh to a court in Ho Chi Minh City on December 27, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Nine other defendants in the trial were slapped with jail terms of four to 12 years for their various roles.

Le Thi Thu Phuong, Thiens girlfriend, was given an 18-month suspended sentence for knowing her boyfriend was making bombs for terroristic purposes but failing to report him to the police.

The convicted are members of a counter-revolutionary terrorist cell led by Pham Anh Dao, aka Pham Lisa, and Dao Minh Quan. Both are wanted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.
Read what is in the news today, December 28:

Society

-- A 108-kilogram sea turtle that was caught in the fishing nets of some Vietnamese fishermen off the coast of southern Phu Quoc Island on Sunday was released into the ocean the same day, the fishing vessels captain said on Wednesday after a clip of the release had gone viral on social media.

-- The terrorist group responsible for plotting bomb attacks at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City was sentenced to up to 16 years behind bars and another five years on probation for their crime at a court on Wednesday.

-- Former leaders of Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and its construction subsidiary PVC will stand trial on January 8 for their alleged economic mismanagement and embezzlement of public property at the respective bodies, with the court expected to be in session until January 21.

-- A Russian national of around 30 years of age was washed away by fierce waves and drowned off the beach of Nha Trang City in south-central Vietnam at noon on Wednesday, after the victim and a group of friends went swimming despite warnings of dangerous waters.

-- Authorities in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong are looking into a possible case of child abuse after a clip that recently went viral on social media showed a babysitter using a long wooden stick to violently rub at the genitals of a two-year-old boy she was hired to look after, and slapping the child for crying.

-- Sidewalks in Ho Chi Minh City are degrading more quickly than they can be re-paved as motorcyclists continue to use the footpaths as an alternative lane during traffic congestion.

Business

-- The Ministry of Finance has requested state-run power giant Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) to pay VND1,935 billion (US$85.24 million) in arrears, including back taxes and after-tax profit in 2015 and 2016, as the behemoth was found to have incorrectly counted some of its costs during the period to avoid tax.

-- A Vietnamese man in southern Hau Giang Province has been arrested for allegedly duping multiple people into investing on a phantom hospital project he claimed to have a total capital investment of VND26 trillion ($1.15 billion).

-- The Vietnam business of Japanese automaker Toyota on Wednesday launched a massive recall of over 8,000 Corolla compact sedans manufactured in Vietnam between July 24, 2008 and December 31, 2009 to inspect and replace the vehicles passenger seat airbags for malfunctioning.

-- Over 7,000 cryptocurrency mining modules have been imported into Ho Chi Minh City this year as of mid-December, a record rate of over 5,000 modules imported in just under two months since October, according to the municipal customs department.

Education

-- The Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City has climbed five notches since last year in the QS Asia university rankings of 2018 to the 142nd place out of 400 listed institutions in the region this year, three places behind the Vietnam National University-Hanoi (139th).

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Africa-focused natural resources investment company Armadale Capital announced on Wednesday that it has raised 0.65m through the placing of 26,030,000 new ordinary shares of 0.1p each in the capital of the company, at a price of 2.5p per ordinary share with new and existing investors in the UK and Australia.

The AIM-traded firm said the funds raised will be used for working capital requirements.

Over recent months Armadale has implemented a comprehensive cost reduction programme and I am happy to say that these funds should see the company through to H2 2017, whilst we evaluate and prepare our exploration and development plan for the Mahenge Liandu Project in Tanzania, said chairman William Frewen.

Our Mahenge Liandu Project is yielding encouraging results and we have proved up a high-grade JORC compliant inferred mineral resource estimate of 40.9Mt @ 9.41% TGC.

Frewen said the company was expecting metallurgical test work results in the coming weeks, which it hopes will further highlight the quality of its potential coarse flake graphite product, and which will be a further important milestone as it looks to advance Mahenge Liandu towards production in as short a timeframe as practicable.

Importantly, it is worth noting that all three members of the board have participated in this placing, which both highlights our enthusiasm for the Mahenge Liandu Project and underlines our confidence in its value accretion potential moving forward.
Independent Oil & Gas is to buy the recently decommissioned Thames gas pipeline in the southern North Sea from Perenco UK, Tullow Oil SK and Centrica Resources, for a nominal consideration, subject to regulatory consent.

The pipeline will enable the company to export about 300,000 cubic feet per day in gas from its assets in the southern North Sea, the Blythe and Vulcan Satellite hubs, to the Bacton gas terminal.

The acquisition will give the company complete control from field to market and enable it to deliver up to half a trillion cubic feet of gas resources to the UK market for 15 to 20 years starting from the end of next year.

No tariff will be payable for the transportation of the gas to Bacton, but a processing tariff will be payable to Perenco, the terminal owner.

Completion of the deal subject to regulatory consents and provision of security to Perenco to cover the cost of additional pipeline integrity surveys that may be required in the future, which is estimated to be about 500,000.

Once completed the company will export gas from the Blythe and Vulcan satellite hubs, which require an estimated maximum throughput of about 150m cubic feet per day, which is well within the pipeline's anticipated capacity, so it could have sufficient capacity to also export gas from the Harvey discovery.

Ahead of first gas export, the Company is also aiming to buy the onshore reception facilities at the Perenco Bacton terminal and a period of exclusivity has been agreed until the end of September 2018.

IOG chief executive and interim chairman Mark Routh said: "We acquired most of our southern North Sea gas portfolio at low cost because the assets in this area were considered stranded without a viable export route. This acquisition allays those concerns and is therefore of great importance to IOG as we now have a route to market for our gas.

We are also open to work with third parties who may wish to use our export facilities for a tariff. We believe this is the kind of innovation required to breathe new life into the Southern North Sea and is entirely in line with the principles of Maximising Economic Recovery, as championed by the UK Oil and Gas Authority."

Shares in Independent Oil & Gas were down 2.1% to 17.99p at 0952 BST.
Poverty drags down economic growth and reduces tax revenue as it costs the taxpayer 1,200 a year, according to a social policy charity.

A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said poverty affected different government services with NHS in particular affected.

The report, which contained research conducted by Loughborough and Heriot-Watt universities, said poverty costs the taxpayer 1,200 a year and the country 78bn in total.

About 69bn is spent on public services with knock on effects of child poverty costing a further 6bn and adult poverty about 2.7bn a year.

A large portion of what the government spends publicly is to deal with poverty, such as free school meals, which amounts to about 1 in every 5 spent.

"Poverty wastes people's potential, depriving our society of the skills and talents of those who have valuable contributions to make, Joseph Rowntree Foundation chief executive, Julia Unwin said.

This drags down the productivity of our economy, hinders economic growth, and reduces tax revenue."

Professor Donald Hirsch at Loughborough University, who co-wrote the Counting the Cost of UK Poverty report, said: "It is hard even to estimate the full cost of poverty, not least its full scarring effect on those who experience it.

"What our figures show is that there are very large, tangible effects on the public purse. The experience of poverty, for example, makes it more likely that you'll suffer ill health or that you'll grow up with poor employment prospects and rely more on the state for your income."

The report said that 29bn of public money is spent on treating health conditions linked to poverty, 10bn on schools providing free meals and pupil premiums, 9bn on the police and justice system dealing with crime in deprived areas, 7.5bn on children's services such as free childcare for deprived two-year-olds, 4.6bn on adult social care and 4bn on housing.
Considering Assembly election results, the Congress trailed the BJP in 2017 with the score reading 1-6. However, a closer look at these results reveals that this could easily have been 3-4 for the Congress.

By Prabhash K Dutta: In 2014, Narendra Modi powered the BJP-led NDA to government at the Centre with slogans of development and Congress-mukt Bharat. The Congress, which celebrated the 132nd anniversary of its foundation today, has lost powers in 14 states since 2014.

The Congress has lost 13 assembly elections in the past three-and-a-half years while registering wins in two state polls including one in Puducherry, a Union Territory. Despite suffering electoral defeats in heaps since 2014, the Congress has been successful in wresting the trend in 2017.

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The two ends of 2017 present two different approaches of and perceptions about the Congress party, which has undergone a leadership change.

ELECTORAL PERFORMANCE IN 2017

Elections to seven state Assemblies were held in 2017. In six of those states, the BJP formed governments. But a closer look at the election results shows that the result could have been 3-4 instead of 1-6 for the Congress this year.

Elections were held for five state Assemblies in February and March. While the Congress was comprehensively defeated by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, it won Punjab comfortably earlier this year. It emerged as the single largest party in Goa and Manipur.

While the Uttar Pradesh election result was the biggest failure for the Congress this year, Uttarakhand followed a pattern of voting against the incumbent government. The Congress paid the price for anti-incumbency. Himachal Pradesh, too, followed the same pattern later in the year.

WHERE CONGRESS MISSED ITS CHANCES

The Congress is the single largest party in both Goa and Manipur Assemblies. In Manipur, the Congress fell marginally short of a majority winning 28 of 60 seats in the Assembly election. It suffered a loss of 19 seats over 2012 polls.

The BJP won 21 seats yet managed to form the government in Manipur as the Congress leadership failed to act swiftly. The BJP formed an alliance with the Naga People's Front and National People's Party - each had won four seats - while the Congress took a back seat.

In Goa, the Congress won 17 of 40 seats in the Assembly. The ruling BJP was reduced to 13, suffering a loss of eight seats over 2012 polls. Yet the BJP formed an alliance with regional players to return to power while the Congress sat quietly.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, in-charge of Goa, went sightseeing in Goa while the BJP negotiated the terms of ruling alliance with potential partners. Later, the Congress removed Singh as in-charge of Goa. But, the opportunity had been lost by then.

FROM DEMONETISATION TO GST

The Congress' campaign against demonetisation, announced last year in November, did not work to the party's advantage despite the people suffering due to haphazard implementation. Rahul Gandhi's optics by standing in queue to withdraw money from an ATM in New Delhi failed to have a positive impact on the masses.

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However, by the time the Narendra Modi government rolled out the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Congress seemed to be well in the saddle holding the reins of the Opposition. Rahul had emerged as the leader of the Congress with Sonia Gandhi staying away from party's internal meetings.

Rahul made his presence felt both on the ground and on social media. Rahul raised the issues related to GST implementation and got enough ground support, which was evident in the Gujarat Assembly election.

Dominated by traders, Gujarat election made Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah look vulnerable for the first time on their home turf. The counter-narrative built by the Congress over GST played a key role bringing down the BJP tally to double-digit in its strongest citadel.

At the same time, the Modi government was forced to tweak the GST slabs a few times under consistent pressure from the Congress, which claimed victory every single time the tax rates were reduced on more and more articles.

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LEADERSHIP CHANGE

This was also the year, when the Congress saw a generational shift in leadership with Sonia Gandhi passing the baton to Rahul Gandhi after 19 years. But unlike the previous leadership change, this time the Congress state units passed resolutions supporting the elevation of Rahul as Congress president.

In 1998, Sonia was made the party president following a resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee asking the incumbent chief Sitaram Kesari to vacate the post. The resolution was passed in the morning and by evening Sonia was the Congress president.

Rahul's elevation followed a more democratic process in the Congress party. During the course of the year, the party also invested a lot in the image makeover of Rahul.

IMAGE MAKEOVER

A newly set up social media team under actor-politician Divya Spanda, better known as Ramya, played the most important role in building a new perception about Rahul, who was presented as a more measured, articulate and serious leader.

New age leaders have gained more say in the party matters in the Congress while Rahul has emphasised that the old leaders will continue to play the role of a guide. The image makeover of Rahul Gandhi became more pronounced after his speech at University of California, Berkeley in the US in September this year.

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Later, during Gujarat election, Rahul showed that the Congress was ready to go back to accommodative politics when he managed to bring three young leaders - with conflicting interests - Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani under one anti-BJP umbrella.

CONGRESS FORCED AN APOLOGY, CLARIFICATION

Rahul Gandhi has been relentless in his attacks on the Narendra Modi government. This has given a boost to the Congress rank and file.

Two instances mark the shift in Congress' equation with the ruling BJP at the Centre. With the Congress disrupting Parliament's Winter Session over PM Modi's Pakistan remark seeking apology, the government was forced to give a clarification on the floor of the House.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured the members of Opposition in Parliament that PM Modi did not mean to question loyalty and commitment of former PM Manmohan Singh and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari when he referred to a "secret" meeting with Pakistani leaders at suspended Congressman Mani Shankar Aiyar.

In the second instance, Union minister Anantkumar Hegde today tendered an apology in the Lok Sabha for saying that "we are here to change the Constitution and we will change it". The Congress created ruckus in the House terming the statement as minister's lack of faith in the Constitution.

The year ends on a positive note for the Congress, which faces bigger challenges next year and in 2019 under Rahul Gandhi with many analysts saying that 2017 could be the turnaround time for the party.

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While warnings by financial institutions that they will shift jobs away from London due to Brexit poses a risk the countrys economy and commercial property markets, there was a call on Thursday to take their threats with a dose of scepticism.

As banks have recently said they will move out of London in light of hard' Brexit, Eduardo Gorab, UK property economist, as Capital Economics said that threat could prove difficult to carry out due to supply conditions in Europe, rent prices, reluctant bankers willing to move due to low income tax and low corporation.

Since Theresa Mays major speech on Tuesday, which she said Britain will no longer be a member of the European single market and a part of the European Economic Areas customs union once it leaves the EU, several major banks have mooted plans to shift jobs out of the country.

HSBC have said they will move about 1,000 jobs to Paris and UBS about 300 to Madrid from London, while banking heavyweights JP Morgan have suggested they will move between 4,000 and 3,000 to an EU country.

Gorab said that there is an incentive for banks to publicly threaten to move positions away from London in order rto secure the best possible deal when the country negotiates with the EU.

He said that banks have threatened to move before to Singapore or Hong Kong, but none of the moves have actually come to fruition, which shows that banks have cried wolf in the past.

The costs of the relocating operations would not be costless, the economist said, due to a lack of supply on the continent and that the positive demand shock would likely drive up rental prices in likely EU destinations of Paris, Frankfurt and Dublin.

Gorab also said that UKs lower corporation tax is not as attractive as in France with 33% or Germany with 30%. Chancellor Philip Hammond has indicated Britain could lower corporation tax in order to remain competitive post-Brexit, but has lately backtracked on the remark. Ireland has a 12.5% tax rate for trading income.

Migration was also a going to be a problem, with British bankers making the move could be difficult.

The marginal rate of income tax in France, Germany and Ireland is at the very least comparable to the UKs, while a bonus cap of around 200% of base salaries is still in place across the European Central Banks jurisdiction.

Gorab said: Given their track record, the current threats are probably best taken with a healthy dose of scepticism. In our view, a more plausible solution, therefore, seems to be a mixture of hiring freezes in London and headcount boosts in Europe. All else equal, this would not seriously undermine the current central London occupier base.
GlaxoSmithKline announced a new agreement on Monday, with Verily Life Sciences - formerly Google Life Sciences, an Alphabet company - to form Galvani Bioelectronics .

The FTSE 100 firm said the partnership would enable the research, development and commercialisation of bioelectronic medicines, with GSK holding a 55% equity interest in the new jointly owned company and Verily holding 45%.

Galvani Bioelectronics will be headquartered in the UK, with the parent companies contributing existing intellectual property rights and an investment of up to 540m over seven years, subject to successful completion of various discovery and development milestones.

The agreement to establish Galvani Bioelectronics represents an important next step in GSK's bioelectronics research, its board explained.

It said the new company will bring together GSK's world class drug discovery and development expertise and deep understanding of disease biology with Verily's world leading technical expertise in the miniaturisation of low power electronics, device development, data analytics and software development for clinical applications.

Initial work will centre on establishing clinical proofs of principle in inflammatory, metabolic and endocrine disorders, including type 2 diabetes, where substantial evidence already exists in animal models; and developing associated miniaturised, precision devices.

Many of the processes of the human body are controlled by electrical signals firing between the nervous system and the body's organs, which may become distorted in many chronic diseases, said Moncef Slaoui, GSK's chairman of global vaccines.

Bioelectronic medicine's vision is to employ the latest advances in biology and technology to interpret this electrical conversation and to correct the irregular patterns found in disease states, using miniaturised devices attached to individual nerves.

If successful, this approach offers the potential for a new therapeutic modality alongside traditional medicines and vaccines, Slaoui added.

Verilys chief technology officer Brian Otis called it an ambitious collaboration, which will allow the two companies to combines forces and have a huge impact on the emerging field.

Bioelectronic medicine is a new area of therapeutic exploration, and we know that success will require the confluence of deep disease biology expertise and new highly miniaturised technologies.

This partnership provides an opportunity to further Verily's mission by deploying our focused expertise in low power, miniaturised therapeutics and our data analytics engine to potentially address many disease areas with greater precision with the goal of improving outcomes, Otis explained.

Galvani Bioelectronics will be headquartered within GSKs global research and development centre at Stevenage, the board confirmed, with a second research hub at Verilys facilities in San Francisco.

It will initially employ around 30 expert scientists, engineers and clinicians, with Kris Famm, GSK's vice president of bioelectronics R&D, appointed president of the new company.

A seven-member board, chaired by Moncef Slaoui, will also be appointed and will include Andrew Conrad, CEO of Verily.

The new company will be fully consolidated in GSK's financial statements.
The following companies are subsidiares of HSBC: Assetfinance December (F) Limited, Assetfinance December (H) Limited, Assetfinance December (M) Limited, Assetfinance December (P) Limited, Assetfinance December (R) Limited, Assetfinance June (A) Limited, Assetfinance June (D) Limited, Assetfinance Limited, Assetfinance March (B) Limited, Assetfinance March (D) Limited, Assetfinance March (F) Limited, Assetfinance September (F) Limited, Assetfinance September (G) Limited, B&Q Financial Services Limited, Banco Nominees (Guernsey) Limited, Banco Nominees 2 (Guernsey) Limited, Banco Nominees Limited, Bank of Bermuda (Cayman) Limited, Beau Soleil Limited Partnership, Beijing Miyun HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Billingsgate Nominees Limited, CC&H Holdings LLC, CCF & Partners Asset Management Limited, COIF Nominees Limited, Canada Crescent Nominees (UK) Limited, Canada Square Nominees (UK) Limited, Capco/Cove Inc., Card-Flo #1 Inc., Card-Flo #3 Inc., Charterhouse Administrators (D.T.) Limited, Charterhouse Management Services Limited, Charterhouse Pensions Limited, Chongqing Dazu HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Chongqing Fengdu HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Chongqing Rongchang HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Cordico Management AG, Corhold Limited, Corsair IV Financial Services Capital Partners, Dalian Pulandian HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Decision One Mortgage Company LLC, Dem 5, Dem 9, Dempar 1, Dempar 4, Elysees Immo Invest, Eton Corporate Services Limited, Fdm 5 SAS, Finanpar 2, Finanpar 7, Flandres Contentieux S.A., Fonciere Elysees, Fujian Yongan HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Fulcher Enterprises Company Limited, Fundacion HSBC A.C., GPIF Co-Investment LLC, Giller Ltd., Global Payments Technology Mexico S.A. De C.V., Griffin International Limited, Grundstuecksgesellschaft Trinkausstrasse Kommanditgesellschaft, Grupo Financiero HSBC S.A. de C.V., Guangdong Enping HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, HITG Administration GmbH, HRMG Nominees Limited, HSBC (BGF) Investments Limited, HSBC (General Partner) Limited, HSBC (Guernsey) GP PCC Limited, HSBC (Kuala Lumpur) Nominees Sdn Bhd, HSBC (Malaysia) Trustee Berhad, HSBC (Singapore) Nominees Pte Ltd, HSBC Administradora de Inversiones S.A., HSBC Agency (India) Private Limited, HSBC Alternative Investments Limited, HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad, HSBC Americas Corporation (Delaware), HSBC Argentina Holdings S.A., HSBC Asia Holdings (UK) Limited, HSBC Asia Holdings B.V., HSBC Asia Holdings Limited, HSBC Asia Pacific Holdings (UK) Limited, HSBC Asset Finance (UK) Limited, HSBC Asset Finance M.O.G. Holdings (UK) Limited, HSBC Asset Management (India) Private Limited, HSBC Assurances Vie (France), HSBC Australia Holdings Pty Limited, HSBC Bank (Chile), HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited, HSBC Bank (General Partner) Limited, HSBC Bank (Mauritius) Limited, HSBC Bank (RR) (Limited Liability Company), HSBC Bank (Singapore) Limited, HSBC Bank (Taiwan) Limited, HSBC Bank (Uruguay) S.A., HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd., HSBC Bank A.S., HSBC Bank Argentina S.A., HSBC Bank Armenia cjsc, HSBC Bank Australia Limited, HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited, HSBC Bank Canada, HSBC Bank Capital Funding (Sterling, HSBC Bank Capital Funding (Sterling 2) LP, HSBC Bank Egypt S.A.E, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad, HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, HSBC Bank Nominee (Jersey) Limited, HSBC Bank Oman S.A.O.G., HSBC Bank Pension Trust (UK) Limited, HSBC Bank Polska S.A., HSBC Bank USA National Association, HSBC Bank plc, HSBC Branch Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC Brasil Holding S.A., HSBC Brasil S.A. Banco De Investimento, HSBC Broking Forex (Asia) Limited, HSBC Broking Futures (Asia) Limited, HSBC Broking Futures (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Broking Securities (Asia) Limited, HSBC Broking Securities (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Broking Services (Asia) Limited, HSBC Canadian Covered Bond (Legislative) GP Inc, HSBC Canadian Covered Bond (Legislative) Guarantor Limited Partnership, HSBC Capital (USA) Inc., HSBC Capital Funding (Dollar 1) L.P., HSBC Capital Limited, HSBC Card Services Inc., HSBC Casa de Bolsa S.A. de C.V., HSBC Cayman Services Limited, HSBC City Funding Holdings, HSBC Client Holdings Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC Client Share Offer Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC Columbia Funding LLC, HSBC Corporate Advisory (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, HSBC Corporate Finance (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Corporate Trustee Company (UK) Limited, HSBC Custody Nominees (Australia) Limited, HSBC Custody Services (Guernsey) Limited, HSBC Daisy Investments (Mauritius) Limited, HSBC Diversified Loan Fund General Partner Sarl, HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Guangdong) Limited, HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Philippines) Inc., HSBC Electronic Data Processing India Private Limited, HSBC Electronic Data Processing Lanka (Private) Limited, HSBC Electronic Data Service Delivery (Egypt) S.A.E., HSBC Enterprise Investment Company (UK) Limited, HSBC Epargne Entreprise (France), HSBC Equipment Finance (UK) Limited, HSBC Equity (UK) Limited, HSBC Europe B.V., HSBC Executor & Trustee Company (UK) Limited, HSBC Factoring (France), HSBC Finance (Brunei) Berhad, HSBC Finance (Netherlands), HSBC Finance Corporation, HSBC Finance Limited, HSBC Finance Mortgages Inc., HSBC Finance Transformation (UK) Limited, HSBC Financial Services (Lebanon) s.a.l., HSBC France, HSBC Fund Services (Korea) Limited, HSBC Germany Holdings GmbH, HSBC Global Asset Management (Bermuda) Limited, HSBC Global Asset Management (Canada) Limited, HSBC Global Asset Management (Deutschland) GmbH, HSBC Global Asset Management (France), HSBC Global Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Global Asset Management (Japan) K. K., HSBC Global Asset Management (Malta) Limited, HSBC Global Asset Management (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., HSBC Global Asset Management (Oesterreich) GmbH, HSBC Global Asset Management (Singapore) Limited, HSBC Global Asset Management (Switzerland) AG, HSBC Global Asset Management (Taiwan) Limited, HSBC Global Asset Management (UK) Limited, HSBC Global Asset Management (USA) Inc., HSBC Global Asset Management Holdings (Bahamas) Limited, HSBC Global Asset Management Limited, HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC Global Custody Proprietary Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC Global Services (Canada) Limited, HSBC Global Services (China) Holdings Limited, HSBC Global Services (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Global Services (UK) Limited, HSBC Global Services Limited, HSBC Group Management Services Limited, HSBC Group Nominees UK Limited, HSBC Holdings B.V., HSBC IM Pension Trust Limited, HSBC INKA Investment-AG TGV, HSBC Infrastructure Limited, HSBC Inmobiliaria (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., HSBC Institutional Trust Services (Asia) Limited, HSBC Institutional Trust Services (Bermuda) Limited, HSBC Institutional Trust Services (Ireland) DAC, HSBC Institutional Trust Services (Mauritius) Limited, HSBC Institutional Trust Services (Singapore) Limited, HSBC Insurance (Asia) Limited, HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings Limited, HSBC Insurance (Bermuda) Limited, HSBC Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Limited, HSBC Insurance Agency (USA) Inc., HSBC Insurance Brokers (Philippines) Inc, HSBC Insurance Holdings Limited, HSBC Insurance Services Holdings Limited, HSBC International Finance Corporation, HSBC International Trustee (BVI) Limited, HSBC International Trustee (Holdings) Pte. Limited, HSBC International Trustee Limited, HSBC Inversiones S.A., HSBC InvestDirect (India) Limited, HSBC InvestDirect Financial Services (India) Limited, HSBC InvestDirect Sales & Marketing (India) Limited, HSBC InvestDirect Securities (India) Private Limited, HSBC Investment Bank Holdings B.V., HSBC Investment Bank Holdings Limited, HSBC Investment Funds (Canada) Inc., HSBC Investment Funds (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Investment Funds (Luxembourg) SA, HSBC Invoice Finance (UK) Limited, HSBC Issuer Services Common Depositary Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC Issuer Services Depositary Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC LU Nominees Limited, HSBC Latin America B.V., HSBC Latin America Holdings (UK) Limited, HSBC Leasing (Asia) Limited, HSBC Leasing (France), HSBC Life (International) Limited, HSBC Life (Property) Limited, HSBC Life (UK) Limited, HSBC Life Assurance (Malta) Limited, HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited, HSBC Management (Guernsey) Limited, HSBC Markets (USA) Inc., HSBC Marking Name Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC Mexico S.A., HSBC Middle East Finance Company Limited, HSBC Middle East Holdings B.V., HSBC Middle East Leasing Partnership, HSBC Mortgage Corporation (Canada), HSBC Mortgage Corporation (USA), HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd, HSBC Nominees (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Nominees (New Zealand) Limited, HSBC Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd, HSBC North America Holdings Inc., HSBC Odeme Sistemleri Bilgisayar Teknolojileri Basin Yayin Ve Musteri Hizmetleri, HSBC Operational Services GmbH, HSBC Overseas Holdings (UK) Limited, HSBC Overseas Investments Corporation (New York), HSBC Overseas Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC PB Corporate Services, HSBC PB Services (Suisse) SA, HSBC PI Holdings (Mauritius) Limited, HSBC Participaciones (Argentina) S.A., HSBC Pension Trust (Ireland) DAC, HSBC Pensiones S.A., HSBC Portfoy Yonetimi A.S., HSBC Preferential LP (UK), HSBC Private Bank (C.I.) Limited, HSBC Private Bank (Luxembourg) S.A., HSBC Private Bank (Monaco) SA, HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA, HSBC Private Bank (UK) Limited, HSBC Private Bank International, HSBC Private Banking Holdings (Suisse) SA, HSBC Private Banking Nominee 3 (Jersey) Limited, HSBC Private Equity Advisors LLC, HSBC Private Equity Investments (UK) Limited, HSBC Private Trustee (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Private Wealth Services (Canada) Inc., HSBC Professional Services (India) Private Limited, HSBC Property (UK) Limited, HSBC Property Funds (Holding) Limited, HSBC Provident Fund Trustee (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Qianhai Securities Limited, HSBC REIM (France), HSBC Real Estate Leasing (France), HSBC Realty Credit Corporation (USA), HSBC Representative Office (Nigeria) Limited, HSBC Retirement Benefits Trustee (UK) Limited, HSBC Retirement Services Limited, HSBC SFH (France), HSBC Savings Bank (Philippines) Inc., HSBC Securities (Asia) Limited, HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., HSBC Securities (Egypt) S.A.E., HSBC Securities (Japan) Limited, HSBC Securities (Philippines) Inc., HSBC Securities (Singapore) Pte Limited, HSBC Securities (South Africa) (Pty) Limited, HSBC Securities (Taiwan) Corporation Limited, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., HSBC Securities Asia International Nominees Limited, HSBC Securities Asia Nominees Limited, HSBC Securities Brokers (Asia) Limited, HSBC Securities Investments (Asia) Limited, HSBC Securities Services (Bermuda) Limited, HSBC Securities Services (Guernsey) Limited, HSBC Securities Services (Ireland) DAC, HSBC Securities Services (Luxembourg) S.A., HSBC Securities Services Holding Limited, HSBC Securities Services Holdings (Ireland) DAC, HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India) Private Limited, HSBC Seguros S.A de C.V., HSBC Seguros de Retiro (Argentina) S.A., HSBC Seguros de Vida (Argentina) S.A., HSBC Service Delivery (Polska) Sp. z o.o., HSBC Services (France), HSBC Services Japan Limited, HSBC Services USA Inc., HSBC Servicios Financieros S.A., HSBC Servicios S.A de C.V., HSBC Software Development (Canada) Inc, HSBC Software Development (Guangdong) Limited, HSBC Software Development (India) Private Limited, HSBC Software Development (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, HSBC Specialist Investments Limited, HSBC Stockbrokers Nominee (UK) Limited, HSBC Technology & Services (China) Limited, HSBC Technology & Services (USA) Inc., HSBC Transaction Services GmbH, HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt (International) S.A., HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG, HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt Gesellschaft fur Bankbeteiligungen mbH, HSBC Trinkaus Europa Immobilien-Fonds Nr. 5 GmbH, HSBC Trinkaus Family Office GmbH, HSBC Trinkaus Immobilien Beteiligungs KG, HSBC Trinkaus Real Estate GmbH, HSBC Trust Company (Canada), HSBC Trust Company (Delaware) National Association, HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited, HSBC Trust Company AG, HSBC Trustee (C.I.) Limited, HSBC Trustee (Cayman) Limited, HSBC Trustee (Guernsey) Limited, HSBC Trustee (Hong Kong) Limited, HSBC Trustee (Singapore) Limited, HSBC UK Bank plc, HSBC UK Client Nominee Limited, HSBC UK Holdings Limited, HSBC USA Inc., HSBC Violet Investments (Mauritius) Limited, HSBC Wealth Client Nominee Limited, HSBC Yatirim Menkul Degerler A.S., HSI Asset Securitization Corporation, HSI International Limited, HSIL Investments Limited, Hang Seng (Nominee) Limited, Hang Seng Bank (China) Limited, Hang Seng Bank (Trustee) Limited, Hang Seng Bank Limited, Hang Seng Bullion Company Limited, Hang Seng Credit Limited, Hang Seng Data Services Limited, Hang Seng Finance Limited, Hang Seng Financial Information Limited, Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited, Hang Seng Insurance Company Limited, Hang Seng Investment Management Limited, Hang Seng Investment Services Limited, Hang Seng Life Limited, Hang Seng Qianhai Fund Management Company Limited, Hang Seng Real Estate Management Limited, Hang Seng Securities Limited, Hang Seng Security Management Limited, Haseba Investment Company Limited, Hg Janus A Co-Invest L.P., High Time Investments Limited, Honey Green Enterprises Ltd., Hongkong International Trade Finance, Household Capital Markets LLC, Household Finance Corporation III, Household Pooling Corporation, Hubei Macheng HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Hubei Suizhou Cengdu HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Hubei Tianmen HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Hunan Pingjiang HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, INKA Internationale Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH, Imenson Limited, InfraRed NF China Real Estate Investments LP, Inmobiliaria Banci S.A. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Bisa S.A. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Grufin S.A. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Guatusi S.A. de C.V., James Capel & Co. Limited, James Capel (Nominees) Limited, James Capel (Taiwan) Nominees Limited, Jasmine22 Limited, John Lewis Financial Services Limited, Keyser Ullmann Limited, Lion Corporate Services Limited, Lion International Corporate Services Limited, Lion International Management Limited, Lion Management (Hong Kong) Limited, Lyndholme Limited, MIL (Cayman) Limited, MIL (Jersey) Limited, MW Gestion SA, Marks and Spencer Financial Services plc, Marks and Spencer Savings and Investments Limited, Marks and Spencer Unit Trust Management Limited, Mercantile Company Limited, Mexicana de Fomento S.A. de C.V., Midcorp Limited, Midland Bank (Branch Nominees) Limited, Midland Nominees Limited, PT Bank HSBC Indonesia, PT HSBC Sekuritas Indonesia, Promocion en Bienes Raices S.A. de C.V., Prudential Client HSBC GIS Nominee (UK) Limited, R/CLIP Corp., RLUKREF Nominees (UK) One Limited, RLUKREF Nominees (UK) Two Limited, Real Estate Collateral Management Company, Republic Nominees Limited, Republic Overseas Capital Corporation, S.A.P.C. - Ufipro Recouvrement, SAS Bosquet - Audrain, SAS Cyatheas Pasteur, SAS Orona, SCI HSBC Assurances Immo, SFM, SFSS Nominees (Pty) Limited, SNC Dorique, SNC Kerouan, SNC Les Mercuriales, SNC Les Oliviers D'Antibes, SNC Makala, SNC Nuku-Hiva Bail, SNCB/M6-2007 A, SNCB/M6-2007 B, SNCB/M6-2008 A, Saf Baiyun, Saf Chang Jiang, Saf Guangzhou, Saf Zhu Jiang, Saf Zhu Jiang Jiu, Saf Zhu Jiang Shi Ba, Saf Zhu Jiang Shi Er, Saf Zhu Jiang Shi Jiu, Saf Zhu Jiang Shi Liu, Saf Zhu Jiang Shi Qi, Saf Zhu Jiang Shi Wu, Shandong Rongcheng HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited, Sico Limited, Societe Francaise et Suisse, Somers Dublin DAC, Somers Nominees (Far East) Limited, Sopingest, South Yorkshire Light Rail Limited, St Cross Trustees Limited, Sun Hung Kai Development (Lujiazui III) Limited, Swan National Leasing (Commercials) Limited, Swan National Limited, Thasosfin, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, The Venture Catalysts Limited, Timberlink Settlement Services (USA) Inc., Tooley Street View Limited, Tower Investment Management, Trinkaus Australien Immobilien Fonds Nr. 1 Brisbane GmbH & Co. KG, Trinkaus Australien Immobilien-Fonds Nr. 1 Treuhand-GmbH, Trinkaus Europa Immobilien-Fonds Nr.3 Objekt Utrecht Verwaltungs-GmbH, Trinkaus Immobilien-Fonds Geschaeftsfuehrungs-GmbH, Trinkaus Immobilien-Fonds Verwaltungs-GmbH, Trinkaus Private Equity Verwaltungs GmbH, Tropical Nominees Limited, Turnsonic (Nominees) Limited, Valeurs Mobilieres Elysees, Wardley Limited, Wayfoong Nominees Limited, Wayhong (Bahamas) Limited, Westminster House LLC, Woodex Limited, and Yan Nin Development Company Limited.

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The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Credit Management LLC, AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe Holdings S.a.r.l, AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Operations Inc., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund II GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund III GP LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund IV GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American International Group UK Limited, American International Realty LLC, American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A. en Liquidacion S.A., Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., C.A. de Seguros American International, Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Glatfelter Underwriting Services Inc., Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Illinois National Insurance Co., Inversiones Segucasai C.A., Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, Lexington Specialty Insurance Agency Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PCG 2019 Corporate Member Limited, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SAFG Capital LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., and Western World Insurance Company.

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Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets building products primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structure markets. It operates through four segments: Siding; Oriented Strand Board (OSB); Engineered Wood Products (EWP); and South America. The Siding segment offers LP SmartSide trim and siding products, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish trim and siding products, LP BuilderSeries lap siding products, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions; and engineered wood siding, trim, soffit, and fascia products. The OSB segment manufactures and distributes OSB structural panel products comprising LP TechShield radiant barriers, LP WeatherLogic air and water barriers, LP Legacy premium sub-flooring products, LP FlameBlock fire-rated sheathing products, and LP TopNotch sub-flooring products. The EWP segment provides laminated veneer lumber and other related products; and LP SolidStart I-joists, which are primarily used in residential and commercial floorings, roofing systems, and other structural applications. The South America segment manufactures and distributes OSB structural panel and siding products. This segment also distributes and sells related products for the region's transition to wood frame construction. It also offers timber and timberlands and other products and services. The company sells its products primarily to retailers, wholesalers, and homebuilding and industrial businesses in North America and South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
Diebedo Francis Kere, the Aga Khan Award winner for Architecture (2004) and the designer of Serpentine Pavilion for 2017, visited Sudan this December, to follow the progress of the Meroe Royal Baths Protective Shelter project, a historical site excavated in 1912.

The Importance of the visit comes from the dialogue regarding the Sudan history that has been conducted locally in Sudan lately; a project like this can affect the touristic scene in Sudan since its the first of its kind in the area.

Image  Kere Architecture

"The Baths themselves are considered very valuable since its the only one in Sudan and having a Romanian style building in central Africa isn't common that shows the relationship between the Mediterranean and Africa", said Dr. Salah Mohammed Ahmed, representitor of Qatar-Sudan Archaeological Project.

The Baths are believed to have serviced two nearby palaces from the great Kingdom of Kush as part of a complex dating back to the first century AD. The ancient city of Meroe today is marked by temples, palaces and more than two hundred pyramids, which were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

Kere described the Royal baths as "exciting to see what people were able to do, like the piping system used to transporting water" told exclusively World Architecture Community Reporter Zainab Gaafar - a historical location with this value makes this project very important so it can protect the artifacts and building remains.

Image  Kere Architecture

Kere architects won first place in a competition announced by Qatar-Sudan Archaeological Project, the German Archeological Institute and the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM).

During the visit Kere and his team visited the project site and the nearby town of Shundi to understand more about the materials used locally, labor market and construction techniques as well as to understand the neighbors of the site and their technical capacity.

Image  Kere Architecture

Speaking to World Architecture Community's Sudan Reporter Zainab Gaafar, Kere said that construction work will start in 2019 and during this year, Kere Architects will conduct thorough research that Kere described as a "dialog" to explore, talk, meet and discover and then design to adapt the primary design to the local economic and social context, besides that, they will develop the design in detail, build prototypes and gather information to develop the best construction methods that are suitable to Sudan.

Image  Rebecca J Bradley

Above image shows a historical reconstruction of the city of Meroe, around 100 A.D. From, "The Capital of Kush" via Sundiata, image courtesy of Wild Fire Games

Because of the location of the construction site and the fragility of the historical antiquities, it presents a big challenge for Kere to consider when building this establishment, but with the assistance of the German Archeological Institute and the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums, Kere believes that they will come up with great solutions for the structure that will not harm anything.

Image  Sudan Architecture Forum

On the 17th of December, Kere presented a public talk organized by the Sudan Architecture Forum, the biggest local public platform for architects here and Sudan. It was sponsored by DAL Group, ARCANE for Sustainable Solutions, MAHGOUB SONS Groups and with the assistance of NCAM and The Ministry of Building and Physical planning.

The event received great attention from both architecture and non-architecture communities and it was attended by over 1200 visitors including the German ambassador, who spoke on the event day and expressed his happiness to see this number of young eager people for knowledge.

Image  Sudan Architecture Forum

During the lecture, a film made by SAF was presented showing a group of Sudanese Architects, architecture students and University instructors explaining about Kere's work, how do they believe it's changing the global architecture scene and how they personally preserve his work, afterwards Kere gave a talk where he described his work, his theories and philosophies as well as the project he is currently working on here in Sudan.

He also described his work in Burkina Faso, how he incorporated the human factor in designing and building. "Everywhere we go its about the people" said Kere, an experience that might be imported to Sudan even though Kere believes he is the one who is going to learn from this experience.

The audience were excited by the end had a great number of questions about his ideas, construction methods for his designs.

Image  Sudan Architecture Forum

A project designed by a world renowned architect like Kere can be very valuable for a country like Sudan, with the political and economic situation, it can bring good opportunities and improve the touristic flow. Hopefully it will be followed with more similar projects.

Top Image  Sudan Architecture Forum

> via Sudan Architecture Forum, Kere Architecture
A day after India Today exposed how BJP MP Udit Raj distributed metal tokens for Rs 250 each to street vendors in his constituency promising them "protection" from the MCD and the police, the Congress on Thursday said that it is a "big scam".

By Ankit Yadav: A day after India Today exposed how Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Udit Raj distributed metal tokens for Rs 250 each to street vendors in his constituency promising them "protection" from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the police, the Congress on Thursday said that it is a "big scam".

Raj, who represents the North West constituency, had addressed a 'Save Reservation' rally at Ramlila Maidan on Tuesday. India Today spoke to several vendors, who alleged that they were promised the tokens on the condition that they attend the rally. Raj is also the national chairman of All India Confederation of SC/ST/OBC Organisations.

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All India Congress Committee secretary Tarun Kumar, who spoke to several street vendors of Rohini Sector 20 on Thursday, said, "Every vendor was charged Rs 250. Who has given the authority to Udit Raj to distribute such tokens? He misled them on the pretext of distributing tokens to make his rally successful."

Every token bears the names of Raj and his constituency and a serial number. "What is the meaning of this token?" Kumar asked. "There is a town vending committee that comprises officials of the MCD and the Delhi government and RWA members. Such committees decide in which areas street vendors can operate. No such committee has been formed. This is a big scam."

Demanding a public apology from Raj, Kumar said, "If he does not apologise and return the money collected from the vendors, we will approach the police. It is shameful; Raj and the BJP have fooled the public."

Rehri Patri Evam Asangathit Kamgar Congress chairman Anurag Shankar, who accompanied Kumar, said that the distribution of tokens was illegal.

"There is already a law on street vendors. But it has never been implemented despite the BJP being in power at the Centre and MCD," he said referring to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. "There was an attempt to distribute such tokens at Uttam Nagar as well, but the Congress foiled the plan."

Earlier, when India Today asked Raj about the controversy, he shot back, " What is so controversial about it? The BJP's colour is saffron, the Congress has the tricolor and now street vendors have their 'identity cards'. Do you want the police to harass vendors? I don't want that. Criminals and the police extort from vendors."

The vendors were provided the tokens to be part of a street vendors association, Raj added. "They themselves paid the money for the tokens. I will charge Rs500, Rs1,000, Rs, 2000 from them. What is problem?" he replied angrily when asked why the vendors were charged money. "We charged them because money was spent on the tokens. We are not doing charity."

Raj also denied that the tokens are a licence to squat when asked that the vendors were promised they will not be evicted. "This is not licence."

--- ENDS ---

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Three charged in connection to missing Aberdeen man

As the Aberdeen Police Department continues to investigate the disappearance of Simon Deng in Aberdeen, three people now face charges.
SANTA FE  Bonnie Hearne, a staple in Santa Fes music community for decades as part of a popular country and folk music duo with her husband, died Tuesday at age 71.

Bill and Bonnie Hearne made waves with albums like 1997s Diamonds in the Rough and tours that featured major country stars like Lyle Lovett, Jerry Jeff Walker and others.

The couple had a standing gig with the La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe for the last 25 years. Bill has continued playing there with his trio since Bonnie stopped performing regularly due to health complications in 2003.

In July, the couple  who originally got together in Austin  was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the New Mexico Music Commission Foundations Platinum Music Awards. Bonnie sang and played piano, while Bill sings and is a guitarist.

Bill told the Journal Wednesday that his wife was admitted to Christus St. Vincent Medical Center on Christmas Eve due to complications from sepsis, a complication from infection. Before being taken to the hospital, he said, she was preparing to sing in a church performance.

Bonnie, a native Texan, went blind at age 10 and taught herself music while at the Texas School for the Blind. After meeting Bill in 1968, the two performed together and moved to Santa Fe in 1991 after living about 10 years in Red River.

Her last public performance, Bill noted, was in September at the annual Michael Hearnes Big Barn Dance Music Festival in Taos. Michael Hearne is Bills nephew. She had a great time, said Bill. She was frail, but she enjoyed it.

The couple became established as local music icons over the last couple of decades.

Margaret Burke, a local bassist and friend, recalls when the Bill and Bonnie were still playing together. The duo would come into El Farol on Canyon Road, where Burke played with her own group, and Bonnie would perform everything from R&B to Carole King hits with the band.

Margaret Burke, a local bassist and friend, recalled when the two were still playing together and Bonnie would come into El Farol on Canyon Road, where Burke played with her band at the time, and Bonnie would perform everything from R&B to Carole King hits with the band.

She had the voice of an angel, said Burke. She referred to Bonnie as a strong and fierce woman despite her recent fragile state.

Susan Holmes, who used to tour with the couple, remembered Bonnie having perfect pitch and, even though she was blind, could mentally visualize colors that correlated with individual music notes. She was adored, rightfully so, Holmes added.

Even after Bonnie stopped performing regularly, she still attended her husbands La Fonda shows and joined the band from time to time, said Jenny Kimball, La Fondas board chairman and a personal friend.

Kimball described the duo as magical when performing together. She also said Bonnie was one of the sweetest people she knew but with a wicked sense of humor. I never met someone so gracious and kind as Bonnie was, said Kimball.

Burke said nothing would stop Bonnie from coming up on stage for a song if she was able, even when she was going through a difficult times. She was just a professional to the end, said Burke.

Memorial services for Bonnie will be Wednesday, Jan. 3, said Bill. A private service will be earlier in the day, and a public graveside service with a reception to follow will begin around 1:15-1:30 p.m. at the Rivera Family Funeral Home, 417 E. Rodeo Road.
UVALDE, Texas  A U.S. Border Patrol agent and two other people have died after a sport utility vehicle collided with a wild hog in Southwest Texas, authorities said.

The accident happened late Monday on a rural road near Uvalde, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio. Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Conrad Hein said Tuesday that a preliminary investigation indicates a Ford Expedition collided with the hog, which caused the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic and hit a Mercedes SUV head-on.

The Expeditions driver, 51-year-old Ruby Garza, and the driver of the Mercedes, 27-year-old Antonio Cordova, were pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the Expedition, 51-year-old Julia Vasquez, died later at a hospital.

Border Patrol officials in Del Rio, Texas, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Cordova was a Border Patrol agent and was driving home after finishing a shift at the station in Uvalde.

Two other people who also were passengers in the Expedition were injured but Hein said he had no details about them or their conditions.

It was not immediately clear what happened to the hog. Both vehicles were fully engulfed in flames, Hein said.

Texas has a growing hog population that causes millions of dollars worth of damage to crops each year. Around the country, feral hogs do more than $1.5 billion a year in damage. They damage crops and hay fields and can spread dozens of diseases.

Scientists are field testing poison baits made from a preservative thats used to cure bacon and sausage as a way to control the hogs. Tests will start early in 2018 in West Texas and continue in central Alabama around midsummer.
SANTA FE  The Republican Party of Santa Fe County and nine individuals on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against city government alleging that it used a bait and switch tactic when it formed an independent salary commission that set the salary for the next mayor at $110,000.

The state court lawsuit argues that when Santa Fe voters in 2014 approved a city charter amendment to establish the position of mayor as a full-time position, they did so with the understanding that the mayors salary would initially be $74,000.

The ballot question, approved by 57 percent of voters, stated that an independent salary commission would be formed to set the mayors salary, adding, Until such commission is created and sets the salary for mayor, the mayors salary shall be $74,000.

Defendants conduct constitutes a bait and switch,' states the lawsuit, adding, It is a tactic the law declares illegal, and would give rise to a successful claim under the Unfair Practices Act.

In addition, the lawsuit notes that the effective date for the charter amendment was listed as March 12, 2018. Yvonne Chicoine, an attorney who serves as chair of the local Republican Party, said that the city jumped the gun when it formed a salary commission prior to the amendments effective date.

We need to follow what the law says. We need to start with the $74,000 that voters approved, Chicoine said. She said a new salary commission should be formed after March 12 to decide on the mayoral salary.

The city established a the salary commission in 2016 to begin deliberating what the mayors salary should be. After first considering setting the salary in the $145,000 to $175,000 range, drawing considerable public outcry, the commission in May settled on $110,000 in a 4-3 vote. It also voted 6-1 to reconvene one year after the 2018 election, to be held on March 6, to again review the salary and decide whether to take further action. Five candidates, but not incumbent Javier Gonzales, are running for mayor in the March election.

The lawsuit asks a judge to declare that Santa Fes next mayor be paid an annual salary of $74,000. To permit a salary of $110,000 is to sanction false, misleading and deceptive conduct by government officials, the lawsuit argues.

The city did not respond to request for comment. The mayors pay is currently $14.22 per hour, or about $29,578 per year.

The 2014 charter amendment also gives the mayor new powers starting next year, including sole authority to hire and fire the city manager, city attorney and city clerk and to propose his or her own city budget.
Two brothers are in custody after police say they got into a gunfight with security guards in the parking lot of an Albuquerque drug store Tuesday night.

Vankevin Chopito, 21, and Michael Chopito, 26, are each charged with two counts of aggravated battery with great bodily harm and tampering with evidence, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Police say Vankevin Chopito shot at and injured security guards Giovanni Quinones and Levi Marquez before Marquez returned fire in the parking lot of the CVS at Central and Louisiana NE.

Officers were called to the store around 9:30 p.m. and found Quinones shot in the face and Marquez shot in the leg with shotgun pellets.

Quinones, an on-duty security guard, told police the incident began after he broke up a fight between Michael Chopito and another man outside the store.

Police say Marquez, another security guard who was off duty at the time, showed up just before Vankevin Chopito pulled up in a silver car.

Marquez told police Vankevin Chopito, who had been called by his brother, got out of the car and fired a shotgun into the air before firing it at the two security guards.

Police say Marquez pulled out his own weapon and fired back at Vankevin Chopito, who then fled with his brother.

Officers found Vankevin Chopito at the hospital with a gunshot to the leg, according to the complaint.

Vankevin Chopito told police his brother called him earlier that night and told him he was being jumped by several men at the CVS.

Police say Vankevin Chopito initially told them Marquez fired first but then changed his story, admitting to firing the shotgun into the air and at the guards.

Vankevin Chopito told police he dropped his brother off with the shotgun and drove himself to the hospital.

Officers arrested Michael Chopito when he arrived at the hospital.

During questioning, Michael Chopito told police he was in a fight at the CVS when Quinones walked up and pointed a Taser at his head.

Police say Michael Chopito then called his brother to back him up. He admitted to taking the shotgun after the shooting and hiding it in a bush.

Officers found the shotgun as well as the car the brothers were riding in, which had bullet holes in the door and shotgun shells in the backseat.
Two state senators are pushing to depoliticize the selection of university regents  a process that frequently bogs down in the Legislature.

Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, and Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, have sponsored a constitutional amendment calling for the creation of a bipartisan nomination committee to evaluate regents candidates. The committee would come up with a list of potential regents and forward it the governor, who would make the final selections.

Currently, the governor alone is responsible for choosing all regents besides the student representative, although the Senate then votes on confirmation.

Steinborn argues that the proposed nomination committee would open up the job to a broader range of candidates.

I do recognize we have some very good regents and have through the years, but it has also been treated as just a political plum job for some people who clearly have no basis in higher education, Steinborn said. We want to make sure we have the best people leading our higher education institutions.

Moores said he hopes the new system would put an end to the frequent political clashes between the Legislature and governor during the confirmation process.

Gov. Susana Martinez is still trying to get 11 university regents confirmed after months of delays. In total, nearly 70 appointees to various boards and commissions are awaiting a decision from the Senate Rules Committee.

The logjam doesnt serve any of the universities and doesnt serve the state, Moores said.

I want to come up with a better system that gets people with merit, not political connections, on these boards of regents so they can be run efficiently, he said.

Under the proposed amendment, no more than half of the nominating committee members would come from the same political party.

The plan isnt new  Steinborn has taken on regent selection practices annually for the past several years.

But Steinborn said he thinks the amendment could make it through the Legislature this time and finally get on the ballot.

A growing number of lawmakers are supportive, including some who opposed previous incarnations of the proposal, Steinborn said.

Moores, in fact, was in that camp, but Steinborn made some changes to the amendment and won his backing.

Sen. Steinborn is very tenacious, Moores said. I think this is the time to do it.

With Martinez entering the last year of her tenure, the amendment would go into effect at the beginning of a new administration if it wins approval from lawmakers and voters.

Similar regent nomination committees have been successful in other states, according to a 2008 Michigan State University study.

The paper  titled The Relationship Between Selection Processes of Public Trustees and State Higher Education Performance  notes that top-performing states require regents to meet certain qualifications and have systems in place to scrutinize their fitness for the job.

New Mexico was rated among the five lowest-performing states.

There is no evidence of clear qualifications or scrutiny among the bottom-performing states, the study says.
WASHINGTON  Preaching morality while practicing cupidity can be tricky, but various American governments have done it for years regarding smoking. This mental contortion now has a new chapter. The four largest American tobacco companies  Altria, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard and Philip Morris  are, under government compulsion, funding newspaper and television ads to tell, actually to remind, people that their products are sickening:

Smoking kills, on average, 1,200 Americans. Every day. More people die every year from smoking than from murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes, and alcohol, combined. Cigarette companies intentionally designed cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction. Etc.

Please. Tell us something everyone hasnt known for decades. In 1988, the surgeon general declared tobacco addictive. Since 1966, there have been increasingly severe health warnings on cigarette packs. In 1964, the surgeon general declared tobacco carcinogenic. In 1906, a character in an O. Henry story used a common slang phrase: Say, sport, have you got a coffin nail on you? In 1604, Englands King James I called smoking harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs.

Eight years later, a colony named for him, Jamestown, in a place, Virginia, named for his immediate predecessor (Elizabeth I, the virgin queen) became an enriching source of tobacco  until a tobacco farmer named Washington disrupted things. The strange, meandering path of tobacco  a legal commodity that is harmful when used as intended  to the present began in contradictions. They are crowned by this one: Many state governments are addicted to revenue from tobacco taxes. The federal tax on a pack is $1. The lowest state tax is Missouris 17 cents; the highest, Connecticut and New Yorks $4.35; the average, $1.72. So, many governments have huge stakes in a steady supply of new smokers to replace those killed by smoking.

Hence these governments cannot afford for their anti-smoking efforts to be too successful. Furthermore, if every smoker quit tomorrow, Social Securitys slow-motion crisis would accelerate, and many public and private pension systems would be staggered by having to revise downward their actuarial assumptions about the number of persons who will die before collecting many or any benefits.

In 1998, 46 states, in a mutually lucrative collaboration with trial lawyers  some of their $13 billion in fees amounted to tens of thousands of dollars an hour  sued the tobacco companies. The companies agreed to, if they will pardon the expression, cough up $246 billion over many years. The theory, more successful than plausible, was that health care for smoking-related illnesses makes smoking a huge net cost to the states. Actually, smoking might be a net financial gain for government: Cigarettes are the most heavily taxed consumer product and, again, many smokers premature deaths limit their receipt of entitlement benefits for the elderly  Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, nursing homes etc.

The lawyers also argued that tobacco is so addictive that quitting requires heroic willpower that few can manage. Even then, however, there were about as many ex-smokers as smokers. In 1845, former President John Quincy Adams wrote, In my early youth, I was addicted to tobacco. Its addictiveness was known and surmountable long ago.

Much of Americas health care expenses  from lung cancer, coronary artery disease, AIDS, Type 2 diabetes brought on by obesity, violence, vehicular accidents  result from known-to-be-risky behaviors involving eating, drinking, smoking, driving and sex. The most cost-efficient thing government does is dispense health information about smoking, cholesterol, automobile seat belts, sunscreen use etc. This is why only a sixth of adults, compared with nearly half 50 years ago, are smokers.

But the anti-smoking message that government is now coercing from the tobacco companies  trust us; we are untrustworthy  merely confirms common sense: Filling ones lungs with smoke from a burning plant is dumb. Smoking is increasingly concentrated among downscale, low-information Americans. Hence tobacco taxes are regressive. It has lost the cachet that once made it a marker of sophistication. Ninety percent of smokers begin by age 18 and vanishingly few after 21. So the way to extinguish smoking is not by belaboring the health issue  smoking is the leading preventable cause of death, it has killed many more than all of Americas war deaths etc.  but with the sort of broadcast ads California used years ago to cut smoking 17 percent: I tried it once and I, ah, got all red in the face and I couldnt inhale and I felt like a jerk and, ah, never tried it again, which is the same as what happened to me with sex.

Wills columns, including those not published in the Journal, can be read at abqjournal.com/opinion  look for the syndicated columnist link. Email: georgewill@washpost.com; copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
WASHINGTON  When it comes to cyberweapons, America is an elephant and Iran is a flea. Still, a flea can be a persistent nuisance, especially for the unprotected.

Irans cybercapability is the focus of a detailed new study called Irans Cyber Threat, to be published soon by Collin Anderson and Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It describes a country that, although third tier on the cyberthreat matrix, can still do considerable damage.

The disclosures about Irans cyberattacks are a reminder that America and its allies live in a dangerous electronic ecosystem. Russias hacking of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign gets daily coverage, and Chinas theft of American secrets has also been well-publicized. What gets too little attention are the less-sophisticated but still-toxic weapons available to dozens of smaller countries. The U.S., with its relatively open systems, can be an easy target.

The Iran study is timely: The Trump administration has declared its desire to help Saudi Arabia and other allies push back against Irans proxies across the Middle East, in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere. The U.S. call for rollback is largely rhetoric at this point; theres still little clear policy. But Tehrans allies can fight back, sometimes in ways that are hard to identify or attribute. Thats especially true with cyberweapons.

The Carnegie study describes a small but useful Iranian cybercapability that evolved partly to gather foreign intelligence and partly to spy on domestic opposition groups that coalesced in the 2009 Green Movement. Iranian hackers developed payback motive, too, after 2012 newspaper reports about the U.S. and Israeli Stuxnet malware attacks on the Iranian nuclear program that had started in 2007.

A decade ago, Iran began mobilizing its own resources. This homegrown hacking culture is one of the reports most interesting findings, because it can probably be duplicated in dozens of other emerging economies. Irans cybercapabilities appear to be indigenously developed, arising from local universities and hacking communities, the report notes. Threat actors seemingly arise from nowhere and operate in a dedicated manner until campaigns dissipate, often due to their discovery by researchers.

The Iranian hackers began slowly in 2007, with cyberpinpricks. A group calling itself the Iranian Cyber Army defaced dissident Twitter accounts in 2009 and, soon after, websites belonging to the Voice of America. But the attacks became more serious in 2011, when an Iranian hacker penetrated a Dutch security firm called DigiNotar, opening Gmail users in Iran to government surveillance, according to the Carnegie study.

Then came Iranian counterattacks, simple but destructive. After Irans oil industry was hit in April 2012 by malware known as Flame and Wiper, the Iranians launched an August 2012 attack on the Saudi Aramco oil company, using a wiper virus known as Shamoon. According to the Carnegie researchers, the attack affected tens of thousands of Saudi Aramco computers and caused tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Iran successfully attacked the U.S. as well. In September 2012, a hacker group that called itself the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters began attacking U.S. banks and financial institutions with a primitive but destructive assault known as a distributed denial of service, or DDoS, which basically flooded targeted computers with so much traffic that their systems crashed. Here, too, the assaults did surprising damage.

The FBI concluded that from 2012 to 2013, the Iranian operation locked hundreds of thousands of banking customers out of accounts for long periods of time and resulted in tens of millions of costs to remediate, the Carnegie analysts say. Many financial institutions that had been hit by the Iranians said little about the attacks to avoid worrying customers or shareholders.

Why did the Iranians strike U.S. banks? Revenge is the simple answer. The Carnegie reports cites a National Security Agency assessment that signals intelligence indicates that these attacks are in retaliation to Western activities against Irans nuclear sector and that senior officials in the Iranian government are aware of these attacks.

Irans cybercapabilities suggest that the Trump administrations new anti-Tehran campaign may not be costless, even if open conflict is avoided. A website called The Cipher Brief, which focuses on intelligence issues, headed this month that Irans  Cyber Hackers Poised to Strike If Trump Shreds Nuke Deal. A computer security firm called FireEye reported this month that a group of Iranian hackers, dubbed APT34, has developed a new backdoor cybersurveillance technique.

Iran has an arsenal of cyberstones, so to speak, ready to throw. The U.S., meanwhile, lives in the worlds biggest glass house.

Email: davidignatius@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
The Constitution is directly under attack, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, adding his party is duty-bound to protect it.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a incisively sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government today saying the "Constitution (and) the foundation of our country is under threat... is under attack directly."

"Statements are being made by senior members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and it (the Constitution) is under attack surreptitiously," Rahul, speaking at his party's foundation day event in New Delhi went on to say.

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It is the duty of the Congress and every single Indian to defend the Constitution, Rahul also said, echoing his speech from earlier this month when he took over as president of the grand old party.

The moment when India got her Constitution was the most imporant moment in our history, Rahul also said, adding that the document, the foundation of India given to the country by Dr Ambedkar, was under attack.

What is happening today in the country is a "web of deceit", the Congress president continued. "BJP operates on the basic idea that lie(s) can be used for political benefit. This is (the) difference between us and them. We might even lose but we will fight for truth."

The Constitution, the foundation of our country is under threat, it is under attack directly, statements are being made by senior members of BJP & it is under attack surreptitiously from the back & its our duty, duty of Cong party & every single Indian to defend it: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/x8iZfKBMaF- ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

Rahul's comments about "senior members" of the BJP was an apparent reference to union minister Anant Kumar Hegde, who recently attacked "secularists" and said the government was there to "change the constitution.

"I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don't know what to call those who claim themselves secular," Hedge was quoted as saying by PTI. He said he respects the constitution but "it will be changed in the days to come". "We are here for that and that is why we have come."

WATCH | They don't uplift but crush people: Rahul slams BJP in his first speech as Congress' president

--- ENDS ---
Its doubtful that people with extreme views on either side of the Mexican gray wolf recovery plan will be satisfied, but a decision earlier this month by the state Game Commission to approve the new federal wolf recovery plan strikes a blow for reason and compromise.

The state in recent years, with the support of ranchers and over the objections of some environmental and wildlife groups, has been locked in a legal struggle seeking to block expanded recovery efforts put forward by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. There were some good reasons for that resistance to a laudable goal, including that the federal government kept moving the goalposts as to what constituted recovery, expanding the territory needed to accomplish it and essentially telling rural New Mexicans they needed to cheerfully go along even if they had concerns about livestock predation and in some cases personal safety.

The state went to court last year seeking to block the release of five additional wolves in New Mexico, and that litigation is still pending. Meanwhile, Defenders of Wildlife and others sued U.S. Fish and Wildlife asking that the court order the federal agency to create a new recovery plan  because the old plan hadnt been formally updated since 1982.

But during a meeting last week, the logjam may have been broken.

The state Game Commission approved the new U.S. Fish and Wildlife wolf recovery plan, which includes measurable recovery criteria, biological and legal considerations.

Key to our support is that consideration of the historical range of the Mexican wolf is taken into account, recognizing that approximately 90 percent of the subspecies historical habitat exists in Mexico, the commission said.

Thats an important point, and one that is grounded in law, even though some environmental groups have tried to argue it should not apply  effectively placing the entire analysis and burden on people living on this side of the border.

The state commission last week also approved Fish and Wildlife permits to allow the cross-fostering of up to 12 pups in New Mexico in 2018 and for some pups to be moved into captivity in New Mexico from Arizona to promote genetic diversity of the wolf.

Bryan Bird, director of the Southwest Program for Defenders of Wildlife, called the developments encouraging and said they would assist us in moving cooperatively forward with the state of New Mexico.

Recovery of the Mexican gray wolf is a worthwhile endeavor with strong public support. But people matter, too, and the state Department of Game and Fish has worked to represent them.

The new plan reflects compromise and science, and the hope of a new relationship that values both ranchers and wolves.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
WASHINGTON  A jailed Russian who says he hacked into the Democratic National Committee computers on the Kremlins orders to steal emails released during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign now claims he left behind a data signature to prove his assertion.

In an interview with Russias RAIN television channel made public Wednesday, Konstantin Kozlovsky provided further details about what he said was a hacking operation led by the Russian intelligence agency known by its initials FSB. Among them, Kozlovsky said he worked with the FSB to develop computer viruses that were first tested on large, unsuspecting Russian companies, such as the oil giant Rosneft, later turning them loose on multinational corporations.

Kozlovsky first came to public attention in early December when word spread about his confession last Aug. 15 in a Russian courtroom that he was the person who hacked into DNC computers on behalf of Russian intelligence. The Russian was jailed earlier this year, alleged to have been part of a hacking group there that stole more than $50 million from Russian bank accounts through whats called the Lurk computer virus.

The alleged hacker posted to his Facebook page in December a transcript and an audio recording of his confession during a pretrial court hearing. He also confessed online to having hacked investigators looking into the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, brought down in July 2014 by a missile near the disputed Ukrainian border with Russia.

In written answers from jail made public Wednesday by RAIN TV, a Moscow-based independent TV station that has repeatedly run afoul of the Kremlin, Kozlovsky said he feared his minders might turn on him and planted a poison pill during the DNC hack. He placed a string of numbers that are his Russian passport number and the number of his visa to visit the Caribbean island of St. Martin in a hidden .dat file, which is a generic data file.

That allegation is difficult to prove, partly because of the limited universe of people who have seen the details of the hack. The DNC initially did not share information with the FBI, instead hiring a tech firm called CrowdStrike, run by a former FBI cyber leader. That company has said it discovered the Russian hand in the hacking, but had no immediate comment on the claim by Kozlovsky that he planted an identifier.

The newest allegations are potentially significant. If the FSB did in fact direct Kozlovsky, then it debunks Russian President Vladimir Putins assertion that his government had nothing to do with hacking that all major U.S. intelligence agencies put at his feet. It also calls into question the view of a hack that was conducted as a closely held, organized FSB campaign directed from central offices. Kozlovsky says he worked largely from home, with limited knowledge of others and that the political hack was just part of larger relationship with the FSBs top cyber officials on viruses directed at other countries and the private sector.

Based on my experience and understanding of professional intelligence operations, the blending of criminal activity with sanctioned intelligence operations is an old page out of the Russian intelligence-services playbook, said Leo Taddeo, chief information security officer for Cyxtera Technologies and a former head of cyber operations in the FBIs New York office. What the defendant (in Russia) is describing would not be inconsistent with past Russian intelligence operations.

Kozlovskys claims include an assertion that for the past seven years he was under the control of Maj. Gen. Dmitry Dokuchayev, who he said gave him orders to breach the DNC servers to interfere in the U.S. election process. A federal court in San Francisco in February issued an arrest warrant for Dokuchayev for his alleged role in a hack of Yahoo accounts. A month later the FBI put the former hacker-turned-spy on a Wanted poster for his alleged role in directing hackers. He was arrested in Russia in late 2016 on treason charges in a high-profile incident that included the arrest of another FSB cyber leader.

The jailed Kozlovsky told RAIN TV that he had a relationship with Dokuchayev that preceeded the latters rise to a prominent post in the FSB.



2017 McClatchy Washington Bureau

Visit the McClatchy Washington Bureau at www.mcclatchydc.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): USRUSSIA-HACKING-DNC

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SANTA FE  Debate over a soda tax is about to bubble up again.

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, will ask his colleagues in the Legislature next month to support studying a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.

New Mexicos gross receipts tax system includes an exemption on the sale of food, including colas, root beer and other sugary drinks.

We get absolutely zero from the sale of soft drinks, Ortiz y Pino said Wednesday, and yet they are incredibly damaging in terms of health care costs that we then have to pick up.

In May, Santa Fe voters rejected a proposal to impose a tax of 2 cents per ounce on the distributors of sugar-sweetened beverages, with the revenue earmarked for early childhood programs.

Republican Gov. Susana Martinez highlighted the results as a sign that voters arent ready for higher taxes, even in liberal Santa Fe.

Ortiz y Pino, an Albuquerque Democrat, isnt proposing a specific tax, just a study.

His measure, Senate Joint Memorial 6, would ask legislative staffers to study the potential revenue from a tax on sugary drinks, the most effective ways to impose such a tax, the potential health benefits and any negative consequences. The report would be due Oct. 1.

The 30-day legislative session begins Jan. 16. It will be dedicated largely to crafting a new state budget, but joint memorials  like the one Ortiz y Pino proposes  dont require permission from the governor to be added to the agenda.

Pre-filed bills: About 120 bills have been pre-filed ahead of the session  the last regular session of Martinezs tenure as governor.

Budget and tax matters are expected to dominate the debate, but its clear that anti-crime legislation will also be a priority.

Two Albuquerque Republicans  House Minority Leader Nate Gentry and Rep. Bill Rehm, are sponsoring a number of bills related to public safety  including measures aimed at helping cities and counties retain experienced officers and bills that would toughen criminal penalties.

Some of the proposals overlap with priorities Democrats have announced, so perhaps theres a chance of some bipartisan action as New Mexico continues to struggle with high crime rates.

Dan McKay: dmckay@abqjournal.com
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Once home to the nations highest fatal overdose rate, New Mexico fell to 12th place in 2016 as it was outpaced by Eastern states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

This is the first time since weve been measuring this that were out of the top 10, and thats a big deal, said Laura Tomedi, head of the state Department of Healths Substance Abuse Epidemiology Section. Unfortunately, its not because our rate decreased; its because our rate has plateaued while other states have increased.

While New Mexicos rate fell slightly, from 25.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2015 to 25.2 in 2016, the rate in top-ranked West Virginia soared from 41.5 per 100,000 in 2015 to 52 in 2016, according to the CDC.

Nationwide, overdose death rates continued to rise across all age groups and among both men and women in 2016, reaching 19.8 per 100,000, up from 16.3 in 2015 and 14.7 in 2014.

New Mexicos latest ranking is down from second place in 2014 and eighth in 2015. From 1999 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2009, New Mexico ranked first in the nation for fatal overdoses. Those rankings do not include the District of Columbia.

New Mexico was among just 10 states in which deadly overdose rates decreased or leveled off from 2015 to 2016, according to the state Department of Health. That is due in part to an increase in fentanyl overdoses, particularly in Eastern states, the department said.

Overall, the United States had more than 63,600 drug overdose deaths in 2016. New Mexico had 500 of them, and of those, the state Health Department said, nearly half involved prescription opioids.

Lou Duran, prevention specialist with Healing Addiction in our Community, said New Mexico was among the first states hit by the opioid epidemic, so it had a head start in launching programs to fight back.

What the rest of the country is doing now, we were dealing with five years ago, said Duran, whose nonprofit agency offers substance abuse education.

New Mexico has increased access to naloxone, or Narcan, a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses. Duran estimated the drug is saving the lives of hundreds of New Mexicans each year.

Without Narcan, they would have just been another number to add to the death toll, she said.

Tomedi said the state Health Department encourages friends and family of those who use opioids, as well as the users themselves, to have naloxone on hand in case of an emergency.

In a news release announcing the improved rank, the Health Department touted other efforts to prevent drug overdoses. Those include:

n Expanding methadone clinics, along with the number of such clinics that accept Medicaid.

n Encouraging use of a database that keeps track of the controlled substances prescribed to patients so that those struggling with addiction cant seek multiple prescriptions from multiple providers.

n Requiring law enforcement agencies to provide officers with naloxone.

Tomedi said the new, lower ranking is welcome news, but theres still work to be done.

While thats still something to celebrate, and I think that all the good work the state has been doing  contributes to that, I definitely dont think we should rest on our laurels, she said. We kind of have to keep pushing at it.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A federal appeals court has ruled that a former New Mexico State Police officer did not act unconstitutionally when he fired at a van that a woman was driving away from police after a contentious traffic stop.

Oriana Farrell, who was driving through New Mexico on a trip from Memphis, was pulled over for speeding near Taos in October 2013. The police dashcam video of the stop went viral and made national news. It showed one officer bashing one of the vans windows as the children inside screamed and then former State Police Officer Elias Montoya firing three shots at Farrells van as she began to drive away.

Montoya, who arrived after another officer called for backup, has said that he was aiming for the left rear tire. He was fired from the State Police after the incident.

Farrell filed a lawsuit in Santa Fe District Court in October 2015 against the State Police, Montoya and officers Tony DeTavis and Anthony Luna, but the case was later transferred to federal court. Montoya filed an appeal with the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals after a U.S. District Court judge denied part of a motion that would have dismissed Montoya  the last remaining defendant  from the suit.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court said in its ruling Wednesday that Farrell would have had to establish that a seizure was happening at the moment Montoya fired his gun in order to prove the constitutional right against unreasonable search and seizure had been violated.

The Farrells had argued in court that Montoya used excessive force, but Wednesdays opinion written by Judge Harris Hartz noted that the familys van was moving away before Montoya pulled the trigger.

As there was no seizure, there could be no unreasonable seizure, even if Montoya was using deadly force, the ruling said.

It adds: Though they (Farrell and family) had been seized moments before, that seizure ended when they no longer submitted to the officers authority.

The Farrells claims against Montoya fail for lack of any violation of the Fourth Amendment, Hartzs opinion concludes.

Farrells attorney, Kathryn Hardy, said her office will file a petition asking the court to rehear the case within 14 days. If the court doesnt reverse the ruling, Hardy said the only other option would be to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. I think it was wrongly decided, Hardy said.

Farrell, a rapper, writer and home-schooling advocate, was pulled over by Officer DeTavis on N.M. 518 south of Taos. The dash-cam video shows a brief and non-argumentative conversation between DeTavis and Farrell before DeTavis walked back to his patrol car, expecting Farrell to remain for paperwork. But Farrell drove off, then stopped after going a short distance.

In the video, DeTavis went up to Farrells van and asked her several times to get out. At one point, Farrells then-14-year-old son got out of the van and got into a scuffle with DeTavis.

DeTavis started smashing out a window of the locked van with a baton after Luna and Montoya arrived, and Montoya fired three shots at the van with his handgun as Farrell drove away again.

Farrell led officers on a chase that reached 100 mph before she surrendered after pulling into a Taos hotel parking lot.

Farrell eventually was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation after pleading guilty to child abuse and aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer. She also had to participate in a restorative justice circle in which Farrell, her children, police officers and members of the public met to discuss the consequences of her actions.

Farrell, who now lives in the Santa Fe area, has never said why she drove away from DeTavis after the initial traffic stop.

The other police defendants in her lawsuit had been dismissed from the case last year by federal Magistrate Judge Stephan M. Vidmar, on the basis of qualified immunity, which shields public officials from lawsuit damages unless their conduct is found to be unreasonable under clearly established law.

Montoyas lawyer, Mark Standridge, could not be reached Wednesday.

Montoya filed a lawsuit against the State Police over his firing, and an undisclosed settlement was reached. He got another law enforcement job as a Taos County deputy.
MONTGOMERY, Ala.  Democrat Doug Jones historic victory over Republican Roy Moore was declared official Thursday as Alabama election officials certified him the winner of the special Senate election, despite Moores last-minute lawsuit claiming voter fraud.

Jones defeated Moore on Dec. 12 by 21,924 votes in a stunning victory in a traditionally red state, becoming the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate victory in a quarter-century. The win came after Moore, best known for stands against gay marriage and the public display of the Ten Commandments, was dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls that occurred decades ago.

Jones said in a statement that he looked forward to going to work for the people of Alabama in the new year.

As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation, he said. I will be an independent voice and work to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get Washington back on track and fight to make our country a better place for all.

Jones will be sworn in on Jan. 3, narrowing the GOPs advantage in the U.S. Senate to 51-49. He takes over the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

In a brief meeting Thursday at the Alabama Capitol, the governor, attorney general and secretary of state signed paperwork certifying the final ballot numbers. It was a quiet punctuation mark to a tumultuous election marked by the misconduct accusations and Moores eleventh-hour legal fight.

Moore had refused to concede his loss to Jones and filed a last-ditch lawsuit hours before the certification, saying he believed there were voting irregularities that should be investigated. A judge denied his request to stop the election certification. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said his office has so far found no evidence of fraud.

In a brief statement, Moore stood by his claims that the election was fraudulent and said he had to fight Democrats and over $50 million in opposition spending from the Washington establishment. He said he had no regrets.

I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama, he said.

On election night, Moore had pegged his hopes on votes from military serviceman and provisional ballots. The official numbers certified Thursday showed that Jones slightly expanded his lead over Moore. Jones had a lead of 20,715 in the unofficial returns and was ahead 21,924 in the certified result. In all, more than 1.3 million people voted in the special election, including 22,850 write-in votes.

Jones is a former U.S. attorney best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birminghams infamous 1963 church bombing.

As he launched his campaign, he said he saw an opening for a rare Democratic win against Moore, a polarizing figure in the state. Moore was a twice removed from the position of chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Once was for defying a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building. And he was permanently suspended last year for urging probate judges to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of federal court rulings.

Moores campaign was deeply wounded by the sexual misconduct accusations. Moore denied the accusations and said in the lawsuit that he had passed a polygraph test to prove they are false.

Moores attorney wrote in the wide-ranging complaint that he believed there were irregularities during the election, including that voters may have been brought in from other states. He attached a statement from a poll worker that she had noticed licenses from Georgia and North Carolina as people signed in to vote. The complaint also noted the higher-than-expected turnout in the race, particularly in Jefferson County.

This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone, Moore said in a statement Wednesday.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California, Irvine, said Moores complaint did not raise the sort of issues that lead courts to overturn an election. He said Moores complaint might just be a way for him to fundraise and throw red meat to his loyal supporters.

Merrill said Moore has a few options left, such as offering to pay for a recount within 48 hours.

I can say this. I dont think there is any doubt from the minds of anybody thats in the room that if there was ever a question about whether Alabama conducts honest, fair election safe and secure elections, that question has been eliminated, Merrill said.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico officials are launching a new ad campaign to warn teens and their parents about online sexual predators.

The Attorney Generals Office says the ad called Monsters can be viewed on Facebook .

Attorney General Hector Balderas says parents and teens must be on guard for online sexual predators who lurk behind the screens of computers, tablets and phones.

Balderas office says the Facebook ad was funded by a federal grant to the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which Balderas office oversees.

A similar ad is running on screens at theaters in Albuquerque and Santa Fe this holiday season.
TOLEDO, Ohio  A man accused of taking part in a scheme to smuggle teenagers into the U.S. and force them to work at an egg farm for little pay is in custody after being arrested at the Mexican border, federal prosecutors announced.

The teens from Guatemala were kept as virtual slave laborers, forced to turn over most of their earnings, and had to live in run-down trailers with no heat and little food before they were rescued in 2014, investigators have said.

Six others already have been convicted in the case, which prosecutors said involved luring the boys and young men with promises of enrolling them in school and finding them good jobs.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that Pablo Duran Ramirez, 49, was arrested Saturday by border patrol agents while trying to cross the border between Mexico and the U.S.

Duran Ramirez, who is a U.S. citizen, operated a company to provide workers who would clean chicken coops, de-beak chickens and unload crates at the egg farm, according to an indictment unsealed this week.

He also helped and encouraged others to recruit and smuggle young Guatemalans to the egg farm in central Ohio near Marion from 2012 through the end on 2014, court documents said.

Trillium Farms, which produces more than 2 billion eggs per year at various farms around central Ohio, said it was unaware of what was happening at its farm. It hasnt been charged.

The indictment said Trillium Farms paid about $6 million to Duran Ramirez and one other unnamed person.

The charges against Duran Ramirez include forced labor, conspiracy and encouraging illegal entry. He is scheduled to appear in a federal court in McAllen, Texas, on Friday. An attorney for Duran Ramirez declined to comment on the case Thursday.

Prosecutors say the group operating the smuggling ring threatened the victims and their families.

Aroldo Castillo-Serrano, a Guatemalan described as one of the ringleaders, made the victims families sign over deeds to their property in Guatemala to pay for transporting them, while some were plucked out of custody at the Mexican border, prosecutors said.

He was sentenced in 2016 to just over 15 years in prison.

One of the young men brought to the U.S. said at a court hearing in 216 that Castillo-Serrano threatened to kill his father after the teen complained about being forced to work.

Prosecutors concluded there were about 35 victims in all, many were teens with the youngest being 14.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  A judge in Florida ordered R.J. Reynolds to continue paying the state millions of dollars in tobacco settlement money despite selling off major brands.

Circuit Judge Jeffrey Dana Gillen in Palm Beach County issued his ruling Wednesday, nearly a year after Attorney General Pam Bondi sued the tobacco company and Imperial Tobacco Group.

The ruling will ensure Floridas landmark tobacco settlement is honored and our state receives the money it is owed, Bondi said in a press release. My office is committed to pursuing all appropriate remedies when companies try to evade their monetary obligations to the State of Florida.

When Bondi filed the suit last January, she said Florida was already owed $45 million and could lose $30 million a year going forward. Gillen said until R.J. Reynolds has its obligation to pay Florida transferred to Imperial Tobacco Group, it must continue to pay. Last summer, London-based British American Tobacco took over North Carolina-based Reynolds American Inc.

R.J. Reynolds spokesman David Howard said in an email that the company wouldnt comment on the lawsuit.

R.J. Reynolds and other large tobacco companies were part of a 1997 multibillion-dollar settlement with Florida to compensate the state for treating sick smokers. But the company sold cigarette brands Kool, Winston, Salem and Maverick to Imperial Tobacco Group in 2015, and neither company continued to make payments to the state.

Pushed by then-Gov. Lawton Chiles, Florida was one of the first states in the U.S. to seek damages from tobacco companies. The states initial lawsuit sought reimbursement for Medicaid costs in the past and the future and contended that tobacco companies had engaged in unlawful actions and misleading advertising.

Last year, the state was projected to receive more than $350 million from the settlement.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump attacked China on Thursday following reports that Chinese ships transferred oil to North Korean vessels at sea in violation of U.N. sanctions over the Norths nuclear weapons program.

Trump said on Twitter that China had been Caught RED HANDED, adding he was very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea.

There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen! the president said, without citing the source of his information.

China accounts for the vast majority of North Koreas external trade and oil supplies. Just two weeks ago, Trump credited China for its help in the U.S.-led pressure campaign against Pyongyang, including support for three U.N. Security Council resolutions this year  the latest last week  over the Norths nuclear and missile tests.

However, on Tuesday the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo cited unidentified South Korean government officials as saying U.S. reconnaissance satellites have spotted Chinese ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels some 30 times since October in seas off China. That report was picked up by some U.S. media outlets, including Fox News.

Chinas foreign ministry has defended its enforcement of U.N. sanctions against North Korea. A ministry spokeswoman said Wednesday she had no information about the latest report, but said China has strictly enforced trade restrictions.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that report. But in a commentary Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Beijing to exert decisive economic leverage on Pyongyang.

China has applied certain import bans and sanctions, but it could and should do more, he wrote in The New York Times.

Ship-to-ship trade with North Korea at sea is prohibited under U.N. sanctions adopted Sept. 11. The latest sanctions adopted Friday, in response to the test of a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, also impose sharp reductions on imports of refined oil products by the isolated nation.

Last month, the Treasury Department sanctioned six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their vessels, and published photos of what it said was a North Korean vessel on Oct. 19 possibly transferring oil to evade sanctions. The statement did not specify whether Chinese vessels were involved in the transfer.

Trump has blown hot and cold on Chinas efforts on North Korea, which despite a dramatic increase in sanctions has made major progress this year on perfecting a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike the United States.

On Dec. 15, Trump said Russia  another significant trading partner with North Korea  had failed to help, while China had.

China is helping. Russia is not helping. Wed like to have Russias help  very important, Trump told reporters after a phone conversation with President Vladimir Putin.

___

Lucey reported from West Palm Beach, Florida.
The incident occurred on Sunday when the victim met one of the accused belonging from Mumbai, who had visited a Vasant Kunj mall for partying.

By Ajay Kumar: An aspiring model was allegedly gang-raped by three people on the pretext of providing jobs in television and films in south Delhi's Sarojini Nagar, police said on Wednesday.

Police said the victim filed a complaint on Tuesday, following which two of the accused, Satish and Jaggi, were arrested in south Delhi , while their accomplice Harender is still on the run.

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The incident occurred on Sunday when the victim met one of the accused belonging from Mumbai, who had visited a Vasant Kunj mall for partying.

"During the party, Harender, Satish and Jaggi joined the victim. They lured her to a flat in Sarojini Nagar and raped her after consuming liquor. The accused promised to introduce her to prominent television and film directors," a senior police officer said.

"The victim later filed a complaint in Sarojini Nagar police station," he said, adding a manhunt is on to nab their accomplice.

Also watch | 26-year-old woman raped after being offered ride in Hauz Khas

--- ENDS ---
PORTLAND, Ore.  An appellate court Thursday upheld a penalty against Oregon bakery owners who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding almost five years ago.

The owners of the since-closed Gresham bakery  Aaron and Melissa Klein  argued that state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian violated state and federal laws by forcing them to pay emotional-distress damages of $135,000 to the lesbian couple.

Their lawyers said Avakian and the state Bureau of Labor and Industries violated the Kleins rights as artists to free speech, their rights to religious freedom and their rights as defendants to a due process.

But the Oregon Court of Appeals sided with the state Thursday, saying the Kleins failed to show the state targeted them for their religious beliefs. The judges also found public statements made by Avakian before deciding the case did not establish a lack of impartiality.

Todays ruling sends a strong signal that Oregon remains open to all, Avakian said after the 62-page opinion was released Thursday.

The decision comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the high-profile case of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

That baker, Jack Phillips, claims his First Amendment claims of artistic freedom were being violated  a similar issue raised by the Kleins.

The Oregon court said the Kleins argument that their cakes entail an artistic expression is entitled to be taken seriously, but its not enough for the couple to assert their cakes are pieces of art  they must show others perceive their creations like a sculpture or painting.

Although we accept that the Kleins imbue each wedding cake with their own aesthetic choices, they have made no showing that other people will necessarily experience any wedding cake that the Kleins create predominantly as expression rather than as food, the opinion says.

First Liberty Institute, the legal organization that represents the Kleins, disagreed with the ruling.

The Oregon Court of Appeals decided that Aaron and Melissa Klein are not entitled to the Constitutions promises of religious liberty and free speech, said Kelly Shackelford, the firms president. In a diverse and pluralistic society, people of good will should be able to peacefully coexist with different beliefs.

The state fined the bakers after determining they violated a 2007 Oregon law that protects the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations. The law provides an exemption for religious organizations but does not allow private businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

The case began when Rachel Bowman-Cryer went to the suburban Portland bakery with her mother in January 2013. They met with Aaron Klein, who asked for the date of the ceremony and the names of the bride and groom.

When told there was no groom, Klein said he was sorry but the bakery did not make cakes for same-sex weddings. According to documents from the case, Rachel and her mother left the shop, but returned a short time later. As Rachel remained in the car, in tears, her mother went in to speak with Klein.

The mother told Klein she had once thought like him, but her truth had changed when she had two gay children. Klein responded by quoting Leviticus: You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.

Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer praised the ruling in a statement released through their attorney: It does not matter how you were born or who you love. All of us are equal under the law and should be treated equally. Oregon will not allow a Straight Couples Only sign to be hung in bakeries or other stores.
If youre worried about whether your drivers license is compliant with new REAL ID requirements for domestic air travel, you can relax for now.

A grace period for meeting the new rules is set to expire Jan. 22. But licenses from 27 states plus Washington, D.C., are already compliant with federal REAL ID standards, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Another 23 states have been granted extensions for meeting the new rules, according to DHS. That means you can continue to use noncompliant licenses from those states for domestic air travel for now.

Three of those states that received extensions have approvals pending for being certified as fully compliant with REAL ID requirements: Louisiana, New York and Michigan.

The federal government will stop accepting noncompliant licenses as ID for domestic flights on Oct. 1, 2020. The REAL ID licenses are designed to be counterfeit-resistant with secure features such as holograms.

PASSPORTS

Of course, U.S. passports and passport cards remain acceptable alternative documents for use instead of a drivers license for air travel. Several other types of government-issued ID are also acceptable, such as Global Entry and other trusted traveler cards.

MINORS

According to DHS, the Transportation Safety Administration does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling with a companion within the United States, though their companion needs acceptable ID.

LICENSE OPTIONS AND TIMING

Some states are now offering more than one type of noncommercial drivers license. In New York, for example, three options are offered: a standard drivers license that cannot be used as ID for air travel or border crossings; a REAL ID-compliant license for use on domestic flights; or an Enhanced license, which is acceptable for land or sea entry to the U.S. when crossing borders from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, as well as on domestic flights.

Some states do not yet offer REAL ID licenses. Minnesota, for example, expects to offer them later in 2018.

If your current license is not REAL ID-compliant and it is not due for renewal until after the Oct. 1, 2020 deadline, you may want to get one that meets the new rules ahead of your renewal date. Check your state governments website for the latest information on renewal procedures and options.

___

Details on REAL ID: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id
Public Service Company of New Mexico has rejected a regulatory ruling that would allow it to increase its rates but not recover millions of dollars it spent on two coal-fired power plants.

The rejection means the case will now be sent to a new round of hearings in front of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, though without consideration of additional evidence.

PNM respectfully submits that the Commission reconsider . . . the prudence of certain investments in Four Corners Power Plant and San Juan Generating Station, the utility wrote in a regulatory filing. PNM asks that the Commission also recognize and give weight to the strategic and long-term importance of . . . retiring coal generation without foreclosing future input of stakeholders and communities in that process.

In addition to the power plant investments, PNM also took issue with how regulators said the rate increase should be allocated and the PRCs rejection of an agreement among some, but not all, of the parties in the case.

In December 2016, the utility requested $99.2 million in new revenue. But in May, it reached a stipulation, or settlement agreement, with about a dozen parties for $62.3 million in revenue.

Environmental group New Energy Economy did not agree to the settlement on the grounds that PNM allegedly failed to conduct a thorough financial analysis to justify its investments.

The PRC last week voted 4-1 to allow PNM to raise its rates by 9 percent, phased in over the next two years. Had the decision been accepted by each of the settlement parties, the average residential customers would pay about 8.3 percent more on their total bill by 2019, with monthly charges climbing 3.9 percent in 2018, and an additional 3.4 percent the following year.

The overall impact on bills would be smaller than the 9 percent hike in base rates approved by the commission because it applies only to a portion of the bill.

But in a controversial move, commissioners also ruled that PNM investments made in recent years in the Four Corners Power Plant near Farmington were imprudent, thus rejecting the utilitys request to recover $148 million it has spent on new pollution controls and other upgrades there since 2013. The PRC also disallowed $37 million out of a requested $46 million in investments made at San Juan.

In a statement, a PNM spokesman said the Commissions order last week not only muddies the regulatory waters here in New Mexico, but also makes it more difficult to achieve a collaborative transition path toward providing cleaner energy to our customers.

The new hearing will be based on PNMs original application for $99.2 million.

New Energy Economy executive director Mariel Nanasi said her organization objects to PNMs decision and called the new hearing a risky move for the utility.

They could very well get less than what they were given (in the PRCs recent order), she said. Well have to wait and see.
Things appeared to be going well for Sam Coplon, the Santa Claus of the Adirondacks, but major change was in the works. Samuel had begun working as an Albany city clerk, limiting his ability to oversee the two business locations in Warren County. After spending several weeks at Johnsburgh in early 1910, he announced a going-out-of-business sale, offering all the hardware and furniture in his stores along with his horse, rig, and everything else related to operations there. By years end, most of the stock was gone. At Christmas time, he loaded a sleigh with toys and other gift items for delivery to homes across the area in what would become an annual tradition.

Years later, he recalled fondly the warm feelings generated by giving openly to beloved friends and neighbors, recognizing that many families, some of them quite large, struggled financially, and that even small luxuries were rarities in their lives. His remedy was to provide toys and games as Christmas gifts to show that someone cared.

In January 1911, he offered special closeout deals to folks in the Johnsburgh area before shuttering both business locations. For the remainder of the year, he made visits of several days each to the homes of friends in Johnsburgh, Bakers Mills, and Garnet, tended to his summer home, and made the gift-giving rounds again at Christmas.

Returning full-time to Albany, Sam was kept busy with the furniture store and the city clerk position. At the age of 30, he still lived with his father and other family members. Bertha Coplon had passed away several years earlier, and Morris had since remarried. Among the homes occupants was their new son, Alfred, Samuels one-year-old half brother, whose care was managed in part by a single servant. Having hired help in the home confirmed that Morris continued to prosper financially.

While Samuels situation at home and work seemed settled, he opted for dramatic change on a path apart from his fathers in Albany. In 1912, he left the North Country for New York City and became a sales representative for a newly formed company, Riemann-Seabrey, a toy distributor that opened for business on Broadway in January 1913 with 10,000 square feet of warehouse space.

As the sole representative for several clients, Samuel familiarized himself with their products and took to the roada daunting prospect considering that most roads back in those days were intended for horse rigs rather than cars, which were the latest advance in technology. Still, he traveled a remarkable 8,000 miles during the first year on the job, and still managed to visit friends in Warren County for a few days at a time. His lengthiest stay was during the Christmas holidays, which included several days hunting at his Mill Creek Pond camp, and delivering presents to many area children.

In 1914, at the age of 35, Samuel found the love of his life, Rebecca Moroh, an Albany girl. They were engaged in June, married a year later, and in 1916 welcomed a son, Bertram. In the years that followed, Sam, a real go-getter like his dad, explored other employment possibilities, finding work as an appraiser for the firm of Doll & Company while still representing Riemann-Seabrey, which was advertised as a toy and hardware manufacturing firm. While Doll & Company had nothing to do with toys, his traveling salesman job did, which dovetailed nicely with Sams habit of bringing Christmas gifts to children in several Warren County communities.

During the holiday season of 1919, his proclivity for playing Santa Claus received its first public attention when the Warrensburgh News noted in the Johnsburgh section: Samuel M. Coplon, of Brooklyn, was a visitor in town for Christmas, as usual, scattering toys for children in different parts of the town. He did the same each year, constantly expanding the effort to include more hamlets and settlements. In 1920, besides Johnsburgh, he provided gifts for all the children in Sodom and Bakers Mills.

In May 1921, his daughter Judith was born, but despite now having two children of his own, he left the family in Brooklyn as he did each holiday season, played Santa Claus for several days to a week in the Adirondacks, and returned to celebrate Christmas with them in New York City when all the work was finished.

In part because of his efforts as a salesman, Riemann-Seabrey flourished and grew, leasing the entire fourth floor of the Clarendon Building in 1925 as additional business space. Their success and Samuels connections with many toy manufacturers allowed him to drastically increase the number of gifts he could purchase at cost or receive as donations. That year he added Warrensburgh to the list, sending a box of 72 toys to John Archer, Overseer of the Poor, for distribution among the needy children who otherwise were likely to receive nothing on Christmas. As usual, hundreds of other toys were sent to communities across the county, carried there by many Santas Helpers after Coplon spent nearly a week organizing, sorting, and packing gifts for delivery. He also personally handed out presents at Johnsburgh, Garnet, Sodom, and Bakers Mills.

As the list of recipients expanded annually, Samuel came up with ways to reach more and more children. He began accumulating toys throughout the year and storing them until the holiday season approached, at which time he packed them in large containers and paid the cost of shipping them to North Creek, where the store of Braley & Noxon served as his main distribution center. Following the arrival of the last packages there, Coplon traveled north to begin sorting and organizing hundreds of gifts for different villages and organizations.

Each year, Sams efforts at Christmas received at least passing attention in regional newspapers, but in the late 1920s, news of his charity work gained traction outside of the Adirondack region. Editors loved uplifting, heartwarming stories like his, and the media attention led to more donations of toys, clothing, and other goods. By 1928, the number of gifts provided by Sam was estimated at 2,500, handed out at 22 distribution points: Adirondack, Blue Mountain Lake, Bolton Landing, Chestertown, Horicon, Igerna, Indian Lake, Johnsburgh, Knollhurst, Long Lake, Minerva, Newcomb, North Creek, North River, Olmstedville, Pottersville, Schroon, South Schroon, Stony Creek, Thurman, Warrensburgh, and Wevertown.

So many gifts were accumulated in 1929 that Big Brook, Fort Edward, Gore, Hadley, Harrisburg, Kings, Pleasant Valley, South Corinth, and Riverside were added to the long list of communities that received an estimated 4,000 presents from Coplons operations.

While the dramatic expansion could have become unwieldy and chaotic, Sam maintained control with a plan that worked smoothly. As avid supporters of his Christmas operations, Braley & Noxons store at North Creek remained the warehouse site and primary distribution point. Communities across the region were urged to contact Sam in Brooklyn well in advance of the holidays to express their wish to participate and inform him of the number of gifts they needed. Using that information, he utilized dozens of volunteers from churches, schools, and the general public to help sort and pack the requests for pickup, or to deliver them when necessary.

It was all well organized and a known regional phenomenon, but the power of the media soon became apparent. As his story circulated further among newspapers, more donations arrived, and in late fall 1930, predictions were that the previous years gift total would easily be exceeded. This could have proved overwhelming, but Sam modified the system to distribute only through churches. Ministers, of which there were one or more in most towns, villages, and hamlets, answered the call, providing him with an effective web of distribution and no shortage of volunteers filled with the Christmas spirit of giving.

Next: bringing joy to thousands

Photos: ad for Riemann, Seabrey Company (1926); headlines (1929, Glens Falls Post-Star); headlines (1929, Glens Falls Post-Star)
For 2 Days Only, January 6th to 7th 2018, Akihabara Otaku Shop TORANOANA Will Open a Special Space for Doujin Goods in Taipei!

Taipei branch also under consideration for 2018

As part of the Yume (no) Sora Holdings group of companies which promotes creators across genres and national borders, Toranoana Inc. is in the business of sales and distribution of doujinshi, manga, anime products, etc. as well as store management. On January 6th-7th, for two days only, we will open a special space for doujin items in Taipei City, Taiwan.

For the limited time it is open, the space will serve as an event venue to give Taiwanese fans access to Japanese otaku goods, focused mainly on handling doujinshi, which is TORANOANA's greatest strength.

In Taiwan, the number of local creators and cosplayers announcing products based on Japanese manga and anime has been increasing every year, and together with regular local fan events, they contribute to a unique, thriving otaku culture which is just as strong as Japan's.

TORANOANA has been receiving enthusiastic fan messages from users in Taiwan for several years, and TORANOANA has wanted to introduce high-level creators from overseas to Japan and re-import them. For these reasons we have wanted to open a store there someday.

Now the wishes of both sides are bearing fruit, with the limited-time opening of TORANOANA's dedicated space this coming January 2018, and the possibility of a new store opening in Taiwan in 2018.

First of all, please be sure to stop by our special space in January and experience the charm of TORANOANA.

TORANOANA will continue to support creators in a wide range of genres, sharing the world renowned "Akiba Culture" beyond Akihabara, throughout Japan and the world. We will devote ourselves to the type of unique value creation that only Yume (no) Sora Group can do, supporting the activities of all creators and improving the creative environment.

Event overview

Venue: TORANOANA Taipei Special Space

Location: 2nd Floor No. 85, Section 1, Hankou St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City

Date: January 6th(Sat) to 7th(Sun), 2018 *For a limited time only

Store area: Approximately 168 tsubo(555 square meters)

Opening hours: 12:00-20: 00

Handling materials: newly published doujinshi (hundreds of titles for general, for adults, and for women), self manufactured original goods etc.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171227005200/en/

Toranoana Inc.

Nobuo Ueda, 81-3-5280-9090

info@toranoana.co.jp
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant pointed that the Union government has made it clear that the IFSC project will come in Gujarat and not in Maharashtra, as claimed by Fadnavis.

By Kiran Tare: The Maharashtra Congress today alleged that the state government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has breached the trust of people of the state on the issue of proposed International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Mumbai.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant pointed that the Union government has made it clear that the IFSC project will come in Gujarat and not in Maharashtra, as claimed by Fadnavis. "Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Parliament that IFSC will come up in Gujarat," Sawant said.

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"He also made it clear that second IFSC can't be considered until the first one is fully operational. Devendra Fadnavis has breached trust of the people of Maharashtra under (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's pressure."

Fadnavis has been portraying Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai as the proposed site for the IFSC. He also claimed that the IFSC in Mumbai will provide employment to around 70,000 people.

Sawant claimed that the Fadnavis government was buying time on the issue of IFSC. Earlier, it said only 38 hectares of land was available in BKC against the requirement of 50 hectares. Then, it floated an idea to build the IFSC in Navi Mumbai. "Jaitley's reply has clarified that Fadnavis only misled the people of Maharashtra on the issue," Sawant said.

He also alleged that the state government has committed a sin to downgrade Mumbai by allowing the Union government to dictate the terms. "There is a plan to launch international stock market in Gujarat. The state government has allowed Union government downgrade Mumbai's importance. If there was a provision to book the CM for the anti-state act we would have certainly filed a case against him," Sawant said.

The BJP, however, has rubbished Sawant's allegations. Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar claimed that the IFSC in Mumbai will be built by the state government not the Union. "Then Congress government was sleeping when Gujarat had started work of GIFT city. Had it taken steps at that time Maharashtra could have witnessed the first IFSC," he said.

Shelar claimed that the Mumbai IFSC project could also be built in an area which does not fall under the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ). The BKC is a CRZ zone. "The CM called on Jeitley on Monday. He has clarified that the Union government won't have any objection if the state government will built the IFSC," Shelar claimed.

--- ENDS ---
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Mainly sunny. High around 55F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 31F. Winds light and variable.
December 27, 2017

Despite the Syrian oppositions failure to oust President Bashar al-Assad militarily, Congress hopes that it can use US reconstruction dollars as leverage to force a political transition in Syria by ensuring that funds are only available for rebel-held areas.

Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee unveiled the No Assistance for Assad Act, which would bar the Donald Trump administration from using nonhumanitarian US assistance funds for Syrias reconstruction in areas held by the Assad regime.

The bill is likely to garner broad bipartisan support and momentum in Congress with two Republican and two Democratic sponsors, including committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., and top Democrat Eliot Engel, D-N.Y. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., and Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., also joined the committees leadership in drafting the legislation.

Royce referred to the bill as common-sense legislation to ensure that US aid does not strengthen the Assad regime and its Iranian-backed militias.

For nearly seven years now, the Syrian people have been subject to widespread atrocities including chemical attacks, the chairman added.

After seven years of a highly destructive war that has reduced numerous major population centers to rubble and displaced millions, Congress estimates that the cost of rebuilding Syria could total anywhere between $200 and $350 billion.

If Americans declined to help with stabilization in government-held areas and other Western governments followed suit, European governments or  the Japanese government or major Arab states  such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE [United Arab Emirates] and Kuwait, that would put a real financing crimp on the ability of the Syrian government to rebuild quickly within 5-10 years, Robert Ford, the former US ambassador to Syria under President Barack Obama, told Al-Monitor.

To that end, the bill would impose far-reaching restrictions on Syria reconstruction and stabilization funding in Assad-controlled territory between 2018 and 2022 unless the president certifies to Congress that the Assad regime has met a series of stringent criteria.

In order to receive US reconstruction assistance, the Assad regime must begin organizing free and fair elections and allow the safe, unfettered and voluntary return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes while taking steps to improve its human rights record and establish an independent judiciary. Additionally, the regime must halt attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, minimize its reliance on Iranian military support, halt the development and deployment of ballistic cruise missiles, and comply with international norms on chemical weapons.

"Until Assad respects the rights of his people, until they're on the path toward a better future for themselves and until there's accountability for the regimes war crimes, the United States shouldnt spend a dime on reconstruction efforts in areas controlled by the regime, said Engel.

Buoyed by his patrons in Moscow and Tehran, the Butcher in Damascus broke Syria, the congressman added. We should not support any scenario that leaves him in power to continue his violence and oppression against the Syrian people.

But hampering the regimes reconstruction efforts may not be as straightforward as Washington hopes given the fact that Russia and Iran, key Assad allies, are seeking contracts to rebuild Assad-held areas. Tehran, for instance, has already committed to establishing five power plants in Aleppo.

Nonetheless, Ford downplayed Moscows and Tehrans reconstruction commitments.

A private Russian security firm  has signed a contract that will protect [an] oil facility in return for 25% for the production revenue, Ford told Al-Monitor. Thats a huge cut. The Russians arent giving aid; theyre actually doing things on a commercial basis.

However, China also committed to investing $2 billion in Syrias industrial parks in August after Damascus resumed its first annual trade fair since the beginning of the war.

In addition to bilateral US assistance, the No Assistance for Assad Act also bars multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) from using US dollars in their own reconstruction and stabilization projects in Assad-controlled territory.

We probably could impede, for quite a long time, IMF and World Bank aid to the Syrian government, Ford said. Nonetheless, the World Bank and IMF have yet to lay out a formal proposal for Syrian reconstruction.

The World Bank is looking at it in a very cautious and careful way so far, Ford noted. In a normal World Bank program, they would work out a series of loan agreements with the government involved setting out loan terms and possible conditionalities.

And while Ford praised the bills limitations on assistance to the Assad regime, he warned that it would likely not produce any tangible political impact.

Its plainly evident that the Bashar al-Assad government that uses chemical weapons and barrel bombs hospitals and civilian units with reckless abandon is not particularly concerned about the welfare of its citizens, Ford said. And so the idea that withholding reconstruction aid is going to extract political concessions from Bashar al-Assad when armed opposition does not extract those concessions  is a fallacy.

That said, Ford argued that providing reconstruction assistance to the Assad regime would be wasteful due to its endemic corruption and pointed to the Syrian governments habit of siphoning off humanitarian aid funds.

The corruption inside the government is so rampant that there would be a substantial race involved and it would be very hard for the United States government to verify the accounted use of the money, said Ford.

Notably however, the No Assistance for Assad Act contains explicit exemptions for local community organizations in Assad-controlled territory as well as for programs providing humanitarian needs such as food, medical services and supplies, clothing, education and demining operations.

Nevertheless, the Assad regime frequently blocks humanitarian aid from reaching opposition-held territory like Eastern Ghouta in the suburbs of Damascus. For instance, the Assad regime did not permit independent aid groups to evacuate critically wounded patients trapped in the besieged suburbs until yesterday.

In order to facilitate greater humanitarian aid access, the UN Security Council voted last week to extend permission for the UN to deliver Syrian aid directly to opposition-held areas from Turkey and Jordan for another year. However, Russia and China both abstained from the vote, raising concerns that Moscow may use its UN veto to block assistance directly to rebel-held areas in the near future.
December 28, 2017

CAIRO  Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Ethiopia on Dec. 26 in an attempt to resume technical negotiations and break the deadlock on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

According to a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt called on the World Bank to intervene as a neutral technical mediator in the technical committee studying the impacts of the GERD construction.

In a somewhat related development, Egypts Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation had announced Dec. 9 that it would build a dam in Wadi Hodein, in the Red Sea governorates Shalateen area, to benefit from rainwater and floods.

Observers saw this move as vital and indispensable to address the damage caused by the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and to avoid any expected water shortage crises.

In a press statement to Egypts state-run MENA news agency on the same day, the head of the ministry's groundwater sector, Sameh Sakr, said the 12-meter-long (39-feet-long) dam will have a water storage capacity of 7 million cubic meters. It is one of the largest dams built in the Eastern Desert in terms of height and storage capacity.

It seems Egypt is tapping into flood and rainwater a few weeks after the country officially announced, for the first time after 17 rounds, the fallout of the negotiations with Sudan and Ethiopia on the GERD. The negotiations were indefinitely suspended.

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Ati issued an official statement on Nov. 12, stating that Egypt initially approved the introductory technical report submitted by the French consultancy firm BRL, tasked with studying the Renaissance Dam and its impacts on Egypt and Sudan. Abdel Ati noted, however, a divergence of views on the report between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. He did not mention the points of contention in the report.

On Nov. 13, in a telephone intervention on the local Sada al-Balad satellite channel, Abdel Ati's spokesman, Hossam El-Imam, said Egypt will not waive its water rights. He asserted that Egypt was ready to raise the Renaissance Dam issue before the International Court of Justice.

During the inauguration ceremony of a number of major projects in Kafr al-Sheikh on Nov. 18, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned against harming his country's Nile River water share, stressing that water is a matter of life and death.

However, Ethiopia seems to be turning a deaf ear to these warnings. Ethiopian Minister of Energy, Water and Electricity Sileshi Bekele affirmed in a press briefing Nov. 25 that his country will not stop the construction of the GERD, despite Egypts protests.

Bekele stressed his countrys firm position, saying, The dam is being constructed around-the-clock." He noted that Ethiopia has a fundamental right to exploit its water resources in producing energy for development purposes and eradicating poverty.

Meanwhile, the African Affairs Committee of the Egyptian parliament saw these Egyptian efforts as insufficient since the Shalateen Dam is not a solution to the GERD crisis. In turn, a water expert at Mansoura University, Zaki al-Beheiry, believes it is important to search for alternative water sources since the Ethiopian GERD will affect Egypt's Nile River water share.

According to the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources in July, the Nile River provides Egypt with an annual share of 55.5 billion cubic meters while Egypts water requirements reach 114 bcm annually. In addition to the Nile River water, Egypt resorts to desalination of seawater, purification of sewage water and industrial drainage. Yet the annual water deficit is 20 bcm.

Egypt asserts that the GERD reduces Egypt's Nile River water share by an average of 22 bcm per year. This water loss could turn infertile more than 4 million acres out of Egypt's cultivated land of around 9 million acres. The GERD will also cut by one-third the electricity generated by the Aswan High Dam while increasing pollution in canals and drains.

According to Egypt's former Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Nasreddin Allam, Ethiopia will not stop constructing the dam. Over the past years, Egypts government failed to find a solution to this crisis. This is a real threat to Egypt, he told Al-Monitor, adding that it is unfortunate that Egypt was not aware of Ethiopias intention from the start.

It is good that Egypt is planning to build dams and exploit rain and flood water. But this will not be enough and will not compensate for the water lost after the GERD construction is completed and water is stored, Allam added. It is necessary to diversify water sources, but this is not a solution to the GERD crisis.

By announcing its plan to build the Shalateen Dam, Egypts government was trying to hit two birds with one stone. Allam said, Not only is it diversifying its water sources to counter Ethiopias insistence on constructing the GERD, it is also pressuring Sudan, which is siding with Ethiopia. The newly announced dam is located in Shalateen, a disputed area between Sudan and Egypt.

Egyptian-Sudanese relations are highly strained by the border dispute over the Halayeb-Shalateen-Abu Ramada triangle. Sudan believes it is entitled to impose its sovereignty over the triangle as part of the Sudanese territories, while Egypt claims this area as an integral part of its territory, refusing to resort to international arbitration.

The Halayeb-Shalateen area extends over 20,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) in the southeast of Egypt and northeastern Sudan, on the border between Egypt and Sudan, with a population of 27,000 people.

After Egypt revealed its plan to build the Shalateen Dam, Sudans Ministry of Energy, Water and Electricity renewed on Dec. 11 Sudans sovereignty claims over Halayeb and Shalateen. Ahmed Issa Omar, parliament member for Halayeb in Sudans National Council, told Anadolu Agency on Dec. 10 that Egypts intention to launch development projects in the disputed triangle is an unacceptable step.

In an interview on Dec. 24 on Bila Koyoud TV program airing on the BBC Arabic satellite channel, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour confirmed that Halayeb and Shalateen were Sudanese and his country will not be giving them up.

The Egyptian National Media Organization responded on Dec. 27 by announcing that it intends to broadcast a weekly television and radio program from Halayeb and Shalateen within the scope of its efforts to entrench the residents sense of belonging to their Egyptian homeland.
December 28, 2017

CAIRO  An unknown fate awaits political figures who consider running in Egypt's presidential election next year. So far, the three main potential candidates have all had run-ins with the courts soon after announcing their intentions.

An old case reopened or a new charge filed are among the means being used to prevent challengers to Abdel Fattah al-Sisi from emerging. Anyone wanting to run in the election must apparently first face the courts.

Former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiqs announcement Nov. 29 that he intended to run for president triggered a slew of indictments. On Dec. 2, lawyer Mohammad Hamid Salem presented a case to public prosecutor Nabil Sadeq, accusing Shafiq of stirring public unrest and issuing inciting statements on anti-regime channels." The same day, lawyer Samir Sabry filed a case accusing Shafiq of treason by appearing on the Al Jazeera channel, which supports terrorism. Shafiq faced criticism over reports that he sent his candidacy announcement video to the TV channel in Doha, Qatar. Egypt was among four countries that cut ties with Doha in June over its alleged support for terrorism.

On Dec. 18, the public prosecutor referred Shafiqs case to the High State Security Emergency Criminal Court for investigation.

Shafiq announced his candidacy from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he has resided since 2012. He said Emirati authorities had prevented him from traveling without telling him why. Within days of his announcement, Shafiq's lawyer, Dina Adly, said the UAE had deported him to Egypt and he had been under house arrest in Cairos Marriot Hotel ever since.

Two days after reaching Cairo, Shafiq hinted in a phone interview on Dream TV news that he would rescind his candidacy, withdrawing his accusation that the UAE had prevented him from traveling. I wasnt kidnapped. I am staying in an excellent hotel in Cairo, he said. About his candidacy, Shafiq added, I think I need to see things in detail, to go into the streets and see the reality.

Shafiq further denied accusations of sending a video of his announcement to Al Jazeera, saying the video was on his daughters phone, which was hacked.

On Dec. 2, the military prosecution summoned Col. Ahmed Konsowa for questioning after he announced his candidacy Nov. 29. It ordered him detained for 15 days for questioning.

His lawyer, Asaad Haykel, said in a press statement that Konsowa was facing charges of behavior detrimental to the requirements of the military regime over a video he posted laying out some of his political views, and for wearing his military uniform while expressing his political views when he announced his plans to run.

Konsowa is still a member of the armed forces and affirms that he is proud of his service, Haykel said in another press statement Dec. 3. He is not a rebel or a defector. He put himself forward as a candidate, as did Sisi."

Konsowa, an engineer in the armed forces, had announced he was leaving the military institution in 2014, citing his desire to enter politics and run [in the] elections, but his resignation was denied.

On Dec. 19, the North Cairo Military Court senteced Konsowa to six years in prison on charges of violating the military regime and military orders and instructions.

Prominent lawyer Khalid Ali, who announced Nov. 6 that he would also run for president, is waiting for an appeals hearing Jan. 3 after he was sentenced in September to three months in prison and fined 1,000 Egyptian pounds (about $56) on charges of obscene acts on a public thoroughfare over a hand gesture he made after an Egyptian court annulled a border agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Lawyer Gamal Eid told Al-Monitor the regime is prepared to use any means to prevent candidates who pose a threat to Sisi from running in the election.

The military courts have been used against Konsowa because they are not independent. They are under the aegis of the supreme commander of the armed forces [Sisi], he said. Konsowa is not guilty of any crime, but he copied Sisi, who also announced his candidacy while he was still in military uniform.

Eid added that Shafiq had been betrayed, as he could have been told that he was unwelcome in the UAE or been given a deadline to leave. Instead, what happened was that he was handed over to the Egyptian regime. He added that Alis ordeal shows that the regime will use every means available to discredit rivals and prevent them from running.

The regime hasnt just used one method, Eid said. It will not allow anyone to run unless they have a deal with it, guaranteeing Sisis victory if he decides to run for a second term. If he doesnt [run], the military apparatus will choose another candidate from among its former leadership.

Hassan Nafea, a political science professor at Cairo University, said the regime does not want transparent presidential elections. There are deliberate attempts to smear anyone who tries to put themselves forward as a candidate, he told Al-Monitor.

He added, What happened to Shafiq and Konsowa was evidence of political stupidity, lack of experience and the regimes insistence on keeping the security apparatus in control of everything.

The president hasn't yet announced he will run for another term.

Nafea noted most of the crises currently facing the state are linked to Sisi, but the military apparatus has not yet prepared a potential alternative candidate.

Despite Konsowas recklessness in announcing his candidacy while he was still in the military, his candidacy shows that some within the military establishment are against the regimes policies, Nafea said.
December 28, 2017

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The strawberry harvest season in the Gaza Strip is underway. Farmers call the fruit red gold given the high revenues they make from exporting it to foreign markets between December and April every year.

Russia is preparing to import the first cargo of strawberries from Gaza for the first time, according to Ahmed al-Shafey, the CEO of the Gaza Agricultural Cooperative for Producing & Marketing, which specializes in planting and exporting agricultural products.

Shafey told Al-Monitor, Russian companies have set their local marketing plans for the importation of strawberries from Gaza. The total exports is estimated to reach 15 tons worth $76,500 by April 2018.

He said Russia will import strawberries from Gaza for the first time, since its price offered exceeded that of Israeli companies. In addition, Gaza seeks to export other fruits and vegetables to Russia.

Despite the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, the small enclave has been able to export some products. On Dec. 19, the first strawberry shipment was sent to Saudi Arabia through the Karam Abu Salem crossing. It seems Israel is allowing Palestinians in Gaza to export their products to the outside world as part of the governments announcement Oct. 17 that it will offer economic concessions to Gaza upon the request of Jared Kushner, the US presidents envoy to the Middle East.

Shafey added, Russian companies will buy 1 kilogram [just over 2 pounds] of strawberries for 18 Israeli shekels [$5.20], while Israeli companies pay 15 shekels [$4.30] for 1 kilogram.

He noted that Palestinian farmers are considering the possibility of establishing a permanent partnership with Russia to export strawberries, oranges, figs, guavas and grapes from Gaza if they can outbid Israeli companies.

Belal al-Masri, a farmer from Beit Lahia who owns three dunams (0.74 acres) of strawberry crops, told Al-Monitor, Russian companies are interested for the first time in strawberries from Gaza and will purchase the product at a price higher than what the Israelis offered, which will compensate for the losses caused during years of Israeli wars and the siege. Moreover, Israeli companies [in the past] often refused to allow the import of strawberries under the pretext that the fruits did not meet the [Israeli] norms. This forced us to sell to the local market at a price not exceeding 3 shekels [$0.86] per kilogram, which does not even cover production costs.

Israel has been for years trying to prevent the importation of strawberries from Gaza. The Israeli authorities at the border crossings leave the products unrefrigerated for hours under the pretext of conducting tests. As a result, the strawberries go bad, and Israel returns the fruit to Gaza, claiming that they do not meet the export requirements.

Moeen Rajab, a professor of economics at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, The offers presented by Russian companies to pay competitive prices for Gazas products will benefit Palestinian farmers, as they will be able to expand their planting areas to meet local and international demands.

The general manager of the marketing and crossings department at Gazas Ministry of Agriculture, Tahseen al-Sakka, told Al-Monitor, The total space allocated to planting strawberries in Gaza this year reached 908 dunams [224 acres], compared to 600 dunams in 2016. The production in 2017 is expected to reach about 2,500 tons, compared to 1,500 tons last season. The space allocated to strawberry growing in hanging containers this year increased from 12 dunams last season to 20 this year. One dunam of strawberries costs $2,500 and would produce about 500 kilograms [1,100 pounds] of strawberries annually."

Eid Siyam, the head of the crops department at Gazas Ministry of Agriculture, told Al-Monitor, Strawberry crops are one of Gazas most important export crops. Strawberry [cultivation] contributes to roughly 11% of Gazas total workforce, as it secures at least 44,000 employment opportunities for four months of each year."

Siyam added, The quality of strawberries from Gaza attract [buyers from] Israel, Europe and recently Russia, because it follows the GlobalG.A.P. standards [which are internationally recognized and dedicated to the Good Agricultural Practices]. About 30 farmers out of Gazas 90 farmers growing strawberries work under its umbrella and hold certified products.

According to Siyam, the Ministry of Agriculture is exploring alternative farming techniques, such as planting strawberries in greenhouses to test vertical farming.

In addition to the lack of infrastructure, the farmers in border zones also face Israeli soldiers threatening to shoot at them and destroy irrigation networks and water wells. According to the farmers, the lands allocated to planting strawberries decreased from 2,500 dunams in 2006, to 500 dunams in December 2017.
While Sushma Swaraj is the guardian angel to many Pakistani nationals in distress, she minces no words when it comes to exposing Pakistan's lies on terror and now on Kulbhushan Jadhav.

By India Today Web Desk: In External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, many Pakistani nationals have found a "superwoman" and a "God" who reaches out to people in distress and puts humanity over borders.

Yet, when it comes to cornering Pakistan on global platforms for sponsoring terror, or slamming it for humiliating Kulbhushan Jadhav's family, no one does it better than Sushma Swaraj.

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Calling Pakistan's claim that Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife carried a recorder in her shoes "absurd" to accusing the neighbour of using the meeting as a "propaganda exercise", Sushma Swaraj ripped Pakistan apart in her Parliament speech today.

"Their human rights were violated," Sushma said, referring to Jadhav's wife and mother being made to remove their bangles, mangalsutra and bindi before they were allowed to meet the former Naval officer.

The External Affairs Minister said the manner in which the meeting was conducted in Pakistan was "appalling". Opposition leaders cutting across party lines agreed with her statement on Pakistan.

WHEN SUSHMA SLAMMED PAKISTAN

This was her second speech in Parliament on Kulbhushan Jadhav, the first was after a Pakistan court sentenced him to death for "espionage and sabotage activities" in April this year.

Sushma Swaraj had then warned Pakistan of "dire consequences" and called the death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav an act of "premeditated murder".

"There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Kulbhushan Jadhav. If anything, he is the victim of a plan that seeks to cast aspersions on India to deflect international attention from Pakistan's well-known record of sponsoring and supporting terrorism," Sushma said in Parliament, sending out a strong message to Parliament.

A few months later, Sushma Swaraj took Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi head-on for alleging human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We are completely engaged in fighting poverty; alas, our neighbour Pakistan seems only engaged in fighting us," she shot back. Sushma said that those listening to the Pakistan PM had only one observation, "Look who's talking".

IIT vs LeT, IIM vs JeM, AIIMS vs HM: EAM @SushmaSwaraj shows mirror to Pakistan and highlights the glaring difference b/w India & Pakistan pic.twitter.com/6OiH845ZPT- Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 23, 2017

WHEN SUSHMA HELPED PAK NATIONALS

Sushma's fiery speeches against Pakistan in Parliament and other global platforms, however, are in stark contrast to her sometimes emotional and always-ready-to-help responses on Twitter.

In June this year, following her intervention, the Indian government issued medical visa to a two-and-a-half-month-old baby from Pakistan, who was suffering from a heart disease.

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"It is heartening to see humanity prevailing despite many differences. Thank you for your efforts. Humanity prevails! God bless everyone," the child's father tweeted after Sushma's response.

A month later, she once again directed the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue visa to a Pakistani national for medical treatment in India. One Hijaab Asif, who had sought Sushma's help on behalf of the patient, tweeted, "@SushmaSwaraj what do I call you? Superwoman? God? No words to describe your generosity!".

Maam, we are in touch with the applicant. Rest assured we will follow it up.- India in Pakistan (@IndiainPakistan) July 27, 2017

Despite frosty ties between India and Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj's responses to people in need, even if they are from across the border, have been heartwarming. But, her response to Pakistan, the 'terror' state, has been brutal and biting.

WATCH: Sushma Swaraj: Kulbhushan Jadhav's family put at risk despite Pakistan's assurance

--- ENDS ---
December 27, 2017

When the United Arab Emirates (UAE) refused to allow Tunisian women under the age of 30  or women carrying Tunisian passports  to board Emirates airline flights on Dec. 22, chaos broke out in airports around the world, as women were stranded everywhere from Dubai to Hong Kong and men refused to leave their female traveling companions behind.

Because of pre-existing tensions between the two countries, the UAE bypassed typical protocol and did not inform Tunisian authorities ahead of time. Reactions from the Tunisian public were swift and furious, with the #NoWomenNoFly and #TunisiaDisciplinestheUAE hashtags trending on Twitter, as well as calls to boycott Emirates airline.

This has become an issue of national dignity, Tunisian political analyst Youssef Cherif told Al-Monitor.

On Dec. 24, the Tunisian Ministry of Transport, which is under the direction of Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, banned Emirates from landing in the country. The ministrys declaration was viewed as the official government position, and President Beji Caid Essebsi was criticized for his initial silence.

On Monday, Essebsi and Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui mildly condemned the UAEs travel ban against women to create a united front between the president and the prime minister. Essebsi confirmed that Tunisia will not allow Emirates flights to land in the country. In an angry response, the UAE announced that all flights between Tunisia and the UAE were suspended indefinitely.

The UAE still has not given a detailed reason for the travel ban, although it did cite security concerns. The UAE voiced fear that an attack will probably be committed by Tunisian women or women with Tunisian passports, spokeswoman for the Presidency of the Republic Saida Garrach told local Shems FM radio Dec. 25. Noting that it is a UAE sovereign decision based on credible security information, Garrach nevertheless expressed disappointment at the unacceptable treatment of Tunisian women.

Garrach noted that several countries have issued warnings about Tunisian women or Tunisian passport holders who have been returning from joining the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq. Neither she nor the UAE government confirmed if this was the reason behind the ban.

The New York-based Soufan Group recently revised its numbers of foreign fighters who have left Tunisia to join IS in Iraq and Syria, placing the count at just under 3,000 (other estimates reach 6,000). For years, Tunisia was considered the largest exporter of foreign fighters; they have recently been edged out by Russia and Saudi Arabia. According to the Tunisian Center for Research and Studies on Terrorism, 3.5% of jailed extremists are women. Tunisian media places the number of women who have left for Syria and Libya at 700. But there are significantly more Tunisian men than women who have joined IS. Their roles are also different: Generally speaking, men are more likely to carry out violent attacks. So if the UAE would ban anyone, wouldnt it make more sense to ban men? A blanket ban on women recalls US President Donald Trumps so-called Muslim ban, which created an international outcry. And at the height of the #MeToo social media campaign, the UAE seems to have chosen a very bad moment for gender discrimination.

In the midst of the Gulf crisis, such strange nondiplomacy cant be brushed off. While both Tunisian and UAE government officials have said the sources regarding the security threat were credible, a deeper look at UAE policies toward Tunisia uncovers a more complex explanation.

As Al-Monitor reported last year, Tunisias nascent democracy is one of the latest theaters where Gulf rivalries are playing out. Indeed, Tunisia is the only Arab country that has been relatively successful in implementing a functioning democracy post-revolution (albeit a flawed democracy). Libya, Syria and Yemen have all been plunged into chaos, and Egyptian democratic elections were overturned by a violent military coup.

The UAE sees the Arab Spring as a chaotic parenthesis that destroyed its former allies [including former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali], liberated public opinion and therefore can have repercussions in its own society, and also gave Islamists the right to be involved in politics. In a society like the UAE, the only opposition that can emerge to the ruling dynasty is an Islamist opposition, Cherif said.

Meanwhile, from the start of the 2011 revolution, Qatar was a strong supporter of Tunisia. Qatar, which had been investing in Tunisia since the 1990s, increased financial investments in the country and is now the countrys largest Arab investor. Qatar was reportedly pleased with the increased power of moderate Islamist party Ennahda following Essebsis 2014 decision to compromise with Ennahda in the name of national unity.

Several sources note that the UAE, which was Tunisias second-largest Arab foreign investor prior to 2011, is upset by Qatars positive relations across the Tunisian political spectrum and has actively discouraged its investors from being involved with Tunisia. Since 2011, the UAE triggers a crisis and humiliates the Tunisian government, often in order to influence political decisions taken in Tunis, Cherif noted.

Indeed, this isnt the first time Tunisians have had issues traveling to the UAE. In 2015, Tunisian businessmen had their visa applications denied for unclear reasons, while Tunisians already in the UAE had difficulties renewing their work permits. At the time, the UAE said this was in response to the increased number of Tunisians fighting with Islamist groups, though none of the refused visas belonged to people with links to terrorist organizations.

The UAE, meanwhile, along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain, broke off all diplomatic relations with Qatar in early June. The decision was reportedly enacted because of Qatars embrace of various terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at destabilizing the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda and IS  a deeply ironic explanation, considering Saudi Arabias and the UAEs own alleged financial involvement with terrorist organizations.

While Tunisia has taken a neutral position on the Gulf crisis, there has been some bias toward Qatar, as trade increased and the Qatari foreign minister visited Tunisia earlier this month. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Qatar, arrived in Tunis for a two-day visit yesterday.

Garrach was quick to point out that what is happening between Tunisia and the UAE cannot be described as a diplomatic crisis, although Cherif noted that what started as a simple security decision became a crisis. Its not out of the question to wonder if Tunisia is being pulled into the Gulf crisis as punishment for its positive relations with Qatar.

If the ban is indeed related to Emirati geopolitics, Cherif speculated, then this is just the beginning of a crisis that will soon transform into a wave of media and social media attacks, a withdrawal of ambassadors and may then even expand to the UAE allies in the region. Tunisia would then become a maverick country like Qatar.
December 27, 2017

After months of verbal clashes in Iran between former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and judiciary chief Sadegh Amoli Larijani, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has given a speech harshly criticizing Ahmadinejad.

In recent months, Ahmadinejad and conservative Amoli Larijani have been accusing each other of various things. Ahmadinejad has indirectly alleged that the daughter of Larijani is spying for foreign intelligence services. He has also been releasing videos calling for Amoli Larijani's resignation.

It should be noted that following Khameneis public advice to Ahmadinejad not to run in the May 2017 presidential election, he defied it and decided to register as a candidate anyway. He was ultimately disqualified by the Guardian Council, which is tasked with vetting candidates. After this incident, tensions between the former president and the Iranian political establishment gradually rose.

In a meeting with members of the Council of Coordination on Islamic Propagation on Dec. 27, Khamenei addressed Ahmadinejad indirectly, saying, Those who had all the countrys facilities under their control and those who had the countries management facilities under their control arent entitled to play the role of opposition and talk against the country; rather, they should be responsive [now].

He added, Besides their services [to the country], there has been damage [done to the country by them]; [they should be thanked for their] services, and the damages should be criticized fairly, responsibly and wisely. [Although] the criticism shouldnt be done with cursing and slandering. Criticizing and accepting criticism is necessary, but slandering and [unfair attacks] are forbidden.

Referring to Ahmadinejads recent harsh criticisms against the judiciary and its chief, the Iranian leader continued, It is not considered an art if a person repeatedly slanders and attacks various entities and organizations, because every child can throw a rock at a window to break it. The art is to take God into account and speak logically, and [to] avoid speaking for personal [interests] and attaining power  because God will question humans for every word [they utter].

Khamenei continued, [One who] pretends to be revolutionary is not [necessarily] a revolutionary. Being a revolutionary is hard work, because it requires a man to be committed and pious, and it is not possible that a person [can govern] the country for a decade and in the next decade turn into an opponent of the country.

Khamenei spoke about the mounting hostility between Tehran and Washington. Our main enemy, the US regime, rules one of the most corrupt and most oppressive countries. It supports terrorists. According to reports, it's still supporting Daesh [Islamic State] and others like them. The US government supports the cruel Saudi king in his crimes against Yemen, and it supports the Zionist regime in its crimes against Palestine.

He added, [Ronald] Reagan was both wiser and more powerful than [Donald] Trump. Reagans administration took measures against Iran; they shot down one of our passenger aircraft. But where is Reagan, and how powerful is the Islamic Republic now? Khamenei said.

He added, The US government is trying to divide Iran. It is also profiting from the help of some wealthy states in our region. They must know that we will advance, powerfully, with divine favor, just as we did when we defeated them in our region. Just as we rubbed their noses into the dirt, we will go forward with great power. With divine permission, we will disappoint the United States [and its ambitions] in all arenas.
December 27, 2017

Soil and water are natural resources pivotal to the survival of any country. They constitute the key elements of agriculture, which no one doubts is important. Experts say that soil is even more important than water because the latter is recoverable but the first is not. They argue that it is crucial to preserve soil, as the formation of each centimeter of soil takes hundreds of years to produce.

Back in 2013, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization named 2015 the International Year of Soils to raise awareness on the importance of sustainable soil management. In this vein, the years 2015-2024 were named the International Decade of Soils. But this is at the international level; all governments must take their own measures for soil conservation. Following suit, Iran has also adopted policies and taken measures in recent years to preserve its soil resources, which are not in proper condition.

Iran is a dry country covering a land area of almost 165 million hectares. Of this, only 50 million hectares are arable  but less than two-fifths (18 million hectares) are currently used for agricultural purposes, while water scarcity has made the rest unusable. Regrettably, the limited soil resources are threatened with contamination, as pesticides and fertilizers are used excessively, while industrial pollutants and the use of salty water degrade soil and make it less nutrient-rich.

Another factor that poses serious threats to soil resources in Iran is erosion, but not the type of erosion that is natural. In Iran, soil erosion occurs at a fast pace under certain elements that can be divided into natural causes (wind and water) and those resulting from human activity. As most parts of Iran are dry, high winds blow away soil while water erodes soil in mountainous areas, particularly on slopes.

The second group of factors other than natural causes that contribute to soil erosion in Iran include activities such as farming, mining, construction, cutting trees and overgrazing. Cutting trees and overgrazing in particular decrease vegetation, which is known to be effective in slowing down soil erosion. In construction activities, soil is uncovered and damaged in areas but left unrepaired. Farming on steep ground, digging mines using improper and/or outdated methods, and excessive use of groundwater resources are also major factors contributing to soil damage.

Soil erosion leads to fertility and nutrition degradation, which results in lower quality and reduced production of agricultural products. At the same time, when land is degraded, its ability to hold on to water is decreased and thus worsens floods. For Iran, in addition to these negative impacts, soil erosion has also created an environmental crisis in many parts of the country, particularly in southern and southwestern provinces like Khuzestan, where the wind increases dust levels in addition to the already-high air pollution rate in major cities, including the capital city of Tehran.

In the meantime, soil erosion has also clogged waterways and resulted in sedimentation in rivers where fish such as salmon lay eggs. Salmon in Iran are currently in danger of extinction because of improper conditions in rivers.

Although soil erosion is a global issue, Iran has one of the highest erosion rates in the world, with some reports saying that the country is ranked second with different figures varying between 2 billion and 4 billion tons of soil eroding annually  almost four times above the global average. The issue is not only costing the country in terms of major environmental challenges, but it is also believed to be hitting the countrys economy at a very large scale. With each ton of soil estimated to be worth $28, it can be argued that the annual cost of soil erosion in Iran is $56 billion, which is even greater than the countrys oil revenue, which was $41.123 billion in 2016.

Of course, the alarm has been raised in the country about the urgency of soil preservation. Soil is eroding rapidly due to many reasons, including underdeveloped technology," President Hassan Rouhani told parliament Sept. 22. "Such a situation, if continued, will leave the country faced with many crises, including severe dust levels, increased desertification, rising unemployment and reduced food security."

Rouhanis government, as part of its soil conservation efforts, has prepared a bill that addresses the two main existing issues  namely, erosion and contamination. The bill has been submitted to parliament but has yet to be approved. If this bill becomes law, it will enable the effective management of soil resources and more control over polluting activities, Saeed Motessaddi, an official with the Department of Environment, told local media April 27.

Other efforts to contain soil erosion and contamination include strict bans on groundwater withdrawal, preparing an atlas of soil pollutants and land usage, plans to fight deforestation, the use of drainage systems to reduce salinity, the use of standard fertilizers and the increase of vegetation. To make use of the experiences of other countries, Iran has also become a member of the international Soil Association.

Under its sixth five-year development plan (2016-2021), Iran must improve as much as 500,000 hectares of soil used for farming each year. To reach that goal and other targets for soil preservation, credit facilities worth $71.4 million have been allocated annually. But officials at the Agriculture Ministry complain that they have yet to receive any money to implement their projects, even though the development plan is in its first year of implementation.

While measures taken by the Rouhani government have raised hopes for the better protection of soil that has been neglected for years and even aggravated by mismanagement and lack of integration among different bodies, some experts say it is not enough and that the public must also feel obliged to protect the soil. Experts argue that low levels of public awareness could even hamper other attempts to slow down soil destruction, which they refer to as a serious threat that, if left unresolved, will negatively impact other economic sectors and further endanger the social, economic and national security of Iran.
December 27, 2017

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's preferred strategy of driving a wedge between the right and the left has served him faithfully, ever since he first burst onto the political scene more than 20 years ago. There were only a few rare instances in which he exhibited a more inclusive official stance and appealed to the political center. This happened when he served as minister of finance in 2003 and when he had a coalition with the Labor Party in 2009. Other than that, Netanyahu always seems to prefer a return to the "crime scene," particularly in times of crisis.

The police are expected to release soon their recommendation to indict Netanyahu, apparently for bribery. Before that, Netanyahu has been tightening his relationship with the right, or what he calls, his "base." He did it when he addressed the Likud on the last night of Hanukkah on Dec. 19, and he did it again Dec. 26, when he invited the rabbinic leadership of the religious Zionist movement to his office and complained to them that the left is taking steps to bring down his right-wing government. To ensure that the right-wing rabbis really understood the significance of what he was saying, Netanyahu warned them of how the fall of his government would impact Israels position on the diplomatic process.

His insinuation was obvious. Even right-wing demonstrators against corruption are a tool in the hands of the left (allegedly in order to topple Netanyahu and weaken the right-wing camp). Putting his survival in practical terms, Netanyahu wanted to ensure that the anti-corruption movement on the right would not gain the upper hand. In doing this, he cast democratic activity on the right as illegitimate.

While everyone is well-aware of how Netanyahu's preferred approach to crises is to drive a deep wedge between the right and the left, the far-reaching impact that this has on Israeli society does not gain the attention it deserves. What is especially disconcerting about the phenomenon is that Netanyahu is not the only one guilty of this. Even his rivals in the opposing camp align themselves with his efforts to delegitimize the left, i.e., themselves.

As the titular head of the left, Labor Party Chairman Avi Gabbay tried to appeal to the right by reiterating Netanyahu's incendiary remark from 1997 that the left forgot what it means to be Jewish. But this only gives validity to Netanyahu's original claim and serves the prime minister's divisive policies by casting aspersions on his own camp. The same can be said about Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. He regularly avoids any association with the left, as if it was some deadly disease, even though a significant part of his voter base identifies with that camp.

When Gabbay and Lapid play to the right and adopt parts of its agenda, they are helping to make the left-wing worldview seem damaged. In the past, the right used to say that the left tended to believe the Arabs because its supporters were naive. Today, the term "left" has become synonymous with anti-Zionism and treasonous attitudes toward national values. The architect of this radicalized rhetoric is none other than Netanyahu.

On an inner, more clandestine level, the growing rift between left and right in Israel in 2017 has made it utterly impossible to engage in a substantive debate even on matters that are not ideological or political, without viewing them through that prism. It is also worth noting that this is true of both sides of the political divide. That is why right-wing demonstrators against corruption are not considered to be citizens who want what is best for the country. Instead, they are immediately labeled as fifth columnists, serving the interests of the left. Meanwhile, most anti-corruption demonstrators on the left are seen by many in the right-wing camp, who side with Netanyahu, as hoping to launch a coup and topple the right-wing government through investigations into the prime minister's affairs. What they fail to recognize is that these political protests are both legitimate and necessary. Exacerbating the situation even further is the fact that the demonstrations' own organizers deny that they are part of the left and that their objective is political. In fact, they try to underplay this. This makes it seem like they also believe that the left is "problematic" at best and "treasonous" at worst. The irony is that as such, they are also contributing to the de-legitimization of the left.

The inability to hold a healthy debate is not just a feature of the fight against corruption. Almost every meaningful public debate turns into an ugly battle between the left and the right.

A prime example of this phenomenon is the uproar surrounding a law proposed by HaBayit HaYehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett and his party's Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked to limit the Supreme Court's authority to overturn Knesset legislation. As leaders of the settlers and the religious right, Bennett and Shaked argue that the Supreme Court infringes on the authority of the Knesset as the legislative branch of government with its revoking of new laws. There was an immediate uproar on the left, with Bennett and Shaked accused of working for those elements on the right, who regard the Supreme Court as the enemy of the settlers. They were accused of wanting to undermine the court because its rulings are detrimental to the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria.

The fact is that in the past two years alone, the Supreme Court overturned laws that have nothing to do with the settlers. This includes legislation about taxing a third apartment, the status of illegal aliens and a law to block the splitting up of the country's public broadcasting corporation. Discussions surrounding the Supreme Court's authority to overturn these laws is, therefore, appropriate, since it has nothing to do with whether the court leans left or not.

The one person to add a pragmatic aspect to this debate was former Justice Minister Haim Ramon. Although he identifies with the political left, in this particular issue, he stood at the side of the current justice minister by declaring, "Shaked is right." He explained that everywhere in the world, the right of courts to overturn laws passed by the legislature derives from the constitution or an explicit law granting it that power. Only in Israel is this power based on some "far-reaching" interpretation of the country's Basic Laws (Israel has no constitution).

Turning this important debate into part of the struggle between right and left is detrimental to the very essence of the discussion. It is exactly the same as how the incident involving Elor Azaria (the Israel Defense Forces soldier convicted of killing a wounded Palestinian assailant) should have remained a military matter rather than a political firestorm pitting right against left  for which, it should be remembered, Netanyahu was responsible.

As 2018 rolls in next week, we can expect to see a year replete with major political decisions. At the center of all these will be Netanyahu's struggle to survive, which will only fuel the war between the right and the left. It seems unavoidable given the current atmosphere. In other words, we should not expect much good to come out of 2018.
December 27, 2017

Proposed legislation submitted to the Knesset Dec. 27 by Yisrael Beitenu, the party of Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, would impose the death penalty for people convicted of terrorism. All six parties in the governing coalition  including center-right Kulanu, headed by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, which in the past had expressed reservations about similar proposals  have announced their support. The Knesset is thus likely to adopt the bill within several weeks, defying the objections of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

Israeli law allows military tribunals to impose the death penalty in the case of a unanimous verdict. (Such a decision has never been made.) Libermans draft law stipulates that a simple majority of judges would suffice, and civil courts would also be authorized to sentence to death those convicted of terrorist attacks in Israel.

A similar law was proposed in November 2015 by Yisrael Beitenu Knesset member Sharon Gal, but 94 lawmakers, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, voted it down. Gals proposal, which was as populist as similar legislative initiatives in the past, was spurred by a wave of terror attacks sweeping Israel at the time. Nonetheless, a decisive majority of Knesset members accepted warnings by Israels security chiefs, who believed then, as they do now, that not only is the death penalty not a deterrent, but it risks turning the condemned into martyrs. It could also prompt others to avenge their deaths and turn themselves into symbols of the struggle against Israel.

At a Dec. 24 session of the Knessets Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Nadav Argaman, the head of Shin Bet, reportedly reiterated his opposition to capital punishment. Argaman did not elaborate, but one can assume that he fears the resulting martyrdom would further fuel Palestinian violence in the West Bank. A similar position was adopted by Israel's military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, during the wave of attacks during the so-called individual intifada that began in October 2015. Former Shin Bet Chief Yoram Cohen expressed a similar view in a Dec. 24 radio interview. Not only does the death penalty not deter, it could also prompt those seeking revenge to carry out attacks in Israel, said Cohen.

Liberman, however, is not to be deterred. He intends to push the bill through and into law regardless of the warnings by the defense officials under his authority. Representatives of bereaved families were invited to attend Yisrael Beitenu's Dec. 24 Knesset faction meeting, where the announcement was made about the bill's submission. Choosing Life, a group formed some two years ago with the support of the rightist Im Tirtzu movement, consists of some 100 families demanding that Israel adopt a package of deterrents to prevent future terror attacks.

Every additional terrorist who enters Israeli prisons alive serves as an incentive to all other terrorists to kidnap Israeli citizens, to kill soldiers and then to enter negotiations [with Israel] to bargain for the release of other terrorists in prison, Liberman told attendees at the start of the meeting. Liberman did not address arguments to the effect that every terrorist executed could also provide such an incentive. He and his fellow party lawmakers hailed the call issued Dec. 25 by the father of Ron Kokia, a soldier murdered on Nov. 30 by Khaled Abu Jaudah from the Bedouin town of Kuseifeh, for the courts to impose the death penalty on his sons killer. For Liberman and his faction, Boaz Kokias call came at the perfect time.

As noted, the bill proposed two years ago by Gal was in response to public rage over the numerous attacks at the time and the desire to quash a burgeoning new intifada. That cycle of violence was eventually thwarted primarily by the wise strategy of restraint adopted by the defense forces under Eizenkot and the previous Shin Bet chief, Yoram Cohen. They believed that all possible measures should be taken to prevent the Palestinian public from being dragged into an all-out uprising. The security agencies therefore objected to the collective punishment of Palestinians and to unnecessary friction between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. They supported issuing permits for tens of thousands of Palestinians to work in Israel to ease the problem of massive Palestinian unemployment and resultant domestic pressure on the Palestinian Authority (PA). Their policy was based on the assumption that poverty, hardship and despair were prime precursors of terrorism.

So what has made Liberman promote legislation opposed by the defense establishment at this point in time? Elections. He probably thinks that the police will soon recommend indicting Netanyahu on various charges emanating from lengthy corruption investigations, so he wants be ready with a firm and decisive agenda for his voters.

Liberman began his journey to the ballot box some two weeks ago, when he ramped up the volume on the incitement he often directs at Israels 20% Arab minority. In response to a demonstration by Arab Israelis in the Wadi Ara enclave in central Israel to protest US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Liberman called on Israelis to boycott Arab businesses. In a Dec. 10 radio interview, he said, The people there have to understand that theyre not wanted here. They should be part of the Palestinian Authority and get their unemployment benefits, welfare dues and idleness dues there.

His comment leveraged his campaign slogan for the 2015 elections, Ariel for Israel, Umm al-Fahm for Palestine, meaning that West Bank settlements like the town of Ariel should be incorporated into Israel, while Israels Arab agglomeration should be transferred to PA control. Expelling the Israelis of Wadi Ara and adopting capital punishment for convicted terrorists constitute the package of deterrents with which Liberman plans to go into elections. The problem is that Israelis will be saddled with the consequences of his death penalty legislation after the elections as well.
December 28, 2017

Benjamin Netanyahu has chalked up a genuine diplomatic accomplishment, opined a senior Haaretz pundit about Israel's prime minister after US President Donald Trumps Dec. 6 declaration recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital. Not only has the focus shifted from the police investigations embroiling Netanyahu, he noted, It has moved to the prime ministers comfort zone: the political-security arena. As the headline for a report of Trumps pronouncement, News 1 proclaimed, Tremendous achievement. Netanyahu knew what he was doing. A respected journalist at Globes waxed poetic, proclaiming, Netanyahus Jerusalem of gold. She also wrote, tongue-in-cheek, Despite being suspected of corruption, the prime minister hasnt stopped working and wont let anyone take away his credit on Jerusalem.

Netanyahu rushed to leverage the presidential prize, calling on other countries to follow Trumps lead, stating, The president's decision is an important step toward peace. How, exactly, one might ask, is a unilateral move on such a controversial issue a boon for peace? It connects everyone to reality, the peace expert explained.

Not only did no major international players follow in Trumps footsteps, 14 of 15 UN Security Council members voted against him. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini suggested to Netanyahu that he forget about a change in the EUs position on Jerusalem as long as Israel does not reach agreement with the Palestinians regarding the citys status. On Dec. 21 in the UN General Assembly, 128 members voted to reject US recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Only seven non-influential countries  Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo  voted with the United States and Israel against the resolution.

The sweeping rebuff of Trumps proclamation reflects the failure of Netanyahus diplomacy in his dual role as Israels prime minister and foreign minister. The futility of his attempts to turn Asia into a base of Israeli support as an alternative to Europe has been exposed.

Barely six months after Netanyahu took a friendly walk on the beach in Haifa with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a month before Netanyahu was due to take a break from police questioning and pay a reciprocal visit to India, New Delhi voted for the Jerusalem declaration at the United Nations. Just nine months prior, Netanyahu had traveled to Beijing and declared that Israel and China were a match made in heaven. China, too, voted in favor of the UN resolution. Less than a year after Netanyahu began a visit to Singapore by describing the two countries as kindred spirits, the city-state also turned its back on Israel at the UN.

The UN votes were primarily intended as a poke in the eye for Trump. The man on whom Netanyahu is betting Israels security is losing the trust of world leaders. Since his inauguration almost a year ago, Trump has validated the adage, With friends like this, who needs enemies. Investing Israels strategic assets in Trump is as risky as investing in bitcoin. The Jerusalem declaration torpedoed the ultimate deal touted by the Trump administration to revive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and accelerated Israels disastrous slide into a binational Jewish-Arab state or an apartheid regime.

Netanyahu is obviously not concerned about the prospect of Israel having to choose between its Jewish identity and democratic principles. On the contrary. The announcement by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he was pulling out of the peace process is simply additional fodder for Netanyahus claims that the Palestinians are the ones who dont want peace. At the weekly Cabinet meeting held Dec. 24, Netanyahu cited Trumps assertion that the root of the general conflict in the Middle East does not lie in Israel, but in Iran and in radical Islam and the terrorism that it inspires. Anyone with integrity and powers of observation cannot deny this distinction, according to Netanyahu.

In a clear reference to Netanyahu and some of his associates, former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said at a Dec. 23 anti-corruption demonstration in Jerusalem that corruption is a bigger danger than the Iranian threat, Hezbollah, Hamas or [the Islamic State]. The threat of violent fundamentalism spreading from Iran to Israels close neighbors should not be discounted, but how does our friend Trump put Iran in its place? He hands the hot potato to Capitol Hill. Where were Netanyahus friends in Congress on Dec. 12, the day on which US lawmakers were supposed to propose new sanctions on Iran? Netanyahus buddies forgot about it. Perhaps they were busy swearing allegiance to Jerusalem.

The series of UN defeats and the Palestinians' blatant rejection of a US diplomatic role in the region are additional indications of the erosion of US deterrence under Trump. They join the ongoing provocations by North Korea and the Russian and Iranian takeover of what is left of Syria. Americas enemies in the battle for global hegemony, among them Russia and China, are celebrating the United States' downfall in the international arena. The world powers that signed the Iran nuclear deal have already announced they will stand by the 2015 agreement even if Trump makes good on his threat to walk away from it.

Israels utter devotion to a president with an itchy trigger finger whose gun is loaded mostly with blanks also erodes Israeli deterrence. To whom will Israel turn if Trump and the US Congress decide to ignore the Iranian threat and adhere to the nuclear agreement? Will it turn to India or China? To Moscow or Singapore? Well, theres always Micronesia. We will always remember Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, who last week ordered that his countrys embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In a worst-case scenario, Israel could withdraw from the International Atomic Energy Agency, and if the United Nations fails to mend its ways, Netanyahu may be forced to leave that organization, as he did last week with UNESCO.

The next time Trump decides to give Netanyahu a gift like the Jerusalem declaration, lets not rush to pop open the champagne. Lets first carefully remove the wrapping paper and closely examine the contents of the package. It could turn out to be a bomb.
December 20, 2017

Attacks on Sufi Islamic sites in Libya have left the religious group feeling targeted, as instability in parts of the fragile nation continues following the 2011 revolution that deposed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi. Sufis often come under criticism from hard-line Salafi Muslims, who oppose their interpretation of Islam for supposedly not comporting with "true" Islam.

Successive interim authorities since the 2011 uprising and across Libya have failed to protect Libyas Sufi religious sites from attacks and destruction by extremist militias, Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, noted in an HRW press release on Dec. 7. The unpunished attacks on Sufi mosques are endangering one of Libyas historic minority communities.

Tarek Megerisi, a Libyan political analyst and researcher, told Al-Monitor, Libya's Sufi community has been under siege ever since the end of the revolution, mainly from Salafi groups who have correspondingly risen in prominence since the revolution. He noted that Salafi preachers took over a number of mosques in Libya in the immediate aftermath of the revolution and later, as Gen. Khalifa Hifter's Libyan National Army made gains in Benghazi.

Salafi militias have destroyed ancient Sufi mosques, which contain shrines, libraries and which are generally considered landmarks of Libya's Sufi community, Megerisi said. Given that Salafi militias are continuing to grow in power across the country, and the constituency of Salafists in Libya is also steadily climbing, the persecution of Libya's Salafists seems likely to worsen in the near-term future.

Sufis have become an easy target for hard-line Muslim militias. Dozens of Sufi religious sites  including mosques, shrines, tombs, and libraries containing ancient scriptures  have been destroyed since 2011, according to HRW. Followers of Sufism have also been kidnapped and killed, but their killers have gone unpunished.

Some 20 adherents of Sufism went missing in eastern Libya in August. The daily Al-Wasat reported in September that the missing were victims of kidnapping.

The latest attack on Sufis, which took place on Nov. 28, occurred the day before a feast to celebrate the Prophet Muhammads birthday. In that episode, unidentified attackers torched the Zawiyat Sheikha Radiya Mosque in Tripoli. No casualties were reported.

Sufism is a religious practice, tradition, or approach to Islam that varies by region, as opposed to being a branch or sect with universal practices.

Over the decades, Sunnis in the Maghreb region never even noticed that Sufism was seen as separate [from mainstream Islam], Jalel Harchaoui, a doctoral candidate in geopolitics at Paris 8 University and a frequent commentator on Libyan affairs, told Al-Monitor. The distinction came into view recently, mostly as a result of the spread of Salafi groups."

He added, The latter being ultra-conservative and eager to judge other Muslims, see the stylistic tradition of Sufism as a perversion of true Islam. The [Sufis'] celebration of Prophet Muhammads birth, for instance, has long been a perfectly innocuous holiday across the Maghreb. However, Salafists  whether they are of the rigorist or jihadi kind  designate the tradition as a sinful departure from true monotheism.

Libyas minorities came under increasing threat from Salafists in recent years, as Libya became a hub for jihadists seeking to join the Islamic State (IS) in 2015 after the extremist group faced numerous military defeats in Syria and Iraq. That year, IS took over the city of Sirte. A bombing campaign by the US-led coalition eventually pushed its fighters out of the city in December 2016. They have since moved to desert valleys and inland hills to the southeast of Tripoli.

IS is not the only group posing a threat to Sufis. In fact, the security apparatus of the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord is a prime suspect in some of the attacks against them. The Special Deterrence Force (SDF)  a radical Islamist military police unit under the Interior Ministry that nonetheless acts independently  is led by Abd al-Rauf Kara, a man described by Daily Beast contributor Jamie Dettmer as an Islamic fanatic.

He quickly took it upon himself after Gaddafis toppling to hunt down former regime security officials and to police an unruly Tripoli according to ultra-orthodox interpretations of Islamic principles, Dettmer wrote in 2015. His Nawasi Battalion [later refashioned as the SDF] became notorious for targeting alleged alcohol traders and drinkers and drug dealers as well as gays and also single women unaccompanied by male relatives or husbands, even those frequenting the more up-market coffee houses in affluent districts of Tripoli.

The current government has not denounced any of the attacks on Sufi sites, which some locals believe the SDF to have been behind. In October in Tripoli, a Sufi mosque was attacked in the Ghararat neighborhood during a clash between the SDF and armed militias that had been accused of drug trafficking.

A religious scholar with ties to the Sufi community in Tripoli said it was the SDF, which had gained control of the neighborhood, that intentionally damaged the 16th-century Sidi Abu Gharara Sufi mosque, HRW reported. The SDF released a statement denying that they had attacked the mosque, saying they would deal with those responsible.

It is very possible that Abd al-Rauf Karas group is responsible, Harchaoui said, but nobody has any proof backing such an accusation.
December 28, 2017

Saudi Arabia was caught off balance by the US administrations statements this month on Jerusalem and Yemen. The Saudi embrace of President Donald Trump is still intact, but the downside of a close relationship with the mercurial American administration is becoming more apparent to the royal palace.

The Saudi reaction to Trumps announcement that Washington recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will move its embassy from Tel Aviv was slow and almost pro forma, reinforcing the widespread perception in the region that the administration had colluded with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the decision. This perception  true or false  significantly undermines the Saudis' longstanding claim to be the most active defender of Muslim rights to the city, and by extension Saudi legitimacy as the custodian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the core of the Saudi royal familys authority.

The Saudis were outmaneuvered on Jerusalem both by their traditional rival Iran and by Turkey. Even worse for Riyadh, Jordan is posturing as the foremost defender of Arab and Islamic claims to Jerusalem. The Saudis took the Hijaz and the two holy cities from the Hashemites just a century ago. It is very humiliating for the Saudis to appear weak on Jerusalem compared with the Hashemites. The Saudis tried to persuade Jordanian King Abdullah not to attend the Islamic summit in Turkey and then briefly detained a prominent Palestinian-Jordanian businessman to intimidate Abdullah by threatening the Jordanian economy. The Saudi detention of Sabih al-Masri was reminiscent of the detention and forced resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in November.

Abdullah remains steadfast, and Jordanian-Saudi relations are cold. The kings relationship with the US administration is also troubled. The Saudis have urged Trump to reverse the Jerusalem decision, but they will only look impotent as Trump moves forward to relocate the embassy and other countries like Guatemala follow his lead.

The Saudi response took the form of chess. The decision to prevent Israelis from participating in a chess tournament in Riyadh is unremarkable by itself, but in the context of the Jerusalem crisis, it underscores how badly Salman wants to avoid any public engagement with Israel. Look for other moves to distance the kingdom from any appearance of normalization.

The Saudis are even more disappointed by the administrations policy on Yemen. Until this month, the Trump administration has given Riyadh a blank check in Yemen. Support for the Saudi air war increased, and Washington blamed the war entirely on Iran and Hezbollah, highlighting Iranian assistance to the Houthi missile force.

But faced with the imminent danger of mass starvation, the administration worked with London and belatedly called for the lifting of the Saudi blockade of the north and opening the port at Hodeidah. Riyadh has reluctantly agreed, although it remains to be seen how much aid it actually allows. It is a clear example that American and British pressure can provide results. More should follow.

The Saudi leadership is still opposed to a political solution to the war. Well-informed Saudi commentators have rejected appeals for a lasting cease-fire. They equate the Houthis with al-Qaeda as an enemy that cannot be negotiated with. They press for a military solution akin to the defeat of the Islamic State.

Its an unrealistic strategy. The Saudi-led coalition has been embarrassed by its failure to plan for the success of their conspiracy with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to divide the rebel alliance. Salehs death has weakened his political party and left the coalition without any pretense of a strategy other than famine.

Nonetheless, the king and his son remain stalwart Trump supporters and have tied themselves to the future of the administration. They are poorly positioned to deal with the likelihood that the White House will be further embroiled in scandal in the new year under scrutiny by the special counsel and the FBI. The Saudis have an energetic but inexperienced ambassador in Washington, and they have struggled in the past to keep abreast of the politics of democracy.

The crown prince is especially vulnerable. He has flaunted his relationship with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. He also owns the Yemeni debacle. Human rights groups are calling for him to be sanctioned, and he has no credentials as an opponent of Israel or a defender of Jerusalem. Rumors eagerly fed by the Israeli press abound that he has visited Israel. His many enemies are only too eager to portray him as a tool of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
December 27, 2017

AMMAN, Jordan  The Syrian state has exercised systematic policies at the highest official, political and security levels to annihilate the Kurdish language in Syria, according to Kurdish writer and poet Omar Rasoul.

Rasoul told Al-Monitor that over the past decades, the Kurdish language was marginalized and banned in Syria. Anyone who had a Kurdish book or who attempted to spread the Kurdish culture by any means was arrested in compliance with a government decree issued in 1989 that banned the official use of the Kurdish language in Syria.

Today, the Kurds in Syria are trying to restore and spread their mother tongue in all spheres of life in order to have it witness an unprecedented renaissance within educational and official institutions.

As the 2011 popular protests in Syria were militarized and aimed at seizing power, the Kurds, led by the Democratic Union Party, formed in November 2013 a self-administration authority to govern their regions. They began to open institutions mainly aimed at teaching and adopting the Kurdish language as an official language, along with Arabic and Syriac, as per Article 9 of the Charter of the Social Contract  the self-administration's preliminary constitution.

The Kurds are spread along the northern border of Syria, known as Rojava. Their areas are subject to the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces and enjoy semi-autonomous rule.

It was not easy to adopt an official language such as the Kurdish one, especially when there is an entire generation speaking Arabic with only little knowledge of Kurdish. The self-administration used education, higher education and cultural bodies to teach new and young generations their mother tongue.

Samira Haj Ali, the head of the Education and Higher Education Authority in Al-Jazira province, which is under the self-administration rule, told Al-Monitor that the self-administration authority started its language revival project through the Kurdish Language Foundation, which teaches Kurdish, organizes courses and trains teachers.

Teachers are now studying Kurdish at institutes and universities, and several Kurdish curricula and courses have been developed with the aim of promoting and developing the language. We are now doing some research at the Celadet Bedirxan Academy to learn more about the language content and rules, Haj Ali added.

She added, This research is of great help to us because the Kurdish language is used in four countries and there are different dialects. Chief among these are the Sorani and Kurmanji.

Since its inception, the self-administration authority opened Kurdish universities and institutes for the first time in Syria. There are currently three universities: University of Rojava in Al-Jazira, Kobani University in Ain al-Arab and the University of Afrin in Afrin. In Al-Jazira, there are 17 Arab and Kurdish institutes aimed at rehabilitating teachers and educational staff, including a Syriac institute. The Kurdish-language program takes two years, but many Kurdish students are still going to regime institutions that are located inside the security zone in the cities of Qamishli and Hasakah, as the certificates issued by the self-administration universities are not internationally recognized.

We will not get any recognition if we do not take the initiative to recruit and prepare teachers, Haj Ali said. We currently participate in exchanges with countries such as the Netherlands and France, which is the beginning of recognition. We must emphasize that we are still in the preliminary stages.

While the self-administration authority is accused by its opponents, mainly the Kurdish National Council, of politicizing the curricula through ideology, making many people reluctant to learn Kurdish, Haj Ali said, We do not politicize our curricula like the Baath Party does. Our system is based on the principle of a democratic nation.

She added, Everyone has the right to learn his mother tongue, culture, heritage and history. If we are accused of politicizing our curricula just because we adopt the thought of leader Abdullah Ocalan, the fact remains that he is a global leader whose ideology serves all components."

Rasoul criticized the self-administration methods as an attempt on the part of a political party to impose its hegemony on the Kurds in various forms, and its aim is political rather than linguistic or cultural.

He agreed with many researchers on the need to develop the Kurdish language based on the various dialects. A language, he said, can be primarily developed through constitutional recognition and then by being accepted and supported as an education language, not to mention its use in different media outlets and in the different kinds of literature.

In the past, the Kurds have faced harassment and even arrest whenever they used their language and acquired or published Kurdish books that are officially prohibited in Syria. In 2000, Jan Dost, a Kurdish poet and novelist, left his town of Kobani for Germany because of the harassment he suffered.

Dost had secretly published the first Kurdish-language novel in 1986 amid a fear of being arrested. His books were printed in Beirut, sold clandestinely in Syria at double the price and passed around among Kurdish readers.

My first novel published in Europe was printed in 2004; I had an indescribable feeling of freedom. It is as if a baby was born without any obstacles or fears, Dost told Al-Monitor. I received the copies by mail and this was not common in Syria, where the copies were secretly distributed and handed over by hand.

Dost published seven novels and many poetic works, and his works were translated into Arabic, Italian, Persian, Turkish and Sorani.

He said that Kurdish is indeed politicized and needs rehabilitation so that all the Kurdish dialects are unified and based on a single alphabet. The duality in persecution and the multiplicity of oppressors forced the Kurds to politically struggle for the sake of their language, not only in terms of the publication of dictionaries or the publication of language books. Politics was mixed up with the struggle for language.

Azad Shirzad, a library owner in the northernmost city of Derik, said that the Kurdish people were directly affected by the banning of their mother tongue, which led them to resort to other languages and cultures.

Shirzad, who participated in a book fair in Qamishli last July and noted the lack of interest in Kurdish books, said, There is a cultural alienation. Local readers are more interested in Western and Arab books than in Kurdish ones.
December 28, 2017

As New Years Eve approaches, Turkish counterterrorism units have intensified their hunt for suspected jihadis in a bid to pre-empt carnage like that unleashed by an Islamic State (IS) shooter at an Istanbul nightclub during holiday reveling last year.

Police detained a total of 120 individuals, including Syrian and Iraqi citizens, suspected of links to IS. The sweeps stretched from Istanbul and as far east as Van on the Iranian border, where 22 people were detained and materials purportedly exposing their ties to the jihadis were seized, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Last year, 39 people, many of them Arab tourists, died when a lone gunman rained bullets on them at the elite Reina nightclub on the Bosporus. The trial of a total of 57 suspects, including the confessed assassin, Uzbek-born Abdulkadir Masharipov, began on Dec. 11 and adjourned on Dec. 16. It's set to resume March 26.

Istanbul Gov. Vasip Sahin assured citizens that this time around, all necessary measures had been taken for our citizens to spend New Years Eve in the best way possible. He said 37,000 police officers and 4,000 gendarmerie personnel would be deployed across the megalopolis to ensure that celebrations were peaceful. They may also be somewhat less joyful, as authorities banned celebrations in the citys central plaza Taksim, where oft-inebriated revelers traditionally congregate to ring in the New Year.

The Sisli district, which is run by the pro-secular Republican Peoples Party and is home to many members of Istanbuls miniscule community of non-Muslims, has followed suit. Festive lights and ornaments strung up across buildings and public spaces have also been dismantled, prompting grumbles. Is there an expectation of a terror attack on lights? asked journalist Engin Bas in a characteristically caustic tweet. Many secularists believe that Turkey's Islam-rooted government is only too happy to squelch New Year's festivities, which are frowned on by Islamists for being "Christian."

But the authorities have every reason to go into prevention overdrive. IS operatives are believed to maintain a presence in Turkey, which has an 800-kilometer (500-mile) border with Syria and until 2015, when the authorities began cracking down in earnest, was the main transit route for foreign fighters crossing into their now collapsing caliphate. Turkey has erected a forbidding cinder block wall that runs nearly the length of the border to keep Islamist and Kurdish militants out. With the help of Western governments, it has also installed sophisticated equipment to snare would-be illegals on the border.

Still, the seepage continues, according to a recently published investigative report by Mike Giglio for the online news portal BuzzFeed. Giglio wrote, Smugglers working in the human-trafficking networks that run between Syria and Turkey say that, for much of the last year, a steady stream of [IS] members and their families managed to sneak into Turkey," and "One of the smugglers said they had forged Syrian passports for some of the [IS] men to enable them to travel deeper into Turkey.

This week, the Times of London claimed based on its interview with a Syrian Kurdish official that some 300 UK-born fighters had crossed into Turkey from Syria. British tabloids eagerly swooped on the story to make further sensational claims about how these sleeper cells would probably target British tourists.

One of the biggest challenges facing Turkey is that it is home to over 3 million Syrian refugees, making it that much easier for the militants to melt into their midst. And it is no secret that until 2015, when Turkey decided to formally join the US-led coalitions battle against them and to open its air bases to coalition operations in Syria, IS recruiters operated relatively unhindered across Turkey.

Still, for all the darkness descending on Turkey, literally and otherwise, secular-minded Turks are apparently determined to have some fun and are getting ready to don red underpants on New Years Eve, a widespread tradition that is meant to bring the bearer good luck. According to the president of Turkeys Undergarments Industrialists Association, business is booming this year. The underwear sector is preparing very actively for this New Year, as every year, declared Osman Alyuz in an Oda TV interview.

And they're not just for the ladies. Shop windows in the Black Sea city of Samsun boasted male mannequins sporting crimson G-strings with white bows naughtily perched on the center. Store owner Nurcan Goncal was quoted by the mainstream daily Sozcu as saying mens interest in red underwear has been growing every year.
No damage has been recorded to life and property in the area.

The epicentre of the earthquake was in Chamoli.

By India Today Web Desk: A 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit Uttarakhand's Rudrarayag area. According to the Indian Meteorological Department the epicenter of the earthquake was in Chamoli.

Tremors were felt in Rudraprayag around 4:47 PM today. The tremors that lasted for 12 seconds forced the people to step out of their houses.

No damage has been recorded to life and property in the area.

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Authorities had already issued an alert about the possibility of an earthquake.

Rudraparayag was hit by an 5.5 richter earthquake earlier in December.

--- ENDS ---
December 22, 2017

The public should expect to hear the name of the Turkish Gendarmerie General Command frequently in 2018 as it becomes a major tool for Turkeys foreign policy, with plans to coordinate with other Eurasian police forces.

The gendarmerie forces are responsible for law enforcement in rural areas, which make up about 65% of Turkey's territory. As of November, it had 180,000 personnel. About 60% of the personnel are professionals including officers, noncommissioned officers and contracted personnel, and 40% are conscripts.

But the gendarmerie command  which is active in combating terror and border security with its attack helicopters, heavy armored vehicles, armed drones and combat-proven special operations teams at its disposal  appears more like an army with serious conventional military capabilities instead of a rural police force.

This war machine attached to the Ministry of Interior apparently is becoming an important foreign policy instrument. The gendarmerie command, which has been in close cooperation with Italy and France in training and joint exercises, also executes its own train-and-equip programs in Macedonia, Gambia and Somalia. Now it is eyeing Eurasia for 2018.

Turkish media reports say the command aims to reactivate the Organization of the Eurasian Law Enforcement Agencies with Military Status. The group goes by the acronym TAKM, from the names of its founders: Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, four Turkic-speaking countries. The group was set up in 2013 in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, with the aim of strengthening cooperation and experience-sharing among the countries' law enforcement personnel. However, the organization has not become active due to the reluctance of Mongolia.

According to TAKM's charter, any Eurasian country with gendarmerie law enforcement units could apply for membership, and Kazakhstan has expressed a firm intention to join. Russia is also closely following the reactivation efforts.

Turkey is an active member of the European and Mediterranean Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status (FIEP). Turkey also has observer status in the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF), which covers only European countries. In addition, there are regional organizations of African countries under the African Union. TAKM plans to compete with all of these groups, using a Eurasian twist. TAKM will have a term presidency, a permanent secretariat and a general council of directors/commanders. It will have four permanent commissions of operations: organization, combating crime, personnel and training cooperation, and research and development.

TAKM will hold an annual council meeting with general commanders in the capital of the country that holds that term's presidency. TAKMs mission statement foresees close cooperation in many diverse areas including combating terror, intervening in mass conflicts and refugee movements, securing borders, supporting and keeping the peace, public relations, fighting international criminal networks, conducting criminal and forensic investigations, protecting the environment and historical sites, conducting special operations and combating cybercrime.

This new body will enable the command to quietly develop low-profile military and security cooperation without any conflicts with NATO or Western allies, officials said.

The Turkish gendarmerie was hastily detached from the operational command of the Turkish General Staff following the July 15, 2016, failed coup. It was attached to the Ministry of Interior with all of its components, including personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics and training units by an emergency decree on July 27, 2016.

The gendarmerie, which fought in World War I and in Cyprus in 1974, is the only gendarmerie force with conventional combat experience, compared with some 50 similar forces in foreign countries. It was also active in Turkeys Operation Euphrates Shield, which took place in Syria from August 2016 to March 2017. Today, the force is policing Syrias Jarablus/al-Rai/al-Bab triangle.
The Android 8.0 Oreo Open Beta Program seems to be set to land on the OnePlus 5T devices soon, according to a new tweet by OnePlus Germany. The Chinese phone makers unit in Germany revealed via its Twitter account that the Android Oreo beta program for the OnePlus 5T starts now, though there is no official statement yet on the OnePlus Forums announcing the availability of the beta build. The company announced in mid November that it would launch the beta program on its latest flagship later this month. That announcement was made in conjunction with its revelation that the open beta test for the Android 8.0 Oreo-based version of OxygenOS would hit the OnePlus 5 in November, and the company now seems to be making good on its promise as the year draws to a close.

OnePlus 5T was launched on November 16 in New York with a host of iterative upgrades over the OnePlus 5 that was announced earlier this year. For instance, the handset comes with a bezel-free design, a larger display, fingerprint scanner and a dual camera setup on the back. Its key specs include a 6.01-inch full HD+ Optic AMOLED display, either 6GB or 8GB of RAM coupled with 64GB and 128GB of internal storage, respectively, and the Qualcomm-built Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core processor. However, the device originally shipped pre-installed with Android 7.1.2 Nougat with the companys OxygenOS on top of it. That was contrary to earlier rumors that claimed the phone would run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. Now, only time will tell when exactly the beta build will hit the smartphone, and its presently not clear as well when the Android 8.0 Oreo update will hit the OnePlus 5T in a stable form.

Its worth pointing out that the Android Oreo Open Beta Program is likely to arrive for the OnePlus 5T two months after the same program debuted on the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T in the form of the OxygenOS beta build 16 along with the September 2017 Android security update. As is usually the case with a beta build, the latest software package for the OnePlus 5T could be prone to crashes and introduce previously unforeseen issues to the device.
Every year, it seems like home automation or the smart home market has a big year. But 2017 was definitely a big year for the industry. Largely thanks to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa expanding its availability and integration. There was also a number of new products announced, as well as a ton of new companies coming out with their own first smart home products. There were some acquisitions as well. So the market did change quite a bit in 2017. Lets take a look back at the last 12 months and see how much things have really changed.

Google Assistant is Everywhere

Not much of a surprise here, but Google worked hard to bring Google Assistant everywhere in 2017. Many may forget, but we entered 2017 with the Google Assistant only being available on the Pixel, Pixel XL and Google Home. At Mobile World Congress 2017 in February, Google announced that Assistant would be coming to all Android Nougat-powered Android smartphones  the LG G6 was the first one announced with Google Assistant out of the box. Then in the Spring, Android Wear 2.0 finally rolled out, and brought Google Assistant to the wrist. And of course, Google continued with releasing the Google Home Mini and Home Max, as well as the Pixelbook at its fall hardware event.

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Those were just Googles announcements for the Assistant. There were also other products that got support this year, like the NVIDIA SHIELD TV. Which NVIDIA did show off at CES in January, but it didnt launch on the new SHIELD TV until this fall. That was largely because Google and NVIDIA had to work together to adapt the Assistant to work on the big screen versus on a smaller smartphone display or via voice. Assistant also came to Sonys Android TVs this fall, and will likely round out the Android TV lineup in the next few months, especially with CES in January. There were also a number of Google Assistant-powered speakers that launched in 2017, that werent from Google. These were from Googles partners like JBL, Sony, and Anker, to name a few.

The Google Assistant did move into a ton of other places in 2017, and its likely that Google isnt done expanding Assistants availability. Seeing as Google does want everyone using the Google Assistant on everything that they use. Whether that is a smartphone, a smartwatch, a TV, a speaker or even their computer.

Home Security became a Big Deal

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It seemed like the most popular new product in 2017 was a security camera and/or an entire security system like what Nest did with the Nest Secure. Just about every smart home company (and even those that hadnt entered the industry yet) announced a security camera this year. Whether that was TP-Link with the Kasa Cam KC120, or NETGEAR with the Arlo Pro 2, Nest with the Nest Cam IQ (both indoor and outdoor models), or even the Amazon Cloud Cam. Security cameras were a big deal in 2017 and its not hard to see why. Many people want to keep an eye on their home, when they arent there, and even when they are there. And a security camera is a good solution. Seeing as you can see whats happening from your phone, from anywhere in the world, and you can also get notifications when motion or someone is detected. And a new feature that many are adding this year is Google Assistant and/or Amazon Alexa support. Allowing you to tell Alexa to show the feed from a specific camera on the Echo Show or your TV with the Fire TV (or Fire TV Stick).

But it wasnt just smart security cameras in 2017. There were also a ton of smart locks and video doorbells announced. Nest announced the Nest Hello at an event in September, though that isnt expected to ship until next year, it was still announced in 2017. Ring also updated its smart video doorbells, and so did August with its smart lock, as well as announcing its own doorbell. These are also becoming very popular because a lot of people want to know whos at the door, without the person there knowing youre home. But it also allows people to see when packages are being delivered, and whether they are being thrown on the porch, or worse, stolen. And of course, smart locks are becoming popular because you will never need to worry about forgetting your keys again  since no one ever forgets their smartphone these days.

If theres one reason to get into the smart home world, and make your home smarter, its definitely for home security. There are a ton of things you can do to protect your home for when you are home and when you arent. Many of these cameras can be hidden quite well, so people dont see them. Smart locks are great because you can easily check the status of your door, even if youre not at home, and remotely lock it. And these products are only going to get better over time, of course.

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Third-Party Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant Hubs

While Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant did not debut this year, they did expand, quite heavily actually. Amazon announced a slew of new Echo devices, and Google expanded the Google Home lineup. But thats not all. Both platforms also opened up for third-party speakers, and towards the end of the year, there was an influx of Alexa and Google Assistant speakers hitting the market from Sony, Sonos, JBL, Harman Kardon and a few other big names. Really giving these assistants the type of sound they deserve.

A third-party Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant speaker isnt quite the same as an Echo or a Google Home, we found out through reviewing the majority of these this year. Particularly on the Alexa side, third-party speakers dont have access to all of the same features as an Echo. For instance the Ultimate Ears BLAST doesnt stream a number of music services that the Echo does. On the Google Assistant side of things, its mostly the same experience as on a Google Home. Though the microphones arent as good as a Google Home, and often picks up the trigger word a lot more, even when youre not saying it.

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It wasnt just speakers either. At least with Alexa, there were a number of other products announced that had Alexa built in. Like the ecobee4 smart thermostat. Not only is it compatible with Alexa, but it actually has Alexa built-in. So you could ask your thermostat to read you the news, or order pizza from Dominos. That wasnt the only Alexa product though, that wasnt a speaker. There was also the GE Lighting C, which is a great looking lamp, that also has Alexa built in, with a speaker. Its a pretty unique product, that got a lot of attention this year and for good reason.

Expect to see a lot more speakers and other products coming out with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant  or even both  in 2018 and beyond. There are already a number of names that are slating to release their own products in early 2018 with one of these assistants, and the trend is likely going to continue.

August Home Gets Bought by ASSA ABLOY

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Most people probably dont even know what ASSA ABLOY is. But its a company that owns a number of different lock companies and brands like Yale and others. It decided to acquire a pretty popular name in the smart lock space this year, August Home. Which is going to make ASSA ABLOY a pretty big name in the smart lock space in 2018 and further into the future. This isnt really a big deal, in the smart home space for 2017, but it shows that the smart home space is important, and larger companies that are lagging behind are able to just purchase another one like August Home and immediately jump into the space.

Wrap Up

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The smart home industry may not look like it changed a lot this year, but it actually did. And there are two reasons for the majority of the changes, which is Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Many products were updated, or got new versions that added support for one or both of these smart assistants. And of course, bringing out more products that have the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa built in, like the Sony LF-S50G or the Sonos One, is definitely important. And its going to continue to be a big part of smart home and home automation moving into the future. The ability to not only control your smart home products from your smartphone, but also through your voice is a big deal, and it makes it more accessible for more people.

Going into the new year, we will likely see a number of smart home products announced at CES in Las Vegas in just a short time, and its very likely that they will support either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, or both  actually more than likely both. Google is also going to continue bringing Assistant to every platform possible, although it does have most platforms covered already. And Amazon is going to be doing the same thing with Alexa, as we saw at CES this past year, with Amazon teaming up with the likes of Element and even LG  putting Alexa in your fridge! While 2017 was a pretty exciting year for the smart home, 2018 is going to be an even more exciting year, and itll kick off with CES on the second week of January.
The Moto X4 made its debut in India last month and it now looks like its already getting a stable Android 8.0 Oreo update in the country. The smartphone launched with Android 7.1.1 Nougat on board out of the box, but a number of users in India are now reporting that they received an update to Oreo this week. The package comes with build number OPW27.2 and it also includes the monthly Android security patch for December, as well as some stability improvements. The update is rolling out to the regular version of the Moto X4 in India, after the Android One model started getting the Oreo flavor last week.

Motorola has yet to officially confirm the rollout, but it seems to be rolling out now as an over the air (OTA) update. The rollout does fall in line with Motorolas previously announced update timeline, so its likely the stable release rather than another soak test. Android 8.0 Oreo brings a number of notable improvements to the mobile operating system, including app optimizations, improved battery optimization and management, better notifications, adaptive notification dots, auto-fill, picture-in-picture, and other improvements. While stability improvements are also mentioned with this update, no specifics are available at this point. The December Android security patch, meanwhile, aims to ensure that the smartphone is up to date and protected against the latest security threats.

The Moto X4 features a 5.2-inch IPS display with a full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, 3GB or 4GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of storage. Other specs include dual rear cameras, with a 12-megapixel shooter with an f/2.0 aperture and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The dual rear camera setup also includes dual LED flash and phase detection autofocus (PDAF), while a 16-megapixel front shooter will handle video chats and selfies. Additional features include a front-facing fingerprint scanner, IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The smartphone starts at Rs. 20,999 in India for the base model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and goes up to Rs. 22,999 for the higher-end version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
MediaTek co-Chief Executive Officer Rick Tsai outlined the companys ambitious plans for 2018, including significant investments in emerging technologies spanning a wide variety of industries, DigiTimes reported on Thursday. The Taiwanese chipmaker already committed itself to 5G solutions, artificial intelligence platforms, NarrowBand IoT, and connected vehicles systems in recent times, but is now seeking to ramp up investments in such segments going forward in an effort to establish a stronger foothold in these new markets and ensure sustained growth in the medium term.

Mr. Tsai said the chip unit of the Taiwanese tech giant will be looking to additionally strengthen ties with its clients, largely smartphone makers and manufacturers of Internet of Things gadgets. The semiconductor unit of the company has been recording underwhelming performance throughout the majority of the year, though it managed to partially recover in the last several months. The high-end segment of the silicon market that traditionally yields by far the highest profit margins has been a particularly sore point for the company in 2017, with poor sales leading to missed revenue targets and ultimately prompting the Hsinchu, Taiwan-based firm to indefinitely pause its flagship chip efforts. While a successor to the Helio X30 is likely to be announced at some point in the future, it isnt expected to launch in 2018, especially since MediaTek is yet to publicize its 7nm roadmap that will have to be completed if it hopes to compete with the likes of Qualcomm and Samsung in the premium end of the market.

Mid-range and entry-level silicon will hence be the companys largest focus as far as its chip endeavors in 2018 are concerned, though MediaTek is also expected to commit some resources to solutions intended for embedded systems, largely IoT devices. Not many details on application processors for Android smartphones meant to be launched next year have yet been provided by the company. Mediateks Helio P40 is planned to be released in the first half of the year, the chipmakers President Joe Chou said earlier this week. In regards to 5G projects, the firm is expected to start trialing its first modem prototypes compatible with the next-generation wireless standard over the course of 2018.
The long rumored Samsung Galaxy X device could be unveiled at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 to be held in Las Vegas from January 7 until January 12, a new leaked banner from the South Korean OEM suggests. Its currently not certain what specs and features the device will ship with. Theres no word yet from Samsung as to which countries the Galaxy X will be rolled out, though previous rumors had it that the device will be made available initially in South Korea.

Previous rumors also indicated that the Galaxy X would debut in early 2018. Reports from South Korea suggested that the device will be released during the first half of 2018, with plans to showcase a Galaxy X prototype hopefully by the end of this year and begin large scale manufacturing next year, contrary to previous rumors that speculated the devices launch would happen in the third quarter of this year. Last February, it was reported that Samsung Electronics applied to trademark the Samsung Galaxy X brand at KIPRIS (Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service) on February 24 in South Korea. The Galaxy X brand is believed to be the South Korean phone makers rumored foldable smartphone, with a few possible sketches of the Galaxy X having been recently spotted in the database of KIPRIS showing one of Samsungs patent applications for a foldable smartphone. The sketches revealed a multi-joint hinge that connects two OLED panels that can be folded out and connected to form a larger screen. It is understood that one of the two panels is the flexible OLED variant while the other is a regular module, though it remains to be seen whether this will be the case once Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy X next month.

Ahead of the handsets launch, Samsung set up an official support page for a device with the model number SM-G888N0, which has been heavily rumored to be the Galaxy X. While key specs of the handset remain unknown, it is understood that the phone, which will likely be completely foldable inward, will use a plastic display panel. The rumored device is also said to have already passed through a number of regulatory agencies over the past couple of months.
The United States Federal Communications Commission certified two Samsung-made devices that are widely believed to be the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, as suggested by a set of documents published by the regulator on Wednesday. The Galaxy S9 is identified by the model number SM-G960F, whereas the Galaxy S9 Plus is also known as the SM-G965F. Both variants of the newly approved handsets are believed to be of the unlocked variety, whereas carrier-specific versions are yet to receive approval from the FCC. Samsung applied for having its upcoming Android flagships certified in mid-November, with the documentation itself not revealing any particular details about the devices as it even lacks a traditionally included design sketch.

Regardless, the appearance of the Galaxy S9 series in the FCCs database suggests the handsets are now close to being ready for a commercial release in the U.S., at least from a certification standpoint. According to a wide variety of reports, leaks, and rumors that emerged online in recent months, the Galaxy S9 lineup wont be a significant departure from the Galaxy S8 family and will instead be positioned to deliver a refined user experience thats more likely to prompt more consumers to embrace Samsungs bezel-less devices than it is to convince existing owners of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus to upgrade. That isnt to say the next-generation flagships from Samsung wont introduce some innovations but the majority of them will be relatively incremental in nature and reserved for the larger Galaxy S9 Plus, whereas the 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 is understood to be nearly identical to its direct predecessor save for having a better system-on-chip.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S9 Plus should have 6GB of RAM as opposed to 4GB and adopt a dual-camera setup similar to the one featured by the Galaxy Note 8, though with two sensors arranged in a vertical manner. Samsung is widely expected to officially announce its Android 8.0 Oreo-powered flagships at Mobile World Congress 2018 which is starting in late February, with both devices being rumored for an early March release. Pricing details of the Galaxy S9 lineup remain unclear but the series is likely to start at around $700.
A chart said to be detailing the Specs of Qualcomms mid-range chips intended to be released in 2018 leaked online earlier this week, having originally appeared on Chinese social media service Weibo. The image that can be seen below suggests Qualcomm will stick with its strategy of releasing three value-oriented silicon modules on an annual basis, much like it did this year with the Snapdragon 660, Snapdragon 630, and the Snapdragon 450. For 2018, the company is planning to release two offerings meant to compete in the upper mid-range segment of the market and will market them as the Snapdragon 670 and Snapdragon 640, the source indicates, adding that the lower end of the spectrum will be ennobled with the addition of the Snapdragon 460.

Both of the upcoming Snapdragon 600-series chips will supposedly be manufactured using Samsungs first-generation 10nm LPP process, the same one that backed the Exynos 8895 and Snapdragon 835 which powered various Android flagships released over the course of this year. The modules will be equipped with a Dual 14-bit Spectra 260 image signal processor capable of supporting a 13-megapixel dual-camera setup or a single 26-megapixel sensor. Both will have 1MB of L3 cache and eight CPU cores, though their other leaked characteristics differ to varying degrees. The Snapdragon 670 is alleged to feature a high-performance quad-core cluster entailing Kryo 360 Gold cores clocked at 2.0GHz and an energy-efficient Kryo 385 Silver configuration operating at up to 1.6GHz. The Adreno 620 will be part of the package, together with Qualcomms X16 LTE modem, the same one found inside the Snapdragon 835 thats theoretically capable of achieving gigabit download speeds and peak upload speeds of 150Mbps.

The Snapdragon 640s high-performance configuration will be a dual-core affair with two Kryo 360 Gold cores working at a maximum clock speed of 2.15GHz, whereas its hexa-core Kryo 360 Silver cluster will be capped at 1.55GHz, according to the leak. The chip is said to sport the Adreno 610 GPU and the Snapdragon X12 LTE modem with peak download speeds of 600Mbps and maximum upload speeds of 150Mbps. The same modem is understood to be found inside the Snapdragon 460, albeit the weakest chip of the lot will be made using the 14nm LPP process and its 14-bit Spectra 240 ISP will only support single 21-megapixel sensors, the source suggests. The leak puts the Adreno 605 inside the Snapdragon 460 which is also said to feature four Kryo 360 Silver cores running at up to 1.80GHz and an identical cluster clocked at 1.4GHz. Should Qualcomm follow its previously established product release practices, all three chips are likely to be announced come spring. By that time, the companys Snapdragon 845 flagship offering will have already been commercialized, most likely by the Samsung Galaxy S9 lineup.
Till now, only two entities involved in the 46 'actionable' cases have been prosecuted by the investigation agency.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: With 2017 coming to a close, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is supposed to wrap up investigations and start issuing show cause notices (SCNs) to more than 46 entities named in the Panama Papers list.

But the bigger question is - where is the investigation heading and how many entities will really get this notice?

Bollywood actors who are involved are yet to be summoned and questioned by the investigative agency. "These film personalities would be questioned next year i.e. in January 2018," a source said.

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Since February 2017, the ED has been investigating the top 46 "actionable" cases out of 424 names for possible violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.

Till now, only two entities have been prosecuted by the agency in Panama Papers.

Few days back, the first action was taken against businessman and former IPL Chairman Chirayu Amin by attaching his mutual funds worth Rs 10.35 crore.

In the second case, the agency seized properties worth Rs 48.87 crore of Amit Patel and Rahul Patel , owner of Sintex Industries under Section 37A of FEMA, 1999.

THE STATUS OF INVESTIGATION

Senior ED officials remained tight-lipped when India Today approached them about the matter. However, investigation details from behind closed doors indicate that barring a "few exceptions in the 46 cases", the entire probe could turn into a "damp squib".

"Right now, nobody would like to give any concluding remarks. But the fact remains, except few cases - where show cause notices (SCNs) under FEMA, 1999 may get issued followed with attachment process, largely - most of the entities listed in Panama Papers may get a clean chit or their cases might be closed or may not even get an SCN from the directorate," sources on the condition of anonymity told India Today.

After examining and verifying financial papers from banks, investment documents, income-tax return filings etc., investigators have found that most of the entities invested money via "proper channel" i.e. Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).

In 2004, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had allowed individuals to remit funds of up to $25,000 a year, under the LRS.

The source said, "Those who invested outside India do not require any declaration or any permission from the RBI. Within the permissible limit, if money went outside India to buy properties or purchase shares, etc., then the RBI allowed it. Hence, it could not be defined as 'misuse'. These entities exploited this scheme."

As has been reported till now, the ED had issued summons to more than 400 people, seeking details and explanations behind investments made in Panama companies since 2004.

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Most of them have submitted their documents and recorded their statements before ED officials.

"While, some of them have filed their replies through their legal representatives, a few entities (NRIs) are still not traceable," the source said.

HOW LRS WAS EXPLOITED

An updated master circular on LRS, issued by RBI on February 11, 2016 said, "LRS was introduced on February 4, 2004 as a liberalisation measure to facilitate resident individuals to remit funds abroad for permitted current or capital account transactions or combination of both. These regulations are amended from time to time to incorporate the changes in the regulatory framework and published through amendment notifications."

The circular continued, "Within the contours of the Regulations, RBI also issues directions to authorised persons under Section 11 of the FEMA, 1999. These directions lay down the modalities as to how foreign businesses have to be conducted by the authorised persons with their customer/constituents with a view to implement the regulations framed."

The master circular also said that under LRS, authorised dealers may freely allow remittances by resident individuals upto $2,50,000 per financial year.

The scheme was not available to corporates, partnership firms, HUF Trusts, etc.

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Interestingly, the LRS limit was revised in stages consistent with prevailing macro and micro economic conditions in India.

For instance, in 2004 the permissible limit was $25,000. In 2006 it was increased to $50,000. Between September 2007 and July 2013, it went up to $2,00,000. On August 14, 2013, the LRS limit was reduced from $2,00,000 to $75,000. But again the size of money went up from $1,25,000 to $2,50,000 (as of now).

As per the circular, entities with permissible capital account under LRS, can transact money in:

-- opening foreign currency account abroad with a bank

-- purchasing property abroad

-- making investments abroad - acquisition and holding shares of both listed and unlisted overseas company or debt instruments.

-- acquisition of qualification shares of an overseas company to hold the post of Director.

-- acquisition of shares of a foreign company towards professional services rendered or in lieu of Director's remuneration.

-- investment in units of Mutual Funds, Venture Capital Funds, unrated debt securities, promissory notes.

-- setting up wholly-owned subsidiaries and joint ventures (with effect from August 05, 2013) outside India for bonafide business to the terms and conditions stipulated in FEMA notification, dated March 05, 2013.

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Technologies have always been a big part of the healthcare industry but a new wave appears to be rising, redefining the tech giants as companies with an active role to play in monitoring health and solving health-related problems. Over the course of the past five years, equity deals tied to healthcare which included top technology firms jumped in valuation by 874-percent  landing at over $2.7 billion over the course of 2017. It goes without saying that the technology companies involved in those deals are each focused primarily on the strengths they have already established within their respective operating industries. Moreover, with healthcare spending in the U.S. topping $3 trillion on a yearly basis, it would be difficult to argue that any of those organizations are taking part in such deals for purely altruistic reasons. With that said, the implications of a more directly involved technology industry on healthcare could go far beyond economic growth for those companies.

To better understand those implications, it is well worth taking a look back at both the known current projects of the technology giants and some of what has already been accomplished. After all, neither health tracking via various devices or technologys role in healthcare is a new thing. There are also, of course, cautionary tales associated with technology in healthcare, primarily stemming from online services which arguably have caused at least as much needless anxiety as they have increased users understanding of their own health. Looking past that, in the meantime, consumers have been tracking various aspects of their health using first software and then dedicated health tracking hardware for years. On the consumer side, for example, Samsung has been including a heart rate sensor and S Health tracking software on nearly all of its top-tier Galaxy-branded devices since the Galaxy S5. There have been similar efforts from others, ranging from the first smartwatches and fitness tracking wearables right down to third-party applications that allow users to track their less healthy vices  such as smoking or drinking alcohol  or to record other health-related information. So, consumers are becoming more health conscious. However, at the same time, hospitals and healthcare networks, meanwhile, have benefited from data management and access tools afforded by technology giants, following an increasing focus on interconnectivity in nearly all walks of life.

There has been significant investment in healthcare solutions over the course of 2017. Among those, and more recently, Qualcomm revealed the next generation of its Capsule health platform had received approval to move forward. Capsule encompasses the idea that doctors and patients should be securely connected, with faster and more accurate access to, and input of, patient measurements and information for doctors and hospitals. Companies such as Google, Amazon, and Apple have not sat idly by, either. Googles parent company, Alphabet, has a number of subdivisions looking at how to best use the organizations data management and collection to serve healthcare. Perhaps the most well-known of those is Verily Life Sciences. This year, Alphabet acquired a smartphone-centered company called Senosis Health, presumably to augment Verilys efforts. At the same time, Amazon has its own, more secretive project under the name team 1492 and has invested heavily in startup companies such as Grail  which focuses on cancer detection. The online retail shipper is also expected, by some analysts, to jump into the pharmaceuticals industry at some point in the near future.

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Not to be left out, Microsoft and Apple undertook endeavors of their own. Apple partnered with Stanford to determine whether smartwatches could be used to detect irregular heartbeats and Microsoft launched Healthcare NeXT with the goal of incorporating artificial intelligence and cloud-services into the field for healthcare providers and patients. Effectively across the board, numerous technologies companies have taken part in creating new software and hardware solutions ranging in scope from assisting patients and doctors interact to detecting disease. Those have also included the creation of healthcare training solutions via virtual, augmented, and mixed realities. In fact, simply too many entries, acquisitions, and partnerships between the healthcare industry and technology to list comprehensively. Each of those efforts, projects, and investments has pushed the boundaries of what it is possible to achieve in fields of medicine using technology.

It bears mention, of course, that there are bound to be plenty of concerns arising from efforts by technology companies and it is almost certainly a good idea to take any of the hype surrounding new and future innovations with a grain of salt. Privacy and data security, in addition to ethics and other more philosophical issues, will need to continue to be the chief concerns moving forward. There will also be concerns about the amount of power tech companies have over aspects of healthcare and whether those companies are being helpful or harmful. Moreover, many of those projects are, arguably, really just the beginnings of exploration into the full potential of modern technological advancements  with regard to how those can impact and improve both life expectancy and quality of life. That can and likely will lead to further, unforeseeable questions and concerns.

Bearing that in mind, there are a huge number of new innovations already well underway that could have profound effects on the healthcare industry. That includes new hardware and networking advancements in terms of wearables and smartphone-based sensors, as well as the looming advent of 5G networking. Coupled with new innovations and understanding about artificial intelligence, the rapid growth of the Internet of Things, and cloud computing, there is a lot of room for growth stemming from technology even without considering health care. There is plenty of growth to be had in the healthcare industry regardless of whether the tech giants take a direct interest. Beyond that, the tech giants are rigorously and actively invested in advancing associated fields and, as has been shown with essentially every field that technology companies involve themselves in, that could mean explosive growth.
Last Saturday the most biased program on TVE (Spains public TV network), Informe semanal (Weekly Report in English), reported on the election results in Catalonia. Of course, all the interviewees expressed enormous dissatisfaction, basically because they disapproved of what Catalans had voted for. The results did not allow them to portray Catalonia the way they wanted to or the way that would make them happy. Victoria Prego, Gonzalo Bernardos, a few professors of Constitutional law, and even media expert Roman Gubern analyzed the portrait of Catalonia that emerged from the elections.

Victoria Prego, with the utmost disdain for the pro-independence bloc voters, referred to them as "those voters, from those parties, have turned their backs on reality and have cast fervent votes, and thats called fanaticism". She then added that she didn't want to offend anyone, but it was clear, from this detail, that she had a certain desire to do so. The journalist, who for years told us all about the wonders of the political Transition in Spain, now complained that the pro-independence parties had no electoral platform: "What program will they implement? Because I haven't seen any real program." The head of the Opinion section of Madrid daily El Mundo predicted that the electoral results would not lead Catalonia anywhere because Puigdemont could not tele-govern from Brussels and it was logical that he would end up in jail. "The polls don't wash away the crimes," he said. The voice-over narration again reminded of the nine newly accused politicians, and economist Gonzalo Bernardos insisted on lamenting that Catalonia was imbued with a religious state of pro-independence conviction that was driving it to economic suicide.

One of the most painful episodes occurred when Informe semanal, the most manipulative and sectarian program which in its stories only tolerates a single point of view (that of the PP, of course), warned of how partisan the Catalan public media were. The evidence used to show this was the investigations that had been opened by the Central Electoral Board during the campaign. It was tragicomic to see Professor Roman Gubern using Informe semanal microphones to call for neutrality in the Catalan public media and restating the theory that it is necessary to review them because, in essence, they were not doing their job. To put the icing on the cake, the man claimed that school history books he had seen denied Spanish national plurality and thus he endorsed the idea of indoctrination.

Informe semanal ended up lamenting that "a repetition of elections seems unlikely. Catalonia is still stuck in place." In short: TVE does not like how people voted on 21-D because they are fanatics, idiots and indoctrinated. It was clear that if you don't vote the way they want you to, democracy is of little use.
The American Playwriting Foundations $45,000 Relentless Award, funded by a libel settlement from The National Enquirer for a false story about Philip Seymour Hoffmans death and given for an unproduced script judged blind, was won by Gracie Gardner for a play whose title  well, were too squeamish to print it, too. (Cool fact: all eight semifinalists were written by women.)
By India Today Web Desk: Kulbhushan Jadhav: Pakistan Army says India will not be given consular access

Pakistan has said that a final decision has been taken that India will not be granted consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Triple talaq Bill explained: Why Modi govt wants to enact Muslim Women Protection law and what it says

The Bill makes pronouncement of instant triple talaq a non-bailable offence under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

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After Judwaa 2, Varun Dhawan to star in Biwi No. 1 remake? Dad David Dhawan responds

Will Varun Dhawan step into Salman Khan's shoes for Biwi No. 1 remake?

Ajinkya Rahane confident of doing well in South Africa, says 2013 experience will help

India will play a series of three Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is against South Africa starting January 5.

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Two people have been detained and Rs 1 million in the operation.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of the Bangladesh Police have busted a 'factory' on Wednesday (December 27) night that was producing counterfeit Indian currency.

Two people have been detained and Rs 1 million in fake Indian currency notes and various counterfeiting materials were seized in the operation, said Major Rahat Harun Khan, of RAB-10 unit.

The factory was operating from South Keraniganj neighbourhood of Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital. The factory was on the third floor of a building in Shubhyada's Uttarpara.

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The arrestees are Liaquat Ali (35) and his associate Jahangir Alam (40).

"The two detainees have been involved in counterfeiting currency for a long time. They rented the space. They have been taken into custody by law enforcers before, but had been released on bail," said Major Khan.

Rs 1 million in fake Indian currency notes and various counterfeiting materials were seized in the operation.

Addressing a press conference Lt Colonel Emranul Hassan of RAB said that Ali was into printing of fake Indian currency as counterfeiting and marketing Bangladeshi taka was dangerous.The arrested criminals were supplying fake notes worth Rs 50-60 million. According to security officials Ali and Alam earned 1.5-2 taka every month from their illegal activity."Ali provided fake money to various money exchanges in the border areas through his local brokers. Every 1 million fake Indian currency note were sold at 12,000 takas," Lt Colonel Hassan said.

On November 8, 2016 the Indian government had demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed that the demonetisation move would crack down on counterfeit Indian currency notes among other objectives.

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This 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS has been spotted in Majadahonda, Spain, with the rear-engined delight being unloaded at the time - the Porscha is resting inside the local dealership as you are reading this (lens tip to Autogespot for the images of the supercar).Nevertheless, a user of the said website states that this isn't the first GT2 RS to land in the country, with that title having reportedly gone to a blue (the exact shade isn't mentioned) example of the car that landed at the Centro Porsche Barcelona back in November.The GT2 RS we have here is dressed in GT Silver Metallic, a hue that makes for a $4,200 option. And if we factor in the Weissach Package, which is present on the supercar, we end up with a price of over $300,000.If you're the kind who enjoys records and other accolades of the kind, you'd better do your thing while it lasts. Sure, for now the GT2 RS might hold the Nurburgring production car lap record, with a chronograph number of 6:43. But there are multiple machines that could come up with even sweeter numbers next year.For instance, the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 , whose Ring assault has been postponed for next year, might just bring the title to the US.Then we have the McLaren Senna . Given Woking's circuit dedication and the astonishing assets delivered by the considerably tamer 720S, it wouldn't surprise us to see the Senna hitting the jackpot.Of course, we mustn't forget about Koenigsegg. While the Swedes didn't return to the Ring in the One:1 following the brutal accident of the hypercar, their Regera track stint teaser could mean they're up to something.
The Nurburgring production car lap record, which the Huracan Performante held for a while (think: 6:52 ) was obviously one of the main purposes of the car. The other was to deliver even more engaging handling, as the standard Huracan, if we may call it so, shows signs of understeer.Nevertheless, while not all Performante owners will obviously take their cars to the Green Hell, now that the cold season is fully upon us, there are also other ways of putting the brilliant chassis setup to work.You know, stuff like doing donuts in the white stuff, which is exactly what happens in the piece of footage at the bottom of the page.The clip shows the 640 hp naturally aspirated animal randomly drifting in the snow. And yes, the V10 heart of the thing delivers a memorable soundtrack, even though the driver doesn't rev it all that mich - the slippery surface means just a fraction of the engine's might is required to send the supercar sideways.Speaking of the Huracan Performante, we'll remind you that Lamborghini has yet to deliver the Spyder incarnation of the supercar.Open-air lovers have no reasons to fret, though, since the said machine is on its way. For one thing, we've spied the Huacan Performante Spyder on multiple occasions, with the most recent stunt of the kind showing the beast with very little camo. However, the Italian automotive producer could come up with a different nameplate for the V10 Bull we're discussing here.Regardless, you should expect the newcomer to land in the first quarter of next year, with the Geneva Motor Show, which takes place in March, being a likely venue for the landing of the supercar.
A Cessna CJ2 jet was badly damaged when it ran off a runway at Michigan City Municipal Airport, in Indiana, about 6:45 Wednesday morning. The jet hit a 10-foot-high metal fence, crossed a four-lane highway and slid more than 100 yards across a snowy field before coming to rest, with one wing and its landing gear shorn off. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane on their own. They were treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and released, according to local news reports. About 300 gallons of fuel leaked from the aircraft, but there was no fire, the local WNDU News reported.

The jet had taken off from DuPage Airport, near Chicago, at 6:22 a.m., according to the Northwest Indiana Times, and arrived at Michigan City about 6:44. The pilot told local police they were coming in to land but touched down too far down the runway. The pilot tried to take off again but ran out of room. Officials said there was no ice on the runway, but it was covered with a light dusting of snow.
Vulcanair, based in Italy, brought their V1.0 four-seat trainer to EAA AirVenture this summer for its U.S. debut, and said it would be FAA certified by the end of the year  and this week, they made good on that forecast. The airplane, certified in the utility category, features an all-metal airframe, three doors and a 180-HP Lycoming IO-360 engine paired with a Hartzell constant-speed prop. The standard avionics package includes a Garmin G500, Mid-Continentsdigital backup package, an angle of attack indicator and more. A full IFRcockpit is available as an option. It sells for about $260,000, while four-seat trainers from Cessna and Piper run in the $350,000 range. First deliveries are expected early next year.

Vulcanair CEO Remo DeFeo told AVweb at Oshkosh the company sees a market for the aircraft not only with flight schools, but also with private owners and flying clubs. The airplane cruises at about 135 knots, with a range of 550 NM. Vulcanair was founded in 1996, and purchased all the assets and type designs of Partenavia, including type certificates and tooling. The company now offers a line of seven GA aircraft, ranging from 4 to 11 seats. The V1.0 was previously certified in Europe.
Instagram announced this week that posts from accounts users don't follow will start appearing in a new section of News Feeds called "Recommended for You." Users will have the option to temporarily hide posts that are recommended to them.

Why it matters: Instagram has been testing ways to expose users to a wider range of content to increase user engagement  which helps the app, and its parent company Facebook, sell ads. Earlier this month, Instagram added up a feature that would allow users to follow hashtags (topics) as well as specific accounts. The company has continually developed and customized its "Explore" section in a similar push to expand what users engage with.
Alabama officials certified Democrat Doug Jones as the winner of this month's special Senate election, despite a last ditch legal effort by Republican rival Roy Moore to delay the certification.

Why it matters: Moore, who lost by over 20,000 votes, has refused to concede the race after the Dec. 12 contest, despite calls from the White House to do so. He filed a court complaint on Wednesday, raising questions about possible voter fraud. But a judge on Thursday rejected Moore's attempt to block Jone's certification, per The AP.

Background: Moore faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls. Jones is the first Democratic Senator in a quarter-century in the deep-red state.

Jones' statement after being certified:

Moore's response to Jones' certification:
Until last week, it's safe to say that very few people had heard of Jarrett Walker, a public transit consultant from Portland. Then, in a piece at Citylab, Walker had the temerity to take on Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his recently stated aversion to public transport with other people. "You're an idiot," Musk tweeted in response  then, "Meant to say sanctimonious idiot."

Why it matters: Musk is the picture of Silicon Valley smooth at his electric car unveilings and space program announcements. But not so much on Twitter, where he  one of the world's most respected entrepreneurs  can seek to humiliate people who challenge him or, in his view, cast him in an adverse light.

When his targets have pointed out that his facts are wrong, Musk has doubled down. Some examples:

On Dec. 14, Musk rebuked Wired when it quoted him on his attitude toward public transport. "This is why I stopped following Wired long ago. There are way better tech pubs out there," he tweeted.

Wired when it quoted him on his attitude toward public transport. "This is why I stopped following Wired long ago. There are way better tech pubs out there," he tweeted. In August, Musk attacked a WSJ report on internal debate at Tesla over his push to develop self-driving technology: "WSJ has been laboriously negative for over a decade. I'm surprised they haven't bored their readers to death by now."

a WSJ report on internal debate at Tesla over his push to develop self-driving technology: "WSJ has been laboriously negative for over a decade. I'm surprised they haven't bored their readers to death by now." The same day, he went after the WSJ's Rolfe Winkler, who had tweeted about a money raise by a Musk AI startup. "Neuralink is not raising money," Musk said. How then to explain an SEC report on the funding, Winkler tweeted back. Musk replied, "Let me check on that for you. Found the answer right here: "

This behavior is not new: In a 2013 attack on NYT reporter John Broder, Musk foreshadowed President Trump's current signature phrase: "NYTimes article about Tesla range in cold is fake," he tweeted.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication. Afterward, a spokesman emailed, "It is incredibly misleading to cherry pick a few tweets out of 4,000 to argue that they show Elon is mean, especially when many are simply pointing out false or misleading information. Did you read Tesla's response to the Broder piece [here]? This was not foreshadowing Trump's use of "fake news." This was a fabricated story that we debunked with facts."

How to explain the divergence in Musk's public personas? Among the possibilities:

It's his psychology: Michael Maccoby, a Washington, DC-based anthropologist and psychoanalyst, told Axios that Musk is a classic example of a productive narcissist  a renowned entrepreneur and visionary who is changing the world, even though he may lash out on Twitter when challenged. "Creative people are likely to be attacked by those who feel threatened by their innovations," he said. "Some productive narcissists respond to attacks. Others are more detached. Some productive narcissists like FDR, Reagan and Lincoln have a sense of humor about attacks."

Michael Maccoby, a Washington, DC-based anthropologist and psychoanalyst, told Axios that Musk is a classic example of a productive narcissist  a renowned entrepreneur and visionary who is changing the world, even though he may lash out on Twitter when challenged. "Creative people are likely to be attacked by those who feel threatened by their innovations," he said. "Some productive narcissists respond to attacks. Others are more detached. Some productive narcissists like FDR, Reagan and Lincoln have a sense of humor about attacks." He's doing it on purpose: In a paper published in May, a group of UK and US researchers wrote that people project themselves differently depending which social platform they are on, whether Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.Nishanth Sastry, a co-author of the paper and a professor at King's College in London, told Axios that, generally speaking, people "very carefully stage-manage" their social media persona. "We want people to perceive us one way or a different way," he said.

If Musk's Twitter act is deliberate, it's a tricky calibration, Sastry said. Most of us have grown up learning our "social decorum principles" face to face, he said, in interaction with our parents, our teachers and our friends. When it comes to older people especially, Sastry said, "what we've imbibed culturally is entirely in an offline context." When it comes to communicating online, we can thus say the wrong thing.

Our thought bubble: Judging by the comments underneath Musk's outbursts, he resonates authenticity to at least some of his faithful, in the same way that Trump's broadsides do with his base. This was the case the day after Christmas, when he tweeted this note: "Wanted again to send a note of deep gratitude to Tesla owners WW for taking a chance on a new company that all experts said would fail. So much blood, sweat & tears from the Tesla team went into creating cars that you'd truly love. I hope you do. How can we improve further?"

With his outbursts, Musk may simply think he's funny. And there are signs that he is not always at ease with the rough treatment, depending on who's challenging him.

After his exchange with Walker, the transit consultant, for example, Paul Krugman, the Nobel laureate and NYT columnist, tweeted at him: "Elon Musk's idea of a cogent argument: 'You're an idiot.'"

To which Musk replied: "I would only call someone an idiot if people were mistakenly under the impression that the person was smart."

In other words, Musk, while defending himself, was not prepared to give Krugman the brusque treatment as he had Walker.

One fun thing: After sales of his book shot up, Walker himself does not seem upset: "It's all very funny to me," he said, "and I hope it is to you."
The rise of automation has generated fears of mass joblessness, with McKinsey estimating that up to 800 million people  including a third of the work force in the U.S. and Germany  will be rendered jobless by 2030. But Swedish workers feel prepared for the robot revolution, the New York Times reports.

The big picture: As Swedish companies have profited from the efficiency of robots, wages have also gone up, as opposed to the U.S., where wages have stagnated for years. "The jobs disappear, and then we train people for new jobs. We won't protect jobs. But we will protect workers," Swedish minister for employment and integration, Ylva Johansson, told the Times.

The numbers:
ISIS has claimed three suicide bombings in Kabul that killed at least 41 people and wounded 80 more, according to Time. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the three attacks, which hit the Afghan Voice Agency and Tebyan cultural center, "will not break the resolve of the Afghan people."

There were two other major attacks in Kabul in recent months: an ISIS-claimed attack on a local television station that killed two and wounded 20 more in November, and an October attack on a mosque that killed more than 30. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said President Trump was briefed on the situation by Chief of Staff John Kelly.
Mark Zuckerberg started 2017 scoffing at the idea of Russia election manipulation on Facebook, and looked like he was contemplating his own possible run for the presidency.

Facebook's CEO ends 2017 a very changed man: scrambling to curtail (some of) the manipulation he now acknowledges exists, and to save the most powerful platform in human history.

A Facebook exec tells us: "This is the year people will see we get that there's real work to do. We have to change."

tells us: "This is the year people will see we get that there's real work to do. Fake news and Russia get the attention, but Facebook say it plans "real product fixes" in other areas, including demonstrating how seriously the company takes data privacy. Facebook leaders say they're not waiting for legislation: If they fix the substance, the reputation will follow.

In Silicon Valley, you hear frequent comparisons between the tech giants and the old utilities: The companies are quickly becoming the infrastructure across which all information moves. Going forward, they will be scrutinized that way.

Facebook, Google and Twitter are no longer seen as harmless toys and tools. In fact, the political and public swing against these darlings of Silicon Valley is one of the most important non-Trump trends of the year  and one likely to echo for many years to come:

Sean Parker and other early Facebook execs went public with concerns about how the company manipulates data and our minds.

and other early Facebook execs went public with concerns about how the company manipulates data and our minds. Democrats have held private briefings on whether Facebook and other companies knowingly and purposely create dangerous addictions to their products.

have held private briefings on whether Facebook and other companies knowingly and purposely create dangerous addictions to their products. Senate Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) and other lawmakers are pushing for tighter regulation, starting with political advertising. Warner also wants Facebook to open data to outside experts so they can see if the full scope of Russian manipulation has been disclosed.

Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) and other lawmakers are pushing for tighter regulation, starting with political advertising. Warner also wants Facebook to open data to outside experts so they can see if the full scope of Russian manipulation has been disclosed. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg , alone among top tech execs, confronted the controversy head-on, in a half-hour-plus interview with Axios. Facebook should be applauded for doing what few companies do in crisis: responding to the critiques in real-time.

, alone among top tech execs, confronted the controversy head-on, in a half-hour-plus interview with Axios. Facebook should be applauded for doing what few companies do in crisis: responding to the critiques in real-time. How many companies admit their product can be unhealthy if used the way lots of people use them?

admit their product can be unhealthy if used the way lots of people use them? Facebook says it knows that addicting people to their detriment doesn't work in the long run.

Execs tell us that their mission for 2018 is: Make sure the platform is responsible so people can use it for their "well-being," the platform's new buzzword.

Be smart: Turns out that Zuckerberg, with his high-profile travel through Trump country, was gearing up for a political campaign  just not the one you thought. He knows the worldwide fight for Facebook's reputation will last a lifetime, and will influence how far and fast regulators go.

Be watchful: Facebook is not fighting fake news  it's fighting spam and clickbait. This is a significant and highly substantive differentiation.

The bottom line: Facebook wants to use as little editorial judgment as possible in weeding out crap on its platform, to avoid becoming a media company  a business with much smaller margins and greater legal liability.

Facebook wants to use as little editorial judgment as possible in weeding out crap on its platform, to avoid becoming a media company  a business with much smaller margins and greater legal liability. Unless tech companies are regulated to be held accountable for content that crosses their platforms, Facebook will not fundamentally change  something Sheryl Sandberg made clear in her October conversation with Axios.

Between now and New Year's Day, Axios CEO Jim VandeHei and executive editor Mike Allen will bring Axios AM readers our year-end thoughts on the topics that matter most. Sign up here.
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has asked Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju to explore a regulatory regime for single-engine seaplanes with a view to facilitating introduction of such planes in the country, an official said.

"The minister has requested the civil aviation minister to explore a regulatory regime for single engine seaplanes, keeping in mind all safety aspects," an official said.

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The development comes against the backdrop of Gadkari along with Raju riding the trial run of seaplanes by budget carrier SpiceJet at the Girgaum Chowpatty off the Mumbai coast on December 9.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 12 also flew in a seaplane from the Sabarmati River to Dharoi Dam in Mehsana district on the last day of campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly elections.

As of now the regulatory regime in India allows twin- engine seaplanes to be used for scheduled commercial operations.

The official said globally there is a move towards allowing single-engine seaplanes to be used for scheduled commercial operations.

"It has been gathered that the European regulator is actively considering coming out with regulatory guidelines for these operations. The Indian regulator is also looking at regulatory regime along these lines for single engine seaplanes considering all safety aspects," the official added.

The official said commercial operations of seaplanes will require a regulatory regime, aircraft and infrastructure in the form of waterdrome.

"The waterdrome will have some infrastructure which would be water-based and other infrastructure such as scanning and x-ray machines which would be land-based," the official added.

The shipping ministry is looking at developing infrastructure which would meet the regulatory requirements on the water including platforms, jetties and navigational aids.

Hours after the prime minister travelled in Indias first sea-plane, Gadkari said this mode would revolutionise the transport sector of the country.

Gadkari, who holds multiple portfolios of road, transport, highways, shipping, water resources and Ganga rejuvenation, had also said his ministry and the civil aviation ministry will frame rules for such form of transport on the lines of regulations in Canada, the US and Japan. PTI NAM MR

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Members of Robert Mueller's team have begun reaching out to former Republican National Committee staff who were familiar with the digital operations of the Trump campaign, according to a source with knowledge of the outreach. The only outreach I can confirm happened recently.

Yahoo News' Michael Isikoff first reported that Mueller's prosecutors are interested in "the party digital operation that worked with the Trump campaign to target voters in key swing states." Isikoff adds: "They are seeking to determine if the joint [RNC-Trump campaign] effort was related to the activities of Russian trolls and bots aimed at influencing the American electorate..."Isikoff says some of these interviews have already happened. Context: Congressional investigators have had lots of questions for campaign digital alums, including senior official Brad Parscale. They've also interviewed Alexander Nix, president of Cambridge Analytica (a firm that worked on data issues for the campaign).

The collusion theory-of-the-case that's held most widely in Washington is that if any collusion happened, it would have been through Trump's data operation. There's no public evidence the data team did anything wrong.
Thousands of Puerto Rico's police officers are calling in sick to protest rising tabs of owed overtime pay, AP reports. In the weeks after Hurricane Maria, officers worked 7 days a week for 12 to 15 hours at a time, lobbying groups for the police told AP.

The big picture: Demand spiked for police officers to aid in the hurricane recovery and ensure safety in cities and towns that lost power for weeks after Maria hit the island. Per AP, Puerto Rico's police department usually sees about 550 absences a day. Recently, an average of 2,700 of the island's 13,000 officers have been absent each day, and police chief Michelle Hernandez has recommended that U.S. National Guard soldiers step in to fill spots.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says a bombing yesterday in a St. Petersburg supermarket that injured at least 13 people was a terrorist attack, per the AP. He also stated that another attack in the city had been prevented, though the Kremlin did not provide any details.

Think back: Putin thanked President Trump earlier this month for the CIA's help in providing a tip that prevented a series of bombing attacks in St. Petersburg.
The Iraqi military and U.S.-led coalition succeeded in uprooting the Islamic State group across the country, but the damage is nearly incalculable, AP reports from Mosul.

Why it matters: "So far no one is offering to foot the bill. The Trump administration has told the Iraqis it won't pay for a massive reconstruction drive."
If Michael Flynn accuses President Trump or any of his top aides of wrongdoing in their relations with Russian officials, Trump's lawyers are preparing to call him a liar trying to protect himself, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Trump has thus far declined to go after Flynn, and has even defended him. He did not rule out pardoning Flynn as recently as this month, but his lawyers have publicly insisted there's nothing damaging Flynn could share  because the president didn't do anything wrong.
In a New York Times op-ed published in Thursday's paper, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson touted the U.S. foreign policy initiatives he spearheaded during this first year. He pointed to the new caps on trade the U.N. and allies imposed on North Korea, the rebuilding of diplomatic ties in the Middle East and the country supporting the Ukrainian government amid aggression from pro-Russian separatists.

Why it matters: The country's top diplomat had a very bumpy year.

He and President Trump had clashed on a range of issues including the Iran nuclear deal, Qatar and North Korea. At one point, Trump tweeted: "I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man... Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!""

Their disagreements often fueled speculations that Tillerson's time maybe winding down.

Key points from his op-ed:

Russia: "We have no illusions about the regime we are dealing with," Tillerson wrote, adding that U.S. "today has a poor relationship with a resurgent Russia that has invaded its neighbors Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade and undermined" last year's election. At the same time, he said the country is "on guard against Russian aggression" and that the U.S. recognized the need to work with Russia on issues like Syria, "where mutual interests intersect."

"We have no illusions about the regime we are dealing with," Tillerson wrote, adding that U.S. "today has a poor relationship with a resurgent Russia that has invaded its neighbors Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade and undermined" last year's election. At the same time, he said the country is "on guard against Russian aggression" and that the U.S. recognized the need to work with Russia on issues like Syria, "where mutual interests intersect." North Korea: He tooted efforts made by U.S. allies and the U.N Security Council to impose trade sanctions against North Korea and severing diplomatic ties in hopes of having the isolated country abates its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

He tooted efforts made by U.S. allies and the U.N Security Council to impose trade sanctions against North Korea and severing diplomatic ties in hopes of having the isolated country abates its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. China: Tillerson urged China to add more pressure North Korea and that the U.S. will continue to pressure leaders in Beijing on trade imbalances, intellectual property theft and "troubling military activities in the South China Sea."

Tillerson urged China to add more pressure North Korea and that the U.S. will continue to pressure leaders in Beijing on trade imbalances, intellectual property theft and "troubling military activities in the South China Sea." Terrorism: He called on Pakistan to contribute more by combating terrorist groups on its own soil.

He called on Pakistan to contribute more by combating terrorist groups on its own soil. Iran deal: It's "no longer the focal point of our policy toward Iran. Instead, the U.S. is "confronting the totality of Iranian threats" through rebuilding alliances and diplomatic ties in the Middle East, addressing flaws in the nuclear deal and punishing Iran for violating ballistic missile commitments, he added.

Go deeper: Read the op-ed here... How Rex Tillerson alienated every ally he needs
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech during a visit to the Israel Museum on May 23, 2017 in Jerusalem, Israel. Photo: Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images

The U.S. and Israel have reached a joint strategic work plan to counter Iranian activity in the Middle East. U.S. and Israeli officials said the joint understandings were reached in a secret meeting between senior Israeli and U.S. delegations at the White House on December 12th.

What it means: A senior U.S. official said that after two days of talks the U.S. and Israel reached at a joint document which included understandings on countering Iranian actions in the region. The U.S. official said the document goal's was to translate President Trump's Iran speech to joint U.S.-Israeli strategic goals regarding Iran and to set up a joint work plan.

At the table: The Israeli team was headed by national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and included senior representatives of the Israeli military, Ministry of Defense, Foreign Ministry and intelligence community. The U.S. side was headed by national security adviser H.R. McMaster and included senior representatives from the National Security Council, State Department, Department of Defense and the intelligence community.

As part of the understandings that were reached the U.S. and Israel decided to form several working groups according to the joint goals:

Covert and diplomatic action to block Iran's path to nuclear weapons  according to the U.S. official this working group will deal with diplomatic steps that can be taken as part of the Iran nuclear deal to further monitor and verify that Iran is not violating the deal. It also includes diplomatic steps outside of the nuclear deal to put more pressure on Iran. The working group will deal with possible covert steps against the Iranian nuclear program. Countering Iranian activity in the region, especially the Iranian entrenchment efforts in Syria and the Iranian support for Hezbollah and other terror groups. This working group will also deal with drafting U.S.-Israeli policy regarding the "day after" in the Syrian civil war. Countering Iranian ballistic missiles development and the Iranian "precision project" aimed at manufacturing precision guided missiles in Syria and Lebanon for Hezbollah to be used against Israel in a future war. Joint U.S.-Israeli preparation for different escalation scenarios in the region concerning Iran, Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Senior Israeli officials confirmed that the U.S. and Israel have arrived at strategic understandings regarding Iran that would strengthen the cooperation in countering regional challenges.

The Israeli officials said:

"[T]he U.S. and Israel see eye to eye the different developments in the region and especially those that are connected to Iran. We reached at understandings regarding the strategy and the policy needed to counter Iran. Our understandings deal with the overall strategy but also with concrete goals, way of action and the means which need to be used to get obtain those goals."

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SoftBank Group Corp. pulled off its bid to buy up to 20% of Uber at a steep discount, sources tell the WSJ. SoftBank will likely limit its stake to 15% in the tender offer, valuing the ride-hailing company at $48 billion  a roughly 30% discount from its recent $70 billion valuation.

Why it matters: This deal is vital to Uber because of associated governance changes, and a big bet on transportation for SoftBank, which already has stakes in Uber rivals in other countries. Uber will also get a $1 billion investment from SoftBank at the $70 billion valuation. The company plans to close the overall transaction in early 2018.

Also, per Axios' Dan Primack: The tender offer, which is an open call to buy shares in the company, is a chance for early Uber employees to cash in after not being able to get any liquidity out of the privately-held company. In addition, many early executives  including former CEO Travis Kalanick  have departed in the past year after a series of corporate scandals, so they aren''t betting against themselves with this offer.

What they're saying:

An Uber spokesman said in a statement: "We look forward to working with the purchasers to close the overall transaction, which we expect to support our technology investments, fuel our growth, and strengthen our corporate governance."

said in a statement: "We look forward to working with the purchasers to close the overall transaction, which we expect to support our technology investments, fuel our growth, and strengthen our corporate governance." Rajeev Misra, CEO of SoftBank Investment Advisers, said in a statement: "We are appreciative of the support from Uber's shareholders in the successful tender offer and look forward to closing the overall investment in January. We have tremendous confidence in Uber's leadership and employees and are excited to support Uber as it continues to reinvent how people and goods are transported around the world."

This post has been updated to include statements from Uber and SoftBank.
South Korea's government announced today that there is no evidence to back up claims that wages paid by South Korean companies to North Korean workers at a cross-border industrial park were funding North Korea's military ambitions, per Reuters. The South's previous administration, headed by deposed President Park Geun-hye, had made the assertions following a long-range missile test by North Korea last year.

The context: The complex in question  Kaesong industrial park  was designed to help foster cooperation between North and South Korea. 55,000 North Korean workers at the facility made double the North's usual minimum wage by doing work for South Korean companies.
President Trump has not eaten at a D.C. restaurant other than the steakhouse at his hotel since taking office, and has only rarely traveled to non-Trump properties in the area, the AP notes.

Worth noting: It's perhaps not that surprising that Trump is rarely seen around the capital  he received just 4% of the vote in D.C. and there would be no guarantee of a warm reception. He prefers his home turf, and has spent one-third of his days in office at Trump properties.
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) The Union government has sought recommendation from telecom regulator TRAI on auctioning television channels on lines of FM radio channels, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

In a written reply to a question, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said the response of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India was awaited.

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The move is seen as part of efforts to increase revenue and ensure transparency.

At present, an applicant needs to seek permission from the I&B ministry for setting up a new television channel. It also needs clearances from other ministries, including home and electronics and information technology.

The current fee includes Rs 10,000 for uplinking and downlinking facilities, and a Rs two-lakh annual licence fee.

Recently, TRAI released a consultation paper on the issues related to uplinking and downlinking of TV channels.

The watchdog, in a statement, said the government felt a need to amend some of the norms to ensure healthy growth of the broadcasting sector.

The present norms came into effect five years ago.

In a letter to TRAI, the ministry had said "keeping in view the change in technology, market scenarios, and the lessons learnt in the past a few years of their operations, there is need to review/amend some of the provisions of these guidelines to ensure healthy growth of the broadcasting sector." PTI MP ABH

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The Google News Lab looked at the search trends for some of the biggest news events of Trump's presidency from Jan. 20 through Dec. 20. You can see how we've all jumped from one four-alarm news fire to another:

Data: Google News Lab. Get the data; Chart: Lazaro Gamio / Axios

Why it matters: The study shows that while Trump's presidency has been action-packed, the public's attention span doesn't seem to last for long.

The visible spikes of increased Googling on a topic indicate that Trump-related news captures the public's interest, but that attention quickly fizzles out or is captured by the next bombshell report or firing. Only a few issues have more steady interest over time.

The most searched for topics of the list:

The Virginia election on Nov. 8 Trump and the NFL on Sept. 24 Trump and the NFL on Sept. 25 George Papadopoulos on Oct. 30 Affordable Care Act repeal on May 4

Go deeper: The best Axios data visuals from 2017
Two Romanians are being charged in D.C. federal court for allegedly hacking into two-thirds of Washington, D.C.'s outdoor surveillance cameras in the weeks before President Trump's inauguration, according to the Washington Post. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu said: "This case was of the highest priority due to its impact on the Secret Service's protective mission and its potential effect on the security plan for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration."

What happened: D.C. police noticed the problem on January 12, the Post reports, and the cameras were taken offline and re-set. The hackers, Alexandru Isvanca and Eveline Cismaru, are being described "as part of a bigger extortionist hacking group," and face up to 20 years in prison if they're convicted on charges of fraud and computer crimes.
28 December 2017 10:07 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 122 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on December 28.

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
28 December 2017 18:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

A new wave of discussions on the status of the Russian language has recently begun in Armenia.

It is worth recalling that in September this year, the Minister of Education and Science of Armenia Levon Mkrtchyan said: The Armenian language is and will remain the only state language in Armenia, since we are an independent, sovereign state. This is an axiomatic truth, all other languages are foreign. At the same time, he noted that when young people in Armenia enter higher education institutions, they take exams in English, French, German, Spanish or Italian on the subject foreign language. There is no Russian among these languages, so the applicants cannot take an exam on Russian language.

Thus the question arises what is the status of the Russian language in Armenia if it is neither the state language nor foreign? This language is in fact dying out in Armenia due to the regular growth of anti-Russian sentiments in the country.

For example, the Front for the State of Armenia organization has recently made a statement demanding to suspend the broadcast license of several Russian TV channels in Armenia. Previously, there were protests in Yerevan, where the participants carried slogans containing insults to Russia, its president and people.

The reason for such negative sentiments of Armenians against Russia is obvious. Their country has long lost almost all attributes of independence. Its leading enterprises were given to Russia for Armenias debts, its border with Turkey is guarded by Russian border guards, and in general, Armenia conducts its foreign policy in a way as not to disappoint Russia. Also, many Russian politicians of different levels have repeatedly called Armenia the outpost of Russia in the Caucasus.

In this regard, many Armenians are unhappy with the fact that their country is, in fact, in a slave position. However, this is not the fault of Russia, since the Armenian authorities, unable to conduct a correct and sustainable domestic and foreign policy, themselves decided to be dependent on another country. Therefore, Armenians would better make all claims to their authorities, as expulsion of the Russian language from Armenia will not help matters.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
28 December 2017 12:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The state budget of Azerbaijan for 2018 will be traditionally socially oriented, Finance Minister Samir Sharifov said.

Azerbaijan is a developing country and has been able to achieve many tasks over the past 10-15 years. If we analyze our investment expenditures, we will see that they were quite high, while, as a rule, most of them are social expenditures, the minister stressed speaking on AzTv channel.

He went on to say that the volume of social spending in the budget for 2018 is 7.7 billion manats ($4.5 billion), which is more by 650 million manats ($382.33 million), as compared to the current year.

Social spending is primarily wages, social security issues, pensions, and their share in the budget is traditionally high enough. Only the expenses of the wage fund amount to 4.2 billion manats ($2.47 billion), according to Sharifov.

The minister noted that the countrys spending on education traditionally has a large share in the structure of social expenditures and next year they will amount to 2 billion manats ($1.18 billion), which is 211 million manats ($124.11 million) more compared to the current year.

Next year it is planned to allocate 250 million manats ($147.05 million) for the construction of social housing, the minister stated.

The state budget revenues in 2018 were approved at the level of 20.127 billion manats ($11.84 billion), expenditures at the level of 21.047 billion manats ($12.38 billion) [including centralized incomes  19.47 billion manats ($11.45 billion) and local incomes  653.3 million manats ($384.27 million), centralized expenses  20.323 billion manats ($11.95 billion) and local expenses  723.9 million manats ($425.8 million)].

In the structure of state budget revenues, transfers from the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) amount to 9.216 billion manats ($5.37 billion). Revenues from VAT are projected at 4.288 billion manats ($2.52 billion) [including 1.705 billion manats ($1.002 billion) on VAT from imported goods], income tax - 2.320 billion manats ($1.36 billion), tax on personal income - 1.196 billion manats ($703.49 million), excise tax - 726 million manats ($427.03 million) [including 172 million manats ($101.17 million) from excise taxes on imports of goods], customs duties - 535 million manats ($314.69 million), simplified tax - 380 million manats ($223.52 million), tax for the use of mineral wealth - 136 million manats ($79.99 million), road tax - 91 million manats ($53.53 million).

Sharifov went on speaking about the national currency of Azerbaijan, noting that manat has stabilized.

Since the beginning of the year, the manat rate has even slightly strengthened [against the US dollar]. Compared to the beginning of the year, the manat rate strengthened by 3.4 percent, and in comparison with February - by 10 percent, he said.

Sharifov noted that there is some pressure to further strengthen the rate of manat. However, according to the minister, this again shows that confidence in the national currency is being restored.

The results of 11 months of 2017, continued Sharifov, show that the economy has stabilized and become even more stable compared to previous years.

Touching upon SOCAR, the minister pointed out that the state budget envisages allocation of funds for the next year to increase the authorized capital of the State Oil Company.

These funds will be used in two directions, according to the minister.

The first direction is the expansion of the exploitation of oil and gas fields and maintenance of production level (old deposits), and the second is the project of reconstruction and modernization of Baku Oil Refinery named after Heydar Aliyev, he explained.

Sharifov noted that an important factor is the reconstruction and modernization of the Oil Refinery. He went on to say that for this purpose the state budget funds will be allocated for several years, adding that this should be considered as an infrastructure project.

SOCAR announced the liquidation of the Azneftyag refinery and its merger with the Baku Oil Refinery named after Heydar Aliyev, in 2015. This decision was made in the framework of works to improve and optimize the structure of the company.

The company plans to produce high-quality oil products as part of the next stage of the reconstruction work to be carried out at the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery. Under the program, the oil refinery will produce Euro-5 standard diesel in 2019 and the Euro 5 standard petrol in 2020.

The cost of modernization of the refinery is estimated at about $1.5-1.7 billion. The project of reconstruction and modernization of the Baku Oil Refinery will be implemented in three stages (bitumen, diesel and gasoline).

Currently, the plant for the production of bitumen with a production capacity of 400,000 tons, which will be put into operation in the third quarter of next year, is being constructed. It is expected that the diesel phase will be completed in November, 2020, and the gasoline phase in February, 2021.

The production capacity of the refinery will be increased from 6 million to 7.5 million tons per year as a result.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
28 December 2017 17:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Taking a cruise is a perfect opportunity to see several sites in one go. Therefore, it is not surprising that this way of traveling is rapidly gaining popularity.

Moreover, cruise trips have become more affordable for a wide range of travelers in recent times.

While a new wave of luxurious ships coming on stream will add on to the cruise offerings in the coming years, Azerbaijan and Russia, given their favorable geographic location with access to the Caspian Sea, do not want to miss this opportunity as well.

The Caspian Sea, the Earths largest inland body of water, has good potential to be among the most popular destinations on the cruise tourism map.

Azerbaijan and Russia will organize cruise trips on the Caspian Sea, the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC reported on December 28.

The corresponding memorandum was signed by Director General of Moscow River Shipping Company OJSC Konstantin Anisimov and Chairman of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company CJSC Rauf Valiyev.

Participants of the meeting noted that these tours will attract tourists not only from the Caspian countries, but also from the U.S., Australia, Europe and China.

Under the memorandum, the first visit of tourists to Baku will be organized on the Pyotr Velikiy (Peter the Great) ship, which is currently under construction, until the end of 2019.

It will have a fitness room, swimming pool, restaurants, cinema and others.

At the first stage, trips will be organized on the Astrakhan-Baku route, and the route will be expanded until 2020.

For this purpose, the parties will conduct research to organize round trips on the Moscow-Baku, Astrakhan-Makhachkala-Baku, Baku-Enzeli-Noushehr-Turkmenbashi-Aktau-Astrakhan and other routes.

The two sides also discussed the opportunities of shipbuilding.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
28 December 2017 16:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

A biographic documentary titled "Dharmendra  A Messenger of Love" by TV journalist Namig Gurban was screened in Baku on December 27.

The event was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and India. The evening is organized by Digit, Trend Life reported.

Addressing the event, Indias Ambassador to Azerbaijan Sanjay Rana said that Azerbaijan and India have very close and friendly relations. It was stressed that cooperation between the two countries covers political, economic, social, humanitarian, cultural and other spheres.

"Im delighted with the holding of such an event on the Indian actor in Baku. This film will serve as a bridge that connects India and Azerbaijan," added the diplomat.

Yusif Sheikhov, the representative of the Caucasus Muslims Department, the chairman of the "Spiritual World" public association Haji Shahin Hasanli and others noted that the presentation of the film is the next bridge between the peoples. It promotes mutual spiritual and cultural mutual enrichment. Unfortunately, the 82-year-old actor could not attend the presentation due to his state of health.

Namig Gurban said that the 47-minute chronological documentary talks about the happy life, prolific works, and wisdom of world-famous Indian veteran actor Dharmendra Singh Deol, aka He man, who is known as a caller to international peace, love and brotherhood.

"Since my childhood, I have had a great love and respect for this actor, who enriched the world cinema with his roles. I met with him in India and discovered the previously unknown to me facets of his work. Dharmendra is real messenger of love who gives his heart and soul to people," said journalist.

Gurban also said that the documentary is available in the Azerbaijani, English, and Russian languages, adding that its translation into Hindi and Arabic is about to be completed.

"The film conveys a message of love from Dharmendra to humanity and can be regarded as an intercultural bridge between Azerbaijan and India," he said.

The project included images from films, interviews, various events and charity events with the participation of Indian actor.

Dharamendra Singh Deol is an Indian film actor, producer and politician. He is the holder of the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, as well as several awards for contributions to Indian cinematography.

The actor has played in a variety of films, including the most famous "Flower and Stone", "Zita and Gita", "Beloved Raja", "Revenge and Law", "King of the Jungle", "Eternal Love Tale" "The Adventures of Ali Baba and Magpie robbers", "Like the Three Musketeers", "Samrat" etc.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
28 December 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Twenty six years pass since the occupation of Khankendi city of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenian invaders occupied Nagorno-Karabakhs center Khankendi and its Kerkijahan settlement, which had significant strategic importance for the city and surrounding areas, in 1991. Khankendi turned out fully occupied after the capture of the Kerkijahan settlement on December 28.

Defense of Kerkijahan was organized by self-defense units formed of villagers, the newly established group of military police and the National Army of Azerbaijan. As a result of Armenians attack with military vehicles and heavy weapons, those who defended Kerkijahan had to retreat. Azerbaijani families who had suffered Armenias attacks left Khankendi and took refuge in Aghdam, Shusha, Khojaly, and other neighboring regions of the country.

As a result of the occupation of Kerkijahan by the Armenian armed groups, 34 of 1,796 habitants of the village, including three women and two children, were killed and more than 150 people were wounded. Armenian troops destroyed two high schools, a kindergarten, library, club, ATS, 10 shops, a hospital, 15 production shops and other facilities of the settlement.

Unlike most other cities in Azerbaijan, Khankendi was one of the youngest cities of the country. Archives say that the city was founded at the end of the 18th century by Karabakh khans. At first, it was a settlement for resting of khans family members and the inner circle. Therefore, the area was called Khanin kendi (Khans village) and then its name was transformed into Khankendi.

In the 20th century, Khankendi became one of the industrial and cultural centers of Azerbaijan. Modern enterprises were built in the city, and by the end of the Soviet period in Azerbaijan, a famous silk combine, shoe, carpet and sewing factories, dairy plant, winery and dozens of smaller enterprises were operating in Khankendi. Products of the electrotechnical plant, furniture factory, building materials combine and asphalt plant gained popularity in Azerbaijan and beyond.

Today, after more than a quarter-century have passed since the occupation of Khankendi, Azerbaijani internally displaced people still wait for the return to their native places. Regrettably, their desire remains unnoticed by the world community  Armenia keeps ignoring four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

Azerbaijan tries to resolve the conflict as soon as possible, while the aggressor Armenia does the opposite by making every effort to preserve the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh. Currently, 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territories remain under Armenian occupation and over 1 million of refugees and IDPs have to live far away from their homes in hope of returning there someday.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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28 December 2017 13:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia does not work in the territories of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh, since this is the decision of its international secretariat, the Russian media quoted WWF Russias Chief Spokesperson Daria Kudryavtseva as saying.

The WWF Russia wants to work in Nagorno-Karabakh through WWF Azerbaijan, she noted.

The spokesperson added that the WWF Russia works in the Central Asian countries (the organizations website says that this concept includes post-Soviet countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan) directly, regardless of the sovereign interests of these countries.

As far as we know, our colleagues from WWF Georgia and WWF Azerbaijan also do not work in the regions listed in the letter, since in accordance with the Ecoregion Conservation Plan for the Caucasus, no priority tasks for WWF have been identified in these regions, Kudryavtseva said.

It is noteworthy that illegal business, economic or other kind of activity in Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia without the consent of Azerbaijan are illegal and the country takes necessary measures against those who are engaged in such activities.

Moreover, unauthorized visits to the occupied Azerbaijani territories are also considered illegal and individuals who pay such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys list of undesirable persons.

Baku continues the work to prevent such illegal actions, and the foreign citizens should keep their eyes peeled in order not to get deceived by Armenian occupiers.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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28 December 2017 18:01 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The recent meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and of Armenia in Geneva is important and to some extent encouraging, Gunther Bachler, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, said in his interview to the OSCE website.

He further stressed that for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict there are some principles about final status on the table, but no real negotiation architecture.

Bachler noted that there was also drafted a non-paper on a mechanism for investigating ceasefire violations, another confidence-building measure that has yet to be implemented.

He reminded that the 2014 OSCE Swiss Chairmanship developed a non-paper on a structured negotiation process with all elements and details of a full-fledged negotiation process.

"We have presented it repeatedly to succeeding Chairmanships and all the people involved, and maybe one day they will use it," he said.

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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By Santosh Chaubey: Pakistan army has rejected India's objections over ill-treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav's family . Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, DG, and Inter-Services Public Relations said in a press conference that the meeting was a humanitarian gesture and India should rather respect Pakistan's move.

In response to a question on whether the decision to allow the Kulbhushan Jadhav family was taken under some international pressure, the spokesperson of Pakistan army said there was no such thing and the meeting being a humanitarian gesture and not a consular access is a proof of that.

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Maj Gen Ghafoor also reiterated the routine Pakistani rant of freedom struggle in Kashmir and dismissed the reports that Indian soldiers conducted surgical strike inside Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and boasted that "India cannot lure Pakistan into such unprofessional undertakings."

HUMANITY SHAMED, MOCKERY OF JUSTICE

The ill-treatment of Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife has outraged India and the nation's sentiment was reflected today in the Parliament when all political parties came together to denounce the Pakistani act of using pain and suffering of a family to further its anti-India propaganda. Pakistan had allowed Jadhav's mother and wife to meet him earlier this month and the meeting was held on 25 August.

The meeting that lasted for 40 minutes was arranged in a container with a glass barrier between Jadhav and his family. They were not allowed to speak in Marathi and Hindi. Before the meeting, Pakistani authorities forced Jadhav's mother and wife to change their clothes and remove their Mangalsutra, bindis and bangles. And after seeing their son and husband, who is on death row, they were allowed to be heckled by an insensitive Pakistani media that addressed them with phrases like 'mother of a killer son' or 'a husband who had killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis'.

Kulbhushan Jadhav is a former Indian Navy officer who was on a routine business trip in Iran from where he was abducted by terrorists and later sold to Pakistan's notorious intelligence agency ISI. Pakistan, on its part, claims Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan. Seeing an opportunity to further its anti-India propaganda, Pakistan declared the innocent Indian a spy engaged in subversive activities and after a sham trial, sentenced him to death.

Pakistan, the country that has been declared a terror haven by the US, didn't respond to the multiple demands made by India for consular access to Jadhav. India moved to the International Court of Justice in May against Pakistan which stayed Jadhav's hanging till the matter was decided.

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28 December 2017 14:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijan has sent humanitarian aid to five countries this year, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the outcome of 2017 foreign policy on December 28.

"Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA) was established in 2011 under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and supports poverty reduction, development of science, culture and health, application of communication and information technologies, efficient use of energy resources, various grant programs, as well as other humanitarian and technical projects within the framework of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the developing countries. More than 40 African, Asian and Latin American countries have benefited from the programs implemented by AIDA," reads the statement.

The ministry stressed that the delivery of the humanitarian aid, mainly food products sent by the Emergency Situations Ministry of Azerbaijan in accordance with the presidential order with the purpose to render aid to Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar on Sept,9, 2017 was ensured with the help of AIDA and Embassy of Azerbaijan in India.

"Also, in response to the call of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres with the order of the President of Azerbaijan through AIDA Azerbaijan provided financial aid via the United Nations for the people in Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and north-eastern Nigeria stricken by famine threat as the result of humanitarian crisis and to Yemen within the framework of High Level Donor Conference," reads the statement.

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28 December 2017 13:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbekistan intends to significantly expand the geography of exports of fruit and vegetable products in the coming year.

This was stated by the chairman of the company Uzbekozikovkatholding, Tohirjon Zhalilov, in an interview with the Russian media.

During 2017, the company reached agreements with partners from Russia, China, Turkey, Latvia, South Korea and Pakistan.

Due to this, it was possible to expand the spheres of cooperation, enter new markets, and also arrange regular export of products to these countries.

Among the individual events that affected the increase in partners, the head of the holding highlighted the II International fruit and vegetable fair, where more than 350 foreign companies from 30 countries of the world were present. During the fair, more than 200 contracts worth $1.5 billion were signed.

The company delivered more than 162,000 tons of fruit and vegetable products only to Russia thus showing a 32 percent increase compared to 2016. The total amount of deliveries was $111 million, which is 30 percent higher than last year's figure.

In the outgoing year, contracts were also concluded with several large retail chains in Russia.

To date, fruit and vegetable products from Uzbekistan are supplied to Russia in three ways: by rail, by road and by air. Moreover, we started to use air transport only from this year. This method of delivery significantly increased the speed of delivery and allowed the products to keep their freshness longer, Zhalilov noted.

Creation of a network of logistics centers for further export, where the preparation, labeling and packaging of products will be carried out, introduction of advanced technologies in production and processing as well as creation of a unified system for exporters of agricultural products are among main plans for 2018.

Export contracts in 2017 were signed not only at exhibitions, but also during interstate and inter-departmental visits. In particular, agreements on the supply of fruit and vegetable products for 2018 and 2019 have been signed with South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Indonesia, Germany and other countries.

The company plans to expand the geography of exports to the countries of Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, as well as North and Latin America.

In addition to export operations, Uzbekozikovkatholding also carries out import activities. Thus, after a 26-year break, Uzbekistan for the first time started to purchase sugar from the largest Russian producers this year.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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28 December 2017 13:36 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The delegation of Uzbekistan visited South Korea to discuss the implementation of the project to create a textile Techno Park in the city of Tashkent.

During the visit, the Uzbek delegation held talks with representatives of the Korean Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH).

The sides exchanged views on the state of implementation of the project for the creation of the textile Techno Park.

The parties agreed that the Korean side will start supplying technological and laboratory equipment, and the Uzbek side will begin customs clearance of the equipment supplied.

It is expected that the installation of the equipment will begin in March 2018. Construction and installation work will be completed by mid-2018 and the Techno Park will be commissioned in September 2018.

The Korean side noted the importance of selecting engineers and technicians (engineers for dyeing, laboratory, mechanical and sewage equipment, safety equipment, etc.) until mid-February 2018 for training in parallel with the installation of the equipment.

Main objective of the techno park construction is introduction of the brand-new South Korean innovations and conduction of joint research works in the sphere of material science, dyeing and finishing production, fabric design as well as development of alternative energy sources.

The project is aimed at development and implementation of international training and research programs as well as exchange of experience to develop textile industry.

Group of buildings with the territory of more than 10,000 square meters is expected to be constructed within the framework of the project. The complex will include experimental-scientific laboratory with the textile machinery, finishing and sewing equipment.

Primary contractor of the project is South-Korean IL Kwan E&C Company. Financing of the project will be provided by the grant funds of the official development assistance program of the Korean government.

The establishment of the Techno Park is expected to raise the Uzbek light industry to a qualitatively new level of development and improve the training system for the sector.

Textile industry of Uzbekistan is considered to be one of the most dynamic and socially important sectors and ranks high among export-oriented industries of the countrys economy. The Uzbek textile industry is mainly focused on cotton, silk and wool.

One of the policy priorities of Uzbekistan, the worlds fifth-largest cotton exporter, is further development of its textile industry. Annually, the country grows about 3.5 million tons of raw cotton, produces 1.1 million tons of cotton fiber.

Uzbekistan takes consistent steps to increase the volume of cotton fiber processing. In particular, it is planned to create 112 modern, high-tech industrial factories, expand, modernize and technologically upgrade 20 operating capacities. All this will increase the export potential of the industry up to $2.5 billion a year and create more than 25,000 jobs.

In the period 2010-2014, the textile industry of Uzbekistan received and spent foreign investments worth $785 million while 147 new textile enterprises with participation of investors from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., Turkey and other countries were commissioned. Export potential of these enterprises amounted to $670 millions.

Currently, Uzbekistan continues to attract foreign investments for construction of textile enterprises in the country.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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28 December 2017 14:16 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

A railway communication between Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, and Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan will be launched soon.

The information on the opening of the Tashkent-Bishkek-Balykchy railway was announced by the government representative in the parliament Ashyrbek Temirbaev at a meeting on December 28.

In accordance with the agreement, this train will run once a week, he said.

The exact schedule of the train on the route Tashkent - Bishkek - Balykchy, which will operate during the tourist season, was revealed, according to the press service of the Kyrgyz Temir Jolu.

The train will run once a week by the Uzbek railways. It will travel on Saturdays from Tashkent starting from June 16 till August 25.

As for the proposal to open a Bishkek-Jalal-Abad message, the government will take note of this remark, Temirbaev added.

Since December 23, Air Manas company has launched Bishkek-Tashkent and Osh-Tashkent flights.

On December 25, the delegation of Kyrgyzstan discussed with the Uzbek side the issue of setting up bus routes Osh-Kokon, Osh-Andijan, Osh-Fergana, as well as to Jalal-Abad and Kyzyl-Kiya from Uzbekistan, according to the officical.

Such decisions were agreed during the official visit of Sooronbai Jeenbekov to Uzbekistan, he said.

Uzbek-Kyrgyz ties were quite strained in the last years of Islam Karimovs presidency. The common border of two nations, more than 1,300 kilometers, was almost entirely closed.

Since Mirziyoyev took over, relation between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan started to gradually improve and reached a high level following a number of visits at the highest level.

Both countries now aim to improve regional connectivity and cooperation in the Central Asian region. In this regard, establishment of the transportation links are of high importance.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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28 December 2017 15:36 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkey has condemned the terrorist attack in Kabul, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a message on December 28.

According to the message, the Turkish Foreign Ministry also expresses condolences to the Afghan people and the government.

An explosion occurred near one of the mosques in Kabul, Afghanistan, leaving 40 dead and 30 injured.

Reportedly, the second explosion occurred later in a cultural center.

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28 December 2017 17:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The Uzbek-Kyrgyz agreement on tax legislation issues entered into force on December 26, 2017, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a statement on December 28.

The agreement between the governments of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on cooperation and mutual assistance on compliance with tax legislation was signed on Sept. 5, 2017 in Bishkek city during the state visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kyrgyzstan.

The document is aimed at creating legal framework for cooperation and mutual assistance, as well as expansion of effective mechanisms for exchanging experience and information on tax issues in order to detect and prevent violations of the tax legislation of the two countries.

Cooperation under this agreement is carried out through the two countries tax departments by sending requests for assistance to each other.

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28 December 2017 19:14 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Joint venture Jizzakh Petroleum, which is founded by Uzbekneftegaz, will organize a network of stations selling foreign gasoline in Uzbekistan.

The new network will specialize in the sale of motor gasoline brands such as Ai-92, Ai-93, Ai-95 and Ai-98 at free commercial prices, as well as diesel fuel corresponding to European quality and standards. In this case, the products will be sold both through the gas station, and direct sales contracts, exchange trades.

New products on the Uzbek market of petroleum products fully comply with international quality standards. This step is aimed at further improving the provision of consumer services to the population and demonstrates the accelerated dynamics of the development of the oil and gas sector of Uzbekistan, Uzbekneftegaz said.

The sale of unleaded motor gasoline AI-98 and AI-95, as well as EURO 3 diesel fuel of ecological class will begin at domestic filling stations in the near future.

Jizzakh Petroleum JV is also engaged in the construction of an oil refinery in the Jizzakh region. It will receive raw materials through the oil pipeline from the fields of Russia and Kazakhstan.

One of the threads of the Omsk-Pavlodar-Shymkent oil pipeline is already stretched to the area near the Jizzakh region. From there, a pipeline with a length of 100 kilometers will be laid to the complex, which will allow providing the refinery with raw materials at minimal cost.

The enterprise will annually process up to 5 million tons of oil and produce 3.7 million tons of motor fuel corresponding to the Euro-5 standard, more than 700,000 tons of aviation kerosene, as well as liquefied gas, mazut, bitumen and other products.

It should be noted that in the mid-1990s Uzbekistan declared "oil independence" by refusing to import raw materials after the discovery of a number of large deposits. However, since 2005, the country has resumed the import of crude oil and gasoline, mainly from Kazakhstan, due to the depletion of its own reserves.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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28 December 2017 15:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

The number of air companies intending to launch direct flights to Azerbaijan, a small country located in Southern Caucasus, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia has been gradually increasing.

Next year, direct flights from some foreign countries to Azerbaijan will be organized, the chairman of the Azerbaijani Tourism Association, Nahid Bagirov, told Trend on December 27.

Starting from March 2, direct flights of Etihad Airways of United Arab Emirates in the direction of Abu Dhabi-Baku will be carried out: The sale of tickets has already been launched.

The chairman of the association noted that next year the Israeli airline Arkia plans to make direct flights to Baku three times a week.

Bagirov also noted that negotiations are underway to open direct flights from Poland to Baku.

The agreement on the implementation of flights has been reached, flights are planned to be carried out starting June of the next year two times a week, he said.

These flights will give impetus to the development of tourism in Azerbaijan, according to Bagirov.

Direct flights between Etihad Airways, one of the top ten world airlines, and Azerbaijan to be opened soon, are considered to play an important role in expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UAE.

Compared to previous years, the number of tourists coming from the UAE to Azerbaijan has increased 30 times in recent years.

In addition, the Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways has launched new direct flights to Eurasia, starting with Baku, Azerbaijan as the first destination.

The company started flights to Baku on June 23. Jazeera Airways provides a frequency of two weekly flights scheduled on Mondays and Fridays to the city, hailed as a popular destination for summer vacationers.

Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (AZAL) is currently considering the possibility of launching flights to the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh.

Earlier, the governor of the Southern Sinai Province of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Khalid Fuda underlined that opening of a direct flight to the Azerbaijani tourists in Sharm El-Sheikh, one of the world's most popular tourism centers, will allow Egyptian tourists to relax in Azerbaijan more comfortable.

Azerbaijan also offers Croatia to launch direct flights for development of tourism, stated Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev at a meeting with Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Martina Dalic.

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28 December 2017 18:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

More foreigners will be able to visit the Land of Fire as the list of countries joining ASAN Visa system is extended.

Fourteen more countries were added to the list of countries, citizens of which will obtain electronic visas through the ASAN Visa system for visiting Azerbaijan, said the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in a message on the outcome of 2017 foreign policy.

This step was taken for the promotion and development of tourism in Azerbaijan.

The terms of issuing and using electronic visas through the ASAN Visa system were developed jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Subsequently, it was approved by the two state bodies.

Azerbaijani embassies have undertaken relevant measures to improve the efficiency of visa issuance, as well as promotion of electronic visas.

Meanwhile, relevant agreements were signed with different countries for the reciprocal implementation of visa-free travel for persons who have diplomatic and service passports.

ASAN Visa portal designed to simplify a procedure for issuing visas to foreigners and stateless persons wishing to visit Azerbaijan, as well as to ensure immediacy and transparency of this process, was presented to the public in 2016.

Electronic visa is a document for one entry, which determines the period of stay in the country up to 30 days.

Electronic visas are issued only for citizens of the country, approved by the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, and for stateless persons permanently residing in this country.

Also, the ASAN Visa system offers the issuance of group visas to foreign citizens. Group appeals are provided for a minimum of two, a maximum of ten people.

E-visa will be issued to citizens of countries approved by the relevant executive authority, and citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in these countries.

Foreigners and stateless persons, who wish to receive an e-visa, must enter information into the system of "ASAN Viza", and after receipt on acceptance of confirmation pay online a state fee in the amount prescribed by law "On state duty".

The system of "ASAN Viza" sends the appeal to the interagency automated retrieval system "Entry-exit and registration". The relevant executive authority verifies the information not later than three days from the time of appeal in "ASAN Viza", checks restriction list of the "Entry-exit and registration".

Then a visa is sent to the e-mail address of the contact person. In case of failure the person is also informed.

The electronic visas are not stuck in the passport but presented together with the passport while crossing the border check-point. Foreigners and stateless persons may apply for a new e-visa only after they will leave Azerbaijan.

Only citizens of 94 countries (or persons residing in these countries) can obtain an electronic visa. The list of countries, which can be found in this link, is approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

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By PTI: Chandigarh, Dec 28 (PTI) Indian Oil Corporation (IndianOil) would initiate production of second generation ethanol by utilising crop residues and other biomass as feedstock at village Baoli in Panipat district of Haryana.

The capacity of proposed plant would be 100 kilo litre of ethanol per day, this was informed during a meeting of Haryana Enterprise Promotion Board (HEPB), which was held here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, an official release said. According to the release, it was informed that IndianOil has proposed to procure over two lakh tonne of rice straw, that is total production of four districts of Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Kurukshetra.

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"This will help in curbing the pollution emission to a significant extent, by utilising the straw as raw material, which currently is being burnt by the farmers resulting in pollution menace every year, especially during winter season," the release said.

It was further informed that this project would also help reduce the effort farmers have to undertake for the burning process as IOCL would be setting up the extensive infrastructure for speedy collection of these straws so that farmers do no miss on crop cycle. Moreover, it would also add on to the farmers? income as they would be offered a reasonable price for the straw which the oil PSU would procure. This project has a considerable potential to generate direct and indirect employment, it said. HEPB, meanwhile, today gave approval to offer Gram Panchayat land of village Baoli in Panipat to the company at prevailing market rate. PTI SUN MR

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The fate of bundled payments, breaking news and Mark Cuban's plan for the future of healthcare captured the attention of Becker's ASC Review coding, billing and collections readers in 2017.

The following are the most popular coding, billing and collections stories from Becker's this year:



1. President Trump's executive order may put CMS bundled payments in jeopardy

The American Journal of Managed Care published an article examining how President Donald Trump's executive order on the ACA, signed Jan. 20, could impact CMS' bundled payments initiative.

2. The 10 largest health insurance companies by membership

Click here for the 10 largest U.S. health insurance companies by total membership.

3. How the CMS final rule will affect orthopedic ASCs

After CMS issued its 2018 final payment rule in November, Becker's broke down how it would impact orthopedic ASCs.

4. CMS proposes 1.9% increase in 2018 ASC pay, adding total joint replacements

CMS released a proposed payment rule in July that would have updated the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System, before revising its stance when it issued its final rule.

5. Judge awards Aetna $51.4M in out-of-network billing case against surgical hospital

U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes awarded Aetna $51.4 million after a seven-year court battle against Humble (Texas) Surgical Hospital in February. The decision was made before the case was brought to a jury.

6. Medicare payment for 10 top ASC procedures by case volume

Click here for total Medicare payments for the 10 highest volume ASC procedures in 2016.

7. 12 trends in patient responsibility payments, up 29.4% since 2015

Black Book released its 2017 Revenue Cycle Management survey findings, outlining key trends in healthcare payments, price transparency and strategies for providers. Click here for all 12 trends.

8. Colonoscopies in HOPDs cost Medicare 164% more than physician-owned offices: 5 key trends

Colonoscopies cost Medicare 164 percent more when they're performed in a hospital outpatient department rather than in independent physician offices, according to a report released in November by Physicians Advocacy Institute and Avalere.

9. DOJ joins suit against UnitedHealth  Payer allegedly overcharged Medicare hundreds of millions

The U.S. Department of Justice joined San Francisco-based Constantine Cannon's whistleblower lawsuit against Hopkins, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group, saying the payer allegedly overcharged Medicare by several hundreds of millions of dollars.

10. How Mark Cuban would replace the ACA and fix the US healthcare system

Billion entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shared his plan to fix healthcare on LinkedIn. l
MACPAC released its 2017 report on Medicaid for fiscal year 2016.

The report tracks both state and federal spending on Medicaid.

Here are the 10 states that spent the most on Medicaid through benefits and state program administration:

1. California: $88.69 billion

2. New York: $62.91 billion

3. Texas: $41.06 billion

4. Pennsylvania: $28.22 billion

5. Florida: $22.45 billion

6. Ohio: $22.38 billion

7. Illinois: $20.17 billion

8. Massachusetts: $17.86 billion

9. Michigan: $17.43 billion

10. New Jersey: $15.08 billion

Here are the 10 states that spent the least on Medicaid:

1. Wyoming: $637 million

2. South Dakota: $875 million

3. North Dakota: $1.30 billion

4. Montana: $1.44 billion

5. Idaho: $1.79 billion

6. Vermont: $1.76 billion

7. Alaska: $1.92 billion

8. Delaware: $2 billion

9. New Hampshire: $2.07 billion

10. Utah: $2.24 billion

Note: U.S. territories were excluded, although each territory is supported by the federal government.
Vermont lawmakers approved a $620.8 million budget for OneCare Vermont, an ACO formed by Burlington-based University of Vermont Medical Center and Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, according to the Burlington Free Press.

The Green Mountain Care Board, which oversees the rate of Vermont's growth in healthcare cost, OK'd the budget last week. OneCare's budget includes roughly $600 million for patient care, approximately $12.5 million for operating expenses and about $7.5 million for pilot projects aimed at supporting the state's health system.

The 10 hospitals participating in OneCare receive fixed monthly payments for providing care. Primary care providers get $3.25 per patient per month, and providers caring for the sickest patients receive an additional $15 to $25 each month, the Burlington Free Press reports.

Beginning in January, roughly one in every five Vermont residents, or 122,000 individuals, will receive care under OneCare ACO.



More articles on ACOs:

Employee-patient claims co-workers photographed her during surgery

12 cities where CIOs are hiring for their tech teams in 2018

The #MeToo movement is changing CEO searches
Kaspersky Lab, a Moscow-based cybersecurity company, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Dec. 18 over the decision to ban Kaspersky Lab's software at government agencies, NPR reports.

Here are four things to know about the lawsuit.

1. In September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ordered all government departments and agencies to discontinue use of and remove Kaspersky Lab products from computer systems within 90 days, based on concerns the company's programs contained back doors through which Russian intelligence could access computers the software runs on.

2. President Donald Trump signed the Homeland Security ban into law in early December, according to NPR.

3. Kaspersky Lab argued in the lawsuit the U.S. government deprived it of due process by banning its products. The lawsuit also alleges the ban violates the Administrative Procedures Act, which oversees how government agencies put regulations into place, and the Fifth Amendment, which necessitates agencies provide "substantial evidence" for certain regulatory decisions.

4. Eugene Kaspersky, chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, released an open letter to Homeland Security Dec. 18. "DHS has harmed Kaspersky Lab's reputation and its commercial operations without any evidence of wrongdoing by the company," he wrote.

The letter echoes the company's previous statements concerning allegations of a link to the Russian government. In September, the company released a statement saying it "has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage or offensive cyber efforts, and it's disconcerting that a private company can be considered guilty until proven innocent, due to geopolitical issues."
Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., aims to add 100 beds and 950 full-time employees over the next two decades after seeing increased demand for inpatient care, according to the Pioneer Press.

The 450-bed hospital submitted a proposal to state regulators in November to increase its capacity and will present its plan in the coming months. The hospital must receive approval from the Minnesota Legislature.

Although the hospital made efforts to treat more patients through outpatient services, Regions has seen more demand for inpatient care across several specialties, according to the hospital's report to the Minnesota Department of Health, which will review the proposal.

Regions estimates all the beds it is currently allowed will be in use by March 2018 due to the service area's changing demographics. "As our community grows and gets older, demand for our services will increase," Megan Remark, CEO of Regions Hospital, told the Pioneer Press.

The hospital currently employs approximately 4,100 people and is owned by Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners. The proposal aims to add 60 medical/surgical and critical care beds, 20 mental health beds and 20 obstetric beds by 2040.

To staff the new beds, the majority of the 950 new full-time employees would be nurses, nursing assistants, housekeeping staff and nutrition specialists, said Heidi Conrad, CFO of Regions Hospital.

The Minnesota Health Department will begin a 90-day review of the hospital's proposal and submit a recommendation to the Legislature, which could take up the proposal in its 2018 session.
Here are five recent news updates on health IT companies.

1. Eric Schmidt, PhD, will step down from his role as executive chairman of Google's parent company, Alphabet, in January.

2. Piedmont Healthcare and Shepherd Center, both based in Atlanta, established a hospital-to-hospital EHR hosting agreement on the Epic platform  a first in Georgia.

3. Roche, a pharmaceuticals and diagnostics company, entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire the precision medicine company Ignyta for $27 per share in an all-cash transaction.

4. Leaf Healthcare, a provider of a wearable patient monitoring system, established a clinical advisory board.

5. Theranos' outlook for 2018 improved after securing a $100 million loan from Fortress Investment Group, which will help the troubled blood-testing company dodge bankruptcy.
Sudden leadership departures, the retirements of healthcare stalwarts and appointments of successors captured the attention of Becker's Hospital Review's readers in 2017.

Here are 10 of the most-read stories published by Becker's this year, beginning with the most popular.

1. Leadership exodus at Baptist Health System  CEO, CFO, COO & VP to depart

The executives leaving were CEO Trip Pilgrim; President and COO Graham Reeve; CFO Gary Whittington; and Vice President of Human Resources Sarah Spinharney. Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, San Antonio-based Baptist Health System's parent, made the leadership changes to eliminate regional and market management layers in hopes of creating a more nimble organization, while also providing leaders with more direct access to Tenet's hospital service center in Dallas, a Baptist spokesperson told Becker's.

2. OSU Wexner CEO resigns over faculty concerns about leadership

Columbus-based Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center CEO Sheldon Retchin, MD, resigned, following complaints about his leadership from the faculty. He also stepped down from his position as executive vice president of health sciences at the medical center.

3. CHI St. Luke's Health CFO steps down a week after CEO's sudden resignation

Jenny Barnett-Sarpalius, senior vice president and CFO of the CHI Texas Division at Houston-based CHI St. Luke's Health, left her position in July. The news came one week after St. Luke's CEO Michael Covert submitted his resignation, effective Aug. 31.

4. CHS fires Lutheran Health Network CEO Brian Bauer: 6 things to know

Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, the parent company of Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Health Network, fired the network's CEO Brian Bauer in June. In a letter sent to LHN employees, Martin Bonick, president of division I operations at CHS, said Mr. Bauer was fired "after considerable thought about what is needed to advance the network and many discussions with Brian  Current circumstances put him in an untenable position and he is unable to continue in his leadership role," according to a News-Sentinel report.

5. Swedish Health Services CEO Tony Armada resigns following investigation into medical practices

Anthony Armada, the CEO of Seattle-based Swedish Health Services, resigned in February, just days after a Seattle Times report prompted state regulators to investigate the Swedish Neuroscience Institute on the Cherry Hill campus in Seattle.

6. United Medical Center fires CMO who criticized hospital consultants

Julian Craig, MD, CMO of Washington, D.C.-based United Medical Center was fired after accusing the firm managing the hospital of misconduct in October. Dr. Craig received a letter in November from hospital board chairwoman LaRuby May stating his contract will not be renewed.

7. Memorial Hermann Health System CEO Dr. Benjamin Chu departs after 1 year

Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System President and CEO Benjamin K. Chu, MD, stepped down in June, just one year into his tenure. He is leaving to "pursue his passion in health and public policy," according to a health system statement.

8. Tenet CEO Trevor Fetter steps down

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare's longtime leader Trevor Fetter stepped down from his role as CEO and resigned as a director of the company in October. Tenet announced in August it was replacing Mr. Fetter, who has led the 77-hospital chain since 2003.

9. Cleveland Clinic names Dr. Toby Cosgrove's successor

Cleveland Clinic appointed Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, president and CEO, effective Jan 1. He joined Cleveland Clinic in 2004 and has served as CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi since 2015.

10. Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove announces plans to step down in 2017

Toby Cosgrove, MD, president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, revealed plans to transition out of his executive roles in 2017. He will reportedly continue on in an advisory role to the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Cosgrove served as president and CEO of the system for roughly 13 years.
Disruption got real. Hospital-insurer negotiations heated up. Activist shareholders shook up legacy hospital operators. Healthcare and the government failed to effectively communicate. These and six other trends that shaped the year in healthcare  and the lessons executives can take from them into 2018.

1. Disruption got real. After years of speculation about who or what would become the "Uber of healthcare," the tectonic plates of the industry shifted substantially in the past year  and there's reason to believe this will only continue in 2018. A number of mergers illustrate the blurring line between healthcare and other industries, such as retail and insurance. Consider the combinations of CVS and Aetna or Optum and DaVita and Surgical Care Affiliates. As for what's to come, Apple and Amazon have both shown interest in expanding their healthcare footprint. In fact, just last month, we reported Amazon was in talks to move into the EHR space.

Executive's takeaway: Executives grew skeptical of the term 'disruptor' when it was used as generously as it was circa 2011-2016. But now disruption is actually unfolding at a rapid clip, and executives are paying close attention to who/what poses the greatest threat to their business models.

2. Hospital-insurer negotiations heated up. Previously, a health system and a commercial insurer occasionally hit a snag in the contract negotiation process, resulting in a dispute palpable enough to consumers that it warranted headlines. These impasses generally lasted a matter of weeks before outside pressure drove the parties to compromise. The nature of these conflicts has since changed. This past year brought regular coverage of strained provider-payer talks. In fact, we now do a weekly compilation of payer-provider disputes and resolutions to stay abreast of these conflicts as they occur and subside. In 2017, we saw lawmakers intervene in payer-provider disputes, a health system executive's meant-to-be-private email about an insurance company go public, and a children's hospital go out of network with a commercial insurer  affecting 10,000 kids.

Executive's takeaway: Health system executives are growing increasingly vocal with their thoughts about commercial insurers. In the past, executives took great lengths to observe discretion in these relationships. Now the gloves are off  or at least one is. We're sure we haven't seen the worst of a payer-provider dispute yet, but the number we see on a weekly basis, and their tone, indicates that disputes are both more frequent and more serious than in years past.

3. Investments in value-based care, once a somewhat safe bet, became debatable. In a final rule issued in November, CMS officially canceled the hip fracture and cardiac bundled payment programs and rolled back some mandatory requirements in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model. This will continue to have a ripple effect on payers, providers and health system strategy. For hospitals and health systems that made significant investments to support excellence under the program, this news is difficult to take  especially since no investment is made lightly amid thin margins. Although CMS says it is still committed to value-based care as a concept, the mandatory nature of the bundles program acted as a pedal-to-the-metal force that made hospitals act. Since commercial payers follow Medicare, the fate of the program will likely influence the adoption of bundles among private insurers, too.

Executive's takeaway: Most all executives tell us they want to be on the leading edge, not bleeding edge, of value-based care. Without a "do it or lose it" approach to bundles, the industry lost a major impetus toward value-based care, in which many health systems and physicians would take the plunge together. Providers have never had a clearly paved path for their "journey toward value-based care." At best, it was a dirt trail. Now it could be compared to a dirt trail covered in snow. This leaves executives questioning the value of their current and future investments in value-based care.

4. Big systems want bigger. Just when you thought you had a handle on what a "big" health system looked like in the United States, a few major players rewrote (or are attemping to rewrite) the playbook. After more than a year of talks, Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health signed a definitive agreement in December to create a 139-hospital, $28.4 billion health system. Soon after came reports of St. Louis-based Ascension and Renton, Wash.-based Providence St. Joseph discussing a merger, which would result in a 191-hospital, $44.8 billion operation. Although both of these deals trail Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente and its nearly $65 billion in revenue, they illustrate how the composition of nonprofit American health systems is continuing to change from local and regional entities to corporate national networks. For example, if Ascension and Providence combine, they will outsize the largest for-profit health system today  Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare  which includes 177 hospitals in 20 states and Britain.

Executive's takeaway: Executives may want to reevaluate the oft-spoken phrase "all healthcare is local" in light of 2017's M&A activity. Hospitals will continue to serve as economic engines in their respective communities, but the organization of health systems is moving in a direction where they are viewed as ubiquitous brands as opposed to regional hubs for health. For example, San Francisco-based Dignity and Englewood, Colo.-based CHI are basing the corporate headquarters for their new enterprise in Chicago. Ascension and Providence would have footprints in 27 states if they merge.

5. Many health systems that were new players in the health plan business got out of it. Provider-sponsored health plans always carried a great amount of risk. Of the 37 health plans launched by hospitals and health systems since 2010, only four were found profitable in 2015, according to research published this past year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. As major health insurers reduced their individual coverage options and rolled back from the public exchanges this year, we also saw several health systems decide to scale back or shut down their health plans. New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health shared plans in August to wind down its health insurance business, CareConnect, over the next year. Dayton, Ohio-based Premier Health is selling its health plan to Evolent Health, a Washington, D.C.-based value-based care platform. Louisville, Ky.-based Baptist Health plans to shut down its health plan operation in 2018. Late last year, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare revealed plans to scale back its insurance business in 2017 after officials attributed lukewarm earnings to its health plan business.

Executive's takeaway: When even the big five health insurers  so well-equipped with analytic tools, data, infrastructure, utilization management experience and risk analysis talent  have a difficult time accounting for risk, it is not surprising many green health systems made their move for the door this past year. This is not an opportune time for health systems with little experience managing risk to build or buy a health plan.

6. Activist shareholders shook up legacy hospital operators. Board room issues within the major for-profit hospital operators are typically opaque, but 2017 brought a rash of investor-prompted activity that resulted in ousted CEOs, overhauled boards of directors, poison pills and new governance rules. Tenet Healthcare underwent significant change in 2017 under intense pressure from its largest shareholder, Glenview Capital Management. When two Tenet board members, both employed by Glenview, resigned over what they described as "irreconcilable differences," they made it known that Glenview would possibly "evaluate other avenues" to be a constructive owner of Tenet on or after Sept. 1. By Aug. 31, Tenet announced it would replace CEO Trevor Fetter, "refresh" the composition of its board of directors and implement a short-term shareholder rights plan. Mr. Fetter resigned in October, before a successor was named, after 14 years with the system. In August, an investor in Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems called for the resignation of CEO Wayne Smith, who has led the 127-hospital system since 1997, over what the investor described as missteps in strategy resulting in financial trouble for the system. At this time, Mr. Smith still holds his job, but CHS may be bracing for more investor activity. Chinese billionaire Tianqiao Chen has gradually been ramping up his stock in the hospital operator since 2016. At time of publication, he holds nearly 23 percent of CHS stock. Finally, directors of HCA Healthcare made a change in late 2017 to allow established investors to participate in the board seat nomination process, a move made in response to an activist investor.

Executive's takeaway: The fact that two of the largest U.S. for-profit hospital operators faced calls for CEO resignations in 2017 is part of a sweeping trend across industries in which activist investors start campaigns for change by targeting top management. Between January and May 2017, activist shareholders were responsible for ousting CEOs at three high-profile S&P 500 companies  American International Group, CSX and Arconic, according to The Wall Street Journal. Investors were attempting to oust six other CEOs in the same time frame. It's worth noting that CEOs feel the heat at the launch of campaigns versus as a last resort. The WSJ characterized this trend as "a new level of aggressiveness for a group already known for its bold actions."

7. As the average health system C-suite grew, a few systems reduced administrative roles. While the number of practicing physicians in the U.S. grew 150 percent between 1975 and 2010, the number of healthcare administrators increased 3,200 percent in the same period. Yet in 2017, we saw a few major health systems go against the grain and not only lay off administrators, but eliminate their roles completely. In June, Houston-based MD Anderson Cancer Center eliminated executive vice president roles and gave senior vice presidents more focused areas of responsibility. Valley Medical Center, part of Seattle-based UW Medicine, got rid of the COO position in May, and Charleston, S.C.-based Roper St. Francis did the same in August. In December, San Diego-based Scripps Health shared plans to eliminate the CEO position in its four hospitals in favor of a regional CEO model.

Executive's takeaway: This past year contained several isolated incidents in which executive or administrative jobs were not immune from the financial pressures mounting on hospitals and health systems. There is reason to believe "right-sizing" (or at least reducing) administrative staffing at health systems will continue throughout 2018. Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health, recently shared that layoffs at the system will likely include administrative and leadership roles while the system continues to hire caregivers. His reasoning, an excerpt of which follows, is applicable to many health systems today: "Healthcare is changing rapidly with huge growth in ambulatory care and reduced utilization of inpatient hospitals  and given the elimination of the individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured will once again be growing nationally.  We've got to shift our organizational structures around to be able to deal with the new world of healthcare delivery, find ways of lowering our costs significantly. If we don't, we will not be able to compete."

8. Healthcare and the government failed to effectively communicate. In 2017, the opportunities for the Trump administration, Congress and healthcare leaders to convene about healthcare legislation and policy came and went. CEOs from the five largest nonprofit health systems in the country took pen to paper, urging President Donald Trump and Congress to meet with them and exchange ideas. In the end, the closest thing we saw to healthcare reform in 2017 were bills  the American Health Care Act, Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (or Skinny Repeal package), the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill  that received significant opposition from major healthcare stakeholders, which are not historically liberal. Yet even an avalanche of nays from the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, American Psychiatric Association, Association of American Medical Colleges and several other groups did not sway Congress. All but three Republican Senators voted to pass the Skinny Repeal package, illustrating how the partisan nature of our political process is overriding expertise and informed lawmaking.

Executive's takeaway: A bipartisan approach is the most effective way when attempting to redesign a $3 trillion industry that influences life-or-death decisions. These efforts also require input from a variety of seasoned healthcare experts who can challenge ideas, anticipate repercussions and identify blind spots. This holds true no matter which party holds control of the White House, Congress or both. Although healthcare stakeholders and government officials did not productively connect in 2017, health system leaders must persist in their attempts to influence public policy and exercise greater creativity in their advocacy efforts. Strategies that worked in the past can no longer be counted on in 2018 and beyond.

9. Fed up, nurses walked off the job. While nurses' strikes are not a novel event, there is a reason many demanded wider attention and transcended local business news to become national headlines. The most noteworthy strike of the year took place July 12, when approximately 1,200 nurses at Boston-based Tufts Medical Center began a 24-hour strike  the first nursing strike Boston saw in 31 years. Roughly 120 miles from Boston, approximately 800 nurses at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass., participated in a one-day strike in October. Across the country in California, nurses organized rallies and protests at more than 20 Kaiser Permanente sites to protest what they called inadequate staffing levels. In September, nurses and other hospital personnel unionized with SEIU walked off their jobs at Riverside University Health System  Medical Center in Moreno Valley, Calif., for three days. The county footed the $1.5 million bill for temporary replacement nurses for those 72 hours. Speaking of a bill, Minneapolis-based Allina Health tallied the costs of two 2016 strikes  one lasting six weeks  called by the Minnesota Nurses Association. The system put the figure in the ballpark of $149 million, which anchored Allina's operating loss of $30 million for fiscal year 2016.

Executive's takeaway: Although it is tempting to reduce labor strikes to events fueled by local market forces and politics, hospital and health system executives should pause and consider that striking nurses' arguments  that they are expected to work demanding jobs with too few staff, resulting in unsafe conditions, high stress and burnout  is a description that applies to many, if not most, U.S. hospitals. Gender dynamics may also wield greater influence on administrator-nurse affairs in the coming year. As the nation comes to terms with troubling events that went unaddressed after women's claims and voices were not met with the attention they deserved, health system executive teams are wise to change the approach taken in years past and pay closer attention to the female-dominated field of nursing. As one representative with the MNA told The Nation: "[Management is] a male institution thinking they can snub 1,200 women and pretend their opinions about healthcare don't count."

10. The year healthcare became very, extremely, incredibly difficult. Was any component of healthcare ever easy? Those who have spent years in the industry would say no. Yet 2017 was the year in which officials and lawmakers reminded the American public that healthcare is complicated. While true, this narrative functioned as a sound bite to normalize Congressional dysfunction.

Executive's takeaway: What's concerning here is whether this throwaway statement will make its way from Capitol Hill to hospital board rooms, executive offices, clinician lounges and medical school lecture halls and, over time, nurture a climate that fosters and condones inaction. It is unproductive to constantly point out the complicated nature of healthcare and/or bask in this acknowledgement. To do so is not the behavior of an effective leader. It goes without saying that healthcare is complicated. Healthcare is also necessary, expensive, life-saving, honorable, slow, inaccessible, urgent, flawed, and never going away. What are you doing to make it better?
In the wake of sexual harassment and assault scandals in a wide range of industries, corporate boards are increasing scrutiny of CEO hires and changing contracts to include strong language around sexual misconduct, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Corporate boards are taking the stance they would fire CEOs if sexual misconduct allegations came to light, even if the behavior in question occurred before their current employment. Additionally, boards are expanding reference checks and expecting CEO candidates to offer more information about themselves.

"Reputation management is becoming an increasingly important component of the valuation of a business," said Brent Saunders, chief executive of Allergan, according to WSJ.

Boards that previously required background investigations and psychological assessments for CEO candidates may begin to go further. Development Dimensions International, a human resources consultancy firm, told WSJ previously psychological assessments focused on leadership traits, but DDI is now being asked to note any sign of prior offensive behavior.

Other tactics board directors are employing for CEO searches include vetting via social media. A director at a software company told WSJ they hired a new executive after first ensuring they did not find any negative comments on social media about the candidate.

The corporate landscape post the #MeToo movement is also focused on ridding itself of toxic workplace cultures that may have been left behind from prior executives. The movement spread in October as women took to social media to speak out about sexual harassment they had faced using the two-word hashtag. The movement was spurred by serious sexual harassment and assault allegations made against media mogul Harvey Weinstein, who has since been dismissed from the company he co-founded.

Thus, boards are also actively looking for CEO candidates who can help turn a toxic culture around and ensure a safe and equitable working environment for all, the WSJ notes.
BJP all-out to ensure passage of the bill, issues whip to its MPs to remain present in Lok Sabha.

By India Today Web Desk: The much talked-about Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq (or 'talaq-e-biddat'), will be introduced in Parliament today. The ruling BJP is believed to have issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present in the Lok Sabha when the government introduces the Bill.

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Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights and Marriage) Bill that seeks to protect the rights of married Muslim women and prohibits "any pronouncement (of divorce) by a person upon his wife by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form, or in any other manner".

10 things to know about the Bill:

1. It is an important legislation which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq, which enables Muslim men to divorce their wives instantly by saying 'talaq' three times in a row. There are many cases in which a talaq was given on phone or even via SMS, much to the agony of the Muslim women.

2. The bill proposes to make the triple talaq practice a punishable offence and describes it against "constitutional morality" and "gender equity". Anyone who pronounces instant divorce "shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and a fine", the bill proposes.

3. The Bill, prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat in any form - spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp - "illegal and void" and provides for a jail term of three years for the husband. It was cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier this month.

4. As per the provisions of the Bill, the husband could also be fined and the quantum of fine would be decided by the magistrate hearing the case.

5. The Bill is being introduced as the practice still continued despite the Supreme Court striking down 'talaq-e- iddat'.

6. The proposed law would only be applicable to instant triple talaq and it would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

7. The Supreme Court had termed the practice of instant triple talaq unconstitutional while considering a petition to that effect. The then CJI J S Khehar had directed the government to bring in a legislation in this regard. The Supreme Court judgement found wide support among the citizens, especially Muslim women who welcomed the criminalisation of the practice which made them suffer in family matters.

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8. Not everyone is happy with the criminalisation of instant triple talaq. Clerics and several Muslim organisations, cutting across sects and schools of jurisprudence, have opposed the Bill, terming the government's stand as "uncalled for interference" in the personal laws of the community.

9. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) opposed the legislation as it said that the legislation is against the Sharia law and may destroy families if made into a law. The AIMPLB has also alleged that due procedure was not followed while drafting the Bill and all stakeholders were not consulted in an effective manner.

10. Congress leader Salman Khurshid also hinted that he is opposed to the Bill and hoped that the Congress party did not support it when it came in Parliament. Another Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who represented the AIMPLB in court, had alleged that the central government is trying to diminish Islamic influence in the society.

Salman Khurshid opposes criminalising instant triple talaq

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The following healthcare mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and general transactions took place or were announced during the past week.

1. Tenet, Baylor Scott & White to sell 218-bed Texas hospital

Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health and Tenet Healthcare reached a definitive agreement to sell Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-White Rock, a 218-bed hospital in Dallas, to Pipeline Health, a hospital management company based in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

2. 2 shuttered Virginia hospitals secure buyers

Two shuttered rural hospitals in Virginia have been acquired, but there is no guarantee either facility will reopen.

3. Saint Luke's Health System to acquire 6 clinics from Mosaic: 5 things to know

Kansas City, Mo.-based Saint Luke's Health System is expanding its Kansas City footprint through the acquisition of six area clinics from St. Joseph, Mo.-based Mosaic Life Care.

4. Northwell Health acquires Mather Hospital

Port Jefferson, N.Y.-based John T. Mather Memorial Hospital agreed to join New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health.

5. UPMC, Cole Memorial ink integration agreement

Coudersport, Pa.-based Cole Memorial Hospital's board of directors approved an agreement to integrate with Pittsburgh-based UPMC.

6. KentuckyOne inks deal to sell Louisville assets

Louisville, Ky.-based KentuckyOne Health and Lexington, Ky.-based Appalachian Regional Healthcare signed a letter of intent to enter into exclusive negotiations for the sale of Saint Joseph Martin, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Martin, Ky.

7. U of Mississippi Medical Center affiliates with Anderson Regional

Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center and Meridian, Miss.-based Anderson Regional Health System signed a three-year affiliation agreement.

More articles on healthcare industry transactions:

Massachusetts healthcare watchdog delays Lahey-Beth Israel merger

Proposed hospital mega-deals put pressure on CHS, Tenet and HCA

UCHealth acquires 2 hospitals, 17 freestanding emergency rooms
Boston-based Partners HealthCare and Providence, R.I.-based Care New England have agreed to extend the deadline for reaching an agreement on their proposed merger from the end of December to Jan. 31, 2018.

The extension maintains "exclusive negotiating terms between the two organizations as they continue to pursue a definitive agreement," the health systems said in a joint statement.

Partners signed a letter of intent to purchase Care New England in April. According to the Providence Journal, concerns about CNE's financial health and ability to close Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, R.I., have delayed the deal.

Earlier this year, CNE announced plans to sell Memorial Hospital to Prime Healthcare Foundation, the Ontario, Calif.-based nonprofit arm of Prime Healthcare Services. However, after the deal fell through, CNE filed an application with the Rhode Island Department of Health to close the hospital.

CNE lost more than $6 million in the first two months of fiscal year 2018. System Executive Vice President, COO and Chief Clinical Officer James Fanale, MD, said the loss mostly reflects the system's pending closure of Memorial Hospital.

More articles on healthcare industry transactions:

Summa Health finalizes sale of Ohio hospital after 3-year battle with partner

UHS to acquire behavioral health hospital, 2 clinics in Mississippi

Tenet, Baylor Scott & White to sell 218-bed Texas hospital
Akron, Ohio-based Summa Health will sell its 40 percent share of Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, to an independent, third-party investor, ending a three-year battle with Western Reserve Hospital Partners, the Akron-based physician group that owns a 60 percent share of the hospital, according to The Plain Dealer.

Summa Health and Western Reserve Hospital Partners entered a partnership to operate the hospital in 2009. However, the organizations have been in a feud since late 2014, when the physician group voted to strip Summa Health of its ownership stake in the hospital. The parties have since been involved in multiple legal battles.

On Tuesday, Summa Health, Western Reserve Hospital and Western Reserve Hospital Partners said in a joint press release they have reached an agreement. Under the deal, Summa Health will sell its 40 percent stake in the hospital to Gbswrh, a third-party investor, and will sell the building housing the hospital to Western Reserve Hospital.

The agreement also resolves all outstanding litigation between the parties, according to the report.

"The consummation of this agreement is important because it not only resolves our differences, but ensures the best interests of the Cuyahoga Falls community will be served," said Cliff Deveny, MD, interim president and CEO of Summa Health. "While this agreement brings clarity to several contractual and legal issues, we look forward to continuing to collaborate with WRH and WRHP in the care of the many patients we collectively serve."

More articles on healthcare industry transactions:

Tenet, Baylor Scott & White to sell 218-bed Texas hospital

2 shuttered Virginia hospitals secure buyers

Saint Luke's Health System to acquire 6 clinics from Mosaic: 5 things to know
The nation's ongoing opioid epidemic produced a bevy of news stories in 2017, including those about rising rates of fentanyl use, new limits on opioid prescriptions and health systems' responses and strategies to fight opioid addiction.

Here are Becker's 10 most-read articles on opioids for 2017, starting with the most popular.

1. Opioid overdose deaths surge among African Americans: 5 things to know

As heroin and fentanyl have contributed to a larger number of opioid-related deaths, the proportion of African-Americans dying from opioid overdoses has increased, according to data released by the CDC in December.

2. More Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016 than in the Vietnam War

Provisional data the CDC released in September suggested more than 64,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2016, which surpasses the 58,200 Americans who died in the Vietnam War and the 50,682 people who died from HIV/AIDS in 1995.

3. Illinois physician traded opioids for cash and sex with patients: 3 things to know

Constantino Perales, MD, of Peru, Ill., pleaded guilty in federal court Dec. 4 to conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

4. Should opioid addiction be considered a hospital-acquired condition?

Some medical experts and healthcare administrators are making the case that if an individual's addiction to opioids is directly rooted in hospital-based care, the hospital should be penalized.

5. West Virginia cities sue Joint Commission over pain management recommendations

Four West Virginia cities  Ceredo, Charleston, Huntington and Kenova  filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday against The Joint Commission, alleging the healthcare accrediting body issued pain management standards in 2001 that downplayed the deadly and addictive properties of opioids.

6. CVS is now limiting opioid prescriptions

As part of several new measures to curb the rate of opioid addiction and overdoses, CVS Health is enacting seven-day opioid prescription limitations for acute conditions, the company announced Sept. 21.

7. Bon Secours hospital cuts opioid use 80% with surgical recovery program

Richmond, Va.-based Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital achieved an 80 percent reduction in postoperative opioid use among laparoscopic colorectal surgical patients after implementing a new surgical recovery program.

8. Intermountain to cut opioid prescriptions 40% by end of 2018: 5 things to know

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare aims to achieve a 40 percent reduction in the number of opioids prescribed for acute pain systemwide by the end of 2018.

9. Opioids in America: 6 things to know about the evolution of an epidemic

The misuse of opiates  heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine and fentanyl, among others  represents one of the leading causes of accidental death in the U.S.

10. 3 nurses exposed to fentanyl after treating overdose patient at Ohio hospital

Three nurses at Massillon, Ohio-based Affinity Medical Center fell ill and lost consciousness after treating an overdose patient August 11.
Cook County and five other counties encompassing Chicago suburbs recently filed lawsuits against drugmakers for the companies' alleged roles in facilitating Illinois' opioid epidemic.

Here are three things to know.

1. The lawsuits, in keeping with legal actions taken by dozens of counties around the U.S., allege several of the nation's leading drugmakers engaged in an aggressive and fraudulent marketing campaign to promote the widespread use of prescription opioids. The suits seek to recoup local funds expended addressing the crisis. Defendants named are Purdue Pharma, Abbott Laboratories, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Cephalon, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Endo International and multiple subsidaries of the companies.

2. DuPage, Lake, Will, McHenry and Kane counties filed a joint suit against the drugmakers on Dec. 21. Collectively, the counties experienced 237 opioid-related deaths in 2015. The lawsuit filed by the counties also lists three individual physicians as defendants.

"The drug industry put profits before people, deliberately misleading trusted doctors who sought to help their patients manage pain," said Kane County State's Attorney Joseph McMahon. "This lawsuit fulfills our responsibility to hold those who misled our community about the addictiveness of opioids financially accountable."

3. Cook County filed its lawsuit on Wednesday. In 2016, opioid-related overdoses increased by 70 percent to 1,091 in the county.

"The impact that opioids are having on Cook County cannot be ignored," said Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. "We see it in every part of the County, and the human cost is truly staggering. We must act in the public interest and hold accountable those who have been complicit in the creation of this epidemic."

More articles on opioids:

Opioid overdose deaths surge among African Americans: 5 things to know

North Carolina AG accuses Insys of illegally pushing fentanyl, files lawsuit

Opioid deaths fuel dip in US life expectancy for second straight year: 5 things to know
Sharp Grossmont Hospital in San Diego County set up a surge tent outside its emergency room entrance to triage patients with flu symptoms, according to a KNSD report.

The goal is "to manage/screen an influx of walk-in flu patients today," the hospital said in a statement to KNSD Thursday.

San Diego County's Department of Health and Human Services reported 2,227 new flu cases last week compared to a total of 563 lab-confirmed flu cases the week before, nearly four-times the amount of cases.

San Diego County reported approximately 3,900 flu cases this season compared to 599 cases this time last year. Last week, the death toll from the flu outbreak in the county reached 11. The county saw only four flu-related deaths this time last year.

"The number of flu cases that were reported last week is the highest in a single week that we have seen in recent years," said Sayone Thihalolipavan, MD, San Diego County's deputy public health officer.

San Diego physicians are encouraging all residents to get a flu vaccination as a precaution.
An orthopedic surgeon in Fort Madison, Iowa, paid the Iowa Board of Medicine $5,000 to settle allegations of an ethics violation after he engaged in a relationship with, and eventually married, a former patient, according to a report in The Des Moines Register.

Here are five things to know:

1. Regulators claim Joseph Darrow Jr., MD, engaged in a sexual relationship with a female patient "while or shortly after" she was his patient, and the Iowa Board of Medicine claims his behavior violated ethics rules.

2. To settle the case, Dr. Darrow paid the fine and agreed to psychological testing in addition to undergoing training on professional boundaries. He will also have another physician monitor his work as a result of the violation.

3. Dr. Darrow now practices in Kirksville, Mo. He married the former patient with whom he had the affair.

4. Earlier this year, Medscape released its Physician Ethics Report showing 70 percent of physicians feel it is always unethical to engage in relationships with patients or former patients and feel it should be prohibited. Around 2 percent of physicians felt it was acceptable to have a relationship with a current patient.

5. According to the Medscape report, there is an imbalance of power between the physician and patient, contributing to the patient's vulnerability. Underlying mental health issues could also contribute to the reason why such relationships are unethical.
Afghan Voice, a news agency in Afghanistan, has reportedly been attacked with a bomb blast. 40 people were killed and at least 30 were injured in the blast. No terrorist outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Taliban has issued a statement denying any involvement in the blast.
Vishal's speech at Irumbu Thirai teaser launch:



'Irumbu Thirai was actually planned for an April 14, 2017 release but due to my Producers Council commitments, we had to push the film's release date.



PS Mithran would have been one of the happy ones to know that I could not contest in RK Nagar elections. Out of the many people who wanted my RK Nagar nomination cancelled, Mithran was one. He badly wanted me to not contest in the election as it would have delayed the film's shoot even further. I could have released Irumbu Thirai for April 2017 but I wanted to help this industry which was suffering and that is why I had to delay this project.



When Mithran narrated me the script, I felt this would be the right film to do after Thupparivaalan. Irumbu Thrai is going to be a very important film in my career. The audio launch of the film will take place in Malaysia on January 6. Speaking about Samantha, rather calling her a beautiful girl, I will say she is a lovely person. The love track in the film is a major plus.



Robo Shankar would often imitate Arjun and Kala master in the sets which acted as a stress buster to me. It has been a fantastic journey. More than the positives from modern technology, we wanted to show the negative side of it through this film. The last 20 minutes of the film will be fabulous. I am not going to say anything more about the film than this.' signs off Vishal.
By PTI: TV channels: Rathore

New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) An inter-ministerial committee has been set up in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to look into specific complaints of violation of programme and advertising codes by TV channels, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

The minister of state for information and broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore, said in a written reply to a question in the House that the IMC has representatives from the ministries of home affairs, defence, external affairs, law, women and child development, health and family welfare, consumer affairs, information & broadcasting, and a representative from the industry in Advertising Standards Authority of India.

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He also said the government has set up an Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC).

The Centre has been mandated to monitor content telecast on private TV channels and report any violation of programme and advertising codes prescribed under the laws to the ministry, Rathore said.

The EMMC currently does content acquisition of 798 channels for monitoring and also monitors channels for some of the live events, he said.

Rathore was responding to a query whether the government has set up any mechanism to monitor the contents broadcast on TV channels in the country. PTI MP ABH

--- ENDS ---
Actor Peter Capaldi has given a young Doctor Who fan his favourite present ever after sending him a personal message from the outgoing Time Lord.

Author Brian McGilloway said his sons David, nine, and 11-year-old Tom woke up on Christmas morning to letters from Doctor Who which moved the whole family.

The best-selling thriller and mystery writer teaches English at Holy Cross College in Strabane, West Tyrone.

The letters contained greetings, drawings and a signed picture of Capaldi  and a note addressing the icky business of regeneration.

The Doctor Who Christmas Day special marked the end of Capaldis tenure as the Time Lord, with Jodie Whittaker regenerating as the first female Doctor in the final moments of the episode.

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Mr McGilloway, 43, tweeted: Peter Capaldi is my 9 year old sons fav Doctor Who and he was dreading his regeneration.

And then he got this letter with some words of comfort from the Doctor himself among his Santa presents. Such a kind man.

He said his son was thrilled by the letter, which he described as his favourite present ever.

The message, signed by Capaldi, states: Xmas is always good fun. Well not always. Not every single second.

Regenerating is not completely good fun.

But you know what? Even though it can be a little bit icky (like really bad flu) it has always, always turned out good for Dr Who.

The new doctor always becomes your favourite and the one that goes  well, he never really goes, he is always there, somewhere in time and space, and if you think about him hard enough youll see him, and hell see you.

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Mr McGilloway, who is also father to Ben, 14, and seven-year-old Lucy, said: David particularly loves Peter Capaldi and was devastated about his regeneration.

Theres so much detail in the letter, I was left with a lump in my throat.

Mr McGilloway did not reveal the content of his other son Toms letter, which he said was more personal.

He did reveal that this was not his familys first brush with the Time Lord.

Earlier in the year I met Christopher Eccleston in Belfast and told him my family were such fans, he said.

Around October he facetimed them all and spoke to them each individually as Doctor Who. It was such a lovely thing to do.
Archaeologist and conservator Diana McCormack, from east Belfast, tells Ivan Little how an emotionally charged trip to one of the coldest places on Earth was the latest destination on her fascinating journey into the past  both in Northern Ireland and further afield.

The normally unflappable Diana McCormack couldnt hold back the tears as she set foot in one of the most historic, remote  and cold  places on Earth.

The sight of the still intact sleeping bags, clothes and food supplies which had been left behind in the region by some of the bravest men on the planet, was just too much for the east Belfast woman.

Images of iconic explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton, Sir Edmund Hillary and her hero Capt Robert Falcon Scott, replayed in her mind as Diana followed in the footsteps of the legends for seven weeks from early November.

She had beaten hundreds of other conservationists to win her place on the prestigious mission to Ross Island in the Antarctic with a New Zealand conservation charity who preserve the expedition bases used by the great pioneers of the last century.

Diana was the first ever conservation ambassador to be appointed by the NZ Antarctic Heritage Trust who battle against nature to keep history alive.

The extreme temperatures which can fall to a bone-chilling -40C present major difficulties for the wooden huts and all the things that the explorers abandoned inside them like food and their diaries.

Dianas visit to Scotts wooden prefabricated hut at Cape Evans was particularly emotional.

It was the base famously associated with Scotts historic Terra Nova expedition to reach the South Pole.

Diana says: Capt Scott did reach the Pole but he died on his return journey to the hut.

As soon as I walked in I just burst into tears. There is so much of a feeling of life and activity about the place.

A lot of scientific apparatus is still lying around as well as boots, sleeping bags, clothes and food supplies. Its just the most wonderful place that I have ever been.

Scotts was one of four historic huts that Diana visited, some of them after having to travel by helicopter because the ice had cracked.

Diana adds: We carried out a maintenance and monitoring programme at the huts and we had to dig some of them out of the snow.

We had to be very careful about what we were doing because we didnt want to cause any damage to the huts or their contents.

Living for seven weeks in Antarctica had its challenges for Diana: It was weird experiencing 24 hours of daylight. But the Antarctic is an astounding place and there was no time to think that I was missing home or anything like that.

On one of my days off I got taken to the Mount Erebus glacier where they taught me ice climbing and took me to ice caves. It was unbelievable.

We were encouraged not to think too much about climate change but there were a lot of scientific talks from people based at Antarctica.

Some of the presentations were from people who were engaged in great studies about the sea ice thickness and about the impressive marine life underneath the ice.

Diana had been trained in many aspects of life in Antarctica, including advice on how to deal with angry penguins.

Luckily, however, no penguins ever tried to pick a fight with her and she saw seals in their droves, many of them giving birth on the ice near her base.

Dianas own journey from the Bloomfield area of east Belfast to the ice fields of the South Pole has been an astonishing odyssey all of its own  taking in archaeology and conservation projects in Loughbrickland, Toomebridge, Stonehenge and Nelsons ship HMS Victory along the way.

Earlier this year she also found the time to get married to Jonathan Davis, an astroparticle physicist from London.

When she gets time off, she is a keen mountain climber and long distance walker.

Several years ago she and a friend completed the gruelling 300-mile Malin to Mizen walk through Ireland to raise money for cancer research.

Interestingly, though, as a child Diana had nothing more than a passing interest in archaeology. Looking back, she thinks it was her parents passion for the past that forged her future.

She says: Mum and Dad used to take us round the museums and thats where my interest started I suppose.

From Grosvenor High School, Diana went to Queens University in Belfast to study archaeology. What attracted me to the work was the unknown factor.

I wanted to do something practical but academic and archaeology ticked all the boxes.

Pre-history fascinated me and I wanted to work outside on excavations to find out how people lived in the past.

After Queens Diana worked in commercial archaeology for eight years.

She says: It was all rescue archaeology. After planning permission is granted to developers they have to clear the grounds of any archaeology. So we worked on a range of things from windfarms to road schemes and to housing developments.

One of Dianas most exciting projects was the excavation associated with the A1 road improvement scheme at Loughbrickland.

She recalls: We found a bronze age cemetery there. And, in 2002, during our dig before work started on the new bypass at Toome, we discovered an important megalithic site. The only megalithic site that was known before that was at Mountsandel in Coleraine.

Toomebridge was really exciting. From our research we thought we might come across something but our hopes were exceeded.

Diana went to Durham University in 2010 for two years to study for a masters degree in conservation.

I was learning how to preserve the kind of artefacts which were uncovered in archaeological excavations.

We used to send away items that were found and they would come back in perfect condition from the conservation units and I wanted to know how that happened.

She clearly learnt well. Her skills have been in big demand across the UK since she graduated.

She did an internship as a conservator at English Heritage where she got to work on objects for a new permanent display at Stonehenge.

These artefacts had been in my textbooks when I was studying archaeology and now they were on a bench in front of me, says Diana who moved on to the Science Museum where she was conserving technology like computers and satellites.

After just 18 months, Diana then went to National Museums Scotland to conserve large objects for their science galleries including Edison dynamos and even motorbikes.

The variety of the work in conservation is tremendous. Thats what keeps me going because I feel Im learning all the time, says Diana, whose next port of call was Portsmouth which by coincidence is where her late mother Rachel was from.

She is employed by the National Museum of the Royal Navy and is currently a senior conservator in the Historic Ships team.

This role sees Diana conserving famous vessels including HMS Victory. Among her other responsibilities are HMS Warrior and submarines.

The work is non-stop and again we are just fighting nature because ships werent built to last especially in a marine environment in a rainy cold country.

Dianas expertise also brings her home to Belfast two or three times a year to work on the newly restored HMS Caroline  the only naval vessel to survive the Battle of Jutland during the First World War.

She adds: I work with the curator on things like monitoring the environment and conserving the objects on board.

Its a marvellous project and its so encouraging to see that Caroline has become very popular with visitors.

I was always aware of the ship when I was at home and I can remember going to a Burns supper on board.
An Assembly Member has called for an immediate investigation into the safety of plastic cladding on a number of homes in Dundrum which were engulfed in flames on Christmas Eve.

One house was destroyed and several were damaged in the fire.

The blaze spread to eight properties and several oil tanks.

The DUP's Jim Wells demanded an investigation into the cladding after he visited the estate.

He said: "Having witnessed the extent of the damage caused by the fire, I am calling upon Newry, Mourne and Down Council to carry out an urgent assessment of the safety risks posed by the plastic cladding on 50 of the houses."

He also backed calls for all councils to carry out assessments to establish if other areas have similar cladding.

He added: "It is very clear that the reason why the fire spread so quickly was that the plastic cladding is very inflammable and this enabled the flames to spread quickly from house to house.

"It was very noticeable that the one house which didn't have the cladding was largely untouched, whilst all those around it were badly damaged.

"Recent events in London have shown just how dangerous cladding can be and the building control department of Newry, Mourne and Down Council must act immediately to test, and if necessary, remove it."
The cost of free prescriptions in Northern Ireland is running at more than 1million a day, it can be revealed.

Figures from the Department of Health show the total cost of free medication during the first 10 months of this year was more than 366m - an average of 1.2m every day.

The revelation comes after a Department of Finance briefing paper suggested reintroducing prescription charges as one of a series of measures to offset huge financial pressures.

But former Stormont Health Minister Michael McGimpsey, who abolished the fee in 2010, branded the proposal as nothing more than "creative accountancy", and slammed government officials for "trying to tax the sick".

He said: "The net gain of charges is actually very small because of the administration costs and the number of exemptions.

"The idea that there's big money in free prescriptions is nonsense.

"I was able to save 80million a year and I did it by moving away from branded to more generic drugs."

The former Ulster Unionist MLA said the only reason for the annual spike in the number of prescription items being dispensed - an increase of around 1m a year - is because doctors are issuing more.

"It's very complex, but ultimately a doctor only issues what a patient needs and those patients are mainly children and older people," he added.

"Clear evidence has shown that patients were going without medication when they had to pay for it."

Other proposals outlined in the budget preparation exercise include reintroducing means-testing for domiciliary and day care services and bringing in dental charges.

It also outlined plans to introduce non-urgent transport costs for schoolchildren, raise the cost of community meals by 2 to 3.50, and ensure all health trusts charge for car parking.

Mr McGimpsey insisted the real problem lies with the Department of Finance and not with those who are ill.

"They have made such a mess with money in Northern Ireland - the real poverty in all of this is how the block grant is managed," he said.

Based on the average daily cost of prescriptions, the bill for 2017 is likely to reach nearly 440m - 20m more than in 2014.

Dr Tom Black, chair of the British Medical Association's Northern Ireland GP committee, warned that reintroducing charges would only create "health inequality".

"Some people would be restricted from accessing health care," he said.

"One of the core principles of the NHS has always been that it is free at the point of delivery to ensure quality healthcare is available to all.

"It's much more sensible to take tax from the population as a whole to cover the cost than from individuals once they become sick."

Dr Black is also sceptical that the proposals would be effective in generating substantial revenue.

"Around 98% of my patients were still able to get their prescription for free under the previous payment system because of a huge number of exceptions," he said.

"It would cost a significant amount of money to set up the bureaucracy required to collect the money and soon enough we would be back in the same situation again."

The Department of Finance report warned it would be "potentially catastrophic" to divert future funding away from transforming the health service in order to "simply prop-up" the existing model.
A woman has vowed to "get justice for her second mummy" after a murder in Lisburn on Christmas morning.

In a Facebook post, Jayne Holly Millar said that murder victim Jayne Toal Reat from Comber had been her "role model and ray of sunshine". The 43-year-old mother died in the early hours of Christmas Day at a house in Mornington Lane.

Read More

It emerged that she died a "hero" after saving the life of her daughter, Charlotte.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder. The PSNI have until today to either formally charge the teenager, release him or apply for further time for questioning.

In her Facebook message, Ms Millar said: "No-one should die this young let alone have their life taken from them.

"I still can't come to terms with what's happened but I just wanted to say Jayne you were far more than a second mummy to me - you were a friend, family, a counsellor, a shoulder to cry on, a teacher, a role model, an inspiration, a ray of sunshine and a comedian.

"You've made me laugh so much over the years and I can't thank you enough for everything you ever done for me.

"You and Charlotte helped me through some of the hardest times of my life and now it's time for me to return the favour.

"I will stand by Charlotte through everything Jayne, every single step of the way, I will always be there for her. We will get you justice. I love you so much, Jayney."

It is understood that there had been a party at the house on Christmas Eve.
The Green Party is set to stage a New Year's Day protest in opposition to a fox hunt taking place in a Co Down village.

Northern Ireland is currently the only region of the UK which has not outlawed fox hunting, and the event in Crawfordsburn takes place annually.

Speaking about the protest, Green Party chair Ricky Bamford said legislation outlawing the practice should be introduced in Northern Ireland.

"We feel this dignified and peaceful protest in Crawfordsburn on the morning of New Years Day will be an opportunity to show our objection to the fact that these people enjoy hunting and killing defenceless wild animals," she said.

"This is the 21st century and, in a civilised society, people on horseback should not be using dogs to chase small animals for their pleasure."

Green Party rep Hannah McNamara, from Donaghadee, said: The Green Party has always been opposed to bloodsports and has campaigned for a ban on foxhunting in Northern Ireland, but we believe there is a growing acceptance within society and within other parties that bloodsports are wrong, which is why we have extended an open invitation for people from all parties to join us on New Years Day.

She also noted statistics from a survey carried out by Ipso MORI in 2015 which found the vast majority supported activities outlawed by the Hunting Act, which included: fox hunting, deer hunting, hare hunting and coursing, dog fighting, and badger baiting.

The act, introduced by Labour in 2004, has been back in the headlines following a report in the Sunday Times that Prime Minsiter Theresa May plans to abandoned a manifesto pledge to give MPs a free vote on the issue.

The veracity of the claim has been denied by Downing Street.

In 2010, a bill introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly by the Green Party which called for an end to hunting with dogs failed to pass, with only the Alliance party giving its backing.

The hunt is due to meet outside of Crawsfordburn Inn at 1pm, with the protesters meeting in advance of this at 10.30am. Organisers have asked participants to participate in a "peaceful and lawful manner at all times".
The Ambulance Service has urged people to only phone 999 for the most serious medical emergencies after encountering "a sustained period of increased demand" over Christmas.

Emergency calls were up 50% on the same holiday period last year, with voluntary and private ambulances drafted in to provide extra capacity.

The NI Ambulance Service (NIAS) said that while it will continue to "prioritise the most serious calls to get a response to the sickest patients as soon as possible", calls for less serious emergencies would still be subject to significant delays.

SDLP health spokesman Mark H Durkan MLA said: "The stresses and strains on medical staff are becoming more and more evident every month.

"There used to be what were called winter pressures on the health services, but now those pressures are growing each month, not just in wintertime.

"When I speak to health staff, they tell you that each passing month has been the worst they've experienced. The issue obviously lies in the demand for services versus the means to respond to them. People of course need access to medical advice, care and treatment. And if they feel their problem warrants a trip to hospital, that's fine, but these strains could be alleviated by giving greater responsibilities to GP practices or more community based resources."

The NIAS said that for less serious problems people should contact their GP or local out-of-hours services in the first instance. It also urged the public to consider alternative transport to an emergency department or minor injury unit for lesser injuries and complaints.

"We would take this opportunity to remind the public that arrival at an emergency department by ambulance does not mean you will be seen or treated more quickly than self-presentation," it said.

However, the pressures on GPs and out-of-hours services are already being seriously stretched.

On Tuesday the Southern Trust was forced to draft in extra GPs as waiting times for out-of-hours services soared as high as 34 hours.

"We contacted GPs to ask them for additional clinician support and we are very grateful for the extra support they provided which has greatly improved waiting times in out of hours down to six hours for a call back," the trust said.

The Southern Trust also stressed that the most ill patients received priority treatment.

However, Dr Tom Black of the British Medical Association's Northern Ireland GP Committee said drafting in additional GPs would have a "domino effect" on other front line medical services.

"We've been very clear that the Southern and Western Trusts out-of-hours GP services have been under pressure for more than a year now," he said.

"That's because there's too few GPs in Northern Ireland and we've reported both services to the General Medical Council and both are under investigation from the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority."

Mr Durkan agreed that a shortage of medical staff was contributing heavily to backlogs on front line services such as urgent care facilities and ambulance provision.

"Of course there's an issue there. We have a shortage of both doctors and nurses," he said.

"An increase in training places is what's required and the new medical school based in Derry will help solve this problem."
Mornington housing development in Lisburn - scene of a police investigation following the death of a woman

Mornington housing development in Lisburn - scene of a police investigation following the death of a woman

Forensic officers at the scene in the Mornington Lane housing development in Lisburn following the death of a woman

Mornington housing development in Lisburn - scene of a police investigation following the death of a woman

A brave Lisburn mum is understood to have died saving the life of her daughter in a horrific early-morning stabbing incident on Christmas Day.

21-year-old Charlotte Reat said that her courageous mother, Jayne Toal Reat, had died in her arms after saving her from being stabbed to death at a house in the towns Mornington Lane.

Read More

At 6am on Christmas morning, four ambulance crews were dispatched to the scene.

When they arrived, police officers were already attempting emergency resuscitation on one of the injured people.

Three people were rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust confirmed that two people had since been discharged.

Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell from PSNI Serious Crime Branch said that detectives had launched a murder investigation following the incident.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on Monday, Christmas Day.

In a heartbreaking message posted online on the day of the atrocity, Charlotte, who said she was also stabbed several times during the attack, told how Jayne had been murdered in front of my eyes and then later died in my arms.

Comber resident Charlotte wrote: I just want to thank everyone for all the kind messages and posts.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Councillor Amanda Grehan Lagan Valley MLA Pat Catney Stephen Hamilton/ / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Councillor Amanda Grehan

Im not in the frame of mind to reply to anyone nor am I fit to be writing this status.

Today will be a day I will never forget as my mum was murdered in front of my eyes and then later died in my arms.

I can still feel her in my arms and hear her screams of pain and see the panic on her face.

My mum died saving me, I was stabbed twice in the head once in my face and once to the back of my neck.

SDLP Lagan Valley MLA Pat Catney said: "People across Lisburn are in shock this morning.

"This should be a day families spend together, happy and grateful to have each other.

"Instead, a family is waking up on Christmas morning to news of the death of a loved one.

"I can't begin to imagine the pain they're feeling today.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the woman's family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

"I understand police have launched a murder investigation.

"I would urge anyone with information, however small, about what happened here to bring it forward as soon as possible," the SDLP representative said.

A local resident told the BBC: "I saw the flashing lights, the ambulances, police cars and the crime scene investigators arrive. I'm completely in shock.

"It makes you feel lucky for what you have... it's really bad."

Alliance councillor Amanda Grehan, who represents the area said her thoughts were with the victim's loved ones.

"This is a relatively new development, made up of people from all walks of life, and is usually very quiet.

"There is a shock among residents in the wider Mornington area, as they have never had to deal with anything like this here before.

"My thoughts are with the loved ones of the victim. Christmas Day is one most people spend with their families and is full of joyous moments.

"However, now we have one family plunged into grief and despair.

"I would urge anyone with information on this terrible incident to take it to police immediately."
Police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of two teenagers who have been reported missing.

Kayla Hassan (16), from Coleraine, was reported missing yesterday.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Kristina Matuskova has been missing since Christmas Day.

She was last seen at 4pm on Christmas Day in the Ravenhill area of Belfast.

It is thought she was wearing a dark leather jacket and blue jeans at the time.

The PSNI has appealed for help. A spokesman said: "If you can assist with information in relation to Kristina's or Kayla's whereabouts, please contact police on 101."
The ministers will be allocated their portfolios after the oath-taking ceremony. The secretariat was rife with rumours about a possible re-shuffle.

Mehbooba Mufti with the new ministers after the swearing-in ceremony. (Photo courtesy: Twitter @chzulfkarali)

By Ashraf Wani: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's brother, Tassaduq Mufti along with Javaid Mustafa Mir today took oath as ministers of state in Jammu and Kashmir during the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Jammu.

During the oath-taking ceremony, Tassaduq accidentally said he swore in the name of 'dog' instead of the name of 'god'. However, he was quick to rectify himself by immediately following up his error with 'god'.

"I Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, swear in the name of DOG"?!?!?? advertisement Befitting start! God help the departments his sister will gift to him. God help J&K! pic.twitter.com/qoDcwY31n7- Junaid Azim Mattu (@Junaid_Mattu) December 28, 2017

Javaid Mustafa represents the Chadoora assembly segment in Budgam district, and Tassaduq was last week nominated as MLC by Governor NN Vohra on recommendations of the state government.

The two ministers will be allocated portfolios after the swearing-in ceremony. The entire secretariat is rife with rumours about a possible re-shuffle.

Pertinently, former minister of state Farooq Andrabi recently resigned from the council of ministers to pave way for expansion in the team of ministers headed by Mehbooba Mufti. Andrabi submitted his resignation to his niece Mehbooba Mufti and it was forwarded to the governor who accepted it.

A noted cinematographer, Tassaduq Mufti joined PDP at a function organised to commemorate his father's first death anniversary on January 7.

He was nominated by Governor NN Vohra as a member of the state legislative council on December 22 to fill up a vacancy created by the resignation of Vikramaditya Singh who resigned from the basic membership of the PDP on October 22.

(With PTI inputs)

--- ENDS ---
Translink has apologised after passengers were left stranded on the platform of a local train station.

Shutters were down and doors locked as an early morning service left up to nine bemused travellers with no access to the main exit at Botanic station in south Belfast.

The closure also meant that no passengers could gain entry to the station's foyer to purchase tickets for onward travel. Some of those affected took to Twitter to vent their disbelief as the closure - understood to be because of staffing issues - caused unexpected delays.

Keith Bailie, a regular commuter who works in Bangor, described the scene as he made his way towards the station.

"I arrived at around 7.30am and the shutters were down. I wanted to get into work early after being off for the last couple of days," he said.

"I initially thought there were no trains running but I could see signs lit up inside the station.

"I couldn't figure out what was going on so I tweeted Translink, as did others, and I ended up finding out there were people stuck on the other side of the station doors.

"There were no Translink workers to be seen at all. I was knocking on one side and people stuck on the other side were doing the same."

Mr Bailie stood outside for 10 minutes - then realised his train had left.

He added: "It wasn't as bad for me as I could go to a nearby cafe and get a hot chocolate but it must have been much worse for the people stuck on the other side.

"At 7.55am someone from Translink came and opened the doors. I went into the station to complain but I couldn't find one person to talk to. I could see no one from Translink in the office or in the main foyer. The ticket desk wasn't opened, no tickets were being sold, and I ended up an hour late for work.

"It was all just mad."

Translink released a statement apologising to those caught up in the confusion.

It said: "Due to operational difficulties, the opening of Botanic Train Station was delayed this morning. We took action quickly to rectify the issue and had the station opened within an hour.

"We would like to apologise to any passengers inconvenienced by the incident."

The station is the main travel gateway to Queen's University and serves all four rail routes across Northern Ireland.
The Irish language portion of a sign erected by the Mid Ulster District Council has been spray painted over within days of it being erected.

The new sign had been put in place at Portglenone Bridge to mark out the entrance to the council district, which was established in April 2015.

Ahead of the establishment of the district authority, a vote by the council - which has a nationalist majority - opted to place Irish above English on its own signs and logos.

The vandalism was noticed by Sinn Fein councillor Sean McPeake, who told the Belfast Telegraph it came to his attention on Christmas Eve.

"The new signs are marking out the new district council area, where the one council area ends and where the other one begins, so its gateway signage for the district," he said.

"There was a number of new signs erected around the district in the last few days. It is just disgusting to see it defaced so quickly."

Cllr McPeake said he believed the issue has to be taken seriously.

"I do believe it is a hate crime," he said. "It is not as if other signs are being attacked; this sign is being attacked because there is an Irish language on it and it is the Irish language element that has been defaced."

The PSNI confirmed it had received a report of damage caused to a sign in the Portglenone area, and that enquiries are ongoing.

Irish-language signage has previously proven a controversial point in the Mid Ulster council area.

After the Tullaghoge Fort ancient site reopened in the summer of 2016 following a 500,000 redevelopment, the Irish language portion of its sign was targeted by vandals on four separate occasions.

In September of this year a row broke out over a scheme in place that allows members of the public to apply to have their signs in Irish and English.

At the meeting of the council's environment committee, members were asked to consider the street signage of a new residential development.

DUP councillor Clement Cuthbertson proposed that residents should be asked to make a contribution to the cost of dual language signage. The proposal was put to a vote, and with three voting for and 10 against, the proposal fell.

Accusing the council of following the route of "non-inclusive politics," Mr Cuthbertson said that "the dual language street signs had been forced amongst the minorities in Mid Ulster".
Gastric band surgery is set to start at a new childrens hospital in Dublin as the Republic tries to cope with an obesity epidemic in young people

Gastric band surgery is set to start at a new childrens hospital in Dublin as the Republic tries to cope with an obesity epidemic in young people.

A number of teenagers are currently sent to the UK for paediatric bariatric surgery  which can either be a reduction in the size of the stomach or the fitting of a gastric band to reduce appetite.

Professor Donal OShea, the Irish health services lead clinician on obesity, said he has already had one meeting with the new National Childrens Hospital about preparing for obesity surgery.

He said: It is a requirement that we are not meeting at the moment. Part of my job is to make sure that we have appropriate access to treatment, and that includes for children.

He said some paediatric surgeons had been forced to upgrade their operating theatres and trolleys to cope with the weight of children having routine operations like tonsils and appendixes out.

Professor OShea added that he expected around 20 to 30 procedures a year to be carried out at the National Childrens Hospital.
A Sinn Fein TD has criticised his own party leadership for failing to deal with a culture of bullying.

Dublin North West deputy Dessie Ellis broke ranks last night, accusing the party of having "fallen short of the standards we all expect".

He said Sinn Fein has rules on the use of social media which members have not been adhering to.

"There are standards, rules and regulations in relation to bullying and how people respond on social media when it comes to their party comrades and any people for that matter," Mr Ellis said.

"The party hasn't lived up to that at this stage. It has fallen short of the standards we all expect."

Mr Ellis made his intervention after details of a dossier that makes extraordinary allegations about Sinn Fein in Dublin North West were revealed.

The files detail how members have allegedly been subjected to threats and labelled "thugs", "witch" and "ratface".

The alleged threats included "We know where you live" and "you better stay out of Ballymun", according to the dossier.

Mr Ellis is the first Sinn Fein TD to speak out about a bullying culture.

It's understood that he has raised his concerns internally with the party leadership. His claims of bullying practices, particularly on social media, put him at odds with senior Sinn Fein figures such as party president Gerry Adams and leader-in-waiting Mary Lou McDonald.

In a recent interview with the Limerick Leader, Mr Adams said he would quit the party if there was a bullying culture.

"There is no culture of bullying in Sinn Fein. We have a zero tolerance attitude to bullying," he said.

Before Christmas, Ms McDonald did accept there are "issues to be addressed" following a number of resignations from the party. But she denied there was a culture of bullying.

Ms McDonald suggested that the growth experienced by the party could be a factor in some of the claims.

"There is a challenge for whoever is leader of Sinn Fein to manage that transition from a smaller party to a larger party. That's not a unique challenge... I'm very anxious we get it right," she said.

But the dossier, which has been sent to Sinn Fein councillors and senior party figures, lays bare one of the most serious disputes that the party is now trying to resolve.

It comes after it was revealed last week that Mr Ellis sent a legal letter to Ballymun Tidy Towns over remarks allegedly made about him at the organisation's Annual General Meeting earlier this month.

Mr Ellis claims that a completely false allegation was made against him at the meeting by a male supporter of Sinn Fein councillor Noeleen Reilly.

The deputy has also asked Sinn Fein to sanction the individual who allegedly made the claims.

Dublin North West is one of a number of constituencies that has seen bullying allegations. Others include Limerick, Wicklow, Kildare and Cork East.
Swathes of the country were left facing travel misery and power outages as the wintry weather plunged parts of Britain into a deep freeze.

A lorry crash on the M1 closed all three southbound lanes and left traffic backed up in its wake, with a string of weather-related crashes scattered across the country.

The RAC said it saw a 15-20% spike in call-outs compared with this time last year, including 12 relating to a pothole causing significant damage to vehicles on a section of the M25 around London.

There were similar stories of disruption, cancellations and delays at the countrys travel terminals, with Stansted Airport twice temporarily closing its runway due to ice.

Elsewhere, latest figures from Western Power Distribution (WPD) and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) showed nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity.

Some of the worst traffic was on the southbound carriageway of the M1 near Lutterworth in Leicestershire which was closed after an accident involving a lorry.

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Highways England also reported severe conditions in both directions on the A14 near Kettering, with motorists asked to avoid the area while all available resources were deployed to help move vehicles, some of which had been stuck for several hours, and clear snow from the carriageway.

Another HGV jack-knifed in heavy snow on the M5 in Gloucestershire as heavy snowfall overnight into Wednesday affected western parts of central England.

RAC spokesman Pete Williams said the company expected to attend more than 9,000 breakdowns by the end of the day.

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He said: Our patrols are rescuing members who have run into difficulty in snow and ice which is causing treacherous driving conditions resulting in some minor accidents.

We are also seeing a significant increase in pothole-related damage, so punctures, wheel damage, steering and suspension problems.

The toxic combination of high water levels, ice and snow is causing many road surfaces to crumble causing potholes to open up.

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RAC patrols attended a dozen vehicles alone on the M25 where a large pothole opened up causing a punctures and wheel damage and big delays for many motorists.

Many drivers who havent used their car for several days over Christmas are finding that it doesnt have the charge to turn over the engine and they are left stuck on the drive or in the street.

With more snow forecast and plummeting temperatures we expect the hazardous driving conditions will get worse tonight.

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An AA spokesman said it had dealt with 8,000 breakdowns by lunchtime, which was significantly more than a normal Wednesday in winter.

He added: Although weather and traffic conditions out on the open road have been horrendous in places, particularly across the Midlands, the main breakdown hotspots have been in major towns and cities, such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester.

This is primarily down to people heading off to shopping centres for the sales in cars that have often sat idle on driveways over the weekend and the Christmas holiday.

Heavy snow between Market Harborough and Kettering resulted in delays while flooding between Swindon and Chippenham also had an impact on passengers.

The latest snowfall to hit the UK comes around a fortnight after hundreds of schools were closed, homes were left without power, and travellers were stranded or forced to stay indoors when a deep freeze gripped the UK.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said Thursday will generally be drier with slightly less wind, although it will remain cold.
Fireworks light up the sky over Parliament in central London during the New Year celebrations (Ben Stevens/PA)

Security for the New Years Eve celebrations in London has been reviewed in the wake of this years terror attacks, Scotland Yard said.

The hundreds of thousands of party-goers expected to descend on the capital on December 31 can expect to see armed police on patrol, plus dog units and vehicle barriers, Superintendent Nick Aldworth said.

It comes after London was hit by four major terrorist incidents in 2017, including Marchs attack on the palace of Westminster which saw five people including Pc Keith Palmer killed, and Junes attack at London Bridge which left eight people including three terrorists dead.

There were also terror attacks near the Finsbury Park mosque during Ramadan in June and on a Tube train at Parsons Green station in south-west London.

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There was also a major terror attack on an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester which killed 22.

An attack in New York in October left eight dead and terrorists killed 16 people in atrocities in Barcelona and Cambrils in Spain in August.

Mr Aldworth said: The policing plan has been developed and reviewed following the tragic incidents that have occurred through the year.

Whilst there is no specific threat to this event, we ask people to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to an officer or event staff.

We will have the right response of officers at the right locations; this will be a mix of overt and covert officers deployed, as well as dogs, and the use of CCTV and automatic number plate recognition.

People can expect to see armed officers in the area and we will be using vehicle barriers across the event area.

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Security is paramount for us and so we ask for patience and co-operation when getting through the check and search points.

London is a major centre for New Years Eve celebrations and security around celebrations has already been heightened in recent years.

Last year there were fears of a mass-casualty terror plot targeting one of the countrys New Year events following the attacks on crowded areas in Nice and Berlin.

The traditional New Years Eve firework display saw the crowd watched by 3,000 police officers in a bid to keep crowds safe.

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This year, about 100,000 ticket-holders will watch the 12-minute spectacle light up the skyline from the bank of the River Thames on Sunday.

It will feature a soundtrack dominated by female artists to mark the centenary of women being granted the vote.

Scotland Yard advised people without a ticket for the sold-out event to watch from the comfort and warmth of your home.

A spokeswoman for London mayor Sadiq Khan said: The safety of Londoners is the mayors number one priority.

He and his team are in close contact with the Metropolitan Police, TfL and other key agencies, and we have appropriate plans for security in place.

Of course, we encourage everyone coming to the event to be vigilant and to report anything of concern to a steward or police officer.
Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour's position on Brexit is clear (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Jeremy Corbyn is facing calls for Labour to combine with other opposition parties to keep Britain in the EU single market and the customs union.

The SNPs leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford, has issued an appeal for cross-party co-operation to prevent the catastrophic damage of an extreme Brexit.

His intervention came as Mr Corbyn rejected calls for a second referendum once the terms of a Brexit deal are known.

Mr Blackford said he would be inviting other opposition leaders to a summit on January 8 when MPs return to Westminster after the Christmas recess.

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Extreme Tory Brexit plans to drag Scotland and the UK out of the single market would cause catastrophic damage to the economy  costing hundreds of thousands of jobs and hitting peoples incomes, livelihoods and living standards for decades to come, he said.

It is time for MPs of all parties to put politics aside and work together, in the national interest, to protect our place in the single market and customs union.

As we saw with the successful amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill, when opposition parties work together effectively it is possible to secure a parliamentary majority and deliver change in the national interest.

Mr Corbyn came under fire from the Liberal Democrats after he dismissed the idea of a second referendum once the outcome of the Brexit negotiations is known.

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Our position is that we are not advocating a second referendum, he told the i newspaper.

We have had a referendum which came to a decision. The negotiations are still ongoing, albeit well behind schedule, and weve set out the kind of relationship we want to have with Europe in the future.

Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake accused the Labour leadership of having shirked their responsibility to provide effective opposition to the Government.

The Labour leadership has constantly played a game of smoke and mirrors over their Brexit position. But here they are nailing their colours to the mast in support of hard Brexit.

The party of opposition has again shirked their responsibility to oppose Theresa Mays Government. The public need to be given a say on the final Brexit deal.

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Meanwhile, the Government dismissed claims that Brexit Secretary David Davis was being sidelined in the negotiations with the EU.

The Times cited senior figures in Brussels as saying that Oliver Robbins played an increasingly influential role after leaving his role as Department for Exiting the European Union permanent secretary to become Prime Minister Theresa Mays EU adviser in the Cabinet Office.

A Government spokeswoman said: This characterisation of the negotiations is wholly and wilfully inaccurate.

The Brexit Secretary meets with his counterpart Michel Barnier at regular intervals to oversee the negotiations.

In November they agreed their officials would maintain a constant dialogue so it should be of no surprise that senior British civil servants press the UKs case as set by the Prime Minister and Brexit Secretary.
Best friends Alan Robinson and Walter Macfarlane have been best friends for 60 years, but recently discovered theyre even closer than they once thought  theyre brothers.

The pair from Honolulu, Hawaii met in sixth grade at a Honolulu prep school after being born 15 months apart. Macfarlane never knew his father and Robinson was adopted.

Honolulu news station KHON-TV reported the pair separately sought answers about their ancestry by using family history and DNA-matching websites after unsuccessful searches on social media.

Remarkably Macfarlane found someone on the site with identical X chromosomes, and the username Robi737  who he would later discover shared the same birth mother.

It was Robinson, who had used the same website to find answers, is nicknamed Robi and flew 737s for Aloha Airlines.

It was a shock, Macfarlane told the local news outlet.

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It was an overwhelming experience, its still overwhelming, added Robinson. I dont know how long its going to take for me to get over this feeling.

This is the best Christmas present I could ever imagine having.

The pair told their family about the revelation over the weekend, and say they plan to travel and enjoy retirement together.
A Democrat politician has asked a court to declare her the winner of a race for Virginia's House of Delegates that is officially tied.

Shelly Simonds has asked a three-judge panel to reconsider its decision to strip her of a one-vote victory she won after a dramatic recount of last month's election in Newport News.

Her lawyers argue that the judges committed clear legal errors, including the counting of a ballot for her Republican opponent, incumbent David Yancey, after the recount ended.

So far, the court has scheduled no hearings on the matter. But the petition was enough for state elections officials to delay a plan to draw names from a bowl on Wednesday to declare a winner.

State law prescribes the "drawing of lots" to resolve a race that has been certified a tie by a recount court. In a statement on Tuesday, however, the elections board said such a drawing should only be used as a last resort.

Even if the court upholds the tie vote and names are drawn from a bowl, legal experts say the loser can still petition for a second recount.

Virginia's General Assembly convenes on January 10, with party control of the House of Delegates hanging in the balance.

The Republicans hold a 51-49 seat edge, which could change once this race is decided. If Ms Simonds wins the 94th District, Republicans and Democrats will be forced to share power. Or chaos could ensue.

Court clerk Gary Anderson said the judges received Ms Simonds' petition on Wednesday, but he could not say when a hearing might take place if the panel decides to consider it.

Parker Slaybaugh, a spokesman for the House Republican leadership, said party leaders are still reviewing Ms Simonds' filing to decide if they will file a response in court.

Ms Simonds appeared to have lost November's election by 10 votes to Mr Yancey. Then she seemed to have won a recount by a single vote last week. A day later, the recount court in Newport News declared a tie.

Her lawyers claim the court erred when it allowed Mr Yancey's campaign to challenge a ballot after the recount ended. The ballot was identified only after a Republican election official raised concerns the following day.

Ms Simonds' campaign argues it was not given the same chance to identify and challenge ballots post-recount. The lawyers also said the ballot counted for Mr Yancey had two extraneous markings, which should disqualify it from the vote.

Ms Simonds urged the court to seek advice from the Department of Elections and Virginia State Board of Elections in interpreting the ballot.

Board chairman James Alcorn said the only way for it to provide such guidance "would be for us to hold a public meeting".

He said: "If the court requests guidance from the entire State Board, we would comply with any court order."

Ms Simonds said a second recount would be "negative for our community".

She said the process would likely "descend into every ballot being contested to the courts, a nd instead of the citizens making the determination on questionable ballots, it would be the courts - it's better to have that process led by fellow citizens".

AP
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) today wrote to a five-member committee which recommended a minimum compulsory attendance for all students, noting that the "diktat" seeks to manufacture a problem which never existed.

JNUTA President Ayesha Kidwai, in a release said, there were many practices to address the issues of absenteeism and attendance was not one of them.

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"We do not wish to introduce a preliminary screening component of compelled obedience, because the purpose of our pedagogical practices is for students to learn and not just be there," Kidwai said in the letter.

A circular issued by Assistant Registrar (Evaluation) Sajjan Singh directed all the schools, special centres and centres to make attendance mandatory from the winter semester of 2018.

"Overwhelming opinion among teachers is that the diktat seeks to manufacture a problem where none exists," she said, urging the committee to bury the "malicious" motivation behind this unilateral announcement.

The Vice Chancellor has drawn flak from various students outfits ever since the unprecedented decision was announced.

The JNU Students Union, which has strongly condemned the initiative, has called for a council meeting tonight to discuss the future course of action. PTI CPB SMN

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Charlie McCarthy with wife Nicole and their two children

Australian police have warned a fisherman charged with causing grievous bodily harm to an Irish father-of-two who died from a traumatic brain injury that he is likely to face more serious charges such as manslaughter or murder.

Charlie McCarthy (32) died from injuries sustained in a street attack in East Fremantle outside Perth.

He died around 24 hours after being struck on the head following a confrontation with two fishermen as he walked home with his Australian wife Nicole after attending a festive event last Friday night with friends.

Mr McCarthy, who was from Aghada in east Cork, was confronted by one of the fishermen as he walked on Riverside Road to try and find a taxi home. Words were exchanged and the man then attacked Mr McCarthy.

During the altercation he was struck on the temple, apparently with a heavy screwdriver-type implement used to help load a fishing speargun.

A 34-year-old fisherman was arrested a short time later.

Mr McCarthy, who worked for a local cable firm, was rushed to hospital in a critical condition with traumatic brain injuries.

His family, including his brother Daniel, flew from Cork to attend his hospital bedside.

His life support machine was turned off on Sunday night.

Andrew Doan (34), with an address in Joondanna, was charged with inflicting grievous body harm and was remanded to appear again before a Perth magistrate on January 3.

Police have already indicated that the charge is likely to be upgraded to manslaughter or murder once the post-mortem examination is concluded.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the leaders of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium as 'old friends' (Hassene Dridi/AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he wants to mend strained ties with several European nations, saying Turkey is forced to "decrease the number of enemies and increase friends".

In comments published in the Hurriyet newspaper, Mr Erdogan described the leaders of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium as "old friends", called recent contacts with them "quite good" and noted that they, like Turkey, oppose a controversial US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"We have no problems with Germany or with the Netherlands or Belgium," Mr Erdogan told journalists on his return from a trip to Africa.

"On the contrary, those in power there are my old friends. They have wronged me, but that's another matter."

Ties frayed after authorities in some European nations prevented Turkish government ministers from holding political rallies to court expat votes ahead of a referendum in Turkey earlier this year over giving Mr Erdogan expanded powers.

Mr Erdogan aimed a series of insults at his allies accusing European officials of racism, harbouring terrorists and behaving like "Nazis".

European nations have hit out at the state of human rights and democratic institutions in Turkey, especially in the wake of last year's failed military coup.

Mr Erdogan's government embarked on an unprecedented crackdown on opponents, arresting around 50,000 people and purging more than 110,000 public sector workers.

A state of emergency declared after the coup attempt allows Mr Erdogan to rule by decree, often bypassing parliament.

Several German or German-Turkish nationals, including a prominent journalist, have been jailed on terror-related charges as part of the crackdown, further damaging ties with Berlin.

Turkey blames the coup attempt on followers of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The cleric has denied masterminding it.

Mr Erdogan also said he hopes to visit France and the Vatican in the new year.

AP
The estimated cost of the closedown of industry in Northern Ireland during the Christmas holidays at 100m is a significant hole in the local economy

The estimated cost of the closedown of industry in Northern Ireland during the Christmas holidays at 100m is a significant hole in the local economy.

As economist John Simpson asks, is it really necessary for a 10-day break - six of them normal working days?

These long holidays date from more prosperous times when Northern Ireland was a manufacturing powerhouse, but those days are long gone and world trade has got ever more competitive.

Another reason for the bloated holidays is the size of the public sector, which always has enjoyed enviable terms and conditions compared to the private sector.

Of course the emergency services and the retail and hospitality sectors will look on with real envy at those enjoying the extended Christmas break as this is traditionally the revenue-boosting period for both sectors and emergencies happen every day of the year, as tragically underscored this Christmas.

Mr Simpson comes up with an innovative idea in suggesting the removal of the New Year holiday and its replacement with one later in the year, when it would be possible to stagger staff rotas to keep businesses running.

But, as our story today reveals, shortening the holidays over Christmas would present a dilemma for some micro businesses, often comprising of simply the owners, who welcome having a complete break from producing their goods.

That may work well for those businesses whose customers are within the UK or the Republic of Ireland and which follow a similar working pattern, but post-Brexit manufacturers will have to adapt to the more competitive working environments demanded from potential customers in America or China, for example.

The simple fact is that if local companies cannot deliver to those customers' demands then they will not get the business.

Not only will they have to work longer hours but also across different time zones, which will place additional demands on them.

It is clear that Northern Ireland has an under-performing private sector - although there are several world class businesses based here - and that it will need to up its game in the coming years.

That could mean, among other things, shortening holidays, or at least ensuring production is not halted unduly.
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Mitch McConnell selected to lead the Senate Republicans, 40-percent of households pay nothing to the IRS, 75-percent of workers need a second job to offset inflation, food prices hit a record high.

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A picture of John Abraham from Dostana is being used to promote a gay cruise in Mexico.

By India Today Web Desk: It may have been almost a decade since John Abraham's gay act in Dostana, but it looks like its appeal is far from gone. A Mexican gay cruise is using a picture of John in his famous almost-dropping-his-yellow-swim-trunks pose to sell tickets.

A Twitter user named Nia Levy King shared the poster of the 'Wet And Wild gay cruise' with the 45-year-old actor's picture of it along with the caption, "Super curious if John Abraham knows they are using his image to promote gay cruises in Mexico. #Dostana."

Super curious if John Abraham knows they are using his image to promote gay cruises in Mexico. #Dostana pic.twitter.com/swURiDX793- Nia Levy King (@ArtActivistNia) December 24, 2017

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Incidentally, John has earlier gone on the record to say that he does not mind being a gay icon. The actor said that he takes it as a compliment that both men and women see him as desirable.

On the work front, John was last seen on the big screen in last year's release, Force 2. His next Bollywood outing is Parmanu - The Story Of Pokhran, which will hit the theatres on February 23.

The film, which also stars Diana Penty and Boman Irani, is based on the series of underground nuclear tests carried out by the Indian government in Pokhran, Rajasthan.

ALSO WATCH: I want to kiss Abhishek Bachchan, says John Abraham

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Biocon's trastuzumab (filed and marketed through its US partner) is now approved by US FDA.

Singapore - Biocon Ltd., a biopharmaceuticals company, obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its biosimilar trastuzumab through its US Partner.

Biocon's trastuzumab has been approved in the US for all indications included in the label of the reference product including for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer and metastatic stomach cancer (gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma).

Biocon's trastuzumab is the first FDA-approved biosimilar trastuzumab and the first biosimilar from Biocons portfolio to be approved in the U.S. It is only the second oncology biosimilar approved by US FDA. It received FDA approval after a 16-0 favorable vote by the Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC), consisting of oncologists, pharmacologists, statisticians, manufacturing and other experts. In addition, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the Marketing Authorization Application for Biocon's proposed biosimilar trastuzumab for review.

Abdi Ibrahim Remede Pharma (AIRP) as Biocon's commercialization partner in Algeria launched the first biosimilar of trastuzumab named CANMAb in 2016. Under its collaboration with Biocon in Algeria, AIRP also launched the first biosimilar of insulin glargine named BasalogOne in 2017. Both these products are making a difference to patients by allowing them access to affordable biologics for diseases like diabetes and cancer.

The global biologics drug market stands at an estimated US$ 231 billion. Under collaboration with Biocon, AIRP's biosimilars operate in the biologics market which is valued over one third of the US$1 billion total Algeria pharma market.

The introduction and strong adoption of biosimilars in Algeria is expected to facilitate access to safe and effective biological products as well as create substantial savings for the government. In Europe, with over a decade of experience, biosimilar adoption rates have climed over 90% in certain countries and have significantly increased patient access to important, life-saving biologic therapies. It is estimated that regulations on biosimilars adapted to the country's health and economic interests will enable Algeria to reduce its import bill by at least US$ 350 million in 2018 alone.
Is AMR Modern-day FRANKENSTEINS MONSTER?

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) continues to pose a significant public health problem in terms of mortality and economic loss. The rising AMR is a matter of huge concern that needs to be tactfully handled and health authorities of several countries, including India, have formulated action plans for its containment. Significant efforts by the government, an active involvement of startups and diagnostic players is a good start. The question remains, whether this will be enough.

For Feedback, please email us at: communications@mmactiv.com
By India Today Web Desk: It's that time of the year when TV celebs head to their favourite destinations to bring in the New Year. Yeh Hai Mohabbatein actor Karan Patel too has taken a much-deserved break from his hectic schedule to celebrate New Year in London, with wife Ankita Bhargava.

We can understand why the couple chose London to spend the last few days of 2017 and greet 2018. The place is truly special to them because it was their honeymoon destination too.

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The couple who got married on May 3, 2015, went on their honeymoon a year later, but the delay was worth it as the duo spent some super-romantic moments in London, as witnessed by their Instagram feed that was full of PDA pictures.

It's London again for the couple, and their holiday pics will give you couple goals for sure.

"And we are ending 2017 with another vacation. Hoping 2018 brings the world even more closer than before. f to The Snow," wrote Ankita Bhargava.

Have fun, guys!

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Pakistan has said that a final decision has been taken that India will not be granted consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav is in Pakistani jail on the charges of spying that India has contested.

By India Today Web Desk: Hours after India tore into Pakistan for treating the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav shabbily and in humiliating manner, Pakistan reiterated its defiance of the diplomatic protocol.

Pakistan Army's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Islamabad would not provide India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. It said, "Consular access will not be given. The decision has been taken...Western countries have hailed Pakistan for its humanitarian gesture on Kulbashan Jadhav."

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It also denied that Kulbhushan Jadhav was abducted from Iran by a terror group, which handed him over to the ISI. Addressing the media in Rawalpindi, Major General Asif Ghafoor, who is the ISPR Director General, said, "Kulbashan Jadhav was arrested from Pakistan. We take him as an Indian agent, serving Naval officer. It relates to India only. No relation to Iran."

He further said, "A serving Indian Naval office was allowed to meet his family even though he is an established terrorist. India should be thankful. But whatever we do, India will always oppose it."

Major General Ghafoor also denied that there was pressure on Pakistan for arranging a meeting between Kulbhusan Jadhav and his family members.

"There was no pressure on Pakistan to arrange the meeting of Kulbhushan Yadhav with family. If there would have been pressure, we would have given him consular access," the ISPR said.

INDIA SLAMS PAKISTAN OVER KULBHUSHAN

Earlier, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that there was "serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Jadhav", who is on death row in Pakistan for alleged spying. Both Houses of Parliament condemned the treatment meted out to the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan.

Sushma Swaraj pointed out that Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetna were forced to remove their mangalsutra, bindi and bangles and footwear, and even made to change their attire on the pretext of security.

"Both married women were presented as widows in front of a son and husband. There can be no greater insult than this," said Swaraj as other members chorused "shame, shame." "There are not enough words to condemn the same," she said.

Jadhav's mother and wife met him on Monday inside the Pakistan Foreign Office building in Islamabad under unusual circumstances - he was separated from the two women by a glass screen, and they conversed through an intercom.

Avanti was not allowed to speak in their native Marathi language. Chetna's footwear was confiscated. Jadhav's words appeared tutored and the atmosphere was intimidating.

--- ENDS ---
Environmental group Sea Shepherd said fishermen fired 25 shots at one of its night-vision drones in Mexico's Gulf of California, bringing it down.

Various drones have been employed to patrol the Gulf, also known as the Sea of Cortez, to combat illegal fishing and save the critically endangered vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise.
Queensland-based law firm Shine Lawyers is investigating a class action against Apple Inc to get compensation for users of older iPhones affected by updates that slow down their smartphones.

In mid-December, when Reddit members discovered that Apple had issued updates that caused older iPhones to slow, the tech giant issued a formal statement that these updates were to prolong the life of devices.

Shine Lawyers is looking into a class action for older iPhone users in Australia affected by Apple's slowing of their devices. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Class actions were then filed across the United States against Apple, claiming it defrauded iPhone users by slowing their phones without warning to make up for poor battery performance. A case was also filed in Israel.

Now, Australia might have its own class action with Shine Lawyers saying the firm was considering taking its own legal action against the technology giant and encouraging affected Australian iPhone users to come forward.
The Australian government has asked Indian authorities to adopt a period of transition after India introduced a 30 per cent tariff on key agricultural imports that will hit Australian crops harvested this summer.

Australian farmers have been left bitterly disappointed after India implemented a hefty 30 per cent tariff on chickpea and lentil imports, which farmers say is effective immediately and will hit any imports not yet in the country.

Trade Minister Steven Ciobo. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The crops are major earners for Australian agriculture, with Australian chickpea exports to India in fiscal 2017 valued at $1.14 billion, and lentil exports valued at $196 million.

Australian exports of the crops have jumped sharply in recent years. Chickpea exports from Australia to India in fiscal 2017 were 995 per cent greater than in 2011-12, when they were valued at $103.8 million.
The former public servant was working in the Immigration Department when co-workers learnt she was behind the tweets railing against the government's treatment of asylum seekers.

Michaela Banerji was sacked in 2013 after she criticised the Immigration Department via an anonymous Twitter account. Credit:Jay Cronan

Michaela Banerji is taking the government to an appeals tribunal after federal workplace insurer Comcare refused to compensate her for the psychological condition that developed after she was sacked in 2013 over tweets from a pseudonymous Twitter account.

An Immigration Department decision to sack a public servant for tweeting criticisms of Australia's detention policies will be put to the legal test again after the government refused to compensate her for post-traumatic stress.

She lost a high-profile attempt to stop her dismissal in the Federal Circuit Court in 2013, a decision seen as likely to curtail other bureaucrats' use of social media when judge Warwick Neville found Australians had no "unfettered implied right (or freedom) of political expression".

After Comcare denied Ms Banerji compensation for her post-traumatic stress, she took the workplace insurer to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal last month where her lawyers hope the case is referred to the full bench of the Federal Court for a fresh round of arguments over whether her sacking was lawful.

In a case that Ms Banerji's lawyer Allan Anforth from Canberra Chambers says could have implications for other public and private sector employees, her legal counsel says Comcare's refusal was based on a dismissal that was unlawful because it intruded on her right to free political expression.

Her tweets, made from the Twitter handle @LaLegale, were anonymous and did not disclose confidential departmental information, but an internal investigation in 2012 found she had breached the code of conduct for government employees.

In a submission to the tribunal, her legal counsel said the tweets were posted from her own phone and, in most cases, outside work hours.
Police are re-examining the 2013 death of a cheerleader and dancer who fell from a Gold Coast apartment balcony after her boyfriend sent a string of abusive texts.

Cruise ship entertainer Dan Shearin was jailed for two months after pleading guilty to harassing Breeana Robinson with messages labelling her a "complete f---ing moron" and a "stupid bitch" but was released on appeal.

Dan Shearin and Breeana Robinson.

An inquest into the 21-year-old former Gold Coast Titans cheerleaders death had been set down for November this year but was delayed to a date still to be set.

A Queensland police spokeswoman confirmed the service had been asked to review elements of the evidence.
A Chinese government backed training airport in northern NSW will increase its number of flights by 1000 per cent under a development proposal as Australia struggles to avoid a local pilot shortage.

The Australian International Aviation College, which is being used to train Chinese pilots for the Communist party backed Hainan Airlines, is seeking to increase its flights in the airport from 2868 per year to 28,687 per year.

Hainan, which is 8.25 per cent owned by the Chinese provincial government, is providing funding for the training runway, one of at least three pilot training schools across Australia being used to train Chinese pilots.

The federal government was forced to open up temporary visas for foreign pilots in July in a bid to stop a pilot shortage that experts warn could cripple regional air services.
Augmented reality will become a better-known phrase as a superior version of Google Glass arrives. Imagine walking into a store, putting on techie glasses and learning immediately about product bargains, quality ratings and items you might want to buy, as you do now when shopping on the web. That kind of useful information will seep into our public spaces, and you will be able to speak a command and have your favourite cheese waiting for you at the grocery checkout, at a discount of course.

For instance, the coming year will see a major expansion of the internet of things, especially home and other smart devices subject to our commands. So much of our time with information technology has been taken up by texting and Facebook, pure communications of symbols and photos and videos. The next steps will be controlling our doors, heating systems, lights, stoves and refrigerators, and moving toward driverless cars. The virtual world will be managing our older physical processes more and more.

The onset of a new year brings plenty of predictions, and so I will hazard one: Many of the biggest events of 2018 will be bound together by a common theme, namely the collision of the virtual internet with the real "flesh and blood" world. This integration is likely to steer our daily lives, our economy, and maybe even politics to an unprecedented degree.

Integration will shape the financial world too. Bitcoin has been an online sensation since its origin in 2009, but it has existed as a kind of closed universe, both intellectually and in terms of its impact on other financial markets. Late in 2017, futures contracts for bitcoin started on both the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which means Bitcoin now intersects with a world of collateral, margin requirements, potentially insolvent traders, and publicly verifiable values for contract settlement. So far this process has gone fine. But whatever your prediction for the future, this integration of real and virtual worlds will either make or break Bitcoin and other crypto-assets.

Yet more of the advances on the tech side are troubling, such as how artificial intelligence is being used for facial surveillance in China, and how Chinese social credit rating systems are assessing the suitability of individuals as both credit risks and loyal citizens. I expect many other autocracies to adopt similar technologies, and so "control of information" will mean "control of people" more and more.

In America, social media has split foreign policy to proceed along two very separate lines. There is the process-oriented, expertise-based approach emanating from some of President Donald Trump's advisers, and also from the State Department. Then there is Trump, who conducts much of his personalised, individualised foreign policy on Twitter, including threats to North Korea and insults to various allies. So far the process-oriented and Twitter-oriented foreign policies have coexisted, however uneasily. I see 2018 as the year where these two foreign policies converge in some manner. Either Trump's tweets end up driving actual foreign policy and its concrete, "boots on the ground" realisation, or the real-world policy prevails and the tweets become far less relevant.

As for conflict, cyberwar will escalate to the point where it is seen like an act of physical aggression, comparable to bombing civilians, rather than existing in its own separate sphere.

One under-discussed feature of the internet to date has been its role as an add-on in human affairs. Internet use brings extra benefits, but if you don't want to use the internet, you still can get most things done, in the physical world at least, though you probably are relying on other people to use the internet for you. People therefore can partake in the internet to varying degrees, while still intersecting broadly through the same common public institutions. Even without using email you can vote, buy groceries, drive your car, and send your kids to school.
Hitting out at Pakistan for ill-treating Jadhav's family, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a strongly-worded statement in Parliament, said both the married women were made to look like widows while meeting Kulbhushan.

Kulbhushan Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistan court.

By India Today Web Desk: Three days since Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife Chetankul and mother Avanti met him in a Pakistan prison on December 25, the "inhuman" manner in which the meeting was conducted has been widely discussed and debated.

Before meeting Jadhav, who is on death row, his wife and mother were made to remove their bangles, mangalsutra and bindi. During the 40-minute meeting, Jadhav and his family were separated by a glass barrier, and were not allowed to speak in Marathi or Hindi.

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Both the ruling BJP and the Opposition have slammed Pakistan for humiliating Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother during the visit.

Hitting out at Pakistan for ill-treating Jadhav's family, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a strongly-worded statement in Parliament, said both the married women were made to look like widows while meeting Kulbhushan.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj slams Pakistan in Rajya Sabha. Photo: ANI.

HERE IS A BLOW-BY-BLOW ACCOUNT OF ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE KULBHUSHAN JADHAV's ARREST LAST YEAR:

KULBHUSHAV JADHAV ARRESTED

March 3, 2016: Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former naval officer, arrested.

March 24, 2016: Pakistan security forces claim Jadhav is an "an Indian spy" arrested from southern Balochistan.

March 26, 2016: India says there is no proof of Pakistan's claim that Kulbhushan Jadhav, a retired navy officer, who owns a cargo business in Iran, was arrested in Balochistan.

March 29, 2016: New Delhi seeks consular access to Jadhav. Until recently, India has made 18 requests for consular access from Pakistan, all of which have been turned down.

PAK COURT SENTENCES JADHAV

April 12, 2016: According to a media report, Jadhav was charged with terrorism and sabotage in an FIR filed against him by the provincial Balochistan government.

April 15, 2016: Pakistan briefs envoys of the Arab and ASEAN countries over Indo-Pak ties and the arrest of an alleged Indian spy. It had earlier made a similar briefing to envoys of the US, the UK, Russia, China and France.

April 10, 2017: A Pakistani army court sentences Jadhav to death for "for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan". India warns Islamabad that it is a case of "premeditated murder".

SUSHMA SLAMS PAK IN PARLIAMENT

April 11, 2017: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj makes a statement in Parliament, asserting that India will go "out of way" to ensure justice to Jadhav who is an "innocent kidnapped Indian".

April 14, 2017: India demands from Pakistan a certified copy of the chargesheet as well as the judgment in the death sentence of its national Kulbhushan Jadhav and seeks consular access to him.

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April 20, 2017: India officially seeks from Pakistan details of the trial proceedings against Kulbhushan Jadhav as well as the appeal process in the case.

JADHAV EXECUTION PUT ON HOLD

April 27, 2017: Sushma Swaraj writes to Pakistan Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz requesting visa for Jadhav's family.

May 8, 2017: India approaches the International Court of Justice at Hague against Pak military courts decision.

May 9, 2017: International Court of Justice (ICJ) stays Kulbhushan Jadhav's execution.

Senior lawyer Harish Salve fought India's case at the International Court of Justice. Photo: ANI.

May 15, 2017: India and Pakistan cross swords at the ICJ over Jadhav's case with New Delhi demanding the immediate suspension of his death sentence and Islamabad accusing it of using the world body as a stage for "political theatre" through a "misconceived" plea.

May 18, 2017: ICJ tells Pakistan to put his execution on hold pending its final order. Noted lawyer Harish Salve represents India.

CONFESSIONAL VIDEO, MANUFACTURED FACTS

June 22, 2017: Pakistan military releases a confessional video of Kulbhushan Jadhav where is purportedly "accepting his acts of terrorism and espionage". India rejects the video as "farcical" which uses "manufactured facts".

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July 1-2, 2017: India seeks consular access for Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time, Pakistan turns down the request.

July 10, 2017: Sushma Swaraj hits out at then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz for not responded to her request for visa for Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother to travel to Pakistan. Pakistan says the request is under consideration.

JADHAV MEETS FAMILY AFTER 22 MONTHS

November 10, 2017: Pakistan Foreign Office says it has "decided to arrange a meeting of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds".

November 23, 2017: India seeks sovereign guarantee from Pakistan to ensure the safety of Jadhav's family during the visit. India further states the family will be accompanied by an Indian High Commission representative.

December 8, 2017: Pakistan says it will allow Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother Avanti Jadhav to meet him on December 25.

December 25, 2017: After a long wait, Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother, wife meet the ex-Naval officer. They communicate with him through a glass ceiling.

Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother Avanti, wife Chetankul in Pakistan. Photo: Reuters.

December 26: India reacts strongly to Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother being made to remove their bangles, mangalsutra and bindi. According to some reports, Jadhav's wife Chetna was asked to remove her shoes before the visit which were reportedly sent for forensic examination.

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December 28, 2017: Sushma Swaraj slams Pakistan in Parliament for humiliating wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav during the visit.

--- ENDS ---
It was announced last week that Lily OBriens, the Irish manufacturer of premium chocolate and desserts, has agreed to be acquired by Colian Holding SA for 40 million on a debt-free, cash free basis from its existing shareholders, the Carlyle Cardinal Ireland Fund (CCI) and members of the Lily OBriens management team. The acquisition is expected to complete in January 2018.

Lily OBriens was established in 1992 by Mary Ann OBrien in the kitchen of her home. The company today employs 120 people at its Newbridge plant and generated revenues in excess of 30 million during 2016.



CCI, the private equity fund focusing on investments across the island of Ireland founded by The Carlyle Group and Cardinal Capital Group, acquired a majority shareholding in Lily OBriens in January 2014, investing alongside Eoin Donnelly (CEO), Mary Ann OBrien (founder) and other members of the management team. Lily OBriens has undergone significant growth during the four years of CCI ownership. Since 2013, total revenues and global export revenues have increased by almost 50%, underpinned by increased investment in production facilities and new product development.



Lily OBriens will continue to be run by its existing Irish management team led by CEO, Eoin Donnelly, with Mary Ann OBrien remaining as a director and consultant to the company. Colians vision is to continue the growth trajectory of Lily OBriens as a premium global chocolate and dessert brand through further investment in production, sales and marketing, and innovation. Lily OBriens will continue to develop its Newbridge operations to support this growth.



Employing approx. 2,000 people, Colian Holdings SA is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (COL:WSE) and is a Polish producer and distributor of food products in the confectionary, culinary products and beverage sectors. Colian has a number of leading and trusted brands in the Polish market, and exports to over 60 countries around the world. Colian also owns the well-known UK chocolate brand, Elizabeth Shaw.



Speaking last week, CEO of Lily OBriens, Eoin Donnelly said, "CCI has been a fantastic partner for Lily OBriens and the management team over the last four years, as the company increased its international sales, invested in new production capacity and enlarged the employee base. We selected Colian as the new owner for the business given our shared vision of growing our brand globally. Colian exports to over 60 countries worldwide, providing us with access to potential new markets, and their commitment to new product development and innovation is very exciting for employees and the company."



Managing Director at The Carlyle Group, Jonathan Cosgrave added, "Lily OBriens was our first investment in the Irish market and working with a world class management team led by Eoin and Mary Ann has been a privilege for us. The business has grown in every respect during the four years of our investment and the acquisition price recognises the value of both the Lily OBriens brand and the capabilities of the business. It has also created a sustainable impact for the Irish economy."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Bank of Ireland has today released its latest economic pulse which is conducted by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of Bank of Ireland with 1,000 households and over 2,000 businesses on a range of topics including the economy, their financial situation, spending plans, house price expectations and business activity.



The Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse stood at 88.9 in December 2017. The index, which combines the results of the Consumer and Business Pulses, was down 1.5 on Novembers reading and 3.5 on this time last year. The mood was generally more muted this month and the research was conducted as the first phase of the Brexit negotiations - and the Irish Border issue in particular - reached a critical juncture.



The Consumer Pulse eased back in December 2017, to 94.7 from 95.9 in November. Households downgraded their assessment of the economic situation this month and were also a little less positive about the buying climate (34% considered it a good time to purchase big ticket items such as furniture and electrical goods compared with 36% last month). The index was up 5.3 on this time last year though, and with the growing economy and ongoing job and income gains providing support, consumer confidence gained ground in 2017.

The Housing Pulse was broadly unchanged in December 2017 at 117.0. House price expectations were in firm positive territory this month, as they have been all year. The data show that four in five survey respondents expect prices to rise in the next 12 months, with two in five anticipating gains in excess of 5%. Rising house prices are a concern for 38% and while the supply of housing is increasing, it remains well shy of demand and is unlikely to catch up for some time to come. This is putting pressure on rents as well as prices, 43% worried about the cost of renting with 72% expecting rents to increase over the coming year.



The Business Pulse came in at 87.5 in December 2017, down 1.6 on last months reading and 5.7 on a year ago. It was a mixed picture this month, with the Industry and Retail Pulses (led by medium / larger firms) advancing, the Services Pulse retreating a little and the Construction Pulse retreating a lot (this comes after a strong November reading). All four sector Pulses ended the year below where they started it though.

More generally, business sentiment softened in 2017 as, inter alia, the repercussions of the UKs decision to leave the EU continued to play out. Progress has now been made on the first phase of the Brexit negotiations, which means the focus can turn to the new relationship between the UK and the EU and a transition period to it.



Group Chief Economist at Bank of Ireland, Dr. Loretta OSullivan said, "Business sentiment in particular took a knock in the wake of the leave vote and a year and a half later, the Business Pulse is still off its pre-Brexit levels. The weak pound is a headwind for some firms, while for others uncertainty is the main worry."

She added, "The recent progress in the withdrawal negotiations is a positive though and will enable the talks to move on to phase two, where the focus will be squarely on the new relationship and a transition period to it. Getting to this point has not been easy however. There have been a number of bumps in the road and there will likely be more to come, which we will undoubtedly see play out in the Economic Pulse next year."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
The Chinese government will continue to waive the current 10% tax on new-energy vehicles purchases until the end of 2020. The tax rebate was due to expire at the end of this year. Photo: Visual China

China will extend a tax rebate on the purchase of new-energy vehicles, reflecting the countrys ongoing efforts to boost the emerging sector.

The government will continue to waive the current 10% purchase tax on new-energy vehicles until the end of 2020, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Wednesday. The current tax rebate policy was due to expire at the end of this year.

New-energy vehicles include hybrid cars as well as those powered exclusively by electric batteries or hydrogen fuel cells.

The announcement spurred stocks in the sector to rise significantly on Wednesday. The share price of Shenzhen-based car manufacturer BYD Co. Ltd., for instance, rose 5.92% by close of trading.





The tax waiver was rolled out in 2014 and, along with other government subsidies, has helped make China the worlds largest electric vehicle market, with more than 500,000 units sold last year  almost half of global output.

But the years-long subsidy program has led to widespread fraud. An industry-wide investigation launched by regulators late last year found that companies employed a range of tricks to qualify for state support, including falsifying data.

Regulators are also concerned about overcapacity in the industry. Beijing launched a probe into the low quality, blind expansion in the electric vehicle sector in October, according to the Ministry of Finance.





Given the downsides, China plans to completely phase out the subsidy program by 2020. The central government will slash subsidies by 20% starting next year, instead of waiting until 2019 as originally planned. And subsidies provided at the local-government level will be completely phased out as early as next year, sources close to policymakers recently told Caixin

Beijing has instead opted for a quota system that will require all carmakers to ensure a certain percentage of sales come from low- or zero-emission vehicles, starting from 2019. The quota will be gradually increased, forcing automakers to buy credits from other producers for every conventional car they make.

Contact reporter Mo Yelin (yelinmo@caixin.com)
Turkmenistan exported 2.19 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China in November, compared with 2.81 billion cubic meters in September. Above, a natural gas facility is seen in Turkmenistan in November 2013. Photo: Visual China

Natural gas imports into China from Central Asia fell for the third month in a row in November, exacerbating a gas shortage that has left thousands of northern Chinese households without heating amid harsh winter weather.

Turkmenistan, a major gas supplier, exported 2.19 billion cubic meters (77.34 billion cubic feet) of natural gas to China in November, compared with 2.81 billion cubic meters in September, according to figures from Chinas customs authority. The volume supplied by Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan rose slightly from October to November, but was not enough to offset the fall in supply from Turkmenistan, the figures showed.

The year-end tapering of the gas supply comes after a year of unprecedented off-season demand from China, according to Li Yao, chief executive director of consulting firm SIA Energy. Outside of the traditional winter peak season, Chinas gas imports through its Central Asian pipelines reached an unusual high in April. An average of over 100 million cubic meters were imported per day that month, due to factors including increased demand for gas for industrial uses and power generation, Li said.

In 2016, Turkmenistan supplied 29.8 billion cubic meters of gas to China, according to calculations by SIA Energy. In the first 10 months of 2017, the Central Asian country had already sent a total 29 billion cubic meters down the pipeline to China. The off season was not off this year, Li said.

In 2007, state-owned PetroChina signed a gas purchase agreement with Turkmenistan for 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year for 30 years. Turkmenistan fulfilled nearly all of its supply obligations this year before the official northern Chinese heating season began on Nov. 15.

Chinas demand for natural gas has surged this year amid a nationwide campaign to switch from dirtier coal-fired energy to cleaner gas. From January through November, the countrys consumption of natural gas was 19% higher than in the same period last year. The average annual growth rate in the 2012 to 2016 period was 11%.

At the same time, Turkmenistan, which currently exports most of its gas to China, has begun to consider exporting more natural gas to Europe through Russian pipelines. And in Uzbekistan, a domestic gas shortage has led the country to reduce the volume it exports.

In April, PetroChina announced its plan to have at least 420 million cubic meters of natural gas available within China each day during the winter, of which 120 million cubic meters was to come from Central Asia. In September, after a coordination meeting between authorities from China, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, the expected winter supply from Central Asia was raised to 137 million cubic meters per day.

But by November, the supply from the region had plummeted to 94 million per day on average, even dropping to as low as 9,000 cubic meters on a single day.

PetroChina Vice Chairman Wang Dongjin traveled to Uzbekistan on Dec. 18 to investigate the situation and meet with the chairman of national energy company Uzbekneftegaz, Alisher Sultanov, according to PetroChina. Sultanov apologized for the failure of Uzbekneftegaz to match the agreed-upon supply level, and said it will increase the supply as soon as possible. Sultanov also asked for technical assistance from CNPC to improve Uzbekistans gas supply capacity, PetroChina said.

Other personnel from PetroChina have also been sent to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to assess the situation and request more gas.

According to PetroChina, Turkmenistans Amu Darya River Natural Gas Co. has agreed to open six new wells in order to increase its daily output by 2.73 million cubic meters.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com)
Hong Kongs government has fetched 51% more from land sales this year, with Chinese mainland buyers paying some of the highest prices.

As of Thursday, HK$128.3 billion ($16.41 billion) of revenue has been made from land sold in Hong Kong this year, up from HK$84.7 billion over all of 2016, according to the special administrative regions Lands Department. Thursdays figure does not include revenues from the auction of two parcels of land that have not closed.

Nineteen parcels of land were sold this year, and six of them were won by bids backed by mainland Chinese companies or consortiums that included Chinese investors, according to the Lands Department data.

In mid-November, a waterfront residential site in Kowloon was sold to a group of bidders including Shimao Property Holdings Ltd. at HK$17.28 billion, making it the most expensive residential plot in the city. This broke the citys previous record set in February, when another waterfront residential site on Hong Kong Island was sold to a joint bid by Logan Property Holdings and KWG Property Holdings for HK$16.8 billion.

The influx of mainland capital into the Hong Kong market has increased competition in land tenders in Hong Kong, Willy W.K. Liu, the president of local real estate agency Ricacorp Properties, told Caixin.

Additionally, Hong Kong property prices have risen for several years in a row, so developers still believe there is room for profit, even at such high prices, Liu said.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com)
Mr Lee Chee Koon, Group Chief Investment Officer (Designate) of CapitaLand Limited and CEO of The Ascott Limited, said: CapitaLand has an established presence in Europe in the serviced residence sector through Ascott. This acquisition marks CapitaLands entry into the commercial sector in Germany, one of the worlds largest and most stable economies. The freehold office building we have acquired is currently 84% occupied by over 30 quality tenants. Established international companies like Dell and Mastercard have set up their German headquarters there. Lufthansa has also headquartered its customer loyalty operations in the building. MAC is expected to attain an occupancy rate of over 95% by June 2018 based on the leases already secured for next year. We will continue exploring the possibility of enhancing the property to further increase MACs value proposition for incoming tenants.

Demand for commercial real estate is expected to rise given Germanys positive economic outlook. Frankfurts office market is on an upswing as many major multinational companies and Japanese banks are planning to open new offices in Frankfurt. The citys office leasing market remained strong in 3Q 2017 with a 24% year-on-year increase in take-up of leases[2]. Transaction volume for offices also grew by around 13% year-on-year [2]. We see strong potential to step up investments in commercial real estate in Europe and key cities worldwide, as we expand our serviced residence and mall portfolios.

MAC is strategically located close to the Frankfurt Airport, one of the top five busiest airports in Europe, and a 20-minute drive to Frankfurts Central Business District. It is also located in close proximity to several hotels near the airport. The district where MAC is situated is an increasingly popular location for international and domestic companies, from varied industries such as aviation, logistics, technology, business services, consulting and healthcare.

MAC is also expected to attract more tenants as the district becomes more vibrant when a new metro station just 600 metres away is ready in 2019, and a third airport terminal opens come 2023. The metro station will offer a 10-minute direct connection to the city centre, just three stops away, and to the airport; providing easy access to other major cities in Germany.

Germanys economic growth steamed ahead in the third quarter this year, driven mainly by exports and investment, and is on track for its strongest year of growth since 2011. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.8% in the third quarter, topping the 0.6% median forecast in a Bloomberg survey[3]. Frankfurt is the top investment destination in Germany[4]. It is at the core of the dynamic Rhine-Main Metropolitan region that boasts 365,000 companies with close to 2.9 million employees generating an annual GDP of over 200 billion[5].

CapitaLand together with its commercial real estate investment trust, CapitaLand Commercial Trust, is Singapores largest prime office landlord; it also owns and operates commercial properties in China, Japan and Vietnam. In September 2017, CapitaLand Commercial Trust acquired Asia Square Tower 2 in Singapore for S$2.09 billion. CapitaLand, CapitaLand Commercial Trust and Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. formed a joint venture in July to redevelop Golden Shoe Car Park into a 280-metre tall, 51-storey landmark integrated development in the heart of Singapores Central Business District. The total development is estimated to cost S$1.82 billion and is expected to be completed in 2021.

CapitaLands serviced residence unit Ascott has been operating in Germany for 15 years and its real estate investment trust, Ascott Residence Trust, owns five properties with over 700 units across Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich in Germany. This includes the 165-unit Citadines City Centre Frankfurt, a 20-minute drive from the MAC.

Please refer to Annex for property details on MAC.
Modified On Feb 08, 2018 01:01 PM By Khan Mohd. for Maruti Swift 2014-2021

The third-gen Swift, which will be showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo, is likely to carry forward the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engine from the outgoing model

Update: The all-new Maruti Suzuki Swift has been launched at Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) - Read the complete details here.

The all-new Maruti Suzuki Swift, which is likely to be displayed at the 2018 Auto Expo, was spied undisguised for the first time in the country. Although it was snapped wearing heavy camouflage earlier, the latest set of images were captured while the TV commercial for the hatchback was being shot. The image reveals a different set of alloy wheels compared to the International model. The homegrown carmaker will launch the third-gen Swift early next year.

The new Swift is a radical departure from its predecessor in almost all aspects, be it exterior styling, cabin space and comfort or features. However, theres one thing thats expected to remain the same in the new model  the engines.

Heres all the info about the new Swift  All You Need To Know About The Next-Gen Swift

The 1.2-litre petrol engine in the current Swift produces 84PS/115Nm while the 1.3-litre diesel motor pumps 75PS/190Nm. Both engines are mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The biggest addition, however, could be the availability of an automatic transmission with both the engines. Moreover, there are reports that suggest Suzuki could also tune the engines to extract more power. The new Swift is based on the HearTect platform that underpins the Dzire, Baleno and Ignis in the country. Its chassis is expected to be on the stiffer side this time around to further augment the fun-to-drive factor of the Swift.

At the recently held Tokyo Motor Show in Japan, the carmaker displayed the Swift Sport  the Swift with a 1.4-litre Boosterjet engine. Moreover, similar to the Baleno RS available in India, Suzuki is likely to launch the Swift RS in the country with the 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine that also powers the sportier Baleno.

Like the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, the third-generation Swift is expected to be loaded to the gills with features. It will be equipped with auto LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights, 15-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, tail lamps with LED graphics and standard dual airbags and ABS (anti-lock braking system). Moreover, itll also share the Dzires 7.0-inch SLDA infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with MirrorLink connectivity.

The new Maruti Suzuki Swift is expected to command some premium over current models prices. For reference, the outgoing generation of the Swift is priced between Rs 4.80 lakh and Rs 7.58 lakh. When launched, it will compete with the likes of the Hyundai Grand i10 and Ford Figo.

Stay tuned to CarDekho for more updates on the new Swift.

Recommended read: Auto Expo 2018: Maruti Suzukis Expected Lineup

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Read More on : Maruti Swift 2018 on road price
Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Gauri Shankar Shejwar is in trouble over alleged use of government money for his wife and sister-in-law.

By Hemender Sharma: Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Gauri Shankar Shejwar is in trouble over alleged use of government money for his wife and sister-in-law.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta has directed the state chief secretary to submit documents related with minister's visit to Karnataka in 2016. Though, the minister was accorded the status of a state guest by the Karnataka government from February 11 to February 16, 2016, he ended up spending around Rs 2 lakh of the MP Eco-Tourism Development Board's fund, it is being alleged.

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A complaint to this effect has been filed with the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta by a Bhopal-based RTI activist Ajay Dubey. Dubey in his complaint has furnished documents accessed through the RTI Act that include the MP Eco-Tourism Board's communication with the Karnataka government for according a state guest status to Shejwar. Dubey has also alleged that the minister's complicity was evident from the fact that he returned Rs 63,884 to the MP Eco-Tourism Development Board after he raised the issue in April 2016.

Among those who travelled with Gauri Shankar Shejwar during his visit to Karnataka in February 2016 include his wife Dr Kiran Shejwar and his sister-in-law Dr Shashi Thakur both of whom are MP government servants.

The Lokayukta has also asked the chief secretary to provide the travel records of the then CEO of the MP Eco Tourism Development Board by January 16, 2018.

Gauri Shankar Shejwar, however, has denied all the charges against him and called the allegations motivated and baseless.

"I had gone to Karnataka, my family members were also accompanying me, the government paid for the expenses of only those who were eligible. I paid for my relatives and nothing wrong was found in the audit," he said.

The Opposition Congress is not willing to accept the defense offered by Shejwar.

"The fact that the Lokayukta has registered a preliminary inquiry in itself shows the minister's complicity. Mr Guari Shankar Shejwar should immediately resign and he should not hold any government office till his name is there in the Lokayukta inquiry," Pankaj Chaturvedi, spokesman of the MP Congress said.

--- ENDS ---
CRITERIA DETAILS

Date for Online Registration and Payment of Application Fees 16.12.2017 to 30.12.2017

Online Download of Call letter for Examination 25.01.2018

Online Examination February 2018

Declaration of results 3 days after conducting of Online examination

Download of call letters for Interview 15 days after the declaration of result

Conduct of Interview 3 days after the last date of downloading interview call letters

Age Limit Candidates must be between 23 years and 30 years

Educational Qualification MBA / MMS from a recognized University and must have acquired the first class (60% and above) throughout, starting from S.S.C. up to MBA/MMS(First class in every semester/trimester).

Skills required Operating and working knowledge in computer systems is mandatory i.e. candidateshouldhaveCertificate/ Diploma in computer operations/Language/ should have studied Computer/Information Technology as one of the subjects in the High School/College/Institute

Paper pattern Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, English, General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness, English Language, Data Analysis & Interpretation

Exam centres Mumbai (including Greater Mumbai/Navi Mumbai), Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Jalgaon, Satara, Sangli, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Kankavali, Ahmednagar and Kolhapur



Online Application http://ibps.sifyitest.com/dnsbpmodec17/

Official notification http://dnsbank.in/Encyc/2017/12/14/481_04_26_34_PMO_Advt.pdf
The Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India has recently announced a rural development project by bringing together hundreds of Universities under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan project.

"A path-breaking and silo-breaking initiative that brings multiple ministries towards a fruitful rural immersion program for university students #UnnatBharat Abhiyan #IamNewIndia," read the tweet from Ministry of HRD through its official handle.

A path-breaking and silo-breaking initiative that brings multiple ministries towards a fruitful rural immersion program for university students #UnnatBharat Abhiyan #IAmNewIndia pic.twitter.com/y2YyGwMq7B  Ministry of HRD (@HRDMinistry) December 28, 2017

What is the project about?

The project involves students from chosen colleges to devise a solution for rural problems. Students will be motivated to take part in it through a credit marks systems.

One Crore Students Targeted for MOOC Enrollment: HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar

Here are the six points jotted down for this vision project by the HRD Ministry in its picture tweet:

Scheme is developed as per PM Narendra Modi's vision spelt out at IIT Gandhinagar that "educational institutions shall work for the masses." Motivated student and faculty members will visit chosen villages about 20 times in a year to familiarise themselves with the village and gain a clear understanding of the issues and devise solutions Universities to commit a budget for field visits, studies and engagement activity at village and district levels. Solutions formulated to be funded by district administration 250 technical institutions and 500 non-technical institutions will be selected for 2017-18. Students will learn and also contribute. They will get credits for the work Institutions with domain knowledge in particular field and proven track record in customising solutions for rural areas will partner as Subject Matter Experts Experience will help faculty re-orient their research to problems specific to rural Indians. Villages will benefit through work

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar also retweeted this, confirming the execution of the action plan.

1000 B.Ed and D.Ed Courses to Face Closure: HRD Ministry
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Yes, theres actually a poop-themed joint in South Korea. And the worst part is, it serves food. Yikes. While South Koreas take on whats appropriate for a cafe certainly pushes the envelope, there are plenty of spots that make the list of totally bizarre, off-the-wall eateries.

Interested in hearing more? We thought you might be. Without further ado, here are 15 themed restaurants, cafes, and pop-up spots thatll leave you scratching your head.

1. Cure Maid Cafe, Tokyo, Japan

This may be the first, but its certainly not the only Japanese maid cafe. In fact, there are over 200 of these in Japan alone, with more popping up in other countries across the world. So, what exactly do these cafes entail in the first place? Well, its a rather bizarre sight for those whove never experienced it before.

Young women are clad in cutesy outfits. Some wear bunny ears, and theyre even ready to don the customers with a pair, too. The main theme at most of these maid cafes is for the employees to act as servants would in your own home. Kind of creepy if you ask us.

Next: The maid cafes counterpart

2. Schoolboy-themed cafe, Harajuku, Japan

So, yeah, theres also a place where young boys are the objects of affection. At Edelstein Cafe in Japan, its the women who are doing the fantasizing. According to CNN, The cafe pretends to be a private boys school somewhere in Europe, where the young male students double as waiters for visitors, especially those who like boys love, or manga about beautiful boys in love with each other. This place sounds like its really humping the fence of whats legal, or at least appropriate.

Next: And possibly the grossest food concept of all time goes to 

3. The Poop Cafe, Seoul, South Korea

This is the moment youve been waiting for. Here, we present you with, at first glance, the most disgusting restaurant concept of all time. Find it in Seoul, South Korea, and never, ever look back. The poop emoji is certainly enjoying its 15 minute, and never has it been more evident than inside The Poop Cafe. (In fact, there used to be one of these spots in California, too. But it went down the toilet years ago.)

Restroom-inspired drawing cover the walls, pastries come in the shape of poop, and menu items are served up in mini toilet bowls. No. Joke.

Next: Youll have to go through security to get into this place.

4. Fife & Drum at the Northeastern Correctional Center in Concord, Massachusetts

While most places on this list are the definition of an Instagram-lovers dream, this place is not. In fact, itd be rather tough to snap a pic inside this restaurant, because its located inside a prison. With only 12 tables and an atmosphere that leaves much to be desired, Fife and Drum is the only prison restaurant open to the public. But dont let the stark environment of this minimum-security prison fool you.

The farmland setting means that the produce is locally grown, and that the prisoners get to do meaningful work  work theyll actually be able to use after theyre released. In fact, one former inmate went on to work at the Food Network.

Meals are made from scratch, lunch costs $3.21, and customers are helping to support a worthy cause, all while enjoying delicious food. The Fife and Drum offers culinary training for inmates, a program run for 22 years by Eddie Jacbos, a trained instructor and former restaurateur, The Boston Globe reports. And the inmates really do do it all, working as cooks, bakers, servers, busboys, and dishwashers.

Next: Obsessed with mermaids much?

5. Mermaid Island Cafe, Pathum Thani, Thailand

For some reason, mermaids have made quite the comeback. However, in our opinion, its certainly a trend that needs to die. But thats neither here nor there. If you do happen to be into the mermaid sensation, then Thailand has just the place for you.

Mermaid Island Cafe in Pathum Thani, Thailand, is an adorable deep-sea oasis that people are flocking to every day, PopSugar reports. Put on one of the fins the cafe provides, get comfortable at a turquoise and pink table, and prepare for an ocean-themed experience.

Next: This place is at the top of the unicorn-themed-game.

6. Unicorn Cafe, Thailand

For everyone whos totally horn-over-heels for all things unicorn, this ones for you. Not a far cry from the aforementioned mermaid-themed spot, the Unicorn Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand packs quite the colorful punch, as well. In fact, the colorful nature of the place will slap you right in the face the second you walk in. Apparently, you can live in a world thats all rainbows and unicorns.

The interior of the cafe looks like a pastel explosion fashioned by Lisa Frank on her most manic day, Delish writes. Theres unicorn wallpaper, unicorn carpet, unicorn statues, powder blue and pink furniture, and unicorn dolls and toys everywhere. And oh, if youd rather eat your meal alongside a herd of My Little Ponies, you can do that, too.

Next: This place will actually make you want to eat on a plane.

7. The Airplane Restaurant, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is home to the Air Force Academy, which makes it the perfect location for this airplane-inspired eatery. The Airplane Restaurant is, quite literally, exactly what it sounds like. The venue is a Boeing KC-97 tanker that was built in 1953 and later transformed into a restaurant. This quirky spot has been serving up dishes with a side of patriotism and lessons in aviation history since 2002.

Next: This place gives trailer trash a whole new meaning.

8. The Trailer Park Lounge, New York, New York

Touted as The place to meet your next Ex,' The Trailer Park Lounge is located in New Yorks hip Chelsea neighborhood. With a Tacky Tiki Bar, a front screen door, kitschy decor, and 8-tracks playing in the background, this place really lives up to its name. Its all the fare youd expect  chili, burgers, BLTs, and the like.

If youre still scratching your head on this one, perhaps this will help you make sense of it all. The idea was inspired by an Elvis impersonator with whom the owners had a brief, yet powerful encounter. The encounter, which took place at a doughnut shop in Florida, of all places, is the tale told. Whether this account is 100% true? Were not so sure. But who cares? The Trailer Park Lounge has gotten rave reviews, and thats really all that matters.

Next: Were dying to go to this cafe.

9. Cereal Killer Cafe, London

As our very favorite name on the list, the Cereal Killer Cafe is exactly what everyones inner Saturday-morning-cartoon-loving kid-at-heart needs. The venue features ceiling-height shelves stocked high with the most enviable cereal collection known to man, and customer. One look at their Instagram account, and youll get it.

And if you still need convincing, how about this: The seating area is in the basement, complete with a Bart Simpson bed and mini TVs playing none other than throwback cartoons.

Next: There are plenty of Hello Kitty lovers out there to keep this place in business.

10. Hello Kitty Cafe, Arcadia, California

In April, 2017, Hello Kitty superfans got their ultimate wish. Thats right, a Hello Kitty Mini Cafe opened in the Westfield Santa Anita mall. Taking the food court scene to the next level, the cafe is just as whimsical, cutesy, and colorful as one would imagine. Menu items include cookies, tarts, and even a Hello Kitty pocket pie. How adorable is that?

Next: Seeing double?

11. Twin Stars diner, Moscow, Russia

Double vision even before youve had your fair share of cocktails? Thats exactly what happens to customers who eat at the Twin Stars diner in Moscow, Russia. The place consists of an all-twins staff, so theres a good chance youll be confused throughout your entire meal. But does this Moscow-based restaurant do it as well as the original? Not according to the identical twin sisters who owned and operated the twin-themed spot in New York City.

Turns out, the first restaurant in this category  if a twin-themed restaurant is even a category  was Twins Restaurant. Located in the Big Apple, the restaurant employed only identical sets of twins. And apparently, the spot attracted tons of sets of multiples over the years. However, Twins Restaurant closed in 2000, but theres talk of another location opening at some point.

Next: These cafes are just too cute.

12. Cat Cafes (multiple locations)

Cat cafes may be a relatively new concept in the U.S., but the idea isnt totally outside the (litter) box. In fact, Japan was hot on the trend years ago. And recently, cat cafes have been popping up all over the country in places such as Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston, and San Diego. The mission? To get cats off the streets, provide them with a safe environment, and offer patrons lots of kitty snuggles, of course.

And the best part is, customers are often allowed, and encouraged to adopt a cat, should they fall in love with one while sipping on a hot beverage.

Next: This restaurant gives the term blind date a whole new meaning.

13. Opaque, San Francisco and Los Angeles, California

Here, we have a truly unique restaurant. More importantly, the restaurant has an unheard-of request, or rather a requirement, for every guest who dines there. The requirement at Opaque, by nature of the setting, is to leave technology behind, because youll be dining in the pitch black.

At Opaque, customers feast on a pre-set menu in complete darkness. So, theres no room for snapping pics at this place. Youll actually have to make conversation throughout an entire meal. Imagine that!

Next: How good are your karate skills?

14. Ninja New York, New York, New York

A ninja-themed restaurant? Only in New York, folks! According to Frank Brunis review in The New York Times, Ninja New York seems like something from a Saturday Night Live skit. As Bruni describes the atmosphere, the restaurant deposits you in a kooky, dreary subterranean labyrinth that seems better suited to coal mining than to supping. You are greeted there by servers in black costumes who ceaselessly bow, regularly yelp and ever so occasionally tumble, and you are asked to choose between two routes to your table.

Sound like fun to you? Give it a try next time youre in the city.

Next: If you need a refresher course in sex-ed, this place is for you.

15. Cabbages & Condoms (multiple locations in Thailand)

If there were ever a restaurant with a worthy cause, this is it. Theres one mission at the forefront of Cabbages & Condoms, and thats to educate the public and promote the health and safety aspects of condom use in a fun and amusing manner. All proceeds go to the Population and Community Development Association. Can ya dig it?

Read more: Do You Remember Eating at Any of These Failed Restaurant Chains?

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These Are the Craziest Things You Can Order From McDonalds Around the World

When you head to McDonalds, you probably order something classic. Perhaps a Big Mac or a Quarter Pounder. Maybe fries or an order of chicken nuggets, and possibly a Coke.

Even though we know McDonalds isnt a healthy meal, we all like to indulge in our favorite comfort foods every once in a while. And its not just Americans who head to McDonalds for a familiar meal. Plenty of other countries frequent the chain, too. But the menu items that are familiar to McDonalds patrons in other countries would look completely unfamiliar to golden arches fans in the United States.

Read on to check out the craziest things you can order from McDonalds around the world.

1. Blue cheese and bacon burger

In France, McDonalds offers a blue cheese and bacon burger. And it turns out that McDonalds actually serves these burgers with a fork and a knife  just like the other offerings on the Signature burger menu.

The recyclable plastic cutlery doesnt sound like that big of a deal. But when the burger first appeared on the menu, its steep $15 price tag elicited complaints from customers. French patrons were also surprised by the choice to give forks to only one set of patrons.

Next: McDonalds serves this traditional dish in Malaysia.

2. Bubur Ayam McD

In Malaysia, you can order the Bubur Ayam McD, the McDonalds version of a classic Indonesian dish. According to the McDonalds menu, this order consists of Juicy chicken strips in mouth-watering porridge, garnished with spring onions, sliced ginger, fried shallots and diced chilies. Just like mums cooking! The Telegraph reports that McDonalds locations in Singapore serve a similar dish, called a Chicken Singaporridge. (Wheres the eye-roll emoji when you need it?)

Next: Customers in Singapore can order this cute entree.

3. Fish dippers

Another unusual menu item you can sample in Singapore? Fish Dippers, fish-shaped nuggets of Alaskan pollock. The fish gets coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried until crispy. McDonalds serves the Fish Dippers with a side of tartar sauce.

The chain introduced the menu item alongside a Classic Ebi burger. That sandwich features a shrimp patty topped with tangy mustard. And to complement both entrees, McDonalds offers Seaweed Shaker Fries: Classic McDonalds fries dusted with nori flakes.

Next: This Japanese burger is one of the most famous additions to the international menu.

4. Gracoro burger

Every winter, McDonalds locations in Japan bring back the Gracoro burger, a menu item few Americans will understand. Gracoro combines the Japanese words for gratin and croquette. The burger is a perplexing combination of the two. Instead of a meat patty, the burger contains a croquette filled with white sauce, shrimp, and macaroni, dredged in breadcrumbs, and fried.

Next: This burger returns to the menu each year for a Japanese festival.

5. Lunar eclipse burger

Another annual tradition at McDonalds in Japan is the Tsukimi Burger menu. These burgers and sandwiches, named for the moon-viewing festival held in mid-autumn, get topped with a round fried egg, strips of bacon, and a specially formulated sauce. (Dishes featuring fried eggs traditionally appear in Japan for the Tsukimi festival, as the yolk is reminiscent of the moon.)

The Lunar Eclipse Burger features two beef patties, and other sandwiches on the menu add cheese or swap the beef for chicken.

Next: This menu item from India introduces flavors many Americans havent yet tried.

6. Maharaja Mac Junior

Developed especially for vegetarian McDonalds patrons in India, the Maharaja Mac Junior features a corn and cheese patty, plus lettuce and jalapenos. The sandwich is part of the Maharaja family, which also includes the Chicken Maharaja Mac. These sandwiches feature a cocktail sauce that mingles with fiery jalapenos and crunchy shredded onion placed on cheddar cheese and bed of iceberg lettuce.

Next: McDonalds serves this sandwich to Dutch and Belgian customers.

7. McKroket

The McKroket first gained notoriety when it appeared on McDonalds menus in the Netherlands and Belgium. The name, a play on the culinary term croquette, gives away exactly whats inside. The sandwich consists of a fried croquette of beef ragout. That gets topped with mustard sauce and then placed in a signature McDonalds bun. McDonalds later added the sandwich to the menu in Curacao, a Dutch Caribbean island.

Next: This menu item reimagines a classic burger with some unexpected ingredients.

8. McRice burger

Tired of regular burgers? That wouldnt be a problem if you lived in New Zealand or the Philippines. In both countries, customers can order the McRice burger. This delicacy replaces the standard hamburger bun with rice cakes instead. The grains of rice are pressed together to form each patty, then the whole patty gets toasted and topped with sesame seeds.

Next: This unusual side remains on the menu in the Philippines.

9. McSpaghetti

Another unusual menu item you can order at golden arches locations in the Philippines? McSpaghetti. Interestingly enough, the company tried offering this side in the United States during the 1980s. At the time, it had decided to experiment with adding Italian foods to its menu.

Options like the McPizza and McSpaghetti didnt do well in the United States. But apparently, McSpaghetti caught on in southeast Asia. Today, this dish is only available at McDonalds locations in the Philippines.

Next: McDonals serves this riff on Italian foods only in India.

10. Pizza McPuff

McDonalds has officially thrown in the towel on the McPizza, which, until recently, was served at two American locations. However, if you find yourself at a McDonalds in India, you can try the tangentially related Pizza McPuff. Inside the savory dough, this menu item features tomato sauce, carrots, bell peppers, beans, onions, peas, and mozzarella.

McDonalds sells vegetarian items like this one in many countries. But even veggie burgers dont sell at locations in the United States.

Next: Youll find this surprising side on McDonalds menus in Sweden.

11. Salt and pepper fries

In the United States, McDonalds sells one variety of fries. But it sells an entirely different kind in Sweden, where customers can order salt and pepper waffle fries. McDonalds also tried out waffle fries as a limited-time holiday menu item at select locations in Canada. Americans were jealous, but that didnt convince McDonalds to try offering its waffle fries stateside.

Next: This unconventional burger might raise some eyebrows in the United States.

12. Shrimp burger

In the United States, most people think of beef when you say the word burger. But in Cyprus, McDonalds offers a surprisingly popular shrimp burger. Interestingly enough, the sandwich isnt the only seafood item on the menu. McDonalds also offers the Filet-o-Fish and the McFish in Cyprus. And, more recently, the company introduced a version of the shrimp burger in South Korea, too. There, customers can choose between spicy and lemon varieties.

Next: This menu item puts a surprising twist on a familiar dish.

13. Spicy chicken McNuggets

Most Americans have tried McDonalds chicken nuggets. But did you know that the company offers Spicy Chicken McNuggets in Singapore?

This spicy dish has a cult following in the region. The nuggets have small pieces of red and green chili peppers mixed into the batter. But if youre wary of spicy foods, dont worry. Theyre reportedly not much spicier than standard McDonalds chicken nuggets.

Next: This attention-grabbing sandwich comes on a black bun.

14. Spicy Korean burger

Some of McDonalds most attention-grabbing burgers are served on black buns, a dramatic departure from the usual hamburger bun. In Malaysia, McDonalds offered a spicy Korean burger (on a black bun) for a limited time. The dish featured kimchi, plus a bun colored black with charcoal.

Similarly, in Singapore, McDonalds put a Seoul spicy burger on the menu. You can order that sandwich with either beef or chicken and pair it with Kimchi Shaker Fries for an extra kick.

Next: This sweet treat will look very unfamiliar to most Americans.

15. Sweet taro pie

In the United States, many McDonalds patrons have tried the chains baked pies. But most would be alarmed to see a purple filling inside this tasty dessert. In Hong Kong, McDonalds serves pies filled with taro, a root vegetable that has a distinctive purple tint. Taro appears in many Chinese desserts. McDonalds Sweet Taro Pie looks just like the more familiar apple pie until you take a bite.

Next: This dessert looks like a burger  but it definitely wont taste like one.

16. Sweety con Nutella

If you find yourself at a McDonalds location in Italy, you can order the Sweety con Nutella. This menu item looks like a burger at first. Also, it features the same kind of bread McDonalds uses for numerous sandwiches. But instead of a beef patty, the Sweety con Nutella features a generous serving of Nutella hazelnut and cocoa spread. Its served in a traditional hamburger box and is part of the Italian McCafe menu.

Read More: These Are the Biggest Food Failures McDonalds Ever Made

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Lets face it, United Airlines had an absolutely terrible year of customer service. They throw people off of planes more often than a drill sergeant teaching soldiers how to sky-dive. Here is a look back at some of the worst customer service incidents that United Airlines has caused. Well start off easy and let each one be worse than the last. At the end, Ill give you my personal opinion, for a post-script that summarizes the one huge issue that can be fixed.

1. Make way for the politician

Embed from Getty Images

Recently, a passenger by the name of Jean-Marie Simon claims that she was booted off a United Airlines flight because they needed to make room for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston. United Airlines claims that Simon had canceled her flight due to weather concerns. Simon vehemently denies ever canceling the ticket. As an apology, United Airlines issued her a $500 voucher to use on her next flight. Rep. Lee was unaware that she had been given her seat until after the situation had already occurred.

United Airlines issued an apology saying Were disappointed any time a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation.

Next: Well, at least the passenger got somewhere. Never mind that it was the wrong side of the planet.

2. Paris is the same as San Francisco, right?

For anyone whos seen Home Alone 2, the idea of getting on the wrong flight is a nightmare. Try imagining doing it in a country in which you didnt speak the most common language. Thats what happened to Lucie Bahetoukilae when she boarded her flight from New York to Paris.

The only problem is that she boarded a flight to San Francisco. She claims that the airline switched her gates at the last minute. She showed the employee her ticket and she was allowed to board the plane. Then someone was in her corresponding seat and asked for help. Another flight attendant just placed her in another seat.

In a very rare instance, United Airlines issued an apology AND a full refund. Bahetoukilae did eventually make it home to Paris. United Airlines issued an apology saying Were disappointed any time a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation.

Next: This can slow your honeymoon plans down drastically.

3. You cant sit there

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A couple that was getting ready to go on their honeymoon earlier this year, ran into a bit of snag on their way to Costa Rica. They boarded the plane along with all the other passengers and went directly to their seat. When they got there, there was a man who had already boarded in all three seats taking a nap. Being the calm and courteous people they were, they took other seats because the plane was nowhere near being close to full.

Even though it was a half-empty plane, a flight attendant asked them if they were in the right seat. They said they werent, explained the situation, asked if they could purchase an upgrade (they were denied), and started moving towards their assigned seat just a couple rows back in the same economy-class.

Thats when an air marshall came aboard and asked them to disembark the plane. Knowing United Airlines policies of beating people who did not comply, they immediately deboarded the plane without confrontation and without incident.

United Airlines claims that the couple had been uncooperative with the flight attendants and unruly on the plane. They were booked on another flight a couple of days later.

United Airlines issued an apology saying Were disappointed any time a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation.

Next: Apparently they have a list of people that are more important than you.

4. First class doesnt mean youll get to fly in first class

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Geoff Fearns was on a business trip in Hawaii that had to be cut short. He promptly bought a first class ticket from Kaui to Los Angeles and headed straight for the airport. When he arrived, he checked in, went through TSA, boarded the plane, and began to enjoy his glass of complimentary O.J.

Then United Airlines employee came rushing onto the plane and asked that Fearns vacate the seat. First, it was because they said it was overfull, then the truth came out and said that there was a more important person that needed the seat. Fearns claims that they threatened to put him in handcuffs if he did not comply.

United had another flight where the plane had mechanical issues. When they swapped the plane out, they replaced it with a slightly smaller plane, leaving some first class passengers without a seat. Instead of booking them on the next flight, they started moving people around on his flight.

To add insult to injury, they downgraded him to an economy class seat (thats not the bad part) in between a fighting couple who refused to sit next to each other. They apparently argued for the full 6-hour flight home.

When Fearns got back home he contacted a lawyer and the lawyer asked the CEO for a full refund of the $1,000 ticket and to make a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice. A customer care specialist got back to him and said forget about the refund, let alone the donation. Eventually, United Airlines offered a refund of the difference between the ticket prices and a $500 credit on any future flight.

United Airlines issued an apology saying Were disappointed any time a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation.

Next: Your pets probably wont arrive safe or alive.

5. Simon the rabbit meets an untimely end

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Simon the rabbit was purchased for the sole purpose of raising money for the Iowa state fair. He was purchased from a family in England and shipped to the Iowa Investment Groups chosen family. In route to the states, Simon was traveling through Chicago OHare airport where it was found dead, locked in a freezer for 16 hours and eventually cremated before the owners even knew what happened to him. Simon was just 10 months old at the time of his death.

United Airlines deny any wrongdoing and the allegation that he was locked in a freezer for 16 hours to die. The Iowa Investment Group is suing for the cost of purchasing Simon, the costs of shipping Simon, and any lost revenue the giant rabbit would have certainly gained.

It is also very important to note that United Airlines accounts for a third of all animal-related deaths in airline transportation for the last five years.

Next: They can barely follow FAA regulations.

6. The 300-year-old violin

Musician Yennifer Correia was traveling to Chicago to play in an orchestra with her 300-year-old violin that costs tens of thousands of dollars. But she was stopped at the gate and was told she had to pay $50 to check the Violin. Obviously, Correia didnt want to risk her almost priceless instrument getting damaged, so she asked if there was anything that could be done.

Thats when a supervisor told her that she needed to calm down and they began to get into a verbal altercation. Eventually, that lead to the supervisor lunging at her luggage so that she could strip the tag off of her bags once Correia demanded to get her name. The altercation ended when Correia asked bystanders to begin filming the incident.

Federal law requires airlines to allow musicians to carry any small instruments aboard any plane just like any other carry on luggage.

United Airlines issued an apology, stating were disappointed any time a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation.

Next: The incident that made everyone start to pay attention to United Airlines a lot more. 

7. David Doa gets dragged off of his flight, bloodied and beaten

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One of the biggest stories of 2017 is the story of United airlines and David Doa. Somehow, for the gazillionth time this year, United Airlines overbooked a flight. They offered passengers that were already on board vouchers to vacate the plane to make room for other United employees who needed to get to work. When no one volunteered as tribute, they just selected someone at random. That random person was Dr. David Doa, who was in route to practice medicine and help other people.

Naturally, because he actually needed to be on that flight, he refused to give up his seat. For that, he was dragged and beaten by security so bad that he had his teeth knocked out and is seen visibly bleeding in the hatchway. for the incident, he has since sued United Airlines and received untold compensation.

United Airlines CEO, Oscar Munoz issued a series of public and employee statements about the situation, one of which he commended his employees for following procedure. Rather than their typical statement of Were disappointed any time a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation.

Next: If theres one thing you take away from this article, please let it be this

8. Airlines, in general, need to change

The incidents that continue to happen to United Airlines are not unique to United. Across all the major airlines, not one of them sticks out in addressing customer needs, nor do they go above the call of duty in order to make them a cut above the other (except when theyre compared to United).

Personally, I worked 15 years in the service industry and every time something went wrong, we, the restaurant and myself, would find a way to make it right on the spot if we ever did anything in the smallest way wrong. Sometimes that would be in the form of a comped drink or food item. If the situation were especially bad, we would comp the entire meal and issue a gift card for a future visit if they would just give us a second chance.

We did that because we know that the person who was choosing to patronize our business was looking for an experience. That is exactly what traveling is: an experience. Sure, United can issue the same were disappointed any time a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation, statement over and over again, but they really never did anything to make up for the horrible things they did, and continue to do wrong.

Playing the devils advocate, I kind of get it. They are hampered by a lot of regulation in a post-9/11 world. But that doesnt mean that in these situations, where there is literally no federal law being violated, they couldnt have bent their rules to the needs of the customer. All in all, airlines need to up their customer service game in a big way, and that goes double for United.

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Some countries hate the United States, while others love it. Many factors, including American ideas about democracy and the policies of President Donald Trump, influence global opinions about America. Most countries see things they like and things they dislike happening in the U.S. But people in some nations think that the bad far outweighs the good  and gives them good reason to dislike America.

Below, check out the countries that hate America the most, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center.

15. Chile

Unfavorability rating: 47%

Chile starts off the list of the countries that hate America. 47% of the Chilean public gave the United States an unfavorable rating. That means that only a little more than half of the population has a positive opinion of the U.S. The U.S. State Department characterizes Chile as one of the United States strongest partners in Latin America. But Chileans, along with residents of other Latin American countries, resent Donald Trumps limited definition of America. And of course, they dont appreciate the presidents plan to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

Next: This country doesnt understand Americas obsession with individual rights.

14. Australia

Unfavorability rating: 48%

Next on the list is Australia. There, 48% of the public gives the United States an unfavorable rating. Australias ABC Online reported back in 2010 that The presidency of George W. Bush has elevated anti-Americanism to a global sport in Australia and elsewhere in the world. Things dont seem to have gotten better with Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

In fact, The New York Times reports that Australians marvel now more than ever at the American love affair with individual rights over the collective. Many people in Australia believe that the American propensity for self-empowerment fuels both the white nationalist and anti-racist counter-protester.

Next: This country used to love the United States.

13. Canada

Unfavorability rating: 51%

Canada hasnt always disapproved of its neighbor. But Pew found that 51% of the Canadian public now has an unfavorable opinion of the United States. Unfortunately, Donald Trump and his policies likely have a lot to do with that. As The Toronto Star explains, the Pew data shows that a majority of Canadians now dislike the U.S. for the first time in at least 35 years (though possibly much longer).

Nonetheless, the paper admitted that Canada also has a long tradition of anti-Americanism. As a historian tells the publication, Most Canadians think, I believe, that the Americans go into periodic episodes of utter craziness, and theyre in one now.

Next: Some Americans love this Scandinavian country, but it doesnt love them back.

12. Sweden

Unfavorability rating: 51%

Liberal America has a Sweden fetish, as Good Magazine puts it. But no part of the Scandinavian country appears to feel the same way about the United States. Pew found that 51% of the Swedish public gives the U.S. an unfavorable rating. Donald Trump has only renewed American fantasies for the apparent liberal wonderland that is Sweden. But he has also further alienated real-life Sweden.

Yet the Local reported even in 2011 that The U.S. divides opinion in Sweden. To some it is the land of the free, to others the home of the depraved. That division likely wont go away anytime soon  at least not as long as Trump sits in the Oval Office.

Next: Many Americans hate this country, and it returns the favor.

11. Russia

Unfavorability rating: 52%

Many Americans dislike Russia. And Russia hates the United States back. Pew found that 52% of the Russian public gives the U.S. an unfavorable rating. The New York Times reported in 2015 that Russia has long resented the United States. Yet Anti-Americanism is more potent now because it is stirred up and in many ways sponsored by the state, an effort that Russians, despite their hard-bitten cynicism, seem surprisingly susceptible to.

More recently, Vanity Fair reported that Russians are frightened and flummoxed by Donald Trump. But Russians also poke fun at America and Americans. In fact, many see in Americans a profound stupidity, a myopia, a lack of insightinto Russia, into themselves.

Next: This American country looks disdainfully at the U.S., especially Donald Trump.

10. France

Unfavorability rating: 52%

Americans have long felt that France hates the United States. And Pews data doesnt offer a very reassuring picture. In fact, 52% of the French public has an unfavorable opinion of the U.S. Slate reported in 2003 that the Bush administrations policies before and after 9/11 at least partially explain the French distaste for the United States. The French seemed much more receptive to Barack Obama.

But Donald Trump gets only a cool welcome in France. (And elsewhere in Europe.) In fact, the French hate Donald Trump more than they hate Russian president Vladimir Putin, Chinese president Xi Jinping, and German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Next: This country thinks of the U.S. as a scapegoat.

9. Greece

Unfavorability rating: 53%

Pew found that 53% of the Greek public dislikes America. A Gallup report in 2013 indicated that Greeces growing dislike for the United States seemed to coincide with the countrys economic tailspin. So the unfavorability may not be all our fault. After all, many countries with economic or political challenges tend to look to the U.S., a symbol of privileged first-world free-market capitalism, as a scapegoat.

Yet you cant let the United States totally off the hook, either. Many world leaders, including Greeces prime minister, warned about Donald Trumps evil ideas during his presidential campaign. While those leaders have had to backtrack, Greeces disdain for Trump and his policies hasnt gone away.

Next: This country believes many stereotypes about Americans.

8. Netherlands

Unfavorability rating: 59%

Pew found that a full 59% of the Dutch public gives the United States an unfavorable rating. By some accounts, the Dutch regard Americans as ignorant, fat, and rabid about their right to carry guns anywhere. People in the Netherlands would also characterize Americans as racists, as extremist Christians, as loud, and even as paranoid.

But many voters in the Netherlands view the U.S. as home to more than those stereotypes. Many worried that the surge of populism ushered in by Donald Trump could come for Holland next  an outcome that most clearly didnt want. In fact, the Dutch even feared election-meddling from America just as the U.S. argued over meddling by Russia.

Next: This European country has a reputation for anti-Americanism.

7. Spain

Unfavorability rating: 60%

Another country that seems to hate America? Spain, where 60% of the public gives the U.S. an unfavorable rating. As in other countries, anti-Americanism in Spain isnt a new phenomenon. Disagreements over the war on terrorism and other important foreign policy issues seems at least partly to blame.

Plus, Spains choice to support the U.S. in Iraq  despite popular opposition  grew even more unpopular when a jailed al Qaeda leader linked the March 11 Madrid bombings to the war in Iraq. Anti-American sentiment only grew as George W. Bush escalated the war on terror. Pew found that few Spaniards have confidence in Donald Trump. Trumps response to a recent attack in Barcelona likely didnt help.

Next: This North African nation has a negative outlook on many things, including America.

6. Tunisia

Unfavorability rating: 61%

In the North African country of Tunisia, Pew found that 61% of the public gives the United States an unfavorable rating. A few factors at play? Political upheaval, for one. Mass demonstrations in Tunisia set the tone for the Arab Spring. The movement hoped to bring in new governments that would deliver political reform, but instead ushered in more war and violence, according to Amnesty International.

Tunisia emerged as the only relative success story, with a new constitution in place. But Amnesty International reports that human rights remain under attack. Barack Obama focused on aiding Tunisia with its economy and security. But at least so far, Donald Trump seems ambivalent about the relationship between the two countries.

Next: This European view has long harbored resentment for the United States.

5. Germany

Unfavorability rating: 62%

In Germany, Pew found that 62% of the public gives the United States an unfavorable rating. That lands Germany in the top five among the countries that hate America the most. Most German public television channels portray Donald Trump in a negative light. Plus, Germans hate Trumps anti-European Union views.

But theres evidence that at least some of the problem predates Trump. Only about 50% of Germans expressed positive views for Barack Obama in 2015. And it hasnt sat well with Germany that America more or less does what it believes to be in the best interests of itself and its allies without listening to Germanys advice.

Next: This country likes Donald Trump better than his predecessor, but still hates the United States.

4. Lebanon

Unfavorability rating: 64%

Another country that definitely hates the United States? Lebanon. There, Pew found that 64% of the public gives the U.S. an unfavorable rating. 64% sounds pretty bad. But there may be a silver lining. While Pew found that Donald Trumps election hurt the U.S.s image in many parts of the world, that doesnt seem to be the case in Lebanon.

Surprisingly enough, Donald Trump has become more popular than his predecessor in many parts of the Middle East, including in Lebanon. Lebanon has been overwhelmed by the civil war in its neighbor, Syria. And the country seems to hope that Trump will change what it sees as a big gap between Americas inspirational rhetoric and its actions.

Next: This country has a pretty good reason to dislike the U.S., and especially Donald Trump.

3. Mexico

Unfavorability rating: 65%

In Mexico, the percentage of the public that gives the United States an unfavorable rating has soared to 65%. And its not hard to figure out why. Donald Trumps promise to build a wall along the border between the U.S. and Mexico, plus his anti-immigrant rhetoric, havent proven popular in Mexico. Yet USA Today reports that Mexico has another good reason to resent the United States.

USA Today explains, Americans often forget that a large part of the United States once belonged to Mexico. But most Mexicans are keenly aware that the United States, eager to expand West, invaded Mexico and the two countries fought a war from 1846 to 1848. The publication adds, When it was over, Mexico lost half its territory to the United States, including the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. 

Next: Numerous issues plague the U.S.s relationship with this country.

2. Turkey

Unfavorability rating: 79%

Tensions between the United States and Turkey have escalated. And you can tell by looking at the Pew Research Centers numbers. A whopping 79% of the Turkish public has an unfavorable opinion of the United States. CNN reports that there are several sticking points that have been eating away at the US-Turkey alliance for years. Those include Washingtons irritation over detentions in Turkey, as well as controversy over Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim Turkish cleric who lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S.

Also a problem? Turkeys opposition to U.S. support for an alliance of rebel fighters that includes a Kurdish faction. The countries also differ in their opinions on a brawl outside the Turkish ambassadors residence in Washington. And of course they disagree on Turkeys gold-for-oil scandal involving Iran.

Next: This Arab country could use Americas help, but doesnt have a positive view of the U.S.

1. Jordan

Unfavorability rating: 82%

As for the country that hates America the most? That would be Jordan, where 82% of the public has an unfavorable opinion of the United States. This Arab countrys interests align with American support for peace and opposition to terrorism in the Middle East. And Jordan has served as a base for U.S. air operations against ISIS in Syria, where the war has displaced millions of people, thousands of whom have settled in Jordan.

Jordans small size and weak economy have made it reliant on international aid, including from the United States. Trump had a great opportunity to expand and improve the U.S. relationship with Jordan  but so far hasnt taken many positive steps.

Read more: Youll Never Believe the Most Hated Countries in the World

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Why This Unexpected Country Is About to Become the Hottest Travel Destination, According to Experts

Has your Instagram feed been flooded with pictures of the Blue Lagoon? Every year, it seems as if expats and jet-setters gravitate toward one particular country. In 2017, Iceland earned the title of Most Popular, seeing several million tourists this year alone. But the prediction for the year to come is a little warmer.

The Iceland effect

Over the last several years, tourism to Iceland skyrocketed. The countrys reputation of having gorgeous untouched landscapes and unique natural experiences has spread around the world, and the fact that it often has subzero temperatures and little daylight didnt seem to deter anyone. Iceland itself is partially to blame for this  after the volcano Eyjafjallajokull wreaked havoc on tourism, they got to work billing themselves as a safe and amazing country.

But chilly Iceland is no longer quite as hot to tourists, and for the residents who are tired of constant crowds, thats perfectly fine.

The 2017 shift

Although Iceland remained an extremely popular pick for travel throughout the year, theyve seen a definite decline. The country of 300,000 people was definitely saved by tourism, but its clear that its now becoming too saturated to sustain the prior crowds. In the summer, Reykjaviks restaurants are filled to capacity, and there is sometimes a shortage of hotel rooms.

Whats next?

The latest hot spot has already seen a sharp increase in tourism: Its Portugal. And considering its warm weather, fresh seafood, and beautiful beaches, its easy to see why people who visit love it. This once overlooked country in southwestern Europe has suddenly become the hottest travel destination around, and its showing no signs of slowing down.

Why Portugal?

So how does a country become the next Iceland? The answer is a bit bleak. The European financial crisis threatened to bankrupt Portugal just a few years ago, but after the EU bailout, the country has become revitalized. New businesses are popping up left and right, and the art scene is thriving.

Portugals top traits

Portugal is the perfect place to visit for those that love rich history, delicious food, a pleasant climate, and a thriving arts scene  in other words, pretty much everyone. As of now, its relatively affordable to go, and one of the top attractions is the bookstore that inspired J.K Rowling to write Harry Potter (its Lello, and it now costs four euros to go inside). Tourism began increasing about five years ago, and its showing no signs of slowing down.

The best places in Portugal to visit

Ready to jump on the Portugal bandwagon? According to travel experts, starting is Lisbon is the way to go. Visiting Portugals capital city is a great way to see what the country and its people are all about. Sintra is just a short drive away, offering colorful buildings and streets lined with charming cafes. For the most beautiful beaches, head to Lagos, and definitely check out the extremely popular city of Porto.

When to visit

Good news: There really isnt a bad time to visit Portugal since the winters are mild. The best times, however, are from March to May or September to October, especially if youre visiting a popular place like Lisbon. Thats when youll find smaller crowds and cheaper accommodations, but the weather will still be nice and warm.

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By PTI: Chennai, Dec 28 (PTI) The Madras High Court today refused to stay eviction of residents from 36 slums in the city saying a blanket order cannot be granted without hearing the state governments version.

Refusing any interim relief, a vacation bench headed by Justice MS Ramesh ordered notice to the state government returnable by January 5, 2108 on a PIL moved by Pennurimai Iyakkam, a womens welfare organisation.

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Charging the Public Works Department and Chennai Corporation with resorting to mass eviction of slum-dwellers without abiding by the provisions of Tamil Nadu Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act of 1971, it claimed slum dwellers across the city were being evicted forcibly without notification of their residential areas as slum areas, as required under the law.

According to the petitioner, already residents of about 22 slums in MK Stalin Nagar and Thideer Nagar had been evicted fully and those in five slums had been evicted partially. Residents of about 36 slums in the west, east and south of Cooum, Tiruverkadu and Melpakkam, among other places, were facing the threat of eviction, the petitioner added.

The petitioner further contended that alternative accommodation provided for such evicted families at far-off locations, has led to loss of livelihood and educational opportunities for their children.

"The displaced children, without the possibility of continued education, fall in the hands of anti-social elements, and which is not good for society," the organisation said in the plea. PTI COR SS ZMN MVV

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Creating a Consistent Interpretation of Jesus' Teachings

Copan's Argument. In Crucifixion of the Warrior God (CWG) and Cross Vision (CV) I argue that the violent depictions of God in the OT are incompatible with the non-violent, self-sacrificial, enemy-embracing God who is fully revealed in the crucified Christ. It's my contention that we therefore need to interpret these violent divine portraits, as well as the rest of Scripture, through the lens of the cross. And it is only when we interpret these portraits in this way that we can discern how they bear witness to the crucified Christ, as all Scripture is ultimately supposed to do (Jn 5:39-47; Lk 24:44-47; I Cor 15:3).

Paul Copan doesn't disclose an alternative way of understanding how the OT's violent portraits of God bear witness to the cross, but he is nevertheless confident that my proposed way of disclosing this is misguided. Indeed, he is opposed to any suggestion that the violent portraits of God in the OT need to be reinterpreted at all. In his view, these portraits are not incompatible with what we learn about God from Jesus and the NT. To establish this point, Copan highlights passages in the NT that he believes depict God in violent ways or that otherwise condone violence, as we have seen over the last several posts.

Arguing along these lines, Copan notes that I understand Hosea's depiction of Yahweh vowing to "cut [Israel] to pieces" to be a reflection of Hosea's "fallen and culturally conditioned heart" and mind (CWG, 798-99). If this is correct, Copan suggests, then I must accept that Jesus also had a fallen and culturally conditioned heart and mind, for he argues that "Jesus uses identical language." He writes that in Jesus' teachings,

God is a "severe" master (Lk 19:21-22, 46), an angry landowner (21:33) who will "bring those wretches to a wretched end" (Lk 21:41; cf. "kill" in Lk 20:16), and will "cut them in pieces" (Mt 24:51//Lk 12:46).

These passages are found in three parables of Jesus: the parable of a master and a wicked servant (Mt 24:45-51; Lk 12:42-46), the parable of ten pounds that was given to three servants of a wealthy landowner when he went away on a long journey (Lk 19:11-27), and the parable of an owner of a vineyard who acquired hostile tenants (Matthew 21:33-41; Lk 20:9-16). I will respond to the first two of these parables in this post, and the last in the subsequent post.

A Preliminary Word. Before I address these parables, however, I think it worth pointing out that the depiction of Yahweh vowing "to cut [Israel] to pieces" was just a small part of what I said reflected Hosea's "fallen and culturally conditioned heart and mind." I was also referring to Hosea's depiction of Yahweh as an enraged husband who was going to drag his wife [Israel] into the desert and have her die of thirst after ripping off her clothes so other men could see her "lewdness" (Hos 2:3, 9-10). I was referring as well to Hosea's depiction of Yahweh as "a lion" who was going to "rip apart" Israel and "devour them" (Hos 13:7-8). And I was referring to Hosea's depiction of Yahweh declaring he "no longer loved [Israel" but instead "hated them" (Hos 9:15) as well as his depiction of Yahweh vowing to "send fire on their cities" (8:14), "slay their cherished offspring" (9:16, c. v.12), and to have "their pregnant women ripped open" and "their little ones...dashed to the ground" (13:16, CWG 798-99).

If Copan is going to stand by his claim that Jesus has the same conception of God as Hosea, he must accept that Jesus could have said all these things. Indeed, since Jesus is God Incarnate, he must accept that Jesus himself did all these things. I, for one, have a hard time imagining Jesus ripping open the wombs of young pregnant women in a fit of rage and smashing their unborn children on the ground.

Searching for a Consistent Interpretation. Still, if Jesus meant to depict God cutting people to pieces in the passages Copan cites, then we must concede that Jesus' revelation of God is not altogether loving and non-violent. But this concession would also create a tremendous problem for us, for now we would have to reconcile these violent depictions of God with the cross. Jesus chose to die out of love for his enemies and at the hand of his enemies rather than to use the power available to him to crush his enemies, and in CWG I spend 87 pages (141-228) demonstrating that the NT regards Jesus' self-sacrificial death to be the fullest revelation of God's eternal character. For example, on the basis of the cross, John concludes that "God is love" (I Jn 4:8) and he defines the kind of "love" God is, and the kind of love God's people are to consistently demonstrate, by pointing us to the cross (I Jn 3:16, cf. Eph 5:1-2).

We would also have to reconcile Jesus' alleged violent images of God with the teachings of Jesus that God is altogether loving and non-violent. For example, Jesus teaches us that we are to love indiscriminately  like the rain falls and like the sun shines  because this is how our heavenly Father loves. Consistent with this, Jesus teaches that our ability and willingness to love and bless our enemies is the central criteria for being considered "children of your Father in heaven" (Mt 5:44-45).

In this light, I submit that if there is a way of interpreting the passages Copan cites that is consistent with Jesus' example and teachings that reveal a completely loving and non-violent God, it ought to be preferred over Copan's violent interpretation of these passages. And as it turns out, this is not at all hard to do, for all the passages Copan cites are parables, and once we understand the nature of parables, we'll see that these parables are not intended to teach that God ever cuts people to pieces. [1]

The Nature of Parables. There are three things we need to know about parables if we are to interpret them correctly. First, there is an "is" and "is not" quality to all parables, and the key to correctly discerning the point of any parable is to correctly apply this distinction.[2] For example, in Jesus' parable about the persistent widow and the unjust judge (Lk 18:1-8), everything depends on our understanding that the point is to teach us to pray like a desperate and persistent widow, not to teach us that God is an unjust judge. So too, in the parable of the dishonest manager (Lk 16:19), everything depends on our understanding that the point is to teach us to make preparations so we will be "welcomed into eternal dwellings" (v. 9), not to teach us that God is like the "master" in this parable who "commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly" (v.8), and thus not to teach us that we should behave like this dishonest manager.

Second, parables typically set up the point they are intended to make by telling stories based on things the audience is familiar with, including, quite frequently, the brutal and often unjust behavior of wealthy and powerful people towards Jewish peasantry. Yet, by using brutal and unjust characters as props, Jesus was not thereby condoning this brutal and/or unjust behavior, let alone teaching that this is how God behaves. To the contrary, the peasant audiences who heard these parables deplored the political system that allowed wealthy and powerful people to rule and abuse them. Some scholars even discern a subtle critique of this unjust system in Jesus' parables, claiming they function a bit like a "political cartoon."[3]

The parable of a wicked servant. Third, while building on harsh realities that were familiar to his audience, Jesus' parables often incorporated absurd elements intended to shock his audience.[4] For example, in Matthew's parable of the master and his wicked servant (Matt 24:44-51; Lk 12:42-46), the servant abused his fellow servants and got drunk with drunkards while the master was away. So, Jesus says, when the master returns, he "will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites..." (vs.51). Not only is the master's punishment shockingly disproportionate to the crime, but the image of this master assigning his servant a "place among the hypocrites" after he had already "cut him to pieces" is intentionally ludicrous.

While the familiar realities assumed in a parable are typically used to set up the point of the parable, its intended lessons are typically found in these shocking and absurd elements. Similar to the way the punch line of a joke functions, the surprise was intended to help impress the lesson of the parable on people's imagination.

In the parable we're discussing, the lesson is that people should not forget that there are consequences for their actions when the "master" is away, and the absurd way this point is expressed makes the lesson memorable. But the familiar image of a master who went away for a long time and who was ridiculously vindictive in his punishment once he returned is simply a prop used to set up this punchline. The point of the parable, in short, is about how we should act, not about how God acts when he judges us.

In this light, Copan is mistaken in claiming that Jesus taught that God will cut people into pieces, similar to the way Hosea (mis)represented God.

The Parable of the Ten Pounds. The same holds true of Luke's parable of ten pounds. A wealthy landowner entrusted this amount (worth about three months wages) to each of his three servants, instructing them to make a profit while he went away to make himself king over some people in a distant country, despite the fact that these people hated him and didn't want them to be their king (Lk 19:11-27). One servant made ten more pounds for his master, so he was put "in charge of ten cities," while a second produced five more pounds for his master, so he was put "in charge of five cites." But the third servant was afraid, for he knew his master was "a hard man, taking out what [he] did not put in, and reaping what [he] did not sow." This servant therefore tucked the ten pounds "away in a piece of cloth."

The master rebuked the servant for earning no interest for him and he gave the ten pounds this servant had been given to the most prosperous servant who had already been put in charge of ten cities, for "to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away." This master then ordered some servants to go capture "those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them," telling these servants to "bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"

The point of this parable is not (thankfully!) to teach us that God is like this ruthless, unjust, and power-hungry landlord. This man rather represents the kind of ruthless and greedy person "of noble birth" that his audience was all-too-familiar with, and he simply serves as a prop for the punchline of this parable. The punchline is that if we are faithful with the little that has been entrusted to us, more will be entrusted to us, but if we are fearful instead of faithful, we will lose even the little that was entrusted to us.

As is typical of Jesus' parables, this point is expressed in shockingly absurd ways. While we can easily understand how more can be given "to everyone who has," it is absurd to say that, "for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away." You can't take something from "one who has nothing"!

Similarly, the suggestion that a landowner would or could put a servant in charge of five or ten cities, let alone do so simply because a servant had earned him an extra five or ten pounds, would have struck Jesus' original audience as comically ludicrous. But arguably the most absurd aspect of this parable is Jesus' depiction of this newly enthroned king of a distant country having his new subjects brought to him en masse so he could watch them all be slaughtered "in front of [him]." This is both a "political cartoon" about the political realities Jewish peasants suffered at the hands of powerful tyrants and a very memorable lesson about the importance of being faithful. But, contra Copan, it is most definitely not a parable about what our heavenly father is like.

NOTES:

[1] For a more comprehensive treatment, see D. J. Neville, A Peaceable Hope: Contesting Violent Eschatology in New Testament Narratives (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013).

[2] B. E. Reid, "Violent Endings in Matthew's Parables and Christian Nonviolence," CBQ 66 (2004) 237-66 (254)

[3] See e.g. Carter, "Construction of Violence"; Myers, Enns, Ambassadors of Reconciliation, 76-7; Herzog II, Parables as Subversive Speech.135-9.

[4] K.R. Snodgrass, Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,2008), 28, 71.

Best-selling author, teacher, and theologian Greg Boyd is leader of Reknew, a website that invites believers and skeptics alike to ask tough questions and consider a renewed picture of God and of his kingdom. Find out more at http://reknew.org
The Reliability of Scripture

What do a Greek-speaking Egyptian rebel and an ancient king of the Nabateans have in common? They both point to the reliability of the Bible.

One of the most popular topics we cover at BreakPoint is the way that archaeology and related disciplines are continually confirming the biblical narrative.

It's easy to see why so many Christians respond to this topic: unlike other faiths, Christianity is rooted in real human history. It tells the story of God's actions in the same world that you and I occupy, as opposed to some mythical "once upon a time."

The only problem, at least from my perspective, is that it's nearly always Eric Metaxas telling you on BreakPoint the good news about archaeology and the Bible. He loves those stories. But so do I, and so today, it's my turn.

The September/October issue of Biblical Archaeology Review presents the latest entry in a series of articles listing biblical figures whose existence have been confirmed in extra-biblical historical sources and/or archaeology.

The editors of BAR have told the author, Lawrence Mykytiuk of Purdue University, that his previous entries are among the most popular articles ever published in the magazine, whose readership is a combination of scholars and very well-read laymen. In his last entry, Mykytiuk focuses on political figures named in the New Testament. Some of them, like the four Roman emperors named in the New Testament, are obviously well-attested. Something similar can be said about the plague of the Herodians that feature prominently in the Gospels and the book of Acts.

But the New Testament writers don't stop at the obvious. They, especially Luke and Paul, provide details that only someone who lived through the events or spoke to an eye-witness could provide. One confirmed example is found in 2 Corinthians 11. Paul tells the Corinthians that "At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me."

Aretas, "a contemporary of Herod Antipas," was a real person whose existence has been documented by both extra-biblical sources and archaeology. Coins and other artifacts bearing his name have been found from what's now Jordan to Italy. What we know of his life and reign outside of the Bible argues for the historicity of Paul's account.

A more obscure example is found in Acts 21. Paul has returned to Jerusalem, where he knows that imprisonment and possibly death await him. He is attacked by a mob at the Temple and only survives because he is rescued by Roman soldiers. The commander, upon hearing Paul speak Greek, says "Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?" Paul replied that no, he was a Jew from Tarsus, which he called "no mean city."

This exchange was a reference to a rebellion chronicled by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. There was an Egyptian, who would have spoken Greek, who lead a violent uprising involving thousands of men in the wilderness at around the same time as the events in Acts.

While the Romans put down the insurrection, the Egyptian escaped and was believed to be in or near Jerusalem. Thus, what Luke records in Acts is exactly the kind of exchange that would have taken place at that time between Roman troops and suspicious Greek-speaking strangers.

These are just two examples of many, written in both parchments and in the very ground of the Holy Land, that attest to the reliability of Scripture and the historical nature of Christian revelation. You see, instead of being myths and fables or even disembodied ideals, Christian proclamation is about, as 1 John says, that "which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched . . ."

So it shouldn't surprise us that the list of biblical figures and places confirmed by archaeologists and other scholars continues to grow. It's exactly what we should expectand I'm happy to be the one who reminds us this time.

Originally posted at breakpoint.org
70-year-old woman hit by car on Christmas Eve in Long Island

Barbara Rizzi, a 70-year-old woman who lived in North Patchogue, Long Island, tragically died when she was hit by a vehicle on Christmas Eve. The senior citizen was on her way to attend a midnight mass at a church close to her home. Samantha Reyes, 20, was driving the vehicle that took Rizzi's life.

The local authorities stated, as reported by New York Daily News, that Rizzi was crossing North Ocean Avenue toward her destination -- the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church -- when she was suddenly hit by a 2016 Nissan sedan. The impact was forceful enough to have resulted in Rizzi's death.

Paramedics arrived at the scene, and Rizzi was rushed to the Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, which is located in East Patchogue. Unfortunately, the doctors were unable to revive the victim. The local authorities attempted to contact Rizzi's daughter-in-law as they tried to move further with the investigation. However, the latter was too devastated to respond, especially since the inquiries were made shortly after she had received the tragic news.

Fortunately, the driver of the Nissan Sedan, Reyes, did not sustain any injuries from the accident. However, in accordance with protocol, the Nissan Sedan that she was driving was impounded so that the authorities can further examine the vehicle. As of now, Reyes is not facing any charges following the incident but reports say that she seemingly became upset when she was approached by people from the media.

Reyes refused to accommodate any inquiries regarding the tragic incident, and she urged the reporters to contact her mother, since she is only 20 years old. However, no one from Reyes' party has responded to any inquiries that have been made so far.
Senior CofE bishop to front campaign for LGBT inclusion

One of the Church of England's senior bishops has acknowledged the Church may never agree on gay marriage, but said it may be possible for individual priests and bishops to be given 'discretion' as to the 'kind of welcome that can be offered' to gay people.

The Bishop of Liverpool, Rt Rev Paul Bayes, is to chair a new charity aimed at promoting greater acceptance of LGBT people by working with religious organisations around the world.

He has been named as chair of the Ozanne Foundation, whose director Jayne Ozanne is a high-profile Anglican activist for LGBT inclusivity. In July Ozanne introduced a motion to the CofE's General Synod calling for a ban on gay 'conversion therapy'.

The charity's trustees and council of reference include the Dean of St Paul's, David Ison, Rev Steve Chalke, Ben Bradshaw MP and the Dean of St Albans, Jeffrey John.

It will advocate for LGBTI and gender rights around the world, particularly within religious organisations opposed to non-heterosexual relationships. It will also seek to foster good relations inside religious organisations that hold conflicting views on sexuality and gender issues, of which the CofE is an example.

Bayes said: 'The Church of England has committed herself to what our Archbishops have called radical new Christian inclusion, and has publicly stated that we are against all forms of homophobia. If we mean this, and I believe we do, then we need to find appropriate ways of welcoming and affirming LGBTI people who want their love recognised by the Church.'

At present CofE churches are banned by law from hosting same-sex marriages and leading evangelical churches like St Helen's Bishopsgate have indicated they will consider distancing themselves from the Church if it permits them.

Bayes said: 'I always regret when anybody tries to put barriers down to leave the church to set up separate organisations because I think the right way forward is for people to stay in the same room and stay talking.'

He said: 'I think we should stick together and keep on talking and find ways of accommodating ourselves to each other.'

Bayes acknowledged progress toward agreement could be 'frustratingly slow' and that it might prove impossible to reconcile conflicting views. However, he expressed the hope that 'we can have a Church, not where everybody agrees, but where it will be possible for discretion to be exercised by local clergy and by local bishops as to the kind of welcome that can be offered to people. That's the prize that seems to me to be worth fighting for, and I remain committed to that.'

The CofE and the worldwide Anglican Communion have been riven by conflict around attitudes to homosexuality and gay marriage. GAFCON has set up as an alternative, conservative rival to traditional global Anglican structures and the Anglican Mission in England provides an alternative to the Church of England for conservative parishes.
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When nearly four feet of water entered the restaurant Gringo's Mexican Kitchen in late August due to Hurricane Harvey, franchisee Joel Perkins didn't know what to do.

After undergoing remediation and renovations, Gringo's finally reopened on Dec. 12 as the neighboring businesses continue to repair efforts.

"It was complete devastation," Perkins said when he first arrived at Gringo's during the flood. "It was surreal. It was nothing like being in our restaurant. The dirty water, the smell."

When the water lowered enough for him to leave his home in Magnolia, Perkins headed over to the locations in Champions and found Cypresswood Drive completely underwater.

Once he was able to cross the street on a canoe assisted by a jet ski due to the powerful current, he and his son-in-law were unable to enter the restaurant. They could only peek inside through the windows.

"If you can just imagine all of this turned over and everything thrown in different directions. It was awful. It was hard to process," Perkins said.

While he surveyed the damage, Perkins said he wasn't sure about the next step to take. Just five days before Harvey hit, he had opened another Gringo's location in The Woodlands.

Everything from the furniture to the appliances to the plates and cups - all of it would have to be tossed out.

Harvey's rising floodwaters damaged homes, buildings and businesses alike along Cypresswood, forcing people out of their homes and preventing them from working.

Beside Gringo's, the Justice of the Peace Court for Precinct 4, Place 1 also flooded, with three to four feet of water, forcing personnel from the Pct. 4 Constable's Office and the Harris County Sheriff's Office to evacuate the building.

In October, Pct 4. Constable Mark Herman returned to the building in a makeshift office to dispatch deputies.

In the following block east of the courthouse, the Barbara Bush Library and the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Art also closed due to flood damage. All three buildings are currently under repair.

Other natural disasters, such as the Tax Day and Memorial Day floods in previous years had not affected the restaurant, Perkins said.

While a remodeling project had been planned to update the restaurant, the flooding forced him to do it sooner.

While tearing out the damaged drywall, the restaurant also got rid of waterlogged appliances, soaked furniture, plates, cups and silverware to prevent workers and customers from coming in contact with contaminated items.

"There was very little salvageable," Perkins said.

The repairs and renovations wound up costing approximately $1.2 million, he said.

Mostly, he was motivated to reopen so that the staff could return to the restaurant before the end of the year. While it was closed, workers had scattered to work in other franchise locations.

"Champions is home," workers told him.

The restaurant began by only serving dinner and will return to full service hours on Jan. 2.

Across the street from Gringo's, pizzeria Mellow Mushroom announced on Facebook that it would reopen in mid-January, although no specific date has been set.

Perkins said that the Italian restaurant Hasta la Pasta is still undergoing repairs. Attempts to reach the owners of Hasta la Pasta were unsuccessful.
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AUSTIN  Texas could become an even larger player in future presidential contests based on new projections that show the Lone Star State's population growing big enough to receive as many as 41 electoral college votes  three more than it has now.

Texas has added nearly 3.2 million people since the last federal census, in 2010, according to population estimates. If the trend continues, the state stands to gain as many as three more seats in Congress while states with dwindling populations  such as Illinois  would lose seats.

More congressional seats means more electoral votes in presidential elections.

With as many as 41 electoral votes, Texas would wield more clout than ever before in presidential elections. If the extra votes had been in place the last decade, for example, Texas would have increased President Donald Trump's 2016 margin of victory in the Electoral College and trimmed President Barack Obama's 2012 margin over Mitt Romney.

The projections for the additional congressional seats come from Election Data Services, a political consulting firm that relied on data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Dec. 20.

As large states like California and New York have tended to back Democrats in presidential elections, Texas has become an essential state for Republican candidates to boost their totals. Texas has voted Republican in every presidential election since Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter in 1980. For all intents and purposes, a Republican cannot win the White House without Texas's haul of electoral votes.

Texas would still trail California, with 55 electoral votes, as a coveted Election Day prize.

But over the last three decades, the Lone Star State has closed the gap. California has added just one electoral vote since 1990; Texas will have added 10 to 11 by 2020.

"It would take a couple of more decades like this, but Texas is catching up," said Kimball Brace, president of Election Data Services, a political consulting firm that specializes in redistricting data analysis.

The gains will also surely set off a battle over where those new congressional seats get located.

Starting in 2021, the Texas Legislature would determine which parts of the state get the new seats.

Although both Harris County and the Rio Grande Valley have seen big population gains, it doesn't mean those areas will necessarily get the new seats, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston.

That's because of how political Texas has been in drawing congressional district lines over the decades, whatever party has been in charge. The party in power has generally pushed the partisan gerrymandering to its limits and forced the courts to step in. In 1991, a federal court voided primary elections in 13 districts and imposed a court-drawn map after then-majority Democrats tried to use redistricting to hurt GOP numbers. In 2003, the tables turned and it was Republicans that drew a map in their favor that resulted in Democrats hiding out in New Mexico and then Oklahoma in a failed effort to keep the maps from becoming law.

And even now, the state has been operating under temporary court-ordered maps drawn for the 2012 elections and adopted by the Legislature in 2013 that are still part of legal challenges that have yet to be fully resolved.

Texas's messy history of drawing congressional district lines is due to one key reason, Rottinghaus said.

"The stakes are so high and both parties know it," he said.

What is certain is that the increase in electoral votes won't be in place until the 2024 presidential election cycle, when Trump conceivably could be finishing a second term. The Census won't be finished until after the 2020 presidential election is decided.

In 2017 alone, Texas had the largest population growth of any state in the nation  adding 399,734 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Florida was second with 327,811 people added, and California was third with 240,177 new residents.

While Texas is on pace to add at least two seats in Congress and possibly three, northern states stand to lose seats. Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Minnesota are all expected to lose seats in Congress if population trends continue until 2020, when the next official Census is conducted.

A big unknown is how the 2017 hurricane season could affect the population numbers.

Data for the population estimates were done in July, before Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. Those storms could have shifted populations enough to ultimately affect how seats, and thus electoral votes, are distributed.

"It won't be until next year when we see whether population lost in Houston was enough to keep Texas gaining only two districts instead of three," Brace said.

Florida similarly could be affected by the storms, as reports suggests hundreds of thousands of people from Puerto Rico have relocated to Florida since Maria.

After Hurricane Katrina hammered New Orleans in 2005, the ensuing population loss resulted in Louisiana losing a seat in Congress, instead of gaining one as projected before the storm.

If Texas growth continues, whether it has 38 or 39 U.S. House seats may very well hinge on Montana. Brace said Montana has been growing and could pick up a second seat in Congress. If that happens, Texas could be blocked from getting that 39th seat under a formula used by Election Data Services to project future reapportionments.

Jeremy Wallace writes about state politics and government for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter at @JeremySWallace.
Former defense secretary and U.S. senator Chuck Hagel offered some wisdom when he remarked recently that the hyper-partisanship of politics today owes much to the World War II generations passing from the scene. Former lawmakers who served in that warGeorge H.W. Bush, Daniel Inouye, Ernest Fritz Hollings, Bob Dole, and countless otherswere models of public civility, and helped government run smoothly during their decades in office. These and other members of the aptly christened Greatest Generation made their mark on every area of American life, far beyond Washington. And with only about 558,000 of the 16 million World War II veterans surviving, each day presents an urgent reminder to reflect on their legacy.

Yet despite the Greatest Generations success in war and in the postwar period that followed, its long-term impact on American governance has been mixed. Conducting the war and building the postwar economy required government planning and social engineering on an epic scaleand the habit of seeing government as a universal problem-solver has persisted ever since. Hagel is right that the Greatest Generations virtues may be passing away, but its big-government approach seems likely to endure.

Americans learned several misleading lessons from World War II. The first and greatest error was overestimating the effectiveness of military force. World War IIthe last conflict in which the worlds great powers went toe-to-toe against each other, with no holds barredcreated a new understanding of how wars are fought and won. But wars since then have not fit this paradigm, and many of our subsequent military mistakes came as a result of misapplying World War IIs lessons.

Lyndon Johnson led the country into a massive military commitment in South Vietnam in part because of misplaced faith in what the United States could accomplish by force of arms. The Johnson administration convinced itself that fighting modern wars was a branch of management science, akin to running a large corporation like General Motors, and that Americas military was a versatile instrument that could be dialed up or down to deliver precisely calibrated levels of violence, tailored to meet any foreign policy challenge. World War II also led many Americans to conclude that liberal democracy could be imposed on foreign peoples through the application of what George W. Bushs administration would later call shock and awe.

It turns out that, even in the age of precision weapons, military power is a blunt instrument, ill-suited to nation-building, except in rare circumstances and at great cost. Germany and Japanour preferred examplesare highly idiosyncratic. Liberal democracy flourished in each only after the deaths of millions of citizens and the reduction of their societies to rubble. Americans havent shown much stomach for projects of this scope after 1945.

In addition to inflating our confidence in overseas interventions, the war era fueled belief that government could be a major force for good at home, capable of solving every domestic problem. Franklin Roosevelts superb wartime management boosted the popular opinion of government and encouraged Americans to adopt war as a metaphor for government action in general. The war seemed to fulfill Teddy Roosevelts and Woodrow Wilsons earlier progressive dreams that big government, acting in concert with big business and big labor, could solve any problem that it chose to tackle. Just as warfare was re-envisioned to fit the total-war model of World War II, governing became understood as a matter of trained professionals applying management methods to public policy.

This belief in the military-like efficiency of government inspired the ambitious welfare-state policies of the postwar era, especially Johnsons War on Poverty. When, in 1972, Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs, and when, in 1977, Jimmy Carter described the energy crisis as the moral equivalent of war, the model they had in mind was, again, World War II. Today, newspapers and scientific journals still proclaim the need for ambitious government action to fix enormously complex problemsfor example, calling repeatedly for a new Manhattan Project to solve the problem of climate change.

War, as conservatives figured out early on, is a poor metaphor for government doing socially useful things. We cant fight and win a war on poverty, or drugs, or cancer, because these things are nothing like war. The last heroic big-government project run along World War II lines was the Apollo program, which put Americans on the moon. This was a tremendous achievement, but here a military mindset was directly relevant: like the design of war machines a quarter-century earlier, the Saturn rockets were a discrete engineering challenge, one whose basic parameters were well understood.

That was nearly half a century ago. Most Americans today have never witnessed a large-scale government success story. Its not surprising, then, that reasonable people now see government-orchestrated action to save the world from poverty, drugs, and climate change as highly dubious propositions.

As the physicist Max Planck observed, new ideas triumph not by winning over their critics, but by gaining favor among the younger generation. It has been more than 72 years since the Japanese surrender on the battleship Missouri, in Tokyo Bay. Most of those who witnessed it firsthand are gone. Our national memory of that world is slipping away, as are the old ideas and assumptions formed during World War II and its aftermath. The Greatest Generation will surely be missed, but a more sober, more restrained, and less heroic America may not be such a bad thing.

Photo by Batareykin/iStock
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Representatives of civil society organisations of Manipur today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking details of the Framework Agreement signed between Naga rebel group NSCN(IM) and the Centre.

At a meeting this morning, an eight-member team apprised Modi that due to lack of transparency in the ongoing Naga peace talks, there have been apprehensions in Manipur over territorial integrity of the state, said a statement by the joint committee of the civil society bodies.

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These organisations include United Committee Manipur (UCM), All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO) and Committee on Civil Societies Kangleipak (CCSK).

The prime minister asked the members to have faith in Indian government and not to believe in hearsay, it added.

Stating that the Centre till date has not made any announcements regarding the details of the Naga talks, Modi said that his government was always open to suggestions on various issues regarding the state, the statement said quoting the prime minister.

He also asked the civil society representatives to apprise concerned officials whenever they have any suggestions or apprehensions, it added.

In August 2015, the Centre and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) faction had signed an agreement paving the way to end the countrys oldest insurgency.

Termed as Framework Agreement it has, however, failed to yield a final outcome.

Among others, NSCN(IM) has sought integration of Naga inhabited areas of the North East and autonomy of the proposed region. The demand affects Manipur as the state has vast areas inhabited by Nagas.

During the meeting, Modi pointed out that Manipur is today among the most economically backward states in the North East due to violence and focus should be on growth and development to bring peace in the state, the statement said. PTI RKL AKT SBT

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OVER THE PAST YEAR, as a correspondent for CJRs United States Project, I reported how a local new outlet was fighting to gain access to public text messages of rural sheriffs in North Carolina, and how a publisher in Colorado pledged to sue a state senator for defamation when the politician called his local newspaper fake news. During a year of bloodletting for alt-weeklies, I wondered whether the sale of one Montana alt meant it could no longer serve as a watchdog over its new corporate owner. On the press freedom front, a reporter for a then-obscure wire service was arrested for asking a Trump official questions in West Virginia, and, in South Carolina, a political blogger who was sued for libel nearly went to jail when he wouldnt rat out confidential sources.

In a year that saw press freedoms under attack across the nation, it wasnt all doom-and-gloom in every corner of the local news industry. As we move into 2018, heres a look back at our coverage of those stories, which touch on critical issues facing local news orgs, and an update on where they stand now.

That lawsuit over fake news never happened in Colorado

In February, I interviewed Jay Seaton, publisher of The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel in Colorado, about his plans to sue state Senator Ray Scott for libel after Scott called The Sentinel fake news on social media. The newspaper lost subscriptions, said Seaton, who is a former commercial litigator. Im accustomed to resolving business damage in the judicial system, he told me at the time. So I dont view this really as any different.

Seaton said newspapers have taken it on the chin for too long. And now we get diminished as fake news, going to the core of what we do, he added. And we dont push back. Well, Ive had it. Im not going to take it anymore.

The potential for a judge to define fake news in a court case between a local newspaper and a lawmaker might have been consequential. It wasnt to be: In April, the crusading publisher chose not to file suit after he learned Scott could ask for legislative immunity and tie up the courts for years while taxpayers picked up the tab.

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I just wasnt willing to do that, Seaton says now.

Maybe we all appreciate the role of a free press more when its under siege.

Hes also somewhat relieved about his decision for another reason.

If you can reflect back all the way to February of 2017, the words fake news still carried their objective meaninga deliberately fabricated news account for the purpose of deceiving the public, he says. Just 10 months later, that phrase is completely meaningless. The president has abused that term almost daily, so now its just an exclamation you use when you dont like something. When I tell my kids they have to eat their green vegetables, I get Fake news! I dont think a jury today would find that phrase defamatory, even as applied to a responsible news organization.

Seaton says the dustup in Grand Junction had a silver lining: it sparked a local conversation about the role of a free press in society.

It got people reflecting on why the first thing the Framers did after assembling the apparatus of government was create the First Amendment, he says. Maybe we all appreciate the role of a free press more when its under siege.

ICYMI: Ive had it: Family-owned Colorado paper threatens state legislator with lawsuit

Has the Missoula Independent preserved its independence?

The year was a dreadful one for alt-weekly newspapers. The Village Voice, around for 60 years, ended its print edition; so did The Houston Press. Seattle Weekly and The Stranger cut back. The Baltimore City Paper shut down completely. (A hearty welcome, however, to Baltimore Beat.) LA Weekly was sold to a mystery buyer and then gutted like a freshly caught trout. And then, sneaking in just under the wire of 2017, The Washington City Paper slashed staff salaries almost in half as it struggled to find a buyer.

But in April, in the small mountain college town of Missoula, Montana, The Independent met a different fate. The decades old alt-weekly was taken over by the states largest newspaper chain, Lee Enterprises. At the time I asked in CJR whether The Indy could still be a watchdog on The Missoulian, the local daily also owned by Lee.

Im certain that we covered everything we would have covered [even] if they werent our owners, and we havent gotten any blowback from them.

So far, it seems like it has. A month after the sale, The Indy challenged a congressional endorsement by the daily, likening the paper to a mean uncle who cant pull his head out of Fox News long enough to notice that his party has devolved into the shameless enabler of a tin-pot dictator. The alt-weekly covered an accusation that the daily colluded with a local official in campaign coverage, and reported on Lees corporate cutbacks of statewide news staff.

I dont think weve changed any of our coverage of The Missoulian, Indy editor Brad Tyer told me this week. Im certain that we covered everything we would have covered [even] if they werent our owners, and we havent gotten any blowback from them.

And while Tyer, who says hes a constitutional pessimist, doesnt see many arrows pointing in the right direction for continued health of the alt-weeklies of the world, in Missoula he thinks his paper might be insulated by having a more stable owner. So far that hasnt come home to roost in any negative way for us, he says.

Folks of FITSnews didnt go to jail. What now?

Around this time last year, polarizing political blogger Will Folks of FITSnews in South Carolina was wondering whether he would go to jail for contempt after he defied a judges order to identify confidential sources in a deposition tied to a libel lawsuit filed against him by a former lawmaker.

In June, on the eve of a court hearing in the case, Folks told CJR he was honor bound to keep his word to his sources. So thats what Ive done, thats what Im going to do, and if I have to go to jail as a result of that, thats fine, Ill do that, he said. At the hearing, a judge said he would think about it before ruling.

And he did. For three months. Then, in September, South Carolina Circuit Court Judge William Keesley ruled he would not lock up the blogger. Though it wasnt a flat-out win for Folks the judge said Folks wouldnt be allowed to rely on his unnamed sources if the case goes to trial some in South Carolina saw the decision as important for journalists seeking to protect confidential sources in the state.

Heres part of the judges ruling:

The press has legitimate, essential, and beneficial reasons for gathering and disseminating information from confidential sources, particularly concerning persons in power and those who hold positions of public trust. The claim that confidential sources were promised confidentiality related to the articles in dispute is credible. The refusal by the defendants to comply with [a previous judges] directives is willful in the sense that it involves a conscious decision to disobey a court order. It is willful in that the defendants have a true choice, as discussed above. This is not a situation, however, where the defendants are ignoring the court. The refusal is based on articulated reasons, components of which deal with difficult, but very real and important decisions associated with the use of confidential sources.

A lawyer for the lawmaker filed a motion asking the judge to reconsider his ruling, and Folks lawyer filed a motion in response. (That motion cited a CJR story on the case as its only exhibit.)

The judge ultimately didnt change the major substance of his ruling, and the case could still go to trial.

The charges against Dan Heyman of Public News Service were dropped

In May, headlines whirled around Dan Heyman, 54, a reporter arrested at the West Virginia capitol for causing a disturbance. Heyman tried to ask Donald Trumps then-health secretary, Tom Price, questions about pre-existing conditions under the new GOP healthcare plan. When people accompanying Price blocked Heyman from doing so, Heyman told the AP he reached his cellphone recorder past Prices staffers. Police said Heyman was aggressively breaching Secret Service agents, and charged him with a misdemeanor for willful disruption of governmental processes, then released Heyman on a $5,000 bond.

One condition of my bail was that I had to keep away from the state capitolhaving access is part of my job.

We used the opportunity to put a spotlight on the kind of obscure organization Heyman works for, Public News Service, a for-profit newswire with a budget of about $1.2 million founded in 1996 and based in Boulder, Colorado. PNS works with a network of journalists around the country to provide content to 8,000 media outlets in at least 37 states, according to founder and editor Lark Corbeil. In an interview at the time, Corbeil said coverage surrounding the arrest of one of her state-based independent contractors led to a surge in donations.

So what happened with the case against Heyman?

Four months after Heyman was arrested, the county prosecutor dropped the charges against him after a careful review found the reporter had not acted unlawfully. Im very relieved. Facing six months of jail time for asking a question as a journalist was pretty troubling, Heyman said in a statement. In fact one condition of my bail was that I had to keep away from the state capitolhaving access is part of my job. For her part, PNS founder Corbeil said, The First Amendment was tested, and, thankfully, our system and democratic values withstood the challenge.

Last week, John Nichols of The Nation magazine recognized PNS with an honor for Most Valuable Media Intervention following the arrest incident. Heyman, Nichols noted, is still on the beat in West Virginia.

WBTV-Charlotte still hasnt gotten those documents, but

Over the summer, a pair of rural sheriffs offices in North Carolina found themselves on the receiving end of open records requests by WBTV-Charlotte reporter Nick Ochsner. The sheriffs pushed back. In a public meeting, one of them characterized the WBTV inquiry as a politically motivated fishing expedition, expressing frustration that an outside reporter from Charlotte is investigating the sheriffs office.

So WBTV sued one of the sheriffs. The director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition told CJR at the time he believed the TV stations open records lawsuit for text messages was the first of its kind in the state.

This case is a long ways away from being over, but were already seeing results from our months-long push for records.

Fast-forward to October: One of the sheriffs was indicted for how he handled the TV stations inquiry, the station reported. The six indictments handed down by the grand jury on Monday specifically relate to [the sheriffs] efforts to investigate county employees who were trying to fulfill WBTVs records request, wrote Ochsner for WBTV. The station then sued that sheriff and other county officials, saying they still hadnt produced records the station believes should be public.

This case is a long ways away from being over, but were already seeing results from our months-long push for records, Ochsner tells CJR about where things stand now. The district attorneys decision to bring criminal charges against [the sheriff] over his mishandling of our records request should send a signal to all public officials that following the states records law is not optional.

ICYMI: Local TV station records lawsuit underscores North Carolinas text message troubles

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Corey Hutchins is CJRs correspondent based in Colorado, where he teaches journalism at Colorado College. A former alt-weekly reporter in South Carolina, he was twice named journalist of the year in the weekly division by the SC Press Association. Hutchins writes about politics and media for the Colorado Independent and worked on the State Integrity Investigation at the Center for Public Integrity; he has contributed to Slate, The Nation, the Washington Post, and others. Follow him on Twitter @coreyhutchins or email him at coreyhutchins@gmail.com.
A hot tip could still earn you a cool $10 million from a Boston, Mass., museum desperate to recover a trove of missing masterpieces. But youd better hurry.

Midnight Dec. 31 is the deadline to collect a doubled reward being offered for information leading to the recovery of 13 works worth an estimated $500 million  including paintings by Degas, Manet, Rembrandt and Vermeer  stolen in 1990 from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

So far, no takers.

Thats a big disappointment to the museum and the FBI, which still hasnt managed to solve the largest art heist in U.S. history. Both had hoped the enhanced reward would spur a flurry of fresh leads. Instead, its been like watching paint dry.

Right now were laser-focused on this deadline, said museum spokeswoman Kathy Sharpless. Clearly theres a sense of urgency on our part. We want our paintings back.

A look at the case and whats likely to happen next:

THE HEIST

On March 18, 1990, two men masquerading as Boston police officers gained entrance to the museum by telling the security guard at the watch desk that they were responding to a report of a disturbance, according to authorities.

The guard didnt follow museum policy and allowed the men inside. He and another guard were handcuffed and locked in the basement while the thieves made off with the art.

The missing pieces include Rembrandts only known seascape, Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, and Vermeers The Concert, one of fewer than 40 known paintings by the 17th-century Dutch painter.

Twenty-seven years later, there are still empty frames on the walls of the gilded museum where the great works once were displayed.

THE INVESTIGATION

The FBI told The Associated Press in 2015 that two suspects  both Boston criminals with ties to organized crime  were deceased.

The agency has said investigators believe the paintings moved through mob circles to Connecticut and Philadelphia, where the trail went cold.

Federal prosecutors say Robert Gentile, an 81-year-old reputed Connecticut mobster, is the last surviving person of interest. Federal agents have searched Gentiles Manchester home several times.

Prosecutors have said another gangsters widow claimed her husband gave Gentile two of the paintings. Authorities also have said Gentile talked about the stolen paintings with fellow prisoners, and once told an undercover FBI agent he had access to two of the paintings and could negotiate the sale of each for $500,000. Gentile denies knowing anything about the theft.

Meanwhile, the five-year statute of limitations on crimes associated with the actual theft expired more than 20 years ago, so the thieves  even if captured  no longer could be prosecuted.

Although authorities havent offered blanket immunity for whoever has the paintings now, they say theyre willing to consider immunity for anyone who can help them recover the stolen works.

THE REWARD

For years, the museum has offered a $5 million reward. Last May, trustees upped it to $10 million  but only through the end of 2017.

Dutch art sleuth Arthur Brand, who has helped European authorities recover other stolen works, says he has spoken to former police officers, ex-members of the Irish Republican Army and others, and remains convinced he is inching closer to solving the mystery.

I said from the beginning if its not solved by the first of January it will become  less likely that it will ever be solved, Brand told the AP. We are getting closer. There are so many people working on it that in the end the truth will come out  Im absolutely certain about that. The only question is, do the paintings still exist?

Sharpless, the museum spokeswoman, says the gallery will happily write that check for the right tip.

Were really not interested in theories as much as in good credible information and facts, she said. It only takes one good piece of information to help solve this puzzle.

(Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this report.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back in 1979, Karen Schneider was an entry-level copy editor in her 20s when a senior editor at her newspaper offered her a ride after some late-night drinks with colleagues. At her destination, he locked the car door and forcibly kissed her.

Terrified, she managed to get away. She subsequently told her boyfriend about what happened  and no one else.

I didnt know what sexual harassment was. I didnt know that what he did was actually illegal, Schneider recalled in a recent phone interview. All I knew was that I was scared and deeply worried about my career, because this man was in a position of authority and I was a very eager young journalist.

The recent wave of sexual misconduct allegations, costing dozens of prominent men their jobs and reputations, shows that experiences like Schneiders remain common in American workplaces. But even as the problem persists, there is far more public awareness now of sexual harassment and far more recourse for victims, compared with the decades before the 1990s.

Schneider remained at the Hartford Courant for five more years after the kiss, keeping her secret. She later worked for other news and advocacy organizations and is now vice president of communications for the National Womens Law Center, which is assisting women speaking out about harassment.

There has been greater recognition that sexual harassment is against the law and should not be tolerated, Schneider said. But there are many industries and offices where people are still afraid to speak out.

Technically, sexual harassment became illegal under the 1964 Civil Rights Acts ban on sex discrimination, but it took three more decades of court rulings to establish the current concepts of what it entails and how to address it. Gillian Thomas, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney who has written on the topic, said the term sexual harassment wasnt even coined until 1975.

A turning point in public awareness came in 1991, when sexual harassment was the focus of Anita Hills testimony during Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

There also were pivotal Supreme Court rulings, including one in 1986 declaring that a hostile working environment could constitute sexual harassment, whether or not an aggrieved employee suffered economic harm by being fired or denied promotion. In 1993, the high court said employees could prevail in harassment cases without having to prove they suffered psychological damage. In 1998, a pair of Supreme Court rulings prompted many employers to adopt anti-harassment policies and formalize mechanisms for employees to lodge confidential complaints.

The legal system remains tilted in favor of the employer, Thomas said, but at least theres a vocabulary now for talking about these issues.

There was no such vocabulary in New York Citys all-male fire department in 1982, when a lawsuit filed by Brenda Berkman forced the department to revise its physical exam so it was possible for women to pass.

Berkman, who retired in 2006 with the rank of captain, said she and the other 39 pioneering women encountered harassment even during probationary training.

There was abuse not only by instructors, but also by our fellow male trainees, Berkman said. Thats beyond the pale  these guys are on probation and felt they had a license to assault their peers.

In the early 90s, Berkman went public with allegations that a fire department physician had groped her breasts during an exam. Other women lodged similar complaints, but it took more than a year before the doctor was charged with misconduct and resigned.

Whether it was 20 years ago or 20 minutes ago, whenever sexual assault happens, one of the hardest things for the women who survived is that nobody believes them, Berkman said.

The fire department, over 35 years, has made modest strides in accommodating women  there are now 68, the highest number ever, out of a force of 11,000.

Another veteran of the sex-harassment wars is Teresa Wilson, a 65-year-old nurse in Nashville, Tennessee. It was her case, alleging sustained sexual harassment by her boss in the mid-1980s, that led to the important 1993 Supreme Court ruling.

Wilson, at the time named Teresa Harris, was a manager at Forklift Systems, a construction equipment rental company. She alleged that Forklifts president often subjected her to sexist remarks and sexual overtures, sometimes in the presence of other employees.

The most hurtful incident, she recalled, was when he asserted in crude language that her sales figures were good because she was having sex with her customers.

Lower courts rebuffed the lawsuit, agreeing with the company that the bosss behavior did not affect Wilson psychologically or impair her ability to work.

When the case reached the Supreme Court, its first female justice  Sandra Day OConnor  authored a unanimous opinion rejecting the premise that harassment can be penalized only if proven to have caused substantial psychological harm. Thanks to that ruling, Wilson obtained an out-of-court settlement with Forklift; the terms have not been released.

Wilson is heartened by the multitude of harassment victims now speaking out.

Its about time, she said.

Harassment and sexism were problems in many sectors, including academia.

Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida, says relatively few women had that job back in the early 1970s. When theyd get together at conferences, conversation would inevitably turn to which male colleagues acted inappropriately.

We had what we called a lech list, men who would prey on women, MacManus said  which colleagues would try to grab women at bars, which married men sought to hook up for casual sex during conferences.

MacManus said she never was physically harassed but felt gender discrimination in regard to promotions and opportunities. As a graduate student, she said, one of her professors came on to her.

She still sees such behavior  male professors exploiting their best students because they have power over them in terms of grades and recommendations.

Im very sad that women still have to put up with this, she said.

(Associated Press writer Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A huge fire broke out at Kamla Mills compound in Lower Parel locality of Mumbai in the wee hours of Friday.

As per reports, more than six fire tenders rushed to the spot for rescue operations. (Photo: Twitter)

By India Today Web Desk: In the massive fire that broke out in Mumbai's Kamala Mills, Lower Parel, at least 14 people have been found dead on Friday.

An FIR has been registered against the manager and owners of the restaurant where the fire initiated. The case has been filed under the charges of culpable homicide under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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12 people, who sustained minor injuries, are being treated at the hospital, the dean of King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital Avinash Supe informed.

An official from the BMC disaster management unit informed the media that the injured were taken to the KEM, and Sion hospitals.

President of India, Ram Nath Kovind expressed his condolences to the bereaved families. He tweeted:

Disturbing news about the fire in Mumbai. Condolences to the bereaved families and wishing the injured an early recovery. Commend the valiant efforts of fire-fighters and those in rescue ops #PresidentKovind- President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 29, 2017

As per reports, more than six fire tenders, four water tankers, an emergency ambulance and police rushed to the spot for rescue operations.

More scenes from #KamalaMills fire. Could literally feel the fire from behind a glass exterior! Super scary. Hope everyone's safe pic.twitter.com/3lc8rS8SsB

- Dramatical Error (@nigel_pais) December 28, 2017

(Video: Twitter/ @nigel_pais)

According to agency reports, the fire started around 12:30 am on the third floor of the building on Senapati Bapat Marg. According to several reports, the fire was triggered by a short circuit in one of the pubs located in the compound.

UNBELIEVABLE! Was damn lucky to notice this and raise the alarm in time #KamalaMills #Fire pic.twitter.com/Yx2Dt9qLGB- Dramatical Error (@nigel_pais) December 28, 2017

(Video: Twitter/ @nigel_pais)

A huge fire broke out at Kamla Mills compound in Lower Parel locality of Mumbai in the wee hours of Friday. The fire has not been snuffed out completely but is reportedly under control.

(Video: Twitter/ @OpenPatel)

Breach Candy Hospital said around 10 to 15 persons were brought in for treatment from the fire site. As per the reports, the building, in Central Mumbai, houses some commercial establishments including hotels, pubs and media offices.

Mumbai-based gynaecologist Dr Sulbha KG Arora said there was a stampede as people rushed towards the main exit.

There was a stampede and someone pushed me. People were running over me even as the ceiling above me was collapsing in flames. Still don't know how I got out alive. Some powers were definitely protecting me A??AA?AA #kamalamills- Dr Sulbha KG Arora (@SulbhaArora) December 28, 2017

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She added that no one knew where the fire exits were.

The #KamalaMills fire started at 1 Above. I was there and barely made it out alive. Some were not so lucky. Praying for the injured and the deceased. It was the scariest thing I have ever survived!- Dr Sulbha KG Arora (@SulbhaArora) December 28, 2017

Casualties details from KEM hospital:

Dead:

1) Jeet- 49 yrs 2) Preeti - 36 yrs 3) Tejal 4) Unknown - 40 yrs 5) Pramila 6) Vishva- 23 yrs 7) Veena- 28 yrs 8) Kavita- 36 yrs 9) Paroli- 30 yrs 10) Dhairya- 26 yrs 11) Manisha- 30 yrs 12) Yasha- 27 13) Unknown 14) Unknown

Critical:

1) Shefali, 2) Khushboo

Condition stable:

1) Rohan- 22 yrs 2) Abhishekh- 22 yrs 3) Deep - 31 yrs 4) Utsav- 27 yrs 5) Ankita - 30 yrs 6) Siddharth- 24 yrs 7) Divya - 24 yrs 8) Neha- 28 yrs 9) Neh - 20 yrs 10) Shankra 11) Jeet- 21 yrs 12) Yash - 22 yrs

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By PTI: London, Dec 28 (PTI) Scientists have developed an electronic nose that can non-invasively detect colon diseases and distinguish between patients with Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

The device - named Moosy 32 eNose - can also tell whether the disease is active, with close to 90 per cent accuracy.

In the future this type of equipment could be available for digestive system specialists who could, thanks to a simple stool analysis which takes three minutes, determine the state of the patient, according to researchers from Valencias Polytechnic University in Spain.

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It is common nowadays to use invasive tests to diagnose and evaluate inflammatory activity as a result of colon- related illnesses, such as Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, both classified as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

With the developed prototype, researchers want to contribute to the creation of non-invasive diagnosing systems.

It is believed that as many as 200,000 people currently suffer from these illnesses in Spain and the rise in incidence continues to increase annually by over three per cent.

The nose can detect volatile organic compounds which act as diagnostic markers or to reveal the intensity level of the diseases activity.

"Volatile organic compounds are created by physiological processes of the human bodys metabolism and are expelled as waste through faeces," said Pilar Nos, Head of the Digestive System Medicine Department at La Fe Health Investigation Institute in Spain.

"The concentration of these components can be a differentiating marker between certain bowel diseases and their accurate detection by way of non-invasive devices such as the electronic nose would be a great step forward for the detection and monitoring of the evolution of these diseases," said Nos.

Researchers have performed tests with 445 samples and have obtained positive results.

"Results of the investigation are positive; however, it is paramount to continue working to improve the detection algorithms," said Jose Pelegri, from Valencias Polytechnic University.

The system is being tested for further medical uses, such as detecting prostate cancer.

Other studies, with positive results, are also being performed such as detecting the microbial contamination of water or determining the maturity level of fruit, which could have key applications within the agro-food industry. PTI MHN SAR MHN

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When a privately-held painting by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci went under the hammer for a record $450 million in November, many looked to China in search of its mystery buyer. While the purchaser of the 500-year-old artwork "Salvator Mundi" ultimately proved to be a Saudi royal, the knee-jerk reaction toward China highlights the importance of the East Asian nation in the art market. According to a report from Art Basel and UBS, China is the world's third-largest art market after the United States and the United Kingdom, accounting for 20 percent of total sales in the $57 billion global sector. Only one decade ago, in 2007, China accounted for just 9 percent of total sales worldwide, according to the Art Basel report. That figure doubled in 2009 and reached the peak of 30 percent in 2011 before the recovering U.S. made a comeback. Over at Christie's, total art buying from Asia went up 40 percent from a year ago in the first half of 2017, the auction house said. One-fifth of new art buyers also came from the continent. For the first time ever this year, Asia led global sales, the auction house said. Given their big budgets, Chinese buyers are increasingly dominating the art investing world. Here's what they're looking for:

International 'blue chip fine art'

Christie's employees take bids for Leonardo da Vincis 'Salvator Mundi' at Christie's New York November 15, 2017. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

No surprises here. Rare classics by renowned masters like da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh are highly sought. That's particularly true because most of their works are owned by national museums and thus unlikely to be resold. The recent record price for a da Vinci "is one more proof that blue chip fine art is big business and a great, unique way of investing where the value of your investment is only likely to appreciate," said Johnny Hon, chairman of venture capital firm The Global Group and an art investor himself. Although the ultimate buyer came from the Middle East, the painting was taken to Hong Kong before it was auctioned off, underscoring the importance of the Chinese market, which is now "central to the international art market," added Hon.

Chinese classics and masters

A security guard stands next to paintings titled "Lotus and Mandarin Duck" (L) and "Children Playing under a Pomegranate Tree," by Chinese artist Zhang Daqian.

China lost heaps of artwork in the last century due to historical turmoil, but now that the country is an economic power, the rich are buying back some of their heritage. Ancient porcelain and old ink paintings are all fair game with major 20th Century Chinese ink painters Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong and Zhang Daqian drawing the big bucks. On Dec. 18, a collection of 12 landscapes by Qi sold for 931 million Chinese yuan ($171 million) at a Beijing auction, setting a record for Chinese artwork sold at an auction worldwide, China Daily reported. Last year, Zhang generated $31 million more in auction sales last year than abstract genius Pablo Picasso, according to French database Artprice, making the Chinese artist the top in auction turnover. According to a report from art website Artnet and the China Association of Auctioneers, the market for Chinese art and antiques is moving toward Asia, with major auction houses shifting inventory to Hong Kong. In the category, 78 percent of the work was sold in Asia last year  up from 66 percent in 2011. Art dealers tell CNBC that many of the transactions take place outside of the mainland and are increasingly stored overseas so as not to incur taxes and issues with Chinese customs.

Contemporary art

Singapore artist Yeoh Wee Hwee uses tape in her sculptures. Huileng Tan | CNBC
Nepal has long been a buffer state between India and China, but with a new communist government at the helm, the Himalayan nation may now lean more toward Beijing.

Earlier this month, a coalition of two communist parties led by former prime ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal and K.P. Sharma Oli emerged victorious in Nepal's general election  a vote seen as a milestone in the country's transition from monarchy to federal democracy.

The election will reveal "to what extent China will emerge as a viable alternative to India in Nepal's foreign policy," analysts at research firm Stratfor said in a recent note. "One thing, however, is for certain: the rivalry between India and China for influence in Nepal will only ramp up."

Landlocked Nepal is one of the world's most remote countries, and it has traditionally remained neutral in India and China's rivalry over economic and political clout in South Asia. New Delhi, Kathmandu's biggest trading partner, has been the dominant player, particularly under the pro-India government of Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

That could change. Oli, who is expected to succeed Deuba, has promised to boost foreign investment and is seen cozying up to Beijing in the process.

Nepal is a part of China's Belt and Road network, a grand infrastructure scheme that China is using to expand trade  and influence. Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration has pledged billions to build sorely-needed infrastructure in Nepal.
The idea of universal basic income, or distributing cash handouts regardless of employment status, had a moment in 2017. Billionaires and the tech elite talked about the idea publicly, with perhaps the crown jewel of UBI's moment in the cultural zeitgeist being the push Mark Zuckerberg gave the idea in his commencement speech at Harvard in May. Here's a review of why cash handouts have been in the conversation of late  and what's been said.

Why UBI, why now

Wealth in the United States is concentrated among a very small part of the population. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett are worth more than the 160 million poorest Americans, or half the population of the United States. At the same time, the rapid acceleration of robotics and automation technology has lead to fears of significant job loss. At the end of 2016, billionaire tech titan Elon Musk said the job losses would be so severe, the government would be forced to pay people to live. "There is a pretty good chance we end up with a universal basic income, or something like that, due to automation," Musk told CNBC in an interview last year. "Yeah, I am not sure what else one would do. I think that is what would happen."

Further, some say it would be good for the economy. The left-leaning Roosevelt Institute found in an August study that giving every adult in the United States a $1,000 per month would grow the economy by $2.5 trillion by 2025. People would spend the money, powering up the economy, according to the study.



And one California town is already planning to launch its own universal basic income project. Stockton, a two-hour drive from San Francisco, will give residents $500 free cash per month starting in the second half of 2018. The young mayor spearheading the effort hopes to alleviate some of the pains of poverty from which the town suffers. Of course, not everyone is a proponent of universal basic income. It's expensive and doesn't solve the problem of an evolving economy, some say, so instead of giving cash handouts, companies and individuals should focus on creating innovative solutions to retraining and re-employing those who are put out of work.

What the billionaires and tech titans say

Richard Branson Branson, the billionaire serial entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group, spoke about about his support of universal basic income more than once. "With the acceleration of [artificial intelligence] and other new technology ... the world is changing fast," Branson wrote in an August blog post. "A lot of exciting new innovations are going to be created, which will generate a lot of opportunities and a lot of wealth, but there is a real danger it could also reduce the amount of jobs. This will make experimenting with ideas like basic income even more important in the years to come."

Then in October, Branson suggested profits made from new technologies should be used to fund a cash handout. "Basic income is going to be all the more important. If a lot more wealth is created by AI, the least that the country should be able to do is that a lot of that wealth that is created by AI goes back into making sure that everybody has a safety net," Branson said, speaking with Business Insider Nordic while in Helsinki for the Nordic Business Forum. Mark Zuckerberg When the billionaire tech executive delivered the commencement address at Harvard, from which he dropped out to launch Facebook, he said growing up financially secure (his father was a dentist) afforded him the freedom to pursue his own interests. "If I had to support my family growing up instead of having time to code, if I didn't know I'd be fine if Facebook didn't work out, I wouldn't be standing here today," said Zuckerberg.

"The greatest successes come from having the freedom to fail," he said. That's why billionaires like him should pay for a financial safety net that allows everyone to find their purpose. "Now it's our time to define a new social contract for our generation. We should explore ideas like universal basic income to give everyone a cushion to try new things." In July, as part of his tour of the U.S., Zuckerberg visited Alaska, which has its own state-run cash handout program in the form of a dividend from oil revenues. Zuckerberg said the state's cash handout program "provides some good lessons for the rest of the country." The dividend averages $1,000 (or more) per person, which "can be especially meaningful if your family has five or six people," Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.

"This is a novel approach to basic income in a few ways. First, it's funded by natural resources rather than raising taxes. Second, it comes from conservative principles of smaller government, rather than progressive principles of a larger safety net," Zuckerberg wrote. "This shows basic income is a bipartisan idea." Stewart Butterfield The self-made multimillionaire and co-founder of the workplace chat program Slack tweeted his support for universal basic income in August. It "doesn't have to be much, but giving people even a very small safety net would unlock a huge amount of entrepreneurialism," said Butterfield. "If you can't afford to take any risks, you generally won't take any risks."
One of those cases did go public earlier in December, and it involved Republican Congressman Blake Farenthold. Farenthold has responded by saying he won't run for re-election in 2018, but the pressure for him to resign now is high. He won't be the last member of Congress to deal with pressure like that in the coming months.

Sources say that pressure is leading to a widespread fear factor on Capitol Hill. Dozens of staffers have told CNBC they're starting to make contingency plans in case their elected bosses get ensnared in the next sexual misconduct allegation to go public.

They have reason to be afraid, not least because these secret settlements have all been handled by the Congressional Office of Compliance, an entity Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier has accused of being an "enabler of sexual harassment." Speier and other members of both parties are currently trying to unseal the office's secret deals. That increases the odds that some or even most of these cases will become public.

So far, the focus on the effects of the harassment scandals has been squarely on House. But any member of the House or Senate serving for more than a year at any time since 1997 could be named in one of those 264 sealed settlements.

Here's where the math and the probabilities get really interesting: A whopping 31 members of the 100 member Senate have been serving in one part of Congress for every single year since 1997. Again, in a U.S. Senate almost evenly split down the middle, 31 senators is a lot of potential perpetrators.

The party breakdown among those 31 senators is 18 Republicans and 13 in the Democrat caucus. They include top leaders from both parties and key senators from swing states that could easily swing to the other party if the incumbent were forced to resign. Most importantly, 8 of them, six Democrats and two Republicans, are running for re-election in 2018. Three of those elections are currently in the "toss up" category according to the election site, 270towin.com.

It's important to pause here and make it clear that there is no solid evidence any of those 31 senators are involved in those sealed misconduct cases. But if they are, the swift and unforgiving nature of these scandals is abundantly clear from what happened to Conyers, Franken and others in just the last two months.
If the buzz around bitcoin has peaked your interest, you certainly aren't alone. Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin have all raised eyebrows with big gains in recent months  including a dramatic spike in December when bitcoin briefly topped $19,000 trading on the Coinbase exchange  and big drops like an 11 percent slump in bitcoin after the South Korean government announced plans for new regulation. Thursday morning, bitcoin was near $14,000 on the Coinbase exchange. Before you seriously consider storing wealth in a digital currency, investing expert and "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary has words of caution: do some research. "You should never invest in something you don't understand," O'Leary tells CNBC Make It. To study up on where bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies came from, what they do and how they work, here are six books to get you started.

1. "Digital Gold" by Nathaniel Popper

Nathaniel Popper, a reporter at The New York Times who covers finance and technology, chronicles the history of the earliest bitcoin supporters in his 2015 book, including the stories of key players like the Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler (who reportedly became the first "bitcoin billionaires" when the cryptocurrency's value breached $10,000 in November) and bitcoin's mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto. "Bitcoin may be a product of computer science, but it is a very human story. ... This highly entertaining history reminds us yet again that truth can be stranger than fiction," former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers says of the book.

2. "Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond" by Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar

Chris Burniske, partner at crypto-focused venture capital firm Placeholder Capital, and Jack Tatar, a frequent author on personal finance, published a "how-to" guide for investing in bitcoin and other digital assets. Their 2017 book discusses how to value cryptocurrencies, when to invest, and "tips to navigate inevitable bubbles and manias," according to the book's website. "Informative and actionable, Cryptoassets is a must-read for crypto-enthusiasts and capital market investors alike," Arthur Laffer, a member of former President Ronald Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board, says of the book.

3. "Blockchain Revolution" by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott

Bitcoin uses a technology called blockchain, which is a digital ledger. (Check out CNBC's explainer here.) Blockchain experts Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott explore how the technology could impact global systems in their 2016 book. The father and son pair co-founded the Blockchain Research Institute, a Canadian think tank with backing from companies like Microsoft, IBM, FedEx and PepsiCo. Forbes named Don Tapscott the second most influential business thinker in 2017. "The Tapscotts have written the book, literally, on how to survive and thrive in this next wave of technology-driven disruption. Likely to become one of the iconic books of our time," says Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen.

4. "The Age of Cryptocurrency" by Paul Vigna and Michael J. Casey

Wall Street Journal reporters Paul Vigna and Michael J. Casey seek to explain how a world run on digital money would differ from today's system of tangible cash, banks, checkbooks, gold and credit cards in their 2015 book. For example, the book's opening anecdote about a woman in Afghanistan with no bank account accessing money through cryptocurrency shows the kinds of change technology can bring, Fortune notes in a review. "Vigna and Casey's thorough, timely and colorful book is a rewarding place to learn about it all," according to a review in The New York Times.

5. "American Kingpin" by Nick Bilton

This book tells the story of Ross Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road, who built the dark web e-commerce site into a $1.2 billion platform for drugs, guns and anything else illegal. One of Amazon's 100 Best Books of 2017, Apple's Best Book of 2017 and a New York Times "Editor's Choice" best-seller, bitcoin enthusiasts can read about the role cryptocurrency played. Nick Bilton is a special correspondent for Vanity Fair, a former reporter for The New York Times and a contributor to CNBC.

6. "The Internet of Money" by Andreas Antonopoulos
After Brian Wong graduated college at age 18, he co-founded a company that received more than $32 million in venture capital funding and landed clients like McDonald's and Pepsi. The now 26-year-old CEO and start-up co-founder of mobile advertising app Kiip used a series of career "cheats" to fast-track his success, which he describes in his book, "The Cheat Code." Here are a few of Wong's more than 70 tips professionals can use in 2018 to advance their careers:

Brian Wong, co-founder and CEO of Kiip. Source: Crown Business | Penguin Random House

1. Use a notebook

Wong carries a notebook to jot down ideas and notes. In proposal meetings with companies like Amazon, Wong's ability to succinctly pitch an idea helped him succeed. Summarizing your thoughts helps you formulate a proposal before you go into a meeting or talk to your boss. "When you [record your ideas], you can usually tell in one or two pages if an idea is smart or stupid," Wong writes. It also helps you remember directions your boss gives you, which Wong says can separate great employees from average ones. "If you don't write things down, you end up cluttering your mind, leaving less memory storage for more important things," Wong says, "and less brain capacity for other process, including creativity." 2. Focus on your career, not anyone else's People who don't compare themselves to others and instead think about their own business goals are the happiest, Wong writes. "These are the people who are almost literally shooting for the moon, and it's almost impossible not to feel inspired by them," he says. Being goal-oriented and positive will help you win people over. As a strategy, it even trumps competitiveness. "If you can be a better you every day, you can win the race," he says.

If you can be a better you every day, you can win the race. Brian Wong co-founder and CEO of Kiip
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) There is no proposal to reconsider the decision to privatise Air India, which has an outstanding debt of Rs 51,890 crore, the government informed Parliament today.

To revive the loss-making national carrier, the government is working on the modalities for its strategic disinvestment.

To a question in the Lok Sabha on whether the government proposes to reconsider its decision to sell out the debt- ridden Air India and its auxiliary companies, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha replied in the negative.

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The total outstanding loans of Air India as on September 30, 2017 stand at Rs 51,890 crore as per provisional figures cited by Sinha. Of this, aircraft loans account for Rs 18,364 crore and working capital loans are at Rs 33,526 crore.

In 2016-17, the airline had a net loss of Rs 3,643 crore, while operating profit rose to Rs 215 crore, the provisional figures showed.

The government also informed Parliament that there had been a ban on direct recruitment in Air India for non- operational categories of employees and that the total number of regular employees of Air India as on November, 2017, is approximately 14,006 down from approximately 32,600 at the time of its merger in August 2007.

On June 28 this year, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries.

An Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, is working on the modalities. PTI JC SMN

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Bitcoin fell Thursday after the South Korean Financial Services Commission took more steps to limit speculation in cryptocurrency trading in the country.

The digital currency hit a low of $13,611.86, down 11 percent on the day, according to CoinDesk's bitcoin price index, which tracks prices from four exchanges. Bitcoin traded near $14,000 midday Thursday, still more than 25 percent below its record high reached this month.

Bitcoin has swung wildly in the last several weeks, reaching an all-time high above $19,800 on Coinbase in mid-December before tumbling to a low of $10,400 on Friday. There was no immediate explanation for the sudden, one-day decline that day.

On Thursday, the South Korean commission said in a statement, translated by CNBC, that it is prohibiting cryptocurrency exchanges from issuing new trading accounts. If an exchange does allow new accounts, the government has the ability to take action to either stop trading or shut the exchange down, the statement said. According to an English language Facebook post by the Commission, the rules would take effect in January.

The commission added that since much of the cryptocurrency trading was being done anonymously, users must now use their real names and anonymous trading is no longer allowed.

The government also indicated it would closely monitor banks and would "swiftly" step in to limit fund flows into cryptocurrencies if necessary.

Earlier this month, authorities in the country had prohibited minors and non-residents from opening accounts.

Bitcoin one-week performance

Source: CoinDesk

Bitcoin trading in South Korean won fell slightly Thursday to about 6 percent of total volume, according to CryptoCompare. The website showed interest from South Korean traders has grown steadily in the last 10 months, sometimes accounting for more than 12 percent of total bitcoin trading volume.

Demand from South Korean investors has also contributed significantly to gains in other cryptocurrencies such as ethereum and Ripple , also known as XRP.

Bitcoin has proved resilient to regulators so far. The digital currency plunged by more than $2,000 in September as China cracked down on digital currencies. But the cryptocurrency has since more than recovered and is up nearly 1,400 percent for the year, according to CoinDesk.
Pakistani personnel stand on a ship carrying containers at Gwadar Port, Pakistan, during the opening ceremony of a pilot trade program between Pakistan and China on November 13, 2016.

China is building infrastructure developments  and relationships  with a number of countries as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It's considered the biggest foreign spending program by any one country since the U.S.' Marshall Plan to rebuild post-World War II Europe. But which projects in this attempt to revive ancient Silk Road trading routes stand to make the most headlines in the coming months? CNBC takes a look.

A Chinese worker sits near trucks carrying goods during the opening of a trade project in Gwadar Port, Pakistan, on November 13, 2016. Aamir Qureshi | AFP | Getty Images

Pakistan The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a partnership between the two Asian neighbors comprising of approximately $60 billion worth of infrastructure developments. CPEC is the BRI's "most politically contentious, and strategic project," Shailesh Kumar, senior analyst for Asia at Eurasia Group, told CNBC. He reasoned that CPEC could be a headache for China's rival India given that the program involves Kashmir, disputed territory between India and Pakistan. Kumar added that China's befriending of Pakistan enables it to encircle India, thereby affording it a military advantage. CPEC's reach is broad and includes developing ports and rail links as well as agriculture, technology and tourism. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang described the two countries as "all-weather strategic cooperative partners," while meeting Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in December. The program is more than just China's way of dealing with overcapacity in cement and steel, explained Daniel de Blocq van Scheltinga, founder and managing partner at Hong Kong-based advisory Polarwide. He added that he "would not be surprised if the relationship develops further," with China's presence in Pakistan's ports serving as a "kind of naval base."

A man drives a scooter next to railway tracks at Hua Luampong train station in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 1, 2016. Lillian Suwanrumpha | AFP | Getty Images

Southeast Asia There has been a marked shift in China's BRI towards Southeast Asia, Alexious Lee, head of capital access for China at Hong Kong-based capital markets and investment group CLSA, told CNBC. Lee added that the region was an opportunity for China to establish its own "trade ecosystem" in counterpoint to the West's Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The building of a Chinese-Thai high speed railway line began in December, following delays which included disputes over design and funding. The full line will be 542 miles long, with trains reaching speeds of over 150 miles per hour. Meanwhile Malaysia, given funding as part of BRI, will unveil four major rail projects in 2018. Lee added that China would be paying close attention to Southeast Asia in the months ahead, given that it was a "peak period for elections."

Paramedics of China's hospital ship Peace Ark stand on the deck before arriving at the Port of Djibouti on August 23, 2017. VCG via Getty Images

Djibouti China officially opened its military base on the tiny East African state of Djibouti in August of 2017. The move is noteworthy given that the U.S. already has a military presence in the country and the location grants access to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, through which lies access to European markets. "As China's economic interests expand in Africa, so does the need to protect them," explained Guo Yu, principal China analyst at risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft. Djibouti is ideal for China "given its strategic location and the fact that China had been using it as a supply base for its anti-piracy operations since 2008," he added. China will almost certainly want to expand its trade and commercial presence in the Horn of Africa state, de Blocq van Scheltinga added. Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh in late November, pledging commitment to transport and water supply projects, as well as a liquefied natural gas pipeline.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (C) and Bulgarian Premier Boyko Borisov (R) speak during an economic forum attended by 16 Central and Eastern European leaders on November 27, 2017, in Budapest, Hungary. Attila Kisbenedek | AFP | Getty Images
One year removed from Donald Trump's presidential election victory, many Democrats are still reeling from losing a contest they expected to win.

The loss still leaves many on the left bereft of ideas on how to move forward politically. Yes, there's been general agreement among Democrats in Congress to resist the Trump agenda at all costs. But that isn't necessarily a way to win the next presidential election. The resist-Obama Republicans of 2009-12 found that out the hard way in the 2012 election.

But there's one thing Democrats and liberals in general need to do fast if they want to move on from their 2016 election loss.

They need to get a divorce from Hillary Clinton.

In case anyone is unclear about how unwisely close and reverent too many liberals are to the very idea of their failed 2016 presidential nominee, this week's Vanity Fair comedy video debacle explains it all.

The magazine's website put out a short video with six suggested New Year's resolutions for Secretary Clinton. Some of the suggestions were kind, others not-so-kind. But the basic message was clear: Hillary, please don't run again in 2020!

In the context of the generally nasty political discourse these days, it was relatively inoffensive.

But Clinton's still very prominent supporters went crazy with anger. They attacked Vanity Fair and its editors with overwhelming outrage on social media for the better part of two days. The magazine was accused of sexism, racism, and hateful bias. Remember, this is the generally liberal Vanity Fair and not National Review we're talking about.

The heat got so bad by Wednesday that the magazine finally apologized. A Vanity Fair spokesperson said "It was an attempt at humor and we regret that it missed the mark." The video was not pulled off the internet, but as of Thursday morning it was no longer on the Vanity Fair website homepage, nor does it appear when you try an internal search on the site.

Even President Trump noticed how hard the magazine was trying to apologize to the liberal powers that be:

The point here isn't whether the video was funny or the jokes in poor taste. What's illuminating is that too many liberals and establishment Democrats are treating Clinton like she's still in the midst of the election. That's a dangerous problem for a party looking to move on and win.

By contrast, it seemed like the left was bemoaning and even making fun of Michael Dukakis and John Kerry mere seconds after their election losses in 1988 and 2004, respectively. In one example, then-Senator Joe Biden quickly led a movement after the 2004 election to criticize Kerry and his relatively weak response to the issue of terrorism. In the case of Dukakis, the usually liberal writers at Saturday Night Live didn't even wait for Election Day to begin depicting him as a hopeless loser.

Those quick turns away from losing choices played a big role in the Democrats' eventual comeback victories in 1992 and 2008. The 1992 Bill Clinton campaign made tireless efforts to divorce itself from the "old Democratic Party" of Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, and Dukakis. It wasn't just policy differences, but the stark image of a much younger candidate with a more persuasive personality that set him apart. The difference in energy levels between Dukakis and Bill Clinton alone were readily apparent.

Barack Obama's 2008 campaign would have stood in stark contrast to any Democrat before him because of Obama's historic role as the first African-American major party presidential nominee. But his campaign was a polar opposite of the Kerry strategy in many other ways as well. Most notably, it was again Obama's personality and speaking abilities that were put front and center, while Kerry's distant past as a Vietnam veteran was the hallmark of his campaign. It was a major persuasive upgrade.

It's important to note that in the aftermath of '88 and '04, the Democrats did not come up with their winning presidential candidates right away. The left has plenty of time to round up some better names in time for the 2020 primaries.

The issue here is that as long as Clinton remains as revered and protected in the public discourse as she is by leaders on the left, the longer it will take for them to truly grasp how weak and unpersuasive a candidate she was. The Democrats needs to close that persuasion gap and they can't do it if they can't see the gap in the first place. Cue up all the lessons and pithy sayings about how failure is the greatest educator and it's impossible to miss the point.

There's a similar diversion from the reality about Clinton in the obsession over allegations the Russians somehow fixed the 2016 election. But whatever special counsel Robert Mueller's collusion investigation finds, it's going to have to perform some miracles to prove a foreign power successfully tipped the scales for voters in all those Midwestern swing states that sent President Trump to the White House.

By all means, Mueller should continue his probe and prosecute any actual crimes. But as far as the 2016 results go, Occam's razor is the better explanation. The Democrats had a less persuasive candidate. She lost. Move on.

That seems like it was the short but priceless wisdom that short Vanity Fair comedy video was trying to pass on to its friends on the left. But all too many people on the left clearly rejected it, and the truth will remain elusive for them as a result. How do you make a brutal election loss worse? Refuse to stop making the same mistakes.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
The tough stance adopted by Brussels negotiators over the U.K.'s financial services industry does not make sense according to a former U.K. trade minister.

In September, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said there could be no "a la carte access" to the internal market when Britain leaves the European Union (EU) in March 2019.

Subsequently, a suggestion was made that a special immigration regime for workers within the City of London's financial services industry could be employed after Brexit, allowing them to continue to work across Europe easily, but the EU has again been cool on exemptions.

The U.K. is keen to protect its lucrative financial services industry and to maintain access to European markets but that outcome is far from certain.

Lord Francis Maude, former U.K. trade minister and now a senior advisor at law firm Covington, told CNBC Thursday that the situation for financial services was complicated and deserved specific attention.

"The EU has said for a long time that the U.K. cannot expect a bespoke deal. That is manifestly absurd. Every single trade deal that the EU has done with a third country has been a bespoke deal."

"So to say to the UK, which starts from a position of being able to comply with the single market, that you have got to pick from one of the agreements that are already on the shelf is simply nonsense," Maude added.

The former trade minister said he accepted that Brexit would mean a loss of some jobs for the City of London but separate opportunities would also arise.
It's been one of the most-talked about Broadway shows of the past few years, and now, the U.S. musical tale "Hamilton" has set its sights on international markets, debuting in the English capital of London in December. So far, the sung- and rapped-through musical has garnered huge success, having received a GRAMMY award, a Pulitzer Prize, and a number of Tony Awards. So how did its creator Lin-Manuel Miranda get inspired to take on the story of one of the U.S. Founding Fathers and the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton? It all began with picking up Ron Chernow's "incredible biography" on the historic American figure. "I knew about as much as anyone did about Alexander Hamilton, before I picked up Ron Chernow's incredible biography," musical creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, told CNBC. "I knew that he was on our $10 bill in the States and I knew that he died in a duel. You know you learn that in high school and that was about it." "And that was enough for me to pick up a book off the shelf and I was going on vacation with my then-girlfriend, now wife, and I just wanted a big book to read."

Speaking in London ahead of the West End premiere of "Hamilton" last week, the creator told CNBC that he was "swept up" by the story of the first U.S. treasury secretary, but added that it took several years for Miranda to fashion an adaptation on Hamilton's life and to turn it into an international success. "I was swept up by the story. I thought it 'out-Dickens' Dickens in the unlikeliness of this man's rise from his humble beginnings in Nevis in the Caribbean, to changing, helping shape our young nation. And it's uniquely an immigrant story and it's uniquely a story about writers," said Miranda. "It took me seven years to write this show. This is no overnight success  took me a year to write the second song in the show 'my shot.' I'm in awe of people who can just write well and quickly." "And it took me a long time to be able to write about that guy, but that was sort of what inspired me about his story." Miranda admitted to CNBC that he was "incredibly humbled" by the reception that the show has received, adding that it was "really overwhelming" to see how this part of U.S. history had been awakened within a younger generation.
Homeowners wondering whether they should pay their 2018 property taxes in advance of the changing tax law are running out of time.

While the deadline is Dec. 31, to make this work, a number of things have to align in your favor: you have at least part of your 2018 tax bill in hand, you're not subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) and your local municipality is open and set up to take the payments. (Some offices may be closing early for the holiday weekend.)

Because of guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service, the decision may be moot. In the midst of taxpayers across the country lining up at their local tax offices to pay those bills early, the federal agency threw a last-minute wrench into taxpayer plans by limiting what payments can count against their 2017 tax returns.

"A prepayment of anticipated real property taxes that have not been assessed prior to 2018 are not deductible in 2017," according to the IRS announcement.

Basically, this means:

If you have a property tax bill in hand  which means the tax has been assessed  you should be good to go. Even if it isn't due until next year, you can prepay. The amount can be taken as a deduction in 2017 if you itemize your deductions on your tax return (as opposed to taking the standard deduction). About 49 million taxpayers, or 28 percent, currently itemize, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

If your local taxing authority says it will accept prepayments but the tax has not yet been assessed  in which case your payment would be an estimated amount  the payment likely is not deductible on your 2017 tax returns.

Either state or local law determines when a property tax is assessed, which generally means the time at which the taxpayer becomes liable for the tax, according to the IRS.

If you have not received a bill for property taxes due in 2018, there's a good chance they have not yet been assessed. However, the only way to know for sure is to contact your local city or county taxing authority.
The United States is in the middle of a "skills revolution," and employers will need to invest in American workers to compete with globalization, an expert on the U.S. jobs market told CNBC on Thursday.

There's a "growing divide between the haves and have-nots of skills, where skills are truly the new currency," said Becky Frankiewicz, president of ManpowerGroup North America. "It's time to invest in American workers to reskill and upskill."

"We have not seen wages move as much as expected," Frankiewicz said in an interview on "Squawk Box." "If you want a wage increase, we really have to make sure we have a skilled workforce."

Nonfarm payrolls rose by 228,000 last month and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent. While the jobs number was good news for U.S. workers, wages continued to fall short of expectations, rising only 2.5 percent in the past year.

President Donald Trump hopes the GOP's new tax law, which includes lowering the federal corporate rate to 21 percent from 35 percent, will spark business investments at home, such as hiring more workers and increasing wages.

After the final bill was passed last week, several companies announced plans to raise their minimum wage levels and hand out bonuses.

Other groups, including Democrats, remained skeptical about whether these tax changes will be enough to support U.S. workers in the long run.
By PTI: Washington, Dec 28 (PTI) For the 10th year in a row, Americans have named former US president Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as the man and woman they admire most, according to a recent Gallup poll published today.

Obama edges out President Donald Trump, 17 per cent to 14 per cent, while former secretary of state Clinton moved past Michelle Obama, 9 per cent to 7 per cent and First lady Melania Trump scored one per cent, the poll said.

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Obama wins over Trump, who is suffering brutally low approval ratings as he is about to complete his first year in the White House, came in second place followed by Pope Francis.

Trumps approval rating sank to a new low in CNN polling in December, earning the approval of just 35 per cent of Americans less than a year into his first term.

The former president has made it to the top of the list for the past 10 years, while the former presidential candidate has won 16 years in a row.

Gallup said sitting presidents usually win the most admired spot, and that Obama was the first former president to top the list since second world war general and post-war president Dwight Eisenhower.

"The incumbent president is the usual winner, since he is arguably the most prominent figure in the country," Gallup said in a statement. "But when the president is unpopular, other well-known and well-liked men have been able to finish first."

Gallup notes that this poll has been administered 71 times since 1946 and the incumbent president has won 58 of those times and Clinton has held the title 22 times in total, more than anyone else.

Results are based on telephone interviews conducted with a random sample of 1,049 adults, ages 18 and older, living in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. PTI AMS MIN AMS

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A former CIA official calls Russia's criticism "disingenuous" and says Vladimir Putin is "playing a spoiler role."

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Russia is upset a U.S.-built Aegis land-based missile defense system is getting deployed in Japan, and Moscow sent a strong protest Thursday and threatened the move would have consequences. Russia also said the system has attack capabilities and represented a treaty violation by the United States. Even so, the Aegis Ashore system is meant to defend against enemy missile attacks such as North Korean ballistic missiles. A U.S. State Department spokesperson countered, "The United States remains committed to our deep and long-standing U.S.-Japan Alliance. Third parties will not deter us from taking appropriate defensive measures in the face of growing security challenges." Last week, Japan's Cabinet approved a record 5.19 trillion yen ($46 billion) defense budget and funds to survey potential sites for two Aegis ground interceptor batteries. A ship-based version of the Lockheed Martin -made Aegis system is already installed on Japanese warships. Japan is expected to deploy the Aegis Ashore system by 2023.

Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos (C) looks on as US Army servicemen salute during the inauguration ceremony of the Aegis Ashore Romania facility at the Deveselu military base on May 12, 2016. Daniel Mihailescu | AFP | Getty Images

The Aegis ground-based system, which uses a collection of powerful radar installations, computers and interceptors, already is used by NATO countries such as Romania to protect against incoming ballistic missiles as well as enemy cruise missiles and aircraft. A system in Poland is scheduled to become fully operational in 2018. Tokyo's decision caused "deep regrets and major concerns," Maria Zakharova, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman was quoted as saying Thursday, according to Russia's state-owned Tass news agency. "This is a way of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin mucking around Northeast Asia," said Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at the Washington-based conservative think Heritage Foundation. "He has recently been playing more of a spoiler role." Klingner, a former chief of the CIA Korea division, also said the Aegis Ashore system the Japanese want "is simply using the same system that Japan already has deployed on ships. So Russia's criticism is disingenuous because it's simply more of what Japan already has that Russia has not protested in the past."

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Still, the Russian diplomat asserted the Aegis Ashore system is capable of using attack weapons and represented "a new violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) by the U.S. with practical assistance from Japan." The U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an email response: "The United States is in full compliance with the INF treaty. Russian claims to the contrary are false and meant to deflect attention from Russia's own very clear violation." According to U.S. defense experts, the Aegis ship-based system can use cruise missiles but the ground system is not designed for it. "Aegis Ashore doesn't have that software (for cruise missiles) and the other technical things needed," said Gary Schmitt, co-director of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based conservative think tank. "It's very clever on the Russians' part because a hole is a hole, so prima facie it can look like you can do something like that." Also, Russia has previously claimed the U.S. was in violation of the INF treaty with regard to Aegis ground-based defense systems in Romania and Poland. And, the U.S. also has made the case in the past that Moscow too violated the landmark arms control treaty by deploying nuclear-capable, ground-launched cruise missiles. Russia, meantime, said the anti-ballistic missile system in Japan would have consequences for Moscow-Tokyo relations. "We see this move by Japan as running counter to efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region," Zakharova said. "Such actions by Tokyo are directly at variance with the priority task to build trust in the military-political sphere between Russia and Japan and will negatively influence the general atmosphere in bilateral relations, including negotiations on a peace treaty." Meantime, former CIA official Klingner predicts that Japan will likely see more North Korean missile tests in the new year. Some missile tests this year by the nuclear-armed secretive regime have flown over Japan while others have landed within Japan's so-called exclusive economic zone. For example, in September the North Koreans fired a missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The incident resulted in authorities issuing a so-called J-Alert over people's cellphones to warn them about the potential dangers and to take cover. Last month, President Donald Trump suggested the Japanese should have shot down the missiles fired over their territory with U.S. technology. Klingner said the Aegis system, though, is designed for inbound missiles as opposed to something flying overhead. "Going over Japan is something that would exceed the capabilities of the missile defense systems," he said. "So it's like a shortstop watching a fly ball go over his head in the outfield." Looking ahead, Klingner expects the new year will result in more missile tests by the North Koreans, including at least one intercontinental ballistic missile test perhaps "a distance in the Pacific." He also noted that Pyongyang threatened earlier this year to fly a missile over Japan toward the U.S. territory of Guam but didn't do it. "I don't think it's going to be any quieter next year than it was this year," Klingner said.

WATCH: S. Korea, Japan may put F-35B fighters on warships
Uber and SoftBank have agreed to a long-awaited tender offer on Thursday, in a deal that would value Uber at $48 billion, an Uber spokesperson said.

The deal has long been expected, and would unite one of the world's most ambitious tech investing funds with one of the most valuable start-ups.

SoftBank's offer values Uber at $48 billion, about a 30 percent discount to the company's $68 billion valuation from June 2016. There will also be a $1.25 billion investment at the company's previous valuation of about $68 billion, a source said.

"We look forward to working with the purchasers to close the overall transaction, which we expect to support our technology investments, fuel our growth, and strengthen our corporate governance," Uber said in a statement.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which previously reported details of the agreement, SoftBank will likely acquire 15 percent of the company, with an additional 5 percent of the company likely available to other outside bidders. Uber would not confirm that number, saying only in the statement that the "consortium reached their target shareholding."

SoftBank said in a statement that its overall investment would close in January 2018, noting it was confident in Uber's ability to "reinvent how people and goods are transported around the world."

Uber is being forced to accept a reduced price following a tumultuous year that's seen its co-founder Travis Kalanick ousted from the CEO role, a scathing report on the company's approach toward sexual harassment, a data breach and a host of lawsuits that threaten to derail Uber's growth plans.

Uber, which has said that it's eyeing a 2019 IPO even as it loses billions of dollars a quarter, needs SoftBank's capital to continue fueling its expansion. The company has to date counted on venture capitalists and other private market investors, and is now turning to SoftBank to keep the money flowing.

But the SoftBank cash is also structured to provide liquidity to early employees and investors, who have millions  if not billions  of dollars locked up in Uber stock. Without an IPO on the immediate horizon, a secondary offering is a way to relieve some of that pressure.

Few Silicon Valley investments in recent history have been so thoroughly scrutinized. SoftBank's presence is expected to temper Uber's board, which has been in the throes of legal disputes and in-fighting.

The deal also adds to SoftBank's growing ride-hailing portfolio. SoftBank is an investor Didi Chuxing, the majority owner of Uber's China operations, and has also backed Grab, a ride-hailing company in Southeast Asia, as well as India's Ola.

There are other connections between Softbank and Uber. Dara Khosrowshahi, who replaced Kalanick as Uber's CEO, is a board member of SoftBank-backed Fanatics.

Since being named to the top spot in August, Khosrowshahi has taken steps to reform Uber. The company fired Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan after revelations that Uber had concealed a 2016 data breach, and Khosrowshahi has met with global officials to help improve the company's reputation in cities like London.

 With reporting by CNBC's Josh Lipton and Paayal Zaveri
South Korea and Japan are considering having F-35B stealth aircraft launch from the deck of amphibious assault ships, according to reports.

The F-35B  a fighter jet capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings  would be used on navy vessels originally designed to carry helicopters. The reports come amid increasing threats from nuclear-armed North Korea and as China modernizes its armed forces and demonstrates growing maritime ambitions in the region.

"The F-35 can be considered both a deterrent and also carry the fight to a potential adversary," said Seth Cropsey, a former deputy undersecretary of the Navy in the Reagan and Bush administrations and now a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

The so-called jump-jet stealth F-35B fighter could add more firepower for the U.S. allies and potentially help find, track and attack enemy aircraft and missiles as well as perhaps conduct strike missions deep inside North Korea, according to experts. To be clear, other surveillance assets also would likely be used to support attacks in enemy territory.

Japan and South Korea are among the 13 countries involved with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, which has three variants  the U.S. Air Force's F-35A (conventional takeoff and landing version), the F-35B (the U.S. Marine Corps variant that can land without conventional runways) and the F-35C (the U.S. Navy version with larger wings, special landing gear for aircraft carriers and greater fuel capacity).

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

John Pike, a military analyst at Globalsecurity.org, said the F-35B would give the South Koreans stronger fleet air defenses and formidable ship-to-shore ground attack capabilities "that you wouldn't want to mess with."

Furthermore, he said, putting the versatile fighter on a mobile platform at sea would make it harder to destroy than if the plane were at an airfield.

Japan reportedly wants to use the F-35B, a fifth-generation fighter costing more than $100 million apiece, for its Izumo-class helicopter carriers, the country's Kyodo news agency reported this week.

Japan's reported interest in using warships to launch the F-35B isn't sitting well with Beijing, which this year went operational with its own fifth-generation fighter with stealth capabilities. China also is preparing to move forward with its third aircraft carrier and has an advanced "carrier-killer" missile capable of threatening U.S. aircraft carriers in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We urge Japan to do more that may help enhance mutual trust and promote regional peace and stability," Hua Chunying, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, was quoted as saying Tuesday in state media. She also said such actions by Tokyo would violate Article 9 of Japan's 1946 constitution, which renounces war and technically the use of force.

Regardless, Tokyo has seen tensions increase in recent years with Beijing due to maritime disputes, including over islands in the East China Sea and the communist country's aggressive actions in the South China Sea. As a result, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force has been rethinking its security strategy and strengthening its capabilities.

Experts expect China to continue building up its military forces in the South China Sea in 2018, adding to bases, radar and weapons capabilities on several artificial islands. The new U.S. National Security Strategy released last week by President Donald Trump stated that China's "efforts to build and militarize outposts in the South China Sea endanger the free flow of trade, threaten the sovereignty of other nations, and undermine regional stability."

At present, Japan only has the F-35A  the conventional takeoff and landing variant  but is considering whether to purchase the F-35B fighter. Japan took delivery of its first F-35A in 2016 and is assembling more than three dozen others domestically at a facility in the Nagoya area.

Meantime, South Korea also is looking at the F-35B for use aboard a roughly 14,000-ton warship scheduled to get deployed in 2020. The plan would be to essentially refit the so-called Dokdo-class vessel to become medium-sized aircraft carrier. Seoul already has a Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship in operation.

"I understand that the military top brass have recently discussed whether they can introduce a small number of F-35B fighters and operate them aboard the new ship that has already been deployed and one to be additionally built," South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported this week, quoting an unidentified military source.

According to the source, Seoul is considering the stealth fighter as part of "maximizing the strategic value" of its newest amphibious landing ships.

South Korea already has agreed to buy 40 F-35As and expects to deploy the first ones next year. The Seoul government also is reportedly looking at adding the F-35B to its planned purchases of aircraft over the next several years.

Cropsey said the F-35B, though, should be viewed as part of a larger defense strategy and not in isolation.

"As a weapon in the toolbox it's a good one," the former Pentagon official said. "But for as good a plane as it is, there's no assurance of getting all the targets. There's no assurance that the planes can get through the air defenses or that the strikes against the targets will come in time."

Pike, however, is optimistic about the F-35's stealth capabilities being able to penetrate North Korea air defenses.

"I just don't think that North Korea's air defenses are much to worry about," said Pike. "As far as the stealth fighter is concerned, it would be like a hot knife through butter."

Pike said the F-35B could attack ballistic missiles on the ground in North Korea, especially since Pyongyang has been relying mostly on liquid fuel for missiles  and that fueling process can take time and slows down launch time.

Some also have suggested the advanced sensors and air-to-air missiles on the stealth fighter could be capable of killing ballistic missiles launched during the boost phase. Experts suggest that the scenario may not be entirely practical and that it would make more sense to take out the missile before it's launched.

Either way, shooting down a North Korean missile on the launch vehicle or in the boost phase comes with huge risks. It could spark a bloody war with the North firing rockets into the greater Seoul area, where about half of the South Korean population lives. And, there's a chance the regime could use chemical weapons or even launch nuclear-tipped missiles.

Last month, North Korea test-launched its new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Kwasong-15, from a so-called transporter-erector-launcher (TEL). The missile range and height appear to have showed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has an ICBM capable of reaching most, if not all of, the United States.

The "window of vulnerability" happens before the ballistic missile gets fired from the launchers, which are essentially timber trucks converted to carry and launch weapons. The ballistic missiles on these launchers must be first lifted into an upfront firing position before the liquid fuel can be loaded. That could take an hour os so, experts said.

Pike is confident the U.S. and its Asian allies could monitor large swaths of North Korea's flat terrain where the TEL missiles could possibly be launched and spot something "pretty quick." Signs of an ICBM or another ballistic missile launch would in part come from "a caravan" of vehicles, including fuel trucks, as they move toward the TEL with the missile, the analyst said.

"We cannot assume that we're going to see a 12-vehicle convey strung out on a highway coming out of a tunnel, all nice and lined up," said Pike. "That would be too easy. The elements of the convoy are going to be dispersed, and you will have a 'flash mob' of a dozen vehicles converging simultaneously at a pre-arranged location. So it's only when the 'flash mob' assembles that the 'kill chain' will perk up."
President Donald Trump said Thursday he is "very disappointed" following a report that China may have run afoul of international sanctions by providing oil to North Korea.

In a tweet, Trump warned that "there will never be a friendly solution" to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs "if this continues to happen!"

Trump tweet

A South Korean newspaper reported that Chinese and North Korean ships linked up at sea to provide oil to Kim Jong Un's regime. The report comes as the United Nations tries to choke off most of Pyongyang's oil supply amid continued aggressive actions by North Korea.

China has denied illegally providing oil, according to Reuters.

"The situation you have mentioned absolutely does not exist," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a briefing, according to the wire service.
Imagine receiving a pile of cash each month from the government, no strings attached. The concept sounds radical, but it's an economic theory gaining traction from Silicon Valley to the Nordics, called universal basic income. Free money experiments are underway in a handful of countries as governments face evolving workforces and strained welfare systems.

What is universal basic income?

The International Monetary Fund defines universal basic income as "a cash transfer of an equal amount to all individuals in a country." Universal basic income differs from other government transfers, like tax refunds or welfare payments, in that every individual receives the same amount. Recipients can spend the money however they like, and they aren't required to report how they spend it.

Who supports it?

Tech titans in Silicon Valley like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg are some of the biggest advocates of universal basic income. They say free money could provide flexibility for workers who could lose their jobs to robots or automation.

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But the idea has been around for centuries. Philosopher Thomas Paine proposed payments "made to every person, rich or poor" in his 1797 work "Agrarian Justice." In 1967, Martin Luther King Junior proposed a "guaranteed income" pegged to the median income level of society as a way to combat poverty. Free-market champion Milton Friedman also advocated for a negative income tax, similar to basic income, as a way to simplify welfare and reduce bureaucracy. Today universal basic income has support across the political spectrum. Senator Bernie Sanders has called it a "very correct idea" to address income and wage inequality, while some libertarians say it would provide a more efficient, simpler alternative to the existing welfare system.

Has it ever been done?

According to the Organization for Economic Development (OECD), no country has instituted universal basic income as a "a principal pillar of income support for the working-age population." But several countries are experimenting with the idea in a small sample of the population. Finland launched a trial at the beginning of 2017 where 2,000 unemployed people will receive 560 euros (about $665) each month for two years. Researchers will assess how the free money affects recipients' incentive to work, and the Finnish government hopes it might reduce bureaucracy in the existing welfare system. Other basic income experiments are underway in the Netherlands, Kenya, Canada, and the United States.

Finland is conducting a national experiment testing universal basic income. Benjamin Hall | CNBC

How much free money are we talking about?
U.S. stock index futures are posting modest gains ahead of Thursday's open, as investors turn their attention to what the next year will bring for markets. This week, markets are opening back up following the festive holiday break although trading remains thin. U.S. stocks finished Wednesday slightly higher, lifted by gains seen in the real estate and utilities sectors. In economic news Thursday, weekly jobless claims came in at 245,000 versus the 240,000 estimate.

A Christmas tree stands outside the New York Stock Exchange on December 22, 2009 in New York City. Dario Cantatore | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

After President Donald Trump signed a $1.5 trillion tax bill into law last Friday, which aims to cut tax rates for both individuals and companies, it will be of key importance as to whether more economic news will boost markets. The energy market will also be at the front of investors' minds after crude futures hit a more than two-year high earlier this week. In today's session, oil prices posted mild gains on the back of solid data out of China. Elsewhere, copper has hit a fresh four-year peak. Investors will also be paying attention to the latest in bitcoin, as the cryptocurrency continues to see volatile price moves.
how to append message in sql server while we uploading any excel sheet data into database with more than 200 hundreds records



Member 13200944 wrote: append message in sql server while

What are you talking about? Append a "message" to what? And what does a limit of 200 records have to do with anything?



System.ItDidntWorkException: Something didn't work as expected.



C# - How to debug code[

Seriously, go read these articles.



Dave Kreskowiak System.ItDidntWorkException: Something didn't work as expected. ^ ].Seriously, go read these articles.





some records are already exist to our database in this case we have to append all the message in a output variable for showing that this records already exists.if u have some technique then please let me know.







SQL servers are normally terrible at string handling. Having the SQL server do this doesn't scale well and can lead to memory allocation inefficiencies and other problems on the server.



Also, not every client is going to want this error message coming back and may, instead, just want an error number. This is because of localization and globalization. You can't change the language the message is generated in if it's generated on the SQL server side.



It would be better if you had the client just INSERT one record at a time and have the client side build up it's own error message strings in the local language based on the returned error code from your procedure.



It also reduces the amount of traffic coming back from the SQL server, which is better for mobile applications.



System.ItDidntWorkException: Something didn't work as expected.

-- said no compiler, ever.



C# - How to debug code[

Seriously, go read this article.



Dave Kreskowiak System.ItDidntWorkException: Something didn't work as expected.-- said no compiler, ever. ^ ].Seriously, go read this article.



how does the Data Adapter bridges the gap between the dataset and database?







Try it yourself, you may find it is not as difficult as you think!

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I am new to C# (using VS 2017 CE) and have a Windows Forms App in which I would like to use MessageBoxManager.

The .DLL is present and correct in my solution, showing under References in the same manner as another .DLL which works fine.

I thought that I needed to add a "using MessageBoxManager" to my project, but when I do I get the error:

CS0246 The type or namespace "MessageBoxManager" could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?

If I remove the "using" line I get no error and the code runs fine, ignoring all lines such as:- MessageBoxManager.Yes = " Yes/Oo" ; MessageBoxManager.No = " No/Hindi" ; MessageBoxManager.Unregister(); I suspect I am missing some elementary understanding, can anyone help me?



using MessageBoxManager; states that you expect that the namespace that your MessageBoxManager class is in has to be called MessageBoxManager. This cannot be the case because you cannot declare a class and namespace with the same name; .NET doesn't allow this. If you use the Object Browser View > Object Broswer, you should be able to search for MessageBoxManager. When you find it, it will tell you which namespace it is actually in. If you then look in your code, I suspect you'll find that you already have that using statement in place.

This space for rent



Pete O'Hanlon wrote: you cannot declare a class and namespace with the same name; I respectfully suggest this is a case where C# (VS 2017, 4.7.1, Debug, error check level #4) ... still ... lets you "get away with murder:" this will compile and run: namespace SomeClass { public class SomeClass { public int I { get ; } public string S { get ; } public SomeClass( int i, string s) { I = i; S = s; } } } The user is seeing an ambiguous reference exception because he has not dot-qualified his call. imho, the C# compiler should never allow this ! I;m surprised ReSharper doesn't red-line this.



Happy New Year !

 While I complain of being able to see only a shadow of the past, I may be insensitive to reality as it is now, since I'm not at a stage of development where I'm capable of seeing it.  Claude Levi-Strauss (Tristes Tropiques, 1955)



modified 29-Dec-17 20:58pm.







A NameSpace with a Class (or anything else) with the same name inside it is a bad practice that will cause problems.

 While I complain of being able to see only a shadow of the past, I may be insensitive to reality as it is now, since I'm not at a stage of development where I'm capable of seeing it.  Claude Levi-Strauss (Tristes Tropiques, 1955)



Hi,



HTML string as a JSON output.



Facing issue with the HTML string: String has HTML tags and text.



Actual string - There are HTML tags and text. In <span> tag there is id with double quotes, and there is text "since the 1500s" which also has double quotes.



<p>Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing <span id="#" ids="#" display="inline"></span> and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever "since the 1500s".<br></p>





Expected string - All double quotes in the HTML tags should be converted into single quote but the text quotes should be as it is.



"<p>Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing <span id='#' ids='#' display='inline'></span> and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever \"since the 1500s\".</p>"





C# public static Regex regex = new Regex( " \"+(?=[^<]*?>)" , RegexOptions.Multiline | RegexOptions.Singleline | RegexOptions.CultureInvariant | RegexOptions.Compiled ); ... string result = regex.Replace(InputText, " '" ); Get a copy of Expresso[^] - it's free, and it examines and generates Regular expressions. It helped me create and test that, then generated the C# code automatically.

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Hey Guys,



Hope you guys are doing great! I have one question kind of stuck there. In the JSON File, I would like to extract the data from the node. Say like I wanted to extract the book node or value which is within goods node. Here is my JSON file.

{ " store" : [ { " name" : " Sunshine Department Store" , " address" : " Wangfujing Street" , " goods" : { " book" : [ { " category" : " Reference" , " title" : " Sayings of the Century" , " author" : " Nigel Rees" , " price" : 8 . 88 }, { " category" : " Fiction" , " title" : " Sword of Honour" , " author" : " Evelyn Waugh" , " price" : 12 . 66 } ], " bicycle" : { " type" : " GIANT OCR2600" , " color" : " White" , " price" : 276 } } } ] }

Here is my code

private string ParseBookNode(JObject bookJSONFile) { JArray bookJson = null ; string bookFarmNode = null ; if (bookJSONFile != null && bookJSONFile[ " store" ] != null ) { bookJson = (JArray)bookJSONFile[ " store" ]; bookFarmNode = bookJson[0].ToString(); if (bookJSONFile[ " book" ] != null ) { bookJson = (JArray)bookJSONFile[ " book" ]; bookFarmNode = bookJson[0].ToString(); } } else { throw new Exception( " Book node not found." ); } return bookFarmNode; }

How I can able to extract data along this lines??

if (bookJSONFile[ " book" ] != null ) { bookJson = (JArray)bookJSONFile[ " book" ]; bookFarmNode = bookJson[0].ToString(); }





C# public abstract class Product { public decimal Price { get ; set ; } } public class Book : Product { public string Category { get ; set ; } public string Title { get ; set ; } public string Author { get ; set ; } } public class Bicycle : Product { public string Type { get ; set ; } public string Color { get ; set ; } } public class Store { public string Name { get ; set ; } public string Address { get ; set ; } public Dictionary<string,List<Product>> Goods { get ; set ; } public Store() { Goods = new Dictionary<string,List<Product>>(); } }

There are a couple of ways to handle the "goods" collection, but this is the easiest and should work with JSON.Net out of the box. How you obtain your object can vary a little, but parsing it directly from the original stream is preferable just for efficiency: C# public Store GetStoreInventory( string fileName) { using ( var jsonFile = new FileStream(fileName)) { using ( var reader = new StreamReader(jsonFile)) { return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Store>(reader.ReadToEnd()); } } }

From here you can handle the data just like you would any normal .NET CLR type, i.e. C# var store = GetStoreInventory(FILEPATH); var firstBook = store.Goods[ " book" ].FirstOrDefault();

The only "gotcha" is that the JSON.NET deserialize does not play nicely with interfaces, so use abstract classes instead (hence Product rather than IProduct).

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli



Hi All,

I have just started to self learn C#, and have written my first basic application.



It is pretty simple,it has 8 text boxes that accept numerical values, which it then does some calculations on and displays 3 textbox outputs.



I worked out the calculations using Excel then translated that into C# and it all works ! as long as no one puts the wrong numbers in !



What I am trying to achieve is to validate four types of inputs:



One set of text boxes can accept whole numbers and no letters from 1 to 1000

One set of text boxes can accept whole numbers and no letters from 1 to 100



On these two types of textboxes, I have this code:



private void totalsize_TextChanged( object sender, EventArgs e) { if (System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.IsMatch(totalsize.Text, " [^0-9]" )) { MessageBox.Show( " Please enter only full numbers i.e. 70 NOT 65.5" ); totalsize.Text = totalsize.Text.Remove(totalsize.Text.Length - 1 ); totalsize.Focus(); } }



From what I understand the regex is basically checking that the first character is not non numerical, so it sort of does one part of what I needed it to do.



I then have another input that I want to be able to validate: numbers only again, but only allow a single number with a single decimal point i.e. 7.2 3.6 but not 7.22222 or 70 so anything from 1 to 9 including a single decimal point.



C# private void nicstrength_TextChanged( object sender, EventArgs e) { if (System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.IsMatch(nicstrength.Text, " insert jibberish here" )) { MessageBox.Show( " Please enter only numbers." ); nicstrength.Text = nicstrength.Text.Remove(nicstrength.Text.Length - 1 ); nicstrength.Focus(); } }



The last input I want to validate will be again numbers only but from 0.n to 2.n , so 0.6 or .6 - 1.2 or 2 (2 or above will probably not ever get entered)



C# private void finalnicstrength_TextChanged( object sender, EventArgs e) { if (System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.IsMatch(finalnicstrength.Text, @" ^[1-9]\d*(\.\d+)?$" )) { MessageBox.Show( " Please enter only numbers." ); finalnicstrength.Text = finalnicstrength.Text.Remove(finalnicstrength.Text.Length - 1 ); finalnicstrength.Focus(); } }



I have tried zillions of combinations found on the net, plus I've used a couple of regex generators (frustratingly, some say a regex works and some say it doesn't - but none work when I put them into my code !)

I've learnt that I either need to put an @ in front of it, or use double \\ or whatever for C# to know what it is, but i'm just really struggling with this.

I am dyslexic (not looking for sympathy) so looking at regex makes my head explode !



Please can someone help me with the last two types at the very least, I know the top two are not 100% correct, but they at least stop letters and decimal points being entered.



Many thanks for reading, and even more for helping me !



Damian







The simplest solution is this:

C# int value ; if (!( int .TryParse(myTextBox.Text, out value ) && value >= 1 && value <= 100 )) { MessageBox.Show( " Please enter a number between 1 and 100" ); ... return ; } It's clearer, it's much simpler to maintain, and it gives you the value as a number for when you need it later.

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"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli



Nathan Minier wrote: regex are not as fast as you might think

I know! Counting Lines in a String[^]

It compares the different ways to do it: brute force, regex, Linq, ... interesting results.

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"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli





Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

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"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli





But I don't think performance is going to be an issue ..

It's only a 260~ line app with 3 calculations to work out the percentages of 3 ingredients



Cheers

Damian


By PTI: border raid

By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Dec 28 (PTI) The Pakistan Army today rejected claims that the Indian commandos selectively targeted a post across the Line of Control killing three Pakistani soldiers in a tit-for-tat action.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said the armed forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality.

"India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistans territory and killed Pakistani soldiers," he said, adding this is all "false propaganda" for their domestic audience to take the focus off Kashmir.

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Addressing the media in Rawalpindi, Maj Gen Ghafoor also termed last years "surgical strike" by India across LoC as "false propaganda". "You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings."

The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier this week said a "small group" of Ghatak commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district last week.

Maj Gen Ghafoor also rejected Indian concerns over treatment of Kulbushan Jadhavs family and said the Foreign Office had already given a detailed response to it.

"India always looks to reduce the relevance of any gestures that Pakistan makes. However, every effort that anti-Pakistan elements make, we will counter," he said.

"Even if we do something as a good gesture, the Indian media will colour it in a negative light. We allowed Jadhav to meet his family as a responsible state," he added.

He also accused India of a record number of ceasefire violation in 2017, which he claimed was being done to divert attention of Pakistan from fighting terrorism on its western border.

The spokesman also reiterated Pakistans "moral, political, and diplomatic support" to Kashmiris.

He rejected the US demand to do more and Washingtons allegations about the presence of "safe havens" of terrorists.

Ghafoor said Pakistan had fought against militants without any discrimination and destroyed their infrastructure.

"No organised infrastructure of any banned organisation is present in Pakistan. There are no facilitators [of terrorist groups] in Pakistan and we have gone a long way towards supporting peace in the region," he said.

The spokesman also rejected US Vice President Mike Pences remarks in Afghanistan wherein he had said that US had put Pakistan on notice. "What kind of friends are we that we are being given notices," Ghafoor said.

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When asked about former military ruler Pervez Musharrafs recent statements regarding "rogue elements" being responsible for Benazir Bhuttos death, he said: "I am the spokesperson for the sitting army chief and the media should ask Musharraf to defend his own statements. As of now, I can say that there are no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army."

He also responded to a question that Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif were allegedly targeting armed forces.

"We will maintain our silence on the matter as Pakistans armed forces are well aware of the threats and challenges we are facing and our achievements against them; thus we will not be distracted," he said.

He said it was for the people to decide if there was a conspiracy against someone. PTI SH ZH

--- ENDS ---
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
By PTI: Jammu, Dec 28 (PTI) Pakistani troops today violated ceasefire twice in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir as they resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from across the border, targeting forward posts and villages, an official said.

The Indian troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) retaliated the firing but there was no immediate report of any casualty, the official said.

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He said the small arms firing from Pakistani side was reported for nearly three hours in the morning in three villages of Digwar sector, causing panic among the border residents.

The firing from across the border again started this evening at Khari Karmara sector in Poonch and the exchange of firing between the two sides was continuing when last reports were received, he said.

The nearby Rajouri district witnessed heavy exchange of firing between Indian and Pakistani army after the latter initiated the firing in Noushera sector.

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement from Pakistan comes a few days after their troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers in Keri sector of Rajouri district on December 23.

On December 24, Pakistani troops had also targeted forward posts and villages in Shahpur sector of Poonch district for nearly four hours but there was no report of any casualty.

The Indian troops also killed three Pakistani soldiers and injured another in retaliatory action at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot on December 25.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a total of 881 ceasefire violations this year, highest in past seven years, along the LoC and the International Border (IB), resulting in the death of 34 people.

According to officials, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end.

In these incidents of firing from across the border, 30 people -- 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel -- were killed.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2016, there were 449 incidents of ceasefire violations in which 13 civilians and 13 government forces personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel were injured. PTI TAS SNE ZMN SNE

--- ENDS ---

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CORNWALL, Ontario  Former Cornwall resident and Holy Trinity Catholic High School alumnus Marc Lafleur got a chance to pitch his business on the CBC show Dragons Den.

Lafleur is a co-founder of the business truLOCAL, which endeavours to connect Ontario residents with locally grown farm products in Ontario.

Everyone is trying to eat better, Lafleur said. We connect people directly to local farms.

He explained that truLOCAL deals with a variety of meat products. Everything from chicken to bison can be found through truLOCAL. They describe themselves as one of the leading alternatives to grocery stores on their website.

We started truLOCAL as a way for people to easily access locally sourced meat products across Ontario, a statement on their website reads. In the past year, we have evolved into one of the leading alternatives for grocery store shopping. If youre already with an amazing farmer or butcher, perfect, but for everyone else still looking for an alternative to the grocery store, youve found the right place.

truLOCAL were invited to pitch to the Dragons in April and were excited for the opportunity.

It is an amazing opportunity. Working with a Dragon is something that most people never get to do, said Lafleur. Its hard to beat the marketing power of a Dragon.

truLocal launched their website in 2016 and are looking to expand to other provinces such as BC.

Marc Lafleur and truLOCAL will be appearing on Dragons Den on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Justin Levesque, 22, and Scott Robinson, 22, both of Cornwall were arrested on Dec. 23, 2017. It is alleged on Dec. 23, 2017 the two men who are known to be wanted by Niagara police and York police were spotted by an off duty member of the Cornwall Community Police Service at a Brookdale Avenue store.

Police were notified and attended the area. Both men were taken into custody and Levesque was found to be in possession of an illegal knife, while Robinson was found to be in possession of a quantity of cocaine and Canadian currency.

Both men were held for a bail hearing and charged as follows:

Justin Levesque

unlawful possession of a weapon

carrying a concealed weapon

possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose

breach of recognizance for failing to notify a change of address and failing to keep the peace

Scott Robinson

possession of cocaine

possession of property obtained by crime (cash)

breach of recognizance for not remaining in his residence

breach of probation for being in possession of an unlawful drug and failing to keep the peace

Robinson was also arrested on the strength of an OPP warrant.

THREATS

CORNWALL, Ontario  Michael Thompson, 23, of Cornwall was arrested on Dec. 22, 2017 and charged with threats. It is alleged during a disagreement on Dec. 22, 2017 the man threatened to harm two persons known to him and damage their cars. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. During the investigation the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court on Jan. 18, 2018.

ASSAULT WITH A WEAPON, POSSESSION OF A WEAPON FOR A DANGEROUS PURPOSE, BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  A 21-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on Dec. 22, 2017 and charged with assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and breach of probation for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on Dec. 21, 2017 the man assaulted his mother with a rock and police were contacted to investigate. During the investigation the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter.

ASSAULT

CORNWALL, Ontario  Darren MacNeil, 45 of Cornwall was arrested on December 22nd, 2017 and charged with assault. It is alleged on December 22nd, 2017 the man punched another man in the head and police were contacted to investigate. During the investigation the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court on January 18th, 2018.

BREAK AND ENTER, MISCHIEF, THEFT, BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  A 22-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on Dec. 24, 2017 and charged with break and enter, mischief, theft and breach of probation for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on Dec. 24, 2017 the man entered his ex-wifes garage, damaged property and took a bicycle. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. During the investigation the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter.

ASSAULT

CORNWALL, Ontario  A 20-year-old Cornwall woman was arrested on Dec. 26, 2017 and charged with assault. It is alleged during an argument on December 26th, 2017 the woman assaulted her common-law husband and police were contacted to investigate. During the investigation the woman was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. Her name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter.

BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  An 18-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on Dec. 26, 2017 and charged with breach of undertaking for communicating with a certain person and for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged during the month of Dec., 2017 the man was in the company of the person he has conditions not to associate with and police were contacted to investigate. On Dec. 26, 2017 the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as the conditions stem from a domestic incident and would identify the victim in the matter.

WARRANT

CORNWALL, Ontario  Emily Baker, 20, of Cornwall was arrested on Dec. 26, 2017 on the strength of a warrant. It is alleged the woman failed to attend court on December 14th, 2017 for a possession of property obtained by crime charge and a warrant was issued for her arrest. On Dec. 26, 2017 the woman attended police headquarters to deal with the matter. She was taken into custody on the strength of the warrant and released to appear in court on Jan. 16, 2018.

THREATS, BREACH, WEAPONS

CORNWALL, Ontario  Stephane Deguire, 33, of Cornwall was arrested on Dec. 26, 2017 and charged with threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and breach of recognizance for having consumed alcohol and having a weapon in his possession. It is alleged on Dec. 26, 2017 the man threatened another man and police were contacted to investigate. The man was located at a local bar, taken into custody and found to be in possession of a knife. He was charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing.

ASSAULT, BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  A 47-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on Dec. 27, 2017 and charged with assault and breach of probation for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged during an argument on Dec. 27, 2017 the man assaulted his wife and police were contacted to investigate. During the investigation the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter.

There were 43 calls for service in the City of Cornwall in the last 24 hours (8 a.m. the previous day to 8 a.m. the day of the release). To see whats happening in your neighbourhood visit our Crime Plot Map @ http://www.cornwallpolice.ca/ CCPS reserves the right not to post all calls for service in order to protect the identity of the victims.
Ponants new Le Laperouse vessel is now on her way to final outfitting in Norway following the start of her building process at VARD Tulcea, in Romania.

Hull No. 848 is now heading to a VARD facility in Soviknes, Norway. Ponant is expected to take delivery of the ground-breaking ship in June.

She is the first of four identical 180-passenger sister ships for the luxury expedition company, a sister ship will follow in 2018, and two more ships are on order for 2019.
A coalition of eight states, including Connecticut, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to force it to control pollution from power plants in the Midwest.

The other states are Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Vermont and New York, whose state Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman is leading the lawsuit.

The suit takes issue with a Trump administrations decision to allow nine upwind states to escape tighter smog requirements.

"Connecticut has stringent air quality laws and regulations, but Connecticut suffers from significant pollution and air quality issues because the state is downwind of out-of-state sources of pollution, said Jaclyn M. Severance, a spokeswoman for Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen.

Connecticut is a downwind state and much of our air quality is affected by the pollution produced by upwind states like Ohio, West Virginia and Indiana, said Chris Collibee, a spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The sad reality is that every power plant in the state could be forced to shut down during the summer months because of the pollution that blows in from the Midwest.

This is not the first time that EPA actions  or inaction  have concerned Hartford. In March, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy sent a letter to Trump's controversial EPA chief, Scott Pruitt of Oklahoma, blasting the agency's preliminary decision to exempt nine states, most of which are in the Rust Belt, from tougher scrutiny of coal-fired power plants.

Those states, the governor wrote, should be held accountable for their adverse impact on the air quality in the Northeast.

In October 2016, six Northeastern states sued the EPA to compel the agency to add nine upwind states to its so-called Ozone Transport Region.

Those states were Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The states already in the OTR are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. These states are required to submit plans and install a certain level of controls for pollutants that form ozone. The states outside the OTR dont have to follow those requirements.

Connecticut leaders fear that the Trump's administration, under pressure from U.S. automakers, will unwind Obama-era fuel efficiency standards and caps on tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide.

"Obviously, this is a guy (Pruitt) who was a sellout to fossil fuels to begin with and doesn't mind polluting Connecticut's air with (emissions) from Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania," Malloy told reporters at the time.

EPA officials could not be reached on Wednesday for comment.

Hearst Connecticut Media writer Neil Vigdor contributed to this story.

jburgeson@ctpost.com
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim will reportedly announce his bid for the Democratic nomination for Connecticut governor during the first week of January.

Ganim filed paperwork for an exploratory committee for governor eight months ago after Gov. Dannel Malloy announced that he would not seek a third term. According to a report in Only in Bridgeport, a blog published by former Ganim aide Lennie Grimaldi, the mayor is on the stump raising money the old-fashioned way from large money donors after the State Elections Enforcement Commission denied him access to public funding for his campaign due to his 2003 felony conviction on public corruption charges. A federal court upheld the states decision.
In law school, I was taught that lawyers are always the smartest people in the room and deserve to rule the world. But spending the last 20-plus years working with credit unions has taught me humility. With apologies to attorney Roy Bergengren, credit unions have survived and prospered with relatively little reliance on lawyers, compared to banks. Their managers are rarely trained or disposed to think like lawyers.

The time has come, though, when credit union managers could benefit from thinking a little bit more like lawyers. The National Credit Union Administration board is currently chaired by a lawyer of distinction, Mark McWatters, who is putting his background to work to provide regulatory relief for credit unions. To take advantage of what is on offer, credit unions will need to develop some legal consciousness.

For example, NCUA has long lagged behind the federal bank regulatory agencies in providing procedural due process to its regulated entities that would like to challenge agency decisions. At the Oct. 18 NCUA board meeting, the agency took steps to rectify this situation. The board adopted two final rules, effective Jan. 1, that should make it more attractive to appeal adverse decisions rendered by NCUA staff.
Pa. Democrats win a wafer-thin majority in the House

Incumbent Rep. Todd Stephens has conceded defeat, giving Democrats enough seats in the Pa. House to win a majority for the first time in a decade
The Bar Council of India, country's top lawyers' body with disciplinary powers, formed a three-member panel to look into the issue based on a plea filed by Delhi BJP leader and SC advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.

By Harish V Nair: Top Congress leaders who are also senior advocates have objected to a possible move by the Bar Council of India (BCI) to ban MPs and MLAs from practicing in courts on the ground that they are already "salaried" public servants.

While Congress Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan and senior Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi asked if "the country wanted a parliament of the unemployed", former Congress Lok Sabha MP from Farrukhabad and eminent advocate Salman Khurshid said "it would be a regressive step and unwarranted interference with the legal profession".

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The Bar Council of India, the country's top lawyers' body with disciplinary powers, formed a three-member panel on Tuesday to look into the issue based on a plea filed by Delhi BJP leader and SC advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.

WHO WILL BE BARRED FROM PRACTICING IF BAN IMPOSED?

Apart from Singhvi, other top names who will be barred from legal practice if such a ban is imposed will be Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram, KTS Tulsi and Vivek Tankha, all senior lawyers who are Rajya Sabha members. Tulsi refused to comment on the issue.

BJP MPs Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad have stopped appearing in court after becoming ministers. Ram Jethmalani, a Rajya Sabha member, recently quit legal practice.

Upadhyay argued that "MLAs and MPs get salary from consolidated fund of India, hence, they are employee of the State and the BCI Rule 49 restricts a salaried employee from practising as advocate."

He also contended that under Prevention of Corruption Act, MLAs and MPs are public servants.

So, allowing them to practice as advocate and restricting other public servants is arbitrary and violation of right to equality.

"Every proposal cannot be considered seriously just because it has been made. The country needs to ask, do you want a parliament of unemployed people? Lateral entry from legal profession or some field of expertise is not necessarily a bad thing. It is supposed to enrich and improve parliamentary discourse. I completely disagree but it's my personal view," Singhvi told Mail Today.

"Competent and well-intentional persons do not betray the ideals of either the Parliament or of the legal profession. I see no reason to even discuss the proposal."

Khurshid said "You cannot be interfering with the profession in this manner. The Only condition is you cannot be engaged in anything that causes indignity to the legal profession. Being an MP or MLA does not in any way put a question mark on the dignity of the legal profession. This is a futile exercise. Traditionally and historically the lawyers have played a major role in parliamentary affairs and public life and I think it would be a very regressive step."

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BCI FORMS A THREE-MEMBER PANEL

A three-member panel of the Bar Council of India is examining the provisions of the Advocates Act and the BCI Rules in this respect. A report is expected in the next few days, said BCI chairman and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra.

Upadhyay also says that it amounts to "professional misconduct" when MLAs and MPs, who get salary and other benefits from the public fund appear against the government.

"It is an honourable profession but does not remain noble merely by calling it as such, unless an advocate is fully dedicated for this profession. Similarly, legislators are also expected to dedicate their full time to public and their constituents ahead of their personal and financial interests," he wrote in a letter to the BCI, a copy of which he has also forwarded to Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

Noting that the top court in an April 1996 judgment had held that a doctor cannot practice as an advocate before the court of law until he leaves his medical career, Upadhyay said likewise a person should also give up his job as a lawmaker to continue practice.

"Legislators are expected to put full-time service to public and their constituents ahead of their personal interests," he said.

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"Nobility of the profession of law also has to be preserved and protected. Therefore, provisions of the Advocates Act and BCI Rules must be given effect in letter and spirit to maintain clean and efficient Bar to serve the cause of justice."

--- ENDS ---
Weeks have passed since Nepals historic election results were declared, but there is still no trace of a new government. The delay is mainly due to unwillingness of political parties to come to an understanding on the formation of the Rashtriya Sabha or Upper House. Also, there is a lot of political scheming behind the curtain that does not bode well for South Asias newest democracy.

The incumbent Nepali Congress is reluctant to give away power on the pretence of "constitutional provision". Likewise, the winning alliance of two Left parties is crumbling steadily. Although KP Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" are assuring otherwise, other leaders of their parties have begun raising doubts on the future of the alliance.

The real hurdle

Before the first general and provincial elections, the Sher Bahadur Deuba government had sent an ordinance related to the election of National Assembly to the president for authentication. The Congress wants that the elections to the upper house be held on the single transferable vote system and the UML is pressing for the formation through majority votes. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) was sharing power with the Nepali Congress when the ordinance was sent to the president for nod and hence it looks clueless. The ordinance remains unsigned.

KP Oli: the PM in waiting

The Nepali Congress Party is insisting on its passing before it hands over power to the alliance. The Left alliance is of the view, and rightly so, that the outgoing government should have least say on the post-election business which henceforth must be conducted based on the fresh mandate. If the ordinance was so important then the Nepali Congress should have pressed for its signing before going into polls. It now looks that the party was waiting for the results to use the ordinance as its last weapon.

Fault lines

It is well-established wisdom that a nations future is set on its founding ethos and all the future decisions are measured against the remarks and acts of its founding fathers. Nepal cannot prove it otherwise and whatever its founding leaders are doing today will keep echoing for long. Sadly, these leaders are not taking their historical responsibility as seriously as they are expected to do.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'

Firstly, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has been sitting on the ordinance for the past three months. She could have done better by putting her signature on the cabinets decision without waiting for the election results. By seeming to toe her partys line, she is disregarding her constitutional duty and her position as the impartial head of the state. She must learn from the mistakes of her predecessor Ram Baran Yadav, whose breach of the constitutional mandate in 2008 during army general Rookmangud Katawal episode almost derailed the entire peace process.

Similarly the winning party UML must also refrain from pitching the countrys president against the incumbent government. It shouldnt soil the office of the president to score political points.

But the biggest culprit in the current deadlock is outgoing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba himself. As soon as the election results were out, his first instinct should have been to tender his resignation. Doing thus, he would have made the transition smooth. Instead of behaving like a statesman, he is doing every bit to stop the winning alliance from forming the government. He may succeed today. But at what cost? He must realise that democracy is not just being technically right, but it is also a set of written and unwritten principles. A dignified exit is one of those principles.

India must avoid the trap

The current deadlock in Nepal may be a welcome thing for some of the "old guards" in India and Nepal who have built their careers on Sinophobia, but the Indian government is expected not to disrupt the natural flow of politics in Nepal. It should allow the Left alliance to form the government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling KP Oli and Prachanda a week ago and congratulating them for winning the election is a very positive sign. It is a hint that India is ready to accept the reality of democracy in Nepal and will respect the peoples mandate.
NCI Building Systems, Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets metal products for the nonresidential construction industry in North America. It operates in four segments: Engineered Building Systems, Metal Components, Insulated Metal Panels, and Metal Coil Coating. The Engineered Building Systems segment offers engineered structural members and panels; and self-storage building systems under the Metallic, Mid-West Steel, A & S, All American, Mesco, Star, Ceco, Robertson, Garco, Heritage, and SteelBuilding.com brands to builders, general contractors, developers, and end users directly, as well as through private label companies. The Metal Components segment provides metal roof and wall systems, metal partitions, metal trims, doors, and other related accessories for use in new construction, and repair and retrofit applications; roll-up doors; and interior and exterior walk doors under the MBCI, American Building Components, Eco-ficient, Metal Depots, and Doors and Buildings Components brands to manufacturers, contractors, subcontractors, distributors, lumberyards, cooperative buying groups, and other customers. The Insulated Metal Panels segment offers insulated metal panels for architectural, commercial, industrial, and cold storage end-market applications under the Metl-Span and CENTRIA brands. The Metal Coil Coating segment engages in cleaning, treating, and painting flat-rolled metals in coil form, as well as in slitting and/or embossing the metal, before the metal is fabricated for use by industrial users. It also cleans, treats, and coats heavy and light gauge metal coils for use in construction products, heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, lighting fixtures, ceiling grids, office furniture, appliances, and other products; and provides toll coating and painted metal package services under the Metal Coaters and Metal Prep brands. NCI Building Systems, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Associated Banc-Corp, a bank holding company, provides various banking and nonbanking products to individuals and businesses in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. The company operates through three segments: Corporate and Commercial Specialty; Community, Consumer, and Business; and Risk Management and Shared Services. Its Corporate and Commercial Specialty segment offers lending solutions, including commercial loans and lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction loans, letters of credit, leasing, asset based lending, and loan syndications; deposit and cash management solutions, such as commercial checking and interest-bearing deposit products, cash vault and night depository services, liquidity solutions, payables and receivables solutions, and information services; specialized financial services such as interest rate risk management, foreign exchange solutions, and commodity hedging; fiduciary services such as administration of pension, profit-sharing and other employee benefit plans, fiduciary and corporate agency services, and institutional asset management; and investable funds solutions such as savings, money market deposit accounts, IRA accounts, CDs, fixed and variable annuities, full-service, discount and online investment brokerage; investment advisory services; and trust and investment management accounts. The company's Community, Consumer, and Business segment offers lending solutions, such as residential mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, personal and installment loans, auto loans, business loans, and business lines of credit; and deposit and transactional solutions such as checking, credit, debit and pre-paid cards, online banking and bill pay; and money transfer services. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated 215 banking branches. Associated Banc-Corp was founded in 1861 and is headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Brink's Company provides secure transportation, cash management, and other security-related services in North America, Latin America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers armored vehicle transportation of valuables; automated teller machine (ATM) management services, such as cash replenishment, replenishment forecasting, cash optimization, ATM remote monitoring, service call dispatching, transaction processing, installation, and first and second line maintenance services; network infrastructure; and cash-in-transit services. It also provides transportation services for diamonds, jewelry, precious metals, securities, bank notes, currency, high-tech devices, electronics, and pharmaceuticals; vault outsourcing and money processing services; and services related to deploying and servicing intelligent safes and safe control devices, as well as cashier balancing, counterfeit detection, account consolidation, electronic reporting, check imaging, and reconciliation services. In addition, the company offers technology applications, including online cash tracking, cash inventory management, and other web-based tools. Further, it provides bill payment and collection services; prepaid cards and corporate debit cards; and security system design and installation services that include alarms, motion detectors, closed-circuit televisions, and digital video recorders, as well as access control systems comprising card and biometric readers, electronic locks, and turnstiles. Additionally, the company offers monitoring services; and security and guarding services to protect airports, offices, warehouses, stores, and public venues. It serves banks and financial institutions, retailers, government agencies, mints, jewelers, and other commercial operations. The company was formerly known as The Pittston Company and changed its name to The Brink's Company in May 2003. The Brink's Company was founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.
The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. 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OGE Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and energy services provider that offers physical delivery and related services for electricity, natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric energy. It provides retail electric service to approximately 879,000 customers, which covers a service area of approximately 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas; and owns and operates coal-fired, natural gas-fired, wind-powered, and solar-powered generating assets. As of December 31, 2021, the company owned and operated interconnected electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems, including 16 generating stations with an aggregate capability of 7,207 megawatts; and transmission systems comprising 54 substations and 5,122 structure miles of lines in Oklahoma, and 7 substations and 277 structure miles of lines in Arkansas. Its distribution systems included 350 substations; 29,494 structure miles of overhead lines; 3,365 miles of underground conduit; and 11,125 miles of underground conductors in Oklahoma, as well as 29 substations, 2,795 structure miles of overhead lines, 349 miles of underground conduit, and 662 miles of underground conductors in Arkansas. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
By India Today Web Desk: Yesterday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took everyone by surprise by dropping in at the iconic Indian Coffee House in Shimla's Mall Road, while on the way to Annandale helipad after the oath-taking ceremony of Himachal Pradesh's new Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur.

Modi was met with by a huge crowd of locals and tourists, who greeted him and cheered him on, as he enjoyed a cuppa. "In Shimla, relished coffee at the Indian Coffee House and reminisced old days. The coffee tastes as good as it did two decades ago, when I would frequent Himachal for party work," the Indian PM later wrote in a Twitter post.

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Also Read: This is what Ambaji, the Shakti Peeth PM Modi is visiting today, is all about

Picture courtesy: Twitter/Narendra Modi

What he meant by reminiscing old days is actually a reference to the late 1990s, when he used to spend his evenings at this iconic coffee house. "I used to sit in the Indian Coffee House along with partymen and mediapersons," Modi had said during his speech at Taka Bench in April 2017.

In Shimla, relished coffee at the Indian Coffee House and reminisced old days. The coffee tastes as good as it did two decades ago, when I would frequent Himachal for party work. pic.twitter.com/XOYzlpLc43- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 27, 2017

Modi isn't, however, the only distinguished personality to grace this eatery and coffee place. Indira Gandhi, LK Advani, and even former Afghanistan PM Hamid Karzai have been to the Indian Coffee House. The coffee house, established in 1957, has been one of the busiest centres of attraction of Shimla.

When multinational companies or big franchises are taking over most old eateries, it's quite a feat that the Indian Coffee House has survived, and survived well over the decades. The fact that it has survived is because of the way this place runs. "Only a worker can be a member of this society," Kalam Singh Rana, the manager of the place, told the Hill Post. The membership to the Indian Coffee House is given only after five years of service to the place.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/mbarc98 Picture courtesy: Instagram/mbarc98

This particular coffee house, like many others across the country, was started during the 1950s, when retrenchment threatened to cut off the livelihoods of many workers. It was during this crisis that the then PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, allowed workers to start coffee houses that would be owned, run and managed by workers from the local communities. The first such coffee house was started in Delhi near Kirori Mal College, and many others followed suit in Shimla, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jaipur and Allahabad.

Also Read: This is what PM Modi and Ivanka Trump will eat tonight at Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

The founders of the Shimla coffee house apparently sold off their wives' jewellery to do so, Rana has revealed. While the founders opened shop at their iconic location in 1957, they were only able to by the property for the institution in 1968, at the cost of Rs 85,000. Since then, the Indian Coffee House has been a centre of the workers' community in Himachal.

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Not only does this place provide jobs and support to workers, it also serves up some delicious dishes--most of which will give you a glimpse of the early post-colonial decades. No wonder it is such a favourite with our current PM, thousands of tourists, and the locals as well.

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The Loans segment originates conduit first mortgage loans that are secured by cash-flowing commercial real estate; and originates and invests in balance sheet first mortgage loans secured by commercial real estate properties that are undergoing transition, including lease-up, sell-out, and renovation or repositioning. It also invests in note purchase financings, subordinated debt, mezzanine debt, and other structured finance products related to commercial real estate. The Securities segment invests in commercial mortgage-backed securities and the U.S. Agency Securities. This segment also invests in corporate bonds and equity securities. The Real Estate segment owns and invests in a portfolio of commercial and residential real estate properties, such as leased properties, office buildings, student housing portfolios, hotels, industrial buildings, shopping center, and condominium units. The company qualifies as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes. It generally would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. Ladder Capital Corp was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Obama had previously warned that social media platforms can lead people to make snap judgements about complex decisions although he has refrained from criticising his successor Donald Trump who regularly uses Twitter.

By Reuters: Former US president Barack Obama said the way people communicate via social media risked splintering society and leaders had to ensure the Internet did not cocoon users within their own biases.

"All of us in leadership have to find ways in which we can recreate a common space on the Internet," Obama said in an interview conducted by Britain's Prince Harry, broadcast on BBC radio on Wednesday.

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"One of the dangers of the Internet is that people can have entirely different realities, they can be just cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases."

Obama has previously warned that social media platforms can lead people to make snap judgements about complex decisions although he has refrained from criticising his successor Donald Trump who regularly uses Twitter.

Obama said in the interview broadcast on Wednesday that social media should promote diverse views in a way that "doesn't lead to a Balkanisation of our society" and moving online communities offline helped people to see that many issues were not as simple as they might seem in a chatroom.

"It's also by the way harder to be as obnoxious and cruel in person as people can be anonymously on the Internet," he said.

"Meet in the pub...Meet at a place of worship. Meet in a neighbourhood and get to know each other."

WATCH: Former U.S. President Obama warns of social media risks in interview with Prince Harry. Read more: https://t.co/r5HtFxZs1C pic.twitter.com/8DZLP3DltU- Reuters Top News (@Reuters) December 28, 2017

(Video courtesy: Twitter/BBC via Reuters)

WEDDING DIPLOMACY?

Obama spoke to Harry in an interview conducted by the prince as a guest editor for BBC radio's daily morning news show and focused on their shared interest in promoting causes. The interview took place in September.

Harry was asked by the BBC whether he would invite the Obamas to his wedding next year with U.S. actress Meghan Markle.

"I don't know about that," Harry said. "We haven't put the invites or the guest list together. Who knows whether they are going to be invited or not. I wouldn't want to ruin that surprise."

The Sun newspaper said on Tuesday that British government officials had urged Harry not to invite the Obamas to his wedding for fear of angering Trump.

In the BBC interview, Obama spoke of being able to take a longer-term view on issues such as climate change.

"Take some of the tragedies that have happened recently, with hurricanes devastating first Houston and parts of Florida and now Puerto Rico," he said.

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"Today those aren't my direct responsibilities but I can focus over the next 20 years in making sure that we don't have more hurricanes and natural disasters that are accelerated as a consequence of climate change and the ability to focus long term I think is a great luxury."

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Pareteum Corporation, a cloud software communications platform company, provides communications platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) solutions in the United States and internationally. Its platform offers mobility, messaging, and connectivity and security services and applications. The company's platform hosts integrated IT/back office and core network functionality for mobile network operators, as well as for enterprises to implement and leverage mobile communications solutions on a software-as-a-service (SaaS), PaaS, and/or infrastructure-as-a-service basis. It also delivers operational support system for channel partners with application program interfaces for integration with third party systems, workflows for complex application orchestration, and customer support with branded portals and plug-ins for various other applications. In addition, the company provides software solutions, which layer over disparate fixed, mobile, and IP networks to enable the deployment of converged communication services and applications for enterprise communications and core telecommunications markets; and Wi-Fi access on mobile devices through its SaaS platform. It serves the markets of Internet of Things, smart cities, and application developers, as well as mobile virtual network operators, enablers and aggregators. The company was formerly known as Elephant Talk Communications Corp. and changed its name to Pareteum Corporation in November 2016. The company was incorporated in 1962 and is headquartered in New York, New York. On May 15, 2022, Pareteum Corporation, along with its affiliates, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments. The company also underwrites bank-eligible securities and other fixed-income securities eligible for underwriting by financial subsidiaries; sells loans and derivatives; and offers advisory services. In addition, it offers various services, such as mortgage banking; title insurance and loan-closing; brokerage; correspondent banking; nationwide check clearing and remittance processing; trust, fiduciary, and agency; equipment finance; and investment and financial advisory services. Further, the company sells mutual fund and retail insurance products; and credit cards. It operates approximately 500 banking offices in 22 states under the First Horizon Bank brand; and 400 banking centers in 12 states under the FHN Financial brand in the United States. The company was formerly known as First Horizon National Corporation and changed its name to First Horizon Corporation in November 2020. First Horizon Corporation was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility, banking, and renewable/sustainable infrastructure investment businesses in the state of Hawaii. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Its renewable energy sources and potential sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. This segment serves suburban communities, resorts, the United States armed forces installations, and agricultural operations. The Bank segment operates a community bank that offers banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses, including savings and checking accounts; and loans comprising residential and commercial real estate, residential mortgage, construction and development, multifamily residential and commercial real estate, consumer, and commercial loans. This segment operates 42 branches, including 29 branches in Oahu, 6 branches in Maui, 4 branches in Hawaii, 2 branches in Kauai, and 1 branch in Molokai. The Other segment invests in non-regulated renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure in the State of Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. was incorporated in 1891 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Prince Harry interviewed Prince Charles for a radio show, where the Prince of Wales discussed all the causes he cares about.

By India Today Web Desk: When Prince Harry recently interviewed former-US President, Barack Obama, for a British radio show, it made for a hilarious and thoughtful exchange. It also gave us a glimpse into the attitude of the young prince of the British Royal Family. Now, Prince Harry has taken a similar interview, and with his own dad no less.

Prince Harry recently interviewed Prince Charles, and what the world got was a closer look at their unique father-son relationship, as well as all the causes the Prince of Wales holds dear.

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Also Read: Prince Harry's interview with Barack Obama will make you laugh like never before

The interview, for BBC Radio 4's Today, has apparently been well-received by all the listeners in the UK. The interview was full of little details that slipped out, including Harry's nickname for his dad. The 33-year-old calls Charles "Pa", which is a term of endearment, but not one you might have thought the Royals use.

Charles talked specifically about the cause he has been talking about for decades now--climate change. The 69-year-old revealed that he has been advocating for the environment for years now, especially referring to his speech in 1968, when he was just 20-years-old.

Charles admitted that he had probably "bored you [Harry] to tears over so many years" with his talks about climate change, while also reiterating that the scenario has now changed. "Maybe now, some years later, they're beginning to realize that what I was trying to say may not have been as dotty as they thought," he said.

Climate change is a rising concern globally, and governments across the world are taking stock of the crises that humankind is soon going to face. harry, on his part, admitted that while Charles did go on for "hours and hours" about this pressing issue, he now shares his Pa's interest in helping the planet survive the onslaught of mankind.

Charles explained in the interview that his efforts to talk about climate change, both at home and publicly, was driven by the fact that he wanted to ensure a future for his children and grandchildren. "What I've tried to do all these years is to make sure, if I can possibly, is that ensure that you and your children, my grandchildren, also everybody else's grandchildren, have a world fit to live in, that provides them with opportunity," he said.

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Also Read: The official portraits of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement are finally here

Harry, in turn, shared his hope that people will soon realise what harm they're doing to the climate, and change their approach towards climate change. To that, Charles responded with the pride only a father can feel for his children, saying that "the fact that you're saying this gives me enormous optimism."

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PGT Innovations, Inc., together with its subsidiaries manufactures and supplies impact-resistant aluminum frame windows and doors in the United States and internationally. The company provides heavy-duty aluminum or vinyl frames with laminated glass to provide protection from hurricane-force winds and wind-borne debris; and non-impact resistant vinyl windows with insulating glass and multi-chambered frames for various climate zones. It also offers customizable non-impact-resistant aluminum frame windows and doors; and non-glass vertical and horizontal sliding panels for porch enclosures, including vinyl-glazed aluminum-framed products used for enclosing screened-in porches that provide protection from inclement weather. In addition, the company provides premium aluminum impact-resistant products; aluminum impact-resistant windows and doors; vinyl energy-efficient impact-resistant windows; and commercial storefront window system and entry doors. Further, it provides impact and non-impact sliding glass and terrace doors; fixed picture, single hung, and horizontal rolling windows; aluminum thermally broken doors and windows; fixed and operating windows; sliding, folding, and hinged doors; and moving glass walls and windows. The company offers its products under the PGT, CGI, WinDoor, Western Window Systems, NewSouth, Eco Window Systems, and Anlin brands. It serves window distributors, building supply distributors, window replacement dealers, and enclosure contractors. The company was formerly known as PGT, Inc. and changed its name to PGT Innovations, Inc. in December 2016. PGT Innovations, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in North Venice, Florida.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. owns and operates utilities, transport, midstream, and data businesses in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company's Utilities segment operates approximately 61,000 kilometers (km) of operational electricity transmission and distribution lines; 5,300 km of electricity transmission lines; 4,200 km of natural gas pipelines; 7.3 million electricity and natural gas connections; and 360,000 long-term contracted sub-metering services. This segment also offers heating and cooling solutions; gas distribution; water heaters; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioner rental, as well as other home services. Its Transport segment offers transportation, storage, and handling services for merchandise goods, commodities, and passengers through a network of approximately 22,000 km of track; 5,500 km of track network; 4,800 km of rail; 3,800 km of motorways; and 13 port terminals. The company's Midstream segment offers natural gas transmission, gathering and processing, and storage services through approximately 15,000 km of natural gas transmission pipelines; 600 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage; 17 natural gas processing plants; and 3,900 km of gas gathering pipelines, as well as one petrochemical processing complex. Its Data segment operates approximately 148,000 operational telecom towers; 8,000 multi-purpose towers and active rooftop sites; 10,000 km of fiber backbone; 1,600 cell sites and approximately 12,000 km of fiber optic cable; and 2,100 active telecom towers and 70 distributed antenna systems, as well as 50 data centers and 200 megawatts of critical load capacity. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Citigroup Inc. is one of the worlds largest financial institutions. It is the 13th largest bank globally by assets and 8th by market cap with operations in consumer and institutional banking. In the US, Citigroup is the 3rd largest bank by assets and one of the Big Four deemed systemically important and too big to fail.

Citigroup Inc. was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. The bank was run by Samuel Osgood who led the company with success for many years, even throughout the War of 1812. The bank was later renamed the National City Bank of New York in 1865 and by 1895 is the largest bank in the US. In 1913 it was the first contributor to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a few years later it began to expand into overseas territories.

The bank became the First National City Bank of New York after another merger in 1955 and then later, the New York part was dropped off as part of the 150th-anniversary celebration. By 1974 the company is known as Citicorp which is still the operational branch of the business and a global banking powerhouse. A merger with Travelers insurance group in 1998 resulted in the name Citigroup but the joint venture did not last. By 2002 Travelers was publicly traded once again but Citigroup retained the new name.

Today, the company is headquartered in New York, New York but boasts more than 200 million customer accounts in 160 countries worldwide. As of mid-2022, it operated 2,649 branches in the United States, Mexico, and Asia. The company reports nearly 725 branches in the US and 1499 in Mexico with the rest scattered throughout its territory. Total annual revenue topped $75 billion in 2022.

Citigroup is a diversified financial services holding company that owns Citicorp among other assets. The companys mission is to serve as a trusted partner providing responsible financial solutions to its clients. Citigroup provides financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions. The company operates in two segments, Global Consumer Banking (GCB) and Institutional Clients Group (ICG).

The GCB segment offers traditional banking services including deposit and saving accounts, credit cards, personal loans, home loans, and investment services. This segment operates through local branches and digital means. The ICG segment offers wholesale banking products and services to corporate, institutional, public sector, and high-net-worth clients.
The NIA court noted that it appeared Purohit acted as a leader and chairperson of the meeting and also his superiors in the Army did not have any knowledge of this.

Purohit is now going to appear in the next hearing of the case on January 15.

By Vidya : The incriminating circumstance against Lt Col Prasad Purohit is "not only his presence in the meetings but the manner in which he participated in the meetings and the actual discussion and utterances made by him," said the special NIA court in its detailed order which it passed while rejecting the discharge application of the accused on Malegaon blast case.

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The court noted that in all the meetings held, prima facie it appears that Purohit was acting as a leader and chairperson of the meeting and also his superiors in the Army did not have any knowledge of this.

Purohit's lawyer Shrikant Shivde had argued in the court that the various meetings, where Purohit is alleged to be a part of the conspiratorial meetings for the Malegaon blast, was done only as a part of his duty as a military intelligence officer. He had informed his superiors in advance about the meeting on phone.

Purohit had also relied upon the ministry of defence documents relating to the court of inquiry called from the concern department of the military at the instance of Purohit himself. However, Avinash Rasal, the special public prosecutor in the case, had argued that the material should have been considered at the initial stage of the trial when charges were framed.

Purohit was granted bail by Supreme Court and reinstated in Army.

The court also said in its 130 pages order that "at this prima facie stage, safe conclusion can be drawn from the statement of witness number 184 that in the Bhopal meeting (where the alleged conspiracy of blast was hatched) Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhakar Chaturvedi were present and there was discussion about growing jihadi activities in Aurangabad and Malegaon and Purohit expressed his opinion to do something for its prevention by expanding Abhinav Bharat Sanghatna in the said area," the court said.

The court said it was accepting the NIA counsel's submission that the accused persons had conspired to establish Hindu Rashtra and the conspiracy to cause bomb blast was one step towards that objective.

The special court on Wednesday discharged three accused from the case because of insufficient evidence. Another accused Rakesh Dhavde and Jagdish Mhatre were sent for trial to Pune and Thane courts respectively for possession of arms. The rest of the accused, including Purohit and Sadhvi Pragyasingh Thakur and others, are now going to stand trial in September 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.

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The bomb blast killed 7 people and more than 100 people were injured.

Judge S D Tekale of the special court had accepted NIA's submission that charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) were not applicable in the case. The accused now face trial under Sections 16 (committing or organising a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and under Sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (causing grievous hurt to others) of Indian Penal Code and under the Explosive Substances Act.

The special court has observed in its order that "the blast took place near a mosque during the holy month of Ramzan. If the place and the timing of the blast is considered at this prima facie stage in the background of available evidence in the form of transcripts (from the 'conspiracy meetings'), witness statements etc, it has to be said that the bomb-blast was caused with the intention of threatening the unity of the public by targeting a particular community."

The court added that "the intention to take revenge against an individual is one thing, but the intention to take revenge against people belonging to a particular religion is another. The latter shows the intention to strike terror among people, or among a certain section of people."

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The court in its order has also spoken about NIA's allegation that ATS had tortured witnesses to get their statements which implicated some of the accused. The court said that if the claims of the ATS having adopted illegal steps are true then the affected persons can initiate proceedings against the ATS officers later.

The next date of hearing in the case is on January 15.

Watch: NIA court drops MCOCA charges against Col Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, 2 others

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GTT Communications, Inc. provides cloud networking services to multinational enterprises, carriers, and government customers in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers wide area networking, such as software-defined wide area networking, multiprotocol label switching, and virtual private LAN service; high bandwidth-Internet connectivity and IP transit, as well as broadband and wireless Internet access services; managed equipment and security services; and unified communication services consisting of session initiation protocol trunking, cloud unified communication service, and traditional analog voice. It also provides transport services, such as Ethernet services that enable to design network equipment; and video transport services to support broadcast quality transmission of live events, sports entertainment, and news to media and entertainment industry. In addition, the company offers infrastructure services enabling transport of high volume data between data centers, enterprise office locations, and media hubs; wavelength services to deliver scalable high-performance optical connectivity; colocation, turnkey, duct, and dark fiber services; advanced solutions, including security, hybrid cloud, database, and application management Its IP network consists of approximately 600 points of presence. GTT Communications, Inc. markets its products and services through a network of direct sales force and indirect sales channels. The company was formerly known as Global Telecom & Technology, Inc. and changed its name to GTT Communications, Inc. in January 2014. GTT Communications, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
Kingsway Financial Services Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the extended warranty business services, asset management, and real estate businesses. The company operates through three segments: Extended Warranty, Leased Real Estate, and Kingsway Search Xcelerator. The Extended Warranty segment markets, sells, and administers vehicle service agreements and related products for new and used automobiles, motorcycles, and ATVs. This segment also sells new home warranty products, as well as offers uninsured warrant administration services to homebuilders and homeowners; markets and distributes warranty products to manufacturers, distributors, and installers of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, standby generator, commercial LED lighting, and commercial refrigeration equipment; and provides equipment breakdown and maintenance support services to companies. The Leased Real Estate segment owns a parcel of real property consisting of approximately 192 acres located in the State of Texas. The Kingsway Search Xcelerator offers outsourced finance and human resources consulting services, including operational accounting, such as bookkeeping, accounting, financial reporting, and analysis and strategic finance services; technical accounting comprising initial public offerings, SEC reporting, and international consolidation services; human resources, workforce management, and compliance support services; and advisory services. The company offers its products and services through credit unions, dealers, homebuilders, and consumers. Kingsway Financial Services Inc. was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Itasca, Illinois.
By PTI: Jaipur, Dec 28 (PTI) Normalcy was finally restored in Rajasthans government hospitals and health centers where in- service doctors today resumed duty after a 12-day-long strike.

The strike, which had badly affected medical services in the state from December 16, was called off last night after the state government assured the doctors to look into their demands.

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"Doctors have resumed duties and the medical services are functioning normally today," Parasmal Jain, Joint Secretary in department of medical and health said.

The doctors went on strike while accusing the state government of not fulfilling promises made to them last month and against vindictive action against them.

The deadlock ended last night after a meeting between a delegation of doctors led by Ajay Chaudhary, president of All-Rajasthan In-service Doctors Association (ARISDA), and state Health Minister Kali Charan Saraf, Transport Minister Yunus Khan, BJP state president Ashok Parnami and other officers here, and other officers.

Yesterday, the BJP state unit president Ashok Parnami said the government has accepted the demands of doctors and resident doctors, and that the period of the strike will be considered as leaves. PTI SDAA MG

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Materion Corporation, through with its subsidiaries, produces advanced engineered materials used in semiconductor, industrial, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, consumer electronics, and telecom and data center in the United States, Asia, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Performance Alloys and Composites, Advanced Materials, and Precision Optics segments. The Performance Alloys and Composites segment offers advanced engineered solutions comprising beryllium and non-beryllium containing alloy systems and custom engineered parts in strip, bulk, rod, plate, bar, tube, and other customized shapes. This segment operates the bertrandite ore mine and refinery located in Utah that provides feedstock hydroxide for its beryllium businesses and external sale. The Advances Materials segment produces advanced chemicals, microelectronics packaging, precious metal, non-precious metal, and specialty metal products, including vapor deposition targets, frame lid assemblies, clad and precious metal pre-forms, high temperature braze materials, and ultra-pure wire. This segment offers its products from its facilities, as well as through direct sales offices and independent sales representatives. The Precision Optics segment designs and produces precision thin film coatings, optical filters, and assemblies. This segment sells its directly from its facilities, as well as through direct sales offices and independent sales representatives throughout the world. The company was formerly known as Brush Engineered Materials Inc. and changed its name to Materion Corporation in 2011. Materion Corporation was incorporated in 1931 and is headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in banking, trust, securities, and other businesses related to financial services in Japan, the Americas, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail & Business Banking Company, Corporate & Institutional Company, Global Corporate Company, Global Markets Company, and Asset Management Company. The company provides deposit products; syndicated, housing, and card loans; business matching services; and advisory services related to overseas expansions, and mergers and acquisitions-related services. It also offers consulting services, including asset management and asset succession; payroll services; and sells lottery tickets issued by prefectures and ordinance-designated cities. In addition, it offers financial solutions, such as bonds, mergers and acquisitions advisory, risk hedging products, etc. for corporate customers to meet their needs in fund-raising, investment management, and financial strategies; solutions based on their capital management, business strategy, and financial strategy; real estate agency services; advisory services and solutions, such as advice on proposals on various investment products to financial institutions; and financial services that include funding support and public bonds underwriting. Further, the company offers sales and trading services to meet needs for customers; investment products for individual customers; and consulting services for institutional investors. Additionally, the company provides products and services related to trust, securitization and structured finance, pension, and stock transfers; securities services; and research, private banking, and information technology-related services. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.
SemGroup Corporation provides gathering, transportation, storage, distribution, marketing, and other midstream services for producers, refiners of petroleum products, and other market participants. The company operates in three segments: U.S. Liquids, U.S. Gas, and Canada. The U.S. Liquids segment operates crude oil pipelines, truck transportation, storage, terminals, and marketing businesses; stores, blends, and transports refinery products and refinery feedstock through pipeline, barge, rail, truck, and ship; and operates a residual fuel oil storage terminal in the U.S. Gulf Coast. This segment has 18.2 million barrels of storage capacity on the Houston Ship Channel; and 7.6 million barrels of storage capacity at the Cushing Interchange. It also operates a 460-mile crude oil gathering and transportation pipeline system in Kansas and northern Oklahoma; 75-mile crude oil gathering pipeline system that transports crude oil from production facilities in the DJ Basin to the pipeline owned by White Cliffs Pipeline, L.L.C.; 2 parallel 527-mile pipelines that transports crude oil from Platteville, Colorado to Cushing, Oklahoma; 3 pipelines with an aggregate of 106 miles of pipe; 30-lane crude oil truck unloading facility in Platteville, Colorado; and crude oil trucking fleet of approximately 245 transport trucks and 235 trailers. The U.S. Gas segment provides natural gas gathering, processing, and marketing services. It operates 842 miles of gathering lines in Oklahoma; and a 53-mile high pressure gathering pipeline located in the STACK play. The Canada segment owns and operates natural gas processing and gathering facilities with approximately 530 miles of natural gas gathering and transportation pipelines in Alberta, Canada. SemGroup Corporation was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
PROS Holdings, Inc. provides solutions that optimize the processes of selling and shopping in the digital economy worldwide. The company offers PROS Smart Configure Price Quote that improves sales productivity and accelerate deal velocity by automating common sales tasks; and PROS Smart Price Optimization and Management that enables businesses to optimize, personalize and harmonize pricing across the complexity of their go-to-market channels in the context of dynamic market and competitive conditions. It offers PROS Airline Revenue Optimization; PROS Airline Revenue Management solution that delivers algorithmic forecasting and network optimization for the travel industry; PROS Airline Real-Time Dynamic Pricing that offers accurate booking class availability and seat prices; and PROS Airline Group Sales Optimizer which enables airlines and their travel agent partners to create and manage group bookings, contracts, and policies. Further, it provides PROS Digital Retail, a configurable end-to-end solution for airlines to optimize the traveler experience from inspiration to post-trip; and PROS digital offer marketing solutions provide performance content management and search engine marketing tools that enable businesses in the travel industry. Additionally, the company offers software-related services, such as implementation, configuration, consulting, training, and maintenance and support services. It sells its software solutions to customers in various industries, including automotive and industrial manufacturing, transportation and logistics, chemicals and energy, food and beverage, healthcare, high tech, and travel. The company markets and sells its software solutions through its sales force, as well as through partners, resellers, and systems integrators. PROS Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets commercial aerostructures worldwide. It operates through three segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment offers forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections and systems, struts/pylons, nacelles, and related engine structural components; and wings and wing components, including flight control surfaces, as well as other structural parts. This segment primarily serves the aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or engine OEMs of large commercial aircraft and/or business/regional jet programs. The Defense & Space segment provides fuselage, strut, nacelle, and wing aerostructures primarily for U.S. Government defense programs, including Boeing P-8, C40, and KC-46 Tanker. This segment also engages in the fabrication, bonding, assembly, testing, tooling, processing, engineering analysis, and training on fixed wing aircraft aerostructures, missiles, and hypersonics works, such as solid rocket motor throats, nozzles, re-entry vehicle thermal protections systems, forward cockpit and cabin, and fuselage work on rotorcraft aerostructures. The Aftermarket segment offers spare parts and MRO services, repairs for flight control surfaces and nacelles, radome repairs, rotable assets, engineering services, advanced composite repairs, and other repair and overhaul services. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. has a strategic partnership with Sierra Space to enhance access to commercial space economy of the future. The company was formerly known as Mid-Western Aircraft Systems Holdings, Inc. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.
Rajinikanth offered many life lessons to his ardent fans who came to meet him in Chennai.

By India Today Web Desk: On the third day of the his six-day fan meet, superstar Rajinikanth shared some important life lessons with his ardent fans. This day has been dedicated to fans hailing from Madurai and surrounding areas. Thalaivar also reminisced about the time he visited the famous Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.

Speaking to his fans, Rajinikanth said, "I feel charged seeing your faces today, even though I have been working sleeplessly. Madurai people are known for their courage and valour. In 1976, I visited the popular Madurai Meenakshi Temple along with my co-actor Sachu. At that time, the priest asked my star, but I was spellbound to even talk. Later, Sachu intervened and asked the priest to offer prayers in the name of the deity."

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Many enthusiastic fans make it a point to get Rajini's blessings by falling at his feet. Rajinikanth said about this tradition that his fans follow, "Do not fall at my feet. When it comes to seeking blessings, you should fall at your parents' feet, that of your elders and God himself. It is not necessary to fall at the feet of people who have money, power and fame."

He added that he would love to treat his fans to a lavish non-vegetarian feast. "Sadly, Raghavendra Mandapam is a vegetarian zone. But, soon I will make it happen."

Rajinikanth also shared that he will be announcing his political stance on December 31.

WATCH VIDEO | Rajinikanth to supporters: Don't fall at feet of those with money and fame

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Community Bank System, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Community Bank, N.A. that provides various banking and other financial services to retail, commercial, and municipal customers. It operates through three segments: Banking, Employee Benefit Services, and All Other. The company offers various deposits products, such as checking, savings, and money market deposit accounts, as well as time deposits. It also provides loans, including consumer mortgages; general purpose commercial and industrial loans, and mortgages on commercial properties; paycheck protection program loans; installment loans that are originated through selected dealerships and are secured by automobiles, marine, and other recreational vehicles; personal installment loans and lines of credit for consumers; and home equity products. In addition, the company offers broker-dealer and investment advisory; cash management, investment, and treasury services; asset management; and employee benefit services, as well as operates as a full-service insurance agency that offers personal and commercial lines of insurance, and other risk management products and services. Further, it provides contribution plan administration, employee benefit trust, collective investment fund, retirement plan administration, fund administration, transfer agency, actuarial and benefit consulting, VEBA/HRA, and health and welfare consulting services. Additionally, the company offers wealth management, retirement planning, higher educational planning, fiduciary, risk management, trust, and personal financial planning services; and investment alternatives, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and advisory products, as well as master recordkeeping services. As of January 24, 2022, it operated approximately 215 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Western Massachusetts. Community Bank System, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in DeWitt, New York.
By PTI: Kolkata, Dec 28 (PTI) The ED today claimed it has seized diamonds, rubies, sapphires and gold ornaments worth Rs 40 crore in connection with its money laundering probe into the Rose Valley chit fund scam case.

The seizures were made today by the agency which began conducting the searches at outlets of a jewellery firm here at Baguihati, Lake Place and Howrah yesterday, the Enforcement Directorate said.

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It said during investigation, it was found that Ms Adrija Gold Corporation Ltd "obtained funds in the garb of long-term loans from Rose Valley group companies".

"The ED has recovered and seized incriminating documents, 72 kg of 22 carat and 18 kg of 18 carat gold ornaments, diamonds and precious stones valued at Rs 40 crore during searches at Ms Adrija Gold Corporation Limited in connection with the Rose Valley case," it said in a statement.

An agency official said the precious stones included rubies and sapphires.

The ED had registered an FIR against the firm, its chairman Gautam Kundu and others in 2014 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kundu was arrested by the agency in Kolkata in 2015. He is at present in jail.

Multiple charge sheets have been filed in the courts in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar by the ED in this case.

The group had allegedly floated a total of 27 companies for running the alleged chit fund operations out of which only half-a-dozen were active.

The agency has claimed that the firm had floated the scheme promising inflated returns on investments between eight and 27 per cent to gullible investors in various states.

The company had allegedly pledged astronomical returns to depositors on land properties and assets and bookings done in the real estate sector. The company has also been accused of making made "cross investments" in its various sister firms to suppress its liabilities towards investors.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had probed the company before the ED and the CBI registered cases against the group.

The ED has pegged the total volume of the alleged irregularities at Rs 15,000 crore.

In August, angry depositors of Rose Valleys various schemes had ransacked a hotel owned by the company at a prime location in the city, demanding their money back. PTI NES SC

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By PTI: Malegaon blast case

(Eds: Adds details, quotes, recasts throughout)

Mumbai, Dec 27 (PTI) Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast will stand trial on stringent terror charges, a special NIA court today ruled in the politically-sensitive case that raised speculation of saffron militancy.

However, Special NIA judge S D Tekale dropped organised crime charges against them under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), which is punishable by up to life in prison.

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He also discharged three other accused - Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Praveen Takalki - in the case.

Significantly, the National Investigation Agency had said there was no evidence against Sadhvi Pragya, but the court said it was difficult to accept the NIAs claim that she had nothing to do with the crime given that her motorcycle was used in the blast.

"There is evidence to suggest that the accused number one (Thakur) had knowledge about involvement of her motorcycle," the court said in its ruling on the nine-year-old case that had raised worries of Hindu militancy gaining a foothold as a reaction to Islamic extremism.

Sadhvi Pragya "had also expressed dissatisfaction about causing less casualties in the blast. Hence it is difficult to accept submissions on behalf of the NIA and the accused number one that she had no concern with the present crime," it said.

The court, ruling on their applications for discharge of all charges, said Sadhvi Pragya, Purohit and the other six will face trial under sections 16 (committing a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The maximum punishment under the act is life imprisonment.

The court said they will also stand trial under sections 120(b) (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (intentionally causing harm to others) of the IPC.

It said "the UAPA sections 17 (raising funds for a terrorist organisation or a terrorist attack), 20 (being part of a terrorist organisation) and 23 (aiding somebody who is part of a terrorist organisation) have been dropped against all accused."

This part of the ruling gives relief to saffron outfit Abhinav Bharat, which was accused by the Mumbai Police anti- terror squad of providing arms training to right-wing activists. The ATS also says Purhoit was linked to Abhinav Bharat.

The case centres around the September 29, 2008 bomb explosion near Bhiku Chowk in the Muslim-dominated Malegaon town of Nashik district, which killed six persons and injured 101 others.

The blast, during the holy month of Ramzan, was caused by an improvised explosive device strapped to a motorcycle registered under the name of Sadhvi Pragya.

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Apart from Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit, the others who will be tried are: Sudhakar Dwivedi, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar.

Two accused - Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde - will face trial only under the Arms Act, the court said.

The accused are out on bail.

The court has asked all the accused persons to appear before it on January 15 for the formal framing of charges against them. PTI AYA SP GK ZMN SKL PYK VJ

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By India Today Web Desk: Taimur Ali Khan's first birthday celebrations at the Pataudi Palace were nothing less than a royal affair. While most of Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan's family joined in, his children Sara and Ibrahim were conspicuous by their absence. But before your mind goes into an overdrive speculating about why Sara and Ibrahim didn't attend their little brother's first birthday bash, rest assured that there is no rift.

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It is widely known that Sara is busy gearing up for her big screen debut, Kedarnath, and recently wrapped up the second schedule of the film. It was courtesy Kedarnath that she had to give Taimur's birthday a miss.

A source explained to Pinkvilla, "Fact is, Sara was prepping with the Kedarnath crew as she has been continuously shooting for the film for over two weeks now. While Taimur's birthday was on December 20, her schedule was for the next few days after that and her director had wanted Sara to stay back for some workshops. It's a challenging film and Sara is completely focusing on her debut film now."

Meanwhile, Ibrahim, wanted to spend some quality time with his sister and mother, Amrita Singh. "Ibrahim is in town on his Christmas vacay as he's been pursuing further studies in London and he too decided to stay back with his sister in Mumbai as they are very close and spend some time with her. Both Sara and her brother are very close to Saif and Kareena and adore Taimur so if they skipped the bash at Pataudi there is nothing more to read into it," the source added.

That Sara and Ibrahim attended the Christmas bash at Saif and Kareena's proves that all is well in the hood.

ALSO WATCH: Saif and Kareena become proud parents to a baby boy, Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi

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Here is how Shayara Bano became the face of the fight against triple talaq.

By India Today Web Desk: Lok Sabha has passed the Triple Talaq Bill today and now it will be sent to the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage.

The practice of triple talaq and how it affects lives of India's 90 million Muslim women was highlighted when 37- year-old Shayara Bano took her case to the Supreme Court. She called it an "unfair practice" and demanded that it should be abolished.

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Later, in August, the Supreme Court declared, by a majority of 3:2 that divorce through instant triple talaq among Muslims would be "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional". This judgment has the effect of law.

Here is how Shayara Bano became the face of the fight against triple talaq

When an under-confident, middle-class woman from a small town showed the courage to demand the scrapping of unilateral pronouncement of divorce in one sitting (triple talaq) people took note.

Not only because she was an unlikely candidate to have challenged a religious practice but also because many were keen to know whether she can eventually force a change despite the opposition.

A marriage of 15 years was dissolved in minutes unilaterally with her husband dispatching a 'talaqnama' to her while she was at her parent's place in Kashipur, Uttarakhand recuperating from an illness.

Shayara recounts, "I spoke to him over the phone last year where he said he had left me. Then one day he said he was sending some property papers and that I must accept the post. I did. And when I opened it, there lay before me a divorce deed (talaqnama)."

Shayara alleges she went through a harrowing time in the last 15 years of marriage. She was mentally tortured by demands of dowry initially. After she had two children, all subsequent pregnancies were forcefully aborted by her husband. Despite all this, she never protested, just so that she could save her home and not bring disrepute to her family.

'KHULA' DIVORCE

When I asked her mother about why she let her daughter suffer and not demand a 'khula', a divorce initiated by a woman, her mother claimed she were unaware of her daughter's plight. Shayara's mother, Firoza Bano, however later confessed that the family wanted to save the marriage from breaking somehow as they feared disrepute. She said, "Since day one he (Shayara's husband) would say I will seek talaq but we are simple people and wanted our daughter to remain settled in the marriage."

Though Shayara has an MA in Sociology she has never worked. She was always financially dependent on her husband, who offered her a paltry 'meher' amount of about 16,000 rupees at the time of talaq. It is this 'unfairness' she says she has challenged but with this she has taken on those who refuse to entertain any thought of change to the Muslim personal laws.

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FIGHT AGAINST TRADITIONS

Her brother Arshad told us "The Muslim Personal Law Board has filed a petition against us saying we are going against the rules of Islam and they will not allow any change."

Member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Kamal Farooqi told us that the Board has filed a rejoinder to Shayara's petition. According to him, "Personal laws cannot be tampered with or changed for one case alone. Today they will want to change talaq laws, tomorrow they will intrude into other aspects like inheritance. This is unacceptable."

The AIMPLB is not alone in its opposition. No political party is willing to push for changes in personal laws. So much so that even the BJP that has been vocal on uniform civil code skirted the issue. Minority affairs minister Nejma Heptullah said that a "demand for change should come from within the community." The JD(U), Congress, Samajwadi party all voiced a similar opinion.

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However, Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate KTS Tulsi took a different stand, "Why can't the judiciary decide on something that is related to human right? Most Muslim countries have also done away with triple talaq, why can't we?"

Even as Shayara's case lies pending in the apex court, a petition against triple talaq has managed to get 50,000 signatures. The road ahead still looks difficult for Sharaya. But will she like Shah Bano be able to compel the court to step into a controversial debate and deliver justice?

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Mumbai: A man was today arrested following a police complaint by award-winning actress Parvathy, who alleged that she was abused and viciously trolled on social media for terming as 'misogynistic' some dialogues in a film starring top actor Mammootty.

The 23-year-old man, identified as Printo from Wadakkancherry in Thrissur district, was charged under IPC sections 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), the police said.

He was also charged under various provisons of the Information Technology Act including section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form), they said.

Printo was produced before a magistrate court which remanded him to 14 days judicial custody.

Police said more arrests would be made in the case.

The 'Qarib Qarib Singlle' actor was trolled and abused on various online platforms after she claimed that the dialogues in the film were "misogynistic".

She had submitted the screenshots of the trolling along with the complaint she lodged yesterday.

At an open forum organised on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of Kerala recently, she voiced her opinion against glorifying misogyny on screen and expressed concern about the absence of women's perspective in cinema.

To prove her point, Parvathy said she had recently watched "Kasaba."

Though she did not mention the actor's name, she said the film had disappointed her as it featured a great actor mouthing "misogynistic dialogues."

She had also said such kind of dialogues from a superstar would give a wrong impression to people.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor came out in Parvathy's support on the issue.

He said though he has not seen the film, he strongly supported the actress' right to express her views on misogyny in cinema without being subjected to threats of rape and death.

"I call on senior male actors in the Malayalam film industry to stand by her and start a public debate on the issue," Tharoor tweeted today.

Condemning the online attacks, Kerala Finance minister Thomas Isaac had tweeted that they were deplorable and praised her for making Kerala proud by winning the best actress award at the IFFI.

Known for a variety of roles in various languages, including Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi, Parvathy bagged the 'Best Actress' award.

She has also secured the Kerala State Film Award for the best actress.
Inspector Ashok Reddy said that an NSS programme was being held on the campus on Wednesday where Vice- Chancellor Prof. S. Ramachandran was participating.

Hyderabad: Tension prevailed in Osmania University after the executive committee meeting of the Indian Science Congress Association on Wednesday decided to shift the venue of the meet from OU to Manipur University in Imphal and the date of the Congress to March 2018.

Student leaders held a protest demanding resignation of the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar, who they blamed for the prestigious science congress being shifted out of Osmania University.

They shouted slogans such as Resign VC and registrar, ISC should be conducted in OU only. Inspector Ashok Reddy said that an NSS programme was being held on the campus on Wednesday where Vice- Chancellor Prof. S. Ramachandran was participating.

Suddenly student leaders came and gheroed the vice-chancellor and tried to interrupt the on-going programme after which we had to forcefully pick up the 12 students. They were immediately released.
MADURAI/CHENNAI: Striking a discordant note yet again, DMK chief M. Karunanidhis elder son M. K. Alagiri has blamed his younger brother and working president M. K. Stalin for the partys defeat in RK Nagar bypolls.

DMK wont win even a single election as long as Stalin leads the party, Alagiri told a leading Tamil political weekly and a news channel.

Alagiri, the former Union minister, who was suspended from DMK in 2014, also found fault with the candidature of Marudhu Ganesh, who he alleged was the choice of the working presidents family in a barb directed against Stalins son-in-law Sabareesan.

DMK under the leadership of Karunanidhi has never faced such defeats, he said and blamed Stalins over-confidence and lackluster attitude of party seniors for the defeat.

In Chennai, the DMK dismissed Alagiris statement, saying he was

speaking out of jealously as he is not able to digest the growth of Stalin in the party and in Tamil Nadus political space.

Alagiri has no right to comment on Stalin. He is not even a member of the DMK. He is making these statements out of jealousy, Triplicane-Chepauk MLA J. Anbhazhagan said, stoutly defending the partys strategy and the way campaign was run in RK Nagar.

Every vote we got from RK Nagar is genuine and we did not bribe anyone to get votes, he said. Political observers said too much should not be read into Alagiris statement since he is a spent force even in Madurai and no more enjoys the clout that he did a few years ago.

He is speaking out of frustration and by attacking Stalin, he is again burning the bridges with the DMK and his younger brother, a senior DMK leader said.

Alagiri, who earned notoriety for introducing cash for votes on a large scale during the 2009 by-election to Thirumangalam in Madurai, claimed that cash alone would never influence the voters choice of the candidates. It is the field work of party workers that decides the winner, he said.
By India Today Web Desk: Rohit Shetty's association with Ajay Devgn goes way back. He was assistant director on the sets of Ajay's debut film Phool Aur Kantey. And 16 years after their first collaboration, the two are yet again planning to come together for his next film Simmba.

After the huge success of Golmaal Again, buzz has it that Rohit wants to cast Ajay in Simbaa. It was only last month that the poster of Simmba starring Ranveer Singh came out, and now reports suggest that Rohit wants his lucky mascot Ajay to play Ranveer's mentor in the film.

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A source told Pinkvilla that like Telugu film Temper, Simmba too, revolves around a corrupt cop whose attitude doesn't go down too well with a fellow cop, who is an honest and sincere police officer. The honest cop tries to thwart Simmba's actions and tries to put him on the straight path.

"The director and his creative team are keen to cast Ajay in the honest cop's role. Though the role is not big, it's a powerful one and Ajay with his scorching intensity and screen presence can definitely make an impact. Simmba is not a complete remake of Temper as everybody knows Rohit has his own way of adapting it to a Bollywood film. Everything is all very hush-hush at the moment and Rohit and KJo's teams in Dharma Productions are tight-lipped about it till everything gets sorted out. If Ajay gives his nod then Rohit wants to make the announcement himself with the star," added the source.

However, the creative team is hesitant to approach Ajay as the film also involves Karan Johar. "Everyone knows Ajay and KJo don't get along, even though the filmmaker and the star's wife Kajol patched up this year on her birthday and have been friends since. Ajay has always made it clear that he has issues with KJo so it's doubtful whether he will do this role and a film produced by his bete noir. But as they say, there are no permanent friends or enemies in Bollywood. If anybody can convince the star to do the role it's either Kajol or Rohit Shetty himself especially after the stupendous success of Golmaal Again," said the source.

ALSO WATCH: Ajay Devgn Exclusive: I can take on anybody with my little finger

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The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops. (Photo: File/Representational)

Beijing: Highlighting the Doklam standoff as its major achievement of international cooperation in 2017, the Chinese military on Thursday said India should "strictly control" its troops and implement border agreements to maintain peace and stability along the border.

Chinese Defence Spokesman Col Ren Guoqiang said the highlights of his country's international military cooperation in 2017 included handling 'hotspot issues' like Doklam.

In 2017, under the unified deployment, the military has "resolutely" safeguarded China's sovereignty and security interests, Col Ren told media in Beijing.

The Chinese military has "played its due role in the handling of the hotspot issues such as the Sino-Indian confrontation in the Donglang (Doklam) area and safeguarded the China's rights and interests in the South China Sea," he said in response to a question.

The Doklam standoff began on June 16 after the People's Liberation Army (PLA) began building a road in area claimed by Bhutan. The Indian troops intervened to stop the road as it posed a security risk to Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states.

The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops.

The 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control between India and China covers from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

When asked how Chinese military view its relations with its Indian counterpart in 2018 in the backdrop of the Doklam standoff, Col Ren said India should implement the border agreements and control its troops.

"We hope the Indian side can earnestly implement the relevant agreements reached between the two sides on the border issue and strictly control its border defence troops and do more for the positive development of China-India military-to-military relationship," he said.

During the border talks, the first since the 73-day-long military standoff in Doklam, in Delhi on December 22 between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi, both sides stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability along the border, Col Ren said.

"As far as we know both sides have agreed that it is important to maintain peace stability along India-China border and create favourable conditions for further development of bilateral relationship, which has provided a good environment and good momentum for the continued enhancement of China and India relationship," he said.

In terms of China and India military-to-military relationship, it is important to have strategic communication and push forward healthy development of ties between the two militaries, Col Ren said.

"We hope Indian side walk towards the same direction as the Chinese side and both sides can push forward the development of the relationship and jointly maintain the peace and stability along the China-India border which is in the interest of both sides," he said.

About a recent incident in which an Indian drone crashed on the Chinese side in the Sikkim sector, Col Ren declined to reveal details and whether the parts of the drone recovered by Chinese troops have been handed back to India.

"It is our position that India should have learnt lesson from the incident," he said.

On December 7, China had lodged a diplomatic protest with India claiming that an Indian drone has "intruded" into its airspace and crashed in the Sikkim section of the border which included Doklam.

India has clarified that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle had developed a technical snag and asked China to return it.
Step-by-step, Sushant Singh Rajput is solidifying his position in the film industry. After paying his dues in TV landscape for years, he has become one of the rare species of actors who have been promoted to films from television and stayed there.

The actor, still in his early years of the industry, has made all the right moves. He has shared the screen in solid ensemble movie (Kai Po Che), appeared in a blockbuster (PK) and has done a decent romantic comedy (Shudh Desi Romance). And then last year, he did his first, proper star-turn in the form of M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, a role for which he received widespread acclaim and made everybody's head turn.

Read more: 3 Upcoming Shahid Kapoor Movies That Will Take Him To The Next Level





And now it's time for the actor to take it up a notch and become a certified leading actor, who not only carries the movie on his own but on whose name alone people buy tickets. The actor seems to be aware of that fact, whose upcoming projects reflect his change of mindset.

Here they are:

Athlete Murlikant Petkar biopic





After stepping in the shoes of M.S. Dhoni, the actor will be seen playing the role of athlete Murlikant Petkar who won Commonwealth Games in 1970 and the Paralympics in 1972. The movie is tentatively titled Murli - The Unsung Hero.

No release date confirmed yet.

Takadum





Sushant Singh Rajput will share the screen again with his Shuddh Desi Romance co-star Parineeti Chopra. The film will be titled Takadum in the film directed by Homi Adajania, who previously made Finding Fanny and Cocktail.

According to reports, the film project has currently been put on hold as the Homi Adajania would like to re-look at the script

Drive





Produced by Karan Johar and directed by Tarun Mansukhani, the actor will pair opposite Jacqueline Fernandez in this potentially first film of a Dhoom-type franchise.

The film is slated for 2018 release.

Kizie Aur Manny





The first poster of hindi remake of The Fault In Our Stars is out now and it will be releasing in 2019. Now the makers have revealed the title of this movie as Kizzie Aur Mannie. Sushant Singh Rajput will be in lead along with debutante Sanjana Sanghi. The shoot has already begun in July. The film is being helmed by casting director Mukesh Chhabra and will be produced by Fox Star Studios.

Paani





Sushant Singh Rajput, Anushka Sharma, and Ayesha Kapur are ready to team up with Director Shekhar Kapur for their upcoming movie Paani and this will be produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. Although the release date is not announced yet Shekhar Kapur is all set to do the movie with M.S.Dhoni star Sushant Singh.

Son Chiriya



Sushant Singh Rajput shared his first look of Abhishek Chobey's movie Son Chiriya and his raw look is clearly depicting his energy in this movie. Currently, Sushant is shooting in Chambal for this film. Along with Sushant, Bhoomi Pednekar and Manoj Bajpayee are also there in the movie and it is declared to release in December 2018. The teaser of the film has already released and the film is all set to run in theatres in February 2019. Sushant Singh Rajput shared his first look of Abhishek Chobey's movie Son Chiriya and his raw look is clearly depicting his energy in this movie. Currently, Sushant is shooting in Chambal for this film. Along with Sushant, Bhoomi Pednekar and Manoj Bajpayee are also there in the movie and it is declared to release in December 2018. The teaser of the film has already released and the film is all set to run in theatres in February 2019.

Nitesh Tiwari's Next





Sushant is now looking forward to being a part of the Sajid Nadiadwala's next movie. Nitesh Tiwari's next movie is basically a story of today's generation and will release on 30 August 2019.

M.S.Dhoni: The Untold Story Sequel





After the great success of M.S.Dhoni- The Untold Story, Neeraj Pandey has announced the making of its sequel with Sushant Singh Rajput and it will release in 2019.

Read more: 4 Upcoming Ranveer Singh Films That Will Make Him a Force To Reckon With
We at Digit.in have conducted an extensive and elaborate survey of Indian mobile phone users and their preferences. Digits Great Indian Mobile Survey not only gives keen insights into the most used and loved mobile phone brands of India, it also ranks them on the basis of Performance, Build & Design, Camera, Value-For-Money and After Sales Support.

After months of floating the survey around, we are finally ready to share the results and insights from our Great Indian Mobile Survey 2017. Take a look

The Most Used Smartphone Brand

It was an easy win for Xiaomi, with 27 percent of the respondents to our survey picking the Chinese smartphone maker as their current handset choice. 13 Percent of the respondents use Motorola phones, while OnePlus comes in as the third most used smartphone brand in the country with 12 percent of the respondents using the devices.

These results dont seem all that surprising given that Xiaomi smartphone sales grew nearly 300 percent this year, pushing the brand right to the top of the Indian smartphone market. It is also worth noting that 24 percent of our respondents were using a Samsung mobile phone before their current devices, while only 12 percent were using Xiaomi. The drastic change in numbers clearly highlights a consumer shift from Samsung to Xiaomi smartphones. Only 9 percent of our respondents currently use Samsung mobile phones.

Clearly Chinese manufacturers are leading the pack when it comes to the most used mobile phone brands in India. Apples iPhones are used by a marginal 6 percent of our respondents, while mobiles from Indian manufacturers such as Lava and Micromax are used by 1 percent of the survey audience. Google, Nokia, LG and Sony are also not very popular with our respondents and are only used by a fraction of the total audience.

What Do Mobile Phone Users Think About Their Devices?

We asked the respondents of our Great Indian Mobile Survey to rank and score their devices on the basis of Performance, Build & Design, Camera (Main and Front-Facing), Value-For-Money and After Sales Support. 44 percent of our respondents are completely happy with the performance of their current handsets, while 45 percent are satisfied with the build & design. Almost 50 percent feel their phones are the best value for money, while only 24 percent of the respondents swear by the after sales service provided by their phone makers.

Performance

Breaking down the number even further, we asked the respondents of our Great Indian Mobile Survey to score their current phones in all four categories - Performance, Build & Design, Camera (Main and Front-Facing) and Value-For-Money. Scores were imparted by the audience of the survey on a scale of 1 - 5, five being the highest.

77 Percent of OnePlus smartphone users gave 5 points to the performance of their devices and the brand recorded the highest average score of 4.72 out of 5 in the performance category. Apple bagged the second position with an average performance score of 4.54 out of 5.

44 percent of Xiaomi users rated their phones 5 on performance and it recorded an average score of 4.28 out of 5, making it the third best brand in the performance category.

Camera

When it comes to the main camera, the Apple takes the cake with 61.73 percent of its users rating the camera 5 out of 5 and an average score of 4.48 out of 5. Coming in second for its primary camera's prowess, Huawei recorded an average score of 4.38 out of 5. OnePlus came in Third and brought in 46.62% users who gave a score of 5 to the main camera of its smartphones, with an average primary camera score of 4.31 out of 5.

Xiaomis main camera was awarded top marks only by 15.9 percent of its users, but it still got a decent average score of 3.541 out of 5 in the main camera department.

Build & Design

Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus and Motorola were all appreciated for the build and design of their phones. 70 percent of Apple users rated build & design quality as 5 and Apple received and average score of 4.61 out of 5, making it the highest of all brands. A close second in the build & design category was found to be OnePlus with an average score of 4.46 out of 5. In third place is Huawei, with a brand average score of 4.33 out of 5.

Value For Money

When it comes to being the most pocket friendly mobile phone with good specifications, A.K.A Value For Money, Xiaomi again tops the charts with 69.27 percent of its users scoring the brand 5 on 5. Xiaomi received an average score of 4.58 out of 5, shooting it right on top of the chart as the most value for money brand. Next in line is OnePlus with 63.91 percent users giving it top marks and a high average score of 4.54 out of 5, followed by Huawei with a 4.2 out of 5.

After-Sales Support

For after-sales Support, lets start with the mobile phone brands that scored the lowest. As per our survey, LeEco is understandably the worst of the lot with 37 percent of its users hating the companys after-sales support, followed Coolpad with 35.7 percent unhappy users when it comes to after-sales support. The third worst mobile phone brand in the after-sales support category was found to be Micromax with 25 percent of its users giving it the lowest score.

Oppo, Sony, Coolpad and Gionee also received low average scores when it comes to after sales support, scoring 2.69, 2.34, 2.57 and 2.67 out of 5 respectively.

Click here to see Smartphone brand winners in the After-sales support category.

So those were some of the interesting findings of Digits Great Indian Smartphone Survey. Do you agree with the results of our survey? Please leave your comments if you beg to differ or if you have anything to contribute to the results of our survey. Digit is always looking for feedback from its large community of readers. Stay tuned to Digit.in to participate in more such surveys in the near future.
Leaked specifications suggest that the new GPU will feature a smaller 160-bit bus but offering the same number of CUDA cores.

According to latest leaks, NVIDIA is working on a new 5GB version of the GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. Images of an alleged Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Windforce OC were published by Videocardz website suggesting that the new GPU is almost ready for launch.

The report suggests that the GPU will use the same GP106 chip we have seen on currently available GTX 1060 GPUs. It is reported to consist 1280 Cuda cores, identical to the 6GB variant of the GPU. However, the card is supposed to have a smaller memory bus of just 160-bit, compared to the 192-bit bus available to both the 3GB and 6GB variant of the currently available version of the GPU.

The leak also suggests that the alleged Gigabyte GPU will have a base clock speed of 1582 MHz (OC mode) and a boost clock speed of 1797 MHz (OC mode). The images suggest that the new GTX 1060 will also have the dual-fan Windforce cooling system we have seen on current gen Gigabyte GPUs along with an all black backplate. If NVIDIA launches this GPU, it will be the fourth iteration of the GP106 chip as there are already two variants of the 6GB GTX 1060. NVIDIA had introduced a newer version with faster memory (9Gbps) earlier this year.

The mentioned GPU chip - the GP106 was cited yesterday on Expreview in its GP106-350 version and is suggested to be used on this 5GB version of the GTX 1060. The website suggested that it will be sold only in China and other Asian markets to be used in Internet cafes.

However, Gigabytes version of the card showing up in leaks point towards a wider launch of this GPU. Now, whether it is required by the market is something we will see if and when the GPU is launched.
Prime Minister Theresa May is being pressured by Brexit supporters to withdraw Conservative whip from Michael Heseltine over his "disloyal comments" suggesting that a Jeremy Corbyn government would be better than Brexit.

Former cabinet minister Norman Tebbit questioned his former colleague's loyalty to the country, calling for him to be banned from the Tory benches in the House of Lords.

"I think it is unprecedented for a man in receipt of the Conservative whip to suggest that a Corbyn government would be preferable to a British government governing the UK, given that the alternative he is advocating is Brussels," he said.

Another Brexiter, Tory MP Nigel Evans told The Sun: "Only a Euro fanatic of the pedigree of Michael Heseltine could believe that a Venezuela-loving Corbyn government would be preferable to leaving his beloved EU."

He was also on the receiving end of criticism from the Bow Group think-tank, whose Chair, Ben Harris-Quinney said: "Heseltine has made clear it is his aim to prevent Brexit at all costs, including the sabotage of his own party and nation, the Conservative Party must therefore withdraw the whip and end the inevitable continuation of his sniping from inside the tent."

Harris-Quinney added: "Michael Heseltine is best known for bringing down the Thatcher Government, his career is a litany of traitorous and self-serving practices, that he is able to continue to do such things in senility only draws attention to the weakness of the Government and embarrasses it at home and abroad."

Triggering the backlash, Heseltine had said that a Labour government led by Corbyn could be less damaging than Brexit. He later pointed out that he still believed that the Labour government would have negative impacts on the UK, but that it would be less harmful than Brexit in the long-term.

He also suggested that Labour would turn against Brexit, leaving the Conservatives in a rut given the growing unpopularity of leaving the EU.

"If you look at the polls there is probably a bigger majority against Brexit than the referendum secured, but that, I think, will continue to happen and it will become more and more unpopular as people realise what its all about," he said.
By PTI: Raipur, Dec 28 (PTI) A special court today granted conditional bail to journalist Vinod Verma in connection with the circulation and possession of a "sex CD", allegedly involving a Chhattisgarh minister, as investigators failed to file a charge sheet within the mandatory period of 60 days after his arrest.

Special CBI Magistrate Shantanu Kumar Deshlahre granted relief to the scribe after he submitted a bond of Rs 1 lakh and a guarantee of equal amount as directed by the court.

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Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on October 27.

"The court accepted Vermas plea for bail which he submitted in the court yesterday under the section 167 (II) of the CrPC," said Vermas lawyer Faisal Rizvi.

Rizvi said Verma may walk out of the Raipur Central Jail late tonight.

Verma was arrested by Raipur Police during investigation after a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station in Raipur in October on a complaint lodged by BJP leader Prakash Bajaj.

Bajaj had alleged that he "was being harassed over phone by an unidentified caller", who told him that he had a CD of his "aka" (master).

The police had claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and some pen drives from Vermas residence.

After his arrest, the "sex CD", allegedly involving state Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat, surfaced in Raipur, triggering a political storm with the ruling BJP and opposition Congress targeting each other on the issue.

Subsequently, Munat lodged a complaint against Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Verma at the CivilALines police station in RaipurAfor "tarnishing" his image with the "fake CD".

On recommendation of the state government, the CBI took over the investigation of two cases related to the circulation of the CD and questionned Verma in the Raipur Central Jail on December 20. PTI SNG TKP NSK ZMN

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Subsidiaries of Glencore , Randgold Resources and other mining companies operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo have asked lawmakers to rethink proposed new taxes and other measures.

The miners have written to the presidents of Congo's senate and national assembly urging them to suspend adoption of the new rules and consult with the industry, Bloomberg reported.

The national assembly on 8 December approved higher royalties on copper, cobalt and gold, a windfall tax on profits and a doubling of the state's free share to 10%.

Congo's proposed new legislation also reduced guarantees of contract stability to five years from 10 years. The bill has been transferred to the senate and if passed would be sent to President Joseph Kabila to be signed into law.

In the letter to the senate's Leon Kengo wa Dondo and the assembly's Aubin Minaku, the miners said the legislation would "significantly lessen the confidence of investors in [Congo's] regulatory environment", reduce investment and tax income and threaten jobs, social programmes and infrastructure projects. The companies said they had been largely ignored and that the changes risked triggering a "lasting dispute".

The companies said they would protect their investments by all domestic and international means at their disposal" and offered to support a consultation to devise another mining code during 2018, Bloomberg said.

Congo is Africas biggest copper producer and the worlds largest source of cobalt. Mining companies invested heavily in the country after the current mining law was passed in 2002. After shelving revisions to the mining code during the commodities crash of 2015 the government has reintroduced them in a bid to raise more revenue.

The new laws are not wholly dissimilar to those recently passed in Kabila's former home of Tanzania under President John Mugulifi, who last year host a banquet for President Kabila. Tanzania this year passed three bills aimed to take what it sees as a fairer share of profits from its mining sector, lifting royalty rates for gold, copper, silver and platinum exports to 6% from 4% and giving the government a stake in mining companies operating there.
By India Today Web Desk: Surveen Chawla has been keeping the gossip mongers busy with her latest 'secret wedding' fodder. Social media and fans have been trying to get hold of some concrete inside scoop.

Nevertheless, the actress has opened up herself on the same and revealed why she kept the wedding under warps until now. Surveen had a romantic Italian style wedding with Akshay on July 28, 2015.

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In an interview with TimesofIndia she said, "Yes, I am married. I have known Akshay for long. It was a personal choice to not talk about the marriage. We wanted to break the news just before our Indian wedding, which was scheduled to take place this month. However, we had to postpone it to 2018, following a loss in the family."

"In a quintessential Indian wedding, the couple is surrounded by guests. But we wanted the day to ourselves; the idea was to enjoy each and every moment with each other and with those who matter the most. Also, I always wanted a white wedding in a chapel located in a castle. Fortunately, Akshay shared the same dream and that's how we zeroed in on a picturesque castle in Northern Italy. It took me six months to finalise the venue. Since I am a die-hard romantic, there was no other way I would have done it," she said.

A??One half of me is yours,the other half yours,Mine own,I would say;but if mine,then yours,And so all yours.A?A-(The Merchant of Venice) Shakespeare Lots of ??Surveen & Akshay #HappilyMarried #Love #Bliss pic.twitter.com/PClQSm17Dl- Surveen (@SurveenChawla) December 27, 2017

Surveen also revealed that she felt her announcement could have an impact on her career. "Initially, yes, as my films were up for release. But I soon crossed that bridge and realised that a talented actor will shine irrespective of her marital status. We need to take a cue from the West and get over such stigmas. International actresses go about flaunting their love life, marriage and babies without a care in the world. What matters is what I am doing on screen. Also, we suffered a personal loss and didn't know how to go about announcing the wedding then," she said. The actress had posted an adorable picture with her husband on her Twitter page recently.

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Environmentalists are cheering after an administrative law judge delayed approval of

Enbridge Energys controversial Line 3 replacement pipeline in northern Minnesota.

The decision from Judge Ann OReilly comes after state regulators deemed the environmental impact statement for the proposed multibillion-dollar project as 

inadequate and directed revisions on the document.

Minnesota Public Radio reported that OReilly is weighing whether a new Line 3 is needed in the state, and if so, what the pipeline route should be.

Minnesotans are best served, the judge said, by investing a few extra weeks now to ensure that the law is followed and a comprehensive review of the project is conducted before a final decision is rendered in this important case.

Enbridge wants to replace its aging Line 3 pipeline with a new pipeline along a different route across northern Minnesota. The Canadian energy company said the new Line 3 will provide much needed incremental capacity to support Canadian crude oil production growth, and U.S. and Canadian refinery demand. If approved, the $7.5 billion Line 3 would be the largest project in Enbridges history, which would carry nearly 32 million gallons of oil every day.

Though lesser known, Line 3 is facing a growing

Dakota Access-like opposition, with protests against the project on the rise. Line 3 critics, including environmentalists and several Native American tribes, worry that the major tar sands project could cause a devastating spill across important waterways, wetlands and sacred lands, and worsen climate change.

Honor the Earth, a Native-led organization protesting the project, said: The proposed new route endangers the Great Lakes, home to one fifth of the worlds fresh water, and some of the most delicate soils, aquifers and pristine lakes in northern Minnesota, It also threatens critical resources on Ojibwe treaty lands, where tribal members retain the rights to hunt, fish, gather, hold ceremony, and travel.



Honor the Earth

Enbridge was disappointed by the judges ruling. Spokesperson Shannon Gustafson said the revisions to the environmental impact statement were very simple follow ups but added that the cumbersome nature of the process could take until the second quarter of 2018 to finalize.

According to Minnesota Public Radio, state regulators had wanted a final decision on Line 3 by April 2018, but OReillys ruling could push that decision to June 2018 or even later.

Its very disappointing to see yet another in an endless string of delays imposed on a project that will create jobs, protect the environment and provide access to the fuel that drives our economy and society, Nancy Norr, a spokesperson for Jobs for Minnesotans, which supports the pipeline, told Minnesota Public Radio.

But Margaret Levin, state director for the

Sierra Club North Star Chapter, praised the decision, and said the judge should take the time necessary to make a thorough and well-informed decision on Line 3.

It is the responsibility of our government to adequately understand and weigh the environmental and cultural impacts of a project like this when making a decision, Levin said.

Check out this Honor the Earth video below to learn about the growing movement against Line 3:
Prince Harry is joining African Parks as president of the South Africa-based wildlife conservation organization, according to an announcement made Wednesday during a BBC Radio 4 program guest-edited by the royal.

Prince Harry has been working with African Parks since July 2016, when he assisted in the translocation of a group of elephants and other wildlife in Malawi, where the organization manages three protected areas. As President, Prince Harry will work with the leadership of the African Parks, according to Robert-Jan van Ogtrop, the conservation groups chairman.

Prince Harry will work closely with our Board and Peter Fearnhead our CEO, to advance our mission in protecting Africas national parks, said van Ogtrop, chairman of African Parks, in a statement. Hell be able to help shine a light on the most pressing and urgent issues wildlife are facing, and most importantly, what people can do to help.

African Parks manages 13 national parks and protected areas covering some seven million hectares in Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda and Zambia. The group, which has the largest area of land under conservation in Africa of any NGO, recently received a $65 million commitment from the Wyss Foundation to expand in Rwanda, Malawi and other African countries.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Mongabay.
Tesla is sending its Powerwall system to Puerto Rico as the island deals with widespread power loss in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

According to Electrek, the company has been quietly shipping hundreds of battery packs to be paired with solar panels to Puerto Rico ever since the storm cleared.

Fortune reported that Tesla employees are currently on the U.S. territory installing the batteries and repairing solar systems, as well as coordinating efforts with local organizations.

Much of the islands 3.4 million American citizens are currently without power and disconnected from modes of communication. Officials estimate that some areas will not see their power restored for months. As

Climate Nexus pointed out, the future of the islands bankrupt and corrupt utility and its fossil-fuel-heavy colonial legacy are now top of mind as experts and officials begin to tackle the best way to restore power and rebuild the islands power grid.

While there is still a long way to go rebuild, Teslas batteries will help enable the islands generation of clean and renewable solar energy in the interim and in the future.

The company previously made headlines for helping Model S and Model X owners in Florida escape

Hurricane Irma by extending the battery range of its cars.

Tesla CEO

Elon Musk has also personally donated $250,000 to the relief effort, Electrek noted.

A number of companies and business leaders have contributed to hurricane relief efforts. Fellow billionaire mogul Richard Branson, who faced two damaging hurricanes in a row from his home in the British Virgin Islands, has met with government representatives from Britain and the U.S. to set up a green fund to rebuild the hurricane-wrecked Caribbean.

As part of that fund we want to make sure that the Caribbean moves from dirty energy to clean energy, Branson also told Thomson Reuters Foundation.

If all that money could be invested in clean energy, in powering the world by the sun and by the wind, where we wont have to suffer these awful events in the future, how much better than having to patch up peoples houses after theyve been destroyed? the Virgin Group founder said.
Nano Global teams up with ARM to create an AI-based processor that can take input from a variety of sources and, in conjunction with Nano Globals platform, identify, characterize, and help diagnose potential health hazards



By Brian Santo, contributing writer



Startup Nano Global has embarked on one of the most ambitious and consequential Internet of Things (IoT) projects proposed thus far: instrumenting the world to monitor the environment for health risks, with the goals of minimizing (and possibly forestalling) epidemics and pandemics, while gathering data that would be used to solve some of the worlds most intractable health problems, including superbugs, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and even cancer.

The company has been around for a few years, quietly searching for allies. The company has lined up contacts with a variety of governmental agencies, medical establishments, and research organizations to help on the project. Nano Global CEO Steve Papermaster told Electronic Products that these operations include the NIH, the CDC, NIST, George Washington University, Baylor University, the University of Zagreb, and the National University of Singapore, as well as others that he said he cannot yet name.

In late November, Nano Global gained a prominent technology partner in ARM, which agreed to help build an advanced artificial-intelligence-based (AI) processor that will be able to take input from a variety of sources, including sensors and nanobots (the company alludes to embedding the processors in nanobots), and, in conjunction with Nano Globals platform, identify, characterize, and help diagnose potential health hazards.

The company has released a conceptual diagram of the Nano Sense AI system-on-a-chip (SoC) that includes the ARM Cortex processor, ARMs Mali graphics processor, memory, optical sensors, environmental sensors, and ARM TrustZone CryptoCell security.

Papermaster said, Were taking the tool set of the day  of the era  and applying it in a radically different way to a very different problem set that has enormous implications for the world. No offense to self-driving cars, or social media, or inferring who might be a better friend, or how to get a better advertisement. Thats all well and great, but I dont think thats going to improve life on Earth, compared to withstanding epidemics and pandemics.

We fine-tune with AI, neural networks, machine learning, machine vision, continued Papermaster. Were using that to get data, dealing with data at the microbial level and the cellular level. Were architecting this string of technologies together, integrating an elegant SOC with ARM, driving toward edge processing, with pre-trained data in our AI so the data is right there at the edge, physically at the source  at the body. Well be touching air in places where people are, not just in laboratories  in office buildings, in convention centers, in subways, in the petri dishes that are cruise liners, airplanes, trains, and subways.

He envisions embedding the processor in a vast array of products and systems, from stethoscopes to MRI systems, from HVAC equipment to environmental monitors  literally anywhere that could render data that might be useful to evaluating human health and the conditions that contribute to human health.

Almost everywhere may seem like a wide initial target for deploying Nano Global technology, but with such ambitious goals and the ARM chips not due to hit the market until 2020, Nano Global can perhaps afford plans that are bold, if not grandiose, at least for now. The companys roadmap includes releasing its own branded nanobots before the ARM chip is commercialized. The company envisions its nanobots to be able to operate at the cellular and molecular levels.

In just a few years, autonomous vehicles went from science fiction to yeah, thats how well get around, said Papermaster. Were at that point with this. This is how you will measure health and welfare, wherever you are, from cold-and-flu to horrific epidemics and pandemics.

Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine
Latest updates from Parliament's winter session which has been dominated by the Kulbhushan Jadhav issue and a bill proposing to criminalise instant triple talaq.

By India Today Web Desk: Parliament today was dominated by two major issues - Kulbhushan Jadhav and the treatment meted out to his family during its visit to meet him in Pakistan and the bill to decriminalise the practice of instant triple talaq.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who held a three-hour meeting with Jadhav's wife and mother after their return from Pakistan, addressed Parliament and delivered a statement on the issue.

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Meanwhile, the Narendra Modi government tabled the triple talaq bill in Lok Sabha; the Centre and Opposition failed to arrive at a consensus on the matter.

LATEST UPDATES:

07:45 PM: Three amendments requested by the Opposition, including Asaduddin Owaisi's amendment, were rejected

07: 37 PM: Lok Sabha has passed Muslim Women Bill 2017.

07: 31 PM: Amendments moved by Congress' Sushmita Dev and CPI- M's A Sampath also negated in Lok Sabha.

07: 21 PM: Owaisi's proposed amendment defeated---Yes: 02, No: 241, Abstain: 04. Owaisi had demanded division of votes again on Clause 4 amendment.

07: 20 PM: Historic day for Muslim women as voting on Triple Talaq Bill underway.

07:01 PM: Let courts decide quantum of punishment in triple talaq cases: Prasad

6:47 PM: "There are dowry law, child marriage bill, but did government done anything to stop that? You must bring law for abandoned women, this law is being brough with an intention to send more Muslim to jail", Asaduddin Owaisi.

5:45 PM: This slogan 'Islam khatre mein hai' was used before independence to divide India and is now being used to divide society, poison is being spread, says MJ Akbar.

5:35 PM: MJ Akbar questioned the credibilty of All Indian Muslim personal law board. "Who chose them to be community representatives?", he asked.

5:28 PM: Union Minister of State for External Affair MJ Akbar starts speaking on triple talaq in Lok Sabha.

4:35 PM: We must understand pain of Muslim women. Today morning I read news that a woman in Rampur was given talaq by her husband just because she woke up late, said Law Minister RS Prasad in Lok Sabha.

4:15 PM : BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi attacks Congress, says Muslim women know hypocrisy of Congress.

3:24 PM: Refer bill to standing committee for detailed discussion: Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge

3:16 PM: We don't want to interfere with Sharia law: Ravi Shankar Prasad

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3:12 PM: Triple talaq has been regulated in Muslim countries as well. Why can't we as a secular nation do it? Asks Ravi Shankar Prasad

3:06 PM: Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad defends the bill

1:21 PM: Smooth sailing for anti-triple talaq bill likely as Congress says it won't oppose it but only move recommendations.

12:45 PM: Ravi Shankar Prasad gets permission from the Speaker to formally introduce the bill in Lok Sabha.

12:43 PM: Several parties oppose anti-instant triple talaq bill.

What is triple talaq?: The practice of Talaq-ul-bidat or triple talaq give men the authority to end a marriage by only uttering the word 'talaq' to their wives three times in succession.

12:35 PM : Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the anti-instant triple talaq bill in the Lok sabha

12:21 PM: Sushma Swaraj wound up her speech in Lok Sabha emphatically ensuring that Indian government will extend support to Kulbhushan Jadhav always. MPs in Lok Sabha raised slogans of 'Pakistan Murdabad'.

12:07 AM: Sushma Swaraj is now speaking in the Lok Sabha.

11:53 AM: Hegde's comments on the Constitution were brought up in Rajya Sabha as well. Opposition leader Gulam Nabi Azad questioned if Hegde was still a member of the council of ministers and on what grounds. Union minister Vijay Goel resondedd saying Hedge had already issued a clarification in Lok Sabha.

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11:41 AM: Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu too issued a statement: "This entire house join(s) together to condemn the inhuman act by Pakistan against Khulbhushan Jhadhav family members and hope(s) that the government will ensure safe return of Kulbhushan Jhadhav..."

11:37 AM: Rajya Sabha has now resumed to conducting daily business as the action shifts to the Lok Sabha where Sushma Swaraj will deliver another statement and where the Centre will present its bill criminalising instant triple talaq.

11:26 AM: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, speaking after Sushma's speech, says Pakistan had insulted not only Jadhav's wife and mother and also all Indians.

A meeting of a mother with her son & a wife with her husband was turned into a propaganda tool by Pakistan :EAM Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha #KulbhushanJadhav pic.twitter.com/Z5M28mVBGZ- ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

11:25 AM: "It [the meeting] was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again and again, and an environment of fear was created for them," says Sushma.

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11:19 AM: Absurd to suggest there was a mystery chip or camera or recording device planted inside Kulbhushan's wife's shoes, says Sushma. "It is an absurdity beyond measure."

11:18 AM: Jadhav's wife and mother were made to wait outside the Foreign Office building so that the waiting media persons could heckle them, says Sushma Swaraj.

11:17 AM: I spoke to Kulbhushan's mother before my speech here, and she revealed how she was made to take off her bangles and all

Not just his wife but bindi & mangalsutra of his mother were also removed, I spoke to her she told me that as soon as she reached #Kulbhushan asked her 'Baba kaise hain?' because he thought a mishap has taken place when he wasn't around: EAM in Rajya Sabha- ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

11:13 AM: Sushma Swaraj, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, reiterates India's stand that the trial to convict Kulbhushan Jadhav in Paksitan was "farcical".

11:10 AM: Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde issued a part apology for his statement that the government was here to change the constitution.

Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me: Ananth Kumar Hegde, Union Minister on his earlier statement pic.twitter.com/9wpgyWiWZJ- ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

11:00 AM: In Pakistan, the Foreign Office will be holding its weekly briefing where the Kulbhushan Jadhav issue is expected to be a key subject, reports our correspondent in Islamabad.

10:43 AM: READ | Kulbhushan Jadhav and the league of extraordinary men: 5 'spies' you need to know about

Kulbhushan Jadhav from his younger days in Mumbai (Photo: IndiaToday.in)

9:54 AM: Also on Parliament's agenda today is a bill proposing to criminalise instant triple talaq, a practice banned by the Supreme Court. The government is scheduled to table the bill in Lok Sabha today.

9:43 AM: Earlier this week, Pakistan allowed Jadhav to meet with his wife and mother in what it said was a "humanitarian" gesture. The meeting was held at the Pakistan Foreign Office building in Islamabad.

Meeting between Commander Kulbushan Jhadev & his family in progress pic.twitter.com/THG925V1fO- Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 25, 2017

9:06 AM: Congress leader Manish Tewari, ahead of Sushma Swaraj, has asked the government to clarify the circumstances under which Jadhav landed up in Pakistan's custody.

Since @Sushmaswraj is ostensibly making a statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav can she confirm is it true that he was kidnapped from Iran by a notorious Pak Smuggler Haji Baloch&handed over to ISI in retaliation for Indian Navy blowing up Terror/smuggling boat on 31st December 2014??- Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 28, 2017

WATCH | Pakistan turns shoe detective: Will India demand apology for humiliation on Kulbhushan?

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No changes to Common Travel Area after Brexit

The British Foreign Office has confirmed Manx citizens will be able to travel freely in the UK and Ireland after Brexit.

The office has announced the UK has reached an agreement to continue the Common Travel Area, which allows free movement between the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

The Foreign Office insists British and Irish citizens living within the CTA don't need to do anything to protect their rights.

It had been feared the agreement would have to be updated as the Republic of Ireland will still be in the European Union after the UK leaves.
Roderic Guigo, coordinator of the Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, has been honored with the highest recognition for research excellence in Catalonia.

The Catalan Government and the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRi) have awarded CRG programme coordinator Roderic Guig with the National Research Award.

The award recognises significant contribution, on an international scale, towards scientific progress in any of the following areas; human and social science, health and life sciences, engineering, experimental sciences and technology.

The official announcement highlights Roderic Guig's contribution to human genome research by participating in several projects and consortia, such as the Human Genome Project and ENCODE, as well as developing new computational methods for genome analysis. His research has definitely contributed to improving methods for interpreting the information encoded in our genome while making progress in the field of bioinformatics.

The Foundation for Research and Innovation of Catalonia (FCRi) and the Catalan Government organize the National Research Awards every year to honour individual scientists and institutions that have made outstanding contributions to society. Awardees from the 2017 edition also include Italian astrophysicist at IEEC-CSIC, Nanda Rea, winner of the National Research Award for Young Talent; the TV3 La Marat Foundation in the category of Scientific Patronage; the UABDivulga online publication in the category of Scientific Communication; and the Cooperative Automotive Research Network (CARNET) in the category of Public-Private Partnership.

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Tumor cells use the unfolded protein response to alter circadian rhythm, which contributes to more tumor growth, Hollings Cancer Center researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) find. A key part of the circadian clock opposes this process, according to a paper published online Dec. 11 in Nature Cell Biology.

For tumors to grow and spread, cancer cells must make larger than normal amounts of nucleic acids and protein, so they can replicate themselves. Yet in both normal and cancer cells that increase their synthesis of protein, a small percent of those proteins do not fold properly. When that happens, the cell activates its unfolded protein response (UPR), which slows down the making of new proteins while the misfolded proteins are refolded. Eventually, the buildup of misfolded proteins becomes toxic and leads to cell death. However, cancer cells have learned to use the UPR to slow protein synthesis when needed, in order to handle the backlog of misfolded proteins. This helps them survive in conditions that would kill normal cells.

This pattern of adaptation is often seen in tumor cells, according to J. Alan Diehl, Ph.D., the SmartState Endowed Chair in Lipidomics, Pathobiology and Therapy at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and senior researcher on the project. "What a tumor cell is doing is taking a pathway that's already in the cell and using it to its advantage," said Diehl.

Yet it was not clear exactly how cancer cells were able to use UPR activity to influence circadian rhythm. Diehl's group found that the UPR and circadian rhythm are linked together to lead the clockwork of the cell and also that cancer cells use the UPR to manipulate the circadian clock in ways that allow them to survive conditions that are toxic to normal cells.

To start, Diehl and his fellow researchers formulated a new idea based on what was known about protein synthesis in the cell. First, as they knew, the UPR is altered in tumors, and second, cells establish a circadian rhythm to regulate metabolism by producing levels of certain proteins that rise and fall in coordination with natural cycles of light and dark. Third, other scientists had observed that circadian rhythm is altered in tumor cells. Since protein production is tied to circadian rhythm, Diehl's group asked if misfolded proteins might change circadian rhythm in cancer cells.

In their first set of experiments, Diehl's research team used chemicals to activate the UPR in osteosarcoma cells. They found that, when activated, the UPR changes levels of an important protein called Bmal1, which is a transcription factor that rises and falls with cycles of light and dark. As it does, it regulates the expression of major circadian rhythm genes. When cells were exposed to cycles of light and dark, Bmal1 levels peaked during dark hours. But when the UPR was chemically activated, Bmal1 stayed low during both light and dark phases, which caused a phase shift in the expression of circadian genes. When one of the main parts of the UPR machinery was absent in cells, the phase shift did not happen.

Next, the group found that the UPR functions much like a "middleman" between light-dark cycles and the ability of cells to establish a circadian rhythm from those cycles. Levels of the circadian protein Bmal1 continued to decrease, as the UPR was increasingly activated. In rodents that had their light-dark cycles suddenly reversed, Bmal1 stopped rising and falling - a clear sign that their circadian rhythms were disrupted. Shifts in light exposure activated the UPR in those rodents' cells.

But what does that mean for the development of cancer? The team found that patients with breast, gastric or lung cancers survived longer when they had higher levels of Bmal1 protein. In myc-driven cancers, the UPR was causing the loss of Bmal1 protein, which caused the tumors to grow. Myc-driven tumors lost circadian rhythm, whereas normal cells maintained it. Conversely, high levels of Bmal1 overtook the UPR, thereby allowing protein synthesis to continue, which was toxic to tumor cells. In this way, Bmal1 directly encourages protein synthesis.

This is the first study showing that human cancer suppresses circadian rhythm by controlling protein synthesis through Bmal1. Cancer cells survived longer by using the UPR to suppress Bmal1 and short-circuit their circadian rhythms. These results are important for human biology, according to Yiwen Bu, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar in Diehl's laboratory and first author on the paper. "Every single normal cell in our body has circadian oscillation," said Bu. "We showed that resetting the circadian rhythms in cancer cells slows down their proliferation."

Still, do changes in light-dark cycles contribute to the development of cancer in humans? It is not yet clear in patients if circadian shifts contribute to changes in the UPR and if that, in turn, contributes to the development of cancer. But these results could help clinicians boost the effectiveness of current cancer treatments, Diehl said.

"Physicians are beginning to think about timing delivery of therapies in such a way that, say, if we deliver a drug at a certain time of day, we'll get better on-target effects on the cancer and less toxicity in the normal cells," he said.

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About Hollings Cancer Center

The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center is comprised of more than 120 faculty cancer scientists with a research funding portfolio of $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, please visit http://www.hollingscancercenter.org.
New evidence from mice suggests why an antidepressant treatment can alleviate depression in one person but not another. The study, publishing December 28 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, was led by Marianne Muller and an international team at the University Medical Center Mainz and the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry. The researchers developed a mouse model that allowed them to identify blood signatures associated with response to antidepressant treatment and could show the importance of the stress-related glucocorticoid receptor in recovery from depression.

Major depression is the leading cause of disability according to the World Health Organization, affecting an estimated 350 million people worldwide, but only one-third of patients bene?t from the ?rst antidepressant prescribed. Although the currently available treatments are safe, there is significant variability in the outcome of antidepressant treatment. So far there are no clinical assessments that can predict with a high degree of certainty whether a particular patient will respond to a particular antidepressant. Finding the most effective antidepressant medication for each patient depends on trial and error, underlining the urgent need to establish conceptually novel strategies for the identification of biomarkers associated with a positive response.

To tackle this challenge, scientists established a novel experimental approach in animals focusing on extreme phenotypes in response to antidepressant treatment. This model simulated the clinical situation, by identifying good and poor responders to antidepressant treatment. The researchers hypothesized that conditions in the mouse model would facilitate the identification of valid peripheral biomarkers for antidepressant treatment response and could potentially apply to humans.

"We were able to identify a cluster of antidepressant response-associated genes in the mouse model that we then validated in a cohort of depressed patients from our collaborators from Emory University, Atlanta", explains Tania Carrillo-Roa from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry. This suggests that molecular signatures associated with antidepressant response in the mouse could in fact predict the outcome of antidepressant treatment in the patient cohort. Additional analyses indicated that the glucocorticoid receptor, which is one of the most important players in fine-tuning the stress hormone system, shapes the response to antidepressant treatment.

Ultimately, identification of biomarkers predictive of individual responses to treatment would dramatically improve the quality of care/ treatment for depressed patients by taking the trial and error out of prescribing antidepressants. In the future, this cross-species approach might serve as a template for the discovery of improved and tailored treatment for patients who suffer from depression.

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Biology: http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2002690

Citation: Carrillo-Roa T, Labermaier C, Weber P, Herzog DP, Lareau C, Santarelli S, et al. (2017) Common genes associated with antidepressant response in mouse and man identify key role of glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity. PLoS Biol 15(12): e2002690. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2002690

Funding: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant number 01ZX1314J). Received by EBB. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. NIH (grant number MH077083). Funding for patient recruitment [Mayberg]. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. NIH (grant number 2R01MH073719). Funding for patient recruitment received by HS Mayberg. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. NIMH (grant number 1RO1MH080880). Funding for patient recruitment received by WE Craighead. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: I have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests. CLab, PW, MBM, TCR, MU, CLar, SS, KVW, MR-H, DH, SHS, and MVS declare no conflicts of interest. IS is cofounder/stockholder and CEO of Phenoquest AG. FH is founder and CEO of HMNC GmbH. EBB has received honoraria from Glaxo Smith Kline in the past 3 years and is co-inventor on the following patent applications: (1) FKBP5: a novel target for antidepressant therapy, European Patent #EP 1687443 B1, (2) Polymorphisms in ABCB1 associated with a lack of clinical response to medicaments, United States Patent #8030033, and (3) Means and methods for diagnosing predisposition for treatment emergent suicidal ideation (TESI), European application number 08016477.5, international application number PCT/ EP2009/061575. BWD received grant support from AstraZeneca, BMS, Forest, GSK, Janssen, NIMH, Otsuka, and Pfizer and has received honoraria for consulting from Hoffman LaRoche, MedAvante, and Pfizer. WEC is a board member of Hugarheill ehf, an Icelandic company dedicated to the prevention of depression; receives book royalties from John Wiley & Sons; research was supported by NIMH, the Mary and John Brock Foundation, and the Fuqua Family Foundations; and consultant for George West Mental Health Foundation and Scientific Advisory Board, ADAA. HSM received grant support from NIMH and Consultant and Intellectual Property Licenses fees from St. Jude Medical, Inc. CBN: research/grants: National Institutes of Health (NIH); consulting (last 3 years): Xhale, Takeda, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development America, Taisho Pharmaceutical Inc., Lundbeck, Prismic Pharmaceuticals, Bracket (Clintara), Total Pain Solutions (TPS), Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) Healthcare & Biomedical Council, Fortress Biotech, and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Nucleic acid sequencing methods, which determine the order of nucleotides in DNA fragments, are rapidly progressing. These processes yield large quantities of sequence data--some of which is dynamic--that helps researchers understand how and why organisms function like they do. Sequencing also benefits epidemiological studies, such as the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of genetic and/or contagious diseases. Advanced sequencing technologies reveal valuable information about the time evolution of pathogen sequences. Because researchers can estimate how a mutation behaves under the pressure of natural selection, they are thus able to predict the impact of each mutation--in terms of survival and propagation--on the fitness of the pathogen in question. These predictions lend insight to infectious disease epistemology, pathogen evolution, and population dynamics.

In a paper published earlier this month in the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, Ryosuke Omori and Jianhong Wu develop an inductive algorithm to study site-specific nucleotide frequencies using a multi-strain susceptible-infective-removed (SIR) model. A SIR model is a simple compartmental model that places each individual in a population at a given time into one of the three aforementioned categories to compute the theoretical number of people affected by an infectious disease. The authors use their algorithm to calculate Tajima's D, a popular statistical test that measures natural selection at a specific site by analyzing differences in a sample of sequences from a population. In a non-endemic situation, Tajima's D can change over time. Investigating the time evolution of Tajima's D during an outbreak allows researchers to estimate mutations relevant to pathogen fitness. Omori and Wu aim to understand the impact of disease dynamics on Tajima's D, thus leading to a better understanding of a mutation's pathogenicity, severity, and host specificity.

The sign of Tajima's D is determined by both natural selection and population dynamics. "Tajima's D equals 0 if the evolution is neutral -- no natural selection and a constant population size," Omori said. "A nonzero value of Tajima's D suggests natural selection and/or change in population size. If no natural selection can be assumed, Tajima's D is a function of the population size. Hence, it can be used to estimate time-series changes in population size, i.e., how the epidemic proceeds."

Differential equations, which model the rates of change of the numbers of individuals in each model compartment, can describe population dynamics. In this case, the population dynamics of hosts infected with the strain carrying a given sequence are modeled by a set of differential equations for that sequence, which include terms describing the mutation rate from one sequence to another. When setting up their multi-strain SIR model, Omori and Wu assume that the population dynamics of the pathogen is proportional to the disease dynamics. i.e., the number of pathogens are proportional to the number of infected hosts. This assumption allows the value of Tajima's D to change.

In population genetics, researchers believe that the sign of Tajima's D is affected by population dynamics. However, the authors show that in the case of a SIR deterministic model, Tajima's D is independent of the disease dynamics (specifically, independent of the parameters for disease transmission rate and disease recovery rate). They also observe that while Tajima's D is often negative during an outbreak's onset, it frequently becomes positive with the passage of time. "The negative sign does not imply an expansion of the infected population in a deterministic model," Omori said. "We also found the dependence of Tajima's D on the disease transmission dynamics can be attributed to the stochasticity of the transmission dynamics at the population level. This dependence is different from the aforementioned existing assumption about the relation between population dynamics and the sign of Tajima's D."

Ultimately, Omori and Wu prove that Tajima's D in a deterministic SIR model is completely determined by mutation rate and sample size, and that the time evolution of an infectious disease pathogen's genetic diversity is fully determined by the mutation rate. "This work revealed some dependence of Tajima's D on the (disease transmission dynamics) basic reproduction number (R 0 ) and mutation rate," Omori said. "With the assumption of neutral evolution, we can then estimate mutation rate or R 0 from sequence data."

0

Given the demand for tools that analyze evolutionary and disease dynamics, the observation that Tajima's D depends on the stochasticity of the dynamics is useful when estimating epidemiological parameters. For example, if sequences of pathogens are sampled from a small outbreak in a limited host population, then Tajima's D depends on both the mutation rate and R; therefore, a joint estimate of these parameters from Tajima's D is possible. "We are applying this theoretic result to analyze real-world epidemiological data," Omori said. "We should also see if our approach can be used to investigate non-equilibrium disease dynamics with natural selection."

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Ryosuke Omori was funded by a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) talented expert project, led by Hiroshi Nishiura at Hokkaido University.

Omori, R., & Wu, J. (2017). Tajima's D and Site-specific Nucleotide Frequency in a Population during an Infectious Disease Outbreak.(6), 2156-2171.

Ryosuke Omori is a mathematical biologist of infectious disease epidemiology and ecology and an assistant professor at Hokkaido University, Japan. Jianhong Wu is a University Distinguished Research Professor at York University and a Canada Research Chair in Industrial and Applied Mathematics.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Vineyards of Saillon

I arrive by bus in the medieval village of Saillon, in Switzerlands Valais region, 150 kms from Geneva, in the southern part of the country. The sun is shining over the Rhone Valley with its famous river, stepped vineyards and the surrounding Alps. It is a perfect day for a pilgrimage.

Saillon is known for thermal baths, exquisite wine and the worlds smallest vineyard, owned by the Dalai Lama, which was bequeathed to him. The vineyard, a small plot of land only 1.6 square meters with just 3 vines, sits on top of a hill overlooking the Rhone and is a memorial for Switzerlands most legendary outlaw, Farinet, the Swiss Robin Hood.





Farinet Path through the vineyards

My guide picks me up and we drive a short distance where we begin to walk the Farinet Path, which traces the life of the Swiss Robin Hood and was designed as a spiritual pilgrimage inviting visitors to discover the essentials in life. The Farinet Path is a personal journey about finding happiness, says my guide. It starts in the village, winds uphill through the stepped vineyards and ends at Dalai Lamas vineyard on top of Saillon hill.





One of the 21 stained glass windows along the Farinet Path

We being at a beautiful stained glass window, glistening in the sun. The guide tells me about the legend of Farinet, a womanizer and wine lover who loved making counterfeit money and giving it to the poor. Buried in Saillon, he died in mysterious circumstances. It was murder or an accident, no-one knows, says my guide. Farinet has been memorialized in a novel, songs, movies, and now even local currency, because of the values he stood for  freedom, peace and living the good life. The village even has a museum of counterfeit money.





The second-last window on the path, depicting the death of Farinet



Along the path, there are 21 extraordinary stained glass stations, made by Swiss artists, that tell the story of the counterfeiters life, from childhood, to self-discovery, to injustice, to escaping prison, to love, to giving away his counterfeit money to the poor, to death. For each station we reach, my guide shares more of the folklore and universal truths about love, friendship, injustice, pleasure, silence, contemplation, understanding, action and freedom.





Stranger resting and enjoying the sunshine

Walking through the Saillon vineyards is a dream come true. The Valais is one of Switzerlands most important wine regions where several grape varietals are grown, such as Pinot Noir, Syrah and the indigenous Fendant. Amidst the vines, a winemaker appears to be resting on a stone bench. Vehicles are not permitted in the vineyards, so the only sound is our shoes trampling the dirt and the whir of my Canon.



We reach the top of Saillon hill and stroll through the Pascal Thurre Passage named after the visionary who helped put the destination on the map. Along the walkway are small plaques with words etched into them to remind the pilgrim of the essence of life, like le destin (destiny). Metal signs with words of inspiration from past visitors hang along the path, and there is a stone where you can write messages (see my message below).





Pacal Thurre Passage, final window immortality awaits us at the end. Dalai Lamas vineyard is to the left, on other side of the wall of signs.





Guess who?! I wonder if it is still there?





Destiny, one of the plaques in the ground of universal human values





Dalai Lamas vineyard and the 3 Farinet vines amongst signs of celebrities who have tended to the vineyard

The Pacal Thurre passage leads us to the Dalai Lamas vineyard with its 3 Farinet vines, which produce grapes that are blended in the production of a local wine and then sold to raise money for charity. Like so much in Switzerland, it may be small, but it has a big heart. The vineyard is taken care of by many celebrities, such as Gerard Depardieu and Peter Ustinov; and many of their names appear on signs in the vineyard.





Dalai Lama has visited the vineyard once.





Book made of metal dedicated to the vineyard

And at last, we reach the final and most impressive Farinet stained glass window: immortality. As the story goes, Farinet by now has been stripped of all material possessions  he is free.





The final window of Farinets story, Immortality, next to the vineyard and overlooking the Rhone Valley and Valais Alps





The wind blows where it wants. ~ St. John. Plague in the ground at the base of Immortality station.









Part of the memorial for Farinet, which was made for an anniversary event.

On full display around us is the Rhone Valley and Valais Alps. A few birds are fluttering about and the wind whistles through my hair.





Bayart Tower

And I feel free. I realize this, to me, is happiness.

After our walk, my legs a bit wobbly now, I check into my resort, les Bains de Saillon, and relax in its thermal baths, located alongside the Rhone River in the valley. With the sun setting, I look up to the vineyards, to the hill of Saillon where I learned about Farinet, and I wonder if my life is about to change.



If you go
Accusing Pakistan of making absurd claims, Swaraj heavily criticized Pak's treatment to Jadhav family during their meet with Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj came down heavily on Pakistan for using the Jadhav family meet as a propaganda tool (Image- ANI)

By India Today Web Desk: Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj issued a statement in Parliament about Kulbhushan Jadhav's meet with his family. Kulbhushan Jadhav is held by Pakistan under terror and spying charges and he has been given a death sentence in a questionable trial by a military court in Pakistan. The recent meet of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife and mother in Pakistan raised many questions and led to outcry as Pakistan treated this as a PR stunt and harassed Jadhav's wife and mother. Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj put this before Rajya Sabha and Loksabha.

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Here is what she said in Parliament:

- Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in her mothertongue Marathi with her son. Pakistani officials interrupted her time and again and after some time switched off the intercom she used to speak with Kulbhushan.

- Meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother was turned into a propaganda tool by Pakistan.

- Bindi, mangalsutra and bangles of both; Jadhav's mother and wife; were made to be removed by the Pakistani officials. Jadhav's mother pleaded with Pak officials to let her keep her mangalsutra but they paid no heed. Both of them were made to look like widows.

- On seeing his wife and mother, Kulbhushan Jadhav immediately enquired about his father's health as he feared a mishap when he was not around.

- Jadhav's mother who only wears a saree was made to wear salwar-kurta.

- The shoes of Jadhav's wife were taken away by Pakistani authorities. They claimed that there was a recorder and camera inside the shoes. Even after the meet, the shoes were not given back to Jadhav's wife.

- The claim of recorder in shoes was absolutely absurd as Jadhav's wife made two air-journeys wearing the same shoes. Pakistan's claim is absurd beyond measure.Watch: Kalbhushan Jadhav's family put at risk despite Pakistan's assurance, says Sushma Swaraj

--- ENDS ---
Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Coffee and cremated remains, urns and cremation jewelry Among my favorite exhibitors to visit at funeral trade shows are the friendly Khan family, proprietors of LoveUrns. The fact that they usually have an espresso bar offering free caffeinated delights in their booth always scores big points.

LoveUrns is known for their creative, beautifully-designed solid brass urns. At the 2017 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) convention, they introduced a line of brightly striped urns, both in the colors of the rainbow and shades of brown. The line includes full-sized urns for adults, smaller keepsake urns and hearts, matching jewelry, and memorial tea light containers.

Naseem Khan, president of LoveUrns, said, We are getting a lot of response. People have always asked us for this kind of collection, and we decided that this was the time to do it.

Cremation jewelry is a way to keep the memory of a loved one close. The LoveUrns Treasure line of cremation jewelry, available in sterling silver, complements the designs of their urns, including the popular Blessing Birds and Butterfly urns. Some designs are plated in gold vermeil, rhodium, and ruthenium.

You know, it makes it easier for the family, when they know their loved one is inside a big urn, and they have a small amount of cremains in the same matching jewelry. Theres an emotional connection, said Khan.

The jewelry features a small compartment which can be filled with a drop of cremated remains, special sand or soil, or other special memorial items. The compartment in most of the jewelry is accessed by removing a small Allen screw, an internal hex design which seats flat to the back of a pendant. Either the funeral director or the family can open the jewelry and place their special items inside.

All the jewelry comes with a beautiful Treasure Box, a filling kit, and a polishing cloth. The box provides a safe place to store the jewelry when it isnt being worn. LoveUrns offers matching pendants, earrings and bracelet beads in different styles, colors, and finishes.

Naseem Khan provides a tour in the short video below. Learn more about LoveUrns products, only available through participating funeral homes, at www.LoveUrns.com.

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Thursday, December 28, 2017

Its not too late to get your season on. Playing through Sunday: A Christmas Carol at Fords, An Irish Carol at the Keegan and Twist Your Dickens at the Kennedy Center. On Saturday, Strathmore hosts a Salute to Vienna with champion ballroom dancers. Then ring in 2018 in Georgetown at Malmaison or Tony and Joes (among other festive spots) or across the Potomac at First Night Alexandria.

A Christmas Carol

This music-infused production at Fords Theatre, 511 10th St. NW, captures the magic and joy of Charles Dickenss Yuletide classic. Acclaimed actor Craig Wallace returns to play Ebenezer Scrooge. A Washington tradition for more than 35 years, the production is recommended for age 5 and older. Performances are Thursday, Dec. 28, and Friday, Dec. 29, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $34 to $107. For details, visit fords.org or call 888-616-0270.

An Irish Carol

After premiering in 2011 to rave reviews, Matthew Keenans An Irish Carol has become an annual tradition at the Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. An homage to Dickenss classic, the show follows one evening in the life of David, a wealthy pub owner who has distanced himself from others and lost touch with his own humanity. Due to strong language, the production is recommended for age 16 and older. Performances are Thursday, Dec. 28, Friday, Dec. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 30, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 31, at 3 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 to $45. For details, visit keegantheatre.com or call 202-265-3767.

The Second Citys Twist Your Dickens

The legendary comedy troupe brings its infamous improvisational skills and sketch comedy mastery to the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. Performances in the Theater Lab at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW, are Thursday, Dec. 28, and Friday, Dec. 29, at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 30, and Sunday, Dec. 31, at 3 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $49 to $79. For details, visit kennedy-center.org or call 202-467-4600.

DCs Finest (DooWop Cops)

Also at the Kennedy Center, on Friday, Dec. 29, at 6 p.m., there will be a free Millennium Stage performance by DCs Finest (DooWop Cops), an a cappella group consisting of active and retired D.C. police officers. The group is described as soldiers in their own army, attempting to bring about harmony on and off the stage. For details, visit kennedy-center.org or call 202-467-4600.

Salute to Vienna New Years Concert

On Saturday, Dec. 30, at 3 p.m., Bernhard Schneider will conduct the Strauss Symphony of America in a New Years concert featuring soprano Micaela Oeste, tenor Tilmann Unger, dancers from the Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine and international champion ballroom dancers at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, Maryland. Tickets are $69 to $125. For details, visit strathmore.org.

And now, to New Years Eve, when you can (theoretically) start the day in Alexandria, have a bottomless brunch on Wisconsin Avenue, jazz it up at the Kennedy Center, then party until the wee hours back in Georgetown 

First Night Alexandria

First Night on the Alexandria, Virginia, waterfront kicks off at 10 a.m. Retail stores, churches, museums and public buildings will be turned into performance venues to showcase local and regional talent. There will also be clowns making balloon sculptures, face painters and magicians. The event culminates with a fireworks display at midnight. An admission badge is $30 (fireworks show is free for all; badge is free for 12 and under and active military). For details, visit firstnightalexandria.org.

Via Umbria Bottomless Brunch

The home of all things Umbrian, 1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW, is offering three courses and bottomless Mimosas, Bloody Marys and Aperol Spritzes at 12:30 p.m. for $35. For details, visit viaumbria.com or call 202-333-3904.

A Jazz New Years Eve: Dee Dee Bridgewaters Memphis

NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater sings songs from her new album Memphis  Yes, Im Ready at the Kennedy Center. Shows are at 7 and 9 p.m. and tickets are $79. For details, visit kennedy-center.org or call 202-467-4600.

Midnight in Paris at Malmaison

The themed celebration at Georgetowns Malmaison, 3401 K St. NW, includes a one-hour open bar, Top 40 tunes with DJ Mova, Woody Allens Midnight in Paris, party favors and a champagne toast for $65. For details, visit eventbrite.com.

New Years Eve at Mate Lounge

Also on K Street, Mate Lounge, 3101 K St. NW, is offering a one-hour open bar, a DJ, party favors and a champagne toast for $80. For details, visit eventbrite.com.

River Bash at Tony and Joes

Right on the waterfront, Tony and Joes, 3000 K St. NW, is hosting its River Bash with live music, DJs, appetizers and eight top-shelf open bars for $100. For details, visit tonyandjoes.com, email nye@dcseafood.com or call 571-328-1086.

Ready for a fresh start on New Years Day?

Fit DC Fresh Start 5K

At 10 a.m. on New Years Day, Mayor Muriel Bowser invites D.C. residents to show up in Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Drive, to run, walk or just cheer folks on. The Fit DC Fresh Start 5K is part of the One Billion Steps Challenge. There is no entry fee and free T-shirts will be distributed. For details, visit dpr.dc.gov.
Pheasant hunting and South Dakota go together like a horse and buggy. One can mention Iowa and North Dakota in a campfire conversation but when it gets right down to it, serious pheasant chasers immediately pass go and head directly west for the mixed farm crop and grasses of rural South Dakota, the one state that has carried the weight of being considered the national capital of such fast flying wing shooting.

If that rant reads like a long sentence, so be it, and if pounding the pavement for a butt-numbing thousand miles or more to experience a Dakota hunt sounds like a tiring and boring event, so be it, too.

Annual trip

A small group of pheasant fans including me have done an annual Dakota pheasant hunting trip for several years, trips that have included flushes of 50 or more pheasants, daily limits of three roosters, and plenty of exciting action.

Wild birds hunted on private land, the stuff wing shooters dream about. Keep in mind, that much of the fame South Dakota bathed in a couple decades ago was the result of a remarkable number of wild pheasants.

Why so many birds then? Because the planets were apparently aligned and the birds found everything to their liking. Absolutely everything.

Vast and undisturbed CRP grasses offered perfect nesting and hiding cover, countless wet swales and heavy brush kept the birds safe and warm year-around, consistently dry spring weather perfect for growing broods and fairly mild winters that allowed more birds to reach spring nesting time, and well, everything.

Changing times

But that was then and since then ethanol happened, CRP funding cuts happened, tough winters happened and severe droughts happened.

Combined, these factors plus other pheasant habitat losses have virtually brought pheasant numbers tumbling to much lower levels. This year, we decided to shake it up a bit and try hunting nothing but state-managed game land, something South Dakota has lots of.

Between national and state properties including game production areas, walk-in plots, and leased farmland, the hunter-friendly state can brag up tens of thousands of acres of public hunting, much of which provides excellent hunting, especially for non-residents.

Our plan centered on the fact that a late-season trip coupled with the knowledge that all or nearly all crops will have been harvested should concentrate the pheasants in the brush and grasses of the public access spots.

We booked several nights at the Oakwood Lake Lodge, near Bruce and close to several thousand acres of public hunting plots. The lodge, a private venue, was the highlight of our trip.

Extreme weather

Several clean and tastefully decorated bedrooms, a fully functioning modern kitchen and attractive living area provided us one of the, if not the best, of accommodations. But it was all downhill from there.

We planned to hunt three days. Then a Dakota radio voice declared a blizzard warning that caught our attention. On day one, the warning turned real. It started as high winds driving ice pellets that felt more like shoot your eye out BBs, then turned into a full-blown gale of blinding snowflakes.

Day two produced brutal chill factors, with temperature stuck in the teens and the wind scooting at 30-50 mph. Day three was just as bad and the only pheasants we saw were riding the winds from one distant patch of cattail swamp to even further distant cover.

In just three days, we all found out why we insist on packing for all conditions, regardless of what weather we expect. I once heard a Dakota resident describe a Dakota gale as simply another breezy day.

He claimed that there is nothing between the North Pole and South Dakota except a barbed wire fence. I tend to think he was on spot. We did find several examples of just why the Dakota birds are down and struggling.

Loss of habitat

Many of the state-managed game lands and CPR are now being grazed or cut for hay out of concern for farmers who have been challenged by drought conditions. Even road-side ditches that are typically heavy with grass are mowed and baled, eliminating that source of cover.

There are now corn fields across the plains with little or no cover between fields. Even the normally expansive swales are mowed right to the edge of cattail rimmed potholes. Its going to be a hard trip back for surviving pheasants if there is to be a population rebuild.
WOOSTER, Ohio  Certified Angus Beef is accepting applications for its annual Colvin Scholarship, awarded to college juniors, seniors and graduate students committed to the beef industry.

This years fund features a record amount of up to $40,000. Five undergraduate scholarships are offered in the amounts of $7,500, $6,500, $5,000, $4,000 and $3,000.

Juniors and seniors who have shown commitment through coursework or extracurricular activities should apply by Jan. 15.

Submit two essays along with a transcript copy and two letters of recommendation.

The first essay is a 1,000-word response to the prompt, Over the next 10 years, what marketing strategies can Certified Angus Beef LLC develop to meet the demands of the rapidly changing global demographics and to keep up with future expansion?

The second essay is a 500-word response to, Why are you pursuing the career path you have selected?

Up to two graduate-level scholarships will be awarded for $7,500 and $6,500. Those conducting applied or basic research and pursuing a degree related to high-quality beef production are eligible to apply by the Jan. 15 deadline, outlining details of their research.

Previous winner

Last years graduate winner, Clay Eastwood, of Texas A&M University, found new ways to learn and interact along the path to her profession.

This scholarship afforded me the chance to interact and network with many areas of the industry while attending the (CAB) annual conference, she said. For a graduate student, these opportunities are invaluable to enhancing our knowledge and making connections for our future careers.

This years first-place undergraduate and graduate winners will also receive an all-expense-paid trip to the 2018 CAB annual conference in Maui, Hawaii. Winners will interact with leaders in the production, packing, retail and foodservice communities.

Applicants will be selected by the Colvin Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee and judged on their activities and scholastic achievement, written and verbal communication skills and reference letters.

Winners will be announced in March. For more details, visit https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/press/colvin/.

The Colvin Fund honors CAB co-founder and executive director of 21 years, Louis M. Mick Colvin.
Check out the Farm and Dairy staff selections for the top 10 stories to impact its readership in 2017. Take a look back at the most influential farm stories of the year, and comment below to share how these stories affected you.

1Ohio States new ag dean

In March, Ohio State University named Dr. Cathann Kress vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Kress, the first female to hold the top post at Ohio States ag college, came from Iowa State University, where she was vice president for Extension and outreach. She started the new appointment May 1 and at the 2017 Farm Science Review outlined the grand challenges that serve as the colleges priorities.

Learn more: Ohio State Ag Dean Cathann Kress eyes grand challenges; Ohio State names Cathann Kress new ag dean.

2Ohio State Fair amusement ride accident kills one person

A spinning amusement ride called the Fire Ball broke apart on July 26, the opening day of the 2017 Ohio State Fair, killing Tyler Jarrell, 18, of Columbus, and critically injuring several others. The Dutch manufacturer of the Fire Ball, KMG, subsequently ordered similar rides to shut down worldwide. KMG later determined the cause was excessive corrosion of a support beam.

Learn more: Pa. investigates amusement rides in wake of Ohio State Fair tragedy.

3Mother Nature slams U.S. agriculture

This year was an especially destructive season for wildfires and hurricanes.

March wildfires burned nearly 2,100 square miles in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, killing more than 20,000 livestock and destroying about $55 million worth of fencing.

Then, multiple storms reached category 5 intensity, and several hurricanes made significant damaging landfall, including hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

Hurricane Harvey caused more than $200 million in crop and livestock losses in Texas, Irma caused over $2.5 million in damages to Floridas agriculture industry, and Maria devastated 80 percent of Puerto Ricos agriculture industry resulting in $780 million in losses.

Learn more:

Firelands FFA members spend spring break in service; Stark fair rallies to support Harvey victims; Wildfire relief seeks donations for fencing; Montana Wildfire Cleanup with Local Farm & Dairy Subscribers; Cost to fight wildfires exceeds $2 billion; 7-year-old Ohio boy gathers supplies for orphaned calves in Kansas; Facebook spurs army of Ohio farmers headed for Kansas; Ohioans plan second convoy to Ashland, Kansas; Successive hurricanes devastate Puerto Rico; 4-H members gather hurricane relief funds; You can help farmers pounded by Hurricane Harvey.

4

To spray or not to spray: The dicamba debate

Dicamba has been around for decades, but recently farmers who planted soybean and cotton seeds not engineered to be resistant to the herbicide noticed damage to their crops due to drift. Thousands of soybean damage complaints were filed around the U.S. with over 20 filed in Ohio. The Environmental Protection Agency in October announced a deal with Monsanto, BASF and DuPont, for new voluntary restrictions on the weed killers use.

North Dakota and Arkansas both introduced state-specific rules on dicamba use this year. In early December, Monsanto asked a judge to prevent Arkansas from placing the ban.

Learn more: Volatility plays a big role in dicamba drift.

5Donald Trump takes office

Donald Trump took office as the 45th president of the United States on Jan. 20, and Mike Pence was sworn in as vice president.

Sonny Perdue, a veterinarian and former governor of Georgia, was sworn in as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture April 25.

In President Trumps first year, he influenced agriculture in several ways, including a crackdown on unauthorized workers already in the U.S. that affected several farmers in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He also proposed new restrictions on those who want to come here. That immigration policy will make it harder for farmers to fill new jobs.

Trump was also quick to voice objections to free trade agreements, and moved to pull the U.S. from the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership and the existing North American Free Trade Agreement.

Following an executive order demanding a review, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers withdrew the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) final rule, and initiated a revision of the definition of waters of the United States.

6Addiction: A Rural Reality

The opioid crisis has saturated our communities and every news outlet has reported on it in 2017. The ripple effects of opioid addiction reach our readers in different ways, from personal connections to decisions about community budgets.

More Americans die from accidental drug overdoses than car accidents. Or guns. On average, in 2016, eight people died each day in Ohio and 13 in Pennsylvania due to unintentional drug overdoes. The FDA continues to research appropriate prescription opioid usage for patients.

Our series Addiction: A Rural Reality was published in November and will remain at www.farmanddairy.com/ruraladdiction to inform and educate about the epidemic.

Learn more: Addiction: A Rural Reality.

7Niche markets expand

About five years ago, higher commodity prices were driving the demand for more acres of Ohios top crops, namely corn and soybeans. But the trend shifted in 2017, as farmers are seeking other crops that might be more profitable. Many have turned to niche markets to keep the next generation interested in agriculture and to have a thriving farm to pass on to them.

Some have been successful in earning higher profit margins in niche markets. Ag Central, a grain elevator in New Castle, Pennsylvania, reported that farmers could expect triple the price for certified organic soybeans, but to anticipate half the yields.

We have reported on malted barley, many organic trends, Wagyu beef and a traditional orchard that has expanded into agritourism, to name a few niche markets highlighted in 2017.

Learn more: Farmers go farm to bottle with malted barley; Organic farming conference focuses on the next generation; Pa. feed mill receives organic certification; 5 things to know about Wagyu beef; Online farmers markets: a new trend in local foods; Apple Castle orchard and market: 7 generations and still growing.

8Animal health

Ohio and Pennsylvania farmers were fortunate to avoid some of the widespread livestock diseases seen in previous years, but there were still issues. In Ohio, swine flu was detected at the Clinton County Fair in July, and county fairs across the state heightened their preventive protocols. In March, some Tennessee farms saw an outbreak of bird flu that resulted in the euthanasia of more than 200,000 birds in three southern states. State ag departments reminded farmers and fairgoers to practice good sanitation and animal husbandry. Overall, outbreaks were less severe than in the past.

Learn more: First case of swine flu serves as reminder; How to reduce the risk of swine flu during fair season.

9CAUV

After three years of effort, Ohio farmers and woodland owners convinced the state legislature and governor to approve reforms to the states farmland tax formula  the Current Agricultural Use Value  that would more closely tie property taxes to actual farmland values. The new formula removes certain non-agricultural factors, like equity buildup, and allows conservation ground to be taxed at lower rates. The reforms are expected to save farmers about 30 percent, on average, beginning with 2017 reassessments.

Learn more: Kasich signs budget with farm tax reform; What does CAUV reform mean for me?

10Free trade deals

Just days after he became president in January, President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. from negotiating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that some ag economists said would have boosted trade to 11 Pacific nations, including Japan, by $2.8 billion. The Trump Administration also announced it would renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes Canada and Mexico. As 2017 came to an end, it was still unclear what the U.S. position in NAFTA would be, and some farm groups were worried the president may pull out, as he did with other trade negotiations.

Learn more: Future of agricultural trade is unclear; Traders blame Trump for lower grain prices; U.S. and Canada dispute milk trade; Sonny Perdues big adventure.

Related Content
SALEM, Ohio  Many farmers were forced to plant, or replant, well into June last spring, due to continuous rain, but local farmers had surprisingly good yields in 2017.

Prices, on the other hand, were down. On average, Ohio farmers got $3.50 per bushel for corn and $9.39 per bushel for soybeans, both down from the 2016 averages of $3.61 and $9.66 respectively, according to the USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Some got an early start planting in April. But many that took the opportunity for an early start got washed out when the rains came or frosted off, said Lee Beers, Ohio State University Extension agronomist in Trumbull County.

Planting was the longest drawn-out spring weve had in a long time, said Scott Barth. We were constantly waiting on the ground to get fit.

Barth and his family farm more than 2,500 acres in Lawrence and Beaver counties in western Pennsylvania, and in Mahoning and Columbiana counties in eastern Ohio.

Slug highway

They replanted 50 acres of corn and 200 acres of soybeans, mostly due to slugs.

Slugs love cool wet weather. They were thriving this year, which contributed to some of the replanting, said Rachel Milliron, a Penn State agronomist in Armstrong County.

Agronomists are still trying to figure out slug remedies across the Northeast and Midwest, she said. With no-till planters not always closing the furrow, they munch along the slug highway  as some people call it.

By May 21, 84 percent of the 2017 corn crop was planted nationally, equal to last year but slightly behind the five-year average.

Summers heat

After such a wet spring, the summer didnt bring as much water as some would have liked.

If we would have had a good rain in August, it would have added 10 bushels per acre, Barth said.

But, in Trumbull County, Beers cited a good amount of water for corn pollination.

White mold hit northeast Ohio hard this year, said Beers, harder than we should have been.

Some farmers saw 30 percent reductions in yields, he said, adding that farmers who had problems need to make better seed choices.

With tight crop budgets and futures arent looking any better, resources are being spent down  we have to make sure we are making smart choices when it comes to seed, he said.

Harvest

For harvest, the bulk of the western Pa.-eastern Ohio region had hot and dry weather and low moisture all around, agreed Milliron and Beers.

It was so dry, many were shutting down combines in the middle of the day to lower their risk of fires, said Beers. It is always something to watch for

There were two combines in Ashtabula County this year, that he knew of, that went up in flames.

In September, corn silage harvest had good weather and many easily met the 65 percent ideal moisture, said Milliron.

Then, in October and November, we had a lot of rain, closing the window for harvest, she said.

Dry conditions during November allowed corn producers to make good progress with harvest.

National numbers

National averages: 175.4 bushels per acre nationwide average for corn. Production should reach 14.578 billion bushels compared to 15.148 billion a year ago with a 174.6 bushels per acre average. Harvested corn for grain acres are estimated at 83.119 million, 3.6 million below 2016. 49.5 bushels per acre nationwide for soybeans, 2.5 less than 2016. Soybean production is expected to reach 4.425 billion bushels compared to 4.296 last year.

USDA NASSs Dec. 12 crop production report kept a 175.4 bushels per acre nationwide average for corn. If realized, production would reach 14.578 billion bushels, compared to 15.148 billion a year ago with a 174.6 bushels per acre average.

Harvested corn for grain acres are estimated at 83.119 million, 3.6 million below 2016.

The USDA kept the average soybean yield at 49.5 bushels per acre, 2.5 less than 2016. Production is expected to reach 4.425 billion bushels compared to 4.296 last year.

Soybean harvested area is projected at 89.471 million acres, nearly 6.8 million above last year.

Nationally, 95 percent of this years corn crop was harvested by Nov. 26, 3 percentage points behind both last year and the five-year average.

Harvest delayed

In Ohio, 87 percent of the states corn acres had been harvested by the end of November, 9 percent less than the five-year average of corn harvested by that date.

Ohio averaged 51 bushels per acre of soybeans, compared to 55 last year. Pennsylvania averaged 50 bushels per acre, up five from last year, according to NASS.

The above-average rainfall played a part in this years story, Milliron said. But for most, they were pleasantly surprised by the results.
A man has been arrested for drink-driving after taking his tractor into the town centre to buy some late-night pizza.

Cumbria Police Officers were confronted by the usual incident when a large green tractor rolled up in the city centre of Carlisle in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

They tracked down the driver, who had come into the city because he wanted a late-night snack.

The force then tweeted a picture of the tractor, which has since been re-tweeted hundreds of times, with the caption: Driver of this trying to get pizza in Carlisle. Arrested drink/drug driving @DrugWipeUK #Unlucky #Hungry #FatalFour.

The police have not identified the suspect who allegedly drove the tractor to the restaurant late at night.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: "A 26-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of drink and drug driving." It is yet not known whether the man will face charges.

It is not the first unusual tractor incident that has happened this year.

An 18-year-old farm worker was fined 50 after driving his tractor around a city centre "looking for women".

Anthony Breslin, a farm worker from Gortnaskea, Burnfoot, took his tractor to Londonderry city centre and sought out women on August 16.

Mr Breslin admitted one charge of driving a tractor without displaying his learner driver plate.
The need for better market data on dairy prices and volumes have "never clearer" as many farmers face price cuts as they go into 2018.

Many dairy producers are facing a milk price cut, and these cuts will impact on those farmers paid on a basket pricing mechanism in particular, according to NFU Cymru.

While the farming union states that it recognises that this may not be the case for all processors, with a number of dairy companies choosing to hold their prices for January, news of price cuts will be of concern to dairy farmers across the UK.

First Milk has held its milk price for January despite downward pressure in market which has seen others reduce their price.

That contrasts with the decision of dairy giant Muller, which has slashed its milk price to its farmers by a hefty 1.5p per litre, sparking fury in its producers.

Arlas price for UK farmer owners will reduce by 1.3p per litre, taking it to 31ppl pence from 1 January 2018.

Meadow Foods will also be decreasing its 'A' milk price by 1.25 pence per litre to 29.75ppl from January 2018.

'New market crash'

Gareth Richards, Chairman of NFU Cymrus Milk Board, explained talks of a new market crash is "extremely concerning".

What is extremely concerning and irresponsible at the moment is the unsubstantiated sentiment from various industry commentators, who have been talking the market - if we are not careful - into a new market crash, Mr Richards explained.

Dairy farmers have been through huge swings in dairy price volatility and we now, it seems, have commentators urging milk buyers to drop prices.

NFU Cymru is continuing to call for better dairy market signals. It said milk price cuts "dont work" partly because the impact is "too late and too slow in achieving its ultimate aim".

The union has urged government to ensure that market data is collected, audited and published to give dairy farmers the right signals as to whats happening in the market  both on price discovery and demand.

Such a system is already done in other parts of the world. NFU Cymru said this should be the starting point for dairy risk management mechanisms in the UK.

'Discrepancy'

Mr Richards continued: Its telling that on milk volume notifications Defra and AHDB Dairy are in disagreement on recent milk production with Defras monthly volumes well below the daily delivery figures collected by AHDB.

The discrepancy has meant that Defra have not published recent UK milk volume figures and the data for August and September is being investigated and subject to change.

He said up to date, accurate figures on price volume and demand are essential moving forward.

Farmers having to base their future milk production plans on inaccurate or incomplete data or industry commentators, as there is no alternative, is extremely concerning and damaging to the industry and we urge government to step up to ensure better transparency in the dairy markets.
Retail giant Tesco has apologised after customers complained that "rotten" turkeys ruined their Christmas dinner.

Angry customers sent online messages to Tesco claiming turkeys they had bought were not safe to eat and had made people sick.

Some people said they had to order takeaways after discovering that the meat tasted of bleach and had "gone off". The supermarket has pledged to investigate.

People complained on Facebook and Twitter on Christmas Day about the poultry. Carl Barber, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, wrote: This was bought only a few days ago and its out of date. 23 quid wasted now have no Xmas turkey for Xmas day. Any customer services available today??

The Christmas birds cost up to 59 in the store's Finest range.

Kirsten Shore, from Stafford, wrote on Facebook: "I was very excited and worked super hard to make and prepare Christmas dinner for my family for the first time ever!

"But thanks to Tesco I served them a rotten, rancid turkey that was inedible.

"Not only that, the gravy was made from the turkey so that resulted in everyone's meal ending up in the bin! Thanks Tesco!"

'Ruined my meal'

Posting on Christmas morning, Sharon Coward, from London, tweeted: Opened my Turkey up this morning and it absolutely stinks. Stored correctly this end. To say Im upset, is an understatement! Ruined my planned family meal.

A Tesco spokesperson said the store would conduct an investigation to establish why the birds were rotten.

He said: Weve sold hundreds of thousands of great quality British turkeys this Christmas. We have exceptionally high standards so we will look to address the small number of complaints in recent days. We will get in touch with each customer so we can investigate how these instances may have happened.

In the lead up to Christmas, farmers took to social media to get the British public to buy turkey directly from a farm.

The NFU hosted the dedicated turkey social media day on Friday 1 December. #BuyMyTurkey was the official hashtag.

Farmers were urged to post pictures of themselves, of their farm and turkeys, to tell the public why buying British, and local, is a must during the Christmas period.
On the occasion of Children's Day, Saif Ali Khan grabbed headlines by purchasing a Rs 1.3 Crore Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT as a gift to his son Taimur Ali Khan and the shutterbugs had a field day clicking pictures of Saif in his brand new SUV. It now looks like this was just a PR stunt and Saif might not really be the owner of the Jeep.

As per CarToq, who did a quick registration search about the Jeep through the Road and Transport Mission Mode Project, it turns out the owner of the Jeep is still Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Well, FCA India is a parent company of Jeep India and it means the owner of the Grand Cherokee SRT is still Jeep India and not Saif Ali Khan or Kareena Kapoor.

Here's what CarToq revealed about the registration details of the Jeep -

MH12PW1970 [PUNE, MH]

Owner: 1-FCA INDIA AUTOMOBILES PVT LTD.

Vehicle: GRAND CHEROKEE SRT(PETROL)

Motor Car

RC/FC Expiry: 20-Dec-32

MV Tax upto: (LifeTime)

Also, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Taimur Ali Khan arrived at a Christmas party in the same Jeep itself and we wonder what's happening, folks! Maybe, the company has given Saif access to the SUV for a certain period of time as it will help them in brand building all across the country. Brilliant move!

Bikini Alert! Amy Jackson's Hot Pictures From Ibiza
"The emotional meeting of a mother with her son and of a wife with her husband after 22 long months was reduced to a propaganda tool by Pakistan."

"We were clear about not letting the media come near Jadhav's mother and wife. However, not only was the Pakistani press allowed to approach them, they also widely insulted the two women, and Jadhav before them."

"In the name of security, Jadhav's mother and wife were made to change their clothes...His mother, who only wears sarees, was forced to wear salwar-kurta."

"Not only Jadhav's wife, but his mother was also made to take off her mangalsutra, bindi and churi. I spoke to his mother earlier today, and she confirmed this with me herself. Swaraj then went on to narrate what Jadhav's mother told her about this unkind experience:"[She told me how] the moment Jadhav's mother sat down in front of him, the first thing he asked was, 'How is father?', because seeing his mother her without her mangalsutra and bindi made him fear that his father had died."

"Two married women were made to appear in front of their son/husband as widows. This was heights of disrespect on Pakistan's behalf."

"Jadhav's mother wanted to speak to her son in Marathi, their mother tongue, but Pakistan would not allow her. The Pakisthani officials present at the meeting consistently prohibited her from speaking in Marathi, and when she persisted, they shut down the intercom, stopping her conversation with her son."

"India's deputy high commissioner, who had gone to Islamabad along with Jadhav's mother and wife for the meeting, was not even informed when the two women were taken in for the meeting through the back door... The meeting was started in his absense, and he never got learn that Jadhav's mother and wife were made to change their attire, else he would've protested there itself."

"The car that was supposed to escort Jadhav's mother, wife and the deputy high commissioner after the meeting was kept waiting on purpose, so that the Pakistani media got a chance to harass them even more."

"Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife was made to take off her shoes. After the meeting, despite her asking for them repeatedly, her shoes were not returned to her. I believe the Pakistani officials have some ill-intentions behind this, regarding which we have warned them...now, my doubts are coming true."

"Pakistani media, now, is saying that the shoes had a camera in them. At times, they are saying they had a chip, then they are saying the shoes had a recorder... I have never heard of anything more absurd."

"These were the same shoes Jadhav's wife travelled in through the airport security in India and Dubai. Nobody at the security checks even in Dubai noticed that she had a chip, a recorder, or a camera in her shoes? If Pakistan is so certain that she did, why did they not show it earlier in their show on the news? They are only doing this to insult. It is an absurdity beyond measure."

"After returning from the meeting, Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother told me that he seemed to be speaking under pressure. Further into the conversation, they felt that Jadhav was only speaking in the tone his captors had taught him...It was also clear from Jadhav's body language that he was not well."

"Pakistan may claim that they allowed this meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family in the name of humanity and good nature, but the truth is that there was neither any humanity nor good nature in their conduct."

"This meeting only saw repeated violation of the human rights of Kulbhushan Jadhav's family members. Pakistan created a fearful environment for them."
It's that time of the year when we all want to let our hair down and bring in the new year with utmost ease & fun. Everyone in B-Town is ready to welcome 2018 with open arms. Parties, vacations and stay-at-home celebrations are all in the works.

With that festive spirit, the B-Town beauties are all set in to indulge in a holiday mood. Let's have a look at what our girls are up to.

Alia Bhatt

Alia has left for a holiday with her girl gang to Bali. Alia who's best friend is getting hitched cannot contain her excitement for her fun girls trip. The actress will resume Brahmastra once back from her holiday.

Shraddha Kapoor

Shraddha who's just back from her Saaho schedule will have a rather quiet new year. Shraddha plans to spend her new years eve doing something she loves the most. Yes! Shraddha would be celebrating new year reading her recent pick Mindfulness and The God of small things.

Parineeti Chopra

Parineeti who was shooting for Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar in the chilled Pithoragarh will be back in town to bring in the new year with her near and dear ones in Mumbai.

It's good to see these girls take some time off work and celebrate the new year like any of us.
Surveen & Akshay

According to reports, Surveen met Akshay through a common friend in 2013. Soon after, they fell in love. They got married in 2015, in Italy.

Surveens Fairytale Wedding In Italy

Surveen was quoted by BT as saying, "Yes, I am married. I have known Akshay for long." She added that Akshay hates media glare and is a simple guy. He respects her individuality and understands her profession. She added that Akshay has made her a better person.

Surveens Dream Wedding In Italy

The actress further added, "It was a personal choice to not talk about the marriage. We wanted to break the news just before our Indian wedding, which was scheduled to take place this month. However, we had to postpone it to 2018, following a loss in the family."

Surveen & Akshays Wedding Was A Close-knit Affair

It was an Italian wedding for the couple. Only their families and a few industry friends attended the wedding. She further told BT, "In a quintessential Indian wedding, the couple is surrounded by guests. But we wanted the day to ourselves; the idea was to enjoy each and every moment with each other and with those who matter the most."

Surveens White Wedding

"Also, I always wanted a white wedding in a chapel located in a castle. Fortunately, Akshay shared the same dream and that's how we zeroed in on a picturesque castle in Northern Italy. It took me six months to finalise the venue. Since I am a die-hard romantic, there was no other way I would have done it."

Surveen Writes...

Sharing this picture Surveen wrote, "Our promises, Our Vows!!.... Our most prized possession...... Our Togetherness#happilymarried #dreamwedding #love #eternalbliss #giveusyourblessings. Reportage Photography: @dsvisuals."
The Allu clan is trying their best to gather opportunities to render a hit to the youngest member of their clan, Allu Sirish. Okka Kshanam, the upcoming movie of Allu Sirish being directed by Vi Anand seems to be impressive and looks like a rich content driven movie.

A grand pre-release event was held recently, and here's what the guest and the team of Okka Kshanam had to share.

Naga Babu

The Mega Brother shared that a spilt second is enough to witness any side of life. Naga Babu lauded the director of the movie as the movie runs on a concept of theory of probability. He also showed his excitement of watching the movie as experimental movies like these, are quite a rarity in Telugu Cinema.

Allu Aravind

Thanking his elder son, Allu Arjun, for extending his support to the team, Aravind was all praises for the director for his vision and innovative concept execution. Despite facing both financial and timeline challenges, Chakri, the producer of the movie, had displayed greater commitment and passion towards the movie and Aravind wished that Chakri would collaborate once again with his son in future.

Aravind reminisced the fact that music director Mani Sharma shared a great relationship with the Mega family as there have been terrific blockbusters with the same combination.

Vi Anand

Limiting his speech to less than 2 minutes, Anand thanked all the respective stakeholders involved in the movie.

Allu Sirish

Being confident about his product, Sirish affirmed that the movie would talk for itself than him vouching for the same. Sirish branded the director of the flick, Anand, as the visionary and claimed that he would be a big thing in Tollywood. Sirish thanked Anand's wife, Anusha, as she was instrumental and a key person in helping the movie materialize.

The budding actor felt blessed to be working with Mani Sharma and Sham K Naidu as both the technicians are not just experts of their domains but also great beings.

Sirish introduced and thanked all key technicians by bringing them to the limelight, which is a good gesture from the young actor. The actor also thanked Megastar Chiranjeevi and Mega fans for being a source of inspiration and backbone for all the actors of the family.

Allu Arjun

Thanking the producer, director, Allu Aravind and Naga Babu, Allu Arjun highlighted and covered almost everyone involved in the movie. He was seen advising his fans on their behaviour in such audio and pre-release events.

Allu Arjun urged his fans to retain their calm and allow the dignitaries to share their experience and words as he felt that a constant buzz from fans would create disturbance and also would be seen as a disgrace to the dignitaries.

Bunny took a small piece of credit as he was the one who had urged Sirish to collaborate with Anand. At the end, he opened up about his next movie, Naa Peru Surya Naa Illu India, Allu Arjun shared that this would be his career best title and that, the first impact of the movie would be on Jan 1.
Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG -1.27%) owns or controls a collection of liquefied natural gas (LNG) assets meant to serve energy industry export markets. The company is still building out its business, which is a costly endeavor. In fact, investors should continue to expect red ink on the bottom line for a while. But Cheniere Energy still managed to crush it in 2017, turning an important corner on the top line.

It's ugly down here

Cheniere Energy has lost money every single year for 10 consecutive years. That's not going to change in 2017, and probably not for a while thereafter. All that red ink is the result of the company's efforts to build liquefied natural gas export facilities. Its main hub is its Sabine Pass facility, which sits at the border of Texas and Louisiana.

Sabine Pass is actually owned by Cheniere Energy Partners LP (CQP -1.16%), a limited partnership that yields around 6.4% today. Cheniere Energy is the general partner for Cheniere Energy Partners, which means it gets paid to build and manage Sabine Pass -- including receiving incentive payments for increases to the partnership's distribution. The first increase in the partnership's history took place in October of 2017.

Building a new LNG export facility from the ground up is an expensive and time-consuming process. In fact, Sabine Pass was originally conceived as an import hub, meaning that Cheniere Energy has made some notable shifts as it's progressed through this project. So you can understand the losses at Cheniere Energy. At this point, however, Sabine Pass has four LNG processing facilities, called trains, up and running. It expects to open a fifth train in 2019. So there's still construction taking place, but the vast majority of this facility is operational right now (more on this in a second).

This isn't the only LNG terminal that Cheniere Energy is building, though. It also has a facility in Corpus Christi Texas on which it's working. This hub should start exporting liquefied natural gas from its first train sometime in 2019. A second train should be up and running shortly thereafter, with current plans calling for a late 2019 to mid-2020 completion date.

The upshot is that Cheniere Energy's efforts are only just starting to bear fruit. And the spending it needs to make to complete its growth projects will continue to be a weight on the bottom line. This is why earnings results don't show you how Cheniere Energy crushed it in 2017.

It's a top-line thing

Revenue, however, paints a very different picture, and shows exactly how incredible a year 2017 turned out to be. It was, to put it mildly, an important turning point. For example, through the first nine months of 2016, Cheniere generated roughly $1.3 billion in revenue. Year to date through the third quarter of 2017, however, it posted revenue of $3.9 billion. I think tripling revenue counts as crushing it.

That's basically the result of the Sabine Pass facility starting to hit its stride, operationally speaking. The really exciting piece of the story, however, isn't simply the revenue number. It's the fact that the massive top-line increase shows that Cheniere's growth efforts are actually working, and it provides a compelling picture of the future, when capital spending starts to wind down.

The best part is that the facilities it's building are backed by long-term, fee-based contracts. So once construction is finally done, the company's cash flow will likely be material and very stable. If the success of 2017 is any indication, the future looks bright at Cheniere Energy.

A complex takeaway

So, if you are looking for a way to invest in the growing market for LNG, you should probably be examining Cheniere Energy today. That said, I find the company's business structure a bit too complex. Not only does it control and own a material stake in income investor-friendly Cheniere Energy Partners, but it also owns 6.7% yielding Cheniere Energy Partners LP Holdings, LLC (NYSEMKT: CQH). The primary asset at Cheniere Energy Partners LP Holdings is a roughly 55% stake in Cheniere Energy Partners. And that's just the tip of the iceberg -- the interrelationships here are really complicated. There's just too much going on for me to spend the time keeping track. But if you are willing to put in the extra work, Cheniere Energy's future looks promising.
By PTI: Jammu, Dec 28 (PTI) A government school teacher accused of raping a 16-year-old student was arrested in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar, while a hunt was on to nab another accused, a senior police officer said today.

Srinder Kumar Sharma, posted in the Government Primary School in Leondi village of Padder, was arrested last evening, Senior Superintendent of Police (Kishtwar) Abrar Chowdhary said.

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Police were investigating the role of some influential members of a local panchayat and an ex-sarpanch for allegedly trying to hush up the matter by forcing a marriage between the minor victim and the accused, he added.

The management of a hotel and a guest house, where the minor was allegedly gang-raped by the teacher and his friend for several days, were also being looked into, SSP Chowdhary said.

Quoting the statement of the girl, a Class X student, the SSP said the teacher enticed her on the pretext of taking her to Gulabgarh and Kishtwar on December 4 for advanced tuitions.

The officer said the accused and his friend, Raj Dev Thakur, took the minor girl to different places, including a hotel and a guest house in Kishtwar, where they allegedly raped her for several days before abandoning her on December 6.

Police were hopeful of arresting the other accused shortly, SSP Chowdhary added. PTI TAS IJT

--- ENDS ---
Apple generates more than $150 profit per iPhone sold: Counterpoint News oi -Priyanka Samsung made a strong come back in the third quarter with its Note 8 series while S8 series continues to perform on par. The profit share reached 26 percent as compared to its loss during Q3 2016.

According to a new report by research firm, Counterpoint, Apple's profit share declined by 30 percent YoY mainly due to the increased mix of previous generation iPhones. The average selling price of iPhone remained flat YoY while the shipments increased 3 percent YoY.

The research firm said that, in Q4 2017, we estimate that the total profits of Apple will improve driven by its iPhone X sales. Apple exited the quarter with some iPhone 8 inventory due to softer than expected demand compared to the iPhone 7 series.

Counterpoint's Research Director, Neil Shah, added, "Apple continued to command lion share of mobile handset industry profits capturing almost 60 percent share. However, this is down from 86 percent share in the same quarter last year when Samsung had to gulp up a loss due to the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. The Korean vendor though with relatively stronger demand for Note 8 and mid-tier high-scale J series have been able to capture almost a fourth of the global mobile handset industry profits."

Shah said, "Apple still generates more than $150 profit per iPhone sold and this will continue to grow into the holiday season quarter buoyed by the high price iPhone X series. Our recent channel checks across key Apple markets showed the demand for the 256GB version of iPhone X is higher which will boost Apple's profits even higher."

Samsung made a strong come back in the third quarter with its Note 8 series while S8 series continues to perform on par. The profit share reached 26 percent as compared to its loss during Q3 2016 due to Note 7 debacle.

Meanwhile, the report said Global mobile handset profits grew 13 percent YoY in Q3 2017 due to a strong performance of Samsung and Chinese brands.

Counterpoint Associate Director, Tarun Pathak, said that "This is the first time ever when the cumulative profits of Chinese brands crossed $1.5 Billion for the first in a single quarter. Usually, all the profits have been shared by just two brands Samsung and Apple, however, Chinese brands have made inroads here as well."

Pathak said that "The growth of Chinese brands can be attributed to the diligent efforts in streamlining the supply chain with rising mix of mid to high-end smartphones in their portfolio. Even in the premium segment, players like Huawei are positioning their flagship models just below the premium offerings from Apple and Samsung. This strategy is designed to penetrate premium market while maximizing revenue and profit."

The firm pointed out that, Huawei witnessed highest profit growth of 67 percent YoY in Q3 2017 due to its portfolio expansion across price bands, Oppo & Vivo captured the fourth and fifth spot in Global Handset profit share mainly driven by their performance in China. and Xiaomi has made a strong comeback with handset profit growth of 41 percent YoY, it is still behind the market leaders.

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New OxygenOS update adds Face Unlock Assistive Lighting to OnePlus 5T News oi -Chandrika The update carries the build number OxygenOS 4.7.6. and it weighs in around 86MP.

OnePlus is currently rolling out new software update to its latest flagship OnePlus 5T. The update carries the build number OxygenOS 4.7.6. and it weighs in around 86MP.

As of now, the update has reached only a few OnePlus 5T devices, but a wider rollout is to follow in the coming days. This new OxygenOS update brings in several new features and the Android security patch for the month of December. OnePlus 5T users have been complaining about the poor performance of the phone, and the OxygenOS 4.7.6 brings in a couple of improvements to the camera department.

To start with, this update stabilizes the camera performance and improves the quality of selfies captured in low light conditions. In addition, the update makes some performance improvements for third-party camera apps.

Moving on, the OxygenOS 4.7.6 update has added a new feature called 'Face Unlock Assistive Lighting'. OnePlus 5T owners who have received the update can find this feature under the Face Unlock menu in the Settings app.

Thanks to this feature, if the front camera can't recognize the user's face, the screen of the phone will light up to help the camera recognize the user's face. Needless to say, Face Unlock Assistive Lighting will prove to be a quite handy feature in low light situations.

As mentioned earlier, the update also includes the December security patch. Lastly, the latest OxygenOS update has made improvements for expanded screenshot and Wi-Fi display.

Below is the official changelog of the OxygenOS 4.7.6 for the OnePlus 5T.

Camera

Stability improvements

Clarity improvements for selfie in low light

Performance improvements for 3rd party camera apps

System

Added assistive lighting for face unlock

Improvements for expanded screenshot

Improvements for Wi-Fi display

Updated Android security patch to December

As is usually the case, the update is being rolled out in phases. If you are one of those impatient kinds, using a VPN and selecting Canada will allow you receive the update immediately. After connecting, you can check for the update manually by going to System Updates section in the Settings app.

Meanwhile, OnePlus is teasing the Android 8.0 Oreo Open Beta roll out for the OnePlus 5T.

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Upcoming iPhones could be powered by MediaTek chipsets News oi -Chandrika Apple is seeking out alternatives in order to to rely less on the technologies built by its court rival, Qualcomm.

Since the legal dispute between Apple and Qualcomm is far from getting over, the former may be looking for plan B, which involves a potential modem deal with MediaTek for the next generation of iPhones.

According to a report by DigiTimes, Apple has already transferred half of its chipset orders to Intel from Qualcomm. Now, the Cupertino-giant wants to further cut reliance on Qualcomm by signing a modem deal with MediaTek. As of now, there are not much details available. It is also worth noting that the information comes from unnamed "industry sources", leaving space for skepticism.

Whatever the case is, it makes sense for Apple seeking out alternatives in order to to rely less on the technologies built by its court rival.

As some of you may know, Apple and Qualcomm are fighting it out at the court since the beginning of this year. Both the parties have filed several cases against each other for patent infringement. Qualcomm has even gone to such extent that it asked the court to ban sales of iPhones in the US.

While we don't see the companies coming to terms anytime soon, it seems they are looking for business investments without the other being involved.

That being said, the report says that Apple wants to join hands with MediaTek for a short time. It is not likely that a long-term deal will be reached.

In the short term, Apple does believe that MediaTek meets all the three principles of the iPhone maker, which are, "leading technological competitiveness, comprehensive product blueprints, and reliable logistic support."

So the chances are that the 2018 lineup of iPhones could house MediaTek chips. However, the companies could enter a partnership for other products as well like smart speakers, wireless charging devices etc, notes the same report.

Needless to say, Apple has not made comments on this regard. It will be quite interesting to see if the company replaces Qualcomm with MediaTek, and if the performance of iPhones gets affected because of this.

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Reliance Jio to acquire wireless infrastructure of Reliance Communications News oi -Priyanka The consideration is payable at completion and is subject to adjustments as specified in the agreement.

As it was expected, Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited ("RJIL"), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited ("RIL"), today announced the signing of the definitive agreement for the acquisition of specified assets of Reliance Communications Limited ("RCOM") and its affiliates.

"The acquisition is subject to receipt of requisite approvals from governmental and regulatory authorities, consents from all lenders, a release of all encumbrances on the said assets and other conditions precedent. The consideration is payable at completion and is subject to adjustments as specified in the agreement," the statement said.

Consequent to the agreement, RJIL or its nominees will acquire assets under four categories - Towers, Optic Fiber Cable Network ("OFC"), Spectrum and Media Convergence Nodes ("MCN") from RCOM and its affiliates. These assets are strategic in nature and are expected to contribute significantly to the large-scale roll-out of wireless and Fiber to Home and Enterprise services by RJIL, it added.

An asset monetization process for RCOM assets was mandated by the lenders of RCOM, who appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited to run the process.

The process is supervised by an independent group of industry experts. RJIL emerged as the successful bidder in the two-stage bidding process.

RJIL is being advised by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Global Markets, JM Financial Private Limited, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Khaitan & Co and Ernst & Young on this transaction.

While the two companies did not disclose the deal size.

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By Manogya Loiwal : In what seems to be the new Hindu card for Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, party chief is all set to address a massive Brahmin Sammelan in Birbhum district of West Bengal next month.

At a time when the BJP is gaining grounds across the state with increase in the voting percentage, this seems to be a big effort by the Trinamool to garner support on this ground too.

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TMC Birbhum district president, Anubrato Mondal said, "On 6th, I have booth sammelan, on 8th, I have purahit sammelan there whatever needs to be said about Hindu we will say. On 13th, we have booth sammelan in Suiri, on 15th it is booth sammelan in Rampurhat; minority conference in Muslim community where issues related with Islam will be discussed. We expect that 12,000 to 15,000 priests are going to come."

Commenting on BJP's Dilip Ghosh, Mondal said, "They are lying. Priests conference has never happened in India, but only happens in America after a gap of 3 years. Know this. Ask Dilip babu that priest conference happens only in America with a gap of 3 years. The words hit me. I won't learn Hindutva from him. What is BJP's age? 36 years. What is Congress's age? 131 years. What is Trinamool's age? Very little, have you seen the progress? Our chief minister is showing how to stay beside people. I won't learn Hindutva from Dilip Ghosh because I'm myself Hindu."

Birbhum has been the hotbed of various controversies specially between Hindu and Muslims in the district. Even Mondal has been known for his flaring and blaring remarks on various issues including beheading of BJP leaders or supporters too in the past.

On being asked about going soft on the Hindu brigade, Mondal made another defence, "Absolutely not, where? Where is the conflict? What they are saying doesn't bother me. TMC is with the people. Yesterday, there was procession in 2 blocks, Suiri 1 and Suiri 2. Less people come from city, which you all know. 40,000 to 50,000 people, I'm not saying these, but the governments papers are saying, journalists are saying. Mamata Banerjee is coming on 3rd at Joydeb."

But, the BJP feels that this is just another way of TMC to make its presence felt amongst Brahmins.

About 15000 Bramhins are going to attend this conference and do pujas. According to the sources, every Bramhin will be provided with a copy of Gita, a namabali, which is a religious shawl and also a photograph of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Saradha Maa.

This sort of conference is usually common in states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, but this is going to be the first one in West Bengal.

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Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Babul Supriyo said, "Whatever TMC does in Bengal is all appeasement politics. Sometimes they give imam bhata and then they think that to balance it we should do something, these are all vote bank politics. Actually, we have to find the reason behind it, the intention behind is bad that is related to vote. We have to see what the development intention is, there we don't see anything."

In political circle, this attempt is seen as a counter to the BJP's rise in the state.

BJP has allegedly said that these conferences are nothing but a way to win the Hindu voters as the crucial 2018 panchayat elections are around the corner.

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh explained, "In West Bengal, Brahman Sammelan is happening, is this like turning from secularisation to Hindu? Is it for the vote? They have to answer it to the people. This cunning behaviour, not only West Bengal, but the whole country will not accept it, if it was not like that then the Gujarat result would have been different."

Birbhum has always been the first for any political battle in the state and this battle has just begun with Brahmins.

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Inputs from Bhaskar Mukherjee in Birbhum and Anil Giri in Asansol

--- ENDS ---
India Says Family Of Man Charged With Spying In Pakistan Was Mistreated

December 27, 2017

India denounced Pakistan on December 26 over the treatment of the family of an Indian man sentenced to death for spying, saying they had been harassed during a visit -- a charge Pakistan called "baseless."

The Indian government accused Pakistani authorities of, among other things, refusing to return the shoes of the visiting wife of Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav after she turned them over to security for the visit.

Jadhav, a former officer in the Indian Navy, was arrested in March 2016 in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, where there has been a long-running conflict between security forces and separatists, and he was convicted of planning sabotage.

His wife and mother were allowed to see him behind a glass window on December 25, eight months after he was sentenced to death. But that gesture of goodwill may have only stoked long-running tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said Jadhav's family was badly treated.

"The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them, and hurl false and loaded accusations about Jadhav," Kumar said.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said it "categorically rejected" the accusations as "baseless" and called Jadhav "a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes."

The ministry said it kept all media, including Indian and Pakistani, "at a safe distance, as requested by India."

Pakistan authorities say Jadhav confessed to being assigned by India's intelligence service to plan, coordinate, and organize espionage and sabotage activities in Baluchistan, "aiming to destabilize and wage war against Pakistan."

But New Delhi maintains Jadhav is innocent, and it won an injunction from the World Court to delay his execution, arguing he was denied diplomatic assistance during his trial by a military court.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/india-says-family- man-jadhav-accused-spying-death-sentence- harassed-mistreated/28940860.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Indian troops kill top fighter, associates in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 06:02PM

New Delhi forces have killed a top fighter along with his associates during a gun battle in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Police said in a statement on Tuesday that Noor Mohammad Tantray, the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group, and his comrades were shot dead outside the main city of Srinagar on Monday evening.

Indian troops cordoned off a group of houses in Samboora, "which resulted in a fierce gun battle leading to elimination of top JeM commander Noor Mohammad Tantray," the statement said.

Police described the operation as a "significant breakthrough" after Tantray's body was found under debris on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old JeM commander was described by officials as a new "security headache" when he took over as the head of the group.

According to police, Tantray spent 12 years in jail after being convicted in a case of militancy in 2003, but jumped parole two years later to rejoin JeM.

As the news of Tantray's death spread, hundreds of Kashmiri people rushed to the scene, chanting anti-India slogans and hurling stones at the troops.

Security forces used tear gas and pellet guns to disperse angry protesters. At least six protesters were injured.

Since 1989 some armed groups including JeM have been fighting Indian troops and police deployed in the Himalayan territory.

At least 210 anti-India fighters have been killed this year amid a military campaign to rout armed groups resisting the Indian rule in the disputed region. According to police officials and watchdogs, over 80 security personnel and about 60 civilians have also lost their lives in violence across the violence-hit valley.

More than half a million Indian soldiers have been deployed in Kashmir since 1989, when popular calls grew for independence or a merger of the territory with Muslim-majority Pakistan.

A former British colony, Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan in 1947.

Tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed in decades of fighting in Kashmir while the neighbors continue to blame each other for the protracted violence.

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Saudi airstrikes kill, injure over 120 in southwestern Yemen

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 02:17PM

Saudi-led airstrikes have killed or injured over 120 people in a market in the southwestern province of Ta'izz, Yemeni officials say.

Yemen's Health Ministry said hospitals received more than 100 victims following the Tuesday attack on Heime District.

One civilian was also killed in another Saudi airstrike on Nihm District in Sana'a Province.

Yemeni Ansarullah spokesman Mohammad Abdulsalam condemned the Tuesday airstrike on the market and noted that such attacks indicate the defeat of the Saudi regime.

He also slammed the hype against Yemen over its ballistic missile attack on Riyadh last week, while the international community keeps silence with regard to the ongoing Saudi war crimes against the Yemeni people.



In another attack, Saudi fighter jets targeted a residential area in Hudaydah province and killed 14 members of the same family.

The attacks come a day after over 30 people were killed in Saudi airstrikes hitting various areas across the country, including the capital Sana'a.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstate the former Yemeni president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of the Riyadh regime.

At least 13,600 people have been killed since the onset of Saudi Arabia's military campaign against Yemen in 2015. Much of the Arabian Peninsula country's infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been reduced to rubble due to the war.

On Tuesday, the International Red Cross pointed to massive starvation across Yemen on its Twitter page, warning, "Yemen is starving to death."

The Saudi-led war has also triggered deadly cholera and diphtheria epidemic across Yemen.

Additionally, the UN has described the current level of hunger in Yemen as "unprecedented," emphasizing that 17 million people are now food insecure in the country.

It added that 6.8 million, meaning almost one in four people, do not have enough food and rely entirely on external assistance.

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Israel accelerates settlement expansion in West Bank

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 11:05AM

Israel has accelerated the construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank despite international condemnation.

Ma'an news agency reported the acceleration of construction work to the west, south and east of the Ahia settlement in the Palestinian village of Jalud.

According to the report, 15 settlement housing units will be built in the area.

As part of the plan, new roads are constructed around Ahia and more agricultural lands are bulldozed to the east of Ahia to pave the way for the construction of yet more settlement units.

The report said the construction work advances in the absence of the media and thus away from the public eye.

Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian Authority (PA) official in charge of monitoring Israeli settlement policy in the northern part of the West Bank, said the new settlement expansion in Ahia was accompanied by the bulldozing of lands and the construction of infrastructure in the new settlement of Amihai, which lies one kilometer to the southwest of Ahia.

About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

Israel's continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories has been a major impediment to peace.

Israel also plans to build 300,000 housing units in the occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds.

The new Israeli settlement construction plan was condemned by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, which held US President Donald Trump responsible for "Israeli colonial arrogance."

"The ministry affirms that this Israeli colonial arrogance would not have happened without US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem [al-Quds] as Israel's capital," the ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page on Sunday.

"Trump's administration must bear the responsibility for new crimes that Israel imposes on our people."

The ministry also called on the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to confront the move.

Separately, Israel's Minister of Housing and Construction Yoav Galant announced the launching of a campaign to promote the building of the new settlement units.

According to Israel's Channel 10, the plan was part of the so-called "Greater Jerusalem Bill," which aims to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank to the Israeli-defined boundaries of the city of Jerusalem al-Quds.

Galant's remarks come three weeks after US President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's "capital" and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.

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UNICEF official calls 2017 'horrible' for children in Yemen

26 December 2017  Children in Yemen could not have a worse year than 2017, according to a senior official from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"2017 was a horrible year for the children of Yemen," UNICEF Representative in the country, Meritxell Relano, told UN News by telephone from the capital, Sana'a.

More than 80 children were killed or injured in December alone, while millions face a cholera epidemic, looming famine, a disruption in health services and a blockade hampering delivery of much-needed supplies.

She urged a political solution for what she said was a man-made conflict and warned that without a political solution many more children would die.

Ms. Relano recounted meeting a woman and her dying 7-year-old son Ali in a hospital in Aden.

"He was like skin on bones. I asked why they had not come sooner and the mother told me that she could not afford to ride the bus to the hospital. The levels of poverty in the families [have] now reached levels that are unsustainable," she said.

To offset some of this type of need, Ms. Relano noted that some 1.3 million families, or about 8 million people, are being reached with emergency cash as part of a transfer project between UNICEF and the World Bank.

She also praised successful efforts to deliver vaccines and implement a polio immunization campaign this year to benefit some 5 million children and provide treatment for 200,000 children with acute malnutrition.

"Yemenis who work on the ground to support the Yemenis are the true heroes," she said, noting the efforts of local authorities, doctors, nurses and teachers in the country.

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Congo: UN chief welcomes ceasefire between Brazzaville, Reverend Pastor Ntumi

26 December 2017  United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday welcomed the signing of a ceasefire between the Government of the Republic of the Congo and a group led by Reverend Pastor Ntumi.

In a statement from his spokesperson, the Secretary-General said he hoped the agreement would "lead to a sustainable peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Pool region of the country and the alleviation of the dire humanitarian situation there."

The Pool refers to the Congo's oil-producing southern region that includes the capital, Brazzaville. Fighting broke out in April of last year, and has since displaced one out of three people, and exposed residents to alleged human rights violations, including sexual violence and threats.

The Government and Pastor Ntumi signed an agreement on 23 December to cease hostilities in the area.

The UN, in today's statement, said it stands ready to support the parties in implementing the agreement.

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America First? Trump Struggles to Implement Campaign Promises on Military

By William Gallo December 26, 2017

As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump promised a radically different approach to foreign intervention than that of his predecessors.

At campaign events, Trump railed against U.S. military intervention so frequently that it eventually became a part of his stump speech.

"We've spent $6 trillion in the Middle East," Trump repeatedly lamented. "We could have rebuilt our country twice."

In his first year as president, Pentagon data suggests Trump has struggled to carry out his "America First" approach to the world, at least when it comes to the use of force.

Instead, Trump has sent more U.S. troops to conflict zones in the Middle East and South Asia. He's dropped more bombs on Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. And he's expanded a global campaign of targeted drone killings.

Add it all up, and it's hard to see how Trump's foreign policy is any less interventionist than his predecessors. If anything, Trump's policies are a little more hawkish than those of Barack Obama, says Christopher Preble, with the CATO Institute.

"He's largely continued what he's inherited, with some additional increment of the use of force," says Preble.

Doubling down in Afghanistan

Perhaps no conflict exemplifies Trump's approach more than Afghanistan, where the U.S. has been fighting Taliban insurgents for 16 years.

Before becoming president, Trump was a regular critic of the war, calling it a waste of lives and money and demanding an immediate withdrawal.

But six months into his presidency, Trump reversed his position, instead deciding to indefinitely extend the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan.

Under Trump's plan, 3,000 more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan, backed by an expanded U.S.-led bombing campaign.

According to U.S. military figures, the NATO coalition is on pace to triple the number of bombs dropped on Afghanistan in 2017 compared to the previous year.

The bombing could continue to expand in 2018, in part because of the relaxed rules of engagement that allow the U.S. military to go after insurgent targets.

More bombs, more troops

It's part of a larger pattern of a bigger Pentagon footprint across the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa.

Since Trump took office, there has been a 31 percent increase in the number of U.S. troops and civilians working for the Pentagon in the Middle East and North Africa, according to Pentagon data.

That includes increases not only in well-known conflict areas, such as Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, but also in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

The U.S. military also recently acknowledged it has about 2,000 troops in Syria - four times as many as Pentagon officials previously said. According to a recent report, the U.S. forces will stay in Syria indefinitely.

Under Trump, the U.S. is also dropping more bombs.

The international coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria is on pace to drop 30 percent more bombs in 2017 compared to the previous year, according to official figures, though that campaign appears to be winding down as the Islamist group is forced out of its so-called caliphate.

Drone war expanded

Drone strikes have also continued in non-battlefield settings, including Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, and Libya - a continuation of President Barack Obama's global campaign of targeted killings.

"If Obama expanded the U.S. drone program, Trump has expanded it even more, both in terms of geography and frequency," says Rachel Stohl, who specializes in drones at the Stimson Center, a research group.

In Yemen, U.S. airstrikes have tripled, and in Somalia they have doubled this year compared to last, according to Jessica Purkiss with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which tracks U.S. drone and other airstrikes.

"The uptick in strikes in these countries is largely because parts of both these countries were declared areas of active hostilities, which effectively means the U.S. can launch strikes with fewer constraints," Purkiss says.

The U.S. military could also soon conduct drone strikes in Niger, after the African country last month granted the U.S. permission to conduct armed drone flights.

Not surprising?

Trump's hawkish tendencies aren't surprising to some analysts, such as the CATO Institute's Preble. "The totality of Donald Trump's statements as a candidate, and even before, did tend to be fairly hawkish," he says.

As a candidate, Trump did, after all, vow to "bomb the s**t" out of Islamic State. He also consistently threatened to "take the oil" as compensation for U.S. military intervention in countries such as Iraq and Libya. And he pledged to make the U.S. military more powerful than ever.

"That's not exactly an argument for not fighting wars that he didn't like," concedes Preble.

Trump isn't the only president who has struggled to fulfill his campaign promises on foreign policy. President Obama, for instance, campaigned on bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq. And he did, before eventually sending them back to fight Islamic State.

It's perhaps a reminder that presidential candidates promise a lot when it comes to foreign policy. But they can't always deliver.

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Congo Watches for Rebels Among South Sudan Refugees

By Jason Patinkin December 26, 2017

Since South Sudan's government captured a rebel base last week in the country's southwest, hundreds of refugees have poured into Democratic Republic of Congo.

Among them may be rebels, and the Congolese army, wary of conflict spilling into their nation, is arresting any suspected fighters.

Refugees, however, say innocent young men are being caught up in the crackdown, too.

Grace Gaba, speaking from the border of town of Aba where some 30,000 refugees have taken shelter, said her brother, Joseph Moro, was arrested by Congolese troops at a checkpoint last week and has been held ever since.

The two of them registered as refugees in January of this year. Gaba said they both stayed in Aba since then, and only went back to South Sudan during last week's fighting to rescue family members.

"Among us eight, only my brother was arrested," she said. "Maybe they may think my brother is a soldier, but he is not a soldier."

It is hard to say how many suspected rebels have been arrested so far. A Congolese government source not authorized to speak to media said nine suspected rebels were in army custody as of last week. Local refugee leaders put the number at 17.

Alexi Kabambi, who leads Congo's National Refugee Commission in Aba, said those whom the army deems to be rebels are sent to a military base in the town of Dungu, where they may be extradited to South Sudan.

Kabambi said even if rebels enter Congo unarmed and renounce their military allegiances, they cannot be granted refugee status.

"Once you've carried a weapon you cannot be accorded refugee status as a civilian," he said. "Even if you're granted refugee status, if it is revealed you engaged in military activities in the past, your status can be revoked."

Liwa Morris Taban, chairman of Aba's South Sudanese refugee community, said anyone who enters Congo as a civilian should be allowed to register as a refugee, even if that person was previously a combatant.

"According to me, if he's not a rebel, if he's not even a soldier, he's a normal civilian," he said. "He has a right to be together with the rest in the site."

Congo has struggled with an influx of South Sudanese combatants since war broke out along the mutual border in 2016.

In October of this year, nine suspected rebels were handed over to Congo's army in Ituri province, east of Aba, the United Nations' refugee agency, UNHCR, said.

Three more South Sudanese men are being held in the Dungu military base after being arrested in Aba earlier this year with military equipment, according to two South Sudanese men recently released from the prison.

And last year, hundreds of fighters from both the government and rebels crossed into Congo, according to a report by the Small Arms Survey research group. Many of those rebels are now housed in a U.N. camp in the eastern Congolese city of Goma.

Researcher Alan Boswell, who wrote the Small Arms Survey report, said South Sudanese government soldiers who enter Congo can usually be sent home, but dealing with rebel fighters who cross the border is trickier.

"Some want to be demobilized and be settled as refugees, but others will later want to return back and fight," he said. "It is essentially not possible to distinguish between who is ready to quit fighting and who is only there to recoup, recover, and return to combat."

The army is also not capable of holding detainees for long periods of time in humane conditions, says the Refugee Commission's Kabambi.

"They don't have the capacity to do this," he said. "They don't have the resources. But what can you do?"

Along with the crackdown on suspected rebels, Congo's army has attempted to seal the border with South Sudan near Aba, including by deploying more troops to border crossings. They have severely restricted trade and banned refugees from moving toward the border.

This is a sharp change from earlier in the conflict, when people and goods moved more freely between Aba and the former rebel base in South Sudan.

One South Sudanese opposition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said wounded rebels were previously brought to Aba's hospital for treatment, but this changed after South Sudan's ambassador to Congo visited Aba earlier this year.

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Coalition Partner Forces Clear ISIS Caves in Southern Syria

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 27, 2017  In partnership with coalition forces, the Maghawir al-Thawra conducted a series of ground clearance operations Dec. 23 to drive Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terrorists out of the Hamad Desert in southern Syria, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

The Maghawir al-Thawra, a vetted Syrian opposition force, has been fighting ISIS in the tri-border area of Iraq, Syria, and Jordan since 2015, according to officials.

Ongoing successful operations follow previous engagements earlier this month, in which the Maghawir al-Thawra, also known as MaT, killed several ISIS terrorists in the 34-mile de-confliction zone recognized by the coalition, Russia and the Syrian regime, officials said.

"The combined operations are a result of many hours of planning, building trust and close cooperation between coalition Special Operations Forces and the MaT," said Army Maj. Gen. James B. Jarrard, the commander of Operation Inherent Resolve's Special Operations Joint Task Force.

Terrorists Lose Weapons Storage Sites

Operations have disrupted ISIS' freedom of movement by clearing several caves the terrorist organization has historically used to store weapons, explosives and communications equipment, officials said.

The ISIS terrorists were using the area to transit from the Euphrates River Valley, where they have enjoyed relative freedom of movement while fleeing the coalition's successful Syrian Democratic Forces partners, according to officials.

Recent defeat-ISIS operations conducted by the MaT confirm the de-confliction zone remains inhospitable to the terrorists, officials said.

"ISIS has repeatedly surfaced in the Hamad Desert," Jarrard said. "However, inside the de-confliction zone, our partner forces have successfully thwarted ISIS' movements."

The cave clearing operations highlight the MaT's professionalism, tactical skill and their overall impact as an effective security force within the de-confliction zone, officials said.

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Second Troop Rotation Arrives in Poland to Support Atlantic Resolve

By Army 1st Lt. Mark Schneider, 16th Sustainment Brigade

POWIDZ, Poland, Dec. 27, 2017  The second nine-month rotation of the Atlantic Resolve Sustainment Task Force, attached to the 16th Sustainment Brigade, began earlier this month as the incoming rotation commenced reception, staging, onward movement and integration operations in Powidz and Poznan, Poland, beginning December 2017.

The incoming task force features soldiers from active, Reserve and Guard units. The units have come from Connecticut, California, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Kansas and Virginia.

"All three components will operate under the 16th Sustainment Brigade and will help sustain the operations within Atlantic Resolve," said Army Lt. Col. William Daugherty, commander of the 143rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. "The culmination is arrival to Powidz, Poland, receiving our equipment, and raising our guidons. No longer are there three components, only one -- strong Europe."

Boosting Combat Power

Integrating all three components of the Army in the European theater to provide sustainment functions ultimately boosts combat power by focusing support on the regionally allocated forces in Europe, which include the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, officials said. After spending nine months supporting multinational exercises, often featuring military forces from 10 or more countries and from sister services, the rotational sustainers will return to their home station units as experts in their military specialties with experiences that they can draw from to teach their fellow soldiers.

Similar to the inaugural rotation, this sustainment task force will support Atlantic Resolve by providing movement control, fuel, water, distribution, ammunition, supply, maintenance, laundry, and postal support.

"As we were preparing to deploy, we identified the need to do exercise design for a certified training event that would encapsulate the functions we would perform in Europe," said Army Lt. Col. Joseph Young, commander of the 53rd Transportation Battalion. "After we completed our [culminating training event], we knew there would still be a lengthy learning curve upon arrival, because you cannot entirely replicate the complexity, scope, and theater specific aspects of operating in Europe while in the United States."

Movement to Lithuania, Romania

After the incoming Atlantic Resolve Sustainment Task Force officially took the reins from the 497th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and 330th Transportation Battalion in Powidz and Poznan, the task force will prepare to send out forward support elements to Lithuania and Romania, officials said. These forward support elements will provide flexible sustainment capabilities for U.S., allied, and partnered forces training in their respective areas of operation. This enables greater operational reach and freedom of movement from the Baltics to the Black Sea region.

"On any given day the 16th Sustainment Brigade's soldiers are operating in 18 to 25 countries," said Army Col. Michelle K. Donahue, brigade commander. "Last year we supported 53 U.S. Army Europe exercises."

A typical distribution or sustainment mission for the recently arrived soldiers can often entail crossing four sovereign countries' borders, all of which have different languages and use different currencies, officials said. This presents a tremendous growth opportunity for many soldiers in the task force from the Army Reserve and National Guard who, before this rotation, may have never traveled outside of the continental United States.

"This is my first time in Europe, and I have been looking forward to this deployment," said Army Sgt. Khalil Scott, a National Movement Coordination Center liaison with the 53rd Transportation Battalion. "This is a different operating environment, so it will allow me to do my job better."

New Regulations

With new areas of operation for the incoming task force also come new rules, regulations, and standards directed by the U.S. forces and host nations that the soldiers must learn, officials said. These regulations include everything from the number of vehicles that constitute a convoy to the certifications required to transport hazardous material.

"We empower our junior leaders as they conduct missions across Europe," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Frank M. Graham Jr., the 16th Sustainment Brigade's senior noncommissioned officer. "Every day we have sergeants leading convoys and working with allies, typically senior noncommissioned officer and junior officer level responsibilities."

Over the next nine months the multicomponent soldiers in the Atlantic Resolve Sustainment Task Force will be at the cutting edge of integrated operations in the "leadership laboratory" of U.S. Army Europe, officials said.

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U.S., French forces fortify longstanding partnership during Alligator Dagger

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS171227-10

Release Date: 12/27/2017 11:27:00 AM

By Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Office of Public Affairs

U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (NNS) -- The French navy Mistral-class amphibious assault ship LHD Tonnerre (L9014), with embarked U.S. Marines and Sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) rehearsed amphibious operations and combat sustainment in the vicinity of Djibouti during Alligator Dagger Dec. 12-21.

This iteration of Alligator Dagger marked the first time where this recurring U.S. training exercise was expanded to include French military partners participating in both the at sea and ashore evolutions.

Approximately 1,000 U.S. and French troops trained together during the exercise to hone critical skill sets that are essential to ensuring regional stability, freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in this dynamic and challenging environment. The exercise continued the close cooperation between the U.S. and French Forces deployed on Tonnerre and to rehearse possible contingency operations to provide a highly ready and capable force for crisis response and combat operations.

"As the only standing, forward deployed and fully integrated Navy/Marine Corps command, TF 51/5 prides itself in its ability to synchronize forces afloat and ashore to provide immediate and robust crisis response options to the U.S. Central Command and the National Command Authority," said Col. Howard Hall, TF 51/5's director of operations. "While naval integration is the foundation of TF 51/5's effectiveness and success, partnering with French land and maritime forces in Alligator Dagger represents both a manifestation and expansion of naval integration to include our partners and allies. Combating transregional threats requires multi-domain and multi-national solutions."

The bilateral engagements focused on noncombatant evacuation operations; amphibious assaults; helicopter-borne raids; visit, board, search and seizure operations; air strikes; defense of the amphibious task force; integrated ground-and-air fires; tactical recovery of personnel; ground reconnaissance; medical casualty evacuations; combat marksmanship and quick reaction force and casualty evacuation rehearsals.

Alligator Dagger is the largest regional amphibious exercise to integrate and synchronize TF 51/5's warfighting capabilities with those of adjacent U.S. Naval Forces Special Operations Forces units to ensure they are postured and prepared to execute operations at sea, from the sea and ashore. The two-week combat rehearsal, launched from international waters off the coast of Djibouti and executed on land in the vicinity of Arta Beach, is synchronized with each incoming TF 51/5's subordinate vessel's entry into the U.S. 5th Fleet.

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Bremerton Visits Yokosuka for Final Time

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS171227-07

Release Date: 12/27/2017 11:13:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian G. Reynolds, Submarine Group 7 deputy public affairs officer

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Dec. 22 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

The visit strengthens the already positive alliance between the U.S. and Japan through the crews' interaction with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. It also demonstrates the U.S. Navy's commitment to regional stability and maritime security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

"I think it's important for Bremerton to make one last visit to Yokosuka," said Cmdr. Travis Zettel, commanding officer. "The region means a lot to the United States and its Navy."

Bremerton's crew operates with a high state of readiness and is always prepared to tackle any mission that comes their way.

"This will be my fifth time spending Christmas in Yokosuka," said Zettel. "I consider it to be my second home."

With a crew of 154, Bremerton will conduct a multitude of missions and maintain proficiencies in the latest capabilities of the submarine fleet.

Measuring more than 360 feet long, Bremerton is one of the stealthiest and most advanced submarines in the world. This submarine is capable of supporting a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

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Ugandan forces kill more than 100 rebels in DR Congo

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 05:57PM

Uganda's armed forces have killed more than 100 Uganda-based rebels during a high-scale offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Ugandan army said in a statement Wednesday that several other rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were wounded in aerial attacks and artillery raids.

The military says the operation has been carried out from Ugandan territory.

The rebels were accused of carrying out the attack that left several UN peacekeepers dead earlier this month.

On December 7, armed assailants attacked a base of the United Nations peacekeepers in eastern DRC, killing at least 15 peacekeepers who were mostly from Tanzania.

The base, which is located about 45 kilometers from the town of Beni, has been repeatedly attacked by rebels from the ADF. It is home to the peacekeeping mission's rapid intervention force, which has a rare mandate to go on the offensive.

The UN described the attack in Congo as the worst in the recent UN history as well as a war crime.

The ADF originated in Uganda as a rebel force against the government and carried out deadly bombings in the 1990s. A military campaign forced them to relocate to eastern Congo.

The DRC had one of the most brutal colonial rules before undergoing decades of corrupt dictatorship and back-to-back civil wars that left the mineral-rich country poor and politically unstable.

In 2006, the UN mission helped carry out Congo's first free and fair elections in 46 years, paving the way for President Joseph Kabila to be elected for a five-year term.

His second term in office ended in 2016. Under the DR Congo's constitution, Kabila is banned from seeking a third term. However, he is authorized to stay in office until his successor is elected but he decided to remain in power. This prompted the UN to urge the Congolese authorities "to respect the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Congolese Constitution."

The delay in holding an election has flared up violence in the country.

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15 injured as car bomb rocks army base in southern Afghanistan

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 02:54PM

At least 15 people, mostly soldiers, have been wounded after a car bomb went off near a military base in southern Afghanistan, officials say.

The attack targeted a military convoy leaving a base in the city of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, on Wednesday

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said all but one of those wounded in the attack were soldiers.

The Taliban militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which they said was carried out by a bomber.

Taliban have a strong presence and carry out near-daily attacks in Lashkar Gah and other southern cities.

The attack came two days after at least six civilians were killed and three others wounded in another bomb attack by the Daesh Takfiri terrorists near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the capital Kabul. The casualties were caused after a bomber blew himself up near the entrance of the compound belonging to the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Kabul on Monday.

Afghanistan is engulfed by violence and many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops. The United States and its NATO allies invaded the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror in 2001.

The offensive removed the Taliban regime from power, but violence never subsided in the country. The militants have made a resurgence and are now present in about half of the country.

The US waged the war on Afghanistan under George W. Bush's presidency. After becoming president in 2008, his successor Barack Obama, a Democrat, vowed to end the war but did not live up to his promise. Now the current president, Donald Trump, has also promised to scale back the US military involvement in Afghanistan but ever since his inauguration in January, the US president has ordered a deployment of thousands more troops to the war-torn country.

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Argentine Judge Says Prosecutor Was Murdered In Alleged Iran Cover Up Case

December 27, 2017

An Argentine judge says the prosecutor who was found dead just days after accusing former President Cristina Fernandez of covering up Iran's role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center was murdered.

Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found with a fatal gunshot wound to his head just hours before he was due to appear before Congress to detail the allegations against Fernandez.

Fernandez and others had suggested Nisman's death was suicide.

But in a 656-page ruling released on December 26, Judge Julian Ercolini said there is sufficient proof to conclude the shot to the head that killed Nisman in January 2015 was not self-inflicted.

It is the first time any judge has said the case was murder.

Fernandez, now a senator, was indicted for treason earlier in December over Nisman's allegations that she worked behind the scenes to clear Iran of blame for the attack on the AMIA Jewish center in a bid to normalize relations and secure a 2013 grain-for-oil deal with Tehran.

Tehran has denied links to the attack, which killed 85 people.

Ercolini on December 26 also charged Diego Lagomarsino, a former employee of Nisman's, with accessory to murder.

Lagomarsino says he lent Nisman the gun that killed him. But he said Nisman asked him for the gun to protect himself and his family.

Based on reporting by Reuters and BBC

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/argentina-iran- prosecutor-murder-judge/28941104.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India ruled that instant triple talaq was unconstitutional and gave the government six months to come with a legislation.

By India Today Web Desk: The Triple Talaq Bill introduced by the government in the Parliament today has been passed by the Lok Sabha.The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage.

The Triple Talaq Bill or Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 will criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq.

The bill has been passed after division in Lok Sabha. The voting took place on the amendments which were moved by the Opposition members.

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All amendments suggested were defeated.

The bill was tabled in the Parliament by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who said that the bill is about a woman's honour and not religion.

Meanwhile, the Congress did not oppose the bill but party leaders suggested that the bill should be sent to the standing committee as it has certain loopholes.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India ruled that instant triple talaq was unconstitutional and gave the government six months to come with a legislation on the same. Muslim women across the country rejoiced at the decision.

You can read the latest updates about the debate in Parliament here.

WATCH VIDEO | Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq Bill 2017

--- ENDS ---
US Claims to Kill 13 al-Shabaab Militants with Airstrike in Southern Somalia

Sputnik News

23:04 27.12.2017

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has announced that they killed 13 militants with the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab in southern Somalia. The airstrike took place on Wednesday in coordination with the Somali government.

AFRICOM's statement announcing the strike added that the US continues to support operations against al-Shabaab in Somalia as part of the global fight against terrorism.

"US forces will continue to use all authorized and appropriate measures to protect the United States, its partners and interests and deny safe haven to terrorist groups," the statement read.

In March, US President Donald Trump signed off on more precision airstrikes against al-Shabaab along with a force of 40 US soldiers to train Somali troops in counter-terror strategies  the first US troops to be stationed in Somalia since the deaths of 19 American troops in the "Black Hawk Down" incident in 1993. Earlier in December, the US State Department reportedly decided to decrease the US presence in Somalia.

Somalia has been in a state of intermittent war since 1991, devastating the country and leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths. The current phase of the war, a battle between the internationally supported Somali government and an alliance of Islamist terrorist groups including al-Shabaab, has raged since 2009.

Al-Shabaab, whose name literally means "The Youth," is a Daesh-affiliated jihadist group that arose from the Islamic Courts Union, a fundamentalist government that controlled most of southern Somalia, including the capital of Mogadishu, for most of 2006.

ICU was defeated by Ethiopia and Somali warlords in a series of battles in late 2006, leading to the group's splintering and the formation of al-Shabaab. The new group's peak came in 2009 when they captured large chunks of Mogadishu. In 2011, US-supported Somali forces pushed them out of Mogadishu entirely.

Since then, al-Shabaab has gradually lost most of their territory, although they maintain numerous strongholds across the country. They have focused on guerrilla tactics and terrorist attacks in the country's south, striking at Somali and coalition targets before melting back into the brush.

Al-Shabaab has made their presence known in Mogadishu with a series of truck bombing attacks in the capital. The bloodiest strike came on October 14, although al-Shabaab never formally claimed responsibility. The attack left 512 dead.

On December 25, al-Shabaab publicly executed five Somali men in the southern town of Idaale, which they control. The militant group claimed that the condemned were guilty of spying for the intelligence services of Somalia and the US.

 Sputnik

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Beijing Plans Floating Nuclear Power Plant in Disputed South China Sea

Sputnik News

22:02 27.12.2017(updated 22:04 27.12.2017)

Beijing's efforts to assert territorial claims in the heavily disputed South China Sea via land reclamation and artificial island construction are "moving ahead steadily," state media reported Tuesday, also revealing the latest project envisioned for the waterway: a floating nuclear power plant.

The nuclear power plant will primarily provide power for people living in Sansha city, according to the People's Daily, a newspaper operated by the Communist Party of China. Sansha administers territories throughout the Spratly Islands, the Paracel Islands, and the Scarborough Shoal and sits on Woody Island in the Paracel chain  territories also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

The Chinese outlet reports that "to improve the livelihood and work conditions of people living on the islands, and strengthen the necessary military defense of the South China Sea within China's sovereignty, China has rationally expanded the area of its islands and reefs."

The resource-rich and strategically important South China Sea is vital because of the $4 to $5 trillion worth of goods that travel through it each year, not to mention its potential mineral riches. Areas of the marine bonanza are claimed by multiple sovereign states, including Brunei, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Although Sansha's new power plant is a piece of civil infrastructure, China has been hard at work on military structures in the region as well, which has neighboring countries as well as global adversaries watching worriedly.

Jay Batongbacal, writer for the Asia Maritime Initiative and professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law, told Sputnik News on Monday, "with China's innovations and establishment of these artificial islands and the kinds of facilities that they are installing, the United States feels threatened already by this because this time weapons are being installed there."

Beijing's construction of military-grade infrastructure on the islands in the South China Sea is "nothing that [has] ever been seen before in this area in the past years."

The People's Daily report noted that the new super-dredger Tianjing will contribute to further reclamation and island construction projects along with other "magical island-building machines." Beijing unveiled its first super-dredger in early November. The 460-foot Tian Kun Hao can pick up more than 212,000 cubic feet of sediment from the ocean floor per hour.

"The area of the South China Sea's islands and reefs will expand a step further" entering 2018, according to the People's Daily.

The AMTI, an initiative under the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reported in December that China had built more than 290,000 square meters of new facilities just in 2017, including weapons depots, radar and sensor systems, and missile shelters.

 Sputnik

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US Airstrike Kills 13 al-Shabab Militants in Somalia

By Mohamed Olad Hassan December 27, 2017

The Pentagon said Wednesday a December 24 airstrike in southern Somalia killed 13 al-Shabab militants.

The U.S. Africa Command said the Somali government helped coordinate the operation northwest of Kismayo.

"The strike targeted the militants as they mobilized to launch an attack against our base. Fortunately, the military from a friendly nation disabled them with a drone strike and killed 13 of them," a Somali military commander in the area told VOA.

The United States carried out about 30 airstrikes against al-Shabab this year, including a drone targeting a militant training camp last month, which killed 100.

A senior Somali army officer said Wednesday said more than 20 al-Shabab militants, including two mid-level commanders, have surrendered to Somali security forces over the past two weeks.

Militants agree to lay down arms

Abdullahi Isaq Ibrahim, the chief military commander of South West state in Somalia, told VOA the militants agreed to lay down arms and surrender to the Somali National Army in separate groups.

"One of the [commanders] was in charge of finance and alms collection for al-Shabab in the region and the other was in charge of transportation," Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim said former al-Shabab leader Mukhtar Robow persuaded the militants to give up. Robow defected from the group and surrendered to the Somali government in August after negotiations with Somali officials.

"The same guy, Robow, who told them to go against us, is now with people he once recognized as infidels. He told them they should leave the group and it seems they heard it," Irbahim said. "We are expecting more in the coming hours and days, including senior commanders, to defect."

Some of the defectors were welcomed Wednesday in Baidoa, the provincial capital of the Bay region.

Robow was once al-Shabab's No. 1 leader, and the U.S. offered $5 million for information leading to his capture, but he had a falling out with al-Shabab leaders in 2012 and has since kept a low profile in the jungles of Bakool region, protected by members of his clan.

Multiple attempts by al-Shabab to kill or capture him failed.

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Chinese Military Ready to Develop Cooperation With Afghan Army

Sputnik News

17:16 27.12.2017(updated 17:21 27.12.2017)

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China's army is ready to strengthen relations with Afghanistan's military and to enhance cooperation in the spheres of military exchanges and counter-terrorism, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Gen Xu Qiliang said Wednesday.

"China's armed forces are ready to cooperate with the Afghan army, and to continuously increase pragmatic cooperation in the field of military exchanges and counter-terrorism," Xu said during a meeting with Afghanistan's Acting Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami, as quoted by the Chinese Defense Ministry in WeChat social network.

He added that the joint maintenance of peace and stability in Afghanistan and China, as well as in the whole region, would benefit residents of both countries and advance the development of the bilateral strategic partnership.

In his turn, Tariq Shah Bahram said that Afghanistan attached great importance to relations between the armed forces of the two countries, and was willing to work with China on strengthening cooperation in various spheres, including in the fight against terrorism, in order to develop the two armies' relations.

The statement the recently outlined Beijing's position, striving, together with Islamabad, to end ongoing Afghanistan's fight with terror group's insurgency, fully supporting the country's peace talks with Taliban terror group (banned in Russia) and providing necessary assistance to the peace settlement.

During a trilateral meeting between foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, held in Beijing a day before, Beijing and Islamabad have reaffirmed their commitment to an "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" peace process, emphasizing the need to use all of the countries' forces and resources to support a political process of reconciliation that must finally end the Taliban-led violence in the country.

Afghanistan's intention to start peace talks with the insurgent group has been voiced by the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai during the meeting of the International Contact Group for Afghanistan in Oslo earlier in December. The diplomat has explained that Kabul was planning to elaborate a roadmap for the launch of a peace dialogue with Taliban.

The stance echoed the country's National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar's statements, who had called on Russia to persuade Taliban militants to sit at the negotiating table.

 Sputnik

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North Korean Defector Has Anthrax Antibodies in Bloodstream - Report

Sputnik News

23:30 26.12.2017

A North Korean soldier who defected to South Korea in 2017 was found to have anthrax antibodies in his bloodstream, according to a Tuesday report from Channel A news.

A South Korean intelligence official dropped the revelation. Speaking under the condition of anonymity, he informed local news station Channel A that "anthrax antibodies have been found in the North Korean soldier who defected this year."

It's not known whether the soldier was exposed to or vaccinated against anthrax, and the official did not specify which soldier of the four soldiers who parted ways with Pyongyang this year carried the antibodies. Soldiers defected from North Korea June 12, June 18, November 13 and December 20.

The unidentified soldier developed the immunity to anthrax prior to his defection, the official noted.

The news is causing concern in North Korea's southern neighbor as the bacterial illness can kill an estimated 80 percent of people who are exposed to the bacterium, UPI reported.

According to South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo, Seoul has yet to obtain a vaccine for anthrax. It expects to have developed a vaccine for its military "by the end of 2019."

The discovery of the soldier's anthrax immunization follows a recent report from Japan's Asahi newspaper that suggests North Korea has begun to test loading anthrax onto the tip of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, the International Business Times reported.

Citing an intelligence source, the Asahi publication alleged that North Korea was "conducting heat and pressure resistance tests to see whether anthrax germs can survive at temperatures of 7,000 degrees or higher, the level an ICBM encounters when it re-enters Earth's atmosphere."

Though the Democratic People's Republic of Korea addressed the issue and fully denied the notion, US President Donald Trump responded to the allegations in his first National Security Strategy report on December 19 by stating that Kim Jong-un's regime is "pursuing chemical and biological weapons which could also be delivered by missile."

For a second time, the North addressed the topic, but this time it was through the Institute of American Studies, an affiliate of the North Korean Foreign Ministry, which told the Korea Central News Agency that Pyongyang, in line with the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), "maintains its consistent stand to oppose development, manufacture, stockpiling and possession of biological weapons."

"The more the US clings to the anti-DPRK stifling move, the more hardened the determination of our entire military personnel and people to take revenge will be," the statement added.

The BWC, which prevents the "development, production and stockpiling of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction," was signed by North Korea in 1987. Although it fails to ban the usage of biological and toxin weapons, it does reiterate the 1925 Geneva Protocols which prohibit their use.

 Sputnik

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Treasury Sanctions Senior North Korean Officials Involved in Weapons Development

U.S. Department of the Treasury

December 26, 2017

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today sanctioned two individuals in response to North Korea's ongoing development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery in continued violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). Today's sanctions target key leaders of North Korea's unlawful weapons programs as highlighted in the recently adopted UNSCR 2397 of December 22. As a result of today's actions, any property or interests in property of those designated by OFAC within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and transactions by U.S. persons involving the designated persons are generally prohibited.

"Treasury is targeting leaders of North Korea's ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the DPRK and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula," said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. "These actions follow Friday's United Nations Security Council Resolution, which imposed strong new sanctions on North Korea further shutting down its ability to raise illicit funds."

Senior North Korean Government Officials

OFAC sanctioned two individuals pursuant to E.O. 13687, which targets, among others, officials of the Government of North Korea and the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

OFAC sanctioned two senior officials of the UN- and U.S.-designated WPK Munitions Industry Department (MID), Kim Jong Sik and Ri Pyong Chol, who were listed in UNSCR 2397 of December 22, 2017. The MID is responsible for overseeing North Korea's ballistic missile programs and was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of State in 2010 pursuant to E.O. 13382. Kim Jong Sik reportedly is a key figure in North Korea's ballistic missile development, including efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong Chol is reported to be a key official involved in North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile development.

Identifying information on the individuals sanctioned today.

####

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China Responds to Reports of Alleged Oil Transfer to N Korea Amid UN Sanctions

Sputnik News

17:03 27.12.2017(updated 17:06 27.12.2017)

The UN has introduced a number of trade restrictions against North Korea on December 22, limiting the country's oil deals to four billion barrels per year.

China's foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has commented on the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo report, claiming that Chinese ships had transferred oil to North Korean vessels about 30 times in October by saying that Beijing has no information on the issue. However, she stressed that Beijing "completely and strictly" implemented UN trade restrictions recently adopted against North Korea.

"The Chinese government has been completely and strictly enforcing Security Council resolutions. We are taking a sincere and serious attitude and forceful and effective actions," she said when responding to a question concerning a possible breach.

According to the Chinese customs data, presented by the Reuters news agency on Tuesday, China has not exported any oil products or gasoline, jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil to North Korea in November, following the UN restrictions. The country also has not been importing any iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea during the mentioned period, as the media specified.

The report also specifies that China's exports of corn to North Korea has reduced by 82 percent, comparing to a year earlier, while rice exports plunged 64 percent.

This stance corresponds to China's previous calls for all the parties concerned to show restraint and take collective efforts, aimed at the de-escalation of the conflict on the Korean peninsula, amid the recently toughened UN sanctions against Pyongyang.

The ramped-up measures, introduced on December 22, limit North Korea's oil dealings to four billion barrels per year and making oil exporters working with the country to report on their deliveries to the UN Security Council as a response to the country's recent missile launch.

Addressing the sanctions, Pyongyang has called them an "act of war," explaining that the country's nuclear program is a self-defense deterrent against the nuclear threats and blackmail of the US.

 Sputnik

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State Department: US, Russia Agree to Continue Diplomacy Over N. Korea

By VOA News December 27, 2017

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have "agreed to continue to work toward a diplomatic solution to achieve a denuclearized Korean peninsula," the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.

A U.S. statement said the two spoke by phone Tuesday to discuss concerns related to North Korea's "destabilizing nuclear program and emphasized that neither the United States nor Russia accepts" Pyongyang as a nuclear power.

A day earlier, Russia's Foreign Ministry said that Lavrov told his American counterpart that "Washington's aggressive rhetoric" has heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula. Russia also said Lavrov called the U.S. rhetoric unacceptable.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that it had imposed sanctions on two North Korean officials for their role in Pyongyang's ballistic missile program.

The move followed the U.N. Security Council's unanimous approval of a resolution Friday limiting the amount of gasoline and diesel North Korea can import and tightening inspections of ships suspected of illegally carrying banned items to or from North Korea.

North Korea has significantly stepped up its nuclear and missile programs in 2017, launching a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) called a Hwasong-15 last month. North Korea claims the missile is capable of delivering nuclear warheads anywhere in the continental United States. The test was Pyongyang's third ICMB test this year and its 20th ballistic missile launch of this year.

Earlier in the year, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Little Rocket Man," fueling tensions between the two countries. The U.S. has increased sanctions on North Korea following the missile tests.

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Japan Eyes Buying More F-35s, and an Aircraft Carrier to Transport Them

Sputnik News

22:14 26.12.2017(updated 01:06 27.12.2017)

Japan has reportedly expressed interest in purchasing more Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters, including F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) fighters that would be perfect to accompany an aircraft carrier - a type of ship Japan has not possessed since World War II.

In 2011, Japan announced the purchase of 42 F-35As, most of which will be built domestically by Mitsubishi. The F-35 A has a conventional landing mechanism, while the B has STOVL capabilities at the cost of about a third of its fuel volume. Lockheed Martin describes the F-35B as being "designed to operate from austere bases and a range of air-capable ships near front-line combat zones. It can also take off and land conventionally from longer runways on major bases."

Article 9 of the postwar Japanese constitution prohibits Japan from maintaining an offensive military force  and aircraft carriers are generally classified as just that. However, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces (JMSDF) has a quartet of "helicopter destroyers," which look much like small aircraft carriers and serve a similar function in wartime.

Tokyo has argued that the helicopter carriers are defensive weapons as they are not equipped with offensive warplanes such as attack aircraft or strategic bombers. Their Izumo-class carrier is over 800 feet long and carries as many as 14 helicopters, and Japan commissioned their second ship of the class earlier in 2017.

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters that his country would "constantly review our defence abilities from various perspectives." When asked if there were any plans to modify an Izumo into an aircraft carrier that could be equipped with attack aircraft, Onodera denied that any "specific efforts" were being made.

"No concrete examination is under way on the introduction of F-35B or remodelling of Izumo-class destroyers," he told reporters on Tuesday.

The expansion of Japan's military force has come hand-in-hand with an emergent China, which Reuters reported has increased defense spending from about $10 billion in 1997 to $150 billion just 20 years later. The two nations currently are embroiled in a territory dispute over islands in the East China Sea.

Tensions between Japan and North Korea have also reached skyhigh levels, with the Hermit Kingdom testing numerous missiles in 2017, including several that passed over Japan. They have also threatened the archipelago with nuclear annihilation on several occasions.

However, the F-35B interest may not be related to Tokyo's interest in an aircraft carrier. There is only one runway beyond the southern island of Okinawa that is long enough for fighter jets to take off or land from, but a 1971 accord prevents the Self Defense Forces from using that airport for military aircraft.

A STOVL-capable fighter, on the other hand, could land on a much shorter runway due to its ability to drop down vertically. This would expand Japan's projection of fighter jets to small islands beyond Okinawa, including disputed island territories also claimed by China.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made the repeal of Article 9 and the rearmament of Japan as an offensive military power a landmark objective of his new term. However, the Japanese Constitution has never been amended before and public opposition to such an amendment remains substantial.

 Sputnik

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Russia has begun forming permanent presence in military bases in Syria: Defense minister

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 01:41PM

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says the country has begun establishing a permanent presence in its two military bases in Syria.

Shoigu said Tuesday that works had already begun to expand Russia's military presence in Syria's Tartus, a naval base, and Hmeimim, an air base.

"Last week the Commander-in-Chief (President Vladimir Putin) approved the structure and the bases in Tartus and in Hmeimim. We have begun forming a permanent presence there," said Shoigu.

The announcement came as Russian parliament was discussing a deal with Damascus to boost Russia's military involvement in Syria.

According to the deal signed on January 18, Syria has agreed to grant Russian warships access to Syrian waters and ports. Viktor Bondarev, head of the upper house security and defense committee, said Tuesday that Moscow will also be allowed under the deal to expand Tartus, a small naval facility on the Mediterranean which has been in use since the days of the Soviet Union.

As part of the deal, which will last for 49 years and could be prolonged further, Russia will be allowed to keep 11 warships at Tartus, including nuclear vessels.

Russia's air force can also use the Hmeimim air base indefinitely. The base, located in northwest Syria in Latakia province, was used repeatedly by Russian fighter jets over the past two years to help Syria's fight against terror.

The expanding military cooperation between Russia and Syria comes against the backdrop of a successful partnership in the fight against terror. Russia began its involvement in Syria in September 2015, when Damascus submitted an official request.

Relying on the assistance, Syria has managed to liberate large swathes of lands from the grip of terrorists, including Aleppo, Syria's largest in the north, which was recaptured last years, and Dayr al-Zawr, a main bastion of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the east of the country.

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Almost 80 per cent divorced among the Indian Muslims are women, i.e., four divorced Muslim women for every divorced Muslim man, IndiaSpend reports.

By Santosh Chaubey: If Muslim countries including Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Egypt have banned the practice of triple talaq, then how is banning triple talaq in India an anti-Shariat and un-Islamic activity?

The Triple Talaq Bill or the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 that was passed in the Lok Sabha has divided the political class and Muslim organisations, even if the legal fight against it was spearheaded by many aggrieved Muslim women and their organisations like the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA).

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The proposed bill aims to outlaw the practice of Talaq-e-biddat or instant triple talaq and criminalises the practice, making it a non-bailable and cognizable offence and inviting a jail term of three years for erring husbands. This provision has been objected by many parties and they are demanding its removal.

The government says, doing so was necessary as even after the landmark Supreme Court verdict on August 22, 2017 that banned instant triple talaq, the social malaise continued unabated. The top court in its verdict had put a six month ban on the practice and had asked the government to frame a law on it.

If we see available data, the government stand looks logical, the data which says the Supreme Court ruling has failed to deter the erring Muslim husbands from divorcing their wives by saying 'talaq-talaq-talaq' in one go.

Before the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court in August, 177 triple talaq cases were registered, i.e., 22 cases a month.

The situation has become worse since then. As Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad revealed in the Parliament today, around 100 triple talaq cases have been registered since the Supreme Court verdict, i.e., 25 cases a month.

POOR LITERACY LEVELS, NEGLIGIBLE WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION

Data show Muslim women are worst of all social groupings of women in India.

According to the Census 2011, Muslim women at 52 per cent are least educated among the women in India. Among those who are educated, only very few reach the graduation level as the overall share of the Muslim community among graduate students is just 2.75 per cent.

Something that reflects in poor representation of Muslim women in workforce. In 2001, there were just 14.1 per cent Muslim women doing some kind of job which only marginally rose to 14.8 per cent in the Census 2011.

A study by the Indian Institute of Public Administration quoting 2007-08 NSSO data found that there were just 1.5 per cent Muslim women who possessed qualification above higher secondary while majority of them were educated till the upper primary level (around 42 per cent).

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UNDERAGE MARRIAGES AND INSTANT DIVORCE: TRIPLE TALAQ IS A SOCIAL MALAISE

Census 2011 also reveals that 13.5 per cent of Muslim women are married before 15 years of age and 49 per cent between 14 to 19 years.

Overall, around 80 per cent of Muslim women are married by the age of 21 and most of them are either illiterate or barely literate to build independent careers.

Also, Census data shows we are staring at a social anathema where more than 50 per cent Muslim girls are forced in underage marriages. It seems as if they are raised only for this exclusive purpose, i.e., get married, become a housewife and spend the whole life under the threat of a husband who can divorce you at his mere whim.

Almost 80 per cent divorced among the Indian Muslims are women, i.e., four divorced Muslim women for every divorced Muslim man, IndiaSpend reports.

Most of them were divorced orally, an instant 'talaq-talaq-talaq' was spoken to almost 66 per cent of them.

7.6 per cent were sent letters by their husbands proclaiming divorce while 3.4 per cent were given the shock of their life over phone, the data available shows.

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Around 1 per cent of Muslim men also used SMS and email to reveal their designs.

95 per cent of these arbitrarily divorced women don't get any compensation or maintenance from their husbands, a survey by the BMMA reveals. The BMMA survey also says 92 per cent Muslim women want triple talaq banned.

The Supreme Court, while delivering its landmark decision in the Shah Bano case in 1985, that recognised a Muslim woman's right to alimony, had commented, "Whether the spouses are Hindus or Muslims, Christians or Parsis, pagans or heathens, is wholly irrelevant in the application of the provisions on maintenance given to wife who is unable to maintain herself."

Though the Supreme Court decision was overturned by the Rajiv Gandhi government within a year by enacting he Muslim Women (Protection on Divorce Act), 1986, the case became a rallying point for women voices from within the Muslim community for their rights.

WATCH - Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq Bill 2017

--- ENDS ---
Russia Establishing Permanent Presence At Bases In Syria

December 26, 2017

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Russia has started establishing a permanent presence at its two military bases in Syria -- the Russian naval facility in Tartus and the Russian-run Khmeimim air base near the city of Latakia.

Shoigu said on December 26 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "approved the structure and staff of the principal bases" the previous week and that Russia had "started forming a permanent group of forces there."

Meanwhile, Russia's Federation Council on December 26 approved a law ratifying an agreement between Moscow and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government about Russian forces at the naval base in Tartus.

That agreement was signed in Damascus on January 18.

It allows for the Russian Navy to expand its technical support and logistics base. It also enables visits of Russian ships in Syria's territorial waters, internal waters, and ports.

The agreement has been in temporary effect since it was signed. It remains valid for 49 years with possible 25-year extensions.

Syrian Forces Capture Rebel-Held Areas

In other Syria news, government forces have captured areas close to a rebel-held enclave near the border area with Israel and Lebanon.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on December 25 that government forces had surrounded the town of Beit Jin and nearby areas after a major offensive.

The monitoring group said negotiations were underway to evacuate opposition fighters to the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib.

Syrian forces and allied groups are fighting hundreds of Sunni militants and mainstream Free Syria Army (FSA) rebels closing ranks under the banner of Itihad Quwt Jabal al Sheikh, or "Union of fighters of Jabal al Sheikh."

The group is believed to be mainly composed of local fighters from the area.

The enclave is the last rebel bastion left in an area southwest of Damascus known as the Western Ghouta.

Israel has been concerned about the drive by Syrian forces and their Iran-backed allies close to its border.

In recent weeks Israeli forces have stepped up their strikes against suspected Iranian targets inside Syria.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-syria-bases- permanent-presence-shoigu/28939539.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia 'tests new intercontinental ballistic missile'

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 08:00AM

Russia says it has successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that the newly-designed RS-12M Topol had been tested a day earlier.

"On December 26, 2017, a combat team of the Strategic Missile Force test-fired an RS-12M Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar state central combined arms training range in the Astrakhan Region," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The launch was aimed at testing "perspective armament for intercontinental ballistic missiles."

"During the tests, specialists obtained experimental data that will be used in the interests of developing effective means of overcoming anti-ballistic missile defense and equipping the perspective grouping of Russian ballistic missiles with them," the ministry added.

The testing of the new missile comes as tensions between the US and Russia have recently increased, including over a Cold War-era missile treaty.

On December 18, US President Donald Trump unveiled his "national security strategy," declaring Russia as a threat to America.

"China and Russia challenge American power, influence and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity," Trump said back then.

Russian President Vladimir Putin later criticized Trump's strategy as both "offensive" and "aggressive."

Russia "should take into account" the "America First" strategy, Putin said, referring to Trump's campaign rhetoric.

"Russia has a sovereign right and all possibilities to adequately and in due time react to such potential threats," the Russian president said.

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Kremlin Dismisses Criticism That Barring Navalny Taints Presidential Election

RFE/RL December 27, 2017

The Kremlin has rejected concerns that Moscow's decision to bar opposition leader Aleksei Navalny from running against President Vladimir Putin undermines the legitimacy of Russia's presidential election.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's dismissal came late on December 26 after the European Union foreign policy chief's spokeswoman said a December 25 decision by Russia's Central Election Commission to bar Navalny "casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year."

"We cannot agree with this point of view," Peskov said. "The fact that one of the would-be candidates is not taking part has no bearing on the election's legitimacy."

Peskov added that Navalny's call on supporters to boycott the March election in light of the commission's decision "should be carefully studied to see if they are breaking the law."

Russian law doesn't specifically prohibit someone from calling for an election boycott, the Associated Press reported, but Russian authorities last year blocked access to several websites that did call for a boycott.

Maja Kocinjancic, the spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, said the election commission's exclusion of Navalny because of a past criminal conviction on embezzlement charges was unfair and wrong.

Navalny has repeatedly described the charges against him as politically motivated.

Navalny "has been judged by the European Court of Human Rights to have been denied the right to a fair trial in his prosecution in 2013," Kocinjancic said.

"Politically motivated charges should not be used against political participation," she said.

"We expect the Russian authorities to ensure that there is a level playing field, including in the presidential elections," she said.

Kocijancic also said that the EU expects Russia to invite election monitors from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which is part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

"The European Union will base its assessment of the electoral process on their findings, as we have done in the past," Kocijancic said.

A Vote For 'Lies And Corruption'

In a prerecorded video message released minutes after the commission announced its decision on December 25, Navalny called on his supporters to boycott the vote.

"The procedure that we're invited to participate in is not an election," he said. "Only Putin and his hand-picked candidates are taking part in it.

"Going to the polls right now is to vote for lies and corruption.

"We are declaring a strike by voters. We will ask everyone to boycott these elections. We will not recognize the result," Navalny said.

Navalny told journalists after the ruling that he would appeal the decision at Russia's Constitutional Court but that he realized his chances of overturning it were slim.

"Of course, we will appeal it everywhere -- at the Constitutional Court. But we are perfectly aware that it is part of one system," he told journalists.

"It appeared to me that the commission and [its President Ella] Pamfilova personally didn't even try to make it look like their decision was not politically motivated."

Later on December 26, Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs issued an order to printing houses not to print leaflets discrediting the government or calling for unauthorized actions during the presidential election campaign -- prompting a tweet from Navalny.

"Elections have begun," Navalny wrote. "God forbid that some nonsense will be printed."

With reporting by AP, AFP, Meduza, Reuters, and BBC

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalny- mogherini-eu-democracy-presidential -eleciton/28939519.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Navalny Calls For January 28 Protests In Support Of Election Boycott

RFE/RL December 27, 2017

Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who has been barred from challenging President Vladimir Putin in a March election, is calling for a "voters' strike" and nationwide demonstrations on January 28 in support of a boycott of the ballot.

Navalny's December 27 call set up a potential showdown on the streets weeks before the March 18 election, which he dismissed as the "reappointment" of Putin to a new six-year term.

"It's a simple thing: Either we fight for our country or we give it up to these talentless swindlers without a fight," he said in a video posted on his website.

In a written statement in the same post, Navalny said it was "clear that Putin and the Kremlin need [high] turnout" to put a veneer of legitimacy on the vote and hand Putin a powerful mandate for what could be his last term.

He accused other would-be candidates of helping Putin and serving their own interests at the expense of the people.

Reiterating his call for a boycott, Navalny urged Russians to stay away from the polls on March 18 and to try with "all their might" to persuade those around them not to vote.

"We refuse to call Putin's reappointment an election," Navalny wrote, adding that "on January 28 we will hold a [nationwide] action in support of the voters' strike."

"We do not want to wait another six years. We want competitive elections right now," he wrote.

Navalny posted the statement the same day that Putin submitted signatures supporting his reelection bid to the Central Election Commission.

The commission ruled on December 25 that Navalny cannot run because of a financial-crime conviction that the anticorruption activist contends was engineered by the Kremlin to punish him for his opposition activities and keep him out of elections.

Navalny responded to the decision by calling for a boycott of the vote, and Putin's spokesman said on December 26 that boycott calls should be "studied" to determine whether they violate the law.

In the new statement, Navalny said supporters would organize monitoring efforts aimed to ensure that the authorities do not "falsify turnout."

The statement included a list of dozens of cities where demonstrations would be held on January 28.

Attacking The Kremlin

Navalny, 41, who has been jailed three times his year in connection with protests that officials have deemed illegal, said that he and his allies would submit documents soon in a bid to secure permission for the rallies.

But if it is denied, he said he and supporters will demonstrate anyway, and called on people supporting the boycott to act "peacefully but firmly."

A vocal Kremlin critic whose reports have alleged corruption among senior Putin associates, Navalny has been convicted on criminal charges in two cases he says were fabricated for political reasons.

He says that he rattled the Kremlin when he came in a strong second in a Moscow mayoral election in 2013, shortly after his initial conviction on a charge that he defrauded the budget of the Kirov region of some $270,000 through timber-sales machinations.

Navalny announced his presidential bid in December 2016 and has been campaigning since then, facing hurdles ranging from bureaucratic hindrances to pressure on supporters and physical attacks.

He pressed ahead after the election commission said in June that he was ineligible to run due to the conviction -- which was repeated in a retrial after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the state had violated his right to a fair trial.

The commission's December 25 ruling formally barring Navalny from the ballot came a day after backers in 20 Russian cities held gatherings to nominate him.

Putin, 65, has been president or prime minister since 1999. If he is elected in March -- a foregone conclusion given his high approval ratings and the Kremlin's control over the levers of power -- he would be barred from running for a third straight term in 2018.

Putin and his allies say he brought stability to Russia in the wake of an economic crisis in the late 1990s and two devastating wars against separatists in the Chechnya region from 1994 to the early 2000s.

Critics say the former KGB officer has stifled dissent, rolled back advances in democracy and human rights that were made after the 1991 Soviet collapse, and isolated Russia by stoking confrontation with neighbors, Washington, and the West.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalny-protests- election-boycott/28941862.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian Naval Group to Be Permanently Deployed in Eastern Mediterranean

Sputnik News

06:56 27.12.2017(updated 08:35 27.12.2017)

Russian General Staff Chief Army General Valery Gerasimov has unveiled plans for the Russian naval group in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea after the end of the military operation in Syria.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Russian naval group will be permanently deployed in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea after the end of the military operation in Syria, Russian General Staff Chief Army General Valery Gerasimov told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in an interview issued on Wednesday.

"We will not withdraw Our group of vessels is permanently operating in the Mediterranean now And it will remain there on a regular basis," Gerasimov said.

Gerasimov also said that around 60-70 Russian drones are carrying out reconnaissance flights in Syria every day.

"Some 60-70 drones are carrying out flights in Syria every day. They are carrying out reconnaissance

, there are drones that are fulfilling electronic suppression tasks and other missions," he said.

Earlier in the year, Black Sea Fleet spokesman Capt. 1st Rank Vyacheslav Trukhachev reported that the Russian Navy's Mediterranean task force had grown to 15 warships and vessels.

In October, Russian submarines made two strikes from Mediterannean sea with Kalibr cruise missiles on terrorists in Syria, according to the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov. He also added added that the Russian air group and naval forces continued to support a Syrian government offensive aimed to defeat the terrorist group Daesh in the Euphrates River valley.

 Sputnik

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Russia to Limit Airfields Available to US Under Open Skies Treaty - Source

Sputnik News

06:21 27.12.2017(updated 08:42 27.12.2017)

The new number of airfields, available to the United States in accordance with the Open Skies Treaty will be reduced by Russia as a mirror response to the US-announced measures, a source reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia will limit the number of airfields that can be used by US surveillance aircraft within the framework of the Open Skies Treaty starting January 1, a source told Sputnik.

"The number of airfields available for the United States will be reduced starting January 1. It is a matter of bringing the list of airfields in line with the treaty. Such a step is a mirror response to the US-announced measures against Russia, which are also planned to be introduced in January," the source said.

According to the source, such measures, in particular, included the intentions of the United States to close the airspace over Alaska and Hawaii to Russian observers and limit the range of flights.

Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Russia would respond to US restrictions on the Open Skies Treaty, noting however that the treaty itself should be preserved.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Air Force warplane goes down in northern Hama, pilot killed

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 06:14PM

The Syrian military said one of its jet fighter aircraft has crashed in the country's west-central province of Hama as Syrian government forces, backed by fighters from allied popular defense groups, continue to make territorial gains in battles against foreign-backed Takfiri militants.

An unnamed military source told privately-owned and pro-government al-Ikhbariya al-Soriyah television news network that the warplane went down in the northern part of the province on Tuesday evening, after it was targeted by a terrorist attack.

Militants from the so-called Free Syrian Army later said they had struck the Syrian military jet using a shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile.

Syrian forces, allies deal heavy blows to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in Idlib

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces and fighters from allied popular defense groups have killed scores of terrorists from the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, during separate counter-terrorism operations across the northwestern province of Idlib.

A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Syrian forces and their allies had managed to establish complete control over Tell Aswad area as well as a military base near Musheirifa village, which lies southeast of Idlib.

The operations left many Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militants dead and injured, and their fortifications destroyed. Syrian army bomb disposal units could dismantle tens of landmines and hidden explosive devices in the liberated areas.

Syrian army units also targeted the positions of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terrorists in the southeastern countryside of Idlib province, inflicting heavy losses upon the terrorists' ranks and military equipment in the villages of Tell Mardikh and Abu Dali, in addition to Saraqib city.

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Syrian 'opposition' dismisses initiative to hold congress in Sochi

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 06:44PM

Forty Syrian "opposition" groups have rejected a Russian initiative for holding a congress with the participation of Syria's conflicting sides in the Black Sea resort of Sochi next month.

In a joint statement on Monday, the so-called Syrian opposition faction which also includes Ahrar al-Sham and US-backed Mutasem Brigades, said the congress is aimed at undermining a parallel UN-backed Syrian peace talks in Geneva.

"We completely reject Russia's attempt to circumvent the Geneva track," the statement said.

"We call on all forces to stand in one rank against these alarming dangers," the opposition faction noted.

On Friday, Russia and Iran, both allies of the Syrian government, agreed with opposition-backer Turkey to hold a "Congress of National Dialogue" in Sochi on January 29 and 30.

Syria's government immediately announced that it would attend the event.

Syrian Kurdish and Christian parties voiced support for the Sochi initiative on Tuesday, calling it their "right" to attend the congress.

The eighth round of Syria peace talks mediated by Iran, Russia and Turkey, was held in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana on December 21-22 with the aim of finding a diplomatic solution to the six-year conflict in Syria.

The new round of Astana talks focused on buffer zones, humanitarian aid and freeing prisoners, the ministry said.

Last week, the eighth round of Geneva peace talks had ended with no tangible progress.

Previous rounds of negotiations under the auspices of the UN in Geneva over the past five years have failed to achieve results, mainly due to the opposition's insistence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should cede power.

However, the talks in Astana, which began in January, have comparably resulted in significant achievements, including ceasefires and de-escalation zones that have reduced fighting in Syria.

The fourth round of the Astana discussions in May resulted in an agreement on four de-escalation zones across Syria.

The Astana process has also helped strengthen a countrywide ceasefire, which took effect in December 2016 after Aleppo was recaptured by government forces in a major victory against militants.

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Nusra militants, under increasing battlefield pressure, agree to move to Syria's Idlib, Dara'a

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 11:17AM

Members of the al-Nusra Front militant group have agreed to surrender the southwestern outskirts of Syria's Rif Dimashq Governorate and move to the provinces of Idlib and Dara'a.

The media bureau of Syria's Operations Command reported on Tuesday that the militants had entered into talks with the Syrian government after their failure to counter the Syrian army advances on the battlefield.

Earlier this year, the Nursa militants left Lebanon's highlands of Arsal for Syria under a ceasefire deal reached with the Hezbollah resistance movement. The ceasefire came days after Hezbollah took most of Arsal in a joint offensive with the Lebanese and Syrian armies to dislodge terrorists from the border area.

The US and its allies have been supporting the militants fighting to topple the Syrian government since an armed conflict erupted in Syria in 2011.

Recently, the anti-Damascus elements have suffered heavy blows at the hands of the Syrian and allied forces.

Iran and Russia have been offering Syria advisory military help.

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Syrian Army Halts Operation Near Damascus After Terrorists' Defeat - Reports

Sputnik News

16:17 26.12.2017(updated 16:35 26.12.2017)

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - The Syrian government forces have ceased their offensive operation southwest of Damascus after al-Nusra Front (Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terrorist group, banned in Russia) terrorists surrendered and started engaging in talks, Al Mayadeen reported on Tuesday.

The terrorists asked to start negotiations on their unhindered exit from the territory after the Syrian army and the militias surrounded a stronghold of extremists in Beit Jinn settlement, southwest of Damascus, near a strategic area at the Israeli-Lebanese border, according to the broadcaster.

The development comes after the Syrian government forces and their allies have reportedly surrounded a stronghold of al-Nusra Front militants as a result of intense clashes in a settlement south-west of Damascus on December 25, with several terrorists reportedly being killed in the fighting. The operation was backed by airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling.

According to a Reuters' report citing rebel source, Iranian-backed units, including Lebanon's Hezbollah group, were allegedly playing a major role in the offensive.

The Beit Jin is a strategic area near the Israeli-Lebanese border in Western Ghouta, southwest of Damascus, which has been under government control since last year.

During the six-years-long civil war raging in Syria, government forces have been fighting against different opposition groups, who attempt to overthrow President Bashar Assad, as well as various extremist and terrorist groups such as Daesh and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.

 Sputnik

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Parliament discusses the much talked about bill as contrasting opinions are expressed in House.

By India Today Web Desk: Introducing the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill - which criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq (or 'talaq-e-biddat) - in Lok Sabha today, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the legislation is aimed at providing justice to women, and is not targeted at a particular community.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form - spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp - would be bad or illegal and void. According to the proposed law which would be applicable to the entire country except Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of three years and a fine. It would be a non-bailable offence.

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Before the Bill was tabled, many Opposition leaders, including Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, questioned the intent of the government and claimed the legislation violates the fundamental rights of even the Muslim women.

* ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1. Introducing the Bill, Prasad said it follows a Supreme Court order and called it a "historic day". "Today is a historic day. This entire law is not related to any religion or faith, it is for the respect and honour of women," he said.

2. "Today, few members are asking for the fundamental rights and this House must answer whether it will keep silent on the fundamental rights of the affected women's honor and respect," he said.

3. Defending the government's decision to table the Bill, Ravi Shankar Prasad also mentioned that he heard an instant triple talaq case from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur "this morning early" despite the Supreme Court ban on the practice.

4. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was introduced after a voice vote following opposition by some members, including BJD's Bhatruhari Mahtab and AIMIM member Asaduddin Owaisi.

5. Rejecting the government's argument, Owaisi said, "This bill violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence." He said it will lead to abandonment of Muslim women, and demanded a broader law which provides justice to two million abandoned women in India from all communities.

6. "This Bill is flawed. There are many internal contradictions in the Bill," Mahtab said in Lok Sabha.

7. The Congress, meanwhile, said it is yet to decide its stand. Speaking exclusively to India Today, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said, "We have not taken a view on the Triple Talaq Bill. We will study it and consult our allies about it."

8. Moily said any sort of upmanship in matters like instant triple talaq should not be done. "After all, it is related to the rights of individuals. It is a very sensitive issue," he said.

9. Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said after some oppositionmembers claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

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10. The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

--- ENDS ---
US runs training camps for Syria militants: Russian general

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 07:15AM

The Russian military top brass says militants, including those with the Takfiri Daesh terror group, are receiving training in US bases in Syria, adding the terrorists have been instructed to "destabilize" the Arab country.

In an interview with Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda daily on Wednesday, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said the US had turned its military base near the town of al-Tanf in southeastern Syria into a training camp for militants.

Asked about the situation at the US-run al-Tanf base, he replied, "According to satellite and other surveillance data, terrorist squads are stationed there. They are effectively training there."

General Gerasimov also accused the US of using a refugee camp outside the town of Shaddadah in Syria's northeastern Hasakah Province as a training center for the Daesh remnants, including those evacuated from the terror outfit's former stronghold of Raqqah.

"This is essentially ISIS (Daesh)," he said. "They change their colors, take different names  the 'New Syrian Army' and others. They are tasked with destabilizing the situation."

On December 16, Russia's Reconciliation Center for Syria revealed Washington's training activities for members of the so-called New Syrian Army, composed of various terrorist groups, at the Shaddadah camp.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Gerasimov estimated that there are currently some 350 militants in al-Tanf and about 750 others in al-Shaddadah,

He further noted that the Russian military had been watching the US training activities at the al-Tanf base "for several months."

The official also stressed that the Pentagon has so far failed to provide any explanation for its military presence at the al-Tanf base after Daesh's defeat, saying, "So far, their answers have been ambiguous."

The town of al-Qaryatayn in Syria's Homs Province risked falling into the hands of the anti-Damascus militants if the Russian forces did not intervened, according to Gerasimov.

"We took timely measuresThey have suffered a defeat, these forces were destroyed. There were captives from these camps. It is clear that training is underway at those camps," he added.

Nusra terrorists to be wiped out next year

Meanwhile, the Russian general predicted that the operation to eliminate members of the al-Nusra Front militant group in Syria will be completed in 2018.

Next year's developments in Syria will include "the completion of eliminating militants from Jabhat al-Nusra and its affiliates," he pointed out.

After losing all the territories under their control in Syria and Iraq, the Daesh terrorists have fled to Libya and southwestern Asia after being defeated in Syria, Gerasimov added.

"Some of them return to countries, from which they illegally arrived. The bulk of them flees to Libya, to southwestern Asian countries," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also commented on the issue, saying the main part of the anti-Daesh battle in Syria was over.

"Now, of course, the main anti-terrorist objective is the defeat of Jabhat al-Nusra," Lavrov said at a meeting with Ahmad Jarba, leader of Syria's opposition Tomorrow movement.

He warned that the al-Nusra terrorsits have been "are still resisting ... because they have been receiving assistance from abroad" to fight against the Syrian government forces.

"We are seeing positive changes in Syria. A decisive blow has been dealt on the IS [Daesh]. And although some militants who have fled the battlefield are trying either to regroup in Syria or to flee abroad," he added.

Russia, Syria in close defense cooperation

General Gerasimov said the Russian military advisers assist nearly all units of the Syrian forces in planning counter-terrorism operations.

"We cooperate closely with the Syrian government troops, our advisers are attached to nearly all units," he said.

Russian jets have been conducting air raids against Daesh and other terrorist outfits inside Syria at the Damascus government's request since September 2015.

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Moscow now sees no need for a heavy military presence in Syria, but it will continue its counter-terrorism battle in the Arab state "if necessary."

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Syrian army urges surrender of militants encircled near Lebanon border

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 06:45AM

Syrian government forces and their allies have reportedly given a 72-hour deadline to militants encircled in a strategic border area near Lebanon and Israel to either leave or face military defeat.

The militants have been cornered in the town of Beit Jin, which sits in the foothills of Mount Hermon in southwestern Syria.

Citing militant sources, Reuters reported on Tuesday that the government has given them an ultimatum to either leave for the northwestern Idlib Province, which holds the largest concentrations of Takfiri militants in Syria, or face military action.

Syrian forces managed last week to regain control of the hills and farms around Beit Jin, making the town the last militant stronghold in the area, where the borders of Lebanon and Israeli-occupied territories meet Syria.

The town located southwest of Damascus is known as Western Ghouta. It was recaptured by government forces last year.

Syria accuses Israel of aiding the militants in the area. Tel Aviv has been reported, time and again, to provide anti-Damascus militants with material support and medical treatment. The regime also carries out regular strikes at Syrian targets in support of the militants.

Backed by Russian airpower and Iranian advisory support, Syrian soldiers and their allied popular defense groups have managed to liberate many areas through concentrated military operations. In several areas, they have also reached settlements with militants to enable their evacuation to Idlib.

On Tuesday, members of the Takfiri al-Nusra Front militant group agreed to surrender the southwestern outskirts of Syria's Rif Dimashq Governorate and move to the provinces of Idlib and Dara'a.

Syria's Operations Command said the Nusra terrorists had entered into talks with the government after their failure to counter the army's advances on the battlefield.

Medical evacuations begin

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria said on Wednesday that evacuations of patients had begun from the militant-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta to Damascus.

The United Nations had asked the Syrian government to facilitate the process.

The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said four patients were taken to hospitals in Damascus, the first of 29 critical cases approved for medical evacuation, and the remainder would be evacuated over the coming days.

The evacuations were made possible after the government reached a settlement with the so-called Jaish al-Islam terrorist group to exchange detainees.

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Syrian Kurds will be invited to Sochi talks in Russia

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 05:45PM

Syria's Kurdish militants are assured that they would be represented in an upcoming round of talks mediated by Russia on the future of Syria.

Sipan Hemo, the commander of the People's Protection Units, the main Kurdish militia group also known as the YPG, said Wednesday that Russia would allow 155 representatives of Syria's Kurdish region to attend the talks in Sochi next month.

Kurds now control territories in northern and northeastern Syria. They have been an influential force in the fight against the Daesh Takfiri terrorists although the government has mostly treated them like other armed factions that have opposed Damascus over the past six years.

However, the main barrier for the Kurds to attend the talks on Syria's fate has been Turkey, which views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group outlawed by Ankara.

Kurds have never been represented in the peace talks on Syria, whether hosted by the United Nations or other parties.

Talks in Sochi, Russia's main resort on the Black Sea, are slated for January 29-30. Russia has yet to announce the full list of the invitees for the meeting, which follows a similar initiative by Russia, Iran and Turkey in Kazakhstan.

Many hope the talks could bring an end or significantly reduce the militancy in Syria although the United Nations insists that the initiative should not circumvent efforts led by the world body for reaching a political solution in Syria.

Many groups that have attended previous UN-led talks in Geneva, especially those close to Saudi Arabia, announced Monday that they would boycott the Sochi talks.



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Syrian Rebel Groups Reject Russia-Sponsored Peace Talks

RFE/RL December 27, 2017

Syrian rebel and opposition groups have rejected Russia's proposed peace talks next month, accusing Moscow of what they called "war crimes" in Syria and failing to put pressure on the Syrian government to end the six-year civil war.

In a series of statements on December 26, 40 rebel groups, including some of Syria's most prominent, as well as political opposition groups, said the talks planned next month are an attempt to "circumvent" the UN-led peace process, which has made virtually no progress since it began in 2014.

The rebel groups said Moscow has asked them to give up their demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose troops Russia has backed with a devastating air campaign since 2015, step down as part of a political settlement.

"We reject this, and we affirm that Russia is an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians," the statement, signed by 40 rebel groups, said.

"Russia has not contributed with a single move to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, and it has not pressured the regime it claims it guarantees to move an inch toward any real path toward a resolution."

The rebel groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, Army of Islam, and a number of Western-backed outfits, said they are committed to the UN-led process.

More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria and millions have been driven from their homes since the conflict began in March 2011 with a crackdown on antigovernment protests.

The Kremlin has announced it will host a "Syrian national dialogue congress" in Sochi on January 29-30 and has cast the event as a broadening of "technical" talks aimed at working out cease-fire deals that Russia has co-sponsored with Iran and Turkey in the Kazakh capital, Astana, this year.

Syria's government has said it will attend the forum. Assad told reporters recently that the Sochi talks have an agenda of discussing new elections and possibly amending the constitution.

Russia's proposal was also endorsed by Iran, a key Syrian ally that has provided military advisers and militia fighters backing Assad during the war, and Turkey, which backs many of the Sunni rebel groups.

But the wholesale rejection of the Sochi forum by most rebel and political opposition groups, as well as by governing bodies in rebel-held areas of Syria, appears to threaten the viability of the Russian plan.

Russia has touted the planned Sochi talks as an effort to revive United Nations-sponsored negotiations that have repeatedly failed to reach a settlement in Syria. But its plans are also threatened by disagreement over whether to include Syrian Kurdish groups.

Turkey has ruled out inviting the powerful PYD Kurdish group, which governs around 25 percent of Syria's territory and wants autonomous rule there. Ankara views the PYD as an extension of militant Kurdish separatist groups in Turkey that it has been battling for decades.

Russia said last week that Kurdish representatives would attend the talks, but in a bow to Turkey, Moscow said it would not invite the PYD.

But the PYD-led self-administration authority in northeastern Syria, where the PYD is dominant, said that the authority, not individual parties, should be represented at the Sochi talks.

The PYD is the main political arm of the U.S.-allied Kurdish militia that recently played a major role in defeating the Islamic State extremist group in the region.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/syrian-rebel- groups-reject-russia-sponsored-peace- talks-sochi/28940857.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Syria's PYD Has No Plans to Break Ties With PKK - Spokesman

Sputnik News

15:24 27.12.2017(updated 15:34 27.12.2017)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) has no intention to break its ties with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in response to Turkey's opposition to the PYD's participation in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, a member of the PYD's Media Committee told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"We have ideological ties. [PKK founder Abdullah] Ocalan is a political and ideological authority for us. We reject such manifestations, when we are told what we should do. [PKK] is the Turkish Kurdish party, our ties with the PKK are the same as with the [leader of the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan] Jalal Talabani, but Ocalan is a philosopher for us, he is an ideological authority, who has proposed a new world theory," Ibrahim Ibrahim said answering a question about the potential breakup with the PKK to end the crisis in ties with Ankara.

The official added that the PYD respected Turkey and was ready for talks with any party, including both Ankara and Tehran, as Turkey was the neighbor of the Syrian Kurds and they had historic ties with the Turks.

The Syrian National Dialogue Congress is expected to bring together a vast number of opposition and pro-governmental forces, as well as representatives of all Syrian ethnic and religious groups, in order to give them a say on how they see the future of their country and to push forward the process of political settlement, with a specific focus on constitution and elections. The event was initially slated for mid-November but was postponed since then. The event is expected to take place on January 29-30, 2018.

Commenting on the decision of Ankara, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told Sputnik that Russia took into account Turkey's opposition to the PYD participation in the upcoming congress and would seek for the most neutral and respected Kurds to attend. He added that the PYD interests would also be taken into consideration.

Earlier in the month, Turkey blocked the participation of the PYD, which is regarded by Ankara as a terrorist group affiliated with the PKK, in the upcoming congress. At the same time, Turkey has not opposed the participation of the Kurdish National Council (ENKS) in the event.

 Sputnik

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Moscow Has Data al-Nusra Front Militants Getting Support From Outside - Lavrov

Sputnik News

12:30 27.12.2017(updated 12:52 27.12.2017)

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that al-Nusra Front terrorists were getting help from the outside.

"They are still resisting, including via receiving external help, according to our information," Lavrov said.

"Of course, the main anti-terrorist task now is to defeat Nusra Front as well," Lavrov said at a meeting with leader of Syria's Tomorrow opposition movement Ahmad Jarba.

According to the Russian foreign minister, the Syrian army and its allies, with Russian support, is "putting pressure on Nusra members."

While speaking about Daesh terrorist group in Syria, Lavrov noted that the group suffered a decisive blow and it was clear that the main fight was over.

"We are seeing positive changes in Syria. A decisive blow has been dealt on the IS [Daesh]. And although some militants who have fled the battlefield are trying either to regroup in Syria or to flee abroad, it is clear that the main fight is over."

Earlier this month, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported a complete victory over Daesh terrorists in the east and west banks of the Euphrates River in Syria, followed by President Vladimir Putin's order to withdraw the majority of Russian troops from the country, with two bases in Hmeymim and Tartus remaining.

On the Syrian National Dialogue Congress

Moscow sees broad support for the Syria national dialogue congress among Syrians themselves, tribe leaders, Sergei Lavrov said.

"Being based on the results of eight meetings in Astana, as you know, the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran put forward the initiative to convene the congress of the Syrian national dialogue in Sochi on January 29-30," Lavrov said at a meeting with leader of Syria's Tomorrow opposition movement Ahmad Jarba.

"We see broad support for this event among the Syrians, first of all Syrians who live in their country, including the majority of tribal leaders," he said.

According to the foreign minister, external Syrian opposition taking part in Geneva talks had been invited to the congress.

The Syrian National Dialogue Congress is the third format of reconciliation negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition, along with the Geneva and Astana talks.

Following last week's eighth round of the Astana talks, Russia, Turkey and Iran, the guarantors of the ceasefire in Syria, stated that that the Congress would be held in Sochi on January 29-30, 2018, with a special preparatory meeting taking place on January 19-20.

The congress will bring together a vast number of opposition and pro-governmental forces, as well as representatives of all ethnic and religious groups of Syria to push forward the process of the political settlement in the war-torn country and address the issues of the future Syrian constitution.

 Sputnik

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Russian General Staff Calls US Explanations on At-Tanf Base 'Unintelligible'

Sputnik News

12:07 27.12.2017(updated 12:20 27.12.2017)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US explanations about its base in southern Syria's At-Tanf are still "unintelligible", Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in an interview issued on Wednesday.

"We say that the location of the US base is contrary to common sense, especially now, when Syrian territory has been liberated from IS [Daesh] formations. There is no one left, there is no threat to you from the territory of Syria. What is there and for what purpose? The answers are still unintelligible. However, new terrorist groups may appear there," Gerasimov said.

The statement follows the US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh Brett McGurk's announcement made earlier in December, concerning the US military presence at the At-Tanf garrison as well as in other areas of the country. According to McGurk, the coalition will maintain its presence in the country to guarantee that the Daesh terrorists don't return to the liberated areas.

However, the Russian reconciliation center in Syria, as well as the Russian Defense Ministry have accused the US of establishing a training camp near the al-Rukban refugee camp to create a new "moderate opposition" out of various militia groups and blocking humanitarian aid to the refugees in the camp, banning an approach "closer than 55 kilometers [34 miles] to the compound.

In one of his latest statements, Gerasimov already explained that former Daesh terrorists have formed the so-called New Syrian Army, whose task is to destabilize the situation in the country.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government forces have recently ceased their offensive in the southwest of Damascus after the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terrorist group was defeated in the area and started engaging in talks.

Terrorist Tactics

The chief of the Russian General Staff went on to reveal the tactics, used by militants: in particular, car bombs rigged with explosives, and the response measures of Russian and Syrian troops.

"Adjustments are being constantly made, because the approaches, forms and ways of actions are changing. In the beginning the use of car bombs was low, however, later it became more widespread Thus, during the battle for Deir ez-Zor, for other settlements in the Euphrates River valley, the use of car bombs have reached almost a mass scale," Gerasimov said.

Gerasimov noted that at the beginning of the Russian operation, militants used two or three car bombs in one battle, however, later, they started to use seven or eight vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, adding that with the help of such cars with suicide attackers, each of which can carry over 400 kilograms [882 pounds] of explosives, the jihadists managed to escape from Aleppo in 2016.

 Sputnik

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US Base in At-Tanf Fully Blocked by Syrian Troops

Sputnik News

05:47 27.12.2017(updated 12:31 27.12.2017)

Russian General Staff Chief Army General Valery Gerasimov said that there was movement of militants from the US base in Syria's At-Tanf, which is currently fully blocked by the Syrian army.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The US base in Syria's At-Tanf is fully blocked by the Syrian army, Russian General Staff Chief Army General Valery Gerasimov told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in an interview issued on Wednesday.

"In At-Tanf the area is blocked by the Syrian troops  The most important thing is that we witness movement of militants from there," Gerasimov said.

He said that when the blockade was not so intense, some 350 militants left the area.

"There was a threat of seizure of the city Al Quaryatayn in Syria. Their forces were defeated. It is clear that the militants are being trained there. Moreover, there is a refugee camp Al-Rukban there," Gerasimov added.

Another site, where according to Gerasimov the militants are being trained, is the Shaddadi camp in northeastern Syria.

"That is a territory controlled by the Kurds and there is also a US military base there. Moreover, some 800 people more arrived at the Shaddadi camp from the east bank of the Euphrates, from the area where the Kurds carried out an offensive In fact, that is IS [Islamic State or Daesh]," he said.

From his point of view, after the training former Daesh terrorists become members of the so-called New Syrian Army, whose task is to destabilize situation in the country. Gerasimov added that now some 750 militants remain at the Shaddadi camp and some 350 more  at the At-Tanf camp.

"It seems to me that the coalition has not set the goal to eliminate IS then [before the start of the Russian operation in Syria] and also it does not set it now," Gerasimov said.

He pointed out that the US-led coalition was carrying out from eight to 10 airstrikes every day while the Russian Aerospace Forces were carrying out 60-70 airstrikes per day.

"During the most intense periods of the operation [the Russian Aerospace Forces] carried out 120-140 airstrikes per day Only with such methods can one break the back of the international terrorism in Syria. From eight to 10 airstrikes per day? The coalition seems to have had other goals in Syria. Their main goal was to fight against [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, not IS," Gerasimov added.

 Sputnik

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Russian Foreign Minister Defends Syria Peace Conference

By VOA News December 27, 2017

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that next month's Russia-led peace talks in Sochi have "broad support" among the Syrian people and are meant to lay the groundwork for a U.N.-brokered peace process.

Lavrov's comments come after a collection of 40 Syrian rebel groups said Russia was trying to circumvent the U.N. peace process and that they would not attend the Sochi talks.

The rebels said Russia wants them to give up their demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down.

"We reject this and we affirm that Russia is an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians," a rebel statement said Tuesday. "Russia has not contributed with a single move to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and it has not pressured the regime it claims it guarantees to move an inch toward any real path toward a resolution."

The rebels say the meditator in peace talks has to be a neutral and honest broker. They say Russia, as Syria's most powerful ally, is not.

The Syrian government has said it will attend the Sochi talks. Turkey, which supports the opposition, also plans to go, but says Kurdish groups should not be invited.

The Syrian Kurds' Democratic Union Party says it has a right to take part in the peace negotiations.

Turkey considers the PYD and its armed faction, the People's Protection Units, terrorist groups because of their ties to Kurdish separatists in Turkey.

U.N.-brokered peace negotiations in Geneva along with parallel talks involving Russia, Turkey, Iran, have made only minor progress toward ending Syria's six-year long civil war.

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Taiwan speaks out against China military drills

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 08:53AM

Taiwan's military officials claim China's reportedly frequent and growing military drills near the island are an "enormous threat."

The frequent drills "have created enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait," said Feng Shih-kuan, who acts as Taiwan's "defense minister," in an annual defense report released Tuesday.

Taiwan, claimed as a breakaway province by China, is not recognized as a sovereign state by much of the international community. Most countries in the world recognize Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan under a policy known as "One China."

'Asymmetric warfare' against China

The Taiwanese annual defense review assessment highlighted the colossal mismatch between the military forces of China and Taiwan. It said Taiwan's military needed to adapt to a "multiple deterrence strategy" in the face of the rapidly-climbing Chinese military might.

"Taiwan cannot compare with China's defense budget and military developments," Feng said in the report, which also estimated Chinese troop numbers at two million, compared to Taiwan's nearly 210,000 service members.

Instead, the minister added, Taipei was "seriously reviewing and drawing a plan to develop asymmetric warfare to deter advances by the Chinese military."

Beijing has reportedly stepped up drills around the island since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016, as she declines to acknowledge both sides are part of "One China."

Earlier this year, China dispatched its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait during a military exercise as a show of strength.

According to Taiwanese media reports, Chinese jet fighters have conducted at least 20 military exercises around Taiwan this year, compared to only eight in 2016. The latest known drill reportedly took place last week, when several Chinese aircraft passed through the Bashi Channel, south of Taiwan, to the Pacific and back.

Taiwan and China became separated following a 1949 civil war. Although Taiwan claims self-rule, it has never formally declared independence.

Taiwan established its own cyber army command center this year, which currently employs nearly 1,000 people. It has also restructured its air force to centralize its anti-aircraft and missile defense command.

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The police, took Akshay into custody after they found his statements contradictory. During the questioning Akshay confessed to killing his mother.

By P S Gopikrishnan Unnithan: The Trivandrum city police has arrested 23-year-old Akshay Ashok after his mother's charred body was found in their house.

Akshay, an engineering graduate, was the one who informed the police about his mother's body on Tuesday morning.

The arrest was made after rigorous questioning that went on for 2 days.

51-year-old Deepa's (Akshay's mother) charred body was found at the backyard of their house on Tuesday morning.

Akshay's mother Deepa

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Akshay had informed the police that his mother was missing since Monday.

The police, took Akshay into custody after they found his statements contradictory. During the questioning Akshay confessed to killing his mother.

Akshay and his mother had an altercation on Monday night, during the verbal spat the boy pushed her to the floor and strangulted her to death with a sheet.

After ensuring that she's dead, Akshay burned his mother's body at the wasteyard behind their house.

Akshay was leaving with his mother after his father went for work in Muscat. His elder sister was settled in UAE.

Deepa's body is yet to be handed over to the family as the police awaits DNA result.

--- ENDS ---
Taiwan Develops 'Asymmetric Warfare Plan' Amid Increased Chinese Drills - Report

Sputnik News

14:32 26.12.2017(updated 14:34 26.12.2017) Get short URL

China has intensified its drills near Taiwan in the wake of the adoption of the US National Defense Authorization Act that lays out the groundwork for future mutual naval visits between Taipei and Washington.

Taiwan is "seriously reviewing and drawing up a plan to develop asymmetric warfare to deter advances by the Chinese military," Taiwanese Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the annual national defense review released on Tuesday.

The report noted the David versus Goliath mismatch between Beijing and Taipei, saying that the Taiwanese army of 210,000 troops has to adopt a "multiple deterrence strategy" in order to face a fast-growing Chinese army, totaling some two million troops.

"Taiwan cannot compare with China's defense budget and military developments," Feng said in the report, alleging that frequent Chinese drills "have created an enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait."

At the same time, according to the report, Taiwan has established a cyber army command center with 1,000 employees in response to increased Chinese electronic warfare capabilities.

China has held at least 20 drills this year, compared to eight in 2016. The latest drills near Taiwan were held last week, with China's aircraft flying through the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines and then returning back through the Strait of Miyako between Taiwan and Japan.

China has intensified its drills in the region after Tsai Ing-wen, who took office last year, refused to acknowledge that both sides are part of "One China." The Chinese authorities reportedly believe that Tsai Ing-wen may call for a referendum on the island's formal independence next year.

At the same time, Beijing has accused Washington of meddling in its internal affairs after President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law earlier this month and warned Taipei against relying on foreign powers for its security.

The act lays the foundation for future mutual naval drills between Taiwan and the United States, though, officially, the US doesn't recognize Taiwan as a separate country, with Donald Trump saying that Washington sticks to the "One China" policy.

While formally the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, remain a single country as each considers the other as "renegade provinces," Beijing has repeatedly called it "the most sensitive issue" in its relationships with the United States.

 Sputnik

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Delivery of upgraded F-16s scheduled for 2018

ROC Central News Agency

2017/12/27 13:47:51

Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) Four upgraded F-16 fighter jets are scheduled to be delivered to the Air Force in 2018 by a state-owned aviation firm, Ministry of National Defense (MND) sources said Wednesday.

The sources said the four upgraded F-16s are currently undergoing ground testing by the Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), and will undergo flight testing in early 2018 before being delivered to the Air Force later in the year.

The fighters are part of a NT$110 billion (US$3.68 billion) program by the government to launch a domestic upgrade of Taiwan's 144 F-16 A/B jets into F-16Vs, the largest and most important upgrade ever undertaken by the Air Force.

In order to carry out the program locally, the manufacturer of the jets -- Lockheed Martin in the United States -- sent engineers to Taiwan last year to help train local personnel at the AIDC on how to perform the upgrades.

According to the AIDC, the retrofit program includes installing advanced equipment on the fighters, including the AN/APG active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system, currently used in the U.S. F-22 and F-35 fighters.

In addition, the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System and the short-range air-to-air AIM-9 Sidewinder missile are also being installed in the upgraded F-16s.

After the delivery of the first four upgraded fighters next year, the MND aims to complete a comprehensive upgrade of its entire F-16 fleet by the end of 2023 to further improve the country's combat strength.

According to the MND, Taiwan is expected to become the first country in the world to operate an F-16V fleet.

In a hearing at the Legislative Yuan last year, Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan () said that the upgraded F-16 fleet is expected to help Taiwan take on China's most advanced Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-31 fighters. Former Air Force Command Chief of Staff Fan Ta-wei () has also said he has faith that the F-16V fleet will be able to protect Taiwan in case of a military crisis across the Taiwan Strait.

The U.S. approved the sale of 150 F-16A/B fighters to Taiwan in 1992. Over the years, Taiwan has lost six of them in accidents.

The F-16 is one of the three main types of combat aircraft in Taiwan's Air Force.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Frances Huang)

Enditem/J

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Turkey to reconstruct Sudan's ancient port city, seeks to exert influence in Africa

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 26, 2017 06:05PM

Sudan says Turkey will reconstruct a ruined Ottoman-era port city on Sudan's Red Sea coast, as Ankara seeks to expand its military and economic ties in the African continent.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour announced the news on Tuesday, saying the restoration at Suakin Island, located in northeastern Sudan, was agreed during a visit to the ancient port by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a day earlier.

The Turkish leader, who was in Sudan's capital city of Khartoum as part of his three-day tour to Africa, said on Monday that his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir had agreed to temporarily hand over Suakin to Ankara for rebuilding purposes in order to make it as a tourist site and a transit point for those who want to perform Umrah or Lesser Pilgrimage from Turkey to Saudi Arabia's holy sites.

"You should give the island to us for a while and we will rebuild and revive this island in accordance with its original form," Erdogan said that he had told the Sudanese president at the meeting, adding "My brother Omar al-Bashir said 'OK.'"

Suakin, used to be considered the height of medieval luxury on the Red Sea, was Sudan's major port when it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire, but fell into disuse over the last century following the construction of Port Sudan, 60 kilometers to the north.

The Turkish leader further said that the refurbished Suakin would attract Mecca-bound pilgrims who would want to see the island's history, contributing to Sudan's tourism sector. "Imagine, people from Turkey wishing to go on pilgrimage will come and visit the historical areas on Suakin Island. From there ... they will cross to Jeddah by boat," he added.

Erdogan, however, did not pay a visit to Sudan, as the first trip by a Turkish president to the poor African nation, solely for reconstructing a bleak port city.

According to Ghandour, the two presidents also agreed "to build a dock to maintain civilian and military vessels. The Sudanese top diplomat went on to say that the leaders had signed an agreement "that could result in any kind of military cooperation."

He said the Suakin deal was one of several, worth $650 million in total, agreed with Sudan, which emerged from two decades of US sanctions in October and is striving to draw international investment.

Furthermore, a joint statement issued by both leaders said that "a concrete step has been taken by establishing the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council," which would be maintained jointly by both presidents.

The wide-ranging agreements came some three months after Turkey formally opened a $50 million military training base in the African country as Ankara wields growing influence in the region.

According to Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board, Erdogan and Bashir has said that they aimed for trade between the two countries to reach $10 billion.

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Turkey deploys troops in Qatar amid Persian Gulf diplomatic crisis

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 08:41AM

A group of Turkish troops have been deployed to a military base in Qatar amid the diplomatic crisis between Doha and a Saudi-led quartet of Arab countries.

The Turkish troops arrived at Al Udeid Air Base in southern Doha on Tuesday, Turkey's Daily Sabah cited Qatar's Defense Ministry as saying.

The soldiers will join another group of Turkish troops, which were previously stationed in the Tariq bin Ziyad military base in Qatar.

The deployment is part of a 2014 defense deal between Turkey and Qatar for establishment of a Turkish military base in the Persian Gulf kingdom.

The first group of Turkish troops arrived in Qatar in June and staged their first drill at Tariq bin Ziyad military base.

Turkey has sided with Qatar since Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Doha on June 5, accusing the kingdom of sponsoring terrorism and destabilizing the region.

The four countries have also imposed a series of economic sanctions against Doha while barring Qatari aircraft from using their airspace. Qatar's only land border with Saudi Arabia has also been blocked as a result.

Qatar has rejected the claims while maintaining that it is paying the price for its independent foreign policy.

There has been almost no sign that Qatari authorities would bow to the demands of Saudi Arabia and its allies to restore diplomatic ties.

Among the conditions put forward for a full normalization of ties is the need for Qatar to downgrade its relations with Iran and expel foreign troops, including those from Turkey, from military bases in the country.

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Russia to supply Turkey with four S-400 missile divisions worth $2.5 billion

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 02:49PM

Russia will sell Turkey four divisions of the S-400 surface-to-air missile system worth $2.5 billion under a deal agreed between the two sides earlier this month, says the head of Russian conglomerate Rostec.

Sergei Chemezov told the Kommersant daily on Wednesday that Turkey would pay 45 percent of the cost in advance while Russia would provide loans to cover the remaining 55 percent, adding that the Russian and Turkish finance ministries had already completed talks on the loans.

He added that Moscow would begin the first deliveries in March 2020.

Turkey is the first NATO member state to acquire the advanced S-400 missile system, the Russian official said.

The deal was discussed between Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the former's visit to Ankara on December 11.

The deal comes as Turkey has been establishing closer relations with Russia after its ties with Western and European governments soured following a crackdown in the country over the July 2016 coup attempt.

NATO originally reacted skeptically to the decision, saying the system was not compatible with its equipment.

However, the Pentagon said recently that Turkey's purchase of the S-400 system, the most significant deal Ankara has signed with a non-NATO military supplier, was generally "a good idea" as it was inter-operable with the military alliance's other systems.

The S-400 is Russia's latest surface-to-air missile defense system.

It has a range of 400 kilometers and can track up to 300 targets, including aircraft, drones and ballistic and cruise missiles, simultaneously.

Russia has also agreed a deal with Saudi Arabia to supply the S-400 to Riyadh.

The agreement was signed during Saudi Arabia's King Salman's visit to Moscow in October.

A number of other deals was also signed during King Salman's trip, the first by a Saudi monarch.

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Turkish aerial attacks kill nine PKK militants in northern Iraq

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 27, 2017 05:26PM

Nine members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been killed when Turkish military aircraft carried out a string of aerial attacks against the militants' positions in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

The Turkish General Staff announced in a statement on Wednesday that the terrorists were killed when Turkish warplanes bombarded their hideouts in the Hakurk, Zap, Avasin Basyan, and Metina regions.

The slain terrorists were reportedly planning attacks on Turkish military bases along the border.

The statement further noted that considerable amounts of munitions belonging to PKK terrorists were destroyed in the aerial attacks.

The Tunceli Provincial Governor's Office, in a statement released on December 17, announced that high-profile PKK terrorist Murat Dag, better known by the nom de guerre Ferhat Yilmaz, had been killed along with seven other terrorists during an offensive in the Pulumur district of the province, situated some 800 kilometers (497 miles) east of the capital Ankara.

The statement added that Dag was on the Turkish Interior Ministry's list of wanted terrorists.

Earlier this month, the Turkish General Staff stated that 39 PKK terrorists were killed between December 1 and December 8.

One Turkish soldier was killed and another sustained gunshot wounds during the same period.

Additionally, 27 improvised explosives were defused, 63 arms depots destroyed, and large amounts of weapons seized.

Ankara has been engaged in a large-scale campaign against the PKK in its southern border region. The Turkish military has also been conducting offensives against the positions of the group in northern Iraq.

The operations began in the wake of a deadly bombing in the southern Turkish town of Suruc in July 2015. More than 30 people died in the attack, which the Turkish government blamed on the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

After the bombing, the PKK militants, who accused the government in Ankara of supporting Daesh, engaged in a series of attacks against Turkish police and security forces, prompting the Turkish military operations.

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Russia Says Shipments Of S-400 Missiles To Turkey Likely To Begin In 2020

RFE/RL December 27, 2017

Russia is planning to begin shipments of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to Turkey in March 2020, a senior official says of a deal that has raised eyebrows because Turkey is a NATO member.

Sergei Chemezov, head of the Russian state conglomerate Rostec, told the newspaper Kommersant in an interview published on December 27 that the $2.5 billion deal will consist of four batteries of S-400 missiles.

"They are paying 45 percent of the total contract amount as an advance. Fifty-five percent is Russian credit," Chemezov told Kommersant.

Turkey's move to acquire the S-400s has been regarded in some Western capitals as a snub to the NATO alliance amid tensions with Russia over its role in the wars in Syria and eastern Ukraine.

The S-400 deal, first announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in September, has also caused concern because the Russian-made weapons cannot be integrated into the alliance's defenses.

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said on December 27 that the deal for the missiles had been finalized.

Russia and Turkey support opposing sides in the Syrian war, but Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin patched up their relationship after it was badly damaged when Turkish jets shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border in November 2015.

The missiles have a maximum range of 400 kilometers and are capable of reaching targets at a maximum altitude of 30 kilometers.

On December 27, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Moscow also expected to sign a deal with India soon on the delivery of S-400s.

Russian officials have also said that Russia and U.S. ally Saudi Arabia are close to signing a deal on supplying the S-400 systems to Riyadh.

With reporting by Kommersant, Reuters, dpa, TASS, and Yenisafak

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-turkey-s400-missile- system-shipments-begin-2020/28942256.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Turkey Dispatches Another Batch of Troops to Qatar Amid Gulf Crisis

Sputnik News

14:07 27.12.2017(updated 14:09 27.12.2017)

The crisis between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors erupted earlier in June, with the latter demanding Qatar to close the Turkish military base on its territory.

Turkey has sent another group of its troops to Qatar amid the diplomatic crisis between Doha and its Arab neighbors, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt, the Qatari Defense Minister announced on Wednesday as quoted by Turkey's Daily Sabah news outlet.

The troops that arrived at Al Udeid Air Base in southern Doha the day before, will join another group of Turkish soldiers, which were previously stationed at the Tariq bin Ziyad military base in Qatar.

The deployment comes as part of the 2014 deal between Doha and Ankara, with Turkey establishing its military base in the Gulf country at the request of the latter's government. Two years later, the countries signed a deal that stipulated the deployment of Turkish troops to Qatar.

The first group of Turkish soldiers arrived in Qatar this June and held their first drills at the Tariq bin Ziyad military base in August.

The ministry noted that with the new groups of soldiers, the countries would have more military drills aimed at strengthening their defense capabilities.

In early June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and meddling in their internal affairs. Kuwait, acting as a mediator in the crisis, handed an ultimatum to Doha containing 13 demands on behalf of the four states. The list included requests to sever Qatar's relations with Iran, close Turkey's military base in Qatar and shut down the Al Jazeera broadcaster, as well as to end support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

 Sputnik

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Turkey Buys 4 Russian S-400 Systems, Russian Loans to Cover 55% of Costs

Sputnik News

05:01 27.12.2017(updated 08:57 27.12.2017)

The Russian Rostec Corporation said that the deliveries of S-400 air defense systems to Turkey will start in March 2020, with 45 percent of the contracted sum to be paid in advance by Ankara.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Turkey purchased four Russian S-400 air defense systems worth $2.5 billion with 55 percent of the sum under the contract being covered by Russian loans, CEO of Russia's Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov told the Kommersant newspaper in an interview issued on Wednesday.

He confirmed that Ankara had bought four S-400 systems. "Yes, [they bought four S-400 systems] worth $2.5 billion," Chemezov said.

He also pointed out that the Russian and Turkish Finance Ministries had already completed talks on Moscow's loans for Ankara.

"They should finalize financial papers now. I can say, they [Turkey] will pay 45 percent of the whole some in advance, 55 percent [of the sum] is being funded by Russian loans. We are going to start deliveries in March 2020," Chemezov added.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the documents Russian S-400 had been signed and that Ankara wanted to take steps to implement the agreement as soon as possible.

 Sputnik

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U.K. Navy Escorts Russian Warship In North Sea

RFE/RL December 26, 2017

The United Kingdom's Royal Navy says it has escorted a Russian warship through the North Sea near British territorial waters.

The Royal Navy said in a December 26 statement that the frigate HMS St Albans departed on December 23 to monitor the Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov as it moved through the North Sea.

The Royal Navy said its vessel monitored the Russian ship over December 25 and will return to dock in Britain on December 26.

Russia has yet to comment.

The Royal Navy said there had been a recent "upsurge in Russian units transiting U.K. waters."

U.K. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said in a statement after the incident that he would "not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression."

"Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests," he added.

The Royal Navy said another British frigate was called to escort a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and the English Channel on December 24.

Meanwhile, a navy helicopter was sent to monitor two other Russian vessels.

Britain's military chief, Sir Stuart Peach, said earlier this month that Russia could pose a major threat to NATO countries by attacking underwater communication cables crucial for international trade and the Internet.

He said it would "immediately and potentially catastrophically" hit the economy if they were cut or disrupted.

Bilateral relations between Britain and Russia have been severely strained by differences over Ukraine and Syria as well as by allegations of Russian meddling in domestic politics in Europe and the United States.

Russia denies the accusations.

The 2006 radiation-poisoning death in London of Aleksandr Litvinenko, a former officer with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has also continued to cast a shadow over ties between the two countries.

With reporting by Reuters and BBC

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/britain -russia-northsea/28938931.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Facebook has asserted it has no plans of "integration or authentication with Aadhaar" and is not linking the social media accounts to the 12-digit biometric identifier.

The clarification came in response to reports that indicated that Facebook was running a test, where it requested for peoples Aadhaar information when they signed up for a Facebook account.

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Facebook clarified that the test, which is now complete, included additional text explaining to users that if they used Aadhaar name it will help their family and friends recognise them.

"We are not collecting Aadhaar data and do not require people to enter their Aadhaar name when they sign up to Facebook," it noted in a blogpost.

Facebook said the goal of the test was to help new users understand how to sign up to Facebook with their real name and connect with their friends and family.

The move by Facebook is being seen as part of the companys efforts to check the increasing number of fake accounts on the platform. Facebook, however, did not comment on that.

It explained that at the point of account sign-up, users -- who were part of the test -- saw language that said "using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise you".

"This is an optional prompt that we were testing. People were not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card, and there is no integration or authentication with Aadhaar," Facebook added.

The US-based company said the test ran with a small number of users in India and has now concluded.

"...we currently have no plans to roll this test out further," it added.

India -- with over 240 million users -- is the second largest market for Facebook after the US.

On the other hand, with 119 crore residents already enrolled for the Aadhaar -- a unique 12-digit number backed by fingerprints, iris scans and certain demographic details -- the programme today is the worlds largest biometric database.

The government is pushing for linking Aadhaar to a host of schemes and services such as mobile connections, PAN, and bank accounts to weed out ghost holders and check tax evasion. PTI SR MBI SBT

--- ENDS ---
Washington 'Hawks' Attempt to 'Raise Price of Donbass Conflict' - Moscow

Sputnik News

12:15 26.12.2017(updated 13:33 26.12.2017)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine is effectively expelling rather than reintegrating the breakaway Donbass region by terminating social and pension payments and suspending supplies of water and electricity, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin told Sputnik.

The Russian deputy foreign minister went on by expressing concern over the US plans to supply Kiev with lethal weapons, commenting on reports on the State Department's December 22 announcement of the US decision to provide Ukraine "enhanced defensive capabilities" aimed at building up Kiev's "defense capacity."

"We have been extremely disappointed by the news that the US authorities had given one of its arms manufacturers a license for supplying Kiev with large-caliber sniper rifles Washington 'hawks' are thus attempting, the way they see it, to raise 'the price of the conflict in Donbass' for Russia. This is a deficient and dangerous reasoning. It leads to war, not to peace," Karasin explained.

The Russian deputy foreign minister urged the United States and Canada to analyze the potential consequences of selling lethal weapons to Ukraine.

"Do Washington and Ottawa have the guarantee that their lethal weapons will not fall into the 'wrong hands'? That they won't be picked up by terrorists? Or, for example, that they won't be sold by enterprising Ukrainian businessmen somewhere in the Middle East or in some other spot on the map that is 'sensitive' to the United States itself, above all?" Karasin noted.

The diplomat stressed that the United States and Canada were opening a "Pandora box" and "in fact, getting involved in the internal Ukrainian conflict, fanning the flames and making it international."

"A few hundred US, Canadian and other NATO military instructors are 'working' in Ukraine at the moment, with Ukrainians now about to see them differently, as full-fledged participants of the non-declared civil war in the southeast," the deputy foreign minister said, adding that the Ukrainians had different opinions about the situation in the southeast of the country and of all the foreign "soldiers of fortune" who arrived in the country.

According to the Washington Post's report last week, the State Department approved the sale of $41.5 million worth of M107A1 sniper systems, ammunition as well as associated parts and accessories to Ukraine, with the Pentagon waiting for instructions from the State Department on the issue, ready to support their position.

The move follows the ratification of the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2018 fiscal year by US President Donald Trump in early December, which, among other provisions, stipulates allocation of $350 million in security aid for Ukraine, including lethal defensive weapons. At the same time, Canada put Ukraine on its Automatic Firearms Country Control List, allowing Ottawa to supply Kiev with several types of weapons but only after receiving authorization from the Canadian Foreign Ministry.

Donbass' Fate

Speaking about the breakaway Donbass region, the Russian deputy foreign minister has explained that, in accordance with the Minsk agreements, the region should be granted a special status as a part of Ukraine.

"In reality, we see the reverse process. Instead of the reintegration of the region into the general political and economic landscape, the Ukrainian leadership with its own hand is, in fact, expelling the south-east from the country by suspending social and pension payments, ceasing water supply, electricity," Karasin said.

He has explained that Kiev was doing such activities to spark mass discontent and force the region to surrender.

"Such activities contravene the Minsk agreements, which prove the necessity of taking measures to boost the humanitarian situation and economic restoration in Ukraine's southeast, the establishment of trade relations with our country," Karasin added.

The future of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) should be determined by the local residents, however a reasonable settlement of the crisis could be achieved only through direct and constructive dialogue between the sides and Kiev, the deputy minister stressed.

Karasin warned against the project of UN resolution on the deployment of peacekeepers in Donbass, drafted by Ukraine.

"We see that our compromise initiative on the establishment of a UN mission to promote the protection of the OSCE monitoring mission was opposed by Kiev and its allies. Instead of it the non-starter scheme of the 'peacekeeping' operation, actually aimed at the forced return of the region under the control of Ukraine using an international contingent was offered," the diplomat underlined.

The statement follows the stance voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in early September, backing the idea of sending peacekeepers to Donbass provided that the mission is deployed solely along the contact line separating self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk republics and government-controlled territory. This stance opposes Kiev's idea, presupposing a UN peacekeeping mission to be stationed across the entire conflict-ridden Donbass region, up to the Russian border.

According to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine had developed a joint draft UN resolution on Donbass peacekeepers in coordination with the United States, Germany and France.

 Sputnik

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Kyiv, Russia-Backed Separatists Prepare For Prisoner Swap

RFE/RL December 27, 2017

Russian media reports say that Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have sent captured Ukrainian soldiers to the site of a planned prisoner exchange between the separatists and Kyiv.

The separatists were due to hand over captive Ukrainian government soldiers near Horlivka on the front lines of the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region at 1100 GMT on December 27.

From there, the freed soldiers are to be flown by helicopter to Kharkiv, a government-controlled regional capital further northwest.

Ukrainian government forces were to hand over prisoners to the separatists in the evening.

Ukrainian authorities and separatists on December 25 confirmed that a deal for the exchange had been reached.

Iryna Herashchenko, first deputy speaker of parliament, said that "74 Ukrainians will be released [by the separatists] on December 27. We will exchange them for 306 people."

The leader of the separatists in the Donetsk region, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, also has said the swap would take place "under the 306-for-74 formula."

On December 26, Zakharchenko said the swap is only the first stage of possible further moves to exchange captives. He said more lists of prisoners were being compiled.

Herashchenko previously said that Kyiv has long been ready "to hand over all of those who can be released under Ukrainian laws in order to take confirmed Ukrainians in exchange."

Herashchenko is Ukraine's representative for the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), which consists of Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Fighting between Kyiv's forces and the Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which border Russia southeast of Kharkiv, has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.

Under a February 2015 cease-fire and peace deal known as Minsk-2, Kyiv and the separatists were supposed to "release and exchange...all hostages and unlawfully detained persons" within five days of its signing.

But that did not happen, and there have been no prisoner swaps between Kyiv and the separatists for 15 months.

Shortly before the planned exchange on December 27, Ukraine's military said that one of its soldiers had been killed and five wounded during the previous 24 hours in the east.

A Defense Ministry statement said that Russia-backed separatists violated the frequently breached cease-fire six times using assault rifles, machine guns, and mortars.

According to the ministry, separatist fighters used a drone to coordinate mortar attacks -- a practice that is banned under the Minsk accords of 2014 and 2015 that are aimed at resolving the conflict.

Separatists said on December 27 that Ukrainian government forces attacked the village of Kalynivka in the Luhansk region overnight using assault rifles, grenade launchers, mortars, and heavy artillery.

After massive protests pushed Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych from power in February 2014 following his decision to scrap a landmark deal with the European Union, Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimea region and fomented separatism across eastern and southern Ukraine. The Russia-backed separatists seized parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, igniting the war and severely straining Russia's relations with Kyiv and the West.

Implementation of the Minsk-2 agreement has been slow and several other aspects of the deal appear far from being fulfilled. Western officials and rights groups have voiced concern about flare-ups in recent weeks, with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini saying the humanitarian and security situation had "deteriorated abruptly" of late.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Interfax, Unian, and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia -prisoner-swap/28941084.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Members of the committee were holding rallies in the locality to garner support against the proposed power grid. The locals allege that the group fired bullets, pelted stones and even hurled crude bombs.

By India Today Web Desk, Manogya Loiwal : South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal is again burning with action and this time because of anti-land acquisition movement in the region.

Not only stone pelting but even crude bombs are being hurled by protestors who are opposing the construction of a power grid in the area.

Members of the committee were holding rallies in the locality to garner support against the proposed power grid in the area. The members were carrying out the procession on bikes and cars.

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The locals allege that the group fired bullets, pelted stones and even hurled crude bombs and later set the bikes and cars ablaze too.

One of the members was allegedly shot during the incident while several others got severely injured. The local shops were shut down seeing the situation getting worse.

"We saw a bike procession and the collision started after those bikes came. But we cannot say anything specifically as we were told to close our shops accidentally. I closed my shop in fear," said Nitai, a local who runs a shop in the area.

The group of activists who are allegedly supporters of Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee were attacked by TMC supporters in the area for protesting.

The TMC leader Arabul Islam said, "Bhumi Raksha Committee is generating terror in Bhangar. This clash was pre-planned. They were carrying bombs and other arms like guns."

Bhangar is the same area that has been witnessing tension and where Trinamool Congress has a strong hold, including leader Arabul, who has been in controversy for various reasons.

Arabul Islam defended his party and said, "Their aim was to blame Mamata Banerjee for causing this terror. TMC is not responsible for this clash. The villagers want development and support the power grid plan. People who protested against power grid plan were actually blackmailed by the committee."

He added, "The committee members told them to cause the collision and frightened them saying that they would be fined twenty thousand rupees if they did not join the procession of Bhumi Raksha Committee. This committee again occluded Haroa road which is near Natunhat."

The locals are still in shock and are avoiding to come outside their houses in fear.

Stating about the fear that this clash has caused a local named Lakshmi Sarkar said "We villagers were frightened due to the bomb blasts. Bombs were thrown which hit the shops and houses and everything were ransacked. We are still in trauma. All these were accidental so we are very much scared now. This kind of incident never happened before in this area."

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The area remains tensed and police deployment from local Kashipur Police station is being increased.

(with inputs from Prosenjit Saha)

--- ENDS ---
Netflix has teamed up with popular messaging service WhatsApp in India to communicate with users. For now it seems Netflix will be using this platform to send messages related to account as well as suggestions to its customers.

Netflix wants to send recommendations on Whatsapp now... pic.twitter.com/LsAqQUfs5j  Sahil Khan (@sahilk) December 27, 2017

Users with Netflix and WhatsApp will get a notification to opt into the service. Once chosen, users will get a message from Netflix on WhatsApp asking it to add it to your contacts. For now, it's a one-way traffic, with the user getting messages from Netflix and any attempt to reply will be greeted with a standard message telling the user it can't chat with you.

The choice to go with WhatsApp over SMS is not surprising considering the massive userbase for the service in the country, second largest in the world in fact after Brazil. Although in all honestly, this does not seem like a terribly useful service for the users. All it does is let Netflix nudge the user every once in a while about new content so as to keep user engagement up. I can't see a lot of people using it. However, it's likely both companies have bigger plans in future other than just informing users of new shows.

Source
Published on 2017/12/27 | Source

Korean movies opening today 2017/12/27 in Korea: "1987: When the Day Comes".

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"1987: When the Day Comes" (2017)

Directed by Jang Joon-hwan

With Kim Yun-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Tae-ri, Park Hee-soon, Lee Hee-jun,...

Synopsis

The story of the public authorities and the people trying to reveal the truth about murder of student activist, Park Jong-cheol, who became the fuse for the democratization of Korea in 1987.
Published on 2017/12/27 | Source

Actors Yoon Kye-sang and Lee Hanee are attending the 2017 Korean Top Star Awards together. They have been nominated for Korean Film's Most Popular Actor and Korean Top Leading Actress.

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The 6th Korean Top Star Awards, hosted by the Korean Actors Association, announced that Lee Hanee has been nominated for Korean Top Leading Actress for her performance in "Silence" and "Brother" while Yoon Kye-sang has been nominated Korean Films Most Popular Actor for his performance in "The Outlaws".

The 6th Korean Top Star Awards will be held at the Dragon City Grand Ballroom in Seoul on the 28th at 18:00 KST.

VIPs from the Korean Actors Association will be attending the event.
I recently worked on the update to the ASP.NET site, now in beta at http://beta.asp.net. On that site we used an icon from the Pictos collection. I have an email from March of 2010 where we selected that icon, in fact.

Recently we updated the old site's cloud icon from this, to this:

I saw a few tweets and got some emails that said "nice iCloud icon." Well, it does look familiar! ;)

Of course, MobileMe before this:

I knew I'd see this icon somewhere before. Folks have even written articles talking about how beautiful this icon is and how the Golden Ratio is infused in its design. There are even tutorials written on how to create the icon from scratch in PhotoShop.

Apple's logo artists have infused the iCloud logo with some mathematical elegance. In this case, the golden ratio or ...Simple, but profound. Awesome Apple's design philosophy.

Funny thing about the Golden Ratio, if you look for it, you'll find it everywhere. Read about it in the book "The Golden Ratio: The Story of PHI" or watch this video on the Golden Ratio. It's intuitive. Cool, also that they attribute this icon and it's "brilliance" to the Apple Designers, except the icon isn't from Apple, it's straight from Pictos 1. I know, because we bought it from them for our site. Plus Pictos 1 has been around for years. It includes a regular cloud, clouds with arrows up and down and a lightening bolt cloud.

Of course, there's only so many ways to draw a cloud, right? But somehow this one just nails it and is itself iconic, if you'll excuse the pun.

Where else might you have seen this cloud icon? Seems everyone with an internet-connected or music app uses it:

Just a few...

Even though the first appearance of this cloud icon was in the commercial Pictos 1 set, you'll find suspiciously similar clouds in other cloud icons packs like the one at Yay.se that's Creative Commons. Notice that you can change the look of the cloud icon slight if you the circles smaller or larger or add a border, push and pull, or squish and stretch.

But again, it's essentially four circles. My 3 year old draws similar clouds. At what point does a unique design stop being unique and just absorb into the consciousness?

Today, it seems there is only one cloud icon in the universe and it's four circles with a flat base. I like it.

UPDATE: Hat tip to Ian Griffiths who points out that the BBC Weather Service beat all of us to the iCloud icon, kind of...over 30 years ago. ;)
McGrady 'very disappointed' with Buncombe over MSD vote

State Rep. Chuck McGrady shown in a Lightning file photo.

Defying the wishes of Henderson County commissioners and state Rep. Chuck McGrady, the governing board of an Asheville-based sewer system on Wednesday shot down a proposal to merge with a Henderson County-owned system and add three Henderson County representatives to the MSD board.

The Metropolitan Sewer District voted 10-1 against the new makeup after board members from Buncombe, Asheville and other Buncombe towns served by the utility questioned the motives of McGrady and Henderson County officials.

I couldnt believe it, said Henderson County Commissioner Bill Lapsley, who attended the meeting and spoke in favor of the change.

The lopsided vote was a stunning setback to the efforts of Henderson County to promote a cooperative, regional approach to providing water and service through a governing body with representation from a broad customer base. Given the decisive no vote, Lapsley said he did not see how the issue would be revived.

Its off the table. They voted 10-1 not to do it, he said.

A state law McGrady sponsored last spring would have required the Metropolitan Sewer District to add the Henderson County representatives had it voted to merge with the Cane Creek Sewer District, as McGrady and the Henderson County commissioners wanted. The Cane Creek Sewer District, a county-owned utility, serves 3,700 customers in northern Henderson County.

McGrady, a former Henderson County commissioner, and the current Board of Commissioners, with Lapsley in the lead, have argued for what they paint as regional cooperation. The attempt to think beyond city and county lines  and put more Henderson County officials on governing boards  is viewed with suspicion by Asheville city officials.

McGrady also attended to advocate for the merger and new board makeup.

Sewer ought to be handled on a regional basis and these political boundaries we have I don't think are the way we ought to handle sewer  or water for that matter, but we're just here about sewer, McGrady said, according to a report in the Asheville Citizen-Times.

The Cane Creek Sewer District is a collection system, not a treatment system. It owns the sewer lines that carry sewage to the MSD plant in Woodfin, which treats the effluent for a fee. Henderson County officials have long complained that Cane Creek customers pay higher sewer rates than MSD customers.

Oh, this is a conspiracy

Adding three members from Henderson County, MSD members said, would give Henderson County a disproportionate share of the overall membership board. The county would have 20 percent of the appointees on the 15-member board, on behalf of a Cane Creek customer base that amounts to just 7 percent of the total.

Lapsley scoffed at the notion that adding Cane Creek to the MSD and adding Henderson County representatives was anything more than a straightforward effort at regional cooperation.

There would be one from Mills River, one from Fletcher and one of the county commissioners to represent the unincorporated area so that all the customers in the Cane Creek district are represented, he said. We werent going to have county people to vote together to take over MSD. Thats absurd. That was said. Oh, this is a conspiracy. Several people said that. Theres a sinister thing going on here. Henderson County  they've been pretty belligerent about this.

Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and other MSD board members suggested last month that the MSD ought to withhold support for the change until it becomes clear what if anything the Legislature will do about city- and county-owned utilities. McGrady pushed through another bill this year that calls for a study of local utilities, their rates and governance. Manheimer and other Asheville officials fear that study will be used to justify putting municipal and county water and sewer systems under state control.

I really think that all that goodwill was torpedoed when Chuck got his new study committee, which is clearly starting that fight all over again, said Barry Summers, an activist on Asheville area water issues who opposed a bill McGrady sponsored that would have turned over Ashevilles water system to the MSD. (The state Supreme Court invalidated the law in 2016.)

Over the past year hes been talking about how hes got another way to get it done, Summer said. It was exactly a year ago that he said theres more than one way to skin the cat.

Summers thinks Henderson County lost support from the Buncombe officials when word got out about the new legislative study committee. On Nov. 15, a week after the committees formation and scope of work was announced, the MSD took up the proposed Cane Creek merger and voted to postpone a decision.

They brought it up at that board meeting, Summers said. The tenor of the discussion was, Thats looking at regional of water and sewer and we all know what that means, he said. They figured he was very likely taking another swing at not just Asheville but hes talking about taking control of Hendersonvilles system, too. So everybodys realizing hes really going for this.

McGrady very disappointed

McGrady, who called Summers venomous, acknowledges he continues to look for ways to guide Buncombe and Henderson counties and the cities of Asheville and Hendersonville to more regional solutions in water and sewer. Asheville and Buncombe officials ginned up opposition in a mistaken interpretation of his motives, he said.

Basically no one had a problem with Henderson County joining MSD, he said. The city (of Asheville) had said that for a long time. Buncombe County has said that for a long time.

Then Asheville officials began spreading the word that the change in the makeup would cause Asheville to lose a seat on the MSD board.

I didnt realize there was any problem until a month ago, McGrady said. I get a call from Mayor Manheimer and shes saying there were problems here, Henderson County was going to be overrepresented.

Manheimer also expressed concern about the legislative study committee.

That was very problematic because I had done exactly what I told people I would do, he said. McGrady said his goal last spring was to try to create a mechanism reflecting agreements with respect to water.

I was really surprised that Mayor Manheimer now was expressing this concern that was part of the stuff being put forward by the activist known as Barry Summers, he said. She made the motion to delay action on the Cane Creek merger.

Im very disappointed, he added. I feel like Asheville reneged on its agreement. Im very disappointed with Buncombe County.

McGrady expressed frustration with the parochialism that characterizes water and sewer issues, in the form in this case of one representative asking, Whats in it for Asheville?

I said its good policy. We ought to deal with these things on a regional basis. Henderson County is giving up control of sewer to work in a regional manner. It makes sense. We have to work on water and sewer and transportation and other things on a regional basis.

For now, that looks like a remote possibility. A legislative tweak to make the agreement more palatable to the MSD members is unlikely, at least in the near term.



It would take unanimity among the affected parties, which would mean all the Buncombe County and all the Henderson legislators would have to be for it, McGrady said. And then getting it through in the short session would be hard and moreover Im not even sure Ive got the stomach for it.

From Henderson Countys point of view, status quo sustains rate inequity.

Lets keep the rates up in Henderson County while giving us no representation, he said. And then they wonder why they cant get cooperation on issues they care about.

The MSD vote comes three years after Henderson County Commission Chair Michael Edney and Manheimer worked out an agreement to resolve a 20-year-old dispute over a water plant the city of Asheville built on the Mills River. In exchange, Asheville gave a 137-acres site in Bent Creek to Henderson County. When the Asheville City Council and Henderson County Board of Commissioners settled the dispute, it appeared that the two bodies could be ready to work more cooperatively on regional utility issues. Manheimer even made a symbolic gesture after the council vote, fastening a pin depicting the Henderson County Historic Courthouse on her lapel above a city of Asheville pin.

Wednesdays stunning smackdown of the sewer system merger could reignite the mistrust that has long bedeviled any chance of regional cooperation. The 10-1 vote, Lapsley said, suggests that Asheville has no interest in joint venturing with Henderson County on any utilities.
At least a dozen AirBnB hosts are earning more than 100,000 a year from renting out homes on short-term contracts as the housing crisis deepens.

Figures supplied by Air DNA, which analyses market trends across the globe, show that one Dublin property owner has earned 172,227 in the past year alone for an apartment near Trinity College.

As many as 4,840 properties are being let in their entirety for as much as 800 a night.

In Galway, one owner earned nearly 158,000; the top earner in Limerick secured just over 66,500; in Cork, an owner was paid almost 63,000; while in Waterford, a landlord received almost 41,500 in a year.

AirBnB and other short-term letting sites allow property owners to advertise a home online for holiday stays.

It is seen as a lucrative source of income, but there have been opposition calls to regulate the sector, given the extent of the housing crisis.

Others fear that a two-tier system of holiday letting is now in place, with short-term lets not subject to the same regulations as hotels or B&Bs.

Sinn Fein housing spokesman Eoin O'Broin said regulation was "urgently" needed.

"AirBnB properties can make phenomenal profits without being registered with the Residential Tenancies Board and without being inspected by local authorities," he said.

An analysis of AirDNA data shows that in Dublin, 5,191 properties have been listed as available for letting in the past 18 months. Of these, 2,870 are entire homes.

Sources suggest that in some parts of the city, housing stock is being bought and refurbished to provide short-term letting accommodation.

This has raised concerns that homes for council and private tenants are being removed from the housing stock, which ramps up rental costs.

There are also suggestions that some owners may be avoiding tax on their properties.

Evasion

A spokesperson for the Revenue said it used "leading-edge digital systems", data analytics and data sources to identify tax evasion.

Since 2016, property owners have had to provide details of rental income, whether residential or commercial, but the spokesperson said short-term letting income was not separately listed.

This income was taxable, and owners were responsible for ensuring they were tax-compliant.
Linda and Adrian on the stairs at the Bridge House Hotel

Radio presenter and Herald columnist Adrian Kennedy is set to see in the new year Down Under with his new bride Linda Byrne.

Around 130 guests joined the couple yesterday as they said "I do" at the Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore, in a ceremony officiated by Pastor Stephen Conway.

They will soon be jetting off on a honeymoon trip of a lifetime, which will see them take in a range of destinations.

"We are going to Australia," Adrian told the Herald.

Families

"We will be there for the fireworks on New Year's Eve, so I am really looking forward to that.

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"We are going to be doing a two-week cruise from Sydney, taking in places like Fiji and Tonga and the South Pacific islands, and that finishes in New Zealand."

The couple had been engaged for two years, after the 98FM host had gone down on bended knee to pop the question.

Linda made a stunning bride in a full-length gown with a lace bolero jacket, while Adrian looked dapper in a three-piece suit.

The burgundy flowers in the bouquet were firmly in keeping with the festive season, and matched Adrian's bow-tie.

It was also a special day for their families.

Adrian's son Sean (24) flew home from Canada to serve as a groomsman, and his daughter Laura (20) was one of Linda's bridesmaids. Linda's son Jack gave her away on her big day, and her brother Sean was Adrian's best man.

Also in the bridal party was Maria Wagstaff, Linda's matron of honour.

A single Scottish bagpiper heralded the newlyweds as they walked down the elegant hotel stairs after the ceremony, which took place at 2.30pm.

The guests enjoyed a meal with a choice of roast beef or salmon for the main course.

Friends, family and colleagues later danced the night away to the band Streetwise.
A fisherman charged with causing grievous bodily harm to an Irish dad-of-two who died from a brain injury is likely to face more serious charges, Australian police said.

Charlie McCarthy (32) died from injuries sustained in a street attack in East Fremantle, outside Perth in Australia.

Andrew Doan (34), of Joondanna, was charged and remanded to appear again before a Perth magistrate next Wednesday. Mr McCarthy died around 24 hours after being struck on the head following a confrontation with two fishermen as he walked home with his Australian wife, Nicole.

They had been attending a festive event last Friday night.

The Irishman, who was from Aghada in east Cork, was confronted by one of the fishermen as he looked for a taxi.

Words were exchanged and the man then attacked Mr McCarthy. During the assault, he was struck on the head near the temple, apparently with a heavy screwdriver-type implement used to help load a speargun.

He collapsed and police and paramedics were alerted.

Traumatic

Mr McCarthy was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital in a critical condition with traumatic brain injuries. His life support machine was turned off on Sunday night.

His sister Karina last night paid tribute to her brother.

"His beautiful wife and his kids were everything to him," Karina said. "He was the best daddy in the world and his kids were his life."

Karina said she last saw her brother when he travelled home to Ireland for her wedding in September 2016.

"Charlie was my pet, he was home last year for the wedding and that was the last time I held him in my arms," she said.

"He was beautiful inside and out. He was just the best. He had a heart of gold."
Why government wants to bring a separate law to ban instant triple talaq among Muslims even though it has been declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Women protesting against instant triple talaq, which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in August this year. (Photo: PTI file)

By Prabhash K Dutta: In August this year, the Supreme Court declared, by a majority of 3:2 that divorce through instant triple talaq among Muslims would be "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional". This judgment has the effect of law.

Yet, four months later, the Narendra Modi government is ready with a Bill that criminalises instant triple talaq. Many critics of the government have raised question as to what is the need for a enacting separate law to ban a practice that has been declared void, illegal and unconstitutional.

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The Narendra Modi government has drafted the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill saying it is putting into effect the Supreme Court ruling on instant triple talaq. In the August ruling, the minority judgment, too, held instant triple talaq against Islamic belief but said that Parliament should bring legislation in this regard.

WHY MODI GOVERNMENT WANTS TRIPLE TALAQ LAW

In the statement of objects and reasons, the triple talaq Bill refers to the Shayara Bano versus Union of India case, the proposed law states, "In spite of the Supreme Court setting aside talaq-e-biddat (instant triple talaq), and the assurance of the AIMPLB (All India Muslim Personal Law Board), there have been reports of divorce by way of talaq-e-biddat from different parts of the country."

"It is seen that setting aside talaq-e-biddat by the Supreme Court has not worked as any deterrent in bringing down the number of divorces by this practice among certain Muslims," the Bill says building the context for the proposed law.

The Ministry of Law and Justice, which has drafted the Bill further states in the draft law that "to prevent the continued harassment being meted out to the hapless married Muslim women due to talaq-e-biddat, urgent suitable legislation is necessary."

WHAT TRIPLE TALAQ BILL SAYS

Named as the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, the proposed law states, "Any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken, written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal."

The triple talaq Bill provides for imprisonment of up to three years for violating the law. "Whoever pronounces talaq...upon his wife shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and fine," the Bill reads.

The divorced woman, according to the triple talaq Bill, is entitled to "receive from her husband such amount of subsistence allowance for her and dependent children."

The triple talaq Bill also makes the divorced woman custodian of minor children. The Bill also makes pronouncement of instant triple talaq a non-bailable offence under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 can be read here.

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--- ENDS ---
Forensic gardai at the scene where the body of Caine McCormack-Kirwan was found

The number of people murdered in gangland killings has fallen significantly this year, as gardai continue to crack down on the Kinahan cartel.

While the Hutch-Kinahan feud led to a spike in gangland killings, with 15 last year, that number has dropped to seven in 2017.

However, detectives fear the bloodshed could increase again next year, as a number of gangs across the capital are on the verge of all-out war.

The local disputes, which are not directly linked to the Hutch-Kinahan feud, have led to a number of people being shot dead this year.

In Finglas, a feud that has seen a number of botched shootings and attacks carried out could boil over, while crime gangs in the Coolock area are on the brink of war over the murder of criminal Jamie Tighe.

Revenge

Gardai have also kept a visible presence in west Dublin following two murders in the space of a week earlier this year, while other feuds are developing in Tallaght and Blanchardstown.

Two of the murders carried out this year are connected to the Hutch-Kinahan feud, which erupted following the Regency Hotel shooting in February 2016, with the other five linked to local disputes across the capital.

Two gun murders in west Dublin in a week led to fears of revenge attacks in that part of the city.

On September 9, Darragh Nugent was gunned down outside a house in Wheatfield Avenue, Neilstown, shortly after 9.30pm.

The 36-year-old was a close associate of suspected hitman James 'Nellie' Walsh and was himself before the courts on a firearm charge at the time of his death.

A week after Nugent's murder, his close friend John Gibson (28) was shot dead in the CityWest area of the capital.

Gibson was not involved in the feuding and is believed to have been gunned down because he was linked to an innocent female relative of Walsh.

These two murders are suspected of being carried out by a Clondalkin mob that is led by a close associate of the Kinahan cartel.

This individual was questioned over a botched murder plot against Hutch gang member James 'Mago' Gately and has also been arrested over a multi-million-pound drug seizure in Britain that is linked to the cartel.

Since the two murders, he has gone into hiding, with gardai fearing that his rivals will strike back against the gang.

"He has gone to ground, and his gang is getting weaker the longer he stays away," a source told the Herald.

"There are major concerns of a revenge attack against his gang over the murders of Nugent and John Gibson."

These two murders are linked to a feud in the area, which has so far claimed five lives.

Another death this year that gardai fear could lead to further gun attacks was the murder of Jamie Tighe (24).

Enemies

He was shot dead outside a house in the Moatview area of Coolock in the early hours of October 28.

He had links to a number of criminal gangs and was previously before the courts for assaulting a garda, as well as for firearms offences.

In the aftermath of his killing, a close male associate of Tighe armed himself with a firearm to "seek revenge".

Officers are braced for a backlash between associates of Tighe and their enemies based in the Coolock and Finglas areas.

Tighe was a close associate of a notorious Dublin hitman who is the chief suspect in the murders of mother-of-six Antoinette Corbally (48) and innocent locksmith Clinton Shannon (30) in north Dublin in the summer.

The double murder was carried out in Ballymun on August 15 and has led to growing tensions in the area.

Detectives have so far arrested one individual who they suspect sourced the cars used in the hit, while armed gardai have kept a constant presence in the area.

The intended target was convicted criminal Derek 'Bottler' Devoy (38), who fled over a wall at the rear of the property when the shooting began.

Despite eight murders being committed in Ireland as part of the Hutch-Kinahan feud last year, that number has dropped to two so far in 2017, owing largely to a number of successful garda operations.

Michael Keogh (38) was shot dead in an underground car park near Dorset Street on May 30.

He was not centrally involved with the Kinahan cartel, but was closely linked to some of its associates.

Hired

Last month, Caine McCormack-Kirwan (24) was found dead with three gunshot wounds in a field near the Meath-Kildare border.

Gardai suspect he was shot dead on the orders of the Kinahan cartel, and are investigating whether a west Dublin crime gang was hired to carry out the murder.

Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy previously revealed that gardai investigating 19 murders in the capital in the first 11 months of the year had made 19 arrests, while seven people had been charged as part of those investigations.

These murders include the seven carried out by organised crime gangs as well as domestic homicides and other killings.

Officers have also carried out 42 searches as part of murder investigations, which have resulted in eight firearms being seized and a total of 3,991 investigative tasks being carried out.
Talks will continue next year on providing vital weight-loss surgery for children at the new National Children's Hospital.

Prof Donal O'Shea, who was appointed last September as the HSE's Clinical Lead for Obesity, said he has already had one meeting with the hospital about the issue, and a follow-up one will be scheduled.

He said there was a clear acknowledgement that obesity surgeries for adolescents are already a necessity.

"It is a requirement that we are not meeting at the moment," Prof O'Shea added.

A small number of teenagers are being sent for obesity surgery to Britain, where a number of centres carry out paediatric bariatric operations.

"Part of my job as HSE Lead for Obesity is to make sure that we have access to appropriate access to treatment, and that includes for children," Prof O'Shea said.

"So I know from talking to paediatric anaesthetists and paediatric surgeons that they have already had to kind of upgrade their equipment and their operating theatres and their trolleys to cope with the weight of the kids who are having routine operations like tonsils and appendixes and things like that."

Bariatric, or weight-loss, surgery carried out on adolescents is the same as that carried out on adults, where the size of the stomach is reduced.

Extreme

"At the moment there isn't really effective medication, so it's down to, in the extreme situations, you need to do the gastric bypass surgery," Prof O'Shea said.

He added that the new Children's Hospital had indicated it would be hoping to appoint a surgeon with an interest in bariatric procedures.

"They realise it needs to happen and they realise therefore that they need to hire the expertise and you need to recruit a bariatric surgeon," he said.

"That kind of service could only be in the National Children's Hospital.

"I don't think we will ever have a volume enough to say it should be in a second centre also."

Prof O'Shea said the surgeries would have to be done on a case-by-case basis. He did not envisage more than between 20 and 30 procedures a year being done at the hospital.

"I really would like to think that over the next 20 years you would see the need for childhood obesity surgery decrease," he said.

Prof O'Shea has been seconded from his clinical post two days a week to work with the HSE's healthy-eating, active-living policy programme.

A key focus of his role is the development and integration of evidence-based models of care that strengthen prevention, early intervention, treat- ment for overweight and obese people across primary care and acute services for children and adults.

The Government's Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan has set out a 10-step plan to address the issue.

It comes as figures show that 90pc of obese children will go on to become obese adults.
Man arrested after mother, daughter found slain in Hagerstown hotel

Hagerstown Police said Thursday night they had arrested a 22-year-old man in the deaths of a mother and daughter found in a city hotel Wednesday.
W ith 2017 soon coming to an end, how better to celebrate another year gone by than throwing a New Years Eve party?

Toast 2018 in style with these hand-decorated wine glasses from Tesco, with gleaming gold and platinum bands.

Hipsters will love these geometric-shaped glass tumblers from Cuckooland, which have taken inspiration from modern terrariums. And what could be more hipster than these glass-and-gold pineapple cocktail cups from Oliver Bonas, which are just the ticket for pretending you're enjoying a more tropical climate. It comes with a matching metallic straw too.

Keep your guests well fed with this serving board and trio of small bowls from Aldi.

Holding two enameled bowls on a stemmed ash wood tray, this duo from LSA International is perfect for serving tapas or dips.

Finally, no shindig is complete without decorations to get guests into the party spirit.

Featuring the words Pop fizz clink', this garland from Etsy will look great draped over a mantelpiece or hung on a wall.

Take a scroll through our gallery above for more inspiration on how to end 2017 with a bang...
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Opens in Eugene, Oregon

The 81-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Eugene, Oregon is scheduled to open on Friday, December 29, 2017. Located at 3003 Franklin Boulevard, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Eugene East/Springfield will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Alko Hotels of Eugene, Oregon.

Located 11 miles from Eugene Airport and just minutes from downtown, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Eugene East/Springfield offers guests convenient access to the University of Oregon, downtown Springfield, the Matthew Knight Arena and the Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum.

"Delivering both function and comfort, our new design and decor elevate the Fairfield brand, setting a new standard in the moderate tier category," said Callette Nielsen, vice president and global brand manager, Fairfield Inn & Suites. "At Fairfield Inn & Suites, we provide an easy, positive and productive travel experience, as well as the promise of consistent and reliable service at an exceptional value. The Fairfield Inn & Suites Eugene East/Springfield is a truly stunning example of the brand's contemporary look and feel, and we are pleased to introduce Fairfield Inn & Suites hotels in the Eugene area."

From the moment they arrive, guests are welcomed by the hotel's modern, bright new design features, including an updated exterior with a signature tower, a curved porte-cochere and an inviting glass entrance that ushers them into the hotel. Once inside, guests experience the hotel's open public space featuring natural light and views throughout the lobby to connect the indoors with the outdoors. Consistent with the Fairfield brand's heritage of great service and a warm welcome, guests are greeted by associates who can easily move from behind the angled front desk to interact and answer questions.

In the lobby area, guests can choose to be productive, relax or enjoy breakfast or a snack in a modern and flexible environment featuring a vibrant, natural color palette of greens, blues and oranges. Guests can also unwind in the lobby's inviting living area  whose focal points include a natural stone hearth, organic-shaped sofa and lounge chair, and unique local features  or they can grab a drink or snack item from the 24/7 Corner Market.

"We are thrilled to be adding a Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott to the Eugen/Springfield area," said Alpesh (Al) Patel and Komal (Tina) Patel, owners of Fairfield Inn & Suites Eugene East/Springfield. "We believe this property will appeal to business and leisure travelers seeking modern design features and amenities consistent with the Fairfield Inn & Suites brand's tradition of great guest services."

The breakfast area's signature farm table provides a central gathering place where guests can watch television, meet up with colleagues or get work done. In the morning, guests can enjoy complimentary hot breakfast, choosing from oatmeal, scrambled eggs, sausage, make-your-own waffles and other healthy items, such as fruit, yogurt, and whole grain cereals and breads.

The signature "smart" room decor warmly welcomes guests into a comfortable, productive and restful environment. Flexible and functional, the guest room includes a well-designed work area, an ergonomic chair, task lighting and electrical outlets where guests need them. A curved, mobile desk enables guests to create their own work space, while also optimizing their television viewing.

Inspired by nature, the hotel's thoughtfully designed rooms and suites place the living and working area near the window to allow for more natural light and views. Building on this natural design, the room decor features organic patterns and fresh colors, blending wood tones with bright pops of color. The new design also places the sleeping area toward the middle of the room, helping to give guests a better night's sleep on plush mattresses, as well as easier access to the bathroom and wardrobe. The bright, spacious living area also offers a comfortable couch, refrigerator, coffeemaker, microwave and 43-inch flat-screen television offering premium movie channels.

Additional hotel amenities include an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, valet laundry service, complimentary Wi-Fi, as well as fax and copy services. The hotel also offers 300 square feet of space to accommodate functions of up to 30 people.
A hip-hop group from Charlotte, North Carolina is in a whole heap of trouble with the law, after being indicted on federal charges related to a complex fraud scheme that was apparently worth $1.2 million.

According to WSOC TV, documentation from police sources reveal that several members of the crew named Freebandz Gang have been charged in connection with the scheme, which involved bank and identity theft that was generating quite a lucrative business for all involved. Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have not opened up and discussed exact details of the case with the media as of yet, but did admit that a rise in homegrown crimes similar to this one led them to form a brand-new task force to try and squash this kind of activity.

[Image via WSOC TV]

Sergeant Robert Sprague, a specialist in financial criminal activity for the CMPD, stated that local crooks in the identity theft business often work in groups and trust only those they know as a result. Using other neighbors, friends, family, relatives as their victims. Absolutely, it makes it very dangerous, Sprague said. The FreeBandz Gang members supposedly made approaches to people either in person or via social media and offer them $500 or $1,000 to open a bank account. Then, using altered checks, they would deposit and withdraw the money before banks were able to catch on.

Federal agents have confirmed that the suspects already indicted could face 30 years behind bars for their crimes. A representative for one of the banks that was used in the scheme offered up only materials pertaining to self-help steps to minimize the effects of a potential fraud instead of a comment.

Police
In preparation for Isaiah Thomas return to the court, Nike has introduced a special edition Kobe A.D. that the Cavs guard figures to lace up when he finally makes his season debut.

The Mighty I.T Nike Kobe A.D. comes dressed in wine and gold, as a nod to the Cavs uniforms, and also features a smaller Nike swoosh inside a larger swoosh silhouette which is of course inspired by the All-Star guards 59 frame. Additionally, Thomas initials are stamped on the heel above Kobe Bryants logo.

According to J23app, the Mighty I.T. Kobe A.D. is scheduled to release on January 6th, prior to the Cavs game against the Orlando Magic.

Its still unclear when Isaiah Thomas will be healthy enough to play but hell likely be making his debut any day now. Tyronn Lue has already ruled him out for tonights game against the Kings, but he left the door open for Clevelands final game of 2017  a Saturday night matchup in Utah.

IT
California is known for a lot of things but theyve definitely turned themselves into a marijuana capital of the world. For a while, the use of marijuana was strictly for patients with medicinal cards but come Monday, marijuana will be available to purchase for recreational use. With that being said, fast food restaurant, Jack In The Box, is gearing to celebrate the full legalization with their customers with a brand new boxed deal.

Snoop Doggs Merry Jane website and Jack In The Box have teamed up to launch a limited time Merry Munchie Meal in January in celebration of the legalization of recreational marijuana use. The boxed deal will include two tacos, five mini churros, three chicken strips and a drink as well as a box of half curly fries and half onion rings. To top it off, the boxed meal will only cost you $4.20.

The box will be co-branded with Snoop Doggs Merry Jane website with their marijuana leaf logo on the box. The meal will only be available in three locations in Long Beach, CA, Snoop Doggs hometown, from January 18th to the 25th. If this goes well, theres a good chance this is just the beginning of a budding relationship between the fast food joint and the website.

Jack In The Box has a history of catering to their stoner demographic. Theyve previously launched their Munchie Meals in their late-night menu and theyve had commercials with blatant references to stoner culture including their Two Tacos for 99 cents deal.

Find out more about the Merry Munchie Meal here.
According to a piece published on STAT News, The Dr. Phil Show has come under fire for reportedly administering illicit drugs and alcohol to guests suffering from addiction in order to boost ratings. These allegations come from former Survivor: China contestant Todd Herzog, who was a guest on Dr. Phils show in 2013 to detail his experiences with alcoholism.

Herzogs account notes how he was initially flown to Los Angeles to appear on a segment on The Dr. Phil Show, where he recounts that he was checked into a hotel for a two day detox. However, he was then transported to the studios where the show is regularly filmed and found a bottle of vodka in the green room. Herzog proceeded to drink the entire litre of alcohol before he was offered a Xanax by a producer in a bid to calm his nerves before facing a live studio audience. Herzog was reportedly so drunk that he needed to be carried to his chair in order to partake in the interview.

Herzog appeared on the show a total of four times, and reveals how his first three visits were manipulated by crew members to worsen his condition for the general public. Herzog explains how he returned to the show a fourth time in order to take advantage of the free treatment being offered to him, and has since become sober.

Other guests also voiced similar experiences with coercion on set, as one unidentified woman claims that she was told to purchase heroin for her detoxing niece.

Uproxx notes that executives on The Dr. Phil Show have since denied these claims as untrue.

Check out a video of one of Herzogs appearances on the show below:
U.S. shale drillers appear to have abandoned risky financial strategies that exacerbated the dot-com meltdown and made the recent oil bust far more painful for Houston companies and their employees.

In recent months, investors have demanded executives focus on delivering investment returns and fueling operations with their own cash instead of running up large debts or diluting shares in stock sales to pump ever-increasing amounts of oil.

It's a big change for a boom-and-bust industry, but oil companies seem compliant, even restrained, so far. Though oil prices have surged toward $60 a barrel in recent weeks, the number of working U.S. oil rigs hasn't skyrocketed. In fact, the oil-rig count has barely budged since early November.

"The hype is over," said Chris Midgley, global head of analytics at S&P Global Platts. "We're seeing a change in their behavior and mindset. The dot-com-boom mentality has dissipated. Now there's a really strong focus on accountability."

Midgley believes investor pressure will keep the U.S. oil industry in line in 2018 after energy companies underperformed in the S&P 500 Index this year. He also thinks banks will tighten their purse strings for oil producers; that oilfield-service companies will have to raise prices; and that the world's oil stockpile will decline next year.

Those are just some of the things Midgley and others predict for 2018, a year that could bring the oil industry further out of its financial straits, as long as crude prices remain elevated.

U.S. oil edged down 33 cents Wednesday to settle at $59.64 a barrel, but the price is up 11 percent from the beginning of the year.

Another thing that might happen next year is a wave of corporate acquisitions of companies that exited bankruptcy court led by new owners, their former bondholders.

Dallas law firm Haynes & Boone, which tracked the bankruptcy cases of more than 130 debt-laden North American oil companies, said most of the time, bondholders end up as shareholders after a company is reorganized in bankruptcy proceedings.

"They're interested sellers because they never intended to own an oil company," said Buddy Clark, a Houston partner and co-chair of the energy practice group at Dallas-based law firm Haynes & Boone. "Those bondholders are not oil men. They're bond traders."

Higher oil prices, Clark said, could mean more of these transactions.

Higher prices could also mean oil companies will pursue litigation more often, said Brit Brown, Houston managing partner and chair of the energy sector team at the law firm Akerman.

The oil downturn, Brown said, had led companies to cut their in-house legal departments, forcing the departure of experienced personnel who had built relationships with other companies that proved useful in heated disputes.

During the downturn, companies were shying away from litigation and arbitration because it is not cheap or quick. But now that oil-company budgets are stabilizing, in-house legal departments are being rebuilt and companies are assessing "their legal docket, what needs to be addressed and what needs to be let go," Brown said.

"There seems to be a greater willingness to pursue a legal right," he said. "Smaller and midlevel commercial disputes are now being raised."

Unless the oil market sinks again, the benefits of higher crude prices will have to spread across the energy industry. Next year, Midgley said, oilfield-service companies will have to raise their prices to avoid financial disaster. A majority of both drilling contractors and hydraulic-fracturing companies are on negative credit watch at S&P.

"That's unsustainable," Midgley said. "Prices have to go up. That's a very strong indicator costs have to move in one direction only. They have to start earning returns, as well."

That could make it more expensive to pump oil next year. Investors are expected to keep a closer eye on the economics of wells in the oil patch. They've taken companies to task for advertising high rates of return on wells without taking into account factors such as lease and debt costs that reduce the ultimate investment return.

For some of these wells, returns are a tenth as profitable as advertised.

"You're looking at $65 a barrel oil being roughly the break-even level," Midgley said. "The industry is being held a lot more accountable."

That's one reason Midgley thinks it is unlikely U.S. drillers will lead a massive rebound in production next year. He believes oil companies are going to keep the rig count flatter and attempt to manage operating costs more carefully.

But can the entire oil industry resist the pull of higher prices? The big companies can, but smaller ones probably won't, said Aaron Brady, an oil market analyst at IHS Markit.

"We're skeptical that the industry as a whole will live within its cash flow," Brady said. "The industry could outspend cash flow by 25 percent and capital markets are willing to fund that, especially when prices are rising."

Next year, Brady said, it's going to be harder for oil companies to boost production than it was this year. Shale wells have sharp decline rates in the first year of production, but that natural decline eases in the second and third year.

In 2017, oil companies were increasing production with low decline rates because far fewer wells had been drilled in 2015 and 2016. Next year, oil companies will have to replace barrels lost in the younger, faster-depleting wells drilled in 2017.

Still, Brady said, if U.S. oil companies can manage to boost production to record levels as the Energy Department expects, that growth could present a dilemma for OPEC and Russia, which have curbed production in an effort to support oil prices.

"That kind of growth is going to keep a lid on prices," Brady said. "How long will OPEC and Russia be willing to put up with that?"
The Asia/Pacific hotel industry reported occupancy increased 3.9% year over year to 74.6%, ADR rose 2.8% to $103.05 and RevPAR jumped 6.8% to $76.87 during the month.

Hotels in the Asia Pacific region reported positive year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during November 2017, according to data from STR.

U.S. dollar constant currency, November 2017 vs. November 2016

Asia Pacific

Occupancy: +3.9% to 74.6%

Average daily rate (ADR): +2.8% to US$103.05

Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +6.8% to US$76.87

Local currency, November 2017 vs. November 2016

Thailand reported the highest RevPAR growth in the region (+16.6%). The absolute RevPAR level (THB2,973.29) was the highest RevPAR for any November on record in the country.

Indonesia was affected by the eruption of Mount Agung, resulting in a 2.2% decline in RevPAR. Occupancy in Bali fell 7.4%, which caused RevPAR to decline 8.3% for the month.

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STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com.

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 2022 Hospitality Trends
Meteorite That Landed in Winchcombe Has a Connection With Water on Earth, Finds Study
After earlier vowing to remove goodies from Ryanair pilots as unrest spread, Michael OLeary took credit for the U-turn on union recognition. Photo: Niall Carson/PA

Europe's aviation market witnessed enormous upheaval in 2017. Ryanair was arguably centre-stage, first with its September admission that it had mismanaged its pilot rosters.

That resulted in the carrier cancelling thousands of flights and grounding aircraft into 2018 as it sought to fix the problem.

But it also unleashed a push for what eventually be a dramatic change at the 32-year-old airline, with its landmark decision this month to recognise unions.

It was a major U-turn from the entrenched position that Ryanair and CEO Michael O'Leary had clung onto for decades: that union recognition would never happen at the airline.

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In September, the threats to its 4,200 pilots began as it became evident they were agitating for change.

"I don't even know how there would be industrial action in Ryanair," Mr O'Leary said that month following the airline's annual general meeting at its Dublin headquarters. "There isn't a union in Ryanair. There has been no demand for new contracts."

He added that any pilots who engage in industrial action such could "kiss goodbye" to pay increases.

He insisted it wasn't a threat.

"We'd never threaten our pilots," he said. "We have some goodies to discuss with pilots, but if pilots misbehave, that will be the end of discussion on goodies. I don't think that would be construed as a threat."

But as its pilots became increasingly organised, it was apparent there was a real desire among large numbers of them for change.

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The rostering failure wasn't the result of just some administrative challenge - it unmasked a significant problem Ryanair had with retaining pilots. As Ryanair intensified efforts to keep a lid on the fallout, it also canned efforts to acquire part of the failed Italian flag carrier Alitalia.

Meanwhile, the pilots methodically plotted their strategy, creating Ryanair company councils under the auspices of unions around Europe, ensuring that any industrial action they might take was legally watertight.

The acrimony from the Ryanair side intensified, as a newly-formed pilot group sought to engage with the airline.

Former Ryanair executive, Peter Bellew, who had been working as CEO of Malaysia Airlines, returned to the Dublin-based carrier as chief operations officer. He was tasked with sorting out the pilot rostering mess and getting things generally back on track.

In December, the Irish Independent revealed Mr Bellew's own damning take on how the Ryanair culture had broken.

Speaking to Ryanair pilots at London Stansted, its biggest base, the day before the airline announced it would recognise unions, he said the tone at the carrier had become "miserable", even at head office.

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He described a litany of administrative failures at the company, which he said had contributed to the rock-bottom morale and the September rostering crisis that prompted a demand from pilots for collective bargaining rights and better working conditions.

"It seems that there was a culture that people who knew there was a problem ... that they were not listened to, or they were actively discouraged from even raising the issue any further," he said.

"Basic, basic, basic things that had been operated here for many years just were thrown in the basement."

The culture was one where pilots could not even get answers in many cases to simple requests, he admitted.

"Everywhere I turned, I could see that people were asking for small things to be done and they just weren't getting done," added Mr Bellew.

"Or, not only were they not getting done, they were getting told: 'P**s off, leave me alone; I don't want to know about this'."

He acknowledged that retaining pilots was his key priority for now.

In an interview with Reuters just two days after the Irish Independent revealed those comments, Mr O'Leary insisted the idea to recognise unions had been his.

Staff Ryanair pilots in Dublin who are members of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association had announced they would strike for 24 hours on December 20. Pilots in Portugal and Germany were set to follow suit. In Italy, a strike was also planned.

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Then on December 15, Ryanair announced that it would recognise unions. The first talks have been held between Ryanair management and unions in what is going to be a turbulent flight path.

Meanwhile, Aer Lingus, now part of the IAG group that owns British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, continued its transatlantic expansion.

It added new long-haul A330s, and opened or announced routes to Miami, Philadelphia and Seattle.

In October, Aer Lingus chief operating officer Mike Rutter said it will take delivery of eight Airbus A321LR long-range aircraft between 2019 and 2020. These will be used to further bolster its transatlantic network, and will add 700 jobs at the airline.

In November, Aer Lingus CEO Stephen Kavanagh said that it has no plans to rejoin the Oneworld alliance of leading airlines.

"We believe that we can bring more choice to the market place and grow in connected businesses without compromising any of our existing businesses or the consumer," he said. "We're about building cost efficiency and capacity."

Aer Lingus and other carriers also saw transatlantic competition intensify with the launch of Norwegian Air's low-cost routes from Ireland to the United States.

There had been intense opposition from politicians and airlines in the United States to the launch of the services, and the granting of Dublin-based Norwegian Air International (NAI, a unit of Norwegian Air Shuttle), the necessary permit to operate between Ireland and the US.

"Low-cost transatlantic is coming. So why stop it?" the CEO of NAI, Tore Jenssen, told the Irish Independent in June.

"Try to make yourself more efficient instead of doing like the Americans do and trying to stop this for whatever it's worth," he said. "They know it's coming, but they try to stop it and milk the market for as long as they can. All they can do is slow it down because it is coming."

Elsewhere in aviation circles, the Dublin Airport Authority's CEO, Kevin Toland, left to become CEO of troubled Swiss-Irish food group Aryzta.

He was succeeded by Dalton Philips, the former boss of British supermarket chain Morrisons.

Mr Philips, a native of Co Wicklow, is also a former Brown Thomas CEO.

In January, Eamonn Brennan, the exiting chief executive of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), takes over as the new director general of Eurocontrol - the intergovernmental organisation responsible for the development of air traffic management across Europe.

Mr Brennan's likely successor was tipped to come from inside the IAA.

Peter Kearney, its director of air traffic management and strategy, and Ralph James, its director of safety regulation, were seen as the leading contenders to succeed Mr Brennan.

And with Brexit now just over a year away, just how the UK will fit into the EU's open skies is a huge question that remains unresolved.

Without a deal being sealed, it's possible in a worst-case scenario that there could be no flights operating between the EU and the UK for a period of weeks after Brexit happens. It would have a calamitous impact on passengers and airlines.

This year also saw the collapse of Air Berlin, as Gulf carrier Etihad said it could no longer provide financial support to the German airline.

Etihad's failed strategy of taking stakes in European and other carriers put the airline under significant pressure.

It was also a major shareholder in Alitalia, but was also no longer able to keep propping up that carrier, which went into administration in May.

Etihad's long-time CEO, Australian James Hogan, was succeeded in September this year by Tony Douglas, the former head of Abu Dhabi Airports.

At home, 2017 will also be remembered for the devastating crash of Rescue 116.

The Sikorsky S-92A, which was operated for the Irish Coast Guard by the Irish unit of Canadian firm CHC, was destroyed on impact with Blackrock, a small island off the west coast, during a mission.

The last words recorded by the helicopter's flight recorder were: "We're gone."

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy, winchman Ciaran Smith and winchman Paul Ormsby were all killed in the accident.
The Good Friday Agreement is a near "miracle" that must be protected in the wake of Brexit, including border issues, according to the European Commission first vice-president.

Frans Timmermans said Ireland's interests "will need special attention" as negotiations get under way proper.

His comments will be a fillip to the Government, which has been lobbying hard to outline Ireland's unique position amid fears that we have the most to lose from Brexit.

Mr Timmermans believes that any future Brexit deal should "reflect the need for Ireland and the UK to be able to prolong their agreements".

But Mr Timmermans, who is in Dublin today on an official visit, would not commit to working for an invisible border on the island, saying the details would need to be worked out during the talks.

"If the Taoiseach and the foreign minister say that a border will cause problems, this should be something we all keep in mind when we talk about finding solutions that reflect the need to separate the UK from the EU, but also reflect the need for Ireland and the UK to be able to prolong their agreements, and for all of the EU to take its share of responsibility to maintain both the letter and the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement," he told the Irish Independent.

"What the final outcome of this is going to be, I don't know, but I just want to underline again and again that we all have a duty towards the Irish citizens, whether they are citizens of the Republic, or Irish people living on the island, to make sure that this historic achievement of peace is not put into jeopardy," Mr Timmermans, who is the commission's second-in-command, said.

"How you do that technically is something we need to look at in the negotiations, but this state of mind should be guiding our hand in the negotiations."

Mr Timmermans, a Dutchman who speaks flawless English - a skill he picked up as an adolescent while at the British school in Rome, is personally invested in safeguarding the peace process, adding that it is also in the EU's "strategic interest".

"I was born in 1961, and all through my childhood until adulthood, I was confronted with images of terrible violence in the North, and a conflict that nobody thought anybody could solve," he said.

"So I honestly believe the Good Friday Agreement is almost a miracle, and it deserves to be upheld and protected with all the political clout we can muster in Europe."

Irish politicians, officials and interest groups have been knocking on doors all over Europe to make their case for special treatment during the Brexit talks.

Read more: Gerry Adams: Hard border inevitable unless NI given special status post-Brexit

While there is a lot of sympathy for Ireland's position - particularly in small island nations with strong ties to Britain, like Malta and Cyprus - many larger countries, who have greater sway in the EU, have their own agendas.

In the Netherlands, France and Germany leaders are busy fending off populist challengers ahead of upcoming elections. Italy's government recently collapsed. Spain has its eyes on Gibraltar. Poland is focused on securing its citizens' rights in the UK.

Mr Timmermans says there is "a tremendous amount of goodwill" towards Ireland and that "its interests will need special attention".

But once the talks get under way - which will happen later in the spring, after EU leaders draw up negotiating guidelines - there are no guarantees Ireland will get a good deal.

That fear has led to speculation of an Irish EU exit, which the Taoiseach vehemently rejected in a speech last week, saying the EU was fundamental to Ireland's interests.

"I would absolutely never accept that Ireland would be sort of set apart from the rest of Europe simply because of geography or history," Mr Timmermans said.

"Ireland is absolutely not alone in this."

His boss, Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, has expressed fears the UK could divide and conquer the EU during the talks, by offering sweeteners to individual countries.

"Of course it's in the nature of diplomacy that the other side - in this case being the Brits - is going to look for the best possible deal it can get," Mr Timmermans said.

"They will approach member states, also individually.

"But that's entirely up to the 27 [other EU countries] whether they want to play this game or not. It's entirely up to them how united they want to be."

A former foreign and Europe minister, Mr Timmermans takes a philosophical view of the difficulty facing mainstream politics in the Netherlands, France and Germany ahead of elections this year.

The growth of right-wing nationalism, he says, is a reaction to people's fears about their future prosperity, and is more pronounced in richer countries that have weathered the financial crisis.

While visiting Ireland, he will meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny, whose political travails Mr Timmermans says are not unique in Europe.

"Given the nature of politics today, given the instability in the political systems in all our member states, there is not one prime minister who knows whether she or he will survive the next couple of months," he said.

"So in that sense the situation in Ireland is in line with the situation in most of our member states.

"I have no judgment about the issue at hand, but the political context in which leaders of governments have to operate is comparable in many member states.

"Just take one look at the United States to see how volatile things have become in the western world."
The reason the UK attracts so much EU funding is the reputation of many of its universities; if they lose out, so could Ireland. Stock photo: PA

Ireland's higher education system could enjoy a positive spin-off from Brexit, although it also presents huge dangers.

On the plus side, Ireland may become a magnet for talented academics and researchers - and the research funding they bring - as well as international students, who want to work or study in what will then be one of just two English speaking countries in the EU (the other being Malta).

Among the negatives could be the effective closing off of a route to college in the UK, which is taken by thousands of Irish students every year.

For academics and researchers, language may not be Ireland's only attraction - there is a very large pot of funding disbursed from Brussels to member states for research.

The UK is a major net beneficiary of this funding, and, in its absence, the theory is there would be more for everyone else, including, importantly, English-speaking Ireland.

But it's not that simple. According to a Brexit discussion paper from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), some 72pc of grants to Ireland under a recent EU research programme involved a UK partner.

The reason the UK attracts so much EU funding is the reputation of many of its universities; if they lose out, so could Ireland.

Brexit holds the potential to drive a large number of international students who either want an English language third-level education, or to learn English in Ireland, into a lucrative "industry" the Government is trying to develop.

On the other hand, there are 2,000 or so students from the Republic who attend college in Northern Ireland each year, and about 12,000 others in England, Scotland and Wales - many because they could not gain access to a course in Ireland.

In 2019, will a student from Dundalk in Queen's University Belfast,be treated as an "international" and be liable for double-digit fees? Will the many Irish school leavers and graduates of post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses who study medicine/health sciences in the UK because the points system does not allow them to do so at home face a similar fate?

The impact of Brexit, particularly on the daily movements of staff and students who live on one side of the Border and work or study on the other, is a major issue. A recent paper by the Royal Irish Academy highlighted concern among academics about the importance of maintaining an open Border to allow free travel.
FTSE-100 firms listed on the London Stock Exchange include Irish companies like CRH and DCC. Photo: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

The chief executives of the FTSE-100 share index - which includes Irish firms CRH, Paddy Power Betfair, Smurfit Kappa and DCC - were paid an average of 94 times more in 2016 than the average employee at their companies, according to a new study.

The annual survey of European top-brass pay by the Vlerick Business School in Belgium found that leading UK executives are the highest paid, on average, relative to their own employees, amongst business leaders in other EU countries surveyed.

The revelations come amid a continuing debate regarding executive pay and growing legislative efforts in Europe to push for the average employee pay to be revealed in the annual reports of stock market-listed companies.

"Companies having a better financial performance, try to make more efficient use of their money," said Xavier Baeten, a professor of management practice at the Vlerick Business School.

"It isn't the case that in order to have a better-performing firm, you need to have a better-paid CEO," he added.

The ratio of executive pay at FTSE-100 companies relative to the average earned by employees at the firms, beat that earned in by executives in all the other countries studied by the business school: Germany, France, Sweden and the Netherlands.

In 2016, Albert Manifold, CEO of Ireland's biggest company, CRH, received a total remuneration package of 10m last year - a record at the global building materials giant. But 4.8m of that related to payments received under a long-term incentive plan.

At the company's annual general meeting in April, Mr Manifold defended his package.

"When shareholders do very well, I do very well," he said, noting that the company has generated significant returns for shareholders.

Tommy Breen, the former CEO of diversified distribution group DCC, was paid a total of 5.7m in the company's last financial year. Mr Breen retired from the role in the summer. His pay packet included a 1.4m bonus and 2.3m in payments under a long-term incentive plan.

The company's operating profit in its last financial year soared almost 21pc to 345m (388.5m).

At packaging giant Smurfit Kappa, CEO Tony Smurfit was paid a total of 2.4m in 2016. That included a base salary of 1.1m, a 285,000 cash bonus, 285,000 in deferred shares, and a performance element of 366,000.

Smurfit Kappa posted a 5pc increase in its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation last year to a record 1.23bn.

At Paddy Power Betfair, departing CEO Breon Corcoran received a total remuneration package of 1.5m (1.69m) in 2016 financial year - the year on which the Vlerick Business School based its most recent report.

Mr Corcoran's remuneration at the gambling group included a base salary of 642,000 and a 798,000 bonus.

Many listed companies, including CRH, Smurfit Kappa, DCC and Paddy Power Betfair, already give their shareholders a say on pay via non-binding votes at their annual general meetings. While the votes aren't binding, they are a way in which shareholders can effectively voice dissatisfaction or approval of executive pay.

Negative results are highly embarrassing for listed firms.
CHC, which is now controlled in the United States, operates the search and rescue service helicopters around the coast. Photo: Damien Eagers

The company that operated the R116 search and rescue helicopter that crashed off Co Mayo this year with the loss of its crew, has admitted that it may be subject to legal and regulatory proceedings that could materially affect its profitability.

CHC Ireland, which is now controlled by US-based CHC but has its roots in Canada, made the admission in the latest set of accounts published for the firm at the Companies Registration Office.

The R116 Sikorsky helicopter was providing cover on a mission in March that involved the rescue of an injured fisherman from a UK-registered vessel about 240km off Ireland's west coast.

But the aircraft disappeared from radar at 12.45am on March 14. It had been returning to Blacksod, Co Mayo, to refuel but en route it crashed into Blackrock Island.

It later emerged that the island was not included on the helicopter's onboard warning system due to missing navigational data on maps published by the Irish Aviation Authority.

The four crew members of the R116 - Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby and winchman Ciaran Smith - died in the tragedy.

"Two investigations are currently under way by Republic of Ireland agencies," CHC Ireland directors noted in its most recently filed annual accounts.

They noted that one probe is being undertaken by the Air Accident Investigations Unit (AAIU) and another joint investigation being carried out by the police and the Health and Safety Authority.

CHC Ireland said it expected the full report from the AAIU to be released early in 2018, following a preliminary report that was published in April this year.

"This accident could result in legal and regulatory proceedings, which could materially impact our revenue and profitability," CHC Ireland noted in its accounts.

"It is too early to determine the extent of the impact of the accident on our results of operations or financial condition based on the information currently available."

The latest set of accounts for the company show that its profit after tax fell to 2.8m in the 12 months to the end of last April.

That compared to a profit after tax of just under 4m in the previous financial year.

CHC Ireland said the decline in profitability in the period was "mainly" due to penalties imposed in the latest financial year.

It did not specify what the penalties related to, or how much they were.

CHC Ireland operates search and rescue services for the Irish Coast Guard under a 10-year, 500m contract, from bases at Dublin, Shannon, Sligo and Waterford.
The monastic Island of Skellig Michael was founded in 588 by Saint Fionan - for 600 years the island was a centre of monastic life for Irish Christian monks. It's a main location for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Photo: Valerie OSullivan

An aerial shot of Skellig Michael, which has six beehive huts situated almost at the summit of the 230-metre-high rock. Photo:Valerie OSullivan

Skellig Michael, home to one of Europe's better known but least accessible monasteries. The word 'Scellic' means a steep rock. Photo:Valerie OSullivan

THE success of Star Wars: The Last Jedi has prompted the Irish Film Board (IFB) to consider reopening its Los Angeles office after the interest the film generated in its locations here.

The IFB hopes an LA base will help to entice more Hollywood producers to shoot blockbusters in Ireland.

The California office was shut in 2012 due to funding cuts and changing priorities.

But IFB head James Hickey insists a presence there is vital to ensure Ireland remains on international producers' radars.

"LA is a very important place," he said. "A final decision has yet to be made about an LA office.

Tourism

"It's important to ensure Ireland is at the front of people's consideration when they look at where they might shoot feature films, TV dramas, feature animation or anything that would increase production activity".

Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland's chief executive believes 2017's record tourism revenue of over 5.78billion is partly down to the "Star Wars draw".

The publicity the film gave landscapes such as the Skelligs and Malin Head - and the tax break afforded by Section 481 - should continue to pique interest in Ireland.

"Star Wars has been a wonderful film for Ireland to benefit from," Mr Hickey added, "from the filming and employment that took place during production to the world impact and recognition".

Some people were distressed that the Skelligs, one of our most precious early Christian sites, was used merely as an exotic backdrop to a Hollywood sci-fi tale.

However, when asked if the impetus in reopening an office in Hollywood was to find the "next Star Wars", Mr Hickey replied: "Short answer? Yes."

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Over the last five years, the Irish film industry has gone from strength to strength.

It currently employs more 7,000 full-time job equivalents and is valued at over half a billion euros in annual turnover.

On the international stage, Ireland's reputation for producing fine film-makers has also soared.

Previously, getting a Golden Globe or Oscar nomination was a rarity. Now, it has become almost commonplace.

In 2017, actress Ruth Negga, costume designer Consolata Boyle and Irish co-production The Lobster were all in the running for an Oscar.

It seems almost inevitable that next year, actress Saoirse Ronan, Irish animation The Breadwinner and director Martin McDonagh will all make top awards shortlists.

In addition, in order to address issues of gender inequality in Ireland's film and TV industry, the IFB has launched a number of schemes to encourage female film-makers.

It introduced a six-point gender equality plan in 2015 and has launched incentives for female writers, directors and producers to develop films.

By offering financial grants for female-driven projects, the board believes production companies will actively seek out female voices and stories.

The IFB has also worked with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), guilds and producers to explore issues of unconscious bias.

"Women have always been interested in pushing themselves forward and in getting their voices heard on the screen," said IFB chair Annie Doona. "But I think maybe the board coming forward and saying we are encouraging this gave an extra impetus."

In 2018, the IFB hopes the number of diverse voices increases. This year, the board received a budget increase of 1.5m, a 9pc hike, which brings the total to just over 14m.

However, while the IFB acknowledges that this is a substantial amount, it insists it has to return to the pre-recession funding of 20m to properly utilise the creative potential of the industry.

Does the board have any idea how long that may take?

"Good question," replied Mr Hickey and Ms Doona in unison.
Thalia Heffernan dancing with partner Curtis Pritchard, amid rumours she's dating dancer Ryan McShane, during the Second live show of RTEs Dancing with the Stars. Photo: Kyran O'Brien

Thalia Heffernan dancing with partner Curtis Pritchard, amid rumours she's dating dancer Ryan McShane, during the Second live show of RTEs Dancing with the Stars. Photo: Kyran O'Brien

Thalia Heffernan has said boyfriend Ryan McShane is thrilled to be back in Dublin for the next few months so the couple can spend loads of time together.

Dancing With The Stars will be back on our screens next month, and former contestant Thalia said the best thing about the show's return is the fact she's reunited with professional dancer Ryan.

"That's the best part of it all. It's great. I think it's really nice for him to be back," she said.

"He loves it and it's an amazing world to be a part of. He's happy out."

The Ranelagh woman admitted she hasn't kept the dancing skills she learned during her time on the first series, but said: "I watch my boyfriend do it, that counts."

Thalia reckons Marty Morrissey will be a force to be reckoned with on the dance floor, and advised the next crop of celebrities taking part to go for it full throttle.

"The only advice I'd give is to go at it with both hands and fully embrace it. It's a chance that's never going to come around again," she said.

"You have to go for it, even if it's different from everything that you've done in the past.

"It's really exciting to see the celebrities being announced. I'm excited for all of them.

"I have friends who are in it and obviously I have Ryan, so I feel like I'm on the sidelines.

"It's hard to know until you see them dance. If I could do it all over again, I would."

Thalia has begun to carve out a new career for herself as a TV presenter.

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She has been working on TV3's Xpose for the past few weeks. She first covered the show's online output and has since reported from many red-carpet events for the programme.

Although she's not sure how much longer her gig on the series will last, it has made her realise that TV is the road she wants to go down.

"We haven't talked about that. I'm not contractually bound. I'm loving it," she said.

"It was supposed to just be a part-time thing, but now I'm finding myself doing it more and more. I've fallen into it quite well and I'm pretty happy.

"This is usually a quiet time of year for me because all our Christmas stuff is done in October.

"It's keeping me busy, and TV is a world that I would like to transition into eventually.

"It's within my world, so to speak. It's not too far off modelling."

Thalia and Ryan made their debut as a loved-up couple at this year's VIP Style Awards and have had a long-distance relationship since, with Ryan based in Birmingham when he's not working on Dancing With The Stars.
A judge has apologised to journalists after gardai wrongly excluded them from a court hearing.

Dublin District Court Judge Brian O'Shea personally apologised to Irish Independent reporter Allison Bray and 'Irish Times' reporter Marie O'Halloran during a special sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice yesterday after both journalists were called to attend the sitting.

Judge O'Shea also recommended that gardai personally apologise to both reporters.

The issue arose when the journalists, along with reporter Barry Hartigan of the 'Irish Daily Mail', attended a special sitting of the Dublin Children's Court on St Stephen's Day to report on the hearing of a 15-year-old boy charged in connection with the assault on a 25-year-old woman in Dun Laoghaire on December 23.

As the defendant is a minor, the hearing was held with limitations on public attendance, and with restrictions on reporting that could in any way identify him.

However, when the journalists arrived at the Courts of Criminal Justice complex on Parkgate Street, one of them was told by a garda they could not attend the hearing as it was "in camera", or in private.

Assuming that the judge had made the order, they complied.

However, after learning afterwards that no such order had been made, they were able to attend the hearing in time to hear the judge's summation of the case and report on the proceedings.

In his address to the journalists and their legal representatives yesterday, Judge O'Shea said he was completely unaware that the journalists had been excluded from the courtroom and that it was completely unwarranted.

"If I had known that this had taken place outside my courtroom, I would not have tolerated it. I am struggling to get into my head how frustrating it must have been being outside the door and not being allowed in for a story that they had an interest in," he said.

The judge said he would also like to apologise to Mr Hartigan, who was not present at the hearing yesterday.

He said he was very conscious of the fact that Mr Chief Justice Frank Clarke had recently stated there needs to be more openness and transparency in courtrooms, adding that members of the press were entitled to attend the hearing.

He told the journalists that he requested Detective Garda Daniel Treacy, of Dun Laoghaire garda station, also attend his court in a bid to clarify what had occurred and who had made the decision to exclude the journalists from attending the hearing.

The judge stressed that he did not hold Det Gda Treacy in any way responsible for what had happened, but that he might make enquiries as to who excluded the journalists.

Det Gda Treacy said that the issue was about educating gardai about what was permitted or not. "Guards don't know how to deal with the press," he said. "They are afraid, 'Do I let them in or not?'"

Judge O'Shea said he read the Irish Independent and 'Irish Times' every day. The papers had not published anything that could be deemed as prejudicial to the defendant, but favourably reported that the teenage boy had no previous convictions, he said.

Solicitor Kieran Kelly, for Independent News & Media, told Judge O'Shea his clients were grateful to him for clarifying the position.

Mr Kelly told the court it was not the first time journalists had been frustrated by being excluded from court incorrectly. It sometimes was down to a lack of knowing the law and the issue was being explored, he said.

Solicitor Joseph O'Malley, for the 'Irish Times', said the exclusion of the journalists was "entirely unwarranted and inexcusable" and hoped the appropriate person would do the right thing and apologise.

Judge O'Shea said a notice posted outside courtrooms making clear that media were entitled to be present would avoid a recurrence.
Struggling to come up with a way to ring in 2018 in style or just looking to do something different? We look at some of the best offerings to ring in the New Year.

Catch the sunrise at Ireland's most scenic spots

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Ireland has no shortage of gorgeous beauty spots that are the perfect place to welcome the New Year. The team at Hook Lighthouse in Co is hosting their first sunrise tour which has sold out but there are plenty of other options to watch the sun come up on January 1. Try Kiliney Hill on Dublin's southside or along the coast in Greystones Co Wicklow.

Keep it local

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Masquerade balls and NYE parties are a dime a dozen around the country but the Christmas season is the best time of year to support local businesses. Visit your local restaurants and pubs to ring in the New Year with people from your area, all while supporting local business.

Get into the thick of it in Dublin city centre

The New Year's Festival in Dublin will kick off on Sunday December 31 and run over two days.

The 3Countdown Concert will begin at 8pm. Kodaline will perform live from Custom House Quay on New Year's Eve.

While an event will also be held on New Year's Day in the city centre which will include the brilliant Garda Band, the Line Up Choir, and the Hit Machine Drummers.

Or avoid the crowds and mix it up at home

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Grab your nearest and dearest and try your hand at mixology and whip up some festive cocktails to toast 2018.

Alternatively you can stick to the basics with a twist. Check out some of our tips on how to rustle up the best gin and tonics.

Be daring - hop on a plane and welcome the New Year abroad

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It may be too late to jet to Sydney for the fireworks or Rio for the famous beach party but there are plenty of excellent options closer to home if you are looking to

Last minute holiday specialists such as lastminute.com and others have dozens of last minute deals including Paris, Prague and Edinburgh.

Blow of the cobwebs and get outside

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No matter what you do to watch the clock strike midnight (or not) get out and about to blow off the cobwebs of the old year and welcome the new.

Ireland has an embarrassment of scenic walks, mountain climbs for all fitness levels and stunning coastlines.

Grab a bike and tackle the Greenway cycle route in Waterford or a take in a portion of Wild Atlantic Way.

Start 2018 with some zen

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New Year's yoga retreats are increasingly popular around the country but if you feel yourself needing a little downtime post-party season there are a number of weekend retreats kicking off in January that run throughout the year. The Burren Yoga Retreat in Co Clare offers a busy roster of yoga, guided Burren outings and healthy vegetarian walks. There is limited availability left for their January 3-9 retreat and for each weekend in the remainder of the year.
Almost 150,000 delayed discharges have caused severe backlogs in public hospitals.

New figures provided by the HSE to Fianna Fail health spokesperson Billy Kelleher show that 142,472 delayed discharges were recorded in hospitals over the first nine months of the year.

This works out on average as 15,830 delayed discharges every month, or 58 each day.

These delays happen when the patient is deemed well enough to go home by their doctor.

Such patients are sometimes referred to as 'bed-blockers'.

Mr Kelleher says the delays are occurring due to a lack of home help, home-care packages and community- based respite support.

The Cork TD said with numbers waiting on trolleys averaging 350 each day, progress can be made to cut this if the correct resources are applied.

"The hospital system has a starting point, an end point, and many stages in between. If any one of these stages sees a blockage, the rest of the system will be get backed up," Mr Kelleher said.

"Delayed discharges because of a lack of post-hospital care are unforgivable.

"If the difference between a person being discharged or not is a couple of home help hours every day for a week or two, then the system needs to be robust and flexible enough to respond.

"There needs to be better joined-up thinking and working between those managing hospitals and those managing post-hospital care in the community," he added.

Last January, most of the country was engulfed in a trolley crisis, with more than 600 patients on trolleys following a serious outbreak of the flu virus.
The scene of the accident in north Donegal where a young man lost his life is sealed off. Photo: North West Newspix

A 26-year-old man on holiday in Co Donegal died after being struck by a car in the early hours of yesterday.

The man, named locally as Sean Heraghty, died in the incident at Sandhill on the outskirts of the popular seaside village of Dunfanaghy at about 4.15am.

The car was being driven by a local man who had just collected two other people after they attended a nightclub in the village earlier.

Neither the driver nor his passengers were hurt in the collision.

Gardai and ambulances rushed to the scene, but Mr Heraghty, who lives in Scotland, was pronounced dead at the roadside.

The road was cordoned off and Garda forensic officers began a pain-staking investigation of the scene.

Gardai erected a tent at the scene in order to carry out an on-site examination of the victim.

It is understood that the young man, who lived and worked in Glasgow as a quantity surveyor, was in Donegal to spend the festive period with relatives.

He was walking back to his accommodation when the accident happened.

His mother Margaret was also visiting the area with her son for Christmas. The family have strong connections with nearby Falcarragh, in west Donegal, and were regular visitors to the area.

Mr Heraghty was one of two sons in the family.

It is believed he had been staying in a holiday home on the outskirts of Dunfanaghy village.

Parish priest in Dunfanaghy Fr Martin Doohan said the tragedy was "every parent's nightmare".

"Christmas is a time you associate with families and being together," he said.

Fr Doohan said prayers were said for the young man at Mass yesterday morning.

He said there was a sense of terrible sadness in the town.

Fianna Fail councillor Seamus O'Domhnaill, who is based in Falcarragh, said it was "utterly devastating" to be waking up over the Christmas period to the tragic news.

He said the fact that somebody has lost their life tragically over the festive period weighed heavily on people's hearts.

"The community is dumbstruck by the events that unfolded yesterday morning," he said.

The hearts of the local people go out to those affected by the tragedy, he said.

It is understood that Mr Heraghty's family have requested that he will be waked for at least one night in Co Donegal.
The crime groups are believed to have targeted vulnerable bachelor Joseph Waters in Kildangan, Co Offaly. (Pictured: Gardai at the home of Mr Waters)

Women and young teenagers are centrally involved with burglary gangs targeting vulnerable and elderly homeowners in rural Ireland.

The crime groupings, predominately based in Dublin, the Midlands and Munster, have caused havoc across the country.

One particular gang has a large number of women working for them, while another south Dublin outfit is largely made up of teenagers, some as young as 14.

One faction that gardai have become extremely concerned about is a dangerous unholy alliance between two burglary gangs who have dozens of male and female members across the country.

Senior sources say that the gang are responsible for a reign of terror across the country, which included 26 burglaries in the space of one night.

Make no mistake, women play a huge role in these gangs, a senior source said. They target the elderly, because they are cowards. They have become very prominent over the last 18 months and have caused a major concern for gardai.

The crime groups that have joined together are led by a notoriously violent Limerick criminal and a vicious serial burglar in his early 20s who is currently based in Portarlington, Co Laois.

The mob are the chief suspects for the high-profile aggravated robbery on farmer Richard McKelvey (54), who was dragged from his bed and beaten by a gang of four men at his home in Glassderry Beg, Brosna, near Birr, Co Offaly. Mr McKelvey, a bachelor farmer who lived alone with his dog, fell victim to criminals over two months ago when all of his elderly mothers jewellery was stolen from the same house.

They are also suspects in the terrifying burglary on Joseph Waters (77), a visually impaired bachelor who lives on his own. Three masked men broke into the farmers home in the Kildangan area of Durrow, Co Offaly, just before Christmas.

He was struck a number of times on the body, suffering a particularly severe belt to his head.

The brutal gang are also suspected of being behind a terrifying incident in which a shotgun was fired at a detective during a pursuit in Co Kildare last month.

In response to the burglary crisis, gardai in the Midlands have set up a special anti-burglary task force, which is based in the Offaly/Laois Garda division and comprises a sergeant and eight gardai.

The unit has access to up to five Garda cars and is involved in pre-emptive strikes against the gangs.

Another prime target for gardai, under Operation Thor, is a prominent Traveller gang in south Dublin who are suspects in a number of shocking burglaries on elderly people. This organised criminal gang are primarily based in a halting site in the Dun Laoghaire area.

The gang are led by a criminal in his 30s from the Ballybrack area, and are suspected of committing up to 25 burglaries a week.

Three of the gang have also been arrested for the shocking aggravated burglary at the home of 94-year-old Jimmy Campion, in Co Tipperary, earlier this year.

One of the gang members, who is aged just 16, was previously arrested for the knife-point robbery of a 94-year-old woman at her home in Dun Laoghaire. The raiders have amassed more than 100 previous convictions for burglary offences between them.

While gardai with limited resources attempt to tackle the scourge as best they can, there has also been some very significant court rulings this year in relation to organised criminals involved in horrific aggravated burglaries.

One of the most important of these occurred at Limerick Circuit Court in November when prolific thugs Patrick Roche (53), from Kilcronan, Clondalkin, Dublin, along with his son, Philip Roche (24), were jailed for 17 years and 15 years respectively. Patrick Roches son-in-law Alan Freeman (37), from Pearse Park, Tipperary Park, was jailed for 14 years.

They were convicted of a violent robbery on the Garvey family, in which Gerard Garvey and his two teenage children were assaulted and threatened at gunpoint in April 2012. The sentences were also imposed for a violent robbery on Willie Creed and his two elderly sisters, Nora and Chrissy, who are all aged in their 70s, at their home at Ballyluddy, Pallasgreen, Limerick, in May 2012.
Victims of Clondalkin fire. (From left clockwise) Holly (3), AnneMarie (27), Biddy (aged in her 30s), Jordan (4) and Paris (2) O'Brien

The sole survivor of a devastating fire that killed her two young children and claimed the lives of her pregnant friend and her daughter has said her life will never be the same again.

Biddy OBrien fought for her own life for weeks in the St Jamess Hospital burns unit after the fire on March 8 that destroyed the small flat in which her cousin, Annmarie OBrien, was living.

Biddy (30) had been visiting pregnant Annmarie, who was expecting a boy to add to her two-year-old daughter, Paris. Biddy had taken along her young children, Jordan (4) and three-year-old Holly.

At some point that night a fire broke out in the corner of the flat, and the smoke is believed to have killed two of the children and Annmarie while rendering Biddy unconscious.

The alarm was raised by others in the complex on Kilcronan Avenue, Clondalkin.

Biddy and Jordan were rescued alive but critically ill. Tragically, Jordan died within hours.

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Biddy remained in an induced coma for weeks, having suffered serious burns to her body as well as smoke and heat damage to her lungs.

When she was awakened, her family faced the grim task of telling her that her children had died, along with Annmarie, Paris and the unborn child.

Speaking for the first time since the fire, Biddy said the Christmas season would be a nightmare this year without Jordan and Holly.

From her home in Aughamore Lane in Shankill, she said she would be relying on her extended family to get her through.

Christmas is a nightmare. Its so different to before, when Jordan and Holly were here, she told the Herald.

They both loved Christmas, but this year they are gone. My life has changed for ever. I have never been right since and I will never be.

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Im still getting treatment, physically and mentally, for the injuries and the pain.

Looking back on the year that devastated her life, Biddy said that even the calendars change from 2017 to 2018 would bring her no comfort.

You would think I would be glad to see the end of 2017, but it doesnt matter what year it is, or what day it is  Jordan and Holly will still be gone and nothing will ever be the same again, she said.

They are always on my mind, always in my head.

Biddy still does not know what happened on the night of the fire.

I cant say what happened because I dont know what happened, she said.

Maybe I will learn something at the inquests, when they happen.

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Biddy suffered extensive burns to her body, arms and face and suffers constantly as a result.

The fire was the second major blaze tragedy to claim the lives of members of the Travelling community in two years.

In 2015 a blaze that ripped through units at a site in Carrickmines claimed the lives of 10 people.

In a separate tragedy in 2011, Annmarie lost her brother, Andy, in a fire.

At the funerals for Annmarie, Paris, Jordan and Holly and Annmaries unborn boy who was named AJ, Shankill parish priest Fr John OConnor said this was not the first cross the Lord had asked the family to carry.

You have been called, on a number of occasions, to share in the sufferings of Christ, he said. We all know that.

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Pope Francis tells us God chooses his best soldiers for the toughest battles, and I believe these words are really applicable to you.

Without any doubt you are Gods toughest soldiers, and you can be sure you are not alone in the battle of life.

Christ himself is always with you, and now you have five more angels in heaven to accompany you.

As Travellers, you are also part of a very strong and noble tradition and your culture will stand by you and give you strength and courage in these difficult times.
The embattled Department of Justice is to be split in two next year but remain under the control of a single minister, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has revealed.

Mr Varadkar wants to appoint a secretary general to head up an internal division that oversees An Garda Siochana.

The other part of the department will have responsibility for normal legislation.

"What is proposed is not splitting up the department into two separate departments. What is proposed is an internal division so there would be one secretary general of the department and two deputy secretaries general of the two wings," Mr Varadkar said.

"It is our intention to proceed with that reform in 2018, having a new secretary general, and two deputy secretary generals over the two new sections of the department."

The overhaul of the department comes amid a myriad of controversies surrounding the treatment of Garda Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

The reform was discussed at length during the crisis talks between Mr Varadkar and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, which led to a general election being averted before Christmas.

Mr Varadkar did not rule out going further in the future by splitting Justice into two Government departments: Justice and Home Affairs.

This is the system that is in place in countries such as the UK.

But speaking during his pre-Christmas briefing with political journalists, the Taoiseach said this would not happen immediately due to constitutional constraints.

"We have the slight complication in Ireland that we have a Constitution which only allows us to have 15 senior Cabinet ministers. So every time you create a new Government department, you have to abolish one and I am not yet sure which department people would axe as they all do very important work," he added.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan last night announced measures designed to assist crime victims.

Some 56 organisations will be supported next year through an annual funding allocation of 1.7m.

In addition, Mr Flanagan announced his decision to remove the financial contribution required from applicants for civil legal aid in domestic violence cases in the District Court. This particular move will take effect from January 1.
Stuart Cole from Adams Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers with Aline FitzGerald of GPO Witness History and an actor in 1916 uniform with the letter by Patrick Pearse. Photo: Peter Houlihan

The owner of Patrick Pearse's handwritten surrender letter has accused the Government of apathy over the unique 1916 artefact after it was taken out of the country.

The note, penned by the rebel leader in his prison cell to mark the end of the Rising, had been on display in the GPO in Dublin for over a year after a minister refused to pay the 1m valuation and then blocked its export.

The US-based owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, paid 800,000 for it at auction in 2006 but said his original motivation was to ensure it stayed in Ireland.

He also said he put it back up for sale only to recoup his investment.

In a statement through a representative, the owner said: "The reaction of visitors who stare with reverence and respect has been a welcome riposte by the citizenry to official apathy." Despite repeated approaches to the Government, no deal on a sale could be reached with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, prompting the owner to remove it from the GPO in the days before Christmas.

It is understood it was being hand-delivered to New York yesterday after the one-year export ban lapsed.

The owner said: "I never sought to profit from my custodianship, I merely wished to recoup the cost of purchase when the time came to pass on the baton I picked up in 2006.

"Unfortunately, as there was nobody willing to take my place, I will continue to protect and preserve this important national treasure, albeit outside of Ireland now."

The letter failed to sell at auction in December 2016.

Dear

At the time, the Government insisted the guide price of between 1m and 1.5m was too dear. The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht said it would not disclose if it had been in talks with the owner to buy the letter.

"It is consistent departmental policy not to comment in any way on official interests or discussions relating to the possible acquisition of heritage items for the national collections, either by way of sale or auction," a spokeswoman said.

Just over a year ago the note was signed into the Register of Cultural Objects, a tome of records held in Killarney, by then-minister Heather Humphreys.

It is the first privately held item to have been put on the protective list and barred from being exported.

The owner said it was a fitting recognition of the cultural value of Pearse's letter.

But he added: "It is perhaps less fitting that in the national bank of cultural capital there are insufficient funds to keep it in Ireland now that the one-year export ban has elapsed."

The owner explained his thinking behind buying the letter over a decade ago.

"I am not of Ireland but in 2006 I was moved by a piece of Irish history," he said.

"The final order to surrender, written by Patrick Pearse from his cell in 1916, are not just words on a page. The order is history brought to life in our hands.

Faltering

"Irish lives were lost for the want of this letter, and Irish lives saved, and a nation was beget.

"The first faltering steps of a nation can be traced in every stroke of a pen.

"Mere knowledge of the words was not enough in 1916, the Volunteers required sight of the order, and my first sight of it moved me to buy it and keep it in Ireland."
The death of a 42-year-old Dublin woman who was found with a head injury in a Rathmines flat is not being treated as a homicide by gardai.

Gardai yesterday ruled out foul play in the case after getting the results of a post-mortem on the body of the woman, named locally as Deborah Holmes.

A Garda investigation took place after she was found dead in her home on Rathmines Avenue at 12.40pm on Tuesday.

However, senior sources say that Ms Holmes's death is no longer being treated as suspicious.

Detectives had been examining an argument that Ms Holmes had with a female, but this female is not a suspect in the case.

It's believed that the injury that the woman suffered to the back of her head is consistent with a fall.

It is understood Ms Holmes had suffered from severe underlying health issues, which may also have been a factor in her death.

Ms Holmes was last seen alive at 12.30pm on Christmas Day and she is believed to have died a number of hours afterward.

"It's a sad loss regardless, to be found dead like that just after Christmas, but I hope she didn't have a violent death," said a close neighbour.

Ms Holmes comes from an extended family that lives in the Rathmines and Ranelagh area in Dublin.

Relatives did not wish to comment when approached yesterday afternoon.
Maria Walsh took this selfie before she met Barack Obama at the White House on St Patrick's Day.

Its been three years since Maria Walsh was crowned the Rose of Tralee.

The Mayo woman's win is most significant because she became the first LGBT+ Rose when she won the crown in 2014.

The following year, Ireland became the first country in the world to bring in same-sex marriage by a popular vote.

Here, the former Rose of Tralee shares her most precious memory, her visit to the White House on St Patricks Day 2015, and why the selfie she took before arriving at the White House is the one photo shed hate to lose.

There are moments throughout my International Rose of Tralee year that I really tried to capture. I tried to be in the moment and embrace the unknowns, the who could have knowns, the oversights, and the realities that came with being the first rose in my family, the first Philadelphia International Rose, the first LGBT+ Rose.

But this moment captured more than just my face in a speeding cab.

I stepped outside after getting changed in the bathroom of a hotel nearby. My parents and I were heading to New York City that same night, a whistle stop tour of the East Coast taking in events and people in Philadelphia, Washington DC, New York and Boston.

The cab driver asked; Where to lady?. I laughed. How often do you get to say 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue [The White House] please!. I think he felt I was lost, in a pretty blue Irish designers dress with nowhere to go.

Meeting President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle was a standout moment in her career, Maria says.

Truth about me is - I dont feel comfortable taking selfies. I am of old school feeling that pictures are better with someone else, or in groups or what I am witnessing. Thats where the real stories live. Never just me. But I remember telling myself  REMEMBER this. Remember the hows, the whys, the whos, the everythings.

For an Irish American there is no bigger house than the White House. And for a young twenty something democratic, there were no bigger leaders than President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Some may look at this image and think; how typical, a selfie, en route to the White House. But for me it resembled who I was and the character I grew into over those first six months as International Rose of Tralee. It embodied the leader I wanted to align with when I was young. It was the ultimate fake it until you make it moment when I am on my own, with a cab driver who I will never meet again yet he was integral to my adventure to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The trip had deep resonances for her family, Maria says, since Obama had given them a voice.

But from a deeper more important perspective, it represented the many moments I shared with family that had passed. For me, it was in memory of the one person who reminded me how significant as an American born how significant my Absentee Ballot Form was. It was about his drive to ensure each of my siblings received a printout to make our voices heard in the 2008 Presidential Run.

It was the same him, who drove me to watch the Inauguration on January 20th 2009 in The Kings Head in Galway so I would forever remember that moment. I had been on this cab journey without even knowing it since 2008. He was with me. And if there was one person who would have been beside me, forcing an invite, ensuring I was there on time, and looked the part, and who would have shouted as I walked up to security at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, tell Obama your favourite cousin Jimmy got you here!

Fujifilms latest consumer survey in Ireland showed that 80pc of us have lost photos weve taken and stored digitally. 42pc lost photo memories due to corruption or damage to their digital device, 38pc changed or lost their phone or PC without saving or printing their photos, and 32pc deleted photos by accident.
Archaeologist and conservator Diana McCormack tells Ivan Little how an emotionally charged trip to one of the coldest places on Earth was the latest destination on her fascinating journey into the past  both in Northern Ireland and further afield.

The normally unflappable Diana McCormack couldnt hold back the tears as she set foot in one of the most historic, remote  and cold  places on Earth.

The sight of the still intact sleeping bags, clothes and food supplies which had been left behind in the region by some of the bravest men on the planet, was just too much for the east Belfast woman.

Images of iconic explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton, Sir Edmund Hillary and her hero Capt Robert Falcon Scott, replayed in her mind as Diana followed in the footsteps of the legends for seven weeks from early November.

She had beaten hundreds of other conservationists to win her place on the prestigious mission to Ross Island in the Antarctic with a New Zealand conservation charity who preserve the expedition bases used by the great pioneers of the last century.

Diana, from Belfast, was the first ever conservation ambassador to be appointed by the NZ Antarctic Heritage Trust who battle against nature to keep history alive.

The extreme temperatures which can fall to a bone-chilling -40C present major difficulties for the wooden huts and all the things that the explorers abandoned inside them like food and their diaries.

Dianas visit to Scotts wooden prefabricated hut at Cape Evans was particularly emotional.

It was the base famously associated with Scotts historic Terra Nova expedition to reach the South Pole.

Diana says: Capt Scott did reach the Pole but he died on his return journey to the hut.

As soon as I walked in I just burst into tears. There is so much of a feeling of life and activity about the place.

A lot of scientific apparatus is still lying around as well as boots, sleeping bags, clothes and food supplies. Its just the most wonderful place that I have ever been.

Scotts was one of four historic huts that Diana visited, some of them after having to travel by helicopter because the ice had cracked.

Diana adds: We carried out a maintenance and monitoring programme at the huts and we had to dig some of them out of the snow.

We had to be very careful about what we were doing because we didnt want to cause any damage to the huts or their contents.

Living for seven weeks in Antarctica had its challenges for Diana: It was weird experiencing 24 hours of daylight. But the Antarctic is an astounding place and there was no time to think that I was missing home or anything like that.

On one of my days off I got taken to the Mount Erebus glacier where they taught me ice climbing and took me to ice caves. It was unbelievable.

We were encouraged not to think too much about climate change but there were a lot of scientific talks from people based at Antarctica.

Some of the presentations were from people who were engaged in great studies about the sea ice thickness and about the impressive marine life underneath the ice.

Diana had been trained in many aspects of life in Antarctica, including advice on how to deal with angry penguins.

Luckily, however, no penguins ever tried to pick a fight with her and she saw seals in their droves, many of them giving birth on the ice near her base.

Dianas own journey from the Bloomfield area of east Belfast to the ice fields of the South Pole has been an astonishing odyssey all of its own  taking in archaeology and conservation projects in Loughbrickland, Toomebridge, Stonehenge and Nelsons ship HMS Victory along the way.

Earlier this year she also found the time to get married to Jonathan Davis, an astroparticle physicist from London.

When she gets time off, she is a keen mountain climber and long distance walker.

Several years ago she and a friend completed the gruelling 300-mile Malin to Mizen walk through Ireland to raise money for cancer research.

Interestingly, though, as a child Diana had nothing more than a passing interest in archaeology. Looking back, she thinks it was her parents passion for the past that forged her future.

She says: Mum and Dad used to take us round the museums and thats where my interest started I suppose.

From Grosvenor High School, Diana went to Queens University in Belfast to study archaeology. What attracted me to the work was the unknown factor.

I wanted to do something practical but academic and archaeology ticked all the boxes.

Pre-history fascinated me and I wanted to work outside on excavations to find out how people lived in the past.

After Queens Diana worked in commercial archaeology for eight years.

She says: It was all rescue archaeology. After planning permission is granted to developers they have to clear the grounds of any archaeology. So we worked on a range of things from windfarms to road schemes and to housing developments.

One of Dianas most exciting projects was the excavation associated with the A1 road improvement scheme at Loughbrickland.

She recalls: We found a bronze age cemetery there. And, in 2002, during our dig before work started on the new bypass at Toome, we discovered an important megalithic site. The only megalithic site that was known before that was at Mountsandel in Coleraine.

Toomebridge was really exciting. From our research we thought we might come across something but our hopes were exceeded.

Diana went to Durham University in 2010 for two years to study for a masters degree in conservation.

I was learning how to preserve the kind of artefacts which were uncovered in archaeological excavations.

We used to send away items that were found and they would come back in perfect condition from the conservation units and I wanted to know how that happened.

She clearly learnt well. Her skills have been in big demand across the UK since she graduated.

She did an internship as a conservator at English Heritage where she got to work on objects for a new permanent display at Stonehenge.

These artefacts had been in my textbooks when I was studying archaeology and now they were on a bench in front of me, says Diana who moved on to the Science Museum where she was conserving technology like computers and satellites.

After just 18 months, Diana then went to National Museums Scotland to conserve large objects for their science galleries including Edison dynamos and even motorbikes.

The variety of the work in conservation is tremendous. Thats what keeps me going because I feel Im learning all the time, says Diana, whose next port of call was Portsmouth which by coincidence is where her late mother Rachel was from.

She is employed by the National Museum of the Royal Navy and is currently a senior conservator in the Historic Ships team.

This role sees Diana conserving famous vessels including HMS Victory. Among her other responsibilities are HMS Warrior and submarines.

The work is non-stop and again we are just fighting nature because ships werent built to last especially in a marine environment in a rainy cold country.

Dianas expertise also brings her home to Belfast two or three times a year to work on the newly restored HMS Caroline  the only naval vessel to survive the Battle of Jutland during the First World War.

She adds: I work with the curator on things like monitoring the environment and conserving the objects on board.

Its a marvellous project and its so encouraging to see that Caroline has become very popular with visitors.

I was always aware of the ship when I was at home and I can remember going to a Burns supper on board.
Remember the first package holiday you took?

If you're of a certain age, you bought it from a bricks-and-mortar travel agent. You chose from brochures chocca with cheesy names: Santa Ponsa, Benidorm or the Costa del Sol. You marvelled at pina coladas, sent postcards of sights rather than Instagrams of your feet, and called home with a phone card.

Today, it's another world. Holidays are dominated by the digital, by budget airlines and booking engines, by nifty apps and Airbnb. DIY breaks are just a couple of clicks away (this year, even Michael O'Leary got in on the act with a package holiday play, Ryanair Holidays). The old guard has had to get creative to compete.

"It's a totally different landscape to what we were used to," says Pat Dawson, who runs Cork's Dawson Travel and is president of the Irish Association of Travel Agents (ITAA).

"In the 1960s, the leading light was the JWT set. They were by a mile the biggest tour operator, and they went to places like Sitges and Benidorm. Then, of course, you had Budget Travel, with its cheap and cheerful holidays."

Dawson offers one figure to illustrate the change. "In 2016, we had 1.3 million charter seats. In 2018, we'll have about 175,000."

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So how are travel businesses tacking with the trends? Some, like ClickAndGo.com and GoHop.ie, have seen industry experts move towards 'dynamic' packages that allow customers match hotel nights with scheduled flights rather than charters. That offers lower costs, handy online booking and flexible dates, rather than the traditional seven or 14 nights.

Others are dreaming it up all over again.

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This month, 84-year-old Air France launched 'Joon', an airline aimed at millennials. Now 41-year-old Uniworld is set to breathe life into the fusty world of river cruising when it launches a pair of inky-black ships (above) targeting 21 to 45-year-olds in 2018. It's banking on rooftop lounges, yoga studios, mixology classes and bar hops around Paris, Budapest and Prague luring a younger market, while retaining the all-inclusive value of a package.

TUI, the new name for Falcon and Thomson, has also been adapting to the way 21st-century travellers live. It thinks in terms of holiday "concepts" - ranging from Splashworld resorts with their own waterparks, to 'Family Life' products with kids' clubs, cafes and toned-back gathering spaces, or adult-only 'Sensimar' resorts.

"It's no longer just one-size-fits-all," says Charlotte Brenner, TUI Ireland's marketing manager. "A lot of our holidays are designed around the specific needs of customers, around the modern lifestyle... we also now offer flexibility of flying with a mix of charter and partner airlines. It's not just seven or 14-night holidays."

Who uses travel agents these days? In the main, it tends to be families and the over-50s (they account for two thirds of Irish travel agents' business, according to a recent survey by the ITAA). While younger couples and singles gravitate towards independent booking, however, it's also true that they value expertise and human reassurance when it comes to more complex itineraries, long-haul trips and honeymoons.

"If it's a simple trip to Malaga or Madrid, then yes, most younger people will book online," Pat Dawson says. "But for anywhere complicated, or with a financial spend or risk like long-haul, lots of them will go back to the bricks and mortar behind the website. They want the truth about the resort, the first-hand information."

Indeed, given that most small travel agents can't afford to compete online, many have chosen to focus on families, older travellers and niche trips. These range from sun, cruise and long-haul holidays to more experiential escapes like, say, Northern Lights expeditions in Iceland, walking holidays on the Camino, or once-in-a-lifetime visits to Disneyland Paris.

Some, like Travel Department and TD Active, have built entire brands out of escorted and active trips, playing to a growing trend for immersive, culturally enriching travel - whatever the age group.

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The trouble is, of course, that younger travellers aren't always aware of this expertise, or this way of booking travel. Digital natives don't necessarily realise the benefits a package can bring.

"Lots of young people booking cheap holidays online are completely unaware of what packages include," says Marie Claire Porter of Sunway, which is over 50 years in business and has just launched a "state-of-the-art" new online reservations system. "Think of the 20kg bag or airport transfers, which can add up hugely on a trip you book yourself."

Plus, you get the security of a rep service and a company that's licensed and bonded.

Is there a way to get the best of both worlds? In one trend tipped for 2018, it's thought that would-be tourists will seek to revisit the scenes of childhood holidays, taking their families for a sense of nostalgia, tradition and irony-free bonding - even if it is without phone cards and exotic pina coladas.

"Blending the future with the past, next year's travellers will be inspired to return to previously loved destinations and explore them in a whole new way," says a trends report from Booking.com. It predicts that one third of travellers (34pc) will consider a holiday they experienced as a child for 2018.

Sunway sees many families returning to the same destinations year after year, Porter says. "They do continue this tradition... we would often have multigenerational families travelling as groups and recreating memories that would now involve the younger generation."

If you do head back to Benidorm or Santa Ponsa, however, don't expect them to be the same places you hit up in your pomp.

"I was looking at Gran Canaria for my own family recently, and I couldn't believe the choice," says Charlotte Brenner. "It's no longer Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico. It's absolutely incredible the investment that has gone in."

Majorca was Falcon's No 1 destination decades ago, and it remains No 1 for TUI today, she says.

"But it's not the same Majorca as 20 or 30 years ago. It's constantly reinvesting."

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It's also true that new generations may not realise, or care about, the naff baggage that can come with a retro resort.

Magaluf, for example, is in the middle of a five-year campaign to upgrade from its seedy, 'Shagaluf' reputation, and now bans the sale of alcohol for consumption on the streets. Visitors to Salou and the Costa Dorada can now find Ryanair flights to Reus, Barcelona just a short train ride away, and a PortAventura that has just opened Ferrari Land, with the fastest rollercoaster in Europe.

At the end of the day, we Irish aren't as intrepid as we think. The vast majority of sun-seekers go to the same place they have always gone: Spain. So maybe it's time to give the package, that un-hippest of holidays, another look.

"It's not the package of 20 or 30 years ago," Brenner says.

"It has evolved way beyond that. It's a modern holiday now."
Brendan Keenan: 'Better laws and foreign money needed to overcome worrying homes shortage'

There is a district in Belfast known as the Holy Land. Not because of its religiosity, but because the streets - Jerusalem Street, Damascus Street and so on - are called after places in that region. Once, there were others; Little Crimea, India, and so on. Seemingly, houses were built so quickly for the city's huge expansion in the 19th century that it was too much trouble to think up original names. They eventually gave up altogether, so far as names were concerned. The Shankill area got First Street, Second Street etc, all the way up to Tenth.
From the Taoiseach down, we are being exposed to a facile campaign coming from politicians, trade advisers and civil servants. They are stating simply that, because of Brexit, Irish exporters "have to find new markets outside the UK". Most of the people from this class have no understanding of what they are talking about, have never done any selling in their lives, and don't realise the vital importance of long-established trade links with Britain. If they did, they would speak differently.

Historically, the great Irish trading companies of the past half-century, and there are few enough, have transcended the bedrock of their achievements - between Ireland and Britain - and now operate on an international stage. This, if they are shrewd, they are constantly expanding.

Good examples would be Kerry, Glanbia and Kingspan, among others. There are not enough of these companies, but they started in Ireland and are proud of it. By prodigious luck, enterprise and initiative, they created export opportunities. They made the bridgehead between Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Their Irish markets are now, relatively speaking, insignificant, but this is because our home market overall is so small. Within the British Isles, these growing companies are exceptional. This is because these average and small Irish companies developed virtually the only export market in which they had any reasonable chance of success. This was the UK.

If that is closed, either by the EU or by our compliant government, or both, then in the opinion of those who have created and expanded that market, there will be a huge raft of Irish company failures. The real situation is that there are no alternative markets in which to operate. Businesses that trade more widely know from experience that one can make sales in Germany, Italy and France. But these are often, if not always, one-offs. In addition, in two of these countries getting paid is usually a nightmare.

The vital differences include language and the fact that most UK firms are favourably disposed towards buying Irish products. This is unique in our trading relations. In trade terms we enjoy a wonderful springboard towards making the vital initial sale and maintaining good relations.

Virtually no businesses have unique products. The Germans, in particular, are keen to buy German products as opposed to imports. That is why they have a huge trade surplus every year.

Commentators - those I quote above - who blithely say, "We have to find new markets outside the UK" are engaging in wishful thinking. That means they are not traders at all and are not even talking the real language of trade. One document I read covered dialect in Germany and the extent of language in places such as Saxony and Bavaria in governing habits about market-place trade. This is a long way from the advice referred to above.

The different contribution made by the politicians, public servants, civil servants, and trade advisers, with their glib and superficial advice from the sidelines - "find other markets" - have no idea how much luck, effort and resourcefulness is required to make initial sales and build up a long-term partnership with good, lasting customers.

I am advised by those I trust - perhaps understandably nameless - that the odds against a small Irish company establishing the secure sales they need, in any of the three countries I have mentioned, are 100 to one against. Apart from dairy products, we have no endemic realities out of which a set of lasting trading opportunities can be created. There is a blank look on the faces of people asked to think of any Irish company having long-term success in any European country.

The success of the IDA is envied all over Europe and, with some considerable justification this success is linked with our favourable company tax rules. These, as we know all too well, are being criticised and are likely to be undermined by the EU. Ireland already faces attempts to do this.

At the moment, through the efforts of the IDA, foreign direct investment companies employ more than 190,000 workers, an attractive addition to our economy but only 10pc of our total workforce. The turnover of these businesses dwarfs all other trade figures, skews our GDP numbers and takes focus away from the possible plight of the remaining 1,800,000 who work in other areas. It is argued that membership of the EU Common Trading Area is vital to keeping these foreign direct investment companies within our trading strategy. But when you look at how much of their turnover is to the United States and countries outside the EU and even outside Europe, the assumption has to be queried. It will remain to be seen how many jobs will be lost anyway, but, whatever happens, keeping the UK markets remains vital.

What is happening now? And what is likely to happen?

These questions need to be the subject of hard and serious analysis, with emphasis paid to the loss of Irish jobs resulting from a hard Brexit. I have heard of no Government institution estimating these vital statistics. Instead they say time and again we are now members of a club of 27 and we have to abide by the rules laid out by 'the Club'.

This is foolish and irrational thinking. If a large tree or skyscraper cannot move in high winds, it falls down. We are in a high wind and we badly need the EU to bend. We would be lunatics to allow Hungary or Poland to have any say about the border in Ireland or about our trade relations. They don't give a damn about the subject any more than we care about Poland's relationship with the Ukraine. I don't imagine it is this that keeps our ministers awake at night.

Any trading restriction from Brexit that puts up barriers to indigenous exports to the UK would be a massive threat to a high percentage of those among the remaining 1,800,000, who work for indigenous Irish exporting businesses.

The main and determined figure leading us all towards this disaster is the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. He is anti-Brexit. He is opposed to sustaining the most important trade links we now have, or have ever had, the ones with Britain. He characterises Brexit as a "strong external force buffeting our country" and he says it is facing us with "unprecedented political, economic and diplomatic challenges". These are his words from the speech he made on Wednesday, February 22 in Dublin. Yet he does not identify the challenges nor does he give any credit for Britain's strengths, nor its achievements.

He claims we can rely instead "on the EU market and for this reason we must remain in Europe". We may, of course, remain in Europe, geographically speaking, as will Great Britain. But there is no EU market. The markets, as I argue above, are national ones, not EU ones.

We need, but appear to lack, leaders who will tell the EU, and tell them without equivocation, that if the EU imposes conditions on Britain that would make trade and travel between our countries difficult, then we will leave the EU immediately. Of course that has to be on the assumption that there will be any EU to leave.

We face, on the way into the future, the French Presidential election. We need to confront the vital needs of the Italians. They need to devalue.

Then there is the election in The Netherlands. And Greece is confronting financial disaster. It is beginning to look as though we might be the first people to jump into the lifeboats before the ship blows up.
The young, educated and empowered women of Ethiopia have vowed to make a change to their countrys culture of sexual harassment, rape and domestic violence.

A group of young activists, who are among the few privileged women to graduate from university in Ethiopia and abroad, have set up a movement in the bid to empower women.

The Yellow Movement based in Ethiopias capital of Addis Ababa gives women a voice and shines a light on the shocking examples of abuse suffered by women.

For the first time in Ethiopia, the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) included Domestic Violence as one of its indicators.

Based on the governments survey, 35 per cent of all married women have experienced sexual, emotional or physical violence from their husband or partner at some time.

In 2015, a 15-year-old Ethiopian girl called Tejnesh Lewegneh was abducted by three men. When she refused to marry one of them they pushed her off a cliff and she was left paralysed.

That same month, 16-year-old Hanna Lalango, from Addis Ababa, was abducted by a group of men from a minibus on the outskirts of Addis. She was raped over several days and died in hospital about a month later from her injuries.

These shocking stories, among others inspired the Yellow Movement to act.

One of the co-founders, a law lecturer at Addis Ababa University, Hilina Berhanu, said that women are subjected to sexual harassment and gender abuse in Ethiopia on a daily basis.

Hilina (25) from Addis Ababa said that even women with high societal positions suffer from sexual abuse every day.

Ironically, I was at a university meeting about gender equality and empowerment when my colleague, who is a government official, put his hand down the back of my dress, Hilina told Independent.ie.

I couldnt believe it. I told myself I was just imagining it but then he slipped his fingers down to my underwear. I was so shocked that I just got up and left.

I am quite a small woman, and quite childlike, so men act very sexual towards me. Even though I am privileged and have a good position in society, I am still subjected to this abuse.

Hilina decided to sue her colleague, becoming the first ever woman academic to sue another staff member at Addis Ababa University.

I was very ashamed but as a law professor and a female activist I am always encouraging my students to take action against this kind of abuse. If I didnt stand up for myself, how could I expect people who are less privileged than me to do so?

The law professor launched a complaint against her colleague to the university.

They said I needed evidence and I asked other people who were at the meeting when I was abused to testify. Most refused and one man even testified against me saying that I made it up. The man who abused me had a high position in the university and so he was very powerful. Nobody wanted to testify against him and face losing their jobs.

Hilina, knowing that she needed solid evidence, went to her colleagues office and put her phone on record.

I wanted to catch him admitting he had abused me or if he did anything again I would have it recorded. My friend waited outside the door and I told him to come in if he didnt hear anything after 10 minutes.

My colleague didnt suspect a thing and figured I was there to get more of what he did the last time. So dismissing our agenda for meeting, he started touching me asking show me where I touched you? He starting pushing me around and pushed me onto his sofa, grabbing me by the back. I immediately paged my friend and he knocked on the door as if he was waiting for us to finish. I hate to think what would have happened if my friend wasnt there .

Hilina used the recording as evidence and more charges were brought against her colleague.

However, the university disciplinary committee repeatedly refused to act on the case through consistent delays.

After four months of waiting for a disciplinary decision, I went to the minister of education and begged for help.

In the four months, my reputation was ruined on campus. People said that I was making it up because I was looking for a promotion or that I was begging for it by the way I dressed. Typical victim blaming. I was terrified that my career was over.

The minister of education acted upon hearing the story and forced Addis Ababa University to discipline the man in question.

The university said that because he was a good citizen they couldnt fire him but they moved him down a rank in the university. He now has a smaller office and a smaller on-site house. That is all the discipline he got, Hilina said.

A top university official told me that they didnt want to act as such but that the ministerial level shaming called for an immediate action. He said that the university didnt want to make a ruling because I was not married and therefore not trustworthy. He also said that he thinks that my colleague suffered more than I did and that if they knew I was going to make it so public, they would have made my colleague apologise in the first place  a route preferred by God and elders of the university community.

Hilina, who is an activist and part of the Yellow Movement organisation for womens rights, said that the whole experience was terrifying and exhausting.

Women face this kind of harassment every day and no class group is exempt. Its because of these experiences that we have movements like the Yellow Movement and Setaweet to help empower women here in Ethiopia.

Yellow Movement activists Aklile Solomon (25) and Selam Mussie (27) met with Independent.ie to share their experiences of harassment in education in Ethiopia.

We started the Yellow Movement because terrible things were happening to women every day and nobody was giving them a voice. We came together as a group of young women and said what can we do? We decided to set up the movement to remember these women and to empower other women to speak up, co-founder Aklile Solomon told Independent.ie.

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The Yellow Movement at Addis Ababa University holds fundraisers to help other girls to go to education. They buy stationary materials for young girls as well as providing them with basic sanitary products.

On Valentines Day we sell chocolate and flowers in order to raise money. Companies also give us money and we donate the money to the Yellow Movement scholarship fund which helps women with basic needs and access to education.

The movement also aims to raise awareness and is holding an event called the 16 days of activism to raise awareness on gender based violence and sexual harassment .

Violence and harassment against women is very common here in Ethiopia. Sometimes it is more dangerous to speak out than to stay quiet. We try to have these conversations and let women know their rights, said Aklile.

Aklile, who is finishing her masters in Human Rights at Central European University, said that while she always had access to education, it wasnt always easy being a girl.

I would get some weird looks sometimes. Once I was studying in the library and I was chased out by a group of boys. To them it is funny but to me it was terrifying.

Yellow Movement member, Selam Mussie (27), said that more education and empowerment is needed to help women escape from domestic violence and harassment.

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There are certain places that most of us are terrified of passing through because the men there make us feel uncomfortable. It starts from common catcalls, to dissing, to a physical level where they could follow to grab or touch private parts.

People think that if gender violence is common then its ok.

Through a sponsorship programme with the UK, I attended university in Sussex. It was very empowering for me to get this insight and more programmes like this is needed for women in Ethiopia, said Selam.

The culture in Ethiopia is very man-made and the world media has a role to highlight the conditions that women are facing here and helping through education to become more empowered.

The mentality and culture of Ethiopia needs to change. Women are being murdered, raped and abused on a daily basis and we as women need to stand up and fight for change. We hope that movements like the Yellow Movement will educate and empower women and we are going to keep fighting for the women of Ethiopia.

*This article was supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund
A lucky Reddit user has shared the remarkable haul he received in the websites online gift exchange scheme, after he was paired with a director of Microsofts Xbox Live gaming network.

Reddits Secret Santa scheme sees users of the website exchange gifts with a randomly selected recipient across the globe.

Fortunately for Viet Vu, a 30-year-old radiographer from Denver, Colorado, the kind stranger he was coupled up with was none other than Larry Hryb, director of programming at Xbox Live  who naturally sent him a generous present to satisfy all his gaming needs.

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The haul included Microsofts latest console, the X Box One X, 20 games, a number of subscriptions and even a copy of the BBCs Planet Earth II.

I was shocked when I opened the package, Vu told the Press Association. I was not expecting an Xbox One X since they are pretty pricey. I really was not expecting one from THE Major Nelson.

Hryb has become well known on Xbox Live, where his Gamertag is Major Nelson  and when Vu posted pictures of his gift haul on Reddit, Hryb commented to wish him well.

Thank you, sir, wrote Vu in his reply. I appreciate it very much and Im floored by your gesture! To a lifelong gamer, this is one of the best gifts I could ever receive.

Thank you again! And merry Christmas and happy holidays!

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Reddit Secret Santa randomly matches you with other users, so you dont typically get the person who got you, added Vu. But I sent my giftee a custom-made Mass Effect Xbox One controller since they were into the series. Kind of a weird coincidence.
Australian Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto leaves following her release at the High Court in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters

An Australian mother-of-three (54) escaped the death penalty yesterday after a Malaysian court found her not guilty of drug trafficking.

Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto was found with more than 1kg of methamphetamine in her backpack while in transit in Kuala Lumpur en route to Melbourne from Shanghai in December 2014.
Soldiers patrol outside the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan (AP)

A brutal attack claimed by Islamic State has devastated a Shiite Muslim cultural centre in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing at least 41 people and wounding another 84.

The IS-linked Aamaq news agency said three bombs were used in the ferocious assault as well as a single suicide bomber who blew himself up inside the centre, where scores of people had gathered to mark the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union.

Other explosions occurred outside the two-storey building, which also houses the pro-Iranian Afghan Voice news agency, which may also have been a target in the attack.

Earlier, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said an unknown number of suicide attackers set off an explosion outside the centre before carrying out an attack inside.

In its statement to Aamaq, IS said the centre was being funded by Iran and used to propagate Shiite beliefs.

Ali Reza Ahmadi, a journalist with Afghan Voice, said he had been in his office when the explosion shattered the building.

He jumped from his second-storey office to the roof of the building, where he saw flames from the basement.

"I jumped from the roof towards the basement, yelling at people to get water to put out the fire," he said.

Shiite leader Abdul Hussain Ramazandada said witnesses reported that at least one suicide bomber sneaked into the event and was sitting among the participants.

He exploded his device and as people fled more explosions occurred, he said.

At nearby Istiqlal Hospital, director Mohammed Sabir Nasib said the emergency room was overwhelmed with the dead and wounded.

Additional doctors and nurses were called in to help and at the height of the tragedy more than 50 doctors and nurses were working to save the wounded, most of whom suffered severe burns.

The cultural centre is located in a poor area of the Shiite-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood in the west of the capital.

The centre is a simple structure surrounded by sun-dried mud homes where some of Kabul's poorest live.

A senior member of the Shiite cleric council, Mohammad Asif Mesbah, said the centre may have been targeted because it houses the deeply pro-Iranian Afghan Voice news agency.

Its owner Sayed Eissa Hussaini Mazari is a strong proponent of Iran and his publication is dominated by Iranian news. Iran is a majority Shiite Muslim nation.

The local IS affiliate has carried out several attacks targeting Shiites in Afghanistan.

IS issued a warning earlier this year following an attack on the Iraqi embassy in Kabul vowing to target Afghanistan's Shiites.

Since then, IS has taken credit for at least two attacks on Shiite mosques in Kabul and one in the western city of Herat, killing scores of worshippers.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied involvement in Thursday's attack on the cultural centre.

The IS affiliate, made up of Sunni extremists, view Shiites as apostates.

IS in Afghanistan is a toxic mix of Uzbek militants belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who broke with the Taliban, as well as disenchanted insurgents who left the much larger and more well-established Taliban.

As attacks targeting Shiites have increased in Kabul, residents of this area have grown increasingly afraid.

Most schools have additional armed guards from among the local population, but Mr Ramazandada said security at the cultural centre was light.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani called the attack a "crime against humanity".

In a statement released by the presidential palace, Mr Ghani said: "The terrorists have killed our people.

"The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places and now our cultural centre."

He called them attacks against Islam and "all human values".

In a statement, the US ambassador to Afghanistan John R Bass called the attack "horrific" and said "we remain confident the Afghan government and people, supported by their friends and partners, will defeat those behind these terrible acts".

Separately, Dawlat Abad district governor Mohammad Karim said a powerful mine killed six shepherd children ranging in age from eight to 10 on Wednesday.

Afghanistan has the highest number of mine victims in the world, which along with other roadside bombs, kill or wound an estimated 140 people every month.

Elsewhere, a Taliban attack on a security police post in central Ghazni province on Wednesday night left three police dead and one other wounded, said the provincial chief of police.

AP
Piers Morgan has revealed how an eagle-eyed viewer helped save him from cancer after noticing something unusual about his appearance.

The Good Morning Britain host was contacted by a melanoma expert who spotted an alarming blemish on his chest while watching the ITV documentary Serial Killer with Piers Morgan in November.

Concerned, Morgan quickly went to get the blemish checked and was told that, if left unchecked, it could have turned cancerous.

The 52-year-old presenter said that Gillian Nuttall, founder of Melanoma UK, emailed him after a mark just above his open-neck shirt caught her attention.

Piers, at the risk of sounding like a lunatic, Im just watching your programme and theres a blemish on your chest. Have you had it checked? she wrote.

After visiting a healthcare professional, Morgan explained that a top dermatologist took one look at the mark and immediately removed it.

Much further delay, he informed me, and it might well have turned cancerous.

Give that lady a gold star, Morgan said.

Thanks, Gillian. Oh the irony of a serial killer inadvertently helping to save my life. Merry Christmas!

Since then, Nuttall has taken to social media to explain how the events unfolded.

He was interviewing a serial killer and I watched it  he had an open neck shirt on and it caught my eye, she wrote.

I stopped the TV and looked closely  it really bothered me so as Id got his email, just thought quick shove in the right direction wont harm.

Nuttall founded Melanoma UK in 2007, which supports patients who have been diagnosed with the deadly form of skin cancer thats commonly detected when a mole appears on the body.
The bodies of a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s were discovered at house in the Scottish Borders on Boxing Day David Cheskin/PA Wire

Police are investigating what they say are "unexplained" deaths after a man and a woman were found dead at a house in the Scottish Borders.

The bodies of a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s were discovered at a property in Ladyrig View in the village of Heiton, near Kelson, on December 26.

Forensic officers examined the scene on Wednesday and investigations are continuing.

Police said the "shocking" deaths are currently being treated as unexplained.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie, of Police Scotland's major investigation team, said: "I would like to offer my condolences to the families of the man and woman who have sadly died.

"Whilst our inquiries are at an early stage and formal identification is yet to take place, we are satisfied we know who they are and we are providing support to their loved ones.

"Officers and forensic experts will be on site today carrying out a detailed investigation. The deaths are being treated as unexplained at this stage."

Superintendent Jim Royan appealed for anyone with information to contact officers.

He said: "We understand that this is a shocking incident for a small, quiet area of the Borders and we will have a number of our local officers on patrol to provide support to the community as well as the investigation.

"I would like to thank the people of Heiton in advance for their patience and cooperation, and please come and speak to one of the team if you have any information that could assist."
British Prime Minister Theresa May is under pressure from her own MPs to withdraw the Conservative whip from Michael Heseltine after he implied he would prefer a Jeremy Corbyn government to Brexit.

The former deputy prime minister was accused of "outright sabotage" by an influential Tory think-tank, which said he could not go unpunished if Mrs May wants to be "taken seriously" in Brexit negotiations.

Mr Heseltine suggested a Corbyn government would be less "damaging" than Brexit because Labour would only cause "short-term" damage whereas Brexit would cause "a long-term disaster".

The Europhile peer has been a constant critic of Brexit, and was sacked as a government adviser in March after leading a Lords rebellion calling for a "meaningful vote" on the final Brexit deal.

The Bow Group, a conservative think-tank whose patrons include Norman Tebbit, Norman Lamont, and John Redwood, called for him to be banned from the Conservative benches.

Its chairman, Ben Harris-Quinney, a Tory councillor, said: "The Brexit negotiations cannot be led by a Conservative government that allows outright sabotage to go unaddressed within its own ranks.

"There should absolutely be room for Conservative politicians to disagree with the government's approach to Brexit, but for a member to be invested in bringing a Corbyn-led government into power in order to ignore the democratic will of the people in voting for Brexit cannot be tolerated by any party or government who wishes to be taken seriously and maintain parliamentary discipline. Lord Heseltine has made clear it is his aim to prevent Brexit at all costs, including the sabotage of his own party and nation.

"The Conservative Party must therefore withdraw the whip and end the inevitable continuation of his sniping from inside the tent."

Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski said: "His indifference towards hard-working new Conservative MPs who have won marginal seats against all odds at the last election, especially in Scotland, is breathtaking.

"His lack of respect and loyalty towards the Conservative Party is deeply regrettable."

Mr Heseltine made his latest comments about Brexit in an interview with The Limehouse Podcast, which covers liberal politics.

"We have survived Labour governments before. Their damage tends to be short-term and capable of rectification," he said.

"Brexit is not short-term and is not easily capable of rectification.

"There will be those who question whether the short-term pain justifies the avoidance of the long-term disaster." ( Daily Telegraph London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Israel's transportation minister is pushing ahead with a plan to dig a railway tunnel under Jerusalem's Old City, passing near sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims - and ending at the Western Wall with a station named after President Donald Trump.

Yisrael Katz's plan, currently in the initial stages, involves constructing two underground stations and excavating over 3km of tunnel beneath downtown Jerusalem and under the politically sensitive Old City.

The project would extend Jerusalem's soon-to-open high-speed rail line from Tel Aviv to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray. The route will run close to - but not directly under - the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where tradition holds that Jesus was crucified and buried, and a contested holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

Previous excavations by Israel near the holy site - the spiritual epicentre of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - have sparked violent Palestinian protests.

Because of those sensitivities, the proposal will likely meet with heavy resistance from the Palestinians, neighbouring Arab countries and the international community.

Mr Katz, a senior Cabinet official who also serves as Israel's intelligence minister, is a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is seen by many as his likely eventual successor as head of the Likud party.

Transportation Ministry spokesman Avner Ovadia said yesterday the project is estimated to cost more than $700m (590m) and, if approved, would take four years to complete.

Mr Katz's office said the minister advanced the plan in a recent meeting with Israel Railways executives, and has fast-tracked it in the planning committees.

Mr Katz said a high-speed rail station would allow visitors to reach "the beating heart of the Jewish people - the Western Wall and the Temple Mount". He proposed naming the station after Mr Trump "for his brave and historic decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital" earlier this month.

Mr Trump's announcement has enraged the Palestinians and much of the Muslim world. The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution last week condemning the move, with several traditional American allies breaking with Washington to vote in favour of the motion.

Israel captured east Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, in 1967.
Syria's peace efforts cannot include President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey's leader said yesterday, calling him a "terrorist".

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke during a visit to Tunisia at the end of a four-day Africa trip focusing on economic issues.

At a joint news conference with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, Mr Erdogan called Mr Assad a "terrorist who engaged in state terrorism" and should not be part of Syria's post-conflict future.

"How can we embrace a future with a Syrian leader who has killed close to a million of his citizens?" said the Turkish leader, whose country has seen a flood of refugees from neighbouring Syria during the fighting.

Turning to another highly sensitive Middle East issue, Mr Erdogan and Mr Essebsi said their nations would never accept changes to Jerusalem's historic status after US President Donald Trump's recognition of the city as Israel's capital.

"Jerusalem is our red line. Any steps against Jerusalem's historic status and holiness are unacceptable," Mr Erdogan said, adding that his country will work toward international recognition of the Palestinian state and seek the support of the European Union.

The Turkish leader also vowed to help support Tunisia overcome economic hardships and combat extremism.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was paying a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met King Salman yesterday. The two countries recently have been at odds over regional issues. Following his accession to power in 2015, King Salman sought to improve relations with Turkey to form a so-called Sunni axis against rival Shi'ite-led Iran.

However, the kingdom's move in June to lead a four- nation boycott of Qatar and cut off ties with the Gulf state led to new tensions with Turkey, which has sided with Qatar.

The Turkish prime minister's office said Mr Yildirim and King Salman exchanged views on "regional challenges and problems". They also emphasised the importance of Jerusalem's status and the need for the Islamic world to act in unity to protect the rights of Palestinian "brothers".

It also emerged yesterday fewer than 1,000 Isil fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, the US-led coalition fighting the hardline Sunni militant group said, a third of the estimated figure three weeks ago.

Iraq and Syria have both declared victory over Isil in recent weeks, after a year that saw the two countries' armies, a range of foreign allies and various local forces drive the fighters out of all the towns and villages that once made up their self-proclaimed caliphate.

The United States has led an international coalition conducting air strikes against Isil since 2014 when the group swept across a third of Iraq. US troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

"Due to the commitment of the coalition and the demonstrated competence of our partners in Iraq and Syria, there are estimated to be less than 1,000 Isil terrorists in our combined joint area of operations, most of whom are being hunted down in the desert regions in eastern Syria and western Iraq," the US-led coalition said in an emailed statement.

The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of President Assad's government and his allies. Mr Assad's main ally Russia also said yesterday the main battle with Isil in Syria was over.
Japanese authorities have reportedly indicted the North Korean captain of a boat that drifted to its coast on charges of stealing a generator, appliances and other equipment from an uninhabited island.

The captain and nine crew members on the dilapidated boat were rescued near a tiny island off Hokkaido, northern Japan, in late November.

Japanese police said they arrested the captain and two crew members earlier this month on suspicion of stealing a generator and appliances from a barn on the island.

Prosecutors on Thursday charged the captain with theft, meaning he will stand trial in Japan, according to reports from Japanese media, including NHK public television.

NHK reported that the captain played a leading role and also stole nearly 40 items including a television, appliances, as well as solar panels and equipment for a lighthouse on the island, worth more than 5.6 million yen (37,000).

Winds and water currents push dozens of boats on to Japan's northern coasts annually.

Rickety North Korean fishing boats are particularly vulnerable because they lack the sturdiness and equipment to return home.

About 100 of the vessels, many of them empty, have been detected this year, most of them since November.

The increased pace of the past few weeks has prompted Japanese authorities to step up patrols.

They have been holding dozens of people from the boats and eight men were recently repatriated via Beijing after they expressed a desire to return home.

AP
Oil prices were trading at two-and-a-half year highs on Thursday as investors cheered signs of stronger crude demand from China.

Brent crude prices rose to 66.28 US dollars per barrel in morning trading, marking the highest level since last May 2015.

Those gains eased slightly by the early afternoon, with oil prices trading around 65.95 US dollars per barrel.

Trading volumes were relatively low, but investors were excited by news that China had set strong oil import quotas for next year in a move that is expected to spur demand for global producers in 2018.

It is welcome news for international oil firms and crude producing states alike, having suffered the effects of floundering oil prices caused by a global supply glut.

But oil prices have been on an upward trajectory since the start of this year when Opec agreed to cut output for the first time since 2008.

They were joined by a group of major producers outside of the cartel, including Russia, Mexico, Azerbaijan and Oman, in a move that was meant to create a better balance between supply and demand.

The oil cartel has since agreed to extend an oil cap through to the end of 2018.

Together, those commitments helped bring oil prices up from around 56 dollars per barrel at the start of January.

Thursdays price rise was also supported by supply outages, including a recent blast that is expected to keep a Libyan pipeline out of action for at least a week.

The Forties pipeline, which carries 40% of North Sea oil and gas, has partially reopened after a crack was repaired, but is not expected to fully reopen until the new year.

However, buoyant commodity prices did little to prop up FTSE 100 oil producers.

Royal Dutch Shells B shares were in the red, down 4p at 2,484p, while BP was trading lower by 0.9p at 517.8p.
The South African owner of Poundland has again been downgraded by ratings agency Moodys, which has warned that it may not have sufficient funds to sustain its European operations.

Steinhoff, which also owns Harveys and Bensons for Beds, is in the throes of a full-blown crisis sparked by revelations of accounting irregularities earlier this month.

It triggered a share price collapse, a management overhaul, lenders deserting the firm and credit insurance being withdrawn from its operating companies.

Cutting Steinhoffs credit rating from B1 to Caa1, its second such downgrade, Moodys said the move reflected the increasing pressure on the companys liquidity profile.

The agency added: The situation has been compounded by its operating companies placing an additional liquidity burden on Steinhoffs centralised treasury function to fund their working capital needs.

Moodys notes that the operating companies have experienced a reduction or cancellation of credit insurance lines in recent weeks, with credit facilities increasingly being suspended or withdrawn.

Consequently, Steinhoffs liquidity levels could prove insufficient to sustain its European operations in the near term if it is unable to shore up its cash balances or other sources of liquidity.

Moodys pointed out that Steinhoff has 1.47 billion euros of debt maturing next year, and the investigation into accounting irregularities could make it challenging to either repay or refinance.

Last week, Steinhoff installed an acting chief executive, Danie van der Merwe, following the resignation of Markus Jooste.

Steinhoffs chairman, the South African retail billionaire Christo Wiese, had been acting as executive chairman on an interim basis following Mr Joostes departure, but resigned in order to address any possible conflict of interest that may exist.

Mr Wieses Brait investment group owns stakes in Virgin Active, New Look and food chain Iceland.
Bitcoin prices took another tumble as investors were spooked by news that South Korean authorities were launching a fresh crackdown on cryptocurrency trading.

Bitcoin was down at nearly 8% on the day at 14,191 US dollars (10,552) in Thursday morning trading, having recovered slightly from the days low of 13,672 US dollars (10,168), according to prices listed on CoinDesk.

Authorities in South Korea have reportedly put forward new legislation that would ban anonymous cryptocurrency accounts, stop banks from settling bitcoin exchange trades between parties that are unidentified, and give regulators the power to shut down cryptocurrency exchanges if necessary.

The measures have been floated as part of efforts to stamp out market speculation in a country that is believed to make up a significant portion of global cryptocurrency trading.

Bitcoin futures listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) were also trading lower, with futures expiring in January down 400 US dollars (297) at 14,690 US dollars (10,924), while those expiring in March were down 610 US dollars (453) at 14,330 US dollars (10,655).

South Korea earlier this month was considering a capital gains tax on cryptocurrency trading, and has so far banned the use of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) which allow investors to exchange cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for proprietary coins or tokens linked to a specific firm or project.

China has also banned ICOs.

Bitcoins price drop follows notable losses last week, when the cryptocurrency fell 36% from nearly 20,000 US dollars to around 12,137 US dollars in just five days.

It was prompted by news that one of South Koreas cryptocurrency exchanges was going bust in the wake of a cyberattack, while Coinbase  another exchange in the US  said it was opening an investigation into sharp price increases.

Despite its continued price pains, Bitcoin is still up on the year, having started at around 900 US dollars in January.

The launch of bitcoin futures by both the CME and CBOE earlier this month following US regulatory approval has been hailed by proponents as helping to legitimise the use of the virtual currency.

It is a divisive issue among investors, with Goldman Sachs reportedly gearing up to enter the market just months after JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon branded Bitcoin a fraud.

However, Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund said it may not be wise to dismiss virtual currencies.

Britains own Treasury has announced plans for closer scrutiny of the cryptocurrency as part of EU-wide plans that will require online platforms that trade in Bitcoin to carry out due diligence on customers and report suspicious transactions.
The Italian government has set March 4 as the date for electing the next parliament, formally launching what is shaping up to be an especially bruising campaign.

The general election was scheduled after President Sergio Mattarella dissolved the sitting legislature, following a meeting in Rome with Premier Paolo Gentiloni and the leaders of both houses.

During his end-of-year news conference earlier on Thursday, Mr Gentiloni counted the Democratic Party-led government's survival through a full five-year term - albeit under the leadership of three premiers - as an accomplishment.

A coalition led by the Democrats received 29.55% of the vote in the last election, held in February 2013, just ahead of the centre-right at 29.18%.

Enrico Letta led the government after the then-party leader, Pierluigi Bersani, was unable to form a government.

Mr Letta was ousted 10 months later by Matteo Renzi, who in turn resigned last December after staking his government on a constitutional referendum that failed.

Mr Renzi ceded the government to Mr Gentiloni, his foreign minister.

With the upcoming vote also shaping up to be tight, Mr Gentiloni warned against scaremongering.

"The more we have an election campaign that veers from the easy sale of fear, the better it will be for the country," he said.

The Democratic Party splintered and weakened following Mr Renzi's resignation a year ago.

The Forza Italia party led by former three-time premier Silvio Berlusconi is locked in a struggle with Matteo Salvini's anti-migrant, anti-euro League for dominance of the centre-right.

While Mr Berlusconi cannot run for office due to a tax-fraud conviction, Mr Salvini has set himself up as his party's premier candidate, if the newly rebranded League comes out of the election on top.

The vulnerability of the traditional political powers is giving further impetus to the populist 5-Star Movement, which remains Italy's most popular single party but has refused to join a national coalition with any force.

Political analyst Wolfango Piccoli said the likely outcome of the next election is a hung parliament.

Polls show the centre-right with 37 to 39% of the vote, the 5-Star Movement just below 30% and the Democratic Party sliding to less than one-quarter, he said.

Mr Gentiloni's government comes to an end with Italy's economy experiencing higher-than-forecast annual growth of 1.5% of GDP and much of the country on a financial upswing.

He cited domestic achievements of his year as head of government, including passage of a law recognising same-sex unions and another on living wills.

A key issue in the upcoming campaign will be Europe's migrant crisis.

Italy, one of the first stops for new arrivals, has struggled to cope with the thousands who fled poverty, conflict and oppression, mostly from the Middle East and Africa.

Mr Gentiloni's government opened a humanitarian corridor to allow a very limited number of migrants in Libya to go to Italy by plane, avoiding the deadly Mediterranean Sea passage, for the first time.

AP
Vladimir Putin at an awards ceremony in the Kremlin for troops who fought in Syria (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

President Vladimir Putin has praised Russian soldiers for their actions in Syria, saying the Russian campaign there has demonstrated the might of the nation's revamped military to the world.

Speaking at a Kremlin awards ceremony for troops who fought in Syria, Mr Putin said Russia has "made the main, decisive contribution to the destruction of a criminal group that cast a challenge to the entire civilisation".

He added that Islamic State was seeking to turn Syria into a base for "global aggression" and threaten Russia.

Mr Putin said the more than 48,000 Russian troops who took part in the Syria campaign were fighting for their "homeland, for a just and fair cause".

"Your heroic actions and professionalism helped preserve the Syrian state, stop mass killings, executions and terror against civilians," Mr Putin told hundreds of soldiers who gathered in the Kremlin's opulent gold-and-white St George's Hall.

Russia launched a campaign in Syria on September 30 2015 when Syrian President Bashar Assad's government was on the verge of collapse, quickly turning the tide of conflict in his favour.

Thanks to Russian air cover and its special operations forces, Assad's military has routed both the IS militants and the rebels and seized wide swathes of land.

Mr Putin declared victory in Syria on a visit to the Russian air base there on December 11 and ordered a partial pullout of Russian forces from the country.

He emphasised that the military will maintain its presence at both the Hemeimeem air base in Syria and a naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus.

"They are an important factor in protecting our national interests, ensuring Russia's security in one of the key strategic regions," Mr Putin said.

The Russian leader emphasised that "Russia's army and navy have fully shown their increased capability and successfully used state-of-the-art weapons".

Mr Putin noted that Russian pilots had flown 34,000 combat missions over Syria during the campaign and the Russian military conducted 166 launches of high-precision cruise missiles.

The Syrian operation marked the combat debut of an array of new weapons for Russia, including cruise missiles launched from warships, submarines and strategic bombers.

The new missiles gave the Russian military a long-sought, long-range precision cruise capability that only the US had before.

"The army has radically changed," Mr Putin said.

"It has changed because people have felt themselves on top, which was very important, and also because they saw how our weapons work. The entire world saw it, and our people saw it."

AP
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (C) meets with officers at the Nineveh Operations Headquarters in Mosul, Iraq, July 9, 2017. Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/Handout via REUTERS

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrived in Mosul on Sunday and congratulated the armed forces for their "victory" over Islamic State after nearly nine months of urban warfare, bringing an end to jihadist rule in the city.

Islamic State's defeat in Mosul three years after taking the city is a major blow for the hardline Sunni Islamist group, which is also losing ground in its operational base in the Syrian city of Raqqa from where it has planned global attacks.

The group, however, still controls territory in Iraq and is expected to revert to more conventional insurgent tactics such as bombings as its self-proclaimed caliphate falls apart.

The battle for Mosul - by far the largest city to fall under the militants' control - has left large areas in ruins, killed thousands of civilians and displaced nearly 1 million people.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Iraqi people celebrate the liberation of the embattled city of Mosul, in Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer Iraqi people celebrate the liberation of the embattled city of Mosul in Baghdad, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily / Facebook

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Whatsapp Iraqi people celebrate the liberation of the embattled city of Mosul, in Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

"The commander in chief of the armed forces (Prime Minister) Haider al-Abadi arrived in the liberated city of Mosul and congratulated the heroic fighters and Iraqi people for the great victory," his office said in a statement.

State television later showed Abadi touring Mosul on foot alongside residents of Iraq's second-largest city.

Air strikes and exchanges of gunfire could still be heard in the narrow streets of Mosul's Old City, where the group has staged its last stand against Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led international coalition.

Abadi met commanders in west Mosul who led the battle, but he has yet to issue a formal declaration that the entire city has been retaken from the group which is also known as ISIS.

Abadi's spokesman, Saad al-Hadithi, said victory would not be formally declared until the few remaining Islamic State militants were cleared from Mosul.

Still, France and Britain, members of the coalition that has conducted air strikes and provided training and assistance to Iraqi forces on the battlefield, welcomed the defeat.

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"Mosul liberated from ISIS: France pays homage to all those, who alongside our troops, contributed to this victory," French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.

"I congratulate Prime Minister Abadi, and the Iraqi forces who have been fighting on the ground with great bravery and care against a brutal opponent," British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement.

While celebrating "the removal of the death cult from Mosul", Fallon said the military operation was not over

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is pictured in Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer An Iraqi man carries an Iraqi flag as he celebrates the liberation of the embattled city of Mosul, in Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer Iraqi people celebrate the liberation of the embattled city of Mosul, in Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is pictured in Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer Iraqi people celebrate the liberation of the embattled city of Mosul, in Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer / Facebook

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Whatsapp Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is pictured in Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

"This barbaric group remains dug in west of the Euphrates and clearing operations in and around Mosul will be needed because of the threat from improvised explosive devices."

In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton, when asked whether the battle for Mosul was complete, replied: "Situation not resolved, but we are monitoring."

"FIGHT TO THE DEATH"

Iraq still faces uncertainty and long-term stability will be possible only if the government contains ethnic and sectarian tensions which have dogged the country since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

The fall of Mosul exposes fractures between Arabs and Kurds over disputed territories, and between Sunnis and the Shiite majority.

The group vowed to "fight to the death" in Mosul, but Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told state TV that 30 militants had been killed attempting to flee by swimming across the River Tigris that bisects the city.

Cornered in a shrinking area, the militants resorted to sending women suicide bombers among the thousands of civilians who are emerging from the battlefield wounded, malnourished and fearful, Iraqi army officers said.

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The struggle has also exacted a heavy toll on Iraq's security forces.

The Iraqi government does not reveal casualty figures, but a funding request from the U.S. Department of Defense said the elite Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), which has spearheaded the fight in Mosul, had suffered 40 percent losses.

The Department of Defense has requested $1.269bn in U.S. budget funds for 2018 to continue supporting Iraqi forces, which collapsed in the face of the few hundred militants who overran Mosul in 2014.

Backed by coalition air strikes, an array of Iraqi forces gradually clawed back territory from Islamic State until reaching Mosul, the group's de facto capital in Iraq, last October.

It is almost exactly three years since the ultra-hardline group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, proclaimed a "caliphate" spanning Syria and Iraq from the pulpit of Mosul's medieval Grand al-Nuri mosque.

Abadi declared the end of Islamic State's "state of falsehood" a week ago, after security forces retook the mosque - although only after retreating militants blew it up.

The United Nations predicts it will cost more than $1bn to repair basic infrastructure in Mosul. In some of the worst affected areas, almost no buildings appear to have escaped damage and Mosul's dense construction means the extent of the devastation might be underestimated, U.N. officials said.
This opened up a dedicated air freight corridor between the two cities which was planned during the meeting of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani in Kabul in September 2016.

An initiative implemented with the joint efforts of Vice-President of Afghanistan Danish Sarwar and Governor of Maharashtra Chennamanneni Vidyasagar Rao, this connectivity, established through the Air-Freight corridor, will provide the land-locked Afghanistan greater access to markets in Maharashtra.

Additionally, it will allow Afghan businessmen to leverage the economic growth, enhance trade networks and offer Afghan farmers direct access to the markets in western India for their perishable goods.

At present, the current volume of trade between the two nations stands at roughly $350 million with a goal of the two governments to increase it to around $ 1 billion in the coming three years.

The major exports from India to Afghanistan constitute of man-made filaments, articles of apparels and clothing accessories, pharmaceutical products, cereals, man-made staple fibres, dairy and poultry products, spices to name a few. While major imports from Afghanistan include fresh fruits, dried fruits/nuts, vegetable, oil seeds, precious, semi-precious stones etc.

Earlier, transporting cargo by road, comprising of mostly perishable goods was impractical since it not only faced logistical problems but also added to the cost of the goods while they passed through various states.

The inauguration of the Kabul-Mumbai air corridor received an overwhelming response from traders on both sides. With an expected increase in the frequency of cargo exchange in the coming months facilitated by the Mumbai airport, India and Afghanistan are on the threshold of becoming long-term trade partners.

The move was a part of the Government of Indias agenda to strengthen the bilateral trade relations between India and Afghanistan.
New Delhi, Dec 15 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the 60 MW Tuirial Hydro Electric Power Project (HEPP), in Mizoram, to the nation, on Saturday, announced the Union Ministry of Power.

Same day, he will also launch the MyDoNER App and will distribute cheques to Start-up Entrepreneurs Aizawl.

The HEPP dedication programme will also be attended by Governor of Mizoram, Lt Gen.(Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma; Chief Minister of Mizoram, Lal Thanhawla' Minister of State (IC) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Prime Minister Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, Jitendra Singh; and Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh.

The Tuirial HEPP has been constructed as a Central Sector Project and implemented by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared the Project for implementation in July 1998 with commissioning scheduled in July 2006.

After completion of about 30 per cent of the project activities, the works were totally suspended since June 2004 due to local agitation.

With sustained efforts by NEEPCO and with active support of Ministry of Power and Ministry of DoNER, the Central and state governments, the stalled works of the project were resumed in January 2011.

The project being remotely located, encountered various hindrances ranging from inadequate communication infrastructure to the project site, massive failure of the Power House slopes due to poor soil condition, lack of availability of skilled manpower etc.

These factors resulted in comparatively longer gestation period for the project.

However, with all efforts from the agencies concerned, the project works were completed successfully, leading to commissioning of Unit-I on Aug 25 and and Unit-II on Nov 28, this year.

The project has been implemented by NEEPCO by engaging Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd for supply and erection of power generating equipment, Patel Engineering Ltd for execution of major civil works and Sew-PES-Tuirial consortium for hydro-mechanical works.

The project has been built at a cost of Rs 1,302 crore.

The project is the biggest power project located in Mizoram and will feed the entire energy to be generated to the home state,

The state's current demand of electricity is only 87 MW and this is being met by state's mini power projects and availability of its share of power from central sector projects.

With the additional 60 MW of electricity from the project, Mizoram will now be the third power-surplus state in North East India after Sikkim and Tripura.
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IBNS) : Months after the Supreme Court struck down the Muslim practice of instant divorce, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will table the triple talaq bill or the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 in the Lok Sabha Thursday.

The landmark bill proposes criminalisation of the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims.

According to reports, the ruling BJP has issued a whip in the lower House, asking all of its members to be present to ensure the smooth passage to the bill for enactment.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 criminalises instant triple talaq and imposes a prison term of up to three years and fine on husbands who violate the law.

It also seeks to provide alimony for the woman on whom instant triple talaq has been pronounced and grant her the custody of her children.

In August, three of five judges of a Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court said the practice of saying talaq three times in one go  sometimes even over email and WhatsApp  violated womens right to equality and was not integral to Islam.
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IBNS) : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday launched a a blistering attack on Pakistan over the ill treatment of Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife and mother, saying the meeting of a mother with her son and a wife with her husband was turned into a propaganda tool by Pakistan.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Swaraj also accused Pakistan of betraying India as it put the family's security at risk despite assurances.

" It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again and again and an environment of fear was created for them," the Minister said.

Swaraj said while taking Jadhav's mother and wife to the meeting place, Pakistani authorities exposed them to a barrage by the local media with most unsavoury questions being directed at them.

She said the meeting started without any envoy on India's part and " no humanity and no compassion was showed to Jadhavs mother and wife."

Both mother and wife were forced to change clothes and forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both the women were removed before meeting Jadhav. "Both the married women were made to like widows," Swaraj added.

Even after repeated attempts by Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife, her shoes returned. "Pakistan says there was a camera or a recorder in the shoes, nothing can be more absurd than this as she traveled in two flights with those shoes on. It is an absurdity beyond measure," Swaraj said.

She informed the House that Jadhav was forced to speak in English or French with her mother and wife and whenever there was an attempt to speak Marathi, their mother tongue, either the intercom was switched off or the Pakistani officials present there interrupted.

"A meeting of a mother with her son and a wife with her husband was turned into a propaganda tool by Pakistan," Swaraj said.

The entire House unanimously criticised Pakistans ill-treatment of Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Representatives from various parties registered their condemnation of the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhavs family.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, Pakistan does not know how to treat the citizens of another country.

"Misbehaviour of Pakistan with wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav was misbehavior with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nations dignity & another country misbehaves with our mothers and sisters, it will not be tolerated, he said.

On Wednesday, the opposition raised an uproar in both the House of Parliament over the Kulbhushan Jadhav issue and Swaraj promised to make a statement.

The meeting between Jadhav and his wife and mother took place on December 25. Pictures taken during the meeting were released by Pakistan in which Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side.

They spoke through intercom for about 40 minutes.

India has denounced Pakistan over the treatment of the family of Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistan court for alleged spying, saying they had been harassed during a visit.

India said the meeting between Jadhav and his wife and mother in the jail was held in an intimidating atmosphere and questioned why the shoes of his wife were kept back even after the meeting.

Jadhav, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying.

New Delhi maintains Jadhav is innocent, and it won an injunction from the World Court to delay his execution, arguing he was denied diplomatic assistance during his trial by a military court.
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IBNS) : Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde on Thursday apologised in Parliament after days of protests by the opposition over his comment that his party, the ruling BJP, will "soon change the Constitution.

"My comment was misunderstood. I respect the constitution and believe that it is supreme. If, however, my statement has hurt anyone's sentiment, I have no problems in apologising for it," Hegde said in the Lok Sabha.

The government has already distanced itself from Hegde's comments with union minister Vijay Goel telling the Rajya Sabha, "The Government does not subscribe to views expressed by Hegde."

Opposition members, led by the Congress, stalled proceedings in both the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday demanding that the Minister resign. They also protested at the Gandhi statue in Parliament on Thursday morning.

At a function to celebrate his party's foundation day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of attacking the country's Constitution.

"The country's Constitution is under attack by the BJP. It is our duty to defend it," Rahul Gandhi told Congress workers and leaders at the function in Delhi.

"People should be aware and careful as they have threat from their own government and not from any outside source," said Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Hegde, a five-term Lok Sabha lawmaker from the Uttara Kannada constituency in Karnataka, had kicked up the controversy at a recent rally, where he mocked "secularists", saying the BJP would change the Constitution in days to come.

According to media reports, Hegde also mocked secularists by saying they are unaware of their parentage.

He urged the people to identify with their religion or caste and said, "I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are."

He said he respects the Constitution but the BJP has come to power at the centre to change it and "it will be changed in the days to come".
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IBNS) : The Government on Thursday introduced in the Lok Sabha the Triple Talaq Bill, months after the Supreme Court struck down the Muslim practice of instant divorce.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabled the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims.

He said the Bill upholds the right of Muslim women.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a consensus in passage of the Bill on making instant triple talaq a punishable offence.

However, a section of the opposition, including the AIADMK and BJD opposed the Bill.

According to reports, the ruling BJP had issued a whip in the lower House, asking all of its members to be present to ensure the smooth passage to the Bill for enactment, a debate on which will take place till Friday.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 criminalises instant triple talaq and imposes a prison term of up to three years and fine on husbands who violate the law.

It also seeks to provide alimony for the woman on whom instant triple talaq has been pronounced and grant her the custody of her children.

In August, three of five judges of a Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court said the practice of saying talaq three times in one go  sometimes even over email and WhatsApp  violated womens right to equality and was not integral to Islam.
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IBNS): Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a sage, a visionary par excellence who brought developmental reforms to the forefront of governance.

He was addressing a gathering on Thursday after releasing the book Yug Purush Bharata Ratna Atal Ji authored by the Member of Parliament (LS), Dr. Ramesh Pokhrial Nishank.

The programme was also attended by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Vijay Goel.

The Vice President lauded the efforts of former PM Vajpayee in bringing connectivity reforms in Roads, Transport, Telecom and Governance.

December 25, the former PM's birthday, is celebrated as Good Governance Day, which is a testament to his contributions in building India, he added.

The Vice President said that Vajpayees life is an example for youth and future leaders, he said.

Image: PIB
Guwahati, Dec 28 (IBNS): Chief of the Indian Army General Bipin Rawat reached Dimapur in Nagaland on Thursday to commence his visit to important locations in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur and spend time with the Spear Corps over December 28 and 29.

Besides attending briefings at various Army and Assam Rifles headquarters, General Bipin Rawat will also call on the Chief Minister of Nagaland to discuss vital aspects pertaining to the state.

Besides the prevailing security situation in these states, facilitating the ongoing peace process as well as improving employment generation opportunities, will also figure in the discussions.

During the visit, the Army Chief will be accompanied by Lieutenant General Abhay Krishna, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command and Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan, General Officer Commanding Spear Corps.

The Spear Corps, besides undertaking extensive counter insurgency operations in the three north east states, are also responsible for conducting operations along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh.

During the visit, General Bipin Rawat will undertake an appraisal of operations of Spear Corps along the Line of Actual Control as well as counter insurgency operations.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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New York, Dec 28(Just Earth News): Concluding the main part of its 72nd session, the United Nations General Assembly on Sunday took a number of key actions, including approving a nearly $5.4 billion programme budget for the Organization for the biennium 2018-2019.

The budget covers UN activities across a range of areas, including political affairs, international justice and law, regional cooperation for development, human rights and humanitarian affairs, and public information.

The approved amount is $286 million (or 5 per cent) below the budget for the current two-year period 2016-2017 and $193 million below the proposal made by the Secretary-General in October this year.

In addition to the budget, the 193-member General Assembly also adopted a number of key resolutions, including reforms in areas of peace and security, and of management.

Speaking at the closing session, Miroslav LajAak, the President of the General Assembly, stated that progress is not measured by the number of resolutions adopted, but rather by the impact the United Nations makes on peoples lives.

Our work is not yet done. We have more to do next year, he said, noting areas, including the Global Compact for Migration, the peacebuilding and sustaining peace agenda, maintaining momentum on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as Security Council reform.

To have meaningful outcomes from all these processes we need to talk, and more importantly, to listen, to one another. These agenda items represent global challenges. And multilateralism is the tool we need to solve them, he added.

The UN budget

In approving the budget, the General Assembly also endorsed the proposal to move from a biennial planning and budgeting period to annual programme budget on a trial basis, as of 2020.

This signals one of the most significant shifts in the programme planning and budgeting process of the Organization since the 1970s, stated a note issued by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Explaining the details of the new budget, Johannes Huisman, the Director of Programme Planning and Budget, in the Office of the Controller, told UN News that most of the cuts were under operating or non-post areas, such as information technology or travel.

To a lesser extent, reductions also applied to personnel or post resources, he said.

Emphasizing that the UN budget will ensure that there is value for money, he said This is a reassurance we can give to the tax-payers that no stone will be left unturned to make sure that the money is spent properly and ultimately benefits the world community in the areas where the UN is needed.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Kabul, Dec 28 (IBNS) : At least 40 people were killed and dozens injured by multiple bomb blasts targeting a cultural center in a Shiite neighborhood of western Kabul Thursday.

Local media reports quoted Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry as saying that women and students were among the casualties of the attack.

Reports said a suicide bomber wearing a vest targeted the cultural centre.

The second blast was caused by a sticky bomb the attacker had placed on a wall.

Rahimi said that the blasts were aimed at the Shi'ite Tabayan cultural center.

He said a suicide bomber entered the building and blew himself up during a crowded ceremony marking the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Rahimi said there were two other explosions on the street outside of the building as people were gathering to help those injured by the first blast.

He said the smaller explosions outside of the building did not kill anyone.

The Taliban denied responsibility for the blast, which comes days after a Christmas Day suicide bombing at the countrys main intelligence agency.

The Islamic States local affiliate claimed that earlier attack, which left six people dead and several wounded.
New York, Dec 28 (IBNS): After creating an impact in London, the UK, a few months ago, #FreeBalochistan posters have swept through New York city of USA.

The adverts have been put up by World Baloch organisation, one of the few groups campaigning to stop human rights abuses in Balochistan, Pakistan.

According to the group, the location was chosen purposely, to hit Pakistan where it hurts the most.

"#FreeBalochistan goes up on Times Square #NewYork



#Pakistan's crimes in #Balochistan will be exposed at the grandest stage of them all," read a tweet from WBO.

Speaking about its campaign, WBO spokesperson Bhawal Mengal stated, "Balochistan was annexed by Pakistan against the peoples will in 1948 and has been under military occupation ever since, with mass kidnappings, torture and executions by the Pakistan army. Pakistan wants to keep this hidden. We are doing this campaign to expose these abuses.

The adverts mostly contain slogans such as '#Free Balochistan from human rights abuses by Pakistan', 'No to CPEC, the China-Pakistan project that aims to loot and plunder Balochistan' and 'Raise your voice against human rights abuses in #Balochistan by Pakistan Army'.

Thousands of Baloch people have been murdered or disappeared by Pakistani security forces. The killings are happening right now, the American weapons that were given to Pakistan to use against the Taliban are being diverted and misused to attack the secular Baloch people, including F-16 fighter jets and Cobra attack helicopters," he said.

Mengal said that the campaign aims to educate the American citizens about the ethnic persecutions in Pakistan.

The campaigns goal is to raise awareness among the American public about the ethnic persecution and gross human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan and support the Baloch peoples quest for peace and freedom. We want the US to cut off all military aid to Pakistan and hold it accountable for its crimes in Balochistan, he said.

Attacking Islamabad, Mengal said that Pakistan is exploiting Balochistan by draining its natural resources and forcing the ethnic baloch population to live in poverty.

He added that Islamabad is also allowing religious extremists to take control and suppress the Baloch movement.

Balochistan comprises half the land mass of the current borders of Pakistan. It has fabulous oil, gas and mineral wealth which is being exploited by Pakistan, while the Baloch people live in abject poverty. To keep control, the government in Islamabad is resorting to terror tactics and is giving free rein to religious extremists operate in the region. It is using them as a proxy third force against the nationalist movement, which has a long tradition of democracy and secularism, Mengal said.

"Pakistans iron-fisted rule in Balochistan is so brutal that it will not allow journalists, human rights monitors and aid agencies to enter the region. These adverts are much needed to defend the human rights of the Baloch people and to expose the atrocities of the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies," he added.

Contrary to Mengal's claims, Pakistan thinks otherwise.

Pakistani officials over the years have refused to acknowledge the movement, while claiming it to be 'anti-national' and 'malicious'.

In London, the adverts were taken down after a days.

Later reports emerged that China and Pakistan arm twisted the UK into taking down the posters.

Image: twitter.com/WorldBalochOrg
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha M.P.Subramaniam Swamy has urged the BJP-led Centre to wage a war with neighbouring Pakistan and split it into four territories.

Pakistan arrested former Indian naval officer Kulbhusan Jadhav on espionage charges and awarded death penalty to him. After India moved the International Court of Justice, the death penalty was stayed. Pak allowed Kulbhuan`s family to meet him a few days back but not before humiliating them by asking his mother to take off her saree, wear salwar khameez, instructing her to take off her Bindi and Mangalsutra and frisking her.

Pakistan`s mean act has raised a huge controversy with North Indian television news channels holding a huge debate about Pakistan's uncultured, merciless handling of Kubhushan's family. Reacting to this, Swamy said "Pakistan continues to humiliate India and Indians and has tested our patience beyond a certain limit. Frisking and humiliating Kulbhushan`s mother is equal to the disrobing of Draupadi in epic Mahabharat which we can't take lightly.

"In order to teach a fitting lesson to Pakistan, the Centre should wage a full-fledged war against Pakistan, destroy it and split it into four territories. Even if we don`t start a war in the near future, we should make arrangements for it to be waged after some time. This is my personal opinion and I`m sure the party (BJP) would toe my line sooner than later," Swamy concluded.
entered into an agreement for construction and implementation of project with Vyapti Infrabuild Pvt Ltd for an amount of Rs441.6mn.It envisages construction of 552 housing units under slum rehabilitation project, at Radha Raman Ni Chali, Bapunagar, Ahmedabad, being executed by Vyapti with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) under the aegis of Government of Gujarat, Urban Development and Urban Housing Departments Slum Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Policy 2013  Integrated Slum In-situ Development on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis. The project involves construction of about 180,000 sq. ft. and shall be completed within 24 months.Deep Vadodaria, COO of the company said, We congratulate Vyapti for securing such urban development infrastructure project that is beneficial to the society at large. Getting such EPC order on Turnkey basis from the reputed firm that is promoted by established realtors is an acknowledgement of our expertise in Slum Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Project Management and execution. This project stands to benefit from our proprietary skills as apart from construction, this envisages survey, coordination with slum-dwellers through NGO, relocation of slum-dwellers and overall Slum Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Project Management and execution."The stock ended at Rs 27.3, down by Rs 0.35 or 1.27% from its previous closing of Rs 27.65 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs27.7 and has touched a high and low of Rs28.15 and Rs26.85, respectively.
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George Melford Nygaard is Norway's newly declared 'oldest man'. At the age of 107, the man thinks that the two secrets to a long life are sixty cigarettes and a glass of wine a day.

After the death of Norway's last oldest man, Torbjorn Ovrebo, Nygaard officially became Norway's eldest. He will celebrate his 108th birthday on January 12, 2018.

reuters

Also read: 100-YO Shyam Saran Negi Becomes India's Oldest Voter After Casting Vote In Himachal Polls

"It's not true that you have to live healthy to grow old. I have eaten and drank what I wanted throughout my life. I was a big smoker until I reached my forties, but I still have to have a glass of wine every day. It thins out the blood. But I make sure not to drink too much," Nygaard was quoted as telling Glomdalen.

reuters

The man was born in 1910 in North Dakota after his father emigrated from Norway in 1894. The man lived through both world wars and witnessed the Second World War firsthand. He gave up smoking in 1953 but still loves drinking a glass of wine every day.

Also read: Eileen Ash, The Oldest Living English Woman Cricketer At 105, Rings The Lord's Bell Ahead Of World Cup Final

After his wife's passing in 1992, Nygaard moved into a retirement home where he has lived ever since.
Fairy-tale wedding - Check

Exotic honeymoon - Check

Blockbuster wedding receptions back home - Check

Instagram

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's wedding needs to be declared as one of the top-trending events on the internet already. Considering how the world collectively rejoiced and spoke about the wedding speak volumes about the magnitude of their stardom.

The couple hosted two separate receptions, one in Delhi and one in Mumbai and both were grand in every possible way.

Viral Bhayani

And now, after fulfilling all social obligations, the newlyweds are off to South Africa.

Viral Bhayani

The couple was spotted at the airport last night. Virushka's plans were already spoken about in the media and looks like the couple is adhering to their personal and professional timelines.

Viral Bhayani

To ring in their first new year together, Anushka will be spending time with Virat in South Africa, where India is scheduled to play the Proteas in three Tests, six One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals from January 5 to February 24.

However, Anushka is expected to return back to India in the first week of January to start the shooting of her Aanand L Rai's directorial opposite Shah Ruh Khan.
The new year is almost here and while we are all busy making plans about how to celebrate it, have you ever wondered why we celebrate New Year on 1st January and not on 1st February or 1st March? If you have, you probably already know what we are about to tell you but if you don't, you're at the right place.

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Way back in time, Romans had a God named Janus who was the God of doorways and beginnings. Janus had two faces, one in the front to look forward in the future and one at the back to look behind at the past. The name of the month January came from Roman God Janus' name.

At the time of creating the Julian calendar, Julius Caesar found it appropriate to have January as the first month of the year as it symbolises the doorway to a new year.

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The calendar-makers in earlier days were unaware of the fact that there's an astronomical logic behind beginning the year on January 1.

Earth is always closest to the sun in its yearly orbit around this time.

This event is called Earths perihelion and hence, it's another reason to mark a new beginning.

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One the logical reasons behind celebrating 1st January as New Year is also because the Northern hemisphere witnesses the shortest day of the year in December and by early January, our days start lengthening again.

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The first new year celebration is believed to be recorded in the state of Mesopotamia, Circa 2000 B.C.

After this many other ancient celebrations of the new year followed. These were celebrated around March 20, the time of the vernal equinox. While, the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new year with the autumnal equinox around September 20, the Greeks celebrated it on the winter solstice, around December 20.

In multiple places, the new year began in March during the Middle Ages. Though it is believed that in the 16th century a movement started to restore January 1st as New Year's day.

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In India, even though we follow the Julian Calendar, different religions, cultures and geographies celebrate their own new year. Ugadi is celebrated in the Southern states of India like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. Gudhi Padwa is celebrated in Maharashtra and Goa. Baisakhi marks the new year in few Northern states, particularly Punjab. Parsis all around the country celebrate Navroz.
Elon Musk-founded Tesla, which makes electric cars, has initiated talks with the government to enter India through the single-brand retail route, which comes with several riders including mandatory sourcing of up to 30% of the value of goods sold in the country.

ap

The company has written to the government evincing interest in entering the market through the single-brand retail window. The development comes months after Musk had tweeted about the high import duty and sourcing requirements.

"In discussions with the government of India requesting temporary relief on import penalties/restrictions until a local factory is built," he had tweeted on June 15.

reuters

Sources said granting an exemption may not be easy and in any case with duty in excess of 100% the import route did not make sense.

The government is expected to formally reply to Tesla over the next few weeks, considering there is interest not just from buyers but even at the level of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had visited the company's headquarters in 2015 in what was seen as an attempt to get the company to India.

There is no clarity on how Tesla planned to provide after-sales service in India and develop infrastructure to charge the vehicles.

afp

The proposal comes amid a push from the government to move to electric vehicles with transport minister Nitin Gadkari recently reading the riot act at a recent conference of the Siam, the auto industry lobby group, where he talked about having only electric cars on Indian roads by 2030. Already, several companies such as Maruti and Ford are planning forays into the segment.

While the plan was to hit the Indian market this summer, Musk had pointed to difficulties in complying with the local sourcing requirement, which can be waived for "high-technology goods", due to the absence of a vendor base. The government had responded by suggesting that the local sourcing requirement did not exist for locally manufactured goods.

ap

Although the provision to grant an exemption to "high-technology) goods has existed for nearly two years, none of the applicants, including Apple, have managed to get a waiver so far. In fact, in case of a British company, the government took the view that only 10-15% of the products sold by it fell into that category.

In case of Apple, the government has questioned if some of the products touted as "hightechnology" actually fell into that category. In case of several components, Apple has told the government that they are under development, sources said.
While there has been a massive outcry about linking pan cards, mobile numbers, bank accounts and what not, in the country, authorities are adamant to commit errors and add to peoples woes.

In a small town in Madhya Pradesh, more than 5,000 people from five villages have the same birth date on their Aadhaar card due to some technical glitch.

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Around 80% of the people in Palsoda, Devpura, Fatah Nagar, Jetpuria and Bhopalganj villages in Neemuch, MP  with an approximate population of 7,000 have the same birthday  January 1.

Because of this technical error, many people are being denied the government schemes that they were entitled to.

The villagers have complained to the authorities that details on their other documents and Aadhaar cards do not match.

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The software for Aadhaar is designed in a way that it automatically lists January 1 as the date of birth for people who do not know their actual birthday. It takes between 5-10 days to get the correction done.

The lackadaisical approach from the government in a matter to worry. In Jharkand, people have died of hunger recently because they did not link their ration card to Aadhaar, and were hence denied subsidised food.
All is not lost in war-torn Syria. After seeing the horrendous destruction of the historical cities with incalculable lives lost, the Syrians are back again to help each other and send a message of togetherness. The armed-rebels who are opposing President Bashar Al Assad regime, have made sure that their efforts are not turned into a communal rift with their Christian compatriots. Therefore they have provided tight security to the Christian community and made sure that they celebrate the festival with peace and joy.

AFP

There is a considerable population of Christians in the southern part of the country. They have rejected violence and at the same time chosen to stay back amid violence and political uncertainty.

Syria: Merry Christmas from Kherba near Suwayda, which is under FSA control. https://t.co/BtzdctBFeo pic.twitter.com/aC1X9ll5DD  Bjorn Stritzel (@bjoernstritzel) December 26, 2017

According to Anadolu News Agency, in opposition-held parts of the southern Al-Suwayda province, scores of Christians took part in church services in the majority-Christian town of Harb. A lot of people could be seen holidaying in the region with streets lighted and decorated for the occasion.

AFP

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, residents expressed satisfaction with security provided by opposition groups. According to town resident George Bishara, Harb serves as an example of peaceful coexistence between the countrys Muslims and Christians.

"There are no problems between us, Bishara told Anadolu Agency. Both communities respect each other's holidays.

Abu Saddam, a commander of the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA), confirmed that FSA fighters were protecting the regions Christian communities. "We are responsible for protecting Christian lives, he told Anadolu Agency. Contrary to the Assad regimes claims, the FSA isnt the enemy of the Christians.

AFP

The civil war that began in Syria in 2011 has seen nearly half a million people dead including women and children. There may be varied accounts of death from the sides of the government and the rebels, but UN has estimated the death count to be at least over 4,00,000. It all began when the pro-democracy Arab Spring protests reached Syria and Assad regime cracked down on the protesters with the help of armed forces.
American private space companies are focused on getting people out into space, some offering short trips around the edge of it, even as SpaceX looks to get people to Mars. Instead, Russia seems to be offering something a little more exotic.

Images courtesy: Anatoly Zak/RussianSpaceWeb.com

According to Popular Mechanics, Russias government-run space agency has floated a proposal to build a luxury hotel on board the ISS. Itll allow rich customers to vacation in zero-gravity for a week for the low price of $40 million, with an additional $20 million allowing them a spacewalk in the company of a cosmonaut.

Russian space contractor RKK Energia has developed a strategy to pay for the hotel module construction, estimated to cost between $279 million to $446 million. RKK Energia is already building a module for the ISS right now, that will serve as a science lab and power supply station, and the hotel will be the second. However, the Russian government is only footing the bill for the first of those two.

The hotel module will reportedly look just like the science lab from the exterior, as seen in the illustration. On the inside however, itll have four sleeping quarters of about two cubic meters each, with 9-inch windows for you to gaze at the stars. Itll also feature two medical and hygiene stations and a lounge with a 16-inch window for the ultimate vacation experience.

RKK Energia is supposedly hoping to fly a couple of tourists per Soyuz flight, accommodated after NASA has bought enough seats for its own astronauts to make the trip. All of this will take place after the American space agency begins relying less on Russias space transport, once Boeing and SpaceXs commercial rocket programs really take off.

The company believes that, if it can find 12 passengers who pay $4 million in advance and at least have of those stick around for a week each year, it can recover its investment within seven years.
German industrial workers to get pay raises in 2-year deal AP - 13 minutes ago Germanys biggest industrial union has agreed with employers on a pay deal that will see millions of workers get raises totaling 8.5% over two years as well as one-time payments meant to cushion the... $SPX : 3,946.56 (-0.31%) $DOWI : 33,546.32 (-0.02%) $IUXX : 11,676.86 (-0.19%)

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Environmental risks and pollution are top of mind issues for contractors and developers.Standard liability insurance coverage for contractors does address some environmental exposures but there are various limitations and exclusions to watch out for.Insurance Business spoke to Chris Robertson, vice president, environmental & construction at Chubb Canada, about the gaps contractors should be aware of and brokers should be communicating.Some General Liability (GL) policies will extend coverage to liability arising out of sudden and unforeseen pollution events, said Robertson. These policies may have general language such as sudden, unintended and unexpected, or it may tie an event back to a pollution event that is discovered within a defined time and reported within a set time period from discovery.It is important to note that even where a GL policy provides an element of pollution coverage, usually as an exception to an exclusion, the GL policy is only intended to respond to compensatory damages to a third party that has suffered bodily injury or property damage.Therefore, the pollution coverage in a GL policy may address an element of remediation costs but it is not likely to deal with remediation costs on the insureds premises, nor arising out of a governmental order.This is an issue for contractors because one of the main exposures arising out of a pollution event is the cost to remediate and to respond to regulatory requirements in the form of orders or compliance with regulations.Most GL policies will not address clean-up costs unless, and to the extent they constitute property damage, Robertson told Insurance Business. Considering that the environment itself is not a third party, and there are other limitations with respect to pollutants brought to a job site and related to waste, there are significant gaps in a standard liability policy that most dedicated pollution policies in the market would address.
Robotics, chatbots, artificial and cognitive intelligence  welcome to the future of insurance.Insurers and brokers are already using these technologies, to varying degrees. But it could be the best and fastest adopters of these technologies  those companies that dive in the deepest  who come out on top as the industry continues to rapidly evolve.According to Deloitte s 2018 Insurance Industry Outlook, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in insurance is only going to increase in the next few years.Insurer spending on cognitive intelligence (CI) and AI technologies will rise 48% globally, on a compound annual growth basis over five years, to reach $1.4 billion by 2021.Its sink or swim time for insurers adopting this tech  especially when it comes combining robotic and human workforces.As Rob Kaye, a principal at Deloitte Consulting, told Insurance Business: The real challenge now is how to scale effectively  a challenge that goes far beyond simply picking the right technology and processes. At its root is understanding how a digital workforce will work hand-in-hand with its human counterparts.As the report outlines, already in 2018 insurers will be deploying robotics and AI to automate many business tasks, to speed up claims adjudication, increase online conversion rates, and more.Robotic process automation (RPA) and CI technologies give insurers the chance to both reduce expenses in staffing, but also adapt the very nature of the way they do business.RPA gives carriers the ability to automate mundane, box-checking-type tasks in underwriting, policy administration, and claims, potentially freeing up thousands of people hours, the report states. RPA solutions use bots to mimic the way individuals interact with applications and follow simple rules to make decisions and automate routine business processes, improving efficiency without the need of any fundamental process redesign.For example,  [a] major carrier utilized RPA to automatically aggregate 86 data points into a centralized document, leading to 75% faster adjudication of claims.CI takes robotics even further, allowing insurers a way to automate more complex tasks, using soft skills like intuition and creativity. CI can analyse and recognise handwriting, images, audio and video, and process natural language.The potential benefits of RPA and CI go beyond cost reduction to offer decreased cycle times, flexibility and scalability, improved accuracy, and higher employee morale  at least among those who can make the transition, the report stated.Dave Kuder, another principal at Deloitte Consulting, said the technology will be best employed by insurers that can most easily integrate the robotic tech into their current systems.Carriers that have experience with the technology view robotic and cognitive automation as a platform that can be easily augmented as ancillary technologies mature, he said. The ideal starting point for an individual carrier is going to be based uniquely on the automation already present in their core systems and their application lifecycle.
An explosion at a grains terminal in Argentina owned by Chinas COFCO International on Wednesday killed one employee, injured others and affected shipping activities from one of the worlds top food suppliers, the conglomerate said.

The cause of the blast is not yet known but it could have an outsized impact on the flow of food exports from Argentina as unions representing grains inspectors and crushing workers said they would go on strike on Thursday to demand better safety conditions.

Television images showed thick black smoke billowing from what COFCO described as a 52,000-square-meter grains processing plant. The facility is part of Argentinas shipping hub of Rosario, on the Parana River in Santa Fe province.

COFCO International can confirm that an explosion occurred at the loading area of its facilities at Puerto General San Martin in Rosario, the Chinese state-run conglomerate said in a statement.

One employee died in the blast, the statement said, and eight others were taken to hospital for treatment.

The cause of the incident is not yet known, the statement said. Police, firefighters and other authorities provided no additional details.

The affected site has been shut down, it said, adding that COFCO had launched a full internal investigation. The storage and crushing facility received 27,000 tonnes of grain per day.

It has grains warehousing capacity of 295,000 tonnes and soymeal storage capacity is 105,000 tonnes.

The plant was previously owned by Dutch grain trader Nidera, which COFCO agreed to buy in 2014. This acquisition and other mergers projected COFCO into some of the worlds top grain, vegetable oil, sugar and coffee producing regions.

Argentina is the worlds top exporter of soymeal livestock feed as well as a major supplier of corn and raw soybeans. Soy is in high demand in China from a growing middle class eating meal-fed beef and pork.

Some 80 percent of Argentinas agricultural exports are sent from Rosario. Cargo ships loaded at the hub sail down the Parana on their way to the shipping lanes of the South Atlantic.

(Reporting by Hugh Bronstein, Maximiliano Rizzi and Luc Cohen; editing by Tom Brown, James Dalgleish and Grant McCool)

Topics Agribusiness China
Kobe Steel Ltd, at the center of a data-falsification scandal that has shaken Japans manufacturing industry, admitted for the first time that executives were aware of the cheating, and reassigned three senior officials.

Japans No.3 steelmaker, which supplies the manufacturers of cars, planes and trains across the world, has said about 500 customers had received products with falsified specifications, throwing global supply chains into turmoil.

Outside investigators appointed by Kobe to look into the malpractice have found that senior officials in the companys copper and aluminum business knew of some of the cheating.

Based on this information, as of today, we have reassigned these three executives, the company said, adding it would decide on any punishments after the probe was completed.

The three were senior officials in the companys aluminum and copper business, where most of the cheating occurred.

Kobe Steel takes it very seriously that current executive officers were aware of this, Executive Vice President Naoto Umehara told reporters at a media briefing.

Kobe also said the investigation would be completed by around the end of February, two months later than expected.

The 112-year-old company has had Japanese government-sanctioned seals of quality revoked on many of its products and is also the subject of a U.S. Justice Department inquiry.

Kobe Steel has been in touch with the U.S. Justice Department multiple times since an initial contact through lawyers, Yoshitsugu Nishimura, a manager of public relations, said at the briefing. He declined to provide further details.

No safety issues have so far been identified from the data cheating, which mainly involves falsely certifying the strength and durability of products.

CEO Hiroya Kawasaki said in November that his ultimate management responsibility will be decided after the outside investigators complete their report on the case.

A series of compliance failings by Japanese companies have surfaced in the past few months.

Scandals have involved among others, Nissan Motor and key product suppliers to global manufacturers, Mitsubishi Materials Corp and Toray Industries.

(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; additional reporting by Ritsuko Ando; writing by Aaron Sheldrick; editing by Himani Sarkar and Tom Hogue)

Related:
Insurers for the city of Des Moines paid $2.1 million to a lawyer who alleged he suffered head injuries when he was hit by a falling garbage can.

The city released a copy of its November settlement with Jaysen McCleary in response to open records requests.

McCleary alleges he was struck in January 2014 by a solid waste container that fell from a city truck collecting it outside his home. His lawsuit alleged the city was negligent, and he sought damages for medical expenses and pain and suffering.

During the case, reports from medical experts who evaluated McCleary were inadvertently made public by one of his attorneys. An Iowa Supreme Court justice had ordered the Des Moines Register not to publish the information, but lifted the order.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Carriers
Madison, Wisconsin-based American Family Insurance has named Todd Fancher as its first digital transformation officer.

Fancher will oversee American Family groups strategic investment in technology and practices that provide better service and value to customers, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and advanced analytics.

Fanchers promotion follows American Familys recent purchase of Networked Insights, a Chicago-based data and analytics software company. American Family already has invested in AI and related technology  including through its Data Science and Analytics Lab, Strategic Data Analytics Division, Innovation team and collaborative data-science projects with UW-Madison.

Fancher joined American Family Insurance in 1986 and has held a number of positions across the company, including leadership positions with its exclusive agency force.

Succeeding Fancher as president of American Family Life Insurance Co. is Rich Steffen.

Steffen has held multiple American Family executive positions, including several focused on the exclusive agency force and customers.

Steffen joined American Family in 1993 as an agent intern, becoming a successful agent, sales manager and sales director before being named regional sales vice president in 2005. He was appointed customer experience vice president in 2016 and sales strategy and support vice president in 2017.

American Family Insurance group, celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2017, sells American Family-brand products, including auto, homeowners, life, business and farm/ranch insurance, primarily through its exclusive agents in 19 states.

Source: American Family Insurance

Topics InsurTech Data Driven
A fired food service worker is charged with ramming other vehicles at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., last week.

Forty-year-old Chay Vang was charged with two felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and five misdemeanor counts of damage to property. USA Today Network-Wisconsin reports Vangs cash bond was set at $10,000.

According to the complaint, Vang was working for Delaware North at Lambeau Field when he got into a fight with a 25-year-old co-worker during a Green Bay Packers game on Dec. 3.

The complaint says Delaware North investigated and fired Vang. The former co-worker was getting out of his car in the employee parking lot last Friday when Vang allegedly drove into the car and repeatedly smashed it.

Five vehicles were damaged. Vang told police he rammed the car because he wanted justice and no one was listening to him.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Wisconsin
A public television station has won a court battle over insurance policies that could pay for cleaning up contamination at the site of a shuttered Evansville dry-cleaning business.

Judge Richard DAmour ordered Red Ink Management LLC on Wednesday to maintain the insurance policies as a lawsuit filed by WNIN-TV moves forward regarding the cleanup of the former Pearl Cleaners site, The Evansville Courier and Press reported.

Normally, when a business is embroiled in litigation, the last thing that business would want to do is sell, assign or liquidate insurance policies which would provide indemnification against said lawsuit, DAmour wrote in his ruling.

He said that the transfer of insurance policies met nearly all requirements in determining the transfer was fraudulent.

The station filed the suit in August after learning Pearl Cleaners was ceasing business and seeking to transfer assets to new owners Red Ink Management. The insurance policies could pay for an ongoing cleanup at the site and the neighboring historic property owned by the station.

Michael Schopmeyer, an attorney for the station, said the station was recently made aware that Pearl had assigned its ownership of policies to Red Ink Management in 2016.

These policies are what allows a Rust Belt state like Indiana to be redeveloped. We dont need taxpayers paying for this. There are probably millions of dollars of private insurance money available, Schopmeyer said. This keeps policies from being liquidated and funds not being used as they should be for redevelopment.

Attorney for Pearl and Red Ink, Justin Gifford, declined to comment to the newspaper Thursday until he had the opportunity to talk with his clients.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Law Enforcement Indiana
Mayor Rahm Emanuel says 10 more cities have joined Chicagos effort to address climate change after President Donald Trump said the U.S. will pull out of the Paris climate accord.

Emanuel said Tuesday that a total of 67 cities worldwide signed the Chicago Climate Charter. He was once one of former President Barack Obamas chief aides.

Dozens of mayors signed the document earlier this month during a Chicago summit.

The charter calls for mayors to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equal to or more than what is outlined in the Paris agreement. Mayors also vowed to work with scientific and academic experts. Some mayors agreed to specific commitments on public transportation and natural climate solutions, like vegetation.

The new cities include Louisville, Kentucky, and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Climate Change
MATTOON (JG-TC) -- After a days-long search, a missing 53-year-old Bloomington woman with dementia was found today.

According to the Bloomington Police Department, a good samaritan brought Carmon D. Edwards in at approximately 12:50 p.m. to the Illinois State Police District 10 headquarters in Pesotum. She appears to be in good health, police stated.

Jason Taylor, Mattoon Police Department chief, said she was "OK." He said the person found her at the Hardee's in Mattoon.

Edwards was reported missing Monday, according to a Mattoon police press release.

Mattoon police were called to assist Bloomington police after it was discovered that Edwards made a stop at the Hardee's in Mattoon on Tuesday morning, Taylor said.

At approximately 7:30 a.m. today, Edwards' vehicle was found at the intersection of 21st Street and Richmond Avenue, and she was assumed to be on foot, Taylor said.
Walking the aisles of a CVS drugstore, there are piled paper towels, stacked cereal boxes, and neat lines of nail polish. In the back, theres the pharmacy.

For years, that approach has remained essentially unchanged despite a creeping reality: Every time a customer hits Add to Cart on Amazon.com, the pharmacy chains thousands of square feet of retail floor space get a little less valuable. Meanwhile, the money Americans spend on health services keeps growing.

Thats why the back of the store is front and center as CVS Health Corp. gets ready to combine with health insurer Aetna Inc.

The $67.5 billion merger announced Dec. 3 will bring together 9,700 CVS stores and Aetnas 22 million customers. A central plank of the deal is transforming the stores into health hubs where consumers can get care, pick up their drugs, buy some milk, and stay out of the hospital.

Together, we plan to build an entirely new health-care concept based on the principles of making care easier to use and more affordable, CVS Chief Executive Officer Larry Merlo said on a Dec. 4 call with investors.

There are serious challenges to CVSs proposal. Revamping the stores could cost several billion dollars. The company will have to change how millions of customers see a doctor or nurse. And it will have to fight decades of health-care economics and patterns.

Drab but Busy

CVS is already the leader in drugstore-based clinics. At a CVS in Springfield, New Jersey, an unlit MinuteClinic sign in the stores window is hard to see from the road after dark. The waiting area is four plastic chairs pressed up against the stores back wall, near greeting cards and nail products. There are exam rooms off a short hall behind.

Despite the drab look, its busy. An hour before closing time, three women were waiting for appointments on a recent Tuesday evening. A couple who came in with their school-age daughter turned away after seeing a display on the check-in kiosk next to the pharmacy, which read: Weve got a full schedule today.

While many stores are polished and inviting, revamping others will require significant overhauls, and CVS has said it may redirect some of its $2 billion in annual capital spending to the task. The company is also testing out vision and hearing services in a handful of locations and may eventually offer nutrition services.

The Aetna deal offers little in the way of traditional synergies, and whether it succeeds will depend on managing customers health, using in-store clinics and hubs to care for patients in lower-cost settings or stay on top of costly diseases.

As the companies envision it, individuals with a chronic disease like diabetes could get blood tests drawn or see a nutritionist in a store while picking up their medication. If they need it, they could then be guided to see a specialist or told when to return for a follow-up.

Most CVS clinics now are staffed by a single nurse practitioner at a time. Frances Prado, a nurse practitioner who previously worked at MinuteClinics in the Walnut Creek, California, area, said she had to do everything from ordering supplies and cleaning up to dealing with a customers insurance information.

Access Gap

Stef Woods made her first trip to a Washington, D.C., MinuteClinic when her four-year-old daughter Roya came down with a cold. Hoping to get a quick test for strep throat, Woods, a lecturer at American University, took Roya to a CVS on a Saturday morning, buying her a drink and a coloring book in the store as they waited.

CVS is trying to fill a void, she said. Theres such a gap in access to care.

While the clinics are convenient, theres evidence that may come at a cost for the health-care system. According to one study, patients take advantage of the convenience to use more services. Instead of waiting out a cold or the flu, they go see a clinician.

In contrast to the people who have said retail clinics would reduce health-care spending, weve seen it increase health-care spending, said Ateev Mehrotra, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

The study doesnt account for the the long-term benefits of receiving preventive care, CVS spokeswoman Carolyn Castel said.

Clinic nurses try to coordinate with patients doctors when they have them. If patients dont have a physician relationship, the clinicians try to connect them with one, said Castel.

Drawing Customers

For now, the clinics likely account for less than 1 percent of CVSs annual revenue, estimates Adam Fein, president of Pembroke Consulting, which focuses on drug distribution. The clinics also dont bring in many customers  only about 1 percent of all drugstore visits are made primarily to visit a clinic, according to research firm Kantar Retail.

CVS, based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, doesnt disclose financials for its clinics and declined to comment on the estimates.

Jeff Goldsmith, who runs the health-care consulting firm Health Futures Inc., is skeptical of the strategy behind the deal, calling it flat-out baffling. He says the MinuteClinics, or what he calls the nurse in a broom closet model, lack the clinical acumen or trusting relationships with patients to effectively manage care.

I dont see it generating new customers for either the acquirer or the acquiree, or leverage to lower health costs, he said.

More of the recent growth in convenient care has come from standalone urgent-care centers. Those facilities, typically staffed by doctors and serving a wider array of illness and injury, are expanding quickly, as much as 15 percent a year, according to Tom Charland, founder of industry tracker Merchant Medicine. Some of the biggest are backed by major corporations, such as UnitedHealth Group Inc.s MedExpress chain.

Slower Growth

In-store clinics are growing more slowly. CVS has 1,100 out of about 2,000 industrywide, according to data from Merchant Medicine.

CVSs rivals have stayed back, by comparison. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has about 400 in-store clinics, while Rite Aid Corp. has 43 RediClinics in its pharmacies. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has more than 4,600 pharmacies in its stores, but just 19 clinics. The company says it isnt planning to add more.

CVS has made deals to transform its business before. In 2007, it acquired prescription benefit manager Caremark. Seven years later, CVS broke ranks with the rest of the drugstore industry and removed tobacco products from its shelves. Today, only 11 percent of CVSs sales come from non-pharmacy sources, according to Kantar Retail analyst Brian Owens.

With Amazon.com Inc. threatening every traditional retail business, including CVS, Owens said nows the time try something new.

Theyre already moving away from a drugstore to a health-care company, Owens said. That means they can take risks that other retailers cant.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
Columbus, Ohio-based insurtech company, Root Insurance, has received authorization to sell property/casualty (excluding workers compensation) products in Arkansas.

Root is a private passenger auto insurance company that began operations in June 2016. Root is wholly owned by IBOD Inc. and is currently licensed in 18 states. The companys policies are reinsured by Munich Re [A.M. Best rated A+ (superior)], Maiden Re [A.M. Best rated A (excellent)], and Odyssey Re [A.M. Best rated A (excellent)].

With the addition of Root, Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr has approved 30 new insurers in the state in 2017.

Root utilizes telematics data, provided by consumers through its smartphone application to more accurately price insurance coverage. Customers will use the application to scan their drivers license which Root uses to gather data, including their driving history and other demographic information. The application will turn the customers phone into a telematics device, gathering additional data about the customers driving habits by measuring driving speeds, acceleration and breaking patterns, changing lanes and other activities related to automobile accidents.

Source: Arkansas Insurance Department

Topics Auto Arkansas
A.M. Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to bb- from bb of West Virginia National Auto Insurance Co. (Morgantown, WV). The outlooks of these Credit Ratings are negative. Concurrently, A.M. Best has withdrawn the ratings as the company has requested to no longer participate in the A.M. Bests interactive rating process, according to a press release from the ratings agency.

A.M. Best said the ratings and outlooks reflect WV National Autos balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as weak, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The company is a niche writer of non-standard automobile insurance, which is inherently volatile. Underwriting is limited to West Virginia since the company exited Virginia in 2016. Return measures are generally negative due to underwriting losses mainly driven by business that was written in Virginia.

A.M. Best said there is currently less competition within West Virginia for non-standard business due to the states ability to cap fee income, causing other carriers to withdraw from the market. Through 2017, a combination of increased net writings, combined with a drop in the companys surplus, has resulted in a material decline in the companys capitalization.

West Virginia National Autos CFO David Remmells told Insurance Journal the company chose to withdraw from A.M Bests rating process because it no longer saw the need or cost benefit in participating given it now just writes one line of business in one state. He added the most recent negative rating by A.M. Best was part of the agencys final analysis performed when the insurer asked to withdraw.

Topics Auto Virginia AM Best
Florida doctors are rarely punished by state regulators even after they are sued for malpractice according to a newspaper report.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported last month that the Florida Department of Health reviewed nearly 24,000 resolved state and federal lawsuits against doctors over the past decade. But out of those reviews regulators filed disciplinary charges just 128 times.

The state Department of Health is required to review every malpractice lawsuit filed against Florida doctors to identify and punish problem doctors.

Health department spokesman Brad Dalton told the newspaper that officials dont take action against doctors in cases too old to prosecute or with payouts of less than $50,000. That minimum payout amount would rule out roughly 70 percent of the malpractice cases filed.

The newspaper reported that Dr. Pachavit Kasemsap faced payouts of nearly $3 million in five medical malpractice lawsuits over five years. Patients accused him of slicing an aorta while trying to remove a gallbladder, cutting an artery to a liver, and connecting a womans rectum to her vagina. State officials never took action against Kasemsap.

A jury in 2012 ordered Kasemsap to pay Christine Murray $600,000 after ruling the doctor was negligent when he cut an artery to her liver. Murray told the Sun Sentinel she was puzzled by the lack of state disciplinary action against Kasemsap.

They are obviously tracking (malpractice cases) for a reason, she said. If theyre not doing anything about it, whats the point of that?

Kasemsap declined to comment for the story. He is currently working as a medical director for WellMed Medical Group in Texas, but can return to Florida and practice anytime.

Lawyers who have represented patients across Florida say they rarely hear from the health department after cases close. Some of the dozen attorneys interviewed said theyd given up expecting the state to take any action.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Florida Medical Professional Liability
In the 1970s, financial planners essentially had two career choices: they could become stockbrokers or insurance agents. Their paths were set, and the expectations were simple. Much has changed since then.

There are many more choices available, but this also means that students are expected to know more and do more than ever before in a fiercely competitive environment. Preparing for a career in financial planning requires a great deal more training in areas that were traditionally relegated to other professions, such as accounting and psychology.

In this article, we'll explore actions that recent and soon-to-be graduates can take to decide where they want their financial planning career to go and then get a leg-up on the competition.

Key Takeaways A career in financial planning requires skills in traditional areas like math and accounting, but also less traditional fields like psychology.

In addition to majoring in finance, students can intern, or work a part-time job at a bank, or at an accounting firm helping to prepare tax returns.

Joining trade groups like the Financial Planning Association is a good way to network and find jobs.

After graduation, considerations should include what kind of firm you want to work for; whether you want to work for a big corporation or a small business, and what kinds of clients you hope to engage.

Prepare Before You Graduate

Perhaps the first and most obvious course of action is to simply choose an appropriate major. These include business, economics, finance, or accounting. Personal financial-planning programs are being offered at more universities, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

These programs can be especially helpful because they also often touch upon a number of topics that other programs fail to cover. These topics include consumer rights, the dynamics of finance within the family, and the psychology of retirement.

Traditional financial-planning curricula will only cover material that is directly relevant to the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board exam, such as investments, insurance, and taxes.

Therefore, choosing financial planning as a major will provide students with a much broader base of knowledge from which to begin their careers. Understanding the psychology of finance and investing will be an invaluable aid when dealing with clients and is in fact a skill that all financial planners must master to some extent.

Extracurricular Activities

Of course, choosing the correct major is only one step that students can take to further their careers before graduation. There are a number of other options available to students that will look good on a resume to prospective employers. Below are some examples:

Preparing Income Tax Returns: This is a good, practical skill that can greatly benefit students in a number of ways. In addition to providing solid, hands-on experience with customers in the financial industry, it will also teach students basic tax information that will be tested on the CFP Board exam.

This is a good, practical skill that can greatly benefit students in a number of ways. In addition to providing solid, hands-on experience with customers in the financial industry, it will also teach students basic tax information that will be tested on the CFP Board exam. Working at a Bank: Student planners often find that working at a bank provides multiple career benefits. It's a job that easily fits around an academic schedule. The pay is better than many other after-school jobs. It looks good on a resume, gives practical work experience, and shows that you are a responsible person.

Student planners often find that working at a bank provides multiple career benefits. It's a job that easily fits around an academic schedule. The pay is better than many other after-school jobs. It looks good on a resume, gives practical work experience, and shows that you are a responsible person. Sitting for the Enrolled Agent Exam: This exam is administered by the IRS. The test covers virtually all of the tax material found in the CFP Board exam. Passing this test and earning this designation will be an impressive credential to present to prospective employers in any field of financial practice. You'll also gain a tremendous advantage over CFP applicants that have had no previous tax training.

This exam is administered by the IRS. The test covers virtually all of the tax material found in the CFP Board exam. Passing this test and earning this designation will be an impressive credential to present to prospective employers in any field of financial practice. You'll also gain a tremendous advantage over CFP applicants that have had no previous tax training. Internships: Working as an intern at a financial planning firm will provide obvious benefits for any student; however, while any internship can be beneficial, working at a smaller company will likely provide more hands-on experience with clients and the financial planning process than a larger firm, where interns are often relegated to administrative support or marketing roles.

$89,330 The national median compensation of a financial planner in 2020 (the latest data available), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Finding a Job

Graduates have a number of tools at their disposal that can greatly increase their exposure to the financial community. Obviously, a graduate who completed an internship at a local company has a substantial advantage over an unknown competitor in the job-selection process.

For those who do not have this luxury, the Internet can be an indispensable resource. Websites such as brokerhunter.com continually list all available postings from many companies.

Financial planning jobs are expected to grow 5% between 2020 and 2030, according to the latest findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is less than the average growth rate for all occupations.

Those who prefer to take a face-to-face approach and network themselves (and even those who don't) would be wise to join the local chapter of a financial planning organization, such as the Financial Planning Association or the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

These groups offer many resources to both rookie and veteran planners and are well worth the cost of membership. Their websites often contain job postings, too.

After Graduation

Knowing what job is the best fit for you can be a challenge. Here are some more items to consider when choosing your career path:

There are a number of different business models being used in the financial planning industry today. Stockbrokers and insurance agents generally work on commission, while Registered Investment Advisors tend to charge either an hourly fee or a percentage of assets under management as compensation.

The size of the company matters. Large companies will provide such amenities as office space, business cards, and letterhead; however, larger companies may also have stiff production quotas, lower payouts on commissions, and a highly regulated environment.

In turn, small financial companies offer a more relaxed atmosphere and a more comprehensive array of products and services. Working at a smaller firm can also provide a much broader range of experience for new representatives, who may have the freedom to implement a well-rounded financial plan for a client. This plan could include such things as mortgage planning and income tax preparation. It's doubtful you would have this kind of responsibility at a large company.

Training and support differ from company to company. Some financial firms will provide their employees with all the necessary education and training that they need in order to pass the requisite exams, as well as thorough sales and product training. Many new advisors will benefit from the training programs offered by large companies. Even if you ultimately lose out to the competition at a large firm, you will still have marketable skills that are attractive to small firms that can't provide the kind of training and licensing you've received.

Finally, regulations from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority require sponsorship by a broker/dealer or another member firm in order for you to sit for any securities licensing exam.

What Is the Difference Between a Financial Advisor and a Financial Planner? Financial advisors primarily focus on managing a client's money, such as making investments. The general outlook of a financial advisor is short term. A financial planner, on the other hand, has a much longer outlook for a client, which involves creating a financial plan for a client and assisting in multiple areas, such as investing, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning, and college savings.

How Do Financial Planners Make Money? Financial planners make money by charging their clients commissions and fees. Each financial planner will have a different pay structure. This could involve commissions on financial products sold to clients as well as charging clients annual fees for services rendered. A financial planner may also charge a fee based on the entire value of assets that they manage for a client. Fees can be annual, per transaction, or any other variant a financial planner decides.

Do Financial Planners Make a Lot of Money? In 2020, financial planners made a median salary of $89,330. Financial planners can make a lot of money depending on how much business they do, how much they charge, and the location they are doing business in. In general, financial planning can be a lucrative career.

The Bottom Line

College students have many options that they can choose from to improve their marketability before graduation. Once you're out in the real world, remember that the initial key to success in the financial planning business is persistence. Some graduates will find their place in the field immediately, while others may have to try a few different working environments to find the one that best suits them.
Whether your commute to work is 15 minutes or two hours, what you do during the trip can improve your performance in the office. Research from Harvard University found that the average American adult spends an average of 101 minutes driving each day. If you commute by train, bus, or car, there is an excellent way to use this untapped timeby listening to business and career self-improvement audiobooks.

Based on Harvard's figures, the average commuter would be able to listen to almost 50 extra books in a year since there are many audiobooks under eight hours long.

Below are 10 great career-boosting audiobooks perfect for listening to during your commute.

Key Takeaways Audiobooks are a great way to spend your commuting hours.

Many audiobooks available are under eight hours long.

Americans spend over an hour and a half each day in their cars.

Audiobooks by entrepreneurs and business people may help inspire listeners.

Audiobooks can be purchased or borrowed from your local library.

Richard Branson, Napoleon Hill, and Brian Tracy have written inspirational audiobooks on being an entrepreneur, making money, and managing your time.

1. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

At just under six hours, this audiobook is a quick listen. Author Daniel Pink talks about how the typical strategies of motivating ourselves, usually either through reward or punishment, do not work. This book is thought-provoking and will teach you new ways to motivate yourself to become a better worker. There is also a section at the end that can be useful for both individuals and companies.

2. The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future

The $100 Startup is a fascinating book that profiles several successful startups. Author Chris Guillebeau talks about finding success by pursuing your passion, and he shows that you dont need to spend a lot of money or time on the planning stages. At the least, this audiobook is a fun, and motivational listenit describes people who took their passions and made them into successful businesses.

3. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

Author Brian Tracy is an expert in self-development and success. Eat That Frog! is a good book for people at many life stages, from student to executive, since procrastination is a habit many people struggle with. Applying Tracys tips to tame procrastination can help you become more productive in your business and personal life.

4. Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal

Need to negotiate a raise, pitch a new idea to investors, or secure new clients? Then Pitch Anything is the perfect read for you. Author Oren Klaffs passionate voice will keep you going during your boring commute and teach you the method that will gain you more success.

Check your local library to see if you borrow and download audiobooks to avoid having to purchase them.

5. Think and Grow Rich

If you havent read this classic by Napoleon Hill, dont wait any longer. There is a reason why this business book still tops the charts, even though it was first released in 1937.

6. Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

Scrum by Jeff Sutherland looks at faults in how we work and looks for more efficient ways to achieve results. The book lays out so-called Scrum principles and claims that those who can apply the principles in the right sequence can accelerate productivity and quality as much as 1200%."

7. The Virgin Way

Anyone who owns an airline and a private island is probably worth a listen. English business mogul Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, and hundreds of other companies under the Virgin Group umbrella, has an estimated net worth of $6 billion. Branson has an interesting life story that will prove helpful to anyone facing challenges or in a leadership position. In the book, Branson describes how he battled dyslexia, dropped out of school at 16, and has only ever worked for himself.

8. The One Thing

Best-selling author Gary Keller, a highly successful entrepreneur, knows how to manage his time, and he wants to teach you. Keller shares his method for what he calls "extreme time management" to help others succeed in their jobs and lives.

9. Zero to One

PayPal co-founder and founder of Palantir, Peter Thiel, is a start-pro who eschewed Silicon Valley for Los Angeles. In his book, he shares his trajectory of success and his non-traditional approach to investing in innovative start-ups. A great item is the pitch deck template he offers in his book to new entrepreneurs seeking to get their start-ups off the ground.

10. The Book on Rental Property Investing

If you are looking for advice on investing in the real estate market, start here. Brandon Turner's book is an essential roadmap to learning all about how to invest in rental properties. Turner, the "Bigger Pockets Podcast" host, gives solid advice on how to find the best property deals, finance rentals, and avoid many all-too-common mistakes in the real estate investor market. Before you buy your first building, invest in a copy of this book to help you build your income stream in rental properties.

The Bottom Line

You may have little control over the length of your commute, but you can choose what you listen to during it. Ask your local library about audiobooksmany have classic business audiobooks and even newer titles available for only the price of a library membership (free). You can also purchase audiobooks through services like iTunes, Audible.com, and other digital services.
What Do Management Accountants Do?

If you like keeping track of a company's income and expenses but also want to hold a position with significant responsibility and authority, management accounting could be the job for you. This article teaches you about the profession of management accounting, touching on everything from a management accountant's job responsibilities, skill set, and formal educational requirements right down to the professional designations that can help you get ahead.

Key Takeaways Management accountants work for public companies, private businesses, and government agencies.

Their duties include recording and crunching numbers, helping to choose and manage company investments, risk management, budgeting, planning, strategizing, and decision making.

Management accountants need an aptitude for and interest in numbers, math, business, and production processes, along with accounting skills, knowledge in GAAP, and leadership skills.

The minimum requirement is a bachelor's degree, but experience also helps.

Management accountants can get a special designation as certified management accountants and as chartered global management accountants.

Understanding What Management Accountants Do

Management accountants work for public companies, private businesses, and government agencies. These professionals may also be called cost accountants, managerial accountants, industrial accountants, private accountants, or corporate accountants. Preparing data for use within a company is one of the features that distinguishes a management accountant from other types of accounting jobs such as public accounting.

You'll be recording and crunching numbers for internal review to help companies budget and perform better. You may help the company choose and manage its investments along with other company managers. Management accountants are risk managers, budgeters, planners, strategists, and decision-makers. They do the work that helps the company's owner, manager, or board of directors make decisions.

Management accountants often supervise lower-level accountants who handle basic accounting tasks, such as recording income and expenses, tracking tax liabilities. This information is used to prepare income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets, In smaller firms, you may end up performing these tasks yourself. A management accountant performs analysis to forecast, budget, and measure performance and plans, then presents them to senior management to assist in operational decision making.

A management accountant may also identify trends and opportunities for improvement, analyze and manage risk, arrange the funding and financing of operations, and monitor and enforce compliance. They might also create and maintain a company's financial system and supervise its bookkeepers and data processors. Management accountants may also have an area of expertise, such as taxes or budgeting.

Skill Set

The most fundamental skills you need to be successful as a management accountant are an aptitude for and interest in numbers, math, business and production processes, and helping to manage a business, according to Steve Kuchen, executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) of PacificHealth Laboratories.

Management accountants need a solid foundation in hard accounting skills, including knowledge of basic accounting, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), and basic tax principles, according to William F. Knese, former vice president of finance and administration and CFO of Angus-Palm.

"Management accountants expand this base of skills to include knowledge of cost accounting and, my favorite, finance tools such as discounted cash flow," Knese says. "Since management accountants function inside a business, they need a good grounding in economics and the softer skills such as communication and presentation skills, writing, persuasion, and interpersonal relations skills."

You also need to be able to see your organization's big picture, says Ben Mulling, CFO of TENTE Casters. "Management accounting is all about helping your users and the company make the best decision possible given the information available to them," he says. "This includes making decisions such as capital investment, operational structuring, and foundational risk assessments."

Finally, you'll need leadership and management skills. You need to be persuasive and convincing and be educated in both human capital management and financial capital management, according to Lon Searle, former CFO of YESCO Franchising LLC.

"Presentation, education technology, and information technology skills are also critical. Less critical but also important is a knowledge of social media, marketing, and sales," he says.

Formal Education

All four of the management accountants interviewed say that the minimum requirement for becoming a management accountant is a bachelor's degree. Knese says a good undergraduate education is important to develop the critical thinking skills you need in the field.

Mulling adds that while the typical management accountant possesses a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance, your degree doesn't have to be in one of these subjects to obtain a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification.

The minimum requirement to becoming a management accountant is generally a bachelor's degree.

Knese's undergraduate degree is in English. He acquired the educational background to become a management accountant when he completed coursework in economics, business, accounting, and finance as part of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

Searle says prospective management accountants should expand their studies beyond those of a traditional financial accountant.

Professional Designations

There are two major professional designations for management accountants. Obtaining one of these designations may help you command a higher salary.

The first is the certified management accountant (CMA) designation, offered by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). You can earn this designation if you complete a bachelor's degree, pass the two-part CMA exam, and acquire two continuous years of professional experience in management accounting or financial management.

The second is the chartered global management accountant designation, offered by the American Institute of CPAs in conjunction with the London-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. The credential has only been offered since the beginning of 2012. At its inception, the CGMA program offered the credential based on experience alone. As of 2015, there is also an exam requirement.

Mulling, Kuchen, Knese, and Searle are all CMAs. Searle is also a certified public accountant (CPA), while Mulling is also a CPA and a certified information technology professional (CITP). Kuchen is a CMA only but says it is a very good idea to be a CPA as well as a certified internal auditor (CIA) or certified treasury professional (CTP). Knese is also a CPA and certified financial manager (CFM).

"Each of these required passing a standard rigorous examination and meeting experience requirements. I value each of these credentials," Knese says.

Career Ladder

Management accountants often begin their careers as staff accountants to learn the fundamentals of accounting and how a business functions, Kuchen says. Searle notes they may also start out as analysts. They may advance to become senior accountants or senior analysts, then to accounting supervisors to controllers, and to CFOs.

According to Mulling, the career ladder can go in many different directions depending on your individual goals. In fact, he says management accountants often make their mark at companies as vital decision-makers. He says the best way to advance is by volunteering to work on various projects and decision-making tasks to increase your knowledge of the company and your role in its success.

Mulling also recommends getting involved in your profession at the local or global level. For instance, the IMA provides that opportunity and also helps professionals create a network for career opportunities, skill enhancement, and decision support. Kuchen adds that devising new systems, business processes, and analyses that save the company money and help it run more efficiently, along with showing an interest in and aptitude for cost accounting, will help you advance.

Knese's career provides an example of one of the possible paths for management accountants. He started as a public accountant and earned the CPA credential, then advanced to management accounting before earning the CMA credential. When he became CFO, he earned the CFM credential.

"I worked in financial statement preparation, product costing and profitability, corporate treasury and finance, mergers and acquisitions, risk management, and benefit plans. I have worked for both public and private companies, and I wanted to learn as much about the business and accounting world as I could," he says.

Knese says he differentiated himself and advanced in his career through certification and continuing professional education. "A career is advanced through demonstrated competency and through visibility," he says. "Visibility comes from the good work you do that is noticed by leaders and influencers. Careers are advanced because people ask for the chance to show what they know and what they can do."

Searle says lower-level accountants and analysts can advance by demonstrating analytic, leadership, and financial skills. "Playing a key role in operational decisions and special projects is how management accountants set themselves apart from the traditional financial accountant," he says.

Depending on the type of company, management accountants need to demonstrate expertise in different areas, according to Searle. "In a manufacturing environment, the management accountant needs to demonstrate abilities in lean manufacturing and/or Six Sigma to progress quickly. In a technical field, the professional might need to take on duties in developing systems or managing technical education projects," he says. He adds that management accountants are often called upon to monitor marketing efforts or act as analysts on special projects. These experiences can prepare them for additional management responsibilities either in finance or general management.

Salary

Just like any other position, the salary of a management accountant depends on several factors including experience, specialties, education and designations, and the company for which you work. According to the IMA, the compensation for CMAs globally is 58% higher than that of non-CMAs. The group's 2021 survey noted accountants with the CMA designation received a base salary of $110,000 in the Americas.

Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not differentiate between different accountants, it does report salary expectations for accountantsalong with auditorsin general. The BLS reported the median annual salary for accountants and auditors in 2021 at $77,250 or $37.14 per hour. The industry reported more than 1.4 million jobs, with the potential to grow 7% annually through 2030.

$77,250 The median annual salary for accountants and auditors in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What Is the Most Important Role of Management Accounting? Management accountants work in both the public and private sectors. They prepare datarecording and crunching numbersthat their companies use for budgeting and planning purposes. They are also responsible for managing risk, planning, strategizing, and decision making. Other duties include supervising lower-level staff, identifying trends and opportunities for improvement.

What Is an Example of Managerial Accounting? Managerial accounting involves the use of information that relates to the sales revenue and costs of a company. One part of managerial accounting is cost accounting, which focuses on a firm's complete production costs. This is done by analyzing all of the corporation's fixed costs along with all of its variable costs.

What Types of Accountants Make the Most Money? You can command a higher salary if you have certain designations to complement your accounting experience and education. For instance, you can earn much more money with the certified management accountant (CMA) or the chartered global management accountant designation. The CMA is granted by the Institute of Management Accountants to accountants with an undergraduate degree and two years of experience, as long as they pass the two-part CMA exam. You can become a chartered global management accountant through the American Institute of CPAs and the London-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants by passing an exam.

What Are the Five Major Types of Accounting? The five major types of accounting are cost accounting, managerial accounting, industrial accounting, private accounting, and corporate accounting.

Is Management Accounting a Good Career? Management accounting is definitely a good career if you enjoy math and generally have an aptitude for working with numbers. It's also a great option if you love supervising, doing analysis, working with financial statements, making decisions, solving problems, and if you work well with others. This means that you'll need good communication and presentation skills. In order to become a management accountant, you'll need at least an undergraduate degree. Professional designations, like the CMA and the chartered global management accountant designation, and experience can help you command a higher salary and put you higher up on the career ladder.

The Bottom Line

If you want to take your number-crunching job to a higher level, management accounting might be a good fit for you. Remember, you'll need at least an undergraduate degree and may need to start as a CPA or staff accountant. After a few years in the industry, you'll be able to earn a designation that can help you work your way up the corporate ladder and command a higher salary.

"A person who can solve problems, think creatively, and persuade others will have a promising career in management accounting," Searle says.
An Overview

There are plenty of jobs in the business world for those who love analytics and numberstwo of the most common being financial analyst and accountant. While there is some overlap between these two disciplines, they focus on different areas of money management.

A financial analyst looks to past and current trends to help achieve a future reality, while an accountant may review a company's financial data on a day-to-day basis. Many financial analysts use reports generated by accountants to make recommendations about how best to use company resources.

Key Takeaways Financial analysts tend to work with the overall picture of economic trends and market movements in order to forecast future financial situations.

A career in accounting is great for people who enjoy and excel at examining data, and auditing and reviewing financial statements.

Financial analysts may make more money on average than accountants.

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts tend to work with the overall picture. They review financial decisions based on current market trends, stated business objectives, and possible investment options. These professionals' evaluations help determine whether a project or venture is worthy enough for investment.

Analysts may focus on corporate or investment financial analysis. In corporate financial analysis, analysts work with accounting departments internally to help make decisions about which projects are worthy of investment. Analysts who work in investment financial analysis, however, work externally to make top-down or bottom-up analysis using macroeconomic or microeconomic approaches to find investment opportunities.

There are two main types of financial analysisfundamental analysis and technical analysis. An analyst who uses fundamental analysis reviews and evaluates data from a company's financial statements in order to determine its value. Technical analysis, on the other hand, involves the use of statistical trends derived from trading activity to determine value.

Education and Credentials

A degree in finance is probably most beneficial for aspiring financial analysts, although mathematics or economics could also suffice. A Master of Business Administration (MBA) may help for a financial analyst, but it is not always required.

Many financial analysts are certified public accountants (CPAs) but most analysts generally choose the chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation. Unlike the CPA, which is focused on a professional understanding of public accounting standards in the United States, the CFA is focused on those who actively make investment decisions on behalf of clients or an employer. Having both titles is considered a major advantage for nearly any career in the business world and requires a significant mastery of business accounting and investment knowledge.

Job Market

Financial analysts earned a median annual salary of $83,660 in May 2020, the most recent figures as of November 2021. Top earners brought home nearly $159,560 and the lower rung made approximately $48,760, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Financial analysts tend to earn the most in large financial hubs, such as New York City or San Francisco. Bridgeport, Connecticut, is also a lucrative destination for analysts. Increased regulations and market complexity are driving the growth for financial analysts, particularly among larger firms with a lot of assets to manage.

Individuals with a mind for economics generally prefer financial analyst roles since economic trends and market movements don't make a huge impact on an accountant's daily activities.

Accountant

Accountants are much more interested in specific and exact details, day-to-day operations, financial accuracy, and taxes of an entity. An accountant describes the present reality of a company or an individual's finances and performs duties like auditing or financial statement analysis.

Education and Credentials

In order to become an accountant, many professionals first pursue a bachelor's degree in accounting or another related discipline such as math or business. Some firms may prefer someone who has a graduate degree.

Credentials are extremely important to accountants and financial analysts. Entry-level accounting jobs may require a recognized professional title, but advancement certainly depends on it. Pursuing a degree in accounting is the most obvious undergraduate course of action for a future accountant.

Each career choice has one dominant professional certification. For accountants, it is the title of CPA which is bestowed by the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). This is probably the most widely known and recognized professional designation in the financial industry.

Job Market

According to the BLS, the median annual salary for an accountant in May 2020 was $73,560. The top 10% of U.S. accountants earned over $128,680, while those in the bottom 10% of the industry earned less than $45,220.

The need for accountants is likely to grow by about 7% between 2020 and 2030, according to the BLS. This is largely due to an uptick in demand for those in the field, increased globalization, more stringent regulations, and a stronger economy.

Special Considerations

Both careers likely appeal to a similar subset of data-crunching, detail-oriented, and analytical individuals. The major differences boil down to whether you enjoy gathering data to make recommendations or whether you prefer gathering data to ensure accuracy. If it's the former, then you may want to consider becoming a financial analyst. But if you're attracted to the latter, then accounting may be your forte.

Accounting is a better field for the investigative mindset, where auditing and the review of financial statements comprise a large portion of the job. It is a little bit easier to break into the accounting field for two reasons. The first and biggest reason is there are many times more accounting jobs than financial analyst jobs. The second reason is accounting requires less real-world experience, meaning students who understand accounting rules can more easily step into an entry-level accounting position.

Many accountants and financial analysts work typical 40- to 50-hour weeks, get paid time off, and normally don't work on weekends. Some financial analysts remain available after normal office hours via email or phone, but the job is not as demanding as many other professions in the industry.

Travel may be a recurring part of either job. Financial analysts travel to meet with clients, while accountants travel to perform audits or attend seminars and conventions. For financial analysts who work for major investment banks, travel could be a significant characteristic of the job.
The school holidays are nearly here and with it being so cold outside, it can be a challenge entertaining kids every day for two weeks.

When all the Christmas shopping and youve visit every relative, theres nothing nicer than cosying up on the couch with a snuggly blanket, hot chocolate, snacks and a variety of Christmas specials, musicals and movies.

Heres what Netflix has to offer the kiddies:

A StoryBots Christmas (Now Streaming)

When Bo mistakenly thinks that her friends dont like her gifts, she heads to the North Pole to ask Santa for help making better presents. She learns along the way that Christmas is about far more than just the toys. Ed Asner guest stars as Santa Claus.

DreamWorks Home: For the Holidays (Now Streaming)

Oh takes it upon himself to introduce Christmas joy to his fellow Boovs. Unfortunately, his well-meaning mission nearly destroys the city.

Trolls Holiday Special (Now Streaming)

When the eternally optimistic Poppy, queen of the Trolls, learns that the Bergens no longer have any holidays on their calendar, she enlists the help of Branch and the rest of the gang on a delightfully quirky mission to fix something that the Bergens dont think is broken.

The Magic Snowflake

Young Nicolas agrees to do Santas work for one year. But the stress of the job threatens the boys sense of joy  and Christmas itself.

Arthur Christmas

At Santa Clauss super-secret toy-making facility, Mr Claus entrusts his son, Arthur, to carry out an ultra-important Christmas mission.

Bobs Broken Sleigh

An overly eager elf improves Santas sleigh, but when he crash lands far from home, three odd critters pitch in to send him back to the North Pole.

Caillous Holiday Movie

Join Caillou in this animated adventure as he helps his dad shovel snow, learns about the holidays of other cultures and makes gifts for his family.

The Legend of Frosty the Snowman

The mayor of Evergreen dismisses magic as nonsense, but when Frosty the Snowman blows through town, he shows the local children that magic is real.

Santas Apprentice

Young orphan Nicolas learns how to guide a sleigh, slide down chimneys and other duties hell need when he becomes the next Santa Claus.

Caspers Haunted Christmas

Casper faces getting into a heap of trouble with the king of the ghosts unless he frightens at least one person before Christmas Day.

My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas

After accidentally breaking the special candy cane which guides Santa Claus to Ponyville, Minty heads to the North Pole to set things right.

Timmy Time: Timmys Christmas Surprise

When Timmy and his friends get snowed in at the nursery on Christmas Eve, Osbourne and Harriet make the best of it by creating a yuletide atmosphere.

A Very Pink Christmas

Pink Panther and Big Nose establish rival Christmas tree businesses to make enough money to purchase a mutually coveted luxury car.

The Koala Brothers: Outback Christmas

Sad that their friend, Penny, cant make it to their holiday party, Frank and Buster take an adventure-filled trip to the North Pole to bring her back.

Power Rangers Super Samurai: Stuck on Christmas

The Samurai Rangers get stuck in the Megazords cockpit on Christmas Eve when it breaks down. Can the Rangers get out in time for Christmas?

Power Rangers: Megaforce: The Robo Knight Before Christmas

Robo Knight learns the meaning of Christmas from a group of children when he is mistaken for a donated Christmas toy and is shipped to a foreign land.

Power Rangers Samurai: Christmas Together, Friends Forever

On Christmas Eve, as the teens at Shiba House reflect on their first year together, they get an unexpected lesson on the true spirit of Christmas.

DreamWorks Shrek Stories

Shrek celebrates a busy Christmas and a spooky Halloween, Puss in Boots is captured by soldiers, and the kingdom hosts a singing competition.

DreamWorks Happy Holidays from Madagascar

Madagascar goes wild with holiday spirit in this set of Valentines Day and Christmas-themed tales featuring everyones favourite animal characters.

Santa Pacs Merry Berry Day

Pac aims to keep Berry Day the happiest day ever by unravelling a curious mystery about his parents and thwarting Betrayuss plan to capture Santa Pac.

DreamWorks Holiday Classics

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Amid an avalanche of stars, Pee-wee straps on his ice skates and glides into the holiday season with Christmas cards, carols and Charo.

The Wiggles: Go, Santa, Go!

Join the Wiggles as they help Santa and his elves get ready for Christmas in this special filled with singing, dancing and holiday cheer.
Asia Cambodias Hun Sen Vows to Stay in Power for at Least Another 10 Years

Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen arrives at Phnom Penh International Airport before flying to China on Nov. 29. / Reuters
Burma 36 Fishermen Still Missing One Week After Stormy Weather in Pyapon

A fishing raft in the sea near Pyapon Township. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

PATHEIN  Thirty-six fishermen are still missing in Irrawaddy Regions Pyapon Township one week after a strong gale blew about 80 rafts with more than 200 fishermen out to sea.

Fisheries Department officials, fishery businesspeople, and police are searching for them together, Police Lt-Col Khin Maung Latt of the Irrawaddy Region Police Force told The Irrawaddy.

More than 80 rafts with 258 fishermen aboard who were fishing some 22 nautical miles from Pyapon Township were swept out to the sea by strong winds on Dec. 21 and search and rescue teams had recovered 222 fishermen and 57 rafts as of Wednesday. Sixteen other rafts were found damaged and 13 are still missing, according to the regional police.

According to local villagers, strong gales do not usually blow at this time in the delta and as a result, fishermen were caught off guard.

But these days, the wind is blowing onshore. So, we hope they will be blown toward the shore by the wind, said U Kyaw Swar, a local of Kha Pyat village in Pyapon Township.

Usually, three fishermen work a raft and are supervised by a senior fisherman who has wide navigation experience and knows the currents well. It is not unusual for fishing rafts to be blown out to sea in stormy weather, said locals.

In March 2011, a strong gale blew more than 10,000 fishermen from Yangons Kawhmu and Kungyangon townships, and Irrawaddys Pyapon and Dedaye townships out to sea, and most of them returned unharmed.

In November 2014, the Myanmar Navy and passenger vessels came across and rescued more than 200 gale-hit fishing rafts in Pyapon District.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma Pulitzer Winners Join Call for Reuters Reporters Release

Ko Wa Lone greets reporters after his appearance with fellow Reuters reporter Ko Kyaw Soe Oo at the Mingalardon Township Court in Yangon on Wednesday. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  A group of 50 Pulitzer Prize winners has urged authorities in Myanmar to immediately release two Reuters reporters arrested in Yangon earlier this month and drop the charges against them.

Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested on Dec. 12 after accepting an invitation from police to have dinner on Yangons outskirts.

They had been covering the crisis in Rakhine State and were charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act for illegally acquiring information with the intention to share it with foreign media. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Their arrest is an outrageous attack on media freedom. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are brave, principled and professional journalists who were working in the public interest and were jailed simply for doing their jobs, the Pulitzer winners said in a joint statement issued Wednesday.

We call on the Myanmar government to immediately release Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, reunite them with their families, and drop all charges against them.

The Pulitzer winners join several rights groups and Western governments including the US and UK in condemning the arrests as an attack on the free press and demanding their release.

They are among the 11 journalists arrested in Myanmar in 2017 for defamation or other alleged crimes under some of the countrys repressive and widely derided laws, some of them dating back to British rule.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were remanded in custody for an additional 14 days on Wednesday during their first court appearance since their arrest.

At the time of their arrest, the pair was reporting on the militarys violent crackdown in Rakhine since militants launched a coordinated attack on security force posts in the state on Aug. 25. The armys response has driven some 650,000 Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh and elicited accusations of ethnic cleansing and possible genocide from the international community.

The military has denied that its forces committed any rights abuses.
News KNPP Says 4 of Its Troops Executed While in Army Detention

The Karenni National Progressive Party leadership decides to withdraw its troops from Shadaw Township, Karenni State, amid tension with local Myanmar Army battalions, May 2015.

Four soldiers belonging to the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) were allegedly executed at a Myanmar Army base in Loikaw Township on Dec. 20 after being detained during an army raid on their camp, according to a leader of the ethnic party.

They were detained first, then executed, said Khu Daniel, a central committee member of the KNPP, adding that a civilian who was seized along with the soldiers was also missing.

A local newspaper reported that the army had confirmed the deaths, although the Tatmadaw claimed the fatalities occurred during a gunfight.

Khu Daniel said the four soldiers had been manning a checkpoint in the Shadaw area on Dec. 19, when at about 5 p.m. they stopped a convoy of 10 Myanmar Army vehicles on its way back from transporting rations to their battalion. The Karenni Army soldiers found illegal timber hidden in the vehicles, but they did not make an issue of the illicit cargo and let the convoy pass.

At 9 p.m. that evening, Myanmar Army troops from the Regional Operations Command based in Loikaw raided the KNPP base, Khu Daniel said.

When they raided our base, our troops did not fire at them. They did not do anything, he said.

The Kantarawaddy Times, a Loikaw-based newspaper, reported on its website that a KNPP delegation had visited the army base were the executions were alleged to have taken place, but did not see any signs of fighting.

Residents in the neighborhood told the newspaper that they also did not hear any gunfire on the night of Dec. 19, before the soldiers were reportedly killed at 8 a.m. on the following day.

However, according to the newspaper, the Regional Operation Command told the KNPP delegation that the four soldiers were killed during a gunfight at the Loikaw base, and that the army had cremated their remains. It said the commander handed over four small bottles containing the ashes of the dead solders.

The Tatmadaw, the chief minister, and the KNPP are still holding negotiations over the case, Col Myint Wai from the Myanmar Army and Border Affairs Ministry in Karenni State was quoted as saying by the Kantarawaddy Times. He added that troop movements on the ground in the state were normal.

When asked how the KNPP would respond to the alleged killings, Khu Daniel said the incident would become a political issue, adding that his partys leaders needed to discuss what to do next.

The KNPP signed a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar government and the military in March 2012, but they have not yet inked the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). The KNPP is a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and is involved in negotiations to sign the NCA.

Everyone feels sad about this. It should not happen like this. If they were killed while fighting on the battlefield, lets say that is okay. But it was not fair to arrest them and then kill them, Khu Daniel said.

Maj-Gen Aye Lwin, deputy director of the Psychological Warfare and Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Defense, told The Irrawaddy he had not received any information from senior army officers about the alleged killings and had no comment to make about them.
New rules around H-1B visas will make it harder for companies that are dependent on this class of visa to take foreigners to the US for work.

A bipartisan panel, the House Judiciary Committee, has agreed on measures that make life easier for some US companies that use this class of visas, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The bill, known as the Protect and Grow American Jobs Act, would classify firms that have more than 20% of employees on H-1B visas as H-1B dependent, up from the existing 15%.

This will help companies like Facebook which hires foreigners in the hundreds each year and often continues to keep them on these visas while their applications for green cards are processed.

There is as yet no indication of when the US Congress will vote on the bill.

While companies like IBM and Accenture also hire a large number of H-1B workers, they will not fall into the H-1B dependent category as these workers are hired over a number of divisions.

The bill raises the minimum salary paid to H-1B workers to US$135,000, and insists that firms hiring them prove that they tried to recruit Americans. Under existing law, outsourcing firms can avoid these rules by paying at least US$60,000 or the going wage.

Additionally, both the firm supplying the labour or its clients cannot lay off any Americans as long as the foreign worker is employed. Investigations by the US Labour Department and higher fees are other conditions prescribed in the bill.

The WSJ quoted Rentala Chandrasekhar, president of Indian IT lobby group Nasscom, as saying the measure was arbitrary and targeted a handful of companies.

He told an Indian newspaper that even though visa barriers were rising, global companies operating in the US preferred to hire Indian technology professionals.

The H-1B changes assume additional importance for India in view of the fact its local IT industry has laid off nearly 60,000 workers this year.

"Quantification of the effect of all these conditions on the Indian IT industry would be difficult, but with the root cause of offshoring  skills shortage  still remaining in the US, and with no other strong competitive option to India emerging, global companies are still coming to India to tap our talent pool," Chandrasekhar said.

Earlier this month, reports said that the spouses of H-1B workers may no longer be able to obtain work permits under a change proposed by the Trump administration.

Since Donald Trump took office nearly a year ago, the US has been clamping down on H-1B visas which are used to take in about 85,000 people a year to work in the country. A large percentage are Indians who work in the technology industry.

In October, the government issued new guidelines making it tougher for existing H-1B holders to renew their visas, specifying that they would have to go through the same process for renewal as they did to first obtain the visa.

The number of applicants for H-1B visas fell this year for the first time in four years. In April, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services received 199,000 applications, compared to 236,000 received in 2016.

Another new stricture on H-1B visas, is that computer programmers would not be presumed to be eligible for this class of visa. Rather, details of qualifications need to be supplied so that it could be determined whether the individual is fit to do the specialised task for which the visa is sought.

This guidance means that H-1B visas will go to very high-skilled and higher-paid professionals, with low- and mid-level jobs presumably to go to American workers instead.
The biggest news on Lincolns dining scene in 2017 wasnt what opened or closed, but rather what changed hands.

At least five prominent restaurants  La Paz Mexican Restaurant, Red Fox Steak House & Lounge, Piezanos, The Normandy and Piedmont Bistro  saw ownership changes.

La Paz especially raised some eyebrows. After all, Rick and Julie Holm had run the restaurant at 321 N. Cotner Blvd. since May 1989. They turned it over April 1 to a former employee (Andrew Wilson) and a current one (Jonas Steele).

On one hand, its breaking our hearts to walk away, Rick Holm told the Journal Star in mid-March. On the other hand, this offers us an opportunity to do some other things in our lives.

Rick Holm said La Paz succeeded, when others didnt, because the Holms maintained their food quality and had good help  like Steele, who had worked there 20-plus years, Wilson and others.

I also really think it helped to have owners of a small mom and pop-type place to be around all the time, he said. For the first 20 years, we lived there night and day.

Also in 1989, Don Arena opened the Red Fox at 1339 W. O St. He sold it in August to April Henke, who returned to Nebraska from New Orleans to find and run a restaurant. Arena, who also owns the Fox Neighborhood Grill at 1245 Libra Drive, near Lincoln Southwest High School, said he sold the Red Fox to free up time for himself.

Im at that point where I want to enjoy life, said Arena, who's been in the bar/food service business since 1976. In this business, you have to be dedicated. You have to be there every day, and at some point you say to yourself, Im not going to be here forever.'

Greg Friesen sold Piezanos, the neighborhood Italian restaurant at 2740 South St., in May to friends Colby Honke, Ryan Riley and Matthew Quintero. Friesen had it since 2006. The late Dick and Diane Burner originally opened the pizzeria in 1982.

Venue, the popular fine dining restaurant at 70th Street and Pioneers Boulevard, reopened Piedmont Bistro at 1265 S. Cotner Blvd. in January. It had closed in December 2016 because of financial reasons.

Lawrence de Villiers sold The Normandy to former employees Eric and Emily Post in December. A French immigrant, de Villiers began baking and selling pastries at farmers markets seven years ago. He and his wife, Renee, opened The Normandy in The Railyards Public Market in 2013 and moved it to its current location at 2785 S. 17th St. in February 2014. It specialized in French cuisine.

Other Lincoln dining headlines for 2017 included:

* Maggie Pleskac closing Maggies Vegetarian Cafe after more than 17 years at 311 N. Eighth St. in the Haymarket. Pleskac said the cafe was doing fine financially, but she felt it was time to shift gears.

* Bread&cup closing after 10 years at 440 N. Eighth St. in the Haymarket for financial reasons. Opened in 2007 by Kevin and Karen Shinn, the bakery/restaurant had been a favorite of my wife and me. Im sad to see it go.

* Doc's Place, one of Lincoln's most popular watering holes, closed its doors in July after 18 years at 140 N. Eighth St. Troy Falk, who opened the Haymarket bar in 1999, said he and the building's landlord decided to move in different directions.

* Matt Stinchfield, one of Lincolns top brewers, closed his tap room/restaurant, Ploughshare Brewing Co., in July because of financial reasons after three years at 1630 P St. "People are going to say, 'I was in there; the place was hopping,' but the answer is, it's a math problem, and the income was insufficient to manage the debt," Stinchfield said.

* M&N Sandwich Shop owner Norm Kusinski died following an illness. Kusinski, believed to be 71, came off as Oscar the Grouch, but deep down he was a softy, and, boy, could he make a sandwich, specializing in Chicago Italian beef on Gonnella rolls.

* Phat Jacks making its second move. Arguably Lincolns best barbecue restaurant, Phat Jacks popularity necessitated its move in February from 11th Street and Cornhusker Highway to more-spacious digs at 101 S.W. 14th Place. It originally opened in 2008 at 40th and Cornhusker and moved to Belmont Plaza in January 2012.

* In February, Matt Meyers learned the Brewers Association named his pub, Happy Raven, the best beer bar in Nebraska for 2017 in the Great American Beer Bars competition. The bar at 122 N. 11th St. has more than 100 different kinds of canned and bottled beer and 18 varieties on tap.

* Lincolns last Boston Market, at 500 N. 48th St., closed in October. The city at one point in the mid-1990s had three Boston Market locations, but one at 17th and Q streets closed in 1997 and another at 27th and Cornhusker closed in 1998 after the parent company declared bankruptcy. The 48th Street store opened in 1995.

* Chevys Fresh Mex, a fast-casual chain operating at 5500 S. 56th St., also closed in October, just a month shy of its two-year anniversary.
Scott Winkler, a former accounting manager for the City of Omaha's finance department, announced Thursday he'll seek the 18th District seat in the Legislature.

Sen. Brett Lindstrom is a candidate for re-election in the Omaha district.

"Working for stronger public education, investment in the jobs of tomorrow and responsible tax relief will be my top priority," Winkler said.

"We must create a better environment in our state to promote economic development and provide more families and small businesses the necessary resources for their success," he said.

Winkler, who is a registered Democrat, said he would be "an independent leader with a vision to provide more opportunities for our middle-class families and the most vulnerable."

Among his activities in Omaha has been volunteer engagement in "anti-discrimination and inclusivity issues," his announcement statement noted.

Winkler was appointed to an Omaha Police Department committee that was responsible for administration of a federal grant for hate crimes education.

Lindstrom, a registered Republican, will be seeking re-election to a second term.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of these suspects may call the Summerville Police Department at (843) 851-4100. Crime tips can also be sent to Crime Stoppers by phone at 554-1111, by text message at CRIMES or 274637 (start the message with TIPCSL) or on the web at www.5541111.com.
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Brian Whitaker | ( al-Bab.com

The Egyptian parliaments committee on religion has announced plans to make disbelief in God a crime. Under the current law against contempt of religions atheists can be prosecuted for expressing their disbelief in public but the committees proposal would go further and criminalise disbelief itself.

In 2014, little more than a week after Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi was sworn in as Egypts president, the government announced that it was preparing a national plan to confront and eliminate atheism. A few months later Al-Shabab, a government-linked newspaper, stated that atheists were the countrys second enemy after the Muslim Brotherhood, and quoted a psychologist saying that atheism leads to mental imbalances and paranoia.

As part of its effort to suppress the Muslim Brotherhood the Sisi regime began promoting a version of Islam that is often characterised as moderate  though militantly mainstream might be a better term. Theologically speaking it is middle-of the-road and relatively bland but, like the regime itself, it is also authoritarian in character.

The result of this is a kind of enforced centrism. While allowing some scope for tolerance  of other monotheistic religions, for example  it confines religious discourse to the middle ground. While the main purpose of this is to sideline Islamist theology, at the other end of the spectrum it has led to atheism, scepticism and liberal interpretations of Islam being treated as forms of extremism.

Saudi Arabia adopted a similar position in 2014 when promotion of atheist thought became officially classified as an act of terrorism.

Atheism in the Arab countries is generally viewed by the public with horror  so to some extent the Egyptian regime is playing a populist card. Small and relatively defenceless minorities such as atheists are an easy target and portraying them as a threat to the nations well-being helps to divert attention from the regimes failings. A similar process was seen in Egypt recently with the moral panic over homosexuality and rainbow flags.

An article in Rose al-Yusuf quotes Amr Hamroush, a member of the parliamentary committee, as saying legislation is needed in order to close down all atheist websites since their ideas destroy the values of society.

However, even in Egypt the proposal is proving controversial. The article goes on to quote others who point out that while laws can control peoples behaviour, they cannot change peoples beliefs.

Brian Whitaker is former Middle East Editor of The Guardian.
By Juan Cole | (informed Comment) |  

The US military says that the number of ISIL fighters in eastern Syria has fallen from 3000 a month ago to only 1000 today. Moreover a lot of the latter are fleeing into al-Assad-controlled territory, a severe security concern for the Syrian state. The US is apparently declining to intervene, watching with some satisfaction as the fighters flee into the countrys urban areas.

Speaking on Wednesday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said of Syria (trans from TASS by BBC Monitoring):

Now, of course, the main anti-terrorist task is the defeat of Jabhat al-Nusra . . . The Syrian army together with its allies and our support has been pushing Al-Nusra members back. However, they are still resisting, partly, according to our information, due to assistance received from abroad. . . 

The Syrian Conquest Front, formerly known as the Nusra Front is Syrias only al-Qaeda affiliate. Its rival, ISIL or Daesh, had split from al-Qaeda because the terrorist organizations leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, disapproved of Nusras longstanding tactic of making friends and then stabbing the friends in the back.

The Syrian Conquest Front largely controls Idlib province in the far north of the country. Although Russia and its Syrian client in Damascus have pursued negotiations and deconfliction zones with rebel forces, it is clear that they intend to attempt completely to crush Nusra, which means at some point a frontal campaign in Idlib. Because that province abuts Turkey in the north, a campaign would be tricky.

Turkey probably supports Nusra behind the scenes, despite its links to al-Qaeda.

On Christmas Day (in the Western calendar), Russian president Vladimir Putin discussed with provincial and government officials the two terrorist threats that might spill over onto Russia, to wit, Afghanistan and Syria.

He said,

Now, regarding what Mr Volodin just mentioned, the terrorist threat, namely the one emanating from Afghanistan. The situation has deteriorated in the period that the coalition forces, primarily the US forces, have been present there. It really has, that is a fact. And it continues to deteriorate, but if it was not for the US forces, it would probably have gotten even worse. Our relations with the United States are complicated, but we have to be objective when approaching this matter, and that is the way it is. Even though there are Taliban forces based along almost the entire length of the border between Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, we simply have to keep that in mind. Today I spoke with the President of Turkmenistan, and he reminded me of his plans to build a pipeline system that will run through the territory of Afghanistan further to its neighbours, Pakistan and India. He is inviting us to participate in the construction. All in all, some of the projects there are being implemented, and quite successfully, too, including by Turkmenistan. We have to see to what extent such projects are being implemented, of course. But there are positive signals like this. However, there are some alarming signals too  ISIS forces have appeared in Afghanistan and are already fighting the Taliban. This is another factor that is making the situation worse.

So to summarize, Putin sees Afghanistan as a profound terrorist threat and one that is growing, with the appearance of ISIL/ Daesh in Bangladesh. He thinks the US is doing a poor job of counter-insurgency (likely implicitly comparing the US effort in Afghanistan to his intervention in Syria). But, he also thinks that the situation would be much more dire if US forces were not fighting there. He seems to admit that it pains him in any way to praise the US, with which he has a complicated relationship, but he also said that you have to be objective.

Putin is interested in Afghanistan, as well, because of a Turkmenistan plan to build a gas pipeline through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. This scheme goes back to the 1990s but has never materialized. It isnt very likely to materialize now, since gas pipelines are easy to sabotage and as Putin says, security is deteriorating.

My own guess is that Pakistan and India will have so much wind and solar energy in ten years that they wont be interested in smelly natural gas from Turkmenistan.

Putin continued:

You mentioned Syria. There is no longer any need really for using the Armed Forces there. I will not repeat myself any more, you are aware of my assessments. We have two bases there, and we will, of course, continue to fight terrorism there, including in Syria, and to deliver pinpoint strikes, if this should be necessary. To reiterate, we may do so, but not as it was until now with such a wide use of all the components of our Armed Forces. Hence the withdrawal, since there is no longer any need for such large amounts of equipment or personnel. At least, for the time being.

Putin is referring to his announcement that ISIL/ Daesh has been defeated and that he would bring the troops home. He has made this announcement before, but does no follow through on it. He expects to continue to fight terrorism (the Nusra front) and to maintain two bases in the country. Obviously, the withdrawal noises are propaganda.
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George Nicholas | (The Conversation) |  

For many archaeologists, one of the darkest moments in memory was the destruction of the fourth and fifth-century Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban in 2001. That tragedy was later eclipsed by ISISs destruction of Baghdad museum artifacts, Palmyra temples and other structures elsewhere.



mypubliclands / Creative Commons

Such wanton erasure of culture diminishes our collective history. As an archaeologist who has spent much of my career protecting heritage, I see these as instances of violence against history.

The loss of less prominent ancestral sites here in North America may not seem as dramatic yet the effects are of even greater consequence to First Nations and Native Americans. No matter how unassuming they may be to outsiders, the ancient campsites, scatters of broken pottery and other tangible signs of their ancestors lives are places imbued with spiritual qualities.

All are considered vital to the identities, histories, religious practices and well-being of Indigenous North Americans.

Recently, two places of great cultural and spiritual importance  one in Canada, the other in the United States  have been threatened. In the first, legal efforts have failed; in the second, existing protections have been severely weakened:

Ktunaxa Nation: Grizzly Bear Spirit

On Nov. 2, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against the Ktunaxa Nations efforts to prevent a ski resort from being developed in British Columbia in an area of spiritual importance known as Qatmuk, where the Ktunaxa believe the Grizzly Bear Spirit resides.

The court concluded Canadas Charter of Rights protects the freedom to worship, but does not protect the spiritual focal point of worship.

Yet the Ktunaxa had asked the court to validate not their right to worship but their right to continue essential traditional practices. They fear the Grizzly Bear Spirit will be be driven away, further debilitating their connection to a living landscape.

Bears Ears and Grand Staircase: Escalante National Parks in Utah

On Dec. 4, Donald Trump signed two proclamations that greatly reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Parks in Utah. With that pen stroke, two million acres of land may soon be open to mining, logging and other uses.

This move is seen by the Hopi, Navajo, Ute and Zuni as an endangerment of their heritage sites, burials and sacred spaces.

All U.S. federal lands require compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, but the oversight of these acts is not as stringent as the overarching cultural and environmental protection afforded national monuments. For Bear Ears, affected tribes and their allies are currently mounting legal challenges to the presidents authority.

Cultural harm will likely result. This may include threats to the archaeological record of ancient habitation areas and activities across the landscape  what the Hopi refer to as the footprints of their ancestors.

Even more disturbing will be the weakening of protection of places of great historical or spiritual importance that are fundamental to the beliefs and worldview of the Hopi, Navajo, Ute and Zuni peoples.

Heritage loss: A violation of human rights

Violence is seldom used by archaeologists to describe the harms resulting from disturbing heritage sites. But by looking at this through the lens of indigeneity, we must acknowledge the real harm that is done to people in these situations.

When Indigenous heritage sites, burial grounds and sacred places, or other types of Indigenous heritage are intentionally denigrated, destroyed or appropriated, it is both a form of violence and a human rights violation.

The United Nations defines human rights as the rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. But conspicuously missing from the UNs definition is heritage, which is no less important as a standard of well-being for many peoples.

Being denied the right to heritage, along with the denigration or destruction of heritage sites, is not only harmful, it also constitutes a type of violence that exacerbates existing social, economic, spiritual and health challenges faced by contemporary Indigenous peoples.



(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)



The World Health Organization defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.

Without wanting to detract attention from more explicit forms of harm, the destruction of heritage sites has significant adverse effects upon Indigenous peoples in North America and elsewhere.

This is articulated by Hulquminum (B.C.) elder Ruby Peters who held that the disturbance of one ancient burial ground not only offended and disrupted relations with the deceased but also resulted in physical danger for the living.

Contrasting world views: Heritage is alive

To understand why the destruction of seemingly unremarkable sites is equivalent to violence requires an understanding of how Indigenous conceptions of heritage and place may be fundamentally different from that found in Western society.

When Indigenous heritage is viewed and evaluated through only a Western lens, it ignores the fact that Indigenous values, beliefs and knowledge systems are fundamentally different.

Western knowledge of the world is based on description and classification, a Cartesian sense of order, and a search for universalist explanation. These ideas emerged during the Enlightenments notion of Reason and a belief that the world can be neatly divided up and studied.

In contrast, Indigenous perspectives are particularistic and situational, composed of different bodies of knowledge. Heather Harris (Cree-Metis) notes in her essay, Indigenous Worldviews and Ways of Knowing that the universe [and everything in it] is alive, has power, will and intelligence.

Absent then may be the familiar divisions between the natural and supernatural realms, the sacred and the secular, or even past and present.

For the Ktunaxa, Qatmuk is thus not a place or spiritual focal point but a living presence; for the peoples of the Big Ears National Park, that landscape is literally alive with their history.

Evident here is that most of what constitutes heritage is intangible, lacking physical form, yet vital to ones existence. In this sense, heritage is not just about things (such as artifacts) but about relationships and what these things mean.

In the words of one Yukon elder, when asked to define heritage, he said, It is everything that makes us who we are.

Resistance and reconciliation

Yet the privileging of land development projects and commercial interests over the protection of Aboriginal rights and interests is all too common.

In 2014, protests erupted over the desecration of an ancestral burial ground on Grace Islet, B.C. Despite being a recorded archaeological site, a house was literally being built on and around 16 burial cairns.

A settlement was reached early in 2016 when the province, bowing to pressure from First Nations and their allies, agreed to purchase the one-hectare islet. The landowner received $5.45 million  of which $840,000 was for the property itself  and $4.6 million for losses suffered. The First Nation received no recompense for the far more serious harms it endured.

Qatmuck, Bear Ears and Grace Islet are not isolated instances. Heritage values and human rights remain at peril due to economic interests, political pressures and incomplete or inaccurate understandings of what heritage means.

There have been victories: The federal ruling against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in South Dakota earlier this year is one recent example. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe legal case was about both the lack of adequate consultation, and the failure to recognize the impact of the pipeline on the cultural, spiritual and environmental dimensions of the land and water.

Too often, these victories are short-lived. The fate of DAPL remains uncertain. As the actions underway to gut U.S. National Parks show, Native American heritage is threatened and endangered by political and economic interests.

Current local and national legal and policy frameworks for heritage in both the U.S. and Canada fail to reflect emerging national and international norms related to Indigenous legal and cultural traditions and human rights.

Yet there is now increasing acknowledgement in Canada  and globally  that Indigenous Peoples heritage must be protected more fully and effectively and that the protection of ones heritage needs to be considered as a basic human right.

Some of these new policy frameworks include the recommendations of Canadas Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the UNs Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to which both the U.S. and Canada are signatories.

Yet, there is currently too little sense of direction, or too little incentive by all levels of government that have a major role to play in this arena.

There can be no argument that colonialism robbed Indigenous North Americans of much of their heritage; we today subsequently must support restoration and protection of their cultural patrimony. This requires action, not lip service.

Reconciliation needs to be be more than saying sorry. It should mean both understanding these issues as human rights violations and fundamentally changing how heritage is protected.

George Nicholas, Professor of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

AP: Tribes: Ready to Fight to Protect Bears Ears
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Middle East Monitor |  

Describing London as the city of tolerance, acceptance and diversity, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, however, on Wednesday said President Donald Trump is not welcomed, Anadolu reports.

Khans written statement came after the London Assembly asked him how the citys government would prepare for an official state visit from Trump.

As Mayor, I will always speak up to protect the interests and security of Londoners. I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump, Khan said.

After the latest incident, where President Trump used Twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country, it is clear that any official visit here would not be welcomed, he added.

Read More: Israel wounded over 100 journalists since US move on Jerusalem

Despite an online row with Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump is expected to pay an official visit to Britain and to hold talks with the British prime minister in February.

Trumps retweeting last month of three anti-Muslim videos taken from the Twitter feed of a member of the far-right Britain First group caused outrage in the UK and led to senior politicians speaking out against any visit.

May described Trumps re-tweets as wrong, which led to Trump telling her to focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism in Britain.

She refused to cancel the trip despite widespread condemnation, including Khan, who said Trump had promoted a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.

Khan stated that the British people including himself, love both America and Americans but Trumps recent comments contradict with Britains stance on racism and hatred.

London is a beacon of tolerance, acceptance and diversity, and Mr. Trump has demonstrated time and time again that his views are completely incompatible with the values Londoners hold dear, Khan noted.

Trump is also expected to attend the opening of the new US embassy in Battersea, southwest London, but no date has been set.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Via Middle East Monitor
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 28, 2017) - International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC) (the "Company" or "ILC") is pleased to announce a settlement agreement between the Company and its joint venture partner, Mariana Lithium Co. Ltd. (("MLC"), a subsidiary of Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd. ("Ganfeng")) regarding the Mariana Lithium JV brine project (the "Mariana JV") in Salta, Argentina.

As it was reported in Company's MD&A, in January 2017, during the transition from the former management of ILC to the current management, it is acknowledged that Ganfeng and MLC considered that ILC failed to meet a cash call in respect of the Mariana JV and that as a result, ILC could have been diluted to a 14.492% share of the project. ILC considered that the cash call notification was made improperly at a time that the relevant officers of ILC involved in preparing the cash call were in transition to becoming employees or consultants of the Mariana JV as consultants to Ganfeng's operations and that ILC's share should therefore have remained at 20%. Neither side accepted the position of the other.

ILC and Ganfeng have now reached a settlement agreement on the matter whereby:

Outstanding management fee and a settlement amount totaling US$84,706 are to be paid to ILC by MLC; The double dilution for ILC's purported default in meeting the January 2017 cash call, resulting in an ownership percentage of 14.492% for ILC, is to be calculated as a single dilution amount resulting in an ownership of 17.246% in the Mariana project for ILC; ILC will maintain its status as having zero defaults as defined in the joint venture agreement; ILC will pay to MLC US$206,294 which is the difference of its underpayment of the cash calls up to and including the November 28, 2017 cash call paid, representing cash calls at the 14.492% level now revised to 17.246%; and US$15,698 to be paid to ILC by MLC for various project-related costs.

In accordance with the settlement agreement, MLC and ILC agree to act in good faith and in the best interests of the Mariana JV. Both ILC and MLC and, where appropriate, their subsidiaries and/or parents and/or affiliates will in good faith review the Mariana Joint Venture Agreement in the first quarter of 2018 with a view to resolving any issues in which there are genuine commercial or documentation concerns by either party or a perceived lack of clarity, whether due to poor drafting or any other reason.

"We are finishing our transition year at International Lithium on a very positive note. Our new ILC team has settled all outstanding issues with our Mariana JV partner. MLC and ILC have agreed that they will act in good faith and in the best interests of the Mariana JV. Now we can focus our efforts on Mariana JV development and maximize its value for our shareholders," commented Kirill Klip, Executive Chairman of ILC.

About International Lithium Corp.

International Lithium Corp. has a significant portfolio of projects, strong management, robust financial support, and a strategic partner and keystone investor, Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd., a leading China-based lithium product manufacturer.

The Company's primary focus is the strategic stake in the Mariana lithium-potash brine project located within the renowned South American "Lithium Belt" that is the host to the vast majority of global lithium resources, reserves and production. The Mariana project strategically encompasses an entire mineral rich evaporite basin, totaling 160 square kilometres that ranks as one of the more prospective salars or 'salt lakes' in the region. Current ownership of the project is through a joint venture company, Litio Minera Argentina S. A. ("Litio"), a private company registered in Argentina. As a result of the December 2017 settlement agreement, ownership of Litio will be revised to 82.754% by Mariana Lithium Co. Ltd. ("MLC"), and 17.246% by ILC in early 2018. In addition, ILC has an option to acquire 10% in the Mariana project through a back-in right.

Complementing the Company's lithium brine project in Argentina are three rare metals pegmatite properties in Canada known as the Mavis, Raleigh, and Forgan projects, and the Avalonia project in Ireland, which encompasses an extensive 50km-long pegmatite belt. The Avalonia project is under option to strategic partner Ganfeng, who currently owns 55% of the project. The Mavis and Raleigh projects are under option to strategic partner Pioneer Resources Limited (ASX: PIO) pursuant to which Pioneer can acquire up to a 51% interest in the projects.

The Mavis, Raleigh and Forgan projects together form the basis of the Company's newly created Upper Canada Lithium Pool designated to focus on acquiring numerous prospects with previously reported high concentrations of lithium in close proximity to existing infrastructure.

With the increasing demand for high tech rechargeable batteries used in vehicle propulsion technologies and portable electronics, lithium is paramount to tomorrow's "green-tech", sustainable economy. By positioning itself with solid strategic partners and acquiring high quality assets for the Energy rEVolution supply chain, ILC aims to be the partner of choice for investors in green-tech and to continue to build value for its shareholders.
A Palmyra ambulance taking an injured person to Bryan West Campus from a wreck on Nebraska 2 was hit by another car blocks from the Lincoln hospital.

The collision occurred at 16th and Burr streets at about 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jim Bopp said the ambulance was able to continue on to the hospital, and the driver of the car that broadsided the ambulance declined treatment at the scene.

The first crash occurred when a car attempting to turn west from Palmyra pulled into the path of an eastbound vehicle on Nebraska 2. Five people were taken to a local hospital with injuries that did not appear life-threatening, said Otoe County Deputy Mike Holland.

That crash temporarily stopped traffic in both directions on Nebraska 2.
MONTREAL, Dec. 28, 2017 /CNW/ - MONARQUES GOLD CORPORATION ("Monarques" or the "Corporation") (TSX.V:MQR) (OTCMKTS:MRQRF) (FRANKFURT:MR7) is pleased to report the results of the updated mineral resource and reserve estimates for its wholly-owned Beaufor mine. The mineral resource and reserve estimates were prepared by InnovExplo inc., in collaboration with Beaufor mine personnel and the Corporation in accordance with NI 43-101. Unless otherwise indicated, all amounts in this press release are presented in Canadian dollars.

The Beaufor mine is located approximately 20 km northeast of Val-d'Or, in the province of Quebec. The mine has been in operation since 1930. The ore from the Beaufor mine is processed at the Camflo mill, which has a 1,600 tonne-per-day milling capacity. The mill is operated by Usine Camflo inc., also wholly-owned by Monarques.

"The outcome of the technical report is positive for Monarques, as it confirms the profitability of the Beaufor mine," said Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monarques. "Furthermore, the report does not consider the Camflo mill's current custom milling activities, which could enhance the mine's profitability. We are also continuing to assess our options for extending the mine life through targeted drilling programs on the most promising identified zones."

Key economic parameters

Based on a gold price of $1,638/oz, reflecting a gold price of US $1,280/oz and an exchange rate of 1.28 CAD/1 USD, the study demonstrates that the Beaufor mine could generate an after-tax net present value of $4.41 million at a 5% discount rate with a total production of 30,018 ounces over the mine life. Operating costs would total $41.5 million and the total project cost would be $43.0 million. The average production cost would be $1,433/oz.



Table of economic parameters

Parameter Value Proven and probable reserves 139,522 tonnes mined Grade of proven and probable reserves 6.83 g/t mined Total gold production 30,018 ounces (oz) Gold metallurgical recovery 98.0 % Minimum daily production 114 tpd Maximum daily production 341 tpd Minimum monthly gold production 1,200 oz Maximum monthly gold production 2,689 oz Total gold production 30,018 oz Average operating cost $297 /t Average operating cost $1,383 /oz Total cost per ounce $1,433 /oz Total gross revenue $49.18 million Capital costs $1.50 million Total operating costs $41.50 million Total project cost $43.00 million Net cash flow (before taxes and royalties) $5.68 million Estimated taxes $0.82 million Net cash flow $4.86 million Pre-tax NPV (5% discount rate) $5.16 million Pre-tax IRR N/A After-tax NPV (5% discount rate) $4.41 million After-tax IRR N/A Mine life 17 months

Reserves

Table of estimated mineral reserves

Beaufor mine Tonnes

(t) Grade

(g/t Au) Ounces

(oz) Proven reserve 28,100 5.95 5,400 Probable reserve 111,500 7.05 25,200 Total Proven and Probable reserve 139,500 6.83 30,600

Notes:

The independent and qualified person for the mineral reserve estimate, as defined by NI 43-101 is Laurent Roy, Eng. (OIQ No. 109779), of InnovExplo Inc. The effective date of the estimate is September 30, 2017 .

. The economic viability of the mineral reserve is proven.

Results are presented including dilution. Dilution varies from 10% to 15% for the long-hole stopes based on the position of the dyke, and is 0% for the room-and-pillar stopes as the stope width is less than 2.40m .

. Results are presented including mining recovery rates. Mining recovery varies from 85% to 90% for long-hole stopes based on the position of the dyke and is 90% for room-and-pillar stopes.

The metallurgical gold recovery at the Camflo mill is 98%.

The mineral reserve was compiled using cut-off grades of 3.95 g/t Au (long-hole) to 4.66 g/t Au (room-and-pillar). Cut-off grades must be re-evaluated in light of prevailing market conditions (gold price, exchange rate and mining cost).

A constant specific gravity value of 2.75 t/m 3 was used.

was used. A minimum true thickness of 2.40 m was applied.

was applied. Ounce (troy) = metric tons x grade / 31.1035. Calculations used metric units (metres, tonnes, and g/t).

The mineral reserve was estimated using a long-term gold price of CAD 1,638.40 per ounce (metal price of USD 1,280 per ounce and an exchange rate 1.28 CAD / 1 USD ).

per ounce (metal price of per ounce and an exchange rate / ). Tonnage and ounces estimates were rounded to the nearest hundred. Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects; rounding followed the recommendations in Form 43-101F1.

The mineral reserve estimate is compliant with CIM standards and guidelines.

InnovExplo is not aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issue that could materially affect the mineral reserve estimate.

Resources

Estimated mineral resource table, exclusive of mineral reserve

Beaufor mine Tonnes

(t) Grade

(g/t Au) Ounces

(oz) Measured resource 74,400 6.71 16,100 Indicated resource 271,700 7.93 69,300 Total Measured and Indicated resource 346,200 7.67 85,400 Inferred resource 46,100 8.34 12,400

Notes:

The independent and qualified person ("QP") for the Mineral Resource Estimate as required by NI 43101 is Carl Pelletier , P.Geo. (OGQ 384), employee of InnovExplo Inc. The effective date of the estimate is September 30, 2017 .

, P.Geo. (OGQ 384), employee of InnovExplo Inc. The effective date of the estimate is . Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Mineral reserves have been subtracted from mineral resources.

Results are presented in-situ and undiluted. The reported mineral resource is considered by the QP to have reasonable prospects for underground economic extraction.

The estimate includes 63 mineralized zones in the Beaufor mine.

Mineral Resources are estimated at variable cut-off grades ranging from 3.95 g/t Au (long-hole) to 4.66 g/t Au (room-and-pillar). Cut-off grades must be re-evaluated in light of prevailing market conditions (gold price, exchange rate and mining cost).

A specific gravity value of 2.75 t/m 3 was used.

was used. A minimum true vein width of 2.40 m was used.

was used. Capping of high-grade values was done at 68.5 g/t Au for zones 8, B, M, M1 and Q, while all other zones were capped at 34.25 g/t Au and drill hole intersections were capped at 16.5 g/t over 2.40 m . Capping was done on raw assays.

. Capping was done on raw assays. The estimation method was polygonal on cross section.

Polygons for measured resources extend 8 m above and below development and up to 10 m laterally. Polygons for indicated resources do not extend more than 20 m from drill hole intercepts, along dip and along strike. Polygons for inferred resources do not extend more than 40 m from drill hole intercepts, along dip and along strike; they are generated where the drill spacing generally ranges from 20 m to 40 m and/or in areas of isolated drill holes where mineralization is interpreted to be the extension of known mineralized zones.

above and below development and up to laterally. Polygons for indicated resources do not extend more than from drill hole intercepts, along dip and along strike. Polygons for inferred resources do not extend more than from drill hole intercepts, along dip and along strike; they are generated where the drill spacing generally ranges from to and/or in areas of isolated drill holes where mineralization is interpreted to be the extension of known mineralized zones. Ounce (troy) = metric tons x grade / 31.1035. Calculations used metric units (metres, tonnes, g/t)

Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term gold price of CAD 1,638.40 per ounce (metal price of USD 1,280 per ounce and an exchange rate of 1.28 CAD / 1 USD ).

per ounce (metal price of per ounce and an exchange rate of / ). Tonnage and ounce estimates were rounded to the nearest hundred. Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects; rounding followed the recommendations in Form 43-101F1.

CIM definitions and guidelines were followed in estimating mineral resources.

InnovExplo is not aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issue that could materially affect the mineral resource estimate.

A technical report on the Beaufor mine's mineral resource and reserve estimates, as presented above, will be filed today, Thursday, December 28, 2017, on SEDAR following the publication of this press release.

Qualified person

The technical content of this press release was reviewed and approved by Mr. Marc-Andre Lavergne, Eng., a qualified person according to NI 43-101.

The mineral resource estimate of the Beaufor mine was prepared under the supervision of Mr. Carl Pelletier, B.Sc. Geo., an employee of InnovExplo Inc. Mr. Pelletier is an independent qualified person according to NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release, which corresponds to the mineral resource estimate of the technical report. The mineral reserve estimate of the Beaufor mine was prepared by Mr. Laurent Roy, Eng., an employee of InnovExplo Inc. Mr. Roy is an independent qualified person according to NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release, which corresponds to the mineral reserve estimate of the technical report.

ABOUT MONARQUES GOLD CORPORATION

Monarques Gold Corp (TSX-V:MQR) is an emerging gold producer focused on pursuing growth through its large portfolio of high-quality projects in the Abitibi mining camp in Quebec, Canada. The Corporation currently owns close to 300 km of gold properties (see map), including the Beaufor mine, the Croinor Gold (see video), Wasamac, McKenzie Break and Swanson advanced projects, and the Camflo and Beacon mills, as well as six promising exploration projects. It also offers custom milling services out of its 1,600 tonne-per-day Camflo mill. Monarques enjoys a strong financial position and has more than 150 skilled employees who oversee its operating, development and exploration activities.
The University of Nebraska system's chief financial officer will step down next month to take a similar job at the University of South Florida system.

David Lechner, the senior vice president for business and finance for more than 18 years at NU, will leave the university Jan. 19, President Hank Bounds said in a Dec. 22 memo to staff at Varner Hall.

In leading the NU system's finances, Lechner was responsible for managing $1.8 billion in housing, unions, recreation centers, parking structures, stadium additions, and research and academic buildings across the state.

Bounds also credited Lechner with helping NU maintain an Aa1 bond rating, keeping the state's university system in the top 20 among more than 190 public universities across the country.

Lechner was also responsible for helping NU develop its budget and legislative strategies, deferred-maintenance programs, and managing the health plan for university employees.

"Of course, he has also served us in ways that are more difficult to quantify," Bounds said. "Not the least of which are his high character, work ethic, good humor and friendship."

Following Lechner's departure, Chris Kabourek, the assistant vice president of budget and planning, will move into an interim CFO role, Bounds said.
Beatrice "Mike" Seacrest, who was fully engaged in myriad civic activities in Lincoln and actively involved in the cultural life of the city, died last week at the age of 97.

"Her spirit will live on in so many projects and in so many people," Susan Larson Rodenburg said Wednesday in saluting a woman she said she idolized as a role model and a visionary.

Name an activity or event that was good for Lincoln or important to the city and Mike Seacrest probably was there.

Seacrest was president of the Nebraska Art Association and a member of the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and helped lead celebration balls for Lincoln's centennial in 1959 and Nebraska's centennial in 1967.

She played an active role in construction of the Sheldon Museum of Art on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

A host of other civic activities included the Lincoln Children's Zoo, Lincoln Community Foundation, Lincoln Public Schools Foundation, Junior League of Lincoln and development of public art in the city.

And much more.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Seacrest hosted television shows on KOLN/KGIN and later was a host of "Grand Generation" on Nebraska public television.

A graduate of Syracuse University, Seacrest was a member of the U.S. Navy's first women's officer class during World War II and served with the rank of lieutenant (junior grade).

During her Navy service, she met Joe R. Seacrest, also a Navy officer, and they were married in 1944. He later became editor of The Lincoln Journal, which was owned by the Seacrest family.

Joe R., as he was known, died in 1995. Mike married Lincoln attorney Thomas Davies in 1997; he died in 2011.

Rodenburg knew her best as a fellow member of the Parks Board.

"She was fun, she was elegant and sophisticated, she was down-to-earth," Rodenburg said.

"As she grew older and not quite as active, just having her name associated with a (fund-raising) campaign was a huge boost.

"There's a chunk in my heart," Rodenburg said. "She was a pretty special lady."
May 1, 2021, 12 PM

At its Dec. 12 Stampless Stories sale, Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries sold a remarkable cover from George Washington, bearing his free frank, to Benjamin Franklin. The winning bidder paid $29,500.

The Dec. 12 , Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries sale offered a first edition of the Queen Anne Post Office Act of 1710, the most important postal document of the time.

By Tim Hodge

While numerous auctions featuring worldwide material took place this past month, fewer showcased United States lots.

Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries held an interesting sale in New York City Dec. 12 titled Stampless Stories: A Postal History of America.

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The auction headlined with a George Washington free frank on a cover addressed to Benjamin Franklin. Dating probably from 1785-86 during Franklins second year as president of Pennsylvania, this is a scarce noninstitutional example of correspondence between these two leading figures in American history. It found a new owner for $29,500, including an 18 percent buyers premium.

The Siegel sale contained many early pieces of American postal history dating back to the 17th century. A fascinating publication, the first edition of the Queen Anne Post Office Act of 1710, realized $4,720. This act extended the General Post Offices authority to all the colonies in an effort to raise money for the War of Spanish Succession. It also established standard postage rates and dictated a monopoly of the posts.
Dec 28, 2017, 6 AM

A United States forever stamp for beloved entertainer Lena Horne will be issued during a Jan. 30 ceremony in New York City.

By Michael Baadke

The upcoming United States stamp celebrating entertainer Lena Horne (1917-2010) will be issued Jan. 30 in New York City.

A first-day ceremony is planned for 10:30 a.m. at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, a performance venue on Manhattan's upper west side at 2537 Broadway.

Although the event is free, according to a listing on the Symphony Space online event calendar, a reservation is required to attend. The Postal Service will provide tickets for the ceremony and will release reservation confirmation details at a later date.

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The nondenominated (50) forever stamp is the 41st issue in the long-running Black Heritage commemorative series.

"Lena Horne was a trailblazer in Hollywood for women of color and used her fame as an entertainer to become an important civil rights spokesperson," the Postal Service said in its Dec. 28 press release.

The stamp design was created by colorizing a black and white photograph of Horne by Christian Steiner and adding a new background. USPS art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.
Some films presented the stories of real people whose historic contributions to modern science were long hidden from public view. Others were set in a world and time much like the present one, but with some type of science fiction twist, while still others spun futuristic and fantastic tales of imaginary universes occupied by bizarre and unfamiliar creatures wielding technologies that we can only dream of.

From Space.com and Live Science, here's our roundup  in no particular order  of science and sci-fi at the movies in 2017.

Hidden Figures

(Image credit: Hopper Stone)

Not only did "Hidden Figures" (20th Century Fox) do a great job of showing how NASA launched its first astronaut into orbit during the space race, but it also tells the important story of the role that African-American women played in helping NASA achieve that goal at a time when the agency and the rest of the nation was still highly segregated.

The Girl with All the Gifts

A carpenter ant (Camponotus atriceps) in the Brazilian Amazon is parasitized by Ophiocordyceps camponoti-atricipis. (Image credit: Joao Araujo)

What if a type of fungus that parasitized and mind-controlled ants were to infest people? In "The Girl with All the Gifts" (Saban Films/Lionsgate), the world is transformed by a type off fungal parasite that acts on humans like the fungus Ophiocordyceps acts on ants, hijacking their brains and bodies and changing their behavior. But unlike Ophiocordyceps, the fungus in the film turns its hosts into vicious, flesh-eating zombies.

King Kong

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

On an isolated island paradise, a team of adventurers, researchers and military personnel unite to battle deadly creatures  including a giant ape that stands about 100 feet tall, the length of a modern blue whale. No land mammal has ever reached that height, though some types of sauropod dinosaurs once achieved Kong-like stature, and the largest mammals to walk the Earth went extinct by the end of the last ice age. Kong may be big, but even bigger threats awaited voyagers to this mysterious island.

King Kong $42.62 (opens in new tab) at Amazon (opens in new tab) $56.99 (opens in new tab) at Walmart (opens in new tab)

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

(Image credit: STX Films and Europacorp)

Based on the French comic series "Valerian and Laureline," this movie chronicles the adventures of two government agents who are tasked with maintaining order in the universe and fall in love in the process. While the love story itself is less than stellar, the movie is loaded with gorgeous extraterrestrial creatures, strange alien planets and action-packed scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And there's plenty of science too.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets $3.99 (opens in new tab) at Amazon (opens in new tab) $9.99 (opens in new tab) at Amazon (opens in new tab) $18.37 (opens in new tab) at Amazon (opens in new tab)

The Space Between Us

(Image credit: STX Entertainment)

In this cosmic coming-of-age story, the first human born and raised on Mars decides to visit Earth to find his father and a girl he met online. But when he reaches Earth, his body proves ill-equipped to handle the increased gravity in this new environment. He ends up racing accomplish his mission before his body breaks down  and evading the authorities who are trying to save his life. "The Space Between Us" (STXfilms) may be a fictional love story, but the science behind the film is based on real science facts and up-to-date research on spaceflight and the human body.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Renee Elise Goldsberry as Henrietta Lacks, whose cells produced the "immortal" cell line, HeLa. (Image credit: Copyright 2017 Home Box Office, Inc.)

This original HBO film "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" based on the book by journalist Rebecca Skloot, tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman who died of cancer in 1951, and whose cells from a malignant tumor created a cell lineage that seemed "immortal," the first survive and reproduce in the lab. Unbeknownst to Lacks' family, her cells were widely distributed for use in scientific research, and the movie follows Lacks' daughter Deborah (Oprah Winfrey) as she searches for answers about her mother's death and uncovers what happened to her cells after she died.

Flatliners

In the 2017 movie "Flatliners," Courtney (Ellen Page) experiences death. But then she gets better. (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Dallying with death can come at a terrible cost, as five medical students find out in the movie "Flatliners" (Sony Pictures). Ambition and curiosity drive them to experience "the afterlife" by deliberately stopping their hearts, and they soon learn that dying  even temporarily  comes with unexpected and terrible consequences. But not everything they experience after their brief "deaths" occupies the realm of science fiction, as a growing body of research suggests that human consciousness doesn't immediately wink out after the heart stops.

Life

(Image credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures  2016 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved)

When astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) discover the first Martian lifeform following a robotic sample-return mission to the Red Planet, humanity welcomes the discovery with open arms. But the adorable alien specimen, which looks like a squirmy li\le mushroom, quickly kills the mood as it grows out of control and embarks on a murderous rampage. The astronauts make some questionable decisions while fighting for their lives as the Martian monster destroys everything around them. While the film brings to attention the ethics of meddling with extraterrestrial life, it also illustrates precisely what not to do during an alien attack at the ISS.

Blade Runner 2049

ANA DE ARMAS as Joi and RYAN GOSLING as K in Alcon Entertainment's action thriller "BLADE RUNNER 2049," a Warner Bros. Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment release, domestic distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures and international distribution by Sony Pictures. (Image credit: Copyright 2017 ALCON ENTERTAINMENT, LLC)

It took 35 years for fans of the 1982 sci-fi noir classic "Blade Runner" to finally get their sequel, which takes place 30 years after the events of the first film. And a new "Blade Runner" movie means more replicants  the androids that are nearly impossible to distinguish from people, except by highly trained professional assassins. Replicant-hunter Officer K (Ryan Gosling) digs deep to find answers about these humanlike machines  which are still a long way off for the rest of us.

Alien: Covenant

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox )

The latest installment in the "Alien" movie saga delivers all the blood, guts and extraterrestrial terror that fans of the original movies would expect. A spaceship carrying 2,000 space colonists to their new home planet changes course after the crew receives a rogue transmission that sounds like it came from a human in distress. Before long, terrifying xenomorphs start bursting out of people's chests and making the crew the USCSS Covenant regret pursuing this brave rescue mission.

The Shape of Water

A fish-human and a human woman explore interspecies love in the film "The Shape of Water." (Image credit: Copyright Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)

The poetic movie "The Shape of Water" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) introduces a mysterious creature that appears to be part human and part fish. While the movieis set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the unusual creatureis like nothing ever seen on Earth  asemiaquatichumanoid biped that is also adapted for life in water. Housed in a secret government lab, he is prodded, poked and probed by scientists until a deaf woman who works in the building befriends him, and plots to rescue him from his captors.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

(Image credit: LucasFilm )

One of the most highly anticipated science-fiction movies of the year, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" (Walt Disney Studios) does not disappoint. The eighth installment in the iconic space opera is emotional and gripping, and it addresses some of the biggest mysteries viewers were left with after watching "The Force Awakens." The show is visually stunning, with epic space battles and outrageously adorable porgs.

Original article on Live Science.
A rare, 60-page map of the world illustrated during the Renaissance era is finally on display as its creator intended: with its vibrant pages arranged in a 2D circle, showing a bird's-eye view of the world from the vantage point of the North Pole.

The stunning, ornately decorated map depicts a world populated by mythical creatures, including unicorns, centaurs and mermaids.

"I call it a cartographic manuscript masterpiece. It blows you away," said G. Salim Mohammed, the head and curator of the David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford University, which acquired the 1587 map in September. [See a gallery of the continents and fantastical animals on the 1587 map]

Enigmatic creator

Historians know some basic details about the cartographer who created the map, Urbano Monte (1544-1613), a nobleman who lived in Milan, in northern Italy. When he was 35, Monte married 18-year-old Margarita Niguarda, and they had four sons and one daughter. Because of his family's status and affluence, Monte didn't have to work. Rather, he spent his time collecting books for his renowned library and pursued scholarly interests, according to a report published by the David Rumsey Map Center.

At age 41, Monte developed an interest in cartography. In particular, a visit to the first Japanese embassy in Europe, which was established in Milan in 1585, piqued his interest in Japanese geography, according to the report. Moreover, "map murals" were gaining popularity at that time in Italian decoration, according to scholarly notes made on the atlas.

Monte relied on contemporary sources to draw the map. "He embarked on this project to consolidate geographic knowledge," Mohammed said.

Fantastic beasts and where to find them

The map employs a unique Arctic perspective.

"The projection is very unusual for its time and fairly accurately done for its time," Mohammed told Live Science. "One of the places it seems the most distorted is Antarctica, because if you look from the top, it's going to be really big at the bottom."

In addition to drawing what he knew of the world's continents and islands, Monte speckled the map with illustrations of fantastic beasts, including unicorns, mermaids, griffins and even a giant bird carrying an elephant. He also drew political leaders and their armed forces, including Philip II of Spain and several ships from his Spanish Armada dotting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Curiously, even though Monte had met with the Japanese delegation, he drew the Japanese islands horizontally instead of vertically. However, he made Japan quite large and filled in its geography, displaying his knowledge about the Land of the Rising Sun, Mohammed said.

Digital reconstruction

When the David Rumsey Map Center acquired the map  the earliest of three surviving originals by Monte  the pages were assembled like a book in a manuscript. But the atlas contained instructions for how Monte wanted the map to be seen. By scanning each of the 60 pages, scholars were able to digitally assemble the 10-foot-by-10-foot (3 by 3 meters) map as Monte wanted.

"The idea was for it to be put together and hung on a wall with the hole in the center, so that you could actually move it around like a disc," Mohammed said. This assembly makes it the largest map of the world created during the Renaissance, he added.

Members of the public can see the actual manuscript, a printed copy of it and a digital version of it on a touch screen at Stanford University, where scholars are studying the rare map. The images are also online, where they can be downloaded by the public.

Original article on Live Science.
For the past four years, a mysterious syndrome has been killing millions of sea stars along the West Coast, turning the five-armed critters into piles of goo. But now, the sea stars appear to be making a comeback, according to news reports.

In Southern California and elsewhere, the palm-size sea stars are showing up in record numbers, compared with the past few years, The Orange County Register reportedon Tuesday (Dec. 26).

"They are coming back, big time," Darryl Deleske, an aquarist for the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, told The Orange County Register. "Its a huge difference  A couple of years ago, you wouldnt find any. I dove all the way as far as Canada, specifically looking for sea stars, and found not a single one." [In Photos: Sick Sea Stars Turn to Goo]

Beginning in 2013, researchers discovered that West Coast sea stars were dying from the mysterious sea star wasting syndrome. Infected starfish developed lesions and fell apart, turning into gooey blobs.

It's unclear what causes the syndrome, but researchers suspect it may be a virus infecting sea stars from the coastal waters of Mexico all the way up to Canada and even Alaska, according to a map tracking the syndrome's spread. The syndrome has killed ochre stars, mottled stars, leather stars, sunflowers, rainbows and six-armed stars, according to the Associated Press.

However, the sea stars are bouncing back, at least in parts of Southern California. Moreover, last year scientists discovered a sea star baby boom blooming off the Oregon coast, Live Science previously reported.

The recent mass die-off isn't the first to strike West Coast sea stars. The region also experienced sea star population death spirals in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, although these die-offs were smaller and more geographically contained than the one that began in 2013, according to a report from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Although the news of the rebound is encouraging, the stars aren't out of the woods yet. The wasting syndrome is still infecting starfish in Northern and Central California, and it has returned to the Salish Sea, an area bordering northern Washington and southern British Columbia, according to the Santa Cruz report.

Original article on Live Science.
Prosecutors from across Massachusetts have tallied more than 8,000 convictions they say will be dismissed because they are tainted by a scandal at the state drug lab, according to new court filings by the Massachusetts attorney general.

The cases involved analysis by lab chemist Sonja Farak, who was both testing and consuming drugs seized by the police for eight years.

Prosecutors indicated they will seek to preserve convictions in some of the cases Farak handled, either through retesting or other evidence. But the state's public defenders and the American Civil Liberties Union are seeking a blanket dismissal of all Farak's cases and further sanctions to deter prosecutorial misconduct such as the kind that delayed the full exposure of Farak's misadventures for years, resulting in some defendants spending more years in prison.

The list compiled by prosecutors marks a key step in resolving the second debacle from the Massachusetts drug lab scandal.

This year, Massachusetts prosecutors had to erase more than 21,500 drug convictions because of the actions of lab chemist Annie Dookhan, who admitted contaminating, falsifying or not testing drugs in her Boston-area lab over eight years. The state public defender service and the ACLU convinced the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the state's highest court, that mass dismissal was more efficient than individually retrying 24,000 cases with 20,000 defendants. Prosecutors compiled a list of cases for dismissal and a small number, about 1.5 percent, where it would seek to preserve the conviction. The high court also ordered the prosecutors to send a court-approved letter to all affected defendants and establish a phone number to public defenders for defendants needing guidance - all at government expense.

That process, all sides agree, can be used again in trying to clean up the Farak mess. But reaching this stage was delayed because two assistant attorneys general, Anne Kaczmarek and Kris Foster, withheld evidence that showed that Farak's drug-fueled escapades, including cooking and smoking drugs in the state lab in Amherst, Massachusetts, had lasted for eight years, not six months as they initially claimed. The attorney general's office prosecuted Farak after she was arrested in January 2013 - and Farak pleaded guilty in January 2014 - but Kaczmarek and Foster repeatedly refused to provide either prosecutors or defense attorneys with Farak's own notes and records showing she had been in drug treatment for years. It was only after the high court ordered an investigation into Farak that it was revealed she had been using the lab's drug supplies from the day she started in August 2004 to the day of her arrest in 2013.

"Foster and Kaczmarek piled misrepresentation upon misrepresentation," Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey wrote last June, "to shield the mental health work sheets from disclosure to the drug lab defendants." The delay in revealing Farak's misconduct caused some defendants to wrongly spend years in prison, the judge found. "Kaczmarek and Foster compounded and aggravated the damage caused by Farak. Their intentional and deceptive actions ensured that justice would certainly be delayed, if not outright denied."

In September, the ACLU and the Committee for Public Counsel Services, which oversees public defenders and appointed defense counsel in Massachusetts, sued the attorney general and all 11 district attorneys seeking a list and dismissal of all Farak-related cases. In November, the prosecutors began providing lists of cases they were willing to dismiss and those they wished to preserve. Although the numbers for each district aren't complete, Attorney General Maura Healey's office stated in a filing last week that the district attorneys "will agree to the dismissal with prejudice of over 8,000 tainted convictions," and said that "these dismissals should not be delayed."

Healey also accepted all of Carey's findings about the misconduct by the former assistant attorneys general Kaczmarek and Foster, both of whom are working elsewhere in state government, to "bring expeditious relief to thousands of affected defendants." The district attorneys also agreed to use the same notice and dismissal process from the Dookhan case, but not for a blanket dismissal of all Farak cases. "Denying the district attorney the opportunity to reprosecute," Assistant Berkshire County District Attorney Joseph A. Pieropan argued in a November brief, "would be an extreme sanction, for conduct unconnected to the district attorney."

But the defense attorneys want their suit referred to the full high court - it is currently being heard by a single justice - to resolve the legal question of whether action should be taken to deter prosecutorial misconduct. "What we're actually trying to build here," ACLU lawyer Matthew Segal said, "is a completely new way of dealing with wrongful convictions in the United States. Instead of arguing over each individual defendant, we're trying to create a legal structure to not have these people come forward one at a time."

The defense bar notes that even minor drug convictions can have collateral impacts on people's lives, such as the ability to get loans or jobs or school admissions. In the Farak case, the defenders want the high court to dismiss all convictions "tainted by the Commonwealth's misconduct" without individualized showings of prejudice, and "without allowing prosecutors to maintain any convictions." It also wants the court to consider "additional relief to remedy or sanction the egregious prosecutorial misconduct in this case, and to deter similar misconduct in the future."

The district attorneys responded that their lists of cases to be dismissed will include fewer than 40 cases statewide to be preserved, and so the high court need not take up any larger questions about the misconduct committed by the two attorneys general. The defense bar "have not established any widespread prosecutorial misconduct such that a question should be reported to the full (supreme) court," Assistant Essex County District Attorney Ronald DeRosa wrote recently, for "a prophylactic rule or standing order for future cases."
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: December 28 2017

Zeldin: "It is my highest honor to be able to personally thank all of our deployed men and women abroad for their tremendous sacrifice on behalf of a very grateful nation."

Long Island, NY - December 28, 2017 - Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, traveled from Kuwait to Jordan to continue celebrating the holiday season with deployed U.S. service members, participate in several high level diplomatic and military meetings, and meet with Syrian refugees. Representative Zeldin is leading the bipartisan Congressional Delegation (CODEL) that also includes Congressman David Cicilline (D, RI-1), Congressman Mike Coffman (R, CO-6), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R, PA-8). Having visited U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait over Christmas in December 2015 and Afghanistan and Qatar over Christmas in December 2016, this is Congressman Zeldins third consecutive year spending the holidays in the Middle East with deployed U.S. service members. In addition to Jordan, Congressman Zeldins CODEL spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Afghanistan, and the following day in Kuwait.

It is my highest honor to be able to personally thank all of our deployed men and women abroad for their tremendous sacrifice on behalf of a very grateful nation. It is not easy for them to spend the holiday season several thousand miles away from home having great family and friends missing them, Congressman Zeldin said.

For many of our deployed military and diplomatic personnel, this isnt their first holiday season away from their loved ones. Being able to visit our nations troops stationed abroad, let them know how much they are appreciated, and receive their critical feedback from the ground, is the absolute least I can do to make sure they know how much countless Americans are thinking about them, praying for them, and filled with enormous gratitude for their incredible sacrifice.
Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com

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Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: December 28 2017

39 Conditional Youth Pardons Granted; Commutations Granted to Individuals Dedicated to Community Violence Prevention.

Albany, NY - December 28, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today issued pardons to 18 individuals who are contributing members of society and face the threat of deportation and other immigration-related challenges as a result of previous convictions, pardons to 39 individuals who committed misdemeanors and non-violent crimes when they were 16 or 17 years old and have been crime free for 10 years or more, and commutations to two individuals who have demonstrated substantial evidence of rehabilitation and a commitment to community violence reduction.

"These New Yorkers have proved their rehabilitation, in some cases for decades, but have been unable to gain legal status or fully reenter society due to the stigma of conviction," Governor Cuomo said. "While the federal government continues to target immigrants and threatens to tear families apart with deportation, these actions take a critical step toward a more just, more fair and more compassionate New York."

Immigration-Related Pardons

In the face of the federal government's increased targeting of immigrants, Governor Cuomo today issued pardons to the following individuals to reward their rehabilitative efforts and to remove the barriers that their criminal records present to their immigration status. Some are facing deportation, while others wish to be able to participate in their communities as citizens of the country they call home. In each case, a pardon will make immigration-related relief possible, if not automatic. Every recipient has given back to their communities and families in a variety of ways, and has demonstrated a substantial period of crime-free, good citizenship.

Lorena Borjas, 57, was convicted of Criminal Facilitation in the Fourth Degree in 1994, as a result of being entrapped as a victim of human trafficking. Ms. Borjas, a transgender woman from Mexico, has since become a strong advocate for transgender and immigrant communities across the country, running HIV testing programs for transgender sex workers, and syringe exchange programs for transwomen taking hormone injections. She currently works as an educator at community health centers across New York City, and has received commendations from elected officials, advocates, and community members, including New York City Public Advocate Letitia James. With this pardon, she hopes to obtain citizenship and avoid deportation, in order to effectively continue her advocacy work here in New York State.

Alexander Shilov, 35, was convicted of Petit Larceny and Attempted Petit Larceny, from 2000 to 2004. As a teenager, newly immigrated from Estonia, the son of a hard-working single mother, Mr. Shilov developed a drug addiction leading him to commit the string of misdemeanors that now jeopardize his ability to stay in this country. For the past 13 years, Mr. Shilov has remained sober, and has worked his way from obtaining his GED to becoming a distinguished nurse at a Brooklyn long-term managed care provider. Additionally, Mr. Shilov frequently gives talks on overcoming addiction at hospital detox units, volunteers as a nurse in New York's Medical Reserve Corps, and provides bilingual services in his Russian-speaking community. A pardon will allow him to fight his current Order of Removal and pave the way for citizenship so that he may continue building a life with his fiancee and two infant children, and continue to support his elderly mother.

Freddy Perez, 53, was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree in 1993. Since then, he was worked as an electrician and has taken care of his autistic younger brother. Mr. Perez is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic and hopes to adjust his status to that of citizen. With a pardon, he can achieve this goal, as well as exercise guardianship over his brother.

In addition to these three recipients, 15 additional pardons were granted to New Yorkers convicted of non-violent crimes, who have lived crime-free for 10 years or more, and whose convictions have jeopardized their legal ability to reside in this country. These pardons will grant a chance at American legal residency to those who are parents of young children, caregivers to elderly parents and disabled spouses, small business owners, community board members, civic leaders, and those with serious health conditions, all productive people working for the betterment for those around them. For those facing deportation, while a pardon may not automatically remove the grounds of removal, it is a necessary predicate to regaining the right to remain here in the country they call home.

Nick Turner, President of the Vera Institute of Justice, said, "All of us at Vera commend Governor Cuomo for using his Constitutional power of clemency to act on behalf of our deserving neighbors. Too many immigrants with prior criminal convictions are subjected to the gratuitous punishment of deportation, despite being longstanding contributing members of our community. Too many individuals remain in prison despite a demonstrable change and growth. In this strong display of leadership, the Governor is helping to reshape a criminal justice system centered on restoration, and that ultimately prioritizes the safety and dignity of all New Yorkers."

Anthony Thompson, Faculty Director of the Center on Race, Inequality and the Law at New York University School of Law, and Clinical Professor of Law, said, "I commend Governor Cuomo for using his Constitutional power of clemency to take on some of the critical issues of the day. Deportation is an out-size punishment for prior criminal convictions when people serve their sentences and go on to become longstanding, law abiding, contributing members of society. By using his pardon power to save individuals from this fate, the Governor is doing what he can to balance public safety and justice for immigrant New Yorkers. The Governor is likewise taking on the issue of mass incarceration by recognizing that individuals who rehabilitate themselves do not need to remain in prison. Granting commutation to these individuals creates an incentive for others to likewise transform themselves, which makes for a safer environment."

Alina Das, Co-Director, Immigrant Rights Clinic at New York University School of Law said, "All New Yorkers deserve an opportunity for redemption and second chances. By granting these pardons, Governor Cuomo offers hope to immigrant New Yorkers who would otherwise face a devastating double punishment of deportation after already paying their debt to society."

The Governor also granted two pardons for purposes other than immigration-related relief.

Christopher Cavallo, 66, was convicted of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree in 1977. He has been crime free since that time -- the past 50 years -- and has built a successful career in the security field. He owns a licensed security agency in Florida, and is active in charitable endeavors, including running a 12-step addiction recovery program for seven years in a women's prison in Florida, and supporting a shelter for children with HIV and cancer in Bogota, Colombia, where his security firm has an office. Mr. Cavallo seeks a pardon to be able to run for public office in Florida, and to get an advanced security license in order to grow his business.

Mary Snook Downing, 58, was convicted of possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in 1987. Downing began using drugs to manage her depression after suffering the unexpected loss of both her husband and son in 1985. After her conviction, she entered rehab at Arms Acre Rehabilitation and has maintained her sobriety and remained crime free ever since. She seeks a pardon to petition for legal guardianship of her 88-year mother who resides in a senior park in Florida and suffers from dementia.

Youth Pardons

Through the Youth Pardon Program, launched in 2015, Governor Cuomo today issued conditional pardons to 39 deserving New Yorkers convicted at age 16 or 17 of crimes, including misdemeanors and non-violent offenses. All 39 recipients have proven themselves to be positive, contributing members of their communities. These pardons will remove barriers to employment and community-involvement opportunities. Expanding upon the 101 youth pardons issued in the program's first announcement in 2016, the Governor has now granted a total of 140 conditional pardons through this initiative. As the result of Raise the Age legislation which took effect earlier this year, many individuals who may have previously applied for a youth pardon are now able to go a step further and seal their past convictions, which is reflected in the drop in the number of youth pardon applicants.

Commutations

Governor Cuomo today commuted the sentences of two individuals who have demonstrated a substantial evidence of rehabilitation and dedicated their efforts to the work of violence interruption. They will return to their communities and serve as an essential resource to reach others with their message of turning from violence. One of these individuals was represented by pro-bono counsel through the Governor's 2015 initiative to match clemency applicants with pro-bono counsel. In August 2017, the Governor announced a partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Families Against Mandatory Minimums, which greatly increases the number of attorneys volunteering to prepare applications.

Michael Flournoy, 42, has served 21 years of a 25 to 50-year sentence for Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree and other charges. He has a strong record of rehabilitation and volunteer service, and, since his incarceration, has cultivated a deep friendship with the victim and her son who now consider him a member of their family. Flournoy is a New York State Department of Labor certified AIDS/HIV counselor and has logged hundreds of hours of training and facilitation as the volunteer program coordinator of the Prisoner's AIDS Counseling and Education Program. Mr. Flournoy earned Associate's and Bachelor's degrees from Bard College, where he served as the commencement speaker in 2009, and a Masters of Arts from the New York Theological Seminary. Mr. Flournoy will live with his wife and daughters in Brooklyn where he will continue his work in violence prevention.

Dominic Dupont, 39, has served more than 20 years of a 25- to life sentence for Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. The charges stem from a fight involving two groups of young men in which Dupont, 19 years old at the time, was defending his twin brother. While incarcerated, Dupont has repeatedly expressed remorse for his actions and has excelled as a leader and mentor to his peers and the community, serving for the past nine years as the director of the Youth Assistance Program, a volunteer group dedicated to guiding youth at risk of justice system involvement onto a better path. He has also served as a lead facilitator in violence-alternatives programming and reentry counseling. Mr. Dupont will return to his wife in Brooklyn and continue his career as an at-risk youth counselor.

Thomas Griffin, Superintendent of Green Haven Correctional Facility, said, "Dominic Dupont has not only met but exceeded the requirements for consideration for Executive Clemency. In the time I have known him he has displayed personal growth and through his actions demonstrates positive leadership qualities and behavior for other inmates. Dupont has been a facilitator for our Youth Assistance Program helping to motivate at risk High School students. He has also earned his Associate's Degree during his incarceration. Dominic Dupont has proven that he is ready for the opportunity to prove himself to society."

Anthony Annucci, Acting Commissioner of the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, said, "The ends of justice are also served when mercy is bestowed on those individuals who have proven themselves truly worthy. I commend Governor Cuomo for generously exercising this extraordinary power which will also serve as a strong incentive for other inmates to prove themselves truly worthy."

Julio Medina, Executive Director of Exodus Transitional Community, said, "I have personally worked with each of the individuals receiving a commutation today, and have witnessed their power as positive role models both inside and outside of the prison. I am proud of Governor Cuomo for recognizing the transformation that these exceptional men have worked so hard to accomplish. Our community will be a better, safer place with them in it."

Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director of the Alliance of Families for Justice, said, "Thanks to Governor Cuomo for exercising his power of clemency to release incarcerated people who have become positive role models to other incarcerated people and to the community, sending a strong message that transformation is possible. That message will inspire other incarcerated people, and the families who love and support them."

JoAnne Page, President & CEO of the Fortune Society, said, "I thank Governor Cuomo for exercising his clemency power to recognize strong evidence of rehabilitation in incarcerated individuals. I know that people can change, I see it every day with the men and women who are turning their lives around at the Fortune Society. Commutation sends a powerful message that when people change their lives and the lives of others behind bars, that matters. His recognition that people who committed crimes can also do good things is so inspirational to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated New Yorkers."

Elizabeth Gaynes, President and CEO of the Osborne Association, said, " I commend Governor Cuomo for demonstrating that his belief that people can change, and for using his clemency power to recognize that change. When people in prison take responsibility for the harm caused by their crimes and then concentrate on what they can do to give back to their communities and to society, other people notice, and start to change as well. By granting clemency to these deserving individuals, Governor Cuomo is sowing the seeds for more people to take accountability for their actions and undergo similar transformations, which is good for all of us."
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, December 27, 2017

A group of Facebook users plan to ask a federal appellate court to revive a lawsuit accusing the company of violating their privacy by tracking them throughout the Web via the "Like" button.

U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, Calif. dismissed the case last month, ruling that the users couldn't proceed with allegations that Facebook violated its privacy promises. The consumers recently filed papers initiating an appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Davila's ruling stemmed from a lawsuit alleging that Facebook violated a host of federal and state laws, as well as its own privacy policy, by collecting data about people through its social widget. The consumers said Facebook gathered data about its users whenever they visited sites with a "Like" button, even if the users were logged out of Facebook at the time.

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Davila dismissed all claims last year. He said Facebook didn't violate the federal wiretap law because it didn't "intercept" communications on sites with a "Like" button. That law prohibits companies from intercepting communications without the consent of at least one party.

"The fact that a users web browser automatically sends the same information to both parties does not establish that one party intercepted the users communication with the other," he wrote in July.

He also ruled in November that the users couldn't proceed with claims that Facebook violated its own policies.

The social networking service is also facing another privacy battle in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. That matter stems from allegations that Facebook tracked users at health sites -- including ones operated by the American Cancer Society, Melanoma Research Foundation and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center -- via the "Like" widget.
by Sara Guaglione , December 27, 2017

Atlantic Media announced new hires last week to its Nextgov and National Journal brands.

Aaron Boyd is joining Nextgov, Government Executive Media Group (GEMG)s federal technology brand, as senior editor for technology and events.

Boyd will cover trends and stories in the federal technology industry, as well as lead Nextgovs editorial event offerings, including digital events and video broadcasts. He will set program agendas, recruit speakers and serve as primary moderator of Nextgovs events series.

Boyd was previously at Sightline Media Group, where he founded the companys newest federal-focused publication, Fifth Domain, which covers cybersecurity. He was also editor of Sightlines Federal Times, reporting on the federal workforce and contracting.

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For the last two years, Boyd was in charge of organizing Sightlines CyberCon, a military and intelligence conference on government cybersecurity.

Nextgov celebrated its 10th-year anniversary this year and relaunched its website last month with a revamped events hub.

Atlantic Media's National Journal hired Mackenzie Weinger as policy editor for National Journal Daily. Weinger previously covered national security and foreign affairs at The Cipher Brief. She has also worked at the Financial Times in London and Politico.

Over the last year, National Journal also expanded its coverage of tax energy, and tech policy under the Trump administration.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland says it has submitted enough applications to ensure its own license plates will be available as an alternative to Nebraska drivers once the state's "Choose Life" plates go on sale in January.

The Planned Parenthood plates, which read "My Body, My Choice," will cost $70. Motorists should be able to order them in the next few days, Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Director Rhonda Lamm said Thursday.

In a news release, Planned Parenthood said it submitted 263 applications for the plate Tuesday, surpassing the state's requirement of 250 to begin printing an organizational plate.

The "Choose Life" plate, available Monday, only costs $5 because it was created by the Legislature, not through the application process.

Planned Parenthood representative Meg Mikolajczyk said the group's plate provides an opportunity for Nebraskans to share views on issues of women's health that counter the anti-abortion stance of their governor, lieutenant governor and a majority of state senators.

"After all, the majority of Nebraskans and Americans overall believe that a woman should maintain her right to reproductive choice as established under Roe v. Wade," Mikolajczyk said.

"Nebraska's First People" plates honoring Native Americans, also created by the Legislature, will be available Monday, as will a series of military honor plates for reservists.

Lamm said the "My Choice" plates can be ordered this week or next, depending on how quickly staff can get the applications processed and an order form online.

The first plates will then take three to four weeks to arrive, as they need to be printed by the Nebraska Department of Corrections and delivered to local DMV offices, she said.

Approval of the Planned Parenthood plates mean Nebraska now has 33 specialty, organizational or military-honor designs available.
by Sara Guaglione , December 28, 2017

The New York Times will roll out a monthly print-only section for kids in 2018, but 10 national consumer groups say the Times should ban advertising from the section.

The Kids section debuted in May, with a second edition in the Sunday, Nov. 19 issue of the newspaper after positive feedback from readers.

The supplement mimics regular sections in the Times, with such topics as sports, national news, food, opinion and arts, and a mix of illustrations, photography and how-tos for young readers.

In the November Kids supplement, five of the 16 pages were full-page ads for Google Home Mini.

A coalition of 10 consumer groups  the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Action, the Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Watchdog, Corporate Accountability, New Dream, the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, Public Citizens Commercial Alert and the Story of Stuff Project  sent a letter last week to the Times criticizing the newspaper for targeting kids with marketing.

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The group claims the Google cartoon ads look like kids puzzles, and feature a visual style quite similar to much of the editorial content of the supplement.

Since the advertisements were unfairly disguised as content, children probably didnt know they were being targeted with marketing, the letter reads.

The groups claim this is a violation of the Times own advertising policy and Childrens Advertising Review Unit guidelines, which mandate a clear distinction between advertising and content, stated David Monahan, campaign manager for the CCFC, an advocacy group aiming to limit marketing that targets kids.

A spokesperson for The New York Times told Publishers Daily: Advertising helps support our ability to create special sections like this one. In fact, our first special kids section, which published in May 2017, also contained ads. The ads in question [in the November section] met our advertising acceptability standards and we do not believe there is any confusion that these pages are, in fact, ads.

The ads in the May supplement of the Kids section were a version of the Times Truth is Hard brand campaign. It displayed the words The truth is kids multiple times, followed by phrases such as ...want to be part of the conversation and ...are smarter than you think, ending with the line The truth is kids can handle the truth.

Monahan said he has not received a response from the Times.

Todays children will be better citizens tomorrow if they get in the habit of reading the newspaper, stated Monahan. But its wrong for the Times to tout an educational supplement and use it to target impressionable kids with deceptive marketing for Google.

The groups behind the letter urge the Times to make future editions of the Kids section ad-free. The supplement becomes a regular monthly section in the Sunday paper starting Jan. 28.

The Times Company must stop trying to monetize children in order to build new revenues for its brand, stated Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy. It diminishes its reputation by engaging in unprofessional practices towards kids in order to generate sales of ads from Google.

The groups also take issue with the device being advertised. Monahan says the Google Home Mini is an internet-connected device which could endanger childrens privacy and welfare.

You have helped Google target children with ads for an intrusive, always-listening, internet-connected device, the letter reads.
2017 was a wild ride when it came to tech as there were many products that launched with game-changing features while some were filled with scandals and some just left us baffled. We decided to take you down the memory lane and remind you all what went down in 2017 in the technology space. Here are some of our favourite moments in technology that took place this year.

1. Rise Of Cryptocurrency

 Youtube

2017 was the year when every Tom, Dick and Harry was aware of cryptocurrency and its potential value as an investment. Many individuals, including some from our office, invested heavily in Bitcoin, seeking high returns. Cryptocurrency came into the limelight when hackers demanded it as a ransom when HBO's servers were hacked. It was also touted as ransom during the infamous WannaCry attack.

Ever since then the prices for bitcoin shot up at an exponential rate and almost everyone I knew was either talking about it or investing in it. It's not entirely sure whether Bitcoin is here to stay and become an integral part of the world economy or will it crash in the coming months. But, after 2017, we will be watching.

2. WannaCry Attacks

 BCCL

Cybersecurity had a bad year all over the world and one of the most famous attacks was the WannaCry ransomware attack. The cyber attack affected many institutions such as doctors at UK's NHS, Andhra Police, FedEx, Russia's Interior ministry, Renault, Telefonica and many others. Ransomware has been a common form of cyber attack in the past few years where it encrypts files on a computer that essentially blocks it from being viewed by a user, rendering it completely useless.

In India, the cyber attack had a dangerous effect on numerous computers of Andhra Pradesh's police departments. In fact, at least 18 police units were infected with the ransomware. The cyber attack caused panic across the globe when computers of railway systems, police, private companies and hospitals were all affected, causing disruption of service and forced G7 countries to reform their policies to deal with such malicious attacks.

3. Tesla And Self-Driving Cars

 YouTube

This was the year for self-driving cars. It became a real thing and Tesla is at the forefront of this new technology. Over the course of the last 12 months, we have seen fully automated cars that are actually being driven on the streets with no driver behind the wheel. Tesla alone has three self-driving vehicles such as the Model S, the new Roadster and a new Semi truck. Other companies like Waymo, Uber and Lyft are also in the race and 2018 will be exciting to see some new advancements in the already exciting tech.

4. No Bezels, No Cry

 MensXP

This year we saw almost every smartphone remove the bezels on their screen and offer an edge-to-edge display instead. Samsung won the world's hearts as they introduced the Galaxy S8 which looked not only beautiful but sexy at the same time. Apple followed suit with the iPhone X that also has minimal bezels and a notch that hosts an array of sensors for Face ID. We even saw budget smartphones like the Honor 7x adopt the same form factor and you can expect every smartphone in 2018 to do the same.

5. Augmented Reality

 YouTube

Augmented Reality is already a thing as Apple introduced the highly anticipated ARkit to their devices. It is the next major platform that will expand at a fast rate and might just become a thing people use in their daily lives. Ikea already has an app that maps your room and allows you to virtually place furniture before purchasing. Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook are also investing heavily in AR and claimed it will the next big thing in technology in 2018.

6. Smart Speakers

 BCCL

Every tech company is now manufacturing some form of smart speakers and these products have taken the world by storm. Amazon's Echo, Google Home and Apple's HomePod are capturing customer's imagination and are not going anywhere anytime soon. Amazon's Echo is probably the best out of the lot and can do everything from giving you style tips to becoming your bedside alarm clock.

7. Apple Admits To Slowing Down iPhones

 BCCL

It was long suspected that Apple intentionally slowed down old iPhones and the company finally admitted to the claim. Apple said that a software feature released last year that makes your iPhone operate slower to offset problems due to its ageing lithium-ion battery. The processors in older iPhones wants to hit faster speeds however, older batteries are not able to withstand the speed and would simply turn off. In order to address this issue, Apple released a feature with last year's iOS 10.2.1 update that allowed better power management. This would slow down the operating system to prevent it from shutting down and Apple said, only in cases of cold temperature, a low battery charge or very old batteries.

8. Apple Launches the iPhone X

 Apple

The world was excited about Apple's keynote in September this year and with considerable anticipation, the company did not disappoint. Apple came out with their first device that features an edge-to-edge OLED display, front and back glass panels, wireless charging and the brand new Face ID.

The iPhone X is also the company's most expensive smartphone ever and it managed to raise a few eyebrows due to the high price. Android smartphones are also following the same trend and are getting more expensing as high-end smartphones are taking over the market.

9. Samsung Rebound From Note 7 Debacle

 Samsung

Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 launch literally went up in flames and many wondered if the company would ever be abel to bounce back from the debacle. Samsung not only managed to bounce back but also impressed the world with the Galaxy S8 and the Note 8. Both smartphones had spectacular launches that featured devices with beautiful edge-to-edge OLED displays and a form factor that cannot be matched by any other device today.
Retired Navy Capt. Bruce McCandless II, the first astronaut to take an untethered "spacewalk" and the son and grandson of Medal of Honor recipients, died last week at age 80 in California.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce's family," acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot said in a statement on McCandless, who died Dec. 21 at the Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

"He will always be known for his iconic photo flying the MMU," Lightfoot said of McCandless' 1984 ride into the cosmic void from the Space Shuttle Challenger using a Manned Maneuvering Unit -- the NASA jetpack.

McCandless, a naval aviator who flew missions off the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise during the Cuban missile crisis, had a remarkable Navy heritage.

His father, the late Rear Adm. Bruce McCandless, received what was then known as the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on Dec. 12-13, 1942, in the Battle of Savo Island near Guadalcanal in the Pacific in World War II.

Rear Adm. McCandless, then a communications officer aboard the New Orleans-class cruiser USS San Francisco, was knocked unconscious by shell fire from superior forces of the Imperial Japanese Fleet that killed or wounded his commanders on the bridge.

When he came to, McCandless took charge.

He "boldly continued to engage the enemy and to lead our column of following vessels to a great victory," his medal citation said.

McCandless paternal grandfather, Commodore [later Rear Admiral] Byron McCandless received the Navy Cross in World War I, and his maternal grandfather, Navy Capt. Willis Winter Bradley was the first recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War I, NASA said.

On July 23, 1917, aboard the cruiser USS Pittsburgh, then-Lt. Bradley was blown back by an accidental gunpowder explosion. Bradley recovered, crawled into the burning compartment and put out the flames that threatened to set off more powder explosions and possibly sink the ship.

Rear Adm. Bruce McCandless, Byron McCandless and Willis Winter Bradley were all graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy, as was astronaut Bruce McCandless, who was a classmate of Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In a statement on McCandless' passing, McCain called him "a brilliant aviator and astronaut who dedicated his life to serving the country he loved. Bruce and I were both members of the Class of 1958 at the United States Naval Academy."

"As an undistinguished graduate of that class, I always looked up to Bruce -- not only for his incredible intellect, but also for his character and integrity, which embodied the highest values of the United States Navy," McCain said.

"Bruce is perhaps best known for carrying out the first untethered spacewalk," McCain said. "The iconic photo of Bruce soaring effortlessly in space has inspired generations of Americans to believe that there is no limit to the human potential."

Before he made the untethered Extravehicular Activity, or EVA, as a mission specialist aboard Challenger, McCandless had been a mission control capsule communicator [CAPCOM] for the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon in 1969.

McCandless later said in the back of his mind as he ventured out on Feb. 8, 1984, from Challenger was the historic quote from Neil Armstrong as he stepped onto the Moon: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

"I wanted to say something similar to Neil when he landed on the moon, so I said, 'It may have been a small step for Neil but it's a heckuva' big leap for me,'" McCandless said. "That loosened the tension a bit" for those involved in the mission, he said.

In a 2006 interview with the Daily Camera of Boulder, Colorado, McCandless played down his accomplishment.

"I was grossly overtrained," he said. "I was just anxious to get out there and fly. I was very comfortable" but "it got so cold my teeth were chattering and I was shivering, but that was a very minor thing."

McCandless traveled more than 300 feet from the shuttle, and the photo of him in his white NASA suit in the blackness of space with the blue planet Earth as a backdrop became a sensation.

Aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1990, McCandless was part of the crew that launched the Hubble Space Telescope.

All told, McCandless logged more than 312 hours in space, including four hours of spacewalks. After leaving NASA, he worked for Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Space Systems division in Colorado.

Services for McCandless have been planned for Jan. 16 at the Naval Academy's Main Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland, followed by burial at the Naval Academy Cemetery.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
U.S. spy satellites reportedly captured photos of Chinese ships illegally selling oil to North Korean boats some 30 times since October.

Satellite images released by the U.S. Department of Treasury appeared to show vessels from both countries illegally trading oil in the West Sea, The Chosun Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing South Korean government sources.

North Korea was barred in September by the United Nations Security Council from importing natural gas and had its crude oil imports capped in response to Kim Jong Un's nuclear missile program.

The U.S. Treasury in November also sanctioned North Korea's Maritime Administration and its transport ministry, in addition to six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their vessels, in an effort to block the rogue regime's transportation networks.

The satellite images appear to identify the ships. One of them -- Rye Song Gang 1, seen "connected to a Chinese vessel" -- was included in the Nov. 21 sanctions as a vessel of Korea Kumbyol Trading Company possibly transferring oil to evade sanctions.

While Russia exports some oil to North Korea, China is the main source of oil for the rogue nation, according to Reuters. However, the country exported no oil products to the North during the month of November. It was reportedly the second consecutive month China didn't export diesel or gasoline to North Korea.

"This is a natural outcome of the tightening of the various sanctions against North Korea," Cai Jian, an expert on North Korea at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the news organization. Cai added the "tightening ... reflects China's stance."

It's unknown if China supplies crude oil to the North, but it's believed by industry insiders that China provides the cutoff nation 3.8 million barrels of crude oil each year through an "aging pipeline," Reuters reported.

A government source told the South Korean newspaper that, "We need to focus on the fact that the illicit trade started after a UN Security Council resolution in September drastically capped North Korea's imports of refined petroleum products."

Robert Kelly, a professor at Pusan National University in South Korea, told The Telegraph that China trading oil to North Korea could be possible.

"There is a lot of under-the-radar on the Chinese side," Kelly said. "Beijing does not police the border strictly or enforce the sanctions toughly. This could be that."

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no information following Chosun's report, but said "the Chinese government has been completely and strictly enforcing Security Council resolutions" aimed at discouraging North Korea from developing nuclear and missile technology.

Hua questioned whether any country could make sure "not a single breach will happen," but noted: "We are taking a sincere and serious attitude and forceful and effective actions."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Officials say the device was known as an "unexploded ordnance," or an explosive weapon that did not explode and still posed a...
The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. contracts to develop new, lower-cost cruise missiles capable of flying in swarms to target enemy air defenses.

Lockheed, the world's largest defense contractor, in a release Wednesday announced it received a five-year $110 million contract from the lab to build the "Gray Wolf."

The weapon will be designed with "networked, collaborative behaviors (swarming) to address Integrated Air Defense (IAD) system threats around the world," according to the release.

The Bethesda, Maryland-based company's "concept for the Gray Wolf missile will be an affordable, counter-IAD missile that will operate efficiently in highly contested environments," Hady Mourad, director of the Advanced Missiles Program at the company's Missiles and Fire Control division, said in the release.

"Our system is being designed to maximize modularity, allowing our customer to incorporate advanced technologies such as more lethal warheads or more fuel-efficient engines, when those systems become available," he added.

The first of four development phases is set to run until late 2019, according to Lockheed. Work is expected to be complete in late 2024, according to a defense contract announcement.

Initial demonstrations will involve launching the weapon from an F-16 Fighting Falcon, but the system will be compatible with other fighter jets such as the fourth-generation F-15 Eagle, F-18 Hornet and the fifth-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as well as bombers such as the B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress, according to the company.

Northrop, based in Falls Church, Virginia, also won a $110 million contract to "for the design, development, manufacture, and testing of prototype affordable cruise missiles to advance networked collaborative operations technologies for defeat of enemy integrated air defense systems," according to a Dec. 20 contract announcement from the Pentagon.

Separately, the Air Force is also working to develop a new nuclear cruise missile.

The service in August awarded Lockheed and Raytheon Co., the world's largest missile-maker, contracts valued at roughly $900 million apiece to begin preliminary work on the new Long Range Standoff weapon.

Known as LRSO, the nuclear-capable cruise missile would replace the AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile, known as ALCM, developed in the early 1980s, and fire from such aircraft as the B-52 Stratofortress, B-2 Spirit and future B-21 Long-Range Strike Bomber.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
After Omaha attorney Evangelos Argyrakis filed his paperwork to run as a Democratic candidate for Nebraska attorney general, he told the Journal Star that Nebraskans deserve to have a choice on the ballot.

The first-time attorney general candidate also correctly assessed his chances of unseating the incumbent, Republican Doug Peterson, seeking a second term as very difficult, if not almost impossible, to win.

Nebraskans are better off when they have to choose an oval to darken rather than sigh during a formality of an unopposed election. Competition among qualified candidates increases the quality of debate on the marketplace of ideas and ensures voters have the opportunity to hold accountable an elected official  even if that person is excelling in his or her position.

Representative democracy in America requires everyday citizens to make a choice on who they think is best suited to embody their interests in office. When that decision is reduced to one individual, whether by a lack of interest or fear of a foregone conclusion, voters lose the ability to have that say.

And, in a state as dominated by one party as Nebraska, its easy to assume that one-party rule is inevitable. After all, every federal and statewide elected office is currently held by a Republican.

Among registered voters in the state, GOP voters outnumber Democrats by a more than 3-to-2 margin, according to 2016 data from the Nebraska Secretary of States Office. The same table shows only five of the states 93 counties  Dakota, Douglas, Greeley, Saline and Thurston  report more Democratic voters than Republicans and only 12 where Republicans dont comprise a majority of registered voters.

Despite this, a number of candidates like Argyrakis who have, over the years, announced their intentions to seek public office were largely inspired by an effort to prevent an elected official from running unopposed. Whether in primaries or general elections, few of these people claimed victory  but they served an important role for the electorate.

On the flip side, too much of a good thing is entirely possible.

Last year saw the most accomplished presidential primary field ever, with nearly all of the 17 Republicans in the field boasting an impressive array of elected offices and achievements. Instead, the unwieldy debates stemming from a crowd that size too often devolved into shouting matches where talking the loudest overwhelmed the traditional and necessary focus on policy.

Still, having too many qualified candidates is infinitely preferable compared with having too few.

Voters, even those who are tickled pink with the status quo, deserve a choice at the polls. As Nebraskas primary filing deadline approaches, we encourage other potential candidates to step up to ensure their fellow citizens have options beyond unopposed candidates when they cast a ballot.
U.S. Southern Command announced Wednesday the U.S. was withdrawing support for the mission to find the Argentine submarine that went missing last month with 44 aboard in the South Atlantic.

"On behalf of the people of the United States, we offer our respects to the families of the crew of A.R.A. San Juan and the people of Argentina," Rear Adm. Daniel B. Abel, SouthCom's director of operations, said in a statement.

The U.S. will begin to drawing down operations that were assisting in the search, SouthCom said, but American specialists will continue to help Argentina with data analysis.

With a crew of 44 aboard, the 216-foot, diesel-electric powered San Juan was enroute from Ushuaia, a port at the Tierra del Fuego southern tip of South America, to Mar del Plata about 250 miles southeast of Buenos Aires when the last communication was recorded on Nov. 15.

The San Juan's captain reported that water had entered the snorkel and caused one of the submarine's batteries to short circuit. The captain later communicated by satellite phone that the problem had been contained, the Argentine navy said.

Several hours after the last communication, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, based in Vienna, said that two of its hydro-acoustic stations detected an "unusual signal" deep in the Atlantic near the submarine's last known location about 125 miles off the Argentine coast.

The Organization, which monitors for nuclear events, said an analysis of its data showed that the signal was consistent with an explosion. The U.S. Navy reached a similar conclusion from its own analysis.

The U.S. joined the Argentina-led international search efforts for the German-built San Juan on Nov. 17.

At its height, U.S. contributions to the search and rescue effort included three advanced aircraft, over 200 search and rescue personnel, four submersibles, one specialized underwater rescue unit, one ship, and more than 400 sonar buoys dropped in support of the operation, SouthCom said.

The ship was the R/V Atlantis, an oceanographic research ship owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Military Update: Next week 900,000 active duty service members and 700,000 drilling Reserve and Guard members become eligible to opt out of a rigid yet more valuable High-3 military retirement plan into the new portable Blended Retirement System (BRS) with government matching of Thrift Savings Plan contributions and early vesting.

Theres no need to rush that decision. The window for switching plans will be open for all of 2018 and the choice, once made, will be irreversible.

However, for service members who fully understand details of the BRS and plan to opt in, there are dollars to be lost if they delay unnecessarily.

For those who do know they definitely want to opt into the Blended Retirement System, we would say there are advantages in opting in earlier rather than later, said Jerilyn B. Busch, director for military compensation policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The sooner they opt in, the sooner the governments automatic one-percent contribution and matching contributions [to the Thrift Savings Plan] begin, and the sooner they begin to accrue earnings, not only on government contributions but on their own contributions.

BRS enrollment is automatic for new entrants on or after Jan. 1. Persons in the force before 2018 can switch to the BRS from High-3 if they have fewer than 12 years as of Dec. 31, 2017, or, for Selected Reserve personnel, if they have fewer than 4,320 points toward retirement as 2017 ends.

Members who opt into the BRS will get an automatic one percent of basic pay government contribution to their Thrift Savings Plan, and government matching of some TSP contributions, starting in their first pay period after the switch.

So, if somebody opts in on Jan. 3rd, theyll see it in their 15 February pay day because the first pay period will begin 1 February, Busch explained.

For new entrants on or after Jan. 1, the one percent automatic government contribution will begin 60 days after enrollment and government matching of TSP contributions wont begin until after two years of service.

That two-year delay of TSP matching doesnt impact BRS participants who joined the military before Jan. 1, 2018.

Service members who opt into BRS and contribute a portion of basic pay to their TSP account will see their service branch match up to four percent: a full match on the first three percent contributed and one percent match on the next two percent of basic pay contributed. Therefore, the maximum government contribution, including the automatic one percent, will be five percent of basic pay.

Members who opt into BRS will be vested immediately in their contributions, in service matching of contributions and in earnings on them. Members will be vested in the one percent automatic government contribution after two years of service, or immediately if the member already has served two years.

I am not a financial advisor, Busch said. But I think the old adage of Save early, save often appliesThe fundamental premise behind a 401k-type plan or Thrift Savings Plan is that individuals need to be contributing steadily and over the long term to reap of the benefits of the power of compounding.

In our interview, Busch noted the Defense Department does not take a position on which retirement system is best for individuals. This is a personal financial decision and varies according to personal circumstance.

However, it is the departments position that each member and their families need to make a well-informed decision. For that, we have put all kinds of resources out there that will help our members become informed.

Before any current member can switch retirements, they must have completed the online BRS Opt-In Course, which provides enough information to make an educated decision about their retirement system, course designers claim.

But at: http://militarypay.defense.gov/blendedretirement other resources include a calculator to compare values of the BRS with the High-3 plan, adjusting for individual circumstances and factors such as return on TSP investments and timing of promotion or advancements. There also are informational graphics, answers to frequently-asked questions and a video series on the retirement choice. And service members with questions about the BRS or other financial issues can telephone trained financial counselors toll free anytime at: 1-800-342-9647.

High-3 provides a more generous lifetime benefit. But like earlier military retirement plans its great flaw is cliff vesting. Only if members who complete 20 or more years can leave with any retirement benefit. Overall, 19 percent of new entrants historically qualify.

Under the BRS that will shift to 85 percent of our members. Thats a big deal, Busch said.

The BRS still provides a lifetime annuity after 20 or more years served but it is worth 20 percent less than annuities under High-3. But the BRS also offers government matching of some TSP contributions through the 26th year of service. And members can take TSP balances on leaving service early and roll them into employer-sponsored 401k plans in government or the private sector.

BRS participants also will be offered one-time continuation pay at mid-career in exchange for extending service obligations. The lump sum pay, at a minimum, will equal 2.5 times monthly basic pay but service branches have flexibility to set it as high as 13 times monthly basic pay when needed. They also can offer the continuation pay anytime between the 8th to the 12th year of service, depending on retention rates and career manning requirements across their job specialties.

For Reserve and Guard, continuation pay will be .5 times monthly basic pay.

In 2018, every service branch except one will offer a minimum continuation pay for BRS enrollees at the 12-year mark. Public Health Service will offer the minimum payment too but at 10 years of service.

Service members should weigh many factors in considering whether to opt into the BRS. One is how likely they are to serve full careers. Another is whether they have enough years left in service so a TSP with government matching, plus continuation pay, is a reasonable trade off against a 20 percent cut in lifetime annuities if they do serve long enough to retire.

The comparison calculator allows individuals to weigh the value of reduced annuities against the special features of the BRS. A career-minded E-7, for example, might be less tempted by roughly $10,000 at the 12-year mark, perhaps to cut credit card debt, if he can see the life-long impact on his retired pay.

Someone planning to stay for a full career, Busch said, will want to give due consideration to that pension when they retire. Someone who doesnt plan to stay for 20 years should give consideration to the fact that the defined contribution component, through TSP, is vested much earlier and its portable.

Members staying with High-3 dont need to do anything. Army, Air Force and Navy members will opt into BRS through MyPay. Marines will opt in using Marine-On-Line (MOL). Coast Guard and NOAA members will use their Direct Access system. Public Health Service officers must contact their compensation branch.

To comment, write Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120 or email milupdate@aol.com or twitter: @Military_Update.

# # # # Tom Philpott has been breaking news for and about military people since 1977. After service in the Coast Guard, and 17 years as a reporter and senior editor with Army Times Publishing Company, Tom launched "Military Update," his syndicated weekly news column, in 1994. "Military Update" features timely news and analysis on issues affecting active duty members, reservists, retirees and their families. Visit Tom Philpott's Military Update Archive to view his past articles. Tom also edits a reader reaction column, "Military Forum." The online "home" for both features is Military.com. Tom's freelance articles have appeared in numerous magazines including The New Yorker, Reader's Digest and Washingtonian. His critically-acclaimed book, Glory Denied, on the extraordinary ordeal and heroism of Col. Floyd "Jim" Thompson, the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, is available in hardcover and paperback. Buy Glory Denied from Amazon
British-Ghanaian comedian, Michael Dapaah, popularly known as Big Shaq of the Mans Not Hot fame, has visited his grandmother in Ghana.

He rose to fame after his Mans Not Hot freestyle video went viral worldwide.

Michael Dapaah visiting Ghana for the first time in almost a decade, shared on social media that he has "LANDED IN GHANA AFTER 9 YEARS IT FEELS GOOD TO TOUCH BASE".

He also shared lovely photos with his Nana [grandmother] at home in Ghana. He said: " VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THATS HAPPENED THIS YEAR. BUT SPENDING CHRISTMAS DAY WITH NANA IN THE MOTHERLAND HAS TO BE MY HIGHLIGHT. SHE LOOKED AFTER ME AS A BABY NOW TIME FOR ME TO TAKE CARE OF HER. ENJOY YOUR DAY WITH YOUR FAMILY & LOVED ONES  MERRY CHRISTMAS #PRICELESS"

See photos here:

Michael Dapaah
28.12.2017 LISTEN

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has ruled out any impact of the fuel shortage in Nigeria on Ghana.

The energy think tank explains that Ghana's decision to review downwards, its sulphur content for imported petroleum products, limits it from importing fuel from Nigeria.

Nigeria has for the past three weeks been hit with fuel shortages particularly in Lagos and Abuja.

The development has left commuters and drivers stranded.

The government is seeking to improve its refinery system and increase local supply going forward.

But commenting on the issue, the Executive Director for ACEP, Benjamin Boakye told Citi Business News that the move will least affect fuel supplies in Ghana.

It is a unique situation for Nigeria; I do not see a direct implication on Ghana particularly when we have moved away from the product specification that defined the region. In the past we had similar range of products and therefore Nigeria was driving the market so what was going through Nigeria same time could have reached Ghana, Togo and Benin and sometimes Ivory Coast and so we had one cargo moving throughout the sub-region.

Mr. Boakye however explained to Citi Business News that the absence of a robust system to improve local production and supply of refined products, could have triggered the massive impact of the shortage.

In his view, the government should work to improve the local base so as not to lose the hindsight benefit of its local content laws.

I think Nigeria is trying to implement some aggressive local content rules which it intends to take some market away from the big players and I think that is the implication of having an aggressive approach when you do not have strong indigenous companies to drive the market. So it must ensure that consumers and do not suffer from something that is well intended, he further asserted.

Nigerian authorities to the rescue

Bloomberg reports that the Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Christmas Eve made a surprise visit to petrol stations in the commercial hub Lagos, where motorists had been queuing for hours as the nation grappled with a fuel crisis.

The government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation are working to address the issue as quickly as possible, Osinbajo was cited as saying in a statement emailed by his office on Monday. People have gone through a lot of pain and anguish in the past few days, and that is deeply regretted.

Revamp TOR to save Ghana from similar fate

In a related development, the Institute of Energy Security (IES) has impressed on the government to work to improve Ghana's local supply of petroleum products.

In IES's view, the reduction in imports will largely hinge on the ability to revamp operations of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).



By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Nigeria's fuel shortage wont affect Ghana  ACEP appeared first on Ghana News .
Government has rejected claims suggesting that portions of the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives' 2018 budgetary allocation, was a ploy to misappropriate state funds.

The relevance of the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives has been questioned after its 2018 budgetary allocation was found to be at least five times bigger than other key ministries like Works and Housing and Sanitation.

The Ministry also came under fire over its allocation of GHc800,000 for the creation of a website.

It has since clarified that the website amount was a typographical error, but not before the Minority in Parliament raised concerns that it was an attempt to fleece the state of funds.

Government in a statement acknowledged that though public scrutiny on the said budget is necessary, it is equally relevant for the media and other stakeholders to focus on official final appropriations, as well as what the actual processes are, instead of sweeping statements and categorizations which are not informed by the actual official processes and amounts.

Government in the statement also clarified what it described as misconceptions surrounding the development.

The statement from government is below:

STATEMENT ON THE 2018 BUDGET OF THE MINISTRY OF SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

Government has taken note of the public discussions generated over the 2018 budget estimates of the Ministry for Special Development Initiatives. Whilst commending the interest shown by Members of Parliament, sections of the media, and citizens, in ensuring that the State is efficient in its expenditure, it is important, however, to reject the false claims by some that the Ministry's budget intention is to misappropriate or misapply state funds in this case.

1. The matter of the Actual appropriated amounts

The process of budget preparation requires initial estimates, setting of expenditure ceilings by the Ministry of Finance, and the passing of appropriated ceilings by Parliament. It is important to note that, in this case, the final Appropriations Bill, as passed by Parliament, has set forth the true picture, which is significantly different from the document in circulation. The Appropriated Bill is available on the Ministry of Finance's website. For example, regarding the Community Water Systems, ambulances and school facilities (including classroom blocks with ICT centres and other amenities), government notes that the projected costs as submitted by the Minister and approved by Parliament are within the market competitive range for such projects. For example, per the specification given the Ministry by the Ghana Ambulance Service, it costs between one hundred thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars to purchase one ambulance. The United States Dollar equivalent of what the Minister stated in the budget is 80,000 Dollars. The kind of water system that is envisaged under this programme has cost other institutions as much as GH167,000 to build. In any event, when the Development Authorities are in place, they will be responsible for the execution of these projects based on competitive pricing. The public will be better served if discussions on this matter are based on the official final appropriated amounts, which are those which bind the public purse.

2. The matter of How much has been appropriated to the Ministry vrs How much is appropriated to the Development Authorities

The Development Authorities' Bill (to be signed into law this week) empowers the development authorities to co-ordinate the planning and implementation of integrated development activities at the constituency level for the realisation of the strategic goal of each development zone. Each of the Development Authorities will have a Governing Board that will be responsible for the approval of annual operatives plans and budget of the Authority and review the quarterly performance of the Authority, including statement of accounts of money's disbursed from the funds of the Authority. The Minister for Special Development Initiatives therefore plays only a supervisory role over the Development Authorities and, thus, does not execute their projects and programmes directly. Accordingly, out of the over GH1 billion that is at issue, only GH1.5 million is available to the Ministry directly; the rest of the amount is only an appropriated ceiling made available in the 2018 Budget for the three Development Authorities to validate, properly budget with, plan and execute their on-ground projects, once established. The Development Authorities would be required by the Public Management and Financial Act (PFMA) to adhere to strict procedure as outlined by the law, and which aims to prevent wastage and dissipation of public funds.

3. The matter of whether or not the Development Authorities Concept will amount to wasteful administrative expenditure

The establishment of the three Development Authorities is to ensure a bottom-up approach to development, which takes control of local development away from a central authority. With the establishment of the three development authorities, part of the yearly national allocation for capital expenditure, will be taken and directly allocated to all 275 constituencies across the country to be administered by the Development Authorities to ensure that the traditional inefficiencies of centralized capital expenditure is cured. The balance of GH1.198 billion has now been approved for the Authorities to develop projects with and expend accordingly commencing with the 2018 budget. The establishment of the Development Authorities to administer expenditure of the equivalent of $1 million per constituency was a specific manifesto commitment of the ruling New Patriotic Party, as amplified by several pronouncements of its presidential ticket in the 2016 election campaign, and government is determined to implement to the letter this vision which will ensure equitable distribution of amenities and opportunities to every community up and down the country.

4. Protecting the Public Purse

Now that appropriation is complete, there are enough safeguards to ensure that value for money audits are conducted at each procurement stage when the Development Authorities are established and commence their work. The Public Financial Management Act requires processing such as issuance of commencement certificates (which require benchmarking of projected expenditures). The Procurement processes additionally require value for money assessments. The processes for releasing funds at the Finance Ministry since 2017, in strict accordance with the PFMA have been extremely diligent leading to huge savings to the public purse this year, a reason for which government has been accused for not spending enough. The processes will continue to remain extremely disciplined in 2018 and beyond, and are the ones that really determine how safe the public purse is.

5. Conclusion

Whilst we acknowledge that such public scrutiny, especially of budgets, helps to ensure the protection of the public purse, we would urge, especially media practitioners, to focus on the official final appropriations, as well as what the actual processes are, including the inherent checks and safeguards therein. Sweeping statements and categorizations which are not informed by the actual official processes and amounts, will lead to flawed analysis, which is unhelpful to Ghanaian democracy.

signed

Mustapha Abdul-Hamid

(Minister for Information)

-Citifmonline
28.12.2017 LISTEN

Pastor Edward Kofi Asante, Tantra Hill District Head of The Church of Pentecost, has urged the government to sustain the recent gains made in the fight against illegal mining referred to as galamsey.

He said government should pursue both Ghanaians and foreigners engaged in illegal mining operations without looking back, to ensure that the galamsey problem is settled once and for all.

Pastor Asante was speaking at the end of a four-day Christmas Convention of the Church at Tantra Hill in Accra.

It was on the theme ''A Voice in the Wilderness Calling to Prepare the way of the Lord''.

On the free Senior High School policy, Pastor Asante called on Ghanaians to throw their weight behind it to succeed, and also to help turn the economy round.

Pastor Asante said despite the difficulties facing the economy, the year had been a successful one.

He said the initiatives of the government offered hope for a better future, just as the birth of Christ over 2,000 years ago, gave hope for a new dawn for mankind.

The Tantra Hill District Head urged Ghanaians to be each other's keeper to deepen the country's young democracy.

GNA
Moscow, Dec 27, GNA - The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Mr Mikhail Bogdanov, says Russia and Ghana are building stronger economic ties and have identified new areas that could raise the level of economic cooperation.

For instance, he said, through the framework of the Russia-Ghana Permanent Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation, the two countries have pushed forward a comprehensive agenda for strengthening economic cooperation, first and foremost, in their relationship.

Besides, a number of Russian companies have shown keen interest in investing in Ghana and also developing infrastructure in the country.

Mr Bogdanov made the remarks at meeting with Dr Lesley Akyaa Opoku Ware, the new Ambassador of Ghana accredited to the Russian Federation where she presented her credentials and exchanged ideas on the prospects for the further development of a friendly Russia-Ghana relations.

Dr Opoku Ware stressed on the objective prerequisites for a more extensive political dialogue between Moscow and Accra on current international and African issues, as well as the significant potential for expanding relations in trade and economy, military, technical, humanitarian, cultural and other areas.

Sixty years ago on March 6, 1957, Ghana attained its independence and a year later, established a formal diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. Ghana and Russia will therefore commemorate 60 years of formal diplomatic relations next year.

GNA
The Minority in Parliament wants the House to investigate allegations that levies were collected by the Ministry of Trade and Industry from expatriates in order for them to be allocated certain seats at the recent Ghana Expatriates Business Awards in Accra.

The Minority, in a memo sent to the Speaker of Parliament and sighted by citifmonline.com have asked Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye to summon a meeting of Parliament to consider the matter.

The Member of Parliament for the Asawase constituency, Muntaka Mubarak and his counterpart from North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who signed the memo believe the House must take urgent action on the matter which it has spoken against for the past few weeks.

The Minority is challenging the Trade Ministrys decision to levy some expatriates who attended the recently held Ghana Expatriate Business Awards which had President Akufo-Addo in attendance.

According to the Minority, expatriates were charged between $25,000 and $100,000 to reserve seats at the event.

Background

The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, first made the allegation in Parliament.

Mr. Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards (GEBA) were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry's accounts.

The issue has further been reinforced by Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Okudzeto Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry has already dissociated itself from these allegations.

The Trade Ministry, in a statement, said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event, and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

We can prove Trade Ministry extortion claims

The Minority in Parliament has also said they are ready to appear before any investigative body to provide evidence of extortion in the allegations.

Ablakwa in a Citi News interview said they ready to appear before any investigative body that wants to take this matter up seriously and over there, we will send the receipts and all the other information that we have.

Akufo-Addo summons Trade ministry

Amidst the brouhaha, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo said he found the allegations against the ministry to be baseless following a query to the Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanten, demanding answers from him over the allegations.

A statement from the government said the facts, as reported to the President, do not disclose any wrongdoing on the part of the Minister of any government official.

In view of this, the President therefore asked the Minister to put those facts before the Ghanaian people.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Minority calls for emergency sitting over extortion of expatriates appeared first on Ghana News .
Counsel for the police officer who was accused of shooting a GSTS final year student to death has said his client is innocent of the charges brought against him.

Earlier reports indicated that, Corporal Adjei Shaibu opened fire on five students when he came across them on their way to a rap concert at Shama Junction, in the Western Region after accusing them of being armed robbers.

The case which was called at the Takoradi District Court yesterday [Thursday] has been adjourned to January 12, 2018.

Speaking to journalists, counsel for the accused, Edmond Acquaah Arhin however said the request for adjournment was against the right of his client.

Lawyer Edmond Acquaah- Arhin stated that my client has told me that he did not shoot anybody, the gunshot was not from him. The police is supposed to proof that my client had a gun, shot it and the resultant shooting is what has happened. So my client tells me he did not shoot, he was not wielding a gun, he was not at that particular place at that particular time. So we are here for the prosecution to prove that indeed he did that.

He continued that he has so many doubts that his client committed the act.

If the stories that we have heard in the media is anything to go by, and it is the same story that the police is going to rely on, I will be surprised. For the information that I have, the investigations I have also done, and the interrogation I have done with my client and the lady he accompanied, it will be extremely difficult for the police to prove their case.

The State Prosecutor however assured that the investigation team will do everything to ascertain the circumstances that led to the killing of the victim, Lawrence Baidoo.

Meanwhile the second victim who sustained gun wounds is undergoing surgery.



By Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Police officer didnt kill GSTS student  Lawyer appeared first on Ghana News .
One of the great honors that comes with being an elected official in Nebraska is the opportunity to become acquainted with other officials on a more personal level. Getting to know Sen. Deb Fischer has been a personal highlight.

Though we obviously share the role of female legislators, we also share many personal core values. One of the deep common values we share is the value and respect for life. Sen. Fischer has a long career of supporting pro-life legislation, from the Unicameral to the halls of the Senate in Washington.

Here are a few examples:

* Sen. Fischer co-sponsored the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in the U.S. Senate. This prohibits abortions after 20 weeks, the point at which science tells us unborn children feel pain. She also supported this legislation when it passed in the Nebraska Unicameral.

* She was endorsed by the Susan B. Anthony List in October for her strong pro-life record.

* She also introduced legislation with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst to defund Planned Parenthood.

These are just a few of her many pro-life credentials.

I consider Sen. Fischer a wonderful pro-life senator, a champion for the state of Nebraska and also a friend. Im honored to give her my full support in her re-election bid.

State Sen. Suzanne Geist, Lincoln
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament has condemned the attack on the residence of the Member of Parliament for the Asunafo South Constituency, Eric Opoku as the latest act of political vigilantism.

The Minority in a statement said the attack was one many designed to intimidate, harass and silence vocal and outspoken members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

It also said the attack was not only criminal but is also an assault on our young and fledgling democracy.

The residence of Mr.Opoku, a former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, was attacked on Christmas morning by unknown assailants when the MP was holding series of engagements and meetings with his constituents.

MP for the Asunafo South Constituency, Eric Opoku

The assailants, numbering about six are said to have stormed Mr. Opoku's residence at about 11:30 am.

The Minority is critical of the fact that no arrests have been made and said this was again festering the lawlessness in society.

As of now, no action has been taken to identify, arrest and bring to book the perpetrators of this atrocious appalling and criminal act. It is inactions of this kind that has created a culture of impunity that enhances the growth of these lawless elements parading as political vigilantes.

The minority calls on the law enforcement agencies to act with despatch by fishing out and bringing these faceless hoodlums to book. Such action is crucial to halting and ending these unfettered acts of lawlessness unleashed on Ghanaians across the length and breadth of this country since the NPP came to power, the statement added.

Find below the full Minority statement

MINORITY STATEMENT ON ATTACK BY NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) VIGILANTE MOB ON HON. ERIC OPOKU, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR ASUNAFO SOUTH.

The minority has learnt with shock and dismay the brutal and unprovoked attack on the member of parliament for the Asunafo South Constituency, Hon. Eric Opoku who is also the former Regional Minister of the Brong Ahafo region under the John Mahama led NDC administration in the early hours of 25th day of December, 2017.

We are reliably informed that the Hon. Eric Opoku had travelled to his constituency to celebrate the Christmas festivities with his constituents and was actually locked up in a meeting at his residence when a mob of NPP supporters numbering about a hundred and armed with machetes and guns carried out the attack without provocation.

In the cause of the unprovoked attack, stones were pelted by the assailants at the residence of the Hon. Eric Opoku and in the process, massive damage was caused to a number of vehicles including a Toyota Land Cruiser belonging to the Hon. Member and the residence itself.

The minority in parliament condemns the attack in no uncertain terms as it is yet another manifestation of political vigilantism designed to intimidate, harass and silence vocal and outspoken members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). Infact, what happened to the Hon. Eric Opoku on the 25th day of December, 2017 is not only criminal but is also an assault on our young and fledgling democracy.

As of now, no action has been taken to identify, arrest and bring to book the perpetrators of this atrocious appalling and criminal act. It is inactions of this kind that has created a culture of impunity that enhances the growth of these lawless elements parading as political vigilantes.

The minority calls on the law enforcement agencies to act with despatch by fishing out and bringing these faceless hoodlums to book. Such action is crucial to halting and ending these unfettered acts of lawlessness unleashed on Ghanaians across the length and breadth of this country since the NPP came to power.

We will also seize this opportunity to call upon the President, His Excellency Nana Akufo Addo not only to concentrate on alleged crimes committed in the past but also crimes committed under his watch by members of his government and party.

Signed:..

Hon. James Agalga

Ranking Member,

Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Minority condemns attack on Asunafo South MPs residence appeared first on Ghana News .
The private sector alone cannot meet the yawning need for social housing in Ghana, the CEO of Ghana Home Loans (GHL) Bank, has said.

Mr Dominic Adu says the private sector which is mainly profit-driven, will only work to address private sector needs.

He said there is, therefore, an urgent need for government intervention to help raise funds for institutions that will be mandated to produce thousands of social housing units every year for low to middle-income earners.

Government has to find a way of raising funds either by a certain taxation on stamp duty for registering your title or, as they did for the National Health [insurance] Authority, a certain percentage of VAT; there has to be a certain government concerted effort, Mr Adu told Nana Akosua on Hard Truth on Joy News.

Works and Housing Minister Samuel Atta Akyea has pegged Ghanas housing deficit at 1.7 million.

This is said to be among the worst in the world.

Mr Dominic Adu said the situation can only change if there is a fundamental shift in cultural and national attitudes to housing.

He said apart from supporting the funding of housing, the government must also set standards and update and enforce the building codes.

Also, Ghanaians taste for housing, he said, must change; many people want to live in large self-compound houses, something he insisted is unsustainable.

To drive down cost, people must learn to accept that they can live in flats in high-rise buildings.

Ghana Home Loans Bank, formally a financing company renowned for being a pioneer in mortgage financing, recently acquired a banking licence to operate as a bank.

The CEO of the Bank, said unlike previously when the company could only grant mortgages to individuals and institutions who banked with other banks, by being GHL bank, we will be able to provide not just a mortgage but the entire financial needs of that person.

He said now the company is in position to advise individuals, looking at their finances, on what opportunities there are for them to acquire properties and where they can find a property of their choosing.

Beyond that, what we are trying to do is to bank the real estate sector so when a developer is going to build the property, they are buying the cement, they are buying the iron rods from companies that are with us; we would see the entire chain and try to build in, efficiencies, lower cost of transaction and hopefully that would lead to lower cost of developing the property, he stated.

According to Mr. Adu, GHL Bank will continue to play its traditional role in mortgage financing where it has a carved a niche for itself.
The title of the above article alone exposes the empty brains of the author.

I perfectly understand Prof. Victor K. Owusu's stance on the anus conception. Since Prof. Victor K. Owusu was himself conceived through his mum's anus, he insanely believes the son of a peasant farmer and other reasonable people were conceived in a similar fashion. No wonder Prof. Victor K. Owusu's odour is worst than the smell from dirty wound discharge.

This so-called Professor who used to sleep with his goats in his bungalow on the 3rd floor at the South campus, and would insult even the VC at that time in his office when his village behaviour was pointed out to him - now has guts to continue insulting and fabricate lies about dignified members of the community. No one takes him serious, if he cares to know.

Prof. Victor K. Owusu should quote from any of my write-ups, where I claimed that everybody knows me. Prof. Victor K. Owusu knows where to find me. I have no time to waste in meeting cowards. What do I need the phone number of a looser, insignificant and worthless person like Prof. Victor K. Owusu for? A perfect example of one of Prof. Victor K. Owusu's usual hallucinations. "He should call me and I will direct him to where live in Ghana". He can't even get an 'I' right?

Someone who has never set foot in KG can do better than this.

Prof. Victor K. Owusu hasn't seen anything yet. When his paymasters aka voodoo priests are convicted, dismissed, have their properties confiscated and jailed, then it will dawn on him that he wasted valuable time writing bullshit, thus compounding the woes of his beleaguered crafty nation wreckers, instead of strategising for reduced sentences.

I will re-echo my previous statement that if the appointments of the Council Chairman, the Acting VC, the Registrar, and all other appointments effected since Prof. Avoke was asked to step aside on the 14th of July 2017 are without legal basis, why is he barking like a dog, instead of going to court? Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his stinking to high heaven pals should be men enough to come out of their filthy closets and identify themselves. They should go and read the comments coming from their own alumni page.

It is interesting to note that Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his colleague crooks have already concluded that the report of the Governing Councils Fact Finding Committee will not be favourable to them. How pathetic!

Am still waiting for Prof. Victor K. Owusu to sue me and have my appointment as Coordinator at the UEW Business School, annulled. This is what someone with brains and guts should do, and not the empty noise that he is best known for.

Thanks for letting the public know that the very people you are defending are anus patronisers. It is now vividly clear where Prof. Victor K. Owusu got that anus conception from. If not, how come Prof. Victor K. Owusu comes to a conclusion: as typical of him to be attacking personalities grown enough to have been his father", and went further to cry foul that "and several others who are old enough to be your father". If Prof. Victor K. Owusu's paymasters are grown enough to be my father, then they are number one gays (homosexuals). Period!

Why is Prof. Victor K. Owusu bothering me with Quranic quotations? The Quran abhors homosexuality, and if he puts it that I was conceived through the anus, then in Prof. Victor K. Owusu's ramblings, 'I am not a Moslem'. This buffoon Prof. Victor K. Owusu "can't think far"! Typical of him!

In a previous write-up, Prof. Victor K. Owusu submitted that I hold no law degrees, and I responded that I studied my law nowhere. This same bed-wetter has turned around to submit that "you see many getting calm, but you who are a LLM holder and for that matter know ALL is misbehaving". Does it take a week to graduate with an LLM?

Prof. Victor K. Owusu goes on to murmur: "your attitude is not only an affront to Islam but also the LAW CERTIFICATE you are holding". The whole world is seeing the inconsistencies in Prof. Victor K. Owusu's moronic blubbering. My name is still giving the old geezer Prof. Victor K. Owusu, nightmares! I am sure you aren't referring to me when you said, "do you Bawh...." The correct spelling of my name is Bawah.

There is overwhelming evidence to adduce in court and get Prof. Avoke and Dr. Ackorlie convicted for gargantuan loot of public funds at UEW, so I am highly confident and relaxed when I put it vividly that your paymasters/voodoo priests, are thieves. There is no question about that.

Let's presume that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) was legally valid. The question your paymasters need to answer next is, why were the payments not made to GHA but rather to Lamas Construction Co. Ltd.? If an individual is an employee of UEW, do payments to UEW go to that employee? Your paymasters have long kissed their jobs goodbye at UEW. It is a question of how many years they will each spend in jail.

With regards to the University Printing Press, the job adverts and interview records, will prove whether Dr. Ackorlie handpicked the staff or not. You can't even spell correctly the "Akorlie" you are attempting to defend to no avail?

This Prof. Victor K. Owusu is a real dickhead. He has evidence that Council Chairman is milking the state; the Ag. VCs appointment is without legal basis; alleged sexual escapades of the Ag. VC; that the new Registrar's appointment was flawed; that my appointment as Coordinator is saddled with impropriety; and several others, yet he has failed to test his evidence in court. This sums up the pathetic and sorrowful individual parading as Prof. Victor K. Owusu, who is now into voyeurism, based on his own submissions in the above article.

Nowhere in my article did I suggest that Samuel Ofori Bekoe and Vincent Adhzalie Mensah were promoted during Prof. Avoke's reign as VC. I only challenged the corrupt retired Registrar who stole some fixtures and fittings from his official bungalow when he was vacating the said residence to produce the interview reports of the above 2 'foot soldiers' of Prof. Avoke.

When Prof. Victor K. Owusu takes the sensible step and sues me, I will take up the challenges he extended to me in his latest personal vendetta against everyone, out to save UEW from the predatory claws of Prof. Avoke and his FO.

I was the first to dare Prof. Victor K. Owusu to sue me for not having any degrees and pray the court to have my appointments as Lecturer and Coordinator quashed, just as a 'common' akpeteshie seller has been able to 'uproot' Prof. Avoke from office as VC of UEW for good, before Prof. Victor K. Owusu belatedly threw his challenge at me.

Prof. Avoke's wife and the UEW UTAG executives he appointed from his bedroom, are living testimonies of Prof. Avoke's blatant disregard for UEW structures and procedures.

In an open admission of his paymasters academic bankruptcy, Prof. Victor K. Owusu goes on to postulate: "no wonder all those who had a hand in your recruitment are lamenting..." What a classic failure on the part of those recruiters whose opinion Prof. Victor K. Owusu represents, if any!

For the information of Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his corrupt paymasters, students who initially paid the bloated fees sanctioned by Prof. Avoke and his FO, which was later revised downwards by the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), had the excess payment refunded to them. No rational being would ever wish that Prof. Avoke and Dr. Ackorlie return to UEW.

This stupid fool Prof. Victor K. Owusu is nothing but a pathological liar. Where in my write-ups did I say I want to know you? I have no time to expend on an addle-pate like Prof. Victor K. Owusu. Even when you called me with your mobile number, thus, 0207310193, didn't I block you off when you introduced yourself?

I believe the former UTAG UEW Secretary, Dr. Atintono briefed you on his failed cowardly attempt to persuade me to stop exposing you and your paymasters corrupt and nefarious activities at UEW. Dr. Atintono's text messages and phone calls directed at me, saw him also being blocked off. His attempt to use a colleague Lecturer at the Political Science Department to plead with me to give you lot a breathing space, also crumbled abysmally. I am NOT a pushover!

I assure Prof. Victor K. Owusu that, he will be flushed out of his rat hole with his ugly harmattan weather beaten face shortly, Insha Allah!

The only time that right thinking members of society, would take Prof. Victor K. Owusu serious, is when he is able to kick out of office, just as his crooked financiers have been disgracefully evicted from their hitherto pretentious positions, the Council Chairman and all that he stands for; the Ag. VC; the Registrar; and all appointees of the unperturbed Ag. VC.

Until then, it is concluded that Prof. Victor K. Owusu's write-ups, are nothing other than snarls of dying monsters!

Alhassan Salifu Bawah

(son of an upright peasant farmer)
28.12.2017 LISTEN

He said a lot about fighting corruption and made Ghanaian voters put him in power at Election 2016. Thus far, he hasnt done anything to confirm his boasts. Now that all ears are stopped to such boasts, here he comes with the weirdest aspect of it all:

 his government will fiercely pursue corrupt public officials in the coming days. (See Let nobody say it is political trial - Akufo-Addo vows to prosecute corrupt public officials ) or that Ghanaians will soon witness the real corrupt people in the country who have rigged the nation of its resources. (See Ghanaians will see the real corrupt people in 2018 - Akufo-Addo assures ).

Gibberish. Absolute humbug coming from someone who should be the first to bow his head in shame at happenings under his watch. Despite his whitewashing all those happenings and dismissing them as vain attempts by the NDC elements to tarnish the image of his government and its appointees, much exists to prove that he was really talking rubbish on the occasion. And that rubbish wont scare even a harmless fly. Here is why.

Akufo-Addo is behaving and talking loosely as if he doesnt know the history of Ghana as far as perceptions, allegations, and accusations of corruption in public office are concerned, Those of us who have been keenly monitoring events and juxtaposing them with happenings under previous governments wont be deceived by his gibberish as far as fighting corruption is concerned.

Nkrumah was tagged as corrupt y his enemies operating under the umbrella of the United Party (the very political foundation of this despicable NPP in our time). What did they find out about him? Nothing. Nkrumah had no personal property from his political exploits in all the 15 years that he ruled Ghana. The Commission of Inquiry set up by his detractors found nothing to confirm their stupid suspicions.

Lets flip the coin here to say that Commissions of Inquiry were established at the death of every government in Ghana in pursuit of evidence with which to pin down government functionaries. It happened all over the years until Rawlings stepped in to exercise unprecedented revolutionary action. His establishment of all modules for fighting corruption exacted pain and disaster, which turned out to be the fundamental issue to catalyze stiff opposition against him by the elements that would turn out to be the NPP cabal.

Just for the records, lets replay the tape on how Rawlings sought to fight corruption. He established novel institutions such as the Citizens Vetting Committee (whose first chairman, Major Adutu himself got caught up in the net and was severely punished); the Public Tribunals that dealt heavy blows to many, including coup plotters and their financiers.

The Rawlings government confiscated assets of those fingered as corrupt, whether in the public or private sector. Most faced the firing squad. You are free to bring back to mind the fate of the military officers who ruled Ghana and suffered at the behest of Rawlings unprecedented revolutionary action.

In truth, all that happened under Rawlings might appear to be the foundational step toward stemming corruption in Ghana. But it hasnt proved to be so. Many drastic actions taken by the military government caused much pain and suffering for the ordinary Ghanaians seeking to eke out their livelihood by any means possible. Unfortunately, Acheampongs Kalabule muddied the waters. The fate of Makola women (especially with the physical punishment given most despite the destruction of Makola Number Onewhich would eventually turn out to be the Rawlings Park).

Much more happened to the extent that those not directly involved in money business suffered the scourge of the purge that Rawlings initiated. Pastors even got caught up in it all.

Folks, lets not go any more down the memory lane to rub salt into the wounds of victims and their relatives wishing that things hadnt gone the way they did under Rawlings.

What happened after all? Rawlings left power (not before some of his henchmen were hauled before the CHRAJ on allegations of corruption and found guilty, but whom Rawlings openly exonerated. Isaac Adjei Marfo, Ibrahim Adam, P.V. Obeng, and Colonel Osei Wusu,,etc. on my mind here) and Kufuor stepped in to exercise his own brand of justice in an attempt to fight corruption.

Instigated by Akufo-Addo (as then Minister of Justice and Attorney-General), Kufuor established the Fast Track Courts that Tsatsu Tsikata (one of the accused being positioned for trial on charges of corruption) successfully repudiated. What did Kufuor do? He packed the Supreme Court to win favour from Justice Afreh (dead thereafter). That act by Kufuor isnt commendable in any way.

More than that. Those lined up for prosecution were identified as NDC functionaries whose contributions to the political fortunes of the NDC the NPP hated. Victor Selormey died in consequence. Tsatsu Tsikata went through the maze and survived when Kufuor pardoned him and Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, Sipa Yankey, and Kwame Peprah as if they didnt commit any crime, after all. And that happened just a day before Kufuor left office because the electorate had rejected the NPP at the polls to bring Atta Mills to power.

Too much of the background information already. Where does it all lead us? It tells us plainly that what Akufo-Addo is basing his useless hopes on to help him fight corruption in Ghana isnt worth my bother. It is nothing new as far as corruption is concerned.

What is new is that Akufo-Addo is deceiving himself that by naming his effort as Office of Special prosecutor, he is coming out with something spectacular to bewitch Ghanaians. Only a shallow-minded politician of his sort will go this way.

And to buttress his shallowness, let us point out here that even before the legal framework could be set for this amorphous NPP enclave, he had gone ahead to name Akoto Ampaw of his own law firm as the Special prosecutor. How stupid couldnt he be to think that such a character merits the designation as an Independent Special Prosecutor? Intriguingly, the bill that the unproductive Parliament passed doesnt even have any room for the adjective Independent. So, who is thinking right in this Akufo-Addo madhouse?

Folks, there is a lot more on my mind about this trash from Akufo-Addo that I will spill out when challenged. The truth, though, must be told that what Akufo-Addo considers as his flagship strategy for fighting corruption in Ghana isnt anything worth anybodys bother. Weve been there before and wont want to lose any sleep over what Akufo-Addo is wasting his breath on. He had better be careful.

I shall return
28.12.2017 LISTEN

You would have thought that having played second-bananas to unarguably the most regressive postcolonial Ghanaian leader for some four-and-half years, that former Vice-President Kwesi BekoeAmissah-Arthur would be praying fervidly for his part in President John Draman Mahamas nation-wrecking policies to be forgotten very soon, and then, hopefully, be forgiven as well. But, of course, that is not what bimbos are best known for. I bet we cannot count the number of times that his former boss had wanted to bump him from the number-two spot and have him replaced by his much-rumored paramour or girlfriend, to wit, Ms. Hanna Tetteh, the former Foreign Minister.

There was even that time when the mayors of nearly every big town and city in Africa met in Accra and decided to have a crunch time over the future of urban planning and management and development on the continent, and your boy was conspicuously bumped by boss Maama and replaced by Ms. Tetteh, when the boss was reportedly too busy with other duties to attend and keynote the same. It took the rude but darn appropriate intervention of Chairman Jerry John Rawlings, who had been following the frigid relationship between the two men to help Vice-President Amissah-Arthur save face.

The fact of the matter is that Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur is not respected among the leadership pack of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), much less talk about any pride of place where his clearly oversized presidential ambitions are concerned or may be nurtured. Which is why instead of boldly putting himself forth or out there for his partys presidential nomination or candidacy, the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the nations central treasury, prefers to fecklessly talk about about the imperative need for the thorough reorganization of the party before anybody can think of selecting a flagbearer.

Of course, he knows that he is a long shot; for, he never distinguished himself either as the governments chief fiscal adviser or the accidental pinch-hitting presidential second-bananas. And so when he talks about Ghanaians feeling disappointed in the leadership of President Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo, it is not clear just what impact he intends to register, since the overwhelming majority of Ghanaian voters cannot and do not take him that seriously (See Amissah-Arthur Reveals Ghanaians Are Disappointed in NPP Citifmonline.com / Modernghana.com 12/27/17).

I also dont know what he means by Nana Akufo-Addos poor handling of the country. For starters, the Mahama/Amissah-Arthur regime it was that effectively wrecked the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) that was auspiciously implemented by the John Agyekum-Kufuor-led government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). When Nana Akufo-Addo assumed reins of governance in January this year, the NHIS was in arrears to the tune of about 75-percent of its funding capacity. It would take less than six months for the new Akufo-Addo Administration to get the NHIS program back on its feet.

In its throes of desperation, in the lead-up to the 2016 general election, the extant director of the Scheme, Mr. Sylvester Mensah, had been placed under house arrest and had his bank accounts frozen and passports confiscated. We would shortly learn that he was being punished for refusing to siphon a stipulated amount of NHIS funds into the flagging electioneering campaign of President Mahama. Is this the kind of rank administrative corruption that Mr. Amissah-Arthur would have Ghanaian voters heartily celebrate and wish a repeat of? How insulting!

But you just wait, dear reader, till you hear him wax quixotically pontifical about the supposedly poor implementation of President Akufo-Addos fee-free Senior High School policy initiative, and then you will begin to fully appreciate the pathological and near-certain congenital wickedness of the man. You see, for affluent political parasites like the former Vice-President, the only people whose children and grandchildren deserve a fee-free Senior High School education are upper-class Ghanaian citizens like himself. And to hear him also wax self-righteous about qualitative education makes one wonder where he was when the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranked Ghanas public education 146th out of 146 countries.

Well, for those of our readers who may either not know or may have so soon forgotten, this butt-naked-last ranking of Ghanas public education occurred under the tenure of the Mahama/Amissah-Arthur regime. And so it is rather laughable for the former Vice-President to cavalierly presume to have any credibility when it comes to discussing the very adult subject of qualitative public education in the country. lets not even get ourselves angrier by broaching the subject of the anti-Galamsey war. And you would think the man was decent enough to be endowed with a modicum of shame.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
28.12.2017 LISTEN

As we commemorate the 31st December Revolution, let us pause and cast our minds back to where we came from or started the journey from and remember that,the evolution of contemporary viable democracy in Ghana today was based on the struggles by ordinary people led by former president Jerry John Rawlings for political space and voice, initially on a non-partisan basis under the Provision National Defence Council (PNDC)and subsequently, in a constitutional framework of multiparty democracy under a government of the National Democratic Council(NDC).

Constitutional democracy, thus emerged on the bedrock of commitment by ordinary people to work hard to produce the nation's wealth, to uphold truth, abhor corruption, and distribute the benefits of hard work equitably for the greater, social and economic wellbeing of all Ghanaians.

My grandfather,Adam sabaah once said that our political lives are nothing without ideals, but the ideals are empty if they don't relate to real possibilities!. Let us go back to the grassroots and let us engage each other irrespective of differences in opinion. How good and pleasant it could be if Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings could use this great day,31st December to announce her returning to the ndc on which she toiled for!?.

Questions are emerging as to why we lose such a huge margin in national elections by New Patriotic Party and whether the electorates can really differentiate between NDC and the ruling New Patriotic Party?,What did we do wrong as a political party?

There is no time for pride in our success now; as what matters now is how quickly we need to find solutions to our challenges that threaten our long term viability and survival as political grouping.

Our founder former Jerry John Rawlings at about 10.00 am on 31st December, 1981 which subsequently gave birth to the National Democratic Congress and laid the solid foundations for our current political dispensation said;

"Fellow Ghanaians, as you will notice, we are not playing the national anthem. In other words, this is not a coup. I ask for nothing less than a Revolution- something that will transform this country. Fellow citizens, it is now left to you to decide how this country is going to go from today.

We are asking for nothing more than popular democracy. We are asking for nothing more than the power to organize this country in such a way that nothing will be done from the castle without the consent and the authority of the people. In other words, the people, the farmers, the police, the soldiers, the workers - you, the guardians - rich or poor, should be a part of the decision-making process of this country".

His excellency former president Jerry John Rawlings also reminded us on that same day "to many of us, if not all of us, democracy does not just mean paper guarantees of abstract liberties" but also involves the provision of basic human necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and social justice "in the absence of which life is not worth living". These expressions were the foundation on which National Democratic Party ideals of Probity, integrity, accountability and social justice were firmly laid.

We cannot talk of this important date without mentioning the role of 31st December Women's Movement of which Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings was president for the constant reminder of that faithful day.

Former First Lady Her Excellency Nana konadu prepared the grounds for the returning of the country to a democratically society,use these women group as the bedrock to support the actives of the Provision Nationa Defence Council. "My desire is to see the emancipation of women at every level of development to enable them to contribute and benefit from the socio-economic and political progress of the country.... Women's vital role of promoting peace in the family, the country and the world at large must be acknowledged. And to do this, they must be empowered politically to equip them adequately for the challenges of critically identifying and assessing solutions for the betterment of society." She described it as a "broad based development oriented Non-Governmental Organisation that aspires to achieve these objectives through the effective mobilisation of women." In addition, her movementtwo million stronghas set up more than 870 pre-schools in Ghana and has worked actively to stir up interest for the accomplishment of child development and family planning.

Mrs. Rawlings movement has also taught village women to become involved in the electoral process. "We literally just pounded it into them until they realized, hey, we don't want any of these people who are living outside our areas to come and stand in our areas to be elected," she said in Africa Report. "A lot of women are now on committees in their villages and districts, some are chairing the committees.... I can only say we have made a lot of impact, and I can see from the self-esteem and near arrogance of the women, that now we have actually been able to break through this thick wall." In 1992, 19 women were elected in parliamentary elections.

Noting Mrs. Rawlings's "charm" and "substance," the New York Amsterdam News reported that she was praised by Ghana's permanent representative to the United Nations, George Lamptey, who said, "For the past years she has stood by her husband in the struggle to restore Ghana. She has led a group of active women to help empower Ghanaian women, freeing them from being hewers of wood and drawers of water to being actors in the political arena."

As we mark the 36th occasion,I will like comrades not with myopic reasoning to join me plead with the former First Lady, Her excellency Nana Konadu to wholeheartedly return to the NDC party she toiled with her husband and others to laid the foundation.

Long live the founder president Jerry John Rawlings,

long live ndc!!.

Ibrahim Hardi,contact 0208235615,

email [email protected]
At least over 1,400 registered small-scale miners are expected to undergo a strict vetting process to assess their preparedness to abide by the mining laws of the country.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has explained the exercise will take into account the areas of operation of the miners to ensure that they do not deviate from their work.

We are entering a new era in our efforts to formalize small-scale mining to achieve sustainable mining in a sound environment, he said during the commissioning of an office complex for the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining Thursday.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Although more than 20million has been spent on the team, the Minister said the government is going to commit more resources considering the nature of work.

Already, the contributions of small-scale mining to the country's Gross Domestic Product has reduced. In 2015, small-scale mining contributed about 34 percent of the revenue output from gold, but this has reduced since the start of the campaign against illegal mining.

But satisfied with the success of the anti-galamsey efforts, president Akufo-Addo said his government will fashion out a national action plan to sustain the gains.

He noted the plan will have features similar to the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury adopted in August this year.

They will include:

(a)Actions to eliminate worst practices of mercury exposure

(b)Formalisation of the artisanal mining sector

(c)Reduction of emission in releases of mercury

(d)Strategies for providing information

(e)Public Health Strategy
28.12.2017 LISTEN

I would try to define what retooling the Ghana Armed Forces means to me, since the news item on this subject which was generated by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), characteristically, did not contain much, by way of specifics, for the critical reader and thinker to make a head or tail of what Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul meant by the preceding promissory observation (See Government to Retool Ghana Armed Forces  Nitiwul GNA/Ghanaweb.com 12/5/17). In plain and simple English, the retooling of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) means the provision of a new and, hopefully, far more productive and effective set of operational instruments or logistics to make the most significant security network in the country even more effective than it is presently.

In the past, a quite remarkable percentage of the membership of the GAF did not appear to fully appreciate the reason or reasons for which the institution through which they had pledged their allegiance to the Republic of Ghana was established. Which was why the GAF hadbecome a staging point for the rampant and riotous intervention in the democratic and civil governance of the country.

Today, some who have no appreciable knowledge or understanding of our still fledgling but, nevertheless, robust, democratic culture continue to unwisely and despicably talk about the supposed failure of the ballot box, by which they almost invariably mean that things are not going their way. Which, further put in even more simple terms, means that their political party lost the last election and was legitimately replaced, according to the popular mandate, by a different political party whose modus operandi they are in diametric disagreement. This, of course, is sheer political arrogance.

At any rate, what I gathered from the news article under discussion is that in the recent past our military has not been at the topmost form that it possibly could be. Which may stem from an obvious combination of factors, including low or scanty logistical supply of basic working tools, such as guns and vehicles and the sort of regular professional training needed to ensure that the personnel of the GAF would be in ship shape and on the highest level of alertness and ready to prevent any dastardly attempt, largely from the outside, to destabilize or endanger the wholesomeness and integrity of the countrys sovereignty. I have not yet had the chance to verify this, but there was a time that the Ghana Armed Forces was the best equipped fighting force in the West African sub-region and ranked 3rd, or so, on the continent after Egypt and the erstwhile Apartheid South Africa, for obvious reasons.

Today, one would be hard put to have the GAF ranked among the top-5 best equipped and best trained institution of its kind on the African continent. We may not be far behind; but we are also not where we need to be as a major stabilizing force in both the West African sub-region and the continent at large. Well, I just did a quick google search and discovered to my horror and great disappointment that among the 30 countries in Africa ranked according to the Index of Global Firepower, as of May 2016, Ghana ranked 19th, well behind Egypt, the number one fighting force on the African continent, and Nigeria, the number four fighting force on the African continent (See Ghanas Military Ranked 19th Most Powerful in Africa Citifmonline.com 5/16/16).

One does not need a college degree in Ghanaian or African Military History to appreciate the fact that ours is scarcely a viable fighting force even in our own West African sub-region, where we are ranked a distant second to Nigeria. What we also learn is that just within the last three years, during which period the Mahama-led government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held the reins of governance, Ghanas ranking on the Index of Global Firepower just in Africa alone, declined from a scarcely remarkable position of 14th to 19th.

This is ironic because it was also during the same period that then-President John DramaniMahama resorted to the rampant wearing of military fatigues and ceremonial uniforms as Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, in an obvious bid to intimidate his most formidable political opponents in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.

Retooling the GAF may thus entail a considerable investment in both capital and human resources, and the active participation in military preparedness exercises around the globe, possibly with such global military giants as the United States, Russia, China, India and Great Britain, among several others. Then also, our military personnel, at all levels, need to be trained in the most diverse intellectual and cultural and professional endeavors possible. It goes without saying that in its present state and form, the Ghana Armed Forces does not have much to boast of that is worth writing home about, as it were.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
A leading member of the opposition National Democratic Congress's (NDC's) communication team member, Sammy Gyamfi has described this year's Christmas celebration under Akufo-Addo led government as the worst ever celebration in the history of Ghana.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, December 28, 2017 and copied to the media indicating that Ghanaians have changed their 'coloured TV for 'black and white' hence today, prices of goods and services have increased as compare to John Mahama led administration (2016 Christmas celebration).

According to him, "Walking around town, one would hear comments like... 'Akufo-Addo Bronya wei de3 (to wit, this Akufo-Addo Christmas is so bad)...prices of goods and services have gone off roof, whilst Dr. Bawumia's naughty boy (the Ghana Cedi), is dancing 'pwalogo' and 'agbodza' on the streets, contrary to claims by 'Economic wizard' Vice President that he has arrested the Cedi and banded over the keys to the IGP".

He also reminded Ghanaians of the cocktail of lies and deceitful promises that were made to sway them into changing the impressive government of President Mahama, for what has become an obvious fraud indicated that one District, one Factory has turned into a white elephant, One Village, One Dam is another great deception.

"One Constituency, $1million, which has turned out to be a Trojan Gift", he chided.

He used the opportunity to wish Ghanaians a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year hence assured Ghanaians on January 7, 2018, he will do critical of Akufo-Addo led government sector by sector.

Below is the full statement

FROM AN "ONAAPO" CHRISTMAS TO "THE WORST CHRISTMAS EVER": A TALE OF A DECEITFUL CHANGE! - Sammy Gyamfi

Just a year ago, around this same time, Christmas was buzzing around Ghana. Such was the pomp and pageantry in the country, that the only ones that were left out of the Merry of Christmas were NDC faithfuls, like myself, who were grieving, and struggling to come to terms with our painful loss in an election we were ever-so confident of winning, given our impressive record of governance under John Dramani Mahama.

In what would now become a bitter change, the popular hit song "Onaapo" which was carefully composed to celebrate the unprecedented achievements of President Mahama, became the preferred mockery tune for the then Christmas celebrants.

However, in a matter of 12 months, the Joy and hope of the Ghanaian people has dissipated into thin air. Indeed, so dramatic is the fall in the fortunes of Ghanaians, that they have come to realize only in a matter of 12 months, that they fell to a great deception in December 2016. Listening to depressing vibes around the country, it suffices to say, that Ghanaians have changed their coloured TV for black and white.

Christmas 2017 could easily pass for the worst Christmas in the history of Ghana. Walking around town, one would hear comments like "... Akufo-Addo Bronya wei de3 (to wit, this Akufo-Addo Christmas is so bad). Today, prices of goods and services have gone off the roof, whilst Dr. Bawumia's naughty boy (the Ghana Cedi), is dancing "pwalogo" and "agbodza" on the streets, contrary to claims by our "Economic wizard" Vice President that he has arrested the Cedi and handed over the keys to the IGP.

Indeed, so bad has the economy turned, that I do not intend to add sore to injury, by boring you with the stale micro economic indices. The reality in Ghana today is that average Ghanaian households cannot afford their usual one "akoko" (chicken) and rice for Christmas. Civil Servants for the first time have been denied their 10% bonus for Christmas. It will not be far-fetched to say that, parents are beginning to have nightmares about 2018 already, due to the sad reality of paying school fees and surviving through the torturous month of January.

The great Deception

Now, let me take this opportunity to remind Ghanaians of the cocktail of lies and deceitful promises that were made to sway them into changing the impressive government of President Mahama, for what has become an obvious fraud!

1. One District, one factory. (Which has turned into a white elephant).

2. One Constituency, $1million. (Which has turned out to be a Trojan Gift)

3. One Village, one dam (another great deception)

4. Fight against corruption. (This government has rather formalized corruption and has taken it to unprecedented levels. Corruption is today bred and buttered at the Flagstaff House, its citadel. What is even more shameful in all this is the tacit approval of the President to acts of thievery and corruption in his government.)

5. All-inclusive government with employment opportunities for all. (This government has turned out to be a government of brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, nephews and cousins, family and natives, cronies and friends and I dare say, girlfriends and concubines.)

Let me pause here, and remind Ghanaians that January 7th, 2018, presents us a fine opportunity to do a critical, sector by sector assessment of one year of this horrendous change. In the meantime, Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to us all. The Lord remains our provider.

...Signed..

Sammy Gyamfi

(Member of NDC National Communication Team)

Source: Daniel Kaku
Scores of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters in the Klottey Korley constituency besieged the party's headquarters in protest of what they say are attempts to expunge persons who supported independent candidate Nii Noi Nortey in the 2016 elections, from polling registers.

Some party members are said to have resisted attempts to keep Nii Noi Norteys supporters on the NPP register.

A party member at the scene who spoke to Citi News said: some people want to support Nii Noi so the other party is saying we should remove those people from the register so we had a call from our coordinator that we should meet here today so we came to meet the General Secretary.

However, after meeting the acting General Secretary, the NPP member, said the agitating members were told nobody can be removed from the register. Everybody has the chance to be in the register.

Beyond this, the party member also said it would not be possible to prove who were actual supporters of Nii Noi Nortey.

Actually, we don't know them so you cant point out someone who went to support one person or the other. When people were going to vote, no one followed them. So you cant look at faces and say this person went and supported Ni Noi so I am removing that person's name.

Background

In May 2017, Nii Noi Nortey, a former NPP Constituency Chairman for Klottey Korley, apologized to the NPP for contesting as an independent candidate.

He said circumstances beyond his control compelled him to reject the advice of the then flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, in the run-up to the 2016 elections.

Nii Noi Nortey

Nii Noi Nortey contested the elections in an independent capacity after a disputed primary which saw him lose against Philip Addison.

He accused Lawyer Addison and some party executives for rigging the election after a second primary was called.

Nii Noi Nortey had won the first primary overwhelmingly amidst a boycott from the other candidates over the election date.



By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Protests over alleged removal of Nii Noi followers from NPP register appeared first on Ghana News .
RACINE  A Wednesday afternoon fire caused an estimated $400 in damage to a clothes dryer in a Racine home.

The dryer caught fire at 805 Cleveland Ave., according to a press release from the Racine Fire Department. Firefighters responded at about 1 p.m. to a report of smoke in the basement of the occupied home.

The home was evacuated when crews arrived, the release states. They found a small fire involving clothes in the dryer which was in the basement. Firefighters put out the fire with about 2 gallons of water.

The home was not damaged by the fire, and no injuries were reported, fire officials said. Residents were not displaced.

Fire investigators described the fire as accidental. Racine police officers and We Energies crews also reportedly responded to the incident.
Ghanas Parliament has passed a bill that gives green light to the establishment of the office of a special prosecutor. The move is seen as a big step in Ghanas effort to root out corruption.

The passage of the bill is hailed by many especially supporters of the ruling party as a step in the right direction. For those in the opposition, however, it is a message that their days of freedom may be numbered especially as bigwigs within the government have on numerous occasion hinted the prosecution of some members of the opposition for corruption.

Corruption has been the biggest canker confronting Ghanas political economy. The discos on corruption and its impact on Ghanas economic progress have been present since independence. Indeed, it featured prominently as a key reason behind various coups and counter-coups staged in Ghana. Since Ghanas return to democratic rule in 1992, corruption and allegations of same has been a dominant political issue

Currently, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), among others, all have jurisdiction to investigate allegations of corruption. Per the current constitutional arrangement, the Attorney Generals Office prosecutes all criminal cases for and on behalf of the state.

So, what makes the special prosecutor special?

The Special Prosecutor (SP), will be empowered to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged corruption-related offenses which implicate public servants, political office holders and other groups of people who engage in corrupt activities that harm the state. The Special Prosecutor also have the mandate to investigate alleged corrupt acts under the Public Procurement Act.

The Prosecutor will also be mandated to trace and recover the proceeds of corruption.

Are these roles special? Certainly not! Perhaps what maybe be special about the SP is the independence it is envisaged to enjoy from the executive. Sadly, a creation of a new anti-corruption body is a testament to our collective failure to strengthen the capacity of existing institutions with the mandate to fight corruption.

There are two sides of the argument around the creation of the special prosecutor.

From the arguments presented so far, it appears the special prosecutor will enjoy autonomy, independence and the political will to operate freely without political pressure, at least in principle.

My skepticism, however, stems from fears that the SP may turn out like the multiplicity of other institutions in Ghana- decorated with so many powers in theory and impotent in practice. Ghanas political system has created a situation where due to political expediency, several attempts have been made by the media and political parties to deliberately undermine, and drag institutions of the state into incessant partisan politics. As result, institutions that are supposed to be independent have come under severe political pressure and have virtually been rendered useless.

Moreover, several fundamental questions remain unanswered. Who will be the special prosecutor? Perhaps, in order to ensure there is trust in the office, will a foreigner be appointed to head the office of Special Prosecutor? Will he or she have the courage to go after members of the ruling government? And if he does, will he/she have the independence to operate freely? The debate, so far, has remained silent on these key questions.

One thing is for sure. If the office of Special Prosecutor is greeted with the same level of mistrust that recently engulfed the appointment of Charlotte Osei as the Head of Ghanas Electoral Commission, then it is likely to turn out as a toothless institution.

Either ways, the economic cost of corruption has become too great for Ghana to bear. Ghanas former President John Mahama, has aptly described corruption as mass murder since it denies government the resources to undertake development.

While the creation of the office of special prosecutor could be a positive development, Ghanas past experience with creating institutions such as this shows that creating an institution and decorating it with powers is one thing, and allowing them to work is another. Will this one be allowed to work freely?

If Ghanas anti-corruption laws are enforced strictly to the letter, and institutions are empowered and given the political will to operate freely, there would be no need for a special prosecutor. The creation of special prosecutor was a major political promise by the president in the last election. One can only hope that it does not end up as fulfilled campaign promise to score cheap political points. Let us also hope, that this does not become another white elephant that will drain the public purse.

In the end, let us not forget that creating trust in our institutions to work effectively is really what matters.

By Richard Kweitsu

[email protected]
The Minority in Parliament has called for the arrest of the perpetrators of the Christmas Day attack on the residence of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo South, Eric Opoku.

Six unidentified assailants, armed with machetes and a gun stormed Mr Opoku's residence on Monday as he was holding a series of engagements and meetings with his constituents in the building as part of activities to mark the Christmas festivities.

They reportedly broke the glass windows and doors of the house, vandalised several of the vehicles that had been parked on the property and other things they could lay their hands on.

However, when they failed to gain access to one of the top floors of the building where the participants of the event had been moved, the angry youths turned their attention to the private and commercial vehicles which had been hired by the sympathizers and supporters of the MP, breaking the windscreens, side mirrors and deflating the tyres.

According to Citi News checks, the program hosted by the MP was an annual event organized to interact with his constituents to make merry, share experiences and also afford him the opportunity to render an account of his stewardship.

There have been suggestions that the attack on the former Brong Ahafo Regional Ministers house was politically motivated.

The Minority had, in an earlier statement, condemned the incident stating that it was one of many designed to intimidate, harass and silence vocal and outspoken members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

MP for the Asunafo South Constituency, Eric Opoku

And speaking to Citi News, the Minority Spokesperson on Defence and Interior, James Agalga called for a thorough investigation into the incident and the arrest of the perpetrators.

According to him, it is important to ascertain the identities of the assailants to determine whether they had indeed attacked the MPs house because of political motives.

A sitting Member of Parliament has been attacked for no apparent reason when he was having a meeting with his constituents to mark the Christmas festivities and from every indication, those who unleashed the attack are his political opponents. Is it not important for such an attack to be investigated promptly and the perpetrators brought to book? What happened was an assault on our young and fledgling democracy and should not be tolerated at all, he said.

I am reliably informed  and remember there were people in the house at the time of the attack. In any case, that is why I am calling for swift investigations which will lead to the arrest of the perpetrators then you'll know their real identities. We issued a statement yesterday and we expect that action will be taken.



By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Pursue and arrest Asunafo South MP's assailants  Minority appeared first on Ghana News .
The Tamale North Member of Parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini is working towards increasingly satisfying the health needs of his constituents by building new health facilities while refurbishing dilapidated projects across his constituency.

The latest of such facilities are a newly built Reproductive and Child Health Service Centre and a rehabilitated health post at Choggu in the Sagnarigu district.

Alhassan Suhuyini, at the official handing over ceremony today [Thursday] promised to do his best to improve the well-being of his constituents.

According to him, these projects, and others which have already executed were funded by his share of the Members of Parliament Common Fund which is incorporated into the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

The Tamale North Legislator recalled how health professionals posted to that community attended to patients particularly lactating mothers and children under trees, hence his rapid intervention.

Education

Alhassan Suhuyini said he procured 400 dual desks for distribution to some selected basic schools that lacked furniture compelling pupils to lie on the bare floor to write.

He disclosed that GHc40,000.00 was expended on brilliant but needy students pursuing various courses at the tertiary levels.

Agriculture

As a peri-urban constituency where agriculture is the economic mainstay of most residents in the Tamale North constituency, Alhassan Suhuyini said 200 farmers received fertilizers to improve their yields.

He decried the fall armyworms invasion of farmlands for which reason knapsack sprayers were distributed to reduce its widespread.

He called for peaceful coexistence to enable him accomplish his unfinished agenda in fulfillment of his 2016 campaign promises.

He described the year 2017 as the toughest in his political life and anticipated that 2018 will be better.

By: Abdul Karim Naatogma/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Suhuyini supports healthcare delivery in Tamale North with new Centre appeared first on Ghana News .
It was celebration galore at COSON House in Ikeja on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 as members of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) from different parts of the country met at the COSON General Assembly and restored Chief Tony Okoroji as Chairman of the society.

There was singing, dancing and prayers to the Almighty as Chief Okoroji who was initially absent from the meeting arrived the COSON House Arena following the demand of the members and a long telephone conversation initiated by music icon, Prof (Sir) Victor Uwaifo, who chaired the General Assembly. Upon his arrival, Chief Okoroji received a tumultuous welcome from the COSON members.

The meeting which was attended by several icons of the music industry from different parts of the country resolved that the very sudden purported change of the Chairmanship of the Management Board of COSON on December 7, 2017, just 12 days to the EGM, under bizarre circumstances, be condemned and annulled by the COSON General Assembly.

The COSON General Assembly clarified that Chief Okoroji of whom the members of COSON across Nigeria have the greatest respect and confidence in, remains the Chairman of the Management Board of COSON.

The meeting had the entire COSON building overflowing with stakeholders in the music industry and had in attendance such personalities as Prof (Sir) Victor Uwaifo, Sir Shina Peters, Ras Kimono, Kenny Saint Best, Azeezat Allen, Hon John Ewelukwa Udegbunam, Prince Biodun Eguakhide, etc. The COSON members commended Chief Tony Okoroji for his humility, maturity and comportment in the face of perfidy. They praised his vision and incomparable sacrifice towards the growth of the Nigerian creative industry and for making COSON the most transparent and accountable organization in the history of the Nigerian creative industry.

The COSON General Assembly also commended the former President of PMAN for leading COSON in the middle of a biting recession in Nigeria to the building and commissioning of the magnificent COSON House, the first and only such property belonging to any organization in the Nigerian creative industry, an edifice built without any money from the government or any other institution, foreign or local and without any loan from any bank.

Accepting the decision of the General Assembly, Chief Okoroji said that he is humbled by the love of the members of COSON and holds no animosity against anyone as a result of what had transpired in COSON and that as a father he knows that in any family, what happened recently in COSON would happen from time to time.
28.12.2017 LISTEN

Nollywood actor, Chuks Omalicha, is now a proud father of a baby boy as he welcomed his baby with his wife in a US hospital.

The actor was already in the know as he had to travel down to the US to be with his wife who welcomed the baby on the 27th of December, 2017.

There is always something about being a father for the first time and that feelings really overwhelmed the actor as he kept admiring his boy wrapped in his arms.
I stuck to what the coaches ...
RACINE  A Racine man out on bond for his alleged role in a July overdose death is facing new charges after he allegedly overdosed and was revived on Saturday.

Cory D. Borchart, 34, of the 400 block of 16th Street, is charged with felony bail jumping for a recent incident.

In July, Borchart was also charged with first-degree reckless homicide, delivery of schedule I or II narcotics (second offense), two counts of manufacturing/delivering heroin (second offense), possession of heroin with intent to deliver (second offense) and maintaining a drug trafficking place.

Amanda E. Kaprelian, 34, also of the 400 block of 16th Street, is also charged in connection to the July incident, with delivery of schedule I or II narcotics (second offense), manufacturing/delivering heroin (second offense), possession of heroin with intent to deliver (second offense) and maintaining a drug trafficking place.

According to the criminal complaint:

Saturday, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of 16th Street for a reported drug overdose. They spoke with a woman who said she had found her son, Borchart, unresponsive after he supposedly went to the basement to smoke a cigarette.

When the mother went to check on Borchart, she reportedly found him on the floor, unconscious. Her husband then called for rescue while the mother performed CPR on Borchart.

Upon arrival, officers continued performing CPR. Rescue personnel arrived and administered Narcan, a medication used as an antidote to the effects of opioids. Borchart then regained consciousness and started breathing again.

He allegedly admitted to snorting heroin before losing consciousness. Borchart was then taken to the hospital.

July overdose incident

Both Borchart and Kaprelians July charges stem from them both reportedly being caught selling an informant Suboxone pills, a narcotic used to combat heroin addiction.

Borchart was named as a person of interest in a July 3 overdose death case in which a man was found dead on the 3200 block of Durand Avenue with a heroin-filled syringe nearby. A search of his phone revealed he had reportedly contacted Borchart the day of his death.

Borchart allegedly admitted to being a heavy heroin user and selling some very powerful heroin to the deceased overdose victim the day of his death.

Officers searched Borchart and Kaprelians residence and reportedly found dozens and dozens of needles and syringes, dozens of cooking tins and plastic bag corners.

Also allegedly found in Borcharts sock at the time of his arrest was 4.2 grams of heroin. One gram of heroin was also reportedly found hidden in Kaprelians buttocks.

Both Borchart and Kaprelian were arrested in July. If convicted of all charges, Borchart could face up to 99 years in prison and Kaprelian could face up to 58 years in prison.

On July 10, Borchart appeared in Racine County Circuit Court. As a condition of his $7,500 cash bond, he was ordered not to consume or possess any controlled substances.

The bond was in effect during Borcharts Saturday overdose, netting him the felony bail jumping charges.

During an initial appearance Wednesday, a judge set Borcharts cash bond at $10,000. He remained in custody as of Wednesday afternoon, online records show.
Sullivan Creek, off Jacksonville Rd, during storms Feb-20, 2017 View Photos

A review of the top most read news stories in 2017 on MyMotherLode.com

Each fire season the Mother Lode braces for the worst. This year, in our area, the Detwiler Fire was the most devastating. The Detwiler fire started July 16th and ended Aug 24th. CAL Fire announced on August 4 that an investigation unveiled that it was caused by the discharge of firearms on public lands. A $2,000 reward was offered for additional information that helps locate the person or individuals responsible for starting the fire as reported here.

By day three the Detwiler fire had burned 25,000 acres and it was only 5 percent contained, 8 structures were counted as destroyed, 1 damaged, and 1,500 were threatened. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate, including the entire community of Mariposa. When it was fully out the Detwiler Fire had burned 81,826 acres, destroyed 63 homes, 67 outbuildings and one commercial building. The full timeline with details is here.

MyMotherLode always provides excellent verified fire information. When the Detwiler Fire in Mariposa County was at 81,826 acres and 90-percent contained there were two more large fires, on July 29th at 2pm the Jacksonville Fire was reported at 690 acres and the Twist Fire was 124 acres and had burned a home. Later on October 9th the Point fire grew to 130 acres and evacuations were ordered near West Point.

In previous years half of our top ten news stories in 2016 were about local fires, in 2015 we provided full coverage of the Butte Fire (an overview of those news stories is here) in the drought year of 2014 we covered the El Portal, Foresta and the Hunters Fire and many other new stories, and in 2013 we covered the Rim Fire.

In January there was a fire at Curtis Creek Elementary. As we reported there was no indication of foul play, according to CAL Fire. Curtis Creek had also closed classrooms due to a mudslide, an overview of their hardships in in a news story recognizing Holly Azevedo who was picked in the first round of the Farmers Insurance Thank Americas Teachers contest.

On March 21st the storm damage was so severe in the Twain Harte area that the National Weather Service sent in investigators to see if a tornado touched down in the area, but it was determined to be a microburst. Also in March we provided the Forest Health update Sierra Nevada Forest Health From Bad To Worse

By March the Mother Lode had been through a truly unusual amount of wet weather. From January 3rd to January 12th an atmospheric river had soaked the area. There was a blizzard warning and wind warning on January 12th a winter storm warning on January 18th, and on February 21st a Flood Warning. California declared several state of emergencies related to costly damage from many winter storms, flooding, and mudslides. While the Oroville Dam filled up, trees came down knocking the power out for many. There was also a death from a tree that fell in Yosemites Half Dome Village, formerly Curry Village, as reported here.

The Don Pedro Reservoir spillway had to be opened on February 20th causing Portions of Bonds Flat Road in Tuolumne County, between J-59 and Highway 132, to be removed. That stretch remained closed until June 28th when the road was fully repaired and reopened.

Before much of the damage the state suffered, the Mother Lode suffered the loss of the very well known tunnel tree. We reported at 9pm on Sunday, January 8th, that the Pioneer Cabin Tree at Calaveras Big Trees State Park fell to the ground; it was our 11th most popular news story with 8 of the top ten related to fires.

The two other top news stories of this year both related to a two vehicle crash on October 21st 2016 near the Bonds Flat Road intersection that killed three people. Those accused of causing the accident are Sonora physician Dr. Danny Anderson and his wife, Diane. The CHP reports Dorothy Eisemann, 66, from Copperopolis was driving a 2009 Toyota northbound on J-59 when a vehicle, allegedly driven by Dr. Anderson, illegally crossed into oncoming traffic over the double yellow lines to pass her. The passenger and relative in Eisemanns car, Rheinholt Eisemann, 72, from Copperopolis died, as well as the driver of the other vehicle Tina Hoffman, 51, from La Grange, the mother of Trista Hoffman, 16, who died later at the hospital and Dillon Hoffman, 17, brother and son to the deceased who suffered major injuries. Dr. Anderson and his wife are each charged with six counts of hit and run, resulting in death or serious injury to another person; concealing evidence and obstructing an investigation. She is also charged with a felony count of being an accessory to a crime. Statements from the Andersons lawyer were published here. Dr. Anderson is licensed to practice medicine while his trial is scheduled for late in March 2018, as reported here.

On August 17th, in a news story that is our 17th most read of the entire year, we reported on an inmate riot at the Sierra Conservation Center. Officials reported gun fire and gas had to be used to break-up fighting that injured several inmates at the Jamestown prison. The incident was over in about four to five minutes and no staff was hurt.

In September the most read news story was an encounter with a bold Mountain Lion in Groveland. On September 27th rockfall from El Capitan killed 32-year-old Andrew Foster of Wales. Details about the rockfalls are in the news story here.

On September 25th a homicide investigation was reported. Marc John Dejong was found dead in the Big Oak Flat area and eventually 42-year-old Elton Quintin Redick was found and charged with his murder.

Another man was charged with murder in September, and the victim was his son. David Bilderback is accused of shooting 19-year-old Cole Bilderback in Avery. Details were posted here.

There were several tragic fatalities related to car crashes and the one that stands out was on Thanksgiving that killed two and a 350 pound bear. The San Andreas CHP office reported a 27-year-old Sarah Rae Rohde of Copperopolis and her one-year-old daughter, Ariana Harris, were killed due to the crash. Rohdes four-year-old son, Julian Harris, sustained minor to moderate injuries and was transported to UC Davis Medical Center.

On December 5th there is an ongoing investigation into a possible murder suicide shooting as reported here.
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Donors set to take over operations of the San Antonio Symphony have backed out of the deal after discovering a potential $8.9 million pension liability, leaving the future of the orchestra in doubt.

We thought we had gotten to the finish line. Then they said there might be an unfunded portion of their pension plan, said Bruce Bugg Jr., chairman of Symphonic Music for San Antonio, a nonprofit set up by major donors to take over the symphonys operations. We were hoping to have the transition completed by now. We felt like we were pretty far along. Everything ground to a halt at that point.

The board thats now running the symphony will meet Tuesday to discuss the impact on the current season and future of the orchestra, Chairwoman Alice Viroslav said.

The Symphony Society of San Antonio has been running the orchestra since 1939 and was supposed to relinquish control to the new group earlier this year.

I have to get the board together and allow them to discuss all options, she said when asked whether bankruptcy was on the table. This isnt a positive development. This is very surprising for all of us. Not a pleasant surprise for anyone.

San Antonio supermarket chain H-E-B, the Tobin Endowment and the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation set up the nonprofit and announced plans in July to take over the symphonys assets and operations from the Symphony Society by Sept. 1.

Although they donated about $2 million to keep the symphony going since May, the transfer never happened as the donors struggled to get a handle on the orchestras liabilities, they announced Wednesday.

Bugg said they formally terminated the arrangement with the Symphony Society on Dec. 21.

Theyre just going to have to work through this on their own, he said. These liabilities are insurmountable for us to go forward.

The American Federation of Musicians & Employers Pension Fund sent the organizations a letter Nov. 21 that showed the orchestras pension plan was underfunded by the Symphony Society by about $4.5 million, according to a copy of the letter.

Its not a bill thats necessarily due now. It basically means the symphony owes more on its current and future retirement payouts than it has in its account  $4.5 million more.

Withdrawing from the fund early, however, would trigger a withdrawal liability of more than $8.9 million, the federation said.

The symphony, which has struggled financially for years and was at risk of collapse last year, thought it had paid off almost all of its debt when the board discovered the pension liability in August, Viroslav said.

It wasnt in any of the previously audited statements, and were not sure why, she said.

The organizations were reviewing the musicians employment plan this summer when the pension plan was discovered.

As we were learning more and peeling back the layers of how the organization was working, we uncovered a lot of surprises, said Dya Campos, vice chairwoman of the donor-backed group. There were a lot of financial surprises that our group uncovered.

The musicians current contract expires Sunday, and the orchestras labor union filed charges Dec. 18 against the old and new boards with the National Labor Relations Board for failing to negotiate in good faith, said Brian Petkovich, a bassoon player and the secretary of the local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians labor union.

The union said it refused a demand from Tom Stephenson, the executive director of the new organization, for pay cuts for new musicians and he refused to continue negotiations.

In a statement, the union accused the new team of using the pension plan as a false excuse to abandon contract talks, pointing out there wouldnt be a withdrawal liability of $8.9 million if the it takes over the plan.

The new board members spent months proclaiming themselves the saviors of the San Antonio Symphony, the union said. Now, like spoiled children, they have decided to pick up their marbles and leave because they couldn't get their way on everything, including having to deal with a pesky union that didn't think reducing outstandingly skilled musicians' already-low pay scales was a very good idea.

The San Antonio Symphonys next concert is scheduled for Jan. 6 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. About 40 performances remain on the symphonys 2017-18 schedule.

dkopecki@express-news.net

Staff Writer Joshua Fechter contributed to this report.
Austin police arrested a man who allegedly stole a pickup truck and assaulted a child while forcing him out of the car, according to a report from the Austin American-Statesman.

On Saturday, a woman called police about her vehicle being stolen. She told officers that she left her car running with her two kids inside while picking up a pizza, according to the paper.

She noticed the truck backing up and ran after it fearing her kids, ages 5 and 3, were abducted.

RELATED: Affidavit details how man defrauded a San Antonio business over Federal Labor laws

She realized her sons were in the parking lot, the Statesman reported, but noticed her oldest son threw up several times.

According to the boy, the suspect screamed at them to get out of the vehicle before forcibly removing him. During the incident the suspect allegedly hit the boy in his rib cage.

Officers tracked the stolen pickup down to a nearby motel by pinpointing the coordinates of the woman's cell phone, which was left in the car, according to the paper.

Police found their suspect, 20-year-old Freddie Jermar Wrather, and arrested him on suspicion of robbery by assault and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Wrather allegedly denied the charges and said he stole the pickup to keep it warm, according to the Statesman. Wrather's bail was set at $90,000.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
Trump Digs Coal became one of the most recognizable slogans of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, and candidate Donald Trumps promises to scrap the controversial Clean Power Plan, or CPP, and bring back coal jobs struck a chord in Midwest mining states. The vision of an unfettered, resurgent U.S. coal industry resonated with working-class voters, helping tilt the electoral map Trumps way.

The Trump administration is following through on its promises to scuttle the CPP, withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, and abolish other environmental regulations that are odious to the coal industry. However, the coal industry has continued to struggle against economic headwinds, primarily market competition from sustained low natural gas prices.

Wall Street analysts agree that long-term economic forces are working against any federal effort to rehabilitate the U.S. coal industry. They identify the advanced age and inefficiency of many coal-fired power plants; long-term regulatory uncertainty that disfavors investment in new coal plants; reduced demand from countries that import U.S. coal; and, most importantly, sustained price competition from cheap natural gas as the major economic factors that make a U.S. coal renaissance highly unlikely.

In Texas, several utilities have announced plans to deploy more electric power from renewable energy regardless of changes in federal regulations. Luminant has announced plans to close three coal-powered plants  Monticello, Sandow and Big Brown  in early 2018. CPS Energy in San Antonio has long planned to mothball the JT Deely coal plant by the end of 2018, and reiterated its decision after Trumps executive order in March on the CPP. The Austin City Council voted in 2014 to begin phasing out of the citys share of the coal-powered Fayette Power Project starting in 2020, with the goal of getting out altogether by 2022.

As the longed-for coal recovery has been slow to materialize, policy discussions in Washington, D.C., and in Appalachian coal country have moved beyond loosening environmental controls and into direct market intervention in the form of taxpayer-funded coal subsidies.

Ill-conceived policies such as coal subsidies or taxpayer bailouts for coal plants would distort the U.S. energy market and interfere with the well-functioning Texas electric market, delaying or derailing the Lone Star States market-driven transition to clean energy.

The Texas electric market is a model of how free energy markets allow cheaper, cleaner power to thrive. Natural gas and renewables are going to generate the lions share of electricity in Texas within 20 years  if we allow the electric market to function without distortions.

Research commissioned by the Texas Clean Energy Coalition, or TCEC, and conducted by The Brattle Group in 2016 found that if natural gas prices remain low and solar prices continue to drop, over the next 20 years market forces will likely result in a cleaner Electric Reliability Council of Texas electric grid that relies on Texas-produced natural gas, wind and utility-scale solar power. As the low natural gas price drives ERCOT away from coal and toward Texas-produced clean fuels, annual CO2 emissions in ERCOT will drop by an average of 28 percent below 2005 levels  an average of 61 million tons less of CO2 in Texas air every year. And wholesale electricity prices will remain virtually flat in real dollar terms.

Texans in Congress, state leaders and fiscal conservatives should reject attempts to manipulate the energy markets to prop up older, uneconomical plants that burn coal at the expense of cleaner, cheaper electricity produced from home-grown natural gas, wind and solar power.

Elizabeth Lippincott is executive director of the Texas Clean Energy Coalition.
(Natural News) Most conversations involving drones revolve around the fact that they can be used for surveillance on individuals, and so they should be thought of as potentially scary pieces of technology. But a community in East Africa has figured out a way to put the novel new technology to good use in their continuing fight against malaria.

According to Andy Hardy, a lecturer in Remote Sensing and GIS from Aberystwyth University, drones are a crucial part in the battle against mosquitoes and malaria. As part of ongoing efforts to eradicate the deadly disease, drones can be deployed to map out entire landscapes and figure out where to find mosquito breeding grounds. The idea is that if theyre ever going to get rid of malaria completely, their best bet would be to eliminate mosquito eggs and larvae, which eventually allow the disease to spread.

One of the main challenges to disease managers is finding small water bodies that mosquitoes use to breed, explained Hardy. This is where drones come in  for the first time, drone imagery can be captured over large areas which can be used to create precise and accurate maps of potential habitats.

How they use drones

Drones come in all shapes and sizes, but by far the most popular models of drones on the market are those that come with built-in cameras on them. These cameras are often designed to deliver high quality photos and videos, which is why many individuals have started using them for commercial purposes.

The uses include photo and video coverage of certain events, such as weddings and parties, as well as recording and capturing of footage and photos of certain places for later usage. But Andy and his team are doing something else entirely. Instead, they developed a system that allows them to map out potential mosquito habitats so that they could later treat these with larvicides.

Public health authorities need to be able to locate and map these water bodies so they can be treated using a larvicide like DDT, said Hardy. This process is known as larval source management, and was successfully used in Brazil and Italy many decades ago.

Thanks to a drones ability to map out a huge area in just a short amount of time, Hardys team is able to capture imagery and process them for analysis in the same afternoon. They then use the information they have to map water bodies and plan their next course of action. And the great thing is that they are using a popular off-the-shelf drone thats easy to purchase almost anywhere.

Speaking about the potential for their approach to have adverse effects on human health, Hardy mentions that the larvicides available for use today are much safer, lower toxicity replacements that have been developed following the cases of poisoning and ecological damage in the past. He and his team fully acknowledge the possibility of having negative side effects, so they have accounted for those as well.

The next steps

Malaria is currently still a major problem, with global infection rates pegged at over 200 million per year, and a fatality rate of around 500,000 people annually. So far, current efforts across sub-Saharan Africa have yielded positive results. Zanzibar in particular is said to have seen prevalence levels drop to less than one percent in some areas, which is a huge jump from where it used to be at 40 percent.

The use of drones may end up being a perfect way to complement other methods to combat malaria and mosquitoes. For now, Hardys team will work on pushing an entire community towards a better understanding of drones and other technologies, and possibly even come up with better ways of using them.

Sources include:

WEForum.org

TheConversation.com
The man accused of plotting a terror attack at San Francisco's Pier 39 is slated to appear in a Fresno court on Thursday.

The court proceeding comes as San Francisco prepares for tens of thousands of people to flock to the city by the bay for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day festivities.

With an added emphasis on safety this year, those heading to San Francisco for the annual fireworks show will spot extra security officers patrolling city streets. Revelers will also have access to emergency text message alerts thanks to the Department of Emergency Management.

People interested in receiving the emergency alerts are encouraged to text the phrase "NYESF17" to 888-777.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to crowd under the fireworks in San Francisco to ring in the New Year. Extra security will be in place Sunday, and the Department of Emergency Management is adding a new safety tool: It's asking revelers to sign up for emergency text message alerts. Jean Elle reports.

San Francisco officials say there is no credible threat for the New Year's holiday, but they are reminding people to say something if they see anything suspicious.

Everitt Jameson, the man accused of plotting the attack, has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He is scheduled to appear in federal court at 2 p.m. for a detention hearing.
A Santa Rosa woman and avid decorator had her home leveled by the North Bay firestorm back in October, but the unimaginable loss and subsequent tribulation have not dampened her holiday spirit.

Stephanie Stauer, who works for Kaiser Permanente, has signed up to help spruce up her company's holiday float that will be on center stage during the annual Rose Parade in Southern California on New Year's Day.

Like scores of others, Stauer and her family were awakened to the sight of the sky "glowing orange" outside their Santa Rosa home on Oct. 9.

"There was a pounding at our door," Stauer recalls. "My husband thought someone was trying to break into the house so he went ready to tussle and it was somebody. It wasn't a first responder. It was not a neighbor. It was somebody else shouting, 'You need to evacuate. Fountaingrove is on fire.'"

Stauer, her family and four dogs were able to escape, but wind-whipped flames soon engulfed the house.

The holiday season this year for the Stauer family has been spent in temporary housing instead of their old home, which Stauer loved to decorate, sometimes with as many as five Christmas trees.

Instead of hanging tinsel and ornaments on a tree this year, Stauer has now been tasked with decorating the 55-foot float with sculpted fruits and flowers.

The idea of decorating the float has actually been on Stauer's mind since last year when a coworker first brought up the idea. Stauer at the time sent an email to those orchestrating the float's creation, but she didn't hear back until after the fires ignited.

Someone eventually circled back with Stauer and asked if she was still interested in putting her talents on display for this season's festivities.

"I said, 'pencil me in,' and let me go talk to the family," Stauer said. "And the family was like, 'Absolutely, mom, this is your wheel house. You have to do this.'"

Stauer will spend Thursday working on the float alongside hundreds of volunteers

The 129th Rose Parade kicks off at 8 a.m. on Monday. A Kaiser physician who helped evacuate patients from Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa after the fires started will be one of eight people riding on the float during the parade.
Homeowners are lining up in droves at local tax collection offices, hoping for one last chance to take advantage of a major tax deduction before it is wiped out in the new year.

The tax overhaul signed last week by Republican President Donald Trump puts a new $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local taxes people can deduct from their income when calculating their federal tax liability.

That new cap could translate into a tax hike of hundreds or even thousands of dollars in mostly wealthier, high-tax communities in California, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey and other states.

People in some communities are trying to effectively delay that hike for a year by paying their 2018 taxes in advance.

The IRS said Wednesday that some homeowners who prepay local property taxes due in 2018 will be able to claim the deduction on this year's returns, but only if the taxes have already been assessed and billed. People can't guess at what next year's assessment might be, pay it now and claim a deduction for that amount.

"A prepayment of anticipated real property taxes that have not been assessed prior to 2018 are not deductible in 2017," the IRS said on its website.

Prepayments have skyrocketed to $312.8 million, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said Thursday, calling the rush of homeowners looking to prepay a "tsunami."

According to Pappas, more than 60,000 homeowners have prepaid their taxes this month compared to 1,775 in 2016.

For those looking to prepay their taxes in Chicago's suburbs, here's a look at what you can do:

Cook County

Residents can prepay only the first installment of their 2017 property tax bills online at at cookcountytreasurer.com or by mail at:

Cook County Treasurer

PO Box 805436

Chicago, IL 60680-4155

The payments can also be made in person at the Cook County Treasurer's office or at any Chase Bank in Illinois with an original prepayment tax bill or an electronic PDF tax bill downloadable here.

Those who pay by Dec. 31 will see the prepayment on their January bills.

DuPage County

The DuPage County Treasurers Office is accepting prepayments for the 2017 tax year in the form of cash, check or credit card until 4:30 p.m. Dec. 29. The Treasurer will accept payments up to 105 percent of last years tax obligation. You may send a check via mail or make payment at the treasurer's office, located at 421 N. County Farm Rd. in Wheaton. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Kane County

Prepayment application forms are due at the treasurer's office by 4 p.m. Dec. 29.

Lake County

Prepayments can be made for tax year 2017 through Dec. 29, but the maximum amount the office can accept is the total tax due in calendar year 2017. Lesser amounts are acceptable. Cash will not be accepted, but checks can be made payable to the Lake County Treasurer.

Online bill pay payments made through your banks online bill pay service will also be accepted and there will be a drop box outside the North Entrance of the county courthouse where payments may be left.

Prepayments received by mail postmarked Dec. 29 or earlier will be accepted.

"Due to extremely high volume of prepayments, it is likely that longer than normal processing times may be encountered when making payments and for receiving receipts," the treasurer's office wrote on its website.

Receipts will be given to taxpayers who pay in person and will be mailed to taxpayers paying by mail, electronically or via the drop box.

"We strongly recommend that you consult with your accountant or other tax professional before making your prepayment," the treasurer's office wrote.

Mailed payments can be addressed to:

Lake County Treasurer Office

18 North County Street, Room 102

Waukegan, IL 60085

McHenry County

In order to prepay, residents must fill out and sign The Advance Tax Agreement and returned it to the treasurer's office with a check by Dec. 29.

You can pay any outstanding balance by the first installment due date.
Police are investigating a report of an attempted robbery and shooting at a south suburban gas station Thursday afternoon.

Authorities responded to the scene in the 700 block of East 142nd Street in Dolton just after noon. There, officials received reports of an attempted robbery with shots fired.

Details on what happened weren't immediately known.

A large police presence was at the scene Thursday afternoon, along with vehicles from Illinois State Police and the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Check back for more on this developing story.
Two dozen horses were killed when a fire broke out in a barn at Folly Farm in Simsbury Thursday morning.

Firefighters were called to the equestrian training and boarding farm at 75 Hartford Road around 6:45 a.m.

It took firefighters about 20 minutes to bring the fire in the farm's metal arena barn under control.

In a post on Facebook, the Folly Farm said 24 horses died in the fire.

"There are no words to express our sorrow this morning. The fire department is still investigating the possible cause of the fire in our arena barn however 24 of our beloved horses have passed away due to smoke inhalation. Our hearts are broken. These horses and our clients are our family. Thank you to everyone for the outpouring of support," the Facebook post said.



No horses survived, fire officials said. Farm and fire officials were notifying the horses' owners.

"Most of these horses were part of our Riding School and our Polo School, and three were privately owned. These gentle souls taught hundreds of children and adults how to ride, to play polo, and to love through the years," Alison Patricelli, general manager of Folly Farm, said in a statement. "They were the heart and soul of Folly Farm and of our lives."

Nineteen horses housed in other barns were not affected by the fire, Patricelli said.

Fire Marshal Kevin Kowalski said the fire's point of origin was in the Paddock utility closet and the most probable cause of the fire is accidental, caused by a 110-volt receptacle arcing. He said connected to the receptacle was a heater that kept the pipes from freezing.

Folly Farm is a 175-acre, family-owned farm about 10 miles northwest of Hartford that offers horse riding and competition lessons, boarding and polo instruction.
People who evacuated from Puerto Rico because of hurricanes months ago are grateful for shelters and warming centers during Connecticut's cold spell this week.

Ruthie Williams is staying in New Britain at the Friendship Center on Arch Street.

"Its really cold out here," Williams told NBC Connecticut.

The shelter is providing meals and a warm place for people sleep out of the bitter cold.

"Its bad because if I come outside and Im not properly dressed. Ill catch an asthma attack because of the heat, coming into the cold," Williams said.

The Friendship Center accommodates 52 people year-round and with the bitter cold this week, the executive director said they can take in 18 more.

This week, 211 Connecticut line has assisted 231 calls from people who fled Puerto Rico following devastating hurricanes and 2,428 people in total. The kinds of assistance provided includes FEMA help, housing, disaster case management, clothing, SNAP assistance and jobs.

As of Dec. 19, the total number of students from Puerto Rico who have enrolled in Connecticut Public Schools is 1,772.

Maria Reyes, who was also displaced from Puerto Rico, said housing and medical supplies are her greatest need. She left her home after losing everything and arrived in Connecticut on Christmas day. She said she's used to the much warmer weather back home.

"Im doing the best I can. I just got here. Looking for the help theyve given me and I appreciate it," Reyes told NBC Connecticut.

Reyes is thankful to the relief center at Capitol Region Education Council (CREC). They are providing food, clothing, gift cards and new found friendships to Reyes and others like Miriam Barrera.

For Barrera, the cold weather has taken its toll.

"With the cold temperature, Im depressed," Barrera said.

Governor Dannel Malloy said he has a whole team working to help those who fled Puerto Rico for Connecticut.

"We are attempting to get the federal government to help us and so Ive asked for instance if someone was eligible for a housing subsidy in Puerto Rico make them eligible for a housing subsidy in Connecticut. It just makes sense we are concerned I think on Jan. 13 a number of temporary relief efforts the federal government has funded will expire weve asked for those to be suspended as well, I have a whole list of folks working on this on a daily basis," Malloy said.

The communications director at the CREC relief center said they need volunteers and donations to help those who have come to Connecticut.

The governor activated its severe cold weather protocol to ensure adequate shelter space during the severe cold weather through Jan. 2, 2018.

Head online to www.211ct.org to find warming centers in your community.
Claire's stores nationwide have pulled nine items from store shelves after a family in Rhode Island says they found asbestos in their 6-year-old's makeup, NBC affliate WJAR reported.

Kristi Warner said she had been concerned about the ingredients of the makeup, so she sent it to an independent lab in North Carolina.

Test results showed tremolite asbestos was inside the glitter makeup kit, a toxic, cancer causing material.

Warner took the results to her employer, Deaton Law Firm, which then purchased 17 more Claire's products from nine different states and sent them all in for further testing.



Every product tested by Scientific Analytical Institute came back positive for tremolite asbestos.

The results of the test were shared with WJAR, which is based in Providence Rhode Island.



Claire's issued a response to the investigation: "As a result of today's inquiry from WJAR, we have taken the precautionary measure of pulling the items in question from sale, and will be conducting an immediate investigation into the alleged issues."

You can see a full list of the items pulled from store shelves by clicking here.

Claire's posted this statement on its website:

"At Claires the safety of our customers is of paramount importance, and we are passionate about the safety and integrity of our products. We work closely with our vendors to ensure our products are tested and assessed in line with the relevant country regulations and guidelines. As a result of todays inquiry from WJAR-TV, we have taken the precautionary measure of pulling the items in question from sale (pictured below), and will be conducting an immediate investigation into the alleged issues. Once we have more information and have the results of the investigation we will take the necessary action. If you have items you wish to return in the interim period we will issue a refund."
MADISON  Gov. Scott Walkers administration on Wednesday calculated that the typical family of four in Wisconsin will get a $2,508 tax cut under the Republican tax overhaul signed into law last week.

The analysis drew criticism from Democrats and others who said Walkers Department of Revenue cherry picked the most favorable numbers to cast the tax cut in the best light possible.

Walkers analysis looked only at the impact on a typical family of four with two children eligible for an expanded child care tax credit. He did not offer any numbers showing the impact on other families with more or fewer qualifying children, or on single filers or couples with no children.

The governor said in a news release that the Revenue Department was still looking at the full impact of the new law on Wisconsin taxpayers. The changes take effect on income earned in 2018 for taxes that will be paid in 2019.

Walkers analysis also did not look at what happens beyond the first year of the tax cut. Multiple analyses of the law have found that middle class tax cuts will gradually fade and then morph into tax hikes as individual tax cuts expire after 2025.

Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance president Todd Berry said the biggest problem with Walkers analysis is that it chose a two-income, two-child family which is no longer typical.

The largest number of filers in Wisconsin are single, Berry said. And, among those who file jointly, two kids of tax credit age are less and less the norm.

The analysis does show the positive impact of doubling the child care tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000, Berry said. It also shows that for many taxpayers, the process of filing a return will get simpler as they will take the $24,000 standard deduction over itemizing state and local taxes, the deduction of which will now be capped at $10,000.

Democrats argued that the biggest problem is the GOP tax plan benefits corporations and the wealthy more than the middle class.

Its the unfairness of the plan that is the flaw, said Scot Ross, director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now. When you have $1.5 trillion in deficit spending, certainly some cherry picked families will come out ahead for a little while.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling said Democrats want to restore tax fairness and create a better deal for communities, children and working families.

But Walker stood by the analysis, touting the family of fours projected $2,508 tax cut.

Thats $200 a month more in the pockets of the typical Wisconsin family, Walker said. Thats real money.
Dollar General announced plans Wednesday to open the states second distribution center in Longview, about 130 miles east of Dallas, which will bring 400 jobs to the area.

The distribution center will serve about 1,000 retail locations throughout Texas and the southeast.

Authorities at the general store chain say factors that were considered for choosing a location included the local business environment, local workforce and the availability of local and state economic incentives.

"Texas' dynamic and booming economy is attracting new businesses every day, and we are honored to welcome Dollar General's new distribution center to Longview as the latest example," said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. "I am proud that companies like Dollar General continue to invest in our top-notch workforce, and I am excited about this partnership and the positive impact it will have on the Longview community."

Construction should begin in early 2018 pending required of permits and development approvals.

Dollar General opened its first Texas distribution center in San Antonio in 2016.

The company didnt include when or where job seekers can apply for the new facility.

To search for Dollar General careers, go here.
Homeowners are lining up in droves at local tax collection offices, hoping for one last chance to take advantage of a major tax deduction before it is wiped out in the new year.

In Hempstead, town Tax Receiver Donald Clavin said "thousands" of people packed his office Tuesday trying to pay their 2018 property and school taxes a year in advance.

"This is almost chaotic," Oyster Bay Tax Receiver James Stefanich told Newsday . He said homeowners began lining up in the cold an hour before his office opened.

Similar scenes played out at tax collection offices around the country in places with high local taxes.

The tax overhaul signed last week by Republican President Donald Trump puts a new $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local taxes people can deduct from their income when calculating their federal tax liability.

That new cap could translate into a tax hike of hundreds or even thousands of dollars in mostly wealthier, high-tax communities in California, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey and other states.

People in some communities are trying to effectively delay that hike for a year by paying their 2018 taxes in advance

The IRS said Wednesday that some homeowners who prepay local property taxes due in 2018 will be able to claim the deduction on this year's returns, but only if the taxes have already been assessed and billed. People can't guess at what next year's assessment might be, pay it now and claim a deduction for that amount.

"A prepayment of anticipated real property taxes that have not been assessed prior to 2018 are not deductible in 2017," the IRS said on its website.

That distinction wasn't always clear to people flooding into local taxes offices after Christmas, or to the officials trying to help them. But most thought it was worth a try.

"I know later on it is going to hurt me," Scott Arbuse, of East Meadow, New York, said of the disappearing tax deduction as he waited to make a payment. "But at least I save some money now."

Across the country, Steve Sheffield made the same calculation as he went to pay his taxes in Sacramento, California.

"My accountant told me it was the thing to do," Sheffield told the Sacramento Bee . "Next year, I probably won't be able to itemize."
Summer-like temperatures once again will intrude into winter Friday, with highs climbing into the mid-80s again.

Friday will mark the third consecutive day of above-average temperatures in Southern California.

Woodland Hills reached a high of 88 degrees Thursday, breaking the record for Dec. 27 -- 86 degrees, set in 1963, according to the National Weather Service. It was the second day a record was broken in Woodland Hills, where Friday's high was forecast to be 85.

Woodland Hills was expected to be the hottest spot in the nation Thursday, but that distinction ended up going to Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, which hit a high of 89. With much of the nation under a deep freeze, there's a 90 percent chance that the nation's highest temperatures Friday once again will be in Southern California.

A record was also reached near the Antelope Valley in Sandberg, which hit 70 degrees Thursday, breaking the 2013 record for the date of 69 degrees.

Two elements generally produce above-normal temperatures -- upper-level high pressure and weak offshore winds. We're experiencing both.

Rain had earlier been expected to materialize by New Year's Day, but that won't happen. It will take several more days for any precipitation to show up.

The dry start to Southern California's rain season, which began Oct. 1, is not a good sign -- the period October to December accounts for 27 percent of the total rainfall in an average season. January through March typically account for 63 percent of the rain in an average year.

A strong ridge of high pressure is partly to blame. It's keeping the jet stream to the north, ushering wet weather into the Pacific Northwest. That ridge was in a different location last year, contributing to a conveyor belt of moisture directed at California.

On the positive side, there will be no rain this week in Pasadena, the site of the Rose Bowl and the Rose Parade. Expect a high of 74 under partly cloudy skies on Monday, New Year's Day. Since 1890, it has rained on the Rose Parade only 10 times.

Two heat records for Dec. 27 were set in Los Angeles County Wednesday, when the temperatures reached 86 in the San Fernando Valley, breaking the record of 85 set in 2013, and 70 degrees in Sandberg, a mountain location near the Antelope Valley, breaking the record 67 set in 2013.

The NWS forecast sunny skies in Los Angeles County Thursdayand highs of 70 in Lancaster; 71 in Palmdale and on Mt. Wilson; 73 in Avalon; 77 in Saugus; 78 at LAX; 80 in Long Beach; 82 in Pasadena, Burbank and San Gabriel;and 86 in Woodland Hills.

LA County temperatures are forecast to decline marginally Friday, more sharply on Saturday, then remain mostly in the low to mid 70s through Wednesday, including a high of 74 under partly cloudy skies on New Year's Day in Pasadena, where the Rose Parade will take place.

Sunny skies were forecast in Orange County Thursday, along with highs of 68 in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 70 in Newport Beach; 78 in Anaheim and Irvine; 80 in Fullerton and Mission Viejo; and 82 in Yorba Linda.

Orange County temperatures will again be as high as the low 80s Friday, then decline by several degrees on Sunday and remain in the high 60s and low 70s at least through Wednesday, including on New Year's Day.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District said air quality Thursday would be unhealthful for sensitive groups in several areas of Southern California, including the coast, metropolitan Los Angeles, all of Orange County, and portions of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Sensitive groups include people with heart disease and such respiratory ailments as asthma. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said such people should minimize outdoor activities, and children with these conditions should stay indoors as much as possible and avoid outdoor physical activities.
A Florida man has been arrested after DNA evidence linked him to a 22-year-old rape case.

Lee County Sheriff's deputies arrested Paul S. Jacob on Tuesday. He's charged with the sexual battery of a minor.

The News-Press reports the victim called the sheriff's office on Dec. 9, 1995. She said that a man driving a red vehicle had offered to take her to get something to eat at a restaurant. Instead, he drove to a wooded area and raped her. He drove her to an apartment complex and let her go.

Undersheriff Carmine Marceno says Jacob was identified as a result of a DNA match. He is being held without bond in jail. Records don't list a lawyer for Jacob.
What to Know Swedish artist Carolina Falkholt painted a four-story-tall phallus on the side of a building in the Lower East Side over the weekend

It appears she never got permission from the building owner to do so -- and the installation had been painted over by Wednesday afternoon

The controversial painting sparked heated discussion on the artist's social media page and in the community

The shocked owner of a Manhattan building covered in an artist's four-story installation of a colorful phallus has painted over the artwork less than a week after it popped up.

The 40-foot painting appeared on the side of an apartment building on Broome Street between Forsyth and Eldridge Streets on the Lower East Side on Christmas Eve, sparking a range of reaction varying from outrage to praise and laughter.

"It's crazy. It's crazy," said passerby Robert Collins on Wednesday. "It's weird."

Susan Demmet shrugged it off, saying, "It looks fine. It's abstract."

Sal Valvo said of the phallus -- painted in pink, orange, purple and red -- "Some genitals on the wall, it's probably a bit vulgar. It's kind of funny."

Swedish artist Carolina Falkholt said the mural and another, which shows a more abstract depiction of a vagina on Pike Street, were "about not being ashamed of your body and who you are as a sexual being."

"Talking about these subjects in public space is a must for a healthy, nonviolent community/world," she said. "And the dialogue created around feminist public art pieces raises awareness."

The piece was commissioned by a street art foundation called The New Allen, which is run by a Peruvian restaurant nearby called Baby Brassa.

But it appears neither the artist or the foundation ever got permission from the building owner to put up the provocative mural.

When reached for comment Wednesday, a woman who answered the phone at the company that owns the building had no idea of the phallic painting. Within hours, workers showed up with scaffolding, apparently getting ready to paint over the mural. By 4:30 p.m., the bright pink penis painting had been painted over gray.

The building superintendent, Jason Estrada, also told News 4 on Wednesday that "no one knew, absolutely not."

But, he added, "It's art, man. At the end of the day, it's freedom of expression. I'm into street art, and I like it. It doesn't bother me."

News 4 has reached out again to Falkholt for a response to her mural being painted over.

The New Allen hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment but in an email to a community leader who complained about the artwork, a representative with the group apologized for offending her and said the installation was only meant to be on display until Jan. 18.

"As you know we work with several artists and try to bring street art for everyone to enjoy. The last piece is definitely a very strong statement that we discussed with the artist but she had some pretty good points in order to make this piece," said the representative in the email.



Falkholt's own Instagram profile was the site of much of the controversial discussion after the artist posted an image of the giant painting on Sunday.

"I have never heard so much laughter and seen so many happy faces behind my back when painting as for today doing this wall on Broome Street," wrote the graffiti artist.

But some people living and walking in the area say they found it offensive.

"It's nasty. No one should put that up there," said Kes Hunt.

Others defended the work. Lower East Side resident Tom Spaulding told News 4 Wednesday, "She's put a lot of effort into it. She's passionate about what she does. It's causing great reaction. People are talking about it, well done."

"I don't think it should come down. Leave it up there. Who cares, I think it's decent," said John Lekovic.

Falkholt is a Swedish artist in New York as part of the International Studio and Curatorial Program. Her works, which have been featured in several European museums, often feature the female body and are meant to challenge gender stereotypes.

"Art is one of the only places left where we can truly be free and discuss whatever difficult topics there are, since art has the ability to translate and transform language in any direction possible," she said.
What to Know Four people were found dead in a basement apartment in Troy, New York, a city known for its Louis Comfort Tiffany stained-glass windows

A property manager found the victims; authorities said Wednesday they include a 5-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy and their mom

"We're going to do everything we can to look into this and get to the bottom of what happened here," the local police captain said

Police worked Wednesday to try and unravel the mystery of who killed a woman, her partner and her two young children, whose bodies were found in a riverfront apartment house in upstate New York the day after Christmas.

"After being in this business for 43 years, I can't describe the savagery of a person who would do this," Troy Police Chief John Tedesco said.

Authorities released the names of the victims Thursday: 36-year-old Shanta Myers; her children, 11-year-old Jeremiah and 5-year-old Shanise; and 22-year-old Brandi Mells. Police say the women were in a relationship.



Few other details have been released since a property manager found the bodies Tuesday after being asked to check on the welfare of the residents of the apartment, one of five in a house located in the city's Lansingburgh section along the Hudson River just north of Albany.

Police didn't know when the slayings occurred, but Tedesco said he hoped autopsies being conducted Wednesday would provide clues. State police were involved in the investigation along with New York parole officials, Tedesco said.

"This will be a full-court press, if you will, until we bring someone to justice," he said, adding that police were seeking any information the public may have about the crime.

Investigators remained at the scene Wednesday. Police cars blocked vehicles from approaching the home, which is set amid older, restored houses. Yellow crime tape was stretched across the street, running along the river's east bank. Few people ventured out on the snow-covered sidewalks in temperatures in the teens.

"This heinous atrocity is unimaginable, incomprehensible. I believe it affects the whole community," said the Rev. Jackie Robinson, pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church in Troy, who did not know the family. "Kids are traumatized. A lot of adults are traumatized too, because this monster is still out there."

Victory Christian Church of Albany offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.

The Troy City School District, partnering with the Boys and Girls Club, planned to offer grief counseling Friday morning at Troy Middle School.

"Our hearts are broken and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their family and loved ones during this terribly troubling time," School Superintendent John Carmello said in a statement. He said a crisis response team will be on hand next week when children return from holiday recess.

Robinson said Jeremiah, who was called JJ, loved basketball and was a regular at the Boys and Girls Club. "Everyone down there is crying," Robinson said. "He was well-mannered, respectful, happy all the time."

Robinson said "everyone in the neighborhood loved and respected" Shanta Myers, who he said worked as a bus monitor at one time.

Tracy Coleman, who said she's a cousin of the Myers family, posted a message on her Facebook page saying "Our family does not wish to speak at this time. Our hearts are shattered."

The block where the victims lived remained closed to traffic Thursday as the investigation continued, police said.
What to Know Neighbors who heard a crying 3-year-old child went to find out what was wrong and found the toddler's 22-year-old mother dead nearby

Hours later, the victim's husband Barry Wells was taken into custody in connection with her death

Barry Wells has one prior arrest for allegedly assaulting his wife Tonie in September; he was out on $5,000 bail, authorities said

The husband of a 22-year-old woman found dead on the basement steps of her home in Brooklyn after a neighbor responded to the cries of a 3-year-old girl is in custody and charges against him are pending, police said Thursday.



The suspect, Barry Wells, was apprehended with the help of the New Rochelle Police Department Wednesday evening, about eight hours after Tonie Wells was found dead on the steps of her own Sterling Place home in Crown Heights.

Law enforcement sources say the couple were fighting in the street, and Tonie Wells screamed to a neighbor who was walking a dog to call police. That neighbor, and others nearby, called 911, but when officers arrived the couple was no longer outside.

The officers didn't get out of their patrol car, and though they were given an address for the couple, they didn't knock on the door. They reported no sign of distress.

Those officers have been suspended as the NYPD investigates how their response to the 911 call.



"The entire incident, including any potential communication and response issues are being reviewed by the Department," an NYPD spokesman said in a statement.



Barry Wells was initially taken to a hospital after mentioning he had tried to commit suicide, which police say he didn't do, then brought to a precinct, where he remained in custody for much of the day Thursday. Later he was taken to another hospital for a psych evaluation.



Investigators say his wife Tonie Wells had bruising to the neck and appears to have been pushed down the stairs, though officials are awaiting autopsy results to determine an official cause of death. Authorities say Barry Wells has one prior arrest for allegedly assaulting his wife in September and was out on bail.



Tonie Wells' toddler, who was found near her mother's body, was not hurt.




Plunging temperatures across half the country on Thursday underscored a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars aren't going to go as far this winter because of rising energy costs.

Forecasters warned people to be wary of hypothermia and frostbite from an arctic blast that's gripping a large swath from the Midwest to the Northeast, where the temperature, without the wind chill factored in, dipped to minus 32 (minus 35 Celsius) on Thursday morning in Watertown, New York.

Even before the cold snap, the Department of Energy projected that heating costs were going to track upward this winter, and many people are keeping a wary eye on their fuel tanks to ensure they don't run out.

The burden caused by higher prices and higher energy usage is felt by all Americans, especially those who struggle to stay warm.

Elizabeth Parker, 88, of Sanford, Maine, said she lives in fear of running out of heating fuel and remains vigilant in monitoring the gauge outside her trailer. She said she is allowed to request a fuel delivery thanks to federal aid, but only when her gauge dips to one-eighth of a tank.

"I couldn't get along without it," said Parker, who lives with her husband, Robert Parker, 93, along with a cat, a dog and four birds.

Prolonged, dangerous cold weather this week has sent advocates for the homeless scrambling to get people off the streets and to bring in extra beds for them. Warming centers also were set up in some locations. Frozen pipes and dead car batteries added to the misery across the region.

President Donald Trump said the East Coast could be facing "the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record" and poked fun at scientists who say the earth, in general, is getting warmer.

"Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against," Trump tweeted. "Bundle up!"

In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Years Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2017

Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about climate change science, calling global warming a "hoax" created by the Chinese, and has announced his intention to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing greenhouse gas production. The U.N.'s weather and climate agency, though, has said 2017 is on track to be the hottest year on record aside from those impacted by the El Nino phenomenon.

In western New York and Erie, Pennsylvania, residents were still cleaning up from massive snowfall. Firefighters had to use a bucket loader to rescue someone trapped in her home in Lorraine, New York.

In Ohio, a dog was found frozen solid on the porch of a house in Toledo, and a third body was recovered near a car that slid off an icy road and flipped into a canal days earlier in the city of Oregon.

Despite the cold, there was some good news for recipients of federal aid from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Trump, a Republican, released nearly $3 billion, or roughly 90 percent, of the funding in October after previously trying to eliminate the program.

But projected energy cost increases will effectively reduce the purchasing power by $330 million, making it imperative that the remaining funds be released, said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association.

This winter, energy costs were projected to grow by 12 percent for natural gas, 17 percent for home heating oil, 18 percent for propane and 8 percent for electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Energy prices may even be higher than those projections. According to Wolfe, colder weather could lead to even higher levels of consumption, and resulting prices could push the cost of winter heating up to $1,800 this winter for those using heating oil, 45 percent more than last year's level.

In North Carolina, the governor signed an emergency declaration to allow heating fuel to be more easily distributed during the chilly blast.

On Thursday, cold weather records were set from Arkansas to Maine, and the cold air will linger through the weekend, reaching as far south as Texas and the Florida Panhandle through the weekend.

In New Hampshire, the cold set a record for the day of minus 34 (minus 37 Celsius) atop the Northeast's highest peak, Mount Washington, where a video was posted showing a weather observer emptying a pitcher of boiling water into the air, where it immediately turns to snow.

In the Midwest, temperatures in Minneapolis aren't expected to top zero (minus 18 Celsius) this weekend, and it likely will be in the teens (minus 11 Celsius to minus 7 Celsius) when the ball drops on New Year's Eve in New York City.

It was so cold officials in New Jersey canceled a New Year's Day polar bear plunge, in which swimmers dash into the Atlantic Ocean.

A winter storm warning was in effect for much of Montana, calling for significant snowfall followed by dangerously cold temperatures as 2017 comes to an end.
A multi-million dollar pipeline project intended to bring desalinated water from Mexico to Otay Mesa is off the table indefinitely after years of planning.

The Otay Water District began environmental reviews in 2010 on a plan to build a 3.5 mile pipeline to transport desalinated water from a new plant in Rosarito, Mexico to its reservoir in Otay Mesa.

The district received a crucial permit from the U.S. government in May, allowing it to build the cross-border pipeline.

NBC 7 first reported on the project in February.

The goal was to begin construction on the pipeline within three years and put the desalinated water into the drinking water supply in about six years.

However, a staff report from a Dec. 6 meeting of the Otay Water District Desalination Project Committee noted repeated delays in funding for the plant, which has yet to be built.

NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 contacted the Secretary General's office in Baja, California, and learned Mexico has no intention of selling the desalinated water to the U.S.

A spokesperson shared a statement from Francisco Rueda Gomez, the Secretary General of Baja California.

"There is no interest or plan to export water to the U.S. There are plans for the water to serve the community for the next 50 years. The water produced will be exclusively for Baja Californians and whoever is saying otherwise, is a lie."

The Otay Water District has already spent $4.1 million on the pipeline project, mostly for environmental reviews. It had set aside $6.5 million.

The Dec. 6 committee report stated: "Staff has stopped all activities concerning this Project. All expenditures will be suspended until more progress is made in Mexico on the project."

A link on the Otay Water District's website detailing the pipeline project has been taken down. A spokesperson said it is revising the content.

The water district began looking into potential desalination sites in Mexico in 2005, as an option to diversify its water supply.

But with leadership changes in both Mexico and the U.S., along with an impending border wall, a cross-border pipeline could be stalled permanently.

The Otay Water District serves about 222,000 customers.
Authorities in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are downplaying an initial assessment by the Trump Administration that a shooting spree in the capital city last week was an act of terrorism.



Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said Thursday friends and relatives of Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty describe him as depressed, and he's believed to have acted alone during the Friday shooting that left a Pennsylvania State trooper shot.

Last Saturday, Tyler Houlton, acting director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, characterized the shooting as a "terror attack" in a statement posted to Twitter. Houlton went on to criticize how El-Mofty was granted citizenship through extended family chain migration.

Marisco said investigators have not connected the Egyptian immigrant to any organized terror group or terrorist activity. The 51-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen has no prior criminal record, police said.

"Mr. El-Mofty, at this point in time, acted alone, and we believe there is no further threat," Marisco said.

Police shot and killed El-Mofty about a mile from where the shooting began near Pennsylvania's State Capitol building. Authorities say they found two propane tanks on El-Mofty's person  one in a fanny pack and one near the car.

Eric Heisler / Dauphin County District Attorney's Office

Marsico says the divorced El-Mofty was said to be depressed over lack of contact with his family and had money problems. He's unsure what motivated El-Mofty.

The trooper was treated for what Marsico called a slight wound.

The prosecutor's preliminary finding suggests police were justified in shooting El-Mofty.
Police in Massachusetts are looking for a suspect they said stabbed a gas station cashier over the weekend.

According to Quincy Police, a man entered Bonfiglioli's Auto Saturday afternoon purporting to be a customer looking for a lottery ticket. When the cashier came from behind the counter to explain they do not carry tickets, surveillance video showed the man then lunged at him with a knife.

"It's disturbing to watch," said owner Stephen Bonfiglioli.

After a robbery at gunpoint earlier this year, Bonfiglioli installed a new security system to address safety concerns. He did not, however, expect another attack to happen so suddenly.

"It's tough," said Bonfiglioli. "You try to come to work every day and you have to deal with stuff that shouldn't happen."

Based on the video, police said the suspect was 5 feet, 9 inches tall, wearing jeans and a dark coat. After he charged the cashier, the men wrestled over the knife in the shop and the parking lot. The man then cut the cashier's hand before running away.

"It's traumatic for them," said Bonfiglioli. "Hopefully, they'll get him."

According to police, they have received several tips in connection with the case.
We obviously cant prosecute when there is no defendant

LEGAL proceedings into the death of a Thatcham woman have ended after the man who was accused of killing the mother-of-two died in prison.

Thirty-two-year-old John Wright, from The Hollands, Thatcham, was due to appear at Reading Crown Court on Friday, December 15, charged with murdering Janine Bowater.

However, prosecutor Michael Roques made the announcement in court that Mr Wright had been found dead the previous night.

Speaking at Reading Crown Court last week, Mr Roques said because the trial was at such early proceedings at the time of Mr Wrights death, there had been no indictment drawn up.

He said: As your honour knows, Mr Wright died and the case was adjourned in order for the prosecution to obtain evidence of the death.

We have now got that evidence. The crown are satisfied we have done what we must."

As such, Mr Roques made a request to discontinue the case, which was accepted by the judge.

Speaking outside of court Mr Roques said: Theres no further comment I can make.

We obviously cant prosecute when there is no defendant.
The randomized controlled trial of more than 2,000 people in Lambeth and Southwark was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and King's College London, in partnership with SH:24, a digital sexual health service.

The study found testing uptake was nearly doubled in a group that was invited to use internet-accessed STI testing (e-STI testing) compared to a group which was invited to use existing services at health clinics (50% e-STI testing group compared to 26.6% control group). Participants were free to use any other service or intervention during the study period.

The researchers say e-STI testing should be considered as a complement to existing services, and as an effective measure to increase uptake of STI testing. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of e-STI testing on treatment and health outcomes.

STIs remain a global public health concern, with an estimated 357 million new infections of curable STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis) each year. In England there were more than 400,000 new diagnoses of STIs, and 5,684 new cases of HIV, in 2015.

In 2016 there were more than 100,000 new STIs diagnosed in London residents and London accounted for almost half of new HIV diagnoses in the UK in 2015 (4). The burden of infection is disproportionately high among young adults (under 25 years), black minority and ethnic (BME) groups and men who have sex with men (MSM).

Left undiagnosed and untreated, STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can increase the risk of HIV transmission and cause a range of health issues including subfertility and ectopic pregnancy. Low rates of HIV testing contribute to late diagnosis and poorer health outcomes.

First author Emma Wilson from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said:

"E-STI testing is currently being implemented in the UK as one measure to meet increasing demand for STI testing, but there is surprisingly little evidence on whether it successfully encourages uptake. Our study, the first of its kind, aimed to investigate the effectiveness of e-STI testing for syphilis, HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhea."

In the trial participants were randomly allocated to receive one of two text messages. The control group was sent a text message with a link listing the locations, contact details and websites of seven local sexual health clinics. The intervention group received a message linking them to the e-STI testing and results service, SH:24.

The group given details of SH:24 was offered postal self-sampling test kits for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and syphilis, and when returned, were given results via text message or telephone and provided with online information about safe sex and sexual health. Participants were free to use any other services or interventions during the study period.

Joint senior investigator Caroline Free from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said:

"Sexual health clinics play an important role in community health but some people may find them inconvenient or stigmatizing, which can stop them attending. More long-term monitoring and evaluation of e-STI testing services is needed, but our study showed that when e-STI testing was made available alongside face-to-face services, the number of people getting tested for STIs nearly doubled."

Researchers found that participants diagnosed using e-STI testing, and who needed follow-up treatment in clinic, did not have any reduction in treatment time, compared to those who had first attended a face-to-face appointment. Service innovations, such as e-treatment and postal treatment, may help improve treatment rates for people diagnosed with STIs online.

Joint senior investigator Dr Paula Baraitser from Kings College London, said:

"Although the intervention group were given information to access an e-STI service, some of them chose to use face-to-face services instead of e-STI testing. Therefore it is important that both online and clinical based services are available to meet the differing needs of people.

"As sexual health services develop we would like to see further work aligning online and clinic based services. Going forward we advise joint commissioning of these different modalities of care to ensure that users are able to move easily from one to another according to their health care needs, allowing continuity of care."

The authors acknowledge the limitations of the study, including that they were unable to recruit the target of 3,000 participants, meaning they were unable to detect differences in STI diagnoses and STI cases treated. It is also likely that those who registered for the study already had a greater interest in STI testing, compared to those who declined.
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DANBURY  Western Connecticut State University has rolled out the first phases of its expanded behavioral health program and is looking to improve on the effort after the winter break thanks to a recent grant.

The $1.6 million grant  the largest the university has received  will be disbursed as four annual payments of $421,000. The funds were awarded through the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, which was reauthorized as part of U.S. Sen. Chris Murphys Mental Health Reform Act.

In the future, it will help schools and clinics have better safety and crisis protocol, said Gabriel Lomas, a professor and the projects director, who applied for the grant.

The money allows the university to hire an additional faculty member and accept 10 more students into the graduate program, bringing the total to 40. It also covers monthly seminars or training sessions, as well as stipends for students who are gaining experience in the field.

Jessica Benson, a graduate student in the program from Milford, said the seminars enhance what they learn in class and allow them to hear from professionals in the field, as well as build connections. If we need to reach out for clients in the field, we have these people in our back pocket, she said.

Benson said the need for mental health training and ways to handle crises is more important in an ever-changing world.

The training sessions are also open to the students site supervisors and other stakeholders, such as the regional crisis team, which assists western Connecticut schools in crisis response preparation.

Lomas said the project wouldnt have been possible without the grant because of the associated expenses.

Brittni Lourenco, a graduate student from New Milford, said in order to meet her internship hours she has to take a day off each week from her job. She said the stipend helps cover the costs of that missed day.

It takes a huge weight off my shoulders, she said.

Brian McCarley, a graduate student and Danbury resident, said its challenging for many students to meet their internship hours while also working full-time and so many have to cut back to part-time positions. He said the stipend helps them cover the costs of bills and rent that their full-time position would have covered.

He said the grant has also allowed more people to get involved in the field.

Its brought a lot more interest and eyes on this program, McCarley said, adding that the field and need for mental health professionals is growing. Its not going anywhere.

The students also said placing students in schools and with primary care doctors helps bring more awareness to the field and reduces the stigma associated with mental health. It also increases access to treatment.

Theres such a lack of accessible care, Benson said. The grant allows more people to have the ability to treat the client in need.

Having mental health professionals in a variety of places increases access for people who need the services and helps place all of the people who interact with the client on the same page. It also opens the care to people who might not have seen a therapist before and can provide help earlier.

Having people integrated into primary care is really going to do a lot to close that gap, Lomas said.

Lourenco said she is most excited about the National Organization for Victim Assistance training next month, which is new to Connecticut. The classes will train the students at the highest level, which will then allow them to train others and increase the number of professionals in the state certified in this type of crisis response.

Its programs like this that Lomas hopes will make the program sustainable and allow it continue after the grant funds end. He said it will also translate to better mental health services in the area.

Most of our students stay in the area and thats why it will make such an impact on this part of the state, Lomas said.

kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345
Material and engineering researchers at East Chinas Zhejiang University unveiled a super aluminum-graphene battery that can be fully charged in 5 seconds and then last for two hours.

They claim to have developed a novel aluminum-graphene battery that is more cold-resistant, can work in temperatures ranging from -40 C to 120 C and is less flammable.

The battery, which has a positive pole made up of graphene thin film and a negative pole of aluminum, can retain 91 percent of its capacity even after 250,000 charge/discharge circles, a marked improvement compared with the lithium battery.

Science Advances  Ultrafast all-climate aluminum-graphene battery with quarter-million cycle life

Abstract

Rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries are promising in high-power density but still face critical challenges of limited lifetime, rate capability, and cathodic capacity. We design a trihigh tricontinuous (3H3C) graphene film cathode with features of high quality, orientation, and channeling for local structures (3H) and continuous electron-conducting matrix, ion-diffusion highway, and electroactive mass for the whole electrode (3C). Such a cathode retains high specific capacity of around 120 mAh g1 at ultrahigh current density of 400 A g1 (charged in 1.1 s) with 91.7% retention after 250,000 cycles, surpassing all the previous batteries in terms of rate capability and cycle life. The assembled aluminum-graphene battery works well within a wide temperature range of 40 to 120C with remarkable flexibility bearing 10,000 times of folding, promising for all-climate wearable energy devices. This design opens an avenue for a future super-batteries.

If a smartphone used such a super battery, it would last up to 70 years without losing its capacity, even with 10 charges every day. In terms of charging time, the super battery, when used by a smartphone, could be charged in 5 seconds and used as long as two hours, the research team said.

But industry expert Zheng Jiatu, deputy managing director of the China Electric Vehicle Charging Technology and Industry Alliance, said he is doubtful of the results published by the team.

These figures must be read with some caution, Zheng said, noting that even testing 250,000 charge/discharge cycles would itself take a very long time.

The announced results are more likely the results of a simulated data model, rather than results from prototype testing, Zheng said.

The team said there is a long way ahead, with many obstacles to overcome before commercialization. They also said that the super battery is inferior to the lithium battery in terms of energy intensity.
CROMWELL  For 40 years, Margaret Ashby has called the early 1970s four-bedroom Coles Road ranch her home. Its where she and her ex-husband raised their four children three boys and a girl.

However, an electrical fire in her adult sons bedroom three years ago changed everything.

Ashby and her son were sleeping Oct. 31, 2014, when the blaze began just after 10:30 p.m. She awoke from the sound of her bedroom door slamming shut. The entire home was filled with smoke.

In her hurry to get her son and herself out of the home, Ashby fell down the stairs, breaking her back and splitting her head open, she recalls. Her phone wasnt working but somehow, some way, Ashby made it outside to call for help.

I was able to get up, go to my neighbors and tell him to call 911, she said.

She had no idea she was injured.

I guess I was in shock, but I had no pain, she said. It was drizzling a little bit. What I thought was drizzle was blood.

Ashby and her son were both hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

Their four dogs  all Shih Tzus  died in the blaze. Her cat, a Maine coon, was lost for days until the folks at ServPro, who were cleaning up her home after the fire, put down some food for her. Mikala had been hiding downstairs and was OK.

I visited Margaret for the very first time at the hospital, said Marie Leavitt, accounts liaison at Servpro of Middletown/New Britain, which helps people recover from disasters like fires. I gave her the good news about her cat.

But there was also bad news. Ashbys homeowners insurance had lapsed and wouldnt cover any of the damage from the fire.

I was planning to buy a new policy for my home with my November Social Security check, Ashby said. The fire changed all of that.

Leavitt said Servpro tried to help investigate why there was no insurance on the house and how to get new coverage, but there was no way of getting anywhere until the fire damage had been taken care of and the house was starting to be rebuilt.

After the fire, Ashby spent several weeks in the hospital and then was moved to Apple Rehab in Middletown. While there, she suffered a heart attack.

It was just everything, Ashby said. Knowing that I was homeless. I had the house, but I couldnt live in it because I had no insurance to repair it. I was separated from my son, he had no place to stay and we were always very close.

Then, when she was taken to Middlesex Hospital, doctors found pulmonary edema  excess fluids gathered throughout her body, including her lungs  so she was in the ICU at Hartford Hospital for five weeks.

Ashby has lived with brain tumors her entire life, she said, and doctors found two more while she was recuperating from her other ailments.

My health was failing. I had no help. My house is my pride and joy. To go home was all I wanted, Ashby said.

Leavitt from Servpro came to the hospital several times, bringing flowers and other gifts.

She was someone I had never set eyes on before. I said, This lady is OK, Ashby said when describing the visits.

Last Halloween, Leavitt was at Lowes in Cromwell buying lumber to help the Cromwell Fire Department build a haunted house. She asked one of the employees if Lowes ever gets involved at an individual level, was connected with a store manager and got a team of employees from 10 stores together to help rebuild Ashbys home, Leavitt said.

ServPro Owner Gary Edwards and General Manager Alfred Conroy were touched by Ashbys plight.

They are a dying breed of good men, Leavitt said. Businesses today are all about profit. I am lucky to work for a franchise that really cares about people.

Leavitts manager told her that if Lowes could handle the rebuild, ServPro would clean up the home at no charge.

Along with the Cromwell Fire Department and Margarets son Timothy, we turned over a clean and demoed house to Lowes, Ashby said.

Lowes rebuilt Ashbys home: from insulation to drywall to painting, floorings, a new roof and electrical, even towels, throw rugs and placemats, Leavitt said.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore, with help from the Liberty Bank Foundation, donated a living room set and washing machine. Bobs Discount will soon deliver donated bedding, Leavitt said.

Despite years of setbacks, Ashby remains remarkably optimistic. Shes now staying with family in Meriden and expects to be home by the end of the week.

I have friends and people who love me. People like Marie come along just when Im feeling down. These are the things that keep me going, Ashby said. This is why Im still alive. I dont look at the negative things that happen in my life. I see those things as stepping stones to keep stepping.

Dont let these things push you down, Ashby said. Keep an effort to keep moving forward  get beyond that. My life has not been easy, but Im not going to let that hinder me from enjoying whats left of it.

Leavitt wouldnt let Ashby see her home as it was being rebuilt so shed be entirely surprised. She was given the keys to her new home three days before Christmas.

Honestly, other than having my two children, this has been the most rewarding accomplishment of my life so far, Leavitt said. Margaret was beyond excited. The days that led up to her getting her keys, she barely slept. She was overwhelmed when she saw her beautiful, beautiful home. All the work was 100 percent donated. Not one penny was paid by the homeowner. I am still in awe myself.

Ashby now counts Leavitt as a good friend.

Leavitt has taken away a valuable lesson from this years-long journey.

If you keep asking and have passion and commitment, you can accomplish whatever you set out to do, maybe even more than you expect, she said. I was proud that I could make such an amazing difference in the life of someone who started out as a stranger.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day@hearstmediact.com.
NEW HAVEN  City residents and businesses will be able to pre-pay current fiscal year property taxes due Jan. 1 to ensure payments can be deducted from federal taxes.

City spokesman Laurence Grotheer said Wednesday the city Tax Collectors office will be open for regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Thursday and will allow pre-payments. The office will close early Friday  at 3 p.m. The property taxes due Jan 1. and payable by Jan. 1 are the second property tax installment for city residents.
At the time of year when Christians celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, we should all remember what he grew up to teach the world.

From his humble birth to poor homeless parents who were denied shelter, he grew to be a moral and spiritual giant who showed us how to live.

Jesus told us to welcome the stranger, to feed the hungry, to shelter the homeless, to care for the sick and hurting ones among us and to turn away from hate and to embrace love.

I hope that Republicans will remember Jesus teachings when they think of the millions of American children who are benefiting from CHIP. These are children whose parents work, but have no insurance and make too much to qualify for Medicaid. Is it okay if these children, many of whom are being treated for cancer and other life-threatening conditions, lose their healthcare? Does that line up with their Christian values? Do we also have no room at the inn?

I urge them to heed the words of Jesus when he said that whatever is done to the least of his brethren is also done to him.

A three-month extension is not enough. Renew CHIP for the year and adequately fund it. If we can give huge tax breaks to billionaires, we can do this.

Karen Hermansen

Mount Pleasant
We have a Republican Congress that rushed through a tax plan just to get a win for their base. We have billionaires dreaming of what to do with their tax windfall.

We have young people called dreamers and other patriotic immigrants who constantly worry about being put in prison camps and then deported. We have millions of Americans who worry about health insurance and other social programs being taken away or diminished. We have seniors wondering if their Social Security and Medicare benefits will be taken from them to help pay for the tax gifts given to the rich. We have people who need clean air and water watch as regulations to protect our environment are being erased.
ADB threatens to pull out of slow-moving airport project

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has warned that it might pull out of the Gautam Buddha Airport project in Bhairahawa due to the extremely slow pace of progress. Work at Gautam Buddha Airport, which is being upgraded to an international airport, has slowed to a crawl, and the project has been floundering for four years.
Choices galore

Popularity of MBA (Master in Business Administration) programmes has been ever increasing. People from different professions are choosing MBA programmes as a viable option to further their career options.
Cold hits daily life in Saptari

Temperature has plummeted in Saptari, with thick fog blanketing most part of the district throughout the day.
Divided on unification

Parties disappoint voters who want to see a quick formation of a stable govt
PRESCOTT, Ariz.  It first dawned on Erin Burk that her town had become a haven for drug treatment soon after she noticed the fleet of white vans zooming through her neighborhood. The vans, she learned after tailing one, were ferrying addicts all over town to what amounted to halfway houses for those in recovery: sober living homes.

Nobody she asked seemed to know how many sober living homes were located in Prescott, so she decided to conduct an improvised census.

I followed those vans around for three months, said Ms. Burk, a young mother of five whose sleuthing identified dozens of sober living homes in her city  including 15 within a block of her house. Then I cried for a long time.

That was in 2010, the beginning of a boom here in the addiction treatment business that turned this city of just 42,500 people into one of the rehab capitals of the country. Today there are some 33 sober living homes in operation, down from a peak last year of 170. At the time, by some estimates, one in 30 people living in Prescott was in recovery.

In This Series

Americas opioid and heroin epidemic is sending more than 2 million people a year in search of help, making treatment a tragic necessity. Many clinics do excellent work, and countless former patients swear by the treatment they received, including plenty whose victory over addiction enabled them to go into business themselves  running their own rehab centers.

But what bothered Ms. Burk and others was the sense that Everybodys Hometown, as Prescott has long billed itself, was changing for the worse and losing control of its future. There was more traffic, more noise. And one day, she said, her kids picked up a brown bag filled with Oxycodone from a lawn across the street.

Prodded by citizens like her, Prescott officials this year enacted a law  believed to be the first of its kind in the country  that regulates sober living homes by requiring licenses and setting standards for the training of their managers. It was difficult to do; zoning restrictions that were part of an earlier effort had run afoul of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Prescott didnt want to drive every addict away, a goal that might be impossible given the scope of the drug crisis. Rather, the town wanted to manage the growth of an industry that seemed to mushroom up out of nowhere, with few legal constraints.

Spending on addiction treatment in America has soared past $35 billion annually. But not all patients can afford, or have insurance that covers, the kind of inpatient rehab associated with celebrities, campuses in Malibu and 28-day stays.

To meet the demand, an armada of former addicts have become entrepreneurs, offering a new and cheaper version of rehab. That is what has swarmed Prescott  small, outpatient clinics that use an approach known as the Florida Model.

A New Method for Treatment

Named for state where it was pioneered, the Florida Model provides patients with counseling during the day  usually chair-circles of group therapy  in what is typically a residential building. At night, clients live in sober living homes, where they are responsible for covering their rent.

Often, the treatment facilities are owned by the same people who run the sober living homes. But by separating the two lines of businesses  treatment and housing  the Florida Model keeps costs lower for insurers.

To understand why, you need to know why classic, inpatient rehab centers are so expensive. They are essentially a cross between a hotel and a hospital. The price for a month of treatment  $30,000 and sometimes much more  covers a spacious room, excellent food, medical facilities and on-staff physicians and nurses.

That sort of rehab is designed for people who might need medical attention, often because they are suicidal. Comfort is another selling point, as is customized, one-on-one therapy.

The Florida Model is rehab without frills. Doctors, medical equipment and great meals arent included. Treatment costs about $9,000 a month, and the price goes down over time, as a client needs less therapy. Rent at a sober living home is usually around $400 a month  and not covered by insurance.

On paper, this approach has upsides, for both clients and insurers. Because the tab is much smaller, clients can stay longer, giving them more time to wean themselves off drugs. And when clients arent in treatment, or at 12-step meetings, they are encouraged to work, usually at hourly wage jobs, where they learn life and coping skills.

But as Prescott discovered when clinics and sober living homes started proliferating in 2010, the barriers to entry in this business are low. And for some clinic owners here, money became an end in itself.

There was a time last year when a lot of the guys who owned clinics and sober living homes were driving a Cadillac Escalade, or a Mercedes-Benz, said Daniel Sullivan, who managed a sober living home in Prescott called Square One Recovery. I heard a few of them talking about how they were just $50,000 away from joining the high-roller program at the MGM in Vegas.

Billing for Equine Therapy

Last year, at least one insurance company took action in Prescott. Health Net, which is based in Woodland Hills, Calif., and at the time served roughly six million members across the country, felt it was paying exorbitant reimbursement rates for people who had signed up for its Platinum plan.

A clampdown began after Health Nets owner, Centene, sent a team of eight investigators to Prescott to examine billing practices.

What they found appalled them. At a public forum last year, a company representative, Daniel Kreitman, told a committee looking into sober living homes that some were charging $2,000 for daily urine tests and upward of $5,000 an hour for equine therapy  basically, recovering addicts spending time with horses. Some clients were in treatment for 15 months with no end in sight, as he put it.

While there are clinics and sober living homes in Prescott that clearly care about their clients, some have provided substandard treatment. And while Prescott has found a way to regulate the business, word of the profits made here has spread.

The Florida Model is the future of rehab, says Simon Karmarkar, who consults with entrepreneurs opening new centers. Thats all Im seeing right now, all over the country, he said. Its lucrative, it doesnt require the staffing or the licensure. Its growing exponentially.

A Cup of Coffee and a Sober Dance

Walking around Prescott, you would never guess that it is one of The 10 Best Sober Living Cities, according to The Fix, a website dedicated to recovery-related news. The city has cowboy roots, a quaint town square and a landscape sufficiently cinematic to serve as the setting for Junior Bonner, the 1972 rodeo movie starring Steve McQueen.

To find the recovery crowd, seek out a sober dance. They are often held on Saturday night at a strip mall not far from downtown. They look like any other party filled with college-age kids, except the parking lot is packed with the same kind of white vans that Ms. Burk tailed, there is no alcohol and the festivities start with an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Or walk two blocks from the main square, to one of the cafes. For a time, so many young people in recovery idled at the Wild Iris Coffee House that the owner imposed anti-loitering rules and hired a bouncer. If they didnt order anything, hed politely approach them and say, You need to be a customer to sit here, said Julie Gorman, the owner of Wild Iris.

With an abundance of sun and pleasant weather year-round, Prescott first became a healing destination in the early 1900s, welcoming tuberculosis patients. Addiction treatment took off here after the passage of the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, the law that put substance abuse treatment on the same footing as other medical benefits. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act mandated that plans on its exchanges offer substance abuse benefits.

Suddenly, millions of adults were insured and the population of people seeking treatment ballooned. Among the first to notice were the former addicts who had come to Prescott for treatment. Many of them stayed in town to start their own clinics, which produced more former patients with the same idea, repeating the cycle.

Among that cohort is Mo Michael, a former gambling addict. In 2015, she, her husband and his brother bought a clinic and renamed it Compass Recovery Center.

I wanted a place where we could act completely within our own integrity, said Ms. Michael, the program director, sitting in her office. I didnt like where things were going.

Ms. Michael said it was too easy to open a Florida Model clinic. Under Arizona law, each treatment center needs just one licensed professional counselor, which requires a masters degree in mental health services and is not to be confused with a physician. Therapists who work under that counselor are called behavioral health technicians but are not required to have specific training or certification.

Thats super scary to me, Ms. Michael said. If you came to me and said, Id like to be a behavioral health tech, I could say, Sure, and you could start work tomorrow.

Arizonas standards are not unusual, and are in fact higher than in other states. Sherry Daley of the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals said addiction clinics in her state are not required to have any state certification.

If you want to hang a shingle here and start treating people the same day, you can, she said.

From Client to Caregiver

The standards for managing a sober living home are even lower. Daniel Sullivan was just getting over his prescription pill addiction  hed graduated from a Florida Model clinic two weeks earlier  when he landed a job as a manager at the Square One sober living home.

The work was exhausting and stressful. His day started at 7 a.m., when he would wake the more than dozen residents and hand out their medications. Then he became a chauffeur, driving residents in a van first to the clinic (for 8 a.m. group therapy), then to their jobs (typically at restaurants or retailers) and later in the evening to various A.A. meetings.

Curfew was midnight. He would take a final head count and go to bed at 1 a.m.

The real toll was mental, he said, not physical. In cases where residents violated house rules  say, using drugs or stealing  they could be kicked out for 72 hours. But for recovering heroin addicts, Mr. Sullivan said, that could be tantamount to a death sentence.

There were a bunch of occasions when I had to 72 someone and Id get a call soon after, saying the person had died, Mr. Sullivan said. Typically, they had overdosed. That happened six times during the 11 months I was managing.

Seeking Sobriety, and Answers

There are many similar tales. Then again, there are also plenty of recovering addicts who say their journey to Prescott saved their lives.

John Lehman, the chairman of the Florida Association of Recovery Residences, a nonprofit promoting standards in the addiction industry, has been a critic of profiteering in the addiction field, vocal enough to end up the target of an ongoing lawsuit alleging defamation filed by a clinic owner. But he faulted the management of individual properties, rather than the Florida Model itself.

The Florida Model can work, he said, because it doesnt use the classic rehab approach, which tries to educate and cure addicts in 28 days, then returns them to the setting where they had been abusing drugs, often with disastrous consequences. With the Florida Model, people learn from peer leaders  usually former addicts who are now sober  and then become peer leaders themselves.

What happens is, recovery starts to seem exciting, Mr. Lehman said. You become committed to a positive norm.

But there are few studies on the Florida Models effectiveness. Many clinics claim that 80 to 90 percent of their graduates stay sober, although those statistics are commonly based on surveys of graduates and considered unreliable by academics. The main concern is that people who have relapsed are either hard to find  in which case they are not counted  or may be motivated to lie out of embarrassment.

Even less is known about sober living homes. Clusters of them now operate in California, New England and the Midwest, but despite their prevalence, even basic information about these businesses is not publicly available.

In a letter last year to the federal Government Accountability Office, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Marco Rubio and Orrin Hatch worried that the homes had fallen into a regulatory gap.

A spokesman for the office said it is still working to answer the senators questions. Among them: How many sober living homes are there in the United States?

Like a License to Steal

After Ms. Burk finished her census of sober living homes, she started attending town council meetings to complain about them.

But what she regarded as a disastrous change in the community, some of her former high-school classmates considered a lucky break. The real estate market was still recovering from the economic crisis of a few years earlier and many residents whod purchased second homes during the bubble years started renting them out to rehab providers. A property with a $1,000-a-month mortgage payment could suddenly net $10,000 a month, or more.

People were getting rich, she said.

Josh German, who worked as a therapist at a treatment center in Prescott, said he knew people who had become millionaires.

The Health Net payments were like a license to steal, and who was going to stop them? he said, referring to the insurance company that became suspicious. There was no regulation, no oversight.

One of the people who prospered was Jimmy Rizzo, a former sanitation worker in New York City who arrived in Prescott in 2001 to kick his cocaine addiction. He wound up working at a clinic, became an expert in insurance billing and opened Billing Solutions, a company that now has dozens of employees. In March of last year, Mr. Rizzo sold an 80 percent stake in the company to Syncordia, a publicly traded Canadian company, for $8 million.

In an interview, Mr. Rizzo described how he suspected that clinics had figured out that the Platinum plan from Health Net was paying out like a slot machine stuck at triple 7s. He thought it happened sometime in 2015, by accident, and that word spread quickly.

This is a very small community, he said. You saw the same thing in Florida. Somebody probably took a Cigna policy there and it came back hot, he said, meaning it paid out generously. That person told somebody, and that person told somebody. Thats the way it works.

Cigna pulled out of Floridas Obamacare exchanges in 2015, citing an exponential increase in fraud, particularly in substance abuse clinics and labs.

The Health Net plan was reimbursing between 75 percent and 85 percent of claims, Mr. Rizzo said  well above the norm. Eventually, about a quarter of all clients in Prescott were on Health Nets Platinum plan, by Mr. Rizzos estimate.

Centene, which now owns Health Net, declined to comment.

A Struggle for Control

Between 2013 and 2015, Health Nets annual spending on out-of-network claims from substance abuse providers skyrocketed by nearly 1,000 percent, to $190 million, according to a company filing in a lawsuit involving a treatment center in California. The magnitude of this fraud is staggering, the companys lawyers wrote, referring to putative overbilling.

The outlays have affected the health care exchanges at the heart of the Affordable Care Act. Last summer, Centene announced that it would pull out of a considerable amount of the exchange business in Arizona, without giving specifics. Cigna has yet to return to Floridas exchanges.

Prescotts attempts at regulation of sober living homes initially stumbled. Zoning changes in 2012 aimed at taming the industry ran afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act because addicts are classified as disabled. Officials from Housing and Urban Development said, for instance, that instead of requiring that new sober homes be built two blocks from existing ones, a single block should suffice.

The slow progress initially annoyed many locals, said George Worley, Prescotts planning manager. Nobody understood the limits of the citys power. People assumed, we should be able to go close them down, he said. In fact we cant, under federal law and under Supreme Court decisions.

Tighter Rules That Turn Some Loose

In January, a city ordinance finally succeeded in regulating sober homes. Minimum staffing and maximum occupancy rules were imposed and safety inspections mandated. The one-two punch of the new rules, combined with Centenes payment crackdown  for months, reimbursements to dozens of clinics simply ceased  financially devastated some clinics, which sued over what they called improperly withheld payments. Other companies simply folded.

One of those was Freedom Recovery, the clinic where Daniel Sullivan was treated for his pill addiction. In February, the management gathered their 30 or so clients and announced that the clinic and its affiliated sober living homes were closing.

For young people struggling with addiction, the news was traumatic. Tim Terry, a recovering heroin addict then living at a sober home owned by Freedom Recovery, said that about a week before the company closed, managers called the parents of residents asking for money to cover insurance deductibles. (More than a few clinics in Prescott paid insurance deductibles on behalf of their clients, several former clients said, to help encourage them to sign up.) He called it a big cash-out opportunity.

This one girl, they called and hit up her parents for $15,000, he said. But because he knew the place was about to close, he said, I called my dad and I told him, Do not give them any money.

Reached by phone, the former owner of the facility, Alex Halenka, said that any requests for money were to cover insurance costs that Freedom would have had to pay. He also said that, as a former addict himself, he cared too much about his clients to push anyone off the premises.

We at Freedom followed through with our word to the families and clients, he said, adding that the company had always done everything by the book.

Today, there are fewer white vans zooming through Prescott. What impact, if any, the business will see from the tax overhaul bills repeal of the Affordable Care Act individual mandate is not yet known, according to rehab clinic owners. At Compass Recovery, Ms. Michael said this week that revenue has actually been up recently because the company is now relying more on customers who pay cash, instead of those with insurance.

But the cat-and-mouse game continues throughout the industry. Mr. Karmarkar, the consultant to Florida Model clinics, said insurance billing experts are constantly probing for vulnerabilities in reimbursement programs  sending in insurance claims and waiting to see which ones come back hot.

A lot of the people who run these clinics start off with great intentions, Mr. Karmarkar said. But at some point they begin making so much money that the money becomes the primary motive. Which is a shame. Were supposed to be part of the solution.
Certain American artists, over long careers, get so locked into a given persona that it becomes hard, at their deaths, to recall what once excited people about them. Like Bob Hope before him, Glen Campbell was a victim of a kind of hardening of affect. Even with a public diagnosis of Alzheimers trailing him, the genial, middle-of-the-road version of Glen Campbell became such a durable commodity that I had to work to remind myself what it felt like to first encounter him. That is, to sit in a college dorm in New York City in 1968, listening to Wichita Lineman and feeling as if the voice I heard was laying out a kind of alternative narrative for my own time. In a musical landscape dominated by the Doors, Cream and the Beatles, here was a young Southern boy singing  with unaffected honesty  about something those other groups werent paying much attention to: the conflict between work and love. To recall this is to marvel all over again at the wild openness of the musical choices available in the late 60s. There was no embarrassment in choosing to play Wichita Lineman alongside the White Album. Jimmy Webbs lyrics  And I need you more than want you/And I want you for all time  were never exactly cool, but they didnt need to be. To young men trying to figure out how the emotional landscape of early adulthood was likely to feel, they were a kind of signpost. And the singer interpreting them seemed to have risen directly out of the forlorn places he sang about: Wichita, Galveston, Phoenix. Glen Campbell came across as strangely pure.

But purity, when it arrives in an apple-cheeked, all-American form, often bends, unless fiercely protected, to a commercial pressure to become something else. In 1969, Campbell began hosting a TV series, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. Though there was nothing good time about the Campbell we were introduced to (his early songs, from Gentle on My Mind onward, dealt with one form of sorrow or another) and though Campbell worked, over network objections, to find guest spots for underexposed country singers like Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, he seemed to get caught up in what was to become a huge wave. In the late-Vietnam, early-Watergate years, the nation needed a little cheering up, and it fell to a newly revised version of the South to provide that. The region, unflatteringly represented since the 1940s by film adaptations of Erskine Caldwell, Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner, got a 1970s makeover. The vision of Tobacco Road gave way to the vision of Hee Haw, the popular TV series whose corn-pone charm prepared the ground for the advent of the good old boy. Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit and Bo and Luke in The Dukes of Hazzard became the smiling standard-bearers of the New South, and the Glen Campbell who emerged in that era seemed almost too perfect a fit. In ads for his 1970 film Norwood, Campbell was saddled with the moniker Goodtime Glen.

Even if he wanted to resist that label, his enormous popularity prevented it. In his autobiography, he says of this period: I didnt have a career. My career had me. (It probably didnt help that cocaine became, in that decade, what he called his personal demon.) His biggest hit, Rhinestone Cowboy, in 1975, trafficked in a kind of hardscrabble triumphalism. It was difficult to reconcile that songs sunny proprietor with the guy on the cover of his 1967 album By the Time I Get to Phoenix, mournfully hunched over his guitar case in what looks like the worlds loneliest bus station. But as it turned out, that quality of sadness  the High Lonesome tonality, as Keith Urban once described it  that defined him early on was only in hiding. In 2012, I caught a performance in Austin of Campbells Goodbye Tour. I, like the rest of the audience, had come to support him, but there was an undeniable discomfort watching him cope with memory loss while working hard to maintain that good-time persona. Then, late in the show, he abruptly dropped the effort to cheer us all up and began to sing a Jimmy Webb tune called The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Webbs songs had always been Campbells True North, and as he launched into this mournful, lyrically complex song about the conflict that had always been central to Campbells art  the immense difficulty of loving well  something seemed to be emerging from the singers reserves. I was back in my college dorm in 1968, marveling at how an Arkansas sharecroppers son, singing about places I had never been, could so effortlessly touch and enlarge my own nascent longing.
The victims of sexual harassment who have recently come forward are far from alone: Nearly half of women say they have experienced some form of it at work at least once in their careers. But there has been little research about those responsible.

In a new survey, about a third of men said they had done something at work within the past year that would qualify as objectionable behavior or sexual harassment.

We asked: In the last year at work, have you 

Told sexual stories or jokes that some might consider offensive?

Made remarks that some might consider sexist or offensive?

Displayed, used or distributed materials (like videos or cartoons) that some might consider sexist or suggestive?

Made attempts to draw someone into a discussion of sexual matters even though the person did not want to join in?

Made gestures or used body language of a sexual nature, which embarrassed or offended someone?

Continued to ask someone for dates , drinks or dinner even though he or she said no?

Made attempts to establish a romantic sexual relationship with someone despite that persons efforts to discourage it?

Touched someone in a way that made him or her feel uncomfortable?

Made uninvited attempts to stroke, fondle or kiss someone ?

Offered or implied rewards if someone engaged in sexual behavior? Or treated someone badly if he or she didnt?

Each face below represents one man who responded to the survey, and the behaviors he admitted to. Taken together, the faces give a sense of just how widespread this conduct is, and the forms it may take. The colors show how each of the 615 men responded:

Men with several colors admitted to more than one behavior. Show All 615 Responses

The survey  the result of a collaboration between The New York Times, leading sexual harassment researchers and the polling and media company Morning Consult  was nationally representative of men who work full time.

The percentage of men who say they performed each behavior in the last year 19% 16% 7% 1% 4% Jokes or stories Sexual materials Sexist remarks Gestures Unwanted sex talk 4% 3% 2% 1% 2% Ask relationship after no Stroke Touch Sexual coercion Ask dates after no Sexist remarks Sexual materials Unwanted sex talk Jokes or stories Gestures Ask dates after no Ask relationship after no Touch Stroke Sexual coercion Unwanted sex talk Sexual materials Jokes or stories Sexist remarks Touch Ask relationship after no Ask dates after no Gestures Stroke Sexual coercion

How many men admit to one of these actions?

The most common type of action is what researchers call gender harassment. This includes telling crude jokes or stories and sharing inappropriate videos. About 25 percent of men in the survey said they had done at least one of these things.

Another category is unwanted sexual attention: actions like touching, making comments about someones body and asking colleagues on dates after theyve said no. About 10 percent of men reported such behavior. Least common is sexual coercion, which includes pressuring people into sexual acts by offering rewards or threatening retaliation. Two percent of men said they had done such a thing recently.

Some men were probably unwilling to tell the truth in the survey. But the results captured just how many admitted to some form of harassing behavior.

After answering questions about particular behaviors, the men were asked if some of their own actions might be considered harassment. Many did not identify harassing behaviors as such. But even counting only those who said yes, the survey suggests that, at a minimum, one in 25 men in the average American workplace identifies himself as a harasser. (An additional two in 25 said they did not know whether their actions could be classified in this way.)

The actions in the survey dont necessarily meet the legal standard for sexual harassment. But they fall under a psychological standard that is used more often by researchers, in corporate policies and in everyday life.

Legally, harassment is considered problematic if it is severe, like groping or offering favors for a sexual interaction, or if the behavior is frequent and continuing, even if it is not severe.

In general, frequency is the most important component, said Louise Fitzgerald, a leading researcher on sexual harassment, who for the past 30 years has advised on the issue for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice. Even milder forms of harassment can be extremely damaging if they happen frequently and continue over time.

In the Times polling, 12 percent of men said that they had either engaged in at least three of the listed actions in the past year, or performed the same action at least three times. Excluding jokes or remarks cuts that figure in half.

But actions like jokes may not be entirely benign. Men who admitted to telling sexual stories or jokes were about five times as likely to report other harassing behaviors.

The crucial role of workplace culture

The phenomenon cuts across demographic divides, the poll shows. Harassing behaviors are committed by blue-collar and white-collar workers, Democrats and Republicans, the young and the old, the married and the unmarried, high earners and low ones, people who feel powerful at work and those who do not.

The percentage of men who say they engaged in one of these behaviors 38% Blue-collar worker White-collar worker 24 38% Blue-collar worker 24 White-collar worker Blue-collar worker 38% White-collar worker 24

Most harassment is not by high-profile celebrities, Dr. Fitzgerald said. This is so common in places that are very far from the spotlight. This is endemic.

A major difference between those who harass and those who dont is the culture at their workplace. Behaviors associated with harassment are especially prevalent among men who say their company does not have guidelines against harassment, hotlines to report it or punishment for perpetrators, or who say their managers dont care.

The percentage of men who say they engaged in one of these behaviors Thinks immediate supervisor makes reasonable efforts to stop all sexual harassment 31% Thinks immediate supervisor does not 43 Thinks immediate supervisor makes reasonable efforts to stop all sexual harassment 31% Thinks immediate supervisor does not 43 Thinks immediate supervisor makes reasonable efforts to stop all sexual harassment 31% Thinks immediate supervisor does not 43

In short, organizations play a big role in curbing or permitting harassment, said Vicki Magley, a professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut.

Research finds that sexual harassment occurs when it is tolerated  that is, when policies are not enforced and when incidents are not taken seriously, she said.

The behavior of colleagues, especially immediate leaders, also has a powerful effect on whether men engage in harassing behavior, according to research by John Pryor, an emeritus distinguished professor of psychology at Illinois State University. We find that they wont do that when there is a presence of a role model who models professional behavior, Professor Pryor said. Social norms come into play.

The resentment factor

Men who worked in the food and beverage industry and in blue-collar jobs, as well as those who were white or Republicans, were more likely to acknowledge harassing behavior. So were those who described a feeling of resentment, saying that they were unappreciated by coworkers or superiors or that colleagues received undeserved promotions.

Men with graduate degrees or strong disapproval of President Trump reported lower rates of harassing colleagues. Those who said that they never showed up to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or didnt socialize with colleagues outside of work, were also significantly less likely to acknowledge such actions.

The percentage of men who say they engaged in one of these behaviors Strongly approves of the job Donald Trump is doing as President 37% 31 Somewhat approves Somewhat disapproves 28 Strongly disapproves 25 Strongly approves of the job Donald Trump is doing as President 37% 31 Somewhat approves 28 Somewhat disapproves 25 Strongly disapproves Strongly approves of the job Donald Trump is doing as President 37% Somewhat approves 31 Somewhat disapproves 29 Strongly disapproves 25

Why the problem might be even worse

The Times and Morning Consult started with a widely used survey of harassment of women at work, the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire. With help from Professors Fitzgerald, Pryor and Magley, the questions were adjusted to ask about peoples actions, instead of their possible experiences as victims.

Polls asking people to self-report bad behavior are inherently challenging. To ensure that responses were as accurate as possible, respondents were promised confidentiality, and questions about harassing behaviors were mixed among less sensitive ones, about topics like using Facebook at work or commuting by bike.

Research suggests that online surveys, as this one was, may be more likely to elicit socially undesirable opinions than surveys that reach people in other ways. But a separate telephone survey of 500 men that included several of the core questions found very similar rates of reported behavior. (That survey was conducted for The Times by SSRS of Glen Mills, Pa.)

A third approach to determine the prevalence of possible sexual harassment was to ask men and women not about their own behavior but about that of their colleagues. Those results were generally within a few percentage points of the self-reported ones.

There are reasons to doubt the absolute numbers from these surveys. Misreporting might make the numbers too low. Counting harmless actions might make them too high.

In separate, smaller surveys, women were only somewhat less likely than men to admit to harassing behavior, even though men, in polls and in formal complaints, are far less likely to say theyve been sexually harassed. It could be that men and women see the same behavior in different ways.

What women say

Workplace harassment may be decreasing. In surveys of federal government employees, the percentage of women who said they had experienced one of eight harassing behaviors in the last two years was 18 percent, less than half the percentage it was in 1994.

Still, harassment is widespread in American workplaces. And perhaps most notably, culprits are not restricted to the bad actors themselves, but include the climates created by their co-workers and supervisors.

Studies that ask about specific behaviors instead of general questions tend to find greater prevalence of harassment, as do studies that ask about longer time periods.

Professor Fitzgerald emphasized the role that companies play, and the ability of perpetrators, especially those who arent famous, to deny any allegations and walk away unscathed.
Congress joins BJP to condemn Paks insult to Jadhavs family, says it wont be tolerated

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

For a change, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are on the same page. On Thursday, when Parliament raised the issue of "inhumane" treatment accorded to the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the alleged Indian spy on death row in Pakistan, during their recent trip to meet him in Islamabad, both the parties unilaterally slammed the neigbouring country.

"Misbehaviour of Pakistan with wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav was misbehaviour with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nation's dignity and another country misbehaves with our mothers and sisters, it will not be tolerated," senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad said in the Rajya Sabha.

Misbehaviour of Pakistan with wife & mother of #KulbhushanJadhav was misbehaviour with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nation's dignity & another country misbehaves with our mothers & sisters, it will not be tolerated: GN Azad, Congress in RS pic.twitter.com/Pxpx87RmQ9  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

While speaking on the latest episode of Pakistan's "psychological warfare against India", External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha said the meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife lacked "humanity" and "goodwill". The senior minister accused Pakistan of conducting the meeting as a "propaganda exercise" and "an opportunity to exploit the situation".

Swaraj met Jadhav's wife and mother after they returned from Pakistan and spoke to Jadhav's mother again on Thursday morning.

Swaraj condemned the way the Pakistani authorities allowed the meeting at the Foreign Office in Islamabad and asked them to change their clothes and shoes, and remove bangles and even their "mangalsutras".

"The first thing that Kulbhushan asked his mother was 'what happened to father' after he saw no mangalsutra on his mother.

"The manner in which the meeting was organised was appalling. Their clothes, shoes, bangles and even their mangalsutras were taken away. Their human rights were violated again and again, and an environment of fear was created for them," said Swaraj.

"The family wished to meet Jadhav and we arranged for it. Even Pakistan agreed for it this month (December). This could have been a step forward for both countries, but this wasn't to be."

She said it was absurd on behalf of Pakistan to suggest there was a mystery chip or camera or recording device planted inside Kulbhushan's wife's shoes. "It is an absurdity beyond measure."

On Wednesday, Azad said Pakistan had to succumb to international pressure to allow Jadhav's family members to meet him, but "we did not expect that his family will be separated by a glass wall".

"We could never think of that they will not be allowed to meet, hug and talk to each other face to face. They were allowed to talk through intercom. What is the difference between intercom and telephone? His family members were watching him over television for the last so many months," he said.

OneIndia News
'Non-Gandhi' can be Cong chief, but Gandhi family must remain active in party: Mani Shankar Aiyar

Did Mani Shankar Aiyar commit sedition by hosting Pak officials during Gujarat polls?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Dec 28: The events during the recently held Gujarat Assembly elections have definitely caused "irreparable" damage to the career and reputation of now-suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar.

The former diplomat-turned-politician was not directly involved in the strategising of the Congress' campaign for the all-important elections, which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won comfortably.

Nonetheless, the grand old party managed to give a tough fight to the ruling BJP by winning 77 seats in the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

When the campaigning for the polls was at its height, Aiyar caught all the wrong attention, first, by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "neech aadmi" (man of low birth and upbringing), for which the Congress suspended him as the veteran politician insulted the head of India with his derogatory remark.

Second, he allegedly erred by hosting a dinner party at his residence in the national capital which was attended by Pakistani diplomats, former PM Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, former Indian diplomats and former top Indian defence officials, to name a few.

The dinner party at the residence of Aiyar was a major issue during the Gujarat elections. PM Modi alleged during a poll rally that former PM Singh and other Indians present at the dinner party hatched a conspiracy along with Pakistani officials to influence the Gujarat elections and thus committed "treason".

Now, it seems more trouble awaits for the former Union minister as a BJP leader has moved a Delhi court seeking registration of a sedition case against Aiyar for hosting Pakistani officials at his residence that allegedly "posed a threat to the national security".

In his application before a magisterial court in Saket, Ajay Agrawal, a practising lawyer, claimed "derogatory" words were used against PM Modi at the meeting. A court official said the matter has been listed for hearing on January 4, 2018.

The petitioner has sought the court's direction to Delhi police to book Aiyar and others present under conspiracy and sedition charges and investigate the matter.

The plea by Agrawal, who contested the last Lok Sabha election against Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli, said the meeting was held at the south Delhi residence of Aiyar which was attended among others by Pakistan's High Commissioner and an ex-foreign minister of that country.

He said the Ministry of External Affairs and the Home Ministry were not informed about the meeting despite India's strained relations with Pakistan.

The petitioner said he had requested the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Delhi police for a probe but in vain.

If the court admits the plea of Agarwal, then it is not just Aiyar, but others including, former PM Singh and former VP Ansari, against whom sedition cases would be filed.

Recently, in a column for the NDTV, Aiyar indicated that he might sue PM Modi.

"In my mind, however, the question will always reverberate: was it my 'inappropriate adjective' or Modi's mendacity in adding an utterly untrue noun--'jaati'--to my adjective that lost us (the Congress) this handful of seats?" Aiyar asked.

While ending the column, the suspended Congress leader raised the question whether he should sue Modi or not? "And, tell me, should I sue the Prime Minister for slander, libel, defamation--or all three?" Aiyar asked.

OneIndia News
Food-hit areas in Humla get subsidised rice

The Humla-based Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) depot has distributed subsidised rice to the families reeling under food shortage at the instruction of the newly elected members of the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly.
Explained: What the SC said and how is Talaq-e-Hasan different from triple talaq

For triple talaq victims, judicial verdict in favor but social verdict still against them!

UP: Muslim woman agrees to Nikah Halal, instead gets gangraped by ex-husband, his brother

How Muslim clerics are blatantly flouting SC's ban on triple talaq to help male divorce-seekers

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Dec 28: Are Muslim clerics and muftis above Indian laws?

It seems clerics (Muslim religious heads) and muftis (Muslim legal experts) have no regard for the Supreme Court and its judgements.

In spite of the Supreme Court ban on "triple talaq", or instant divorce, practised by some in the Muslim community, saying it is "unconstitutional" in August this year, clerics and muftis are coming up with various "excuses" to help Muslim men get divorce instantly.

In an investigative report done by India Today, it was revealed how "muftis are advising male divorce-seekers to modify the outlawed commandment of triple talaq for quick but safe separation from their wives".

India is all set to criminalise triple talaq, the practice under which a Muslim man can divorce his wife by simply uttering "talaq" three times, by introducing and passing a bill in this regard in Parliament on Thursday.

The India Today report revealed that the clerics are now advising Muslim husbands to use the terminology talaq-e-bain instead of triple talaq.

The investigation finds out that the clerics and muftis are well-aware about the ban on triple talaq by the Supreme Court and thus they are devising ways and means to deceive the law of the land.

The clerics told reporters of India Today that the use of the term "talaq-e-bain" in place of triple talaq also dissolves the matrimony immediately.

"Instead of pronouncing talaq thrice, if you say talaq-e-bain once, the matter ends there," Mufti Fahimuddin, who runs the Arabia Hidayatul Islam Madrasa at Loni in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, told India Today's undercover team.

"This is talaq-e-bain, which means the wife will be separated. If she ever wants to revive the marriage, then it will have to be solemnized afresh by a mufti or a maulvi."

"What will happen in that case. Will there be an instant talaq?" probed the reporter.

"Yes. Just say it in one breath that 'I am giving you talaq-e-bain'. The matter ends there," the mufti replied.

The investigation revealed that the clerics are twisting laws to make divorce procedure quick and hassle-free for Muslim men.

Another, Muslim legal expert, identified as Mufti Asrar, who runs the Darul Uloom Jamiat-ul-Siddiqui Madrasa in western Uttar Pradesh, in the India Today report, suggested divorce-seekers issue talaq-e-bain in writing and not orally.

"Issue it in writing. Don't utter a word from your mouth. Issue talaq-e-bain in writing instead," he said. "The biggest advantage is that if she accuses you of triple talaq, you can then show it (the talaq-e-bain note)," he said.

There are mainly three methods of divorce as per the Islamic personal laws-- talaq-e-ahsan, talaq-e-hasan and the now banned talaq-e-biddat or triple talaq.

Women rights groups, who are fighting hard to give justice to millions of Muslim women whose lives have been ruined because of triple talaq, say that once the bill to criminalise triple talaq is passed in Parliament, all those who are involved in abusing Islamic personal laws would be punished.

"Muftis and clerics are the main reasons why divorce rate among the Muslims is increasing. To earn quick money they help men to get divorce hassle-free and fast by misusing the Islamic laws," says an activist working for the rights of Muslim women.

OneIndia News
Chhattisgarh: Journalist who was arrested on charges of extortion granted bail

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

A special CBI court in Raipur on Thursday granted bail to senior journalist Vinod Verma, who was arrested in October on charges of blackmailing and extortion.

Verma was arrested by Chhattisgarh Police on October 27 from Ghaziabad's Indirapuram area on charges of blackmailing and extortion.

Verma was reportedly planning a sting operation against Chhattisgarh government, according to a private TV channel. About 500 CDs, Rs 2 lakh in cash, a pen drive, a laptop and a diary were recovered from the journalist's residence, Raipur District Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Shukla had then said.

Verma was booked under sections 384 and 507 of the Indian penal code (IPC) for extortion and intimidation after a complaint by one Prakash Bajaj.

[Journalist Vinod Verma arrested on charges of extortion, blackmailing Chhattisgarh minister]

Verma is also a member of Editors Guild of India and had been writing about socio-economic and cultural affairs of Chhattisgarh. According to Linkedin profile, Verma was Editor, Digital and Convergence in Amar Ujala Publications Ltd between March 2013 - March 2016. He also worked as a multimedia journalist in BBC from January 2003 to February 2013.

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Story first published: Thursday, December 28, 2017, 17:16 [IST]
'Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife, mother made to look like widows': Sushma Swaraj

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Recommended Video

Sushma Swaraj attacks Pakistan in Rajya Sabha over ill treatment of Jadhav's family, Watch |Oneindia

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday came down heavily on Pakistan over the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother when they visited Islamabad to meet him. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said human rights of the family members of Kulbhushan Jadhav were violated again and again by Pakistan.

"A meeting of a mother with her son & a wife with her husband was turned into a propaganda tool by Pakistan," she said.

Narrating the horror faced by both the women in Pakistan, Swaraj said they were forced to change attire and made to look like widows.

"Jadhav Ji's mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both mother and wife were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows," the External Affairs Minister added.

On the issues of Pakistan not returning the shoes of Jadhav's wife, Swaraj said: "nothing can be more absurd."

"Even after her repeated attempts, the shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife were not returned. Pakistan says there was a camera or a recorder in the shoes, nothing can be more absurd than this as she traveled in 2 flights with those shoes on. It is an absurdity beyond measure," she said.

Why did Pakistan confiscate Jadhav's wife's shoes?

The minister told the House that Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi, their mother tongue and that Pakistani officials switched-off the intercom when she spoke in Marathi.

"Not just his wife but bindi and mangalsutra of his mother were also removed, I spoke to her she told me that as soon as she reached Kulbhushan asked her 'Baba kaise hain?' because he thought a mishap has taken place when he wasn't around," she said.

Why Pakistan has deeply hurt sentiments of Indians by treating Kulbhushan's family inhumanely

Kulbhushan Jadhav has been in the Pakistani jail since April 2016 over allegations of being an Indian spy. On what Pakistan claimed was a humanitarian gesture, Jadhav's mother and wife were issued visas and allowed to meet him on Monday. The meeting did not turn out to be the way Jadhav's family may have expected. There was a glass partition between Jadhav and his family, and his wife and the mother were asked to remove mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, besides been asked to change the attire, citing it as a security measure.

OneIndia News
Massive allegation against Kejriwal, Delhi Labour Union claims Rs 139 cr scam

India

oi-Shreya

By Shreya

Recommended Video

Arvind Kejriwal led Delhi Government duped people of Rs 139 crore , Watch Video | Oneindia News

Slapping a massive allegation on Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government, on December 28, the Delhi Labour Union chairman alleged that the AamAadmi Party government has misused the funds for the workers and has involved itself in a scam worth approximately 139 crore rupees.

"It is an utter disregard for (Building and Other Constructions Workers) BOCW Act, 1996, Aam Aadmi Party's government of NCT of Delhi has engaged in favoritism and corruption to carry political gains for its party workers by registering them as construction workers. Not just that, they have also engaged in bogus disbursement of Building and Other Construction Board's Cess Funds to the tune of Rs. 139 Crore" claimed PT. Sukhbir Sharma, President Delhi Shramik Union and Founder Chairman ,Delhi Labour Welfare Board, Govt. of NCT of Delhi.

Sharma presended the documents which he claims are evidence for his allegation of the scam of 139 crore which he has alleged that the Delhi Government laundered from Cess Funds. He explained that the BOCW Act, 1996 says that, any person working in the field of construction can be enrolled/Registered as a beneficiary only if he has completed at least 90 days of work in the preceding one year as a construction worker. However, he added that the Delhi Government has breached all the Regulation. An RTI Report filed by him showed that 85% of workers' registration are illegal.

He added that apart from illegal registration of workers, Rs. 139 Crore has been allegedly disbursed among construction workers against the spirit of the BOCW Act, 1996 by involving a large number of Trade Unions. These Unions too are being given incentives to register more and more fictitious Labourers on Labour Chowk/Labour Chauraha who have nothing to do with construction activity.

He claimed several other irregularities in Delhi Government's Labour Department with Documented proof in course of Conference.

Constitution of Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Board is illegal - While Section 18 of the BOCW [Building and other construction workers (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service)] Act, 1996 mandates a nominee of Central Government as the Chairman of the Board, the position is currently being held by Shri Gopal Rai, Labour minister in Delhi govt.

No Advisory Committee has been Constituted since AAP came to power - Section 4 of the BOCW Act, 1996 necessitates the formation of Advisory Committee to provide and perform Recommendatory Role to the Govt. in suggesting new Rules, Regulations and Policies for the welfare of more than 15 lakh construction workers in Delhi. No such committee has been formed in last 3 years. This has led to under-utilization and in most cases, bogus spending of Rs. 2300 Crore Corpus Fund. Not Only this no legal opinion was ever sought by the Kejriwal led Delhi Government before approval of Board about its legality as per the BOCW Act, 1996.

Registration Incentive for Trade Unions is illegal - Under the Chairmanship of Shri Gopal Rai, the Board has approved and disbursed an amount of Rs. 87 Lakhs as incentive to Trade Unions working in Construction sector at Rs.50 per registration. It must be noted that no such provision exists in either BOCW Act, 1996 or the Delhi Rules, 2002. They have also increased this amount to Rs. 100 from Rs. 50. Furthermore, most of these trade unions are managed by (or belong to) the party workers belonging to AAP.

Regional Provident Fund Committee still missing - Resulting into evasion of PF of nearly 35 lakh workers.

Violation of various statuary Norms - According to Employees Compensation Act, 1923 Section 20, the appointed Officer in the Labour Department should have qualification of HR Management or should be a Judicial officer or should be a Gazetted officer of Government or a Lawyer having 5 years of experience in the field. But violating all the Rules Delhi government appointed Non-technical Officers as Compensation Commencers without having required expertise from various Delhi Government Departments which led to the plight of deprived labourers of Delhi.In contravention to the spirit of Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.

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Story first published: Thursday, December 28, 2017, 19:00 [IST]
PM to deliver inaugural address at third No Money for Terror Ministerial conference

To boost connectivity in North-East, PM Modi to inaugurate first greenfield airport in Arunachal Pradesh

Now, fly Modi, Rahul kites at famous international festival, Uttarayan, in Gujarat

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

This time during the famous international kite festival, Uttarayan, hosted every year in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, get a dose of politics.

The nine-day-long event will start from January 7 as a part of the Makar Sankranti festival.

The Tourism Corporation of Gujarat is organising the festival for the last 27 years.

The markets in the commercial hub of Gujarat, Surat, are busy selling kites with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi like hot cakes, days ahead of the festival.

The shopkeepers have stocked their shelves with kites on various themes, including dragons, gods and goddesses, to name a few. However, patrons prefer to buy kites with political motifs. It is not just Modi and Rahul kites which festival-goers are queuing up to buy. Artistes have also designed kites with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) and bullet train themes, both pet projects of PM Modi.

"Buyers are crazy about buying kites which feature both Modi and Rahul in one frame. It's like a mini-election after the actual elections," laughed a shopkeeper, who is earning moolah selling his kites.

However, this time the prices of kites have increased manifold because of the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

"The GST has raised the prices compared to last year but we're hopeful that sales will be just as good as last year. People have come from far to buy kites from here," one of the kite-sellers, Bharat Dholwala told ANI.

People of the state have heaved a sigh of relief after the end of elections which saw hectic political activities in Gujarat.

In the recently held Assembly elections in Gujarat, where both Modi and Rahul campaigned relentlessly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged the winner by bagging 99 seats in the 182-member state Legislative Assembly. Recently, Vijay Rupani of the BJP was sworn in as the chief minister of the state for the second time in a row. Modi along with a galaxy of BJP leaders attended the high-profile event hosted in Gandhinagar, the capital city.

OneIndia News
Thank god they didn't say there was bomb in Jadhav's wife's shoes

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday tore into Pakistan for confiscating the shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife when she visited Islamabad on Monday to meet him. Swaraj asked if something really suspicious was there in the footwear then why nothing was detected by the security check of Emirates Airline, which she took from Dubai to Islamabad.

Pakistan claims to have detected a "metallic substance" in the shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and sent the footwear for forensic examination. Jadhav's wife's shoes were kept for inspection, while all other belongings, including jewellery, were returned. She was given an alternative pair of shoes to wear after her shoes were removed.

"Thank God they didn't say that there was a bomb in her shoes! If for security reasons she was made to take off shoes, they should have returned them when she was leaving but no, they had to commit some sort of cruelty," Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha.

"Islamabad touted this meeting was based on humanity and good faith, but the fact of the matter is that there was neither humanity nor good faith during the meeting," the EAM added.

The minister told the House that Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi, their mother tongue and that Pakistani officials switched-off the intercom when she spoke in Marathi.

Kulbhushan Jadhav has been in the Pakistani jail since April 2016 over allegations of being an Indian spy. On what Pakistan claimed was a humanitarian gesture, Jadhav's mother and wife were issued visas and allowed to meet him on Monday. The meeting did not turn out to be the way Jadhav's family may have expected. There was a glass partition between Jadhav and his family, and his wife and the mother were asked to remove mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, besides been asked to change the attire, citing it as a security measure.

OneIndia News
Explained: What the SC said and how is Talaq-e-Hasan different from triple talaq

Triple Talaq bill is about women rights, not religion: Shahnawaz Hussain

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

With the Union Government set to table the Triple Talaq bill in Lok Sabha today, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said that the bill should be seen from the perspective of women's rights rather than religion.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill - drawn up by a group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh - makes instant "Triple Talaq" in any form "illegal and void". The bill proposes a three-year jail term and a possible fine for any Muslim man who indulges in the practice.

"No ruckus should be created over the triple talaq bill and it should not be seen from the perspective of religion rather from the prospective of women rights. Everyone should support this bill. The Triple Talaq Bill that our government is coming up with is done keeping in mind the rights of Muslim women. The government is doing its job," Hussain told news agency ANI.

Asserting that the government should go ahead with the Triple Talaq Bill only after holding discussions with senior clerics, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday said it would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withhold the bill for time being. AIMPLB said that no procedure was followed while drafting the bill.

[Triple Talaq bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha today]

In August, the Supreme Court by a majority of 3:2 ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional". The government then drafted the 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill' according to which giving instant divorce will be illegal and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

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Story first published: Thursday, December 28, 2017, 9:08 [IST]
TTV Dinakaran visits Sasikala in jail for the first time as R K Nagar MLA

India

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By Anusha Ravi

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TTV Dinakaran meets Sasikala in Bengaluru jail after winning RK Nagar Bypolls | Oneindia News

After being elected as MLA of Radhakrishnan Nagar better known as R K Nagar, a victorious TTV Dinakaran met Sasikala Natarajan on Thursday. Dinakaran's visit to Bengaluru central jail in Parappana Agrahara comes days after he won the R K Nagar bypoll as an independent candidate and in the backdrop of Income Tax raids at properties belonging to Sasikala's kin.

Even as IT raids continued on properties belonging to kin and members of the Mannargudi family- the family that Sasikala and Dinakaran belong to- the newly elected MLA visited his aunt. The visit also comes in the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu chief Minister calling for a high-level meeting of senior police officials, triggering rumours of a big arrest.

Dinakaran registered a thumping victory in the R K Nagar bypoll contesting as an independent candidate. While AIADMK's Madhusudhanan stood a distant third, all other candidates lost their deposits in the high voltage electoral fight.

OneIndia News
UP polls: Law against triple talaq saved families of thousands of Muslim women from breaking-up: PM

Explained: What the SC said and how is Talaq-e-Hasan different from triple talaq

For triple talaq victims, judicial verdict in favor but social verdict still against them!

What is instant Triple Talaq?

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the contentious bill making instant triple illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, a development hailed by the government as "historic".

The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.

MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e- biddat'. It gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

What is Triple Talaq?

Triple talaq is the practice under which a Muslim man can divorce his wife by simply uttering "talaq" three times. It is prevalent among India's Muslim community majority of whom follow the Hanafi Islamic school of law.

The government has cited the example of many predominantly Muslim countries, including Pakistan, that have banned triple talaq.

In instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat a man pronounces talaq thrice during a sitting, on phone or write in a talaqnama or text message. Here the divorce is considered to be immediate and irrevocable even if the husband wants to later on re-conciliate.

Under this the only way for the couple to get back together is through a nikah halala. Under this process the woman has to get remarried, consummate the second marriage, get divorced, observe the three-month iddat period and return to her husband.

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Story first published: Thursday, December 28, 2017, 20:37 [IST]
Why Pakistan has deeply hurt sentiments of Indians by treating Kulbhushans family inhumanely

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Dec 28: Forget hawks, even incurable peaceniks in India are deeply hurt and miffed by the "inhuman" treatment Pakistan accorded to the family members of Kulbhushan Jadav, the alleged Indian spy on death row and lodged in the country's jail, during their recent trip to meet him in Islamabad.

Right from the 40-minute long meeting between Kulbhushan with his wife Chetankul and mother Avanti across a glass screen to heckling and harassment of the 47-year-old Mumbai man's wife and mother by Pakistani journalists, the sinister designs employed by Pakistan to insult India is one of the lowest points between the two "warring" countries.

Looking at the ordeal the wife and mother of Kulbhushan went through in Pakistan on December 25, the day the whole world was celebrating Christmas, there was nothing cheerful about the episode for the Jadhav family and the rest of India.

While Pakistan is trying to dub the entire farcical affair as a "grand humanitarian gesture" by letting the former Indian naval official meet his family members, for Indians it's an "insult" which has further increased the mistrust between the two countries.

First, under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of the family members were disregarded by Pakistani officials by asking them to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi before the high-profile meeting. Both mother and wife of Kulbhushan were asked to change their attire ahead of the meeting. While jewellery of the duo was returned by Pakistani officials, they kept the wife's shoes stating the pair contained metal object and thus they have sent it for forensic test.

Once they were out of the meeting where they interacted with Kulbhushan through intercom, Pakistani journalists waiting outside the meeting venue hounded both the mother and wife with statements like "Aapka beta kaatil hain" (Your son (Kulbhushan) is a murderer).

During the meeting, the family was interrupted multiple times by Pakistani officials who did not allow them to speak in their mother tongue Marathi.

The family also expressed serious concern about Kulbhushan's health and well-being stating that he appeared to be under "considerable stress and (was) speaking in an atmosphere of coercion".

Objecting to the treatment meted out to the wife and mother, the Union ministry of external affairs in its statement said the "exercise lacked credibility". The statement added that "the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings".

#WATCH MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on meeting of #KulbhushanJadhav's mother and wife with Jadhav in Islamabad pic.twitter.com/O6HkKoc7WK  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Statement on Shri Kulbhushan Jadhavs meeting with his family. https://t.co/rAVB5t6klQ  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) December 26, 2017

The statement of MEA called the meeting "intimidating" for Kulbhushan's family members. The MEA also raised doubts about Kulbhushan's video released after the meeting "thanking" Pakistani government and foreign office for the "grand gesture".

The MEA said the whole video appears to be "tutored" and recorded before the meeting took place. The MEA alleged that it was an "attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative" by Pakistan about Kulbhushan's alleged espionage activities.

The 47-year-old was arrested last year by Pakistan for alleged "espionage" and sentenced to death in April this year.

Harish Salve, the senior counsel representing India in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), who earlier this year successfully contested against the death penalty Pakistan pronounced against Kulbhushan in a "kangaroo court", termed the whole incident as "very disappointing".

Salve also raised doubts about Kulbhushan's health and the mental state he is currently undergoing.

Congress leader and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor summed up both the "positive" and "negative" sides of the meeting.

"In one sense, it is a step forward because 22 months after they arrested this poor man, finally somebody is able to see him. On the other hand, the way in which roll unfolded was deeply unsatisfactory," said Tharoor.

On Wednesday, during the Winter Session of Parliament, leaders of all political parties in unison condemned the way Pakistan humiliated the family of jailed Indian national in Islamabad.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed that she will make a statement on Thursday in Parliament on the whole affair.

While in India the whole episode of mistreatment meted to the Jadhav family in Pakistan was condemned, the Pakistani authorities left no stone unturned to take credit from an attempt to wage psychological warfare against India by using two hapless women who went to Islamabad to meet their son and husband after 22 months of his arrest.

"Let me be very clear that Pakistan permitted the Indian request totally on humanitarian grounds in line with Islamic principles and teachings. Islam is a religion of peace... and it was a gesture of good faith and compassion," said the Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Muhammed Faisal, adding, "It has nothing to do with consular access."

It was for security reasons,we had already told them that you will be able to meet him but a security barrier would be there: Dr.Mohd Faisal,Pak Foreign Ministry Spokesperson on ANI's question regarding glass barrier between Jadhav and his mother and wife #KulbhushanJadhav pic.twitter.com/LiRoG5p8VH  ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2017

It was a humanitarian meeting, it was not consular access. The Indian diplomat JP Singh was present and could see the meeting but was not allowed to meet, we extended the meeting by 10 minutes on request of Jadhav:Mohd Faisal,Pak Foreign Ministry Spokesperson #KulbhushanJadhav pic.twitter.com/wJZ4InjROS  ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2017

Like in the past, this year too, Pakistan continued with its attacks against India, mostly through cross-border terrorism, that killed several Indian soldiers. However, the latest episode to belittle the distressed Jadhav family by inviting them to Pakistan is the worst form of politics any country could indulge in.

If Pakistan is feeling triumphant by insulting the Jadhav family and India at large, it is wrong. The neighbouring country has lost its last and biggest chance to change the opinion about it among the anti-Pakistani group in India which always insists on waging war against the "rogue" nation to teach it a lesson.

On the other hand, the peaceniks, who are called as "anti-nationals" in India for promoting brotherhood and unity among the two hostile nations, are the most dejected ones. They feel Pakistan has once again backstabbed India, not on the actual battlefield, but at a civilian platform where the neighbouring country showed that it lacks basic humanity and courtesy.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu during an interaction at the national capital on Wednesday succinctly summed up the mood of India. The VP described Pakistan's handling of Kulbhushan's meeting with his family members as "inhuman" which has "deeply hurt the sentiments of Indians".

OneIndia News
Huaxin Cement to build $140m cement factory

Investment Board Nepal (IBN) on Wednesday initialed a project investment agreement (PIA) with Huaxin Cement Narayani to establish a $140 million cement plant in Dhading district.
Explained: What the SC said and how is Talaq-e-Hasan different from triple talaq

For triple talaq victims, judicial verdict in favor but social verdict still against them!

UP: Muslim woman agrees to Nikah Halal, instead gets gangraped by ex-husband, his brother

Why tabling of triple talaq bill in Parl is more significant than Eid or Bakrid for Muslim women

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

On Thursday, when the triple talaq bill is all set to be tabled in the Lok Sabha, several Muslim women expressed a sense of victory for crossing so many hurdles before reaching this far to end the "malpractice" that has ruined so many lives.

Speaking to ANI, Agra resident Faiza Khan, a victim of triple talaq or instant divorce, practised by some in the Muslim community, told ANI, "We are really happy that the procedure started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath Ji for Muslim women is going to succeed."

A joyous Faiza added the day is more significant than Eid or Bakrid, the two main festivals of Muslims, for women from the community.

Agra: We are really happy that the procedure started by Modi Ji & Yogi Ji for Muslim women is going to succeed. This day will be more significant in Muslim women's life than Eid or Bakrid: Faiza Khan, victim on #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/vbbY6WmHaM  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 28, 2017

Lucknow's Huma Khayanat, another victim of triple talaq, said,"People like us who have been divorced and those who are threatened with divorce would be benefited from this law." "If a law is formed for triple talaq just like there is a law for domestic violence, we will get some relief," she added.

Lucknow: People like us who have been divorced & those who are threatened with divorce would be benefited from this law. If a law is formed for Triple Talaq just like there is a law for domestic violence, we will get some relief: Huma Khayanat, victim on #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/k3ygNopAme  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 28, 2017

India is all set to criminalise triple talaq, the practice under which a Muslim man can divorce his wife by simply uttering "talaq" three times, by introducing and passing a bill in this regard in Parliament on Thursday.

In August this year, the Supreme Court banned triple talaq saying it is "unconstitutional". However, on Wednesday, some Muslim women's organisations said that the proposed legislation would not be acceptable if not in consonance with the Quran or the Constitution.

"Nikaah (marriage) is a contract. Whosoever breaks it should be punished. However, if it (Bill) is not in the light of Quran and the Constitution, no Muslim woman will accept it," All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) chairperson Shaista Amber told PTI.

"I had sent a letter to the Law Commission requesting it to show the draft bill to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), AIMWPLB, Jamait Islami, Jamiat Ulma-e-Hind and organisations working for women who were given talaq. I got a reply that if needed, it will be discussed but that did not happen," she added.

Holding the AIMPLB responsible for the present state of affairs, Amber said the board never bothered to take triple talaq seriously, and now it was too late.

Demanding withdrawal of the bill, the AIMPLB had earlier said the proposed legislation was against the provisions of the Constitution and violated the rights of women.

Describing it a "conspiracy", the AIMPLB at its meeting here on Sunday had accused the government of snatching the right of divorce from men.

In August, the Supreme Court by a majority of 3:2 ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

The government then drafted the 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill' according to which giving instant divorce will be illegal and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband. The bill seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce by repeated the word talaq thrice.

Looking at the pro and anti-triple talaq bill voices, it seems the BJP which is taking a lead to pass the legislation will face dissent in Parliament in spite of its majority in both the houses.

OneIndia News
eBaums World 18 Nov 2022

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A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. It is a decentralized system for verifying that the parties to a transaction have the money they claim to have, eliminating the need for traditional intermediaries, such as banks, when funds are being transferred between two entities.
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China Forex Expo Coming Back in 2018

Published December 28, 2017 by Sol FH

The China Forex Expo is coming back and expecting a massive turnout this coming May.

The 7th edition of the China Forex Expo will be held on May 18-19, 2018. Following a very successful 6th Expo in 2017, with an incredible turnout of over 6,000, another 50,000 hits online, and 600 reviews of the live streaming, this May the organizers are planning for the biggest event to date.

The venue for the 7th China Forex Expo will be the Great China International Exchange Square in Shenzhen, a city of close to 12 million people. The two-day Expo is intended for affiliates, traders, investors, fintech companies and professionals, brokers from around the world, and anyone else that wants to learn about the cutting-edge of Forex in 2018.

New markets like China have become the hotbed for Forex, as MiFID II and ESMA regulations have put a strain on the European markets. This industry has been growing rapidly across Asia with China leading the pack. Chinas growing market is a big opportunity for offshore and for local brokers, innovators, financial operators, tech providers, and many other service providers.

Having events like this one tends to bridge the gap between foreign players and local Chinese professionals/investors. In the past, European brokers have not completely understood the intricacies of Chinese culture and business policies, which has literally led to physical altercations between the two. This is one of the main reasons behind hosting these types of offline events. Not to mention the exposure to thousands of new contacts in the Forex industry.

Blockchain, a Hot Topic

There has been a ton of news about cryptocurrencies in China, which will be another central Israel for the Expo. The media reported that China would be ceasing all Bitcoin trading. Attendees will be able to learn more about these revolutionary technologies, and what the Chinese opinion is of them.

The Expo will also include a big space for brokers to meet, show their various products and to socialize with potential partners. There will be free lectures, interesting panel discussions with keynote speakers, and much more.
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The Silk Road

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In an alarming development for India, after a meeting of foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Beijing on Tuesday (Dec 26), Chinese foreign minister Wang said China and Pakistan are willing to find out ways to extend China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the $57 billion project, to Afghanistan.

Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development.

Afghanistan has urgent need to develop and improve people's lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations.

"So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan," he added.

India has looked suspiciously at the project as parts of it run through Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India claims its own territory.

China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to apparent Chinese fears about the spread of militancy from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the far western Chinese region of Xinjiang, according to Reuters news agency.

Hence China has pushed Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so they can better tackle the militancy in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants. A tentative talk process collapsed in 2015.

Wang said China fully supported peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and would continue to provide "necessary facilitation".

The Belt and Road infrastructure drive aims to build a modern-day "Silk Road" connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea.

At the same time, to alleviate Indian apprehensions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the project extension was not directed at any third country and that it serves the common interests of the three counties.

"Just as foreign minister Wang Yi said at the joint press conference, CPEC is not directed at the third party and we hope to bring benefit to the third party and the whole region," Hua said without naming India while responding to a question on reports about New Delhi's concerns about CPEC.

"The trilateral cooperation and dialogue is not directed at any country or any party and the dialogue and cooperation should not be influenced and disturbed," Hua emphasized.

The CPEC is a flagship project

The CPEC is a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road and links its restive Xinjiang region with Pakistan's Gwadar port in Balochistan province.

The network of highways, railways, roads and special economic zones is opposed by India as it passes through a part of Kashmir administered by Pakistan and claimed by India.

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See original here

By Laura Clawson

Losing candidate Roy Moore's conspiracy theory-laden temper tantrum, which was dismissed by a judge on Thursday, didn't stop Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill -- a conservative Republican -- from certifying Doug Jones, a Democrat and former KKK prosecutor, as the next senator from Alabama.

It took just a few minutes, several of them prayer, for the state canvassing board to formally certify Jones, who can now be sworn in when the Senate returns from recess.

This brings Democrats one improbable, beautiful step closer to retaking the Senate in 2018. Doug Jones being certified as the winner says we can do this thing. Sure, Roy Moore was a terrible candidate, but this is Alabama.

Alabama would have elected Roy Moore in a different national political climate. The 2018 Senate map is bad for Democrats, but this election was a sign we have to fight every step of the way because there is hope and we go into 2018 one seat closer to the majority than we expected.
From Consortium News



The United Nations logo in the General Assembly Hall.

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The U.N. General Assembly's rebuff of overt threats of economic retaliation from President Trump -- in the overwhelming repudiation of his decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem -- marked a rare show of independence from Washington. Despite President Trump's threats, the vote against the U.S. position was 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions.

I spoke about the significance of the vote with Professor Francis Boyle, a scholar and long-time pro-Palestinian activist, who has been deeply engaged in the Mideast peace process and various negotiations over the last 30 years. Boyle is a professor of international law at the University of Illinois' College of Law. He served as a legal advisor to the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

Dennis Bernstein: Before we jump into this, I would like people to know a little bit more about your background, because you're the perfect person to hit this subject at this time. Just say a little bit more about your work with the Palestinians.

Francis Boyle: Right. Well, starting in 1987, at [the Palestinians] request, I made a speech at the United Nations on the 20th anniversary of the Six-Day War. And, in this speech, I outlined to them an agenda for establishing their statehood, including, at some point, invoking the Uniting for Peace Resolution.

So, they liked what I had to say and asked me to write it up in a memo, which I did. You can read it in my book "Palestine, Palestinians and International Law." And they then carried out my recommendation in their Declaration of Independence of 15 November, 1988. And I was their legal adviser on all of that. My memorandum became their position paper. And I've worked with them since then.

Today, the State of Palestine is recognized du jour by 136 states, the last time I looked. And it also has U.N. observer state status now at the United Nations along the lines that Switzerland had before it became a full-fledged U.N. member state.

[...] And certainly the Palestinians have publicly stated that they can, at some point in the future, invoke the Uniting for Peace Resolution to obtain their admission to the United Nations as a full-fledged U.N. member state. They said that's next on the agenda. I guess we have to see what happens here. I really can't say, but they said they're renewing that struggle in January [2018], after the dust settles here.

DB: Okay, now let's talk about the significance of the vote today [Dec. 21], which has a lot to do with Jerusalem. And, talk about it, if you will, in the context of the Uniting for Peace procedure because this gives it more power or more of a focus.

FB: Well, that is correct. When Uniting for Peace started out, back during the days of the Korean War, the Soviet Union proceeded to exercise a veto. And the United States under Secretary of State Dean Acheson -- back in those days we controlled the General Assembly -- put forward the Uniting for Peace Resolution in the General Assembly to circumvent the Soviet veto. And then [the US] used it to impose fairly terrible economic sanctions against North Korea that continue until today.

And, over the years, the Uniting for Peace procedure was approved by the International Court of Justice in the [Unclear 05:48] advisory opinion in 1962. And I did, I was the one who informed the Palestinians about the Uniting for Peace procedure and that we need to go forward and use it. And they have used it.

And [the vote on Dec. 21] was yet another example. The mainstream news media is dismissing this as nothing more than symbolic. You know, Dennis, if it were nothing more than symbolic then why did Nikki Haley get up there and threaten to break the legs of everyone in the world, if they voted for it, and likewise, Trump make his thuggish threat, as well, at his last cabinet meetings? So it's far more than symbolic.

Under Uniting for Peace the General Assembly cannot require states to do anything. But they can certainly authorize them. And what happens here with this resolution under Uniting for Peace is that it really solidified the international consensus on Jerusalem. As you note, we discussed this before, when Trump announced his new policy, and invited other states to follow moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which it definitely is not, whether west Jerusalem or east Jerusalem.

And, this vote today really solidifies that international consensus. So that is a positive thing, but, obviously it's going to have to be followed up by more steps by the Palestinians. Again, my advice is the next stage here is to use United for Peace to have Palestine admitted to the U.N. itself. But, that's under consideration. We'll have to see what they do.

DB: And what, exactly, did that resolution say? It was reinforcing earlier Security Council resolutions. What exactly are we talking about here?

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Secretary Tillerson delivering a speech written for him by neocons in the State Department.

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In a New York Times editorial today, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried as hard as he could to put a smiley face of the Trump administrations schizophrenic, disjointed and jingoistic foreign policy of 2017. He praised his, and Donald Trump's nonexistent progress in "pushing" the world in a more peaceful direction. The opposite is true.

The world is more dangerous today than it was a year ago. Most discouraging of all is that the world is closer to a nuclear war today. The Doomsday Clock has been steadily ticking away. At the end of the Cold War the Doomsday clock was reset to 17 minutes until Midnight. Under Democratic President Clinton the clock advanced 8 minutes (47%). Under Republican President Bush Jr. it advanced 4 minutes (44%). Under Democratic President Obama it advanced 2 minutes (40%). So far Trump has squandered 30 seconds. Trump and Congress are going ahead with spending Obama's authorized $1 Trillion to increase nuclear armaments more. The US has its head deeply buried in sand up to its butt.

Instead of the Trump administration facing real threats in the world, the US has continued to invent new ones. The top US threats that the US faced according to Trump's is supposed North Korea, Russia, and international terrorism. Tillerson claims progress with all. The opposite is true. The real priorities of nuclear war, climate change, and catastrophic region-wide war in Western Asia, millions of worldwide war casualties, war refugees, and poverty are being ignored or made worse. The US puts "all options on the table" except diplomacy.

Tillerson leads his editorial with North Korea, a country that has not been aggressive or expansionist in centuries. North Korea has been begging the US to come to the negotiation table. All North Korea is asking for is what every other country has a right to. North Korea wants a final peace treaty to resolve the Korean War that ended armed conflict in 1953 with only and armistice. It wants the US to stop its 70 years of threatening it with nuclear weapons. North Korea wants a halt to massive US military exercises on its border. And North Korea wants a mutual non-aggression pact that has enforcement guarantees. And it wants the US to halt its regime change project.

Instead the US State Department talks out of both sides of its mouth saying that North Korea refuses to come to the negotiating table, and from the other side of its mouth that the US refuses to negotiate with North Korea unless it "changes its behavior". The demand that a country "change its behavior" is meaningless and degrading. It is just using the same old Obama lingo to refuse to negotiate.

Instead Tillerson brags that the US has been able to further isolate and corner North Korea, leaving it no alternatives other than capitulation to US dictates, or continuing with taking its self-defense deadly seriously. What Tillerson calls accomplishments with North Korea are economic sanctions which have proven again and again to not resolve any diplomatic issues, but instead inflict enormous harm and death, especially to children. Sanctions, embargoes and blockades are acts of war, not steps towards peaceful diplomacy.

The US conveniently ignores the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT) that it is a violation for a country that has nuclear weapons to threaten a non-nuclear country. Because of a history of 70 years of the US threatening to use nuclear bombs against North Korea, they have every right under international law to arm themselves with a nuclear program and the means to deliver it in self defense. It is the US that needs to "change its behavior".

Tillerson says that he has made progress with China by pressuring it to influence North Korea. The rest of Tillerson's supposed diplomatic accomplishments with China are just mumblings about "trade imbalances, intellectual property theft and China's troubling military activities in the South China Sea and elsewhere". No specifics are mentioned except to say that "China could do more". He does not even pretend any diplomatic accomplishments with China.

On Russia Tillerson says: "we have no illusions about the regime we are dealing with. The United States today has a poor relationship with a resurgent Russia that has invaded its neighbors Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade and undermined the sovereignty of Western nations by meddling in our election and others'." Tillerson's State Department must live in the fantasy world. It was the US that destabilized Ukraine with a regime change project under Obama/Clinton, and it was Georgia that attacked Abkhazia and South Ossetia starting the Russia-Georgia war, probably at the instigation of the US neocons during the 2008 US elections. Since then Russia and Georgia have been steadily improving relations since 2010, with no help from the US. The two countries again allow visa free travel and have much improved diplomatic relations. As for Ukraine, the US has dropped its fig leaf of "non-lethal military aid" and is now openly sending lethal military weapons to Kiev to kill its own citizens. Tillerson is just making it up when he says that Russia needs to honor the Minsk Agreement, when it is the US puppet government Ukraine that refuses to honor it. As for Russia meddling in US elections it is just a US propaganda ploy.

What else? International terrorism? The US now claims success in defeating ISIS after many years of frustration, while it was Russia that stepped in to aid Syria crushed ISIS terrorism within months. Remember the video proof of endless convoys of oil tankers on their way to Turkey that the US was blind to? It is now common knowledge that international terrorism is state supported by the US and its allies Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the Gulf States.

Iran? Trump has trashed one of the few significant achievements towards peace by Obama. Reorganizing the Agency for International Development? It now just does overtly what the CIA used to do covertly. What else has Tillerson accomplished? Not much.

Tillerson says that he wakes up every morning asking himself: "How can I and my colleagues at the State Department use diplomacy to prevent people around the world from being killed, wounded or deprived of their rights?" It is the US that has been doing most of the killing, wounding, and depriving people of their human rights.

Tillerson need not wake up too early each morning. It is not all Tillerson's fault, though. His hands have been tied. He has been the least warmonger at the Department of State for decades. For that I give him a lot of credit. He probably won't last at State much longer.
The richest 500 billionaires increased their wealth by a trillion dollars this year. Amazon's Jeff Bezos became $34 billion dollars richer this year, making him the wealthiest man in the world, worth over $100 billion. It shouldn't happen. There should be no billionaires and no person should be come $34 billion richer

I've written dozens of articles on how billionaires should not be allowed to exist, in my article series, The No Billionaires, De-Billionairize the Planet Crusade.



And I acknowledge. It is a challenge to figure out how to take the money from existing billionaires and how to answer the question of what to do with the money and who decides. But it is not an insurmountable one. The first step is to agree that nobody should have that much money and, worse, the power that goes with it.

I would argue that there are plenty of ways to handle the money-- or the stock equity that the increase in wealth is tied to. The easiest way would be to use a Bottom up approach and spread it around. Give it to the employees who helped earn the money. Give it the Amazon mechanical Turk pieceworkers who make under $5.00 an hour. Give it to the community that gave Amazon tax breaks to build there. Give it to local environmental . organizations, or national ones, since Amazon's packaging has created new problems and costs-- externalities-- that Amazon does not pay for. Matter of fact, use some of the money to fund research into ALL the externalities-- all the costs to communities, the environment, etc., that Amazon produces and does not pay for.

The Koch brothers should not be allowed to keep the additional billions they accumulated or profited. Earned is probably not an accurate word. They should be giving the money to employees, communities and unaccounted for externalities.

Some will argue that this will de-motivate Bezos and other billionaires from investing his time and creativity in building the company. I'm not sure that's true. Bezos is a brilliant entrepreneur and doesn't really need more money. But if it does discourage him, I think that's okay. He is building other new projects, like his space rocket venture Blue Origin. It's okay to use funds his efforts earn to create new projects. But after reaching a certain level of wealth, the profits should go to creating more projects that employ people or go back to the different beneficiaries I mention above.

Billionaires are bad for humanity, even the most well-intentioned ones. Their footprint is too big. Their power and influence too great. The first step is to agree on this idea. Then we can move to figure out how to prevent new billionaires from happening and how to turn existing billionaires into millionaires. No individual should be able to buy a half a billion dollar work of art or own a home that costs a quarter billion dollars. Period. As I've written, nature puts limits on growth. Unlimited growth is abnormal and malignant. Giantism is a disease. It is up to us to prevent it in human culture.

I'm not saying Jeff Bezos is a bad person (like the Koch brothers are.) He's doing what our existing system allows him to do. We need to change the system. We need to change our culture so billionaires are seen as abnormal, as hoarders, as pathologically greedy. I'm not saying all current billionaires are. I'm saying that we need to stop allowing the creation of billionaires and start the thinking that remaining billionaires are pathological and that healthy successful people joyfully share the wealth their work and creativity generate and do not expect to become billionaires.
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NarayangadhMuglin road section to be closed during night from Jan 2

In an effort to expedite expansion works, the NarayangadhMuglin road section will be closed during night time from January 2.
From WSWS

State health officials throughout the United States are preparing for major cutbacks or outright shutdown of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The plans are going forward despite stopgap legislation enacted by Congress December 21 and signed into law by President Trump that supposedly averted an immediate collapse of CHIP, which provides health care coverage for nine million low-income children.

In Colorado, Connecticut, Utah and Virginia, state agencies sent out letters notifying families of children enrolled in CHIP that the program is likely to terminate January 31 without additional congressional action. The state of Alabama delayed its own shutdown -- originally set to begin January 1 -- until the end of the month.

The legislation passed last week provides only a short-term patch to the program, funneling $2.85 billion into CHIP through March 31. This is entirely inadequate, since funding authorization expired September 30, at the end of the last fiscal year, and full annual funding would require $16 billion, or about $4 billion every three months. That means the $2.85 billion does not even cover spending for the October through December period, let alone the first three months of 2018.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which manages the allocation of CHIP funds to the states, has averted the program's shutdown so far by shuffling funds from states with temporary surpluses to those which were imminently running out of cash. The imbalances between states are themselves a product of the patchwork character of CHIP, which is treated by some states as part of Medicaid, and by others as a free-standing program.

The redistribution of funds between states can only go so far, and ultimately has the effect of bringing forward a nationwide collapse of the entire program, since all states will now run out of funds more or less simultaneously. According to a report by Georgetown University released last week, 25 states will run out of funds during the month of January and six more during the month of February.

In those states where CHIP funding is exhausted, those children covered through Medicaid will remain covered, under a provision of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) which requires that states maintain eligibility levels under Medicaid. But those children covered through CHIP as a separate program will be dropped.

According to the Georgetown study, the January cutoffs could affect nearly 2 million children, while another million children would be targeted in February. The largest statewide totals include 719,612 in Texas (February); and 424,976 in New York; 238,317 in Pennsylvania; 201,703 in Florida; 166,948 in Georgia; and 118,016 in California, all in January.

In some states, funding will dry up even before beneficiaries and providers can be properly notified, since IT systems that handle the payment of benefits have to be reprogrammed and websites updated. Some states cannot meet the required 30 days of advance notice to families that their benefits are being terminated.

In some cases, states plan to dump families into the Obamacare exchanges, which, even if they can find an insurance plan, will cost much more. CHIP caps cost-sharing like deductibles and premiums at 5 percent of a family's income, but there is no such ceiling on the cost of insurance on the exchanges.

The passage of a supposed temporary "fix" to the CHIP funding crisis that actually resolves nothing -- and may bring forward the total collapse of the program -- is an indictment of the congressional Democrats as well as the Republicans and the Trump White House.

The year-end continuing resolution required a 60-vote margin to pass the Senate, where the Republicans control only 52 votes, giving the Democratic caucus significant leverage in how to structure the legislation. On the two most salient issues -- extension of CHIP and protection for immigrant children under DACA -- the Democrats caved in and essentially did the bidding of the Republican majority.

Moreover, many of the state governments that are implementing the CHIP cuts, including three of the four states (Colorado, Connecticut and Virginia) that have recently sent off mass cutoff notifications, are under Democratic Party control. At the state level, both capitalist parties are pursuing austerity policies with a vengeance.

There are many additional cuts in health care coming in the New Year, some incorporated in the continuing resolution passed by the House and Senate to fund the federal government through January 19, others being enacted by state governments on their own authority, using the "flexibility" provided by executive order from the Trump administration.

* One provision takes $750 million out of the Affordable Care Act's Prevention and Public Health Fund to pay for community health centers and other programs that would otherwise have been defunded, essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul.

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Europe Hospital Beds Market Analysis, Size, Growth and Demand till 2022

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The European hospital bed market achieved a value of $1.6 billion in the year 2015 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% during 2016-2022. Depending upon the usage, there are variety of hospital beds that are available in the regional market such as general, birthing, pediatric, bariatric, pressure relief and others. Amongst the various types, general beds held the largest share of the market, and is expected to attain a value of $854.4 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 4.8%. The category is also expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period, since general beds are used for all types of patients. The hospital bed market in the region has been growing due to several factors such as increasing healthcare expenditure, growing aging population, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and ongoing technological advancements the market.Explore Report Sample at:The government of various countries are investing in healthcare expenditure, due to which the companies are focusing more on providing best facilities to the patients by developing innovative solutions for better care. For instance, in May 2017, Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., unveiled its new Hill-Rom Envella Air Fluidized Therapy Bed, which is an advanced solution for wound care for patients with advanced wounds. The Envella bed's differentiated technology provides an ideal healing environment for the prevention and treatment of advanced pressure injuries. Following that Howard Wright Limited launched a new ward bed M10, in July 2016, which can revolutionize patient care and safety. M10 has the most demanding standards and is made to focus on three key areas of concern namely, patient falls, pressure injuries and cross infection.In November 2016, LINET spol. s.r.o. launched its new range of intensive care hospital bed by the name, Eleganza 5. The bed consists of an inbuilt system called BedMonitor and monitors safety parameters, transmits data to a computer, telephone or a tablet. This system can also collect and evaluate various data, which can serve to optimize the capacity utilization of the bed, and monitor technical parameters.Explore Report at:Some of the key players operating in the regional hospital bed market are Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Stryker Corporation, Getinge AB, LINET spol. s.r.o., Howard Wright Limited, Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, Sunflower Medical Ltd., Stiegelmeyer GmbH & Co. KG, Merivaara Corp., and Alpha-Fit GmbH.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:P&S Market ResearchAssistant  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Automotive Fuel Injection Pump Market Perceives Enormous Accruals with a Striking CAGR of 7.14% by 2023

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Global Automotive Fuel Injection Pump Market Information Report, By Engine Type (Gasoline and Diesel), By Pressure (Low Pressure Pump and High Pressure Pump), By Type (Common Rail and Rotary Distributor) By Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicles and Commercial Vehicles) and By Region - Forecast To 2023Market SynopsisAutomotive fuel injection pump is one of the most crucial vehicle parts that have gained a lot of attention among the major vehicle manufacturers. Automotive industry has become one of the major revenue generating industries and has come up with several technological advancements in engine components in the last few years, automotive fuel injection pumps being one of them. The global automotive fuel injection pump market has seen remarkable growth in the global market and it has been observed that, its demand is expected to grow with the CAGR of ~7.14%, during the forecast period.The global automotive fuel injection pump market has increasing and the main focus is on emission control and fuel efficiency. The automotive manufacturers have now been more focused on updating the technology for better fuel efficiency and low emission control. Automotive fuel injection pumps perform an integral function within engines and enhance their efficiency and enable a smooth run of vehicle. The fuel injection pump in vehicles, works very efficiently, transmitting the engine performance to the vehicle engine. The global automotive fuel injection pump market is mainly influenced by certain growing factors. Some of them are low emission & higher fuel efficiency, increasing sales of new vehicles, strict government regulations on reducing vehicles emission, technological advancements and emerging economies. A major hindrance could be the rising penetration of electric vehicles. Furthermore, the growing demand for gasoline engine vehicles and increasing disposable income, create major market opportunities.Get Sample of Report @The global automotive fuel injection pump market, has been segmented on the basis of engine type, pressure, type, vehicles type and region. On the basis of engine type, the market has been segmented as gasoline engine and diesel engine. Gasoline engine is expected to dominate the global market by engine type, in 2016, in terms of market revenue. On the basis of pressure, the market has been segmented as low pressure pump and high pressure pump. On the basis of type, the market has been segmented as common rail and rotary distributor. On the basis of vehicle type, the market has been segmented as passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. Among these, passenger vehicles segment has accounted for the highest market share, in 2016, in terms of revenue.Geographically, the global automotive fuel injection pump market has been divided into the major regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. Among these regions, Asia Pacific region has dominated the global market due the driving factors such as strict regulation on vehicle emission, rising disposable income and growing new vehicle registration. During the last few years, APAC has sold the highest number of vehicles, where countries such as China, Japan and Indonesia, contribute majorly. Moreover, the growing demand for passenger vehicles has become a major driving factor for APAC region. North America is the second leading region, in terms of revenue. Whereas, Europe holds the third leading region.The prominent players in the automotive fuel injection pump market include Continental AG (Germany), Denso Corporation (Japan), Delphi Automotive (UK), Robert Bosch (Germany), Hitachi Ltd (Japan), Infineon Technologies (Germany), Schaeffler Group (Germany), Johnson Electric (Hong Kong), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), Valeo (France), MAHLE GmbH (Germany), and Cummins, Inc (U.S.).Enquiry before Buying @Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global automotive fuel injection pump market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a six year annual trend analysis that highlights market size and share for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global automotive fuel injection pump market by engine type, by pressure, by type, by vehicle type and by regions.By Engine Type Gasoline DieselBy Pressure Low Pressure Pump High Pressure PumpBy Type Common Rail Rotary DistributorBy Vehicle Type Passenger Vehicles Commercial VehiclesBy Regions North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldAccess Full Report @About Us: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 , 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.Akash Anand,Market Research FuturePune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone No. :+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Hydrazobenzene Market - Key Segmentation Of Industry & Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Global Hydrazobenzene Market: SnapshotHydrazobenzene is chemically studied to be a crystalline and colorless compound that when heated to decomposition discharges virulent nitrogen oxide fumes. It could find application in the manufacture of various pharmaceuticals while functioning as an intermediate. The dye manufacturing sector could engage hydrazobenzene primarily as an antecedent of benzidine, which is a dye intermediate. Based on experimental findings that prove the carcinogenicity of hydrazobenzene, it is rationally predicted to be a human carcinogen. Moreover, if humans are exposed to this compound, it can cause brain, kidney, and liver damage while irritating the lungs, throat, nose, and skin.Each country in the global hydrazobenzene market could have its own list of key suppliers. In both the U.S. and Europe regions, Chemos GmbH & Co. KG has been making its mark with more than 25 years of quality experience in the fine chemical industry. With a robust network incorporating chemical producers and custom manufacturing firms, Chemos operates as a strong support to the chemical companies and research institutions positioned in the aforementioned regions. Likewise, there could be Hangzhou Dayangchem Co. Ltd. and IBIS Chemie International operating as top companies in the Peoples Republic of China and India respectively.Request Sample Copy of the Report @According to the globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS), hydrazobenzene is very toxic to the aquatic environment with enduring effects to face and may even lead to cancer. Therefore, as per the laboratory chemical safety summary (LCSS), manufacturers and end users of this substance are required to follow certain regulations related to storage and handling, cleanup and disposal, exposure limit, first aid, and health and symptoms.Global Hydrazobenzene Market: OverviewThe rising number of applications of hydrazobenzene and the rising focus of key players on research and development activities are the key factors fueling the growth of the global hydrazobenzene market. Furthermore, the demand for hydrogen peroxide for the purpose of water treatment is anticipated to encourage the growth of the market.The research report provides analysis of the global hydrazobenzene market on a regional and global level. The study offers historical information and presents the forecast statistics between 2017 and 2025 in terms of revenue and volume. The key segmentation and the major factors encouraging the growth of the global hydrazobenzene market have been provided in the research study to provide a strong understanding for readers and new entrants. Furthermore, to provide a thorough view of the global market, the research study has included a detailed competitiveness analysis and a list of the leading company players.Request TOC of the Report @Global Hydrazobenzene Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe growing demand for hydrazobenzene from the pharmaceutical industry is the key factor expected to encourage the growth of the market in the next few years. In addition, the rising consumption of phenylbutazone and sulfinpyrazone in manufacturing different pharmaceutical products is expected to accelerate the growth of the global hydrazobenzene market in the forecast period. On the flip side, the carcinogenic properties of hydrazobenzene, which is considered as extremely harmful for human being due to prolonged exposure is one of the major factors projected to hamper the growth of the global hydrazobenzene market in the next few years. Nonetheless, the rising number of applications of hydrazobenzene and the growing demand from the automotive industry are likely to supplement the growth of the market in the next few years.Global Hydrazobenzene Market: Region-wise OutlookAmong the key regional segments in the hydrazobenzene market, Asia Pacific is estimated to witness rapid growth in the next few years. With the rising number of applications, this region is projected to account for a key share of the overall market and register a progressive growth. The high growth of this region can be attributed to the rising demand for hydrazobenzene from pigments and dyes industry.Get Discount @In addition, the swift development of the agro-chemical sector in Asia Pacific is projected to boost the demand for hydrazobenzene throughout the forecast period. The agrochemical application of hydrazobenzene as a de-suckering agent, especially in tobacco plants is likely to contribute substantially in developing economies of Asia Pacific, including China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Thailand. Furthermore, the increasing number of players in this region is expected to encourage the growth of the hydrazobenzene market throughout the forecast period.Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:The research study on the global hydrazobenzene market offers a detailed analysis of the competitive landscape, presenting insights into the prominent players operating in the market. In addition, the company profiles, financial overview, contact information, SWOT analysis, and the recent developments have been discussed at length in the scope of the study. Some of the key players operating in the market are Alfa Aesar, IBIS Chemie International, Gihi Chemicals Co., Limited, Tokyo Kasei Kogyo (TKK), and Chemos GmbH.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.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Combi-chem & High Throughput Screening Market - Regional Analysis Of Industry & Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Combi-chem & High Throughput Screening Market: SnapshotCombi-chem and throughput screenings allow creation of several new materials in shortest possible time by using automation to their advantage. It refers to characterization of libraries of materials along with their parallel synthesis in the most cost-efficient method. Owing to this reason, the demand for combi-chem or combinatorial chemistry is especially high in the field of drug discovery. The fast-paced synthesis of millions of chemical compounds is expected to make this method a preferred choice amongst several drug developers across the globe. Adoption of combinatorial chemistry has eliminated the need for piecemeal experimental work and opened up several opportunities for scientists to experiment on large scale basis.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The rampant rise in the number of diseases and disorders across the globe is expected to be an important driver for the global combi-chem and throughput screenings market. The application of combinatorial chemistry science has made a remarkable difference to high-throughput screening outputs, library purification, chemical lead optimization, and post-purification sample handling. These methods have also profited in vitro and in vivo drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic assays in immeasurable ways. Growing investments in research and development along with increasing pressure to ensure better disease management are projected to play an important role in the trajectory of the global market.The drug industry heavily relies on combinatorial chemistry for a tangible results. The pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology sector, and the field of agro chemistry are expected to be key end users of combinatorial chemistry. The research report discusses all of these factors in absolute details and describes the impact on the growth of the global market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Combi-chem and High Throughput Screening Market: OverviewCombi-chem or combinational chemistry is an innovative method of synthesizing multiple chemical compounds within a short turnaround time. Combinational chemistry is considered to be a less time-consuming and labor-intensive option to traditional chemistry, where compounds are synthesized one at a time. It can help synthesize a large number of chemical compounds with the combination of various sets of building blocks of the chemical compound and is primarily utilized by chemistry researchers to develop new drug molecules.Combinational chemistry has a wide scope of applications in the industries pertaining to semiconductors, superconductors, catalysts, and polymers. A traditional chemist can synthesize around 100 to 200 new chemical molecules per year, while combinational robotic systems are able to produce thousands or even millions of new chemical entities per year, each of which have the potential to become a new drug molecule under the high throughput screening process.Get Discount @Global Combi-chem and High Throughput Screening Market: Factors of InfluenceIn 2014, the WHO stated in a publication that 8.2 mn people around the world had died of cancer in 2012. The American Cancer Society (ACS) published that in the U.S., close to 300,000 men and 276,000 women died in 2012 of cancer. The prevalence of infectious diseases is also much higher in the developing economies in the world, such as India and others from Asia Pacific owing to various reasons including hygiene complications and a growing rate of adoption of negative lifestyle tendencies. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published that the prevalence of infectious diseases in South Asia is nearly 2%. Additionally, the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) stated in 2012 that Asia-Pacific ranked second in the world, after Africa, in the prevalence of infectious diseases.Combinational chemistry has created a paradigm shift in new drug applications from preclinical discovery to drug development, with quick turnaround times and higher success rates than conventional methods. It is evolving into an exciting new technology in drug discovery and development  two activities that are booming globally due to the rising prevalence of various cancers and infectious diseases. However, technical complexity and high cost associated with combi-chem and high throughput screening equipment are expected to hamper the global market over the coming years.Global Combi-chem and High Throughput Screening Market: Regional AnalysisNorth America and Europe dominated the global combi-chem and high throughput screening market so far, due to a rising prevalence of various infectious diseases and an increasing number of cancer diagnosis cases. Government initiatives are and will continue to drive the combi-chem and high throughput screening markets in North America and Europe.Asia-Pacific is considered to be an emerging market due to a fast rate of penetration of related procedures in this region. The growth of the market in Asia Pacific will be fuelled by the presence of untapped opportunities due to a swift rate of evolution in the regions healthcare infrastructure, while also holding a very large patient population base. It is expected that the Asia Pacific market will experience a tremendous growth rate during the forecast period.Global Combi-chem and High Throughput Screening Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe key players in the global combi-chem and high throughput screening market for 2016 included Abbott Healthcare, AstraZeneca PLC, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck & Co., and Pfizer, Inc.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.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
A comprehensive Study on Milk Alternatives Market Size & Share, Growth,Trends and Forecast 2017-2025

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MarketResearchReports.Biz presents this most up-to-date research on "Milk Alternatives Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025"The main objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the global Milk Alternatives market on the basis of types of applications, major sectors, deployment models, organization size, and regions. The report contains an analysis of the major factors influencing the growth of the market (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges). It aims to strategically analyze the micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and their contribution to the market. The report attempts to forecast the market size for 5 major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. It contains key vendor profiles and comprehensively analyzes their core competencies. The report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments, including partnerships, collaborations, acquisitions, new product developments, and R&D activities in the market.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @ An alternative to milk from mammals, is often termed as milk substitute or milk alternative. These are generally derived from plant sources such as rice, almond, and coconut among others. The substitute is used for direct replacement of drinking milk as well as a substitute of milk beverages such as tea and coffee. Initially the products were simply targeted towards lactose intolerant people, however now it has become a popular trend in the western countries. The advantages of consuming milk alternatives have attracted both vegans and consumers looking for a healthy low calories alternatives, for instance almond milk is a good source of minerals and is low in calories. Hemp milk contains high amount of Omega-3 (useful for heart health), rice milk also provides a low fat alternative, soy milk contains high amount of protein and is more popularly consumed in the Western Europe.Milk Alternatives Market SegmentationMilk alternative have a rising acceptance not only among vegans but also among health conscious consumers. Products such as rice milk which are soy, nut and gluten free have caught eyes of consumers. Rice milk constitutes one part of the bigger segment of milk alternatives and the thus is segmented based on product type which includes; almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, coconut milk, flax milk, hemp milk and rice milk.Numerous products have flooded the market and are available at major supermarket chains and certain supermarkets have a dedicated area devoted to alternative dairy products. Based on distribution channel milk derivatives market is segmented as, hypermarkets/supermarkets, online stores, convenience stores and other retail formatsMilk Alternatives market Global Market Trends and Market Drivers:The health trend is now on an exponential growth, consumers want food to be healthy and have thus become more demanding. Manufacturers are also looking to innovate and provide a healthy food alternative, products diversifications from major players in the market, aimed at health-conscious consumers. This is well synergized with the organic trend where consumers are willing to pay more for organic and healthy food. With small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) having witnessed double digit growth, food and beverages giant have focused their investment in such produces of organic and healthy food, acquisition and mergers have become common in order gain substantial market capitalization.Dairy products have steady growth as well but are now being challenged by dairy free producers on the backdrop of popular demands from consumer on low calorie, low cholesterol and gluten free. This might not be a very significant threat to the dairy producers as dairy has a sheer volume dominance in sales. However, the growth for dairy alternatives have high growth prospect and is estimated to gain popularity as well as market share in not so distant future.View Report @ Western Europe and North America among one of the most attractive markets for milk alternatives. Plant based milk have different product favorite by countries which can be observed through the increase in sales of the dedicated product. The U.S. has a high sale of almond milk and has ranked up to become the favorite milk alternative, oat milk in Sweden, chilled soy milk in the U.K. among other.Although the use of milk alternatives dates ages, but the popularity has risen in the recent years with both branded and private label brands now having a greater penetration throughout European stores. The EU with its regulations on the use of label milk in non-dairy/dairy free is not likely to affect the rise in the popularity at a significantly scale.Milk Alternatives Market Key Players:Variety of milk alternatives products have been introduced by the manufacturers and some of the global market players participating in milk alternatives market include; Oatly AB, Danone SA, Alpina Productos Alimenticios SA , Hain Celestial Group, Vitasoy International, Blue Diamond Growers, Pureharvest, Good Karma Foods, Inc., McCormick & Company, Alpro among othersThe report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Request For Enquiry @The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Check Discount @ Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout 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
Malt Ingredients Market : Global Industry Volume by Region 2016  2024

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Malting is the procedure of converting cereal grains such as barley and wheat into malt, which may be utilized in applications such as brewing, distilling, and in manufacturing foods. The cereal grains are germinated by soaking them in water and consequently allowing them to sprout. Following this, they are dried with warm air.During the malting process, grain starches are transformed in simple sugars including glucose and fructose. Malt components are utilized by leading food and beverage enterprises in the form of food additives, which impart a palatable taste and color to the end product. The use of this ingredient also facilitates the modification or stabilization of the texture of various F&B products. The rising number of new food products launched on the market, especially those containing organic and herbal ingredients, as well as the growing demand for completely natural foods is creating new possibilities in the malt ingredient marketplace.Download Report Brochure @Global Malt Ingredients Market: SegmentationThe malt ingredients market can be segmented basis source into the following: wheat, barley, and others (such as rye). Barley is commonly used as a base ingredient in the malting process. Likewise, wheat grains are also used for malting as they feature more proteins. The malt ingredients market can also be segmented on the premise of grade into special grade and standard grade malts (which as are also referred to as base malts). Of these two types of malts, it is the base malts that have diastatic power, which helps them convert their naturally occurring starches. On the other hand, specialty malts have very little diastatic power  this makes them integral to the flavor and color of the end product.Based on type of malt ingredients, the market can be segmented into: flour, liquid malt, dry malt, and others (such as flakes). Dry malt powder is widely used in numerous powder premixes and bakery products. The use of liquid malts is commonly made in syrups and toppings used on ice creams. Furthermore, flakes are typically sprinkled on bakery products as toppings. The market for malt ingredients can also be segmented on the basis of end use applications into the following: bakery and confectionary products, food products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, dairy and frozen products, and others (such as animal feed and pharmaceuticals).Malt Ingredients Market: Region-wise OutlookSegmented on the basis of region, the global malt ingredients market can be divided into: North America, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Western Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Japan. The global malt ingredients market has been projected to display vigorous growth all through 2025 on account of the rising demand for different packaged foods and ready-to-eat products. With an increase in the amount of packaged food consumed and an upswing in the sales of non-alcoholic beer, the market for malt ingredients worldwide is predicted to follow a steady growth trajectory. Europe, especially, is expected to perform well and dominate the global market through the forecast period. The markets of Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) will also register robust growth thanks largely to the mounting demand for non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. New products under development in the dairy premixes and the soaring popularity of malt-based drinks formulated for kids will stimulate the malt ingredient markets growth.Global Malt Ingredients Market: DriversThe exploding population across the globe has positively impacted the demand for food, thus having a cascading effect on the demand for various ingredients used in the F&B sector. There is a spike in the number of health conscious consumers, too. This is helping the growth of the market.An uptick in the sales of malt beer and other dairy products that are malt-based will substantially drive the malt ingredients market, it is expected.Obtain Report Details @Malt Ingredients Market: Key PlayersThe top companies that have gained a foothold in the malt ingredients market are: Cargill Incorporated, Axereal, Global Malt GmbH & Co. Kg, Crisp Malting Group, Ireks GmbH, Muntons PLC, Malteurop Group, and Simpsons Malt Ltd.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Emollient Esters Market Size  Growth, Latest Trend & Forecast 2025

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"The Latest Research Report Emollient Esters Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Emollient is a common ingredient used in personal care formulations. Emollients are elements that impart a soft or smooth effect to the skin. Emollients are multifunctional ingredients that offer numerous benefits to the users, such as moisturizing and enhancing the texture of hair and skin, reducing skin blemishes and wrinkles, supplementing cell count, thickening anhydrous water in oil and oil in water formulations, while acting as an active solvent at the same time.Esters are compounds formed by reacting with polyols or alcohols. Ester is the primary chemical in emollients. The higher the solubility of esters, the lesser the hydrolytic stability they possess. Many esters are not stable at low or high PH and can break down over time.Get Sample Copy of this report @Based on type, the emollient esters market can be segregated into caprylic/capric triglyceride, isopropyl myristate, myristyl myristate, cetyl palmitate, and C12-15 alkyl benzoate. Caprylic/capric Triglyceride is a mixed triester derived from glycerin and coconut oil. It is in oily liquid form which quickly penetrates the surface to condition the hair or skin and provides a non-greasy light-weight barrier of lubrication. It also helps in enhancing the delivery of vitamins and other active ingredients contained in the solution so that they are fully absorbed and evenly spread by the epidermis. It is primarily used as an ingredient in personal care products such as lipsticks, sunscreen lotions, foundation powders, creams, and facial moisturizers. Isopropyl myristate is a synthetic oil composed of myristic acid and isopropyl alcohol. It is often used as an additive in shampoos, deodorants, bath oils, aftershaves, oral hygiene products, antiperspirants, and various creams and lotions. Myristyl myristate is an ester derived from natural vegetables that utilizes only myristic fatty acids. It is used as a co-emulsifier due to its emulsion stabilizing benefits. It imparts a pleasant and soft powdery feel to the skin. Cetyl palmitate contains naturally occurring fatty acids such as cetyl alcohol and palmitic acid found in plants and animals. It lubricates and conditions the skin and makes it appear smooth and soft. C12-15 alkyl benzoate is an ester of benzoic acid. It provides a light conditioning and silky after-touch to the hair and skin. It is used in many products such as shampoos and conditioners, facial moisturizers, self-tanners, and body wash. The cetyl palmitate segment holds major share of the emollients esters market due to its indefinite shelf life.In terms of end-user, the emollient esters market can be classified into hair care, oral care, skin care, cosmetics, and others. The skin care segment accounted for major share of the emollient esters market, followed by the hair care segment. This is a result of the increasing exposure of people to personal hygiene, grooming, and care.Based on geography, the emollient esters market can be divided into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Europe holds the major market share in terms of volume and value. Most manufacturers of personal care and cosmetic products are situated in Europe. However, Asia Pacific is estimated to be a rapidly growing region of the emollient esters market due to the increase in purchasing power of people.View Report @Change in lifestyle, rise in awareness about personal hygiene, and shift from oil based emollients to ester emollients are the driving factors of the emollient esters market. Availability of cheaper substitutes and stringent labelling regulations on cosmetic ingredients may hamper the emollient esters market.Key players operating in the emollient esters market are Ashland Inc. (the U.S.), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), Lonza Group Ltd. (Switzerland), Stepan Company (the U.S.), Innospec Inc. (the U.S.), Croda International Plc. (the U.K), Lubrizol Corporation (the U.S.), and BASF SE (Germany).The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.Send An Enquiry Request @A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketCheck Discount This Report From Here @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.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
HVAC Global Market Top Key Players  Carrier , Daikin Industries , Ingersoll-Rand , Johnson Controls , LG and Forecast to 2021

HVAC Market

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Global HVAC MarketDescriptionWiseGuyReports.Com adds Global HVAC Market 2016-2020 Research To Its Database.The research analyst predicts the global HVAC market to grow steadily at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. The increase in construction activities worldwide is a key growth driver for this market. New constructions in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors have increased the demand for HVAC systems, which improves building efficiencies, thus generating high revenue for the market. Moreover, government regulations introduced by countries worldwide compel HVAC system vendors to comply with industry standards. For instance, the Commercial Building Disclosure outlined by the Australian government provides a high incentive for improving the performance and efficiency of HVAC systems. It requires building owners selling or leasing office spaces larger than 2,000 square meters to comply with energy efficiency standards. This, in turn, has been encouraging the installation of efficient HVAC systems.Advances in monitoring systems and intelligent technology are expected to aid the growth of the HVAC market. Monitoring systems help in tracking the energy consumption of a building while intelligent technology controls the energy output of an HVAC system. For instance, fans used in the heating system of computing systems are switched on only after the computing system reaches the set temperature, making the system energy efficient. The integration of the Internet of things (IoT) with HVAC systems is also opening new avenues for the market in terms of revenue. This research report predicts the commercial building sector to be the earliest adopter of this technology, as this integration would enhance the efficiency and reliability of the BAS.Equipment and services segmentation and analysis of the HVAC market Equipment (sub-segmented by heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment) ServicesThe HVAC equipment segment dominated the market during 2015, with a market share of around 69%. The growing population and industrialization, rising sales of domestic and commercial buildings, increasing construction expenditure, and the expanding purchasing power of the middle class are the key growth drivers for this segment.Get sample Report @End-user segmentation and analysis of the HVAC market Non-residential buildings Residential buildingsThe non-residential segment accounted for 67% of the market share during 2015. Healthcare and educational institutions, manufacturing and industrial buildings, as well as offices and retail stores are the non-residential users of HVAC systems. The increase in construction activities rapid industrialization, as well as the need for enhancing energy efficiency in buildings, are driving the growth of HVAC systems.Geographical segmentation and analysis of the global HVAC market Americas APAC EMEAAPAC accounted for 51% of the market share during 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. The analysts expect the rise in investments in real estate to boost the HVAC market in APAC. The report further anticipates China to retain its market leadership until the end of the forecast period.Competitive landscape and key vendorsThe global HVAC market is diversified with the presence of international and regional vendors. Many regional vendors are providing customized HVAC systems at lower prices than international vendors for increasing their market presence. Though several new vendors are foraying into the market, they find it difficult to compete with the international vendors in terms of quality, features, functionalities, and services.The leading vendors in the market are Carrier Daikin Industries Ingersoll-Rand Johnson Controls LGThe other prominent vendors in the market include AB Electrolux, Bosch Thermotechnik, Fujitsu, GD Midea, Gree Electric Appliances, Haier, Hitachi, Lennox International, Nortek, Paloma Industries, Samsung, Siemens, and Vaillant Group.Key questions answered in the report include What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2020? What are the key factors driving the global HVAC market? What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the global HVAC market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global HVAC market? Trending factors influencing the market shares of the Americas, APAC, and EMEA? What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the global HVAC market?Enquiry About Report @Table of Contents -Major Key PointsPART 01: Executive summary HighlightsPART 02: Scope of the report Market overview Top-vendor offeringsPART 03: Market research methodology Research methodology Economic indicatorsPART 04: Introduction Key market highlightsPART 05: Market landscape Market overview Heating equipment Future developments Market size and forecast Five forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by equipment and services Global HVAC market by equipment and services Global HVAC market by servicesPART 07: Market segmentation by end user Global HVAC market by end-user Global HVAC market by residential users Global HVAC market by non-residential usersPART 08: Geographical segmentation Global HVAC market by geography HVAC market in APAC HVAC market in EMEA HVAC market in AmericasPART 09: Market drivers Increased construction activities Growing replacement demand in developed countries Need for energy-efficient HVAC systems Developing infrastructure in emerging countriesPART 10: Impact of driversPART 11: Market challenges Environmental regulations and guidelines High market competition Capital-intensivenessPART 12: Impact of drivers and challengesPART 13: Market trends Building automation systems Advanced monitoring systems and intelligent technologies Efficient maintenance and personal services for HVAC systems Increased focus on energy savings and maintenance Growth of smart cities Rise in adoption of smartphones for controlling HVAC devices Implementation of zero-energy systems Rise in use of DEVap systems Shift toward green technology Emergence of smart thermostatsPART 14: Vendor landscape Competitive scenario Other prominent vendorsPART 15: Key vendor analysis Carrier Daikin Industries Ingersoll-Rand Johnson Controls LG Electronics..CONTINUEDAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, Industry research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)
Global Gum Hydrocolloid Market - Insights, Trends and Forecast, 2016 - 2024

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The global market for gum hydrocolloids has been exhibiting growth at a rapid pace over the last few years. The market owes its robust growth to the growing demand for natural food ingredients by consumers belonging from different age groups.Hydrocolloid is a functional food ingredient that is used in food and beverages to increase their viscosity, stability, texture, and physical appearance. When isolated in water, hydrocolloids form gel like substances. Polymers obtained from plants, synthetic, animals, and microbes are major sources of hydrocolloids.Download Report Brochure @Some of the most commonly used hydrocolloid in the food and beverages industry include carrageenam, alginates, gelatin, pectin, xanthan gum, AGAR, and others. Compiled with the intent of updating stakeholders about the prevailing market dynamics and future outlook, the report presents insights into the key factors influencing the markets growth trajectory.The report presents a qualitative and quantitative assessment of prevalent market trends by industry analysts. It provides an in-depth analysis of industry participants in the value chain. Based on information obtained from trusted industrial sources, it evaluates the impact of micro- and macro-economic factors and government policies on market operations. Apart from this, analysis of market attractiveness as per segments is also included in the report.Global Gum Hydrocolloid Market: Key Factors Influencing MarketThe global market for hydrocolloid is gaining impetus from the growing research and development in hydrocolloid ingredients. Additionally, the rising consumer preference for natural ingredients will also result in increased demand for hydrocolloid. Despite witnessing favorable trends worldwide, the volatility of raw material prices and the uneven supply of the same is projected to inhibit the markets growth to an extent.Global Gum Hydrocolloid Market: SegmentationTo provide a holistic overview, the market for hydrocolloid is segmented in terms of function, application, type, and geography. Based on type, the market is segmented into guar gum, gellan gum, locust bean gum, gum Arabic, and xanthan gum. In terms of function, the key segments of the market include thickener agent, stabilizing agent, and gelling agent. Based on application, the gum hydrocolloid market can be segmented into confectionary, bakery, meat and poultry processing, sauce and condiments, dairy products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.Regionally, the global gum hydrocolloid market is spread across Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), Japan, Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America.Global Gum Hydrocolloid Market: Regional OutlookNorth America dominated the global gum hydrocolloid market in 2013, trailed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The enterprises operating in the market are expected to witness surging demand in emerging economies such as India and China. The changing lifestyle in these countries, coupled with the growing awareness towards healthy living, will aid the expansion of the gum hydrocolloid market in Asia Pacific.Additionally, the market sees lucrative prospects in Sudan for gum Arabic. Since gum Arabic is extensively used in soft drinks, the U.S. has exempted it from broad trade ban imposed on 1997. Owing to such favorable policies, Sudan is able to maintain its lead in the market as the largest producer of gum Arabic globally.Obtain Report Details @Global Gum Hydrocolloid Market: Competitive LandscapeTo present insights into the competitiveness prevailing in the market, the report profiles companies such as Cargill Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), E. I. Du Pont De Nemours, Danisco A/S, And Company, and others. These companies are studied on the basis of their financial overview, strategies adopted, development status, and product portfolio.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
NC to hold CWEC meeting on Friday

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Global Leisure and Hospitality Projects Forecast To Reach US$232 Billion By 2021

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Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently broadcasted a new study to its broad research portfolio, which is titled as Project Insight-Global Leisure and Hospitality Projects report studies Spending on leisure and hospitality construction has improved significantly since 2012, rising to US$181 billion in 2016 and forecast to reach US$232 billion by 2021, supported by growing tourism, particularly in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. Within these, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the UAE and Qatar are all expected to grow at above 7% per year, with huge developments planned or in progress.Request For Free Sample Report:As of November 2017, the Construction Intelligence Centers (CIC) Projects Database was tracking a total of US$2.7 trillion-worth of leisure and hospitality-related projects globally, from announcement to execution. Mixed-use projects, which also include commercial and residential developments, represent a total of US$2.1 trillion and include major projects such as the Al Zorah Mixed-Use Development, Falconcity of Wonders Mixed-Use Development and the Jumeriah Central Mixed-Use Development.The pure leisure and hospitality project pipeline is far smaller, at US$617 billion, and include the US$14bn Lagonaki Ski Resort in Russia and the US$13.6bn Al Ogair Tourism Destination in Saudi Arabia.This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leisure and hospitality construction, including overall market size and growth, with forecasts to 2021, key tourism trends driving the market and a detailed analysis of 5,390 projects by country, region and stage.SummaryThe report provides an overview of the global leisure and hospitality buildings construction sector.The report covers analysis of the project pipelines, with details on all major projects, project ownership and main contractors.ScopeThe report provides a detailed analysis of the global leisure and hospitality buildings construction market. It features an analysis of US$2.7 trillion-worth of leisure and hospitality-related projects globally, from announcement to execution, and listings of the top 50 projects globally and top 20 for each region.Reasons To Buy Gain insight into main drivers of leisure and hospitality construction and forecasts by country and region to 2030. Analyse the size and growth of the leisure and hospitality construction sector, with forecasts for over 80 markets to 2021 Assess the major project pipeline, with analysis by value, location, stage overall and for the leading ten markets in each region to support business development activities. Plan campaigns by country based on specific project opportunities and align resources to the most attractive markets.Browse Full Report with TOC:Key Highlights Overall spending on leisure and hospitality construction was US$181bn in 2016, and predicted to rise by 5.2% per year in nominal terms to 2021 The largest markets by construction output value are the US, China and the UK with spending of US$56bn, US$39bn and US$10bn respectively. The largest region by project pipeline for mixed-use leisure and hospitality projects is the Middle East and Africa, which is dominated by the UAE, ahead of Asia-Pacific. For pure leisure and hospitality projects, the largest is Asia-Pacific and largest single country by project pipeline value is the US. Based on all projects in development and execution commencing on schedule, the total pipeline peaks at US$452 billion in 2019. The leading global contractors are China State Construction, ACS and Arabtec, whilst the leading architects and designers are Gensler, HKS, Arcadis and Woods Bagot.Table of Content:1 Executive Summary2 Leisure and Hospitality Trends and Drivers2.1 International Tourist Arrivals2.2 International Tourist Receipts2.3 Growth in Hotels and Hotel Rooms2.4 Investment by Leading Hotel Groups3 The Leisure and Hospitality Construction Market3.1 Global3.2 Asia-Pacific3.3 Eastern Europe3.4 Western Europe3.5 The Middle East3.6 Africa3.7 The Americas4 Construction Project Pipeline Analysis4.1 Global4.2 Asia-Pacific4.3 Europe4.4 Middle East and Africa4.5 The Americas5 Company Analysis5.1 Architects and Designers5.2 Contractors6 Methodology7 DisclaimerContinue.Enquire About This Report:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of construction market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clientsContact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News at -
Hydrocyclone 2017 Global Industry Key Players - FLSmidth , Weir Minerals , KSB , FMC Technologies , MULTOTEC Market Analysis And Forecast To 2022

Global Hydrocyclone Market

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Global Hydrocyclone MarketThis report studies Hydrocyclone in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringFLSmidthWeir MineralsKSBFMC TechnologiesMULTOTECAKW A+VNetafimSiemensCameronExterranWeihai HaiwangJiangxi NeirShandong XinhaiJiangxi ShichengWeihai HeyuanRequest a Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSolid-liquidLiquid-liquidDense media hydrocyclonesBy Application, the market can be split intoDeslimingDewateringOtherBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaTo enquire about this report visit @Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Hydrocyclone Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Hydrocyclone1.1 Definition and Specifications of Hydrocyclone1.1.1 Definition of Hydrocyclone1.1.2 Specifications of Hydrocyclone1.2 Classification of Hydrocyclone1.2.1 Solid-liquid1.2.2 Liquid-liquid1.2.3 Dense media hydrocyclones1.3 Applications of Hydrocyclone1.3.1 Desliming1.3.2 Dewatering1.3.3 Other1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Hydrocyclone2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Hydrocyclone2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Hydrocyclone2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Hydrocyclone.8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Hydrocyclone8.1 FLSmidth8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 FLSmidth 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 FLSmidth 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Weir Minerals8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Weir Minerals 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Weir Minerals 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 KSB8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 KSB 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 KSB 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 FMC Technologies8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 FMC Technologies 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 FMC Technologies 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 MULTOTEC8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 MULTOTEC 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 MULTOTEC 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 AKW A+V8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 AKW A+V 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 AKW A+V 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Netafim8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Netafim 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Netafim 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 Siemens8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 Siemens 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 Siemens 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 Cameron8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 Cameron 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 Cameron 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 Exterran8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 Exterran 2016 Hydrocyclone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 Exterran 2016 Hydrocyclone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.11 Weihai Haiwang8.12 Jiangxi Neir8.13 Shandong Xinhai8.14 Jiangxi Shicheng8.15 Weihai HeyuanContinued.Buy Report@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.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Solid State Drive Market Report 2016-2023 Trends, Growth & Forecast Analysis

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The Solid State Drive Market Research Report provides value chain analysis on the revenue for the forecast period 2016-2023 and estimates for each application in terms of market size, share, trend and growth. The report on global solid state drive market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2016-2023. The market size in terms of revenue (USD MN) is calculated for the study period along with the details of the factors affecting the market growth (drivers and restraints).Download FREE Sample Copy Of this Report:The major market drivers are increasing usage of smartphone with flash memory technology. The market growth might be restricted due High price related with R&D under the study period.Furthermore, the report quantifies the market share held by the major players of the industry and provides an in-depth view of the competitive landscape. This market is classified into different segments with detailed analysis of each with respect to geography for the study period 2016-2023. The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities.The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the worldwide market with company profiles of key players such as HGST Inc., IBM, LSI Corporation, OCZ Storage Solutions, Pure Storage, Inc., Samsung Group, SanDisk Corporation, Skyera Inc., Violin Memory Inc., and Whiptail. Geographically, this market has been segmented into regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. The study details country-level aspects based on each segment and gives estimates in terms of market size.Table Of Contents- Overview1. Introduction2. Executive Summary3. Market Analysis4. Solid State Drive Market Analysis By Type5. Solid State Drive Market Analysis By End-User6. Solid State Drive Market Analysis By Geography7. Competitive Landscape Of The Solid State Drive Companies8. Company Profiles Of The Solid State Drive Industry (Company Overview, Financial, Major Products & Recent Development)Purchase Complete Global Solid State Drive Market Research Report:About Us:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor, Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane, Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web:
Anti-aging Market Growth, Trends and Forecast up to 2019

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The Global Anti-Aging Market is growing at a CAGR of 7.8% between 2013 and 2019. With the markets value being 122.3 billion in 2013, it is expected to reach US$191.7 billion by the end of 2019. Statistics regarding the same have been provided in a research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled Anti-aging Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019, on sale on TMRs website.Request to View Brochure of Report -The report displays data gathered about the global anti-aging market with regard to market trends, geography, revenue streams, and others.According to the report, the global anti-aging market is being driven primarily by the rise in the aging population in the world, especially the nations that hold majorities of the baby boomer population. The population comprises individuals that have, for long periods, been concerned with physical health and beauty.The report states that individuals born between 1946 and 1964 are the biggest consumers of anti-aging services and products. Other statistics show that more than 8,000 individuals are added per day to the count of people above 65. This is expected to continue for the next 18 years. A large portion of this aging population includes citizens from the baby boomer era. Their requirement from the global anti-aging market as well as the availability of funds to do so continues to drive the market.The report segregates the global anti-aging market using its various products and services. It states that the majority of the products in the global anti-aging market can be purchased without any prescription. Some services and most devices in the global anti-aging market, however, require special attention and a prescription in most cases.Request to View Sample of Report -Overall, the segment of anti-aging products is expected to dominate the global anti-aging market, according to the report by Transparency Market Research. The report also states that the global anti-aging market is currently in a highly developmental stage, and as such is led by experimental studies and customer reception.One of the market restraints mentioned in the report is the skepticism portrayed by consumers towards the global anti-aging markets services and products. One of the factors that could resolve this is the proven advancement in technologies that help create better services and products. Another factor presented in the report is the growing governmental restriction to safeguard consumer health and maintain product quality.The key players mentioned in the report on the global anti-aging market include Photomedex Inc., Lumenis Ltd, Personal Microderm, Coty Inc., Beiersdorf AG, Solta Medical Inc., Alma Lasers Ltd, Cynosure Inc., LOreal, SA, and Allergan Inc.In terms of geography, the report projects Asia Pacific to become a major player in the global anti-aging market owing to increasing awareness of innovations and new services, products, and devices, along with the growing disposable income of individuals and families.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Membrane Technology Market to Reflect Impressive Growth Rate During 2019

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Transparency Market Research (TMR) has recently published a market study on The Global Membrane Technology Market, projecting the market to exhibit a CAGR of 9.10% during the period from 2014 to 2019 and reach a market value of US$10.8 bn by the end of the forecast period.The report, titled Membrane Technology Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2019, states that the worldwide membrane technology market stood at US$6.4 bn in 2013.Request to View Brochure of Report -The global rise in the pharmaceutical industry gives a significant boost to the worldwide market for membrane technology. The increasing demand for single-use disposables in biopharmaceuticals also triggers the demand for membrane technology in recent times. However, membrane fouling, together with high investments as well as soaring operation cost, has adversely affected this market at large.Strict regulations pertaining to environmental safety, however, is likely to drive the markets growth over the forecast period, the report states.The market report analyzes the global membrane technology market on the basis of technology and end users. Based on technology, it is classified into the markets for ultrafiltration, microfiltration, nanofiltration, and chromatography. The nanofiltration technology market is reporting the fastest growth in the global market for membrane technology at present.The pharmaceutical, biopharma, and life sciences industries are the main end users of membrane technology, among which, the biopharma market has acquired the leading position in the global market. Collectively, the biopharma and the life sciences industries have generated US$4.5 bn in 2009, states the research report.According to the market study, the global market for membrane technology is spread across Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World. Among these, North America has emerged as the dominant regional market for membrane technology. In 2012, the North America market for membrane technology occupied around 41% of the overall market.Request to View Sample of Report -The U.S. is the biggest market for membrane technology in North America. The presence of a large pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. is fuelling the demand from the membrane technology market in the region.Europe is the second largest regional market for membrane technology, notes the study. The rise in research and development activities in the field of membrane technology in Europe is giving a significant impetus to the market in the region.Analysts project North America to maintain its dominance in the coming years. However, it is Asia Pacific that is the demonstrating the fastest growth in the global membrane technology market, the report says. The rising awareness regarding health, together with a large patient pool as well as increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, is likely to propel the membrane technology market in Asia Pacific to expand at a CAGR of 13.0% during the forecast period.Sartorius, Merck Millipore, 3M Co., GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Novasep, Koch Membrane System, Trisep Corp., Advantec MFS, and Amazon Filters are the key market players in the global membrane technology market, states the research report.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Breast Imaging Market to Reflect Impressive Growth Rate During 2019

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Breast cancer is identified as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. The incidence of breast cancer has significantly escalated since the last decade, which in turn has increased the mortality rate among women due to cancer. Women aged above 40 years or those who are going through hormone replacement therapy are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, the expanding number of aging women worldwide has aided the rise in breast cancer cases. Such factors have led the breast cancer imaging market to surge exponentially.Studying the overall dynamics of the global breast cancer imaging market, Transparency Market Research has released a report titled Breast Imaging Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019. As per the findings of the report, the global breast cancer imaging market is likely to reach an estimated valuation of US$4.06 billion in 2019, as against its market value of US$1.84 billion in 2012, thereby expanding at an incredible 12% CAGR between 2013 and 2019.Request to View Brochure of Report -To present an executive-level synopsis of the present market trends, the report segments the global breast imaging market into breast ultrasound, mammography, tomosynthesis, nuclear imaging, breast MRI, and others (breast thermography and bioelectric imaging), in terms of technology. Of these, mammography uses low-intensity X-rays to develop two-dimensional images of breast tissues. During surveys, it was revealed that approximately 44 million women in the U.S. alone undergo mammography every year, out of whom 36% women are suggested for a second diagnostic test. Many of these women resort to ultrasound breast screening, which has emerged as a promising breast imaging technology to diagnose breast cancer among women. Among other breast imaging technologies, tomosynthesis is expected to develop at a robust 18.1% CAGR during the forecast period and nuclear imaging is also expected to experience significant growth.Request to View Sample of Report -For the purpose of presenting a detailed overview, the report segments the global breast imaging market into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and the Rest of the World. Of these, North America enjoyed a dominant position with a 32.6% share of the market in 2012. Owing to the presence of highly developed healthcare infrastructure and well-organized regulatory structure, North America has remained the undisputed leader in the global breast imaging market till date. During the forecast period, the market for breast imaging in Asia Pacific is also expected to grow at a significantly high rate. Rapidly improving healthcare infrastructure together with the developing medical tourism market will boost the breast imaging market in Asia Pacific.To present a competitive analysis, the report has profiled some of the prominent companies in the market, including GE Healthcare Ltd., Siemens Healthcare Corporation, SonoCine Inc., FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc., Aurora Imaging Technologies, Inc., and Philips Healthcare.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
mHealth Monitoring And Diagnostic Medical Devices Market to Reflect Impressive Growth Rate During 2019

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Transparency Market Research recently announced the publication of a new market research report, titled mHealth Monitoring And Diagnostic Medical Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2013 - 2019, which provides a comprehensive market overview, including the market drivers and barriers, product segmentation, current market trends, geographical segmentation, and competitive landscape of the market.According to the research study, in 2012, the global mHealth monitoring and diagnostic medical devices market for was valued at US$0.6 bn and is estimated to reach a value of US$8 bn by the end of 2019, exhibiting an enormous 43.30% CAGR between 2013 and 2019.Request to View Brochure of Report -mHealth monitoring and diagnostic medical devices are used to deliver healthcare facilities with the help of communication devices, including tablet computers, mobile phones, and PDAs. The global market for mHealth monitoring and diagnostic medical devices is an emerging market and the demand has been growing at a fast pace due to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases.The global market for mHealth monitoring and diagnostic medical devices has been segmented on the basis of product type into sleep apnea monitors, blood pressure monitors, multi-parameter monitors, pulse oximeters, cardiac monitors, glucose monitors, and others. Among these, the glucose monitors segment is projected to exhibit an explosive 49.40% CAGR between 2013 and 2019. The increasing incidence of diabetes across the globe, along with the increasing demand for minimally invasive glucose monitoring devices, is estimated to fuel the growth of the glucose monitors segment in the next few years.Moreover, the tremendous rise in the number of smartphones and innovations in mHealth devices due to technological advancements are other factors that are driving the overall market. Furthermore, the multi-parameter monitors segment is anticipated to witness rapid growth owing to rising awareness regarding healthy lifestyles and fitness in several developed economies.Request to View Sample of Report -The global market for mHealth monitoring and diagnostic medical devices has been divided on the basis of geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. Currently, the North America market accounts for the largest share in the overall market, thanks to the presence of several manufacturers in the region, the growing population owning a smart consumer electronic device such as tablets or smartphones, technological developments, and rising awareness regarding new technology and devices.On the other hand, the Asia Pacific market for mHealth monitoring and diagnostic medical devices is considered as one of the most favorable markets throughout the forecast period. This region is estimated to register a high growth rate, owing to the increasing geriatric population, growing prevalence of chronic diseases, rising awareness regarding the benefits of diagnostic devices, and increasing demand for home care monitoring devices. In addition, the growing use of smartphones in several countries such as Singapore, India, China, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan is further driving the global market for mHealth monitoring and diagnostic medical devices.Furthermore, the study talks about the competitive landscape of the market, including detailed profiles of the major players. Some of the prominent players operating in the global market for mHealth monitoring and diagnostic medical devices are BioTelemetry Inc., F. Hoffmann La-Roche Ltd., AT&T, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, DexCom, Inc., Bayer HealthCare AG, Medtronic Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Masimo Corporation, Omron Healthcare, LifeWatch AG, and Drager AG.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Vinegar Market 2017-2022: Analysed by Business Growth, Development Factors, Applications, and Future Prospects

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A comprehensive analysis of the Global Vinegar Market is been done in this intelligence report. It includes the investigations done on the past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. An accurate data of the products, strategies and market shares of leading companies in this particular market is mentioned. This report presents a 360-degree overview of the competitive scenario of the Global market. The report further projects the size and valuation of the Global market in the coming forecast period. The report also presents a thorough qualitative and quantitative data affecting to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects.Top Key Vendors:Mizkan,Fleischmanns Vinegar,Kuehne,Carbonell,Galletti,Australian vinegar,Vinaigrerie Gingras,Les Aliments Nutram Inc,Tavern Vinegar Co.,Fred & Sandy Archibald,Pristine,Australia & New Zealand Distillery Limited,Oliviers & CO.,BEAUFOR,Weinessiggut Doktorenhof,HeinzGet Sample Copy of this Report:It explains a detailed outline of the Vinegar Market depending on the important parameters. End users, products, regions, and many other segments are studied and explained. A brief idea of the driving forces which help make the market more flourishing is discussed in order to help the client understand the future market position. Estimated revenue growth in terms of volume with respect to the market for the upcoming years has been mentioned in depth.According to the research report, the Global market for Vinegar Market is witnessing a continual rise in its valuation with the advancement in technologies, which is impacting the consumer behavior and, accordingly, their purchasing patterns to a great extent. In addition to this, the rising penetration of internet and the surge in mobile surfing are anticipated to boost the demand for Vinegar across the world, states the research report.Know more about this Premium Report:On the basis of geographical regions, the Global Vinegar Market is segmented broadly into Latin America, Global, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The Global market is still in its exploratory stage in most of the regions but it holds the promising potential to flourish steadily in coming years. The major companies investing in this market are situated in Canada, U.K., and the US, India, China and some more countries of Asia Pacific region. Consequently, Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Global are estimated to hold more than half of the market shares, collectively in coming years.This statistical surveying research study presents an all-inclusive evaluation of the global market for Vinegar, taking various industry parameters, such as the capacity of production, product pricing, demand, supply, and sales dynamics, returns on investments, and the growth rate of the overall market into consideration.In the last sections of the report, the manufacturers responsible for increasing the sales in the Vinegar Market have been presented. These manufacturers have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the technology and product type introduced by each of these manufacturers also form a key part of this section of the report.Table of Content:Global Vinegar Market Research Report 2017-2022Chapter 1 Vinegar Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic ImpactChapter 3 Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4 Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2017-2021)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2017-2021)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast (2017-2021)Chapter 13 AppendixAbout QYReports:We at, QYReports , a leading market research report publisher accommodate more than 4,000 celebrated clients worldwide putting them at advantage in todays competitive world with our understanding of research. Our list of customers include prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SME's and private equity firms whom we have helped grow and sustain with our fact-based research. Our business study covers a market size of over 30 industries offering unfailing insights into analysis to reimagine your business. We specialize in forecasts needed for investing in a new project, to revolutionize your business, to become more customer centric and improve the quality of output.Contact:QYReportsJones John(Sales Manager)+91-9764607607sales@qyreports.com
Medical Waste Management Market Set to Surge Significantly During 2019

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In response to the expanding healthcare industry, the amount of medical waste generated around the world has also substantially increased, thus making global medical waste management market imperative for any society. The report, titled Medical Waste Management Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019, published by Transparency Market Research aims to provide a granular analysis of the evolution of the market and the key factors impacting its growth trajectory.Request to View Brochure of Report -Medical waste refers to the waste generated in healthcare institutions such as hospitals, physicians offices, clinics, dental hospitals, veterinary clinics or hospitals, blood banks, and medical research institutes, laboratories, or facilities. This waste may include solid waste that is generated during diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, during the testing or production of biologics or any research pertaining thereto. The definition of medical waste is therefore not limited to blood soaked bandages, discarded surgical instruments, or culture dishes and other glassware.The global market for medical waste management stood at US$14.5 bn in 2012. Rising at a CAGR of 4.8% between 2013 and 2019, the market is expected to reach US$20.1 bn by the end of 2019.The waste generated from medical institutes can be categorized into four major segments, vis-a-vis general waste, infectious, hazardous, and radioactive. Approximately 80% of the medical waste generated every year consists of papers, plastics, and other materials that very similar to the waste generated in households or offices, said a lead TMR analyst. He also added that the remaining 20% to 25% of the waste generated comprises bioactive waste such as cultures, used syringes, stocks, blood-soaked bandages, expired medicines, and others, which are equally hazardous to the environment and human health alikRequest to View Sample of Report -For the purpose of the study, the market for medical waste management has been segmented into collection, processing, and disposal based on activity. Of these, the collection segment accounted for the maximum share in the market in 2012, followed by the disposal and processing segments. In terms of the overall quantity of medical waste generated, the report bifurcates the market into large quantity generators (LQGs) and small quantity generators (SQGs). Of these, LQGs held the largest share in the market in 2012. However, the report projects the SQGs segment to exhibit a higher CAGR over the forecast period.Regionally, North America held the largest share in the global medical waste management market, trailed by Europe. Both these regions are anticipated to retain their position in the market through the reports forecast period. Favorable government regulations mandating efficient disposal of medical waste will drive the market for medical waste management in North America and Europe. In Asia Pacific, countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and Japan exhibit the most lucrative prospects for the waste management market. However, emerging economies such as India and China are yet to be tapped by medical waste management players to their complete potential due to the lack of awareness about medical waste management services and the absence of proper government regulations supporting the spread of the market. In the Rest of the World region, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, Mexico, and the UAE have emerged as the most lucrative markets for medical waste management.Purchase this Report @To study the prevailing competition, the report also profiles some of the most prominent companies operating in the market, such as Republic Services, Inc., Waste Management, Inc., Stericycle, Inc., Clean Harbors, Inc., Suez Environment SA, Veolia Environmental Services, and US Ecology, Inc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Prenatal, Fetal and Neonatal Equipment Market to receive overwhelming hike in Revenues by 2019

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According to a report published by Transparency Market Research, The Global Prenatal, Fetal, And Neonatal Equipment Market is estimated to grow from US$5.89 billion in 2012 to US$8.92 billion in 2019. The report, titled Prenatal, Fetal and Neonatal Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019, states that the market stands to develop at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2013 to 2019.By product type, the market for prenatal, fetal, and neonatal equipment is broadly categorized into neonatal equipment, prenatal and fetal equipment, and others. The neonatal equipment segment held the largest share in the global market in 2011.Request to View Brochure of Report -This segment is further broken down into respiratory assistance and monitoring devices, phototherapy equipment, neonatal monitoring devices, and infant warmers and incubators. Respiratory assistance and monitoring devices hold the largest share of 40% owing to increasing incidence of premature births across the globe. At 12%, Africa had the highest rate of premature births in 2005, with the U.S. following suit at 10.6% of the overall births in the region. The segment of prenatal and fetal equipment comprises ultrasound and ultrasonography, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fetal monitors, and fetal Dopplers.With a 30% share of the overall market in 2012, North America was the largest regional segment of the prenatal, fetal, and neonatal equipment market owing to high rate of premature births, increased level of awareness among parents, rising average age of the maternal population, and relative affordability of prenatal, fetal, and neonatal equipment for the affluent consumers in the region. Europe is the second largest regional market, with a 25% share in 2012. Growing at a CAGR of 7.8% from 2013 to 2019, Asia Pacific is estimated to be the fastest expanding regional market for prenatal, fetal, and neonatal equipment owing to high birth rate, high rate of premature births, increasing disposable income and spending on healthcare, growing awareness among the population, and rising demand for advanced devices and equipment.Request to View Sample of Report -The leading players in the prenatal, fetal, and neonatal equipment market are Nonin Medical, Inc., Natus Medical Incorporated, FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc., Cooper Surgical, Inc., Philips Healthcare, CareFusion Corporation, Siemens Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited, Covidien PLC, Smiths Medical, Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, and Getinge AB. Of these, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Cooper Surgical, Natus Medical, and Dragerwerk are functional in a majority of the segments of the prenatal, fetal, and neonatal equipment market.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nepal Drugs to produce Cetamol from mid-Jan

Nepal Drugs Limited plans to start producing Cetamol, an analgesic medication, from mid-January. The state-owned drugs manufacturing company resumed operations last May after having lain defunct for eight years. Nepal Drugs will produce 80,000 tablets of Cetamol daily.
Cloud Computing Market In Healthcare Industry Poised to Expand at a Robust Pace Over 2018

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The Global Cloud Computing Market In The Healthcare Industry is exhibiting a high CAGR of 21.30% within a forecast period of 2012 to 2018. The market was valued at US$1.82 bn in 2011. Assuming that growth occurs consistently, this market will reach US$6.79 bn by 2018, as stated in a research report released by Transparency Market Research. The report is titled, Cloud Computing Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends And Forecast 2012  2018.Request to View Brochure of Report -Cloud computing is one of the major modern trends being followed in almost all industry verticals. Adopting cloud technology allows an organization to be faster, more efficient, and in a position to use high-end software, which can rapidly increase output. The use of cloud computing in healthcare is highly diverse and currently in a formative stage, where the use of modern technology is creating a large scope of growth for this market. Cloud computing can offer a unique advantage to most verticals  that of being relatively low-cost while still giving access to high-end software and storage options to help speed up processes.The primary driver for the global cloud computing market in the healthcare industry is the high demand for cloud-based implementations in order to create faster response times while under growing budget restrictions.Key segments in the global cloud computing market in the healthcare industry are made according to service models, pricing models, end users, and regions.Request to View Sample of Report -In terms of service model, the report expects most consumers to prefer PaaS cloud computing as it offers the greatest number of advantages to the healthcare industry. PaaS cloud computing holds rapid deployment speeds and simple application, allowing it to be used on a wider scale than other service models. Additionally, PaaS cloud computing does not entail software or hardware reliance for the client, as the service provider can offer both.The report also describes the numerous public, private, and hybrid cloud services in the market and how they affect the global cloud computing market in the healthcare industry.From a geographical perspective, the global cloud computing market in the healthcare industry was dominated by North America in 2011. The report expects North America to continue leading this market for the given forecast period, while Europe and Asia Pacific follow closely.Key players in the global cloud computing market in the healthcare industry are CareCloud, Merge Healthcare, ClearDATA Networks, Agfa Healthcare, Microsoft, IBM Corporation, and Oracle Corporation.Purchase this Report @According to the report, the global cloud computing market in the healthcare industry holds a highly fragmented competitive landscape. No market players hold a share of over 10.0% given the high number of players in the market. The report also explains how the high level of customization demanded by consumers is making it difficult for companies to become popular over a larger region.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Embalming Chemicals Market 2017 Key Players -The Champion Company, The Dodge Company, Pierce Chemicals, Frigid Fluid, European Embalming Products, ESCO, Trinity Fluids,..

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Embalming Chemicals Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Embalming Chemicals Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummaryGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Embalming Chemicals in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Embalming Chemicals market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingThe Champion CompanyThe Dodge CompanyPierce ChemicalsFrigid FluidEuropean Embalming ProductsESCOTrinity Fluids...Request Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoGentle ResponseModerate ResponseVigorous ResponseOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingFuneral HomeHospitalOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For further information on this report, visit -Table of content:Global Embalming Chemicals Market Research Report 20171 Embalming Chemicals Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Embalming Chemicals1.2 Embalming Chemicals Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Embalming Chemicals Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Gentle Response1.2.4 Moderate Response1.2.5 Vigorous Response1.3 Global Embalming Chemicals Segment by Application1.3.1 Embalming Chemicals Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Funeral Home1.3.3 Hospital1.3.4 Others1.4 Global Embalming Chemicals Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Embalming Chemicals (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Embalming Chemicals Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Embalming Chemicals Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Embalming Chemicals Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Embalming Chemicals Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Embalming Chemicals Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Embalming Chemicals Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Embalming Chemicals Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Embalming Chemicals Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Embalming Chemicals Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Embalming Chemicals Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 Southeast Asia Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 India Embalming Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Embalming Chemicals Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Embalming Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Embalming Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Embalming Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Embalming Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Embalming Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Embalming Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Embalming Chemicals Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Embalming Chemicals Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Embalming Chemicals Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Embalming Chemicals Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global Embalming Chemicals Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Embalming Chemicals Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Embalming Chemicals Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesContinuousBuy this Report @Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +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:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Global Specialty Fertilizers Market Expected to Register valued at US$14,734.4 mn by 2025

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This research report offers a comprehensive analysis of the Specialty Fertilizers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017 - 2025The main objective of this report is to deliver insightful information and clear-cut facts pertaining to the growth trajectories of the market.Request to view Sample Report @Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: SnapshotThe global market for specialty fertilizers is displaying steadfast growth over the past couple of years. Across the world, rising demand for food to feed the rising population has necessitated to increase crop yield by means of modern farming practices. This is because agricultural produce that is obtained using conventional agricultural practices that employ regular fertilizers is insufficient to serve the food needs.Apart from this, research initiatives and investments for the introduction of novel specialty fertilizers is also stoking growth of specialty fertilizers market.A report by Transparency Market Research predicts the global specialty fertilizers market to clock a modest 5.7% CAGR for the forecast period between 2017 and 2025. Proliferating at this rate, the market will be valued at US$14,734.4 mn by 2025 from US$8,987.3 mn in 2016.Controlled-release Fertilizer Type to Emerge Attractive in FutureThe global specialty fertilizers market is segmented on the basis of a few parameters, viz. type, crop type, compound, and region. In terms of type, the segments into which the global specialty fertilizers market is divided are slow release fertilizers, controlled release fertilizers, nitrification and urea inhibitors, micro nutrient fertilizers, and others. Among them, the slow release fertilizers segment held the leading market share in 2016 mainly because of ease of availability and excellent cost to performance ratio. However, controlled-release fertilizers are likely to emerge as a key segment as they enable to predict rate of release of nutrients, water penetration, and rate of dissolution. On the other hand, nitrification and urea inhibitors help control leaching of nitrate and enzyme urea by keeping nitrogen and urea in ammonia form for longer time.In terms of crop type, the specialty fertilizers market can be classified into cereals and oilseeds, turfs and ornamentals, vegetables and fruits, and others. Vis-a-vis revenue, turf and ornamentals segment occupied the leading share in the specialty fertilizers market in 2016. However, cereals and oilseeds segment is likely to expand at a significant growth rate over the forecast period.Browse Full Report with TOC @Efforts to Adopt Sustainable Agriculture Practices Makes North America LeaderIn terms of region, the global specialty fertilizers market can be classified into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Of them, in 2016, North America held the dominant share in the overall market in 2016. The region is estimated to account for the leading revenue contribution in 2017. In North America, increasing focus on sustainable agriculture coupled with a high degree of environmental awareness due to governmental regulations are mainly responsible for the adoption of specialty fertilizers.However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to display the leading growth rate in the specialty fertilizers market over the forecast period. China is the leading domestic market for specialty fertilizers in the region. The extensive use of specialty fertilizers in turf and ornamental crops account for the significant share of China in Asia Pacific synthetic fertilizers market. India is a relatively new market for specialty fertilizers in the region.Europe holds significant share in the global specialty fertilizers market due to presence of several key specialty fertilizer manufacturers in the region. Latin America and the Middle East and Africa are likely to display notable growth in the specialty fertilizers market in the upcoming years.Leading players in the global specialty fertilizers market include Yara International ASA, Agrium Inc., The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., Israel Chemical Limited, Sociedad Quimica Y Minera S.A., Haifa Chemicals Limited, and Coromandel International Limited among others.Enquire about this Report @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.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Liquid Malt Extracts Market: Focus on Deriving Business-rich Information from Raw Data Compelling Increased Adoption

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A comprehensive analysis of the Global Liquid Malt Extracts Market is been done in this intelligence report. It includes the investigations done on the past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. An accurate data of the products, strategies and market shares of leading companies in this particular market is mentioned. This report presents a 360-degree overview of the competitive scenario of the Global market. The report further projects the size and valuation of the Global market in the coming forecast period. The report also presents a thorough qualitative and quantitative data affecting to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects.Top Key Vendors:Muntons,Briess Malt & Ingredients,Associated British Foods,Ireks,Doehler,Northern Brewer,Malt Products,Thomas Cooper,Huajia Food,Guangzhou Heliyuan FoodstuffGet Sample Copy of this Report:It explains a detailed outline of the Liquid Malt Extracts Market depending on the important parameters. End users, products, regions, and many other segments are studied and explained. A brief idea of the driving forces which help make the market more flourishing is discussed in order to help the client understand the future market position. Estimated revenue growth in terms of volume with respect to the market for the upcoming years has been mentioned in depth.According to the research report, the Global market for Liquid Malt Extracts Market is witnessing a continual rise in its valuation with the advancement in technologies, which is impacting the consumer behavior and, accordingly, their purchasing patterns to a great extent. In addition to this, the rising penetration of internet and the surge in mobile surfing are anticipated to boost the demand for Liquid Malt Extracts across the world, states the research report.Know more about this Premium Report:On the basis of geographical regions, the Global Liquid Malt Extracts Market is segmented broadly into Latin America, Global, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The Global market is still in its exploratory stage in most of the regions but it holds the promising potential to flourish steadily in coming years. The major companies investing in this market are situated in Canada, U.K., and the US, India, China and some more countries of Asia Pacific region. Consequently, Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Global are estimated to hold more than half of the market shares, collectively in coming years.This statistical surveying research study presents an all-inclusive evaluation of the global market for Liquid Malt Extracts, taking various industry parameters, such as the capacity of production, product pricing, demand, supply, and sales dynamics, returns on investments, and the growth rate of the overall market into consideration.In the last sections of the report, the manufacturers responsible for increasing the sales in the Liquid Malt Extracts Market have been presented. These manufacturers have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the technology and product type introduced by each of these manufacturers also form a key part of this section of the report.Table of Content:Global Liquid Malt Extracts Market Research Report 2017-2022Chapter 1 Liquid Malt Extracts Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic ImpactChapter 3 Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4 Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2017-2022)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2017-2022)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast (2017-2022)Chapter 13 AppendixAbout QYReports:We at, QYReports , a leading market research report publisher accommodate more than 4,000 celebrated clients worldwide putting them at advantage in todays competitive world with our understanding of research. Our list of customers include prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SME's and private equity firms whom we have helped grow and sustain with our fact-based research. Our business study covers a market size of over 30 industries offering unfailing insights into analysis to reimagine your business. We specialize in forecasts needed for investing in a new project, to revolutionize your business, to become more customer centric and improve the quality of output.Contact:QYReportsJones John(Sales Manager)+91-9764607607sales@qyreports.com
Single-Use Bioreactors Market Raking in Over US$ 1.5 Billion Revenues by the End of 2026

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Single-use bioreactors available today are robust and offers high performance which is necessary for the commercial manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products. Improvements in the bioreactor designs, film technology, sensor systems and stirring mechanisms are resulting in the increasing adoption of the single-use bioreactors. Manufacturers are also closely working with their customers to comply with the changing needs such as for next-gen gene and cell therapies, and for continuous bioprocessing. New generation single-use bioreactors are being designed while keeping in mind the processes and final drug product perspectives by the end users.Report Overview @Recent developments in single-use bioreactors by manufacturers are focused on improving mixing, reducing complexity, and avoid leakage and integrity issues. Improvements in the cell-culture processes are also leading to the rise in adoption of single-use bioreactors.According to the latest report compiled by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global single-use bioreactors market is expected to witness robust growth. It is also estimated to increase to 13.5% CAGR throughout the forecast period 2017-2026. The market is also projected to reach US$ 1,547.3 million revenue by 2026 end.Request for Sample Copy of Report @The global single-use bioreactors market is segmented on the basis of product type, cells type, end user and molecule type. Based on the product type, the segmentation consists of media bags, single use bioreactor systems and filtration assemblies. Among these, single use bioreactor systems are anticipated to witness significant growth throughout the forecast period. Based on the cells type, the market is categorized into bacterial cells, mammalian cells, yeast cells, and others. Between 2017 and 2026, mammalian cells are expected to witness the highest growth.By end user, biopharmaceutical companies are anticipated to emerge as the largest users of the single-use bioreactors during 2017-2026. In the terms of molecule type, the segment includes gene-modified cells, stem cells, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies (MABS) and others. Among aforementioned molecule types, monoclonal antibodies (MABS) is likely to witness strong growth in the global single-use bioreactors market between 2017 and 2026.Download Report Brochure @Europe is anticipated to be the most dominating region in the global single-use bioreactors market during 2017-2026. Owing to the presence of some of the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies in Europe, the region is likely to witness growth. The region is expected to account for the largest share, due to the patient cliff of many biologics drugs in the region and the strong support by the government to the biopharmaceutical companies in order to establish new therapies in biologics. Also, the increasing use of single-use bioreactors in cell culture-based manufacturing is driving the demand in the region. Single-use bioreactors are also becoming technologically advanced and are also being provided at competitive cost.Meanwhile, North America and APEJ are also likely to witness growth in the single-use bioreactors market. Increasing investment by biopharmaceutical companies to establish their manufacturing facilities is driving the growth in APEJ. Increasing focus on research activities and well-established healthcare industry is resulting in the growth of the market in North America.Purchase this Report @Some of the key market players in the report are Sartorius Merck Millipore, Stedim Biotech, GE Healthcare, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Danaher, Parker Hannifin, Eppendorf, Applikon Biotechnology, Cesco Bioengineering, Celltainer Biotech, Cellexus, PBS Biotech, Distek, Pierre Guerin, and Solida Biotech.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Paclitaxel Injection Market Intelligence and Analysis for Period 2013 - 2019

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Paclitaxel injection is a viscous anticancer drug, derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. Paclitaxel belongs to the group of drugs called antineoplastic. Paclitaxel injection is primarily used to treat various advanced stage cancer of the breast,ovaries, Kaposi sarcoma and non-small cell lung cancer. It is type of cytoskeletal medication that targets tubulin, which are a type of globular proteins. The body cells that have defects in chromosome segregation, mitotic spindle assembly and cell division are treated Paclitaxel. Paclitaxel works by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells and by stabilizing the microtubule polymer. Paclitaxel injection should be administered under the supervision of an oncologists with experience in chemotherapy.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:Advantages of Paclitaxel injection such as immediate results, easy availability and better efficacy are some of the factors that are expected to drive the global Paclitaxel injection market. However, adverse effects such as allergy, leucopenia, blood clots, fever, diarrhea and weight loss are few drawbacksthat could hinder the growth of global Paclitaxel injection market. Moreover, stringent regulatory procedure could also act as the hindrance for the global market.Request for Sample Copy of Report:In the geographical perspective, North America is the largest market for Paclitaxel injection owing to the high incidence and prevalence rate of various cancers. The Asian-Pacific and European region arealso expected to be a potential markets for Paclitaxel injection owing to the increased number of cases of advanced stage cancer patients.The companies involved in development and manufacturing of Paclitaxel injection are AbraxisBioScience Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Fresenius Kabi Oncology Ltd., Onco Therapies Ltd., Strides Arcolab Ltd., Sagent Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Novasep, amongst others.Pre Book this Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Forecast and Analysis on PSA Testing Market for Period 2013 - 2019 Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate cells. It is normally present in small quantities in the semen ejaculate of men with healthy prostates. However, elevated levels are observed in cases of prostate cancer or other prostate related diseases such as prostatitis or benign prostatic hyperplasia. PSA liquefies the semen in the seminal coagulum and allows sperm to swim freely. It is also believed to dissolve the cervical mucus, allowing the entry of sperm into the uterus. PSA tests involve measuring of the PSA amount in the blood sample of patients.



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Currently, North America dominates the global PSA testing market and is followed by Europe due to prostate cancer being most common type of cancer in men in these regions. Emerging economies of Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa are also expected to undergo rapid market growth due to rising incidences of prostate related disorders.



Major factors driving the growth of global PSA testing market include rising acceptance of serum-based marker testing for diagnosis of prostate cancer and its evaluation with other emerging cancer-specific markers to enhance the sensitivity of the test. However risk of over-diagnosis and overtreatment due to PSA screening may pose a challenge to the growth of this market.



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Some of the key players contributing to the PSA testing market include Abbott Laboratories, Inc., AstraZeneca PLC, Bayer AG, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Boston Scientific Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Endocare, Inc., GE Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Medtronic, Inc., Merck & Company, Inc., Sanofi-aventis SA and Urologix, Inc.



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Global Cognitive Systems, Content Analytics and Discovery Software Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025

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Albany, NY, 28th December : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Cognitive Systems, Content Analytics and Discovery Software Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025" globally.Increasing demand of connected healthcare systems is also an important trend in the global market. Connected healthcare systems are likely to collect real time data and information which helps in assisting clinicians in delivering better care and empower people to make better choices.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @It helps in reducing medical errors and enhances medical administration efficiency. Adopting cognitive systems in healthcare is likely to help physicians to find connections and correlations and identifying new patterns and insights to quicken treatments, discoveries and insights.Cognitive Systems, Content Analytics and Discovery Software: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing demand of artificial intelligence is a key trend in the market. Demand for artificial intelligence is increasing significantly with the advancement in technologies, and it is an important trend in the cognitive systems, content analytics, and discovery software market. Artificial intelligence is witnessing market growth due to the rise in large and complicated data sets. The biggest revolution is machine learning, where instead of providing linear instructions to a computer, considerable amount of data is supplied and let the computer learn and interpret on their own.Increasing use of competitive intelligence and advanced analytics escalating data driven decision making is one of the key driving factors in the cognitive systems, content analytics and discovery software market globally. It is very difficult to access and keep track of each and every individual data due to the rise of big data.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Therefore, it is necessary to implement competitive intelligence and advanced analytics tools that are likely to help gather, examine, and distribute intelligence of products, competitors, and customers, and also help discover deeper insights, generate recommendations, and make predictions. These tools help identify potential opportunities and risks beforehand. Advanced analytics techniques comprise data mining, text mining, pattern matching, graph analysis, and neural networks. Competitive intelligence is focused on external business environment and is involved in collecting information and converting it into intelligence, which is then employed for making decisions. Presently, business intelligence tools require very less support from the IT department. The changes in how data is visualized and mined allows the business activities to work with analytics tools and make data driven decisions with or without any technological background. Increasing volume of data tends to increase the need of data driven decision-making software that easily derives actionable data in real-time. Utilizing the analytics and discovery software is likely to support organizations in making decisions and anticipate the market trends and possible risks.The factor responsible for setting back the growth of this market is due to the prediction based on the past data. The cognitive systems, content analytics and discovery software technologies are at the budding stage due to which they faces various restraining factors. Past-based predictions is a major limitation in the market. Market dynamics are changing over time due to which predictions and analysis based on past data might not be helpful. Chances are that the analysis of the last ten years data is irrelevant to the current market scenario. These technologies when anticipating human behavior sometimes fail to consider certain variables that influence customer purchasing patternsCognitive Systems, Content Analytics and Discovery Software: SegmentationBased on application, the global cognitive systems, content analytics and discovery software market is bifurcated into machine learning, natural language processing, automated reasoning, speech analytics, text analytics, social media analytics and others. On the basis of industries, the market has been bifurcated into banking, retail, healthcare, IT and telecom, transportation and others. Moreover on the basis of deployment type, the market has been bifurcated into on premises and cloud. The regional split of the market encompasses North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Latin America.Some of the key companies in the global cognitive systems, content analytics and discovery software market includes Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), International Business Machines Corporation (U.S.), Google Inc. (U.S.), Symantec corporation (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Adobe Systems Inc.(U.S.), Palantir Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), OpenText Corporation (Canada),SAS Institute, Inc. (U.S.) among others.The market has been segmented as follows:Cognitive Systems Content Analytics and Discovery Software Market, by Application:Machine LearningNatural Language ProcessingAutomated ReasoningSpeech AnalyticsText AnalyticsSocial Media AnalyticsOthers?Cognitive Systems Content Analytics and Discovery Software Market, by Industries:BankingRetailHealthcareIT and TelecomTransportationOthers?Cognitive Systems Content Analytics and Discovery Software Market, by Deployment Type:On premisesCloud?Cognitive Systems Content Analytics and Discovery Software Market, by Geography:North AmericaU.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeU.K.GermanyFranceItalyRest of EuropeAsia PacificIndiaChinaJapanRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaSouth AfricaU.A.E.Browse Report @Rest of Middle East and AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilRest of Latin AmericaResearchMoz 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.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
Secure Logistics Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017  2022

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Global Secure Logistics Market Research Report 2017, provides an in-depth analysis of the market, including the current trends and major growth opportunities. Forecast pertaining to the overall development of the market over the period between 2017 and 2025 can also be expected.Top Key Vendors: Brink's, CMS Infosystem, CargoGuard Secure Logistics, G4S Secure Solutions (A subsidiary of G4S plc), GardaWorld Corporation, Loomis, Lemuir Group, Maltacourt Global Logistics Ltd, PlanITROI, ProsegurGet Sample Copy of this Report @:The research study helps in understanding the several factors driving the Global Secure Logistics Market. The executive summary of the global market provides a snapshot, which comprises overall data regarding different segments and sub-segments. The past performance and future projections of the market have been presented in the report with the help of graphs, infographics, tables, and charts.To provide a comprehensive overview, an in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape is included as well. The Global Secure Logistics Market is quite dynamic, and is vulnerable to the changing consumer preferences and demand. The growth opportunities for the enterprises operating in the market is thus determined by the spending patterns of consumers, which again is affected by local tastes, demographic trends, and the global & regional economic conditions.On the basis of geographical regions, the Global Secure Logistics Market is segmented broadly into Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The global market is still in its exploratory stage in most of the regions but it holds the promising potential to flourish steadily in coming years. The major companies investing in this market are situated in Canada, U.K., and the US, India, China and some more countries of Asia Pacific region. Consequently, Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Europe are estimated to hold more than half of the market shares, collectively in coming years.Know more about this Premium Report@:A detailed evaluation of the competitive landscape of the global market for Secure Logistics has also been presented in this market study. Researchers have reviewed the profiles of the leading companies functional in this market in a bid to assess their growth prospects and the key strategies they have adopted for the development of their businesses.The report covers vast data pertaining to the vendor landscape of the Global Secure Logistics Market. Covering data pertaining to recent developments in the market in terms of products and services, the introduction of new product varieties, leading vendors, and crucial new vendors trying to penetrate the market. The report also includes results obtained from the market attractiveness analysis and analyzes business profiles of some of the leading companies operating in the global market. Information thus included in the report is intended to help the existing and new market players in formulating effective business plans and strategies.Table of Content:Global Secure Logistics Market Research Report 2017-2022Chapter 1 Secure Logistics OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic ImpactChapter 3 Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4 Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2017-2021)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2017-2021)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast (2017-2021)Chapter 13 AppendixGet Discount Report:About Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Sunny Denis10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,(Sales Manager),+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com ,
Forecast on Yersinia Diagnostic Market for the Period 2013 - 2019

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Yersinia is a gram positive rod shaped bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae that mostly causes enterocolitis, terminal iletis, acute diarrhea, mesenteric lymphadenitis, psediappendicitis and sepsis. Yersinia is a food borne bacteria that enters in the human body through unhygienic, canned and stale food. Pigs are the major animal reservoir of Yersinia but strains are also found in rodents, sheep, cattle, dogs, rabbits, cats and horses. The bacteria enter into the human beings through these animals.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:Clinical signs for diagnosis of Yersinia infection include low grade fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting. The patient sometimes also develops erythmanodosum which results in painful red or purple lesions on the patients legs. These lesions are visible after 2 to 20 days post the onset of fever and abdominal pain. Yersinia usually occurs in children and is second most common cause of bacterial gastrointestinal infection. Yersinia infections affect men three times more than women but post-infectious complications of arthritis and nodosum are more common in women.For curing Yersinia infection, patient needs to take good care of their nutrition and hydration during the treatment. Treatment of the infection includes administration of cephalosporins, tetracyclines, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxasole (TMP-SMZ), Fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. If the condition worsens and patient is diagnosed with complications such as peritoneal findings, acute abdominal presentations or uncommon intussusceptions, gastroenterologists perform exploratory laparotomy. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have taken the responsibility to monitor the frequency of Yersinia enterocolitica infection with the help of foodborne disease active surveillance network called FoodNet. In addition CDC also conducts awareness programs and investigations to control this infection.Request for Sample Copy of Report:North America currently leads the Yersinia diagnostics market due to relatively high incidence rate of Yersinia infection and presence of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure coupled with initiatives undertaken by the domestic governments. The European market is for Yersinia diagnostics is mainly driven by the high prevalence of disease in Scandinavian countries. On the other hand, high presence of untapped opportunities in the emerging economies of Asia-Pacific and high prevalence of Yersinia infection in Japan are some of the key factors responsible for growth in Asia-Pacific. The major players in the Yersinia diagnostics market include Abbott Laboratories, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Becton Dickinson, Gen Probe, Danaher Corporation, Hologic Roche and Affymetrix, Inc.Pre Book this Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
NOC forms panel to enforce safety norms

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has formed a monitoring committee at the central level to ensure that gasoline stations maintain safety norms as it has been revealed that there is widespread violation of safety regulations.
Global Marine Big Data Market 2017-2025 : Teradata, Splunk, Inc., AIMS-Sinay, Oceanwise And Intertrust Technologies Corporation

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Albany, NY, 28th December : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Marine Big Data Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025" globally.This report aims to provide a comprehensive strategic analysis of the global marine big data market along with revenue and growth forecasts for the period from 2017 to 2025.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @With fast changing technology, use in various applications and rising adoption of this technology in marine sector, the marine big data market is expected to experience high growth in the coming years. Some of the factors supporting the growth of the market worldwide include the potential for new insights, increased technological investments in developing regions such as Asia Pacific, high demand for marine big data solutions from oil & gas industry and advent of customized solutions in developed regions such as North America and Europe. The impact of these and other macro-micro economic factors has been analyzed while developing the market growth models.Global Marine Big Data Market: Scope of the StudyThis report on the global marine big data market provides a detailed analysis of big data solutions used for different applications by end-users depending upon their needs. The report offers an in-depth analysis of the market drivers, restraints, and growth opportunities. Using these factors, the study identifies various trends prominent in the industry which are expected to influence the market growth during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. It includes a comprehensive coverage of the underlying economic and technological factors influencing the marine big data market growth. It provides the competitive landscape of key players in the marine big data market in order to highlight the competition scenario. The report also provides a detailed competitive analysis of the key players in the market and identifies various business strategies adopted by them. The study explains the penetration within each market segment across various geographies, and how these segments have accelerated the growth of the market as a whole.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Global Marine Big Data Market: Key SegmentsThe global marine big data market is analyzed by segmenting it on the basis of component, application, data source and geography. Based on component, the market is classified into software and service. The software segment is further segmented into data analytics, data collection, data discovery & visualization and data management. Services segment is further classified into consulting, system integration and operation & maintenance. Based on data source, the market is categorized into environmental, oceanographic, geological data, economic and others. On the basis of application, the marine big data market can be segmented into renewable energy, oil & gas, fishery, whale watching, marine protected area, marine traffic, dredging, harbor, offshore construction and others. Geographically, the global market for marine big data has been segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America. The market size and forecast for each region has been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025 along with the CAGR (%) for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. The study also includes market estimates for major countries/regions such as the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Japan, and India. The analysis by component, end-user and regions helps in evaluating the present scenario and growth prospects of the marine big data market over the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. Thus, the report provides in-depth cross-segment analysis of the market and classifies it into various industries, thereby providing valuable insights at the macro as well as micro levels.Companies Mentioned in ReportThe report concludes company profiles of major players in the marine big data market on the basis of various attributes, such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, SWOT analysis and segment presence. Some of the major players in the global marine big data market with the significant developments are Teradata, Splunk, Inc., AIMS-Sinay, Oceanwise, Intertrust Technologies Corporation, MarineFIND, BigOceanData, Avenca Limited, BMT Group Ltd., Datameer Inc. Databricks Inc., Nautical Control Solutions, LP, Ocean Networks Canada, Smart Ocean and Open Ocean among others.Market Segmentation:Marine Big Data Market Analysis, by ComponentSoftwareData AnalyticsData CollectionData Discovery and VisualizationData ManagementServicesConsultingSystem IntegrationOperation and MaintenanceMarine Big Data Market Analysis, by ApplicationRenewable EnergyOil and GasFisheryWhale WatchingMarine Protected AreaMarine TrafficDredgingHarborOffshore ConstructionOthersMarine Big Data Market Analysis, by Data SourceEnvironmentalOceanographicGeological DataEconomicOthersMarine Big Data Market Analysis, by RegionNorth AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeGermanyFranceThe U.K.Rest of EuropeBrowse Report @Asia-PacificJapanChinaIndiaAustraliaRest of Asia PacificResearchMoz 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.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
Hot Drinks China - Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis of Top Key Player Forecast To 2021

Hot Drinks China

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Pune, India, 28th December 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Hot Coffee (Hot Drinks) Market in China - Outlook to 2021: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics.SummaryHot Coffee (Hot Drinks) Market in China - Outlook to 2021: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics is a broad level market review of Hot Coffee market in China.Coffee - includes consumption of both instant and roast & ground coffee. Also includes sales of roasted coffee beans and coffee pods. Does not include any ready-to-drink packaged formats of Coffee and coffee used in other industrial uses (to add flavors) such as Cakes, Chocolates etcGET SAMPLE REPORT @Includes both off-trade and on-trade. While off-trade includes sales from all off-trade channels, On-trade - includes all coffee available for immediate consumption at coffee shops (chains such as Starbucks), quick service restaurants, offices (coffee vending machines) and other coffee selling outletsHot Coffee market in China registered a positive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.04% during the period 2011 to 2016 with a sales value of CNY 17,463.45 Million in 2016, an increase of 17.09% over 2015. The research handbook provides up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2016 and illustrative forecast to 2021 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Hot Coffee and its variants Instant Coffee , Roast and Ground Coffee and Coffee Beans.Furthermore, the research handbook details out Sales Value for top brands for the year 2013 to 2016, Demographic Analytics and overall market sales by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Department Stores, Dollar Stores, Variety Store, Cash & Carries and Warehouse clubs, eRetailers, Food & Drinks specialists, Drug stores & Pharmacies, Health & Beauty Stores, Other general retailers and others) where ever applicable.The research handbook acts as an essential tool for companies active or planning to venture in to China's Hot Coffee (Hot Drinks) market. The comprehensive statistics within the research handbook provides insight into the operating environment of the market and also ensures right business decision making based on historical trends and industry model based forecasting.Sales Values in the handbook are depicted in USD ($) and local currency of country and Volumes are represented in M Kilograms.Scope- Overall Hot Coffee (Hot Drinks) market value and volume analytics with growth analysis from 2011 to 2021.- Value terms for the top brands.- Distribution channel sales analytics from 2013-2016.Reasons to buy- Get access to authoritative and granular data on the Hot Coffee (Hot Drinks) market and fill in the gaps in understanding of trends and the components of change behind them.- Enhance your understanding of the market to update your strategic and tactical plans based on volume and value changes, brand dynamics and distribution trends.- Analyze the components of change in the market by looking at historic and future growth patterns.- Use the data to understand future patterns of the market trends from winners and losers to category dynamics and thereby quickly and easily identify the key areas in which you want to compete in the future.Table of Content: Key Points1 Hot Coffee Market Overview2 China Hot Coffee Market Analytics, 2011-212.1 Hot Coffee Value Analytics, 2011-212.1.1 Hot Coffee Market by Value, 2011-212.1.2 Hot Coffee Market Value by Segments, 2011-212.2 Hot Coffee Volume Analytics, 2011-212.2.1 Hot Coffee Market by Volume, 2011-212.2.2 Hot Coffee Market Volume by Segments, 2011-212.3 China Hot Coffee Demographic Analytics, 2012-162.3.1 China Hot Coffee Demographic Analytics by Age Group, 2012-162.3.2 China Hot Coffee Demographic Analytics by Education Level, 2012-162.3.3 China Hot Coffee Demographic Analytics by Gender, 2012-162.3.4 China Hot Coffee Demographic Analytics by Urbanization, 2012-163 China Hot Coffee Market Analytics, by Segment 2011-213.1 Instant Coffee Analytics, 2011-213.1.1 Instant Coffee Market by Value, 2011-213.1.2 Instant Coffee Market by Volume, 2011-213.2 Roast and Ground Coffee Analytics, 2011-213.2.1 Roast and Ground Coffee Market by Value, 2011-213.2.2 Roast and Ground Coffee Market by Volume, 2011-213.3 Coffee Beans Analytics, 2011-213.3.1 Coffee Beans Market by Value, 2011-213.3.2 Coffee Beans Market by Volume, 2011-214 China Hot Coffee Brand Analytics by Value, 2013-164.1 Hot Coffee Brand Analytics by Value, 2013-165 China Hot Coffee Brand Analytics by Volume, 2014-165.1 Hot Coffee Brand Analytics by volume, 2014-16ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Is Expected to Exhibit an Upward Growth Trend Across Globe

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 to its huge collection of research reports.The market analysis of this particular market dissects and elaborates many of the aspects pertaining to the global Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions market which enunciates the current figures along with future prospects. The report also takes into consideration changing aspects of the said market. The primary objective of this market intelligence report is to provide an elaborate impression to the readers and make an offering of convenient facts and figures. The market intelligence report further deduces with various issues such as opportunities, trends, drivers, and restraints in a bid to assess the outcome of it on the global Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions market over the forecast timeframe that is clearly stated in the said research report. Furthermore, the report puts forward a fleeting yet exclusive skeleton of the market in question, which contains several explanations of the foremost aspects which are forecasted to stimulate development in the market or rationalize negative influence.This market intelligence report further delves into the depth of the global market for Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions by squarely assessing the manufacturing and fabrication chain of the compatible market. This is prognosticated to further aid in the propagation of accurate figures and data on many factors of the corresponding market such as information relating to the dogmas of the government at the global and provincial level, volume traded, manufacturing capacity, revenue made, and production and circulation structure among others.For more information on this report, fill the Free Sample form @The research report is incomplete without an all-inclusive valuation of the competitive seller landscape of the global Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions market, which incorporates the accomplishments and creations, facts and numbers of the topnotch companies that are operating in the global Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions market. The market study also delivers a wide-ranging inspection of the major areas that are mentioned in the report of the global market for Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions. For every expanse, the report speaks the array of progress so far and clearance on what merchants can and need to do in order to ensure success in the forthcoming years.List of Tables and FiguresFigure Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Product ScopeFigure Global Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Smart Cities/Connected City Solutions Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)About USQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.Contact US1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Tumor Marker Testing Market Forecast Report Offers Actionable Insights 2016 - 2024

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A biomarker is any cellular, physical, chemical, or molecular change that can be noted and a normal or abnormal process in human body can be studied. The effects of treatment, the presence, progress or risk for a disease can be checked by studying any alteration in the normal amount of a biomarker. A tumor marker, like a biomarker, is a naturally occurring substance in the body. An increased quantity of a tumor marker can show the presence of a cancer. Some tumor markers are related to several different types of cancer, while some are specific to one type of cancer. Tumor markers may also increase with non-cancerous conditions. A tumor marker can be prepared by cancer cells or by the body in response to cancer.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:There are many different types of tumor markers such as human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG or b-HCG), cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), cancer antigen 125 (CA125), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Tumor markers can provide information that can be used for screening for cancer, diagnose cancer, determine stage of cancer, determine a persons prognosis, guide treatment, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence of the cancer. Some markers can be used in people with family history of a particular cancer. Prostate specific antigen can be used to screen for prostate cancer. Tumor markers can be used to help determine how far the cancer has spread into other tissues or organs. Some markers are used to determine how aggressive a cancer is likely to be. Some markers may help doctors predict what treatments the cancer is likely to respond to.A tumor marker test is done to make available a baseline level before treatment, when any type of cancer is suspected, to check if cancer has returned after treatment being given, and to check a persons reaction to cancer treatment. Tumor markers are molecules found in urine, blood, and body tissues. It is a protein found in large amounts in presence of cancer. Hence, measuring the levels of tumor markers may help in detecting the presence of cancer. Presence of a tumor in body stimulates the production of tumor markers from tumor or non-tumor cells. The tumor marker testing market has been categorized based on diagnostic method, type of cancer, and technology employed for cancer detection. Organ specific tumor marker: bladder, breast, colorectal, gastrointestinal, liver, lung, oral, ovarian, pancreatic, prostatic, skin testicular cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and others; Clinical laboratory methods for measuring tumor markers: Abbott diagnostics AxSYM, Roche Diagnostics System, Fischer Thermo Scientific B.R.A.H.M.S KRYPTOR and others; New technologies for cancer diagnostics: Monoclonal antibodies, proteomics, new protein markers, stem cell markers, DNA microassays and others; Clinical methods for cancer diagnosis: Screening, imaging, theranostics, sigmoidoscopy and others.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Currently, cancer is the one of the leading causes of death in North America and Europe. North America holds the largest share of the tumor marker testing market, followed by Europe, due to vast discoveries and innovations for detecting cancer in early stages. Major factors driving the tumor marker testing market in these regions are rising incidence of cancer disease, increase in geriatric population, ongoing research in the field of cancer detection, and improved government reimbursement policies. However, high cost acts as a major restraint of the market.Geographically, North America held the larger market share, followed by Europe. High research on tumor marker and increasing number of cancer patients in these regions are likely to boost the tumor marker testing market. However, affordability has become a restraining factor in this market in developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America. However, the tumor marker testing market in Asia Pacific is expected to experience strong growth.Major players in the tumor marker testing market are Abbott Diagnostics Ltd., Affymetrix, Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., Beckman, Dickinson and Company (BD) Diagnostics, BioCurex, BioModa, Inc., Clarient, Inc., Correlogic Systems, Inc., Epigenomics AG, Gen-Probe, Inc., Hologic, Inc., Roche Diagnostics Corp., and Veridex LLC, among others.Pre Book this Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Volunteer Management Software Market 2017 Key Players - Samaritan Technologies, Doxess, VolunteerLocal, TRS, MobileServe, VolunteerKinetic,.

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Volunteer Management Software Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Volunteer Management Software Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummaryThis report studies the global Volunteer Management Software market, analyzes and researches the Volunteer Management Software development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeSamaritan TechnologiesDoxessVolunteerLocalTRSMobileServeVolunteerKineticGiveffectHandsOn ConnectCarr EngineeringSignup ZoneCiviCRMDuplieTrack It ForwardCERVIS TechnologiesFundRaiser SoftwareMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Application, Volunteer Management Software can be split intoApplication 1Application 2Request Sample Report @Table of ContentsGlobal Volunteer Management Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Volunteer Management Software1.1 Volunteer Management Software Market Overview1.1.1 Volunteer Management Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Volunteer Management Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Volunteer Management Software Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 22 Global Volunteer Management Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Volunteer Management Software Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Samaritan Technologies3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Doxess3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 VolunteerLocal3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 TRS3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 MobileServe3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 VolunteerKinetic3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Giveffect3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 HandsOn Connect3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Carr Engineering3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Signup Zone3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Volunteer Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 CiviCRM3.12 Duplie3.13 Track It Forward3.14 CERVIS Technologies3.15 FundRaiser Software4 Global Volunteer Management Software Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Volunteer Management Software Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.2 Potential Application of Volunteer Management Software in Future4.3 Top Consumer/End Users of Volunteer Management Software5 United States Volunteer Management Software Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Volunteer Management Software Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Volunteer Management Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)6 EU Volunteer Management Software Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Volunteer Management Software Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Volunteer Management Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)7 Japan Volunteer Management Software Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan Volunteer Management Software Market Size (2012-2017)7.2 Japan Volunteer Management Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)8 China Volunteer Management Software Development Status and Outlook8.1 China Volunteer Management Software Market Size (2012-2017)8.2 China Volunteer Management Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)9 India Volunteer Management Software Development Status and Outlook9.1 India Volunteer Management Software Market Size (2012-2017)9.2 India Volunteer Management Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)10 Southeast Asia Volunteer Management Software Development Status and Outlook10.1 Southeast Asia Volunteer Management Software Market Size (2012-2017)10.2 Southeast Asia Volunteer Management Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)11 Market Forecast by Regions and Application (2017-2022)11.1 Global Volunteer Management Software Market Size (Value) by Regions (2017-2022)11.1.1 United States Volunteer Management Software Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.2 EU Volunteer Management Software Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.3 Japan Volunteer Management Software Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.4 China Volunteer Management Software Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.5 India Volunteer Management Software Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.6 Southeast Asia Volunteer Management Software Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.2 Global Volunteer Management Software Market Size (Value) by Application (2017-2022)11.3 The Market Drivers in Future12 Volunteer Management Software Market Dynamics12.1 Volunteer Management Software Market Opportunities12.2 Volunteer Management Software Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Volunteer Management Software Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Volunteer Management Software Market Driving Force12.4.1 Growing Demand from Emerging Markets12.4.2 Potential Application13 Market Effect Factors Analysis13.1 Technology Progress/Risk13.1.1 Substitutes13.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry13.2 Consumer Needs Trend/Customer Preference13.3 External Environmental Change13.3.1 Economic Fluctuations13.3.2 Other Risk Factors14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixMethodologyAnalyst IntroductionData SourceContinuedBuy this Report @Norah TrentContact Us: sales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +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:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
LED Market - Industry Analysis, Growth and New Market Opportunities Explored

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Defined by energy efficiency and improved controllability, the advent of light-emitting diodes (LED) is considered revolutionary. By late 2014, LED lighting constituted a substantial share of the global lighting market. The trend is anticipated to continue through the reports forecast period from 2016 to 2024.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @A light emitting diode is defined as a two-lead semiconductor light source. Being a p-n junction diode, it emits light when activated. The recent developments introduced in LEDs allow them to be used in environmental lighting. LEDs have been witnessing surging demand worldwide due to the advantages they offer over incandescent light sources. These include lower energy consumption, improved physical robustness, longer lifetime, faster switching, and smaller size.LEDs boast disparate characteristics. Thus, their applications are as diverse as aviation lighting, headlamps, automotive, general lighting, forensic, health care, advertising, signals and signage, lighted wallpapers, camera flashes, mobile devices, and electronic devices. LEDs have emerged as a powerful source for lighting; however, they remain somewhat more expensive and require more precise heat and electricity management than compact fluorescent lamps of similar output.The report on light emitting diodes presents key insights into the growth trajectory exhibited by the LED market over the last few years. An in-depth study of the various economic, social, and commercial factors poised to impact the market over the forthcoming years makes a valuable inclusion in the report.Global LED Market: Key Opportunities and ThreatsThe growing awareness among consumers about the benefits of the longer lifespan of LEDs has been leading to their widespread adoption. The market is also expected to gain impetus from the declining prices of LED lamps, their growing application in display back lighting, and the high efficacy offered by LED lamps.Browse Market Research Report @In the initial days, the application of LED lighting was limited to certain specific purposes and had not entered the mainstream. The emergence of LED in general lighting applications also helped the market to gain momentum. Given its rapid proliferation, the market for LED lighting is soon expected to surpass the conventional market for CFL. However, the high initial cost of LEDs has been restricting their initial acceptance. Nevertheless, considering the longer lifespan of LED lamps, the overall cost incurred on these lamps is found to be lower than CFLs. This is a crucial factor driving the global LED market.The market also has been gaining from the growing application of LED in display and digital signage or large screens. This, coupled with the falling prices of the technology, would positively influence the growth exhibited by the market during the forecast period. Various technologies are used in the manufacturing of LED products. Chips and components are basic materials used in the production of LED lamps.Global LED Market: Vendor LandscapeEnterprises operating in the global LED market are strategically diverse, as they operate at various levels of the markets value chain. Some of these enterprises focus only on manufacturing LED chips and components, while others are involved in the production of lamps and luminaries. Besides this, there are other companies that are engaged in the delivery and transportation of final products. The rising demand for LED in newer applications would also provide opportunities for the entry of new players in the market.Key companies operating in the global LED market include Panasonic, LG, Samsung, and Philips.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Intraoperative MRI market 2017 - GE, Siemens, Phillips, Medtronic, Hitachi

Global Intraoperative MRI market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Intraoperative MRI Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Intraoperative MRI Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Intraoperative MRI industry, and estimates the future trend of Intraoperative MRI market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Intraoperative MRI Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportGESiemensPhillipsMedtronicHitachiThe market research report explores the Intraoperative MRI market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Intraoperative MRI Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Intraoperative MRI market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Intraoperative MRI. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Intraoperative MRI market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Intraoperative MRI is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Intraoperative MRI market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Intraoperative MRI market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The global Intraoperative MRI market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Intraoperative MRI production volume, data pertaining to demand and Intraoperative MRI supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Intraoperative MRI along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Intraoperative MRI across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Germany Automotive Parts Die-Casting Market Report 2017, Trends, Analysis, Share, Estimates and Forecasts to 2022.

The Germany Automotive Parts Die-Casting report provides an in-depth analysis of the various market segments and its sub-segments.Products Covered: Pressure die-casting Vacuum die-casting Squeeze die-casting Semi-solid die-castingRaw Material Types Covered: Aluminium Zinc Magnesium OthersApplication Types Covered: Body assemblies Engine Parts Transmission parts OthersThe report focuses on current and upcoming market trends such as Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, and Challenges, technological advancements, Porters Five Forces analysis to assess the intensity of competition in the market. The market values are presented in the form of tables and graphs for better interpretation.Market Size EstimationsThe market assessment is made by the core industry experts using our 360 research approach. The data is derived from the most reliable, authenticated data sources and is validated by the industry experts (Primary Research). Both top down and bottom up analysis are implemented to enhance the accuracy of the market figures. The market projections are calculated for the next 8 years using the actual market numbers of previous year as the base value.Company ProfilingThis section provides the overview of the key players that are leading in the industry, covering their business operations, financials, list of products & services, SWOT analysis, major developments such as mergers & acquisitions, agreements, partnerships, joint ventures, new product launch, expansions etc.Report Highlights:- Market share assessments for all the mentioned market segments and sub-segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 8 years for all the given segments- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping, mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsWe offer wide spectrum of research and consulting services with in-depth knowledge of different industries. We are known for customized research services, consulting services and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) services in the research world. We explore the market trends and draw our insights with valid assessments and analytical views. We use advanced techniques and tools among the quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify the market trends. Our research reports and publications are routed to help our clients to design their business models and enhance their business growth in the competitive market scenario. We have a strong team with hand-picked consultants including project managers, implementers, industry experts, researchers, research evaluators and analysts with years of experience in delivering the complex projects.STRATISTICS MRC17049 King James Way, Gaithersburg,MD, 20877, USA
Beverage Multipacks Market - Size, Industry Trend and Forecast 2025

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Secondary packaging is of utmost importance today for major beverage brands as the competition for them begins on the shelf. Today, major decisions by the consumers are made through the kind of packaging a product has been packaged into. Beverage multipacks represent an immense opportunity for these manufacturers to keep up with the rapidly changing consumer demands. Packaging innovation has come to the rescue of these manufacturers to keep their sales under check and look for newer ways to entice the consumers. Beverage multipacks provide not only an aesthetic appeal but also impart an enhanced brand visibility to the packaged product. Beverage multipacks also facilitate easy transport and consumption, thus adding to the growth of the global market.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Global Beverage Multipacks Market: DynamicsOne of the primary factor contributing to the growth of the global beverage multipacks market is the rise in the middle class population along with rising disposable income. Consumers today are more willing to pay for packaging that not only keeps the product safe but also bears an attractive look. The rising demand for alternative beverages such as organic juices, enhanced water & functional beverages is also anticipated to drive the growth of the global beverage multipacks market. Rise in the modern retail formats is also expected to fuel the growth of the global beverage multipacks market. The growth of the global beverage multipacks market is expected to be marred by the presence of alternative forms of packaging. Also, the recyclability of plastics poses a serious risk to the environment, thus further hampering the growth of the global beverage multipacks market. Customization of beverage multipacks according to the needs of the end user is anticipated to open up new avenues of market growth for the global beverage multipacks market. Eco friendly packaging of beverage multipacks is a key trend observed in the global beverage multipacks market.Global Beverage Multipacks Market: SegmentationThe global beverage multipacks market is segmented on the basis of product type, pack size, end use, material type, and region.On the basis of product type, the global beverage multipacks market is segmented intoCansBottlesOn the basis of pack size, the global beverage multipacks market is segmented into4 pack6 pack8 pack12 packOn the basis of end use, the global beverage multipacks market is segmented intoCarbonated Soft DrinksBottled WaterJuice & Juice DrinksSports DrinksTea and CoffeeBeerWine and SpiritsBrowse Market Research Report @On the basis of material type, the global beverage multipacks market is segmented intoPolyolefinPVCPEPPPaper & PaperboardGlobal Beverage Multipacks Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of geography, the global beverage multipacks market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Asia Pacific is expected to lead the global beverage multipacks market due to a steep rise in the beverage industry as well as modern retail formats. North America beverage multipacks market is anticipated to follow the Asia Pacific market. Europe beverage multipacks market is expected to witness moderate growth during the forecast period as the region is facing a decrease in relative competitiveness in comparison to other regions due to slow growth in labour productivity and added value. Latin America is expected to witness sluggish growth during the forecast period due to a few number of manufacturers and the region is also witnessing economic slowdown in certain parts.Global Beverage Multipacks Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players operating in the global beverage multipacks market are Pry-Pak, Inc., MeadWestvaco Corporation, Cott Beverages Ltd., WestRock Company, Hi-Cone, and Mayr-Melnhof Packaging.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Saudi Arabia Transdermal Skin Patches Market Is Expected To Be Worth US$67.41 Mn By The End Of 2025 To Register A CAGR Of 4.7%

Transdermal Skin Patches Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Transdermal Skin Patches Market - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Transdermal skin patches are medicated patches that are attached to the skin which facilitates the transfer of drug from the patch into the patients body over a period of time. It is a viable alternative for patients who are averse to takings drugs via pills or injections. This report analyzes the current and future prospects of the transdermal skin patches market based on product type, application, distribution channel and geography.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market report comprises an elaborated executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the market with respect to market segments based on product type, application, distribution channel and geography. The market overview section of the report analyzes market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influences the transdermal skin patches market in the current and future scenario. The report also provides value chain analysis of the market that describes the sequence of activities involved, from identification of the market need to their final reach to the end users. Furthermore, the report provides Porters five force analysis that studies five factors and their impact on the transdermal skin patches market.Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Transdermal Skin Patches Market: Research MethodologiesThe research is a combination of primary and secondary research, conducted for understanding and arriving at trends, used to forecast the expected revenue of transdermal skin patches used in hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, online pharmacies, etc. in the near future. Primary research formed the bulk of our research efforts with information collected from in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry experts and opinion leaders.Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, investor presentations, analyst presentation and various international and national databases. The report provides estimated market size in terms of US$ Mn for product type, application, distribution channel and geography for the period 2017 to 2025. The revenue generated from product type was calculated by considering the adoption rate of transdermal skin patches in Saudi Arabia and also in other geographies, the number of product launched, average cost of products, trends in industry, and distribution channel trends, among others.Market share analysis among the market players is analyzed to signify the contribution of these players in the market in terms of percentage share. All these factors will help the market players to decide about the business strategies and plans to strengthen their positions in the Saudi Arabia market.Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:The report also profiles the major players in the market and provides various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. Major companies profiled in the transdermal skin patches market include Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Mylan, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Luye Pharma, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, Purdue Pharma, and Mundipharma.The transdermal skin patches market has been segmented as follows:Transdermal Skin Patches Market, by Product Type, Revenue (US$ Mn) 2017-2025Drug in AdhesiveMatrixReservoirVaporGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Transdermal Skin Patches Market, by Application, Revenue (US$ Mn) 2017-2025Pain ReliefNicotine CessationHormone replacement therapyMotion SicknessNeurological DisordersCardiovascular DisordersOthersTransdermal Skin Patches Market, by Distribution Channel, Revenue (US$ Mn) 2017-2025Hospital PharmaciesRetail PharmaciesOnline PharmaciesTransdermal Skin Patches Market, by Geography, Revenue (US$ Mn), 2017-2025Saudi ArabiaAbout 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: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
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Global Alkanolamide Market Report 2017 Covers Demands & Insights : Lubrizol, Mcintyre Group

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Alkanolamide Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Alkanolamide market has been deeply evaluated in this publication with the help of both primary and secondary research and useful inputs provided by industry experts. The analysts who have prepared the publication have been among the best in the lot with sound understanding about almost all vital aspects of the market. The publication has come out as a detailed guideline for industry players to explore hidden prospects and take advantage of the best opportunities in the market. Players could also use the information presented in the publication to plan the best strategies that will help them to secure a strong position in the market.Fill the form to get free sample report on this market @Global Alkanolamide market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingLubrizolAkzoNobel Surface ChemistryLibra Speciality Chemicals LimitedZhejiang Zanyu Technology Co.,Ltd.Mcintyre GroupBy segregating the global Alkanolamide market into different segments, the analysts have offered crucial information that could help players to gain a competitive edge over their toughest opponents. Each segment studied in the publication has been meticulously evaluated with market figures to go by. This could help readers to tap into unexplored regions or other categories of segments and ensure a continuing success in the market. Besides segmentation, the publication has offered information on factors detaining market growth, backing them up with opportunities to counter the challenges about to show face in the near future.The analysts have also shed light on key aspects of the vendor landscape while profiling some of the leading companies operating in the global Alkanolamide market. Starting from the nature of the current and future competitive scenarios of the market, the publication has foreseen the future plans of leading companies to gain a strong foothold in the industry. This could help readers to stay cautioned about any surprising changes in the vendor landscape of the market beforehand. Furthermore, readers could use the information to build extraordinary strategies to strengthen their product portfolio and give a tough competition in the market.Table of Contents1 Alkanolamide Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Alkanolamide1.2 Alkanolamide Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Alkanolamide Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Alkanolamide Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.3 Global Alkanolamide Segment by Application1.3.1 Alkanolamide Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.4 Global Alkanolamide Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Alkanolamide Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Alkanolamide (2012-2022)2 Global Alkanolamide Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Alkanolamide Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Alkanolamide Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Alkanolamide Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Alkanolamide Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Alkanolamide Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Alkanolamide Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Alkanolamide Market Competitive Situation and Trends3 Global Alkanolamide Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Alkanolamide Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Alkanolamide Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Alkanolamide Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Alkanolamide Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Alkanolamide Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Alkanolamide Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Alkanolamide Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Alkanolamide Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Alkanolamide Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Alkanolamide Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Alkanolamide Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Alkanolamide Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Alkanolamide Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Alkanolamide Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Alkanolamide Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of AlkanolamideFigure Global Alkanolamide Production (MT) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Alkanolamide Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Alkanolamide Consumption (MT) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Alkanolamide Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Global Alkanolamide Market Size (Million USD), Comparison (MT) and CAGR (%) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure North America Alkanolamide Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Alkanolamide Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Alkanolamide Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Alkanolamide Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Alkanolamide Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Wind Power Germany Market 2017: Key Players RWE AG, Vattenfall AB, E.ON SE

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Summary"Wind Power in Germany, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2017 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles", the industry analysis specialists that offer comprehensive information and understanding of the wind power market in Germany.The report provides in depth analysis on global renewable power market and global wind power market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in Germany (includes conventional thermal, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details renewable power market outlook in the country (includes wind, small hydro, biopower and solar PV) and provides forecasts up to 2030. The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in Germany wind power market. A detailed coverage of renewable energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to wind power is provided in the report. The research also provides company snapshots of some of the major market participants.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedOcean Breeze GmbH & Co. KGWindland Energieerzeugungs GmbHENOVA Energieanlagen GmbHAllianz Capital Partners GmbHRWE AGVattenfall ABE.ON SEScopeThe report analyses global renewable power market, global wind power (Onshore and Offshore) market, Germany power market, Germany renewable power market and Germany wind power market. The scope of the research includes -- A brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.- An overview on global renewable power market, highlighting installed capacity trends, generation trends and installed capacity split by various renewable power sources. The information is covered for the historical period 2006-2016 (unless specified) and forecast period 2016-2030.- Renewable power sources include wind (both onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), small hydropower (SHP), biomass, biogas and geothermal.- Detailed overview of the global wind power market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity split by major hydropower countries in 2016 and key owners information of various regions.- Power market scenario in Germany and provides detailed market overview, installed capacity and power generation trends by various fuel types (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) with forecasts up to 2030.- An overview on Germany renewable power market, highlighting installed capacity trends (2006-2030), generation trends(2006-2030) and installed capacity split by various renewable power sources in 2016.- Detailed overview of Germany wind power market with installed capacity and generation trends and major active and upcoming wind projects.- Deal analysis of Germany wind power market. Deals are analyzed on the basis of mergers, acquisitions, partnership, asset finance, debt offering, equity offering, private equity (PE) and venture capitalists (VC).- Key policies and regulatory framework supporting the development of renewable power sources in general and wind power in particular.- Company snapshots of some of the major market participants in the country.Reasons to buy- The report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner.- Identify key growth and investment opportunities in Germany wind power market.- Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data for wind power market.- Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential.- Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events.- Identify key partners and business development avenues.- Understand and respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects.Table of Content: Key Points1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 51.2 List of Figures 72 Executive Summary 82.1 Global Carbon Emissions to Increase at a Lower rate During the Forecast Period 82.2 Technological Advancements and Government Support Driving Global Renewable Power Installations 82.3 Top 10 Countries Account for Over 84% of Wind Power Capacity 92.4 Renewable Sources to Contribute Over 60% to Installed Capacity by 2030 in Germany 102.5 Germany focusing on Renewable Energy Sources to Reduce Dependence on Fossil Fuel Imports 103 Introduction 123.1 Carbon Emissions, Global, 2001-2016 123.2 Primary Energy Consumption, Global, 2001-2030 143.3 Wind Power, Global, Technology Definition and Classification 173.4 Wind Power Market, Technology Overview 173.5 Wind Power Market, Turbine Components 173.6 Report Guidance 194 Renewable Power Market, Global, 2006-2030 204.1 Renewable Power Market, Global, Overview 204.2 Renewable Power Market, Global, Installed Capacity, 2006-2030 214.2.1 Renewable Power Market, Global, Cumulative Installed Capacity by Source Type, 2006-2030 214.2.2 Renewable Power Market, Global, Cumulative Installed Capacity Split by Source Type, 2016 and 2030 234.2.3 Renewable Power Market, Global, Net Capacity Additions by Source Type, 2016-2030 25ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Tin Cans Filling Lines Market - Report, Trends, Size, Share, Analysis, Estimations and Forecasts to 2025

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Manufacturers of tin cans form an integral part of the global economy. Tin Cans are lightweight, and offer the desirable barrier properties, thus enhancing the shelf life of the product. Tin Cans are leakage and tamper proof, and maintain the nutritional value of the product. These properties of tin cans increase their preference among consumers as well as manufacturers. Tin cans witness high demand every year, with billions of tin-plated steel cans manufactured worldwide.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Tin cans filling lines are an efficient packaging system for filling tin cans, before the top is crimped on. Since, the filling and sealing of a tin can needs to be fast and precise, tin cans filling lines are preferred owing to their efficiency and reliability. Tin cans filling machines also provide rigidity to the tin cans for easy handling, by flushing the filled cans with pressurized gas before sealing. Tin cans serve a variety of industries, and are used mainly to store food & beverage items, oil, among others. To support the high demand for tin cans, tin cans filling lines manufacturers focus on easy-to-use tin cans filling lines, which maintain accurate and constant doses, and is extremely simple and handy. It is anticipated that the global tin cans filling lines market will continue to grow on the backdrop of tin cans market growth.Global tin cans filling lines market: DynamicsThe global metal can packaging industry has witnessed significant growth over the last few decades, with production soaring to new heights each year. Tin Cans serve storage purposes for dry food products, liquid products, in addition to serving the industrial chemicals market. Preference for tin cans is expected to grow over the forecast period, owing to recyclability. Being 100% recyclable, tin cans and other metal cans are expected to be the ideal packaging choices for manufacturers in a world which emphasizes sustainable packaging solutions.Over time, the manufacturing industry is expected to witness high penetration of automation to meet the growing demand. Growth in the FMCG sector is also expected to positively impact the global tin cans filling lines market. Apart from these features, there are certain factors which might hamper growth of the global tin cans filling lines market, over the forecast period. Tin cans face stiff competition from Aluminum cans, which comprise of 75% of global yearly can production. All in all, the tin cans filling lines market is poised to witness moderate growth over the forecast period, and advancement in technology is expected to facilitate integration of production lines with modern technology and enhance production output of tin cans.Browse Market Research Report @Global tin cans filling lines market: SegmentationThe global tin cans filling lines market is segmented as follows On the basis of product type, the global tin cans filling lines market is segmented as:Semi-Automatic tin cans filling linesAutomatic tin cans filling linesOn the basis of end use industry, the global tin cans filling lines market is segmented as:Food & Beverages IndustryChemicals IndustryGlobal tin cans filling lines market: Geographical OutlookThe global tin cans filling lines market has been divided into seven major regions North AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)Middle East & Africa (MEA)JapanThe APEJ region is expected to lead the global tin cans filling lines market, over the forecast period. This is attributed to a flourishing FMCG sector in the region. The North America region is expected to closely follow the APEJ region, owing to a large and organized retail sector, fueling growth of the North America tin cans filling lines market. The Western Europe region is expected to witness growth in the tin cans filling lines market, however, the regional tin cans market might witness decline, over the forecast period, due to growing penetration of aluminum cans. The Latin America tin cans filling lines market is expected to follow a similar trend to that of the APEJ tin cans filling lines market.Global tin cans filling lines market: Key PlayersFew of the market players operating in the global tin cans filling lines market are - Tenco srl, Swiss Can Machinery AG, and Grabher Indosa Maschinenbau AG, among others.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Artificial Intelligence for Cancer Immunotherapy in Hospitals Bolster Personalized Therapies

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"Cancer Immunotherapy with Artificial Intelligence for Hospitals Market Shares & Size 2017 to 2023"MarketResearchReports.biz has announced the addition of a new report, titled Cancer Immunotherapy with Artificial Intelligence for Hospitals: Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2017 to 2023. The report on the hospital artificial intelligence for immunotherapy market offers comprehensive insights into the current growth dynamics, notable trends and developments, emerging opportunities and lucrative avenues, and strategic landscape. The study presents an in-depth assessment of prominent trends likely to bolster adoption across healthcare providers. Recent research and development activities boosting the demand for artificial intelligence technologies for cancer therapeutics is also highlighted in the study. Furthermore, it takes a closer look at recent cancer trials in major regions expected to alter the competitive landscape in the coming years.View Rpeort @The worldwide market is projected to expand at a steady pace, largely driven by the success of immunotherapies on cancer outcomes when combined with artificial intelligence. The shipments for cancer immunotherapy hospital artificial intelligence market system are projected to touch a valuation of US$7.4 billion by 2023 end. The global market is anticipated to reach a worth of US$49.4 billion by the end of the forecast period.The drive for artificial intelligence among hospitals for cancer immunotherapy stems from the need for specialized care of delivery for a growing number of patients who are severely affected with cancer. The growing mortality of cancer in various parts of the world is fortifying the demand for advanced cancer treatments. The vast volumes of patient data required for reports for better understanding the genetic characteristics of the disease is a crucial factor driving the market. The pressing demand for multi-disciplinary and integrated approach to cancer treatments is a notable factor boosting the demand for artificial intelligence technologies for analyzing patient records at hospitals.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @World over, artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly being adopted for understanding the effectiveness of particular treatments. The intersection of healthcare delivery and artificial intelligence presents interesting opportunities to healthcare providers in various developing and developed countries.The growing popularity of personalized immunotherapy care delivery therapies is accentuating the growth of the market. The intensifying need for understanding the genetic specificity of individual patients to devise novel therapies has stoked the demand for artificial intelligence for boosting clinical outcomes in cancer treatments. The growing number of partnerships and collaborations to overcome various adoption challenges bodes well for the market. Constant advances in immune-based treatments for cancer and substantial support meted out by clinicians and researchers in boosting their adoption are notable aspects unlocking exciting opportunities in the market.Send An Enquiry Request @The significant strides taken by machine learning technologies in developed markets has increased the capabilities of artificial intelligence for devising cancer immunotherapy. The advent of new treatment options with the help of artificial technologies bodes well for the growth of the market. The growing awareness in various international forums about the potential of artificial intelligence technology for the cancer immunotherapies is also contributing to the growth of the market.A growing number of clinical trials by contract research organizations on cancer immunotherapy are expected to catalyze the growth of the market over the forecast period. The implementation of safety features in the application of artificial intelligence technologies in cancer immunotherapy is providing a robust fillip to the growth of the market. The growing number of genomic studies undertaken in several developing and developed regions is likely to open up lucrative avenues for market players in the next few years.IBM and General Electric are leading companies while prominent players operating in the hospital artificial intelligence for immunotherapy market include Zebra Technologies, Safeguard Scientifics, Quest Diagnostics, Prognos, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Alphabet / Google.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.State Tower 90 Sate Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-621-2074 USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948
Global High Voltage Measuring Equipment Market Is Expected To Be Worth US$6.59 Bn By 2024 At A CAGR Of 7.9%

High Voltage Measuring Equipment Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "High Voltage Measuring Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.High voltage measuring equipment are high accuracy electrical devices used in the measurement of high voltage (35kV-400kV), extra high voltage (401kV-800kV) and ultra high voltage (>800kV) alternating and direct currents. These instruments can be primarily divided into capacitive voltage transformers, potential transformers and other equipment like high voltage capacitors, multimeters, probes, etc. They are used in several applications like power generation (substation), power transmission, industrial facilities and laboratories, etc. Both, the capacitive voltage transformers and potential transformers are types of instrument transformers. While the capacitive voltage transformer can be used for a wide range of voltages up to 1200kV, the potential transformer has a limited range of ~250kV. During the forecast period, the demand of these equipment for direct current transmission and extra high voltage (401-800kV) transmission is expected to be higher.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @High Voltage Measuring Equipment Market: Scope of StudyThis report analyzes and forecasts the market for high voltage measuring equipment at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on volume (Units) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global high voltage measuring equipment market. It also covers impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for high voltage measuring equipment during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the high voltage measuring equipment market at the global and regional level.The report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global high voltage measuring equipment market. Porters Five Forces model for the high voltage measuring equipment market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.The study provides a decisive view of the global high voltage measuring equipment market by segmenting it in terms of product type (capacitive voltage transformers, potential transformers & others) and applications such as power generation (substation), power transmission, industrial & others (laboratory, testing centres, commercial purposes, etc.). These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for high voltage measuring equipment in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.The report provides the actual market size of high voltage measuring equipment for 2015 and estimated market size for 2016 with forecast for the next eight years. The global market size of high voltage measuring equipment has been provided in terms of volume and revenue. Market volume has been defined in units, while market revenue is in US$ Mn. Market numbers have been estimated based on product type and key applications of high voltage measuring equipment. Market size and forecast for numerous end-users have been provided in terms of global, regional, and country level markets.In order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represented the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, Internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, SEC filings, IEA, IEEE, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases such as ICIS, Hoovers, oneSOURCE, Factiva and Bloomberg, national government documents, statistical databases, trade journals, market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market.We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators to validate data and analysis. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.High Voltage Measuring Equipment Market: Regional OutlookDemand for the high voltage measuring equipment is anticipated to increase rapidly because of the heavy investment in transmission grids by various regions. This investment and thereby demand will be highest in Asia Pacific, followed by Middle East & Africa and Latin America. Here, the investment in transmission grids will primarily focus on providing citizens with access to electricity. On the other hand, demand will be comparatively lower in Europe and North America, where the markets are already mature and the demand is likely to come from replacement of old equipment and upgradation of the same to meet newer and stricter environmental regulations.Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @High Voltage Measuring Equipment Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report comprises profiles of major companies operating in the global high voltage measuring equipment market. The global high voltage measuring equipment market is partially consolidated. Key players include ABB, Siemens, GE Grid Solutions, Maxwell Technologies, BHEL, Crompton Greaves, and Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.The global high voltage measuring equipment market has been segmented as follows:High Voltage Measuring Equipment Market: Product Type AnalysisCapacitive Voltage TransformerPotential TransformerOthersHigh Voltage Measuring Equipment Market: Voltage AnalysisHigh Voltage (35-400kV)Extra High Voltage (401-800kV)Ultra High Voltage (>800kV)High Voltage Measuring Equipment Market: Current AnalysisAlternating CurrentDirect CurrentHigh Voltage Measuring Equipment Market: Application AnalysisPower Generation (substation)Power TransmissionIndustrialOthersHigh Voltage Measuring Equipment Market: Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.ItalyRussiaFranceGermanyRest Of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaASEANJapanRest Of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of South AmericaMiddle East & Africa (MEA)GCCSouth AfricaRest of MEAAbout 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: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market Will Expand At A CAGR Of 6.7% Over The Forecast Period Between 2016 And 2024 Projected To Rise To US$1,178.9 Mn

Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.Veterinary hematology analyzers are used widely in veterinary hospitals and research settings to count and characterize blood cells for detection and monitoring of disease in animals. Conventional veterinary hematology analyzers does the complete blood count (CBC) with a three-part differential white blood cell (WBC). Advanced veterinary hematology analyzers are able to detect small cell populations in rare blood conditions and can measure cell morphology. Factors prompting the growth of veterinary hematology analyzers market are increased adoption of pets, rising disposable income and growing outbreaks of animal diseases.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market: Scope of the ReportThis report on the veterinary hematology analyzers market analyzes the current and future prospects of the market. The report comprises an elaborate executive summary, including a market snapshot that provides overall information of various segments and sub-segments. The research is a combination of primary and secondary research. Detailed qualitative analysis of factors responsible for driving and restraining market growth and opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. Market revenue in terms of US$ Mn for the period between 2014 and 2024 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2016 to 2024 are provided for all the segments, considering 2015 as the base year.Market related factors such as technological developments, product innovation, expansion of animal healthcare infrastructure facilities around the world, and historical year-on-year growth have been taken into consideration while estimating the market size. Growth rates for each segment within the veterinary hematology analyzers market have been determined after a thorough analysis of past trends, demographics, future trends, technological developments, product development life cycle, and regulatory requirements. These factors would help the market players to take strategic decisions in order to strengthen their positions and expand their share in the global market.Global Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market: SegmentationOn the basis of analysis parameter, veterinary hematology analyzers market is segmented into 2 part WBC differential analyzers, 3 part WBC differential analyzers, 5 part WBC differential analyzers and others. In terms of products, veterinary hematology analyzers market is segmented into table top analyzers and point of care analyzers. The table top analyzers segment is further categorized into fully automatic analyzers and semi-automatic analyzers. The point of care analyzers is further segmented into cartridge based analyzers and others (direct sample based analyzers). In terms of end users, the veterinary hematology analyzers market is segmented into research institutes, veterinary diagnostic centers, veterinary hospitals and clinics and others (point of care testing, in house testing).Global Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market: Geographical and Competitive DynamicsOn the basis of geography, the veterinary hematology analyzers market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. North America comprises the U.S. and Canada. Europe comprises Germany, France, U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, Poland, and Rest of Europe. Asia-Pacific comprises China, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific. Latin America comprises Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America. Middle East & Africa comprises of GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa. The competition matrix section included in the report is likely to assist the existing players to increase their market shares and new companies to establish their presence in the veterinary hematology analyzers market.The report also profiles major players in the veterinary hematology analyzers market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, SWOT analysis, key business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments. Key companies profiled in the report include IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Abaxis, Inc., Heska Corporation, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc. , Drew Scientific Inc., URIT Medical, Boule Medical AB, scil animal care, Mindray, HORIBA Medical, Clindiag Systems, HemoCue AB, Diatron and Sysmex.Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @The veterinary hematology analyzers market has been segmented as follows:Global Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market, by ProductTable Top AnalyzersFully Automatic AnalyzersSemi-Automatic AnalyzersPoint of Care AnalyzersCartridge BasedOthers (Direct Sample Based)Global Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market, by Analysis Parameter2 Part WBC differential3 Part WBC differential5 Part WBC differentialOthersGlobal Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market, by End UserResearch InstitutesVeterinary Diagnostic CentersVeterinary Hospitals and ClinicsOthers (Point of care testing, in house testing)Global Veterinary Hematology Analyzers Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.SpainItalyRussiaPolandRest of EuropeAsia PacificJapanChinaIndiaAustralia & New ZealandRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoArgentinaRest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesSouth AfricaRest of MEAAbout 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: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Asia Pacific Insurance Market Rides High on Colossal Rise in Number of High Net worth Individuals

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"The Report Asia-Pacific Insurance Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"MarkerResearchReports.biz has featured a new research report to its expanding database of research reports. The report, titled Asia-Pacific Insurance Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022, is a scientific effort that presents a conclusive reports how the Asia Pacific insurance market will develop in the forthcoming years. The report is a veritable tool to understand the growing importance of insurance among individuals as well as businesses for monetary as well as psychological reasons. Insurance is important for businesses for a number of reasons which include reducing uncertainty of business losses, improving business efficiency, key man indemnification, credit enhancement, business continuation, and welfare of employees.View Report @Insurance benefits individuals in many ways than what is commonly understood. The most important benefit of insurance for individuals is the payment of losses. Managing cash flow uncertainty, complying legal requirements, promoting risk control activity, efficient use of insureds resources, and support for insureds credit are some other benefits of insurance for individuals.The report on the Asia Pacific insurance market focuses on the key domestic markets of China, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. In this report type and application are the criteria based on which growth in key domestic market is analyzed. The key type and application segments and their growth behavior over the forecast period are the highlight of this report.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @:The 119-page report is a presented in a chapter-wise format for reading comprehensibility. Each chapter is further categorized into sub-chapter that discusses key segments at length.The report provides a comprehensive reports of growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, and competitive landscape that will have a bearing on Asia Pacific insurance market until 2022.The report discusses the Asia Pacific insurance market from a competitive standpoint as well. The presence of a multitude of players features a fragmented yet competitive vendor landscape. Key companies in this market include AIA, Great Eastern, Allianz, Thai Life, Manulife, Aviva, Hing Leong, Bao Viet Nhan Tho, Dai-ichi, Prudential, AXA, Muang Thai, Siam Comm, Bangkok Life, Sun Life, Sinar Mas, and Insular Life.Send An Enquiry Request @In Asia Pacific, individuals as well as businesses are buying home insurance, insurance against theft, accident, property insurance, business interruption insurance, product liability insurance, and life insurance among others for appropriate compensation in the event of loss of life and property. This is because buying an insurance is a type of risk management to safeguard against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss.Business insurance is important as it protects a business from terminating due to a catastrophic loss. Floods, tornadoes, fires, and hurricanes have been reasons for termination of businesses across the world. However, if a company buys insurance against losses due to these types of occurrences, the loss and closure is only temporary instead of permanent.General liability insurance, property insurance, business owners policy, commercial auto insurance, workers compensation, professional liability insurance, directors and officers insurance, data breach, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, life insurance, and personal automobile insurance are the key insurance types that small business owners require.MarketResearchReports.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.State Tower 90 Sate Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-621-2074 USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948
Global Specialty Fertilizers Market To Clock A Modest 5.7% CAGR For The Forecast Period Between 2017 And 2025 Will Be Valued At US$14,734.4 Mn

Specialty Fertilizers Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Specialty Fertilizers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.This report analyzes and forecasts the market for specialty fertilizers at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on revenue (US$ Mn) and volume (Kilo Tons) from 2017 to 2025. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global specialty fertilizers market. It also covers the impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for specialty fertilizers during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the specialty fertilizers market at the global and regional level.The report comprises a detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global specialty fertilizers market. Porters Five Forces model for the specialty fertilizers market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein applications are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: Scope of StudyThe report provides the estimated market size of specialty fertilizers for 2016 and forecast for the next eight years. The global market size of specialty fertilizers has been provided in terms of revenue and volume. Market numbers have been estimated based on type, crop type and compound segments of specialty fertilizers market. Market size and forecast for each major type, crop type and compound have been provided in terms of global and regional markets.Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: Research MethodologyIn order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research also includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, and SEC filings, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases, national government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, news articles, press releases, webcasts specific to companies operating in the market, American Chemical Society, International Council of Chemical Associations, 4m Associations, and European Union. Primary research involves e-mail interactions, telephonic interviews, and face-to-face interviews for each market, type, and applications across geographies. We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators in order to validate the data and analysis. Primary interviews provide firsthand information on market size, market trends, growth trends, competitive landscape, and outlook, etc. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: Market SegmentationThe study provides a decisive view of the global specialty fertilizers market by segmenting it in terms of type, crop type, and compound. These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for specialty fertilizers in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The report also covers demand for individual type, crop type, and compounds in all the regions.Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: Competitive LandscapeThe study includes profiles of major companies operating in the global specialty fertilizers market. Key players in the specialty fertilizers market include Yara International ASA, Agrium Inc., The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., Israel Chemical Limited, Sociedad Quimica Y Minera S.A., Haifa Chemicals Limited, Coromandel International Limited, among others. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, overall revenue, business strategies, and recent developments.The report segments the global specialty fertilizers market as follows:Specialty fertilizers Market: Type AnalysisSlow Release FertilizersControlled Release FertilizersNutrition and Urease InhibitorsMicro nutrient FertilizersOthersSpecialty fertilizers Market: Crop Type AnalysisCereals & OilseedsTurf & OrnamentalsFruits & VegetablesOthersSpecialty fertilizers Market: Compound AnalysisNitrogen CompoundsPhosphate CompoundsPotash CompoundsNPK CompoundsSpecialty fertilizers Market: Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeFranceGermanyItalyPolandSpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaASEANRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & Africa (MEA)GCCSouth AfricaRest of MEAAbout 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: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Anti-Glare Coating Market Research Report 2017 Key Manufacturers : TSP, Excelite

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Anti-Glare Coating Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Anti-Glare Coating market has been deeply evaluated in this publication with the help of both primary and secondary research and useful inputs provided by industry experts. The analysts who have prepared the publication have been among the best in the lot with sound understanding about almost all vital aspects of the market. The publication has come out as a detailed guideline for industry players to explore hidden prospects and take advantage of the best opportunities in the market. Players could also use the information presented in the publication to plan the best strategies that will help them to secure a strong position in the market.Free Sample of this report is available upon request @Global Anti-Glare Coating market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingTSPExceliteGiant Nano TechnologyAnhui Sinograce Chemical Co., Ltd.Shenzhen Zeelang Glass Co., Ltd.By segregating the global Anti-Glare Coating market into different segments, the analysts have offered crucial information that could help players to gain a competitive edge over their toughest opponents. Each segment studied in the publication has been meticulously evaluated with market figures to go by. This could help readers to tap into unexplored regions or other categories of segments and ensure a continuing success in the market. Besides segmentation, the publication has offered information on factors detaining market growth, backing them up with opportunities to counter the challenges about to show face in the near future.The analysts have also shed light on key aspects of the vendor landscape while profiling some of the leading companies operating in the global Anti-Glare Coating market. Starting from the nature of the current and future competitive scenarios of the market, the publication has foreseen the future plans of leading companies to gain a strong foothold in the industry. This could help readers to stay cautioned about any surprising changes in the vendor landscape of the market beforehand. Furthermore, readers could use the information to build extraordinary strategies to strengthen their product portfolio and give a tough competition in the market.Table of Contents1 Anti-Glare Coating Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Anti-Glare Coating1.2 Anti-Glare Coating Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Anti-Glare Coating Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Anti-Glare Coating Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.3 Global Anti-Glare Coating Segment by Application1.3.1 Anti-Glare Coating Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.4 Global Anti-Glare Coating Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Anti-Glare Coating Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Anti-Glare Coating (2012-2022)2 Global Anti-Glare Coating Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Anti-Glare Coating Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Anti-Glare Coating Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Anti-Glare Coating Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Anti-Glare Coating Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Anti-Glare Coating Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Anti-Glare Coating Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Anti-Glare Coating Market Competitive Situation and Trends3 Global Anti-Glare Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Anti-Glare Coating Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Anti-Glare Coating Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Anti-Glare Coating Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Anti-Glare Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Anti-Glare Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Anti-Glare Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Anti-Glare Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Anti-Glare Coating Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Anti-Glare Coating Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Anti-Glare Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Anti-Glare Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Anti-Glare Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Anti-Glare Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Anti-Glare Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Anti-Glare Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Anti-Glare CoatingFigure Global Anti-Glare Coating Production (MT) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Anti-Glare Coating Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Anti-Glare Coating Consumption (MT) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Anti-Glare Coating Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Global Anti-Glare Coating Market Size (Million USD), Comparison (MT) and CAGR (%) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure North America Anti-Glare Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Anti-Glare Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Anti-Glare Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Anti-Glare Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Anti-Glare Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Stadium Security Market Exhibiting An Impressive CAGR Of 12.74%, Expected To Reach US$20.20 Bn By The End Of 2025

Stadium Security Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Stadium Security Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.The Stadium security Market [Components  Hardware (Access Control Systems, Video Surveillance Systems, Others), Software (On-premise, Cloud), and Services (Installation and Maintenance services, Others); Sales Channel  Channel Partners, Direct Sales, Others]  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017  2025, report provides an in-depth analysis of the global stadium security market for the period 2017  2025, wherein 2016 is the base year, data for the year 2015 is considered as historical information and the years from 2015 to 2025 is the forecast period. The report also provides compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2017 to 2025 for all the segments in the scope of study. The report covers key trends prevailing in the global stadium security market over the forecast period. The report also describes various factors impacting the global stadium security market growth during the forecast period including market drivers, restraints, and opportunitiesTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Stadium Security Market: Scope of the StudyThe study provides a holistic perspective on global stadium security market growth in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ Mn) globally. The market estimates have been analyzed by taking into account the impact of various economic, political, technological, social, and legal and the existing market dynamics influencing market growth. The report would also include executive summary, providing the overview of the global stadium security market. The report also provides industry development and key market indicators for the global stadium security market. Furthermore, report provides market attractiveness analysis, for each segment based on their CAGR and market share. The report also provide porters five forces analysis about the industry competition, market dynamics and the most profitable segments in the market. This research study on the global stadium security market provides a detailed cross segment and cross country analysis based on the different segments including components, and sales channels. Based on the components, the market is segmented into hardware, software, and services. The hardware segment is further bifurcated into video surveillance system, access control system, and others. Others consist of staffing, stadium light poles, and bollards. The software segment is further bifurcated into on-premise based and cloud based software. Furthermore, the services segment is bifurcated into installation & maintenance services, and others. Others include technical support, and training. Additionally, by sales channel, the stadium security market is segmented into channel partner, direct sales, and others. Others includes retailors, online marketplaces, and outsourced sales. The report also covers profiles of major players, their growth strategies and focuses on the recent developments under the competition matrix section and includes market positioning analysis of key players operating in the stadium security market.Global Stadium Security Market: Competitive OutlookThe competition matrix for key players in the global stadium security market notes their capabilities and growth potential and also benchmarks the key companies in the global stadium security market on the basis of top line growth, market share, segment growth, infrastructure capabilities, market position, product offerings, R&D focus and future outlook.Under the company profiles section, the report also includes an overview of the players operating in the market, the annual revenue generated by them in the past two or three years, SWOT analysis, regional breakdown and their relevant business segment revenue. The report also contains market share analysis of the key players in the stadium security market for the year 2016 based on their revenues generated for the same year.The key players profiled in this report include  Avigilon Corporation, AxxonSoft, BOSCH Security Systems, Genetec Inc., Dallmeier, Honeywell International Inc., NEC Corporation, Rapiscan Systems, CISCO Systems Inc., and Intel CorporationThe global stadium security market has been segmented as follows:Global Stadium Security Market, by ComponentsHardwareAccess Control SystemsVideo Surveillance SystemsOthersGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @SoftwareOn-premise basedCloud basedServicesInstallation and maintenanceothersGlobal Stadium Security Market, by Sales ChannelChannel PartnerDirect SalesOthersGlobal Stadium Security Market, By GeographyNorth AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeThe U.KGermanyFranceRest of EuropeAsia Pacific (APAC)IndiaAustraliaChinaRest of APACMiddle East and Africa (MEA)GCC CountriesSouth AfricaRest of MEASouth AmericaBrazilRest of South AmericaAbout 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: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Reforming TU from below

Those who work in TU and are brave enough to not bow down to party-based apparatchiks have to step up
Remittance Market: Global Industry Analysis & Outlook (2015-2020) | MoneyGram International Inc., Western Union Company, Euronet Worldwide Inc.

Remittance Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Remittance Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2015-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The remittance industry contributes to the economic growth of the countries participating in the practice as well as to the livelihood of the individuals involved. The remittance system is comprised of the Remittance Service Providers (RSP), Remittance Corridors, the Remittance Network and the Money transfer system. Remittance Services are divided primarily on the basis of ways a network of access points is created and linked. There are broadly four categories: unilateral services, franchised services, negotiated services and open services.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The key factors driving the growth of remittance market are increasing international migration, growing urbanization, accelerating economic growth and rising employment opportunities. A noteworthy trend of this industry is cost by sending and receiving method, unstable remittance cost, increased access to financial services, changing technology landscape for payments, more convenience and lesser costs, advancement in technology, and maturing of immigrant communities. However, the expansion of the market is hindered by de-risking is threatening the industry and access points establishment.The report Global Remittance Market provides an in-depth analysis of the global remittance market, along with a study of top remittance receiving and contributing countries. The report also includes detailed description of regional markets. The major trends, growth drivers as well as issues being faced by the industry are being presented in this report. The industry comprises few large players such as MoneyGram International Inc., Western Union Company and Euronet Worldwide Inc. All these companies have been profiled in the present report highlighting their key financials and business strategies for growth.Table of Content1. Remittance Market - An Overview1.1 An Introduction1.2 Types of Remittance Services1.3 Remittance Marketplace1.4 Remittance Market Value ChainGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @2. Global Remittance Market Analysis2.1 Global Remittance Inflow2.2 Global Average Remittance Cost by Region2.3 Global Average Cost by Remittance Service Provider3. Regional Market Analysis3.1 Remittance Market by Income Characteristics3.1.1 Low and Middle Income Countries3.2 Remittances Market by Region3.2.1 East Asia and Pacific Region3.2.2 Europe and Central Asia Region3.2.3 Latin America and Caribbean Region3.2.4 Middle East and North Africa Region3.2.5 South Asia Region3.2.6 Sub Saharan Africa Region3.3 Remittances Market by Largest Receiving Countries3.3.1 India3.3.2 China3.3.3 Philippines3.3.4 Mexico3.4 Remittances Market by Largest Contributing Countries3.4.1 The US3.4.2 Saudi Arabia3.4.3 Switzerland4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.1.1 Increasing International Migration4.1.2 Growing Urbanization4.1.3 Accelerating Economic Growth4.1.4 Rising Employment Opportunities4.2 Market Trends4.2.1 Cost by Sending and Receiving Method4.2.2 Unstable Remittance Cost4.2.3 Increased Access to Financial Services4.2.4 Changing Technology Landscape for Payments4.2.5 More Convenience and Lesser Costs4.2.6 Advancement in Technology4.2.7 Maturing of Immigrant Communities4.3 Challenges4.3.1 De-risking is threatening the Industry4.3.2 Access Points Establishment5. Competitive Landscape5.1 Global Remittance Market Share by CompanyContinue...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.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Rise in Number of Surgeries to Support the Growth of Global Pain Management Therapeutics Market

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"Pain Management Therapeutics Market - Technological Advancements in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry."An intelligence report on the global pain management therapeutics market has been added to the portfolio of MarketResearchReports.biz. Titled, Pain Management Therapeutics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017  2025. This provide details regarding the pain management therapeutics market thinks about the present and also future prospects of the market all inclusive. The pain management therapeutics market report involves a detailed official synopsis alongside a market preview giving general data of different portions and sub-sections considered in the extent of the examination. This area additionally gives the general data and information investigation of the worldwide pain management therapeutics market regarding the main market portions in view of geographies and key therapeutics.According to an analyst, the worldwide market for pain management therapeutics is probably going to develop at a steady pace over the conjecture time frame from 2017 to 2025. Significantly fuelling the market's development are rise in geriatric population all over, rising number of surgeries, changing ways of life, and rising predominance of perpetual issue. According to measurements of the National Health Interview Survey, right around 20% of the total populace was held responsible to experience the ill effects of critical pain. Furthermore, factors, for example, dispatch of new medications and reformulation of accessible medications are driving the market's development.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Aside from this, some different elements in charge of the development of pain management therapeutics market are change of medicinal services foundation, expanding financial solidness, and expanding entrance of key market players in developing nations to tap openings in these areas. Further, enormous innovative work exercises for tranquilize disclosure, rising interest for exceedingly productive medication particle, and mechanical headways in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry are a portion of the key elements acting for the development of pain management therapeutics market. This, alongside developing patient pool, rising occurrence of constant maladies, and ideal government controls are stirring development of this market.The worldwide pain management therapeutics market has been considered in view of significant sections by therapeutics, by sign and their territorial and also national markets. In terms of therapeutics, the worldwide market has been divided into antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), anticonvulsants, sedatives, opioids other non-narcotic pain relieving drugs, and anti-migraine specialists. Advance the market has been sectioned by its sign that incorporates neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, ligament pain, ceaseless back pain, headache, post-agent pain, and disease pain. Geologically, the pain management therapeutics market has been sectioned into four areas: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Each local pain management therapeutics market has been additionally ordered into real national markets, for example, Canada, the U.K., China, Brazil, the U.S, Germany, Japan, and Mexico.Send An Enquiry Request @The worldwide market for pain management therapeutics displays a profoundly divided merchant scene with the nearness of a substantial number of little and vast players. In spite of a high level of rivalry, the market is seeing a consistent passage of new organizations inferable from the high development prospects. This will additionally escalate rivalry in the market as provincial players are creating a vast volume of medications at bring down costs than what is offered by noticeable producers. Moreover, established players will have the capacity to keep up their positions because of brand acknowledgment that these players have earned. The report also profiles enter players working in this market in view of different characteristics, for example, organization outline, money related review, business techniques, item portfolio, and late improvements. Real players accounted in this report incorporate Depomed, Inc., Purdue Pharma L.P., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., AstraZeneca plc, Merck and Co., Inc., Abbott Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Pfizer Inc., Endo International plc. , Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Novartis AG, Johnson and Johnson Services, Inc., and other conspicuous players.MarketResearchReports.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.State Tower 90 Sate Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-621-2074 USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948
Automated DNA Sequencers Market to See Incredible Growth During 2017 - 2025

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Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the coding and hereditary material of all organisms. A DNA sequence can be used for various applications such as finding evolution history, understanding different mechanisms in a living cell or body, and finding the mode of action of different infectious viruses. Before the introduction of automated DNA sequencers, DNA sequencing was a time-consuming and tedious process that involved high cost and skilled labor. Automated sequencers perform all steps from sample preparation, sample and reagent loading, and signal detection to finishing with the required DNA sequence. After the introduction of the first automated sequencer in 1987, there have been enormous developments in automated sequencer systems. The Human Genome Project fueled technological advancements in these systems, as they offered rapid and more accurate sequencing of a human genome in a shorter period of time.Read Report Overview:There has been a change in dynamics of emergence and epidemiology of various diseases. Evolving pathogens are posing difficulties for detection and management of different diseases. Similarly, demand for development of biological and personalized therapies has been increasing. These factors fuel the demand for DNA sequencing, which is likely to drive the DNA sequencers market from 2017 to 2025. Public and private companies across industries such as pharmaceutical & biotechnology, agriculture, and food & beverages have increased investments in research and development activities. This is projected to drive the automated DNA sequencers market during the forecast period. Moreover, the market is witnessing a great shift, wherein laboratory technologies are being introduced into clinics and hospitals. Illumina, a key market player has launched a mobile application for accessing its DNA sequencing services. Increasing awareness about and usage of DNA sequencing technologies is likely to fuel the market for automated DNA sequencers during the forecast period. However, high cost of automated DNA sequencer, lack of awareness about DNA sequencing technologies, and lack of infrastructure required for using these technologies are anticipated to restrain the market between 2017 and 2025.Download Brochure of Report:The global automated DNA sequencers market can be segmented based on sequencing method, end-user, and region. In terms of sequencing method, the market can be divided into Sanger sequencing method, next-generation sequencing method, and others. The others segment includes upcoming sequencing methods such as nano-pore sequencing and single-molecule real-time sequencing. Next-generation sequencers can analyze large fragments of DNA with high throughput and efficiency. This is estimated to drive the next-generation sequencing method segment from 2017 to 2025. Based on end-user, the market can be segmented into pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry, academic research institutes, and others. The others segment comprises hospitals & diagnostic laboratories, government agencies, and environment industries. High investments in R&D in the pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry to develop novel therapies for treating different chronic and infectious diseases are projected to drive the automated DNA sequencers market in the pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry segment.Geographically, the global automated DNA sequencers market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World. North America holds a major share of the global market, owing to high adoption of technology and high expenditure on R&D by public and private companies in the region. Europe is anticipated to account for a significant share of the global market during the forecast period, due to well-established pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry in the region. Pharmaceutical contract research and manufacturing organizations are expanding their base to emerging markets in Asia Pacific. Moreover, local governing bodies are investing in the development of academic research institutes. These factors are projected to propel the automated DNA sequencers market in Asia Pacific during the forecast period.Pre Book Automated DNA Sequencers Market Research Report:Major players operating in the global automated DNA sequencers market are Illumina, Inc., GE Healthcare, Siemens AG, Agilent Technologies, Life Technologies, Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd., and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Sleep Tech Devices & Diagnostic Tools Market to See Incredible Growth During 2017  2025

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Sleep tech devices & diagnostic tools are used to assist users or patients in understanding individual sleep patterns. The devices or tools measure the performance of the sleep during the day or treat sleep problems such as sleep disorders. There is an alarming rise in the incidence of insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep disorder cases, especially in Asia Pacific; and the prevalence of sleep apnea diseases is higher in Western countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France, and Russia. Sleep tech devices & diagnostic tools include monitoring devices, wearables, trackers, and other aids which help patients who are suffering from different types of sleep disorders. There has been a marked increase in the number of patients admitted to hospitals and sleep laboratories as inpatients and outpatients, suffering from sleep disorders. Further, there has been a shift toward the usage of home sleep test devices as sleep study tools have increased due to device portable structure, which easily measure the biological parameters responsible for sleep disorders.Read Report Overview:Major factors driving the growth of the global sleep tech devices & diagnostic tools market are continuous rise of wearable devices, increasing mergers and acquisitions among medical device companies, and new changes to regulatory requirements. In 2015 and early 2016, more than 150 major medical device companies were involved in acquisitions and mergers. Other factors that are anticipated to drive the global market growth include growing number of domestic and global players entering the market with new products, which has substantially resulted in decreased prices of wearable devices, along with increasing hospital consolidation. However, factors such as new and tough regulatory requirements for medical devices and strict consolidation approval process criteria are projected to restrain the market growth during the forecast period.The global sleep tech devices & diagnostic tools market is segmented on the basis of product type, end-user, and region. In terms of product type, the market is segmented into sleep monitoring devices, sleep wearables, sleep trackers, sleep gadgets, and digital application tools. In terms of end-user, the global market has been categorized into home care settings, hospitals, and sleep laboratories. The home care settings segment accounted for a significant share of the market in 2016 due to increasing number of diagnostic procedures for obstructive sleep apnea and introduction of cost-effective and portable devices for sleep apnea. Rise in geriatric population is projected to increase the incidence of sleep disorders, especially in emerging economies such as China, Brazil, and India. This is likely to propel the growth of the market in these countries.Download Brochure of Report:Geographically, the global market for sleep tech devices & diagnostic tools is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is projected to dominate the global market during the forecast period. According to an article published in 2017 from the American Sleep Apnea Association, it is estimated that 22 million people in the U.S. suffer from sleep apnea, and 80% of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea are undiagnosed. Furthermore, growing prevalence of obesity and rising geriatric population, especially in developed and other developing countries such as Australia, China, and India respectively, have led to increasing prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea. Stanford Medicine states that more than 100 different types of sleep disorder range from difficulty sleeping at night to excessive daytime sleepiness. As per the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and the National Institutes of Health, more than 40 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders. The incidence of anxiety disorder, chronic insomnia, and other sleep disorders is rising in Asia Pacific due to increase in physical, mental, and emotional functioning of the brain, which is also known as stress or anxiety. This, in turn, is anticipated to fuel the demand for wearable sleep tech devices or diagnostic tools. Hence, these factors are projected to drive the market growth in Asia Pacific during the forecast period.Key players operating in the global sleep tech devices & diagnostic tools market include Compumedics Limited, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Masimo Corporation, Autonomic Technologies (ATI), Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Bionano Genomics, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Infraredx, Inc., and Neovasc Inc.Pre Book Sleep Tech Devices & Diagnostic Tools Market Research Report:The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Surge in Utility to Boost 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Market

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"The Report Asia-Pacific 3D Printing & Additive Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"An intelligence report on the Asia Pacific 3D printing and additive manufacturing market has been added to the swiftly accumulating portfolio of MarketResearchReports.biz. Titled, Asia-Pacific 3D Printing & Additive Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022, the extensive report discusses the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years.3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing is a layer-by-layer procedure of creating 3D protests specifically from a computerized display. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing produce practical parts and examined benefits that have been acknowledged in the therapeutic, aviation and resistance segments, and aviation and barrier are for the most part talked about in this report. 3D printing has turned into the most troublesome advancement to affect worldwide store network and coordinations by influencing fabricating, stock expenses, and lead times.The business is settled in the modern segment inferable from upgraded item assembling and time required for an item to achieve the market. This innovation is broadly embraced in the modern vertical, which is relied upon to prompt the largest market revenue share 3D printers in mechanical applications. Added substance producing, which is the mechanical rendition of three-dimensional printing, is foreseen to achieve development over the estimate time frame.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Notwithstanding, desktop 3D printing is probably going to hold a promising future attributable to the developing fame of the innovation among specialists, pioneers, and the instruction segment for specialized preparing and household/individual employments. The innovation is required to be exceedingly touted for its monetary focal points instead of being seen as a work escalated mechanical assembling procedure. Nearby shops that introduce 3D printers and offer 3D printing materials, fibers, 3D displaying, and 3D printer programming have turned into an option plan of action, particularly in creating economies, for example, Brazil, South Africa, and India.Based on application, the market is sorted into aviation, defense, space, and others.The Asia Pacific district has fundamentally developed as a huge assembling center by virtue of the nearness of a gigantic purchaser base and surplus outside interests in the area, in this way depicting a wonderful development over the assessed term.Send An Enquiry Request @3D printing is a capital-escalated innovation and bears a couple of disservices, for example, misguided judgments among makers about prototyping. Besides, the market as of now needs standard process controls and talented workforce. These elements as of now hamper the market development; be that as it may, they are foreseen to be overcome after some time attributable to expanding government activities and developing mindfulness among people with respect to the advantages of 3D printers.This report focuses on the 3D Printing & Additive in Asia-Pacific market, especially in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, India and Australia. Some of the key vendors of the Asia Pacific 3D printing and additive manufacturing market are SLM Solutions, Arcam Group, EnvisionTEC, Stratasys and Renishaw.MarketResearchReports.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.State Tower 90 Sate Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-621-2074 USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948
Unfractionated Heparin Drug Market to See Incredible Growth During 2017 - 2025

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Unfractionated heparin drug is an anticoagulant drug. It is a high molecular weight heparin drug ranging from 3,000 Da to 30,000 Da. The unfractionated heparin drug is a heterogeneous mixture of linear polysaccharide chains with variable biological activity and molecular weight, and a pentasaccharide that has minimal active fragment. Unfractionated heparin is the most primitive form of heparin and has major applications in kidney dialysis and heart, and lung oxygenation that includes the treatment and prevention of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, post-operative thrombosis, certain types of coronary artery syndrome, particularly unstable angina, in thrombotic stroke, and hemodialysis.Read Report Overview:Unfractionated heparin binds reversibly with anti-thrombin III (ATIII). This enhances the rate at which ATIII inactivates coagulation enzymes such as thrombin factor Xa and factor IIa. Unfractionated heparin is primarily utilized in hospitals for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis. In 2008, numerous consignments of heparin imported to the U.S. from China were contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. This led to the establishment of stringent production and purification guidelines worldwide. According to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, unfractionated heparin is a better option as compared to low molecular weight heparin as the former is used intravenously for the treatment of anticoagulation. The adjustment of infusion rate and monitoring is required for the immediate onset of the intravenous unfractionated heparin.Unfractionated heparin is eliminated through the liver. It gets eliminated faster due to its high molecular weight, and it is highly preferred in dialysis. This is a driving factor for the growth of the global unfractionated heparin drug market. Several studies have confirmed that unfractionated heparin has more specificity than low molecular weight heparin, and its effect can be reversed by using protamine sulfate. This advantage over low molecular weight heparin has led unfractionated heparin to sustain in the market. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a high risk for the development of venous thromboembolism which is caused due to prolonged traveling in passengers via automobile, bus, train, or airplane, for more than four hours. This is one of the driving factors of the market growth. However, increasing use of anticoagulants in dialysis as an alternative has decreased the usage of unfractionated heparin, which is likely to restraint the growth of the market for unfractionated heparin drug during the forecast period.Download Brochure of Report:The global unfractionated heparin drug market has been categorized based on type of packaging, dosing type of body weight, type of strength, end-user, and region. In terms of type of packaging, the market is divided into ampoules, multi-dose vials, single-dose vials, and prefilled/preloaded syringes. On the basis of dosing type of body weight, the market is segmented into morbidly obese patients, obese patients, and non-obese patients. In terms of type of strength, the market is segmented into 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, and above 20,000 billion units. In terms of end-user, the market is categorized into hospitals, nursing homes and private clinics, assisted living facilities (ALFs) & long term care institutions, and home health care.Geographically, the global unfractionated heparin drug market is distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is anticipated to hold a large share of the global market during the forecast period owing to technological developments. The market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow during the forecast period owing to increasing government initiatives and growing awareness.Pre Book Unfractionated Heparin Drug Market Research Report:Key players operating in the global unfractionated heparin drug market include Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd., Fresenius Kabi AG, LEO Pharma A/S, Pfizer, Inc., and Sanofi S.A.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Lemonade Market Global Industry Analysis and Forecast Till 2025

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Lemonade are sweetened beverages with the flavor of lemon or concentrated lemon juices. Such beverages are produced in different flavors like raspberry, ginger, and strawberry, among others. Manufacturer over the years are focused upon developing innovative products, in terms of a new ingredients or new technology.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Lemonade is considered to have several health benefits such as rich in Vitamin C. Demand for lemonade has increased considerably due to the rise in awareness regarding health and wellness among consumers. Natural lemonade can deliver nutritional benefits without compromising on taste. Government bodies around the world are also taking strong measures targeting the carbonated drinks segment. Inclination towards proper health and welfare are resulting to the rise in demand of the lemonade in recent years. More than 85% of high schools in the U.S. have vending machines supplying carbonated drinks to students leading to growing concern regarding the easy availability of these drinks in schools and colleges.Companies in the soft drinks market are facing huge competition due to a decline in the sale of carbonated drinks. In order to have a competitive edge in the market and to have strong presence, most of these companies are introducing new branding strategies, innovative marketing, and advertising. Investment in lemonade manufacturing by new and old players is predicted to increase volume sales considerably in coming years.The lemonade market is facing challenges from freshly made lemon juices and drinks. Additionally, rising price factor due to high processing cost and time required for manufacturing is also restraining the global lemonade market. Companies are looking for packaging innovations to provide consumers the convenience of on-the-go usage. Demand for organic and frozen lemonade is rapidly rising among the consumers. Investment in lemonade is expected to provide high returns for beverage manufacturing companies. These are huge opportunities in terms of innovation, which are expected to drive the lemonade market.Browse Market Research Report @The global lemonade market has been segmented based on product type, variety, packaging, size, technology, and region. In terms of product type, the global lemonade market has been classified into alcoholic, non-alcoholic, and powder mix. In terms of variety, the market has been categorized into cloudy lemonade, pink lemonade, clear lemonade, and others. Based on packaging material, the lemonade market has been classified into glass bottle, pet bottle, retort packaging, and can. In terms of size, the market is categorized into small, medium, and large. Based on technology, the lemonade market has been bifurcated into carbonated and non-carbonated. In terms of distribution channel, the market has been segmented into online distribution channel and offline distribution channel. Offline distribution channel has been further segmented into supermarkets and hypermarkets, departmental stores, convenience stores and others.In term of region the global lemonade market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America. North America captured the largest market share due to the rising consciousness towards health among the consumers. Majority of people are moving away from sodas and other fizzy drinks due to the bad side effects associated with such drinks. In Europe and North America, market players are developing new products to cater to the demands of consumers. Competition is expected to intensify in North America during the coming years due to new innovations done by beverage manufacturers.Key players operating in the global lemonade market are Britvic, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Dr Pepper Snapple, Parle agro, Nestle, Mikes Hard Lemonade, Arizona Beverages, The Kraft Heinz Company, Hydro One Beverages, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bud light lime, Bacardi Silver Lemonade, Huberts Lemonade and Heineken.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Organic Wine Market size and forecast, 2017-2025

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Organic wine is a type of wine that is produced without the use of artificial chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides. Organic grapes are cultivated in vineyards on the principles of organic farming. The aging process is employed to lend the wine, obtained from the grapes, a fine taste. It is the most preferred alcoholic beverage among the consumers. Organic wine can be used as a medicine due to presence of resveratrol that prevents aging and helps to fight with the diseases. Additionally, it helps for better metabolism, body warmth, and enhances better immunity.Download exclusive Sample of this report:In most parts of the world, sulfite is employed in some amounts for stabilizing and improving the shelf-life of wine. Organic wine can be classified into three categories such as 100% organic wine, organic wines (95% of its ingredients from certified organic sources, which may have an additional 100 ppm of sulfur dioxide added to them) and wines made from organic grapes (70% of its grapes are from organic sources). Based on the product type, the organic wine market can be segregated into red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wine, dessert wine and fortified wine. In terms of distribution channel, the organic wine market can be segregated into online distribution and offline distribution. Organic wines are purchased primarily in hypermarkets and supermarkets. Such products of organic wine are certified by different certification bodies all over the globe to be organic such as USDA, EU organic Certification, and California Certified organic farmers certification.The global organic wine industry is witnessing significant expansion for the last ten years. Rising number of organic vineyards is a key driver of the market. Increasing demand for organic wine has also led to an increase in the production of organic grapes across the globe. Wine has been always a preferred choice for celebration or parties. Currently, awareness about the presence of hazardous chemicals in food and beverages and health consciousness is rising among consumers. Thus the organic sector is witnessing an increase in investments from private investors as well as the government in the last few years.Browse Market Research Report @Some of the restraints of the market are high price of organic products and the low shelf-life when compared to conventional wine. Retailer indifference has played a key role in the poor acceptance of organic wines. These wines are often found in organic sections set off from the rest of the wine. Furthermore, differing standards and regulations regarding organic wine is likely to hinder the expansion of the global organic wine market.Europe accounts for around 70% of global organic wine production. Italy, France, Sweden, U.K. and Spain are the leading manufacturers of organic wine. Organic wines made in Italy have better quality as compared to the wines produced in other countries. In North America, the U.S. as well as Canada witnessed a significant rise in the consumption of organic wines. Additionally, revenue generated by the export of organic wines from Italy is anticipated to rise remarkably due to rise in exports to countries such as U.S. and other European countries during the forecast period. In Asia Pacific, Japan, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, China, and India have shown good progress in organic wine consumption. Developing nations in the region are likely to present better growth potential in organic wine sector.There are more than 2,000 organic wine producers globally. The major global players include Kendall-Jackson Winery, The Wine Group, E&J Gallo Pernod-Ricard, Bronco Wine, King Estate Winery, Chateau Maris Winery, Castel, Treasury Wine E states, Hall wines, Lapostolle winery, Diageo, DE Loach Vineyards, Grgich Hills Estate, China Great Wall Wine, Emiliana Organic Vineyards, Armit wines ltd, The Organic Wine Company, and Distell Group.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Walnut Market size and forecast, 2017-2025

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Market Introduction:Walnuts are the edible seeds from the tree genus Juglans and are round in shape. The seeds contains significant amount of proteins, minerals and essential fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants etc. and are exclusively used in food industry. Walnuts has found a huge application in food industry, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics and personal care, paints and chemicals etc. Walnuts are exclusively used as ingredients in sauces and condiments. Walnut oil has found application in various culinary preparations such as salads, chicken dishes, sea foods etc. Walnuts are assumed to reduce cancer and cardiac risks. Walnuts are also exclusively used in preparations of chocolates and bars. The endocarp of walnut is used in paints and tannins industry and has various other applications. China accounts for relatively high production of walnuts which is approximately half of the total worlds production and is expected to remain dominant in terms of production over the forecast period. On the basis of consumption, China walnut market is expected to exhibit relatively high value share. Europe walnut market is expected to hold second position in terms of value by the end of year 2017.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Global walnut market is expected to increase with significant value CAGR over the forecast period, owing to increasing application of walnuts in various industries among which, food industry holds the majority of share.Walnut Market: SegmentationWalnut market is segmented on the basis of nature, form, product type, applications, sales channel and region.On the basis of nature, walnut market is segmented into organic and conventional. Organic segment of Walnut market is expected to witness relatively high growth over the forecast period, as it is assumed that organic products are more healthful as compared to conventional food products.Walnut market is segmented on the basis of form into in-shell walnuts and walnut kernels. Walnut kernels are inner edible seed of walnut fruit which is processed by removing the endocarp or shell.Browse Market Research Report @Walnut market is further segmented on the basis of product type into black walnut and English or Persian walnut. This differentiation is based on the appearance of walnuts.On the basis of application, walnut market is segmented into food industry, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics and personal care, paints and tannin industry and others. Food industry is sub-segmented into raw and processed sub-segments. The processed sub-segment is further divided into categories such as oil, butter, sauces & condiments, bakery & confectionery, and others.Walnut market is further segmented on the basis of sales channel into direct sales and retail sales. Retail sales is further sub-segmented into modern trade, convenience stores, specialty outlets, modern grocery stores, online retailing and other retailing formats. Modern trade segment is expected to exhibit relatively high value CAGR over the forecast period.Walnut market: Drivers, Restraints, and TrendsIncreasing health consciousness among individuals across the globe is expected to drive the growth of walnut market across the globe. Walnuts possess multiple nutrients, minerals, proteins as well as essential fatty acids, owing to which it is preferred by individuals. In many developed regions such as China, Europe, the U.S., walnut market is booming, owing to couple of reasons such as increasing awareness about healthy foods among individuals and increasing per capita disposable income. Millennial demographic of the world is increasingly inclined towards natural source of proteins and snacks which are clean label, which is a factor driving growth of walnut market. Changing lifestyles, health benefits regarding walnut consumption, increasing social awareness, is also expected to drive demand for Walnut. Because of all these factors, people are preferring to consume walnut, which is driving growth of the walnut market and this is expected to continue over the forecast period.On the other side, climatic conditions could possibly affect the yield of walnuts, hence could be considered as a restraint, impeding the markets trajectory over the forecast period and affecting the growth of walnut market.Walnut Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of region, walnut market is segmented into five different regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA. Among these regions, Asia-Pacific walnut market is expected to dominate with relatively high value share. China holds relatively high value of walnut market among the Asia-Pacific as well as global market. Europe and the U.S. is also expected to have the significant value share of walnut market, as both of these regions accounts for significant consumption of walnut. The Latin America Walnut market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period. The MEA walnut market is also expected to increase with significant value CAGR over the forecast period. Iran accounts for approximately 13% of worlds walnut production.Walnut Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in Walnut market are California Walnut Company, Inc., Sacramento Valley Walnut Growers LLC., Crain Walnut Shelling, Inc., Royal Saffron Company, Kashmir Walnut Group, Webster Ltd, Diamond Foods, Borges India Private Limited and others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Vertical Water Market Global Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecast, 2017-2025

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Market Introduction:Owing to changing lifestyles and increasing consciousness among consumers regarding what they consume, manufacturers have started to innovate the water products such as flavored water, functional water, water with added minerals, spring water, sparkling water, vertical water etc. Individuals are also increasingly preferring these innovative products. Vertical water is extracted directly from the sap of trees such as maple tree, birch tree, bamboo tree etc. These waters are natural sap which is extracted directly from the trees during spring season, and are considered healthy as it contains phytonutrients, electrolytes and multiple minerals. These waters were exclusively used as a base in fermenting beer in western countries in ancient times. Owing to its health benefits, the demand for vertical water is increasing especially in North America and Europe market. Maple water, a type of vertical water is also used in preparation of maple syrup which is exclusively used in food industry.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Increasing health consciousness among individuals and benefits of vertical water is expected to drive the sales of vertical water market over the forecast period. The vertical water market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period, owing to increasing awareness among consumers across the globe.Vertical Water Market: SegmentationVertical water market is segmented on the basis of nature, product type, sales channel and region.On the basis of nature, vertical water market is segmented into organic and conventional. Organic segment of vertical water market is expected to witness relatively high growth over the forecast period, as it is assumed that organic products are more healthful as compared to conventional food products.Vertical Water market is further segmented on the basis of product type into birch water, maple water, bamboo water, and others. Bamboo water is the most niche segment of vertical waters and is expected to increase with significant value CAGR over the forecast period.Browse Market Research Report @Vertical Water market is further segmented on the basis of sales channel into modern trade, convenience stores, specialty outlets, modern grocery stores, online retailing and other retailing formats. Modern trade segment is expected to exhibit relatively high value CAGR over the forecast period.Vertical Water market: Drivers, Restraints, and TrendsIn the recent years, increasing number of millennial are getting health conscious across the globe and is expected to increase over the forecast period, leading to growth of vertical water market over the forecast period. In many developed regions such as Europe, Canada, the U.S., vertical water market is booming, owing to couple of reasons such as high disposable income, and high cultivation of birch and maple trees in the region. Millennial demographic of the world is increasingly inclined towards healthy food and beverages, which is a factor driving growth of vertical water market. Changing lifestyles, influence of social media and internet, increasing social awareness, is also expected to drive sales of vertical water market. Because of health benefits associated with vertical water, people are preferring to consume vertical water, which is driving growth of the vertical water market and this is expected to continue over the forecast period.On the other side, cross contamination of raw unprocessed water and poor packaging could impede the markets trajectory over the forecast period and affect the sales of vertical water market. In addition, relatively high prices of vertical water also limits the scope for the sales and could possibly hamper the growth of vertical water market to an extent.Shifting focus of individuals towards healthy food and beverages consumption is trending. Also, increasing number of individuals in North America and Europe are preferring to buy organic food products irrespective of high prices.Vertical Water Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of region, vertical water market is segmented into five different regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA. Among these regions, Europe and the U.S. is expected to have the major value share of vertical water market globally, as both of these regions accounts for relatively high consumption of vertical water. The Latin America vertical water market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period, but is anticipated to account for a lower growth rate than the APAC region, owing to a greater number of emerging economies in APAC. In Asia Pacific region the countries like China, Japan, India and Australia are generating the major revenue. The APAC vertical water market is estimated to account for relatively high value CAGR over the forecast period, owing to a larger consumer base, combined with a higher number of retail outlets than any other region.Vertical Water Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in Vertical Water market are Sibberi, Nordic Koivu Oy, Bamboo Beverages Limited, DRINKmaple, Happy Tree Maple Water, Oviva Maple Water Company, Feronia Forests, LLC (Vertical Water), SEVA Maple Water Inc., Nature On Tap Ltd (Tapped Birch Water), Sapp, Inc., Oy Arctic Birch Ab, Sealand Birk, 52 north and others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Reversing the brain drain

Students seeking international degrees now no longer have to travel abroad as the numbers of domestic educational institutions running their programmes with the global universities is increasing every year.
Taiwan cards and payments industry Market 2017: Key Players  Cathay United Bank, First Commercial Bank, Taiwan Cooperative Bank, Hua Nan Bank, and More

Taiwan cards and payments industry Market

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Payments Landscape in Taiwan"Payments Landscape in Taiwan: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Taiwanese cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, payment cards, cash, direct debits, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017e-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Taiwanese cards and payments industry, including - Current and forecast values for each market in the Taiwanese cards and payments industry, including debit and credit cards.- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, cash, cheques, direct debit, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.- E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Taiwanese cards and payments industry.- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit and credit cards.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedCathay United BankFirst Commercial BankTaiwan Cooperative BankHua Nan BankChang Hwa BankCTBC BankE.Sun BankTaishin BankCitibankSmartPayVisaScope- To promote innovation and development in the country's fintech space, Taiwan Financial Supervisory Commission established a fintech office and a dedicated fintech development fund of TWD1bn ($30.8m) in 2015. During the same year, the government also legalized third-party payment platforms by amending the Act Governing Electronic Payment Institutions, allowing non-banking companies to offer third-party electronic payment services. These initiatives are expected to support growth in electronic payments.- Rising smartphone use for payments and banks increased focus on cashless payments have led to a proliferation of mobile payments based on NFC. Samsung Pay was launched in May 2017 in collaboration with seven Taiwanese banks, while Android Pay was launched in June 2017 in collaboration with Chinatrust Commercial Bank (CTBC Bank) and First Commercial Bank.- PayPal suspended its domestic money transfer service in Taiwan in September 2015 in response to new government regulation. According to the regulation passed by the Financial Supervisory Commission in May 2015, any company not registered in Taiwan is barred from processing domestic payments under the Electronics Payment Processing Institutions Act. Users with Taiwanese PayPal accounts are unable to either send or receive funds domestically, but are able to send and receive payments internationally.Key points to buy- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Taiwanese cards and payments industry and each market within it.- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Taiwanese cards and payments industry.- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Taiwanese cards and payments industry.- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Taiwan.- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Taiwanese cards and payments industry...CONTINUEDWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Etech Opens State-of-the-Art Contact Center in Montego Bay, Jamaica

www.mbfz-jamaica.com

www.etechgs.com

Etech Global Services, a leading business provider of customer engagement solutions, recently announced the opening of a dynamic new contact center located in the beautiful Montego Bay, Jamaica.Etechs latest center is located in the heart of Montego Bays prime business region locally known as the Montego Bay Free Zone (MBFZ). The center has the same capabilities and amenities as one would find at any of Etechs eight global contact centers. This new facility is equipped with over 200 operational seats supporting everything from Live Chat, to traditional inbound/outbound services, to Etechs quality analytics division known as Etech Insights.Our investment in this new facility reinforces our commitment to grow and diversify the channels through which we serve our customers. Etechs growth is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the team members who strive each day to truly make a remarkable difference with each other, with our customers and in our communities. The Etech Jamaica team is just another example of what can be accomplished when everybody is pulling together towards common goals. said Etechs President and General Manager, Matt Rocco.The new center will serve as the new nearshore location for Etech. Having this new center truly has opened more doors for Etech to grow and bring more jobs to the local Montego Bay area. We couldnt be more enthusiastic about this opportunity and are already in the works of growing Etechs Quality Analytics and Business Insights division, Etech Insights, in the Montego Bay area and are so excited to see how having this state of the art nearshore resource impacts Etechs overall growth, said Etechs Jim Iyoob, Chief Customer Officer.The Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), expanded its Free Zone development to Montego Bay where it established the Montego Bay Free Zone (MBFZ) in the Montego Freeport area. In keeping with the service-oriented environment that characterized that section of Jamaica, a deliberate effort was made to encourage and attract investment from the Information Technology sector (IT) sector, in addition to apparel and other light manufacturing. The Montego Bay Free Zone, established in 1985 in the second major offshore industrial estate in the country, is situated on the peninsular south west of Montego Bay, on Jamaicas world-renowned North Coast. Overlooking the tranquil and pristine waters of the Bogue Lagoon, the MBFZ currently has over 600,000 sq. ft. of space divided between services and manufacturing. The MBFZ provides employment for over 7,000 people, 95% of whom are employed in the ICT sector. For more information about the free zone please visitEtech Global Services, established in 2003, employs over 2,800 people through its five (5) centers in USA, two centers (2) in India and its latest center in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The Etech Jamaica center has the capacity to employ over 400 people. For more information about Etech Global Services please visitAbout Etech Global ServicesEtech Global Services is a leading provider of customer engagement solutions for many of the worlds most trusted brands. They trust Etech with their most precious assets  their customers. Why? Because Etechs commitment to continuous improvement, next-generation technology, and empowering people results in a solution that drives customer experience and reduces effort. Voice, quality monitoring, chat, social media, and email, Etech is here to communicate with your customers when and how they choose.Etech believes in making a remarkable difference for you and your customers. Etechs industry-leading technology services, like Etech Insights division, provide you with analytics and insights into your customer interactions. Etechs services enable you to enhance customer experience, increase sales results, meet all corporate governance requirements, and obtain a competitive edge over your competition allowing you to increase market share.Jim IyoobEtech Global Services1903 Berry Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75964press@etechgs.com
Payments Landscape in Netherlands Market 2017: Key Players  ING Bank, Rabobank, ABN Amro, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and More

Payments Landscape in Netherlands Market

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2595719-payments-landscape-in-the-netherlands-opportunities-and-risks-to-2021

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Payments Landscape in the Netherlands"Payments Landscape in the Netherlands: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Dutch cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, cash, direct debit, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.The report brings together GlobalDatas research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.The report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Dutch cards and payments industry, including - Current and forecast values for each market in the Dutch cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, cheques, cash, direct debit, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.- E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Dutch cards and payments industry.- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedING BankRabobankABN AmroDe VolksbankVisaMastercardAmerican ExpressScope- To foster the use of electronic payments and realize the need for instant payments in the Netherlands, the Dutch Payment Association is now working towards building infrastructure for real-time instant payments. The development of the system began in 2015 and is now in the developmental phase, and is scheduled to go live by May 2019. All major Dutch banks have decided to contribute towards its development. Once implemented, the new instant payment system will enable individuals to transfer funds within five seconds with no amount limit.- To benefit from a growing preference for alternative payments, banks and payment service providers are launching new solutions. In August 2017, de Volksbank introduced its mobile wallet allowing users to make NFC-based mobile payments at POS terminals. The wallet, which is managed by G+D Mobile Security, supports both Visa and Mastercard debit cards issued by the bank. Previously, ABN Amro had launched its digital ABN wallet in November 2016. This was followed by the launch of Seqr by Swedish mobile payment (m-payment) solution provider Seamless in March, and the ING mobile wallet by ING Bank.- Migration towards contactless is expected to be the next trend in the Netherlands. According to the Dutch Payments Association, the number of contactless payments in 2016 increased by almost five times to 630 million payments, compared to 135 million in 2015. In December 2016, 24% of all debit card payments were contactless. In addition, the acceptance of contactless cards is well-developed with two thirds of all payment terminals in the Netherlands enabled for contactless payment, compared with one third in 2015. All terminals are required to be equipped for contactless payments by 2020. To capitalize on the increasing acceptance of contactless technology, Rabobank in collaboration with mobile network operator KPN announced an NFC-enabled m-payment option in January 2016.Key points to buy- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Dutch cards and payments industry and each market within it.- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Dutch cards and payments industry.- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Dutch cards and payments industry.- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in the Netherlands.- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Dutch cards and payments industry...CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Sensory Fusion Global Market 2017: Key Players Kit Kat, Seedlip, Snow Crab, Magnum

Sensory Fusion

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1306895-trendsights-analysis-sensory-fusion-capitalizing-on-consumer-demand-for-sensory-appeal

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1306895-trendsights-analysis-sensory-fusion-capitalizing-on-consumer-demand-for-sensory-appeal

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Pune, India, 28th December 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled TrendSights Analysis: Sensory Fusion - Capitalizing on consumer demand for sensory appeal.Summary"TrendSights Analysis: Sensory Fusion", covers the Sensory Fusion trend within TrendSights framework. The analysis covers what the trend is, why it is important, who is most influenced by it, and how brands and manufacturers can capitalize. The research concludes by identifying where the trend is heading next and how long it will last.We are happy to offer a flat 20% discount on this report. Offer ends 30 Dec. 2017.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedBenson & HedgesPet RemedyLaundrin BotanicalKailijumeiHint. The Right CupSeedlipCLR CFFCaptain Morgan LocoNutSnow CrabSnaskMagnumKit KatChocXOConsumers are unconsciously controlled by the thousands of sensory stimuli they experience on a daily basis as they see, hear, smell, taste, and touch brands. Formulators and brands are increasingly capitalizing on this, improving their sensory marketing to engage with customers. Despite this, the trend is still in the era of sight and sound marketing for many brands, with huge untapped opportunities in appealing to all of the senses as much as possible to create one unified customer experience. Generating a multisensory brand experience not only increases perceived value, but also makes a product more memorable.Scope- Include ingredients in product formulations that appeal to different senses.- Improve the texture of products to enhance the consumption experience.- Embed technology to enhance sensory stimulation.- Meet demand for more customized flavors, especially in the non-alcoholic drinks category.- Use experiential marketing to generate a multisensory brand experience.Reasons to buy- Identify how the Sensory Fusion trend impacts upon various FMCG categories.- Gain insight into the key consumer segments that are most likely to be drivers of innovation.- Put innovative products into context by connecting them to specific consumer trends and needs.Table of Content: Key PointsTrend SnapshotWhat is Sensory Fusion?Why is Sensory Fusion important?Who is driving Sensory Fusion?How can Sensory Fusion be capitalized on?What next in Sensory Fusion?AppendixContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Payments Landscape in Sweden Market 2017: Key Players  Swedbank, SEB, Nordea, ICA Banken, Visa and More

Payments Landscape in Sweden Market

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2595725-payments-landscape-in-sweden-opportunities-and-risks-to-2021

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Payments Landscape in Sweden"Payments Landscape in Sweden: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Swedish cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, cash, direct debit, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.The report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Swedish cards and payments industry, including - Current and forecast values for each market in the Swedish cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, cheques, cash, direct debit, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.- E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Swedish cards and payments industry.- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedSwedbankSEBNordeaHandelsbankenICA BankenIkano BankVisaMastercardAmerican Expressand Diners ClubScope- Alternative payments are gaining traction in Sweden, with wide acceptance of domestic and international payment solutions such as Swish, Samsung Pay, Masterpass, and Alipay. In October 2017 Apple Pay was launched in Sweden, allowing customers to add their debit and credit cards to the wallet and make payments using their smart device. Currently the solution is supported by Nordea, ST1 bank, and Ticket Rikskuponger-Edenred. Merchants accepting Apple Pay in Sweden include Starbucks, 7 Eleven, Elgiganten, and digital inn. Further, in September 2017 Alipay signed an agreement with Svensk Handel - the Swedish Trade Federation - to allow Chinese tourists to make payments at merchants across Sweden using Alipay. The popular domestic payment solution, Swish, introduced QR code-based payments in May 2017. Using the Swish app, users can also make in-store payments at partnered merchant stores by scanning QR codes.- To enable faster fund transfers, the European Payments Council launched a pan-European instant credit transfer scheme in selected Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) markets in November 2017. SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) will enable individuals to transfer a maximum of 15,000 ($15,783.80) within 10 seconds. Funds can be transferred instantly 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Sweden is anticipated to introduce SCT Inst in 2018.- Competition in Swedens payment cards market is expected to rise, with non-banking companies starting to offer basic banking and financial services. Alternative payment solution provider Klarna received its full banking license in June 2017 from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. Klarna plans to offer various banking services including accounts and bank cards.Key points to buy- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Swedish cards and payments industry and each market within it.- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Swedish cards and payments industry.- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Swedish cards and payments industry.- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Sweden.- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Swedish cards and payments industry...CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Bluetooth Beacons Market Trends and Opportunities and Market structure

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/bluetooth-beacons-market.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13376

www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Bluetooth Beacons Market: OverviewBluetooth beacons are becoming increasingly popular across industries as they are a cost effective and simple deploy model. As these beacons are supported by almost all operating systems, their demand is expected to increase. Bluetooth beacons are deployed by businesses to send content and information, which are contextually relevant, to users at specific locations. They open up the probability of connecting the online virtual world with the offline, physical world by providing context aware information to mobile users. Bluetooth beacons devices broadcast signals and messages to smart devices under range, in the form of notifications. They basically consist of a chip and various electronic components on a small circuit board. As these devices offer a more personalized and enhanced user experience, the market for Bluetooth beacons is projected to grow at a healthy pace.Obtain Report Details @This report is a comprehensive evaluation of the global Bluetooth beacons market, providing key insights into the step by step evolution of the market. Analyzing the past and present market state, the future of the industry is predicted by seasoned analysts. The study contains information regarding every facet of the Bluetooth beacons market, including current trends in the market and future growth opportunities. The factors driving the market and those that are challenging the growth of the market are also given in the report. The market has been evaluated from both the regional as well as global level. Technology developments, applications, classifications, and competitive landscape are also included in the report.Bluetooth Beacons Market: Trends and OpportunitiesA surge in organized retailing such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, specialty stores, department stores, cash and carry stores, and discounters is escalating the growth of Bluetooth beacons market. This is because Bluetooth beacons are used in retail industries for providing customers with deals, flash sales, product information or to simply speed up the checkout process by contactless payment systems. Product distribution and multichannel marketing have become key trends in the retail sector and this is driving the growth of the Bluetooth beacons market, as manufacturers are compelled to develop software for beacons. Bluetooth beacons are also in high demand from airports and ground transit hubs as they enable the delivery of instant notifications regarding flight delays, departures, and gate and platform information to passengers.Some of the factors restricting the growth of the market include growing concerns regarding privacy and security and a lack of scalability. Interoperability issue is another challenge faced by the industry. However, the growing use of Bluetooth beacons in the healthcare sector is expected to emerge as an opportunity in the market. The improved security and enhanced range is also projected to create a positive outlook for the global Bluetooth beacons market.Bluetooth Beacons Market: Geographical AnalysisOn account of developed economies and nonstop adoption of new technology in the retail sector, the North American Bluetooth beacons market is leading and anticipated to continue to do so in the coming years. Among other regions, Asia Pacific is emerging as a lucrative market for Bluetooth beacons. The Middle East and Africa and Latin America are also anticipated to hold significant growth opportunities in the coming years.Request a PDF Sample for this Research Report @Companies Mentioned in the ReportSome of the leading players operating in the bluetooth beacons market are BlueCats, Kontakt.io, Estimote, Inc., Qualcomm Inc., Blesh, Radius Networks, Inc., Beaconinside GmbH, Bluvision, Inc., Polestar, Onyx Beacon Ltd., and Quuppa Oy. The market is extremely competitive and characterized by the presence of both hardware and software providers.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Payments Landscape in Italy Market 2017: Key Players  Deutsche Bank, BancoPosta, Poste Italiane, Intesa Sanpaolo, PayPal and More

Payments Landscape in Italy Market

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2575114-payments-landscape-in-italy-opportunities-and-risks-to-2021

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Payments Landscape in Italy"Payments Landscape in Italy: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Italian cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, direct debit, cash, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Italian cards and payments industry, including -- Current and forecast values for each market in the Italian cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, direct debit, cheques, cash, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.- E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Italian cards and payments industry.- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedDeutsche BankBancoPostaPoste ItalianeBanca Nazionale del LavoroIntesa SanpaoloUniCredit BankBanco BPMBNP ParibasCartaSiAgosPostepayPayPalBanca dItaliaBancomatScope- The emergence of digital banks is likely to accelerate a shift towards electronic payments in Italy. The German-based mobile-only bank N26 launched its services in Italy in December 2015, allowing consumers to conduct banking transactions entirely on their mobile phones. Similarly, in 2013 Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) launched Hello Bank!, a digital-only bank that offers customers standard banking features. In January 2017, UniCredit Bank announced plans to launch the mobile-only buddybank, which will offer current accounts, credit and debit cards, personal loans, and 24/7 personal assistance. According to the bank, buddybank will be available on the Apple App Store from January 29, 2018.- To capitalize on the rising preference for alternative payments, international payment service providers are strengthening their presence in Italy. In May 2017, Apple launched its payment solution Apple Pay, enabling Apple users to make payments in-store, in-app, and online. In March 2015, Sweden-based company Seamless entered the Italian payments market with the launch of its Seqr mobile payment app. Similarly, in August 2015 US carrier billing service provider Boku acquired mobileview Italia, another carrier billing service provider. This acquisition provides Boku with access to 87 million mobile subscriptions. PayPal partnered with Vodafone in February 2016, enabling its customers to make contactless payments by linking their accounts to the Vodafone Wallet.- To promote electronic payments, the No Cash Day Project was launched in 2011. The project, sponsored by the government, was launched to raise awareness and promote the benefits of electronic payments through conferences, interviews, surveys, and contests. A national project aimed at reducing cash payments was launched in 2015, in association with Maestro, Mastercard, Visa, UBI Banca, Bancomat Consortium, and Banco Popolare. As part of this, Bergamo was made a cashless city. Residents were offered discount coupons and vouchers on a daily and monthly basis for adopting electronic payment platforms. According to CartaSi, the city of Bergamo far exceeded the goal of the cashless city project by registering 611,623 cashless transactions in May 2015 against the set goal of 565,000 transactions.Key points to buy- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Italian cards and payments industry and each market within it.- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Italian cards and payments industry.- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Italian cards and payments industry.- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Italy.- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Italian cards and payments industry...CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Payments Landscape in Mexico Market 2017: Key Players  HSBC, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Banorte and More

Payments Landscape in Mexico Market

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2431245-payments-landscape-in-mexico-opportunities-and-risks-to-2021

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Payments Landscape in Mexico"Payments Landscape in Mexico: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Mexican cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, direct debit, cash, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Mexican cards and payments industry, including -- Current and forecast values for each market in the Mexican cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, direct debit, cheques, cash, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.- E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Mexican cards and payments industry.- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedBBVA BancomerBanco SantanderBanCoppelCitibanamexBanorteNacional FinancieraHSBCVisaMastercardAmerican ExpressCash remains the preferred form of consumer payments, especially among the rural population, primarily due to limited knowledge of payment cards or limited access to banking infrastructure. Cash is primarily used for making small-value payments at retailers, and for the payment of utility bills, taxes, and transport fares. A significant proportion of the population is engaged in informal activities, including farmers, street vendors, domestic servants, and self-employed workers. The payment card market is growing strongly but not explosively, and current trends make it unlikely that there will be a major shift in the near future. Various charges on cards and bank accounts also reduce the appeal of payment cards for most Mexican consumers. Contactless cards and mobile proximity payments are not widely used in Mexico, although the major banks have made some attempts to boost adoption of these technologies.Key findings:To further enhance financial inclusion, Mexico joined the UNs Better Than Cash Alliance in June 2016. The move comes after the government introduced a national policy on financial inclusion to promote the use of electronic payments across the country and reduce the dependence on cash. With 86% of the 124.6 million population owning mobile phones, Better Than Cash Alliance aims to harness the popularity of mobile phones for digital payments.The uptake of alternative payments is gradually increasing in Mexico, with banks launching new solutions in the market. In partnership with Mastercard, Banamex launched its digital wallet, Banamex Wallet, in February 2016. The Android-compatible mobile app can be used to make contactless m-payments, which are authorized by a four-digit PIN. Users can add all Mastercard-branded credit cards to the wallet. Earlier in June 2014, BBVA Bancomer launched its mobile wallet BBVA Wallet in Mexico. The wallet allows secure NFC payments at merchant locations that accept contactless payments. Available on phones with Android 4.4 and above, other phones can use the wallet through NFC stickers.To combat fraudulent payment activities in Mexico, banks and scheme providers are taking a number of measures, with one example being Mastercards introduction of the Identity Check Mobile solution in November 2016. The solution allows card holders to verify online payment by scanning their fingerprint or taking a selfie. Unlike existing identity verification methods - which take shoppers away from a merchants website or mobile app and often require them to remember and enter a password - Mastercard Identity Check Mobile verifies the user via technologies such as biometrics and one-time passwords. Earlier in January 2015, Oberthur Technologies (OT) partnered with Mexican payment processing services provider Promocion y Operacin SA (PROSA) to launch OT Motion Code technology. With Motion Code the cards CVV code is replaced with a mini-screen on which the CVV code changes automatically at regular intervals, making it impossible for fraudsters to misuse.For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
MOFLON TECHNOLOGY Supplies Electrical Rotary Unions and Swivel Joints

Moflon

http://www.MOFLON

Laying base in China, MOFLON TECHNOLOGY is revolutionizing the slip ring industry through their high-quality, affordable and reliable slip ring solutions. Established over three decades ago, the company has grown into a worldwide manufacturer of slip rings catering to both commercial and industrial applications with an exceptional performance in the aerospace and military scene for over 25 years. To serve their clients better, the company has the best Quality Control and Research Development teams that have made it their goal to ensure that every item they produce is relevant, attains industry standards and is suited to meet the different needs of their clients. Among the products the company supplies are hybrid slip rings, fiber optic rotary joint, separated slip rings, wind turbine slip rings and pancake (flat) slip rings among others.Talking about the applications that their slip rings can be utilized in, the Company Manager said, At MOFLON TECHNOLOGY, we do our best to ensure that we come up with products that can meet a whole spectrum of client needs. Thats why we even go the extra mile to ensure that we personalize a particular slip ring to meet your specific demands. That said, some of the applications that our items are used in include robotics, wind turbine pitch control, packaging equipment, motion simulators, medical equipment, pan & tilt cameras, radar, semiconductor equipment, index tables, rate tables and centrifuge among others. These slip rings display performance in such applications and one can expect durability when they incorporate them into their project.Customers looking for the best electrical rotary union manufacturer will find MOFLON TECHNOLOGY to be more than up to the challenge when it comes to the provision of reliable electrical rotary unions. The company has been offering this item for over 30 years and has been able to achieve a best-in-class status due to their high ethical standards and a keen eye for quality. Their electrical rotary union products are created from top-grade material and are available in different specifications suited for varying demands. Clients looking to get more details on the product can contact the companys customer services through their website.Responding to a query about their stock, the Stores Manager said, In a bid to cater to the demands of our clients at all times, we do our best to ensure that we have a sizeable amount of slip ring stock in our stores at any moment. For the miniature and capsule models, we always accumulate stock in advance and for the standard through model, parts are usually in stock instead of finished goods. We take somewhere between three to seven days to deliver your orders and once we have designed a slip ring for you, we make sure that your information is kept safe and on file for future orders as pertains to the same design.MOFLON TECHNOLOGY has over the years been known to be a reliable electrical swivel joint supplier in China and around the globe as a result of their high-performance electrical swivel joints. Their swivel joints are suitable for fluid, vacuum, air, gas, oil, steam, water and can combine 1~128 wires electrical power/signal. Available options include solid and through bore and with 60% of MOFLON TECHNOLOGYs sales being customized solutions, clients can contact them if theyre looking to get something that best fits their application.About MOFLON TECHNOLOGYMOFLON TECHNOLOGY is a world-class supplier of quality slip rings designed to meet the various needs of different industries. The company offers some of the best prices on their items and guarantee durability and efficiency in all their items.About MOFLON TECHNOLOGYMOFLON TECHNOLOGY is a world-class supplier of quality slip rings designed to meet the various needs of different industries. The company offers some of the best prices on their items and guarantee durability and efficiency in all their items.Company Name: MOFLON TECHNOLOGYAddress: Building 21, Beifangyongfa Industrial Park, Xinhe Road,ShaJing, Shenzhen  518104Telephone Number: 0755-331-967-87/755.3319.6787/755.3358.2125Email: sales@MOFLON TECHNOLOGY.comWebsite:TECHNOLOGY.com
Global Telepsychiatry Market 2017 Industry Key Players -InSight Telepsychiatry, American Telepsychiatrists, Iris Telehealth, JSA Health, Advanced Telemed Services, FasPsych,..

Telepsychiatry Market

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Telepsychiatry Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Telepsychiatry Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummaryThis report studies the global Telepsychiatry market, analyzes and researches the Telepsychiatry development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeInSight TelepsychiatryAmerican TelepsychiatristsIris TelehealthJSA HealthAdvanced Telemed ServicesFasPsychGenoaEncounter TelehealthArcadian TelepsychiatryInnovaTelRequest Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoHome Based TelepsychiatryForensic TelepsychiatryOn-Demand TelepsychiatryScheduled TelepsychiatryMarket segment by Application, Telepsychiatry can be split intoHospitalClinicOtherIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For further information on this report, visit -Table of content:Global Telepsychiatry Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Telepsychiatry1.1 Telepsychiatry Market Overview1.1.1 Telepsychiatry Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Telepsychiatry Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Telepsychiatry Market by Type1.3.1 Home-Based Telepsychiatry1.3.2 Forensic Telepsychiatry1.3.3 On-Demand Telepsychiatry1.3.4 Scheduled Telepsychiatry1.4 Telepsychiatry Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Hospital1.4.2 Clinic1.4.3 Other2 Global Telepsychiatry Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Telepsychiatry Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 InSight Telepsychiatry3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 American Telepsychiatrists3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Iris Telehealth3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 JSA Health3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Advanced Telemed Services3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 FasPsych3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Genoa3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Encounter Telehealth3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Arcadian Telepsychiatry3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 InnovaTel3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Telepsychiatry Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments4 Global Telepsychiatry Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Telepsychiatry Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Telepsychiatry Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Telepsychiatry in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Telepsychiatry5 United States Telepsychiatry Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Telepsychiatry Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Telepsychiatry Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)6 EU Telepsychiatry Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Telepsychiatry Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Telepsychiatry Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)7 Japan Telepsychiatry Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan Telepsychiatry Market Size (2012-2017)7.2 Japan Telepsychiatry Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)8 China Telepsychiatry Development Status and Outlook8.1 China Telepsychiatry Market Size (2012-2017)8.2 China Telepsychiatry Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)9 India Telepsychiatry Development Status and Outlook9.1 India Telepsychiatry Market Size (2012-2017)9.2 India Telepsychiatry Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)10 Southeast Asia Telepsychiatry Development Status and Outlook10.1 Southeast Asia Telepsychiatry Market Size (2012-2017)10.2 Southeast Asia Telepsychiatry Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2017-2022)11.1 Global Telepsychiatry Market Size (Value) by Regions (2017-2022)11.1.1 United States Telepsychiatry Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.2 EU Telepsychiatry Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.3 Japan Telepsychiatry Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.4 China Telepsychiatry Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.5 India Telepsychiatry Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.6 Southeast Asia Telepsychiatry Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.2 Global Telepsychiatry Market Size (Value) by Type (2017-2022)11.3 Global Telepsychiatry Market Size by Application (2017-2022)12 Telepsychiatry Market Dynamics12.1 Telepsychiatry Market Opportunities12.2 Telepsychiatry Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Telepsychiatry Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Telepsychiatry Market Driving Force12.4.1 Growing Demand from Emerging Markets12.4.2 Potential Application13 Market Effect Factors Analysis13.1 Technology Progress/Risk13.1.1 Substitutes13.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry13.2 Consumer Needs Trend/Customer Preference13.3 External Environmental Change13.3.1 Economic Fluctuations13.3.2 Other Risk Factors14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixContinuousBuy this Report @Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +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:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Six injured in Makwanpur prison clash

Six prisoners were injured in a clash that took place in a regional prison of Bhimphedi in Makwanpur district on Thursday.
Outbuildings 2017 Global Key Players  Backyard Storage (USA), Trimetals (UK), Newell Rubbermaid (Turkey), Keter Plastic (Israel), Lifetime (USA), Arrow Sheds (USA) Market Analysis And Forecast To 2022

Outbuildings Market

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Outbuildings Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Outbuildings  Global Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Description:This report mainly introduces volume and value market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also their price change details. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in Outbuildings industry.This report splits Outbuildings market by Outbuilding Type, which covers the history data information from 2012 to 2016 and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following:Major CompaniesBackyard Storage (USA)Trimetals (UK)Newell Rubbermaid (Turkey)Keter Plastic (Israel)Lifetime (USA)Arrow Sheds (USA)Suncast (USA)Palram (Israel)US Polymer (USA)Albany (USA)OLT (Canada)Chongqing Caisheng (China)Request for Sample Report@Main RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain Product TypeOutbuildings Market, by Outbuilding TypeHousehold UseCommercial UseOutbuildings Market, byMain ApplicationsNorth AmericaEuropeAsiaRowEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:Global Outbuildings Detailed Analysis Report 2017-2022Chapter One Outbuildings Market Overview1.1 Global Outbuildings Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20221.2 Outbuildings, by Outbuilding Type 2012-20221.2.1 Global Outbuildings Sales Market Share by Outbuilding Type 2012-20221.2.2 Global Outbuildings Revenue Market Share by Outbuilding Type 2012-20221.2.3 Global Outbuildings Price by Outbuilding Type 2012-20221.2.4 Household Use1.2.5 Commercial Use1.3 Outbuildings, by 2012-20221.3.1 Global Outbuildings Sales Market Share by 2012-20221.3.2 Global Outbuildings Revenue Market Share by 2012-20221.3.3 Global Outbuildings Price by 2012-2022Chapter Three Outbuildings by Players 2012-20173.1 Global Outbuildings Sales Volume Market Share by Players 2012-20173.2 Global Outbuildings Revenue Share by Players 2012-20173.3 Global Top Players Outbuildings Key Product Model and Market Performance3.4 Global Top Players Outbuildings Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five Global Top Players Profile5.1 Backyard Storage (USA)5.1.1 Backyard Storage (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.1.2 Backyard Storage (USA) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.1.3 Backyard Storage (USA) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.1.4 Backyard Storage (USA) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.2 Trimetals (UK)5.2.1 Trimetals (UK) Company Details and Competitors5.2.2 Trimetals (UK) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.2.3 Trimetals (UK) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.2.4 Trimetals (UK) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.3 Newell Rubbermaid (Turkey)5.3.1 Newell Rubbermaid (Turkey) Company Details and Competitors5.3.2 Newell Rubbermaid (Turkey) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.3.3 Newell Rubbermaid (Turkey) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.3.4 Newell Rubbermaid (Turkey) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.4 Keter Plastic (Israel)5.4.1 Keter Plastic (Israel) Company Details and Competitors5.4.2 Keter Plastic (Israel) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.4.3 Keter Plastic (Israel) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.4.4 Keter Plastic (Israel) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.5 Lifetime (USA)5.5.1 Lifetime (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.5.2 Lifetime (USA) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.5.3 Lifetime (USA) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.5.4 Lifetime (USA) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.6 Arrow Sheds (USA)5.6.1 Arrow Sheds (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.6.2 Arrow Sheds (USA) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.6.3 Arrow Sheds (USA) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.6.4 Arrow Sheds (USA) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.7 Suncast (USA)5.7.1 Suncast (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.7.2 Suncast (USA) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.7.3 Suncast (USA) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.7.4 Suncast (USA) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.8 Palram (Israel)5.8.1 Palram (Israel) Company Details and Competitors5.8.2 Palram (Israel) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.8.3 Palram (Israel) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.8.4 Palram (Israel) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.9 US Polymer (USA)5.9.1 US Polymer (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.9.2 US Polymer (USA) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.9.3 US Polymer (USA) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.9.4 US Polymer (USA) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.10 Albany (USA)5.10.1 Albany (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.10.2 Albany (USA) Key Outbuildings Models and Performance5.10.3 Albany (USA) Outbuildings Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.10.4 Albany (USA) Outbuildings Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.11 OLT (Canada)5.12 Chongqing Caisheng (China)Continued..Buy now @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
Payments in Australia Market 2017: Key Players  Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, National Australia Bank, Citibank and More

Payments in Australia Market

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Pune, India, 04 December 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Payments in Australia 2017: What Consumers WantA 'payment system' is new technology that allows consumers, businesses, and many organizations to transfer money to a financial institution and vice versa. This includes Payment Instructions - Cash, Card, Check and Electronic Funds Transfer which customers use to pay - and generally unseen arrangements ensure that the funds move from one financial institution to another.The Technology advancement have introduce new payments platform is a major industry initiative to develop new infrastructure for Australian payments. This will provide a fast, all-round, data-rich payment system for the Australian customer, business and government to make their daily payments.Australian Payments Market is one of the world's most advanced customers, with high penetration of payment cards. Australian customers are very comfortable with both Debit and Credit cards at the time of sale (POS) - Indeed, the two card types have almost changed with each other due to the increasing popularity of contactless payments due to increase in payment card transaction volumes in POS.As a result of this, the usage of the cash is gradually decreasing, the card is sometimes not used at ATMs, and some businesses have completely stopped accepting cash. But cash is an important part of the market.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedCommonwealth BankWestpacANZNational Australia BankBendigo and Adelaide BankcitibankColesWoolworthsJetStarQantasEFTPOSVisaMastercardAmerican ExpressDiners ClubThe Australia is not yet a cashless society, with the growing preference of payment cards, new payroll solutions are increasing in the market using international options like Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay. However, the peer-to-Peer (P2P) sector is particularly less profitable, especially with other payment options such as store and online.Prepaid cards cover various types of issues used in Australian markets, most popular for purchases abroad. Electronic Overseas Money Sector is a major driver of prepaid market, while the domestic general purpose prepaid cards are not relatively popular - only 11% of prepaid cardholders have taken their cards to use for regular expenses.The new services like digital wallets, prepaid cards, and mobile phone transfers they are still growing, nut major of population depend on Bank transfers which is most popular methods of P2P transfer in the Australia.The Payments in Australia report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and regional major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2017-2022 market shares for each company.The Payments in Australia market report comprises an elaborated executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the market with respect to market segments based on media type, end-user, and geography. The market overview section of the report analyzes market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influences the culture media market in the current and future scenario.The study of report has a complete understanding of market value and quantity, technological progress, macro-economic changes and governmental policies based on past and present data, along with the current and upcoming trends in the market.The major players cover in the Payments in Australia report are Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, National Australia Bank, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, citibank, Coles, Woolworths, JetStar, Qantas, EFTPOS, Visa and MasterCard.For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Thermal Power in South Africa Market 2017 - Current and Future Plans 2030

Thermal Power in South Africa Market

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WiseGuyReports published new report, titled Thermal Power in South AfricaSummary"Thermal Power in South Africa, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2017 - Capacity, Generation, Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles", is the latest report from the industry analysis specialists that offer comprehensive information and understanding of the thermal power market.The report provides in depth analysis on global thermal power market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in South Africa(includes thermal, nuclear, large hydro, pumped storage and renewable energy sources) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details thermal power market outlook in the country and provides forecasts up to 2030. The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in South Africa thermal power market. A detailed coverage of energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to thermal is provided in the report. The research also provides details of active thermal power plants in the country, upcoming thermal installation details and company snapshots of some of the major market participants.The report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, secondary research and in-house analysis by team of industry experts.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedEskomAldwych Kelvin Holdings LimitedSasol New Energy Holdings (Pty) LtdMondi Business GroupScopeThe report analyses global thermal power market, South Africa power market and South Africa thermal power market. The scope of the research includes - A brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.- Historical period is during 2006-2016 (unless specified) and forecast period is for 2017-2030.- Detailed overview on the global thermal power market with installed capacity and generation trends, market forces analysis (drivers, restraints and challenges), installed capacity by fuel type, installed capacity split by region, installed capacity split by major countries and cross country comparison among thermal sources such as coal, oil and gas.- Power market scenario in South Africa and provides detailed market overview, installed capacity and power generation trends by various fuel types (includes thermal, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) with forecasts up to 2030.- Detailed overview of South Africa thermal power market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity by fuel type, net capacity addition by fuel type, owners share, market size of major equipments such as steam generator and turbine, and information on major active and upcoming projects.- Key policies and regulatory framework supporting thermal power development.- Company snapshots of some of the major market participants in the country.Key pointsThe report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner. It will allow you to - Identify key growth and investment opportunities in South Africa thermal power market.- Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data for thermal power market.- Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential.- Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events.- Identify key partners and business development avenues.- Understand and respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects.Table of Contents1 Table of Contents2 Executive Summary3 Introduction4 Thermal Power Market, Global5 Coal Power Market, Global6 Oil Power Market, Global7 Gas Power Market, Global8 Power Market, South Africa9 Thermal Power Market, South Africa10 Power Market, Regulatory Scenario, South Africa11 Thermal Power Market, South Africa, Company Profiles12 Appendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Smart Building 2017 Global Key Players  Honeywell (USA), Johnson Controls (USA), Siemens (Germany), UTC (USA), Schneider (France) Market Analysis And Forecast To 2022

Smart Building Market

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Smart Building Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Smart Building  Global Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Description:This report mainly introduces volume and value market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also their price change details. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in Smart Building industry.This report splits Smart Building market by Product Types, which covers the history data information from 2012 to 2016 and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following:Major CompaniesHoneywell (USA)Johnson Controls (USA)Siemens (Germany)UTC (USA)Schneider (France)Ingersoll Rand (Trane) (USA)Azbil (Japan)General Electric (USA)Eaton (Turkey)Legrand (France)Request for Sample Report@Main RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain Product TypeSmart Building Market, by Product TypesSoftware Information SystemBuilding Management SystemSmart Building Market, byMain ApplicationsCommercial BuildingsResidential BuildingsGovernment BuildingsEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:Global Smart Building Detailed Analysis Report 2017-2022Chapter One Smart Building Market Overview1.1 Global Smart Building Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20221.2 Smart Building, by Product Types 2012-20221.2.1 Global Smart Building Sales Market Share by Product Types 2012-20221.2.2 Global Smart Building Revenue Market Share by Product Types 2012-20221.2.3 Global Smart Building Price by Product Types 2012-20221.2.4 Software Information System1.2.5 Building Management System1.3 Smart Building, by 2012-20221.3.1 Global Smart Building Sales Market Share by 2012-20221.3.2 Global Smart Building Revenue Market Share by 2012-20221.3.3 Global Smart Building Price by 2012-2022Chapter Three Smart Building by Players 2012-20173.1 Global Smart Building Sales Volume Market Share by Players 2012-20173.2 Global Smart Building Revenue Share by Players 2012-20173.3 Global Top Players Smart Building Key Product Model and Market Performance3.4 Global Top Players Smart Building Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five Global Top Players Profile5.1 Honeywell (USA)5.1.1 Honeywell (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.1.2 Honeywell (USA) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.1.3 Honeywell (USA) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.1.4 Honeywell (USA) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.2 Johnson Controls (USA)5.2.1 Johnson Controls (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.2.2 Johnson Controls (USA) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.2.3 Johnson Controls (USA) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.2.4 Johnson Controls (USA) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.3 Siemens (Germany)5.3.1 Siemens (Germany) Company Details and Competitors5.3.2 Siemens (Germany) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.3.3 Siemens (Germany) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.3.4 Siemens (Germany) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.4 UTC (USA)5.4.1 UTC (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.4.2 UTC (USA) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.4.3 UTC (USA) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.4.4 UTC (USA) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.5 Schneider (France)5.5.1 Schneider (France) Company Details and Competitors5.5.2 Schneider (France) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.5.3 Schneider (France) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.5.4 Schneider (France) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.6 Ingersoll Rand (Trane) (USA)5.6.1 Ingersoll Rand (Trane) (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.6.2 Ingersoll Rand (Trane) (USA) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.6.3 Ingersoll Rand (Trane) (USA) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.6.4 Ingersoll Rand (Trane) (USA) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.7 Azbil (Japan)5.7.1 Azbil (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.7.2 Azbil (Japan) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.7.3 Azbil (Japan) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.7.4 Azbil (Japan) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.8 General Electric (USA)5.8.1 General Electric (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.8.2 General Electric (USA) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.8.3 General Electric (USA) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.8.4 General Electric (USA) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.9 Eaton (Turkey)5.9.1 Eaton (Turkey) Company Details and Competitors5.9.2 Eaton (Turkey) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.9.3 Eaton (Turkey) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.9.4 Eaton (Turkey) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.10 Legrand (France)5.10.1 Legrand (France) Company Details and Competitors5.10.2 Legrand (France) Key Smart Building Models and Performance5.10.3 Legrand (France) Smart Building Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.10.4 Legrand (France) Smart Building Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross MarginContinued..Buy now @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
Ecuador Oil and Gas Industry Market 2017: Key Players  Novartis AG, Dompe Farmaceutici SpA, Santen Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, SIFI SpA and More

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WiseGuyReports published new report, titled Ecuador Midstream Oil and Gas Industry OutlookSummary"Ecuador Midstream Oil and Gas Industry Outlook to 2022 - Market Forecasts for Oil Storage, Pipelines and Gas Processing", is a comprehensive report on midstream oil and gas industry in Ecuador. The report provides details such as name, type, operational status and operator for all active and planned (new build) oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines and gas processing plants in Ecuador till 2022.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Updated information related to all active and planned oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines and gas processing plants in the country, including operator and equity detailsKey points- Gain a strong understanding of the countrys midstream oil and gas industry- Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of capacity data- Assess your competitors major oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines and gas processing plants in the countryTable of Contents1 Table of Contents2. Introduction3. Ecuador Oil Storage Industry4. Ecuador Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry5. Ecuador Gas Processing Industry6. Appendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Q3 2017 Global Refinery Maintenance Market 2017 - Current and Future Plans

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WiseGuyReports published new report, titled Q3 2017 Global Refinery MaintenanceSummaryIn Q3 2017, the US had the highest refining capacity under maintenance (in both planned and unplanned) among countries with almost 5 mmbd capacity under maintenance. The country had a very high unplanned capacity of 4.5 mmbd under maintenance due to Hurricane Harvey. Apart from the US, Russia and India witnessed highest refining capacity under planned maintenance, while Russia and Mexico lead in terms of unplanned maintenance. Main reasons for unplanned maintenance globally were floods and storm. Other factors include fire and explosion, earthquake, leakages.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Analysis of capacity under maintenance for crude distillation, coking, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracker, hydrotreater and reformer units- Comparison of select refinery units under maintenance (planned, unplanned and both) by major regions for Q3 2017 and Q3 2016- Comparison of select refinery units under maintenance (planned, unplanned and both) by PADD regions in the US for both the quarters- Comparison of select refinery units under maintenance (planned, unplanned and both) by operators for both the quarters- Comparison of factors responsible for unplanned maintenance globally by region for Q3 2017 and Q3 2016Key points- Keep abreast of major refinery units (crude distillation, coking, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracker, hydrotreater and reformer) undergoing maintenance globally- Obtain information on region-wise maintenance globally for Q3 2017 in comparison with Q3 2016- Identify and compare PADD regions and operators with highest maintenance in both the quarters- Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong refinery maintenance data- Assess your competitors refinery maintenance dataTable of Contents1 Table of Contents2. Q3 2017 Global Refinery Maintenance Review3. Appendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Belgium Intelligence Report Global Market 2017: Key Players Proximus, Orange Belgium, Telenet, Lycamobile

Belgium Intelligence Report

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Summary"Belgium: Country Intelligence Report", provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Belgium today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile markets, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedProximusOrange BelgiumTelenetLycamobileThe telecom services revenue in Belgium is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 2.3% during 2017-2022, primarily driven by rising smartphone adoptions, increasing OTT consumption as well as high-speed LTE connectivity. Mobile data will be the largest revenue-contributing and fastest-growing segment, followed by fixed broadband. Both are estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% and 2.5%, respectively, during 2017-2022. Going forward, operators should continue to focus on network investments and upgrades, particularly expanding 4G networks, and invest in 5G trials. Government plans to extend at least 30Mbps broadband speed to 100% of households by 2020 will open ample opportunities for operators in the market in coming years.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Belgium compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in Belgium.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data markets.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice, data and video from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data services: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Belgium's telecommunications markets.Scope- The overall telecom service revenue in Belgium will grow at a CAGR of 2.3% during 2017-2022, mainly driven by growth in the mobile data and fixed broadband segment.- Mobile revenue will account for 54.1% of total telecom revenue in 2022; mobile data will be the fastest-growing segment and will grow at a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period 2017-2022.- The top two operators, Proximus and Orange Belgium, is estimated to account for 67.7% share of total mobile subscriptions in 2017. We expect competition to intensify further as operators focus on improving their mobile network by expanding to 4.5G networks and trials for 5G.- The fiber segment is estimated to witness robust growth in the fixed market.Reasons to buy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Belgium's telecommunications markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Belgium's mobile communications, fixed telephony, broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Belgium's telecommunications markets.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Belgium.Table of Content: Key PointsTable of contents 3Market highlights 4Demographic, macro and regulatory context 5Demographic and macroeconomic context 6Regulatory context 8Telecom services market outlook 9Total telecom service revenue 10Mobile services market 12Fixed services market 18Competitive landscape and company snapshots 22Competitive landscape 23Proximus 25Telenet 26Orange Belgium 27Additional resources 28Forecast assumptions 29Data tables 30Glossary 32ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 : Cisco Systems, Inc, IBM, Singtel

QYResearchReports

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The exhaustive report here gathers diverse viewpoints having an area with the overall Virtual Private Network (VPN) marketplace which verbalizes the winning-day statistics and future exposures on the subject of the dynamic forces at play. The prime reason for the examination report is to provide the endorser with an expansive format and make to be had the beneficial statistics and statistics. The quantifiable and attempting out clarifications behind the examination aside from executes information on troubles, for instance, drivers, shackles, and projections to gage the delayed impact of the general Virtual Private Network (VPN) market thru the pass of the stated gage length inside the examination file. The report in like path passes on a brief and global class document of the predefined market lines, which joins a few events of the veritable concentrations at paintings which can be studied to cause exchange in the marketplace or may additionally cause any bad effect.Request a free sample PDF of this research to evaluate more:This report studies the global Virtual Private Network (VPN) market, analyzes and researches the Virtual Private Network (VPN) development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMicrosoft CorporationCisco Systems, IncIBMJuniper NetworksArray Networks, IncCohesive NetworksSingtelThis document aside from stations into the general Virtual Private Network (VPN) market via in a fashionable sense analyzing the factor and industrialized chain of the marketplace. this is required to likewise assist in passing on real blue statistics and statistics on compound components of the appropriate market, as an instance, fabric figuring out with strategies for the overseeing body in the ordinary and ultra-modern strata, shipping and transmission form, goals, and reasons for pinnacle fee were given for the contributed imply.The document makes use of some indicated industry exam and entire gadgets. They allow the examination gather skip on a discovered essential evaluation of the overall Virtual Private Network (VPN) marketplace and help endorser and market troupes to be admonished regarding speculation and business enterprise judgments. The wide reasoning of the examination gives a market function on an unquestionable and second scale. It assembles important and discretionary research structures along the ones strains. The operators have figured the recorded studies and rose it from the ahead and in flip round change the situation to format a shape for the general Virtual Private Network (VPN) market within the years in advance.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Virtual Private Network (VPN)1.1 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Overview1.1.1 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.3 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market by Type1.4 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market by End Users/Application2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Microsoft Corporation3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Cisco Systems, Inc3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments4 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Virtual Private Network (VPN) in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Virtual Private Network (VPN)List of Tables and FiguresFigure Virtual Private Network (VPN) Product ScopeFigure Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
4G Expansion South Africa Market 2017: Key Players Telkom, Internet Solutions, iBurst, StarSat

4G Expansion South Africa

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SummarySouth Africa will remain one of the largest telecom service revenue markets in the AME region in 2016, generating estimated revenue of $9.2bn. Going forward, we expect the telecom services revenue in South Africa to decline at a CAGR of -2.4% in USD during 2016-2021, due to local currency depreciation. However, in local currency, the revenue is expected to expand by 3.3%, due to increasing uptake of mobile and fixed data services. Operators are investing in upgrading their network infrastructure, including the expansion of 4G services and rollout of fiber networks across the country.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedVodacom South Africa,MTN South AfricaCell CTelkomNeoteliBurstInternet SolutionsMWEBMultichoiceStarSatVox TelecomAfrihostOtelVumatelKey Findings- The overall telecom service revenue in South Africa is estimated to generate $9.2bn in 2016 and is estimated to decline at a CAGR of -2.4% during 2016-2021.- Mobile revenue will account for 75.6% of the total telecom revenue in 2021.- The South Africa telecom market will be dominated by Vodacom and MTN South Africa. Operators will continue to invest in fixed and mobile networks focusing on network expansion to roll out next-generation technologies to stay competitive.Synopsis"South Africa: 4G Expansion and Fiber Deployment Creates Opportunities for Multiplay Offerings," a new Country Intelligence Report by Pyramid Research, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in South Africa today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in South Africa compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in South Africa.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in South Africa's telecommunication market.Reasons to Buy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of South Africa's telecommunications market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Pyramid Researchs Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in South Africa's mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in South Africa's telecommunications market.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in South Africa.Table of ContentsExecutive summaryMarket and competitor overviewRegional contextEconomic, demographic and political contextRegulatory environmentDemand profileService evolutionCompetitive landscapeMajor market playersSegment analysis Mobile servicesFixed servicesPay-TVIdentifying opportunitiesOverall market opportunitiesContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Critical Care Equipment Market of ME&A Dazzling Growth with a Striking CAGR of 5.7% By 2023

Critical Care Equipment

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Critical Care Equipment Market of Middle East and Africa is Dazzling Growth. This market was about US$ 681.2 million in 2016 and expected to reach US$ 1061.4 million by 2023 growing at the CAGR of 5.7%. Middle East and Africa Critical Care Equipment (CCE) Market information, by Type (Patient Monitor, Medical Ventilator, Dialysis, IV Pumps, Infusion pump, Suction Apparatus, and others), by End users (Hospitals, Research laboratories and others) - Forecast to 2023. Critical Care Equipment Market In addition, Saudi Arabia advertise is additionally developing and is the second biggest market. Critical care also known as intensive care is a fundamental restorative practice to cure extreme injuries or perilous medical conditions.Get Sample Report @In critical care unit (CCU), medical professionals monitor and treat patient under controlled conditions with the assistance of critical care equipment Critical care equipment are extremely valuable to screen and get exact data about patient's wellbeing conditions.These equipment give life support to patients after they have experienced noteworthy surgery, damage or have confronted dangerous injuries. Healthcare expenditure is developing in Middle East and Africa locale which include around 2% of the worldwide healthcare expenditure. Developing healthcare infrastructure, technological advance facilities, government initiatives to improve the healthcare sector and growing cases of non-communicable diseases are driving the growth of the critical care equipment market in Middle East and Africa.Key Vendors Involved in Middle East and Africa for Critical Care Equipment Market:Siemens Healthcare Private Limited (Germany)Baxter (US)Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands)Johnson & Johnson Services Inc. (US)General Electric Company (US)Medtronic (Republic of Ireland).Market Segments:Middle East and Africa critical care equipment market has been segmented on the basis of type of equipment which includes patient monitor, medical ventilator, dialysis, iv pumps, infusion pump, suction apparatus, and others.Excess Full Report @Regional Analysis of Critical Care Equipment Market:Considering the situation of Middle East and Africa #criticalcareequipment market, UAE locale is accepted to be the biggest market for the same in the previously mentioned region.Track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Middle East and Africa critical care equipment market.On the other hand, Egypts market is expected to grow at a steady pace in the Middle-East critical care equipment market in future. Rest of the Middle East and Africa region is likely to have a limited but steady growth in the market.Study Aim of Critical Care Equipment Market:To provide detail analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of various segments and sub-segments of the critical care equipment market. Country level analysis of the market for segments which includes by type, by end user and its sub-segments.Insights about factors affecting the market growth.Country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospect.Overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market; comprehensively analyzing their core competencies and drawing a competitive landscape of the market.analyze the critical care equipment market based on various analyses which includes price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Forces analysis etc.Provide past and estimated future revenue of the markets segments and sub-segments with respect to two main geographies and their countries.Get Discount for this Report @LIST OF TABLES:TABLE 1 MIDDLE-EAST AND AFRICA CRITICAL CARE EQUIPMENT (CCE) MARKET BY TYPETABLE 2 MIDDLE-EAST AND AFRICA CRITICAL CARE EQUIPMENT (CCE) MARKET BY END USERTABLE 3 MIDDLE-EAST AND AFRICA CRITICAL CARE EQUIPMENT (CCE) MARKET BY REGIONLIST OF FIGURES:FIGURE 1 RESEARCH PROCESSFIGURE 2 PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODELFIGURE 3 MIDDLE-EAST AND AFRICA CRITICAL CARE EQUIPMENT (CCE) MARKET BY TYPEFIGURE 4 MIDDLE-EAST AND AFRICA CRITICAL CARE EQUIPMENT (CCE) MARKET BY END USERFIGURE 5 MIDDLE-EAST AND AFRICA CRITICAL CARE EQUIPMENT (CCE) MARKET BY REGIONFIGURE 6 MIDDLE-EAST AND AFRICA CRITICAL CARE EQUIPMENT (CCE) MARKET: COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS, 2016 (%)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.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Smuggling of petro products rampant in eastern Nepal

Petroleum products are being smuggled from eastern Tarai districts of Nepal to India, putting a dent in foreign exchange reserves of the country. A litre of petrol is Rs16 cheaper in Nepal than in India while diesel costs Rs22 less per litre in Nepal.
Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market 2017 Sales Volume, Price, Revenue and Shares

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The market study on the global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) market is a scientific instrument to understand the performance of the said market over the forecast period. The report includes historical values as well as future projections, which serve as crucial indices for companies interested to participate in the Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) market. Using historical database and projections, the report presents growth trends and growth trajectory pictorially.The beginning of the report summarizes standard terms and terminologies used in the Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) market, before moving on to classifications, applications, and industry chain structure. This is followed with an analysis of the competitive landscape, profiling major players for their key business attributes. Each of the companies is studied with reference to a timescale to understand the changing competitive hierarchy of the Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) over the years.KNOW MORE WITH FREE SAMPLE STUDY @Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraCatalan Institute of Nanoscience and NanotechnologyGraphenea and Chalmers University of TechnologyNational Institute of Material SciencesThe report is divided into sections, with each section discussing different industry aspects at length. Industry statues and policies, industry news and developments, and industry framework are the some of the aspects that have been discussed in this part of the report. Included in the report is a cost analysis of products, along with insights into manufacturer profit in the Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) market. The dynamics between various applications of the Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) market and their implication on the industry chain are also discussed herein.The industry chain analysis of the Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) market covers aspects such as production capacity, demand-supply dynamics, cost structure of product catalog, etc. An analysis of upstream raw material chain and downstream demand, along with import/export behavior is also included in the report.Market attractiveness analysis and feasibility of new investments in the Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) market are key features of this report. Using proven research methodologies and standard analytical tools, the report presents an accurate picture of growth trends and demand drivers, and points out strategies that are sure to present lucrative growth avenues in the future.Table of Contents1 Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET)1.2 Classification of Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) by Product Category1.2.1 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.3 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.4 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market by Region1.4.1 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) (2012-2022)2 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) (Volume and Value) by Type2.3 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) (Volume and Value) by Region2.4 Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) (Volume) by Application3 United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Volume and Market Share by Players3.3 United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Volume and Market Share by Application4 China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Volume and Market Share by Players4.3 China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Volume and Market Share by Type4.4 China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Volume and Market Share by ApplicationList of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET)Figure Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Volume Comparison (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Sales Comparison (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) by Application in 2016Figure Global Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Korea Organic Field-effect Transistor (OFET) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market Report 2017 : Hwarrior, CNYD, KGE, GoldMantis

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The research report on the global Photoelectric Curtain Wall market studies current and historical values and provides forecasts based on accumulated database. The report studies regional as well as key domestic markets to present a satisfactory analysis about the growth of the Photoelectric Curtain Wall market over the 2017-2022 forecast period.The report is presented in a chapter-wise format with each chapter containing sub-sections to discuss key segments at length. The annex section provides a feasibility and profitability analysis of new ventures in the Photoelectric Curtain Wall market in the upcoming years. The report prepared after an extensive research phase involved tapping into industry-centric databases and scientific journals and publications to obtain data pertaining to vital business aspects of the Photoelectric Curtain Wall market.Request for the Free Report Sample:Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Photoelectric Curtain Wall sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingHwarriorCNYDJianghoZhonghangsanxinKing FacadeKGEShengxingThe beginning of the report covers notations, conventions, and terms and terminologies that are relevant in the context of Photoelectric Curtain Wall market. Following this, the report provides a detailed discussion on industry statues and policies, cost structure, and demand and supply dynamics that are in the purview of the global Photoelectric Curtain Wall market. Industry statutes and policies have been discussed for regional markets as well. The regional markets of Photoelectric Curtain Wall have been studied in context of production capacity, import/export behavior, demand and supply logistics, and product pricing.In this report, industry-centric analytical tools and proven research methodologies have been employed to determine market attractiveness index of the global Photoelectric Curtain Wall market. The report presents a SWOT analysis of key market players, along with valuable insights into their winning strategies and most recent ranking in the global Photoelectric Curtain Wall market. The in-depth analysis of growth trends and technological developments in the Photoelectric Curtain Wall market right from historical years to the future can be useful for market players to formulate business strategies.Table of Contents1 Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Photoelectric Curtain Wall1.2 Classification of Photoelectric Curtain Wall by Product Category1.2.1 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.3 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.4 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market by Region1.4.1 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Photoelectric Curtain Wall (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall (Volume and Value) by Type2.3 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall (Volume and Value) by Region2.4 Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall (Volume) by Application3 United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Volume and Market Share by Players3.3 United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Volume and Market Share by Application4 China Photoelectric Curtain Wall (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 China Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 China Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 China Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 China Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Volume and Market Share by Players4.3 China Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Volume and Market Share by Type4.4 China Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Volume and Market Share by ApplicationList of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Photoelectric Curtain WallFigure Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Volume Comparison (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Sales Comparison (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Photoelectric Curtain Wall by Application in 2016Figure Global Photoelectric Curtain Wall Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Korea Photoelectric Curtain Wall Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Photomedicine Market 2017 Key Players -Beurer, Verilux, Lumie, Koninklijke Philips, Aura Daylight, Chromogenex, Red Light Man,..

Photomedicine Market

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Photomedicine Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Photomedicine Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummaryThis report studies Photomedicine in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringBeurerVeriluxLumieKoninklijke PhilipsAura DaylightChromogenexRed Light ManErchoniaLucimedNature BrightCompass Health BrandsDeka Laser TechnologiesDemyk Lightmod ProductsEllipseSphere Gadget TechnologiesZepter InternationalNorthern Light TechnologyPhotomedexRequest Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoLight Emitting DiodesDichroic LampsFull Spectrum LightPolychromatic Polarized LightLasersFluorescent LampsBy Application, the market can be split intoHealthcareDomestic UsersCommercial UsersBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For further information on this report, visit -Table of content:Global Photomedicine Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Photomedicine1.1 Definition and Specifications of Photomedicine1.1.1 Definition of Photomedicine1.1.2 Specifications of Photomedicine1.2 Classification of Photomedicine1.2.1 Light Emitting Diodes1.2.2 Dichroic Lamps1.2.3 Full Spectrum Light1.2.4 Polychromatic Polarized Light1.2.5 Lasers1.2.6 Fluorescent Lamps1.3 Applications of Photomedicine1.3.1 Healthcare1.3.2 Domestic Users1.3.3 Commercial Users1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Photomedicine2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Photomedicine2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Photomedicine2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Photomedicine3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Photomedicine3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Photomedicine Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Photomedicine Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Photomedicine Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Photomedicine Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Photomedicine Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Photomedicine Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Photomedicine Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Photomedicine Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Photomedicine Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Photomedicine Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Photomedicine Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Photomedicine Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Photomedicine Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Photomedicine Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Photomedicine Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Photomedicine Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Photomedicine Market Share Analysis5.2 China Photomedicine Market Analysis5.2.1 China Photomedicine Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Photomedicine Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Photomedicine Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Photomedicine Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Photomedicine Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Photomedicine Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Photomedicine Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Photomedicine Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Photomedicine Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Photomedicine Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Photomedicine Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Photomedicine Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Photomedicine Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Photomedicine Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Photomedicine Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Photomedicine Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Photomedicine Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Photomedicine Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Photomedicine Market Share Analysis5.6 India Photomedicine Market Analysis5.6.1 India Photomedicine Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Photomedicine Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Photomedicine Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Photomedicine Market Share Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Photomedicine Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017E Photomedicine Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of Photomedicine Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of Photomedicine Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 Light Emitting Diodes of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.2 Dichroic Lamps of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.3 Full Spectrum Light of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.4 Polychromatic Polarized Light of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.5 Lasers of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.6 Fluorescent Lamps of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor Analysis7 Global 2012-2017E Photomedicine Segment Market Analysis (by Application)7.1 Global 2012-2017E Photomedicine Consumption by Application7.2 Different Application of Photomedicine Product Interview Price Analysis7.3 Different Application of Photomedicine Product Driving Factors Analysis7.3.1 Healthcare of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.2 Domestic Users of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.3 Commercial Users of Photomedicine Growth Driving Factor AnalysisContinuousBuy this Report @Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +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:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Marine Big Data Market is Projected to be Fueled by Rapid Technological Advancements

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Considering big data analytics in the marine sector is an upcoming technology, the global marine big data market is poised to witness a highly competitive environment. As the market is at a booming phase, Transparency Market Research (TMR) forecasts strong growth for in a new study. In order to emerge at fore, a majority of the market players are focusing on product differentiation, said a lead TMR analyst. In consequence of the same, companies are in keen on adding innovative functions to the products they offer, he added. Besides this, the market players are keen on strategic collaborations through partnerships. This would help companies operating in the global marine big data market strengthen their foothold. TMR has identified Intertrust Technologies Corporation, Splunk, Inc., Teradata, BigOceanData, Datameer Inc., among others as some of the leading companies operating in the global marine big data market.Impacted by strategies adopted by the key market players and various other factors, the global marine big data market is forecast to expand at a robust 21.5% CAGR between 2017 and 2025. At this pace, the markets valuation will reach US$3,240.5 mn by the end of 2025. Based on component, service segment held larger share in the global marine big data market as compared to software packages as the former offers better affordability. Regionally, Asia Pacific held lead in the global marine big data market as the region boasts the presence of large shipping corporations in South Korea, China, Singapore, and Japan.Request A Sample Of This Report -Technological Advancements in Marine Sector Push Demand for Marine Big DataShipping is highly regulated and responsible nearly 3% of carbon emissions reported globally. Considering the high dependence of global trade, the shipping industry accounts for a significantly large share of the commercial demand. In the coming years, the industry is likely to navigate through various twists and turns and bear effects of climate change, upcoming regulations, technological advancements, and energy shortages. Also several technological developments are on card for the marine sectors on account of the advent of proliferation of the sensor technology. Against this backdrop, experts are of the opinion that the marine sector is likely to develop at a rapid pace in the coming years. This will in turn create lucrative prospects for the global marine big data markets growth.Ship intelligence will emerge as a driving future shaping lucrative prospects for the industry. A staggering volume of data is generated on a daily basis in marine sector. Furthermore, this data is generated from diverse sources and in diverse formats. Big data has therefore emerged as a key solution as it helps discovering correlations between various measurable or unmeasurable criteria. Results thus obtained enables determination of hidden trends and patterns.View Report -Information Provided by Marine Big Data Considered Indispensable for Marine SectorMarine big data provides forecasts regarding unforeseen hazards be it regarding climate or ecology and helps in decision-making. In addition, marine big data also provides valuable temporal and spatial information, besides data on water attributes such as density, salinity, temperature, and velocity. All these factors will help in growth of the global marine big data market in the coming years. As future of ship intelligence traverses beyond ultra-monitoring and nanotech, the market will welcome a fresh burst of opportunities. Experts are of opinion that in the coming years, bridges will focus on analyzing high level data to efficiently manage navigation and propulsions.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Counter Terror & Public Safety Technology Market Size will Escalate Rapidly in the Near Future

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As traditional ways of developing law enforcement technologies become inadequate for dealing with the current strategic realities, several companies within and beyond the defence sector are partnering with governments to bolster public safety. New technologies to counter global terrorism are being developed actively across several parts of the world.Technology trends such as automation, artificial intelligence, and data analytics are aiding the development of robust solutions on public safety. System integration technologies will also play an instrumental role in development of advanced public safety solutions. These technologies will be responsible in bringing considerable efficiency in information sharing, value assessment and redundancy lowering operations of a national counterterrorism system. Tech giants such as International Business Machines Corp., popularly known as IBM, are also actively participating in the global counter terror and public safety technologies market. Other leading companies in the global counter terror and public safety technology market include, AT&T Inc., Accenture PLC, ABB Ltd., 3xLOGIC, Inc., AeroVironment, Inc., ACTi Corporation, Avigilon Corporation, The ADT Corporation, Alcatel-Lucent France, S.A., and Airbus SE.Request A Sample Of This Report -Global Overview: Counter Terror & Public Safety TechnologiesAn exclusive report by Transparency Market Research projects that the global market for counter terror and public safety technologies will witness a steadfast growth in the approaching years. According to the research study, the global counter terror and public safety technology market will be worth nearly US$ 100 Bn in 2017. With the emergence of autonomous security robots and breakthroughs in data analysis, the demand for counter terror and public safety technologies will gain impressive traction in the next five years. By the end of 2022, the global counter terror and public safety technology market will reach a value of US$ 192.1 Bn, creating an overall incremental opportunity of around hundred billion dollars. During the forecast period, 2017-2022, the global counter terror and public safety technology market will expand robustly at a CAGR of 14.1%.View Report -North America to Remain Largest Developer of Counter Terror & Public Safety TechnologiesIn terms of development, the advanced technological infrastructure in the US, coupled with its expansive military and homeland security forces, will contribute to the growth of North Americas counter terror and public safety technology market. Through 2022, North America will dominate the global market and bring in close to US$ 60 Bn revenues. Europe and Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) are also observed to be leading regions in the global counter terror and public safety technology market. During the forecast period, the counter terror and public safety technology market in these regions is anticipated to showcase expansion at more than 13% CAGR.Increasing Focus on Intelligence Services & Growing End-use in CBRN Safety and SecurityThe study projects the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) safety and security will be the largest end-user of counter terror and public safety technologies. By 2022, over US$ 33 Bn worth of counter terror and public safety technologies will be used in the field of CBRN safety & security. Concurrently, the report also reveals intelligence services as the largest technology segment, and will account for more than 16% share on global revenues in 2017. Electronic fencing technologies will also witness steady revenue growth, and will create over US$ 10 Bn incremental opportunity between 2017 and 2022.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Mexico Intelligence Market 2017: Key Players Telmex, Grupo Televisa, AT&T, Axte

Mexico Intelligence

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Summary"Mexico: Country Intelligence Report", a new Country Intelligence Report, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Mexico today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2022. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile and pay-TV sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedTelmexGrupo TelevisaAT&TAxteAlestraMovistarMegacableTotalplayDishReport expects telecommunications and pay-TV services revenue in Mexico to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% between 2017 and 2022, one of the fastest growth rates projected for the region. Growth will be driven by increased competition between more evenly sized players, as Grupo Televisa and AT&T expand their presence to challenge Telmex/Telcel. We also expect the buildout and commercialization of Altans Red Compartida LTE wholesale network, as well as the Red Troncal fiber-optic backbone owned by CFE, to drive increases in penetration and usage.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Demographic and macroeconomic context- Regulatory context- In-depth analysis of fixed, mobile and pay-TV services market- Competitive landscape and company snapshots- Companies snapshots- Forecast assumptions- Data tablesScope- Mobile data and fixed broadband will see the biggest revenue increases over the next five years, a combined $7.6bn lift between 2016 and 2022.- While traditional telephony players such as Telmex, Axtel and Maxcom continue to report subscriber losses, VoIP players such as Grupo Televisa and Megacable are experiencing double-digit gains in their voice telephony subscribers, with both operators doubling the number of fixed telephony subscriptions over the past three years.- DTH is the leading platform for pay-TV in Mexico. DTH has benefitted from wide coverage and declining prices. IPTV uptake is stalled because of regulatory restrictions on America Movils ability to offer pay-TV.Reasons to buy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Mexicos telecommunications and pay-TV markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying GlobalDatas Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Mexicos mobile communications, fixed telephony/VoIP, broadband and pay-TV markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Mexicos telecommunications and pay-TV markets.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Mexico.Table of Content: Key PointsTable of contents 3Market highlights 4Demographic, macro and regulatory context 5Demographic and macroeconomic context 6Regulatory context 8Telecom and pay-TV services market outlook 9Total telecom service revenue 10Mobile services market 12Fixed services market 18Pay-TV services market 22Competitive landscape and company snapshots 25Competitive landscape 26Telmex / Telcel 28Grupo Televisa 29Competitive landscape and company snapshots (contd)AT&T 30Movistar 31Axtel / Alestra 32Additional resources 33Forecast assumptions 34Data tables 36Glossary 38Methodology 41About the authors 42ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Radar Sensors Market Forecast 2017-2023 & Key Trends by Players, Applications

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Radar Sensors Market, By Type (Radar Detector Detectors, Radar Scrambling), By Range (Short-Range Radar, Mid-Range Radar, Long-Range Radar), By Applications - Global Forecast 2023Market Scenario:The prominent companies such as Raytheon Company (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US) Delphi Automotive LLP (UK), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), are the largest contributors in the manufacturing of radar sensors. In 2017, Denso Corporation has developed 24-GHz band sub-millimeter-wave radar sensor and side radar sensors. It is used for enhancing vehicle safety systems. It enables the driver to identify and navigate other vehicles with the help of sensing direction and range of the sub millimeter-wave radar sensor.The radar sensor is growing exponentially due to the uses of frequency modulated continuous wave which enables to detect different kinds of targets. These targets can either be moving or stationary such as cars, trains, trucks and others. The radar sensors are ideal for collision detection, level gauging, anti-collision, surveillance and security. This technology is widely being used in North America region, for weather monitoring, security and surveillance and other purposes.Get Report Details @The global Radar Sensors Market are bifurcated into type, range, applications and region. The type includes radar detector detectors, radar scrambling and others. The range includes short-range radar, mid-range radar, long-range radar and others. The applications includes automotive, traffic monitoring, aerospace and defense, industrial, security and surveillance, weather monitoring and others. The region includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and rest of the world.The regional analysis of radar sensors market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. North America is one of the leading region across the world in terms of market share in radar sensors market. The radar sensors market in Europe region is expected to witness rapid growth in the forthcoming period due to the major companies Sick AG (Germany), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Continental AG (Germany), ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), are introducing new radar sensors in the market. For instance, in 2014, Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) has introduced new mid-range radar sensor, stereo-video sensor. Whereas, Asia-Pacific countries like China, Japan and India is an emerging market for radar sensors market and expected to be the highest CAGR in the coming years.The global radar sensors market is expected to grow at USD ~19 Billion by 2023, at ~20% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Get Sample Report @Segments:The global radar sensors market has been segmented on the basis of type, range, applications and region.Global Radar Sensors Market By Type: Radar Detector Detectors Radar Scrambling OthersGlobal Radar Sensors Market by Range: Short-Range Radar Mid-Range Radar Long-Range Radar OthersGlobal Radar Sensors Market by Applications: Automotive Traffic Monitoring Aerospace And Defense Industrial Security And Surveillance Weather Monitoring OthersGlobal Radar Sensors Market by Regions: North America Europe APAC Rest Of The WorldKey Players:The prominent players in the global radar sensors market are  Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S.), Raytheon Company (U.S.), Saab AB (Sweden), Northrop Grumman Corporation (U.S.) Delphi Automotive LLP (U.K), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan), Continental AG (Germany), ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), Denso Corporation (Japan), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Netherlands), Omniradar BV (Netherlands), and Airbus Group (Netherlands) among others.Intended Audience Sensor Manufacturers Technology Providers Original Equipment Manufacturers Equipment distributors and suppliers Research and development companies Market research and consulting firms Technology standards organizations Technology investors System IntegratorsAbout 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 members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Digital Crane Scales Sales Market Share, Growth, Size, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2022

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A fresh report has been added to the wide database of Market Research Hub (MRH). The research study is titled Global Digital Crane Scales Sales Market which encloses important data about the production, consumption, revenue and market share, merged with information related to the market scope and product overview. The report anticipates that the sector for Machinery would rise at a positive CAGR during the period 2017-2022.Request For Free Sample -Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Digital Crane Scales for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Digital Crane Scales market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Digital Crane Scales sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingAccu-Scale & SystemCelmiDini ArgeoBosche GmbH & Co. KGKERN & SOHNADOSGram Precision SLPCE InstrumentsToho-rongkee Electronic and MachineryPuls ElectronicTesT GmbHAscell SensorCardinal ScaleCarl Stahl GmbHCitizen Scales (India)FAIRBANKSRinstrumSchenck ProcessTRACTELVERLINDEPRECIA MOLENLAUMAS ElettronicaHBM Test and MeasurementOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoORSOCSOn 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, includingLogisticsAutomotiveConstructionOthersBrowse Full Report With TOC -Table of ContentsGlobal Digital Crane Scales Sales Market Report 20171 Digital Crane Scales Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Digital Crane Scales1.2 Classification of Digital Crane Scales by Product Category1.2.1 Global Digital Crane Scales Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Digital Crane Scales Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 ORS1.2.4 OCS1.3 Global Digital Crane Scales Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Digital Crane Scales Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Logistics1.3.3 Automotive1.3.4 Construction1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Digital Crane Scales Market by Region1.4.1 Global Digital Crane Scales Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Digital Crane Scales Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Digital Crane Scales Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Europe Digital Crane Scales Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Digital Crane Scales Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Digital Crane Scales Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Digital Crane Scales Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Digital Crane Scales (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Digital Crane Scales Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Digital Crane Scales Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global Digital Crane Scales Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Digital Crane Scales Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Digital Crane Scales Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Digital Crane Scales Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Digital Crane Scales (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Digital Crane Scales Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Digital Crane Scales Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Digital Crane Scales (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Digital Crane Scales Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global Digital Crane Scales Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4 Global Digital Crane Scales (Volume) by Application3 United States Digital Crane Scales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Digital Crane Scales Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Digital Crane Scales Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Digital Crane Scales Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Digital Crane Scales Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States Digital Crane Scales Sales Volume and Market Share by Players3.3 United States Digital Crane Scales Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Digital Crane Scales Sales Volume and Market Share by ApplicationContinueEnquire About this Report -About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
Senegal telecommunications market : Country Intelligence Report

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"Senegal telecommunications market: Country Intelligence Report", a new Country Intelligence Report by Market Research Hub, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Senegal today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2022. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile and pay-TV markets, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.Request For Free Sample -Senegals telecom and pay-TV services market will grow from $1.02bn in 2017 to $1.51bn by 2022 at a CAGR of 8.2% over 2017-2022 driven by the mobile data and fixed broadband segments. While mobile voice will remain the largest revenue-contributing segment over the forecast period, mobile data will be the fastest-growing segment with its revenue expanding at a CAGR of 22.5% over 2017-2022 supported by rising smartphone penetration and growing adoption of 3G and 4G services. Senegals pay-TV market will grow at a CAGR of 17.3% from $48m in 2017 to $107m in 2022 driven by growth in DTH and IPTV subscriptions.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Demographic and macroeconomic context in Senegal.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, tariff regulation and more.- Telecom and pay-TV services market outlook: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, mobile data and pay-TV markets.- The competitive landscape: an examination of the positioning of leading players in the telecom and pay-TV services market as well as subscription market shares across segments.- Company snapshots: analysis of the financial position of leading service providers in the telecommunications and pay-TV markets.- Underlying assumptions behind our published base-case forecasts, as well as potential market developments that would alter, either positively or negatively, our base-case outlook.Scope- Overall telecom service revenue in Senegal will grow at a CAGR of 8.2% during 2017-2022.- Mobile revenue will account for 76.7% of total telecom revenue in 2022, driven by increasing adoption of 3G and 4G services.- 3G will be the most adopted mobile technology across the 2017-2022 forecast period. Ongoing LTE network expansion will drive 4G subscriber growth over the forecast period.- The three mobile operators, Orange Senegal (Sonatel), Tigo Senegal and Expresso Senegal, will continue to focus on network investments and coverage expansion as well as fiber deployments. Operators will leverage a variety of segmented prepaid and postpaid offerings with varied data allowances, enriched with VAS to boost customer net adds and drive ARPU growth.Reasons to buy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Senegals telecommunications markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Market Research Hubs Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Senegals mobile communications, fixed telephony, broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Senegals telecommunications markets.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Senegal.Browse Full Report With TOC -Table of ContentsTable of contents 3Market highlights 4Demographic, macroeconomic and regulatory context 5Demographic and macroeconomic context 6Regulatory context 8Telecom and pay-TV services market outlook 9Total telecom service revenue 10Mobile services market 12Fixed services market 18Pay-TV services market 20Competitive landscape and company snapshots 23Competitive landscape 24Orange Senegal 25Tigo Senegal 26Table of contents 3Market highlights 4Demographic, macroeconomic and regulatory context 5Demographic and macroeconomic context 6Regulatory context 8Telecom and pay-TV services market outlook 9Total telecom service revenue 10Mobile services market 12Fixed services market 18Pay-TV services market 20Competitive landscape and company snapshots 23Competitive landscape 24Orange Senegal 25Tigo Senegal 26ContinueEnquire About this Report -About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
Automotive Flywheel Global Market Key Players  EXEDY, Linamar, Mancor, Metaldyne, Schaeffler, Skyway Precision, Valeo Analysis and Forecast to 2023

Automotive Flywheel Market

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SummaryGlobal Automotive Flywheel Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2016 to 2023. Rising adoption of Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) and Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT), increase in penetration of dual-mass flywheel, rising demand for automated transmission systems in developing countries and growing research on substitute materials are the factors driving the market growth. However, rising sales of electric vehicles is hampering the automotive flywheel market. Increasing research on emerging technologies such as Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) and continuous energy storage in vehicles are some of the major trends prevailing in the market.Passenger cars segment dominated the overall application market and is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period due to growing demand for passenger cars, SUVs and crossovers across the globe. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the largest market for automotive flywheel owing to mass vehicle production in China, India, Japan and South Korea as well as adoption of automated transmission systems.Request a Sample Report @Some of the key players in global Automotive Flywheel market are EXEDY, Linamar, Mancor, Metaldyne, Schaeffler, Skyway Precision, Valeo, Waupaca Foundry and ZF Friedrichshafen AG.Applications Covered: Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles (M&HCV) Passenger CarsRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao South Koreao Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptAt any Query @Table of Contents1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Application Analysis3.7 Emerging Markets3.8 Futuristic Market Scenario.4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.3 Threat of substitutes4.4 Threat of new entrants4.5 Competitive rivalry5 Global Automotive Flywheel Market, By Application5.1 Introduction5.2 Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs)5.3 Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles (M&HCV)5.4 Passenger Cars8 Company Profiling8.1 EXEDY8.2 Linamar8.3 Mancor8.4 Metaldyne8.5 Schaeffler8.6 Skyway Precision8.7 Valeo8.8 Waupaca Foundry8.9 ZF Friedrichshafen AGBuy Now @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsContinued....Contact Us: sales@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.ADDRESS:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Team inspects govt buildings in Birgunj

A team formed by the government to determine the capital of Province 2 arrived for an inspection tour of Birgunj on Tuesday to see if the city has adequate infrastructure to accommodate various government agencies and parliament to become a state capital.
Microbiology & Bacterial Culture for Industrial Testing Global Market Key Players  ATCC, Becton, Dickinson and Company, bioMerieux SA, Bio-Rad Laboratories Analysis and Forecast to 2023

Microbiology & Bacterial Culture for Industrial Testing Market

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SummaryGlobal Microbiology & Bacterial Culture for Industrial Testing Market is expected to grow from $3.86 billion in 2016 to reach $8.23 billion by 2023 with a CAGR of 11.4%. Increasing research developments in biotechnologies, raising infectious diseases, and technological advancements in culture testing are some of the factors boosting the market growth. Moreover, growing demand for animal feed testing is also bolstering the market growth. On the other hand, stringent regulations are limiting the market growth.By consumables, media segment is dominating the global market with largest revenue during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is owed to cost efficiency and increasing bacterial cell cultivation. Food & Water testing segment is likely to witness faster growth rate due to increasing edible manufacturing processing firms and growing interest on food safety. North America is anticipated to hold the largest share in global microbiology & bacterial culture for industrial testing market due to increasing demand from U.S. and Asia Pacific is likely to grow at a moderate rate during the forecast period.Request a Sample Report @Some of the key players in Global Microbiology & Bacterial Culture for Industrial Testing Market include Abbott Laboratories, ATCC, Becton, Dickinson and Company, bioMerieux SA, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Bruker Corporation, Cepheid Inc., Danaher Corporation, EIKEN CHEMICAL CO., LTD., Hardy Diagnostics, HiMedia Laboratories, Merck KGaA, NEOGEN CORPORATION, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., and Titan Biotech Limited.Consumables Covered: Sera Reagentso Bacterialo Other Reagents Mediao Bacterialo Fungi & Algaeo Other MediaApplications Covered: Bioenergy & Agricultural Research Food & Water Testingo Foodo Animal Feedo Water Testing Other ApplicationsRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptAt any Query @Table of Contents1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Application Analysis3.7 Emerging Markets3.8 Futuristic Market Scenario.6 Global Microbiology & Bacterial Culture for Industrial Testing Market, By Application6.1 Introduction6.2 Bioenergy & Agricultural Research6.3 Food & Water Testing6.3.1 Food6.3.2 Animal Feed6.3.3 Water Testing6.4 Other Applications7 Global Microbiology & Bacterial Culture for Industrial Testing Market, By Geography7.1 North America7.1.1 US7.1.2 Canada7.1.3 Mexico7.2 Europe7.2.1 Germany7.2.2 France7.2.3 Italy7.2.4 UK7.2.5 Spain7.2.6 Rest of Europe7.3 Asia Pacific7.3.1 Japan7.3.2 China7.3.3 India7.3.4 Australia7.3.5 New Zealand7.3.6 Rest of Asia Pacific7.4 Rest of the World7.4.1 Middle East7.4.2 Brazil7.4.3 Argentina7.4.4 South Africa7.4.5 EgyptBuy Now @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsContinued....Contact Us: sales@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.ADDRESS:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Medium Voltage Cables Global Market Key Players  Nexans, NKT Cables, Brugg Group, Caledonian Cables Ltd., Dubai Cable Company Ltd., General Cable Analysis and Forecast to 2023

Medium Voltage Cables Market

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SummaryGlobal Medium Voltage Cables Market is expected to grow from $39.32 billion in 2016 to reach $64.12 billion by 2023 with a CAGR of 7.2%. Some of the driving factors like hasty growth in industrialization & urbanization, high production of renewable energy and rising government policies to expand the T&D systems are contributing for the market growth. However, less financial support and delay in intricate planning & authorization of projects are limiting the market. On the other hand, growing demand for power and wind policies in emerging countries is providing a significant opportunity for the market.On the basis of installation, underground segment is anticipated to lead the market across the globe due to continuous restoration of medium voltage cables & accessories. Moreover, by geography, Asia Pacific region is witnessed to grow at a faster rate due to rising renewable power generation in this region.Request a Sample Report @Some of the key players in Global Medium Voltage Cables Market include Hebei New Baofeng Wire & Cable Co., Ltd., Kabelwerk Eupen AG, Leoni AG, LS Cable & System Ltd., Nexans, NKT Cables, Brugg Group, Caledonian Cables Ltd., Dubai Cable Company Ltd., General Cable, Prysmian S.P.A, ABB Ltd., Top Cable, Bahra Advanced Cable Manufacture Co. Ltd. and Riyadh Cables Group of Companies.End Users Covered: Renewableso Solaro Wind Infrastructureo Commercial & Residentialo Transportation Industrialo Cement & Manufacturingo Chemicals & Petrochemicalso Mining & Metalso Utilityo Oil & Gaso OthersInstallations Covered: Overhead Cables & Accessorieso Fittings & Fixtureso Conductorso Other Overhead Cables & Accessories Submarine Cables & Accessorieso Cable Terminationso XLPE Cableso Cable Jointso MI Cableso Others Underground Cables & Accessorieso XLPE Cableso MI Cableso Cable Terminationso Cable Jointso OthersRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptAt any Query @Table of Contents1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 End User Analysis3.7 Product Analysis3.8 Emerging Markets3.9 Futuristic Market Scenario4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.3 Threat of substitutes4.4 Threat of new entrants4.5 Competitive rivalry..8 Key Developments8.1 Agreements, Partnerships, Collaborations and Joint Ventures8.2 Acquisitions & Mergers8.3 New Product Launch8.4 Expansions8.5 Other Key Strategies9 Company Profiles9.1 Hebei New Baofeng Wire & Cable Co., Ltd.9.2 Kabelwerk Eupen AG9.3 Leoni AG9.4 LS Cable & System Ltd.9.5 Nexans S.A.9.6 NKT Cables9.7 Brugg Group9.8 Caledonian Cables Ltd.9.9 Dubai Cable Company (Private) Ltd.9.10 General Cable9.11 Prysmian S.P.A9.12 ABB Ltd.9.13 Top Cable9.14 Bahra Advanced Cable Manufacture Co. Ltd.9.15 Riyadh Cables Group of CompaniesBuy Now @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developmentsContinued....Contact Us: sales@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.ADDRESS:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
WaterMicronWorld: The Water Production Report 2018

"Every Drop Counts"

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The production of a kilo of wheat requires 800 to 4,000 liters of water, while a kilo of beef, takes 2,000 to 16,000 liters. said Robert Rainman COO of WaterMicronWorld.It is estimated consumer who ate 20 kilos of meat in 2009 will eat over 73 kilos in 2020.This will mean an additional 590 km3 of water production.By comparison, in 2011, the consumption of meat per inhabitant was 76 kilos in Sweden and 185 kilos in the USA.In the future wealth of developing countries will partly depend on their investment in the water sector.Investing in water can pay off in several ways. Each dollar invested in water and sanitation will produce an estimated return of US$5 to US$54.On the other hand, where investment is weak, gross domestic product (GDP) could be constrained by as much as 22%.On the African continent, the overall economic loss due to lack of access to safe water and basic sanitation is estimated to be about US$48.4 billion a year, or around 7% of GDP.Investing in drinking water also has benefits for the environment. Over 80% of sewage in developing countries is today discharged without being treated thereby polluting rivers, lakes and coastal areas.It is estimated that the total cost in industrial countries of replacing aging water supply and sanitation infrastructure may be as high as US$800 billion per year.Every Drop CountsWaterMicronWorld is the leader in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of highly advanced atmospheric water generators that extract the moisture from the air and converts it into clean, pure drinking water. Water, essential for all aspects of life, is the world's most valuable commodity and is becoming increasingly scarce.We bring an ecologically friendly and new source of pure drinking water to industry, businesses and home users alike. We provide truly affordable, state-of-the-art technology that is easy to operate and maintain. Our technology taps into a water source that does not place more demands on Mother Earth--Pure water from the air we breathe!WaterMicronWorld Atmospheric Water Generators units can generate from 15, 30, 60, 100 , 160, 200, 250, 500, 1,000, 1200, 1500, 3000, 5000 liters of pure drinking water per day. Our unique compact systems are ideal for Hotels, Schools, Office buildings, Housing developments, Hospitals, Marine and small Municipal applications.WaterMicronWorld.LtdRimklongchonprathan PrachuabkhirikhanThailand 7710+66810167702
Adobe InDesign Plug-Ins and PDF Tools on 50% off Holiday Sale

http://www.zevrix.com

http://www.zevrix.com/LinkOptimizer.php

http://www.zevrix.com/OutputFactory.php

http://www.zevrix.com/InPreflight.php

http://www.zevrix.com

http://www.zevrix.com

Zevrix Solutions, a developer of automation solutions for Adobe InDesign, PDF workflows and file delivery, announces today a holiday sale until January 6. The company offers 50% discount on all software including product bundles and upgrades. Zevrix products include plug-ins for InDesign that automate printing and exporting, reduce linked image size and simplify file packaging. The company's software also automates PDF printing and conversion, file delivery and output from Microsoft Office.Toronto (ON), Canada -- Zevrix Solutions (), a developer of automation solutions for Adobe InDesign, PDF workflows and file delivery, announces today a holiday sale until January 6. Zevrix offers 50% discount on everything in its online store including product bundles and upgrades. The company's products include several popular plug-ins for Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, which help professionals automate printing and exporting, repurpose files for web and mobile devices, save disk space and cut production costs."Zevrix software its the best kept secret out there for the Graphic Design industry," says Darren Rath of eponymous design studio in Melbourne, Australia. "It rocks and continues to impress and improve at a scary rate... Thanks to Zevrix products, every piece of artwork that flies out of here requires no intervention by the prepress departments."The following products are available on sale:LinkOptimizer for InDesign, which reduces link size by eliminating excess image data, performs essential picture adjustments, and converts file formats. LinkOptimizer lets users save gigabytes of disk space, cut down on processing time and reduce production costs. (Output Factory for InDesign, which automates printing and exporting and offers batch output, layer versioning, export as single pages, preflighting, variable file names and more. A server version that processes files from watched hot folders is also available. (InPreflight for InDesign, which offers advanced preflighting as well as automatic packaging of multiple files. InPreflight helps users eliminate errors, save disk space and collect all linked files into a single location. (Zevrix tools for PDF workflows let users batch print PDF files and automate preflighting, color conversion and format exchange. The company also offers batch output solutions for Microsoft Office, file delivery automation tools, and quality control software for images and vector graphic files.Pricing and Availability:Zevrix software can be purchased at 50% off until January 6, 2018 from Zevrix website. For details, please visit the website. Product trials are also available for download. All Zevrix products require macOS 10.7-10.13; InDesign and Illustrator solutions require Adobe CS5-CC 2018 software.About Zevrix SolutionsLocated in Toronto, Canada, Zevrix Solutions provides productivity solutions for Adobe Creative Suite software, graphic file diagnostics, PDF workflow, digital delivery, and Microsoft Office on Mac OS. Zevrix Solutions is dedicated to helping professionals achieve more while doing less through automating their everyday tasks, producing error-free documents, saving disk space and cutting production costs. For more information, visitContact:Leo RevzinOwnerZevrix Solutions105 McCAUL St, Suite 301Toronto Ontario M5T 2X4 Canada858-206-0607media@zevrix.com
Biodiesel Market SWOT Analysis Of Top Key Player LLC, Ag ACCIONA Energy, Green Earth Fuels of Houston, Deerfield Energy Forecasts To 2022

Biodiesel Market

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/674317-biodiesel-global-market-outlook-2016-2022

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/674317-biodiesel-global-market-outlook-2016-2022

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=674317

SummaryThe Global Biodiesel market is accounted for $XX million in 2015 and is expected to reach $XX million by 2022 growing at a CAGR of XX%. Stringent environmental regulations, scarcity of non renewable energy sources, high price of petroleum and other fuels are some of the factors driving the market. However, availability of substitutes, food v/s fuel debate and insufficient feed stocks are the factors restricting the market growth.Transportation segment accounted for the largest share in the market during the forecast period. North America accounted for the largest share in the market. While, Europe is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to supporting government regulations of biodiesel adoption in transportation.Request a Sample Report @Some of the key players in Global Biodiesel market include The Archer Daniels Midland Company, Louis Dreyfus Energy Corp, Renewable Energy Group (REGI), RBF Port Neches LLC (RBF), Ag Environmental Products, LLC (AEP), Green Earth Fuels of Houston, LLC, ACCIONA Energy, Crimson Renewable Energy LLC, China Biodiesel International Holdings Co. Ltd, Imperium Renewables, Inc., Deerfield Energy, LLC, Western Dubuque Biodiesel LLC, and Delta American Fuel, LLC .Blends Covered: B20 B100 B5 Other BlendsFeedstock Covered: Animal Fat Vegetable Oil Feedstocko Waste Vegetable Oilo Edible Oil Feedstock Rapeseed Oil Feedstock Palm Oil Feedstock Soy Oil Feedstocko Inedible Oil Feedstock Pongamia Oil Jatropha Oilo Other Feedstocks Algae Sunflower Oil Feedstock Biomass Fungi Bacteria Other Feedstock SourcesApplications Covered: Marine Agriculture Automotive Industrial Mining sector Aviation Heating fuel Other ApplicationsMethod Of Synthesis Covered: Microemulsion Transesterification Dilution PyrolyisisRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptAt any Query @Table of Contents1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Application Analysis3.7 Emerging Markets4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.3 Threat of substitutes4.4 Threat of new entrants4.5 Competitive rivalry5 Global Biodiesel Market, By Blends5.1 Introduction5.2 B205.3 B1005.4 B55.5 Other Blends6 Global Biodiesel Market, By Feedstock6.1 Introduction6.2 Animal Fat6.3 Vegetable Oil Feedstock6.3.1 Waste Vegetable Oil6.3.2 Edible Oil Feedstock6.3.2.1 Rapeseed Oil Feedstock6.3.2.2 Palm Oil Feedstock6.3.2.3 Soy Oil Feedstock6.3.3 Inedible Oil Feedstock6.3.3.1 Pongamia Oil6.3.3.2 Jatropha Oil6.3.4 Other Feedstocks6.3.4.1 Algae6.3.4.2 Sunflower Oil Feedstock6.3.4.3 Biomass6.3.4.4 Fungi6.3.4.5 Bacteria6.3.4.6 Other Feedstock Sources7 Global Biodiesel Market, By Application7.1 Introduction7.2 Marine7.3 Agriculture7.4 Automotive7.5 Industrial7.6 Mining sector7.7 Aviation7.8 Heating fuel7.9 Other Applications8 Global Biodiesel Market, By Method Of Synthesis8.1 Introduction8.2 Microemulsion8.3 Transesterification8.4 Dilution8.5 PyrolyisisBuy Now @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 8 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsContinued....Contact Us: sales@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.ADDRESS:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Agnosia Treatment Market Segments, Key Players Strategies, Analysis and Forecasts Till 2023

Agnosia Treatment Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5045

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/agnosia-treatment-market-5045

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/5045

The Global Agnosia Treatment Market report titled Agnosia Treatment Market Research Report-Forecast to 2023 is a specialist investigation report by Market Research Future includes broad essential research alongside the definite examination of subjective and additionally quantitative perspectives by different industry specialists, key sentiment pioneers to pick up a more profound understanding of the market and industry execution. The global market of agnosia treatment is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 7.2% during the forecast period 2017-2023.GET SAMPLE REPORT @MarketResearchFuture.com adds Agnosia Treatment Market -2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2023 reports to its database.Market Scenario:Agnosia is a rare neurological condition in which an individual may face difficulty to recognize a familiar person, sound or object. It is due to occurrence of lesions in the brain. Medical conditions such as dementia, stroke, head injury or any other neurological condition may lead to development of agnosia. Moreover, there are several conditions that may cause brain lesions and are associated with agnosia.People suffering from agnosia can still interact with others normally. As such agnosia affects a single pathway when brain suffers a certain damage. The pathway might connect primary sensory areas that store information and knowledge. The primary sensory regions mainly include visual or auditory cortices. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, neurological disorders are responsible for 4.5%-11% of all illnesses including low or high income economies.Brain imaging techniques such as CT or MRI with or without angiographic protocols is required to characterize a central lesion such as hemorrhage, infarct or mass and also might check medical history of the patient and atrophy suggesting a degenerative disorder.Many individuals suffering from agnosia can still retain their cognitive abilities, such as reading and basic math. The condition affects everyone differently but it can significantly impact the quality of life.The cause of this disorders may precede the development of primary visual agnosia. Some causes of agnosia include diseases such as Alzheimers, Picks disease, Balints syndrome. Alzheimers is a common, progressive, degenerative brain disorder affecting memory, thought, and language. Picks disease is also a degenerative neurological disorder that closely resemble the symptoms of Alzheimers disease. Balints syndrome is a rare neurological disorder characterized by the inability to voluntarily look at objects to the side. Individuals often cannot read, grasp or view ones surroundings as a whole (simultanagnosia).Some of the most probable causes of this disease are dementia, carbon monoxide poisoning, encephalitis, traumatic brain injuries and strokes. Physical examination is performed to detect any primary deficits in individual related to senses or inability to infer any test for agnosia. According to WHO, the total number of people with dementia worldwide is projected to nearly double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050? The total number of new cases of dementia each year is nearly 7.7 million worldwide, implying one new case every four seconds.There is no specific treatment for agnosia. If doctors are able to identify the cause, the treatment will be tailored to the specific problem. For example, if an abscess is causing agnosia, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics and refer for a surgery to drain the abscess. Rehabilitation with speech or occupational therapists can help patients learn to compensate for their deficits.Organizations such as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) collects and disseminates research information related to neurological disorders. Furthermore, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.Key Players:Some of key the players in the global agnosia treatment market are B. Braun Melsungen (Germany), Pfizer Inc. (U.S.), Lupin ltd. (India), Fujifilm Holdings (Japan), GE Healthcare (U.S.), Siemens Healthcare(U.S.), Philips Healthcare (U.S.), F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland) , Aurobindo Pharma Ltd (India), Sandoz GmBH (Austria), Stellar- Bio Labs (India), Fresenius Kabi Ipsum SRL (Italy), Zhuhai United Laboratories Co Ltd (China), Cspc Zhongnuo Pharmaceutical Shijiazhuang Co Ltd (China), IPCA Labs ltd. (India) and others.Segmentation:The agnosia treatment market is segmented on the basis of is segmented on the basis of diagnosis, causes, type, and treatment.On the basis of diagnosis it is segmented into Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and others.On the basis of causes it is segmented into Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, MELAS, Balint's syndrome.On the basis of the type, it is segmented into auditory agnosia, gustatory agnosia, olfactory agnosia, tactile agnosia, visual agnosia, and others. Others is further segmented into prosopagnosia and anosognosiaOn the basis of treatment, it is segmented into surgery, antibiotics for cerebral absess and radiation of brain tumor. Antibiotics for cerebral absess is further segmented into Ceftriaxone and Cefotaxime+metronidazoleGET FULL REPORT @Regional Analysis:The global agnosia treatment market consists of countries namely America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa.North America dominated the global agnosia treatment market owing to the increasing healthcare expenditure. The increasing incidence of accidents and brain injury is leading to development of new treatment methods are some of the driving factors responsible for the growth of the global agnosia treatment market.Europe holds the second position in the global agnosia treatment owing to the government support for research & development and availability of funds for research. People with agnosia can benefit from speech and occupational therapy provided by the various European medical organisations such as Alzheimer Europe, and the European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP) to learn how to deal with this impairment in their daily life.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing agnosia treatment owing to the presence of rapidly developing healthcare technology, increasing stressful life, and high healthcare expenditure. Furthermore in the Middle East & Africa the spending for healthcare was also increased. The Middle East & Africa holds the least share of the market owing to less availability of funds, limited medical facilities, and deprived political conditions in Africa.MAJOR TABLE OF CONTENTS:Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market IntroductionChapter 3. Research MethodologyChapter 4. Market DynamicsChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6. Global Agnosia Treatment Market, By DiagnosisChapter 7. Global Agnosia Treatment Market, By CauseChapter 8. Global Agnosia Treatment Market, By TypeChapter 9. Global Agnosia Treatment Market, By TreatmentChapter 10. Global Agnosia Treatment Market, By RegionChapter 11. Company LandscapeChapter 12. Company ProfilesChapter 13. MRFR ConclusionChapter 14. Appendix...CONTINUEDGET DISCOUNT @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.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Petoskey players bring in All-BNC soccer honors, seven total recognized

PETOSKEY  The Petoskey soccer team found themselves in 2022 right in the thick of where they expect to be every season: in a tight Big North Conference race.
Ward chairperson dies in accident

Chairperson of Malarani Rural Municipality-3, Jiwan Chauhan, has died in an accident. The 52-year-old breathed his last during the course of treatment on Thursday, according to family sources.
Lorde has officially canceled her scheduled show in Tel Aviv, Israel, amidst calls amongst activists for her to join the cultural boycotts against Israel.

The New Zealand pop songstress released a statement to the Israeli press, explaining her feelings behind her decision. "Hey guys, so about this Israel show  I've received an overwhelming number of messages and letters and have had a lot of discussions with people holding many views, and I think the right decision at this time is to cancel the show," the two-time Grammy winner said, via The Jerusalem Post.

"I pride myself on being an informed young citizen, and I had done a lot of reading and sought a lot of opinions before deciding to book a show in Tel Aviv, but I'm not too proud to admit I didn't make the right call on this one," she continued. "Tel Aviv, it's been a dream of mine to visit this beautiful part of the world for many years, and I'm truly sorry to reverse my commitment to come play for you. I hope one day we can all dance."

via Getty Images

The news comes shortly after two of Lorde's fans and major activists, one of them Palestinian (Nadia Abu-Shanab) and the other Jewish (Justine Sachs), asking Lorde to reconsider her decision to play Israel on June 5, 2018 in an open letter on The Spinoff. "Today, millions of people stand opposed to the Israeli government's policies of oppression, ethnic cleansing, human rights violations, occupation and apartheid. As part of this struggle, we believe that an economic, intellectual and artistic boycott is an effective way of speaking out against these crimes. This worked very effectively against apartheid in South Africa, and we hope it can work again," they wrote. "As fans of yours, we know that you're an empathetic artist who is committed to the empowerment of women, the LGBTIQ community and people of colour. We've watched as you've used your platform to draw attention to institutional racism, sexism and white privilege. ... We only ask you do the same with the Israeli government."

Artists also involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, like Lauryn Hill, Elvis Costello and Roger Waters, also called for Lorde to cancel the planned show. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel thanked Lorde for her ultimate decision, stating on Twitter that she is right in "heeding appeals from your fans against Israel's art-washing of its brutal oppression of Palestinians."

The decision hasn't come without it's backlash as well, though. Actress Roseanne Barr used harsh (and unnecessary) words on her Twitter, calling for all to "boycott this Bigot" instead. Israeli culture minister Miri Regev asked Lorde to reconsider her decision, saying in a statement to the Associated Press, "Lorde, I expect you to be a pure heroine, like the title of your first album, a pure culture hero, free of any external  and if I may add, delusional  political considerations."

Noted! Been speaking w many people about this and considering all options. Thank u for educating me i am learning all the time too 

 Lorde (@lorde) December 21, 2017

Lorde responded to a fan on Twitter, who sent along the activists Sachs' and Abu-Shanab's open letter, thanking them for sending along their point of view to her. For what it's worth, no matter your side on the controversial issue, the artist seems open to listening to all sides while making an informed decision she feels the most comfortable with. After all - no one is entitled to a performance by any given artist, solely at their own discretion.

Vanessa is a music and culture writer. Follow her on twitter.
Traffic is expected to set a record at Charleston International during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Leroy Burnell/Staff
The area had been blocked off by city officials. No one was hurt and nothing damaged. The wall has been menacing passersby for many years. A fix is in the works. Read morePortion of old brick wall by Charleston's Second Presbyterian Church gives way
I was so intrigued by Robert Behres Oct. 17 column and the newspaper's strong editorial Nov. 10 in support of a park being developed in the former SCE&G lot between Meeting and King streets that I decided to investigate further. Read moreCommentary: Proposed downtown Charleston park would provide a richer future
There was a combination of superlative hysteria and political opportunism behind the warnings about the end of democracy leading up to last weeks elections, but it wasnt inconceivable that wed have flare-ups of violence and intimidation, that people who embrace the fantasy that the 2020 e Read moreEditorial: Election 2022 gave everybody something to celebrate
Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the attack on her husband, Paul, by an intruder in their family home made her think about staying on as the House Democratic leader. She says she almost thought about being leader again because she couldnt give them that satisfaction of intimidating her out of politics. Pelosi spoke to reporters Thursday at the Capitol after announcing she would step aside for a new generation of leaders. She will remain the congresswoman from California. Pelosi says shes not sad about her choice to step aside but feels balanced in her decision. She has no plans to endorse a successor and no desire to meddle with the new leadership's vision. Read morePelosi's big decision: 'Theres a life out there, right?'
PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-28 12:30:14

Press Information





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ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

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# 381 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Banyan Gold Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Calgary, Alberta (FSCWire) - Banyan Gold Corp. (TSX Venture:BYN). has issued a press release with the following headline:Banyan Gold Issues OptionsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Banyan Gold Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Banyan Gold Corp.Source: Banyan Gold Corp. (TSX Venture: BYN)Date: December 28, 2017Time: 6:30 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Banyan Gold Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-28 18:33:40

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Myfloralkart

Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,



Delhi 110049



Sunil Singh

PR Head

+919899886258

email

https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-cities/





# 437 Words

Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,Delhi 110049PR Head+919899886258

At any moment of life, cake, or flowers with some chocolates is something that can be a precious gift that someone will love to have. It is the easiest and best way to express the love and care for that person. That is why the MyFloralKart has brought this season an excellent way to select and order the best lovely gifts. Be it cakes or flowers; now, all are available online in a single online store. With the special delivery options within few hours, the company promises to deliver the best and fresh cakes and flower.Being it the busiest traffic of any city and its suburbs, the expert professionals of MyFloralKart is capable of delivering the respective orders to its destination in the town within few hours of time. It is just a click away if someone wants to send a cake to Belgaum ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-belgaum) from far away from the city or any part of the world.MyFloralKart is the ideal perhaps the best cake shop in Belgaum and opens 24X7 hours online for its customer convenience. The culinary baking experts professional not only just bake the cake but also put the love in it, which makes it extra special.The company also offers a hassle-free system of online cake delivery in Baroda ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-baroda) right from the selection to shipping and ultimately delivery of the cake at its destination along with maintaining its delicacy, and freshness. With the commitment to offer best birthday cakes in Baroda, MyFloralKart also facilitates its online visitors to choose cakes from the vast flavor. With an option of selecting from a vast range of cakes within the budget makes this online platform the ideal way to search, select and place the order cakes without any hassle.As per Rupesh Mahajan, Business Head, distance should not matter in expressing your love or care. Order any cake for any occasion from the huge varieties available, being it a Christmas Plumcake, Chocolate Chips Cake, 2 Flavor in 1 cake, Photo cakes, cakes in order to propose someone or Birthday, Wedding and Anniversary cakes. About the companyMyfloralkart is one of the best online cake shops in the country, with expertise shipping options. The company further also ensures that each order get packed safely and shipped fresh to its exact destination. This online cake store offers a cost-effective way to deliver the gift to its destination along with maintaining its preciousness. With lots of attractive offers available place the order at Myfloralkart, sit back and relax. The online cake store is open 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week.
Medical Imaging Devices Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-28 08:14:17

Press Information

Coherent Market Insights

1001 4th Ave, #3200





Seattle, WA 98154



Mr. Shah

CEO

+1-206-701-6702

email

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com





# 1042 Words

1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154CEO+1-206-701-6702

Advancement in technology in medical imaging such as mobile imaging devices and 3-D ultrasonic holography, which does not use harmful radiation has led to improvement in the diagnosis and treatment methods in patients. Pediatric patients are comparatively more radiosensitive than adults. Therefore, manufacturers are focusing on designing safer and effective X-ray imagining devices that have relatively low levels of harmful radiations, built specially for pediatric patients as encouraged by the U.S. FDA. Moreover, companies are developing software in order to improve diagnosis and treatment methods and for this they are collaborating with IT companies, which are expected to provide quantitative analysis tools and advanced visualization. The apps linked with medical imaging devices are some of these technologies, which are expected to provide manufacturers a competitive edge in the medical imaging devices market. For instance, the University Of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is the development partner for GE Health Cloud. The new cloud system enables in managing files produced by magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), computed tomography (CT) scanners, ultrasound machines, and other imaging devices.Request a sample copy of this report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1125 The competitive analysis for companies operating in the medical imaging devices market includes top 10 players based on their 2016 revenue - Siemens AG, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Hitachi Ltd, Shimadzu Corporation, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Hologic, Inc., Samsung Medison, and Carestream Health.Philips HealthcareCompany Description - Philips Healthcare is engaged in manufacturing and selling a wide range of products, which includes healthcare IT solutions, diagnostic imaging systems, patient monitoring, and cardiac devices. Philips Healthcare operates as a subsidiary of Koninklijke Philips.Philips Group 2016 revenue - US$ 29,083.3 millionDiagnostic Imaging revenue  US$ 59.2 millionKey highlights - Company is focusing on increasing its share and profitability in the global medical imaging devices market. For this, it is offering products in oncology and radiology segments, which comprises smart devices, software, and services. Company is also focused on developing ultrasound products in general imaging and gynecology/obstetrics. In 2014, the company received U.S. FDA approval for spectral imaging system (IQon Spectral CT). The IQon Spectral CT is a leading, new, high standard for medical imaging. According to the Radiological Society of North America study in 2013, conducted on the Philips IQon Spectral CT and traditional imaging methods, the Philips IQon Spectral CT system exhibited enhanced diagnosis in up to 70% cases compared to traditional imaging methods.GE HealthcareCompany Description - GE Healthcare is engaged in manufacturing of cardiac devices, patient monitoring devices, and medical imaging systems. GE Healthcare is a subsidiary of GE Electrical. The company offers a wide range of products and services, which includes patient monitoring and diagnostics, software and IT, drug discovery biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, and performance improvement solutions.General Electric 2016 revenue  US$ 123, 693 millionSegment revenue (Healthcare)  US$ 18,291 millionKey highlights - The healthcare systems, which includes diagnostic imaging and clinical systems accounted for 70% of the GE Healthcare revenue in 2016. The U.S. and Europe accounted for 66% of the healthcare revenue. Company is focusing on building mobile- and cloud- based apps as a part of its product expansion strategy. For instance, in 2015, the GE Health Cloud and apps was launched in the U.S. The new cloud system is expected to aid in connecting over 500,000 GE imaging machines, which is expected to help clinicians to deliver better outcomes.Ask for customization: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/1125 Siemens AGCompany Description - Siemens Healthcare  a subsidiary of Siemens  is a medical technology and healthcare company that manufacturers clinical diagnostics and therapeutic systems. The companys Healthineers segments operate through six different business segments namely diagnostic imaging, laboratory diagnostics, advanced therapies, ultrasound, point-of-care diagnostics, and services.Siemens AG 2016 revenue - US$ 83,909.7 millionSegment revenue (Healthineers) - US$ 14,259.9 millionKey highlights - Company is focusing on research and develoment so as to integrate advanced medical technologies for in vitro diagnosis. Healthineers profit growth was mainly driven by diagnostic imaging business and accounted for the largest share in the Healthineers overall profit.Carestream HealthCompany Description: Carestream Health provides medical imaging and healthcare information technology solutions. Companys product portfolio includes analog X-ray, radiography systems, ultrasound, cone beam CT, and healthcare IT solutions.Key highlights - In 2016, Carestream Touch Prime Ultrasound Systems received Health Canada license. The system provides wireless connectivity and rapid transfer of images and data. It also enhances clinicians access to critical imaging information. Furthermore, the new system is useful for imaging of overweight and obese patients as the system provides deep penetration of the abdomen. Company is developing 3D and 4D technologies for better images in order to improve diagnostics in radiology. In 2016, Carestreams OnSight 3D Extremity System that uses cone beam CT (CBCT) technology received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance. The system reduces the dose as compared to traditional CT systems. It also provides high-resolution 3D images.Fujifilm Holdings CorporationCompany Description: - Fujifilm and its subsidiaries are engaged in manufacturing and selling of a wide range of information solutions and medical imaging. Through its healthcare segment, the company offers medical imaging systems.Fujifilm Holdings Corporation 2016 revenue - US$ 22,344.2 millionHealthcare segment revenue  US$ 3,800 millionKey highlights - The sales of the CALNEO series  a DR cassette digital X-ray imaging diagnostic system  and a digital mammography system contributed for growth of the healthcare segment. In January 2017, Fujifilm Medical Systems received pre-marketing U.S. FDA approval for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT). The digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is an optional software upgraded for its Aspire Cristalle digital mammography system. The radiologist using the Aspire Cristalle digital mammography system with DBT will be able to enhance the clinical efficiency and provide diagnostic accuracy when compared to use of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) alone.Click here to know more about this report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/global-medical-imaging-devices-market-competitive-analysis-1125 Medical Imaging Devices Market - Pipeline AnalysisSeveral players operating in the medical imaging devices market are focusing on improving the image quality, in order to cater to unmet medical imaging needs.For instance, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. is developing positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) agent, flurpiridaz F 18, which is in Phase 3 clinical studies. This agent has a potential to evaluate coronary artery disease (CAD).Visit our news Website: http://www.coherentnews.com
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for American Manganese Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - American Manganese Inc. (TSX Venture:AMY). has issued a press release with the following headline:Longford Resources/American Manganese Joint Venture to Proceed on Hazelton High Grade Cobalt Gold ProjectTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on American Manganese Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/American Manganese Inc.Source: American Manganese Inc. (TSX Venture: AMY, OTC Pink: AMYZF, FWB: 2AM, WKN: A0YJSR, ISIN: CA02735A1057)Date: December 28, 2017Time: 7:00 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of American Manganese Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Schistosomiasis Treatment Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-28 09:22:26

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Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by infection with freshwater parasitic worms. It can be acute or chronic infection mainly caused by parasitic worms blood flukes (trematode worms). There are two forms of schistosomiasis, such as intestinal and urogenital. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) reports in 2017, urogenital schistosomiasis is a high risk factor for the transmission of HIV infection in women. People usually get infected during agriculture, domestic, and occupational activities, which exposes them to infected water resulting into immune reactions. Symptoms in intestinal schistosomiasis infected patient shows various symptoms such as, abdominal pain, diarrhea, liver and spleen enlargement, fibrosis of the bladder, and progressive damage of kidney. Other chronic symptoms includes blood in stool, blood in urea, genital lesions, nodules in vulva, seizures, paralysis, seminal vesicle, and vaginal bleeding. This symptoms could result into urogenital related schistosomiasis complications, such as bladder cancer, and long term irreversible consequences such as infertility. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 218 million people required preventive treatments for schistosomiasis in 2015 and more than 66.5 million people were reported as treated for schistosomiasis in the same year. Further, WHO states that the transmission of schistosomiasis was reported in 78 countries. Schistosomiasis treatment is a major concern due to lack of proper medication and vaccination. Preventive chemotherapy for schistosomiasis includes praziquantel, metrifonate, and oxamniquine.Request a sample copy of this report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/889 Global Schistosomiasis Treatment Market TaxonomyOn the basis of organ, the Schistosomiasis treatment market is segmented into:IntestinalUrogenitalOn the basis of species, the Schistosomiasis treatment market is segmented into:Schistosoma mansoniSchistosoma japonicumSchistosoma mekongiSchistosoma guineensisSchistosoma haematobiumOn the basis of drug type, the Schistosomiasis treatment market is segmented into:PraziquantelMetrifonateBiltricideOxamniquineOthersDevelopment of novel vaccines for the treatment of schistosomiasis is expected to propel the growth of schistosomiasis treatment marketAccording to the University of Nottingham in 2017, researchers have discovered the infiltrin protein on a parasitic egg, which may be responsible for this infectious disease. This discovery is expected create opportunities for targeted development of vaccination and treatments. Moreover, the College of Science at Oregon State University (OSU), discovered the new protein in Biomphalaria glabrata snail, known as Grctm6 in 2017. Research is in progresses use this protein as a biocontrol agent against schistosomiasis.Ask for customization: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/889 Dr. Afzal Siddiqui, a professor at the Tech Health Sciences Center, in 2015, received a patent for vaccine to treat schistosomiasis. The vaccine demonstrated successful results in pre-clinical trials and is undergoing clinical trials for safety and efficacy evaluation. Patent applications have also been filed in China, India, and Brazil. Dr. Siddiqui intends to develop and distribute this vaccine at affordable rates for the infected people. This is expected to stimulate growth in the schistosomiasis treatment market in future.Increasing demand for preventive chemotherapy against schistosomiasis is expected to favor the growth of schistosomiasis treatment marketAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017, around 92% people require preventive chemotherapy for schistosomiasis in Africa. Around 75% of school aged children are at risk of morbidity from schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Further, 78% of the economies have an epidemic outbreak of schistosomiasis and 52% of those countries require preventive chemotherapy. Also, the as per the WHO estimates, globally 207.7 million people required preventive chemotherapy in 2016, among them around 111.8 million were school-aged children. Increasing prevalence in schistosomiasis and its complications is a major driving factor that would fuel the growth of schistosomiasis treatment market in near future. Lack of hygienic environment and safe drinking water in emerging economies is expected to propel the growth of Schistosomiasis market.In May 2017, Global Schistosomiasis Alliance organized the worlds Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) program hosted by World Health Organizations (WHO). Many organization from various economies supported this schistosomiasis control initiative program, which include Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Research for Control and Elimination (SCORE), Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, The Federal Ministry of Health Ethiopia (FMHE), and The Ministry of Health (MoH).Click here to know more about this report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/schistosomiasis-treatment-market-889 The major players in schistosomiasis treatment market include, Chemos GmbH & Co. KG, Shin Poong Pharma.Co . Ltd., Meher Distributors Pvt. Ltd., Merck & Co., Salvensis, Bayer AG, LondonPharma Ltd, Merck & Co., Inc., 3S Corporation Kancera AB, aj Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Avanscure Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd, CBC Pharma., VHB Life Science Inc., Samarth Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Taj Pharmaceuticals Ltd., and Egyptian International Pharmaceuticals Industries Co SAE (EIPICO). These companies offer various drugs, which are being used for preventive chemotherapy.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.Visit our news Website: http://www.coherentnews.com
A 34-year-old Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar has been named AFRICAN OF THE YEAR award winner for 2017.

Former President of Botswana and chairperson of the award jury, Festus Mogae, said the young Mr. Muqthar was selected for his exemplary work on counter-terrorism, which led to de-radicalization of would-be extremists in Africa.

He said the seven-member jury noted with satisfaction the effectiveness of Mr. Muqthars engagement with dozens of would-be terrorists, including a 21-year-old who was dissuaded from joining ISIS in Syria.

President Mogae said the extra-ordinary advocacy being undertaken by this ordinary African will help to deepen the understanding of violent extremism and radicalization of youths across the continent.

The award jury also named 82-year old professor, Magdi Habib Yacoub, for a Life-Time Achievement Award to commemorate the 10th anniversary of AFRICAN OF THE YEAR project.

In choosing Prof. Yacoub, Presidnt Mogae said the jury was impressed with his indelible global accomplishments as well as his humanitarian and exemplary offer of heart surgeries to children across Africa.

He said Prof. Yacoub is a role model for Africans who have made remarkable personal achievements and attain the height of their professional accomplishments to contribute to humanity in Africa.

The African of the Year award will be presented in Abuja, Nigeria, at a dinner ceremony to be hosted by DAILY TRUST newspaper and the United Bank for Africa, UBA Plc, on January 17, 2018.

Born in Salaga, Northern Ghana, to a family of peasant farmers, Mutaru Muqthar is the founder and Executive Director of the West African Centre for Counter Extremism, WACCE, based in Accra.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Ashesi University, Ghana, and a 2013 Masters degree in International Terrorism, International Crime and Global Security from Coventry University in England, UK.

He was inspired to fight terrorism after his family fell victims of the deadly 1994 Nanumba-Konkomba conflict in Northern Ghana in which about 1,000 people were killed and tens of thousands were internally displaced.

Mr. Muqthar now works across West Africa with a team of professionals he engages to de-radicalized vulnerable youths whom he helps to reintegrate into the society, school or work.

A renowned heart surgeon, Professor Yacoub was born to a Coptic Christian family at Bilbeis, Al Sharqia, Egypt, and studied at Cairo University where he qualified as a media doctor in 1957.

He moved to Britain in 1962 and later became a Professor of Cardio-thoracic Surgery at Imperial College London. He carried out the first British live lung transplant and he is reputed to have performed more heart transplants than any other surgeon in the world.

To actualize his philosophy of giving back, he founded the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation, which launched the Aswan Heart project while he continues to offer free heart operations on children through his Chain of Hope charity.

Background on African of the Year Award

The African of the Year award project was initiated by Nigerias DAILY TRUST in 2008 as part of the newspapers commitment to African unity and sustainable development.

The award, which enjoyed the support of United Bank for Africa, UBA Plc, was aimed at recognizing ordinary Africans for their extra-ordinary contributions to the continent in any field of human endeavour in a given year.

The maiden award for 2008 was given to a Congolese gynecologist, Dr. Denis Mukwege, in recognition of his offer of free reconstructive surgery to victims of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC.

Dr. Mukwege has since been nominated twice for Nobel Prize and was in 2014 named winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the highest human rights award given by the European Parliament.

Subsequent winners are the late Tajudeen Abdulraheem (2009), Danny Jordaan (2010), Judge Fatimata Bazeye (2011), Thabo Mbeki (2012) and Donald Kaberuka (2013).

The 2014 award was skipped owing to the prevalence of Ebola disease in parts of Africa while Gregoire Ahongbonon emerged winner of the 2015 award, with a no-show in 2016.

To protect the integrity of the award, the winners are selected by an independent jury of eminent personalities that are drawn from the five sub-regional blocs of Africa.

The jury is chaired by Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana and winner of the prestigious Mo Ibrahim Foundation Prize for African Leadership.

Other members of the prize committee are Ambassador Mona Omar (North Africa), Kabiru Yusuf (Daily Trust), Gwen Lister (Southern Africa), Pascal Kambale (Central Africa), Mahtar Amadou Ba (West Africa) and Prof. Sylvia Tamale (East Africa).

Now in its tenth year, the award has also benefited from the wisdoms of pioneer members of the Prize Committee especially Salim Ahmed Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania, who was chairperson for a record ten years.

The other past members are: Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily (Senegal), Dr. Muthoni Wanyeki (Kenya), Prof. Okello Oculi (Uganda), Dr. Obadiah Mailafia (Nigeria), Prof. Kwame Karikari (Ghana), the late Dr. Tajudeen Abdulraheem (Nigeria), and Prof. Tandeka Nkiwane (South Africa/currently on the Board of Tony Elumelu Foundation).
Distinguished Senators, please take your seatHonourable Philips Aduda, the only senator without a state (laughter), the stateless senator, please take your seatSenator Marafa, stop disturbing the Chief Whip, you are not sitting properlySenator Wakili, please stop disturbing Senator Uzodinma.

For members of the gallery of the Nigerian Senate, these whimsical locution is a familiar one. It is a 6-22 minutes ritual the Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye, performs daily to get the senators to settle down for the business of the day.

The time is 11:12 a.m. on Tuesday, October 31. And going by the motion of adjournment moved by the Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan, at the previous sitting held on Thursday, October 26, one wonders why the senators have not settled for plenary.

I move that the Senate do adjourn to Tuesday 31st October 2017 at 10 a.m. prompt, I so move, Mr. Lawan had said on October 26.

But when the lawmakers resumed on October 31, the senators preferred to have small talks among themselves, even after the Senate President had said the prayer. The days business is yet to begin and would not until the chief whip spends minutes calling the house to order.

The happenings on October 31 were, however, not unique. A PREMIUM TIMES investigation over three weeks revealed that the Senate does not start plenary until about an hour after the time adjourned to.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

According to the Senate standing order 2015, as amended, the lawmakers are expected to meet between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Section 13 (2) of the order reads, On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, the Senate shall meet at 2.00p.m. and unless previously adjourned shall sit until 6p.m. unless before 6p.m. a substantive motion had been moved by the leave of the Senate or a Senator acting in that capacity that this Senate do now adjourn and if such a motion be moved and if the question thereon has not previously been determined, at 6.00p.m the President of the Senate shall adjourn the Senate without question being put.

However, the order in section 25 (h) empowers the Senate President to interpret the rules. This probably explains the reason why the Senate has adopted the 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. plenary time over the years.

WHY SENATE STARTS PLENARY LATE

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who observed the activities of lawmakers of the red chamber for weeks discovered among others reasons late arrival of principal officers, late arrival of other senators and non-maintenance of decorum as reasons the Senate starts plenary late.

By interpretation of the standing order, plenary is supposed to start at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. But never did it start at this particular time, or even 40 minutes later, for the weeks this investigation was carried out.

Findings by this reporter revealed that the lateness of principal officers of the Senate, most especially the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, remains one of the prime reasons why the senate sessions start late.

Apart from entering the chambers almost one hour late, the two officers hardly arrive the premises of the chamber until at least 24 minutes later than 10 a.m.

For instance, on October 25, Mr. Saraki did not arrive the premises until 10:25 a.m., 10:26 a.m. onNovember 2 and 10:28 a.m. on November 8.

The same holds for the Deputy Senate President who arrived earliest on October 24 at 10:24 a.m.

Meanwhile, the arrival of these principal officers at the premises does not determine the start of plenary. Rather, they spend at least 30 minutes going about other businesses before entering the chamber proper.

A time record kept for these weeks shows the average time of entry of the presiding officer into the chamber as 10:57 a.m.

On October 24, the senate president entered the chamber at 10:45 a.m. and said the prayer at10:48 a.m. Coincidentally, he entered at 11:01 a.m. the next day and on Thursday, October 26, and said prayer at 11:03 a.m. on both days.

On October 31, he entered the chambers 10:59 a.m. and said the prayer three minutes after while on November 1, a day the Senate President was away to attend the inauguration of Boss Mustapha, the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr. Ekweremadu entered the chamber at 10:56 a.m. and said prayer two minutes after entry.

The trend continued for other days: 10:57 a.m. for November 2, 10:58 a.m. for November 8 and 10:56 a.m. for November 9.

DECORUM

Order 56 (2) and (3) of the Senate standing order notes that during a sitting, all Senators shall enter and leave the Senate with decorum and that every Senator when he or she comes to the chamber, shall take his or her seat and shall not at any time stand in any of the passage or gangways.

This is what the law says; but in reality, things do not operate that way. The lawmakers have to always be reminded to be decorous.

The first paragraph of this report fully grasps what the Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye, goes through before getting a partial decorum for the plenary to start.

In all of the days PREMIUM TIMES closely monitored the start of proceedings, he had to call senators by names to maintain decorum. This takes at least another 10 minutes of the time, even after the senate President might have said the prayers.

On Tuesday, October 24 when the prayer was said at 10:48 a.m., the consideration of the previous days votes and proceedings did not start until 10:55 a.m. On Wednesday, October 25, it was six minutes after prayer, five minutes after on Thursday October 26, 10 minutes after on Tuesday October 31, and seven minutes after on November 1.

The shortest time spent by the Chief Whip to maintain decorum was five minutes; on Thursday, November 2 when consideration of votes and proceedings started at 11:03 after the prayer had been said at 10:58.

Meanwhile, on November 8, it took 12 minutes to maintain decorum. The longest time it took to maintain decorum was on November 9 when the days business did not start until 22 minutes after the prayer.

MOST PUNCTUAL SENATOR

For the weeks of this investigation, PREMIUM TIMES reporter observed the arrival of one of the senators who stood himself out as he constantly arrived earlier than others.

Representing Kano North, Barau Jibrin arrived the chamber latest at 10:17 a.m., most days having to sit alone to review the order paper before the arrival of others.

On October 24, he arrived at 10:17 a.m. On October 25, he arrived at 10:14 a.m.; at 10:16 a.m. on October 26 and at 10:12 a.m. on November 2.

PREMIUM TIMES reporter also observed that the scheduled activities of a senator mostly determines whether he or she would arrive early or not. Senators who have a motion, petition or report to present often arrive early and sometimes before every other to study their presentations.

On October 31 when Oyo senator, Monsurat Sumonu, was to present a motion on the Inadequate maintenance of Federal Government owned hospitals, she arrived at 10:17 a.m.

The Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, arrived at the chambers at 10:18 a.m. on November 2, the day he raised a petition of monumental fraud in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

The same style was adopted by Emmanuel Paulker of Bayelsa Central on November 8 when his motion on illegal extension of tenure of board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC was first on the order paper. He arrived at 10:24 a.m.

QUORUM

The standing order of the Senate provides that the quorum of the Senate shall be one third of the members of the Senate. But for the days under review, only thrice was there a quorum when the Senate President said the prayer. This brings to question the decision taken at those times a quorum wasnt formed.

The 109-member Senate has to have at least a one-third of its members, 36, to form a quorum.

A total of 18, 33 and 15 senators were present at the chamber on October 24, October 25 and October 26 respectively based on a count conducted after the Senate President had said the prayer.

Tuesday, October 31 recorded the highest number of 47 senators while there were 40 on November 2, 30 on November 8 and 17 senators on November 9.

Worthy of note is the plenary of Thursday November 9 which had, throughout, a scanty chamber. On this day, the Senate approved a $350 million loan request for Ogun State and mandated its committees on Diaspora, Foreign Affairs and Special Duties to investigate the unfortunate incident of death of 26 Nigerian girls whose bodies were found on a Spanish warship.

The irrevocability of these decisions comes under serious doubt as only 17 senators started the plenary and 18 of them were present at 12:43 p.m. when the motion for adjournment was adopted.

WHAT NIGERIA LOSES

Despite the lateness in commencement of plenary, the senators waste no time in calling for a stand down of other items on the order paper and seconding a motion for adjournment whenever it was raised by the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan.

The plenary was ended at 1:24 p.m. on October 24, 1:27 p.m. on October 25, 1:16 p.m. on October 26, 1:38 p.m. on October 31, 1:13 p.m. on November 1 and 1:42 p.m. on November 2.

The latest time was November 8 when the senators unanimously agreed to extend the sitting beyond 2.p.m. Even at that, the plenary ended at 2:04 p.m.

On average, the senators ended the plenary at 1:26 p.m. after spending a mean time of 2 hours and 27 minutes each day, far less than the 4 hours quoted in the standing order.

Apart from the fact that the citizens are robbed of legislative time for important debates, consideration and passage of bills could have been effected. However, irrespective of the time spent at plenary, the senators also always receive full pay.

A PREMIUM TIMES analysis conducted based on data received from Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, shows that a senator earns about N19.66 million annually as salary and allowance. This excludes the hefty quarterly allowances lawmakers pay themselves  which they call office running cost.

OUR LATENESS JUSTIFIED  SPOKESPERSON

When confronted with questions on this report, Senate spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, justified all the activities of the senators including lateness to plenary and not forming quorum before proceedings start.

Mr. Abdullahi said the Senate has absolute power to interpret its laws and determine its activities.

The power to interpret the entire rule itself, the final authority is our presiding officer, the Senate President. The constitution says we shall regulate our own affairs. That is the way it is. The constitution says the National Assembly shall regulate its own affairs. So what is internal to us is our own affairs.

The interpretation of our laws or that order itself is subject to the presiding officer. And remember, we also by motion normally move to amend whatever it is in that document. You are fully aware that at some points we need to stand down and when we stand down, its for a particular purpose. So, there is nothing sacrosanct. That document is not sacrosanct. It is our document. We wrote it and we can change it in our own way.

He challenged anyone who seeks to change the status quo to contest and become a senator in order to do so.

This (starting plenary late) is not subject to anybodys interpretation or debate because if we decide to stand down our order and to go down two, three, four hours beyond our normal time, why is nobody talking.

Nobody can dictate to us. They are not senators. If they want to come and change things then let them come and become Senators and they can do what they want. Some of these things are not good for us. This is democracy, we should strengthen our legislature and not weaken them.
The suspended member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumuni Jibrin, on Thursday met with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed doors.

Mr. Jibrin told State House correspondents that he met with Mr. Buhari because he considered him a father.

Mr. Jibrin, who was suspended by the House in 2016, after he accused the House leadership of fraud, declined to say if he met with the president to seek his intervention over his predicament.

Well, I cannot comment in that regard. The most important is that I saw him and he is in a very high spirit. I greeted him like a son and he spoke to me like a father, he said.

Commenting on the clamour for his recall, Mr. Jibrin, who represents Kiru/ Bebeji, said it is only normal.

Of course Nigerians like justice, my constituency has been suspended for 16 months, so it is only normal that people will talk and ask questions. Why are we not back on the aspect of court case that has been lingering in the court for the past 16 months. I think these are some of the reasons people are raising issues in the public glare, he said.

Mr. Jibrin described his experience as a learning curve and said it is fine.

Mr. Jibrin also said his case is similar to that of the senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, who was also suspended but recently recalled by the Senate on the orders of the Court.

He wondered why his case is being delayed by the judiciary.

The same case, similar case, identical case was dispensed with within two months; but I am still hanging in the court system. But again, I know the Nigerian judiciary is just, so I am pretty sure that soonest I will be able to get judgement and my constituency will soon get back to the house, he said.

Mr. Jibrin said he took advantage of the visit to sympathise with the president on his sons accident.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday called on Nigerians to pray for President Muhammadu Buharis son, Yusuf.

Yusuf was involved in a road accident Tuesday night.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt Yusuf had a motorbike accident around Gwarimpa in Abuja.

Mr. Buharis spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Wednesday that he broke a limb and had an injury to the head as a result.

He has undergone surgery at a clinic in Abuja. He is in a stable condition, Mr. Sheu added.

In a post on his Facebook page Wednesday, Mr. Jonathan called on Nigerians to set aside any divisions and show love to Mr. Buharis family.

I have been in Liberia monitoring elections and only just heard the sad news, Mr. Jonathan said.

My family and I are in prayers for the quick recovery of Yusuf Buhari. It is my deep desire that a young man so full of promise should live and thrive to fulfill the promises God has domiciled in him.

I also call on all Nigerians to put aside any divisions and show unconditional love to the first family at this time.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has wished Yusuf Buhari speedy recovery from his bike accident.

The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, said it is shocked by the news of the involvement of Mr. Buharis son in a power-bike accident in Abuja.

The accident, which occurred in Abuja, was confirmed by the presidents spokesperson#, Garba Shehu, on Wednesday.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is shocked by the news of the involvement of Yusuf Buhari, son of President Muhammed Buhari in a power-bike accident in Abuja on Wednesday.

We are however reassured by reports from the presidency that he is in a steady condition.

The PDP as a family prays for Yusufs speedy recovery to enable him return to his normal life.

In his reaction, a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, sent a sympathy message to President Buharis family over the accident.

Mr. Abubakar, who recently dumped Mr. Buharis All Progressives Congress, APC, in a tweet commiserated with the first family through his twitter handle @atiku.

Our thoughts are with the first family  our family will be praying for you. We wish Yusuf a speedy recovery, he said.
Gov. Muhammadu Bindow of Adamawa has said that his administration will give priority attention to empowerment in 2018.

Mr. Bindow gave the assurance on Thursday while signing the 2018 budget of N177.9 billion at a ceremony in Government House, Yola.

In line with our budget of Hope and Empowerment, this administration will do stomach infrastructure next year, Mr. Bindow said.

Mr. Bindow lauded the state assembly for speedy passage of the budget, adding that this was the first time in the state that budget would be approved in good time.

He said to facilitate transformation, particularly at the grassroots, his administration approved N500 million to be shared by the 25 members of the house of assembly for constituency projects.

If you recall I once approved N1 billion for constituency projects for the lawmakers, this time around its N500 million.

We have legislators who are serious and this administration is ready to work with them to transform the state.

Mr. Bindow said his administration was also committed to boosting the state Internally Generated Revenue and had so far jerked it up by over 100 per cent.

He commended workers in the state for showing support and understanding to the administration in the face of financial challenges.

He added that the administration had settled most of the seven months arrears owed local government workers it inherited from past administration.

The Speaker of the assembly, Kabiru Mijinyawa, lauded the cordial relationship between the legislature and executive which he said facilitated the speedy passage of the budget.(NAN)
A Joint Task Force Team, comprising operatives from the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Department of State Security, SSS, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, on Thursday raided filling stations hoarding fuel in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The fuel scarcity across the state has led to long queues in the few filling stations selling the product while many motorists are forced to buy from the black market where petrol is sold at about N270 per litre as against the official price, N145.

Many of the erring filling stations were discovered to have petrol hidden in their underground tanks and in trucks, while many others were selling above pump price.

The task force discovered that FARMSKAN Petroleum Nigeria Limited in Zaria, sealed on Wednesday for selling above pump price at (N205), has illegally broken the seal and sold 1,600 litres at N205 again.

The filling stations attendants also under-dispensed to the public.

Tafida Isah, leader of the task force and the Zonal Operations Controller of DPR, Kaduna Zone, said FARMSKAN filling station will be suspended for three months, sanctioned and later unsealed to allow the fuel to be sold to the public at government controlled price.

FARMSKAN filling station which was sealed yesterday (Wednesday) for selling above government controlled price, was discovered to have broken our seal and sold 1,600 litres at N205, out of the 11,000 litres when it was sealed. We met on 9,400 litres upon our follow up visit now.

They will also be fined for under-dispensing and shall be made to pay a fine of N200 on each of the 1,600 litres sold while under seal, he said.

Several attempts by the task force to adjust the dispensers to government price failed at some stations, hence the team ordered the sale of 14 litres at 10 litres price to public.

If you are caught selling above pump price, you will be fined N100,000 per dispenser. If you are caught hoarding, it will be sold to the public and sanctioned appropriately, the official said adding, other filling stations caught hiding the products instead of sealing them, will be made to sell to the public at controlled price, in order to alleviate the suffering of the public.

The manager of FARMSKAN filling station, Mukhtar Zailani declined speaking with journalists.

A mild drama ensued at the station when an attendant, on sighting the task force, tried to re-adjust the pump price from illegal N215 price to N145, but ended up adjusting below the control price.

The task force also discovered 3, 800 litres of petrol and a 33,000 litre tanker loaded with kerosene at MAMU Petrol Station at Gwargwaji.

The station was immediately ordered to sell the product to the public at the approved price.

The team then moved around Zaria metropolis to ensure availability and sale of the products.

Abba Bukar, Executive Director, Operations, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company Limited, KRPC, who led the NNPC team, while speaking with our reporter said the Crude Distillation Unit is back on stream and is currently operating at 60 per cent production capacity.

At least you left the PPMC area office , and the depot, you have seen trucks being loaded with products out of those places.

PPMC should be able to give the exact number of trucks loading with different products from here, the EDO said, when pressed further on the number of trucks which had loaded so far from Kaduna, during the fuel crisis.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had on Wednesday directed members of the Senate committee on petroleum down stream, chaired by Kabiru Marafa, to cut short their holiday in order to seek ways of addressing the lingering fuel crisis.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




1. Yes. The ordinance goes against state law and is not in the best interest of the cities.

2. Yes. At the very least, it should be amended to give police officers some discretion.

3. No. Voters approved the ordinance by large majorities; the councils cant ignore that fact.

4. No. The petition process has to be given a chance to work. Leave the ordinance alone.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the cities should move forward regarding the ordinance.

Vote

View Results
By: ASDF International

Contact

Admin

***@asdf.res.in Admin

End

-- "The 7th ASDF Global Awards 2017 has declared the results of Phase 5 today in a press conference held in Chennai, India. The most awaited results of the ASDF Global Awards are now out by the core members of the Awards Committee and the International Secretary of ASDF jointly for all the 27 award categories."December 26, 2017  The Association of Scientists, Developers and Faculties hosts the Global Awards every across the world to identify and markup them into a higher level which could be visualised into a more important standard. The year long's suspense is now out after various degrees of ascertaining of documentation, qualification eligibility and multiple factors. The narrowing was done at multiple levels bringing out the 1001 nominations to 38.The Association of Scientists, Developers and Faculties (ASDF International), an International Organization fostering Research and Development hosts the Global Awards to recognise people from the micro level to a greater macro level. This is extended across the Globe to choose the best out of all. The team headed by Dr. Arulmurugan Vadivelu, President of ASDF Global Awards 2017, the outright task begun in February 2017 with an open call for the nomination of the ASDF Global Awards.With a back support from Dr. K. Maran, Vice  President  Academics who is the Director of Management Studies of Sairam Institute of Management Studies; Dr. Rajkumar Sugumaran, Vice  President  Industry who is the Senior Advisor of Techno Forum Group; Dr. C. V. Jayakumar, Vice  President  Research who is the Principal of Sairam Engineering College and winner of Previous edition ASDF Global Awards as Best ASDF Academic Administrator and Dr. R. Mahalakshmi, Vice  President  Bodies who is the Dean of GKM Group and winner of the Best Dean of the year 2012 the entire process was influentially into the track. Inline with the previous years ASDF has done an extraordinary job of hand picking the right ones on all the verticals. Certain categories were nominated, but on the rigorous process of choosing the right one, most of them were out of the track.The categories of ASDF Global Awards may comprise the following nominees at the end of the Phase 5 nominations. For the Best Academic Administrator Awards, we have Narayanan Madeshan of Golden Valley Integrated Campus.For the Best Academic Chairman Awards, we have Abdulla Musthaq Rashaadh of Avid College from the Maldives.For the Best Academic Dean Awards, Neelma Kunwar of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology.For the Best Academic Researcher Awards, there are 10 finalists which include Sridevi Gutta of Malla Reddy Institute of Technology; Krishna Gandhi Pachiappan of Nandha Engineering College; Jagannath M of VIT University Chennai; Sangamithra A of Kongu Engineering College; V Vimala of Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women; Junaid M Shaikh of Curtin University Malaysia; Suji Prasad S J of Kongu Engineering College; Kalavathi Devi Thangavel of Kongu Engineering College; Kannan Nithin K V of Kathir College of Engineering and Vaikundaselvan B of Kathir College of Engineering, Coimbatore, India.For the Best Computer Science Faculty, there are 8 finalists responsively including Praveen Kumar Mannepalli of Malla Reddy Institute of Technology; Sindhanaiselvan Kumar of M. Kumarasamy College of Engineering;Mohammed Ali Hussain of KL University; Varalakshmi Rajan of Vels University; Evangeline Devapragasam of Kongu Engineering College; Uma Priyadarsini P S of Saveetha School of Engineering;Rajagopal T K P of Kathir College of Engineering and R Manjula Devi of Kongu Engineering College.For the Best Professor Awards, there are 8 finalists widely including Dhanapal V of Bannari Amman Institute of Technology; Senthil Kumar Ajithan of Sanskrithi School Engineering;Arunachalam Kandavel of Anna University - MIT Campus; A Sheela of Kongu Engineering College; Srinivasan Pachamuthu of Kongu Engineering College; S Anusuya Venkatesan of Saveetha School of Engineering;Sumithra M G of Bannari Amman Institute of Technology and Vijayachitra S of Kongu Engineering College.For the Best Scientific Researcher Awards, there are six finalists widely including V Ganesh of CSIR - Central Electrochemical Research Institute; Subrata Kundu of CSIR - Central Electrochemical Research Institute; Suresh Sagadevan of AMET University; Sairabanu M Daragad of Smt. VHD Central Institute of Home Science; Sunita Chhapola Shukla of Mumbai Port Trust Hospital and Appavu Alias Balamurugan Subramanian of K. L. N. College of Information Technology.For the Best Young Entrepreneur Awards, we have Sachin Rajan Kale of Sri Tirupati Engineering Works.For the Best Lifetime Achievement Awards, there are two finalists widely including Ganesan Ganapathy of Adikavi Nannaya University and Latha K of Anna University (BIT Campus).The finalist though will be added into the website for the Hall of Fame had also been personally visited by a committee of the member(s) to validate and ascertain the documents submitted by every individual and institute. Always ASDF Global Awards aims at finding the right person after proper authentication and awarding them. The President of Global Awards has assured that the same trust and reliability of the Global Awards will be the primary motto and the same will be adhered with.Widely closing the committee along with the International Secretary of ASDF K. Kokula Krishna Hari and ASDF President (Incumbent-India)Gunasegaran Sengodan gave an open call for all the public to be as a part of this Global Awards and witness the victory of people on 30th December, 2017 at Holiday Inn Resorts Goa, Goa, Republic of India. Along with the President of ASDF Global Awards the Global President of Techno Forum Group S. Prithiv Rajan, Julie Rue Bishop, Daniel James, Rajkumar Sugumaran, Saikishore Elangovan, Manikandan Ayyapan, Kemplong Municief and other members were present.
LONDON, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5241403







Various initiatives taken by sanitary pad manufacturers, governments and NGOs operating across various African countries, coupled with rising awareness about personal hygiene among females is expected to boost Africa sanitary pads market over the next five years. Moreover, rising demand for reusable pads, which are highly cost-efficient, is anticipated to further boost Africa sanitary pads market in the coming years.



According to "Africa Sanitary Pads Market By Product Type, By Sales Channel, By Country, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2012  2022", Africa sanitary pads market is projected reach $ 779 million by 2022. Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Limited, Johnson & Johnson South Africa (Pty) Limited, Kimberly-Clark South Africa (Pty) Limited, Unicharm Middle East & North Africa Hygienic Industries S.A.E, Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget South Africa (Essity), Premier FMCG (Pty) Limited, Ontex Algeria, Toru?skie Zak?ady Materia?ow Opatrunkowych S.A., Societe d'Articles Hygieniques (SAH), Sankin Industries (Nigeria) Limited, Cepro Algerie Spa, Wemy Industries Limited, Bodywise (UK) Limited, Seventh Generation, Inc., and NSP Unsgaard (Pty) Limited. are some of the major player in the market.



"Africa Sanitary Pads Market By Product Type, By Sales Channel, By Country, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2012  2022" discusses the following aspects of sanitary pads market in Africa:

 Sanitary Pads Market Size, Share & Forecast

 Segmental Analysis  By Product Type (Disposable and Cloth/Reusable), By Sales Channel (Supermarket/Hypermarket, Drug Stores/Pharmacies, Online & Grocery/Retail Stores), By Country (South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Rest of Africa)

 Pricing & Competitive Analysis

 Changing Market Trends & Emerging Opportunities



Why You Should Buy This Report?

 To gain an in-depth understanding of sanitary pads market in Africa

 To identify the on-going trends and anticipated growth in the next five years

 To help industry consultants, sanitary pads manufacturers, distributors and other stakeholders align their market-centric strategies

 To obtain research based business decisions and add weight to presentations and marketing material

 To gain competitive knowledge of leading market players

 To avail 10% customization in the report without any extra charges and get the research data or trends added in the report as per the buyer's specific needs



Report Methodology

The information contained in this report is based upon both primary and secondary research. Primary research included interaction with sanitary pads manufacturers, distributors and industry experts. Secondary research included an exhaustive search of relevant publications like company annual reports, financial reports and proprietary databases.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5241403



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: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

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BEIJING, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology innovation has become the driving force behind the rise of green smart cities, with smart transportation being a major focus. On December 28, 2017, AIpark (parent company "Intelligent Interconnection") completed its Series A financing of over RMB 100 million, drawing market attention towards the hot topic of green smart transportation and cities. This round of investment was led by U.S.-China Green Fund with co-investment from Banyan China Capital.

In recent years, due to the rapid increase of motor vehicle ownership in China, traffic congestion and shortage of parking spaces have become a key challenge in urban development. Automotive exhaust emissions are a major source of air pollution. As Chinese cities are seeking sustainable urban development, they are turning towards building smart traffic systems including parking facility upgrades.

AIpark is a startup company that utilizes fourth-generation parking technology to manage city-wide road-side and garage parking systems. AIpark's Chairman, Mr. Jun Yan remarked, "This round of financing will be used to strengthen our research and development so that we can roll out more smart technologies, products, and services to gain more market share." With the capital infusion, AIpark can better integrate its domestic capabilities and expand into overseas markets.

U.S.-China Green Fund CEO Dr. Bo Bai stated, "The first and foremost challenge facing the creation of green smart cities is traffic congestion, environmental degradation, and high energy consumption. This is where our Fund comes in to address the issue. With our investment approach that combines industry expertise with technology and capital, we can help various vertical sectors, including the parking business, achieve energy savings and green upgrades."

Banyan China Capital Founding Partner Mr. Zhen Zhang said, "AIpark is an exemplary company in the industry that utilizes advanced technologies to improve the efficiency of urban operations. The company's management has created an advanced, comprehensive city-wide solution that has quickly taken off. We believe AIpark will help cities significantly improve their urban transportation while creating value for its customers."

When asked about the rationale behind the investment, Dr. Bai added, "technology and scale are the major drivers of profitability in the operations and management of the parking business. AIpark is the world's first company that has commercially applied fully intelligent image recognition technology to address the main challenges of urban development. The company has already taken several major Chinese cities and become an industry leader."

As of July 2017, the number of motor vehicles in China has exceeded 300 million. At the same time, the shortage of urban parking spaces has grown continuously. Lack of information flow between parking lot operators and drivers has led to low utilization of parking spaces. AI Park has introduced "AIpark City" and "AIpark One" intelligent parking management systems to specifically address city public parking and commercial building parking problems.

So far, "AIpark City" has already launched in Beijing, Shijiazhuang and Handan, substantially improving the quality of public parking services, reducing operating costs, and more than doubling revenues. More than one thousand parking lots in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Handan, Zhangjiakou, Xi'an, and Jinan have successfully integrated "AIpark One" into their management systems. The use of "AIpark One" helped operators increase more than 50% in revenue and reduce 60% in operating costs.

Over the years, local governments in China have actively introduced relevant laws and regulations and implemented a variety of technologies such as handheld PDA terminals, ground magnetic sensors, and video polls to address parking challenges. However, constrained by physical spaces, these devices have not achieved satisfactory results due to issues such as existence of blind spots, difficulties in obtaining violation evidence, and physical damage to road surfaces.

Dr. Bai noted that to "build a green smart city, one would require integrated holistic solutions to achieve smart parking and resolve city-wide transportation problems. Mr. Yan added, "AIpark has committed to becoming a comprehensive city-level parking solution provider from the start. It has pioneered a 'G + B' to 'C' business model, which links parking spaces in government facilities (G) and commercial buildings (B) with car owners (C), to address urban parking challenges."

Dr. Bai added, "U.S.-China Green Fund has been systematically analyzing the parking industry. It was eye-opening to see AIpark's business model. With our cross-border integration capabilities, we can help AIpark expand its business to overseas market." AIpark intends to begin operations in Hong Kong and Singapore in the near term.

Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is being rapidly used in many sectors including urban operations and transportation. AIpark has plans to incorporate the latest AI technology to enhance the intelligence of existing products and systems.

AIpark is in the process of developing its "AII Blue Brain" or "Artificial Intelligence Identification Blue Brain," which combines scenario intelligence, supercomputing, and scenario recognition technologies to achieve fully autonomous management and monitoring of parking facilities. It will disrupt existing business models and the competitive landscape, leading the industry into the next level of innovation.

U.S.-China Green Fund

U.S.-China Green Fund is a commercially-run private equity fund whose mission is to promote sustainable green development in China through innovative U.S.-China collaborations in finance, green technology and business models. The Green Fund has developed a unique five-pillared business model "P.R.I.M.E." (Policy, Research, Integration, Money and Execution), to leverage policy support and use "industry + technology + capital" investment strategy to support strong execution teams to achieve its goal to "Invest  Greenergize China." The Fund has made a number of investments in two main areas: 1) green energy, energy efficiency, and environmental protection and 2) green smart cities and villages, making great strides in commercial building energy efficiency, data center energy savings, green smart homes, waste heat recovery, distributed solar, and green smart parking etc.

SOURCE U.S.-China Green Fund
VANCOUVER, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Aritzia Inc. ("Aritzia" or the "Company") (TSX: ATZ), an innovative design house and fashion retailer of exclusive brands, invites interested parties to participate in its third quarter 2018 earnings conference call, occurring on January 10, 2018, at 1:30 pm PDT / 4:30 pm EDT. The Company's third quarter 2018 earnings results will be released after TSX market close the same day.

Details of the call are as follows:

Date: January 10, 2018

Time: 1:30 pm PDT / 4:30 pm EDT

Analysts and institutional investors may participate via conference call, using the following dial-in information:

1-800-319-4610 (Toll-free North America )

) 1-416-915-3239 ( Toronto and overseas long-distance)

and overseas long-distance) Please ask to participate in Aritzia's third quarter 2018 earnings call (conference ID: 10004115)

Media and other interested parties may listen to the conference call via webcast, by selecting the third quarter 2018 earnings call webcast link on the events page of http://investors.aritzia.com.

A replay of the conference call can be accessed shortly after the conclusion of the call, and will remain available until January 24, 2018. To access the replay, please dial 1-855-669-9658 and use replay access code 1973. A replay of the webcast will be available at the conclusion of the call and will remain on Aritzia's investor relations website.

About Aritzia

Aritzia is an innovative design house and fashion retailer of exclusive brands. The Company designs apparel and accessories for its collection of exclusive brands and sells them under the Aritzia banner. The Company's expansive and diverse range of women's fashion apparel and accessories addresses a broad range of style preferences and lifestyle requirements. Aritzia is well known and deeply loved by its customers in Canada with growing customer awareness and affinity in the United States and outside of North America. Aritzia aims to delight its customers through an aspirational shopping experience and exceptional customer service that extends across its more than 80 retail stores and eCommerce business, aritzia.com.

SOURCE Aritzia Inc.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals has agreed to reconsider National Press Club Press Freedom award-winner Emilio Gutierrez's asylum petition following a campaign by club members and allied professional journalism organizations to prevent the Mexican reporter from being deported to his home country, where he is under a death threat.

The NPC and its nonprofit Journalism Institute received word of the BIA decision this week; nonetheless, Gutierrez and his son, Oscar, remain in an El Paso immigration detention facility. They have been confined since Dec. 7, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials took them into custody after an ICE attempt to deport the two men was halted by an order of the BIA.

"We are delighted to hear that Emilio's case will be reconsidered," said National Press Club President Jeff Ballou. "But we must ask why one of our 2017 Press Freedom award winners remains behind bars when an arm of the Justice Department has determined that his case deserves to be adjudicated.

"Emilio and his son are guilty of no crime and it is costing U.S. taxpayers more than $250 a day to keep these two men confined," Ballou added. "We ask William Joyce, the acting field director of the ICE El Paso office, to do the right thing and release Emilio and Oscar to the community where they have lived peacefully and lawfully for many years as they await an asylum ruling."

Gutierrez fled Mexico in 2008 with his then-15-year-old son and sought asylum in the U.S. after a confidential source informed him his reporting on official corruption had landed him on a "hit list." Mexico has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists; at least a dozen have been murdered there in 2017 alone.

In July, nearly a decade after Gutierrez first applied for asylum, an El Paso immigration judge, Robert Hough, denied his request, arguing that Mexican officials could protect him and questioning his journalistic credentials. In October, Gutierrez appeared before a packed National Press Club ballroom to accept the John Aubuchon Press Freedom award on behalf of Mexico's journalists. On Dec. 7, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials attempted to take Gutierrez and his son back across the border, despite the fact that Hough's decision was on appeal and the BIA had ordered a stay of deportation.

On Dec. 21, National Press Club Executive Director Bill McCarren visited Gutierrez in the immigration detention center in El Paso, accompanied by local congressman Beto O'Rourke. They pleaded for a humanitarian Christmas release of Gutierrez and his son while the case is being adjudicated. But ICE officials insisted the two are "flight risks" and that the Bureau of Immigration Appeals was about to deny Gutierrez's request for a review of his case. The next day, the BIA granted that request.

ICE's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, opposed the review in a brief that focused not on the issue of reporter safety, but the legalistic question of whether Gutierrez's request for review was filed in a timely fashion. Ironically, the DHS filed its brief late.

"It turns out that ICE was wrong about the BIA," said NPC Journalism Institute President Barbara Cochran. "We think ICE is wrong about Emilio and Oscar too. Why not save U.S. taxpayers money by letting them out of jail while their case is adjudicated? As a journalist, Emilio called out criminals; he doesn't deserve to be treated like one."

Nearly two dozen journalism organizations are supporting the National Press Club's call for justice for Gutierrez, as are the editorial boards of The Washington Post and the Houston Chronicle. An online #FreeEmilio petition at change.org has attracted more than 22,000 signatures.

Contact: Kathy Kiely, Press Freedom Fellow, [email protected]; 202-256-4748

SOURCE National Press Club

Related Links

http://www.press.org/


PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Charter School Capital, the first national financial services provider exclusively focused on charter schools and the students they serve, has in just 10 years invested $1.6 billion in charter schools in 11 states, serving upwards of 800,000 students in more than 600 schools across the country. The Portland-based firm's growth numbers are staggering, with assets under management (AUM) growth regularly hitting more than 20 percent year over year, including a 38 percent growth rate in 2017.

The growth of Charter School Capital has been impressive, especially when considering the firm would choose to focus on a market that was untapped when president, CEO and co-founder Stuart Ellis became aware of the funding challenges faced by charter schools. Ellis left his job as a bank consultant and shared his vision for solving these funding challenges with eventual co-founder and chief financial officer, Brad Coburn, then a managing director at Countrywide Financial. Together, the two created a solution for charter schools that was previously unavailable.

"We knew that we wanted to do something with a big social impact  schools and the teachers who inspired us made a big difference in our lives," says Ellis. "When we learned about the many obstacles that charter schools endure around maintaining a flow of working capital, we knew it was a problem we could solve."

Charter School Capital first focused on providing a reliable source of funding to charter schools who were growing in order to help them stabilize operations in the following areas:

payroll

facilities enhancements

technology

books

ongoing operations

It was in 2007 when Charter School Capital provided its first charter school client with working capital, allowing the charter school to focus on education  not finances. Coinciding with the worst credit market crisis in decades, when financial markets were drying up around the world, this first transaction became the business model that drove Charter School Capital to its market leading position today.

In 2014, Charter School Capital expanded its capabilities to include facilities financing through the formation of American Education Properties, LLC (AEP). Unlike other facilities financing options, AEP financing was designed to allow each school to determine its own long-term facility needs by offering continued access and full control of their buildings. This approach represented a major improvement from the year-to-year lease renewals typically faced by charter schools. Through AEP, Charter School Capital has purchased 41 charter school facilities around the country.

"We have a team of talented and passionate people and partners who believe in what we do and the communities we serve," says Ellis. "They're what's really behind our growth and success. The most gratifying aspect is in knowing that we've helped more than 800,000 students. That's a lot of families, and a lot of bright futures."

About Charter School Capital:

Launched in 2006, Charter School Capital delivers access to growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide, opening the funding options charter schools historically have not had. Charter School Capital has provided $1.6 billion in funding to 600+ charter schools, providing high-quality education to more than 800,000 students across the United States. For more information, visit charterschoolcapital.org or email [email protected].

SOURCE Charter School Capital

Related Links

http://www.charterschoolcapital.org


XIAMEN, China, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- China Xiniya Fashion Limited ("Xiniya" or the "Company"NYSE: XNY), announced today that it has received approval from NYSE American LLC ("NYSE American") to list its American Depositary Share ("ADS") on the NYSE American. The approval for the listing application was received on December 27, 2017.

The Company expects that its ADS will begin trading on the NYSE American on December 29, 2017 under its current symbol "XNY". In addition, as previously announced the Company announced intends to effect a ratio change of its ADS whereby each ADS will represent forty-eight ordinary shares, par value $0.00005 per share ("Shares") of the Company rather than the current sixteen Shares represented before such amendment (the "Ratio Change"). The effective date of the Ratio Change is expected to be on December 28, 2017.

In connection with Ratio Change, holders of ADSs will be required to surrender their ADSs for exchange into ADSs reflecting the Ratio Change. The Depositary will notify registered holders of ADRs of the process for such exchange. As a result of the Ratio Change, the ADS price will initially automatically increase proportionally. The Company can give no assurance, however, that the post-Ratio Change ADS price (on an underlying Share basis) will be equal to or greater than the pre-Ratio Change ADS price (on an underlying Share basis).

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "target", "going forward", "outlook" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law.

For additional information, please contact:

China Xiniya Fashion Limited

Mr. Chee Jiong Ng

Chief Financial Officer

Telephone: +86 1365 5939 932

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE China Xiniya Fashion Limited
KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingulate Therapeutics, LLC, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new and innovative products utilizing its precision timed release drug delivery platform technology, today announced that Cingulate's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Shane J Schaffer, will present at the 10th Annual Biotech Showcase on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at 2:15 p.m. Pacific Time. The conference takes place January 810, 2018, at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, San Francisco, California.

Management will discuss the regulatory strategy for the Company's lead product candidates CTX-1301 and CTX-1302 as well as the innate value of the drug delivery platform technology that enabled the creation of these two potential blockbusters. In addition to the scheduled presentation, management will be available for 1:1 meetings. For more information about the conference or to schedule a meeting, please contact Jonathon D. Brzezinski, Ph.D. at [email protected].

About Cingulate Therapeutics

Cingulate Therapeutics, LLC is a privately held clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new and innovative products utilizing the Company's innovative drug delivery platform technology that enables the formulation and manufacture of once-daily tablets of multi-dose therapies, with an initial focus on for the treatment of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Cingulate is developing two proprietary, first-line stimulant medications, CTX-1301 (dexmethylphenidate) and CTX-1302 (dextroamphetamine), for the treatment of ADHD intended for all patient segments: children, adolescents, and adults. CTX-1301 and CTX-1302 utilize an innovative, flexible core tableting technology with a Target Product Profile designed to deliver a rapid onset and last the entire active day while minimizing the afternoon crash and impact on sleep and appetite. The Company has completed a Proof of Concept Phase I clinical trial and plans to implement the full clinical plan for both CTX-1301 and CTX-1302 in early 2018. Cingulate anticipates filing INDs for both products in the first quarter of 2018 and will pursue approval via the accelerated 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. The company has offices in Kansas City, KS and Morristown, NJ. For more information visit www.cingulatetherapeutics.com.

For Investors & Media:

Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc. on behalf of Cingulate Therapeutics

Jonathon Brzezinski, Ph.D.: [email protected]; (212) 375-2681

Janine McCargo: [email protected]; (646) 604-5150

SOURCE Cingulate Therapeutics, LLC
FAIRFAX, Va., Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Elaine M. Vadas, Esq. is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Professional in the field of Law in recognition of her role as Owner and Founder of Vadas Law Firm, PLC.

Specializing in the areas of Family Law, Divorce Separation and Mediation, Custody and Visitation Issues, and Child and Spousal Support, Vadas Law Firm, PLC is equipped in handling all facets of family law. Ensuring their clients receive quality, protected assistance, the team at Vadas offers services to assist in ensuring that "all child and spousal support decisions, equitable distribution decisions, settlement agreement decisions and custody decisions are fair." Offering a wide array of services to their clients, the law firm is specialized in divorce, separation and mediation, family law, custody and visitation issues, and more. Vadas Law Firm offers each of their clients personalized council, catering to the individual needs of every case.

Amassing over nineteen years of experience in the industry and two and a half years at the firm, Vadas is an expert in family law services. An advocate of the dynamics of the law, Vadas strives to focus on the best interest of the child. Experienced in finding "alternative resolutions to family disputes like mediation and arbitration," throughout the course of her career, Vadas has retained experience in Family Law and court appointed Guardian-Ad-Litem.

Attributing her acute social working skills and her sense of humor to her success in the workplace, Vadas prides herself on "acting as a buffer between parties while ensuring that her clients are well represented," while making traumatized clients feel as comfortable as possible. In addition, Vadas is well experienced in oral arguments and writing briefs as she has had experience in preparing arguments for the Virginia Court of Appeals and writing briefs for the Virginia Supreme Court.

Throughout the course of her educational career, Vadas attended New England School of Law in Boston where she received her JD and attended Buffalo University where she received her MSW. She also attended Nazareth College where she attained her Bachelor of Science degree.

Vadas dedicates this recognition to her mentor Ilona Grenadier.

For more information please visit http://www.vadaslawfairfax.com/.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
DRAPER, Utah, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. (FLXT) today announces Q4 2017 topline revenue is expected to show increase and position the company for a record breaking year with revenue contributions coming from multiple key market segments.

Medical Device orders were significantly up in the quarter with a sizeable contribution from Haemoband. Revenue from this group will exceed $50,000 USD. They continue market development of their Flexpoint designed/developed, and patent protected colonoscope system, Cologuide. Haemoband, again with Flexpoint as their design/development partner, has also begun a simultaneous launch of additional technologies for other medical applications. The market size for the additional technologies is exponentially larger than that of Cologuide; representing (globally) potentially millions of units annually.

Flexpoint has also had repeat, multiple order volume from medical IoT customers such as Switzerland-based Reha Stim Medtec (formerly known as YouReHab) and South Korea-based Neofect. These customers produce award winning and commercially available Bend Sensor- based rehabilitation systems.

In the VR/AR marketspace, orders of increasing size and frequency were received in Q4 from Manus VR and Virtual Motion Labs as they strive to fulfill production orders. Flexpoint also received orders from other global VR/AR customers during the quarter.

The medical wearables application segment has produced orders from multiple companies. The most notable is Focal Wellness. Focal Wellness has entered the pre-mass commercialization phase with multiple global orthopedic product distributors of their Bend Sensor based Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) system. Flexpoint is increasingly confident these will prove to be large revenue contributors in 2018 and beyond.

Commenting on these results and the outlook, Paul Sexauer, Flexpoint VP Sales & Marketing states "Flexpoint is executing on its strategies. We concentrated on developing a strong customer network of design, integration and distribution partners in strategically targeted market segments. In each of these segments we have competitive advantages which help to differentiate us. We have engaged with partners whose businesses are rapidly evolving, and we are very pleased that the market adoption and commercial rollout of these inventive and innovative technologies has come as swiftly as it has. Based on the foundation we set in 2017, we expect our growth rate to be even higher in 2018."

Flexpoint sees continued growth in VR/AR, Consumer Electronics and Medical in 2018. This will leverage the company's demonstrated strengths going forward.

Please visit http://www.flexpoint.com/ for more information.

About Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc.

Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. (FLXT) is an innovative technology firm specializing in developing products that feature the Company's patented Bend Sensor and related technology. The Bend Sensor is a groundbreaking sensing solution that is revolutionizing applications in the automotive, safety, medical and industrial industries. The Bend Sensor single-layer, thin film construction cuts costs and mechanical bulk while introducing a range of functions and stylistic design possibilities that have never before been available in sensing technology. Flexpoint's technology and expertise have been recognized by the world's elite business and academic innovators for over 17 years. The company is setting a new standard for sensing solutions in the "smart" age of technology.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that certain statements in this release are "forward-looking statements" and involve both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such uncertainties include, among others, certain risks associated with the operation of the company described above. The Company's actual results could differ materially from expected results.

Contact Information:

Flexpoint Sensor Systems

Clark Mower, President

801-568-5111

Brokers and Analysts

Chesapeake Group

410-825-3930

SOURCE Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.flexpoint.com


"We remain committed to doing everything we can to help restore electric service to our fellow Americans citizens of Puerto Rico," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "This is what we do in the electric utility industry. Our lineworkers are thoroughly trained, well-equipped and eager to get into the field to start making a difference in Puerto Rico where so many of our employees have strong ties. We recognize just how difficult it is to be without power after a major hurricane, which is why our leadership team remained on the island throughout the Christmas holiday. Now, we're working to quickly assemble crews, trucks and electric equipment to join this next wave of support. We will remain on the island as long as we're needed."

All of the island's 3.5 million residents lost power due to Hurricane Maria in late September. FPL lineworkers and staff are part of a nearly 1,500-person contingency of electric workers from Edison Electric Institute (EEI) member, U.S. investor-owned utilities scheduled to arrive in Puerto Rico in early January. Ahead of their arrival, FPL will transport vehicles and electric equipment via barges from the Port of Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County, Fla.

The company's lineworkers and support staff will work with the 10-person FPL incident management team (IMT) that's been working in Puerto Rico since Dec. 10. FPL employees represent one of seven IMT assigned to seven regions across the island in coordination with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and electric company contractors who already are restoring power. FPL's IMT will continue to support power restoration in the region of Bayamon, just west of San Juan.

FPL's support of power restoration in Puerto Rico began after the energy company completed its own restoration in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. In the days immediately following Hurricane Maria, NextEra Energy, FPL's parent company, donated $100,000 and matched the same amount from employee donations to help those affected by the storm. Many employees also held fundraisers and supply drives to assist those impacted across the island.

"With so many of our customers and employees having family and other connections to Puerto Rico, we feel a responsibility to help get the lights back on," said Manny Miranda, senior vice president of power delivery for FPL. "Our lineworkers and staff are battle-tested, having just completed the unprecedented restoration of more than 4.4 million FPL customers in the wake of Hurricane Irma. I have no doubt that our most-experienced lineworkers  working hand-in-hand with our leadership team  will hit the ground running to help restoring service safely and as quickly as possible."

Operationally, FPL coordinated the delivery of thousands of power line poles and other equipment to Puerto Rico and accompanied Florida Governor Rick Scott to the island in November. Since that time, FPL leadership has remained in Puerto Rico where it has been providing technical expertise and guidance to support the restoration effort. Gov. Scott has made the support of Puerto Rico's citizens a top priority in the wake of Hurricane Maria, communicating regularly with Governor Rossello, traveling to the island to offer the state's assistance, and regularly meeting with and being briefed by FPL.

Mutual assistance throughout the energy industry plays a critical role in the restoration of power following severe weather events, such as hurricanes, ice storms and tornadoes. In September, crews from 30 states and Canada came to Florida to support the more than 4.4 million FPL customers following Hurricane Irma. In fact, those workers, coupled with FPL's more than $3 billion of investments over the past decade to build a stronger and smarter energy grid, helped shave days off the restoration.

In turn, FPL crews have traveled across the nation to help restore power following major weather events many times in the past, including the deployment of approximately 1,000 FPL personnel to the Northeast in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Recently, more than 300 men and women deployed to Maine and Connecticut to assist with restoration activity following an October Nor'easter.

Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company is the third-largest electric utility in the United States, serving nearly 5 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million people across nearly half of the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 25 percent lower than the latest national average and, in 2016, was the lowest in Florida among reporting utilities for the seventh year in a row. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all utilities nationwide. The company received the top ranking in the southern U.S. among large electric providers, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM, and was recognized in 2017 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,900 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2017 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

Note to Editors: B-roll package of trucks being loaded onto a barge at the Port of Fort Pierce - https://fplexternal.sharefile.com/d-s12136ca3d564782b

SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company

Related Links

http://www.FPL.com


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, December 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Future Farm Technologies Inc. (the "Company" or "Future Farm") (CSE: FFT) (OTCQB: FFRMF) is pleased to announce that it has set a closing date of January 4, 2018 on its previously announced 10-acre operating greenhouse acquisition, which generated an estimated $2,600,000 USD in revenue and $400,000 USD in EBITDA for 2017. This acquisition represents a major milestone for the Company and positions it in the emerging Florida cannabis market, estimated by some to have $1 billion in annual sales by 2020.

The Company is also pleased to announce that it has secured a $4,000,000 USD investment, its largest investment to date, from Yorkville Advisors Global, LP ("Yorkville"). Proceeds from the private placement will be used to acquire the previously announced 10-acre operating greenhouse in Florida. The business and associated property have been approved at the county level for cultivation and processing of cannabis.

"Although the Florida acquisition has taken longer than anticipated, we see the Yorkville financing and the revenue-generating acquisition in Florida as major milestones for Future Farm and its shareholders since it puts us in one of the fastest growing cannabis and hemp markets in the country," says William Gildea, Future Farm's CEO and Chairman. "We expect that this acquisition will bring Future Farm $2,600,000 USD in revenue and $400,000 USD in EBITDA, which positions the Company for tremendous growth in 2018 and for years to come."

The greenhouse is in a designated legal grow zone with close proximity to Orlando, which has a local population of almost 2.5 million and attracts over 62 million visitors annually, making it a prime location. Shareholders will be excited to know that the farm is much more than a "zoned for cannabis" piece of land, but also a fully operational greenhouse business already in full production. The greenhouse property, which has been family operated since 1959, currently grows ornamental plants sold in big-box stores throughout North America.

The Company intends to continue operating the greenhouse as is while it applies for licensing as a cannabis cultivator with the State of Florida. The Company is also exploring the possibility of growing hemp on the remaining acreage of farmland.

Under the terms of the Yorkville financing, the Company has agreed to enter into two Secured Convertible Debentures, each bearing annual interest at 8% and repayable within 18-months, or convertible into Common Shares of the Company. Debenture No. 1 is in the Principal Amount of US$2,340,000, that amount and any accrued interest can be converted into Common Shares at a price of C$0.30 per share. Debenture No. 2 is in the Principal Amount of US$1,660,000, that amount and any accrued interest can be converted into Common Shares at a price of C$0.60 per share. In connection with the Debentures, the Company has also granted warrants to purchase 6,459,212 Common Shares at an average price of C$0.56 per share. The warrants expire on December 21, 2020.

As further part of this financing, the Company will pay a 10% broker fee to Moody Capital Solutions Inc., of which fee 3% is due to Atlanta Diversified.

On behalf of the Board,

Future Farm Technologies Inc.

William Gildea, CEO & Chairman

About Future Farm

Future Farm Technologies Inc. is a Canadian company with projects throughout North America including California, Florida and Maryland. The Company's business model includes developing and acquiring technologies that will position it as a leader in the evolution of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for the global production of various types of plants, with a focus on cannabis. Future Farm provides scalable, indoor CEA systems that utilize minimal land, water and energy regardless of climate, location or time of year and are customized to grow an abundance of crops close to consumers, therefore minimizing food miles and its impact to the environment. The Company holds an exclusive, worldwide license to use a patented vertical farming technology that, when compared to traditional plant production methods, generates yields up to 10 times greater per square foot of land. The contained system provides many other benefits including 90% less water, fertilizer and land used, less travel costs, seed to sale security, scalability, consistency due to year-round production, cost control, product safety and purity by eliminating environmental variability. The Company also utilizes a leading cannabis oil extraction technology, which enables the Company to process 20lbs/hour of cannabis plant to yield approximately 908 grams/hour of oil.

The Company is also in the business of designing and distributing LED lighting solutions utilizing the COB and MCOB technology. The Company is focused on delivering cost efficient lighting to North America via advanced e-commerce sites the Company owns and operates. LEDCanada.com, which caters to B2B customers, is a supplier of the newest and highest demand LED solutions. The Company also owns and operates COBGrowlights.com, which caters to both large and small agriculture green houses and controlled cultivation centers.

The Company recently acquired the exclusive right to use a patented, augmented reality (AR) technology in the cannabis industry. As described in more detail above, the Company has decided to spin this asset off to its shareholders.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

For further information, contact:

William Gildea

Director

+617-834-9467



SOURCE Future Farm Technologies Inc.
SAO PAULO, Dec. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. ("GOL" or "Company"), (NYSE: GOL and B3: GOLL4), Brazil's #1 airline, informs its shareholders and the market in general that the readjustment of the transfer price was calculated as provided in the Miles and Airline Ticket Purchase Agreement ("Agreement") signed on December 28, 2012 between (i) GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. ("GLAI"), controlling Shareholder of Smiles Fidelidade S.A. ("Smiles") and GOL Linhas Aereas S.A. ("GLA"), (ii) GLA, provider, client and controlled by GLAI, and (iii) Smiles Fidelidade S.A., controlled by GLAI. The readjustment will be as follows: (i) the price of standard airline tickets sold by GLA to Smiles will decrease by 0.6%; (ii) the price of miles sold to GLA by Smiles will decrease by 1.5%. The Smiles' Independent Committee and Board of Directors unanimously approved the mentioned adjustments that will come into effect as of January 1, 2018.

Investor Relations

[email protected]

www.voegol.com.br/ir

+55(11) 2128-4700

About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

Brazil's largest airline group. GOL is Brazil's largest airline, carrying 33 million passengers annually on more than 700 daily flights to 64 destinations, 53 in Brazil and 11 in South America and the Caribbean, on a fleet of 120 Boeing 737 aircraft, with a further 120 Boeing 737 MAX on order. GOLLOG is a leading cargo transportation and logistics business serving more than 2,400 Brazilian municipalities and, through partners, 205 international destinations in 95 countries. SMILES is one of the largest coalition loyalty programs in Latin America, with 13 million registered participants, allowing clients to accumulate miles and redeem tickets for more than 700 locations worldwide. GOL has a team of more than 15,000 highly skilled aviation professionals delivering Brazil's top on-time performance, and an industry leading 16 year safety record. GOL's shares are traded on the NYSE (GOL) and the B3 (GOLL4).

SOURCE GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

Related Links

http://www.voegol.com.br/ir


"As an institution in the community, we strive to be a company of compassion and to do our part in helping others who need it the most, especially during the Christmas season," said Rafael Toro, Director of Public Relations of Goya Foods. "Through our Goya Gives initiative, we support over 250 organizations like Catholic Charities, who are committed to helping and improving the welfare of our communities." The donation of $10,000 will cover the costs of winter coats and blankets that will be distributed to the homeless in New Jersey and the toys will go to children and families staying at the Hope House Homeless Shelter in Jersey City and St. Rocco's Emergency Family Shelter in Newark.

"On behalf of our entire Catholic Charities family, and all those in need who we serve, we are most appreciative of Goya's incredible generosity," stated John Westervelt, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark. "The support provided to our homeless population, via coats, blankets, and gifts to the children in our family shelters, will help to brighten the holidays for many. The ongoing and substantial donation of food helps us to provide assistance to those without enough to eat throughout the year."

The donation is part of Goya Gives, a national initiative committed to promoting and supporting the overall well-being of our communities through social responsibility, environmental initiatives, and company values. Over the years, Goya has donated millions of pounds of food to organizations worldwide and continues to support over 250 organizations and cultural institutions. For more information about Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com.

For more information about Catholic Charities or naming opportunities, please contact Peter Ruccione at Catholic Charities at (973) 639-6531, or visit our website at www.ccannj.org for more information.

About GOYA: Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world; the combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings, and convenient preparation makes Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com

About Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark: Tracing its roots to 1903, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark is a not-for-profit social service agency of the Roman Catholic Church within the Archdiocese of Newark. As one of New Jersey's oldest and largest agencies, Catholic Charities serves approximately 76,000 individuals and families each year in over 87 programs. Catholic Charities as a ministry of the Archdiocese of Newark participates in the Church's social mission by recognizing the inherent dignity and worth of all people and responding with sincere Christian compassion to the corporeal needs of the poor and marginalized. The service of Catholic Charities is inspired by faith in Jesus Christ, Sacred Scripture, and the continuing exposition of Catholic social teaching. Through these activities, Catholic Charities strives to assist individuals in need, strengthen families, and provide those it serves with an experience of God's mercy. This mission is pursued through a network of caring, effective, and well-managed social service professionals within the four counties served by the Archdiocese: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union. The programs provide shelters for the homeless, food to the impoverished; care for the elderly and mentally ill, and education to children with developmental disabilities. Catholic Charities is a Ministry of the Church, a concrete illustration of the Church's commitment to ease suffering and bring social justice and hope to all, without regard to religion, race or culture.

Media Contact:

Natalie Maniscalco

845.659.6506

[email protected]

SOURCE Goya Foods

Related Links

https://www.goya.com


DAEJEON, South Korea, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hanon Systems (KS:018880), a global automotive supplier of thermal and energy management solutions, today announces it has entered into an agreement to establish a second joint venture with FAWER Automotive Parts Limited Company, a leading Chinese automotive components company.

The new joint venture will operate under the name HFAC (Hanon FAWER Automotive Component) and produce electric compressors, fluid transport components, and exhaust gas recirculation modules and components from a manufacturing site in Changchun, China. In terms of equity structure, Hanon Systems holds majority interest at 55 percent and FAWER holds the remaining 45 percent on the basis of capital worth 155 million Yuan (approximately 25.4 billion KRW).

This agreement marks the second partnership between the two companies following establishment of FHTS (FAWER Hanon Thermal Systems) in 1995. As part of the new alliance in HFAC, both parties agree to change the current 50:50 equity structure in FHTS to a 55 percent ownership by FAWER.

"China continues to be an important market for Hanon Systems in terms of growth in support of automakers operating in the local market," said In-Young Lee, president and chief executive officer of Hanon Systems. "We are pleased to build on the positive relationship with FAWER to establish this new joint venture to bolster our ability to serve our customers in China with innovative, efficient and eco-friendly solutions."

HFAC is one of several joint venture partnerships for Hanon Systems in China, which are focused on enhancing shareholder value and supporting the company's growing global business as a leader in automotive thermal and energy management solutions.

About Hanon Systems

Hanon Systems is a full-line supplier of automotive thermal and energy management solutions. Products include heating ventilation and air conditioning; powertrain cooling; compressors; fluid transport; and thermal and emissions solutions for conventional and electric, hybrid, fuel cell and autonomous vehicles. With 40 manufacturing and 18 engineering sites across 20 countries, the company employs more than 16,500 people. To learn more, visit hanonsystems.com.

SOURCE Hanon Systems

Related Links

http://www.hvccglobal.com


The full list of category winners includes:

Yuzi , Shadows Gazing Back ; Category: @All; shot on a Huawei Nova

, ; Category: @All; shot on a Cao Di , The Swimming Pool in Sahara ; Category: Check-In; shot on a Huawei P10 Plus

, ; Category: Check-In; shot on a Huawei P10 Plus Jiang Mingdeng , The Music Takes You Higher ; Category: 3x3; shot on a Huawei Mate 9 Pro

, ; Category: 3x3; shot on a 9 Pro Francisca Reyes , Subtle Summer ; Category: Hello, Life!; shot on a Huawei P10 **Grand Prize Winner**

, ; Category: Hello, Life!; shot on a Huawei P10 **Grand Prize Winner** Wang Ailing , The Night Train ; Category: Citizen Witness; shot on a Huawei Nova Plus

, ; Category: Citizen Witness; shot on a Huawei Nova Plus La Petite Touche , Rose ; Category: My, Myself, and I; shot on a Huawei P10

, ; Category: My, Myself, and I; shot on a Huawei P10 Clouin Kim, A Dream of S; Category: Timeline; shot on a Huawei P10 Plus

Grand Prize Winner Francisca Reyes, whose work Subtle Summer took the prize in the "Hello, All" category as well, said of her photo: "I took this picture in my mother's house in Santiago, Chile, on a late spring day. My six-year-old daughter Pascuala had spent the afternoon in the pool, and we were ready to leave. Her hair was wet and dripping over her dress, so I wrapped it in a braided ponytail. I thought the light was beautiful with sunset approaching, and her simple, red and yellow dress played well with the color of the walls and the art. I think there's something mysterious about the way she is standing in the room, reflecting after looking at the woman in the painting. I wonder what she was thinking about."

The NEXT-IMAGE Awards jury was composed of Mark Lubell, Executive Director of the International Center of Photography; Alex Webb, Magnum Photos photographer; Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director and Chief Representative of Leica Galleries International; Liu Heung Shing, Pulitzer Prizewinning photojournalist and Founding Director of the Shanghai Center of Photography; Li Changzhu, Vice President of Huawei Smartphones; He Hongshan, actress and photographer; NK, freelance photographer; and ICP students Alphanso Appleton, photojournalist; Rebecca Morrello, freelance photographer; and Roy Baizan, Teaching Assistant of the Bronx Documentary Center.

The NEXT-IMAGE Awards category winners won a Huawei MateBook X and Huawei Mate 10. The Grand Prize Winner received $20,000.

The contest marked the first phase of an exciting partnership between ICP and Huawei, which kicked off this fall and will run through 2018. The collaboration is designed to celebrate the power of photography and engage talented imagemakers from around the world in a global dialogue. To learn more, go to https://www.icp.org/news/icp-announces-partnership-with-huawei.

ABOUT HUAWEI

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services provider, as well as the third largest smartphone brand in the world, committed to creating maximum value for carriers, enterprises, and consumers, becoming an enabler for a growing information-driven society, and building a better connected world. With an open and cooperative approach, stable operation, and continuous innovation, Huawei has established end-to-end capabilities and strengths across the telecom carrier network, enterprise, consumer, and cloud computing fields. Currently, Huawei has over 180,000 employees and serves more than 170 countries and regions and over one third of the world's population.

ABOUT ICP

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is the world's leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. Cornell Capa founded ICP in 1974 to preserve the legacy of "concerned photography"the creation of socially and politically-minded images that have the potential to educate and change the worldand the center's mission endures today, even as the photographic medium and imagemaking practices have evolved. Through its exhibitions, school, public programs, and community outreach, ICP offers an open forum for dialogue about the role that photographs, videos, and new media play in our society. To date, it has presented more than 700 exhibitions and offered thousands of classes at every level. ICP brings together photographers, artists, students, and scholars to create and interpret the realm of the image. Here, members of this unique community are encouraged to explore photography and visual culture as mediums of empowerment and as catalysts for wide-reaching social change. Visit icp.org to learn more.

SOURCE International Center of Photography

Related Links

http://icp.org


WILMINGTON, Del. and ASHDOD, Israel, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrity Applications, Inc. ("Integrity") (OTCQB: IGAP), innovator of GlucoTrack, a non-invasive device for measuring glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with MediReva B.V. for the GlucoTrack in the Netherlands. According to the International Diabetes Federation, as of 2017, there are an estimated number of 970,000 adults living with diabetes in the Netherlands, representing approximately 5.7% of the adult population. The agreement became effective on December 22nd, 2017.

MediReva, a family owned business for almost 40 years, consists of a group of companies focused on home healthcare and the distribution of specialty medical products with extensive experience with blood glucose monitoring and diabetes care.

Paul Ummels, CEO of MediReva, expressed, "MediReva is one of the leading home care support companies in the Netherlands. We have years of experience in helping patients manage their diabetes and we are excited about bringing GlucoTrack to the marketplace."

MediReva's national coverage spans the entire Netherlands, as well as a strong presence in Belgium and Luxembourg. In addition, MediReva and its management team have close relationships and a demonstrated track record with local key opinion leaders, insurance companies and other reimbursement authorities.

As part of the agreement, MediReva has committed substantial resources, including the hiring of dedicated sales and customer support staff, exclusively for the distribution of GlucoTrack.

David Podwalski, Integrity's Chief Commercial Officer, commented, "This distribution agreement in the Netherlands is a major milestone on our path to commercializing GlucoTrack. It represents an important first program in our updated commercial partnering strategy. We are excited to work with MediReva to launch GlucoTrack in the Netherlands, and we look forward to continuing our efforts in making the device available for patients in markets around the world."

Commercialization of GlucoTrack in Europe is one of Integrity's near-term priorities. An overhaul of the previous commercial strategy has been implemented, including changes to product pricing and positioning, distribution channels and geographic focus. The Netherlands represents an important first market for creation of a scalable blueprint to be used in other European markets where there are approximately 58 million people living with diabetes, representing approximately 8.8% of the adult population.

About GlucoTrack

GlucoTrack is a truly non-invasive monitoring device that rapidly measures and displays an individual's glucose level in about a minute without finger pricking or any pain. GlucoTrack features a small sensor that clips to the earlobe and measures the user's glucose level using innovative and patented sensor technologies. The measured signals are analyzed using a proprietary algorithm and then a calculated glucose level is displayed on a small handheld device the size of a small mobile phone. The glucose results are stored in the device and used to estimate HbA1c level using a proprietary algorithm. The device can also display glucose values graphically, enabling the user to monitor glucose levels over time.

GlucoTrack has received approvals for CE Mark in Europe and from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in South Korea for type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetics, and is currently in the early stages of commercialization in Europe, South Korea, and other geographies. GlucoTrack is expected to begin clinical trials for United States FDA approval. The product is currently experimental in the United States and is limited to investigational use only.

About Integrity Applications, Inc.

Integrity Applications, Inc. (OTCQB: IGAP) was founded in 2001 and is focused on the design, development, and commercialization of non-invasive glucose monitoring technologies for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The Company has developed GlucoTrack, a proprietary non-invasive glucose monitoring device designed to obtain glucose level measurements in about a minute without the pain, incremental cost, difficulty, or discomfort of conventional invasive finger stick devices. Integrity Applications Inc. is a Delaware corporation, with headquarters in the United States and an R&D site in Ashdod, Israel. For more information, please visit http://www.integrity-app.com/ and http://www.glucotrack.com.

Media Contact

Tamar Lin

[email protected]

+972.8.675.7878

Investor Contacts

Sami Sassoun, CFO

[email protected]

+972 (8) 675-7878 Ext. 400

Chiara Russo

Director, Investor Relations

LaVoieHealthScience

617-374-8800 Ext. 112

[email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "expect", "plan" and "will" are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that certain important factors may affect Integrity Applications' actual results and could cause such results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements that may be made in this news release. Factors that may affect Integrity Applications' results include, but are not limited to, the ability of Integrity Applications to raise additional capital to finance its operations (whether through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, strategic collaborations or otherwise); risks relating to the receipt (and timing) of regulatory approvals (including FDA approval); risks relating to enrollment of patients in, and the conduct of, clinical trials; risks relating to its current and future distribution agreements; risks relating to its ability to hire and retain qualified personnel, including sales and distribution personnel; and the additional risk factors described in Integrity Applications' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2017.

SOURCE Integrity Applications, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.integrity-app.com


"The extruder is capable of making thicker, higher quality sheets of plastic," said Production Supervisor Ron Gonzales. "These sheets are used to form Karat cups and lids."

2017 also saw the initial phases of a new manufacturing plant in Rockwall, Texas. The manufacturing plant is projected to be operational in 2018 and will allow Lollicup to produce more products, in addition to adding products to their Karat and Karat Earth lines.

"We are moving towards becoming the foodservice industry's 'one-stop shop'," said Founder and CEO Alan Yu.

What can we expect from them in the future? Yu said, "We have plans to continue automating our manufacturing process and increasing our energy efficiency. We will also become the leaders in compostable, eco-friendly products."

It is this type of innovative and visionary thinking that has put Lollicup on Inc. 5000's Hall of Fame for being one of the fastest growing privately held companies for five years in a row. This is definitely a company to keep your eye on.

About Lollicup USA

Lollicup USA, Inc. is a premier beverage and disposable goods supplier and manufacturer, a one-stop-shop to the foodservice industry. Lollicup has developed four distinct brands such as: Karat, Karat Earth (eco-friendly), Tea Zone, and Total Clean. They have also expanded their production and distribution to ensure their customers have superior customer service, fast delivery, and the latest industry innovations. Please visit www.lollicupusa.com for more information.

Contact: Leah Bergman

Phone: (800) 857-1988

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Lollicup USA, Inc.

Related Links

http://lollicupusa.com


AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Making and keeping near year resolutions isn't always easy. WGU Texas is offering an added incentive for those making resolutions to earn a college degree in the new year. Students who apply to WGU by March 31, 2018, are eligible to apply for the New Year, New You Scholarship, which provides up to $2,000 per student.

Learn more about WGU Texas' New Year, New You Scholarship at texas.wgu.edu/newyear and by following WGU Texas on social media.

Each New Year, New You Scholarship will be applied at the rate of $500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. Students enrolling in any of WGU Texas' 60 bachelor's and master's degree programs are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Applications are being accepted now through March 31, 2018.

2017 WGU Texas graduate Toni Marek wanted to earn her master's degree, but didn't want to be saddled by student loans and debt. She also wanted to earn her degree from an accredited online school that would fit into her busy schedule and lifestyle. Marek researched several schools and discovered WGU Texas. "Money isn't a reason to forego college. There are scholarships and grants everywhereif you put in the time and effort and work for them," she said.

Marek applied and was awarded a scholarship from WGU Texas, where she completed her M.S. in Management and Leadership. "Thanks to my mentor's encouragement and my master's degree, I now work as a patient experience manager at a major health care system. It is by far the most fulfilling and rewarding job I have ever had," said Marek.

Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, WGU Texas' innovative competency-based education allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. WGU Texas faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction. While WGU Texas' degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their progress, saving both time and money.

This scholarship is open to new students who have been officially admitted to WGU Texas. While multiple scholarships will be awarded, this is a competitive program, and scholarships will be awarded based on a candidate's academic record, readiness for online study, and current competency, as well as other considerations.

About WGU Texas

WGU Texas, established by the State Legislature in 2011, now has more than 9,500 students and more than 7,000 graduates. State-endorsed and nonprofit, the online, competency-based university offers more than 60 bachelor's and master's degrees in business, information technology, K-12 teacher education, and health professions, including nursing.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).*

Learn more at texas.wgu.edu or call 1-877-214-7011.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington, DC 20036, 202-877-6791).

Follow WGU Texas:

http://www.facebook.com/WGUTexas

http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university

https://mobile.twitter.com/wgutexas

Contact for enrollment information:

877.214.7011

texas.wgu.edu

Contact for media inquiries:

Kathy Koza, PR Manager

512.225.6644 or 214.674.8057 (c)

[email protected]



SOURCE Western Governors University

Related Links

http://www.wgu.edu


STOCKHOLM, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

MeaWallet A/S ("MeaWallet"), part of Invuo Technologies AB (former Seamless Distribution AB), has signed an agreement with the Swedbank Support OU (Swedbank) for delivery of MeaWallet's technology for contactless card payments on the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian market.

The HCE technology with MasterCard MDES support will be delivered as a managed service, integrating MeaWallets tokenisation platform with Swedbank's mobile banking application. The solution will enable Swedbank clients to perform digital contactless card payments through the banks existing mobile banking application. The order value of the contract is between 500,000 and 600,000 Euro over a three-year period.

"The Baltic market is rapidly developing towards contactless payments, in fact there are several field tests and pilots in the three markets exploring different mobile payment technologies. MeaWallet has a proven technology and we aim to deliver the solution in production to Swedbank in stages from the first quarter of 2018, hence delivering on our "short time to market" promise, says Lars Sandtorv, Head of MeaWallet.

"Swedbank is the major bank on the Baltic market according to the European Payment Card Yearbook for 2016/17 and we are proud that they have selected our technology and services for maintaining that position."

CEO of Invuo Technologies, John Longhurst, comments: "MeaWallet has been able to sign four orders over the past six weeks. The market is accelerating. Our stated goal is for MeaWallet to sign a minimum of 20 orders over the course of 2018. In so doing, we aim to meet the financials goals laid out for Invuo Technologies next year, as disclosed in recent public statements. As further orders are signed, we hope investors begin to share the confidence we have for the period ahead."

This information is such that Invuo Technologies AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at CET 08:50 on December 28, 2017.

About Invuo

Since 2001 Invuo has been providing its proprietary solutions and systems for mobile phone transactions. Invuo operates in two main business areas; mobile phone payment solutions provided through the brand MeaWallet, and distribution of e-products. www.invuo.com

For further information, please contact:

John Longhurst

CEO

[email protected]

+46-8-564-878-00

Martin Schedin

CFO

[email protected]

+46-8-564-878-00

Lars Sandtorv

Head of MeaWallet

[email protected]

+47-909-55-111

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/invuo-technologies-ab/r/meawallet-delivers-contactless-payment-solution-to-swedbank,c2423113

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/4815/2423113/772378.pdf Press release (PDF)

SOURCE Invuo Technologies AB

Related Links

http://www.invuo.com


NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mesothelioma Compensation Center says, "We are the only group in the nation that specializes in assisting nuclear power plant workers or US Navy Veterans who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and our number one objective is a person like this receives the very best possible financial compensation. If a nuclear power worker or Navy Veteran calls us at 800-714-0303 we will have them talking directly to some of the nation's most skilled, experienced and capable mesothelioma attorneys typically within 20 or 30 minutes." http://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.Com

Nuclear Power Plant Nuclear Submarine

The reason the Mesothelioma Compensation Center frequently mentions nuclear power plant workers and US Navy Veterans with mesothelioma in the same sentence is because many nuclear power plant workers received their initial training about reactors in the US Navy. The US Navy literally has a school where navy sailors learn about nuclear reactors and it is called 'Nuke School.' http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=79643.

According to the Mesothelioma Compensation Center, "The mesothelioma lawyers we suggest work their mesothelioma compensation claims extremely hard and they typically get the best financial compensation results for their clients on a nationwide basis. A case work up typically involves every single place or instance where a diagnosed person could have been exposed to asbestos. Further there is no charge for their services if there is not a financial settlement.

"When it comes to receiving the best possible mesothelioma financial compensation it is absolutely vital you hire the most qualified mesothelioma attorneys, as we would like to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303 - especially if you are a nuclear power plant worker or US Navy Veteran. The potential compensation for a nuclear power worker or Navy Veteran with mesothelioma could easily exceed a million dollars provided they have the best legal representation." http://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.Com

The Mesothelioma Compensation Center is especially focused on assisting nuclear power workers or Navy Veterans with mesothelioma in the following states:

California

New York

Texas

Florida

Washington

Connecticut

Arizona

Georgia

South Carolina

Pennsylvania

Michigan

Ohio

Tennessee

Maine

For more information, a nuclear power worker or a US Navy Veteran with confirmed mesothelioma, or their family members, are encouraged to call the Mesothelioma Compensation Center anytime at 800-714-0303 for their unsurpassed free services, or they can contact the group via its web site at http://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.Com

The Mesothelioma Compensation Center specializes in assisting US Navy Veterans, power plant workers, shipyard workers, oil refinery workers, public utility workers, hydro-electric workers, chemical plant workers, nuclear power plant workers, manufacturing workers, oil and gas field production workers, plumbers, electricians, millwrights, pipefitters and welders who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. In most instances these people were exposed to asbestos during the1950's, 1960's, 1970's, or 1980's.

US Navy Veterans account for a significant portion of all diagnosed victims of mesothelioma each year. The average age for a diagnosed victim of mesothelioma is about 70 years old. Each year between 2,500 and 3,000 US citizens will be diagnosed with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is attributable to exposure to asbestos.

According to the CDC, the states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon. However, a nuclear power plant worker or Navy Veteran who worked on nuclear reactors with mesothelioma could live in any state including California, New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, or Alaska.

For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer: https://www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma.

Media Contact:

Michael Thomas

800-714-0303

[email protected]

SOURCE Mesothelioma Compensation Center

Related Links

http://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.Com


MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. military saw a number of newsworthy events during the past year, from the swearing in of a new president and commander-in-chief to deadly ship collisions in the Pacific that triggered a leadership reorganization of the Navy's 7th Fleet.

The list, compiled by Military.com Editor Brendan McGarry, highlights 10 stories from 2017 determined to have the most editorial significance.

"This was a dramatic year for the military, as evidenced by a number of stories but most notably by the tragic destroyer collisions in the Pacific," McGarry said. "More service members died this year in the Pacific than in Afghanistan, and those accidents revealed stunning lapses in training and leadership."

The top 10 military stories of 2017 are:

1. DEADLY SHIP COLLISIONS ROCK THE NAVY'S SURFACE FLEET

Seventeen sailors were killed this summer when two U.S. Navy destroyers, in separate incidents, collided with commercial vessels in the Pacific. The first occurred June 17, when the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald struck the Philippine-flagged tanker ACX Crystal off the coast of Japan, claiming the lives of seven sailors when compartments flooded. The second incident occurred two months later, on Aug. 21, when the USS John S. McCain hit the Liberian-flagged container ship Alnic MC near the Straits of Malacca, causing the deaths of another 10 sailors. The accidents exposed massive training and leadership problems and resulted in the firing of a number of officials in the 7th Fleet, including the commander, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin.

2. US, NORTH KOREA TENSIONS SKYROCKET AMID NUCLEAR, MISSILE TESTS

North Korea repeatedly rattled the international community this year with a series of ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests that showed major advancements in military technology. The regime of Kim Jong-un in September conducted an underground test of a thermonuclear weapon, or hydrogen bomb, designed for an intercontinental ballistic missile. The yield for the North's sixth and latest nuclear test was estimated at between 100 kilotons and 300 kilotons -- its largest to date and many times the destructive power of the atomic weapons the U.S. dropped on Japan during World War II. The regime in November launched an ICBM that flew for 50 minutes and reached an altitude of more than 4,000 kilometers -- the longest and highest flight yet of any such test. The U.S. responded with show-of-force exercises with allies in the region, including South Korea and Japan. The U.S. has also blamed the North for the WannaCry ransomware attack that affected computers around the world in May.

3. BERGDAHL PLEADS GUILTY TO DESERTION, AVOIDS PRISON

In one of the most controversial military court cases in years, Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl in October pleaded guilty to deserting his post in 2009 in Afghanistan. While he was later sentenced to receive a dishonorable discharge and reduction in rank to private, he avoided prison time. Bergdahl, 31, was captured by Taliban forces and spent five years in captivity before being released in 2014 as part of a prisoner exchange involving five Taliban members. His trial included testimony from troops who were wounded during missions to find him. Bergdahl, who was held in a cramped cage and beaten by his captors, testified that he was sorry for the wounds suffered by searchers. The controversy continues as lawmakers press the Army to not award him back pay while his attorney seeks to have him receive a POW medal.

4. US BEATS BACK ISIS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA, RAMPS UP AIRSTRIKES IN AFGHANISTAN

The U.S. military, with partner forces in Iraq and Syria, helped crush the Islamic State's last strongholds in Iraq and Syria. American troops on the ground worked with Iraqi and Syrian troops to repel ISIS militants from Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria. While Pentagon officials have been reluctant to disclose the number of U.S. troops on the ground, the Defense Manpower Data Center recently listed 8,992 American service members in Iraq, 1,720 in Syria and 15,298 in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the U.S. ramped up airstrikes, dropping its biggest non-nuclear bomb on the ISIS Khorasan branch and unleashing the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter to bomb Taliban drug labs. Still, the Taliban control or influence 54 of 407 districts in the country, or 13 percent, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

5. AFTER HIGH-PROFILE RECRUIT DEATH, MARINES CRACK DOWN ON HAZING

The Marine Corps took steps to crack down on hazing following the March 18, 2016, death of 20-year-old Raheel Siddiqui, a Pakistani-American Muslim recruit from Michigan who reportedly leapt from the third floor of a squad bay 11 days after arriving at boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. The family is suing the government for $100 million for his death, claiming "negligence on multiple levels of command," the Detroit Free Press reported. After Siddiqui's death, 15 drill instructors and five other senior leaders at the boot camp were removed from their posts. Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix, a former drill instructor at Parris Island, was named as a senior drill instructor who slapped Siddiqui and made him conduct physical "incentive training" as punishment in the minutes before his suicide. A military jury in November found Felix guilty of tumbling another Muslim recruit in an industrial dryer in a liquor-fueled hazing session, and abusing and assaulting a dozen other recruits.

6. CHURCH SHOOTING REVEALS DOD'S FAILURE TO DISCLOSE CRIMINAL RECORDS

Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, the man who shot and killed 26 people at a Texas church on Nov. 6, had previously served in the U.S. Air Force but received a bad-conduct discharge after being court-martialed for assaulting his wife and child. Kelley was court-martialed in 2012 for two counts of Article 128 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: assault on his spouse and assault on their child. He received a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for twelve months and a reduction to the grade of E-1. Even so, the Air Force didn't forward his criminal record to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as required by law. Because the agency wasn't aware of his criminal past, Kelley was able to buy an assault rifle-style weapon used in the church shooting, described as the deadliest to occur in Texas. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein ordered a review of the case to avoid similar lapses in the future.

7. AIR FORCE GRAPPLES WITH RISING PILOT SHORTAGE

The Air Force's pilot shortage this year climbed to about 2,000 airmen, as more service members opted for the better pay and steadier schedules offered by the commercial airline industry. With a pilot shortage estimated at about one in 10 -- 2,000 out of 20,000 pilots -- the service has rolled out new initiatives in an effort to keep flyers in uniform, including more flight incentive pay and aviation bonus programs. But the efforts may not be enough to combat a readiness crisis that leaders blame on a high number of missions being carried out by a disproportionately small force. As a result, the service may try to force pilots to stay in the cockpit. President Donald Trump in September signed an executive order to voluntarily recall up to 1,000 pilots back to active duty. The Air Force says it doesn't have any immediate plans to resort to such a tactic but nevertheless now has such authority, just in case.

8. CONGRESS CRIMINALIZES MILITARY REVENGE PORN

In the wake of the Marines United scandal, lawmakers in Congress moved swiftly to criminalize so-called revenge porn in the military. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which sets policy for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, calls for court-martial punishment for troops who engage in revenge porn, or the unauthorized sharing or distribution of "an intimate visual image of a private area of another person." At least five Marines were punished in the wake of a scandal involving a Facebook page, Marines United, whose members reportedly circulated a hard drive filled with compromising photos of female service members. While the private Facebook group had roughly 30,000 members, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said the number of those found to have possibly engaged in prosecutable activity was much lower.

9. TRUMP ANNOUNCES TRANSGENDER BAN, COURTS BLOCK ORDER

President Donald Trump in July surprised even the Pentagon's top brass when he announced via Twitter a ban on transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. The president tweeted, "After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow ... Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military." The order was immediately challenged in the courts, which have so far rejected the administration's request to delay transgender enlistments. There are between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender troops currently serving on active duty, amounting to between 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent of the 1.3 million-member active component, and between 830 and 4,160 in the Selected Reserve, according to a 2016 study by Rand Corp. Advocacy groups put the estimate at closer to 15,000 transgender troops in the ranks. The Defense Department has said the enlistment of transgender recruits will start Jan. 1.

10. SIG SAUER WINS THE ARMY'S MODULAR HANDGUN SYSTEM CONTRACT

The U.S. Army in January awarded Sig Sauer a contract worth $580 million to make the next service pistol based on the company's P320 handgun. Sig beat out Glock Inc., FN America and Beretta USA, the maker of the current M9 9mm service pistol, in the competition for the Modular Handgun System, or MHS, program. Glock protested the Army's decision, but the complaint in June was rejected by the Government Accountability Office, which arbitrates federal contract disputes. Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in November began receiving the new XM17 MHS and spent time shooting the new pistol. Weapons officials plan to issue the service's new sidearm down to the team-leader level.

-- Richard Sisk, Matthew Cox, Hope Hodge Seck and Oriana Pawlyk contributed to this report.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.

About Military.com

Military.com is the nation's largest military and veteran online news and membership organization serving active duty personnel, reservists, guard members, retirees, veterans, family members, defense workers and those considering military careers. Military.com enables Americans with military affinity to access their benefits, advance their careers, enjoy military discounts, and stay connected for life. Military.com is a business unit of Monster Worldwide Inc. More information is available at www.military.com.

Links:

Military.com Facebook

Military.com Twitter

Military.com Press Center

SOURCE Military.com

Related Links

http://www.military.com


maum.ai platform consists of six modules, including Brain, an AI engine that functions independently; M2U, which processes input and output commands for various interfaces and devices; MLT, which provides a training platform for machine learning algorithms; BOT, a chatbot module; and BIZ, a business application optimized for different business areas that provides analyses of customer reviews and real-time customer support. These modules can be assembled in a plug and play manner and provide customized AI services for each company. So far, MINDs Lab has participated in KEB Hana Bank's text-banking AI project, developed the first AI platform-based civil complaint service with Daegu Metropolitan City, developed AI chatbot for Samsung Gear S, implemented AI call centers with various customers and is now applying its technologies and services to various industries, including finance, communications, manufacturing, and public services.

MINDs Lab CEO Yoo Taejoon explained, "MINDs Lab is a comprehensive AI platform company that handles all aspects of the general AI value chain, from the most basic technological elements to platforms, platform-based smart machines, vertical business applications and expert consultations. By doing so, we are able to provide companies that wish to adopt AI-based innovation with a more time and cost-efficient way of introducing AI services."

Engaged in competition based on technological capacity and earned the "attention" of the UN and Forbes

MINDs Lab's advanced technology has been receiving significant attention both at home and abroad. In September, the company was recognized as the best and most innovative small and medium enterprise at ITU Telecom World 2017, hosted by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), where it was the only Korean company to be selected. MINDs Lab was also included on Forbes Asia's list of "10 South Korean Startups Breaking Out in 2017" earlier this year.

These achievements were the result of MINDs Lab's establishment of its own research lab and efforts to further hone its technologies. Currently, 200 employees of MINDs Lab and related companies in four different countries are working to develop new technologies, and MINDs Lab is independently operating R&D labs specializing in various fields of AI, including linguistic intelligence, visual intelligence and smart machines.

Going beyond an "AI platform" to provide an "AI portal"

In the near future, MINDs Lab plans to focus on providing AI services in SaaS (software as a service) environment. Currently, the company has proven success in providing an on-site platform for companies to install the software and platform on their local servers, for information sensitive industries such as finance and governments. Leveraging these successes and experience, MINDs Lab plans to expand its business not only locally but also for global markets through SaaS platforms and services. Currently, MINDs Lab is drawing up strategies to provide these services for their global clients.

Going further, MINDs Lab's vision is to go beyond providing an AI platform  to become an AI portal company. In particular, the company will focus its efforts on developing an AI portal based on machine reading comprehension (MRC) technology, which enables computers to understand the context of texts and answer questions. It expects that MRC will fundamentally change the way in which users acquire information. Moreover, MINDs Lab aims to provide AI-based call center BPO and AI-based education services not as B2B but as B2BC or B2C services.

CEO Yoo of MINDs Lab remarked, "MINDs Lab has managed to increase its competitiveness by smoothly transitioning from big data to deep learning and then to AI. Currently, all we have is the concept of the service, but we hope to transform ourselves into a portal, where necessary information can be gained not through a text search but via an AI-based Q&A service."

For more detailed information on MINDs Lab, please check out http://mindslab.ai/

About MINDs Lab

MINDs Lab (http://mindslab.ai/) is an artificial intelligence platform firm and provides AI solutions and services. 200 professionals are currently working in four different countries. Our goal is to provide AI solutions that empower human and grow businesses and to build AI network and professionals. MINDs Lab is a member company of the K-ICT Born2Global Centre.

About K-ICT Born2Global Centre

K-ICT Born2Global Centre (www.born2global.com) is a full-cycle service platform for global expansion. Since inception in 2013, Born2Global has been setting the standard for successful startup ecosystem as the main Korean government agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Born2Global has expanded and transformed startups to be engaged, equipped and be connected with the global market.

Contact

Somiy Jeon, PRCommunication Manager of MINDs Lab

[email protected]

Jina Lee

PR Manager of Born2Global

[email protected]

SOURCE K-ICT Born2Global Centre

Related Links

http://www.born2global.com


CANTON, Mass., Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the 16th consecutive year, Americans say they trust nurses more than any other profession, according to an annual Gallup survey released after Christmas.

Nurses are viewed as having "very high" or "high" ethical and honesty standards by 82 percent of the public, a full 17 points higher than any other health care profession and significantly higher than professionals such as business executives, who are trusted by just 16 percent of Americans.

"We are incredibly proud that patients and their families count on nurses when they are at their moment of greatest vulnerability," Massachusetts Nurses Association President Donna Kelly-Williams said. "The public knows how seriously nurses take their responsibility to advocate for safe and effective care. When nurses fight for important health and safety measures like safe patient limits in all Massachusetts hospital units, the public supports their efforts because nurses have the most trusted voice in health care."

Gallup notes that since nurses were added to the survey in 1999, they have topped the list of most trusted professions every year except in 2001, when firefighters were recognized shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks for their heroism and bravery. Gallup's 2017 ratings can be viewed here.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org


Unlike most gyms, Planet Fitness has always believed that fitness, fun and treating yourself every once in a while go hand in hand. Planet Fitness' pizza history dates back to 1999 when a day-long shortage of hot water in one of its clubs led to giving away pizza to members as a token of appreciation for their patience and understanding. It was so popular that Planet Fitness implemented a monthly free pizza giveaway in all clubs shortly thereafter. Today, the Company and its franchisees give away more than seven million slices each year.

In addition to embracing the New Year in celebration of its members, Planet Fitness will have a limited time offer available for new members to join for just $1 down (enrollment fee), then $10 a month. The promotion runs January 1 through 10. Click here to find a Planet Fitness near you.

"During a time when many people are committing themselves to New Year's resolutions, we at Planet Fitness want to remind everyone that fitness can be fun, and you can enjoy the things you love in moderation and still achieve your fitness goals," said Jessica Correa, senior vice president of marketing at Planet Fitness. "Our January sale is a fantastic reason to check out your nearest Planet Fitness location and kick start the New Year in an affordable, judgement-free environment regardless of your fitness level."

Planet Fitness offers extremely low prices and a variety of benefits, including a hassle-free environment, brand name cardio and strength equipment, fully equipped locker rooms, flat screen televisions and much more. The Planet Fitness Black Card** membership for $21.99 a month includes additional perks such as access to any club at no additional charge, ability to bring a guest anytime, and additional amenities like unlimited use of massage chairs, HydroMassage beds, and more.

Planet Fitness also provides members with an opportunity to connect and support each other with "Planet of Triumphs," an online community that celebrates all accomplishments and inspirational stories of Planet Fitness members. Planet of Triumphs provides an online platform for members to recognize their triumphs (big or small), share their stories and encourage others, reinforcing the Company's belief that 'everyone belongs'. Check out real Planet Fitness member stories and accomplishments at PlanetofTriumphs.com.

*No purchase necessary.

**Black Card membership fees and amenities may vary by location.

About Planet Fitness

Founded in 1992 in Dover, N.H., Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of September 30, 2017, Planet Fitness had approximately 10.5 million members and 1,432 stores in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone. More than 95% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

SOURCE Planet Fitness, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.planetfitness.com


RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The deadline for contributions to Virginia529 accounts to qualify for a 2017 state income tax deduction is approaching. Contributions must be made by December 31, 2017 to be deductible for the 2017 tax year. The tax deduction also makes saving for a loved one's future higher education costs extra rewarding for gift givers and recipients.

Individuals, parents and other family members can start or add to Virginia529 accounts to take advantage of the state tax deduction. Virginia tax law allows Virginia taxpayers to deduct contributions up to $4,000 per account per year from their state individual income tax; anything above $4,000 can be carried forward to future tax years.

Account owners age 70 and above (by December 31) may deduct all Virginia529 account contributions made in a year.

Only the account owner qualifies for the deduction, so family members such as grandparents may choose to open their own accounts for tax purposes.

About Virginia529 College Savings Plan:

Virginia529 makes higher education more accessible and affordable for families and individuals. With more than $66 billion in assets under management and 2.6 million accounts as of September 30, 2017, Virginia529 is the largest 529 plan available. Three flexible, affordable, tax-advantaged programsPrepaid529SM, Invest529SM and CollegeAmericaand early commitment scholarship program SOAR Virginia assist students of any age in reaching their higher education goals. For more information on Virginia529's college savings options, visit Virginia529.com or call 1-888-567-0540 to obtain program materials. These include information on Virginia529 programs, investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other important information; read and consider them carefully before investing. All investments are subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Virginia529 encourages prospective participants to seek the advice of a professional concerning any financial, tax or legal implications related to opening an account. For residents of states other than Virginia: before investing, you should consider whether your or the beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other state benefits such as financial aid, scholarship funds, and protections from creditors that are only available for investments in that state's qualified tuition program. 2017 Virginia College Savings Plan. All Rights Reserved.

For more information, contact

Devon Copeland

Senior Communications Associate

804-225-2452

[email protected]

SOURCE Virginia529

Related Links

https://www.virginia529.com


SAN DIEGO, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After attempting to sell his $20M+ home in Santa Barbara, CA using a traditional agent for nine months, Carl Westcott, switched to Home Bay Technologies Inc., where he sold his home in 45 days and ultimately saved $649,000 in fees. To date, Home Bay has transacted $380M in home sales saving customers over $8M in real estate commissions.

Home Bay's disruptive business model combines the power of technology and top real estate agents to help homeowners transact more effectively and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional agent model where one pays 6% in commission fees. "Home Bay's model is a no brainer," said Carl Westcott, Entrepreneur and Founder of 1-800-Flowers. "The fact that they can sell a luxury home over $20M validates their model. In fact, I was so impressed I am now an investor in Home Bay."

Home Bay's proprietary technology streamlines the real estate transaction process. Work that typically consumes 60 hours among a traditional agent has been reduced to just 2 hours through a smart platform that moves most of the process online.

What's more is Home Bay employs a centralized team of licensed real estate agents to advise consumers throughout the transaction. Given these large efficiencies, Home Bay passes savings directly to consumers by charging a low flat rate of $2,000 to $3,500 per home sale. Buyers who use Home Bay receive 50% of the buyer agent commission upon purchasing a home.

"Today's real estate transaction process isn't aligned with consumers interests," said Ken Potashner, Chairman and CEO of Home Bay. "We have built a model that not only puts consumers in complete control but also provides on-demand support from top real estate agents who aren't paid on commission and only have our clients' best interests in mind. Our model puts the consumer first, which we believe is long overdue."

The company is delivering better results than traditional real estate agents. This season, homes listed with Home Bay sold 23 days faster and for $13,771 more than the industry average while still providing traditional services such as pricing guidance, professional photography, an installed yard sign, exposure across the MLS and thousands of real estate sites as well as negotiation and closing management. The only thing customers do is handle home showings in exchange for significant savings and with less risk. Ninety-four percent of homes sold through Home Bay sold in less than 90 days.

About Home Bay Technologies Inc.

Home Bay Technologies Inc., a San Diego based company, provides consumers a smarter way to buy and sell homes with data-driven intelligence, complete transparency and an on-demand customer experience. services Home Bay's sophisticated platform expedites the transaction with efficient, seamless systems that save consumers and real estate agents time and money.

For more information, visit HomeBay.com.

SOURCE Home Bay Technologies Inc.

Related Links

https://www.homebay.com


LOS ANGELES, Dec. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Stone Canyon Industries, LLC ("SCI"), today announced the recapitalization of its subsidiary, SCI PH Inc. ("SCI Packaging"), the parent of BWAY and Mauser and a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products and services.

The transaction includes the issuance of an aggregate of $850 million of (i) Series A Senior Non-Voting Perpetual Preferred Stock to affiliates of Canyon Capital Advisors LLC ("Canyon"), the Public Sector Pension Investment Board ("PSP Investments") and existing investors; and (ii) Series B Junior Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock ("Series B Preferred Stock") to investors led by affiliates of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan ("Ontario Teachers'") and including affiliates of Arcadia Investment Partners LLC ("Arcadia") and PSP Investments, constituting a minority equity investment in SCI Packaging (on an as-converted basis). The proceeds from the offerings will be used for general corporate purposes, including to make a distribution to existing equityholders.

"We are pleased to partner with Ontario Teachers', Canyon, PSP Investments and Arcadia, and look forward to working together," said Ken Roessler, CEO of BWAY. "The combined company continues to perform strongly. Bringing together these partners represents the next step in the evolution of the company as a global leader in the rigid packaging space."

"Stone Canyon welcomes our new shareholders," said Stone Canyon Packaging Chairman James Fordyce. "We are excited to have them join us in building one of the world's largest rigid packaging companies. Ken Roessler and his team have done a wonderful job. We thank them for their hard work."

About Stone Canyon Industries

Stone Canyon Industries is a global industrial holding company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. With consolidated revenues of over $3 billion generated from several core industry verticals, companies within the SCI family operate in over 160 locations throughout 18 countries with over 10,000 employees dedicated to providing products and services of unmatched quality and reliability to thousands of customers around the world. These SCI companies typically share similar characteristics, such as market leaders within an industry or sector, mission critical products or services, a blue-chip customer base, and a platform for future growth through acquisitions.

About SCI Packaging

SCI Packaging, through its subsidiaries, BWAY and Mauser, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products and services. The Company's more than 9,000 employees currently operate 140 manufacturing facilities throughout the world serving industry-leading customers on an international basis.

BWAY is a leading North American supplier of general line rigid containers. BWAY's rigid metal containers include paint cans, steel pails, aerosol cans, F-style containers, monotop cans, pour top cans, ammunition boxes and oil cans. The company also manufactures rigid plastic packaging including pails, drums, and hybrid paint cans.

Mauser is a leading global supplier of industrial rigid packaging products and services, including the manufacturing of plastic packaging, fiber drums, steel drums, Intermediate Bulk Containers ("IBC") and the reconditioning of used IBCs and plastic drums.

About Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with $180.5 billion in net assets at June 30, 2017. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an annualized gross rate of return of 10.1% since the Plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 318,000 active and retired teachers.

About Canyon Capital Advisors LLC

Canyon Capital Advisors LLC is a leading alternative asset manager serving institutional clients worldwide. The firm seeks to achieve superior, risk-adjusted returns in excess of the debt and equity market indices with lower volatility. Canyon Capital and its affiliates currently manage investment funds and separate accounts amounting to more than $23 billion in assets with a staff of over 220, including more than 100 investment professionals. The firm was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. Canyon Capital has been an SEC registered investment advisor since 1994.

About PSP Investments

The Public Sector Pension Investment Board ("PSP Investments") is one of Canada's largest pension investment managers with C$139.2 billion of net assets under management as at September 30, 2017. It manages a diversified global portfolio composed of investments in public financial markets, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, natural resources and private debt. Established in 1999, PSP Investments manages net contributions to the pension funds of Canada's federal Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Reserve Force. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, PSP Investments has its principal business office in Montreal and offices in New York and London, its European hub.

About Arcadia Investment Partners LLC

Arcadia is a New York City based investment management firm, founded in 2001. Arcadia's investment activities are focused primarily on illiquid alternative assets across private equity, real estate and special situations opportunities. Arcadia invests on behalf of its internal partners as well as limited partner capital from ultra-high net worth families and institutional investors.

SOURCE Stone Canyon Industries, LLC
LONDON, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5205107







The global halal market size was valued at USD 5.73 trillion in 2016 and is expected to grow on account of rising Muslim population and increasing availability of these products & services. Increasing spending on Halal products & services by consumers besides Muslims is expected to trigger the growth of the market over the forecast period.



The Islamic finance sector has witnessed tremendous growth over the past few years with the emergence of crowd funding platforms including Human Crescent. Lack of awareness has resulted in an enormous opportunity for products & services offered by this segment. The segment is likely to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% from 2017 to 2024.



Speedy growth of economies in the Middle East and South East Asia are expected to augment the growth of the market owing to the presence of large Muslim population. These economies are likely to emerge as popular destinations for food and fashion. The Middle East halal market is expected to witness a double-digit growth generating revenues worth USD 6.53 trillion by 2024.



The demand for qualified halal products among non-Muslim customers has been on the upsurge as more consumers are looking for high superiority, safe and righteous products. Non-Muslim consumers in Asia Pacific are likely to play a vital role in driving the regional market making it the second largest marketplace after the Middle East, contributing to 30.9% of the global revenues by 2024.



The Islamic economy is being driven primarily by the increasing youth population with high disposable incomes. These factors are likely to drive various segments of the halal market including fashion, food, finance, travel, and media & recreation. Moreover, increasing availability of these products & services is expected to fuel the growth of the market over the projected period.



Keeping in mind the growth of the global halal industry, several food companies including KFC and Nestle are offering halal products to their Muslim consumers. The emergence of Islamic finance institutions offering finance and banking assets are expected to provide further impetus to businesses that are focusing on venturing into the halal industry, thereby resulting in tremendous growth of the global halal industry over the next few years.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5205107



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: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, December 21, 2017 the U.S. Senate passed by unanimous consent S.Res.336, a resolution recognizing the seriousness of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and expressing support for the designation of the month of September 2018 as "Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness Month." This historic and bipartisan resolution represents the first time there has been a central focus on PCOS in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Senate Passes PCOS Resolution S.Res.336 U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and David Perdue

PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association worked with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), David Perdue (R-GA) and five other leaders in the U.S. Senate to introduce S.Res.336. The resolution encourages States, territories and localities to support the goals and ideals of PCOS Awareness Month which are to: increase awareness of, and education about, the disorder among the general public, women, girls and healthcare professionals; improve diagnosis and treatment of the disorder; and to improve quality of life and outcomes for women and girls with PCOS. The resolution also recognizes the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, and for a cure for PCOS as well as acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and girls afflicted with PCOS residing within the United States. S.Res.336 follows the introduction of H.Res.495, the PCOS resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is currently the leading Health resolution in the 115th Congress with 66 cosponsors.

"We are extremely pleased that the U.S. Senate passed S.Res.336," says Sasha Ottey, Executive Director of PCOS Challenge. "It is an important first step to improving outcomes for millions of women and girls affected by PCOS across the country. As the world's largest polycystic ovary syndrome patient advocacy organization, PCOS Challenge sees the broad adverse impact that the lack of awareness about PCOS is having on quality of care, research and health outcomes. Many women go decades exhibiting clear signs and symptoms of PCOS without a diagnosis or receiving adequate care, which impacts their quality of life and puts them at risk for other serious conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and endometrial cancer. PCOS affects an estimated 10-15 percent of women. Despite being the most common endocrine (hormone) disorder in women, PCOS is one of the most underserved areas of health. There are significant gaps regarding PCOS education, treatment options, research and research funding. A number of leaders in Congress have expressed interest in working on subsequent legislation around PCOS. We are excited to work with them to address these critical healthcare gaps and improve outcomes for women and girls battling the disorder."

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) says, "Polycystic ovary syndrome is a health issue that affects millions of women in the United States. I am encouraged by my bipartisan work with Senator Perdue to raise awareness for the syndrome and will continue to push for the investments in biomedical research and the improvements to our healthcare system necessary to solve the challenges posed by PCOS."

"Polycystic ovary syndrome affects more than 200,000 women in the state of Georgia and can lead to other serious conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Raising awareness for this syndrome is the first step in preventing further health risks. I am proud to be part of this effort in the Senate to bring greater awareness to the need for improved care and more research," says U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA).

Additional cosponsors of S.Res.336 include U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Deb Fischer (R-NE).

Some of the leading organizations also supporting S.Res.336 include the American Academy of Nursing; American Academy of Sleep Medicine; American Association of Nurse Practitioners; American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Electrology Association; American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; The American Liver Foundation; American Medical Women's Association; American Society for Nutrition; American Society for Reproductive Medicine; Black Women's Health Imperative; Dermatology Nurses' Association; Endocrine Society; International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses; Jewish Diabetes Association; National Stroke Association; March of Dimes; Obesity Action Coalition; Pediatric Endocrine Society; Preeclampsia Foundation; Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association; RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association; Society for Health Psychology; and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

For more information about PCOS Challenge, S.Res.336, H.Res.495 and how to get involved, visit http://www.pcoschallenge.org/prioritize-pcos.

Contact:

William R. Patterson

PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association

(404) 855-7244

SOURCE PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association
This year, we took a look at one cookbooks journey from Broadway and ate Shake Shack burgers at home. Read on for our top stories of 2017.

10. Can Blue Apron Deliver on Cookbooks?

The meal delivery service released its first cookbook in October and its publisher, Harper Wave, has big ambitions. The imprint has called the title "the new culinary bible" and claims it deserves a place on the shelf alongside such classics as The Silver Palate and The Joy of Cooking.

9. Sheet Cheat: New Cookbooks Mark the Rise of Sheet-Pan Cooking

Nothing excites home cooksor publisherslike a one-tool meal. And a spate of forthcoming titles touts one of the most humble kitchen essentials, the basic sheet pan, as the only thing you need to make a robust meal.

8. The Story Behind the Waitress Cookbook

A look inside the making of Sugar, Butter, Flour: The Waitress Pie Book, the official tie-in cookbook to the hit musical, released in May.

7. How to Make Shake Shacks Famous Shack Burger at Home: A Recipe Report

We tried our hand at the high-end burger joint's quintessential offering, included in Shake Shack: Recipes & Stories, which hit shelves May 16.

6. Cookbooks Preview: March 2017

A new way to look at dinner, a master class in the kitchen, and ruminations on food (and more), all went on sale in March.

5. Cookbooks Preview: February 2017

February an ode to meatloaf and a starred collection of weeknight pasta recipes.

4. Long-Lost Soul Food Cookbook Finds New Life

Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook, Pamela Strobel's collection of soul food recipes, was revived after falling out of print 40 years ago.

3. From a Buyer: The Seven Most Anticipated Cookbooks of Fall

Lisa Gozashti, co-owner of the Brookline Booksmith and the store's longtime cookbook buyer, is looking forward to new books about Swedish and Palestinian food, as well as the latest from chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi and Matt Jennings.

2. Fall 2017 Announcements: Cooking & Food

An eclectic and timely collection of cookbooks hit shelves this fallintriguing books that focus on world hunger, the Middle East, Russia, and fueling resistance groups.

1. The Bestselling Cookbooks of 2016

Ina Gartens Cooking for Jeffrey was 2016s bestselling print cookbook, selling more than 400K copies in a few short months. It was a good year for cookbooks all aroundunit print sales in the category were up 6% in 2016 over 2015.
Standards for High-Quality and Objective Research and Analysis

Our standards for high-quality and objective research and analysis describe how RAND research embodies our core values of quality and objectivity. The standards should be evident in the conduct of our research and analysis and in our research products. They substantiate our commitment to producing high-caliber, high-utility policy research and analysis.

First launched in 1997, the standards were updated in 1999, 2003, 2009, and, most recently, in 2022. In the latest revision, the standards draw greater attention to relevance and new attention to transparency, legitimacy, engagement, and inclusion. The wording of the standards has been streamlined and modified so that the standards can be applied to both research products and research activities throughout the project life cycle. The 2022 revision was informed by studies on research quality1 and extensive input from the RAND community.

The 2022 standards are framed as commitments to principles and actions that advance quality. They are mutually reinforcing, albeit with some intentional overlap among them. The standards are coupled with guidance about how to apply them in review of research products, at project kickoff, and during in-progress review. This guidance helps harmonize our quality assurance and other research-support activities across project life cycles.

We revisit these standards periodically based on information collected from within and outside RAND.

Engagement: We interact with those who have a stake in how our research is conducted, interpreted, and applied.

Engagement

contributes to a better understanding of the problem and its context, as well as a robust research design

informs the assessment of possible solutions and lays the groundwork for successful implementation

involves seeking out and engaging a variety of relevant, diverse perspectives to support rigor; guards against unintended bias as we design, conduct, and disseminate our research; and ensures that our findings are relevant and understood by key stakeholders

ensures that RAND research is accessible, whenever possible, to a diverse group of stakeholders beyond those who request or sponsor the research, act on its recommendations, or undertake its implementation

can occur throughout the research life cycle through formal and informal activities, such as discussions, interviews, focus groups, surveys, advisory panels, presentations, and community meetings.

Inclusion: We include all important perspectives throughout the research process.

Inclusion

focuses on obtaining and accounting for a variety of important perspectives throughout the research process in order to objectively balance them in a fair manner

promotes awareness about the full spectrum of scientific and policy perspectives on complex issues

ensures that these varied perspectives are treated fairly throughout the research process, portrayed accurately, and weighed according to evidence

incorporates important perspectives not only through diversifying the composition of research teams but also through engaging numerous other parties in projects, including reviewers, partners, and stakeholders

enhances the ability of research teams to understand the policy context and the generalizability of findings and conclusions.

Relevance: We seek to inform and influence effective and timely solutions to important policy problems.

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focuses on the usefulness and significance of research and analysis and the potential for impact

comprises many research characteristics, including important, useful, timely, actionable, practicable, applicable, feasible, innovative, adaptable, and impactful

requires that research teams articulate the scope and purpose of research to ensure that the work is timely, feasible, and useful

might demand that research teams adapt elements of their research planssuch as research questions, data sources, and methodsto new information or changing circumstances.

Rigor: We conduct objective analyses grounded in a clear purpose using sound logic and the most appropriate theories, methods, and data sources available.

Rigor

focuses on doing good, replicable science to uncover facts and insights that enable evidence-based decisionmaking, help unify stakeholders, and galvanize implementation efforts

is guided by a clear purpose and well-formulated questions. Rigorous research generates findings that are grounded in sound approaches that make sense according to the purpose and questions. These approaches might involve the application of tried-and-true methods, new ideas, or experimentation. Implications and recommendations follow logically from these findings

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focuses on the sufficient, effective, and appropriate documentation and communication of the research process (design, development, execution, and support) and research outcomes (findings and recommendations)

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focuses on the ethical, fair, independent, and objective conduct of research

contributes to the validity, credibility, reception, and uptake of research

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is further advanced through authentic familiarity with stakeholder values and norms and by attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the research.

Last updated January 24, 2022
Whether the destination is sunny Miami Beach or the snowy Midwest, the 51 million Americans taking to the skies this holiday season can count on something besides long security lines and cramped leg room: ubiquitous CNN talking heads on airport televisions.

For some, anti-Trump CNN is not a welcome sight at the boarding gate.

For a quarter of a century, CNN has been the first name in airport news. Some 50 U.S. airports have contracts to show a mix of programming drawn from CNN and sister station HLN. The airports, with screens at more than 2,100 boarding gates, include several of the nations busiest hubs, such as New Yorks JFK International, Chicago OHare, San Francisco International and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

But as news outlets are increasingly seen as partisan tools in the age of Trump, some conservatives are renewing opposition to CNNs outsized presence in airports and other public spaces, especially taxpayer-subsidized venues.

In airports and elsewhere, CNN is the default cable news network hanging Big Brother-like on the wall for all to see and believe, commentator Roger L. Simon wrote this month in a column for PJ Media. He argued that allowing one network the privilege of dominating our public spaces is dangerous in the extreme, even if, as seems to be the case, the public has growing distrust of that network.

Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative Media Research Center, conceded that if youre running an airport, you dont want to have to run 16 different channels.

But certainly there are conservatives who get upset that theyre stuck with Wolf Blitzer at the baggage carousel, he added.

Although CNN provided basic figures on the networks airport presence, the CNN Airport Network did not respond to requests for comment about its operations or conservative complaints about CNN in general.

Such criticisms are supported by recent research. In 2014, a Pew study found that CNNs audience skewed only slightly left of center, but this year a study by Harvard Universitys non-partisan Shorenstein Center found that CNN (along with NBC) had the most consistently negative coverage of the Trump administration. During its first three months, 93 percent of CNNs reporting was negative.

A Media Research Center report echoed those findings. In an analysis titled CNN Is Completely Obsessed With Donald Trump  and Not in a Good Way, the MRC found that over the course of a single day, CNN devoted 92 percent of news coverage to the Trump presidency, with 96 appearances by anti-Trump guests and panelists, against just seven by pro-Trump speakers.

Thats a lot of dumping on Trump. And while the president of the United States and the political shenanigans of Beltway insiders are news (up to a point), theyre far from the only news. That has led less political people to complain about the coverage, beyond the airport network's longstanding avoidance of negative aviation news like plane crashes.

Alton Ingram, 37, a South Plainfield, New Jersey, resident who travels frequently for his work at an insurance company, said the focus on Trump and general punditry made it difficult to find out anything substantial about other current events, like the recent California wildfires.

Theyre helping their cause with their people, said Ingram. A lot of people are left-leaning and dont like Trump, so they play [anti-Trump news] 95 percent of the time.

What drives him crazy about the situation, he said, isnt watching CNN - he already does that on his own  but the fact that the same on-screen pundits seem to follow him as he flies across the country.

CNNs original parent company, Turner Broadcasting System, got the jump on the airport-television business in a less media-saturated time, the early 1990s, when Fox News was little more than a gleam in Rupert Murdochs eye and round-the-clock cable news had a lot to prove as a business proposition. It first tested the closed-circuit airport channel in 1991 in Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas. The CNN Airport Network has steadily grown since its official launch the following year.

Even if CNNs constant presence can be a drag for air travelers, its a win for both the airports and the network: The former are paid by CNN and the latter rakes in ad revenue from the channel. In promotional materials, CNN Airport touts its captive flying audience as 40-ish, well-salaried, and upscale and influential. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that its hometown airport made a minimum of $90,000 from its 2014 contract with CNN.

Over the course of CNNs 25-year dominance in the airport market, however, the news channel itself has evolved from its straighter news origins. Graham said the CNN of the early 90s was a more staid version of its current self.

We would find it the most boring of the four networks we watched, said Graham. If you watched the newscasts, it was pretty dry.  Nothing like it is today.

Trump and CNN, like oil and water. Trump and CNN, like oil and water.

Lately its so polarizing that former Colorado congressman and Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo encouraged a national anti-CNN movement as he launched a petition drive to Get CNN Out of Denver International Airport. Also this year, the network became a target of conservative undercover video outfit Project Veritas, which recorded a CNN producer calling Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway (above, with Anderson Cooper) an awful woman who looks like she got hit by a shovel. In the video, the producer also is heard calling American voters stupid as sh--.

But hue and cry aside, Silvio Canto Jr., a talk-radio host and blogger at the American Thinker, thinks the news channel has undermined its relevance with its Trump obsession. When Canto sees CNN on at the airport (or hotel, or coffee shop), he doesnt see anybody else watching.

Ingram agreed. He said that while he has occasionally asked, to no avail, that the boarding-gate channel be changed to some other network such as ABC or Fox News, most of his fellow travelers seem to ignore whatever is playing.

Perhaps because CNN is such a fixture in the public background, any fallout from continuing conservative frustration doesnt appear to have impacted CNN Airport, nor have recent controversies around CNNs coverage. The majority of airports that responded to RealClearInvestigations requests for comment did not report an increase in recent traveler complaints about the in-airport programming.

While Greg Chin, communications director at Miami International, noted an uptick in written complaints beginning in October of last year, more typical was the experience of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Spokesman Perry Cooper said that the complaints they received werent specifically about CNN.

Usually the only complaints are on Sunday when people want to see the Seahawks game, he said.
How many steps will it take to walk off Thanksgiving dinner?
Afghan officials say a roadside bomb has exploded in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, killing six shepherd children.

Mohammad Karim, the governor of Balkh's Dawlat Abad district, said the children were watching a herd of animals when one child stepped on the improvised explosive device that killed all six early on December 28.

He said the children ranged in age from eight to 10.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. But Karim blamed the Taliban, saying the militant group planted the device in an attempt to kill Afghan security forces.

Thousands of improvised explosive devices have been laid by the Taliban throughout Afghanistan to hamper the efforts of Afghan security forces.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa
KABUL -- Afghanistan's Interior Ministry says at least 41 people have been killed and 84 wounded by multiple bomb blasts at a Shi'ite cultural center in Kabul.

The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the December 28 attack, which Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called a "crime against humanity" committed by terrorists.

"The terrorists have killed our people," Ghani said in a statement. "The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places, and now our cultural center."

Ghani said the explosions were attacks against Islam and "all human values."

Afghanistan's Taliban militant group denied that it was involved.

The United States, NATO, and the United Nations condemned the attack.

"I have little doubt that this attack deliberately targeted civilians," said Toby Lanzer, acting head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. "Today in Kabul, we have witnessed another truly despicable crime in a year already marked by unspeakable atrocities."

The White House condemned what it called a "barbarous" attack and said President Donald Trump had been briefed and was monitoring developments.

It said the United States pledged to work with Kabul to find and punish the attackers, saying that "the enemies of Afghanistan will not succeed in their attempts to destroy the country and divide the Afghan people.

U.S. forces led an invasion to drive Taliban extremists from power after Al-Qaeda militants whose leaders were sheltering in Afghanistan carried out the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Troops have remained in the country, although at greatly reduced numbers since peaking during the initial stages.

Initial reports suggested the attack had targeted the Afghan Voice news agency on the west side of the Afghan capital.

But Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said later that the blasts were aimed at the Shi'ite Tabayan cultural center near the news agency's office.

In the IS statement, the Sunni extremist group claimed the center received support from Shiite Iran and that it sent Afghan young people to Iran for academic training.

Rahimi said a suicide bomber entered the building and blew himself up during a crowded ceremony marking the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Rahimi said there were two other explosions on the street outside of the building as people were gathering to help those injured by the first blast.

He said the smaller explosions outside of the building did not kill anyone.

Wahidullah Majroh, a spokesman for the Afghan Public Health Ministry, said 76 of the wounded were men, while eight were women.

The attack took place in western Kabul's Dasht-e Barchi neighborhood, a predominantly Shi'ite area that has been targeted in the past by IS militants.

Recently, the Sunni extremist group has increased its attacks against Shi'a in Afghanistan, particularly in Kabul.

Afghan officials say more than 30 people were killed and 45 wounded by a bombing at a Shi'ite mosque in October.

Locals at the mosque reported that the death toll was much higher.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, Pajhwok, and dpa
BAKU -- A court in Baku has sentenced 12 men to lengthy prison terms in a high-profile case after convicting them of terrorism, publicly calling for the overthrow of the government, and inciting ethnic, religious, and social hatred.

The Baku City Court for Grave Crimes on December 28 sentenced the last group in what is known as the Nardaran case to prison terms ranging from 12 to 15 years.

Lawyers of the convicted men called the verdicts and sentences illegal and said they will appeal the rulings.

Rights defenders in Azerbaijan say a total of 87 people have been arrested in the Nardaran case, which they describe as a politically motivated crackdown on dissent. The men are being tried and sentenced in groups.

One group was sentenced to prison in 2016 and two other groups in January and early December.

The men were arrested during November and December of 2015 in a series of raids against alleged religious extremists in Nardaran, a village on the outskirts of Baku. Seven people, including two police officers, were killed during the raids.

Those convicted and sentenced include Fuad Qahramanli, deputy chairman of the opposition Popular Front Party; Taleh Bagirzade, leader of the Movement for Muslim Unity; and Bagirzade's deputy, Abbas Huseynov.

Critics say President Ilham Aliyev's government uses trumped-up charges in a persistent campaign to silence opposition.
So it appears that Moscow is very concerned about the militarization of Georgia.

Speaking to Interfax earlier this week, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said the Kremlin is keeping a very close eye on things like Georgia's recent acquisition of Javelin antitank missiles, a French air-defense system, and a U.S.-funded Defense Readiness Program.

OK, so let's back up a bit here.

The country with the fourth-largest defense budget, the fifth-largest standing army, and the largest nuclear arsenal in the world is concerned about the so-called militarization of a small country with a population of less than 4 million people.

The country that invaded Georgia in 2008 and continues to occupy -- and, oh by the way, militarize -- 20 percent of its territory is now worried about Georgia's acquisition of defensive military capabilities.

The country that has been meddling in Georgia's affairs and seeking to destabilize it for decades is taking issue with Georgia's desire to defend itself.

So is Russia really worried about the militarization of Georgia?

Is Moscow really worried about a military threat from a country with a standing army about 40 times smaller than Russia's?

I sincerely doubt it.

But Karasin's comments are revealing nonetheless.

Because things like acquiring defensive weapons, protecting one's territory, and choosing one's alliances are all things that sovereign states do.

And my guess would be that it isn't Georgia's militarization that Moscow has a problem with -- but rather, Georgia's sovereignty.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
Facebook says it blocked the social-media accounts of Ramzan Kadyrov because the Kremlin-backed Chechen leader had become subject to financial and travel sanctions imposed by the U.S. government.

The company on December 28 said in a statement that it had the "legal obligation" to disable Kadyrovs accounts on Facebook and Instagram, which it also owns, after the U.S. Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on December 20 hit the Chechen leader with sanctions.

We became aware and have now confirmed that the accounts appear to be maintained by or on behalf of parties who appear on the U.S. Specially Designated Nationals List and, thus, subject to U.S. trade sanctions, the statement said.

For this reason, Facebook has a legal obligation to disable these accounts, it added.

It was not immediately clear if the social-media network was in the process of disabling accounts of others on the sanction lists.

Facebook declined requests from RFE/RL for further information.

The Treasurys announcement of the sanctions against Kadyrov are part of ongoing U.S. efforts to punish alleged human rights abusers in connection with the Magnitsky Act. In the announcement, the Treasury Department accused the former rebel fighter who later joined forces with Moscow of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights," torture, and "extrajudicial killings."



Kadyrov, who has denied the allegations, is one of the most prominent Russian officials to be added to the sanctions list under the Magnitsky Act.

The law enraged Russian officials, who retaliated in 2013 with a sweeping ban on U.S. citizens adopting Russian children.

Kadyrov reacted with anger to Facebooks move, accusing the U.S.-headquartered social-media network of bowing to pressure from Washington by blocking his pages, a move he said he discovered on December 23.

He said he received no response from Instagram after sending a request for service support because his Russian-language accounts stopped working. His English-language Instagram account was unaffected at first, but later it was also unavailable.

Russias telecommunications supervisory authority, Roskomnadzor, demanded an explanation from Facebook and Instagram for the disabling of Kadyrovs accounts.

"On December 26, Roskomnadzor sent a request to Facebook management, asking to clarify reasons for blocking Ramzan Kadyrov's Facebook and Instagram accounts," Roskomnadzors press service said in a statement.

Kadyrov had more than 3 million followers on his Russian-language Instagram account and more than 750,000 on Facebook.

One of his last Instagram postings before the page went down was a video recording in which he responded to the fresh U.S. sanctions by saying he had no current reason to travel to the United States.

I can be proud that I'm out of favor with the special services of the USA," he wrote. "In fact, the USA cannot forgive me for dedicating my whole life to the fight against foreign terrorists among which there are bastards of America's special services."

Kadyrov in a posting on Telegram on December 28 vowed to continue airing his views on Twitter, the new social network Mylistory, and the Russian network VKontakte, now that he is banned on Facebook and Instagram, Russian news agency TASS reported.

"We will be communicating the truth in every possible way," he was quoted as saying. He also boasted that he was named "most cited Russian blogger" in 2017 by Medialogy, a Russian media monitoring company, TASS reported.

Human rights groups say Kadyrov has used threats and abuses to maintain control over Chechnya, the site of two post-Soviet separatist wars and years of insurgent violence stemming from the conflicts since Putin appointed him to head the region in 2007.

The U.S. sanctions law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who was arrested after blowing the whistle on what he said was the theft of $230 million from Russian state coffers through tax fraud.

He died in jail in December 2009, reportedly after physical abuse and denial of medical care. A Council of Europe investigation concluded the conditions leading up to his death amounted to torture.



Facebook and other social-media networks have come under pressure from U.S. lawmakers over what they have called a failure to prevent alleged abuses of their networks by Russian operatives during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

U.S. lawmakers in November released a batch of Facebook ads they said were purchased by the company in a surreptitious effort to stir up emotions on sensitive social issues like gun control, race relations, immigration, and religion.

Facebook responded saying it is creating a portal enabling users to learn whether they liked or followed pages or accounts linked to a shadowy Russian company that U.S. officials accuse of trying to influence the election with the socially divisive posts.
Protesters took to the streets of the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad and other towns on December 28 to voice their anger over high prices and unemployment. Clashes were reported as police used tear gas to disperse the crowds. Amateur videos provided to RFE/RL's Radio Farda shows scenes of unrest.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish.

Before we get started, a few announcements: The newsletter is now biweekly, rather than going out only on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. To subscribe, click here.

And I will also be launching Talking China In Eurasia, a new podcast. Im joined by the Royal United Services Institutes Raffaello Pantucci to talk about Xi and Putin. Listen to the first episode here or below.

Xi Gets Pragmatic About Russia At The G20

It was light on optimism, but U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping injected a healthy dose of pragmatism back into the U.S.-China relationship with their meeting in Bali at a time when global anxiety is rising over Russias war against Ukraine.

Finding Perspective: The meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit was far from a breakthrough, but it did repair some damage from the recent backslide in relations between both countries and send some signals that the world isnt necessarily destined for Cold War 2.0.

The more than three-hour talks saw some blunt exchanges over contentious issues like Taiwan and North Korea, but the two leaders also pledged more frequent communications and decided that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing for follow-up talks in 2023.

Of particular note, Biden raised Russias invasion of Ukraine and threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons. Both leaders reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought, according to a White House readout.

While far from a sea change for Chinese policy, thats notable. The credibility of Beijings claims to be neutral on the Ukraine war continue to come under scrutiny, and China has shown discomfort of late with the Kremlins nuclear saber-rattling.

Xi made similar comments after a November 4 summit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and during another G20 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the French readout.

Why It Matters: Xi is not abandoning Putin, but this marks the latest shift for Beijings balancing act over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Four Chinese officials briefed on the February 4 meeting between Xi and Putin, where they declared a no-limits partnership, told the Financial Times that Putin didnt tell Xi the truth about the invasion and that Beijing was caught off guard by it.

What Xi knew about Putins war plans has been a topic of debate, and there is evidence to support both the idea that Xi was aware and that he was caught off guard.

Many analysts are of the opinion that Xi knew about Putin's decision to invade but expected a quick victory, which perhaps was what Putin believed at the time.

Others point to a steady stream of dismissals from Chinese officials and experts about the likelihood of an invasion in February and the fact that Beijing did not evacuate its citizens from Ukraine  like Western nations did  as evidence that China was not expecting a war.

China certainly has its own interests in keeping a distance from Moscows war and using that space to do some upkeep with the West. But perhaps the most important point here is that even if Putin did blindside Xi, China has stuck with Russia despite its battlefield failures, political isolation, and the atrocities its troops are accused of committing.

Again, this is pragmatism more than anything else. As Chinese experts often say, even if Russia is looking unattractive these days, why would Beijing abandon its main anti-Western partner as China continues to be in the crosshairs of rising American pressure?

Read More

 Want to hear more about Russia and Chinas complex relationship amid the Ukraine war? Then tune in to the debut of Talking China In Eurasia today at 2 p.m. CET/ 8 a.m. EST. You can listen live here and find the episode on RFE/RLs website and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

 Condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine and its global fallout is shaping up to be the key theme of the G20, with the Financial Times reporting that a joint communique from the summit takes aim at Moscow.

Expert Corner: The Future Of The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Readers asked: Did Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs recent trip to Beijing breathe new life into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? How do Islamabad and Beijing really feel about the project after all these years?

To find out more, I asked Filippo Boni, an expert on China-Pakistan relations at the Open University in Britain:

Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China was high on symbolism and relatively low on substance. While the two sides were keen to reaffirm and emphasize the strength of their strategic partnership, no significant new commitment was made. Apart from a few memorandums of understanding and attempts from the Pakistanis in the run-up to the trip to address some of CPECs issues  including payments to Chinese independent power producers  nothing major came from the visit. This is despite Sharif's attempts at revitalizing CPEC since April and the very close ties he enjoys with the Chinese leadership.

The outcome of this visit is not entirely surprising, especially if interpreted against the backdrop of Pakistan's current domestic predicaments. The security situation for Chinese nationals has deteriorated, the economy is struggling, and political instability is at one of its highest points in recent years. All these dynamics, coupled with the global scaling down of Belt and Road Initiative financing, have likely impacted Beijing's lack of commitment to new projects.

After almost 10 years and $25 billion worth of projects, there seems to be a general consensus on both sides that the first phase of CPEC  the one focused primarily on energy projects  was largely successful. The same cannot be said for the second phase, including the slow progress on the development of Special Economic Zones, and for the port of Gwadar, where little progress has been made for the ports full commercial functioning.

Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. 'Sweep It Under The Rug'

Recent allegations of China operating 54 overseas police stations have fueled controversy around the world and sparked investigations, but in Hungary and Serbia the new findings are being met with swift denials by authorities, despite growing evidence.

The Details: My colleagues Akos Keller-Alant from RFE/RLs Hungarian Service, Mila Durdevic from RFE/RLs Balkan Service, and I reported on the fallout from these revelations and the slew of probes launched in many European countries recently.

The stations are overseas operations of the public security bureaus from two Chinese provinces and are used to persuade citizens to return to China, including through pressure on family members at home. While most of those involved appear to be suspected of crimes such as telecommunications fraud or corruption, dissidents have also reported that the stations have been used to monitor and threaten them.

Fourteen governments have already launched investigations into the overseas police stations, and the Dutch and Irish governments have ordered China to shut down the facilities in their countries.

But in Hungary and Serbia  two countries where Beijing is said to operate such facilities and whose governments prize their warming political and economic ties with China  officials appear to be trying to sweep it under the rug, as one analyst characterized it, despite growing scrutiny from opposition lawmakers in each country.

2. Global Ripples Hit Central Asia

Political and economic shocks from Moscows war in Ukraine, coupled with added strains from tensions between Beijing and Washington, are taking their toll around the world, especially in Central Asia, where countries in the region are closely tied to both China and Russia.

What It Means: As RFE/RLs Uzbek Service reported, Vladimir Norov, the countrys foreign minister, warned about geopolitical tensions affecting stability in the region and beyond while addressing his counterparts at an Organization of Turkic States meeting in Samarkand.

The breakdown in global cooperation is felt particularly strong in Central Asia. While some economies have been able to benefit by becoming a new home for businesses and capital relocated from Russia, others are seeing investment dry up and their economies coming under strain.

World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde recently warned that Uzbekistan needs to continue with its market reforms in order to withstand the global economic shocks that are to come.

RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service also reported that the countrys government is trying to court more investment but that questions remain from investors about Kyrgyzstans stability and investment climate. According to official statistics from January to June of this year, China is the leading source of foreign investment, with $129 million during that span.

3. The Tech In Moscows Iranian Drones

A new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, looked into electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 drone, which Russia has used in its war in Ukraine, and found that theyre far from homegrown.

What You Need To Know: The Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export to Iran of technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The investigation also found drone components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm.

The drone also contains a microchip bearing the logo of a California technology company and a thermal-imaging camera that Ukrainian intelligence says may have been produced by a firm based in Oregon or China.

The international tech in the drone not only highlights the complex ecosystem that allows firms and buyers to circumvent sanctions slapped on both Iran and Russia, but also the close networks between Chinese and Western tech companies that still exist, despite a recent push to break some of those linkages.

Across The Supercontinent

On The Mainland: The watchdog group Freedom House recently launched a new project called the China Dissent Monitor, which tracks protests and other forms of dissent inside China. Read it here.

Censored: Chinese authorities behind a major trade expo in Shanghai pulled an opening ceremony address by European Council President Charles Michel that was set to criticize Russia's illegal war in Ukraine and call for reduced European dependency on China, Reuters reported.

Backtracking: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has softened his countrys stance toward China, moving away from his predecessor Liz Trusss decision to label it a threat.

One Thing To Watch

How long will Chinas stringent COVID policies stay in place?

New infections are rising as a winter wave hits and popular frustration continues to boil over inside the country as investor confidence stays dented over the measures. New footage also showed crowds of residents in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou escaping a compulsory lockdown and clashing with police.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your in-box on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
PRISTINA -- Kosovar President Hashim Thaci says he will sign legislation to abolish a special court at The Hague that was set up to prosecute war crimes if it is passed by Kosovo's parliament.

In an interview with RFE/RL on December 27, Thaci said that he is not "encouraging lawmakers" to pass such a bill but added: "I will sign any decision" made by parliament on the matter.

Lawmakers from the governing coalition are pressing for a vote to abolish the court, which was established to prosecute alleged war crimes by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) against ethnic Serbs during Kosovo's 1998-99 war for independence.

The court was set up in 2015 in the Netherlands and put under Kosovo's jurisdiction.

The initiative of some 50 deputies of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo should be understood as an alternative and not as a challenge to justice -- not as ignorance or [an attempt to] escape from justice, said Thaci.

Serbia had invaded Kosovo and it was a defensive war of the liberators and the people of Kosovo, he added, calling the court a "historical injustice."

Thaci, who was a KLA commander, said that if he did not sign such a law he would "violate the constitution.

An attempt to vote on the bill failed last week after an opposition boycott kept parliament from having a quorum.



Kosovar parliament speaker Kadri Veseli -- who along with Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj was also a KLA commander -- said lawmakers would try to hold a vote on the issue in the coming days.

The Specialist Chamber in The Hague was established as a result of pressure by the United States and the European Union for Kosovo's government to hold accountable those responsible for alleged KLA war crimes against ethnic Serbs.

It has not yet charged anyone with war crimes or held any court sessions.



The United States and EU have strongly opposed any attempt to abolish the court.

Isa Mustafa, Kosovos former prime minister and an opposition leader, said the proposal was "devastating for our state and very damaging for justice."

The court's judges and prosecutors are foreign but it has been set up under Kosovar law, giving Pristina jurisdiction over it.

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie said on December 22 that shutting down the court would have "extraordinarily negative implications" for Kosovo.

He said it would be "a disgrace" if Kosovar deputies abolished the court and "considered by the U.S. as stab in the back." He added that "Kosovo will be choosing isolation instead of cooperation" if it does away with the court.

The United States has been the top political and financial backer of Kosovo since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

Nataliya Apostolova, the EU representative in Pristina, called the attempt to scrap the court "appalling and extremely damaging."

NATO air strikes on Serbia forced Belgrade to withdraw its troops from Kosovo in 1999, having killed some 10,000 ethnic Albanian civilians. There are some 5,000 NATO troops stationed in Kosovo, which is recognized by 116 countries but not Serbia.

Kosovo's population is more than 90 percent ethnic Albanians and about 5 percent Serbs.

With reporting by Reuters
A man suspected of killing a brother of former Kyrgyz Prosecutor-General and opposition politician Aida Salyanova has been apprehended.

The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry said on December 28 that the 31-year-old suspect was detained after forensic tests determined a Makarov pistol in his possession was used to kill Salyanova's 42-year-old brother, Ulan Salyanov, in early November. The suspect's name was not disclosed.

The Interior Ministry said on November 6 that several masked men rushed into Salyanov's Bishkek house during the night and shot him dead. The ministry has ruled out a political motive for the killing.

The killing took place less than a month after a court in Bishkek convicted Aida Salyanova on charges of abusing her office. She was sentenced to five years in prison, but her imprisonment has been postponed until her 2-year-old daughter reaches the age of 14.

Salyanova, a leading member of the opposition Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party, has maintained her innocence. She says the case against her was politically motivated.

Authorities targeted Salyanova for investigation in March, days after Ata-Meken leader Omurbek Tekebaev was arrested on the basis of what his supporters say were trumped-up bribe-taking allegations.

Tekebaev was named as Ata-Meken's candidate in Kyrgyzstan's October 15 presidential election shortly after his arrest. He was convicted in August and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Tekebaev's supporters say the case was aimed at preventing him from running for president.

Sooronbai Jeenbekov, the candidate of the ruling Social Democratic Party who was publicly supported by outgoing President Almazbek Atambaev, won the presidential vote.
More than a hundred refugees and migrants were still wandering around the Serbian border town of Sid on December 27 one day after Serbian police broke up a protest there.

A few dozen people had protested at the border line between Serbia and Croatia on December 26 and were demanding to continue their trip toward Western Europe.

After police and officials of the Commissariat for Refugees broke up the protest, many migrants went to sleep in the nearby woods. They were provided with food and medical care by humanitarian organizations.

More than 4,000 refugees and migrants are settled in camps provided by the state throughout Serbia.

Humanitarian groups say there are about 500 people living under the open sky throughout the country, avoiding registration with the authorities out of fear that they will be deported to Macedonia and then sent back to their home countries -- mainly Afghanistan and Pakistan.


Russia's central bank says it is considering the possibility of introducing a digital currency within the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and the so-called BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).

Bank of Russia First Deputy Chairwoman Olga Skorobogatova told reporters in Moscow on December 28 that the issue will most likely be studied during 2018, including consultations within Russian's partners in the EEU and BRICS.

"There are a lot of technological and macroeconomic aspects, so I think next year will be devoted to working out approaches to the possibility of issuing such a supranational cryptocurrency," Skorobogatova said.

Earlier on December 28, during a Finance Ministry meeting where a draft law regulating cryptocurrency operations was discussed, Skorobogatova said Russia's central bank will not consider cryptocurrencies as means of payment.

Deputy Finance Minister Aleksei Moiseyev said his ministry may approve the use of cryptocurrencies for initial coin offering (ICO) investments.

Moiseyev said digital money would be assessed not as currency for payment but rather as property. He also suggested that cryptocurrency mining activities should be taxed.

On December 22, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed a decree that legalizes transactions in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

Lukashenka said the move is aimed at attracting foreign investors and transform Belarus into a regional center for block chain technology, which makes online transactions faster, anonymous and more secure.

Based on reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS
Fake news -- or at least global discussion of the phenomenon -- continued to flourish in 2017, so much so that Collins Dictionary named the term its Word of the Year.

Defined by Collins as "false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting," fake news also reverberated across the Russian media and political landscape in 2017.

From a purported Western plot to "collapse" Russia to a New York restaurant's alleged campaign honoring President Vladimir Putin with a massive hamburger, some of these reports -- including outright hoaxes -- were treated with credulity by prominent Russian media outlets, public figures, and audiences alike.

Some of them originated in Russia -- which Western governments have accused of deploying fake news and disinformation as part of its foreign policy. (Moscow has repeatedly rejected such criticism, including accusations that it was behind a flood of fake news aimed at influencing the 2016 U.S. presidential election.) Others began elsewhere and were then perpetuated by both Russian state-controlled television and privately owned media outlets -- and, in some cases, by senior officials.

Here's a look at some of the fake-news and other dubious reports that resonated across Russia in 2017.

'Collapsing Russia'

In August, a website confusingly similar in appearance to that of the British newspaper The Guardian published a fake story attributing quotes to a former head of British intelligence about a purported Western plot to dismantle Russia.

The fake interview quoted ex-MI6 head John Scarlett as saying -- in clunky English -- that Britain and the United States planned to use the pro-Western former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and a "fictitious quarrel between Ukraine and Russia" in order to bring about Russia's "re-disintegration."

"I must admit that the two Georgian and Crimean wars, the most strategic plan of the U.S. and Britain over the past several years for collapsing Russia, ended with failure," Scarlett was quoted as saying in the fabricated story.

The ruse was quickly debunked, including in an investigation by BuzzFeed, and The Guardian itself noted that it was a "a fake story...on a fake site purporting to be The Guardian."

Several Russian media outlets picked up the story, however, including the national television network REN-TV. Days after the false report had been debunked, prominent Russian television personality Vladimir Solovyov appeared to give credence to the hoax on his popular political talk show on state TV, though he added the qualifier, "Some say it's true, some say it's not."

Putin Burger

On October 7 -- Putin's 65th birthday -- Russian state television and news agencies reported that a New York restaurant was serving a special five-patty burger in honor of the man in the Kremlin. The reports were based on a video produced by Ruptly, a news agency owned by the Russian government-backed TV network RT. Ruptly interviewed an employee at Lucy's Cantina Royale in New York City who said the restaurant had created a burger weighing 1,952 grams -- a reference to the year of Putin's birth -- and featured a small leaflet bearing Putin's image as evidence of the alleged special menu item.

"It's not only foreign leaders who are wishing Russia's president a happy birthday, but ordinary citizens as well. What's more, they're doing it in extremely original ways," an anchor for the state-run Rossia-24 network said in a segment based on the Ruptly report.

But Russian journalist Aleksei Kovalyov, who regularly debunks canards circulating in the Russian media, quickly dug in to the reports about the special burger, which proceeded to fall apart under scrutiny. The restaurant denied honoring Putin with a burger and said "the employees responsible for this hoax have been suspended pending an investigation." A bartender at the restaurant later said the "Putin burger" was her idea and that she had lost her job. The employee filmed in the Ruptly video was also reportedly fired.

Ruptly later deleted the video, saying in a statement that the story "did not meet [its] editorial standards."

Kovalyov has long accused state-controlled Russian media of fabricating or twisting news from abroad in order to produce stories for domestic consumption that are aimed at reinforcing Kremlin messaging. "The Putin burger was a particularly egregious example of virtual reality," he told RFE/RL.

Nobel Winner Alexievich 'Dead'

In May, a Twitter account purporting to be that of French Culture Minister Francoise Nyssen tweeted out that Belarusian author and Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich had died. Nyssen had previously headed the Actes Sud publishing house, which her father founded and had published Alexievich's writing in French, which appeared to lend credibility to the death claim.

Numerous Russian media outlets -- including the government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta and state news agency RIA Novosti -- quickly ran with the report, as did the website of Current Time TV, a project of RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. European outlets also circulated the report, including the French newspaper Le Figaro and popular Portuguese daily Diario de Noticias.

It was, in fact, a hoax. Alexievich, 69, spoke with RFE/RL's Belarus Service from Seoul, South Korea, with the reports swirling, saying, "Someone's impatient."

Shortly after the original tweet, Italian journalist Tommaso Debenedetti -- who had previously published fake interviews with famous writers -- claimed he was behind the hoax.

Another Sketchy MH17 Claim

On October 6, the official television network of the Russian Defense Ministry published a claim from a man it said was a defector from the Ukrainian Air Force. The man, identified as Yury Baturin, claimed that the Ukrainian Air Force had moved a Buk missile system to within firing range of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shortly before it was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

The report by the Zvezda network clearly suggested that Ukraine may have shot down the plane amid its war with Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine, though Baturin did not specifically say that Ukrainian forces fired on MH17 with the Buk. The location in question, Baturin said, was the one previously identified by Russian weapons maker Almaz-Antey: a spot near the Ukrainian village of Zaroshchenske.

The Zaroshchenske claim is one of a range of uncorroborated theories that the Russian government and its proxies have proposed about the downing of MH17, including that it was brought down by a Ukrainian fighter jet.

An international investigation has concluded that the plane was brought down by a Russian-made Buk missile system fired from territory controlled by the separatists near the Ukrainian village of Snizhne. The Dutch Safety Board and the Dutch-led international investigation have both dismissed the Zaroshchenske theory, citing a broad range of evidence that includes forensic tests, eyewitnesses, and an intercepted phone call between separatist fighters.

The Buk system was brought in from Russia and smuggled back shortly after the shoot-down, the international investigation has concluded. Critics have accused Moscow of trying to muddy the waters of the investigation in order to deflect possible culpability from the separatists and itself.

The Zvezda report was picked up by numerous Russian media outlets, including the state-run TASS news agency and state-run television. But the man's claims have yet to be corroborated by any other media outlets, leaving Zvezda as the only source. And within 24 hours of the original publication, Zvezda deleted -- without explanation -- its reports based on the interview.

But in early December, Baturin's story was again published by Zvezda, this time in a slightly different interview format. Zvezda told the Russian news site Meduza that the original report was deleted because it wanted to give a more thorough treatment to his story.

As in the original story, Zvezda and Baturin strongly imply that a Ukrainian Buk shot down MH17 but note that the former Ukrainian soldier was unable to detect the launch of a missile from near Kharkiv, where he claimed to have been stationed at the time. The Ukrainian military confirmed to Meduza that Baturin had served in its air force but quit in 2016 due to "family circumstances."

Syrian War (Video) Games

The Russian Defense Ministry in November accused the United States of cooperating with Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, alleging that Washington was providing cover to the extremist group as Russian and Syrian government forces were targeting IS fighters.

It was an incendiary claim, one that came shortly after an explosive BBC report alleging that forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition struck a deal that ultimately allowed hundreds of IS militants to leave the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa. (The coalition did not confirm the deal but conceded that IS fighters may have left the city along with a convoy of civilians.)

But the Russian military's accusation, which it posted on Facebook and Twitter, included curious images that it described as "irrefutable evidence" of alleged U.S. help for IS militants. The images purported to show an IS convoy heading for the Syrian-Iraqi border.

But it didn't take long for social-media users and investigative groups to discover that one of the images was actually a still from a 2015 promotional video for a video game called AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Special Ops Squadron. The other images were taken from videos released by the Iraqi Defense Ministry in 2016 about anti-IS operations near Fallujah, online investigators found.

The fake images triggered a wave of ridicule, with some on social media mocking the ministry with footage from other video games, like the famous 1980s game Frogger.

The Russian military subsequently scrubbed the images and published new photos it claimed were "irrefutable evidence" of its accusation. The ministry conceded that the original photographs were fake and said a civilian employee was facing a probe in connection with the matter.

Bin Laden In the White House

The video-game hijinks weren't the only time a Russian ministry perpetuated a hoax in 2017.

Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry's often-caustic spokeswoman, claimed during a political talk show on state TV in November that the late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had once visited the White House.

Zakharova made the claim during a discussion about lobbying in the United States and the U.S. investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election and potential collusion between Moscow and Donald Trump's campaign staff.

"Recall these fantastic, mind-boggling photographs of Bin Laden being hosted in the White House. This is classic lobbying in the true sense of the word," Zakharova said.

The Saudi-born Bin Laden, who was killed in a 2011 U.S. raid in Pakistan, never visited the White House. Zakharova did not specify during the program which "photographs" she had in mind, though some Russian media outlets speculated she was referring to a photoshopped image appearing to show former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shaking hands with the Al-Qaeda leader.

That image, which has circulated online for years, is a fake. Bin Laden's head in the photo, which was taken in May 2004, was superimposed over that of musician Shubhashish Mukherjee. The firebrand conservative site Tsargrad.tv cited Zakharova's claim without noting that Bin Laden had never been to the White House.

Days later, Zakharova took to Facebook to say she didn't mean to suggest that Bin Laden "personally" had visited the White House but rather "his colleagues, his advisers, so to speak." She cited what she called her "favorite photograph" of U.S. President Ronald Reagan "hosting a Taliban delegation in the White House."

The photograph in question, which Zakharova attached to her post, shows Reagan meeting with Afghan rebel leaders to discuss the fight against invading Soviet forces. The United States funded Afghan mujahedin fighting -- alongside Bin Laden and other Arab fighters -- against the Soviets; but the photograph in question of Reagan and the Afghans was taken in February 1983 -- nine years before the Taliban was founded.

Let Them Eat Rat

In October, a columnist writing for the state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti published an angry screed decrying what he called "propaganda horror stories" about Russia that are regularly published in the Dutch media. The column, titled Muscovites Eat Rat: Who In Europe Is Writing Fake News About Russia, focused on a short November 2016 article in the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant about a Moscow restaurateur who serves nutria -- a large rodent also known as a river rat.

The columnist, Vladimir Kornilov, delivered a highly skewed and, at times, outright false version of the original article to his readers. He incorrectly suggested that the article claimed Muscovites had started eating rat meat because they were "starving" due to Western sanctions over Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and its backing of armed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

"Nonsense, you say? You are correct. But the thing is, such nonsense about Russia is periodically published in the leading newspapers in the Netherlands -- a country that is regularly presented as a leader in global media-freedoms ratings," Kornilov wrote.

He also called the De Volkskrant article "enormous," when in fact it clocked in at fewer than 400 words.

Kornilov's column was picked up by several prominent Russian media outlets.

The original article -- one of several published in the Western media at the time about Moscow restaurateur Takhir Kholikberdiyev and his nutria-based delicacies -- said nothing about Russians going hungry due to sanctions, though it noted that the punitive measures have prompted restaurants to seek alternative and domestically produced ingredients.

"It remains a mystery why, almost a year after an entirely friendly article was published, a RIA Novosti columnist needed to distort its content," the opposition-minded Russian news site The Insider wrote.

Kovalyov, the Russian media critic, debunked the false characterizations in the RIA Novosti column in a post on his website, Noodle Remover, with the headline: If The 'Western Media' Didn't Lie, No Problem, We'll Lie For Them And Then Expose Them!

"You are attributing words to the author of the article that he didn't write," Kovalyov wrote, addressing Kornilov, "and on the basis of these inventions are accusing 'the Western media' of creating fake news about Russia!"
ELISTA, Russia -- Russia's Republic of Kalmykia has marked the 74th anniversary of the start of mass deportations of Kalmyks to Siberia by Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

Prayers in Kalmykia's Buddhist temples on December 28 were dedicated to those who died between 1943 and 1956 as a result of deportation.

Meanwhile, officials and citizens from the Russian region on December 28 attended a commemoration ceremony near the monument of Exodus and Return -- a memorial created in Kalmykias capital, Elista, by the late Russian-American sculptor Ernst Neizvestny.

Kalmykia's regional head, Aleksei Orlov, told the gathering that "the memory of those who perished during the illegal deportation unites us today to preserve peace and harmony in our land."

Kalmyks are a Mongol-speaking and predominantly Buddhist ethnic group that were among the ethnicities deported by Stalin's Soviet government during the 1940s.

In 1943, on December 28-29, more than 90,000 Kalmyks were sent in cattle cars to Siberia by the Soviet government -- which accused them of collaborating with Nazi Germany.

According to unofficial estimates, at least a third of those who were forced onto the trains perished during the journey.

Those who survived were allowed to return to Kalmykia, close to Russias North Caucasus region, in 1956.

Kalmykia has marked December 28 as a holiday, the Day of Memory and Sorrow, since 2004.

With reporting by Riakalm.ru
The Kremlin says law enforcement authorities will "no doubt" examine whether opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has broken the law by calling for nationwide protests in support of a boycott of Russia's March 18 presidential election.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, made the remark in a regular conference call with journalists on December 28.

Navalny, who has been barred from challenging Putin in the election, is calling for a "voters' strike" and nationwide demonstrations on January 28 in support of a boycott of the ballot.

"We have the appropriate agencies that check such calls and intentions" to determine whether they are legal, Peskov said. "There is no doubt that this will be done."

Meanwhile, Ivan Zhdanov, a lawyer for Navalny's Anticorruption Foundation, wrote on Twitter that Navalny had appealed the decision by the Central Election Commission (CEC) to bar him from running in the presidential election.

Zhdanov said the Supreme Court will consider his motion on December 30.

This is certainly good, but we cant forget that the courts are just as controlled as the CEC, he wrote. The main thing now is the voters strike.

Before Navalny announced plans for the January 28 demonstrations, Peskov had said his calls for an election boycott would be checked.

Navalny has said that he and his allies would submit documents soon in a bid to secure permission for the January 28 rallies, but urged supporters to demonstrate anyway if it is denied.

A vocal Kremlin critic whose reports have alleged corruption among senior Putin associates, Navalny has been convicted on criminal charges in two cases he says were fabricated for political reasons.

He announced his presidential bid in December 2016 and has been campaigning since then, but has faced hurdles ranging from bureaucratic hindrances and brief jail sentences to pressure on supporters and physical attacks.

Navalny's campaign manager, Leonid Volkov, was released from jail on December 28 after a 30-day term imposed by a court that ruled he had violated legislation on public demonstrations in connection with a protest in Nizhny Novgorod in September.

"Hi everybody!" Volkov tweeted after his release, thanking people for what he said were 8,000 messages he had been unable to answer in jail.

"I'm wildly happy to be in contact with you again," he wrote. "I missed you!"

The Central Election Commission rejected Navalny's effort to register as a candidate on December 25, citing a criminal conviction in a case the opposition politician contends was fabricated for political purposes.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Reuters, and TASS
Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin has been released from detention in Moscow after being held and fined for staging a demonstration that authorities said was conducted without their permission.

Yashin late on December 28 wrote on Twitter that he was alive, healthy, and free, amid media reports that he had been fined 30,000 rubles for organizing the Free Elections Day" festival in Moscow's Lermontov Park on December 24, despite a City Court decision banning the gathering.

Earlier on December 28, Yashin, the head of Moscows Krasnoselsky municipal district, had written on Twitter that five police officers detained him near his home and took him to a police station.

The news site Meduza, among others, reported that Moscows Meshchansky District Court fined Yashin 30,000 rubles (about $521), finding him guilty of organizing a public event without giving notice for the December 24 event. Yashin retweeted stories saying he had been fined.

Yashin vowed to appeal the verdict.

Some 2,000 people attended the Free Elections Day" event to demand that Russia's March 18 presidential election be a free, fair, and competitive contest.

Moscow city authorities and local police declared the event illegal and questioned Yashin's parents on December 25 about his whereabouts.

Supporters of anticorruption activist and opposition politician Aleksei Navalny also organized rallies in 20 Russian cities on December 24, including Moscow.

Navalny has been campaigning for the presidency since December 2016. But election officials in June declared he is ineligible due to a financial-crimes conviction that he contends was baseless and politically motivated.

Presidential campaigning officially started in Russia on December 18.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is running for a fourth term. His high approval ratings and control over the levers of power make his victory a foregone conclusion in Russia, where government critics say election campaigns and results are manipulated by authorities.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service
Russia has promised leaders of the autonomous region controlled by Kurds in northern Syria that they can send representatives to a peace forum it is hosting next month, the commander of the main Syrian Kurdish militia has said.

Moscow has said 155 representatives of the autonomous region will participate, Sipan Hemo, the commander of the People's Protection Units (YPG), said on social media.

Kurdish groups have not taken part in any round of Syrian peace talks since the civil war broke out in 2011, despite their control of more than a quarter of Syria.

Turkey opposes their involvement in talks. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in Turkey for decades.

Russia is hosting what it's calling a Syrian dialogue congress on January 29-30 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, but it has been unclear who besides its ally, the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, would participate.

About 40 Syrian rebel groups, including factions that have taken part in other rounds of peace talks, said on December 26 they would not attend.

Moreover, while Syrian Kurds now say they expect to attend, the potential for fracturing along ethnic, religious, and partisan lines remains.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a principle backer of rebel groups in the conflict who has also worked with Russia on peace efforts, could take offense at the inclusion of the YPG.

And on December 27, Erdogan sided with the rebel groups in calling Assad a "terrorist" who should not be part of any future peace settlement.

"There is no peace in Syria and this peace won't come with Assad," Erdogan said on a visit to Tunisia. "How can we embrace the future with a Syrian president who has killed close to a million of his citizens?"

Based on reporting by AP, TASS, and Reuters
WASHINGTON -- An American stockbroker who made a fortune in the Russian market in the 1990s and 2000s and later co-founded a posh Moscow nightclub before leaving the country died of blunt force injuries suffered as a result of a fall from a Washington, D.C. building.

The findings, released on November 16 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), confirm that Dan Rapoport died on August 14 after falling from a height, but do not conclusively explain the circumstances leading up to his death.



Washington police told RFE/RL that an investigation into his death had ended and declined further comment. Earlier this year, a police spokeswoman told RFE/RL that foul play was not suspected, but that final conclusions were pending the autopsy.

Rapoport's untimely death triggered much speculation because he had voiced support for ardent Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny before leaving Russia and, while living in Kyiv in recent years, had been a vocal supporter of Ukraine and an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.



Washington metropolitan police found Rapoport's body on August 14 on the sidewalk outside 2400 M Street, a nine-story apartment building in the northwest part of the city.



The medical examiner's report said Rapoport, 52, died of multiple blunt force injuries due to fall from height and described the death as sudden/unexplained. The report also said the manner of his death was undetermined.



The OCME said no other information would be immediately released.



A preliminary police report said officers responded to a report of a jumper on the evening of August 14, and the man, later identified as Rapoport, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.



The apartment building has an open rooftop with a pool, running track, and seating area for residents.

The police report said officers found $2,620 in cash on Rapoport when they discovered his body on the sidewalk, along with headphones, a cracked cell phone, a Florida drivers license, and other items.



He was wearing flip-flops, perhaps indicating he had been at the pool on the roof prior to falling.



Brianna Burch, a police spokesperson, told RFE/RL in August that there did not appear to be anyone with Rapoport at the time and there were no listed witnesses. In follow-up correspondences with RFE/RL through early November, the police continued to say they did not suspect foul play.



Rapoport had recently moved back to Washington after spending several years working in finance in Ukraine. He told RFE/RL in an interview in Washington in June that business had been tough due to the countrys high political risk and war with Russia.



While some friends said they did not believe he would have committed suicide, others said he had appeared depressed.



Go-To Location



A native of Latvia and a fluent Russian speaker, Rapoport emigrated with his family to the United States in 1980. After graduating from a U.S. university, he moved to Russia in the early 1990s as a wave of privatizations swept across the country.



The sale of former state-owned companies created a booming stock market, minting a new generation of millionaires, Russian and foreign.



Rapoport was respected within Russian financial circles, where he worked for more than a decade at a local brokerage called CenterInvest, making his way up to managing partner. He claimed his clients included some of the nation's wealthiest tycoons.

In 2007, he opened a swanky nightclub in downtown Moscow called Soho Rooms, which became the go-to location for Moscows elite.



In 2012, he left Russia and returned to the United States, saying the stock brokerage industry that had made him a fortune "had died" as commission fees shrunk with improvements in technology.

But in a media interview prior to his departure, he also criticized the direction Russia had taken under Putin and expressed support for Navalny, who was jailed last year on what Western governments say were trumped-up charges.

It has really become unbearable to live in Russia, Rapoport told media outlet FinParty in June of that year. We are all now dependent on one ruler. If this person decides that you will give birth to his child, then you will give birth, and if he decide to put you in prison, then you will serve time.

He told FinParty that he would give up his American citizenship and return to Russia if Navalny became president, saying the opposition leader was sincere in his desire to fight corruption.

He is a real hero of our time and deserves respect, Rapoport said of Navalny.

Rapoports frustration with Russia and his decision to leave may have been triggered by pressure on his businesses, friends and family have said.

Under Putin, the raiding of profitable businesses by -- or with the help of -- the nations security services has flourished. Rapoport allegedly lost his stake in Soho Rooms when his partners teamed up with security officials.

"Our flight to Washington is in 12 hours. It's sad to leave Russia, but for thoughtful people, living here has become unbearable and disgusting," Rapoport wrote on his Facebook page on June 13, 2012.

When Rapoport moved to Washington, where he said his parents lived, he set up a company called Rapoport Capital to advise and assist technology startups as well as venture capital funds on fundraising options.

In 2016, four years after leaving Russia, Rapoport set up an office in Kyiv and opened a private equity fund. It was tough going. Ukraines economy struggled amid an ongoing war with Russia-backed separatists in two eastern regions and the slow implementation of Western-backed reforms.

In social-media posts over the ensuing years, he was a vocal supporter of Ukraine and an outspoken critic of Putin.

Rapoport gained a degree of publicity in January 2017 after The New York Times reported that the daughter and son-in-law of newly elected President Donald Trump had purchased a mansion owned by him and his first wife. The mansion was located in an exclusive neighborhood of the U.S. capital.

In 2018, the open-source investigative organization Bellingcat reported that Rapoport, who was Jewish, had been the creator of a fictional persona named David Jewberg, who was frequently quoted in Ukrainian media as a senior Pentagon analyst.

With reporting by Todd Prince in Washington, D.C. and Mike Eckel in Prague
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he has ordered his government to "immediately" resume talks with Moscow on the release of Ukrainian citizens from Russian custody following a prisoner swap between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists.

Visiting the Odesa region on December 28, Poroshenko said Kyiv "will do everything we can" to return all Ukrainians held in Russia or "as hostages in occupied territory" -- a reference to Crimea and separatist-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine.

"We cannot betray them. We cannot forget them," he said.

Earlier in the day in Kyiv, Poroshenko said that his government did not release any Russian citizens in the prisoner swap on December 27, which was the largest such exchange since the war in eastern Ukraine began in April 2014.

"We will do more to get our citizens out of Russian jails...and because of that not a single Russian national was released by us now," he said, hinting that Kyiv would only agree to release Russians in Ukrainian custody in exchange for Ukrainians held in Russia.

On December 1, Ukrainian Ombudswoman Valeria Lutkovska said more than 2,000 Ukrainian citizens remain in Russian custody.

On December 28, the United States said it welcomed the long-awaited swap of prisoners and called on both sides to commit to a true all-for-all detainee exchange.

In March, the European Parliament called on Russia to free more than 30 Ukrainian citizens who were in prison or other conditions of restricted freedom in Russia, Crimea, and parts of eastern Ukraine that are controlled by the Russia-backed separatists.

Poroshenko named several Ukrainians held in Russia, including filmmaker Oleh Sentsov and journalist Roman Sushchenko.

Sentsov is serving a 20-year prison term, while Sushchenko is being held in Russia on suspicion of espionage. Kyiv says the charges against both men are fabricated.*

In the December 27 swap, Ukraine handed 233 captives over to the Russia-backed separatists in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, while the separatists handed 74 Ukrainian nationals over to Kyiv.

After massive protests pushed Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych from power in February 2014 following his decision to scrap a landmark deal with the European Union, Russia seized control of the Crimea region and fomented separatism across eastern and southern Ukraine.

The Russia-backed separatists seized parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, igniting the war -- which has killed more than 10,300 people and continues despite a 2015 deal on a case-fire and steps toward peace -- and severely straining Russia's relations with Kyiv and the West.

*CORRECTION: This story has been updated to clarify that Roman Sushchenko has not been tried or sentenced; he is being held in Russia on suspicion of espionage.

With reporting by UNIAN and Ukrayinska Pravda
[SAO PAULO] Up to 80 per cent of our sun exposure happens before the age of 14, and in tropical countries such as Brazil hundreds of thousands of people a year are diagnosed with skin cancer as a result.



Over a hundred thousand new cases of skin cancer were recorded in Brazil between 2016 and 2017, according to the Brazilian Cancer Institute, and almost 6,000 were classified as melanoma, an aggressive form of the disease that can spread to other parts of the body.



Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation during childhood significantly increases the risk of developing skin cancer later in life, according to the oncology surgeon Joao Duprat Neto, director of the Skin Cancer Center of the Brazilian A.C. Camargo Cancer Center.



The solution lies in early education, teaching kids to cover up and keep out of the midday sun, and a team of researchers have found an effective way to get this message across  using cartoons and comic books.



The aim was to encourage children to adopt and maintain behaviours that would guarantee adequate sun protection and the prevention of skin cancer later in life.



After the campaign, which was carried out between 2013 and 2014, the researchers conducted questionnaires in order to measure whether children had absorbed habits and knowledge about safer sun exposure after the campaign.

Even in children who already had some knowledge about sun exposure, this knowledge improved even more after the campaign Paulo Ricardo Criado

"We found that more than 80 per cent of children knew that the sun might cause skin diseases and that it is important to use sunscreen, play in the shade, wear a hat, sunglasses and avoid the midday sun, according to Paulo Ricardo Criado, a dermatologist from the Faculty of Medicine of ABC University (UFABC), who was lead author of the study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.



Even in children who already had some knowledge about sun exposure, this knowledge improved even more after the campaign, he tells SciDev.Net.



He points out the idea that sunlight may cause skin diseases increased from 84.8 to 91.2 per cent; avoiding sun exposure at midday, from 80.7 to 86.8 per cent; wearing clothes that cover arms and legs, from 49.6 per cent 57.3 per cent, and that sunscreens are needed even on cloudy days, from 46.5 to 65.5 per cent.



These findings came from a study that evaluated the cognitive and behavioural effects of a health education and diseases prevention project on 3,676 children aged between six and ten years old in schools in Sao Paulo state.



Visible light

The message is vitally important because even high strength sun cream sold to parents might not be enough to protect children from the effects of sun exposure.



Thats because it protects against the effects of UV light, invisible to the human eye, but does not prevent damage caused by visible light, according to Mauricio da Silva Baptista, a biochemist from Sao Paulo University.



He is the main author of a study published in November 2014 in PLoS One that found that visible light can damage DNA indirectly by interacting with skin pigment (melanin), which absorbs some of the energy of the light and transfers it to oxygen molecules, generating highly reactive forms  so-called singlet oxygen.



This excited oxygen molecule, in turn, reacts with organic molecules, such as DNA, and degrades them. When this type of damage affects a regulatory gene of cell proliferation, the cell can begin to multiply uncontrollably, causing cancer.



Another study conducted by Brazilian researchers and published in February 2015 in Science, also found that under the action of visible sunlight, melanin could fragment and form very reactive chemical compounds that could damage the structure of DNA and facilitate the development of skin cancer.



These findings underline the need to change childrens behaviour to avoid sun exposure as much as possible.



Theres an economic impact as well. Between 2012 and 2016, the disease prevented over 17,000 people from working, according to a survey by the Brazilian Institute of Social Security.



To Criado, in light of this, such education programmes need to become more frequent in Brazilian schools, especially public ones.



Health professionals could play an important role in supporting effective school policies and programs by educating school boards and policymakers, he argues.



The studies published in PloS One and Science are the result of projects funded by FAPESP, one of the donors of SciDev.Net.



This article was produced by SciDev.Nets Latin American & Caribbean desk.


Here is a look at the past. Items have been culled from The Chronicles archives of 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.

Jan 2: It was, all in all, a pretty typical New Years Eve  joy, some confusion, lots of noise, a few rowdy crowds and gunfire. Police in Union Square struggled to control a crowd of 13,000 people who grew rowdy just before midnight. Revelers vandalized toilets and attacked police with bottles and bricks and at least a dozen were involved in fistfights, said police. Fourteen people were arrested. The 100 officers on the scene gained control of the situation shortly after 1 a.m.

There was a tremendous amount of vandalism directed at just about anything that could be damaged, said Captain Dennis Martel. Flowers and plants were ripped out of the ground. Benches were ripped apart.

In East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, police arrested five people suspected of shooting firearms in the air at midnight. Police had expressed concern beforehand about the practice and a special enforcement squad of 12 Menlo Park officers responded to 47 reports of gunfire.

 David Tuller

1968

Jan. 3: Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, arrested during the pre-Christmas series of peace demonstrations outside the Oakland Induction Center, was sentenced yesterday to 17 days in the county jail.

He pleaded no contest to a charge of disturbing the peace. Before sentencing Ferlinghetti, Municipal Judge Winton McKibben said that the purpose of the demonstration was to stop the war. Its purpose was to block the entrance to war. The motive of the demonstrators was pure and the action was totally non-violent. It was a legitimate expression of political dissent and I believe that such dissent must not be suppressed and prosecuted in a society that calls itself free. Ferlinghetti, who will begin serving his time tomorrow at Santa Rita prison farm, said in another statement that he believed that the American people are suffering this Christmas season from a mass guilt complex as a direct result of the American action in Vietnam. They know they are doing evil but they are confused and dont know how to stop. They know that this nation as a whole is guilty of crimes against humanity in Vietnam.

Ferlinghetti, 48-year-old author of A Coney Island of the Mind and owner of the City lights bookstore at 261 Columbus Avenue, was a lieutenant commander in the Navy during World War II and served in the Normandy invasion.

1943

Jan. 5: War-busy San Francisco was practically meatless yesterday and many butcher shops were closing because they had nothing to sell.

The international vice-president of the Butchers Union, Milton Maxwell, said 139 of the citys 500 meat markets have closed their doors. Many of these may not open again, he said.

The boys are going to war industries, he said. They havent had enough work to do. Many of the markets employing three men cannot keep one man busy.

New Office of Price Administration regulations yesterday cut civilian consumption of beef, lamb, pork and veal to 70 percent of peacetime quantities.

There was some pork available in local markets.

1918

Jan. 5: A bear from Calaveras County, peeved at seeing too many street cars and jitneys on Market Street yesterday morning, made a bold break to settle the traffic problem after his own fashion.

He was an ordinary, bearish sort of bear, weighed 400 pounds and was traveling in a cage suited to any bear of 400 pounds and normal temperament.

The cage was in a truck driven by an apathetic man who knew nothing about the idiosyncrasies of Calaveras County bears, and who ignored the growls and howls of rage emitted by his passenger at every overtaking car and jitney.

What peeved the bear was that he could not claw the scalps off passengers in those cheap public vehicles as they passed so enticingly near him. In his determination to achieve that desirable end, however, he kept busy clawing and wrenching at the bars of his cage. The driver kept busy ignoring the bear and steering his truck through the traffic toward Robinsons animal store whither the passage was consigned.

Presently, above the clanging of yellow cars and the blended toots of the jitney horns, the driver heard a triumphant Whoof! right at his ear. Bruin had pried two iron bars apart and had his head and neck through them.

With a shriek the driver stopped the truck. The bear still struggled gamely. The bears shoulders were coming through the bars. A crowd gathered. Bruin, still held by the loins, struggled fiercely to get to the crowd. The cage clung to his back like the shell of some terrible snail. One leg wrenched free. At this psychological jiffy, Policemen Bert Wren and Percy McPartland came racing to the rescue.

As the bear clawed himself loose they fired six shots. With his stout heart riddled like a colander, Bruin gave one last whoof and expired.

The consignees made the best of their loss by selling the carcass to a butcher.

Johnny Miller is a freelance writer.
Amsterdam is known for its pretty canals, old canal-houses and bicycles, but take a short trip across the River IJ and youll come to a whole different world, where an old shipyard houses studios for artists, colorful shipping containers make homes for students and an old crane is a tiny boutique hotel. Add in outdoor markets and gigs, street art, clubs and some quirky hotel accommodation and you have a buzzing, creative hub to explore  and an alternative side of the Dutch capital from the tulips, museums and canal boats.

 Yvonne Gordon, travel@sfchronicle.com

Morning

Rent a bike and go to the back of Amsterdam Centraal station, where you can hop on the free ferry (for pedestrians or bicycles) across the River IJ to Buiksloterweg. From here, walk or cycle to the EYE Film Museum, the asymmetrical white building on the waterfront. Here you can take in films (there are four cinemas) and exhibitions, or enjoy drinks or coffee on the riverside terrace while watching the maritime traffic go by. On EYEs lower floors there are small booths where you can watch a selection of some of the 37,000 titles in the archive (free) and film-buffs should check out the gift shop which has all sorts of movie-themed goodies from Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt wine to David Lynch coffee and Twin Peaks trays.

Koen Smilde Photography/I amsterdam

Midday

Cycle over to the NDSM area (or take another ferry from Centraal station) and explore the old shipping yard. To set the scene, on the way in on the ferry, youll pass an old Russian submarine, a floating boat-hotel and some tall ships tied up on the quay. This area was abuzz with shipbuilders in the 19th century but the shipyard closed in 1984. Artists then moved into one of the old NDSM warehouses and Kunststad (Art City) is now thriving with 400 artists, architects and designers. At another hangar, IJ Hallen, theres a huge flea market once a month, with everything from books and CDs to furniture and food (you can rent a stand yourself from 31 per day, in case you have excess luggage to offload). In the shipyard, youll also find old trams which are now lived in, painted shipping containers which are student accommodation and an old crane which is now the three-room Faralda Hotel.

For lunch, check out Pllek which is also partly made from converted shipping containers and has a popular man-made beach. Keeping with the industrial theme, floors are bare concrete and furniture is recycled materials and salvaged maritime objects. On weekend nights, the restaurant turns into a club.

Afternoon

Noord is not all derelict shipyards - take your bike to Noords pretty areas like the long narrow street Nieuwendammerdijk which is lined with wooden houses which date back to the 18th century. Many of the houses belonged to old shipping captains and number 204, De Halve Moen (half moon), was built for a wealthy shipbuilding family and named after the Dutch East India Company ship that took the first Dutch settlers sailed to New York in 1609. Or take your bike and explore some of the rural scenes in the countryside with farmland, meadows, old farmhouses with the typical Dutch cheese-cover shape and small villages like Broek in Waterland. You can also explore the area by boat or kayak, going through locks and under bridges.

Philipp Benedikt/I amsterdam

Evening

Wherever you are in Noord, you wont miss the landmark ADAM tower - the former Shell building right on the waterfront which has clubs, restaurants and offices and the ADAM Lookout, a 360 observation deck on the 22nd floor. Try the swing over the edge if youre brave enough and then tuck into burgers from the hole-in-the-wall bar at the Butcher Social Club on the ground floor. Then head upstairs to rest your head  ADAM tower is also home to the trendy Sir Adam hotel which has music-themed features like record players in all rooms and a room-service menu of guitars (the hotel is run by a well-known trio in the Dutch music scene). Or, for a budget option, check into nearby ClinkNOORD, where creativity is also the theme. The hostels events space hosts everything from beer tastings to yoga (depending on what day it is) and visiting artists or writers can take part in the Stay and Play programme in return for treating guests to a free gig or exhibition.

If you go

Ferry: For the Eye Film Institute, ADAM Tower and Clink NOORD, the Buiksloterweg ferry (free, see www.gvb.nl) takes bikes and pedestrians, and journey time is around five minutes; for the NDSM shipyard, IJHallen and Pllek, the NDSM-werf ferry takes around 15 minutes.

Bike hire: Mac Bike, www.macbike.nl

Eye Film Institute: IJpromenade 1,

www.eyefilm.nl

Kunststad (Art City): Tt Neveritaweg 15, www.ndsm.nl/gebouw/kunststad

NDSM: www.ndsm.nl

IJ-Hallen: Tt Neveritaweg 1, www.ijhallen.nl/en/

Faralda Hotel: NDSM-plein 78, www.faralda.com

Pllek: Tt Neveritaweg 59, www.pllek.nl

ADAM Toren: Overhoeksplein 1, adamtoren.nl; Sir Adam, www.siradamhotel.com; ADAM Lookout, www.adamlookout.com; Butcher Social Club, www.the-butcher.com.

ClinkNOORD: Badhuiskade 3, www.clinkhostels.com/Amsterdam/clinknoord

More information: www.iamsterdam.com.
Cameo Wood, a film director in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood, had enough of thieves rushing to her doorstep to make off with her delivered packages.

It had gotten worse in the three months leading up to Christmas, when she says around 50 packages were stolen. On Dec. 23 alone, 11 boxes were taken.

Wood met a breaking point when medication for her cat, worth around $1,000, was lost to thieves. She walked to her cats' used litter box with a scooper and emptied the contents into cardboard Amazon delivery boxes. Then she put it on the porch and waited.

"I was cleaning my cat box; my cat was sick," Wood told NBC Bay Area. "I thought this would be really nasty to put in a package and leave for people."

She didn't end up waiting long; between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, she says, six boxes full of used litter were snatched but unsuspecting criminals.

Related video: Decoy packages deter thieves. Story continues below.

Now Playing: Holiday package thefts dropped by 60 percent in Santa Cruz County while deputies planted decoys with GPS trackers in front of homes. Video: KSBW

"You see, my cat is sick and on antibiotics, so the litter box smells especially terrible," she told Bustle. "So, I decided to put my cat's stinky poop in the extra boxes and place those boxes on my doorstep."

Wood says she wasn't the only one targeted in her neighborhood. Fifteen other residents on her street similarly had packages stolen. She's now looking into getting a locked drop box for packages, but she hopes her surprise packages sent a message to those who stole her mail.

"I feel sort of bad these people are in a situation where they are stealing," she told NBC. "But I also hope they look at packages a little more circumspect and don't think we're easy pickings here."

Package theft is all too common around the U.S. Just this year, other jilted online shoppers retaliated against thieves, filling packages on their porch with cat litter and dog food. In one instance, a crafty homeowner got creative, and rigged a decoy package to fire off a 12-gauge shotgun blank when picked up.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.


SEOUL  A South Korean government-appointed panel faulted on Wednesday a final and irreversible deal struck with Japan in 2015 to resolve a decades-old dispute over Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery during World War II.

The panels findings offer President Moon Jae-in a potential opportunity to change or even scrap the agreement reached between Japan and his predecessor as president, Park Geun-hye.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said her ministry humbly accepted the panels conclusion that the government had failed to represent the victims demands when negotiating the deal.

As foreign minister, I bow my head deeply, expressing regrets for causing pains for the victims and their families, their advocacy groups and the people in general, Kang said.

In the deal, which both governments at the time called a final and irreversible settlement, Japan expressed responsibility and made a new apology to the victims that the Japanese military called comfort women, promising an $8.3 million fund to help provide old-age care. In return, South Korea promised not to criticize Tokyo on the issue again.

But some of the women complained that the deal had ignored their demands that Japan take legal responsibility and provide official reparations.

Kang said the government would not make a final decision until it had consulted again with the women and their families.

In Tokyo, Foreign Minister Taro Kono warned that any attempt to revise the agreement would be unacceptable.

Historians say that at least tens of thousands of women, many of them Korean, were lured or coerced to work in brothels catering to the Japanese army from the early 1930s until 1945. The Korean women who survived the war lived mostly in silence because of the stigma, and many never married. A total of 238 women have come forward in South Korea since the early 1990s, of whom 36 are still alive.

Choe Sang-Hun is a New York Times writer.
2021 will be a lackluster year to see the annual Quadrantid meteor shower (opens in new tab) during its sharp peak overnight on Saturday (Jan. 2) and into the early morning hours of Sunday (Jan. 3).

The Quadrantid meteor shower is not as well-known as other meteor showers like the Geminids or Orionids, because the meteors are fainter and easier to miss. However, they can produce fireballs with giant, glowing tails highlighting the meteors' paths across the sky.

"A lot of meteor showers last days  the Quadrantids last a few hours," NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com. As many as 100 Quadrantid meteors can be seen some years during the peak when Earth plows through the thickest part of the debris stream, Cooke said, but only if skies are dark enough. Because they're faint, it's easy to miss many of the Quadrantids streaking across the sky.

Related: Amazing Quadrantid Meteor Shower Photos by Stargazers (opens in new tab)

Photographer Jeff Berkes captured several Quadrantid meteors in this long-exposure image taken in the Florida Keys on Jan. 2, 2012, during the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. (Image credit: Jeff Berkes

When to see them

According to the International Meteor Organization (opens in new tab), the Quadrantids run from Dec. 28 to Jan. 12, with a sharp peak on Jan. 2 and 3. That means that outside the peak time  which occurs during early morning hours for observers in North America  meteor rates may be low. Skywatchers may see around 15 to 25 meteors per hour this year.

During the peak, the moon will be about 81% full and could wash out meteors from the the Quadrantid display. "The moon will be a nuisance for the expected Quadrantid meteor shower," the International Meteor Organization states in its 2021 meteor shower calendar (opens in new tab), adding that viewers can expect to see the most meteors around 9:30 a.m. EST (1430 GMT) on Sunday. Of course, only observers on the night side of Earth during the brief peak will have a chance to see that meteor shower.

So, the best time to go out and look for Quadrantid meteors will be after the moon has set, when the moonlight won't interfere with your view of the dark night sky.

Face toward the northeast between midnight and dawn to see as many as two dozen meteors per hour under dark skies. (Image credit: NASA JPL)

To find the radiant, or the point from which the meteors appear to emanate, you will need to look for the constellation Bootes. The easiest way to find it is to look north for the Big Dipper (opens in new tab). Then, follow the "arc" of the Big Dipper's handle across the sky to the red giant star Arcturus, which anchors the bottom of Bootes.

If you happen to catch the shower at an off-peak moment, there will still be plenty of meteors to spot. In the past, Cooke has recommended keeping Bootes in your field of view, but looking slightly away so that you catch the meteors with the longer tails.

Where do they come from?

The Quadrantids are thought to be associated with asteroid 2003 EH1, which is likely an extinct comet, Cooke has told Space.com. "It was either a piece of a comet or a comet itself, and then it became extinct," which means that all the ice and other volatiles on the comet have evaporated, he said.

The asteroid has a perihelion (closest approach to the sun) just inside the Earth's orbit, which is pretty far away in celestial terms. Scientists also think that the asteroid may have some connection to the Comet 96P/Machholtz, a comet that orbits the sun once every six years. First observations of the Quadrantids shower appear to be in Europe in the 1820s and 1830s.

False-color image of a rare early Quadrantid, captured by a NASA meteor camera in 2010. (Image credit: NASA/MEO/B. Cooke)

How to get the best view

Related Stories

Binoculars and telescopes are not useful for meteor showers; your eyes are enough to see the shooting stars streaking overhead. Find a dark sky and give your eyes about 20-30 minutes to adjust.

Dress warmly and face a little away from the radiant in Bootes to catch the longer-streaking meteors.

Editor's note: If you captured an amazing photo of video of the Quadrantid meteor shower and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or gallery, send images and comments to: spacephotos@space.com.

Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace, or Space.com @Spacedotcom.
Strange Space Stories

University of Arizona/JPL/NASA

From claims of alien life on the International Space Station to the discovery of titanium snow on an alien planet, there were some strange space stories that made headlines in 2017. Scientists saw an interstellar asteroid (or comet? or spacecraft?) cruise through our solar system, and the fidget spinner craze made it all the way to the space station. Here are some of the weirdest space stories from the past year.

UFO sighting reported in The New York Times

New York Times

It caused the ocean to boil, flew faster than an F-18 and vanished without a trace. This was the description that a former Navy pilot gave to The New York Times of an unidentified flying object that he says he saw in 2004. "It accelerated like nothing I've ever seen," said Cmdr. David Fravor, adding he was "pretty weirded out" by the strange encounter.



Fravor's account was reported by the Times just as news broke that the U.S. government has been funding a program to search for UFOs since at least 2007. While the Department of Defense says money troubles shut down the annual $22 million program in 2012, the Times maintains that it is still active. Other government programs have been set up to study UFOs: In 2016, the Central Intelligence Agency released previously classified documents about its UFO searches (most of which took place in the 1950s).

An interstellar object visits our solar system

JPL-Caltech/NASA

A visitor from far away was spotted inside our solar system in 2017, carrying the mystery of its origins and inspiring some people to hope that perhaps it is an interstellar craft. The object was first detected in October, by researchers using the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. The scientists noticed the object was traveling on a path that would bring it outside of our solar system, even though it didn't pass close enough to any other sizeable objects that could fling it out of the solar system with their gravity. This suggests that it also originated outside the solar system and is simply passing through. (Objects inside the solar system are generally kept inside it by the sun's gravity.)



By December, astronomers announced the object (now called 'Oumuamua) was likely a comet in disguise. A study in the journal Nature announced that 'Oumuamua was surrounded by a carbon-rich crust that likely protected its more delicate, icy insides from the heat of the sun. A separate paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters found that 'Oumuamua is very similar to icy objects in the outer solar system, judging by its color. Meanwhile, the Breakthrough Listen project monitored 'Oumuamua in several radio frequencies and didn't hear any signals  so if this object really is an alien craft, it's flying in stealth mode.

Russian cosmonaut claims discovery of alien life

NASA

Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov announced in November that he thinks bacteria discovered on the outside of the International Space Station are extraterrestrial in origin. In an interview with Russia's state-owned TASS new agency, Shkaplerov said samples collected from the hull of the station and sent back to Earth for analysis contain bacteria "from outer space," and that those bacteria were "absent during the launch of the ISS module."



But other news outlets quickly pointed out that the most likely explanation for the presence of the bacteria is Earth contamination. Researchers have found that it is next to impossible to completely remove microscopic organisms from space-bound hardware before flight. The Russians have made claims about space life before: In 2014, a Russian official claimed that sea plankton had been found on the outside of the station. In that instance, as with Shkaplerov's recent assertion, NASA declined to comment about the claims, stating that they were both based on Russian research and therefore the agency could provide no additional insight.

Water on Mars? Evidence is drying up

University of Arizona/JPL/NASA

Microbes wanting to live on Mars may have to move elsewhere. Back in 2015, a widely covered study announced that recurring slope lineae (RSL)  dark streaks that tend to appear on the sunny side of craters  could be caused by liquid water mixed with salt. Because water is key to life as we know it, this discovery opened up the possibility that modern Mars could be a life-friendly planet. In 2016, however, another study suggested that if there is any water in those RSLs, it likely comes from the atmosphere rather than from under the Martian surface.



But in 2017, two alternative hypotheses emerged about these RSL. One November study from suggested that the dark streaks are not indicative of the presence of water, at all, but rather are created by rivulets of granular materials (such as sand) that will flow down slopes of a certain steepness. A similar study in March said RSL are caused by "dry avalanches." But the researchers added that there likely needs to be more study of RSLs on site to figure out exactly what is going on.

Dust could explain the 'alien megastructure' star

JPL-Caltech/NASA

The strange dimming and brightening of Boyajian's star (also known as KIC 8462852 or Tabby's star) was likely not caused by the presence of an alien megastructure, new research argues.



The star, which is about 1,500 light-years from Earth, has been known to dim in strange and dramatic patterns (once by 22 percent) since its discovery in 2015. Because a planet passing in front of the star and blocking its light couldn't produce the irregular dimming, several explanations emerged, including comet swarms passing in front of the star, as well as the (less likely) alien-megastructure hypothesis.



A study published in October not only argues against the latter hypothesis, but also provides a much more practical explanation: It's just dust. Astronomers came to the conclusion after noticing the dimming was more pronounced in ultraviolet light. The researchers say this indicates the presence of dust grains that are too small to block light consistently across all wavelengths, but large enough to stay in orbit around the star despite the radiation pressure that would dispel smaller grains. However, the dust doesn't explain the most extreme brightness dips of at least 20 percent, so the researchers say more study is required.

Snow falls on a very hot exoplanet

G. Bacon/ESA/NASA

Exoplanets can (and do!) have some bizarre compositions compared to what we see in our own solar system, but one spotted in 2017 is among the weirdest ever seen. Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to take a closer look at Kepler-13Ab, which is six times more massive than Jupiter and roughly 1,730 light-years from Earth. The planet is very close to its parent star and therefore extremely hot (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit or 2,760 degrees Celsius on the daytime side).



But here's where things get strange: Hubble found more temperate conditions high in Kepler-13Ab's atmosphere. That itself is not a surprise  other hot Jupiters" have the same situation  but here, the research team saw evidence of titanium-dioxide snow. How does it form? As the theory goes, the planet has blustery winds that carry the titanium dioxide to the nightside. The substance cools and condenses into clouds that then "snow" into the lower atmosphere. It's the first time this kind of "cold trap" has been seen in an exoplanet.

Fidget spinners on the space station

NASA Johnson Space Center/YouTube

Fidget spinners were one of the toys to have in 2017. These plastic or metal devices have a ball bearing at the center, allowing a person to spin it in their hands. Because manufacturers said the action would help fidgety kids focus in the classroom, fidget spinners sparked a wider discussion about attention in children and awareness about conditions such as anxiety or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).



NASA  which is all about educating kids  decided to demonstrate what a fidget spinner does in microgravity. The agency released a cute video showing astronauts playing with a NASA logo-adorned spinner on the International Space Station. Astronauts tumbled and spun with the fidget spinner in their hands, and shots of the spinner were also shown in front of the Cupola, where multiple windows look down on Earth.



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NEW ORLEANS Despite President Trump's declared intention to send human explorers to the moon before Mars, astronomers and planetary scientists remained wary. While some expressed their enthusiasm for the plan, others questioned whether it would ever become a reality.

"It's all hot air until someone actually does something," exoplanet scientist Stephen Kane of the University of California, Riverside, told Space.com.

On Dec. 11, Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1, a document that shifts U.S. policy, directing NASA to land astronauts on the moon before sending them on to the Red Planet. The document made no mention of funding or deadlines. [From Ike to Trump: Presidential Visions for Space Exploration]

"This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint, we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars," Trump said at the event.

President Donald Trump holds up his Space Policy Directive 1, which directs NASA to return astronauts to the moon, after signing it in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Dec. 11, 2017. (Image credit: Aubrey Gemignani/NASA)

"The proof is in the pudding"

Space.com caught up with several space scientists at the American Geophysical Union meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, to ask their opinions about the president's new policy. While several declined to comment due to their role as civil servants, others were more than happy to share their feelings.

"I'm very excited about it," said Alan Stern, the principal investigator for NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. "This administration really understands the value of space for American leadership in the world."

Stern, Stern, board chair of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation based in DC and vice president of the Southwest Research Institute based out of San Antonio, Texas, has had his own aerospace consulting practice since 2008. He compared America's economic connection to space exploration with 16th-century Europe's economic connection to North and South America.

"The proof's in the pudding," Stern said. "It's going to be up to NASA to come through, with the commercial sector, to find a sustainable and affordable way to begin with the moon and then send humans throughout the solar system." [In Photos: President Trump's Administration and NASA]

Kane also tied space exploration to colonization, pointing out that successful missions would require constant support that might not show immediate benefits to the taxpayers footing the bill. Rather than the Americas, he pointed to his native country of Australia.

"Australia is only slightly more hostile than Mars," Kane said, somewhat tongue in cheek. Colonists relied on replenishment from Britain for years before they were able to survive on their own, much as the first explorers on the moon and Mars will need to do.

John Burgener, a geophysicist and owner of the private corporation Telegistics, thinks that the moon will provide a better jumping-off point for preventing incoming impactors from wiping out human civilization. By placing astronauts and bases on the lunar soil, he said scientists will be able to both monitor and divert potentially hazardous comets and asteroids.

"Mars doesn't offer any advantage in terms of protecting Earth, although it's an interesting adventure," Burgener said. "Mars may push humanity to do great and wonderous things, like Columbus coming to North America pushed the Europeans to do great and wonderous things, but in terms of protecting Earth, offering us the ability to observe more of the solar system and the universe, the moon is a much better goal."

The moon as destination and resource

Others view the moon as a fantastic resource.

"I view the moon as scientifically fascinating," said William McKinnon, a New Horizons researcher at Washington University in Missouri.

McKinnon pointed out that the moon was also a good plan because "we know how to do it and do it well," while "going to Mars is still a very complicated problem."

Paul Estrada, a solar system scientist at the SETI Institute in California, was concerned about how the plan to hit the moon would actually play out. While he said that he was not against going to the moon in principle, he was concerned that pushing exploration would cause research science to suffer.

"He's not going to take the money out of other programs, he's just going to shift money within NASA  at least, that's what I think," Estrada said. "So, unless NASA's budget gets significantly increased, someone is going to suffer."

"Just shifting money around, where they should be putting more money in rather than reallocating money, is just going to affect the budgets of research," he said.

Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
WASHINGTON  An evaluation of military space launch services revealed lapses in quality control that could compromise the schedule and performance of future missions, the Defense Department inspector general reported last week.

The IG specifically called out the main contractors that support the evolved expendable launch vehicle program, or EELV, for failing to comply with standards required by AS9100  a widely adopted quality management system for the aviation and space industries.

Prime contractors United Launch Alliance (ULA) and SpaceX, and ULA subcontractor Aerojet Rocketdyne "did not perform adequate quality assurance management of the EELV program," said the Dec. 20 report signed by Randolph Stone, deputy inspector general for policy and oversight. [The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Concepts Ever]

Auditors flagged the contractors for 181 "nonconformities" in the Aerospace Standard 9100C, known as "Quality Management Systems  Requirements for Aviation, Space, and Defense Organizations."

The IG report listed a number of lapses that inspectors believe could put at risk billions of dollars worth of satellite launches that the EELV program is responsible for. It called on the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, and the Defense Contract Management Agency to dig deeper into these issues.

Gaps in quality assurance management, the IG cautioned, "could increase program costs, delay launch schedules, and increase the risk of mission failure."

Three launch vehicles made by ULA and SpaceX support the EELV program. The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center acquires launch services for U.S. military and intelligence spacecraft from both firms. Aerojet Rocketdyne provides ULA the RL-10 engine for the Delta IV and Atlas V vehicles. The EELV program office delegates day-to-day management of vendor agreements to the Defense Contract Management Agency.

IG audits took place from June 2016 through March 2017 at ULA Delta IV and Atlas V manufacturing facilities in Decatur, Alabama; at ULA program management sites in Denver, Colorado; at the SpaceX Falcon 9 manufacturing plant in Hawthorne, California, at Falcon 9 booster and engine testing in McGregor, Texas; and at Aerojet's RL-10 engine manufacturing and test operations in West Palm Beach, Florida.

One issue identified at ULA was related to the protection of electrostatic sensitive devices in the avionics production area. "Inadequate ESD controls and mitigation could result in the premature failure of electronic components in the EELV system," the report said.

At SpaceX, inspectors found an "inadequately protected" Merlin engine on the test stand. The Merlin engine exhaust ports and vent tubes "should have been protected with specific covers," they wrote. "We found bottles of soda and personal items in FOD-controlled areas." FOD is short for foreign object debris.

The RL-10 engine test stand at Aerojet, used to test both the Delta IV and Atlas V second stage engine, had "significant FOD issues," the report said, including "loose bolts, nuts, tape, foil, tie wraps, and animal feces."

In the aerospace industry, FOD costs billions of dollars in the form of schedule delays, rework, injuries, and product losses. "A bit of debris lodged in the right place could be enough to drop a rocket right out of the sky," warned an FOD prevention guide published by Lockheed Martin. "Delivering products that are not FOD-free sends the message that you do not have control over your manufacturing processes," the guidelines said.

The IG suggested the EELV program office and the DCMA conduct a "root cause analysis and implement corrective actions" for the 181 violations that inspectors identified. Air Force and Defense Department officials said they agreed with some of the IG findings but noted that many of the issues cited by auditors already were being addressed and fixed by the contractors.

The Air Force program office and DCMA informed the IG that they are "actively engaged with the EELV contractors as they conduct root cause analyses and develop corrective plans." They noted that Aerojet has "implemented corrective actions for all nonconformities, ULA has implemented corrective actions for all nonconformities except one, and SpaceX is in the process of implementing corrective actions."

DCMA and Air Force program officials also told the IG that they have stepped up quality surveillance of ULA and Aerojet Rocketdyne. And they noted that "quality surveillance of SpaceX has been implemented for SpaceX's first EELV mission and will be further refined as a result of the DoD OIG inspection."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
Sanctioned UFO Searches

Alamy

Is the truth really out there? It's an age-old question, with reports of UFOs going back decades. We looked back at actual UFO and alien investigations by the U.S. and other countries. Check it out!

Projects Sign and Grudge  1948-1951

Shutterstock

Many accounts of UFOs in the United States describe something called the Roswell incident. Local accounts of a "flying saucer" landing near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947 led to many alien conspiracy theories, but the U.S. Air Force denied an E.T. connection. In the 1990s, the Air Force said the object was actually a balloon that was searching for Soviet Union nuclear test signals under Project Mogul.



However, the incident did prompt official U.S. investigations into unidentified flying objects in the next few years. A report published for the U.S. Air Force's Project Sign (1948-1949) stated that the things people saw were "real" but that at least "some of the incidents may be caused by natural phenomena" and others may be related to domestic or foreign aircraft. The Air Force's Project Grudge, which issued a report in 1949 prior to its shutdown in 1951, continued the investigation but found no conclusive evidence of UFOs.

Project Blue Book  1952-1969

U.S. Air Force

Project Blue Book was yet another program from the U.S. Air Force, following up on Projects Sign and Grudge. The program conducted a series of studies between 1952 and 1969 to figure out if UFOs could hurt national security and to search for UFO data. More than 10,000 of those case files are freely available on the Internet Archive.



According to Encyclopedia Britannica, investigators ultimately collected more than 12,000 sightings and classified them as either "identified" (meaning the events could be explained by astronomical, atmospheric or human phenomena) or "unidentified." That category made up about 6 percent of the total number of reported cases.

The Condon Committee  1966-1968

Dutton

The Condon Committee, more formally known as the University of Colorado UFO Project, was a group funded by the Air Force that looked at UFOs under leadership from physicist Edward Condon. The group re-examined the information from Project Blue Book and published its efforts in the "Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects" (also known as the Condon Report) in 1968.



According to How Stuff Works, the Condon Report found that about one-third of the cases couldn't be explained, even though the introduction stated that "further extensive study of UFOs probably cannot be justified on the expectation that science will be advanced thereby."



Some reports say that the ultimate purpose of the report was to stop U.S. investigations into UFOs. Whether or not that was true, Blue Book ceased operations in 1969, the year after the Condon Report was released.

Project Ozma  1960

Chris Dorst/AP

Project Ozma stands out because it was the first time humans tried to look for radio signals from outside of the solar system. (It was named after the imaginary land of Oz in the 1900 book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz.") Funding came from the National Science Foundation.



According to the SETI Institute, for this project, radio astronomer Frank Drake chose to examine the stars Tau Ceti in the constellation Cetus (the Whale) and Epsilon Eridani in the constellation Eridanus (the River). These stars were monitored at the 21-centimeter (8.3 inches) emission line for 6 hours a day, from April to July 1960. No signal was found, except for "an early false alarm caused by a secret military experiment," the SETI Institute stated.

NASA's SETI  1970s-1993

Shutterstock

SETI is a term for a group of researchers who participate in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. NASA conducted SETI searches using the Arecibo and Goldstone antennas starting in the 1970s. The program was canceled in 1993, shortly after observations officially started. (NASA renamed the program the High Resolution Microwave Survey program late in its existence, which some say was done to mask that it was actually a SETI program.)



However, SETI searches still exist informally at universities around the world. The SETI Institute in California was founded in 1984 and uses private funding. In 2007, the Allen Telescope Array, which is devoted to observations from the SETI Institute, opened with the help of funding from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. It continues observations to this day.

NASA Astrobiology Institute  1998-present

NASA

While astrobiology doesn't focus on UFOs, it does examine under what circumstances life, from microbial to intelligent, could arise. The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) seeks to encourage researchers to collaborate across disciplines to answer a range of questions: Is life possible on icy moons? What kind of microbes could survive the extreme conditions of Mars? What is the habitable zone of a star?



NAI is only one of six branches of NASA's astrobiology program. The rest are called the Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology Program, Planetary Science and Technology Through Analog Research, the Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations (PICASSO), the Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration (MatISSE), and the Habitable Worlds Program.

Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program - 2007-2012

Shutterstock

In December 2017, the U.S. government's research into UFOs received global attention when reports emerged of a secret Department of Defense program (called the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program, or AATIP) that ran from at least 2007 to 2012. The program tracked reports of UFOs, including descriptions of some strange aerial activities that two Navy pilots said they saw in 2004. Luis Elizondo, the former head of the program, told several media outlets that we may not be alone.



AATIP is only the most recent example in decades of work by the U.S. government looking into the unexplained.

Other U.S. and international investigations

Newscom

The CIA released a bunch of previously classified documents in 2016 pertaining to weird UFO encounters, and there is an entire web page devoted to the agency's investigations between 1949 and 1990.



If that's not enough to satisfy your UFO appetite, you can look at unclassified documents from the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Other government agencies reportedly have files as well, such as the Defense Intelligence Agency.



For international efforts, Emma Best (who publishes regularly on the government-transparency website MuckRock) has requested thousands of pages of U.S. government documents under the Freedom of Information Act. Her website alone  which claims it has the largest collection of UFO-related documents in the world  lists files from governments from all over the world, including Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Panama and Spain. (Other governments that were listed, but with no uploaded files on this site, included Ecuador, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay.)
Images from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico show a massive space rock's close approach to Earth on Dec. 16.

The asteroid 3200 Phaethon zipped to within about 6.4 million miles (10.3 million kilometers) of Earth, or about 27 times the distance from Earth to the moon. This was the space rock's closest approach to our planet since 1974 (when it also flew by on Dec. 16). Phaethon will not come that close to Earth again until Dec. 14, 2093. [In Images: Potentially Dangerous Asteroids]

Radar images of near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon were generated by astronomers at the National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory on Dec. 17, 2017. (Image credit: Arecibo Observatory/NASA/NSF)

The images, though grainy, have helped researchers clarify the size of 3200 Phaethon and some of its physical features, according to a statement from NASA. The rock appears to be roughly spherical, with a diameter of about 3.6 miles (6 km), or about 0.6 miles (1 km) larger than previous estimates, according to the statement.

The images of 3200 Phaethon show that it also has "a large concavity, or depression, at least several hundred meters in extent near its equator, and a conspicuous dark, circular feature near one of the poles," according to the statement. The dark feature could be a crater or a depression that does not reflect the light emitted by Arecibo's radar instrument, Patrick Taylor, a scientist at the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and group leader for Planetary Radar at Arecibo Observatory, said in the statement. Arecibo has the most powerful radar system on Earth and is used by NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office to monitor "potentially hazardous asteroids," or PHAs. The observatory suffered "minor structural damage" when Hurricane Maria made landfall on Sept. 20.

Near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon, imaged by the radar instrument at the Arecibo Observatory. (Image credit: Arecibo Observatory/NASA/NSF)

"Arecibo is an important global asset, crucial for planetary defense work because of its unique capabilities," Joan Schmelz, of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and deputy director of Arecibo Observatory, said in the statement. "We have been working diligently to get it back up and running since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico."

Phaethon may have once been a comet, meaning it contained water ice near its surface that would sublimate as it flew by the sun. It's also likely that a trail of debris left behind by Phaethon is responsible for the annual Geminid meteor shower.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Though 2017 included several astronomical highlights, the Great American Solar Eclipse of Aug. 21 stands out as the biggest skywatching event of the year, if not all time.

While a partial solar eclipse was visible in most of the United States, a total solar eclipse could be seen in a smaller, coast-to-coast path stretching from Oregon to South Carolina. An estimated 215 million American adults  88 percent of the U.S. adult population  turned their eyes to the skies to witness the historic event. That's nearly twice the viewership of this year's Super Bowl, according to one study.

"It was an epic event by all measures," NASA solar researcher Lika Guhathakurta told members of the press this month at the American Geophysical Union conference in New Orleans. The eclipse broke NASA's previous web-traffic records about seven times over, with the agency's eclipse websites receiving more than 90 million page views on Aug. 21. [Amazing Photos: Relive the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse]

"The NASA solar eclipse coverage was the agency's most watched and most followed event on social media to date," Guhathakurta said.

This composite view shows the progress of the total solar eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017, over Madras, Oregon. The eclipse swept across a narrow portion of the contiguous United States from Lincoln Beach, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina, with a partial solar eclipse visible across the entire North American continent and parts of South America, Africa and Europe. (Image credit: Aubrey Gemignani/NASA)

"One of the biggies"

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun. In a partial eclipse, the moon only "takes a bite" out of the sun. Because the sun isn't fully blocked during a partial solar eclipse, viewers must wear safety glasses throughout the event. But during a total solar eclipse, the moon completely blocks the body of the sun, making it safe to remove protective glasses to observe the usually hidden structures of the solar atmosphere. [Photos: Coolest 2017 Solar Eclipse Signs and Celebrations]

NASA estimates that more than 200 million U.S. adults observed the eclipse, but it's not quite clear how many children might have viewed it because kids couldn't be surveyed, Jim Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, told Space.com. But those uncounted kids might have gotten the most out of the eclipse.

A boy watches the total solar eclipse through protective glasses in Madras, Oregon, on Aug. 21, 2017. (Image credit: Aubrey Gemignani/NASA)

"To me, this is probably one of the greatest events, providing to our kids an exciting opportunity to witness a natural phenomenon that they may want to know more about," Green said. Experiencing the eclipse may make them curious about the sun, the moon, the climate or other things that could spur an interest in science.

"It is an experience that they will take with them," Green said.

Related: The Greatest Skywatching Moments of 2017

But just because the eclipse is over, that doesn't mean children  or adults  need to stop being interested in the sun or throw out their eclipse glasses. Green pointed out that eclipse glasses can be used to study the sun, which occasionally has sunspots large enough to be viewed using only solar eclipse glasses.

In fact, the eclipse could serve as a "gravity assist" for getting young people into scientific fields, Green added. Much as a moon or planet can change a spacecraft's path and send it speeding in a new direction, an event such as the eclipse can pique children's interest and set them on a path to explore science and math.

"This was one of the biggies," Green said.

Elevate their experience

A total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth about once every 18 months, but most of those events occur over water, making it challenging for most people to observe them. Others occur in remote regions or countries where communication and transportation can be difficult. [The Most Amazing 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Photos From Space]

That's one of the reasons the total solar eclipse of 2017 was so special, Guhathakurta said.

"This eclipse, in particular, offered the scientists a really unique opportunity, as it fell upon our first world nation with a sophisticated infrastructure, a developed nation excited by the notion of citizen science," Guhathakurta said. The last solar eclipse to cross the United States occurred nearly a hundred years ago.

A map of the total solar eclipse path of Aug. 21, 2017. An estimated 215 million American adults  88 percent of the U.S. adult population  observed the eclipse. (Image credit: NASA)

According to Kristen Erickson, NASA's science engagement and partnerships director, the agency's objective in 2017 was to increase scientific literacy and scientific education. [Photos: Great American Solar Eclipse Seen from a Plane]

"We suspected that the 2017 total solar eclipse was going to be a pretty big deal," Erickson told Space.com.

"Then, we said, 'How can we make this the most enriching experience for the most citizens across the country?'"

NASA recruited partners from various companies, libraries and volunteer networks, and worked to organize them all, she said.

"We had a lot of these things in place," Erickson said. "It was really just a matter of taking a leadership vision of what could happen."

During the eclipse, NASA supported 11 scientific investigations and many more citizen-science investigations, Guhathakurta said.

One such investigation was the Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse (Citizen CATE) experiment, which put telescopes into the hands of teams at 68 sites to have them study the structure of the sun. Matt Penn, who led Citizen CATE, said most of their volunteers had already planned to watch the eclipse.

"What we did was try to enable them to elevate their experience," Penn said.

Angela Des Jardins is the principal investigator on the Eclipse Ballooning Project, which helped nearly a thousand students on 55 high school and college teams fly science balloons into the upper atmosphere during the eclipse.

Des Jardins said one of the key lessons she learned that will help her prepare for the next eclipse was that engaging nonscientists goes beyond developing accessible science projects.

"You have to do something that's really exciting and challenging to get the students involved and to get the general public involved," she said.

Ready for 2024

The next total solar eclipse to cross the United States will occur on April 8, 2024. This map by cartographer Michael Zeiler of GreatAmericanEclipse.com shows the path of the moon's shadow across the U.S. (Image credit: Michael Zeiler, GreatAmericanEclipse.com)

The sun has set on the 2017 eclipse, but NASA is already gearing up for the next one. In 2024, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the eastern United States, on its way from Mexico to Canada. [Total Solar Eclipse of 2024: Maps of the 'Path of Totality']

As for whether NASA plans to coordinate events for the upcoming solar event, "there's no question, to me anyway, if I'm still the director of [NASA's] Planetary Science [Division] in 2024," Green said.

The 2017 eclipse also offered learning experiences to keep in mind for the next solar event. For example, there was the last-minute eclipse-glasses scare that popped up in the days leading up to the eclipse. When NASA realized that many unsafe eclipse glasses were on the market, the agency hurried to let people know how to tell if their glasses were safe for eclipse viewing.

Erickson cited Rick Fienberg, press officer for the American Astronomical Society (AAS), as the "unsung hero." The AAS had a website listing the names of reputable vendors of filters and glasses, and detailing how to view the eclipse safely.

"NASA relied on AAS and his [Fienberg's] leadership for the whole safe solar viewing," Erickson said.

The agency will learn from that experience to be better prepared to teach safe viewing for the 2024 eclipse, she said, adding that glasses from this year's eclipse will still be usable in 2024.

Citizen science will continue for the next eclipse as well. Penn said Citizen CATE received more attention than they had anticipated.

"We could have had 200 sites, easily, with the amount of interest," Penn said. "I think we could have a much bigger event in 2024."

Follow Nola Taylor Redd at @NolaTRedd, Facebook, or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
American Girls new doll and 2018 Girl of the Year is Luciana Vega, a Space Camp trainee who dreams of flying to Mars.

An 11-year-old aspiring astronaut who dreams of being the first person to go to Mars is blasting off as American Girl's 2018 Girl of the Year.

Launching for sale on Monday (Jan. 1), "Luciana Vega" is the latest addition to the popular 18-inch-tall (46 centimeters) doll line aimed at inspiring young girls' sense of spirit and strength of character.

"Luciana is a role model for today's girls, empowering them to defy stereotypes, and embrace risks that will teach them about failure and success as they chart their own course in life, whatever the goal," Katy Dickson, president of American Girl (opens in new tab), said in a statement. "For us, it's all about building girls of strong character." [Meet Luciana Vega, American Girl's Aspiring Astronaut (Photos)]

Described as a champion of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), Luciana Vega is styled with brown eyes, medium skin and dark brown hair with a "distinctive purple streak to show off her creative side." She comes packaged with a nebula-patterned dress and silver iridescent shoes.

As first revealed on ABC's Good Morning America, American Girl will also offer a spacesuit outfit modeled after NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) used on the International Space Station. Other accessories in the Luciana Vega collection include a blue Space Camp flight suit, a Maker Station and a Mars Habitat "loaded with science and research essentials for hours of pretend play."

Luciana "puts her whole heart into making her dreams a reality," said Dickson.

American Girl worked with advisors  including NASA astronaut Megan McArthur Behnken  to ensure authenticity when it came to the doll and her playsets.

American Girls Luciana Vega doll collection includes a NASA-inspired spacesuit and a Mars Base playset. (Image credit: American Girl)

"It is so important to find exciting new ways to inspire our next generation of space explorers," said McArthur Behnken in a NASA-released statement. "I always want to encourage girls and boys to pursue their dreams, no matter how big, and I think it helps to show how those dreams can become reality for any kid." [How to Become an Astronaut]

Other members of the advisory board included Ellen Stofan, former NASA Chief Scientist; Deborah Barnhart, the CEO and executive director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and Maureen O'Brien, manager of strategic alliances at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

American Girl editors and product designers also visited Space Camp in Huntsville and NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to learn about the life of a Space Camp trainee, including the "right" way to eat in space. American Girl's partnership with NASA was developed through the Space Act Agreement to inform and inspire the wider public about the excitement of space and STEM careers.

In addition to the doll and accessories, Luciana's story is explored in a new book series authored by Erin Teagan and published by Scholastic. The first two books, available now, introduce readers to Luciana, a young girl of Chilean descent, who wins a scholarship to attend Space Camp, advancing her dream of flying to space and landing on Mars. [The Best Space Books for Kids]

"As she ascends from Space Camp kid to youth astronaut trainee, she faces many challenges that test her competitive spirit and self-confidence, and she must find the courage to embrace the unknown with bravery, curiosity, and wonder," stated American Girl in a press release.

American Girl, established by Pleasant Company in 1986 and now a subsidiary of Mattel, has further partnered with Scholastic, NASA and Space Camp to launch "Blast Off to Discovery," an educational program focused on helping third though fifth-grade students explore the wonder of space through Luciana-inspired content, including lesson plans, classroom activities, videos and a game. The program will begin Jan. 31 on Scholastic's website (opens in new tab).

The American Girl Luciana Vega Mars Habitat is "loaded with science and research essentials for hours of pretend play. (Image credit: American Girl)

In addition, American Girl and Scholastic will host a Mission to Mars sweepstakes, where families can go on a series of weekly missions for a chance to win several prizes, including a grand prize trip to Space Camp. (American Girl is also providing 20 scholarships to Space Camp to be awarded separately.)

The Luciana Vega collection will be available for sale beginning New Year's Day (Jan. 1) through American Girl's catalogue, website and at all American Girl retail locations throughout the United States, as well as at specialty boutiques at select Indigo and Chapters in Canada. The Luciana books will be offered through retail and online booksellers, and select Luciana products will also be available at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center gift shop.

On Jan. 1, American Girl stores in the U.S. will host debut events, where there will be science demonstrations, a Moon Phase craft, galaxy-inspired treats and a free Luciana doll t-shirt to take home. And beginning next summer, a special Girl of the Year experience, created in partnership with Space Camp, will offer girls and their families a chance to train just like astronauts, including riding a Multi-Axis Trainer and designing a robot.

See more photos of American Girls new Luciana Vega doll collection at collectSPACE.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2017 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Welcome To SpoilerTV



We bring you a comprehensive and up to date spoiler service on all the major US TV shows and Movies. You can find specific show content by clicking the menu system at the top of the screen. We scour the Internet for spoilers as well as posting our own exclusive spoilers (Scripts, Casting Calls, Set Photos etc) as well as recaps and other fun articles and polls. We hope you enjoy your stay.




Paris (France) Dec 27, 2017 (SPS) - The year 2017 was special in France as Western Sahara Issue has gained visibility in spite of France's position in favour of Morocco and French media blackout on the Saharawi people's legitimate struggle.

Morocco's colonization of Western Sahara, human rights abuses in the occupied Saharawi territories for more than 40 years and the trial of Saharawi activists took centre stage in France with the holding, in Vitry-sur-Seine (Paris' south) last October, of the 42nd session of EUCOCO (the European Conference for Coordination of Support to Western Sahara People) and a Parliamentary meeting, at intervals of one day, at the French National Assembly.

The two major events took place in France, a key supporter of the Kingdom of Morocco which illegally occupies Western Sahara, a territory considered "non-autonomous" by the United Nations and, thus, eligible to self-determination.

The 42nd session of EUCOCO laid the foundation stone of a new, "more offensive" and more promising strategy for the extension of solidarity with the Saharawi people, especially in Europe.

The Task Force is due to federate all promising actions towards the countries, institutions, MPs and groups which attach little importance to the issue of Western Sahara.

The participants, activists, academics, elected officials, former officials and lawyers, stressed the deadlock at the United Nations Security Council, because of France's veto, whenever there is a resolution against Morocco.

France criticized for its double standard policy

The decolonisation of Western Sahara and Europe's role in the settlement of the conflict were discussed at a Parliamentary meeting, in the French National Assembly, on October 20, the second after that held in April 2016.

At the initiative of MP Jean-Paul Lecoq, fervent defender of the Saharawi cause, the meeting brought together many Eurodeputies (MEPs) from Spain, Italy and Sweden, in addition to Saharawi officials, Algerian MPs and representatives of different organizations.

Jean-Paul Lecoq said that he had proposed to the Committee on Foreign Affairs at the French National Assembly to put Western Sahara issue on its agenda, with the participation of Horst Koehler, the special envoy of the UN secretary general for Western Sahara.

Deploring the attitude of French media which "do not cover the sessions devoted to Western Sahara conflict, Lecoq said he is undertaking a struggle on a daily basis in France, a country that "contributes to the deadlock with its support to Morocco," he said.

But France is not only the governors, but also MPs and the members of the associative movement who contributes in making things progress for the implementation of the international law in Western Sahara, he added, criticising France's double standards policy in dealing with this issue.

In contrast with the official position, the associative movement in France have spared no efforts in 2017 to proclaim loud and clear, through meetings, rallies, and news conferences, the human rights violations against Western Sahara people, including the trial in Rabat of Saharawi political prisoners, given heavy sentences.

In this respect, the University Paris-Sorbonne held in October, for the second time in a row, a conference on the role of major Western nations in the settlement of the Saharawi conflict and the protection of human rights in the territory.

"Alarming" conditions of detention for Saharawi prisoners

At the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, a seminar was held early 2017 about "Saharawi prisoners in Morocco: the role and resolutions of the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe)," calling this institution to take notice of Morocco's violations of the human rights of Saharawi people.

Morocco willingly signs the international conventions (against torture, against arbitrary detention, etc.), but rarely or never implements them.

In this respect, a lawyers' international collective, last November, called on French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to take action over the "alarming" conditions of detention of the Saharawi political prisoners.

French, Belgian, Spanish, Italian and German lawyers said the health state of several Saharawi political prisoners jailed in Morocco is very worrying, as they do not receive the medical treatment adapted to their diseases.

They asked the French Prime Minister to mention, during his visit to Morocco, human rights situation in that country, and its close relationship with any diplomatic and economic cooperation.

They also asked him to stress, in Rabat, the "urgent need to grant Saharawi political prisoners a dignified and respectful treatment, protect them from any kind of torture and inhumane treatment and allow them to get access to medical care."SPS

125/090/TRA
A new version of Redcon1s pre-workout supplement Total War has been unleashed down under in Australia. It has a few things different compared to the original Total War formula available in the US, most notably that it doesnt feature either of the big stimulants, DMHA or eria jarensis.

While the new Australian Total War is a bit different when it comes to stimulants, the rest of the ingredients in the supplement are fairly similar to the original. The combination still looks to deliver a complete pre-workout experience with increased energy, mental focus, enhanced muscle pumps, and improved performance.

The ingredients kept the same for the Australian Total War are the pump booster citrulline malate at 6g per serving, 3.2g of beta-alanine, a gram of taurine, 250mg of caffeine, and 10mg of BioPerine black pepper. Dicaffeine malate and theobroma are also in the mix at the same doses as the US Total War, however they are branded versions with Infinergy dicaffeine malate and Cocoteanol theobroma.

The new features in Total War that you wont find in the original product are a gram of beetroot (1% nitrate), 25mg of naringin, and 150mg of AMPiberry. Those new ingredients are in place of as mentioned DMHA and eria jarensis, although it is worth mentioning the pump enhancer agmatine has also been dropped from the formula.

You can get a closer look at Redcon1s Australian Total War in a number of major retailers in the country, including one of our favorites, Massive Joes. The store is already stocking the updated pre-workout in 30 serving tubs for $69.95 AUD ($54.54 USD) and five flavors with delicious options like Bubblegum and Cotton Candy.
Although Meghan Markle is now a household name, it is possible that up until this year you had no idea who the Suits star was.

The 36-year-old actress was catapulted into the spotlight in 2017 due to her high profile romance with Prince Harry. The pair announced their engagement last month.

Throughout the year many have kept a close eye not only on Meghan's whereabouts, but also on her wardrobe.

Here are our highlights from Meghan's 2017 wardrobe:

Most recently, Meghan joined the royal family on Christmas Day sporting a camel coloured wrap coat by small Toronto brand Sentaler, which was expertly coordinated with a brown Chloe bag, Stuart Weitzman boots and Philip Treacy hat.

Getty Images

The outfit was very similar to the bridal-inspired coat Meghan wore to announce her engagement to Prince Harry - which was also by a small Canadian brand Line The Label.

Jeremy Selwyn

The brunette beauty also recently showed off her glamorous side as she stunned in a sheer Ralph & Russo dress worth 56,000 for official portraits with her husband-to-be.

The princess-perfect look being a big contrast to Meghan's normal casual attire which was seen throughout 2017.

Alexi Lubomirski

Back in September Meghan made her first official appearance with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Toronto, cutting a relaxed figure in a pair of ripped jeans by Mother Denim and an oversized white 'Husband Shirt' by Misha Nonoo.

Royal fashion: Meghan Markle sparkles

No matter what style the actress chooses to wear, one thing is for sure - everyone wants to recreate it. 'The Meghan Effect' is already in full swing causing items to sell out, website crashes and earning one small British brand 20,000 overnight.

With Meghan and Harry's wedding date set for May 19, 2018 we are sure that this is just the beginning of Meghan's trajectory as a style icon - and we can't wait to see what next year has in store.
D ance your way into 2018 by booking one of the brilliant dance shows coming up in the next year.

From classical ballet to intriguing new shows from brilliant contemporary choreographers, theres something for everyone to enjoy. Soothe that New Years Eve hangover by getting some of these great shows in your diary.

Akram Khan Company: XENOS

A UK premiere of a new work by Akram Khan is an occasion in itself, but it will also see Khan make his final performances as a dancer in a full-length piece. He will be joined on stage by five musicians as he resets the myth of Prometheus within the context of the First World War.

29 May - June 9, Sadlers Wells; sadlerswells.com

The Royal Ballet: Elizabeth

(ROH)

Elizabeth I is said to have exclaimed in a rallying cry, I have the body of a weak, feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a King of England too. She might not have said that if shed known somebody would one day portray her in a ballet. Former Royal Ballet principal Zenaida Yanowsky plays her in Will Tucketts dance-drama of her life, a chamber work that uses dance, music, text and song.

16-19 May, Barbican Centre; barbican.org.uk

Northern Ballet: Jane Eyre

Northern Ballets acclaimed ballet of Charlotte Brontes much-loved novel arrives at Sadlers Wells in May. Choreographed by Cathy Marston with live music from Northern Ballet Sinfonia, get ready to be swept up in the dark, romantic tale of Jane and Mr Rochester.

May 15-19, Sadlers Wells; sadlerswells.com

Rhiannon Faith: Smack That (A Conversation)

(Foteini Christofilopoulou)

Choreographer Rhiannon Faith gets the audience to participate in a show that imagines the audience is joining a woman called Beverley at a party, going on to create a safe space to explore domestic violence and abusive relationships. Working together with the charity Safer Places alongside an all-female cast, Faith is offers an empowering story of human resilience.

12-16 June, Barbican Centre; barbican.org.uk

The Royal Ballet: Swan Lake

Who doesnt love a bit of Swan Lake? Tchaikovskys ballet classic gets a new production at the Royal Ballet, with new additional choreography by Liam Scarlett and designs by John Macfarlane.

May 17 - June 21, Royal Opera House; roh.org.uk

Rambert: Life is a Dream

Much-loved dance company Rambert bring a new work to the Sadlers Wells stage following from anniversary performances of Ghost Dances last year. Will this new work reach the same levels of legend? The world premiere work comes courtesy of two time Olivier Award-winner Kim Brandstrup, retelling a 17th century of a man given a single day of freedom after a lifetime of incarceration.

22-26 May, Sadlers Wells; sadlerswells.com

New works from Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon

(Adrian Lourie)

The centenary of the birth of composer Leonard Bernstein will be marked in style by the Royal Ballet, with new works by Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon marking the occasion. Both will create new works to Bernstein scores, and will be performed alongside a revival of Liam Scarletts The Age of Anxiety.

15 March - 9 April, Royal Opera House; roh.org.uk

Julie Cunningham & Company: Crave

(Chris Nash)

Julie Cunningham brings her exciting mix of movement and spoken word to a contemporary theatre classic: Sarah Kanes Crave. The late playwrights work deals with hefty themes around rape and addiction, all of which Cunningham and her dances translate into physicality.

10-13 May, Barbican Centre; barbican.org.uk

Kevin & Karen

If recent reports are to be believed, Strictly sweethearts Karen and Kevin Clifton havent been having an easy time of it. Still, theyre scheduled to perform together at the Southbank Centre next year so fingers crossed they keeee-eeep dancing.

9 June, Southbank Centre; southbankcentre.co.uk

Resolution Dance Festival

Get the year off to a lively start with The Places annual festival of new dance and performance from emerging artists. Look out for Some People Say, Roisin OBriens response to the Trump presidency and an evening of work exploring climate change and the migration crisis (from The Follow Through Collective & Co and Counterpoint Dance Company).

12 Jan - 23 Feb, The Place; theplace.org.uk

The Canterville Ghost

A mischievous ghost can no longer haunt his old house with impunity when a brash American family move in. Oscar Wildes witty tale gets the dance treatment from London Childrens Ballet, which will be performed by an all-child cast and a live orchestra at the Peacock Theatre.

20-22 April, Peacock Theatre; peacocktheatre.com

Ballet British Columbia

A triple bill of works by female choreographers (Emily Molnar, Crystal Pite and Sharon Eyal) will be performed by Canadas celebrated dance company. In particular look out for Molnars 16+ a room, inspired by the works of Jeanette Winterson and Emily Dickinson.

6-7 March, Sadlers Wells; sadlerswells.com

English National Ballet: Voices of America

As well as a major production of Sleeping Beauty at the London Coliseum this summer, the English National Ballet are celebrating New York choreographers with an evening of work at Sadlers Wells. Featuring a new work from William Forsythe - his first for a UK ballet company in over 20 years - as well as revivals of work by Aszure Barton and Jerome Robbins, its a chance to sample the ballet scene across the pond without even getting on a plane.

April 12 - 21, Sadlers Wells; sadlerswells.com

Ballet Black: Double Bill

Acclaimed company Ballet Black return to the Barbican with a double bill featuring a new work choreographed by Cathy Marston, based on Can Thembas South African fable The Suit. They will also perform Arthur Pitas mischievous take on Shakespeare, A Dream Within a Midsummer Nights Dream.

15-17 March, Barbican Centre; barbican.org.uk

Matthew Bournes Swan Lake

Matthew Murphy

Round off the year and get into the Christmas spirit with this festive production of Swan Lake from Matthew Bourne and his New Adventures company. Refreshed for 2018, this production became famous for using a male ensemble instead of a female corps-de-ballet, putting a bold spin on a classic tale. Dates havent been announced yet but keep your eye out for tickets going on sale - theyre bound to disappear in a flash.

Christmas 2018, Sadlers Wells; sadlerswells.com

Wanting more? Check out these suggestions from Laura Freeman

Le Jeune Homme et la Mort/La Sylphide

Jason Bell

Double-bill from English National Ballet. In Jeune Homme, a young man is driven to despair by a faithless mistress. La Sylphide is sweet sorrow: one of the greats of the Romantic repertoire.

Jan 16-20, Coliseum, WC2 (020 7845 9300, londoncoliseum.org)

Buy tickets for Le Jeune Homme et la Mort/La Sylphide at GO London Tickets

Mid Century Modern

Richard Alston Dance Company draws on 50 years of inventive choreography in this triple-bill set to Schumanns piano music and inspired by the composers mercurial personality.

March 23-24, Sadlers Wells, EC1 (020 7863 8000, sadlerswells.com)
A plasterer is believed to have hanged himself live on camera as shocked chat-room guests watched on in horror.

Gregory Tomkins, from Sutton in south London, is said to have logged on to an 'insults' online chat forum in the early hours of Christmas morning.

He is then said to have set up a live camera feed and hanged himself on camera.

The plasterer was said to be a regular user of the chat room.

Another user told the Sutton Guardian after the incident: "He had come into the room on his regular screenname that he uses and then for some reason he went and changed his screenname.

When he actually comes in the room he is always on the microphone and he talks. But this time he didnt talk and he was just sitting there. After he left the room he cammed up, and that was when he did what he did."

Others paid tribute to him, describing him as a "good soul".

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Police were called at 03.36hrs on Monday, 25 December to an address in Clarendon Road, Wallington SM6 after concerns were raised for the welfare of an occupant.

"Officers attended. A man, believed to be in his 30s, was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin are aware. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

"A file will be prepared for the coroner."

For confidential support on mental health call the Samaritans on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or attend a local Samaritans branch.
T ributes have been paid to a witty and brilliant Oxford University history professor who died in a multi-car crash on the M40.

Medieval historian and archaeologist Mark Whittow, 60, who had been named as the next provost of Oriel College, died after a collision believed to have involved five vehicles on Saturday.

A 29 year-old man from Warwickshire was also killed in the incident.

Professor Martin Conway, chairman of Oxford University's History Faculty, said: "The entire Oxford community has been left deeply saddened by Mark's tragic death.

"Mark was an enormous influence on history in Oxford, where his energy and commitment to teaching, research and to the sense of an intellectual community was irrepressible.

"Above all, generations of students, researchers and colleagues knew him as a warm and loyal friend who enriched all our lives. We will miss him enormously."

Two men were killed in the crash and a third was left with serious injuries / @firebicester

Thames Valley Police believe that five vehicles were involved in the collision and want to get dashcam footage from motorists who were near the scene on the M40 northbound in Oxfordshire between junctions 10 and 11, on Saturday at just before 11.40pm.

A tribute posted by The Bodleian History Faculty Library said: "Desperately sad news of the untimely passing of warm, witty, humane scholar Mark Whittow. The place will be that much sadder and poorer for his loss."

Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford, wrote on Twitter: "Heart-breaking news about my best, loveliest & most brilliant friend & colleague who has died over Christmas."

An Oxford University spokesman said Dr Whittow had played a decisive role in the development of a global approach to the study and teaching of the medieval era, which linked Europe to wider networks of trade and knowledge.

Dr Whittow, from Oxfordshire, was a university lecturer in Byzantine Studies, and a fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He was senior proctor of the university in 2016-17, and lectured in history at Oriel College.

He had been due to take up his new role in August 2018 and his wife Helen, who is a practising QC and Deputy High Court Judge, was set to join him at Oriel, according to a university statement last month which announced his appointment.

A TVP spokesman said one man was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries and three others were treated for minor injuries.

The spokesman said: "We are still appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision and has not yet spoken to officers to please contact us.

"We are specifically appealing to anyone who may have dashcam footage who was travelling in the area at the time of the collision."

Any witnesses are asked to call the 24-hour TVP enquiry centre on 101 quoting URN 1669 (23/12).
T he UK has achieved its greenest year ever, with the rise of renewable energy helping to break 13 clean energy records, according to National Grid data.

Britain has halved carbon emissions in the electricity sector since 2012, providing the fourth cleanest power system in Europe and the seventh cleanest in the world.

In June, for the first time in the UK, wind, nuclear and solar power generated more power than gas and coal combined. And in April, Britain had its first 24-hour period without using any coal power since the Industrial Revolution.

National Grid, an electricity and gas company, has been working to forecast the carbon intensity of electricity along with WWF and Environmental Defence Fund Europe.

The findings come after the Government set out its clean energy strategy in October, which involved more than 50 measures to improve efficiency and clean power.

But Caroline Lucas, Green Party co-leader, described the plan as a blueprint for underachievement, and critics suggested it did not do enough to meet UK emissions targets.

Renewable energy sources provided more power than coal for 90 per cent of 2017, separate figures from research group MyGridGB showed.

Despite the successes this year, groups warned Britain must now tackle its reliance on gas if it is to meet emission targets.

Dr Andrew Crossland, from MyGridGB and the Durham Energy Institute, told the BBC: "The government has focused on reducing coal use which now supplies less than 7 per cent of our electricity.

"However, if we continue to use gas at the rate that we do, then Britain will miss carbon targets and be dangerously exposed to supply and price risks in the international gas markets."
A t least 40 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a suicide attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

The blast happened at a Shia cultural and religious organisation and was followed by two other explosions nearby, the BBC reported.

Images on social media appeared to show bodies strewn across a courtyard after the explosion.

Separately, Dawlat Abad District Governor Mohammad Karim said a powerful mine also killed six shepherd children ranging in age from eight to 10 on Wednesday.

No one immediately took responsibility for the attack but Karim blamed the Taliban, saying the insurgents planted the mine to target Afghan officials and security forces. The Taliban issued a statement denying involvement.

Afghanistan has the highest number of mine victims in the world, which along with other roadside bombs, kill or wound an estimated 140 people every month.

At least 39 people were killed in another attack in October when a mosque belonging to the Shia Muslim minority was targeted.
T he husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was jailed in Iran on spying charges, said he is in limbo waiting for news of his wifes release.

Richard Ratcliffe said he has not given up hope after spending his second festive period without his spouse, and described the situation as a lot more positive than last year.

He had hoped she would be home in time for Christmas Day or Boxing Day, but said that this "big happy news didn't happen" and he is currently in "waiting limbo".

"I think it is a question of when, not if," he said when asked if he is still optimistic about the release of his wife, who has been detained for more than 634 days.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and daughter Gabriella / AFP

"We put a lot of time into having her home for the Christmas holiday period (up until January 6), and if that doesn't happen my worry is there must be something blocking and more complicated than we realised.

"With each day that goes past it is another day that she has not been released, and so I need to be realistic about that.

"But I haven't given up hope that this holiday period still could deliver a late Christmas."

Mother-of-one Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in 2016 during a visit to show her baby daughter Gabriella to her parents.

She is currently serving a five-year sentence over allegations, which she denies, of plotting to overthrow the Tehran government.

Gabriella is being looked after by Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's parents in Tehran, and other than over Skype, Mr Ratcliffe, from Hampstead, north-west London, has not seen his daughter for more than half her life.

Last week, Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's sister-in-law Rebecca Jones said her lawyer had discovered that on a judiciary database, her case had been marked as eligible for early release.

Mr Ratcliffe also said there have been mentions of a second court case coming out of Iran, but that the idea of release is also "being talked about".

He said his wife was "fairly upbeat" until December 23 when her release did not happen as previously thought, and that she was "very low" on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day he said Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and the other prisoners had a celebratory meal of roast chicken and read out passages from the Quran and Bible.

He also said his wife made a Christmas pudding and explained to fellow inmates that normally it is covered with brandy which is then set alight.

And that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe celebrated her 39th birthday on December 26 by cooking for her fellow prisoners, and was given presents which included coffee.

"On her birthday what we did is we bought a cake and her family in Iran bought a cake, then across Skype Gabriella blew out the candles," he added.

Mr Ratcliffe said on Christmas Eve his daughter and his wife's family were invited to the home of Nicholas Hopton, the British Ambassador to Iran.

"She had a very nice time, he gave her a colouring book and then played around the Christmas tree with his children - they had Christmas cake and sang some carols," he added.

Mr Ratcliffe revealed he bought his daughter a pair of red shoes for Christmas, which she was "very, very pleased" with when he showed them to her on Skype.

Boris Johnson stresses 'grave concerns' over British woman jailed in Iran

With a number of rumours circulating over the festive period of when his wife might be released, Mr Ratcliffe said the latest one was she would be freed on December 28.

"That clearly hasn't happened," he added.

"I think for me it is important to keep up hope. Whereas for Nazanin for her to cope it is about not getting her hope too high."

He said there is an ambiguity about when, if and how his wife will be released from prison, and that he will only feel relief when he sees, with his own eyes, his wife and daughter.

"Fundamentally, I think the big picture is a lot more positive than it was this time last year," Mr Ratcliffe said.

"We are close, but we could stay being close for quite a long time."

Additional reporting from the Press Association.
A plane has blown off a runway and crashed into a building at an airport in Malta.

The jet, reportedly a privately-owned Dassault Falcon 7X (VP-BZE), ploughed through a fence and into a block of offices near to Malta International Airport on Wednesday night.

It is thought the plane was blown into the building, owned by construction company the Polidano Group, by strong winds.

According to the Telegraph and the Times of Malta, it is thought the private jet belongs to Tory peer Lord Michael Ashcroft.

The plane smashed through a fence and into offices. / REUTERS

Malta International Airports rescue and fire services were sent to deal with the crash, along with the Bureau of Accident Investigation, police and armed forces. No one was injured.

The plane was blown by strong winds from the airport runway in Luqa, Malta. / REUTERS

It seems that the security cables and brake holding the plane broke off and the plane was blown off from where it was parked, into a street [before] crashing into a building belonging to Polidano Group situated opposite the runway, said Jean Paul Sammut from Polidano Group, Global News reported.

In the UK on Wednesday, hundreds of people were left stranded at Stansted airport after light flurries of snow led to flight cancellations and delays.

The Standard has approached Lord Ashcroft for comment.
F ormer Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe will be entitled to a five bedroom house with guest wing and swimming pool and up to 23 staff in an extraordinary pension settlement.

The 93-year-old, who was forced to resign his position as Africas oldest leader last month following a military coup, has been awarded full diplomatic status by his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mr Mugabe, his wife Grace, 52, and their three children will also be entitled to 23 staff including two drivers, two private secretaries, two gardeners, cooks and housekeepers and an additional six-strong security detail, according to the pension settlement which has been chronicled in the official government gazette.

He has been living with his family at his private home in the plush Borrowdale suburb, and the pension entitles him to "payment of a lump sum which is equal or equivalent to the value of the private residence".

Robert Mugabe - In pictures 1 /28 Robert Mugabe - In pictures 1979 Robert Mugabe co-leader of the Patriotic Front guerrilla forces, is seen at a press conference in London when it was announced that he and Joshua Nkomo had reached an agreement at Lancaster House on a new constitution, transitional arrangements and a ceasefire AP 1979 The Constitutional Conference on the future of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, attended by Leaders of the Patriotic Front Robert Mugabe (left) and Joshua Nkomo at Lancaster House Getty Images 1980 Dr Robert Gabriel Mugabe, newly elected President of Zimbabwe, holds a Press Conference in his garden in Mount Pleasant, Salisbury Getty Images 1982 Robert Mugabe, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, visits the Queen at Buckingham Palace with his wife Sally on 20th May 1982 Getty Images 1980 British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher shaking hands with Zimbabwe Prime Minister Robert Mugabe outside 10 Downing Street, London on May 9th 1980 Getty Images 1980 Zimbabwean Prime Minister and leader of the ZANU party, Robert Mugabe, giving a speech in Harare in 1980 AFP/Getty Images 1984 Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Robert Mugabe looks on after being awarded Doctor Honoris Causa in July 1984 at the University of Harare AFP/Getty Images 1995 President Bill Clinton gestures while talking to Zimbabwe Prime Minister Robert Mugabe in the Colonnades of the White House, Washington after their Oval Office meeting in 1995 AP 1997 South African President Nelson Mandela and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe are garlanded by girls after Mandela's arrival in Harare for a three-day state visit on 19 May in 1997 AFP/Getty Images 1997 The Queen with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and his wife Grace, pose for photographers after being the Queen's guest at Buckingham Palace 05 March 1997 AFP/Getty Images 1998 Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe holds hands with his then South African counterpart Nelson Mandela, greeting him on his arrival to Harare, Zimbabwe on 13 December 1998 Reuters 2000 Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe speaks at his first election rally for the coming Parliamentary elections in Bindur AFP/Getty Images 2000 United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan shows Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to his chair in the United Nations Security Council on 24 January, 2000 AFP/Getty Images 2004 Prime Minister Tony Blair chats with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe on 24 October in Edinburgh, before the start of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting AFP/Getty Images 2007 Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe inspects a guard of honour at the Heroes' Day commemorations in Harare, Zimbabwe on 13 August 2007 Reuters 2008 Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe gestures at an election rally in the small town of Shamva, Zimbabwe on 29 May 2008 Reuters 2008 Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace react during a visit to Harare hospital AP 2009 Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe clasps the FIFA soccer World Cup trophy at Harare International Airport, Zimbabwe on 26 November 2009 Reuters 2010 Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe chats with Swaziland's King Mswati III during the annual Reed Dance at Ludzidzini, Swaziland on 30 August 2010 Reuters 2015 Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, center, falls after addressing supporters upon his return from an African Union meeting in Ethiopia AP 2017 President Robert Mugabe kissing his wife and first lady Grace Mugabe during the country's 37th Independence Day celebrations at the National Sports Stadium in Harare AFP/Getty Images

If he chooses to build a new home, the property should not exceed a reasonably sized house with five bedrooms, a guest wing with three bedrooms, a study, swimming pool, two guardrooms and two garages, according to the gazette.

His wife and children must be provided with suitable state accommodation after Mr Mugabe dies.

President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace Mugabe who were seized by the army in Zimbabwe / Reuters

The Mugabes will also receive diplomatic passports, private air and rail travel for four international trips a year and medical care.

He is also entitled to a Mercedes Benz S500 Series or an equivalent class of motor vehicle, a four-wheel drive and a pick-up van.

In a statement in the gazette, Mr Mnangagwa said ex-presidents who have served at least one full term - a category that includes only Mr Mugabe - were also entitled to six security personnel and a fully furnished office.

It will include a landline telephone, mobile phone, two computers and other equipment to be determined by the new president.

Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia make their way to his inauguration ceremony / AP

He will be able to increase the number of security staff with permission from the government.

The extraordinary details of his pension settlement were published in the government gazette as the army chief who led the bloodless coup that ended Mr Mugabe's 37-year rule was installed as Zimbabwe's vice president on Thursday, becoming the most senior of a clutch of military figures to enter government.

Retired general Constantino Chiwenga's appearance on state television on November 15 preceded armed soldiers taking to the streets, paving the way for Emmerson Mnangagwa to become president hours later.

Robert Mugabe resigns as Zimbabwe's president after 37 years

Mr Mnangagwa, a former chief lieutenant to Mr Mugabe who has promised to push through economic and political reforms, has steered clear of acts of retribution against the former president, handing him full diplomatic status and the pension settlement.

The president's governing ZANU-PF party this month moved to draw a line under the era of Mr Mugabe, who during his decades in power became feared as a dictator and presided over economic collapse, by formally expelling the ex-president's wife Grace and her allies from the organisation.

Mr Mnangagwa himself stands accused of participating in repression and is under pressure from would-be foreign investors, opposition parties and ordinary Zimbabweans to implement reforms.

But he is also looking to maintain a unified ZANU-PF as the dominant political force and keep relations with its powerful military smooth in the run-up to national elections scheduled for next year.

Mr Mugabe, who built a reputation for extensive international travel during his rule, will also be provided with a diplomatic passport.

Two weeks ago, in first trip outside Zimbabwe since he was removed from office, he visited a hospital in Singapore, apparently for medical checks.
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T he United States navy has ended its search for the missing Argentine submarine that vanished six weeks ago.

The ARA San Juan vanished on November 15 with 44 crew members on board, sparking an international search.

The US joined with Argentine and Russian naval forces to scour the South Atlantic for the ship and its staff, who are presumed dead.

But on Wednesday a senior official told the Washington Post that they had called off the search and will only be providing technical assistance from North America.

Sailors pictured during the rescue mission / EPA

Argentina announced it will be continuing to search for the ship with the help of Russia.

The ARA San Juan had departed a base in southern Argentina and was scheduled to arrive at the Mar del Plata naval base in November.

But the vessel, which only had a weeks worth of oxygen on-board, vanished, shortly after reporting a technical difficulty.

The submarine had been ordered to return to the naval base because crew reported seawater had damaged the batteries used to power it underwater.

Huge operation: Soldiers work to find the missing vessel / EPA

After a six-week long hunt that covered more than 655 square nautical miles, the US troops will be retiring on January 2.

More than 200 US personnel, three aircraft and a Navy research ship participated in the search for the submarine, working alongside 13 other countries.

A US Navy commander said in a statement: "The US support team completed all searches in areas assigned by the Argentine Navy, sweeping each area twice with advanced sensors.

"Despite their best efforts on behalf of the Argentine people and the families of the missing sailors, this international effort has yet to locate the ARA San Juan."
U S actress Lindsay Lohan was attacked by a snake while holidaying in Thailand.

The 31-year-old was bitten by the reptile during a hike in Phuket.

Lohan showed off the wound on Instagram as she reassured fans that she is OK.

Speaking in a video she said: I love this its so beautiful, an amazing place, aside from my snake bite. Im in Phuket in Thailand I got bit by a snake on a hike the other day.

Painful: Lindsay Lohan showed off her snake bite on Instagram / Instagram/ Lindsay Lohan

Lohan focused the camera on her leg to show the red marks on her punctured calf.

She continued: The positive side of it is Im OK. Happy New Year and God bless. My Shaman told me it was good luck and positive and energy.

Lohan is enjoying the festive season in Thailand after moving to Dubai from the US earlier this year.

Lindsay Lohan says she was racially profiled at airport

Speaking to the Daily Mail about her decision to relocate she said: I love living in New York, but I do love the serenity and peace that I find living in the Middle East because there are no cameras in Dubai and I can actually focus on what I want to do in life.

I don't always have to be scrutinized every second. I can have a private life and have a public life, but when I choose to. And I think that's really important.

Lindsay Lohan defends Harvey Weinstein

The actress has allegedly converted to Islam and is said to be studying the Koran.

In February she claimed she was asked to remove her headscarf at Heathrow Airport after being racially profiled by security staff.

Recalling the alleged incident on Good Morning Britain she said: When I was flying to New York recently, I was wearing a headscarf and I got stopped at the airport and racially profiled for the first time in my life at Heathrow Airport.

She opened my passport and saw Lindsay Lohan and started immediately apologising but then said, Please take off your head scarf.
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Back in 2006 India decided to upgrade its 52 (now 49) Mirage 2000 fighters. This would cost of $35 million per aircraft and work finally got started in 2015 but is taking longer and costing more than anticipated. Cost has grown to $45 million per aircraft. Part of the delay was due to Indian insistence that most of the work be done in India. That meant Indian technicians had to be trained, often in France and special tools and equipment had to be obtained from France. The Indian military procurement bureaucracy is famous (or infamous) for its sloth and inefficiency and that has been a big part of the problem with getting the upgrades done. In this case there is also an epic failure to communicate to deal with.

The latest delay occurred when the Mirage 2000 maintenance contracts with the French manufacturer (Dassault) expired in November 2017 and the Indian Air Force, which normally pays this fee ($15 million a year for all 47 Indian Mirage 2000 jets) but in 2017 the air force insisted it was the responsibility of the Indian firm HAL, which was doing the upgrades, should pay the upgrade fee. HAL disputed this and pointed out such a payment was not mentioned in the 2011 contract with HAL that paid the Indian firm $900 million for work done in India. Another 2011 contract, worth $2.1 billion, went to Dassault and other French firms to supply new component and technical services and that one did not mention shifting the annual maintenance contract to HAL until the upgrades were done, or whatever. As always it is unclear exactly what is going on here. All concerned parties do agree that they are talking to each other and the government is pressuring the procurement bureaucrats to clear this up as soon as possible. That could take months or years.

This maintenance contract dispute is not unique. Earlier there was a problem with the inability of Indian procurement officials to approve orders for spare parts for the Mirage 2000s, as well as for the items needed for the upgrades. Because of the delays in getting needed spares at least a dozen of the Mirage 2000s are grounded, some of them since 2010. It is also difficult to get politicians to agree on things like upgrades to older equipment, but the larger problem is the inefficient and often ineffective procurement officials.

So far seven Mirage 2000s have completed the upgrade, delivered to the air force and are awaiting certification. That might take years. The HAL says they can upgrade ten Mirage 2000s a year but no one with a knowledge of how these things work in India believes that.

The upgraded Mirage 2000s are getting new radar with 90 kilometers range (a 20 percent increase). The new fire control systems, modern electronic warfare systems and digital communications will make the Mirage 2000s capable of handling the most modern Pakistani and Chinese fighters. Other components (like the airframe and engines) were also to be refurbished. After the upgrade, the twenty year old Mirage 2000s would be good for another twenty years of service. The upgrade price includes a supply of MICA, long range (50 kilometers) radar guided missiles which are similar to the U.S. AMRAAM.

While expensive, the upgrade would turn the Mirage 2000 fighters into long range air-to-air killers and extend their useful life another 15 years. These aircraft could very efficiently knock down their Chinese or Pakistani opponents (which are equipped with less capable Chinese FD-60 long range missiles.) Meanwhile Pakistan has received new F-16 fighters as well as upgrades for their older ones. Pakistan is receiving American AMRAAM missiles as well. The Indians expect the French to provide electronic warfare equipment that can give AMRAAM a hard time. How well that works won't be seen until, and if, there's another large scale war between India and Pakistan. China uses copies of the latest Russian Su-30 fighters and the upgraded Mirage 2000s, as well as Indian Su-30s, are supposed to be competitive with those.
In the capital (Sanaa) the Shia rebels moved quickly after killing former president (and major ally) Ali Abdullah Saleh on December 4 th the rebels sought to arrest as many Saleh supporters as they could and some 3,000 caught but nearly as many escaped the city or went into hiding. The network of Saleh supporters in rebel territory, despite the pressure from the Shia rebels, managed to get most members of the Saleh clan out of the capital. Many rebels were more loyal to Saleh than to the Shia cause and the Shia tribal leaders from the far north who provide most of the rebel field commanders. By the end of the year rebel defenses in several areas (around the capital and in Baida province) were suddenly less substantial because of desertions and fighters ordered to the capital or other locations that seemed more valuable and vulnerable. The rebels issued press releases (that pro-Iran media amplified) insisting that all was well. But it wasnt because the front lines were shifting and more rebel (or rebel leaning) factions were seeking to discuss peace with the government and the Arab coalition.

Government forces are advancing in central Yemen (Baida province), where Islamic terrorists were more of a problem for government forces than Shia rebels. That is no longer the case as the Islamic terrorists are largely gone (or staying out of sight) in Baida because since early November most of the American UAV activity was directed at AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) and ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) camps in Baida province. These attacks killed over a hundred Islamic terrorists, most of them from ISIL, wounded at least as many and seems to have caused ISIL to seek another remote area to hide in and set up a training camp. These were the first major American air attack against ISIL in Yemen this year. ISIL and AQAP sort of cooperate (mostly by not attacking each other) but maintain separate facilities and now the attacks are concentrating on AQAP, which has always been the dominant Islamic terror group in central and southern Yemen. ISIL attacks are largely in Aden and nearby urban areas. It is easier to hide small groups (cells) of ISIL members in the cities, as long as you move around a lot and keep the cells small. The American targets in Baida were larger camps and bases and vehicles moving Islamic terrorist personnel and supplies around.

AQAP appears to be suffering heavy losses. Not just from the American air and ground attacks but also from desertions. Many AQAP members are moving over to the smaller but more fanatic ISIL. That is one reason why ISIL continues to survive in Yemen. It is also believed that some of the ISIL personnel who fled Iraq and Syria recently have made their way to Yemen. That is not too difficult as many ISIL members come from Arabia (mainly Saudi Arabia and Yemen). Thats another reason why ISIL and AQAP get along in Yemen, because the tribal connections are important and killing fellow tribesmen bring shame (and often retribution) on the family.

In the south (Shabwa province) the government has cleared nearly all the province, especially the oil fields, of rebel forces. The AQAP presence was pervasive until mid-2017 but now AQAP activity in the province is rare. Shabwa province is north of Hadramawt province and Mukalla (a major port and the largest city in the province). The effort to clear AQAP out Hadramawt, Abyan (Aden) and Shabwa has been going on since late 2016 but became more intense in early 2017 when the United States increased its effort to find and kill key AQAP personnel, especially the many who were based in Shabwa. This was mainly done from the air using UAVs for surveillance and attacks using guided missiles and smart bombs. The American have made over 120 airstrikes in Yemen this year, most of them in Shabwa and Baida.

The outbreak of cholera eight months ago has peaked but many are still incapacitated and the conditions that enabled the outbreak are unchanged. About a million people were infected in 22 of 23 provinces and at about 2,300 died. This all began in April when living conditions in Saana declined to the point that there was an outbreak of cholera (that is spread by infected water and food). The disease spread from the capital and intensified. This is all because the rebels have not put a priority on maintaining the quality of the water supply. Iran blames the people fighting the rebels, especially Saudi Arabia. But the main problem is the corruption. Aid groups complain that they have to divert money from buying and importing food to medical supplies in order to deal with the cholera outbreak. Asking donor states (and private foundations or individuals) for more money doesnt work when the destination is a place like Yemen. Because of the Internet donors can more easily exchange information on the success or failure of their efforts. Yemen most frequently comes up on the losing side because of the rampant corruption and banditry.

December 26, 2017: In the west (Hodeida province) government forces killed a Shia rebel field commander and three of his staff in a clash near the coast.

December 21, 2017: In the northwest (the port city of Hodeida) more ships carrying foreign aid have been allowed to pass the blockade and unload. Since November the port has been closed frequently by the Saudi blockade. The problem is smuggling. Government forces have captured most of the coastal areas the rebels had access to. That makes it more difficult for the rebels to smuggle in military supplies any other way except through Hodeida. For most of 2017 the UN has been pressing the Shia rebels to peacefully give up control of Hodeida but the rebels have refused to consider this. Even proposals that Hodeida be turned over to a neutral third party are turned down. This is not a matter of trust, its a matter of survival for the rebels. In part this is because of the smuggling. The rebels have prevented UN personnel from inspecting aid shipments (for weapons and other contraband) and the government claims the rebels have been seizing aid shipments and preventing UN personnel from verifying that the aid is going to civilians. As long as the rebels hold onto Hodeida and Iran still has powerful allies in the UN (mainly Russia and China, who can veto some measures) the smuggling can continue as can the use of food to control civilian populations that are hostile to the rebels. But Iran is losing UN support for what is going on in Yemen. Worse Russia and China are no longer ready to veto anything the Iranians dont like. For the moment Iran can still depend on UN ineffectiveness but the ill-will there is growing. .

December 20, 2017: In the north (Marib province, east of the capital) two American UAV attacks killed six AQAP members, including the Minister of Propaganda Abu Hajar al Makki.

In the south (Ibb province) an air strike killed three Hezbollah military advisors from Lebanon.

December 19, 2017: In the northwest another rebel ballistic missile was shot down by Saudi Patriot anti-missile missiles after it crossed the border headed for the Saudi capital (Riyadh in central Saudi Arabia). It is believed that the Yemeni rebels have, with a lot of help from Iran, launched dozens of ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia since early 2015. The Saudis point to these Iranian ballistic missiles and Iranian UAVs as pretty clear evidence that Iran was still smuggling weapons in. Iran denies everything and when confronted with physical evidence insists that the Yemeni Shia made they stuff locally, obtaining technical help via the Internet.

December 7, 2017: The Iran backed Shia rebels in Yemen are losing more local allies. Over the last week fighting in the rebel controlled capital has caused at least 800 casualties as it became known that former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and many of his supporters were planning to switch sides. The tensions and growing violence became more visible since August when Shia rebels in the Yemeni capital placed Saleh under house arrest. Forces loyal to Saleh had clashed in the capital the day before the arrest and continued sporadically ever since. Tensions between Saleh, a long-time ally of the Shia rebels, had been developing since late 2016. The Shia rebels are losing territory and popularity and Saleh was apparently seeking to make a deal with the Saudi-backed Yemen government. Saleh was always willing to make deals but in early December he decided to seek refuge outside of Iran-controlled territory and was killed on the 4th while trying to flee the capital. In the days before and after Salehs death more Saudi airstrikes in the capital appeared to be in direct support of pro-Saleh forces. Saleh was buried on the 9th. While the Shia rebels still control the capital the loss of Saleh will cost them at least a third of their current supporters, especially the non-Shia ones and veterans of the pre-2011 Yemeni military. The fighting in the capital diminished by the middle of December but at the end of the month the capital was still tense.

December 3, 2017: In Yemen the Iranian embassy compound in the capital Sanaa caught fire. The cause appeared to be nearby fighting between pro and anti-Iran factions. Some Iranian diplomatic staff are now trapped in the smoldering embassy.

December 2, 2017: In Yemen a prominent Shia politician (Ali Abdullah Saleh) announced he was seeking a negotiated peace with the elected government that replaced him and the Arab coalition that halted the Shia rebel attempt to take over the entire country. Even before the Saleh announcement there had been more fighting in the rebel held capital as the Iran backed rebel coalition visibly split.

December 1, 2017: The U.S. and Germany revealed that they had detected and disrupted an Iranian currency counterfeiting operation that had already produced several hundred million dollars worth of Yemeni currency. This was apparently used to bolster the Iran-backed Shia rebels in Yemen while at the same time weakening the Yemeni government and their Arab allies. The Iranian currency counterfeiting was carried out by the of IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) Quds Force (similar to the U.S. Special Forces, but which specializes in supporting Islamic terrorists not fighting them). Laws were broken in Germany to obtain the special materials needed to make the counterfeit bills.
Fire crews have attended an incident at Mount Maunganui Intermediate School, where a skip bin was on fire earlier this evening.

A Fire and Emergency Services New Zealand spokesperson says crews attended the incident just after 3.30 pm.

"Fire crews were alerted to reports of a skip bin on fire at the school.

"Three crews attended the scene and the fire was extinguished.

"There were no buildings involved in the fire."

The fire is not under investigation and the cause remains unknown.
Imagine if your social media account doubled as an identity card. That scenario is becoming a reality in China, thanks to the incredibly popular WeChat app. The virtual ID pilot program began on Monday in the southern coastal province of Guangdong and is set to expand further across China starting next month.

State news agency Xinhua reports that registered WeChat users in the city's Nansha district can now use their virtual identification in the same way as their state ID cards, which includes applying for government services, checking into hotels, and opening bank accounts.

The system uses facial recognition tech to verify people before their virtual IDs are authorized.

The Financial Times reports that people can obtain a limited version of the ID by scanning their faces using the WeChat app; this allows low-security functions such as registering at internet cafes. Acquiring a full version entails visiting an offline terminal in the city and scanning a physical ID card.

According to Officer Yan from the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau in Nansha, AI has an error rate of just 1 percent when it comes to identifying people, whereas humans make mistakes 15 percent of the time.

Tencent-owned WeChat has 980 million registered users in China---a country with a population of almost 1.4 billion. Those numbers mean plenty of people will have access to the digital IDs, and the authorities claim that identity theft will fall as users won't need to carry around their physical ID cards and risk losing them. But linking people's IDs with WeChat, which has a real-name and phone number requirement, has raised concerns in a nation where government surveillance is extensive.
In an epic case of "you snooze, you lose," an Italian clothier has won the right to continue using "Steve Jobs" as its brand name.

The Steve Jobs clothing company was founded in 2012 by Vincenzo and Giacomo Barbato. The brothers named their company after the famous Apple co-founder when they discovered the electronics giant had not trademarked his name.

The duo told Italian news outlet la Repubblica Napoli, "We did our market research, and we noticed that Apple, one of the best-known companies in the world, never thought about registering its founder's brand, so we decided to do it."

They even mimicked the Apple logo by taking a big bite out of a "J" and putting an apple leaf on top.

When Apple got wind of the company, it filed a lawsuit against the Barbato brothers. Of course, since Apple had failed to trademark Steve Jobs' name, they lost the suit. The European Union's Intellectual Property Office declined Apple's claim to the brand in 2014 and awarded it to the brothers just this year.

Apple also sued the company for infringement of its logo. That suit was lost as well.

According to the brothers, the Intellectual Property Office concluded that the logo deviated enough from Apple's and "that the letter 'J' can not be perceived as edible, and therefore the missing part can not be perceived as a bite."

The company currently specializes in clothing and accessories but plans to start producing electronics. "We are working on a line of highly innovative electronic devices, projects we have been working on for years," they said.

The brothers did not reveal what types of electronics they were designing but considering the name they have to work with, we can probably safely say that they will be in direct competition with Apple. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.

Images via la Repubblica Napoli
Google's spat with Amazon has raged on throughout the holiday season with no signs of stopping. Google started by pulling the YouTube app from Amazon's Echo Show smart speaker back in September, claiming the device's implementation of YouTube "violates [Google's] terms of service, creating a broken user experience." Things have only gotten worse for their shared customer base since then.

Amazon initially attempted to skirt the app's removal by implementing what was essentially a 1-to-1 replication of the YouTube desktop website onto the device. Google once again cracked down and YouTube was pulled from the device a second time. Upon YouTube's second deactivation, Google escalated the situation even further, stating that YouTube would be pulled from all Fire TV devices starting on January 1.

Unfortunately for users, that removal is happening a little sooner than they'd been led to believe.

Starting today, Fire TV owners will no longer be able to access YouTube via its dedicated app. Instead, users are being shown a message prompting them to "Access YouTube and millions of other websites by using a web browser such as Firefox or Silk."

As we've noted in the past, neither company holds all the blame in this corporate dispute. Google and Amazon have both pulled product and software support from each other's stores during the latter half of 2017.

Indeed, according to a statement offered by a YouTube spokesperson earlier this month, Amazon has already removed numerous Nest products from their storefront and they do not sell certain Google products at all:

"We've been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services. But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest's latest products. Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon."

Regardless of which company may be at fault in the end, it's their customers that ultimately lose.
SoftBank's bid to purchase a sizable stake in ride-hailing titan Uber has succeeded. Sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that Uber employees and investors have tendered shares equal to around 20 percent of the company.

Sources say SoftBank will likely limit its acquisition to 15 percent at a $48 billion valuation. That's a roughly 30 percent discount over Uber's most recent valuation of close to $70 billion.

The Journal further reports that SoftBank will receive two seats on Uber's board of directors. One will likely go to Rajeev Misra, chief executive of SoftBank's tech investment fund; no word yet on who will fill the second seat.

Erik Gordon, an entrepreneurship expert at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, told Reuters the stockholders did the smart thing. The price is less important than locking in the governance changes and securing support from the world's most powerful technology investor, Ross added.

SoftBank has been on an acquisition spree as of late. In mid-2016, SoftBank purchased chip design company ARM Holdings for $31 billion. This past May, it was reported that SoftBank had acquired a $4 billion stake in chipmaker Nvidia before purchasing robot maker Boston Dynamics a month later for an undisclosed sum.

Neither side has confirmed the news as of writing although sources say they'll do so at some point today, likely once the markets close.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that his country has the highest economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, despite the sanctions imposed against it. | Read More
A proposal to allow the Holmen Area Fire and the La Crosse Fire departments to discuss ways to develop greater cooperation received cautionary support from village representatives on the Holmen Area Fire District Association Board.

At fire boards Dec. 20 meeting, HAFD Fire Chief Paul Menches asked the board to allow him to discuss a fire district concept with the department in La Crosse. He advised the fire board he has been talking with La Crosse Fire Chief Ken Gilliam about what the two departments could do together.

Although Steve Johnston, Holmen Village Board trustee and member of the HAFDAB, moved to okay Menches request for the discussion between the two departments, he advised the chief he was wary about creating a regionalized service.

Be careful of regionalization, said Johnston. We have to meet the needs of our communities first. You might not necessarily be able to control costs down the road. Sharing costs with La Crosse could backfire.

In addition to the village of Holmen, HAFD serves the towns of Holland and Onalaska. Two representatives from each municipality sit on the fire board. Although the fire department serves the public, its a private entity providing emergency medical service and fire protection and suppression to the three municipalities.

Past regionalization efforts with the city of La Crosse considered by Holmen have run into snags. One project was a plan to send the villages wastewater to the treatment plant in La Crosse.

In December 2015, the village received notice La Crosse would charge a hookup fee of $2.2 million. The fee wasnt part of the discussion during the three-year planning period.

When the village board learned of the added charge, it voted against the plan, electing instead to upgrade its own sewage facility instead.

Johnston favored greater cooperation with the La Crosse Fire Department in such areas as a response vehicle maintenance. Gilliam told the fire board members his department has a full-time maintenance person on staff.

I would like to improve our maintenance program, said Menches. Its getting more difficult finding people with the qualifications to work on the vehicles. I want the green light to talk about maintenance with Chief Gilliam.

The fire engines and response vehicles must meet Department of Transportation standards. The Holmen Fire Department had attempted to maintain the fleet in-house, but department personnel werent equipped to maintain the vehicles to DOT standards and the fire station wasnt designed for mechanical work.

HAFD Assistant Chief Bill Bulawa told the fire board the department has had to sent vehicles out for maintenance to ensure they meet testing requirements.

In addition to indicating he would be willing to discuss an agreement to maintain HAFD vehicles, Gilliam informed the fire board his department would be willing to share vehicles.

If one of your engines is down, I have the ability to slide one in place for you, said Gilliam.

The fire board approved Menches request to discuss an agreement with the LCFD for vehicle servicing.

The fire board was informed the departments pumper, ladder truck, hoses and breathing apparatus passed recent inspection. However, the board was advised, the departments 22-year-old ladder truck is nearing its useable life and replacing it could cost more than $850,000.

2017 budget report

Menches reported the 2017 budget is ending the year with a surplus.

Well use the remaining funds to make the Jan. 5 payroll, said Menches. It includes making last quarter payment for part-time employees.

While the budget is going into 2018 in the black, one of the categories experiencing overruns is in office operations.

This is the difficult part of this job because were not part of a public entity, we have to pay for these services ourselves, said Menches.

To reduce costs in operations, Menches advised the fire board he was able to negotiate a reduced rate for accounting services the department uses.
Since humans populated Black Rivers watershed, its been an important aspect of the lives of those residing along its banks. Since European settlers arrived in the area, the economic value of the river and its watershed has been significant.

This economic impact will be the topic of the Wednesday, Jan. 10 Friends of the Black River meeting program. The meeting will be held in the Jackson County Bank community room beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Chris Hardie, chief executive officer of the 7 Rivers Alliance and former executive director of the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce, will present a program about the river and its watersheds economic value.

The Black River flows for 190 miles from its headwaters in Taylor County before draining into the Mississippi River in La Crosse.

The river has long had an economic impact on the region, especially during the lumber era when billions of board feet of pine were harvested and floated down the Black River to saw mills in La Crosse, said Hardie. Today, the rivers main importance is recreational, providing the base for a variety of activities from fishing to boating and canoeing and kayaking.

But Hardie suggests there could be more. He will present information about how the recreational base of the river could be expanded and the monetary impact that silent sport activities can bring to a region. He will also discuss the concept of state water trails and how the Black River could fit into that category.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, water trails provide a network of access points, resting places and attractions for water craft users on the states lakes and rivers. Some water trails are interpretive routes, while others take paddlers to campsites and connect communities. All allow visitors to experience the natural beauty of the state through a mode of travel used since before recorded history.

The Black River and its watershed is a true gem, Hardie said. Were fortunate to live in a region where we have such a wonderful asset in our backyard.

Hardie, a longtime journalist in the region and a business owner in Jackson County, the former publisher of the Jackson County Chronicle and executive editor of the La Crosse Tribune, has received dozens of state and national journalism awards during his more than 30 years in the newspaper business. Those include a nomination for a Pulitzer Prize in 2000.

He has also served on various regional boards, including the Tomah Area Chamber of Commerce, the Village People in West Salem, the Greater La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, the La Crosse Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and served as president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

The meeting is free and the public is encouraged to attend. For more information, email info_fbr@yahoo.com.
Photo: Tom Kelley Archive/Getty Images

Marriage is a healthy estate, British physician William Farr wrote in 1858, in one of the first studies to conclude that married people were better off than their single counterparts. The single individual is more likely to be wrecked on his voyage than the lives joined in matrimony.

The ensuing decades have done little to dissuade social scientists of their certainty that single people were doing themselves a disservice. Until now. In 2017, it was that conviction that got wrecked.

As a psychologist, I study single people  their lives, their happiness, the stigma they face  and I can say that this has been a banner year for the publication of massive studies challenging what we thought we knew about their supposedly inferior life voyages. New insights just kept coming: on sex and dating, on self-esteem, on what it means to be an adult. And they came just in time: In recent history, there have never been as many unmarried adults as there are right now. Here are a half dozen of the coolest discoveries about single people from the year 2017.

Demographically, single people are more powerful than ever before.

In 2017, the Census Bureau reported that a record number of adults in the U.S. were not married. More than 110 million residents were divorced or widowed or had always been single; thats more than 45 percent of all Americans aged 18 or older. And people who did marry were taking longer than ever to get there. The median age of first marriage rose to 29.5 for men; for women, it reached 27.4. (These trends are likely to continue: A report from the Pew Research Center a few years ago predicted that by the time todays young adults reach the age of 50, about one in four of them will have been single all their life.)

Living alone is also becoming more popular. This summer, the Canadian press was abuzz with the news that for the first time in the nations history, more people were living in one-person households than in any other arrangement. In the U.S., the number of people living without a spouse or partner rose to 42 percent this year, up from 39 percent a decade ago.

Individualistic practices like living alone arent just Western phenomena  theyve gone global. In analyses of a half-century of data (19602011) from 78 nations around the world, psychology researcher Henri C. Santos and his colleagues found that the popularity of such practices grew significantly for 83 percent of the countries with relevant data. Individualistic beliefs, like valuing friends more than family, have also been on the rise, increasing significantly for 79 percent of the nations across the five decades.

Marriage is no longer considered a key part of adulthood.

A half-century ago, Americans who had not yet married wouldnt be considered real adults. Thats no longer the case. According to a 2017 Census Bureau report, more than half of the participants in a nationally representative sample (55 percent) said that getting married was not an important criterion for becoming an adult. The same percentage also said that having a child was not an important milestone of adulthood. More important now is completing formal schooling and having full-time employment; 95 percent said that each of those criteria was at least somewhat important.

High-schoolers arent as into dating  or sex.

In a study published this fall, psychologists Jean M. Twenge and Heejung Park analyzed four decades worth of data (19762016) on the sex and dating experiences of more than 8 million students in the ninth through twelfth grades. The percentage of teens who had ever been on a date was lowest in the most recent years of the study. And along the same lines, the percentage who had had sex was at an all-time low in recent years.

Single people are having more sex than married people.

Moving past the teens and on to people 18 and older, the same holds true: Adults are having less sex than they used to. Analyzing survey data collected from more than 26,000 people between 1989 and 2014, researchers found that the average person now has sex around nine fewer times per year than the average person in the early 90s.

But not all groups followed the same sexual trajectory  the drop was especially pronounced for the people who were married or divorced, compared to people who had always been single. In fact, according to one of several ways of looking at the data, singles are now having sex more often than married people are.

And then there are people that arent having sex at all. The idea that there are some people who just do not experience sexual attraction has a more prominent place in our cultural consciousness today, something for which the the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), founded in 2001, gets much of the credit. By 2017, there was enough research on asexuality, including large-scale studies, to justify a review article in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. Defying the early skepticism on the topic, authors Lori A. Brotto and Morag Yule concluded that asexuality is a unique sexual orientation, one that applies to up to 3 percent of adults, and not a sexual dysfunction or psychiatric disorder.

A relationship doesnt mean higher self-esteem 

As teens shrug at the idea of dating and adults put off or skip marriage altogether, skeptics might wonder, arent they all missing out on that boost of self-esteem that comes from having someone?

Not really. In a landmark study on the link between romantic relationships and self-esteem, researchers Eva C. Luciano and Ulrich Orth studied more than 9,000 adults in Germany as they entered or ended romantic relationships or stayed single. Their conclusion: Beginning a relationship improves self-esteem if and only if the relationship is well-functioning, stable, and holds at least for a certain period (in the present research  one year or longer). People who started new romantic relationships that failed to last a year ended up with lower self-esteem than the people who stayed single. There was nothing magical about marriage, either; people who married enjoyed no better self-esteem than those who stayed in romantic relationships without tying the knot.

 and marriage doesnt mean better health.

Part of the mythology of marriage, long bolstered by the writings of social scientists, is that people who marry become healthier than they were when they were single. After all, the logic goes, married couples get all that loving support from each other, and they make sure their spouses are taking care of themselves. But three big methodologically sophisticated studies published in 2017 shook our faith in that idea.

In one of the studies, researchers followed more than 79,000 U.S. women between the ages of 50 and 79 over a three-year period, tracking whether they got married (or started a serious relationship), stayed married, got divorced or separated, or stayed single. Author Randa Kutob and her colleagues also took repeated physical measurements of the womens waist size, body-mass index, and blood pressure, and asked them about their smoking, drinking, exercise, and eating habits.

With just one exception, every significant finding favored the women who either stayed single instead of marrying, or who got divorced instead of staying married. For example, the women who married gained more weight and drank more than those who stayed single. The women who divorced ate healthier, exercised more, and had smaller waists than the women who stayed married. (The one exception was that the women who divorced were more likely to start smoking than the women who stayed married.)

In the second study, a 16-year survey of more than 11,000 Swiss men and women, the people who married reported slightly worse overall health than they had when they were single, even taking into account changes in health that often occur with age. And in the third study, sociologist Dmitry Tumin surveyed more than 12,000 adults in the U.S. who got married for the first time to see if they described their general health as better after they married or better when they were single. He broke down the data several ways: He examined mens marriages separately from womens; he conducted separate analyses of the marriages of people born in different decades; he evaluated marriages that lasted for different lengths of time. In all the scenarios he looked at, with one exception, the people who got married never reported being healthier. The exception was for the oldest women (born between 1955 and 1964) whose marriages lasted at least ten years, who considered themselves slightly healthier.

Its a powerful blow  one of many  against the notion that marriage is the ideal way to live. For a long time, weve accepted the idea that unless they hurry up and marry, single adults will stay sexless and unhappy until they die (and sooner, at that). But it seems single people dont scare so easily anymore  in unprecedented numbers, they are going ahead and living their single lives, which are often healthier and more fulfilling than those of their coupled counterparts. In 2017, finally, the weight of the scientific evidence from the most sophisticated studies was on their side.
The house on Cardiff Street where a 5-month-year-old baby was found in a trash can, in an incident that police are investigating as an accident. (Screenshot/GoogleMaps)

5-Month-Old Baby Falls in Trash Can, Nearly Suffocates

Police are investigating after a 5-month-old baby was discovered in a trash can in a San Diego home and rushed to the hospital.

According to officials the baby boy had nearly suffocated, reported NBCS 7, and was given CPR before being taken away in an ambulance on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

According to 10 News, police are investigating the incident at Cardiff Street, near Jamacha Road, as an apparent accident.

Neighbor of house where baby was found in trash can says infants mother was hysterically crying when police arrived and the baby looked grayish-blue when carried out by paramedics. @10News pic.twitter.com/NThFl6hmY3  Travis Rice (@10NewsTravis) December 27, 2017

10 News cites officer Billy Hernandez as saying family members had told police that the baby had been sleeping and may have fallen out of bed into the trash can.

According to NBCS the 5-month-old boy may have then partially suffocated from the bins plastic lining.

Initial media reports cited officials as saying that it was not clear whether the infant would survive. 18 hours after reports first surfaced around 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, there have been no reports of updates from police or other officials.

No one is facing charges in the incident at this time, police spokesperson Hernandez told NBCS.

Neighbour Lori Ramos heard her neighbor scream Wednesday afternoon. She ran outside and rushed over to discover that there had been a tragic accident, according to NBCS.

Ramos consoled the babys mother as paramedics gave the baby CPR and placed him in an ambulance

They drive away saying that he is unresponsive, Ramos said, according to NBCS. You gotta just hold your breath and say a prayer.

According to News 10, neighbors said the infants mother was hysterically crying and that, when police arrived, the baby looked grayish-blue.

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Officer Tony Martinez said the baby was taken to a Rady Childrens Hospital, according to NBCS. According to 10 News, the baby was put on life support.

Hernandez said child abuse detectives were investigating the case as an apparent accident.

2017 Year in Review
Police tape blocks an entrance at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 4, 2017. (David Becker/Getty Images)

Are Las Vegas Resorts Ready for Emergencies?

Las Vegas promotes itself as a safe place to come for family fun, offering shows, food, and, of course, gambling, but in an atmosphere where no one needs to fear or worry.

While the gunman who reportedly opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort on the night of Oct. 1 really hasnt changed the citys popular image, it has woken up some experts to the complete lack of preparation by most resorts for coping with sudden, serious emergencies.

Las Vegas Concertgoers Describe Terrible Ordeal

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has published a report showing that most casinos have either no emergency response plan or a hopelessly outdated plan.

Nevada has laws in place mandating casinos and resorts to create and update emergency plans. The law was enacted shortly after the 9/11 attacks in 2001but it was enacted without any enforcement provision, making it more of a suggestion.

Records show that half the 155 casinos required to file a plan in 2008 had complied, and in 2017, only 76 out of 139 had any sort of plan at all.

No Plans, No Updates, No Review Process

Whats worse, is that the state lacks the resources to review the plans even if they are filed.

The Nevada Division of Emergency management claims it has reviewed the plans it does have, but investigation reveals that no such review has taken place.

This means that first responders rushing into a resort full of civilians might not know the floor plan, where the emergency exits are, or where the fire-suppression systems might be. A casino might have remodeled several times since a plan was filedif there is a plan at all.

Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell said no plans have been submitted to them at all. Though the law was finalized in 200315 years agonot a single plan has been passed on to the fire department.

Caleb Cage, chief of the Division of Emergency Management, said local emergency responders need to see the casino plans because they are the first ones at the scene. First responders need to know where guests might be running to or from, where guests can be guided towards exits or shelter, and where emergency exits are.

At least 58 killed, 515 injured as gunman opens fire at Las Vegas concert

Former Assemblyman John Oceguera, who sponsored the original legislation, said, An emergency plan covers a wide variety of incidents, including active shooters.

Mandalay Bay had not updated its plan since 2012. While state and local emergency officials will not comment on whether the plan was carried out successfully on the night of the Oct. 1 shooting, parent company MGM Resorts International, said the plans guidelines for defining roles and responsibilities during an emergency were followed, according to the Review-Journal.

MGM Resorts refused to comment on why many of its 12 other properties had not filed updated plans since 2008.

Bill Elliott is the Division of Emergency Management official responsible for reviewing the resorts emergency plans. He simply doesnt have the expertise to do it, he said.

My expertise on a casino plan is very minimal, Elliott told the Review-Journal. If we had a requirement to judge the plans, we would need additional staff to do it.

Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell didnt even know such plans were supposed to exist. This is something that we had no clue ever existed, Cassell told the Review-Journal. Cassell is also a member of the Nevada Homeland Security Commission.

Stonewalled by Police

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department simply refused to cooperate with the Review-Journals investigation.

Police spokesman Larry Hadfield refused to confirm or deny that his department has received any emergency plans, which by law must be filed with the agency.

Hadfield would not allow the Review-Journal to interview anyone from the Emergency Management Section responsible for reviewing plans, nor to interview Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo.

This should concern everybody, especially after the shooting at the Mandalay Bay, said Barry Smith, executive director of the Nevada Press Association.

We trust the government to have our backs on this kind of stuff, but when they wont tell us what theyre doing, we suspect that theyre not doing anything all.

Ex-Assemblyman John Oceguera opined, There needs to be some teeth in the law so folks are compelled to act.

But more importantly, he continued,a plan on a shelf is virtually useless if its not getting to the people who need to see it and use it.

Emergency management consultant Mike Davis said, They have to coordinate and communicate with the first responders to make sure everyone understands the procedures and anticipates each others actions.

Witnesses describe moment gunman opened fire at Las Vegas concert

Retired FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence specialist Steven Hooper said the businesses needed to work with the public agencies before a crisis develops.

On the day of, you dont want it to be the first time you meet the crisis managers for the first responders because it will be chaos on the day of, he said.

Everyone Says Things Are FineBut Improving

Division of Emergency Management chief Caleb Cage said his department focuses on response to earthquakes and such.

We look at planning and preparedness in generalhow we can make sure we have plans in place at the state to correspond with local governments and tribal governments that work directly with the local businesses, he said.

Cage said that the plans needed to go to first responders, not his department. However, after his interview with the Review-Journal, Cage did send letters to some 90 casinos, asking them to submit updated plans.

Fire Chief Greg Cassell said that with so much information available online about water hookups, exits, elevators and power hook-ups, his department doesnt really need emergency response plans.

Still, he said he would send letters to some three dozen casinos and resorts asking for such plans.

Differing Methods in Different Cities

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski also said the city has computerized records which provide the needed information.

The city of Reno Fire Department, on the other hand gets annual updates to the response plans from the resorts there.

Capt. Willie Seirer, with the departments fire prevention division, said the plans go beyond locating emergency exits. They outline who emergency responders, casino staff, and law enforcement would work together in the event of an emergency.

Review of the plans is extremely important, he stated. One submitted plan ordered resort employees to contact a supervisor before reporting a fire to the Fire Department.

I red-lined that part, sent it back and told them to change it so that the Fire Department was called first before a supervisor, Seirer said.

Atlantic City, in New Jersey, another nationally popular casino and resort vacation destination, also keeps emergency plans on file with the Fire Department, and tries to keep the plans updated, according to Fire Chief Scott Evans, who said the Fire Department and the casinos have a pretty good relationship.

They are very cooperative with our needs and our partnerships now with casinos to enhance the security of the city as a whole.
Sun Yi, who smuggled a handwritten letter about the abuses he faced while imprisoned at the Masanjia Labor Camp in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. The letter was discovered inside a Halloween decoration kit sold by a Kmart in Oregon. (Courtesy of Sun Yi's Family)

Author of Smuggled Letter That Called Attention to China Labor Camp Abuses Dies

The news took the world by surprise: a letter that had traveled 5,600 miles from China to a small town in Oregon.

In November 2012, inside a Halloween decoration kit she purchased years ago at Kmart, Julie Keith found a handwritten letter enclosed inside.

The letter came from a person detained at the notoriously brutal Masanjia Labor Camp in the northern Chinese city of Shenyang, who had written a plea for help: please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization [sic], it began. The person described harsh conditions15-hour work days without any break on weekends or holidays, torture, and verbal abuse.

After Keith posted a photo of the letter on Facebook, media outlets picked up on the story, shining an international spotlight on human rights abuse in China.

That person revealed his true identity years later, when he had successfully escaped China. Born on Oct. 9, 1966 in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, Sun Yi was an engineer working in Beijing. But because he was a practitioner of an ancient spiritual discipline known as Falun Gong, police authorities hunted him down. Since July 1999, the Chinese regime has persecuted millions of adherents across the country with arrests, imprisonment, and torture, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center, the press office for Falun Gong.

Sun was detained at brainwashing centers, detention centers, and labor camp a total of eight times because of his faith. By the time Keith discovered the letter, Sun had already been released from labor camp. But Sun continued to get harassed by police, causing his wife to worry constantly for his safety.

In Dec. 2016, Sun successfully fled to Indonesia. In March the following year, he met with Keith in Indonesia.

Just days before his 51st birthday, on Oct. 1, Sun Yi passed away at a hospital in Bali, Indonesia. The hospital said he died of kidney failure. He was 50 years old.

However, his family said he never had kidney health problems. They claimed that the hospital did not give concrete details about his death and rushed to have his body cremated. They are concerned about the possibility of foul play.

Suns Story

Before his death, Sun left behind audio and video clips describing his experience while imprisoned at Masanjia.

At the labor camp, Sun and his fellow inmates were tasked with making little plastic ghosts and foam headstones, working 15 hours a day for a meager 10 yuan (around $1.50) a month.

He was also tortured. He was handcuffed to a hospital bed for hours in uncomfortable positions. Guards also used a medical tool used to pry open his mouth, and would spit and throw cigarette butts into his mouth.

Another torture method was forcing him to stand in an awkward position, with his legs and arms tied to the frames of a bed. One time, Sun was strapped for 168 hours straight.

For a time, he was forced to face an image of Mao Zedong and Karl Marx and swear in front of it every day. Guards forced him to say that he would protect the Chinese Communist Party and part with Falun Gong. Sun called the torture a psychological extraction.

Inmates are not allowed to own any writing implements. But one inmate, who bribed a guard to obtain a pen, lent it to Sun. In the middle of the night, he would secretly write up letters and stuff them into products that seemed destined for Western countries. He hoped one of them would reach a kind-hearted person abroad.

In August 2010, he was released from Masanjia. A few months after news broke about Keiths letter, a Chinese magazine, Lens, published an expose about the horrors inside Masanjia. The international attention pressured the Chinese regime to abolish the labor camp system in Nov. 2013.

In Dec. 2014, the Chinese photojournalist Du Bin, who published a series detailing the torture and treatment Masanjia prisoners faced, released an account of Suns experience. He was among the most severely tortured in Masanjia, Du wrote.

The public exposure of the Chinese regimes crimes put the target on Suns back. His home was repeatedly ransacked by police. He had to flee his home and live on the run, constantly carrying a razor and toothbrush with him so he could wash up wherever he went. In Nov. 2016, he was abducted by police. He was released several days later, but Suns wife became incredibly worried for his safety, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Sun decided it was time to leave the country. On Dec 6, 2016, he arrived at the Beijing airport, and successfully passed customs without the Chinese authorities detection. He bought himself an ice cream cone to celebratehe had finally escaped the invisible prison of the country he lived in.

He left the world quietly in October 2017, but people will remember his story for years to come. His life came to reflect the meaning of his Chinese name: being firm and resolute.

Su Mingzhen contributed to this report.

2017 Year in Review
A fight between inmates at Warren County jail, Mississippi was captured by a cellphone and posted on Snapchat, reports said. (Screenshot via Google Maps)

Cell Block Put on Lockdown After Mississippi Jail Fight Is Caught on Camera

A disturbing video of an inmate being beaten on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 28, put part of a Mississipi jail on lockdown, according to reports.

The dramatic footage, originally posted to Snapchat, shows the inmate being pulled out of a cell then repeatedly punched and kicked by other inmates in Warren County Jail. His face has swelling and he had gashes from the beating.

The inmates sister told reporters at CBS-affiliate WJTV-12 that he is shooting suspect Denzel Watts.

Watts is charged with five counts of aggravated assault in a Christmas Eve shooting at L.D.s Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Vicksburg. His bond was set at $500,000.



According to local Mississippi news station, MS News Now, Watts was treated for his injuries and then released back into custody.

Watts mother, Ora Bishop, told MS News Now that he thinks the assault was drug-related.

He think my son stole his dope and he didnt, she said.

Watts brother, Leslie Lee Watts, Jr. said, Hes got a gash in his head. He dont even know his name. He dont even know where he at.

The news outlet reported that there are two ongoing investigations, one into the assault and another into the smuggling of the cellphone that captured the footage.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace told ABC-affiliate WAPT News that the six inmates involved in the fight are now being housed in separate cells.

The entire matter is under investigation and those responsible for the assault will face additional charges, he said.

He added, Those that were responsible for having possession of the cellphone in a cell block will face additional charges. It is a felony charge.

According to WJTV-12, initially, the entire jail was on lockdown, then one cell block, where the fight took placed, remained on lockdown.

Sheriff Pace said that its too early to tell who will face additional charges, according to the Associated Press.

2017 Year in Review
Baby Toby was born in an unexpected location. (Photo courtesy of El Parian)

Customer Gives Birth to a Baby Boy in California Grocery Store

A woman who walked into a grocery store in California on Tuesday night, Dec. 26, got more than she expected.

The stores CCTV video captures the woman walking into the El Parian market in Fresno, California, before she starts to double up next to a table.

Issimar Sepulveda, who co-owns the store with her husband, Juan Damian, said she heard the woman scream, Oh my God, Im having my baby, according to The Fresno Bee.

Staff at the store, including a cook, butcher, and cashier, came together to help her deliver a healthy baby boy.

According to the newspaper, the butcher from the meat section took off his apron and used it to catch the baby.

In a Facebook post, Sepulveda wrote she cut the babys umbilical cord using scissors found by the cook. She then ran to get her blankets for her twins from her office to keep the baby warm.

I was so nervous and just praying for babys health because he looked purple 911 explained that baby was cold so I ran to the office to get my twins blankets, she wrote.

The mother-of-two added, Everything happened so quickly however, time felt eternal.

Staff made sure to keep the baby warm before the ambulance arrived.

Sepulveda posted a Facebook Live video of the baby being wrapped up in blankets to keep him warm. She can be heard saying, You cannot believe this this lady just gave birth to this baby boy in the store.

According to ABC 30, one staff member rushed home to get a suction syringe to clear the babys airway.

The mother and her newborn baby went to a hospital in Fresno.

The pregnant woman is a regular customer, and Sepulveda often lets her have free items because she cant always pay, she told the Fresno Bee.

The woman had come to the store to buy a soda, and it was not long after that she threw the soda to one side and started to go into labor.

It happened so quickly everything happened so quickly, Sepulveda said to ABC30.

It is feeling the happiness but you are worried, nervous, panicked, I dont know, so many things at once, Sepulveda (pictured below with the baby boy) said.

Mother and baby are doing well, and the boy has been named Toby, according to Fox26.
Dog Attack Leaves 5-Year-Old Pennsylvania Boy in Hospital

A dog attack caused a 5-year-old boy in Pennsylvania to nearly lose his armafter the incident left him hospitalized.

King Martin, is currently recovering in Childrens Hospital in Lawrenceville. His mother, Brandi Sanders told NBC affiliate WPXI that it happened last Friday, Dec. 22, on Boyd Street in McKeesport.

Its a miracle they didnt have to cut off his arm, Sanders told the network, referring to the hospital staff treating his injuries.

King was playing with a friend when he was attacked by one of his neighbors dogsa pit bull breed. His left arm suffered major damage from the dogs onslaught.

My sons a fighter, Sanders told WPXI.

Sanders said she came rushing over when she heard screams of panic.

I ran over to the house and when I got to the house I just saw the dog on my son and wouldnt let go, Sanders told WPXI. I had to lift my son up for him not to attack my son anymore.

The pit bull bit the young boy in several areas, with many bites on his left arm. Doctors even told the mother that his arm may have to be amputated, after the initial examination.

WPXI reporter Aaron Martin said in a Facebook post that the boy is lucky to still be alive.

Some man knocked on my door and said a dog was eating my sons arm, Sanders told Pittsburghs Action News.

The mother said she was fired from her job at a fast-food restaurant due to her missing work.

She told Pittsburghs Action News she was forced to miss work so she could spend time with her son in the hospital.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family. The page said the pit bull was 1-year-old.

Sanders said she plans to press charges over the incident after her son heals. The identity of the neighbor was not revealed in any reports, as of writing.

The concerned mother said she is now focused on her sons recovery, adding that it will be a long process.

He can only move his fingers, not his whole arm, Sanders said. Were hoping and praying. But when he tried he just screamed, because it hurt so bad.

Its unclear when the boy will be released from the hospital.

2017 Year in Review

From NTD.tv
El Paso, Texas, police are warning people about money used on movie sets being used as legal tender in the city. (El Paso Police)

El Paso Police Warn Counterfeit Money Used on Movie Sets is Being Circulated

Police in El Paso, Texas, are warning people that they have seen a few cases of money used on movie sets being used as legal tender, and to be on the lookout.

The bills, in $20 and $50 denominations, look like the real thing with serial numbers and banknote identifiers, except that they have FOR MOTION PICTURE USE ONLY written at the top, police say.

They have put out fliers with an example of a $100 bill, and say the counterfeits have been seen in $20 and $50 bill denominations.

Another way to identify the movie set money is to hold the bill up to the light. If there is no Franklin watermark and no embedded security thread on it, its a fake.

The style of the money has been around for a few years, but we havent seen a whole lot of it here in El Paso, Darrel Petry, public information officer for the El Paso police told KFOX14. As of lately, weve had several cases where this type of money has turned up.

While the FOR MOTION PICTURE USE ONLY at the top is a clear giveaway that its fake, it other types of fraudulent currency can be harder to spot.

One way you can tell a counterfeit is by feeling the paper. The raised printing should make it feel a little rough to the touch, and this is true for all bills, even the $1 and $2 notes.

For $5 bills and higher, there is a watermark that can be seen when the bill is held to light.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/how-to-authenticate-u-s-currency_2398261.html

The watermark on the $5 is a picture of President Lincoln. If the bill is face up, the mark will appear on the right side of the portrait in the blank space. The watermark can be seen from both sides.

For the $10 bills, you can tell a counterfeit if the 10 on the front in the lower right corner doesnt change from green to copper when you tilt it. When you hold the note to light, there should be an embedded thread that runs vertically to the right of the portrait when the bill is face up. The thread has USA TEN written on it, as well as a small flag. The thread can be seen from both sides of the bill, and will glow orange when put under ultraviolet light.

If you look carefully at the right and the left sides of the $10 bill, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TEN DOLLARS USA is microprinted in the vertical borders, and directly below the portrait above the name Hamilton. You may need a magnifying glass to see the writing.

The $20 bill has similar security features, but its embedded thread is to the left of Andrew Jacksons portrait when the bill is face up, and glows green under ultraviolet light. It has microprinting that says USA20 that can be found under the blue TWENTY USA ribbon to the right of Jacksons portrait, and in black as part of the border under the treasurers signature.

On the $50 bill, many of the security features are the same, but the number 50 in the lower right corner shifts from green to black instead of copper to green. The embedded thread is to the right of President Ulysses S. Grants portrait on a face-up bill, and turns yellow under ultraviolet light. FIFTY is microprinted in the vertical side borders of the face-up bill, and THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is microprinted on Grants collar on the left side.

The $100 has the most security features of all. A blue ribbon to the left of President Benjamin Franklin has 100 and pictures of bells printed in 3-D that replace each other depending on how you tilt the bill. If you move the bill up and down, the 100s and bells move from side to side. If you tilt the bill from side to side, the 100s and bells move up and down.

El Paso police are warning that people have been scammed by the counterfeit money using the buying and selling app OfferUp. They ask people who have been given fake money to get as many details on the person giving it to them as possible, including their license plate number if they have a vehicle.

All of those details will help the police in solving your case, Petry told CBS4.

El Paso police can be reached at 915-832-4400.

From NTD.tv
As a part of the John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer to Farmer Program, local Jackson County UW-Extension agriculture agent Trisha Wagner traveled to the Los Llanos region of Colombia to teach farmers about the importance of milk quality in a two-week educational trip.

The program is meant for farmers of the U.S. to participate in technical exchange with other farmers around the world, Wagner said.

The Los Llanos region is east of Bogota, the capital city of Colombia, and is a flat grassland area largely known for its beef production. The area has a tropical climate with a rainy and dry season. The soil is a heavy clay, where corn, soybeans, pine trees and rubber trees for latex are grown.

There is a range of farms like we have here where we have bigger industrial-type farms and then smaller single-family farms, Wagner said.

During her trip, Wagner participated in a number of activities that have been going on in the region for the last five years to promote and develop the regions dairy production.

The portion of the project that I participated in really was to improve the quality of milk production, Wagner said.

Wagner spent much of her time visiting farms and spending time with farmers at larger gatherings at local cooperatives. The last few days were spent in central locations teaching the farmers practices that they could use on their farm to address the challenges they are facing.

The challenge of the assignment was to adapt the recommendations that we know are proven to work and figure out with the farmers of Colombia how they can be adapted to work for them as well, Wagner said.

Stark differences

Dairy farmers in Colombia operate very differently than those in Wisconsin.

In Colombia, cows are often milked in sheds by hand in very humid and hot conditions. Calves are used to stimulate milk production. The cattle being milked are dual-purpose, being used for milk and beef production.

You have a number of different environmental challenges and then some goals that are different than how we think of it being in the dairy state where we think of dairy production as the number one sole enterprise, where for them beef production is just as important if not the sole or primary enterprise, Wagner said.

To control milk quality issues like mastitis, farmers in Wisconsin would use a multitude of different teat dips and paper towels to dry the teats to reduce health issues, but these products are not always an option in Colombia.

For some of the farmers, buying teat dip was out of the budget. They werent even readily available, Wagner said.

So Wagner had to settle on telling the farmers that they needed to make sure the udder was clean and dry.

We know that if there is any liquid on the udder then it is a really easy was to transmit bacteria and results in infection in the udder, Wagner said.

Since the farmers in Colombia were not using teat dip after milking, the cattle were highly susceptible to milk quality issues after milking because the teat end is relaxed and lets more bacteria in. They also brought calves in after milking to finish off the milk from the cows.

Wagner suggested finding ways to keep the cattle standing for 30 minutes after milking such as feeding grain or sugar cane, which would allow the teat ends to close again.

What we dont want it to do is go out to the pasture and lay down in the grass or manure and expose the teats to a lot of bacteria, Wagner said.

Wagner also thought about the possibility of using aloe vera since it is readily available in Colombia and it naturally has healing properties. Ultimately the idea would need to be researched.

While Wagner brought a lot of knowledge to Colombia, she contends she learned more from the trip than those she was teaching.

On past trips, Wagner has been able to spend time with milk quality experts, learn skills that helped her teach students how to manage Spanish-speaking employees and learn many different ways milk products can be used.

You dont always necessarily know what you are going to take away from these situations, Wagner said.

Reason for the program

While many people would contend that Wagner could better spend her time in Wisconsin teaching farmers about the best agriculture practices, Wagner feels like going abroad serves an important purpose.

It is in great interest for our country to have these particular regions stable and thriving economically because they are allies of our country and they are in regions where we dont have a lot of allies, Wagner said.

The U.S. government helps fund programs like the John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer to Farmer Program because it understands agriculture is a valuable economic driver for rural areas in these nations.

The U.S. recognizes that a dairy industry can provide stability for rural areas. Wisconsin has been an excellent example of that. We have a lot of small businesses across our state that support our local communities, Wagner said.

By improving rural economies in these countries, it is helping countries recover from civil wars and resist the formation of paramilitary groups and drug cartels.

They really were strong in the rural areas prior because there wasnt much hope, potential or options for people in those rural areas so they were easily persuaded to participate in things that were violent activities because it was the only option, Wagner said.

This is why the program is named after John Ogonowski, who was one of the pilots killed in 9-11.

If a farmer is interested in participating in a program like this, they are encouraged to call Wagner at 715-284-4257. There are several programs around the world that are looking for farmers.

The trip includes all expenses and a translator is provided, so you dont need to speak any other languages.
Sixty pounds of marijuana and cans of concentrated THC seized from an elderly couple in Nebraska. (York County Sheriff's Department)

Elderly Couple Arrested With 60 Pounds of Marijuana Christmas Presents IDd as Parents of Top Prosecutor

An elderly man and woman who were busted in Nebraska with a trunk full of marijuana Christmas presents have been identified as the parents of a top Vermont prosecutor, the Burlington Free Press reported.

Patrick Jiron, 83, and his wife, Barbara, 70, of Clearlake Oaks, California, were arrested on Dec. 19 with 60 pounds of assorted marijuana goods with a street value of over $300,000 police say. The pair told police that they were driving cross-country to deliver the pot as gifts for relatives and friends in Vermont and Boston.

Burlington Free Press later linked the couple to Chittenden County Chief Deputy States Attorney Justin Jiron, who the paper says is their son.

Justin Jirons boss told the paper that there is no connection between the Nebraska bust and her employee.

Justin is in no way connected to this allegation other than by relation, Chittenden County States Attorney Sarah George, wrote in an email to the Burlington Free Press. Justin is and has been a dedicated public servant for over 15 years, and I assure you he is as surprised and upset about these allegations as anyone.

Elderly couple claims marijuana was for Christmas presents https://t.co/aCNGKuhJE0 pic.twitter.com/HyrTJfHcvz  York News-Times (@yorknewstimes) December 20, 2017

As a prosecutor, Jiron worked on a number of high-profile cases in Vermont. He prosecuted the man who abducted and raped a college senior and another man who killed two people in a shooting spree in Essex.

Justin, of course, loves his parents and is concerned about their welfare, George added. However, he is extremely disappointed in their behavior and actions as reported by media outlets.

The prosecutors parents were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and no drug tax stamp.

I dont think he knew anything about what his parents were bringing over or what they intended to do with it, John Campbell, the executive director of Vermont states attorney offices, told the Burlington Free Press. From what I understand, this is as much as a shock to him and a surprise that it is to anyone else who has heard about it.

The couple was pulled over after they crossed a center line on a road without signaling. The deputies who approached the couples Toyota Tacoma smelled a pungent marijuana odor, NPR reported.

Patrick Jiron was placed in York County Jail, while Barbaras processing was delayed due to a medical issue, Fox News reported.

2017 Year in Review

From NTD.tv
Father Kills 22-Year-Old Son in Accidental Shooting

A father shot and killed his son on Christmas Eve in what police have ruled to be an accidental shooting in Alabama.

Aspiring musician Logan Trammell, 22, from Jones Chapel, Cullman County, Al. passed away from shooting injuries on Christmas Day after his father mistook him for a thief on the night of Christmas Eve, reported WKRG-TV.

He had started driving away from his parents home in his fathers truck at about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 24.

But his father didnt realise that his son was driving the vehicle. Thinking that someone was trying to steal it, he shot in the air and then shot at the tailgate of the truck.

Then the truck stopped, and his family said thats when he realized his son was the driver, according to WKRG-TV.

It was just a horrific accident. A horrific accident. My brother thought someone was stealing his truck, never realized it was Logan because he didnt live down here all the time, he lived with my mom and dad, Tammy Jacobs, Trammells aunt told WKRG-TV.

22-year-old mistaken as thief, killed by father  CULLMAN, Ala. (WIAT)  Family and friends of 22-year-old Logan Trammell are gathering to remember the young musician after an accidental shooting took his life on Christmas Eve. Trammells family says  https://t.co/QwJnzBxPO7  Mobile AL Journal (@mobilealjournal) December 28, 2017

He still never realized that it was Logan until he got the door open and he realized who it was.

He was taken to The Cullman Regional hospital, where he died later on Christmas morning, according to local newspaper the Cullman Times.

In a Facebook post, his aunt wrote, My heart is shattered to a million pieces. I will miss your precious smile, your silly since of humor, your good ideas and your beautiful voice!!

A funeral service will be held at Missionary Grove Church on Saturday Dec. 30. His passion was music and song-writing.

According to WKRG-TV, he hoped to one day move to Nashville, Tennessee to focus on a music career. Music was a passion shared by his father, who was recording music in his camper as he saw his truck being driven away on Dec. 24.

LOGAN TRAMMELL  Dead At Age 22  The family will receive friends at Missionary Grove Church on Saturday, December 30, 2017, from 10 am to 2 pm. At 2 pm, the Celebration of Logans Life will begin. Burial will follow at Missionary Grove Cemetery.https://t.co/Oi8YhyFEus pic.twitter.com/Lqh03xMXAq  Cullman Today (@CullmanToday) December 27, 2017

Relative Stacey Tankersley told the news outlet: Love your family every chance you get. Cause you never know when the last time youre gonna see someone, or the last chance youre gonna get to hug them or tell them that you love them.

The Cullman County Sheriffs Office said that it had ruled the shooting as accidental, according to WKRG-TV.

2017 Year in Review
Father of Nebraska Teen Killed in Triple Murder Speaks Out

A Nebraska teen was killed in a triple homicide earlier this weeknow the father is speaking out.

Leonna Dalton-Phillip, 18, died Tuesday, Dec. 26, after being shot with her grandparentsJohn and Jean Daltonat their home located near 37th and Spaulding, ABC affiliate KETV reported. All three of them died.

Her father, Claude Phillip, had just talked with his daughter about college plans and spent Christmas day with her.

I never thought I would be going through this, Claude told KETV, from his home in Des Moines.

He said he last saw his daughter the day before her death when he dropped her off on Monday at her grandparents home.

Who would have knew that when I dropped her off on Christmas and I kissed her on her forehead and told her that I love her and she told me, I love you daddy, she gave me a big hug and I held her for a minute and hopped on the highway, that would be the last time I see my daughter alive, Claude told KETV.

John W. Dalton Jr., the couples son, was arrested by police on Wednesday afternoon, according to ABC News. He was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the homicides.

As of writing, authorities had not yet found a motive.

Claude told NBC affiliate WOWT he was left emotionally devastated, Ill never forgive him for this, in reference to the suspect.

I hate him for this, he told WOWT. He took my daughter. I know youre not supposed to hate somebody but he took an innocent. He took his mom.

Im devastated man. Im devastated. Im hurt. I cant even explain the pain that I feel  like I wouldnt wish this on anybody, he said. I mean it was senseless. It didnt have to happen.

The father said Leonna was a senior at Burke High School and was a honors student there. She was also the captain of the drill team.

Claude told KETV that he hadnt seen John Dalton Jr. in years. He said his daughter did not like to be near him, adding that she told him John was not who he used to be after getting out of prison.

The suspect had served 11 years previously for killing his wife in 1998.

She just kinda felt he wasnt right and she had the right feeling because she is gone by his hands, he did this and it hurts, Phillip told KETV.

On Wednesday, the father took to Facebook to thank the community for their support.

2017 Year in Review

From NTD.tv
Paraphernalia for smoking and injecting drugs is seen after it was found during a police search on April 19, 2017, in Huntington, West Virginia. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

Father Shares Emotional Post About Daughters Heroin Overdose

An Ohio father made a Facebook post about losing his daughter to a heroin overdose, opening peoples eyes up to the harsh reality of opioid addiction.

Tim Sherman on Tuesday, Dec. 26, wrote the post after his daughter, Karisten Sherman, 23, died on Christmas Eve. He said she struggled with heroin for years, but shed been clean for a year. However, she apparently relapsed.

A detective called him Sunday, saying she died of a heroin overdose, he told Facebook users in his post.

At 5:50 pm I got the call from the Det at Eastlake Police that my daughter was found dead in her bed from an overdose, Sherman wrote in the post. I immediately fell to my knees in the snow and began to cry like a baby. I could not believe that my Tigger had done this. 

HEARTBREAKING: A father's Facebook post about losing his daughter to her heroin addiction is reaching people around the Posted by ABC7 News on Friday, December 29, 2017

Sherman then said he went to her home and saw her body in bed.

He described her, saying she was blue in the face, had blood under her nose, and had clenched fists grasping so tight at what looked like she was trying to grab life back in her.

Sherman said he was with her as she battled addiction, and he even went to her narcotics anonymous meetings.

If you cant kick the dragon for good I will be the one to zip you up, but I will be with you every step of the way when you need me, he said he remembered telling her in the post. Daddy, I dont want to go back to that stuff ever again, she told him, according to the Facebook post.

(When I saw her body) I was told I couldnt touch my daughter in case there was any lethal powder still on her, he wrote. I ask for gloves and glove up cause Ill be damned if Im not going to help my daughter One last time or hug her and let her know I Love her  Well, I kept my word and spread the bag out and carefully placed her in it to say goodbye to her so they can find out what it was that she took. I zipped her up in her body bag and helped them carefully place her on the cot.

This father tells of the heartbreaking moment he zipped his own daughter into a bodybag Posted by Daily Mail on Friday, December 29, 2017

Its unclear if she overdosed on heroin or fentanyl, a powerful synthetic medication thats 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and many times more potent than heroin.

Sherman added that his daughter, according to her, didnt want to die.

But now, he said, Im starting to wonder if she did or if this was just a huge life mistake by chasing the dragons tail and she took a bad dose or went back to what she used to do with just a little less and it was still too much and the dragon won.

He ended his post with a warning of sorts.

Please, please, please, wrap your arms around your loved ones and let them know how much you care and love them, because tomorrow is never guaranteed and I urge you all to share this post. Maybe, just maybe, itll help another family, he said.

Fentanyl Overdoses

In August, President Donald Trump urged the Senate to pass a measure to stop synthetic opioid drugs such as fentanyl from being transported into the United States via the U.S. Postal Service system.

It is outrageous that Poisonous Synthetic Heroin Fentanyl comes pouring into the U.S. Postal System from China, he wrote on Aug. 20.

The shipment of fentanyl from China to the U.S. is almost a form of warfare, Trump said in August.

In China, you have some pretty big companies sending that garbage and killing our people, Trump said at the time.

More than 71,500 Americans have died of a drug overdose in 2017, according to data released the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The majorityor least 68 percentof those deaths could be attributed to opioids such as fentanyl.

[Chinese drug makers] have been using the internet to sell fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to drug traffickers and individual customers in the United States, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a statement on Oct. 17, 2017.
Homeless Man Dies in Cincinnati Day After Christmas; Friends Say He Succumbed to Cold

A man in Cincinnati, Ohio, was found dead at a bus stop on Tuesday, Dec. 26, and two people who had been helping him get back on his feet said they believe he froze to death.

The founders of Maslows Army, a group that helps people battling addiction, alcoholism, and mental illness, said in a Facebook post that Ken Martin, 55, succumbed to the cold while at a bus stop in the middle of the city.

We lost a friend and dear Maslows Army family member due to a senseless death, they said on Facebook. You will be missed as you were so loved and cherished.

The coroners office confirmed that it had a Ken Martin, but told The Enquirer that the cause of death has not yet been released pending an autopsy.

However, Maslows Army co-founder Samuel Landis, said he had called the coroners office and the person he spoke with told him that Martin likely died from the cold. He said he didnt think Martin had any health issues that would have caused his death, aside from an alcohol addiction.

The high for that day, according to Weather Underground, was 26 degrees with a low of 15 degrees and an 8 mph wind.

Samuel and his wife Susan Landis said that Martin had come into their lives about a year ago when they were doing outreach near Cincinnatis central business district at Fountain Square. They handed out food and clothing, and offered peer-to-peer support for people on the street.

They said that after a few weeks of knowing Ken, he decided to join them and became one of their hardest-working volunteers.

He was inspired to get his life together and began taking steps towards self improvement. For well over 5 months Kenny continued to serve with Maslows Army during our Sunday outreach and he was able to show others that change is possible through his personal testimony, they wrote.

Martin struggled with his addiction, and in August they said he had a slip-up that he never recovered from. They tried to help him, they said, but he declined their offers, saying I am just not ready yet.

They remembered him as a humble, honest, and compassionate man who would give you his last dollar if you needed it.

Everyone who knew Ken could say that Ken was their friend, they wrote.

He would give you the shirt off his back, Samuel said via phone. If it was cold and he had a jacket on and somebody says Im cold, Ken would have taken his jacket off. He loved his fellow man.

The Landis family is planning to hold a memorial for him on Jan. 28, and are asking people to donate gloves, hats, coats, and scarves in his honor. They are also asking for donations for his funeral costs, which they have taken on.

Martins death has prompted them to call for a 24-hour homeless shelter in the city, which they say is needed to prevent homeless deaths like this in the future.

I dont wish to profit from Kenny, however, I will not let the tragic death of my friend be in vain, the Landises wrote on Facebook. This is not acceptable.

According to Kevin Finn, president of the Cincinnati-based organization Strategies to End Homelessness, there are two 24-hour shelters in the area, one on either side of the river, according to The Enquirer. They have both expanded their capacity for the winter, and Finn says neither has ever filled up.

What they [the homeless] might not know is when the weather gets the way it is now, some of the rules and requirements that are in place during warmer weather months are not required, he told The Enquirer.

Samuel Landis said that while there are 24-hour shelters in the area, they can be far for someone without transportation to get to, and there may be requirements to get in. He acknowledged that some places have started opening their doors around the clock after Martins death.

They are eyeing an old jail that has been unused for several decades as a potential 24-hour homeless shelter, Samuel said, but first, they need the funds to fix it up.

If and when they do, they plan to put Martins name on it.

2017 Year in Review

From NTD.tv
Manhunt for Triple Murder Suspect Ends in Arrest

The U.S. Marshals Service has captured an Omaha man wanted in connection to a triple homicide in Tennessee on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

John Dalton Jr. was arrested on Interstate 40 near Jackson, Tennessee after a felony warrant for first-degree murder was issued for the man on Wednesday morning, reported WOWT News.

This man should be considered armed and dangerous.

46 y/o John Dalton is a suspect in 37th and Spaulding homicide.

May be driving a Black 2015 GMC Terrain NE Lic Plate UKB787 or Red 2007 Chevy Tahoe NE Lic Plate VRD559.

If seen call 911 pic.twitter.com/39GtAcFlUj  Omaha Police Dept (@OmahaPolice) December 27, 2017

The 46-year-old was wanted for the murder of John W. Dalton, 70, Jean Dalton, 65, and Leonna Dalton-Phillip, 18, in a north Omaha home on Tuesday night.

Dalton Jr. was initially identified as a person of interest in relation to their deaths but police later upgraded it to an arrest warrant. He was said to be armed and dangerous and driving a black 2015 GMC Terrain or red 2007 Chevy Tahoe, according to the police.

Murder suspect John W. Dalton Jr. has been located in Tennessee. Thanks to everyone who helped locate him! Working on a press release right now with additional info. #OPD ^OPDLtTierney  Omaha Police Dept (@OmahaPolice) December 27, 2017

Murder suspect John W. Dalton Jr. was located in Jackson, Tennessee.

Thank you Nebraska USMS Metro Fugitive Task Force, the Western District USMS of Tennessee and the Tennessee Highway Patrol for assisting. pic.twitter.com/qo0RZ8i1gI  Omaha Police Dept (@OmahaPolice) December 27, 2017

John W. Dalton is identified as his father, Jean Dalton is identified as his mother and Leonna Dalton-Phillip was his niece who attended Omaha Burke High School, reported the news station.

Dalton-Phillips car was still running outside her maternal grandparents home when police came to investigate the shooting. The 18-year-old was at her maternal grandparents house to pick up a younger sister, Omaha World Herald reported.

Leonna was stopping by after work to pick up her sister and get a plate of food from her grandmother, her father, Claude Phillip, told the newspaper on Wednesday. Her car was still running. Thats how fast all this happened.

The younger sister quickly ran to notify a neighbor at about 7:30 p.m.

Phillip described his daughter as a straight A student who had a bright future, reported the newspaper.

She thought she might want to go to school in California, he said. We were just investigating that.

Omaha police department will release a press release later today.

2017 Year in Review

From NTD.tv
Missing Vancouver Dads Body Found in Park, Cause of Death Unknown

A Vancouver man missing since Dec. 22 has been found dead in a park about a mile from his home, according to family and police, KOIN 6 News reported.

The body of James Rennells, 41, was discovered on Dec. 27 among bushes near a creek in Leverich Park, the mans sister, Janice Rennells, told reporters.

Vancouver police did not release any details, and said the cause and manner of the mans death would be determined by the Clark County Medical Examiners Officer, according to KOIN 6.

According to family, authorities informed Rennells family that his car had been found at the park, ransacked with the trunk and hood open, reported KOIN 6 News.

Rennells sister and his fiancee, Kashala Wilkinson, were part of a search party looking for him on Christmas Day, KATU2 reported.

Im just in shock right now. I dont know how to feel, our baby needs him, Wilkinson told reporters.

Rennells had last been seen at work on Friday Dec. 22.. He allegedly contacted Wilkinson around 9 p.m. to say he would be home soon.

He never arrived.

Wilkinson told reporters she and Rennells had plans to go Christmas shopping Saturday. The police contacted her later in the day to say Rennells car had been found not far from their home.

There would be no reason that he would be here at all, Wilkinson reportedly said. We live like a mile and a half from here so why wasnt he home if his car was here? It doesnt make sense.

Wilkinson said she planned to marry Rennells, the father of their 7-month-old daughter.

Rennells family say they are devastated by his death.

Its going to make every Christmasits never going to be the same for me, its never going to be the same, Rennells sister said. Its the hardest thing Ive ever been through in my life. Its like someone took the breath from my chest.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist with funeral expenses and to help raise the mans infant daughter.

I love him and I miss him. I wish he was here, and I wish I could say goodbye, Wilkinson told KATU 2.

Our hearts are so heavy, the GoFundMe statement reads.

Jimmy is a father to a 7-month-old Jessie Mae who has heart problems and Kashala is unable to work because of that. Jimmy provides all the financial means to his fiancee Kashala and daughter Jessie Mae. Please help them during a time were most are celebrating with their families alleviating their worry.
A file image of a kangaroo. There are nearly nine million kangaroos in the Western Plains area of the Australian state of New South Wales. Last year the kangaroo population there was more than 12 million. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images)

Mysterious Illness Blamed for the Deaths of Millions of Kangaroos

A mysterious disease is believed to have killed millions of kangaroos in eastern Australia over the past year.

Wildlife health researchers told The Australian newspaper that an unknown illness has drastically reduced kangaroo numbers in the Western Plains region of the state of New South Wales.

You would see a whole family sitting there but they were all dead, Greg Curran told the Australian, a veterinarian who is leading research into the concern.

Its a disease, its not a genetic problem. We havent been able to find a bacteria, we havent been able to find a virus, he said.

Parasites, they arent part of it. Given the huge area and different kinds of country and feed, its very unlikely to be a plant poisoning. Youve ruled out all the known causes of diseases.

Researchers say that affected animals suffer massive hemorrhaging, total or partial blindness and internal bleeding around the joints.

The disease is affecting both eastern grey and red kangaroo populations.

One senior researcher, Steve McLeod, described significant declines in kangaroo numbers between surveys carried out June-July in 2016 and 2017.

There has been substantial drops right across the Western Plains, he said, according to The Australian. Except for the Griffith zone in the southeast.

There are estimated to be just under nine million kangaroos currently in the Western Plains. Last year there were around 12.7 million.

The drop is so great it cant simply be due to culling rates, Curran said. The number of animals that have been harvested for the meat market is low. It cant possibly be starvation or malnutrition, he added.

According to government statistics in 2016 there were just over 6.3 million grey kangaroos estimated to be inhabiting the Western Plains. In 2017, that number dropped to just under four million, meaning a total decline of 2.5 million in a year. In the Narrabri region, in the states north-west, the population went from 1.4 million to just under half a million.

The number of Red Kangaroos was estimated to be around the same as greys last year in the Western Plains. Their numbers this year have dropped to 5.1 million, a decline of 1.2 million. Among the worst affected areas is the Lower Darling zone which had around 620,000 red kangaroos last year, dropping this year to just under 290,000.

Eastern greys overlap in their habitat with the reds which are larger in size and range further inland across to Australias west.

From NTD.TV
New Jersey Community to Fine Out-of-Town Drivers, in Bid to Decrease Traffic

A community in the state of New Jersey announced they would be fining out-of-town commuters driving through their streets.

The reasonto decrease the traffic and congestion the drivers bring.

Officials from the small town of Leonia said they will close 60 streets to out-of-town drivers. Police officers will be able to fine commuters $200 if they drive through those streets between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., according to NJ.com. The new rule will go into effect on Jan. 22.

For residents who live or work in Leonia, the city hall will provide them with a bright yellow tag to hang in their rearview mirror. Police officers will not fine drivers with a yellow tag.

Its an extreme initiative, Ill be the first to admit that, Thomas Rowe, the citys police chief told NJ.com. However the traffic that we deal with is completely extreme.

The towns traffic problems stem from navigation apps like Waze and Google maps that lead highway drivers through their streets as a shortcut.

The traffic is reportedly so bad that during rush hour, police categorize the traffic the way one would hurricanes. Leonia is located about a mile away from the George Washington Bridge, which leads directly into New York City.

Rowe said that about 15,000 cars travel through the town every day. The towns population is only about 9,200 and they employ 18 police officers in total.

The new move is legal, according to Leonia Mayor, Judah Zeigler, who told NJ.com that said the measure has been thoroughly researched and that they have no doubt the ordinances we passed are legal and would withstand any potential legal challenge.

Executive Director of the NJ League of Municipalities, Michael Darcy, also stressed the rule was legal, even though it was an extreme form of traffic calming.

I think theyre certainly within their rights to do this, Darcy told NJ.com. They arent just doing this to gate off the community, for example. Theyre talking about the safety of the residents, emergency vehicles having access. Its a problem there.

According to the New York Times, town residents of Leonia have difficulty pulling out of their own driveways.

One such resident, Melissa Soesmann, said she would even plead with drivers, so she could get out.

Its horrific, and its all the time, she told the newspaper. They will see that you are trying to get out, but they wont let you. People are cranky; its the morning. By the time they are up here, who knows how long they have been sitting in traffic.

Officials from the town said they are also working with Waze so their software will not direct drivers through Leonia.

Steve Carrellas, director of government and public affairs for the New Jersey chapter of the National Motorists Association has a different opinion.

This ordinance is illegal and it will be a matter of which force ends its reign of wishful thinking: the courts, political pressure or the expected inability to enforce it, which will be overwhelming, Carrellas told NJ.com.

Carrellas said the new rule is outrageous and that drivers have a right to public roads subject to reasonable regulations, like speed limits and turn signals.

From NTD.tv
2017 YZ4, an asteroid discovered on Christmas Day, will fly past the Earth Thursday, Dec. 28. (NASA / graphic design Tom Ozimek / Epoch Times)

Newly Found Asteroid the Size of a Bus to Buzz Earth Today

An asteroid about the size of a bus and first spotted on Christmas Day will buzz by Earth today at a speed of 21,000 mph, according to NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Named 2017 YZ4, the space object will barrel by the Earth at a distance of just 139,433 miles (224,000km) a near miss in terms of astrological measurements.

This is the first known asteroid to fly by Earth within one lunar distance, since two such asteroids flew past us 35 minutes apart on November 21, and the 52nd this year, a NASA spokesperson told the Express.

For reference, the distance between the Earth and the moon is 238,855 miles (384,400 km).

The space rock measures around 22.6 to 49 feet in diameter (seven to 15 meters) and will buzz Earth at around 4.56pm GMT (11.56 ET) on Thursday, Dec. 28.

YZ4 will be known by its unaffectionate designation until given a more lively name, like that given to Phaethon 3200, the much reported on mysterious space object that flew by our planet on Dec. 16.

Phaethon 3200, named after a mythical Greek god that nearly destroyed the Earth, is technically defined as an asteroid, in fact, the first ever to be discovered by satellite. But its also the parent object that produced a unique meteor shower called the Geminids, something asteroids are, in theory, incapable of producing.

Other theories say that its a dead comet or a rock comet.

So what it comes down to is that the Geminid parent object is a mystery, says NASAs Marshall Space Flight Centers fact sheet.

But, however NASA eventually defines the space object cyclically careening through space in our general direction, Phaethon is expected to come even closer in 2093to within 1.8 million miles.

Phaethon measures 5 km wide, about half the size of the asteroid or comet that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, writes Dr. Tony Phillips, production editor of NASA Science.

That is why NASA defines Phaethon as a Potentially Hazardous Object.

For NASA to classify a space rock as hazardous, it must not only have the potential to make close approaches to Earth, but cause serious damage in the event of impact.

The space agency closely monitors objects that could come perilously close to Earth through its Near Earth Object Program. New PHAs are being discovered every month and still there are tens of thousands of uncharted PHAs of significant size, according to the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) project. Best estimates are that there are 10,000 to 20,000 PHAs larger than 328 feet.

By astronomical terms, 2017 YZ4 is merely a Near-Earth Object and not a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid, according to this IAU list of PHAs.

As of December 24, there are 17,495 known Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) around our planet; 17,389 are asteroids, a NASA spokesperson told the Express.

This year, we discovered 1,985 new near Earth asteroids. There were 1888 such objects discovered in 2016 and 1,571 in 2015.

YZ4 was first spotted at the Mt. Lemmon Survey observatory, northeast of Tucson, Arizona, according to the International Astronomical Unions Minor Planet Center note on the new asteroid.

The approximate speed at which 2017 YZ4 will streak past the Earth and the moon Thursday is 21,000 miles per hour (33,800 kilometers per hour).

Watch this analysis of what would happen if even a tiny meteor were to hit Earth at a velocity approaching the speed of light:
Four County Board members have decided not to run for re-election in the April 3 election, leaving three of those seats currently without a registered candidate as the Jan. 2 registration deadline to be on the ballot quickly approaches.

District 10 supervisor Tom Reid, District 14 supervisor John Chrest, District 15 supervisor Joe Hunter and District 19 supervisor Danny Iverson have decided not to run for re-election, while the other 15 supervisors have registered to remain on the board.

District 19 is the only district with candidates registered to replace an outgoing supervisor. The candidates for that spot are Ed Chamberlain, who worked for the county for 30-plus years as a mechanic at the Highway Department, and Rebecca Franks, who is the current town clerk for Manchester.

Kyle Deno, Jackson County clerk, said that if no one registers for the other three spots, the county would be looking at a write-in situation for each district.

After Jan. 2 when the nomination paper situation is done, if you are considering running you should register as a write-in at the county clerks office, Deno said adding that a write-in without registering cannot defeat a registered candidate.

While it is concerning that there are no registered candidates for the three districts, County Board of Supervisors Chairman Ray Ransom said these things usually work themselves out.

Once people find out that no one is running, there will be a core of people that will get together and write in an individuals name, Ransom said noting that to his knowledge there has always been a write-in candidate.

If that doesnt happen, Ransom said the board will go to local governments and ask if they have any suggestions. The Board of Supervisors could then appoint the person nominated if they accept.

Losing experience on board

Even though 15 supervisors will remain on the board, the four individuals stepping down will be missed because of their vast experience.

We are losing four really good members in John Chrest, Tom Reid, Danny Iverson and Joe Hunter. They have been effective board members, Ransom said. That is a fairly big change when you look at a board of 19 members.

In 3-term supervisor Chrest, the county board will be losing someone who has vast experience in a county government environment.

John Chrest was a Health and Human Services Director over in a different county, so he brought so much knowledge of what goes on in counties because he knew it. He knows what is going on in the Health and Human Service world, so that was very helpful, Deno said.

Chrest was also the Zoning Committee Chairman, so his post will need to be replaced.

When you lose a chairman on any committee, then there will be a movement on that committee to elect a new chair, Ransom said.

Chrest said that if he didnt need more flexibility in his life to travel, he would be running for county board again next term. For his successor, he had some parting words of wisdom.

Take some time to get to know how things operate and why things operate the way they do before you try to make a lot of changes, Chrest said. Remember that the whole purpose of the county board is to provide services to the people and that is the reason that it exists.

Besides serving as the Zoning Committee Chairman, Chrest was also on the Forestry Committee and Health and Human Services Committee.

Joe Hunter, 3-term supervisor, will be sorely missed for his financial prowess.

His background was in financial things, and I think thats what his strong point was to bring to the board. He was also on Health and Human Services board and to be able to keep track and know where the money was going was important, Deno said adding that Hunter was a past Black River Falls mayor so he had a vast knowledge of government as well.

Hunter suggests that being on the county board is important for anyone that wants to make a difference.

I think anytime you can definitely improve things, you should definitely go for that in any community, Hunter said.

Hunter also warns that being in county government takes a lot of time.

They should go to a county board meeting, and they should understand that there are a lot of subcommittees and you better have a lot of time on your hands because it is going to take a lot of evenings, Hunter said adding that he expects he spends 20-30 hours a month in meetings.

Hunter served on the Bonds Committee, Aging and Nutrition Advisory Committee, Health and Human Services Board and Property Committee.

Iverson was on the board for three terms and brought knowledge from his personal experience as a logger.

Even though he could never be on forestry because he is a logger, I think he still brought some good insight with questions at the county board with different things happening with forestry, Deno said.

Iverson was also a past town chairman, so he was a logical person for the Highway Committee.

Highway I think was a very good fit because he was very knowledgeable about different trucks and roads because he was a town chairman, so you get that part about building roads, Deno said.

Besides the Highway Committee, Iverson served on the Property Committee, Large Assembly, Land Information Council and Board of Adjustment.

Reid served on the county board for one term, and in that time helped out during the courtroom addition while on the Property Committee.

He brought some knowledge in on furniture and things when we were building the new courtroom, Deno said.

Reid also served on the Airport Commission, Extension and Education Committee and Land Conservation and Agriculture Committee.

Tom Reid was a very educated and sharp individual on the issues that he worked on, Ransom said.

After the election

With the recent departures being full of significant experience, Ransom expects future elections to have similar effects moving forward.

Weve had a fairly strong board here for a number of years and it has a lot of experience on it too. As I see things happening here this next couple of years, probably we are going to have some more people that are running this year, but maybe wont be running the next time around, Ransom said.

After the election, an organizational meeting will take place to elect the chair and first and second vice chair for the County Board of Supervisors. Those three will then make the assignments to the committees.

There will be some significant changes, Ransom said with losing a committee chairman. We will do the best we can to put them back on similar committees because they have background experience.

All of the supervisors for the 15 other districts have submitted their registration paperwork and currently have no challengers.
NYC Doctor Found Dead at Home of Apparent Heroin Overdose

A top New York City doctor was found dead of a heroin overdose earlier this month, it was reported.

Ravindra Rajmane, 51, was found in the bedroom of his apartment near E. 27th Street Tuesday, Dec. 26, after he failed to show up for work, reported the New York Daily News.

Officials with the New York City Police Department found envelopes with heroin residue near his body. They were stamped with the name Knock Out King, police sources told the Daily News.

Glassine envelopes with the stamp KNOCK OUT KING were discovered at the scene, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce tweeted. If you have any info on this stamp call CrimeStoppers at #800577TIPS #OpioidCrisis.

Rajmane hadnt shown up for work since Friday. His co-worker visited his apartment Tuesday, police said.

Someone came in and said that they were checking up on (Rajmane), said a doorman to the Daily News. So I had someone go up and knock on the door.

JUST In from @NYPDDetectives _ Detectives are investigating an overdose death in #Manhattan which occurred earlier this week. Glassine envelopes with the stamp KNOCK OUT KING were discovered at the scene. If you have any info on this stamp call CrimeStoppers at #800577TIPS  New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) December 13, 2017

Then, the co-worker and a building maintenance worker opened up his door and discovered him in bed.

She was upset, the doorman said of the co-workers response to his death.

(Rajmane) was a nice guy, he said. Nobody expects that to happen.

The medical examiners office will now schedule an autopsy to determine his exact cause of death, according to the New York Post.

In 2016, there have been 1,374 unintentional drug overdose deaths in New York City, which is an increase of 437 from 2015, according to statistics from the New York City chief medical examiner. The 2016 statistics are the most recent ones that are available.

The final overdose data for 2016 confirm what we have feared  drug overdose deaths have reached a record high and are increasing citywide as the opioid epidemic continues to affect every community, said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett in a news release about the overdose statistics. We remain committed to addressing this crisis and will continue to work with the de Blasio administration to make sure that every New Yorker has access to life-saving treatments and services when needed. Opioid overdose deaths are preventable, and we will not rest until we put an end to this epidemic.

2017 Year in Review
A man who had allegedly committed suicide shot two responding officers in Roane County, West Virginia, and was apprehended after an overnight standoff. (Screenshot via Google Maps / Stock photo of police lights CC0)

Overnight Standoff After 2 Officers Shot by Man Who Had Reportedly Committed Suicide

Law enforcement agents responded to a domestic violence call on Wednesday that, according to a WOWK report, allegedly ended with a mans suicide.

But when officers arrived at the Red Oak Road address in Roane County, West Virginia, just after 6 p.m. on Dec. 27, they were met with gunfire from 52-year-old Stanley Gordon Hoskins Jr., who was assumed to have killed himself.

A trooper was shot in the leg, according to the report, and a Roane County Sheriffs Deputy was also hit by at least one bullet.

The officers arrived at the scene in response to a womans 911 call. She allegedly told emergency dispatch that a man inside the house had committed suicide.

After firing his weapon, Hoskins barricaded himself inside the house.

The officers meanwhile withdrew, took cover and radioed for reinforcements.

State troopers, SWAT personnel, and Kanawha County Sheriffs Office Deputies reportedly surrounded the house and engaged in an overnight standoff with the shooter.

A military helicopter reportedly provided air support for a period of time.

On the morning of Dec. 28, law enforcement agents took the suspect into custody.

Officials said a special response team searched the house and the surrounding area but didnt find the suspect for an extended period of time.

They believed he had fled the area, First Sgt. O.S. Starsick told WSAZ reporters. It just so happens one of the members had looked underneath the house, and its basically a barn structure up on cut stone foundations with debris and brush growing around it, and they just happened to see him lying underneath there unresponsive to verbal commands. They had to physically pull him out.

Captain Reggie Patterson with West Virginia State Police told reporters that neither of the wounded agents was in serious condition.

Hoskins is reportedly charged with two counts of attempted murder and malicious wounding, and one count each of domestic battery and domestic assault.

2017 Year in Review
Quadruple Murders in Upstate New York Have Similarities to 2014 Case

The details surrounding a quadruple-murder in Upstate New York are notably similar to another murder in 2014that took place only a few miles away.

Police have not identified a suspect in the murders over the Christmas weekend in Troy, New York. The victims were two women and one of the womens two children. Their names have not been released.

We are certainly appealing to people in the community that would have any knowledge as to what may have transpired there to contact us as soon as possible, Police Chief James Tedesco told reporters, reported the New York Post.

Police investigating deaths of 4 people discovered in a basement apartment by a property manager in Troy, New York. https://t.co/E3PCvQPhbB pic.twitter.com/apXHM0JL1S  ABC News (@ABC) December 27, 2017

The causes of deaths for the four people were not revealed, but reports say the murders were savage.

There are indications at the crime scene that this was not a random act, Tedesco said, according to the Albany Times-Union newspaper. After being in this business for almost 42 years, I cant describe the savagery of this. I dont have the word.

It was the number of people killed, the manner in which they were killed, Tedesco continued. And the children being involved.

Tedesco added that the victims were an 11-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl, and two adult women, ages 22 and 36, Fox43 reported.

Police described a quadruple homicide in Troy, New York as "savage"https://t.co/u0hipgKrpO pic.twitter.com/5iW8xV2G58  Intl. Business Times (@IBTimes) December 28, 2017

Troy Police Capt. Dan DeWolf told WTEN that he thinks the deaths are an isolated incident. He called on residents to stay vigilant, however.

Unfortunately, its horrible, terrible, sad  especially at this time of the year  that theres four deceased folks in there, he told the outlet. Were going to do everything we can to look into this and get to the bottom of what happened here.

Police, in reports, seemed to indicate that the suspects or suspects were known to the family.

In 2014, police discovered four bodies of two children and their parents in Guilderland, located a few miles from Troy. They were later identified as in Feng Chen, 39; wife, Hai Yan Li, 38; and sons, Anthony, 10; and Eddy, 7.

Theres nothing that were not looking at, New York state police Senior Investigator John Camp said at the time. Were trying to see: Is it human trafficking? Is it money laundering? Is it gang related? Were basically leaving no leaf unturned.

The Chinese family had been savagely killed in a similar manner as the family that was found dead over the weekend.

We all believe that the house and the people were targeted, Marcel Lajoy, who is an attorney who lived two homes down from where murders occurred, was quoted in 2015 by the NY Post as saying.

Officials were never able to figure out the motive in the 2014 case. The suspect was never discovered.

Melania Trumps First Year as First Lady
Report: Dr. Phil Show Accused of Providing Drugs, Alcohol to Guests

Show says allegations are 'absolutely, unequivocally untrue'

The Dr. Phil show is accused of providing drugs and alcohol to addict guests, according to a report from STAT and the Boston Globe.

Former Survivor winner Todd Herzog said when he got to Dr. Phils studio, he was given a bottle of Smirnoff and some Xanax pills to calm his nerves, the report said.

Herzog said that when he got up from his chair, he had to be physically removed because he was so intoxicated.

Other Dr. Phil guests conveyed similar stories to the publication.

One unidentified woman claimed that a staff member told her to buy heroin on the black market for her detoxing niece.

You know, I get that its a television show and that they want to show the pain that Im in, Herzog told STAT. However, what would have happened if I died there? You know, thats horrifying.

The combination of Xanax and alcohol can be fatal, say health experts.

The combined sedation from these two addictive substances can lead to life-threatening respiratory depression and coma, says Drugabuse.com.

The important thing here, this isnt a TV drama, Dr. Maureen Boyle, the chief scientific officer for the Addiction Policy Forum, told STAT. This is someones life.

Its a callous and inexcusable exploitation, Jeff Sugar, who is an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Southern California, told STAT and the Globe. These people are barely hanging on. Its like if one of them was drowning and approaching a lifeboat, and instead of throwing them an inflatable doughnut, you throw them an anchor, he said.

But Martin Greenberg, who is a psychologist and the director of professional affairs for Dr. Phil, denied the claims.

He said theyre absolutely, unequivocally untrue.

Addicts are notorious for lying, deflecting and trivializing. But, if they are at risk when they arrive, then they were at risk before they arrived, Greenberg said in a statement. The only change is they are one step closer to getting help, typically help they could not have even come close to affording.

Herzog was also medically supervised the entire time he was involved with tapings of Dr. Phil, people from the show told STAT. A nurse-practitioner flew with him to Los Angeles, and a nurse sat with him during the night. A medical professional who happened to be in LA at the time also assisted him, they said.

And Greenberg added: We mean 100% of guests agreeing to treatment. It does not mean that a guest is being monitored 100% of the time.

He said that substance abusers adopt very clever means to get alcohol or drugs, and we cannot control what we cannot control.

Herzog appeared on the Dr. Phil show four times in total.

Melania Trumps First Year as First Lady
Roy Moore Files Lawsuit to Block Alabama Senate Election Until Voter Fraud Investigation Is Conducted

Republican Roy Moore filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, Dec. 27, in an attempt to block the results of the U.S. Senate election in Alabama to be certified until a voter fraud investigation is conducted.

In the complaint filed on late on Wednesday, Moores lawyer wrote that there were irregularities in voter turnout and results, especially in Jefferson County.

This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone, Moore said in a Wednesday statement accompanying the complaint.

The lawsuit was filed 14 hours before the states canvassing board was expected to certify a winner. Based on unofficial results, Democrat Doug Jones beat Moore by 20,000 votes.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill planned to certify the election despite the lawsuit.

It is not going to delay certification and Doug Jones will be certified (Thursday) at 1 p.m. and he will be sworn in by Vice President Pence on the third of January, told AP.

Moores lawyers pointed out in the complaint that voter turn out was higher than expected in the race, especially in Jefferson County. Moores numbers were suspiciously low in 20 Jefferson County precincts, the lawsuit alleges.

Prior to election day, Merrill estimated the turnout at 25 percent. Instead, 40.4 percent of Alabamas eligible voters turned out to cast their ballots, based on the unofficial results.

Moore did not concede the race to Jones and continues to raise funds with supporters in order to investigate claims of voter fraud.

Moore and Jones ran for the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions, a Republican who became the U.S. attorney general.

President Donald Trump backed Moore in the race and held a rally to support him shortly before the election.

Trump congratulated Jones after the unofficial vote counts were tallied, but said in a tweet sent later that day that the deck was stacked against Moore.

The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said Roy Moore will not be able to win the General Election, Trump wrote on Dec. 12, referencing the candidate he backed in the primary. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!

Trump claimed that millions of people voted illegally during the 2016 presidential election. In May this year, he ordered that a commission be formed to investigate voter fraud.

Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity has met several times this year and has requested voter rolls from every state. At the commissions inaugural meeting, a database of more than 1,000 cases of proven voter fraud was presented. Of those instances, 949 lead to criminal convictions.

Secretary of State Merill launched an investigation into voter fraud in the Alabama Senate special election after seeing a viral video of a Democratic Doug Jones supporter saying that people from all over the country came to vote for Jones.

In the video, a Fox 10 journalist reporting live asked a jubilant Doug Jones supporter at an election night party why he is excited to see his candidate win.

Because, we came here all the way from different parts of the country as part of our fellowship, and all of us pitched in to vote and canvas together, and we got our boy elected! the man responds.

Only U.S. citizens living in Alabama and registered to vote could legally vote in the Alabama Senate election, raising concerns that people may have voted illegally in the contentious election.

In Alabama, 14 cases of voter fraud have been documented since 2000. Of those, 13 led to criminal convictions.

The chief election official in Jefferson County, Judge Alan King, is a member of the presidents election integrity commission.

King was among several of the commissions Democrat members who criticized the commissions work.

Suggested Video: 2017The Year in 195 Seconds

From NTD.tv
An image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un taken on Dec. 23, 2017. (AFP/Getty Images) Spy satellite images taken on Oct. 19 show North Korean ship connected to a Chinese vessel. (U.S. Treasury Department)

Satellites Detect Chinese Ships Trading Oil With North Korea Illegally

Chinese ships have been illegally transferring oil to North Korean vessels on the West Sea, according to imagery from U.S. reconnaissance satellites.

The action violates U.N. restrictions on oil sales aimed at clipping the nuclear ambitions of the rogue state.

U.S. reconnaissance satellites spotted the high-sea transfers around 30 times since October, reported South Korean newspaper Chosun IIlbo. The illegal trades occurred closer to China than South Korea, according to a South Korean government source cited in the report.

We need to focus on the fact that the illicit trade started after a U.N. Security Council resolution in September drastically capped North Koreas imports of refined petroleum products, said the source.

Following pressure from U.S. president Donald Trump, the U.N. decided on oil trading restrictions as part of an attempt to reign in the North Korean regimes nuclear missile program, following a series of missile tests accompanied by the ratcheting up of war-like rhetoric and threats. The sanctions also bar North Korea from importing natural gas.

Treasury sanctions trading, labor, and shipping companies and vessels

to further isolate North Korea and disrupt illicit funding of its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Targets include one individual, 13 entities, and 20 vessels: https://t.co/CT9hMx3d6p  Treasury Department (@USTreasury) November 21, 2017

Last month, the U.S. Treasury Department placed six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their ships on a sanctions list.

North Korea is known to employ deceptive shipping practices, including ship-to-ship transfers, a practice prohibited by United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2375 of Sept. 11, 2017, said a statement from the treasury.

The Chosun IIlbo report notes that oil embargos imposed on the North are pointless if such illegal smuggling with Chinese ships continues.

China is North Koreas number one trading partner and officially claims it is adhering to U.N. sanctions. In a recent report, China claimed its export data showed none of its oil products were exported to North Korea in November.

The U.N. Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday in response to its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test. Part of the U.S.-drafted resolution seeks to ban nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year.

The resolution also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year and commits the council to further reductions if it were to conduct another nuclear test or launch another ICBM.

RT @USUN: The Security Council unanimously passed a US resolution further condemning North Korea by restricting oil, critical imports, and all remaining major exports continuing to isolate Kim Jong Un and his rogue regime from the rest of the world. #15-0 pic.twitter.com/zcMFskKNWj  Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) December 22, 2017

On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department placed sanctions on two high-ranking North Korean officials involved in the regimes nuclear missile program.

Tensions have been rising this year over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs, which it pursues in defiance of years of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

North Korea claims its nuclear weapons are a self-defensive deterrence not in contradiction of international law.

Additional reporting by Tom Ozimek.

From NTD.TV
A London taxi travels past the Houses of Parliament. A taxi driver who helped people flee the London Bridge terror attack on June 3 has now been hit with a 270 bill (US $363) for jumping a red light as they fled the scene. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images)

Taxi Driver Helping People Flee London Terror Attack Whacked With Fine

A taxi driver who helped people escape from the London Bridge terror attack has now lost points off his license and will need to pay a fine for jumping a red light as he fled the scene.

Black cab driver Ryan Barney told the Metro that he was unimpressed at about having to pay a 270 (US $363) fine for ignoring the red light as he helped his passengers get away from the attack area on June 3.

I pleaded guilty and took the three points as I had just about jumped the light as they were changing, but explained my actions in the mitigation, Barney, 31, told the Metro.

I was just doing it to get as many people away as possible. No one knew what was going on and I just wanted to help people get away from the attackers, he said.

Taxi driver fined for running red light while saving people from London terror attack.https://t.co/TwKNkhw329#7News pic.twitter.com/aTUnAnNdFy  7News Yahoo7 (@Y7News) December 28, 2017

The attack began when Islamic terrorists drove a white van through pedestrians on London Bridge. Then, using knives, they attacked anyone that could get a hold of in the nearby Borough Market area, killing eight people and injuring 48. The three attackers, wearing fake suicide vests, were eventually shot and killed by police.

I saw that after the Manchester attacks cab drivers were turning off their meters and just doing all they could to help, so I thought that I would try and do my bit, said Barney.

The Manchester terrorist attack killed 23 people at a pop concert which occurred several weeks earlier.

The traffic light that he jumped was less than two kilometers from where the attacks occurred.

At the time there were lots of differing reports, initially they thought the Vauxhall stabbing was terrorism as well and that many incidents seemed to be happening all over London, said Barney.

They were saying the London Bridge incident was different to Borough Market, there was a lot of chaos and confusion, said the father of two.

Police were saying run, hide and tell. All the messages seemed to be getting crossed, he said.

The light that he jumped was at a crossroad, Barney said, adding it wasnt particularly dangerous. No one was about at that time and the lights were only just changing as I went through, he said.

I pleaded guilty, I wasnt trying to get away with it, but they didnt take the situation into account and just acted by the book.

They even charged me court costs. Ive got a speeding fine before and thats understandable, but this was a pretty unique situation.

From NTD.TV
U.S. President Donald Trump waves after speaking at the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Virginia, on Dec. 15, 2017. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

The Trump Doctrine

The president recognizes the United States is engaged in economic warand his policies reflect the will to fight back

The mainstream medias bias against President Donald Trump has caused it to miss the most dynamic change in American foreign policy in a century, implemented by the president this year.

The presidents earlier withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, later followed by his publication of the 2017 National Security Strategy, is part of a grand strategy by the Trump administration to secure and improve the place of the United States in a world of competing nations.

Its goal is to stop the decline of American power and prestige caused by previous administrations adherence to the crumbling dream world of Wilsonian progressivism and globalism. The strategy can be called the Trump Doctrine.

Economic War

Powers hostile to America have never subscribed to the dogma of globalism that all nations can work together through peaceful trading. Those powers are using economic competition to strengthen their nations economies and dominate their geographical regions.

There are currently three players in the 21st centurys great game of regional hegemony: the United States (which previously didnt even know the contest was taking place), the Peoples Republic of China, and the Russian Federation.

The economic collapse of the Soviet Union and its peaceful dissolution in 1989 caused short-sighted Western political analysts to declare the end of history. None of them noticed, however, that China, the worlds largest communist state, had not collapsed and had in fact learned a valuable lesson from the former Soviet Union, with which it shares the common heritage of Marxism and Leninism.

By withdrawing from the Paris accord, the United States is no longer bound by crippling industrial standards determined in part by the worlds biggest polluters themselves.

Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and his successors formulated and refined capitalism with Chinese characteristics (CWCC) as the economic mechanism to propel China into Asian hegemony.

Simultaneously the Russian Federation, the successor to the Soviet Union, adopted a ruthless frontier capitalism to reassert its hegemony over the former Soviet republics.

The United States did not see a challenge militarily and no problem economically, so it simply withdrew from competing with either nation. American and European industrialists gave over the management of their enterprises on a global level to financial engineers and eliminated any consideration of the consequences of their action from their planning.

The American and, to a lesser extent, European governments quietly watched the globalization of finance, the culmination of globalization and progressivism. Both Europe and the United States accepted China as an equal in the World Trade Organization.

But China took complete advantage of the withdrawal of the West from economic competition to advance the two-pronged goal of CWCC. One goal is to acquire and control a sufficient supply of the critical natural resources that enable Chinese economic growth and dominance. The other is to allow Chinese market capitalism to compete internally for economic growth and development to catch up with the United States.

Russia simply re-exerted control through economic as well as military means in its western and central Asian near abroad. In Europe, Russia has met resistance from a now independent Ukraine, but it continues, as it has for centuries, to be the hegemon that dominates Ukrainian politics.

A New Player

Under Trump, the United States has finally accepted the contest and is preparing to fight back. He has recognized resource imperialism as a major economic threat to American hegemony in the West, and he is acting in accordance with that recognition.

By withdrawing from the Paris accord, the United States is no longer bound by crippling industrial standards determined in part by the worlds biggest polluters. In particular, the structural metals of our civilization, iron and aluminum, cannot be produced from their ores or scrap without the continuous application of large amounts of electricity.

China continues to build both coal and nuclear power plants, claiming it has a right to catch up with the developed countries, even though it is now the worlds largest producer of not just structural metals but of 60 percent of all metals.

Americas withdrawal from the Paris accord strengthens our ability to maintain our critical fossil- and nuclear-fueled baseload generation and allows us to expose and ignore Chinese hypocrisy. Russia, in the meantime, continues to be the worlds premier miner and smelter of the alloying metals critical to modern structural and energy storage needs, without any regard whatsoever to the Paris accord.

Unless the United States rapidly reasserts itself and reestablishes a secure and sufficient supply of critical technology metals and materials, it will become dependent upon the Chinese technological industry for consumer goods and even military needs by the end of the next decade.

The National Security Strategy recognizes that to compete with China and Russia, we must look to our own needs for continuous energy production, first and foremost. An executive order issued on Dec. 20 calls to identify critical industrial raw materials and to reverse the problem of the countrys reliance on imports for almost all civilian and military inputs. It also shows that Trump understands the problem.

Trump looks to revive American security with self-sufficiency in the critical materials that maintain and grow our American domestic quality of life and our safety from foreign interference.

The American Silicon Valley model, designed by globalist capital, has failed. Designing products in Palo Alto but building them in Asia because of low labor costs is an illusion. It ignores the fact thatdebt problems asideunder CWCC, China has built a competitive economy based on the state-directed acquisition of the necessary and critical raw materials required to maintain a modern high-tech manufacturing economy. It is not low-cost labor that gives China its advantage; it is the holistic approach to maintaining a competitive edge fostered by CWCC.

Taking China to task for its innovation-mercantilist trade policy is another pillar of the Trump doctrine, under which he initiated an investigation of Chinese intellectual property theft under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

The United States military is the dominant one in the world today. Russia has the second-most powerful military, and Chinas is a not-so-distant third. But in economic nationalism and resource imperialism, China is now pushing the hardest.

Without accepting the contest for economic hegemony and the policy changes Trump is implementing, there would be little hope for America to continue to be the worlds most prosperous country. With the Trump Doctrine, there is at least a real contest.

Jack Lifton is a senior fellow at the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security and principal at TM Research. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
President-elect Donald Trump meets with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 10, 2016. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo)

Trump Approval Rating Same as Obama at End of First Year

President Donald Trumps approval rating is now exactly the same as that of former President Barack Obama at the end of his first year in office.

The poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports found that 46 percent of respondents approved of President Trumps performance while 53 percent did not.

These are exactly the same numbers that Obama received on Dec. 31, 2009, at the end of his first year in office. Forty-six percent at that time approved of Obamas performance, while 53 percent did not.

The big difference between Trump and Obama, however, is the nearly non-stop negative media coverage Trump has received.

The media bias against Trump was documented in research published by Pew Research Center in October.

An analysis of more than 3,000 stories during the first 100 days of his presidency across 24 different media organizations found that reporting on Trump has been the most negative compared to other presidents over the past 25 years.

The research shows that only 5 percent of media reporting during the period was positive. Sixty-two percent of stories were negative, and 33 percent were neither positive nor negative.

By comparison, coverage of President Barack Obama during the same time period was 42 percent positive and 20 percent negative. For President George W. Bush, the number was 22 percent positive and 28 percent negative. And for President Bill Clinton, it was 27 percent positive and 28 percent negative.

The evaluations of President Trump were far more negative and less positive than those of his predecessors, wrote the Pew Research Center.

Besides negative media reporting, Trump has also faced unproven accusations that he had conspired with the Russian government to win the election, which are likely to have affected his approval rating.

Despite a year of investigations into the accusations, no proof of collusion has been found as of yet.

What has been revealed, however, is that the dossier which first alleged the collusion was paid for by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

The company behind the dossier, Fusion GPS, had commissioned former British spy Christopher Steele and his UK-based company Orbis Business Intelligence to produce the report on Trump.

The 35-page report, marked as classified, relies almost exclusively on Kremlin-linked sources. These include a senior Kremlin official, a senior Russian official in the Russian Foreign Ministry, and a former top-level Russian intelligence officer still active in the Kremlin.

Law professor Ronald Rychlak, a leading expert on Russian disinformation operations, said the Trump dossier had all the hallmarks of a classic Russian disinformation campaign.

It does seem to fit with some of the crazy ideas that have come from the high levels within the Russian government, said Rychlak, in an earlier interview.

Court documents from the UK, where Steele and his company are currently being sued for libel by a Russian businessman mentioned in the report, show that the former spy gave briefings to journalists on the contents of the dossier.

Steeles defense attorney says in the court documents that Steele was instructed by Fusion GPS to brief reporters of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, CNN, and Yahoo News on the contents of the dossier. The briefings were done in person and verbally.

Court documents filed by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence showed that Fusion GPS had made payments to journalists who covered Russia related matters.
These images taken on Oct. 19, 2017, depict an attempt by Korea Kumbyol Trading Company's vessel RYE SONG GANG 1 to conduct a ship-to-ship transfer, possibly of oil, in an effort to evade sanctions. (U.S. Treasury Department)

Trump: China Caught Red Handed Shipping Oil to North Korea

President Donald Trump forcefully called out China after it was revealed that Chinese ships have been transferring oil to the North Korean regime.

Caught RED HANDED  very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea, Trump wrote on Twitter. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!

Caught RED HANDED  very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017

Earlier this week it was revealed that Chinese ships had been illegally transferring oil to North Korean vessels on the West Sea.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in this file photo released by North Korean state media.

U.S. reconnaissance satellites have spotted the high sea transfers around 30 times since October, reported South Korean newspaper Chosun IIlbo.

The illegal oil transfers are a violation of two U.N. security council resolutions against North Korea that China voted in favor of.

According to a source cited by the South Korean newspaper, the illegal transfer of oil started after the passing of the first sanctions in September.

The sanctions prohibited all sales of natural gas to North Korea, and limited the sale of refined petroleum products to 500,000 barrels over a period of 3 months.

The sanctions were expected to put a severe strain on North Koreas already strained economy.

Nikki Haley, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, votes with other members of the United Nations Security Council to impose new sanctions on North Korea in New York City on Dec. 22, 2017. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Trump at the time had wanted a complete ban on oil imports to North Korea, but received pushback from China and Russia.

The latest revelation of the illegal oil transports to North Korea is expected to put a strain on U.S.-China relations.

Since coming to office, Trump has developed a close relationship with Xi Jinping.

There is the possibility that the senior Chinese leadership has been unaware of the oil transfers, as a rival faction within the communist party headed by former party head Jiang Zemin has been actively working to undermine Xis leadership.

Under Jiangs rule, the Chinese regime cultivated a close relationship to the North Koreas communist regime and provided it with finances and technology, allowing it to develop its nuclear weapons program.

Two Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 stealth fighter jets fly to the Avalon Airshow in Victoria, Australia, March 3, 2017. (Australian Defence Force/Handout via REUTERS)

Trump has been trying to seek a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear missile crisis, instructing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to find a diplomatic solution.

At the same time, however, Trump and the senior military leadership have been making contingency plans for military action in case diplomatic efforts fail.

The United States has increased its military assets in the region, deploying F-35 fighter jets and advanced missile defense systems.

U.S. military planes and warships have conducted multiple war drills in recent months. At the peak of Americas naval presence in the region, it had three Aircraft Carriers and their strike groups deployed in the region.

The Navys forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Stethem steam alongside ships from the Republic of Korea Navy in the waters east of the Korean Peninsula on Oct. 18, 2017. (Kenneth Abbate/U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS)

But despite the potential for military action by the United States, the North Korean regime has continued to push ahead with its nuclear weapons program.

In September, it conducted an underground nuclear test, and in November it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into space.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said following the ICBM launch that the North Korean regime is now able to reach any place on earth with its missiles.

Melania Trumps First Year as First Lady
Update: 4-Year-Old Boy Dies After Treehouse Collapses on Him

The 4-year-old boy from Cleveland who was fighting for his life after a treehouse collapsed on him on Christmas Eve has died.

Courtney Contreras said in a heartfelt post on Facebook that her little boy, Kade Contreras, passed away at 4:18 p.m. on Dec. 27.

Our sweet baby boy went home to be with Jesus today at 4:18 pm. Im trying really hard to not question the whys because I will never know that. All that I know for sure is that we were blessed beyond measure to be Kade Dylans parents, Contreras wrote.

My days will never be the same without him and his little voice and big smile, she added.

Kade was playing in a relatives backyard when the freak accident happened.

The little boy suffered major head trauma and was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston where he was put on life-support, reported Chron.

Over the past week, the Cleveland community rallied together around the family, who is well-regarded in Cleveland for supporting youth activities.

Messages of support from the community and public continued to pour in under the #prayersforkade hashtag on Facebook.

The mother of four was extremely grateful to everyone who kept her son in their prayers.

I cant say thank you enough for everyone and how much you lifted my family up. Ill ask one more time to lift us up in peace and understanding. This is the most gut-wrenching feeling and its going to be hard for a long time, she said.

Chief of the Cleveland ISD Police Department, Rex Evans, who has known the family for years, said it was a tragedy that could not be encapsulated in words, reported KHOU.

Its so difficult to watch and to be a part ofto see beautiful people literally on their knees begging for anything. Its very tough, Evans told the news station.

As a parent, its the worst nightmare you could possibly imagine or as a grandparent. I mean, thats your baby, he added.

From NTD.tv

Recommended video: Melania Trumps First Year as First Lady
Update: Another Possible Human Organ Found Floating at Detroit Wastewater Plant

Another organ has been found at the wastewater plant in Detroit, making it the fourth discovery this month.

A source told WJBK that a heart was discovered on Saturday, Dec. 23.

A total of four kidneys and one heart have been found at the Great Lakes Water Authoritys (GLWA) Water Resource Recovery Facility (formerly known as Wastewater Treatment Plant).

The Wayne County Medical Examiners Office is currently testing whether the organs are human.

Its inconclusive whether or not the tissue is human, Lisa Croff, a spokesperson for the Wayne County Department of Health told Detroit Free Press. Its being sent out for testing.

Earlier this month, employees on multiple occasions discovered what appears to be human organs at the plants wastewater screening areathe area that filters out debris from the wastewater before it goes into the treatment process, according to a statement by the GLWA, reported the news station.

Yesterday staff members noticed an object in the Water Resource Recovery Facility's (formerly known as Wastewater Treatment Plant) wastewater screening area the area that filters out debris from the wastewater before it goes into the treatment process. @FOX2News pic.twitter.com/mKEkfXnTYX  Hilary Golston (@hilarygolston) December 17, 2017

The staff immediately notified Detroit Police Department (DPD) who are now investigating the origins of the organs.

I know in the past weeks weve had some other incidents. There is an investigation into it right now, Capt. Darin Szilagy of the Detroit Police Department told WJBK last week. The results are still not back from the medical examiner for the origin of the recovered organs in the past week, so its an ongoing investigation.

According to GLWA, the discovery of the organs does not affect the water treatment process since they were found in the pre-treatment stage of the filtration process.

According to the Great Lakes Water Authority website, the Water Resource Recovery Facility is the largest single-site wastewater treatment facility in the United States. The plant treats wastewater generated by up to 4 million people in Detroit and nearby communities.

The facility currently serves the needs of 35 percent of Michigans population. The plant was named as one of the top 10 engineering projects of the 20th century in 1999 by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to the report.

2017 Year in Review

From NTD.tv
Virginia Man Holed Up in Home After Shooting at Police Found Dead

A man who fired a few rounds at police officers in the small town of Chester, Virginia on Wednesday, Dec. 27, and then barricaded himself in his home was found dead by police officers later that day.



Police received a call at 10:34 a.m. about a man firing a gun who had barricaded himself in his home on the 300 block of Sunset Boulevard, behind the Food Lion supermarket, police Lt. Peter Cimbal told The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

When officers arrived they saw a woman standing in the driveway and man at the door of the house.

The as-yet-unnamed gunman fired several shots at the police with a rifle then withdrew into the home.

Police officers fired back and took cover.

A SWAT team responded, setting up a command center in the Food Lion parking lot. Virginia State Police had a plane fly over to scout the location.



After more than two hours of unsuccessful attempts to contact the shooter, police sent a robot with a camera to look into the home, ABC WRIC Channel 8 reported.

Shortly before 1 p.m., the camera showed a person lying motionless on the floor inside the home. Officers entered the dwelling and found the man dead, according to Police Chief Daniel Kelly.

It is not yet certain if the man took his own life or was shot by a police officer, Kelly told the Times-Dispatch.

Sunset Blvd still blocked off as @CCPDVa investigate a man who barricaded himself and shot several rounds at police. @8NEWS pic.twitter.com/XvlqZh1Dt1  Gretchen Ross (@G_Ross8News) December 27, 2017





Jim Winegar lives on the 300 block of Bermuda Hundred Road, about 500 feet from the scene of the incident. He told the Times-Dispatch that his daughter-in-law called around 11 a.m. and told him that the area was swarming with police.

She said, Yall be safe,' he recalled.

I came out in the yard, Winegar continued. The cops were here.  They came up to my fence and said, Get back in your house. We got a situation over here. So I went in my house.

Police are still investigating. They urge anyone with information to call Chesterfield County Police Department at (804) 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660 or through the P3 app.

From NTD.tv
Banco Santander-Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking products and services in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Middle-Market, Corporate Investment Banking, and Corporate Activities 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, as well as mortgage financing services. It also provides mutual funds, insurance and securities brokerage, foreign exchange, financial leasing, factoring, financial consulting and advisory, investment management, foreign trade, 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, 2021, the company operated 326 branches, which include 220 under the Santander brand name, 14 under the Select brand name, 7 specialized branches for the middle market, and 22 as auxiliary and payment centers, as well as 1,338 ATMs, including depository ATMs. Banco Santander-Chile was incorporated in 1977 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
Rogers Communications Inc. operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The company offers mobile Internet access, wireless voice and enhanced voice, device and accessory financing, wireless home phone, device protection, e-mail, global voice and data roaming, bridging landline, machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, and advanced wireless solutions for businesses, as well as device delivery services; and postpaid and prepaid services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands to approximately 11.3 million subscribers. It also provides Internet and WiFi services; smart home monitoring services, such as monitoring, security, automation, energy efficiency, and smart control through a smartphone app. In addition, the company offers local and network TV; on-demand television; cloud-based digital video recorders; voice-activated remote controls, and integrated apps; personal video recorders; linear and time-shifted programming; digital specialty channels; 4K television programming; and televised content on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, as well as operates Ignite TV and Ignite TV app. Further, it provides residential and small business local telephony services; calling features, such as voicemail, call waiting, and long distance; voice, data networking, Internet protocol, and Ethernet services; private networking, Internet, IP voice, and cloud solutions; optical wave and multi-protocol label switching services; IT and network technologies; and cable access network services. The company also owns Toronto Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre event venue; and operates Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, Citytv, OMNI, FX (Canada), FXX (Canada), and OLN television networks, as well as 55 AM and FM radio stations. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Once haunted by suicidal thoughts and a family fractured by drug-addiction and neglect, 18-year-old Haley Martella says she has found a purpose providing her 19-month-old daughter Aiyana the life she never had.

This spring, Martella will graduate from Hope Academy and Holmen High School and pursue a vocational degree in welding at Western Technical College.

Her persistence in overcoming overwhelming adversity has earned her this years La Crosse Tribune Extra Effort Award for Holmen High School.

The difference from when I first met her and today is completely different, said Martellas social worker, Dianna Range.

A native of Bakersfield, Calif., Martella was born into a family ravaged by methamphetamine.

Martella doesnt remember much of that time. As a 1-year-old, she was placed with a foster family for the first time after her parents were sent to prison on drug charges.

Her earliest memory is of being locked out of her house while her mother lay unconscious on the couch.

I remember banging on the door, banging on the windows for her to let me in, Martella said. I spent a lot of time with neighbors because they were sober to take care of me and my mom wasnt.

Martella was 5 when her mothers drug addiction caught up with her and she died from an overdose.

I never really knew my mom, she said. She never stayed clean, so she never got custody back like my dad.

After her mothers death, she and her father moved across the country to Pennsylvania, where at 12, Martella said, she made the first of six attempts to end her life.

It had started when feelings fueled by the loss of her mother and her growing hatred toward her father, Martella began to cut herself. She said the physical pain offered her escape from the grief.

At first I was just scratching, but then I was actually stealing blades, she said. It was a different type of pain.

These feelings intensified as she got older.

Not long after, Martella was institutionalized for the first time.

After being institutionalized, my parents couldnt deal with me anymore, she said. So they put me in foster care after me and my dad got into a physical fight.

A year later, her family moved from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, where she was joined by her half-sister, who had a history of drug addiction.

The move to Wisconsin and the newfound burden of caring for an older sibling didnt help Martellas fragile mental state.

My family pretty much said I know the rules and I have to take care of her, she said. I was going insane because Im 13 and having to take care of my sister whos like 18.

A few weeks before the start of the school year, Martella said, she attempted to kill herself again  this time leaping from her second-story window, cracking her hip. Once again, the young teen was placed in a mental institution, where she would spend her eighth-grade year.

Upon her release, she was placed with a new foster family, but things only got worse.

The summer after her freshman year, Martella, then 15, decided to run away from home and live life on her terms.

I ran away because I wanted to not die, she said. I felt running away and getting away from everything would just help.

Martella found herself on the North Side of La Crosse, where, walking in a neighborhood in the early morning hours, she was approached by two men.

I was scared; I didnt know what to do, she said.

During the next three days, Martella said, a man assaulted her and forced her to carry and deal his drugs.

I didnt say no, but I didnt say yes, she said, describing how scared and trapped she felt. I did it to stay alive.

He lied to me, told me he was 27, said to play like I was 20, she said. I did my first drug deal that weekend.

After three days with this man and fearing for her life, Martella called for help.

He was about to take me to Chicago, she said. The cops say he was grooming me to sell me.

In early March, Martellas attacker was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 8 years on extended probation.

She returned to her foster parents and soon after discovered she was pregnant.

Abortion never crossed my mind, she said, adding she never considered giving her child up either. I was determined to help that kid no matter what.

A pregnant teen proved too much for her foster family; two weeks before she gave birth, they gave her up.

I dont think they approved, she said. They didnt quite like me.

Martella was placed with Carrie and Michael Goyette.

Soon after she entered their home, they began to bond.

The Goyettes guided Martella through childbirth and helped her to raise her daughter like she was one of their own.

They are my family, she said. They are the mother and father I never had.

Martella didnt expect this to last. A lifetime of disappointment had taught her not to get attached.

She said the first time she felt like part of the family was when her foster parents daughter Trisha called her a sister.

My heart broke a little because I didnt know what its like to have siblings, she said. I have a lot (of siblings), but I dont know them.

In the middle of her sophomore year, with a newborn baby, Martella returned to school.

Shed been accepted into Hope Academy, a school for teen parents aimed at helping them complete their high school educations while learning to raise and support their children.

Here, Range taught Martella how to build good relationships and to leverage community resources and other life skills.

While she completed her academics at Hope Academy, she took a hot metals class at Holmen High School, where she discovered a passion for welding.

When the girls leave, we make sure they have a firm grasp on whats available in the community to support them as young women, she said.

For Martella, Hope Academy was a godsend.

Hope Academy has done a lot for me, she said. Its amazing; I get to bring my kid to school with me.

Range said Martella was working through a lot of pain when she first entered the academy.

She was really struggling when we first got her. Range said. She had a lot of battles to fight.

Range said Martella has thrived, making tremendous progress as both a student and as a mother.

She had a lot of hurts and a lot of pain, and I think weve seen a lot of healing, Range said. I see her as a really strong independent woman. I have lots of hope for her future.

With her high school education coming to a close, Martella looks forward to launching headlong into WTCs welding program.

In the meantime, shes focused on working two jobs, at Subway and JCPenny, to support her daughter and make Aiyanas first big Christmas memorable.
Lower corporate taxes could yield utility bill savings

Among other changes, the new federal tax code set to take effect next week could result in lower utility bills for some ratepayers.

The bill reduces the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent in 2018, which will result in millions of dollars in cost savings for investor-owned utilities such as Xcel Energy, which serves about 257,000 customers in western Wisconsin.

Because the electric and gas rates set by state regulators are based on estimated expenses, those savings should be passed on to consumers, said Tom Content, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, which represents residential and small commercial ratepayers.

This is customer money, he said. Taxes should flow right back.

Content said Wisconsins investor-owned utilities could see savings of tens of millions of dollars.

Xcel spokeswoman Christine Ouellette said the company has not yet estimated its savings or how that will affect customer bills.

Earlier this month the Public Service Commission approved a 2018 rate request that will result in an increase of about $2 a month for the average Xcel residential electric bill and about $4.75 more for natural gas.

PSC staff will be talking with utilities next week and directing them to calculate the change in their expected tax bills and to defer the savings until the commission directs how the savings are applied in the ratepayers best interest, said PSC spokesman Matthew Spencer.

Because of its nonprofit status, La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative will not benefit from the tax law changes, said company spokeswoman Deb Mirasola.
How to watch and what to know about Northern Iowa at South Dakota
Maybe Katrina Layton was just caught up in the generous spirit of the Christmas season. Or, perhaps the Kwik Trip associate merely took pity on me.

Actually, I suspect that Layton went above and beyond to serve this frantic customer because thats just her nature  regardless of where she works.

First, the backstory:

We were having guests for a pre-Christmas dinner last week, and Kate called me to ask whether I could bring home a couple of rubber bands. I assured her I could  and I would  based on the fact that I usually find rubber bands in my desk when Im looking for something else.

Alas and alack! Those rubber bands that usually clutter my desk and drawers had disappeared, so I disappeared, too  upstairs to the Tribs supply cabinet. I was sure I had seen wads of rubber bands there.

Lest you think Im a rabid thief of company property: I dont raid the supply chest regularly. I dont even swipe an extra pen when Im stockpiling stick-it scratch pads.

OK, truth be told: I eschew the companys pens because theyre chintzy. Gundersen Health Systems pens are much more to my liking  especially those I purloin at Childrens Miracle Network events.

I like the bright CMN yellow with the rubberized black strips for gripping, the pens fit my little hand perfectly and the ink supply is more generous than that even in expensive ballpoints. (Less appealing are the light blue Respecting Choices writing instruments, because theyre boring and run out of ink, but maybe thats because its a breakaway organization.)

This is not to slight the Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare pens that have ended up in my pocket protector. They are too fat for my slender fingers.

Pens at the Aging and Disability Resource Center of La Crosse Counter are cool, with the little thingy inside that rotates to reveal services when you click. But the print is too small, IMHO, although the ADRC also has free magnifiers.

But I digress  back to the rubber bands. Wouldnt you know it  even if I had been hell-bent on stealing, there werent any rubber bands in the cabinet, so I was going to have to buy some on the way home.

I drove right past a Walgreens because the parking lot was full of last-minute Christmas shoppers. I figured a Kwik Trip would be a quick zip to fetch a bag of rubber bands.

After all, Kwik Trip long ago shunned the cokes-and-smokes reputation of old-time convenience stores. It now stocks not only all sorts of foods  prepared and unprepared, healthy and unhealthy, etc. ranging from A to W, apples to Welchs Fruit Packs  but also pens and sundry household items, including sewing kits.

Everything except rubber bands, I discovered at Kwik Trip No. 383 at 408 Sand Lake Road in Onalaska, which is one of the larger ones in the chain. I checked up and down every aisle three or four times, because I hate to ask store workers where something is  only to be told that its right next to my elbow.

Just to be sure, after my restroom stop, which I am wont to do at all Kwik Trips  regardless of their numbers, and at Kwik Stars when Im in Iowa  I checked again, to no avail.

OMG, Id stumbled into a rubber band desert.

On a long shot, and because I could hear Kates admonition to use your words, Mike, ringing in my ears when I got home if I didnt ask, I walked over to a friendly-looking employee who said shed check.

As we walked toward an area I had checked twice  making me nervous that shed find the bands and prove me blind  I explained my quest to fulfill my wifes dream. I told her I was trying for a quick stop instead of having to go to a Long Trip store.

After confirming that the store doesnt stock rubber bands, she took it upon herself to find some. Almost as if she were on a mission from God, a la the Blues Brothers, she went behind the counter and started rifling through drawers.

I told her not to bother, that surely she had more important things to do. She pooh-poohed me and, before long, she was able to hand me several rubber bands of varying sizes and lengths.

I thanked her and she said, See ya next time, as they are wont to do at Kwik Trip.

Over the weekend, I regretted that I hadnt gotten her name, partly as a courtesy and partly to give her a public atta-boy, uh, atta-girl.

So I ventured over on Christmas Day, hoping at least to get her name like I should have in the first place. I approached a friendly-looking woman and asked whether she had heard about the guy who came in looking for rubber bands. She looked slightly familiar, and there seemed to be a flash of recognition in her eyes, too.

Sure nuf, it was her, Katrina Layton, and the only reason I didnt recognize her was she had different coif than she had at our first meeting. I told her my plan to give her a shout-out, which seemed to result in a combo of embarrassment, flattery and pride.

I asked Layton why she had gone the extra mile to help me when she just as easily could have kicked my can down the road.

Because I know how it feels to be looking for something, and I knew it was something I could find, Layton said.

I thought it would make you smile, and it helped you and helped your wife, she said with a smile of her own.

Layton, who told me she recently moved from St. Cloud, Minn., to Holmen and has worked for Kwik Trip for about 1 years, said she enjoys helping people.

It was about this time last year that I singled out Nicki Veenendall and an employee for praise for exemplary service in helping me at one of the area Verizon stores Veenendall owns. It didnt occur to me at the time that this could become an annual thing.

But I will make it so: Katrina Layton, take a bow as the winner of the second annual Tie Customer Saviour Award. No money, no trophy, no plaque  just the fancy spelling for savior.

And thankyouverymuch for your service.
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NEW YORKGrowing up on Vancouver Islands remote Pacific coast, Charles McDiarmid prayed each winter for storms. Great big storms that lashed at the windows and sent roiling waves exploding toward the heavens, which a young McDiarmid would watch starry-eyed from the warm confines of his familys battened-down cabin in Tofino, B.C., an isolated maritime trading town until the 1950s. Because of the geography of this rocky stretch of the world and the openness of the sea around it  theres little between Tofino and Japan but open ocean  storms can roll in with the ferocity of a Category 1 hurricane. In such moments, nine-metre logs, normally parked on the beach, easily rise on the crests of 7.5-metre waves before slamming into the beach and surrounding bedrock.

Those logs become giant tuning forks, and you hear a very low bass sound, which travels through the shrieking sound of wind and waves, McDiarmid said. Theres nothing like being in a giant storm.

McDiarmid opened the Wickaninnish Inn in 1996 with this churning spectacle in mind. Although storm watching was long a pastime of British Columbia locals, the hoteliers move unintentionally gave birth to a storm-watching region that today stretches from Tofino to Port Renfrew 130 kilometres to the south. This winter, local businesses are anticipating the busiest winter season yet.

If youre thinking of storm watching a la the movie Twister  reckless adrenalin junkies chasing down a cyclone and getting tossed around in the process  dial it back a notch or 10. At the Wickaninnish, the main idea is watch a storm from the safe and dry confines of the inn. Rooms point toward the sea and are outfitted with hurricane-proof glass. Each features a gas fireplace and most a soaking tub pressed against the Pacific-facing window. Guests find a complimentary flagon of port wine waiting in their rooms on check-in.

Those who do wish to venture outside will find storm gear in their closets. One call to the front desk, and sized-to-fit rubber boots will materialize; the main dining room has an electric boot and coat dryer like those in ski lodges. McDiarmid encourages it.

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Normally in the city, a stormy day might mean a slushy street, youre going to have a bad hair day, your papers get wet, he said. But in Tofino, in the shadow of the lush Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, getting wet is a way of life. The region receives up to 3.7 metres of rain a year. Here, you put on the rain gear, you get out. You get what I call a complimentary West Coast facial,  he laughs, referring to what happens when the rain drives sideways into your face.

When the Wickaninnish first opened, McDiarmid said it enjoyed 30 per cent to 35 per cent occupancy during storm-watching season, which runs roughly from November to March. This year, he anticipates 60 per cent to 65 per cent occupancy. It has increased dramatically, he said. Its not quite as busy as the spring, but its getting close.

That success seems to have had an effect on other accommodations in Tofino. Among the towns larger hotels, occupancy during prime storm watching season has increased steadily over the past five years, said Samantha Fyleris, the marketing manager for Tourism Tofino.

Nearby Ucluelet, B.C., another old trading port, is also seeing a tourism bump. Kevin Bradshaw, the operator of Hello Nature Adventure Tours, said this was the second year his company would offer a two-hour Winter Storm Watch tour; he guides parka-clad trekkers to safe but spectacular outdoor spots to view natures fury. They include a rocky outcropping known as the Blowhole, which propels storm-driven water spectacularly skyward like a geyser.

To produce the big swell, you need over (16 kilometres) of open seas, and then you need the wind to blow for many, many days for it to build, Bradshaw said. From the beginning of November to March, we get 15 superstorms that roll through  they reach 10-metre swells and hurricane and above-hurricane-force winds. And then there are a lot of smaller storms that roll through all the time.

Bradshaw said that few tourists storm-watched in Ucluelet five year ago, but the bigger resorts like Black Rock every weekend are sold out now. Also in Ucluelet, the First Nations owned-and-operated Wya Point Resort made a commitment for its cabins to stay open year-round two years ago; this month, the resorts on-site yurts were outfitted with gas fireplaces to accommodate off-season visitors. Tourism Ucluelet declined to cite specific figures, but said the towns revenue from a hotel tax has grown 10 per cent or more year over year since 2014.

Farther south, in the small town of Port Renfrew, B.C., Wild Renfrew has offered seaside cottages and a lodge since 2015. Inspired by the success of Tofino and Ucluelet, it first began promoting itself as a storm-watching destination last season.

Many people still think its a logging road out here, said Wild Renfrew guest services representative Sheenah Duclos. But thats changing. Last season, we received a lot of response from our social media videos featuring the storms, she said.

With at least three distinct areas promoting storm watching, local tourism boards anticipate more will follow.

Tourism Ucluelet has really focused our efforts to grow the shoulder and off-season; it is gradually coming to fruition, said Denise Stys-Norman, the executive director of Tourism Ucluelet. Broadening the appeal of storm watching has been a goal for the region.

Storm watching stimulates all of your senses, she said. You can feel the power and energy move through the ground; you hear the roar and impact of the waves; and you feel the gentle mist on your face. It really is a unique experience to be had along the Wild Pacific Trail.

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OTTAWATwenty-two years ago, the Canadian government made a commitment  every piece of legislation, and all new policies and programs, would be treated to what is called a gender-based analysis.

This bureaucratic procedure, while arcane, was meant to do something momentous: bring the experience of women to the nerve-centre of political decision-making. A government that does gender-based analyses is a government with gender equality on the brain.

But thats not what happened  at least not immediately.

Consider the current Liberal governments national housing strategy, which was unwrapped in Toronto in November. In a different world, Colette Prevost of the YWCA wouldnt have worried that the politicians crafting the policy could be blind to the gender dynamics it grapples with. She wouldnt have felt compelled to organize a lobbying blitz in the weeks before the policy was unveiled, to make sure it dealt with the particulars of homelessness for women and girls, whom she said often flee violence and are uncounted by shelter systems across the country.

And though she was ultimately happy with what the Liberals came up with  including a pledge to put 25 per cent of the billions of dollars in new spending to initiatives for women and girls  her experience in recent years underscored her skepticism towards the gender-based commitments of government.

As she put it, We have to do better than what has been done in the last several years.

What she meant, of course, is what has not been done. In 2016, Auditor General Michael Ferguson released a report that found the governments gender-based analyses  GBAs for short  were not always complete, nor of consistent quality. Speaking at a committee about the report a few weeks later, Meena Ballantyne, head of Status of Women Canada, said the work of tracking and ensuring GBAs are done better is just beginning.

In other words, despite two-decades of supposed adherence to the completion of GBAs, the current administration under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still trying to breathe new life into this longstanding promise.

Its been this 20-year, episodic effort, said Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice, an organization devoted to bringing more women into politics. Its not going to happen overnight.

One can wonder what would be different today, had this pledge been taken more seriously since 1995. Tracy Porteous, executive director of the Ending Violence Association of British Columbia, pointed to recent harassment scandals among the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and within the Canadian military.

She suggested such controversies could be avoided with better government direction on gender equality  something that would ostensibly be achieved with good GBAs.

Even initiatives with no obvious gender dimension can yield eye-opening results from a GBA, such as resource projects, Porteous said. For instance, a new industrial site, like a fresh mine or a refurbished shipping terminal, can bring large numbers of male workers into small communities, which can increase the likelihood of violence against women, she said. If such projects get a GBA, then government can plan for this and increase funding to local shelters and support programs when such resource projects are approved, she said.

The only thing that can happen in relation to doing a deeper gender-based analysis is good outcomes, she said. Women and children and whole families will only be safer.

The Trudeau Liberals say theyre beefing up GBAs and have placed gender equality at the centre of the governments thinking. Since the auditor generals 2016 report on GBA inconsistencies, the government has made GBAs mandatory for all memoranda to cabinet  policy proposals that need cabinet approval  and submissions for spending to the Treasury Board.

There is also a new survey for deputy ministers on the implementation of GBAs, which have been expanded to include the consideration of policy impacts on people with various gender, racial and sexual identities.

Status of Women Canada, meanwhile, is updating training tools and materials relating to GBAs, and providing advice on proposals such as the housing strategy defence policy review and innovation agenda, said agency spokesperson Leonie Roux.

The finance department also brought GBAs to the fore last spring when it published a gender statement in the 2017 budget. Officials from Finance Minister Bill Morneaus office said this month that the department is working to make gender issues a major plank of the 2018 spending plan. In an emailed statement, Morneau said the department has increased funding for its own GBAs and raised the idea of budgets including gender statements with provincial finance ministers in December.

As Finance Department spokesperson Jocelyn Sweet explained, each federal budget proposal is now expected to go through a GBA, which are reviewed by department officials and then passed along to the minister.

There are exemptions to this requirement, though, including if the initiative is deemed to be urgent or a matter of macroeconomic policy  meaning if it applies in a general sense.

But Sweet couldnt say how often policies are exempted from GBAs because the finance department doesnt track how often the exemptions are used. So while GBAs are being emphasized as important by the Trudeau government, the extent of their implementation remains unclear.

Morneaus spokesperson Chloe Luciani-Girouard added later that staff are tracking the use of exemptions and want to make sure theyre no longer used at all in the 2018 budget.

On top of that, its difficult to say whether theyre having an impact on policy. A senior official from the finance department who spoke to the Star on background could not provide a single example of how a GBA had changed a spending plan or federal policy.

For Michele Austin, who was chief of staff to the Status of Women Minister in Stephen Harpers Conservative government, this underlines how GBAs are little more than window dressing. Austin, who is now a senior advisor at Summa Strategies in Ottawa, said she has absolutely no clue what impact GBAs have on government policy.

I fully applaud the Liberal government for raising the profile of gender  full top marks, she said. At the same time, I would note that it costs nothing to do that and often changes very little.

Indeed, since the inaugural and unprecedented act of including an equal number of men and women in the federal cabinet, the current Liberal government has placed gender in the top rung of its priorities.

Judy Sgro, a long-time Liberal MP from Toronto who served in Paul Martins cabinet, said that GBAs are an important part of the governments overall stance on gender equality. She pointed to the Canada Child Benefit, one of the governments most frequently championed policies, as an initiative that was designed to have a big impact on women.

According to the 2017 budgets gender statement, roughly 90 per cent of people who receive the maximum child benefit of $9,000-per-year are single mothers.

Sgro blamed the Harper Conservatives for delaying deeper GBA implementation during their decade in power, having been chair of the Status of Women committee in 2006 when she recommended that the analyses become mandatory for all government departments.

The leadership (that is now) coming out of the prime ministers office is that these issue matter, and he wants to see these things put into action, Sgro said.

Its a long time coming.

The YWCA, at least, is applauding Ottawas gender focus. On the housing strategy, Prevost said the government struck the right balance, with a significant orientation toward how to improve the housing situation for women and girls.

I have to say I was almost surprised, she laughed, adding that she will be anxiously monitoring how the spending is actually rolled out.

Were hopefully optimistic, she said. I think this is a very good first step.

This story was updated Dec. 29.

Correction: Jan. 3, 2018: This article was updated from a previous version to make clear that that Tracy Porteous, executive director of the Ending Violence Association of British Columbia, pointed to recent harassment scandals among the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and within the Canadian military. She did not refer to the Canadian Security Intelligence Agency.

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NANAIMO, B.C.A Vancouver Island city has dropped a lawsuit against its mayor, who councillors have accused of leaking confidential information to an employee.

The City of Nanaimo said in a statement released Wednesday that council voted to discontinue legal proceedings against Bill McKay, in part because of concerns over delays.

The city filed the lawsuit a year ago and said it would have needed to act within 12 months. The lawsuit alleged the mayor obstructed city staff and did not act in the best interests of the municipality.

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McKay, who is serving his first term as mayor, has denied any wrongdoing and expressed his disappointment Thursday that he wont have the chance to defend himself in court.

He said he hopes council can get back to running the city.

We have spent far too much time dealing with the drama that we should have been spending on doing the book of business for the city, McKay said in an interview.

There are only so many hours in the day. When youre spending all of your time involved in either trying to defend yourself or to destroy your colleagues, thats wearing.

The city said it intends to hold a separate hearing early in the new year on whether to censure McKay.

City documents describe censure as a way to discipline council members for inappropriate behaviour or breeches of conduct. Repercussions can involve removing a member from committees and limiting their access to staff and municipal resources.

McKay said he is concerned the process wont be fair because other councillors are biased against him.

I would much rather have been able to address the issues in front of a judge, someone who was going to be impartial, he said.

Coun. Gordon Fuller said the decision to discontinue the lawsuit boiled down to costs.

I think weve spent way too much on lawyers, Fuller said in an interview, adding that the stress has affected council and the public.

Hopefully we can deal with this early on in the year and just move on with it, clean slate for everybody. Despite whats happened in the past, I think we are starting to get along better.

A separate investigation by a special prosecutor into allegations involving the city council ended in October without charges being laid. British Columbias Prosecution Service said the matter related to an unnamed councillor who was arrested and released on conditions, but the issue was resolved without the need for court proceedings.

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HALIFAXThe Nova Scotia government says it will call an inquiry into the deaths of a former soldier and his family, nearly 12 months after the horrific bloodshed stunned a rural community and sent shock waves across the country.

Dr. Matthew Bowes, the provinces chief medical examiner, recommended the fatality inquiry on Thursday, calling the deaths in Upper Big Tracadie, N.S., an unimaginable tragedy.

On Jan. 3, 2017, retired corporal Lionel Desmond shot his wife Shanna, 31, their 10-year-daughter Aaliyah and his 52-year-old mother Brenda, before turning the gun on himself. Desmond had been diagnosed with PTSD and post-concussion disorder after completing two difficult tours in Afghanistan in 2007.

In a letter to Justice Minister Mark Furey, Bowes said the inquiry is necessary to compel evidence and make recommendations for change.

There are a number of provincial issues that can only be thoroughly canvassed through the mechanism of an inquiry, he said.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department said the minister has committed to holding the inquiry, with the terms of reference and the judge set to be announced in the new year.

Two of Desmonds sisters, twins Chantel and Cassandra, have led a high-profile campaign calling for an inquiry, saying their brother did not get the help he needed.

Its about time, Chantel Desmond said in an interview Thursday. They must have thought we werent going to fight.

Were fighters and were not going to give up, she said. I think they really felt it would get nowhere and get swept under the rug but this is just the beginning.

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Desmond said shes hopeful the inquiry will shed light on what the province did, and what they didnt do as well as the federal governments mistreatment of veterans.

It took my family to go through it, she said. I lost my family and now Im worried about trying to help other families.

At a news conference, Bowes said he concluded that the inquiry is warranted after speaking with members of the Desmond family and carefully reviewing the circumstances of the deaths.

Our entire province was shocked by the deaths of Lionel Desmond and his family, he said. There have been many questions raised by the family and the public relating to how this could have happened and whether anything could have been done to reasonably prevent these deaths.

While cautious not to presuppose the focus of the inquiry, Bowes said the apparent lack of co-operation between government agencies will likely be a key aspect of the terms of reference.

I was very much struck by the fact that there were many government agencies that touched on Mr. Desmonds life and I would take the view that the interconnection between all of those may well have been better, he said.

Bowes said the inquiry will examine whether there is a tangible connection between the deaths and the appearance of a failure of policy or practice which if corrected is likely to prevent future deaths of this same type.

Its my hope that the public nature of the inquiry and its final report will drive change, he said.

Such investigations are rare in the province. The last time a fatality inquiry was held in Nova Scotia was almost 10 years ago.

Trev Bungay, a retired soldier who served in Afghanistan with Desmond, questioned why it took almost a year to recommend an inquiry into the horrific murder-suicides.

Its about time, he said in an interview from Fredericton, N.B., adding that Ottawa and the province wasted a lot of time blaming each other and trying to figure out whose fault it was.

Still, Bungay said hes hopeful the inquiry will provide some badly needed answers for the family, as well as ensure better services are in place for veterans in the future.

At least the family can have some sort of closure. For them this has been a nightmare, he said. They want answers and this is how to get them and more importantly how to stop this from ever happening again.

Family members say Desmond was a radically changed man when he was medically discharged and returned home in 2015. They say his outgoing sense of humour had dimmed and, more importantly, he seemed withdrawn and in a defensive posture much of the time, as if he was still in combat mode.

Several veterans groups and individuals have also called for an inquiry, including Vets Canada and Wounded Warriors Canada.

Veterans advocate Peter Stoffer said Thursday there are several questions the inquiry will need to address.

The former Nova Scotia NDP MP said the inquiry will need to examine Desmonds transition from military to civilian life, including gaps in services provided by Veterans Affairs Canada and the province.

The number one recommendation would be that nobody leaves the military or for that matter the RCMP until all support systems are in place, he said. The services need to be in place before the uniform comes off.

Stoffer added that the inquiry must be open and inclusive.

It should have access to all the information that it asks for in order to determine, if its possible, what happened and where lessons can be learned so that this tragedy will not happen again, he said. Im just hoping at the end of the day the inquiry will provide some of the answers the family is asking for to give them some comfort and most importantly give them some closure.

More than 130 serving military personnel have taken their own lives since 2010, according to National Defence.

In October, Ottawa promised to improve support for military personnel through a new suicide prevention strategy, which focuses on easing the transition from a military career to civilian life.

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Sexually explicit text messages and photos. Degrading remarks made in front of other officers. A poisoned, sexist workplace environment.

A female sergeant with nearly 20 years on the force is coming forward with claims of sexual harassment and discrimination within the Toronto Police Service, allegations detailed in a recent complaint filed to the Human Rights Tribunal on Ontario.

Sgt. Jessica McInnis, a 43-year-old officer who has earned accolades since joining the Toronto Police Service in 1998, alleges she was subjected to a steady barrage of unsolicited sexist, sexual, harassing and obscene messages by Det. Mark Morris, her former police partner and co-leader of their Criminal Investigations Bureau (CIB) team, at downtowns 14 Division.

The CIB tackles a range of crimes within the division, including thefts and suspicious deaths.

I hope you dont call the (Special Investigations Unit) on my (sic) when we do the nasty, Morris texted her on Nov. 27, 2015 according to the claim, a message sent after Morris caught wind that the SIU, Ontarios police watchdog, was probing sexual assault allegations against a colleague.

Remember if I slapped that ass its not a sexual assault if I say nice game. Thats what we do in sports, he added, according to the claim.

At work, in front of subordinates, McInnis claims Morris undermined her, called her vulgar and demeaning names, commented on her body parts and referred to her as Needle Dick. Repeated complaints to him and superiors were fruitless, she alleges, and damaging to her career. The complaint says a senior officer told her she should be tough enough to withstand the behaviour.

McInnis also alleges there is a general culture of sexism within 14 Division, an environment that discourages women targeted by sexist behaviour from coming forward, and has implications for public complainants.

Often when a woman would report a sexual assault, male officers would make comments about how she was simply after the money. If a woman had been drinking to excess prior to the incident, they would suggest that she deserved it, McInnis alleges in her claim.

None of the allegations has been tested at the human rights tribunal.

David Butt, Morris lawyer, said in an email Wednesday that Detective McInnis allegations are either false or deliberately misleading. They will be vigorously contested. Out of respect for legal processes, Detective Morris will respond in detail only in the appropriate legal forum, and at that time he will have plenty to say. Until then there is nothing close to sufficient information on the public record to permit the drawing of either informed or accurate conclusions.

Also named as a respondent to the claim is Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders. Police spokesperson Meaghan Gray said the service will carefully review the claim and consider their response, as with any allegation.

Until that time comes, we will not offer specific comment on the details put forth by the officer, she said an email Friday.

Gray could not confirm whether the claim had been received by Toronto Police as of Friday.

McInnis previously pleaded guilty to discreditable conduct at the Toronto police disciplinary tribunal for making an inappropriate sexual comment to a subordinate female officer in two encounters in 2012. The specifics of what McInnis said are not included in a written sentencing decision from 2014, which saw McInnis docked 20 days pay, though the decision states they were about the subordinate officers personal circumstances.

The hearing officer on that case, Supt. Debra Preston, wrote that while she did not know what was said  a deliberate choice made at the hearing to insulate the victims  the comments had been described as egregious in nature. Though both times McInnis said she had meant the comments as a joke, Preston said it would be wrong to dismiss them as such when, as a supervisor, McInnis should have known better.

However, Preston also noted that while McInnis misconduct was serious, she had apologized, worked hard to regain her reputation, and had an unblemished service record during the 14 years prior.

McInnis 15-page human rights complaint alleges there has been negative fallout from complaining about Morris conduct. She claims she was subjected to unwarranted investigations into her police work by superiors seeking to charge her with professional misconduct.

McInnis lawyer describes her as a police officer who consistently exceeds expectations. But at the same time, she has an ongoing fear that she will be the target of further reprisals, and this constantly causes her stress, said Barry Swadron, who is representing McInnis alongside Marshall Swadron and Lisa Leinveer.

Appended to the claim are over 100 text messages or group chats through messaging app WhatsApp that McInnis alleges were sent to her between February 2015 and March 2017. The messages  the bulk of them alleged to be from Morris  include sexual comments about McInnis and himself and images or videos of partially or fully naked women and men, according to the complaint.

Throughout the messages, Morris repeatedly refers to his genitalia as Anaconda, according to the appended text. In one message, he says he would describe himself as quiet, reserved, calculating and horny. In one instance, Morris is alleged to have shared an Islamophobic joke about women who wear niqabs.

McInnis claim also includes messages in The Dream Team chat, a group comprised of current and former members of one of 14 Divisions CIB teams. It includes a mix of sexually explicit images and at times refers specifically to McInnis in degrading terms.

In one group message, a member is alleged to have posted a photo of a woman in black underwear with the caption Black Panties Matter. In another, an officer shares an image of a mans perfect remote which includes buttons that say: Remove clothes, PMS off, Stop nagging, Stop Whining, Boobs, and Sex/Food/Beer.

In the claim, McInnis says that on some occasions she felt pressured to respond positively to Morris behaviour in order to fit into the culture of 14 Division and maintain working relationships.

According to the claim, McInnis complained to Morris and superiors about his behaviour. In one incident, Morris is alleged to have become extremely upset with McInnis after she was ordered to investigate his friend, a fellow Toronto police officer, concerning sexual assault allegations.

After that officer was arrested, McInnis alleges that Morris began screaming at her in front of colleagues, banging on his desk, throwing things and calling her a fking rat and that she was going to get kicked out. When she reported the behaviour to Toronto police Det.-Sgt. Laurie Jackson, she was told to suck it up, you are a detective now, according to the claim.

Jackson, who is named as a respondent in the human rights claim, could not be reached for comment.

McInnis claim says she feared confronting Morris about his inappropriate texts because of his aggression toward her. When she later did, Morris agreed to stop sending sexual messages  only to send her a link about National No-Bra Day four days later, the complaint states.

McInnis complaint alleges Morris made it clear to me that he enjoyed institutional protection for his discriminatory and harassing behaviour.

The situation became unbearable in March 2017, the claim states, when McInnis was interviewed by a member of Toronto polices Professional Standards unit after questions arose about how a sexual assault investigation was conducted by officers at 14 Division. Although she had no choice but to speak with the officer, McInnis claims Morris became angry with her like never before and alleges in the claim that he lunged at her with clenched fists; she was fearful that he would hit her, the claim says.

That night, McInnis asked her bosses to have Morris be removed from the workplace, but according to the claim, Jackson said: Oh honey it was just an argument. McInnis went on sick leave for a week.

When she returned she was told she was being placed in an administrative role and advised of the first of several investigations into her police work that she says were unwarranted, including the complaint that she had written a date down wrong in a memo book, according to the claim.

She requested a transfer from 14 Division and in May moved to a different division.

As a result of McInnis complaint, Morris is under investigation by Toronto police professional standards, according to the claim. In October, McInnis was advised that she had become a subject officer in the investigation her complaint about Morris had initiated  meaning she, too, is under investigation.

McInnis claim also alleges that throughout her policing career, she has experienced bullying and harassment, including an incident where a male inspector grabbed her in front of other supervisors and kissed her on the lips. In another example, a male instructor told her she dressed like a slut.

I have also learned from other women in the TPS of the serious and ongoing sexual harassment and discrimination they have experienced at work. When they finally came forward, the TPS did not support them, but instead permitted reprisals to be brought against them and made their work experience unbearable, McInnis writes in the complaint.

Indeed, in one exchange on the Dream Team group message, some of McInnis colleagues bring up another female Toronto police officer who is alleging sexual harassment in the workplace. Sharing a link to a news story about Heather McWilliams ongoing human rights tribunal hearing, Morris, who says he trained McWilliam for six months, said: I knew she was a little odd but this? I dont know.

He went on to say that they called her ms piggy and she was not my type.

R vs anaconda coming soon lol, replied another member in the group chat, apparently joking that Morris was going to be charged, using the nomenclature of criminal court cases.

McInnis claim includes a number of requested remedies, including human rights training for supervisory staff at 14 Division; that Toronto police conduct regular audits to probe workplace sexual harassment; and that the service establish policies to address any barriers employees face in reporting harassment. She is also seeking just over $600,000 in damages and reimbursements for lost income.

Excerpts of sexual text messages

Sgt. Jessica McInnis complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario includes a 15-page list of the sexual and inappropriate messages she was allegedly sent by her then-police partner, Det. Mark Morris.

Also included are group messages from The Dream Team, a group of Toronto police officers currently or formerly within Toronto police 14 Division. Below are some of the messages alleged to have been received by McInnis.

May 24, 2015: When McInnis texts Morris about a missing Black man, he responds by sending her a photograph of a naked black man with a large penis.

April 1, 2016: (Chatting about how The Dream Team is group message that everyone can see). Morris: Soo what you are saying is that everyone can see and read the text right? Cause (McInnis) sometimes may want to send me nudes. I will let her know not to do this and keep it professional only. Another officer replied: Lol! Ya every one can see these msgs. So make sure she sends it to u directly.

June 1, 2016: Morris sends The Dream Team group chat an image of a naked Black man dragging a large penis on the ground. That one is McInnis favourite one, Morris wrote.

September 15, 2016: Morris a photo to McInnis of a woman with large buttocks and a caption that said scientists have found that woman with bigger butts have smarter children. Hmmmm. i guess if you had kids. they would be geniuses, Morris wrote.

October 20, 2016: Morris sends the Dream Team group a video of a woman dancing with part of her buttocks exposed. When one officer says Nice. Who is that? Morris says: Its the black Jessica McInnis. Id tap that. The other officer responds: Lol ya I would too haha.

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Controversial political strategist Nick Kouvalis is facing break and enter charges after allegedly being found intoxicated inside a Kelseys restaurant in the middle of the night this past fall, police confirm.

At 2 a.m. on Sept. 26, police were alerted to the Burlington restaurant after the alarm went off, and they discovered two people drinking inside.

Halton Regional Police Const. Colin MacLeod said when police entered, the two were ordered onto the ground.

There was very minimal damage, to the Kelseys itself, and MacLeod said although he couldnt recall the exact manner of the break-in, it was either doors left open or forced entry from pulling on the door.

Only hours before on Sept. 25, activist Sarah Warry-Poljanski had lost the provincial Conservative nomination in the Hamilton Mountain area. Kouvalis and Warry-Poljanski are both facing charges.

The exact nature of Kouvalis and Warry-Poljanskis relationship is not known. Reached by the Star, Kouvalis directed questions to his lawyer, Dirk Derstine, who said he is

unable to comment about the nature of their relationship on that particular day.

Kouvalis and Warry-Poljanski appeared in court in October. Derstine said they are meeting with the Crown in the new year and hope to have the case resolved.

(Kouvalis) does not deny being at the bar that night, but he does deny absolutely having any criminal intent whatsoever in his actions, Derstine said.

Kouvalis is known as the man behind Rob Fords initial rise to power and prominence in the 2010 Toronto mayoral election. He has worked with candidates at many levels of government, and also was chief strategist for John Tory when he secured victory over Doug Ford in 2014.

Kouvalis stepped down as federal Conservative Kellie Leitchs campaign manager in February of this year after comments on Twitter where he called a Leitch critic a cuck, which is short for cuckold. The term is used frequently by white nationalists and members of the alt-right.

He admitted in a 2017 Macleans interview that he had invented a 2016 tweet that falsely listed billions of dollars he claimed Trudeaus Liberal government had supposedly given to international aid organizations in the previous year, including $351 million for the designated terrorist group Hamas.

He made it up to make the left go nuts, he said.

This is not the first time that Kouvalis  who has been open about his issues with alcohol addiction  has found himself in trouble with the police. He pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges in May of 2016 and had to pay a $1,690 fine.

Warry-Poljanski is an addictions worker according to a now-deleted bio on her website, and has an educational background in addictions counseling as well as criminal psychology and behaviour. She founded and currently is the chair of the Balfour-Hill Park Neighbourhood Association and sits on the board of directors at The Society for Quality Education.

Its important to remember that Sarahs presumed innocent and that in this case there was absolutely no criminal intent, said her lawyer, Peter Boushy. And in fact, there is no evidence of any forced entry into the premises.

Earlier this year, Tory did not rule out working with Kouvalis again in his 2018 bid to remain in office, but said he wanted to give him a chance to deal with his personal issues.

In a Dec. 20 interview, when the Star asked Tory again what role Kouvalis will play in his 2018 re-election campaign, he said he (didnt) know the answer to that question.

Ive made no secret of the fact  when I say hes a friend, hes a friend, the mayor said. When my friends have had difficulties I dont turn my back on them, I try to help them if I can. But I literally dont have a single person as of yet thats been appointed to any job in any proposed campaign structure, not one.

Regarding whether Tory knew about the charges currently facing Kouvalis, spokesperson Don Peat said, the Mayor was not aware of these allegations. We have no comment at this time.

With files from David Rider and Jenna Moon

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Ontario has updated its plan for dealing with potentially deadly emergencies at nuclear power plants for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster forced the evacuation of 70,000 people in Japan.

The 173-page effort follows criticisms from provincial auditor general Bonnie Lysyk earlier this month that the nuclear response blueprint has not been changed since 2009 to reflect lessons learned elsewhere.

Ontario has three nuclear power facilities and 18 operating reactors, which makes it the largest nuclear jurisdiction in North America and one of the largest in the world, she wrote in her annual report.

Plans need to be regularly updated with current information and to reflect the best approach to respond to emergencies so they can be used as a step-by-step guide during a response, Lysyk added.

The new plan takes into account radiation emergencies that could stem from reactor accidents, leaks during the transportation of radioactive material, explosions and even a satellite crashing on nuclear plants at Pickering and Darlington east of the heavily populated Greater Toronto Area or at the Bruce reactors near Kincardine on Lake Huron.

This updated plan will help ensure we are more prepared than ever for emergencies so that our families and our communities are safe, Community Safety Minister Marie-France Lalonde said in releasing the document on Dec. 21.

The plan was released a week after the government put out a request for experts to conduct a technical study of it, making a mockery of the process, said the anti-nuclear group, Greenpeace.

Its ass backward and incompetent, said Shawn-Patrick Stensil, senior energy analyst for Greenpeace, a vocal critic of the governments nuclear energy program.

There is little in the updated nuclear response plan to prepare for a major disaster, he added, such as emergency zones that are too small given the potentially large scale of nuclear disasters.

While other countries have strengthened public safety since Fukushima, its taken the Ontario government six years to maintain the status quo, said Stensil.

Other countries are preparing for bigger accidents.

The new plan is based mainly on the possibility of a design-basis accident, which the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission defines as an accident that a nuclear facility must be designed and built to withstand without loss to the systems, structures, and components necessary to ensure public health and safety.

Stensil said design-basis accidents dont release much radiation, as was the case with a partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania in 1979.

Other countries decided in light of Fukushima to plan for accidents that reactors werent designed to prevent or control, he added.

While the Ontario plan mentions a wide range of accidents should be considered, the amount of detailed planning should decrease as the probability of the accidents occurrence decreases to maintain an appropriate balance.

In contrast, Stensil said Germanys Commission on Radiological Protection, known by the acronym SSK, goes further.

That agency states the range of accidents included in emergency response planning should be redefined to more closely reflect an accidents potential impact rather than its likelihood and calls for contingency planning for accidents whose radiological effects mirrors those of Fukushima.

The tender issued for the technical study of Ontarios nuclear emergency plan called for an assessment of the size of emergency zones, potential radiation doses, a wider look at weather patterns, possible meteorological effects at reactor sites and a study on drinking water impacts in the event of an accident.

At Fukushima, a massive offshore earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale triggered a tsunami that swamped the nuclear power plant, melting down three reactors and causing a fire in a fourth reactor.

The heavily damaged facility leaked radiation into the sea and surrounding countryside. The initial radioactive zone was bigger than the ones left by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, forcing large-scale evacuations.

While some areas remain under evacuation orders, large swaths of land are now considered safe. Decommissioning of the destroyed power plant is expected to take decades.

In her report, Lysyk warned a lack of preparation by emergency management officials could result in confusion or delays in any response to a tragedy.

Toronto city council passed a motion in November calling on the province to prepare for more severe accidents and expand delivery of anti-radiation potassium iodide pills beyond the current 10-kilometre zone around nuclear power plants.

The city also requested a study on the potential impacts of a major nuclear accident on the Great Lakes, which are a source of drinking water for millions in Canada and the United States, awareness campaigns for Toronto residents on how to prepare for a nuclear accident at Pickering or Darlington, just east of Oshawa.

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The reported discovery of anthrax antibodies in a North Korean defector is renewing fears that the regime of Kim Jong Un is developing lethal biological weapons in violation of international law.

A South Korean intelligence officer told the nations Channel A television that one of at least four soldiers who defected from the North this year had anthrax in their system. Senior defence analyst Shin Jong Woo said the anthrax vaccine is probably given to North Korean soldiers working on biological weapons projects.

Although rare in the United States, people can get sick with anthrax if they come in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Contact with anthrax can cause severe illness and death if not treated, according to the CDC, which noted that anthrax is not contagious like a common cold or flu.

The revelation about the defector comes a week after reports began circulating that North Korea had begun tests to load anthrax onto intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, citing intelligence sources in Seoul, has reported that Kims regime is conducting heat and pressure resistance tests to see whether anthrax germs can survive the intense heat an intercontinental ballistic missile encounters when it re-enters Earths atmosphere.

North Korea has denied it is developing chemical weapons, something it has been accused of doing in the past.

The U.S. National Security Strategy released last week by the Trump administration accuses North Korea of conducting research into chemical and biological weapons that could be delivered by missile.

Read more:

North Korea calls latest UN sanctions an act of war, vows to bolster nuclear program

South Korea fires warning shots as North Korean soldiers appear to search for defector

North Korea will continue to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities in 2018, South says

North Korea has been accused of using chemical weapons on a smaller scale. Kim Jong Nam, North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns older half-brother and a potential rival, was killed in an attack with a deadly nerve agent at Malaysias international airport in February.

The anthrax reports have kicked up a storm in South Korea. On Sunday, the office of South Korean President Park Soo-hun confirmed it had imported anthrax vaccines this year, but denied claims that it was vaccinating top officials against the disease.

The controversy prompted a petition drive in South Korea demanding that all citizens be vaccinated. Spokesperson Cheong Wa Dae attempted to tamp down the dispute, saying the government imported 350 doses of anthrax vaccines on Nov. 2 and stored them in a national army hospital. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also have anthrax vaccines for 1,000 patients prepared in case of biological terror attacks, the government said.

We have not performed clinical tests of the vaccines, so we will only use them to treat the disease, not for prevention, Cheong said.

The heightened concerns about anthrax come just six weeks before South Korea hosts the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Sanctions and bellicose rhetoric continue to dominate U.S.-North Korean relations. Last week, the United Nations imposed another round of sanctions on North Korea in reaction to the countrys repeated testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles, including the first one with a range that can reach Washington, D.C.

Kim says his goal is to develop a nuclear-armed missile that can hit the U.S. as a deterrent against an American invasion seeking to overthrow him.

The latest U.N. resolution, which even drew support from North Korean benefactors China and Russia, limits 90 per cent of petroleum exports to North Korea and demands that North Koreans working abroad for Kims regime return home. Sixteen North Korean officials, mostly in the banking sector, were added to the sanctions blacklist along with the ministry that manages the logistics of its armed forces.

Kims government was unmoved. Its foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the resolution as an act of war.

The United States, completely terrified at our accomplishment of the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, is getting more and more frenzied in the moves to impose the harshest-ever sanctions and pressure on our country, the ministry statement said.

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SELFOSS, IcelandPolice in Iceland say one person was killed and 12 more were critically injured Wednesday when a bus carrying 46 Chinese tourists skidded off the road after a rear-end collision with a compact car.

The Icelandic blood bank sent out an alert for donations of type O blood following the accident on Route 1, a national road that runs around the island.

The car and bus crashed near the Eldhraun lava field, about 250 kilometres east of Reykjavik, Icelands capital.

Police say the bus flipped on its side when it went off the road, trapping two passengers underneath. One died at the scene.

Bus company owner Fjalar Ulfarsson said the Chinese group was on the fourth day of a weeklong visit to Iceland when the accident happened.

The road there is narrow and had some icing from what I gather, Ulfarsson told The Associated Press.

Three helicopters were used to transport the most severely injured to a hospital emergency room in the capital.

A relief station was set up for the other 33 passengers in nearby Kirkjubaejarklaustur village.

The cars driver and a passenger also were tourists, visiting Iceland from Lithuania. They were not injured, officials said.

South Iceland Police said an initial investigation suggested the car slowed down in front of the bus while attempting to turn toward a lookout point.

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LAS VEGASAn unprecedented number of law enforcement officers and National Guard members will be on duty when tens of thousands of people gather to ring in 2018 on the Las Vegas Boulevard, just three months after one of the worlds most famous roadways became associated with the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will have every officer working Sunday, while the Nevada National Guard is activating about 350 soldiers and airmen after lawmakers earlier this month approved tripling the state funding for the events security measures. The federal government is also sending dozens of personnel to assist with intelligence and other efforts.

Im confident every available resource is being used to make sure this New Years Eve will be safe, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said during a news conference Wednesday.

Tourism officials expect about 330,000 to come to Las Vegas for the festivities that are anchored by a roughly eight-minute firework display at the top of seven of the destinations casino-hotels. The show will start 10 seconds before midnight Sunday at the Stratosphere. The other firing locations are at the Venetian, Treasure Island, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Aria and MGM Grand.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently upgraded the citys New Years Eve on its list of special events that due to its economic or social impact, length and attendance could be potential targets of criminal activity. For the first time, the celebration was ranked in the highest category, which also includes the Super Bowl.

The designation of the Special Event Assessment Rating 1 leads to a substantial increase in federal resources. Lombardo said the assistance will include intelligence personnel who will analyze social media and other information, medical technicians and helicopters.

The change in rating was not a direct result of the mass shooting carried out by a high-stakes gambler on Oct. 1. The man killed 58 people and injured hundreds more after he shattered the windows of his suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on the Strip and unleashed gunfire on a country music festival below. He then killed himself.

Lombardo said no specific threat to the festivities has been discovered. Snipers will be posted for the first time during the event. Buses and other large vehicles will block key intersections to try to prevent anyone from plowing onto crowds.

Clark County Commission chairperson Steve Sisolak said crews have installed nearly 800 steel posts along the Las Vegas Strip. The bollards are capable of withstanding a head-on collision from a 6804-kilogram vehicle travelling at 80 km/h. The county plans to install an additional 7,500.

The number of National Guard soldiers and airmen activated in connection with Sundays festivities is more than double compared to last year. They will be at several locations, including McCarran International Airport. A legislative committee approved almost $357,000 (U.S.) to cover the cost.

The control centre for the show, at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, will be staffed by officials from Clark Countys building and fire prevention department, fire department, police, Federal Aviation Administration, the fireworks company and organizers. Wind conditions are monitored. Sustained wind speeds that exceed 10 miles per hour can lead to the shows cancellation.

The expected visitation figures provided by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority shows a drop of 1.2 per cent compared to last year. Visitors are expected to spend $254.3 million. More than 97 per cent of the citys nearly 149,000 hotel and motel rooms are expected to be booked.

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PORTLAND, ORE.An appellate court Thursday upheld a penalty against Oregon bakery owners who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding almost five years ago.

The owners of the since-closed Gresham bakery  Aaron and Melissa Klein  argued that state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian violated state and federal laws by forcing them to pay emotional-distress damages of $135,000 to the lesbian couple.

Their lawyers said Avakian and the state Bureau of Labor and Industries violated the Kleins rights as artists to free speech, their rights to religious freedom and their rights as defendants to a due process.

Read more:

Opinion | Emma Teitel: No amount of queer hospitality will change bakers prejudice about same-sex wedding cakes

U.S. Supreme Court takes on case of baker who refused to make wedding cake for same-sex couple

Portland bakery refuses to pay $135,000 in damages to gay couple

But the Oregon Court of Appeals sided with the state Thursday, saying the Kleins failed to show the state targeted them for their religious beliefs. The judges also found public statements made by Avakian before deciding the case did not establish a lack of impartiality.

Todays ruling sends a strong signal that Oregon remains open to all, Avakian said in a statement after the 62-page opinion was released Thursday. Adam Gustafson, the attorney who argued the Kleins appeal, did not immediately return a phone message.

The decision comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the high-profile case of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

That baker, Jack Phillips, claims his First Amendment claims of artistic freedom were being violated  a similar issue raised by the Kleins.

The Oregon court said the Kleins argument that their cakes entail an artistic expression is entitled to be taken seriously, but its not enough for the couple to assert their cakes are pieces of art  they must show others perceive their creations like a sculpture or painting.

Although we accept that the Kleins imbue each wedding cake with their own esthetic choices, they have made no showing that other people will necessarily experience any wedding cake that the Kleins create predominantly as expression rather than as food, the opinion says.

The state penalized the bakers after determining they violated a 2007 Oregon law that protects the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations. The law provides an exemption for religious organizations but does not allow private businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

The case began when Rachel Bowman-Cryer went to the suburban Portland bakery with her mother in January 2013. They met with Aaron Klein, who asked for the date of the ceremony and the names of the bride and groom.

When told there was no groom, Klein said he was sorry but the bakery did not make cakes for same-sex weddings. According to documents from the case, Rachel and her mother left the shop, but returned a short time later. As Rachel remained in the car, in tears, her mother went in to speak with Klein.

The mother told Klein she had once thought like him, but her truth had changed when she had two gay children. Klein responded by quoting Leviticus: You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.

Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer praised the ruling in a statement released through their attorney: It does not matter how you were born or who you love. All of us are equal under the law and should be treated equally. Oregon will not allow a Straight Couples Only sign to be hung in bakeries or other stores.

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KABULA Daesh suicide bomber struck a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least 41 people and underscoring the extremist groups growing reach in Afghanistan even as its self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria has been dismantled.

The attack may have targeted the pro-Iran Afghan Voice news agency housed in the two-storey building. The Sunni extremists of Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, view Shiite Muslims as apostates and have repeatedly attacked Afghanistans Shiite minority and targets linked to neighbouring Iran.

The attack wounded more than 80 people, many of whom suffered severe burns.

Local Shiite leader Abdul Hussain Ramazandada said the bomber slipped into an academic seminar at the centre and blew himself up among the participants. More bombs went off just outside the centre as people fled.

The Daesh-linked Aamaq news agency said four bombs were used in the assault, one strapped to the suicide attacker. It said the centre was funded by Iran and used to propagate Shiite beliefs.

Ali Reza Ahmadi, a journalist with Afghan Voice, said he leaped from the window of his second-floor office after the first bomb went off and saw flames pouring from the basement.

I jumped from the roof toward the basement, yelling at people to get water to put out the fire, he said.

At nearby Istiqlal Hospital, director Mohammed Sabir Nasib said the emergency room was overwhelmed. Additional doctors and nurses were called in to help. At the height of the crisis, more than 50 medics were working to save the wounded.

By late afternoon, Health Ministry spokesperson Wahid Mujro said 41 people were dead and 84 others wounded.

The cultural centre was housed in a simple building surrounded by mud-brick homes in the Shiite-dominated neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, home to some of Kabuls poorest residents.

A senior member of the local Shiite clerical council, Mohammad Asif Mesbah, said the centre may have been targeted because it houses Afghan Voice. The news agencys owner, Sayed Eissa Hussaini Mazari, is a strong proponent of Iran, and the agencys output is dominated by Iranian news.

On Thursday, the centre was marking the anniversary of the 1979 Soviet invasion with a seminar about the events impact on the country. Mesbah said the invasion, which led to decades of war and unrest that continue to the present day, was the beginning of all of Afghanistans disasters.

Iran, a Shiite-majority country bordering Iraq and Afghanistan, has provided heavy military and financial aid to the Syrian government as well as regional Shiite militias battling Daesh in recent years.

The extremist group is now largely confined to a few remote patches of territory in Syria, but it retains the ability to inspire and carry out attacks further afield. Powerful affiliates in Afghanistan and Egypts Sinai Peninsula continue to launch regular assaults against security forces and civilians.

The Daesh affiliate in Afghanistan, which emerged in 2014 at around the same time the group declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq, has vowed to target Shiites. The militants attacked the Iraqi Embassy and two Shiite mosques in Kabul earlier this year, killing dozens of people. A suicide attack on the largest Shiite mosque in the western Herat province last summer killed at least 90 people.

Afghanistans Daesh affiliate largely consists of displaced Uzbek militants and disgruntled former members of the much larger and more entrenched Taliban movement. The Taliban and Daesh share the goal of overthrowing Afghanistans Western-backed government and imposing a harsh version of Islamic law, but they are fiercely divided over leadership, tactics and ideology, and have clashed on a number of occasions. The Taliban denied any involvement in Thursdays attack.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called the attack a crime against humanity. The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, John Bass, said, We remain confident the Afghan government and people, supported by their friends and partners, will defeat those behind these terrible acts.

Pakistan, which Afghan and U.S. officials have long accused of harbouring militants, condemned the dastardly attack in Kabul and vowed to stand with Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism. Pakistan has denied that it shelters militants and has in turn accused Afghanistan of failing to crack down on extremist groups.

Toby Lanzer, the acting head of the United Nations mission to Afghanistan, said the bombing was another truly despicable crime in a year already marked by unspeakable atrocities.

Afghan forces have struggled to combat both the Taliban and Daesh since U.S. and international forces officially concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014 and shifted to a support and counterterrorism role more than a decade after the American-led invasion that toppled the Taliban.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered an additional 3,800 U.S. troops to Afghanistan since announcing a new strategy in August aimed at ending Americas longest war, bringing the total U.S. forces there to at least 15,000.

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SAN FRANCISCOThe number of California women who used marijuana while pregnant increased substantially between 2009 and 2016, a new study shows.

Although most of the nearly 280,000 pregnant Californians who participated in the Kaiser Permanent study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association did not test positive for pot or admit to using it, a small and growing number of them did.

The study tested more than 30,000 women during each year of the eight-year study, using questionnaires and analyzing urine toxicology tests.

Read more: U.S. border agents wont stop seizing pot even after California legalizes it

In 2009, the first year of the study, 1,547 pregnant women were found to have ingested marijuana, or slightly more than 4 per cent of the 33,692 studied that year.

Last year, the number had grown to 2,588, or slightly more than 7 per cent of the 38,919 tested.

The studys authors are comparing only the per cent of marijuana users in each year, rather than the numbers, so they can control for age, ethnicity and household income.

Little is known about the effect of marijuana use on pregnant women, fetuses, and children after birth, the study concedes. Other studies have shown that its correlated to lower birth weights, and guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology recommend that pregnant women discontinue their use of the drug.

The reason that this becomes worrisome to me as an OB/GYN is that there are no studies that have ever reassured me that it would be safe to use during pregnancy, said Nancy Goler, a co-author of the new study.

She said she is interested in what happens to the babies as they grow up.

Do they have increased rates of addiction later in life?

The participating women were all patients in Kaiser Permanentes California health care system. The questionnaire and the tests were conducted when they were about around eight weeks pregnant.

Researchers found that younger women used marijuana more than older women while pregnant: 22 per cent of adolescents screened positive for marijuana use, as did 19 per cent of adults aged 18-24.

This tracked with a rise in marijuana use in the general population, said the studys lead researcher, Kelly Young-Wolff.

Nationally, studies have indicated that marijuana use is increasing over time, and that marijuana use is increasing over time among pregnant women, but the prevalence of marijuana use during pregnancy is higher in this study, Young-Wolff said.

The study is also notable because it includes the results of a toxicology testan objective, universal standard.

Thats probably the biggest difference between our study and other studies, Young-Wolff said. She said that previous studies generally relied mostly on self-reported data.

Its unclear why more women are choosing to use marijuana during pregnancy, a question this study didnt seek to address.

We know some women say they use it to help with their vomiting and nausea, but we also know its just being used more, Goler said.

One reason the numbers could be so high is that marijuana is more readily available in California.

Our state may be different because it was the first to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, said Young-Wolff, who is preparing to study prenatal marijuana after it becomes legal for recreational use in California on Jan. 1.

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A prominent Tibetan filmmaker, who was jailed for making a documentary about Tibetans living under Chinese rule and had been under police surveillance since his release three years ago, has fled to the United States after an arduous and risky escape from China, according to his supporters.

Dhondup Wangchen, 43, arrived in San Francisco on Dec. 25 and was reunited with his wife and children, who were granted political asylum in the United States in 2012, according to Filming for Tibet, a group set up by Wangchens cousin to push for his release.

After many years, this is the first time Im enjoying the feeling of safety and freedom, Wangchen said in the statement issued by the group. I would like to thank everyone who made it possible for me to hold my wife and children in my arms again. However, I also feel the pain of having left behind my country, Tibet.

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Wangchen was a self-taught filmmaker from Chinas western province of Qinghai who had spent five months in 2007 interviewing Tibetans about their hopes and frustrations living under Chinese rule. In his documentary, Leaving Fear Behind, many Tibetans talked about their love for the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and how they thought the 2008 Beijing Olympics would do little to improve their lives.

Wangchen was detained in 2008 after his footage was smuggled out and shown at film festivals around the world and shown in secret to a group of foreign reporters before the Olympics. He was later sentenced to six years in prison for inciting subversion.

During Wangchens time in prison, many rights groups, including Amnesty International, campaigned for his release, saying he was denied medical care after contracting hepatitis B in jail, was forced to do manual labour and was kept in solitary confinement for six months. The United States raised Wangchens case with Beijing at the highest level, according to the International Campaign for Tibet, a Tibetan rights group.

Wangchens flight from China comes at a time of growing authoritarianism in the country under President Xi Jinping. Two rights activists have been tried and one more is expected to go on trial on subversion charges this week. Since Xi came to power in 2013, his administration has imprisoned human rights lawyers and cracked down on civil society.

Wangchens supporters did not provide details of his escape and he could not be reached for comment. Police officials from Xining, the capital of Qinghai, and the Qinghai government did not answer multiple telephone calls seeking comment.

After his release from prison, Wangchen remained under heavy surveillance and his communications were monitored, according to Filming for Tibet. Wangchens fellow filmmaker, Golog Jigme, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, fled China to India in 2014 and was granted political asylum in Switzerland a year later.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, whose district covers San Francisco, said on Twitter Wednesday that it was an honour to welcome Wangchen to our San Francisco community.

Many Tibetans have complained about repressive conditions under China, which has ruled Tibet since 1950. Among their list of complaints: They are barred from publicly worshipping the Dalai Lama, who Beijing reviles as a wolf in monks clothing, and say that their language and culture have been suppressed. After widespread protests by Tibetans in 2008, China imposed a security clampdown.

More than 150 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest against Chinese rule, according to the International Campaign for Tibet. On Wednesday, a young Tibetan man set himself on fire in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the group said. China has called the self-immolators terrorists and blamed exiled Tibetan rights groups and the Dalai Lama for inciting them.

The six years Dhondup Wangchen had to spend in jail are a stark reminder of the human costs that Chinas policies continue to have on the Tibetan people, Matteo Mecacci, president of International Campaign for Tibet, said in a statement. Dhondup Wangchen should have never had to pay such a high personal price for exercising his freedom of expression.

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WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump attacked China on Thursday following reports that Chinese ships transferred oil to North Korean vessels at sea in violation of UN sanctions over the Norths nuclear weapons program.

Trump said on Twitter that China had been Caught RED HANDED, adding he was very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea.

There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen! the president said, without citing the source of his information.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

China accounts for the vast majority of North Koreas external trade and oil supplies. Just two weeks ago, Trump credited China for its help in the U.S.-led pressure campaign against Pyongyang, including support for three UN Security Council resolutions this year  the latest last week  over the Norths nuclear and missile tests.

However, on Tuesday the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo cited unidentified South Korean government officials as saying U.S. reconnaissance satellites have spotted Chinese ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels some 30 times since October in seas off China. That report was picked up by some U.S. media outlets, including Fox News.

Chinas foreign ministry has defended its enforcement of UN sanctions against North Korea. A ministry spokesperson said Wednesday she had no information about the latest report, but said China has strictly enforced trade restrictions.

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The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that report. But in a commentary Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Beijing to exert decisive economic leverage on Pyongyang.

China has applied certain import bans and sanctions, but it could and should do more, he wrote in The New York Times.

Ship-to-ship trade with North Korea at sea is prohibited under UN sanctions adopted Sept. 11. The latest sanctions adopted Friday, in response to the test of a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, also impose sharp reductions on imports of refined oil products by the isolated nation.

Last month, the Treasury Department sanctioned six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their vessels, and published photos of what it said was a North Korean vessel on Oct. 19 possibly transferring oil to evade sanctions. The statement did not specify whether Chinese vessels were involved in the transfer.

Trump has blown hot and cold on Chinas efforts on North Korea, which despite a dramatic increase in sanctions has made major progress this year on perfecting a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike the United States.

On Dec. 15, Trump said Russia  another significant trading partner with North Korea  had failed to help, while China had.

China is helping. Russia is not helping. Wed like to have Russias help  very important, Trump told reporters after a phone conversation with President Vladimir Putin.

Also Thursday, Trump sought to remind the world that hes long warned about the dangers posed by North Koreas nukes.

He tweeted a compilation video that included edited footage of an interview he did with NBCs Meet the Press nearly two decades ago.

In the interview, Trump said hed be willing to launch a pre-emptive strike against North Korea if negotiating like crazy didnt work. And he describes the country as sort of wacko.

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U.S. President Donald Trumps legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy.

The approach would mark a sharp break from Trumps previously sympathetic posture toward Flynn, whom he called a wonderful man when Flynn departed the White House in February. Earlier this month, the president did not rule out a possible pardon for Flynn, who is co-operating with special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Attorneys for Trump and his top advisers have privately expressed confidence that Flynn does not have any evidence that could implicate the president or his White House team. But since Flynns co-operation agreement with prosecutors was made public earlier this month, the administration has been strategizing how to neutralize him in case the former national security adviser does make any claims.

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Flynn is the most senior former Trump adviser known to be providing information to Muellers team. The lenient terms of his plea agreement suggest he has promised significant information to investigators, legal experts said.

Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of lying to the FBI, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Prosecutors said they will recommend a sentence from zero to six months in prison as part of his co-operation deal. Flynns son, who served as his chief of staff, also faced the risk of criminal charges, according to people familiar with the plea negotiations, but was spared.

Trumps legal team has seized on Flynns agreement with prosecutors as fodder for a possible defence, if necessary. In court filings, the retired lieutenant-general admitted that he lied to the FBI about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the December 2016 transition.

Hes said it himself: Hes a liar, said one person helping craft the strategy who was granted anonymity to describe private conversations.

Robert Kelner, an attorney for Flynn, declined to comment. Ty Cobb, the White House attorney overseeing the response to the special counsel investigation, also declined to comment.

Defence lawyers have said privately that Flynn will be unable to point to White House or campaign records turned over in the probe to bolster any claims of a criminal scheme. None of those records suggest a conspiracy by Trump or his inner circle to improperly work with Russians to defeat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, according to people who have reviewed the documents.

The private talks about assailing Flynns credibility come even as Trump has signalled that a pardon is not off the table.

I dont want to talk about pardons for Michael Flynn yet, the president said Dec. 15. Well see what happens. Lets see. I can say this: When you look at whats gone on with the FBI and with the Justice Department, people are very, very angry.

Some of Flynns family members appear to be counting on Trump to act. On Tuesday, one of Flynns brothers tweeted a message urging the president to pardon his former adviser, responding to a tweet by Trump alleging bias in the FBI.

Mr. President, I personally believe that a pardon is due to General Flynn, given the apparent and obvious illegitimacy of the manner in which the so called crimes he plead guilty to were extracted from him, Joseph Flynn wrote. I ask for quick action on this. Thank you and keep up the good work!

The guilty plea by Michael Flynn, U.S. President Donald Trumps former national security adviser, brings the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election into Trumps inner circle. (The New York Times)

Joseph Flynn did not respond to requests for comment.

Outside legal experts said that discussing ways to undermine a possible witness is a natural first step for defence lawyers to consider.

Its pretty predictable, said Randall Eliason, a former public corruption prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington. Defense will always argue that a co-operator who lied previously should not be believed, and that there is insufficient evidence of the conspiracy. Its Defense Strategy 101.

He added: How effective it would be depends entirely on the strength of the other evidence that the prosecution can present to prove its case and corroborate Flynn.

Barbara Van Gelder, a veteran white-collar defence lawyer and former prosecutor, called it textbook for the defence team to raise doubts about Flynns version of events.

They will pull out all the arguments: You pleaded guilty. You dont have anything more than your word, and you probably got your son off with this. You got the deal of the century,  she said.

Securing documents that corroborate the statements of co-operators such as Flynn is often key when the case comes down to dueling accounts, legal experts said.

Peoples recollections can be faulty but . . . you cant cross-examine a document, Van Gelder said. It is what it is.

Exactly what Flynn might offer Mueller about what he saw inside the Trump operation remains a mystery. Van Gelder noted that in the way the special counsel structured Flynns plea agreement, prosecutors avoided sharing the guts of their ongoing investigation.

That is what I thought was the brilliance of the Flynn plea, she said. It said: Im giving just enough to have the judge sentence you within the guidelines, but not giving anything to anybody else. 

White House advisers have noted Flynn did not plead guilty to being a co-conspirator in any criminal scheme, which they argue shows he is not able to provide evidence of a larger conspiracy.

Some legal experts said prosecutors could still rely on Flynns testimony to allege such a scheme. However, others said persuading a jury to charge a conspiracy that did not include a key witness would be more difficult.

If Mueller opted not to charge him in a conspiracy, Van Gelder asked, how much of a crime is it, really?

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A few years ago, I noticed feminist friends on social media sharing widely a video clip in which Academy Award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman opens up about playing Dorothy Michaels, the lead character in the 1982 hit film, Tootsie. In the clip, released by the American Film Institute in 2012, Hoffman recounts his surprise the first time he saw himself in costume. I was shocked that I wasnt more attractive, he says. But apparently what shocked the actor even more was the reality that some of the men he encountered, men who didnt know he was in costume, ignored or dismissed him because they assumed he was an ordinary, homely woman. As a result, Hoffman says he had an epiphany about how he and men in general undervalue women they dont find physically attractive. Theres too many interesting women, the actor says, holding back tears, I have not had the experience to know in this life because I have been brainwashed.

Lucky women.

Hoffman, it turns out, may not have made passes at middle-aged redheads in glasses, but he is alleged to have seriously mistreated some of the women he did take an interest in. Recently news emerged that the 80-year-old actor is yet another prominent man to be accused of sexual abuse in 2017: what the womens studies textbooks of the future may very well refer to as The Year of Creeps. Today, the actor stands accused of exposing himself to a 16-year-old girl  a friend of his teenage daughter no less  in a hotel room in 1980, and sexually assaulting one former colleague and harassing another. The clip referenced above, once a shining example of Hoffmans enlightened attitudes about gender, is at this Me Too moment, a glaring example of the actors hypocrisy.

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Three of the women accusing Dustin Hoffman of sexual misconduct - Kathryn Rossetter, Anna Graham Hunter and Cori Thomas - discuss their experiences with the actor and explain why they waited so long to come forward. (The Associated Press)

Put another way, its a glaring example of nice-guy hypocrisy: the brand of duplicity unique to men who move in progressive circles and espouse progressive ideas, but who are, behind closed doors, about as enlightened as Donald Trump. 2017 isnt just the Year of Creeps, after all. Its the year of Creeps Who Say All the Right Things. From Dustin Hoffman and Jeffrey Tambor to Louis CK and George Takei (I could go on but I wont because Ill run out of space), the ever-expanding annals of alleged abusers in Hollywood and beyond is full of liberal darlings: men who until recently made the right insights, supported the right causes, appeared in the right projects, and in Takeis case (the veteran Star Trek actor was recently accused of sexually assaulting former model Scott R. Brunton in 1981), advocated fiercely for social justice and took frequent shots online at public figures who undermined it.

Its no wonder why so many American conservatives are reacting to the avalanche of sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood with a kind of morbid glee. Smug liberal Hollywood, for a long time one of the loudest voices against injustice of every kind (war, mass incarceration, animal cruelty, homophobia, you name it) has at long last been exposed as a hotbed of injustice in its own right. Celebrities who rant at award shows about the moral bankruptcy of conservative politicians, provoking standing ovations from their equally indignant peers, are for the first time being forced to sit down and look inward at their own toxic culture.

But more importantly, so are ordinary people. If something good is to come from the Year of Creeps its this: Sexual predators going forward may think twice about abusing those around them in fear their crimes will no longer be swept under the rug. And the nice-guy hypocrisy of alleged predators such as Dustin Hoffman will serve as an invaluable reminder to young people everywhere  especially those entering college and new jobsthat a persons progressive politics do not determine his behaviour around sexual consent. A man can shout your body, your choice from a rooftop; it wont stop him from committing acts of sexual violence or coercion. The guy youre crushing on in English class may have read and thoroughly enjoyed A Room of Ones Own. This doesnt mean he wont show up at your dormitory unannounced after a night out drinking and demand entry. An actor can put on a wig and a shiny red dress and later profess through tears to have learned great truths about the inner beauty of average women. This doesnt mean, however, that when the door is closed and the cameras arent rolling, he will treat those women like human beings. Most nice guys are nice. But watch out for the ones that lay it on a little too thick.

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During this holiday season of Festivus, it is traditional to have an Airing of Grievances. As laid out in the canonical episode of Seinfeld that codified the rituals, and as explained by Wikipedia, at the Festivus dinner, one is to say I gotta lotta problems with you people  and now youre going to hear about it! and then dinner proceeds with each person lashing out at others and the world about how they have been disappointed in the past year.

But shouldnt the holidays be special? Pretty much all year consists of an airing of grievances around these parts. It is, I think, built into the newspaper columnist gig that the squeaky wheels get demands for grease. Letting the world know how I (and others) have been disappointed is a good portion of my daily bread.

So this holiday season, I thought Id try something different, by looking at some ways I have not been disappointed this year  ways in which, in fact, grievances I have written about here have been addressed. Its an Airing of Gratitudes, prompted by astonishment that sometimes things do change for the better.

The biggest and most obvious positive change is the King Street Pilot Project. For years I have been among those demanding some kind of priority project to make a smoother ride for the streetcars on King  long our biggest and most dysfunctional surface transit workhorse. In 2014, I wrote in the Star that a simple pilot project clearing cars out of the King cars way was overdue. Heres the best part: it would cost very little to test this idea out, and take almost no time, by the standards of transit improvements, I wrote then. If it works, you make it permanent  and perhaps introduce other improvements, such as traffic signal priority that would ensure streetcars never have to stop at a red light. If it doesnt work, you go back to what we have now. At the time I finished by calling it a dream because I never expected it would happen.

Toronto Star reporters Ben Spurr and Tamar Harris rode the TTC's King streetcar along the pilot project route and drove a car on corresponding streets to see if travel times have changed during the morning rush hours. (Toronto Star)

Lo and behold  a Festivus Miracle!  less than three years later that dream has become reality: King Street has been transformed into a pilot-project priority corridor for streetcars. Whats more, it seems to be working. Early statistics from the city show reduced streetcar travel times and, even more importantly, more reliable service. It also shows that delays in car travel times have been minimal.

Still on the TTC transit front, I complained in July about the announced end of the two-hour transfer on the St. Clair West streetcar route. It was, I said, the exact opposite of what the TTC should be doing. It ought to be expanding the two-hour-transfer rule across the entire system, especially as it goes to a fare system using the Presto card exclusively.

Last month, Mayor John Tory and TTC chair Josh Colle publicly called for the introduction of a two-hour transfer across the TTC, and the TTC board approved the measure. We dont have it yet, but it could be in use by next summer, which would be, I continue to think, a great improvement in service for riders.

Late last year, I wrote that the long-standing arts and social enterprise enclave at 401 Richmond was threatened by property tax hikes that tenants could not afford to pay. The business model the building was based on, I said, was threatened by our property tax rules, and uses like this needed to be addressed. It is up to provincial policy-makers to fix this  and looking at what 401 Richmond has given to the city, and continues to give, its clear that it should, and soon.

One year later, Im happy to report, the province took heed and did indeed fix it, giving the city the power to create a new property tax class for this type of building  and the city immediately did so.

In August, I wrote about similar property-tax increases threatening Yonge Street businesses. Though the local merchants are still not happy with the situation, they did get some relief when the provincial property tax assessment agency agreed to revisit the valuations of some of those businesses.

Over on the police beat: my colleagues Wendy Gillis and Jacques Gallant did a lot of reporting in recent years, especially in 2016, about the secrecy surrounding Special Investigations Unit investigations into police shootings, and I wrote several columns decrying that secrecy. The time to make changes, to bring investigations into police conduct out of the shadows, is now, I wrote in July 2016.

By April 2017, I was able to express my gratitude that a judge formally tasked with studying the issue had concluded the same thing and recommended changes. By November, the provincial government announced the largest transformation to Ontarios policing and community safety in over 25 years, including more transparency in these investigations.

So much more to be grateful for among the things I was griping about this year:

I said city council shouldnt waste time and money on Councillor Michael Fords study of getting rid of streetcars on Queen and they didnt.

In September, I wrote about how the first outdoor ice rink planned for Scarborough in decades (which would be only the second in that former municipality), at McCowan District Park, would be delayed another year due to construction problems. But the city has built a temporary rink for this year while they rebuild the permanent one, and so in mid-December skaters near McCowan and Eglinton finally hit the ice.

In general over the years, Ive been an advocate of expanding bike infrastructure, and in October I specifically hoped council would approve making the Bloor bike lanes permanent after a successful pilot. They did.

More recently, I complained that the city should not fortress-ify its seat of government by building up intrusive security measures at City Hall, and at a recent meeting, council agreed (at least for now).

But OK, finally, one grievance wrapped up in all this gratitude. Last year, about this time, Id been giving John Tory credit for finally taking a stand to raise much needed revenue for the city  a topic on which Ive prattled on and on and on  by introducing road tolls. But in January of 2017, Premier Kathleen Wynne engaged in another Festivus tradition, Feats of Strength, by using her provincial powers to spike the idea. If youre the mayor of Toronto, you need to know that you will wake up one morning with the premiers knife in your back, I wrote then.

It was ever thus. Its a tradition as reliable as columnists complaining about the government. Back onto that soon. In the meantime, its fun to observe that sometimes these complaints are actually addressed.

Edward Keenan writes on city issues ekeenan@thestar.ca. Follow: @thekeenanwire

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He was born to Joseph and Lula Cole in Sand Hills, Neb. He was a member of the Minatare High School graduating class of 1949. After graduation he joined the U.S. Army which began a career of being a professional soldier for over 23 years, with over 43 years of service to his country, retiring with the rank of Command Sergeant Major at the age of 62. During this time he traveled to many parts of the world to see the people of those countries during times of severe trials and tribulations. He was there to see the Berlin Wall built, and one of the happiest moments of his life was to see it come down. He was united in marriage to Helen Williams May 1, 1982, and immediately got a blended family. Luke was very determined, strong willed, family orientated, and was a giving person. He overcame many obstacles in his life: alcohol, smoking, heart surgery, and losing both of his legs due to Agent Orange. His favorite time of the year was Christmas time; he would bribe his granddaughter Toni into being able to open just one gift. His generosity was extended to family, friends, the Town of Millston, and the Meadow Valley Church. He had a huge heart for his grandchildren and helped them whenever he could. In his better years he enjoyed shaking dice at the local pub and celebrating St. Patricks Day with gusto. Luke was instrumental in starting many projects for the Town of Millston, whom awarded Luke with a plaque in 2008, making the first week in September Luke Cole Week, and also received the citizen of the year award in 2017 given by the Millston Park Commission. He always looked forward to Labor Day weekend in Millston, when the softball team would camp nearby and he would have them over to the house to eat.
Matson, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides ocean transportation and logistics services. The company's Ocean Transportation segment offers ocean freight transportation services to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, as well as to other island economies in Micronesia. It primarily transports dry containers of mixed commodities, refrigerated commodities, packaged foods and beverages, building materials, automobiles, and household goods; livestock; seafood; general sustenance cargo; and garments, footwear, e-commerce, and other retail merchandise. This segment also operates an expedited service from China to Long Beach, California, and various islands in the South Pacific, as well as Okinawa, Japan; and provides container stevedoring, refrigerated cargo services, inland transportation, container equipment maintenance, and other terminal services to ocean carriers on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai, as well as in the Alaska locations of Anchorage, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor. In addition, the company offers vessel management and container transshipment services. Its Logistics segment provides multimodal transportation brokerage services, including domestic and international rail intermodal, long-haul and regional highway trucking, specialized hauling, flat-bed and project, less-than-truckload, and expedited freight services; less-than-container load consolidation and freight forwarding services; warehousing and distribution services; supply chain management services, and non-vessel operating common carrier freight forwarding services. The company serves the U.S. military, freight forwarders, retailers, consumer goods, automobile manufacturers, and other customers. The company was formerly known as Alexander & Baldwin Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Matson, Inc. in June 2012. Matson, Inc. was founded in 1882 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
LYNXX recently completed its ninth annual Giving Tree event.

This year, more than 50 children ages two to 17 in the Oakdale, Camp Douglas and New Lisbon areas received gifts from the Giving Tree. All childrens names are kept anonymous.

New Lisbon Elementary School, Camp Douglas Elementary School and Oakdale Elementary School collaborate with LYNXX on the Giving Tree, which received donations from individuals and organizations from the Camp Douglas and New Lisbon communities.

The event originated as a leadership project created by Lynxx employee Karla Krause when she participated in the Juneau County Advanced Leadership Program. Krause and other LYNXX employees delivered gifts to the schools.

Volk Field NCOAGA and Camp Douglas Memorial VFW Post 10911 assisted Lynxx customers and employees with the campaign.

LYNXX is an internet, television and telephone service provider that serves residents and businesses in portions of Juneau, Monroe and La Crosse counties.
As the year draws to a close, I often look back on my time in the Legislature and think of decisions that have an effect on our families and our neighborhoods.

This year, big companies are unwrapping gifts. The luckiest of really big companies is Foxconn. The $3 billion deal to bring the flat-screen television and computer monitor manufacturer to Racine County is overwhelmingly unpopular in western Wisconsin. Ive received over 100 calls and letters from folks who asked about the lack of taxpayer and environmental protections. They wonder where the money will come from in an already tight budget.

The year 2017 was the year of a late budget that failed to address many problems lawmakers promised to fix: roads, schools and local government relief. I wrote an alternative budget showing a path to fixing many of these problems.

One new tax was passed to help roads  hybrids and electric car owners will pay more. But the money collected wont cover a fraction of the long-term needs of fixing our roads and bridges.

No changes were made to the way local governments are funded. Flat state spending for local communities means more struggles to provide local services like police, fire and social services.

To address the criticism the Legislature was not fixing the problems with funding our public schools, a new task force called the Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding was created and just recently started its work. Im cautiously optimistic changes will come to provide fairness in school funding. Meanwhile, many families are paying higher property taxes because of school referenda passed last year to keep schools afloat.

Two other bills stand out in 2017 as topics that brought a great deal of contact from constituents: sulfide mining and high-capacity wells. Overwhelmingly, people opposed getting rid of our 20-year-old prove it first law. The old law required a company to first prove metal mining was safe before it was permitted to mine. A few weeks ago, Gov. Scott Walker signed into effect a new law. It will allow mining for silver, gold, copper and other minerals without proving it can be done without polluting the environment.

People were opposed to getting rid of Department of Natural Resources oversight of high-capacity wells. The new law created permits for these wells to be in perpetuity or forever.

Western Wisconsin is home to more mines than any other part of the state. A big part of sand mining is access to a high-capacity well permit. Here, folks know up close and personal what happens when a sand mine moves in next door.

A horse named Apples helped tell the story about what happens when mines open shop and neighbors are not protected. Poor Apples died, likely of toxic metals in the water. Later the family found almost ten times the limit of arsenic in their water. The family lives a little over a half mile from a sand mine. The courts will decide what killed Apples, but the family pointed out, when an oil industry downturn caused production to stop at a nearby mine, the water cleared up.

The state failed to protect folks and their critters in Apples neighborhood.

Drinking clean water and enjoying our beautiful outdoors are joys we all share. Which is why protecting the environment has been a long-standing bipartisan effort. It was a bipartisan legislature, including our current governor when he was a state Assembly representative, that created the Prove it First mining law.

As we close 2017, Im grateful for a bipartisan group of lawmakers working together to legalize hemp as a commodity. This is a bill Ive introduced for several years. I recently spoke with former Senator Sheila Harsdorf. She shared that many farmers around Wisconsin have contacted her to say they want to grow hemp.

Im grateful for the work of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection to write rules so farmers can get hemp seeds in the ground next spring. The Senate lost a strong voice for agriculture in Harsdorfs resignation, but weve gained a big voice for agriculture in her appointment as the new DATCP secretary.

Wishing all of you a happy and prosperous New Year!

Democrat Kathleen Vinehout, Alma, represents that 31st state Senate District.
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Charles Dickens writes in A Christmas Carol about some gentlemen hitting up Mr. Scrooge for a charitable donation:

At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge, said the gentleman, taking up a pen, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.

Are there no prisons? asked Scrooge.

Plenty of prisons, said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

And the Union workhouses? demanded Scrooge. Are they still in operation?

They are. Still, returned the gentleman. I wish I could say they were not.

The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then? said Scrooge.

Both very busy, sir.

Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course, said Scrooge. Im very glad to hear it.

 Design+Make

That's why I like this project by Design+Make Studio so much; they call it the Waldo Duplex, built in southern Kansas City as affordable housing.

The Waldo Duplex was designed and built by the architect to be a solution to a significant, if unexpected, problem in Metropolitan Kansas City. Rent is rising at a rate higher than the national average, negatively impacting lower-income neighborhoods like Waldo. Targeting only households making less than 80% of area median income and implementing rent controls, this project will be home for two moderately low income families that want to live and work in Waldo, but otherwise could not afford to.



 Design+Make

They call it a Duplex and write "this project suggests that a maligned architectural typology -- the duplex -- can be built affordably without sacrificing architectural integrity." I had no idea that duplexes were maligned, and I would have called this a pair of semi-detached units rather than a duplex. Perhaps it is different where I live, where duplexes are defined as "development consisting of a building containing only two Dwellings, with one Dwelling placed over the other in whole or in part with individual and separate access to each Dwelling." They certainly are not a maligned typology everywhere.

 Design+Make

If you are building affordable housing, duplexes make sense; obviously, the land costs half as much per unit, and expensive service connections can be shared. In what might be the floor area of a single-family house you can accommodate two families. But it doesn't radically change the character of the neighborhood. According to the architects, quoted in Residential Architect:

While developers today use the duplex model in a way that creates suburban neighborhoods with no identity whatsoever, the Waldo Duplex looks to the inherent benefits of duplex construction but works to redefine the building typology. Traditional duplexes isolate their tenants on either side of a partition wall. The Waldo Duplex unites them through the tradition of the front porch.



 Design+Make

I am not so sure about that; there are two separate front porches here with a common yard. But it is still lovely with nice private porches, simple but durable materials. It gets the interior planning right, with all the services along the party wall between the two units, which reduces noise transmission.

 Design+Make

There are things I do not understand, like the lack of opening windows; it apparently relies on the doors for ventilation. High ceilings are nice too, but they create a lot of cubic footage to heat or cool, and and that plastic clerestory into the bedroom doesn't give much acoustic privacy. But those are minor quibbles. Costs are not as low as they might be if it was covered in vinyl, $290,000 for 1,500 square feet, but it looks like it will last a long time, and a lot of thought went into it. It is more than just a pair of homes; it is an educational experience.

Design+Make is an Academic partnership between a Kansas State University capstone design studio and el dorado inc. This studio explores conceptually driven, expertly crafted architecture at all scales of work, with all types of clients and in all locations. It is a research-based architectural enterprise where graduate students from diverse backgrounds develop their passion for innovative problem-solving, focused on community needs.



 Design+Make

Affordable housing is hard, but this is a serious, effective look at the problem.
Good morning Margaret. I assume you are travelling on a UK citizens passport. My wife and I were and had no difficulty entering UAE at Abu Dhabi and Dubai, nor Oman at Muscat. Special visas in advance were not required. In Muscat Celebrity cruises issued us with a 48 hour visa as we left the ship. It was credit card size and together with our cruise card was checked by Omani border staff at the port gate and that was it.

In Uae our passports were handed in at the border control in the cruise terminal . They were stamped and returned to us on the ship a day or two later. No other documentation was issued, The cruise ship card enabled us to go out and come back through the border control on each day.

So no problem at all - despite a very worrying email issued by Celebrity Cruises just a week or so before we travelled. Have a great trip. Ray
We (other) TA users are not travel agents, designing itineraries for people, but in any case, it wouldn't be possible to recommend a route until YOU have decided on the country (and area of the country, which may depend on the time of year when you would be making this trip), what you want to include in the itinerary, and starting and ending points.

For example, for Italy, the closest airport to Lake Garda is Verona, but Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate and Bergamo are also not far; for Florence, there are airports at both Florence and Pisa. Train stations on Lake Garda include Desenzano del Garda/Sirmeone and Peschiera del Garda, both on the line between Milan, Brescia and Verona; if you arrived at Bergamo, for instance, there is a bus to Brescia station. For the rest, not knowing what SORT of places you want to visit (big cities, small towns, art museums, Roman ruins..), I can only suggest you look at the rail map on https://www.italiarail.com/italy-rail-map - from which you can see, for example, that if you started at Venice/Treviso, and flew out of Florence, you could do Venice - Garda - Bologna - Florence, spending 1-2 nights in each place - but there are loads of other possibilities, I spent a week in Lombardy this year visiting a different small city each day (Pavia, Lodi, Bergamo, Cremona..).

You could also consider something similar in Germany or Switzerland, basing yourself in one place e.g. Zurich and doing train trips from there. Mind you, Zurich tends to be an expensive airport... I would start with the issue of how you want to get to places in the first place (and back).

Maybe also look at e.g. https://www.seat61.com/Swiss-trains.htm - and other pages on that site.

Edited: 4 years ago
We stayed last year and witnessed the no-smoking policy enforced. They do have a separate area at the beach as well as an area near the bar.

In general, Jamaica is much less accommodating to smokers (except ganja) than places like Mexico or DR

(One of the reasons we love Jamaica and SATP)
I am trying to plan a honeymoon in this area. The wife would like to see Paris, and I think that Amsterdam and Belgium would be nice to see since its relatively close. What would you recommend for a trip starting in Amsterdam and ending in Paris? (Or vice versa). It will be middle of Feb so I know its cold but also not many tourists. Would love to visit some Belgium breweries. Thanks for the help.
It depends. Some places give you a price in USD and bill in USD. If that is the case you are probably better off using the USD card since there will be no foreign currency surcharge that most cards apply.

But if the price is quoted in colones or quoted in USD but actually billed in colones ( which some places do) - if both cards have a similar foreign exchange currency percentage, it probably wont end up making much difference.
With terrible layovers, more expensive flights and Easter high season - high crowds - put it off till June/July. Your availability choices for Easter will not be as good and prices to boot.

I think you are doing a great thing by the way of wanting to show your great nieces and nephews CR. Yes do go to other spots too besides just MA. I have been to CR many times now and recently re-discovered Arenal as a great place. With more time to plan you may even want to get a little more adventurous and with your days you may want to add a 3rd spot.

Book your flights first - then fill in the hotels. Treehouse Arenal is a great place and they book solid. Once you have a date confirmed send them an email right away. If they have an opening even for a day or 2 - take it and then you can always move on to Arenal.

Sloths you want to see... S. Caribbean for sure. Bijagua - Casitas Tenorio and Toucan Rescue Ranch for a night.. last night or 1st night is a great place to stay - 30 minutes from the airport. MA you will also see them.

Edited: 4 years ago
I have just booked my flights for a solo backpacking trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. I arrive 12 am on March 2 in Ho Chi Minh City and fly out on March 29th 10pm from HCMC. I have 28 full days (not including international travel times).

I have list of places I want to go but not sure the best route and how much is feasible so I'm looking for some suggestions.

For Cambodia I'm planning for 2 days is Phnom Penh and 5 days in Siem Reap.

For Vietnam my *wish* list is Sa Pa, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Phong NHA, Hoi An and HCMC for which I have ~20 days or so

Since I arrive at midnight I will spend the first night in HCMC (unless I can take a night bus) and then leave for either option A or B.

Option A

Take the bus to Phnom Pehn and then to Siem Reap.

From SR take a flight to Hanoi and then make way down the coast via bus to HCMC

Option B

From HCMC go up the coast to Hanoi and the take flight to Siem Reap and bus to HCMC via Phnom Penh

My preference is Option A because it will be easier to book the flight and buses in advance whereas with option B that would be harder to do.

Would love some feedback on this plan as well as what I can see along the coast of Vietnam. Is Sa Pa and Ha Long Bay possible? Will all these places be easily accessible via bus? Given that I have 20 days for this portion and I would like to be in HCMC the night before my flight, how many days should I stay at each place?

Lastly, is it advisable to book buses (e.g. HCMC to PP) online in advance of arriving given it's the busy season?

Thank you!
Have a look at this wonderful blog.

They travelled with 2 kids through Vietnam, laos and Cambodia and covered quite a few bit in 6 weeks. I am sure you could get some nice ideas from reading it. Besides, even if you are not planning a trip it is a great read...

http://www.chicfamilyjourneys.com/p/beginnings-of-vietnam-laos-and-cambodia.html

One thing to add, the Vietnamese love children. While the streets in places like Hanoi and HCMC are not really pedestrian friendly, the Vietnamese people will still make sure your kid will have a great time.
The shinkansen is a good experience in itself for first time visitors (and sometimes repeat visitors too). And, of course they will be able too see the scenery, countryside, and the buildings they pass, just as you can from a car (but a lot more comfortable/smoother).

Are they flying into Tokyo (Haneda) or Narita? An immediate connection as suggested above makes sense, otherwise Osaka is only a couple of hours away.
Hello there,

I am aware of some restrictions bringing meds into Japan, so I contacted the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Japan to have more insights on the meds I specifically need to take especially asthma, and they responded to me the following:

A permit is required if it exceeds one month's worth. (which means 1 day dose x 30 days supplies) As another option, you visit a Japanese hospital after coming to Japan. Please consult with your host in Japan.

Now if it's something tablet based this is easy because you just check in the papers and see how many tablets you need to take per day.

However, in my case those are mostly inhalers that I use when I have asthma attacks so I don't use them every day.

For all of you who suffer from asthma, have you ever brought with you a bunch of inhalers (each is different) with you one each type?

Have you ever had any issues? I usually bring one in carry on and the rest in checked luggage.

I just would like to know what happens if they believe the dose you brought exceeds one month.

Also, my boyfriend needs the same meds as me for certain things, if he brings them in his luggage separately than mine, it won't count towards the 1 month dosage count with me right? I can bring his own month supply?

thanks, just want to make sure i don't get in trouble
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- Lawyer Antony Mugambi Laibuta fell ill while attending a conference on Media and Law in Geneva

- Mugambi got sick and was admitted to Geneva University Teaching Hospital on December 20, and has been in ICU and HDU since then

Twitter was abuzz as Kenyans came together in support of lawyer Antony Mugambi Laibuta, known to some of his friends as Ole Laibuta.

Laibuta was admitted at Geneva University Teaching Hospital on Monday, December 20, after he fell ill while attending a conference on Media and Law in Geneva, Switzerland

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

Well wishers in support of the unwell lawyer showed their support on twitter in response to an Mpesa donation Paybill number opened to assist Laibuta.

Loved ones in close contact with him said he was recovering well but the hospital bill had rocketed to unmanageable amounts.

READ ALSO: Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka finally jets back home, ready to be sworn

READ ALSO: Githurai bus that killed people in Kericho lacked NTSA clearance - police

The hash tag BringOleHome touched many Kenyans with the likes of Boniface Mwangi and lawyer Nelson Havi, having twitted and contributed to the cause of bringing him home.

Warm sentiments came trickling in from Kenyans of all walks of life with a vast number coming from the law fraternity were many of his learned friends regarded him as a kindhearted man, as seen on twitter by TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- The government has banned use of shisha tobacco smoking in Kenya effective immediately and anyone found enjoying the water-pipe tobacco will be punished

- Through a legal notice published on Thursday, December 28, the government declared that no person shall import, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, use, advertise, promote or distribute shisha in Kenya

- The notice states that any person who contravenes any provisions of these rules may be liable to the penalty contemplated under section 163 of the Act

Kenya has banned use of shisha tobacco smoking effective immediately and anyone found enjoying the infamous water-pipe tobacco smoking will be punished.

Through a legal notice published on Thursday, December 28, Health Cabinet Secretary declared that no person shall import, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, use, advertise, promote or distribute shisha in Kenya.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

"No person shall allow, promote, facilitate or encourage, or do anything to allow, promote, facilitate or encourage shisha smoking in Kenya," the legal notice further states.

READ ALSO: Kenyans speak their minds following ban of Shisha tobacco smoking in Rwanda

Kenya's Ministry of Health says Shisha tobacco smoking is harmful to your health .Photo:Twitter/Robert ALAI.

Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE

According to the legal notice, any person who contravenes any provisions of these rules may, where a penalty has not been expressly provided for under any provision of the Act, be liable to the penalty contemplated under section 163 of the Act.

READ ALSO: 15 things Slay Queens do that everyone is tired of

Shisha includes tobacco products that may be flavored or non-flavored and which are consumed using a single or multiple-stemmed smoking instrument that contain water and other liquids through which the smoke passes before reaching the smoker.

Shisha tobacco smoking is popular among the youth, especially young women going to night clubs and bars in Nairobi, Mombasa, and other major towns and cities in Kenya.

READ ALSO: Prezzo's heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend goes clubbing in a tiny dress showing her growing belly

Kenya bans Shisha smoking over health concerns.Photo:Twitter/Citizen TV

The move by the Kenyan government to ban shisha comes barely two weeks after Rwanda also banned the popular water-pipe tobacco smoking.

Rwanda banned use of shisha following a report by World Health Organization (WHO) that revealed smoke from the water pipe contained toxicants that caused lung cancer and heart diseases.

READ ALSO: Sosholaiti Vera Sidika akodisha nyumba Beverly Hills kuburudika likizoni(Picha)

The WHO's report was corroborated by Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDCP), which also found that the smoke emanating from the water pipe had toxics that were as harmful to human health as cigarette smoking.

The CDCP also linked shisha tobacco smoking to lung cancer, respiratory illness, low birth weight, and periodontal disease.

Kenya and Rwanda are not the first countries to ban use of shisha, also known as hookah.

Other countries where hookah smoking had been declared illegal include Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Jordan, and Pakistan.

Slay queens carwash - On Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Russian-backed militants launched four attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas in last day.

This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center.

The enemy violated the ceasefire in ATO area four times over the past day. As a result of the enemy shelling, two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded, the statement reads.

Despite the agreements reached in Minsk on New Year and Christmas truce, Russian-backed troops continued to violate the ceasefire and launched attacks on the Armed Forces of Ukraine, using prohibited mortars and artillery.

In Donetsk direction, militants shelled Ukrainian strongholds outside Vodiane area (16km north-west of Donetsk), using large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers and small arms. In the evening, the enemy shelled Ukrainian strongholds outside Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk) and Kamyanka (62km south of Donetsk) from grenade launchers, small arms and infantry weapons.

In other key areas, the ceasefire violations were not recorded.

ish
Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in hostilities in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson Dmytro Hutsuliak said this at a press briefing on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Unfortunately, two Ukrainian servicemen were wounded near Vodiane. They were given emergency medical assistance, he said.

He added that Russian-backed militants launched four attacks on the Ukrainian positions over the past day. The Ukrainian troops didnt return fire.

iy
Polish exports to Ukraine this year have exceeded the level of 2013. Over the first three quarters, Polish exports to Ukraine grew by 32% up to PLN 13.4 billion (over USD 3.8 billion).

Polish media outlet Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reports this, referring to the data of the Main Statistical Office of Poland (GUS).

According to GUS, over the first three quarters of this year, Polish entrepreneurs sold in Ukraine goods worth PLN 13.4 billion. This is almost 32% more than last year, the article reads.

As noted, the record of 2013, when the Polish exports to Ukraine totaled PLN 13.3 billion, was broken.

According to the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Poland exports to Ukraine electrical equipment, chemical products, agricultural and woodworking products, mineral fertilizers, etc.

ol
The achievement of agreements on the exchange of prisoners of war is a significant progress in the implementation of the Minsk accords.

That is why the parties should continue making efforts to simplify the exchange of the rest of the prisoners, to gain access to all the prisoners for the International Committee of the Red Cross and to simplify the search for missing persons by the ICRC mission, reads the joint statement of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The President of France and the German Chancellor welcome the agreement reached in the Trilateral Contact Group regarding the release of 380 prisoners from both sides of the contact line," the joint statement reads.

"There is a significant progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The leaders [Macron and Merkel] also call on the parties to continue making efforts to simplify the exchange of the rest of the prisoners, to gain access to all the prisoners for the International Committee of the Red Cross and to simplify the search for missing persons by the ICRC mission," the document says.

The French President and the German Chancellor also called for "the return of Russian officers to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination, which plays a very important role in supporting OSCE observers and monitoring compliance with the ceasefire regime."

In addition, Macron and Merkel urge to open additional entry-exit checkpoints and promised to continue to closely monitor "the developments and the way the parties fulfill their obligations."

ol
Presidents representative in the Verkhovna Rada, Iryna Lutsenko, has said that a special strategy is being developed to return Ukrainian captives from the prisons of the Russian Federation.

She told this to journalists at Kyiv Boryspil International Airport, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Petro Poroshenko intends to carry out a large-scale work to return our guys, who are convicted in Russia. Russian prisoners have been left so that there could be an additional card, serious argument to exchange Russian citizens for our citizens who are being held captive in Russia. This strategy is being developed and it will be fully implemented in life," she said.

At the same time, she reminded that still there are 93 Ukrainians being held captive in the temporarily occupied territory in Donbas, and assured that the work on their release is being conducted.

As Ukrinform reported, on Wednesday, a total of 74 Ukrainian captives who were held in captivity in the uncontrolled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions were released. The Ukrainian side handed over 233 rebels and their supporters.

iy
Over the past year, the United States has faced immense challenges in its dealings with North Korea, China and Russia, and in its efforts to defeat international terrorism.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson writes this in a column in The New York Times.

"On Russia, we have no illusions about the regime we are dealing with. The United States today has a poor relationship with a resurgent Russia that has invaded its neighbors Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade and undermined the sovereignty of Western nations by meddling in our election and others," the U.S. Secretary of State says.

According to him, the appointment of Kurt Volker, a former NATO ambassador, as special representative for Ukraine reflects our commitment to restoring the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Absent a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine situation, which must begin with Russias adherence to the Minsk agreements, there cannot be business as usual with Russia, Tillerson adds.

At the same time, Tillerson noted that despite the differences between Moscow and Washington, the countries need to work together.

"While we are on guard against Russian aggression, we recognize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect," the U.S. Secretary of State stresses.

ol
Warsaw and Kyiv will continue to deepen cooperation in various fields. Poland will continue to support the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.

This was discussed during a telephone conversation between Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish Press Agency reported.

"The prime minister (Morawiecki) has confirmed that Poland supports the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukraine and intends to continue its support in this area," the spokesperson of the Polish PM said.

She notes that Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman congratulated Mateusz Morawiecki on his appointment as the head of the Polish government.

According to her, the heads of both governments agreed to deepen cooperation in economic, cultural, security and local self-government fields.

ish
The prisoner exchange between Ukraine and the Russian-backed separatist is an important development, and is a welcome step towards meeting the commitments all sides have made under the Minsk Agreements.

This is said in the statement of the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

"The UK welcomes the exchange of over 300 prisoners between Ukraine and the Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The release of prisoners is a commitment which Ukraine, Russia and the Russian-backed separatists signed up to as part of the Minsk Agreements to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine," said the Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson.

The Office also expresses hope that all sides use this positive development to make progress on their remaining commitments under the Minsk Agreements, beginning with all sides adhering to the ceasefire; engaging cooperatively to reduce the humanitarian suffering of civilians on both sides of the line of contact; and Russia withdrawing its weapons and personnel from eastern Ukraine.

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office also thanked all those who mediated this agreement, including the Trilateral Contact Group, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

ol
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has announced a new special confiscation of funds from former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage in 2018.

He announced this in an interview with Ukrainian television channels, LigaBusinessInform reports.

As a result of this special confiscation, the Prosecutor General's Office plans to return an additional UAH 5 billion to Ukraine's budget.

In addition, Lutsenko noted that out of the UAH 22 billion, which was confiscated earlier, only UAH 5 billion had been used so far. This was the result of "negligence of officials who take money and cannot use them."

op
Thursday, December 28, 2017

The Ohio Supreme Court declined to impose disbarment of a former judge for a serious act of domestic violence

We agree with the board that Mason committed the violations alleged in the complaint. However, we disagree with the board that disbarment is the appropriate sanction for Mason. Instead, we impose an indefinite suspension with no credit for time served on the interim felony suspension and with added conditions for reinstatement.

The case

When the misconduct in this case occurred, Mason was a sitting judge on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division. During all relevant times, he was subject to the Code of Judicial Conduct as well as the Rules of Professional Conduct.

In March 2014, Mason and his wife, Aisha Fraser Mason (Fraser), separated, with Mason continuing to live in what was the marital home and Fraser residing in an apartment. During their separation, Mason and Fraser shared equally in the custody and parenting of their two minor children.

On August 2, 2014, Mason, Fraser, and the children attended a funeral service for Masons aunt. Mason and Fraser agreed that after the service, Mason would drop Fraser off at her apartment and Mason would spend the afternoon with the children.

During the ride to Frasers apartment, the couple engaged in a conversation about their relationship. As the discussion progressed, Mason became upset and began assaulting Fraser, all the while continuing to drive. Mason struck Fraser repeatedly in the head, hit Frasers head against the armrest, the dashboard, and the window of the passenger door, and bit Fraser on her face. Fraser attempted to escape the moving car, but Mason grabbed her hair. When the car stopped at a red light, Fraser was able to open the door, but fell to the ground as she tried to flee. With the two children still in the car, Mason placed the vehicle in park, got out, and began to strike Fraser as she lay on the ground.

Mason then returned to his vehicle and drove away, leaving Fraser behind. Mason and Frasers two children (ages six and four at the time) were seated in the back seat and witnessed the events. The older child, who has special needs and possesses limited verbal abilities, was quiet while the attack was occurring, but the younger child was screaming.

Upon arriving at the house, Mason called his sister, Dr. Lynn Mason, and asked her to come and pick up the two children because he intended to shoot himself. He was arrested by police later that day.

As a result of the attack, Fraser sustained severe physical harm to her head, face, and neck, including an orbital blowout fracture under her left eye. She was hospitalized overnight from August 2-3, 2014, following the attack, and again from August 8-9, 2014, for surgery. Fraser subsequently arranged for her two children to begin counseling. As of February 2017, they continued to receive counseling as a result of what they witnessed on August 2, 2014.

He was removed from office and pleaded guilty to felony charges.

Sanction less than disbarment

In this case, Mason was convicted of a felony based on a single violent assault. Brutal it surely was. But it was not shown to be premeditated or part of a pattern of behavior. In this regard, we consider this case to be distinguishable from those cited by the board. Instead, we look to Ohio State Bar Assn. v. McCafferty, 140 Ohio St.3d 229, 2014-Ohio-3075, 17 N.E.3d 521. In that case, a sitting judge was convicted of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This court imposed an indefinite suspension with no credit for time served. We distinguished previous cases, including those cited by the board in this case: [T]he circumstances in this case can be distinguished from Gallagher, McAuliffe, and Hoskins, in which judges were permanently disbarred. In those cases, the judges had engaged in criminal conduct over a period of time, from a few days to months, and the misconduct was preplanned. Id. at  23. We emphasized that McCaffertys violations were unplanned and occurred on a single impromptu occasion, rather than as a pattern of premeditated criminal conduct. Id. at  24. Therefore, we concluded, imposition of the systems most severe sanction [was] not warranted * * *. Id.

The court imposed an indefinite suspension with conditions for reinstatement.

The oral argument is linked here. (Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/12/the-ohio-supreme-court-declined-to-impose-disbarment-of-a-former-judge-for-a-serious-act-of-domestic-violence-we-agree-with.html
UNICEF/UN0153998/Knowles-Coursin

Download photos, video and b-roll here: http://uni.cf/2kfq2jU

NEW YORK, 28 December 2017  Children in conflict zones around the world have come under attack at a shocking scale throughout the year, UNICEF warned today, with parties to conflicts blatantly disregarding international laws designed to protect the most vulnerable.

Children are being targeted and exposed to attacks and brutal violence in their homes, schools and playgrounds, said Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes. As these attacks continue year after year, we cannot become numb. Such brutality cannot be the new normal.



In conflicts around the world, children have become frontline targets, used as human shields, killed, maimed and recruited to fight. Rape, forced marriage, abduction and enslavement have become standard tactics in conflicts from Iraq, Syria and Yemen, to Nigeria, South Sudan and Myanmar.



In some contexts, children abducted by extremist groups experience abuse yet again upon release when they are detained by security forces. Millions more children are paying an indirect price for these conflicts, suffering from malnutrition, disease and trauma as basic services  including access to food, water, sanitation and health  are denied, damaged or destroyed in the fighting.

Over the course of 2017:



In Afghanistan, almost 700 children were killed in the first 9 months of the year.

In the Central African Republic, after months of renewed fighting, a dramatic increase in violence saw children being killed, raped, abducted and recruited by armed groups.

In the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, violence has driven 850,000 children from their homes, while more than 200 health centres and 400 schools were attacked. An estimated 350,000 children have suffered from severe acute malnutrition.

In northeast Nigeria and Cameroon, Boko Haram has forced at least 135 children to act as suicide bombers, almost five times the number in 2016.

In Iraq and Syria, children have reportedly been used as human shields, trapped under siege, targeted by snipers and lived through intense bombardment and violence.

In Myanmar, Rohingya children suffered and witnessed shocking and widespread violence as they were attacked and driven from their homes in Rakhine state; while children in remote border areas of Kachin, Shan, and Kayin states continued to suffer the consequences of ongoing tensions between the Myanmar Armed Forces and various ethnic armed groups.

In South Sudan, where conflict and a collapsing economy led to a famine declaration in parts of the country, more than 19,000 children have been recruited into armed forces and armed groups, and over 2,300 children have been killed or injured since the conflict first erupted in December 2013.

In Somalia, 1,740 cases of child recruitment were reported in the first 10 months of 2017.

In Yemen, nearly 1,000 days of fighting left at least 5,000 children dead or injured, according to verified data, with actual numbers expected to be much higher. More than 11 million children need humanitarian assistance. Out of 1.8 million children suffering from malnutrition, 385,000 are severely malnourished and at risk of death if not urgently treated.

In eastern Ukraine, 220,000 children lived under constant threat of mines and other explosive remnants of war due to the 500 kilometer contact line  the strip of land where fighting is most severe  becoming one of the most mine-contaminated places on earth.

UNICEF calls on all parties to conflict to abide by their obligations under international law to immediately end violations against children and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. UNICEF also calls on States with influence over parties to conflict to use that influence to protect children.

Across all these countries, UNICEF works with partners to provide the most vulnerable children with health, nutrition, education and child protection services.

#######
We delivered a $52.5 million security upgrade project in Melbournes CBD including the installation of physical barriers at Melbournes busiest locations, upgrades to CCTV cameras and a new public address system.

The upgrades provide protection for pedestrians from vehicle-based attacks and improve how police can monitor and respond to incidents.

Public-address system

Speakers have been installed in 94 locations to create a public-address system for use in emergencies. Victoria Police can use the system to provide warnings and safety information.

The system works alongside other emergency management messaging, such as text messages, as well as police and emergency services on the scene of any incident.

Security cameras

Melbournes CCTV network has been expanded, with 30 new cameras added and the existing cameras and network upgraded. To learn more about CCTV cameras in the CBD, visit the City of Melbourne's Safe City network page.
Local officials in a Phnom Penh district have extended the deadline for the last remaining residents of the Borei Keila neighborhood to leave before facing forced eviction at the hands of the authorities.

A previous deadline for the residents to leave passed last week. Borei Keila became the focus of one of Phnom Penhs most prominent land disputes after the land was bought by the Phanimex company for development.

On December 8, the 7 Makara district deputy governor, Mean Chanyada, released a statement saying that about 10 percent of the Borei Keila community had not accepted compensation offers and could be forced to move when the December 22 deadline was reached and would forfeit their rights to compensation.

One of the residents, Sar Sorn, 58, said Chanyada had given them a two-week extension. One of the main outstanding issues preventing residents from accepting compensation, she said, is that the company has allegedly not stuck to its promises to construct 10 buildings for evictees to relocate to. If we protest, they will sue us, she said.

Compensation offers range from $3,000 to $5,000 or a small apartment on the outskirts of the city. Evictees argue that the new property will cause a significant dent in their already modest incomes.

Residents, however, remain defiant despite the threat of the use of force by the authorities. We are determined to confront them because we cannot accept that little in compensation. So we will not leave. We all agreed we will go to court again, she said.

A City Hall spokesman declined to comment.

Borei Keila was the site of a mass demolition in January 2012 when the city and Phanimex sent in troops and irregular security forces to drive residents out of their homes.

Many of the residents who remain in Borei Keila have been forced to sleep on a waste dump and in abandoned buildings as they have lost their homes but have nowhere to go.
Afghan officials say more than 40 people have been killed and 84 others wounded in a suicide attack on a building in Kabul that houses a Shi'ite Muslim cultural center with ties to Iran.



A spokesman for Afghan Ministry of Public Health told reporters that four women and two children were among those killed in the blast.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. An online statement said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, and that three other bombs were also used. Previous attacks on Shi'ite worship places and processions in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan were also claimed by Islamic State.

The bomber, witnesses reported, blew himself up near a big meeting in the basement of the Tebyan Social and Cultural Center building shortly before other devices went off.

Responding to criticism over a lack of security around the building, Afghan officials said the cultural center did not inform police prior to holding Thursday's event.



The offices of the Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), a news organization, are near the cultural center. Reuters reports that at least one AVA journalist is among those killed.

Reaction

President Ashraf Ghani called the attack a "crime against humanity."

The presidential palace said in a statement the Afghan government is committed to eliminating terrorism.

"Terrorists groups and their backers must know that the Afghan people are united and stand firm to any plot carried out by their enemies; these heinous attacks will not break the resolve of the Afghan people," the statement read.

The White House issued a statement Thursday that condemned the attack and offered "its deepest condolences to the victims and their families."

"The United States stands firmly with the government and people of Afghanistan and will work closely with the National Unity Government to bring the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice. The enemies of Afghanistan will not succeed in their attempts to destroy the country and divide the Afghan people, who are resilient and committed to establishing peace and stability," the statement said.

NATO's Resolute Support mission in a statement condemned the bloodshed.

"Cultural advancement and freedom of speech will not be deterred. Our mutual enemies must know they will not win and the Afghan people will not be silenced," said the mission, which comprises mostly American troops.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan called the attack "another truly despicable crime in a year already marked by unspeakable atrocities."

The Taliban insurgency distanced itself from the attack, saying its fighters do not target civilian facilities, especially those housing education and cultural centers.

Overnight blast

Meanwhile, an overnight bomb blast in the northern province of Balkh killed at least six children. The incident took place in the district of Dawlatabad. Officials reported the victims found an improvised explosive device planted by anti-government militants, and were playing with it when it exploded.
Egypt and its North African neighbors are facing terror threats, economic pressures and political uncertainty as a year of regional turmoil draws to a close and a rocky future looms on the horizon.

Egypt suffered a series of major terror attacks against civilian and military targets in 2017, causing significant loss of life and economic damage.

As the so-called Islamic State group crumbles, analysts predict more violence to come.

"Because the so-called Islamic caliphate is collapsing in Syria and Iraq, we will then see a massive return of some of these jihadis, who would be able to penetrate within the communities of North Africa," said David Otto of Global Risk Management.

Both Tunisian and Egyptian security forces have battled Islamic militants infiltrating from neighboring Libya, a cauldron of political chaos and terrorism.

Rival Libyan governments have complicated the already thorny security situation across vast swathes of the country and its porous border. Analysts say a political solution is key.

"Libya, which is very strategic with that region that acts kind of like a bridge between that region of North Africa and central Africa, part of areas like Mali, Chad and Niger and then towards the Mediterranean in Europe. If we still have this kind of instability within Libya, then it would be difficult for most of these North African countries to be able to deal effectively with a situation."

With 95 million people, Egypt is the Arab world's most populous country and its security and economic situation affects both the Middle East and North Africa. A troubled economy represents a huge risk."The GDP is not rising, no sources of revenue have been created and tourism has not picked up," said Egyptian journalist Hisham Kassem.

A big hurdle for Egypt in 2018 will be the presidential elections happening amid a bitter divide between Islamists and liberals who are not necessarily on the side of incumbent President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

"On the political front, clearly there is no reconciliation happening in the country. The division is becoming very clear," said Kassem.

Algeria, the Arab world's second largest country, also faces political and security challenges in 2018 as many expect incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to run for a fifth term.

Like Egypt, Algeria has a large population of young people who feel they have no say in their future. Providing jobs for them, analysts say, is the most serious challenge facing regional leaders in 2018.

"You have North Africa, which has a growing population of young people who are disenfranchised, young people who are unemployed, so we have to be looking at building capacity, towards looking at a prevent program within communities...," Otto of Global Risk Management.

Analysts say if regional governments do not find solutions to the increasing droves of unemployed young people, the ongoing tragedy of refugees trying to flee by sea to Europe is likely to get worse, threatening the stability of Europe and the likelihood of more lives lost at sea.
Peruvians enraged over President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's pardon for authoritarian leader Alberto Fujimori were expected to march on Thursday in the biggest protests yet against the two men since the Christmas Eve measure was announced.

The size and impact of the protests could be an indication of whether the uproar over the pardon locks Kuczynski's already weak government into a political crisis, or peters out as he revamps his Cabinet and seeks new allies in Congress.

At least 40,000 people were expected to march in the capital Lima, and demonstrations were also planned in cities across the country and in foreign capitals, said Jorge Rodriguez, a representative of one of the activist groups organizing the protests.

This isnt just a march against the pardon, its also against President Kuczynski. We want him and all corrupt politicians out, he said.

Kuczynski cited medical grounds when he announced the pardon for the 79-year-old Fujimori, erasing his convictions for graft and human rights abuses less than halfway into a 25-year prison sentence, and shielding the former president from a pending trial.

The timing, three days after Fujimoris loyalists in Congress unexpectedly saved Kuczynski from a motion to oust him, sparked speculation among critics that it was payback.

Fujimori, 79, governed Peru with an iron fist for a decade after being swept to power by a populist wave in 1990 elections.

While many consider him a corrupt and ruthless dictator, others credit him with pulling Peru from economic ruin and quashing a violent leftist insurgency.

U.N. human rights experts called the pardon a major setback for the rule of law in Peru and an appalling slap in the face for Fujimori's victims.

Kuczynski, 79, reiterated on Thursday that the pardon was not the result of a political pact, saying it was fundamentally about forgiveness. The country cant remain divided by political struggles that only hold the country back from continuing to make progress, his office said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Fujimori apologized to the Peruvians he said he disappointed. Speaking from a hospital bed in a video message, he thanked Kuczynski for the pardon and promised to support the presidents call for national reconciliation.

Fujimoris opponents said it was too little, too late.

We suffered from his murders ... he still hasnt acknowledged his crimes, said Norma Mendez, the mother of a journalist killed in 1991 in what Perus truth commission deemed an extrajudicial attack by government agents.

Protests against the pardon over Christmas ended in clashes. Kuczynski, a 79-year-old former Wall Street banker, survived last weeks effort by opposition members of Congress to remove him over alleged links to a corruption scandal. The president denied any wrongdoing.
Cameroon's military freed 17 of its citizens held hostage by armed groups from the Central African Republic. One person was killed and four were wounded in a confrontation between the military and the kidnappers. The country say hundreds of its citizens are still in captivity.



This ambulance rushes with people said to have been wounded in armed confrontations between Cameroon's military and armed groups from the Central African Republic on the border of the two central African states.



Doctor Yali Bin Yamazani at a Norwegian missionary hospital in the Cameroonian town of Ngaoundere says all of them suffered bullet wounds.

He says the four wounded patients are not in danger even though they have fractured arms and legs.



Ahmed Ousseni, a 24-year businessman, says they were wounded when the Cameroon military attacked a base of an armed group from the Central African Republic that held him and some of his friends hostage in the bush for two months.



He says the armed men kidnapped five of them after storming their village and shooting indiscriminately in the air. He says while in the bush, five other villagers were brought and detained with them. A month later, the kidnappers brought another men to make a total of 18 hostages.



Ousseni says they were given a meal on days when there was something to eat but went hungry when there was no food. He says they were threatened with death but never beaten.



Kildadi Taguieke Boukar governor of the Adamawa region of Cameroon, says the government has taken the necessary security measures to protect the population as they continue additional operations to free dozens of others believed to be still held hostage in the bush.



He said by freeing 17 of the 18 hostages, the military has shown it is at the service of Cameroonians wherever they are, and that it will continue to protect citizens and do what is needed to free every hostage.



The military says some of the militants escaped to the Central African Republic, and several disguised in Cameroon military uniforms were killed.



Armed groups from the Central African Republic have been infiltrated Cameroon to seize cattle ranchers and business men to extort ransom from their family or steal their property.



Before 2014, when sectarian violence escalated between the Muslim and Christian militias, anti-Balaka soldiers from CAR were attacking Cameroon to force the release of Abdoulaye Meskine and 10 other militants arrested in Cameroon in 2013.



Cameroon shares a 900-kilometer boundary with the landlocked CAR and presently hosts 350,000 refugees from the neighboring state.



The United Nations this month said the security and human rights situation in CAR was starting to deteriorate after a series of major incidents rocked the capital Bangui.
China said on Thursday there had been no U.N. sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea, after a South Korea newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea.

The U.N. Security Council last week unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

The U.N. resolution seeks to ban nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year.

The U.S.-drafted resolution also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year and commits the council to further reductions if North Korea were to conduct another nuclear test or launch another ICBM.

China has consistently said it is fully enforcing all resolutions against North Korea, despite suspicion in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo that loopholes still exist.

Asked at a regular briefing whether Chinese ships were illegally providing oil to North Korean ships, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang reiterated that China, including the military, strictly enforced U.N. resolutions on North Korea.

The situation you have mentioned absolutely does not exist, Ren said, without elaborating.

Its unclear whether the Chinese military has any role in sanctions enforcement.
China's foreign ministry accused the American and German embassies on Thursday of interfering in its affairs after they objected to the prosecutions of an activist and a lawyer who handled sensitive cases.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters a joint statement by the embassies calling for Wu Gan's release and for lawyer Xie Yang to be allowed to return to work was irresponsible.

Wu, who criticized Chinese officials online, was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison on subversion charges. Xie was convicted of inciting subversion but spared a prison term after he admitted committing the offense.

"The embassies of those two countries are diplomatic missions, which have no right to point the fingers at China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty," Hua said. "We hope the relevant embassies can have a clear understanding of their duties and do something to help improve mutual trust, mutual understanding and cooperation, not the opposite."

The embassies' statement criticized the "serious mistreatment" of Wu and Xie in detention.

"We urge Chinese authorities to view lawyers and rights defenders as partners in strengthening Chinese society through development of the rule of law," the statement said.

Wu, who called himself the "Ultra Vulgar Butcher," was among the first activists and lawyers caught up in a government crackdown that began in 2015. His one-day trial was held in August.

The court said Wu made comments online that "attacked state power."

Activists such as Wu focused on individual cases instead of challenging Communist Party policy at the national level, making them a greater headache for local officials than for Beijing. But their ability to organize people apparently made authorities nervous.
The former Chinese Christian governor of Jakarta got an unusual Christmas present: a 15-day reduction on his two-year prison term. Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama was imprisoned in May for blasphemy for allegedly insulting the Quran while campaigning in Jakartas gubernatorial election. He lost the election in April and was sentenced shortly afterward.

His sentence was slightly commuted, along with 9,000 other Christian prisoners in Indonesia, as part of a policy that rewards inmates for good conduct on Indonesian independence day and major religious holidays. Those who have served at least six months in jail are eligible for sentence reductions. Its reportedly a cost-saving measure for the countrys overcrowded jails.

Ahoks Christmas present was the biggest piece of news from the holiday week in the worlds largest Muslim country, which was peaceful overall despite some unrest in the days leading up to the Christian holiday.

Indonesia typically increases security measures in December in case of unrest or terror attacks; this year it deployed 180,000 security personnel, an increase from last years 150,000. Heightened security is in place until January 3, according to the Home Affairs Ministry, and includes preparing 24-hour community health clinics and hospitals.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo posted a Christmas greeting on Twitter, writing, To all Christians in Indonesia, I wish you a Merry Christmas. The countrys religious diversity is a blessing for us all. The heads of the national police and the Indonesian military also visited Jakarta Cathedral at its midnight Christmas mass.

Minor unrest

The only major Christmas-related protest took place in Aceh, an ultraconservative province in Western Indonesia ruled by sharia law. On December 20, militant Islamists protested at the capital of Banda Aceh against Christmas and New Years Eve celebrations, in hopes of prompting a fatwa against those holidays from the local clerics.

There are no Christmas signs at all there this year, said Andreas Harsono, an Indonesia researcher with Human Rights Watch. It is more repressive than in previous years.

There are about 50,000 Christians in Aceh, but they have kept their celebrations quiet in recent years. Nine churches in the province were demolished in 2016 because of building code violations.

Bakery wars

Another controversy came from the port city of Makassar, in South Sulawesi, when a bakery refused to make a Merry Christmas cake for a longtime customer, citing religious principles.

The Chocolicious bakery offered an apology on social media, writing, Its not that we do not appreciate anyones religion. But with all due respect this is how we must act based on the principles of our religion. Once again we apologize with most sincere hearts and mutual respect as fellow Indonesians.

The incident, an interesting parallel to bakery-related culture clash in the U.S., elicited a critical op-ed from the Jakarta Post, and a mix of approving and disapproving commentary from Indonesian citizens.

Interfaith initiatives

Although Indonesia is often depicted as being on the verge of sectarian breakdown, the pendulum of tolerance typically swings back following periods of unrest, like that of the Jakarta election. Since then, the government has cracked down on hard-line Islamist groups and the Constitutional Court has made some progressive rulings, including one on religious tolerance that allows citizens to list indigenous faiths on their national ID cards.

This year, as in previous years, members of Nahdlatul Ulama, the Indonesian Sunni group that is the worlds largest Muslim organization, guarded churches on Christmas in what has become an annual interfaith tradition. Ansor, NUs youth militia wing, mobilized 2 million members across Indonesia, said Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, chairman of Ansor.

Ansor did this because of the belief that taking care of the church is the same as taking care of Indonesia, Qoumas said. Ansor realized [decades ago] that Indonesia could not be independent without the struggle of people of all religions, including Christians. In Indonesias history, many heroes have been Christian.  Now, as the majority, in Ansors opinion, Muslims must protect the minority in their worship.  Maintaining diversity is Indonesias strength.

This years Christmas celebrations were no different from those of recent years, said Bonar Tigor Naipospos of the Setara Institute, a religious affairs think tank. Safe and orderly.
Egypt's pro-government media on Thursday vilified neighboring Sudan over its expanding ties with Turkey and Qatar, saying the three are conspiring against Egypt.

While the government has publicly remained silent, Egyptian media seized on a visit to Sudan earlier this week by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a meeting in Khartoum between the chiefs of staff of Sudan, Turkey and Qatar, and renewed efforts by Khartoum to revive a longtime border dispute with Egypt.

Most views expressed in Egypt's media reflect the thinking of the government or at least one of its key institutions. The criticism of Sudan and its longtime ruler Omar Bashir included personal insults and questioning the country's statehood.

Tensions between Egypt and Sudan, which are bound by the Nile River and historic ties, often play out in the media, with the two governments keeping their distance.

The latest row could deepen a rift between Egypt and Sudan over a massive dam being built by Ethiopia that Cairo views as a threat to its share of the Nile, which provides nearly all of Egypt's water. Negotiations over the dam are at an impasse, with Sudan appearing to tilt toward Ethiopia in the dispute.

The spat could also add to regional tensions. Egypt joined Saudi Arabia in its blockade of Qatar earlier this year, and has long been at odds with both Turkey and Qatar over their support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a regional Islamist movement that is now outlawed in Egypt.

"Sudanese President Omar Bashir is playing with fire in exchange for dollars," wrote columnist Emad Adeeb in the Cairo daily Al-Watan, alluding to what he said was Bashir's attempt to gain from regional rivalries.

"Sudan is violating the rules of history and geography and is conspiring against Egypt under the shadow of Turkish madness, Iranian conspiracy, an Ethiopian scheme to starve Egypt of water and Qatar's financing of efforts to undermine Egypt," wrote Adeeb, whose column was headlined: "Omar Bashir's political suicide."

Of particular concern to Egypt, according to commentaries and news reports, is Sudan's burgeoning military ties with Turkey, including a joint naval facility on the Red Sea to repair civilian and military vessels that was announced by Bashir and the Turkish leader this week in Khartoum.

Sudan, which is in the grips of an economic crisis, complained this month to the United Nations that a maritime demarcation agreement reached in 2016 by Egypt and Saudi Arabia infringed on what it claimed to be Sudanese waters off an Egyptian-held border region it claims as its own. Egypt denies the Sudanese claim.

Egyptian media, meanwhile, insist that Bashir has ceded to Turkey sovereignty over Suakin, a small but strategic island off Sudan's Red Sea coast. Erdogan has denied his country is constructing a naval base there, saying Turkey only plans to restore Ottoman-era ruins in the area.

Emad Hussein, editor of Cairo's Al-Shorouk daily, wrote Thursday that Erdogan's visit to Sudan, the first by a Turkish head of state, "cannot be viewed ... except as harassment of Egypt and an attempt to annoy it by any means possible."
When you think of holiday movies, your mind probably goes to Christmas. But amid all that Yuletide cheer, Thanksgiving shouldn't be forgotten.
Undocumented Ethiopian migrants who are being forcibly deported from Saudi Arabia by the thousands in a new crackdown say they were mistreated by authorities while detained.

In interviews with The Associated Press upon their arrival home, the returnees described beatings, theft and stays in dirty prison camps. Their accounts brought to light one of the worlds busiest and most dangerous migrant routes but one that remains overlooked amid the larger rush toward Europe.

Saudi Arabia, like other rich Gulf nations, is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of people from impoverished East African nations like Ethiopia and Somalia. They pay traffickers for rides in boats across the narrow waters to Yemen, where they make their way by land through a war zone.

In August, traffickers heaved scores of migrants into the sea off Yemen, leaving more than 50 to drown. In March, more than 30 Somali migrants, including children, were killed - apparently in a helicopter gunship attack by a Saudi-led coalition at war in Yemen.

More than 111,500 migrants landed on Yemens shores last year, up from around 100,000 the year before, according to the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat. Those who make it to Saudi Arabia often find employment as domestic workers and farm workers, sending money to support families back home.

Saudi Arabias latest wave of deportations began Nov. 11 after several months of warnings by the government. Saudi authorities say the kingdom has detained around 250,000 people violating its residency laws in the crackdown, with approximately 50,000 already forcibly flown out of the country.

Of those who entered the country illegally, 72 percent were from Yemen and 26 percent were Ethiopians.

Human rights

Those arriving home in Ethiopia described the process as jarring and unfair. The six who spoke to the AP at the airport in the capital, Addis Ababa, said they were robbed of their possessions by Saudi police officers who shared their money between them. Some of the returnees said they saw compatriots being shot and wounded when they tried to escape police roundups.

The prison cell I was put into was so dirty that some of us were severely sick. It was like a toilet, said Sadiq Ahmed, a former teacher who went to Saudi Arabia five years ago and was detained for 11 days before his deportation. As if this was not enough, we were robbed of our belongings. I came here with nothing. I know lots of people who went insane because of this torment.

Human Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle said that in interviews with dozens of Yemeni migrants in a previous Saudi crackdown in 2014, many described serious abuses during the process of detention and deportation, including attacks by security forces. The rights group has not documented the current campaign, he said.

Saudi authorities did not respond to requests for comment.

Ethiopias government says more than 14,000 of its citizens have been deported since mid-November and 70,000 have returned voluntarily, but the International Organization Migration says the number that has left forcibly or voluntarily since the amnesty period ended in June has reached 96,000.

Saudi Arabia ordered all undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily in March, an order later extended until June. The majority of the migrants chose to remain and now face forced deportation.

I stayed in Saudi Arabia for five years just to support my family and other siblings, said deportee Fozia Omar, adding that she spent one month in prison but was allowed to bring her luggage. We have suffered a lot. I would like to beg my brothers and sisters not to repeat the mistake we already made, in the name of Allah.

An estimated 400,000 Ethiopian migrants had been living in Saudi Arabia.

The number of returnees could rise even higher in the coming weeks, the IOM said, adding that around $30 million is needed to cover their immediate needs. Those include transportation to final destinations for many of the most vulnerable such as unaccompanied minors, single mothers and those who said they had been abused.

The spokesman for Ethiopias ministry of foreign affairs, Meles Alem, said the government continues to work with Saudi officials to safely bring citizens home.
A U.S. federal court Wednesday charged a fourth suspect in a human trafficking scheme that promised teenage workers an education and easy jobs on an egg farm.

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Pablo Duran Ramirez Saturday as he tried to cross onto the United States from Mexico.

Three others have already been sentenced from four to 15 years in prison for their part in the scheme

Ramirez allegedly joined the three others in recruiting minors in Guatemala to come to the United States, promising them a chance to go to school and earn money working for Trillium Farms, an egg farm in Marion, Ohio.

The teenagers were smuggled into the U.S. and soon found themselves living in shabby trailers and working up to 12 hours a day at difficult tasks. They were forced to clean chicken coops, carry heavy crates, and cut the beaks off live birds.

The bosses refused to pay the teens and threatened to beat them to force them to work.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are also investigating.
After decades of hope and high promise, this was the year scientists really showed they could doctor DNA to successfully treat diseases. Gene therapies to treat cancer and even pull off the biblical-sounding feat of helping the blind to see were approved by U.S. regulators, establishing gene manipulation as a new mode of medicine.

Almost 20 years ago, a teen's death in a gene experiment put a chill on what had been a field full of outsized expectations. Now, a series of jaw-dropping successes have renewed hopes that some one-time fixes of DNA, the chemical code that governs life, might turn out to be cures.

"I am totally willing to use the 'C' word," said the National Institutes of Health's director, Dr. Francis Collins.

Gene therapy aims to treat the root cause of a problem by deleting, adding or altering DNA, rather than just treating symptoms that result from the genetic flaw.

The advent of gene editing  a more precise and long-lasting way to do gene therapy  may expand the number and types of diseases that can be treated. In November, California scientists tried editing a gene inside someone's body for the first time, using a tool called zinc finger nucleases for a man with a metabolic disease. It's like a cut-and-paste operation to place a new gene in a specific spot. Tests of another editing tool called CRISPR, to genetically alter human cells in the lab, may start next year.

"There are a few times in our lives when science astonishes us. This is one of those times," Dr. Matthew Porteus, a Stanford University gene editing expert, told a Senate panel discussing this technology last month.

It's a common path for trail-blazing science  success initially seems within reach, setbacks send researchers back to the lab, new understandings emerge over years, and studies ultimately reveal what is safe and effective.

Here is a look at what's been achieved and what lies ahead.

A string of firsts

The year started with no gene therapies sold in the U.S. and only a couple elsewhere. Then the Food and Drug Administration approved the first CAR-T cell therapies, which alter a patient's own blood cells to turn them into specialized cancer killers. They're only for certain types of leukemia and lymphoma now, but more are in the works for other blood cancers.

Last week, the FDA approved Luxturna, the first gene therapy for an inherited disease, a form of blindness. People with it can't make a protein needed by the retina, tissue at the back of the eye that converts light into signals to the brain, enabling sight. The therapy injects a modified virus containing a corrective gene into the retina so the cells can make the protein.

Children who received the treatment told what it was like to gain vision.

"Oh yikes, colors. Colors are super fun," said 13-year-old Caroline Carper of Little Rock, Arkansas. "And the sunshine is blinding."

Gene therapies also showed some promise against a variety of diseases including hemophilia, a blood clotting problem; "bubble boy" disease, where a flawed immune system leaves patients vulnerable to fatal infections; and sickle cell disease, a serious and painful blood disorder common among black people.

It's not all good news, though. The therapies don't work for everyone. They're shockingly expensive. And no one knows how long some results will last, though scientists say the aim is a one-time repair that gets at the root cause.

"The whole promise ... is to cure diseases. It's based on the rationale of fixing the problem," not just improving treatment, said Dr. Carl June, a University of Pennsylvania scientist who pioneered CAR-T therapy.

A new frontier: Gene editing

In mid-November, Brian Madeux, a 44-year-old Phoenix man with a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome, had just become the first person to try an experimental gene editing treatment.

"I believe in science," he texted The Associated Press after doctors sent viruses containing a corrective gene and an editing tool through an IV into his body. The hope is that the gene and the editing tool would enter some of his liver cells and insert the instructions needed to start making an enzyme he lacks.

It's not known yet if it worked. Sangamo Therapeutics is testing its therapy in several studies, and independent monitors will help decide when results are released.

"It's a pretty exciting milestone," Collins said, because it shows a way to treat more diseases than ones that can be addressed now by altering blood cells in the lab or injecting genes into the eye.

"You can imagine having a scalable approach to thousands of genetic diseases," he said.

What's next

Top of Collins' list: muscular dystrophy and sickle cell.

There's been so much progress that the NIH has modified an oversight panel that just a few years ago reviewed every gene therapy experiment in the U.S. Most are considered safe enough to go ahead without the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee's review. The panel hasn't even met for a year.

When the panel was formed decades ago, "there was a lot of concern that a graduate student could take some of this home and create a monster in his basement," said one panel member, Boston scientist Dr. Howard Kaufman.

Those fears have eased, he said.

"There's no monsters that have materialized from this."
India's powerful lower house of parliament on Thursday approved a bill making the practice of instant divorce illegal and punishable with up to three years imprisonment for offending husbands.



The bill came months after India's Supreme Court ruled that the Muslim practice that allows men to instantly divorce their wives was unconstitutional.

Several opposition parties criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for not discussing the legislation with them before introducing it in Parliament on Thursday. The approved bill will now go to the upper house of parliament, where it needs approval before it becomes law.



More than 20 Muslim countries, including neighboring Pakistan and Bangladesh, have banned the practice. But in India, the practice has continued with the protection of laws that allow Muslim, Christian and Hindu communities to follow religious law in matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.



While most Hindu personal laws have been overhauled and codified over the years, Muslim laws have been left to religious authorities and left largely untouched.

Women's rights activist Zakia Soman said it was a much needed law for Muslim women, who have suffered legal discrimination with Hindu and Christian women enjoying protection under separate laws.



Most of the 170 million Muslims in India are Sunnis governed by Muslim Personal Law for family matters and disputes. Those laws include allowing men to divorce their wives by simply uttering the Arabic word talaq, or divorce, three times - and not necessarily consecutively, but at any time, and by any medium, including telephone, text message or social media post.



Kamal Farooqi, a leader representing the All India Muslim Personal Board, a top grouping of Islamic organizations, said the organization was opposed to the practice of instant divorce but argued against the government or courts interfering in religious laws.



He said the board was in favor of leaving the divorce issue to the Muslim community to tackle. But several progressive Muslim activists decried the board's position.
Israel's parliament has passed legislation curbing a police practice of recommending indictments in high-profile cases before charges are pressed.

The bill was pushed by Benjamin Netanyahu's party as he faces corruption allegations, and critics said it was designed to shield the long-ruling prime minister.

The so-called "recommendations bill" passed early Thursday after days of filibustering. It stops police from recommending to prosecutors whether to indict suspects upon completing their investigations. It also aims to stop leaks to the media from the investigations themselves. Much of the details of police investigations of Netanyahu that have been published stem from such leaks.

Critics say the law muzzles police and other institutions. Some opponents, including an opposition party and an activist group, said they plan to challenge the law in court. An initial version was watered down after an uproar and the law as passed does not apply to current investigations, including those concerning Netanyahu.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog called it "an immediate and explicit threat" to law enforcement. He said it marks "the battle between the country's spirit of democracy and a spirit of corruption."

Supporters of the bill say it's needed to protect citizens who are investigated but never charged and have their reputations tarnished when recommendations are made public.

Netanyahu has been questioned in two cases and police say they suspect him of being involved in bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

One investigation involving Netanyahu, dubbed by police "File 1000," reportedly concerns claims he improperly accepted lavish gifts from supporters, including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan.

The second investigation, "File 2000," reportedly concerns Netanyahu's secret talks with the publisher of a major Israeli newspaper in which Netanyahu allegedly requested positive coverage in exchange for reining in a free pro-Netanyahu daily.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and calls the accusations a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media.

Another investigation has engulfed his close associates. "File 3000" relates to a possible conflict of interest involving the purchase of German submarines. Netanyahu's personal attorney, who is also his cousin, represented the German firm involved and is suspected of trading his influence with the prime minister in return for a hefty cut of the deal.

Netanyahu has not been named a suspect in that probe.
Italy aims to deploy up to 470 troops to Niger to help tackle people-smuggling, the military General Staff said Thursday.

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Sunday some of the 1,400 Italian troops now stationed in Iraq could be transferred to the Sahel region in West Africa  which includes Niger  after victories against Islamist militants in Iraq.

Gentiloni said the redeployed troops could also help to combat terrorism in the Sahel.

The General Staff said in a statement that a reconnaissance mission was under way in Niger to help decide the scale of the assistance, which the African country's government has requested but which still needs to be approved by Italy's parliament.

If the necessary approval is given, Italy would aim to gradually send up to 470 troops, probably posting an average of 250 over the course of a year, the statement said.

"The aim of the mission is to increase the operational capacity of the Niger forces and put them in a position to guarantee stability in the area and fight illegal trafficking of migrants," it added.

Italy's president dissolved parliament Thursday ahead of an election due in March, but lawmakers will continue to meet, and could approve Gentiloni's request to transfer the personnel.

Italy is especially keen to help tackle the people-smuggling gangs because it has borne the brunt of seaborne illegal migration to Europe from Africa.

More than 600,000 people have made the perilous journey across the central Mediterranean from Libya in the past four years. Arrivals have fallen sharply since officials working for the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli persuaded smugglers to stop boats leaving and the Libyan coast guard stepped up interceptions at sea.
Japanese authorities on Thursday indicted the North Korean captain of a boat that drifted to its coast on charges of stealing a generator, appliances and other equipment from an uninhabited island, officials and media reports said.



The captain and his nine crewmembers on the dilapidated boat were rescued near a tiny island off of Hokkaido, northern Japan, in late November. Japanese police said they arrested the captain and two crewmembers earlier this month on suspicion they stole a generator and appliances from a barn on the island.



Prosecutors on Thursday charged the captain with theft, meaning he will stand trial in Japan, according to reports from Japanese media, including NHK public television. The prosecutor's office declined to comment on the case when contacted by telephone.



NHK reported that the captain played a leading role and also stole nearly 40 items including a television, appliances, as well as solar panels and equipment for a lighthouse on the island, worth more than 5.6 million yen ($50,000).



Winds and water currents push dozens of boats on to Japan's northern coasts annually. Rickety North Korean fishing boats are particularly vulnerable because they lack the sturdiness and equipment to return home.



The increased pace of the past few weeks has prompted Japanese authorities to step up patrols.



About 100 of the vessels, many of them empty, have been detected this year, most of them since November. Japanese authorities have been holding dozens of people from those boats and eight men were recently repatriated via Beijing after they expressed a desire to return home.
Pakistan has warned the United States against undertaking any "unilateral" military action on its soil and rejected as baseless accusations of "inaction" against the Haqqani Network plotting deadly attacks in neighboring Afghanistan.



Chief military spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor reiterated Thursday that Pakistani forces have undertaken "indiscriminate operations" against terrorists, including Haqqanis," rendering U.S. charges of "inaction" as irrelevant and baseless.



He went on to say the impact of Pakistan's counterterrorism actions "will be seen in subsequent years and months."



"Unfortunately, in this context, we are getting signals of a unilateral action from America," Gafoor said while addressing a news conference at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.



U.S. officials have long accused Islamabad of turning a blind eye or covertly helping the Afghan Taliban and Haqqanis to stage cross-border attacks against Afghan and U.S.-led forces.



The Pentagon recently told Congress it will work to expand cooperation with Pakistan "in areas where our interests converge and to take unilateral steps in areas of divergence."

Earlier this month, CIA Director Mike Pompeo warned Islamabad that if it does not eliminate the alleged safe havens inside its territory, the U.S. will do "everything we can" to destroy them.



General Ghafoor questioned and criticized the U.S. threats, saying they ignore a "huge price both in blood and treasure" Pakistan has paid in fighting terrorism in support of coalition efforts in Afghanistan.



"The armed forces of Pakistan are working with friends and want to continue doing so," he said. "But there can be no compromise on our sovereignty. We do not want a conflict with our friends but would ensure security of Pakistan."



He noted Islamabad has been cooperating and contributing to peace inside Afghanistan. He said Pakistan will continue to do so.



"No amount of coercion can work. It is only the engagement and trust based cooperation which can take us forward towards enduring peace in the region," said Ghafoor. "If there are any facilitators and abetters inside Pakistan that can only be addressed if the 2.7 million Afghan refugees are sent back to Afghanistan."



Ghafoor added that Pakistan is securing its long porous frontier with Afghanistan by building a fence, security posts and forts to control cross-border movement. The fencing project will be completed by December of 2018, he added.



"We have done enough and we cannot do anymore for anyone," he said. " Actually, this is [the] turn and time for Afghanistan and the United States to do more rather than asking Pakistan."



U.S. officials have not elaborated on what kind of military action they intend to take. In 2011, U.S. special forces conducted a unilateral operation in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad and killed al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.



CIA-run drones have also been targeting suspected militant hideouts in border regions of Pakistan and some anticipate expansion of such strikes deep inside the country.
The president of Peru and one of his leading political rivals were due to be questioned Thursday by prosecutors investigating payments to politicians by Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and former Congresswoman Keiko Fujimori have been summoned by anti-corruption prosecutors in separate investigations. Both were told to appear behind closed doors but Fujimori rebuffed previous summons and may do so again. The president and Fujimori, leader of the Popular Force party in Congress, have denied wrongdoing.

The questions come shortly after Kuczynski narrowly avoided impeachment over the corruption allegations and then set off protests by pardoning jailed former President Alberto Fujimori. Many Peruvians believe the pardon was done to secure support from another political party led by Fujimori's son.

The former CEO of Odebrecht has admitted that company executives paid bribes and campaign contributions to secure public works contracts.

Kuczynski, a 79-year-old former Wall Street banker, was already unpopular when an opposition-led investigative committee revealed documents showing Odebrecht made $782,000 in payments to his private consulting firm more than a decade ago. The payments were made during years Kuczynski served as a Peruvian government minister.

Keiko Fujimori came under scrutiny because of an apparent reference to her when she was a presidential candidate in 2011 found on the phone of the former Odebrecht CEO, who admitted to Peruvian prosecutors that the company gave money to her. She denies that her party received any money from the company but has not submitted to questions by prosecutors on three previous occasions.
In Malawi, the push for more women members of parliament was dealt a blow when the government said it would not consider a proposal to create 28 automatic seats for women. Malawi ranks among the countries within the South African Development Community and world where women are underrepresented in government.



Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Samuel Tembenu said the government removed the provision because it would be a disadvantage to women candidates in some constituencies.



He said the provision would also involve a laborious and complicated legal process, including amending constitutional provisions and other electoral laws.

Activists appeal

Proponents of the provision say its removal is unfortunate.



Esmie Kainja, a member of the Special Law Commission that came up with the proposal, told reporters the 28-seat idea was the best option among many that were intended to increase the number of women in parliament.



"There were many options [which were rejected]," she said. "There was an issue of taking quotas at [the] party level; there was another option of just taking one constituent per district to be attached to women that also did not work."



She said although the proposed 28 seats might sound irrational, it gave an assurance that Malawi would achieve at least 30 percent female representation in parliament as required by the SADC Protocol, which the bloc adopted in 2008 with the goal of ensuring equal rights for women and an end to discrimination.



Out of 193 members in Malawi's parliament, only 32 are women.



'50-50 campaign'



Emma Kaliya is the national coordinator for the NGO Gender Coordination Network, which has long headed Malawi's "50-50 campaign" for equal gender representation.



"For the executive to remove that recommendation, now I am beginning to doubt if Malawi is really serious about achieving gender equality and women empowerment in the area of politics," she said. "And it is very sad that it is happening to us in this way."



Kaliya said Malawi should have learned from countries like South Africa, Mozambique and Uganda, where similar provisions have helped increase the number of women in decision-making positions.



"We need to impress on government that they have an obligation to make things work for everybody in Malawi on politics and outside politics," she said. "And this is about gender equality."



Gender activists say they are attempting to have the provision reconsidered.
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a local lawmaker in the western Mexican state of Jalisco on Thursday, authorities said, the latest killing in a gang-ravaged region ahead of elections next summer.

Saul Galindo, a lawmaker for the opposition center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution, headed the justice committee in the Jalisco state congress, according to its website.

Galindo was at home in the town of Tomatlan when gunmen arrived and shot him, a spokeswoman from the state attorney general's office said. Galindo was running for mayor of Tomatlan, according to his Twitter feed.

Tomatlan lies in the western part of the state, an area where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the country's most powerful drug gangs, has a strong presence.

Mexico holds a string of national, state and local elections on July 1, including in Jalisco and its 125 municipalities.

The motive for the slaying was unclear, said the office of the state attorney general, who is investigating the case.

Earlier this week, an activist for the center-left Citizens Movement, the party that holds the mayoralty of state capital Guadalajara, was also shot dead in Jalisco.

Elections in Mexico can cause violence in areas where gangs seek to influence local politics.
U.S. airstrikes killed four members of the al-Shabab extremist group and destroyed a vehicle carrying explosives near the Somali capital, U.S. Africa Command said Thursday.

The strike, carried out on Wednesday evening 25 kilometers west of Mogadishu, prevented the "vehicle-borne improvised explosive device" from being used against civilians in the capital, the statement from the military said.

The statement also said that the U.S. Africa Command had assessed no civilians were killed in the strike, which was carried out in coordination with Somalia's federal government.

The United States has carried out over 30 such airstrikes against terrorist group al-Shabab and a small but growing number of Islamic State-linked fighters in the past year.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon said a December 24 airstrike in southern Somalia killed 13 al-Shabab militants northwest of the coastal city of Kismayo.

"The strike targeted the militants as they mobilized to launch an attack against our base. Fortunately, the military from a friendly nation disabled them with a drone strike and killed 13 of them," a Somali military commander in the area told VOA.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration approved expanding military operations in the Horn of Africa nation, where al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab is attempting to overthrow the Somali government and impose a strict version of Islamic law.
The Somali government has retaken control of its air space after more than two decades. Air traffic over the Horn of Africa nation had been controlled by the United Nations from neighboring Kenya since 1992, a year after the Somali civil war broke out.

Inaugurating the aviation control center in the capital, Mogadishu, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo said this is a sign the country is moving forward.





"We are here today because we've worked together, stopped fighting among ourselves, we fought division," said Farmajo. "As you know, nothing will work if there is division and people are fighting among themselves. Today we have continuity. We are building on other things and strengthening and making an effort achieving things for the country."



The president and government officials toured the newly equipped center Thursday, the day Somalia formally retook control of its airspace from the International Civil Aviation Organization.



The U.N.'s aviation agency began controlling air traffic over Somalia after the county descended into civil war. Because of security concerns, the organization worked from Kenya.



Somalia's aviation and air transport minister, Mohamed Abdullahi Salad, told reporters the entire process of controlling the country's skies will be complete in early 2018.



"From today, the airspace of Somalia will be controlled from here. In the next two months, we will be working with others in Nairobi," said Omar. "This is not an easy process like moving from one house to another. It will require some time."



Some critics say Somalia is still not safe, as al-Shabab militants continue to carry out attacks against the internationally recognized government and civilians.



Airplanes have been avoiding the southern part of the country, instead flying into the north and northeast, where there is relative peace and stability.



President Farmajo urged al-Shabab to let the whole country have peace.



"To those who are against peace, Somalia is moving forward, and it's not going to stop for anyone," said Farmajo. "We are building the army and day after day they are getting better. We are telling you to stop what you are doing, killing your people. Come back to your people so that you can take part in rebuilding the country."



Government officials say they will provide training to air traffic controllers and improve security at the Mogadishu airport, where the African Union mission in Somalia, which is fighting al-Shabab, still has a heavy presence.
More than 2,000 Puerto Rican police officers called in sick on Christmas Day as controversy continues over overtime pay they say they have been owed since Hurricanes Irma and Maria damaged the island in September.

Reports this week from the Puerto Rican capital, San Juan, said some precincts had as few as three officers to cover four towns on the holiday, while security concerns in towns without power were still high.

As the island struggles to recover from the two Category 5 hurricanes that knocked out many basic services, authorities said police officers had been working 12- to 16-hour days to fill the need and guard against crimes, especially thefts of power generators.

Ramos Rosario Cortes, the island's public affairs and public policy secretary, announced Tuesday that the government would issue $6.4 million in overtime pay to police officers for the second half of December, to add to the $15 million it had made in overtime payments since Hurricane Maria hit.

But lawmaker Felix Lassalle Toro, Puerto Rico's House of Representatives Public Safety Committee chairman, said that amount was only a partial payment.

"We will not rest until they are paid what they are owed," Lassalle Toro told the San Juan Star on Wednesday. "Puerto Rico has a debt to them and we will honor it."

But he also pleaded with police officers to return to work.

"At this moment, we need them in the street, patrolling, helping the people," he said. "That is my request today."

Called in sick



The Star said 2,216 police officers had called in sick over Christmas weekend. That figure did not include officers who had scheduled time off ahead of the holiday.

Puerto Rico police are not allowed to unionize, but the head of an association that represents more than 8,000 police officers, Carlos Morales, told The Associated Press: "The question is quite clear: Do they have the money to pay police officers? That's the biggest battle we face to help solve the problem."

AP reported that the overtime funds were slow in coming because Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, must wait for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency before it can pay the money that many of Puerto Rico's 13,000 police officers say they are due.

Immediately following the hurricanes, which hit in rapid succession in September, police officers worked as long as 16 hours a day, seven days a week.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico Police Chief Michelle Hernandez recommended to Governor Ricardo Rossello that the U.S. National Guard be used to help fill temporary vacancies on the police force. AP said Rossello's administration rejected that idea.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has touted the diplomatic accomplishments of President Donald Trump's administration this year, saying "Americans should be encouraged" by its dealings with the U.S.' "greatest security threat," North Korea, along with China and Russia.

In an opinion piece published Thursday in The New York Times, Tillerson wrote that Trump "abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience" and adopted a "policy of pressure" toward North Korea "through diplomatic and economic sanctions."

The United Nations Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea last Friday, slashing fuel supplies, tightening shipping restrictions and appealing for the expulsion of North Koreans working abroad  a significant source of revenue for Pyongyang.

Tillerson also said pressure from the U.S. and its allies "has cut off roughly 90 percent of North Korea's export revenue," much of which he said Pyongyang used to fund the development of illegal weapons.

"We hope that this international isolation will pressure the regime into serious negotiations on the abandonment of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs," Tillerson wrote.

After overcoming technological obstacles this year to develop a modern nuclear weapons program, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un denounced the new sanctions on Christmas Day, saying that they represent "an act of war" and that relinquishing his country's nuclear weapons was a "pipe dream."

Tillerson said China has imposed some import bans and sanctions against North Korea, "but it could and should do more." He said the U.S. would pursue talks with China on issues such as trade imbalances and China's "troubling" military activities in the South China Sea. The U.S. will also "carefully consider" how to manage its long-term relationship with China, which Tillerson described as a rising "economic and military power."

Tillerson praised the U.S. role in the recapture of Islamic State territory in Iraq and Syria and the administration's new Afghanistan-focused South Asia strategy. Tilllerson said Afghanistan "cannot become a safe haven for terrorists" and called on Pakistan to fight terrorists "on its own soil."

"We are prepared to partner with Pakistan to defeat terrorists organizations seeking safe havens, but Pakistan must demonstrate its desire to partner with us," he wrote.

The top American diplomat acknowledged the U.S. has a poor relationship with a "resurgent Russia" that has invaded neighboring countries Georgia and Ukraine and "undermined the sovereignty of Western nations by meddling in our election and others."

Shortly after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who was leading the probe into Russia, former FBI Director Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel of an investigation into whether any members of Trump's campaign conspired with Russian agents during the campaign.

Earlier this year, the U.S. intelligence community released a report concluding Russia had meddled in the 2016 presidential election, showing a preference for Trump over Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent. There are also several congressional probes into the matter. Russia denies meddling in the election, and Trump has denied any collusion with the Russians.

"While we are on guard against Russian aggression, we recognize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect," Tillerson wrote, citing the Syrian civil war where the two countries have supported opposing sides but pushed for peace negotiations.

Tillerson's remarks about Iran were less conciliatory. He said the U.S. has abandoned the "flawed Iran nuclear deal" as the focus of its policy toward the Persian Gulf country, adding, "We are now confronting the totality of Iranian threats."

The assessment of the administration's diplomatic successes this year belies the tension that has existed between Tillerson and Trump. Senior administration officials said last month the White House has developed a plan to push Tillerson out of office. The two men have disagreed on a number of significant issues, including the confrontation with North Korea and the Iran nuclear deal.

Tilllerson reportedly called the president a "moron" and Trump publicly disparaged Tillerson for "wasting his time" by reaching out diplomatically to North Korea.
A top U.N. official says he fears Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is "using children as bargaining chips" in a deal to evacuate critically ill patients, mainly children, from a besieged opposition-held town on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.



Jan Egeland, the special adviser to the U.N.'s special envoy to Syria, expressed frustration about the emergence of a reciprocal deal that is seeing Assad officials agreeing to the evacuation of ill children in exchange for the release of Syrian government workers being detained by rebels.



"Let's hope that the agreements are good when they come," Egeland told the BBC.



"There can also be bad agreements," he added. "It is not a good agreement if they exchange sick children for detainees; that means children become bargaining chips in some tug of war. That shouldn't happen. They have a right to the evacuation and we have an obligation to evacuate them."

Urgent cases



Since Tuesday, 32 patients have been evacuated from the Damascus area, half of them coming from the Eastern Ghouta suburb. The International Red Cross said the other half were urgent cases.



Eastern Ghouta, one of the last rebel strongholds, has been besieged by Syrian regime forces and Shi'ite allies for more than five years and targeted daily by government warplanes as well as artillery. The enclave is a mixture of towns and farming villages. The government has refused to lift a near-total blockade of the area for the past eight months.



Eastern Ghouta was targeted in an alleged sarin gas attack by Assad's forces in 2013.



Aid convoys have been allowed into the battered enclave only rarely. Its estimated population of 400,000 suffers severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines. The suburb has been designated one of the "de-escalation zones."



Russia and Iran, both allies of the Syrian government, along with Turkey, agreed on them earlier this year, but in recent weeks hostilities have broken out between regime forces and rebels.



The dominant rebel group in Eastern Ghouta, Jaish al-Islam, confirmed Wednesday that the Assad regime had agreed to evacuations in exchange for the release of 29 detained workers.

"We have agreed to the release of a number of prisoners  in exchange for the evacuation of the most urgent humanitarian cases," the rebel faction said in a statement.

Priority list



In November, the U.N. submitted a priority list that contained the names of nearly 500 critically ill people, urging that they be allowed to be evacuated. The U.N. has tried to convince world powers to help arrange the medical evacuation.



Many on that list have already died, according to U.N. officials; but, with little in the way of medical facilities, others are becoming seriously ill. As in other parts of rebel-held territory, aid workers and rebels say the government purposely targets clinics and hospitals.



"The Syrian war has been a war against the medical profession in many ways," Egeland said. "Too many hospitals have been bombed, have been hit on both sides; hundreds of doctors and nurses have been killed or wounded, so what is left in Eastern Ghouta for the 400,000 civilians is not that much."



Valerie Petitpierre of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the organization is hoping more evacuees will be allowed out of the besieged town. She said the ICRC continues to insist that humanitarian action should not be used as a bargaining chip.



Syria's state-run Ikhbariya television reported Thursday that 35 medical cases had been evacuated by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), while the insurgents had freed 34 detainees. But those numbers were disputed by aid workers.



Yasser Delwan, a Jaish al-Islam political official in Ghouta, told reporters Wednesday SARC had mediated between Damascus and the rebels for swaps, but that the fate of hundreds of others with life-threatening conditions remains unresolved and several of the most urgent cases slated for evacuation had died.



Those evacuated this week include 18 children and four women. The patients suffered from a variety of illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, kidney failure and blood disorders.



Fayez Arabi, a spokesman for the opposition-held Rural Damascus Health Directorate, said, "The number of people awaiting evacuation due to inadequate medicine and medical supplies has now surpassed 600."
U.S. President Donald Trump accused China Thursday of facilitating oil shipments into North Korea, despite China's insistence it has not violated United Nations sanctions limiting oil shipments to the rogue nation. Writing on Twitter, he said he is "very disappointed."



A South Korean newspaper reported earlier Thursday that Chinese and North Korean ships had illicitly connected at sea to get oil into North Korea.



The U.N. Security Council last week imposed new sanctions designed to limit North Korea access to oil in response to the country's recent long-range missile test. In November, it test-launched its latest intercontinental ballistic missile, which many U.S. experts have warned would be capable of striking anywhere on U.S. soil.



The sanctions seek to bar 90-percent of refined oil exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and limit crude oil exports at 4 million barrels annually.



China has repeatedly said it is enforcing all resolutions against Pyongyang, despite doubts in the U.S., South Korea and Japan that loopholes continue to exist.

When asked at a recent media briefing whether Chinese ships were illegally loading oil on North Korean vessels, Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang repeated that China and its military are strictly enforcing U.N. resolutions on North Korea.



"The situation you have mentioned absolutely does not exist," said Ren.
When President Donald Trump fired James Comey in May, he said he was acting on the recommendation of Justice Department leaders who had faulted the FBI director for publicly releasing "derogatory information" about Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of the email server investigation one year earlier.

Yet with each tweet about the Clinton probe, Trump seems to be further undermining his administration's stated rationale for a termination that's now central to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

The disconnect between Trump's attacks on Comey's handling of the email investigation and the criticism of Comey by his own Justice Department could muddy the narrative about exactly why Comey was fired. This may complicate efforts by the president's legal team to present a coherent narrative as Mueller and his prosecutors examine whether the dismissal could support obstruction of justice allegations.

Email issue

Trump has complained for months about the FBI's decision not to pursue criminal charges against Clinton, his Democratic opponent in the 2016 presidential election, for her use of a personal email server. He has suggested the criminal investigation was rigged in her favor, claiming in one October tweet that Comey "totally protected" her.

In the last few weeks alone, he seized on the revelation of politically charged text messages from an FBI agent who worked on that probe to again deride the investigation and, in a Saturday tweet that appeared to suggest Clinton should have been prosecuted, he referred to "33,000 illegally deleted emails."

Yet those attacks are increasingly hard to square with a Justice Department memo that the White House in May held up as justification for firing Comey. That memo, authored by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, cites an unusual July 2016 news conference in which Comey described Clinton and her aides as "extremely careless," as well as notification to Congress, days before the election, that the investigation was being revisited because of the sudden discovery of additional emails.

"From the beginning there's always been serious doubt that the memo from the deputy attorney general was the actual reason the president fired the FBI director," said Scott Fredericksen, a Washington criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor. "These tweets," he added, "probably don't help the president in that regard."

A lawyer for Trump did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Mueller's team has been keenly interested for months in the circumstances of Comey's firing, with prosecutors obtaining an initial White House memo, drafted but never released, that purported to lay out a basis for Comey's removal.

Comey criticized

The final memo that the White House released on May 9, signed by Rosenstein, castigated Comey for announcing that criminal charges were not warranted against Clinton even though such determinations are generally left to Justice Department prosecutors. He also faulted Comey for comments made during that news conference, which he said broke with Justice Department protocol by issuing "derogatory information" about someone who was not charged.

Though he did not explicitly say it, Rosenstein's assessment seemed in line with that of Clinton and her supporters  that Comey's statements and actions during the investigation had harmed her election prospects.

"The director laid out his version of the facts for the news media as if it were a closing argument, but without a trial," Rosenstein wrote. "It is a textbook example of what federal prosecutors and agents are taught not to do."

In a single-page letter to Comey released alongside Rosenstein's memo, Trump said he was accepting the Justice Department's recommendation to fire him.

From the start, though, that explanation has been tough to reconcile with Trump's blistering attacks on Clinton, and his constant assertions on the campaign trail and as president that she should have been prosecuted. He returned to that theme days after Mueller revealed a plea deal with Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, when he tweeted: "Many people in our Country are asking what the 'Justice' Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and 'acid washed' 33,000 Emails? No justice!"

On Saturday, amid reports that FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe  a frequent Trump target  was retiring soon, the president tweeted, "How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin' James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wife's campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?"

Value in silence

"The irony is most politicians would recognize that perpetuating silence post-firing would have been the most effective course," said Jacob Frenkel, a Washington defense lawyer and former prosecutor.

In the event charges are brought or impeachment proceedings are begun, that kind of inconsistent messaging would present "not just entertaining fodder for cross-examination" but also material that could be used to challenge a witness's credibility, Frenkel said.

But by the same token, the evolving messaging could oddly benefit Trump by making it difficult to attach any one motive or reason  such as a desire to shut down the Russia investigation  for Comey's firing.

"Once you start picking on one tweet or one message, then it becomes, `What about this tweet or that message?' You're constantly having competing messages," Frenkel said.
Eager for more legislative achievements before Washingtons focus shifts to the midterm elections, President Donald Trump plans to start the new year by meeting with Republican congressional leaders to plot the 2018 legislative agenda, the White House said.

After returning to Washington from Florida, where he is spending the holidays, Trump will host House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky at the rustic Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland during the weekend of Jan. 6-7.

Spokesmen for Ryan and McConnell have confirmed they will attend.

The powwow will follow the recent enactment of legislation to cut taxes, beginning next year, for corporations and individuals at an estimated cost of $1.5 trillion added to the national debt over 10 years.

The bill marked the first big legislative achievement for Trump and congressional Republicans, who made cutting taxes a must-do this year after the Senate failed to close the deal on another top GOP promise: to repeal and replace the Obama health care law.

While the tax bill ends the requirement that all Americans buy health insurance or pay a fine, which is a key component of the Affordable Care Act, it leaves intact other features of the health care law. No Democrats voted for the tax bill, which Trump signed during a hastily arranged White House ceremony, without any lawmakers present, before he flew to Florida last Friday.

Lengthy agenda

Trump predicted in a tweet earlier this week that Democrats and Republicans will eventually come together to develop a new health care plan. The president is also forecasting unity between the parties on spending to upgrade aging roads, bridges and other transportation. The White House has said Trump will unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan in January.

Ryan, meanwhile, has talked about overhauling Medicaid and Medicare and other welfare programs, but McConnell has signaled an unwillingness to go that route unless theres Democratic support for any changes. Trump has also said he wants to pursue welfare reform next year because people are taking advantage of the system.

Backlog from 2017

Congress, meanwhile, will open the year facing a backlog from 2017.

The list includes agreeing by Jan. 19 on a government funding bill to avert a partial government shutdown and to boost Pentagon spending. Lawmakers also must agree on billions in additional aid to help hurricane victims, lifting the debt ceiling so the United States can pay its bills, extending a childrens health insurance program and drafting protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Trump tweeted earlier in the year that he was ending the program for the immigrants. He gave lawmakers until March 5 to come up with a legislative solution, or the individuals will begin to face the risk of being deported.

Much of the work will need to be done before Republicans shift their focus to retaining their House and Senate majorities in midterm elections taking place in November 2018. The GOPs slim Senate majority will get even slimmer come January, when Democrat Doug Jones of Alabama is sworn in, leaving Republicans with a 51-49 edge in the chamber.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled he wants to mend fences with the governments of several European nations he's quarreled with this year, saying Turkey must "decrease the number of enemies and increase friends."

In comments published Thursday in Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper, Erdogan described the leaders of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium as "old friends," called recent contacts with them "quite good" and noted that they, like Turkey, oppose a controversial U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"We have no problems with Germany, or with the Netherlands or Belgium," Erdogan told journalists on his return from a trip to Africa. "On the contrary, those in power there are my old friends. They have wronged me, but that's another matter."

Ties between Ankara and some European nations frayed after authorities in several countries prevented Turkish government ministers from holding political rallies to court expat votes ahead of a referendum in Turkey earlier this year over giving Erdogan expanded powers.

Erdogan aimed a series of insults at his allies accusing European officials of racism, harboring terrorists and behaving like "Nazis."

European nations also have balked at the deteriorating state of human rights and democratic institutions in Turkey, especially in the wake of last year's failed military coup. Erdogan's government embarked on an unprecedented crackdown on opponents, arresting around 50,000 people and purging more than 110,000 public sector workers.

A state of emergency declared after the coup attempt allows Erdogan to rule by decree, often bypassing parliament.

Several German or German-Turkish nationals, including a prominent journalist, have been jailed on terror-related charges as part of the crackdown, further damaging ties with Berlin.

Turkey blames the coup attempt on followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The cleric has denied masterminding it.

Erdogan also said he hopes to visit France and the Vatican in the new year.
Sixty-eight people were killed by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen in a single day, a top U.N. official in the country said Thursday.

Fifty-four civilians, including eight children, were killed when an airstrike hit a "crowded popular market" in Taez province Tuesday. Fourteen people were killed by a raid in the Red Sea province of Hodeida on the same day, a statement by U.N. humanitarian coordinator Jamie McGoldrick said.

The two strikes brought the total number of civilians killed in Yemen by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in the past 10 days to over 100.

"These incidents prove the complete disregard for human life that all parties, including the Saudi-led Coalition, continue to show in this absurd war that has only resulted in the destruction of the country and the incommensurate suffering of its people, who are being punished as part of a futile military campaign by both sides," the statement said.



Houthi rebels seized the Yemeni capital of Sana'a in late 2014, forcing the country's internationally recognized president, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, to flee to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led coalition responded in March 2015 by fighting back against the rebels on behalf of Hadi's government. Since then, the World Health Organization says health facilities have reported more than 8,700 conflict-related deaths and 50,000 injuries.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called attention to the effects of the conflict on civilians in Yemen, where the United Nations says three million people have been forced from their homes.
A new report by the U.N. childrens fund finds 2017 has been a particularly brutal year for children caught in conflict, as children around the world have been subject to shocking levels of attacks by the warring parties.



The U.N. Childrens Fund says there is no safe place for children caught in conflict. The report finds children are being targeted and exposed to attacks and brutal violence in their homes, schools and playgrounds. This, in blatant disregard of international laws established to protect the most vulnerable.

The report presents a numbing catalogue of abuse in conflicts around the world  in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and even in Europe, in eastern Ukraine. It reports children are deliberately targeted, used as human shields, killed, maimed and recruited to fight.

Children are raped, forced into marriage, abducted and enslaved, and UNICEF says the physical and mental impact of this brutality upon children is unbearable and deeply traumatic.

A video of Rohingya refugees on a riverbank in Bangladesh, newly arrived after fleeing violence in Myanmar, is heart-rending. It shows groups of weeping children and a severely malnourished baby treated by a UNICEF doctor. With the right nutrition, some of these starving children will survive, but many others will not.

The report details the direct and indirect price children are paying in several African conflicts. It notes a dramatic increase in violence in Central African Republic has led to children being killed, raped, abducted and recruited by armed groups.

It notes 850,000 children have been driven from their homes in the Kasai region of Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 19,000 children have been recruited as soldiers by armed groups in South Sudan, and in northeast Nigeria and Cameroon, at least 135 children have been used as suicide bombers.

UNICEF says children are killed, maimed, denied access to food and water, and pushed to the limits of suffering from malnutrition, disease and trauma. It says this happens in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other conflicts where the rights and needs of children are violated with impunity.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Consumer confidence dropped in December

Americans were a bit less confident about the economy this month than they were in November, but their spirits remained high overall during the holiday shopping season.

The Conference Board said Wednesday that its consumer confidence index dipped to 122.1 in December from a revised 128.6 in November.

Despite the decline in confidence, consumers expectations remain at historically strong levels, suggesting economic growth will continue well into 2018, said Conference Board economist Lynn Franco.

The business research groups index measures consumers assessment of current conditions and their outlook for the next six months. Their view of todays conditions rose to the highest level since June 2001. But their expectations were the lowest since November 2016.

Economists watch the Conference Board report closely because consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic output.

Forecasters had predicted that the index would drop, but it fell more than expected.

 Associated Press

Also in Business

A former lawyer for Martin Shkreli's companies might be heading to prison after a federal jury in New York convicted him of conspiring with the former biotech executive to defraud investors. Evan Greebel, who advised companies including Retrophin Inc., was found guilty Wednesday of helping Shkreli steal $11 million to pay back investors after the hedge-fund-manager-turned-drug-executive lost their money in risky trades.

JPMorgan Chase will pay $2.8 million to settle charges that a broker-dealer unit lacked sufficient controls to safeguard customer securities from several countries over more than eight years, a U.S. regulator said on Wednesday. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said JPMorgan Clearing Corp. created hundreds of millions of dollars of deficits by violating U.S. rules designed to thwart the improper commingling of assets.

Prosecutors asked a South Korean court to extend the prison term for Samsung Electronics heir-apparent Jay Y. Lee to 12 years, in an appeal of his five-year sentence for bribing his way to greater control of the country's biggest company. Lee, 49, is the highest-profile business figure to be embroiled in an influence-peddling scandal that led to the ouster of President Park Geun-hye this year.

Airbus is drawing up contingency plans to phase out production of the world's largest jetliner, the A380 superjumbo, if it fails to win a key order from Dubai's Emirates, three people familiar with the matter said. Any shutdown is expected to be gradual, allowing Airbus to produce orders it has in hand, mainly from Emirates.

 From news services
BANKING

Citigroup fined for inaccurate ratings

Citigroup will pay at least $11.5 million in fines and restitution to settle charges that it displayed the wrong research ratings on more than 1,800 stocks, causing many customers to own shares they never would have bought, a U.S. regulator said Thursday.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fined Citigroup $5.5 million and ordered it to pay at least $6 million to retail customers over errors that occurred between February 2011 and December 2015, and involved more than 38 percent of the equity securities that the New York-based bank covered.

Citigroup did not admit or deny wrongdoing, but the sanctions reflected its cooperation, including its decisions to report the rating issues and compensate customers, Finra said.

Finra said the errors stemmed from problems with an electronic data feed, and Citigroup failed to timely fix the wrongly displayed ratings despite numerous red flags. The banks actual research reports and ratings were not affected.

 Reuters

Also in Business

General Motors on Thursday won a court ruling that could reduce the private litigation it faces over flawed vehicle ignition switches, which have been linked to 124 deaths and triggered a big recall. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan said the plaintiffs in two bellwether cases, involving accidents in which air bags had deployed, could not introduce expert testimony to show how defective ignition switches may have played a role in the crashes.

A judge in Florida ordered R.J. Reynolds to continue paying the state millions of dollars in tobacco settlement money despite selling off major brands. R.J. Reynolds and other large tobacco companies were part of a 1997 multibillion-dollar settlement with Florida to compensate the state for treating sick smokers. But the company sold cigarette brands Kool, Winston, Salem and Maverick to Imperial Tobacco Group in 2015.

Uber Technologies shareholders agreed to sell a sizable stake in the ride-hailing leader to an investor group led by SoftBank Group, allowing the Japanese conglomerate to amass a piece of the company at a steep discount to the last valuation. The transaction implies a $48 billion value for Uber, according to a person familiar with the deal. The deal will make SoftBank one of Uber's largest shareholders.

The value of the entire U.S. housing stock increased by 6.5 percent, or $2 trillion, in 2017, according to a report from Zillow. All homes in the country are worth a cumulative $31.8 trillion. The gain in home values was the fastest since 2013.

 From news services


Dave McIntyres favorite bargain wines of 2017. (Jennifer Chase/For the Washington Post)

With all the wines on the shelves vying for your attention when you walk into a wine store or a supermarket, how do you choose which one to take home for dinner? A catchy name or pretty label stands out. A heavy bottle looks and feels important. But you wouldnt be wrong to wonder whether the money you shell out for that wine might be paying for that designer label or studly bottle, rather than the juice inside.

In 2017, I recommended more than 250 wines in this column. Of those, I labeled slightly more than 100 as Great Values. The Great Value designation is subjective  after all, I recommend only wines I believe are worth what they cost. A Great Value offers extra excitement, performing at a level above its price. Value doesnt necessarily mean cheap. The Ayala Brut Majeur Champagne I recommended last week impressed me so much, I gave it three stars (exceptional) and a Great Value tag because it far outperforms other $40 champagnes. But only a handful of my Great Values were over $20, and most of those were sparkling wines.

[These wines are cheap and available everywhere. But are any worth drinking?]

My list would suggest that wines best values come in the $12 to $20 range. In all, I put the tag on 27 wines that I also gave my highest rating of 3 stars. These ranged in price from $13 to $40. I gave 2  stars (excellent to exceptional) and the Great Value label to 36 wines ranging from $10 to $24, and 2 stars (excellent) and Great Value to 38 wines ranging from $9 to $20. Eight wines, from $8 to $12, scored 1  stars (very good to excellent) and great value.

France led the way with 41 Great Values, followed by the United States with 15 (10 from California, four from Oregon and one from New York), Italy (13), Spain (nine) and Portugal (six). Other countries included Chile, Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey, Armenia and South Africa. As 2017 was the year of rose, 26 pink wines made the list  nearly a quarter of the total. That reflects the growing number of roses in the market as well as my enthusiasm for them. Fifteen Great Values were sparkling.

[Dont believe the hype. You dont need glasses in multiple shapes and sizes to enjoy wine.]

So here is a case of wine for you: my 12 favorite Great Values from 2017, with the most expensive at $16 a bottle and the cheapest at $8. These are not just top scorers. Those I list here were memorable in a certain way, either their sheer quality for the price, or their uniqueness, or some other factor. Ive ranked them in descending order, after applying a simple equation that takes into account my star rating  my enthusiasm for the wine  and the price. The better the wine and the lower the price, the higher the ranking. Consider these my Greatest Values of the year.

Note that some of these wines have moved on to the next vintage; dont let that stop you from trying them. Others may be sold out. We provide the store lists to show where the distributors say the wines should be available, but its always best to call and check, or to ask a favorite retailer to order for you. Wines this good, at this price, are worth the wait  or the hunt.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

12. Chateau Montaud Cotes de Provence Rose 2016

Provence, France, $13

I like this rose every year, but in 2017 it came in a three-liter box for $26, or about $6.50 a bottle, making it cheaper and more fun. Bottles are still available, though the boxes have sold out. I suspect they will reappear with the 2017 vintage for next summers picnics and patio parties. Alcohol by volume: 12 percent.

Distributed by M. Touton Selection: Widely available in the District, Maryland and Virginia.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

11. Evolucio Blaufrankisch 2014

Weinland, Austria, $12

When I first tasted this spicy, delicious red, I made a note and put it aside. When I found it two weeks later and tried it again, I was even more impressed with its vibrancy and flavors of black cherry, raspberry, caraway and fenugreek. I used no vacuum pump or inert gas to preserve it, just replaced the screw cap and kept it at room temperature. Well-made wine can keep that way. (The distributor has moved on to the 2015, a great vintage in Austria.) ABV: 13.5 percent.

Distributed by Siema: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits. Available in Maryland at Cranberry Liquors in Westminster, Crescent Beer & Wine in Bowie, Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring, Wine Market in Baltimore, Friendship Wine & Liquor in Abingdon, Midway Discount Liquors in Joppa, Old Town Market in Kensington, Spin the Bottle Wine Co. and Ye Old Spirit Shop in Frederick, Wine Bin in Ellicott City. Available in Virginia at Culpeper Cheese Company in Culpeper, Planet Wine & Gourmet in Alexandria, Unwined (Alexandria, Belleview).



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

10. Chateau de Passavant 2015

Anjou, Loire Valley, France, $15

Chenin blanc deserves more respect for its ability to delight, both dry and sweet. You could enjoy this dry version by itself, but it really wants to dance with poultry or seafood. Demeter-certified as biodynamic, made from organic grapes. ABV: 12.5 percent.

Distributed by Dionysus: Available in the District at Moms Organic Market, Rodmans. Available in Maryland at Balduccis and Bradley Food & Beverage in Bethesda, Moms Organic Market in Rockville, Wine Source in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Balduccis (Alexandria, McLean), J. Emerson Fine Wines & Cheese in Richmond, Moms Organic Market (various locations), Vienna Vintner.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

9. Loosen Bros. Dr. L Sparkling Riesling

Germany, $15

Sparkling Riesling may be Germanys best-kept secret. This delightful example shows Rieslings bubbly personality at its best. ABV: 12.5 percent.

Distributed by Country Vintner: Available in the District at MacArthur Beverages, Rodmans; on the list at Circle Bistro and Momofuku. Available in Maryland at Eddies Liquors and Wells Discount Liquors in Baltimore; Edgewater Liquors in Edgewater; Franklins Restaurant, Brewery & General Store in Hyattsville; Montgomery County Liquor & Wine (several locations); Silesia Liquors in Fort Washington; Wine World Beer & Spirits in Abingdon; World Gourmet Wine & Beer in Potomac; on the list at Rips Wine and Spirit Shop in Bowie. Available in Virginia at the Brew Shop in Arlington, Wegmans (Dulles, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Lake Manassas), Wine House in Fairfax.



(Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

8. Cavalchina Bardolino Chiaretto 2016

Veneto, Italy, $16

This zesty, juicy rose made from the grapes that typically go into Valpolicella (corvina, rondinella and molinara) is super, year after year. Its great by itself, but it excels with salty or garlicky foods such as olives or hummus. This is a rose to drink year round and not worry about having the freshest vintage. ABV: 12.5 percent.

Distributed by Bacchus: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, Calvert Woodley, Cork Market, Rodmans. Available in Maryland at Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits and the Italian Market in Annapolis, Edgewater Liquors in Edgewater, Friendship Wine & Liquor in Abingdon, John Brown General and Butchery in Cockeysville, Orion Wine & Spirits in Frederick, Port of Call Liquors in Solomons, Piazza Italian Market and Wishing Well Liquors in Easton, Town Center Market in Riverdale, Wine Source in Baltimore; on the list at the Crossing at Casey Jones in La Plata, Limoncello in St. Michaels.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

7. Domaine de Chevalier La Petite Lune 2015

Bordeaux, France, $16

The only thing getting the Bordelais more excited than their 2015 vintage is the 2016. When I saw this wine was from Domaine de Chevalier, one of my favorite producers, I immediately had high expectations. The wine didnt disappoint, and is phenomenal for the price. This blend of 70 percent merlot and 30 percent cabernet franc is rich and ripe with cherry, plum and blackberry fruit and a lush texture to carry all that fruit. Classy. ABV: 13.5 percent.

Distributed by M. Touton Selection: Available in the District at Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, Press Liquors, Rodmans. Available in Maryland at Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits in Annapolis, Downtown Crown Wine and Beer in Gaithersburg, Grosvenor Market and Rollins Beer-Wine-Deli in Rockville, Hillandale Beer & Wine and Veridian Market & Wine in Silver Spring, Montgomery Gourmet Beer & Wine in Bethesda, Old Farm Liquors and Plus Mart in Frederick, Silesia Liquors in Fort Washington. Available in Virginia at Balduccis in Alexandria, Chain Bridge Cellars and the Vineyard in McLean.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

6. Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot Number 66

California, $16

What a treat it was to reunite with this old friend and find it as good as ever. Based on zinfandel, this savory, stylish blend is so good it may distract you from your meal. ABV: 13.5 percent.

Distributed by Bacchus in the District, Country Vintner in Maryland, Select in Virginia: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, Burkas Wine & Liquor, Circle Wine & Liquor, Harrys Reserve Fine Wine & Spirits, Magruders, Metro K Supermarket, Modern Liquors, Pauls of Chevy Chase, Rodmans, Safeway (various locations), Schneiders of Capitol Hill, Whole Foods Market (H Street NE, P Street, Foggy Bottom, Tenleytown), World Market; on the list at Agora, Canopy, Chef Geoffs, Morrison-Clark Inn. Available in Maryland at the Bottle Shop in Potomac, Calvert Wine & Spirits in Hunt Valley, Cork 57 Beer and Wine and Georgetown Square Wine and Beer in Bethesda, Cranbrook Liquors in Cockeysville, Midway Discount Liquors in Joppa, Mills Fine Wine and Spirits in Annapolis, Montgomery County Liquor & Wine (various locations), Rodmans in White Flint, Wells Discount Liquors and Wine Source in Baltimore, World Market in Rockville; on the list at 13.5% Wine Bar in Baltimore, Botanero in Rockville, Republic in Takoma Park. Available in Virginia at Balduccis (Alexandria, McLean), Harris Teeter (various locations), Safeway (various locations), Trader Joes (various locations), Wegmans (various locations), Whole Foods Market (various locations), World Market.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

5. Hugl Weine Zweigelt Rose 2016

Austria, $13

Austria is most famous for its outstanding white wines such as gruner veltliner and Riesling. This delightful rose from Zweigelt, Austrias main red grape, is vibrant and peppery, with loads of cherry and raspberry flavors. The distributor is now sold out; the stores listed below placed orders after July. ABV: 12 percent.

Distributed by Kysela: Available in the District at Calvert Woodley, Capitol Hill Wine and Spirits, Central Liquors, Eye Street Cellars, Magruders, Morris Miller Wine & Liquor, Righteous Cheese, Rodmans. Available in Maryland at Antietam Spirits in Boonsboro, Columbia Fine Wine & Spirits in Columbia, Eddies Liquors in Baltimore, Maple Lawn Wine & Spirits in Fulton. Available in Virginia at Beer Run and Market Street Wineshop (Downtown) in Charlottesville, Crystal City Wine Shop in Crystal City, Ellwood Thompsons Natural Market and Libbie Market in Richmond, Screwtop Wine Bar & Cheese Shop in Arlington, the Town Duck in Warrenton, Unwined in Alexandria; on the list at Ashby Inn in Paris.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

4. Chateau de Marjolet Cotes-du-Rhone 2015

Rhone Valley, France, $15

Rhone wines have crept up in price, but this beauty manages to overdeliver for the category. Deep and savory, with a sense of mountain air, sea breeze and wild herbs. ABV: 14 percent.

Distributed by Lanterna: Available in the District at Cork & Fork; on the list at Le Chat Noir, Le Grenier, Marvin. Available in Maryland at Chesapeake Wine Co.and Wine Source in Baltimore, Finewine.com in Gaithersburg, Quench Beer-Wine-Deli in Silver Spring, Shawan Liquors in Hunt Valley; on the list at 49 West Coffeehouse, Winebar & Gallery, Level Small Plates Lounge and Pascals Chophouse in Annapolis, Barretts Grill in Hunt Valley, Cultured in Baltimore, Laurrapin Grille in Havre de Grace.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

3. Confidencial Reserva 2013

Lisboa, Portugal, $12

This wine reminded me why Portugal is one of my favorite regions to hunt for value. Its a stylish, juicy red with Bing cherry and sour plum flavors, a texture like the rough side of velvet and elegant tannins. Its a red-meat wine. ABV: 13.5 percent.

Distributed by DMV: Available in the District at Calvert Woodley, Pauls of Chevy Chase, World Market, Yes! Organic Market (various locations). Available in Maryland at Colonial Liquors in La Plata; Dawsons Liquors in Severna Park; Dunkirk Wine & Spirits in Dunkirk; Eastport Liquors and the Italian Market in Annapolis; Eddies Liquors in Baltimore; Fishpaws Marketplace in Arnold; Hunt Valley Wine, Liquor & Beer in Cockeysville; Maple Lawn Wine & Spirits in Fulton; Nicks of Calvert in Prince Frederick; Nicks of Clinton in Waldorf; North Ridge Wine & Spirits and Petite Cellars in Ellicott City; Old Farm Liquors in Frederick; Old Line Fine Wine, Spirits & Bistro in Beltsville; Port of Call Liquors in Solomons; Sunnys Fine Wine & Spirits in Eldersburg; Town Center Market in Riverdale; Wine World Beer & Spirits in Abingdon; Woodmore Wine and Spirits in Lanham; Yes Organic Market in Hyattsville.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

2. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Chardonnay 2016

California, $8

This wine shined when I rated 29 of Americas favorite cheap wines. It stood out from the crowd of mediocre plonk because it had clean, bright fruit flavors and a good balance of acid and sweetness. Best of all, its available everywhere, from convenience stores to wine megamarts. ABV: 13.5 percent.

Distributed by Republic National: Widely available in the District, Maryland and Virginia.



(Jennifer Chase/For The Washington Post)

1. Goru Verde 2015

Jumilla, Spain, $10

When I started compiling this list, this was the first wine I thought of. Back in June, I said it may be the best $10 red Ive tasted in a long time. It still is. Made from organic monastrell (mourvedre) grapes, it features dark cherry and dried fig flavors with hints of black olive, tea and tobacco. ABV: 14 percent.

Distributed by DMV: Available in the District at Pauls of Chevy Chase, World Market, Yes Organic Market (various locations). Available in Maryland at Aloha Liquor, Bristol Liquors, Mt. Vernon Supermarket and Smittys Liquors in Baltimore; Dulaney Wines & Spirits in Towson; Dunkirk Wine & Spirits in Dunkirk; Franklin Liquors in Ijamsville; Frederick Wine House, Riverside Liquors, Spin the Bottle Wine Co. and Trout Liquors in Frederick; Hunt Valley Wine, Liquor & Beer in Cockeysville; the Italian Market in Annapolis; Montgomery Village Beer & Wine in Gaithersburg; Town Center Wine & Spirits and Yes Organic Market in Hyattsville; the Winery in Chester; World Market in Rockville.
The Phillips Collection holds one of its Sunday concerts at the Cosmos Club while the collections mansion is renovated. (Olivia /For The Washington Post)

So, 2017 is finally ending, and were bracing for the routine rituals: donning metallic party dresses, nursing hangovers and prepping tired resolutions, usually about slimming down and making everything in our lives perfect. Want to be a little more creative in 2018? For starters, how about making it a year of artsy fun? Its possible in Washington.

Consider, for example, events such as the Sunday concerts at the Phillips Collection (1600 21st St. NW). They are usually held in the Music Room, where the art is changed to suit the performance. (While the museum is undergoing renovations, concerts are at the Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Ave. NW.) Sometimes musicians will create a program inspired by exhibitions. In November, flutist Annie Wu curated a program featuring French and American composers to reflect the Phillips's "Renoir and Friends" exhibit.

Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for students, and this year they were free for children 8 to 18. (Caroline Mousset, director of music, expects that to continue.) The tickets include admission to the Phillips galleries, meaning your art adventure isnt limited to the concert.

Betty Bullock, who has been going to concerts for four years, calls it the best deal in town: Its a wonderful mix of art and music  always featuring old favorites, with something new and inventive once in a while.

Of course, Washington offers plenty of free art adventures as well. And why only consume it, when you can make it yourself? The National Gallery of Art (Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW), for instance, offers drawing workshops Fridays through Sundays for adults of all skill levels, as well as programming for children. Advance registration is required, and sessions fill up quickly. Also, free concerts (and film screenings) are held in the Library of Congress's historic Coolidge Auditorium (10 First St. SE). Tickets are offered online and move fast, but some day-of seats are available.

The Blind Whino (700 Delaware Ave. SW) is another option. Besides its gallery, it offers innovative events, including November's "Superfierce" exhibition, featuring female artists. Bonus: The Whino's brightly painted exterior carries some serious Instagram clout.

Finally, the American Institute of Graphic Arts hosts free monthly "Drink and Draw" events. They're meant to celebrate the creative process over the creative result. It also happens to be a way to make new friends in 2018. And that's an art in itself.


(Rob Dobi for The Washington Post)

The July email from Daniel Hastings, a Post reader who lives in Washington, was harsh: "You never have any intention of providing an unbiased or factual representation of the man or his policies," he wrote. "Ergo, fake news! No one outside your liberal bubble at the Post or the general DC area can take you seriously."

Hastings was responding to a column I had written about President Trump. I'd argued that Trump was wrong to insist, despite credible evidence to the contrary, that much of the reporting done by national news organizations was just lies. Hastings disagreed  and he had some advice for me: "Take a visit to the heart of the country. Go to a diner or a flea market. Strike up some conversations. Come back and report without malice or deceit." He seemed sure that most people would back him up.

As the media columnist for The Washington Post, I had long ago become used to hostile mail and phone calls from some readers, mostly those supporting Trump, and to trolling on social media. While I have received a lot of appreciative feedback that practically demands to be printed and displayed on the fridge, I have also heard from someone who suggested that my breasts should be cut off with a butcher knife, and from someone who told me that he had a gun and people like me would soon be eliminated. I've often been called the "c-word," a slut and a bitch. Some writers even signed their names to these venomous notes. One reader, John Hanna, was perfectly civil, but told me by phone that he and his wife  both Washington-area physicians  had voted for Trump (whom he nevertheless called "a buffoon") because of the candidate's opposition to the "terribly biased" media, particularly the New York Times and The Washington Post.

I found all this disturbing  after all, I've spent more than 30 years in journalism, going back to when I was editor in chief of my high school newspaper, and I've always thought our profession's mission was necessary, even noble. Now, at least for a sizable segment of the country, it seemed the tide had turned. We journalists, according to the president, were "the enemy of the people." And public opinion polls suggested that many people concurred with him: One found that nearly half of American voters think the media make things up about the president.

With the rarest exceptions, legitimate journalists, though they certainly make mistakes, don't fabricate stories. They try hard to be fair and to get things right. So this wave of hostility was depressing. And I wondered how widespread it might be.

I didn't like Hastings's tone, but I liked his idea  and in fact, I'd already begun doing exactly what he suggested. I turned down invitations to speak in Istanbul, Moscow and even Paris in 2017, and instead visited Arizona, Alabama, Wisconsin, Indiana and small-town Pennsylvania. And for a deeper look, I spent six weeks this past summer working from someplace other than my perch in the newsroom in downtown Washington: I lived in Angola, a small town in western New York state, on the shores of Lake Erie. While there, I wrote my usual media columns, but I decided to do something else, too: talk to people about their media habits and trust.

I wasn't just parachuting in for a couple of days and then leaving. And because I had grown up nearby, my roots in the area ran deep. I'd been a reporter for and the top editor of the local newspaper, the Buffalo News. I knew firsthand about the shuttered steel mills of my home town, the small city of Lackawanna. I knew that 2 in 5 children in the city of Buffalo live in poverty. And I knew that while the cities of western New York  Buffalo and Niagara Falls  had voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, the outskirts are as red as an old-school Starbucks holiday cup. Like many counties nationwide, Niagara County had voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 but had flipped to Trump in 2016. (While the cities have a substantial minority population, the suburbs and rural areas are predominantly white.)

[Why I started saying reality-based press in 2017, instead of mainstream media]

Just as Hastings suggested, I would go to diners, flea markets and pizza joints. I'd pull up a bar stool at the irresistibly named Paulette's Blue Collar Inn. I would shop at Dick's Sporting Goods, with its large gun department. I'd go to Mass at Most Precious Blood Church. And I would listen.

By the end of my journey, I had interviewed 35 people and chatted with dozens of others. I found very little of what I feared most. And I discovered that some stereotypes about the way heartland Americans view the media don't quite hold up.



(Rob Dobi for The Washington Post)

I came upon Christine Radwan scanning the popular-fiction shelves in the Angola public library on the town's modest Main Street. Her red T-shirt, with its American flag design and the words "God Bless America," made me think that she might be a Trump voter  and my hunch turned out to be right. But Radwan's political preferences are complicated. She was once a Democrat, but she thought the party had lost its way years ago. She and her husband are now Conservative Party committeemen in the town of Evans. Her husband is a retired Buffalo police officer; she's a former Sears saleswoman.

Radwan seemed startled when I introduced myself as a Washington Post writer  I felt like I had "coastal-elite media" emblazoned on my forehead  but she was willing to talk. "We watched CNN for a long time and then Fox News," she began, "but after a while it wasn't news anymore. It was people's ideas and a lot of arguing." Her husband continued to watch Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, but Radwan told me that she would leave the room: "I don't need the ranting." Nowadays, she and her husband start each day with coffee and the local newspaper. In the evening, "we watch Lester Holt" on NBC.

I asked her if she trusted those news sources. "For the most part, yes," she said. "I think what we're getting is true."

This sounded encouraging. I asked her whether she thought the Russian-collusion story line was worthwhile, and she took a long moment before answering. "Yes, it's important," she said at last, "but not as important as our economy and what's happened to our middle class." She's worried about her children's and her grandchildren's futures in an economy that seems stacked against them.

What one change would help her trust the news media more? She was direct: "I want them to drop the attitude and the preconceived ideas." I thought of all the snark I'd seen from reporters on Twitter, and the news stories that verge on opinion. She had made a reasonable point  one that I would hear over and over.

The next day, Ralph McNall's Chevrolet Volt was charging in his driveway when I arrived (I had made an appointment to stop by after meeting him as a neighbor), and his Bernie Sanders sticker was still displayed on the bumper. McNall, a retired electrical engineer, lives in suburban Buffalo in the summer and at The Villages in central Florida in the winter. A self-described progressive, he listens to NPR off-and-on all day and watches "PBS NewsHour" at night. On Sundays, he reads the Buffalo News and watches "60 Minutes" on CBS. "I avoid Fox," he said. He sees articles from The Washington Post or the New York Times or HuffPost on Facebook, often shared by a politically aware Maryknoll priest who's a friend. But he's distrustful because of all the claims and counterclaims in the news, and because he's aware that some of what's on social media has been fabricated. "Sometimes I'll do a search  try to find out is this real or is this fake?" he said.

National media coverage of Bernie Sanders during the campaign was "grossly lacking," he complained. The news media, he said, "a lot of times is only telling half the truth," which is why he approaches even his go-to NPR with skepticism. "I take it all with a grain of salt," he said. "You're not always getting the whole story." He blames that on superficiality  he says there's not enough effort to dig into the issues and get all sides. I didn't argue, though I was feeling defensive. There certainly was some truth in what he said: Journalism sometimes suffers from a hit-and-run approach to reporting, especially on matters of substance.

McNall also faults news consumers  too many don't know much about how government works or about current events. He'd like to see citizens take a 10-point test before they're allowed to vote, "just to establish basic civics and news knowledge." At the least, he would like to see civics education return and news literacy improve vastly. I couldn't argue with that, but I left the conversation feeling discouraged. If McNall, a heavy consumer of serious news, was so mistrustful, that was a bad sign.

On another day, I made the 40-minute drive into Buffalo, passing the acres of industrial park along the Lake Erie shoreline that were once dominated by the Bethlehem Steel plant, which in its heyday employed more than 20,000 residents. At Undergrounds, a coffee shop in a newly hip section of the city, Zack Sadlouskos, a young Trump voter who works in real estate, told me that he's fed up with the media. Relentless stories about internal politics at the White House strike him as trivial, not worthy of the breathless treatment they get.

"I wish the bickering would stop," he said, referring to commentary by pundits. He listens to Fox News Radio on SiriusXM, and he compares what he hears there with what's offered on CNN and other news outlets, like NBC News, which he watches some evenings: "There's a pretty stark contrast between what they report." So he weighs them against each other. "At this point, I'm pretty tired of it all," he explained, saying he wants reporting presented straight  just the facts, with less opinion attached. "It's called the news  it's not supposed to be about their agendas." Journalists, especially cable pundits, he said, "need to grow up."

Part of the problem, it seems, is defining what "media" means. Often, the most disparaging comments I heard were about the worst qualities of cable-TV news, with their pundit panels and need to fill time, around the clock, by pointlessly chewing over small developments. But I wasn't there to argue, I reminded myself. I was asking people to judge media as they saw it, not as I do.

Much worse was my conversation with Jason Carr of Green Bay, Wis., a middle-aged member of the Oneida Nation who was visiting his girlfriend in western New York. Wearing a "Born to Chill" T-shirt and sitting behind the wheel of his Ford F-150 pickup truck in a KeyBank parking lot, Carr told me that media reports strike him as nothing but "a puppet show" that is "filtered and censored" by big business. He buys into the conspiracy theories that the United States government was responsible for the 9/11 attacks and that the 2012 massacre of Connecticut schoolchildren at Sandy Hook Elementary School was staged. Carr didn't vote in the presidential election and said there's nothing the news media could do to earn his trust. "I don't believe anything they say," he said. "They get paid to be wrong." I left the conversation shaking my head, knowing that, as is clear from the huge following of sites like the conspiracy-promoting Infowars, he's far from alone in his beliefs.

[What Meryl Streep and The Post can teach us about the power of being a female boss]

But Carr was the exception, not the rule. And his complaints didn't worry me as much as something else I encountered again and again: indifference. This was the real surprise and the most discouraging takeaway of my inquiry. So many people were happy to complain vaguely about "the media," without really caring about the news, or following it with much interest. The concept of being a responsibly informed citizen? That was all too rare.

Take the nail technician in her 20s who told me that she follows current events only glancingly, mostly on Facebook. National news, she said, doesn't seem relevant to her life. Like so many others I interviewed  about half  she didn't vote in the presidential election. I left the salon with a great manicure and a heavy heart.

And so it was a relief to strike up a conversation with Mary Ellen Nytz, who was out walking with her son, a corrections officer and self-professed news junkie. When I described the low level of media trust in public opinion polls, she looked puzzled. "Who are they polling?" she wondered. If not for journalism, "how else would we know what was going on? I really appreciate it." Amid the complaints and apathy, this was a moment of something like satisfaction. Or maybe hope.



On the whole, the people I talked to may not have liked the media, but  with exceptions  they seemed to find it at least somewhat credible, and their critiques were more nuanced than cries of "fake news." My experience seemed quite a bit better than what a 2017 Gallup poll said: Only 41 percent of Americans trust the news media.

How to explain this disconnect? And why had I heard so much intense resentment from some readers by email or phone when that hostility didn't surface face-to-face? Tom Rosenstiel provided some insight. An author of seminal journalism books and the director of the American Press Institute, Rosenstiel once worked for the Pew Research Center, which has done extensive polling on attitudes about the media.

For many, he said, there's "the media" (bad) and there's "my media" (fairly good). That's also the way many feel about Congress generally, compared with their local representative. "Most Americans like their own media pretty well," said Rosenstiel. When asked about whether they trust press reports, people are probably thinking about that first category. And who can say what "the media" means to these respondents  are they thinking of Fox News or the New York Times? Are they assessing the local TV station or their Facebook feed?

But what about the people who think I ought to be physically harmed or who call the mainstream media "fake news"? Rosenstiel explains one of the paradoxes: The highest levels of distrust come from the heaviest news consumers. Because they have strong views of their own, they get upset when they don't see those views reflected in the news they take in. When they see what they consider biased reporting, it angers and frustrates them  and that eats away at trust. Most people, though, are busy living their lives; they're not thinking about the media intensively, though they may feel, in Rosenstiel's words, "a general unease or frustration."

When I returned to Washington, the mostly mild irritation I'd heard in person gave way once again to polarized extremes. In November, I wrote a column criticizing Breitbart News and Fox's Sean Hannity for using their media platforms to increase the fear that women say they feel as they consider whether to complain about sexual harassment. Immediately, two emails arrived. "Thank you for your wonderful column," said one. "Keep speaking up for the right thing, which U always do. I'm sure you hear a lot from the haters. Well, don't listen to them. Readers like me really really appreciate you." And then the other one: "It sickens me that people like you post lies and deception to the public. This article has no right to be printed to the public. You are what is wrong with this country. Shame on you!" As usual, the contrast was enough to induce whiplash.

But now, I find that my internal reaction is different. The country isn't, I believe, rigidly divided into those who will always hate the media and those who deeply appreciate us. As a result, I think it's more important than ever that we journalists continue striving to win over those who are skeptical, conflicted or simply apathetic. We need to heed complaints about the blending of news and opinion, and to make it clear which is which. We need to focus more intently  and more engagingly  on subjects that matter most to ordinary people's lives, and to calm down about White House intrigue and Trump's every tweet. And we need to stamp out the snarky attitude that seems to brag, "I'm smarter than my audience." Perhaps most important, we need to be much more transparent  willing to explain our work, and own up to our inevitable mistakes.

Back at my desk in The Post's newsroom, I think sometimes about Jennifer Clark, a middle-aged woman with long gray hair whom I interviewed at the Erie County Fair. She works two jobs: one in food service and the other at a printing factory where she operates sewing and cutting machines. Still, she finds the time to read the Buffalo News (which publishes articles every day from The Post and the Times) and to watch TV news. She cares about staying informed. But she's never sure if she's getting the truth. On the Trump-Russia story, "I don't know if they're stirring the pot or if there's really something there," she said. Her requests stayed with me: "Report it as it is, without the twist. Report it without being biased. Tell it all."

The Jennifer Clarks of the country are the ones we need to reach: They have complicated feelings about the media, but they are not dogmatic in their criticism. And if we follow their advice  if we pursue fairness, depth, accuracy  we may not save a democracy that so many feel is under siege, and we will still probably get our share of obscene phone calls and emails, but we'll have done a job that's worth doing. One worth spending a lifetime on, if we get that lucky.

Margaret Sullivan is The Washington Post's media columnist. To comment, email wpmagazine@

washpost.com.


Mamies House, on view through Jan. 4 at Morton Fine Art. (Julia Mae Bancroft/Morton Fine Art)

Its not only the predominantly gray palette that gives Julia Mae Bancrofts artwork a ghostly feel. The mixed-media pictures in her Morton Fine Art show, Mending Moments, feature old-timey houses and interiors. Arrayed inside are women in long dresses, sometimes with faces transferred from vintage photos. The Virginia-bred D.C. artist graduated from the Corcoran College of Art and Design only a few years ago, yet seems fixed in an earlier era.

The mending in the shows title refers in part to Bancrofts use of embroidery. She stitches as well as draws and paints, working thin, white strands into compositions that sometimes also incorporate layers of paper pulp. The threads can be abstract elements or represent literal things, such as human hair. The vertical strings that cloak Moonlit Overcoat suggest both hanging moss and the mists of time.

The effect can be spooky. The subject of Sitting in Her Easy Chair has a indistinct face and a clawlike hand. Reverie, the most 3-D piece, is built upon an iron grate with a tombstonelike shape. Bancroft, it appears, doesnt merely ponder the past. She actively disinters it.

Julia Mae Bancroft: Mending Moments Through Jan. 4 at Morton Fine Art, 1781 Florida Ave. NW. 202-628-2787. mortonfineart.com.

Martha Jackson Jarvis: Sounds From the Sea

In her sculptures, often installed in such public places as the Anacostia Metro station, Martha Jackson Jarvis represents and engages with the natural landscape. The large and elegantly realized mixed-media drawings in Sounds From the Sea, her show at Honfleur Gallery, dont explicitly depict nature. But their main ingredient is black walnut ink, a tree reduced to liquid essence, and they also include metallic pigments and wax. The hues are mostly earth tones, while the gestures flow like waves.

The D.C. artists inspiration, she explains, is jazz sound waves and found relics of various seaweed specimens. Fusing these disparate things yields pictures that are both spontaneous and monumental, like the more solemn examples of abstract expressionism. The least colorful picture in the Earth and Sea series recalls Robert Motherwells vast black-and-white elegies. Yet there are glimmers of vibrant red, blue and gold amid Jackson Jarviss black arcs.

Thats not all that lurks around and inside the dominant forms. Jackson Jarvis hides feathery lines within the broad ebony shapes, scratching and crosshatching into the wet pigment. In one picture, an area of black ink cracked as it dried, leaving a pattern that suggests parched earth and fractured rock.

The show includes an additional three pieces, also identified as drawings, that encompass 3-D objects, natural and otherwise. Branches and vines, painted black or white, serve as extensions of Jackson Jarviss brushstrokes. So do rubber tendrils, painted fabric and a copper spiral. These may stand in for musical riffs, sea-plant forms or water in motion. Or they may simply express the artists exuberance. If most of the drawings have a cool-jazz vibe, the semi-sculptural ones display a passion for following the rendered line toward every possible direction or dimension.

Martha Jackson Jarvis: Sounds From the Sea Through Jan. 13 at Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-365-8392. honfleurgallery.com.



Detail of Luminous Passage, on view at Metro Micro Gallery through Jan. 6. (Barbara Januszkiewicz/Andrea Cybyk)

Andrea Cybyk

Because its essentially a display window, Metro Micro Gallery is open 24/7. But the light is better at some hours than others, which is significant for a show such as Luminous Passage. Andrea Cybyk has filled the tiny space with hanging, painted pieces on Mylar. Most are multi-tier and perforated with irregularly shaped holes. Sunlight shines through the openings, effecting vivid shadows and reflections, notably in late afternoon; after dark is good, too. Air from an interior fan nudges the constructions, and outside, a building vent does the same to a swarm of butterfly cutouts.

The show includes one Cybyk painting that is probably better seen from inside. (If shes in her adjacent studio, painter and Metro Micro founder Barbara Januszkiewicz will let visitors in.) The picture, the starting point for the other work, features bright colors and overlapping forms in a dance of negative and positive space. The suspended Mylar pieces do the same, but their motion is actual rather than implied.

The goal is not simply to catch the eye of passersby, but to embody change. Thats why, Cybyk explains, she included butterflies even though some might see them as trite: They symbolize how one thing becomes another.

Andrea Cybyk: Luminous Passage On view through Jan. 6 at Metro Micro Gallery, 3409 Wilson Blvd. (Kansas Street side), Arlington. metromicrogallery.com.



Natura Morta #5, on view through Jan. 7 at the Art League Gallery. (Darryl Halbrooks/The Art League)

Darryl Halbrooks

Rendering the depths, textures, shadows and highlights of draped fabric is a test of a realist painters skill. Darryl Halbrooks accepts the challenge with Natura Morta, his show at the Art League Gallery. The pictures depict almost nothing but rumpled fabric, although the shapes of simple objects can sometimes be discerned beneath the complicated surfaces.

Natura morta is the Italian term for still life, and Halbrooks calls this show an homage to Bologna artist Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964). But Halbrookss style is bolder than that of Morandi, who is known for small pictures of vases and bottles in muted hues. Brightly colored sheets in clashing patterns compete for attention in Halbrookss still lifes, the most abstract of which suggest morning-after versions of Gene Davis-style stripe paintings.

Halbrooks does pull back the curtain in Natura Morta #9, revealing some of the rounded things he usually hides under the fabric. These gleam, too, but their effect is more dramatic when they lurk below the shiny sheets.

Darryl Halbrooks: Natura Morta Through Jan. 7 at the Art League Gallery, Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. 703-683-1780. theartleague.org.

Chinedu Felix Osuchukwu

The sculptures and paintings of Chinedu Felix Osuchukwu's "Facing Reality" clearly belong together. The show at Vivid Solutions Gallery even includes a sculpture that has a twinned canvas propped against it. Yet the welded assemblages of found-metal pieces upstage the expressionist pictures.

Both are representational, if often loosely. Most of the sculptures resemble faces, radically asymmetrical yet clearly human. The D.C. artist has long taught art in local schools, so it's fitting that these faces evoke children: lively, playful and still being formed.

Facing Reality: Chinedu Felix Osuchukwu Through Jan. 13 at Vivid Solutions Gallery, 2208 Martin Luther King Ave. SE. 202-631-6291. anacostiaartscenter.com/vivid.


Getaway markets its tiny hoes in the woods as a way to rediscover the pleasure of boredom, solitude and unstructured time. (Getaway)

To commune with ourselves, we must trek two hours to Stanardsville, a town on the edge of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains whose population has stairstepped down over the years to 384 people, a country store and this wooded plot, which, before 20 tiny houses arrived this fall, was an RV campground called Heavenly Acres.

The heavenly part is debatable. On the second official day of winter, the tract is a colorless bog, surrounded by tall, barren trees and covered with a blanket of dead leaves. But this, promises Getaway  a start-up that offers these rental not-cabins and this not-camping not far from major cities  is where we may rejuvenate our very souls.

As our car crunches up the gravel driveway, we pass an ominous charcoal-gray box on wheels. A sign proclaims it "Lenore." It is a carbon copy of Lillian, Hank, Felix and Shirley, which is the tiny house we have been assigned, we learn in a succinct text from the company that also feeds us an entry code.

But Lenore sends the first ripple of excitement through the car. Tinys have a way of doing that.

In Getaway's soft, wooded marketing photos, tinys such as Lenore are imbued with symbolism. Inside, couples slice avocados together. A multiethnic gaggle of cool kids in beanies convenes at a fire pit. Young women plant themselves in large picture windows overlooking the forest with hardcover books you can only assume are by Zadie Smith or Audre Lorde. In one image, a woman simply contorts herself in a display of yogic bliss.

The savvy emphasis on escape and disconnectedness and repose has resonated among the millennials Getaway aims to reach. In each of its markets, outside New York, Boston and Washington, Getaway's houses are booked solid on weekends, and in early 2017, the company, founded by two Harvard graduates, raised $15 million in venture capital funding, which suggests that a tiny house campground may soon be coming to a forest near you.

Despite its name, Getaway does not sell the sort of wild weekend vacation you might experience in Cancun or the food-focused travels you might have in Portugal.

Instead, it presents a dire vision of urban life, and then offers itself as the antidote. It evokes the Japanese practice of forest bathing, and disconnection, and a little curative isolation. It encourages you to use your tiny, at the rate of just over $160 a night, to finish your novel  because you obviously never have time to work on it otherwise  and insists that you remove yourself from a list of stressors conveniently noted in a Getaway pamphlet. These include: work, email, texts and competition.

We punch in the code and crack open Shirley like a safe and begin to poke around. I plop down on the large, soft platform bed. ("Memory foam?" I announce giddily.) I pore over the copious literature, which informs guests, among other things, that the absence of mirrors is intentional. Because only monsters think about their pores when they're supposed to be out here like Henry David Thoreau. (Need a reminder? There's a copy of "Walden" on the bookshelf.)

We scan the kitchen, which comes with two plates, two mugs, a pan and not a single wine glass. And we encounter the wooden box where you really, really, really should lock away your cellphone, source of so much pain and FOMO.

But just in case you can't part with it, they've conveniently provided absolutely no WiFi.

"Idiot," you think. "This is called camping."

Not exactly. Now, in tiny houses that no one will acknowledge are honestly just what we used to call cabins, it's called "escaping."

Just what are we running from?



Sleep is one of the subtle messages in Getways marketing materials. (Getaway)

For the suburban families who have made "Tiny House Hunters" an HGTV hit, tiny houses are an alternate reality, an incredible stretch of the imagination.

"How could anyone live with so little?" is the obvious question.

The better one: "What must that be like, to not be so in debt that your skin feels like it's on fire every moment of every waking day?"

Having only recently moved up from a series of 350-square-foot tiny houses called studio apartments, I know what it's like to live with no doors. Anxiety is worrying that I might live like this forever, or perhaps one day live with even less.

[Home, squeezed home: Living in a 200-square-foot space]

So I can't dismiss the popular fascination with tiny houses  little wooden temples to minimalism that on average clock in at just over 200 square feet and can be had for about $50,000  as a misguided fad. Adorable wooden cottages on wheels have exploded in popularity not because people wanted to downsize, but because they were downsized.

We struggle "our whole lives to work hard enough so we can relax," says Amy Turnbull, president of the American Tiny House Association, a relatively recent creation (founded in 2015) with 400 members nationwide. "What has changed is that millennials and the housing crisis of 2008 have shown us we ain't got time for that. Security is a myth. Housing is beyond the reach of many. We have student loan debt. So, what's the point?"

It's no wonder that the tiny house, off the grid in fact and in spirit, appeals.

"Initially people were like, that's so cute, I want one," Turnbull says. But the tiny-house movement has been mired in municipal wrangling and shunned by communities that won't abide what ultimately are temporary homes. In many areas, they are illegal, she says.

And so "you can't live in them full time," Turnbull says with some exasperation. "That's the problem."

But Getaway, and other tiny house rentals, such as Caravan in Portland, Ore., or Austin's Tiny Homes Hotel, can give you a taste of the tiny-house life.

In an early marketing video, one of Getaway's founders spoke of tiny houses as yet another millennial reaction to their parents' whole lives. "The form is wrong, the function is wrong," chief executive Jon Staff intoned as a camera panned over beige dream homes in some nameless suburbia.

Millennials have been blamed forthe death of really important American institutions, like paper napkins and J. Crew and promiscuity.

But what if we've got it all wrong? What if it's the American institutions that are secretly killing millennials, or at least filling them with an existential dread that quietly eats away at their insides like acid reflux?

"You can make a case that millennials are stressed out. They feel stressed out by their phones," says Jean M. Twenge, a psychologist who studies generational differences and is the author of "Generation Me."

"Technology just feels so demanding, all the time," Twenge says. "And as people have spent more time interacting with digital media, they spend less time interacting with each other face-to-face."

If their parents' little boxes are another institution that has to go, maybe, Getaway seems to posit, the answer is a littler box. Maybe the answer is in "Walden."

"The irony here is that what Thoreau did was move to Walden Pond to get away from society. Arguably, life in a village at that time and life at Walden Pond wasn't that different," Twenge notes. "Compare that to life with a phone in modern times."

It's ridiculous, but I expect to feel some instant woodsiness that never materializes. Even though I play Bon Iver on the Bluetooth radio, and then take the provided torch outside to our fire pit and sprinkle the (provided) firestarter over the (provided) logs, and light our first campfire and make some (provided) s'mores.

Instead, we sit outside and poke at our baby fire, which is as formidable as a burning candle, and drink wine until it begins to rain.

Later, I sleep like the dead.


ONE-TIME USE ONLY: Illustration byTom Cocotos for The Washington Post based on AP images ( Illustration by Tom Cocotos for The Washington Post based on AP images)

Talk about a wild year. A former reality TV star became president. Decades-long careers ended amid an avalanche of sexual misconduct allegations. News cycles moved faster than a Twitter feed.

Basically, late-night hosts had a lot to work with in 2017.

The comedy shows they helm spent the year turning all those headlines into punchlines, scrambling to make last-minute changes to monologue jokes or give viewers breaks from politics with utterly kooky segments.

So we asked writers of the top daily late-night shows to pick some of their favorite sketches, jokes or moments of the year and explain how they came to be.

Below are their answers, written via email or recounted over the phone.

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON

Jessica Chastain in every audition ever

Guest Jessica Chastain has been vocal about the treatment of women in Hollywood, and after talking for a while about all the sexism we have seen in the industry, this idea seemed to just appear, said writers Jasmine Pierce and Taryn Englehart.

In this sketch, Chastain repeats a simple line during a fake casting call but impressively shifts her delivery based on the directors sexist requests. (Can you try it again? But hot.).

The jokes that were pitched to our producers were almost exactly the ones that ended up in the sketch because the idea just seemed to come so immediately, the writers said. Its always exciting to be able to write for women, but especially when you get to shed light on something women struggle with every day.

Thank You Notes to Hillary Clinton

In a twist on Jimmy Fallons recurring Thank You Notes segment  which usually features him writing funny notes of gratitude to music  the shows female writers came on air to thank Hillary Clinton in person.

Thank you, Hillary, for all the work youve done for public health care, one writer said. Ever since the election, Ive really depended on my government-subsidized anti-anxiety medication.

Pierce and Englehart referred to this as our favorite segment of the year and probably moment of our lives so far. They continued: We were brainstorming Hillary ideas, and we said we couldnt think of anything because all we wanted to do was scream and cry and tell her thank you. Thats when it hit us: Thank You Notes. We reached out to the other female writers, asking everyone to pitch jokes for them to read.

THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT

A live show monologue after Trumps address to Congress

Stephen Colbert hosted a live show after President Trump concluded his first joint address to Congress, which gave The Late Show about an hour to write a monologue.

Imagine getting all of your friends together in one room, then sitting there quietly trying to think of jokes while an angry old man yells at them, wrote Opus Moreschi and Jay Katsir on behalf of The Late Show writers. Former Obama speechwriter Josh Earnest, a guest that night, sat with writers as they watched Trump, offering insights and even pitching a few jokes.

The show has developed a system for live shows, they continued: Writers furiously come up with jokes in real-time in a massive shared document (using Scripto, the cloud-based collaborative TV writing software that Stephen developed in his spare time. Not a joke.). The head writers sift through everything thats written, and arrange the best material into a narrative. While producers and our footage department furiously scramble to get everything together, Stephen chooses the jokes he likes (and, frustratingly, often comes up with much better jokes). Sometimes the script gets finished mere minutes before we go live, and after we pull it off, the whole staff has a celebratory ulcer.

Family Meeting with Nick Kroll

This recurring segment features Colbert as the countrys TV dad calling a family meeting and, with a guest, giving some fatherly advice to America. But this edition, in which he and Nick Kroll (playing Americas Cool Older Cousin Nick) give the talk about puberty, in part inspired the viral #PuberMe challenge, which had celebrities sharing awkward puberty photos. The effort raised $1 million for Puerto Rico hurricane relief.

Kroll made a lot of great additions to the script, some of which surprised and delighted Stephen during the taping, who at times struggled to keep a straight face, Moreschi and Katsir wrote. Its always exciting to see Stephen laugh on camera, partially because, as writers, we have a Pavlovian response to it.

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE

Kimmel on Sen. Bill Cassidys health-care bill

Jimmy Kimmel became the late-night face of the health-care debate this year with an emotional monologue about his newborn son Billy's heart condition. The plea from Kimmel to protect people with preexisting conditions inspired Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to create "The Jimmy Kimmel Test" for future legislation, which "surprised and honored" the show, said co-head writer Molly McNearney.

But Cassidys subsequent proposal drew heat from Kimmel, who said on air that the senator had failed his own test. We had to hold him accountable, said McNearney, who is also Kimmels wife and Billys mother. Jimmys monologue resonated  not just with our audience, but with Washington. We felt like we were doing a service to kids and veterans and the sick who get sidelined. Weve never gotten that feeling from a Kardashian joke.

Kimmels 50th birthday show

Kimmel hates his birthday, but his 50th fell on a workday  so the show surprised him with segments in his honor featuring celebrity friends, including a George Clooney-narrated retrospective and Adam Sandler and Ray Romano delivering the monologue.

One highlight: Ben Affleck and J.J. Abrams presenting a fake movie trailer based on a comic Kimmel drew as a kid. Kimmel called it  the best gift hes ever received. Jimmy is still talking about that trailer, wrote McNearney and co-head writer Danny Ricker.

Giving him a day where he didnt have to write a monologue was the best present, they added. Jimmy actually got to go to breakfast that morning. Hes never done that in 15 years at the show. And hell never do it again so [we] hope the pancakes were good.

CONAN

The Cursed Fedora of La La Land 

Around the time of the Oscars we typically do a round-up, where we slightly alter scenes from nominated movies  changing audio, inserting a shot, etc., Todd Levin wrote. I was sort of obsessed with a very inconsequential moment in La La Land. 

Ryan Gosling sits on a pier and finds a fedora, then walks past a couple and gives the hat to the man. Levin, frustrated by the randomness of the scene, pitched something that ended up being one of the most ambitious  and stupid  shoots Ive ever done at Conan.

The prerecorded short featured the couple, who are black, showing the hat to a friend. Its bad luck, the man says. Dont you know when a white boy puts a hat on you, thats a curse? the woman adds. The fedora ends up haunting them.

We actually found and cast the original actors from this scene in La La Land, but we had to re-cast them at the very last minute because their religious beliefs forbid them from participating in a sketch that dabbles in the supernatural, Levin added. That has happened to us more times than I care to remember.

Nut Spoon

One day in 2016, as writer Andres du Bouchet made changes to a comedy bit and picked at the snack table, he saw a small paper plate with nuts and just a plastic teaspoon sitting on it, he recalled. Okay, so Im supposed to use this spoon to pick up the nuts? And I realized it was next to impossible.

He asked writer Dan Cronin to try, telling him, "This would be a good starting point for something really dumb," du Bouchet said. "That's kind of how a lot of comedy bits come about: a kernel of an idea that's seemingly innocuous and how can we spin it out of control."

Du Bouchet eventually wrote a long sketch with him playing a cameraman complaining to Conan OBrien about the nut spoon. It didnt make it to air at first, but then another episode was light on comedy. Conan was at his desk and said, Well, I guess its time for nut spoon,  du Bouchet said. All the interns started chanting, Nut spoon, nut spoon! 

A week later, comedy legend Carl Reiner told O'Brien, "It was the best sketch I've seen in a long time. I play it for friends." Du Bouchet said the compliment "pretty much made my year."

THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH

Pro-life Congressman Tim Murphy Aborts His Career

Staunchly antiabortion Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) became embroiled in scandal in October when news reports said he had asked the woman with whom he had had an extramarital affair to have an abortion.

"It was so beautifully hypocritical," said writer Kat Radley. In a morning meeting, writers watched a clip of Murphy saying he was going to finish his time in office but not seek reelection. "I then said something to the effect, 'Oh, well that's nice he's allowing his time in office to come to term.' It eventually became the joke on which we decided to end."

But later in the day, we were thrown a curveball when Murphy announced hed actually end his tenure early. But we were still able to use the metaphor by changing the punchline to say, Its such a pity Tim Murphy terminated his career before it came to term. 

That joke, which went viral the following day, was a proud moment for me as a new writer, Radley added.

Back in Black  The Trump Inaugurations No-Star Lineup

Before Trumps inauguration, few celebrities had signed up to join, and an organizer predicted it would be characterized by a soft sensuality. The topic seemed perfect for regular commentator Lewis Black.

The idea was that Lewis was angry about the inauguration fiasco because he had tickets, Zach DiLanzo wrote. But we had to figure out a reason why he would be attending. He came up with: Im going no matter what, because I want to be there when Trump touches the Bible and his hand catches on fire.

Co-writer Dan McCoy wrote this joke: Right now, the two biggest acts booked for the inauguration are an Americas Got Talent contestant  contestant, not winner!  and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Oh, yes! The thrill of choir music, but with the edginess of Mormonism!

The pleasure of writing Lewis Black segments is that his voice is so clear  barely concealed rage, McCoy said. Its fun to pitch to Lewis, because its impossible to write jokes for him without doing a Lewis Black impression. So you wind up doing Lewis Black to Lewis Black.

LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS

Ambers Late Night Safe Space

In the middle of a particularly depressing news cycle of racist protests, writer Amber Ruffin recalled, "I had come to the end of my rope, honestly. I didn't want to talk about anything."

So, she thought, what if I took Seth to my safe space, a space I had created for myself, where white people couldnt touch your hair and you couldnt mention any freaking, horrible news stories?

She and Jenny Hagel wrote a sketch about Ruffin taking refuge in a room painted pink and full of her favorite things: soft carpeting, cake, margaritas and pictures of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

The room was built on the stage of Saturday Night Live, and Ruffin even spent downtime there on the day of taping. It ended up being this really lovely, beautiful place, she said. It was an odd thing to do, not a normal late-night show sketch. . . It was also nice to say to people, Hey, look, its tough to be black right now, and you dont have to be tough all the time. You can sit down and have a margarita. 

A Lot of Problems: Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey came out as gay in a statement that addressed allegations that he made a sexual advance on a minor. Like others in the LGBT community, Hagel was very angry.

It hit me in a specific way, she said. The idea that gay people are pedophiles, its a stereotype.

While she wasnt assigned to write a segment about it, the next morning, she happened to score a seat on the F train and have her laptop handy. She opened it and wrote out the flood of feelings.

Hagel showed the pages to Ruffin, and, together, they wrote out the segment; two days later, Hagel sat on a stool during a taping and ran through her anger with Spaceys statement, point by point  laced with jokes, of course.

Some days, your biggest contribution is a bee wearing a hat  and thats fun and always has value. But its also important to channel something I care about into my work.

THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN

The Stranger Things Kids Were Nearly a Motown Super Group

James Corden came up with the idea of singing a Motown medley with the stars of Netflixs Stranger Things, and writers developed a mockumentary-type sketch about the faux singing groups backstory. They went through three or four drafts with Corden, aiming for a fast-paced sketch to get to the performance quickly.

We also had a very short time with the kids to rehearse the songs, learn the choreography, shoot the sketch and talking heads, then shoot the Motown medley live in front of an audience  so the script had to be tight, Nedaa Sweiss said.

The final package became a viral hit (8 million YouTube views and counting) and revealed the kids singing chops.

I love it because its joyful, Sweiss said. We got to make a really funny, positive sketch.

Role Call with Julia Roberts

Corden's recurring "Role Call" concept is "the go-to sketch whenever we have a major movie star on the show," said Lauren Greenberg, who writes them with comedy producer Kate Presutti. With Corden, the stars re-create their iconic movie scenes in rapid-fire succession.

For Role Call, Greenberg and Presutti spend every Friday for several weeks watching movies, writing scenes on note cards and shuffling them around on a bulletin board before pitching the selections and jokes to Corden and executive producers.

Its a giant puzzle, and I live for the moments when we figure out that the props and costumes from the beauty shop in Steel Magnolias transition perfectly into the bathroom vanity scene in Charlie Wilsons War,  Greenberg said.

The Roberts edition  the first with a female star  inspired a lot of debate, since her movies have multiple iconic scenes. " 'Pretty Woman' was obviously the hardest to narrow down," Greenberg said. But after they talked it out, they landed on Greenberg's choice, the "big mistake" shopping scene. "I think that might be the only debate I've ever won," she said.
Columnist

If you thought 2017 was a challenging year for airline passengers, just wait until you see what's ahead.

That's the consensus of airline experts, consumer advocates and frequent travelers. They say the domestic airlines have charted a course for this year that includes more fees and ticket restrictions and, inevitably, additional confrontations with unhappy customers. No one may be able to persuade the airline industry to change its flight plan, but passengers can take steps to ensure their vacations are relatively surprise- and problem-free in 2018.

Air travelers griped about the usual hassles in 2017, according to a year-end survey by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, with canceled flights, lack of legroom and missed connections topping the list. But there are other annoyances that will almost certainly emerge in the year ahead.

To get a preview of 2018, scroll back to just before the holidays, when Delta Air Lines dropped a bombshell on its Europe-bound passengers. Starting April 10, it will charge basic economy passengers fees for checked bags  $60 for the first one and $100 for the second.

About the same time, the U.S. Transportation Department quietly abandoned two proposed consumer rules, one that would have required airlines to disclose baggage fees at the start of a ticket purchase and one that would have made airlines report more information about their revenue from fees charged for extra services, such as early boarding, seat reservations and carry-on luggage.

While the government's decisions had no immediate effect on passengers  after all, they were still on the drawing board  they signaled to the airline industry that the Transportation Department's attitude toward consumer protection has shifted. An exuberant airline industry, via its trade organization Airlines For America, issued a statement that the decision would usher in "a new era of smarter regulation focusing on jobs and economic growth."

The agency delivered another wink to the industry when it dramatically reduced the number of regulatory enforcement actions taken against airlines last year. Only 18 consent orders were issued for $3.1 million in civil penalties, compared with 29 orders worth $6.4 million in 2016.

Look closer, and an even more troubling picture comes into focus for passengers. The department hasn't implemented rules required by Congress that would allow families to sit together or regulations that would require airlines to refund checked-baggage fees when they lose luggage. "It's as if the police decided not to do their job," said Charles Leocha, chairman of Travelers United, a Washington passenger-advocacy group.

That's the framework for flying in 2018: Airlines, emboldened by a government that can't or won't regulate it in the way most customers expect it to, will try to squeeze passengers for every dollar. Leocha said he expects airlines to ask the federal government to begin dismantling the few existing rules on the books, which they have derisively referred to as "command-and-control" regulations. Indeed, they've already formally asked regulators to discard two of the most significant consumer-protection rules recently enacted: a 24-hour refund rule and a "full fare" advertising rule that requires an airline to quote a ticket price that includes all taxes and fees. If that happens, it may be even harder to determine the actual cost of a ticket, persuade an airline to cover your expenses when you're delayed or get a ticket refund.

So what do consumers need to do in an age of lax regulation and rising fees? "Travelers will need to do a deeper dive to determine what is  or is not  included with each fare they purchase when they are comparison shopping," said Craig Fichtelberg, president of AmTrav Corporate Travel of Chicago.

Fliers' options are perhaps more limited than ever. With just four major carriers, which many consider an oligopoly, you can't threaten to take your business elsewhere. But there are ways to even the playing field a little.

Even though the government may be looking the other way, other travelers aren't. Consider last year's customer-service disasters, virtually all of which involved a viral video taken on a smartphone camera. Airlines fear your camera and the power of social media because they have the power to influence public opinion. That's one reason they're fighting so hard to ban flight photography.

"Changes are going to be driven more by consumers than by regulation or even the threat of new regulations," said Seth Kaplan, the editor of Airline Weekly, a trade publication. "The good that came out of the Dr. Dao incident is that airlines are now bumping far fewer customers involuntarily than before, even in the usual less dramatic ways than by dragging them off airplanes. Airlines got the message loud and clear that the public won't tolerate that kind of incident and then an airline's initial indifference to what happened. Hopefully, they also got the broader message that it's better to prevent problems before they happen than to scramble to address them later."

In the meantime, keep your phone charged and at the ready. An airline employee delivering good service has nothing to fear from being photographed on the job, but someone who is doing passengers wrong, and knows it, will try to force you to stop filming, citing a bogus "interfering with the flight crew" excuse. Use your camera and leverage the power of social media when necessary. It may be your only option when the courts and regulators have failed.

Also, keep a calculator handy when you're shopping for airfares. Airlines have scored an important victory when it comes to how they can display fares. Next, they'll probably go after the Transportation Department's full-fare advertising rule, which requires airlines to quote an airfare that includes taxes and all mandatory fees. When that happens, we'll go back to the days of seeing a $199 fare that many clicks later, after adding fuel surcharges and taxes, costs $599.

One thing is certain: Barring a dramatic regulatory shift or a sudden change of heart in the airline industry, 2018 could prove to be the most challenging time for air travelers since the one immediately following 9/11  and perhaps ever.
THE DISTRICT

Emergency plan to help homeless in cold

The District government was preparing to activate its emergency plan for cold weather Wednesday night as the area prepared for a drop in temperatures.

That means more services  including access to emergency shelters and overnight warming sites  will be available to residents though 7 a.m. Jan. 2, Mayor Muriel E. Bowsers office said.

Homeless people can get free transportation to an emergency shelter or warming site by calling 311 or the citys toll-free Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093.

D.C. has the highest per capita rate of homelessness of any city in the country: 124 residents per 10,000, according to a 2016 survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The Department of Human Services issues a Cold Emergency Alert when the temperature is expected to fall to 15 degrees or below, including wind chill, or if the temperature falls below 20 degrees with steady precipitation or the accumulation of snow.

 Rachel Cason

Man charged in killing of detectives daughter

D.C. police arrested a third suspect Wednesday in the fatal shooting of the 17-year-old daughter of a D.C. police detective in August in Northeast Washington.

Police arrested James Mayfield, 18, charging him with first-degree murder in the death of Jamahri Sydnor.

The recent Wilson High School graduate was fatally wounded by a stray bullet as she drove through the 1400 block of Saratoga Avenue, where at least two men opened fire on the afternoon of Aug. 10.

Authorities previously arrested Philip Carlos McDaniel, 21, and Robert Moses, 18.

McDaniel is charged with assault with intent to kill and told investigators that he drove two friends to the street to confront a man they were angry with, according to court documents.

In early November, officials announced that Mayfield was a third suspect, and police had been searching for him since.

Jamahri had been accepted as a freshman at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee and was days from enrolling when she was killed.

She had dreams, said her mother, Detective Q Wallace, at a vigil in August. Somebody just shot at my babys head and snatched the breath out of her.

MARYLAND

Man charged in 2016 Capitol Heights killing

A Maryland man has been arrested in a shooting in Prince Georges County last year, authorities said Wednesday.

Police charged Reginald Clayburn, 30, of Capitol Heights with first- and second-degree murder in the killing of Daryl Antjuan Walker, 23, in May 2016. The shooting, in the 800 block of Kayak Avenue in Capitol Heights, was related to an ongoing dispute, police said, and Clayburn is being held without bond.

Officers found Walker suffering from gunshot wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Prince Georges County police said in a statement.

Police asked anyone with information about the crime to contact them at 301-772-4925.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

18-year-old is found shot to death in Largo

A man was found shot to death in Prince Georges County on Tuesday night in what authorities said was a homicide.

Around 9:30 p.m., officers found 18-year-old Kelvin Robinson of Bowie near Capital Lane and Capital Court in Largo, Prince Georges County police said in a statement. Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene.

 Martin Weil

Christmas Eve shooting victim was 18

A man who was fatally shot Christmas Eve in Silver Spring has been identified as Jose Herrera, 18, according to Montgomery County police.

Authorities said Herrera was shot multiple times about 6:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of Quebec Terrace. The victim, who police said had no known address, was located outside and pronounced dead at the scene.

No arrests have been made in the Dec. 24 shooting, and police released no further information.
THE DISTRICT

Man dies of wounds

in Northeast shooting

A man was fatally shot Thursday in Northeast Washington, authorities said.

At around 11:25 a.m., officers responded to the 900 block of Eastern Avenue NE for the report of a shooting, D.C. police said in a statement.

They found 23-year-old Ronzay Green of Northeast suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, and he was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the statement said.

Police asked that anyone with information about the shooting contact them at 202-727-9099.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

and Peter Hermann

MARYLAND

Baltimore sets record for killings per capita

With two fatal shootings Tuesday night, the recent reclassification of a decades-old shooting as a killing and another homicide Wednesday evening, Baltimore has hit 343 homicides in 2017 and a record for killings per capita.

The homicide rate for 2017 is now 55.8 killings per 100,000 people. The previous record was 55.35 per 100,000 in 2015. The city suffered 344 homicides that year but had thousands more residents.

 Baltimore Sun

VIRGINIA

Driver res at ofcers, authorities say

A man fatally shot a woman Thursday in Virginia before shooting at police during a chaotic chase on I-95 that resulted in multiple car crashes, authorities said.

At around 11:25 a.m., officers responded to England Run North Apartments on Heron Drive in the southern part of Stafford County for the report of a shooting, Stafford County police said in a statement. They found a woman with three gunshot wounds to the chest, and she was pronounced dead at the scene while an adult male suspect fled the scene in a black SUV, the statement said.

Around 11:30 a.m., officers were told to be on the lookout for a black Ford Explorer possibly involved in a criminal investigation, Virginia State Police said in a statement. A state trooper spotted the described vehicle traveling north on Interstate 95 near Mile Marker 137. and started to make a traffic stop, the statement said.

The driver of the Explorer stopped in the center lane around Mile Marker 138 and began shooting at the trooper before fleeing north on I-95, according to the statement.

Around Mile Marker 142, the Explorer slowed, and the driver again fired on the trooper and a Stafford County sheriffs deputy. the statement said.

The Explorer fled again, sideswiped another vehicle, then ran off the road, crashing into a guardrail and overturning before coming to rest in the northbound lanes of I-95. The driver, who was not identified by police, was flown to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries, police said.

Pedestrian hit by car in Manassas dies

A female pedestrian died Thursday after being struck by a car in Manassas, authorities said.

At around 6:55 a.m., officers responded to the area of Hoadly Road near Galveston Court in Manassas for the report of a crash involving a pedestrian, Prince William County police said in a statement.

They found a 2012 Toyota Camry driven by a 31-year-old woman from Woodbridge was traveling north on Hoadly Road when it hit a pedestrian not in a crosswalk.

The pedestrian, Juanita Nettina Menefee, 52, of Woodbridge, died of her injuries at a hospital.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

Rally leaders lawyerseeks change of venue

A lawyer for the chief organizer of Augusts Charlottesville white nationalist rally is seeking a change of venue for a trial over a perjury charge.

The charge facing Jason Kessler is unrelated to the Aug. 12 rally where a woman was killed after a car plowed into counterprotesters.

The Daily Progress reports that attorney Michael Hallahan told a judge Wednesday that Kessler wouldnt be able to have a fair trial in the area because of negative news coverage.

The perjury charge stems from a sworn statement Kessler made alleging he was assaulted by a Charlottesville man. Kessler later pleaded guilty to assaulting the man he accused.

 Associated Press
Judges in Baltimore County are testing a new scoring system to help determine whether to release defendants awaiting trial  and, if so, how closely to monitor them.

The change is part of a pilot program that launched in early December. Officials say the aim is to reduce the number of people held in jail before trial while ensuring public safety.

The purpose of all this is to really provide the court with a very good and serious picture of the defendants in custody, said Randy Mentzell, management assistant with the county Department of Corrections, which oversees pretrial services. Our goal is to give the court the best information, the most information, so they can make a decision  a good decision.

A risk assessment applied to defendants takes into account factors including the seriousness of the offense, the severity of prior convictions and previous failures to appear in court.

Some factors can help a persons score  for instance, if theyve had no arrests within the past year or are employed.

Defendants scores are given to judges for bail review hearings.

Although judges have long considered many of the same elements that are on the score sheet, the new method is meant to keep decisions consistent across courtrooms, said Chief Administrative Judge Kathleen Cox.

Before, you looked intuitively at certain things, Cox said. [This] scores that, and it evens it out across different judges.

In developing the pilot program, Baltimore County looked closely at similar programs in Montgomery and St. Marys counties, Cox said. In addition, judges met over months with representatives of the county detention center in Towson and the states attorneys and public defenders offices to work out details.

The scoring method recommends release for those who score 5 or below, and detention for those scoring 14 and above.

For those in the middle, there can be release with three levels of supervision, conducted by the Department of Corrections.

The lowest level requires phone check-ins with a corrections employee. The second level requires in-person check-ins and random drug testing, and may include referrals to services such as counseling. The third, most stringent level is home detention. People in home detention pay a $75 weekly fee, corrections officials said. The county can waive the fee if someone cant afford it.

Judges do not have to follow the recommendations.

At the end of the day, its the judges discretion, Cox said.

Baltimore Countys States Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger said someone could have a low score but still be detained for safety reasons.

For instance, a man charged in a domestic-violence case could have a job and no prior arrests, giving him a score that would indicate he should be released without supervision. But if the defendant has threatened to kill his wife when he gets out, the judge can override the score.

Public safety is always an override, Shellenberger said. That is one of the positives from a prosecutors point of view.

Nearly 57 percent of the county jails current population is awaiting trial, Mentzell said. The jail had an average population of 1,171 this year, down more than 15 percent since 2012.

Marylands pretrial services and bail system have been in the spotlight for the past year.

In 2016, Attorney General Brian E. Frosh issued a letter to lawmakers concluding that holding defendants in jail because they cant afford to pay cash bail probably would be found unconstitutional.

Then, the Maryland Court of Appeals adopted new rules that said before using cash bail, judges should look to other ways to ensure that a defendant appears for trial. The rule change took effect in July.

In the first three weeks of Baltimore Countys pilot program, judges have placed 149 people in supervised release, according to corrections officials, with more than half placed in the second level of supervision.

Donald Zaremba, district public defender for Baltimore County, said that effective supervision before trial can address public safety concerns in many cases.

The new scores provide some objective criteria that can aid in the decision-making process.

People are still presumed to be innocent, and taking somebodys liberty away before there has been a trial is a very weighty decision, Zaremba said. There should be options that are consistent with the norm, which in this country is liberty.

Officials involved with the program say it is too early to draw conclusions only a few weeks in. They plan to monitor data in the coming months to determine rates of recidivism before trial and failure to appear among those in the program, as well as the effect on the size of the jail population.

The question for us is, if theyre under supervision, are they doing things we ordered? Cox said. Do they show up to court when they are supposed to?
The D.C. police officer who fatally shot an unarmed motorcyclist last year had no reason to pull his gun and was not in danger when he fired, police concluded in an internal investigation that contradicts the officers account.

The review, obtained by The Washington Post, showed that Officer Brian Trainer and his partner, Officer Jordan Palmer, violated department policies early on Sept. 11, 2016, as they pursued and attempted to arrest 31-year-old motorcyclist Terrence Sterling.

After the officers spotted Sterling, who police said was speeding and running red lights, they tracked him through the city and eventually pulled their marked cruiser into an intersection ahead of the biker. Trainer, the passenger, was getting out as Sterling rode forward and the motorcycle struck the car door. Trainer then fired his gun twice, striking Sterling in the neck and back.

Trainer, 28, told police he had heard the bike revving before it came violently toward him and pinned his leg between the door and the car, according to the internal police report. He said he fired because he feared for his safety, as well as Palmers.

But after re-creating the incident and examining Trainers injuries, which the report described as superficial, police said they determined the officers leg had been struck by the car door but was never pinned.



Terrence Sterling, 31, of Fort Washington, Md., was fatally shot by a D.C. police officer after the motorcycle he was riding struck a police cruiser on Sept. 11, 2016. (Family photo)

The 34-page report also concluded that Sterling was trying to maneuver around the cruiser, not ram it. And investigators noted that Trainer told them that, other than Sterlings reckless driving, he did not have any reason to think the motorcyclist may have been armed and dangerous.

Trainers decision to shoot was not in defense of his life, nor was it in defense of the lives of others, according to the report.

Trainer, who has been on the force since 2012, is on paid administrative leave. He did not return calls for comment. Palmer could not be reached for comment.

The shooting of Sterling at Third and M streets NW prompted protests and immediately raised questions about the officers' conduct. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) ordered Trainer's name made public soon after the incident, breaking with long-standing policy, and authorities revealed that the officer had failed to turn on his body-worn camera before the shooting. In August, federal prosecutors who investigated the shooting determined there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges against Trainer.



[D.C. officer will not face criminal charges in 2016 fatal shooting of motorcyclist]

The internal review by the department said there were numerous lapses and judged the shooting "unjustified." Police officials have recommended Trainer be fired. If the officer challenges that finding, a public tribunal could occur early next year.

Three officials with knowledge of the case have said that Palmer, who has been on the force for nearly four years, was suspended for 20 days for administrative infractions, including engaging in an unauthorized pursuit.

The internal affairs report is the most detailed account of the shooting to date.

Jason Downs, an attorney for the Sterling family, said it bolsters the familys contention that there was no reason for police to shoot the motorcyclist.

The internal investigations findings with regard to lack of provocation and lack of injury to Officer Trainer are completely consistent to what the witnesses have said from the beginning and what the family has known to be true for the beginning, Downs said.

Sterling's family has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the officers and the city.

Dustin Sternbeck, the chief spokesman for D.C. police, declined to comment on the internal report.

As part of their review, police investigators considered statements by Trainer and Palmer. The investigators also reviewed statements from nine civilian witnesses and six officers who arrived after the shooting.

The department prepared a crash reconstruction report, and investigators studied police radio transmissions, the autopsy report and footage from cameras that recorded the officers or Sterling at various points around the city. There was no video that captured the shooting, according to the report.

At about 4:20 a.m. Sept. 11, officers got a call about a motorcycle in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. The motorcycle ran several red lights and one police official said he spotted it driving in excess of 100 mph, according to the report. An autopsy later determined that Sterlings blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit, and he tested positive for marijuana.

According to the internal report, one police sergeant, who heard a lookout for the motorcycle and saw it pass by, went on the police radio to tell officers not to pursue over traffic violations. The report detailed that a second sergeant then saw Trainer and Palmers vehicle with its emergency lights on and also went on the radio to say that officers should not pursue the motorcycle.

Trainer later told investigators that he and Palmer believed the motorcycle posed a threat to officers who were on foot or on bikes, as well as to pedestrians, the report said.

Trainer told investigators that he and Palmer drove through various parts of Northwest Washington aggressively canvassing for the motorcycle.

When the officers arrived at Florida and Rhode Island avenues NW, they stopped for a few seconds to listen, according to Trainers account detailed in the report. The officers heard the motorcycle blocks away on New Jersey Avenue and drove toward the sound.

Later, the officers saw the motorcycle stopped at a red light at Third and M streets in Northwest, near the Third Street Tunnel. Sterlings family has said they believe the HVAC technician from Fort Washington had been at a party and was headed home.

The officers pulled into an intersection in front of the bike to make a traffic stop. Trainer told investigators, he began to exit the car holding his gun pointed down. He said he put his right foot on the ground.

Investigators relied on witness statements and physical evidence to develop a picture of the critical seconds that followed.

Trainer told investigators that Sterling looked at him, drove forward and seemed to be trying to run him over, according to the report. He said Sterling ignored commands to stop. When the motorcycle hit the door, Trainer said he felt pain in his leg and fired.

The investigators concluded Sterling was actually trying to position his motorcycle between the squad car and the sidewalk to flee. Had Trainer not opened the door, according to the accident reconstruction, the motorcycle would have cleared the car.

The recreation of the accident by investigators, as well as photographs of Trainers right knee, revealed that his injuries were inconsistent with having his leg pinned, the report found. It also noted that video of Trainer giving Sterling medical attention showed the officer kneeling with all of his weight bearing down on both of his knees, thereby providing further evidence his injuries were not severe.

These facts refute Officer Trainers assertion that his leg was pinned between the door and rocker panel of the scout-car, which was the premise as to why he discharged his service pistol at Mr. Sterling, the review found.

The report said that officers are not allowed to fire their weapons at moving vehicles, unless deadly force is being used against them or someone else. It also said officers should avoid tactics that put them in a position where a vehicle could be used against them.

It should be noted that Officers Palmer and Trainer violated several policies, placing themselves in an unsafe position, and had they followed Department policies; Officer Trainer would not have been in a position to use force on Mr. Sterling, the report said.


You dont come out perfect, Eric Fessenden said, but you learn how to cope. A former Montgomery County firefighter, Fessenden attended the nations only in-patient facility designed to treat firefighters with PTSD. (Doug Kapustin/For The Washington Post)

After a 24-year career in the fire service, Eric Fessenden has a memory bank of the grisly calls he answered. Hes pulled bloated bodies out of rivers, treated victims of the D.C.-area Beltway Sniper attacks, and extracted the dead and the mangled from car wrecks.

Staying busy at work allowed the Montgomery County firefighter to put aside the emotional burdens of his job, but after an injury forced him to retire, he often found himself inexplicably anxious and angry. He woke up shaking in the middle of the night soaked in sweat. And the hikes he looked forward to each week with family members would end miserably when he inevitably snapped at them during the outings.

Fessenden, 48, thought that he suffered from post-traumatic stress. It wasnt until recently he learned it was that  and more.

I was in complicated grief over the loss of my career, said Fessenden, the third generation of firefighters in his family. They take away my career and take away my identity, and I feel completely useless in life.

Fessenden recently discovered the root of his emotional outbursts after visiting the only residential facility in the country designed exclusively to treat firefighters with post-traumatic stress, depression, substance abuse and other disorders developed on the job.

Although it's widely known that military members are susceptible to PTSD and behavioral health issues from trauma they've witnessed, the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery in Maryland is part of a nationwide push to shed the stigma of mental health concerns and address increased rates of suicide in the fire service.

First responders witness trauma not only from everyday events such as car crashes and house fires, said Patrick Morrison, assistant general president for health, safety and medicine of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Theyre also answering extraordinarily difficult mass-casualty calls, such as the Mandalay Bay shooting that killed 58 in Las Vegas, the Ghost Ship warehouse fire that killed 36 in Oakland, Calif., and devastating natural disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

[Firefighters and cancer: Is a risky job even riskier?]

Were showing up at everybodys worst day, in a lot of cases, Morrison said. Its not just part of our job  we want to do it. But how can we get to retirement and have a life after the fire service thats not traumatized by what we did?

Since the centers opening in March, more than 200 firefighters have sought voluntary treatment at the 64-bed facility in Upper Marlboro, about an hours drive from the District. Its residents have flown in from across the country to attend the center.



Tim Craig, executive director of the center for firefighters. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Tim Craig, the centers executive director, said the licensed facility is not a 30-day program. Instead, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and nutritionists offer inpatient and outpatient services tailored to each persons needs.

Firefighters come racked with guilt, thinking what they could have done differently on calls that ended tragically. Or they remain haunted by gruesome scenes that play over and over in their heads, absorbing the grief of the families theyve helped.

Fessenden said one firefighter in his group at the center was overcome by the pressures of the job. He kept wondering whether some of his actions could have averted disaster.

He thought he let the world down, Fessenden said. He said, Were supposed to be superheroes. We have to remember that were allowed to always be humans.

Not all insurance companies will cover the costs of going to the center, but the IAFF is working on improving coverage, Morrison said.

Fessenden spent more than $10,000 for his stay, a small price to pay, he said, to become a better man for his family and have a happier life after retirement.

You spend all this time helping other people, Fessenden said. Why dont you spend some time helping yourself?

Carol Simmons, the clinical director at the center, said those who visit are taught what sights, sounds and smells set off panic attacks or anger in order to better cope in the future. Detox, individual therapy and group therapy are available, with firefighters getting help finding treatment closer to home to continue their progress after they leave.



Carol Simmons is clinical director of the center in Prince Georges County. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Once they get here, we peel back the layers and uncover the underlying trauma, Simmons said. To see the transformation is absolutely profound.

The strength of the center lies in the ability for firefighters to seek help among their own in a familiar environment, according to those whove worked there or have been treated there. Living areas are designed like firehouses, and the cafeteria is outfitted with a long table along a brick-patterned wall to replicate the communal nature of meals in station houses.

The 15-acre wooded campus also has hiking trails, a pool, yoga instruction and a fitness room to help residents stay in good physical shape. Morrison said the idea is to create a place where firefighters feel comfortable opening up after years in a culture steeped in a suck it up mentality.

In the 80s, you definitely didnt want to cry in front of anybody, said Morrison, who worked as a Fairfax County firefighter. You just stuffed it down and kept stuffing it. Theres only so much room for that before something happens and you have to deal with it.

In some cases, the outcome of pushing aside emotions is alcoholism, substance abuse or suicide. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services found in a survey of more than 4,000 firefighters and paramedics that they reported contemplating suicide or attempted suicide 10 times more than the average American adult.

[Armed with a new approach, police and medics stormed through the Las Vegas gunfire, saving lives]

Richard Stack, a firefighter in North Attleboro, Mass., wound up at the center after he got into his car, turned on the engine in his closed garage and tried to quietly take his life  twice.

Stack said he was overcome by panic attacks, anxiety and flashbacks from his 26 years on the job. He would go by old scenes and replay in his mind gruesome incidents. Certain smells and songs that reminded him of traumatic calls would set him off. And after some calls, hed get back to the firehouse, go to his office and have a complete breakdown.

The stress at work rippled into problems at home. A combination of those calls took bits and pieces from me, said Stack, 49.

With the support of his chief, union and family, Stack stayed at the center for 45 days. He found a place where he didnt have to explain himself or be ashamed. The people there knew what it felt like to experience the heat of a burning building crumbling around them or the crunch of glass under fire boots as they pulled people from car wrecks.

The peer support was tremendous, said Stack, who left the center in October. No one is judging you. We were dealing with the same suffering and emotional pain.

You dont come out perfect, Fessenden said, but you learn how to cope.



A bell for ringing out successfully treated clients. (Bill OLeary/The Washington Post)

During a July 4 kickball game in a clearing in the woods with the other firefighters, Fessenden began getting the same anxious feeling hed experience before snapping at his family during their hikes along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. With his guard down at the center, he realized a musty smell from a dead deer in the woods nearby reminded him of pulling dead, deteriorating bodies out of the Potomac River in Cabin John, Md., years ago.

Now when he is on hikes, he recognizes the smell and cracks a joke instead of flying into what before was inexplicable anger.
A woman and five children were seriously injured when a stolen pickup truck crashed into a minivan during a police chase in Herndon, Va., on Wednesday evening.

Police say all six remain in the hospital, as does the pickup driver, who faces felony charges.

One 12-year-old child was thrown out of the car in the crash and had to be flown to a hospital. That victim was in critical condition. The others have injuries that are not life-threatening.

The crash was the climax of incidents that started with a carjacking reported in Hyattsville, Md., about 6 p.m. Wednesday.

About 7:45 p.m., according to police, Brendan Stefon Vinson, 28, knocked on the door of a home on Autumn Circle in Centreville. He hit the young child who answered the door, police said, and fled in the stolen vehicle to a nearby shopping center.

Police said Vinson then crashed into a pickup, assaulted the driver and stole the truck. He then stole a trailer, attached it to the pickup and kept driving, according to police. It is unclear where the trailer came from.

Police pursued the pickup, which ran a red light at Centreville and Frying Pan roads around 8 p.m. and crashed into a minivan carrying a woman, her four children and a neighbors child. Vinson ran off and was captured after a struggle. Two officers suffered minor injuries during the arrest but are expected to return to work.

On Thursday, officers at the hospital said they had to call for backup after Vinson tried to wrestle out of his handcuffs. It took several hours for him to be named because he had no identification during his arrest. Police would not say how he was identified.
A man fatally shot a woman Thursday in Virginia before shooting at police during a chaotic chase on I-95 that resulted in multiple car crashes, authorities said.

At around 11:25 a.m., officers responded to England Run North Apartments on Heron Drive in the southern part of Stafford County for the report of a shooting, Stafford County police said in a statement. They found a woman with three gunshot wounds to the chest, and she was pronounced dead at the scene while an adult male suspect fled the scene in a black SUV, the statement said.

Around 11:30 a.m., officers were told to be on the lookout for a black Ford Explorer possibly involved in an ongoing criminal investigation, Virginia State Police said in a statement. A state trooper spotted the described vehicle traveling north on Interstate 95 near Mile Marker 137 and started to make a traffic stop, the statement said.

The driver of the Explorer stopped in the center lane around Mile Marker 138, leaned out of the vehicle and began shooting at the trooper, striking the troopers windshield before fleeing north on I-95, according to the statement.

Around Mile Marker 142, the Explorer slowed, and the driver again fired on the trooper and a Stafford County Sheriffs deputy who had joined the chase, the statement said. The deputys car was struck, and the deputy received a minor injury when the bullet penetrated the windshield.

The Explorer fled again, sideswiped another vehicle, then ran off the road, crashing into a guardrail and overturning before coming to rest in the northbound lanes of I-95, according to police.

The driver, who was not identified by police, was flown to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries, police said.

No police or other motorists were seriously injured in the chase, and police did not fire their weapons, authorities said.

The victim of the shooting was not identified, pending notification of relatives, according to Stafford County police.

Virginia State Police also said they are investigating a crash involving three vehicles that occurred around Mile Marker 138 when a passenger vehicle rear-ended the troopers vehicle after his windshield was shot. That vehicle was in turn rear-ended by another vehicle, and one person received a minor injury in this crash, according to police.

This story has been updated.
Fairfax County Police said this pickup truck crashed after a police chase in the Herndon area, where eight were hospitalized Wednesday night. (Fairfax County Police)

Eight people were sent to a hospital Wednesday night after a police pursuit ended with a carjacked pickup truck crashing at an intersection in Herndon, Fairfax County police said.

After several hours of investigation, officials provided some details about the crash that occurred at Centreville and Frying Pan roads after 8 p.m.

The incident began about 7:45 p.m. when a man knocked on the door of a home on Autumn Circle in the Centreville area, according to Officer Kent Bailey, a Fairfax County police spokesman.

After an altercation at the home that involved a child being assaulted, the man fled in a stolen vehicle to a nearby shopping center and crashed into a pickup truck, Bailey said. The man assaulted the driver of the truck and took the vehicle, he added.

Officers responding to the incident spotted the pickup, Bailey said, and began to pursue it.

The stolen pickup crashed into a vehicle at Centreville and Frying Pan roads, Bailey said, and the man fled on foot. Officers apprehended him, but two of them were injured in the chase, he added.

One juvenile injured in the crash was flown to a hospital and listed in critical condition, police said. Seven other people were hospitalized.

Police are trying to determine whether the man knew the child who was assaulted at the home, Bailey said.
Romanian hackers took over two-thirds of the Districts outdoor surveillance cameras just before President Trumps inauguration, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday.

The January attack affected 123 of the D.C. police department's 187 outdoor surveillance cameras, leaving them unable to record for several days. Two Romanians, whom law enforcement officials describe as part of a bigger extortionist hacking group, are being charged in D.C. federal court with fraud and computer crimes.

This case was of the highest priority due to its impact on the Secret Services protective mission and its potential effect on the security plan for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, Bill Miller, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, said in a statement.

Mihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, and Eveline Cismaru, 28, were arrested in Romania earlier this month, along with three other Romanian hackers who will face prosecution in Europe. The U.S. charges, filed under seal on Dec. 11, were first reported by CNN.

Prosecutors plan to seek extradition for Isvanca and Cismaru soon, according to court filings. They both face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

On Jan. 12, D.C. police noticed several surveillance cameras were not functioning properly. Secret Service Agent Brian Kaiser was given access to the computers that operate the cameras, according to the court filing, and saw they had been taken over by non-police users. Those people were sending spam messages infected with ransomware to a long list of email addresses.

The city resolved the problem by taking the devices offline, removing all software and restarting the system at each site, a process that took about two days, according to police. From Jan. 12 to Jan. 15, none of the cameras were able to record video. No ransom was paid.

There is no evidence the disruption threatened or harmed anyones safety, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Ransomware is generally spread in email links or attachments and encrypts files or otherwise locks users out of their computers until they pay to regain access.

Its unclear whether the hackers knew they were infecting police computers. The Secret Service was able to see the computers accessing email addresses, according to the court papers, and those addresses led authorities to Isvanca and Cismaru.

Two people were arrested in London as part of the same investigation in February. A tracking number for a package that was displayed on one of the hacked police computers brought law enforcement to their address. But according to the affidavit, a forensic analysis of their devices revealed no connection to the crime. A British health-care company's IP address was used to create that online order; that company also reported being hacked.


With three days left in the calendar year, there is still plenty of confusion about whether thousands of taxpayers who rushed to prepay property taxes this month will be able to claim an extra deduction on their next tax returns.

Many jurisdictions across the country had been telling residents they could make  and possibly deduct  these prepayments, as a way to try to lessen the impact of a new federal cap on state and local tax deductions that will commence with taxes filed in 2019.

But late Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service said taxpayers may only claim deductions for 2018 on taxes assessed during the 2017 calendar year.

"In general, whether a taxpayer is allowed a deduction for the prepayment of state or local real property taxes in 2017 depends on whether the taxpayer makes the payment in 2017 and the real property taxes are assessed prior to 2018," the IRS said in its Wednesday advisory. "A prepayment of anticipated real property taxes that have not been assessed prior to 2018 are not deductible in 2017."

[IRS says many who prepaid property taxes may still face cap on deductions.]



People line up at the Town of Hempstead tax receivers office in New York to pay their real estate taxes before the end of the year, hoping for one last chance to take advantage of a major tax deduction before it is scaled back. (Howard Schnapp/AP)

That prompted some local government officials to warn property owners who just forked over thousands of dollars months ahead of schedule that those payments probably arent deductible.

Other local bureaucrats were scrambling to define at what stage of the process a property is considered assessed. Is it when the bill goes out? When the value of the property is established by the city or county government?

In the District, city leaders were confident that property assessments were issued in time for residents who prepaid to claim deductions.

In many Virginia municipalities, as well as in California, leaders warned that assessments have not been completed and prepayments probably would not qualify for deductions.

The billing is the mechanical part of it  it is the assessment or the levy that is crucial, said Jackie Perlman, principal tax research analyst at the Tax Institute at H&R Block. The assessment means that the county has sat down, they have their [property tax] rate, they have evaluated your property, and they have concluded you owe X amount on your property.

Another looming issue is whether jurisdictions that have not assessed will be able to offer refunds to people who paid taxes in advance in hopes of claiming a deduction.

Nicole Kaeding, an economist with the Tax Foundation, a think tank, said it is not unusual for the IRS to issue advisories offering its interpretation of laws passed by Congress. But, she said, it is likely that some of these uncertainties stemming from the new tax bill and the subsequent IRS advisory will have to be figured out in court.



Residents fill out paperwork and use locked drop boxes to pay their taxes at the Fairfax County Government Center. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

I dont think taxpayers are going to have complete clarity by years end, and I do suspect there will be some litigation from someone who has prepaid but their payment is not allowed, Kaeding said. At worst, if an individual has prepaid and doesnt get the deduction, theyve provided an interest-free loan to their municipal government.

[A primer on why people might want to prepay their property taxes  or not]

Heres a preliminary look at what the jurisdictions in the D.C. region and across the country are telling their residents.

The District

The nations capital seems more optimistic than most of its neighbors that its residents will be able to prepay their taxes and take advantage of the deductions one last time.

Jeffrey DeWitt, the citys chief financial officer, said in an email to city leaders Thursday that properties in the District have already been assessed for 2018.

"Pursuant to the IRS Advisory, since the District both assessed properties and set real property tax liabilities in 2017, there is a basis, if a taxpayer chooses to prepay real property taxes by December 31, 2017, for the taxpayer to claim a deduction on his or her 2017 return," DeWitt said. A statement posted on the website of the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue drew the same conclusion.

D.C. homeowners can prepay their taxes and find out more at taxpayerservicecenter.com.

Virginia

Assessments are effective Jan. 1, but properties are not actually assessed until later in January or February. Tax rates are set in the spring, and tax bills are mailed in May or June. In other words, deductions seem extremely unlikely, based on the IRS advisory.

Kevin Appel, an attorney for the Treasurers' Association of Virginia, said that past legal rulings in the commonwealth seem to suggest that jurisdictions are not required to refund voluntary prepayments of property taxes.

Ive been looking at cases, and there may be some cases that say youre not required to do it, Appel said. For some jurisdictions, [refunds] will be a burden.

Fairfax County: Virginia's largest jurisdiction, which took in more than $15 million in prepayments this week, said it is reviewing reimbursement options.

It has extended office hours through Friday.

Loudoun County: County Treasurer H. Roger Zurn Jr. described the situation as a "mess" and said some residents have already demanded refunds.

Late Thursday, the county said it could provide a preliminary 2018 assessment to residents seeking to make prepayments before the end of the year. But the county warned that it cannot guarantee that these prepayments can be deducted.

Residents seeking their estimated 2018 assessment were told to call the Commissioner of the Revenue at 703-777-0260.

Alexandria: More than 650 Alexandria taxpayers made prepayments of more than $6 million from Dec. 1 through Dec. 27, according to a city news release.

The City continues to encourage taxpayers who are considering prepayment to consult qualified tax professionals before deciding whether to prepay and determining the date by which payment must be sent or received, the release states.

Customers who made prepayments may request refunds by contacting the city's Treasury Division at payments@alexandriava.gov or 703-746-3902.

Arlington: Arlington County Treasurer Carla de la Pava said her office has taken in $11.5 million in prepayments from 1,569 residents since Dec. 1, with more than half of that coming in Wednesday. Taxpayers were still arriving Thursday morning to prepay taxes, despite the IRS directive.

We have had a few people requesting refunds, but not as many as you might think, de la Pava said. Taxpayers who want their money back have to submit a request in writing, and it may take as long as eight weeks for the refund.

The vacation-depleted staff was working through the 1,000 phone calls and messages, and 500 emails, that came in Wednesday.

Maryland

Both Montgomery County and Prince Georges County  large Washington suburbs that have a combined population of nearly 2 million  say they have not yet assessed properties for 2018.

Which is ironic, because both jurisdictions took unusual steps this week to try to allow residents the option of prepaying their taxes.

Montgomery County: The County Council interrupted its holiday recess to meet in emergency session Tuesday and passed a law allowing prepayment.

On Wednesday, 700 residents prepaid their taxes in person at county offices, with payments totaling about $8 million. An unknown number of additional residents mailed their payments.

The county said in a statement Thursday that the new prepayment law does not permit immediate refunds.

"In accordance with law passed by the Montgomery County Council on December 26, 2017, there can be no refunds until there is a 2018 tax bill for your account, the prepayment of 2018 tax is posted to your 2018 tax bill, and the prepayment exceeds the amount due on the 2018 Real Property Consolidated Tax bill," the statement said.

Prince George's County: Prince George's County announced Wednesday that its council, too, would interrupt recess to consider emergency prepayment legislation on Thursday.

But after the IRS issued its guidance, Prince Georges canceled the emergency meeting.

Elsewhere in the country

The Washington region is far from alone in its scramble to figure out what the IRS announcement means for residents. Kaeding, the Tax Foundation economist, said high-taxed regions with high-income residents, including Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York, are all wading through this same confusion.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), who issued an executive order last week allowing residents to prepay at least a portion of their property taxes, threatened legal action against the federal government Thursday over the change in these deductions.

In deep blue California, residents are not permitted to prepay their property taxes for 2018 because their properties have not yet been assessed, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

And in New Jersey, outgoing Gov. Chris Christie (R) signed an executive order Wednesday calling on municipalities in the state to accept prepayments for at least the first and second quarters.

Many jurisdictions in the Garden State, including the Township of Montclair, have already issued first and second quarter tax bills for 2018. Montclair has seen a rush of people attempting to make prepayments, according to its website, and is keeping government offices open over the weekend to accommodate them.

"Given the recent influx of queries to the Township regarding 2018 property tax pre-payment, we decided to provide additional time on a Saturday for those residents and business owners who wish to pay their 2018 taxes in advance," Mayor Robert Jackson said in a news release.

Peter Jamison and Rachel Siegel contributed to this report.
Columnist

Every day a new woman comes to N Street Village, a charity for women experiencing homelessness in the District. Recently, I spoke with three who live at Patricia Handy Place, a shelter that N Street Village operates in Chinatown.

Rose, 69, has lived at Patricia Handy Place since April. She was evicted from her apartment on Columbia Road after having several surgeries on her spine and knees.

On her profession: "My job is to be a home health worker. I take care of patients. [The agency] sends me to people that are sick, people that are old, people that are just helpless, who can't do things on their own. I was working before my sickness. Then for five years I haven't been to any place."

On finding N Street Village: "I called the shelter hotline and I said, 'Which one is the best?' They said, 'Patricia Handy.' I love this place. The cleanness of this place is like the hospital."

On plans for the future: Rose's health has improved since her surgeries. She walks two miles a day to get stronger and hopes to get her old job back soon. "My work is already waiting for me. They say 'Walk, walk, walk  be strong like a lion and come back.' "



Marisa, 68, found waiting lists for housing assistance very long. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

On life: "The greatest thing in this life is to love  and to hurt no one."

[Every afternoon in Chinatown, women line up outside Patricia Handy Place]

Marisa, 68, has lived at Patricia Handy Place since June. She arrived from Wilmington, N.C., thinking she could make a fulfilling life for herself in Washington, but found it was very expensive and waiting lists for housing assistance were very long.

On people finding out she's homeless: "If you tell someone you're homeless, they won't even shake your hand. They'll take a step back, like you're going to contaminate them."

On living at Patricia Handy Place: "Here you get that immediate feeling: You mean I'm safe? You mean I'm not going to get kicked out? If I do everything right, I can stay. I can have that security in my life until I get my place."

On what N Street Village does: "It's not the same thing as just feeding people. It's about investment in people's emotional needs, getting them out of the problems that they're in so they can clear their heads."

On the future: Marisa speaks Spanish and French and would like to be an interpreter. She would also like to be a museum docent.



Rose, 69, was evicted after surgeries left her unable to go to work. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

Patricia, 71, has lived at Patricia Handy Place since January.

On losing her home: "A lot of times it is not the person's actual fault that put them in the situation. My grandchild and I were evicted. He had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease. He lost his job. They said, 'You're too sick.' Social Security, I appreciate it, but the work I put in to get it is lacking. I couldn't carry the rent. That's how we lost our home."

On people finding out she's homeless: "Some people look at you, they don't see you. There are others that glance and scurry along. There's some couples, the gentleman will cuddle the female closer like you're going to pounce on them."

On a recent encounter: "I'm a watcher, watching people. I go outside and I have a little stool I sit on. This one gentleman came up the sidewalk and he had a beautiful smile. He walked over to me and handed me a juice. I didn't want to take it, but why am I going to block his blessing? I said 'Thank you.' And then he handed me a banana.

The little act of kindness made up a little for the people who cross the street when they see us. Were people. Homelessness is not contagious. You cant catch it from us.

On the future: With help from N Street Village, Patricia has acquired a housing voucher that will allow her to move into her own apartment in January. "I wish I didn't have to have gone through this journey, but I'm glad I did," she said. "The people in here that I have met, there are some that are as close as family."

Made your donation yet?

We're coming down to the wire. We have barely a week left in The Washington Post Helping Hand campaign.

Please give to N Street Village. Simply visit posthelpinghand.com and click where it says "Donate." To give by mail, make a check payable to N Street Village and send it to N Street Village, Attn: Helping Hand, 1333 N St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20005.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
UKRAINE

Kiev, separatists swap prisoners

Ukrainian authorities and Russian-backed separatists conducted a major prisoner exchange Wednesday, the largest such trade of captives since the start of the conflict and a sign of progress in the implementation of a 2015 peace deal.

Fighters from the self-proclaimed separatist republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine handed over

74 prisoners, and Ukraine delivered 237.

The exchange was supervised by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The OSCE welcomed the swap and urged the two sides to build on the momentum from it.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014.

The 2015 deal brokered by France and Germany and signed in Minsk, Belaruss capital, envisioned a prisoner exchange, but the two sides argued over lists of prisoners, and only a few dozen had been exchanged before Wednesday.

 Associated Press

ISRAEL

Trump train station planned at holy site

Israels transportation minister is pushing ahead with a plan to dig a rail tunnel under Jerusalems Old City, passing near sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims  and ending at the Western Wall with a station named after President Trump.

Yisrael Katzs plan, which is in the initial stages, involves constructing two underground stations and excavating more than two miles of tunnel beneath downtown Jerusalem and the politically sensitive Old City. The project would extend Jerusalems soon-to-open high-speed rail line from Tel Aviv to the Western Wall, the holiest Jewish site.

The route would run close to  but not directly under  the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where tradition holds that Jesus was crucified and buried, and a contested holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and

to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. Previous excavations by Israel near the holy site have sparked violent Palestinian protests.

The proposal is likely to meet with heavy resistance from Palestinians, neighboring Arab countries and the international community.

Katz, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposed naming the station after Trump for his brave and historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital this month.

Trumps announcement has enraged the Palestinians. The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution last week condemning the move.

 Associated Press

Detention of Reuters reporters extended in Burma: A court in Burma extended the detention of two Reuters journalists and set their trial for Jan. 10 on charges of violating state secrets. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested Dec. 12 for acquiring "important secret papers" from two police officers who had worked in Rakhine state, where abuses widely blamed on the military have driven more than 630,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. The charges are punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Former military commander is Zimbabwe's new vice president: Zimbabwe's new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has appointed a former military commander as one of his two vice presidents, state-run media reported, deepening concerns about the military's influence after its ouster of Robert Mugabe last month. The appointment of Constantino Chiwenga was widely expected. Mnangagwa has appointed former state security minister Kembo Mohadi as his other vice president, the Zimbabwe Herald reported.

Uganda says it killed over 100 rebels in Congo: Uganda's military said its forces have killed more than 100 rebels in Congo accused of carrying out an attack that killed 15 U.N. peacekeepers this month. It said several other Allied Democratic Forces rebels also were wounded in the air and artillery raids. The military said that the operation was carried out from Ugandan territory and that no Ugandan forces are on the ground in Congo. The Dec. 7 attack was the deadliest assault on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in almost 25 years.

Cameroon frees U.S. professor who criticized government: A New York literature professor held in the Central African nation of Cameroon since early this month  after he wrote an article criticizing the government  has been released, his attorney said. Stony Brook University professor Patrice Nganang was expelled from Cameroon and has been told not to return to the country where he was born, Emmanuel Simh said. Nganang wrote an article that was critical of how Cameroon has handled a sometimes violent secessionist movement in some English-speaking areas of the country.

 From news services
Contributing columnist

Addiction is the story of 2017.

Not addiction to opioids, though of course tens of thousands of families are mourning this season the death of a loved one to fentanyl or heroin or some other variant of the scourge coursing through the United States.

Not addiction to the toxic combination of power and lust that has metastasized for so many decades and burst onto the public stage in so many places, with the name Harvey Weinstein now synonymous with a sociopathic need to dominate, humiliate and exploit for a twisted set of pseudo pleasures.

And no, not an addiction to President Trump, either on the part of his adoring legions or his self-anointed worst enemies, whose ritual condemnations of Trump seem just as calculated to oblige notice of the virtue of the condemners themselves as the presidents tweets are to bring the collective gaze back to him and his agendas, both personal and political.

No, the centerpiece addiction of this year, widespread and growing, is to outrage itself  to the state of being perpetually offended, to the need not only to be angry at someone or something, or many people and issues, but also to always and everywhere be, well, hating. We are all trapped in this ongoing carnival of venom, a national gathering of unpleasant souls like that assembled in C.S. Lewis's 1959 essay "Screwtape Proposes a Toast" in the Saturday Evening Post (written two decades after Lewis's famed "Screwtape Letters"). Google and read it. It is remarkably resonant with the times.

This outrage isnt a current that is always on full strength, like Bostons Citgo sign. But it never quite turns off either, as once upon a time the television stations did with a ritual playing of the national anthem. (Quaint, especially this year.)

Outrage, rather, pulses, sometimes quicker and sometimes slower, like the human pulse. And like the human pulse, it is nowadays a sign of life. Not to be outraged is to be almost disqualified in the eyes of many from being a participant in politics, even though the perpetually outraged fall across the political spectrum. Not only can they not imagine anyone not being outraged, but also they cant imagine any kind of outrage save their own.

This may be the fault of Silicon Valleys algorithms, which provide us with near-constant friendly echoes of what we already believe and a steady stream of bias-confirming stories from bias-bent sources that further bend our biases along the arc they were already traveling (and it isnt, believe me, some preordained arc of history). All very convenient, these self-congratulatory seances with the unseen millions who agree with us about our own particular outrage.

Wait a bit after this column posts online, then check the comments. It will be a cut and paste of every other comment section of every other column, left, right and center. Just as cable news talking heads are beginning to blur into one long declarative sentence of certainty surrounded by nodding heads.

The amplification of the incendiary and the extreme in the comments section has broken through into podcasts and some into talk radio, cable and network news. Outrage is the kudzu of all media platforms. It will cover us all completely soon enough.

Like some undiscovered Mayan temple covered over by dense jungle, we will eventually all be a blip of angry noise picked up in a galaxy far, far away. What were they so angry about? our distant cousins will ask. All of them, all the time, about everything? Did they ever dance?

Of course we do. But youd never know it from the majority of media  broadcast, print, social and all. The kudzu spreads faster and faster, and it seems we cant do business without it. Its launch year was 2017. An early New Years resolution to throw the trend into reverse would be a start, as well as a good, long look in the mirror.
Opinion columnist

Christmas is back, and better than ever: Haven't you heard? "People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again," President Trump declared on Twitter on Christmas Eve, with an unmistakable note of triumph.

As has been widely pointed out, this whole enterprise is a farce. But its a particular kind of farce: One we might call a Trumpish victory. If a Pyrrhic victory is one that secures a minor win at the cost of a larger defeat, a Trumpish victory is a nominal success that illuminates an overall loss: In this case, interpreting a greeting-card salutation as a win for Christianity when its really another episode in a war of resentment that shares little with the Christian faith.

"I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!" Trump's tweet continued. "Trump just hasn't put Christ back in Christmas, but he's also put prayer back into the White House," rejoiced Paula White, Trump's on-hand evangelical Christian, during a Monday appearance on Fox News. Rev. Franklin Graham echoed her sentiment during his own Fox News spot: "I'm so excited that the president isn't afraid to mention the name of Jesus Christ."

It has been lengthily observed that President Barack Obama said "Merry Christmas" during his tenure as commander in chief and as recently as this year; that Trump has gladly uttered "Happy Holidays" in the past; that nobody ever really stopped wishing their friends and loved ones a Merry Christmas; that prayer has long been in the White House; and that Trump himself seems almost comically indifferent to the Christian religion unless it can be summed up in a phrase that might, hopefully, offend somebody.

It's possible that, seeing all the ruckus being raised over the greeting, some person somewhere felt newly encouraged to wish a neighbor a merry Christmas. But it's also the case that more Americans (52 percent) don't care what store clerks say to them at the holidays than consider Christmas a primarily religious holiday to begin with (46 percent), and that acknowledging the secure right of private citizens to say whatever they want  festive greetings notwithstanding  is affirming the same socio-political order that permits people to be credibly offended by whatever it is you choose to say. You can say "Merry Christmas," in other words, not because there's anything special about Christianity, but precisely because there isn't.



President Trump. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)

Trump's defenders don't bother saying the purported resurgence of their preferred salutation signals any kind of comeback for Christianity itself; they're concerned with the greeting as a speech act, as rebellion against the "political correct police," as White inartfully put it. Moreover, White emphasized, Trump has "put justice back into, and religious freedom back into, our courts." It's not about evangelization, in other words, and it's not about anything so bold as the secular state affirming the truth-value of Christianity. It's about freedom, liberty and exploiting the resentments that arise in a society where people hold vastly different, diametrically opposed, emotionally charged beliefs that they are expected to keep private. Even Breitbart News agrees. When the 30,000-member Freedom from Religion Foundation took out an ad in the New York Times criticizing Trump partly for his merry Christmas campaign, the conservative outlet countered that "Trump . . . has made religious freedom a hallmark of his agenda," citing Trump's vow that "We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied or silenced again and we will never stand for religious discrimination" as a summary of his ethos.

The liberty framing is crucial. It means that Christian greetings, like other Christian signs and symbols, ought to be permitted to private citizens because the state ought not privilege one religion over any other. This is a classically liberal approach to religion, and it presumes that religion is something that can be safely privatized, domesticated, narrowed to a point of personal preference or, if youre feeling cheeky, a salutation proffered to a store clerk you dont know as they pick up working hours over the holidays. Go ahead and say it if you want, or dont if you dont; if you get really lucky, somebody you already dont like may even be bothered by it. This sentiment contains almost every pathology of contemporary American life, but its not Christian, and aggressively wishing others a Merry Christmas strictly to assert that your in-group is currently empowered isnt a victory for the faith, even if it passes for one in our current conditions.

On the other hand, if you want to see the measure of a politician's commitment to Christianity, try telling them something they don't want to hear. In a Nov. 22 letter to the Senate analyzing the Republicans' tax reform bill, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops declared that "Congress must . . . make certain that the nation does not further enshrine indifference toward the poor into law," a most un-Christian practice, by amending its legislation to "better ensure a just and moral framework for all." Congress didn't listen.
Contributing columnist

Of the several claims of "anti-science" that clutter our national debates these days, none can be more flagrantly clear than the campaign against modern agricultural technology, most specifically the use of molecular techniques to create genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Here, there are no credibly conflicting studies, no arguments about the validity of computer models, no disruption of an ecosystem nor any adverse human health or even digestive problems, after 5 billion acres have been cultivated cumulatively and trillions of meals consumed.

And yet a concerted, deep-pockets campaign, as relentless as it is baseless, has persuaded a high percentage of Americans and Europeans to avoid GMO products, and to pay premium prices for "non-GMO" or "organic" foods that may in some cases be less safe and less nutritious. Thank goodness the toothpaste makers of the past weren't cowed so easily; the tubes would have said "No fluoride inside!" and we'd all have many more cavities.

This is the kind of foolishness that rich societies can afford to indulge. But when they attempt to inflict their superstitions on the poor and hungry peoples of the planet, the cost shifts from affordable to dangerous and the debate from scientific to moral.

From campus to Congress, it's common these days to speak in terms of "grand challenges." No challenge is grander than feeding the 9 billion or more people with whom we will share the Earth in a few decades.

Of course, those people weren't supposed to exist. Just a few decades back, "experts" were winning "genius" prizes for pontificating that "the battle to feed all of humanity is over" and forecasting that hundreds of millions were going to die and that there was nothing anyone could do about it. (Q: If that's genius, what does ignorance look like? Aren't the prize givers entitled to a refund?)

Instead of mass starvation and depopulation, the intervening years saw the most explosive improvements in living standards, food security, poverty reduction and life expectancy in human history. Credit Deng Xiaopings unshackling of the capitalist spirit in China for much of the gain, but it was the likes of the plant pathologist Norman Borlaug and wheat breeder Orville Vogel, whose Green Revolution, powered by modern plant science, saved the most lives and set the stage for the next grand challenge.

Today, their scientific successors are giving birth to a new set of miracles in plant production and animal husbandry that cannot only feed the worlds growing billions but do so in far more sustainable, environmentally friendly ways. And though the new technologies are awe-inspiring, they are just refinements of cruder techniques that have been used for centuries.

Given the emphatic or, as some like to say, "settled" nature of the science, one would expect a united effort to spread these life-saving, planet-sparing technologies as fast as possible to the poorer nations who will need them so urgently. Instead, we hear demands that developing countries forgo the products that offer them the best hope of joining the well-fed, affluent world. In the words of a gullible former Zambian president, "We would rather starve than get something toxic." Marie Antoinette couldn't have said it better.

It's not that the legitimate scientific community doesn't understand the seriousness of the problem or the distortions of the naysayers. But too many keep what they know to themselves or, when they engage, observe the Marquis of Queensbury rules in what is essentially a street brawl. One can understand their reticence, facing an aggressive, often self-interested anti-GMO lobby that is indifferent to the facts and quick with ad hominem attacks.

If youre an academic, you can tell yourself that, sooner or later, the science will prevail. If youre from the world of commerce, you justify your silence (or complicity) by saying that you arent in business to argue with customers. If youre a regulatory bureaucrat, you worry that you will be drawn and quartered for any mistake, whereas no one is ever held accountable for the miracle that never makes it to the marketplace.

It's time to move the argument to a new plane. For the rich and well-fed to deny Africans, Asians or South Americans the benefits of modern technology is not merely anti-scientific. It's cruel, it's heartless, it's inhumane  and it ought to be confronted on moral grounds that ordinary citizens, including those who have been conned into preferring non-GMO Cheerios, can understand.

Travel to Africa with any of Purdue University's three recent World Food Prize winners, and you won't find the conversation dominated by anti-GMO protesters. There, where more than half of the coming population increase will occur, consumers and farmers alike are eager to share in the life-saving and life-enhancing advances that modern science alone can bring. Efforts to persuade them otherwise, or simply block their access to the next round of breakthroughs, are worse than anti-scientific. They're immoral.
Columnist

In columns or commentary, one sometimes needs to simplify in order to save space. But heres my New Years resolution: In the coming 12 months, I will try to avoid the expressions far right and populist whenever possible. They are catch-all adjectives, useful in describing a general phenomenon. But they are also euphemisms, and they disguise whats at stake.

The terms "right" and "left," not to mention "far right" and "far left," have long been due for a rethink. They date from the French Revolution of 1789, when the nobility sat on the right side of the National Assembly, and the revolutionaries sat on the left. Since most Western "right-wing" parties aren't seeking to conserve aristocracy anymore, and many of the "left-wing" parties stopped being revolutionary a long time ago, the metaphor has grown stale.

As for far right, it doesnt really belong on that scale, because the modern European far right isnt conservative in any sense at all. Nor does it have much in common with parties of the so-called center right, many of which favor free markets and global trade and are happy to participate in international institutions and treaties. The far right, by contrast, is anti-trade and anti-market, favoring instead a greater role for the national state or, in Hungary for example, for oligarchs close to the ruling party. More important, many favor a greater role for those ruling parties, treating with suspicion journalists, courts, civil servants, universities and even police forces that question their compliance with existing law.

The same is true of the incoherent movement in the United States that is widely known as populist. Misleadingly, populist sounds like popular, but in fact we are talking about a movement that represents a minority. Although the populists are meant to be a faction of the conservative Republican Party, they arent conservative either. Instead, they share the European far right antipathy to the conservation of anything  along with the European far right suspicion of the media, the courts, the universities and pretty much all of the other institutions of the democratic political order. Solemn attempts to give this movement Jacksonian or other historical roots usually overlook the fact that the modern movements main proponent, President Trump, doesnt actually know any history at all.

But what words to use instead? As long ago as 2010, the Dutch writer Rob Riemen argued that we should call movements that feed on fear, promote xenophobia and denigrate democratic institutions by an older name: "fascist." In his newest book, "To Fight Against This Age," he argues that anything else is false: "The term populist is only one more way to cultivate the denial that the ghost of fascism is haunting our societies again."

Yet "fascist," whatever it meant to the Italians who invented the term in the early 20th century, now has different connotations: mass violence, mass murder, world war. None of the modern "far-right" or "populist" parties is responsible for even remotely similar crimes, so the connection seems unfair. I've run into similar objections to the term "national socialist," which still seems to me worth reviving: After all, it's a straightforward factual description of political movements that are simultaneously "nationalist," in that they promote an ethnic-based definition of national identity, and "socialist," in that they advocate a much larger economic role for the state.

But because the term reminds people of the Nazis, it still offends. So does the term "neo-Bolshevik"  I have used it to evoke the conspiratorial rhetoric that these parties always rely on, something the original Bolsheviks also relished, as well as their disdain for the institutions and laws of what they used to call "bourgeois democracy"  but of course they have not used Bolshevik terror either.

What's left? The political philosopher Jan-Werner Muller suggests "anti-pluralist," and although that's a bit antiseptic, it's probably closest to the truth. What we are really talking about, after all, are political parties that do not acknowledge the right of anyone else to hold or share power. They seek to establish themselves as the only legitimate spokesman for "the people" or "the nation," as opposed to the voters, and they seek to weaken any civic or political institutions that might restrict them. It's not an accident that Hungary's Fidesz party or Poland's Law and Justice party have packed their courts; nor is it a coincidence that Trump's Republican Party seeks to undermine the FBI. France's National Front and Germany's Alternative for Germany aren't in power, but even so, they treat the media with the same disdain as the American president does.

So in the New Year, lets be clear about whats at stake: not just politics as usual but also democracy itself, in Europe as well as North America. And Ill try to find better language to express that struggle.

Read more from Anne Applebaum's archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said about the GOP, "By and large, we're appealing to older white men" ["GOP could lose big in 2018, retiring lawmakers warn," news, Dec. 25]. Well, Senator, let me share this with you: I voted for Dwight D. Eisenhower for president. My birth certificate, issued by the state of Maryland, states that I am Caucasian. And last week I mailed a check to the Fairfax County Democratic Party as dues. That was the first time I joined or contributed to any political group.

Senator, your party has lost this older white male forever.

Earle Mitchell, Springfield
WHEN A person is killed by gunfire, its customary that the police provide basic information to the public. When the gun is discharged by the police themselves, however, different  and unwarranted  standards all too often are applied.

How else to understand the curtain of official silence that continues to shroud the death of Bijan C. Ghaisar, a 25-year-old accountant shot by U.S. Park Police nearly six weeks ago? Mr. Ghaisar, who was apparently unarmed, was behind the wheel of his car when one or two officers opened fire, shooting him several times in the head. He died 10 days later.

It is reprehensible that virtually no information has been disclosed about the incident, either to Mr. Ghaisar's family or to the public. Park Police have said nothing, nor have they released details of the alleged hit-and-run accident on the George Washington Memorial Parkway that triggered an 11-minute pursuit culminating with the shooting. Fairfax County police, whose officers tailed the Park Police vehicle and recorded the shooting with their dashboard camera, are mum. So is the FBI, to which the Park Police shifted the investigation a few days after the incident.

What could possibly justify so extensive an information blackout? Did a hit-and-run accident actually occur in Alexandria, as the Park Police said? If so, why has no report surfaced of anyone having been injured, or of any damage to a vehicle that may have been struck by Mr. Ghaisar? Since when are hit-and-run accidents accorded the silence usually reserved for state secrets?

On what grounds do the authorities justify their decision thus far not to identify the officer or officers who opened fire, killing Mr. Ghaisar? On what grounds do the FBI and Fairfax County police continue to withhold the video of the incident? On what grounds are they entitled to keep Mr. Ghaisar's family in the dark, as well as the public, on the basic question of why officers discharged their weapons?

Mr. Ghaisar grew up in McLean, lived in Tysons Corner and worked for his fathers firm. The car he drove bore vanity plates with his given name: BIJAN. Was ethnic profiling a factor in the Park Polices decision to pursue him or to shoot him? And if that question causes official indignation, then what other explanations should the public consider more plausible?

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as well as the countys police chief, Edwin C. Roessler Jr., have called for the video to be released. So has Mr. Ghaisars family, which encountered a locked door when they went to a staffed Park Police station on Christmas Eve to plead for information about the death. The Park Police has referred the family to the FBI, which has been tight-lipped.

The authorities indiscriminate silence makes a mockery of the open society that distinguishes the United States from autocracies and dictatorships. The longer it continues, the more the public will suspect a coverup. How that serves anyones interest is a question officials might ponder.
Columnist

My New Years wish is for the health and resurgence of democracy. What follows is a slightly edited version of a morning prayer I offered last month at the Appleton Chapel of the Memorial Church at Harvard University.

Let us say a prayer for democracy. But let us do more than pray. Let's ask ourselves what it means to live by a democratic ethic. "Here on earth," as John F. Kennedy said, "God's work must truly be our own."

We know that democracy, particularly in its liberal form, is embattled, facing threats within nations that have long been proud of their democratic traditions, and competition from systems that tout themselves as better able to deliver many of lifes good things.

But the greatest threat to democracy may be our own indifference.

Democracy properly encourages open-mindedness. But are we so open-minded that we are not willing to say, unequivocally, that a system providing for free speech, freedom of conscience, a free media, freedom of religion, and genuinely free elections is both morally and practically better than alternative systems? Are we so concerned about our tendency to deify our own culture and our own traditions, are we so turned off by the invocation of democracy in defense of wars we might have opposed, that we are unwilling to assert that democracy is worth defending across cultures and nations?

Democracy is and always has been imperfect in practice. Vaclav Havel, the Czech dissident who became his country's president, told Congress in 1990: "As long as people are people, democracy in the full sense of the word will always remain an ideal. One may approach democracy as one would a horizon, in ways that may be better or worse, but which can never be fully attained. In this sense, you, too, are merely approaching democracy."

In embracing democracy, as the historian James Kloppenberg has written, we are standing up for three contested principles: popular sovereignty, autonomy and equality. We are also embracing three premises: deliberation, pluralism and reciprocity.

We know that in its liberal form, democracy must at times resist popular sovereignty  a majority of the people cannot vote away their own rights or anyone elses. We know that our own quest for autonomy can conflict with our obligations to the communities to which we owe debts. We know that many democracies, including our own, are a long way from true equality.

Yet in the face of these tensions and imperfections, which values would we place above popular sovereignty, autonomy and equality  and also above deliberation, pluralism and reciprocity? If we would uphold these commitments, we should be prepared, with Havel, to defend the democratic ideal.

We should also be prepared to live it. For religious people, the grounding for democracy is a belief that all human beings are endowed with equal dignity by God. But one need not be religious to insist on the equal dignity of our fellow human beings. One need only be a small-d democrat.

A devotion to democracy thus ought to affect how we treat others. We often have to deal with hierarchies, but we should never internalize them. Those at the bottom of formal authority structures see things and know things that cannot be seen from on high. We should, as Pope Francis has said, seek the wisdom available only on the peripheries. We learn from experience  and from the news  that the distributions of virtue, compassion and judgment are not correlated with the distributions of power and wealth.

Democracy, finally, is rooted in two intuitions, about our aspirations to transcendence, which allow us to imagine a better world, and about our proclivities to sin and failure, which require limits on the power any of us can wield. Thus, Reinhold Niebuhr's aphorism: "Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."

The conservative writer William F. Buckley Jr. once said that he would rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the Harvard faculty. I no doubt have a higher opinion of the Harvard faculty than Buckley did, but the instinct behind his provocation should stay with us.

Democracy imposes a discipline. It demands that no fortunate group should ever claim, by virtue of its position or its educational attainments, the unchallenged right to impose its will on others. To invoke the late Benjamin Barber's lovely phrase, the only aristocracy democracy fully sanctions is "an aristocracy of everyone." It is the one sort of aristocracy worth praying for.

Read more from E.J. Dionne's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
THESE ARE dark days for journalists in Turkey, now the leader among governments that imprison news-gatherers. In one week alone, nearly 70 journalists were on trial on false accusations of supporting terrorism. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic alliance, and not all that long ago a boisterous democracy, has fallen into the grip of dictatorship. The theater of the absurd is in full season.

Consider the case of Oguz Guven, the online editor in chief of the daily Cumhuriyet, an independent newspaper that Mr. Erdogan has targeted. In February 2016, The Post published a lighthearted blog post that compared the faces of world leaders to types of dogs they resemble. The canine choices were made by a new Microsoft app, "Fetch." Mr. Erdogan apparently did not find it amusing that he was deemed to look like a basset hound. Other choices were similarly funny and insulting: Russian President Vladimir Putin was compared to a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. In the way of the digital world, some mention of Mr. Erdogan resembling a dog appeared on the Cumhuriyet website, which Mr. Guven oversaw.

The result is not at all lighthearted. Twenty-two months after the offending post, Mr. Guven has just been accused of "insulting the president," a crime in Turkey, and an Ankara court will take up the case in the spring. Meanwhile, Mr. Guven is already in hot water on another frivolous charge. When a prosecutor in the southwestern province of Denizli was killed in a road accident over the summer, Mr. Guven retweeted someone's snarky remark that the prosecutor had been "mowed down." Mr. Guven immediately realized the words were inappropriate and in 52 seconds deleted the retweet. Not soon enough. On Nov. 21, an Istanbul court sentenced him to three years and one month in prison on two separate terrorism charges. "All I am guilty for is a word that had been written by mistake," he insisted in pleading not guilty.

This is just one among many distressing examples; many civil servants and academics face the same dreaded punishment. The nearly 70 journalists who were in court in separate trials in that one week faced baseless charges of supporting terrorism or attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, according to Reporters Without Borders. Both these allegations have been favorites of Mr. Erdogan after the July 2016 coup attempt against him. Of special concern is the case of Fevzi Yazici, the former art director of the newspaper Zaman, who has been in pretrial detention for 17 months. According to family members and others, he was recently threatened by police and moved to solitary confinement. Police have reportedly pressured the journalist to confess to carrying out orders from the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania. Once an ally of the Turkish president, Mr. Gulen is now blamed for the coup; he denies involvement.

Mr. Erdogans paranoia and Stalinist tactics are running riot. The losers will be the Turkish people.


A soldier walks inside the Roman theater in Sabratha, Libya. The site was damaged during recent fighting for the control of the city between Ahmed Dabbashis militia and a group called the Anti-ISIS FightingRoom. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post)

For nearly two years, this ancient, beachfront city, famed for its Roman ruins, was one of North Africa's largest smuggling hubs, a gateway for tens of thousands of migrants seeking better futures in Europe. Now, there are none on the beaches where hundreds of rickety boats once ferried them to Italy illegally, none in the migrant detention center where they ended up when an attempt failed.

At the five-star West Tallil Holiday resort, the white, two-story villas once housed as many as 3,000 migrants at a time waiting to set sail. Their traffickers, who had seized the hotel, had erected sand dunes along the beach to hide them from Libyan coast guard patrols and curious swimmers.

The resort is now empty, as are the smugglers other safe houses.

Ferocious street battles among rival armed groups erupted this fall, ultimately driving out the young warlord Ahmed Dabbashi, whose militia ran the trade in migrants. The victors then expelled the migrants.





A rare visit by a reporter to Sabratha this month revealed how the massive trafficking of Africans, which has roiled European countries and raised concerns about widespread abuses of the migrants, is tied up with Libyas internal power struggles. The ebb and flow of migration reflect the shifting fortunes of the citys civil war, emblematic of the strife afflicting Libya since the Arab Spring.

Dabbashi, a black-haired and bearded fighter from a prominent tribe, widely known by his nickname Amu, had been above the law. As a teen, he had stolen cars and robbed shops, then graduated into trafficking arms and fuel. By the summer of 2015, he had entered the burgeoning migrant trade, according to local officials, tribal leaders and United Nations investigators. His control over that trade deepened as Libyas weak, U.N.-installed government in the capital, Tripoli, looked the other way.

He was a vicious fighter, Col. Najmi Farah, a police investigator, said of Dabbashi. He always carried two revolvers.

Locals say he once killed two men and dumped their bodies on the street to stir fear in people. From then on, residents were too scared to look him in the eye.



Students play outside the Central Sabratha School. The building bears the scars of recent fighting between militias. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post)

The fierce urban clashes broke out after one of Dabbashis cousins was killed in September in a skirmish with a competing armed group. Soon, other militias and tribes joined the fray, making common cause against Dabbashis forces, called the Anas al-Dabbashi Brigade.

Some migrants were killed in the crossfire, their bodies strewn in the streets. Thousands more fled to neighboring areas. When the migrants reemerged, an unlikely coalition of Libyan National Army soldiers and ultraconservative Muslim fighters were in control of Sabratha. Known as the Anti-ISIS Fighting Room, they swiftly dispatched most of the migrants to detention centers in other cities.

Its finished for now, said Muhammed Amma, 32, a migrant from Chad who fled the fighting and was now cleaning streets for the municipality. The boats to Europe have stopped.

Easy money

Amid the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, Dabbashi helped lead a rebel brigade during the NATO-supported revolt that toppled Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi. When Dabbashis cousin, Anas, was killed in one clash, the brigade was renamed in his honor.

In the ensuing chaos, criminal and smuggling networks expanded. Human smuggling became the most lucrative.

Its easy money, said Hussein Dhwadi, Sabrathas mayor. Its better than trafficking in drugs.

[Bodies of more than 70 migrants washed ashore in western Libya]

In August 2015, more than 200 migrants drowned off the coast of Zuwarah, 15 miles west of Sabratha. That disaster triggered an angry backlash by locals in Zuwarah, who pushed the smugglers out. Thousands of migrants headed toward Sabratha, generating even more wealth for Dabbashi.

Though Dabbashi was known to smoke and drink whiskey and seldom prayed at the mosque, members of his clan aided or sympathized with the Islamic State, which had by then turned Sabratha into a clandestine haven, according to interviews with local officials, police and tribal leaders. In a report this year, U.N. investigators said the Dabbashi militia had links with local elements of the Islamic State.

Neither Dabbashi, who is in hiding, nor a senior member of his militia could be reached either by phone or through messages left on his Facebook page.

[A Libyan militia confronts the worlds migrant crisis]

After U.S. airstrikes pummeled an Islamic State compound in Sabratha in February 2016, killing scores of militants, tribal and local armed groups rose up to push out the remaining extremists. Dabbashi himself turned forcefully against the Islamic State, a strategic decision to preserve his trafficking. He also nominally aligned himself with the Western-backed government in Tripoli, one of three regimes competing for authority in the country.



The site of a February 2016 airstrike carried on by U.S. forces, photographed recently. The attack mobilized local forces to force out the Islamic State. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post)

The Dabbashi militia was in control of everything, said Khalid Muhammed Hassan, an influential leader of a rival tribe. They had money and power.

Dabbashis fighters manned round-the-clock checkpoints at the entrance and the exits to Sabratha and sometimes demanded bribes. They parked their tanks and trucks at a former Islamic State camp. They also trained there, using an obstacle course with tunnels to crawl through, spiked fences to jump over and ropes for climbing.

Anyone deemed a threat to their trade in humans was a target. In April, gunmen followed Jamal Ali to his office. An aid worker, he had worked with the United Nations to expose beatings and sexual assaults against migrants.

They fired bullets at me, recalled Ali. But I got out of my car and ran.

Battle for the city

Resentment against Dabbashis militia rose.

We were against them, Hassan said. War was inevitable.



Hussein Dhwadi, mayor of Sabratha, sits in his office. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post)

On Mayor Dhwadis desk at the Sabratha Municipal Council, his wooden nameplate is marred by a pair of bullet holes. In the summer, Dabbashis gunmen entered the building searching for the mayor, who was out of town.

It was an aggression not against me but against the whole municipality, Dhwadi said.

Tensions between the militia and the wider community, including local authorities and influential tribal leaders, finally boiled over. When the killing of Dabbashis cousin touched off a full-blown war, rival tribes and even ordinary citizens picked up arms to fight alongside the Anti-ISIS Fighting Room.

Fierce battles between militiamen armed with Russian-made Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy artillery raged through Sabrathas neighborhoods. Shells pounded the walls of Sabrathas ancient outdoor theater, built by the Romans more than 1,500 years ago. Artillery and rifle fire tore into schools, municipal buildings, hospitals and storefronts.

On Oct. 6, after 19 days of fighting, Dabbashi was ousted from the city.

[Inside Libyas thriving migrant trade]

When the Room captured a tan-and-black military building that had been Dabbashis operations center, they made a disturbing discovery. There were 15 African migrants locked inside what had become a makeshift jail.

Some were sick, recalled Sgt. Shaqir Oshash, who now guards the site. Others couldnt move. They hadnt eaten in a long time.

An uneasy peace



The abandoned government detention center for migrants in Sabratha. The migrants in town have been moved to detention centers in Tripoli or nearby towns. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post)



This migrant now works for the municipality, cleaning and repairing roads in Sabratha. The smuggling business has moved to other nearby villages on the coast. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post)

Silence now fills the large warehouse that served as the government-run detention center. On the floor are worn-out mattresses, blankets, ragged shoes and empty water bottles  debris left behind by thousands of migrants.

Since Dabbashis militia was ousted, more than 10,000 migrants have been expelled from Sabratha, local anti-migration officials said. Those who arrive are quickly detained and placed on a bus to detention centers elsewhere in Libya. In Tripoli, many are being put on planes to be deported back to their home countries.

While the battle for Sabratha choked off the flow of migrants bound for Europe, it had already been declining in the months before hostilities broke out.

Italy and the European Union had begun training and equipping the Libyan coast guard, which increased patrols in the summer to intercept and return migrants to Libya, often to face more abuse.

Leading figures in Sabratha provide another explanation for the reduction. They say they believe Dabbashi had received a significant payment from Italy to stop the migrant smuggling trade.

In a telephone interview, Italys ambassador to Libya, Giuseppe Perrone, disputed that account. We dont fund militias, he said.

The number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe this year has declined 47 percent from 2016. But more than 170,000 migrants still arrived, and more than 3,000 drowned this year.

[Migrants face abuses in Libya even before they risk death at sea]

Around Sabratha, thrilled residents said prices of food and other goods have gone down because of the sharp reduction in migrants.



A group of soldiers of the Anti-ISIS Fighting Room militia guard a checkpoint at an entrance to Sabratha. The Dabbashi militia was in control of this checkpoint until October. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post)

On a recent day, uniformed soldiers manned checkpoints, carefully searching vehicles. More residents are driving their cars at night, no longer afraid of drugged-up militia fighters. In an enclave once dominated by Dabbashi, graffiti on a wall reads: Libya is back. Sabratha is back.

Sabrathas residents said they feel more secure.

Previously, we couldnt walk at night, said Abdul Hakim Al Mashawat, who lives across the road from the rubble of the Islamic State compound destroyed by the U.S. airstrikes. By sunset, we locked ourselves inside. Sometimes, the militiamen can take your car.

But few believe Sabrathas woes are over.

The commanders of the Anti-ISIS Fighting Room said they are getting little assistance from the Tripoli government. At stake, they said, is their control over the city. We need support, said Col. Ibrahim Majoub. Otherwise, things could deteriorate at any moment.

The groups allegiances are also in question. Some officers openly express support for Gen. Khalifa Hifter, a strongman based in eastern Libya who doesnt recognize Tripolis authority.

Dabbashi, meanwhile, is sending threats to local authorities and tribal leaders and calling his supporters to stage an uprising, community leaders said. In a Dec. 5 Facebook post, Dabbashi wrote: We will return to the city during these days with our weapons and force.

African migrants who were trapped in the middle of the street fighting said they now have another journey in mind: After seeing a few bullet-riddled bodies of fellow migrants, Muhammad Amma wants to return to Chad.

There are too many problems now, he said. Once I have the money, I will go home.

Read more:

African and European leaders want to evacuate thousands stuck in Libya

Could the flow of migrants to Europe be stopped?

The grim task of identifying the migrants who dont reach Europe

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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The Islamic State has said it carried out the attack, though the claim could not be independently verified.

Dec. 28, 2017 People carry a mourning man at a hospital after a suicide attack in Kabul. Mohammad Ismail/Reuters
The two Turkish men shuffled into the courtroom, their closely cropped hair, clean-shaven faces and chubby waistlines hardly the look of fearsome fighters of the Islamic State.

Appearing in court for the first time since being arrested in August on charges of belonging to that group, they professed their innocence, telling the judge they were simply plumbers who migrated to Iraq from Turkey looking for work.

After an 18-minute trial, they were sentenced to death by hanging.

The men are among hundreds of foreigners detained in Iraq on terrorism charges after the toppling of the Islamic States self-declared caliphate. The defendants  men, women and children hailing from Asia, Europe and Africa  are coursing their way through Iraqs criminal justice system, often receiving harsh sentences in rapid-fire trials.

The trials and capital sentences are presenting foreign governments with a moral and political dilemma. Do they object to the Iraqi trials and claim their citizens, who could threaten their home countries and radicalize others if repatriated? Or should Iraqi courts be allowed to determine the defendants fate in trials that human rights groups and the United Nations say are deeply flawed?

The issue has taken on new urgency as major combat against the Islamic State ended this month. Iraq has fast-tracked executions under the year-old orders of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, aiming to give comfort to the families of the Islamic States victims.

[Iraq declares complete victory in the war against Islamic State]

Iraqs Justice Ministry has disclosed 194 terrorism-related executions since 2016, including at least 27 foreigners from other Arab countries, according to a review of ministry news releases.

On Dec. 14, the ministry said it had executed an additional 38 prisoners on terrorism-related charges, but it did not specify their nationalities, prompting a rebuke by the United Nations human rights office. At least one of those executed had Swedish citizenship, according to researchers on human rights and terrorism.

Up to 6,000 more are on death row, and their nationalities have not been disclosed, according to the United Nations. Many more suspected militants are in custody, including at least four Europeans.

European countries have given little indication that they want to claim their citizens.

In a statement, Turkeys Foreign Ministry said it is aware of Turkish citizens being detained in Iraq for allegedly joining the Islamic State. We are in touch with the Iraqi authorities in terms of finding out their whereabouts and ensuring their repatriation, it said.

The United Nations said last month that Iraq does not have jurisdiction to try Islamic State atrocities and that Iraqi investigators, prosecutors and judges do not have the capability to ensure due process. It urged Iraq to turn to the International Criminal Court for such cases, especially those dealing with the attempted genocide of minority groups such as the Yazidis whose reintegration into Iraqi society largely depends on the accurate prosecution of crimes committed against them.

Iraqs massive dragnet is ensnaring scores of innocent people, while rushed investigations and trials are failing to distinguish between Iraqis who embraced the Islamic State and others who cooperated with the group out of fear or coercion, human rights groups and the United Nations said.

The lack of due process could imperil national reconciliation by enshrining a cycle of revenge in Iraqs courts, these groups said. This dynamic raises the possibility of continued sectarian conflict between Shiites, who dominate the government and legal system, and Sunnis, who account for nearly all those accused of terrorism.

But Abdulsattar Bayraqdar, a senior Iraqi federal judge, bristled at the criticism, saying his countrys judges and lawyers have sacrificed their lives to guarantee fair trials and hold terrorists accountable. He said that since 2003, at least 60 judges and more than 160 investigators and court employees have been killed in terrorist attacks stemming from their work.

As for foreigners affiliated with the Islamic State, Bayraqdar said that crimes committed by extremists on Iraqi soil must be prosecuted in Iraq, and that it is under no legal obligation to hand over suspects or convicts to other countries.

But those who are acquitted are being handed over to their countries, he said.

'Judge with justice'

The single courtroom where terrorism trials are heard is spartan. An imposing wooden cage sits in the middle of the room. From behind the bars, defendants face a panel of three judges on a high bench. Behind the cage are three rows of benches, typically occupied by lawyers. Defendants families are not allowed in the room.

The walls are bare except for a small banner above the judges heads imprinted with a partial Koranic verse: When you judge between people, judge with justice.

On Dec. 14, after court clerks finally located a Turkish-language interpreter, the Turkish defendants were brought in wearing faded brown jumpsuits.

The lead judge, Suhail Abdullah, eyed their charge sheet, confirming their identities: Ramadan Hassan, 24 years old, and Talat Yakout, 40 years old. The judge advised them that they were charged under Iraqs anti-terrorism law with joining the Islamic State and said they would be provided a lawyer at the expense of the state.

A lawyer from the audience stood up and accepted papers from the bailiff, hurriedly reviewing them as Abdullah recounted how the men had been taken into custody.

They had been arrested by soldiers while trying to flee Tal Afar, a western city near the border with Syria. They allegedly tried to blend in with hundreds of families fleeing the city as Iraqi forces stormed it to evict Islamic State militants.

[Iraqi military reclaims city of Tal Afar after rapid Islamic State collapse]

Next, reading from what he said was their confession to investigators, the judge described Hassan and Yakout as small-time operatives for the Islamic State when they illegally entered Iraq in February 2014. He said they had admitted to coming to Iraq to fight.

The defendants, whispering to their interpreter, denied the charge. They said they had come to Iraq to make money. They argued that they had never engaged in combat for the militant group.

But thats your testimony, right here, the judge shot back.

I said that after being tortured, Hassan said. I came to Tal Afar to only work as a plumber.

Welcome, welcome, Abdullah said sarcastically. You expect me to believe you came to Tal Afar while it was occupied by Islamic State to work as a plumber?

Yakout offered a similar defense, pointing to their surrender to the Iraqi army as evidence of their innocence.

Of course you surrendered, because time had run out, the judge said.

Their lawyer, given the opportunity to speak, simply asked the court to acquit them, saying there was no evidence except the confessions that were extracted through torture.

Hassan and Yakout were taken away to await the verdict.

A difficult defense

Iraqs anti-terrorism law gives judges wide berth in deciding cases. Prosecutors must show that a defendant joined or supported a terrorist group but are not required to prove a specific charge of murder.

In a report released this month, Human Rights Watch said prosecutors and judges were doing little to distinguish between fighters and others who did menial jobs for the Islamic State, such as cooks.

But Bayraqdar, the senior judge, defended the legal process, saying every member of the militant group contributed to a cohesive unit that terrorized Iraqi citizens. He added that a terrorism trial is not a simple formality. In November, he said, trials resulted in 449 convictions and 1,490 acquittals.

In the hallways outside the courtroom, lawyers wearing black robes with emerald-green trim busily roam the halls, quizzing prison guards and bailiffs on the whereabouts of their clients.

The defense lawyers say they never know whether they will get access to their clients or when they will appear. Defendants often are brought to court without notification. The lawyers complain that they are not present when their clients are interrogated and that the suspects often are tortured into making false confessions. Court files often disappear, only to be found after a defendant has been convicted.

With any civilian case, I can do what I want, defend them in the way they should be, said Nazhan Taha, a private attorney in Baghdad. But with terrorism cases, Im limited.

The pressures that defense lawyers face is most extreme in cases involving detainees who allegedly were involved with the Islamic State in Mosul, which was liberated after an especially deadly nine-month fight.

[Iraqi forces declare victory over ISIS in Mosul, but fighting continues]

You will be questioned, arrested or killed for taking one of their cases, Taha said.

Cigarette smoke lingers in the hallways of the court, with smokes being passed among prison guards, lawyers and even the defendants held in two cages at the end of the corridor.

The guards and bailiffs allow the detainees families to briefly exchange furtive and tearful kisses with the defendants between the yellow prison bars. But they are gruff with the defendants themselves.

One bailiff shared that he had lost his brother, a police major, in the fight to reclaim Mosul.

And now I look after the ones who killed him, he said, pointing to his eyes, an Arabic expression of duty and selflessness.

'I condemn you'

While the two Turks waited to learn their fate, the panel of judges heard nine more cases involving a variety of alleged crimes.

Among the defendants were two Turkish sisters, Raja and Najla Tahseen, age 32 and 27, whose husbands were accused of having been minor administrative officials for the Islamic State in Tal Afar.

The women were briefly questioned by the judge and claimed to be housekeepers whose husbands eventually quit the militant group. The women appeared nervous and confused. Their court-appointed lawyer asked the judge to show mercy, because they are women.

A few minutes later the judge barked, Decisions! All the defendants were herded back into the room.

He called the Tahseen sisters forward and sentenced them to life in prison.

Then he called Hassan and Yakout.

I condemn you to hang until death, the judge said, not lifting his eyes from the papers in front of him.

Read more:

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Suicide bombers killed more than 40 people and left scores injured Thursday, setting off multiple explosions at a gathering inside a pro-Iranian cultural center in the Afghan capital. It was the latest attack in a terrorist campaign against the minority ethnic Shiite community that has intensified over the past two years.

The attack, claimed by the Islamic State through its Amaq News Agency, struck the Tabayan center in a Shiite neighborhood, where hundreds of people had come to commemorate the December 1979 anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet troops.

A spokesman for the public health ministry, Waheed Majroh, said blasts left at least 41 people dead and 84 injured. Another government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said more than 50 had been killed. The death toll was expected to rise.

American and international officials condemned the attack and reaffirmed their support for the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, which has been struggling to contain rising violence, ethnic tensions and political unrest amid a protracted insurgency.

[Rupture between Afghan president, regional leader could shake fragile government]

I have little doubt that this attack deliberately targeted civilians, said Toby Lanzer, the acting head of the U.N. assistance mission here. Today in Kabul we have witnessed another truly despicable crime in a year already marked by unspeakable atrocities.

U.S. Ambassador John R. Bass said the incident once again demonstrates the depravity of those who seek to undermine peace and stability in Afghanistan. We remain confident the Afghan government and people, supported by their friends and partners, will defeat those behind these terrible acts.

The Taliban issued a statement denying any involvement. The likelihood that the attack was carried out by Islamic State bombers fit an alarming pattern of deadly incidents that have targeted Kabuls Shiite community, including mosques and other facilities, prompting the government to arm and train local Shiite men as mosque guardians.

In October, a suicide bomber struck a mosque in Kabul during a crowded prayer service just after the holy Shiite month of Muharram, killing 39 people and wounding dozens. In August, 31 people were killed in a terrorist attack on a Shiite mosque in Herat, a city close to the Iran border.

The Islamic State, a militant Sunni extremist group, regards Shiites as heretical, and some analysts have said it is attempting to drive a wedge between Afghans dominant Sunni populace and the minority Shiites. Its claim of responsibility for the Thursday attack could not be independently confirmed.

[Behind the front lines in the fight to annihilate ISIS in Afghanistan]

Afghans have also been recruited through Iran to join the war in Iraq and Syria against Islamic State fighters. Last month, Mohammad Mohaqiq, an Afghan Shiite leader, traveled to Iran and publicly praised those who had taken up arms for that cause. More than 1 million Afghan Shiites have lived and worked in Iran as war refugees over the past several decades.





In Thursdays attack, witnesses said they heard two small explosions and then a larger blast, and officials said the attackers stormed the building and set off explosive devices in the basement. A local Shiite leader said one of the bombers was sitting unnoticed among the participants when he detonated his device.

Community members said many of the people inside the center at the time were educated young people and children taking religious classes.

Ghani called the attack a crime against humanity, Islam and all human values. He added: The terrorists have killed our people. The terrorists have attacked our mosques, our holy places and now our cultural center.

The attack came just weeks after Ghani said the Islamic State, which emerged in Afghanistan in late 2014, was on the run following a recent series of joint offensives with U.S.-led troops.

A spokesman for the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan, Resolute Support, said the barbaric attack will not deter the unwavering resolve we have in supporting the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in achieving peace and freedom for the people of Afghanistan.

Constable reported from Islamabad. Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

Afghanistans American Idol is the voice of a new generation  and Muslim clerics arent happy about it

U.S. wants to build tsunami of air power in Afghanistan, but impact is years away

Afghan leaders in Helmand criticize U.S. airstrikes on Taliban drug labs

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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A few months after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a group of American investors and Russian scientists struck a deal to begin marketing one of the crown jewels of Moscows strategic arsenal: an entire family of missiles designed for launch from submarines.

Up for sale were powerful missiles called Calm and Ripple, built to lob heavy warheads into space from a barge or a submarine tube, and a new model called Surf that could be rolled off the side of a ship and fired straight out of the water. The idea of the joint venture, as one of its U.S. partners wrote in early 1993, was to link American satellite companies to a top Russian weapons laboratory to convert potentially threatening submarine missiles into peaceful space boosters.

The Americans quickly ran aground on a series of legal and bureaucratic barriers, but the Russians forged ahead with a new partner willing to pay cash for Soviet military technology: North Korea. More than two decades later, some of the Soviet designs are reappearing, one after another, in surprisingly sophisticated missiles that have turned up on North Korean launchpads over the past two years. Now, newly uncovered documents offer fresh clues about the possible origins of those technical advances, some of which seemed to outside observers to have come from nowhere.

The question that has long been raised is: Did North Korea get this technology from a [Russian] fire sale? said David Wright, a missiles expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Did they get plans years ago and are just now at the point where they can build these things?

North Korea is known to have relied on Russian parts and designs for its older missiles, including the Scud derivatives that had dominated its stockpile since the 1980s. The newly uncovered documents include technical drawings for much more advanced missiles  designs that include features seen in some of the newest missiles in North Koreas expanding arsenal.



In this Saturday, April 15, 2017, file photo, a submarine-launched ballistic missile is displayed in Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, to celebrate the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un. (Wong Maye-E/AP)

The documents from the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau include marketing brochures for an array of top-of-the-line Soviet missiles that were able to deliver nuclear warheads to U.S. cities. Initially designed for the Soviet navys nuclear submarines, some of the models offered for sale could be launched from a large boat, a submerged barge, or a capsule dropped into the ocean, negating the need for a modern submarine fleet.

The missile could be floated and ignited without any need for a launch platform, recalled Kyle Gillman, the former executive vice president of the U.S.-Russian joint venture known as Sea Launch Investors. Gillman, who negotiated the business agreement with Russias Makeyev scientists, reviewed and authenticated the documents obtained by The Washington Post.

[Explore the documents illustrating Soviet rocket designs]

The evidence that the designs eventually ended up in North Korea is partly circumstantial. In late 1992, with the U.S.-Russian project flagging, more than 60 Russian missile scientists and family members from the Makeyev facility were arrested at Moscows Sheremetyevo International Airport as they prepared to travel to Pyongyang to work as consultants. U.S., Russian and South Korean intelligence officials later concluded that some of the scientists eventually succeeded in traveling to North Korea to offer blueprints and technical advice for the countrys missiles program.

But U.S. analysts see more persuasive evidence in the actual missiles that North Korea has put on display over the past two years. In the most striking case, the Hwasong-10, or Musudan, a single-stage missile successfully tested by North Korea in June 2016, appears to use the same engine and many design features as the Soviet Unions R-27 Zyb, a submarine-launched ballistic missile designed by Makeyev scientists and advertised in one of the brochures obtained by The Post.

The fact that it has taken Pyongyang so long to exploit the Russian designs is perplexing, but North Korea had long lacked the sophisticated materials, engineering expertise and computer-driven machine tools for the kinds of advanced missiles it has recently tested, weapons experts say. With an industrial base enhanced by years of slow, patient acquisition efforts, North Korea is only now in a position to capitalize on technology it had been sitting on for years or even decades, analysts say.

North Korea was just recently able to acquire machine tools that were state-of-the-art in the 1990s, meaning they are still damn good machine tools, Wright said. Once you have the plans, and are able to get your hands on the materials and the right kinds of tools, you have a real leg up.

Helping Russians pay the bills

The U.S. founders of Sea Launch Investors saw their joint project with the Russians as the profitable answer to two pressing global concerns, company documents show.

One was a shortage of launch capacity for a new generation of satellites servicing the rapidly expanding global telecommunications industry. The other was the problem of newly idle weapons scientists in labs and factories across the former Soviet Union. The abrupt halt to the Cold War in 1991 upended the careers of the thousands of physicists, chemists, microbiologists and engineers who built the Red Armys vast stockpile of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, along with the missiles for delivering them. Once among the elites of Soviet society, these highly skilled scientists faced an uncertain future with little meaningful work and a plummeting standard of living.

The United States would ultimately commit billions of dollars to help secure or dismantle Soviet weapons stockpiles and repurpose former weapons laboratories. Yet, in the early 1990s, U.S. officials remained gravely worried about the possible leakage of Soviet weapons secrets, and perhaps of the weapons themselves.

[The secret to Kims success? Some experts see Russian echoes in North Koreas missile advances]

The Americans who founded Sea Launch Investors in 1992 believed that their project could help prevent the poaching of Russian weapons experts by terrorists and rogue states, at least from the community of rocket scientists at the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau, the premier Soviet manufacturer of submarine-launched ballistic missiles headquartered in Miass, a small city in Russias southern Ural mountains.

We not only help the Russians to pay their bills and stabilize their country by showing them how the free enterprise system works, John E. Draim, a Navy pilot and engineer, wrote in the companys business plan in 1993, but we also help those Americans who are looking for an economical way to get satellites into orbit.

[Kim Jong Uns rockets are getting an important boost  from China]

In May of that year, a Protocol of Intent agreement was signed by retired Adm. Thomas Moorer, a former Joint Chiefs chairman and head of the American team, and retired Russian Adm. Fyodor Novoselov, a former deputy fleet commander for shipbuilding and armaments. The joint venture acquired exclusive rights to Makeyevs inventory of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and then developed marketing materials that showcased a line of products that could be converted for use in commercial ventures. These included a missile known as the R-27 Zyb  or Ripple  the squat, blunt-nosed workhorse of the Soviet Unions Yankee-1 Class submarine fleet, along with larger, more powerful missiles such as the 50-foot-tall R-29 Shtil  or Calm  and the newer, solid-fueled R-39 Rif. The latter two were true intercontinental ballistic missiles with a range of more than 5,000 miles.

But the marquee item was the Priboi, or Surf, a hybrid model that the investors planned to create by combining parts of the Shtil and Rif into two-stage spacecraft designed to put small satellites into orbit. The Surfs most extraordinary feature was that it could be fired into space without a submarine or conventional launchpad. Using techniques that both the United States and Russia had developed experimentally in the 1960s and 70s, the missile could be launched from a floating tube, virtually anywhere in the world. Here, Russian missiles had a distinct advantage, as their lower specific gravity allowed them to float vertically, like an ocean buoy. Moreover, the engines for Soviet submarine missiles were specifically designed to ignite while their nozzles were still in the water.

Backers of the plan envisioned a day when Russias missiles could launch commercial satellites into space quickly and cheaply, using a nearly infinite number of launch sites across the worlds oceans.

Erection in the water, even for the largest rockets, will take less than a minute, Draim wrote in the 1993 business plan. Telecommunications companies would save millions of dollars, he wrote, while eliminating a real threat to U.S. national security.

Losing the peace

As the months passed, Makeyevs managers became increasingly frustrated as their American partners ran into a series of obstacles, including reservations about whether the joint venture was permissible under U.S.-Russian arms-control agreements. In April 1993, Gen. Colin L. Powell, then the Joint Chiefs chairman, informed Sea Launch Investors that the project could not proceed without a government review and a formal waiver of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. No waiver was granted, and by the spring of 1995, it was clear that the company was at a dead end.

The present ground rules . . . practically put us out of business, Moorer complained in a memo on April 26 of that year.

By then, some of the Makeyev drawings and blueprints had apparently gone out the door. The Russian scientists arrested at the Moscow airport acknowledged to investigators that they had been recruited as a group to assist North Korea in building rockets, ostensibly as space boosters for satellites. In "The Dead Hand," David E. Hoffman's Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the last years of the Cold War, a Russian security official describes how the North Koreans systematically chose experts from across Makeyev's entire production line, from fuels specialists to engineers who designed the nose cone and payload chamber. The salary offer, $1,200 a month, was 200 times as much as some of the scientists were earning at home.

[Microbes by the ton: Officials see weapons threat as North Korea gains biotech expertise]

This was the first case when we noticed the North Korean attempts to steal missile technology, the security official is quoted as saying.

Other attempts would follow. U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials have confirmed that Makeyev scientists eventually did land jobs as consultants for the North Koreans, and technical drawings were passed to Pyongyang, either directly or through intermediaries.

Some of Makeyevs missile secrets appear to have left Russia before the joint-venture effort officially disbanded. Still, years later, the companys former executive vice president remains convinced that most, if not all, could have been kept locked away if Western governments had acted quickly.

We just needed to be creative, and try and win the peace, Gillman said. But our government and military and intelligence agencies were shortsighted.

Technological leaps

On June 22, 2016, North Korea successfully tested a mysterious new missile that differed dramatically from anything in Pyongyangs known arsenal. The 36-foot-tall missile had a squat, snub-nosed frame and used a liquid propellent more powerful than the kerosene-based fuels the North Koreans had used in the past, potentially allowing it to fly farther, with heavier payloads.

The missile was dubbed the Hwasong-10, or Musudan. But experts noted striking similarities to the R-27 Zyb, or Ripple, manufactured by the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau. Two months later, on Aug. 24, 2016, North Korea successfully tested the Pukguksong-1, a submarine-launched missile that also incorporates some features from the Zyb. Both models are "generally regarded as derived from the designs of the Makeyev Bureau's R-27," said Joshua Pollack, an analyst at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif.

[This North Korean ship was carrying illegal weapons  and a surprise]

Those two tests were followed in recent months by even greater technological leaps, culminating in the successful tests this year of North Koreas first true intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of reaching every city in the continental United States. There have been no further tests of the Musudan, but satellite images released this month show that North Korea is building floating barges thought to be intended for tests of new submarine-launched missiles. The construction is occurring in two different ports on opposite sides of the country.

U.S. analysts also believe that North Korea is working on an improved version of the Pukguksong.

"I have to assume that Makeyev pitched part, if not all, of these concepts and proposals to other interested investors, including the North Koreans," said Michael Elleman, a former missiles scientist and a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank.

While there is solid evidence that North Korea acquired blueprints for the R-27 Zyb, there is no proof so far that Pyongyang is building a clone of the R-29 Shtil, with its more powerful engine and 5,000-mile range. But Elleman cautioned: It may be there, and appear in the future.

Anne Gearan contributed to this report.
The United States and Turkey announced Thursday an end to visa restrictions that have affected thousands of travelers, but tensions continued to fester as Turkish officials disputed a U.S. account of how the crisis was resolved.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara posted a notice on its website saying full visa service was resuming because the Turkish government had provided "assurances" that its local employees would not be arrested for actions related to their jobs. It also said Turkey promised to alert the embassy if any other Turkish employees face arrest.

A few hours later, the Turkish Embassy in Washington posted its own explanation, saying it, too, was restoring visas in a gesture of reciprocity. But it insisted it gave no such guarantees.

It is inappropriate to misinform the Turkish and American public that such assurances were provided, it said.

The visa crisis began in October when U.S. missions in Turkey stopped issuing most visas after a Turkish employee of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul was detained for alleged links to Fethullah Gulen, a Pennsylvania-based cleric whom Ankara blames for a coup attempt in 2016. Turkey retaliated in kind.

[How the Turkish government regained control after a failed military coup]

The impact was immediate. In September, the United States issued more than 7,200 nonimmigrant visas in Istanbul and Ankara. In November, when limited visa service was restored, barely 1,800 visas were issued.

The end of the visa standoff caps a turbulent year in U.S.-Turkish relations.

Turkey wants Gulen extradited, but U.S. courts have refused to do so. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is angry that Washington has armed Kurdish fighters in Syria.

U.S. officials, for their part, have complained frequently about human rights violations in Turkey since the attempted coup. Turkey remains in a state of emergency.

Another thorn in the relationship was a clash between protesters and Erdogan's bodyguards outside the ambassador's residence in Washington. Police later charged a dozen Turkish security guards with assault.

Against the deteriorating relationship, the argument over the visas took on political overtones, even as the State Department said it was purely about the safety of its employees.

It was precipitated by the detention of a Turkish employee, the second detained this year, and suggestions that others might be in the crosshairs. An embassy statement said it needed to reassess Turkeys commitment to protecting its employees.

[U.S.-Turkey tensions boil over after arrest of consulate employee]

U.S. officials feared that the post-coup-attempt crackdown meant their Turkish employees could be jailed for innocuous actions such as calling the police to check on visa applicants.

A Turkish official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy, stressed that Turkey had not arrested any embassy staffers because of their regular work. The official said the two consulate employees were taken into custody because we believed that they had direct links with the FETO terrorist organization, an acronym for the Gulen movement.

Both sides, the official said, committed to informing the other of any intention to detain consular employees.

I think both the U.S. and [Turkey] recognized that the status quo was not sustainable, the official said.

A State Department statement cited high-level assurances that no more employees are under investigation.

Based on adherence to these assurances, the Department of State is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey, it said.

But the statement expressed serious concerns about the detained employees as well as the fate of U.S. citizens arrested since the attempted coup.

Turkey, in a tit-for-tat gesture, said it was concerned about the ongoing cases against Turkish citizens in the United States, an apparent reference to the outstanding warrants for Erdogans bodyguards.
Guatemalan Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel said her countrys plan to move its embassy to Jerusalem is simply part of a coherent foreign policy. (Moises Castillo/Associated Press)

Amid the roar of condemnation over the Trump administration's stance on Jerusalem, there were bleats of support from far-flung corners of the world.

In the vote at the United Nations last week on whether to condemn the decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, Micronesia sided with the United States along with an archipelago of geopolitically obscure outposts: the Marshall Islands, Togo, Nauru, Palau. And then there was a pair of allies closer to home  Guatemala and Honduras, the only two countries in Latin America to support the U.S. move.

[U.N. resoundingly rejects U.S. decision on Jerusalem in pointed rebuke]

Guatemala followed up its U.N. vote by announcing this week that it would follow President Trump's lead and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a decision that has caused a backlash in the region and beyond. Jordan's foreign minister described it as an "absurd provocation." Bolivian President Evo Morales, a veteran critic of the United States, wrote Monday on Twitter that Guatemala had "sold its dignity to the empire to not lose the crumbs from USAID."

After the vote on Jerusalem, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, invited those countries that didn't condemn Washington to come to a reception to thank them for their "friendship to the United States."



Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands in Jerusalem in 2016. Guatemala, like Honduras, has strong ties to Israel. (Pool/Reuters)

Guatemala and Honduras have a lot to lose by upsetting the Trump administration, as the crackdown on illegal immigration has raised the prospect of more deportations, and regional trade and foreign aid have been called into question. But analysts see their actions last week as more than just attempts to curry favor with Washington. Both countries have long-standing ties to Israel and are facing domestic challenges that are helped by aligning with conservatives in the United States and Israel.

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, a former television comedian and an evangelical Christian, relies on the support of his countrys influential evangelical community, which has consistently advocated for Israels right to have Jerusalem as its capital, considering it a biblical issue as much as a political one.

As the Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently noted, Morales's first visit outside the Americas as president, in 2016, was to Israel, where he received an honorary doctorate and the two countries signed agreements on agriculture and science. In addition, Israel gave military aid to the government for its fight against leftist guerrillas during Guatemala's civil war in the 1980s. Conservative members of the Guatemalan military remain key supporters of Morales.

Hes trying to please his political base, said Fernando Carrera, a former Guatemalan foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations. Hes also trying to close the gap of confidence with the United States.

That gap widened over the summer when Morales tussled with a U.S.-backed anti-corruption group. Moraless attempt to expel Ivan Velasquez, the head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (known by its initials in Spanish, CICIG), who was investigating campaign finance issues, caused an international uproar. After that, Carrera said, Morales was not considered that credible and trustworthy in Washington.

[Guatemalan president attempts to kick out U.N. anti-corruption chief]

"He's trying to strengthen his position," Carrera added. "He wants to push for an agenda that seems to be very much in line with the most conservative geopolitical analysts in the world."

On Tuesday, Guatemala's foreign minister, Sandra Jovel, defended the decision to move the embassy and called it "a foreign policy decision, therefore sovereign."

What we are doing is being coherent with our foreign policy and the ally we have been for Israel, she said.

The president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, is also in a politically precarious position and could use the Trump administrations help. Protests have roiled Honduras for the past month after a disputed election. The State Department recognized Hernandez as the winner over challenger Salvador Nasralla, despite calls by the Organization of American States for a revote.

The Trump administration is still considering whether to deport some 57,000 Hondurans living with temporary immigration status in the United States. Honduras has also received military aid from Israel that has worried its neighbors and raised human rights concerns.

Many expect that Honduras also could announce its intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem. One Latin American diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said there is a "strong possibility of Honduras being next."

For the embattled leaders of Honduras and Guatemala, siding with the Trump administration seems their safest bet.

"It speaks to the isolation of these countries and their need to find friends," said David Holiday, a Central America expert at the Open Society Foundations. "Any chance they can get to earn Brownie points, they're going to do that."

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This article was published 27/12/2017 (1787 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Gendis Inc., the company founded by Albert Cohen and his five brothers in the 1940s that introduced Sony transistor radios to the Canadian market and owned hundreds of discount clothing stores in small towns across the country, will become a private company owned by third-generation Cohen siblings.

You could say its the end of an era, said Jerry Gray, an independent board member of Gendis Inc.

The children of Albert Cohen, led by James Cohen who has been the CEO of the company since 2010, are offering $5.25 per share to take the company private.

Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg Free Press files Since Gendis unloaded Saan Stores in 2005, it has existed as a holding company of sorts for a small portfolio of real estate assets.

The Cohen siblings currently own close to 73 per cent of the 13 million outstanding shares of publicly traded Gendis Inc.

Another minority shareholder representing 15 per cent of the shares has already agreed to sell their shares to the Cohen siblings.

Since the company unloaded its struggling, small-town discount clothing retail chains  Saan Stores  in 2005, it has existed as a holding company of sorts for a small portfolio of real estate assets  including the 500,000-square-foot facility on Sony Place that once operated as the distribution centre for its retail chain of 350 stores  as well as shares in oil and gas companies and some agri-tech companies.

Last year, the company had $5.4 million in revenue with total assets of $67 million.

We have been looking at this (a going private transaction) for several years, Gray said.

Operating as a public company can be quite costly and you have to be ready to use the capital market for your own advantage.

In our case, the situation just was not right to do a lot of investing or issuing new stock. It was decided it was best in the interest of all shareholders to be a private company.

The $5.25-per-share offer, which is subject to a number of conditions before it closes, represents a 12.9 per cent increase from the original offer of $4.65 per share made in early November.

Over the past few years Gendiss asset mix has changed only slightly, with modest investments in a couple of new agri-tech companies.

Its most significant holding  about two million shares of Veresen Inc.  received a windfall in October when Veresen was acquired by Pembina Pipeline Corp.

MIKE APORIUS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Former Gendis CEO Albert Cohen (left) with his son and current CEO James Cohen in 2005. Pending a shareholder vote, the Cohen siblings will take Gendis Inc. private.

As a result of that transaction, Gendis received $12.9 million in cash and 561,725 shares in Pembina Pipeline that were worth $24 million at the time (worth $25.56 million on Wednesday).

In addition to Veresen (now Pembina Pipeline), Gendis holds 1,586,000 shares worth about $2.7 million as of Oct. 31 in Osum Oil Sands Corp., a private Alberta oilsands company.

The large Sony Place industrial property is now leased up to 100 per cent after suffering the loss of a major tenant a couple of years ago when IMRIS Inc. pulled up stakes and moved to Minneapolis.

Gendis also owns five other commercial real estate properties that all once housed Saan or other former Gendis-owned retail stores. Those buildings are located in Flin Flon, Stonewall, Portage la Prairie, Winnipeg and Thunder Bay.

The share offer will be subject to the approval of not less than a majority of the votes of the shares not owned by James Cohen and his siblings, Anna-Lisa Cohen and Anthony Cohen.

A formal takeover bid circular is to be sent to shareholders of Gendis no later than Jan. 18, 2017, and a shareholder meeting will be held soon after to finalize the transaction.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
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CHURCHILL  Ottawa is placing Manitobas northern port at the centre of its nascent Arctic strategy, as Churchill tries boosting the provinces economy by deepening its ties with Nunavut.

Officials from multiple federal departments say the towns shipping and research potential have made it a centrepiece in how the Liberals plan to co-ordinate transport, trade and the environment for the North.

Churchill Mayor Mike Spence says the Arctic strategy could also see Manitoba increase its hydro and health-care ties with Nunavut, which could boost provincial coffers and jobs.

Dylan Robertson / Winnipeg Free Press The Port of Churchill

There are so many opportunities up here, Spence said in a recent interview inside the towns council room. As Canadians, you need to look at the investment thats gone into this town (and) the vision that our forefathers had.

Behind the council table sits Churchills flag and those of Manitoba and Canada. But theres also a Nunavut flag, symbolizing the towns deep ties with the territory, whose border lies 110 kilometres north.

For decades, Churchill has been a hub for Nunavuts western Kivalliq region, offering medical services and educational courses for 10,000 residents split among eight hamlets.

Those ties have waxed and waned. An annual dog-mushing race used to cross the 60th parallel north, but the route switched to Churchill and Gillam after difficulty co-ordinating supplies and Canadian Rangers on either side of the border.

For years, a handful of Winnipeg businesses took orders from Nunavut customers  everything from construction supplies to vehicles  and shipped the goods up the railway to Churchill and then onto barges bound for western Nunavut. But theyre now noticing a downturn as Quebec companies start exporting goods through a port near Montreal.

Last March, a historic snowfall buried the town of 900, and a rapid melt in May washed out parts of the rail line. Like many, Spence blames climate change for both phenomena.

I cant say enough that there are opportunities with climate change, he said. Were being affected, but we have to look at, how can we bear some fruit and be successful?

A year ago this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Ottawa would create a new Arctic Policy Framework, to create goals for 2030 that surround infrastructure, economic diversification and the environment.

The very first of nine roundtables took place in Churchill on Oct. 4, attended by provincial officials, businesses and multiple federal departments, as well as the Manitoba Metis Federation and Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

Some of the people who were at the meeting say it covered the existing links between the town and Nunavut, and how they could be enhanced, especially as the Churchill grapples with soaring living costs.

Spence hints that may mean giving Churchill special status, or linking more government services between Manitoba and Nunavut. Is it time to look at a jointly administered community? Because here, youre at the top of the province and somewhat distant from other communities, in terms of transportation (compared) to, say, the Kivalliq communities of the North, he said.

For years, the organization representing Inuit along the western coast of Hudson Bay has pushed to have the hydro line from Gillam to Churchill extended up to Rankin Inlet. A 2015 report found the move would cost $904 million, but cut emissions and pay for itself within four decades by slashing electricity rates to less than a fifth of what locals spend on diesel generators.

Spence says an updated feasibility study is being planned, which would include fibre-optic cables aimed at replacing the crawling internet speeds that hamper Nunavut businesses. Other groups want a road built to Churchill, because mining companies have held back on projects where minerals can be shipped south only by plane or boat.

Beyond Nunavut, Spence says Canadas only northern deep-water port should expand its 14-week shipping season, which currently runs from mid-July to Halloween. Hudson Bay has taken longer to freeze and thaw in recent years, up to an extra month.

Spence has tried unsuccessfully for a decade to get insurance companies to cover shipping companies who use the port outside the existing season. Within the town, Spence says Churchill aims to expand its research, tourism and health-care industries.

Dylan Robertson / Winnipeg Free Press files Churchills longtime mayor Mike Spence says there are so many opportunities in Canadas North  including in his town.

But hes also leaning on Ottawa to bring back a military base to the town, which housed thousands of American and Canadian soldiers during the Cold War.

While those army facilities are now largely abandoned, Spence believes the towns hospital and extra-long airport runway could once again serve a larger military population through a base that support operations across the Canadian North.

The only option that seems off the table for Churchill is shipping oil from its port, an idea that port and railway owner Omnitrax shelved in 2012 after fierce opposition from town residents. Instead, a University of Manitoba ice-research lab aims to learn how Arctic climates react to oil spills elsewhere.

Energy Minister Jim Carr says a key part of the Arctic strategy will be linking Churchill to the Kivalliq region, including the possibility of an ice trail built by the same group that recently carved a temporary overland route between Churchill and Gillam near the railway washout site.

Theres all kind of potential developing north of Churchill, and people are thinking more and more seriously about it, he said.

The Winnipeg South Centre MP has become the governments public face of efforts to restore normalcy and economic viability to the town since the rail washout, including an ongoing effort to transfer the railway and port into local hands.

Carr said Ottawa is focused on a viable business plan for that takeover to sustain permanent jobs. He pushes back on the idea that Churchill has been abandoned.

They ought not to think that they dont have a political voice, he said. The issues that are so important to them resonate, not only through Manitoba but throughout the country, because people understand that this is a deep-water port.

People understand that climate change is having an influence on new trade routes, and that Canadas future as a trading nation is going to depend in part on our capacity to move goods to market. And Churchill is one element of what that future will look like.

Though the Arctic strategy is coming in the latter half of the Trudeau governments four-year mandate, its gaining traction.

This month, the Senate started a special committee to examine Arctic issues, including sovereignty, climate change and economic viability. Of its nine members, two represent Manitoba: Patricia Bovey and Marilou McPhedran.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
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Local bird enthusiasts were treated to a flock of unlikely feathered visitors this holiday season.

The Winnipeg Christmas bird count, an annual tradition that joins 1,000 groups of birdwatchers across the nation from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5, documented four species that are rare to the city during its Dec. 17 tally.

Although not uncommon in Manitoba, the Eurasian collared dove, the American three-toed woodpecker, the black-backed woodpecker and the northern saw-whet owl are not often seen in the bird counts jurisdiction, event leader Rudolf Koes said.

Enrico Fabian / Washington Post An Eurasian collared-dove

The radius stretches roughly 12 kilometres each direction throughout the city from its centre at Portage Avenue and St. James Street, ending around the Perimeter Highway.

Koes said the three-toed woodpecker, in particular, is found in the boreal forest and rarely ventures into the city. The other species can be found in Winnipeg, but usually in rural areas.

In none of the cases did we know those birds were around. It was just lucky, Koes said. This is not their normal habitat.

The four species were either newly documented this year or had been spotted once before during the bird counts history.

The bird sightings are different each year, depending on how many people are out searching  and with more eyes glued to binoculars, the higher the chance theyll get a peek at their feathered friends. This year, the event had almost 100 people scouring the city, Koes said.

The tradition started in the 1900s on the East Coast of the United States and was first recorded in Winnipeg in 1925. The counting tradition originated as an alternative to a competitive bird hunt. Some bird enthusiasts thought it would be more humane to count birds instead of killing them.

Since then, the bird count has grown to a few thousand counts across North America, with 21 in Manitoba alone, including cities such as Dauphin and Brandon, as well as rural townships such as Cranberry Portage and Pinawa.

Although bird counting is simply a hobby for many, scientists can use data produced by amateur enthusiasts to track patterns in species, Koes said.

Professional scientists do a lot of good work to monitor wildlife and the environment, but without the help of citizen scientists, we would know only a fraction of what we know now.

Colin Corneau / Brandon Sun files A northern saw-whet owl

Such knowledge documented by citizen scientists includes the dwindling number of prairie birds suffering not only because their habitat is being broken apart, but as a result of pesticide use, said Koes.

Some of these species have gone down enormously in the last 100 years or so, he said.

Especially animals who eat insects. Pesticides kill (birds) indirectly by killing their prey.

Koes, who has been bird counting since 1969, continues to join the count because of the new adventures it brings each year.

Being outside and discovering interesting things is the best part, he said.

kiera.kowalski@freepress.mb.ca
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Four Via Rail trains scheduled to transport passengers across Manitoba this week have been cancelled  with no alternative transportation in place Wednesday, according to a Via Rail spokesperson.

Marie-Anna Murat, senior communications director for Via Rail, said trains have been cancelled due to equipment issues related to the extreme cold weather, in a statement Wednesday night.

Service has been cancelled for the following trains: train 693 scheduled to leave Wednesday from Winnipeg to Gillam, trains 964 between Gillam and Thompson and 695 between Thompson and Gillam supposed to depart Friday and train 690, which was supposed to leave Gillam for the The Pas on Saturday.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Via trains have been cancelled due to equipment issues related to the extreme cold weather" a spokesperson stated.

Murat said all passengers have been advised. There were 62 passengers affected, including those who were set to board two trains that were cancelled between Jasper and Prince George and Prince George and Jasper Wednesday.

The temperature was 24 C ( 36 with the wind chill) in Winnipeg on Wednesday night, according to Environment Canada. Temperatures across the province ranged from a high of  19 C in McCreary to a low of  40.3 C in Thompson.

There was no extreme cold warning in the province Wednesday.

The temperature in Winnipeg over the next few days is forecast to be at a high of  17 C Thursday morning and a low of  33 C Saturday night.

As Via Rails priority is the safety and well-being of its passengers, we will keep monitoring the extreme cold conditions to ensure this remains our focus, said Murat.
Opinion

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It was a year of shocks to the heart and the system. A year when the worlds tensions broke loose and ran free.

A year of Trump, and his itchy Twitter fingers. A year of protest. A year in which the Islamic State crumbled; neo-fascist groups marched in Charlottesville; and the world seemed to grow more turbid, unsettled, obscene.

California burned. Hurricanes churned, smashing Houston and Dominica and Puerto Rico until they didnt much resemble what they had been: buildings shredded, roads ravaged, human lives snuffed, along with the electricity.

Tribune Media TNS Sexual assault survivors along with their supporters at the #MeToo Survivors March against sexual abuse Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, Calif. As a reckoning over sexual harassment sweeps the country, leaders in business, academia and other walks of life are pushing to sustain the momentum and ensure a positive, lasting cultural change without it getting derailed by politics, social media frenzies and outsize responses to infractions many deem small. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Bombs. Guns. Rage, incoherent: a man slaughtered 58 people from the vantage of a hotel window in Las Vegas. The Rohingya people in Myanmar fled massacres and torched villages.

Hondurans fought to take back their democracy.

Over it, the beat of ballistic missiles pounded against chests. A word war between North Korea and the United States; one of their leaders even threatened to unleash fire and fury like the world has never seen. It was not Kim Jong Un.

Yet through it all, we clung to the hope that the world is still lurching towards justice; that there will be comeuppance, somehow, for those who have harmed us; that the courage of one is yet enough to interrupt power-addled abuse.

So it is that the top international story this year, as voted by Free Press readers, was one shouted from every corner of society, and mostly by women. A movement that toppled moguls, dethroned celebrities and dismissed politicians.

First, it was Harvey Weinstein. And then

Me too, they said, in voices that numbered in the hundreds, thousands and millions.

When the news about Weinsteins staggering history of sexual assault and harassment broke in early October there was a sense that something had shifted, that the dark secrets of powerful abusers would not be kept any longer.

The dam broke, and then came the flood. Stories spanning many industries of harassment, groping, assault. So many stories that news outlets had to start keeping a running list, far from exhaustive and updated almost daily.

Reports exposed the abuses of multiple journalists, symphony conductors and Hollywood players. They exposed Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and a gaggle of broadcasters, including Garrison Keillor, Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer.

Some of the accused, after losing their jobs, issued strong denials. Others fessed up  chef Mario Batali said the allegations of his groping match up with the way (he has) acted  and pledged to seek help for their behaviour. But one way or another, few of the allegations slipped by without reaction, or without consequence. In most cases, there was some kind of price. One by one, abusers were cut free by companies who may have once done nothing.

After all this, its a shock to remember: it hasnt even been three months since Weinsteins abuses were outed.

So there has not yet been enough time to have a full reckoning, or a complete understanding of what happened, why now and what next. But there is enough out there to sketch the shape of it, and take heed of what the picture shows.

What is true: powerful abusers have long depended on isolating their victims, often using nothing more than the fact of their influence. Many of Weinsteins victims stayed silent for decades, fearing what he could do to their careers.

Earlier this month, director Peter Jackson confirmed that the Weinstein brothers successfully lobbied him not to hire actors Ashley Judd or Mira Sorvino to star in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Both women were Weinstein victims.

In hindsight, I realize this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing, Jackson told a New Zealand news site. I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women.

For people without the reach of celebrity, publicly naming an abuser is even more fraught. So here, there has always been a dismal sort of calculation for a victim: will the price of speaking up be more than what they can bear to pay?

But social media allows victims to network with others, to connect in ways beyond furtive whispers. It enables tidal waves of support, that can  though not always  rise behind their story, overwhelming the abusers influence. The anger that drives those waves can be wild, frothing, uncensored. It is also comparatively democratic, returning some power to the hands of the masses. But democracy can be messy, and these waves are no exception to that.

CP This combination photo shows, top row from left, Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner, Louis C.K., Distin Hoffman, and bottom row from left, former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., former "Today" morning co-host Matt Lauer and former "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose, all of whom have been accused of sexual misconduct. (AP Photo/file)

So in the wake of the Me Too movement  or rather, perhaps, in its crest  we can turn to new questions. For one, there is the matter of how sexual misconduct allegations should be weighed by the public, outside a court of law.

And yes, that will need to be sorted  but first, there has to be balance.

And in a way, what happened in these last months is just the physics of rebalancing: an equal and opposite reaction to the forces that long silenced victims.

Push people down for too long, and they rise up. Silence them for too long and, when they speak, it explodes in a shout. Maybe one day, well be better equipped to handle predators in our midst before the pressure builds up.

Then there are the places where the absence of allegations poses its own sort of question. Why, for instance, have so few prominent Canadians been named as sexual predators? There were a few bigwigs in Quebec, including the founder of the Just For Laughs festival, but surely they are not of all the abusers in the nation.

In the haze, a few possible answers take shape: power here is not so vast, or so concentrated. The population is smaller and more entangled. We have fewer media outlets, with fewer reporters to tackle an often difficult subject.

But its not over. It hasnt even been three months. The burst dam has not yet drained all its long-stymied water.

So as we look forward, it is to a world in which there are fewer safe corners for people who abuse their power.

For that, we can credit hundreds of victims who have spoken up, and not only in the course of these last few months.

Its true, theres a certain futility to naming the years top international story, because all stories affect someone. How can one even rank #MeToo versus the reality of genocidal violence in Myanmar, or starvation in war-torn Yemen?

Yet there is something instructive in why this story was chosen: the act of speaking up, calling out and demanding abusers be named caught our attention. It spoke to a new openness to hear credible victims stories as evidence.

Above all, it stirred up imagination. It allowed us to envision a world where no one is too wealthy, too famous, or too high in the company to escape accountability for their actions. We dont live in that world yet; look at the U.S president.

Still, its a nice dream. Maybe one New Years Day, well wake up to see it.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
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The government of Manitoba has received more than 100 submissions in response to its request for proposals to operate retail cannabis stores when recreational use becomes legal in the summer.

Provincial officials will be evaluating applications based on the established criteria in the RFP and an independent fairness monitor has been appointed to ensure the integrity of the process, Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen said in a statement Thursday.

We remain committed to establishing a highly competitive retail environment that creates new economic opportunities at the community level.

The province plans to select up to four proposals. The winners will be notified by February and are expected to enter into retail agreements in the spring, says the statement. Retail stores could open as early as July 2.

Its not clear when the Ottawa plans to make recreational cannabis use legal; although a previous deadline of July 1 was widely reported in Canadian media, the Liberal government has said legalization will not take place on Canada Day.

The governments Cannabis Act was approved by the House of Commons on Nov. 27, but has not yet passed in the Senate.

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca

@sol_israel
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A year-long slide in public support for Premier Brian Pallisters Progressive Conservatives appears to have come to a halt.

A new Probe Research poll for the Winnipeg Free Press places support for the provincial PCs at 40 per cent among decided voters, compared with 36 per cent in September.

The Tories continue to enjoy a sizable lead against Manitobas two main opposition parties. The NDP is the choice of 26 per cent of Manitobans while the Liberals are supported by 25 per cent of decided voters. The Green party has eight per cent support.

JOHN WOODS / The Canadian Press files Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister

Twenty-one per cent of the 1,000 Manitobans surveyed were undecided.

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The improved PC number comes at a time when the government remains under fire for its health care reforms and as it wages war with the federal government over such issues as carbon pricing, tax policy and the timing of the decriminalization of cannabis.

Scott MacKay, Probes president, said the uptick in support for the PCs should be put into a broader context. He noted that Tory support has dropped nine percentage points (it was 49 per cent in December 2016) over the past year.

We cant make too much of four points, I think, he said Wednesday, noting that it is close to the polls margin of error.

However, Pallisters Conservatives managed to close 2017 in fairly good shape, considering the magnitude of the health care reforms theyve launched and the controversy the initiatives have spawned.

They just stared it (controversy) in the face and heres where they finished off  still the most popular party, MacKay said. They had some political capital to spend, and they spent it. And maybe the worst is behind them.

The latest poll shows the three main parties in a virtual dead heat in Winnipeg. The NDP has 31 per cent of the decided vote in the city, while the PCs and Liberals each have 29 per cent. NDP support fell two points (from Septembers poll), while PC support inched up a couple of points.

PC support in Winnipeg varies greatly depending on age. Among those 55 and over, its 38 per cent, dropping to 17 per cent among those aged 18 to 34.

Across the province, the Progressive Conservatives have the support of 47 per cent of male decided voters and 34 per cent of women  tops among all parties. Only 21 per cent of decided male voters support the NDP, while 31 per cent of women do. About a quarter of men and women support the Liberals.

Christopher Adams, a political scientist at St. Pauls College, said for the Progressive Conservatives to remain successful, Pallister will have to retain the swing female voters who once supported former NDP premier Gary Doer and former premier Greg Selinger (in his first election as party leader).

Probe was roughly two-thirds done its interviews for this poll on Dec. 7 when Pallister created a furore at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce luncheon by commenting about the physical appearance of the woman who chairs the business group.

Adams said Pallister may have won some sympathy from voters after a hiking mishap in New Mexico in mid-November, in which he broke his left arm. The premier discussed his misadventure in detail following his return to the legislature.

Some Manitobans might have softened on the premier after his hiking accident, Adams said. The more we have a sense of warmth from the premier, I think, the better Winnipeggers like him.

Despite electing a new leader in September, the NDP, under Wab Kinew, saw its support drop four points (from 30 per cent to 26 per cent) in the last three months.

The Liberals elected Dougald Lamont, a small-business owner and part-time university lecturer, as their leader in October. Theyre up six percentage points in the polls since June  although only two points higher since September. Lamont does not hold a seat in the legislature.

They (the Liberals) had a pretty good year, and they finish off ahead of where they were this time last year, said MacKay. It seems to me that they may have the biggest chance for growth.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
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Manitobans awaiting echocardiograms and ultrasounds will be able to skip months-long wait lists in the new year  for a fee.

Prota Clinic, a private health-care centre in Winnipeg that offers uninsured medical assessments and services, will offer both the test that detects and tracks heart disease and ultrasound imaging to the general public in January.

The clinic will charge $650 for an echocardiogram and $500 for an ultrasound, tests otherwise available for free to Manitobans willing to wait.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dr. Dimitrios Balageorge, co-founder of Prota Clinic, says everyone benefits when wait lists shrink.

Dr. Dimitrios Balageorge, one of the principal owners and a co-founder of Prota Clinic, said in a press release its a proactive response to long wait times in the province.

Everyone benefits when wait lists shrink, he said.

Prota Clinic, which includes a vein clinic, physiotherapy and laser-treatment services, started providing Manitobans with executive health assessments costing $3,800 in August 2016. Patients will soon be able to get an echocardiogram or ultrasound, even if they havent gone through the initial assessment.

Any testing thats done out of the executive assessment program is completely done and paid for privately, said Balageorge, adding the clinic can, however, provide free X-rays for Manitobans through Medicare.

Prota Clinics press release claims the clinics new offerings will relieve pressure on the provinces strained health-care system.

The wait time for an elective echocardiogram scan is around 10 months within the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority according to Bronwyn Penner-Holigroski, WRHA senior communications specialist.

Manitoba Healths latest data shows the average wait for an ultrasound in Winnipeg is almost three months, though the wait can vary from five to 14 weeks, depending on the facility.

If you look worldwide, the standard acceptable wait time is four to six weeks for either an echocardiogram or an ultrasound, so 10 months for an echocardiogram is excessive, Balageorge said Tuesday. I dont think anyone would think thats an acceptable standard.

The orthopedic surgeon said Prota Clinic could decrease public service wait times in Manitoba because those willing to pay will have that option and wont add to the already long lines.

Youre not only decreasing, potentially, the wait times, but the government is benefiting in that its also costing them less overall because someones actually paying for that service, said Balageorge, adding more people are going to require these services as the population ages.

But there are only so many people who can perform these tests, according to Bob Moroz, president of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP).

If we have a long wait time in Manitoba for publicly-funded, publicly-delivered service, like echo and or ultrasound, where are the people going to come from in order to fill these private-sector positions? Moroz said Wednesday.

He said there currently arent enough people in the province who are skilled and qualified to do this type of work.

Moroz said he and MAHCP members are always worried about qualifications being watered down so just about anybody can do a diagnostic test.

Balageorge said both the technicians and echocardiogram and ultrasound readers at Prota Clinic are all highly qualified, very experienced and certified in Canada.

MLA Andrew Swan, NDP health critic, said in a statement Wednesday the province needs Premier Brian Pallister to strengthen the public system for all Manitobans, instead of allowing the privatization of health care.

We need to ensure that health care is available to everyone, not just those that can afford to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket when they need a scan or a test, said Swan (Minto), adding reports in other provinces have found privatizing certain services doesnt reduce wait times.

It drains valuable, trained staff who could be working for everyone, not just a select few of us.

Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, said universal public health care in the province needs to be invested in and protected.

Manitoba families deserve nothing less, she said, adding no one should have to make the decision to put meals on their table over getting a necessary health test, like an ultrasound.

Prota Clinics announcement comes just one month after the wait times reduction task force submitted its final report to the provincial government, which recommends actions to shorten emergency care, surgical and diagnostic procedure wait times.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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Despite the hype and excitement, not to mention the fanciful visions put forth by Teslas Elon Musk, electric vehicles (EVs) are not yet winning over the transportation sector.

Aside from a few outliers, one to two per cent of the vehicles sold in most developed nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, are electric vehicles. Canada is a clear laggard, with market share well below one per cent.

This is nowhere near the goal set by the Clean Energy Ministerial for electric vehicles to make up 30 per cent of the vehicles sold by 2030, which seems to be the minimum trajectory to achieve the long-term mitigation goals for greenhouse gases.

Daniel Bockwoldt / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES A car is connected to a charging station for electric vehicles in Hamburg, Germany. Strong public policy support is needed in order to get more EVs on the road in Canada.

Despite these unimpressive sales, enthusiasts argue that the electric future is inevitable, driven by ever-cheaper batteries and consumer interest. But weve seen such predictions of unbridled optimism before for several alternative fuel visions  all followed by periods of unmet expectations and disappointment.

Perhaps recognizing its lack of progress to date, the Canadian government plans to announce a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Strategy in early 2018.

To help inform this strategy and the Canadian public, my research team at Simon Fraser University, supported by the Metcalf Foundation, has this month released Canadas ZEV Policy Handbook. This report builds off of our 2016 EV Policy Report, which found that no part of Canada was on its way to meet long-term EV sales goals. Our new handbook provides a toolbox to get us on track.

The future of EVs: Why we need public policy

My teams published research shows that some of the biggest barriers to EV sales are a lack of supply, limited availability and variety of EV makes and models, and limitations in charging infrastructure. The only thing that can overcome these barriers is public policy.

All of the improvements in cars and trucks over the last century, be they safety, environmental or otherwise, can be linked directly to policy. Seat belts, air bags, unleaded gasoline, fuel economy improvements  all came about through strong policy support.

The same is true for EVs.

For example, much of the initial and ongoing development of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicle technology can be linked to one particular policy: Californias ZEV mandate

First introduced in 1990, the ZEV mandate requires automakers to develop and sell EVs (or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles) in California. Automakers that do not sell enough EVs relative to their other vehicle sales can either buy credits from those that over-comply (e.g. Tesla) or pay a stiff financial penalty.

Over the years, the ZEV mandate has driven innovation, including patents on EV technology. It has also provided a uniquely supportive environment for a new automaker, Tesla, to develop and flourish. Indeed, when Tesla earns profits in a given quarter, it is only due to the credits it earns and sells through the ZEV mandate, bringing in up to US$139 million per quarter.

Lessons from world leaders

Only a few regions globally are breaking through the two per cent barrier for EV sales. In each case, policy can be viewed as the main driver.

The clear champion to date is Norway  no other country comes close.

In 2017, about one in every three new vehicles sold in Norway is an EV. The explanation is no secret: Norway offers huge incentives.

Specifically, the country has removed the high taxes typically applied to the purchase of a new car in that country, effectively lowering the purchase price of an EV to about equal that of a conventional vehicle.

California is a different sort of EV champion. For decades, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has sought to support and direct innovation to help the state to achieve its environmental goals. In recent years, CARB has solidified a vision of deep greenhouse-gas mitigation for each sector.

Its approach to passenger vehicles includes a number of complimentary policies  financial subsidies, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane access and deployment of charging infrastructure. But what stands out is the ZEV mandate.

This policy is unique in that it puts the onus on automakers to leverage their marketing skills and innovation to build the EV market, and to develop the makes and models that consumers want. In addition to California and the nine other ZEV states, Quebec has recently developed a ZEV mandate, along with China.

These two leading regions provide two different strategies for EV success. Norways strategy is largely demand-focused, using exceptionally large incentives and tax breaks to make EVs more appealing to consumers. Californias strategy, on the other hand, focuses more on the supply side, applying a regulation to automakers to channel innovation and marketing strategy.

In our new ZEV Policy Handbook, we find that both demand-focused and supply-focused policy packages can work in Canada.

The problem is that current policies in Canada, and most countries globally, are too weak: short in duration and lacking in teeth.

Many regions offer EV purchase subsidies, but these are too small and temporary to make a noticeable difference in EV sales in the long term. Ontarios purchase incentive is notably large, offering $3,000 to $14,000 for an EV. But because its not clear if such a policy will be in place for more than a year or two, automakers and other stakeholders dont get a clear signal if EVs really are the future.

Comparing subsidies and regulations

While both approaches can be successful, they have different strengths and weaknesses. Our handbook compares each policy package across five criteria: Effectiveness, cost-effectiveness for government, political acceptability, complexity and strength of signal for transition.

Offering strong, Norway-like subsidies can indeed push EV sales, and subsidies in general are found to be publicly acceptable. However, to have a lasting impact our modelling indicates that such incentives will need to be large in value and offered for a long duration, likely a decade or even longer.

Such a plan would be costly for government, which could lead to public backlash in the long run, not to mention limiting public funds that could be used for other societal benefits such as education or health care.

The ZEV-mandate approach has the advantage of being clear and direct. Automakers are given a sales target, with firm penalties for non-compliance, in effect harnessing and guiding the powers of innovation and product development at the source.

Most immediately, research shows that regions with a ZEV mandate have significantly increased EV availability and EV sales.

In the longer term, such a policy can send a strong, durable signal to the many relevant stakeholders that the transition to electric mobility is under way, producing confidence to develop and build supporting infrastructure and services.

The main drawback is the political resistance by automakers, who understandably bristle at the thought of added regulation. For this reason, some policymakers see a ZEV mandate as politically uncomfortable, especially in regions where automakers have strong political clout, such as Canada, the United States and Germany.

Due to such potential opposition, our handbook also considers a third pathway to success: Dramatic tightening of our vehicle emissions standards, to about 40 per cent of the current fleet average by 2040. Such a policy could also send a signal about a transition to EVs, without requiring extensive government expenditure.

Either way, go big

There is an easy answer for what can make EVs thrive: strong policy.

However, there is no easy answer for which strategy is best for a given region. Norway and California provide excellent examples of leadership  though each has its own unique cultural and political contexts. Any region, national or subnational, that is serious about supporting EVs will need to consider the trade-offs for themselves.

But its clear that the only way to be successful is to go big: either implementing large subsidies for a long time, or enacting strong, durable regulation with teeth.

Jonn Axsen is a senior visiting research fellow at the University of Sussex Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand, associate professor at Simon Fraser University, and director of the Sustainable Transportation Action Research Team.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.
An investigation by USA Today found that the government drastically underreports the number of immigrants killed attempting to cross the US-Mexico border. The investigation, titled Uncounted deaths fuel mass disaster, revealed that the number dead in the past five years surpasses official totals by anywhere from 25 percent to 300 percent in California, New Mexico and Arizona.

In other words, up to 27,000 immigrants may have died crossing the border in the last two decades, far above the official Customs and Border Protection (CBP) total of 7,209 dead over that period, if the totals from the last five years track back to 1998, the first year for which CBP provides statistics.

USA Today investigated the border region for nine months and found that federal agents and local police fail to report immigrant deaths.

Government underreporting occurs in all four states that border MexicoTexas, Arizona, New Mexico and Californiabut is most serious in Texas, where the investigation could not reach a precise conclusion about the total number of dead because officials bury immigrants in mass unmarked graves. As a result, the USA Today reports, the true number is even higher than the USA Today networks count. Remarkably, the investigation found no central governmental, academic or non-profit entity that tracks all border deaths, beyond those encountered by the Border Patrol.

Thousands of border deaths along the US-Mexico border were not included in official CBP statistics in the past five years alone. For example, the number of immigrant deaths in New Mexico was nearly four times higher than those recorded by CBP, while in California there were 60 percent more deaths than the official reports. In Arizona, the death count was 25 percent higher.

The USA Today report quotes Robin Reineke, an anthropologist and co-founder of the Colibri Center for Human Rights, which helps identify the remains of immigrants who died while crossing the southwestern border, saying the vigorous ignorance of the lives lost lets public officials avoid addressing the issue.

Im disturbed by the fact that this massive loss of life on the border has been going on for nearly 20 years  and we still dont have a conclusive count, and we havent really invested the resources in getting anywhere, he said.

The report notes that many counties in Texas dont track immigrant deaths. Some have buried remains in shallow graves with other crossers or in unmarked paupers graves. Some do not collect DNA samples, as required by state law, or do not conduct autopsies to determine a cause of death. The federal government also effectively ignored a 2006 Government Accountability Office report that said CBP must improve its methods to record deaths.

The crisis that has unfolded along the Southwestern border is the result of a long-term anti-immigrant strategy agreed to by both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Beginning in the 1980s and 1990s, both parties increased the number of agents and police patrolling the border and implemented modern technology such as infrared night-vision scopes, seismic sensors, and modern computer systems, creating a paramilitary force on the border. President Clinton implemented Operation Gatekeeper in 1993 and operation Hold the Line in 1994 which concentrated manpower in key urban crossing points in an attempt to deter immigrants with a show of force, with the intention of forcing immigrants to cross in uninhabitable desert regions.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, securing US borders became a key element of the anti-democratic crackdown and was accompanied by a surge of xenophobic rhetoric from American ruling circles. In 2003, President George W. Bush created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the US Border Patrol became part of US Customs and Border Protection, a component of DHS.

President Obama, known as deporter-in-chief, has deported more immigrants than all the presidents preceding him. President Trump, who based his campaign on anti-immigrant xenophobia, has deported less immigrants in his first year than Obama did throughout 2016.

Trump has launched a campaign aimed at terrorizing undocumented immigrants with chilling parallels to the internment of Japanese-Americans in WWII and the Fugitive Slave Act of pre-civil war America. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rounds up immigrants, intimidating them and spreading constant fear of deportation.

The states that border Mexico play a major role in the crisis. Millions of dollars are allocated to fund local efforts to prevent immigrants from escaping violence and poverty in their home countries caused in large part by US imperialism. In Texas alone, $800 million was granted to border patrol efforts, at the cost of education and social programs, in the 2015 legislative session.
Despite a drastic fall in the official unemployment rate for the state the same percentage of Michigan households are living below the poverty line today as did after the onset of the Great Recession in December of 2007.

According to new income and poverty statistics from the US Census Bureau released in early December, Michigans poverty rate was 16.3 percent at the end of 2016, the same annual rate calculated as an average for the five-years from January 2008 through December 2012. The current rate is not much lower than the peak annual poverty rate of 16.9 percent reported for the five-year period of 2010-14.

Unemployment has been below five percent in the state since the end of 2015, down from a post-recession peak of 14.5 percent in 2009. However, this month Michigan unemployment ticked up slightly, to 4.5 percent.

The proliferation of low-paying temporary and part-time jobs in the auto industry, a process enshrined in the sellout contract imposed by the UAW in 2015, has been a key factor in the general decline in living standards in Michigan. According to data recently reported by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget wages in manufacturing jobs in the state are down by $2.00 an hour, from a high of $22.73 before the crash.

Behind the apparent contradiction between declining unemployment rates and the ongoing high official poverty level is the massive and increasing income and wealth inequality in the US. As Karl Marx established over a century ago, poverty at one pole of society is complemented by obscene levels of wealth at the other. The three top American plutocrats, Amazons Jeff Bezos, investor Warren Buffett and the co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, now own more wealth than the bottom half of the US population, 160 million people.

Like Trumps glorification of the ever-rising bubble in the stock market, Obama pointed to job growth when characterizing his administration as the best time to be alive. Michigans Republican Governor Rick Snyder and the Democratic Mayor of Detroit Mike Duggan have incessantly boasted of the declining unemployment and job creation as signals of a recovering economy.

Unsurprisingly, the Wall Street Journal recently touted that Michigan had increased sharply its capital investment and hiring. The paper praised policies that repealed personal-property taxes for manufacturers and right-to-work legislation, policies taken from the Republican playbook and implemented in the state.

The latest Census figures demonstrate that poverty remains a chronic condition in Michigan despite this supposed resurgence in the states economy. Even so, the official poverty rate grossly underestimates the depth of economic want.

In the US the official poverty level is not measured as a percentage of median income, as it is in many other developed countries, but on a far narrower measure related to food costs. Poverty for a family of three is pegged at a derisory $20,000 a year, far below sixty percent of Michigans current median household income of about $52,400 and drastically below the amount needed to support a family.

Sustained high rates of poverty over nearly a decade have had devastating personal implications. A familys meagre resources can dwindle as successive years income deficits are never offset with rising income. They have had an equally devastating societal impact.

The five-year Census Bureau American Community Series (ACS) rolling averages from the December report supplement annual poverty and income statistics released by the Census Current Population Series in September. The greater sample sizes in the five-year averages allow for more accuracy and sufficient data to communities with smaller populations.

There are smaller communities in the state where there are indications poverty has increased dramatically. The large increases in poverty in these small communities indicate how a relatively small economic disruption can have a huge effect on living standards for a village or town.

For example, some villages in the Upper Peninsula with populations in the hundreds saw double digit increases. In Baldwin, which is located toward the middle of the states lower peninsula, poverty increased from a third of its one thousand plus residents in poverty in 2008-2012 to well over half now.

The December ACS release shows that in the five-year look-back from the end of 2016, there was an increase in poverty in half of Michigans communities of all sizes over the average recorded in the five years that followed the onset of the recession. Communities located throughout the state saw such increases.

Flint and other cities such as Jackson, Lansing, Detroit, Muskegon, Bay City and Ann Arbor showed small increases in their poverty rate. Other cities with comparable population sizes had poverty rates that declined, albeit slightly, including Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Saginaw.

Detroit, Michigans largest city, recorded a shockingly high official poverty rate of a 39.4 percent using the five-year ACS average. The citys poverty rate was one percentage point higher than the 38.1 percent average for the years 2008 through 2012.

Whole cities with substantially sized populations like Detroit and Flint have average poverty rates that are more than twice the state poverty rate. The high rates in some cities reach the level of poverty concentration that is utilized by social scientists to identify neighborhoods endemic to urban areas where pervasive poverty seriously debilitates families and social structure.

Inequality is driving communities to be divided by income like never before in recent history. The growth in concentrated poverty nationwide was noted in a Brookings Institution report last year. According to the report, between 2005-09 and 2010-14 the number of such high poverty neighborhoods in the US, where more than forty percent of households are below the official poverty line, grew by more than 4,300.

By the end of 2016 Detroit, along with Cleveland, had a poverty rate a full ten percentage points higher than the city with the third highest poverty rate in the country, Philadelphia. Detroit Democratic Mayor Mike Duggans recent re-election campaign relied on the narrative of an ongoing Detroit comeback based on highly concentrated downtown real estate investment.

Detroits poverty statistics present a window into the effect of exploding growth in temporary and part-time jobs and parallel wage stagnation and how it has affected workers struggling in the lowest-paying jobs.

Thirty-six percent of Detroit residents now work for less than $15,000 a year. Twenty-five percent of residents do not have access to a car. Industrial jobs have hemorrhaged out of the city over the nine years since the recession. Suburban jobs require serious time and expense to reach as the mass transit system in the area is barely functional.

Two of the cities in Michigan where poverty rates were even higher than Detroits are actually enclaves of Detroit and would cause a higher rate and higher increase in the poverty rate for the Detroit inner-city area if their data was included. Hamtramck, a small enclave of Detroit has a poverty rate of 49.7 percent, up from 44.6 percent in the years immediately after the recession started. The other municipal enclave, Highland Park, has a poverty rate of 51.1 percent, up from 46.7 percent in the earlier years.
Tropical storm Tembin made landfall in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao as a strengthened typhoon late last Friday, resulting in torrential rain, mudslides and the deaths of well over 300 people.

Tembin brought sustained winds of 120 kilometres per hour, with gusts of 145 kilometres per hour. The main damage came from the heavy rain.

Known in the Philippines as Vinta, the typhoon struck hardest on the islands Zamboanga Peninsula and parts of northern Mindanao, with the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur bearing the brunt.

About 20 typhoons a year hit the Philippines. Less than a week earlier, tropical storm Urduja (international name Kai-Tak) swept through the central Philippines, leaving 47 dead and 44 missing. Often the storms miss Mindanao, but not this time.

Among the towns affected by Tembin was Marawi in Lanao del Sur. There the typhoon undermined attempts to rebuild the town after a five-month assault by the Philippines armed forces, supposedly to destroy an Islamist group. The campaign, from May until October, supported by Washington, left 1,000 dead and displaced 200,000 people.

Initially the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) assessed Tembins impact as 164 dead, 176 missing and 118,596 families displaced. Some 97,000 people were housed in 261 evacuations shelters, with another 85,000 sheltering elsewhere.

The death toll steadily increased as more remote areas were reached. Some news reports yesterday put the figure at 340. Many of the missing are believed to be dead. The final number might not be known for some time. The Zamboanga Peninsula has been without power and communications, and whole towns are cut off by bridge collapses, mudslides and flooding.

According to NDRRMC spokesperson Mina Marasigan, the heavy rain caused landslides in the mountainous terrain that formed natural dams. As the deluge continued, these dams burst, sending torrents of water onto the villages below.

The force of the water was certainly a factor. Health worker Arturo Simbajon told Reuters that the coastal village of Anungan was almost entirely wiped out when logs, boulders and mud swept down a river and pushed everything out to sea. Only the mosque was left standing. People were watching the rising sea levels but did not expect the water to come from behind.

Sibuco mayor Bong Edding blamed the loss of houses and the washing away of 30 residents on logging operations in mountains above the town. Five bodies had been recovered when he spoke to the media.

However, a significant factor in the deaths and injuries was the failure of the authorities to evacuate people from the most vulnerable areas.

NDRRMC spokesperson Marasigan claimed that the national government exhausted every means to alert people in the threatened areas in plenty of time. She said the organisation would now investigate the failure to implement pre-emptive evacuations.

Marasigan implied the victims were to blame. She told a Manila news conference it was difficult to move people from their homes before Christmas. We dont want to be dragging people out of their homes before Christmas, but its best to convince them to quietly understand the importance of why they are being evacuated.

These comments beg the question as to what government assistance was provided to those in the most endangered areas and whether adequate shelters were available.

In Vietnam, authorities evacuated 74,000 people from the most vulnerable areas, before the typhoon was downgraded to a tropical depression. Authorities in 15 provinces and cities were prepared to move one million people had the storm hit the tip of the Mekong Delta as initially predicted.

Marasigan announced a pittance in compensation. Each family that lost a loved one would receive 10,000 pesos ($US200) from the government while those with injured members would get 5,000 pesos. Those with totally damaged houses would be entitled to get 30,000 pesos, while those with partially damaged homes would receive 10,000 pesos for emergency shelter assistance.

The indifference of the Philippines authorities can be seen by the governments decision in January 2017 to shut down the National Operational Assessment of Hazard (NOAH) project due to lack of funds. Set up in 2012, the NOAH project was to be the countrys main service for mapping and measuring threats to vulnerable areas.

NOAH brought together scientists in every field related to natural disasters. The program included establishing a six-hour warning to agencies involved in disaster prevention and mitigation.

From 2012 to 2017, the project was managed by the Department of Science and Technology but this year was downgraded and passed to the University of the Philippines. University officials offered to assist authorities before the present crisis but NDRRMC spokeswoman Marasigan said she was unaware of the offer.

Mahar Lagmay, head of University of the Philippines NOAH Centre, told the Philippine Star that many lives could have been saved had the government used existing weather forecasting technology and data that can project scenarios in particular areas hours in advance.

When we were part of the NDRRMC, this is what we used to do, Lagmay said. We interpret data from sensors and satellites and provide hazard-specific, area-focus and time-bound information that can be passed on to local government units.

The impact of so-called natural disasters is made worse by the failure of governments to make proper preparations, provide adequate warnings and assistance to those affected.

Millions of impoverished workers and peasants are forced to live in poorly-built housing that make them particularly exposed to flooding and typhoons. These structures are often built in low-lying areas or at the base of mountain ranges where land is cheap.

The impact of 2013 super-typhoon Haiyan, with sustained winds of 315 kilometres an hour and gusts of 380 kilometres per hour, made plain what was necessary. Solidly-built and well-provisioned evacuation centres connected to advanced warning systems, and assistance to move to the shelters, would have substantially reduced the death toll of more than 6,000 people.
US special operations troops are secretly harboring and training former fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) at the remote American base in Al Tanf, Syria near the strategic nexus of the countrys borders with Iraq and Jordan, according to a report issued by the Russian military command.

The charge was made Wednesday by General of the Army Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian militarys general staff and deputy defense minister. He said that Russian drones and satellites had detected brigades of ISIS militants in and around both Al Tanf and another US military base near the Kurdish-controlled city of Al-Shaddadi in the countrys northeast.

They are in reality being trained there, Gerasimov said in an interview with the Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda. They are practically Islamic State, he added. But after they are worked with, they change their spots and take on another name. Their task is to destabilize the situation. The Islamist fighters, he indicated, are being re-branded as the New Syrian Army.

According to the estimates of the Russian general staff, there are some 750 of the militants at the Shaddadi base, and roughly another 350 in Al-Tanf.

There was no immediate response from the Pentagon, which in the past has routinely denied charges of US collaboration with ISIS. In the waning days of the brutal US siege of the Syrian city of Raqqa, the so-called capital of ISIS, however, incontrovertible evidence emerged that Washington and its proxy ground force, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, intervened to rescue and relocate ISIS fighters trapped in the city.

The BBC documented the fact that the Pentagon and its Syrian Kurdish proxies organized a four-mile-long convoy to evacuate thousands of ISIS fighters, along with tons of weapons, ammunition and explosives from Raqqa last October.

The report was confirmed by the former official spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Talal Silo, who defected to Turkey in October. He told the media that some 4,000 people were driven out of the city, all but about 500 of them armed ISIS fighters.

Silo also charged that the same kind of operation had been carried out during the earlier sieges of Manbij in northern Aleppo province and Al Tabqah on the Euphrates River, where thousands of other ISIS fighters had been allowed to leave with their weapons and ammunition.

The American strategy was not, as repeatedly proclaimed by top US officials, to annihilate ISIS, but rather to turn it against Syrian army troops in order to prevent the government from reclaiming strategic territory, including the oil fields of Deir Ezzor province and the eastern border with Iraq, where Washington is attempting to carve out a zone of control.

The charges from Russia are entirely consistent with these earlier reports and serve as another damning exposure of the so-called war on terrorism that has been invoked as the rationale for US imperialisms current intervention in Iraq and Syria, as well as its earlier wars in the region.

ISIS was itself a byproduct of Washingtons interventions in the Middle East, serving as both an instrument of and a pretext for American military aggression aimed at asserting US imperialist dominance over the oil-rich region.

The report of US forces training the ex-ISIS militants for deployment as a new anti-government militia in Syria constitutes one more indication that Washington is preparing a new and far more dangerous phase of its military intervention in the war-ravaged country.

In one sense, US strategy is coming full circle back to where it started, with the CIAs fomenting of a war for regime change through the arming, funding and training of Al Qaeda-linked Islamist militias directed at toppling the government of President Bashar al-Assad and installing a more pliant US puppet regime.

These militias, however, were routed, thanks to not only the military support given by Russia and Iran to Assads forces, but also the overwhelming popular rejection of the socially and politically reactionary Islamist elements backed by Washington, the other Western powers, as well as Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf oil sheikdoms, Turkey and Israel.

The attempt to launch a war for regime change 2.0 is conceivable only on the basis of a far more direct and massive US military intervention in the country.

The governments of both Iraq and Syria have declared victory in the campaign against ISIS. The Pentagon itself told the Reuters news agency Wednesday that fewer than 1,000 ISIS fighters remained in both countries.

The US military refused to respond to a question from Reuters on whether some ISIS fighters could have escaped to other countries, saying that it would not engage in public speculation. In reality, the US military and intelligence apparatus knows full well where these fighters are and is reorganizing and retraining them.

Despite this supposed victory in the war on ISIS, Washington has given no indication that it intends to reduce its troop levels in either Iraq or Syria.

Russia, meanwhile, has announced the renewal of its agreements with the Syrian government on what it terms permanent deployment bases at the Mediterranean port of Tartus and at the airfield and command-and-control center in Hmeymim. Moscow has indicated that it intends to expand its Tartus naval base to accommodate a fleet of 11 warships, including nuclear-powered vessels and missile-armed destroyers.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that with the defeat of ISIS, the main anti-terrorist objective was now the eradication of the Al Nusra Front, the Islamist militia formed as the Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda. With its main forces now concentrated in northwestern Idlib province, Al Nusra operates in close alliance with the so-called rebels armed and funded by the CIA and Washingtons regional allies, and has been the principal beneficiary of the vast quantities of arms they have funneled into the country.

The shift toward a post-ISIS strategy in Syria places US imperialism ever more directly on a collision course with both Iran and Russia. From the beginning, Washingtons strategic objective, masked by the war on terror pretext, has been to exert military force as a means of countering Russian and Iranian influence, which it views as the principal obstacle to the assertion of US hegemony in the region.

The increasing threat of a direct military confrontation between the worlds two largest nuclear powers has been underscored by recent reports from both Washington and Moscow of alleged close encounters and provocative confrontations between US and Russian warplanes in the skies over Syrias Euphrates River valley.

At the same time, the Trump administration has elaborated a vociferously anti-Iranian policy based on the forging of an alliance between the US, Saudi Arabia and its fellow Sunni oil monarchies and Israel. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly charged Tehran with carrying out acts of war based on unsubstantiated allegations of Iran arming Yemens Houthi rebels with missiles fired at the kingdom. For its part, Israel has warned that it will intervene militarily to prevent the creation of Iranian bases in Syria.

As US imperialism moves toward another escalation in Syria, with the threat of it mushrooming into a regional and even global war, the victims of the so-called anti-ISIS campaign continue to mount. Hundreds of thousands of refugees who were forced to flee and saw their homes bombed into rubble in both the Iraqi city of Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqa are now facing near freezing cold along with the lack of adequate food and medical care, leading to new deaths.

A report last week by the Associated Press, based on data collected by the morgues and grave diggers of Mosul, indicated that the known toll in civilian lives resulting from the US liberation of the Iraqi city last July is approximately 11,000. This figure10 times the civilian death toll acknowledged by the Pentagondoes not include many bodies still buried under the rubble.

Last July, Patrick Cockburn, the veteran Middle East correspondent of the British Independent, reported that Iraqs former foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari had been informed by the intelligence service of Iraqs Kurdistan Regional Government that the real death toll in Mosul was over 40,000.

That figure, like the latest reports of US protection and training for former ISIS fighters, was largely blacked out by the US corporate media, which faithfully covers up Washingtons war crimes.
On December 20, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, leader of the anti-Asian New Zealand First Party, demanded an investigation into serious allegations made in the media against opposition National Party MP Jian Yang. In an inflammatory statement in parliament, Peters denounced Yang as a Manchurian candidate, i.e. a Chinese secret agent.

The previous day, the New Zealand Herald claimed that in 2012 Yang lobbied then-National Party ministers on behalf of an unnamed China-born applicant for an unspecified sensitive position in the defence force. The applicant had been denied clearance for the position by the Security Intelligence Service (SIS).

Labour Party Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who leads a coalition government with NZ First and the Greens, tacitly supported Peters, telling the Herald its inappropriate for MPs to lobby around security clearances.

Yang denied lobbying to overturn the SIS decision, saying he simply sought answers on the constituents behalf through the appropriate channels. National Party leader Bill English defended Yang, saying: Its overstretching it to say that he tried to overturn a security classification.

The witch-hunt against Yang is part of an intensifying anti-Chinese campaign in Australia and New Zealand, aimed at aligning both countries more closely with US war preparations.

In an effort to reverse its economic decline, US imperialism has waged a series of criminal wars over the past quarter century and is now building up its military against China. President Donald Trumps threats to totally destroy North Korea, if acted upon, would inevitably lead to war with China. The Trump administrations National Security Strategy, released this month, denounced Russia and China as revisionist powers and singled out China for seeking to challenge American influence, values, and wealth and displace the United States in the Indo-Pacific region.

Washington is insisting on full support from all its allies, including New Zealand, a member of the top-level Five Eyes intelligence network.

The attack on Yang, who entered parliament in 2011, began before the September 23 election. NZ First demanded Yangs resignation after media reports that the SIS had investigated his background as an English teacher at a Chinese military intelligence training institute decades ago. Yang denied the insinuation that he was a spy.

Days before the election, academic Anne Marie-Brady, from the US government-funded think tank, the Wilson Centre, produced an inflammatory paper denouncing the National Partys business links with China. Without any evidence, she accused Yang and Labour MP Raymond Huo of being Chinese Communist Party agents. She called for the SIS to investigate Chinese influence in the New Zealands media, business, universities and politics.

After the election produced a stalemate, with neither Labour nor National able to immediately form a government, US ambassador Scott Brown publicly criticised Bill English, then the National Party prime minister, for failing to endorse Trumps threats to annihilate North Korea.

Browns extraordinary intervention made clear that Washington expected a much stronger pro-US stance from the next government. It was undoubtedly a significant factor in NZ Firsts decision to form a coalition government with Labour and the Greens.

Prime Minister Ardern told the media last month, following high-level talks with the US, that New Zealand was prepared to intervene militarily in North Korea.

The media has echoed the US war propaganda against North Korea. A December 15 report by Newshub described New Zealand as a possiblebut unlikelytarget for a North Korean nuclear attack, which it declared would lead to 500,000 deaths.

Andrew Hampton, director of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), told the media on December 20 he was concerned that North Korea was responsible for recent WannaCry ransomware attacks. No evidence has been produced to substantiate the allegations made by the US and UK.

In opposition, Labour repeatedly attacked Nationals business ties with China and scapegoated Chinese immigrants for the housing crisis and low wages. The Labour-NZ First government has banned all house purchases from overseas and plans to cut annual immigration by as much as 40 percent.

Labour and NZ First have also signalled restrictions on Chinese investment in New Zealand. Last week the Overseas Investment Office made the unusual decision to block an offer by Chinese conglomerate HNA Group to purchase UDC, a New Zealand vehicle finance company, from ANZ Bank.

The SIS and GCSB recently stated in briefings to the new government that over the past year there were attempts to access sensitive government and private sector information, and attempts to unduly influence expatriate communities.

No details were revealed, but on December 11 the London-based Financial Times cited unnamed security experts who claimed the agencies want a more vocal government response to ... Beijings attempts to influence the countrys growing Chinese community. The article implied that nearly 200,000 ethnic Chinese people living in New Zealand could be targeted as purveyors of Chinese Communist Party influence.

The next day the Wall Street Journal reported that at a meeting in July of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance in Ottawa, officials from Australia and New Zealand raised unease about Chinese interference, according to a senior Australian official.

A stream of articles critical of Beijing have appeared in the New Zealand media. In the New Zealand Herald on December 19, Victoria University policy studies director Simon Chapple denounced Chinas human rights record, describing the country as an insidious influence, and called for New Zealand to seek alternative trading partners.

The newspapers liberal columnist Bryce Edwards applauded Bradys research on how the Chinese Government seeks to influence New Zealand. On the Newsroom web site on December 12, he declared that Chinas activities raised legitimate questions about power, influence and democracy and criticised those who will seek to close down such discussions with accusations of racism or xenophobia.

Over the past three months, Brady has been elevated and glorified as a world-leading researcher. She has been praised by NZ First and the trade union-funded Daily Blog and given frequent media interviews to demand that the spy agencies crack down on Chinas so-called interference.

Brady is a co-founder of the Wilson Centres Small States and the New Security Environment Project, funded by the NATO military alliance, led by the US and European imperialist powers.

The projects website describes its objective as producing research to assist NATO and its partner states to respond to the changing global international security environment, including Russias aggression in Crimea and new naval doctrine [and] Chinas intransigence over South China Sea territorial disputes.

In other words, its aim is to produce propaganda to integrate small countries such as New Zealand into the US-led war drive against Russia and China.
Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus spent some quality time together the day after Christmas.

The actor, 45, and the Saturday Night Live producer, 37, had date night at popular spot Nobu in Malibu after the actor spent Christmas Day with ex Jennifer Garner and their kids  Violet, 12, Seraphina, 8, and Samuel, 5. Affleck and Shookus stayed close as they both bundled up against the cool California weather.

They had a mellow dinner date and didnt stay long. They shared a few signature dishes, a source tells PEOPLE. They had no alcohol. Ben looked good. Some fans recognized him and Ben had a friendly chat.

The two, who first stepped out publicly as a couple in July, are now sharing a New York City apartment when the actor is in town. The Justice League star is paying for the Upper West Side apartment and stays there with Shookus when hes in the city, a source previously told PEOPLE. Shookus moved in about a month ago.

Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus at Nobu on Dec. 26.

Affleck and Garner have continued to spend time together with their kids, and usually spend holidays as a family. They were spotted taking a morning stroll together in Los Angeles earlier this month and got together for Thanksgiving this year as well. The Argo star capped off that holiday by taking his daughters to see the hit musical Hamilton.

Affleck, who has been photographed recently outside an L.A. treatment center, is also continuing treatment for alcohol addiction. He is continuing aftercare. It is part of his daily regimen, another source previously told PEOPLE.

The Justice League star has been open about his long struggle with alcohol abuse. When he revealed in March he had gone back to treatment, he thanked his co-parent Garner, who he said has supported me and cared for our kids as Ive done the work I set out to do.

While he has had a rough year, a family source previously said, at the moment, he is doing great. He seems more honest with himself.
The incident occurred outside Flinders Street train station in Melbournes central business district just after 4:45 p.m, the Associated Press reported. Witnesses on the scene say the SUV ran a red light and sped up to hit crossing shoppers. More than a dozen people were hit before the car slammed into a traffic barrier by a cable car stop.

Of the 19 admitted to the hospital, 15 were said to be in a stable condition  including a 4-year-old boy, the AP reported. The other four injured are in a critical condition.

Victoria State Police arrested the 32-year-old driver of the vehicle after a struggle at the scene, the BBC reported. He was alone in the vehicle.

A second man, 24, was also arrested after being seen filming the incident, the BBC reported. Though he had a bag of knives with him, police say they dont suspect he had links to the incident and is assisting police with inquiries.

We believe based on what we have seen that it is a deliberate act, Victoria Police Commander Russell Barrett said of the crash, ABC Australia reported. The motivations are unknown.

At this time, we dont have any evidence or intelligence to indicate a connection with terrorism, Victoria State acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton added, Reuters reported.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the incident shocking in a tweet, adding his thoughts and prayers with the victims and those treating them.

As our federal & state police & security agencies work together to secure the scene and investigate this shocking incident our thoughts & prayers are with the victims & the emergency & health workers who are treating them. https://t.co/JkUM9TuIQe  Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) December 21, 2017

Bill Shorten, the leader of the Australian opposition, also shared his condolences on Twitter while praising emergency services for rushing to the shocking scenes.

Story continues

Shocking scenes in Melbourne this afternoon. Credit to first responders who are doing us proud once again. Thinking of everyone caught up in this atrocity.  Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) December 21, 2017

Its the second time this year that a car attack has occurred in Melbourne.

In January, six people were killed and more than 30 injured when a man drove a car into pedestrians on Bourke Street  blocks away from Thursdays incident, ABC Australia reported. Police did not find any connection to terrorism with that case.

In the wake of Januarys attack, Melbourne city authorities installed concrete blocks in various locations in hopes to prevent vehicle-based attacks, the BBC reported. Said blocks were installed on Flinders Street.
Chrissy Teigen has traveled all around the world, but managed to experience a "flying first" on Tuesday, after her plane to Tokyo was turned around four hours into the flight.

The 32-year-old model naturally live-tweeted the bizarre situation to her followers, explaining that she and husband John Legend boarded an ANA flight from Los Angeles International Airport, hoping to spend New Year's Eve in Japan. Four hours into their 11-hour flight, however, Teigen and the rest of the flight's passengers were informed that they'd be heading back to L.A. after it was determined that an unauthorized passenger had boarded the plane.

"A flying first for me: 4 hours into an 11 hour flight and we are turning around because we have a passenger who isnt supposed to be on this plane. Whywhy do we all gotta go back, I do not know, she wrote. So many questions and I have no answers. Either do they. This person must be mortified though.

a flying first for me: 4 hours into an 11 hour flight and we are turning around because we have a passenger who isnt supposed to be on this plane. Why...why do we all gotta go back, I do not know

 christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

So many questions and I have no answers. Either do they. This person must be mortified though

 christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

Lmao after all this I will have spent 8 hours on a flight to nowhere. Like we were all just havin a great time up here flyin in the sky watching gran torino time to go home now," Teigen tweeted. "I dont know why Im not more upset about this. The pleasure I get out of the story is worth more to me than a direct flight to Tokyo."

Story continues

Lmao after all this I will have spent 8 hours on a flight to nowhere. Like we were all just havin a great time up here flyin in the sky watching gran torino time to go home now

 christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

I dont know why Im not more upset about this. The pleasure I get out of the story is worth more to me than a direct flight to Tokyo

 christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

Teigen continued to keep her followers updated throughout the ordeal, explaining that the passenger was able to somehow board the plane with a United ticket. "No one will spill anything, she wrote. I wish I had more for you guys. I wish I could be your snowden. *quits whatever my job is to devote my life to this likely very simple mistake.*"

no one will spill anything :( I wish I had more for you guys. I wish I could be your snowden

 christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

*quits whatever my job is to devote my life to this likely very simple mistake*

 christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

Legend and Teigen eventually deplaned, spending hours in the airport watching Real Housewives before boarding another flight.

"Yoda is in a seat and they're playing Star Wars music," Teigen tweeted before taking off. "Please don't be the same menu please don't be the same menu."

Yoda is in a seat and theyre playing Star Wars music

 christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

Taking off!!! Please dont be the same menu please dont be the same menu

 christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

ANA, meanwhile, issued an apology for the situation over Twitter, writing, "We apologize to all of our passengers on Flight 175; we failed to deliver the customer service we strive for. Thank you all for your comments and allowing us to connect, learn and serve you better. We welcome ongoing feedback to understand how we can work to make this right."

While it looks like Teigen and Legend will actually be able to enjoy New Year's in Tokyo, they spent Christmas in the desert with their 1-year-old daughter, Luna. See more on the family in the video below.

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One year ago today, Carrie Fisher died at the age of 60. The accomplished author, comedy performer, and Star Wars actress had suffered a massive heart attack during a flight from London to Los Angeles and never recovered. At the time fans from all over the world mourned her death, including one of Fishers most outspoken (and shaken) celebrants, her Star Wars co-star, Mark Hamill. Ahead of Star Wars: The Last Jedis release, Hamill led the charge for champions Fishers life, and now that the film has been in theaters for nearly two weeks, he thought it fitting to borrow a line of dialogue to pay homage yet again.

CAUTION: Potential spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

In a tweet posted early Wednesday morning, Hamill paired three photos of Fisher, himself and Gary the dog with a line of dialogue from Luke and Leias final meeting in the film. No ones ever really gone, Hamill wrote.

During the scene in question, Luke Skywalker appears at the eleventh hour, when the final remnants of General Leia Organas resistance fighters find themselves cornered in an abandoned fortress by the First Order and her vengeful son, Kylo Ren. Luke apologizes for being unable to prevent Snoke from turning Ben Solo to the dark side, and Leia responds by saying her son is truly gone. Cue Lukes kind words (No ones ever truly gone) and his offering a memento to Leia he took from the Millenium Falcon  Han Solos gold dice chain.

As for the apt painting of Fisher and Gary, Leigh Lahav points out we have Lindsay van Ekelenburg to thank for it. You can purchase a print of Our Blessed Rebel Queen here.
UPDATED AT 5:25 PM PT A Disneyland spokesperson offered a fuller account of todays power outage at Disneyland.

Shortly before 11 a.m. today, a problem with a transformer resulted in loss of power to Toontown and Fantasyland at the park. Crews restored electricity to Toontown by noon, with power fully restored to all affected areas by 4 p.m. Everything is now operational, said spokesperson Suzi Brown.

The adjacent Disney California Adventure park was not impacted by the outage.

The company apologized guests for the inconvenience.

UPDATED at 4PM PT: Power has been restored to The Disneyland Resort some four hours after an outage shut down a dozen rides and left some riders stranded and other guests complaining about the inconvenience on one of the theme parks busiest days of the year.

Disney spokesperson Elva Rubalcava said damage to a transformer has been repaired and power has been restored to all areas of the resort. Everything should be fully operational in the next 30 minutes as attractions come back online, she said.

UPDATED at 2:40PM PT: A power outage shut down at least a dozen rides and attractions at Disneyland today, leaving some riders stranded and others battling heavy crowds on what is typically one of the busiest days of the year.

Issues with a transformer affected Toontown, Fantasyland and other areas of the park, Disney spokesperson Elva Rubalcava confirmed to Deadline. Power has returned for most rides, she said, with the remaining ones expected back online by later this afternoon.

The Anaheim parks official Twitter account confirmed at 1PM PT that no new customers are being allowed into the main park. Only those re-entering will be allowed under the crowd-control measures. New arrivals are being directed to neighboring California Adventure, which remains available for your enjoyment.

Disneyland has 49 rides and attractions, and California Adventure another 36.

While a flurry of social media posts and images described teeming crowds, hitting capacity is not unusual at this time of year, Rubalcava said. Even with full power restored, the park would remain open only to re-entering attendees, she said.

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The glitch did not cause any injuries, except possibly to the psyches of some attendees. Several were stranded on rides for long stretches, including the Monorail and Its a Small World. One shaken customer, Geoff Fienberg, vented on Twitter (and later on CNN) that he spent a half-hour in the darkness of the Small World ride as the jaunty, iconic theme song played in an endless loop.

Others, like Juveria Kanodia of San Diego, turned to social media to vent their frustration  $1,100 down the drain  and the inability to claim a refund. The company said it would consider select refunds on a case-by-case basis.

After the account sent an oblique update earlier that Disneyland is very busy today, dozens of replies detailed complaints about a lack of information and general confusion about the state of affairs after the outage.

Earlier in the day, though, the awkwardness got even more extreme when account breezily tweeted, Why not relax and join us for a vacation to a galaxy far, far away. Whats the worst that could happen?

Heres the latest tweet and a sampling of other reactions:

PARKS UPDATE: Disneyland Park is currently only accepting Guests for re-entry at this time. Disney California Adventure Park remains available for your enjoyment. Updates to follow.  Disneyland Today (@DisneylandToday) December 27, 2017

Hmmm I dont know maybe a major power outage and being stuck on a hot monorail car for an hour??? Oh wait.  Madi Lang (@madilang) December 27, 2017

And this what it is like trying to walk anywhere pic.twitter.com/non2qHvXFk  Tyson Downs (@ty_downs) December 27, 2017

They dont have any signs up saying the rides are closed. Tons of people flowing in right now clueless that they cant ride because the power is out.  Andrew Ngo (@itisme1760) December 27, 2017

Those times are insane, you really need to consider letting less people in everyday! Those poor out of town guest. They will get on like 4 rides. forget seeing both parks.  TravelersGuide2 (@haileskitchen) December 27, 2017

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Yahoo Lifestyle has chosen this story, originally published on November 8, as an example of one of our best of 2017.

A teenager who attends Beaumont High School in Southern California discovered that her choice of undergarments was actually subject to her teachers approval.

BHS is so out of line, Remy Altuna wrote on Twitter. Now they want to dress code you for not wearing a bra. My underwear is none of there (sic) business.

BHS is so out of line. Now they want to dress code you for not wearing a bra. My underwear is none of there business. pic.twitter.com/HgocMryaGB  remy (@remyaltuna) August 17, 2017

Altuna had gone most of the day in her black bodysuit and baggy jeans without comment from teachers or the security guards who typically watch for dress code violations, she tells Yahoo Lifestyle. But when she went to the school office to get a paper signed, an assistant vice principal pulled her aside and told her to put on a jacket.

She said that my shirt was low cut; then she asked if I was wearing a bra, Altuna says. She went on to say that because I wasnt wearing a bra, she didnt want people to think anything bad of me or talk inappropriately or have anything bad to say.

The Beaumont High School dress code does not specify anything about bras, but says this about shirts: Tops must cover all parts of undergarments and shall not be low cut or revealing. Altuna said she didnt feel she needed a bra with her top, and if shed worn one, she would have been dress-coded because it would have shown. While she does not think her outfit was inappropriate, she said what happened to her is part of a pattern.

This year it just seems like theyre really out for blood, looking for anything, Altuna says. It would be one thing if they were dress coding boys and girls equally, but she notes that girls have been the biggest targets, while the boys violations, such as ripped jeans, are overlooked.

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Another student at Altunas school also took to Twitter to complain that girls were being disciplined for their outfits while boys who made sexual comments about them were not.

So today security heard a guy comment something sexual bc of my leggings & then tried to dress code me for it instead of talking to the him? Larissa M wrote. My leggings werent sheer whatsoever. If our security cant stand up to sexual harassment, they dont need to work at BHS.

Altuna said the vice principal told her: I dont want people to see you and assume bad things about you. Im trying to protect you.

A friend responded on Twitter, What bad things would someone assume? Like oh damn look at that girl being comfy and s***.

What "bad things" would someone assume? Like oh damn look at that girl being comfy and shit https://t.co/iI9lY2aM5S  JoJo (@jojoohohoo) August 17, 2017

If my vice principal was so concerned about bullying and people saying bad things about me  then she should focus on the students who are behaving inappropriately, Altuna told Yahoo. We as women shouldnt be put down because of our bodies.

Christina Pierce, the principal of Beaumont High School, told Yahoo that shes aware of the students concern.

In a school with 2,800 students, we acknowledge that enforcing the dress code is not a perfect process; administrators diligently work to ensure all students are following the dress code, Pierce said in an email. Our goal is to establish a school culture that supports a productive academic atmosphere and safe environment. We provide ongoing training for administrators and staff, who educate students in identifying sexual harassment, and hold regular discussions with students about respectful behavior at school and in the classroom.

The notion that wearing a bra or covering up the body is necessary for a girls protection is a faulty one, setting society up to blame the victims of sexual assault, according to experts.

Photo: rxmybxtch/Twitter

At a global scale the rate of violence against women is that one in three girls have experienced violence, whether that be domestic violence or sexual assault, Laura Palumbo, communications director for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, told Yahoo Style in an interview last week. That is something that is clearly happening at a scale across cultures and countries and suggests that it is much more of a complex issue than how a woman dresses and is actually rooted in the very ideas of traditional masculinity and subjugation of women.

Last year, when a school in Montana tried to force girls to wear bras, the students began a school-wide No Bra, No Problem protest. Elsewhere in California, boys at San Benito High School in Hollister have taken to wearing off-the-shoulder tops to stand up to their schools restrictions. Altuna seems willing to do the same.

Im ready to actually do something to push back against this, because this is ridiculous, she tweeted on Wednesday. She told Yahoo that shes writing a speech to argue her position on the dress code.

Its really hot in California right now, and were not going to be wearing burlap sacks to school every day, she said. Today, Im wearing a Nasty Woman shirt to school, and well see if they have anything to say about that.

Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.




Meghan Markles first Christmas with the royals was a resounding success, according to Prince Harry.

While making an appearance as a guest editor on BBC Radio 4s Today program, the royal spent the segment giving away all the details about his fiancees inaugural holiday with his extended family.

Thumbs up from @BBCr4today guest editor. Not the usual sight through the glass. #r4today pic.twitter.com/ckJv3cYZUV  Sarah Montague (@Sarah_Montague) December 27, 2017

It was fantastic, she really enjoyed it and the family really loved having her there, the 33-year-old gushed, as he was asked about the Suits actresss Christmas day with Queen Elizabeth and other relatives at Sandringham estate.

Revealing that he and his bride-to-be stayed with Prince William and Kate Middleton during the holiday, Harry continued, Theres always that family part of Christmas [where] theres always that work element there as well, and I think together we had an amazing time. We had great fun staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running round with the kids. Christmas was fantastic.

RELATED: Meghan Markle's Wintry Church Look Is Perfect for Her First Royal Christmas

While meeting the in-laws might have been a breeze for the brunette beauty, the royal admitted that there were quite a few traditions that needed some explaining: I think weve got one of the biggest families that I know of, and every family is complex as well, he said. No look, shes done an absolutely amazing job. Shes getting in there and its the family I suppose that shes never had.

As the world prepares for the couples highly-anticipated nuptials in 2018, the prince played coy when asked about a potential invite for former president Barack Obama, who appeared later during the show to discuss social media. Despite recent reports that the Obamas may not be invited because government officials don't want to upset President Donald Trump, Harry seemingly hasn't made a decision.

I dont know about thatwe havent even put the invite or the guest list together, he joked. Who knows if hes going to be invited or notI wouldnt want to ruin that surprise.
Prince Harry reveals how Meghan Markle felt about her first royal Christmas

Earlier this week Meghan Markle spent her first Christmas with the royal family! While Markle and Prince Harry arent set to tie the knot until May 2018, Markle attended the royal family Christmas as a royal fiancee. Before Markle, only royal couples could attend the Christmas services. When Kate Middleton was just Prince Williams fiancee, she spent Christmas with her family instead. Markle looked like a natural up there with the Duke and Duchess, and her beau said she slayed the royal event.

It was fantastic! She really enjoyed it! The family loved having her there. I think together, we had an amazing time, Harry revealed during his interview with BBC Radio 4s Today (via The Guardian).

Being a royal is being a public servant, and while Markle lived a relatively public life as an actress, being a member of the British nobility is a whole other level of celebrity and responsibility.

Shes done an absolutely amazing job, Harry said of Markles first public outing as a soon-to-be royal family member. Shes getting in there and its the family that I suppose shes never had.

As evidenced by these photos, Markle fit right in with her future in-laws.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle

Harry and Markle made their way through the crowd, blessing people with their smiles and goodwill.

Meghan Markle Prince Harry attends Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on December 25, 2017 in King's Lynn, England.

Harry also added that hes taking 2018 by the reigns, Were looking forward to the new year and 2018, because Im determined that myself and the younger generation, the pendulum is going to swing in 2018, and its going to be a fantastic year.

Prince Harry is set to wed Ms. Markle on May 19, 2018, and we look forward to the philanthropic work these two will carry out together in the future.
meghan markle prince harry

Thats going to be one mega task. Prince Harry revealed in a pre-taped interview on BBC Radio this week that the guest list for his highly-anticipated wedding to Meghan Markle is currently a work in progress.

The fifth-in-line to the British Royal throne, 33, sat down for an interview with former U.S. President Barack Obama this week while guest editing Radio 4s morning show Today. The two have enjoyed a long friendship since Obama was in office, so the recently-engaged royal was asked whether he would invite the former head of state and his wife, Michelle Obama, to the wedding of the year.

We havent put the invites or the guest list together yet so who knows whether hes going to be invited or not, Harry diplomatically replied. I wouldnt want to ruin that surprise. (There has been some interest surrounding the invitation list after the Sun UK released a report this week about current U.S. President Donald Trumps potential reaction to an invitation snub especially if the Obamas are invited.)

The couple will marry on May 19, 2018, at St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, which is also the part-time home of Queen Elizabeth II. The church holds approximately 800 people. Since its not a state-sponsored event, the wedding will be planned by Buckingham Palace.

Just this past week, the couple broke from royal tradition and had Markle attend Christmas service at Sandringham with other family members.

She really enjoyed it, Harry added. The family loved having her there.

For the countryside stay, the engaged pair were guests at the home of Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, as well as Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Theres always that family part of Christmas [where] theres always that work element there as well, and I think together we had an amazing time, he added. We had great fun staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running round with the kids. Christmas was fantastic.

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Two young children and their mother were among the four people found killed in an act of savagery this week inside their basement apartment in the upstate New York city of Troy, police said Wednesday.

A 5-year-old girl, her 11-year-old brother, their mother and a woman their mother was in a relationship with were brutally murdered and found dead in their home Tuesday afternoon, Troy Police Chief John Tedesco said at a news conference. No suspects have yet been named, but police believe the family was likely targeted.

This is not a random act, Tedesco said. Only a person of savagery would do something like this.

The police chief said the suspicious deaths are being treated as homicides, but he did not provide further details on how or why the four victims were killed.

The two deceased women were 22 and 36. Authorities did not release any names of the victims. Police are also unsure how long ago the victims were killed. Autopsy results are pending.
Net neutrality advocates rally in front of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ahead of Thursdays expected FCC vote repealing so-called net neutrality rules in Washington, U.S., December 13, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

The vast volume of unfinished tech-policy business that 2017 bequeathed in net neutrality, broadband competition privacy, security, and more wont all get wrapped up in 2018, either.

But the combination of a U.S. election and a dramatic expansion of privacy rules overseas might open up room for a few wins for customers on those fronts.

Between candidates having to take a stand on net neutrality, privacy-abusive companies brought to heel with a foreign governments fine, and more social-network CEOs pressed to act against trolling, you might see incremental but still-welcome progress. Or we could be left only with a deeper realization of the work remaining to be done.

The most likely outcome: Things wont change significantly until theres a different cast of characters in Washington and a more humble mindset in Silicon Valley.

The now what? phrase of net neutrality

The Federal Communications Commissions vote to wipe out its existing net-neutrality rules leaves internet providers wide open to blocking or slowing sitesin theory. In practice, with the FCCs move facing an array of lawsuits once it officially goes into effect, internet providers have little incentive to try anything funny until those court challenges wrap up.

So nightmare scenarios of Big Telecom censoring sites may look a little silly by spring. Those forecasts of doom also risk distracting people from the more subtle harm that happens when investors decide its too risky to back a startup developing an innovative but data-intensive app. Why place that bet when internet providers can now push those startups to pay more for priority delivery of their data?

Note that one of those Big Telecom firms, Verizon (VZ), owns Yahoo Finance.

Any lawsuits challenging FCC chair Ajit Pais move will almost certainly still be working their way through the courts as the 2018 elections near. Expect this to become something that candidates have to answer.

Building broadband

The net-neutrality debate might not be so vitriolic if more of us had more than two residential broadband providers. For that to change, we have to streamline rules and norms that slow down building out new broadband networksthe kind of burdensome regulations that founders of new high-speed services actually complain about.

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The FCCs Pai has said many of the right things on that issue, but he, like earlier FCC chairs, needs help from a Congress that has spent the last few years declining to advance any sweeping broadband-infrastructure legislation.

Theres always the chance that the infrastructure plan that Trump said would be among his top priorities will include a broadband component. The prospect of that even had some telecom-policy types cautiously optimistic in January. But almost a year into Trumps administration, that infrastructure plan has yet to emerge. Its starting to look as top-secret as Trumps tax returns.

GDPR: a transatlantic privacy hammer

For a great many U.S. companies, the most important government rule of 2018 wont come out of any U.S. capital. Instead, it will come from Brussels, in the form of the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation. This sweeping set of privacy rules goes into effect in May and covers any firm with customers residing in the EU.

The GDPR will require those companies to give customers far more control over their dataand will punish violations with fines that can hit 4% of their total worldwide revenue. That could make the $2.7 billion fine a European court imposed on Google (GOOG, GOOGL) in June look like an appetizer course.

Some U.S. firms GDPR compliance efforts should benefit U.S. users directly as they elect to offer the same new privacy options (for instance, the right to download your data from a social network and move it to a competing service) on each side of the Atlantic.

Others, however, will be surprised by its dictatesthen stricken with a steep bill. Their American customers may not get anything more than some bitter laughter.

Fear of Facebook and Google

The increasing domination of the ad market by Google and Facebook (FB) has driven unease on both sides of the Atlantic. And while the GDPR may force those two to curtail their tracking of users in the EUa December finding by a German competition authority that Facebook abused its power should be read as a road mapU.S. users shouldnt expect any comparable new laws from their own government.

Instead, you can expect more angst and anxiety from both corporate chieftains and politicians who see a winning issue in attacking Big Techthat being easier than coaxing legislation out of Congress.

The way Facebook, Google, Twitter (TWTR) and others have struggled to deal with trolls, harassers, and other merchants of hate will only make that argument easier to advanceespecially if the onset of the campaign season brings fresh evidence that big social networks are getting exploited by Russian operatives.

More insecurity over security

This is an easy bet to place. Of course companies will continue to misplace our data. Sometimes that will happen through something as dumb as leaving a giant database open on the web, something that happened yet again Dec. 20 when the research firm UpGuard found that a California marketing company named Apteryx left marketing data for 123 million American households exposed.

Why? U.S. laws still impose few consequences for that sort of sloppiness. And repeated bouts of data breaches have yet to push a Congress led by a Republican majority with a distinctly anti-regulatory mindset to act, much less impose breach-disclosure requirements as strict as the GDPRs 72-hour timeframe.

It seems equally inevitable that security flaws will result in many more apps, computers or gadgets getting remotely commandeered to stage ransomware or identity-theft attacks.

It would help if all this fretting over privacy and security yielded not just more existential dread (and sometimes conspiracy-theory fear-mongering) but a commitment to be choosier about who gets our data and our business. But that resolve may have to wait for 2019 or 2020 or never.

More from Rob:

Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro.
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The new Camry Hybrid gives back to drivers what they sacrificed for years in the name of social consciousnessmainly trunk space eaten up by a battery and powertrain smoothness in exchange for high mpg.

That changes with the new version. The LE Hybrid returned a stellar 47 mpg overall, not that far from the impressive Toyota Prius 52 mpg overall. Despite those gains, the trunk is now the same size as the regular Camry thanks to a smaller battery thats better packaged.

The Hybrid is also quicker off the linewhen red lights turn to greenthan the regular four-cylinder version. And it delivers power more quietly than the conventional Camry we recently tested. Thats partly due to its smoother-shifting continuously variable transmission as opposed to the regular Camrys eight-speed automatic.

The ride remains a mainstay Camry attraction, smoothly muting bumps and other road imperfections. It does, however, have longer stopping distances, and drivers might find that the brakes grab sooner than expected at lower speeds.

Five adults can fit in the Camry Hybrid nicely. And it comes with some nice upscale features such as standard automatic climate control, heated front seats, and an electronic parking brake.

All Camrys come with standard forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking, but blind-spot warning is optional.

Read the complete Toyota Camry road test.

Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the February 2018 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.





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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright  2017, Consumer Reports, Inc.
(Photo: Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

For those in the United States, 2017 will probably always be associated with the record hurricanes that caused widespread damage in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. In California, raging wildfires destroyed thousands of structures.

But around the world, millions faced other natural disasters as well, including volcanic eruptions in Indonesia and massive flooding in Peru.

Scroll down to see photos of these events from across the globe last year:

Residents wade through flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2017.

A firefighter tackles a wildfire close to the village of Pucarica in Portugal on Aug. 10, 2017.

People leave San Ramon in a car taking their horse by the reins after a forest fire devastated the nearby town of Santa Olga, 240 kilometers south of Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 26, 2017.

The Sinabung volcano spews molten lava during an eruption in Indonesia on Oct. 14, 2017.

A man rides his bicycle through a damaged road in Toa Alta, west of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 24, 2017, following the passage of Hurricane Maria.

Residents of the Huachipa populous district, east of Lima, Peru, are helped on March 17, 2017, by police and firemen rescue teams to cross over flash floods hitting their neighborhood and isolating its residents.

Wildfires burn along the Twelve Apostles area of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, on Oct. 13, 2017.

A firefighter views a collapsed coastal house after Hurricane Irma passed the area in Vilano Beach, Florida, on Sept. 11, 2017.

An aerial view shows burned properties in Santa Rosa, California, on Oct. 12, 2017.

An aerial view of a flooded area in Asakura City in Japan on July 6, 2017.

Firefighters work to put out a forest fire near Bouca, in central Portugal, on June 18, 2017.

A wave breaks against a pier and a lighthouse as storm Ana smashes into Cassis, France, on Dec. 11, 2017.

A view from Colima State, Mexico, shows the Volcano of Fire in eruption on Jan. 19, 2017.

Indonesian rescuers search for survivors after a wall of mud slammed onto houses on a hillside after heavy rainfall on April 2, 2017.

Soldiers stand guard near the Sensacion hotel, which collapsed when a powerful earthquake struck Mexico on Sept. 8, 2017.

Firefighters work to put out a forest fire in Valparaiso, Chile.

A boy walks towards a stranded boat in San Juan del Sur beach following the passage of Tropical Storm Nate in Nicaragua on Oct. 6, 2017.

A firefighter monitors flames as a house burns in the Napa wine region in California on Oct. 9, 2017.

A man runs as a big wave hits the pier of the port of A Guarda in northwestern Spain during a storm on Feb. 2, 2017.

The Oroville Dam spillway releases 100,000 cubic feet of water per second down the main spillway in Oroville, California, on Feb. 13, 2017.

Indian villagers travel by boat through floodwaters on July 4, 2017.

Heavy rains caused mudslides, which created extensive damage in Mocoa, Colombia, on April 3, 2017.

Bystanders look on as floodwaters rage past a damaged building in an area of Freetown on Aug. 14, 2017, after landslides struck the capital of the west African state of Sierra Leone.

Experts inspect the cut-off section of the A20 motorway at the site of an unexplained landslide near Tribsees in northern Germany on Oct. 10, 2017.

A man helps evacuate a woman from a flooded street in Mandra, northwest of Athens, Greece, on Nov. 16, 2017.

Vehicles pass beside a wall of flames on the 101 highway during a wildfire near Ventura, California, on Dec. 6, 2017.

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An exhausted Rohingya refugee woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh on Sept. 11. Reuters photographer Danish Siddiqui: "It was a clear morning and I could see the several clouds of smoke in the background on the Myanmar side. After a few hours waiting on the beach the fishing boats started arriving with Rohingyas. This image was taken just after a family member of the Rohingya woman carried her from the boat. The exhausted Rohingya woman sat on the beach and put her hand to feel the shore after the long and dangerous journey from Myanmar."

Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar make their way through the rice field after crossing the border in Palang Khali, Bangladesh, on Oct. 9. Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj: "We were covering a tragic accident in which a boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsized and many, mostly children, died when we got a tip from colleagues that two hours drive to the north, thousands of refugees stranded on the border were finally crossing into Bangladesh. I rushed in that direction and made it just before the darkness to witness unreal scenes. Many thousands of people, carrying the sick and injured, the elderly and children, and their few possessions were slowly making their way through the mud and rice fields to the relative safety of Bangladesh. I thought I had witnessed enough tragedy that day for a lifetime, and yet it was just another day in a never-ending story for the Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar."

Rohingya refugees collapse from exhaustion after they arrive by a small wooden boat from Myanmar to the shore of Shah Porir Dwip, in Teknaf, near Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, on Oct. 1. Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj: "Unlike those who were crossing the Naf River under the cover of the darkness, this group of Rohingya refugees were landing at the beach of Shah Porir Dwip in the broad daylight. They were totally exhausted -- I could only imagine what these people had been through before the rickety vessel brought them to Bangladesh. After landing, many just collapse. But not much later, as if awoken by survival instinct, they got back on their feet, collected children and the few possessions they brought with them, and continued by foot towards the refugee camps, a safe haven for those fleeing danger in Myanmar."

Roshid Jan, a Rohingya refugee who said she is not sure of her age, cries holding her son Muhammad Gyab at their shelter at the camp for widows and orphans inside the Balukhali camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Dec. 5. Roshid Jan, who walked for 10 days with her five children to Bangladesh after soldiers burned their village, wept when she spoke about her missing husband. The religious leader in their Phansi village in Myanmar's Rakhine State was accused of being a member of the Rohingya militants and arrested 11 months ago, she said. She had not seen him or heard about his fate since then. Now she lives with her five children and more than 230 others at camp for Rohingya widows and orphans. Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj: "Three hills away from the nearest road, in a dusty valley of Balukhali refugee camp, a patchwork of densely packed red tents hides an ocean of grief and pain. Some call it a red camp for its colour, others a long camp because of its shape but it's best known for those who found shelter there. 'This is a widows camp,' its unofficial and energetic leader explained after I introduced myself. In about 50 tents, over 230 women and children live. There are no men. As I was listening the stories of widows and orphans this camp shelters, I realized it's difficult to imagine a place with more sorrow than this. The camp seemed like a place in which the whole Rohingya tragedy is condensed."

Rohingya Muslims who fled from ongoing military operations in Myanmar's Rakhine State make their way through muddy water after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 1.

Hamida, a Rohingya refugee woman, cries as she holds her 40-day-old son, who died as a boat capsized on the shore of Shah Porir Dwip, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 14. Reuters photographer Mohammad Ponir Hossain: "I was taking pictures of exhausted refugees on the beach when I heard an auto-rickshaw driver shouting that a boat had capsized. I rushed to the spot and found people crying over the dead body of a child. I took a picture of Hamida, cradling the tiny pale body of her child, Abdul Masood. He appears to have died as the survivors scrambled through the crashing waves to shore. Hamida's husband Nasir Ahmed carried his son away from the crowd. The couple's other son survived the accident. These people are so desperate that they are risking their lives to escape Myanmar. The pictures show what is going on here."

A man struggles to carry supplies across a stream as the monsoon rains continue to make life miserable for the displaced Rohingya on Sept. 17 in Kutupalong, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Arif Ullah, who said his village was burned down and his relatives were killed by Myanmar soldiers, comforts his wife Shakira who collapsed from exhaustion as Rohingya refugees arrive by a wooden boat from Myanmar to the shore of Shah Porir Dwip, in Teknaf, near Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, on Oct. 1. Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj: "That morning, a group of Rohingya refugees crossed the Bay of Bengal on a rickety, wooden boat, for landings at Shah Porir Dwip, a village at the mouth of the Naf River. Most of the refugees, exhausted from the trip, collapsed after finally reaching the shores of Bangladesh. Shakira, unable to stand on her own, rested in her husband's arms for some 10 to 15 minutes before getting up and continuing on foot towards a relief center nearby."

A security officer attempts to control Rohingya refugees waiting to receive aid in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 21. Reuters photographer Cathal McNaughton: "During my first days at the camps it was chaotic. No infrastructure was in place for the distribution of the aid that arrived throughout the day. Men would fight children for aid packages. Children would wrestle with grandmothers for rice. Eventually the security forces moved in with sufficient numbers to try and restore order. To witness people getting beaten as they scrambled for food is indescribable."

A Rohingya refugee woman is helped from a boat as she arrives exhausted on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River at Shah Porir Dwip after fleeing her village in Myanmar, on Oct. 1 in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

A woman carries the body of a Rohingya refugee baby. Others are seen wrapped in white sheets prior to burial after they died when their boat capsized while fleeing Myanmar on Sept. 29 in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Hosne Ara, 4, a Rohingya refugee who fled Myanmar two months earlier, listens to children singing at a children's center in Kutupalong refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Nov. 5. Reuters photographer Hannah McKay: "I was in a center for children photographing them singing. I could feel somebody watching me and when I turned 'round this little girl with extraordinary eyes was smiling at me. When I lifted my camera to take her picture she stopped smiling, as I lowered it she smiled again. It became a bit of a game and we were giggling with each other."

Rohingya Muslim refugees weep upon being reunited after arriving on a boat from Myanmar on Sept. 8 in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh.

A man hits anxious Rohingya children with a cane as things get out of control during a humanitarian aid distribution on Oct. 7. Monsoon rains continue to batter the area, causing more difficulties.

Kulsuma Begum, a 40-year-old Rohingya refugee, cries in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Oct. 27. Reuters photographer Hannah McKay: "I didn't know why the woman was crying, but I thought it was important to capture her emotion. Once she had finished talking I asked somebody to translate her story to me and it was only then that I understood why she was so distressed. She had lost her daughter and said her husband and son-in-law were killed by military in Myanmar. It was heartbreaking to see, but even more so to hear what she had gone through."

Rohingya refugees carry their child as they walk through water after crossing the border by boat through the Naf River in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 7. Reuters photographer Mohammad Ponir Hossain: "I walked around for an hour on the muddy and very slippery path to get to the river bank. When I reached it I heard the sound of people who had arrived by boats. Because of the mangroves I couldn't see them properly. After some time I saw more than [one] hundred people come out of the mangroves and start walking into the water with children, elderly people and their belongings. Due to low tide, boats were unable to reach to the dry land. This Rohingya couple with a child had to get off the boat into a mangrove first, then walk through the water to reach dry land."

A woman cries out as Rohingya refugees wait to receive aid in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 21. Reuters photographer Cathal McNaughton: "What this photo doesn't convey is the deafening noise. The woman with the child was making a moaning sound which was piercing. Everyone was shouting at the relief teams to get their attention."

A group of Rohingya children who fled from oppression in Myanmar are seen at Leda Camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Oct. 11.

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Washington (AFP) - Democrat Doug Jones was formally declared the winner of the bitterly contested US Senate race in the southern state of Alabama on Thursday, whittling down the Republican majority in the chamber by a crucial seat.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill certified the results of the December 12 special election and dismissed claims of voter fraud by the campaign of the defeated Republican candidate, Roy Moore.

"This election has been conducted with the utmost integrity," Merrill told a news conference. "It's been safe, secure. It's been credible."

With Jones' upset victory in Alabama confirmed, the Republican party of President Donald Trump now holds 51 seats in the Senate and the Democrats have 49 -- the slimmest of majorities.

Jones, the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Republican bastion Alabama in 25 years, will be sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on January 3 when Congress returns to Washington after the holiday break.

"I am looking forward to going to work for the people of Alabama," Jones, a 63-year-old former federal prosecutor, said in a statement.

"I will be an independent voice and work to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get Washington back on track and fight to make our country a better place for all."

In his own statement after the results were certified, Moore repeated his charge that the election was "fraudulent."

"I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama," the conservative Christian said. "I have no regrets."

Moore did not say, however, whether he would seek a recount. He has 48 hours in which to do so.

Merrill said the allegations of voting irregularities by Moore's team had been thoroughly investigated and found to be baseless, while a judge threw out a suit seeking to delay the results certification.

- 22,000-vote margin -

Story continues

Jones won 49.97 percent of the vote compared to Moore's 48.34 percent, a margin of nearly 22,000 votes out of 1.35 million cast, officials said -- a record for a special election.

The Alabama result dealt a stinging blow to Trump, who had thrown his support behind the 70-year-old Moore, a former chief justice of the state's Supreme Court.

Moore appeared to be the favorite in the contest to fill the Senate seat held by Jeff Sessions, who is now Trump's attorney general.

And Trump had easily captured the state in last year's presidential election.

Moore, who has suggested the 9/11 attacks may have happened because of a lack of faith in God and argued Muslims should be barred from holding office, had wanted to bring his fiery brand of Christian religious activism to Washington.

But his campaign was rocked in the final days of the race by allegations by several women that he had assaulted, molested or pursued them when they were teenagers -- and he was in his 30s, working as an assistant district attorney.

One said he had touched her inappropriately when she was 14.

Late Wednesday, Moore launched a last-minute legal challenge of the results, with his campaign citing "irregularities" in 20 precincts in Jefferson County, which it said were "enough to reverse the outcome of the election."

To back up the claims, Moore's team cited mathematician Richard Charnin, a conspiracy theorist who also asserts the 2004 presidential election and 2016 Democratic presidential primary were rigged.

The complaint also contained an affidavit from Moore "stating that he successfully completed a polygraph test confirming the representations of misconduct made against him during the campaign are completely false."

But Montgomery County Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick threw out the complaint.

- Controversy -

Moore served twice as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court but was relieved of his duties on both occasions.

The first time was in 2003 for refusing a judge's order to remove a granite monument of the 10 Commandments from the state supreme court building.

The second time was in 2016 for refusing to accept the US Supreme Court's ruling authorizing gay marriage.
Alabamas secretary of state laughed off the assertion by Roy Moore campaign spokeswoman Janet Porter that there is an incredibly high probability there was voter fraud in the states special U.S. Senate election this month.

People are entitled to their own opinion, but they are not entitled to their own facts, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said on CNN.

Merrill was responding to Porters comments in an earlier CNN interview in which she defended the Republican candidates 11th-hour attempt to block certification of Moores historic loss to Democrat Doug Jones in the traditionally deep-red state.

Whether youre a Republican or whether youre a Democrat; whether you like Roy Moore or whether you like Doug Jones, you ought to care about the fact that the people of Alabama should be making that choice, Porter said. The chances that this was not fraud? One in 15 billion.

Merrill said that his office has investigated each claim of voter fraud submitted by the Moore campaign and found no evidence any fraud occurred.

In one complaint, it was alleged that five busloads of African-Americans had been brought in from Mississippi to vote in Mobile, and that three vanloads of Mexicans had been arrested and incarcerated for doing so. Both allegations were investigated and dismissed, Merrill said. Another claim said that more than 5,000 people had voted in Brodalama, a town with a population of 2,200.

That would make some sense and cause a lot of consternation  except there is no town or community in Alabama called Bordalama, Merrill explained. So that was completely fabricated.

His remarks came shortly before an Alabama judge denied Moores lawsuit to block the state from certifying the results of the Dec. 12 special election, which Jones won by more than 20,000 votes. A four-member panel, including Merrill, certified those results Thursday afternoon. Jones will be sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 3.

As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation, Jones said in a statement.

Story continues

The Jones campaign called the Moore campaigns lawsuit a desperate attempt by Roy Moore to subvert the will of the people.

The election is over, Jones campaign spokesman Sam Coleman said in a statement. Its time to move on.

Yet Moore again refused to concede the election.

Election fraud experts across the country have agreed that this was a fraudulent election, Moore said in a statement after the results were certified. I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama. I have no regrets. To God be the glory.

Doug Jones and his wife, Louise Jones, wave to supporters before speaking in Birmingham, Ala., at a victory party on election night. (Photo: John Bazemore/AP)

In a wide-ranging complaint filed late Wednesday night, the Moore campaign cited three election integrity experts who say voter fraud occurred. One of them, Richard Charnin, argued in a recent book that President Trump won the true vote in the 2016 presidential election (Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes) and that historical statistical evidence is conclusive: every election is fraudulent. In another, Charnin argues that there is scientific proof of a conspiracy surrounding President John. F. Kennedys assassination.

I dont vouch for everyones opinion on everything, Porter said when asked about the theories offered in Charnins books.

Porter also defended Moores inclusion of an affidavit in the lawsuit saying he had passed polygraph test that purportedly disproves the allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple women against him. But when pressed for details about the test or the person who conducted it, Porter struggled to provide any. The affidavit was from Moore, not the unnamed polygraph expert.

All I know is that it was a renowned independent expert, Porter said.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Yerevan (AFP) - Landlocked and poor, Armenia has long relied on Russia for its energy needs, but the government is hoping to reduce that dependence by tapping a resource that is plentiful in the region: the sun.

With few fossil fuel resources of its own and its sole nuclear power plant nearing the end of its working life, Armenia is banking on renewable energy to reduce its dependence on its former Soviet master, which accounts for nearly 83 percent of gas imports.

And with Armenia much sunnier than most of Europe -- according to government figures, it receives 1,720 kilowatt hours per square metre of sunlight every year, compared to an average of 1,000 in Europe -- solar energy looks to be the most promising.

"To ensure its energy security and independence, Armenia, like any other country, strives to diversify energy sources," the ex-Soviet republic's Deputy Energy Minister Hayk Harutyunyan told AFP.

Within four years, up to eight percent of the country's energy needs will be covered by renewables, according to the government's policy paper, "Energy Roadmap."

The document estimates the country's potential capacity of solar energy production at up to 3,000 megawatts -- enough to meet domestic demand and even make Armenia a net electricity exporter.

Harutyunyan said that a consortium of investors from 10 countries will soon start building a solar plant capable of producing 55 megawatts of electricity.

One of the backers, the World Bank, has earmarked some $60 million (51 million euros) for the project, as part of its initiative to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

So far, three solar power plants with capacity of one megawatt each have been built across the country and seven more will follow by the end of 2018.

Next year, the headquarters of the Armenian cabinet of ministers will fully switch to solar energy, subsequently followed by all governmental buildings.

A pilot project was launched in March to instal rooftop solar panels in remote villages across the country to provide households with electricity and hot water.

Story continues

In late 2015, an Armenian tycoon with business interests in Russia, Samvel Karapetyan, bought out Armenia's indebted electricity distribution company from a Kremlin-controlled holding, Inter RAO.

Karapetyan's Tashit Group is investing in solar projects and has already spent some $500,000 (425,000 euros) in building a solar power plant in the mountainous tourist town of Tsaghkadzor.

In addition to increasing the share of renewables, the Armenian government is seeking to reduce that of natural gas and oil by more than a third by 2020, compared with 2010 levels.

- Russian dependence -

Moscow tightened its grip on Armenia's economy and politics in 2006 by taking complete control over Armenia's power plants and distribution companies.

Russia provides more than 80 percent of the natural gas used by the landlocked Caucasus nation and supplies all of the fuel for the country's sole nuclear power plant, the Metsamor.

The European Union has repeatedly called on Armenia to shut down the aging Metsamor -- which produces more than a third of the country's electricity -- for security reasons.

But the Armenian government has decided to extend the plant's operations until its production capacities are fully replaced by alternative energy in 2026.

"We have never had any illusion that the nuclear power plant could work forever. One day, we will have to stop it and we must be ready for this," said Harutyunyan.

"That's why, during the last several years, Armenia has been stepping up efforts to develop all types of renewable energy -- hydro, wind, and solar."

The extent of Russia's influence on the ex-Soviet republic became clear in 2013 when Yerevan made a surprise foreign policy U-turn and joined the Moscow-led Customs Union economic bloc, instead of signing a long-negotiated pact on political association and economic integration with the European Union.

A member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation -- designed as Russia's counterweight to NATO -- Armenia is also the Kremlin's closest military ally in the Caucasus region, which has historically been an arena of geopolitical rivalry between global powers.

For decades, Armenia has been locked in territorial conflict with Turkey-backed Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. And in the face of the perceived threat from its arch-foes in Ankara and Baku, Armenia has been forced into Moscow's orbit.

"Alternative energy may not fully replace conventional energy sources, but it will help reduce Armenia's energy dependence on Russia and, as a result, weaken the Kremlin's political leverage over Yerevan," Armenian energy analyst Alexandre Avanesov told AFP.
An Australian grandmother who was detained with more than a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine in Kuala Lumpur has been cleared of drug trafficking, a charge that in Malaysia carries a mandatory death penalty if convicted.

A local judge found 54-year-old Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto not guilty of drug smuggling Wednesday on the grounds that she had been the victim of an online romance scam, Agence France-Presse reports.

Had she been convicted, Malaysias current legislation would oblige the judge to sentence her to death by hanging.

Im happy now that Im free, said Exposto, who has been detained in Malaysia since her arrest in December 2014.

Expostos defense argued that she had been groomed over the course of a two-year online relationship. When she flew to Shanghai to meet a man she believed was a U.S. serviceman, she was instead handed a bag and asked to take it back to Sydney, Australias ABC News reports.

Unaware the bag had 1.1 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine stitched into its lining, Exposto handed it to customs inspectors as she transited through Kuala Lumpur.

I agree with the defense lawyer that the accused did not have knowledge about the drugs, Judge Ghazali Cha said in court, I believe that at that time her (Exposto) feelings of love towards Captain Daniel Smith overcame everything, including her own husband, her family and her future.

Exposto is not yet in the clear, however. She will reportedly remain in Malaysia for several more months until an appeal lodged by prosecutors can be heard. Should that appeal succeed, Exposto could still receive the death penalty.
When Chrissy Teigen and John Legend (and a bunch of other people) boarded a plane to Tokyo from LA, they probably didn't think they would get a bizarre flight patternand one not-so-convincing fugative theory.

Their plane made an unexpected return to Los Angeles Airport on Thursday night and naturally, Teigen live-tweeted the events. But someone out there somehow managed to take those live-tweets and turn it into a piping hot conspiracy theory about Teigen and Legend fleeing the country. She shared screenshots of this user's thoughts on the flight fiasco, and they're uh, pretty unique.

SEE ALSO: Chrissy Teigen live tweets bizarre flight turnaround, featuring John Legend

Hands down my favorite takes of the night. Not just 2 people wanting to go to tokyo for new years eve and sushi nope pic.twitter.com/axMO0bwdqf  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

"Were Chrissy Teigen and John Legend arrested trying to flee the country? Sealed indictments?" the screenshots read, before later adding the fact that Teigen and Legend supported Hillary Clinton's presidential run.

"Q said to follow the performers. No other reason to turn flight around," this brilliant person/possible bot wrote.

"Why would they want Tegien?," someone added to the thread. "I read Legend was Illuminati so they may want him if he's done bad stuff."

"Hands down my favorite takes of the night," Teigen wrote. "Not just two people wanting to go to Tokyo for New Year's Eve and sushi nope."

There isn't much good that can come out of an extra eight hours on a plane but this comes pretty close to making it quite possibly worth it.

I mean, we could have worse overlords than you and John.  Tyrannosaurus Lex (@Alexes_C) December 27, 2017

Live tweeting your exact location while fleeing the country. Balsy move Teigen.   Bianca Lauren (@NYCgirl1990) December 27, 2017

Maybe on the way back home, she can finally be the Edward Snowden of 2018 that we so desperately deserve.

Story continues

no one will spill anything :( I wish I had more for you guys. I wish I could be your snowden  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
By Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi and Akram Walizada KABUL (Reuters) - Suicide bombers stormed a Shi'ite cultural center and news agency in the Afghan capital on Thursday, killing more than 40 people and wounding scores, many of them students attending a conference. Islamic State said in an online statement that it was responsible for the attack, saying the center received support from Iran. It was the latest in a series that the movement has claimed on Shi'ite targets in Kabul. Waheed Majrooh, a spokesman for the ministry of public health, said 41 people, including four women and two children, had been killed and 84 wounded, most suffering from burns. The attack occurred during a morning panel discussion on the anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Sunni-majority Afghanistan at the Tabian Social and Cultural Centre, witnesses said. The floor of the center, at the basement level, was covered in blood as wailing survivors and relatives picked through the debris, while windows of the news agency, on the second floor, were all shattered. "We were shocked and didn't feel the explosion at first but we saw smoke coming up from below," said Ali Reza Ahmadi, a journalist at the agency who was sitting in his office above the center when the attack took place. "Survivors were coming out. I saw one boy with cuts to his feet and others with burns all over their faces," he said. "About 10 minutes after the first explosion, there was another one outside on the street and then another one." "SMOKE EVERYWHERE" Deputy Health Minister Feda Mohammad Paikan said 35 bodies had been brought into the nearby Istiqlal hospital. Television pictures showed many of the injured suffered serious burns. "There was a reading and an academic discussion and then there was a huge bang," said Sayed Jan, a participant in the conference, from his bed in the hospital. "I felt my face burning and I fell down and saw other colleagues lying around me and smoke everywhere." The bloodshed followed an attack on a private television station in Kabul last month, which was also claimed by the local affiliate of Islamic State. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement on Twitter denying involvement in the attack, which was condemned by both the Kabul government and Afghanistan's international partners including NATO and the United Nations. "I have little doubt that this attack deliberately targeted civilians," said Toby Lanzer, acting head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. "Today in Kabul we have witnessed another truly despicable crime in a year already marked by unspeakable atrocities." Over the past two years, Islamic State in Khorasan, as the local group is known, has claimed a growing number of attacks on Shi'ite targets in Afghanistan, where sectarian attacks were previously rare. The statement said the center received Iranian support and was one of the largest centers of Shi'ism in Afghanistan, sending youths to Iran for academic training. The militant Sunni group regards Shi'ism as heresy and predominantly Shi'ite Iran as one of its biggest enemies. The movement, which first appeared in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, has extended its reach steadily, although many security officials question its ability to conduct complex attacks and believe it has help from criminals or other militant groups. Prior to Thursday's attack, there had been at least 12 attacks on Shi'ite targets since the start of 2016, in which almost 700 people were killed or wounded, according to United Nations figures. Before that, there had only been one major attack, in 2011. FORTIFIED ZONE The United States condemned the attack, the White House said in a statement, pledging to work with Afghanistan's government to find and punish the attackers and vowing that "the enemies of Afghanistan will not succeed in their attempts to destroy the country and divide the Afghan people." Backed by the heaviest U.S. air strikes since the height of the international combat mission in Afghanistan, Afghan forces have forced the Taliban back in many areas and prevented any major urban center from falling into the hands of insurgents. But high-profile attacks in the big cities have continued as militants have looked for other ways to make an impact and undermine confidence in security. The attacks have increased pressure on President Ashraf Ghani's Western-backed government to improve security. Much of the center of Kabul is already a fortified zone of concrete blast walls and police checkpoints, following repeated attacks on the diplomatic quarter of the city. But militant groups have also hit numerous targets outside the protected zone, many in the western part of the city, home to many members of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara community. "This gruesome attack underscores the dangers faced by Afghan civilians," rights group Amnesty International said in a statement from its South Asia director, Biraj Patnaik. "In one of the deadliest years on record, journalists and other civilians continue to be ruthlessly targeted by armed groups." According to a report this month by media freedom group Reporters without Borders, Afghanistan is among the world's most dangerous countries for media workers, with two journalists and five media assistants killed doing their jobs in 2017, before Thursday's attack. According to Sayed Abbas Hussaini, a journalist at Afghan Voice, one reporter at the agency was killed in Thursday's attack and two were wounded. (Additional reporting by Ali Abdelaty and John Davison in Cairo, and Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by William Maclean and Leslie Adler)
Beijing (AFP) - China's paramilitary police force will soon be commanded by the Chinese Communist Party's armed forces, a report said Wednesday, the latest sign of the leadership's resolve to centralise power.

The move puts the force, which maintains domestic security, squarely under the command of President Xi Jinping, who is also head of the military.

The 660,000-strong force is responsible for border patrol, counter terrorism and fire-fighting, as well as maintaining domestic stability and other tasks.

It is currently under the dual leadership of the government's cabinet, the State Council, and the party's Central Military Commission.

By contrast, and unlike most countries, China's armed forces are permanently under the control of its ruling political party, the CCP, rather than the state.

"From Jan. 1, 2018 ... the armed police will be a division under the Central Military Commission only," the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a Central Committee statement.

The report did not give a reason for the command structure change.

But a commentary in party mouthpiece People's Daily said it was a "major innovation" that "strengthens the party's absolute leadership over the armed forces ... and ensures the long-term peace and stability of the party and the country".

The strongest leader in a generation, Xi has sought to strengthen the party's control over all aspects of Chinese society.

Since coming to power in 2012, he has presided over sweeping reforms intended to transform the country's military from a musty Soviet-era relic into a modern fighting force.

The changes have included the replacement of top military brass with Xi loyalists.

Analysts said the latest consolidation could have arisen from anxiety over the potential use of the police force to stage a coup.

In October, senior party official Liu Shiyu congratulated Xi for foiling efforts of powerful officials who "plotted to usurp the party's leadership and seize state power."

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Liu listed former security czar Zhou Yongkang and former Chongqing party chiefs Bo Xilai and Sun Zhengcai as members of the conspiracy, which was rumoured to have involved military officials.

All three have been ousted from the CCP and arrested or jailed on corruption charges.

"Strengthening the party's leadership of both the army and the armed police could reflect (worries) about the armed police becoming a tool for individual conspiracy," political scholar Hu Xingdou told AFP.

The announcement followed the first meeting this week of the 205-member Central Committee after a once-in-ten-years meeting of the CCP in November bolstered the party's power.
Yep, even celebrities have to go through travel nightmares.

Chrissy Teigen experienced the pain on Tuesday, when the ANA 175 flight which departed Los Angeles for Tokyo was turned back after an "unauthorized person" was found on board, according to KTLA.

SEE ALSO: 10 gift ideas for that friend who loves to travel

LAX airport police told the news outlet that it wasn't a security issue, but passengers would be interviewed when they arrived back to Los Angeles.

.@chrissyteigen is on an international flight that turned around 4 hours in because a passenger isnt supposed to be on plane. Look at this flight path! This is my Twilight Zone. pic.twitter.com/II06VmfOah  Jensen Karp (@JensenClan88) December 27, 2017

Teigen live tweeted the debacle from the plane, which spent a total of 8 hours and 20 minutes in the air, just short of the route's 11 hour flight time.

a flying first for me: 4 hours into an 11 hour flight and we are turning around because we have a passenger who isnt supposed to be on this plane. Why...why do we all gotta go back, I do not know  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

I dont know why Im not more upset about this. The pleasure I get out of the story is worth more to me than a direct flight to Tokyo  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

LAX > LAX flight complete. Flight time, 8 hours and 20 minutes.  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

Of course, there are questions to be had over how someone could even find themselves on the wrong flight. The stowaway passenger apparently had a United boarding pass.

Story continues

They keep saying the person had a United ticket. We are on ANA. So basically the boarding pass scanner is just a beedoop machine that makes beedoop noises that register to nowhere  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

Teigen's husband John Legend was also on the flight. Everyone gets to suffer equally, except for one fan who managed to get a selfie with the pair.

Unlike the other passengers who will likely have to spend some time in the hallowed terminal halls of LAX, Teigen stayed in a lounge.

The flight will be reportedly rescheduled for Wednesday, according to ABC7.

Im in a room with water and a tv! The government is using real housewives to keep me quiet !!!!!! https://t.co/ypPVjAF85C  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

We live here now. This is our new life pic.twitter.com/ero7e5kFOm  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017

On Wednesday, ANA issued a statement regarding the turnback.

"ANA wishes to restate its sincere apologies to the passengers on NH 175 that were impacted by the delayed flight from Los Angeles International (LAX) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) on December 26th. We failed to deliver the customer service we strive for and passengers expect from us," the statement reads.

"At the time during the flight, the pilot in command was presented with information about the discrepancy in the passenger manifest. Based on the available information in flight, he made the correct decision to return to LAX."

ANA supports the decision of the pilot, out of the abundance of caution and safety for the passengers and crew onboard."

UPDATE: Dec. 28, 2017, 10:28 a.m. AEDT Added statement from ANA.
Mr Trump publicly identifies as a Christian but he has also repeatedly mocked his deputy Mike Pences religious conservatism: Getty

A Church of England bishop has urged American Christians to consider whether their support of Donald Trump is justifiable as part of their faith.

Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes criticised some so-called evangelical leaders for their uncritical support of the US President, accusing them of colluding with an unfair system.

If people want to support rightwing populismhow are they going to relate that to their Christian faith? he said in an interview with the Guardian.

Some of the things that have been said by religious leaders seem to collude with a system that marginalises the poor, a system which builds walls instead of bridges, a system which says people on the margins of society should be excluded, a system which says were not welcoming people any more into our country.

Whenever people say those kinds of things, they need to be able to justify that theyre saying those things as Christians, and I do not believe its justifiable.

A travel ban implemented by the Trump administration currently prevents citizens from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen from entering the US.

It comes just days after the Archbishop of Canterbury used his Christmas sermon to condemn the deceitfulness of populist leaders during 2017.

The most Rev Justin Welby made the remarks at Canterbury Cathedral on Monday in what some have interpreted as a veiled jibe at Mr Trump.

Rev Welby told the congregation: The nature of those who have power is to seek to hold onto it.

In 2017 we have seen around the world tyrannical leaders that enslave their peoples, populist leaders that deceive them, corrupt leaders that rob them, even simply democratic, well intentioned leaders of many parties and countries who are normal, fallible human beings.

We have experienced across our country terrorism that kills the innocent, claiming that it is the path to freedom in God.

The nature of God who has all power, and from whom all power comes, is to lay it aside for loves sake and thus without fear, force or manipulation to offer true freedom for every human being.

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Mr Trump publicly identifies as a Christian but he has also repeatedly mocked his deputy Mike Pences religious conservatism.

During a discussion about LGBTQ rights, Mr Trump reportedly motioned to Mr Pence and said: Dont ask that guyhe wants to hang them all!, according to the New Yorkers Jane Meyer.
By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite saying that the Syrian government is not doing enough to stop Islamic State militants from moving through its territory, the U.S.-led coalition fighting the group does not intend to target militants in those areas, a senior coalition official said on Wednesday. The comments by British Army Major General Felix Gedney indicate that the coalition will rely on the Syrian government to go after Islamic State militants in areas controlled by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. officials have said in the past that the Syrian government forces are too few, too poor and too weak to fight Islamic State. Gedney, the deputy commander of strategy and support for the coalition, said the fight against Islamic State was not over, and militants had been seen moving west of the Euphrates river. "They seem to be moving with impunity through regime-held territory, showing that the regime is clearly either unwilling or unable to defeat Daesh within their borders," Gedney said, using an Arabic acronym for the militant group. Syrian government forces and their allies, backed by Russian air power, are mostly on the western side of the Euphrates, while forces backed by the coalition are on the eastern bank. When asked whether the coalition will target the militants in areas controlled by the Syrian regime, Gedney said they did not plan to. "We will continue to deconflict with the Russians, but we have got no intention to operate in areas that are currently held by the regime," Gedney said. Russia and the United States have set up a communications channel to reduce the chance of fighting between the two rival campaigns against Islamic State. "We would call on the Syrian regime to clear ISIS from those areas that are currently under their control," he added. The coalition estimates that fewer than 1,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria. Iraq and Syria have both declared victory over Islamic State in recent weeks, after a year in which the two countries' armies, a range of foreign allies and various local forces drove the fighters out of all the towns and villages that once made up the militant group's self-proclaimed caliphate. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said the U.S. military will fight Islamic State in Syria as long as they want to fight." He said the U.S. military's longer-term objective would be to prevent the return of an "ISIS 2.0." (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Leslie Adler)
With 2018 just mere days away, perhaps youre contemplating New Years resolutions. At the risk of being presumptuous, Id like to suggest some of an astronomical nature.

Longtime readers of this column will recall that I have an astronomical bucket list. So, my first recommendation is to start your own. Theres so much to see in the universe, both with the naked eye and through modest telescopes, that challenges and wonders abound. I try to tackle at least one challenge each year to avoid getting in an observational rut. My white whale this year was my first total solar eclipse, but if you missed it, the next one wont be until 2019, over central South America.

In the meantime, consider learning a new constellation (easy), or seeing Uranus without optical aid (challenging).

Another resolution to consider: Be a smart astronomy news consumer. There are plenty of reliable sources for whats happening in the sky and astronomical research. But, in the era of click bait, theyre the wheat among a much larger body of chaff.

As in all things, if an astronomy headline seems incredible, be skeptical until youve verified it from places you trust, and whatever you do, dont forward it without checking it out. Its up to all of us to staunch the spread of misinformation.

Finally, with Idaho being the home to an official dark sky community (Ketchum), a dark sky park (Craters of the Moon), and  most recently  Americas first dark sky reserve (Central Idaho, in the Sawtooths), I implore you to do your part in preserving Idahos dark sky heritage.

Make sure all your outdoor lighting is full cut-off (downward directed, so no light heads horizontally or skyward), use security lights with motion sensors, and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

Next column: Annual preview of the astronomical year ahead.

Sky calendar through January 10th:

Planets:

One hour after sunset:

No planets visible.

One hour before sunrise:

Mercury: SE, very low

Jupiter: SSE, low. Extremely close to Mars 1/6.

Mars: SSE, low. Extremely close to Jupiter 1/6.

Moon: Full moon 12:26 p.m. 1/1. Last quarter 8:27 a.m. 1/8. Close to

Mars and Jupiter 1/11.

Other data: Latest sunrise of 2018 8:11 a.m. 1/2. Perihelion (Earth

closest to sun for 2018) 10:35 p.m. 1/2 (147,097,238 km or 91,401,986

mi.). Annual Quadrantids meteor shower peaks 12:00 p.m. 1/3 (best views

in pre-dawn hours, but bright moon interferes).
A couple and two young children have been found dead in a basement in Troy, New York State with their throats slashed.

The victims, a same-sex couple aged 36 and 22 were found in a basement alongside the older womans 11-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter on 27 December in the Lansingburgh neighbourhood of the city.

Police have described the case as a "possible quadruple homicide" and say the family were targeted. However the motive remains unclear.

Troy police Chief James Tedesco told reporters: I have not seen savagery like this.

During a news conference on Wednesday he said: There are indications at the crime scene that this was not a random act. We are certainly appealing to people in the community that would have any knowledge as to what may have transpired there to contact us as soon as possible.

He added that there was no threat of imminent danger to the community.

The buildings property manager discovered the bodies on Tuesday after relatives asked them to check on the family. They had become concerned after their calls to the property remained unanswered, reports the Times Union.

Tedesco said he had not experienced a crime like this in over 40 years: Only a person of savagery would do something like this. Nobody thats been involved in this case is going to forget this.

Members of Albanys Victory Christian Church are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those involved.

Pastor Jackie Robinson told the Albany Times Union that an older son was not at home when the killings occurred.

He added that members of the local community, including those who knew the children, had been distraught at the deaths of the victims.

He said: Kids are traumatised. A few had nightmares since this happened. A lot of grown folk are traumatised because the monster is still out there.

Well try as hard as we can to understand, even though there is no justification for it.
The founder of beleaguered tech conglomerate LeEco is facing yet another huge headache. Jia Yueting has been ordered by the China Securities Regulatory Commissions Beijing branch to return to the country by the end of this month and deal with the company's debts. In an unusual public letter posted Monday, the CSRC said its failure to repay debts is a serious violation of the legal rights and interests of listed companies and the interests of investors, with an extremely negative social impact.

Shares of LeEcos parent, Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp., were traded on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange until April, when trading was halted to allow the company to review a restructuring plan. Leshi was launched in 2004 by Jia as a video streaming service. In 2016, it embarked on an ambitious expansion plan under the LeEco brand, which included an agreement to buy American TV maker Vizio for $2 billion (the acquisition was later called off), the launch of smartphones, smart bikes and other consumer electronics and a financial partnership with Los Angeles-based electric vehicle startup Faraday Future. To fund those ventures, LeEco borrowed billions of dollars from investors, with Jia using his own shares in Leshi Internet as collateral to secure funds from securities brokerages.

LeEcos expansion failed to take off, however, and as pressure from lenders mounted, in July Jia resigned as chairman of Leshi Internet after promising on his social media accounts to repay the LeEcos debts.

The CSRC said that it has sent letters to Jia asking him to return to China since September, but "so far have not seen any action taken by [Jia]." Earlier this month, Jia was placed on Chinas official list of debt defaulters after he failed to pay back more than 470 million yuan ($71 million) to Ping An Securities Group and last week Hong Kong media reported that LeEcos local branch had filed a petition with the territorys high court to begin liquidation.

Story continues

This article originally appeared on TechCrunch.

Related Video:
People walk through Mickey's Toontown, one of the areas affected by a power outage at Disneyland: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

A power outage at Disneyland left some visitors stranded on rides, prompting widespread frustration.

Park spokeswoman Suzi Brown told the Associated Press that a transformer problem cut power in Fantasyland and Toontown, affecting about a dozen rides. Power was restored by the end of the afternoon.

We have experienced a power outage near Mickeys Toontown and Fantasyland, Disneyland said in a mid-afternoon tweet. We are working diligently to restore power to the affected areas as soon as possible.

While Ms Brown said that no one had been injured, visitors complained on social media of getting stuck on stalled rides.

A man named Geoff Fienberg posted an image of halted cars at the Its a Small World ride.

In an interview with CNN, Mr Fienberg said people remained pretty calm before they were escorted off the ride after what he estimated to be 25 minutes.

It was just dark, music was still playing, so that will be in most of our heads probably for the following year, he told CNN.

Danah Boyd recounted a similar story, saying on Twitter that she was stuck in the Its a Small World attraction with three children for about half an hour.

Got stuck for 30m w/ 3 small kids on its a small world at @disneyland when the power went out. Backup generator turned on, letting one speaker turn on. Darn song is really stuck and kids cant stop singing it.  danah boyd (@zephoria) December 27, 2017

Darn song is really stuck and kids cant stop singing it, she wrote.

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Other visitors shared their disappointment after paying for entry and then finding rides shut down.

This is true. We were in line for our first ride (Pinocchio) for our sons first trip to @Disneyland and had to walk out. Pretty crappy. https://t.co/oRB4JeutLl  Eric Orvieto (@eorvieto) December 27, 2017

Its a huge disappointment. This is my mums Christmas present to all of us. This has been in the making since August, Los Angeles resident Ashoka Thiagarajan told Reuters.

The power cut came at a bustling time for the theme park, with its official Twitter account noting The Disneyland Resort is very busy today.
A power outage at Disneyland took some of the magic out of the day for thousands of guests on Wednesday.

The theme park in Anaheim, California, lost power during one of the busiest weeks of the year at about 11 a.m. local time. KABC reports that the park was near capacity when the outage occurred in both Fantasyland and Toontown.

Weve determined that the issue is with a Disneyland Resort transformer and our team is currently assessing and working to restore power, the park said in a statement to KABC.

A spokesperson for the park told KGTV that the majority of power was restored to the park at around noon local time.

The parks Twitter account said in a post Wednesday afternoon that the park was only accepting re-entry guests.

Several rides, along with the monorail, came to a halt with guests still aboard. Twitter user Geoff Fienberg tweeted that he was stuck on a fuckin ride (he later identified it as Its a Small World). In a subsequent update, he wrote that he was saved, taken off through the under bowles [sic] of Disney.

Disneyland Resort spokesperson Suzi Brown told HuffPost in a statement that the park was sorry for the inconvenience.

Crews worked quickly to restore electricity throughout the day, and power to Toontown was restored by noon and by 4 p.m., power was restored to all affected areas, the statement read. At this time, all attractions are operating. Disney California Adventure park was not impacted by the outage and was fully operational all day.

Other guests noted that they were unable to obtain refunds, and said the parks crowds were unhappy.

Got stuck for 30m w/ 3 small kids on its a small world at @disneyland when the power went out. Backup generator turned on, letting one speaker turn on. Darn song is really stuck and kids cant stop singing it.  danah boyd (@zephoria) December 27, 2017

Of course @Disneyland has a power outage the day @tannerjlang and I decided to make the haul down to Anaheim... been stuck on the monorail for an hour   Madi Lang (@madilang) December 27, 2017

@Disneyland mob of angry people since the power of off in half of the park. pic.twitter.com/2gjo7s2bCC  MissDiagnosed (@MissDiagnosed_2) December 27, 2017

Nonsensical time spent at Disneyland. There is a power outage and there is no refund either!!! $1100 down the drain!! #disneypoweroutage #poorcustomerservice  Juveria Kanodia (@juvs06) December 27, 2017

All of Toontown and parts of Fantasyland are affected by the outage pic.twitter.com/mj2TJ1RzYJ  Sarah Mansoor (@idkmybff_Sarah) December 27, 2017

This is true. We were in line for our first ride (Pinocchio) for our sons first trip to @Disneyland and had to walk out. Pretty crappy. https://t.co/oRB4JeutLl  Eric Orvieto (@eorvieto) December 27, 2017

This story was updated with Disneyland Resorts response to HuffPost.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Ain Issa (Syria) (AFP) - Khadija Alloush made it out alive from Syria's battle-ravaged Raqa with her five children, but she lost her seven-year-old son to the biting cold of life in a displacement camp.

As temperatures drop, tens of thousands of civilians forced out of their homes by Syria's war are spending yet another winter in flimsy plastic tents or abandoned half-finished buildings.

And without heating, blankets and warm clothes, or access to proper medical care, even a simple cold can turn deadly.

"My son died because of the cold," weeps Khadija, 35, her features drawn and exhausted a week after the sudden death of little Abdel Ilah.

After fleeing fighting in the Islamic State group's former bastion Raqa, Khadija's family sought refuge in the Ain Issa camp about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north.

Now nighttime temperatures are plummeting to just four degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit).

"He coughed and had a fever in the middle of the night. The next day, he was dead," Khadija tells AFP, drawing her four young children close to her.

"May God spare us in this cold," she says.

More than 17,000 people have sought refuge in the Ain Issa camp's 2,550 tents, set up in neat rows exposed to the elements.

Most of the residents fled assaults against IS in Raqa, as well as Syria's province of Deir Ezzor to the southeast.

Many of their homes have been flattened, their towns and villages reduced to ruins without electricity or running water. Returning is not an option.

- 'Haven't stopped coughing' -

According to the United Nations, which supports the camp, there is no new health care clinic to cater for expanding areas of the sprawling facility.

More than half of the residents say their tents need repairs or maintenance to protect against the cold.

To keep the inside of their tents dry, many in the camp have put up an extra layer of nylon tarps and resort to using rocks to weigh down plastic sheeting to prevent water seeping in.

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Camp manager Jalal al-Ayyaf acknowledged there was a "lack of medication" available to displaced families in Ain Issa.

"There are no statistics on infant mortality, but deaths have been caused by illnesses" exacerbated by the cold, Ayyaf said.

Children dash between the camp's makeshift alleyways, some of them barefoot despite the chill. A few are wrapped up in oversized sweaters and jackets.

In a part of the camp set up as a market, groups of women are gathered around a pile of secondhand clothing, examining jackets and trousers.

Without enough winter clothes, families are using blankets to fashion coats and other warm garments, says International Committee of the Red Cross spokeswoman Ingy Sedky.

"In winter time, children become even more vulnerable and exposed to additional health hazards," she says.

Zeinab Khalil, a mother of four from Syria's eastern Albu Kamal, says they are being treated well at the camp, "but we need heating, blankets".

"Because of the cold, my children and I haven't stopped coughing since we arrived," says the 35-year-old.

Crouching in front of her tent, Umm Youssef boils water in a large black pot over a bonfire to bathe her grandchildren.

"The most important thing is that the children can be warm," says the 55-year-old, her face shielded from the wind by a purple shawl with black polka dots.

"Because of the cold, we're constantly looking after the children."

- 'We have nothing' -

"We spent 10 days without mattresses or blankets. There's no heating and it's freezing," says Umm Omar, 50, a native of Syria's Deir Ezzor who sought refuge in the camp two months ago with her family.

Despite the cold, Umm Omar sits outside her tent chopping vegetables for lunch.

"We have nothing in the tents, we sleep one on top of the other. They gave us five blankets but we're seven people," she says, describing aid distributions as increasingly irregular.

Since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, more than six million people have been displaced internally, many of them multiple times as fighting engulfed the country.

Some 750,000 of them live in camps, transit centres, and other buildings like schools or warehouses, according to the UN.

A half-destroyed school in a rebel bastion outside of Damascus is home to about 100 people, including 71-year-old Abu Mohammad Shahhad.

He escaped fighting near his house in Hosh al-Dawahira to take refuge in the school building in Hammuriya, both areas in the rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta.

A four-year government siege of the area has made it almost impossible for 400,000 residents to get desperately needed goods and medicine.

"There are no window frames or even glass" to protect from the cold, says Abu Mohammad.

"We even burn plastic here to stay warm."

dls-strs/tgg/mjg/jmm/del
Roy Moores attempt to prevent his electoral challenger from being named Alabamas next senator has failed, after a court refused his legal action to stop the process and officials certified Doug Jones as the first Democrat to be elected to the senate from the state for more than 25 years.

Since Mr Jones beat the former judge by around 22,000 votes in a stunning result two weeks ago, the Republican former judge has refused to accept the result, claiming election fraud and demanding the election be held again.

Late on Wednesday, he filed a legal action to try and stop Alabama state officials certifying Mr Jones and sending him to Washington. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone, Mr Moore said.

Today marks a new day for Alabama and our nation. pic.twitter.com/iPgt4D1jPw  Doug Jones (@GDouglasJones) December 28, 2017

But officials were not moved. On Thursday afternoon, at a meeting of the state canvassing board, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill certified the the election results and Governor Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall also signed off on them.

Shortly before, Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick denied Mr Moores request to stop the process.

As a result, Mr Jones will now be sworn in on January 3, cementing his staggering victory in a heavily conservative and religious state and reducing the Republicans senate advantage to just 51-49. He will fill the seat made vacant by Attorney General Jeff Sessions when he joined Donald Trumps cabinet.

Democratic U.S. Senator elect Doug Jones speaks to supporters during his election night gathering (Getty)

Mr Jones was quick to seize on his moment. I am looking forward to going to work for the people of Alabama in the new year, the senator-elect said in a statement. This is a new chapter for our state and the nation.

Reuters said a spokesman for Mr Merrill said Mr Hardwick, the judge, had denied Mr Moores request to block certification of the results of election in a decision shortly before the canvassing board was to meet.

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Mr Moore's challenge alleged there had been potential voter fraud that denied him a chance of victory.

Janet Porter, a spokeswoman for Mr Moores campaign, told CNN the challenge aimed to ensure that votes were properly counted.

Regarding the claim of voter fraud, Mr Merrill said that least 100 cases had been reported. Weve adjudicated more than 60 of those. We will continue to do that, he said.

Mr Merrill, a Republican who said he had voted for Mr Moore, denied the accusations of voter fraud and said people could feel safe their ballots were recorded and counted properly.

Mr Moore, who describes himself as an evangelical Christian, had previously made international headlines when he had a 5,000lb granite statue containing the Ten Commandments placed in his court complex. He was ousted from his position as the states top judge after he told after members of the judiciary to ignore a US Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.

Having won the Republican primary in September with the support of such insurgent figures as Steve Bannon, Sarah Palin and Nigel Farage, the 70-year-old appeared set to take the senate seat made vacant by Attorney General Jeff Sessions when he joined Mr Trumps cabinet.

However, his numbers started to tumble after a number of woman came forward to accuse him of sexually abusing and assaulting them when they were teenagers and was aged in 30s and working as a local prosecutor. One of the women said she was just 14 at the time. Mr Moore staunchly denied the accusations.

Turnout for the showdown was around 40 per cent, high for a special election. It was marked by a very high number of African American women and men, turning out to vote for Mr Jones, who famously convicted two former Ku Klux Klan gang members who bombed a black church in 1963.

Mr Moores complaint also alleged anomalous higher voter turnout in Jefferson County, in which census data shows 43 per cent of the population is black. He called the countys 47 per cent voter turnout as highly unusual and questioned the integrity of its election results.
Elon Musk asked his Twitter (TWTR) followers for Tesla feedback Tuesday, saying he wants to know how the auto and power company "can improve further."

Musk often  especially compared with most chief executives  responds to questions and comments on Twitter. Whether it is to explain upcoming Tesla software changes, to take feedback on elements of design or even to combat critics, Musk is accustomed to responding to his mass following online.

His responses Tuesday ranged from matter-of-fact explanations to jokes about SpaceX launches. Musk responded to one user that the Falcon 9 launch seen by millions in the sky above Los Angeles on Friday "was definitely aliens."

More than 13,000 replies to Musk flooded in with suggestions for changes, upgrades and new features. The CEO personally responded to a dozen of them, giving a look into what is to come from the all-electric company.

Electric pickup truck

One Twitter user told Musk that a Tesla pickup truck is needed. Musk responded by saying that he promises Tesla will "make a pickup truck right after Model Y."

Musk is "dying to build it," he tweeted.

When asked if the pickup would be comparable in size to Ford's F-150 line of trucks, Musk said it would have a "similar total size." He added that the Tesla truck may be slightly bigger, saying he wants it to account "for a really game changing" feature.

The other vehicle mentioned, the Model Y, is a crossover that Musk has hinted at both on Twitter and on a Tesla conference call earlier this year. Musk said in May that the Model Y would be built "using substantial carryover from [the Model] 3 in order to bring it to market faster."

The second version of Autopilot

Users asked for more information about the second version of Autopilot  the self-driving feature standard on all Tesla vehicles. Musk said the new software is "going through exhaustive testing" and said Tesla is working on features such as recognizing road signs.

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Musk apologized for the delay while saying Tesla has "the most advanced AI neural net of any consumer product by far."

"The results are blowing me away," Musk said.

Upgraded navigation software

Improved navigation software was top of the wish list for another Tesla owner, who said that relying on their phone for accurate travel times "is both painful for me and embarrassing when others are in the car." Musk responded saying that "vastly" upgraded navigation software is coming soon.

Onboard and exterior camera upgrades

Making further use of the cameras on each Tesla was another request, with one user asking for the ability to turn all eight exterior cameras into dashcams  to continuously record the different angles simultaneously. Another user wants the camera to begin recording if someone forces entry into the car, and Musk acknowledged the request.

Location alerts for the family

Angel investor Jason Calacanis suggested a "family arriving home alert," using a vehicle's navigation system presets to tell others when the vehicle would be returning to a designated home location  to which Musk said "sure."

Major browser upgrades

Others asked for updates to the Model S browser, such as a night mode and the option to open mobile versions of websites. Musk said that the existing browser is "terrible" but that "major browser upgrades" are coming "to all cars in a few months."

Added luxury features

A request for new Tesla features  music that quiets automatically when the doors all open, ambient lighting and disco mode  was met with Musk saying he would do all of them, especially since the disco mode "sounds like good, cheesy fun."

Another person asked about further remote controls, such as turning on a Tesla's heated features via the mobile app. Musk says those features "should be in the next update."

Smart windshield wipers

Windshield wipers that automatically adjust to the amount of rain? Musk says that feature is "coming very soon" as part of a rain sensor in the next version of Autopilot.

Software connectivity updates

A Twitter user said his Tesla's Bluetooth feature "steals calls from the house" when his wife walks by the garage with a Tesla key, adding that it was "also annoying all the time for audio books." Musk briskly responded, saying "done."
A father has said he found his teenage son having sex in the back of a car with a teacher from his Texas school.

Police in Bay City, 80 miles south-west of Houston, have charged the teacher, Rachel Gonzales, 44, with online solicitation and having an improper relationship with the 13-year-old boy.

During the investigation, police inspected the boys mobile phone and found texts from Ms Gonazalez indicating the pair had an inappropriate relationship prior to the alleged incident on 14 December, police said.

At the request of the District Attorney, the Bay City Independent School District, where Ms Gonzalez is a teacher, have turned over the case to the local police.

She was taken to the Matagorda County jail on 22 December but is now out on bond.

Ms Gonzalez officially resigned from her post as a fourth-grade teacher at Cherry Elementary School on 15 December, according to the school district. It is not known whether she has yet had the opportunity to enter a plea.

A local newspaper, the Bay City Tribune, said a September report from the Texas Education Agency found the number of cases against educators accused of inappropriate relationships with minor students increased 36 per cent this past year.

A whopping 302 investigations were opened into such matters this year alone.

The state has experienced an increase in the reporting of such incidents for the ninth consecutive year.

As of September 2017, there is a law in the state requiring school principals or district superintendents report such relationships in a timely manner or face charges of a second-degree felony.
ATHENS (Reuters) - A Greek urban guerrilla group claimed responsibility on Wednesday for a blast at an Athens court on Dec. 22, accusing the judiciary of acting as a proxy for politicians supporting austerity in the crisis-hit country. Nobody was injured in the early-morning blast at the Athens Court of Appeal. The explosion shattered windows and damaged the facade of the building. Shots were also fired in the direction of a security guard present. In a statement, the Group of Peoples Fighters (OLA) said the Court of Appeal had upheld the legality of austerity measures, such as cutting pensions and salaries, in return for bailouts from international creditors. "Justice is like a snake. It will only bite those barefoot," the group said in a proclamation. Police said they believed the claim was authentic. The group has previously claimed responsibility for a blast outside the offices of a Greek business federation in Athens in 2015 and two attacks in 2013 - one on the headquarters of Greeces conservative New Democracy party and another on the German ambassadors residence. Earlier this year it claimed responsibility for a small blast outside the offices of a commercial bank, and in late 2016, for placing a bomb at the Labour Ministry in Athens found by police and defused. Small-scale attacks on businesses, state buildings, police and politicians are frequent in Greece, which has a history of political violence. (Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by Alison Williams)
Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry on Christmas Day. (Photo: Getty Images)

A single mom who snapped a photo of Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry on the street is hoping to make enough bank from its sale to send her daughter to college.

On Monday, as the royals  dubbed The Fab Four on social media  headed to Christmas services at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the queens Sandringham estate, fans lined the streets to take photos.

A woman in the crowd named Karen Anvil, 39, of Norfolk, snapped a near-perfect image of the foursome on her iPhone 5. In the photo, Middleton and Will are holding hands and Markle, newly engaged to Harry, is holding his arm. Everyone is smiling and, with the exception of Will, making eye contact with the camera.

Waiting at Sandringham to see the Royals and got this photo!!! Anvil captioned the photo, which drew 15K retweets, 1K comments, and 79K likes. Many followers advised her to protect the rare image with a copyright or legal representation, and Anvil admitted she was overwhelmed by the attention.

I dont know what Im doing! Please help  Karen Anvil (@Anvilius) December 25, 2017

Thank you so much for having my back! I was a wee bit naive this morning! x  Karen Anvil (@Anvilius) December 25, 2017

Im just very bubbly by nature, and I was with my daughter and I got a bit excitable, I suppose, Anvil told the BBC when asked how she captured the moment. I was just sort of shouting, and I just went Merry Christmas! like an idiot. I was fan-girling. Thats all I said, and got them to look.

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It was a hard-earned achievement for Anvil who, last year while she was ill, promised her 17-year-old daughter, Rachel, that they would visit the church, which is famous for drawing the royal family on special occasions, including Christmas.

Since tweeting the photo, Anvil has been inundated with suggestions to sell it  a move she doesnt necessarily oppose. The thing is  and I hate to play the single mum card  Im a single parent; I work two jobs, which Im proud of, and Ive always worked, she told the publication. Now I want to save money for my daughter for uni, and if I can do that and can get that opportunity, thats amazing.

But according to celebrity photographer and media consultant Clinton H. Wallace, while the photo is valuable, the mom has a limited time to cash in. The image is good  its properly composed and the subjects are smiling and looking at the camera, Wallace tells Yahoo Lifestyle. But theres a specific protocol if the owner wants to be compensated.

For starters, to maximize the value of photos, amateur shutterbugs should keep them off social media. This woman posted it on Twitter, which makes it breaking news and fair game for any publication to use, as long as they credit her, says Wallace. Thats good for exposure, but the photo has less monetary value if its been published everywhere.

Ideally, Anvil would have registered the photo with a large newswire agency  such as Getty Images or Splash News which would archive it in a database, charge publications a fee for its use, and pay the owner a percentage of its earnings. In that case, the photographer would be in a very good financial position, especially since pictures of royals have long lifespans, Wallace said.

Wowza! What is happening?!? Im so happy you all like the photo. Can I please ask that anyone wishing to use the photo that they please contact Ken Goff at ken@goffphotos.com Thank you all so much for your support Karen & Rachel  Karen Anvil (@Anvilius) December 26, 2017

Anvil is now directing her Twitter followers to the photo agency GOFF Photos, a British-based company founded by royal photographer Ken Goff, who told Yahoo Lifestyle the company is acting as Anvils agent and syndicating the image.

Good luck to Anvil, who is clearly ending 2017 on a picture-perfect note.

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JEROME  The Jerome Rotary recently finished its 26th year of doing the Toys for Tots drive in Jerome County. Rotarians and community volunteers have been organizing toys, food, and wrapping presents for two weeks at the Jerome County Fairgrounds Messersmith buildings, and on Dec. 21 delivered food and presents to 250 families in the Jerome community.

Watching this from start to finish for the first time, Im am amazed at the toys that were donated by the community, how many volunteers it takes to do this drive, and how great our community is to help 250 families have a wonderful Christmas, said Jerome County Fair manager Jamie Rupert in a news release.

Brian Craig organized the drive and thanked the numerous volunteers who assisted: Rotarians, Jerome County Fair board members, Prescott & Craig employees, Jerome Recreation District employees, North Side Canal Company employees, FFA/4H members and numerous local families.

For more information about Toys for Tots, contact Brian Craig at 208-324-7000.
Jerusalem (AFP) - More than 2,000 Jews joined Israel's chief rabbis at Jerusalem's Western Wall on Thursday to pray for rain as the country faces a fourth straight dry winter.

"A prayer can help," Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, who organised the ceremony, told public radio.

Israel's two chief rabbis -- David Lau for Ashkenazi Jews or those of European descent and Yitzhak Yosef for Sephardi Jews or those of Middle Eastern descent -- attended the prayer.

Israel's meteorological service forecasts that the region will see another dry winter, estimating a 65-percent chance that there will insufficient rainfall in December, January and February -- usually the wettest months.

In March, Israel's water authority said the Sea of Galilee, which is actually a lake and the country's main freshwater reserve, had reached its lowest level in a century.

Israel has however escaped water cuts through the use of five desalination plants built along the Mediterranean coast.

Three-fourths of potable water consumed by Israeli households come from the desalination plants.

The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews are currently allowed to pray.

It is located in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.
By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel wants to name a train station after Donald Trump to thank him for recognizing Jerusalem as its capital, but the site of the planned building could be as divisive as the U.S. president's declaration. Transport Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday he had chosen a proposed subway stop near the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City - right in the middle of the area that the Palestinians want as their own future capital. "I have decided to name the Western Wall station ... after U.S. President Donald Trump for his courageous and historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel," Katz said in a statement. The envisaged underground extension of a high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is still on the drawing board and a transport ministry spokeswoman said other departments still needed to approve it. The announcement was quickly condemned by Palestinian leaders already angered by Trump's Dec. 6 decision to overturn decades of U.S. policy on the city. "The Israeli extremist government is trying to race against time to impose facts on the ground in the city of Jerusalem," Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, told Reuters. Trump has said he was simply acknowledged the reality on the ground by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital - but the Palestinians and most world powers have said he undermined the long-held position that Jerusalem's status must be settled by future negotiations. A ministry spokeswoman said the proposed station and underground extension still required the approval of various governmental planning committees, and gave no date for when a final go-ahead might be given. She said she did not know where funds for the estimated $700-million rail add-on would come from. Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem - among whose shrines is Islam's third-holiest mosque, Al-Aqsa - as the capital of a state they seek in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. (Additional reporting by Steven Scheer in Jerusalem and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle will officially become royal sister-in-laws in May, however Princes William and Harrys ladies have already cemented a firm relationship. The pairs relaxed and happy friendship was clear for all to see as they walked to church in Sandringham on Christmas morning. Talking on Radio 4s Today program on Wednesday, December 27, Prince Harry revealed that not only have the Cambridges welcomed Meghan into their hearts, they also welcomed her into their home for Christmas.

"We had an amazing time staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running around with the kids," a besotted Harry revealed as he discussed his festive celebrations on the radio. "Its the family shes never had. While of course Meghan does have a family of her own and is close to her mother, Doria, whom Harry referred to as "amazing" during his engagement interview last month, Meghan seems as excited to become a part of the royal family as they are to have her.

CLICK FOR FULL GALLERY

VIEW GALLERY Kate and Meghan will become royal sister-in-laws in May Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The former Suits star previously revealed that Kate has been "wonderful" as theyve spent time getting to know each other and Harry added that his sister-in-law had been "longing" to meet her. Of course nobody knows better than the Duchess herself exactly what marrying into the royal family is like and will no doubt be keen to offer as much advice and guidance as Meghan requires. But the best thing about the two ladies, just five months apart in age (Meghan is currently 36, Kate turns 36 in January), is that they have so much in common already that their close relationship is coming very easily  something that will be important in the years to come as they work closely together, as Meghan becomes the fourth patron of the currently-named Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

GALLERY: EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT HARRY AND MEGHAN'S WEDDING

One currently trying issue that Meghan is facing is the revelation that her half-sister, Samantha Grant, is writing a book about her soon-to-be-royal sibling. Kate of course is familiar with these sorts of pressures herself (her mothers brother Gary Goldsmith also revealed plans to write his own memoirs a few years ago, although the book never came to fruition) so will be perfectly placed to offer support to Meghan.

VIEW GALLERY Meghan has been welcomed into Harry's family Photo: Alexi Lubomirski

Kate and Meghan share many similarities. Both are overwhelmingly down to earth. The Duchess of Cambridge often shares the realities of her life with the public she encounters on official visits  revealing the realities and struggles of parenthood and that sleepless nights and rambunctious toddler behavior can be exhausting. Meghan too, as was clear to see during her post-engagement interview with Mishal Hussain, is very eager to open herself up to the public and talk about how she and Harry spend most nights just cooking and hanging out at home  a "standard, typical night in."

GALLERY: MEGHAN MARKLE AND KATE MIDDLETON'S SIMILAR SENSE OF STYLE

On a sartorial level, the pair share a great interest in fashion and are fans of many of the same styles. Both love showcasing smaller, independent labels in their fashion choices, but have also already worn many of the same designers. Meghans Christmas Day coat, for example, was from luxury Canadian brand Sentaler. Kate wore a similar creation by the same designer during her 2016 tour of Canada. The duo have a shared love of many other designers  Self-Portrait, Diane Von Furstenberg and Philip Treacy to name but a few.

VIEW GALLERY Harry and Meghan plan to start a family one day like the Cambridges Photo: Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage

But its Meghans commitment to family life and eagerness to fit into their close foursome that will be making her transition to becoming Kates sister-in-law so easy. Harry adores his niece and nephew Princess Charlotte and Prince George and Meghan has clearly embraced life in a hectic family home full of children already, enjoying every moment of "running around" with the kids. And Harry and Meghan have already revealed their hopes that it wont be long before they are able to add their own children into the merry mix! "I think [] well start a family in the near future," Prince Harry admitted during his BBC interview in November.
The Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists on December 27 carried out the largest exchange of prisoners since 2014 near the town of Horlivka, in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region, as part of the Minsk agreement.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tweeted that 74 detainees had been returned to Kiev-controlled territory and praised the roles of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron in facilitating the swap. The Facebook page for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko later shared videos of the president greeting returning prisoners.

The Russian Interfax news agency reported that 233 captives were transferred by the Kiev government to separatist-controlled territory, though the Kiev Post put that number at 237.

According to the Kiev Post, 29 prisoners refused to return to the separatist-controlled side and another 40 who had already served their sentence and were released did not show up for the swap. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful
By Andrew Osborn and Polina Nikolskaya MOSCOW (Reuters) - Hundreds of Russian celebrities, sportspeople and politicians nominated President Vladimir Putin for re-election on Tuesday, hours after the Kremlin said it wanted opposition leader Alexei Navalny investigated for calling for a boycott of the vote. Navalny called for the boycott of the March 18 election on Monday after Russia's central election commission ruled he was not eligible to run for president due to a suspended prison sentence hanging over him. The 41-year-old lawyer, who says he's being excluded on false grounds because the Kremlin is running scared, said he would use his campaign headquarters across the country to call the election's legitimacy into question and organize protests. The Kremlin, which points to polls that show Putin is the runaway favorite with Navalny trailing far behind, on Tuesday set the scene for possible police action against Navalny and his supporters whose protests have been broken up before. "The calls for a boycott will require scrupulous study, to see whether or not they comply with the law," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Declining to comment on the election commission's decision to bar Navalny, Peskov shrugged off allegations that the presidential poll would be a farce without the opposition leader who has made a name for himself by leveraging social media and conducting corruption investigations into senior officials. "The fact that one of the would-be candidates is not taking part has no bearing on the election's legitimacy," said Peskov. Hours later, Putin, 65, was feted by his supporters, almost 700 of whom pledged to back him for re-election -- above the minimum 500 required to initiate a presidential bid. Putin's own schedule was too busy for him to attend the Moscow nomination event, the Kremlin said, though he is expected to personally submit the necessary paperwork to the central election commission in the coming days. FATHER OF THE NATION The former KGB officer is running as an independent, a move seen as a way of strengthening his image as a "father of the nation" rather than as a party political figure. The ruling United Russia party and the Just Russia party have both said they will support him. "I have worked under the leadership of the president for quite a long time so I know that everything will be alright for us with President Putin," Sergei Kislyak, Russia's former ambassador to the United States, now a senator, told Reuters at Tuesday's nomination meeting. The commander of a nuclear submarine, Sergei Novokhatsky, told the same meeting that Putin had helped revive the Russian Navy, which he described as mired in apathy at the end of the 1990s with many of its ships stuck in ports. Now, he said, wages were up and Russian ships served throughout the world. "The course the motherland is on is the right one," Novokhatsky told the meeting. If, as expected, he wins re-election, Putin, who has dominated Russia's political landscape for the last 17 years, will be eligible to serve another six years until 2024, when he turns 72. Allies laud him for restoring national pride and expanding Moscow's global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine. But Navalny, the opposition leader, says Putin's support is exaggerated and artificially maintained by a biased state media and an unfair system which excludes genuine opponents. Navalny, who says he could defeat Putin in a fair election, has been jailed three times this year and charged with breaking the law for organizing public meetings and rallies designed to bolster his presidential campaign. He has said millions of voters will be disenfranchised unless the authorities relent and allow him to run. The European Union has also questioned the decision to bar Navalny. "(It) casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year," the EU's External Action Service said in a statement on Tuesday. "Politically motivated charges should not be used against political participation," it said, urging Moscow to ensure a "level playing field" for all Russian elections. (Additional reporting by Denis Pinchuk in Moscow and Robin Emmott in Brussels; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Peter Graff)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese politicians on Thursday criticized Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil over a television interview in which he was shown saying that Lebanon did not have an ideological problem with Israel and was not against it having security. The comments, made to al-Mayadin television channel during a long interview on Tuesday, had just started attracting attention. Lebanon has no official relations with Israel and tensions have risen this year between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group. Israel and Hezbollah, the group it describes as the greatest security threat on its border, have fought wars against each other. A former government minister called on Bassil to resign and a member of parliament also criticized him. Bassil's office later said al-Mayadin had distorted his comments through its editing of the interview, without explaining how. "We are not against Israel living in security," he was shown saying in a clip that circulated widely in Lebanon on social media. Israel has targeted Hezbollah positions several times this year in Syria, where the group, which is in Lebanon's coalition government, is fighting on the Syrian government's side in the civil war against rebels and Islamic State. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said this month that after the group's success in Syria, where rebels are on the back foot and Islamic State has been militarily defeated, it will focus on its confrontation with Israel. He called on allied Shi'ite militia in the region to join Hezbollah in developing a strategy against Israel. The al-Baqer Brigade, a militia in Syria, posted a picture on its Facebook page on Dec. 26 of what it said was one of its commanders identified as Haj Hamza Abu al-Abbas visiting the Israeli border in southern Lebanon. An Iraqi militia commander also appeared in a video recently on Lebanon's border with Israel, in what was seen in Lebanon as a demonstration of the growing clout of Hezbollah and its regional allies. (Reporting by Angus McDowall, Editing by William Maclean)
The Chinese tech giant LeEco might have once been dubbed the "Netflix of China," but that lofty acclaim has made its fall from grace all the more brutal. Now, the company's founder, Jia Yueting, has been ordered to return to China by the country's Securities Regulatory Commission by the end of the month in order to face the company's incredible debts.

LeEco's problem was that it grew too fast. The company kept adding to its product offerings, moving from an online streaming service into hardware such as TVs and cars. The problem was the company wasn't making money and didn't have a solid financial foundation to support this rapid growth.

Jia has vowed to pay back his company's mounting debts, as the company borrowed more and more cash from creditors in order to stay afloat. Last week, the company's Hong Kong arm, called LE Corporation Limited, filed for liquidation. Jia is now on China's list of official debt defaulters.

It's unclear whether Jia will comply with the Chinese government's order to return to the country to face the music. He's previously vowed to repay the debts LeEco owes, but how exactly he'll do that isn't apparent. Jia appears to currently be in the US, according to his latest post on Weibo. It includes a holiday message and picture at Faraday Future, which is an electric car company with close ties to LeEco facing its own financial woes.
A California psychologist who wanted to show U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin just what he thought of the recently passed tax bill has come forward as the man who left a Christmas-wrapped box of horse manure outside Mnuchins home.

The gesture, allegedly orchestrated by Robby Strong, reportedly prompted the LAPD Bomb squad to close Mnuchins Bel-Air street over the weekend in response to the package and the Secret Service got involved.

Calling it the Secret Santa project, Strong documented his mission on social media.

I was talking to a friend about the tax bill and we were both complaining about how its total horse sh**, Strong told CBS News. And one of our friends who happens to be there, owns horses. One thing leads to another. Youre having a couple of drinks and youre like, Lets do this!

Strong went to his friends horse ranch in Sylmar, packed up some poop, and dropped off the Christmas packages at Mnuchins homes in Bel-Air and Beverly Hills.

[I] wanted it to be nice and festive, Strong told the station.

He placed an envelope containing a card on the box. In it, he wrote, Dear Mr. Mnuchin & Trump  We, the American people are returning the gift of the Christmas tax bill. Because its complete and utter horse sh**.

The $1.5 trillion tax overhaul was signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump. Strong believes the policy favors the rich at the expense of the poor and working class.

Strong said he has received death threats since the gesture.

Neither the U.S. Secret Service nor the Los Angeles Police Department, both of which investigated the incident, would confirm Strong was responsible, CNBC reported.

But, Strong posted an image of the card on the package to Twitter.

"Misters Mnuchin & Trump  we're returning the 'gift' of the Christmas tax bill," Strong wrote on the post. "Warmest wishes, the American people."

It is not clear whether Strong will face any criminal charges.

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TWIN FALLS  A brief car burglary spree was put to an end Friday evening when a trail of snowy footprints  and a dropped wallet  led police straight to the suspect.

The search began when Twin Falls police officers were called to a home on Maple Avenue, where a car had been broken into. The burglar had strewn the contents of the glove box all over the place before walking away, the owners of the car told police.

Fortunately, hed left behind an important clue to his whereabouts: a clear path of footprints in the snow. Officers followed the prints down Maple Avene, where they found three more cars that had been broken into or disturbed, according to court documents.

While one officer stayed on Maple to talk to the owners of the cars, another continued to follow the prints to the 1400 block of Addison Avenue East, where they were lost among other shoe prints on the sidewalk.

But the officer following the prints remembered passing a man on the corner of Addison Avene and Blue Lakes Boulevard that fit the description of the burglary suspect. He caught up to the man and identified him as James Johnson, 37, of Jerome.

Meanwhile, the officer back on Maple Avenue came across three mysterious items  including a wallet  in the snow next to one of the burglarized cars. Inside the wallet was an ID belonging to Johnson.

A comparison of Johnsons shoe prints to those in the snow confirmed a match.

He was arraigned Tuesday on five counts of burglary, and jailed on a $75,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 5.
At the end of each year, wildlife ecologist David Steen compiles a list of critters that have likely gone extinct. The 2017 list includes a bat, cat, and multiple lizards, although other creatures may be gone for good  we just don't know it yet.

Steen, an ecologist at Auburn University, started the annual extinction list in 2012 to establish a clear, reliable source for the planet's extinctions. Educating the public about the loss of species, in his view, is as important as it is dispiriting.

SEE ALSO: Trump slurps shark fin soup as U.S. works to remove itself from the shark fin trade

"It is depressing, frankly, to think about all the creatures we will never see again but I think it is important for us to perceive extinction as a loss of actual species and not just numbers and rates," Steen said via email.

Steen notes that listing any particular species is "surprisingly tricky." Some species have disappeared from the wild, but are still kept alive in captive settings, like zoos. Some might have been gone for years, but we hadn't yet figured out or officially established they were gone. Others species have disappeared from entire regions of the world  but could cling to existence elsewhere.

The fishing cat, Prionailurus viverrinus, of Southeast Asia.

Image: wikimedia commons

The fishing cat in Southeast Asia is a good example.

Researchers can't find any of these medium-sized cats on the island of Java in Indonesia where they were once abundant. They're likely now extinct across the entire nation, but Steen says "they persist in low numbers elsewhere."

Those cats are on Steen's list.

Island species, said Steen, are particularly "vulnerable to extinction and we are seeing a number of these animals blinking out." Once a predatory foreign species, such as a rat or snake, is introduced to an island, there's no place for native species to run.

On Christmas Island, northwest of Australia, three lizards  Lister's gecko, the blue-tailed skink, Christmas Island forest skink  and a bat are widely presumed to be gone. They also make Steen's list. Exotic, or non-native, species are a likely culprit, but perhaps not the only one.

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Some scientists argue that we are now living during one of Earth's mass extinction events  which would be the sixth known such occurrence. Regardless of how scientists define a "great extinction event," Steen notes that a significant extinction crisis is inarguably happening now.

The Christmas Island pipistrelle, a bat, is now considered extinct.

Image: Lindy Lumsden/IUCN

"All the evidence points to us having a rapid and disproportionate effect on the species around us," he said. "It is not a stretch to say that we are living through the sixth great extinction."

Still, Steen believes it's important to give progress it's due  in places where it's deserved. Conservation areas, both in the oceans and on land, are being established.

In November, Mexico designated North Americas largest ocean reserve, Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park in the Pacific Ocean. This 58,000 square miles of protected space is home to sharks, turtles, and hundreds of species of fish (dozens of which live nowhere else). Nothing can be legally fished here.

"There's a lot to be discouraged about," said Steen. "But when it comes to conservation, I try to perceive our progress as two steps forward, one step back.'

"We will continue to lose species and their habitats, but we need to pay attention to all the new conservation areas that are established, the species we are reintroducing to their old habitats, and perhaps most importantly, the passionate people that are making it all possible."
Four Ohio teenagers have been charged with murder for allegedly throwing a sandbag off an overpass that struck and killed a 22-year-old man.

Authorities say a construction sandbag was thrown over the Indiana Avenue bridge onto Interstate 75 in Toledo on Dec. 19, around 10 p.m. The bag landed on a car, crashed through the windshield and critically injured the front passenger, Marquise Byrd, of Warren, Michigan.

The driver, who was heading south on I-75, was not injured.

God, God... he is laid out at my feet, the driver said in a frantic 911 call. I think this windshield might have smacked his head.

You can listen to the recording here.

Byrd, who sustained a serious head injury, was treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital.

Detectives determined the falling sandbag was not an accident, but a deliberate act, Toledo police said.

Authorities say Marquise Byrd, 22, was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by a sandbag dropped from a highway overpass. (Photo: Facebook)

Four boys, three of them 14 years old and one 13, were taken into custody not far from the overpass. On Dec. 20, they were charged with felonious assault in juvenile court.

This is a case where the state has very strong evidence  there were statements made by all of the juveniles involved in this case, Lucas County Deputy Prosecutor Lori Olender told the Toledo Blade.

Byrd died on Friday, prompting the prosecutors office to amend the criminal complaint. The teens now face charges of murder, felony vehicular vandalism and misdemeanor vehicular vandalism.

HuffPost is not identifying the defendants because they have been charged in juvenile court. They are being held without bail at a Toledo juvenile detention center.

According to The Plain Dealer, other drivers said their vehicles were struck by objects thrown from the overpass on Dec. 19, but no other injuries were reported.

Byrd, the father of a 1-year-old boy, was reportedly engaged to be married.

My auntie has to bury her son, Shaveontae King, Byrds cousin, told the Blade. Hes gone [and] hes never coming back.

King said shed like to see the teens charged as adults  something the district attorneys office has reportedly indicated it does not plan to do.

Story continues

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article said other drivers reported their vehicles were struck by thrown objects on Dec. 20. The date was actually Dec. 19.

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In the weird hours after Christmas, we all need something to make us laugh. Luckily, a thread started by BuzzFeed reporter Katie Notopoulos on Twitter is the antidote for our souls today  and yes, its about high school drama.

For many of us, high school is a time we intentionally blur out. But theres always one or two major incidents everyone remembers because at the time, they shook the school to its core.

What was the incident in your high school? Notopoulos tweeted Monday. The tweet quickly garnered tons of replies, including one from this still-shaken reporter:

there were a lot but i think the number 1 incident was when a rival school vandalized our track the night before homecoming and spray painted "SMOK WEED" on it. not "smoke" -- "smok."  rae paoletta (@PAYOLETTER) December 26, 2017

Other stories were much, much more absurd than smok weed. Honestly, this whole thread should be made into a book  a book of nightmares, but still:

This weird kid lit a piece of toast on fire and then put it on his couch and caused a huge fire in his home  Duncan Idunno (@DuncanIdunno) December 26, 2017
LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's center-right President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski may reshuffle his Cabinet in coming days, after triggering an outcry by pardoning former authoritarian leader Alberto Fujimori, the prime minister announced on Wednesday. Mercedes Araoz said Kuczynski, a 79-year-old former Wall Street investor, had asked her to remain at the helm of the Cabinet and to look for ways to strengthen it. "The president asked me to carry out a comprehensive review and we'll see what happens in coming days," Araoz said at a press conference, her first public appearance since the pardon on Christmas Eve. In the past two weeks, the political situation in top metals exporter Peru has turned suddenly volatile, after the opposition-ruled Congress sought to oust Kuczynski in the wake of a graft scandal. Kuczynski was saved from the vote by Fujimori loyalists. Two days later, he pardoned the ailing Fujimori, sparking violent protests and political resignations as opponents alleged the pardon was payback for keeping Kuczynski in office. It was not clear which ministers may be vulnerable in any reshuffle, but a shake-up could herald a new rightward turn for Kuczynski's government, as Kuczynski's former left-leaning supporters denounced him as a "traitor" for pardoning Fujimori. There was no plan to replace Finance Minister Claudia Cooper, a government source said. Fujimori was in stable condition at a hospital in Lima, where he was rushed from prison on Saturday to undergo treatment for life-threatening blood pressure and heart problems, according to his doctor. Araoz said she respected Kuczynski's decision to pardon Fujimori, and stressed he had been evaluating it long before the vote to oust him in Congress. "Neither I nor any member of my Cabinet nor the ruling party Peruvians for Change took part in any negotiation to trade a humanitarian pardon (for votes)", said Araoz. Fujimori had served 12 years of a 25-year-sentence for graft and human rights crimes in his 1990-2000 rightwing government. Kuczynski's decision cleared him of convictions and shields him from being tried in pending judicial processes. Fujimori is reviled by many who consider him a corrupt dictator, but admired by others who credit him with saving Peru from an economic crisis and leftist insurgency. Earlier on Wednesday, culture minister Salvador del Solar announced his resignation on Twitter - the first Cabinet member to quit since the pardon was granted on Sunday. A presidential adviser, at least three justice ministry officials and two state media personalities have also stepped down. Three ruling party lawmakers announced their resignations earlier this week, as the pardon triggered two days of unrest. Fujimori's opponents planned a new protest on Thursday. (Reporting By Mitra Taj and Teresa Cespedes; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
A six-month-old child died after his father reportedly bent him in half to keep him from crying.

Robert Anthony Resendiz, 30, was arrested on Dec.19 after his son was rushed to Phoenix Children's Hospital with injuries doctors describe as "not survivable," KPHO reported.

Resendiz called police to his home at 12:45 p.m. after he claimed to have just woken up and found his baby son "unresponsive and not breathing," according to a police officer's arrest report.

An officer performed CPR on the child until paramedics arrived.

Doctors told police later that the infant suffered lacerations to his pancreas and liver, a wrist fracture and bruises on his thigh.

RELATED: Most outrageous mugshots and crimes



According to CBS News, in an interview with police, Resendiz "admitted to pressing the infant's legs over his head and bending his body in order to stop the victim from crying," the police report stated. He also allegedly told police he exerted about 65 percent of his strength while applying pressure to his son and didn't release until his son was limp and stopped moving.

"Robert also stated he had bit the infant two times on the body out of frustration," the officer added in his report.

Resendiz's son reportedly died on Dec. 21, two days after initially receiving medical care.

The father was initially booked on suspicion of felony child abuse, but the charges could change following his son's death, KPHO reported.

Resendiz is being held in jail on a $250,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
A power outage was reported to have affected about a dozen rides in the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California, on December 27.

The parks Twitter feed had earlier said it was a very busy day and told visitors to expect long lines. The video here shows a crowded section of the park during the outage.

NBC reported that the parks public relations department had said some visitors were escorted off rides during the power cut.

Some visitors took to social media to complain about the outage. Among them was Sarah Mansoor, who tweeted directly at Disneyland, sharing photos of what she considered to be overcrowding, and saying peak day tickets had cost $124. Credit: Instagram/spitonthemike via Storyful
The question of President Obamas attendance at Prince Harry and Meghan Markles royal wedding has yet to be confirmed, but one thing is certain, the Prince and the former POTUS' camaraderie is going strong. During their sit down interview on BBC 4s Today on Wednesday, December 27, which was taped in September during the Invictus Games, Harry grilled the 54-year-old on some serious questions. Michelle Obamas husband was a good sport as the Prince took the time to ask him some rapid fire questions.

CLICK FOR MORE OF HARRY AND BARACK'S BEST MOMENTS

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Prince Harry interviewed Barack Obama during his guest appearance on BBC Radio 4's Today Photo: Kensington Palace

When asked if he prefers the White House or Buckingham Palace, Barack noted: White House, just because Buckingham Palace looks like it would take a really long time to mow. Lot of up keep. However, Barack does prefer the Queen to the classic rock band Queen. When it comes to his choice of Harry or William, the former President quipped: William right now. Perhaps the most important question that the Prince asked was if Barack prefers Suits or The Good Wife. Suits, obviously, which Harry, who is tying the knot to the shows star replied: Good answer. Good answer.

MORE: Prince Harry jokes with President Obama ahead of their BBC 4 interview

The pair, who built a relationship during Baracks eight-year term in the White House, spoke about Baracks leading lady Michelle. He couldnt help but to reflect on the love he had for his wife when the 33-year-old royal asked him what was going through his mind as he left D.C. on January 20, 2017. The first thing that went through my mind was sitting across from Michelle, how thankful I was that she had been my partner through that whole process, he said. Youve gotten to know Michelle quite well and she is a spectacular, funny, warm person. Shes not someone who was naturally inclined to politics. So in some ways despite the fact that she was, I think as good of a First Lady as there has ever been, she did this largely in support of my decision to run. And for us to be able to come out of that intact, that our marriage was strong.

Story continues

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Harry asked the former POTUS a round of seriously funny rapid fire questions Photo: Getty Images

He continued: Were still each others best friends. Our daughters are turning into amazing young women. You know, the sense that there was a completion and that we had done the work in a way that preserved our integrity and left us whole and that we hadnt fundamentally changed. Barack also compared his and Michelles time in the spotlight to his daughters, noting that they were able to experience their youth under the radar, allowing them to become the adults they are now. I always said to Michelle, and I think she would agree with this, that it was some strange good fortune on our part that we didnt become famous or in the public eye in any significant way until we were in our forties, he noted.

MORE: The Obamas and more send well-wishes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

And so despite this whirlwind that you just described by the time I was elected to the US Senate and I was a national figure I was a grown man, I was settled, I was a parent, I changed diapers or nappies as you call them apparently. I had struggled with figuring out we were going to pay the bills. We had made sacrifices. Adding: Michele and I had had the arguments that married couples have. And so in some ways I think, although the process was in some ways surreal because it happened so quickly, we were fairly steady in knowing who we were and what we believed in and what was important.

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Harry has not confirmed if Barack and Michelle will attend his wedding in May Photo: Getty Images

MORE: Meghan Markle charms the crowd during her first joint appearance with Prince Harry

A year after his presidency, Barack told Harry that although he plans to work with him to champion the next generation of leaders, one of the perks of living in post-presidential world is doing things on his own time. The fact that I can wake up and if I want to spend an extra 45 minutes talking to Michelle and take a long breakfast I can do it, he shared. That feels great and I also think that it allows me to focus on how do I transmit whatever knowledge or experience that I have gained to others, to help them become more effective and more powerful and Im really obsessed now with training the next generation of leaders to be able to make their mark on the world.
Prince Harry and his wife-to-be, Meghan Markle, spent Christmas with the royal family  and he says it was "fantastic."

She really enjoyed it, he said on BBC Radio 4, while promoting a special interview with Barack Obama. The family loved having her there.

Prince Harry didnt reveal too many details but did say they spent the holiday at Prince William and Duchess Catherines home, where they played with the couples children, George, 4, and Charlotte, 2.

We had an amazing time, Harry said. We had great fun staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running round with the kids. Christmas was fantastic.

And while Meghan appears to be at home with the royal family, Harry said there are some traditions she still needs to learn.

I think we've got one of the biggest families that I know of, and every family is complex as well, he said.

But he says his wife-to-be has "done an absolutely amazing job," adding: "She's getting in there and it's the family I suppose that she's never had."

Prince Harry has been made the radio rounds in Britain on Wednesday after his interview with former U.S. President Obama aired.

He was asked about his relationship with Obama and whether he would be invited to the royal wedding at St. Georges Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

I don't know about that. We haven't even put the invite or the guest list together. Who knows if he's going to be invited or not. I wouldn't want to ruin that surprise, he said.

Harrys interview with Obama was recorded in Toronto in September when the two met during the Invictus Games, which the prince organizes.

The former U.S. president was candid about his post-White House life. He said he gets up later and spends more time with his family, but added that his values remain the same.

I still care about making sure that the United States and the world is a place where kids get a decent education. Where people who are willing to work hard are able to find a job that pays a living wage, Obama said. That were conserving the amazing resources of our planet so that future generations can enjoy the beauty of this place. Like we did.

Story continues

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TWIN FALLS  A teacher in the Twin Falls School District has been arrested and accused of rape.

Jason Lee Benjamin, 39, of Twin Falls, was arrested Thursday by the Twin Falls Police Department. He is accused of rape under a statute that applies when a victim is 16 or 17 years old and the perpetrator is at least three years older.

Benjamin has worked at Twin Falls schools for 12 years, according to district spokeswoman Eva Craner. He began as a teacher at Robert Stuart Middle School in the 2005-06 school year. After one year at Robert Stuart, he moved to Twin Falls High School, where he taught from 2006 until 2009.

He worked at Canyon Ridge High School from 2009 to 2017, before returning to Robert Stuart this school year as a math teacher.

Its not clear whether the alleged victim was a student, or when and where the alleged rape occurred. Benjamin was not arraigned on Thursday, meaning police documents to support the arrest werent publicly available.

Police referred questions to Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs, who said late Thursday he had still not received all the paperwork from police and could not comment.

While teaching math at Canyon Ridge, Benjamin also served as an assistant coach for the track and cross country teams. He had a contract to be assistant track coach again this year, Craner said.

He has been placed on administrative leave by the Twin Falls School District. The district says it is unaware of any allegations of misconduct occurring on school property.

A search of Idaho court records revealed a pending divorce filed by Benjamins wife, but no criminal history.
Prince Harry definitely knows how to handle a difficult question.

The prince bagged former U.S. President Barack Obama's first interview since leaving office, during his stint as guest editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday.

The two definitely had the banter, and you can tell that they're close.

SEE ALSO: Barack Obama and Prince Harry want activists to get off their hashtags and into the real world

But presenters from the Today programme interviewed the prince after the Obama session. And the hosts asked him directly what everyone wanted to know: Would Obama get an invite to Prince Harry's wedding to American actress Meghan Markle in May?

"Well, I don't know about that. We haven't put the invites or the guestlist together yet so who knows whether he's going to be invited or not. Wouldn't want to ruin that surprise," Prince Harry said.

The question is especially on everyone's mind as The Sunreported, citing a "senior government source," that the government doesn't want Prince Harry to invite Obama to his wedding as it would risk the former president coming to a royal wedding before President Donald Trump has a chance to meet the Queen.

Prime Minister Theresa May has invited Trump for an official state visit, which would include meeting the Queen, but the visit hasn't been scheduled amid fears that it would be met with mass protests.

Prince Harry's entire interview with Obama is well worth a listen. We all need something to kill the time while we're waiting for our wedding invites, right?

Related:

Watch original series, sports and more on go90.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markles first Christmas with the royal family was a success. The 33-year-old Prince revealed that his family loved spending time with his fiancee over the holiday. The family loved having her there, Harry said on BBC Radio 4s Today program, where he was the guest editor on Wednesday, December 27. We had an amazing time staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running around with the kids. He added: Its the family shes never had.

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Harry shared that Meghan had an amazing time with the royal family during Christmas Photo: Getty Images

When asked about how she coped meeting the "in-laws" the Prince replied: "It was fantastic, she really enjoyed it." The former Suits actress broke tradition by attending Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen before she and Harry are married. The Prince also opened up about his future wedding to Meghan, which will take place on May 19 at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle.

MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's stunning engagement photos released

Even though the big day is 147 days away, it seems the happy couple are yet to sort out the guest list. When pressed on whether hell invite former President Barack Obama, who he interviewed during his time on the radio show, and wife Michelle Obama to his wedding next year, Harry said: "I don't know about that, we haven't even put the invite or the guest list together, who knows if he's going to be invited or not, I wouldn't want to ruin that surprise."

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Meghan joined Harry and the rest of the British royal family at Sandringham Photo: Getty Images

Harry also took the time to speak with his father, Prince Charles during his time on the BBC broadcast. The Queens son spoke about his desire to combat climate change, and how proud he is that his youngest boy is following in his footsteps. Well, darling boy, it makes me very proud to think that you understand, Charles said. With Harry joking: And that Im listening.
As investigators scour for clues in the killing of a mother, her two young children and her domestic partner in their upstate New York home, aspects of the quadruple homicide appear similar to another, unsolved mass family killing that occurred less than 15 miles away in 2014.

Neither a suspect nor a motive has been identified in the murders of Shanta Myers, 36, her 11-year-old son Jeremiah "JJ," and 5-year-old daughter Shanise Myers and Shanta's partner, 22-year-old Brandi Mells, who were found dead Tuesday in their basement apartment in Troy.

They were bound and their throats were cut, police sources told the Albany Times Union.

Officials believe the family appeared to have been targeted in a killing Police Chief James Tedesco called the worst weve experienced.

"Only a person of savagery would do something like this," he said. Nobody thats been involved in this case is going to forget this.

It was a similar sentiment expressed by officers who worked to solve the murders of a family brutally killed in their Guilderland home three years ago. While authorities have not said the killings are in any way linked to the murders of the Myers family, some reports have noted similarities between the two crimes.

Jin Feng Chen, 39, his wife Hai Yan Li, 38, and their sons Anthony, 10, and Eddy, 7, were repeatedly stabbed and bludgeoned with something similar to a hammer during the early hours of Oct. 8, 2014.

I'm still sick. I've never seen anything like it," Guilderland Police Chief Carol Lawlor said at the time.

The Chen family was also killed in what authorities believed to have been a targeted incident, but investigators have not been able to publicly identify a motive or suspect in the case.

Some believed the family was killed as a result of Chens alleged involvement in an illegal operation that moved undocumented Chinese restaurant workers around the Albany region. Others believed that Chen was involved in gambling that racked up a considerable debt, the Times Union reported.

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Chens brother shot down claims that Jin Feng Chen was involved in high stakes card games, saying instead that he hosted small, low-stakes card games for friends.

"They said they all died for no reason," Daisy Lie, a reporter for the World Journal, told the Times Union at the time. "We all know there is a much bigger story here and we pressed the family on it, but they wouldn't say more."

The family had no history with the police department, Police Chief Lawlor said.

Ahead of the one year anniversary of the murders, Albany County District Attorney David Soares appealed for anyone with information on who was responsible for the killings to come forward.

Someone has that answer, Soares said in 2015. Someone has that answer, and the problem is that someone hasnt come forward.

Obstacles abound in solving the case, Soares said, including a fear and language barrier among those in the Chinese community. Chens brother reportedly offered a $5,000 reward for information about the killings early on in the case.

Police in Troy have also appealed to the public to come forward with any information about the murders of the Myers and Mells, noting time is of the essence and that they will not stop until whoever is responsible is caught.

We are certainly appealing to people in the community that would have any knowledge as to what may have transpired there to contact us as soon as possible, Chief Tedesco said on Wednesday. I know there is not a resource that we wont tap in the city, or wherever we need to get it. This will be a full-court press, if you will, until we bring someone to justice.

"I don't think there's any doubt that a person who committed this crime is capable of anything," Tedesco said.

Little Shanise attended School 14, while her big brother went to Troy Middle School.

"Our hearts are broken and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their family and loved ones during this terribly troubling time," school district superintendent John Carmello said in a statement Thursday.

Tracy Coleman, who on Facebook identified herself as Myers' cousin, wrote on Facebook that her family's "hearts are shattered."

"This is wrong so wrong!!!! Who would hurt kids omg," another woman who identified herself as a relative posted on social media.

Shanta Myers was remembered as a generous woman who would go above and beyond for those she loved.

"There was nothing she wouldn't do for the community ... She loved to cook and attend to her kids," a friend posted on Facebook.

Albany's Victory Christian Church is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the killings.

Capital Region Crime Stoppers is offering an additional reward of up to $1,500 cash. Tips can be submitted anonymously at capitalregioncrimestoppers.com.

The New York State Police Department's Forensics Investigation Unit and Major Crimes Unit are assisting City of Troy Police in its investigation into the killings of Myers and Mells, Trooper Mark Cepiel, a spokesman for New York State Police, told InsideEdition.com.

Cepiel noted the investigation into the murders of the Chen family is still active, saying: "There are no updates in the investigation and any leads that have been generated and followed have been internal as we continue to look at all possibilities and theories in those homicides. We have ruled nothing out in this case and have been hindered by the relatively low number of leads from the public in a case of this magnitude."

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Republican Roy Moore has filed a last-minute legal challenge to try and stop Alabama officials declaring he lost the recent senate race, and ratifying surprise Democrat victor Doug Jones.

Hours before the Alabama Secretary of State was due to certify Doug Jones had become the first Democrat in at least 25 years to win a senate seat in the deeply conservative state, Mr Moore filed a lawsuit alleging that potential voter fraud had denied him the chance of victory.

He also sought to stop the state election board meeting that is scheduled to ratify the victory of Mr Jones, who stunned political pundits when he defeated the former judge earlier this month.

This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, as election integrity should matter to everyone, Mr Moore said in a statement when he announced the lawsuit, claiming he had affidavits from three national election integrity experts.

He claimed he had taken a polygraph test which he said showed the allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct levelled at him by a number of women  accusations he stridently denied  were false.

His filing in the Montgomery Circuit Court also called for the establishment of a fraud investigation and the for a new election.

We call on Secretary of State Merrill to delay certification until there is a thorough investigation of what three independent election experts agree took place: election fraud sufficient to overturn the outcome of the election.

But Mr Moore appeared to face a tough challenge. Mr Merrill, a Republican who said he voted for Moore, said he has no intention of delaying the canvassing board meeting.

On the night of his defeat, Mr Moore claimed his side could not accept the result which saw the Democrat beat him by more than 20,000 votes. By contrast, Mr Merrill said he believed the people of Alabama had spoken.

Appearing on CNN on Thursday morning, Mr Merrill repeated his point. Will this affect anything? Mr Merrill said, referring to the former judges challenge. The short answer to that is no.

Story continues

Mr Moore, who describes himself as an evangelical Christian, had previously made international headlines when he had a 5,000lb granite statue containing the Ten Commandments placed in his court complex. He was ousted from his position as the states top judge after he told after members of the judiciary to ignore a US Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.

Having won the Republican primary in September with the support of such insurgent figures as Steve Bannon, Sarah Palin and Nigel Farage, the 70-year-old appeared set to take the senate seat made vacant by Attorney General Jeff Sessions when he joined Mr Trumps cabinet.

However, his numbers started to tumble after several women came forward to accuse him of sexually abusing and assaulting them when they were teenagers and he was in thirties working as a local prosecutor. One of the women said she was just 14 at the time.

Turnout for the showdown was around 40 per cent: high for a special election. It was marked by a very high number of African American women and men turning out to vote for Mr Jones, who famously convicted two former Ku Klux Klan gang members who bombed a black church in 1963.

Mr Moores complaint also alleged anomalous higher voter turnout in Jefferson County, where census data shows 43 per cent of the population is black. He called the countys 47 per cent voter turnout as highly unusual and questioned the integrity of its election results.

Mr Jones has said that he is looking forward to working for the people of his state. His spokesman, Sam Coleman, told ABC News: This desperate attempt by Roy Moore to subvert the will of the people will not succeed.

He added: The election is over, its time to move on.
Rabat (AFP) - Morocco's Royal Air Maroc has ordered four 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from US aviation giant Boeing for delivery at the end of next year, the two companies said Wednesday.

The new aircraft, worth $1.1 billion at list price, would allow the flagship carrier "to expand its services, especially internationally", a Boeing statement said.

The delivery "at the end of 2018" would bring to 60 the number of planes in the airline's fleet, an official at the Moroccan flagship carrier told AFP.

"RAM has five Dreamliner 787-8s, but these new aircraft are more efficient and have greater autonomy," the official added.

Royal Air Maroc currently has around 3,220 employees, and serves a total of 80 destinations.

"Our ambition is to become the leading airline in Africa," said Abdelhamid Addou, head of the Moroccan airline.

Morocco signed an agreement with Boeing in September 2016 to build a new hub for the US aerospace giant.

They agreed to create an industrial zone in the northern region of Tangier where suppliers and sub-contractors could operate.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin formally registered his re-election bid on Wednesday, submitting the necessary documents to Russia's central election commission in person ahead of a March 18 vote. Polls show that Putin, who has dominated Russia's political landscape for the last 17 years as either president or prime minister, is on course to comfortably win another six-year term. That would allow him to rule until 2024, when he'll turn 72. The former KGB officer is running as an independent, a move seen as a way of strengthening his image as a "father of the nation" rather than as a party political figure. The ruling United Russia party and the Just Russia party have both said they will support him. Allies laud Putin for restoring national pride and expanding Moscow's global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine. But opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been barred from the election over a suspended prison sentence he says was fabricated, says Putin has been in power too long and that his support is artificially maintained by a biased state media and an unfair system which excludes genuine opponents. Navalny has called for a boycott of the election, raising the prospect of large-scale protests and clashes with the police. (Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Polina Nikolskaya; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's top court will rule on Friday on a bid to compel parliament to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Jacob Zuma over a scandal related to state-funded upgrades to his private home, local media reported on Thursday. The Constitutional Court reserved judgment on the matter in September after opposition parties submitted the application in the wake of a ruling that Zuma failed to uphold the constitution for not abiding by a watchdog's finding that he repay some of the public money spent on his sprawling rural home. (Reporting by Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Ed Stoddard)
Starbucks is going black-tie for New Years with a new line of limited edition drinks to end 2017 with a bang.

The coffee chain has introduced three new Black & White mocha beverages that uses dark and white chocolate mocha to celebrate the last week of the year in style. The line follows several new creations from Starbucks over the last year, including the Unicorn frappuccino and other colorful drinks.

The Black & White mocha mixes espresso with dark and white chocolate mocha and is topped with a line of sparkly chocolate sequins to resemble a black tie, a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement. The other drinks include a Black & White hot chocolate, mixing the mocha with steamed milk, and a Black & White frappuccino, which blends mocha flavors and coffee with milk and ice.

The Black & White mocha drinks are available now and will be sold at Starbucks through the first week of January to kick off 2018, USA Today reports.
TWIN FALLS  The Idaho Department of Labor is hosting a job fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 17 at its Twin Falls office, 420 Falls Ave.

A private area will be provided to conduct interviews. A table and chairs will be provided for each business. Businesses should bring table cloths, brochures, business cards, job announcements and application forms.

More info: Oscar Escobedo at 208-735-2500, ext. 3405, or email oscar.escobedo@labor.idaho.gov; or call Shauna Smithee at 208-735-2500, ext. 3648, or email shauna.smithee@labor.idaho.gov.

To be included businesses should respond by Jan. 5.

Businesses already confirmed include C3; Boise State University, Sears, Idaho State University, University of Idaho, Kickback Points, Clif Bar, Home Depot, Jayco, TSA, McCain Foods, St. Lukes and Tru Green.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia has promised that the autonomous region controlled by Kurds in northern Syria will be represented at peace talks it is hosting next month, the commander of the main Syrian Kurdish militia was cited as saying on Wednesday. Moscow has said 155 representatives of the autonomous region will participate, Sipan Hemo, the commander of the YPG, was quoted as saying by official Syrian Kurdish social media channels on Wednesday. Kurdish groups have not taken part in any round of Syrian peace talks so far despite their control of more than a quarter of Syria. Turkey opposes their involvement in talks. Moscow backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's six-year-old civil war while Turkey opposes him. But Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group affiliated to the Kurdish PKK, which has waged an insurgency in Turkey for decades. Russia, Iran and Turkey announced the Jan. 29-30 dates for the talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi date after a round of peace talks in Kazakhstan last week, but did not say who would participate. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called Assad a terrorist and said it was impossible for Syrian peace efforts to continue with him. Syria responded that Erdogan himself supported terrorist groups fighting in Syria. About 40 Syrian rebel groups, including factions that have taken part in other rounds of peace talks, said on Monday they would refuse to attend the Sochi congress. Russia is the most powerful supporter of Assad. Its jets have helped him bring the rebellion against his rule near to an end, and rebels say Moscow has put no pressure on him to find a political solution. U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has said that the success of the congress should be assessed by its ability to contribute to and support the U.N.-led Geneva talks on ending the war. (Reporting by Angus McDowall; editing by Andrew Roche)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels in a pocket of land near where the Syrian, Lebanese and Israeli borders meet are negotiating a deal with the government to leave for other insurgent-held areas, rebel officials there said. The Syrian army, backed by Russian air power, Shi'ite militias supported by Iran and local fighters from the Druze sect have besieged the rebel enclave around Beit Jin for weeks. In recent days it captured various positions, leaving the rebels trapped inside the town itself. "There is now negotiation on the departure of fighters and those who wish to leave with them," said Abu Kanaan, an official in a local rebel group. "The militias are trying to convince them to evacuate to Idlib... There has been no agreement reached yet," said Ibrahim al-Jebawi, an official with a Free Syrian Army faction familiar with the situation. Syria's army and its allies have increasingly pushed for such evacuation deals for rebel enclaves near big cities or in other strategic locations after long periods of siege and bombardment. The area around Beit Jin is sensitive because of its location next to the Israel-controlled Golan Heights. Israel wants to keep Lebanon's Hezbollah, the most powerful of the Iran-backed militias aiding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against the rebel groups, far away from its border with Syria. It has repeatedly targeted military positions in Syria near the border after stray projectiles crossed into Israeli-controlled areas, and it has struck Hezbollah convoys and weapons caches inside Syria. (Reporting By Suleiman al-Khalidi; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
The US claims this photo shows a North Korean ship conducting a ship-to-ship transfer, possibly of oil, in an effort to evade sanctions: US Office of Foreign Assets Control

President Donald Trump has accused China of allowing oil into North Korea in violation of international sanctions, despite denials from Chinese officials.

Caught RED HANDED  very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea, Mr Trump tweeted. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!

The tweet came shortly after South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that the US had photographed Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels on around 30 occasions.

The UN has drastically cut the amount of oil products allowed into the country in the wake of Pyongyangs recent ballistic missile tests.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang denied that China had violated UN sanctions, telling Reuters: The situation you have mentioned absolutely does not exist.

The Chosun Ilbo report, which was picked up by Fox News, cited South Korean government officials who said China and North Korea had been trading illegally in the West Sea.

The report included photos, purportedly from US satellites, which the paper claims shows the two countries trading oil ship to ship in order to evade sanctions.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told Fox News she had no information regarding the report, but maintained that the Chinese government has been completely and strictly enforcing Security Council resolutions.

China is North Koreas top trading partner and energy supplier, but voted to support the UN Security Security Councils sanctions on the country last week. The sanctions capped exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea at 500,000 barrels per year, and crude oil supplies at 4 million barrels.

China has not disclosed its crude exports to North Korea in years, but industry sources say it still supplies about 520,000 tonnes, or 3.8 million barrels, to the country each year.

Chinese customs data obtained by Reuters, however, showed China exported no oil products at all to North Korea in November. Beijing also imported no North Korean iron ore, coal or lead that month, according to the customs data.

Story continues

The US published photos last month of what it alleged were North Korean ships engaging in ship-to-ship trades. The government also sanctioned four Chinese companies and one individual who were said to have deep economic ties to North Korea.

The sanctions were part of a US campaign to further economically isolate North Korea and starve its rapidly advancing nuclear programme.

North Korea twice launched missiles over Japan this fall, and completed its sixth-ever test of a nuclear weapon. The regime claims they now have missiles capable of reaching anywhere on the US mainland, though there are questions as to whether these missiles are nuclear-capable.

Mr Trump has repeatedly called on China and President Xi Jinping to play a larger role in reigning in Pyongyang.

China has great influence over North Korea. And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they wont, Mr Trump said in an interview in April.

If they do, that will be very good for China, and if they dont, it wont be good for anyone.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump would fail in his hardened stance towards Iran, saying Tehran was stronger than during the time of the "more powerful and smarter" Ronald Reagan. "Reagan was more powerful and smarter than Trump, and he was a better actor in making threats, and he also moved against us and they shot down our plane," Khamenei said in a speech carried on state television. In 1988, a U.S. warship shot down an Iranian passenger plane over the Gulf, killing all 290 aboard, in an incident which Washington said was a mistake. Tehran said it was a deliberate attack on Iran, then at war with neighboring Iraq. "But Reagan is gone and, according to out beliefs, he now faces God's retribution ... while Iran has made great advances in all areas since Reagan's time," Khamenei added. "This trend will continue under the current American president and any hopes on their part that the Islamic Republic would back off or weaken is futile." Trump refused in October to certify that Tehran is complying with its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and warned he might ultimately terminate the agreement. He announced the shift in U.S. policy in a speech in which he detailed a more aggressive approach to Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its support for militant groups in the Middle East. Under the nuclear deal, sanctions on Iran were lifted in return for Tehran rolling back technologies with nuclear bomb-making potential. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will host Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg in Washington next month to discuss various security and economic issues, the White House said on Wednesday.

The two leaders will meet on Jan. 10 at the White House to talk about a range of topics including NATO and the fight against Islamic State as well as bilateral trade and investment, the White House said in a statement.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Will Dunham)
By David Brunnstrom and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was "very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea" and that such moves would prevent "a friendly solution" to the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program. "Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. China earlier on Thursday said there had been no U.N. sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea after a South Korean newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea. The Trump administration has led a drive to step up global sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the United States. Washington says the full cooperation of China, North Korea's neighbor and main trading partner, is vital to the success of this effort, while warning that all options are on the table, including military ones, in dealing with North Korea. The U.N. Security Council last week unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, seeking to further limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil. The U.N. resolution seeks to ban nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year. The U.S.-drafted resolution also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year and commits the Council to further reductions if North Korea were to conduct another nuclear test or launch another ICBM. Documents seen by Reuters this month showed Washington called on the Security Council to blacklist 10 ships for circumventing sanctions by conducting ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels or transporting North Korean coal. China and Russia subsequently asked for more time to consider the proposal. In September, the Security Council put a cap of 2 million barrels a year on refined petroleum products exports to North Korea. China has repeatedly said it is fully enforcing all resolutions against North Korea, despite suspicion in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo that loopholes still exist. Asked at a regular briefing whether Chinese ships were illegally providing oil to North Korean ships, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang reiterated that China, including the military, strictly enforced U.N. resolutions. "The situation you have mentioned absolutely does not exist," he said. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper this week quoted South Korean government sources as saying that U.S. spy satellites had detected Chinese ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels around 30 times since October. U.S. officials have not confirmed details of the report, but a U.S. State Department official suggested on Wednesday that such transfers could still be going on. Ship-to-ship transfers ... remain a concern as part of North Koreas sanctions evasions activities, the official said, while declining to provide details. A State Department spokesman, Michael Cavey, reiterated on Wednesday that the United States had called on all countries to cut economic ties with North Korea. "We urge China to end all economic ties with the DPRK, including tourism, and the provision of any oil or petroleum products, and expel all DPRK workers," he said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the conservative Center for the National Interest, said China would "never, ever, enforce the sanctions to the satisfaction of President Trump," in spite of the effort the U.S. president had invested in developing a personal relationship with China's Xi Jinping. "With President Trumps latest Tweet it seems the Bromance between him and President Xi is finally over," he said. "This was always bound to happen. China is actually more afraid of North Korea than America," Kazianis said, citing Chinese concerns about instability or collapse in North Korea if sanctions were fully applied. U.S. Democratic Senator Ed Markey, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Twitter the North Korean threat had only increased since Trump took office and he had to find a way to get China to cut off crude oil supplies. "The solution is a coherent strategy, not bluster," he said. (Reporting by Susan Heavey, David Brunnstrom, Mark Hosenball and Michelle Nichols; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish)
The following statements were posted to the verified Twitter accounts of U.S. President Donald Trump, @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS. The opinions expressed are his own. Reuters has not edited the statements or confirmed their accuracy. @realDonaldTrump : - On 1/20 - the day Trump was inaugurated - an estimated 35,000 ISIS fighters held approx 17,500 square miles of territory in both Iraq and Syria. As of 12/21, the U.S. military estimates the remaining 1,000 or so fighters occupy roughly 1,900 square miles... via @jamiejmcintyre [1749 EST] - Just left West Palm Beach Fire & Rescue #2. Met with great men and women as representatives of those who do so much for all of us. Firefighters, paramedics, first responders - what amazing people they are! [1811 EST] -- Source link: (http://bit.ly/2jBh4LU) (http://bit.ly/2jpEXYR) (Compiled by Bengaluru bureau)
As 2017 ends Ill share some thoughts on potentially important political developments likely in 2018.

Individual states have challenged federal classification and regulation of cannabis products. Nine states and the District of Columbia (32 percent of the U.S. population) have legalized cannabis for recreational and medical use. Twenty additional states (another 41 percent) allow medical dispensing of marijuana. More states will likely further decriminalize recreational and/or medical marijuana use before 2020.

Because of the devastating financial effect that criminalization has on individuals and families of casual users, especially among the poor and ethnic minorities, further resistance to decriminalization may affect support (+ or -) for candidates. Idaho is largely surrounded by states (and Canada) more accepting of cannabis. Given the social, political and economic tide of this issue, Idaho will be forced eventually to have a more robust public consideration of cannabis.

Womens political participation is expanding rapidly. In 2017s controversial off-season elections, women were crucial in deciding outcomes, particularly minority women. Thats no surprise. Womens concerns rose to prominence in 2016-17 politics. Powerful womens issues include wages, access to equitable health coverage, reproductive rights, daycare access for their children and pushback against personal objectification and harassment to the point of misogyny by some politicians. The increase in college-educated women is outpacing that of men. Women are taking prominent roles in the military and other formerly male-dominated professions.

Women voters are increasingly unlikely to continue sublimating their long-repressed priorities to further prop up the male world view that many blame for their plight. Fair warning to aspiring candidates: There are only 96.7 men per 100 women in America. Only 10 states have more men than women, and they are among the least populous states with the fewest electoral votes and congressional seats.

The nearly tribal unity of fundamentalist Christian denominations is showing signs of weakening. The rise of uncharitable, morally distasteful, uncivil and even violently hateful rhetoric and behavior among politicians formally supported by evangelicals and fundamentalists has initiated soul searching and re-evaluation. Many Christians feel they were used and betrayed in the last election cycle. The Rev. David Gushee opined that this may induce an especially significant shift in political leaning among younger Christians, particularly within the LDS community.

Climate change denial may finally (however late) be waning. Storm intensities and frequencies in recent years have risen markedly. Scientists recently reported that not only are greenhouse gases heating Earth, but soot from range and forest fires, volcanism and fossil fuel combustion is darkening glacial snows, thereby accelerating melting  a mechanism not previously given adequate consideration in climate models.

Its currently estimated that sea levels will rise 1 1/2 to 4 feet by 2100. The rise coupled with storm surges will devastate many of Americas populous coastal cities. New data documenting acceleration of Antarcticas Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers is especially alarming. Together they could result in rise much sooner than previously predicted.

Unconscionably a major what if was ignored in consideration of recent Republican tax cuts. Recall the devastating economic effect of the second Iraq War, waged on the heels of an enormous tax cut and with no effort to pay for it. The promised trickle-down stimulus didnt happen; actually quite the opposite. What if President Trumps unguarded bellicosity toward North Korea and/or incendiary Middle East policies commit our armed forces to new wars that further empty the coffers of our treasury? Remember: The major holder of Americas debt is China, a strong ally of North Korea. Our economy could suddenly be a target of war rather than mere collateral damage.

The Supreme Court is currently considering Whitford v. Gill, a landmark case that could forever end or exacerbate partisan gerrymandering. The case comes largely as an unforeseen discriminatory effect of the Thornburg v. Gingles ruling of 1986. That case upheld a 1965 amendment to the Voting Rights Act which disallowed dilution of racial minorities among voting districts, thereby preventing minorities from being elected.

However, concentrating racial minorities into racially defined districts inadvertently spawned another discriminatory effect. Partisan power, which arguably has equal or larger entitlement to representative electoral outcome, was skewed by the racial composition of political parties. District political makeup lost parity with statewide political party composition.

At the federal level, for a significant number of election cycles, this has resulted in state legislatures and U.S. congressional seats being delivered to Republicans when the statewide popular vote significantly favored Democrats. If political gerrymandering is struck down and district political registrations are required to reflect statewide registration composition (and hence most popular vote outcomes), the future course of state legislatures and particularly the U.S. House of Representatives will strongly tack to the left. The case will likely be decided before the 2018 midterms. If the Supreme Court orders immediate compliance to achieve parity, it could intensify an expected Democratic tsunami in November 2018 driven by both general dissatisfaction with Republican policies and Trump antipathy.

Indicators of a wave election favoring progressives are compelling. Nonetheless, given the distribution of vulnerable seats, Democratic takeover of both houses is unpredictable. It is certain that the outcome will ride on quality of candidates, intensity of party activism and voter turnout.

Russia will be a key factor in the U.S. midterms and 2018 international politics. Further revelations about Russian attempts to influence American voters and directly insert themselves into the Trump campaign could prove decisive. Overseas, as Russian financial entanglements are investigated, there will almost certainly be incriminating financial and political tentacles identified elsewhere across the globe. It is now obvious that Russia is bent on catalyzing a destabilization of the EU and a re-balkanization of Europe.

Americans can almost certainly expect more gun violence in 2018 and continued inaction on comprehensive immigration reform. Politicians lack the political courage to find reasonable solutions to either issue.

I can only hope I am overly pessimistic. Time will tell. Meanwhile, register, donate, volunteer, and VOTE.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish police detained 38 people, some of them Syrian citizens, over suspected links to Islamic State in an operation on Thursday in the northwestern province of Bursa, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Counter-terrorism police carried out simultaneous raids on homes in various districts of Bursa, smashing doors open with battering rams and searching the properties, it said.

Islamic State militants have carried out gun and bomb attacks in Turkey. Many foreign fighters passed through Turkey in recent years on their way to join the jihadist group in territory it controlled in Syria and Iraq.

A year ago, the group claimed responsibility for a New Year's Day mass shooting by a lone gunman who killed 39 people in a packed Istanbul nightclub. A trial of those allegedly behind the attack began this month.

(Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Istanbul (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed hope for a better relationship with Germany and the EU after a fractious 2017, saying Ankara needs to reduce its enemies and increase its friends, in an interview published Thursday.

The past year has seen Turkey's long-running bid to join the EU grind to a virtual halt and a crisis in relations with Germany over the crackdown that followed the failed July 15, 2016 coup.

"Of course, we want to have good relations with the EU and with EU countries," Erdogan told Turkish journalists on his presidential plane while on a visit to Africa.

"I always say this. We must reduce the number of enemies and increase the number of friends," he said, in comments published in Turkish newspapers including the Hurriyet daily.

He said there was "no reason" why he should not make trips to Germany and the Netherlands, two key EU members with whom Ankara had intense rows as they prepared for general elections in 2017.

Erdogan applauded Germany's leadership for "being on the same line" as Ankara by strongly condemning US President's Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"All this is very gratifying," Erdogan said.

Berlin was particularly incensed by the holding of several German nationals in a crackdown after the coup bid, although tensions have eased slightly following several releases in recent months.

Most recently, German pilgrim David Britsch and German journalist Mesale Tolu were set free by Turkey in developments welcomed by Berlin.

However the correspondent of the Die Welt daily newspaper, Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish dual national who was arrested in February, remains behind bars and not even a date for his trial has been set.

Erdogan indicated that the EU's support for his stance over Jerusalem, a cause he rapidly championed following Trump's bitterly-contested move, could be helpful in creating better relations.

He said he may visit France, without giving a time. "They (Paris) did not leave us by ourselves on this issue (Jerusalem)," he said.

Erdogan said a visit may also be on the cards to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, who was also strongly supportive of his stance.
A prisoner of war from the Ukrainian armed forces is embraced during the exchange of captives in Horlivka in Donetsk region - REUTERS

Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels swapped hundreds of prisoners in the war-torn east of the country on Wednesday, one of the largest such exchanges since the outbreak of an insurgency almost four years ago.

The swap of captives on a dusty road close to the town of Gorlivka, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of the rebels' stronghold of Donetsk is an attempt to revive a tattered peace deal between the Kiev army and rebels from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.

The war in the former Soviet republic broke out in April 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea the previous month.

The conflict has already claimed more than 10,000 lives. A series of truce deals has helped lower the level of violence but did not end the bloodshed.

In the first exchange since September 2016, the Russian-backed eastern militia handed 73 prisoners over to Kiev. The Ukrainian side released 233 rebels and their supporters, officials from both sides said.

The figures were significantly less than previously declared as dozens of prisoners - almost all from the Ukrainian territory - have refused to move to the other side.

Prisoners of war board a bus during the exchange Credit: VALENTYN OGIRENKO/ REUTERS

Two Ukrainians - a man and a woman - also opted to stay on the rebel side.

The prisoners massed at the exchange point with their belongings, shivering in zero temperatures, before boarding buses after their names had been called out.

Some of the detainees expressed relief after spending long months, and even years, in captivity.

"I was in captivity for two years," said reputed historian Igor Kozlovskiy, 63, who was captured by Donetsk rebels in suspicion of storing weapons.

"Still a lot of prisoners remain (behind bars in Donetsk)," the exhausted man in a red sweater and sport jacket told AFP minutes before he was handed over to the representatives of Ukraine.

The swap on the eve of the New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays was agreed following negotiations involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's leader Petro Poroshenko.

Story continues

In his comment immediately after the exchange was completed, Poroshenko hailed the persistence of the Ukrainian soldiers.

Four years of war in Europe: A photo dispatch from the frontline in Ukraine

"I have just thanked our lads who are coming back from captivity. Thanks for your stamina, guys," he said on Facebook.

The swap is in line with the so-called Minsk agreements brokered by Germany and France in 2015.

German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel greeted the long-awaited exchange as a "good news".

"The swap is an important step in the implementation of the Minsk agreements," he said in a statement urging the sides to conduct further steps to fulfil the peace deal.

The last prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels took place in September 2016 when two pro-Kiev detainees were swapped for four separatist fighters at a checkpoint outside the rebel-held city of Lugansk.

Unusually, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill helped mediate the talks on Wednesday's prisoner exchange, and three Russian priests were present.

165 servicemen of the Donetsk People's Republic were swapped for 58 Ukrainian soldiers

The head of the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, thanked the patriarch for his involvement.

"People who have spent more than three years in captivity will be able to return home thanks to the church and the authorities," he said.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian army reported the death of one soldier in the renewed fighting, the first combat casualty after the latest Christmas ceasefire came into force Saturday.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of funnelling troops and arms across the border.

Moscow has denied the claims despite overwhelming evidence that it has been involved in the fighting and its explicit political support for the rebels.
Washington (AFP) - The US-led coalition fighting the IS group in Syria and Iraq acknowledged Thursday the deaths of 16 more civilians in air strikes, increasing the toll of civilians killed in three years to at last 817.

The coalition said in a statement that it had completed a review in November of 101 reports of potential civilian casualties, of which 92 were deemed non-credible.

The remaining nine, relating to strikes between March 20 and October 17, were considered credible and resulted in 11 civilian casualties.

The coalition also added another five civilian casualties to its count, based on previous reports of attacks it had earlier said it was not responsible for.

"To date, based on the information available, (the coalition) assesses at least 817 civilians have been unintentionally killed by Coalition strikes" since the beginning of the campaign against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in August 2014, the statement said.

As of the end of November, 603 reports were still being examined.

Coalition forces have conducted 28,562 strikes against IS targets in three years, resulting in 1,799 reports of potential civilian casualties of which only 208 were deemed credible, the statement read.

According to a recent New York Times survey in Iraq, 20 percent of coalition air strikes have resulted in civilian casualties, a much higher proportion than the coalition's claimed 0.36 percent.

Monitoring group Airwars insists that the number of civilian deaths acknowledged by the US-led coalition is well below the true civilian toll of the bombing campaign, estimating that almost 6,000 innocent lives have been lost.
Vietnam jailed 15 people on Wednesday for a foiled terrorism plot to detonate petrol bombs at the country's busiest airport ahead of a national holiday, state media reported.

Terrorism attacks are rare in Vietnam, though the conservative communist government routinely jails dissident bloggers and human rights lawyers who are critical of the state.

A court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced 15 people to between five and 16 years in jail after they were convicted of planting petrol bombs at Tan Son Nhat international airport in the commercial southern hub, state-controlled Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

The defendants were accused of having online links to foreign groups who financed the foiled operation in April ahead of Liberation Day celebrations at the end of the month, the newspaper reported, without giving further details.

"Via social networks, the defendants cooperated with an overseas reactionary organisation... which financed the purchase of weapons and petrol bombs for terrorism," read the verdict at the two-day trial, according to the newspaper.

State media and officials did not provide a reported motive for the plan, which did not cause any injuries or damage.

Terrorism convictions are punishable by death in Vietnam, a one-party state where independent media is banned and freedom of expression is tightly controlled.

The government on Tuesday unveiled a 10,000-strong brigade to fight cybercrimes and "wrongful views" on the internet, state media reported.

"As many forces and countries are talking about a real war in cyberspace, (Vietnam) should also stay ready to fight against wrongful views every second, minute and hour," said Colonel General Nguyen Trong Nghia, deputy head of the army's political department, quoted by state-controlled Tuoi Tre newspaper.

The unit, dubbed Force 47, is also tasked with fighting anti-state propaganda on the web.

More than half of Vietnam's population of 93 million have access to the internet, and many dissidents use social media to criticise the government.

This year has been particularly harsh for activists in Vietnam, with at least 15 arrested and several others handed heavy jail terms.
A large portion of a famed Magnolia tree - AP

It has survived 39 presidencies and being clipped by a light aircraft, but the ravages of time have proved too much for the massive magnolia tree which was planted at the White House in 1835.

The rotting tree has become a safety risk and, taking the advice of the National Arboretum, First Lady Melania Trump has accepted that much of the tree will have to go.

The tree, which was planted by Andrew Jackson, has been a backdrop for some of the most momentous events in US presidential history.

Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill held talks in the shade of the tree's massive branches. Herbert Hoover presided over cabinet meetings there and Richard Nixon strode past it as he made his way to a helicopter after he left the White House in disgrace.

Andrew Jackson Credit: Hulton Archive

The magnolia even featured on the back of a $20 banknote.

In September 1994 a small Cessna aircraft was flown into the tree. While the magnolia lost its largest limb, the White House itself was spared significant damage.

As a gesture of goodwill, Barack Obama donated a seedling from the tree to the people of Cuba.

The writing had been on the wall for the magnolia - the oldest tree in the White House grounds - for decades, with significant repair work carried out as far back as the 1940s.

Workers cut branches from the magnolia tree planted by President Andrew Jackson Credit: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

Despite these efforts, according to the National Park Service, the entire north-west portion of the tree has completely decayed, as has much of the magnolia's interior.

Since the 1980s the tree has been held up by a combination of a pole and guy wires.

Following a study, it was concluded that drastic tree surgery was the only option.

"After reviewing the reports, she trusted that every effort had been made to preserve the historic tree, and was concerned about the safety of visitors and members of the press who are often standing right in front of the tree during Marine One lifts," said Stephanie Grisham, Mrs Trump's spokesman.

At the First Lady's request wood from the tree will be preserved, as will seedlings to facilitate the planting of a new magnolia.

Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, who grew up in the White House during Bill Clinton's two terms in office, tweeted her thanks late Tuesday to the horticulturists and National Park Service attendants who take care of the White House grounds. The White House is part of a national park.

"Thank you @FLOTUS for preserving part of a tree I & so many have treasured," Ms Clinton tweeted to Mrs Trump, using an acronym for "first lady of the United States."
AP

Even if youve just returned from a holiday vacation, you might want to start thinking about your next trip.

Thats because January is often regarded as the best time to get a good deal on a plane ticket. After the holidays, most people arent thinking about travel, which is why airlines offer up deals and discounts to encourage bookings. In fact, Fare Compare, a price comparison site, says that the cheapest days to fly this winter will be from Jan. 9 to March 16, when prices drop as much as 40% from holiday fares.

Aer Lingus

If youre ready to book, Aer Lingus is running a mega sale from now until Jan. 16. Some of the highlights include up to 50% off on flights to European cities like Malaga and Lanzarote in Spain, and Faro and Lisbon in Portugal. There are however, two caveats. All flights must originate in Ireland, and all travel must take place between April 30 and September 2018.

Still, some amazing deals can be found. If you travel in April, a round-trip flight from Dublin to Madrid will cost about 101.00 ($120 USD), and a ticket from Dublin to Naples, Italy can be found for just 108.00 ($129 USD).

There is also an assortment of North America-bound itineraries to choose from, including a round-trip ticket from Dublin to New York City in April for just 416.34 ($497 USD).

Virgin America

Bargain hunters can also find some deals on domestic travel. Until Jan. 2, Virgin America has marked down six cross-country flights. Travelers can snag a one-way ticket from New York to San Francisco for just $119. A one-way ticket from New York to Las Vegas starts at $157, while a one-way ticket from Newark, N.J., to Los Angeles will cost around $139. Thats a round-trip, coast-to-coast flight for under $300.

All flights must take place between Jan. 16 and Feb. 14.

Keep an eye on Hawaii

Traveling to Hawaii used to cost an arm and a leg, but that may change in 2018. Southwest Airlines has announced that it will unveil cheaper tickets to Hawaii starting next year. The low-cost carrier hasnt announced specific routes yet, but its presence on the island is expected to fuel competition and possibly lower prices.

Story continues

But travelers may not have to wait for deals  there are already some bargains available for travel in January and February. AirfareWatchdog found this roundtrip flight from Miami to Honolulu for just $347, and a quick Google Flights search revealed several January and February itineraries from San Francisco to the big island for under $420.

In other words, it would be wise to set a price alert for Hawaii airfare on your favorite booking site. This way, when prices drop, you can lock in the deal as soon as possible.

Brittany is a reporter at Yahoo Finance.

New site lets you book cheap travel, get free gift cards

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Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., are both well-known senators from red states in the West. Both have relationships with President Donald Trump that are altering their political careers. But thats where the similarities end.

Flake, an unapologetically vocal critic of Trump, has decided to not run for reelection.

Hatch, on the other hand, is taking heat from his states biggest newspaper because hes an avid supporter of Trump.

The takeaway for GOP senators: Youre damned if you join him, damned if you dont.

Really, its the same no-win scenario theyve been struggling with since Trump won the GOP presidential nomination. A controversial, complicated president has somehow maneuvered the Republican Partys base to a place unrecognizable to the establishment.

Flake and Hatch took two very different paths in this new Trumpian GOP, but they could ultimately lead to the same place: an end to their senatorial careers.

Flake spoke out against Trump as a presidential candidate and this year authored a book, Conscience of a Conservative, blaming his party for the rise of Trump. But his poll numbers in his home state dropped and a pro-Trump primary challenger gained traction.

He realized he couldnt win a Republican primary opposing the partys leader, no matter how unpopular that leader may be more broadly with the American public and Arizona general election voters. (Arizona went for Trump over Hillary Clinton by just 3.5 percentage points in November, one of Trumps worst performances in a Republican presidential state.)

In announcing his retirement from the Senate, Flake basically admitted his anti-Trump stance cost him his chance at reelection.

Hatchs political problems are very different. Hes become a vocal Trump supporter, but hes taking serious heat back home for that.

The Salt Lake Tribunes editorial board just called on him to retire precisely due to his work with Trump. In a Christmas Day editorial, the editorial board said Hatch shouldnt run for an eighth term in 2018 because of his utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power.

The editorial focused largely on Hatchs pro-Trump creds to back up that extraordinary characterization of one of Utahs most well-known politicians. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch was instrumental in getting Republicans tax reform bill to Trumps desk by Christmas, as the president demanded.

Despite criticisms that the bill would mainly benefit the wealthy and corporations, while causing the federal debt to rise, Hatch passionately and angrily defended the bills premise, drawing headlines for saying stuff like this: I come from poor people.

When the tax bill passed, Trump and Hatch exchanged praises at a celebration ceremony at the White House.

Orrin is a special person, Trump said.

Mr. President, I have to say that youre living up to everything I thought you would, Hatch responded when he got the mic. Youre one heck of a leader, and were all benefiting from it.

In addition to supporting the tax bill, Hatch was a key player in urging Trumps administration to drastically shrink two national monuments in Utah. He traveled with the president to Utah to help him announce the decision.

Reporting suggests Trump likes Hatch and wants him to run for reelection again. (Besides liking the guy, if Hatch stays, it could keep prominent Trump critic Mitt Romney from running for the seat.)

In our rankings of where GOP senators stand on Trump, Hatch leans positive overall. Earlier this year, Hatch was generally positive of Trumps controversial decision to fire James Comey as FBI director, though he called out the president for not clearly denouncing white supremacists this summer in Charlottesville.

Much of this is at odds with the state Hatch represents: Utahs Mormon population was very skeptical of Trump during the campaign. Trump ultimately won the state, but a third-party challenger earned a fifth of the vote in November, a sizable chunk for a candidate with hardly any name recognition.

Hatch hasnt said whether he will run for reelection in 2018, but during the 2012 election he suggested these six years would be his last in office.

Though it is unlikely that Hatch would face a strong challenger in the GOP primary, like Flake has, his siding with Trump could cost him votes in the general election. And while it may seem unlikely that a state as red as Utah would elect a Democrat to the Senate, anything seems possible after Alabama.

Right now, Hatchs prominent association with Trump is manifesting in high-profile criticism from a major paper that has called on him to retire in the past. But its definitely his association with Trump thats earning him such scathing criticism.

Both he and Flake could ultimately learn the same lesson: A year into Trumps presidency, Republican senators still have no winning formula to deal with Trump.
Colombian security officials, including the chief of staff and the commander of the Air Force, took part earlier this month in a ceremony marking the completion of an upgrading process of 22 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Kfir fighter planes belonging to the Colombian army and manufactured in Israel in the early 1970s.

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This is the second and most essential upgrading project for the veteran planes, which have been serving Colombia's air force for the past 15 years.

According to Benny Cohen, director of the Lahav plant at Israel Aerospace Industries, the improvement transforms the planes, from an avionics point of view, into 4.5 generation fighter planes that will be able to compete in air battles against F-15 and F-16.

Kfir fighter jets (Photo: IAI)

As a result, the Colombian Air Force will be able to participate in the international Red Flag exercise that the United States is expected to host during the coming year.

IAI is the manufacturer of the plane, based on French Mirage 5 planes that Paris refused to sell to Israel due to the embargo, and it upgraded it in the current project as well.

The upgrade to the Kfir aircraft included the implementation of modern and advanced electronic warfare systems, the installation of communication systems for transferring data between planes in the structure, and the delivery of new smart helmets to pilots.

The Colombian Air Force is currently based on the Kfir fighter squadron, which includes 19 single-seat aircraft and three additional two-seat aircraft.

The Kfir fighter jets, similar in appearance to French Mirage planes, were developed in Israel between the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, and participated in operational activity mainly in the northern arenafrom the 1982 First Lebanon War to the 1993 Operation Accountability.

After they were no longer used in Israel, the planes lay in the Negev for many years.

In the early 2000s, when it became clear that the planes were in good condition and did not suffer from cracks or corrosion, it was decided to sell them to Columbia, but not before their internal systems were replaced with new ones.

In this version of the Kfir, the aircraft received advanced interception and radar systems that made it a multi-mission combat aircraft, and further bolstering its capabilities in air-to-air battles and ground attacks.

"The aircraft is equipped with sophisticated avionics, advanced weapon and self-defense systems, aerial refueling technology and other features that make it one of the most effective war machines in the world," said IAI's President and CEO Joseph Weiss.

"We will aid Colombia's air force and its government as its close allies."
Billionaire Arnon Milchan testified that he gifted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife Sara with jewelry worth $2,500 only because Netanyahu himself explicitly told him it is not illegal, Israel Television News Company reported Wednesday.

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In was reported months ago that Milchan was asked by the police about the expsensive jewelry he had bought for Mrs. Netanyahu.

Milchan's testimony to the police, as was handed to them by his confidants, described the prime minister's wife's heavy pressure on the billionaire and his associates.

"Hadas Klein (Milchan's assistanted) said that Sarah was asking for a piece of jewelry for her birthday, but (Milchan) refused and said he wanted to hear from (Benjamin Netanyahu) that it was legal for him to buy a piece of jewelry at that price," Milchan's confidants told the police.

The Netanyahu couple and Milchan (Photo: AFP, EPA)

"Hadas relayed that to Sara and she said in response that she was being humiliated, But Arnon told Hadas that he does not approve of the purchase until he hears from the prime minister himself."

Klein is said to have spoken to Sara Netanyahu again.

"Sara said that (Benjamin) replied that they spoke with legal consultants and that this gift is permissible. Hadas updated Milchan and he said that it was not enough for him," they said, but added that "Milchan later spoke with (Benjamin) Netanyahu on the phone and the latter confirmed that there was no legal problem.

"It was important for (Milchan) to get the approval because it's not like cigars and champagnes. It's not perishable and it seemed that a line was being crossed, but Sara has no lines."

Milchan later tried to explain his motivation to please the prime minister and his wife, manifested by the gifts he furnished on them.

"It is important to him that he be close to the prime minister because he can influence matters related to the state," his confidants said, adding that the pink champagne "was given to Sara in order to calm her down and to give (Benjamin) some piece of mind from her."

Sources close to Milchan said the gift still seemed be be too extravagent to him. They tried to reject the request, but Mrs. Netanyahu continued to insist, and even raised the issue in a meeting with Milchan at his home in Beit Yanai, and after the permits he received, it was decided that he had no choice.

Following the talks, Milchan is reported to have acquiesced to her demands, and allowed Klein to buy Sara a piece of jewelry worth $2,500.

The Netanyahu family has denied any wrongdoing.

"For obvious reasons, we cannot relate to the distorted way in which things are presented and set forth," they said in a statement.

"The conduct of the Netanyahu couple on this issue and on every other issue has been flawless. All the continuation of the biased leaks against the prime minister and his wife must be curtailed."

The Netanyahu couple is accused of receiving illicit gifts from Milchan as bribes. They are currently under investigation in what the police refer to as Case 1000.
ISTANBUL - Turkish police detained 38 people, some of them Syrian citizens, over suspected links to Islamic State in an operation on Thursday in the northwestern province of Bursa, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Counter-terrorism police carried out simultaneous raids on homes in various districts of Bursa, smashing doors open with battering rams and searching the properties, it said.
Guatemalas recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital leaves President Jimmy Morales closer to the United States at a time his stock has fallen at home due to corruption allegations raised by UN-backed investigators.

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Defying overwhelming international rejection of President Donald Trumps decision to move his embassy to Jerusalem, Guatemala and Honduras were the only nations in the Americas to back him in a UN General Assembly vote last week.

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem in November 2016 (Photo: AFP)

Increasingly isolated at home, Morales won friends In Washington by aligning himself with Trump, although he runs the risk of backlash from Arab countries which import the costly spice cardamom from Guatemala.

Morales on Christmas Eve said he would follow Trump in moving Guatemalas embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

This is a pretty low-cost way for Morales to make sure the Trump administration is on his side, said Michael Shifter, head of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank.

Morales is no stranger to international controversy.

In August, the former TV comedian came under fire from the United Nations, the European Union and the US ambassador in Guatemala for attempting to expel a UN-backed prosecutor seeking to put him on trial for alleged corruption.

The investigation into allegations of illicit campaign financing - which followed separate graft probes into members of the presidents familyhad threatened to condemn Morales to impeachment.

Morales escaped that fate but he had to back down over a bid to eject the head of the UN-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, and his authority has been seriously undermined.

Morales, an evangelical Christian, says the Israel policy is a principled stand in the tradition of Guatemalas longstanding support of Israel.

Even though there were only nine of us in the whole world who backed (Trumps position) were totally sure this is the right path, Morales said of the UN vote. Eight other nations opposed the resolution condemning the United States for recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital and 128 voted for it.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to any Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their own state.

Guatemalan realpolitik

Backing Trump was also an exercise in realpolitik for Morales.

Trump threatened to cut aid to countries backing the UN resolution. Few in the Americas rely more on US support than Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, which did not vote.

Morales and US President Donald Trump. A pretty low-cost way to make sure the Trump administration is on his side (Photo: AFP, EPA)

Pending US approval, Guatemala is set to receive some $209 million from the Alliance for Prosperity Plan in the Northern Triangle, a US-funded program, according to the government.

Guatemala also received almost $100 million from the United States Agency for International Development last year, and over $75 million in security aid between 2012 and 2015, according to the Security Assistance Monitor database.

The local economy benefits from money sent home by hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans in the United States, many of whom are unlawful immigrants that Trump has threatened to send home.

Remittances are this year set to top $8 billion, equivalent to roughly three-quarters of the Guatemalan budget.

Were those flows to dry up, it would aggravate discontent at Morales.

These acts of good faith and support for Donald Trumps government could eventually turn into opportunities for political stability that right now arent there, said Ricardo Barrero, political coordinator at the Guatemala City-based Central American Institute of Political Studies.

Israel has provided important training for Guatemalas military.

But Guatemala also has other interests in the Middle East, not least demand from Arab states for cardamom, of which it is the worlds biggest producer.

Former Guatemalan vice president Eduardo Stein recalled that in the mid-1990s, Guatemala also said it would move its embassy to Jerusalembefore backing off amid threats from Arab nations not to import cardamom, which is used in Arabic coffee.

Its likely to happen again, said Stein, referring to possible cardamom curbs.
The Iraqi government estimates $100 billion is needed nationwide to rebuild cities and towns left in ruins by more than three years of war against the Islamic State group. Local leaders in Mosul, the biggest city held by IS, say that amount is needed to rehabilitate their city alone.

But so far, no one is offering to foot the bill.

The Trump administration has told the Iraqis it won't pay for a massive reconstruction drive. Iraq hopes Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will step up, and Iran may also take a role. The UN is repairing some infrastructure in nearly two dozen towns and cities around Iraq, but funding for it is a fraction of what will be needed.
The Herzliya Magistrate's Court accepted Thursday a request by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to postpone the court hearings in Meni Naftali's defamation suit against close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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In a letter written on Mandelblit's behalf by State Attorney Shai Nitzan, the attorney general asked the court to postpone the hearings in Naftali's case by 10 days, saying it could undermine the criminal legal proceedings against Mrs. Netanyahu and former PMO deputy director Ezra Saidoff.

Judge Gilad Hess decided to postpone the court hearings until February 15 due to the court's already busy schedule.

Meni Naftali and Attorney General Mandelblit (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky, Yoav Dudkevich)

Naftali, who formerly worked as the chief caretaker in the Prime Minister's Residence, filed a half a million shekels lawsuit in February 2015 against the Netanyahu family's former spokesman Nir Hefetz, the prime minister's lawyer David Shimron, Mrs. Netanyahu's attorney Yossi Cohen, attorney Yaakov Borowski, and Shulamit Eshbol.

The attorney general asked to receive the pleadings in the case as well as the minutes of the court hearings so he could examine them and decide whether to submit an additional request to postpone proceedings.

"There is a strong connection between the facts in the criminal investigation and the facts coming to light in (Naftali's) suit," Nitzan wrote. "It is evident there is overlap between the matters being examined as part of the criminal investigation and those coming up as part of the lawsuit, and that the suit concerns the conduct at the Prime Minister's Residence during a period relevant to the criminal investigation."

The request also states that some of the defendants in Naftali's suit are expected to serve as prosecution witnesses in the case against Mrs. Netanyahu and Saidoff.

Ezra Saidoff and Sara Netanyahu (Photos: Motti Kimchi, Gil Nechushtan)

"It is possible that some of the witnesses in the civil legal suit will be required to provide their testimony in the criminal case as well, such as Saidoff," Nitzan wrote after Saidoff had already testified in Naftali's civil suit. "Hearing the testimony of these witnesses in the civil casewhile they're expected in the future to be witnesses in the criminal caseraises concern the criminal judicial proceedings will be harmed."

Yossi Cohen, who is being sued by Naftali for slander and serves as Sara Netanyahu's lawyer in the criminal case, received a copy of the investigation materials in the criminal case ahead of a January 16 hearing for Mrs. Netanyahu.

"This only further demonstrates the concern there would be real harm caused to the criminal proceedings," the request notes.

Attorney Yossi Cohen (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

During a hearing in Naftali's civil case on Tuesday, the former chief caretaker responded to questions from Cohen.

Naftali claimed he had to forge orders from high-end restaurants after Sara Netanyahu demanded him to do so. This, he said, was authorized by Saidoff. Saidoff, meanwhile, denied Naftali's claims.

Cohen tried to undermine Naftali's credibility, asking him about the public housing apartment he lives in, his studies, a suit he filed over a disability he has, and about a form he filled out when he was hired to work in the Prime Minister's Residence.
Hundreds of people staged a protest in Ein Mahil against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus visit to the village.

Demonstrators waved placards saying: In Ein Mahil we dont respect racism. They also called for the boycotting of a meeting that is set to take place with Netanyahu at 3pm.
The terrorist who stabbed a security guard at the entrance to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station earlier this month was indicted on Thursday.

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Yassin Abu al-Qara'a, 24, from Nablus, was charged with attempted murder as an act of terror, as well as with illegally entering Israel.

According to the indictment, the terrorist wished to avenge US President Donald Trump's declaration recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Terrorist Yassin Abu al-Qara'a in court (Photo: Yoav Dudkevich)

Al-Qara'a decided to murder as many Jews in Jerusalem as he could, get killed in the attack, and become a martyr in order to "defend Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa mosque," the indictment noted.

Security guard Asher Elmaliach, 46, suffered serious stab wounds in the attack. He was rushed to the Shaare Zedek medical Center, where he underwent surgery. He is still fighting for his life, but his situation is stable.

Al-Qara'a has no prior record of security offenses, and the initial investigation findings point to him having operated as a "lone wolf" terrorist.

However, police is still searching for another suspect who is believed to have aided al-Qara'a. Security footage shows the suspected accomplice giving the terrorist something before the latter went on to carry out the attack.

Al-Qara'a had a job permit for the Seam Zonean area in the West Bank east of the Green Line and west of the separation barrier, populated largely by Israeli settlementsbut had no permit to stay in Israel.

An examination of his social media posting found he was influenced by the incitement following Trump's Jerusalem declaration. "Jerusalem is in the heart, in the eyes and in the blood. I vowed to revive its land," al-Qara'a wrote in a recent post.

"On his way to carry out the attack, the defendant wrote a will, the content of which he said he remembered from his school books," said attorney Sagiv Uzeri of the Jerusalem District Attorney. "In his will, he wrote among other things that he would sacrifice his blood for Palestine."
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid returned fire against Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi) Thursday, accusing her trampling on the Knesset by taking all the laws, and moving them aside and weaving laws to help the prime minister.

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Lapids comments, made in an interview with Ynet, came a day after Shaked expressed her disapproval with his threats to appeal to the High Court of Justice (HCJ) if the recommendations law passed its second and third Knesset reading

You dont understand how the Knesset works. After a long discussion like this without any constitutional reason, you are running to the HCJ. You are trampling on the Knesset, and embarrassing everyone who is in here, Shaked scathed after Lapid made his threat.

Yair Lapid and Ayelet Shaked (Photo: Noam Moskovich)

Lapid also attacked the government in general for focusing on the recommendations law while neglecting bills that directly affect the lives of Israeli citizens.

Over a year ago I passed the autism bill. They didnt do anything on the matter. They dont help the disabled in any way whatsoever. The terror bill, that was intended to fight against terrorthey have halted it for two years already, Lapid complained. The person who is trampling on the Knesset is the person who enslaves the entire Israeli judicial system for the needs of one person they depend on.

Those opposed to the bill have expressed deep concern over its influence on the ongoing investigations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is being dragged to the final stages of corruption probes and as police draw final conclusions on whether or not to recommend to the attorney general that he be indicted.

Non-coalition parties continue to oppose the bill even though its latest draft excludes from its remit investigations that have already been opened.

Asked whether he meant that everything was being done purely for Netanyahus sake, to prevent the dismantlement of the coalition and keep a lid on opponents, Lapid responded: So they say. Ask (MK David) Amsalem. Ask Miki Zohar. They will all tell you the same thingthat this law was designed for Netanyahu. They dont even deny it because they have lost any sense of shame.

Lapid asserted that "Israeli citizens are under attack, everything that is sacred and valued and which is important to the Israeli citizens and there is total neglect for education and health and security, he argued. We are taking every step against this attack.

Recommendations law passes in Knesset (Photo: Amit Shabi)

After Lapid made good on his word and filed an appeal to the courts on Thursday morning, Shaked continued her assault against the step.

What annoys me is that first of all Lapid embarrassed the opposition itself. So what is the opposition making all this commotion for? Shaked said during a speech at s speech in Haifa University.

There is no constitutional problem and there is no human rights issue. The fact that knesset members have gotten used to losing in parliament despite their fight and immediately run to the HCJ, on this issue it humiliates and tramples on the Knesset, she reiterated.

Even MKs from the opposition came and told me I was right. In the eyes of the legislator, going to the HCJ in this situation is intolerable.
Israel purchased a sewage treatment system for Nauru, a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean, only two weeks before the country voted against a UN General Assembly resolution criticizing the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital

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The Foreign Ministry's Tenders Committee approved the purchase of the sewage treatment plant at the cost NIS 250,191 ($71,997) without a tender.

While Nauru is only 21 square kilometers in size with a population of a mere 11,359 people, it still has a vote at the UN equal to that of the US, Russia and China.

Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with Nauru President Baron Waqa (Photo: Amos Ben-Gershom)

Explaining the decision to approve the purchase without a tender, the Tenders Committee wrote that "Nauru is the smallest independent island nation with regards to its population and territory. It has close friendly ties with Israel. The president of Nauru appealed to the prime minister, asking to receive aid in the form of a sewage treatment plant, which fits the unique needs of the island."

The sewage treatment plant will serve a school on the island. The Foreign Ministry hired the services of a company that developed the unique sewage treatment system and the cost of the deal include all additional expenses, including flights, accommodation and living expenses for the team installing the system, as well as the delivery cost, among other things.

The deal was approved by a special committee headed by Foreign Ministry Director-General Yuval Rotem, the ministry's legal adviser Tal Becker and the ministry's accountant Sima Fischer.

Nauru has already voted for Israel in the past in important resolutions at the UN General Assembly, such as the Palestinians' 2012 bid to upgrade its status at the UN to one of a non-member observer state.

The island nation of Nauru (Photo: Satellite)

However, Nauru did not vote on a September 2015 resolution in which the General Assembly approved the Palestinian request to have their flag fly among the other country flags at UN buildings.

The Foreign Ministry's Tenders Committee also approved the purchase of a mobile desalination system at the cost of NIS 400,000 ($115,184) to be given as a gift to India ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's state visit there on January 14.

It is the same desalination system Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi drank from during the latter's visit to Israel last July

Unlike Nauru, however, the gesture did not help, as India voted against Israel and in support of the resolution criticizing the US recognition of Jerusalem.

Channel 2 reported on Wednesday that Netanyahu plans to start a fund granting $50 million to 50 developing countries to "encourage them" to vote for Israel at the UN.
A Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has killed 109 civilians in air strikes in the past 10 days, including 54 at a crowded market and 14 members of one family in a farm, the top UN official in the country said on Thursday.

UN resident coordinator Jamie McGoldrick called the fighting futile and absurd, an unusually direct criticism of the war in which the coalition, backed by the United States, Britain and others, is fighting the Iran-allied Houthi armed movement.

Citing initial reports from the UN human rights office, a statement by McGoldrick said air strikes hit a crowded market in Al Hayma sub-district of Attazziah in Taiz governorate on Tuesday, killing 54 and injuring 32.

Eight of the dead and six of the injured were children, according to the reports.

On the same day an air strike on a farm in Attohayta district of Hodeidah governorate killed 14, and air strikes elsewhere killed a further 41 civilians and injured 43 over the past 10 days.
Lebanese politicians on Thursday criticised Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil over a television interview in which he was shown saying that Lebanon did not have an ideological problem with Israel and was not against it having security.

The comments, made to al-Mayadin television channel during a long interview on Tuesday, had just started attracting attention.

Lebanon has no official relations with Israel and tensions have risen this year between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group. Israel and Hezbollah, the group it describes as the greatest security threat on its border, have fought wars against each other.

A former government minister called on Bassil to resign and a member of parliament also criticised him.

Bassil's office later said al-Mayadin had distorted his comments through its editing of the interview, without explaining how.

"We are not against Israel living in security," he was shown saying in a clip that circulated widely in Lebanon on social media.
Militants killed two people including a policeman at a bank in Egypt's North Sinai region on Thursday and wounded several others, security sources said.

The militants fired a rocket and shot at police who were guarding the bank in the town of el-Arish, the sources said.

Police fired back but the militants fled the scene.

Egypt's interior ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.
Lebanese politicians on Thursday criticized Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil over a television interview in which he was shown saying that Lebanon did not have an ideological problem with Israel and was not against it having security.

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We have no ideological dispute with Israel and we are not against the existence of the State of Israel and its right to security, he was shown saying in a clip that circulated widely in Lebanon on social media.

"All nations must live in peace and recognize each other. We are a people that want to live alongside others, even if they are different from us, but it will only be when the other (Israel) wants it, and it does not want it."

Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil (Photo: EPA)

The comments, made to Al Mayadeen television channel during a long interview on Tuesday, had just started attracting attention.

Lebanon has no official relations with Israel and tensions have risen this year between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah group. Israel and Hezbollah, the group it describes as the greatest security threat on its border, have fought wars against each other.

A former government minister called on Bassil to resign and a member of parliament also criticized him.

Bassils office later said Al Mayadeen had distorted his comments through its editing of the interview, without explaining how.

"The choice of (Al Mayadeen showinged) this part is intended to undermine (Bassils) position that Israel is an aggressive entity that runs a terror state," the foreign ministry stated.

"The Lebanese position on the Arab-Israeli conflict and the issue of Palestine is unchanging and in accordance with international law and the Arab peace initiative. Cutting (Bassils) statement will not change the fact that for years the minister rejected the existence of an Israeli entity that rapes Palestinian rights and recognized that Israel is an enemy of Lebanon."

Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah

Israel has targeted Hezbollah positions several times this year in Syria, where the group, which is in Lebanons coalition government, is fighting on the Syrian governments side in the civil war against rebels and Islamic State.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said this month that after the groups success in Syria, where rebels are on the back foot and Islamic State has been militarily defeated, it will focus on its confrontation with Israel.

He called on allied Shiite militia in the region to join Hezbollah in developing a strategy against Israel.

The al-Baqer Brigade, a militia in Syria, posted a picture on its Facebook page on Dec. 26 of what it said was one of its commanders identified as Haj Hamza Abu al-Abbas visiting the Israeli border in southern Lebanon.

An Iraqi militia commander also appeared in a video recently on Lebanons border with Israel, in what was seen in Lebanon as a demonstration of the growing clout of Hezbollah and its regional allies.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan's change in strategy for curtailing terror activities afflicting Jerusalem is showing its mark, with statistics showing drastically increased police activity in Arab villages in the capital's vicinity.

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"Our policy is clear; we are moving from a defensive strategy to an offensive one," Erdan said during an inspection of security arrangements in the Arab villages.

Erdan (holding the binoculars) during the tour

Many of the recent terror attacks in Jerusalem have been perpetrated by residents from Arab towns just outside the city. Twenty five stabbing attacks, 11 vehicular attacks and four shootings during the last year and a half.

During those attacks, 18 terrorists were killed and seven neutralized; Shuafat refugee camp has seen the most arrests related to the above incidents.

According to data received by Ynet, during 2016, the police have tried to minimize their incursions in to Arab towns near Jerusalem such as Qalandia, al-Azariya, Kafr 'Aqab and Biddu. However, beginning in September 2016, when the area was partitioned into its own independent police district, policing strategies changed and have become more aggressive.

As part of the new strategy, Border Police units initiated more anti-terror and anti-crime activities in the Jerusalem vicinity. For the sake of comparison, during 2016, dozens of wanted suspects were arrested in the vicinity of the capital. This year there have been 235 arrests as security patrols have increased tenfold.

Jerusalem vicinity Police Chief (Photo: Daniel Elior)

Since the start of the new strategy, 227 explosive devices were seized and 30 hostile incidents were averted at an early stage, before the attacker could reach the city.

Over the past year, security forces have made 198 incursions into the Shuafat refugee camp and arrested 162 wanted suspects.

At the Knessets Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday, Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman said that the agency foiled 400 attacks this year, including 13 suicide attacks and eight kidnappings.

Minister Erdan, district police chief, Commander Yitzhak Brik and district Border Police chief, Assistant Commissioner Uzi Levy, toured the Jerusalem vicinity district on Monday and took note of the changes. "During the last year, Border Police entered towns that they previously would not have, every day," said Erdan.

"There is no immunity from arrest. Our current policy, together with the increase in arrests, has brought about a drop in terror attacks and violence. Our sovereignty begins in Jerusalem and I will continue to strengthen the police in every way possible," he continued.

During the inspection tour, stones were thrown at the minister's car from over the security fence near Abu Dis. The vehicle suffered minor damage and security forces dispersed the rioters.
Eastern Libyan forces have retaken from Islamist fighters the last district of Benghazi, the country's second largest city, military officials said.

The battle for Benghazi, waged between forces led by General Khalifa Haftar and an array of Islamist militants and other fighters, has been part of a broader conflict since Libya slipped into turmoil following the 2011 fall of strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

Haftar had declared victory in July but fighting continued in one area, Khreibish.

Commander Wanis Bukhamada, head of army special forces, said the eastern forces now fully controlled the district.

"We declare in this moment the liberation of Benghazi from terrorists," he told Reuters.

Haftar launched his "Operation Dignity" campaign in May 2014, slowly gaining the upper hand against Islamist militants and former rebels who fought Gaddafi in the 2011 uprising.
Police have arrested an Israeli citizen after his extradition was requested by the United States so that he can face charges involving child pornography, forcing a minor to engage in sex acts and blackmail.

The accused is alleged to have tracked down the subjects of photographs showing minors involved in sex acts and then blackmailing them into engaging in a sexually explicit video chat with him.
Four legal interns filed a complaint Thursday with the Tel Aviv Police Fraud Investigations Division against the Israel Bar Association for intentionally tilting and knowingly falsifying the results of the qualification exam held this month.

In addition, Adv. Ilan Bombach submitted a letter in the name of 1,500 interns to Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Chairman of the Bar Association's examining committee, Judge Yosef Elron, regarding what they say were deficiencies in the exam.
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines and Canvas present The Weight of the Words: An Alphabet of Human Rights on exhibit until Jan. 21, 2018 at Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino and Pasilyo Victorio Edades galleries.

The exhibit is part of Canvas Looking for Juan Program, which explores art as a platform for social change. For the last 10 years, Canvas has been promoting art, culture, and literature through exhibitions and publication of childrens books. Canvas continues to challenge the imagination of its audiences and participate in the social discourse.

For this exhibit, participating artists and designers Keith Dador, John Ed de Vera, June Digan, Electrolychee, Lala Gallardo, Gerilya, Meneer Marcelo, Jom Masolabe, Dan Matutina, Kevin Roque, Palma Tayona, and Wesley Valenzuela contemplate on the meaning and value of human rights using the alphabet.

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Each participating artist has chosen a letter or two and connected it with the concept of human rights. It hopes that with these letters, words, and arts, the universal truths about human rights can again be revealed, shared, reflected upon, and force an acceptance and commitment to the truth that human rights is not the cause of the chasm  it is the bridge that will unite.

To value human rights is to uphold every persons life and right to live with dignity. This includes the right of children to education, play, shelter, and care. It includes the right to not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, ancestry, age, or even disability. It protects our right to participate in politics, civil service, or the private sector; and ultimately, to self-determination. To value human rights is to believe in the sanctity of life and stand up for our freedoms: to speak, to assemble, to be free from abuse, even and especially from the State.

The Weight of Words: An Alphabet of Human Rights is a call to reflect on the basics of human rights.

The various works in the exhibition will be included in a book launch on the National Day of Human Rights on Dec.10. The book will be distributed for free to disadvantaged communities in the Philippines as part CANVAS 1 Million Books for 1 Million Filipino Children Campaign.

For more information, contact the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division at (02) 832-1125 loc. 1504/1505 and (02) 832-3702, mobile 0917-6033809, email ccp.exhibits@gmail.com, or visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.

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Quezon City continues to strengthen its partnership with other countries as Mayor Herbert Bautista recently led the groundbreaking ceremony of the Philippine-Israel Friendship Park at the Quezon Memorial Circle with the officials of the Embassy of Israel and Quirino Foundation.

The Philippine-Israel Friendship Park will feature a marker to honor the late President Manuel L. Quezons effort to save the lives of over 1,000 Jewish refugees during World War II.

The marker also commemorates the vote made by the Philippines that favored the partition of Palestine and the recreation of the state of Israel.

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau also mentioned the Open Doors monument, located at Rishon Lezion Memorial Park in Tel Aviv in Israel that commemorates and honors Filipinos and President Quezon, during the ceremony.

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President Quezon has been compared to Oskar Schindler for allowing Jewish refugees to enter the Philippines during Nazi dictator Adolf Hitlers reign.

Schindler is a German businessman who saved hundreds of lives of Jews from Hitlers persecution by providing them jobs in his industrial factory. His life was made into the award-winning film Schindlers List.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fire Protection on Thursday reminded the Quezon City residents to practice caution and safety in celebrating the New Year.

Sr. Supt. Manuel Manuel, the citys fire marshall, said those who will use firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices this New Years Eve should follow the safety measures indicated in their brochures and manuals.

We need to be extra careful. We must follow the safety measures indicated on the brochures as to how to use the firecrackers. We all know how dangerous to use them, he said.

To those who have been injured, clean your wound with clean water and go to a nearby hospital, he added.

Meanwhile, Manuel said they received only two permit applications as of Dec. 27. Thus the BFP is expecting guerrilla type vending of firecrackers in some areas in Quezon City.

He called on the public to report illegal vendors of firecrackers and pyrotechnics devices.

Those who intend to display fireworks and pyrotechnic devices must ask permission from the barangays and BFP for them to position their fire trucks near the area, he said.

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A new group of Turkish soldiers arrived in the Al Udeid airbase in the Qatari capital, Doha, as part of an agreement between the defense ministries of the two countries.

The group, including soldiers from the Turkish Joint Forces Command, will join Turkish troops already based at the Tariq bin Ziyad military base in southern Doha.

The Turkish military base in Qatar was set up in 2016 with a capacity to accommodate up to 5,000 troops.

Besides military support, Turkey has come to the rescue of Qatar by signing an agreement that also includes Iran with the aim of boosting commercial ties with Doha that is under blockade by its Arab neighbors.

Qatar is home to the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, with roughly 10,000 personnel.
Ben pioneered the idea that glia play a central role in sculpting the wiring diagram of our brain and are integral for maintaining circuit function throughout our lives, said Thomas Clandinin, PhD, professor of neurobiology, who assumed the role of departmental chair in April 2016 when Barres, who had held the position from 2008 until then, was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. People had thought glia were mere passive participants in maintaining neural function. Bens own work and that of his trainees transformed this view entirely.

When Barres first began studying them, glia, whose name comes from the Greek word for glue, were thought to be not much more than packing peanuts, supplying positional stability and various nutrients to the brains much more talented neurons.

But Barres and the numerous trainees who cycled through his lab showed otherwise.

Glial cells, they proved, are critical to sustaining the overall architecture of the brains constellation of synapses, through which neurons pass signals to one another. Recent evidence from Barres lab indicates that glia gone wrong may be to blame for many of the neurodegenerative disorders that vex humanity.

Ben placed a big career bet on the possibility that there was gold in glia, said neurobiology professor William Newsome, PhD, the Vincent V. C. Woo Director of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute. And he started by solving a big problem: No one had been able to grow glial cells in isolation.

Burning the midnight oil

Intent on determining exactly how glia influence brain function and dysfunction, Barres typically worked until midnight or later throughout his career. Early on, he generated tools that allowed each of the three distinct types of glial cells to be purified and cultured in a way that retained all of their functionality, so they could be studied in a dish with a previously unobtainable acuity. Rather than jealously guard his methods and reagents, Barres took pains to make them widely available to others just as, later on, he did with the voluminous data his lab was able to generate with them.

He had a selfless, outward-looking focus, Clandinin said. Ive gone a lot of places in the months since Ben was diagnosed, and I havent gone anywhere yet where someone hasnt come up to me and asked me about how Ben was doing. Every one of them has a story about how he helped them in their career.

In doing so, Barres seeded an entire field of scientists studying glia, said Andrew Huberman, PhD, an associate professor of neurobiology at Stanford who was Barres postdoctoral advisee from 2005 through 2010.

He didnt have these normal territorial issues all of us have, Huberman said. He always gave more than he took. If ever there was an example of a purpose-driven life, its Ben. His passion was for science. His obsession was glia. His mission was to bring equality to how people are treated and promoted in science.

Born Sept. 13, 1954, Barres grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, one of four children in a not well-to-do family. He got his first taste of science in the West Orange Public Library, developed an affinity for microscopes and chemistry sets, and became a high school math star. Attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a scholarship, he earned a bachelors degree in life science there in 1976 and headed to medical school at Dartmouth, where he obtained an MD in 1979.

Motivated by a mystery

During his subsequent internship and residency in clinical neurology at Cornell, Barres grew increasingly frustrated at physicians inability to provide cures or even to understand the causes of neuronal degeneration. He was struck by the observation, in pathologists specimens of degenerating brain tissue, of irregular-appearing glial cells ubiquitous presence near the lesions.

Bent on finding out why, Barres changed course. He returned to academia, enrolling in a graduate program in Harvard Medical Schools neuroscience program in 1983, and published several research papers by the time he received his PhD in neurobiology in 1990. Then he embarked on a postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Martin Raff, MD, a professor of biology at University College London who was using immunological techniques to tease apart the three classes of glial cells.

Working under Raff, Barres pushed forward and unearthed new insights concerning the best-known glial class: oligodendrocytes, cells stuffed with a fatty substance called myelin. These fat-filled cells were already understood to wrap themselves around neurons lengthy projections, a process called myelination, providing electrical insulation and vastly increasing the transmission speed and reliability of neuronal impulses. Barres showed, among other things, that electrical activity in neurons was necessary for neurons myelination.

Barres would routinely work in the lab until 2 or 3 a.m., said Raff. He slept on the floor of my small office. Every morning when I arrived and opened the door, it would whack him in the head  he eventually learned to sleep facing the opposite direction.

Arriving at Stanford

In 1993, Barres moved from University College London to an assistant professorship in Stanfords Department of Neurobiology. He was promoted to associate professor of neurobiology and of developmental biology in 1998, and to a full professorship in 2001. In 2008, he became chair of neurobiology. From 2005 on, he was the director of the Masters of Science in Medicine Degree Program for PhD students, which he had created.

At Stanford, Barres turned his attention to a second class of glial cells known as astrocytes. These are the most common cells in the human brain, outnumbering neurons by a factor of four or so. Before Barres began focusing on them, nobody really had understood what astrocytes do for a living. With his colleagues, he discovered that they are crucial to the physical formation of synapses, as well as to those synapses functional activation. He and his colleagues also discovered that astrocytes cooperate with microglia  a third glial-cell type thats become the object of much recent attention in Barres lab  in pruning away excess synapses during fetal and neonatal development, in essence preserving brain circuitry thats proven itself to perform legitimate activities and clearing out the dead wood.

Beth Stevens, PhD, then a postdoctoral scholar in Barres lab, led a 2007 study showing that the cooperation of astrocytes and microglia in synaptic pruning involves the coordinated secretion of molecules previously thought to be exclusive to the bodys immune system. Stevens continues to focus on this phenomenon as an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.

When I left Stanford for my new job, she said, Ben told me, Take this work with you to your new lab, Beth. Nobody can do it better than you. Mentors arent always so generous about ceding areas of research initiated in their lab to trainees headed elsewhere. But Ben was a very special person. Not only was he an incredible scientist, but he also cared deeply about other people, especially his trainees. We were his kids.

Never losing sight of goal

Barres never lost sight of his original goal: to figure out the molecular and cellular causes of the brain tissue degeneration seen in Alzheimers, Parkinsons and Huntingtons diseases; multiple sclerosis; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrigs disease; and glaucoma, an optic-nerve degenerative disease. Research in Barres lab has strongly implicated inflamed or reactive astrocytes and microglia as drivers in all of these neurodegenerative disorders  most recently, in a 2017 Nature paper describing how certain reactive astrocytes secrete something that kills stressed or injured neurons.

In an interview about this study, Barres described these findings as the most important discovery my lab has ever made.

Wherever we look in degenerating cortical tissue, we find reactive astrocytes, said the studys lead author, Shane Liddelow, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Barres lab. And now weve learned that a subset of these reactive astrocytes not only fail to execute their synapse-building and -pruning tasks but also secrete a factor, or combination of them, thats toxic to damaged neurons, and that these astrocytes become malevolent only when stimulated by yet other factors secreted by microglia that are themselves in an inflammatory state.

Postdoctoral scholar Mariko Bennett, PhD, who will receive a medical degree in June, identified those microglia-derived factors, and graduate student Kevin Guttenplan is working on identifying and characterizing the astrocyte-generated toxin. In 2011, Barres co-founded a biotechnology company, Annexon Biosciences, to translate these findings into drugs that could someday succeed in retarding or preventing the progression of neurodegenerative disorders.

Just so I could work with him

Liddelow hadnt initially intended to study glia. In 2010, he was a graduate student in Australia, focused on another research area. I met Ben at a meeting, and we hit it off. I switched fields in a heartbeat, just so I could work with him.

Liddelow sat next to Barres during the meeting. He was happily handing me one after another peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Liddelow recalled. I didnt like peanut butter. But I think I ate three sandwiches. I just wanted him to like me.

Barres was an outspoken advocate for gender equity in the sciences, not infrequently digressing for a few minutes during his scientific talks to point out the differences hed personally experienced in how other scientists treated him when they perceived him as a woman versus as a man.

Barres spent his last days and final hours making sure that the letters of recommendation he had written for others were ready. In what time remains to me that will be my highest priority, he assured trainees in a letter he sent to them in early November.

Over the course of his career, Barres published 167 peer-reviewed papers, organized and chaired numerous meetings, won many awards and served on the editorial boards of Science, Neuron, the Journal of Neuroscience, the Journal of Cell Biology, Glia, Current Biology and more. He was elected to membership in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.

If you took the Barres lab out of the field of glial studies, there would be no field, Raff said.

Much of that field was in attendance for a celebratory symposium/reunion held in Barres honor at Stanford on Jan. 12, 2017. It was like a giant lab meeting, said Stevens, one of the organizers. Everybody came except for a handful who couldnt make it for logistical reasons. Were really a tightly knit family. And Ben was the nucleus that kept us all together.
A house belonging to President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been attacked and set ablaze by unknown men, U.N. sponsored radio, Okapi reported.

According to the radio, the main house on the farm, located near the village of Musienene in North Kivu province in the east of the country, was gutted by fire.

President Kabila and his family were not at the property during the attack, which took place overnight from Sunday to Monday.

Kabila, who succeeded his father Laurent-Desire as president in 2001, has refused to cede power after his second presidential term ended on 19 December 2016.

The mineral-rich nation is embroiled in a political crisis linked to Kabilas refusal to step down. Militia violence and political unrest are increasing.

The countrys Church, as well as its independent national electoral commission have come together in agreement that Kabila must give up power by end-December 2017.

About 400,000 children in the Kasai region  an anti-government stronghold in the country are at risk of death by starvation over the next couple of months if emergency food is not delivered.

A total of 7.7 million people  approximately 10% of the DRCs population  are, according to the World Food Program, on the verge of starvation; 3.2 million are in the Kasai region alone.

The armies of Congo and neighboring Uganda launched a joint operation against the Congo-based Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) last week.
Thousands of Burundians have gathered at the stadium of the province of Kayanza for a week-long prayer organized by President Pierre Nkurunziza and his family.

The objective of the move, according to the First Family, is to thank God for his actions in Burundi throughout the year, but also to entrust him with the year 2018.

Nkurunziza, an openly born-again Christian, usually organizes prayer meetings and crusades with his wife. However, critics rubbish his pious stance, pointing at his refusal to leave power, violation of the constitution and human rights abuses.

Burundi, a Christians-dominated nation, is one of the poorest countries in the world and is heavily dependent on foreign assistance run its government.

Close to 65% of the population live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

The East African nation has been plunged into a political crisis since 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza forced a third term in violation to the countrys constitution and despite objections from the bishops and other opposition sides.

According to the United Nations and human rights groups, between 500 and 2000 people have been killed in political violence since 2015 and 400,000 have fled the country.
The fleet of Moroccos national airline company Royal Air Maroc (RAM) will be enhanced with the purchase of four 787-9 Dreamliner planes for $1.1 billion.

RAM has already received five Boeing 787-8 planes. The Moroccan carrier will increase its fleet of fuel-efficient 787s to nine airplanes. It uses the 787s in international flights from Casablanca to North America, South America, the Middle East and Europe.

Today Royal Air Maroc has direct flights to 80 international destinations. Thanks to our unique position as a geographic hub and high quality of service, we bring customers from all over the world to their destinations, said Abdelhamid Addou, CEO and Chairman of RAM.

With more than 850 flights per month to Africa, Royal Air Maroc has the broadest presence across the continent of any airline, added Addou, saying the company looks forward to becoming the leading airline in Africa in terms of quality of service, quality of planes and connectivity.

Ordering new-generation planes such as the Dreamliner puts RAM on the right track to fulfill its vision, stressed Addou

Royal Air Maroc is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Its fleet includes more than 56 Boeing airplanes, including 737s, 767-300ERs, 787s and a 747-400.

The Casablanca-based carrier operates a domestic network throughout Morocco and serves more than 80 international destinations.

Boeing is a longstanding partner to Morocco, supporting the development of the countrys aerospace industry and workforce. Boeing and Safran are joint venture partners in Morocco Aero-Technical Interconnect Systems (MATIS) Aerospace in Casablanca, a high-quality supplier that employs more than 1,000 people building wire bundles and wire harnesses for Boeing and other aerospace companies.
Tensions Over Status of Jerusalem Triggers Debates in Georgia

By Khatia Kardava

The U.S. President Donald Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to transfer the U.S. embassy to the holy city prompted international criticism and sparked protests across the world. Debates on what steps other states should take have also fueled up in Georgia since the small country in the Caucasus has been considered the most rigorous ally of the U.S. in the region.The announcement has caused renewed tensions in Gaza strip the same week.President Trump's decision was criticized by a number of countries around the world, including U.S. allies.European Union Diplomatic Chief Federica Mogherini described Trump's announcement as a "dangerous" move that "discredited a bit the United States as an honest broker" in the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assessed the decision as a lighted match.For small countries like Georgia, Trumps announcement has also caused some controversy on the stance they should take.On December 7, member of parliamentary majority Georgian Dream (GD) Shota Shalelashvili published his open letter to Prime Minister Kvirikashvili on Facebook suggesting that the Georgian government should discuss its participation in this process together with its main strategic partner [the U.S.].Shalelashvili is of an opinion that such a course of action would immediately bring benefits to Georgia. He called on Kvirikashvili to give an adequate assessment to the importance of issue, allowing Georgia to become a supporter and a participant of a crucial global political process together with the U.S.The initiative was met with a rebuke among the Georgian Dream (GD) leadership, with PM Kvirikashvili stating that addressing open letters to Prime Minister on such sensitive matters from a member of the parliamentary majority was unacceptable to him.Three MPs supported the public opinion of Shalelashvili: Zviad Kvatchantiradze, a member of GD, Irma Inashvili from the Alliance of Patriots and majoritarian MP of Khashuri, Simon Nozadze.Following Shalelashvili, founder and head of the "Israeli House" in Georgia Isik Moshe also addressed Georgias Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker. According to him, Georgia should be one of the countries to support the decision of the U.S. President Donald Trump on the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.However, Georgian authorities are in no hurry to comment on the situation.The issue is very sensitive, stated Prime Minister Kvirikashvili. We shall have a discussion about this issue, and Georgia will state its position on the basis of its national interests, considering the international situation and threats that exist in the region.The Georgian Foreign Ministry also published a statement.Georgia supports the international communitys efforts aimed at the peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on agreements reached in dialogue, the Foreign Ministry stated.Former Foreign Minister of Georgia Irakli Menagharishvili also says that Georgia should consider a wider political context on the issue.Trump's decision was met with protests not only by Arab but the entire Islamic world. We mustnt forget that we have half a million Muslims residing in our country, a political scientist Soso Tsintsadze pointed out.Im a half Jew, commented a political scientist Gia Kukhashvili to Echo of the Caucasus, Emotions dictate that Jerusalems status as the capital should be recognized, but on the basis of state interests, I would not rush to support the decision of the U.S.Kukhashvili clearly stressed that Georgia should not feel obliged to follow the U.S. Presidents stance regarding the status of Jerusalem.Trumps decision increases risks in the Middle East. Georgia should not be the second country to support his decision. We are already a target in a complicated region without that, he said.
U.S. and Georgia Demonstrate New Level of Cooperation

By Vladimer Napetvaridze

As of November 20, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of 410 Javelin Missiles and 71 Javelin Command Launch Units (CLUs). This is not only a military trade, but one more political message from the Donald Trumps administration that the U.S. is determined to continue partnership with Georgia.Prior to approving the sale, it was stated that the proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving Georgias security. The Javelin system will provide Georgia with increased capacity to meet its national defense requirements.The Russian Federation responded to the growing military cooperation between Georgia and the U.S. and accused the U.S. of encouraging Tbilisi to engage in new dangerous adventures in the region.The State Department and the Pentagon have recently approved the supply of Javelin anti-tank missile systems. This is the first U.S- Georgian military deal on such a scale since 2008. Moreover, instead of training Georgian peacemakers Washington will now be training regular combat units. Washington is also planning to help Tbilisi build another combat training center in Georgia, says the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry.On December 14, in response to Russian Foreign Ministry Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria stated that Anti-tank system Javelin will not be used against any country and the only aim of the purchase is to protect Georgias sovereignty.It is only aimed at efficiently protecting our countrys sovereignty. All type of weapons we have bought or plan to buy will have only a self-defensive character, stressed Izoria.Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Bridget Brink does not share a position of the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to her, this type of military cooperation between Georgia and the United States will help Georgia to improve its security."This proposal to sell a weapon to Georgia is within the framework of an already existing military cooperation program aimed to give Georgia an opportunity to defend itself and we are supporting our military ally. Georgia is a sovereign and independent country, which has the right to choose its own future, stated Brink in an interview with the Voice of America.For years, Georgia has been trying to acquire the Javelin system. However, this deal has not taken place during the presidencies of George Bush and Barack Obama. But for Trump administration, it took only 10 months to decide to sell one of the most sophisticated anti-tank missiles to Georgia. This is not an exceptional support to Georgia, but just one part of the new, deeper relations between Georgia and the United States.After Trumps inauguration, the relations between Georgia and the U.S. improved in many aspects. In July, the US Senate received a bill, which condemns the actions of Russia against Georgia and implies a new sanction. The visit of the Vice President Mike Pence in August was an important political notification.In August, largescale NATO military drills - Noble Partner 2017 - were held in Georgia. The American participants of the drill made a special march all over the country, visited the military bases and the cities which were occupied by the Russian troops in 2008. In August 2017, SSA Marine became the investor of Anaklia port.The invigorated support of the new administration of the U.S. President underlines that Georgia remains an important partner of the U.S. and the relations between the two countries have been gradually shifted to a deeper level of cooperation.
The News in Brief

Georgian FM Janelidze on Georgias EU Integration Roadmap



(TBILISI) -- A day before the Georgian parliament holds a confidence vote for Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvil, the countrys foreign minister, Mikheil Janelidze, offered his thoughts on Tbilisis foreign policy priorities and and its attempts to further integrate with Europe.



European and Euro-Atlantic integration remains Georgias primary foreign policy priority and one of the most important areas of focus for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Janelidze. (civil.ge)







Georgian Woman Detained by Russian Border Guards Near South Ossetia Contact Line



(TBILISI) -- A 55-year-old Georgian woman has been detained near the de facto border separating the Russian-occupied region of South Ossetia from the rest of Georgia.



Lali Khachirashvili was arrested by the Kremlins border guards close to her own property, and only a short distance from Khurvaleti, a village under separatist control and patrolled by Russias Armed Forces.



Neither Khachirashvilis family or the local authorities could confirm her exact whereabouts, but most believe that she is likely being held by the South Ossetian KGB in a police station near Khurvaleti.



Russia and its separatist proxies in South Ossetias capital Tskhinvali consider the contact line between Georgian government-held territory and the areas under occupation to an international border.



Moscows border guards frequently arrest local ethnic Georgian residents for illegal border violations in areas where the boundaries are either poorly marked or unilaterally moved deeper into Georgias territory by Russian troops.



The detainees are usually released within a few days after paying a hefty fine. (agenda.ge)




RONAN  Right now, it takes some imagination to see what the future holds for the Boys and Girls Club here.

Blue lines mark the location of the new walls that will start taking shape next month inside the 19,000-square-foot building that housed the Total Home Furniture store for a quarter-century on the edge of Ronan.

When the remodel is completed, ideally sometime next year, the new clubhouse will be more than five times the size of the clubs current facility.

Before that happens, the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County will need to raise another $1 million in a combination of money and in-kind services to complete the remodel of its Ronan branch.

The club has already raised $1.4 million to buy the building and the 2.4 acres that surround it.

The club worked for a number of years to find a new location, Aric Cooksley, the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County. This one couldnt have been more perfect.

The surrounding community rallied around the idea of creating a place where children could thrive.

Any time you have an entity that is benefiting kids the way we are benefiting kids, there some pretty strong and compelling reasons to support it, Cooksley said. Over the years, weve developed strong relationships with people in the community. As a result of that, there is an understanding for the need for an expansion of our facilities.

Our board and capital campaign committees vision is that were doing this for the kids of our community, he said. We can meet their needs and give them opportunities to thrive.

Over the past few years, the folks who cared deeply about the future of the Ronan Boys and Girls Club have known they were living on borrowed time in a building that was bursting at the seams with kids.

In 2019, a planned expansion of U.S. Highway 93 will require the building that currently houses the clubhouse to be torn down.

They say its not good to have kids playing on the highway, Cooksley said.

The Ronan Boys and Girls Club has seen its popularity soar, especially with middle and high school students.

We are operating well beyond our capacity, Cooksley said.

On school days, somewhere between 60 and 80 kids over 6 years old funnel into the 3,700-square-foot clubhouse right next to Highway 93. In the summer months, that number jumps to upwards of 120 a day.

Once the new clubhouse opens, there will be room for 200 or more.

When that happens, well begin to change the conversation of whats possible, he said.

A year ago, there were very few middle and high school students taking advantage of the Ronan Boys and Girls Club.

On an average month, we might serve 15, Cooksley said. This last month, there were 30 Ronan middle-schoolers on the honor roll who attend the club regularly. Last year, we didnt have 30 middle-schoolers.

Currently, there isnt any space at the clubhouse dedicated to that older age group.

That will change at the new facility, where areas will be set aside for both teenagers and elementary school students. In addition, the facility will feature a commercial kitchen that will prepare breakfast, lunches and dinners for kids and offer cooking classes to families.

Currently, the club serves between 20,000 to 25,000 meals and snacks a year. Cooksley said a conservative estimate suggests meals will jump to somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 in the new facility.

So were not just making a impact on food security and keeping hungry tummies full, but well also be able to work with families, Cooksley said. It wont just impact this generation of kids. It will impact the support network of the generation of kids.  Once we get into this building, we will be able to impact a generation of kids in a very positive way."

The impacts dont stop there.

The new facility will require an increase in staffing, which will mean more jobs.

Once the building is open, there will be a total of 25 to 27 people working there. About four or five of those jobs will be full time. Currently, there are 13 employees and three are full time.

The current operating annual budget is now $440,000. Operating the new facility will cost an estimated $625,000.

The Boys and Girls Club is an economic driver for the local community. Cooksley said the club does its own fundraising.

Currently, we put about $275,000 a year back into the community through wages and payments for other local services, Cooksley said. That will jump to about $400,000 a year when the new building is opened.

That doesnt even count what it means for local families who now have an affordable and safe place for their children to go while they work. Parents pay $5 a month during the school year and $25 a month during the summer.

I have heard from a lot of people who say they couldnt afford to keep working if they had to pay for child care too, Cooksley said. Thats an economic driver that doesnt show up on any budget line. Its certainly important to many in the community.

The Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County has a second location in Polson thats housed in the St. Andrews Episcopal Church basement.

We have 40 kids using that facility and theres a waiting list, he said.

The Providence St. Joseph Medical Center has donated 1.8 acres across from the Polson Middle School for a future home for a new Boys and Girls Club facility for that community.
A second gender discrimination case is unfolding against the University of Montana in Missoula County District Court.

In July, former UM Dining employee Rebecca "Becca" Shern filed a complaint against UM alleging gender discrimination and negligent supervision, accusations that came a couple of months after another former staff member in the same department filed a similar lawsuit.

Shern, who was employed at UM from 2007 to 2016, alleged that former UM Dining Director Mark LoParco created a hostile work environment, failed to pay her a fair wage and unfairly demoted her. The court filing said "UM management" was aware of the treatment Shern was receiving and caused her injuries.

"UM knew, or in the exercise of ordinary care should have known, of LoParco's unfitness at the time he engaged in wrongful conduct," the complaint said.

LoParco retired in May after 25 years as head of UM Dining and had been honored on campus for his work in sustainability and also by a national association for his leadership in the collegiate food industry.

In its answer, UM denies it subjected Shern to discriminatory conduct or that it created a hostile work environment. UM also argues Shern's injuries or losses, "if any, are not as severe as alleged," and it places some responsibility for her claims on her own shoulders.

"Plaintiff's claims are offset or barred by her failure to take reasonable care to minimize or otherwise mitigate her damages, if any," UM said in a court document.

The Montana Human Rights Bureau dismissed a discrimination complaint filed against UM and LoParco earlier this year. However, it did not rule on the merits, but determined Shern had filed the complaint too late. UM also argues Shern's claims are "barred by the statue of limitations."

In the complaint with the Bureau, Shern and former UM Dining employee Kathleen "Kate" Slack alleged LoParco, their ultimate supervisor, bullied and belittled them and other women, subjected them to misogynistic and sexist treatment, and unfairly promoted and compensated men while denying advancement to women.

In May, Slack filed a case in Missoula County District Court naming UM and LoParco as defendants.

In the subsequent discrimination case, Shern named only UM as defendant. The most recent scheduling order sets April 6 as the deadline for discovery and Aug. 10 as the deadline for parties to file a joint pretrial order, although the schedule is subject to further amendment.

The parties may settle out of court. If the case goes to trial, it likely won't take place before August 2018.
Andrew Anglin, founder of a neo-Nazi website notorious for its racist internet trolling campaigns, has dubiously claimed he lives in Nigeria. A process server swears he recently spotted The Daily Stormer's publisher at a grocery store in his native Ohio.

Anglin's whereabouts  a key issue in a pair of lawsuits he faces  may not remain a mystery much longer.

A federal judge in Montana has warned Anglin's attorneys that he won't tolerate any "game-playing" and expects him to disclose where he has been residing, according to a court transcript obtained by The Associated Press.

Marc Randazza, one of Anglin's lawyers, told U.S. Magistrate Jeremiah Lynch during a Dec. 14 pretrial conference that he didn't know where his client is.

Anglin's site takes its name from Der Sturmer, a newspaper that published Nazi propaganda. It has struggled to stay online since Anglin published a post mocking a woman killed in a deadly car attack at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August.

"I can represent that he is outside of the United States," Randazza said, according to the transcript. "I had asked him where he is situated, and he changes locations regularly, and I don't know his whereabouts."

Montana real estate agent Tanya Gersh sued Anglin in April, accusing him of orchestrating an anti-Semitic internet trolling campaign that terrorized her family amid her dispute with the mother of a leading white nationalist. Months passed before Anglin's lawyers formally responded to the suit, arguing the First Amendment protects his posts calling for a "troll storm" against Gersh.

Anglin's attorneys have argued the court doesn't have jurisdiction over the case  and therefore must dismiss it  because Anglin is "not a citizen of any state." In a Nov. 30 court filing, they cited a CNN report that included Anglin's oft-repeated claim that he is living in Lagos, Nigeria.

The judge told Randazza he should "emphasize to Mr. Anglin there's not going to be any game-playing here."

"I don't want to be perceived as being an advocate, but he's going to have to detail what his travels have been, what his changes in location have been, because as you know, ultimately, again, I have an independent obligation to determine whether there's jurisdiction here. The ultimate question is his domicile," the judge said.

Gersh's lawyers accuse Anglin of playing a "childish game of hide-and-seek" and cite evidence he is living in the Columbus, Ohio, area.

Jeffrey Cremeans, a process server hired by Tanya Gersh's attorneys from the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a sworn affidavit that he was shopping at a grocery store in a Columbus suburb on Dec. 10 when he saw a man who strongly resembles Anglin at a self-checkout register.

"He appeared very paranoid, looking over his shoulder," Cremeans' affidavit says.

Cremeans said he asked the man if his name is Andrew.

"The man replied 'Nope' and then quickly fled the store," he said. Cremeans said he was "absolutely certain" it was Anglin, but couldn't serve him with the suit because he was on a personal errand and didn't have the paperwork.

In response to a Huffington Post report on the alleged sighting  before the affidavit was filed  Anglin mocked the process server's claim in social media posts.

"There are 2 million people in Columbus metro area. A process server happens by coincidence to run into me in a checkout line," he wrote on his Gab account. "No one (expletive) believes this. It is statistically impossible."

Gersh says her family received a barrage of threatening and harassing emails, phone calls and other messages after Anglin published their personal information, including her 12-year-old son's Twitter handle and photo. In a string of posts that began last December, Anglin accused Gersh and other Jewish residents of Whitefish, Montana, of engaging in an "extortion racket" against the mother of white nationalist Richard Spencer.

Gersh's lawsuit said she agreed to help Spencer's mother sell commercial property she owns in Whitefish amid talk of a protest outside the building. Sherry Spencer, however, later accused Gersh of threatening and harassing her into agreeing to sell the property.

During the Dec. 14 discussion, one of Gersh's lawyers said they will be exploring whether others  including Richard Spencer  "may have participated in the decision-making process to start the troll storm" and therefore "might bear liability for the actions at issue here."

Anglin faces a separate federal lawsuit filed in Ohio by Muslim-American radio host Dean Obeidallah, who says Anglin falsely labeled him as the "mastermind" behind a deadly bombing at a concert in England. Anglin hasn't responded to that suit.
An estimated 2,100 Montanans who have developmental disabilities will no longer be able to get targeted case management services from four existing providers statewide starting this spring.

The reduction in services, a product of state budget cuts, also means the loss of more than 70 jobs across the four organizations.

State officials have told the organizations the state will absorb some of the workload after the cuts, but no one was available Wednesday to describe how that would work.

Targeted case managers work with people age 16 and up who have developmental disabilities, helping them get necessary services and care. They serve as advocates, for example, as people get and keep jobs, transition to independent living and find doctors and therapists.

The elimination of contracts is the result of budget cuts made in November during a special session of the Legislature called to address a $227 million budget shortfall brought on by revenues lower than projected and the most expensive fire season in Montanas history.

On Dec. 21, the state Department of Public Health and Human Services announced the end of the targeted case management contracts with the four providers that cover the state  A.W.A.R.E. Inc., Opportunity Resources, Helena Industries and Central Montana Medical Center.

The agencies are operating under temporary contracts. When they expire March 31, they will not be renewed.

This is being done on the backs of some of the most vulnerable people in the state, Jaci Noonan said of the cuts. Noonan is chief officer of care and community treatment for A.W.A.R.E., based in Anaconda.

The state health department also provides case management from offices in Helena, Missoula and Billings. It told case managers on the call it would continue to provide the services and find ways to adapt to a bigger workload caused by ending the contracts, including potentially seeking bids for the work.

No one from the state was available to comment for this story.

Case managers on the statewide conference call said they were not given any notice and that many who will lose their jobs found out during the call. Case managers have been scrambling to tell clients about the change.

It was four days before Christmas, said Jessica Hageman, director of case management for Opportunity Resources. I think everybody was very shocked. Nobody knew this was coming.

Not one of the four agencies said it could continue to provide case management services by absorbing the costs elsewhere in its organization.

We hate the idea of having to do this, but the states giving us no option, said Hageman.

Opportunity Resources will no longer provide case management to 830 clients and 27 people will lose their jobs.

Noonan said A.W.A.R.E. will no longer provide case management to about 600 people and will have to close offices in Red Lodge, Miles City, Sidney and Glasgow. It will lay off about 21 people.

Deb Heerdt, director of case management for Helena Industries, said 26 employees will lose their jobs. Twenty are case managers, three are administrative assistants and two are supervisors. They provide targeted case management to 732 people in Butte, Anaconda, Great Falls and Bozeman.

Jamee Barman, case management supervisor with Central Montana Medical Center in Lewistown, said 70 people will lose their services from the center. Barman's case managers cover a huge portion of the state, including Meagher, Judith Basin, Fergus, Petroleum, Wheatland, Sweet Grass, Golden Valley and Musselshell counties.

Barman said her three employees may be able to get jobs elsewhere in the hospital.

Among the many services the managers provide is helping the developmentally disabled qualify for targeted case management. Once that is set up, case managers can help clients navigate the transition from high school and living at home to entering the workforce and independent living. They can help secure housing by getting people Section 8 vouchers, and keep people in their homes by resolving issues with landlords and making sure people arent taken advantage of.

Case managers can also help people find medical and therapy providers and make sure they get to appointments and take medication.

In some cases, a person can have the same case manager for years or decades, building a relationship that creates a high level of understanding.

Hageman cited a man who lives in Kalispell as an example of someone who benefits from case management. He had previously lived at Montana Developmental Center, a state institution for the developmentally disabled in Boulder and is in his mid-60s.

I dont know what hes going to do without us, Hageman said. We make sure he has his housing voucher, make sure he gets SNAP benefits. Were the ones who get him to the doctor, otherwise he wont go. We help him with all types of stuff. We work with his employer if he has any hygiene issues so he can keep his job.

"I really worry without us hes going to end up in a nursing home.

Many case managers contacted Wednesday said a case manager can often be the only unbiased advocate for a person.

Barb Sanford, a case manager with Central Montana Medical Center, works with nine people in Roundup and said that sometimes problems people are facing dont come up in phone calls.

I have worked in the field long enough that I know on the phone everything sounds OK, but you go down two weeks later and find out someone lost their job or Medicaid because they didnt fill out a slip. You find out when you sit down with somebody whats actually going on.

Barman, her supervisor, echoed those concerns.

In your outlying areas, thats where people will really suffer. Our clients and their families, its their goal to stay where they are. Their quality of life is staying on their ranches in these smaller communities. Were pulling completely away from that. Were saying if you need to get these services you need to go to a bigger town, Barman said.

Case managers said they are concerned that this change represents a move away from a community-care model the state has focused on for several decades, which emphasized providing services to people in their communities instead of state-run facilities like the Montana Developmental Center in Boulder or the state mental hospital in Warm Springs.

I think there will be a lot more law enforcement involvement when people go into crisis, Pat Noonan, director of community relations at A.W.A.R.E., said. There will be more filling of Warm Springs. A lot more people will end up in an institution like the Montana Developmental Center.

"Theres nobody there to help them before they go into crisis and get into trouble. It sends us backward. Its opposite of the movement we had trying to get people cared for in communities. It pushes us back a couple decades.
This month, President Trump accepted Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes recommendations to shrink national monuments in Utah, affecting both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.

This was the first step in unraveling Theodore Roosevelts signature public lands policy, the Antiquities Act. This move will result in the largest reversal of public lands protections in American history.

We join hundreds of businesses and business organizations around the country who do not support Zinke and Trumps rollback of national monuments. It doesnt matter that these places are in Utah, what matters is that the precedent of removing protections from public lands like our national monuments is detrimental to surrounding businesses, and a slippery slope for threats to other, similar places.

As Montana businesses, we have shared our concerns through a series of video messages directed at Zinke. The bottom line is that rolling back public lands protections hurts the economy. In Montana, we understand firsthand how important our public lands are for our businesses. Our values are simple, and shared with our western neighbors: we stand up for public lands because they give our businesses a competitive edge, improve our ability to hire and retain talent and fuel our states economy.

There are a host of statements and reactions making the rounds since President Trumps announcement. Weeding through them to decipher fact from fiction is difficult. The bottom line is that public lands are just that; public. Our interest is to make sure that the value of public lands like national monuments remains a priority, so that those places will be protected and intact for generations to come.

Our businesses are included in the more than 2.8 million Americans who reached out and asked the president and Interior secretary to leave these monuments intact. That sentiment accounted for 98 percent of all of the comments submitted during Zinkes review.

Just because our businesses are not in Utah doesnt mean we shouldnt care about movements and threats to monuments in other states. Just because Montanas national monument is not at risk does not mean that it couldnt be in the future.

We believe an attack on one monument is an attack on them all. We stand with the local businesses throughout the West who benefit from a multi-billion dollar outdoor recreation economy that provides 7.6 million jobs. We stand with the nearly 600 businesses from across America who signed a letter opposing the rollback of national monument protections.

In Montana, public lands contribute to a growing outdoor economy that generates $2.2 billion in wages and salaries, $7.1 billion in consumer spending, $286 million in state and local tax revenue and supports 71,000 jobs. Research shows that areas with the highest percentage of protected public lands are also leading in job growth, personal income and increased per capita income.

When we talk about rolling back monuments and restricting access, what were really doing is restricting our businesses ability to attract employees and be competitive in a national marketplace.

Our message for Secretary Zinke is simple: we know you understand how important public lands are to Montana jobs. This value crosses state lines, and sets precedents whether we are talking about Utah, or Montana. We ask that you please stop advocating for the rollback of public lands protections, and take advantage of the unique opportunity you have to advise the administration on the right thing to do.
In 1977 the Montana Wilderness Study Act became law, creating the seven wilderness study areas (WSAs) that exist in Montana today. The deal was that within five years the U.S. Forest Service was supposed to evaluate these lands for wilderness character, and get back to Congress with a recommendation of whether or not individual WSAs met the criteria to be incorporated into the national wilderness preservation system. Congress would then vote on which areas should become official wilderness, and which should not, based on Forest Service recommendations.

Well, 1982 came and went and that never happened. Now, 35 years later, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, with S.2206, the Protect Public Use of Public Lands Act, has finally picked up the ball and is ready to carry it across the goal line.

Why should we support S.2206? The first reason is that many of the WSAs were designated based on the political maneuvering of preservationist groups, rather than wilderness character.

Take, for instance, the Ten Lakes WSA near Eureka. Does the Ten Lakes WSA have some wilderness character? Definitely. Does the Ten Lakes WSA meet the criteria for wilderness as defined in the 1964 Wilderness Act? Absolutely not! The WSA contains old logging roads, timber harvest units and historic mining activity. Due to these, and many other factors, the Forest Service evaluation of wilderness character in 1975 recommended that the area not be considered for wilderness designation. Yet, somehow it got included into the MWSA in 1977. You tell me what happened.

Second, if the bill becomes law, forest management in wilderness study areas isnt going to change much. These areas are not going to be clearcut, opened to mining or overrun by ATVs. Fear-mongering by preservationists is trying to make people believe that the bill will destroy pristine wilderness areas, and that is simply not true.

The core of the debate over WSAs is recreation access. The people in favor of S.2206 would like to see multiple-use recreation continue in these areas. The people opposed to S.2206 want to exclude all other recreation groups except themselves.

Personally, when I am hiking in a WSA in the summer, it doesnt bother me one bit that people snowmobile in the area in the winter, and when I am snowmobiling in the winter, it doesnt bother me that others mountain bike in the area in the summer. Why would it bother me that other people are enjoying the same awesome piece of Montana in different ways, at different times of the year? Unfortunately, my "live and let live" attitude is not shared by the preservationists who oppose S.2206.

Whether or not to support S.2206 is pretty simple. If you are someone who values your freedom to access Montanas public lands, but also respects the rights of others to enjoy those same public lands however they choose, then support it. If you are the type who cant stand the thought of somebody snowmobiling through a meadow you like to hike to in the summertime, oppose it.
Re: Denver Post gets it wrong again in Dec. 24 article about assisted suicide.

Thankfully, like 44 other states, no one in Montana has immunity from prosecution for assisting a suicide; no doctor, nurse, caregiver or guardian.

The promoters of assisted suicide have worn out their thesaurus attempting to imply that it is legal in Montana.

Assisted suicide is homicide in Montana. Our Montana Supreme Court did rule that a doctor charged with homicide might have a potential defense based on consent. By this comment in the ruling the court acknowledged it is homicide.

The court did not address civil liabilities and vacated the lower courts claim that it was a constitutional right. Unlike Oregon, no one in Montana has immunity from civil or criminal prosecution, death certificates are not legally falsified and investigations are not prohibited like in Oregon, Washington and California. Does that sound legal to you?

Perhaps the promoters are frustrated that even though they were the largest lobbying spender in Montana, their Oregon model legalizing assisted suicide bills have been rejected in Montana in 2011, 2013 and 2015. The predatory corporation withdrew from their bullying legislative position in 2017. They simply did not try a fourth time and we celebrate saving lives every day in Montana.

Bradley Williams,

president,

Montanans Against

Assisted Suicide,

Hamilton
Congratulations to Beth Gherlein for her brilliant expose of the reality of what the Republican tax bill will do (Small businesses suffer, Dec. 21). She describes factually how her two jobs  running a small business and being a mother  will be made more difficult.

The intelligence and basis in facts and reality of Gehrleins column contrast dramatically with the comments of U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte a few pages away. Daines comment is another classic example of the faith-based misinformation and sloganeering we have come to expect from him. The tax bill means families will see bigger paychecks, Main Street businesses will be able to hire more workers, and America will compete and win on the world stage. Hallelujah! I believe!

Gianforte: These tax cuts keep $800 million in the hands of Montanans, not sent 200 miles to the federal governments coffers. He fails to tell you that for every dollar Montanans send to Washington, they get $2.44 in return. In other words, passage of the tax bill means Montana will see a reduction in federal funds of almost $2 billion, along with the $1.4 trillion increase in the federal deficit. Sound like a good deal? Just believe!

David Cole,

Missoula
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines said recently of the tax cut, Montanans hard-earned dollars belong in their pockets, not in Washington D.C.s coffers (Missoulian, Dec. 20). There is some very basic math behind that viewpoint that should concern all Montanans.

In 2016, Montana collected $1.38 for every $1 sent to Washington, and for the 2019 biennium state budget, 45.8 percent, or $4.6 billion, is comprised of federal funds (Great Falls Tribune, March 21). If everyone keeps more money in their wallets instead of sending it to Washington, then what happens to Montanas state budget?

The fact is that when it comes to everything from roads to schools, health care, drinking water, sewage treatment and many other services we tend to take for granted, Montana depends on large subsidies from the U.S. Treasury. Were it not for these subsidies, Montana would be a greasy spot on the prairie with bad roads, bad water, leaky sewers and some very poor farmers.

Perhaps these are some of the reasons why U.S. Sen. Jon Tester voted no. So, thank you, Daines and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, for all your hard work to pass a tax cut that benefits the wealthy. Thanks to you, we are in deep trouble.

Michael Downey,

Helena
Rep. Kimberly Dudik has earned a reputation as a defender of children. She prosecuted abuse cases, worked to reduce sex trafficking as a legislator, and is part of a group analyzing the growing number of kids removed from their families to be placed in foster care.

But the Missoula legislator said she focused so intently on the children that she never thought to ask: Does Montana do enough to help pregnant women get into treatment for drug use and provide the services mothers need to stabilize their families?

I had never thought about it in that way, she said.

Dudik is not an outlier. More than two dozen state leaders interviewed for this story had not considered the unique needs of mothers and mothers-to-be who use drugs. Only a few had ideas about what Montana can do better.

That blind spot leaves gaps in state policy that become craters for women seeking help. It means that as the state spends significant time and money to reinvent its justice system and develop strategic plans to combat drug use, pregnant women are mentioned only in passing as one of many target groups, if they are mentioned at all.

Unless something changes in the way elected leaders and doctors respond to drug use by women with families, experts said Montana could continue to rank among states with the fewest treatment services for pregnant women as well having one of the nations highest rates of drug-exposed births and removals by Child and Family Services.

***

From 2008 to 2015, the percentage of Montana babies who experienced opioid withdrawal shortly after birth grew fourfold. The series of symptoms known as neonatal abstinence syndrome is now diagnosed in almost nine of every 1,000 births, according to discharge data analyzed by the state.

More than half of those infants bills were paid by Montana Medicaid, and their complications tripled the state's expenses compared to an average birth, according to an analysis by Cody Custis, a state epidemiologist.

Among the Montana leaders interviewed, most assumed that if a pregnant woman sought drug treatment, she would receive it. The Missoulian found that few of them knew:

that most people confront months-long waiting lists.

about medication-assisted treatment, even though doctors say it can more than triple the likelihood of success for getting off drugs, is significantly cheaper than inpatient programs and is the safest way to treat pregnant patients and their unborn children.

that Montana has fewer providers per capita of buprenorphine  the drug that can eliminate drug cravings  than nearly every other state. After factoring for Montanas size, only Alaskans must travel farther to access the care.

that many pregnant women delay prenatal care, if they go to the hospital at all, often fearing they might be reported to police or that they will lose their children. The result is that their babies may be born in worse health.

***

Asked what Montana could do to expand access to drug treatment for pregnant women, many legislators worried what it would cost the state, particularly after a recent drop in revenues triggered several rounds of budget cuts this year. Right now, nearly all drug treatment funding comes from federal sources, except for the states growing share of Medicaid costs.

Rep. Shane Morigeau, a Missoula Democrat, worked as a prosecutor for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. At first, he said his instinct was to take a tough stance on drug use, but his view was changed by the stories of relatives and close friends who sometimes became addicted after being prescribed painkillers.

Its a very complicated issue, he said. We should focus on more access to treatment and funding support programs. If we had the resources to address the addiction problem up front, wed save money on the back end.''

Sen. Cynthia Wolken, D-Missoula, agreed.

Why do addicts have to commit a felony to even get on a wait list for treatment? asked the attorney who has served on numerous state committees related to drug use or child abuse. We are addressing things in the most expensive way, in the criminal justice system and the court system.

Judiciary Chairman Rep. Alan Doane agreed Montana might need to improve access to drug treatment, but said it would be a tough sell to use state funds to do it.

Im against taking money away from people who make good choices and using it for people who make poor choices, the Bloomfield Republican said.

House Majority Leader Ron Ehli, R-Hamilton, said the stakes are too high not to find a better way to help women who use drugs during pregnancy, particularly because of how it affects unborn children.

Theres nothing more important, he said. Doing something now is going to reap huge benefits down the road.

Sen. Mary Caferro, D-Helena, argued legislators have already decided that the kinds of programs these women need most are not a priority. She pointed to the slew of budget cuts earlier this year to health and social service budgets.

Were going the wrong direction on all of these things, she said.

***

Treatment center leaders interviewed by the Missoulian said they would like to expand services, but their programs currently lose money on the majority of patients.

Medicaid rates are lower than the actual costs of the care, they said, and treatment programs cannot bill at all for some critical services because of the way the state wrote reimbursement rules. It will soon get a little more difficult.

Initially, legislators objected to a proposal by the Department of Public Health and Human Services to cut Medicaid rates 3.47 percent and shrink the list of services it would fund. On Dec. 28, they dropped a formal objection, allowing the department to move ahead with a 2.99 percent cut instead.

Legislators waffled on whether they might support rate increases in the future, citing larger budget issues or skepticism about whether non-medical care such as case management actually improves outcomes.

Conrad Republican Rep. Rob Cook, an expert on the health program's budget, said he does not think increasing rates for particular services will solve the problem. Rather, he wishes state, but especially federal, leaders would get more serious about controlling health care costs.

The reason we cant treat anybody and it costs so freaking much for medicine in this country is weve never addressed the actual prices these guys charge, he said.

State Sen. Bob Keenan, a veteran Republican from Bigfork, wondered if raising Medicaid reimbursement rates could encourage more programs to follow national best practices that would save the state money in the long run. He noted that drug treatment has become a business, so changing the terms of state contracts would be a logical strategy to improve the quality of programs.

Keenan said it is the responsibility of the Department of Public Health and Human Services, and ultimately Gov. Steve Bullock, to find such efficiencies and demand best practices when signing contracts.

Zoe Barnard, Montana's Addictive and Mental Disorders Division director, said they have little control over decisions that private providers make about care strategies.

We can say this is the standard of care for this type of work, for example, but we dont say you have to provide X, Y or Z services, she said. They can choose to provide some or all of the services.

***

Starting in November, the Missoulian repeatedly asked to speak with Bullock about drug use during pregnancy and his overall strategy for addressing opioids and methamphetamine. Spokeswoman Ronja Abel instead emailed a statement from an earlier press release about a bill the Democrat approved that expanded access to Naloxone, which can reverse the effects of opioid overdose.

I am committed to ensuring Montanans can continue to get coverage through Medicaid expansion, our most powerful vehicle available to combat this epidemic, as well as integrating behavioral and physical health, reducing costs and improving care, and making sure communities have the tools they need to confront this growing problem, the statement read.

Abel also attached a copy of a draft strategic plan for combating drug use that was released by the state health department earlier this year. The 34-page report only includes one use of the word women, encouraging more stigma-free access to prenatal care. A request for all state health department records related to drug use during pregnancy yielded three reports, totaling five pages, about the Medicaid costs of treating infant withdrawals.

Some states formed departmental task forces or legislative committees to identify best strategies of caring for women who use drugs during pregnancy. When asked why Montana has not done similar work to create specific solutions, Barnard said, I have other people Im equally concerned about, like veterans.

Attorney General Tim Fox, a Republican, said he hopes to find collaborative solutions with Aid Montana, his initiative to address drug use in the state.

Asked whether pregnant women, in particular, had been part of those discussions, he said, We certainly thought about their needs.

We want to make sure babies are born healthy and that theyre in a healthy home. Unfortunately, theres all too much of the opposite because of substance abuse disorders in the state. I dont recall if its in our report, but I did see stats on neonatal abstinence syndrome, he said.

The 87-page report issued in September includes one passing mention of pregnant women and does not include any reference to infant withdrawals, although a related, two-page handout does. A November summit hosted by Fox in partnership with the Montana Healthcare Foundation included one brief comment about drug use during pregnancy as a presenter cited a Medicaid report commissioned by the foundation.

Fox deferred detailed questions to the Department of Public Health and Human Services, saying it is their area of expertise. He said his knowledge of the challenges women face when seeking treatment was only general, but said his agency would do more to work with health officials on solutions.

If there are barriers that prevent pregnant women from getting treatment, we need to look at those and remove the appropriate ones, he said.

***

There are small signs Montana could be on the verge of making systemic improvements to help pregnant women who use drugs. But most did not start with elected leaders.

The Montana Healthcare Foundation has funded several pilot projects to test strategies for reducing the number of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome and to help more of their mothers so the family can stay together. A handful have had impressive early results, but it remains unclear how several of the projects will be funded long-term.

Montana also recently secured a $4 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to address the lack of medication-assisted treatment in the state. The pilot project is funded through April 2019.

And Child and Family Services hopes to soon provide more support for parents who use drugs, partnering them with specialized case managers to keep them on track with recovery and other agreements made as part of plans to reunite their families.

After interviews with the Missoulian, a few state leaders said they would add mothers who use drugs to their list of priorities for the 2019 Legislature.

We need to do something, Dudik said.

Earlier this month, she said she had talked to state health officials about how to expand the strategies successfully piloted with support from the Healthcare Foundation. She also is interested in increasing the length of time Child and Family Services can work with parents who use drugs before finalizing a childs removal.

She and Keenan, among others, suggested Montana could create a safe harbor law that would guarantee pregnant women would not face criminal charges if they sought medical help or drug treatment, similar to provisions that protect people who call 911 about a drug overdose.

Some lawmakers, mostly Republicans, said they might support "fetal harm" laws like those enacted in other states that make it a crime to use drugs during pregnancy. Others said making drug use more illegal would not solve the problem and runs counter to the state's efforts to put fewer nonviolent offenders in prison, offering them increased support services instead.

Rep. Jimmy Patelis, a Billings Republican who joined the Legislature after retiring as a U.S. chief probation officer for the Montana district, supports criminal justice reinvestment and penalizing women who use drugs while pregnant.

"I'm 100 percent behind that because there's another life involved and if you're jeopardizing that life through harm and using substances, you should be held accountable for that  in addition to getting help," he said.

Wolken said the state should lean heavily on the Montana Healthcare Foundation for advice as it develops solutions. She did not want the issue to become delayed by another commission when good ideas already exist.

These conversations are happening, she said. But there needs to be a catalyst.
In Montana, the holidays are a time to spend with family, recreate on our public lands and reflect on the year. In terms of natural resource policy, 2017 has been a rocky one, but recent decisions and proposals with major implications for the big sky state have given Montanans some hope heading into 2018.

In my own backyard, the Missoula County commissioners earlier this month joined Anaconda-Deer Lodge and made a preemptive statement on the importance of federally managed public lands. This isnt in response to any immediate threat; instead, they wanted to send the message to any lurking land transfer advocates: Missoula County will keep it public.

In Helena, Gov. Steve Bullock just signed Republican Rep. Alan Doanes House Bill 597, which serves to unlock some of the nearly 2 million acres of currently inaccessible public lands in Montana. The new plan is the first of its kind in any state. It allows the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to purchase access easements from voluntary sellers. Thanks to keystone funding provided by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Montana Wildlife Federation and other conservation groups, the plan is now a reality  and exactly the forward-thinking initiative that Montana needs.

Meanwhile, in D.C., U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte recently introduced the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act (H.R. 4644), a bill that mirrors a Senate version previously introduced by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester. If passed, the legislation would prevent 30,000 acres of public land north of Yellowstone from being mined, something Montanans have supported for years.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, Tester has committed to tackle the deeply concerning issue of chronic wasting disease in our wild deer and elk herds. This was the first year that CWD was found in Montanas wild deer herds, so the issue is really hitting home now. The time to fund research and take proactive steps to combat the disease is now, and we should applaud Tester for taking the lead on this.

Tester also recently cosponsored a bill aimed at streamlining recreation access and permitting on public lands. The Recreation Not Red-Tape Act, among other improvements, would instruct state and federal land management agencies to offer joint permits valid on both tracts of public lands.

And finally, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines cosponsored a bill to reauthorize and expand the U.S. Department of Agricultures Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, Open Fields, which rewards landowners who open their gates to sportsmen. Hunters and anglers list public access as the No. 1 hurdle to hunting and fishing, so opening as much land as possible should be a priority.

Speaking of access, the Land and Water Conservation Fund is one of the most important programs for Montanans, providing public access, conserving wildlife habitat and providing recreation opportunities in local communities. Unfortunately, the program is set to expire in 2018. Tester and Daines have been champions of LWCF legislation in prior years, but we are counting on all three members of Montanas congressional delegation to step up for sportsmen by supporting and advancing permanent reauthorization for this vital program in 2018.

As we reflect on these recent wins and advances for conservation and public lands in Montana, its important that we offer credit where credit is due. Equally necessary, we must also continue to hold our elected officials accountable when their actions deserve criticism. As we enter the new year, they should remember: Public land owners are watching. Well continue to demand quality habitat, public access and the responsible management of our natural resources in 2018 and beyond.
As a young high-school American government teacher, I compared our system to an automobile that was useful if it could start, speed up, slow down and stop. When the people thought government needed to be more active, they elected liberal Democrats to press down on the accelerator. When people thought governments role was getting too large and expensive, they elected Republicans to apply the brakes and slow things down.

Our national debt is now $20 trillion and rising. That amounts to about $155,000 in tax liability for the average family of four, and to about $320,000 for each individual American under the age of 18, and not old enough to vote. They are the folks who will have to make good on the hot checks cashed by those of us who are old enough to protect ourselves, and pass on the pain to them.

The monstrous debt is clearly no priority to either of todays political parties. We now have two accelerator parties, and each is so committed to its base of supporters that neither will work with the other on a strategy for the essential public purpose of slowing down the debt.

In defiance of demographics, the Democrats still want to expand the reach of social programs, appearing unable to deal with the ever-increasing costs. In defiance of history, the Republicans want to speed up the economy so corporate businesses will create more jobs, thus trickling down prosperity, and limiting the need for the social safety net.

By this argument the Republicans claim their proposal benefits all the people. But its unquestionably clear that the people who are corporations will benefit far more than those who are mere human organisms. Corporations are currently fat with cash  an estimated $2.3 trillion  which could be invested in job expansion now, without the government assistance the Tax Cut and Jobs Act provides them with $1.5 trillion in borrowed money. Why gamble their gains making capital investments in an unstable world made more unpredictable by racing trends in technology?

So, increasingly prosperous corporations probably wont invest much in creating jobs. They will continue to invest in their stockholders. The stock market bubble, accelerated by a new infusion from public debt, will continue its abnormal rise. Common folks who are not investors will see only a minimal and temporary benefit in their taxes. They will be hurt the most, however, when the market correction inevitably comes.

A not-well-publicized aspect of the tax bill is its shifting of costs to the states. On the heels of a budget-cutting special legislative session, Montana Department of Revenue analysts have so far identified provisions within the 1,100-page bill that they estimate will result in a net loss of revenue to the state of about $122 million.

The economy likely wont get much better, but count on the debt to get bigger as a result of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. Beyond impacts on states, other unforeseen consequences of the massive tax bill are yet to be discovered. Proceeding more slowly and cooperatively, Congress could have produced positive tax reform. Now, undoing the damage done will require more than a brake pedal.
Bucks County, PA - The first wrongful death civil lawsuit in connection to the murders of four young men whose bodies were found on a Pennsylvania farm earlier this year was filed on Wednesday.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of the family of 22-year-old Mark Sturgis names the cousins charged in the deaths, Cosmo DiNardo and Sean Kratz, in addition to DiNardo's parents, Sandra and Antonio DiNardo, who own the farm where the bodies were discovered in July.

With this lawsuit, the heartbroken parents of Mark Sturgis intend to hold accountable everyone responsible for the horrific death of their son, not just those who pulled the trigger, attorney Robert Ross said in a statement to FOX 29. This includes those who negligently and carelessly permitted either of the accused to gain access to firearms and equipment used in these heinous crimes.

The lawsuit alleges that DiNardo used a Smith and Wesson 357 owned by and registered to his mother to kill Sturgis, and that DiNardos parents failed to secure the handgun despite their sons history of mental illness.

The suit also alleges that DiNardos parents created a dangerous environment on their family farm by allowing their son access to the property, as well as the equipment on it.

DiNardo and Kratz pleaded not guilty last Thursday to multiple charges of murder and corpse abuse in the July killings. DiNardo is charged in four of the deaths, and Kratz is charged in three.

Neither of the cousins, who are 20 years old, spoke about the case during their separate arraignments, which drew dozens of the victims' friends and family members.

The not guilty pleas at the arraignments came days after authorities filed court documents that would allow them to pursue the death penalty for both of the cousins.

DiNardo's attorneys have said he admitted killing the men and told authorities where to find one of the bodies in exchange for prosecutors agreeing not to seek capital punishment.

Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said last week that prosecutors are still "on track" to reach a deal with DiNardo.

"We made an agreement with Cosmo DiNardo. We're the district attorney's office: We honor our agreements," he told reporters. "So should Mr. DiNardo decide to uphold his end of the bargain, we will not seek the death penalty against him."
Two actions were out of character for retiring Columbus Junction Mayor Dan Wilson as he opened his last city council meeting Wednesday.

First, the man who has led the city for the past two decades, but opted not run for re-election in 2017, used the mayors gavel to bring the council to order.

Ive never used it before. Weve never had a rowdy crowd, Wilson said with a laugh as as he lightly tapped the council table.

The second unusual action was he began the meeting a few minutes earlier than the normal 5:30 p.m. start.

That may have contributed to some of the technical communications problems when Ret. Lt. General Ron Dardis made a congratulatory telephone call a few minutes into the meeting.

Although the connection was apparently cut off shortly into the call, it was restored a few minutes later and Wilson said appreciated the card and message Dardis had sent him.

Dardis served as the adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard when a devastating Iowa River flood hit Columbus Junction in 2008. Twenty-nine businesses were inundated when a temporary levee failed and a large area of the community was flooded.

The National Guard responded. Dardis stayed involved with the community after he retired from the Guard and was appointed to head the Iowa Rebuild Office. That agency was established to help with statewide recovery of floods and other natural disasters.

Dardis praised Wilson for his performance during the flood emergency and the following recovery.

I was in many communities and I always considered you and your team as one of the best because you demonstrated courage and determination and I thought it was just an outstanding performance that I saw, Dardis said.

My hats off to you. It takes a strong team to successfully prepare, respond and recover from a disaster like that," Dardis added.

That teamwork helped to restore all the flooded business sites, led to an upgraded permanent levee and the relocation of the citys water treatment plant, he said.

I thought it was an outstanding performance and I commend you and your team, Dardis said.

Wilson said he appreciated hearing Dardis comments, especially his thoughts about the strong team that helped Columbus Junction recover from the disaster.

You just took about three-fourths of the speech I was going to give, he joked.

According to a farewell message that was posted on the citys website by city staff, Wilson was the longest serving mayor for the city.

The farewell also listed several other city accomplishments under his tenure, including construction of the civic center/library, park expansion and renovation, two housing additions and other projects.

Wilson said his two most memorable achievements were the flood event and recovery and construction of the civic center/library.

In other action, the city council approved the second reading of an ordinance that will raise residential monthly solid waste collection fees by $2.25. The required third reading was waived, meaning the new rates will go into effect upon publication.

Wilson also issued the oath of office to incoming Mayor Mark Huston.
MUSCATINE  The Muscatine County Historic Preservation Commission wants to add the city of Nichols' downtown district to the National Register of Historic Places.

Lynn Pruitt, with the historic preservation commission, said the cities of Wilton and West Liberty are in the process of renovating their downtown districts and restoring historic features on various buildings. And for the past year, the county has sought to do the same in Nichols.

Nichols Mayor Cyle Geertz said the city's downtown area, which includes part of Highway 22 and Ijem Avenue, includes around a dozen historic buildings, many of which were built around the turn of the century.

Geertz owns two buildings downtown, both built around 1910, and said several other neighboring property and business owners are interested in obtaining a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa.

"Making small towns in our county more presentable, and bringing back some of the heritage, is just a good idea for businesses," the mayor said. "And people will stop by if it's a nice looking little town, versus driving right through it."

Having a listing on the National Register, Pruitt said, would put the property owners in a better position to fund the renovation of their buildings.

"They would be able to restore buildings to their original situation or the way they were built, if they want to, but it's all up to them," Pruitt said. "It just gives them some opportunities for tax credits or grants available to do that."

To qualify, he said buildings have to be at least 50 years old. He hopes the dozen buildings from the early 1900s will be approved as a national historic district.

"Some of the buildings need work structurally and I'd like to see property owners using this opportunity to help get those back in good safe conditions, so they last many years," he said. "And then, just the idea of having a group of buildings together that have been restored, like they were years ago, would be a great thing for the community."

Pruitt said the historic preservation commission recently learned from the state that Nichols' downtown would qualify for a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. And the next step is applying for the nomination, which he expects to happen after Jan. 1.

The commission, he said, is in the process of determining how best to move forward with funding the application process, and is seeking approval from property owners in the district.

Geertz said the city of Nichols is waiting to see how best it can contribute to the effort, through a financial campaign or other projects.
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Napa County this month granted Measure A flood control sales tax money to St. Helena for the first time since 2010, with county officials finally satisfied with the citys spending story.

The Napa County Flood Protection and Watershed Improvement Authority on Dec. 19 made $5.3 million available to the city. St. Helena will use the money to help repay a state loan that helped pay for its $37 million flood control project.

This is kind of a very momentous thing for us to actually say weve gotten through this process and were ready to start providing them their funds for future drawdowns, county Auditor-Controller Tracy Schulze said.

Napa County voters in 1998 passed the Measure A flood control and watershed improvement half-cent sales tax. Each city and town receives the proceeds generated within its boundaries, with the authority overseeing the disbursements.

For example, the city of Napa used Measure A money to help build its Living River downtown flood control project, including the new bypass. St. Helena has focused on flood prevention along the Napa River, Sulphur Creek, York Creek and other tributaries.

But St. Helenas flood control spending became a tangled tale that has been hard to unravel because of incomplete accounting records.

Schulze said St. Helenas recent effort to reconcile its Measure A finances has been inspected by the Measure A Financial Oversight Committee. The watchdog committee consists of 17 citizens appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

They feel very confident that the recommendations are valid, that weve done our due diligence, that St. Helena is on the up-and-up and has spent the Measure A funds appropriately, Schulze said.

County supervisors sit on the Flood Protection and Watershed Improvement Authority. Supervisor Diane Dillon said St. Helenas recent financial woes have been somewhat embarrassing to her, but she was smiling at this particular meeting.

As a resident of the city, I think weve really seen a turn and a shift and things are being well-attended to, Dillon said.

In 2014, the Federal Emergency Management Agency required St. Helena to reimburse $1.9 million in federal flood control money. Meanwhile, Schulze notified the city that it could no longer draw down on its Measure A money until it fulfilled debt reserve requirements for bonds it had taken out, ensuring the authority wouldnt default on the debt.

April Mitts became city Finance Director in November 2014. She said an auditor that same month noted a $1.6 million deficit existed in the citys flood control account. She didnt know why, leading to research to try to untangled various financial maneuvers involving various funding sources.

All the funds were comingled, so it was very difficult to find out what funding came in and paid for what particular flood control project, Mitts told the authority.

These events led to the city and Schulze working to identify which flood control categories were eligible for the various funding sources. The city then had an independent auditor look at the results.

I feel completely confident that Measure A funds earned and received by the city of St. Helena have been utilized correctly, Schulze wrote in a report. The accounting may not be as accurate or as complete as we would desire or expect, but the detailed breakdown of all invoices clearly show enough costs were incurred on allowable expenses.

Then she added words welcome to the city.

My final recommendation is that we move forward and close this chapter of review for St. Helena, Schulze wrote.

With that, the authority approved allowing St. Helena to have $5.3 million of Measure A funds. The city will use $1 million to reimburse the city general fund for past state loan repayments and $4.3 million for future repayments. The latest disbursement brings St. Helenas Measure A total to $23.5 million.

St. Helena Public Works Director Erica Ahmann Smithies told the authority the flood control project worked as it should during last winters big storms.

Also on Dec. 19, the county agreed to spend $1.5 million in Measure A funds to replace water storage tanks at Pacific Union College. The college is replacing four 400,000-gallon tanks built in 1962 with tanks that will be the same size, a county report said.
A little girl found dead, her body abnormally cold and bruised all over, her mother nowhere to be found. This is the scene that police found when they arrived at 2060 Wilkins Ave. on Feb. 1, 2014.

The girls mother, Sara Lynn Krueger, was found and arrested a day later with her live-in boyfriend, Ryan Scott Warner, in El Cerrito. Three years later, this past spring, the former couple was tried separately in the same courtroom, assigned separate juries, on suspicion of murder.

How did we get here? Ill never understand, 3-year-old Kayleigh Slushers grandmother, Robin Slusher, said, following the trial.

The death of Kayleigh Slusher impacted not just her family, but the whole Napa community and made headlines across the nation. The month-long trial, which included daily coverage by the Register, kept these wounds open. Even residents with no ties to the family showed up in the gallery of the courtroom to watch as horrific evidence and heartbreaking testimony were revealed.

The 30 jurors assigned to the Krueger and Warner trials viewed numerous graphic images, including crime scene and autopsy photos.

Crime scene photos of Kayleigh found dead in her princess bed, her body tucked under three small blankets, caused nearly the entire courtroom to break into tears.

I thought it was a doll, Officer Robert Chambers, the officer to find Kayleigh, told the court early in the trial. Her skin was just ice cold.

In all his years as an officer, he said he had never felt a body that cold, that he didnt think it was even possible for a body to be colder than the room it was in.

Eventually, he would find out why.

After she died, Kayleighs body was put in the kitchen freezer. Only later, before Krueger and Warner fled, was Kayleighs body moved to her bedroom.

Empty frozen food containers were found in the home, which was dark with closed blinds, curtains over the windows, and a light switch that was taped over, preventing it from being turned on, according to testimony.

The prosecution showed nearly 40 photographs of Kayleighs autopsy to the jurors using a projector. Photos depicting bruising underneath Kayleighs scalp were discussed, but were not shown.

Kayleigh died from complications of mesenteric contusion and small intestinal hematoma caused by fatal child abuse and neglect, the jury was told. She suffered multiple blunt impact injuries to the head, torso and extremities, and her death was classified as a homicide.

Kruegers attorney, Jim McEntee, attempted to portray his client as a battered woman suffering from PTSD. On the stand, Krueger testified that she had been raped as a teenager, started using methamphetamine early in life and had a hectic home life.

McEntee tried to shift the blame to Warner, who had moved into Kruegers home just six months before Kayleighs death. At that time, Krueger started using methamphetamine, a drug she has a history with, daily.

Due to the disturbing nature of the evidence, after the trial, jurors were offered mental health services.

In this case the trauma was actually the proximity to the testimony, which was really horrific, said Dr. Joel Mostow, Napa Countys psychiatric medical director.

The Slusher trials were the first time that the courts used the Mental Health Divisions debriefing services.

After nearly a month of hearing testimony, the dual juries in the trial found both the mother and her boyfriend guilty of first-degree murder and assault on a child causing death. Jurors also found the special allegation that the murder involved the infliction of torture to be true in both cases.

Deliberations were over in less than a week.

These verdicts are a message to our community that our children are to be treated with love, patience, and respect, said Deputy District Attorney Lance Hafenstein, one of the prosecutors on the case.

Because jurors also found the special allegation that the murder was intentional and involved the infliction of torture to be true, the death penalty could have been applied in this case, according to California law. The DAs Office, however, announced last year that they were not seeking the death penalty for either Krueger or Warner.

Krueger and Warner were denied probation and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility for parole for the murder conviction and a special allegation that the murder involved the infliction of torture. They were sentenced to 25-years to life in prison for the assault conviction, but that sentence was stayed.

Krueger, 27, is currently being held at Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla, according to the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation. Warner, 30, is being held at High Desert State Prison in Susanville.

Both have filed for appeals.

A civil lawsuit filed by Kayleighs father, Jason Slusher, against the City of Napa, County of Napa and several police officers and social workers alleging that their negligence contributed to Kayleighs death is still pending. Slusher was incarcerated at the time of Kayleighs death.
Its time to recall absurd, bizarre and downright stupid things said by politicians this past year.

Were ignoring Trumpisms because he said something ridiculous daily. There would be no room for anybody else.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., topped all the profiles-in-courage lists for announcing he would not vote for the GOP tax bill because it adds $1.5 trillion to the national debt. Then an eleventh-hour provision gave real estate moguls a huge benefit, such as about $11 million to Donald Trump and roughly $7 million to Corker.

Corker said it was unnecessary and bordered on the ridiculous. But, voila! He voted for the bill, including the $1.5 trillion in new debt.

When it was pointed out that 83 percent of the tax breaks in said tax bill will benefit only the top 1 percent, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fl., said defensively Trump never said he was running as Robin Hood.

When it was noted that the so-called carried-interest tax loophole, providing millions only to hedge funds and the rich, was not repealed as Trump repeatedly promised, House Ways and Means Committee chair Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said with a shrug, Oh, thats an ancillary issue. People dont care about that.

So go crazy with your extra six or 10 bucks or so a week, which Trump said is the greatest tax cut in history and also a middle-class miracle. But dont get used to it. It goes away in 2025 and your taxes will rise significantly. But the huge tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations are forever, although there are no requirements to reinvest in new jobs or higher wages and there are hidden incentives to move jobs and cash overseas.

This is going to cost me a fortune, Trump complained. No, it wont. Trump benefits big time. If he wasnt an actual billionaire when he took office, he will be when he leaves.

After Hillary Clinton published her book on her 2016 election debacle, What Happened, she reluctantly admitted she could have done a few things differently. (Such as campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin, which she lost.) She agreed her campaign lacked passion and a sense of urgency. But, ultimately, I wasnt just running against Donald Trump. I was up against the Russian intelligence apparatus, a misguided FBI director, and now the godforsaken Electoral College, she wrote.

Her book also explained the benefits of something called alternate nostril breathing: This practice allows oxygen to activate both the right side of the brain, which is the source of your creativity and imagination, and the left side, which controls reason and logic. What?

A record number of Trumps nominees for lifetime federal judgeships have been confirmed by the Senate, some with few credentials. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., had enough. He asked Matthew Petersen, nominated for the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, if he had ever tried a jury trial. No, said Petersen. A civil trial? No. Criminal? No. State or federal? No. Did Petersen know a number of basic legal terms? No. OK, then. Petersen later withdrew saying the whole process had been a big distraction.

When comedian Jimmy Kimmel pleaded with Congress not to kill the Affordable Health Care Act, mentioning his babys congenital heart condition, former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh tweeted: Sorry Jimmy Kimmel: your sad story doesnt obligate me or anybody else to pay for somebody elses health care.

Decrying Obamacare, Rep. Roger Marshall. R-Kansas, said, Just like Jesus said, The poor will always be with us.... Theres a group of people that just dont want health care and arent going to take care of themselves. (The tax bill ensures 13 million more will lose health insurance.)

Roy Moore, accused pedophile and ousted ex-judge who rightly lost the Alabama Senate race, was a fountain of incredible statements. Attempting to explain the countrys greatness was one of his worst: I think it was great at the time when families were united  even though we had slavery  they cared for one another ... . Our families were strong, our country had a direction.

And we have Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway with her penchant for alternative facts and her insistence, on TV from the White House, that Americans should run out and buy Ivanka Trumps clothing and accessories.

Shucks. Were out of time. And we were just getting started. But theres always next year.
The mailbag was a little thin for my last column of 2017  understandably so, since the folks who usually send me notes are enjoying holiday family time at home. But no worries  I still have a few choice morsels to share.

***

Attention, fellow sufferers of St. Helena Farmers Market withdrawal. During the off-season, market educator Amanda Tuttle posts recipes and arts and crafts for kids and adults at the markets online Learning Center at sthelenafarmersmkt.org. In December shes posted recipes for Peppermint Oreo Bark and Immune Broth Chicken Soup and shows how to make winter dream catchers, glowing ice lanterns, potato-stamped gift wrap, homemade snow clay, and how to turn clothespins into snowflake ornaments. Her ideas should help keep the kids busy until school starts again.

***

Calendars out, please. March 24 is the day of Give Big! St. Helena, a collaborative fundraiser held by the public school parent groups and the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation. It raised $250,000 this year, and Im sure organizers are hoping for another Big! year in 2018. You can donate anytime at givebigsthelena.org.

***

While you have that calendar handy, flip it to Jan. 25 at 7 p.m., when the St. Helena Public Library is teaming up with the Legion of Honor for a presentation on the connections between Klimt and Rodin and their impact on the art world. This presentation celebrates the legacies of these two pioneers, who each broke the reigning aesthetic boundaries of the time to find new vocabularies and create powerful agendas for modern painting and sculpture, according to a note from the library. Refreshments will be served, thanks to the Friends & Foundation, St. Helena Public Library.

***

Also at the library in January, local author Lance Burris will read from his manuscript The Poetic Spirit at Work in Poetry, Painting, and Prose, followed by an open mic, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. More refreshments, and one more tip of the cap to the Friends & Foundation.

***

The Napa Valley Transportation Authority (NVTA) is looking for someone to represent St. Helena on its Citizen Advisory Committee, which meets six times a year. If you have a passion or an ongoing gripe about a local transportation issue, heres your chance to make a difference. Pick up an application at St. Helena City Hall or apply online at nvta.ca.gov. Questions? Call Derek Moore at 253-4559.

***

Greetings to Heather Rehnberg, the new director of marketing at Rombauer Vineyards. She was most recently brand manager at Treasury Wine Estates, where she did marketing for Beringer. Congratulations on the new gig, Heather.

***

Speaking of Rombauer, the winerys Richie Allen is one of six winemakers who discuss the relationship between cork and wine in a new series of videos premiering at 100percentcork.org. The others are Eric Baughter of Ridge Vineyards, Maggie Kruse of Jordan Winery, Corey Beck of Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Tim Bell of Dry Creek Vineyard and Katie Madigan of St. Francis Vineyards. The interviews are being rolled out over the next few weeks, so check the site periodically.

***

In closing, heres a humble piece of advice. End the year on a generous note. Get ahold of a Napa Valley Give! Guide, find a nonprofit that piques your interest, and send them a few dollars. Theres a full list at NapaValleyGiveGuide.org. Think of it as a toast to the end of 2017 and the beginning of (lets all hope) a happy and harmonious 2018.
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Moroccos flag carrier, Royal Air Maroc (RAM), will add four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to its fleet for a total cost of $1.1 bln.

RAM already operates five 787-8 Dreamliners. The new Boeing planes will help the airline expand in South America, North America, the Middle East and Europe.

Our vision is to be the leading airline in Africa in terms of quality of service, quality of planes and connectivity, Royal Air Maroc CEO Abdelhamid Addou said in a statement. Ordering new-generation planes such as the Dreamliner puts our airline on the right track to fulfill our vision.

In addition to the Dreamliners, RAM has a fleet that includes Boeing 737s, 767s and a 747 jumbojet.

RAM won in 2017 for the fourth year in a row Africas best regional airlines award delivered by Skytrax, the worlds leading airline and airport rating agency.

RAM has its main hub in Casablanca Airport. The airline operates a fleet of 47 on mainly Boeing aircraft.
Aeronautics is a key component of Moroccos Industrial Acceleration Plan. The sector aims to generate a turnover of 2.8 billion dollars and create 23,000 jobs by 2020.

The figures were announced by Industry Minister Moulay Hafid El Alamy in a statement to local media saying that the goals set for the aeronautics sector include reaching a rate of local sourcing of 35% by 2020.

He pointed out to the increasing investments by global giants in the sector, which grew by 18% in 2017 compared to 2016.

The results and the achievements confirm our vision, the Minister said, adding that the sector employs today more than 15,000 people.

Moroccan aeronautic industry is growing rapidly thanks to incentives granted to investors, proximity to Europe, low labor costs, stability and political will to make this sector a driving force of economic growth and development.

Morocco continues to attract foreign investment and gain trust of giant manufacturers such as American Boeing, which aims at creating an ecosystem that will attract around 120 of its suppliers to boost Moroccos aeronautics exports by $1 billion and create 8,700 jobs.

Boeing already has a joint venture with Frances Safran in Casablanca to build wire bundles and harnesses for aircraft makers, including Boeing and Airbus.

Besides Boeing, other global aviation industry giants launched investments in Morocco including Bombardier, Latisma, Alcoa and Stelia, a subsidiary of Airbus.

Up to September 2016, 121 companies have been operating in Moroccos aeronautics sector, which ranks 15th worldwide in terms of attracting aviation industry investments.

Training features prominently in Moroccos plan to boost its attractiveness for aviation industry investments. The IMA aeronautics institute (Institut des Metiers de lAeronautique), near Casablancas international airport, provides aerospace companies with skilled workforce to meet manufacturing requirements.
East River Valley. Photo: Mark Foster Gage Architects

As the year draws to a close, its time to think ahead on how to improve the city. The Regional Plan Association had its macro-proposals (though its notion of shutting down the subways at night to repair them didnt go over too well). But clearly something  many things  ought to be done. So we asked some of New York Citys most innovative architects how theyd like to fix this place up a bit. Or just possibly, in the face of climate change, keep our great metropolis from being swamped. The suggested city renovations that came back ranged from whimsical to apocalyptic, minor touch-ups to epic engineering undertakings, depending on the temperament of the particular designer.

East River Valley

Photo: Mark Foster Gage Architects

If theres one unavoidable message weve been taught this year, its that climate change is coming for our cities. Not that this should have been news: Five years before Houston went under and swaths of Los Angeles burned, Sandy showed New York what we can expect more of, more often. In response, a team led by architect Bjarke Ingels was commissioned by the city to plan a Big U set of defenses around Manhattan, composed of parks and berms and sea walls, from midtown to downtown. Architect Mark Foster Gage, whose work seems to take inspiration from the enchanted and/or dystopian CGI megalopolises of fantasy films, dismisses such a defense system as merely a fun U-shaped park that in any case wont do anything to protect the shorelines of Brooklyn and Queens. He stresses instead that epic-scale thinking is required. And so, Gage proposes draining the East River and plugging it up with enormous dams, allowing the city and its residents to use the revealed riverbed for parkland, food production, and the construction of massive, next-generation, geothermal wells to power the next century of the citys energy needs. Its certainly fanciful, but Gage says that the alternative is to watch the coming floods wash away our city, our future, and hopefully all evidence of our shortsighted complacency.

Ewok NYC

Photo: Dino Kiratzidis for DS+R

Charles Renfro of Diller Scofidio + Renfro took the lessons learned from working on the High Line to imagine creating a citywide network of rooftop parks: Delicate bridges could fly over streets, linking lush islands of green in the sky. And planted surfaces are not only appealing aesthetically, but also absorb summer heat and storm water, problems that will only get worse the deeper we get into global warming. They are also elevated and resist flooding by definition. Some of them could even become elevated campgrounds  A blanket of Burning Man at 45 feet. Who wouldnt want New York to be more like the ewok village?

El Bike Lanes

Photo: Courtesy Bonetti Kozerski Architecture

Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture came up with the idea of the El Bike Lanes, which would save pedestrians from the fierce bicycle swarms that run through the city (and the bikers, of course, from the pedestrians and crazed Uber drivers), while also providing a low, swooping viaduct from the Battery across the harbor to Governors Island. They foresee it being integrated with the Citi Bike system, too.

Piazza Flatiron

Photo: Courtesty Norman Foster/Foster + Parters

Norman Foster would love to extend Madison Square Park. The project embraces New Yorks strategy to gain space for pedestrians. In the junction of Broadway and Fifth Avenue, General Worth Square is a precious urban space followed by a series of off-traffic islands currently disconnected. The scheme intends to stitch all these together by providing one single language for all: granite paving pattern and reinstated trees  as Worth Square once had  along edges to screen-off traffic. The result is an extension to the adjacent Madison Square Park beyond the Flatiron building, which would materialize old aspirations of the surrounding neighbors claiming a place to meet together as a community. It could also conceivably help accommodate extra-long Shake Shack lines.

Shopbnb

Photo: Robert Gotham

David Rockwell wants to rethink how the citys storefronts can be used. As street-level retail continues its retreat from the steady advance of the Amazon Army, he feels that storefronts  the heart of the life of the street  should be treated more like we do public space, like parks, squares, and sidewalks. Walking around Soho, Im struck by the number of beautiful but empty storefronts that are covered with brown paper and for lease signage, he says. Its a heavily trafficked area, and thats a lot of public-facing space that isnt serving anyone. So inspired by his work creating theater sets, Rockwell realized that its possible to create impact and memory without massive infrastructure. The solution doesnt need to be monolithic, and it doesnt need to last forever. His idea? There should be a database of available storefronts that creatives can book on demand for public performances, rehearsal spaces, and events: a cultural Airbnb, with rentals at reduced-to-no cost. An app could advertise location-based spaces for artists, as well as whats going on that night for audiences. Itd be real spaces in real time. The city could offer incentives to landlords to make these storefronts available on a temporary basis. On Thursday, a shuttered shop could morph into a writers workshop or a dance studio; on Saturday, it could host a one-man show. If we can get a meal or hotel room or car on demand, why not public space? Why not theater and art? And why not all of them, all at the same time?

The Subway That Never Ends

Photo: Rafael de Cardenas / Architecture at Large

Rafael de Cardenas imagines connecting our dead-end subways into one continuous, graceful, unified loop, extrapolating poetically off of Massimo Vignellis iconic 1972 subway map.

Super-Tall Parasite Parks

Photo: Courtesy Family New York

Oana Stanescu and Dong-Ping Wong, of Family New York, suggest that the citys new skyscrapers should be required to be better citizens. There are currently 20 super-tall towers planned for New York, almost all of them dedicated to luxury residential, just like a three-dimensional chart of wealth. A third of these towers will remain empty for the majority of time, inhabited by expensive furniture for ghosts. But what if the new skyline wasnt just an exclusive club for the super rich? Stanescu asks. What if this new skyline was accessible to all? What if civic, educational, recreational, and cultural programs  programs that make this city better for everybody  were part of the transformation of New York Citys profile? Requiring public space in the new buildings would make the city better for the rest of us, who otherwise must just cower in their very expensive shadows.

Vertical Streets

Rafael Vinoly proposes moving on from the city as a celebration of verticality. Since what makes it so amazing is all this density, in a relatively small rocky island, which has created this urban experiment thats unique and irreproducible, then the next stage, the natural one, is that this should become three-dimensional  that the streets should also be vertical, not just on the ground, but in a matrix of elevated circulation patterns. I know it sounds Buck Rogersy, but it isnt: Its what we suggested in our entry for the reconstruction of the World Trade Center, a system that would enable you to navigate the city beyond the horizontal realm. The surface plane of Manhattan is exhausted, and you need to find ways where the space above you could be navigated and accessed as well. Its bound to happen, and it connects with important things  the idea of resilience especially, what with sea levels rising.

Apocalypse Harbor

Photo: Courtesy SU11 Architecture+Design

Ferda Kolatan of SU11 Architecture+Design suggests another response to climate change, this time in the aftermath of a future catastrophic storm. He imagines a large-scale terraforming effort to create a new landmass at the tip of Manhattan, which reaches all the way from New Jersey to Brooklyn, after a (lets face it, not at all unlikely) massive hurricane devastates the harbor. He calls it the New York Bay Peninsula project: Combining landfill with infrastructure, a new peninsula emerges bridging the devastated areas and creating a barrier to protect lower Manhattan and Brooklyn from future flooding. The East River estuary becomes an inland lake with dams controlling water at Governors Island (now part of the peninsula) and Rikers Island to the north. Flooded zones west of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway are not rebuilt and left submerged, effectively turning the BQE into a miles-long dike. The peninsula provides a new vision for urbanization by merging infrastructure with housing and landscape. Large, uninhabited landmasses combine with solar and water-treatment facilities to form a more robust shoreline. In between those, a floating residential and cultural neighborhood is located. Access to it is given by ferry and through roads located on top of the flood walls. Smaller islands surround the peninsula serving as water barriers and providing new programmatic spaces for New York.

Additional architect-wrangling by Ian Volner.

*A version of this article appears in the December 25, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
Sure, its understandable for progressives to freak out over Trump every single day. But it doesnt have any practical value. Photo: Whitney Curtis/Getty Images

As we near the end of the first calendar year of the Trump era of American history, its a good time for political observers and activists who are not of the MAGA faith to reflect a bit on how they cope with the various controversies surrounding the 45th president. This year began with all sorts of warnings about normalizing Donald Trump and the right-wing populist cause he seemed to represent. Now, progressives are being told to avoid hysteria in chronicling Trumps presidency and/or in interpreting unfolding scandals like possible election-year collusion with Russia. Heres the New York Times Frank Bruni:

When Trumps opponents react to so much of what he says and does with such unfettered outrage, how does that howl not become background noise, and how do we make sure that his unequivocally foul maneuvers stand out from his debatably foolish ones? When we constantly conjure the direst scenarios, dont we risk looking like ignorable hysterics  and bolstering his grandiose claims of martyrdom  if events unfold in a less damnable fashion?

Fury isnt strategy, and theres no need to extrapolate beyond the facts already in our possession.

Similarly, Andres Miguel Rondon, drawing on his experience in dealing with the left-wing populist demagogue Hugo Chavez in his native Venezuela, argues that freaking out about Trump just feeds the beast of his movement, which is all about demolishing enemies rather than achieving anything in particular:

Trump, now in power, paints himself as a fighter under siege  even more so than as last years outsider candidate. The Russia scandal, the occasional betrayal by members of his own party, the condemnation of so many of his acts are all attempts to stop him. What you call scandal is only a sign that he is fighting back. Indeed: that he is fighting you. To his supporters, this is no scandal at all  hes doing exactly what he promised he would do 

Thats how populism works. As long as Trump is still swinging back, scandals help him to polarize the country further. The scorn of his adversaries, in the eyes of his supporters, proves that hes doing exactly what they voted him for to do: dismantling a rigged system that they believe destroyed their hopes.

Both Bruni and Miguel Rondon have the same counsel to offer: Dont get hysterical about Trump or look for extreme measures like impeachment; get even at the ballot box, in 2018 and 2020.

I agree, up to a point. Bruni takes issue with Nancy Pelosi referring to the just-passed GOP tax bill as Armageddon. Thats rhetorical overkill unless you are willing to argue that the fiscal and economic agenda of the entire Republican Party for decades quite literally threatens the extinction of the human race. But the other reason this is a mistake is that there are other things that Trump might do that really are apocalyptic. If he stumbles into a nuclear exchange with North Korea because he cannot resist a testosterone contest with Kim Jong-un, that could well represent Armageddon. From the perspective of Americas past legacy and future prospects, a credible Trumpian threat to civil liberties could also be apocalyptic.

But that probably would require something deadlier than nasty remarks about journalists on Twitter or Islamophobic slurs. And perhaps a movement toward impeachment should be reserved for contingencies where continuation of this man in office would likely provoke a Trumpian counterrevolution that could itself lead to war or fascism.

Yes, its complicated to calibrate ones anger and outrage toward this strange man who defies presidential norms with every breath. And without question, calming oneself down in the face of routine outrages has the effect of normalizing them to a certain degree. But that became inescapable once the Electoral College lifted Trump to the presidency  the ultimate normalization of a phenomenon that was so outlandish that it sounded like the product of science fiction.

In the end, Trumps critics and accusers will not be able to capitalize on any particular scandal so long as they treat his very presence in the White House as scandalous. The closer we get to midterm elections that could radically reduce Trumps power or to a presidential election that could remove him from office altogether, the less sense it makes to hyperventilate over everything he says and does.

We should save our capacity for outrage for the possibility that Trump might try to engineer a national emergency to frighten voters preparing to go to the polls in 2020, or worse yet, might refuse to acknowledge an adverse result (as he threatened to do in 2016).

Perhaps none of that will happen, and when his term is over, the president will peacefully return to Mar-a-Lago, dissipating our lurid fears about him and celebrating the fact that he did not, after all, wreck the country he promised to return to greatness. As Bruni says, that would be optimal:

[T]hats where I, for one, want him: in the rearview mirror, growing tinier and tinier as we zoom, pedal to the metal, toward a saner, more dignified horizon.

That doesnt mean giving Trump a pass on the big and terrible things he might yet do. It just means not assuming the worst just because you know hes capable of it.
A man with a full stomach, but an empty soul. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Just before Christmas, every Republican Senator (who wasnt sidelined by illness) voted for the most unpopular tax bill in modern American history. In the House, all but 12 Republicans did the same.

Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell have drawn very different conclusions from this development. The House Speaker sees a party with the courage (and/or contempt for their constituents) to buck public opinion and slash food and medical aid to the poor and elderly. McConnell, meanwhile, sees a Senate caucus that has already paid its dues to the conservative donor class  and shouldnt have to take another tough vote until after the 2018 midterms.

The Senate Majority Leader made his position public last week. The sensitivity of entitlements is such that you almost have to have a bipartisan agreement in order to achieve a result, McConnell told reporters at a press conference, further saying that he would not expect to see welfare reforms of any kind next year.

As Ed Kilgore has noted, McConnells break with Ryan here can be read as a product of their divergent governing philosophies. The Majority Leader is a bit more keen on power for powers sake  and thus, a bit less willing to sacrifice it on the altar of conservative dogma  than his counterpart in the House.

But a new report from Politico suggests McConnells opposition might be rooted in basic math. Once Democrat Doug Jones takes his Senate seat in January, McConnell will have only 51 GOP votes in the upper chamber  which is to say, any two Republican senators will be able to kill partisan legislation that displeases them. Given that Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were unwilling to cut Obamacare earlier this year  at the time, one of the least-popular safety-net programs in the U.S.  it seems doubtful that theyll be interested in slashing overwhelmingly popular programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamps. And Republican opposition to taking from the poor (immediately after giving to the rich) isnt limited to moderates:

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a swing vote during the Obamacare repeal fight this summer, quickly changed the subject when asked about Ryans entitlement reform push.

Well, Id like to see us pivot to infrastructure. Weve talked it all year, the president talked about it, Capito said. I think it could be a bipartisan exercise. I would certainly hope so.

 All you have to do is the math, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. Unless its bipartisan, then youre talking about reconciliation which means you have to pass a budget, you have to get reconciliation instructions and you have to get 51 Republicans all to vote for it.

The No. 2 Senate Republican added: Thats a pretty steep hill to climb.

Were going to have a narrow majority next year, said Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, about an entitlements fight. Were going to have our hands full with nominations and an infrastructure bill and a bipartisan agenda.

Voting for unpopular tax cuts for the wealthy was one thing; following it up with cuts to popular programs that serve the lower-middle class and indigent is quite another. In the immediate term, the tax bill hurts relatively few people. Even its most destructive provision  the repeal of Obamacares individual mandate  is unlikely to harm the programs most vulnerable enrollees. And those who will see their taxes go up in 2018 wont have heartrending stories to tell  no children will go hungry because their parents can only deduct $10,000 of property taxes from their federal liability.

But tearing holes in Americas (already threadbare) safety net would kill people. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed last week, Paul Ryan lamented the decline of our nations middle class, noting, Nearly 8 in 10 Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck; nearly half say a $500 surprise bill or emergency would put them in debt.

Ryan might be able to summon the cognitive dissonance necessary to acknowledge these realities while pushing to make emergencies even more financially ruinous for low-income people. But many of his Senate colleagues cant. Capitos remarks are especially telling. The West Virginia senator voted for Obamacare repeal, despite the fact that the bill would have hammered her predominantly working-class state. After voting for the Trump tax cuts, however, she appears to have lost her nerve.

Congressional Republicans are desperate to counter the impression that their signature piece of legislation was a giveaway to the rich. Ryans welfare scheme is antithetical to that task. It would force GOP lawmakers to argue that the growing deficit requires shared sacrifice  right after their tax bill swelled that deficit by $1.5 trillion.

Its not surprising that Senate Republicans have little interest in such a gambit. And infrastructure looks dead on arrival for other reasons. Given these realities  and the Democrats enormous lead in polls of the 2018 congressional race  president Trumps first major legislative achievement could very well be his last.
The original strategy, wait on God, was taking too long. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Most experts have concluded that Republican Roy Moore lost the special Senate election in Alabama earlier this month because he faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct toward underage girls (though some think his history of theocratic extremism didnt help). Moore  who has refused to concede the race everyone else has considered over since 10:30 p.m. on December 12  has an alternate theory: He is the victim of rampant voter fraud.

Late on Wednesday, Moore filed a complaint in the state circuit court in Montgomery, Alabamas capital, seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent Democrat Doug Jones from being certified as the elections winner. Moores attorneys argue that if Alabama officials certify the results as planned during a 1 p.m. meeting on Thursday, he will suffer irreparable harm and be denied his full right as a candidate to a fair election.

Jones received 49.9 percent of the vote to Moores 48.4 percent, which is a gap of 1.54 percent or about 20,715 votes. Nevertheless, on election night Moore suggested that there would be a recount  which is only triggered in Alabama when the results are within half a percentage point  and claimed military ballots might sway the race, though only 8,700 Alabamans are currently serving.

Now Moore claims that voting irregularities on various fronts cost him the election (and says he took a polygraph test that showed the sexual-misconduct accusations were bogus). Per the New York Times:

Mr. Moores court filing ran for dozens of pages, and it argued that returns in Jefferson County, the states most populous county, confirmed election fraud. It also said that turnout in the county was suspiciously high; it suggested that Mr. Jones had benefited from voter intimidation; and it argued that Mr. Moores opponents had spread lies and fraudulent misrepresentations.

This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone, Moore said. We call on Secretary of State [John] Merrill to delay certification until there is a thorough investigation of what three independent election experts agree took place: election fraud sufficient to overturn the outcome of the election.

One of the experts Moore cites is Richard Charnin, who says the probability that the election results are accurate is less than one in 15 billion. Charnin runs a blog devoted to JFK conspiracy and systemic election fraud analysis, and is known for pushing dubious voter-fraud claims, like that George W. Bush stole the 2004 election from John Kerry, Bernie Sanders is the rightful winner of the 2016 Democratic primary, and President Trump actually beat Hillary Clinton in the popular vote, not just the Electoral College.

Alabama officials have repeatedly said they found no evidence of voter fraud, and President Trump acknowledged that Moore lost on election night. Its unclear when a judge will consider Moores complaint, but Alabama secretary of State John Merrill, a Republican who voted for Moore, seemed confident that nothing will come of it.

It is not going to delay certification and Doug Jones will be certified (Thursday) at 1 p.m. and he will be sworn in by Vice-President Pence on the 3rd of January, Merrill told the Associated Press.
No Moore. Photo: Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images

Its official: Doug Jones will be the next senator from Alabama.

State election officials certified his win Thursday after a judge rejected a last-ditch challenge by his opponent, the mall-prowling demagogue Roy Moore. Despite losing the election by 21,924 votes, Moore argued in a lawsuit filed Wednesday night that there was election fraud sufficient to overturn the outcome of the election. The suit said todays certification should be delayed until those claims could be investigated.

But those claims were almost universally dismissed, even by Moores supporters. Secretary of State John H. Merrill, a Republican who voted for Moore, says theres no evidence of voter fraud. On Thursday, he was one of the three officials who certified Joness win. The Democrat will soon head to Washington for his swearing-in on January 3.

Moore, however, is not going away. He still refuses to concede the loss and continues to assert that this is a fraudulent election. Though he insists election fraud experts across the country agree with him, his lawsuit uses some less-than-reputable sources to back up the claim, AL.coms Kyle Whitemire reports.

In his complaint, he cites independent election experts, including a JFK assassination conspiracy theorist, an electrical engineer and a failed candidate for Congress. He attaches Breitbart articles as evidence and leans on erratic and inconsistent pre-election polling to refute the only poll that mattered. He gives credence to voter fraud rumors that the Alabama Secretary of State  who supported him politically before the election  has already investigated and proven false.

I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama, Moore said in a statement Thursday. I have no regrets. To God be the glory.

Moores refusal to accept defeat will sound familiar to Alabamians, who may recall that he never conceded losses in the 2006 and 2010 Republican primaries for governor. And they may get to hear it again next year. There are already rumors that Moore will run for governor in 2018.
The Departed. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In its first year, the Trump administration posted a turnover rate fit for a season of The Apprentice. National security adviser Michael Flynn didnt last a month. Communications director Anthony Scaramucci barely put in a week before publicly deriding the White Houses chief strategists (alleged) affinity for auto-fellatio. That strategist, Steve Bannon, followed chief of staff Reince Priebus and press secretary Sean Spicer back to the private sector by summers end.

In total, 21 of the administrations 61 senior officials were either allowed to resign, fired, or reassigned in 2017. That 34 percent first-year turnover rate is the highest in at least four decades  and double the previous record set by the Reagan administration  according to Kathryn Dunn-Tenpas of the Brookings Institution.

Not only is the percentage double, the seniority of people leaving is extraordinarily high, Dunn-Tenpas told the Wall Street Journal. Thats unprecedented to me. The first year always seems to have some missteps on staffing, often because the skills that worked well running a campaign dont always align with what it takes to run a government. In this case, its a president with no experience in government and people around him who also had no experience  So its not surprising that its higher than normal, but its still surprising its this high.

The George W. Bush, Obama, and Clinton administrations lost 6, 9, and 11 percent of their first-year senior staff members, respectively.

History suggests the Trump White House could bleed staff at an even higher clip next year. Reagans turnover rate jumped to 40 percent in 1982, while Clinton bid adieu to 27 percent of his top aides in 1994, and George W. Bush saw 27 percent of his depart in 2002. Trumps current deputy national security adviser Dina Powell and deputy chief of staff Rick Dearborn both plan to head for the exit early next year. Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former Apprentice contestant turned miscellaneous White House adviser, will resign on January 20.

The Trump administration is bound to have trouble finding replacements for its defectors  or at least competent ones. The presidents indecorous demagoguery has alienated a significant portion of the GOPs wonk class, while his fragile ego has led him to reject many #NeverTrumpers who learned to stop worrying and love the Trump presidency. Making matters worse, the Mueller probe threatens to impose legal costs on anyone who decides to take a gig at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Until this month, (relatively) high-functioning corporate managers had a major incentive to tolerate the many, obvious downsides of working for Donald Trump  the opportunity to shape tax-cut legislation to their industrys advantage. But with that deed done, and the prospects for major legislation in 2018 looking dicey, Treasury Secretary Gary Cohn is reportedly eyeing a return to Wall Street. And it seems unlikely that there will be many Goldman Sachs partners eager to take his place.

Meanwhile, Trump has left hundreds of high-level positions across the federal government unfilled, while hundreds of civil servants have fled the EPA and State Department.

This White House has never been known for its competence. But historically high turnover rates are poised to undermine its proficiency even further. The administrations lack of expertise has already contributed to a humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico. It could abet several more disasters in the years to come.
Theres one small flaw in this strategy. Photo: George Frey/Getty Images

When former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI a month ago, President Trumps attorney Ty Cobb released a statement that described Flynn as a former Obama administration official who only served for 25 days during the Trump administration.

As weve seen with Paul Manafort and George Papadopoulos, Trumps default position is to downplay his relationship with any former associates who happen to be indicted by special counsel Robert Muellers team. However, its harder to distance yourself from a former top White House official who memorably led a lock her up chant on the first night of your nominating convention.

The leniency of Flynns plea agreement suggests that hes promised Muellers team valuable information, so Trumps team has come up with another strategy. The Washington Post reports: President Trumps legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy. As one person working on the plan put it, Hes said it himself: Hes a liar.

Who are you going to believe, an admitted liar or the president of the United States? sounds like a logical defense until you plug in what we know about this particular president, and his relationship with the liar in question. Aside from the hypocrisy of Trump attacking anyone for misstating the truth, the plan revives questions about why the president went out of his way to defend Flynn, even after he fired him for lying.

In the days after Trump asked for Flynns resignation, he said he had to go because he misled Vice-President Mike Pence about his conversations with then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the transition. However, Trump argued that by making those calls Flynn was just doing his job, and stressed that he still considered him a man of fine character.

Michael Flynn, General Flynn, is a wonderful man, Trump said on February 15. I think hes been treated very, very unfairly by the media  as I call it, the fake media, in many cases. And I think its really a sad thing that he was treated so badly.

Trump then defended the calls to Kislyak at a press conference the following day:

When Flynn floated the idea of seeking immunity in exchange for his testimony before Congress in March, Trump tweeted his support:

Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 31, 2017

And in May Trump told NBCs Lester Holt that after former acting attorney general Sally Yates warned that Flynn wasnt telling the truth about his discussions with Kislyak, he did nothing for 18 days due to his respect for Flynn. This man has served for many years, hes a general, hes a  in my opinion  a very good person, Trump said. I believe that it would be very unfair to hear from somebody who we dont even know and immediately run out and fire a general.

Even after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI earlier this month, Trump continued expressing sympathy for his former adviser.

I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017

That tweet, which the White House later claimed was written by Trumps attorney, generated controversy as it seemed to imply the president knew Flynn had lied to the FBI as well as Pence before he fired him. But days later, Trump was still publicly defending Flynn.

So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday interrogation with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times...and nothing happens to her? Rigged system, or just a double standard?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017

I feel badly for General Flynn, Trump told reporters on December 4, claiming again that Clinton committed worse offenses. She lied many times. Nothing happened to her. Flynn lied, and its like they ruined his life. Its very unfair, Trump said.

Trump even suggested on December 15 that he may pardon his former adviser. I dont want to talk about pardons for Michael Flynn yet, Trump said. Well see what happens. Lets see. I can say this: When you look at whats gone on with the FBI and with the Justice Department, people are very, very angry.

Thats only what Trump has said publicly about Flynn. Trump reportedly hired Flynn despite a post-election warning from President Obama. Former FBI director James Comey testified that a day after Flynn was fired, Trump told him, I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go. Flynn also claimed that Trump sent him a message in April telling him to stay strong.

While Flynns lying is ostensibly what prompted his firing, Trump has consistently portrayed his former adviser as a good person who made a mistake, and is now being unfairly dragged through the mud. Suddenly accusing Flynn of being a deceitful opportunist the moment he says something negative about Trump isnt a very convincing strategy. On the other hand, it should be enough to satisfy those who already believe Muellers investigation is a sham, and the Trump team might not have a better option.
Families of the six Rwandan nationals arrested on December 19 and 20 want government to take them to court or release them immediately.

The six were separately arrested over a week ago and have since been detained incommunicado without any charges. On December 19, suspected security operatives arrested five Rwandan nationals  Freddy Turatsinze, Jessica Muhongerwa, Vanessa Gasaro, Dianne Kamikazi and Dianne Kamashazi  from the western district of Mbarara.

On the following day, another group of security operatives raided a bar in Nyanama near Kampala and arrested another Rwandan national, Herbert Munyangaju, who was allegedly transferred to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) in Mbuya.

After several inquiries, I established that the armed men were operatives of the [CMI] and that, indeed, all the six people are being held at the [CMI] headquarters, Claudette Ninsiima, a wife to Munyangaju told journalists at a press conference at Grand Imperial hotel this morning.

Ninsiima claims that with the help of her lawyers Gawaya Tegulle and Eron Kiiza, she filed a written complaint to the CMI seeking permission to see her husband in vain. The lawyers have also been denied access to the detainees.

Lawyers Gawaya Tegulle (L) and Eron Kiiza address the media today. Photo: Nicholas Bamulanzeki

Ninsiima appeared at the press conference with the two lawyers but did not allow any photojournalist to take photos of her; and after reading a two-page statement, she left all the talking to the lawyers.

As a family, we are concerned that our people have been, against their will, detained, pursuant to an arrest irregular and unlawful in every sense of the word, said Ninsiima, who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the families of all the detainees.

On behalf of the families of the detainees, I call upon the government of Uganda, and particularly the UPDF and CMI, to respect the detainees and treat them in a humane and respectful way, respect and follow the law regarding the detention of suspects, grant us  the family, lawyers and medical personnel  access to our people, Ninsiima said.

The arrests came a few days after the arrest of 45 other Rwandan nationals, 43 of them from Kikagati in Isingiro and two others in Kampala.

The 45 are currently being detained at Nalufenya police station in Jinja and face terrorism charges, according to a statement by police spokesman Emilian Kayima.

The suspects committed very serious offenses, they committed the crimes in different parts of the country, and no one police region has complete jurisdiction over them. Moreover, being a large number involved in the same offences, it is more efficient and convenient to manage them in one place, Kayima said.

Lawyers claim 6 Rwandans currently detained incommunicado have been caught in a 'war' between #Uganda police boss Gen Kale Kayihura & security minister Lt. Gen Henry Tumukunde as well as in tensions between Uganda & #Rwanda ? @bamulanzeki pic.twitter.com/KjUTlZaOHB  The Observer (@observerug) December 28, 2017

Last weeks arrests brought to 52 the number of Rwandan nationals that are being detained by Ugandan security agencies. The Observer has learnt that the 45 who were allegedly arrested with forged travel documents will be paraded before the Chief Magistrates court in Jinja on January 5, 2017.

The arrests and detention, according to Tegulle, are in contravention of international law.

Under international law, the government of Uganda has a duty to protect anyone within its borders, Tegulle told journalists, further accusing the government of abusing the rule of law.

There has been no respect of the rule of lawwe have approached CMI and were denied access to them, we called [the army spokesman Brig Richard] Karemire but he did not answer our calls, we have written to the Ministry of Defence but they have not responded. If there are any cases against them, let them [detainees] be brought to courts of law other than being held incommunicado in ungazetted places, Tegulle said.

Tegulle also claimed that the arrests are out of the growing tensions between Uganda and Rwanda, adding that such tensions should not lead to abuse of human rights.

On his part, Kiiza alleged that, like Rene Rutagingira, who was deported back to Rwanda after spending some time in detention, the detainees have been subjected to different forms of torture.

Our repeated calls to army spokesman Karemire went unanswered.
Some African countries are celebrating half a century of independence from colonialists.

The irony is that the more they chest-thump about this great feat of independence, the more they hold out their hands with begging bowls for favours and aid.

The favours range from being granted citizenships and being allowed to work in those countries. And we are not talking about high-value jobs. Menial work is our preference.

The dignity of being independent from the imperialists collapsed the very day Africans chose to accept the independence flag but decided to keep the imperialists education, economic models, culture, and even the political system.

The official language has to be French, English, Spanish or Portuguese. The academic curriculum has been maintained and even some universities have modeled their teaching to fit or compete with the Western models. Some of the oppressive colonial laws such as annoying the chief are still functioning statutes.

The economic advisors still come from those who know the art and skill of colonizing. Little wonder then that despite such well-cultivated advice, Africans have still remained the same. The imperialists cleverly passed on the template of everything they were doing in the colonies and the liberated colonies did not have the skills to dismantle them.

So, what is the claim of independence all about? Does one still get surprised when hundreds of thousands still trek or dare to go to Europe in hope of better life? A new form of slave trade called human trafficking has emerged.

Incongruously, Africans are paying to be enslaved! Many of the people who were recently reported to have been stuck in Libya and were turned into slaves had paid huge amounts of money to be taken to Europe.

Unfortunately, their agents had a different agenda and they shortchanged them. So, even though many of them are running away from poverty, they are selling their property to meet the fees charged by the traffickers!

While the European explorers came to the Dark Continent in search of new markets, the Africans have no chance to exploit any markets in Europe. Africans have chosen to return the continent to a state of nature where there are no rules, and if there are rules, they work for and against certain categories, and not for all.

The leaders are unquestionable. The natural resources get personalized. These injustices have forced some Africans to hate their homes and choose slavery.

Ghanas president Nana Akufo-Addo is one of those leaders who like to bark at our former colonial masters, but whose words are actually sheer demagogue. Early in December 2017, President Akufo-Addo hosted French President Emmanuel Macron.

During a joint press conference, Akufo-Addo startled his guest when he said: We want our relations with France to be characterised by an increase in trade and investment co-operation, not aid.

We can no longer continue to make policy for ourselves, in our country, in our region, in our continent on the basis of whatever support that the Western world or France, or the European Union can give us. It will not work. It has not worked and it will not work, he added.

We have to get away from this mindset of dependency. This mindset about what can France do for us? France will do whatever it wants to do for its own sake, and when those coincide with ours, tant mieux [so much better] as the French people sayOur concern should be what do we need to do in this 21st century to move Africa away from being cap in hand and begging for aid, for charity, for handouts. The African continent, when you look at its resources, should be giving monies to other placesWe need to have a mindset that says we can do itand once we have that mindset, well see theres a liberating factor for ourselves, he explained with his rising tone and demeanor demonstrating his passion for this subject.

But how can the piper choose the tune for the player?

While Akufo-Addo sounded right at that occasion, the reality is that the African mindset, including that of the leaders, is still very much configured to look up to Europe for help. For what can explain the exodus of desperate Africans to Europe amidst all bottlenecks including death?



The author is the business development director at The Observer Media Limited.
Generally, the national mood is low. It has been a sombre Christmas holiday.

It is unfortunate that they chose such a timing that their greedy act will always be remembered around the same time with Jesus birth.

Ever since that ugly day when the mob in parliament conspired to lynch our Constitution, the country seems to be at a silent funeral. Many people were lost for words, watching their MPs deceiving before cameras: my people sent me to say YES.

And, as though to show them some more how far they had gone in being their own servants, that they could even extend their term! We were still coming to terms with being told by the president that he is not our servant, and the MPs said it even louder and more provocatively.

Strangely, neither the supposed winners, nor the losers seem to be in celebration. For what can we report to have actually achieved as a nation from all that anxiety, expenditure, and time? Deep within their tiny (almost inexistent) consciences, they know that before the population, they are low-grade replicas of Judas Iscariot.

Well, not all is lost yet. We need not take so much time looking at where we fell. Rather, we should put more attention on where we stumbled. The fundamental question is: How, as a nation, did we get to this point?

How did we become so powerless before our leaders? How did we get such leaders? How did we find them worthy (if we did)? How did these leaders become like this?

So much has since been said in post-mortem of the desecration of parliament and the constitution. In fits of anger, some have desperately vowed never to vote again  to let everything follow as it may. Lets just let him rule until he dies. Some have castigated the opposition as weak.

Poor opposition MPs! Their means and options were certainly very limited, given their numbers. It is subject to no question that they fought hard in their desperation. When a gun-less family is attacked by thieves, its members cant be blamed for screaming and hitting saucepans in alarm.

It also speaks volumes about us millions as we point at opposition politicians as weak. What about us? Does electing leaders take away all civic responsibility from us, leaving us to be passive spectators/commentators?

What is your individual contribution in achieving the country you blame others for not realising? And, in any case, why are opposition MPs this few in parliament?

Every epoch in Ugandas history has given us its lessons, and sometimes we have fatally missed them. President Musevenis entry in 1986 mainly rode on the countrys mistakes of the past. And checks were put in place to avoid the recurrence of ugly scenes born of political excesses.

But, in a rather circular process, we are miserably back to the question: For these things to emerge again, what didnt we fix? Is this the kind of arrangement we need now? And can it be fixed by the benefiting system?

Why has it become so easy for the president to manipulate MPs and the constitution to always get away with what he wants? Amin declared himself life president, and we tried to ensure that such doesnt happen again.

How come we are now worried about the same? How come we can no longer trust that elections can be a reliable check on the presidents hold onto power?

While we were fixing holes that led us into trouble in the past, did we know that a time would come when political players would be available for hire to the highest bidder?

How do we face a political situation where every national issue is approached in light of its financial benefits to individual politicians? How do we respond to the populist politics that has given rise to so many bogus MPs that can hardly ever make an intelligent argument? Do our controls speak to these new developments?

How did our parliament become so big in size yet so slim in sound reasoning? How did a house supposed to representatively make laws to regulate our society become a collection of bleating sheep?

I listened to MPs opposed to removing term limits passionately argue out their considerations. What I knew for sure was that their submissions were only good for the record.

Clearly, their fellows on the other side had not come in to learn anything to inform their decision  just like my primary teacher who would let you explain yourself, only waiting for you to finish and tell you to lie down.

Considering the widespread outrage against the bill that they had witnessed among Ugandans during the non-consultative consultations, it was shocking how they stood one after the other to shamelessly shout YES! What is more worrying, though, is that this symptomizes the death of consciences.

Once a conscience dies, anything goes  there is no guilt, no regret, no remorse, no shame. And this is a scary point to get to for people we have entrusted with our future.

In a way, it prominently exemplifies the heartless greed/individualism that has penetrated almost every facet of our society; as manifested in many deadly goods on the market, commercialised religion, heights of conmanship, and domestic injustices.

The relationship between what transpires in wider society and among our leaders is not just that of a part that looks like the whole, but also of a vital part that has failed to transform the whole  setting bad examples instead.

With all these lessons, when we once again finally wake up to clear the moral rot that we have allowed in this country, we might need something close to an overhaul.



jsssentongo@gmail.com



The author heads the Centre for African Studies at Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi.
The government announced on Wednesday that it would go in for an additional borrowing of Rs 50,000 crore during the current financial year, raising concern that the country may miss the fiscal deficit target fixed at 3.2 per cent of GDP. However, the Arun Jaitley-headed Finance Ministry issued a statement saying there will be no change in the net borrowing as envisaged in the Budget for 2017-18.

The increase in borrowings comes at a time when the government's revenue collections have fallen after the launch of the national Goods and Services Tax in July that complicated tax filings for businesses and hit the economy. Aditi Nayar, an economist at ICRA, the Indian arm of rating agency Moody's, said the additional borrowing could lead to a "modest fiscal slippage" as the government was likely to miss its revenue receipts target.

Figures compiled by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) show the government has already spent Rs 12.92 lakh crore in the eight months to October of the current fiscal, about 60 per cent of the budgeted spending, while revenue collections were just 48 per cent of the target. The finance ministry said that after the review of the borrowing programme with the RBI, it was decided that the government will raise additional market borrowings of Rs 50,000 crore in 2017-18 through dated Government securities. At the same time this would be offset by a reduction in T-Bills from present collections of Rs 86,203 crore to Rs 25,006 crore by March 2018.

T-Bills are securities with short-term duration of less than one year while dated securities have maturity of over five years. The government will thus, between now and March 2018, not be raising any net additional borrowing as T-Bills will be run down by Rs 61,203 crore and additional G-Sec borrowing will be Rs 50,000 crore, the statement explained.

In the Budget for 2017-18, gross and net market borrowing were pegged at Rs 5.80 lakh crore and Rs 4.23 lakh crore respectively with Rs 3.48 lakh crore being raised (net) from dated Government securities and Rs 2,002 crore from T-bills, the finance ministry statement said. Noting that borrowings till December 26, 2017 have been conducted in line with the borrowing calendar fixed for the fiscal, it said, gross and net market borrowings are Rs 5,21,000 crore and Rs 3,81,281 crore, excluding buyback/switches, respectively as on December.

However, as against the budgeted net T-bills receipt of Rs 2,002 crore, net collections till December 26 2017 are Rs 86,203 crore, it said. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had pegged the fiscal deficit target of Rs 3.2 per cent of GDP for the current fiscal. Additional borrowing by the government may have impact on the fiscal math. Since the revenue collection from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is slightly lower than expected in the last two months, the additional borrowing would help bridge the shortfall.

Analysts said the fiscal deficit could now rise to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product, against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's stated target of 3.2 percent. "Given the clouded outlook for revenues, sticking to the fiscal consolidation roadmap would entail compression of expenditure, which would dampen the expected economic growth recovery in the March quarter," Nayar said.

The GST collections slipped to their lowest in November as rates were cut on dozens of goods to make the new national sales tax regime more acceptable. Total collections under the GST in November slipped for the second straight month to Rs 80,808 crore, down from Rs 83,346 crore in the previous month.
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,
More than 17,000 people in Ghana die annually as a result of exposure to air pollution, with children and women being the most affected victims, Mrs Gina McCarthy, a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, had said.



More numbers of allergies in both adults and children would also be recorded due to the high amounts of hydrochloric acid being released into the atmosphere, she added.



These were stated during a panel discussion on Climate Change and its impacts on public health at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).



Mrs McCarthy said air pollution was the largest environmental health risk in the world, as more than seven million people globally died annually from that.



The EPA administrator said poor women and children paid a heavy price for indoor air pollution as they spent more time at home breathing in smoke and soot from leaky coal and wood cook stoves.



She said cleaning up the air could save lives and prevent non-communicable diseases and also reduce disease risks among women and vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly.



She, therefore, urged Ghana to take advantage of the efficient technologies available to continue to grow economically in a manner where natural resources would be more effectively protected.



She called on Ghana and other African countries to invest in efficient renewable energy for energy security, promote low-carbon transport for less congestion and pollution and low-input agriculture to boost food security.



Mrs McCarthy said Climate Change strategies must also look at ensuring higher efficiencies in fuel-wood utilisation and how it could contribute to improved health and profit margins of women traders.



She said people must be educated on the devastating effects of climate change and the need to shift to clean technologies that were vital to a stable and successful future.



She said Ghana must learn from the challenges and successes of the US at a time when the country was becoming more urbanised and industrialised.



She also indicated that Ghana could follow some of the legal steps the US had taken in the industry, energy and transportation sectors to reduce carbon emissions.



On his part, the Head of Department, Environmental Science, UCC, Dr Frederick Ato Armah, said Africa must stop playing victims of the impact of Climate Change and be more proactive in dealing with the issue because they had in a way contributed to it.



We cannot sit aloof and continue to blame others for what our collective mistakes. The time to act to save our general is now, he cautioned.



Dr Sabastian Eliason, the Head of Department, Community Medicine of the School of Medical Sciences, UCC, said the impact of Climate Change posed great danger to public health and pragmatic measures were needed to address it.





Source: today









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Enduring cold weather at the start of a new year calls for serious measures. Time to break out the Epoisses de Bourgogne cheese and tasty wines.

Those already familiar with the glories of Epoisses know what I mean. Once youve experienced Epoisses, the intense sensory impressions cannot be forgotten. Passionate reactions are common.

Epoisses cheese starts simply enough. The milk comes from Brune, Montbeliarde, and Simmental Francaise cows grazing in the area between Auxerre in the north of Burgundy and the famed Cote dOr vineyards near the village of Gevrey-Chambertin in the south. For French domestic consumption, Epoisses producers use unpasteurized milk, whereas Epoisses exported to the United States comes from pasteurized milk.

After heating the milk, producers mold the curds into rounds which are rubbed with salt and placed on maturing racks in cool, damp cellars. Then the magic begins.

Workers rinse the young cheeses and then brush them with a cocktail of watery brine, Brevibacterium bacteria and marc de Bourgogne, a raw spirit distilled from the remains of newly pressed Burgundy wines. As the rubbing process repeats over the next four to six weeks, les ferments du rouge (i.e., red molds) naturally develop to nurture Epoisses distinctive personality.

That personality starts with the cheeses vivid reddish, orange color. Draw closer, and the cheeses powerful, unabashed aromas demand attention. The pungent, heady perfume exudes fruitiness, wild garlic and barnyard aromas.

Then cut into a properly aged Epoisses, and the creamy, glistening texture oozes. The French call it, coulant, i.e., runny. On the palate, mild, deliciously fruity and savory mushroom flavors prevail.

In short, the cheese should be alive and sing with pleasure. Add it all up, and, as famed French gourmand, Brillat-Savarin, observed, Epoisses is the king of all cheeses.

Several Epoisses producers export to the United States, but go with the reliable Berthaut Epoisses, a family firm that resurrected commercial production in 1956. An 8.8 ounce round sells nationally around $20 to $25. Pair the cheese with aromatic wines with ample fruitiness and plenty of fresh acidity:

The 2014 Francois Cazin Le Petit Chambord, Cour-Cheverny, France (Available nationally online around $20.00) comes from Romorantin vines. The ancient variety grows only in the eastern Loire Valley in clay, limestone and silica soils in Cour-Cheverny, a sub-appellation of Cheverny A.O.C. where dedicated winegrower Francois Cazin makes his home. His lovely white unfolds white flowers, citrus, quince and peach aromas. Ripe flavors of citrus and peach layer with rich, fresh acidity and light creamy notes carrying through the beautifully balanced, dry finish. Highly recommended.

The 2014 Joseph Mellot, Menetou-Salon, Les Thureaux Pinot Noir, France (Available nationally online around $25.00) comes from Pinot Noir vines growing in the eastern Loire, just south of Sancerre in the Menetou-Salon appellation. The area has clay and Kimmeridgian limestone soils rich in marine fossils. Mellot practices sustainable farming to enliven top soils. This forces the vines to sink roots deeply into the limestone subsoils. The resulting wines delivers terrific freshness. This wines bright raspberry and light brambly aromas open to fresh red fruit flavors. Delicious acidity and soft tannins balance a fruity, dry finish. Highly recommended.

The 2014 Joseph Drouhin, Cote de Beaune-Villages, France (available nationally on-line for around $25.00) comes from the ever-reliable Drouhin family, winegrowers and negociants headquartered in a cluster of historic properties in Beaune. The cellars encompass ancient Cellars of the Dukes of Burgundy and the Cellars of the Kings of France in Beaune. This delicious wine relies on carefully selected Pinot Noir grapes grown in various villages in the Cote de Beaune. The four Drouhin siblings who direct the firm rely on long-term contracts with growers who share a farming approach focused on quality over quantity.

The prevalent terroir of clay and limestone creates distinctly fresh, well balanced fruit that winemaker Veronique Drouhin-Boss ferments with indigenous yeasts. Aging occurs in a combination of new and previously used French oak barrels to impart subtle spicy notes. As always, the Drouhins highlight finesse, purity and balance to permit the terroir to shine brilliantly. The wines dark ruby color unfolds fragrant dark red fruit and a touch of spiciness and smoky earthiness. Delicious, ripe dark red fruit flavors balance with fresh acidity and fine, elegant tannins. The fruity, refined finish lingers nicely. Highly recommended.
Bill Toscano reporter Follow Bill Toscano 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

As Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans for Wednesdays State of the State speech, he has been releasing information on specific proposals, and Thursday, he turned his attention to hunger and school children.

In the 15th proposal released in advance of the speech, the governor called for a five-point plan, the No Student Goes Hungry Program, that includes banning the policy of lunch shaming children who do not have money for school meals and requiring all SUNY campuses to have food pantries available to students.

In October, SUNY Adirondack opened its Food Source in the schools Community Hub in the Student Center to provide food for students who need it.

More than 570 food pantries are open at public and private schools in the state, but only about half of all SUNY and CUNY campuses have food pantries currently in place.

The governor is proposing a $1 million state investment for schools to require every SUNY campus to have a pantry, which would make it the first state in the nation to do so.

The governors proposal also called for an end to lunch shamming, which his office described as a disgraceful practice in some schools where children are publicly humiliated in front of their peers by adults for not having money for lunch.

The proposal noted that in many cases, these students are forced to wear a sticker or bracelet, or have their name called over the loud speaker. In other cases, these students are given alternative, lesser quality lunches, such as a cold cheese sandwich when other students get hot lunches. Other national news reports have reported children simply being denied food if they cannot pay.

The governor will propose a law that would prohibit any public act to humiliate a student who cannot afford lunch and ban alternative lunches. It will require students to receive the same lunch as others starting in the 2018-19 school year.

The governors proposal would also extend the time schools would provide breakfast for students. High-need schools are required to offer breakfast, but the law allows flexibility when it is offered, and many offer meals in only a limited time frame, the governors office said.

In order to allow students to have breakfast and to prevent them from going hungry during morning classes, the governor will propose requiring schools with more than 70 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch to provide breakfast after the school day has begun for the next school year.

The state will provide technical assistance and capital funds for equipment such as coolers and vending machines to support breakfast after the bell. An estimated $7 million in capital funds will support expanded breakfast for 1,400 schools.

The proposals would also double the state's investment in the Farm to School program to support the use of healthy, local food in school districts across the state. The governor is proposing doubling the state's investment to $1.5 million in Farm to School projects.

Finally, Cuomo wants to increase the reimbursement schools receive for lunches from the current 5.9 cents per meal to 25 cents per meals for any district that purchases at least 30 percent ingredients from in-state farms.
QUEENSBURY  A Johnsburg man pleaded guilty last week to a felony charge in connection with a cocaine sale in Johnsburg earlier this year.

Matthew R. Cleveland, 24, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, in connection with a September arrest by State Police.

He was charged with selling cocaine on two occasions.

Warren County Judge John Hall sentenced Cleveland to 3 years in state prison to be followed by 2 years on parole.
QUEENSBURY  A Moreau man who worked as payroll administrator for a company that provides assistance to those with disabilities has pleaded guilty to a felony in connection with the theft of thousands of dollars from the company.

Alberto Lupia, 47, pleaded guilty to first-degree falsifying business records, a felony, in Warren County Court.

Court records show he agreed to a plea deal that will result in a sentence of 6 months in Warren County Jail and 5 years on probation, if he can make restitution as of sentencing date of Feb. 14. If the money is not paid back, Warren County Judge John Hall can impose a state prison term of up to 1-1/3 to 4 years in state prison.

Lupia was arrested in July after Community, Work & Independence, Inc. (CWI) contacted Glens Falls Police about an apparent theft at its Broad Street, Glens Falls office.

Police found that Lupia issued checks to himself, claiming mileage reimbursement to which he wasnt entitled, amounting to more than $16,000 over a period of several months. Police said he falsified business records to try to cover the theft, and had worked for the company for about a year.

He was charged with felony counts of grand larceny and falsifying business records, and the grand larceny count will be dropped as part of the plea deal.

CWI offers a variety of programs to assist those with disabilities and brain injuries at over 40 locations in the region. It employs more than 700 people.

Krista Clock, public relations specialist for the organization, said the theft was not believed to have expanded past the figure that police were notified about last summer before Lupias arrest. She said it did not have an impact on assistance to clients.

It didnt affect our service or assets for our programs, she said.

Lupia was represented by the Warren County Public Defenders Office, but Public Defender Marcy Flores could not be reached Wednesday.

He is free pending sentencing.
GLENS FALLS  A significant investment in facilities and services at Glens Falls Hospital this year laid the foundation for the hospital to usher in a host of improvements and new patient offerings in the new year.

It was a really strong year for us, said Tracy Mills, vice president of planning, about 2017. We will continue to grow and improve accessibility to quality care through an expansion of services both on and off campus.

A $19.9 million state Department of Health Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program grant for the creation of an integrated medical village is historic for the hospital and paves the way for dramatic changes to the hospital footprint.

The hospitals state award was the largest in the hospitals history and the fourth-largest in the state this year.

According to Mills, the medical village will meet changing community and provider needs and is transformative for the hospital.

Planned as the first floor of a newly designed and constructed two-story medical pavilion adjacent to the hospitals West entrance, the medical village will include a new emergency department, including the new crisis stabilization center, outpatient services, advanced diagnostics, specialty ambulatory detoxification services, substance abuse prevention, treatment and referrals to community resources and advanced telemedicine capabilities.

This is huge for us and we are thankful, humbled and thrilled, hospital President and CEO Dianne Shugrue said when the award was announced earlier this year. This award recognizes Glens Falls Hospital as a major health organization in the region. There were a lot of competing applications.

The second-floor of the medical pavilion will house new inpatient operating rooms.

I think it (medical village) fits nicely into the long-term strategic plan for the hospital. Not only will it expand outpatient services, the $20 million leads us to what is the most appropriate layout for the future.

Currently, 2018 is slated as a planning year for the medical village with architectural planning getting underway and the process for obtaining city and state approvals started.

We will seek final board and state approval in the fall of 2018, said Mills. And we will begin construction in 2019.

Looking back, ahead

As Mills started pulling together the hospitals past year accomplishments and putting pen to paper, she said she realized what a busy year it has been.

In November, following the completion of a $5 million, 12-month renovation and construction project, the Joyce Stock Snuggery opened with larger birthing rooms, a relocation and expansion of the special care nursery, reconfigured hallways, enhanced lighting for physicians, midwives and nurses, expanded bathrooms and showers in each patient room, as well as small details like wood floors in the birthing rooms, wood panels on the walls, iPhone jacks at all patient beds, Adirondack mountain views, lots of seating for larger families and new art and subtle leaf patterns on the walls.

Two new hospital inpatient operating rooms were completed over the summer, and Mills said the hospital plans to showcase them in early 2018.

Along with the new operating rooms comes state-of-the-art technology, a new PACU (post-anesthesia care unit), a new admissions area and a new nurses station.

A $1.5 million Crisis Stabilization Center was started in a segment of the existing emergency department, and these services, for mental health and substance use treatment, will transition into the medical village when completed. Mills said the Crisis Center will be completed in early 2018.

Additionally, the hospitals new cancer center pharmacy opened in the summer with a focus on chemotherapy preparation.

Physician recruitment

In addition to facility and structural changes, the hospital focused on recruiting physicians and surgeons in 2017.

We have recruited 17 full-time primary care physicians, said Mills. And we hired our first orthopedic surgeon and our first general surgeon.

These physicians are hospital employees rather than primary care doctors and surgeons in private practice, who admit patients to the hospital or perform surgeries at the hospital.

This year, the hospital also recruited Dr. Henry Tan, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist from Albany Medical Center, to the hospitals cardiology practice, bringing new diagnostic and treatment options to people with heart rhythm abnormalities across the hospitals five-county service area.

Electrophysiology is a cardiology sub-specialty focused on diagnosing and treating heart rhythm conditions known as arrhythmias, or changes in the normal sequence of electrical impulses in the heart, resulting in the heart beating too fast, too slowly or erratically.

Tan is the regions first electrophysiologist.

When hiring a provider you have to ask, What do they need? Mills said. We invested over half a million in technology for Dr. Tan.

In other developments, a Center of Excellence for Alzheimers disease was created in the hospitals Pruyn Pavilion.

It really got off the ground this summer and we began promoting it in the fall. It is one of 10 designated Centers of Excellence to service Northern New York, said Mills. We have a comprehensive approach to diagnosing, treating and determining what care givers need.

Starting in 2018, the hospital plans on renting roughly 30,000 square feet in the new mixed-used building, called 14 Hudson, adjacent to the hospital, Mills said.

As the hospital examines strategic moves and initiatives, sometimes certain services are best delivered by other providers, said Shugrue in an earlier interview.

And this month, the hospital announced it plans to sell its dialysis center and services to the Nashville-based Dialysis Clinic Inc.

According to Mills, the existing dialysis facility has the capacity for 27 dialysis stations and is able to support home dialysis.

Current patients will become patients of DCI, said Mills, adding that DCI will own and operate the building.

Currently, DCI cares for more than 15,000 dialysis patients in more than 230 centers across the country, including locations in Saratoga Springs, Clifton Park and Albany.

Glens Falls Hospital has had a longstanding relationship with DCI and we currently provide backup support for each other in times of need or overflow, Mills said. We look forward to continuing and expanding our relationship.

According to Mills, emergency department physician staffing is provided through Team Health through a contracting arrangement, but other emergency department staff are hospital employees.

Looking to the future, Mills said that more changes are planned.

There will be additional expansion in imaging and rehab, and we want to make sure we invest and recognize the need to bring services out into the community, she said. A lot of our strategy in 2018 is to invest dollars in primary care imaging and lab services.
Punjab News Express

NEVADA(USA): Problems related to sex can very well be handled with Yoga, four scholars at the Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College of Ayurveda and Hospital in Karnataka (India) point out in a review article Yogic Intervention in Sexual Dysfunction published in Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences.



It concluded: By regular practice of Yoga, Pranayama, Bandhas and Mudra the person will awaken the Kundalini Shakti in him which eases the flow of Prana Vayu all over the body resulting in good physical and mental stability by which most of the sexual dysfunctions get reduced.



This review indicates: In the domain of sexual response, Yoga has also been touted as a method for...enhancing erectile capacity, extending the longevity of intercourse and fundamentally, of enhancing sexual pleasure.



The scholars in this review describe sexual dysfunction or sexual malfunction as: the difficulty experienced by an individual or couple during any stages of normal sexual activity, which includes physical pleasure, desire, arousal and orgasm; and adds that causes can be physical and psychological. Sexual dysfunctions in men are listed as: erectile dysfunction, ejaculation problems, low libido; and sexual dysfunctions in women are given as: vaginal dryness, difficulty achieving orgasm, dysperunia.



Under yogic interventions, it lists ten asanas: Ardha Matsyendrasana, Paschimottanasana, Siddasana, Baddakonasana, Garudasana, Setubhandasana, Halasana, Pavanamuktasana, Supta Vajrasana, Shavasana. One specific practice in Yoga, the Moola Bandha, bears particular promise in the treatment of sexual problems, especially for women..., it adds.



The scholars involved with this study included: Rakshith K. R., Shivakumar, Kaushal Sinha and Vijeth Kumar L. A. They propose future research avenues focusing on Yoga as a treatment for sexual disorder.



Meanwhile, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, called this review looking into usage of yoga in treating/reducing sexual dysfunctions a step in the positive direction. Zed urged all major world educational institutions and hospitals to explore various benefits yoga offered.



Yoga, referred as a living fossil, was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2, 000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.



Rajan Zed further said that yoga, although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, was a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilized by all. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.



According to US National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to a 2016 Yoga in America Study, about 37 million Americans (which included many celebrities) now practice yoga; and yoga is strongly correlated with having a positive self image. Yoga was the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, Zed added.
MOLINE -- The Dispatch-Argus Santa Fund has collected $23,602.24 of its $50,000 goal for its 110th season.

That leaves a goal of $26,397.76 yet to raise.

3 easy ways to donate

1. Contribute to QCOnline.com/santafund and fill out forms.

Contribute to QCOnline.com/santafund and fill out forms. 2. Mail checks to Dispatch-Argus Santa Fund, 1033 7th St., Suite 101, East Moline, IL 61244.

Mail checks to Dispatch-Argus Santa Fund, 1033 7th St., Suite 101, East Moline, IL 61244. 3. Visit the newspaper during open business hours with a check, cash or credit card contribution.

The annual holiday campaign collected $53,460.35 last year to help 1,638 people, including 1,001 children and 637 adults.

The newspaper will continue to work with 14 Illinois agencies to identify individuals and families who might benefit from the Dispatch-Argus Santa Fund. Those agencies also will help distribute $50 gift cards to qualified recipients.

A handful of people also will be selected to receive major assistance such as beds, stoves, dining room tables, high chairs, cribs, medical equipment, new tires and car repairs.

The Argus Santa Claus Fund began in 1908. The Dispatch Good Fellow Fund began in 1912. The two programs merged in 1987. It now is being administered by the Lee Foundation.

Recent contributions

Jon & Carolynn Peterson, $25

Mrs. David Close, $200

In loving memory of Frank Hicks Sr. & Wanda Hicks Hall, by Rosie Hicks, $50

In loving memory of Karen, by Jim Schneider, $200

Anonymous, $50

Curry & Curry, by Daniel & William Curry, $25

Sandy & Donald Wentler, $100

In loving memory of Judy Benson & her dad Max, by Donna Benson & family, $100

In loving memory of Charles & Jane Bloome & Robert Moore, by Diann Moore, $50

In memory of my mother Mary & my sister Debra, by Michael Meloen, $250

In memory of Herbert Vyncke, by Joann Lay, $50

John & Geralyn McEvoy, $100

James Cox, $500

Anonymous, $50

Anonymous, $50

In memory of Barb Craft, by David & Sheryl Hanson, $100

Beth & Jim Carton, $100

Jim & Jeanne Gale, $50

In honor of Bob & Marion Monson & Donald Mitchell Jr., by Marcia Dohrn, $100

Remembering Jeff Hartman, by Jack Seyller, $50

Anonymous, $25

Anonymous, $100

In honor of my dad, Gary Post

Merry Christmas!!!, by Kristy Rodgers, $100

Pay it Forward, by Ron & Char Gress, $100

In lieu of gifts for Dr. Ranyee Chiang, by Dr. John & Linda Peterson, $250

In memory of Albert & Virginia Vande Wiele by Jill Vande Wiele, $100

Cynthia Mooney, $25

Randy Junis, $50

In memory of Terry Hartley, by Carole Hartley, $100

Jon & Carolynn Peterson, $25

Mrs. David Close, $200

In loving memory of Frank Hicks Sr. & Wanda Hicks Hall, by Rosie Hicks, $50

In loving memory of Karen, by Jim Schneider, $200

Anonymous, $50

Curry & Curry, by Daniel & William Curry, $25

Sandy & Donald Wentler, $100

In loving memory of Judy Benson & her dad Max, by Donna Benson & family, $100

In loving memory of Charles & Jane Bloome & Robert Moore, by Diann Moore, $50

In memory of my mother Mary & my sister Debra, by Michael Meloen, $250

In memory of Herbert Vyncke, by Joann Lay, $50

John & Geralyn McEvoy, $100

James Cox, $500

Anonymous, $50

Anonymous, $50

In memory of Barb Craft, by David & Sheryl Hanson, $100

Beth & Jim Carton, $100

Jim & Jeanne Gale, $50

In honor of Bob & Marion Monson & Donald Mitchell Jr., by Marcia Dohrn, $100

Remembering Jeff Hartman, by Jack Seyller, $50

Anonymous, $25

Anonymous, $100

In honor of my dad, Gary Post

Merry Christmas!!!, by Kristy Rodgers, $100

Pay it Forward, by Ron & Char Gress, $100

In lieu of gifts for Dr. Ranyee Chiang, by Dr. John & Linda Peterson, $250

In memory of Albert & Virginia Vande Wiele by Jill Vande Wiele, $100

Cynthia Mooney, $25

Randy Junis, $50

In memory of Terry Hartley, by Carole Hartley, $100
ROCK ISLAND -- Christian Care was awarded grant funding of $2,000 from the Wilbert and Carol Keppy Charitable Foundation, $1,000 from the Harris Family Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend and $1,769 from the Mel McKay Trust. Funds will be used to support the various programs and services provided through Christian Care.

Christian Care is the only homeless mens shelter in the Illinois Quad-Cities, serving men ages 18+ who are in need of safe shelter, food and clothing. Established in 1916, by founder Guy Rodgers, Christian Care (formerly the Rock Island Rescue Mission) has served our communitys homeless population for over 100 years by transforming the lives of the least, the last and the lost.
Many people scout farmers markets for the best heirloom tomatoes or the freshest eggs. Becky Farias hits the stands eyeing a different prize: artists to fill her Makers Studio.

Makers Studio offers handcrafted goods created by local artists, crafters and hobbyists. The shop has been open since March at 661 15th Ave., East Moline. Originally, it opened three blocks east of its current location in October 2016. Farias says she made the move for a better location and better parking for her customers.

Makers Studio is housed inside a beautiful, historic brick building downtown East Moline, complete with a tin ceiling.

It carries anything "from jewelry, woodwork, upcycled furniture, photographs, paintings, quilts, crocheted and knitted scarves and hats, Farias says. Its a variety of different things. It changes depending on what my artists are making at the time.

Farias says her shop currently works with about 28 artists, and she easily could fit 10 to 20 more vendors at the shop. In addition to farmers markets, she says artists hear about her shop through word of mouth, social media and her contacts at craft shows.

In late September, Farias was particularly on the hunt for people who make handmade soap because of how popular the bars are.

The more people I can have in here and the more variety of stuff, the better, she says.

At the start of autumn, Makers Studio boasted a wide variety of items, including seasonal wares such as wreaths adorned with skulls and witch's feet. Mixed-media art and framed photographs hung on one wall while other displays included girls tutu dresses with crocheted tops and crocheted hats, aprons, doll clothes, jewelry, a variety of walking sticks and stained-glass pieces.

One display featured items by Driftwood Dreams Art and Sculptures. Farias says Moline artists Jay and Tracy Scarff spend a lot of time on the river and collect driftwood and other items for their sculptures. The pieces incorporate feathers, silk flowers and even a few owls.

Farias says she always is looking to add new artists, and anyone who is interested is invited to bring examples of their work into the shop.

They bring in whatever they make, she says. I kind of look at it, make sure its a good fit for our store and try to make sure it is a quality crafted item  something that wont fall apart or not last.

Artists who are deemed a good fit and take Farias up on her offer to sell their wares at Makers Studio select from two consignment-based options. Artists who select a 4-by-4-foot space get the space for free, and Makers Studio takes a 30-percent commission when an item sells. Artists in need of a larger space may bring in their own displays, and pay a $10-per-month fee and 20 percent commission when an item sells.

Farias' shop also features a fair trade section of her store with bags, blankets and other hand-crafted items. Farias says she wanted to include fair trade items at the shop because the proceeds go toward a good cause  possibly putting a child through school, securing clean water, or providing a steady income for a family. Items sold support individuals in villages located in Africa, Asia, South America and more.

Farias pointed out the natural hemp used in some items, and the items made from scraps of traditional clothing.

I really like the stuff, too, she says. Its very pretty and unique.

Another small section of the store is dubbed the Makers Reusables, which offers new and slightly used arts and crafts materials which Farias accepts by donation and makes available for sale.

On the horizon, Farias says she hopes to further expand her business by next October to include a classroom for community art and craft classes. She envisions hosting free classes as well as ones that will cost a fee, including a weekly or monthly craft meeting where people may work on their own projects, and classes led by artists. Shes raising money to help support the project through a donation jar at the shop and online at gofundme.com/projectclassroom-at-makersstudio.

Farias, a Moline resident and life-long Quad-Citian, says she volunteers with the East Moline Main Street Association, and is very involved in the community. She says the Main Street organization gets her involved in many downtown events, and it also assists her in advertising for her business.

As a new business owner, Farias says she has seen a lot of support from the East Moline community.

Ive been gradually seeing a lot of people coming in, and they are really surprised and impressed with my space and are just really glad a new businesses like mine is starting to come into downtown, she says.

East Moline had its day, and it really needs the revitalization of new business owners in the community.

In addition to community support, Farias says another big help has been her longtime friend Anne Barnes, whom she has known since high school. Farias says the two have always done craft shows together over the years and had talked about one day opening a shop such as Makers Studio.

While Barnes is not a business partner, she has string art and other wares for sale at Makers Studio.

More than just a vendor, Farias says her support is immeasurable.

Shes my backbone and inspiration for the store, Farias says.
The La Leche League of Henry and Stark Counties' reminds area residents that its next meeting is Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at OSF St. Luke Medical Center, Kewanee. "Avoiding Obstacles" will be the evening's program.

Are you a new or expectant mother planning to breastfeed? Then you will want the information and encouragement that La Leche League provides. Leaders are experienced breastfeeding mothers, accredited by La Leche League International. Whether you are pregnant or already nursing, La Leche has something for you - tips and techniques shared by mothers who have enjoyed a successful breastfeeding relationship.

Malissa Campbell, La Leche Counselor, notes "We welcome new mothers, pregnant women and babies and children at our meetings."

Services available through La Leche include monthly informational meetings, lending library, and phone help for breastfeeding problems or questions.

All mothers and their babies are welcome. For more information call Malissa at 309-927-3027.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland announced Wednesday that, after 18 years, its Bettendorf clinic will close Friday.

The clinic is one of four Planned Parenthood said in May that it would close as a result of the state's decision to cut off family planning funds for organizations that provide abortions.

Republicans in the state legislature approved the change during the last legislative session, and former Gov. Terry Branstad signed it into law.

Planned Parenthood already has closed the other three clinics, in Keokuk, Burlington and Sioux City. They shut their doors at the end of June. The Bettendorf clinic stopped providing family planning care at that time, but still offered abortion services pending the sale of its building.

Becca Lee, a spokeswoman, said Wednesday the building has been sold but she did not identify the buyer.

Planned Parenthood still has eight centers in Iowa, with Iowa City being the closest to the Quad-Cities. Proponents of the change to the state's family planning network say there are ample alternatives for women. But the organization's president rejected that claim Wednesday.

"It is absurd that politicians have forced women to travel hours out of their way in order to access basic health care. They attempted to feed Iowans this lie that there are plenty of other places to go for the same care  but women know the truth," Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President and CEO Suzanna de Baca said in a statement Wednesday.

Brenna Smith, a spokesperson for Gov. Kim Reynolds, responded Wednesday, saying: "The governor is proud to have worked with the Iowa Legislature to expand access to womens health care through a state-run family planning program that disallows abortion providers from receiving taxpayer dollars."

Republicans who gained control of the Statehouse after the 2016 election gave up Medicaid funding for its family planning network and instead substituted state funds, allowing it to prohibit funding from going to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. About a week after the budget that included the change was signed, Planned Parenthood said it would close the four clinics.

At the time, it said the move would affect 14,676 people who had received services there in the previous three years.

Planned Parenthood opened its Bettendorf clinic in 1999 after a lengthy political and legal battle with abortion opponents. The five-year fight stretched from city council chambers in Davenport and Bettendorf and ended up in federal court. There, a judge ruled the City of Bettendorf violated Planned Parenthood's constitutional rights by denying a site plan, clearing the way for the clinic to open.

Abortion opponents opened their own facility in 2002 across the street, called the Women's Choice Center.
ROCK ISLAND  A 4-1 decision Thursday to spur construction of a delayed downtown Rock Island project requires good timing, according to Rock Island community and economic development director Chandler Poole.

The Illinois House of Representatives and Senate recently passed tax credit reforms, Mr. Poole said. The House version reportedly repeals credits; the Senate version proposed phasing them out within five years.

So Saratoga Capital LLC, proposed developers of VanDerGinst Riverview Loft, requested emergency city council action to meet a Dec. 31 deadline to let the Missouri company take full advantage of existing credits before provisions take effect.

A deal approved by year's end will make 100 percent of those credits possible, he said.

It also "starts the developer's clock ticking" to bring the plan to fruition, Mr. Poole said.

Ald. Stephen L. Tollenaer, Ward 4, was the sole dissenter during the special city council meeting.

"I think we had other choices, and that we shouldn't be bailing out two lenders who had money on the hook," Ald. Tollenaer said as a reason to cast a "no" vote.

When council members agreed to the proposal in August, it came with a $2,485,000 incentive package, which Ald. Tollenaer called a "bailout" at the time.

"When the agreement was signed, we did not have an effective date to start with because of a number of financial issues," Mr. Poole said. "What the developer asked us to do was to make an agreement now to take advantage of current tax laws. This will allow the developer more time to get the clock ticking to move forward. They can now do the financing."

Money spent so far has been done behind the scenes for bureaucratic needs, banks and attorneys, Mr. Poole said.

The ultimate plan is to create 33 apartments and an 11-room boutique hotel with first-floor commercial space, according to earlier reports.

The six-story Best Building is at 1701-1705 2nd Ave., Rock Island. It formerly housed a Montgomery Ward store.

The project represents more than $10 million in investments in downtown Rock Island, Mayor Mike Thoms reported earlier. He was absent for Thursday's meeting.

"There will be more people living downtown and more people for the businesses downtown," Mayor Thoms said previously. "This will be a positive cash flow for the city. This building has sat vacant for far too long."

Thursday's meeting will reconvene at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8.
The student body and staff of Hamilton Technical College, 1011 E. 53rd St., Davenport, will host a winter coat drive from Tuesday to Jan. 23 to benefit the Humility of Mary Shelter, Inc.

The shelter is in need of adult winter coats, hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, earmuffs and other winter wear. Donations can be made from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays at the college front desk, or 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Fridays.

Donors also can make a donation in the name and/or memory of a loved one, or on behalf of a company.

For more information, contact Student Services Advisor Katie Keesecker at kkeesecker@hamiltontechcollege.edu or 563-386-3570, extension 1015.
A Moline man, currently on probation in Iowa on drug charges, is once again facing drug trafficking and weapons charges after Davenport police found crack cocaine and a firearm in his hotel room as well as a firearm hidden in his vehicle.

Michael Terrell Richardson, 36, of 3614 25th St., was taken into custody Tuesday from the La Quinta Inn Davenport & Conference Center, located at 3330 E. Kimberly Road.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police Officer Robert Bytner, Richardson had been staying in room 253 at the hotel since Dec. 15.

During a narcotics investigation, Richardson became a suspect.

During a search of his room at the hotel, officers seized 1.3 grams of packaged crack cocaine, according to Bytners affidavit. The crack cocaine was packaged for sale in two dosage units.

Officers also seized a Glock 23 .40-caliber handgun that had been wrapped in a bag. Also in the bag was a large amount of ammunition that included .223- and .40-caliber bullets. In the gun was a 22-round extended magazine.

Officers got a warrant to search a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe that Richardsons mother allowed him to use. During the search, officers found hidden under the vehicles hood a loaded .38-caliber revolver.

Richardson is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

He also is charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of failing to affix an Iowa drug tax stamp. Each of those charges is a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

Federal authorities could take over the weapons charges under Project Safe Neighborhoods. Instituted in 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods is a Justice Department initiative to reduce gun violence.

It is a federal offense for a felon to be in possession of a firearm. It also is a federal offense to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.

There also is no parole in the federal prison system.

Richardson currently is on probation in Iowa. During a hearing in Clinton County District Court in August 2016, Richardson pleaded guilty to peddling crack cocaine, a Class C felony. He was sentenced to three years on probation.

Authorities with the Iowa Department of Corrections could revoke his probation and he could be sentenced to a prison term of up to 10 years on the Clinton County charge.

Richardson was booked Tuesday into the Scott County Jail. He was released Wednesday after posting a $10,000 cash bond. He also was provided a court-appointed attorney during a hearing Wednesday.

Richardson, through his attorney, has requested a preliminary hearing in the case. The date of that hearing has not been set, according to Scott County District Court electronic records.
An Illinois appellate court has tossed the conviction and sentence of Aaron D. Henderson II in the December 2013 fatal shooting death of Rock Island tattoo artist Derek Jackson.

A new trial date had not yet been set as of Wednesday morning.

In a 17-page decision filed late last month, the Third District Appellate Court ruled that now-retired Rock Island County Judge F. Michael Meersman erred when he allowed the officer manager/IT specialist for the states attorneys office and a bailiff to be present when the jury reviewed video and audio recordings during their deliberations during Henderson's trial in March 2015.

While the record indicates the trial court instructed the jury that it should not discuss the case in front of the state employee the first time the jury requested to review evidence, no similar instruction was given during the jurys second request to review evidence, according to the appellate court decision.

The appellate court decision further noted that even if the jury did not discuss the case while in the presence of the states attorneys office employee, we simply have no way of determining what affect their presence had on the jury.

As defendant notes, the employee of the states attorneys office or the bailiff could have frowned at a piece of evidence or scoffed at defendants testimony, according to the appellate court decision. However, neither the judge, nor defendant, nor defense counsel was present to oversee the interaction and to observe any impropriety.

The jury convicted Henderson, 25, of first-degree murder in Jacksons death and in May 2015, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

The jury rejected prosecutors' theory that Henderson pulled the trigger and killed Jackson, 24, in his Rock Island home on Dec. 18, 2013.

They did, however, agree that Jackson likely died during a robbery gone bad and that Henderson was accountable for his death.

Online records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show that Henderson was in the Menard Correctional Center as of Wednesday.

Rock Island County States Attorney John McGehee said he has not yet received the official mandate from the appellate court.

He said he made the decision not to appeal the decision after reviewing the courts decision and speaking with the state appellate prosecutors office

An appeal takes another year or so to go to the Supreme Court, he said. It just takes so much timewere just going to bring him back and retry the case.

Henderson's co-defendant, Yolanduis L. McDuffie, was found guilty of first-degree murder in October. Jurors in his case also rejected the theory that he fired the gun that killed Jackson.

McDuffie, 24, will be sentenced Jan. 5.
New trial ordered for man convicted in death of Rock Island tattoo artist

An Illinois appellate court has tossed the conviction and sentence of Aaron D. Henderson II in the December 2013 fatal shooting death of Rock Island tattoo artist Derek Jackson.

A new trial date has not yet been set as of Wednesday morning.

In a 17-page decision filed late last month, the Third District Appellate Court ruled that now-retired Rock Island County Judge F. Michael Meersman erred when he allowed the officer manager/IT specialist for the states attorneys office and a bailiff to be present when the jury reviewed video and audio recordings during their deliberations during his trial in March 2015.

While the record indicates the trial court instructed the jury that it should not discuss the case in front of the State employee the first time the jury requested to review evidence, no similar instruction was given during the jurys second request to review evidence, according to the appellate court decision.

The appellate court decision further noted that even if the jury did not discuss the case while in the presence of the states attorneys office employee, we simply have no way of determining what affect their presence had on the jury.

As defendant notes, the employee of the states attorneys office or the bailiff could have frowned at a piece of evidence or scoffed at defendants testimony, according to the appellate court decision. However, neither the judge, nor defendant, nor defense counsel was present to oversee the interaction and to observe any impropriety.

The jury convicted Henderson, 25, of first-degree murder in Jacksons death and in May 2015, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

The jury rejected prosecutors' theory that Henderson pulled the trigger and killed Jackson, 24, in his Rock Island home on Dec. 18, 2013.

They did, however, agree that Jackson likely died during a robbery gone bad and that Henderson was accountable for his death.

Online records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show that Henderson was in the Menard Correctional Center as of Wednesday.

Rock Island County States Attorney John McGehee said he has not yet received the official mandate from the appellate court.

He said he made the decision not to appeal the decision after reviewing the courts decision and speaking with the state appellate prosecutors office

An appeal takes another year or so to go to the Supreme Court, he said. It just takes so much timewere just going to bring him back and retry the case.

Henderson's co-defendant, Yolanduis L. McDuffie, was found guilty of first-degree murder in October. Jurors in his case also rejected the theory that he fired the gun that killed Jackson.

McDuffie, 24, will be sentenced Jan. 5.

Man found fit to stand trial in slaying of grandfather

A judge ruled Roman Knox fit to stand trial on Wednesday, then police presented evidence they say implicates him in the November slaying of his grandfather on an East Moline street.

Robert E. Neal Sr., 69, of East Moline, was shot around 9:30 p.m. Nov. 17, in the 200 block of 19th Street, according to the East Moline Police Department. Knox, 23, of East Moline, was arrested shortly after the shooting, allegedly as he left the home he shared with his grandfather with blood on him and carrying a gun. Knox was charged with first-degree murder, but was later screened for his fitness to stand trial.

In a Wednesday morning hearing, Judge Frank R. Fuhr ruled Knox fit to participate in the proceedings against him. Fuhr made the ruling after being presented with a report from Dr. Kirk Witherspoon, a Moline-based clinical psychologist. The report was not contested by either the prosecution or the defense.

When police testimony concluded, Fuhr found probable cause to continue the case. Knox's next court date was set for Jan. 26, and his trial was set tentatively for Feb. 13.

 Lee News Network
A Galesburg, Illinois, man and an Avon, Illinois, woman have pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing crystal ice methamphetamine in a Bettendorf hotel room earlier this year.

Jason David Chaney, 31, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court, Davenport, to possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine and 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.

Taren Coupland, 31, pleaded guilty to the same charge Dec. 19.

Both face 10 years to life in prison when they are sentenced April 9.

The two initially were charged in Scott County District Court, but the charges were dismissed in late August after they were charged in federal court.

According to the plea agreements, the two possessed more than 2,700 grams of methamphetamine on Aug. 3 at the Isle Casino Hotel in Bettendorf.

They also possessed approximately $15,000 in cash in their hotel room, as well as drug ledgers that contained outstanding drug debts and drug prices and a functioning digital scale, according to the plea agreements.

They previously distributed methamphetamine prior to Aug. 3, according to the plea agreements.
Two Eastern Iowa fires that killed a combined nine people, including four children, within five days made 2017 the deadliest year in more than a decade for fire deaths in Iowa.

The State Fire Marshals Office reported 38 confirmed fire deaths as of Wednesday, with another 13 expected to go on the list, said Ron Humphrey, special agent in charge of the Offices Arson and Explosives Bureau.

Were tentatively at 51 for the year, Humphrey said. There have been several multi-fatality cases. Those start to add up pretty quickly.

On Wednesday, investigators had yet to release the names of four family members who died in an early Christmas Day house fire in Blue Grass.

Theres a whole lot as a community we have to take in, said Blue Grass Mayor Tim Brandenburg. Its bad enough to lose one family member, but here there were four. And to have it happen on Christmas Day.

Blue Grass Police Sgt. Garrett Jahns said officials are waiting for the medical examiner to confirm the causes of death for the four family members killed by the blaze reported shortly after midnight Dec. 25. One of the occupants was able to flee the burning house and was transported to the hospital, but later died, police reported. The other three family members died inside.

The death toll from a Dec. 21 fire in Davenport went up to five earlier this week when two children transported to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after the blaze died from their injuries, officials said.

They are gone, said the childrens great-grandmother, Sue Wilson, 78, of Davenport, in a phone interview. They are all with their mommy.

Kelsey Clain, 23, and two of her children, Jayden Smead, 5, and Carson Smead, 2, were killed when their mobile home caught fire late Dec. 21. Skylar Smead, 4, and Isabella Smead, 9 months, were taken to the UI hospital with critical injuries. Isabella was taken off life support on Sunday and Skylar on Tuesday, Wilson said.

Skylars heart and liver were donated, she said.

Interim Davenport Fire Marshal Jim Morris confirmed Isabella and Skylar both had died.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, Morris said. Evidence at the scene didnt pinpoint a cause and we had nobody to talk to who was involved, he said.

There were no working smoke detectors present to allow for early notification of the residents, Morris said.

The mobile home was owner-occupied and therefore did not fall under the Fire Departments inspection of rental properties, he said.

Theres no way for us to enforce use of smoke detectors other than public service announcements like this one, he said.

In addition to 2017 setting a record in recent years for Iowa fire fatalities, its been nearly four years since five or more people died in one fire in the state. The last time that happened, according to State Fire Marshal records, was Jan. 24, 2014, when three adults and two children were killed in a house fire in Arlington.

Four people died in a May 25 apartment fire in Des Moines. A 16-year-old girl and a bus driver died in a school bus fire Dec. 12 near Oakland in western Iowa.
Two additional children have succumbed as a result of the Dec. 21 fire at the Five Seasons mobile home park, according to Davenport Interim Fire Marshal Jim Morris.

In a news release dispatched Wednesday afternoon, Morris said Isabella Smead, 9 months, and Skylar Smead, 4, "succumbed to injuries sustained in the fire."

The two children had been transferred to University Hospitals, Iowa City, after the fire.

Their mother, Kelsey Clain, 23, and two other children, Jayden Smead, 5, and Carson Smead, 2, had earlier been named victims of the fire at the mobile home park, 5100 Fairmount St.

The cause of the blaze is listed as undetermined, Morris said. In the news release, Morris said that "No installed smoke detectors that wouldve allowed early notification contributed to this tragic outcome."

The night of the fire, crews found heavy smoke and fire conditions upon arrival.

The fire was the first of two Scott County blazes that have taken the lives of nine people in a week.

Four people, whose names have not been released from officials as of Wednesday afternoon, died Christmas morning in a fire in the 300 block of East Salem Street, Blue Grass. That fire started at 12:34 a.m. in a ranch-style home in a residential neighborhood.

Four people, who police have said were all related, were inside the home at the time the fire started. One was able to leave the residence and was transported to a hospital, but died later. Three other people in the home were unable to escape from the fire. It remains under investigation.
When it comes to cyberweapons, America is an elephant and Iran is a flea. Still, a flea can be a persistent nuisance, especially for the unprotected.

Iran's cyber capability is the focus of a detailed new study called "Iran's Cyber Threat," to be published soon by Collin Anderson and Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It describes a country that, although "third tier" on the cyberthreat matrix, can still do considerable damage.

The disclosures about Iran's cyberattacks are a reminder that America and its allies live in a dangerous electronic ecosystem. Russia's hacking of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign gets daily coverage, and China's theft of American secrets has also been well-publicized. What gets too little attention are the less-sophisticated but still-toxic weapons available to dozens of smaller countries. The U.S., with its relatively open systems, can be an easy target.

The Iran study is timely: The Trump administration has declared its desire to help Saudi Arabia and other allies push back against Iran's proxies across the Middle East, in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere. The U.S. call for rollback is largely rhetoric, at this point; there's still little clear policy. But Tehran's allies can fight back, sometimes in ways that are hard to identify or attribute. That's especially true with cyberweapons.

The Carnegie study describes a small but useful Iranian cyber capability that evolved partly to gather foreign intelligence and partly to spy on domestic opposition groups that coalesced in the 2009 Green Movement. Iranian hackers developed payback motive, too, after 2012 newspaper reports about the U.S. and Israeli "Stuxnet" malware attacks on the Iranian nuclear program that had started in 2007.

A decade ago, Iran began mobilizing its own resources. This home-grown hacking culture is one of the report's most interesting findings, because it can probably be duplicated in dozens of other emerging economies. "Iran's cyber capabilities appear to be indigenously developed, arising from local universities and hacking communities," the report notes. "Threat actors seemingly arise from nowhere and operate in a dedicated manner until campaigns dissipate, often due to their discovery by researchers."

The Iranian hackers began slowly in 2007, with cyber-pinpricks. A group calling itself the Iranian Cyber Army defaced dissident Twitter accounts in 2009 and, soon after, websites belonging to the Voice of America. But the attacks became more serious in 2011, after an Iranian hacker penetrated a Dutch security firm called DigiNotar, opening Gmail users in Iran to government surveillance, according to the Carnegie study.

Then came Iranian counterattacks, simple but destructive. After Iran's oil industry was hit in April 2012 by malware known as "Flame" and "Wiper," the Iranians launched an August 2012 attack on the Saudi Aramco oil company, using a wiper virus known as "shamoon." According to the Carnegie researchers, the attack affected tens of thousands of Saudi Aramco computers and caused tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Iran successfully attacked the U.S. as well. In September 2012, a hacker group that called itself the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters began attacking U.S. banks and financial institutions with a primitive but destructive assault known as a "distributed denial of service," or DDoS, which basically flooded targeted computers with so much traffic that their systems crashed. Here, too, the assaults did surprising damage.

The FBI concluded that from 2012 to 2013, the Iranian operation "locked hundreds of thousands of banking customers out of accounts for long periods of time and resulted in tens of millions of costs to remediate," the Carnegie analysts explain. Many financial institutions that had been hit by the Iranians said little about the attacks, to avoid worrying customers or shareholders.

Why did the Iranians strike U.S. banks? Revenge is the simple answer. The Carnegie reports cites an NSA assessment that signals intelligence "indicates that these attacks are in retaliation to Western activities against Iran's nuclear sector and that senior officials in the Iranian government are aware of these attacks."

Iran's cyber capabilities suggest that the Trump administration's new anti-Tehran campaign may not be costless, even if open conflict is avoided. A website called "The Cipher Brief," which focuses on intelligence issues, headed this month that "Iran's ... Cyber Hackers Poised to Strike If Trump Shreds Nuke Deal." A computer security firm called "FireEye" reported this month that a group of Iranian hackers, dubbed "APT34," have developed a new backdoor cyber-surveillance technique.

Iran has an arsenal of cyber-stones, so to speak, ready to throw. The U.S., meanwhile, lives in the world's biggest glass house.
Words matter. That's one of the key messages of "Darkest Hour," in which Gary Oldman embodies  fiercely and memorably  the legendary Winston Churchill, who rallied his country with soaring oratory when Britain's very survival was at stake.

But the same man who uttered indelible phrases like "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat"  and many others  was also a human being, the film argues, with fears and doubts and insecurities and flaws. "Just be yourself," Churchill's wife, Clementine (a briskly effective Kristin Scott Thomas) advises him as he heads off, full of jitters, to meet the king and become the wartime prime minister. Later, he raises a glass with Clementine, with a fervent wish: "Here's to not buggering it up."

"Buggering it up" was certainly a risk  both for Churchill, and for Oldman or any actor attempting to embody the great man. It's hard enough to portray a revered real-life figure  and harder yet with such a larger-than-life persona, physically and otherwise. It won't be a surprise to fans of the skilled Oldman that he avoids mimicry or caricature, and it's an even better treat that he's able to so adeptly balance conviction with doubt, courage with fear, and gravity with humor. (Kudos are due as well to the superb makeup by Kazuhiro Tsuji, jowls and all.)

"Darkest Hour," directed by Joe Wright and written by Anthony McCarten, focuses on one month in 1940 that saw Churchill rise to office and face down his political foes and a wary British monarch as he navigated the threat of looming war against Adolf Hitler's forces. Though Wright is known for his sweeping filmmaking in another war film, "Atonement," here he focuses not on the beaches of Dunkirk but on dimly lit interiors like the underground war rooms at Westminster Palace, the halls of Parliament, and Churchill's own bedroom.

The film is, in a sense, a companion piece  by way of timing, at least  to Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk," released in the summer. While Nolan focused on the action, Wright focuses on the talk  specifically how Churchill, in the words of one frustrated opponent, "mobilized the English language and sent it into battle."

He wasn't the first choice to be prime minister  not of his party, and certainly not of a skeptical King George VI (an excellent Ben Mendelsohn). But Parliament, as we learn at the beginning of the film, had lost confidence in the ailing Neville Chamberlain, and Churchill was a compromise solution.

He enters office as France and Belgium are on the brink of falling to the Nazis, and most of the British Army is stranded at Dunkirk. The new prime minister is forced to make an agonizing decision: try to negotiate a dubious peace, as Chamberlain desired, or fight  and risk the deaths of a generation of young British men. He's hated by Chamberlain and his sidekick, Lord Halifax, and doubted by the king, who (initially) finds him scary and unpredictable.

It's fun to watch the lunch meeting between the restrained king and Churchill, a man of great appetites  and a famous thirst. When the king asks how he can drink during the day, the prime minister replies: "Practice."

There are many such moments of humor, including when Churchill first meets his new young secretary, Elizabeth Layton (Lily James), and inadvertently flashes his privates under his nightshirt. Or when he warns her as he exits the shower: "I'm coming out in a state of nature!" He's also shown on the toilet, shouting out that he cannot speak to the Lord Privy Seal because he is "sealed on The Privy."

Despite such comic moments, which Oldman attacks with gusto, the film's mood is urgent and dire. The United States cannot help because of neutrality agreements; in a dispiriting phone call with Franklin D. Roosevelt, the U.S. president notes: "It must be late there." Churchill replies: "In more ways than you can possibly know."

Ultimately  as we all know  Churchill decides to fight on, and to declare "We will never surrender." What gets him there? Partly, a ride on the London Underground. The prime minister decides to ditch his aides and take the Tube to Westminster, and on the way, to chat with some commonfolk. To a person, they agree with him that the country must never surrender to the forces of evil.

There are two problems with this scene. First, it's rather corny. The second is that it never happened. The filmmakers do warn that some material has been fictionalized. But some may be disappointed to learn that one of the most pivotal scenes in the film was manufactured.

Oldman's performance, though, which has launched him to the forefront of awards season chatter, triumphs over any such qualms. The last few years have seen a number of notable Churchill interpretations. Oldman has set the bar higher still.

"Darkest Hour," a Focus Features release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America "for some thematic material." Running time: 125 minutes. Three stars out of four.
Electric rates for wholesale and retail customers of Nebraska Public Power District will remain stable for 2018 with no overall average increase in either category of customers.

NPPD President and CEO Pat Pope praised work done by District employees to implement long-term, cost cutting measures that do not impact service, reliability, or jeopardize safety for customers or themselves.

We are thrilled to offer our customers another year of rate stability, said Pope. We are constantly seeking ways to maintain rate competitiveness both regionally and nationally.

While NPPDs retail customers will see no overall average increase, slight changes to monthly customer and energy charges were approved to more accurately reflect the cost to serve individual customer classes, completing a two-year phase-in to adjust customer charges to cost of service levels.

Efforts to reduce costs and improve processes are paying off, said NPPDs Retail General Manager Tim Arlt. This will be the fifth straight year we have been able to maintain stable rates for NPPDs retail customers.

Based on 2016 data released in November from the Energy Information Administration, NPPDs overall base retail electric rates rank in the 14th lowest-cost percentile of utilities nationwide. A slight decrease in NPPDs average retail base electric rates continues to keep the District 23 percent below the national average. NPPDs wholesale rates have also remained stable during this timeframe, seeing only slight increases (less than one percent) to account for the cost of new transmission line projects.

Seventy-nine communities in NPPDs service territory are served at retail and include communities such as Scottsbluff, Kearney, York, Norfolk and Plattsmouth.

NPPDs wholesale customers include public power districts, co-operatives and wholesale communities such as North Platte. NPPD also has wholesale power supply agreements with 46 municipalities and 25 rural public power districts and rural cooperatives that rely totally or partially on NPPD for their power supply.

NPPDs 2018 wholesale rates will take effect Feb. 1, 2018, while retail rates go into effect April 1, 2018.
Gladys May Moller, 79, of Hot Springs, S.D., passed away Dec. 20, 2017, at Seven Sisters Living Center in Hot Springs with her family at her side.

Gladys was born Aug. 11, 1938, in Alexandria, S.D., to Xavier Francis and Della May (Foster) Kayser. She has always been passionate about life, and lived it to the fullest. Her family always came first and nothing made her happier than to be surrounded by them. Family gatherings were a loud, crazy, loving environment where they shared food, stories, and a few antics, mostly by the boys in her life! Holidays were especially significant  whether it was root beer floats and fireworks on the 4th of July, the famous Easter Bunny song (you have to hear it to believe it) or endless gifts at Christmas. She loved to spoil her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, making sure each of them had a special gift. Her strength, courage, and spirit live in each of them.

Gladys has always had a special place in her heart for the veterans and her work family and friends at the VA Center in Hot Springs. She loved to make them happy through her special talent of making bulletin boards. She spent hours of her personal time making sure they were just right. Nothing made her happier than to walk the halls on Halloween dressed in homemade costumes that took weeks to prepare. She was even happier when she took side trips to the school to embarrass Mark!

She loved her community and wanted to give back and be a part of it. In her final days, her family heard numerous comments about how everyone knew Gladys and she always brought a smile to their faces. To all those who helped her in the end  you have been a blessing to Gladys and the family cannot thank you enough for your kindness and friendship.

Mom, you have completed your journey on this Earth, touching hundreds of hearts along the way. Now it is time to spread your wings and fly. We love you forever.

Gladys is survived by her husband, Gary Moller of Hot Springs; children, Dan (Joy) Moller of Rapid City, S.D., Scott (Tinka) Moller of Alliance, Penny (Jay) Alderman of Rapid City, Connie Kanaan of Rapid City, Julie Moller of Rapid City, Pam (Don) McDonald of Alliance, Mark (Heather) Moller of Phoenix, Ariz.; sisters, Harriet Haines of Green Bay, Wisc., Shelli Kayser of Sioux Falls, S.D.; brother, Richard (Judy) Kayser of Alexandria; 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Wake services will be at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 26, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

Funeral services were Dec. 27, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, with Fr. Grant Gerlach as Celebrant. Interment will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, S.D.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that that memorials be made to the Alzheimers Association at www.alz.org.

Arrangements have been placed in the care of Chamberlain McColleys Funeral Home in Hot Springs, S.D.
Gladys Babcock did much for area

Recently, South Dakota lost a person that made a difference in the lives of so many. Gladys Babcock, from the tiny town of Creighton, who some would call just a farm wife" was so much more. The mother of three sons was also one who helped all her neighbors and was always first to tend to the needs of people in her area.

She ran for public office and was elected to the Pennington County Commission. She served three terms and was also elected chairman of the board. During her tenure, the federal government decided that we had to have a better jail facility and she was there to help start the process. I am privileged to have served with Gladys on the Pennington County Commission. Most notable for South Dakotans was her great effort in getting an amendment on the ballot to abolish the estate tax in South Dakota. Gladys understood that people who worked hard didn't want to be taxed twice. Also while on the commission, she made many trips to Pierre to lend her good advice and expertise on legislation benefiting our area. Gladys received the Good Neighbor award for her area and served as a magistrate judge in Wall after retiring from the county commission.

lt's a very long drive for the elderly to travel from the Creighton/Wall area to Hot Springs to attend a memorial, but come they did to pay their respects. Such a tribute is truly telling and noteworthy. My husband and I have traveled many places with Gordon and Gladys as she was always interested in how other people lived. Gladys and her husband, Gordon, traveled to Africa, Mexico, Hawaii and many other places in the United States. She fully understood the greatness of being an American citizen.

This wonderful lady accomplished so much more with her sense of fairness and concern for others. Above all else, I feel privileged to call this accomplished woman my friend.

Shirley Alexander

Rapid City
Why is it important for local residents and the media to attend meetings of elected officials? A prime example was on display at the Tuesday, Dec. 19, Pennington County Commission meeting.

An engaged group of citizens was in attendance to hear more about Rapid City Collective Impact's plan to create a multi-million dollar transformation campus for the homeless near downtown Rapid City.

Commissioner Ron Buskerud had invited a representative from the nonprofit to the meeting, but no one showed up to discuss a project that could be developed next to property the county uses for a variety of purposes, including for a $14 million restoration center scheduled to open in 2018.

At that point, the commissioners began to debate whether to allow discussion on the project since Collective Impact was a no-show. Two of them  Lloyd LaCroix and Mark DiSanto, both in their first term in office  sought to scuttle discussion even though local residents were there to listen and testify about the project.

Commission Chairwoman Deb Hadcock overruled the pair. As a result, new information came to light that taxpayers should know before the Rapid City council considers allocating $7 million for a four-acre transition campus where nonprofits and Collective Impact would work together to give hope to the hopeless and help them become productive again.

Those who attended the meeting or read the Journals story learned:

The county has the right of first refusal on several lots that Collective Impact would like to acquire for the transition campus.

A local businessman and chair of the Black Hills Regional Angel Fund, which makes loans to local entrepreneurs, said his firm has put on hold plans to invest $4 to $5 million downtown due to the lack of information about the project.

A South Dakota School of Mines & Technology official said the location is raising safety concerns there and could hamper the citys efforts to create a pedestrian-friendly corridor linking the school to downtown.

Collective Impact apparently has shared little information with county commissioners, which is probably why Buskerud invited the nonprofit to the meeting.

The Journal reached out to Collective Impact about the concerns raised at the meeting. Late that same day, the organization sent a press release that said a public presentation on the project would be held at an undetermined date in late January. It provided no other details.

If it wasn't for a public meeting, concerned residents, and a decision to hear questions and allow testimony, the public wouldn't have learned of the county's concerns and its right of first refusal and elected officials wouldn't have learned of the public's concerns.

Collective Impact is pursuing an ambitious project that could literally change the landscape of Rapid City. It's also going to involve taxpayer dollars and have an impact on the county. Thanks to the Dec. 19 meeting and those who attended, the public knows more about issues that need to be considered and addressed.
Cheers Unlimited Inc. - Hamiltons State Liquor store that has been locally owned and operated since 1989, is owned by Dan and Denise Moerkerke.

Montanan owned all State Liquor Stores until they were privatized in 1989. Dan Moerkerke, his brother, and mother bought Cheers Unlimited at that time.

Montana allows individuals at its 95 agent-owned liquor stores to stock a wide variety of wares aside from alcohol, but dictates regulations including being closed for 10 federal holidays and Sundays  which happens to fall on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve this year.

They have never changed that state law, Denise Moerkerke said. Which is why we are super frustrated - these are tough dates to be closed.

Were still governed by state rules but we are a private store, Dan Moerkerke added.

Other holidays the State of Montana requires state liquor stores to be closed include Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving.

While the state controls the alcohol products and ships from the warehouse in Helena, Cheers owns its own inventory and selects its own hours of operation.

From 1989 to 2013, Cheers was located across the street but is now on the west side of Highway 93 in a store that is twice the size of the older one, making it possible to add hundreds of new products. It has large coolers for constantly keeping all the beer and some other beverages cold.

We bought the land two years before we built on it to study traffic flow and parking needs, Dan Moerkerke said. Building really helped us to expand from our old store that was pretty tight. Here we bring in 20 new products a week and still have space. Were always adding because the valley is growing  were all growing together.

Products include glass ware and bar ware, copper mugs, custom baskets for special occasions like weddings and anniversaries, cigars, e-cigs, cigarettes, gift certificates, pop, ice, snacks, mixes, liquor, wine, beer, and keg beer that is always cold.

Cheers also has the largest selection of spirits in the Bitterroot Valley and fills special orders.

Weve always taken customer input, Dan Moerkerke said. Well track down their special requests and find what people are looking for.

Cheers has six employees, with little staff turnover, including Cindy Prins who has managed the store for 14 years.

We have a lot of fun, work hard, and keep our customers happy, Dan Moerkerke said.

Every bar with a full liquor license can sell bottles over the counter, but the bars are stocked from Cheers, which is required to follow state regulations yet can offers home delivery.

We always have monthly specials and will have the lowest prices, Dan Moerkerke said. We started home delivery when we built our new shop, so if the weather is bad people can just call and we deliver to Grantsdale and Corvallis and points in between. It is fun to see people.

Cheers also includes Montana Made products.

There are lots of distilleries and breweries in this state, Dan Moerkerke said. Whoever bottles or cans something, we try to get it so we can have it here. Montana stuff means a lot. Everyone wants to have Montana stuff.

Dan Moerkerke said he has only worked in the two-block radius his entire life.

Back in the day this block was a gas station that I pumped gas at when I was a kid, Cozy Conoco, he said.

He also has served on the Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department.

This town has seen a lot of change but were good, he said. It has been fun to see the town grow as it has.

Since they'll be closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, the Moerkerkes recommend shopping early.

We want to thank everybody for being so supportive of us, Dan Moerkerke said. We thank our employees for being so good and we thank our customers.

Cheers is a member of The Bitterroot Chamber of Commerce, Ravalli County Tavern Association and Montana Liquor Store Owners Association.

Follow Cheers Unlimited Inc. on Facebook or visit the store to be alerted to random sales and new products. Liquor Store Cheers Unlimited is located at 501 So. First St. in Hamilton. Cheers is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Contact them at 363-3751 or cheers-unlimited.com.
Federal budget woes prompted the 2017 closure of the Bitterroot Valleys state-run Job Service office on Oct. 20.

Job Service offices in Anaconda, Dillon and Lewistown were also closed.

According to Scott Eychner, the Workforce Services administrator for the Montana Department of Labor, 16 employees were affected.

Jake Troyer, the Department of Labors spokesman, noted that since 2002, the federal Workforce Services Divisions federal funding has plummeted 55 percent, from $33 million to $15 million. Closing the four offices is expected to save $800,000.

Wolf Ametsbichler, the manager for Missoula Job Services, led the transition. His team established what services to cut or supplement, then listened to what people said they need from Job Service. The Missoula group then developed a plan to address the needs in the Bitterroot Valley for a population that may not have a vehicle to drive to Missoula for services, or internet access.

Bitterroot Job Service Manager Vickie Steele, a 25-year employee, retired.

Since Nov. 6, Job Service has been available four 10-hour days each week, with two of those days in Hamilton.

DeLynn Gardner, a 15-year employee at the Hamilton Job Service, and Fran Krieger, a two-year Hamilton employee, provide Job Service aid in Hamilton on Mondays and Thursdays, from 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Human Resource Council, 201 No. Third St., and 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Bitterroot College, 103 So. Ninth St.

Gardner, Krieger and the staff at Job Service Missoula are eager to help people from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Missoula.

All of the staff are trained in the variety of programs Job Services offers including updating resumes, teaching interview skills, administering grants that help improve job skills, and matching job seekers with employers needs.

Job seekers are encouraged to make appointments for the most effective assistance by calling Gardner or Krieger at 728-7060. Job postings can be viewed online at employmissoula.com.

Public computers are available for job seekers at Bitterroot College, Bitterroot Public Library, Corvallis High School Library, North Valley Public Library, and Darby Community Public Library.

Job Services customers are people looking for employment and business owners wanting to post jobs.

Stevensville resident Mike Williams is currently one of the supervisors at the Missoula Job Service. On Tuesday, Williams said Ametsbichler has retired and the Job Service changes are going well.

Everything is moving forward, he said. Were continuing to build those business contacts - it takes time to build those relationships. Gardner and Krieger have been in the Bitterroot Valley for a while and are indispensable.

Williams said Job Service has had some big changes this year but is running smoothly.

It is different, doing as well, and were always trying to make it better, he said. Were getting feedback to see what else we can do.

William said he didnt have a specific number of the volume of clients but that they serve many individuals.

For numbers, we are very busy in both locations, he said.

Filing for unemployment is still an online process available at https://app.mt.gov/ui4u/index. Job Service Missoula is at 539 So. Third St. West Missoula and available at MissoulaJSC@mt.gov.
Guwahati: The troops of Dimapur battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR(N) conducted a search operation along with police representative on specific information in general area of Khusiabill village near Dimapur in Nagaland and December 26 and apprehended a NSCN (IM) militant.

The nabbed militant was identified as self styled Kilnoser R T Tsanglao.

Security personnel had recovered one point 22 mm rifle with telescopic sight and one 9 mm pistol along with one magazine each, two empty magazines of point 22 mm pistol, 28 live rounds of different calibers like point 22 mm, 9mm, 5.56 mm and point 32 mm and 13 fired cartridges of point 22 mm and 9 mm.

The aprehendee along with the recovered arms was handed over to Police Station Dimapur East.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
"I would like to say 'This book is written to the glory of God', but nowadays this would be the trick of a cheat, i.e., it would not be correctly understood."--Ludwig Wittgenstein



"Talk to me about the truth of religion, and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolation of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."--C.S. Lewis
The Citizen, December 27, 2017

NEW DELHI: Till not so long ago there was a barometer of India-Pakistan relations in a Nawaiwaqt (Pakistan newspaper) correspondent whose confidence ebbed or rose accordingly. Visiting Indian journalists learnt to gauge the mood in Islamabad through this gentleman who always, repeated always, asked questions of Indian dignitaries in a tone that gave away the mood. He was politer when relations were good, very confrontationist when New Delhi and Islamabad were beating the drums of war, and even worse when Pakistan was posturing over confidence.

Looking back now, this journalist who was attacked by his colleagues even more than the Indian scribes for raising the pitch, was mild compared to what passes for journalism these days. The nasty taunts and hostile questions thrown at the worried and traumatised family of Kulbhushan Jadhav as they went to meet him in Islamabad is a case in point. It has drawn severe criticism on the social media from sober Pakistani journalists who have tweeted and posted their anger over this orchestrated behaviour of their tribe.

Their behaviour was condemnable indeed, and clearly directed by sections in Pakistan (read Intelligence/Army) who were not very happy about the permission given to the family to meet with Jadhav. It also fitted in with the hostile relations between the two countries, providing sufficient fodder for the chest thumping right wing forces in Pakistan who have always resisted efforts for peace since Partition.

A group of scribes here who have been writing consistently for peace between the two neighbours, regardless of the politics of New Delhi, were informally discussing the nasty developments across the border to realise that our fellow brethren today might have done the same, if the roles had been reversed. Given the hysterical decibels of television news channels, we concluded with sufficient reason,that if a Pakistani family had been given permission to meet their relative in an Indian jail, the media here could well have acted in a similar taunting fashion. For the numbers of media personnel who get their directions from the ruling dispensation has grown in democratic India as well.

In the process, independence of the media is the casualty.

Responsible media across the world has conventionally stood on the side of peace. There was a marked shift when embedded journalists were taken atop US tanks into Iraq after the ashock and awea bombing of the country had pummelled out the resistance, and for the first time there was open endorsement of war by top media houses.In India and Pakistan the media has echoed the decibels of war in the past long before Iraq, but never with the ferocity currently on display.

The narrative is so polarised, that those criticising the journalists in Pakistan for their condemnable behaviour, are being pilloried as well there. And in India no one is even prepared to acknowledge their existence, and let it be known that the journalists loyal to the military and intelligence services of Pakistan are not representative of the entire media industry in that country. Instead the incident is being taken to justify and feed into media hysteria here, with nationalism fuelled by the right wing becoming the benchmark for journalistic outrage in India.

It is unfortunate how the journalism of hyperbole has become the norm, and when applied to relations between hostile neighbours assumes a sinister hue. It subdues the voices of peace, and moves nations on the tracks of war with a speed that can have catastrophic results. As it is the two Armies of India and Pakistan are suffering high casualties because of this animosity, and the current policies of the ruling dispensations of both countries.

A young major and three soldiers of the Indian Army were killed all in their 30as---in a Pakistan ambush. India claims to have returned the favour, in a commando operation where similar lives were taken. In the three year confrontation, the ceasefire pact has been dropped, and the armies are in a perpetual state of war. Why? Is there strategic need, or is it just a political whim? This is the question that the media is expected to answer dispassionately, with sufficient facts to convince the reader why war is preferable over peace. The argument, needless to say, has to draw on more than what we hear from TV news on both sides revolving around the aif you kill our soldiers, we will take down yoursa .

In an environment so charged and hostile as that prevailing across India and Pakistan these days, voices of peace are unwelcome. Those in power join the fringe in denouncing these as atraitorsa and aanti-nationala. And if in India these days the byline happens to be Muslim (as this one) your goose is cooked even before the first sentence is read. But it becomes all the more imperative for the voices insisting that the daggers be sheathed, that talks begin, become louder and more persistent. As poverty, unemployment, development can ---or rather will only be tackled by the governments if war is stopped from paying them political dividends.

Today the two countries remain each otheras best diversion. Diversion from the real issues, with the media taunts intending to demean Jadhavas family, feeding into the macho-ism of politics on both sides of the border. The extremists in Pakistan are happy that the scribes taught the Indians a good lesson, and those cherishing similar ideologies in India are exultant that they have got yet another stick to beat the war drums with. Neither want to even discuss the consequences, and unfortunately for both countries, the media that should play this role of a watchdog mired in caution and reason, is instead drumming war with increasing ferocity.

Anti-national in peace parlance are those who drive their countries to war, and inflict on the armies and the people suffering and hardship. The media, unable any longer to decipher terms within a perspective and context, works in overdrive to please corporate and political (read Army for Pakistan) masters with calls to war, even as it distances itself from the people who will bear the brunt of such militarism.

Sad. Would have never thought one would say this, but our Nawaiwaqt barometer seems almost benign now!
The Washington Post, December 22, 2017

I first heard of Raza Mahmood Khan when he went missing on Dec. 2. He has not been heard from since.

His case has many similarities to that of Zeenat Shahzadi, who disappeared in August 2015. Her recovery in October this year was cause for jubilation a but not for long. She has yet to be brought before a judge or get her statement recorded. Authorities are tight-lipped about her whereabouts, and frightened family members will only say she is being treated at a medical facility.

Their apparent crimes? Working for improved relations with India. There is a political consensus in Pakistan for this goal that many political and social activists, writers, journalists, artists, and others openly support.

What makes Khan and Shahzadi vulnerable is that they do not operate from positions of privilege or as part of larger networks.

Both were picked up in bustling Lahore, capital of Punjab, Pakistanas most populous province. Khan was taken from his rented room, Shahzadi from a bus stop. Both from humble, rural backgrounds, they were the first in their families to attend college. Although active on social media, their posts were innocuous. But their views of India a which they saw not as an enemy but as a neighbor with fellow humans and similar problems a ran contrary to Pakistanas dominant ideological-security narrative.

These young people with no social capital or strong support systems apparently pose a bigger security threat than the organizations that openly support militants, have a huge online presence and go door to door handing out periodicals advocating violent jihad against India.

Pakistan is fighting the Taliban on the western border militarily and conducting ideological warfare through slick music videos, feature films and armies of social media trolls.

Social media, providing a digital window to the outside world and a platform for wider viewership, is, in fact, a new battleground. In January, five social media activists went missing. Released after a few weeks, three fled abroad and have spoken of the torture they endured. Their accounts give rise to fears for Khanas life. A fourth, still in Pakistan, has maintained silence, which is the pattern for other recovered missing persons. The fifth remains missing.

Pakistanas security establishment says its military tactics are succeeding. But the gains are short-term. Along the line, casualties of war include due process and rule of law, with killings and enforced disappearances on the rise.

The state must charge, try and prosecute criminal actions, regardless of who is behind them or whom they target.

What religious militants, nationalists and peace activists have in common is that they challenge a although from different perspectives and through different means a Pakistanas dominant ideological-security state narrative.

Shahzadi and Khan symbolize how peace has been mainstreamed beyond intellectual circles. One major factor behind this phenomenon is the 2010 launch of Aman Ki Asha (aHope for Peacea ), a platform for people-to-people dialogue started by Pakistanas largest media group and its Indian counterpart. (I work editorially with Aman Ki Asha.)

Another factor is the rise of social media. Access to other perspectives and to different versions of history and politics builds bridges a even with athe enemy.a The number of new friendships formed daily on Facebook between India and Pakistan averages more than 2.5 million.

All this has a ripple effect. Social media users are more connected and visible. And this makes them more vulnerable.

When she went missing, Shahzadi had been working on the case of a young Indian, Hamid Ansari, who went missing in Pakistan in November 2012. Obtaining power of attorney from Ansarias mother in Mumbai, she pursued the case with Pakistanas judicial Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances. Her efforts led to the commissionas unprecedented inclusion of an Indian national, Ansari, on its roster.

Pakistan denied any knowledge of Ansarias whereabouts until January 2016. Security agencies finally admitted he was in their custody, and they produced him before a military court that sentenced him to three years in prison for espionage.

The commission is hearing the cases of more than 1,400 missing persons, mostly from the restive province of Balochistan. Baloch students have recently even gone missing from Karachi University. Ironic that Khan and Shahzadi, who spoke up for missing people, have been disappeared.

The security state has long targeted progressive Pakistani politicians, poets, journalists and activists. Twin accusations of blasphemy and treason have become an additional silencing tool; both can spark lone-wolf attacks, such as those that killed Punjab governor Salman Taseer and young social entrepreneur Sabeen Mahmud.

Whatas new is the targeting of peace activists from ordinary backgrounds. The phenomenon signals a growing desperation to control the narrative on the military, religion and India.

This is not just about Raza Khan. It is also about reclaiming spaces for a more pluralistic, inclusive discourse of peace. The story reverberates beyond Pakistan to other areas where such tactics are used to silence dissent.

Beena Sarwar is a Pakistani journalist working on human rights, media freedom and peace issues.
SIOUX CITY | If you've got any errands or other business that necessitates a trip outside, Thursday is the day to get it done.

Maybe Friday, too.

But after that, temperatures might not get above zero again until next week.

"This weekend is going to be almost dangerously cold," said Jen Hacker, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Sioux Falls.

That forecast makes the next couple days look almost tropical.

After a high temperature of 6 degrees Wednesday, the high is expected to reach 19 degrees Thursday and possibly 12 degrees Friday.

The recent run of frigid weather hasn't kept everyone inside.

Cone Park in Sioux City reopened to the public at 9 a.m. Wednesday after shutting down Tuesday because of a mechanical issue. On Wednesday afternoon, Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore said that despite negative wind chills, the park was seeing a decent turnout at its tubing hill.

"We actually had a nice crowd this afternoon," Salvatore said. "Cold temperatures are probably affecting usage a little bit, but theres still a crowd there."

Salvatore said the parks warming lodge and fire pit have helped park visitors warm up.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources cautioned others hoping to enjoy another favorite winter outdoor activity -- ice fishing.

Area lakes and ponds are freezing over in the arctic-like weather, but the DNR reminded anglers to check the ice often to make sure it's 4 inches thick, the thickness recommended by the DNR. At least 5 inches is recommended before snowmobiles and ATVs on ice-covered bodies of water.

"Check ice thickness as you go out. Ice thickness is not uniform on any body of water," Joe Larscheid, DNR chief of fisheries, said in a news release.

That ice should get much thicker this weekend.

Forecasts call for a high of 1 below zero on Saturday and 3 below zero on Sunday. Wind chills Friday night through Sunday night could be up to 30 below zero. If temperatures stay below zero this weekend, it will be the first time Sioux City has experienced two consecutive days below zero since Jan. 10-11, 1997.

Sioux City also could receive up to 2 inches of snow late Thursday into Friday.

Hacker reminded anyone going outside to bundle in layers and wear gloves to protect skin against the icy temperatures.

"Stay aware of it and don't spend too much time outside if you don't have to," she said.

Journal reporter Ian Richardson contributed to this report.
SIOUX CITY | Republicans in Woodbury County have chosen a familiar name for the upcoming special election to fill a vacant Iowa House seat.

Jacob Bossman, of Sioux City, was unanimously selected at a special convention Wednesday night as the Republican candidate for Iowa House District 6. He will face Democrat Rita DeJong, who was nominated by her party Saturday.

Bossman, 37, a longtime aide to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, narrowly lost to Jim Carlin in the 2016 primary for the Republican spot on the ballot for the House District 6 seat. Carlin was elected to the House that November.

Voters on Jan. 16 will choose between Bossman and DeJong to replace Carlin, who earlier this month won a special election for an open state Senate seat, creating the vacancy in House District 6.

A married father of two children, Bossman lives in Morningside. House District 6 takes in Morningside and northern and western areas of Woodbury County, including the cities of Sergeant Bluff, Bronson and Salix.
SIOUX CITY | Brad Lepper isn't against recreational trails. He just doesn't want one cutting through the backyard of his property.

It appears he's getting one anyway, though, as Sioux City works through the process of compelling him to sell nearly 9,000 square feet of land and more than 15,000 square feet in easements for the Big Sioux River Recreational Trail project.

The city is using eminent domain to acquire the stretch of Lepper's land in the 800 block of Bruner Avenue in Riverside. The elbow-shaped segment travels through the backyard of rental town homes he owns and up the side of an adjacent property where his family lives. Both properties sit in a relatively secluded area along dead-end street and provide an unencumbered view of a scenic bend in the Big Sioux River.

Lepper, a local entrepreneur, is now locked in what could become a lengthy legal battle with the city over a fair price for the property.

It's a battle he didn't want, but one that carries the potential to be costly for him.

That's because Sioux City has appealed the $34,000 amount named as a fair purchase price by the Woodbury County Compensation Commission, which oversees eminent domain matters. In the appeal, which is filed in Woodbury County District Court, the city contends the commission's total is too high. It had originally offered Lepper just under $16,500 for the property.

Lepper, who had agreed to take the $34,000 named by the commission prior to the city's appeal, now plans to represent himself during the appeal to avoid the potentially staggering costs of a lawyer.

Under Iowa's eminent domain law, Lepper must show the commission undervalued his property by at least $1 in order for the city to cover his legal fees. If he does not -- even if the court sides against the city and with the commission's amount -- Lepper would have to foot his own bills.

"Im put in a position where I could go to court, and I could win in the grand scheme of things," Lepper said. "But if I dont beat (the commission's) award by a dollar, I have to pay all my own legal fees."

The power of eminent domain allows public entities to take private land for public use, provided it compensates the property owners.

According to city documents, the land Sioux City wants at 817 Bruner Ave. includes three temporary construction easements totaling 5,576 square feet, a permanent easement of 9,991 square feet and an 8,976-square-foot portion to be acquired in fee title.

Lepper said the city originally approached him about a year ago to discuss the property, which lies along the planned route of the Big Sioux River Recreational Trail, a .7-mile connection that will stretch from Florence Avenue south to Riverside Park. The city contends the land is vital to the construction of the trail and that there is no alternate route.

Lepper said he doesn't want the trail on his property because it will affect the privacy he values and could pose a safety risk, especially for renters with young children.

"Who knows who could be coming back here?" Lepper said. "There will be people using this trail at night or the middle of the night. And theres no way for us to stop it."

After he was approached, Lepper offered an alternate route to the city, a route that would cut to the side of one of his properties and cross a dead-end street instead, then cross onto another property he owns. He pitched the idea to city staff and later mentioned it to the Sioux City Council on June 5, saying he would donate that land.

City staff pointed out that the land would have cut within a few feet of a private deck and would require the city to clear a grove of trees.

"The main issue is where it gets really, really narrow," Parks and Recreation director Matt Salvatore told the council during the meeting.

Lepper offered to move the deck, but the city declined the offer and voted to initiate the eminent domain process. Lepper said the city will need to remove trees regardless of which route the trail takes.

The city had offered to pay Lepper $16,420 based on an appraisal that took into account three properties, and Lepper contends none of them are accurate. One, which was valued higher than his property, sits near the river but has an embankment blocking the view, and the other two sit in the country and have several differences.

Lepper had responded to the city's offer with a higher price, but the city declined. Lepper said he never received a counter-offer.

When the matter went before the Woodbury County Compensation Commission, the next step in the eminent domain process, the commission ruled the city's appraisal was not completely accurate and that it should pay Lepper more than double -- $34,000 -- a number that was higher than Lepper's original offer to the city.

Commission meeting minutes state the commission members viewed the site and "did not feel the comps (comparable properties listed in the appraisal) were applicable."

"It validated that what I was asking for was very reasonable," Lepper said of the commission's award.

The city, at the direction of the City Council, then appealed the commission's decision in Woodbury County District Court, saying the commission's price was too high.

Assistant City Attorney Amber Hegarty declined a request for comment by the Journal on the reason for the appeal, citing the ongoing litigation.

Lepper, who is responsible for opposing the city, must now not only prove the Commission's ruling was correct but also that it should have been at least $1 higher, in order to not have to foot his own legal fees.

For that reason, he will be representing himself in the case, looking to avoid the potential costs of hiring a lawyer and purchasing an appraisal, which he believes could cancel out the benefit of receiving the commission's award.

"Youre going to have $20,000 to $25,000 tied up in all these expenses to get to trial," he said.

Lepper said his decision to fight the appeal is not really about the money; he would rather just receive a fair price and be left alone.

"Im not asking for $200,000 here. Im not trying to win the lottery," he said. "Just make me whole, and lets be done with this and leave me alone."

The city's own legal team will handle its end of the appeal. Hegarty said she does not have an estimate of what its own costs could be to move forward with the case.

In the meantime, the city has deposited the full $34,000 with the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office, which means the city can move forward with the trail construction project as the court decides upon the final amount. Hegarty said the city legally has ownership of the land but not the title at this point in the process.

Salvatore said the Big Sioux River Recreational Trail project could now begin early next year. Construction documents could go before the council in February and bids could come by the spring, he said.

Hegarty and Salvatore told the Journal they couldn't remember a time in recent history the city has used that power for a trail project.

The last time Sioux City used eminent domain was in relation to the Jackson Street reconstruction project, when the city in July 2016 acquired a portion of Family Dollar's property for a traffic signal.

Lepper and Hegarty both told the Journal a settlement is not out of the question. Lepper said his hope is that the city will pay him the $34,000, move forward with the project, and bring an end to the languishing process.

"What I want is just drop the appeal, pay me what the commission says its worth, and just leave me alone and Ill leave you alone," Lepper said.
SIOUX CITY  A couple who manufacture and sell honey are feeling the sting after their Sioux City operation was vandalized overnight, killing at least half a million bees.

Justin and Tori Engelhardt, the owners of Wild Hill Honey, went to go dust the snow off 50 hives stored in a grove on their 18 1/2 acre property on Sioux Citys west side around 10 a.m. Thursday.

As they approached the area where the hives were kept, Justin Engelhardt noticed their beekeeping supplies shed had been ransacked.

He feared that whoever committed the act had done much worse, a thought that unfortunately came true for the apiarist.

They knocked over every single hive, killing all the bees. They wiped us out completely, Engelhardt said. They broke into our shed, they took all our equipment out and threw it out in the snow, smashed what they could. Doesnt look like anything was stolen, everything was just vandalized or destroyed.

Engelhardt called the crime completely senseless.

He and his wife started Wild Hill Honey about six years ago after he became interested in bees after hearing an interview with world-renowned animal behaviorist Thomas Seeley on National Public Radio.

Wild Hills sells jars of pure, raw and creamed varieties of honey and other honey byproducts at Pierce Street Coffee Works, Sioux City Gifts, Palmers Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe, trade shows and other spaces.

Were really well known around Sioux City, Engelhardt said.

Engelhardt estimates the vandalism caused $50,000-$60,000 worth of damage. He said insurers don't offer beehive coverage, so he doesnt foresee a way the couple can financially rebuild their business.

This probably sunk us, he said.

The Sioux City Police Department is investigating the crime. Engelhardt said he was impressed by the departments quick response, noting they came out and dusted for fingerprints and measured footprints left in the snow.

Engelhardt also shared the incident on Wild Hills Honey Facebook page. A little after 2 p.m. Thursday, the post had more than 400 shares.

Maybe somebody knows something, right? he said. It may produce a lead for the police.
Two Eastern Iowa fires that killed a combined nine people, including four children, within five days made 2017 the deadliest year in more than a decade for fire deaths in Iowa.

The State Fire Marshals Office reported 38 confirmed fire deaths as of Wednesday, with another 13 expected to go on the list, said Ron Humphrey, special agent in charge of the Offices Arson and Explosives Bureau.

Were tentatively at 51 for the year, Humphrey said. There have been several multi-fatality cases. Those start to add up pretty quickly.

On Wednesday, investigators had yet to release the names of four family members who died in an early Christmas Day house fire in Blue Grass, a small bedroom community a few miles west of Davenport.

Theres a whole lot as a community we have to take in, said Blue Grass Mayor Tim Brandenburg. Its bad enough to lose one family member, but here there were four. And to have it happen on Christmas Day.

Blue Grass Police Sgt. Garrett Jahns said officials are waiting for the medical examiner to confirm the causes of death for the four family members killed by the blaze reported shortly after midnight Dec. 25. One of the occupants was able to flee the burning house and was transported to the hospital, but later died, police reported. The other three family members died inside.

The death toll from a Dec. 21 fire in Davenport went up to five earlier this week when two children transported to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after the blaze died from their injuries, officials said.

They are gone, said the childrens great-grandmother, Sue Wilson, 78, of Davenport, in a phone interview. They are all with their mommy.

Kelsey Clain, 23, and two of her children, Jayden Smead, 5, and Carson Smead, 2, were killed when their mobile home caught fire late Dec. 21. Skylar Smead, 4, and Isabella Smead, 9 months, were taken to the UI hospital with critical injuries. Isabella was taken off life support on Sunday and Skylar on Tuesday, Wilson said.

Skylars heart and liver were donated, she said.

Interim Davenport Fire Marshal Jim Morris confirmed Isabella and Skylar both had died.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, Morris said. Evidence at the scene didnt pinpoint a cause and we had nobody to talk to who was involved, he said.

There were no working smoke detectors present to allow for early notification of the residents, Morris said.

The mobile home was owner-occupied and therefore did not fall under the Fire Departments inspection of rental properties, he said.

Theres no way for us to enforce use of smoke detectors other than public service announcements like this one, he said.

In addition to 2017 setting a record in recent years for Iowa fire fatalities, its been nearly four years since five or more people died in one fire in the state. The last time that happened, according to State Fire Marshal records, was Jan. 24, 2014, when three adults and two children were killed in a house fire in Arlington.

Four people died in a May 25 apartment fire in Des Moines. A 16-year-old girl and a bus driver died in a school bus fire Dec. 12 near Oakland in western Iowa.

Memorials have been established for both Eastern Iowa families affected by the recent fire deaths. Clains family has a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral expenses and hospital bills for Isabella and Skylar, the site says.

Brandenburg said an account has been set up at the Blue Grass Savings Bank for the family that died in the Dec. 25 Blue Grass fire. The banks phone number is (563) 381-1732.
SIOUX CITY | It's not uncommon for a person to walk through the Sioux City Public Museum's glass doors carrying a cardboard box filled with old family photographs and other historical trinkets.

The museum received 255 separate donations from 201 donors in Fiscal Year 2016. The estimated 10,589 individual objects, photographs and manuscript collections represent a 10 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

"We tend to tell donors we can never guarantee that anything will ever go on display. That's a deal-breaker for some people," said Haley Aguirre, the museum's archival clerk. "A lot of people want their items to be on display immediately and with our institution that's just not something we can do."

Aguirre said Siouxland residents also often loan or donate items for specific exhibits. For example, she said the museum received military uniforms and ammunition in advance of the opening of "Honoring Our Armed Services: 1861-2017." The exhibit of Siouxlanders' past and present military contributions ran through the end of December.

Matt Anderson, the museum's curator of history, said the clock from the Simmons Hardware Company Warehouse, which is now the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, went on display fairly quickly.

"Either it's large or impressive or it's particularly important to local history," Anderson explained of the items accepted into the museum's collection. "Another example would be the Rev. Haddock memorial that used to be in the street at Fourth and Water streets."

After a donor fills out a form giving the museum temporary legal custody of the donation, the item or items are cataloged using Pastperfect, a digital software that connects every donation with its source. Next, the item or items are placed in the museum's temporary custody room.

Every quarter, Aguirre said the museum's Collections Committee, which is made of the archival records clerk, archives manager, curator of history, curator of education and museum director, review the donations.

"We'll go through every item and decide, 'Do we want to keep this or do we want to reject it?'" said Aguirre, who said a stack of Life magazines from the 1960s and a Wilson trailer are examples of donations that have been rejected. "We're not going to accept something from Chicago if it has nothing to do with Sioux City, because we're the Sioux City Public Museum."

Hazardous materials and extremely large items that won't fit in the museum's storage space have been returned to their owners or disposed of at the donor's request.

"If something is really moldy and rotting away, that's going to hurt us and that's going to hurt anything that we put right next to it," Aguirre said.

Anderson added, "We have a fair amount of furniture that's been acquired over the years, but you have to have a specific purpose for it because it takes up a lot of the storage space. If it's not used in an exhibit fairly regularly, it's hard to justify the space that it takes up."

Accepted items are accessioned into the museum's collections. Three pieces of paper are key in turning a donated item into museum property. The first, Aguirre said is a letter sent to the donor thanking them for their donation. The second is a deed of gift, which when signed, gives the museum permanent legal custody of the item. The third, is a copy of the deed of gift -- the museum keeps one and the donor keeps the other.

"Once this deed of gift is signed, it is mailed back to us and it goes back into Pastperfect and into our file system," she said. "Once (the donation) is ours, each donation will be given an accession number, which is the year of that donation and the number of the thing donated that year."

Next, the donation is processed. Photographs, for example, are placed in folders, defined by subject and cataloged.

"Everything in this museum, ideally, we know where it came from," Aguirre said. "Each piece is given an object identification number, in our case, that is the accession number followed by the number of thing in that donation. These are physically adhered to the item in some way. The big thing we follow is, do no harm."

Once the object I.D. is affixed by pencil, label or string tag, depending on the item, staff perform any preservation work that the item might require. Preservation includes flattening a photo and placing it in a sleeve or making an item that is hazardous non-hazardous.

"Then, the item is stored away based on our own collections," Aguirre said. "Sometimes people just bring in a bullet pencil from the Stockyards. We can just slap a number of that, put it away and it's done."
The Samoa Submarine Cable Company Limited (S.S.C.C.) and Alcatel Submarine Networks (A.S.N.), part of Nokia, has announced the completion of the marine installation of the Tui-Samoa submarine cable system. The final splice was done on Tuesday.

As a result, Samoa, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna islands are now inter-connected with a submarine optical fiber system which spans more than 1,470 km, providing an advanced broadband highway for inclusive social and economic growth.

Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Afamasaga Rico Tupai, said the milestone re-enforces Samoas commitment to broadband connectivity.

This is a significant milestone for our Samoa Connectivity Project, which has been possible with the enormous support and commitment of multiple development partners and by Alcatel Submarine Networks, he said.

This reinforces the Government of Samoas commitment to universal access and high speed broadband connectivity for all our people.

Leiataua Alden Godinet, Chairperson of S.S.C.C. said: This is another step forward to deliver fast, reliable and affordable internet services to the people of Samoa and to enhance broadband capacity and connectivity for the institutions and businesses to foster social and economic development.

Philippe Piron, President of Alcatel Submarine Networks, said: We are pleased to support S.S.C.C. in delivering new connectivity that can give broader opportunities to Samoan and neighbouring people. A.S.Ns technology and expertise will contribute to deliver a new service experience to end-users that will be able to access advanced on line applications efficiently and rapidly.

Strengthening Samoas domestic and international connectivity, the Tui-Samoa submarine cable system have landing points in Apia and Tuasivi (Samoa) and Suva (Fiji) and delivers a capacity of at least 8 Terabits-per-second (Tbit/s) using 100 Gbit/s transmission technology. The system also has extensions to the islands of Vanua Levu  Savusavu (Fiji) and Wallis & Futuna.

ABOUT SAMOA SUBMARINE CABLE COMPANY LIMITED

S.S.C.C. is a private company incorporated in Apia Samoa and will build, manage and operate the Tui-Samoa submarine cable between Apia Samoa and Suva Fiji. S.S.C.C. will operate a Cooperative Sustainable Wholesale Model (C.S.W.M.) with the mandate to deliver fast, reliable and affordable internet services to stimulate I.C.T. innovation and development as an enabler of economic growth and social prosperity for the people of Samoa.

ALCATEL SUBMARINE NETWORKS

Alcatel Submarine Networks, part of Nokia, leads the industry in terms of capacity and installed base with more than 590,000 km of optical submarine systems deployed worldwide. From traditional telecom to new oil and gas applications, A.S.N. provides every part of a global undersea transmission network, all tailored to the customers needs. An extensive service portfolio completes its comprehensive offering for the submarine business, including project management, installation and commissioning and marine operations and maintenance performed by its fleet of cable ships.